3 days agoWashington Nationals outfielder Jesse Winker (back) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Monday's game against the Chicago White Sox. The veteran outfielder was forced to exit early during Sunday's game due to back spasms. Winker is reportedly feeling better on Monday but will sit out at least one more game. Winker holds a .143/.247/.247 slash line over his last 21 games so he hasn't been much of a help to fantasy managers anyway. Jared Young, Eddie Rosario, and Victor Robles will cover the outfield on Monday.Source: Mark Zuckerman
3 days agoMost NASCAR Cup Series drivers would consider a fourth-place finish at Darlington Raceway a great run. Not Denny Hamlin. Despite notching his fifth top-five finish of the season, Hamlin remarked after the race, "Below average day for the Yahoo! Camry, but to finish fourth on a below average day--that's alright." Hamlin had the sixth-best average running position during the race and ranked eighth-fastest in Green Flag Speed. For him to call that a below average day, it shows just how fast that No. 11 Toyota has been this season. With his good run at Darlington, Denny now sits third in the points standings, just 39 points behind leader, Kyle Larson.Source: Speedway Digest
3 days agoVancouver Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov has been fined $5,000 for cross-checking Connor McDavid in Sunday's Game 3 of the second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers. It's the maximum allowable fine under the collective bargaining agreement. Zadorov cross-checked McDavid from behind after the final buzzer. Vancouver will be happy to know Zadorov escaped the incident without a suspension, unlike fellow blue-liner Carson Soucy, who will be forced to sit out Game 4 for his involvement in Sunday's end-of-the-game scrum. Zadorov has been a huge force for the Canuck at both ends of the ice this postseason, posting seven points (four goals, three assists) with 14 blocks and 30 hits in nine appearances.Source: NHL Player Safety
3 days agoJustin Haley walked away with a ninth-place finish after this weekend's Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, his first top-10 result of the 2024 season. And while Haley was never a contender for the race win, this run is still extremely noteworthy, as it marks the first-ever non-superspeedway top-10 finish for Rick Ware Racing. Many people questioned Haley's decision to move over to Rick Ware Racing this season, but races like this show that it was probably the right move, as the Kaulig Chevrolets struggled once again at Darlington. Source: Frontstretch
3 days agoAtlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley (side) is undergoing an MRI exam on Monday and is not in the team's starting lineup for the series opener against the visiting Chicago Cubs. The Braves are still hopeful that Riley will avoid a stint onread more...
3 days agoBoston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (upper body) was on the ice Monday morning and will travel with the team to Florida for Game 5 against the Panthers, but he remains day-to-day ahead of Tuesday's Game 5 of the fiery series. Marchand missed the end of Game 3 and was out for Sunday's Game 4 after getting injured in a collision with Florida forward Sam Bennett. He was replaced in the lineup by Danton Heinen, who returned from an undisclosed injury, logging a scoreless 17:18 of action with three shots on goal. Despite dropping out of the lineup, Marchand remains Boston's top scorer in the postseason with 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 10 appearances.Source: ESPN
3 days agoThe Miami Marlins placed shortstop Tim Anderson (back) on the 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 11) on Monday with lower-back tightness and reinstated left-hander A.J. Puk (shoulder) in a corresponding move. Anderson will head to the shelf after missing the last two games with back tightness, but if his injury isn't that serious, he could come off the 10-day IL in just over a week. The 30-year-old former 17th overall pick of the Chicago White So in 2013 has fallen on hard times the last two years after being an All-Star in both 2021 and 2022. He hit .245/.286/.296 with only one homer in 2023 and is currently batting .197 (24-for-122) with no homers, six RBI and three steals in 36 games for the Fish. Until Anderson is able to return from his back ailment, Vidal Brujan is fully expected to take over as the team's regular shortstop.Source: Miami Marlins
3 days agoToronto Blue Jays catcher Danny Jansen (back) is experiencing back spasms, according to manager John Schneider. Jansen is getting treatment and the hope is that he can be available off the bench, if needed, on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles on the road. Alejandro Kirk will do the catching for Toronto on Monday and will hit sixth in the batting order against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Jansen will miss his second straight game after he was held out of Sunday's series finale against the Minnesota Twins. The 29-year-old should be considered day-to-day. Fantasy managers in deeper leagues will want to check back on Tuesday to see if Jansen is back in action. Jansen got a late start to the 2024 season due to a fractured wrist but has made up for lost time by going 17-for-54 (.315) with four home runs and seven RBI in his first 18 games.Source: Sportsnet.ca - Shi Davidi
3 days agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen is projected to get the nod for Monday's Game 5 against the Rangers. After opening the series with two defeats, Andersen was taken out of the firing line in Game 3, but he made a winning return to the crease at the weekend in Game 4 and appears ready for another battle. The Danish netminder carries a 5-3 record in these playoffs with a 2.63 goals-against average and a .897 save percentage. His numbers have dropped to 3.67 and .874 in the series against the Rangers.Source: Chip Alexander
3 days agoUpdating a previous report, Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (illness) and Kevin Kiermaier (illness) and designated hitter Justin Turner (illness) are both out sick on Monday against the Baltimore Orioles. Springer missedread more...
3 days agoNew York Rangers center Filip Chytil (illness) isn't expected to feature in Game 5 against Carolina on Monday. After missing Game 4 with an illness, Chytil was back on the ice Monday morning, but he didn't skate on any lines and stayed on late with the likely scratches for the game. Jonny Brodzinski entered the lineup for his 2024 postseason debut in Game 4. He logged 8:49 on the fourth line, finishing with two blocks. Brodzinski is expected to play again on Monday, although Matt Rempe is also an option as the Rangers try to finish off Carolina at Madison Square Garden.Source: Vince Z. Mercogliano
3 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (knee) is out of the starting lineup for Monday's series opener against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Realmuto will be missing his second straight game after missing Sunday's contest with a sore right knee. With Realmuto stillread more...
3 days agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev has been confirmed as the team's starter in the crease on Monday against Dallas. He will look to avoid a third consecutive defeat in Game 4 of the second-round series. Georgiev has dropped a pair of decisions after enjoying a five-game winning streak with the team. He's sporting a 5-3 record for the postseason and has allowed 2.97 goals with a .893 save percentage. The Avalanche have suffered a couple of disappointing results lately, but the team hasn't lost three consecutive playoff games since 2021, putting Georgiev in a good bounce-back spot on Monday night.Source: Jesse Montano
4 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies outfielder/designated hitter Kyle Schwarber (back) remains out of the starting lineup on Monday against the New York Mets for the series opener in what will be his third straight missed game. The 31-year-old All-Star slugger was pulled from Friday's game early with lower-back soreness and remains out for the Phils to kick off the new week. The good news is his injury isn't considered very serious, and he's hoping to return to action on Tuesday for the second game of the series at Citi Field. Nick Castellanos is at DH on Monday and is hitting cleanup, while Whit Merrifield is in left field and batting leadoff against Mets left-hander Sean Manaea. Merrifield has four hits in eight career at-bats against Manaea and plays as a low-cost DFD sleeper on Monday against a lefty.Source: NBC Sports Philadelphia - Corey Seidman
4 days agoColorado Avalanche left wing Jonathan Drouin (lower body) is expected to return to the lineup for Game 4 against Dallas on Monday. He worked on the top power-play unit Monday morning and should slot into a top-six role if he's good to go. Drouin hasn't yet seen any playoff action this year after suffering a lower-body injury in the regular-season finale. Following a disappointing spell in Montreal, the former top-three draft pick came alive in Denver this season, recording a career-high 56 points (19 goals, 37 assists) in 79 appearances. Drouin's return will likely push Zach Parise to the third line.Source: Jesse Montano
4 days agoTampa Bay Rays third baseman Isaac Paredes will retreat to the bench on Monday for the series opener at Fenway Park against the division-rival Boston Red Sox. With Paredes riding pine, Amed Rosario will take over at the hot corner for Tampa and hit fifth in the batting order against Red Sox right-hander Kutter Crawford. There's a chance Paredes is being checked for a concussion after getting hit in the helmet by a pitch on Sunday against the New York Yankees, even though the 25-year-old stayed in for the rest of the game on Mother's Day. Unless we hear otherwise, it's just a planned day of rest. Paredes is hitting an even .300 (42-for-140) this year with eight homers and 22 RBI. Rosario is hitting .375 in eight career at-bats against Crawford, who has pitched extremely well so far in 2024.Source: MLB.com
4 days agoVancouver Canucks defenseman Carson Soucy has been suspended for one playoff game. The 29-year-old will be forced to miss Game 4 of the second-round series against Edmonton after cross-checking Oilers captain Connor McDavid to the face during a scrum at the end of Game 3 on Sunday. Vancouver loses a big presence at the back, with Soucy boasting 27 hits through nine postseason appearances. He's also occasionally helped out on the offensive end, delivering four assists.Source: NHL Player Safety
4 days agoToronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer and designated hitter Justin Turner are both sitting out on Monday for the series opener against the Orioles in Baltimore. With both veterans resting, Cavan Biggio is in right field and is hitting eighth, while Daniel Vogelbach is the DH and is batting fifth against Orioles right-hander Corbin Burnes. Davis Schneider is in left field and is hitting leadoff for the Blue Jays. Springer missed Friday and Saturday against the Minnesota Twins but returned on Sunday to go 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. The 34-year-old has struggled so far in 2024 with a .200 average (29-for-145), three homers and six stolen bases. Turner has one hit in his last 22 at-bats in his last five starts, so he'll be on the bench for the second straight game. None of Toronto's replacements on Monday will be particularly attractive in DFS against Burnes.Source: Toronto Blue Jays
4 days agoDetroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff agreed to a four-year, $212 million contract extension that includes $170 million guaranteed, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov. Lions general manager Brad Holmes said the two sides were working on an extension last week, and they evidently worked quickly and got the deal done. The 2016 No. 1 overall pick by the Los Angeles Rams has been fantastic since being dealt to Detroit along with draft picks for Matthew Stafford. He led Detroit to a playoff win for the first time since 1991 last year, and he's posted 12,258 yards, 78 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions through his first 48 games with the organization. He's now under contract through the 2028 season and will remain a fringe QB1 option in fantasy football as long as his offensive weapons remain on the roster. Given his job security and upside in Detroit's offense, he should be viewed as a strong dynasty QB2 in superflex formats.Source: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
4 days agoPittsburgh Pirates second base prospect Termarr Johnson continues to face early-season struggles in High-A. He's 3-for-29 in May, good for a .103 batting average. Despite the low average, Johnson has still shown tremendous plate discipline. He's drawn 12 walks, resulting in a .395 on-base percentage in May. In addition, he's only struck out six times. A significant contributor to his low batting average is his .130 BABIP. Although Johnson hasn't been making solid contact, he's suffered from exceptionally bad luck so far. At just 19 years old, he has ample time to develop, with his MLB debut not expected until 2025.Source: Baseball Reference
4 days agoKyle Larson started sixth at Darlington before being taken out in a lap 252 crash, relegating him to a 34th-place finish. Larson had great speed, especially in Stage 1 when he beat Tyler Reddick out of the pits before passing Ty Gibbs to take the Stage win. However, after Reddick retook the lead in the pits, Larson could never retake the lead and spent most of the race running between third and fifth. Shortly after Byron passed him for third in Stage 3, Larson hit the wall and needed to pit stop for tires slightly early. He damaged his car and toe link in that wall contact, because shortly after he pitted, he popped a tire while running sixth, resulting in a crash. He still ranked fourth in average speed and significantly closed his deficit in speed percentile to the leader Martin Truex, Jr. Larson also retainen his points lead.Source: Racing Reference
4 days agoAlthough Todd Gilliland finished 15th in this weekend's race at Darlington while his teammate Michael McDowell finished 10th, that does not reflect how well he ran, as Gilliland consistently had more speed, particularly in Stage 1 when he drove from 15th to 6th, finishing the Stage as the second-highest Ford driver behind only eventual race winner, Brad Keselowski. Unfortunately, Gilliland lost many spots in the pits and could not work his way back to the top 10. Gilliland was generally the faster Front Row Motorsports driver in the race as he ranked 12th in speed while McDowell was 17th.Source: Racing Reference
4 days agoChris Buescher delivered an electrifying performance for the second straight week at Darlington before a cut tire dropped him to 30th. Although his owner-teammate and eventual winner, Brad Keselowski, outran him, Buescher short-pitted to join the leaders' battle. While Keselowski and Tyler Reddick ran side-by-side for several laps, Buescher caught them sleeping and made a daring three-wide pass for the lead one week after his five-wide pass for second at Kansas. However, Reddick made a failed slide job on Buescher several laps later, cutting both drivers' tires and handing Keselowski the win. Buescher confronted Reddick after the race, incensed that Reddick took him out when he was locked into the Playoffs while Buescher was not. However, Buescher's increased aggression is paying dividends as he arguably drove too conservatively before. It's hard to imagine him not winning before the Playoffs, particularly since he is the fastest Ford driver for the second consecutive year.Source: Racing Reference
4 days agoRyan Blaney is not particularly known as a great Darlington driver, as he's never finished better than eighth and has only led laps in two races. However, this past weekend in the Goodyear 400, he was on pace for one of his best-ever runs there before being eliminated in a lap 129 crash. Blaney started 17th but pitted long on the green-flag pit cycle during Stage 1, which enabled him to make a series of passes and finish eighth in the Stage. He was in a three-wide battle for fourth with William Byron and Martin Truex, Jr. when Byron touched Truex, which sent Truex into Blaney and Blaney into the wall. Although he had minimal cosmetic damage, a broken toe link took him out due to the damaged vehicle policy and he finished last, but his good run prior to that indicates that Blaney will likely have better runs at Darlington in the future.Source: Racing Reference
4 days agoCincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson was spotted at voluntary offseason activities on Monday despite his recent request to be traded. It's a notable development considering the practices and workouts are entirely voluntary, but it's too early to assume it means he wants to remain with the team if he does not receive a new contract. The 2017 third-round pick by the New Orleans Saints had a monster season in 2023, racking up a Bengals' franchise record 17.5 sacks. He is the 11th-highest-paid edge rusher (average salary) and is entering the final year of his four-year, $60 million contract he signed as a free agent in 2021. The 29-year-old's situation will be worth monitoring this offseason, as there will likely be no shortage of interested suitors if the team is willing to listen to offers. With quarterback Joe Burrow already signed to a $275 million contract, and wide receivers Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins seeking a new deals, Hendrickson may be expendable.Source: NFL.com
4 days agoThe New England Patriots signed undrafted free-agent running back Terrell Jennings and released veteran ball carrier Ke'Shawn Vaughn on Monday, according to ESPN's Mike Reiss. Jennings rushed 120 times for 674 yards and nine touchdowns and caught seven passes for 60 yards in his final season at Florida A&M last year. The 225-pounder isn't on the fantasy radar yet, but he will have a shot to compete for a roster spot this offseason. Vaughn, who was a popular fantasy football sleeper after being selected in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, has a bleak future outlook following his release. In 43 games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the 27-year-old rushed 103 times for 384 yards and two touchdowns. He's unlikely to become a fantasy-relevant back based on what he's produced so far, but he could stick around the NFL as a depth option for another organization.Source: Mike Reiss -- ESPN
4 days agoThe Atlanta Falcons signed free-agent tight end Ross Dwelley on Monday, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Dwelley was undrafted out of the University of San Diego in 2018, but he stuck around on the San Francisco 49ers' roster for six seasons and played in 84 games. Overall, the 29-year-old has 44 receptions for 518 yards and five receiving touchdowns to his name. He'll look to compete with Charlie Woerner and John FitzPatrick to see the field in multi-tight end sets and to be Kyle Pitts' direct backup in 2024. For now, he's nowhere near the fantasy football radar heading into his seventh NFL campaign.Source: Adam Schefter
4 days agoThe Carolina Panthers signed outside linebacker Cam Gill and defensive lineman TJ Smith following a workout on Monday, the team announced on X. Gill spent the last four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after going undrafted in 2020 out of Wagner College. He was mostly a depth and special teams player for Tampa, collecting 29 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble in 40 career games. Smith, who was also undrafted out of the class of 2020, spent the last three years with the Minnesota Vikings and appeared in just five total games. Neither player is likely to push for a starting role, but depth jobs are up for grabs in the offseason and training camp, especially for a rebuilding franchise like Carolina.Source: Carolina Panthers on X
4 days agoFree-agent tight end Nick Vannett is signing with the Tennessee Titans, according to ESPN's Turron Davenport. The 31-year-old spent last season with the Los Angeles Chargers and caught one pass for three yards in eight games played. Vannett is a former third-round pick by the Seattle Seahawks in 2016 and has spent time with seven organizations in seven years. Overall, he's hauled in 91 of his 130 career targets for 877 yards and six touchdowns. He'll likely compete with 2023 fifth-round pick Josh Whyle for the TE2 role in 2024, but Chigoziem Okonkwo remains the lead tight end for quarterback Will Levis after this signing.Source: Turron Davenport
4 days agoThe Detroit Lions signed free-agent tight end Parker Hesse to an undisclosed deal on Monday. Hesse entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in 2021 with the Atlanta Falcons. He has spent all three of his seasons in the NFL with the Falcons and has totaled 14 receptions on 17 targets for 132 yards and no touchdowns in 28 games played (eight starts). The 28-year-old tight end played in only three games last year in Atlanta while also playing 28 snaps on special teams. In his three games played, Hesse wasn't targeted at all in the passing game. He'll merely be hoping to stick around on Detroit's roster after training camp and the preseason while providing depth at the position behind Sam LaPorta, Brock Wright, James Mitchell and Shane Zylstra.Source: Detroit Lions