June 28, 2025
Cincinnati Reds corner infielder
Christian Encarnacion-Strand is absent from the starting lineup for Saturday's game against the visiting San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park.
Santiago Espinal is starting at the hot corner and will bat ninth against Padres right-hander
Randy Vasquez. Since returning from the injured list on June 6 due to a back injury, Encarnacion-Strand has gone 13-for-54 (.241) with three home runs, two doubles, 10 RBI and six runs scored. The 25-year-old former fourth-rounder by the Minnesota Twins in 2021 out of Oklahoma State has plenty of power as a corner infielder in deep-mixed leagues, but he's hitting just .198 (22-for-111) with five home runs, 15 RBI and 10 runs scored in 2025. Espinal is still searching for his first long ball on the year and has never faced Vasquez in his career. DFS managers should avoid him in the nine-hole on Saturday.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
June 28, 2025
Baltimore Orioles infielder
Jordan Westburg (finger) is not starting in Saturday's contest against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays at Camden Yards.
Ramon Urias is at third base and will occupy the two-hole in the batting order versus Rays right-hander
Zack Littell. Westburg aggravated his left index finger injury during Friday's blowout victory over Tampa and will miss at least one more game. Depending on how the 26-year-old recovers, it's possible he'll be forced to head back to the injured list to close out the first half of the season. But for now, fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day. Westburg was a first-time All-Star in 2024 with 18 homers and 63 RBI for the O's, but it's been an injury-riddled 2025 so far, and he's hit just .228 (31-for-136) with seven homers and 14 RBI in 36 games. Urias has two hits in 10 career at-bats against Littell.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
June 28, 2025
Boston Red Sox third baseman
Alex Bregman (quadriceps) did some running at Fenway Park on Saturday before the game against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays, according to MLB.com's Ian Browne. Bregman did some hitting on Friday and is also scheduled to take ground balls on Saturday as he begins baseball activities and nears a return from the 10-day injured list. While the 31-year-old veteran two-time All-Star is making good progress, the BoSox are expected to continue to play it cautious with Bregman, and he's not expected to return to the big leagues until after the mid-July All-Star break. Although rookie
Marcelo Mayer is on the bereavement list this weekend, he's expected to continue to be Boston's primary third baseman until Bregman returns. Bregman has leaned more into his power in 2025 and was one of the team's best hitters before his quad injury.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com - Ian Browne
June 28, 2025
Look for Ryan Blaney to be a contender in Saturday night's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta). The Team Penske driver has the best average finish at this track in the Next Gen era and has wound up ninth or better in each oft he last six races here. Over the last three at this track, Blaney hasn't finished worse than fourth. Not surprisingly, the No. 12 Ford has had the best average speed ranking as well in the Next Gen era. When it comes to DFS this weekend, Blaney is a tournament option due to his high starting position (third). He's likely going to need to lead a bunch of laps and earn a podium finish in order to be in the optimal lineup, and while the finish possibility is definitely there, it's worth noting that Blaney has led five or fewer laps in three of the six Atlanta races. The ones where he did lead a decent portion of the race, he ended up with 33, 31, and 20 laps led.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
June 28, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays left-handed pitching prospect
Kendry Rojas (abdomen) has been quite sharp in his rehab assignment with Low-A. The Blue Jays placed Rojas on the 7-day IL at High-A at the start of the regular season. He was sent on a rehab assignment to the Florida Complex League in May and made two starts before moving up to Low-A. Through four outings in Low-A (three starts), Rojas has been quite dominant, tossing 13 shutout innings with a 0.62 WHIP. During this stretch, he has struck out 18 batters and allowed only three walks. In his most recent outing on Thursday, Rojas struck out nine batters. Last summer, the No. 9-ranked prospect in the system spent most of his time with High-A and held a 2.43 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP. When he returns from the IL, fantasy managers should expect him to report to High-A Vancouver.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
June
28,
2025
Joey
Logano
will
lead
the
field
to
the
green
for
Saturday
night's
Quaker
State
400
at
EchoPark
Speedway
(Atlanta),
as
the
No.
22
Ford
put
down
a
lap
of
30.979
seconds
(178.960
mph)
during
qualifying
on
Friday.
This
is
Logano's
second
read more...
June 28, 2025
The Tampa Bay Rays are promoting left-handed pitching prospect
Joe Rock to the major leagues. In a corresponding move, the Rays are designating right-handed pitcher
Forrest Whitley for assignment. Rock is considered the No. 21-ranked prospect in the system on MLB.com. The left-hander has yet to earn the call to the majors since being selected in the 2021 MLB Draft out of Ohio State. This season, Rock has appeared in 15 games for Triple-A Durham (14 starts) and posted a modest 4.81 ERA with a 1.49 WHIP. During this stretch, Rock has struck out 63 batters and allowed a high 30 walks. With the Tampa Bay rotation full, fantasy managers should expect Rock to be deployed out of the bullpen. Given that he will likely have a low-leverage role, he is best to leave on the waiver wire.
--Andy SmithSource: Tampa Bay Rays Communications
June 28, 2025
The Baltimore Orioles have recalled third baseman
Emmanuel Rivera from Triple-A Norfolk prior to Saturday's contest against the Tampa Bay Rays. In a corresponding move, the Orioles have optioned outfielder
Dylan Carlson to Triple-A. Rivera will provide some depth in the infield as third baseman
Jordan Westburg (hand) was lifted from Friday's contest with an injury. Through 26 games this season, Rivera has posted a modest .232/.303/.275 line with three doubles, three home runs, and a stolen base. Carlson was swinging a hot bat through the end of May, posting a .333/.370/.551 from May 20 through June 17, but has recently hit a skid at the plate. Over his last six games, he has gone 2-for-17. If Westburg were to miss time,
Ramon Urias or Rivera will likely see most of the opportunities at the hot corner.
--Andy SmithSource: Baltimore Orioles
June 28, 2025
The Detroit Tigers have optioned infielder
Trey Sweeney to Triple-A Toledo. In a corresponding move, the Tigers have activated
Matt Vierling (shoulder) from the 10-day injured list. Sweeney has seen close to an everyday role in the Detroit starting lineup through the first half of the season. Sweeney has appeared in 70 games and held a .221/.280/.314 line with five doubles, one triple, four home runs, and two stolen bases. Under the hood, he has generated a low .265 xwOBA, .213 xBA, and a .321 xSLG, all of which are well below the average marks of qualified hitters. Additionally, over the past two weeks, Sweeney has begun to spend most of his time on the bench. Fantasy managers should keep an eye on his production at Toledo, as he should be in the mix to return to Detroit in the second half. He is not worth stashing in any fantasy formats.
--Andy SmithSource: Detroit Tigers
June 28, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers left-hander
Robert Gasser (elbow) has been throwing live batting practice and could be in line for a rehab assignment "soon," according to Brewers manager Pat Murphy. Gasser underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2024, so he'll likely need many rehab appearances to ramp up for big-league action. Gasser made his major league debut with Milwaukee in 2024 and had pitched to a 2.57 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across 28 innings (five starts) before getting injured. Gasser's small-sample strikeout rate of 14% was underwhelming, but he showed significantly better strikeout stuff (28% K rate) across 135 1/3 innings of work at Triple-A in 2023. Milwaukee's #11 ranked prospect per MLB.com, Gasser, could be a valuable late-season addition for fantasy managers if all goes well in his rehab.
--Will BradySource: MLB
June 28, 2025
Baltimore Orioles left-handed pitcher
Cade Povich (hip) tossed 75 pitches in his rehab outing on Thursday against Triple-A Gwinnett. In this outing, the lefthander struggled as he logged just 4 1/3 innings of work and allowed seven hits and five runs (three earned). He struck out just three batters and allowed one walk. Povich hit the 15-day IL with left hip inflammation earlier in June. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he could be in the mix to return to Baltimore next week, given that he was already able to take on a sizeable workload in his first rehab outing. Before his injury, the southpaw struggled, posting a high 5.15 ERA and a 1.50 WHIP through 64 2/3 innings of work. Given his inconsistencies in the majors, he is only worth targeting in deep AL-only formats.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
June 28, 2025
Denny Hamlin is sure to be one of the most popular DFS picks for Saturday night's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta), as the Joe Gibbs Racing driver qualified in 33rd place for this weekend's race. That means that Hamlin has massive place-differential upside in a race where those fantasy points should reign supreme with the final scoring. And while Hamlin does have upside to grab plenty of place-differential points, this weekend's race could be an opportunity to go underweight on him from a strategy perspective. Hamlin has zero top-five finishes in the seven races on the "new" Atlanta tracks and only two top-10s. Additionally, he has finished outside of the top 20 entirely in four of the last seven races here. The upside is definitely there, but if you're feeling like rolling the dice and going against one of the most popular DFS plays on this slate, you could go underweight on Hamlin in tournaments.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
June 28, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Cleveland Cavaliers are trading forward
Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for guard
Lonzo Ball. The 2020 No. 5 overall pick agreed to a three-year, $33 million contract last offseason. Unfortunately, he is coming off the worst year of his career, averaging 6.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. The Cavs have one of the deepest rosters in the National Basketball Association, so Okoro could see more minutes in Chicago, potentially leading to an uptick in production. Still, he has a way to go before earning a routine spot in any fantasy lineup.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Shams Charania
June 28, 2025
Cincinnati Reds right-handed pitching prospect
Chase Burns is slated to make his second career MLB start on Monday when the Reds travel to Boston to face the Red Sox. Burns made his MLB debut on Tuesday evening, facing the New York Yankees and striking out eight batters across five innings of three-run ball. The Reds selected Burns with the second overall pick in last year's MLB draft out of Wake Forest. Burns made his professional debut at the start of the 2025 campaign and was dominant before earning the call to the majors. Across 66 total innings split between High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A, the hard-throwing right-hander struck out 89 batters while holding a 1.77 ERA. He should be viewed as a must-start option in all formats going forward.
--Andy SmithSource: MLB.com
June 28, 2025
The New York Mets are moving reliever
Brooks Raley's (elbow) rehab assignment from Single-A St. Lucie to Double-A Binghamton, per Newsday's Laura Albanese. Raley was sharp in three outings with St. Lucie, striking out six and walking none in three innings. The veteran left-hander has been out of action since undergoing Tommy John surgery in May 2024. Before the injury, Raley was a key piece in the Mets' bullpen. In 61 2/3 innings pitched for the team across 2023 and 2024, he recorded a 2.48 ERA with 70 strikeouts. He won't threaten Mets closer
Edwin Diaz for saves, but Raley could be in line for high-leverage work against left-handed batters when he returns.
--Will BradySource: Laura Albanese - Newsday
June 28, 2025
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, the Chicago Bulls are trading guard
Lonzo Ball to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for forward
Isaac Okoro. The Cavs have one of the highest payrolls in the National Basketball Association, so moving on from Okoro can give the team flexibility. It will also give the club another quality bench option, assuming he stays on the court. Ball miraculously returned last season following a two-year stint on the shelf caused by a serious knee injury. He played as well as expected, averaging 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.3 steals in 35 games. The 27-year-old could continue to struggle to stay healthy, Still, Ball should have some flashes of production for fantasy managers throughout the 2025-26 campaign, giving him streaming potential. Unfortunately, his best days are likely behind him.
--Dennis ClausenSource: Shams Charania
June 28, 2025
Although he has yet to make it into victory lane since the repave and reconfiguration of Atlanta Motor Speedway (now known as EchoPark Speedway), Kyle Busch has been one of the best on the new surface. Over the last five races at this track, Busch has the second-best average finish (6.4), the fifth-best driver rating (89.6), and he hasn't finished worse than 10th in any race. That should be music to the ears of DFS players considering Kyle Busch qualified 29th for Saturday night's Quaker State 400 race and has very high Place Differential upside if he can perform at his normal level in this weekend's race. At $8,800 on DraftKings and with his strong track history, expect Kyle Busch to be one of the higher-owned drivers on the slate, but he's also likely to be one of the highest-scoring DFS plays this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
June 28, 2025
Cleveland Browns rookie fourth-round running back
Dylan Sampson received work "as a running back and a receiver" during minicamp, according to RBs coach Duce Staley. Staley went on to add that Sampson "is able to go play in the slot and also he's able to go and play on third down and maybe sprinkle in a little second down." The Cleveland Plain Dealer's Dan Labbe thinks that heading into training camp, rookies
Quinshon Judkins and Sampson figure to be the top two backs, with
Jerome Ford serving as the primary third-down back. The 20-year-old Sampson rushed for 1,491 yards and 22 touchdowns (5.8 yards per carry) in 2024 at Tennessee, but he wasn't all that involved as a pass-catcher. He's a speedy back that could be worth a dart throw in deep PPR formats, but most likely he'll be an inconsistent fantasy performer unless Judkins misses time with an injury.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Dan Labbe
June 28, 2025
According to MassLive's Christopher Smith, Boston Red Sox right-hander
Tanner Houck (elbow) will pitch in relief in his next rehab outing with Triple-A Worcester. Relaying quotes from Red Sox Manager Alex Cora, Smith writes that the Red Sox aren't looking to move Houck to the bullpen full-time. Houck has been on the injured list since May 14 with a right flexor pronator strain. Before the injury, he had pitched to an 8.04 ERA and 1.69 WHIP across 43 2/3 innings (nine starts), recording zero wins and just 32 strikeouts. Things haven't gone much better for Houck in his rehab appearances so far, as he's allowed five earned runs and three walks in 2 2/3 innings. Until Houck shows signs of turning his season around, he should remain off the radar of fantasy managers.
--Will BradySource: Christopher Smith - MassLive
June 28, 2025
Cleveland Browns rookie second-round linebacker Carson Schwesinger figures to be in a full-time role that could include calling defensive signals at some point early in his first year in the NFL, according to The Athletic's Zac Jackson. The Browns used the No. 33 overall pick on Schwesinger in April with Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's (neck) football future in question. Schwesinger is big, instinctual and will also contribute on special teams for Cleveland right away. The 22-year-old was only a one-year starter in college at UCL, but he has a high motor and led all FBS linebackers in 2024 with 136 tackles (90 solo). With Owusu-Koramoah not expected to play at all in 2025, Schwesinger should start at weakside linebacker for the Browns and could have some IDP fantasy value sooner than later because of his tackling ability.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Zac Jackson
June 28, 2025
Ross Chastain will roll off the starting grid from 34th place when the Quaker State 400 goes green on Saturday night, making him one of the top DFS targets on the slate in a race where place differential is king. And even though Chastain wasn't able to find a ton of speed in qualifying, he should be just fine once the green flag waves. Since Atlanta was repaved and reconfigured prior to the 2022 season, Chastain ranks fifth-best in average finish (11.4) among active drivers and sixth-best in average driver rating (85.5). Back here in February, he started way back in 33rd but ended up eighth once the checkered flag flew. Chastain could easily have a similar performance here this weekend. Getting up front at this "new" Atlanta requires aggressiveness and precision, and we all know Chastain is capable of both, especially the former.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
June
28,
2025
The
Athletic's
Zac
Jackson
writes
that
the
Cleveland
Browns
are
banking
on
wide
receiver
Cedric
Tillman
building
on
his
big
stretch
in
the
middle
of
last
season
since
they
didn't
draft
a
receiver
and
only
added
read more...
June 28, 2025
Boston Red Sox right-hander
Jordan Hicks (toe) was throwing gas in his most recent rehab outing with Triple-A Worcester. According to MassLive's Christopher Smith, he hit 100.1 mph while recording a scoreless inning with two strikeouts, allowing one hit and one walk. He could be activated as soon as Monday. Acquired from the San Francisco Giants as part of the
Rafael Devers trade, Hicks has yet to pitch for the Red Sox while rehabbing a toe injury. With Hicks' move back to the bullpen, he could be an interesting addition for fantasy managers. In his last full season as a reliever in 2023, Hicks recorded 12 saves and 81 strikeouts across 65 innings pitched. He's likely behind
Aroldis Chapman in the pecking order for saves in Boston, but could be next in line should Chapman falter.
--Will BradySource: Christopher Smith - MassLive
June 28, 2025
Daniel Suarez hasn't won in over 50 races, since he took the three-wide victory in dramatic fashion at Atlanta back in February 2024. And with contract concerns looming--Suarez is in the final year of his contract at Trackhouse Racing--nothing would help move negotiations along like another win at the 1.54-mile track. Since Atlanta was repaved and reconfigured before the 2022 season, Suarez has been one of the best here--at least in terms of average finish. In addition to that aforementioned victory, Daniel has two runner-up finishes along with five total results of sixth or better in the seven races on this "new" track. This weekend, the No. 99 Chevrolet ended up 31st-fastest in qualifying, which means Suarez has a ton of Place Differential upside for Saturday night's race. He's a strong DFS play when you combine that with his strong track history.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Motorsport
June 28, 2025
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. qualified 37th for Saturday night's Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta), making him one of the most obvious DFS picks on this weekend's slate. Constructing a solid DraftKings lineup at Atlanta is all about focusing on place differential, and Stenhouse's upside in that category is sky-high for this race. Additionally, Atlanta is a good track for Ricky, as he has posted finishes of fifth, 14th, sixth, 10th, and 17th in the last five races here. At just $6,900 on DraftKings and with super-high place-differential upside, DFS managers should have plenty of Stenhouse exposure on Saturday night, unless you want to take a strategy play and go underweight on him and hope he has issues (as he will likely be one of the highest-owned drivers). Over the last five Atlanta races, Stenhouse has a plus-92 place differential.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
June 28, 2025
The Athletic's Joseph Person writes that Carolina Panthers quarterback
Bryce Young has shown an increased comfort level in his second year in head coach Dave Canales' offensive system, especially when he carved up the first-team defense in the red zone during minicamp. Young's intensity also caught the eyes and ears of media members this offseason. Pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney said that Young needed to play with more energy last year, and the former first overall pick has engaged in trash-talk sessions with cornerback Jaycee Horn. The 23-year-old was pretty bad in his first year and a half, but he looked different down the stretch in 2024 after being benched and threw seven TDs and no picks in his final three games. He's going to need to improve his accuracy and decision-making to take the next step in Year 3, but Young at least showed some signs to give fantasy managers hope that he can be a solid QB2 with upside.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Joseph Person
June 28, 2025
Keep an eye on Todd Gilliland this weekend in the Quaker State 400 at EchoPark Speedway (Atlanta). The Front Row Motorsports driver has shown upside at this track in the Next Gen era, and has posted four finishes between 15th and 17th in the last six races here. Additionally, Gilliland has had a driver rating of 88.4, 72.0, and 91.8 over the last three races at Atlanta, which is much better than his typical performance at other tracks. Looking at this weekend, the No. 34 Ford will roll off the starting grid from 17th-place when the race goes green on Saturday night. For DFS purposes, Todd Gilliland makes for a risky play, but his $6,500 salary on DraftKings also makes him an affordable one. He should be considered for tournament-style lineups but don't go overboard on Gilliland this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
June 28, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Alek Manoah (elbow) is scheduled to throw a two-inning bullpen session on Tuesday. Manoah threw a 25-pitch bullpen session on June 24, but this one will be a little longer. The right-hander continues to work his way back from right elbow surgery. The hope is that Manoah can go on a rehab assignment soon, assuming Tuesday's session goes well. He would need a few rehab games before being cleared to rejoin the Blue Jays rotation. Manoah might be able to help the Jays at some point in August. That being said, Manoah isn't someone that needs to be rostered in fantasy formats right now.
--Andy WebbSource: Arden Zwelling
June 28, 2025
Detroit Tigers outfielder
Parker Meadows is out of the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Meadows will get a day off after playing in each of the last eight games. He has struggled since returning from the injured list, so maybe some time on the bench will help him.
Matt Vierling (shoulder) has been activated off the injured list and will cover center field versus right-hander
Bailey Ober on Saturday. Meadows figures to lose playing time going forward with Vierling back in the mix.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
June 28, 2025
New York Yankees first baseman
Ben Rice is absent from the starting lineup ahead of Saturday's game against the Athletics. Rice will take a seat here after starting in each of the last three games. During that span, Rice went 1-for-10 at the plate, so it looks like he could use a day off. In his absence,
Austin Wells will do the catching, while
Giancarlo Stanton serves as the designated hitter versus left-hander
JP Sears. Rice figures to be back in the mix following this contest.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
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