July 6, 2025
The NASCAR Cup Series is at a road course track this weekend (the Chicago Street Course), which means Chris Buescher should have a strong showing. Nobody has a better average finish than him at this track type since the start of the 2022 season. Over the last 18 races on road courses, Buescher has finished 11th or better 16 times, with the only exceptions being the Charlotte Roval last season (he ended up 17th) as well as last year's Chicago race (he finished 20th). Looking at practice and qualifying this weekend, the No. 17 Ford was solid. Buescher posted the eighth-fastest lap during practice on Saturday afternoon and then went out and qualified eighth for Sunday's race as well. With as strong and consistent as Buescher is on this track type, he makes for a reliable DFS option this weekend ($8,600 on DraftKings) despite limited Place Differential upside.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
July 6, 2025
Bubba Wallace is by no means a strong road course racer, but he's certainly not as bad as he used to be. In face, over the last 10 races on this track type, Bubba hasn't finished worse than 20th, and he even grabbed a 12th-place finish at Mexico City last month despite starting back in 25th-place. This weekend, Bubba will have to do more of the same, as he spun the No. 23 Toyota out during qualifying and will have to start from back in 37th for Sunday's race. With that being said, that makes Bubba a very attractive DFS option, as his Place Differential upside is massive this weekend. Additionally, Wallace posted the fastest lap during practice on Saturday, so we know there is speed in that race car. At just $6,400 on DraftKings this weekend, Bubba Wallace is a core driver to build DFS lineups around, especially due to his huge Place Differential potential.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
July 6, 2025
Expect Michael McDowell to be a factor in the Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course this weekend. The Spire Motorsports driver had a "solid" practice and qualifying at the track on Saturday and, like everyone else, will be trying to best Shane van Gisbergen for the win on Sunday. Chicago has been a very good track for McDowell thus far, as he has been able to walk away with seventh- and fifth-place finishes in two races on the street course thus far. McDowell will start from second for this weekend's Grant Park 165 race, and while this eliminates any Place Differential upside he may have, he's still an interesting DFS option at just $8,300 on DraftKings. If McDowell can lead some laps and grab a podium finish on Sunday, he could still end up making it into the optimal DFS lineup.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Michael McDowell's X Account
July 6, 2025
Will Brown will be behind the wheel of the No. 13 Chevrolet for Kaulig Racing in this weekend's Grant Park 165, as the Australian Supercars driver will be making his second-ever Cup Series start on Sunday. Brown held his own during practice on Saturday, posting the 12th-fastest lap and ending up faster than his Kaulig Racing teammates, AJ Allmendinger and Ty Dillon. Brown's first Cup Series start came at Sonoma last season, where he drove the No. 33 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. He had equipment issues during that race and wound up finishing 31st, but showed promise before that. This weekend, Will Brown is a tournament option in DFS contests, as he's relatively expensive ($7,300 on DraftKings) but has the talent to challenge for a good finish--if his equipment holds up. If it does, Brown should be able to improve on his 19th-place starting spot.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Speedway Digest
July 5, 2025
One low-tier driver that could be flying under the radar for this weekend's Grant Park 165 is Justin Haley. The Spire Motorsports driver has struggled quite a bit this season, but road course venues can be a great equalizer, and Haley has been strong here at the Chicago Street Course over the last two years; in the inaugural event, he walked away with a second-place finish, and then last season, Haley was able to post a 16th-place result while driving for Rick Ware Racing--which has historically been awful (equipment-wise) at road course venues. This weekend, Haley has been unable to find much speed in Chicago despite the upgrade in equipment, as his No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet is an upgrade from what he had last season. Haley ranked 37th-fastest (out of 40 cars) in practice and then wound up 28th in qualifying. Due to his Place Differential upside and strong track history, you should probably have some exposure to Justin Haley in DFS (he's only $6,800 on DraftKings), but don't go too crazy.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
July 5, 2025
Keep an eye on Todd Gilliland in this weekend's Grant Park 165. The Front Row Motorsports driver walked away with a seventh-place finish in this race last season and has been consistently above-average at this track type since the start of 2024. During that time frame, Gilliland has posted three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.6 on the road courses. This weekend, the No. 34 Ford ranked 22nd-fastest in practice and then Gilliland went out and qualified 20th for Sunday's race. At $6,500 on DraftKings, you should consider him in tournament-style contests, as his Place Differential upside is a little bit limited after that mid-pack qualifying effort, but Gilliland will still pull off a high-value DFS score if he grabs another top-10 finish on Sunday.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
July 5, 2025
Last year at the Chicago Street Course, Ricky Stenhouse Jr walked away with a sixth-place finish--marking his second-ever top-10 result in (then) 40 career attempts on road course tracks. This finish was likely due to good strategy and rain becoming a factor, but the result still counts. In this year's Grant Park 165, he'll be looking to do the same thing. Stenhouse qualified back in 32nd-place for this weekend's race, which is just one spot better than his qualifying effort for this race last year. In practice, Stenhouse lacked the same amount of speed, as he wound up 32nd-fastest there as well (out of 40 cars to complete a lap). At $5,700 on DraftKings this weekend, you need to have some Ricky Stenhouse exposure due to his high Place Differential potential, but don't go overboard. Stenhouse has finished 18th or better in three of the last five road course races, including an 18th-place result at COTA back in March.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
July 5, 2025
There are some race tracks where Josh Berry can be considered a legitimate sleeper. Road course tracks are not one of those, though. Berry has struggled mightily in the Cup Series at the left-and-right-turn race tracks, and doesn't look to be showing any improvement this weekend at the Chicago Street Course. After posting the 38th-fastest lap (out of 40 cars) in practice, Berry went out and qualified 29th for Sunday afternoon's Grant Park 165. While that may seem like an improvement, keep in mind that four drivers either had issues or did not attempt a lap in qualifying, otherwise Berry likely would have ended up 33rd-fastest. When it comes to DFS this weekend, Josh Berry may be an intriguing option at $5,500 on DraftKings with his decently-high Place Differential, but it's best to stay away from the guy that has struggled mightily at this track type in his career. He has just one finish better than 25th on a road course in seven total attempts in the Cup Series.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
July 5, 2025
The No. 66 Ford for Garage 66 has been one of the slowest cars on every track this season, but that hasn't been the case at the Chicago Street Course this weekend. Josh Bilicki is behind the wheel of this race car for Sunday's Grant Park 165 and he showed some unexpected speed during practice and qualifying on Saturday. After posting the 36th-fastest lap (out of 41 drivers) in practice, Bilicki went out and qualified 31st for Sunday's race. While that is not mind-blowing speed by any means, that is significantly better than every other effort by the Garage 66 drivers this season. Now, with that being said, Bilicki is still in a back-marker car and that can't be overlooked. He finished 28th at the Chicago Street Course in this No. 66 Ford last season and also wound up 29th at the Charlotte Roval. Without major attrition in this weekend's race, that's about the ceiling you should expect from Bilicki on Sunday as well.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
July 5, 2025
Katherine Legge will be racing in this weekend's Grant Park 165 at the Chicago Street Course, as the British 44-year-old put down a lap of 92.368 seconds in qualifying on Saturday afternoon. That was faster than several notable drivers, including Erik Jones, Cody Ware, Ty Dillon, and Bubba Wallace. That lap was also faster than Corey Heim's attempt, who did not qualify for the race after hitting the wall during his attempt. This will be Legge's third-ever start in the Cup Series. She finished 30th at Phoenix earlier this year and wound up 32nd at Mexico City while driving this No. 78 Chevrolet for Live Fast Motorsports. It will likely take plenty of attrition for Legge to move up any from her starting spot this weekend, and therefore it's not recommended to have much exposure to her in DFS (even with the super-cheap salary of $4,500 on DraftKings).
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Chicago Tribune
July
5,
2025
Tennessee
Titans
quarterback
Cam
Ward
apparently
isn't
expecting
to
be
handed
the
reigns
heading
into
his
inaugural
campaign.
"Cam's
not
gonna
expect
it
to
just
be
given
to
him,"
said
offensive
tackle
JC
Latham
while
speaking
read more...
July 5, 2025
Detroit Tigers right-hander
Casey Mize (9-2) earned his ninth win of the year Saturday in a 1-0 shutout of the Cleveland Guardians. Mize tied a season high with seven innings of work and allowed just four hits and two walks on 102 pitches. The former No. 1 overall pick struck out four in his sixth quality start of the season. Mize is now on a six-start run in which he has yielded a meager nine earned runs across 34 2/3 innings. As a result, Mize's ERA has fallen to 2.63 with 73:21 K:BB and a 1.18 WHIP in 78 2/3 frames. He's scheduled to end a productive first half with a tough home start against the Seattle Mariners on Friday.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 5, 2025
Minnesota Twins closer
Jhoan Duran pitched a scoreless pair of innings to improve to 5-3 in a 6-5 decision against the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday. It was an eventful outing for Duran, who threw 34 pitches and had to work around a double and an intentional walk in the top of the eighth to escape a jam. Duran ran into more trouble when he allowed a single and a walk in the ninth, but he also got out of that inning unscathed. The Twins went on to win on a
Brooks Lee walk-off bunt in the bottom of the ninth. Duran finished with three strikeouts and decreased his ERA to 1.56 over 40 1/3 innings. Since taking a loss on June 24, Duran has made four appearances and tossed five scoreless innings with three saves and a victory.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July
5,
2025
Boston
Red
Sox
outfielder
Ceddanne
Rafaela
was
among
the
club's
top
performers
in
a
10-3
victory
over
the
Washington
Nationals
on
Saturday.
Rafaela
went
2-for-4
with
his
10th
home
run
of
the
year,
a
double,
read more...
July 5, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals closer
Ryan Helsley finished off an 8-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on Saturday for his 17th save. Helsley made quick work of the Cubs in the bottom of the ninth, retiring the side in order on 11 pitches and striking out
Michael Busch to end it. Helsley, who hadn't pitched in a week, has logged five straight scoreless appearances after yielding a run in each of his previous four outings. The 30-year-old owns a solid 3.30 ERA with 35:12 K:BB in 30 innings, though he has blown five saves and posted a mediocre 1.37 WHIP.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July
5,
2025
Free-agent
wide
receiver
Chase
Claypool
(toe)
is
hoping
to
sign
with
an
NFL
team.
The
2020
No.
49
overall
pick
was
spectacular
as
a
rookie,
amassing
62
catches
for
873
yards
and
11
touchdowns.
Since
then,
read more...
July 5, 2025
Houston Astros closer
Josh Hader has now converted 25 straight saves to begin the 2025 season. Hader held the Dodgers scoreless over 1 1/3 innings and 24 pitches on Saturday to close out a 6-4 win. He entered with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and runners on first and second, and struck out
Esteury Ruiz to end the threat. Hader gave up a leadoff single to
Shohei Ohtani in the ninth, but he retired the next three batters and notched his second strikeout along the way. The 31-year-old left-hander owns spectacular numbers across the board, having pitched to a 1.80 ERA with 61:7 K:BB and a 0.73 WHIP in 40 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 5, 2025
Detroit Tigers reliever
Tommy Kahnle put the finishing touches on a 1-0 shutout over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. With
Will Vest getting the day off, Kahnle threw a scoreless ninth inning to pick up his ninth save of the year. The right-hander struck out one, walked one, and threw 17 pitches. Kahnle, the Tigers' top choice for saves after Vest, allowed five earned runs while failing to retire a batter in a loss to Washington on Wednesday. For the most part, though, he has been steady in high-leverage situations. The 35-year-old has registered a 2.97 ERA with 32:12 K:BB, a 0.96 WHIP, and 12 holds over 37 1/3 innings.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
July 5, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander
Tyler Glasnow (shoulder) is expected to come off the 15-day injured list to start against the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. Glasnow has been out for over two months because of shoulder inflammation. He hasn't pitched for the Dodgers since April 27, a one-inning start against the Pirates. The 6-foot-8, 225-pounder struggled to a 4.50 ERA with 23 strikeouts and 11 walks in 18 innings during his first five starts this season. However, when Glasnow is on his game, he's electric. The Dodgers and fantasy managers will happily welcome him back for what they hope will be a healthy second half of the season. That's far from a guarantee, though, considering Glasnow has dealt with a laundry list of injuries during his career.
--Connor ByrneSource: Bill Plunkett - Orange County Register
July 5, 2025
Atlanta Braves first baseman
Matt Olson was a triple shy of the cycle in Saturday's 9-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, reaching base five times in a dominant performance. Olson went 3-for-3 with a double, home run, and two walks. The big day comes on the heels of a 0-for-4 outing on Friday. The 31-year-old is now slashing .271/.372/.495 on the season, and continues to be a consistent force in an otherwise underwhelming Braves campaign. With
Ronald Acuna Jr. back in the lineup, Olson should see more RBI opportunities. He remains an elite option across all formats, offering top-tier production in every category except stolen bases.
--Shaun AlbinSource: MLB.com
July
5,
2025
The
San
Francisco
Giants
have
placed
reliever
Erik
Miller
(elbow)
on
the
15-day
injured
list
with
a
strained
left
elbow,
Susan
Slusser
of
the
San
Francisco
Chronicle
reports.
The
team
selected
fellow
southpaw
read more...
July 5, 2025
New York Yankees right-hander
Luis Gil (lat) has begun throwing live batting practice, with a minor-league rehab assignment scheduled for next week. The 2024 AL Rookie of the Year has been sidelined since March 24 with a high-grade right lat strain and is eyeing a return shortly after the All-Star break. Gil played a pivotal role in the Yankees' World Series run last season. In 2024, he posted a 3.50 ERA with 171 strikeouts across 151 2/3 innings. His arsenal is headlined by a 96.6 mph fastball that sets up a sharp 87 mph slider. With
Clarke Schmidt (elbow) expected to undergo Tommy John surgery, Gil is poised to slot back into the rotation. Fantasy managers should stash Gil now as he has league-winning upside in the second half.
--Shaun AlbinSource: New York Yankees
July 5, 2025
New York Yankees left-hander
Ryan Yarbrough (oblique) has yet to resume throwing as he works his way back from the injured list. Out since June 20, there is still no clear timetable for his return. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Saturday that Yarbrough is "getting over the hump" and could begin a throwing program soon. It's another blow to a Yankees rotation already hit hard by injuries. Yarbrough owns a 3.90 ERA this season, along with a solid 21.7% strikeout rate and a 7.5% walk rate. Once healthy, Yarbrough is expected to return in a bullpen role with the possibility of spot starts. The impending return of
Luis Gil (lat) further limits Yarbrough's fantasy upside in the short term.
--Shaun AlbinSource: New York Yankees
July 5, 2025
Miami Marlins relief pitcher
Lake Bachar was called upon with a two-run lead in the ninth inning versus the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Normally, Bachar isn't used as the closer, but
Ronny Henriquez and
Calvin Faucher had already pitched in this game. Bachar didn't have any problems as he retired the first three batters he faced to earn his first save of the season. It seems like a closer by committee type of situation in Miami right now, which makes it a headache for fantasy managers. Henriquez seems like the favorite for saves, so he's going to be the pitcher to roster out of anyone in this bullpen.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
July 5, 2025
New York Mets outfielder
Brandon Nimmo came up with a clutch hit during Saturday's game against the New York Yankees. Nimmo didn't wait around to do the damage as he blasted a grand slam in the first inning off left-hander
Carlos Rodon. He didn't do much else after that, going 1-for-4 with one homer, four RBI, and a stolen base in the blowout win. Nimmo has been on another level at the plate over the last month or so. He's hitting over .300 with 10 home runs and 25 RBI with eight steals since May 29. If available, Nimmo needs to be rostered in any fantasy formats right now.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
July 5, 2025
New York Mets first baseman
Pete Alonso had a big game at the plate during Saturday's contest against the New York Yankees. Alonso blasted a two-run home run off
Carlos Rodon in the fifth inning. He wasn't done as he smacked a three-run shot off
Jayvien Sandridge in the seventh inning. Alonso finished this game 2-for-4 with two homers, five RBI, and one walk in the blowout win. The right-handed slugger has a four-game hitting streak and is currently third in the league with 73 RBI right now. Alonso looks like he's single handedly going to get the Mets out of this slump.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
July 5, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays right-hander
Max Scherzer (thumb) allowed just two earned runs on five hits and three walks over four innings in Saturday's 4-3 extra-inning win over the Los Angeles Angels. He did not factor into the decision. However, Saturday's start came with a caveat. The eight-time All-Star admitted he was dealing with "a lot of inflammation" in his thumb during the outing. Scherzer, who owns a 4.76 ERA and 23.5% strikeout rate, is yet to factor into a decision through four starts this season. While the 40-year-old has flashed glimpses of his former dominance, his .274 batting average against and career-worst 89.8 mph average exit velocity are concerning signs heading into the second half. The three-time Cy Young winner is in the twilight of his career and should only be rostered in deeper format, 14-team leagues or larger. Scherzer will look to shake off the thumb issue and is tentatively scheduled to start Friday against the Athletics.
--Shaun AlbinSource: Keegan Matheson
July 5, 2025
Washington Nationals starting pitcher
Shinnosuke Ogasawara was called up by the organization on Saturday. The 27-year-old is set to make his MLB debut against the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. Ogasawara was signed to a two-year, $3.5 million deal by the Nats over the offseason. He posted a 4.80 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, and 12/4 K/BB ratio across three starts at Triple-A. Those aren't great numbers, but apparently the Nats feel that Ogasawara is ready for the MLB. There's some low-end streaming value here, but Ogasawara doesn't offer a ton of upside against a tough Red Sox lineup.
--Andy WebbSource: MLB Pipeline
July 5, 2025
Detroit Tigers infielder
Gleyber Torres (neck) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Torres was removed from the game after getting elbowed in the neck while sliding into second base. The Tigers are calling it a neck contusion, but Torres might get evaluated for a concussion. For now, Torres is considered day-to-day, which means he might miss a game or two. Before exiting Saturday's game, Torres was hitless and walked in his lone at-bat.
Trey Sweeney took over for Baez and figures to see more playing time if Baez misses any time.
--Andy WebbSource: Cody Stavenhagen
July 5, 2025
San Francisco Giants third baseman
Matt Chapman (hand) has been activated off the 10-day injured list ahead of Saturday's game against the Athletics. Chapman has been sidelined since early June due to a strained right hand. Before going down, Chapman was on fire with the bat over the last few weeks, so hopefully he won't lose that momentum. He'll head over to third base and bat cleanup versus right-hander
Luis Severino on Saturday. Fantasy managers should make sure to double check their lineups and get Chapman in there ahead of first pitch.
--Andy WebbSource: San Francisco Giants
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