8 hours agoJosh Berry is officially a NASCAR Cup Series winner--and it wasn't a fluke victory. Although he only led 18 of the 267 laps at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday, Berry was strong from start to finish, boasting the third-best average running position during the Pennzoil 400 and having the fourth-fastest Green Flag Speed. This win comes in Berry's 53rd career Cup Series starts and a strong indicator that Wood Brothers Racing made the correct decision in signing him this year. Berry now sits 13th in the points standings after five races and is one of just five drivers to have multiple top-five finishes this year.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: NASCAR.com
8 hours agoLas Vegas Motor Speedway has always been a relatively good race track for AJ Allmendinger, especially considering he isn't known for his oval racing, and the gamble paid off for fantasy managers that backed him this weekend, as the Kaulig Racing driver scored his first top-10 finish of the season on Sunday afternoon in the Pennzoil 400. In addition to crossing the finish line in eighth place at the conclusion, Allmendinger also ended up with a sixth-place result in the first stage. He now sits 23rd in the points standings after five races. Good news for Allmendinger fans: the Cup Series heads to Homestead-Miami Speedway next, where The Dinger has been strong at recently with finishes of eighth or better in each of the last three races there.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Frontstretch
8
hours
agoHendrick
Motorsports
driver
Kyle
Larson
raced
well
at
Las
Vegas
and
ran
inside
the
top
10
for
most
of
the
race
on
Sunday,
finishing
in
the
ninth
position.
Beginning
the
race
from
10th,
Larson
had
one
of
the
faster
cars
in
the
earlier
portion
of
Sunday's
event.
The
read more...
8
hours
agoTrackhouse
Racing's
Ross
Chastain
continued
to
show
why
Las
Vegas
is
one
of
his
better
tracks
by
finishing
fifth
during
Sunday's
race.
Starting
from
the
19th
position,
Chastain
spent
awhile
figuring
out
how
to
navigate
to
the
front
and
during
the
first
stage,
Chastain
did
not
get
very
read more...
8 hours agoWashington Nationals manager Dave Martinez announced that left-handed pitcher
MacKenzie Gore will start on Opening Day as the Nationals play host to the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, March 27. Gore, a former first-round pick by the San Diego Padres in 2017, will be entering his third season with the Nationals and look to start the season on a high note. During the 2024 season, Gore was 10-12 with a 3.90 ERA, 3.53 FIP, and a 10.8 K/9. Gore has been in the big leagues since 2022, and we have continued to see him improve year over year. At NFBC, Gore's ADP is 205 overall, aligning with RotoBaller's current overall rankings of 207 for Gore. Fantasy managers looking for a young arm with upside will want to target him in their upcoming drafts.
--Nicho Roessler - RotoBallerSource: Andrew Golden
8 hours agoAfter a couple of races of failing to score a great finish, Daniel Suarez of Trackhouse Racing finished second. Starting from the 23rd position, Suarez progressively made his way through the field over the course of the race through moves on track or pit strategy. He was 14th by the end of the first stage, making him unable to score stage points, but he did place seventh at the end of the second stage, and scored a few there. Suarez made his way to the lead in the latter portions of the race by taking advantage of two tire strategies to maintain track position, gaining the lead and ultimately leading 12 laps before battling with Josh Berry. By lap 254, Suarez lost the lead for the final time thanks to his car getting loose, allowing Berry to slip by while Suarez settled for being the runner-up to this week's race. This is a new career-best finish for Suarez in the Cup Series at Las Vegas in 16 starts.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: NASCAR.com
8
hours
agoTexas
Rangers
starting
pitching
prospect
Jack
Leiter
tossed
four
innings
during
his
start
on
Sunday.
Leiter
allowed
two
earned
runs
with
four
hits
and
three
walks.
He
struck
out
four
batters.
Leiter
continues
to
struggle
with
his
control
but
was
able
to
fight
read more...
9 hours agoDetroit Tigers second baseman
Gleyber Torres (quadriceps) is back in the lineup Monday against the Pittsburgh Pirates. This is an encouraging sign for Torres and fantasy managers, as he was scratched from the lineup yesterday versus the Baltimore Orioles. The Tigers added Torres from the New York Yankees on a one-year, $15 million deal during the offseason. Torres will be expected to be the team's second baseman and bat toward the top of this Tiger lineup that struggled to produce runs in 2024. During the 2024 season, Torres finished with a .257/.330/.378 slash line. It was a respectable stat line, but he ranked in the bottom 15th percentile in fielding, and the Yankees did not want to re-sign him. Torres is hoping this fresh start with the Tigers can rejuvenate what he was able to do in 2023, a year in which he held a .273/.347/.453 line.
--Nicho Roessler - RotoBallerSource: Chris McCosky
9 hours agoMiami Marlins catching prospect
Agustin Ramirez was optioned to Triple-A Jacksonville. Ramirez was competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster during camp. In spring training, Ramirez held a .235/.381/.647 line with one double and two home runs. With Ramirez opening the season at the Triple-A level, fantasy managers should expect
Nick Fortes,
Liam Hicks, and
Rob Brantly to compete for starts in the majors. The Marlins acquired Ramirez from the New York Yankees in the trade that sent
Jazz Chisholm Jr. to the Bronx. Across 68 games at the Triple-A level, the 23-year-old held a .246/.345/.411 slash line with 12 doubles and nine home runs. Fantasy managers in NL-only formats should continue to monitor his progression at Triple-A, as he should be in contention to make his MLB debut later in the season.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Miami Marlins
9 hours agoNew York Mets outfielder
Brandon Nimmo (knee) will start in the outfield in Monday's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Nimmo, who has been dealing with a lingering knee issue, looks to get a few innings of work in today to make sure he's ready to go for Opening Day. This is an encouraging sign for Nimmo and his fantasy managers, as reports a few days ago suggested he might get some time as the designated hitter but was unsure if he would be ready for the outfield. Nimmo is coming off a below-average season for his standards, holding a .224/.327/.399 slash line. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his knee until Opening Day, but be optimistic about him playing outfield today.
--Nicho Roessler - RotoBallerSource: SNY Mets
9 hours agoThe Minnesota Twins have optioned right-handed pitcher
Zebby Matthews to Triple-A St. Paul. Matthews was competing for a spot during spring training but fell short. He will begin his 2025 campaign with the St. Paul Saints. In spring training, the right-hander was one of the most dominant pitchers as he tossed nine 1/3 shutout innings. He allowed just four hits and held a near-perfect 1:12 BB:K ratio. The Western Carolina product made his MLB debut last season and struggled over his brief stint as he held a 6.69 ERA with a 1.65 WHIP across 37 2/3 innings. The right-hander held a strong 2.60 ERA with a stellar 0.87 WHIP across 97 innings split between High, Double, and Triple-A before reaching the majors. Fantasy managers should expect Matthews to be the first name called when the Twins need additional depth in their rotation.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Matthew Leach
9
hours
agoMinnesota
Twins
starting
pitcher
David
Festa
was
sent
to
Triple-A
St.
Paul
on
Sunday.
The
young
right-hander
was
competing
for
the
final
spot
in
the
rotation
but
fell
short.
As
a
result,
he
will
open
the
season
at
the
top
level
of
the
read more...
9 hours agoThe Arizona Diamondbacks' right-handed pitcher,
Brandon Pfaadt, was sharp in his final spring training outing against the San Diego Padres. He threw five innings, allowed two hits, and struck out seven batters. Most of the Padres' top hitters played in yesterday's game, including
Luis Arraez,
Fernando Tatis Jr., and
Manny Machado. Pfaadt's outing was an extremely encouraging sign as he enters the 2025 season looking to cement himself as a consistent pitcher in the MLB. During the 2024 season, Pfaadt had his ups and downs but finished with a 4.71 ERA and a 10.32 K/9. Pfaadt is currently slated to be in the Diamondbacks rotation as their No. four or five starter. Fantasy Managers looking for a young arm with some upside should target Pfaadt in their fantasy drafts. He has a strong strikeout percentage and doesn't walk many batters (87th percentile).
--Nicho Roessler - RotoBallerSource: ESPN
9 hours agoThe Chicago Cubs have optioned outfield prospect
Kevin Alcantara to Triple-A Iowa. Alcantara was in the mix for a spot on the Opening Day roster but will instead begin his season at the top level of the minor leagues. Last season, the 22-year-old made his MLB debut. Across a short three-game stint, the outfielder tallied just one hit. Earlier in the season, he appeared in 76 contests at the Double-A level and posted a .271/.342/.409 line with 13 doubles and nine long balls. He was then promoted to Triple-A, where he held an impressive .292/.378/.492 slash line with eight doubles and five long balls across his first 35 games at that level. Fantasy managers in deeper formats should monitor his progress, as he should return to the majors when the Cubs need additional depth in their outfield. During the start of the regular season,
Vidal Brujan will operate as the depth outfielder.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
9
hours
agoThe
Detroit
Tigers
have
optioned
third
baseman
Jace
Jung
to
Triple-A
Toledo.
The
24-year-old
was
competing
for
a
spot
on
the
Opening
Day
roster
but
will
instead
continue
his
development
at
the
top
level
of
the
minor
leagues.
Last
season,
Jung
made
his
read more...
9 hours agoAtlanta Braves left-hander
Chris Sale has been assigned the Opening Day start for the Braves to kick off the 2025 season. Sale, the 2024 NL Cy Young Award winner, looks to continue his dominance in 2025 for the Braves and will start the season on the road versus the San Diego Padres on Thursday, March 27. The Padres have a solid lineup, including superstars
Manny Machado and
Fernando Tatis Jr. Regardless, Sale is one of the most dominant starters in the game, and fantasy managers should start him confidently next Thursday. During the 2024 season, Sale went 18-3 with an 11.4 K/9, 2.38 ERA, a 6.4 WAR, and a 2.09 FIP. Look for him to continue to rack up the wins and strikeouts behind one of the most potent lineups in baseball.
--Nicho Roessler - RotoBallerSource: Atlanta Braves
11 hours agoWinnipeg Jets left wing Cole Perfetti tallied a goal and an assist during their overtime victory over the Seattle Kraken on Sunday evening. Perfetti would find the back of the net in the opening frame during 5-on-5 play. In overtime, Perfetti would tally the primary helper to set up Dylan Samberg on the game-winning goal. This was his second two-point outing over his last three contests. Before this recent surge, the 23-year-old tallied just one point (a goal) over his last six games. Through 68 total games this season, Perfetti has enjoyed a career season. He has found the back of the 14 times and added 28 helpers, with 14 of his points coming on the power play. Fantasy managers should expect Perfetti to continue to play on the second offensive line, which makes him a solid forward in all standard leagues.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
11 hours agoUtah Hockey Club goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced en route to defeating the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday evening. The shot remained quite even through most of the contest, but Vejmelka was able to step up when called on. His lone mistake came in the second frame when Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes scored on the power play. This was a nice bounce-back showing for Vejmelka, as he allowed three goals on just 21 shots during his previous game. Over his previous six contests, the 28-year-old has struggled to find consistency as he has held a 3-1-2 record with a 2.45 GAA and a .901 save percentage. Fantasy managers should expect Vejmelka to remain in the starting crease in their next contest on Tuesday evening against a potent Edmonton offense.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
12 hours agoSt. Louis Blues right wing Jordan Kyrou tallied three points during their victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday evening. In the opening frame, Kyrou would add the secondary assist on Brayden Schenn's opening goal. In the second period, Kyrou would tally another secondary assist, this time on Dylan Holloway's power-play goal. In the third period, Kyrou would tally his second power-play point with the primary assist on Jake Neighbours' 18th goal of the season. This was Kyrou's second straight three-point outing. Over his last 11 contests, the 26-year-old has found the back of the net four times and added eight helpers. Through 68 games this season, Kyrou has tallied 56 points (27 goals), with 15 of his points coming on the power play. He remains a solid play in all standard leagues while playing in the top six of the St. Louis offense.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
12 hours agoEdmonton Oilers left wing Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied three helpers during their 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Sunday evening. In the first period, Nugent-Hopkins tallied the primary assist on Corey Perry's power-play goal. In the second, Nugent-Hopkins would set up Viktor Arvidsson to score his ninth goal of the season. Then, in the final frame, Nugent-Hopkins would tally his third primary helper of the evening, this time on Connor McDavid's 25th goal of the season. This outing snapped a three-game scoreless streak for Nugent-Hopkins. Before this skid, the 31-year-old tallied six points (five helpers) over his last nine contests. In 66 games, the former first-overall selection has found the back of the net 16 times and added 26 assists. He should continue to be viewed as a solid DFS play in favorable matchups.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
12 hours agoColorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar tallied three points during their overtime victory over the Dallas Stars on Sunday evening. Makar would tally his first point with a primary assist on Martin Necas' power-play goal in the opening frame. In the second, Makar would dish out his second helper, this time the secondary assist on Valeri Nichushkin's strike. In overtime, Makar would power Colorado to the victory as he found the back of the net on a wrist shot. This outing snapped his brief three-game skid. Before this skid, Makar tallied 17 points (nine goals) over his last nine games. Through 68 total games this season, the 26-year-old has found the back of the net 25 times and added 53 helpers. Makar has tallied 31 of his points on the power play. He remains a must-start player in all leagues and a strong lineup anchor in DFS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
12 hours agoFlorida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (upper body) sustained an injury during their loss to the New York Islanders on Sunday. Kulikov logged six minutes of ice time before exiting the contest. He did not get on the scoresheet before exiting and tallied two penalty minutes. Fantasy managers should monitor his status leading up to their next contest on Thursday evening against the Columbus Blue Jackets. If Kulikov were to sit out, the Panthers would need to promote a defenseman from their AHL affiliate. Leading up to Sunday, Kulikov tallied two points (one goal) over his past six games with 11 hits and seven blocked shots. Through 68 total contests this season, the 34-year-old has tallied 13 points (four goals) with 110 hits and 70 blocked shots.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Florida Panthers
14 hours ago23XI Racing has always been fast on flat 1.5-mile ovals, and Sunday's Las Vegas race was no exception, even though neither Bubba Wallace nor his teammate Tyler Reddick ended up with good finishes. Despite starting 20th, Wallace drove up to fourth at the end of Stage 1 and then took the lead twice before being passed by both Kyle Larson and William Byron. However, while attempting to make a four-wide pass on Christopher Bell, Ryan Blaney, and Noah Gragson for sixth in the outside lane on a restart, Blaney, Wallace, and Gragson came together and Wallace ended up finishing 28th and a lap down, which was not representative of how he ran. Nonetheless, he definitely had improved speed this year, likely thanks to his new crew chief Charles Denike, who led over 1,000 laps with Christian Eckes in the Craftsman Truck Series last year. The fact that he's been pretty unlucky and is still 11th in points is a great sign.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
14 hours agoAlex Bowman started sixth and finished seventh at Las Vegas, so you might figure he had his typical run-of-the-mill run where he ran in the back half of the top 10 of the race without really contending, but his run was actually a lot stronger than that. Bowman led two laps early after passing Austin Cindric after the first restart before Cindric repassed him, but then while running fifth on Lap 90, he pitted for a loose wheel and fell to 35th. He gained considerably after staying out of the pits on the eighth caution and quickly re-entered the top 10 for good after that, running as high as fourth in the latter stages. It remains to be seen whether he will have the speed to dominate a race again (which he hasn't for a while), but Sunday was an encouraging sign.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
14 hours agoIn a race where all the Team Penske drivers and their Wood Brothers satellite entry for Josh Berry seemed quite fast, Austin Cindric outdueled Alex Bowman to win Stage 1 at Sunday's Las Vegas race -- his first stage win on a non-drafting oval since Gateway in 2022. He still continuously ran in the top 10 until he had to pit a second time during the caution for Shane van Gisbergen's crash for a loose wheel, but he eventually worked his way up to sixth. If all the cars that stayed out of the pits on the eighth caution had ended up running out of fuel, which seemed very possible at one point, Cindric might've been in the hunt for the win since there were times he was ahead of William Byron and Kyle Larson -- the latter of whom he out-finished. Perhaps this suggests he has more staying power after strong qualifying sessions than he did in previous years.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
14 hours agoWilliam Byron entered Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas as the points leader and expanded his lead over Christopher Bell to 29 points after a fourth-place finish. Byron entered the race as one of the pre-race favorites and did briefly lead twice for 10 laps after passing Bubba Wallace then Michael McDowell for the lead before his teammate Kyle Larson passed him both times. Larson looked faster than Byron for most of the race, but Byron was rarely far behind and ended up passing all the drivers on the main pit strategy by race's end. However, the usual contenders out-thought themselves in choosing to pit during the eighth caution and many others didn't, which (along with contact from Ross Chastain) prevented them from catching the unusual podium finishers of Josh Berry, Daniel Suárez, and Ryan Preece on the other strategy.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
14 hours agoOne week after leading at Phoenix due to his alternative-tire strategy, Ryan Preece surprisingly delivered the best finish of his career on a non-drafting oval in Sunday's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas, finishing third in a race where his two RFK Racing teammates Chris Buescher and Brad Keselowski did not run very well. Although Preece qualified 12th, he fell through the field during Stage 1 before he made a furious charge from 20th to 11th at the end of Stage 2. The team made a visionary move to stay out of the pits on the caution for the multi-car crash that took out Ryan Blaney, then managed to catch a caution before they needed to pit again. This propelled Preece to third on the final restart. Although he dropped to fifth after being passed by William Byron and Ross Chastain, when they made contact he regained third as the repercussions from the contact broke the momentum of all the drivers chasing him.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
19 hours agoLos Angeles Dodgers shortstop/outfielder
Mookie Betts (illness) will not play in the season-opening two-game series in Tokyo, Japan, against the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday, March 18, and Wednesday, March 19, according to manager Dave Roberts. Betts came down with an illness right before the team left for Japan, and it held him out of the team's exhibition games on Saturday and Sunday against the Yomiuri Giants and Hanshin Tigers, respectively. The 32-year-old former MVP isn't quite ready, and the Dodgers are considering sending him back to L.A. early so that he can continue to recover for the U.S. season opener on March 27 against the visiting Detroit Tigers. We'd be surprised if Betts isn't ready by then, but we'll continue to monitor his status closely. With Betts out this coming week against Chicago, expect veteran
Miguel Rojas to start both games at the 6 for the Blue.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Athletic - Fabian Ardaya
19 hours agoAfter signing wide receiver
Ja'Marr Chase to a record four-year, $161 million deal with $112 million guaranteed on Sunday night, the Cincinnati Bengals then turned around and signed receiver
Tee Higgins to a four-year, $115 million deal to make him the highest-paid No. 2 wideout in NFL history, according to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. The first two years of Higgins' new deal are guaranteed. Cincy put the franchise tag on Higgins for the second straight year, but it only served as a placeholder before they locked the 26-year-old up long term. Although the former second-rounder (33rd overall) in 2020 out of Clemson only played in 12 games (nine starts) in 2024 due to injuries, he excelled when on the field and finished with a 73-911-10 line. His 10 scores were a new career-high. Although Chase takes valuable targets away from Higgins, he still has two 1,000-yard seasons and two 900-yard seasons, making him a strong WR2 target in fantasy.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
19 hours agoThe Cincinnati Bengals signed wide receiver
Ja'Marr Chase to a four-year, $161 million deal with $112 million guaranteed on Sunday to make him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history, according to FOX Sports' Jordan Schultz. The 25-year-old All-Pro wideout is now under contract with the Bengals for the next five years for $182.816 million. The former fifth overall pick in 2021 out of LSU was deserving of the record contract after leading the league in receptions (127), receiving yards (1,708), touchdowns (17) and yards per game (100.5) in 17 games (16 starts) for the Bengals in his fourth year in the league in 2024. Chase has now been a Pro Bowler in each of his four years in the NFL and has put up at least 1,046 yards and seven touchdowns every year. With
Tee Higgins also coming back and with
Joe Burrow throwing him the football, Chase will be the unquestioned top receiver in fantasy this fall.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: FOX Sports - Jordan Schultz
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