15 hours agoDepending on the results of Cleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan's (hamstring) MRI results on Sunday, first base prospect Kyle Manzardo is an option to be promoted to the major-league roster. Manzardo, the club's No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, could be on the cusp of his first big-league call-up after hitting .303/.375/.642 with a 1.017 OPS, nine home runs, 20 RBI and 25 runs scored in his first 29 games this year on the farm at Triple-A Columbus. The 23-year-old left-handed slugger would most likely be an option for Cleveland at the designated hitter spot in the big leagues if he's called up and Kwan needs a stint on the injured list. Manzardo also impressed with his bat in spring training. His blend of power and on-base skills makes him attractive pickup in deep-mixed leagues with a potential call-up coming soon.Source: MLB.com - Zack Meisel
16 hours agoFor the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, Michael McDowell captured a starting position of eighth, the fourth time in his career he will start from the top 10. In 25 Kansas starts, McDowell has eight top-20 finishes, with a best finish of 13th. So far after 11 races this year, McDowell has three top-20 finishes, all of which were 11th or better. In practice, McDowell ranked 13th in 10-consecutive lap averages, 10th in single-lap times, and sixth in both five-consecutive and overall lap averages. Historically, Kansas is not a top track for McDowell, which makes him an easy recommendation to fade this week, especially in cash games, despite decent practice speeds.Source: Driveraverages.com
16 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfield prospect Chase DeLauter (foot) has a fracture in the fifth metatarsal bone of his left foot, the same one that he had surgery on last year and in college. He's scheduled to meet with the foot specialist that performed his surgery last year on Wednesday to determine the next step. The Guardians' top prospect, per MLB Pipeline, is now without a timetable to return to action at Double-A Akron, where he was hitting just .197 (12-for-61) with a homer, three RBI and a stolen base in his first 16 games this year. If the 22-year-old requires another surgery on the same foot, he'll most certainly miss extended time that will set back his development. The left-handed-hitting outfielder is still worth stashing in dynasty/keeper leagues, but he's unlikely to make his major-league debut until at least 2025.Source: MLB.com - Mandy Bell
16 hours agoIn this week's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, Corey LaJoie will start 28th after qualifying. This will be the fourth time this season that LaJoie will start outside the Top 25 and the first time at Kansas in five races. In 14 races at the site, LaJoie has two top-20 finishes, which he scored during the last two May races there. With 11 races completed so far this season, LaJoie has four finishes of 21st or better, including the last two races this year. In practice, LaJoie ranked 19th in 10-consecutive lap averages and 18th in overall lap averages. With favorable practice speeds and Place Differential upside, look for LaJoie to compete for a top-20 finish, primarily based on his equipment and past track results.Source: Driveraverages.com
16 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan (hamstring) is not in the team's starting lineup on Sunday against the visiting Los Angeles Angels after being removed from Saturday's win with left-hamstring tightness. With Kwan out, Will Brennan is starting in left field and is hitting fifth, while Estevan Florial is serving as the designated hitter and batting leadoff against Angels right-hander Griffin Canning. It's just the second time all year that Kwan hasn't been in Cleveland's lineup. We should have a better idea of the 26-year-old's availability moving forward after he undergoes an MRI exam on Sunday. Fantasy managers will want to check back on Monday to see if he's back in there for the series opener against the Detroit Tigers. Kwan has been one of the best hitters in baseball this year with a .353/.407/.496 slash line and .903 OPS, so losing him for an extended period of time would be a big blow to the Guardians and fantasy managers.Source: MLB.com
16 hours agoNew York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo will retreat to the bench on Sunday in the series finale against the Detroit Tigers and left-hander Tarik Skubal. With Rizzo on the bench, Oswaldo Cabrera will start at first and hit ninth, with Jon Berti manning the hot corner and hitting seventh in the batting order. This will be Rizzo's first off day of the year after starting all 35 games to begin the season. The 34-year-old veteran slugger has had a strong year to this point, batting .263 (35-for-133) with six home runs, 20 RBI and 16 runs scored in his first 146 plate appearances. However, he's hitting just .175 (7-for-40) with no homers and 10 strikeouts against southpaws, so it makes sense to give him his first day off of the year against a tough lefty on Sunday. Neither Berti nor Cabrera will be particularly attractive low-cost DFS sleepers against Skubal.Source: New York Yankees
16 hours agoWashington Nationals outfielder Jacob Young (back) is back in center field and is hitting in the leadoff spot for the Nats on Sunday against the Toronto Blue Jays and right-hander Alek Manoah, who is making his season debut in the big leagues. Young left Friday night's series opener against Toronto due to back spasms and was held out of Saturday's contest, but he's back in there and ready to go for Sunday's game. The 24-year-old has just two hits in 10 at-bats in his last four games played, but overall he's been dynamic in 25 games in just his second big-league season, slashing .311/.354/.378 with five doubles, no home runs, seven RBI, 12 stolen bases and 17 runs scored in 81 plate appearances. He has yet to homer in his first 58 MLB games, but his 25 steals have played well for fantasy managers. Get Young back into your lineups for the series finale.Source: MASN Sports - Mark Zuckerman
16 hours agoStewart-Haas Racing driver Noah Gragson recorded his best-ever starting position of his Cup career of third for this week's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. It also is the second consecutive race this year where Gragson gained a top-5 starting spot and the first time Gragson will start from the Top 10 at Kansas. In three previous starts at the site, Gragson has two top-20 finishes with a best finish of 18th. Gragson also is a previous Xfinity Series winner at Kansas. After 11 races so far this season, Gragson has four top-10 finishes, including each of the last two races and Las Vegas earlier in the year. In practice, Gragson ranked among the Top 10 fastest drivers in almost every category while ranking 10th in overall lap averages. Although Gragson's starting position makes him a big Place Differential risk, his practice speeds and previous Xfinity success make him an encouraging play to try for tournaments this week.Source: Driveraverages.com
17 hours agoTy Gibbs qualified sixth for this week's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Gibbs continues his strong qualifying performances in 2024 with his sixth top-10 starting position gained and the highest of his Cup career at Kansas. In three Cup races at the site, Gibbs has two DNFs and a best finish of 14th in his last appearance there. The driver of the No. 54 Toyota also made two starts in the Xfinity Series at Kansas, where he has two podium finishes including a win. After 11 races so far this year, Gibbs has six top-10 finishes, which include a finish of fifth at Las Vegas, a comparable track to Kansas. In practice, Gibbs showcased top-10 speeds in almost every category, including the fifth-best overall lap average. With top-notch equipment and great history at Kansas in the Xfinity Series, Gibbs is a driver expected to have a top-10 result on Sunday.Source: Driveraverages.com
17 hours agoDuring qualifying for the AdventHealth 400, William Byron scraped the wall and ended up with a starting position of 36th. This is the lowest starting position for Byron in his Cup career at Kansas as well as his lowest for the year so far. In 12 Kansas racesread more...
17 hours agoFor this week's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, Kyle Busch qualified fifth. This marks the third consecutive race where the driver of the No. 8 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet will have a top-5 starting position. In 32 starts at Kansas, Busch has two wins and 15 top-10 finishes,read more...
17 hours agoOakland Athletics starting pitcher Paul Blackburn went seven innings in Saturday's 20-4 victory, holding the Marlins to just one run on four hits and one walk while striking out three on his way to earning his third win of the season. Blackburn began the season with three straight quality starts where he didn't allow a single run, then had a three-game rough patch before getting back on track Saturday. The 30-year-old now has a 3-1 record with a 3.00 ERA and 1.02 WHIP through seven starts. The righty's FIP, xFIP, and SIERA are all below 4.00 which suggests he's pitched as well as it seems, and with Oakland being more competitive than expected to this point, Blackburn could continue to be solid pitching depth for fantasy as long as he's selectively deployed. However, you'll need to look elsewhere for strikeouts with just 31 in 42 IP and a 12.7% K-BB%.Source: ESPN
18 hours agoOakland Athletics designated hitter Brent Rooker homered twice in Saturday's 20-4 rout of the Miami Marlins, going 3-for-4 with five RBI in the contest. Rooker also got on base once via the walk. The 29-year-old has some serious pop in his bat, blasting 30 home runs a season ago in just 137 games, and has eight through 22 games played this year while posting an elite 20.5% Barrel%. The former 35th overall draft pick is even hitting for average as of late, going 9-for-24 (.375) with two doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, five runs scored, and four walks over his last seven games.Source: ESPN
18 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado reached base five times in five plate appearances in Saturday's 6-5 loss to the White Sox. The veteran went 3-for-3 at the plate with a home run, two singles, and two walks, raising his season slashline to .296/.362/.408. The 33-year-old is having a solid season overall, although somewhat underwhelming based on the Arenado we've grown accustomed to. The 8x All-Star has seen his home run, RBI, and run totals drop in consecutive years now. With a 1.9% Barrel% this season, a career-low by far, the home runs may come few and far between, just like this last one. Saturday's home run was Arenado's first since April 12. He should remain a solid fantasy contributor nonetheless, so you're still using him in season-long formats.Source: ESPN
19 hours agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman earned his second win of the season in Saturday's 6-4 victory over the Nationals. The veteran went five-and-a-third innings, allowing no runs on three hits and two walks while striking out eight. After a bumpy start to the season, this was Gausman's fourth straight start of allowing one earned run or less. The 33-year-old now sports a 3.78 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with a 16.0% K-BB%. The 2x All-Star's next start currently lines up next weekend at home against the Twins, the hottest team in baseball and winners of 12 straight.Source: ESPN
19 hours agoChicago Cubs starting pitcher Jameson Taillon picked up his third win of the season in Saturday's 6-5 victory over the Brewers. Taillon fired six innings of scoreless baseball, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. The 32-year-old has been superb since coming off the IL, posting a 1.13 ERA, 0.88 WHIP, and a 5:16 BB:K over four starts. With a FIP of 3.53, SIERA of 4.30, and a career ERA of 3.93, it seems some regression may be in the offing, so deploy the veteran with caution. The former first-round draft pick's next start lines up with a fading Pirates team next Friday in Pittsburgh.Source: ESPN
19 hours agoKyle Larson entered the AdventHealth 400 race weekend as the favorite to win, and after practice and qualifying, sportsbooks are even more confident in that prediction, as Larson is now the heavy favorite among the industry to take the checkered flag. Larson qualified fourth for this weekend's race and is in prime position to dominate the event, as the other favorites (Tyler Reddick and Denny Hamlin) qualified outside of the top 10. Looking back at the Las Vegas race earlier this season, Larson led 181 of the 267 laps en route to victory, and we could definitely see a similar situation play out at Kansas on Sunday. Over the last five races at this track, Larson has one win, four top-fives, and a worst finish of eighth. He has also led a combined 343 laps over those four races. At $11,000 on DraftKings, Larson is definitely a driver to be heavy on in DFS this weekend.Source: ifantasyrace
19 hours agoFresh off of his third win of the season at Dover last weekend, Denny Hamlin is looking to get to victory lane once again at Kansas Speedway this weekend--and he definitely has a shot to do so. Hamlin leads all drivers with four wins at this race track, including a victory in this exact race one year ago. In the two Kansas races last season, Hamlin led a combined 97 laps and finished first and second. This weekend, Denny qualified back in 14th for the AdventHealth 400, so he has some Place Differential upside for DFS players as well. Even though his salary on DraftKings is the highest on the slate ($11,300), Hamlin can easily make it into the optimal lineup this weekend if he has just an "expected" race on Sunday. Denny has the second-best average running position on the low-wear, 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen era.Source: Win The Race
19 hours agoKeep an eye on Ross Chastain in Sunday's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. Although the Melon Man has only led a total of eight laps at this track in his 10 career starts, he should be able to contend for some dominator points in this weekend's race. Chastain qualified second for Sunday's races at Kansas and now has four straight starts of sixth or better at this track. At Las Vegas earlier this year, Ross was able to walk away with a fourth-place finish despite starting back in 20th, and he should have similar finishing upside here at Kansas this weekend. At $9,100 on DraftKings, Chastain makes for an interesting tournament play as a potential off-sequence dominator, but it's nowhere near a guarantee.Source: ifantasyrace
19 hours agoWhen it comes to winning the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway this weekend, most analysts are pointing toward the favorites: Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, and Denny Hamlin. And rightfully so. Those three have been the best on the low-wear, 1.5-mile race tracks recently, and all have stellar records at Kansas Speedway. But one driver that could be getting overlooked this weekend is Martin Truex Jr. In the Next Gen era at Kansas, Las Vegas, and Charlotte--all three low-wear, 1.5-mile tracks--Truex has the third-best Average Running Position (8.79) and third-best average finish (9.82) as well. This weekend at Kansas, Truex qualified 13th, which gives him some Place Differential scoring upside in DFS contests. In practice, he ranked inside the top five in 10-, 15-, and 20-lap averages, so the No. 19 Toyota should have speed on Sunday. Source: Win The Race
19 hours agoNew York Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo hit his sixth home run of the season in Saturday's 5-3 win over the Tigers, a three-run shot off Detroit starter Casey Mize. Rizzo also had a single, finishing the day 2-for-4 and bringing his batting average to .263. The 3x All-Star has collected at least one RBI in three straight games now, bringing his season total to 20, and has also scored 16 times. With a .338 wOBA and 122 wRC+, the veteran is having a solid season thus far. He'll have a difficult matchup in Sunday's series finale, facing off with LHP Tarik Skubal, although Rizzo is 1-for-3 with a double and no strikeouts against the southpaw in his career.Source: ESPN
20 hours agoOne of the most surprising results from qualifying at Kansas Speedway this weekend was Ryan Blaney's lack of speed, as the Penske Racing driver will start from back in 26th place for this weekend's AdventHealth 400 race. This is Blaney's worst starting position at Kansas since the 2017 season, when he started back in 40th but ended up finishing third when it was all said and done. Yes, Ford has been down on speed this season, but Blaney was still a top-five finisher at Las Vegas earlier this year, which is the sister track to Kansas. In DFS contests, Blaney is a core driver to consider this weekend. With his huge place-differential upside while being priced at just $8,600 on DraftKings, it's hard to pass up Blaney's upside at Kansas this weekend. He has the fifth-best average running position at Kansas, Las Vegas, and Charlotte in the Next Gen era.Source: Win The Race
20 hours agoBubba Wallace qualified back in 23rd for this weekend's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, but he should be much better than that during the race itself. Kansas is one of Bubba's best tracks on the schedule as of late, as he has posted top-10 finishes in three of the last four races here, including a win in the fall 2022 race while he was driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing. Last spring, Bubba qualified back in 17th but ended up finishing fourth when it was all said and done. On DraftKings this weekend, Wallace is priced at $9,500, which is pretty expensive considering he doesn't have a ton of dominator upside. However, if he comes away with another top-five result on Sunday, it'll be well worth it for DFS players to pick him.Source: ifantasyrace
20 hours agoAlex Bowman is a solid mid-tier DFS play at Kansas Speedway this weekend. In his three starts at this track in the Next Gen era, Bowman has able to post top-10 finishes in each of them, including a 10th-place result last fall despite starting back in 23rd-place. This weekend, Bowman qualified 18th for this AdventHealth 400, which gives him solid Place Differential upside for his $8,000 salary on DraftKings. In terms of practice, Bowman was the slowest Hendrick Motorsports car on Saturday--he was 21st-fastest on the speed chart--but his teammates all showed top-five potential when it came to their speed, so there's really no cause for concern with Bowman this weekend. He could challenge for a top-10 finish at Kansas this weekend.Source: Jayski
20 hours agoCarson Hocevar is priced at $6,300 on DraftKings this weekend and starts in 22nd place. When you combine those aspects with the fact that he could contend for a mid-teens finish in the AdventHealth 400, you're looking at a very good value in the DFS world. Since Hocevar has entered the Cup Series, he has been one of those drivers that stays out of trouble and just runs quietly well all weekend. In three races at Kansas and Las Vegas, Hocevar has an average running position of 18.84, with an average finish of 23.67. Earlier this year at Las Vegas, he started 14th and finished 15th. Hocevar should be a solid DFS pick at Kansas this weekend in the AdventHealth 400 and should be used accordingly.Source: Win The Race
20 hours agoThe NASCAR Cup Series is at a 1.5-mile intermediate track (Kansas Speedway) this weekend, so you have to have Ricky Stenhouse Jr. on your radar. Here at Kansas specifically, Stenhouse has posted finishes of 12th and eighth in the last two spring events, and he came home with top-10 results at both Charlotte and Texas last season. Earlier this year at Las Vegas (the sister track of Kansas), Stenhouse walked away with a respectable 17th-place finish. During practice this weekend, Stenhouse's No. 47 Chevrolet was seventh-fastest on the speed chart, which is another good sign for this JTG Daugherty Racing team. Stenhouse is priced at $6,600 on DraftKings this weekend and starts 21st, making him a viable DFS option on race day.Source: Jayski
20 hours agoAustin Dillon is having the worst season of his NASCAR Cup Series career this year, but that shouldn't make you stay away from him this weekend at Kansas Speedway. We just went through a very rough stretch of races for Dillon, so his struggles are likely a little over-blown right now. The fact of the matter is, Austin Dillon has been a solid sleeper on low-wear, 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen era, and he has that potential at Kansas this weekend. Additionally, over the last seven races at this track, Austin has finished between 10th and 14th six times. AD3 qualified 16th for this weekend's AdventHealth 400, and while it's risky to take a struggling driver starting that high in DFS, Dillon is definitely a tournament option to consider in DraftKings this weekend with his $6,500 salary and his record of getting decent finishes at this track type.Source: DriverAverages
20 hours agoAt intermediate race tracks such as Kansas Speedway, you can typically pencil Todd Gilliland in for a finish in the high-20s, although sometimes he is able to sneak in a better result if there is some attrition. He ended up 24th at Las Vegas earlier this season, and last year at Kansas he was able to walk away with 24th- and 25th-place finishes in the two events. This weekend for the AdventHealth 400, Gilliland qualified in 25th-place for the big race, which makes him an interesting DFS option because he typically starts further back than that. At just $5,200 on DraftKings, though, Gilliland could end up being a cheap value play for DFS players. His 10-lap average during practice ranked 22nd-fastest, so with a little bit of track position late, we could see Gilliland find himself in the mix for a top-20 result. He's a viable option to round out for DraftKings lineups this weekend.Source: ifantasyrace
22 hours agoJosh Berry started off practice around 25th griping about tightness in his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. As qualifying went on, the car seemed to gain a little speed. That resulted in a 17th-place effort. That is the good news. Now, the bad news for the No. 4 Ford was again late-run speed in those lap intervals. Berry started around 30.3 seconds in practice but after 20 laps, those times were going above 31 seconds. Berry's Ford kept losing speed and grip off the turns. The 1.5-mile track could cause issues for the Ford driver as speed slips away on longer runs on Sunday. Source: NASCAR.com
22 hours agoJoey Logano turned in a nice qualifying lap at Kansas, which gave him a starting position of 11th for Sunday. However, the Team Penske Ford endured a much rougher practice session with frequent laps of 31-plus seconds. He was 30th overall in practice and was griping about several issues in the car. One was late-run speed. That may become more and more of an issue on Sunday. Logano's higher qualifying position could impact place differential if the same problems persist. This makes Logano less attractive for DFS and betting purposes despite fifth- and sixth-place finishes last year on the intermediate track.Source: NASCAR.com