1 min agoDallas Stars winger Mason Marchment (undisclosed) will rejoin the lineup in Game 2 against Colorado on Thursday. The power forward has been absent for the past six games with an undisclosed injury. Marchment, who had a career year with 53 points (22 goals, 31 assists) in 81 appearances during the regular season, will head straight back to the second line, where he's had a lot of success playing with Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene. His return pushes Radek Faksa out of the lineup, with Evgenii Dadonov dropping to the fourth line.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Lia Assimakopoulos
7 mins agoCarolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (lower body) has yet to skate and remains out indefinitely. He got hurt early into the postseason and will miss a sixth consecutive game against the Rangers on Thursday. Tony DeAngelo will continue to fill in for Pesce at the back. The former Ranger picked up his first postseason point with an assist in Tuesday's 4-3 double-overtime loss and has recorded 10 shots on goal through five outings with four hits and four blocks.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Chip Alexander
23 mins agoCarolina Hurricanes center Evgeny Kuznetsov will be back in the lineup for Game 3 against the Rangers on Thursday. He was a healthy scratch for Tuesday's Game 2. Kuznetsov has posted four points (two goals, two assists) in six playoff appearances this year, but he's done all his scoring across two games. He comes in for Max Comtois on the fourth line. The winger logged only 6:19 of ice time in Tuesday's 4-3 double-overtime loss, finishing with a minus-one rating.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Chip Alexander
33 mins agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov will be the team's starter between the pipes in Game 3 against the Rangers on Thursday. Carolina is making a change in goal after losing both of the first two games in the series 4-3 with Frederik Andersen in the crease. Andersen has registered a lowly .871 save percentage against the Rangers, but Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour appeared to suggest on Thursday that the Danish netminder sits out Game 3 for rest purposes. Kochetkov will play his sixth career Stanley Cup Playoffs game. He's coming off a solid regular-season campaign, which saw Kochetkov go 23-13-4 with four shutouts. He allowed 2.33 goals and had a .911 save percentage.
--Taavi Pailk - RotoBallerSource: Chip Alexander
37 mins agoMilwaukee Bucks point guard
Patrick Beverley has been suspended four games without pay by the NBA. During Game 6 of the first round against the Indiana Pacers, the 35-year-old was involved in an altercation, resulting in Beverely forcefully throwing a basketball into the stands toward fans. Additionally, after the game, he was involved in "an inappropriate interaction" with an ESPN reporter during media availability. His suspension will begin at the start of next season. Beverely heads into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
--Dave Goldsholl - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
50 mins agoThe Houston Texans acquired wide receiver
Ben Skowronek from the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday, according to sources. The Rams were set to waiver Skowronek, but the Texans swooped in before he hit waivers to get something done to add receiving depth behind
Stefon Diggs,
Nico Collins,
Tank Dell,
Robert Woods,
Noah Brown,
John Metchie III and others. The 26-year-old Skowronek was the Rams' seventh-round pick in 2021 and has mostly been limited to a role on special teams in his three years in the NFL. That will likely continue to be the case with his move to Houston, and he won't be on the fantasy radar at all. In his three years in the NFL in LA, Skowronek only had 58 receptions for 575 yards and one touchdown on 93 targets in 45 games (12 starts).
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
1 hour agoBuffalo Bills tight end
Dawson Knox likely knows a reduced role is on the way again for him in 2024, although he is a favorite of quarterback
Josh Allen's in the locker room, so it remains to be seen how much he'll be on the sidelines in favor of second-year tight end
Dalton Kincaid. Allen may need to rely on Kincaid more to pick up a big amount of slack to keep the offense moving with an unproven receiver unit this year. Buffalo moved away from heavy usage of 12 personnel early in 2023 and mostly settled into 11 personnel. If that's the plan again in 2024, it will be interesting to see how they divvy up the snaps between Kincaid and Knox. Either way, unless Kincaid misses time with an injury, it's going to be hard to justify starting Knox outside of two-TE leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
1 hour agoIn what is the weakest wide receiving corps the Buffalo Bills have had in several seasons, rookie second-round wideout
Keon Coleman should start right away in his first NFL season alongside veteran
Curtis Samuel and
Khalil Shakir. Coleman has a lot of potential, but asking a 21-year-old to produce in a way he never has at a higher level of football seems like asking for too much, too soon, according to The Athletic's Joe Buscaglia. Depth is also an issue for this unit, with journeyman veteran
Mack Hollins as their top reserve. Coleman has good size at 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, but his lack of production at Florida State made him a polarizing draft prospect. The good news is that he's going to have his opportunities right away, although that doesn't necessarily mean he'll be a starting fantasy option on a weekly basis right away.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
1 hour agoBuffalo Bills running back
James Cook bounced back from being benched last year and enters his third season in the NFL in 2024 as the unquestioned lead back with a giant gap between him and either
Ty Johnson or rookie
Ray Davis. Cook should continue to push toward some of the heaviest involvement the Bills have seen in recent years out of their top back. Johnson's game is similar to Cook's, so he'll likely have a game-day role when Cook needs a breather. The Bills are hoping Davis can add power and short-yardage ability, something the team has been wanting to add for years to the backfield. The 24-year-old Cook had a 1,000-yard rushing season in 2023 but added just two rushing TDs. What Cook lacks in scoring opportunities, he could make up for with his pass-catching abilities and sheer volume in 2024.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Joe Buscaglia
1 hour agoThe Athletic's Zac Jackson writes that the Cleveland Browns believe wide receiver
Cedric Tillman can make a second-year leap in 2024.
Amari Cooper,
Jerry Jeudy and
Elijah Mooreread more...
2 hours agoThere's a lot of uncertainty surrounding the Cleveland Browns' backfield heading into this summer with running back
Nick Chubb (knee) months away from having a timetable to return.
Nyheim Hines (knee) is also recovering from a torn ACL as well.
D'Onta Foreman figures to operate as the team's short-yardage back, while
Jerome Ford could go anywhere from first in line to a specialized role while mostly helping in the passing game.
Pierre Strong Jr. and
John Kelly Jr. round out the RB room. The Browns have nice depth at the position, but the pecking order and specific roles are to be determined based on Chubb's availability and effectiveness. Foreman's fantasy value will hinge on Chubb as well, but in a best-case scenario if Chubb isn't ready for the start of the season, he'll be a touchdown-dependent RB3/flex.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Zac Jackson
2 hours agoThe Los Angeles Rams released wide receiver
Ben Skowronek on Thursday, according to a source. The former seventh-round pick in 2021 out of Notre Dame had emerged into a team captain last year but also had a career-low eight receptions on 12 targets for 66 yards and his first career touchdown in 17 regular-season games (zero starts). The 26-year-old has mostly contributed on special teams in his three-year NFL career and will likely continue to do so wherever he winds up next. In his three years in LA, Skowronek caught 58 of his 93 targets for 575 receiving yards and just one touchdown in 45 games played (12 starts). He'll be off the fantasy radar wherever he lands next.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Dianna Russini
2 hours agoHouston Astros right-hander
Cristian Javier (neck) will start on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers in the Motor City, with lefty
Framber Valdez starting the series opener on Friday and right-hander
Justin Verlander going on Sunday. While it's a solid matchup for Javier, fantasy baseball managers need to remember that Javier has been out almost a month with a neck injury. In his lone minor-league rehab start with Double-A Corpus Christi, Javier gave up three runs in just 3 1/3 innings (68 pitches), so he's also probably not going to go very deep in his first start back in Detroit on Saturday. Even though he might be a shaky starting option this weekend, Javier deserves to be rostered in all fantasy formats after starting the year 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA and 1.11 WHIP with 18 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings over his first four starts.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Chandler Rome
2 hours agoHideki Matsuyama announced his withdrawal from the Wells Fargo Championship just before his first-round tee time due to a back injury. This was set to be Matsuyama's first appearance since the Masters Tournament last month. He had been performing well and was in excellent form leading up to the Wells Fargo Championship this week, with three top-15 finishes, two top-10 finishes, and one win in his previous five appearances.
--Ian Christenson - RotoBallerSource: PGA Tour
2 hours agoNew York Yankees catcher
Jose Trevino will take a seat in favor of
Austin Wells for the second straight day on Thursday against the visiting Houston Astros. Wells is catching right-hander
Marcus Stroman and will hit eighth in the batting order against Astros right-hander
Ronel Blanco. Wells will be making his 21st start of the season, while Trevino has started 18 games for the Yankees, so it's basically been a pretty even timeshare behind the dish in the Bronx for the two. The 31-year-old Trevino has been better offensively, hitting .281 (18-for-64) with two homers and 11 RBI, while Wells enters Thursday's game slashing just .200/.333/.317 with a homer and three RBI in 60 at-bats. Those setting DFS lineups on Thursday should look elsewhere at the catching position than Wells.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 hours agoThe Atlanta Braves acquired infielder
Zack Short from the Boston Red Sox on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations. The move comes after the Braves shipped veteran infielder
Luis Guillorme to the Los Angeles Angels for cash considerations on the same day. The 28-year-old Short will be on his third MLB team of the year after starting the season with the New York Mets. In 12 games with the Mets and Red Sox this year, he's gone 1-for-16 with two walks and eight strikeouts. Short will operate in a utility bench role in Atlanta and may not stick around for long there, either. The former 17th-round pick by the Chicago Cubs in 2016 out of Sacred Heart has hit just .169/.262/.299 with 13 home runs, 55 RBI and eight stolen bases in 189 career games played in the majors since debuting in 2021.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
2 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates right-hander
Johan Oviedo (elbow) is coming close to the six-month mark in his rehab from Tommy John surgery, which is when he might get final clearance to resume throwing. The clearance could come next week and would be another step toward getting Oviedo ready to pitch next season. The 26-year-old underwent Tommy John surgery in early December of last year and will not be available to pitch for the Pirates at all in 2024. The Cuban right-hander made a career-high 32 starts for the Bucs in 2023 and went 9-14 with a 4.31 ERA (4.49 FIP) and 1.37 WHIP with 83 walks and 158 strikeouts in 177 2/3 innings pitched. Unsurprisingly, consistency was an issue for Oviedo in his first full season as a starter in the big leagues, and he's going to need to show better command when he returns in 2025 to have any shot at fantasy relevance in single-season leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoPittsburgh Pirates catcher
Jason Delay (knee) caught pitcher
Bailey Falter's bullpen session on Wednesday, the first time he has done that since having knee surgery last month. He didn't have any issues and has also been playing catch up to 120 feet and taking swings off a tee. There are discussions of moving Delay's rehab to the team's Florida complex, which could happen soon. The 29-year-old underwent surgery in the middle of April to fix the meniscus in his right knee. He's making progress, but Delay has a ways to go in his recovery and might not be back with the team as a backup option before the All-Star break. In his one game played in 2024 before his knee injury, Delay went hitless in three at-bats with an RBI and a walk.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoMinnesota Twins relief pitcher
Daniel Duarte (elbow) will miss the rest of the 2024 season after having UCL revision reconstruction on his elbow on Tuesday in Dallas. The typical recovery timeline for these injuries is 14 to 16 months. The 27-year-old right-hander is not only going to miss the rest of this year, but he'll also most likely be sidelined into the second half of 2025 as well. The Mexican hurler only made two appearances out of Minnesota's bullpen this year and allowed one earned run on two hits while walking one and striking out three in four innings. In his three MLB seasons to this point, Duarte has a 3.99 ERA (6.10 FIP), a 1.38 WHIP, one save, 24 walks and 28 strikeouts in 38 1/3 relief innings for the Twins and Cincinnati Reds.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Minneapolis Star Tribune - Bobby Nightengale
3 hours agoCincinnati Reds relief pitcher
Ian Gibaut (arm) had anterior interosseous nerve-release surgery on his right arm on Thursday, but manager David Bell said the hope is that he's still able to return this season. Gibaut had been dealing with right-arm issues since late February and will now be out even longer. The 30-year-old is currently on the 60-day injured list and won't be able to rejoin Cincinnati's bullpen until some point in the second half of the season. The former 11th-round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2015 out of Tulane was a key part of the Reds' bullpen last year, going 8-4 with a 3.33 ERA (4.07 FIP) and 1.28 WHIP with a career-high three saves, 28 walks and a career-high 69 strikeouts in 75 2/3 innings over 74 relief appearances.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Cincinnati Enquirer - Charlie Goldsmith
3 hours agoSan Francisco Giants outfielder
Jung Hoo Lee and third baseman
Matt Chapman are both receiving the day off for Thursday's series finale in Colorado against the Rockies.
Austin Slater is starting in center field and is batting sixth, while
Wilmer Flores is manning the hot corner and is batting cleanup against Rockies right-hander
Cal Quantrill. Lee is currently riding a six-game hitting streak but will take a seat for the first time since April 24. Chapman has cooled off at the plate after a hot start in the first month of the season. It's his first day of rest since April 20. Flores is hitless in four career at-bats against Quantrill and is hitting just .213 (19-for-89) on the year with one home run and 13 RBI in 32 games, but he'll be a DFS sleeper on Thursday in the cleanup spot at hitter-friendly Coors Field.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: San Francisco Chronicle - Shayna Rubin
3 hours agoTampa Bay Rays right-hander
Jacob Waguespack (shoulder) suffered a right-shoulder injury in his last outing with Triple-A Durham that isn't expected to require a significant stint on the shelf. Instead of leaving him on the minor-league injured list, the Rays recalled him and placed him on the 15-day IL on Monday. If Waguespack were to suffer a setback, it would required him to be moved to the 60-day IL to clear a spot on the 40-man roster. This way, if he's eventually put on the 60-day IL, he will be eligible to return after serving the minimum 60 days. The 30-year-old made four appearances (one starts) for the Rays before his injury and allowed seven runs (six earned) on 13 hits (one homer) while walking 10 and striking out 11 in just 10 innings.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoTampa Bay Rays right-hander
Ryan Pepiot (leg) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Wednesday with a lower left-leg contusion after getting hit by a comebacker in Sunday's outing against the New York Mets, but he played catch on Wednesday and said multiple times he expects he'll be ready when he's eligible to return. X-rays and a CT scan showed no fracture in Pepiot's left leg, but follow-up imaging showed there was more of a bruise on his bone than anticipated, and the Rays decided to play it safe. The 26-year-old will be able to return to the team on May 21, so fantasy managers should expect him back by then. In his first seven starts (36 2/3 innings) for the Rays, Pepiot has gone 3-2 with a solid 3.68 ERA and 0.93 WHIP with 41 strikeouts. Keep him stashed with a quick return expected.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
3 hours agoThe Los Angeles Angels acquired infielder
Luis Guillorme from the Atlanta Braves on Thursday in exchange for cash considerations, according to sources. The 29-year-old had signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal with the Braves in the offseason. Guillorme only appeared in nine games for Atlanta, going 3-for-20 (.150) with three RBI in 21 plate appearances. A backup infielder with the Braves, Guillorme will now have a much better shot at playing time in Anaheim, mainly at third base with
Anthony Rendon (hamstring) out until at least late June and probably longer. Guillorme can provide infield versatility and gives the Halos a nice contact hitter from the left side, but his fantasy impact will likely be limited to AL-only leagues, depending on how much he actually plays. He's a career .258/.341/.331 hitter with only five homers, 51 RBI and four steals in seven big-league seasons.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ElExtraBase - Daniel Alvarez-Montes
3 hours agoTo make room on the roster for infielder
Luis Guillorme on Thursday, the Los Angeles Angels transferred third baseman
Anthony Rendon (hamstring) to the 60-day injured list. It means that Rendon won't be eligible to come off the IL until June 21. The 33-year-old oft-injured veteran is on the shelf yet again with the Halos after suffering a high-grade partial tear of his left hamstring almost three weeks ago. We'll know more about a specific timetable for Rendon's potential return in another few weeks, but he's unlikely to be ready to come back when he's eligible to come off the IL on June 21.
Luis Rengifo,
Brandon Drury,
Ehire Adrianza and
Cole Tucker have all been options at third base for the Angels since Rendon's injury, and now Guillorme could get his shot after being acquired from the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com - Mark Feinsand
4 hours agoArizona Diamondbacks left-hander
Eduardo Rodriguez (shoulder) got good news from his MRI exam on Wednesday. His tests showed healing, and it appears that he's close to starting a throwing program, according to manager Torey Lovullo. Rodriguez is probably still a month or so away from a potential return, though. The 31-year-old veteran southpaw was shut down in mid-April with left-shoulder tightness and has yet to make his 2024 debut with the Diamondbacks at this point. E-Rod is making some progress, but he still has a ways to go and can be left to the waiver wire in standard 12-team fantasy leagues for the time being. He had a career-best 3.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in his final season with the Detroit Tigers last year, but the underlying numbers show that Rodriguez was a bit fortunate. Along with his injury concerns, Rodriguez is a streamer, at best, in deep-mixed leagues when he returns.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Arizona Republic - Nick Piecoro
4 hours agoWashington Nationals outfield prospect
James Wood is currently slashing a ridiculous .339/.444/.529 with a .973 OPS, 11 doubles, 14 RBI, 23 walks, 30 strikeouts, eight stolen bases and four home runs with Triple-A Rochester. The club's No. 2 prospect and No. 12 in all of baseball, per MLB Pipeline, hit two of his four homers on Wednesday. It's looking like Wood has nothing left to prove in the minors, but Washington has a plan for him and they plan on sticking to it. Despite his electric start this year, the Nats have more boxes for the 21-year-old to check before he makes his big-league debut. "He needs to get a bunch of at-bats," Martinez said. "He needs to learn some different things." The team's active 26-man roster is in a bit of a crunch at the major-league level right now, too. Wood is going to get his chance eventually this year, though, and he should be stashed in all fantasy leagues if you have the room.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: MASN Sports - Bobby Blanco
4 hours agoToronto Blue Jays pitching prospect
Ricky Tiedemann (elbow) has resumed throwing from flat ground at the team's spring training complex in Dunedin, Fla., and it could be a couple more weeks until he's back throwing off a mound. It's good news for the Blue Jays' top pitching prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect in baseball, per MLB Pipeline. However, fantasy managers that are stashing Tiedemann in single-year leagues may never get to use him in 2024. There's no timeline for the 21-year-old left-hander's return to game action in the minors, and given the fact that he also dealt with an arm issue in 2023, Toronto certainly is going to slow-play their best pitching prospect. Before his elbow injury, Tiedemann was struggling to the tune of a 5.63 ERA with nine walks and 10 strikeouts in his three starts for Triple-A Buffalo.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Sportsnet.ca - Arden Zwelling
4 hours agoNew York Yankees designated hitter
Giancarlo Stanton hit his eighth home run of the season in Wednesday's 9-4 win over the Astros, the second straight game with a home run for the slugger. The solo blast traveled 447 feet off of Astros starter
Spencer Arrighetti but was Stanton's only hit in the game, finishing 1-for-4. This season has been a bit of a mixed bag as evidenced by his last 15 games, where he's hit safely in 12 of the 15, but with a batting average of just .228 during that stretch. He's got the same exact BA on the season (.228) along with 20 RBI and 18 runs scored, but an ugly 10:45 BB:K. The BA so far is actually an improvement over the last two seasons, but managers who drafted him did so for the power production, which has not been disappointing to this point.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
4 hours agoTexas Rangers first baseman
Nathaniel Lowe went 2-for-4 with two walks, three RBI, and two runs scored in Wednesday's 12-11 victory over the Athletics in Game 2 of their doubleheader. Lowe now has a six-game hit streak going, during which time he is 11-for-25 (.440) with three doubles, eight RBI, five runs scored, and a 6:5 BB:K. It appears he's fully recovered after missing the first couple weeks of the season with an oblique injury. The 28-year-old gets a mouthwatering matchup in his next game on Friday in Colorado against LHP
Austin Gomber, whom he is 4-for-7 off of lifetime, including a double and a home run.
--Jarod Rupp - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
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