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Player News
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Cam Brown NYG LB
Dolphins' Cam Brown: Inks deal in Miami
13h agoBrown agreed to a contract with the Dolphins on Wednesday, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Brown appeared in 60 career games as a special-teams ace during his first four seasons with the Giants, tallying 24 tackles over that span. The 26-year-old played exclusively on special teams in 16 games during the 2023 campaign, so he'll more than likely fulfill a similar role for Miami in 2024.
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Justin Murray CLE OT
Justin Murray: Hangs it up
13h agoThe Browns placed Murray on the retired/reserve list Wednesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Murray played for the Raiders, Cardinals, Bills and Titans during his six-year NFL career, appearing in 41 games with 20 starts during his professional tenure. The soon-to-be 31-year-old joined Cleveland's practice squad last November and then signed a futures contract in January, but he never played in any games for the team.
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J.K. Dobbins BAL RB
Chargers' J.K. Dobbins: Slated to join Chargers
15h agoDobbins (Achilles) is in line to sign a one-contract with the Chargers, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
A second-round pick of the Ravens in 2020, Dobbins had two of his first four pro seasons cut short due to an ACL tear in 2021 and then a torn left Achilles in Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. In his 24 career appearances, he's averaged a robust 5.8 yards on 234 carries, gathered in 27 of 35 targets for 177 yards and scored 13 total touchdowns. Orthopedic surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache penned a letter to NFL teams in late March that Dobbins had received medical clearance to participate in football activities, but his new contract will be contingent on a physical. Once the move west to L.A. becomes official, Dobbins will join forces with former teammate Gus Edwards at the top of the RB depth chart, giving him some sway in fantasy working alongside QB Justin Herbert.
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Darius Slayton NYG WR
Giants' Darius Slayton: Seeking new deal
18h agoSlayton (thumb) hasn't reported to the Giants' voluntary workouts while he seeks a contract extension, Jordan Raanan of ESPN.com reports.
Slayton, who led the team with 770 receiving yards in 17 games in 2023, has attended the Giants' voluntary offseason program in the past. The 27-year-old wideout is in line to earn $6.2 million in the final year of his contract in 2024, but Slayton is evidently looking to amend those terms. At this stage, Slayton -- who is recovering from an offseason procedure on his right thumb -- is poised to retain a key role in a Giants wideout corps that currently includes Wan'Dale Robinson and Jalin Hyatt.
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Jaelan Phillips MIA LB
Dolphins' Jaelan Phillips: Getting fifth-year option picked up
23h agoGeneral manager Chris Grier said Tuesday that the Dolphins will exericse the fifth-year option on Phillips' (Achilles) rookie contract before May's deadline, Marcel Louis-Jacques of ESPN.com reports.
A torn right Achilles' tendon limited Phillips to just eight games last season, but he's reportedly on track to be ready for Week 1 of the 2024 campaign. He's been one of the Dolphins' more impactful pass rushers over the past three seasons, and the team will be more in need of him than ever with Christian Wilkins having moved on to Las Vegas.
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De'Von Achane MIA RB
Dolphins' De'Von Achane: Bulks up during offseason
23h agoAchane appears to have added muscle to his frame through his workouts earlier this offseason, Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post reports.
A photo of Achane showing up for OTAs went viral, with some saying he looks much larger than he did during his rookie campaign. It's his second offseason bulking up for football without also considering track and field, though at this point it's unclear how much muscle he's added relative to his weight from the 2023 NFL Combine, where he ran a 4.32-second 40-yard dash at 188 pounds. Achane averaged 7.8 yards per carry and scored a touchdown per game last season, albeit with injuries (six missed games) and Raheem Mostert's presence (209 carries) limiting the rookie to 103 carries and 27 catches in his 11 appearances. The Dolphins still have Mostert under contract -- along with backups Jeff Wilson, Salvon Ahmed (foot) and Chris Brooks -- but they'll presumably prepare Achane with more of the backfield work in his second NFL season.
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Steven Kwan CLE LF
Guardians' Steven Kwan: First day off Thursday
1m agoKwan is absent from the lineup for Thursday's contest in Boston.
It's the first day off of the season for Kwan. David Fry is getting a start in left field for the Guardians, and Andres Gimenez will be elevated to the leadoff spot.
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Anthony Veneziano KC RP
Royals' Anthony Veneziano: Moves back to Triple-A
4m agoThe Royals returned Veneziano to Triple-A Omaha following Wednesday's doubleheader with the White Sox.
Veneziano wasn't needed out of the bullpen for either game of the twin bill and is still waiting to make his 2024 MLB debut. The 26-year-old lefty has made four appearances (two starts) for Omaha this season, logging a 3.27 ERA, 1.27 WHIP and 8:4 K:BB in 11 innings.
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Brock Burke TEX RP
Rangers' Brock Burke: Shifted to 60-day IL
9m agoBurke (hand) was transferred to the 60-day injured list by the Rangers on Thursday.
The transaction frees up a spot on the 40-man roster for Jack Leiter. It doesn't change Burke's timetable, as he was already expected to be sidelined for a while with a fractured right hand.
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Grant Anderson TEX RP
Rangers' Grant Anderson: Optioned to Triple-A
11m agoAnderson was optioned to Triple-A Round Rock by the Rangers on Thursday.
Anderson has permitted four runs over two innings covering his three relief appearances this season. He's clearing out to make room on the roster for Jack Leiter, who will be Thursday's starting pitcher.
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Jack Leiter TEX SP
Rangers' Jack Leiter: Called up ahead of MLB debut
15m agoThe Rangers selected Leiter's contract from Triple-A Round Rock on Thursday.
Leiter is set to make his major-league debut Thursday in Detroit after posting a 3.77 ERA, 0.99 WHIP and 25:3 K:BB across 14.1 innings with Round Rock to begin the season. The plan seems to be for this to be just a spot start, although Leiter could change minds if he pitches well, particularly with Andrew Heaney's struggles.
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Yordan Alvarez HOU DH
Astros' Yordan Alvarez: Smacks fifth homer
16m agoAlvarez went 2-for-5 with a solo home run and two runs scored Wednesday against Atlanta.
Alvarez took lefty Max Fried deep in the first inning to tally his fifth homer of the season. He had been quiet with the bat in seven games prior, during which he tallied no extra-base hits and hit just .136. Overall, Alvarez's line looks quite similar to expectations, as he's maintained a .289 batting average and .526 slugging percentage across the first 88 plate appearances of the campaign.
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Nicolas Batum PHI PF
76ers' Nicolas Batum: Shines off bench Wednesday
9m agoBatum provided 20 points (7-12 FG, 6-10 3Pt), five rebounds and one block in 28 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over the Heat.
It was widely known that Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey were going to carry the Sixers in this matchup against the Heat, but the truth is that Philadelphia wouldn't have gotten the win hadn't it been for Batum's impressive effort off the bench. The 20-point output was a season-high mark for the veteran, and even though his role is not going to change drastically in the first-round matchup against New York, he should continue to see decent minutes on a regular basis. Perhaps surprisingly, he went scoreless in the four times he faced the Knicks during the regular season.
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Joel Embiid PHI C
76ers' Joel Embiid: Leads Sixers to win Wednesday
12m agoEmbiid logged 23 points (6-17 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 9-10 FT), 15 rebounds, five assists and one steal over 38 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over Miami.
Embiid had a complicated matchup against Bam Adebayo, arguably one of the best defensive centers in The Association, and even though his efficiency was subpar, he still led Philadephia in scoring while coming through with a clutch performance from the charity stripe. Embiid should be in line for a productive first-round series against the Knicks, and even though he only faced them once in the regular season, he delivered a 30-point, 10-rebound, three-block performance on Jan. 5.
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Tyrese Maxey PHI PG
76ers' Tyrese Maxey: Scores 19 in win over Miami
14m agoMaxey accumulated 19 points (6-16 FG, 1-6 3Pt, 6-6 FT), three rebounds and six assists across 44 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game victory over the Heat.
Maxey had a rough night from three-point range, but he still salvaged his stat line by sniffing the 20-point mark and dishing out six assists. Maxey is expected to play a prominent role on offense in the first-round matchup against the Knicks, and it's worth noting he averaged 26.3 points per game in three games vs. New York during the regular season.
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Jaime Jaquez Jr. MIA SF
Heat's Jaime Jaquez: Decent stat line in loss
18m agoJaquez closed Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers with 15 points (6-11 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-2 FT), five rebounds, two assists and one steal across 22 minutes.
Jaquez looked good despite coming off the bench and was one of Miami's top contributors on offense. He's widely expected to move into the starting lineup for Friday's matchup against the Bulls due to the absence of Jimmy Butler (knee), and that would translate into an uptick in his usage rate.
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Bam Adebayo MIA C
Heat's Bam Adebayo: Double-double in loss Wednesday
19m agoAdebayo posted 10 points (5-9 FG, 0-2 3Pt), 12 rebounds, one assist and two blocks across 31 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to the 76ers.
Adebayo wasn't as involved as expected on the offensive end of the court, as he had to deal with a tough matchup against Joel Embiid, but he still found a way to finish with a double-double even if the Heat came up short of winning. Knowing the Heat will be without Jimmy Butler (knee) for Friday's game against the Bulls, Adebayo should experience an uptick in usage rate and volume while dealing with the matchup of Nikola Vucevic, who's nowhere near as good as Embiid on the defensive end of the court.
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Tyler Herro MIA PG
Heat's Tyler Herro: Leads Heat in scoring in loss
25m agoHerro registered 25 points (9-27 FG, 4-14 3Pt, 3-3 FT), two rebounds and nine assists over 41 minutes during Wednesday's 105-104 Play-In Game loss to Philadelphia.
Herro might have needed 27 shots to score 25 shots, but the uptick in usage rate happened since Jimmy Butler suffered a knee injury in the first quarter, which limited him considerably, and Bam Adebayo had a rough matchup with Joel Embiid. Herro has reached the 20-point mark in four of his last six outings, and considering Butler will miss Friday's win-or-go-home matchup against the Bulls, he should be in line for another heavy usage rate vs. Chicago.
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Samuel Bolduc NYI D
Islanders' Samuel Bolduc: Two points in return Wednesday
1m agoBolduc scored a power-play goal and added an even-strength assist in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Penguins.
The 23-year-old blueliner hadn't been in the Islanders' lineup since Jan. 27, falling out of the blue line mix soon after Patrick Roy took over as head coach. Following a conditioning stint with AHL Bridgeport however, Bolduc rejoined the team for the regular-season finale and made an immediate impact. If Noah Dobson (upper body) isn't ready to play Saturday for Game 1 of a first-round series against Carolina, Bolduc could wind up seeing a regular shift.
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Radim Zohorna PIT LW
Penguins' Radim Zohorna: Minimal production this year
3m agoZohorna played in a career-high 33 games for the Penguins this season in which he generated four goals and three assists.
Zohorna played in 29 games during the first two months of the season but was only able to earn four appearances at the NHL level once the calendar turned to 2024. If he's willing to sign a two-way deal, it's possible the Penguins will bring back the 27-year-old unrestricted free agent this summer.
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Brock Nelson NYI C
Islanders' Brock Nelson: Two-point effort against Pens
5m agoNelson produced an even-strength goal and a power-play assist in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Penguins.
After opening the scoring early in the first period, the 32-year-old helped set up Kyle Palmieri with only 16 seconds left in the second frame. Nelson extended his point streak to five games and goal streak to three games in the process, and over that stretch he's racked up four goals and eight points. If the Islanders are going to upset the Hurricanes in the first round, Nelson will likely need to remain locked in. On the season, he delivered 34 goals and 69 points, falling just short of the career-best numbers he posted in 2022-23.
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Simon Holmstrom NYI RW
Islanders' Simon Holmstrom: Two points including GWG
9m agoHolmstrom scored the game-winning goal and added an assist in Wednesday's 5-4 victory over the Penguins.
After setting up Brock Nelson for the Islanders' first tally of the night early in the first period, Holmstrom broke a 4-4 tie late in the third by firing the puck past Alex Nedeljkovic after the Penguins couldn't clear the zone. It's Holmstrom's first multi-point performance since Dec. 5, and while the 22-year-old winger will take a bit of momentum into the postseason, his 15 goals and 25 points through 75 games in his first full NHL campaign don't give him a lot of fantasy appeal.
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Jansen Harkins PIT C
Penguins' Jansen Harkins: Ends season without scoring
9m agoHarkins failed to score a goal in 45 games with the Penguins this year, registering just four helpers.
Harkins -- who was claimed off waivers by the Pens before the start of the season -- struggled with injuries throughout the 2023-24 campaign. The 26-year-old Cleveland native will head to free agency this offseason, and may not have shown the team enough to earn a new deal considering he couldn't score even when healthy. Still, Harkins likely won't be an expensive pick up regardless of where he lands, so maybe Kyle Dubas will opt to re-sign him.
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Ilya Sorokin NYI G
Islanders' Ilya Sorokin: Busy to end regular season
14m agoSorokin stopped 40 shots in Wednesday's 5-4 win over the Penguins.
The 28-year-old goalie will take some momentum into the postseason. Sorokin made 40 or more saves in each of his last two starts, and he's gone 3-0-1 over his last four while giving up nine goals on 133 shots (.932 save percentage). He'd been splitting work again with Semyon Varlamov to close out the regular season though, and the senior netminder has won five straight starts of his own with a .945 save percentage. As a result, Varlamov seems to be the favorite to get the nod between the pipes Saturday when the Isles begin their first-round series in Carolina.