4 days agoFollowing this year's NFL draft in which the Minnesota Vikings didn't take a single receiver, Brandon Powell, Jalen Nailor and Trent Sherfield are all candidates to fill the No. 3 receiver role headingread more...
4 days agoNew York Mets designated hitter J.D. Martinez will return to the lineup and hit fourth on Monday against the Chicago Cubs. After coming off the bench in Sunday's 4-2 extra-innings win and flying out in a pinch-hit at-bat in the ninth inning, the veteran will start in the Mets' series opener. Martinez got a late start to the season after signing with New York in late March and dealing with a back issue a couple of weeks ago. However, he officially made his season debut on Friday, where he went 2-for-4 with one RBI and one double. Expect the 36-year-old to take some days off here and there over the next few weeks since he didn't have a spring training. Nonetheless, he's a player whom fantasy managers should be looking to pick up in fantasy, given his potential to hit 25-30 home runs atop the Mets' lineup.Source: MLB.com
4 days agoThe Buffalo Bills will exercise the fifth-year option on 2020 first-round pick Gregory Rousseau, according to a league source. The defensive end will now be under contract for 2025 at $13.387 million guaranteed, both in actual base salary and against the salary cap. He has one year remaining on his current deal that will count $3.693 million against the 2024 salary cap. The 30th overall pick out of Miami in 2020, Rousseau has totaled 17 sacks in his three seasons in the NFL, with five coming in 2023 and eight coming in 2022. The 24-year-old pass-rusher will now stick around in Buffalo for at least the next two seasons and could sign an extension with the team down the road. He played a career-high 585 defensive snaps last year and will remain a key piece of Buffalo's defensive line.Source: WGR550 - Sal Capaccio
4 days agoThe Kansas City Chiefs and All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce agreed to terms on Monday on an undisclosed two-year contract extension to make him the league's highest-paid tight end, according to sources. The deal was completed by his long-time agent, Mike Simon. Still one of the best tight ends in football at age 34, the former third-round pick in 2013 out of Cincinnati has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last nine seasons and finished the 2023 regular season with 93 catches (121 targets) for 984 yards and five touchdowns in 15 starts. The four-time All-Pro selection is still a high-end TE1 for fantasy purposes coming off back-to-back Super Bowl championships, but he's also much more of an injury risk than he's ever been.Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
4 days agoColorado Rockies outfielder Nolan Jones (back) is likely headed to the 10-day injured list, according to Luke Zahlmann of the Denver Gazette. Jones has been dealing with a back issue for a couple of days now but played through it on Saturday and Sunday in Mexico City. However, the 25-year-old exited Sunday's game early due to back stiffness and appears to be headed to the IL. The young outfielder is off to a rough start in 2024, hitting just .170 at the plate with one home run, seven RBI, and two stolen bases. In his place, the Rockies are expected to call up their No. 4 prospect, outfielder Jordan Beck.Source: Luke Zahlmann
4 days agoSince the Indianapolis Colts didn't address the departure of Zack Moss by taking a running back in this year's NFL draft, the team seems content with Trey Sermon, Evan Hull and read more...
4 days agoSan Francisco Giants designated hitter Jorge Soler had a rough go Sunday in the 3-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Soler couldn't connect at the plate, striking out all three times. He continues to struggle at the plate, hitting .171 (6-for-35) with four runs, three RBI, two homers, three walks, and 13 strikeouts in his last 10 games. He's slashing .216/.314/.402 with four doubles, 14 RBI, 14 runs, five homers, 14 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 29 games this season. Fantasy managers should continue to bench Soler until he can turn things around at the plate.Source: MLB.com
4 days agoAfter the addition of rookie wide receiver Adonai Mitchell in the second round of this year's NFL draft, Indianapolis Colts wideout Alec Pierce will compete with Mitchell on the outside for the No. 3 role this season. Michael Pittman Jr, who signed a three-year, $70 million contract extension this offseason, will continue to see the lion's share of the targets, with Josh Downs manning the slot as the No. 2 option. The 23-year-old Pierce only had 32 catches for 514 yards and two touchdowns last year and will now be battling a much more dynamic pass-catcher for a role in the Colts' offense in 2024. Not only is Mitchell a superior athlete, but his production (55 catches for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023) speaks for itself.Source: The Athletic - James Boyd
4 days agoAccording to Luke Zahlmann of the Denver Gazette, the Colorado Rockies could call up outfielder Jordan Beck, the team's No. 4 prospect on MLB Pipeline, ahead of their three-game series against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday. The expectation is that the young outfielder would replace Nolan Jones (back) -- who could be headed to the injured list with a back issue -- on the active roster. Beck has gotten off to a hot start at Triple-A Albuquerque, hitting .307 with five home runs and 28 RBI through 25 games. His promotion would be his MLB debut after being drafted 38th overall in the 2022 MLB Draft. If he officially gets called up on Tuesday, the outfielder would be someone to keep an eye on in fantasy due to his quick ascension to the majors.Source: Luke Zahlmann
4 days agoWilliam Byron has been one of the luckiest drivers since the start of the 2022 NASCAR Cup season, but yesterday's race at Dover proved to be an exception. Byron took the lead from Ryan Blaney in the middle of Stage 1 before Martin Truex, Jr. overtook him with six laps left in the stage. Byron remained second until a botched pit stop dropped him to 18th. Once he got stuck in traffic, he was unable to move up through the pack before being taken out in a crash with Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace. Zane Smith spun out Wallace and Byron was collected in the aftermath, relegating him to a 33rd-place finish. Since he is already locked in the Playoffs and still tied with Denny Hamlin for the most wins this season, the poor finish does basically nothing to diminish Byron's championship prospects.Source: Racing Reference
4 days agoMartin Truex, Jr. was considered one of the pre-race favorites for the race at Dover this past weekend, but he came up short and ultimately finished third in the event. Truex did win Stage 1 after hunting down William Byron on an extended green-flag run at the end of that stage, but he lost the lead to Kyle Larson on a mid-race pit stop exchange and was unable to reclaim it. Truex, along with his teammate (eventual winner, Denny Hamlin), was the only driver to make a pass for the lead in the race who was not also passed for the lead, and he was rewarded with the second-highest driver rating despite finishing third in the race. He also ranked third in speed and continues to lead the NASCAR Cup Series in speed percentile this season at 86.61 despite not winning yet, so a win is likely forthcoming.Source: Racing Reference
4 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.Source: Racing Reference
4 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.Source: Racing Reference
4 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.Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
4 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.Source: New York Yankees
4 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.Source: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
4 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. Source: UFC
4 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.Source: UFC
4 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. Source: UFC
4 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.Source: MLB.com
4 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.Source: MLB.Com
4 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.Source: ESPN.com
4 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.Source: UFC
4 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.Source: UFC
4 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.Source: MLB.com
4 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.Source: Jayski.com
4 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.Source: Seattle Times - Adam Jude
4 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.Source: MLB.com
4 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.Source: MLB.com
4 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.Source: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo