5 days agoOakland A's left-hander
Alex Wood will be in search of better results as he takes on the hosting Cleveland Guardians on Saturday. The club's Opening Day starter, Wood was tagged for six earned runs in that outing and has pitched to a 8.10 ERA through his first four starts of the season. He lasted just 4 1/3 frames his last time out, yielding four earned runs on seven hits, including a homer, with four walks and four strikeouts in a no-decision against the Washington Nationals. Wood has struggled with his control via an 11.8% BB% while his ground-ball rate has plummeted to just 32.7%. However, his results should improve once his bloated .442 BABIP normalizes.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Angels shortstop
Zach Neto is on the bench to start Saturday's contest against the hosting Cincinnati Reds and right-hander
Graham Ashcraft. Neto's slow start to the season continued in on Friday as he went 0-for-3 with a pair of strikeouts as part of a 7-1 loss in the series opener. The 23-year-old is hitting just .185 without a homer and four stolen bases alongside a .495 OPS across his first 72 plate appearances on the young season. Neto needed just 48 minor-league games before making his MLB debut last season when he hit .225 with nine homers, five steals, and a .685 OPS across 84 contests.
Luis Rengifo will handle shortstop duties on Saturday.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoCleveland Guardians second baseman
Andres Gimenez is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's contest against the visiting Oakland Athletics. The 25-year-old went 1-for-4 with a run scored, two RBI, and a stolen base during Friday's 10-2 victory but will begin Saturday's game on the bench. Gimenez has shown a nice combination of power and speed over the last couple of seasons, slugging 32 homers and stealing 50 bags over the last two campaigns. He has hit .291 on the young season and while he has yet to hit a home run, he does have three stolen bases and a .736 OPS across his first 91 trips to the plate. The Guardians are off to a hot start, sitting atop the AL Central with a 14-6 record on the young season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoSan Francisco Giants third baseman
Matt Chapman is not in the starting lineup for Saturday's afternoon contest against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks and right-hander
Zac Gallen. Chapman did his part on Friday by going 1-for-3 with a double and a walk but his team was blown out to the tune of a 17-1 final score as the Giants mustered just four hits on the night. The 30-year-old has flashed some power with four homers and five doubles on the young season but is also hitting just .205 with a .677 OPS across his first 90 trips to the plate in a Giants uniform. The Giants are just 9-12 on the young season despite a busy offseason that saw them add a number of notable free agents, including Chapman.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBeard Motorsports doesn't race many events in the NASCAR Cup Series, so seeing the No. 62 Chevrolet on the track this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway may seem unfamiliar, but don't count out Anthony Alfredo from getting a good finish in the GEICO 500. Alfredo actually has a solid track record here at Talladega, as posted finishes of 12th and 10th in the two races he ran here back in 2021 while with Front Row Motorsports. This weekend, he qualified 24th for the GEICO 500, which makes "Fast Pasta" a great tournament option in DraftKings DFS contests. Because so many players will be flocking toward the bigger names starting outside of the top 20 for this race, Alfredo's ownership on DraftKings is likely to be quite low despite his place differential upside from starting 24th. Alfredo is a very good low-dollar DFS option this weekend in tournaments.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: DriverAverages
5 days agoArizona Diamondbacks catcher
Gabriel Moreno is on the bench for Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants and left-hander
Kyle Harrison. Moreno started and went 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, two runs, and three RBI as part of a massive 17-1 blowout win over the Giants but will get a break in a day game following a night game on Friday. The young backstop is hitting .241 without a homer on the season but his impressive 14.3% BB% is roughly double his tiny 7.9% K% across his first 63 trips to the plate on the young season. Moreno has dealt with a thumb injury that cost him a couple of starts earlier in the week but he is back to health and is a batting average-first fantasy asset.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoFront Row Motorsports showed up with speed this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, as Michael McDowell qualified on the pole for this weekend's GEICO 500 while Todd Gilliland ended up third-fastest. But will they race well? Gilliland has shown prowess on the superspeedways this season, leading 16 laps in the season-opening Daytona 500 and then leading 58 laps at Atlanta the week after. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to get the finishes he deserved in those events, ending up 35th and 26th, respectively. This weekend at Talladega, Gilliland may seem like a sleeper option in DraftKings contests, especially at his low salary of $6,100, but it would be wise to stay away. At tracks like Talladega, place differential is king, and Gilliland barely has any room to improve there. While the young underdog could surprise with a decent finish in this weekend's GEICO 500, his chances of ending up in the optimal DFS lineup on DraftKings are extremely low due to his starting position, so it'd be best for fantasy players to stay away.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
5 days agoAustin Cindric qualified on the front row for this weekend's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, and this should cause DFS players to immediately remove him from their player pool. While Cindric does have a superspeedway victory to his credit (he won the 2022 Daytona 500), his starting position this weekend makes him unplayable in DFS contests due to the potential for negative place differential. While Cindric could lead some laps and earn FPTS in DraftKings because of that during the GEICO 500, it is extremely unlikely that he makes it into the optimal lineup this weekend--even at his moderate salary of $7,400 on the DFS site. Look elsewhere when building your DraftKings lineups this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
5 days agoPittsburgh Pirates shortstop
Oneil Cruz has been slipped down to the eight-hole for Saturday's contest against the Boston Red Sox and right-hander
Kutter Crawford. The 25-year-old has hit out of the seven spot on occasion this season, but the eight-hole is the lowest spot in the order he has started at so far while he has largely served as the team's leadoff hitter. However, he's off to a sluggish start at the plate, hitting .222 with three homers, one stolen base, and a .605 OPS across his first 85 trips to the plate on the young season. Even with a massive 40% strikeout rate against only a 4.7% walk rate, fantasy managers should continue to exercise patience, as Cruz ranks in the 88th percentile in average exit velocity and the 89th percentile in hard-hit rate to this point in the season.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers catcher
Will Smith is not in the starting lineup Saturday against the New York Mets and right-hander
Jose Butto. It's a predictable absence as the Dodgers and Mets played a night game on Friday but will get together for an afternoon clash on Saturday. Smith went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double, and a run scored on Friday but the Dodgers took a 9-4 loss despite his efforts. The 29-year-old has come out of the gate hot this season, hitting .356 with a homer, five doubles, and an .861 OPS across 81 plate appearances, good for fourth-most among big-league backstops. The Dodgers have surprisingly dropped four of their last five entering Saturday's contest.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoNew York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) has been placed on the 15-day injured list after suffering a thumb injury while running the bases in the top of the second inning against the Dodgers on Friday. His thumb was bent back when he attempted to brace for a fall during the club's 9-4 win and he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his thumb. Mets skipper
Carlos Mendoza said after the game that he was "pretty concerned" about Alvarez's injury and that the young backstop was in a lot of pain. A year after slugging 25 homers as a rookie, the 22-year-old is hitting .236 with a homer and a .652 OPS across his first 59 trips to the plate this season.
Tomas Nido was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse to take Alvarez's spot on the active roster while left-hander
Kolton Ingram was designated for assignment.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoLos Angeles Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz said on Thursday that the Chargers aren't interested in a "fair trade" for the No. 5 overall pick in this year's NFL draft, adding that the club needs to be blown away to move on from the pick. "They have to
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5 days agoChicago Cubs infielder
Michael Busch is not in the team's starting lineup for Game 1 of a twin bill on Saturday against the Miami Marlins and left-hander
Jesus Luzardo. The lefty-swinging Busch is off to a massive start to the season but has struggled in limited time against same-handed pitching. Busch has hit .317 with six home runs, three doubles, and a 1.067 OPS across 70 plate appearances on the season but is just 1-for-9 (.111) with a walk across only 10 trips to the plate against southpaw pitching. All nine of the 26-year-old's extra-base hits have come against right-handers. Despite his struggles against lefties, Busch has cemented himself as a strong fantasy asset, even at the first base position, with a history of hitting for big-time power in his minor-league career.
--Brenton Kemp - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoThe New York Jets are prepared to move on from quarterback
Zach Wilson, the former second overall pick in 2021, if an interested team makes a worthwhile offer, but they aren't in a hurry to do so. "At that same time, we're obviously open to trading Zach. There have been discussions. Nothing's really changed since we talked in Florida. We're open to trading him, there's just no news to report on that," general manager Joe Douglas said. Unsurprisingly, Wilson has chosen to stay away from the team's voluntary offseason workouts. Wilson was thrown into the fire immediately after
Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles in Week 1 last year, and he failed to improve behind a leaky offensive line. If no teams offer the Jets what they want for the 24-year-old Wilson, there's a chance he could stay in New York and sit behind Rodgers and veteran backup
Tyrod Taylor.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com - Nick Shook
5 days agoKansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach acknowledged that new wide receiver
Marquise Brown could have a lucrative role with the team in 2024. With Brown now on the roster, the Chiefs feel better about their situation at the receiver position prior to
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5 days agoBoston Red Sox third baseman
Rafael Devers (knee) remains out of the starting lineup on Saturday against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bobby Dalbec is getting the start at the hot corner and is batting sixth in the lineup versus Pirates right-hander
Mitch Keller. Devers is dealing with a bone bruise in his left knee and will miss his third straight game. The 27-year-old is going to need to return to the lineup soon to avoid landing on the injured list. The Red Sox's bench is pretty short-handed right now with outfielder
Tyler O'Neill on the seven-day concussion injured list. Dalbec has never faced Keller in his career and has just one hit with two walks and 13 strikeouts in 24 plate appearances over 12 games so far in 2024 as a bench option for the BoSox.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoMinnesota Twins relief pitcher
Daniel Duarte (elbow) has elbow surgery scheduled for May 8 with Dr. Keith Meister and will miss the rest of the 2024 season. It's an elbow issue for Duarte after he originally landed on the injured list with a triceps strain. The 27-year-old had only pitched four innings in two appearances out of Minnesota's bullpen before suffering the injury. He had allowed one earned on two hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out three in his four innings of work. Even if he avoids Tommy John surgery, there's a chance Duarte won't be ready for the start of the 2025 season. In 38 1/3 relief innings in the big leagues since making his MLB debut in 2022, Duarte has a 3.99 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP, one save, 24 walks and 28 strikeouts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
5 days agoThe Tampa Bay Rays selected the contract of right-hander
Erasmo Ramirez from Triple-A Durham on Saturday and optioned left-hander
Jacob Lopez to Durham in a corresponding move. The Rays also moved infielder
Taylor Walls (hip) to the 60-day injured list. Ramirez will join Tampa's bullpen for the first time in 2024 after giving up two earned runs while striking out 13 in 8 1/3 innings pitched for the Bulls on the farm. The 33-year-old is unlikely to be a fantasy asset after posting a 6.41 ERA (5.05 FIP) and 1.57 WHIP with 13 walks and 43 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings over 38 appearances (two starts) for the Rays and Washington Nationals. Ramirez has only struck out 6.8 batters per nine innings in his 12-year MLB career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bally Sports Florida - Ryan Bass
5 days agoThe Miami Marlins recently optioned No. 3 prospect
Max Meyer to Triple-A Jacksonville despite the fact that he had been the team's most consistent starter three turns through the rotation to begin the year. But Meyer missed 19 months due to Tommy John surgery in August of 2022, so his workload in 2024 was always going to be monitored closely. The most innings he's thrown in his professional career was 111 three years ago. Manager Skip Schumaker said Meyer won't be shut down, but he'll pitch once a week in three-inning stints for Jacksonville so he can be available to the Fish in the second half of the season. "There's not an exact date or timeline," Schumaker said of Meyer's return. The 25-year-old has a bright future in the big leagues, but his ceiling is capped significantly for fantasy managers in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Christina De Nicola
5 days agoThe Miami Marlins announced on Saturday that they placed left-hander
A.J. Puk (shoulder) on the 15-day injured list with left-shoulder fatigue. In additional moves, right-hander
Kyle Tyler's contract was selected from Triple-A Jacksonville and left-hander
Josh Simpson (elbow) was moved to the 60-day IL. Right-hander
Roddery Munoz was designated as the 27th man on Saturday for the team's doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs. Puk had to have his start this week pushed back multiple times due to an illness, but now he's dealing with an arm injury and will have to miss at least the next two weeks. The 28-year-old southpaw has lost each of his four starts of the season and has a 9.22 ERA and 2.63 WHIP while not going more than 4 2/3 frames in any of his outings. When Puk is ready to return from the IL, he could very well find himself back in Miami's bullpen.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Marlins Communications
5 days agoThe Detroit Tigers placed infielder
Gio Urshela (hamstring) on the 10-day injured list on Saturday with a right-hamstring strain and recalled infielder
Buddy Kennedy from Triple-A Toledo in a corresponding move. Urshela was removed from Friday night's win over the Minnesota Twins with right-hamstring tightness after running to first base and will now miss at least the next 10 days. Kennedy will provide infield depth for the Tigers in the meantime, but
Matt Vierling is the most likely candidate to see most of the playing time at the hot corner in Detroit until Urshela is able to return. Vierling is at third and batting fifth on Saturday against Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober. Although Urshela doesn't have a homer this year, he was hitting .298 (17-for-57) with six RBI at the time of his injury on Friday night.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Tigers PR
5 days agoNew York Yankees outfielder/designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton is getting the day off on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Rays.
Aaron Judge is serving as the team's designated hitter and will bat third, while
Trent Grisham is starting in center field and hitting sixth against Rays right-hander
Zach Eflin. Stanton went 0-for-4 on Friday night and is now hitting .238 (15-for-63) in his first 16 games this year with five home runs, 10 RBI, nine runs scored, four walks and 21 strikeouts in 67 plate appearances. Judge is a must-start in regular fantasy leagues every day, but as a DFS play he's one to avoid on Saturday with a .111 average in nine career at-bats against Eflin. Grisham has hit .167 against Eflin in his six career at-bats. Judge has struggled to get going in 2024, hitting .189 with three home runs and 11 RBI.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees
5 days agoNew York Mets catcher
Francisco Alvarez (thumb) is getting an MRI exam on his injured left thumb, according to manager
Carlos Mendoza. "I'm pretty concerned. I'm not going to lie," Mendoza said. Alvarez injured his left thumb while returning to second base in Friday night's win over the Los Angeles Dodgers and was pulled from the contest early. The 22-year-old will almost certainly not be in the starting lineup for Saturday's game, and fantasy managers should probably expect him to miss more time, potentially even landing on the injured list, depending on what the MRI exam shows.
Omar Narvaez is set for more playing time in the short term, while
Tomas Nido will likely be called up from Triple-A Syracuse if Alvarez lands on the IL.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Newsday - Tim Healey
5 days agoOn Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway, while Kyle Larson's No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet was being pushed on to pit lane to prepare for his qualifying lap, NASCAR noticed something they didn't like with the race car. Particularly the roof rails. After further evaluation, NASCAR determined that an unapproved adjustment was made on the roof rails and Larson would not be able to qualify for this weekend's GEICO 500. Larson will still be able to race but will have to start from dead last (38th-place). At a track like Talladega, this is not a big issue at all, as starting position doesn't matter. For DFS purposes, Larson is an extremely low-risk fantasy pick, as it is impossible for him to score negative FPTS. Larson will be highly owned in DraftKings contest due to his starting position, and he has tremendous upside in scoring potential because of it as well.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: NASCAR
5 days agoNew York Yankees pitching prospect
Trystan Vrieling threw seven ⅔ no-hit innings on Friday evening with six punchouts and two free passes. The former third-round pick has made his professional debut this spring and has thrown 18 ⅔ innings at Double-A to the tune of an incredible 0.48 ERA and 0.59 WHIP. Vrieling, who is the 23rd-ranked prospect in the New York system and a former third-round pick, is projected to make his major league debut in 2026. He is worth keeping tabs on in dynasty leagues, especially if this dominance continues at Double-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoWashington Nationals shortstop prospect
Brady House has yet to hit a roadblock in the minor leagues. The 11th overall selection in the 2021 MLB Draft progressed through three levels of the minor leagues, Low-A, High-A, and Double-A last season, holding a solid .312/.365/.497 line. House has begun the season at Double-A and is picking up right where he left off, posting a .311/.404/.467 line. The 20-year-old has shown a strong eye at the plate and has drawn seven walks and only struck out eleven times. While House is projected to make his major league debut in 2025, at the rate he is going, do not be surprised if he is in the nation's capital this summer.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles pitching prospect
Cade Povich threw 5 1/3 shutout innings with nine punchouts en route to his second victory of the season. Povich holds a cumulative 0.83 ERA and 0.74 WHIP across 21 2/3 innings with 33 total strikeouts. The southpaw is making significant strides at Triple-A this season compared to the high 5.36 ERA and 1.35 WHIP he held last season and is quickly approaching his major-league debut. Povich should be rostered in all dynasty and keeper leagues and is even worth looking into in deeper redraft formats, as he will have high strikeout upside when he receives his final promotion.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoTexas Rangers pitching prospect
Dane Acker tossed 4 2/3 no-hit innings with seven punchouts on Friday evening. Acker allowed only two walks. This was his third start of the season, which continued a similar trend as he holds an incredible 0.68 ERA and 0.75 WHIP across 13 1/3 innings. The 25-year-old is sporting an excellent 18:5 K:BB ratio. The 27th-ranked prospect in the Texas system should be expected to debut in Triple-A soon and could very well push for a late-season promotion as the Rangers prepare for another deep playoff run. The former fourth-round pick is worth looking into if he's not rostered in your dynasty league.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
5 days agoDetroit Tigers outfielder
Wenceel Perez went 3-for-5 with two singles and a triple in Friday's 5-4 win over the Twins. Perez also drove in two runs, scored twice, and stole a base. In a tie ballgame, the 24-year-old's last hit came in the ninth inning after the Twins intentionally walked the batter in front of him, and it drove in what would be the winning run. Perez has only played in seven MLB games, but is 5-for-16 (.313), including a double and a triple, along with two RBI, three runs scored, and a pair of stolen bases. He had 26 steals in the minors last season, so he does have some speed. If he keeps this up he'll certainly put himself on the fantasy radar.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals infield prospect
Thomas Saggese is swinging a hot bat to open the 2024 campaign. The 22-year-old is riding a solid .286/.349/.464 stat line with two home runs and 11 RBI. Saggese struggled in his first taste of Triple-A last season with a .207 AVG, so it is nice to see the 96th overall prospect begin to turn things around. The number four ranked prospect in the St. Louis pipeline is expected to make his major league debut later this summer and is worth stashing in keeper and dynasty leagues as he should find plenty of playing time in an infield utility role when given the call.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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