1 day agoBuffalo Sabres goaltender Carter Hutton stopped 31 of 34 shots on goal but fell short in Wednesday's 3-2 loss against the Avalanche. The 34-year-old allowed one goal in each period while suffering his second loss in the last three games. Hutton has produced a record of 12-10-4 to go along with a 3.18 goals-against average and .898 save percentage through 28 appearances, making the veteran goaltender worth owning only in deep fantasy formats down the stretch of the season. Hutton will continue to earn the majority of starts for the Sabres with top goaltender Linus Ullmark sidelined due to a lower-body injury.
--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day agoLos Angeles Angels relief pitcher
Ty Buttrey (side) is scheduled to throw a bullpen session on Thursday and will throw another one on Saturday or Sunday and then again on Wednesday before getting into a spring training game in early March. Buttrey is dealing with an intercostal issue but has plenty of time to get ready for Opening Day, where he's expected to be the primary eighth-inning setup man before closer
Hansel Robles. The 26-year-old (27 next month) had a 3.98 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 84 strikeouts in 72 1/3 innings for the Halos in 2019. He won't have much fantasy appeal outside of leagues that count holds for setup men.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Rhett Bollinger
1 day agoOrlando Magic small forward
Aaron Gordon kept up his excellent February play in a 130-120 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday night. Gordon picked up his third straight double-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, three triples, three blocks and a steal in 41 minutes. Over his last five games, the 24-year-old has averaged 22.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 2.2 triples, 1.6 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. Gordon is an excellent play in all formats at the moment with a juicy matchup against the reeling Timberwolves on deck.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day ago Like many players competing in the Honda Classic this week, the ability to get away from Poa Annua greens should be positive news for Corey Conners. The Canadian is a below-average putter on any surface, but he has shown an ability to succeed on Bermuda in the past, winning the Valero Texas Open on the grass type last season. Conners flirted with the top of the leaderboard in Mexico for a few days, and his capacity to gain strokes off the tee and with his irons should come into play this weekend in Florida. Consider him an interesting player to target in the sub-$8,000 range on DraftKings.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
1 day agoAs has been the case far too often for Byeong Hun An, it feels as if he is just one solid putting week away from finding his first career PGA Tour title. The South Korean has played here at PGA National twice in his career, finishing inside the top-36 both times - including a fifth-place showing in 2018. Look for Hun An to emphasize his ball-striking prowess, and let's hope that he puts together a halfway decent effort on the greens, which is far from a guarantee.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
1 day agoMiami Heat guard
Kendrick Nunn shot nine of 19 in a loss to the Timberwolves on his way to 24 points along with six assists and two three-pointers. Nunn has been on a tear amid Miami's recent struggles, having scored at least 20 points with multiple three-pointers in three consecutive games. The scoring prowess doesn't seem to be doing the Heat much good, however, as they're 1-2 across those games and losers of seven of their last nine. Nunn is certainly still a valuable and unexpected fantasy contributor, but it'll be interesting to see if his responsibilities soon change in an attempt by head coach Erik Spoelstra to shake Miami out of its recent funk.
--Daniel Lubofsky - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com
1 day agoSan Diego Padres starter
Chris Paddack was near-flawless in his spring debut, firing two innings of shutout ball Wednesday against the Cleveland Indians. Spare a leadoff double in the second frame, Paddack retired his remaining opponents, collecting three strikeouts. The 24-year-old is looking to build off a rookie campaign where he posted a 3.33 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and 27 percent strikeout rate in 140 2/3 innings. While vying to be the Opening Day starter, Paddack is also developing a curveball he hopes will complement his wipeout fastball-changeup combination. Without any expected workload limitations and currently sitting at an ADP of 56, Paddack’s risk-reward profile makes him a solid SP2 and top-20 pitcher.
--Andrew Le - RotoBallerSource: SDUT - Kevin Acee
1 day agoAtlanta Hawks guard
Trae Young scored 37 points but shot just 10 of 27 from the field in a 130-120 loss to the Orlando Magic. Young recorded double-digit assists for the third straight game along with 13 makes from the free-throw line to help mask a poor shooting performance. He's been a top-five value in 9-cat formats since the All-Star Break. With a 35.9 usage rate playing for one of the worst teams in the league, Young should see no shortage of opportunities down the stretch. Up next for Young is a matchup with the Nets, who he dropped 47 points on in December.
--Tim Capurso - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
1 day agoWhile we don't believe Billy Horschel will end up being the most owned player on the DraftKings slate, it does seem likely that the former Florida Gator will generate over 15% ownership on the week. That level of popularity always worries us when it comes to a golfer that is just as likely to miss the cut as he is to provide a top-10 showing. Horschel has the talent to win the event, but is he worth the risk? That is something you are going to have to decide.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
1 day agoBoston Red Sox starting pitcher
Martin Perez made his spring training debut and tossed two scoreless innings in Wednesday's 6-3 victory against the Pirates. The 28-year-old recorded three strikeouts, walked one batter and surrendered just one hit over the pair of innings of work in his debut, after signing a one-year deal with the Red Sox in the off-season. Perez had a strong start to the 2019 season as a member of the Twins, as he posted a 7-1 record and 2.95 ERA through the first 11 starts, prior to going downhill from there and ending the year with an inflated 5.12 ERA. Perez will hope to serve as a stabilizer in a Red Sox rotation that faces uncertainty heading into the 2020 season, making the left-handed starter a low-cost option in the late rounds of standard re-draft formats.
--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoMiami Heat big man
Bam Adebayo recorded his 34th double-double in a loss to the Timberwolves with 22 points and 10 rebounds, along with seven assists and two blocks. Adebayo was aggressive in this one, going to the line a career-high 15 times with 10 makes. He was a game-time call against Minnesota due to an ankle injury but didn't seem to show any signs of it across 33 minutes. Despite Miami's recent struggles while losing seven of their last nine, Bam remains the steady all-around presence in the middle who continues to put up All-Star numbers, and he will likely do so once again when the Mavericks arrive in South Beach on Feb. 28.
--Daniel Lubofsky - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com
1 day agoLos Angeles Angels starting pitcher
Julio Teheran (hamstring) was scratched from the spring game against the Dodgers due to left hamstring tightness, but he said the injury is minor and is expected to make his next start either Monday or Tuesday. An MRI exam came back clean and the Angels think it was more of a cramp. Teheran remains on track to be ready for the start of the regular season, and he could be in line to make the Opening Day start. The 29-year-old right-hander has made at least 30 starts and thrown at least 174 innings in each of the last seven years with the Braves. He doesn't have a ton of fantasy upside with a career 3.67 ERA, including a 3.81 ERA last year in 174 2/3 innings. Still, he'll be useful for rotation depth in deep mixed leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Rhett Bollinger
1 day agoTwo top-10 showings at the Honda Classic have been scattered in with two finishes outside the top 50 for Luke List, but the American has found himself on a nice roll as of late, providing three consecutive top-36 results in his previous three events. List's past success at PGA National has increased his salary to a robust total of $8,000 on DraftKings, but it hasn't stopped gamers from looking his way early in the week. Consider List to be a volatile option that might end up being more boom-or-bust than some would hope to see.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
1 day agoMinnesota Timberwolves forward
Juan Hernangomez connected on three of five looks from beyond the arc to finish a win over Miami with 17 points along with five rebounds and two steals. Hernangomez, who also shot seven of 11 overall in this game, has been a resourceful contributor after coming over from Denver at the trade deadline. A member of the starting lineup since his arrival, Hernangomez has five double-digit scoring outings across seven games as well as just a single performance without a three-point make. He's a modest rebounder, but Hernangomez is moreso a good source of points and triples, especially on a Timberwolves team in need of some frontcourt offense with
Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined.
--Daniel Lubofsky - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com
1 day agoIt is difficult to trust what Brooks Koepka says during interviews, but after claiming recently that his injured left knee likely won't feel like his right one "for a while," the third-ranked player in the world is now claiming he is 100% healed and ready to go. Koepka will be a volatile golfer for gamers to roster this weekend at his price tag of $11,200, but we don't have any issues for those that want to inherit the risk.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
1 day agoWe would be lying if we said we weren't marginally surprised that Tommy Fleetwood was named DraftKings most expensive golfer on the slate at a price tag of $11,600, but should we be giving the Englishman real consideration as the man to beat? To answer that question in a nutshell, yes. Fleetwood has made an astounding 45 straight made cuts worldwide and could go under-owned on DFS sites because of his perceived mispricing. We have no issues with beginning lineups with the 12th-ranked golfer in the world and view him to be an attractive GPP target.
--Spencer Aguiar - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
1 day agoMinnesota Timberwolves guard
Malik Beasley shot seven of 14 from the field in a win over Miami to finish with 21 points along with six rebounds, five assists, three three-pointers and two steals. Beasley has been nothing short of spectacular since arriving at the deadline, having failed to score in single digits across his first six games with five 20-point outings. He's contributing across the board and hasn't made fewer than two three-pointers in any game as a Timberwolf. With minutes above 30 and in the absence of
Karl-Anthony Towns, there's no reason to think Beasley will finish the season any worse than the unexpected manner in which he's dominated to this point. And kudos to those who were quick enough to scoop him off the market to reap the benefits.
--Daniel Lubofsky - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com
1 day agoMinnesota Timberwolves point guard
D'Angelo Russell scored 27 points on nine of 18 shooting in a win over the Heat on Wednesday, also chipping in six assists, five rebounds and three steals. This was a classic hot-hand performance from Russell, who nailed seven of his 14 attempts from beyond the arc, marking back-to-back 20-point outings after missing a game against Denver. Without
Karl-Anthony Towns for the foreseeable future, Minnesota will ask a lot from Russell at the offensive end. His efficiency might fluctuate, but Russell's green light should lead to similar performances moving forward.
--Daniel Lubofsky - RotoBallerSource: NBA.com
1 day agoKansas City Royals manager Mike Matheny said that catcher
Salvador Perez (elbow) will likely be behind the plate for the first time this spring in a game on Thursday. Perez missed all of the 2019 season after having Tommy John surgery on his right elbow. He should be fine for Opening Day and will immediately return to being a top-10 fantasy backstop for his power contributions. He has four straight seasons of 20-plus home runs, and he hit 27 dingers in each of his last two seasons in 2017 and 2018. Perez has made the All-Star team in his last six years, including five Gold Glove awards. While he's not a lock to help your team in average anymore, Perez is still a strong catching option at a weak position, and he'll even come at a discount in 2020.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Jeffrey Flanagan
1 day agoNew York Yankees starting pitcher
Masahiro Tanaka made his 2020 spring training debut on Wednesday, allowing two runs on two hits, no walks and two strikeouts. Tanaka comes into 2020 after having posted his worst career strikeout rate (19.6%) last season, and his swinging-strike rate (10.7%) dipped to its lowest level since 2016. Tanaka tweaked his pitch mix last season to feature more sliders and four-seam fastballs at the expense of his splitter, but the results were less than ideal, even as the slider generated an arsenal-best 16.68% swinging-strike rate. It’s encouraging to see Tanaka get two strikeouts over two innings early, but it’s too early to read into anything for now.
--Sam Chinitz - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoBoston Red Sox outfielder/second baseman
Jarren Duran continued his impressive start to the exhibition schedule with another productive performance in Wednesday's 6-3 victory against the Pirates. Duran went 2-for-3 at the plate with a two-run home run off of Pirates right-handed starter
Mitch Keller in the second inning. The 2018 seventh-round draft selection has started very strong at the plate this spring, as he has gone 5-for-8 with three runs scored, two RBI, one triple and a .625 batting average in the limited sample size of plate appearances. The 23-year-old is not known for his power but possesses tremendous speed, as he stole 46 bases across two levels in 2019. Despite the strong start to the spring, Duran is not worth paying attention to in re-draft formats as he has yet to play above Double-A, but the speedy prospect carries upside in dynasty leagues with the potential to appear in the Red Sox outfield as early as 2021.
--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoPhiladelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (shoulder) will not return to Wednesday's game against the Cavaliers after sustaining a shoulder sprain. The 25-year-old went to the locker room initially, only to return to the bench and then exit the contest once again. Embiid posted three points and one turnover in seven minutes of action prior to sustaining the injury. The news is a tough blow to the 76ers, who also lost guard
Ben Simmons for a minimum of two weeks due to a back injury. A further update on Embiid's status will be known after the game.
--Denis Vondrus - RotoBallerSource: Adrian Wojnarowski - Twitter
1 day agoLos Angeles Lakers forward
LeBron James (groin) will miss Thursday's game against the Golden State Warriors. James is dealing with a sore groin which limited him last year. So far, the severity is unknown and could just be a rest day against an easier opponent.
Kyle Kuzma will likely be the immediate beneficiary and will be a popular DFS pick in this contest.
Markieff Morris may also see an uptick in minutes with his new team.
--Dale Johnson - RotoBallerSource: Mike Bresnahan
1 day agoNew York Knicks guard
Frank Ntilikina (groin) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Charlotte Hornets. This marks the second game in a row that Ntilikina has missed due to groin soreness.
Elfrid Payton and
Dennis Smith Jr. will be asked to split up the minutes at point guard. Payton is the better fantasy option between the two of them. He's worth a look as a streaming option in deep leagues or DFS contests for Wednesday's slate.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NY Knicks PR
1 day agoCharlotte Hornets center
Bismack Biyombo will jump into the starting five for Wednesday's game against the Orlando Magic.
Cody Zeller (rest) is expected to get the game off, so Biyombo will get a chance with the first unit. The Hornets may continue to shake up their rotations as the season goes on. Biyombo could be worth looking at as a streaming option, but the Magic normally play fairly solid defense. Fantasy owners shouldn't expect a breakout performance here.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Rick Bonnell
1 day agoWashington Wizards forward
Davis Bertans (knee) will return to action for Wednesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. He was not able to play in Monday's contest due to right knee soreness, but shouldn't be limited much here. He could see a few less minutes than normal, but fantasy owners shouldn't be worried. Bertans should be able to produce even with a couple less minutes on Wednesday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Fred Katz
1 day agoWashington Wizards guard
Shabazz Napier will jump into the starting five for Wednesday's game against the Brooklyn Nets. Napier dropped 27 points during Monday's game, so head coach Scott Brooks will give him the nod here. It's unlikely that Napier goes off again, but he'll have increased value in the starting five. He'll be worth looking at as a streaming option or cheap DFS choice for Wednesday's slate.
Ish Smith will head to the second unit and won't see as big of a role in the rotation here.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Fred Katz
1 day agoCleveland Cavaliers center
Andre Drummond (calf) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cavs aren't going anywhere this season, so they will let Drummond rest here. The Cavs have a back-to-back set coming up, so Drummond could be looking at a multiple game absence.
Tristan Thompson should slide back into the starting five and see his usage and minutes increase. He'll be worth looking at as a cheap DFS option for Wednesday's slate.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 day agoHouston Rockets guard
Eric Gordon (knee) has been ruled out for Wednesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Head coach Mike D'Antoni said on Tuesday that he was hopeful Gordon could return here. However, the Rockets are going to take the cautious approach and let Gordon rest at least one more game.
Russell Westbrook (thumb) is back in the starting five after missing Monday's game. He should see an increased usage without Gordon available.
Ben McLemore could see more minutes as well, so he could be a deep league streaming choice.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
1 day agoBaltimore Orioles outfielder
Anthony Santander (shoulder) has not played in the outfield so far during Spring Training. Orioles manager Brandon Hyde has purposely started Santander off slowly due to an issue with his shoulder stemming from last season. The expectation is that the 25-year-old will ramp up his training activities in the coming days. Santander slashed .261/.297/.476 with 20 home runs and 59 RBI in 93 games last season, although he did strikeout in a dismal 21.2% of his plate appearances. If healthy, Santander is worthy of a look in AL-only leagues and deeper mixed formats.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Dan Connolly
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