RADIO
Ryan Preece Earns his First Cup Series Victory and A Chase Spot at Daytona
Ryan Preece was the first driver below the cut line who needed enough points to gain a spot in The Chase for 2026, and needed to make up those points in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Preece made the most of this race and won it after starting from fourth position. In the first stage, Preece ran inside the top five throughout the stage and competed for the stage win alongside Chris Buescher, Kyle Larson, and Shane Van Gisbergen. At the end of the first stage, Preece was collected in a multicar accident with Buescher and Larson, but was still credited with an eighth-place finish at the end of the stage. In the second stage, he recovered from his damage and made his way back to the front, challenging for the lead against several other drivers, including Chase Elliott, Ryan Blaney, and Zane Smith. Preece fell short of winning the second stage to Blaney, but still scored nine stage points from placing second. The No. 60 Ford driver continued to run inside the top 10 in the final stage, but more directly competed for the lead in the closing laps. Preece was set up in second on the race's final restart and was able to get help from Blaney to compete with Smith and Tyler Reddick for the win. On the final lap, Reddick got into Smith and caused the biggest crash of the day, while Preece pushed ahead of Daniel Suarez and Reddick until the race was called for caution. Preece earned the first points-paying victory of his Cup Series career and earned enough points to knock Van Gisbergen out of the 16th and final seed of The Chase.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Daniel Suarez Scores his Best Finish of the Year at Daytona
Spire Motorsports driver Daniel Suarez finished the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway as the runner-up. At the beginning of the race, Suarez started 23rd, but quietly rode around in the back of the pack in the first stage while keeping his car damage-free. He ended the first stage in 29th and did not score stage points. During the second stage, Suarez quietly worked his way through the pack. The No. 7 Chevrolet driver made it up to eighth by the end of the stage and scored three stage points. During the stage break for the final stage, Suarez ended up getting into John Hunter Nemechek on pit road, causing him to have a bit of damage. Despite the damage, Suarez continued to keep his car clean throughout the rest of the accidents in the final stage. As a result, Suarez snuck into second on the final lap by passing other drivers who crashed in the largest crash of the day. He did fall short of passing Ryan Preece before the race was finished under caution. With his best finish since his victory at Charlotte in May, Suarez is now the No. 11 Seed for The Chase in 2026.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Dolphins Acquire Quarterback Kyle McCord From the Packers
The Miami Dolphins acquired quarterback Kyle McCord from the Green Bay Packers on Sunday in exchange for a 2028 sixth-round pick, sources told Adam Schefter of ESPN. The move comes after the Dolphins sent QB Quinn Ewers to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday and waived Cam Miller and Mark Gronowski. The 23-year-old McCord, a sixth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2025 from Syracuse, will become the primary backup to another former Packers QB, Malik Willis. McCord has yet to take a snap in the NFL in a regular-season game, but he did look good in the preseason with Green Bay, throwing for 446 yards, four touchdowns, and zero interceptions in three games played. With the move to South Beach, McCord is now one step away from becoming a starter in the NFL if Willis misses time with an injury.
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Javonte Williams Leaves August Firmly in Control of Backfield
Dallas Cowboys running back Javonte Williams hasn't given fantasy managers much to worry about this summer. That's the point. Williams rushed for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns on 252 carries last season, then Dallas brought him back on a three-year, $24 million deal. Nothing in August has chipped away at that lead role. The Cowboys have spent most of camp sorting through Jaydon Blue, Malik Davis and Phil Mafah behind him, and team writers were still calling everything below Williams a question mark on Aug. 25. Dallas then sat Williams, Blue and Davis in the preseason finale while Mafah handled 12 carries. Williams also caught 35 passes last year and finished with 13 total touchdowns, so there is some regression risk if the scoring drops. The workload is the bigger takeaway, though. RotoBaller's Aug. 28 outlook has Williams ranked 36th overall and projects another top-10 fantasy finish if he stays healthy. He isn't the cheap draft-day bet he was a year ago, but his hold on the Dallas backfield looks every bit as strong heading into Week 1.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Tyler Reddick Finishes Third and Claims the No. 3 Chase Seed at Daytona
Tyler Reddick finished third in Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Reddick started the race from 17th, but did not have much of a presence in the race's first two stages as he remained towards the back or middle of the pack. The No. 45 Toyota driver scored zero stage points as he placed 32nd at the end of the first stage and 19th at the end of the second. The final stage towards the end is where Reddick started making progress on the pack and went to the top 10. Reddick then made moves to the front and started competing for the win in the closing laps alongside Zane Smith, Ryan Preece, and Carson Hocevar. After a lap 155 caution for Hocevar spinning and wrecking Erik Jones, Reddick moved into position for the race's final restart to fight for the win from fourth. Reddick continued to push Smith and, on the final lap, made a run for the lead, but got into Smith after he attempted to block Reddick, triggering a big multi-car wreck. Soon after the contact, the caution was called, and the race ended with Reddick in third, finishing behind Preece and Daniel Suarez. With his 11th top-5 finish of the season, Reddick passed Ty Gibbs in points and will be the No. 3 seed in The Chase for 2026.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Austin Cindric Clinches A Chase Spot by Finishing Sixth at Daytona
Team Penske's Austin Cindric finished in sixth position during Saturday night's Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway. The driver of the No. 2 Ford began the race from the eighth position, and during the first stage, he steadily ran inside the top 10 without much issue. Cindric ultimately finished the first stage in 10th, earning one stage point. In the second stage, Cindric continued to run around the top 10 until he found his teammates Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano midway through the stage. Cindric moved to the front with his teammates and competed for the lead until lap 93, when he fell back outside of the top 10. At the end of the second stage, Cindric failed to score stage points as he placed 13th. In the final stage, Cindric first started towards the back after pitting in the stage break, but he quietly ran around the top 15 and top 10 throughout the whole stage. Cindric went through the rest of the race without getting involved in any crashes and successfully avoided the one on the final lap to score a top-10 finish. This top-10 result was enough for Cindric to clinch a spot as the No. 15 seed in The Chase for 2026.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Shane Van Gisbergen Falls out of The Chase
Shane Van Gisbergen ran well throughout the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona International Speedway, but ultimately ended with an underwhelming finish of 28th. Van Gisbergen started the race from the sixth position, but quickly competed for the lead alongside Ross Chastain, Chris Buescher, and eventually Kyle Larson throughout the first stage. Coming at the end of the first stage, Buescher and Larson were involved in a crash with Ryan Preece, and he passed everyone else to win the first stage and claim 10 stage points. In the second stage, Van Gisbergen fought for the lead in the stage's first couple of laps, but got shuffled back by the field midway through the stage. SVG tried to maneuver back to the front but fell short of earning stage points in the second stage, finishing 12th. In the stage break during the final stage, Van Gisbergen went to pit road and put himself further back in the pack. Over the course of the stage, Van Gisbergen kept recovering positions until he returned to the top 15, but a caution on lap 155 changed that. During this caution, SVG went back to pit road for fuel and tires and set himself further back in the field for the final restart. Despite fresher tires and fuel, Van Gisbergen could not make up many positions and was involved in the crash on the final lap, finishing 28th. This finish was not enough for Van Gisbergen to make the 2026 Chase for the Cup as he was 17 points short of obtaining the final Chase spot over Preece, who recovered from his crash at the end of the first stage to win.
Source: NASCAR.com
Source: NASCAR.com
Davante Adams Has Helped His Redraft Case This Summer
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams already showed last season that the touchdowns are still there. What he did not have was a summer of work with Matthew Stafford. Stafford missed almost all of 2025 training camp because of a back injury, leaving Adams to build that connection on the fly. This August has been different. The two connected on an over-the-shoulder touchdown during camp, and their chemistry stood out again in the Rams' joint practice with New Orleans. Adams is coming off 60 catches for 789 yards and an NFL-leading 14 touchdowns in 14 games, good for a WR9 finish in PPR. There is still plenty of regression risk here. His 52.6% catch rate was a career low, 84 of his 222.9 PPR points came from touchdowns, and Puka Nacua remains the clear lead target. RotoBaller currently has Adams at WR18 in PPR rankings, so he is not being treated like a bargain. Still, a healthy summer with Stafford is a meaningful change from a year ago. Adams has done more to steady his redraft value than give fantasy managers another reason to fade him.
Source: RotoBaller
Source: RotoBaller
Dillon Gabriel Set to Make Browns' 53-Man Roster
Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel is set to make the team's initial 53-man roster heading into the regular-season opener on Sept. 13, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. After a strong training camp and preseason this summer, Gabriel has earned the QB3 role entering his second NFL season behind starter Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. After the Browns took the 25-year-old in the third round (94th overall) out of Oregon last April, he threw for 937 yards, seven touchdowns, and two interceptions in his first 10 NFL games (six starts) before an injury opened the door for Sanders to close out the year as the Browns' starter. Cleveland could end up keeping four QBs on their initial roster, with the Browns hoping to keep rookie Taylen Green around because of his rushing upside. While Gabriel has looked good this summer, he struggled to do much down the field as a rookie, and his dynasty/keeper upside remains minimal.
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
Source: ESPN.com - Jeremy Fowler
Dohnte Meyers Makes Bengals' Initial 53-Man Roster
Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Dohnte Meyers has made the team's initial 53-man roster, according to Charlie Clifford. Meyers came over from the CFL in January and kept making plays throughout his first NFL summer. He led Cincinnati with 11 catches for 121 yards in the preseason, including three grabs for 51 yards on the opening drive Friday against Philadelphia. That was his only series of the night. Meyers also got first-team work while Ja'Marr Chase was sidelined earlier in the week. The 26-year-old earned his NFL opportunity after catching 65 passes for 1,056 yards and eight touchdowns for Saskatchewan last season and helping the Roughriders win the Grey Cup. Meyers is buried behind an established group led by Chase and Tee Higgins, so there isn't an obvious path to fantasy value right away. Still, his work on offense and in the return game was enough to turn a January futures signing into a spot on Cincinnati's 53.
Source: Charlie Clifford
Source: Charlie Clifford
Browns Want to Keep Rookie QB Taylen Green on the Roster
The Cleveland Browns would like to keep rookie sixth-round quarterback Taylen Green on their 53-man roster on Sunday if they can find a way to do it, according to Mary Kay Cabot of The Cleveland Plain Dealer. It looks like the Browns could be keeping four signal-callers on their initial 53-man roster after all under new head coach Todd Monken. Green would be the team's QB4 behind starter Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel. The 23-year-old from Arkansas needs some development as a passer, but it is clear that the Browns are intrigued by his ability to scramble and pick up chunk gains with his legs. Gabriel solidified his spot as the Browns' QB3 with a strong preseason showing after he was taken two rounds ahead of Sanders in the 2025 NFL draft. If Green can develop as a passer this year, he could have a future in Cleveland. In fantasy, he is merely a bench stash in deep dynasty/keeper leagues.
Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
Source: The Cleveland Plain Dealer - Mary Kay Cabot
Bengals Release Veteran Quarterback Josh Johnson
The Cincinnati Bengals released veteran quarterback Josh Johnson on Sunday, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. The end of the line could be coming for the 40-year-old journeyman QB who has spent time with the Bengals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, San Francisco 49ers, and Cleveland Browns over the course of his 10 NFL seasons since being drafted in the fifth round by Tampa back in 2008 from the University of San Diego. If Johnson does latch on with another squad before the start of the 2026 campaign, he will merely be veteran QB depth with a path to a starting role very unlikely. He played in five games (two starts) with the Commanders last year and threw for 372 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions on 54 passing attempts. Johnson has a 58.7% career completion percentage with 2,669 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and 18 interceptions in 50 games (11 starts).
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Source: ESPN - Adam Schefter
Cardinals Acquire Tight End Hunter Long From the Jaguars
The Arizona Cardinals acquired tight end Hunter Long from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network. It is unclear what the Cardinals sent to the Jaguars in return. With the move, Long will join a tight end room in Arizona that includes starter Trey McBride, one of the best pass-catching TEs in the NFL, Elijah Higgins, and Teagan Quitoriano. The 28-year-old former third-rounder by the Miami Dolphins in 2021 from Boston College has primarily been a blocking-first tight end in his five years in the NFL, accumulating just 20 catches on 29 targets for 153 yards and two touchdowns in 46 games played (eight starts) with the Dolphins, Los Angeles Rams, and Jaguars. Long had his best season last year with Jacksonville, catching 12 of 17 targets for 85 yards and two touchdowns in nine regular-season games. He will have a better shot at playing time in Arizona, but Long is still a big long shot for fantasy relevance in 2026.
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
Source: NFL Network - Ian Rapoport
James Wood to Play in Rehab Game on Sunday
Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood (oblique) will play seven innings in left field for Double-A Harrisburg in a minor-league rehab game on Sunday, according to Spencer Nusbaum of The Athletic. Wood wanted to see live pitching before the Nats reinstated him from the 10-day injured list. If everything goes well on Sunday, manager Blake Butera said that the team will likely give the left-handed slugger Monday off. Barring a setback, it looks as though Wood will return from the IL to rejoin the starting nine in D.C. for the start of a series against the division-rival Atlanta Braves on Tuesday. The 23-year-old two-time All-Star will immediately be a must-start again in all fantasy baseball leagues when he returns to a .265/.393/.535 slash line, a .928 OPS, 30 home runs, 73 RBI, 17 stolen bases, and 100 runs scored in his 437 at-bats in 2026. Even though Wood has hit .191 (13-for-68) with just two of his 30 homers in 17 games since the All-Star break, he could carry fantasy teams down the stretch in the final month of the regular season in September after recovering from a strained oblique muscle.
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum
Source: The Athletic - Spencer Nusbaum
Byron Buxton Remains Sidelined With Hip Injury on Sunday
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton (hip) remains out of the team's starting lineup for Sunday's series finale at Target Field against the division-rival Chicago White Sox, per MLB.com. Rookie Walker Jenkins is making another start in center field for the Twins and will bat ninth against White Sox right-hander Jordan Hicks. Right-hip discomfort will keep Buxton out of Minnesota's lineup for the fourth straight game, and when considering that it is an injury that has already sent him to the injured list twice in the second half of the season, things are not looking great for the veteran outfielder heading into the final month of the regular season. The 32-year-old three-time All-Star picked up where he left off in 2025, hitting .271 (83-for-306) with 25 home runs, 45 RBI, 57 runs scored, and seven stolen bases in 75 games in the first half this year. But that is where the good news has ended for Buxton in 2026, as he has played in only 18 games in the second half with a .172/.274/.203 slash line, zero homers, one RBI, seven walks, and 17 strikeouts. If Buxton lands on the IL a third time, it is possible that he will be shut down for the rest of the season if the Twins fall further out of the American League wild-card race.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
