Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Jordan Beck, Addison Barger, and Slade Cecconi

We’re now officially more than one quarter of the way through the MLB season and it’s getting increasingly difficult to find standout players on the waiver wire.

So, we need to look a bit deeper to find gems. Fear not, because there are still a handful of available players that have the chance to be difference makers in both the short and long term.

Boston Red Sox v Detroit Tigers
The Tigers claim the top spot and the red-hot Twins crack the Top 10.

Here are three players that are under 40% rostered on Yahoo leagues that you should strongly consider adding.

If you want a larger list, Eric Samulski wrote his extended waiver wire piece on Sunday.

Jordan Beck, OF Rockies

(30% Rostered on Yahoo)

A chaotic start to Beck’s season has turned into what appears to be a sustainable breakout that’s put him on our radar in 12-team leagues.

Beck made the Rockies’ opening day roster, but was sent down on April 6th after going 3-for-23 and striking out in nearly one third of his plate appearances. While it was a terrible week of play, it was inconceivable for Colorado to give one of their better prospects such a short leash. Alas, their rampant dysfunction is well known.

Ironically, Beck was recalled from Triple-A just 13 days later after going 5-for-37 down there and showing absolutely no signs of improvement.

Of course, he immediately hit the ground running upon his return with a five-homer barrage across three games. That surge pushed him to the top of the lineup because again, the Rockies are just managing their team based on vibes, and he hasn’t looked back.

Beck has hit either first, second, or third in each of the Rockies last 22 games and has eight home runs, two stolen bases, and a .992 OPS since being recalled. If nothing else, his power is legit with 80th percentile bat speed, consistent hard contact, and a knack for both lifting and pulling the ball.

Most importantly for Beck, his strikeouts are in check at the moment. He had an untenable 35.3% strikeout rate through 55 games as a rookie last season which halted any chance he had to be productive. That’s come all the way down to 26.7% since he came back from the minors.

That shrinking strikeout rate is supported by a chase rate that’s drifting towards league average. He’s ‘improved’ there by swinging less often, so we’re still waiting on better swing decisions from him in the zone and a better contact rate in general since his swing is so long and lends itself to plenty of whiffs.

Yet, even nominal improvements in these areas have made him much more productive. Those along with loud tools and a top-of-the-order spot makes him a fun waiver wire option

Just be mindful of the Rockies’ schedule. They just began a six-game homestand that ends this coming Sunday and will give way to a nine-game road trip. Beck hasn’t shown a strong home/road splits – .871 OPS in Coors Field, .928 OPS on the road – so far though in a small sample.

Addison Barger, 3B/OF Blue Jays

(4% Rostered on Yahoo)

What’s long been an intriguing profile for Barger looks even better at the moment at the same time he has steady playing time in Toronto.

Most notably, he has some of the best raw power in the league. He’s already hit a ball 116.5 mph this season – one of just 12 players in the league to hit a ball that hard – and is near the top of practically every Statcast Leaderboard regarding power. Often times, he accidentally finds his way into conversations that include the best power hitters in the game.

Moreover, Barger has drastically improved his swing decisions so far this season compared to last. He was a bit of a mess at the plate in 2024 during his first go-around as a big leaguer chasing too many pitches out of the strike zone and not swinging at nearly enough when they were in it.

This season, he’s totally flipped the script on each and is currently far better than league average in both regards. The sample isn’t very large yet at just 80 plate appearances, but he showed high-end plate discipline through the upper minors which makes this huge adjustment believable.

So, we have plus swing decisions and plus-plus power. That’s a strong foundation for a waiver claim. Barger has also played 10 games in a row at third base, making him someone that’s well worthy of our attention.

Those 10 consecutive starts began when Andrés Giménez went on the injured list with a quad strain. While he still has no timetable to return, he’s expected to begin running again this coming weekend which won’t put him too far off from being activated.

Of course, Giménez’s return isn’t guaranteed to put Barger back on the bench. He’s a capable corner outfielder and the Blue Jays have willingly played him there both this season and last. Right now, Nathan Lukes, Jonatan Clase, and Myles Straw are getting regular reps out there. If Barger can hit enough, he’ll remain a regular.

His underlying stats are too good right now to leave on the waiver wire in deeper leagues. There’s a strong chance production will follow.

Slade Cecconi, SP Guardians

(1% Rostered on Yahoo)

The Guardians made a somewhat strange move to acquire Cecconi this offseason as well as a Competitive Balance Round B draft pick from the Diamondbacks in exchange for Josh Naylor. They were fresh off a division championship and ALCS appearance with Naylor as a key contributor.

Yet, their starting pitching depth wore thin as the season went on and they’re not the type of organization to spend big money on pitching in free agency.

So, they took the opportunity to dump Naylor and his one remaining year of team control to take a shot on the 26-year-old Cecconi and his 6.06 ERA across 104 major league innings.

Cecconi had always exhibited solid command and a true four-pitch mix with Arizona, just without much swing-and-miss to his game. He was set to compete for their opening day rotation before allowing 10 ER in five spring innings and then wound up on the injured list with an oblique strain.

He worked his way through a trio of rehab starts over the past few weeks and had a strong season debut last weekend against the Reds where he struck out eight without walking a batter through five-plus innings and allowed three runs. All three of those runs came against the final six batters he faced.

Those strikeouts were encouraging as well as some subtle changes he made to his repertoire. Cecconi showed a new cutter that was a tick harder than his slider with tighter movement that he threw regularly against right-handed batters. Also, he drastically reduced his fastball usage against lefties in exchange for more changeups and curveballs. That fastball averaged just above 95 mph too, up from 94 mph last season.

In all, Cecconi forced 15 swings-and-misses including five each with his fastball and slider. He showed enough to believe in as a potential streamer moving forward.

The only catch is his upcoming schedule: he’s set to face the Tigers this week followed by the Dodgers, Yankees, and Astros over the next few weeks. Those are not matchups we’d be running to stream him in.

So, Cecconi is worthy of a speculative add at the moment because the changes he’s made makes him seem like someone who will wind up trustworthy, it just may take a few weeks before that trust is built.

Alex Cora addresses missing game to celebrate daughter's graduation

Alex Cora addresses missing game to celebrate daughter's graduation originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Alex Cora shouldn’t have to justify choosing family over baseball for one out of 162 games, but he was left answering questions about his decision on Tuesday.

The Boston Red Sox manager missed Monday’s home game against the New York Mets to celebrate his daughter Camila’s graduation from Boston College. Since the graduation occurred hours before the game’s 6:45 p.m. ET first pitch, Cora was criticized for his absence.

Here’s how he responded to that criticism:

“People have their own opinions,” Cora told reporters. “I bet those people have families, too, and at one point, they have to make decisions, too. I bet they made decisions for the best of the family. I made the best decision for my daughter.

“For those who don’t understand, I’m not gonna try to convince them. It is what it is. I made the best decision for my girl.”

While Cora enjoyed a memorable night with his family, bench coach Ramon Vazquez stepped in to manage against the Mets. His bullpen decisions after Hunter Dobbins’ 4.2-inning start helped Boston earn a 3-1 win in the series opener.

“Ramon did an outstanding job,” Cora said. “He has it in him. It’s just a matter of time. I truly believe that, and for him to have that experience, it’s great.”

The Red Sox’ win put them one game under .500 (24-25), a disappointing mark given their heightened preseason expectations. Had the club owned a winning record and a first-place spot in the American League East, it’s unlikely Cora would have been so scrutinized for missing a relatively inconsequential game in May.

Nonetheless, Cora will return to the Red Sox bench when they take on the Mets again Tuesday night. First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m. ET at Fenway Park.

Expect Elite Defence Shining Through in Narrow Game 1 Victory for Hurricanes Over Panthers

Panthers and Hurricanes rekindle their 2023 rivalry in a high-stakes Game 1 showdown of Eastern Conference Finals Tuesday

Image

For the second time in three seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers are set to clash in the Eastern Conference Final with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line. 

The Panthers, making their third consecutive appearance in the conference finals, enter the series riding the momentum of a dominant 6-1 Game 7 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Florida’s battle-tested lineup is looking to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row, and they’ll have history on their side after sweeping the Hurricanes in their last playoff meeting in the 2023 Conference Finals. 

More NHL: Stanley Cup Playoffs: Betting Odds For the Conference Finals

But this year’s Hurricanes team appears more battle-hardened and dangerous than the one that fell short two seasons ago. Carolina made a statement in the second round by eliminating the top-seeded Washington Capitals in just five games, showcasing both their newfound depth and scoring touch. 

This series promises high intensity, fast-paced action, and no shortage of bad blood between two teams that know each other all too well and it all kicks off Tuesday night. 

For bettors, this matchup provides a chance to capitalize on some of our recent strong trends, like our 9-5 record on our last 14 picks, including perfect records during Game 1 and 4 of the Maple Leafs-Senators series. 

All betting lines are from FanDuel Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.

Florida Panthers vs Carolina Hurricanes Best Bets:

  • Under 5.5 goals (-134)
  • Panthers Under 2.5 goals (-104)
  • Hurricanes ML (-125)
  • Matthew Tkachuk Under 0.5 points (+134) 

The player most people remember from the Panthers last postseason meeting with Carolina is Matthew Tkachuk, who scored two game-winning goals. The Arizona native has been notably playing through an injury that has limited his offence to three goals and six assists, four of which were secondary, totalling nine points through 12 games. 

Tkachuk rides a nine-game goal drought and recorded no points in his final two games versus Toronto. People are expecting a bounce back here but I don't see it happening against a battle-tested Canes defence that limited the Capitals to two or fewer goals in four of their five series games. 

Washington had the second-best offence in the league during the regular season with a 3.49 goals per game average compared to Florida's 3.00 average. The Capitals scored 40 more goals than the Panthers this season and the Canes held them in check due to stellar play from netminder Fredrick Andersen. 

At home, the Swedish netminder has a perfect 5-0 record with a 1.60 goals against average this postseason and is the betting favourite on the Hurricanes to win the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP. 

More NHL: Jonathan Toews NHL Return Could Be With Anaheim Ducks, According to NHL Insider

If the Panthers wanna win it'll have to be with clutch goals and elite goaltending ii return which they've received as well but from Sergei Bobrovsky. The star goaltender helped lead the Panthers to a championship last season and hasn't skipped a beat with a sensational effort versus the Maple Leafs when his team needed him with four goals allowed over the final four games. 

The public didn't like the low-scoring games Carolina forced into Washington in the second round but I would expect this again as both teams will look to smother each other and play a solid defensive game as they have all season. All but the final game of their series two years ago had every game go under five goals and I expect we should see a similar story here. 

More Hockey: Top NHL Prospect Expected to Join Michigan Wolverines Next Season

Kris Bubic loses no-hit bid for Royals on official scoring change but enjoys fantastic homecoming

SAN FRANCISCO — Kris Bubic’s no-hit bid for the Kansas City Royals ended with an official scoring change.

The left-hander hardly let that bother him.

Bubic made a run at a historic homecoming before settling for seven shutout innings of two-hit ball in a 3-1 victory over the San Francisco Giants.

“I knew it was happening, but I wasn’t nervous about it,” Bubic said. “I wasn’t really thinking about it. In my head I was just thinking, hey, keep attacking guys. Keep getting ahead of guys.”

Bubic initially got through six innings without allowing a hit — only to have an error charged to Royals second baseman Michael Massey changed to a single before the start of the seventh.

With two outs in the sixth, Wilmer Flores hit a grounder toward second base. Massey moved to his left and was in position to make the play but slipped to the ground at the edge of the grass as the ball rolled past him into the outfield.

The play initially was ruled an error by official scorer Michael Duca, and Bubic then struck out Jung Hoo Lee to end the inning.

But moments later, after reviewing video, Duca changed his call to a base hit for Flores.

Casey Schmitt’s clean double down the left-field line with one out in the seventh was the only other hit off Bubic (5-2). He struck out five, walked three and lowered his ERA to 1.47.

That’s the second-lowest mark for a Royals pitcher through his first 10 starts of a season. Zack Greinke was at 0.84 in 2009, when he won the AL Cy Young Award.

Vinnie Pasquantino, who hit a two-run homer off reliever Tyler Rogers (2-2) to break a scoreless tie in the eighth, raved about Bubic.

“Hitters getting to first base, talking about how frustrating it is facing him,” Pasquantino said. “That’s what you’re looking for. He was ridiculous again tonight.”

In his past four starts, Bubic has permitted one run over 25 1/3 innings.

This outing came in the ballpark where Bubic grew up rooting for the Giants. He went to Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose and then to college at Stanford.

“I’ve probably sat in every area in this ballpark,” he said.

The 27-year-old Bubic estimated he had 30-40 family members and friends in attendance.

“You always want to do well in front of them. It makes life a little easier for everybody,” Bubic joked.

He referenced the fact that he had made two previous starts at Oracle Park, including when he pitched six scoreless innings in a 3-1 loss on April 9, 2023. Bubic said that experience kept away the jitters.

“I treated this like any other game,” he explained. “It’s cool to be able to pitch in front of friends and family and I’m glad they got to see a win.”

Bubic underwent Tommy John surgery in 2023 and was strictly a reliever in 27 appearances last season.

He made one start with a longer no-hit bid: On Aug. 21, 2021, Bubic threw six hitless innings against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field.

After a weather delay, he allowed a walk and then a home run to Patrick Wisdom. Bubic gave up just that one hit over 6 1/3 innings in the Royals’ 4-2 win.

Haliburton invites Pacers fan who had trash thrown at him in New York to Game 4

New York is a Knicks town, and that fan base has been starved for a winner for decades, getting fed mostly scraps in the James Dolan era. That has changed in the last couple of years, as the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks are winning — and New York went wild after the Knicks knocked off the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since Shaq and Kobe started winning titles together.

That celebration turned on a fan, Hanz Perez, who wore Pacers gear in New York — the team the Knicks will face in the next round. It wasn't pretty.

Monday, Perez went on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and talked about being a firefighter and a lifelong Pacers fan (complete with a Pacers tattoo on his arm). That's when Tyrese Haliburton joined the conversation and did what franchise icons do, stepping up and offering to fly Perez and a friend out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"Everybody in our organization wants to make sure you're taken care of. All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about," Haliburton said.

Well played by Haliburton and the Pacers.

Perez is in for what should be an intense, incredibly even game and series — this one is a genuine coin toss. In that case, the Pacers could use all the good karma they can get, and Haliburton got them some.

Tyrese Haliburton invites Pacers fan who had trash thrown at him in New York to Game 4

New York is a Knicks town, and that fan base has been starved for a winner for decades, getting fed mostly scraps in the James Dolan era. That has changed in the last couple of years, as the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks are winning — and New York went wild after the Knicks knocked off the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since Shaq and Kobe started winning titles together.

That celebration turned on a fan, Hanz Perez, who wore Pacers gear in New York — the team the Knicks will face in the next round. It wasn't pretty.

Monday, Perez went on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" and talked about being a firefighter and a lifelong Pacers fan (complete with a Pacers tattoo on his arm). That's when Tyrese Haliburton joined the conversation and did what franchise icons do, stepping up and offering to fly Perez and a friend out to Indianapolis for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.

"Everybody in our organization wants to make sure you're taken care of. All the team's excited to meet you. It's all we've been talking about," Haliburton said.

Well played by Haliburton and the Pacers.

Perez is in for what should be an intense, incredibly even game and series — this one is a genuine coin toss. In that case, the Pacers could use all the good karma they can get, and Haliburton got them some.

Brewers’ William Contreras showing that his fractured finger won’t limit his hitting productivity

MILWAUKEE — Milwaukee Brewers catcher William Contreras is learning how to keep hitting the ball hard while dealing with a fractured left middle finger.

Contreras has been playing through this injury for much of the season, which has impacted the hitting production of one of the game’s top catchers. But he’s turned a corner lately.

The two-time All-Star went 4 for 4 with a pair of doubles and hit a tiebreaking two-out RBI single in the eighth inning of the Milwaukee Brewers’ 5-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. He has gone 9 for 16 at the plate over his last five games.

“It’s been the William Contreras who finished in the top five of the MVP voting last year,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.

Contreras ranked fifth in the MVP balloting after leading Milwaukee to a second straight NL Central title last year. Contreras understands how much he means to this team, which helps explain why he has continued to play just about every day even while facing this injury.

“I’ve worked too hard to miss a day,” Contreras said. “I don’t want to take two or three months off.”

Teammates appreciate Contreras’ ability to play through pain. Contreras has missed just three of Milwaukee’s first 48 games this season after playing 155 games last year. Even when he isn’t catching, Contreras typically remains in the lineup as a designated hitter.

“It really shows his passion to one, play the game, and also about how important he thinks winning is and how badly he wants to win and be a part of it,” pitcher Quinn Priester said. “It’s really easy to play with and trust a guy like that.”

The Brewers reconfigured Contreras’ catching mitt to help him avoid feeling so much pain with every foul tip he gets while working behind the plate. Contreras has continued doing an outstanding job behind the plate, as Statcast ranks him among the NL’s best catchers at throwing out potential base stealers.

His injury had a bigger effect on his hitting.

Contreras homered April 13 in a 5-2 loss at Arizona but didn’t get another extra-base hit until May 11, when he went deep again in a 4-2 victory at Tampa Bay. That represented quite a drop for someone who had won the Silver Slugger as the NL’s top hitting catcher each of the last two seasons.

He has looked more like his usual self at the plate.

Contreras’ surge started when he went 3 of 4 with a double and scored four runs in a 9-5 victory at Cleveland. That began a five-game stretch in which his batting average has improved from .224 to .258, his on-base percentage has soared from .333 to .370 and his slugging percentage has improved from .322 to .371.

While metrics show Contreras hasn’t hit the ball as hard this year as in previous seasons, he’s clearly making progress in that regard. All four of his most recent hits had an exit velocity exceeding 100 mph.

“It’s hard to hit a ball hard with that finger because there’s pain sometimes,” Contreras said. “But I don’t have to think too much about my finger because I’m going to keep playing the rest of the season.”

Mets will talk to Juan Soto about hustle after line drive off Green Monster ends up a single

BOSTON — New York Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said he’ll talk to Juan Soto about hustling out of the batter’s box after the slugger watched his would-be home run bounce off the Green Monster for a single against the Boston Red Sox.

Leading off the sixth inning on a chilly night at Fenway Park with a 15 mph wind blowing in from left field, Soto hit a 102 mph line drive to left and stood watching as it sailed toward the Green Monster. The ball hit about two-thirds of the way up the 37-foot wall, and Soto was only able to manage a single.

“He thought he had it,” Mendoza told reporters after his team’s 3-1 loss. “But with the wind and all that, and in this ballpark — anywhere, but in particular in this one, with that wall right there — you’ve got to get out of the box. So, yeah, we’ll discuss that.”

Soto stole second on the first pitch to the next batter, but the $765 million star ended up stranded on third. He denied lollygagging on the basepaths.

“I think I’ve been hustling pretty hard,” he said. “If you see it today, you can tell.”

It’s not uncommon for balls hit off the Green Monster to result in singles: In the first inning, Pete Alonso was thrown out trying for second base on a ball off the left-field wall. But Soto had also failed to run hard out of the box on a groundout at Yankee Stadium.

“We’ll talk to him about it,” Mendoza said.

Report: Red Wings Interested in NHL Return for Former Ducks Second Rounder

Sep 29, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Vegas Golden Knights forward Maxime Comtois (88) skates against the Arizona Coyotes during the second period of a preseason game at T-Mobile Arena. (Stephen R. Sylvanie, Imagn Images)

According to a report from RG Media, the Detroit Red Wings are one of a handful of teams interested in facilitating an NHL return for Maxime Comtois, a 2017 draft pick of the Anaheim Ducks who spent last season in Russia, playing for the KHL's Dynamo Moscow.

Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest newsgame-day coverage, and player features

"I felt like I got a second wind," RG quoted Comtois as saying in a recent interview.  "I've always said I want to return to the NHL, and this season I did everything possible to make that happen. Hockey had become just a job for me in North America, but here, it became my passion again."  Comtois scored 21 goals and gave 29 assists in 62 regular season games for Dynamo this season.  Per RG, the Boston Bruins are among the other teams potentially interested in Comtois' services.

Trending Red Wings Stories

With His Days in Toronto Likely Numbered, Could Mitch Marner Be a Missing Piece to the Red Wings Puzzle?

Panthers Duo a Strong Potential Red Wings Free Agent Fit

Three Potential RFA Offer Sheets for the Red Wings

Can Tarasenko Bounce Back from Lowly First Year in Detroit?

Three Highlights from Steve Yzerman and Todd McLellan's End of Season Press Availability

It is worth noting that Comtois played for the 2018 Canadian World Junior Team, from which five players (Dillon Dubé, Carter Hart, Cal Foote, Alex Formenton and Michael McLeod) are currently standing trial for sexual assault.  Comtois has not been charged with any wrongdoing.  In 2022 (when these reports began to surface), he released a statement describing the allegations as "deeply troubling" and expressing his intent to fully cooperate with the investigation.

Now 26, Comtois has played 211 career NHL games (all but one with Anaheim, the other with the Carolina Hurricanes), totaling 38 goals and 49 points for 87 points.  He's not a player with the potential to provide Detroit with a seismic impact, but he could be a low cost, quality depth acquisition.

Do you see Comtois as a worthwhile acquisition for the Red Wings?  Let us know in the comments.

Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites. 

LA Clippers 2024-25 fantasy basketball season recap: Ivica Zubac, Norman Powell enjoy breakout seasons

While the NBA Playoffs are in full swing, now is a good time to recap the fantasy basketball season for all 30 teams.

In the following weeks, we will provide a recap for each team, starting with the team with the worst record and concluding with the NBA champion in June.

The Clippers were finally healthy for a playoff run, but they weren’t able to get past the Nuggets in the first round. However, there’s no reason to think this team isn’t going to run things back again, though the clock certainly continues to tick.

Los Angeles Clippers 2024-25 Season Recap

Record: 50-32 (5th, West, lost first round)

Offensive Rating: 1146.7 (15th)

Defensive Rating: 109.4 (3rd)

Net Rating: 4.9 (5th)

Pace: 98.24 (22nd)

2024 Draft Picks: 30, 51

After Paul George left for Philadelphia in free agency, Norman Powell called it “addition by subtraction.” Well, the Clippers ended up winning one less game and finishing one spot lower in the standings, but they lost in seven games instead of six games in the first round. Improvement? Perhaps, but either way, it’s difficult to lose a player as talented as George (well, at least the player he was for them last season) and still be just as competitive, which made this season impressive. However, that doesn’t mean it was a successful year. When your team is built on stars that are 35 and 33 years old, it’s championship or bust.

That doesn’t mean that it was a waste of a season. Both Ivica Zubac and the aforementioned Powell had the best years of their careers, and Kawhi Leonard had a lot of success after he finally made his season debut. James Harden was excellent after a down 2023-24 season. Still, it wasn’t enough for them to make it out of the first round of the playoffs once again. This was their third straight first round exit, and they haven’t made it to the second round since the 2020-21 season.

Fantasy Standout: James Harden

Despite a poor postseason, Harden was awesome during the regular season. He struggled in his first year with the Clippers, but he averaged 22.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 1.5 steals and three triples per game this season. The 4.3 turnovers per game and 41 percent shooting from the field were poor, but he was still able to provide top-20 value in nine-cat leagues.

The only narrative that will come out of this season is that the 35-year-old Harden couldn’t get it done in the playoffs once again. His lowest-scoring performance of their series against Denver came in Game 7; he had seven points on eight shots. However, that shouldn’t alter how he is viewed in fantasy basketball. He isn’t vying for the top spot in the rankings anymore, but he is still fantastic during the regular season. The turnovers and poor field goal percentage aren’t going anywhere, which makes it important to account for them in category leagues. Harden isn’t slowing down, and he played 79 games during the regular season this year. There were no signs that would indicate he isn’t ready to repeat his production from this season once again.

Fantasy Revelation: Ivica Zubac

For years, head coach Tyronn Lue simply refused to play Zubac like a typical starter. He had him splitting the center minutes with multiple different players, including Isaiah Hartenstein and Mason Plumlee. Even when there wasn’t another quality center, Lue opted to play smaller lineups that featured Nicolas Batum at center. However, that changed this season, and the results were fantastic. Zubac’s minutes jumped from 26.4 per game last year to 33.1 this season, and he averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 blocks per game, which resulted in him providing third-round value in nine-cat leagues.

The 28-year-old proved that it’s never too late to enjoy a breakout season. Zubac has long been a solid option, but at his Yahoo! ADP of 86.8, he was one of the steals of the draft and a true league-winner. Zubac was the runner-up for the Most Improved Player award and finished sixth in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He’ll go significantly earlier in fantasy drafts next season and should be in for another strong year, assuming Lue doesn’t reduce his role or put him in another minutes split at center. With the way he played this year, that seems unlikely.

Fantasy Disappointment: Bogdan Bogdanovic

Since making his NBA debut during the 2017-18 season, Bogdanovic has been a strong producer in fantasy basketball, especially as a three-point threat. However, this was a down year for him, and he ended up being traded to LA after starting the year with the Hawks. Though he was slightly better with the Clippers than he was with Atlanta, he only averaged 11.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and two triples per game for LA. That ranked outside the top 150 after he was a top-75 player in nine-cat leagues the year before.

The 32-year-old was mostly ineffective during the playoffs as well, though he was able to knock some shots down during Games 5 and 7. Still, he didn’t miss any games with the Clippers after making his debut just before the All-Star break, but he was sidelined a lot early on when he was with the Hawks. Bogdanovic will hopefully enjoy a healthier season during the 2025-26 campaign, which will give him a chance to bounce back.

Fantasy Recaps/Look-Aheads 

Kawhi Leonard

Though he didn’t suit up until January, Leonard was productive during his time on the floor. In 37 appearances, he averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.6 steals and 2.1 triples in 31.9 minutes per game. He was eased in slowly after missing the start of the season due to the same knee issue that kept him from playing in the Olympics last summer and forced him to miss Games 4-6 against the Mavericks in the playoffs last year.

The injury concerns and questions aren’t going anywhere, but Leonard remains effective when he is on the floor. He’ll be 34 at the start of next season, and with his injury history, there have to be concerns about how much longer he’ll keep playing. Still, he was productive during the playoffs and after the All-Star break, he was able to provide first-round value in nine-cat leagues. Leonard will likely continue to slip in fantasy drafts because of the headache that he has caused for managers over the past half-decade. However, that just makes him an excellent value pick.

Norman Powell

Powell was certainly a candidate for “Fantasy Revelation” with his breakout performance this season. He averaged 21.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and three triples in 32.6 minutes per game, which led to arguably the best season of his career. Powell really took advantage of Kawhi’s absence early on and was in the conversation to make the All-Star Game. However, he only played one game in a month-long stretch from mid-February to mid-March and wasn’t able to produce at the same level over the final month of the regular season. Still, It was an impressive year for a 31-year-old, and he’ll continue to be an excellent source of offense for them, assuming he remains in a starting role like he did this season after being LA’s sixth man the last few years.

Kris Dunn

The former top-five pick has bounced around the league without finding a consistent place to call home. This was his first season with the Clippers, and he started 58 of his 74 games while averaging 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.7 steals and one three-pointer per game. Dunn’s steals were valuable, but he wasn’t able to do much else for fantasy managers. LA had him in the starting lineup for his defense, but he was able to provide some points and assists occasionally. Still, his role in fantasy basketball next season will be as a steal streamer once again.

Derrick Jones Jr.

Early in his career, Jones Jr. was known as a dunk specialist, but he has reinvented himself over the last two seasons. After an excellent year in Dallas, he earned a three-year deal with the Clippers. He started 55 of his 77 appearances, averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, one steal and one triple per game. Jones Jr. was a solid defender in the rotation, but his limited offensive game prevents him from being dominant in fantasy basketball. He’ll continue to play heavy minutes, but he makes more of an impact on the court than he does in the box score.

Ben Simmons

After playing 90 games across two and a half seasons with the Nets, Simmons’ contract was bought out in February, and he signed with the Clippers for the rest of last season. In his 18 games, he averaged 2.9 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 16.4 minutes per game. Simmons’ fall from grace has been well documented, and the once-dominant fantasy player doesn’t provide much optimism for the future. Sure, he’s still talented, but it’s going to take a lot more than that for him to be a reliable player.

Amir Coffey

Coffey has spent six years with the Clippers, and this was his best yet. Across his 72 appearances, he averaged 9.7 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 triples in 24.3 minutes per game. He has had some stretches as a starter where he has been effective, but he was out of the rotation for the final two weeks of the regular season and didn’t see the floor during the playoffs. He’ll continue to be a rotation piece for LA, but he won’t make much of an impact in fantasy basketball.

Nicolas Batum

While speaking with BeIN Sports, Batum said that the 2025-26 season will likely be his last year in the league. He has a player option, so he could finish out his career with the Clippers. However, he likely won’t see his role increase after averaging 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 threes in 17.5 minutes per game this year. Batum will be a solid veteran presence again next season, but he shouldn’t be considered in any fantasy format.

Kobe Brown

Since they took Jerome Robinson in the 2018 draft, Brown has been the lone first-round pick made by the Clippers that also suited up for them. However, his role decreased in his second year with the team. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.6 rebounds in just 6.8 minutes per game while suiting up 40 times. The 25-year-old is one of the few young pieces on this Clippers team, but it is unlikely they pivot to a youth movement next season. He’ll continue to try and develop from the bench.

Jordan Miller

The 2023 second-round pick saw his role increase in year two, but not by much. He played 11.4 minutes per game across 37 appearances and averaged 4.1 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. Miller played a larger role than Brown last season, but it was still insignificant. That is unlikely to change next season.

Restricted Free Agents: Jordan Miller, Trentyn Flowers

Unrestricted Free Agents: Amir Coffey, Patty Mills, Ben Simmons

Player Option: James Harden, Nicolas Batum

Giro d’Italia: Ayuso and Roglic close on Del Toro as Hoole prevails in Pisa

  • Dry roads help Dutch rider to win stage 10 time-trial
  • Juan Ayuso now just 25 seconds adrift in second place

Dutchman Daan Hoole won stage 10 of the Giro d’Italia as rain hampered the later starters in Tuesday’s time trial, which ended with Mexico’s Isaac del Toro clinging to the overall lead.

Hoole, the 26-year-old Lidl-Trek rider, took advantage of dry roads to cover the 28.6km from Lucca to Pisa in 32 minutes and 30 seconds for his first Grand Tour stage win. By the time the leading riders left the start gate rain was falling, making the corners slippery and reducing speeds.

Continue reading...

Hurricanes Defenseman Jalen Chatfield Questionable For Game 1 Of Eastern Conference Final

The Carolina Hurricanes have a big question mark on the blueline as we head toward puck drop of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.

Defenseman Jalen Chatfield has been dealing with an undisclosed injury, that seemed to have flared up in Game 4 of the Canes' second-round series against the Washington Capitals.

The veteran missed Game 5 and a few Hurricanes practices, and Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour said he'd probably need a practice before he gets back in.

While he did take the morning skate on Tuesday morning, he was skating as an extra during the practice session so his status is still up in the air.

"We're still debating it, but it was a good sign that he was out there," Brind'Amour said. "Whether he's ready to go, that will be determined here shortly. Good sign that he was at least out there with us.

Chatfield had one goal in nine postseason games this season, but more importantly, he's a vital piece of the Hurricanes' staunch blueline.

He plays big minutes, averaging 20:24 a night in these playoffs, and he's making a difference whether it's at 5v5 or on the penalty kill.

"He definitely wants to play, so we'll see where it goes," Brind'Amour said.

If he can't go, rookie blueliner Scott Morrow will draw into the lineup for his NHL postseason debut.

"He's been around a little longer, knows our system a little better than [Alexander Nikishin] does and he played well when he came up," Brind'Amour said. "There's also the righty/lefty thing, that does matter a little bit. So those little things help. I think he's earned the right to have a shot, so we'll see."


Be sure to check out the Carolina Hurricanes 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub for all postseason stories!   


Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.