Category: MLB

The Miami Dolphins closed out their 2026 training camp this week and host the Atlanta Falcons later tonight in the final preseason game of the year. We are closing in on the roster cut deadline, with teams required to drop from the 90-man preseason limit to the in-season 53-man roster size by 6 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, August 30.

Before last week’s loss to the New York Giants, I posted my first projection for the Dolphins’ 2026 53-man roster. A week later, it is time to update. I will be back on Sunday with my final projection with any changes after tonight’s game.

Miami Dolphins offense (24)

Quarterback (2)

Malik Willis
Quinn Ewers

Cut: Cam Miller, Mark Gronowski

Changes: None.

This seems pretty straightforward now. Unless Ewers reaggravates his injury or Miller absolutely balls out tonight, there should not be a change to the quarterback plan.

Running backs (4)

De’Von Achane
Jaylen Wright
Ollie Gordon II
Jarquez Hunter

Cut: Coleman Bennett, Donovan Edwards, Carlos Washington, Jr.

Changes: Add Hunter

Miami traded for Hunter on Thursday, a day after signing Bennett. They are clearly looking for additional depth at running back. Hunter could prove to simply be a body for Friday’s game, but the trade and the signing could signal concern that Gordon’s rib injury might slow him for a little while. Adding Hunter gives the team some flexibility at the position.

Fullbacks (0)

Cut: DJ Herman

Changes: Cut Herman

I think Herman has a pathway to the roster, but the Dolphins listing Sims as their starting fullback, even though he is a tight end, is a concern. The Dolphins signed free-agent linebacker Stephen Dix, Jr. and assigned him the same number (34) as Herman; that cannot be a good sign. Herman could be a practice squad option.

Tight ends (3)

Greg Dulcich
Will Kacmarek
Ben Sims

Cut: Ethan Conner, Seydou Traore, Jeremiah Franklin

Changes: Cole Turner from cut to injured reserve; Cut Ethan Conner after signing this week

No major changes here. Sims makes the roster as the primary fullback option if the Dolphins want to use him there. There is an assumption that Sims will be healthy and ready for the start of the year – otherwise, I will have to find a way to add Herman back to the roster. Kacmarek has had a good training camp and preseason, showing his ability to be a strong option as a sixth offensive lineman. Dulcich starts. Traore is added to the practice squad with the exemption for being an International Player Pathway member.

Offensive lineman (9)

Tackles
Patrick Paul
Austin Jackson
Caedan Wallace

Guards
Kadyn Proctor
Jonah Savaiinaea
DJ Campbell
Josh Priebe

Centers
Aaron Brewer
Andrew Meyer

Cut: Gottlieb Ayedze, Jim Bonifas, Charlie Heck , Kevin Cline, Marques Cox, James Ester

Changes: Cut Charlie Heck; Jim Bonifas removed after Dolphins cut him this week

Heck gets cut here because I need the roster space – mostly because I had an extra player on the roster last week. My math was all over the place and I should have triple-checked my count. Heck is on the roster bubble, however, and could make it depending on what the Dolphins decide for the center position. Bonifas was listed as a cut last week, then the Dolphins moved on from him. Meyer’s position is not guaranteed at center, with Priebe possibly filling in as a backup at both guard and center – though I would not say Priebe’s roster spot is locked in, especially once Miami starts making waiver claims after other teams cut linemen.

Wide receivers (6)

Malik Washington
Caleb Douglas
Chris Bell
Kevin Coleman, Jr.
Jalen Tolbert
Jalen Reagor

Cut: AJ Henning, Donaven McCulley, Terrace Marshall, Jr., Ryan Miller, Theo Wease, Jr.

Changes: Tutu Atwell removed after trade to Los Angeles Rams; Cut Ryan Miller after being a waiver claim by the Dolphins this week; Tahj Washington removed after being waived

No changes for the six players projected to make the roster. The locks are Washington and the three rookies (Douglas, Bell, Coleman). Tolbert is close to a lock, but the Dolphins could consider swapping him out in a waiver claim after the cuts. Reagor is a bubble player who hangs on for special teams purposes; Henning has played well enough to push ahead of Reagor, especially with a strong performance tonight.

Miami Dolphins defense (26)

Defensive ends (6)

Chop Robinson
Josh Uche
Robert Beal, Jr.
Max Llewellyn
Clelin Ferrell
Cameron Goode

Cut: Seth Coleman-Lyles, Rodney McGraw, David Ojabo

Changes: Cut David Ojabo; Add Cameron Goode; Add Clelin Ferrell

Last week, I had Ojabo ahead of Ferrell, but I think Ojabo’s stock has continued to fall and now he is on the wrong side of the bubble. Of course, this is assuming Ferrell and Goode are both healthy enough to make it to the roster – or that they will be on the roster then placed on injured reserve once waiver claims begin. Goode makes the roster to provide an additional edge rusher with the injury to linebacker Trey Moore.

Defensive tackle (5)

Zach Sieler
Kenneth Grant
Jordan Phillips
Zeek Biggers
Matthew Butler

Cut: Keith Cooper, Jr., Alex Huntley, Fatorma Mulbah, Cam Rice

Changes: Cut Mulbah; Add Butler

The bubble watch last week had Mulbah on the roster and Butler being cut. They flip this week. Mulbah had a strong opening preseason game, but Butler has probably been more consistent all summer. Plus, Mulbah should be able to be stashed on the practice squad.

Linebackers (6)

Jordyn Brooks
Jacob Rodriguez
Tyrel Dodson
Kyle Louis
Ronnie Harrison, Jr.
Willie Gay, Jr.

Cut: Stephen Dix, Jr., , Cam Riley, Jackson Woodard

IR: Trey Moore

Changes: Add Gay; Trey Moore off roster to IR

Last week, I wrote, “Harrison and Gay are in a position battle to claim the final spot among the linebackers.” That changes this week because of Moore’s injury; he likely will start the season on IR, opening the roster spot Gay needs. Woodard needs to stay with the team, probably on the practice squad, unless the Dolphins are concerned he would be claimed off waivers – which could push Gay back off the roster. Miami cracked the seal on trades on Thursday, sending wide receiver Tutu Atwell to the Los Angeles Rams; Dodson and Gay could both be trade candidates as Miami looks to churn the roster.

Cornerbacks (5)

Chris Johnson
JuJu Brents
Jason Marshall, Jr.
Ethan Bonner
A.J. Green III

Physically Unable to Perform list: Darrell Baker, Jr., Storm Duck

Cuts: Alex Austin, Miles Battle, Ahmari Harvey, Jai’Onte McMillan, Marco Wilson

Changes: Cut McMillan after waiver claim from Colts; Cut Wilson from roster

Johnson, Brents, and Marshall are locked onto the roster. Bonner probably is safe as well. Green slides on as the final depth option. Wilson falls off the roster because of spot math: linebacker Trey Moore is injured which makes me think the team will keep an extra defensive end (Cameron Goode) which former me to make a cut here. If you told me any of the cuts were to make the roster over Green, I would not argue with you.

Safeties (4)

Dante Trader, Jr.
Zayne Anderson
Michael Taaffe
Major Burns

Cuts: Lonnie Johnson, Jr., Louis Moore

I am sticking with my projection last week, but I am not locked into Burns making the roster. If either Johnson or Moore have a stellar game tonight or Burns slips, there could be a change to the prediction come Sunday.

Special Teams (3)

Long Snapper (1)

Tucker Addington

Changes: None

Kicker (1)

Riley Patterson

Changes: None

Punter (1)

Bradley Pinion

Changes: None

Columbus Clippers 5, Indianapolis Indians 6

Clippers fall to 66-60

Alfonsin Rosario had one of his better games at Triple-A, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and a stolen base. The only other multi-hit game belonged to Cooper Ingle, who went 2-for-5.

Kyle Manzardo doubled and walked while Dayan Frias tripled and stole a base and Blake Perkins also doubled and walked. Kody Huff went 1-for-3 with two walks.

Starting pitcher Ben Lively allowed four runs on six hits with four walks and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings.

Jack Jasiak allowed another two runs in 2.0 innings and Daniel Espino had a clean outing with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts (please call him back up for September).

Akron RubberDucks 6, Somerset Patriots 8

RubberDucks fall to 59-61

Nolan Schubart is still going strong. The three true outcome slugger went 2-for-4 with two more home runs and two strikeouts. He now has 10 home runs at Double-A and 30 overall on the season with a 1.018 OPS at Akron.

Alex Mooney also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a stolen base while Jaison Chourio doubled, walked and stole a base and Luke Hill doubled and stole a base. Tyresse Turner also went 1-for-3 with a walk and a steal and Logun Clark went 1-fo-3 with a hit by pitch.

Starting pitcher Braylon Doughty had a rough outing, allowing seven runs (six earned) on five hits in 3.2 innings while striking out three and walking three.

Michael Kennedy was excellent in long relief, tossing 2.1 scoreless frames with a pair of strikeouts and Adam Tulloch finished off the game with another 2.0 scoreless innings.

Lake County Captains 11, Cedar Rapids Kernels 10

Captains improve to 66-53

Lake County’s offense has continued to bail out its pitching. A couple days after having to score 19 runs to scrape out a win, the Captains had to score 11 to earn the victory Thursday.

Leading the charge was Anthony Martinez, who had a monster game by going 4-for-5 with a home run and four runs batted in.

Tommy Hawke also had a spectacular game, going 2-for-3 with two doubles, two walks and two stolen bases.

Juneiker Caceres went 2-for-4 with a walk and Welbyn Francisca went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a walk. Jose Pirela homered.

Starting pitcher Joey Oakie made his High-A debut, allowing three runs on two hits with a walk and two strikeouts in 2.0 innings.

Luis Flores followed with 2.0 scoreless innings, but then Logan McGuire was blasted for six runs on two hits and three walks with a hit by pitch in his 2.0 innings. Both hits McGuire allowed were home runs.

Cam Schuelke earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

Hill City Howlers 7, Kannapolis Cannon Ballers 6

Howlers improve to 52-70

The top of Hill City’s lineup was spectacular on Thursday.

Guardians 2026 fifth round pick Lucas Moore went 3-for-4 from the leadoff position with three doubles and a walk.

Catching prospect Reiner Herrera continues to impress. He went 3-for-4 with his seventh home run at Single-A and after starting the season in the Arizona Complex League. Herrera also stole a base. He has 18 home runs in just 68 games this season.

Guardians 2026 15th round pick Alejandro Garza also had a good game, going 2-for-4 with a triple and a walk while Pedro Dalmagro homered.

Starting pitcher Miguel Flores had his best outing of the season, tossing 6.0 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit. He walked two and struck out four.

The bullpen barely preserved the victory, however. Guardians 10th round pick Ryan Bilka gave up two runs after walking three in 1.1 innings and Aaron Savary was blasted for four runs on five hits in the final 1.2 innings to barely hold on for the win.

The Phillies will start a three-game series out in Anaheim tonight against the Angels. Of course, whenever these two teams play each other, the topic of Millville’s own Mike Trout is naturally discussed at length. Trout has obviously never played for the Phillies, but he’s been someone that fans have clamored for practically his entire career, as the three-time MVP not only grew up in the area but is still a very vocal (and visible) Philadelphia Eagles fan.

It’s likely that fans’ dreams will never come true though, as Trout is under contract until 2031, putting him with the Angels through his age 38 season. His name always comes up with unofficial trade discussions with the Phillies, but Trout has never really expressed much desire to leave Anaheim, and Angels ownership has never expressed a desire to move him either.

Trout is the most notable player from the Philadelphia area in recent memory, but he’s not the only one currently active in MLB. The Tigers’ star rookie Kevin McGonigle is also a local product, hailing from Media, Pennsylvania and having played high school ball at Monsignor Bonner and Archbishop Prendergast High School in Drexel Hill. He was even in the stands at Citizens Bank Park as a fan when the Phillies played the Astros in the 2022 World Series. Flash forward to 2026, and McGonigle was one of the few non-Phillies who received cheers instead of boos at Citizens Bank Park during the All-Star Game introductions.

Nick Kurtz of the Athletics is also a young star that grew up around Philadelphia. He and his family are from Lancaster, PA and owned season tickets to the Phillies in section 116 at Citizens Bank Park. When the A’s came to Philadelphia in May, Kurtz remarked that getting to play in the stadium he used to go to with his family growing up was almost better than anything he’s done on the field in his young playing career.

None of those aforementioned three players have ever actually played for the Phillies though, but Tyler Phillips can say he has. The South Jersey native had a nice run of starts for the Phillies in 2024 including a complete game shutout before finding his way to the Marlins last season where he has found a home as a swingman in the bullpen. He may no longer have fond memories of playing in Philadelphia though, as he owns a 5.23 ERA in nine appearances against his former team.

These are just a few of the more notable MLB players that grew up around Philadelphia and were raised Phillies fans. There have been plenty more throughout history that were from here but may have never gotten to play for their hometown team. So, who is your favorite locally born baseball player?

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The Chicago Cubs welcome the Cincinnati Reds to Wrigley Field for a weekend set, trading at 64% on Polymarket.

My Reds vs. Cubs predictions break down why the hosts will come out on top in a high-scoring game.

Read my free MLB picks for Friday, Aug. 28 below.

Who will win Reds vs Cubs today: Cubs moneyline (64%)

The Chicago Cubs own the best offense in baseball (5.19 runs per game), and they’ll be licking their chops today when they face Cincinnati Reds starter Rhett Lowder.

The right-hander owns a massive 5.14 xERA (10th percentile) and .266 xBA (16th percentile), while ranking in the 15th percentile in pitching run value.

The Cubs have been on fire at the dish this week, led by Ian Happ, who’s sporting an insane 1.335 OPS with 10 RBI. As a club, Chicago leads the majors in runs (39), SLG (.512), and OPS (.858) over the last seven days.

Take the Cubs up to 67%.

COVERS INTEL: The Cubs are batting .301 (third in MLB) with a .373 wOBA (second in MLB) against the sinker, which is Lowder’s most utilized pitch (29.2%).

Reds vs Cubs Over/Under pick: Over 8.5 (50%)

We know Lowder has been lousy, but David Peterson has been just as bad for Chicago.

The southpaw has a 4.84 xERA and .271 xBA, with a pitching run value in the ninth percentile. The Reds’ offense is also much more respectable against left-handed pitching, as they sit eighth in MLB in OPS vs. southpaws (.731).

The Cubs have cashed the Over in eight of Peterson’s last 10 appearances, while the Over is 2-0 in their two prior games against Lowder this season.

The Over is the play up to 52%.

Reds vs Cubs home run prediction: Ian Happ (19%)

What a week it’s been for Happ.

The Cubs outfielder leads the majors with 10 RBI over that span while batting .350 with a ridiculous 1.335 OPS and three dingers to boot.

Happ has hit eight of his 23 home runs against either the sinker or the slider — Lowder’s two main offerings.

Happ’s on fire and we’re getting a great price on him to go yard again. Play him up to 21%.

Reds vs Cubs weather

Wrigley Field will see clear skies with temperatures in the mid-70s and light winds pushing in from right field.

Reds vs Cubs odds

• Moneyline: Cincinnati (37¢) | Chicago (64¢)
• Run line: Cincinnati +1.5 (56¢) | Chicago -1.5 (47¢)
• Over/Under: Over 8.5 (46¢) | Under 8.5 (55¢)

Reds vs Cubs trend

The Cubs have covered the run line in 28 of their last 45 games (+16.10 Units / 31% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Reds vs. Cubs.

How to watch Reds vs Cubs and game info

Reds vs Cubs latest injuries

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Hickory was rained out.

Andrew Susac went 0.2 IP for Hub City, walking three and allowing four runs.

Paxton Kling was 2 for 3 with two walks and two stolen bases. Gleider Figuereo had a hit. Maxton Martin had a hit. Eduardo Mejia had a hit and a walk. Chandler Pollard had a hit.

Hub City box score

Eric Loomis threw a scoreless inning for Frisco, striking out two and walking one. Leandro Lopez struck out three and walked one in three shutout innings. Josh Trentadue struck out two and walked one in two scoreless innings.

Frisco box score

Round Rock starter Winston Santos allowed one run in 3.2 IP, striking out six and walking two. Ben Peoples struck out two in 1.1 scoreless innings. Michel Otanez struck out two in two shutout innings. Emiliano Teodo allowed five runs in 0.1 IP, walking two. Joe Russ allowed four runs in 1.1 IP, walking two and striking out one. Marc Church allowed a run in 0.1 IP, walking two.

Round Rock box score

Welcome to rivalry weekend. The Yankees will take on the Red Sox in the Bronx after dropping two of three to the Astros. After scoring 16 runs in the first two games of the series the bats only got a single run in the finale.

On the other side, Boston has been rolling since the All-Star break, going 27-12. Since the season got back underway, they have a team OPS of .796, and in the month of August that number currently sits at .810. The Red Sox swept the Giants at home before taking two of three from the Marlins down in Miami most recently. 

After a day off, Boston’s pen is rested and ready. However, they are a little banged up as former Yankee Garrett Whitlock, who is having an exceptional season with a 2.05 ERA and an impressive 0.89 WHIP, and Justin Slaten, a trusted arm, are both currently on the injured list.

Expect to see a healthy dose of the toxic lefty Aroldis Chapman, who is having a great season with 30 saves and a 1.81 ERA, along with another former Yankee in righty Greg Weissert, who is 3-2 with a 3.93 ERA. Boston’s early-game lefty reliever is Erik Miller, who is sporting a 2.09 ERA with a 1.28 WHIP, and they often call on righty journeyman Tyron Guerrero, who has 17 holds and a 1.07 WHIP this year.

The Yankees’ pen took a big blow this week when it was announced that Fernando Cruz was diagnosed with a partial UCL tear. Heading into the weekend, closer David Bednar should be fresh after not being used in the Astros series. Most of the regulars should be ready after Justin Topa grinded out the last bit of last night’s game. Going four games in three days is always tough, and with a trip to the West Coast looming, I would expect the bullpen to shuffle a good bit over the weekend.

This weekend series features a twin bill on Saturday, which is a makeup for the game that was rained out back in June. This will be the last time these two teams meet until a possible October showdown. Currently, Boston holds a 5-4 advantage in the season series, further adding to the need for the Yankees to win this series. Now, let’s dive into the pitching matchups.

Friday: Cam Schlittler vs. Patrick Sandoval (7:15 p.m. ET)

It is not hard to gush over how great Schlittler has been this season and boy, do the Yankees need him to be that guy tonight, coming in with an impressive 11-6 record, a 2.17 ERA, and a 0.96 WHIP to top it off. In three starts against Boston this season, Schlittler is 1-1 with a 0.96 ERA across 18.2 innings. This will be Schlittler’s fifth start in August. So far in the month, he has a 1-0 record with a 2.95 ERA, and over his last three outings he has only given up a single earned run each time out. The young ace will look to set the tone in game one and simply do what he has done when he faces his hometown team.

Sandoval, a lefty, takes the hill for Boston to counter Schlittler. This will be Sandoval’s ninth start of the season coming off his rehab for Tommy John surgery. In his eight starts since returning, he has posted a 1-2 record with a 4.54 ERA and a 1.76 WHIP. Sandoval primarily throws a slider, changeup, and sinker, profiling as the crafty lefty who relies on deception and movement. The Yankees might be able to take advantage of the rust, as Sandoval has walked 18 batters in 39.2 innings thus far.

Saturday Game 1: Carlos Rodón vs. Jake Bennett (1:05 p.m. ET)

The Yankees will send Rodón out for game one of the doubleheader. He has made two starts since coming back off the injured list due to elbow inflammation. The veteran lefty went 4.0 innings in each outing, giving up an earned run in each and throwing 66 and 76 pitches, respectively. As Peter detailed back on Monday, Rodón has been using his sinker more since he returned. Injuries have limited him to 11 starts, but in those starts Rodón has posted a 3.15 ERA, with 58 strikeouts across 54.1 innings. Rodón pitched five scoreless innings against the Boston Red Sox on June 28, allowing just one hit and four walks while striking out six.

Boston sends their second straight lefty to the hill in Bennett for game one. Bennett faced the Yankees back on June 27. He picked up the win while allowing just one run over 6.1 innings in that game. The Red Sox rookie has an 8-6 record with a 3.49 ERA and 67 strikeouts in 15 appearances on the season. The 6-foot-6 southpaw has a low three-quarters arm slot with a high leg kick, with an arsenal that features a four-seamer, sinker, changeup, and cutter.

Saturday Game 2: TBA vs. TBA (7:15 p.m. ET)

As of Thursday night, neither team has announced a starter for the second game of the doubleheader. It is expected that the Yankees will activate and roll Max Fried following his recovery from a recurring bone bruise, while Boston has indicated they might do a bullpen game featuring a heavy dose of righty Brayan Bello, who has fared well in a bulk role since losing his rotation spot.

Sunday: Will Warren vs. Ranger Suárez (1:35 p.m. ET)

The Sunday matinee features the ever-present William Warren. Warren might not be your favorite pitcher on the team, but you have to respect his availability and how hard he fights each outing. Warren has made 25 starts on the year and has posted an 8-6 record with a 4.39 ERA and 126 strikeouts. In his last start, he went 5.0 innings and gave up two earned runs against the Astros. It is very possible the tiebreaker for the season series with Boston comes down to Warren’s right arm.

If Sunday’s game has that much storyline, the Red Sox counter with offseason signing Suárez. The veteran lefty has been average at best so far in August, giving up nine earned runs in 18.1 innings of work. However, in his last start he worked 5.0 innings of one-run ball against the Marlins. Suárez has faced the Bombers twice in 2026. In his first start back in April, he lasted only 4.2 innings and gave up four earned runs, taking the loss. Suárez looked much better against the Yankees the second time around in June when he tossed 6.1 innings of one-run ball.

All these lefties make me feel like a Heliot Ramos, earn your pinstripes series is loading and ready to launch. What do you predict for this weekend? Who takes the season series?

The Detroit Lions enter their final preseason game with likely most of their roster spots decided, but one that may still be up in the air is the backup quarterback job.

Entering training camp, there likely wasn’t going to be much drama at the position. However, Teddy Bridgewater’s abrupt retirement midway through camp forced the Lions to pivot. While undrafted rookie Luke Altmyer has been with the team all offseason, suddenly thrusting a 23-year-old into the backup position wasn’t something the Lions were willing to do unopposed. So they quickly added nine-year veteran Josh Dobbs to the room.

But thus far in camp, Altmyer has continued to get the bulk of the backup reps. And what seemed like a far-fetched approach—letting Altmyer be the backup to veteran Jared Goff—now seems closer to reality than ever.

On Thursday, Lions coach Dan Campbell asked what he needs to see from Altmyer to have the confidence that he can handle such a critical role.

“Consistency. Just play good smart football,” Campbell said. “We don’t need some wild throws, whatever. Be able to run the offense, be efficient, make smart decisions, even if that means that you’re punting the ball. That’ll be the most important thing. We don’t want the wild plays and then there’s an ill-advised throw across the middle for an intercept—those won’t get it done. So just be smart, take what’s there, run the offense and that’ll go a long way.”

It hardly seems like a coincidence that Campbell would bring up the example of an ill-advised pass over the middle that was intercepted. That could be fresh in his mind because Altmyer’s competition, Josh Dobbs, did exactly that in the team’s second preseason game last week.

But under Dan Campbell, the Lions have seemingly preferred to have a veteran set of eyes behind Goff. Be it Bridgewater, David Blough, or Kyle Allen, the Lions almost always wanted a seasoned player among the quarterback reserves, with the lone exception being 2024 (Hendon Hooker, Jake Fromm).

Campbell admitted they prefer to have experienced players at quarterback, but that won’t trump overall talent when it comes to cut-down day.

“I mean, you would like that because those guys have played, there are real reps. They’ve been under real fire in real football games and that is important. But that’s not the end all be all, either,” Campbell said. “If you think there’s somebody to work with here and that he’s shown enough progress and he’s only going to get better, then we don’t close our eyes to that either.”

Further complicating the Lions’ decision is the amount of roster gymnastics they could try to perform to keep both players around. Because Dobbs is a veteran, the Lions could opt to cut him, not subject him to waivers, and bring him back later either on the practice squad or 53-man roster. But at the same time, how likely is it that Altmyer would get claimed on waivers if Detroit opted to cut him? Last year, there were only 27 total waiver claims after initial NFL roster cuts, and just one of them (Tommy Devito) was a quarterback. So the Lions could keep Dobbs on the roster, and bring back Altmyer assuming he clears waivers.

Regardless, the Lions won’t make that decision until after Saturday’s preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts. It’s unclear how the Lions will share the load between Altmyer and Dobbs on gameday, but their performance could be the tipping point for a difficult decision.

The New England Patriots played a horribly boring and just downright horrible game on Thursday in Cleveland to close out their preseason. Even though their 37-13 loss to the Browns was disappointing very much from start to finish, there are always lessons to be learned.

Let’s get into what the Patriots’ final preseason contest of 2026 taught us about the team.

Depth concerns

The Patriots didn’t play any starters on Thursday night, and, truthfully, they probably didn’t play many backups either. The lack of depth was still startling. They were outmatched at pretty much every position on the field, and blown out by a team that could be one of the worst in football this year. The Browns also didn’t start anyone of consequence, so it’s not like they were facing tougher competition.

It just illustrates the point that head coach Mike Vrabel had made last week about New England’s depth. When looking at the starter level, the Patriots have gotten significantly better as a team. If you start to look down the depth chart, that falls apart pretty quickly. It is like that for a lot of teams, but the Patriots need to continue to string good drafts together and find competent UDFAs to help fill out that depth. The hope is that they can do that moving forward, because it was tough to watch some of the guys out there on Thursday.

RB3 competition heating up

Hassan Haskins isn’t going to be returning kicks any time soon, but he did look good running the ball. He ran tough and picked up yards even while getting hit behind the line of scrimmage. Conversely, Lan Larison had two straight drops when he was on the field, and, while JaMichael Hasty had a few nice runs, I don’t think he’s the guy who the Patriots want as their third back either.

This all might be moot, because Jam Miller didn’t even have a carry, which could signal that the Patriots already know that he’s the RB3, and they didn’t really need to see anything else from him on Thursday night. If I had to put money on it, I’d put my money on Miller, but I guess we’ll find out this weekend.

Gabe Jacas, error repeater

The Patriots knew that they might not be getting the best out of Gabe Jacas early on with him missing time in the spring and at the beginning of camp, but I can’t imagine they thought he would look quite this bad in actual game action. What worries me is not the lack of production when it comes to rushing the quarterback, or even stopping the run, but the fact that he keeps making the same mistakes. He is continually burned on bootleg, RPO, and option plays, and instead of holding the outside integrity, he comes flying in and gives up the edge.

It’s happened in every game that he’s played in. At a certain point, you need to ask whether or not he’s ever going to figure it out. I know we’re not even into the regular season of his rookie year, but I would love to see more from him particularly against replacement-level opponents. Until he figures it out, the Patriots simply cannot put him out on the field on a regular basis — which is not good news considering that he currently projects as the team’s third edge.

For the love of god, please sign Christian Gonzalez

The depth shouldn’t even matter when we’re talking about Christian Gonzalez, but my goodness, it was even worse than anyone could have expected. Kindle Vildor looked awful, Karon Prunty played okay, but had trouble finishing his tackles. Meanwhile, Kobee Minor and Marcellas Dial Jr. both had horrendously bad plays that led to touchdowns. Again, this should have next to no impact on the Patriots signing one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, but it certainly can’t hurt.

Not sure what exactly the hold up has been for the Patriots, or why they wouldn’t be willing to extend one of not only their best players, but one of the best players in the league, but there is no excuse to them not getting something done.

Dominated at the line of scrimmage

The Patriots obviously didn’t play any starters, or even a lot of second-stringers, but they were completely dominated on both sides of the line. I thought that Caleb Lomu was able to hold his own when he was in there, but I didn’t see much from anyone else on the offensive line. On defense, they got almost no pass rush and couldn’t stop the run either. It was as bad of a night as you could imagine, with no one showing much of anything.

I really like the starters that they have on both sides of the ball, but, as soon as guys start going down, there isn’t a lot of depth behind them. 

Do we have a punter competition?

New England brought in a new punter, Matt Haack, because Bryce Baringer got banged up in the game against the Eagles last weekend. Haack had four punts in his Patriots debut, with thrree of them pinning the Browns inside the 20, including a 63-yarder that was downed at the 2.

Baringer looked pretty solid in camp, and it’s clear that kicker Andy Borregales is comfortable with him as his holder. That said, Borregales went 2-for-2 on field goal attempts on Thursday night, and the punts looked great from Haack as well. I think there’s going to be a conversation about which punter to keep starting the season, especially with Baringer a little banged up.

Kyle Williams might be a one-trick pony, but it’s a heck of a trick

There was a whole lot of concern at the beginning of camp about Kyle Williams. He wasn’t getting enough time with the starters, and people were worried that he was on a worrisome trajectory. Well, he might not be a WR1 at this point in his career (or maybe ever), but he had consistently shown that he does one thing extremely well: he is untouchable on a go-route, especially with no safety help.

This single skill should be enough to earn him a few looks a game from Drake Maye, one of the best deep ball throwers in the NFL. I am hoping that he will eventually add more tools to his bag, but having the ability to quickly win off the line and consistently beat coverage deep is a valuable skill, and one which I believe is going to be an important part of the Patriots offense this year.

Namdi Obiazor makes a few plays

On a night where most guys looked terrible, sixth-round draft pick Namdi Obiazor looked at least pretty good. Starting linebackers Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss weren’t dressed, and neither was the injured Khalil Jacobs, leaving Obiazor to look like the best linebacker on the team on Thursday.

Granted, that might not be a high bar, but the youngster nonetheless was one of the few defenders to show up on Thursday. It also helps that he plays a bunch of special teams. This, plus his potential to develop into a player on defense, would be a big boost for a team who doesn’t have any noteworthy long-term depth behind Spillane and Elliss.

Behren Morton is unimpressive

I have mostly liked what I’ve seen from Behren Morton in training camp, and when he has been given reps, he has made pretty good decisions. He looked pretty poised for a rookie, and looked to be a good candidate to eventually become a backup to Drake Maye. All of that went out the window on Thursday.

Morton looked frazzled, made some really bad decisions, and missed on a few throws that could have been big plays — all while going against players who mostly will be out of a job come Sunday night. Ultimately, I think he’s a good guy to keep on the practice squad to see if you can develop him into a usable backup, but, after seeing what I saw Thursday, I’m not going to be super upset if someone claims him off of waivers if the Patriots cut him this weekend. 

Cutdown day is looming

The Patriots have to trim their roster from 91 all the way down to 53 by Sunday afternoon, and they have some tough decisions to make. The first few they are going to have to make involve injuries. Will Harold Landry and/or Brenden Schooler be ready to start the season, or be ready to play in the first few weeks? If not, they are going to have to put them on injured reserve and bring them off when they’re ready. Bryce Baringer is in the same boat; it didn’t sound serious, but they are going to have to make a decision, and putting him on IR could give them a few weeks to figure out whether or not it’s working with Matt Haack.

Lastly, as mentioned before, they have to figure out what to do with the depth. Is it possible that they cut below 53 and claim or sign a few guys who get released? Or do they find another way to fill out their roster? All these questions will be answered by Sunday, and, of course, just because someone is on the practice squad doesn’t mean they won’t play this year. It is still a good line of demarcation for the season, and should signal to everyone that real football is right around the corner.

Of course, in order not to miss any Patriots moves, please make sure to regularly visit our roster cuts tracker.

Last year was a tough one for top-end tight ends, as both George Kittle, Tucker Kraft and Brock Bowers had injury trouble that derailed their fantasy seasons. That left Tre McBride to pick up the slack, catching a crazy 126 passes to set the NFL record for receptions in a season. At this point there is a real chance all three of those injured stud tight ends might be available for Week 1!

We had some fresh talent infuse the tight end position last season, with three rookies putting up strong numbers. Tyler Warren, Colston Loveland, and Harold Fannin Jr. all proved their fantasy worth and look to build on their strong rookie campaigns. It’s nice to have those guys added to what is usually a pretty shallow pool of top fantasy tight ends.

In twelve team leagues that start one tight end, there are often not enough capable fantasy tight ends to go around. This year I’d be happy with eleven of this group being my starter. And since we can wait longer to pick up a TE starter we like, we don’t have to waste a second or third round pick on a stud.

Tight end injuries

George Kittle, 49ers

Kittle ruptured his Achilles in 2026 and is trying to play in Week 1 of the 2026 season at the age of 33! The odds are stacked against him, but I wouldn’t put it past him to have yet another strong year in Kyle Shanahan’s offense. We get a discount on him this season, but for good reason.

Tucker Kraft, Packers

Kraft was absolutely on fire to start last season, putting up 32 receptions for 489 yards and six touchdowns through seven and a half games. Unfortunately, a torn ACL ended his amazing start. All signs point to him playing in Week 1 and Kraft is only 25 and going into his fourth season. I’m not as worried about him as I am Kittle.

Late round TE pick

Terrance Ferguson, Rams

There aren’t many late round tight ends who will have a chance or the ability to be a top fantasy player this year. There are good, solid players who can be useful, but they aren’t going to exceed expectation very often. But, the Rams have Terrance Ferguson, who is a field stretching tight end and if give a chance, could put up big numbers. The question is if he will get that chance. The Rams have plenty of tight ends and will mix and match them, giving none enough consistent work for fantasy greatness. But, the Rams need a WR3 behind Puka Nacua and Davonte Adams. Ferguson could fill that role from the tight end position and it’s worth taking a flier on him to see if that happens.

Tight end PPR Rankings

It was a night to remember for Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves, who completed the sweep of the Los Angeles Dodgers after Thursday’s 1-0 win. Sale was dominant, throwing his first shutout since 2019. He went the distance, throwing a complete game and allowing just five hits. He struck out 11. 

Drake Baldwin accounted for the Braves’ lone run. He launched a homer on the first pitch of the game, and the Atlanta lineup was unable to plate a run after that. 

Up next, the Colorado Rockies come to town for a weekend series at Truist Park.

More Braves News:

Reliever Robert Suarez is nearing a return to the mound, per report. 

David McCabe launched his second Triple-A homer on Wednesday. More in the minor league recap. 

MLB News:

The Los Angeles Dodgers have placed right-hander Roki Sasaki on the 15-day injured list with a blistered finger. He returned to LA on Thursday for further evaluation.

From the Feed:

Check out Chris Sale’s son’s reaction as he headed to the mound for the ninth inning.

Here we are again. The NFL season is right around the corner and it’s time to get all our ducks in a row. Below you will find my PPR wide receiver rankings for the season, along with injury news and a couple late round targets.

Overall, we saw the fewest 100+ reception games from wide receivers last season as we’ve had in a long while. With just six receivers hitting that mark, we can see that teams are spreading the ball around a bit more, while also relying more on the run game. We still have our handful of studs who we know will dominate if healthy and then a nice group of receivers who have great upside and strong fantasy floors a bit later in drafts.

Running backs on the other hand, don’t have those safe floor plays in the 4th and 5th rounds. In a vacuum, I want two stud RBs to start and then grab my receivers next. Of course, things change when you get in a draft, but that’s how I see things this season.

Wide Receiver Injuries

Malik Nabers, Giants

The Giants have an extremely weak wide receiver group, but the good news is that Malik Nabers is back at practice after suffering a torn ACL in Week 4 last season. He looks like he’ll be available for Week 1, which is good news for fantasy and the Giants. Nabers is one of the few receivers we know is going to get as many targets as he can handle each week.

Luther Burden, Bears

There are plenty of people very high on the Bears offense this year after watching HC Ben Johnson turn things around in year one. Second year receiver Burden is one of those players getting hype, with many seeing his upside as a top 10 fantasy receiver. I am on board with this line of thinking, but a groin strain has kept him out of practice of late and we have to keep that in mind. Hopefully he returns to practice as they get ready for Week 1, but we’ll have to wait to see.

Emeka Egbuka, Buccaneers

Egbuka got off to a hot start in his rookie season, but he and the rest of the team faded hard in the second half. I still like Egbuka and with Mike Evans gone, there is going to be opportunity there to be the WR1. He is currently dealing with a toe injury and there has been no word on how bad it is. Let’s hope he returns to practice ahead of Week 1 so we can feel better about drafting him at ADP.

Jordyn Tyson, Saints

The hype train out of Saints camp for the rookie Tyson was chugging away at full tilt this preseason, that is, until he suffered yet another hamstring injury. His history with injuries is truly scary for anyone drafting him. We’ll see if he ends up on the PUP list or not to start the season, but it looks like he’s out for Week 1 at least. I really like Kellen Moore and this Saints offense, but this does hurt them a bit.

Alec Pierce, Colts

The Colts went out and gave Pierce a nice contract this offseason despite knowing he was dealing with an ankle issue. So, the fact that he’s still not practicing is concerning, but something I expect he can recover from at some point early in the season. I’m not drafting him at this point though. I want to see him practicing and getting through practices first.

Wide receiver late draft targets

Jayden Reed, Packers

Reed is a very good football player. Sadly, we can’t project that he’ll see a big snap percentage and workload. The Packers receivers have been black holes for fantasy, which is partly due to injuries, emphasizing the rushing game and spreading the ball around. Will Reed stay healthy and become a key player in this offense? I think it’s possible. He’s too good to not keep giving the ball if he can stay healthy. And at WR47, I’m happy to take the chance on him again this year.

De’Zhaun Stribling, 49ers

Stribling has looked great so far in preseason. His ability after the catch fits so well in Kyle Shanahan’s offense that it looks like a match made in heaven. The 49ers offensive playmakers are ancient in NFL terms. Christian McCaffrey, George Kittle, Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel are all great players, but most people would take the bet that one or more of these guys will miss significant time this year.

Stribling’s hype may push someone in your home league to scoop him up way too early, but if he’s anywhere near his current ADP of WR50, grab him.

Wide Receiver PPR Rankings

On August 18, 2020, 23-year-old left-hander Tarik Skubal made his major league debut for a Detroit Tigers team that went on to miss the postseason for a sixth consecutive season.

Over the next six years, Skubal helped Detroit reach the postseason over two consecutive seasons, with highlights being his performance in Game 5 of last year’s ALDS and lowlights like the grand slam he allowed to Lane Thomas in the 2024 ALDS. He also made his name officially known by winning two consecutive AL Cy Young awards, winning the pitching triple crown in 2024— the first Tiger to do so since Justin Verlander in 2011.

Skubal made his final start as a Tiger on July 29, and the baseball world was stunned to see him shipped off to Los Angeles. Now, for the first time as a visiting player, he returns to the city he called home for parts of seven seasons. When asked by David Vassegh of AM 570 about the emotions of returning to Comerica Park, Skubal has a rather stoic mindset.

“The game of baseball is going to stay the game of baseball. That’s something I pride myself on, treating every game as the same. I’m very familiar with the stadium and all the guys across the way, and I look forward to seeing all those guys too. Those guys are my really good friends. We’re going to have relationships beyond baseball, so I look forward to getting back there and pitching.”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was on the losing end of a fierce pitcher’s duel against Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves on Thursday, where a first-pitch leadoff home run from Drake Baldwin was the only time any side could scratch across a run.

Yamamoto spoke with Kirsten Watson of SportsNet LA following the Dodgers’ 1-0 loss about his ability to navigate Atlanta’s lineup following the Baldwin home run while also finding a way to pitch deep into the game, with a final line of 6 1/3 innings.

“It’s a great lineup, I knew that. I just had to stay sharp the whole game.”

Getting swept against a team that is also a division leader stings, but there’s still a chance to go out win games over the weekend. That’s the mindset that Dave Roberts has following Thursday’s defeat, per Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.

“I wish we’d played better,” Roberts said. “I wish we’d have won the game. I wish we’d won the series. It didn’t happen. But right now, there’s nothing we can do but just go out there and keep trying to get better and win a baseball game [Friday].”

The 2026 NFL season is trying to sneak up on us, but we’re prepared and poised to take on all challengers! Below are my running back PPR rankings for this season. We have a couple clear studs that should go first and second in most of your drafts, and for good reason. After that, it’s the usual free-for-all.

After a few years of “Zero-RB” draft strategy winning due to running back injuries, the tables have turned and running backs are back in the forefront. What we really need to learn from trying to predict injuries is that you can’t. When you take a player who is the best offensive guy on a team, he’s going to get “overworked” to an extent. How his body handles that is impossible to predict. Not many people thought Christian McCaffrey would hold up to his 400+ touches again in 2025, but he went and did it like the stud fantasy back he is. This is all to say, every pick has risk, and that risk isn’t easy to quantify.

Do we want running backs who get 20+ touches a game? Yes, yes, and more yes. Would we rather that back be young like Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson or old like McCaffrey? Young, yes. You’re scoring an incredible 100% so far. But, unfortunately, if you don’t have one of the first two picks, you aren’t getting those young superstars. So, you fall back on CMC and hope he stays healthy or you lower your upside for a player who seems safer.

Running back injuries

Jeremiyah Love, Cardinals

Love has the ability to be a top fantasy producer as soon as he’s healthy, but after suffering a high-ankle sprain in preseason, his health is questionable. I’m not out on Love, but I would rather get a discount on him due to this injury. We should know more as we close in on the season, so keep an eye on the news.

Ashton Jeanty, Raiders

We had a big scare with Jeanty going down in practice, but thankfully he didn’t suffer a major injury. At this point he appears to have a lower ankle sprain, but his Week 1 availability is in question. As long as it truly isn’t a high-ankle sprain, he should be okay. But if you get Jeanty, it is worth trying to grab his backup Mike Washington as well.

Zach Charbonnet, Seahawks

Charbonnet played well last year, but also tore his ACL in the playoffs. The Seahawks let Kenneth Walker go to the Chiefs and then drafted Jadarian Price with the 32nd pick overall. Charbonnet has reportedly been ahead of schedule in his recovery, but it would be surprising if he didn’t go on the PUP list to start the season. His likely absence should give Price a chance to prove himself early on.

Jonathon Brooks and Chuba Hubbard, Panthers

Brooks is healthy and ready to go after back-to-back lost seasons to injury. He will compete with Chuba Hubbard for work after Hubbard returned from a hamstring injury in training camp. As long as both are healthy, I’d expect them to divide up the work, but Brooks at least has a chance to prove he is truly back and worth giving the majority of the touches.

Late round RB targets

Keaton Mitchell, Chargers

Mitchell is an explosive play waiting to happen and Chargers OC Mike McDaniel is adept at scheming explosive plays for explosive players. Mitchell’s ADP is rising, but with Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal on the team, fantasy footballers will be wary. With Mitchell we are looking for efficiency and big plays. And as long as he’s healthy, I believe that is on the way. He might not be consistent, but given 8-10 touches a game, I’m on board with him as a flex option most weeks.

Marshawn Lloyd, Packers

Lloyd’s injury troubles have taken him out of contention his first two years of his NFL career, but so far so good in year three. Josh Jacobs isn’t going anywhere, but Lloyd is talented enough that if he can stay healthy, who knows how high he could fly. He’s extremely risky, but that’s why we get him late and drop him if he gets hurt again.

Running Back PPR Rankings