5 days agoDenver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic almost registered his 18th postseason triple-double in their Game 3 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. The two-time MVP finished the game with 24 points, 15 rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and three turnovers. In his 13 shot attempts, Jokic only missed four of them and added 6-for-7 from the line. Jokic continues to put up some big numbers in the first half of each game and continues the momentum through the fourth quarter. The Lakers have yet to find any sort of answer to Jokic's abilities despite having one of the best defensive big men in the league in
Anthony Davis.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
5 days agoDenver Nuggets forward
Aaron Gordon was the high-man in terms of scoring against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. The veteran wing finished the game with 29 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, and one steal while shooting a red-hot 12-for-18 from the floor. He also knocked down five of his six free throw attempts. Gordon was getting all sorts of easy dunks and buckets in the lane which accounts for the fact that he only took one three-point shot and didn't make it. Gordon was a big part of the Nuggets' success over the past few seasons and he'll likely remain a top contributor in this postseason.
--Alex Fischbein - RotoBallerSource: Basketball Reference
5 days agoVancouver Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers (illness) is expected to return to the lineup for Game 3 against Nashville on Friday. He missed the second game of the series after catching a flu bug. Noah Juulsen came in for Myers on Tuesday and logged 11:24 of ice time on the second defensive pairing. Myers' return will likely push him out of the lineup again. It was a scoreless start to the postseason for Myers in Game 1, but he racked up five hits and three blocks with two shots on goal in 19:08 of action.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Adam Kimelman
5 days agoCarolina Hurricanes right wing Jesper Fast (upper body) isn't expected to play in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was injured in the team's regular-season finale against Columbus and hasn't featured in any of the first three games against the Islanders in the first round. The 32-year-old posted six goals and 19 points in 73 regular-season appearances in 2023-24. A year ago, Fast led Carolina with six goals in the playoffs and had nine points across 15 postseason outings.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Walt Ruff
5 days agoFlorida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk took care of two goals as the team defeated Tampa Bay 5-3 in Game 3 on Thursday. The Panthers star started and finished the scoring, with the latter goal coming in an empty-net situation. He's now the first player in franchise history with three multi-goal games in the playoffs. Tkachuk, who was huge for the team throughout the 2023 postseason, has been in hot form again, racking up five points (three goals, two assists) in the first three games. There are only six other players with multiple goals and assists through the first few playoff games.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoTampa Bay Lightning forward Steven Stamkos continued his good start to the 2024 postseason with another goal in Thursday's 5-3 loss to Florida. The Lightning captain put his team on the board early in the second period, becoming the third player in franchise history to start a playoff campaign with a three-game goal streak. Thursday's strike marks Stamkos' first even-strength goal of the series. Sitting on four points overall, the Lightning captain has put in a big effort to make the series competitive, but Tampa Bay is facing a sweep in Game 4 on Saturday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoNew York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin struggled in his 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs debut on Thursday against Carolina in a 3-2 loss. He coughed up three goals on 14 shots before being replaced by Semyon Varlamov. Looking to shift momentum in the series with his team 2-0 down, Islanders head coach Patrick Roy made a change between the sticks, but it backfired badly. Sorokin managed only two saves before allowing the first goal, and his night finished after he had logged only 27:14 of action. Varlamov stopped all eight shots he faced. The team will likely return to Varlamov for Game 4.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen continued his perfect start to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 29-save effort in Thursday's 3-2 win over the Islanders. He became only the second goaltender in franchise history to open a postseason campaign with three consecutive victories. Andersen has saved 71 of 77 shots in total in the series, frustrating the Islanders with a .922 save percentage and a 2.01 goals-against average. Combined with the regular season, Andersen is now 16-2-0 in 2023-24. He will look to lead the team to a sweep in Game 4 on Saturday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
5 days agoWashington Nationals starting pitcher
MacKenzie Gore had an impressive performance against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Thursday's tough luck loss. The lefty tossed six quality innings and allowed seven hits, one run, two walks and recorded four strikeouts. Gore's only run allowed was a home run from outfielder
Teoscar Hernandez in the top of the second inning. Gore has really taken a step forward in 2024 and is now 2-2 with a 3.12 ERA to go along with 31 strikeouts and eight walks in 26 innings. Despite the walks, Gore is looking like the pitcher many projected him to be when he was the top pitching prospect in the league as a prospect. Gore will look to keep it going in another tough matchup versus the Texas Rangers on Tuesday.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoMinnesota Twins third baseman
Jose Miranda went 2-for-4 with two runs and a solo home run in Thursday's victory against the Chicago White Sox. The home run would be Miranda's second in the year and gives him four RBI. The once heralded prospect opened the season in Triple-A St. Paul, but he has been playing most days with
Royce Lewis (quadriceps) and
Carlos Correa (oblique) both sidelined. Since his call-up on April 8, Miranda is hitting .231 in 39 at-bats. He is worth watching in deeper formats, due to potential and opportunity, but he could also be optioned back to St. Paul when Correa and Lewis return if he does not start hitting more.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Diego Padres outfielder
Jurickson Profar went 2-for-4 with a home run and a walk in Thursday's loss against the Colorado Rockies. Porfar took
Nick Mears deep in the top of the seventh inning for his third homer of the season. The veteran has quietly been having a nice season for the Padres with a .295 batting average and 18 RBI. Profar should eventually regress, but he is worth riding while his bat is hot. For now, Profar is worth rostering, but managers would be wise to test the trade market and try to sell-high on the veteran. Profar will look to stay warm versus the division rival San Francisco Giants and
Kyle Harrison on Friday evening.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher
Luis Castillo put together a strong performance versus the Texas Rangers to pick up his second victory of the season on Thursday. Castillo tossed six innings and allowed four hits, two runs, two walks and struck out six on the evening. Castillo has steadily improved as the season has gone on and managers could put to rest any worries from his early season outings. The 31-year-old remains one of the top pitchers in the game and managers can expect to have an ace in most of his starts moving forward. Next up is a matchup versus the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. Even against a good lineup, Castillo is pretty much a must-start.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners first baseman
Ty France went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Thursday's victory against the division rival Texas Rangers. The round tripper would be the first of the season for France, who is coming off a disappointing 2023 season. France has been hitting the ball well with a .266 batting average, but he has not done much to help fantasy managers with just six RBI. He has been hitting the ball very hard this year, so more power can come along, but for now he remains a better player for the Mariners than fantasy. He is worth keeping an eye on to see if contact will turn into power, but is more of a watch-list candidate in most formats at this time.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Nestor Cortes picked up the loss on Thursday versus the Oakland Athletics. The lefty tossed seven frames of three-run ball and allowed five hits with no walks and four strikeouts. The lefty earned a quality start, but didn't get much out of the Yankees offense to help him. Cortes had a rough 2023 campaign with a 4.97 ERA, but he has bounced back in 2024 thus far with a 3.50 ERA in his first six starts of the season. Cortes is worth rostering in most formats, but will face a tough Baltimore Orioles lineup in his next outing and might be best served on the bench in daily leagues for that contest.
--Daniel Burdeen - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoNew York Yankees catcher
Jose Trevino made some noise with his bat during Thursday's game against the Oakland Athletics. He went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in the loss to the A's. The solo blast by Trevino was the only run the Yankees could put on the board during Thursday's loss. Trevino has been decent, slashing .273/.347/.756 with two homers and eight RBI across 44 plate appearances.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoChicago Cubs starting pitcher
Javier Assad has been one of the most underrated pitchers this season. The right-hander continued his strong campaign against the Houston Astros on Thursday. Assad threw 5 2/3 innings while allowing only one run in a no-decision. The Cubs didn't decide to make noise with the bats until Assad was out of the game. Despite the no-decision, Assad remains a sleeper in fantasy leagues. His next matchup will come against the New York Mets next week.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoCleveland Guardians first base prospect
Kyle Manzardo continued his strong start to the season with his seventh multi-hit game on Thursday. Manzardo hit three singles, which brought in two runs to push Columbus over the Syracuse Mets. The 23-year-old has posted a .308/.387/.577 stat line across 21 games at Triple-A and has begun to hit his stride at this level after posting a .242/.343/.475 line at Triple-A last season. Manzardo is worth stashing in deeper re-draft formats for now, as he is nearing a promotion. When given the call, Manzardo should serve as the primary designated hitter for the Guardians, as
Josh Naylor will continue to man first base. Manzardo will be a popular waiver-wire add when he is called up, as he is projected to make an immediate impact.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoTexas Rangers infielder
Josh Smith continued his strong campaign versus the Seattle Mariners on Thursday. Smith went 2-for-4 with a double and a home run in the loss to the Mariners. He has seemingly come out of nowhere and been a reliable option for this offense. He's slashing 292/.393/.417 over 72 at-bats, but he's more of a bench option which limits his fantasy value.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoKansas City Royals catcher
Salvador Perez came up clutch for his team during Thursday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The veteran catcher blasted a two-run home run off right-hander Jose Berries. That home run ended up being enough as the Royals won the game 2-0. The 33-year-old now has seven home runs on the year and is showing no signs of slowing down.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoLos Angeles Dodgers third base prospect
Trey Sweeney went 4-for-5 with a home run and brought in five runs on Thursday for Triple-A Oklahoma City. Sweeney brought in the first run off a sacrifice fly in the opening frame. Later in the fourth, he broke the stalemate by lining a single to left field to give Oklahoma City the lead. Sweeney then put the game out of reach in the following frame with a solo shot. This was the 24-year-old's second long ball of the season, and he is now up to 16 total RBI in 23 games. The former first-round pick is sporting a .292/.434/.461 line in his first taste of Triple-A this season and is a name to monitor, as he could make a case for a late-season promotion.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoMinnesota Twins infielder
Edouard Julien is off to a shaky start at the plate, but he has turned it around recently. On Thursday, Julien went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBI in the win over the Chicago White Sox. His slash line is at an ugly .213/.308/.513, but Julien does have seven home runs and nine RBI this season. The Twins are banged up right now, so expect Julien to continue playing everyday. His pop alone makes him worth snagging off the waiver wire.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSan Diego Padres infielder
Ha-Seong Kim has shown some unexpected pop in his bat early in the season. On Thursday, Kim went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in the loss to the Colorado Rockies. The 28-year-old now has four homers on the season, which is nice to see. It's also worth noting that Kim has stolen seven bases as well. He's struggling a bit in other areas, but has done enough to keep himself fantasy relevant.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoDetroit Tigers starting pitching prospect
Jackson Jobe tallied six strikeouts across four no-hit innings in Thursday's victory. This outing lowered Jobe's ERA to 2.63 and his WHIP to 1.17. Jobe, the top pitching prospect in the Detroit system and number two right-handed pitching prospect in all of baseball, has looked sharp in Double-A as he has a cumulative 1.83 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 19 ⅔ total innings over the past two seasons. The former third-overall pick should be promoted to Triple-A later this summer if he continues this strong play. While Jobe is not projected to reach the major leagues until 2025, he should remain a coveted piece in dynasty leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoAtlanta Braves starting pitching prospect
Owen Murphy threw seven shutout innings with 10 strikeouts en route to his third victory of the season. Murphy brought a no-hitter into the seventh inning but surrendered a leadoff triple to second baseman
Loidel Chapelli. The 20-year-old is now riding a stellar 1.13 ERA and 0.63 WHIP in 24 innings at High-A. This season has been a major turnaround for Murphy, as he posted a 4.76 ERA and 1.47 WHIP in 17 innings at High-A last year. The fifth-ranked prospect in the Atlanta system, according to MLB Pipeline, is not projected to reach the major leagues until 2026 but should continue to raise his dynasty stock as he moves through the minor leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoNew York Mets starting pitching prospect
Tyler Stuart tossed six innings of one-run ball and struck out 12 batters on Thursday. He allowed four hits and one free pass. This performance was the deepest he has gone in a game this season, and his 12 punchouts are a new single-game career-high. This dominant outing brings him to a 3.45 ERA and 1.40 WHIP across 15 2/3 innings at Double-A this season. The 24-year-old posted a similar 3.60 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 35 innings at Double-A last season. Stuart could make a late-season push for a promotion to Triple-A and the majors, and this performance is an excellent step in that direction.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoTexas Rangers pitching prospect
Jack Leiter was electric in his outing for Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday, throwing six innings of shutout ball. Leiter allowed one hit, struck out eight, and walked three to round out his line. After a rough first outing in the majors last week, Leiter got himself back on track with a dominant outing that showcased the upside he has. He will need to continue pitching well in Triple-A, but a call back to the big leagues is still a possibility if someone in the Rangers rotation hits the injured list, which will likely happen at some point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
6 days agoMinnesota Twins relief pitcher
Griffin Jax shut the door on the Chicago White Sox on Thursday, helping secure a 6-3 victory. Jax came in with the bases loaded and one out with a four-run lead and managed to escape with only one runner crossing home (on an error), picking up his fourth save in the process. Jax has filled in admirably as the impromptu closer after
Jhoan Duran went down before the season started, posting a 2.53 ERA and 0.94 WHIP while striking out 15 batters in 10 ⅔ IP. He is also 4-for-5 in save chances. Unfortunately for Jax and his fantasy managers, Duran could be back at any point as he is currently on a rehab assignment. Once he is back, Jax will likely shift back to a set-up role.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoChicago Cubs relief pitcher
Hector Neris notched his third save on Thursday, slamming the door on the Houston Astros in a 3-1 win. Neris was a little shaky in his inning of work, walking a pair before getting out of it. Since manager Craig Counsell said that
Adbert Alzolay was being taken out of the closer role last weekend, Neris has converted on all three of his save opportunities and apparently taken that role over. He should be added in most leagues where saves are important.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoSeattle Mariners relief pitcher
Andres Munoz picked up his third save of the season on Thursday, locking down the Texas Rangers in a 4-3 win. Munoz tossed up goose eggs across the board in his inning of work as he didn't allow a baserunner and didn't strike anyone out either. It was the 25-year-old's first save since April 6, as he has been used in non-save situations and has also blown a save since then. It seems like Munoz is still Seattle's highest-leverage pitcher and should see the most save chances, but his season total might be held back by being used in the seventh or eighth innings on occasion.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 days agoColorado Rockies relief pitcher
Justin Lawrence threw a perfect ninth inning in a 10-9 victory over the San Diego Padres, picking up his second save in the process. Lawrence struck out one and didn't allow a baserunner in his inning of work. Although he hasn't been good this year, as evidenced by his 5.59 ERA and 1.55 WHIP, Lawrence still might be the best Colorado has in its bullpen. He has the team's last two saves and is likely to remain in that role. He doesn't need to be owned in standard leagues, but deeper league managers who play in saves-only formats might want to give Lawrence a look.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
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