1 day agoMinnesota Twins right-handed pitcher
Brock Stewart (knee) exited Saturday's spring training contest with a knee injury. Stewart felt a "slight pull" behind his left knee. However, after the game, Stewart was feeling much better and testing afterwards went well. Fantasy managers should continue monitoring his status, but this injury appears to not be very serious. Last season, Stewart logged just 15 2/3 innings in the major leagues as he dealt with a shoulder injury during most of the season. During this limited stint, he held a high 5.17 ERA with a 1.47 WHIP. He tallied 20 punchouts and served up walks at a high 11.9 percent rate. However, in 2023, Stewart was one of the most dominant relievers in the sport as he posted a near-perfect 0.65 ERA with a 1.08 WHIP across 27 2/3 innings. When healthy, he should contend for a high-leverage role in the bullpen.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Phil Miller
1 day agoKyle Larson should be in contention for his first win of the 2025 Cup Series season this Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is one of Larson's best tracks on the schedule, and he has won two of the last three here--including a dominating effort in this race one year ago, where the No. 5 Chevrolet was out front for 181 laps en route to victory lane. Additionally, in five of the last eight races at Las Vegas, Larson has finished first or second. Also worth noting is the fact that Larson has led for over 20% of all of the laps on 1.5-mile tracks in the Next Gen era. This weekend, the No. 5 Chevrolet looked stout in practice, ranking fourth-fastest with the fifth-best 20-lap average. "Yung Money" qualified 10th for this weekend's Pennzoil 400, so he has some Place Differential upside in DFS contests as well.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Speedway Media
1 day agoOnce again, Ryan Blaney is the chalk DFS pick at Las Vegas. After blowing a right rear tire during practice on Saturday afternoon, Blaney backed his No. 12 Ford into the fence, damaging the back end and forcing his Team Penske crew to repair the car. Luckily, the team didn't have to pull out the backup car, and Blaney will be able to start the race in the vehicle he planned to this weekend. Blaney ended up 28th-fastest in practice but seemed to have a better car than that, especially on the long run, as his 15-lap average during practice was ninth-quickest on the board. Here in Sin City, Blaney has finished seventh or better in 10 of his 17 career Cup Series starts. In DFS contest this weekend, you have to play him at $9,300--especially in cash games--simply for the massive Place Differential upside.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: NASCAR X Account
1 day agoRoss Chastain fired out of the gates fast at Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend, as the No. 1 Chevrolet was the fastest car in practice on Saturday afternoon. Chastain's lap (187.846 mph) was faster by over two-tenths of a second than the second-fastest driver, Bubba Wallace. And really, it shouldn't be that surprising. Statistically, Chastain has been one of the best at Las Vegas in the Next Gen era, with an average finish of 5.5 over the last six races. Over that span, the Melon Man has just one result worse than seventh at Las Vegas, and that was a 12th-place effort in 2023. There's no doubt that the No. 1 Chevrolet is fast this weekend, and Chastain makes a good DFS pick because of that. He also has Place Differential upside, as he qualified back in 19th for Sunday's race. At a palatable $8,300 on DraftKings, Chastain is a solid DFS pick this weekend with high upside.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
1 day agoThe Kansas City Royals have optioned left-handed pitcher
Evan Sisk to Triple-A Omaha. Sisk has yet to make his MLB debut. Last summer, the 27-year-old spent the entire campaign at the Triple-A level. He logged 57 1/3 innings to the tune of a stellar 1.57 ERA with a 1.03 WHIP. He tallied 81 punchouts and only served up 26 free passes. He did not allow a home run. This was a significant improvement compared to the 6.34 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP he held across 61 innings at the Triple-A level during the 2023 campaign. Fantasy managers should expect the southpaw to be in contention for an early-season 2025 MLB debut given the success he enjoyed at Triple-A last season. When he does get the call, he could contend for a middle-relief role in the bullpen.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: Kansas City Royals
1 day agoCincinnati Reds outfielder
Will Benson was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. Benson was competing for a spot on the Opening Day roster but will instead begin his 2025 campaign in the minor leagues. Benson struggled at the plate last season as he held an underwhelming .187/.274/.376 slash line with 14 home runs and 16 stolen bases. He generated a poor .268 xwOBA with a .180 xBA. This was a sharp decline when looking at the .275/.365/.498 slash line with 11 home runs and 19 stolen bases. During that campaign, Benson generated a solid 42.3 percent hard-hit rate and drew walks at an elite 12.2 percent rate. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progression at Triple-A as he should be in the mix to return to the big leagues as an injury replacement. When he does get the call, he could be worth a look in deeper NL-only leagues, given his ability to hit for power and steal bases.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1
day
agoChris
Buescher
has
never
finished
better
than
ninth
at
Las
Vegas
Motor
Speedway
in
16
career
Cup
Series
starts,
but
that
doesn't
mean
that
there
isn't
upside
for
the
Roush-Fenway
Keselowski
Racing
driver
in
the
Pennzoil
400
this
weekend.
The
No.
17
Ford
was
actually
one
of
the
read more...
1 day agoCincinnati Reds right-handed pitcher
Bryan Shaw was optioned to Triple-A. Shaw joined the Reds as a non-roster invite earlier in the winter. Last season, the 37-year-old logged just four innings in the major leagues. Across this short stint, Shaw allowed four earned runs and held a 4:4 BB:K. During the 2023 campaign, Shaw logged 45 2/3 innings of work to the tune of a 4.14 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP. During this season, Shaw tallied 40 punchouts with 17 walks and four saves. Across 92 2/3 career innings a the Triple-A level, Shaw has posted a 4.37 ERA with a 1.36 WHIP. Fantasy managers should expect Shaw to be in the mix to return to the majors later in the 2025 season when the Reds need additional depth in their bullpen.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1
day
agoLos
Angeles
Dodgers
outfielder/infielder
Mookie
Betts
(illness)
has
been
showing
fatigue
during
team
practices
and
could
be
in
danger
of
missing
the
Tokyo
series.
Manager
Dave
Roberts
said,
"I
think
that
we're
really
trying
to
be
mindful
of
not
just
Opening
Day
but
read more...
1 day agoLos Angeles Kings center Quinton Byfield found the back of the net for the sixth-straight time on Saturday evening during their victory over the Nashville Predators. Byfield would be the lone goal scorer in this contest. He would find the back of the net on a wrist shot during overtime to power Los Angeles to the victory. The former second overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft has now scored at least one goal in each of his past six contests. During this stretch, the 22-year-old has found the back of the net six times with one of them coming during 4-on-5 play. During this stretch, he has tallied 13 shots on goal and held a strong +5 rating. Through 65 games this season, Byfield has found the back of the net 17 times and added 23 helpers. He remains a solid option in all standard formats while he continues this impressive stretch.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day agoChase Elliott of Hendrick Motorsports obtained a starting position of 16th after qualifying for this week's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is the lowest starting position of all four Hendrick entries for Sunday's race at the Nevada track. In 15 starts at Las Vegas in the Cup Series, Elliott has five top-10 finishes, with his last being collected in 2022. Through four races so far this season, Elliott has three top-15 finishes, including two top-10s in the last two weeks. In practice, Elliott ranked 16th in overall lap averages while ranking close to or inside the top 10 in all other categories. Considering his salary for this week's race ($9,000 on DraftKings), his salary, and recent 2025 seasonwide performance, Elliott is worth consideration for all DFS formats as one of the sneakier options available.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoNew York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin tallied a goal and an assist during their victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday evening. In the second period, Panarin found the back of the net during 5-on-5 play. Later in the third period, Panarin would tally the primary helper on Vincent Trocheck's 19th goal of the season. This outing extended his point streak to eight games. During this impressive stretch, the 33-year-old has found the back of the net six times and added six helpers. He has averaged 3.5 shots on goal per game and tallied two of his helpers on the power play. Through 65 total contests this season, Panarin has earned 71 points (29 goals) with 22 of them coming on the power play. He remains a must-start player in all formats and a top option in DFS.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day agoCarolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopped all 26 shots he saw on Saturday evening during their victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Hurricanes held the slight advantage in the shot total but Kochetkov was able to step up when called on. This outing also extended his win streak to five games. During this impressive stretch, Kochetkov has held a stellar .948 save percentage with a 1.19 GAA. He only allowed two or more goals twice during this stretch. Through 40 games this season, Kochetkov has held a 25-11-3 record with a .907 save percentage and a 2.37 GAA. Fantasy managers should continue to expect him and Frederik Andersen to alternate starts in the Carolina crease. His next start will likely be against the Los Angeles Kings next weekend.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day agoHendrick Motorsports driver William Byron will start eighth for this week's Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Pennzoil 400. It will be the sixth consecutive race at Las Vegas where Byron will start inside the top 10. In 14 races at Vegas in his Cup career, Byron has seven top-10 finishes, including each of the last four races at the site, and one win. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver currently leads the regular season standings with one win and three top-10 finishes after four races this year. In practice, Byron ranked first in overall lap averages while ranking among the top three fastest in all other categories. Byron is one of the top favorites to compete for the win this week and should be heavily considered for all formats by DFS players.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day ago23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick will start 14th for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This is Reddick's highest starting position in a March race at Las Vegas since he joined 23XI for the 2023 Cup Series season. In 10 races at Vegas in his Cup career, Reddick has five top-10 finishes, including a best finish of second in last year's March race at the site. With four races completed so far this season, Reddick has four top-20 finishes, including two inside the top five. In practice, Reddick was fifth in overall lap averages, best of the Toyota drivers, and displayed top-5 speeds in all other categories. Based on his practice speeds and recent Vegas history, Reddick will be one of the best DFS picks of the week, especially with solid upside coming from his starting position.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoTampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli scored two goals during their 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Saturday evening. Cirelli scored his first goal in the second period on a deflection. Later in the third frame, Cirelli would score an empty-netter which put the game out of reach. This was a much-needed breakout outing for Cirelli as he entered Saturday with a seven-game scoreless drought. However, the 27-year-old tallied seven points (two goals) over his last eight contests before that skid. Cirelli continues to play on the top forward unit in Tampa Bay, providing him with high scoring chances. Through 64 total contests this season, he has tallied 47 points (22 goals). He remains a solid option in DFS in favorable matchups and a viable play in deeper formats.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day agoJoe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin will start 15th for Sunday's race at Las Vegas, the Pennzoil 400. Hamlin's starting position for this week's race matches his starting position from the October 2023 Cup event at the Nevada track. In 26 races at Las Vegas, Hamlin has one win and 14 top-10 finishes, including each of the last three Cup events at the site. Through four races this season, Hamlin has two top-10 finishes, highlighted by a runner-up finish during last week's race at Phoenix to his teammate, Christopher Bell. In practice for this week's race, Hamlin was 24th in overall lap averages but only displayed speed on the longer runs as he ranked 12th in 25 consecutive lap averages and fifth in 30 consecutive lap averages. Although Hamlin's practice speeds may not be the best compared to other top-priced DFS options, he is still worth consideration as an alternative pivot play due to his favorable Las Vegas history and his equipment, which will compete for a top-10 finish.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoWashington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin tallied two points during their victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Ovechkin tallied the primary helper on Dylan Strome's opening goal. Later in the third period, Ovechkin would find the back of the net, which put him just eight goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's record. During this contest, Ovechkin logged four total shots on goal with two hits. Over his previous 11 contests, the future Hall of Famer has found the back of the net eight times and added four helpers. During this stretch he averaged an impressive 4.1 shots on goal per game. Through 51 total games this season, Ovechkin has scored 34 goals and 21 helpers with nine of his goals coming on the power play. He remains a must-start player and a top option in DFS as he continues to chase history.
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day agoPittsburgh Penguins center Connor Dewar found the back of the net twice during their victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday afternoon. Dewar scored his first goal in the opening frame on a wrist shot. Later in the third period, Dewar would score the empty-netter to put the game out of reach. Dewar has found the back of the net at least once in each of his previous two games. The Penguins acquired Dewar at the trade deadline, and he has performed quite well during his first four contests in Pittsburgh. During these games, he has tallied three goals with eight hits, three blocks, and a +4 rating. The 25-year-old has been deployed on the third offensive line, which has provided him with scoring opportunities. He could be worth a look in deeper formats as he continues this productive stretch,
--Andy Smith - RotoBallerSource: NHL.com
1 day ago23XI Racing's Bubba Wallace will start 20th for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Wallace continues his streak of starting races inside the top 20 at Las Vegas since 2022 with his qualifying result this week. In 14 previous races at Vegas, Wallace has five top-20 finishes, including three finishes of 13th or better in the last four Cup events at the Nevada track. After four races this season, Wallace has two DNFs but also two top-20 finishes while sitting 12th in regular season points. In practice, Wallace ranked 11th in overall lap averages and showcased top-10 speeds in all other categories. Expect Wallace to compete for a top-10 finish this week, indicating that he is worth rostering in all DFS formats.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoRFK Racing's Brad Keselowski will start 27th for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Keselowski was the worst qualifier of the three RFK entries for this week's race. In 23 starts at Las Vegas, Keselowski has three wins and 17 top-20 finishes, including four since joining RFK for the 2022 Cup Series season. With four races completed so far in the 2025 season, Keselowski has one top-20 finish and two DNFs. In practice for this week's race at Vegas, Keselowski ranked 10th in overall lap averages but displayed speeds outside of the top 20 in all other categories. Keselowski's track history at Vegas makes him worth consideration for cash game lineups, especially with a high DFS ceiling, but his practice speeds and 2025 performance to date make him difficult to recommend for tournaments.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoErik Jones of Legacy Motor Club acquired a starting position of fifth for this week's Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Pennzoil 400. This is the first time that Jones will start inside the top 10 at Las Vegas since he earned his last pole at the site in 2018. In 15 races at Vegas, Jones has four top-10 finishes, with only one of them being scored since 2022. After four races so far this year, Jones has two top-20 finishes and a best finish of 12th at Daytona. In practice, Jones ranked 13th in overall lap averages and displayed top-10 speeds in the 10, 15, and 20 consecutive lap average categories. Although Jones has a cheap salary ($6,300 on DraftKings) and relatively solid practice speeds, his Vegas track history and low upside make him difficult to recommend for DFS outside of the occasional tournament lineup.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoTrackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez will start 23rd for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This will be the second consecutive Las Vegas race where Suarez will start from the 23rd position. In 15 races at Vegas, Suarez has 10 top-20 finishes, including four straight top-15 results in the last four Cup events at the site. The No. 99 Chevrolet driver does not have the strongest start to the year with only one top-20 finish in the first four races of the 2025 Cup season. In practice, Suarez ranked 21st in overall lap averages while displaying top-20 speeds in all other categories. Considering his relatively inexpensive salary ($7,100 on DraftKings), recent Vegas history, and his practice speeds, Suarez is worth rostering in all formats.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoSpire Motorsports driver Carson Hocevar will start 25th after qualifying for this week's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Hocevar's starting position for this week matches the lowest of his Cup career at Las Vegas. In three previous races at the site, Hocevar has just one top-15 finish and never collected positive Place Differential in his Cup career at the site. With four races completed so far this season, Hocevar has two top-20 finishes and two DNFs. In practice, Hocevar ranked third in overall lap averages while displaying top-10 speeds in all other categories. Hocevar's upside, practice speeds, and 2025 performance so far all make him worth rostering in all formats this week at Las Vegas.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoRFK Racing's Ryan Preece obtained a starting position of 12th for this week's race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the Pennzoil 400. Preece's starting position will be the highest ever of his Cup career at Las Vegas. In 10 Cup starts in his career at Vegas, Preece has two top-20 finishes. The No. 60 Ford driver also nabbed positive Place Differential in all four of his appearances in the Next-Gen car since 2022. Through four races this year, Preece has two top-20 finishes, with his 15th-place finish in last week's race at Phoenix being his best of the season yet. In practice, Preece ranked 28th in overall lap averages while displaying top-20 speeds in the 20 and 25 consecutive lap average categories. Compared to most in his salary range ($6,200 on DraftKings), Preece offers little upside based on his starting position. Preece can only be worth recommending for tournament games, but his practice speeds suggest that he may not be worth the gamble. Fantasy players are recommended to fade Preece this week.
--Sean Engel - RotoBallerSource: DriverAverages.com
1 day agoEven though Joey Logano is very expensive at $9,500, last fall's Las Vegas winner seems potentially poised to lead early and often since he qualified second directly outside Michael McDowell. Considering he is a vastly better intermediate driver and one of Las Vegas' foremost masters, he stands a good chance of earning a lot of points for leading and fastest laps, but he's still had a significant downturn in speed as his speed percentiles of 59.42 and 60.62 the last two years were his slowest ever as a Penske driver, and Ryan Blaney is routinely faster of late. However, he definitely seems faster than he was last year, and despite no top-10 finishes, he already has half of last year's laps-led total after four races. If you think Logano is going to dominate the race, he's a very valuable DFS option. But if you don't, he becomes avoidable.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
1 day agoMichael McDowell pulled a big surprise by delivering Spire Motorsports' first pole position for Sunday's Pennzoil 400, while his teammates Carson Hocevar and Justin Haley only qualified 25th and 33rd, respectively. Although McDowell won the most poles last year, that came for a Front Row Motorsports team that was dominating on drafting tracks, and one does not normally expect him to do much on intermediates. Since he only costs $6,100, he might be a tempting DFS selection if you think he's going to hold the lead and score a lot of lap-leader points, but it seems far more likely that outside pole-sitter Joey Logano will pass him immediately, so he will likely lose more points based on place differential than he gains from leading.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
1 day agoAustin Cindric tends to qualify well on flat intermediates, and Las Vegas is no exception, as he has now qualified third here for the third time, including three of the last four winter Las Vegas races. However, he also has a history of sliding back through the pack when he qualifies well on an intermediate and he has lost positions in every Las Vegas start, except for the 2023 winter race, when he started ninth and finished sixth, but he ran significantly worse in that race since his average running position was 18th. Despite having four top-10 qualifying runs at Las Vegas, he has never had an ARP better than 13th in six previous starts, so starting from third, he is almost certain to lose positions. While he could lead a few laps in the beginning, there's not enough value to start him, even at $7,200.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
1 day agoChase Briscoe was typically very slow in his previous races at Las Vegas, with a fourth place in the 2022 fall event serving as his sole highlight, but even in that race he only had an average running position of 17th. Admittedly, a large part of that was the fact that the Stewart-Haas Racing cars tended to badly struggle on intermediates after 2020. Now Briscoe is driving for a Joe Gibbs Racing team that is traditionally much faster on them, but it didn't seem to help much as he still qualified only 24th and perhaps surprisingly, none of the JGR cars placed in the top ten. Briscoe is one of the biggest question marks for this race since he'll likely run better for JGR than SHR in theory but James Small isn't a great crew chief and bad luck continues to follow the No. 19 car whever it goes. Briscoe is likely too overpriced at $8,500 to be very valuable.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
1 day agoAfter looking like he would inevitably win his first NASCAR Cup Series race soon in the first half of last year, Ty Gibbs has had an inexplicable falloff. He has only posted a single top ten in the last 15 races despite having theoretically championship-caliber Joe Gibbs Racing equipment and it's not like he's even been running well and is merely unlucky. In the last seven races, his best average running position is 21st and he qualified 29th yesterday. His weekend went from bad to worse when he flipped his High Limit sprint car last night. Considering how dominant Gibbs's teammate Christopher Bell was in last fall's race here, Gibbs should be good for Place Differential in theory, but since he seems to be running badly on a regular basis now and somewhat unlucky, he's probably not a top-tier option.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
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