2 days agoRoss Chastain should definitely be on your radar at Circuit of the Americas this weekend. Not only does the Trackhouse Racing driver already have a win under his belt here, but he also owns the best average finish (4.0) among active Cup Series drivers at this track. In four career starts in Austin, Chastain hasn't finished worse than seventh, and his average driver rating of 117.4 ranks best among all drivers as well. This weekend, Chastain qualified ninth for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Additionally, the No. 1 Chevrolet ranked fastest in five-lap average during practice on Saturday afternoon. At just $8,600 on DraftKings, Ross Chastain looks like an excellent tournament DFS pick this weekend. He has been a constantly top-10 threat at road courses over the last few years, and seems to have something figured out particularly well at COTA specifically.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
2 days agoAs usual, Chris Buescher is an excellent DFS play this weekend at Circuit of the Americas. Since the introduction of the Next Gen car, nobody has been more consistent at road courses than Chris Buescher, who has finished 11th or better in 13 of the last 14 races on this track type. That includes his surprise win at Watkins Glen last September, where he started back in 24th--which is exactly where he qualified for this weekend's EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix as well. Buescher has been relatively strong at COTA, currently boasting back-to-back eighth-place finishes at this track. He also came home 13th here back in 2021 int he first Cup Series race at the venue. At $8,100 on DraftKings this weekend, Buescher makes an excellent DFS play due to his Place Differential upside and strength at road courses.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
2 days agoHouston Astros starting pitcher
Lance McCullers Jr. (forearm) threw live batting practice on Saturday. The right-hander threw 20 pitches and hit 94.7 mph on his fastball. He was able to mix in his curveball, changeup, and sinker. The 31-year-old underwent surgery to repair a flexor tendon. He faced a setback last season but appears to be on track to return to the big league mound. The 31-year-old last saw MLB action during the 2022 campaign. During this season, McCullers held a 2.27 ERA with a 1.24 WHIP across 47 2/3 innings. He tallied 50 punchouts. In 2021, McCullers posted a 3.16 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP across a career-high 162 1/3 innings of work. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression as he could be nearing his Grapefruit League debut. When cleared to return, he should earn a spot in the starting rotation.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Brian McTaggart
2 days agoCleveland Guardians right-handed pitcher
Trevor Stephan (elbow) completed a bullpen session on Friday. Stephan is working his way back from the UCL reconstruction surgery he underwent in March 2024. This was his first time throwing off a mound and a significant step in his recovery process. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status as he could see his workload begin to increase. The 29-year-old last appeared in an MLB game during the 2023 season. During this campaign, the right-hander held a 4.06 ERA with a 1.30 WHIP. He tallied 75 punchouts across 68 2/3 innings. He generated whiffs at a strong 30.6 percent rate but struggled to command his pitches as he held a below average 8.8 percent rate. When Stephan is eventually cleared to return, he should have a middle-relief role in the Cleveland bullpen.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Cleveland Guardians
2 days agoKansas City Royals infielder
Maikel Garcia will see time in center field during spring training. In the offseason, the Royals acquired
Jonathan India from the Cincinnati Reds, which added another bat to their infield. General manager J.J. Picollo noted that the way the team is currently set up, Garcia's "next best spot" is to shift to center field. As a result, this suggests that the team is considering giving
Michael Massey the starting nod at second base. Garcia has only seen one start in the outfield throughout his MLB career. However, given the crowded infield, his best option to find consistent playing time may be shifting to the outfield. Last season, Garcia made 157 starts and held a .231/.284/.332 line with 27 doubles and 37 stolen bases. If the 24-year-old were to adjust well to center field in camp, he could push
Kyle Isbel to a depth role.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Anne Rogers
2 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies right-handed pitcher
Devin Sweet (triceps) returned to action on Saturday against the Detroit Tigers. The reliever tossed a shutout inning. He allowed just one hit and tallied one punchout. Sweet was battling a triceps injury throughout the week, but seeing him return a few days later suggests the injury was not serious. Fantasy managers should expect the 28-year-old to continue to compete for a low-leverage bullpen role during camp. In 2023, Sweet made his MLB debut but struggled as he posted a 10.38 ERA with a 1.85 WHIP across eight 2/3 innings of work. Last summer, Sweet spent his entire season with the Toledo Mud Hens at the Triple-A level. Across 76 innings, he held a 3.91 ERA with a 1.32 WHIP. If he does make the Opening Day roster, he will not carry much fantasy value as he will not see high-leverage opportunities.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
2 days agoPhiladelphia Phillies relief pitcher
Jordan Romano tossed a shutout frame in his spring debut. This was his first time facing live hitters since May as he battled a right elbow injury during most of the 2024 season. His fastball reached 98 mph, which did not dip below 96 mph. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status throughout camp but seeing him perform well in his first taste of spring training is a positive sign. Last season, the 31-year-old was limited to just 13 2/3 innings of work. Romano posted a high 6.59 ERA with a 1.46 WHIP during this brief stint. He tallied 13 punchouts and served up four free passes. However, during 2022 and 2023, Romano tallied at least 36 saves in each campaign and held a cumulative 2.49 ERA with a 1.11 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Romano to operate as the team's go-to option in the ninth innings if he continues to perform at this level during camp.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NBC Philadelphia
2 days agoChicago White Sox starting pitcher
Drew Thorpe (elbow) threw a successful bullpen session on Friday. After the session, Thorpe noted that he feels "less sore" and that he is in a "good spot." Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status as he continues to work his way back from surgery to remove a bone spur. Thorpe has faced several setbacks throughout the offseason, making it difficult for him to be cleared in time for Opening Day. Last season, the 24-year-old made his MLB debut and posted a 5.48 ERA with a 1.26 WHIP across 44 1/3 innings. He tallied just 25 punchouts and allowed walks at a high 11. 1 percent rate. However, at Double-A, Thorpe held a strong 1.35 ERA with a 0.87 WHIP across 60 innings of work. When healthy, Thorpe should have a spot in the starting rotation and carry value in deeper formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Scott Merkin
2 days agoChicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato tallied three points during their 6-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday evening. In the second period, Donato tallied the primary helper on Teuvo Teravainen. In the third, Donato would find the back of the net twice, one of them coming on the power-play. This outing extended his current point streak to four games. Since the start of February, Donato has scored six goals and added eight helpers across a nine-game stint. During this stretch, the 28-year-old has logged 23 shots on goal and added 10 hits. Through 58 total games, Donato has found the back of the net 21 times (career-best) and added 22 helpers. Given his current stretch of performances, he remains a solid option in all formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 days agoEdmonton Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard led the way on Saturday evening as he stopped 35 of the 36 shots he faced en route to defeating the Carolina Hurricanes. Pickard's lone blemish came in the third period when Sebastian Aho found the back of the net on the power-play. Even though the Hurricanes had the advantage in the shot total, Pickard was able to enjoy his best outing of the season. This was his second start of the campaign, tallying at least 30 saves, and first tallying at least 35. This was also a strong bounce back for Pickard as he allowed a hefty six goals in his previous start. Prior to that poor showing, Pickard held a 3-1 record with a 2.47 GAA. Despite his strong showing on Saturday, Pickard should only be rostered in deeper formats as Stuart Skinner sees most of the starts in the Edmonton crease.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
2 days agoPittsburgh Penguins defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (upper body) exited Saturday's contest early with an injury. Joseph logged just over three minutes of ice time before exiting. He tallied one hit and did not get on the scoresheet. Fantasy managers should monitor his status leading up to their next contest on Sunday afternoon. However, given the quick turnaround, Joseph may be held out of the lineup on Sunday. Joseph replaced Ryan Graves, who was a healthy scratch, which suggests Graves would likely be called on to re-enter the lineup if he cannot play. Before Sunday, Joseph tallied one point over his last eight contests (a helper) and averaged one shot on goal and 1.3 blocked shots per game. Matt Grzelcyk would move up to the top pairing if Joseph were to sit out.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Pittsburgh Penguins
2 days agoOttawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson (upper body) exited early during their victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday evening. Sanderson sustained a hit near his neck and exited shortly after. After the game, the team did not provide an update on his status. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor him leading up to their next contest on Monday evening against the Washington Capitals. Before exiting this game, Sanderson tallied an assist with four shots on goal and two blocked shots. Over his previous 10 contests, Sanderson has totaled 11 points (four goals, seven helpers) with 31 shots on goal and 21 blocked shots. If the 22-year-old has to miss time, fantasy managers should expect Thomas Chabot to move up to the top power-play unit and top pairing.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Claire Hanna
2 days agoTy Gibbs of Joe Gibbs Racing will start 13th for this week's Echopark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. It will be the second time in his Cup career that Gibbs will start outside of the top 10 at the site. In two previous races at COTA, Gibbs has two top-10 finishes, and he led one lap in last year's race at the Texas road course. In 12 road course starts except at Chicago in his Cup career, Gibbs has seven top-20 finishes, including six of his last nine at the track type. In final practice, Gibbs ranked 26th in overall lap averages and displayed top-20 speeds in all other categories. Despite his final practice speeds being underwhelming, Gibbs only has a modest amount of upside from his starting position. Based on his salary ($8,400), Gibbs is best utilized in tournament lineups, but even then, there are more favored DFS options for this week's race at lower price points compared to Gibbs. It is recommended to overall fade the No. 54 Toyota driver this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 days agoVancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (undisclosed) is set to undergo further evaluation. The defenseman "tweaked something" during their loss to the Seattle Kraken on Saturday evening. The 25-year-old logged just over 20 minutes of ice time and was given more rest during the final frame. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his status leading up to their next contest on Wednesday evening. The defenseman also missed time earlier this month with an oblique injury. Before his injury, Hughes was enjoying an impressive stretch as he tallied 14 points (six goals, eight helpers) over his previous 10 contests. If the defenseman suffered a setback, Elias Pettersson or Victor Mancini will likely draw back into the starting lineup.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Vancouver Canucks
2 days agoThe Florida Panthers have acquired defenseman Seth Jones and a 2026 fourth-round pick from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for goaltender Spencer Knight and a 2026 conditional first-round pick. The 30-year-old is still under contract for five seasons so fantasy managers should expect Jones to have a significant role in the Florida defense. Through 42 games this season, Jones has scored seven goals and added 20 helpers. He logged 81 shots on goal, 83 blocked shots, and 62 hits. Given his experience operating on a power-play, fantasy managers should expect Jones to be the quarterback on the second unit as Aaron Ekblad will likely continue to operate on the top line. During 5-on-5 play, Jones will likely slot in on the second pairing alongside Dmitry Kulikov. In Chicago, Knight will serve as the No. 2 goaltender behind Petr Mrazek and Alex Vlasic will take Jones' spot on the top power-play.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Florida Panthers
2 days agoTrackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez will start fifth for Sunday's Echopark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. This will be the third time that Suarez will start inside the top five at the Texas road course, matching his start position with the 2023 Cup event at the site. In four previous races at COTA, Suarez's best finish is 24th, and despite leading 16 total laps, he has never obtained positive place differential at the site. At road courses except Chicago since 2022, Suarez has one win and six top-20 finishes. In final practice, Suarez displayed top-10 speeds in all eligible categories on speed. With fast practice speeds compared to the field and great equipment, Suarez is expected to carry a favorable result. However, due to his lackluster history of underwhelming COTA finishes, Suarez is best suited as a tournament play for DFS lineups this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 days agoCarson Hocevar will start fourth for Sunday's Echopark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas after qualifying. Hocevar is the highest qualifier of all three Spire Motorsports entries for the site this week. In Hocevar's only previous start at COTA last year, he started 18th and went on to finish 22nd. In four road course starts outside of Chicago, Hocevar has three top-20 finishes, including two that are 12th or higher. In final practice, Hocevar's overall lap average ranked first of all drivers. Considering these speeds from practice as well as his road course history, Hocevar is a driver who could be worth considering for a quality finish, especially based on his lower-end salary ($7,000). However, Hocevar leaves little place differential upside, making him only recommended for tournament lineups this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 days agoTeam Penske's Ryan Blaney obtained a starting position of 25th after qualifying for this week's Echopark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. This marks the third consecutive race in Blaney's Cup career where he will start outside of the top 10 at the site. In four starts at COTA, the No. 12 Team Penske Ford driver has an average finish of 14.0 and has never placed lower than 21st. Blaney also collected positive place differential in his previous two races at the Texas road course after starting at the back half of the field, similar to this week. In both the first and final practice sessions, Blaney displayed top-10 speeds in most formats on speed, and he has great upside from his starting position. DFS Players will find Blaney to be an excellent addition for lineups in this week's race based on his salary ($7,800).
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 days agoChase Briscoe of Joe Gibbs Racing will start 18th in this week's Circuit of the Americas race, the Echopark Texas Grand Prix, after qualifying. It will be the third time in Briscoe's Cup career where he will start a race at the Texas road course inside the top 20. In four starts at COTA in the Cup Series, Briscoe has three finishes of 15th or better and obtained positive place differential three times. In road courses outside of Chicago since 2022, Briscoe has seven top-20 finishes in 15 races at the track type. In final practice, Briscoe ranked 12th of all drivers while ranking eighth in both five and 10-consecutive lap averages. Based on his practice speeds and history at COTA, Briscoe is one of the better drivers to add to lineups this week, especially for his salary ($7,800) as a driver who will compete for a top-10 finish.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 days agoBrad Keselowski will start 26th for Sunday's Echopark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. This marks the fifth consecutive race where the No. 6 Ford driver will start 24th or worse at COTA. In four previous races at the site, Keselowski has two top-20 finishes while scoring positive place differential three times. In 15 races at road courses except Chicago since 2022, Keselowski has 10 top-20 finishes, with only one top-10 finish. In final practice, Keselowski ranked 28th in overall lap averages and 17th in 10 consecutive lap averages. Although Keselowski is not expected to be a top-10 threat, he is still a solid choice based on his salary to score a top-20 finish, making him worth consideration in all DFS formats.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 days agoFront Row Motorsports driver Noah Gragson will start 17th for this week's race at Circuit of the Americas, the Echopark Texas Grand Prix. It will be the second time in his Cup career that Gragson will start inside the top 20 at the Texas road course. In two past starts at COTA, Gragson's best finish is 20th, but he did earn positive place differential in his most recent race at the Texas road course last year. At road course events excluding Chicago since 2022, Gragson has two top-20 finishes and three finishes with positive place differential in six races at the track type. In final practice, Gragson ranked 29th in overall lap averages while ranking 27th in five consecutive lap averages. Despite the slow practice speeds, Gragson is in better equipment than most around his price range ($5,800) and is worth rostering as a driver capable of placing in the top 20.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
2 days agoErik Jones of Legacy Motor Club obtained a starting position of 32nd after qualifying for this week's Echopark Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas. This will mark the third time in his Cup career that Jones will start 30th or lower at COTA. In four races at COTA, the No. 43 Toyota driver has two top-20 finishes and three finishes with positive place differential. In 15 starts at road courses outside of Chicago, Jones has five top-20 finishes. In final practice, Jones ranked 35th of all drivers in overall lap averages. Despite his slow practice speeds and road course inconsistency, COTA is a decent track for the driver of the No. 43 Toyota, and he has plenty of potential upside. Jones' history at road courses does not make him a primary play, but he can be worth consideration for cash games in DFS based on his low salary ($5,300) and upside.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
3 days agoAfter winning back-to-back poles at Austin, William Byron qualified a disappointing 15th for Sunday's Echopark Automotive Grand Prix. But don't expect him to stay there for long, as he fought a scrappy race-long battle with Sunday's's polesitter Tyler Reddick in 2023 before pretty much controlling the race last year. Although he was slow in the first practice, he ranked second in the second practice behind only Shane van Gisbergen, and it seems likely he'll run in the top 10 all day But it does look like the 23XI Racing cars, the Trackhouse Racing cars, and a couple of his Hendrick Motorsports teammates may be faster. As last year's winner from the pole, Byron is the most expensive driver in DFS at $10,000. The fact that he qualified so poorly suggests there is some value, but the fact that other drivers are cheaper suggests there are better buys.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoDenny Hamlin, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota, fittingly qualified 11th at Circuit of the Americas, but curiously, the Joe Gibbs Racing car he drives has not seemed to be as fast on road courses (especially here) as the 23XI Racing cars he owns. While both of his drivers locked out the front row (including Bubba Wallace, who is not a noted road racer) the JGR cars all qualified substantially slower but Hamlin did qualify faster than his teammates. In recent years, Hamlin has tended to be faster in road course qualifying than the race as he won three road/street course poles in 2023 but tended to either fade or crash. At Austin, he consistently ran in the upper midfield with finishes between 14th and 18th. It doesn't seem likely that the speed will be there for him this weekend, so he isn't a good fantasy option.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoSince switching to Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch has almost entirely lost any semblance of the surefire consistency he used to have. However, road courses seem to have been an exception as he had four top fives on road and street courses in 2023 and he still had two top tens on those tracks last year. It's hard to imagine Busch will run as badly as last year again and he has been strong at Austin in the past with three top tens including a 2nd place finish in 2023, where he qualified 9th. If he regresses to his usual mean, he should probably run closer to his 2023 performance, but the field has certainly gotten a lot deeper with Shane van Gisbergen, Carson Hocevar, and Connor Zilisch. Expect him to run in the top ten but never fight for the lead. He qualified too well for serious DFS consideration.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoFor all the hype Michael McDowell gets as a road-racing pro, Carson Hocevar really showed him up in Austin qualifying on Saturday as Hocevar qualified fourth to McDowell's 16th. Admittedly, that is the best McDowell has ever qualified here and he did finish better than he started in all his previous races except last year, when he had a mechanical DNF. The Spire Motorsports cars did show speed on road courses last year, especially at Watkins Glen, where they managed to place all three cars in the top 10, so McDowell has a possible shot at a top-10 finish. There's definitely a little DFS value, but Hocevar seems a lot more likely to both win and outrun McDowell. McDowell is still a better choice for DFS than Hocevar, even though he is more expensive, specifically because he qualified worse.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoAfter having potentially race-winning speed in both drafting track races, Joey Logano starts the meat-and-potatoes portion of the NASCAR Cup Series season with a 23rd-place qualifying run at Austin. That sounds rather bad in a vacuum, but the Fords were absolutely miserable in qualifying as only Todd Gilliland qualified in the top 15 and Logano actually outqualified both of his teammates. However, there is some evidence the Fords might be somewhat faster in the race. Although Logano himself only ranked 16th and 22nd in practice, his teammates Austin Cindric and Ryan Blaney both made the top ten in the first and second practices respectively, which may mean Logano could have more speed in the race so there might be DFS value there. However, his average finish at Austin is only 18.3 and is average running position is only 16.7 with this car, so don't count on it.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoRoad courses have always been Austin Dillon's worst track type as he only has two top-10 finishes in 37 starts and an average finish of 22.6, while he's been more competitive everywhere else. One of those top-10 finishes did come at the road course where the NASCAR Cup Series will be racing on Sunday in the city that shares his name, but although he finished 10th, he ran much worse and his average running position was only 21st. Furthermore, Dillon always runs substantially better when Justin Alexander is his crew chief, and Alexander has once more been replaced by Richard Boswell. Combining those two factors, along with the fact that he's only starting 27th, means you can't expect much.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoJustin Haley has a reputation as a strong road racer because of a couple genuinely strong runs at Chicago in 2023 and the Charlotte roval in 2022 that don't seem to be representative of his usual performance. His average finish at Austin is only 28.3. He did have a mechanical DNF in one of those races, but even if you go by average running position instead, his average only improves to 23rd as he has mostly run in the midfield. It may help him that Michael McDowell is now his teammate so he may be able to pick up something from his or Carson Hocevar's setups as Bubba Wallace has from Tyler Reddick, but since they both drastically outqualified him with Hocevar starting 4th and McDowell starting 16th, it's hard to imagine Haley doing much in the race.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
3 days agoAlthough Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is a genuinely good driver on drafting tracks and he's had moments on all other track types, road courses are clearly Stenhouse's Achilles heel as he has only a single top-10 finish in 40 road-course starts. It did come here at Austin in 2023 when he finished seventh, but that was mostly because he drove through an endless series of wrecks and not because he actually had speed, as his average running position was only 19th. Stenhouse has proven repeatedly that this track type is not his métier, and since he is starting 22nd, he also outqualified several drivers who you would expect to run better (especially Chris Buescher). Stenhouse should not be considered for any race bets, even in DFS.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
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