10 hours agoChase Briscoe qualified 10th for this weekend's race at Kansas, but forecasting his performance is particularly difficult. The Stewart-Haas cars have been notoriously slow on intermediate tracks for the most part with the Next Gen chassis, and Briscoe himself has neither scored a top-10 finish nor led a lap at Kansas. Furthermore, Briscoe's performance on intermediates was dreadful last season, as he was the second-slowest driver on that track type with a speed percentile of 15.16. However, the SHR cars have appeared to be significantly faster than expected this year, as Briscoe's teammate, Noah Gragson, qualified third and gave the team its best start on an intermediate since 2021. Briscoe finished sixth in the last intermediate race at Texas. He shouldn't factor in for the win, but a top-10 showing is probably likelier than oddsmakers project.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
10 hours agoChristopher Bell won his first pole of the season for this weekend's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas. This continues his recent trend where he has been the best qualifier in the NASCAR Cup Series, as he won the most poles in both 2022 and 2023 and had the best average starting position last year. However, despite winning ten poles (including two previous ones at Kansas) and seven races in his career, Bell has never won from the pole and he has historically been likelier to win in races when he drives up through the field. Despite Toyota's general dominance on intermediate tracks, this track type seems to be Bell's Achilles heel. Although he usually finishes in the top ten at Kansas, he has never finished better than third and has only won on an intermediate once. Expect him to fade while another driver charge to the front on Sunday.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
11 hours agoOakland A's outfielder
Esteury Ruiz (wrist) exited Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins after injuring his wrist while diving for a hit in the sixth inning. He left the game with the trainers and was replaced by
Seth Brown. Ruiz is considered day-to-day and will undergo further evaluation on his injured wrist. The 25-year-old went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI before exiting. He was starting to heat up at the plate, hitting .300 (3-for-10) with three runs, three RBI, and two stolen bases over his last five games. Brown would see an uptick in playing time if Ruiz were to miss any games. The 31-year-old is off the fantasy radar in most formats after slashing .180/.232/.281 across 31 games in 2024.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: A's On NBCS
12 hours agoSeattle Mariners right-hander
George Kirby (knee) had an MRI on his right knee on Saturday as a precaution. Mariners manager Scott Servais is optimistic Kirby won't miss any time and will make his next start Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. The 26-year-old was pulled from Friday's outing against the Houston Astros after just 88 pitches. Kirby's knee injury doesn't sound serious, and the MRI results should confirm the severity of his issue. He owns a 3.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 41:4 K:BB across 38 1/3 innings in 2024. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Kirby as long as he's cleared for his next scheduled start on Thursday.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Adam Jude
12 hours agoNew York Mets top pitching prospect
Christian Scott allowed one run on five hits and a walk while striking out six over 6 2/3 innings in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He did not factor into the decision. Scott was promoted to majors on Saturday after posting a 3.20 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and 36:6 K: BB over 25 1/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse in 2024. The 24-year-old struggled in the first inning, allowing a run on three hits. He bounced back the rest away and retired 11 hitters in a row. Scott threw 94 pitches, landing 67 for strikes. The Mets rookie will look to build off his stellar debut in his next start on Friday against the Atlanta Braves. Scott has tremendous fantasy upside and should be added in all league formats.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: MLB
12 hours agoBaltimore Orioles left-hander
John Means (1-0) allowed three hits and no walks while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Means started the season on the injured list after having a setback on his surgically repaired left elbow. Means picked up his first victory of the season. He completed a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk and made his 2024 debut on Saturday against the Reds. He was stellar in Saturday's win, blanking the Reds over seven innings on 85 pitches. The 31-year-old owned a 2.66 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and a 10:4 K: BB across 23 2/3 innings in 2023. Means will look to build on Saturday's performance at his next start on Friday against the Seattle Mariners.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: MLB
12 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox. Pedro Pagés will be optioned to Memphis as the corresponding move. Carlson recently completed a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis and is set to make his season debut on Sunday. The 25-year-old missed the start of the season due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. He slashed .219/.318/.333 with five home runs, 27 RBI, 27 runs, and three stolen bases over 255 plate appearances in 2023. With
Tommy Edman (wrist) sidelined and
Jordan Walker in Triple-A Memphis, Carlson has a clear path for playing time and is a speculative add in deep-league formats.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Katie Woo
13 hours agoBaltimore Orioles reliever
Yennier Cano allowed a walk while striking out one over 2/3 innings in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Craig Kimbrel entered the game in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. Kimbrel was pulled from the save situation after he allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one batter in one-third of an inning. Cano replaced Kimbrel and retired two of the three batters he faced to notch his first save of the season. Kimbrel has been dealing with a back tightness and has blown back-to-back saves. The Orioles could turn to Cano for saves while Kimbrel is struggling. Cano owns a 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts over 17 1/3 innings. Fantasy managers searching for saves should add Cano in all league formats.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: MLB
13 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Steven Kwan (hamstring) will undergo an MRI on Sunday. Kwan initially injured his hamstring during Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels while trying to make a play in the outfield. "A hamstring is always concerning, especially with my history," said Kwan. "It's not something to be optimistic about." The Guardians will have a timetable and if an injured stint is needed once the MRI results are in. The 26-year-old is slashing .353/.407/.496 with three home runs and three stolen bases over 32 games in 2024.
Gabriel Arias replaced Kwan in the game and would see an uptick in at-bats if he were to miss any time. Arias is on the radar in deep leagues after slashing .250/.271/.382 with a home run, nine runs, eight RBI, and three steals over 21 games this season.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Paul Hoynes
13 hours agoCleveland Cavaliers center
Jarrett Allen (rib) is questionable heading into Sunday's pivotal matchup with the Orlando Magic. The 26-year-old has averaged 17.0 points, 13.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks during this series. However, a rib contusion prevented him from suiting up for the team's last two contests. With the series tied at three games each, the Cavaliers certainly hope to get Allen back for Game 7. But if he can't play,
Marcus Morris Sr. and
Isaac Okoro could get more work, although neither player is a reliable DFS contributor.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
13 hours agoDenver Nuggets guard
Jamal Murray had 17 points in Saturday's playoff loss to the Timberwolves. He added four assists and one rebound. The 27-year-old had trouble finding his rhythm in this one. But to be fair, his teammates didn't play much better, with
Nikola Jokic going 11-for-25 from the field and 2-for-9 from deep. Murray averaged 17.3 points, 7.7 assists, and shot 53.8% from behind the three-point line in three meetings with Minnesota during the regular season. With that in mind, he has an excellent chance of bouncing back in Game 2 on Monday night.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
13 hours agoLos Angeles Angels catcher
Logan O'Hoppe (hand) was removed from Saturday's game against the Cleveland Guardians with a right-hand contusion. The 24-year-old took a foul tip off his right hand during the fourth inning. He initially stayed in the game before being replaced in the bottom of the fifth inning. O'Hoppe went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting. X-rays came back negative on O'Hoppe's hand. He is considered day-to-day and will likely get the day off Sunday in the series finale against Cleveland.
Matt Thaiss would see an uptick in playing time if O'Hoppe were to miss any time.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Fletcher
13 hours agoDenver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic finished with 32 points in Saturday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He added nine assists, eight rebounds, and three steals. While the multi-time MVP nearly had a triple-double, he had issues finding the bottom of the net in Game 1, shooting 11-for-25 from the field and 2-for-9 from deep. He also had seven turnovers. The Timberwolves did a fantastic job preventing Jokic from getting comfortable. With that in mind, head coach Mike Malone will make adjustments heading into Game 2 on Monday evening, so Jokic should play better.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
13 hours agoTexas Rangers outfielder
Wyatt Langford (hamstring) was removed from Saturday's game against the Kansas City Royals in the fifth inning due to right hamstring tightness. He slowed up while trying to run out a tapper in front of home plate. The Rangers rookie went 0-for-3 before being replaced by
Travis Jankowski in the fifth inning. Langford is considered day-to-day and will undergo further evaluation after the game to determine the severity of the injury. Jankowski would see an uptick in playing if Langford were to miss any games and is a speculative add in deep-league formats.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Evan Grant
13 hours agoMinnesota Timberwolves guard
Anthony Edwards led his team to a win over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night. He had 43 points, a postseason career-high, and added seven rebounds, two blocks, and one steal. The 22-year-old played well during the regular season. However, Edwards has played at a higher level, averaging 33.4 points while shooting 43.6% from behind the three-point line in his five playoff appearances. With the Timberwolves now leading the series, the Nuggets will try to knot things up on Monday night. As usual, expect Edwards to be featured in plenty of DFS lineups.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
13 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies infielder
Alec Bohm (hip) was removed from Saturday's game against the San Francisco Giants with right hip tightness. The Phillies announced that the move was precautionary. The 27-year-old went 1-for-1 with an RBI, an HBP, and two runs scored before being removed. He extended his hitting streak to 17 games. It's worth noting that the Phillies were up eight runs, and there were rainy conditions before
Whit Merrifield replaced Bohm in the bottom of the third inning. He is slashing .364/.435/.579 with four home runs, 32 RBI, 18 runs, and a stolen base over 34 games in 2024. Bohm is considered day-to-day. Merrifield would see an uptick in playing time if Bohm were to miss any games.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Alex Coffey
14 hours agoTrackhouse Racing superstar Daniel Suarez has qualified 27th for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Suarez's disappointing qualifying efforts came as no surprise, as the 32-year-old also struggled to find speed during Saturday's practice session. Despite being on the track for 30 laps, which was tied for the
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14 hours agoRyan Preece has qualified 32nd for Sunday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Besides being priced at $6,400, there is little to like about Ryan Preece heading into this weekend's race. In eight Cup starts at this track, he has no top-10s and has an average overall finish of 24.8. While his 25.73 average DraftKings points in the Next Gen Car at this venue does rank 16th in the Series, his 13.23 average on similar D-shaped intermediates is the third lowest among active full-time drivers. Even his practice on Saturday was disastrous as he finished with the second worst time of the day (30.793), a result that only adds to the overwhelming case against playing the 33-year-old this weekend in fantasy. Between his struggles both this season and on this style of track, it is recommended that you fade the No. 41 this weekend in DFS.
--Adam Erhardt - RotoBallerSource: Jayski.com
14 hours agoFresh off a disappointing trip to Dover last weekend, Brad Keselowski will start 30th in Sunday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Prior to finishing 30th at Dover, Keselowski had finished second in back-to-back races, a testament to how competitive this team has been all season. Heading into this
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15 hours agoComing off back-to-back top 10 finishes at Talladega and Dover, Daniel Hemric will look to build off this momentum on Sunday when he starts 33rd in the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. As a driver who failed to crack the top 20 in six straight races this season,
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15 hours agoTruck Series regular Corey Heim will start 20th in Sunday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Heim, who is in his second week of relief duty for the injured Erik Jones, did a respectable job last week at Dover in what was his first-ever Cup start. After starting 32nd,
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15 hours agoChase Elliott, who currently sits third in the NASCAR playoff standings, will start ninth in Sunday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. With four top-five finishes in the last five races this season, Elliott enters the race as one of the hottest drivers in the Cup Series. Despite
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15 hours agoOn Saturday afternoon, Chris Buescher qualified 12th for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. In his 16 Cup starts in The Sunflower State, Buescher has been largely underwhelming as he has just three top-10s and an average overall finish of 18.9. While an average finish in the top-20 is not disastrous, his efforts in the Next Gen Car at this track have been. In his last four starts at Kansas, the RFK Racing star is averaging just 17.84 DraftKings points, which is the sixth lowest among active full-time Cup drivers. Despite winning at Michigan last summer, in his last eight races on D-shaped ovals (which Kansas is considered) he is averaging 22.44 DraftKings points, which ranks 22nd in the series. Although he should not be considered a complete fade, his overall lack of production on this type of track makes the No. 17 a driver you will want to limit your exposure to in DFS this weekend.
--Adam Erhardt - RotoBallerSource: Racing-Reference.info
16 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander
Jared Jones pitched a gem on Saturday afternoon against the Colorado Rockies. Jones went seven strong innings, adding ten strikeouts, surrendering only one hit and zero walks. Unfortunately, the Pirates bats did not score a run until the bottom of the ninth, giving the win to closer
David Bednar instead of Jones. Jones continues to be electric with 62 strikeouts in 48 innings to go with two wins, a 2.63 ERA and a minuscule .78 WHIP. Those who gambled in drafting Jones look prescient at this point as he shows no signs of slowing down.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Pirates
16 hours agoNew York Yankees closer
Clay Holmes earned his 11th save Saturday afternoon in a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Tigers. Holmes got four outs, two via strikeout, and remained unscored upon in 2024. Holmes also has a win to go along with his 0.00 ERA and 0.92 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 16 innings. The save ties him for the MLB lead with the St. Louis Cardinals'
Ryan Helsley. Continue to deploy Holmes in all leagues that have a saves category, even if you do not get the high volume of strikeouts you may like in a closer.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: New York Yankees
17 hours agoThe Minnesota Twins right-hander
Pablo Lopez earned his third win with six strong innings on Saturday afternoon over the Boston Red Sox. Lopez had eight strikeouts and a walk while surrendering one run, one walk, and five hits. Lopez lowered his ERA from 4.83 to 4.30 with the solid outing. Lopez now has 45 strikeouts in 38 innings this season. Many fantasy players drafted Lopez as their staff ace this spring. Lopez is right at his career norms with a 29.4K% and 5.6 BB%, so we can expect Lopez to continue to provide worry-free innings in 2024.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
17 hours agoMinnesota Twins right-hander
Cole Sands earned his second save of the season on Saturday afternoon in a 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Sands pitched a spotless ninth and added a strikeout in relief of usual closer
Jhoan Duran, who was called upon to face the heart of the Red Sox order in the eighth inning. That left the save opportunity for Sands. With the usual setup men
Brock Stewart and
Justin Topa out with injuries, Sands could see himself in a higher leverage role in the short-term with lefty
Caleb Thielbar and should earn holds and the occasional vulture save.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Minnesota Twins
17 hours agoChicago Cubs outfielder/infielder
Christopher Morel launched his seventh homer in a 6-5 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday. Morel hit the home run off
Tobias Myers in the third inning. The third baseman is hitting .213 with the aforementioned seven home runs, 20 RBI, three stolen bases and 20 runs scored. Morel launched 26 round-trippers in 2023. Morel has been hitting in the cleanup spot for the Cubs. Continue to look for more pop in his bat, but be aware that could come with a batting average hit to your fantasy team.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Cubs
17 hours agoDallas Mavericks forward/center
Maxi Kleber (shoulder) is sidelined indefinitely and could miss the remainder of the postseason. The 32-year-old exited Friday's series-clinching win over the Los Angeles Clippers because of a shoulder injury. Unfortunately, an MRI revealed an AC joint dislocation. Kleber averaged a career-low 4.4 points and 3.3 rebounds this season. However, he still had a valuable role in head coach Jason Kidd's rotation. But with Kleber out of the mix,
Dereck Lively II, who had 10 points, nine rebounds, and one steal in Game 6, should see more work off the bench behind
Daniel Gafford.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Tim MacMahon
17 hours agoChicago Cubs relief pitcher
Hector Neris earned his sixth save of the season in a 6-5 win against the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday afternoon. Neris gave up two hits and an earned run with a walk and a strikeout to notch the save in the ninth inning. Neris has taken over the closer role for the ineffective
Adbert Alzolay. Despite some shaky peripherals, including a 20.8 walk rate and an xERA of 7.15, Neris continues to get the job done for the Cubs. He should remain in the role for the foreseeable future.
--Mike Carter - RotoBallerSource: Chicago Cubs
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