22 hours agoThe Trackhouse Racing cars have had issues with speed on short tracks in recent years, and Saturday's Bristol qualifying session was no exception. Obviously a concrete oval is far out of Supercars veteran Shane van Gisbergen's wheelhouse, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the Kiwi rookie only qualified 36th. What might be more surprising is that he qualified right alongside his veteran teammate Ross Chastain. This suggests that maybe Trackhouse's slow cars were a bigger issue than his inexperience, but his inexperience does mean he won't be likely to provide good enough feedback on how to make the cars better. While Chastain will probably make his way into the top 15 at some point, SVG probably won't make much progress in the race at all and won't be worth DFS consideration, even at $5,800.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
22 hours agoCorey LaJoie qualified 37th at Bristol and was outqualified by his teammate Cody Ware. This is a mild surprise because for all the criticism he got recently, LaJoie did qualify in the top ten in two of the last three races at Bristol and led 52 laps, but obviously Rick Ware Racing is admittedly going to prioritize its chartered No. 51 car over the unchartered No. 01 car. In last year's Bristol Night Race, he was running 11th when he crashed out of his final race at Spire Motorsports, but the RWR cars aren't as fast. LaJoie did seem to crash somewhat less in his RWR starts than in his Spire starts, so if he does that he should probably gain some positions in the race and outfinish his teammate, but the Ware cars are slow enough it's hard to imagine he'll be worth enough Place Differential points to justify starting him on DFS.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
22 hours agoPerhaps surprisingly, Cody Ware has only ever started one race at the paved Bristol oval because carbon monoxide poisoning kept him out of the 2021 Bristol Night Race. Even more surprisingly, Ware got his best career finish on a non-drafting oval of 17th in the 2022 Bristol Night Race and only finished three laps down. He did significantly benefit from missing a 12-car crash early in Stage 3 and he seems to have regressed since then as has the team since they are only running one full-time car now. Although his 34th-place qualifying position wasn't completely dreadful and he shockingly outqualified Ross Chastain and Joey Logano while also outqualifying his teammate Corey LaJoie, he'll need a lot of attrition to have any hope of contending in today's event and recent history suggests that isn't likely.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
22 hours agoJosh Bilicki makes his first start of the 2025 season for Carl Long's Garage 66 team on Sunday at Bristol from the 39th and last starting position. He drove the No. 66 entry in last year's Bristol Night Race, where he finished 33 laps down in 34th. In four previous starts at Bristol, he has never finished better than 18 laps down, which is actually the second-most laps a Long driver has completed at the track. Since Bilicki is driving a car that could only ever get a good finish on a drafting track, and his own experience is primarily that of a road racer, it should come as no surprise that he has his worst average finish on short tracks (34.0). Even though Bilicki's salary on DraftKings DFS is the lowest at $5,000, he still isn't worth considering for DFS lineups.
--Sean Wrona - RotoBallerSource: Racing Reference
24 hours agoPhiladelphia Phillies reliever
Jose Alvarado picked up his third save of the season on Saturday, shutting down the St. Louis Cardinals to secure a 4-1 win. Alvarado struck out one in a perfect ninth inning. With
Jordan Romano struggling early in the season and losing the closer role, Alvarado appears to finally be getting a crack at it. So far, he is making the most of it, pitching to a 1.23 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. Alvarado should be rostered in any leagues where saves matter at this point.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
24 hours agoCincinnati Reds relief pitcher
Emilio Pagan secured his fourth save of the season on Saturday, pitching a perfect ninth inning in the Reds' 5–2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. With closer
Alexis Diaz (hamstring) sidelined, Pagan has stepped up as Cincinnati's primary ninth-inning option, converting all four of his save opportunities. He has allowed just one earned run over 7.1 innings, showcasing a 1.23 ERA and a 0.82 WHIP. With his role as the Reds' closer becoming more solidified, fantasy managers in need of saves should turn to Pagan if he is available. He should retain value until Diaz returns, and even then he could push for saves given Diaz's struggles last season.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoSeattle Mariners starting pitcher
Bryan Woo delivered a stellar performance on Saturday, tossing seven innings of one-run ball and earning his second win of the season in a 9-2 drubbing of the Texas Rangers. Woo allowed six hits and a walk while striking out seven. The 25-year-old now owns a stellar 2.84 ERA and 0.95 WHIP through three starts and is a must-start option in fantasy right now. His next start should come next week against the Blue Jays, and fantasy owners should have Woo in their lineups across the board for that one.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoAtlanta Braves catcher
Sean Murphy led his team to victory on Saturday, smashing two solo homers in a 5-4 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Murphy ended the day 2-for-4 with the pair of homers, two runs scored, and two RBI. He has shown his power since his return from the IL, knocking three homers in just four games. We have seen Murphy play at a high level for fantasy before, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him become a must-start catcher again. He is worth an add in deeper leagues and possibly some standard-size leagues as well.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoChicago Cubs first baseman
Michael Busch had a big day at the dish on Saturday, going 4-for-6 with a homer, four runs scored, and three RBI. The Cubs demolished the Los Angeles Dodgers on Saturday afternoon, and Busch played a big part in that. The 27-year-old sophomore is off to a nice start this season, hitting .300 with a .926 OPS. If he can continue to build on last year, Busch should be a decent fantasy option in all formats. His only issue right now is that he isn't quite playing every day, but with more games like Saturday's that should figure itself out quickly.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoChicago Cubs catcher
Carson Kelly continued his torrid start to the season on Saturday, going 3-for-3 with two homers. Kelly added three runs, three RBI, and two walks to round out his day. The 30-year-old backstop is now up to an incredible .417 AVG and 1.613 OPS to go with four homers, eight runs scored, and 13 RBI. While he isn't currently playing every day, if Kelly continues to hit anywhere close to the level he has so far he could quickly find himself playing more often. That being said, he should only be rostered in two catcher leagues while he is splitting catcher duties.
--Matt Garon - RotoBallerSource: MLB.com
1 day agoESPN's Josh Weinfuss thinks the Arizona Cardinals need to select a wide receiver in the first three rounds of the 2025 NFL draft. The Cardinals already have an unquestioned WR1 in
Marvin Harrison Jr. and a No. 2 in
Michael Wilson, but they could use another big three-down wideout to add to an offense that also includes tight end
Trey McBride and running back
James Conner. Opposing teams paid a lot of attention to Harrison last year, so it wouldn't be a surprise if they add to the receiver room to give quarterback
Kyler Murray another option when Harrison is double-teamed. ESPN's Matt Miller was told that when Arizona is on the clock at No. 16 overall in the first round, they will likely go defense. They also have only six picks in this year's draft, so Miller wouldn't be surprised if the Cardinals trade back in Round 1 to accumulate more draft capital.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Josh Weinfuss
1
day
agoFor
the
second
straight
time
at
Bristol
Motor
Speedway,
Alex
Bowman
will
lead
the
field
to
the
green.
The
driver
of
the
No.
48
Chevrolet
for
Hendrick
Motorsports
turned
a
lap
of
128.675
mph
(14.912
second)
during
qualifying
on
Saturday
afternoon,
beating
out
Ricky
Stenhouse
Jr
for
the
read more...
1 day agoBoth ESPN's Marc Raimondi and Jordan Reid think that the Atlanta Falcons need to prioritize the defensive side of the ball in this year's NFL draft. Their pass rush and coverage are the two most glaring needs, as they had the second-fewest sacks (31) and allowed the second-most passing touchdowns (34) in 2024. Due to their salary-cap constraints, the Falcons weren't able to make an impact signing in free agency at those positions, making it even more vital that they hit on those positions in the draft. An AFC scout told Reid that they'd "be stunned if they don't take a defensive lineman." The Falcons hold the No. 15 overall pick, and there will be plenty of D-line options at that spot, including Marshall edge rusher Mike Green and Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: ESPN.com - Marc Raimondi and Jordan Reid
1 day agoThe Atlanta Falcons re-signed cornerback Kevin King to an undisclosed deal on Friday, the team announced. King will return for a second season in Atlanta after recording only 10 tackles (six solo), two pass breakups and a fumble recovery in 15 games played (one start) last year. It was the 29-year-old defensive back's first action in the NFL since 2021 after he didn't play at all in 2022 for personal reasons and missed the entire 2023 campaign due to a torn Achilles. King was used more on special teams in Atlanta and will probably do something similar in 2025. He was originally a second-round pick (33rd overall) in the 2017 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers out of the University of Washington. In his five seasons with the Packers, King played in 51 of a possible 81 regular-season games and had 197 total tackles, seven interceptions, a sack, 30 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: AtlantaFalcons.com - Terrin Waack
1 day agoAs expected, Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou signed his $3.3 million tender offer on Saturday to return to the team for the 2025 season, according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson. The longer the Dolphins go this offseason without adding another cornerback, the better chance Kohou has of starting in the team's base defense in 2025 after a strong season in 2024. The 26-year-old defensive back finished last year, his third in the NFL, with 45 tackles (33 solo), a career-best two interceptions, eight pass breakups, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 15 games played (nine starts). Despite playing a career-low 671 defensive snaps in 2024, Kohou should be competing for a starting role in training camp this summer, depending on what the team does at the position in the upcoming NFL draft at the end of April.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Miami Herald - Barry Jackson
1 day agoDenny Hamlin has won back-to-back NASCAR Cup Series races, and it wouldn't be all that surprising to see him walk away with a third-straight victory this weekend in the Food City 500 on Sunday. Bristol Motor Speedway has been a great track for Hamlin over the course of his career, as he has collected four wins at this track over 35 career starts, along with an average finish of 13.3 (which is fourth-best among active drivers). This weekend, Hamlin qualified on the second row and the No. 11 Toyota looked strong in practice, ranking fifth-best in 30-lap average during the session. Looking back to last season, Hamlin ended up in victory lane here at Bristol in the spring race despite the field having to deal with major tire degradation. It's likely we'll see the tire issues happen again on Sunday, and Denny has already proved that he is one of the best in handling it. Currently, Hamlin has three straight top-five finishes at Bristol, two of which were victories. He should be a legitimate contender on Sunday.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
1 day agoIt's been quite a season of unfortunate happenings for Ryan Blaney in 2025, but eventually the bad luck should go away and he should start getting the finishes he deserves. The same has been true at Bristol Motor Speedway throughout Blaney's Cup Series career, as the Team Penske driver has led a bunch of laps here (507 to be exact) but has just two top-five results to show for it. Could he add a third this weekend, or maybe even a win? Blaney qualified fifth for this weekend's Food City 500 and the falloff of his lap times over the course of a long run in practice were above average. Blaney should be a top-five contender on Sunday--if (and it's a big if) nothing goes wrong. At $10,500 on DraftKings, he makes for an interesting pivot play off of some of the higher-priced drivers on the slate.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: DraftKings Network
1 day agoDallas Cowboys quarterback
Dak Prescott (hamstring) said he is progressing in his recovery from a season-ending torn right hamstring last year that required surgery. "If I had to play a game today, I definitely could do that," Prescott said. "It's about moving forward healthy to make sure I can play 17 times, 20 [games] -- whatever we get to when the time's right." Prescott ended up playing in only eight games in 2024 after signing a four-year, $240 million contract extension last September that made him the highest-paid QB in NFL history in terms of annual average value. Before the injury, the 31-year-old had only 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions, making him a big disappointment in fantasy leagues as a QB1. However, the three-time Pro Bowler will be looking to bounce back in 2025 and is planning to take part in organized team activities when they start next month.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: Field Level Media
1 day agoLook for Christopher Bell to be a contender at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend. In the Next Gen era, Bell has the best average driver rating (122.4), best Average Running Position (4.4), and he has average 89.8 laps led per race since the introduction of his new car. In those four races, Bell has yet to finish worse than 10th, and in three of the events he came home in the top five. This weekend, the No. 20 Toyota will roll off the starting grid from seventh-place. In practice, Bell was a little slow out of the gate, but his lap times steadily improved over the course of the long run--which will be key to success on race day. On DraftKings, Bell is priced at $10,200 for this weekend's race. He makes for a very interesting and strong pivot option in tournaments, especially off of the drivers that should have significantly higher ownership percentages (such as Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson).
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
1 day agoThe Denver Post's Patrick Saunders reports that Colorado Rockies second base prospect
Adael Amador will be called up from Triple-A Albuquerque for Sunday's series finale at Petco Park against the San Diego Padres, according to a source. The corresponding roster move will likely be outfielder
Tyler Freeman (oblique) going on the 10-day injured list after he was scratched from Saturday's lineup after tweaking his oblique in the batting cage. The 22-year-old Amador is considered Colorado's No. 7 prospect, per MLB Pipeline, and will hopefully boost what has been a dormant Rockies offense early in 2025. He was hitting .275/.408/.450 with two homers, fur RBI, three steals and nine runs in 49 plate appearances at Triple-A. Amador should see regular playing time at second for the Rockies. Although he hit just .171 in his MLB debut last year, it was in just 10 games. His power/speed upside could play immediately in mixed fantasy leagues.
--Keith Hernandez - RotoBallerSource: The Denver Post - Patrick Saunders
1 day agoChris Buescher ($8,300 on DraftKings this weekend) should be a strong DFS play for Sunday's Food City 500 race. The Roush-Fenway Keselowski Racing driver has been one of the best in the Next Gen era at this track, with a win and three top-10 finishes over the four races that the Cup Series has ran here with this car. His only "bad" race was a 14th-place effort last fall. As far as this weekend goes Buescher qualified back in 24th for Sunday's race, but that 's pretty normal for him considering his average starting position in the Next Gen era is 22.75. That means Place Differential points on DraftKings, and Buescher has been one of the best at that here at Bristol. Look for the No. 17 Ford to be in contention for yet another top-10 finish this weekend. Buescher is currently tied for the series lead with five top-10 results through the first eight races of the season.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: ifantasyrace
1 day agoUtah Jazz center
Walker Kessler (concussion) is unavailable for Sunday's season finale matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Kessler has been in the NBA's concussion protocols since April 3, and Sunday's game will be the fifth in a row he's missed.
Kyle Filipowski will see an expanded role during the Jazz season finale. Filipowski finished with a double-double in a 145-111 loss to the Thunder on Saturday. He's started 10 consecutive games averaging 14.8 points, 10.8 boards, 1.9 assists, 1.3 threes, 1.2 steals, and 1.0 blocks and could be a solid fantasy option against the Timberwolves.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Utah Jazz
1 day agoAfter back-to-back bad finishes at Martinsville and Darlington, plenty of people may be overlooking Josh Berry this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, but that's not the smart thing to do. In the spring Bristol race last season, Berry started second and finished 12th (leading 25 laps along the way) while driving for Stewart-Haas Racing, and now he (arguably) has some better equipment to work with in the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing. This weekend, Berry qualified 11th and ranked 14th-best in practice when it came to 25-lap average. In terms of single-lap speed, the No. 21 Ford ranked 36th out of 39 cars, but that slow time could have been due to traffic on the race track during Josh's opening laps. On DraftKings this weekend, Berry is priced at $7,700 and is a somewhat-risky tournament play. With his upside, he makes a decent pivot in his price range off of some of the more popular drivers this weekend.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Jayski
1 day agoIf you have high expectations for Daniel Suarez at Bristol Motor Speedway this weekend, you should probably temper those expectations. Although he did have a few good runs here in Thunder Valley early on in his career, Suarez hasn't been able to do much at all at Bristol since the 2019 season. In his last seven starts at this track, Suarez hasn't finished better than 18th, and his best driver rating over that span is an abysmal 54.8. This weekend, the No. 99 Chevrolet struggled in practice, and Suarez was visibly one of the worst cars on the long run during the session. He ended up qualifying 23rd for Sunday's Food City 500. Although there is room for positive Place Differential, the likelihood of Suarez pulling off a better-than-normal finish is quite low. You should still have some exposure to him priced at $6,800 on DraftKings and starting 23rd, but it should be relatively minimal.
--Jordan McAbeeSource: Driver Averages
1 day agoChicago Cubs outfielder
Seiya Suzuki (wrist) left Saturday night's game against the Dodgers with right-wrist pain after two at-bats, in which he grounded out and lined out. He was replaced by pinch-hitter
Miguel Amaya, who stayed in the game as the team's designated hitter in place of Suzuki. Hopefully, the issue is nothing major since Suzuki has gotten off to a great start to the year. He is hitting .292 through his first 17 games with four home runs, 15 RBI, and a .413 wOBA. Any time he has to miss would be a big blow to the Cubs' offense, which has been very productive so far this season. Stay tuned for more updates on the nature and severity of Suzuki's wrist issue.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: Maddie Lee
1
day
agoThe
No.
47
team
brought
a
sporty
race
car
for
Ricky
Stenhouse
Jr.
to
work
with
in
the
Food
City
500
this
weekend,
as
Stenhouse
was
not
only
the
quickest
car
in
practice
on
Saturday,
but
he
also
qualified
second
for
Sunday's
race.
This
is
the
best
starting
read more...
1 day agoMinnesota Twins second baseman/third baseman
Brooks Lee (back) is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list on Sunday before the Twins wrap up their series with the Tigers. Lee will take the roster spot of
Jose Miranda, who was optioned to Triple-A on Saturday after a tough start to the season. Lee had a solid spring training and looked ready for an everyday role in the infield before landing on the 10-day injured list with lower back tightness. He only hit .221 with three homers and three stolen bases in 50 games in the majors last year but hit .331 with eight homers in the minor leagues in 2023. He went 3-for-13 with one walk on his rehab assignment, but the Twins are moving him quickly back into the lineup since they're looking for answers on offense after struggling to a 4-11 start to the season.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: Aaron Gleeman
1 day agoUtah Jazz forward
Kenyon Martin Jr. (illness) will not suit up on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Due to an illness, the 24-year-old will be out of action for the fifth straight game.
Kyle Filipowski and
Brice Sensabaugh will likely see several extra minutes during the Jazz season finale with Martin out and several other players sidelined. Martin finishes the 2024-25 regular season with averages of 6.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per contest in 43 outings.
--Andrew Lennox - RotoBallerSource: Utah Jazz
1 day agoMinnesota Twins third baseman
Jose Miranda will be headed to Triple-A after a slow start to the season and a costly mistake on the basepaths on Saturday. Miranda went just 6-for-36 (.167) in his 12 games before being sent down. On Saturday, he singled as a pinch-hitter in the eighth inning and thought he was forced out at second base. However, second baseman
Colt Keith didn't touch the base, and Miranda was called safe. Miranda didn't realize the call, though, and started walking back to the dugout before getting to second base himself, allowing Keith to tag him to kill the potential rally. Whether it was that mistake or his lack of performance in the early part of the season that forced the issue, the 26-year-old will head back to Triple-A and can be dropped in almost all formats.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: Aaron Gleeman
1 day agoToronto Blue Jays starting pitcher
Max Scherzer (thumb) continues to be day-to-day as he works his way back from an issue with his thumb. He left his first Blue Jays' start with a lat strain which he told reporters was "100 percent" related to his thumb issue. On Friday, Scherzer e had additional imaging done in Baltimore, and everything looked normal, according to manager John Schneider. He continues to throw on flat ground but remains without a timetable to return. It looks like his return is still a ways away, but the fact that there is no structural damage is a positive sign that the issue isn't developing into anything worse that could keep him on the shelf even longer.
--Zach Thompson - RotoBallerSource: Ben Nicholson-Smith
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