9 hours agoThe Carolina Panthers traded with the Indianapolis Colts to move up to the 46th spot to select Texas Longhorns running back
Jonathon Brooks (knee). He was behind
Bijan Robinson and
Roschon Johnson on the Texas depth chart for two seasons. However, he broke out in 2023 with 1,139 yards and 10 rushing scores and was named second-team All-Big 12. The 20-year-old tore his ACL late in the season but should be ready for training camp. Brooks joins a crowded running back room with
Chuba Hubbard and
Miles Sanders, which could limit his fantasy value early in the season, but he should be a late first-round pick in dynasty rookie drafts.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NFL.com
9 hours agoWith the No. 41 pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, the Saints selected Alabama cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry. New Orleans traded with Green Bay for this pick, so the 21-year-old will fill a void on the defensive side of the ball. McKinstry, a 2023 All-American, played three seasons at Alabama. He totaled 93 tackles (62 solo), adding two picks, two sacks, and 23 passes defensed. With the Saints looking to finish atop the NFC South in 2024-25, McKinstry should play a pivotal role right out of the gate.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
9 hours agoToronto Blue Jays right-handed reliever
Chad Green (shoulder) is rehabbing for three to seven more days, at which point the team is hopeful that he can resume throwing. Green is recovering from a teres major strain in his right shoulder after landing on the injured list. The 32-year-old veteran hurler is probably at least several weeks away from being able to return to Toronto's bullpen. Green opened the 2024 season with increased fantasy importance because of injuries to both
Jordan Romano and
Erik Swanson. He took advantage of the short-term opportunity for save chances in Toronto, recording two saves with a 2.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while walking two and striking out seven in 7 2/3 frames. When Green returns from the IL, he'll return to a late-inning setup role in front of Romano.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Kaitlyn McGrath
10 hours agoToronto Blue Jays right-hander
Alek Manoah (shoulder) will make another minor-league rehab start for Triple-A Buffalo next Tuesday. Not only is Manoah rehabbing from a right-shoulder injury, but he hasn't been good in three of his four rehab starts to this point. In his last outing with Buffalo on Wednesday, the 26-year-old allowed six runs on seven hits while walking four in just three innings of work. Even if Manoah is getting healthier, his performances don't exactly endorse him for a big-league call-up to enter Toronto's starting rotation. Hi rehab assignment will be up on May 6, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see him activated from the injured list and optioned back to Buffalo. Manoah's 2023 nightmare season has so far carried over to 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Kaitlyn McGrath
10 hours agoThe New England Patriots selected Washington wide receiver
Ja'Lynn Polk with the No. 37 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. New England has often been predicted to pick a wide receiver in Round 2 after landing their QB of the future in Round 1, and that's exactly what they did. Despite sharing the field with stud wide receiver
Rome Odunze in 2023, Polk caught 69 passes for 1,159 yards and nine touchdowns during Washington's run to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. Given the weak wide receiver room in New England, he's another rookie wideout who could become his team's No. 1 wide receiver in short order. He has the ability to start at X-receiver immediately.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
10 hours agoMiami Heat guard
Delon Wright (personal) is questionable for Saturday's meeting with the Celtics. With
Terry Rozier (neck) out of commission, Wright has been getting some work during this series. He's played well, too, averaging 11.0 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 75.0% from behind the arc. If he can't suit up,
Tyler Herro could see even more minutes at the one. In addition,
Patty Mills may finally make an appearance, although he doesn't have much upside.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
10 hours agoThe Los Angeles Chargers selected University of Georgia wide receiver
Ladd McConkey with the No. 34 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft on Friday.
The Chargers moved up to take McConkey by trading their 37th and 110th selections of the 2024 NFL Draft with the New England Patriots in exchange for the 34th and 137th picks. The 22-year-old is viewed as one of the best route runners in this wide receiver class, and the Chargers had a dire need at wideout after moving on from
Mike Williams and
Keenan Allen this offseason. Although McConkey's numbers over the last three years aren't all that impressive (119 receptions for 1,687 yards and 14 touchdowns), it's worth noting he battled injuries as a senior, and he dominated at the NFL Combine. With
Quentin Johnston struggling to make an impact as a rookie, McConkey could make a run to be
Justin Herbert's go-to target.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
10 hours agoDallas Mavericks center
Daniel Gafford (back) will suit up for Friday's matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers. He's taken a beating during this series, so he was listed as questionable heading into this contest. However, the former Wizard will be on the floor. Gafford didn't see much work in the first two games, and that likely won't change on Friday night. Yet, his availability will still lower the fantasy ceilings of
Maxi Kleber and
Dereck Lively II.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Mike Curtis
10 hours agoThe Buffalo Bills have selected Florida State wide receiver
Keon Coleman with the No. 33 overall pick (second round) in the 2024 NFL Draft. The 20-year-old was rumored to have a chance at being drafted in the first round, but Buffalo traded back twice and still landed him. The 6'4", 215-pound pass-catcher is a contested-catch specialist and racked up 18 touchdowns in his last 24 games with Florida State and Michigan State. With
Stefon Diggs gone to Houston, Coleman could step in right away and act as
Josh Allen's No. 1 wide receiver. This is a great landing spot, and Coleman is very much in the first-round conversation of upcoming rookie drafts in all formats.
--Jackson Sparks - RotoBallerSource: Ari Meirov -- 33rd Team
10 hours agoBoston Red Sox middle infielder
Vaughn Grissom (hamstring) will play back-to-back minor-league rehab games with Triple-A Worcester on Saturday and Sunday and has at least a chance to be activated from the injured list for the start of a series against the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday. So far on his rehab assignment, the 23-year-old has gone 5-for-22 with two doubles and two stolen bases. Before hurting his hamstring, Grissom was projected to be Boston's regular second baseman. That should still be the case once he's finally able to return from the IL at some point next week, especially given all of the Red Sox's injury woes so far in 2024. With 15/15 potential at the plate, Grissom is a must-add off the waiver wire if he's available in your fantasy league.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Ian Browne
10 hours agoLos Angeles Clippers forward
Kawhi Leonard (knee) is available for Friday's postseason matchup with the Dallas Mavericks. Leonard returned for Game 2 after missing time because of knee inflammation. He played well despite the lengthy layoff, amassing 15 points with seven boards, four steals, and one block. While the 32-year-old had issues finding the bottom of the net, he'll likely play better this time around.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: Tomer Azarly
10 hours agoLos Angeles Angels third baseman
Anthony Rendon (hamstring) said he has a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring and doesn't have a timetable to return. The Angels placed Rendon on the 10-day injured list on Sunday, but the 33-year-old is certainly going to be out for an extended amount of time. Ever since signing a seven-year deal with the Halos, Rendon has mostly been in the trainer's room and has been one of the biggest disappointments in baseball after recording a league-high 126 RBI and a career-high 34 home runs in his final year with the Nationals in 2019. Before the injury, he was hitting .267 (20-for-75) with no homers, three RBI and three steals. We wouldn't blame you for dumping Rendon to the waiver wire at this point.
Miguel Sano has been playing third since Rendon went down, but
Brandon Drury could also see time there moving forward.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Orange County Register - Jeff Fletcher
10 hours agoMiami Heat guard
Terry Rozier (neck) won't play on Saturday against the Celtics. Miami stole Game 2 in Boston. However, it will be difficult for the Heat to win the series without their starting point guard. At this point, nobody can say for sure when he'll be back. But until that happens,
Tyler Herro should continue to hold things down at the one. Herro is coming off a potent performance, accumulating a team-high 24 points with 14 assists, five rebounds, and one steal. Still, the C's will make some adjustments, meaning Herro may not be as productive in Game 3.
Delon Wright, who has been coming in off the bench for relief, is questionable for this one. If Wright can't suit up,
Patty Mills could make an appearance, although he likely won't do much for DFS managers.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
10 hours agoNew York Yankees outfielder
Giancarlo Stanton (rest) is out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. This appears to be a routine rest day for the veteran slugger. Stanton has started in five straight games, so the team has decided to give the 34-year-old the night off. In the meantime,
Aaron Judge will serve as the designated hitter while
Trent Grisham will cover center field versus right-hander
Colin Rea.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
10 hours agoSan Diego Padres outfielder
Jackson Merrill (groin) remains out of the starting lineup ahead of Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The 21-year-old was held out of Thursday's game as well due to a lingering groin issue. The organization is hopeful that Merrill will be able to avoid the injured list. For now,
Jose Azocar will cover center field and bat ninth versus right-hander
Aaron Nola.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Sanders
10 hours agoKansas City Royals starting pitcher
Seth Lugo continued his stellar work on the mound during Friday's game against the Detroit Tigers. The right-hander threw seven shutout innings while striking out nine batters in the win. Lugo only gave up three singles during this game and a pair of walks. He holds a 1.66 ERA, 1.11 WHIP, and a 23/9 K/BB ratio across six starts. He'll look to continue his strong campaign against the Toronto Blue Jays next week.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
11 hours agoSan Diego Padres third baseman
Manny Machado has been activated off the paternity leave list on Friday. That is great news after Machado missed a few games earlier in the week due to a personal matter. He's batting fourth and covering third base during Friday's game against the Philadelphia Phillies. In a corresponding move, infielder
Matthew Batten has been optioned to the minors. Fantasy managers should make sure to get Machado back in their lineups.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: San Diego Padres
11 hours agoTampa Bay Rays outfielder
Josh Lowe (oblique) reportedly is feeling great during his minor-league rehab assignment. The 26-year-old says he's ready to return whenever the teams feels like bringing him back. In six games, Lowe is slashing .227/.346/.364 with a homer, and five RBI during his rehab stint. It sounds like Lowe is ready to return and could be activated off the injured list any day now.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Marc Topkin
11 hours agoTexas Rangers starting pitcher
Cody Bradford (ribs) doesn't appear any closer to getting back on the mound. On Friday, Rangers' manager Bruce Bochy said Bradford is dealing with a stress fracture in his rib. The 26-year-old was originally placed on the injured list with back soreness, but it appears to be his rib instead. The organization says Bradford is likely to miss at least a month of action. It's uncertain if there will still be a spot in the rotation available once Bradford is ready to pitch again.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Evan Grant
11 hours agoSeattle Mariners catching prospect
Harry Ford was off to a slow start but has recently begun to find his stride. The 21-year-old has tallied at least a hit in four consecutive games, including his first home run on Tuesday. Ford moved through the Seattle system fairly slowly, spending the entirety of the previous two seasons at Single and High-A. As a result, the number two prospect in the Seattle system and number four overall catching prospect should be expected to remain at Double-A throughout the summer but could push for a late-summer promotion to Triple-A. Ford is a must-roster player in dynasty and keeper leagues but will not be viable in redraft formats until next season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
11 hours agoTampa Bay Rays relief pitcher
Colin Poche (back) has been placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday. The move is retroactive to April 24th with Poche dealing with back tightness. The organization has not given a timetable for how long Poche will be sidelined. This is a hit to the Rays bullpen with
Pete Fairbanks already sidelined as well. The loss of these two pitchers should mean increased save chances for
Jason Adam and
Garrett Cleavinger.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Tricia Whitaker
11 hours agoChicago White Sox catching prospect
Edgar Quero has been off to a great start at Double-A this season, posting a .286/.373/.589 line with five long balls and 21 RBI across 17 games. Quero, the ninth overall catching prospect and fifth overall prospect in the White Sox system on MLB Pipeline is showing some untapped power potential that he has yet to show in the minor leagues. Last season in Double-A, he only hit six home runs with a .351 SLG. If Quero continues this trajectory, he could be promoted to Triple-A reasonably quickly and push for a promotion later in the summer. For now, Quero remains a target in dynasty leagues as he is viewed as the backstop of the future on the Southside.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
11 hours agoThe San Francisco 49ers have listened to calls on All-Pro wide receiver
Deebo Samuel, but sources are saying that the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots are considered highly unlikely to trade for him. After the first round of the 2024 NFL draft was completed on Thursday night, a report surfaced that the Niners were more likely to trade Samuel than
Brandon Aiyuk. There has been a lot of trade talk around both Aiyuk and Samuel this offseason, and the Niners' first-round pick of receiver
Ricky Pearsall at No. 31 on Thursday night made it look like a trade was more likely to happen. The Bills and Patriots have the first two picks in the second round, respectively, so if neither of them can pull off a trade for Samuel before Round 2 starts, they could both go with pass-catchers in what is a deep and talented class in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Bleacher Report - Jordan Schultz
11 hours agoColorado Rockies outfield prospect
Jordan Beck has been swinging a hot bat this week, as he has tallied multiple hits in three consecutive games. During this stretch, Beck has totaled eight hits, six RBI, and two walks and has struck out only twice. The fourth overall prospect in the Colorado system has been off to a great start at Triple-A and has posted a .315/.406/.629 line in his first 22 games of the season. The 23-year-old has also launched five home runs and 16 extra-base hits. Beck should be rostered in dynasty leagues and could even become a name to monitor in redraft leagues as he could make a case for a late-season promotion if he continues this success at Triple-A.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
11 hours agoVegas Golden Knights defenseman Nicolas Hague (lower body) will miss Saturday's Game 3 against the Stars. He suffered a lower-body injury in the series opener on Monday. Hague had 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in 73 games during the regular season, with 111 blocks and 153 hits. He led the Vegas blue line with four hits in Game 1. Alec Martinez replaced him in the lineup for Game 2 and figures to remain on the third defensive pairing on Saturday after the Golden Knights produced an outstanding defensive performance in a 3-1 win on Wednesday.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Danny Webster
11 hours agoNew York Yankees shortstop prospect
Roderick Arias posted his first three-hit game on Wednesday. The 19-year-old has posted three two-hit games in his first taste of professional ball, but Wednesday was the first time he had surpassed the three-hit feat. Arias is currently riding a solid .221/.338/.382 line in his first 17 games at Single-A. Arias, who is considered the third-best prospect in the Yankee system and 78th overall prospect on MLB Pipeline, is many years away from making his major league debut. However, dynasty managers should keep an eye on his production as he has the potential to become one of the best prospects in the sport.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
11 hours agoColorado Avalanche goaltender Justus Annunen (illness) is ready to back up Alexandar Georgiev on Friday against Winnipeg. He missed the first two games of the first-round series with an illness. The 24-year-old performed well during the regular season, going 8-4-1 with two shutouts. He allowed 2.25 goals with a .928 save percentage. Annunen could soon see some playoff action, as Georgiev has so far mustered a lowly .830 save percentage in the postseason.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Murat Ates
11 hours agoToronto Blue Jays left-handed pitching prospect
Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) has been diagnosed with left ulnar nerve inflammation, and the team is hopeful that he can resume throwing in seven to 10 days. For now, the Blue Jays' top pitching prospect will avoid going under the knife, which would have no doubt ended his 2024 season. The club will be extremely cautious with the 21-year-old southpaw, though, especially after he got off to a slow start for Triple-A Buffalo by pitching to a 5.63 ERA and 2.00 WHIP with 10 strikeouts and nine walks in eight innings pitched. Tiedemann is still one of the very best pitching prospects in the game, but given his latest injury (he also dealt with an arm injury last year), it's probably unlikely that we'll see him in the big leagues in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Kaitlyn McGrath
12 hours agoChicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said that outfielder
Luis Robert Jr. (hip) should be back soon, perhaps by mid-May. Until that day comes, the White Sox plan to have a platoon in center field between
Tommy Pham and
Rafael Ortega. Robert is rehabbing from a Grade 2 right hip-flexor strain and was given a timetable of six weeks when he was put on the injured list back on April 6. The oft-injured 26-year-old Cuban outfielder needs to remain stashed in an IL spot in all fantasy leagues, though, after making the All-Star team in 2023 and clubbing a career-high 38 home runs, driving in 80 and stealing 20 bases in 145 games. Pham, 36, went 5-for-17 with two stolen bases for Triple-A Charlotte and is worthy of a waiver-wire pickup in deep-mixed leagues for his modest power and stolen base contributions.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: CHGO Sports - Vinnie Duber
12 hours agoSan Diego Padres shortstop prospect
Leodalis De Vries tallied his first four professional RBI on Thursday. De Vries made his professional debut at Single-A earlier this week and has already begun to make headlines. The 17-year-old tallied two hits on Thursday, a single and a triple, which brought in four runs. Throughout his first three professional games, he has posted a .308/.357/.538 stat line with one stolen base and two extra-base hits. The number five overall prospect in the San Diego system is still several years away from reaching the major leagues but is a name worth monitoring in dynasty leagues as he has the potential to be a budding superstar in the future.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MiLB.com
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