3 days agoKyle Larson finished a close second to Denny Hamlin in this past weekend's Dover race. He led 39 laps after first beating Martin Truex, Jr. on a green flag pit cycle to win Stage 2 and again took the lead on a caution-flag exchange of pit stops on lap 325. In both cases, Larson eventually lost the lead to Hamlin, first in the pits under caution and later on the penultimate restart when Hamlin took the lead immediately before the crash that took out Christopher Bell, Bubba Wallace, and William Byron. Although he failed to pass Hamlin for the lead, Larson's finish was deserved as he also ranked second in speed and third in driver rating (only barely behind Martin Truex, Jr.) It was a strong run for Larson, but ultimately he could not overcome Hamlin's successful aero-blocking in a race where it was difficult to pass except on restarts.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoDenny Hamlin scored his third win of the season at the Würth 400 at Dover this past weekend, a win that was forecasted by many models, including our own Jordan McAbee's algorithm-predicted finishing order two days ago. Hamlin's win shouldn't have come as a surprise because many observers expected that the tire wear at Dover would be similar to that at Bristol, a race where Hamlin dominated. Although the Dover race ended up not being much like Bristol, Hamlin still won, led the most laps, posted the fastest average speed, and took the lead from the other leading favorite, Kyle Larson, on the lap 329 restart shortly before the race's biggest crash. With his win, Hamlin ties William Byron in wins with 3 this season and extends his lead in most races with an on-track pass for the lead to 8. Denny continues to rank second in speed for the season to his teammate, Martin Truex, Jr.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoStandout defensive tackle Christian Barmore and the New England Patriots reached an agreement on a four-year contract extension with a maximum value of $92 million on Monday. The deal was negotiated and confirmed by agent Nicole Lynn of Klutch Sports. The deal contains $41.8 million in guarantees in the largest deal that the Patriots have given out since
Tom Brady. The 24-year-old former second-rounder in 2021 out of Alabama earned the big extension by recording 133 tackles (74 solo), 12.5 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 32 QB hits, nine passes defended and one forced fumble in 44 games (11 starts) in his first three years in the NFL. He had a career-high 8.5 sacks in 17 games (six starts) last year and will stick around in New England as a key piece on the interior of their defensive line for years to come.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
3 days agoThe New York Yankees placed outfielder
Alex Verdugo on the paternity list ahead of their four-game set against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday. Verdugo will now miss between one to three games as he welcomes a new baby into the world. That means the latest we can expect the left-handed slugger back is Thursday in the team's series finale. The Yankees will surely miss his bat in the lineup for the next couple of days, considering he is hitting .267 with four home runs, 13 RBI, and six doubles through 29 games this year. But he should be back later this week for your fantasy teams. In his place, New York called up catcher
Carlos Narvaez.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees
3 days agoFive-time Pro Bowl wide receiver
Jarvis Landry is expected to take part in the Jacksonville Jaguars' upcoming rookie camp, according to his agents. Landry sat out of the 2023 season and is fully healthy and ready to return at age 31 in 2024. The Jaguars added rookie Brian Thomas in the first round of this year's NFL draft and also signed
Gabe Davis in free agency to help them account for the loss of
Calvin Ridley. Jacksonville also has
Christian Kirk returning from injury and
Zay Jones, so even if Landry were to sign with the team, he'd be fighting an uphill battle for significant playing time in 2024. In nine games with the New Orleans Saints in 2022, Landry caught 25 of his 39 targets for 272 yards and one touchdown. If anything, he'd serve as receiver depth in the slot for Jacksonville.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
3 days agoFormer title challenger Alex Perez rebounded from three straight defeats on Saturday when he scored a second-round knockout victory over Matheus Nicolau. This was his first fight after 1,421 days of inactivity. After replacing an injured Manel Kape against Nicolau on Saturday night, Perez had a lot on the line after losing three fights in a row. In the second round, he landed a right hook that knocked Nicolau out. In 7:16 of action, Perez landed 28 significant strikes.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
3 days agoAriane Lipski suffered a unanimous decision loss to Karine Silva at UFC Vegas 91 on Saturday. Lipski was last seen in action at the UFC 296 event, where she defeated Casey O'Neill via second-round armbar. In 15 minutes of action, Lipski landed 42 significant strikes compared to Silva who landed 27. Lipski had success with her striking but was taken down and controlled by Silva on a few occasions. The loss knocks Lipski down to 6-6 in the UFC.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
3 days agoKarine Silva picked up a decision win over Ariane Lipski on the main card of UFC Vegas 91 on Saturday. It's the first time in the Brazilian's career she won a fight on the scorecards. This was a closely contested fight, where Silva edged out a decision win by taking Lipski down five times and by having better spells of control on the mat. In 15 minutes of action, Silva landed 27 significant strikes. Silva has now won all four of her UFC fights and has improved her professional MMA record to 18-4.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
3 days agoMinnesota Twins outfielder
Byron Buxton was a part of the scoring action Sunday in the 11-5 win against the Los Angeles Angels. Buxton went 1-for-4 with three runs, one walk, and two strikeouts. He has now connected with at least one hit in eight games out of his last 10. Buxton is hitting .244 (21-for-86) on the season with seven doubles, one triple, one homer, 10 runs, 11 RBI, two walks, and 31 strikeouts across 92 plate appearances in 2024. The strikeouts have been a concern for Buxton but his overall consistency at the plate makes him a solid starter for fantasy managers. The Twins will face the Chicago White Sox to start the week with a three-game series for the 30-year-old outfielder.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoTampa Bay Rays second baseman
Jose Caballero is slashing .264/.292/.407 with five doubles, one triple, two homers, 12 RBI, 12 runs, one walk, nine stolen bases, and 23 strikeouts across 26 games in 2024. The 27-year-old has elite speed, and his nine steals are sixth in the majors. Before getting the day off on Sunday against the White Sox, he started the previous 12 games and hit .217 (10-for-46) with two doubles, one triple, six RBI, five runs, one homer, one walk, and 13 strikeouts. He remains a solid starter for fantasy managers as he continues to find ways to get on base, but the strikeouts compared to his walks may be something to monitor throughout the season. Caballero will look to continue his solid production on Monday in a tough matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: MLB.Com
3 days agoTampa Bay Rays shortstop
Amed Rosario struggled in Sunday's 4-2 loss against the Chicago White Sox. Rosario went 1-for-4 with one strikeout and a hit-by-pitch to end a tough weekend series. The Rays shortstop went 2-for-12 (.167) with one RBI, one run, two walks, and three strikeouts in the three games against the White Sox. He has been a solid starter for fantasy managers this season, though, hitting .320 (31-for-97) with five doubles, one triple, 13 RBI, eight runs, two homers, 13 walks, and fourteen strikeouts in 26 starts. He'll kick the week off with a tough matchup versus Milwaukee, but his fantasy upside remains high and desirable for managers.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
3 days agoJonathan Pearce suffered a unanimous decision loss to David Onama on the main card of UFC Vegas 91 on Saturday. Throughout the fight, Pearce struggled with closing the distance and with Onama's speed. Pearce did, however, land five takedowns in this fight, compared to Onama who had only one takedown attempt. In 15 minutes of action, Pearce landed 57 significant strikes. With this loss, Pearce is on a two-fight losing skid and is 5-3 in the UFC.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
3 days agoDavid Onama picked up a unanimous decision win over Jonathan Pearce at UFC Vegas 91 on Saturday. Despite Onama missing weight, his speed and pace proved to be too much for Pearce. This was Onama's second victory in a row. In 15 minutes of action, Onama landed 58 significant strikes. With the hard-fought victory, Onama moves to 12-2 as a professional and is 4-2 in the UFC.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
3 days agoAtlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley showed signs of life at the plate on Sunday against the visiting Cleveland Guardians with a 2-for-4 performance, including the game-winner in the bottom of the 10th inning. Riley also walked and struck out in the 4-3 win. Even with the two-hit performance as the hero on Sunday, Riley has gone 4-for-33 (.121) with no home runs, two RBI and 11 strikeouts in his last nine games to drop his season line to .234/.311/.383. The 27-year-old former first-rounder in 2015 has not gone deep for the Braves in 18 games. On the bright side, Riley continues to hit the ball well, he just hasn't had much to show for it. Fantasy managers should continue to stick with him, and hopefully his two-hit performance on Sunday will get him going.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoAfter finishing second in the last two races, Brad Keselowski fell back to Earth on Sunday as he finished 30th in the Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway. Despite only qualifying 24th, Keselowski worked his way up the field early in the race until an incident late in stage one took him out of contention for the day. On lap 118, as he was running 13th, the RFK driver-owner blew a tire, causing him to spin out. Unable to rebound from this setback, the 40-year-old end up completing just 383 of the scheduled 400 laps in Sunday's contest, the eighth fewest of the day. The timing of Keselowski's disastrous performance could not have come on a worse week for the DFS community as he was the second most owned driver in DraftKings featured contest (33.42%) but scored the eighth fewest points on the slate (9.60 DK points). Nevertheless, the No. 6 will try and shake off Sunday's disappointment next weekend at Kansas, a track he has won at twice in his Cup career.
--Adam Erhardt - RotoBallerSource: Jayski.com
3 days agoSeattle Mariners shortstop
Leo Rivas recorded his first career hit Sunday in a 3-2 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The 26-year-old was the 999th player to appear for the Mariners while getting a triple in his first plate appearance. Rivas also made history by being the first Mariner to do so since July 28, 2005, when Yuniesky Betancourt did it against Cleveland. He went 1-for-2 with one triple and one strikeout. He may receive more opportunities this season depending on
J.P. Crawford's (oblique) return from a Grade 1 oblique strain. Rivas is mainly a fantasy option in AL-Only Leagues, while Crawford is sidelined.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: Seattle Times - Adam Jude
3 days agoWashington Nationals relief pitcher
Kyle Finnegan closed out the Miami Marlins on Sunday in a 12-9 victory to pick up his ninth save of the season. In his inning of work, Finnegan didn't allow a hit or a run while walking one and striking out one to lower his season ERA to 2.19.
Hunter Harvey pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in front of Finnegan with a walk and no strikeouts to earn his ninth hold of the year. It was the 32-year-old Finnegan's ninth save in 10 chances to start the 2024 season. He also owns a 0.97 WHIP and has fanned 11 batters in his 12 1/3 innings. Finnegan opened the year as a shaky closing option for fantasy managers, but he's held off Harvey to this point with April almost over.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoMiami Marlins left-hander
Ryan Weathers had a tough outing on Sunday in the 12-9 loss to the visiting Washington Nationals, although he wasn't saddled with the loss. In just four innings of work, Weathers surrendered five hits (one home run) and six earned runs while walking three and striking out three to raise his season ERA to 4.55. In addition to the three free passes, the 24-year-old southpaw hit three batters but was given a no-decision thanks to the Fish going up in this contest 7-0. It was by far Weathers' worst outing of the season to this point and he's allowed nine earned runs now in his last 9 2/3 innings. The good news is he has the perfect bounce-back opportunity up next when he's scheduled to take on the Oakland Athletics next weekend.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoThe Boston Red Sox designated infielder
Pablo Reyes for assignment on Monday to make room for recently acquired first baseman/designated hitter
Garrett Cooper on the active roster. Reyes wasn't able to carry over his strong performance at the plate from last season and was hitting just .183/.234/.217 with no home runs, five RBI, one stolen base and four runs scored in 60 at-bats with Boston early on in 2024. If the 30-year-old isn't claimed on waivers or traded, he could head to Triple-A Worcester and remain in the organization. With
Triston Casas (rib) on the 60-day injured list, the 33-year-old Cooper is expected to see plenty of playing time at first base for the BoSox, making him worth a waiver-wire pickup in deep fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
3 days agoRyan Blaney finished seventh in Sunday's Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway, marking his fifth top-10 finish of the season. Overall, it was a solid race for the reigning Cup Series champion as he led 47 laps, recorded 23 fastest laps, and spent 99.5% of the race in the top 15. For his efforts, the Team Penske star earned 54.10 points on DraftKings, the sixth-highest total on the slate. Despite not having any wins this season, following Sunday's race, Blaney sits seventh in the NASCAR playoff standings, just six points behind William Byron who has three wins on the year. Up next for the Cup Series is a trip to Kansas, a track he finished 12th at last fall.
--Adam Erhardt - RotoBallerSource: Jayski.com
3 days agoThe Kansas City Royals recalled right-hander
Jonathan Bowlan from Triple-A Omaha and optioned right-hander
Will Klein to Omaha in a corresponding move on Monday. Bowland will be making his 2024 debut with Kansas City to start in the series opener on Monday against the Blue Jays in Toronto. This will be the 27-year-old's second career start after he made his big-league debut in 2023, going 0-1 with a 3.00 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, no walks and three strikeouts in just three innings pitched. Bowlan will help cover the rotation spot of
Alec Marsh (elbow) for at least this turn through KC's rotation. In his 21 innings at Omaha this year, he has posted a 2.57 ERA and 1.10 WHIP with five walks and 21 strikeouts. Fantasy managers should consider him an extremely shaky streaming option in Toronto.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
3 days agoTexas Rangers outfielder
Wyatt Langford recorded his first career homer Sunday in a 4-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Langford showed off his power and speed with an inside-the-park home run in Sunday's victory. The 22-year-old has had a good start to his career, hitting .248 (25-for-101) with three doubles, one triple, one homer, 11 RBI, 13 runs with 11 walks, and 24 strikeouts in 27 games this season. The Rangers will have Monday off and start a new series against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, giving Langford a favorable matchup in all three games. With the power and speed he brings to the plate, he'll remain a hot commodity to all fantasy managers.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 days agoNew York Mets first baseman
Pete Alonso walked three times in Sunday's 4-2 win against the St. Louis Cardinals. Alonso had a light day while showing his plate discipline, going 0-for-2 with three walks and one strikeout. It wasn't the best showing over the weekend against St. Louis, as he went 1-for-10 with three walks and three strikeouts, but he did add on his eighth homer on Saturday, which was his 200th career blast. The 29-year-old is slashing .248/.336/.505 with three doubles, 14 RBI, 20 runs, eight homers, 12 walks and 23 strikeouts for the season. The Mets will kick off Monday with a prime matchup versus the Chicago Cubs, starting a four-game series. Fantasy managers should continue to start Alonso in all leagues.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
3 days agoNew York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad collected two points on Sunday while helping his team to a four-game sweep of the Washington Capitals in their first-round playoff series. The Swede notched two assists on the night, the first of which came on a power play with just 16 seconds to go in the first period. He notched another power-play helper on Artemi Panarin's third-period, game-winning goal just 3:21 in the third period. It was the third straight two-point game for the veteran who finished the series with a goal and six assists through four games. The Rangers will now take on the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders series with the 'Canes sporting a 3-1 series lead with Game 5 set for Tuesday in Carolina.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoNew York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin tallied the game-winning goal in Game 4 of the team's first-round series against the Washington Capitals, eliminating the Caps in a four-game sweep. The Russian beat netminder Charlie Lindgren with a wrister 3:21 into the third period, notching his second point of the night in the process. It had been a pretty quiet series for Panarin prior to Game 4 as he had just one goal across the first three games and was held off the scoresheet entirely in games two and three. The Rangers will now face either the Carolina Hurricanes or New York Islanders in round two but it will likely be the Hurricanes who hold a 3-1 series lead over New York with Game 5 set for Tuesday in Raleigh.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
3 days agoToronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews' status for Game 5 of the team's first-round series against the Boston Bruins is up in the air as the pivot continues to deal with an illness. Matthews has played through the issue for the last two games but was pulled by team doctors prior to the third period of Saturday's Game 4 loss. The Maple Leafs now trail the Bruins 3-1 in the series with Game 5 set to go Tuesday in Boston. "Not much of an update there (but) luckily, again, we've got a couple of days here," head coach Sheldon Keefe said on Sunday. "We thought the last couple of days would help us. For whatever reason it's not one of those run-of-the-mill, everyday type of illnesses that sort of come and go." The superstar has three point through the first four games of the series.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
3 days agoColorado Rockies shortstop/outfield prospect
Sterlin Thompson went 4-for-5 with three runs, three RBI and a solo home run. Thompson is now hitting .245 with seven RBI and a stolen base over his first 73 at-bats. Thompson, 22, is a consensus Top-100 prospect and joins
Yanquiel Fernandez,
Jordan Beck and
Zac Veen in what is a potentially strong outfield for the Rockies. Thompson swings from the left side with good pitch recognition and uses the whole field to make contact. He won't be the biggest power hitter, but playing half his games at Coors Field will help with that. Thompson has been playing outfield of late, but can also play the middle of the field. He is unlikely to make an impact in 2024, but he is worth a look for dynasty managers.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: Milb.com
3 days agoThe Dallas Cowboys are bringing back former Pro Bowl running back
Ezekiel Elliott, according to NFL insider Tom Pelissero. This has been a developing story in recent weeks, and after Dallas did not pick a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, their former first-round pick is back with America's Team. In seven seasons with Dallas, Elliott rushed 1,881 times for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns. The team let him walk last offseason and elevated
Tony Pollard to the RB1 role, but Pollard was underwhelming and left for the Tennessee Titans during free agency this year. Although Zeke averaged a career-low 3.5 yards per carry last season, he could have RB2 value back in Dallas in one of the best offenses in the NFL. Assuming the Cowboys don't add more legitimate competition to the backfield, he should start, and
Rico Dowdle should be viewed as a high-end fantasy handcuff in 2024.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Tom Pelissero
3 days agoComing off of his best career Cup Series finish last week at Talladega (third), Noah Gragson follows up Dover with a finish of sixth. Starting from the fifth position, Gragson looked strong early on as he maintained a top-5 running position for most of the first stage. Gragson, however, would eventually fade back to 12th at the end of stage one after his handling during a longer run would go away. Unfortunately for Gragson, he would continue to be back in traffic during the second stage, fail to score stage points, and be at the tail end of the Top 20. During the final stage, however, Gragson improved his car, and he would catch a break when a caution allowed him to regain track position. Gragson would remain competitive as he would obtain back-to-back top-10 finishes for the first time in his Cup Series career. As the Cup Series next heads to Kansas, Gragson looks to capture more success at a track where he has two top-20 finishes in three starts.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 days agoVancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser notched a hat trick and willed his team to a monumental come-from-behind victory over the Nashville Predators to take a 3-1 stranglehold in the first-round on Sunday. Down 3-1 late in the third period, Boeser got the Canucks within one goal with his second tally of the game with less than three minutes remaining in the game. He then buried the tying goal with just eight seconds left in the final frame, sending the game to overtime before Elias Lindholm scored just 1:02 into the extra frame to hand the Canucks a 3-1 series lead. The outstanding performance carries over from a fantastic regular season that saw the 27-year-old record a career-high 40 goals and 73 points across 81 contests.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
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