3 hours agoLos Angeles Angels catcher
Logan O'Hoppe (hand) is back behind the dish and is hitting fifth for the Angels on Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates and right-hander
Mitch Keller. O'Hoppe left the game on Saturday early against the Cleveland Guardians after taking a foul tip off his right hand, but X-rays came back negative and he will end up missing only one game as a result. Fantasy managers that have been rolling with the 24-year-old will want to get him back into their starting lineups this week. O'Hoppe will return to a .260/.317/.396 slash line with two home runs in his 29 games played so far in 2024. This will be the first time in his career that he's faced Keller.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoCleveland Guardians rookie first baseman
Kyle Manzardo is serving as the designated hitter and is batting seventh on Monday in his major-league debut against the visiting Detroit Tigers and right-hander
Jack Flaherty. Cleveland called Manzardo up from Triple-A Columbus to add another bat to their lineup with outfielder
Steven Kwan (hamstring) going on the injured list. The 23-year-old left-handed hitter was done nothing but hit in the minors since coming over in a trade from the Tampa Bay Rays last year, and his mix of power potential and plate discipline make him an immediate waiver-wire pickup in at least deep-mixed fantasy leagues with a chance to play every day between DH and first base. The team's No. 2 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, could stick around after Kwan returns, too. It isn't the best matchup for his big-league debut, though, as Flaherty has so far been dominating hitters in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Cleveland Guardians
3 hours agoAfter winning the previous race at Kansas Speedway (historically 23XI Racing's best track), Tyler Reddick had the most disappointing run relative to expectations in this past weekend's AdventHealth 400. While the 23XI Toyotas seemed just as fast as the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas in the earlier Next Gen races at Kansas, Reddick and his teammate, Bubba Wallace, unexpectedly ran mid-pack for most of yesterday's race. Reddick ran slightly outside the top ten for the entirety of Stage 1 and most of Stage 2, but stayed out eight laps longer than the other contenders on a pit cycle and utilized his fresh tires to finish 8th in Stage 2. He made it up to 5th early in Stage 3, but like many drivers, he was burned on pit strategy, as his lap 203 pit stop came at an inopportune time and he only made it back to 10th before fading to 20th at the finish.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 hours agoTy Gibbs had a strong run for most of yesterday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, as he ran inside the top 10 for the entirety of Stages 1 and 2 except for pit sequences and he finished sixth in both stages. However, Gibbs was one of the race's biggest victims when the rash of cautions occurred at the start of Stage 3 and his team chose the wrong strategy, which dropped him out of the top ten on lap 203; he would never return there for the rest of the race. Gibbs was unable to make the finish on fuel and had to pit shortly before Kyle Busch spun out, which triggered the race's overtime finish. Gibbs ended up finishing 32nd, far worse than he had run when considering he ranked ninthth in speed (although he was still the slowest Joe Gibbs Racing driver in the race).
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 hours agoWilliam Byron had an unusually mediocre run at Kansas Speedway this past weekend despite his teammate, Kyle Larson, winning the race. Byron started in the back after a qualifying crash but struggled to move up through the pack even though passing was not very difficult, especially on restarts. He managed to break into the top 10 at the start of Stage 3, running as high as seventh from laps 191 to 196, but he pitted on a caution on lap 202, which wasn't the optimal strategy and he never made it back higher than 14th, eventually falling to 22nd-place by the end. Byron ranked only 15th-fastest in speed and was the slowest of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers in the race, an unusual occurrence. Perhaps the damage from his qualifying crash continued to affect him in the race, but since he already has three regular season wins, it really doesn't matter much.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 hours agoAfter a string of mediocre runs (particularly on short tracks), Kyle Busch has returned to form in the past two weeks. In last evening's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas, Busch passed eventual winner Kyle Larson for the lead and led 14 laps before Larson retook the lead immediately before the caution for Joey Logano's spin. Busch ran in the top 10 for nearly the entire race until he spun out with six laps remaining, setting up the overtime finish that culminated in the closest finish in NASCAR Cup Series history. After taking four tires on the caution for his spinout, Busch made a miraculous charge from 21st to 8th on the last two laps of green. Coupled with the previous race at Dover, Busch has now had his two highest driver ratings of the season in back-to-back weeks, which likely ended most speculation about him missing the Playoffs this year.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
4 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Steven Kwan (hamstring) is expected to miss four weeks with an acute hamstring strain, according to Mandy Bell of MLB.com. Kwan left Saturday's 7-1 win over the Los Angeles Angels with hamstring tightness in the top of the fourth inning. However, an MRI revealed a strain for the outfielder, which will cause him to be out for approximately one month. The 26-year-old has been one of the best hitters this season, batting .353 with three home runs, 11 RBI, six doubles, and two triples in 32 games. Fantasy managers should place him in one of their injured list spots and expect a return sometime at the beginning of June.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Mandy Bell
4 hours agoCornerback Mike Jackson agreed to a new deal with the Seattle Seahawks on Monday, according to a source. Jackson now has a league-minimum base salary of $1.055 million (not guaranteed) and will now get a $167,500 signing bonus. The move drops his salary cap number from $3.116 million to $1,222,500, which creates around $1.89 million in salary cap space for the team in 2024. Jackson was tendered as a restricted free agent in March, but the $3.116 million contract always seemed like a placeholder for a reworked deal. The 27-year-old former fifth-rounder in 2019 out of Miami took a step back in 2023 after recording a career-high 75 combined tackles in 2022. Jackson was in more of a depth role last year and is unlikely to emerge on the IDP fantasy radar in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Brady Henderson
4 hours agoThe Cincinnati Reds optioned left-handed pitcher
Sam Moll to Triple-A Louisville on Monday. Moll has been great out of the bullpen for the Reds in 2024, allowing zero earned runs across five innings since making his season debut in late April. However, with Cincinnati needing a roster spot to officially activate
Frankie Montas (forearm) for Tuesday's start, the southpaw is the odd man out. The left-hander has a career 3.31 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 147 appearances in his MLB career.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Mark Sheldon
4 hours agoMiami Dolphins running back
Jeff Wilson Jr. won't be assured of a roster spot out of training camp this summer as part of a crowded backfield that includes
Raheem Mostert,
De'Von Achane and rookie fourth-rounder
Jaylen Wright. The Dolphins also have
Salvon Ahmed and
Chris Brooks in the RB room. Head coach Mike McDaniel has an affinity for Wilson dating back to their time together with the San Francisco 49ers, but the fact remains that Mostert, Achane and Wright will be locks for the roster. The former undrafted free agent out of North Texas failed to take advantage of Achane's injuries in 2023 and only played in 10 games (zero starts) himself, running for just 188 yards and no touchdowns on 41 carries while adding 14 receptions for 85 yards and no touchdowns.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Miami Herald - Omar Kelly
4 hours agoMost of the beat writers for the New York Giants would be surprised if first-round rookie wide receiver
Malik Nabers isn't the team's most targeted player right away in 2024, but
Wan'Dale Robinson should give him a good
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4 hours agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Josh Lowe (oblique/hamstring) was activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of the team's series opener against the Chicago White Sox on Monday. Lowe has battled through some injuries so far this season and spent most of spring training dealing with an oblique issue. Then, the outfielder felt some hamstring tightness a couple of weeks ago, which delayed his activation. However, the 26-year-old is now healthy enough to make his season debut on Monday. The left-handed slugger should be rostered in all formats heading into Week 7, especially after a breakout campaign in 2023. He hit .292 at the plate with 20 home runs, 83 RBI, and 32 stolen bases across 135 games last season.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Tampa Bay Rays
5 hours agoIt sounds as though the Green Bay Packers have plans to integrate rookie running back
MarShawn Lloyd into their offense right away in 2024. "I would like to get him out there as much as possible," offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. The coordinator said that Lloyd doesn't bring the same type of versatility that
AJ Dillon does, but the rookie brings a different speed element to their backfield, and the Packers want to get Lloyd into open spaces. The 23-year-old was taken in the third round (88th overall).
Josh Jacobs is going to be the Packers' clear-cut backfield leader, but it sounds as though Lloyd is seriously going to challenge Dillon for complementary touches right away, although he'll need to secure the ball better than he did in college to stay on the field. Lloyd might not make much noise in redraft formats in 2024, but he's a fine target for dynasty/keeper managers.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Matt Schneidman
5 hours agoCincinnati Bengals quarterback
Joe Burrow (wrist) is back on the field during the team's offseason workouts. Burrow is expected to be cleared for full contact at some point this month, and barring any setbacks after having surgery in November to fix a torn ligament in his right wrist, he should be fully recovered in time for training camp in late July. The 27-year-old has developed somewhat of a reputation for being injury-prone early in his career, but when he's healthy, he also has high-end QB1 upside in an offense that remains explosive with receivers
Ja'Marr Chase and
Tee Higgins. The former first overall pick in 2020 out of LSU was a Pro Bowler in 2022 in his last full season, when he threw for 4,475 yards, 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions in 16 starts. Burrow will be a fine QB1 target in fantasy after the top names come off the board.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
5 hours agoSan Francisco Giants catcher
Tom Murphy (knee) is expected to miss the next four to six weeks with a left knee sprain, according to manager Bob Melvin. Murphy suffered the injury in Saturday's 14-3 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies and now will be out for the next couple of weeks after undergoing an MRI on Sunday. The veteran catcher was hitting just .118 with one home run and two RBI in 13 games this season. With
Patrick Bailey (concussion) also on the injured list, look for
Blake Sabol to get more opportunities behind the plate.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Maria Guardado
5 hours agoFree-agent wide receiver
Zay Jones, who was released by the Jacksonville Jaguars after the NFL draft, is visiting with the Tennessee Titans on Monday, according to a source. Jones has an obvious connection to Titans offensive coordinator Nick Holz, as the two worked together in Jacksonville in 2023. Jones became expendable for the Jags after they drafted Brian Thomas in the first round this year. The 29-year-old oft-injured receiver played in just nine games for Jacksonville last year due to a knee injury and finished with 34 catches for 321 yards and two touchdowns on 64 targets. If Jones does land in Tennessee with Holz, he'd merely be serving in a complementary depth role behind
Calvin Ridley,
DeAndre Hopkins and
Treylon Burks if he can stay healthy, which would keep his fantasy ceiling and floor pretty low.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
5 hours agoSan Francisco Giants designated hitter
Jorge Soler (shoulder) is not in the lineup for the team's series finale against the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. Soler is currently battling a shoulder issue, which also kept him out of action in Sunday's 5-4 loss. The slugger's shoulder injury doesn't appear to be a long-term issue. However, fantasy managers should keep an eye on his status before Tuesday's game. The 32-year-old has gotten off to a slow start at the plate in 2024, hitting just .202 with five home runs and eight RBI in 34 games.
--Joey Pollizze - RotoBallerSource: Maria Guardado
5 hours agoThe Las Vegas Raiders signed former Los Angeles Chargers wide receiver
Jalen Guyton to an undisclosed deal on Monday. New Raiders general manager Tom Telesco also signed Guyton a few times when he was running the Chargers' front office. Guyton opened his last year with the Bolts in 2023 on the Physically Unable to Perform list, which caused him to miss the first eight games. When the 26-year-old returned, he had just 10 catches (21 targets) for 89 yards and a touchdown in eight games, even with
Mike Williams (knee) missing most of the year with a season-ending injury. The former undrafted free agent out of North Texas can serve as a deep threat, but he's mostly served as receiving depth in his career and will continue to do so in Vegas behind
Davante Adams,
Jakobi Meyers,
Tre Tucker and
Michael Gallup.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
5 hours agoFree-agent running back
Rashaad Penny plans to sign an undisclosed deal with the Carolina Panthers, according to a source. The former first-round pick will reunite with head coach Dave Canales from their time together with the Seattle Seahawks. Penny will likely officially sign after the team's rookie minicamp, which wraps up on May 12. The 28-year-old from San Diego State was the 27th overall pick in 2018. Penny spent the first five years of his career in Seattle, displaying home run-hitting ability on the ground but struggling to stay healthy, appearing in just 42 games (11 starts). He played in just three games with the Eagles in 2023 and had only 11 carries for 33 yards. Penny will be joining another crowded backfield in Carolina that already consists of
Chuba Hubbard,
Miles Sanders and rookie
Jonathon Brooks, so he's not going to be on the fantasy radar.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
5 hours agoMartin Truex Jr. would end up finishing fourth in exciting fashion during the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Truex would start the race at Kansas from the 13th position and throughout the day, would steadily make his way closer to the front. By the end of the first
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5 hours agoDuring Sunday's AdventHealth 400, Chase Elliott fought hard and ended with a finish of third. After starting ninth, Elliott would ride near his starting position for much of the first stage before ending 10th. In the second stage of the race, Elliott would continue to hold firm racing
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5 hours agoAt Kansas Speedway on Sunday evening, it appeared as though Denny Hamlin was going to win his second straight NASCAR Cup Series race, as he was cruising to victory in the final stages of the AdventHealth 400 before an untimely caution came out due to Kyle Busch spinning. During the caution, the field pitted, and although Hamlin came out of the pits as the leader, he got taken over on the restart and ultimately wound up with a fifth-place finish. Hamlin led a race-high 71 laps in the event. In an interview after the race, Denny stated, "I don't think there was any dispute that we were the fastest car." He added, "I really wanted to get another one there, and had we not had that caution, it was going to happen."
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Frontstretch
6 hours agoSan Francisco Giants right-hander
Logan Webb had another rough outing Sunday in the 5-4 loss against the Philadelphia Phillies. Webb threw for four innings on Sunday, allowing five runs, one homer, and six hits, with six strikeouts and two walks. This makes it his second straight game where he was pulled early after allowing multiple runs. The 27-year-old right-handed pitcher recorded two clean starts before the Boston Red Sox series but has taken a turn for the worst. He now owns a 3.50 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, and a 36: 12 K: BB across 46 1/3 innings in 2024. Webb's next projected start is against the Cincinnati Reds on Thursday, and they hold a batting average of .210 against right-handed pitchers, giving Webb a perfect bounce-back spot as a streaming option for fantasy managers.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com
6 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies first baseman
Bryce Harper hit a three-run homer Sunday in the 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants. Harper went 1-for-3, with his only hit being the three-run homer off
Logan Webb in the third inning. He is hitting .234 (26-for-111) with five doubles, seven homers, 17 runs, 21 RBI, 24 walks, and 31 strikeouts in 31 games. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Harper, and he will have favorable matchups in Week 7, facing the Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and ending it against the Miami Marlins.
--Shaun Evans - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoAlexandre Pantoja remained the flyweight champion after defeating Steve Erceg via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 301 on Saturday. The first three rounds were extremely close but leaned toward Pantoja, while Erceg dominated the fourth round. With less than two minutes remaining, Erceg went for a takedown, but Pantoja quickly reversed and landed on top, closing the fight with some ground-and-pound. In 25 minutes of back-and-forth action, Pantoja landed nine takedowns and 125 significant strikes. Pantoja is the first champion since Demetrious Johnson was the inaugural champion actually to defend the title twice with victories in both bouts.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
6 hours agoTexas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said on Saturday that right-hander
Max Scherzer (back, thumb) is still in a holding pattern until his right-thumb soreness subsides. The Rangers pushed Scherzer's scheduled minor-league rehab start for Double-A Frisco on April 30 back a few days because of his thumb soreness. He traveled with the team to Kansas City on Friday but has yet to throw off a mound since being pushed back. "He's not at a point where he can play catch. Every day he's getting a bit better, but it's slower than he would like. You can't rush it. It's day to day with this thing before he gets on the mound," Bochy said. Scherzer was originally slated to return in late June/early July after having surgery on his back for a herniated disc on Dec. 15, but his timeline has accelerated and he should be able to rejoin Texas' rotation in May, barring any further setbacks.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
6 hours agoSteve Erceg came up short at UFC 301, losing to flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja in his first-ever UFC title fight. It was a back-and-forth war over five rounds, and it seemed like the fight would be decided in a fifth and final round. In the end, it was Pantoja who won via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46). In 25 minutes of action, Erceg landed a takedown and 111 significant strikes. With the loss, Erceg's UFC record is 3-1.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
6 hours agoIhor Potieria suffered a first-round submission loss to Michel Pereira at UFC 301. Within moments, Pereira dropped Potieria to the ground. There was some controversy shortly after that as Pereira went for a backflip and landed with his shin on Potieria's head. As Potieria was standing up he got caught in a standing guillotine. In 54 seconds of action, Potieria landed only two significant strikes. There is a debate among fans after the fight over whether Pereira's knee strike was legal and how much it affected Potieria.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
6 hours agoMichel Pereira extended his winning streak to eight by submitting Ihor Potieria in the first round at UFC 301. After knocking down Potieria, Pereira went for his signature backflip that ended with his knee connecting with Potieria's face. As Potieria attempted to get up, Pereira caught him with a standing guillotine choke which ended the fight. In 54 seconds of action, Pereira landed six significant strikes.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
6 hours agoPaul Craig looked to get his career back on track by ending Caio Borralho's 14-fight win streak at UFC 301. However, it didn't go his way as he was knocked out by Borralho in the first round. Borralho landed a two-punch combination that hurt Craig, before knocking him out with a straight right. In 2:10 of action, Craig landed 22 significant strikes. With the loss, Craig falls into a two-fight skid and moves to 1-2 at middleweight in the UFC.
--Alen Kurbasic - RotoBallerSource: UFC
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