August 3, 2025
Athletics outfielder
Lawrence Butler is out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. This appears to be a routine rest day for Butler who has started in nine straight games. The A's will play matchups here and rest Butler against left-handed starter
Eduardo Rodriguez.
Colby Thomas will take over in center field and bat fifth on Sunday. Fantasy managers should adjust their lineups accordingly ahead of first pitch.
--Andy WebbSource: mlb.com
August 3, 2025
Cleveland Browns rookie tight end
Harold Fannin Jr. has "already played his way into significant snaps with the No. 1 offense," according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. A third-round pick out of Bowling Green, Fannin Jr. led FBS in receptions (117) and receiving yards (1,555) while scoring 11 total touchdowns in his final collegiate season. The Browns have established veteran
David Njoku atop their tight end depth chart, but Jackson writes that Fannin Jr. is "going to play a role" as a rookie. The Browns could deploy both of their tight ends on the field together, but it's also possible that Fannin Jr. eats into Njoku's snaps and targets. Fannin Jr.'s deployment is something to monitor throughout the preseason, both for 2025 and beyond.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Zac Jackson
August 3, 2025
Atlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley (abdomen) left Sunday against the Cincinnati Reds with lower-abdominal pain, the team announced.
Luke Williams took over for Riley. The severity of Riley's injury is unclear, but it's worth noting that he spent some time on the 10-day IL in July with a strained right abdomen. When healthy, Riley has hit .260/.309/.428 with 16 homers, 54 RBI, 54 runs scored, and two stolen bases in 447 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Atlanta Braves
August 3, 2025
New York Yankees outfielder
Aaron Judge (elbow) took live batting practice at the team's minor-league facility in Tampa Bay on Monday, according to Erik Boland of Newsday. Judge will take more at-bats on Monday, and if that goes well, he'll return Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. It's great news for the Yankees and fantasy managers that Judge is nearing a return so quickly after going on the 10-day injured list on July 26 with a flexor strain. Judge will initially DH when he comes back, which could push
Giancarlo Stanton into the outfield for the first time since 2023. Ideally for the Yankees, the Stanton experiment will work out and they'll be able to keep his powerful bat in the lineup alongside Judge's.
--Connor ByrneSource: Erik Boland - Newsday
August 3, 2025
Buffalo Bills running back
James Cook did not practice at training camp on Sunday and when asked why he wasn't present, responded, "Business." When asked if he would return to practice on Monday, Cook said, "business." ESPN's Alaina Getzenberg says that Cook kept repeating "business." There were questions as to whether Cook would hold out during training camp this summer as he seeks a new contract extension, but he showed up and had been practicing with the team until now. The 25-year-old sounds unhappy that he hasn't been able to lock up an extension with the Bills so far in camp, so he may refuse to practice until that happens. The two-time Pro Bowler had 1,009 rushing yards and a league-high 16 touchdowns in his third season in 2024 and is heading into the final year of his deal in 2025. A hold-in will allow both
Ray Davis and
Ty Johnson more reps in Buffalo's backfield.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN.com - Alaina Getzenberg
August 3, 2025
The Chicago White Sox announced that they have placed infielder
Miguel Vargas (oblique) on the 10-day injured list with a strained left oblique, retroactive to Aug. 2. The club recalled infielder
Curtis Mead from Triple-A Charlotte to take Vargas' roster spot. The 25-year-old Vargas is one of the few White Sox to put up decent numbers over a large sample of work this season. He's hitting .229/.305/.402 with 13 homers, 44 RBI, 57 runs scored, and four stolen bases in 439 plate appearances. Defensively, Vargas has divided his time between the two corner infield positions. The White Sox started
Lenyn Sosa at first and
Brooks Baldwin at third in his absence on Saturday, and they'll do the same Sunday against the Los Angeles Angels.
--Connor ByrneSource: Chicago White Sox
August 3, 2025
Los Angeles Angels outfielder/designated hitter
Mike Trout (illness) is back in the lineup on Sunday at designated hitter and is batting third against Chicago White Sox right-hander
Sean Burke. The Angels went the previous two games without Trout, who was dealing with an illness. The future Hall of Famer is no longer putting up MVP-caliber numbers, but he has still slashed a solidly above-average .235/.362/.461 with 19 homers, 47 RBI, 43 runs scored, and two steals in 359 plate appearances this season.
--Connor ByrneSource: Los Angeles Angels
August 3, 2025
Cleveland Browns quarterback
Kenny Pickett (hamstring) is doing everything he can to get back to full speed but also acknowledged he's losing ground in the QB competition with veteran
Joe Flacco, according to Zac Jackson of The Athletic. Flacco's two best throwing days at training camp have been on Friday and Saturday, and he's "gone from presumed favorite to strong favorite." There's still a lot to be settled with Flacco and Pickett and rookies
Dillon Gabriel and
Shedeur Sanders, but as things currently stand, it would be a surprise if Flacco wasn't starting under center in Week 1. Neither Gabriel nor Sanders never had a realistic shot to win the QB competition this summer. For fantasy purposes, nobody should be putting their faith in the 40-year-old Flacco in 2025, especially since he'll likely be on a short leash.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Zac Jackson
August 3, 2025
The Los Angeles Angels announced that they have reinstated second baseman
Christian Moore (thumb) from the 10-day injured list and optioned infielder
Scott Kingery to Triple-A Salt Lake. Moore is coming back after missing a month with a sprained left thumb. The 22-year-old rookie is starting at the keystone and batting eighth Sunday against Chicago White Sox right-hander
Sean Burke. Between his June 13 promotion to the bigs and his IL placement, Moore hit .189/.302/.396 with three homers, eight RBI, and eight runs scored across 18 games and 64 plate appearances.
--Connor ByrneSource: Los Angeles Angels
August 3, 2025
Pittsburgh Steelers tight end
Pat Freiermuth is the team's unquestioned No. 1 tight end and "the heartbeat of this offense," according to Mark Kaboly of The Pat McAfee Show. Kaboly adds that
Jonnu Smith was a late addition to the roster and "will provide a significant target for quarterback
Aaron Rodgers." It sounds like the Steelers plan to use Smith in a lot of different ways, but as of right now before the start of the preseason, Freiermuth is going to be the team's top pass-catching tight end. Freiermuth caught a career-high 65 passes on 78 targets last year for 653 yards and a career-high-tying seven touchdowns in 17 regular-season games (11 starts). Both Friermuth and Smith should be on the field together plenty, and it's probably going to be impossible to predict which one might go off for fantasy purposes on any given week.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Pat McAfee Show - Mark Kaboly
August 3, 2025
Los Angeles Dodgers infielder/outfielder
Tommy Edman (ankle) exited Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays with an apparent injury to his right ankle, Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register reports. Edman, who started at second base, came out in the top of the fifth inning after hitting a single to finish the day 1-for-2. The Dodgers replaced him with
Miguel Rojas. Edman has dealt with ongoing problems with his right ankle throughout the season, making Sunday's departure especially concerning. While logging double-digit appearances at second, third, and in center field this season, the versatile Edman has hit .228/.281/.396 with 12 homers, 44 RBI, 43 runs scored, and three steals in 332 plate appearances.
UPDATE: Edman left the game with a right-ankle sprain, per the team.--Connor ByrneSource: Bill Plunkett
August 3, 2025
Detroit Lions offensive tackle Taylor Decker (undisclosed) has been activated from the Physically Unable to Perform list on Sunday and will return to the individual portion of practice at training camp. Meanwhile, head coach Dan Campbell said that Dan Skipper (ankle) will be out of practice for around a week. Decker will now be able to practice with the rest of the team due to a minor undisclosed injury that kept him sidelined for the start of camp. The 30-year-old veteran should be ready for the start of the regular season this fall and will be the Lions' starting left tackle on quarterback
Jared Goff's blind side. Decker has been a stape for the up-and-coming Lions team, starting all 131 regular-season and playoff games that he's appeared in since being a first-rounder in 2016. He was selected to his first Pro Bowl in 2024.
--Keith HernandezSource: DetroitLions.com - Tim Twentyman
August 3, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver
DeVonta Smith (back) returned to practice in pads at training camp on Sunday after missing the previous four practices with back tightness. Smith being held out of practices this week was likely just a precautionary move by the Eagles early in camp. For now, there should be nothing to worry about with the 26-year-old, who has become one of the best No. 2 wideouts in football for the reigning Super Bowl champions. The former 10th overall pick in the 2021 NFL draft out of Alabama actually had a career-low 833 receiving yards on 68 catches (career-low 89 targets), but he found the end zone a career-high eight times in 13 regular-season games. Smith has at least seven touchdowns in each of the last three seasons. Volume is an issue in this Philly offense, but Smith has been efficient with his opportunities and is on the WR2/3 borderline in fantasy.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Brooks Kubena
August
3,
2025
The
Colorado
Rockies
have
optioned
first
baseman
Michael
Toglia
to
Triple-A
Albuquerque,
per
a
team
announcement.
In
other
moves,
the
Rockies
placed
right-handed
reliever
Seth
Halvorsen
(elbow)
on
the
15-day
injured
list
with
read more...
August
3,
2025
The
Colorado
Rockies
announced
on
Sunday
that
they
placed
right-handed
reliever
Seth
Halvorsen
(elbow)
on
the
15-day
injured
list
with
a
right-elbow
strain
and
recalled
right-hander
Nick
Anderson
from
Triple-A
Albuquerque
read more...
August 3, 2025
Toronto Blue Jays catcher
Alejandro Kirk (concussion) was activated from the seven-day injured list and is starting at catcher and batting sixth on Sunday against the visiting Kansas City Royals and right-hander
Seth Lugo at the Rogers Centre. Kirk had a minor concussion after he was hit by a foul tip off his facemask last weekend and he ended up missing the minimum time on the seven-day IL. The Blue Jays will get their primary catcher back. The 26-year-old Kirk doesn't have big-time power as a catcher by any means, but he's been a must-start in single-catcher formats in 2025 with the way he's swung the bat. He made his second career All-Star team this year and will return to a .304/.361/.413 slash line with seven home runs, 47 RBI and 27 runs scored in 88 games for the first-place Jays. Kirk is hitless in just two career at-bats versus Lugo.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
August 3, 2025
Kansas City Royals second baseman
Jonathan India (forearm, wrist) is serving as the designated hitter and is batting leadoff for Sunday's series finale in Canada against the Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander
Chris Bassitt.
Adam Frazier will start at second and hit seventh. India was hit by a pitch in Saturday's loss at Rogers Centre in the third inning and suffered a contusion on his left wrist/forearm. He avoided any serious damage, though, and is back in action a day later to wrap up the weekend series. The former Rookie of the Year is hitless in just two career at-bats against Bassitt and isn't a very attractive DFS piece given his lackluster 2025 season with KC. The 28-year-old is hitting .240/.320/.343 with five homers, 32 RBI and 48 runs and has gone 19-for-87 (.218) with a homer and nine RBI in 23 games since the start of July.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
August
3,
2025
MLB.com's
Sonja
Chen
writes
that
Los
Angeles
Dodgers
third
baseman
Max
Muncy
(knee)
"should
return
early
next
week,"
possibly
as
early
as
Monday
against
the
visiting
St.
Louis
Cardinals.
"He's
going
to
DH
today
[with
read more...
August 3, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder
Sal Frelick (knee) was pulled from the fourth inning of Saturday's win over the Washington Nationals due to a flare-up of soreness in his surgically-repaired left knee, and he will sit out of Sunday's series finale in D.C. Newly-acquired outfielder
Brandon Lockridge will make the start in right field and will hit eighth against Nationals right-hander
Brad Lord. It remains to be seen if Frelick can return for Monday's series opener against the Atlanta Braves, and this very well could turn into something that lands him on the injured list. The 25-year-old is much more valuable to the Brew Crew in real life than in fantasy, and Lockridge doesn't really move the fantasy needle, either, outside of some speed for those in deep NL-only leagues. Lockridge hit .216 (19-for-88) with no homers, five RBI and eight steals in 47 games for the Padres earlier this year.
--Keith HernandezSource: MLB.com
August 3, 2025
Chase Briscoe earned the pole position and will start first in the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway after qualifying. This is Briscoe's sixth pole of the season, and he will also be the only Toyota driver starting the race inside the top 10. In last year's Cup race at Iowa, his only start at the site, and while he was driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, he started sixth and placed 28th. After 22 races this year, Briscoe has one win, 10 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 14.2. In practice for Sunday's Cup race, Briscoe ranked 13th in overall lap averages while displaying top-10 speeds in all other categories. Although Briscoe is a bit of a risk since he carries no upside, he still should carry enough speed in order to place in the top 10 and has a high chance of leading laps early. Briscoe works best as a contrarian play for tournaments, especially since his finishes have been all over the place this season.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
August 3, 2025
Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing will start in the 11th position for this week's Cup race at Iowa Speedway, the Iowa Corn 350. This will be the second consecutive Cup race at Iowa where he will start in the top 15. In his only previous Cup start at Iowa, Hamlin finished 24th after starting 12th. In 22 races this season, Hamlin has four wins, 12 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.5. In practice for this week's race, Hamlin ranked 11th in overall lap averages and displayed top-5 speeds in the 10, 15, and 20 consecutive lap average categories. Hamlin is the most expensive driver of the week for DFS, but he is well worth rostering since he carries race speed that can compete for the win and some upside to boot.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
August 3, 2025
Team Penske driver Ryan Blaney gained a starting position of sixth for this week's race at Iowa Speedway, the Iowa Corn 350. This will mark the second time in his Cup career that Blaney will start in the top 10 at Iowa. In his only Cup start at Iowa last season, Blaney won and dominated by leading 201 laps. Blaney is also the only driver in NASCAR history to win a race at Iowa in each of the three NASCAR National series. With 22 races completed this season, Blaney has one win, 10 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 17.5. In practice, Blaney ranked third in overall lap averages and displayed top-5 speeds in the 15, 20, 25, and 30 consecutive lap average categories. Blaney is one of the top favorites to compete for the win this week, especially as Iowa is a home track for him and he has strong equipment for Sunday.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
August 3, 2025
Tyler Reddick of 23XI Racing earned a starting position of 22nd for the Iowa Corn 350 at Iowa Speedway. It will be the fifth time in the 2025 season that Reddick will start a Cup race outside of the top 20. In last year's race at Iowa in the Cup Series, Reddick started in the eighth position and went on to finish 22nd. This was his only Cup start, but he does have three top-10 finishes in six Xfinity Series races at the site. In 22 races this year, Reddick has 17 top-20 finishes and an average finish of 14.5. In practice, Reddick ranked 27th in overall lap averages and displayed top-20 speeds in the 10, 15, 20, and 25 consecutive lap average categories. Reddick has upside and capable equipment that can easily allow him to gain positions on Sunday. He is best utilized in cash game lineups overall for this week's race.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
August 3, 2025
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Russell Gage has "run some really crisp routes" in training camp practices and has drawn the praise of quarterback
Brock Purdy, according to Vic Tafur of The Athletic. The veteran wideout has been forced into a more prominent training camp role as a result of injuries to San Francisco receivers
Brandon Aiyuk (knee),
Jauan Jennings (calf), and
Jacob Cowing (hamstring). Gage last appeared in an NFL game in 2022 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In 74 career games, he's recorded 244 catches for 2,491 yards and 14 touchdowns. Gage is probably still a long shot to make an impact in fantasy this season, but he could earn some playing time early in the season if San Francisco continues to deal with injuries in their wide receiver room.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Vic Tafur
August 3, 2025
The New York Yankees announced that they have placed reliever
Jonathan Loaisiga (back) on the 15-day injured list with right mid-back tightness, retroactive to Aug. 2. The team activated right-hander
Luis Gil (lat) from the 60-day IL in a corresponding move. After missing almost all of last season because of elbow surgery, Loaisiga has returned this year to post a 4.25 ERA, a 1.48 WHIP, 25:10 K:BB, and seven holds in 29 2/3 innings. The 30-year-old righty now joins fellow late-game options
Fernando Cruz (oblique) and
Mark Leiter Jr. (leg) on the IL, though the latter is nearing a return.
--Connor ByrneSource: New York Yankees
August
3,
2025
Buffalo
Bills
wide
receiver
Khalil
Shakir
(ankle)
has
suffered
a
high
ankle
sprain
and
is
considered
"week-to-week,"
according
to
Bills
head
coach
Sean
McDermott.
Shakir
left
the
team's
Friday
practice
early
due
to
the
injury.
It
read more...
August 3, 2025
The New York Yankees have officially activated right-hander
Luis Gil (lat) from the 60-day injured list for his season debut against the Miami Marlins on Sunday. To make room for Gil, the Yankees placed reliever
Jonathan Loaisiga (back) on the 15-day injured list with right mid-back tightness, retroactive to Aug. 2. Gil suffered a high-grade lat strain during spring training, which has prevented him from following up on last season's AL Rookie of the Year-winning effort. The 27-year-old earned the honor after going 15-7 with a 3.50 ERA, a 1.19 WHIP, and 171:77 K:BB over 151 2/3 innings. After throwing 75 pitches in his final rehab start, Gil is ready to slide back into New York's rotation and take over for the just-released
Marcus Stroman.
--Connor ByrneSource: New York Yankees
August 3, 2025
Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora is not confident that reliever
Liam Hendriks (hip) will return this season, Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reports. Hendriks, who last pitched May 27, has been out for over two months with hip inflammation. The Red Sox signed the three-time All-Star to a two-year, $10 million contract before the 2024 season, but it appears that it will go down as a failed investment. Hendriks, 36, missed all of last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and went 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA, a 1.39 WHIP, and 12:7 K:BB in 13 2/3 innings this year before suffering the hip injury.
--Connor ByrneSource: Tim Healey - Boston Globe
August 3, 2025
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver
A.J. Brown (hamstring) will not practice on Sunday, according to Dave Zangaro of NBC Sports Philadelphia. It's unclear how severe this hamstring ailment is for the superstar wide receiver, but this is an injury worth monitoring. Brown missed three games in 2024 due to a hamstring issue. The 28-year-old is a crucial part of the Eagles' offense and is coming off a year in which he recorded 67 catches for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games. Any potential missed time for Brown would massively improve that fantasy outlook for Eagles WR2
DeVonta Smith.
Jahan Dotson,
Johnny Wilson, and
Terrace Marshall Jr. are other Philadelphia wideouts who might see a bump in usage as well. Assuming this is just a minor injury for Brown, he profiles as a low-end WR1 in fantasy.
--Will BradySource: NBC Sports Philadelphia - Dave Zangaro
August
3,
2025
Spire
Motorsports
driver
Carson
Hocevar
will
start
seventh
in
this
week's
Iowa
Corn
350
at
Iowa
Speedway.
Hocevar
was
the
top
qualifier
of
the
three
Spire
drivers
in
this
week's
race,
and
it
will
be
the
first
time
he
will
start
read more...
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