RADIO
Leo De Vries Looks Like The Real Deal
Athletics shortstop prospect Leo De Vries excelled during the 2026 season, playing 93 games at Double-A Midland and putting together an elite statistical season. De Vries hit .290 with 13 homers and 55 RBI, 63 runs scored, and 34 stolen bases. The 19-year-old switch hitter flashed his enormous potential by showing off his five-category skill set. He is the top overall prospect in the Athletics system and one of the top prospects in baseball. He has a 60-grade hit tool with a 55-grade power and speed combination. De Vries actually was signed by the San Diego Padres and was traded to the Athletics in the Mason Miller deal. De Vries looks like a future fantasy star with elite bat-to-ball skills and speed to burn on the basepaths. Even though he is still very young at 19, look for him to debut with the Athletics in 2027.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Xavier Hutchinson a Deep-League Waiver-Wire Candidate
With Houston Texans wide receiver Nico Collins (hamstring) potentially missing another game in Week 3 against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts this weekend, Xavier Hutchinson should be on the waiver-wire radar this week. Hutchinson did not exactly stand out in the box score in the Week 2 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday with Collins sidelined -- he caught three of his nine targets for 37 yards -- but he was targeted a team-high nine times and played 81% of the offensive snaps, which was the most among Houston's pass-catchers. If Collins misses a second straight game this weekend, Hutchinson will be in line for an elevated role again and could be a nice sleeper flex play in deeper leagues against a Colts defense that has allowed a league-high 337.5 passing yards per game through he first two weeks of the season. Through two games in his fourth NFL season, Hutchinson has six grabs on 15 targets for 69 scoreless yards. He is rostered in 5% of Yahoo leagues, so he is widely available.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Jamie Arnold Flashes Potential In First Minor-League Season
In his first minor league season, Athletics pitching prospect Jamie Arnold showed off some of his potential, pitching at two different minor-league levels. Between Double-A Midland and Triple- A Las Vegas, Arnold finished with a 7-6 record and a combined 3.50 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. He struck out 130 batters over 118 1/3 combined innings. The 22-year-old left-handed pitcher out of Florida State had an extremely promising first professional season even though he exited the season early with an injury. Arnold is the No. 3 overall prospect for the Athletics and has a 60-grade slider with a 55-grade fastball and a 50-grade changeup. An experienced prospect out of college, Arnold showed his promise this year in the minor leagues. He should make his way up to the Athletics and make his big-league debut in 2027, looking like a future fantasy starter.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Drew Lock Could Have Streaming Potential Again in Week 3
Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Drew Lock has led the defending Super Bowl champions to a 2-0 start in 2026 after starting QB Sam Darnold injured his glute early in the Week 1 win over the New England Patriots. The 29-year-old has completed 35 of his 48 pass attempts (72.9%) while throwing for 422 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He was much better in the Week 2 win over the division-rival Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, going 19-for-26 for 235 yards and three touchdowns in an easy 31-7 blowout. Darnold is making good progress from his injury and could return to practice this week, so it is up in the air right now whether he will have a realistic chance to make his return this weekend. If Seattle plays it safe and holds Darnold out for another week, Lock will have plenty of streaming potential in a Week 3 matchup this Sunday against a Washington Commanders defense that just allowed four passing touchdowns to Dallas Cowboys QB Dak Prescott. Lock is only rostered in 4% of Yahoo leagues, but he will make for an interesting QB2 streamer in superflex leagues if he makes a second straight start for Seattle this week.
Source: Pro Football Reference
Source: Pro Football Reference
Gage Wood Has Extremely High Upside With Elite Fastball
Philadelphia Phillies pitching prospect Gage Wood had a bit of mixed results during his age-22 minor-league season in 2026. Wood pitched to a combined 1-5 record between Single-A Clearwater and Double-A Reading. He showed a good strikeout rate with 139 strikeouts in 95 combined innings pitched and posted a 4.36 ERA and 1.24 WHIP. Wood has enormous potential as the top prospect in the Phillies' system and possesses a 70-grade fastball with a 55-grade curveball, 50-grade slider, and 45-grade changeup. He still has room to improve his offspeed stuff, but his fastball is pretty much major-league level. He can strike out batters with his elite fastball, but he is working hard to improve his changeup. The minor league numbers weren't necessarily elite this season, but expect Wood to get a look at some point in Philadelphia in 2027.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Aaron Judge Likely to Miss Wild-Card Series
New York Yankees superstar outfielder Aaron Judge (calf) is likely to miss the American League wild-card series against the division-rival Boston Red Sox next week, according to Bryan Hoch of MLB.com. "We're planning on him not being a part of that," manager Aaron Boone said. Judge received a platelet-rich plasma injection in his right calf on Monday during the team's off day. After recently returning from a stress fracture in his rib that kept him out for the majority of the 2026 season, Judge injured his right calf and was placed on the 10-day injured list last weekend. If the Yankees advance past the Red Sox in the wild-card series, it is unclear if Judge will be available to play in the Divisional Series, and it likely depends on how much progress he is able to make before then. In the meantime, Heliot Ramos is expected to see most of the playing time in right field for the Yanks. Not having the three-time MVP will be a huge loss for the Yankees to begin the playoffs. Judge has only played in 66 games in 2026, slashing .241/.360/.511 with an .871 OPS, 18 home runs, 41 RBI, 45 runs scored, and five stolen bases in 285 plate appearances.
Source: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
Source: MLB.com - Bryan Hoch
Jacob Cowing Should Have Bigger Role With 49ers
San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Demarcus Robinson (ankle) suffered a high-ankle sprain in the Week 2 win over the Miami Dolphins and is a candidate for Injured Reserve. With Ricky Pearsall (knee) out for the season and rookie second-rounder De'Zhaun Stribling (ankle) out for around 10 weeks, The Athletic's Matt Barrows points out Jacob Cowing as a receiver who could replace Robinson for however long he is out. Cowing's 24 snaps in Week 2 were the most since he had 50 in the 2024 regular-season finale, which came two weeks after the 49ers had been eliminated from the postseason. Jordan Watkins, who has been a healthy scratch for the first two weeks of the season, will also likely be used as receiver depth with the Niners really hurting at the position. The 25-year-old Cowing, a fourth-rounder from Arizona in 2024, did not play at all last year and caught four of six targets for 80 yards in 15 games as a rookie. He is not currently rostered in any Yahoo leagues and is strictly a deep-league dart throw for fantasy managers devastated by injuries already at the WR position.
Source: The Athletic - Matt Barrows
Source: The Athletic - Matt Barrows
Ethan Holliday Will Be Crushing Balls At Coors Field Soon
Colorado Rockies top shortstop prospect Ethan Holliday missed the last four months of the 2026 season with a stress fracture to his left foot and, at age 19, will look to make the most of his 2027 season. Holliday played in 33 games for Single-A Fresno and showed unbelievable promise with nine homers and 32 RBI while hitting .262 with 29 runs scored. The left-handed hitting shortstop is the top overall prospect in the Rockies' system with a 50-grade hit tool with 65-grade power and 50-grade speed. He is still very young and raw, and the injury was unfortunate for his age-19 season. But in his brief time healthy with Fresno, he showed off elite power, which is in line with how he is rated as a prospect. He has the bloodline as the son of Matt Holliday and brother of Jackson Holliday. It might take a few years, but he should be crushing baseballs at Coors Field in the near future.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Rashid Shaheed Remains a Boom-or-Bust Stash
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed finally got a little more work in Week 2, catching three of six targets for 35 yards and adding four yards on one carry against Arizona. That still leaves him with only four catches for 39 yards through two games, so there is not much production to chase yet. Shaheed did play 39 offensive snaps Sunday, more than Cooper Kupp, which at least keeps the role interesting. Sam Darnold (glute) is also expected back at practice this week after missing Week 2, though his status for Sunday is not settled. A Darnold return could help, but Jaxon Smith-Njigba has dominated Seattle's passing game and Shaheed remains a volatile option behind him. There is still enough big-play ability and playing time to justify some patience. Shaheed makes sense as a bench stash for managers with room, but he is not a priority waiver claim and can be replaced if a stronger option is available.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Ryan Sloan Shows Off Potential In Minor Leagues
Seattle Mariners pitching prospect Ryan Sloan spent all season at Double-A Arkansas and showed off why he is a highly regarded prospect for the Mariners. Sloan started 22 games for the Arkansas Travelers and compiled a 4-4 record with 128 strikeouts in 101 1/3 innings with a 3.73 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. At age 20, Sloan had a nice season at the Double-A level and displayed why he is ranked as the No. 2 prospect in the Seattle system. He has a 60-grade fastball and changeup combination with a 55-grade secondary pitch in his slider. Sloan could use another year in the minors potentially but also could push the Mariners to promote him to the major leagues. It will be interesting to see how his development progresses next year. He could be worth a draft selection next year with an outside shot of making his MLB debut at some point in 2027.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Chad Tracy Becomes Full-Time Manager, Lands Three-Year Contract
The Boston Red Sox named Chad Tracy as their full-time manager on Tuesday by signing him to a three-year contract with a club option for the 2030 season, according to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com. The Red Sox also announced that they exercised chief baseball officer Craig Breslow's 2029 and 2030 options. Tracy is the 49th manager in Red Sox history after taking over on April 25 when Breslow fired Alex Cora. Boston was 10-17 at that point. With Tracy as the skipper, Boston has gone 74-55 and clinched a spot in the 2026 playoffs on Sunday. Tracy started 32-46 as the team entered play on June 25, but they turned in a 20-3 stretch that vaulted them into wild-card position. That insane stretch included 15 straight wins from July 3 through July 22, which tied for the longest win streak in club history. The Red Sox are currently in possession of the second American League wild-card spot and are likely to face the division-rival New York Yankees in the AL wild-card round for the second straight season at Yankee Stadium.
Source: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
Source: MassLive.com - Christopher Smith
Jazz Chisholm Jr. Returning for Second Game of Doubleheader Tuesday
New York Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. (thumb) said he will be activated from the 10-day injured list and play in the second game of Tuesday's doubleheader against the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. The 28-year-old, who has been out the last two weeks with a sprained right thumb, will return to action to close out the final week of the regular season. The Yankees and fantasy managers will be hoping that Chisholm can pick up where he left off earlier this month, when he went 6-for-18 with a home run to begin the month. Chisholm is returning to a .232/.312/.403 slash line with a .715 OPS, 19 home runs, 55 RBI, 68 runs scored, and 40 stolen bases across his 461 at-bats in 2026 in his second full season in the Bronx. The two-time All-Star will return to starting duties at the keystone in New York, which will push Anthony Volpe to an infield utility role for the rest of the regular season and for the playoffs next month.
Source: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
Source: The Athletic - Chris Kirschner
Jesus Made Completes Stellar Season at Double-A
Milwaukee Brewers shortstop prospect Jesus Made completed a stellar season at Double-A Biloxi and looks like a future fantasy star. Made played in 122 games for the Biloxi Shuckers and hit .271 with 14 homers and 91 RBI to go with 87 runs scored and 37 stolen bases. It was a highly successful statistical season for the 19-year-old and he showed his five-category fantasy promise with the numbers he was able to accumulate. Made is the top prospect in the Brewers organization and possesses a 60-grade hit tool with 60-grade power and speed. Made is a complete prospect, whose power and speed combination makes him a great fantasy target for 2027 drafts. It's unknown if he will start the season with Milwaukee but he should make it there at some point during next season. He looks like one of the bright fantasy shortstop prospects.
Source: Minor League Baseball
Source: Minor League Baseball
Rams "Hopeful" Puka Nacua Can Play in Week 3
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (groin) remains uncertain for Week 3 after sitting out Monday night's win over the Giants. Head coach Sean McVay said Tuesday that he is hopeful Nacua can play Sunday night against Denver, according to Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times, but added that he isn't sure of his status yet. Nacua missed the final two practices last week after groin soreness surfaced following Thursday's session and was inactive Monday. The Rams officially listed the issue as a hip injury, while McVay has described it as soreness in Nacua's groin. McVay said the Rams will play him if he's ready and continue without him if he isn't.
Source: Gary Klein
Source: Gary Klein
Kalif Raymond Has Carved Out a Real PPR Role
Chicago Bears wide receiver Kalif Raymond keeps getting the ball. He followed an eight-catch, 84-yard opener with five receptions for 40 yards against Minnesota, leaving him with 13 catches for 124 yards through two games. That is not a fluky one-week line anymore, even if the ceiling remains modest. Raymond is still sharing the field with Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, and now there is a quarterback issue to watch. Caleb Williams is week-to-week with a right hamstring injury, and head coach Ben Johnson said Monday that he does not expect Williams to practice this week. Tyson Bagent would be next up if Williams cannot go against Philadelphia. RotoBaller has Raymond 30th overall on its Week 3 waiver board and recommends him in 12-team PPR leagues, while its dedicated receiver column is a little more cautious. Raymond is not worth chasing with a top claim, but 13 catches in two games is enough to make him a reasonable PPR depth add.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
