28 seconds agoOne of the most surprising results from qualifying at Kansas Speedway this weekend was Ryan Blaney's lack of speed, as the Penske Racing driver will start from back in 26th-place for this weekend's AdventHealth 400 race. This is Blaney's worst starting position at Kansas since the 2017 season, when he started back in 40th but ended up finishing third when it was all said and done. Yes, Ford has been down on speed this season, but Blaney was still a top-five finisher at Las Vegas earlier this year, which is the sister track to Kansas. In DFS contests, Ryan Blaney is a core driver to consider this weekend. With his huge Place Differential upside and being priced at just $8,600 on DraftKings, it's hard to pass up Blaney's upside at Kansas this weekend. He has the fifth-best Average Running Position at Kansas, Las Vegas, and Charlotte in the Next Gen era.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Win The Race
15 mins agoBubba Wallace qualified back in 23rd for this weekend's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, but he should be much better than that during the race itself. Kansas is one of Bubba's best tracks on the schedule as of late, as he has posted top-10 finishes in three of the last four races here, including a win in the fall 2022 race while he was driving the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing. Last spring, Bubba qualified back in 17th but ended up finishing fourth when it was all said and done. On DraftKings this weekend, Wallace is priced at $9,500, which is pretty expensive considering he doesn't have a ton of dominator upside. However, if he comes away with another top-five result on Sunday, it'll be well worth it for DFS players to pick him.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
20 mins agoAlex Bowman is a solid mid-tier DFS play at Kansas Speedway this weekend. In his three starts at this track in the Next Gen era, Bowman has able to post top-10 finishes in each of them, including a 10th-place result last fall despite starting back in 23rd-place. This weekend, Bowman qualified 18th for this AdventHealth 400, which gives him solid Place Differential upside for his $8,000 salary on DraftKings. In terms of practice, Bowman was the slowest Hendrick Motorsports car on Saturday--he was 21st-fastest on the speed chart--but his teammates all showed top-five potential when it came to their speed, so there's really no cause for concern with Bowman this weekend. He could challenge for a top-10 finish at Kansas this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
35 mins agoCarson Hocevar is priced at $6,300 on DraftKings this weekend at starts in 22nd-place. When you combine those aspects with the fact that he could contend for a mid-teens finish in the AdventHealth 400, you're looking at a very good value in the DFS world. Since Hocevar has entered the Cup Series, he has been one of those drivers that stays out of trouble and just runs quietly well all weekend. In three races at Kansas and Las Vegas, Hocevar has an average running position of 18.84 with an average finish of 23.67. Earlier this year at Las Vegas, he started 14th and finished 15th. Hocevar should be a solid DFS pick at Kansas this weekend in the AdventHealth 400 and should be used accordingly.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Win The Race
41 mins agoThe NASCAR Cup Series is at a 1.5-mile intermediate track (Kansas Speedway) this weekend, so you have to have Ricky Stenhouse Jr on your radar. Here at Kansas specifically, Stenhouse has posted finishes of 12th and eighth in the last two spring events, and he came home with top-10 results at both Charlotte and Texas last season. Earlier this year at Las Vegas (the sister track of Kansas), Stenhouse walked away with a respectable 17th-place finish. During practice this weekend, Stenhouse's No. 47 Chevrolet was seventh-fastest on the speed chart, which is another good sign for this JTG Daugherty Racing team. Stenhouse is priced at $6,600 on DraftKings this weekend and starts 21st, making him a viable DFS option on race day.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
48 mins agoAustin Dillon is having the worst season of his NASCAR Cup Series career this year, but that shouldn't make you stay away from him this weekend at Kansas Speedway. We just went through a very rough stretch of races for Dillon, so his struggles are likely a little over-blown right now. The fact of the matter is, Austin Dillon has been a solid sleeper on low-wear, 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen era, and he has that potential at Kansas this weekend. Additionally, over the last seven races at this track, Austin has finished between 10th and 14th six times. AD3 qualified 16th for this weekend's AdventHealth 400, and while it's risky to take a struggling driver starting that high in DFS, Dillon is definitely a tournament option to consider in DraftKings this weekend with his $6,500 salary and his record of getting decent finishes at this track type.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: DriverAverages
52 mins agoAt intermediate race tracks such as Kansas Speedway, you can typically pencil Todd Gilliland in for a finish in the high-20s, although sometimes he is able to sneak in a better result if there is some attrition. He ended up 24th at Las Vegas earlier this season, and last year at Kansas he was able to walk away with 24th- and 25th-place finishes in the two events. This weekend for the AdventHealth 400, Gilliland qualified in 25th-place for the big race, which makes him an interesting DFS option because he typically starts further back than that. At just $5,200 on DraftKings, though, Gilliland could end up being a cheap value play for DFS players. His 10-lap average during practice ranked 22nd-fastest, so with a little bit of track position late, we could see Gilliland find himself in the mix for a top-20 result. He's a viable option to round out for DraftKings lineups this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
2 hours agoJosh Berry started off practice around 25th griping about tightness in his Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. As qualifying went on, the car seemed to gain a little speed. That resulted in a 17th-place effort. That is the good news. Now, the bad news for the No. 4 Ford was again late-run speed in those lap intervals. Berry started around 30.3 seconds in practice but after 20 laps, those times were going above 31 seconds. Berry's Ford kept losing speed and grip off the turns. The 1.5-mile track could cause issues for the Ford driver as speed slips away on longer runs on Sunday.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
2 hours agoJoey Logano turned in a nice qualifying lap at Kansas which gave him a starting position of 11th for Sunday. However, the Team Penske Ford endured a much rougher practice session which frequent laps of 31+ seconds. He was 30th overall in practice griping about several issues in the car. One was late-run speed. That may become more and more of an issue on Sunday. Logano's higher qualifying position could impact place differential if the same problems persist. This makes Logano less attractive for DFS and betting purposes despite a fifth and sixth last year on the intermediate track.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 hours agoKaulig Race had one rough Saturday as Derek Knaus finished 38th in qualifying for Sunday's AdventHealth 400. Kraus had issues similar to William Byron but worse, was 1.775 seconds off the pole lap by Christopher Bell. Kraus was 36th in practice running laps a little above 175 mph. His lap averages in the No. 16 car seemed to get worse and worse. His overall in practice was 31.545 seconds. With 15 and 20-lap averages approaching 31.6 seconds, the likelihood is that Knaus stayed very close to the bottom of the field on Sunday. Place differential is only possible if there is a lot of field attrition.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 hours agoAustin Hill had a rough Saturday in the Richard Childress Racing Chevy. Hill qualified 34th overall for Sunday afternoon's race in Kansas. It did not help that the No. 33 car had all sorts of issues coming out of the turns. Furthermore, turning in 31+ second laps during practice will not get it done on this track. At least in qualifying, Hill managed a lap of 30.392 seconds. It was a marked improvement but still 0.901 seconds off from Christopher Bell's pole lap. Hill also qualified 34th at Texas and some of the same issues persisted. Sunday could see Hill slow down again.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
3 hours agoJimmie Johnson will start the AdventHealth 400 from the 19th position on Sunday afternoon. The Legacy Motor Club part-time driver inched out Corey Heim for the honor. The last time Johnson raced at Kansas was in October of 2020 where he finished 31st for Hendrick Motorsports. Johnson has been pretty consistent in the Toyota in 2024 producing nine, eight, and nine points in his three appearances. The expectation is that the No. 84 car loses track position as the race goes on. Johnson was 35th in practice and his best lap there was dead last in the field.
--Chris Wassel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
7 hours agoAs Zane Smith adjusts to the Next Gen car, which seems to take longer for most rookies to adapt to than previous chassis, he is currently the slowest full-time driver in the NASCAR Cup Series with a speed percentile of 21.54. However, his qualifying speed at Kansas this weekend was competitive with his Spire Motorsports teammates, as Smith qualified 24th, one position behind Carson Hocevar and two positions ahead of Corey LaJoie. Smith has never started a NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas, but he has been solid in the Craftsman Truck Series, where he won the 2022 spring race, finished second in this weekend's event, has led 250 career laps here, and has never finished worse than 11th. It's unlikely that any of his setup notes from the Truck race will carry over, but this might be one of his best chances for a decent run regardless.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
7 hours agoJohn Hunter Nemechek has been one of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series's biggest lowkey disappointments. After triggering the pileup that injured his teammate Erik Jones at Talladega, Nemechek has now been out-qualified by both Jones's substitute, Corey Heim, and his part-time car owner, Jimmie Johnson, back-to-back weeks at Dover and Kansas despite having more experience in the Next Gen car than either of them. Nemechek did post a faster qualifying time than Heim, but he starts 29th while Nemechek starts 20th because the first qualifying group was much faster. Nemechek is better at Kansas than he is at most tracks, as his average finish of 18th in the Cup Series is better than his average at most other tracks. He has also won two Xfinity Series races and one Craftsman Truck race there, but his struggles in the Next Gen car will probably override that.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
7 hours agoJustin Haley has certainly improved Rick Ware Racing's competitiveness and reputation to a significant extent this season, as his speed percentile this year of 27.10 is considerably higher than the drivers in the other RWR car, but the team continues to lack the speed necessary to significantly contend, particularly on a track where horsepower is paramount in a year when Ford has been winless across all three national series. Haley qualified only 35th for this weekend's AdventHealth 400, beating his teammate du jour Riley Herbst by .015 seconds. Haley is a plodding, methodical driver who usually finishes better than he starts, as he did in his last three Kansas starts, where he had an average start of 29 and an average finish of 19.33. He'll likely do so again this weekend, but it's hard to imagine the team finishing better than 25th on a horsepower track.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
7 hours agoAustin Cindric continued his string of consistent qualifying runs with a seventh-place start for this weekend's race at Kansas, but despite outqualifying all his Penske teammates as well as the Front Row Motorsports and Wood Brothers satellite cars, he has seldom been able to convert his strong qualifying runs into solid race finishes. He has never scored a top-10 finish at Kansas nor has he led a lap and he finished worse than his starting position in each of his last four starts there. In the last intermediate race at Texas earlier this year, he qualified eighth and finished 25th and he has finished worse than his starting position in 10 of the 11 races this season. Expect this trend to continue on Sunday.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
7 hours agoHarrison Burton qualified 31st at Kansas this weekend and there's little to suggest he might contend on Sunday. Not only has he never led a lap or finished better than 21st in a race at Kansas, he has never even scored a top-10 finish on a non-drafting intermediate to date. Even in the Xfinity Series, Burton only managed a single top-10 despite driving dominant Joe Gibbs Racing equipment. Additionally, almost all Ford teams except for Stewart-Haas Racing have underachieved expectations in the NASCAR Cup Series this year, so when considering Burton's lack of performance on this track type, Ford's lack of performance in general, and the fact that recent Kansas races tend to have minimal attrition, bettors should stay away from Burton entirely.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
7 hours agoChase Briscoe qualified tenth for this weekend's race at Kansas but forecasting his performance is particularly difficult. The Stewart-Haas cars have been notoriously slow on intermediate tracks for the most part with the Next Gen chassis and Briscoe himself has neither scored a top-10 finish nor led a lap at Kansas. Furthermore, Briscoe's performance on intermediates was dreadful last season, as he was the second-slowest driver on that track type with a speed percentile of 15.16. However, the SHR cars have appeared to be significantly faster than expected this year, as Briscoe's teammate, Noah Gragson, qualified third and gave the team its best start on an intermediate since 2021. Briscoe finished sixth in the last intermediate race at Texas. He shouldn't factor for the win, but a top 10 is probably likelier than oddsmakers project.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
7 hours agoChristopher Bell won his first pole of the season for this weekend's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas. This continues his recent trend where he has been the best qualifier in the NASCAR Cup Series, as he won the most poles in both 2022 and 2023 and had the best average starting position last year. However, despite winning ten poles (including two previous ones at Kansas) and seven races in his career, Bell has never won from the pole and he has historically been likelier to win in races when he drives up through the field. Despite Toyota's general dominance on intermediate tracks, this track type seems to be Bell's Achilles heel. Although he usually finishes in the top ten at Kansas, he has never finished better than third and has only won on an intermediate once. Expect him to fade while another driver charge to the front on Sunday.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
8 hours agoOakland A's outfielder
Esteury Ruiz (wrist) exited Saturday's game against the Miami Marlins after injuring his wrist while diving for a hit in the sixth inning. He left the game with the trainers and was replaced by
Seth Brown. Ruiz is considered day-to-day and will undergo further evaluation on his injured wrist. The 25-year-old went 1-for-3 with a run and an RBI before exiting. He was starting to heat up at the plate, hitting .300 (3-for-10) with three runs, three RBI, and two stolen bases over his last five games. Brown would see an uptick in playing time if Ruiz were to miss any games. The 31-year-old is off the fantasy radar in most formats after slashing .180/.232/.281 across 31 games in 2024.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: A's On NBCS
9 hours agoSeattle Mariners
George Kirby (knee) had an MRI on his right knee on Saturday as a precaution. Mariners manager Scott Servais is optimistic Kirby won't miss any time and will make his next start Thursday against the Minnesota Twins. The 26-year-old was pulled from Friday's outing against the Houston Astros after just 88 pitches. Kirby's knee injury doesn't sound serious, and the MRI results should confirm the severity of his issue. He owns a 3.76 ERA, 1.04 WHIP, and a 41:4 K: BB across 38 1/3 innings in 2024. Fantasy managers should continue to roll with Kirby as long as he's cleared for his next scheduled start on Thursday.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Adam Jude
9 hours agoNew York Mets top pitching prospect
Christian Scott allowed one run on five hits and a walk while striking out six over 6 2/3 innings in Saturday's 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. He did not factor into the decision. Scott was promoted to majors on Saturday after posting a 3.20 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and 36:6 K: BB over 25 1/3 innings for Triple-A Syracuse in 2024. The 24-year-old struggled in the first inning, allowing a run on three hits. He bounced back the rest away and retired 11 hitters in a row. Scott threw 94 pitches, landing 67 for strikes. The Mets rookie will look to build off his stellar debut in his next start on Friday against the Atlanta Braves. Scott has tremendous fantasy upside and should be added in all league formats.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: MLB
9 hours agoBaltimore Orioles left-hander
John Means (1-0) allowed three hits and no walks while striking out eight over seven scoreless innings in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Means started the season on the injured list after having a setback on his surgically repaired left elbow. Means picked up his first victory of the season. He completed a rehab assignment with Triple-A Norfolk and made his 2024 debut on Saturday against the Reds. He was stellar in Saturday's win, blanking the Reds over seven innings on 85 pitches. The 31-year-old owned a 2.66 ERA, 0.72 WHIP, and a 10:4 K: BB across 23 2/3 innings in 2023. Means will look to build on Saturday's performance at his next start on Friday against the Seattle Mariners.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: MLB
9 hours agoSt. Louis Cardinals outfielder
Dylan Carlson (shoulder) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Sunday's game against the Chicago White Sox. Pedro Pagés will be optioned to Memphis as the corresponding move. Carlson recently completed a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis and is set to make his season debut on Sunday. The 25-year-old missed the start of the season due to a sprained AC joint in his left shoulder. He slashed .219/.318/.333 with five home runs, 27 RBI, 27 runs, and three stolen bases over 255 plate appearances in 2023. With
Tommy Edman (wrist) sidelined and
Jordan Walker in Triple-A Memphis, Carlson has a clear path for playing time and is a speculative add in deep-league formats.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Katie Woo
9 hours agoBaltimore Orioles reliever
Yennier Cano allowed a walk while striking out one over 2/3 innings in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Cincinnati Reds.
Craig Kimbrel entered the game in the ninth inning to protect a one-run lead. Kimbrel was pulled from the save situation after he allowed one run on two hits and one walk while striking out one batter in one-third of an inning. Cano replaced Kimbrel and retired two of the three batters he faced to notch his first save of the season. Kimbrel has been dealing with a back tightness and has blown back-to-back saves. The Orioles could turn to Cano for saves while Kimbrel is struggling. Cano owns a 2.08 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, and 17 strikeouts over 17 1/3 innings. Fantasy managers searching for saves should add Cano in all league formats.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: MLB
10 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Steven Kwan (hamstring) will undergo an MRI on Sunday. Kwan initially injured his hamstring during Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels while trying to make a play in the outfield. "A hamstring is always concerning, especially with my history," said Kwan. "It's not something to be optimistic about." The Guardians will have a timetable and if an injured stint is needed once the MRI results are in. The 26-year-old is slashing .353/.407/.496 with three home runs and three stolen bases over 32 games in 2024.
Gabriel Arias replaced Kwan in the game and would see an uptick in at-bats if he were to miss any time. Arias is on the radar in deep leagues after slashing .250/.271/.382 with a home run, nine runs, eight RBI, and three steals over 21 games this season.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Paul Hoynes
10 hours agoCleveland Cavaliers center
Jarrett Allen (rib) is questionable heading into Sunday's pivotal matchup with the Orlando Magic. The 26-year-old has averaged 17.0 points, 13.8 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.0 blocks during this series. However, a rib contusion prevented him from suiting up for the team's last two contests. With the series tied at three games each, the Cavaliers certainly hope to get Allen back for Game 7. But if he can't play,
Marcus Morris Sr. and
Isaac Okoro could get more work, although neither player is a reliable DFS contributor.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: NBA Injury Report
10 hours agoDenver Nuggets guard
Jamal Murray had 17 points in Saturday's playoff loss to the Timberwolves. He added four assists and one rebound. The 27-year-old had trouble finding his rhythm in this one. But to be fair, his teammates didn't play much better, with
Nikola Jokic going 11-for-25 from the field and 2-for-9 from deep. Murray averaged 17.3 points, 7.7 assists, and shot 53.8% from behind the three-point line in three meetings with Minnesota during the regular season. With that in mind, he has an excellent chance of bouncing back in Game 2 on Monday night.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
10 hours agoLos Angeles Angels catcher
Logan O'Hoppe (hand) was removed from Saturday's game against the Cleveland Guardians with a right-hand contusion. The 24-year-old took a foul tip off his right hand during the fourth inning. He initially stayed in the game before being replaced in the bottom of the fifth inning. O'Hoppe went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before exiting. X-rays came back negative on O'Hoppe's hand. He is considered day-to-day and will likely get the day off Sunday in the series finale against Cleveland.
Matt Thaiss would see an uptick in playing time if O'Hoppe were to miss any time.
--Brad Camara - RotoBallerSource: Jeff Fletcher
10 hours agoDenver Nuggets center
Nikola Jokic finished with 32 points in Saturday's loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He added nine assists, eight rebounds, and three steals. While the multi-time MVP nearly had a triple-double, he had issues finding the bottom of the net in Game 1, shooting 11-for-25 from the field and 2-for-9 from deep. He also had seven turnovers. The Timberwolves did a fantastic job preventing Jokic from getting comfortable. With that in mind, head coach Mike Malone will make adjustments heading into Game 2 on Monday evening, so Jokic should play better.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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