March 29, 2026
Athletics outfielder
Lawrence Butler is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's contest against the Toronto Blue Jays. Butler started Opening Day but hasn't played since then. It's unclear if his absence is related to his pre-season knee injury or the fact that the A's have faced a left-handed pitcher on back-to-back days. Butler went 0-for-3 in his lone appearance back on Friday. He's coming off a suboptimal 2025 season in which he slashed .234/.306/.404 with 21 home runs, 22 stolen bases, and 96 wRC+. It will be interesting to see if Butler comes off the bench Sunday and if he gets into the lineup against Braves right-hander
Bryce Elder on Monday. If not, it will be safe to assume that his knee injury is lingering into the regular season.
--Andersen PickardSource: A's Communications
March 29, 2026
Boston Red Sox center fielder
Ceddanne Rafaela is not in the starting lineup for Sunday's series finale against the Cincinnati Reds. Rafaela had started the first two games of the season, but he'll open Sunday's game on the bench.
Masataka Yoshida will make his first start of the year in left field, shifting
Roman Anthony to designated hitter and
Jarren Duran to center field. Rafaela has been off to an impressive start so far, hitting 3-for-9 with one run, one RBI, and one strikeout. He's also one of the most prominent defenders in baseball, so losing his glove in center field puts the Red Sox at a disadvantage. It makes sense to get Yoshida's left-handed bat in the lineup against Reds righty
Rhett Lowder, although Rafaela did have reverse splits in 2025 (.720 OPS against right-handed pitching).
--Andersen PickardSource: Boston Red Sox
March 29, 2026
Toronto Blue Jays left-handed pitcher
Mason Fluharty (knee) was hit by two consecutive comebackers during Saturday's game against the Athletics. Fluharty exited the game after the second occurrence. He was diagnosed with a right knee contusion, but his X-rays came back negative, according to Keegan Matheson of MLB.com. The 24-year-old is reportedly "feeling good," and although he might be a little sore on Sunday, the team doesn't expect the injury to be anything serious. It sounds like he'll avoid landing on the injured list and could possibly return to game action within the next few days. Fluharty had a 4.44 ERA as a rookie last year, with opponents hitting just .193 against him.
--Andersen PickardSource: Keegan Matheson
March 29, 2026
Baltimore Orioles outfielder
Dylan Beavers (knee) will bat eighth and play center field during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Beaver sat out the season opener while recovering from knee and quadriceps injuries, but he made his season debut on Saturday, going 0-for-2 before the Orioles pinch-hit for him. It's interesting to see that he's playing center field, because that's a somewhat new position for him. He did play center in the minors, but all of his defensive innings in the majors have come in right or left field. He'll be up for the task, though, as he posted a modest 0 OAA and -1 FRV in the outfield last year. Beavers is a candidate to get his first hit of the season on Sunday against Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober. The left-handed-hitting outfielder posted a strong .244/.387/.411 slash line against righties in 2025.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jacob Calvin Meyer
March 29, 2026
Baltimore Orioles catcher
Adley Rutschman isn't in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Instead,
Samuel Basallo will catch and bat fifth. Rutschman has been hitting well through the Orioles' first two contests. He's 2-for-6 with a single, double, two walks, and one strikeout. Defensively, he does have one error and is 0-for-2 throwing out base stealers. Rutschman gets the day off because the Orioles are facing Twins right-hander
Bailey Ober. The backstop had a mere .659 OPS against righties last year. Basallo's OPS against righties was even worse (.556), but he still hit them better than lefties. He started at designated hitter in the previous two games, going 1-for-7 with a single, a walk, and two strikeouts. We expect to see Rutschman in the starting lineup on Monday, and we wouldn't be surprised if he comes off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the series finale against Minnesota on Sunday.
--Andersen PickardSource: Jake Rill
March 29, 2026
Kansas City Royals relief pitcher
Carlos Estevez (ankle) was hit with a comebacker during the ninth inning of Saturday's loss to the Atlanta Braves. Initial X-rays came back negative, but he will be reassessed on Sunday morning, according to Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Estevez entered Saturday's game with a two-run lead and an opportunity to earn the save. However, he allowed six runs, including a walk-off grand slam to
Dominic Smith, while recording just one out. The veteran closer surrendered four hits and two walks along the way, and he was charged with the loss and blown save. Depending on the severity of the injury, Estevez could be headed for a stint on the injured list. Given that he likely lost his job as the team's closer on Saturday night, the Royals might feel less pressure to have him play through his ankle injury.
Lucas Erceg, who had 14 saves in 2024, could be Estevez's successor if he does get removed from the closer role.
--Andersen PickardSource: Anne Rogers
March 29, 2026
Washington Capitals defenseman Cole Hutson had two assists as the team beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 in a shootout on Saturday. This was Hutson's first career multi-point game. Overall, Hutson has amassed five points (one goal, four assists) through his first six games in the NHL. The 19-year-old has shown a lot of promise, though all his points have come on the power play. Hutson has also logged eight SOG and eight hits. Next, he will look to make an impact against the Philadelphia Flyers, who have a 78.6 percent penalty kill.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 29, 2026
Utah Mammoth defenseman Mikhail Sergachev made a major impact offensively on Saturday against the Los Angeles Kings, finishing with a team record-matching four assists. Two of his helpers came with the man advantage. Earlier this week, Sergachev erupted for three first-period assists against Washington, so he has now set up seven goals over the last two games. He's the first Utah player with as many as three assists in back-to-back games. Sergachev's world-class playmaking has helped him to his second consecutive 50-point season. He has totaled 10 goals and 43 assists over 70 games. Additionally, he has registered 118 blocks, making Sergachev one of the top defensemen in fantasy hockey.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 29, 2026
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid had three points in Saturday's 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, moving ahead of Tampa Bay's Nikita Kucherov to take sole possession of the top spot on the NHL scoring charts. McDavid opened the scoring against Anaheim and delivered two assists. The Oilers captain now has three goal streaks of at least four games this season. If he can stay hot in front of the net, McDavid could claim both the Art Ross and Rocket Richard Trophies this season. In 74 outings, McDavid has recorded 42 goals and 82 assists. He has produced back-to-back three-point performances and has finished scoreless just twice since the Olympic break.
--Taavi PailkSource: ESPN
March 29, 2026
New York Mets outfield prospect
Carson Benge turned in a strong showing in his MLB debut on Thursday and is a top waiver-wire target. In his MLB debut on Thursday afternoon, Benge drew the start in right field and did not disappoint, going 1-for-3 with a home run, a stolen base, and two walks. Benge was in competition for the starting right-field job throughout spring training and ultimately claimed the role. In camp, the former 19th overall pick in the 2024 MLB Draft posted a strong .366/.435/.439 line with an .874 OPS. Last summer, Benge spent his time at High-A, Double-A, and Triple-A. He would finish the campaign carrying an overall .281/.385/.472 line with 15 home runs and 22 stolen bases (over 116 games). Given his clear starting role in one of the sport's most potent lineups and five-category skill set, Benge should be added in all formats ahead of Week 2 and be viewed as a starting-caliber outfielder.
--Andy SmithSource: RotoBaller
March 29, 2026
Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Dmitri Voronkov (upper body) won't be in contention to play on Sunday against the Boston Bruins, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports. After a lengthy period as a healthy scratch, Voronkov was back in the lineup on Saturday against San Jose, but he sustained an upper-body injury. Voronkov lost his spot in the lineup after the Olympic break. He has 32 points (17 goals, 15 assists) in 62 appearances, but 10 of his points came in October. Danton Heinen is likely to rejoin the action on Sunday after being scratched in favor of Voronkov for Saturday's game. Miles Wood is another option.
--Taavi PailkSource: Mark Scheig
March 29, 2026
Washington Capitals winger Aliaksei Protas (upper body) made an early exit against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. He suffered an upper-body injury in a collision with Golden Knights forward Nic Dowd, his former teammate in Washington. The Capitals completed a three-game road trip on Saturday and will be back home on Tuesday night against Philadelphia. While Protas will have a few days to recover, it's uncertain whether it will be enough for him to be available on Tuesday. Protas is close to posting his second consecutive 50-point campaign, having amassed 23 goals and 24 assists in 70 contests. In his absence, Anthony Beauvillier, who scored Washington's third goal in Saturday's 5-4 shootout win, could return to the top six next week.
--Taavi PailkSource: Washington Capitals PR
March 29, 2026
Ty Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the fourth position for Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This will be the fourth time in his Cup career that Gibbs will start a Martinsville race in the top five, but the first time he will do so in a Spring race at the site. In seven previous Cup starts at Martinsville, Gibbs has six top-20 finishes with a best finish of 12th. After six Cup races so far this season, Gibbs has four top-10 finishes with an average finish of 13.2 while sitting 11th in regular-season standings. In practice for this week's Cup race at Martinsville, Gibbs ranked 33rd in overall lap averages and as high as 15th in 20 consecutive lap averages. Considering his high starting position, Gibbs is a DFS risk, especially with his past history of never finishing in the top 10 at Martinsville. Fantasy players should only consider the No. 54 Toyota driver in lineups specifically for tournament games and not cash.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 29, 2026
Montreal Canadiens right wing Josh Anderson (illness) exited Saturday's 4-1 road win over the Nashville Predators in the second period. He was battling an illness and logged just 4:53 of ice time. It's unclear whether Anderson will feel well enough to play in Sunday's matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes. The veteran forward has produced 13 goals and nine assists in 64 outings this season. With Alexandre Texier (lower body) also ailing, Montreal might have to use seven defensemen in Sunday's game.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sportsnet
March 29, 2026
RFK Racing's Ryan Preece will start 17th for this week's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. Preece last qualified this well in the Cup Series in the November 2024 race at Martinsville. In 13 Cup races at the Virginia short track, Preece has nine top-20 finishes with three inside the top 10. All three of Preece's top-10 finishes came within the last four races at the site. Through six races, Preece has five top-20 finishes and currently sits 12th in the regular-season standings with an average finish of 14.8. In practice for this week's race, Preece ranked 10th in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. With decent upside from his starting position, favorable recent stats, and solid equipment, Preece is a driver worth rostering in all formats for DFS this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 29, 2026
Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing is starting in the third position for this week's race at Martinsville Speedway, the Cook Out 400. This marks a new career-best starting position for Berry at Martinsville in the Cup Series. In four previous starts at the site in the Cup Series, Berry's best finish is 10th, which he scored in his last race there in October 2025. With six races completed so far this year, Berry ranks 31st in the regular-season standings with two top-20 finishes and an average finish of 25.5. In practice for this week's race, Berry ranked 24th in overall lap averages but displayed speeds of sixth or better in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. Berry has almost no upside for DFS with his starting position being close to the front, but he does have fast practice speeds, and he is a former O'Reilly Auto Parts Series winner at Martinsville. Fantasy players could take a chance on Berry and have him pay off for tournament lineups in particular, for this week's race.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 29, 2026
Dallas Stars right wing Nathan Bastian (undisclosed) didn't finish Saturday's 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, Sam Nestler of DLLS Sports reports. The fourth-line grinder logged only 4:02 of ice time and exited the contest after blocking a shot. Bastian should be considered doubtful for Sunday's matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers. If he can't play, Dallas will mainly miss Bastian's physical presence. He has averaged over two hits per game this season. On the offensive end, Bastian has tallied six goals and one assist in 36 games. Adam Erne is expected to take Bastian's place on the fourth line.
--Taavi PailkSource: Sam Nestler
March 29, 2026
Carson Hocevar will start Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway from the seventh position after qualifying. Hocevar has never previously qualified inside the top 10 for a Cup race at Martinsville. In five prior starts at the site in the Cup Series, Hocevar has two top-20 finishes and gained positive Place Differential four times. After six races so far this season, Hocevar has four top-20 finishes with two inside the top five, and he currently is 13th in the regular-season standings. In practice for Sunday's race, Hocevar ranked ninth in overall lap averages, but struggled in other categories in practice. Due to Hocevar's lack of upside from his starting position as well as his inconsistency at Martinsville in terms of finishes, he is difficult to trust in any DFS lineup this week. Hocevar should be avoided in all cash game lineups for DFS and for tournaments; there are better playable options with more upside around his salary range.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 29, 2026
New Orleans Pelicans guard
Dejounte Murray (hand) has been tagged as questionable ahead of Sunday's meeting with the Houston Rockets. Murray was unavailable on Friday against Toronto when the Pelicans wrapped up a back-to-back and might now miss another game. He has a left-hand contusion.
Trey Murphy III (ankle) is also questionable for Sunday night, so
Jeremiah Fears and
Yves Missi may remain part of the first unit. As a result of Murray's departure from the lineup, there was also a
Jordan Poole sighting in Friday's game. After a 12-point, six-assist effort, Poole might have earned an opportunity to be part of the rotation again on Sunday.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 29, 2026
Team Penske's Austin Cindric will start sixth after qualifying for the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. This is a new career-best starting position for the No. 2 Ford driver at Martinsville and has qualified inside the top 10 for the second time in his Cup career at the site. In eight Cup starts at Martinsville, Cindric has two top-10 finishes, and he scored positive Place Differential four times. Through six races so far this season, Cindric has one top-10 finish, an average finish of 25.0, and currently sits 21st in the regular-season standings. In practice for this week's race, Cindric ranked 29th in overall lap averages but displayed top-15 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. Cindric's high starting position makes him a DFS risk this week, and combined with his inconsistent history at Martinsville, he is only playable in tournament games. Despite almost no upside, he does have decent enough equipment to compete for a top-10 finish at Martinsville.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
March 29, 2026
Portland Trail Blazers forward
Jerami Grant (calf) won't play on Sunday against the Washington Wizards. He injured his right calf in Friday's loss to Dallas and might be out for several games.
Sidy Cissoko could rejoin the starting lineup on Sunday, while
Matisse Thybulle and
Kris Murray are also candidates for increased roles. Still, even as a starter, Cissoko hasn't been productive enough to make a difference in fantasy leagues, averaging 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in the first unit this season.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 29, 2026
Indiana Pacers forward
Pascal Siakam (knee) is questionable for Sunday's tilt against the Miami Heat. After appearing in four consecutive games, Siakam might take Sunday off to manage his right knee injury. Center
Jay Huff is the only starter not listed as questionable for Sunday's game, meaning we could again see a lot of
Kobe Brown,
Jalen Slawson, and
Quenton Jackson. Slawson is a compelling player capable of influencing all parts of the game if given enough minutes.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 29, 2026
Oklahoma City Thunder forward/center
Chet Holmgren will suit up on Sunday against the New York Knicks. The talented big man missed Friday's win over Chicago, but the Thunder haven't included Holmgren on the injury report ahead of Sunday's game. Filling in for Holmgren in the starting lineup,
Cason Wallace had a wonderful performance on Friday night, but he will likely be back in the second unit against the Knicks. Holmgren erupted for 28 points against the Knicks earlier this month when the teams met at Madison Square Garden.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 29, 2026
Miami Heat guard/forward
Norman Powell (back) is considered questionable for Sunday's matchup with the Indiana Pacers. He's dealing with back spasms and could exit the lineup after a 15-point effort in Friday's loss to Cleveland. Health issues have limited Powell to just six appearances in March. If he has to miss time again,
Pelle Larsson is the prime candidate to fill in for Powell in the starting unit. While Larsson can also be impactful off the bench, his numbers clearly improve in the first unit. Across 35 starts this season, the 25-year-old has averaged 12.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 29, 2026
Boston Celtics guard/forward
Jaylen Brown (Achilles) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. He may be sidelined for a second consecutive contest due to left Achilles tendinitis. Brown was labeled day-to-day on Friday, but the team must be careful with his workload, as the Celtics will start a back-to-back on Sunday and are scheduled to play three times in four nights.
Jayson Tatum (Achilles) and
Derrick White (knee) are also questionable, so Boston's reserves could have a larger say in Sunday's contest.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
March 29, 2026
Milwaukee Bucks point guard
Kevin Porter Jr. (knee) has likely played his last game of the 2025-26 season. According to The Athletic's Eric Nehm, Bucks head coach Doc Rivers said before Saturday's clash against San Antonio that he would be "surprised" if Porter Jr. plays again this season. Porter Jr. sat out a fifth consecutive game due to right knee synovitis. San Antonio handed the Bucks their 44th defeat of the season, eliminating them from playoff contention, so it wouldn't make sense for the team to rush Porter Jr. back.
Ryan Rollins has more fantasy value due to Porter Jr.'s absence, while
Gary Trent Jr. also benefits.
--Taavi PailkSource: Eric Nehm
March 29, 2026
Denny Hamlin is on the pole for this weekend's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, and it should be no surprise that he is also the pre-race favorite to win on Sunday. Hamlin has been masterful at Martinsville over the course of his career, notching six wins over 40 career starts with an average finish of 10.4, which is second-best among active drivers. He's also posted top-five finishes in over half (21) of his 40 career starts. This weekend, Hamlin will be looking for win number seven at "The Paperclip," and his second of the young 2026 Cup Series season. The No. 11 Toyota wasn't the absolute fastest in practice on Saturday, but Hamlin's car had good long-run speed after the initial short run of laps. As long as Denny is able to get the lead on the start of the race, he should lead early and often this weekend--and contend for another win.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ESPN
March 29, 2026
Look for Ryan Blaney to contend at Martinsville Speedway yet again this weekend. The Team Penske driver has won two of the last five races at "The Paperclip" and has post top-five results in six of the eight Next Gen races at this track. He also just finished second here last fall after leading 177 laps. This weekend, Ryan Blaney has been shown good long-run speed yet again, which is what his No. 12 Ford is known for at this track. In practice on Saturday, Blaney ranked second-best in 25- and 30-lap average, which is a good sign for this team's race on Sunday. They'll roll off the starting grid from 12th-place when the Cook Out 400 goes green, which makes Ryan Blaney an ideal DFS target with some Place Differential upside as well as dominator ability.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
March 29, 2026
Tyler Reddick is on a hot streak like no other. Through the first six races of the 2026 Cup Series season, Reddick has gone to victory lane four times and has just one result worse than eighth: a 13th-place effort at Las Vegas a couple of weeks ago. This weekend will be a true test of the hot streak, though. The Cup Series is at Martinsville Speedway for the Cook Out 400, and Martinsville has been a weak link for Reddick throughout his career. He does have two top-10 finishes here (in 2024 and in 2021), but his career average finish of 19.4 over 12 total starts makes Martinsville one of the worst tracks on the schedule for Reddick. This is a good week to lay off of him in fantasy and go a different route, although Reddick did qualify eighth this weekend (his second-best start ever at this track).
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
March 29, 2026
Look for Joey Logano to be strong in Sunday's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway. The Team Penske driver is a previous winner at this race track (back in 2018) and is currently on a 13-race streak of top-10 finishes at this track. Logano will be looking to make it 14 in a row here on Sunday, and should have a very good chance to do that. The No. 22 Ford qualified in ninth-place for this weekend's race, and Logano had one of the most stable long-run cars in practice when it came to speed for the race. The only downside is that Logano hasn't had that great of a start to the 2026 Cup Series season, and has just one top-10 finish through the first six races. However, Martinsville is a great place for Joey to turn that around. As far as DFS goes, Logano at $9,000 on DraftKings is a very solid fantasy choice on Sunday.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Frontstretch
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