Francisco Mejia Settles With Rays For $2.155 Million

The Tampa Bay Rays and catcher Francisco Mejia avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.155 million deal. The 27-year-old switch-hitting Mejia hit .242/.264/.381 with a .645 OPS, six home runs, 31 RBI and 32 runs scored in 299 plate appearances and 93 games for Tampa in 2022 in his second season […]

Austin Nola Will Receive $2.35 Million In 2023

The San Diego Padres avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $2.35 million deal with catcher Austin Nola. The 33-year-old backstop came on strong for the Padres in the postseason, but he wasn't all that great in the regular season with a .251/.321/.329 slash line, .649 OPS, four home runs, 40 RBI, […]

Deandre Ayton Back For Friday's Game

Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton (ankle) will be back from a two-game absence Friday against Minnesota. His return will push Bismack Biyombo back to the bench, and the former No. 1 pick should have a large role to play in the game, with Phoenix still missing multiple key contributors, including Devin Booker (groin) and Chris […]

Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren Out Against Pelicans

Detroit Pistons centers Jalen Duren (ankle) and Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) won't play in Friday's game against the Pelicans. Marvin Bagley III (hand) also remains out, so the team is shorthanded underneath the basket. As a result, Nerlens Noel should continue to start, with the 28-year-old averaging 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 points, and 3.5 blocks in two […]

Clint Capela Remains Without Return Date

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (calf) remains without a definitive return date, according to Lauren Williams of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The big man has missed nine games because of a calf strain, although it should be worth noting his condition continues to improve. In the meantime, Onyeka Okongwu is expected to continue to replace Capela […]

Daniel Gafford Good To Go Against New York

Washington Wizards center Daniel Gafford (ankle) will play on Friday night against the Knicks. The 24-year-old didn't suit up on Wednesday versus the Chicago Bulls, opening the door for Taj Gibson to get the start and finish just shy of a low-end double-double. Gafford has averaged only 7.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks this […]

Kristaps Porzingis Will Play On Friday Evening

Washington Wizards forward Kristaps Porzingis (ribs) is available on Friday against the Knicks. The veteran only missed one game because of a rib contusion, so he'll be back in the lineup for this one. While Porzingis is always a must-start fantasy option, he could be even more motivated to produce versus his former team.

Daulton Varsho To Make $3.05 Million In Toronto

The Toronto Blue Jays and catcher/outfielder Daulton Varsho avoided salary arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $3.05 million deal on Friday. The Blue Jays upgraded their outfield depth and added a much-needed left-handed bat to their potent lineup when they acquired Varsho from the Arizona Diamondbacks this offseason. In just his third big-league season in […]

Kristaps Porzingis and Daniel Gafford Listed As Questionable

Washington Wizards big men Kristaps Porzingis (ribs) and Daniel Gafford (ankle) both missed the team's last game on Wednesday night and now they're in danger of missing another. On Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, Taj Gibson received the starting nod while Rui Hachimura and Anthony Gill saw some extra playing time off of the bench. […]

Isaiah Stewart Uncertain To Suit Up On Friday

Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) has been listed as questionable for the team's Friday night contest against the New Orleans Pelicans. He's already missed the last games and could miss his third in a row. If he needs to miss more time, Nerlens Noel would likely stay in the starting five since Jalen Duren […]

Myles Turner Questionable With Back Spasms On Friday

Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (back) has been tagged as questionable against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday with back spasms. The 26-year-old was unable to suit up for the team's last contest on Wednesday for the same reason. If he has to miss a second game, Jalen Smith will see an increase in usage with […]

Nikola Jokic Won't Suit Up On Friday Versus Clippers

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (wrist) has been officially ruled out on Friday due to a right wrist issue. The injury doesn't seem to be serious as it's listed as injury management, so it sounds like more of a rest day. Either way, the Nuggets will have to fill his minutes with some sort of […]

Clint Capela Will Remain Sidelined On Friday

Atlanta Hawks center Clint Capela (calf) will miss his ninth consecutive game due to the same calf strain. Throughout this time that he's been absent, Onyeka Okongwu has filled in and has averaged 10.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game. There still isn't a timetable for Capela's return so […]

Will Smith Avoids Salary Arbitration

The Los Angeles Dodgers and catcher Will Smith avoided salary arbitration on Friday by agreeing to a one-year, $5.25 million deal, according to sources. Smith had another very strong year as the Dodgers' primary catcher in 2022, slashing .260/.343/.465 with an .807 OPS, 24 home runs, a career-high 87 RBI, 68 runs scored and a […]

Pascal Siakam Leads Raptors In Scoring On Thursday

Toronto Raptors forward Pascal Siakam led all scorers as the team grabbed a 10-point win over the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night. The seventh-year forward out of New Mexico State put up 35 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one block on a crazy efficient 11-for-13 shooting and 10-for-12 shooting from the charity stripe. Siakam […]

Jarrett Allen Turns In Strong Double-Double In Win

Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen played a huge part in the team's win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night. The 24-year-old was just five points shy of his career-high and four assists short of his first triple-double. He posted 24 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and one steal while shooting a very efficient […]

DraftKings and FanDuel Daily Fantasy Basketball Picks (01/13/22): NBA DFS Lineups

Happy Friday, RotoBallers! I hope you all had an excellent week to this point, and a great weekend is forthcoming! We have a plentiful NBA slate tonight, with a bunch of games on the board and some very fun matchups to look forward to. I'm a big fan of Friday slates since Thursday slates are […]

Bam Adebayo Officially Returns On Thursday

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (wrist) is back in the starting five for Thursday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The big man will return to the starting unit after missing one game due to right wrist issue. The expectation is that he'll have a full workload during Thursday's game. That being said, fantasy managers should […]

Jaylin Williams To Play On Thursday

Oklahoma City Thunder center Jaylin Williams (ankle) will suit up for Thursday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The rookie big man will be back in action after missing the last three games due to a sprained ankle. He'll draw a tough matchup against Joel Embiid during his first game back. That being said, Williams won't […]

P.J. Higgins Signs With Diamondbacks

The Arizona Diamondbacks signed free-agent catcher P.J. Higgins to a minor-league deal on Thursday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training. Higgins comes to the desert after playing in 74 games for the Chicago Cubs in 2022, finishing with a .229/.310/.383 slash line with a .693 OPS, six home runs, 30 RBI and 23 […]

Francisco Alvarez, Brett Baty Will Have Shot To Make The Roster

New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez and third baseman Brett Baty will both be given a realistic chance to make the Opening Day roster out of spring training. But with more opportunity in left field this year, Alvarez likely has the better chance to begin the 2023 season in the big leagues. When it looked […]

Auston Matthews A Game-Time Call Thursday

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (undisclosed) is a game-time decision for Thursday's matchup against Detroit. He missed his first game of the season Wednesday against Nashville but could make a quick return to the lineup. Pierre Engvall moved up in the lineup Wednesday and John Tavares' line played a bigger part than usual. Should […]

Al Horford Rested On Thursday

Boston Celtics center Al Horford (back) will be rested Thursday versus Brooklyn. The C's are completing a back-to-back, so the team's decision to keep the veteran out of the contest doesn't come as a surprise. The 36-year-old hasn't played both games of a back-to-back situation all season. Robert Williams III and Grant Williams should handle […]

Bam Adebayo Probable On Thursday

Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (wrist) looks set to return to the lineup Thursday against Milwaukee, with the team regarding him as probable for the game. He hurt his right wrist last weekend against Brooklyn and sat out Tuesday's matchup versus the Thunder, but it appears that Adebayo is now ready to play again. Adebayo […]

Sandy Leon Signs Minor-League Deal With Rangers

The Texas Rangers signed free-agent catcher Sandy Leon to a minor-league deal on Thursday that includes an invitation to major-league spring training, according to a source. Leon played in 33 combined games in 2022 with the Cleveland Guardians and Minnesota Twins, hitting .169/.298/.211 with no homers, four RBI and six runs scored in 86 plate […]

Domantas Sabonis Powers The Kings To Blowout Win

Sacramento Kings center Domantas Sabonis led the way yet again as the team grabbed a 20-point win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. The 26-year-old put up 25 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists while shooting an efficient 75% from the floor on 12 attempts and 7-for-9 from the charity stripe. This has become an […]

Alperen Sengun Collects His First Career Triple-Double

Houston Rockets center Alperen Sengun got his first career triple-double on Wednesday in a loss to the Sacramento Kings. The second-year big man out of Turkey registered 10 points, 10 assists, 10 rebounds, and one steal. He shot 5-for-9 overall and missed his lone free throw attempt, but was able to achieve the triple-double in […]

Fantasy Basketball Starting Lineup Changes - Week 13

Welcome to Rotation Watch, RotoBallers! Each week, this article will highlight the players gaining minutes in their team's rotation. Fantasy managers want to roster the players that accumulate stats and rack up the playing time. They want to avoid the players falling out of favor and watching the action from the sidelines. With the new […]

Quinton Byfield Grabs Two Points In Wednesday's Win

Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield posted a goal and an assist in Wednesday's 4-3 win over San Jose. He set up Adrian Kempe for the opening goal 5:59 into the first period and notched the team's second goal - his first of the season - 6:58 into the second. Sitting on six points with […]

John Tavares Enjoys Another Multi-Point Outing

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares had a third consecutive multi-point game on Wednesday, recording a goal and an assist in a 2-1 victory over the Predators. He scored his 20th goal of the season in the opening period and bagged his 22nd assist on the power play 18:45 into the third period. The Maple […]