5 days agoHouston Astros right-hander
Hunter Brown is being moved up to start on Sunday against the Washington Nationals after the team scratched right-hander
Cristian Javier (neck) from his scheduled start due to neck discomfort. Brown was previously scheduled to make his next start on Tuesday against the Chicago Cubs. The 25-year-old will be on a typical four days of rest, so he shouldn't have any limitations on Sunday against the Nats. Brown has an ugly 10.54 ERA (6.67 FIP) and 2.78 WHIP with 10 walks and 11 strikeouts over 13 2/3 innings in his four starts for Houston, but he did have his first quality start in his last outing against the Atlanta Braves, when he gave up two runs with three walks and three K's in six innings on April 16. Brown will be hoping to make it two straight strong outings on Sunday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Houston Chronicle - Matt Kawahara
5 days agoBoston Red Sox right-hander
Nick Pivetta (elbow) threw a bullpen session on Saturday. Pivetta will next throw an up-and-down session on Thursday in Cleveland and then throw live batting practice as he works his way back from an elbow injury that landed him on the injured list. The 31-year-old will then probably need to go on a short minor-league rehab assignment before returning to Boston's starting rotation. The former fourth-round pick of the Washington Nationals in 2013 out of New Mexico Junior College looked great in his first two starts for the Red Sox this year, allowing just one earned run on eight hits (one homer) while walking one and striking out 13 in 11 innings pitched. Fantasy managers that are stashing him right now can only hope he'll be just as effective once he returns from his elbow ailment.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Boston Globe - Julian McWilliams
5 days agoIn GEICO 500 qualifying at Talladega Superspeedway, Joey Logano obtained a starting position of seventh. This will be the seventh time this year that Logano will start from the Top 10, but his lowest at a drafting track. In 30 starts at Talladega, Logano has three wins and 11 top-10 finishes while leading in nine of the last 10 Cup events at the Alabama track. After nine races so far this season, Logano has five finishes of 11th or better while also leading in six different Cup events. The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford has led in every race at drafting tracks since 2023 and will be a factor based on his equipment and track history. Expect Logano to compete for the win this week and lead laps, as he normally brings plenty of speed toward superspeedway events.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoBoston Red Sox third baseman
Rafael Devers (knee) had an MRI exam on Thursday morning that showed a bone bruise and no structural damage in his left knee, which he tweaked making a play on defense in Tuesday's loss. He sat out on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, but manager Alex Cora told reporters on Saturday that the team is aiming for Devers to return on Tuesday against the Cleveland Guardians. The Red Sox have a scheduled off day on Monday, so the club is hoping the 27-year-old will be feeling better by Tuesday. If he's not, he could join first baseman
Triston Casas (rib) on the injured list, which would really put the team's infield in a bind. With both Devers and Casas hurt,
Bobby Dalbec is going to see regular playing time, making him worth a short-term pickup in AL-only leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoCincinnati Reds second baseman
Jonathan India (illness) remains out of the starting lineup on Sunday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels. India was removed from Saturday's 7-5 win over the Halos due to illness and he's apparently still not feeling well enough to
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5 days agoThe St. Louis Cardinals optioned outfielder
Victor Scott II and right-hander
Andre Pallante to Triple-A Memphis on Sunday and recalled catcher
Pedro Pages and right-hander
Nick Robertson from Memphis in corresponding moves. Scott, the club's No. 3 prospect per MLB Pipeline, went 0-for-3 in the 12-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday and hasn't reached base since April 12. The 23-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2022 out of West Virginia made the team's Opening Day roster due to injuries to
Tommy Edman (wrist),
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) and
Lars Nootbaar, but he recorded hits in just five of his first 65 trips to the plate in the big leagues with two walks and 15 strikeouts. Scott is worth stashing in dynasty/keeper leagues, but it's clear he needs some more minor-league seasoning.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: St. Louis Cardinals
5 days agoJoe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin will start 23rd for this week's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway after qualifying. In 36 starts at Talladega, Hamlin has two wins, 16 top-10 finishes, and 434 laps led, which is second-most of all drivers in the field this week. The driver of the No. 11 Toyota also has six top-10 finishes in the last nine Cup events at Talladega while also leading laps at least once in each of the last eight there. After nine races so far this season, Hamlin has seven top-20 finishes, including two wins. Hamlin remains the only driver this year to have led multiple laps in every Cup race so far this year including the Daytona Duels and Clash at the Coliseum. With high Place Differential upside from his starting position combined with his track history, Hamlin is recommended as an overall DFS play to place in the Top 10.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoCleveland Guardians third baseman
Jose Ramirez is out of the team's starting lineup on Sunday as they take on the visiting Oakland Athletics. In Ramirez's absence,
Gabriel Arias will start at the hot corner and bat eighth in the batting order against A's right-hander
Ross Stripling. Ramirez, a five-time All-Star, has gotten off to a bit of a slow start by his standards this year, going 22-for-92 (.239) with three home runs, 18 RBI, one stolen base and 15 runs scored in his first 21 games played and 95 trips to the plate. Fantasy managers shouldn't be too worried, though, and he should be back in action on Tuesday against the Boston Red Sox after a scheduled off day on Monday. Arias is hitting .302 (13-for-43) with a homer, seven RBI and a steal in the early going, but he's never faced Stripling in his career.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoHouston Astros right-hander
Cristian Javier (neck) has been scratched from his start on Sunday versus the Washington Nationals with "neck discomfort." Right-hander
Hunter Brown will start in his place. Fantasy managers will obviously want to move Javier to their benches for Sunday's action. The Astros have an off day on Monday, but it's unclear when the 27-year-old Javier will be able to make his next start. Fantasy baseball managers will want to check back later on Sunday or Monday for more details on the severity of Javier's neck injury. The Dominican hurler has been excellent in his first four starts in 2024, going 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA (3.66 FIP) and 1.11 WHIP while walking 11 and striking out 18 batters in 23 1/3 innings pitched.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
5 days agoThe Boston Red Sox announced on Sunday that they have placed first baseman
Triston Casas (rib) on the 10-day injured list with a left-rib strain and recalled catcher
Tyler Heineman from the minors in a corresponding move. Casas will be out now until May after injuring his rib in Saturday's contest against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 24-year-old left-handed slugger could be out beyond the 10 days, too, but fantasy managers in most formats should keep Casas stashed in an IL spot, as he has hit .244 (19-for-78) with six home runs, 10 RBI and 12 runs scored in his first 22 games of the 2024 season.
Bobby Dalbec is the most likely candidate to see most of the playing time at first base for the BoSox with Casas sidelined, but he has just one hit in his first 26 at-bats so far this year.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Boston Herald - Mac Cerullo
5 days agoIn his first Talladega Superspeedway start driving for Rick Ware Racing, Justin Haley qualified 27th for the GEICO 500. This will be Haley's fourth start of 30th or better this year and the fourth-highest of his career at the Alabama track. In eight Cup starts at Talladega, Haley has six top-20 finishes, including each of the last five Cup events at the site. The driver of the No. 51 Ford also racked up positive Place Differential seven times at TS and captured his best career finish there in his last appearance (sixth). Through nine races so far in 2024, Haley has two top-20 finishes, which include Atlanta, another track that uses the superspeedway rules package. As his starting position is deep in the field and based on track history, Haley is one of the best DFS value picks of the week to consider for all lineup formats.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoFor the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, William Byron gained a starting position of 13th, marking the fifth time this season he will start outside the top 10. In 12 races at Talladega, Byron has four top-10 finishes, including both of last year's events at the site. The driver of the No. 24 Chevrolet is one of the most consistent performers at drafting tracks recently, as he is the only driver to place in the top 10 in each of the last four races at Daytona and Talladega combined. Through nine races so far this year, Byron has three wins and six top-10 finishes, including the Daytona 500, where he was the winner. In the last four races at Talladega, Byron ranks fourth in average running position (11.4), third in laps in the top 15 (531), and driver rating (93.3). Considering his top-notch equipment and recent drafting track history, Byron is expected to be one of the favorites to compete for the win this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoIn qualifying for this week's GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, Christopher Bell scored a starting position of 10th. This marks his lowest start position at a Talladega spring race since 2020, when he drove for Leavine Family Racing. In eight Cup starts at Talladega, Bell has five top-20 finishes with two inside the Top 10. The driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota also led in five of his eight appearances at the site in his Cup career. At drafting tracks, Bell has been solid in recent races as he has three top-10 finishes and a worst finish of 16th through the last five Cup events at Daytona and Talladega combined. Through nine races so far this season, Bell has one win and five top-10 finishes, including the Daytona 500, where he placed third and led 22 laps. With his qualifying position close to the front providing little Place Differential upside, Bell is best suited as a tournament play for this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: Driveraverages.com
5 days agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Jackson Chourio went 2-for-3 with a single, home run, and two walks in Saturday's 12-5 victory over the Cardinals. Chourio also drove in two runs, scored three times, and stole a base in the contest. After hitting safely in 11 of his first 13 MLB games, Chourio had gone 0-for-11 over his last three games before Saturday's outburst. On the season, the 20-year-old now has a .235-4-13-10-4 line. He's held his own so far, and even though it hasn't been a fantasy bonanza, his combination of power and speed make him a must-own and probably start in most cases.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoChicago Cubs closer
Adbert Alzolay blew his fourth save of the season and took the loss on Saturday in a 3-2 defeat by the Marlins in Game 1 of their doubleheader. Alzolay allowed a single to
Luis Arraez and then a two-run go-ahead home run to
Bryan De La Cruz before retiring the final two batters in the inning. It has been a rollercoaster ride for the 29-year-old, as he's collected three saves to along with the four he's blown, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits and four walks while striking out nine over 10 IP. The righty's ERA now stands at 4.50 and WHIP at 1.40. Fellow reliever
Hector Neris recorded the save in Game 2 and could earn more opportunities if Alzolay continues to falter, although Neris' numbers so far this season don't exactly inspire confidence either, with a 3.86 ERA and a whopping 1.86 WHIP in seven innings pitched.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Jose Berrios threw six innings of shutout ball in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Padres, picking up his league-leading fourth win of the season. The outing was also his fifth straight quality start to begin the year and third straight in which he hasn't allowed a run. The 29-year-old is off to a great start, going 4-0 with a 0.85 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, and a 27:9 K:BB. With a career ERA of 4.06 and 1.24 WHIP, however, he could be a good sell-high candidate. Either way, his next start lines up with what could be a pitchers' duel next Thursday against
Cole Ragans and the Royals.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoToronto Blue Jays closer
Jordan Romano nailed down his second save since coming off the IL in Saturday's 5-2 win over the Padres. Romano needed just eleven pitches to dispense all three batters he faced, striking out one and not allowing a hit or a walk. The 31-year-old looks like he's sliding right back into the closer role for the Jays and doesn't have any real competition for the job, as set-up man
Erik Swanson has allowed four earned runs on six hits in his inning-and-a-third since coming off the IL as well. Romano tallied 36 saves for the Jays last season. Toronto closes out the series with San Diego on Sunday before traveling to Kansas City for a four-game set with the Royals starting on Monday.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoCincinnati Reds catcher
Tyler Stephenson hit his second homer in as many games in Saturday's 7-5 win over the Angels. Saturday's home run came in the bottom of the first inning and with the bases loaded, part of a five-run inning for the Reds, a lead they would not relinquish for the rest of the game. The grand slam was Stephenson's lone hit of the game though, going 1-for-4 with four RBI and a run scored. The 27-year-old is hitting just .213 on the season, but likes the home cooking much more apparently, with a .320-2-8-4-0 line at home but .091-1-2-5-0 line on the road (.299 career BA at home vs .241 on the road). Stephenson sits just outside the top-12 catchers right now in season-long fantasy, but is probably a better DFS play at this point.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoCincinnati Reds starting pitcher
Graham Ashcraft picked up his third win of the season on Saturday in a 7-5 victory over the Angels. Ashcraft was able to do so despite allowing five earned runs on five hits and three walks over just five innings pitched. The 26-year-old also struck out four batters. That now makes two starts out of four total in which he's given up five earned runs and still logged the win. The righty is now 3-1 on the young season with a 5.24 ERA (3.35 xFIP), 1.34 WHIP, and a 16.3% K-BB%. His next start tentatively lines up with the Phillies next Thursday in Cincinnati. While the Phillies are middle of the pack so far in 2024 in runs scored per game, over the last three games they rank second-best (7.67).
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoJosh Berry and the Stewart-Haas Racing team figured 2024 might get off to a bumpy start. That much is true. Berry starts 29th on Sunday and his average start and finish have been around the same (22.3 versus 24.3). Berry survived Daytona barely but did not at Atlanta. So, there is limited data here. However, the Ford does seem to run better at Talladega. He did gain track position at Atlanta and Daytona last season while only driving ten races at the top level. That place differential was +3 and +7. Berry is cheap from a DFS and betting standpoint. With several big "collections" expected, the driver simply needs to survive to improve on Sunday.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
5 days agoHarrison Burton continues to feel his seat get hotter as the GEICO 500 approaches on Sunday. The Wood Brothers driver did qualify 16th on Saturday. His best results are on superspeedway courses or similar tracks. See Atlanta this year where Burton finished 11th. Overall, his average finish in 2024 is 29th. That is worse than his previous two seasons. Burton has to survive and thrive. The problem is the No. 21 car has finished 30th or worse four times at Talladega with suspension or accident issues a recurring theme lately. Yes, the heat is on!
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
5 days agoHonestly, Ryan Preece starts from 11th for the race at Talladega. That is not a bad thing for the Stewart-Haas Racing driver. On this 2.66-mile track, it is a good thing to begin from outside the Top 10 typically. Preece has shown positive place differential at every track but one in 2024. The one time he started inside the Top 20 was Richmond and that was when his differential was a whopping -12. This causes some concern for Preece who has an average finish of 19.0 this season. On the other hand, Preece has drove very well in the Ford showing top ten stage results three times in the No. 41 Ford.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
5 days agoZane Smith will begin from the 30th position at Talladega on Sunday. That is not uncommon for the Spire Motorsports driver who has been 14th or worse during every qualifying effort this season. However, he did survive his way to a 13th at Daytona. This could be significant. Again, the 2.66-mile high-banked Talladega can boost a driver's position simply by dodging the big wrecks. If Smith can avoid carnage, unlike Atlanta, that will make him an attractive DFS option at the least. His long-run speed is slow much like his qualifying speed. That could be helpful.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
5 days agoMichael McDowell was the quickest among all qualifiers on Saturday with a lap of 52.609 seconds. The Front Row Motorsports driver was the only one who broke the 182 mph mark. That was good enough for the pole. However, finishing at the top on Saturday is not a harbinger of what may occur on Sunday. First, McDowell has never qualified better than 12th since at Front Row. Second, some fear his long run speed may be more middle of the pack which will cause him to lose time as the race goes on. McDowell could still make for an interesting Sunday but not in the way some expect.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
5 days agoCody Ware returns to action for his father Rick's team for the first time since NASCAR reinstated him after his felony assault charges were dropped last December. As with most of the drivers for backmarker teams, Ware will only likely contend if there are a lot of wrecks and he avoids them. He did have a string of three consecutive top 20 finishes in his last three Daytona races including a 6th in 2022, but Talladega tends to have far fewer cars crashing out than Daytona in recent years. Although he's been good at finishing drafting track races and will certainly be eager to prove himself again, he likely won't get a decent finish unless a lot of faster cars crash out. Recent history at Talladega suggests this won't happen, though, so he probably wouldn't be as good of a longshot pick here as he would at Daytona.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoEven though Daniel Suárez won the previous drafting race in a classic finish at Atlanta and backed into a top five at Texas last week, don't expect him to contend in this weekend's Talladega race. His win masks the fact that Suárez is actually underachieving. His speed percentile this year sits at 43.32, which is actually the slowest of his career except for the year he drove for Gaunt Brothers Racing. With Trackhouse Racing having numerous future prospects such as Shane van Gisbergen, Zane Smith, and Connor Zilisch on its roster, Suárez likely feels the pressure to perform, which probably helped elevate him to the Atlanta win, but now that he has likely locked himself into the playoffs, it seems he has since grown complacent. Talladega is not a track that typically rewards complacency, so don't expect a good finish unless he dodges the wrecks.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoRicky Stenhouse, Jr. has had a startling collapse since the middle of last year and this year he has been shockingly slow with a speed percentile of 30.83, which is slower than he was in any of his previous full-time seasons. However, if there is any track where he could turn it around, Talladega might be it. Stenhouse has become the millennial version of Michael Waltrip, a driver whose seasons live or die based on his drafting performances. All three of his NASCAR Cup wins have come on drafting tracks, and his Daytona 500 win did come with the NextGen car. Stenhouse has made an on-track pass for the lead in seven of the fourteen NextGen drafting races but didn't do so in either race this season. Regardless, he contends often enough that he is probably undervalued by oddsmakers, likely making him a solid dark horse for the GEICO 500.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoAfter selling his Live Fast Motorsports charter to Spire Motorsports last year, BJ McLeod has dropped back to a partial schedule but he continues to enter the races on drafting tracks because those are the only tracks where he realistically could get a decent finish with his team's underfunded equipment. McLeod has been generally good at avoiding crashes, but whether he can get a decent finish is almost entirely dependent on whether most of the field crashes out or not, and that is difficult to predict. Signs point to no because fewer cars tend to crash out at Talladega than Daytona. In the four Talladega NextGen races, there were only 26 crash or DVP DNFs for an average of 6.5 per race. Given that trend, probably too many cars will finish for McLeod to get a top twenty in this weekend's GEICO 500.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoCarson Hocevar starts way back in 35th for his first Talladega race as a full-time NASCAR Cup Series driver, but he did start the second Talladega race last year in the Legacy Motor Club No. 42 car. In that race, he crashed after never really significantly factoring. In his Craftsman Truck Series starts at Talladega, he did a little better. Although he crashed in all three of those races, he still finished two of them and led 17 laps, including impressively leading for 12 laps after he crashed in the 2022 truck race. Hocevar is still very young and inexperienced and this is not his best track type, but he has generally outperformed Corey LaJoie this year and LaJoie has led drafting races before including battling for the win at Atlanta in 2022, so don't be shocked if Hocevar contends. He makes a very safe DFS play because of his deep starting position.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 days agoShane van Gisbergen makes his NASCAR Cup Series debut on a drafting track today at Talladega, but he's already shown something of a proclivity in drafting in his Xfinity Series starts, finishing 3rd at Atlanta and running in the top five for large portions of this weekend's Xfinity race, including passing Sammy Smith for the lead before running out of fuel and not getting the finish he deserved. While he'll obviously face more competition in the Cup race and the Kaulig cars usually aren't as strong in Cup races as they are in Xfinity races, the NextGen cars are more similar to the Supercars that SVG previously raced. His 17th-place qualifying run for the GEICO 500 is actually better than his qualifying run for the Xfinity race. When considering his teammate A.J. Allmendinger has led the last three Daytona races on track in that car, SVG might do better than you expect.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
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