Fantasy Sports

NFL Mock Draft 2024: Four QBs taken in top 5 of NBC Sports collab mock draft

Connor Rogers, Eric Froton, and Kyle Dvorchak take turns making picks in this special collaborative 2024 NFL Mock Draft.

NCAA Football: Washington at Southern California

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Assessing QB Nix’s potential for growth in the NFL

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NFL Rookie Dynasty Rankings 2024: Wide Receiver, Part Two

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Christopher Crawford
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Christopher Crawford
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J.J. McCarthy

CLG Quarterback

Peyton: Broncos ‘very interested’ in J.J. McCarthy
Merrill Kelly

ARI Starting Pitcher #29

Merrill Kelly heads to IL with shoulder strain
Mike Trout

LAA Center Fielder #27

Mike Trout leading off Tuesday night vs. O’s
Framber Valdez

HOU Starting Pitcher #59

Espada: Framber Valdez could return this weekend
Heston Kjerstad

BAL Left Fielder #13

Heston Kjerstad batting eighth in season debut

Latest Player News Headlines

All Player News

Johnny Cueto

TEX Starting Pitcher #47

Rangers signed RHP Johnny Cueto to a minor league contract.

Cueto latches on with the defending World Series champions after an underwhelming, injury-plagued campaign last year with the Marlins. The 38-year-old veteran righty will presumably head to Triple-A Round Rock to serve as emergency starting pitching depth and is unlikely to wind up making an impact for fantasy managers at this extremely late juncture in his pretty remarkable 16-year career that dates back to 2008.
Merrill Kelly

ARI Starting Pitcher #29

Diamondbacks placed RHP Merrill Kelly on the 15-day injured list with a right shoulder strain.

Arizona manager Torey Lovullo told reporters Kelly will not require surgery to address a teres major strain in his right shoulder, but the club doesn’t know the severity or next steps for the 35-year-old veteran right-hander until he receives additional medical opinions. There should be some clarity on his return timetable in the coming days, but fantasy managers should expect him to require a lengthy absence, especially since shoulder issues can be extremely complicated matters.
Mike Trout

LAA Center Fielder #27

Mike Trout is leading off on Tuesday against the Orioles.

It’s the first time Trout has led off for Los Angeles since the second game of a late-August doubleheader against the Astros during the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. His previous appearance before that was back in early 2018. The 32-year-old generational talent is in the midst of a renaissance campaign with an .889 OPS with eight homers and five steals through 23 contests.
Framber Valdez

HOU Starting Pitcher #59

Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters Framber Valdez (elbow) could start this weekend in Mexico City.

Espada added that Valdez will throw a bullpen session this week while the Astros are in Chicago and could return this weekend to start against the Rockies in Mexico City. The 30-year-old southpaw landed on the injured list earlier this month with left elbow inflammation, but has been able to complete several recent bullpen sessions without any issues. It certainly sounds like he could return to bolster Houston’s injury-plagued starting rotation this weekend. Stay tuned.
Heston Kjerstad

BAL Left Fielder #13

Heston Kjerstad is in right field and batting eighth on Tuesday in his season debut against the Angels.

It’s an extremely encouraging sign that the Orioles are throwing Kjerstad right into the fire following his early-season promotion instead of having him languish on the bench. The 25-year-old slugger tore the cover off the ball this season for Triple-A Norfolk, posting an astronomical 1.176 OPS with 10 homers, 30 RBI and one steal in 21 games. He projects as a potential four-category impact fantasy contributor, if he’s given an everyday opportunity in Baltimore’s loaded lineup.
Taijuan Walker

PHI Starting Pitcher #99

Taijuan Walker (shoulder) will make his season debut on Sunday against the Padres.

It’s seems like it’ll wind up being Spencer Turnbull heading back to the bullpen with Walker set to return from a nearly one-month stint on the injured list due to right shoulder soreness. The 31-year-old righty doesn’t quite offer enough strikeout upside to merit consideration for fantasy purposes outside of extremely deep mixed leagues at this point.
Matt Mervis

CHC First Baseman #22

Cubs recalled 1B Matt Mervis from Triple-A Iowa.

Mervis looked completely overwhelmed last year in his first taste of the majors, struggling to a disastrous .531 OPS in 99 plate appearances before being jettisoned to the minors for good by mid-June. The 26-year-old slugger has positively mashed at the Triple-A level, but needs to prove he can hold his own at the highest level before fantasy managers should consider handing him a roster spot. There’s certainly some talent here, but last year’s persistent struggles shouldn’t be forgotten.
Kyle Hendricks

CHC Starting Pitcher #28

Cubs placed RHP Kyle Hendricks on the 15-day injured list with a lower back injury.

It’s fair to speculate how much is left in the tank for the soft-tossing Hendricks after struggling to a calamitous 12.00 ERA, 2.10 WHIP and 16/7 K/BB ratio across 21 innings (five starts). the 34-year-old veteran has enjoyed a remarkable career with the Cubs since 2014, but he’s given up a staggering 37 hits, including a league-high eight round-trippers, through his five starts. It’s possible he’s been pitching through a lingering injury, which would help explain his early-season struggles.
Blaze Alexander

ARI Shortstop #62

Blaze Alexander (hamstring) remains out of the lineup for Tuesday’s showdown against the Cardinals.

Alexander will miss his third straight contest due to a relatively minor right hamstring issue that cropped up over the weekend. The 24-year-old rookie slugger has been outstanding so far in his first taste of the majors with a stratospheric .945 OPS with three homers, 13 RBI and one steal through 18 contests.. Fantasy managers should consider him day-to-day for now. It’ll be veteran Kevin Newman drawing another start at shortstop in his absence.
Triston Casas

BOS First Baseman #36

Triston Casas has been diagnosed with a left rib fracture.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters Casas will be “out a while” after undergoing an MRI earlier this week that revealed a fracture in his left ribs. The 24-year-old burgeoning slugger’s absence is a colossal loss for Boston’s lineup and is also a big hit for fantasy managers that were counting on him building off last year’s phenomenal second-half performance. The lack of a concrete timetable suggests that he’s likely to miss a couple months, if not longer. There should be a clearer timetable in the coming days, but it certainly sounds like he’s going to miss a considerable portion of the season.

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MUST-SEE CLIPS

Assessing QB Nix's potential for growth in the NFL

April 23, 2024 03:15 PM

The RFS crew discusses Bo Nix's ceiling at the NFL level, including whether being a "great system QB" is a compelling enough reason for a team to pick him in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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