September 29, 2025
Minnesota Wild right wing Mats Zuccarello (back) doesn't have a timeline for a return, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports. Wild head coach John Hynes expects him to be "out for a while." The Norwegian veteran is battling a back injury ahead of his 16th NHL campaign. It seems increasingly unlikely that he will be healthy enough to play in next week's season opener against the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 9. In Zuccarello's absence, Liam Ohgren is expected to take on a larger role. The 21-year-old has recorded only seven points (three goals and four assists) in 24 NHL games, but he's shown off impressive scoring ability in the minors.
--Taavi PailkSource: Dylan Loucks
September 29, 2025
Charlie Campbell suffered a first-round submission loss to Tom Nolan on Saturday's UFC Perth main card. Campbell had some success throwing wild punches in the first round, even managing to drop Nolan early in the first round. However, Nolan survived, came back, dragged Nolan to the mat and eventually, Nolan sank in the rear-naked choke, forcing Campbell to tap. In 4:08 of action, Campbell landed 15 significant strikes. With the loss, Campbell dropped to 9-3 as a pro and is now 2-1 in the UFC.
--Alen KurbasicSource: UFC
September 29, 2025
Tom Nolan extended his win streak by defeating Charlie Campbell via first-round submission on Saturday's UFC Perth main card opener. After getting knocked down early in the first round, Nolan managed to survive. He eventually dragged Campbell to the mat and locked in a rear-naked choke to force the tap. In 4:08 of action, Nolan landed a takedown and 26 significant strikes. This was Nolan's fourth consecutive win. With the win, Nolan improved to 10-1 as a pro and is now 4-1 in the UFC.
--Alen KurbasicSource: UFC
September 29, 2025
Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin (upper body) practiced fully on Sunday, Dylan Loucks of The Hockey News reports. According to Wild head coach John Hynes, the team plans to announce later this week how much longer Brodin will be out for. After he had offseason upper-body surgery, there were fears that Brodin might not be available for the start of the 2025-26 campaign. However, considering he is no longer limited in practice, there's a chance the Swedish veteran will be ready to go in a week's time. The Wild kick off their 2025-26 schedule on Oct. 9 against the St. Louis Blues. Brodin finished last season with 20 points (four goals, 16 assists), 71 shots, and 104 blocks across 50 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Dylan Loucks
September 29, 2025
Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic (lower body) was injured in Sunday's preseason game against the Minnesota Wild and is considered day-to-day. With only a week left of the preseason, the injury came at a bad time for Vlasic, but initial signs suggest that he can get healthy for the start of the regular season. Chicago begins the action on Oct. 7 against the Florida Panthers. Vlasic had his sophomore campaign in the NHL last season, finishing as the Blackhawks' highest-scoring defenseman. He put up 30 points (four goals, 26 assists) in 82 contests. Vlasic also racked up 157 blocks, ranking second on the team.
--Taavi PailkSource: NHL.com
September 29, 2025
San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (undisclosed) believes he will be ready for the start of the season, Curtis Pashelka of The San Jose Mercury News reports. "I'll be ready," Celebrini said Sunday. "We've taken all the information, made a plan, and we're just sticking to it. It's going right on schedule." Following a bout with an illness, Celebrini has been practicing on an individual program. On Sunday, Celebrini told reporters that he wants to get at least one preseason game under his belt. While it's concerning that Celebrini hasn't participated in any group work during practices, he appears to be progressing well and should be good to go for opening night.
--Taavi PailkSource: Curtis Pashelka
September 29, 2025
As has become almost routine of late, Denny Hamlin dominated Sunday's race at Kansas, winning both stages and setting a personal record of 156 laps led at the track despite losing his power steering in Stage 3 in one of his grittiest performances. After starting second, Hamlin took the lead from his teammate Chase Briscoe on Lap 20 and held it for most of the race, even after the power-steering failure until he fell to seventh on the final round of pit stops. But he made it back to challenge his team's driver, Bubba Wallace, for the lead on the last lap, slightly roughing up Wallace, which allowed Chase Elliott to pass both of them for the win. The resulting second-place finish and race-high 56 points place him 48 points above the cut line, making him a virtual lock to advance to the Round of 8.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 29, 2025
Kansas is usually 23XI Racing's best track, and Sunday's race was no exception as both Bubba Wallace and his teammate Tyler Reddick were in the hunt for the win with both drivers seemingly in a must-win situation to advance to the Round of 8. Despite starting seventh, he fell out of the top 10 on Lap 2 and didn't reemerge there until Lap 88, but for most of the race after that, he consistently ran in the top five. After his boss, Denny Hamlin, had a power-steering failure and a slow pit stop, that elevated Wallace to second. He took the lead from Christopher Bell on Lap 259 and held it for all but one lap until Hamlin ran him into the wall on the last lap, which resulted in a fifth-place finish after having gotten into scrapes with both his boss and his teammate. Since he almost certainly won't win at the Charlotte roval, it's hard to envision him advancing to the Round of 8.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 29, 2025
For a while, it looked like William Byron might be in danger of missing the Round of 8 as he was bafflingly slow for most of a race where Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson regularly ran in the top five. Byron's average running position of 17th was his worst on an unrestricted oval since Pocono and he plummeted into the 20s for most of Stage 2 and even Stage 3 before narrowly evading a string of crashes and utilizing savvy pit work to elevate him from 12th to 6th with 11 laps in regulation before he eventually finished 9th. With neither Bubba Wallace nor Tyler Reddick winning from below the cutline, this leaves Byron 40 points ahead of Ross Chastain for the last transfer spot to the Round of 8, making him a very safe bet to advance especially considering his road course prowess.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 29, 2025
Tyler Reddick's mind was obviously elsewhere as his four-month old son Rookie is currently in an intensive care unit in North Carolina where he has been hooked up to a ventilator and is showing signs of heart failure. Despite that fact and a botched pit stop, Reddick recovered to be an outside contender for the win on the race's late restarts. While his teammate Bubba Wallace led on the final two restarts, Reddick restarted behind him but Wallace grew upset when he attempted to pass him for the lead instead of pushing him past Christopher Bell. After failing to score any stage points and fading to a seventh-place finish, Reddick fell 29 points behind Joey Logano for the last transfer spot in the Round of 8 in 11th. To pass three drivers from that far behind, he would likely need to win at the Charlotte roval, but since Shane van Gisbergen will be entered, that is not likely to happen.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 29, 2025
Shane van Gisbergen earned his best oval finish of 10th in Sunday's Kansas race after deftly avoiding a string of wrecks in Stage 3. Although he wasn't very fast with an average running position of only 24th, and he only spent 23.8% of laps inside the top 15, his great control from Supercars often helps him navigate his way through messy races. He typically had a history of being faster there in the races (especially late in the race) than in qualifying, so maybe this shouldn't have come as much of a surprise as it did on the surface. He actually passed his teammate, Ross Chastain (who had outrun him all race), on the last lap, which is even more surprising because one would think Trackhouse Racing would've made sure to maximize Chastain's points, given that he is still in the playoffs, while SVG is not.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
September 29, 2025
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Tutu Atwell caught one of his two targets during Sunday's Week 4 win over the Indianapolis Colts, delivering an enormous 88-yard touchdown that proved to be the game-winning play. As soon as Atwell got loose, there was no looking back, as he took off for the end zone and gave Los Angeles the victory. While this will show up in game logs as one of the top performances this week, fantasy managers should be cautious about rushing to grab Atwell off the waiver wire. He still has just two catches through four games this year, and his "boom or bust" status typically results in more bust than boom. We need to see a little more consistency from Atwell before discussing him as a fantasy-relevant receiver.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 29, 2025
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver
Puka Nacua (thumb) told the media that he "got rolled up on one of the run plays" during Sunday's Week 4 win over the Indianapolis Colts. He was taken to the locker room and underwent X-rays, but when those tests came back clean, he returned to the game and played the rest of the contest. He finished on a strong note, wrapping up the victory with 15 targets, 13 catches, 170 yards, and one touchdown. The 24-year-old further solidified himself as the highest-scoring receiver in fantasy football, as he now has 15 more points (PPR) than the next-highest scorer,
Amon-Ra St. Brown. Managers will want to monitor updates on Nacua's thumb going forward, but the fact that he was able to finish the game Sunday is a good sign for his status against the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football in Week 4.
--Andersen PickardSource: Sarah Barshop
September 29, 2025
Green Bay Packers quarterback
Jordan Love completed 31 of 43 pass attempts for 337 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 4 tie with the Dallas Cowboys. He also rushed for 28 yards, took one sack, and lost a fumble. The 26-year-old bounced back from last week's ugly loss against Cleveland and turned in his best fantasy outing of the young season. He spread the ball around well, dispersing four-plus targets to seven different receivers and three-plus catches to six different receivers. Love heads into a bye week before facing off against a very poor Cincinnati Bengals defense in Week 6. He's a low-end fantasy QB1 moving forward.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 29, 2025
Dallas Cowboys wide receiver
George Pickens caught eight of his 11 targets for 134 yards and two touchdowns during Sunday's Week 4 tie with the Green Bay Packers. He had one of the better single-game performances for a wide receiver this season and ranks fifth among receivers in fantasy points through four weeks. His increased productivity this week was a direct product of the Cowboys operating without
CeeDee Lamb (ankle), who is in the early stages of a multi-week absence. Pickens will remain the top receiver in Dallas for the foreseeable future, which means he should continue to be viewed as a high-end WR2 with WR1 upside. He'll look to overcome a tough matchup against New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner next week.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 29, 2025
Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Dak Prescott completed 31 of 40 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions during Sunday's Week 4 tie with the Green Bay Packers. He also took one sack and added a two-yard rushing touchdown. The veteran took to the national stage and put together his best game of the season. Even with
CeeDee Lamb (ankle) sidelined, Prescott was able to distribute the ball to the rest of his receivers, move the offense down the field, and play clean, turnover-free football. He now ranks seventh among quarterbacks in terms of fantasy scoring this season, keeping him in the top-12 conversation for Week 5 against the New York Jets.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 29, 2025
Green Bay Packers running back
Josh Jacobs rushed for 86 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries during Sunday's Week 4 tie with the Dallas Cowboys. He also caught all four of his targets for an additional 71 receiving yards. Jacobs briefly exited with an injury but was on the field for most of the game, keeping the score close and ultimately helping the Packers get in position to tie the game as overtime ended. He now has the sixth-most fantasy points among running backs and will continue to rank as a fringe RB1 on the other side of Green Bay's bye week.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
September 28, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar
Shohei Ohtani ended his regular season with a flourish on Sunday, swatting a career-high 55th home run in a 6-1 win over the Seattle Mariners. Ohtani's homer, a 412-foot, seventh-inning solo shot off left-hander
Gabe Speier, broke the single-season franchise record of 54 HRs he set last year. He also chipped in a single and a double to finish the day 3-for-5 with a pair of runs scored. Likely to collect the fourth MVP award of his remarkable career this year, Ohtani finished the regular season hitting .282/.392/.622 with a major league-best 146 runs, 102 RBI, and 20 stolen bases in 727 plate appearances. Not to be forgotten, he also pitched to a 2.87 ERA with a 1.04 WHIP, 62 strikeouts, and nine walks over 47 innings. The future Hall of Famer and the defending World Series champion Dodgers will open a wild-card round series against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Cleveland Guardians third baseman
Jose Ramirez was a menace on the base paths in a 9-8 win over the Texas Rangers on Sunday. Ramirez stole three bases in a game for the third time this year and also collected multiple hits, going 2-for-5 with a pair of singles. It was the last in a long line of productive regular-season games in 2025 for Ramirez, one of the driving forces behind an improbable AL Central-winning campaign for Cleveland. The 33-year-old earned his seventh All-Star nod this season and slashed .283/.360/.503 with 30 homers, 85 RBI, 103 runs scored, and a career-high 44 stolen bases in 158 games and 672 plate appearances. Ramirez and the Guardians will begin a wild-card series against a familiar foe, the Detroit Tigers, on Tuesday. The Guardians stunningly overcame a 15 1/2-game deficit to snatch the division from the Tigers.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Baltimore Orioles shortstop
Gunnar Henderson launched his lone home run of September and broke a 30-game dry spell in a 3-2 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday. Henderson, who went deep for the first time since Aug. 24, also drew a walk during a 1-for-3 season finale. Over 154 games and 651 plate appearances in 2025, the 24-year-old star hit .274/.349/.438 with 17 homers, 68 RBI, 85 runs scored, and 30 stolen bases. While that's more-than-respectable production, Henderson finished a long way off last season's career-best marks in HRs (37), RBI (92), runs (118), and OPS (.893).
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
September 28, 2025
Chicago White Sox outfielder
Michael A. Taylor announced his retirement on Sunday. The 34-year-old went 1-for-3 with a walk in his last game, an 8-0 win over the Washington Nationals. He finished the season with a .200/.259/.366 line, nine home runs, 35 RBI, 33 runs scored, and eight stolen bases in 325 trips to the plate. Taylor entered the pros as the Nats' sixth-round pick in 2009 and debuted with the club in 2014. He played in Washington through 2020 and was part of the only World Series-winning team in franchise history in 2019. Between his stints with the Nationals and White Sox, he spent time with the Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, and Pittsburgh Pirates. A longtime defensive stalwart and a Gold Glove winner with the Royals in 2021, Taylor played in 1,216 regular-season games in the majors and hit .232/.287/.379 with 109 home runs, 387 RBI, 427 runs scored, and 128 stolen bases over 3,801 plate appearances
--Connor ByrneSource: Andrew Golden - The Washington Post
September 28, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles tight end
Dallas Goedert led the team with only 37 receiving yards on Sunday in the 31-25 win over the hosting Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 4, but he found the end zone two times on four catches (four targets). The 30-year-old was tied with running back
Saquon Barkley for the team lead in targets in another low-volume passing day for quarterback
Jalen Hurts. Goedert had only one catch last week, but it also went for a touchdown, so he now has three scores in the last two games. Volume will probably continue to be a problem for Goedert in an Eagles' passing attack that has been non-existent at times, but his value in the red zone for Philly shouldn't be understated. He scored on a shovel pass and an underhand flip for both of his touchdowns, so it was not conventional, but it counts nonetheless. Goedert should be considered a touchdown-dependent TE1 going into a tough Week 5 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
September 28, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, free-agent guard
Gary Payton II will return to the Warriors. The terms of the contract weren't announced. Like
Al Horford and
De'Anthony Melton, who also agreed to deals, Payton was anticipated to sign for months. However, negotiations with restricted free-agent
Jonathan Kuminga made things more complicated. Payton logged 62 games for the Warriors last season, his most appearances since the 2021 campaign. He wasn't very productive, averaging only 6.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. There are many different directions Steve Kerr can go with his lineups this season. While Payton should get minutes, he historically hasn't offered much to fantasy managers in terms of production. That's not expected to change, making him nearly irrelevant from a fantasy standpoint.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Shams Charania
September 28, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfielder
Roman Anthony (oblique) will head to Florida to continue rehabbing from a strained left oblique, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. However, Anthony said Sunday that there's still no timetable for him to start baseball activities. Although the Red Sox have gone without the rookie sensation since placing him on the 10-day injured list on Sept. 3, they still managed to earn a playoff berth in his absence. The club is now gearing up to take on the archrival New York Yankees in a best-of-three wild-card series. If Boston knocks off New York, it'll begin an ALDS series on Oct. 4, though it seems optimistic to expect Anthony back by then. In 71 games and 303 plate appearances this season, the 21-year-old slashed .292/.396/.463 with eight homers, 32 RBI, 48 runs scored, and four stolen bases.
--Connor ByrneSource: Christopher Smith - MassLive.com
September 28, 2025
Accoring to ESPN's Shams Charania, free-agent guard
De'Anthony Melton will sign with Golden State. The 2018 No. 46 overall pick appeared in only six games for the Warriors last season before suffering a torn ACL. He played relatively well despite the small sample size, averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals. Melton was traded to Brooklyn ahead of the deadline, although he never suited up for the Nets due to the injury. It was announced on Sunday that
Gary Payton II and
Al Horford would also be inking deals with the Dubs, so the team is on track to rounding out the roster after months of failed negotiations with restricted free-agent
Jonathan Kuminga. As far as Melton is concerned, he'll likely hold a routine role in Steve Kerr's rotation while being used situationally for defensive reasons. However, he's not expected to be a consistent producer for fantasy managers even if he ends up spending time in the starting lineup.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Shams Charania
September 28, 2025
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback
Baker Mayfield had a questionable tag going into the Week 4 matchup against the defending Super Bowl-champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday due to a biceps injury, but he played through it. Mayfield was not efficient, completing 22 of his 40 pass attempts, but he managed to throw for a season-high 289 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in a 31-25 loss. He was sacked twice for a loss of 17 yards and also fumbled, but he was able to recover it. The 30-year-old ran twice for a gain of 13 yards. Mayfield's two touchdowns were both 70-plus-yard passes to rookie receiver
Emeka Egbuka and running back
Bucky Irving. The efficiency was not there, but all in all, it was a pretty good day for Mayfield, given the opponent and the fact that he was without top wideout
Mike Evans (hamstring). He'll be on the QB1/2 borderline again in Week 5 against the 3-1 Seattle Seahawks.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
September 28, 2025
Boston Red Sox right-hander
Brayan Bello will start Game 2 of the team's wild-card series against the New York Yankees on Wednesday, manager Alex Cora announced. Bello, who will follow Game 1 starter
Garrett Crochet and battle left-hander
Carlos Rodon, held his own over three regular-season outings against the Yankees. He went 2-1 in those matchups and threw 19 innings of four-run, 11-hit ball with 17 strikeouts and seven walks. Bello finished the season 11-9 with a 3.35 ERA, a 1.24 WHIP, 124 strikeouts, and 59 walks in 166 1/2 innings, though he hasn't been at his best in recent weeks. In five starts this month, the 26-year-old went 1-3 and struggled to a 5.40 ERA with 16:12 K:BB across 25 frames.
--Connor ByrneSource: Tim Healey - The Boston Globe
September 28, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback
Jalen Hurts led his team to a 4-0 start with a 31-25 win on the road in Week 4 over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. It was another low-volume day for Philly's passing attack, but Hurts did throw two touchdowns (both to tight end
Dallas Goedert) while going 15-for-24 passing for 130 yards through the air. He padded his fantasy stats on the day with nine carries for an additional 62 yards, which led the team. Hurts was sacked only twice for a loss of 18 yards. The 27-year-old dual-threat signal-caller now has five passing touchdowns in the last two weeks after failing to throw a TD pass in the first two games. However, Sunday's win over Tampa was Hurts' first game in 2025 without a rushing score. He has yet to throw a pick this year, but that will be tested in a tough Week 5 matchup against the Denver Broncos.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
September 28, 2025
Cleveland Browns rookie second-round running back
Quinshon Judkins was one of the team's lone bright spots on Sunday in the 34-10 blowout loss to the hosting Detroit Lions in Week 4. Judkins dominated backfield work with a season-high 21 carries for 82 yards and a touchdown. He caught all four of his targets for an additional 33 yards in the passing game. The 21-year-old Ohio State product has now found the end zone in back-to-back weeks and is the clear lead back in Cleveland despite not making his NFL debut until Week 2. Veteran quarterback
Joe Flacco was second on the team behind Judkins with only three carries. Judkins has seen more work each week out of the Browns' backfield, and even though Cleveland's lack of efficiency on offense limits his overall fantasy upside, the expected volume makes him a must-start. He will look to score for a third straight game in London in a Week 5 matchup against the Minnesota Vikings.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
September 28, 2025
Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Quentin Johnston has made it clear through four weeks that he is one of quarterback
Justin Herbert's go-to wideouts, especially deep down the field. Johnston led the Bolts in catches (eight), targets (13), and receiving yards (98) while scoring his fourth touchdown of the year on Sunday in the 21-18 loss on the road to the New York Giants. The 24-year-old was looking like a first-round bust last year amid limited production and high-profile drops, but he has turned it around in a big way and is the club's leading receiver through four weeks. It's been bad news for second-year pass-catcher
Ladd McConkey, but fantasy managers who scooped Johnston up after his two-touchdown performance in Week 1 have been thrilled. His touchdown was an impressive 36-yard hookup with Herbert in the second quarter just before halftime. Johnston should be considered a must-start in Week 5 against a shaky Washington Commanders' secondary.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com
RADIO
