1 hour agoCleveland Cavaliers forward
Evan Mobley played much better on Sunday in the postseason win over Orlando. Mobley had trouble offensively in Game 6, finishing with three points. However, he turned things around in Game 7 to help his team advance to the semi-finals, amassing an 11-point, 16-rebound double-double. Mobley wasn't as impactful on the scoring end during the seven-game series versus the Magic. But he shined on the defensive end, amassing 23 blocks. The Cavs will take Monday off before starting the series with the Celtics on Tuesday night. Mobley met Boston just once during the regular season, only scoring four points. While he should play better, the entire roster could struggle throughout the series.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoOrlando Magic guard
Jalen Suggs struggled in Sunday's loss to the Cavaliers. The 22-year-old had one of his best offensive performances in Game 6, finishing with 22 points. However, he fizzled in Game 7, ending the afternoon with only 10 points off 2-for-14 shooting from the field. Although Suggs added nine boards, four assists, and one steal, he had five turnovers. But overall, Suggs showed signs of growth during the 2023-24 campaign and finished by averaging a career-high 12.6 points. He also shot 39.7% from deep, a significant upgrade from last season. While constructing the roster around
Paolo Banchero and
Franz Wagner is the team's priority moving ahead, Suggs should hold a stable spot in the rotation.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoOrlando Magic forward
Franz Wagner struggled in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 22-year-old had 26 points in the Game 6 win on Friday night. However, he fizzled on Sunday, ending the afternoon with just six points off 1-for-15 shooting from the field. He had struggled on the road during this series, but his performance in Game 7 couldn't have gone much worse. With Orlando done, the team can make moves this offseason. But the roster should continue to be built around Wagner and
Paolo Banchero, with both players expected to improve even more in 2024-25.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoOrlando Magic forward
Paolo Banchero finished with a massive double-double in Sunday's loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had a team-high 38 points and 16 rebounds, adding three steals and one block. Unfortunately, his stellar performance wasn't enough to lead his team to the win. With the Magic now eliminated from the postseason after seven hard-fought contests with the Cavs, Orlando will look to improve the roster during the offseason. With that said, the club will remain constructed around Banchero, who showed signs of growth in his second season in the league by averaging 22.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists. Although his shooting numbers could use some work, he'll likely improve in 2024-25, raising his stock in category formats.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoCleveland Cavaliers guard
Donovan Mitchell led his team to a series-clinching win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday. He had 50 points in Game 6 on Friday night. While the 27-year-old wasn't as impactful on the scoring end in this one, he still finished with 39 points and added nine rebounds, five assists, one block, and one steal. Mitchell and company will get a day off on Monday before meeting the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night to begin the semi-finals. He played well against the C's during the regular season, averaging 30.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists. However, the Cavs could struggle as a whole, meaning it could be difficult for Mitchell to stay as productive.
--Dennis Clausen - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
2 hours agoCleveland Guardians outfielder
Steven Kwan (hamstring) is heading to the 10-day injured list with the hamstring injury that got him pulled from Saturday's game against the Los Angeles Angels.
Kyle Manzardo is expected to be recalled as a corresponding move. It is an unfortunate injury for Kwan, as he has gotten off to a blistering start this season. The 26-year-old is slashing .353/.407/.496 with three home runs, 11 RBI, 28 runs scored and three stolen bases. Hopefully the ailment isn't overly severe and he can return in short order.
Estevan Florial was batting leadoff for the Guardians on Sunday in Kwan's absence, but he is a fantasy afterthought at this point.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Zack Meisel
2 hours agoCleveland Guardians first base prospect
Kyle Manzardo is expected to be called up by the team on Monday with outfielder
Steven Kwan (hamstring) heading to the 10-day injured list. Manzardo, the team's No. 2 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, is slashing .303/.376/.642 at Triple-A Columbus this season with nine home runs, 20 RBI and 25 runs scored. It remains to be seem exactly how Manzardo will fit into the Guardians lineup, but he will likely see most of his reps at the designated hitter spot. He is worth an immediate pickup in deeper leagues for managers in need of better power numbers.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Zack Meisel
3 hours agoSan Diego Padres starter
Joe Musgrove (triceps) has been placed on the 15-day injured list with right triceps tendinitis. The 31-year-old pitched great in his last start on Wednesday, but it appears as though something came up during the outing. The decision to place him on the IL is reportedly precautionary, so hopefully he can return to the team after two weeks. Randy Vazquez was recalled from Triple-A El Paso to join the rotation in Musgrove's absence. Vazquez owns a 3.38 ERA across 13 career appearances in the majors and will be a matchup-dependent streaming option in fantasy.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Kevin Acee
3 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Luis Garcia (elbow) threw another bullpen session this weekend as he continues his recovery from Tommy John surgery. He began throwing bullpen sessions in April and has not suffered any setbacks yet. His next step in the rehab process will be a stint in the minors, but the Astros are taking things slow with the young right-hander. The expectation is that he'll be able to return to the majors near midseason. Garcia was impressive in his last full campaign as he posted a 15-8 record, 3.72 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 28 starts in 2022. He is someone for fantasy managers to keep an eye on as he gets closer to his return date.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw 10 fastballs off of the mound's rubber on Saturday. He is expected to return from forearm surgery sometime around midseason after not pitching at all in 2023. The Astros have had terrible luck with injuries to their rotation so far this season, so McCullers would likely jump back into a starting spot when he returns. He is not a priority stash at this point, but fantasy managers with IL space in deeper leagues could scoop him up if he is available.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers closer
Evan Phillips (hamstring) was placed on the injured list earlier on Sunday afternoon, and it has been revealed that he is dealing with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. The Dodgers are hopeful that Phillips can return after his 15-day stint of being sidelined. The 29-year-old has been the primary ninth-inning option for manager Dave Roberts so far this year and he has already notched eight saves. In his absence, expect the Dodgers to adopt a committee approach, featuring
Daniel Hudson,
Alex Vesia, and
Joe Kelly, among others.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Kirstren Watson
3 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Ryan Pepiot (leg) was forced to leave Sunday's game against the New York Mets after taking a 107 mph ball off of his leg, but thankfully, his X-rays came back negative. He is now considered day-to-day and may be able to make his next start. The 26-year-old owns a 3.68 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and 41:11 K:BB through seven appearances. Pepiot should remain on fantasy rosters, as it looks like he avoided any significant injury.
--Raymond Harrison - RotoBallerSource: Tricia Whitaker
4 hours agoCincinnati Reds third baseman
Jeimer Candelario was scratched from Sunday's lineup with a bruised left shin. Instead,
Santiago Espinal will man the hot corner on Sunday as the Reds look to avoid a three-game sweep against the Baltimore Orioles. Candelario has been off to a disappointing start, with his new team hitting just .190/.274/.360 with three home runs. While the extent of the injury is not known, Espinal should be expected to play third base for the time being. Espinal could be a sneaky play in DFS today as he will face
Dean Kremer, who enters Sunday with a 4.19 ERA.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Gordon Wittenmyer
4 hours agoTampa Bay Rays starting pitcher
Ryan Pepiot left Sunday's game against the New York Mets early after taking a 107 mph hit ball to his left leg. The extent of his injury is still not known, but he was able to walk off the mound on his own. Pepiot was replaced by
Manuel Rodriguez. The 26-year-old was off to a strong start to the season with a 3.12 ERA and stellar 0.87 WHIP across 34 ⅔ innings with 38 strikeouts.
Taj Bradley is a candidate to replace Pepiot in the rotation, as he is on the verge of completing his rehab assignment. Pepiot should remain stashed on your roster for the time being.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Tricia Whitaker
5 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Jose Urquidy (forearm) is expected to begin a rehab assignment after logging another bullpen session on May 7. The 29-year-old tossed 30 pitches of live BP earlier in the week on May 1 and was scheduled to do so again on Sunday, May 5, but will now do so on May 7. Urquidy has yet to see the mound this season due to a right forearm strain but should be back on the mound before the end of the month. He posted a 5.29 ERA and 1.43 WHIP in 63 innings last season with 43 strikeouts and is best left for DFS and streaming in deep leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros
5 hours agoHouston Astros outfielder
Chas McCormick (hamstring) was seen running prior to Saturday's game and will do so again on Sunday, as per manager Joe Espada. Espada emphasized that the team hopes to "get him out playing here soon" in a rehab stint. Espada further stated that McCormick is "feeling better." The 29-year-old was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 28 with right-hamstring discomfort. He has struggled at the plate to open the season, but fantasy managers hope he once again showcases his strong power and speed combination he flashed last year with 22 long balls and 19 swiped bags. McCormick should remain rostered in most formats as he is nearing his return.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros
5 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher
Evan Phillips (hamstring) has been placed on the injured list retroactive to May 4 with a right hamstring strain. In a corresponding move, the Los Angeles Dodgers activated relief pitcher
Blake Treinen (lung) from the injured list. Phillips has been one of the best relief pitchers in the early part of the season, posting a dominant 0.66 ERA and 1.02 WHIP across 13 ⅔ innings. The 29-year-old has been the primary ninth-inning option and has tallied eight saves so far. As a result,
Daniel Hudson,
Alex Vesia, and
Joe Kelly are all options to receive save opportunities while Phillips is sidelined.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Kirsten Watson
5 hours agoCaio Borralho opened up the UFC 301 main card with a second-round knockout win over Paul Craig. Borralho entered the fight as a sizeable betting favorite, and he was having his way with Craig early on. Borralho outstruck Craig 27-to-15 in the first round, and in the second round, the Brazilian landed a big left cross that knocked Craig out cold. With the win, Borralho is 16-1 as a pro and is now 6-0 in the UFC. After the impressive win, Borralho should get a top-10 opponent next time out at middleweight.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
5 hours agoVitor Petrino suffered his first career loss as he suffered a first-round submission loss to Anthony Smith at UFC 301. Petrino called out Smith after his last win, and early on, the two were trading shots with one another. As Petrino shot in for a takedown, Smith got ahold of his neck which forced him to tap. With the loss, Petrino is 11-1 as a pro and is now 4-1 in the UFC. Petrino will likely face an unranked opponent next time out as he looks to build himself back up.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
5 hours agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Cristian Javier (neck) tossed 3 1/3 innings in his rehab start with Double-A on Saturday. He allowed three earned runs, three hits, two free passes, and struck out three. He threw a total of 68 pitches. After being scratched from a scheduled start on April 21 and hitting the injured list, Javier seems to be complete with his recovery process and should be expected to rejoin the Astros rotation next week. As a result, rookie
Spencer Arrighetti will most likely lose his spot and be sent back to the minors. The 27-year-old has a 1.54 ERA and 1.11 WHIP across 23 1/3 innings with 18 strikeouts this season and should be rostered in all fantasy formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Houston Astros
5 hours agoAnthony Smith scored a first-round submission win over Vitor Petrino on the main card of UFC 301. Smith entered the bout as a sizeable underdog as he was 1-3 in his last four fights. After the two were trading shots, Petrino went in for a takedown and Smith got ahold of the Brazilian's neck, which forced Petrino to tap due to the guillotine choke. With the win, Smith is now 38-19 as a pro and 13-9 in the UFC. Smith will likely get a top-10 opponent next after the upset win.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
5 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks starting pitcher
Ryne Nelson (elbow) is slated to return to action and start Sunday in the final game of a three-game set against the San Diego Padres. Nelson was battling a right elbow contusion after being hit by a line drive in mid-April. The 26-year-old did not need a rehab appearance and is returning directly to the Arizona rotation. Nelson carries a 4.60 ERA and 1.53 WHIP with 13 strikeouts across 15 ⅔ innings into Sunday's matchup against the Padres and is probably best to fade in DFS and should be used as a streamer in the right matchups in most formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Arizona Diamondbacks
5 hours agoJonathan Martinez suffered a unanimous decision loss to Jose Aldo in the co-main event of UFC 301. Martinez entered the bout as the favorite, as the 12th-ranked bantamweight was facing the returning Aldo who hadn't competed in MMA since August of 2022. The first round was competitive, but Martinez was outstruck 17-to-16. In the second and third rounds, Aldo took over as Martinez was outstruck 30-to-20 in the second round and 54-to-44 in the third round. With the loss, Martinez is now 19-5 as a pro and 10-4 in the UFC.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
5 hours agoJose Aldo scored a unanimous decision win over Jonathan Martinez in the co-main event of UFC 301. The Brazilian was fighting in MMA for the first time since 2022 and entered the bout against the 12th-ranked bantamweight as the underdog. The first round was very competitive, but Aldo took over in the second and third rounds, as he outstruck Martinez in all three rounds. He ended up out-landing Martinez 101-to-80 to get a clear-cut decision win. With the win, Aldo is now 32-8 and 14-7 in the UFC, but that was the final fight of his contract so his future in MMA is uncertain.
--Cole SheltonSource: UFC
5 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers infielder
Max Muncy is out of the starting lineup ahead of Sunday's game against the Atlanta Braves. The Dodgers have rewarded Muncy with a day off after his three-homer game on Saturday. This seems like a fitting time given the Dodgers are up against tough left-hander
Max Fried. In his absence,
Enrique Hernandez will cover third base and bat fifth on Sunday.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Juan Toribio
5 hours agoRunning back
Duke Johnson announced his retirement from professional football on Sunday. Johnson was originally taken in the third round (77th overall) by the Cleveland Browns in the 2015 NFL draft out of Miami. He spent the first four seasons of his NFL career with the Browns before spending two years with the Houston Texans. Johnson played for the Miami Dolphins in 2021 and the Buffalo Bills in the final year of his career in 2022. The 30-year-old wraps up his career having recorded 2,265 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on 532 carries, adding 311 catches on 405 targets for 2,870 yards and an additional 12 touchdowns in 97 games (21 starts) covering eight seasons. Johnson had a career-high 410 rushing yards on 83 attempts in his first year in Houston in 2019.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: South Florida Sun-Sentinel - David Furones
5 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Joey Wiemer (knee) is looking at missing multiple weeks of action after suffering an injury earlier in the week. The young outfielder was placed on the 10-day injured list after hurting his knee on Friday. The organization has given a timetable of two or three weeks for Wiemer. This is good news as Wiemer will avoid surgery and only miss a few weeks of action.
Jackson Chourio,
Blake Perkins, and
Sal Frelick figure to all see increased playing time while Wiemer and
Christian Yelich (back) recover.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Curt Hogg
5 hours agoDallas police will not pursue sexual-assault charges against Dallas Cowboys quarterback
Dak Prescott, with a police spokesperson saying that detectives determined there was insufficient evidence an offense was committed. The case stemmed from an alleged incident that occurred in 2017 in which a woman said Prescott assaulted her in the back of an SUV in a strip club parking lot. In March, Prescott filed a suit seeking monetary relief in excess of $1 million after receiving a letter in January from attorneys on behalf of the woman that they would "forego pursuing criminal charges, along with disclosing this information to the public, in exchange for compensating her for the mental anguish she has suffered." It's unclear if the NFL is doing their separate investigation, but either way, it doesn't appear likely that Prescott will be in danger of facing a suspension from the league.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN Dallas - Todd Archer
6 hours agoMilwaukee Brewers outfielder
Christian Yelich (back) has reportedly been progressing well throughout the weekend. The veteran outfielder has been able to swing a bat, throw, and run without issues. The 32-year-old recently had a setback with his back issue but appears to be back on track now. The hope is that Yelich will be back in the lineup around mid-May. In the meantime,
Jackson Chourio will cover left field and bat ninth during Sunday's game against
Javier Assad. The rookie outfielder figures to continue seeing more at-bats with Yelich sidelined. Both
Blake Perkins and
Sal Frelick will see more playing time as well.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Curt Hogg
6 hours agoNew York Mets starting pitcher
Kodai Senga (shoulder) threw a successful 32-pitch bullpen session on Saturday. The right-hander is progressing well and has faced live hitters twice this week. The organization is likely going to wait a few days before deciding on what to do next. Barring any setbacks, Senga will likely go on a rehab assignment soon. Currently, Senga is on track to return in late May, which means fantasy managers won't have to wait too much longer.
--Andy Webb - RotoBallerSource: Abbey Mastracco
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