February 6, 2026
The Los Angeles Angels are closing in on a contract with relief pitcher
Brent Suter, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Suter has bounced between the rotation and bullpen throughout his 10-year MLB career, but has begun to settle in as a primary reliever over the past five campaigns. Last summer, the reliever spent his second season with the Reds and logged 67 2/3 innings to the tune of a 4.52 ERA with a 1.29 WHIP. He struck out 53 hitters while showing above-average command, posting a 6.2% walk rate. He also limited hard contact at a stellar 32.9% rate while generating groundballs at a high 45.4% rate, suggesting he may see some positive regression in 2026. With the Angels, managers should expect Suter to operate in a middle-relief role, with the upside to earn occasional starts.
--Andy SmithSource: Chris Cotillo
February 6, 2026
Los Angeles Kings winger Andrei Kuzmenko (upper body) left early in Thursday's 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. The Russian forward suffered an upper-body injury in the first period. He tried to give it a go in the second, but left the action after logging only 8:32 of ice time. 3:55 of Kuzmenko's playing time came on the power play. Due to the Olympic break, Kuzmenko will have several weeks to recover from his injury. The Kings won't return to action until they face Vegas in a rematch on Feb. 24. Kuzmenko has been disappointing with the Kings this season, settling for 23 points (13 goals, 10 assists) in 51 appearances.
--Taavi PailkSource: Los Angeles Kings PR
February 6, 2026
Free agent first baseman
Ty France remains linked to several clubs on the open market. According to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com, the veteran infielder could sign in Cleveland, Colorado, or San Diego. The Padres recently added depth outfielder
Miguel Andujar, but have shown interest in France. Last summer, France began the campaign with the Minnesota Twins and would eventually spend the back half of the season with the Toronto Blue Jays. With the Twins (101 games), France held a .251/.320/.357 line with a modest .677 OPS. He hit 19 doubles and six home runs. As a Blue Jay, the 31-year-old posted a much higher .277/.320/.360 across a short 31-game look. Managers should view France as a depth corner infielder in 15+ team formats. He would likely be kept in a platoon role to open the season, which would limit his overall fantasy value.
--Andy SmithSource: Chris Cotillo
February 6, 2026
Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (lower body) couldn't complete Thursday's 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. He collected a power-play assist in the first period but was limited to 7:03 of ice time due to a lower-body injury. Luckily for Carlson, the league is now on an Olympic break, giving him around three weeks to get healthy. The Capitals continue their season on Feb. 24 against the Philadelphia Flyers. Carlson was snubbed by Team USA for the Olympics despite a strong season. The 17-year-old veteran has recorded 46 points (10 goals, 36 assists), 115 shots, 84 blocks, and a plus-11 rating in 55 games.
--Taavi PailkSource: Washington Capitals PR
February 6, 2026
Detroit Tigers relief pitcher
Kyle Finnegan may not see many save opportunities to open the season. On a recent podcast, Tigers manager A.J. Hinch broke down his bullpen plan for the start of the season. While he suggested that
Kenley Jansen would be the favorite to open the season as the team's primary night-inning option, given his history and track record, Hinch did say that all of his high-leverage options would be available at all times of the game. Finnegan has served as a primary closer for most of his career with the Washington Nationals. In 2023 and 2024, he tallied 28 saves in each campaign. Last summer, he was on pace to hit this mark again, but fell short after he was traded to Detroit and appears ticketed for a setup role once more. Managers in formats that reward holds should still view Finnegan as a primary target, given his experience as a high-leverage option. However, for those in shallower standard formats, Finnegan should be avoided in drafts.
--Andy SmithSource: A.J. Hinch
February 5, 2026
The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired infielder Jose Mejia and pitchers
Kade Strowd and Wellington Aracena from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in exchange for infielder
Blaze Alexander, a source told The Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro. Mejia, a 20-year-old Dominican infielder, played in 47 games last year in the Rookie level and hit .274/.418/.411 with an .829 OPS, two home runs, 23 RBI, 22 runs scored, and six stolen bases over 158 plate appearances. He appeared in only two contests for High-A Aberdeen. Mejia will begin his D-backs tenure in the lower levels of the minors in 2026. He's not a high-level prospect by any means, but he could help his cause as he looks to rise through the system because of his ability to play shortstop, second base, third base, first base, left field, and right field.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
February 5, 2026
The Arizona Diamondbacks acquired pitchers Wellington Aracena and
Kade Strowd, and infielder Jose Mejia from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday in exchange for infielder
Blaze Alexander, a source told Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. The Orioles acquired Aracena from the New York Mets last July in the deal that sent lefty reliever
Gregory Soto to New York. The 21-year-old Dominican right-hander pitched at Single-A Delmarva, Single-A St. Lucie, and High-A Aberdeen last year, posting a nice 2.25 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 114 strikeouts and 51 walks in 92 innings over 23 appearances (14 starts). Aracena is an interesting prospect with some development yet to do in the minors, but if he continues his current trajectory, he could be a real contributor in the desert in a year or two.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
February 5, 2026
Detroit Tigers outfielder
Javier Baez has been suspended from playing for Team Puerto Rico in the 2026 World Baseball Classic after testing positive for marijuana during the 2023 tournament, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. It will prevent Baez from playing in the WBC for the third time. The good news for the 33-year-old veteran and the Tigers is that he will not face a suspension for the 2026 regular season. The three-time All-Star hit a combined .221/.262/.347 with a .610 OPS, 32 home runs, 163 RBI, and 29 stolen bases in his first full three seasons in Motown before bouncing back in 2025 to the tune of a .257/.282/.398 slash line, .680 OPS, 12 homers, 57 RBI, 55 runs scored, and five steals in 126 regular-season games. It wasn't a fantastic showing by any means, but it was much-needed. Baez adds positional versatility now after basically becoming a super-utility man last year, but there is still plenty of downside and swing and miss to his game.
--Keith HernandezSource: Detroit Free Press - Evan Petzold
February 5, 2026
Los Angeles Rams veteran quarterback
Matthew Stafford was named the 2025 NFL Most Valuable Player on Thursday night for the first time in his 17th season in the league. Stafford beat out New England Patriots second-year QB
Drake Maye for the award by just one vote. The 37-year-old also made the Pro Bowl in 2025 for only the third time in his career after one of his best all-around seasons. Stafford completed 65% of his 597 pass attempts for a league-high 4,707 passing yards, a league-high 46 touchdown passes, and only eight interceptions in 17 regular-season starts. In three playoff games, he added 936 passing yards, six touchdowns, and one interception. There was some doubt as to whether Stafford would return for an 18th NFL season following the Rams' loss to the Seahawks in the NFC Championship, but the former Georgia Bulldog announced on Thursday night that he will be returning. With weapons galore in L.A. on offense, Stafford will be a clear QB1 fantasy target going into next season.
--Keith HernandezSource: NFL
February 5, 2026
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was named the 2025 NFL Offensive Player of the Year on Thursday evening, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Smith-Njigba broke out as the best receiver in the NFL in his third year in the NFL with no
DK Metcalf around in Seattle. The 23-year-old former 20th overall pick in 2023 out of Ohio State immediately clicked with quarterback
Sam Darnold and caught 119 passes for a league-leading 1,793 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 163 targets over 17 regular-season games. JSN added 13 catches on 16 targets for 172 yards and two more trips to paydirt in the playoffs to lead Seattle to Super Bowl LX this Sunday against the New England Patriots. It would be a surprise if Smith-Njigba doesn't have a big game this weekend to cap off a phenomenal year. He will be one of the first receivers off the board in fantasy football drafts this fall.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 5, 2026
The Boston Red Sox have signed infielder
Brendan Rodgers to a minor-league contract with an invitation to spring training, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. Rodgers is a former first-round pick who was selected by the Rockies third overall in 2015. He debuted in 2019 and spent six seasons in Colorado before joining the Astros for the 2025 campaign. He struggled across 43 games in Houston, slashing .191/.266/.278 with an 8.6% walk rate and 35.9% strikeout rate. He posted just 55 wRC+ while playing replacement-level defense at second base. He'll need to really wow the front office and coaching staff this spring to make the Opening Day roster. At the moment, he's off the 40-man roster and is presumably competing for a roster spot with players like
Nick Sogard,
Nate Eaton,
Kristian Campbell, and
Mickey Gasper.
--Andersen PickardSource: Chris Cotillo
February 5, 2026
Atlanta Braves outfielder
Michael Harris II posted mixed results at the plate in 2025, but there's no denying that he delivered impressive contributions in a variety of ways. Most notably, Harris joined the 20/20 club for the first time in his career, slugging exactly 20 homers and stealing exactly 20 bases. His overall slash line wasn't as flashy, though, as he slashed .249/.268/.409. All three of those marks were the worst of his career, and the same can be said about his 2.5% walk rate and 20.0% strikeout rate. He fared better in center field, where he posted 8 OAA and 7 FRV across 1,396 innings. Unfortunately for fantasy managers, Harris' bat will impact his fantasy value more than his glove. If it's any consolation, though, the home runs and stolen bases should help counteract the negative effect of the high K/BB rate. As it stands, he ranks as the #24 outfielder in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball draft rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 5, 2026
Colorado Rockies catcher
Hunter Goodman broke out in 2025, slashing .278/.323/.520 with a whopping 31 home runs, 91 RBI, and 118 wRC+. His discipline numbers weren't great; he had a 5.7% walk rate and 26.3% strikeout rate. Still, the power arguably outweighs the whiffs, especially from a fantasy baseball perspective. He also took major strides behind the plate, posting 4.2 defensive fWAR, the first positive mark of his career. Furthermore, Goodman amassed 2 FRV. The 26-year-old is locked into the Rockies' starting catcher role for 2026. Between swinging the bat well, playing almost every day, and getting half of his games at Coors Field, Goodman is an intriguing fantasy backstop. He ranks #6 among catchers in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 5, 2026
Cleveland Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger was named the 2025 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday night, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Schwesinger was a tackling machine in his first year in the league in 2025 after the Browns took him in the second round out of UCLA. The 22-year-old managed to win the award despite missing the season finale due to an ankle injury. In 16 games played, Schwesinger tallied 156 tackles (67 solo), 2.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, nine QB hits, two interceptions, and three pass breakups. He quickly put himself on the map in IDP fantasy leagues and should be a popular target in those formats in 2026. Schwesinger's ankle injury shouldn't prevent him from being ready for Week 1 of the regular season this fall. Cleveland's defense was one of the strongest units in the NFL this year, with pass-rusher Myles Garrett setting the single-season sack record as well.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 5, 2026
Atlanta Braves third baseman
Austin Riley saw his batting stats continue to decline in 2025. He finished the year with a .260/.309/.428 slash line and just 16 home runs, which was the second-lowest mark of his career. He also posted some of the worst plate discipline metrics since his rookie campaign, including a 6.0% walk rate and a 28.6% strikeout rate. This represented a massive step back for the 28-year-old, especially after he totaled 108 home runs from 2022 through 2024. Perhaps the biggest bright spot of Riley's 2025 season was that he posted 1.0 fWAR at the hot corner, although he produced negative OAA and FRV values. The Braves and fantasy managers will maintain optimism that Riley can rediscover his power stroke and return to All-Star form. The good news is that he's now healthy after missing the final two months of the regular season with a strained lower abdominal muscle. As it stands, he ranks as the #5 third baseman in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 5, 2026
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman
Bryce Harper had a great 2025 season, but it didn't quite live up to the standards he set in previous years. He finished his age-32 campaign with a .261/.357/.487 slash line, contributing his lowest slugging percentage and OPS marks since 2016. He slugged 27 home runs, walked 12.1% of the time, posted a 20.9% strikeout rate, and finished with 131 wRC+. Harper ultimately compiled 3.5 fWAR, which is half a win below his career average. He also played 132 games, and he has been held to fewer than 145 games in each of the last six seasons. In order to achieve top-tier fantasy status, he'll need to improve his OPS while staying healthy for the full year. As it stands, he ranks as the #4 first baseman and #31 hitter in RotoBaller's latest fantasy baseball rankings for 2026.
--Andersen PickardSource: RotoBaller
February 5, 2026
Chicago Bears offensive guard Joe Thuney was named the 2025 Protector of the Year on Thursday night, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. It's the first award of its kind. Thuney made an immediate impact for Chicago after the team acquired him in March of last year from the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for a fourth-round pick in this year's NFL Draft. The 33-year-old veteran then signed a two-year, $35 million contract with the Bears in May. The biggest surprise may have been the fact that a left guard, and not a left tackle, won the inaugural Protector of the Year award. Thuney played a key role in helping the Bears win the NFC North division while also helping the team advance to the Divisional Round of the postseason in quarterback
Caleb Williams' second year in the league. The Bears' offensive line allowed the third-fewest sacks (24) in the NFL in 2025.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 5, 2026
San Francisco 49ers running back
Christian McCaffrey was named the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year on Thursday night, according to Matt Barrows of The Athletic. McCaffrey was limited to only four games in 2024 due to Achilles and knee issues, but he played in all 17 regular-season games in 2025 and led the 49ers in both rushing (1,202) and receiving yards (924). The four-time Pro Bowler and three-time first-team All-Pro handled a career-high 311 carries and scored 10 rushing touchdowns while also catching 102 passes on 129 targets with an additional seven trips to the end zone as a receiver. The Offensive Player of the Year in 2023 was the RB1 in half-PPR fantasy scoring this year after he slipped to the late first round of many drafts following his injury-plagued 2024 campaign. CMC is entering his age-30 campaign and has a lengthy injury history, but it's simply too hard to ignore his game-changing dual-threat abilities out of the backfield as the engine of San Fran's offense.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Matt Barrows
February 5, 2026
Denver Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto (wrist) had a cleanup surgery on his wrist this week, multiple sources told Luca Evans of The Denver Post. Bonitto injured his wrist in the Week 2 loss to the Indianapolis Colts after slamming the ground in frustration, and he played the rest of the year with a club on his right hand. The procedure was a simple clean-up and shouldn't affect his preparation for the 2026 campaign. The 26-year-old had surgery to remove a bone spur in his foot in the preseason, and he admittedly was beat up during the 2025 season. Bonitto still managed to play in every game in his fourth year in the league and made the Pro Bowl for the second straight season, recording 46 tackles (31 solo), a career-high 14 sacks, 14 tackles for loss, 28 QB hits, and two forced fumbles in 17 regular-season contests. The former second-round pick will enter the 2026 campaign as one of the best pass-rushers in the NFL, with 17.5 sacks the last two years.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Denver Post - Luca Evans
February 5, 2026
Milwaukee Bucks forward/center
Bobby Portis (hip) is considered questionable for Friday's tilt against the Indiana Pacers. He is bothered by a hip problem, which may keep Portis sidelined for a third consecutive game. After Portis exited the lineup,
Amir Coffey had a pair of outings as a starter. Coffey is no longer on the team, opening an opportunity for
Jericho Sims and
Pete Nance. Both played well as reserves in Wednesday's overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
February 5, 2026
Carolina Panthers first-round wide receiver
Tetairoa McMillan was named the 2025 Offensive Rookie of the Year on Thursday night, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. McMillan got to work right away after Carolina took him eighth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft out of Arizona. The 22-year-old operated as quarterback
Bryce Young's top target from the get-go and finished his rookie campaign with 70 receptions on 122 targets for 1,014 yards and seven touchdowns in 17 regular-season games. He also caught five of his seven targets for 81 yards in the Wild-Card loss to the Los Angeles Rams in his first career playoff game. McMillan's strong chemistry with Young bodes well for his future, and he'll head into Year 2 in 2026 with clear WR1 potential, although the lack of passing volume in Carolina's offense could be an issue.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 5, 2026
Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett became the second player in NFL history to unanimously win the Defensive Player of the Year award on Thursday night, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. J.J. Watt was the only other defensive player to do so back in 2014 with the Houston Texans. The 30-year-old seven-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team All-Pro was a man among boys in terms of rushing the passer in 2025 in his ninth year in the NFL. Garrett set the NFL's single-season sack record with 23 in 17 games for the Browns. In addition to becoming the second player to ever win the award unanimously, Garrett also won the award for the second time in his career, with the first coming in 2023, when he had 14 sacks in 16 games. The former first overall pick in 2017 out of Texas A&M now has a whopping 125.5 sacks in 134 regular-season games played.
--Keith HernandezSource: ESPN - Adam Schefter
February 5, 2026
Boston Celtics center
Nikola Vucevic is not on the injury report for Friday's clash against the Miami Heat, indicating that he will make his team debut. Vucevic's arrival in Beantown is bad news for
Neemias Queta, who has been Boston's starting center this season. As a strong rebounder, Quete will still have a role to play on the team, but his minutes are set to drop. This season, Vucevic has not enjoyed his time against
Bam Adebayo and the Heat, posting only 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game while shooting 34.2 percent from the field across three games.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
February 5, 2026
Seattle Seahawks quarterback
Sam Darnold (oblique) was a full participant in practice on Thursday, according to Michael-Shawn Dugar of The Athletic. Darnold was upgraded after being listed as limited on Wednesday's injury report. The 28-year-old signal-caller injured his left oblique in practice just days before the team's Divisional Round win over the San Francisco 49ers. He attempted only 17 passes in the 41-6 blowout win over the Niners, but Darnold bounced back for fantasy managers in the 31-27 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship, going 25-for-36 for a season-high 346 yards and three touchdowns. Darnold won't have an easy test against the New England Patriots' defense in Super Bowl LX this Sunday, but he should be able to move the ball enough to put Seattle in position to win the game. Fantasy managers should not be worried at all about his oblique affecting his performance.
--Keith HernandezSource: The Athletic - Michael-Shawn Dugar
February 5, 2026
Philadelphia 76ers center
Joel Embiid (knee) will play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night. He will start the contest after the team initially listed Embiid as questionable for the matchup. The former MVP will return from a one-game absence, having sat out the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against Golden State. Recently, Embiid has been on a roll, averaging 32.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across his last eight appearances. With Embiid back,
Andre Drummond will return to a reserve role.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
February 5, 2026
Indiana Pacers guard
Andrew Nembhard (back) is not on the injury report for Friday's contest against the Milwaukee Bucks. Indiana rested several regulars, including Nembhard, when the team wrapped up a back-to-back set on Tuesday night against the Utah Jazz. Nembhard has been inconsistent in recent outings and was quiet on Monday against Houston, finishing with seven points and eight assists. He has a significantly better matchup on Friday against a team ranked eighth from the bottom in defensive efficiency. With
T.J. McConnell (knee) also back on Friday,
Kam Jones and
Quenton Jackson must settle for lesser roles.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
February 5, 2026
The New York Yankees announced on Thursday that they extended a non-roster invitation to infield prospect
George Lombard Jr. for major-league spring training. Lombard, who is MLB Pipeline's No. 32 overall prospect going into the 2026 season, played in 132 games at High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset last year and batted .235/.367/.381 with a .748 OPS, nine home runs, 49 RBI, 90 runs scored, and 35 stolen bases in 580 plate appearances. The 20-year-old hit just .215 (84-for-391) with eight homers, 36 RBI, 68 runs, and 24 steals in 108 games at Somerset, but he was the third-youngest qualified hitter at Double-A. Lombard has a fly-ball swing, but he has yet to develop much power and has struggled to get on base regularly against older competition. The former first-rounder still has some developing to do, but he makes for a nice dynasty stash as a future shortstop with above-average speed and potential plus power as well.
--Keith HernandezSource: New York Yankees
February 5, 2026
Indiana Pacers forward
Pascal Siakam (rest) will hop back into the lineup on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks. The team has removed him from the injury report after Siakam sat out the second leg of a back-to-back on Tuesday against Utah for rest. Siakam's return will push
Jarace Walker to the bench, though he should still have a prominent role in the rotation. In two meetings with the Bucks this season, Siakam has averaged 23.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals. He's in a good spot to improve his numbers on Friday, as Milwaukee remains without
Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) and might be without
Bobby Portis (hip), who is listed as questionable on the injury report.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
February 5, 2026
The Minnesota Twins signed free-agent catcher
David Banuelos to a minor-league deal on Thursday that includes an invitation to big-league camp, according to Darren Wolfson. Banuelos was in the Twins' system from 2018 to 2022. The 29-year-old backstop was originally a fifth-round selection in 2017 out of California State Long Beach by the Seattle Mariners. He made his major-league debut in 2024 with the Baltimore Orioles, but he has just three plate appearances at the big-league level over the last two years. At Triple-A Norfolk in 2025, Banuelos hit only .107 with a home run, two RBI, and four runs scored in 21 games played. Banuelos will almost certainly open the 2026 campaign at Triple-A St. Paul as catching depth behind
Ryan Jeffers,
Victor Caratini, and
Alex Jackson.
--Keith HernandezSource: Darren Wolfson
February 5, 2026
Memphis Grizzlies guard
Ty Jerome (calf) won't suit up on Friday against the Portland Trail Blazers. Memphis will begin a back-to-back on Friday night, and Jerome will exit the lineup after making his first three appearances of the season. He has looked very impressive in his first few outings, averaging 22.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 7.0 assists, and 1.0 steals in just 20.3 minutes per game.
Cam Spencer and
Javon Small are set to fill the point guard minutes on Friday night.
--Taavi PailkSource: NBA Injury Report
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