April 19, 2026

Kyle Larson of Hendrick Motorsports will start in the fourth position for this week's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking the third consecutive race at Kansas where he will start inside the top five in a Cup race. In 22 races at Kansas, Larson has three wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 12.1, which ranks third-best among active drivers. With eight races now completed in the 2026 season, Larson ranks sixth in the regular-season standings with five top-10 finishes and an average finish of 13.5. In practice for this week's race, Larson ranked first in overall lap averages and 26th in five consecutive lap averages. As the winner of the last two spring Kansas races, Larson should not be overlooked to compete for the win this week, even if he did not set long run practice speeds.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

April 19, 2026

Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp finished the 2025 season as the WR55, and his receiving yardage has now dropped year after year since his 2021 Triple Crown-winning season. His two total touchdowns and 37.1 yards per game both marked career lows. In his first season in Seattle, he saw only a 15.5% target share, and as he approaches his age-33 season, any hopes of a fantasy resurgence have been comfortably put to rest. Returning quarterback Sam Darnold and new offensive coordinator Brian Fleury will have the reigning Offensive Player of the Year to lean on in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and after sending a fourth and fifth-round pick to acquire Rashid Shaheed in a mid-season trade and then signing him to a three-year, $51 million deal, the expectation is that he will earn more than the 2.6 targets per game he saw across his nine regular season outings with the Seahawks. Kupp did lead the team in targets and receptions in their Super Bowl win over the Patriots, proving that he can still provide the occasional spike week in the rare occurrence that an opponent has both the plan and the personnel to limit Smith-Njigba, but relying on him as a weekly starter is no longer a viable option. Once one of fantasy's true elites, Kupp is now WR108 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 19, 2026

Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Tony Santillan was handed the ball with a one-run lead against the Minnesota Twins on Saturday. Closer Emilio Pagan (hamstring) pitched on Friday, but the team decided to play it safe and hold him out on Saturday night. Instead, Santillan got the ball and looked sharp on the mound. The right-hander tossed a scoreless inning while striking out two batters to earn his first save of the season. Santillan has yet to allow an earned run across 10 innings of work this season. He appears to be the favorite to get saves if the Reds decide to make a switch. Santillan is an interesting stash option given Pagan's struggles to begin the season.--Andy Webb
Source: Baseball Reference

April 19, 2026

Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jaylen Warren has spent his entire career in some form of timeshare. From 2022 to 2024, he shared a room with Najee Harris and found fantasy relevance through his work as a pass catcher, making a career-high 61 grabs in 2023 on his way to an RB25 finish. In 2025, many expected him to split time with rookie Kaleb Johnson, but it was actually free agent signing Kenneth Gainwell that ate into his workload, most notably as a receiver, with Warren's 42 targets the lowest since his rookie season. With Gainwell now off to Tampa Bay, Warren finds himself in yet another new committee, this time with former Cowboys and Falcons runner Rico Dowdle. While Dowdle is a well-rounded back, he possesses neither the tank-like frame to grind out the 270+ carries of a prime Harris nor the receiving chops to approach Gainwell's 73 receptions from 2025, leaving margins for Warren to again hold a prominent, fantasy-relevant role. Since Dowdle's signing, Warren has fallen to low-end RB3 status in consensus dynasty rankings, but with a clear path to reestablish himself as the primary pass-catcher out of the backfield, he should be more than capable of matching or exceeding his RB26 finish from 2025. At 27 years old, Warren represents the type of depth piece that a contending manager might lean on for notable swaths of the season.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 19, 2026

Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez could be on a short leash after another tough outing on Thursday. Dominguez took the blown save after allowing three runs on two hits over 0.1 innings of work. He cleaned up his act on Saturday with a scoreless inning, but walked two batters over his inning of work. The right-hander has blown two saves and has a horrendous 7.50 ERA and a 1.83 WHIP over his six innings of work. He'll likely remain in the closer role for now, with the White Sox not having much competition for saves in their bullpen right now.--Andy Webb
Source: Baseball Reference

April 19, 2026

San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey is coming off the third RB1 fantasy finish of his career despite putting up some of his lowest efficiency numbers since entering the league. His 413 touches in 2025 marked a career-high, while his 5.1 yards per touch were the lowest since 2020, a season in which he only played three games. This was McCaffrey's third time finishing a season with more than 330 total touches, all three times culminating in an All-Pro selection, but in both previous instances, he missed significant time the following season. Only twice in four opportunities has he played more than four games following a 200+ touch campaign. While that sort of fragility might frighten some fantasy managers, the ceiling that he represents when given a full workload is unattainable by any other player in the league. 58 times in his career, McCaffrey has touched the ball at least 20 times in a game. Only once under such circumstances did he fail to record at least 100 yards or a touchdown. Unfortunately, that occurred in 2025, along with several other instances where he barely cleared the mark, further signaling a decline in efficiency. About to turn 30 years old, McCaffrey appears to have hit a crossroads where his continued fantasy greatness is reliant on a one-of-one workload, while that same workload could be his ultimate undoing were he to sustain another serious injury. He currently ranks as RotoBaller's dynasty RB10, but contending managers would be advised to ride him until the wheels fall off.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 19, 2026

New York Mets starting pitcher Christian Scott could be on the verge of a promotion after a hot start at Triple-A. Over his last two starts, Scott has a 1.74 ERA, 0.58 WHIP, and a 12/2 K/BB ratio across 10.1 innings of work. The 26-year-old got a taste for the big leagues last season when he registered a 4.56 ERA with a 39/12 K/BB ratio across six starts with the Mets. Given the Mets' struggles, it wouldn't be shocking to see them shake things up soon. Scott has shown that he's ready for the big league level, and the Mets need to do something after a tough 7-13 start to the season. Fantasy managers seeking pitching help might want to consider stashing Scott if they have room for him on their roster.--Andy Webb
Source: Baseball Reference

April 19, 2026

Texas Rangers relief pitcher Jakob Junis has done a nice job in the closer role early in the season. Before Thursday's outing, Junis had converted three straight saves. He came into the seventh inning of Thursday's contest against the Athletics. He was blasted for three runs on two hits over 1.1 innings of work. That bad outing will raise his ERA to 2.89 with a 0.75 WHIP across 9.1 innings of work this season. Despite one bad inning, Junis figures to remain the favorite for saves in Texas going forward. He has converted each of his three attempts and could be a sneaky add for fantasy managers looking for help right now.--Andy Webb
Source: Baseball Reference

April 19, 2026

Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Jeff Hoffman saw his struggles continue during Saturday's game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Hoffman came into a 2-2 tie in the eighth inning, but things quickly got away from him. Hoffman took the loss after serving up a grand slam to Corbin Carroll. His final line was three hits allowed, four earned runs, one walk, and two strikeouts over an inning of work. Hoffman now sees his ERA rise to 7.71 ERA after an horrendous outing. Despite the struggles, Jays manager John Schneider stated that Hoffman will remain the closer. This will be a situation to monitor if Hoffman continues to struggle going forward.--Andy Webb
Source: Mitch Bannon

April 19, 2026

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has made 12 starts in his young career, beginning his rookie season behind veteran Kirk Cousins before taking over in Week 16. Year two began with the roles reversed, until Penix tore his ACL in Week 11, his fifth season-ending injury and third ACL tear dating back to his college days. Across nearly a full year of professional starts, the eighth overall pick from the 2024 Draft has gone 4-8, throwing for 2,757 yards, 12 touchdowns, and six interceptions. While Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and Bo Nix from the same draft class have all shown signs or outright proof that they can be franchise cornerstones, the outlook is still unclear on Penix. While he has a chance to be ready for the start of the 2026 season, the Falcons brought in a new coaching staff and signed former Dolphin Tua Tagovailoa to a one-year deal. Their camp battle will be one to watch, as both players are essentially fighting for their future in the league, and if neither player impresses in the first year of the new regime, it would surprise nobody if the franchise explored new options in what currently projects to be a loaded 2027 draft class. Penix will be 26 by the start of his third season and sits at QB26 in RotoBaller's dynasty rankings, eight spots higher than Tagovailoa.--Patrick McGrath
Source: RotoBaller

April 19, 2026

Philadelphia Phillies catcher JT Realmuto (back) was forced to make an early exit from Saturday's game against the Atlanta Braves. Phillies' manager Rob Thompson said that Realmuto's back tightened up on him during a play at the plate. Before exiting, Realmuto went hitless in two plate appearances. The team will evaluate Realmuto on Sunday morning and decide what to do going forward. For the time being, Realmuto should be considered day-to-day until another update is available. It wouldn't be shocking to see Rafael Marchan behind the plate during Sunday's game.--Andy Webb
Source: Charlotte Varnes

April 19, 2026

Last fall at Kansas Speedway, Denny Hamlin put on a dominating effort en route to his runner-up finish, leading 159 of the 273 laps and sweeping the Stages before ultimately losing out on the race win to Chase Elliott. Still, it was another top-five finish for Denny at Kansas, a mark that he has hit in 15 of his 35 career starts. He also has four total wins at the track. Flash forward to this season, and Hamlin did something simiar at Las Vegas, which is the sister track to Kansas. In that race, Denny led 134 of the 267 laps and ended up in victory lane--beating out Chase Elliott in the end. All signs point to a similar effort out of the No. 11 Toyota on Sunday in the AdventHealth 400. Hamlin ranked fifth-best in 10-lap average during practice and will start from the outside pole when the race goes green. He's a prime DFS pick this weekend, even with his hefty salary on DraftKings ($11,000). Let's just hope Kyle Busch doesn't ruin his day...--Jordan McAbee
Source: Motorsport

April 19, 2026

Watch for Christopher Bell to contend at Kansas Speedway on Sunday afternoon. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has never went to victory lane at this race track, but over the last nine races here, he's finished eighth or better all but once, and in the two races at Kansas last season, Bell wound up finishing second and third. This weekend, CBell had a bad practice group/qualifying draw and had a bit of a disadvantage there, but still had one of the fastest cars in both of those sessions, which is promising for race day. The No. 20 Toyota was fastest in 25- and 30-lap average during practice and Bell will roll off the starting grid from 11th-place after his qualifying effort. In terms of DFS playability, Bell ($11,700 salary on DraftKings) is a premier option on Sunday, providing good Place Differential, dominator, and finishing position potential. --Jordan McAbee
Source: ifantasyrace

April 19, 2026

Joel Eriksson Ek did not hesitate, he simply kept shooting the puck. Eriksson Ek had five shots on goal in Game 1 against the Dallas Stars. Two of those shots went in the net on the power play as Minnesota routed Dallas 6-1. The first goal came as Eriksson Ek cruised into the slot. He beat Jake Oettinger off a brilliant feed from Matt Boldy. His second goal came from a Kirill Kaprizov pass where Oettinger had zero chance of stopping the puck. The key part is that the forward was willing to get into a position in the slot where he might take punishment but would get chances. Eriksson Ek did not miss as the top line racked up 15 of Minnesota's 28 shots in Game 1. --Chris Wassel - RotoBaller
Source: Ryan Bowlin

April 19, 2026

Tyler Reddick is fast once again this week, as the No. 45 Toyota was the quickest in both practice and qualifying at Kansas Speedway on Saturday afternoon and will lead the field to the green for the AdventHealth 400 on Sunday. Reddick is a previous Kansas winner (back in 2023) and ended up finishing seventh here last fall. Now the question is, will he be able to stay up front this weekend? His team owner, Denny Hamlin, starts on the outside pole this weekend and was dominant in the fall race here at Kansas last season as well as the Las Vegas race this season. However, Reddick showed good speed in practice here on Saturday, ranking the best in 15- and 20-lap average during the session. Reddick should be at least a top-five contender on race day, and it wouldn't be surprising if he challenged for the win. In DFS, he could be a solid value pick ($9,500 salary) if he can grab dominator points early. --Jordan McAbee
Source: RACER

April 19, 2026

Ryan Blaney of Team Penske will start in ninth for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking the seventh time this year that he will start inside the top 10 in a race. In 22 races at Kansas, Blaney has nine top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.2. After eight races so far this year, Blaney is second in the regular-season standings with one win and six top-10 finishes with an average finish of 9.1. In practice for this week's race, Blaney ranked 31st in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-30 consecutive lap average categories. Blaney is a driver who is capable of placing in the top 10 and competing for a top-5 finish based on equipment, season-wide performance, and track history.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

April 19, 2026

Ty Gibbs is on a hot streak to say the least. Over the last six Cup Series races, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver hasn't finished worse than sixth, and he's coming off of his first-ever Cup win at Bristol last weekend, too. And he looks poised to continue running well at Kansas this weekend. Gibbs will roll off the starting grid from third-place when the AdventHealth 400 goes green on Sunday afternoon, and in practice the No. 54 Toyota looked stout, ranking fifth-best in 15-, 20-, and 25-lap average. Gibbs has a shaky history at Kansas Speedway (five finishes of 25th or worse in seven starts) but he did end up fifth here in 2024, and he ran fifth at Las Vegas earlier this season as well. From a DFS perspective, Ty Gibbs is a tournament play on DraftKings ($9,200 salary) and should be a top-five contender all day in the AdventHealth 400.--Jordan McAbee
Source: Speedway Digest

April 19, 2026

Logan Stankoven had a nice scoring run before the Stanley Cup Playoffs started. Stankoven scored seven goals and 11 points over his final eight regular season contests. He began Game 1 against Ottawa with three shots in the opening 20 minutes including a few high quality opportunities. Stankoven ended with a pivotal goal and an assist along with six shots on goal. Lost in the gaudy numbers may be the six hits the forward delivered. He was the physical centerpiece on a second line, along with Jackson Blake and Taylor Hall, that caused problems for Ottawa's defense. --Chris Wassel - RotoBaller
Source: Ryan Henkel

April 19, 2026

Chris Buescher is no stranger to running well at Kansas Speedway. Over the last four races at the track, Buescher has the fifth-best average driver rating (96.5) and has not had a result worse than 15th during that span--including his near-win here back in the spring of 2024. As far as intermediate tracks in general, Buescher is as reliable as they come. He's posted top-15 finishes in five of the last six, including a sixth-place run at Las Vegas a month ago. Las Vegas is the sister track to Kansas Speedway, and it appears that Roush-Fenway Keselowski Racing brought a similar hot rod here this weekend, as the No. 17 Ford ranked second-best in 20-lap average during practice and Buescher ended up qualifying seventh after that. He should be a solid top-10 threat on race day, and could be a sleeper for a top five. Buescher is a risky tournament-style play on DraftKings ($8,300 salary). --Jordan McAbee
Source: Driver Averages

April 19, 2026

Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will start the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway from the 14th position after qualifying. In 16 Cup starts at Kansas, Byron has nine top-10 finishes, including the last two Fall races at the site. Through eight races so far this year, Byron is ranked seventh in the regular-season standings with four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 13.3. In practice for this week's race, Byron ranked 11th in overall lap averages while displaying top-10 speeds in the 15-30 consecutive lap average categories, including ranking second in 30 consecutive lap averages. Overall, Byron is a solid driver capable of placing in the top 10 based on practice speeds and past track history at Kansas.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

April 19, 2026

Don't be surprised if Carson Hocevar has a career-best run at Kansas Speedway this weekend in the AdventHealth 400. Now, to be fully transparent, it's not going to take a lot to accomplish that, as Hocevar's track record at Kansas is absymal; he's never finished better than 20th at the 1.5-mile track in five career starts. However, Hocevar noted during practice on Saturday that this was the best car he's ever had at Kansas, and he has been a top 10 contender in the past before running into issues. When it came to speed, the No. 77 Chevrolet ranked 10th-fastest on the speed chart on Saturday, and Hocevar will roll off the starting grid from sixth on race day. At $7,700 on DraftKings, Hocevar is a very risky play due to his limited Place Differential upside. It's probably best to stay away from him, but don't avoid completely. --Jordan McAbee
Source: ifantasyrace

April 19, 2026

Porter Martone started out his first taste of the NHL with a bang. He scored four goals and 10 points in nine games. Naturally, Martone made a difference when it counted most on Saturday night. Though, he missed a couple of scoring chances early in the contest, Martone made a late third period chance count. That goal made the score 3-1 Philadelphia and the Flyers would hold on to win 3-2. Martone silenced the entire crowd in Pittsburgh with a move that stunned everyone as he fired a quick shot past Stuart Skinner. As Martone put it, he found an opportunity and took it. --Chris Wassel - RotoBaller
Source: Adam Kimelman

April 19, 2026

Frederik Andersen went into the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs with some doubt. Andersen endured the worst season of his 13-year career. However, he only gave up three goals on 52 shots in his final two starts of the regular season. When Rod Brind'Amour gave Andersen the starting nod for Game 1, some were surprised. Andersen made 22 saves against Ottawa including a shot some thought was a goal by Drake Batherson. It turned into a key moment as the Senators never got one past Andersen. The Danish goaltender picked quite a time to get his first shutout of the season to open the playoffs. --Chris Wassel - RotoBaller
Source: Cory Lavalette

April 19, 2026

Chase Briscoe, driver of the No. 19 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, will start in the fifth position after qualifying for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking the second time in his Cup career that he will start in the top five at the site. In 10 races at Kansas, Briscoe has an average finish of 18.0 with two top-5 finishes, both of which were last year's races at the site. In eight Cup races so far this year, Briscoe ranks 17th in the regular-season standings with three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18.9. In practice for this week's race at Kansas, Briscoe ranked 35th in overall lap averages, while ranking as high as sixth in 10 consecutive lap averages. Kansas has proven to be a strong track for Briscoe since joining JGR in 2025, and he will be a top-5 threat once again due to his equipment and practice speeds for this week's race.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

April 19, 2026

Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence has been traded from the New York Giants to the Cincinnati Bengals in a deal that sees the Bengals' 10th overall pick in the 2026 Draft heading back to New York. The two-time second-team All-Pro had reportedly demanded a trade after initially seeking a new deal with the Giants, and the team obliged after the two sides were unable to come to an agreement. The 28-year-old Lawrence registered only half a sack in 2025 after tallying a career-high nine in 2024, but his 108 pressures since 2022, when lined up at the nose, are more than triple that of any other player in the league. Cincinnati has had one of the league's lowest-ranked defensive units for years, and they have paid a steep price to bolster the trenches. Lawrence's true impact will now be put to the test without the help of a much stronger surrounding cast, particularly on the edges.--Patrick McGrath
Source: Ian Rapoport

April 19, 2026

Chase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports qualified 13th for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, marking his first starting position outside of the top 10 in a race at the site since September 2024. In 20 Cup races at Kansas, Elliott has two wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and a series-leading average finish of 9.9. He is also the track's most recent winner in the Cup Series. Through eight Cup races so far in the 2026 season, Elliott ranks fifth in the Cup Series standings with one win, four top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 10.6. In practice for Sunday's race at Kansas, Elliott ranked 18th in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 10-25 consecutive lap average categories. Elliott is a solid overall DFS option who can be used in all formats this week, especially due to his favorable track history and top-10 practice speeds at Kansas.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

April 19, 2026

Matt Boldy led the Minnesota Wild in a resounding 6-1 Game 1 victory. Boldy wound up with a game-high eight shots on goal. He followed that up with two goals and an assist. That included a bunch of scoring chances and an empty net tally too. Boldy found Joel Eriksson Ek in the slot for the first of Eriksson Ek's two power play goals. The duo combined for 13 shots and six points against the Dallas Stars. Overall, the top line ended up with nine points including Kirill Kaprizov. Boldy and the trio could not be stopped by Dallas' team defense. His ability to create space and chances changed the entire tenor of Game 1. --Chris Wassel - RotoBaller
Source: Alex Micheletti

April 19, 2026

Team Penske's Joey Logano will start 15th for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. This will be a lower starting position compared to last year's spring Cup race at Kansas (fifth). In 33 Cup races at Kansas, Logano has three wins, 13 top-10 finishes, and an average finish of 16.7. In eight races so far this season, Logano ranks 12th in the regular-season standings with three top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.6. In practice for this week's race, Logano ranked 33rd in overall lap averages, but ranked as high as 10th in 30 consecutive lap averages. Although Logano is a playable and decent DFS option who can maintain a top-15 finish based on track history and practice speeds, there are more favorable options with higher upside around his salary range for DFS this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

April 19, 2026

Bubba Wallace of 23XI Racing will start in 10th after qualifying for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. It will be the second time in Wallace's Cup career that he has had back-to-back top-10 starting positions in two Kansas races in a row since the 2019 season. In 16 Cup races at Kansas, Wallace has one win and four top-10 finishes, which were all scored within his last eight Cup appearances at the site. Through eight races so far in the 2026 season, Wallace ranks eighth in the regular-season standings with four top-10 finishes and an average finish of 15.6. In practice for this week's race, Wallace ranked 17th in overall lap averages but displayed top-5 speeds in most categories, including first in 10 consecutive lap averages. Considering his positive history, top-notch equipment, and upside from his starting position with a car capable of placing in the top five, Wallace is a great driver to consider for all DFS formats this week.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com

April 19, 2026

Trackhouse Racing driver Ross Chastain is starting 31st after qualifying for the AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway. This is Chastain's lowest starting position in a Kansas Cup race since 2019, when he drove for Premium Motorsports. In 14 Cup events at Kansas, Chastain has 10 top-20 finishes, with four inside the top 10, and one win. Chastain placed 19th or better in every Kansas race since 2021. After the first eight races of the 2026 season, Chastain ranks 21st in the regular-season standings with an average finish of 19.4 and six top-20 finishes. In practice for this week's race, Chastain ranked 29th in overall lap averages and as high as 21st in 10 consecutive lap averages. Chastain's high upside from his starting position makes him playable in all DFS lineups, but he is best utilized in cash game lineups, especially with his practice speeds indicating that he will compete for a top-20 finish at best.--Sean Engel - RotoBaller
Source: DriverAverages.com