5 days agoToronto Blue Jays shortstop
Bo Bichette is getting a day off on Monday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. With Bichette getting a blow,
Isiah Kiner-Falefa is starting at shortstop and is hitting eighth against Royals right-hander
Jonathan Bowlan. Rookie
Addison Barger will play third base and bat in the nine-hole for Toronto. It's a good time for the 26-year-old Bichette to take a day off, as he has just one hit in 18 at-bats in his last five games to drop his season slash line to .210/.263/.305 with just one home run and 10 RBI in 105 at-bats. Kiner-Falefa will be a pretty mediocre, low-upside DFS option on Monday against the Royals. The 29-year-old has never faced Bowlan and is hitting .240 (18-for-75) on the year with a homer, six RBI and two stolen bases.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Toronto Blue Jays
5 days agoThe Minnesota Vikings have exercised the fifth-year option on standout offensive tackle Christian Darrisaw, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The No. 23 overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft has earned a Pro Football Focus grade of at least 82.4 over the last two seasons and is widely viewed as at least an above-average player at the position. With rookie quarterback
J.J. McCarthy slated to take over the franchise at some point in the 2024 season, locking up key offensive linemen should be a priority. With this move, Darrisaw will be under contract with the Vikings through the 2025 campaign.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Adam Schefter
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles outfield prospect
Heston Kjerstad is not in the starting lineup yet again on Monday as the team takes on the visiting New York Yankees at Camden Yards. This will be the fifth straight game that Kjerstad is not in the O's starting lineup after he started the first two contests following his promotion from Triple-A Norfolk. If this continues to be the case, don't be surprised if the Orioles send the 25-year-old left-handed hitter back to the minors so that he can play every day. The former second overall pick in 2020 out of Arkansas has gone hitless in his first five major-league at-bats with three strikeouts. It's been hard for manager Brandon Hyde to find Kjerstad consistent playing time with
Colton Cowser playing so well.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoBaltimore Orioles infielder
Jordan Westburg (illness) is back in the starting lineup on Monday against the visiting New York Yankees after missing the series finale on Sunday against the Oakland Athletics with a stomach illness. Westburg is starting at second base and batting seventh against Yankees right-hander
Clarke Schmidt. Fantasy managers will want to get the 25-year-old back into all starting fantasy lineups, as he's hit a strong .304/.360/.543 on the year with a .903 OPS, five home runs, 19 RBI and four stolen bases in 92 at-bats over his first 25 games played. Westburg isn't as attractive in DFS formats in the seven-hole. He has one hit in his two career at-bats against Schmidt.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 days agoA flyweight bout between Matheus Nicolau and Alex Perez headlined Saturday's UFC Vegas 91 event in which Perez defeated Nicolau via second-round knockout. After a very close first round, Perez caught Nicolau with a right hook that knocked him out. In 7:16 of action, Nicolau landed 22 significant strikes. With the loss, Nicolau is now 1-2 in his last three and 7-4 in the UFC.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
5 days agoSt. Louis Cardinals catcher
Ivan Herrera will not start in the team's series opener against the Detroit Tigers. With
Willson Contreras starting behind the plate and
Paul Goldschmidt starting as the designated hitter, Herrera will take a sit for the second time in three days. The young catcher was off to a hot start at the plate but has since cooled down. He is hitless over his last 15 at-bats with six strikeouts. The 23-year-old doesn't have much fantasy value right now, considering he is behind Contreras on the depth chart. So, he is likely only a fantasy option in extremely deep formats.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 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 heading
read more...
5 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.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: WGR550 - Sal Capaccio
5 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
5 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.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Luke Zahlmann
5 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...
5 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.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - James Boyd
5 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.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Luke Zahlmann
5 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.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 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.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 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.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 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.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
5 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
5 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.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees
5 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.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Tom Pelissero
5 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.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
5 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.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
5 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.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
5 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.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
5 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.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: MLB.Com
5 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.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
5 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.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
5 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.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
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