August 4, 2025
The Baltimore Ravens released kicker
John Hoyland on Saturday, leaving rookie
Tyler Loop as the lone kicker on the roster. Ravens head coach John Harbaugh said Loop is "kicking well enough to win the job." A sixth-round pick out of Arizona, Loop made 83.8% of his field goals and 98.4% of his extra-point attempts in 50 career college games. The 24-year-old is poised to fill the shoes of longtime Ravens kicker
Justin Tucker, who was released this offseason amidst multiple allegations of sexual misconduct after 13 years with the team. Baltimore could always bring in a veteran kicker later in the summer, so Loop will still need to perform throughout the preseason to hold the job.
--Will BradySource: The Athletic - Jeff Zrebiec
August 4, 2025
The Atlanta Falcons will not play quarterbacks
Michael Penix Jr. and
Kirk Cousins in the team's first preseason game on Friday against the Detroit Lions, according to head coach Raheem Morris.
Easton Stick and
Emory Jones are the quarterbacks on Atlanta's depth chart behind their top two guys, so they will presumably split snaps against Detroit. Penix Jr. is expected to enter the season as the starter for Atlanta after taking over for Cousins in Week 16 of 2024. The veteran Cousins had been the subject of some trade speculation during the offseason, but it appears Atlanta is planning to keep him in place as the backup. In 14 games last year, the 36-year-old completed 66.9% of his passes for 3,508 yards, throwing 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. There's not much that Cousins needs to prove in preseason action at this point in his career.
--Will BradySource: Will McFadden
August
4,
2025
San
Francisco
49ers
rookie
wide
receiver
Jordan
Watkins
"is
in
position
to
be
the
49ers'
no.
3
or
4
wide
receiver,"
according
to
Matt
Barrows
of
The
Athletic.
Barrows
writes
that
Watkins'
teammates
"keep
praising
his
read more...
August
4,
2025
The
Pittsburgh
Steelers
offense
has
"overwhelmingly
relied
on
short,
quick
passes
or
checkdowns"
in
training
camp
practices,
according
to
Mike
DeFabo
of
The
Athletic.
DeFabo
writes
that
quarterback
Aaron
Rodgers
"hasn't
been
able
to
unlock"
wide
read more...
August 4, 2025
Through two weeks of training camp practices, Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver
Scotty Miller has been the team's wide receiver to stand out the most behind
D.K. Metcalf. According to SI's Noah Strackbein, he has outperformed both
Roman Wilson and
Robert Woods.
Calvin Austin III (undisclosed) has missed the last two practices, and the gap between Miller and the rest of the supporting cast has been even more evident. The Steelers' offense as a whole has reportedly struggled throughout camp, with Strackbein reporting that the defense has had the decided edge in nine of the team's first 10 practices. Sunday's practice focused on goal-line work, where the offense scored only twice in their 12 opportunities. Outside of Metcalf, the Steelers' passing game can be avoided except in deep leagues.
--Patrick McGrathSource: Noah Strackbein
August
4,
2025
Detroit
Lions
quarterback
Hendon
Hooker
will
get
the
start
in
the
team's
second
preseason
game
on
Friday
against
the
Atlanta
Falcons.
Lions
head
coach
Dan
Campbell
said
that
Hooker
will
play
the
first
half
and
veteran
read more...
August 4, 2025
Houston Texans tight end
Cade Stover has received praise from the front office throughout training camp. According to Cole Thompson of the Texas Wire, general manager Nick Caserio mentioned that Stover was the "most improved player of the entire offseason." The 25-year-old joined the Texans in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. During his rookie campaign, Stover had a limited role as he caught just 15 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown. However, during each of the final two games of the season (Week 18 and their Wild Card matchup), Stover logged 36 offensive snaps in each game, which were the highest marks of his debut season. In the playoff game, Stover caught a season-high four passes as well. Stover is a name to continue to monitor as he could surpass
Brevin Jordan as the No. 2 tight end behind presumed starter
Dalton Schultz.
--Andy SmithSource: Cole Thompson
August
4,
2025
Indianapolis
Colts
quarterbacks
Anthony
Richardson
Sr.
and
Daniel
Jones
are
expected
to
play
a
"good
amount"
during
Thursday's
preseason
opener
against
the
Baltimore
Ravens.
However,
head
coach
Shane
Steichen
has
read more...
August
4,
2025
It
was
an
up
and
down
race
day
for
Bubba
Wallace
at
Iowa
Speedway,
as
the
23XI
Racing
driver
had
good
speed
in
his
race
car
(he
ranked
sixth-fastest
in
Green
Flag
Speed
during
the
race)
but
ran
into
some
issues
read more...
August
4,
2025
Chicago
Bears
rookie
running
back
Kyle
Monangai
has
begun
to
earn
the
trust
of
the
coaching
staff.
Head
coach
Ben
Johnson
said,
"I'm
very
pleased
with
where
he's
at.
I
think
he's
a
guy
we're
gonna
read more...
August 4, 2025
Boston Red Sox outfield prospect
Jhostynxon Garcia went 2-for-3 with one home run and a walk during their contest on Sunday against Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Garcia has enjoyed an incredible power surge over the past week and is making a strong case to make his MLB debut before the end of the campaign. Over his last six games, Garcia has launched four long balls while holding a .417/.462/1.083 slash line. Since joining Triple-A Worcester, the No. 3-ranked prospect in Boston has held an impressive .305/.375/587 line with a .962 OPS across 54 games. He opened the season with Double-A Portland, where he was slightly less productive, holding a .748 OPS with just three home runs across a 33-game stint. Fantasy managers should continue to keep a close eye on Garcia as he could emerge as a stash candidate in the coming weeks.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
August 4, 2025
Baltimore Orioles catching prospect
Samuel Basallo continued his impressive campaign at Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. Facing Memphis, the top-ranked backstop prospect in the minor leagues went 2-for-5 with his 21st round-tripper of the campaign. This outing snapped a brief five-game skid for the 20-year-old. During this slump, Basallo went just 3-for-22 at the plate with only one extra-base hit. Overall, through 69 games with the Norfolk Tides this season, Basallo has posted a strong .271/.382/.592 slash line with a .974 OPS and a 67:41 K:BB. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor Basallo's production as he appears to be knocking on the MLB door. With the Orioles now firmly out of the playoff race, they could opt to give their top prospect a solid look in the majors over the final month of the season. He remains a top-hitting prospect to stash in all redraft leagues.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
August 4, 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect
Konnor Griffin went 1-for-3 with a walk and two stolen bases during their contest against High-A Rome on Sunday. This outing extended Griffin's current hitting streak to three games and his current stolen base streak to three games as well. Over his last 11 games, the 19-year-old has posted a stellar .359/.479/.538 slash line with three doubles, two triples, and nine stolen bases. Overall, since moving up to the High-A level, the budding superstar has been very productive, holding a .317/.425/.490 line with nine doubles, four home runs, and 24 stolen bases. Earlier this summer, the former ninth overall pick in last year's MLB Draft made his professional debut with Low-A and posted a .932 OPS with nine home runs and 26 stolen bases. Griffin remains a must-stash prospect in all dynasty formats.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
August 4, 2025
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop prospect
J.J. Wetherholt went 3-for-5 with a home run and three RBI during their contest against Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday. This was another productive outing for the top prospect in St. Louis, who is inching closer to his MLB debut. Since joining Triple-A Memphis, Wetherholt has been nothing short of impressive. Through his first 16 games at the top level of the minor leagues, the former seventh overall pick has posted a .344/.425/.754 slash line with five doubles, one triple, six home runs, and two stolen bases. Earlier in the summer, Wetherholt logged 62 games at Double-A, and was very productive there as well, posting an impressive .300/.425/.466 line with an .825 OPS. Given his fast progression through the system, Wetherholt remains a priority stash option during the final weeks of the season.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
August 4, 2025
Boston Red Sox shortstop prospect
Mikey Romero enjoyed a breakout game with Triple-A Worcester on Sunday afternoon. Facing Lehigh Valley, the infielder went 3-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI. Romero made his Triple-A debut earlier this week but went 0-for-10 over his first three games at the level. The No. 11-ranked prospect in the system on MLB.com spent the first half with Double-A Portland, which was quite effective, holding a .254/.315/.440 line. He hit 18 doubles, four triples, eight home runs, and swiped four bases. During the 2024 campaign, Romero spent most of his time with High-A and posted a strong .817 OPS before earning a late-season look at Double-A. Seeing Romero continue to progress through the Boston system suggests he remains on track to contend for an early 2026 MLB debut.
--Andy SmithSource: MiLB.com
August 4, 2025
The Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting shortstop prospect
Sammy Stafura to High-A Greensboro. Stafura was included in the package from Cincinnati that sent third baseman
Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Reds shortly before the trade deadline. Once he joined Pittsburgh, the Pirates opted for Stafura to begin his tenure with the club at Low-A Bradenton. Through four games with them, Stafura went 4-for-16 at the plate with a double and a triple. He spent the majority of the campaign with Cincinnati's Low-A affiliate, the Daytona Tortugas. Across 88 contests, Stafura held a solid .262/.393/.411 line with four home runs and 28 stolen bases. Dynasty managers should continue to monitor Stafura's production as he was considered the Reds' No. 8 prospect before the trade.
--Andy SmithSource: Chase Ford
August 4, 2025
Although Chase Briscoe won the pole, finished second, and led the second-most laps at Iowa yesterday, he had a rather overrated drive. Eventual winner William Byron passed him on the opening lap and Briscoe did not actually take the lead on track, instead beating Stage 1 winner Brad Keselowski out of the pits thanks to his pit stall selection. Briscoe got trapped a lap down when a caution for Shane van Gisbergen's spin happened after he'd pitted, but he did break into the top ten again on the lap 250 restart and took second on lap 286 shortly after Byron took the lead before stalling out. However, his race was marred by causing back-to-back cautions only ten laps apart when he spun out Erik Jones then spun Tyler Reddick into Christopher Bell. He continues to have a knack for finishing better than he runs, but he also continues to seem like a bit of a paper tiger.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
August
4,
2025
Brad
Keselowski
had
arguably
his
best
drive
as
an
owner-driver
yesterday
at
Iowa,
where
he
finished
third,
led
68
laps,
and
won
both
stages.
In
a
race
where
it
was
nearly
impossible
to
pass,
Keselowski
hunted
down
eventual
winner
William
Byron
read more...
August 4, 2025
Austin Dillon finished 10th in yesterday's Iowa race. Perhaps this shouldn't have come as much of a surprise as it did because of his win at the similar Richmond track last year. Starting 18th, he broke into the top ten the first time at the start of Stage 2 before being trapped a lap down when he amongst many others short-pitted before a caution came out. This relegated him to 19th, but he eventually reemerged in the top five after Richard Boswell's savvy pit strategy and after his final pit stop, he reemerged in the top ten on lap 318 and remained there the rest of the race. Although he still isn't running very well at all, he outran his teammate Kyle Busch yesterday and earned his first top ten since his three straight top tens from Bristol to Texas.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
August 4, 2025
Kyle Larson's summertime slump continued at Iowa. Although he started third and consistently ran between fourth and sixth for most of the first half of the race, his decision to pit under green backfired when a caution came out for Shane van Gisbergen's spin, which trapped all the drivers who pitted a lap down except for Byron, who got to take the wave-around. During the endless string of cautions that followed, Larson stayed out of the pits probably longer than he should have, which caught him back in traffic, where he received slight damage after contact from his other teammate Chase Elliott. His 28th-place finish coupled with his teammate William Byron's win has now made him a longshot for the regular season championship.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
August 4, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect
Luis Pena is headed to High-A Wisconsin after a 71-game audition at Single-A. He slashed .393/.457/.583 in 44 games last year in the Dominican Summer League, and this year in his first taste of stateside baseball, the Brewers' second-ranked prospect slashed .307/.374/.470 with six home runs and 40 steals. At just a 13.4 percent strikeout rate, the 18-year-old was clearly not overmatched and drew walks at a slightly better-than-average rate of 8.9 percent. There is power in his bat and more to come as he matures, but his calling cards are the hit and run tools. The young Venezuelan is a name to watch in dynasty leagues.
--Jarod RuppSource: MLB Pipeline
August
4,
2025
Hendrick
Motorsports
driver
William
Byron
won
this
week's
Iowa
Corn
350
at
Iowa
Speedway
after
an
up-and-down
performance.
Byron
started
the
race
from
the
second
position
and
quickly
assumed
the
lead
from
polesitter
Chase
Briscoe.
The
No.
24
Chevrolet
driver
went
read more...
August
4,
2025
Team
Penske's
Ryan
Blaney
was
one
of
the
fastest
and
most
consistent
drivers
to
compete
for
the
win
during
Sunday's
Iowa
Corn
350
at
Iowa
Speedway.
Blaney
began
the
race
from
the
sixth
position
and
made
his
way
to
the
top
read more...
August
4,
2025
RFK
Racing
driver
Ryan
Preece
went
through
an
eventful
race
in
the
Iowa
Corn
350
at
Iowa
Speedway.
Preece
started
the
race
towards
the
back
of
the
pack
in
the
33rd
position
and
struggled
throughout
the
first
half
of
the
race.
read more...
August 4, 2025
Milwaukee Brewers infield prospect
Jesus Made is headed to High-A Wisconsin after an impressive 83-game run at Single-A. The Brewers' top-ranked prospect (MLB No. 7) showed a little bit of everything, hitting .267 with 21 doubles, three triples, four home runs, and 40 stolen bases. At just 18 years old, he struck out at a better-than-average rate of 20.6 percent while walking at a high rate of 14.0 percent. The switch-hitter has a dreamy toolset that could make him a coveted fantasy asset years from now, and although he may not debut until 2027 or 2028, the 6-foot-1 Dominican is a prospect whose progression should be closely monitored.
--Jarod RuppSource: MLB Pipeline
August
4,
2025
Denny
Hamlin
of
Joe
Gibbs
Racing
had
a
tough
day
in
the
Iowa
Corn
350
at
Iowa
Speedway.
Hamlin
started
the
race
in
the
11th
position,
but
only
maintained
his
position
during
the
race's
first
stage
as
he
finished
the
stage
read more...
August 3, 2025
Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward hit a walk-off home run to give the Halos an 8-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday. Ward stepped to the plate in a 5-5 game in the bottom of the ninth with one out and two men on against White Sox left-hander Tyler Alexander, and he took him deep to left for his 26th homer of the season. After finishing 2-for-5 and driving in four, Ward is hitting .230/.305/.483 with 82 RBI and 59 runs scored in 476 plate appearances. While Ward's average and on-base percentage leave something to be desired, he's somewhat quietly tied for seventh in the majors in RBI and eighth in HRs.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
August 3, 2025
Jacksonville Jaguars two-way star
Travis Hunter spent all 20 of his snaps on offense at Sunday's training camp practice. The rookie, who has been a subject of offseason debate regarding his split between wide receiver and defensive back, made an impressive leaping touchdown catch over cornerback Jourdan Lewis in red zone work. However, Hunter had a pass bounce off his hands two plays later. RotoBaller projects Hunter to be the WR34 this season with a stat line of 77 catches, 914 yards, and six touchdowns. This notable development is a situation to monitor, as a full-time offensive role would make him a high-upside fantasy option.
--Don FanelliSource: Michael DiRocco
August 3, 2025
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter
Kyle Schwarber swatted his 38th home run of the year in a 2-0 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday. Now tied with
Shohei Ohtani for the NL lead in homers, Schwarber took Tigers left-handed reliever
Tyler Holton deep with a 435-foot solo blast in the bottom of the eighth inning. He also singled as part of a 2-for-3 night and is now slashing .254/.379/.578 with 88 RBI, 77 runs scored, and 10 stolen bases in 493 plate appearances. Schwarber should reach 40 homers for the third time, 100 RBI for the third time, and 100 runs for the fourth time. He's also one steal away from a new career high. Schwarber has been better than ever in his age-32 campaign.
--Connor ByrneSource: ESPN
August 3, 2025
Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler has agreed to a three-year contract extension worth up to $67.75 million, with $44 million guaranteed on Sunday. The deal makes Sieler, who had two years remaining on his previous contract, the Dolphins' highest-paid defensive player. Sieler, a former seventh-round pick out of Division II Ferris State, has been a major success story, recording double-digit sacks in each of the last two seasons. He was also named the Dolphins' team MVP in 2024. As a team captain, he has been a key part of the Dolphins' defensive line, and this new deal solidifies his role as a cornerstone of the defense.
--Don FanelliSource: Adam Schefter
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