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Raheem Blackshear CAR RB
Panthers' Raheem Blackshear: Inks contract tender
9m agoBlackshear signed his contract tender with the Panthers on Thursday, Anthony Rizzuti of USA Today reports.
Blackshear is officially sticking with Carolina on a one-year deal, after having begun the offseason as an exclusive rights free agent. The running back has mostly contributed on special teams and as a kick returner for the Panthers, but he figures to also help as a depth player behind Chubba Hubbard and Miles Sanders.
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Kaiir Elam BUF CB
Bills' Kaiir Elam: Ready for next step?
11h agoElam, who missed most of the 2023 regular season due to an ankle injury and coaching decisions, finished with 14 total tackles over three regular-season games.
Elam did appear in both of the Bills' playoff games, though he was limited to special teams in the divisional-round loss to the Chiefs. So far in his young career, Elam's output in two NFL seasons hasn't come close to matching his first-round status, but the Bills had to let several secondary members move on this season and will likely spend one of their high picks on receiver, so Elam may be earmarked for a more prominent role in 2024 even if he's not a starter just yet. Some comments from team brass in the offseason have indicated the Bills are hopeful Elam is ready to make that jump in performance.
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Cody Davis NE DB
Cody Davis: Hangs up cleats
18h agoDavis announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday, Chris Mason of Masslive.com reports.
Davis played 11 NFL seasons, spending five years with the Rams, two with the Jaguars and the final four of his career with the Patriots. The 34-year-old primarily played on special teams and hadn't played a defensive snap since 2020. He'll finish his career with 118 combined tackles, two interceptions and three fumbles recovered.
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Olamide Zaccheaus PHI WR
Commanders' Olamide Zaccheaus: Moving on to Washington
18h agoZaccheaus has agreed to a deal with the Commanders, Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reports.
In his only campaign with the Eagles, Zaccheaus (who caught 40 passes with the Falcons in 2022) finished the 2023 regular season with 10 catches for 164 yards and two TDs in 17 games. With the Commanders, the 26-year-old will add depth to a wideout corps that is currently led by Terry McLaurin and Jahan Dotson. In that context, Zaccheaus has some bounce-back potential if he can carve out steady snaps in 2024 behind the team's top duo.
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DeShawn Williams BUF DE
Bills' DeShawn Williams: Lands in Buffalo
21h agoThe Bills signed Williams to a one-year contract Thursday, Alaina Getzenberg of ESPN.com reports.
Williams suited up for 16 regular-season games with the Panthers last season, a span in which he racked up 33 tackles (13 solo) and one sack. He stands to bolster Buffalo's defensive line as a depth piece for the 2024 season.
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Jayden Daniels 2005 QB
Jayden Daniels: Throws at LSU Pro Day
21h agoDaniels, who opted to not throw at the NFL Scouting Combine, did so at LSU's Pro Day on Wednesday, Eric Edholm of NFL.com reports.
Per the report, Daniels, who measured in at 6-foot-3⅝, 210 pounds, was slated to spend time afterward with the Patriots, Commanders, Giants, Vikings, Broncos and Raiders. As next month's draft approaches, the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner is viewed as one of the top options at the QB position along with USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye and Michigan's J.J. McCarthy. While Williams is expected to be selected first overall, where Daniels lands remains to be seen, though what is clear is that the top four signal-callers figure to come off the board quickly, in any case.
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Lars Nootbaar STL CF
Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Hitting in simulated game
7m agoNootbaar (ribs) is expected to hit against Sonny Gray (hamstring) in a simulated game Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Nootbaar began light hitting this past weekend and has now progressed to facing game-speed pitching. It's not clear whether he will be asked to play any rehab games before being activated, but Nootbaar would seem to have a good chance to return when first eligible April 4. The outfielder is coming back from two non-displaced fractures in his left ribcage.
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Sonny Gray STL SP
Cardinals' Sonny Gray: Slated for simulated game Friday
14m agoGray (hamstring) will throw a simulated game at the Cardinals' spring training complex Friday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
It's the next step as the right-hander continues to work his way back from a right hamstring strain. Among the hitters Gray will face in the sim game will be fellow rehabber Lars Nootbaar (ribs). Gray might be ready for a minor-league rehab game next week if things go well Friday, although that has not been confirmed. The hope remains that he could need only a minimum stay on the injured list, which would mean a return on April 9.
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Joely Rodriguez BOS RP
Red Sox's Joely Rodriguez: Cedes homer in opener
26m agoRodriguez allowed a run on one hit and struck out two over one inning in Thursday's 6-4 win over the Mariners on Opening Day.
Rodriguez, the Red Sox's lone lefty on the staff, entered with a runner on in the seventh and allowed a two-run home run to pinch hitter Dylan Moore. Fortunately for Boston, they had a three-run lead at the time, and Rodriguez earned a hold. It was unclear from spring training how manager Alex Cora planned to deploy relievers outside of setup reliever Chris Martin and closer Kenley Jansen; it appears Rodriguez will work leverage situations to shepherd leads to the back-end duo.
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Chris Martin BOS RP
Red Sox's Chris Martin: Earns first hold
37m agoMartin allowed one hit and struck out two over a scoreless eighth inning in Thursday's 6-4 win over Seattle on Opening Day.
Martin earned his first hold as the bridge to closer Kenley Jansen, who recorded the save. Martin threw just 2.1 innings during spring training due to a groin issue, but the right-hander was ready and available for the regular season. He'll be the primary setup reliever when available.
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DJ Stewart NYM RF
Mets' DJ Stewart: Occupying DH spot
40m agoStewart is starting at designated hitter and batting sixth Friday against the Brewers, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
The Mets have some at-bats available at DH on a short-term basis as J.D. Martinez ramps up after signing late, and Stewart looks like he'll receive the bulk of them versus righties. Stewart collected an .840 OPS with 11 home runs in a 58-game sample for the Mets last season, with 10 of those 11 homers coming off right-handers.
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Jeff McNeil NYM 2B
Mets' Jeff McNeil: Batting cleanup in opener
45m agoMcNeil is starting at second base and batting cleanup in Friday's opener versus the Brewers, Tim Britton of The Athletic reports.
McNeil is an atypical choice for the cleanup spot given that he's hit more than 10 home runs just one time in six seasons. It's a nice boost for his fantasy outlook if he sticks there, however, as Brandon Nimmo, Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are batting ahead of him and should provide plenty of RBI chances.
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De'Andre Hunter ATL SF
Hawks' De'Andre Hunter: Solid output in starting role
11h agoHunter finished Thursday's 123-122 overtime victory over Boston with 21 points (8-16 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 0-3 FT), 13 rebounds and one assist across 40 minutes.
Hunter has been starting in recent days and delivered another strong showing, as he's taking advantage of the fact that Jalen Johnson (ankle) and Saddiq Bey (knee) are out, with the latter not returning until next season. Hunter has reached the 20-point mark in three of his last five starts and in five of his previous eight appearances overall.
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Bogdan Bogdanovic ATL SG
Hawks' Bogdan Bogdanovic: Puts up 22 points in win Thursday
11h agoBogdanovic closed with 24 points (9-19 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 4-4 FT), seven rebounds, five assists and one steal across 43 minutes during Thursday's 123-122 overtime win over Boston.
Bogdanovic's final stat line seems nice, but he struggled from deep once again, and he's gone 4-for-15 from three-point range over his last two games. He's talented enough to bounce back sooner rather than later, though, and he's scoring enough to remain viable in fantasy with most leagues in the playoffs.
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Dejounte Murray ATL PG
Hawks' Dejounte Murray: Explodes for career-high 44 points
11h agoMurray racked up 44 points (18-44 FG, 6-19 3Pt, 2-2 FT), seven rebounds, seven assists, one block and two steals in 47 minutes during Thursday's 123-122 overtime victory over the Celtics.
Murray had one of the best games of his career on a night when the Hawks desperately needed him. He delivered by posting a career-best scoring output, and he capped it off by hitting the game-winning shot with less than a second left in overtime. Murray continues to play at an extremely high level in the absence of Trae Young (finger), and he's experiencing quite an uptick as a scorer, recording 28 or more points in four of his last five appearances.
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Kristaps Porzingis BOS C
Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Stuffs stat sheet in loss to Hawks
11h agoPorzingis notched 20 points (8-20 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 2-3 FT), seven rebounds, two assists, three blocks and one steal in 41 minutes during Thursday's 123-122 overtime loss to the Hawks.
Porzingis didn't have his best shooting performance and needed 20 shots to score 20 points, but he still found a way to salvage his fantasy stat line due to his contributions in peripheral categories, particularly as a rebounder and defensive anchor down low. Porzingis has reached the 20-point mark in seven of his 12 appearances since the All-Star break, and while he holds a semi-secondary role on offense behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, he remains extremely valuable in fantasy due to his two-way ability and stat-filling capacity.
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Jayson Tatum BOS PF
Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Scores 31 points in loss to ATL
11h agoTatum had 31 points (9-22 FG, 2-7 3Pt, 11-13 FT), 13 rebounds and six assists across 45 minutes during Thursday's 123-122 overtime loss to the Hawks.
For the second time in less than 10 days, Tatum carried the Celtics against the Hawks, but his efforts were not enough. Tatum has been playing at a very high level all season long, and he is on a scoring tear of late, reaching the 30-point mark in four of his last five contests.
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Derrick White BOS SG
Celtics' Derrick White: Goes for 22 points in upset loss
11h agoWhite produced 22 points (8-11 FG, 5-6 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds, five assists and one steal in 41 minutes during Thursday's 123-122 overtime loss to the Hawks.
White returned from a one-game absence and continues to play at an extremely high level in what has been a career-best season for him. He's now scored at least 17 points in each of his last five outings, topping the 20-point mark three times in that stretch. Even though he holds a secondary role in an offense led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, White remains an absolute must-start player in fantasy since he plays a solid two-way role for one of the best teams in the league while also shooting the ball at a very efficient clip from beyond the arc.
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Matt Boldy MIN LW
Wild's Matt Boldy: Goal, assist in victory
4m agoBoldy recorded a goal and an assist in Thursday's 3-1 win over San Jose.
Boldy set up Joel Eriksson Ek's goal late in the first period before tallying the eventual game-winner 18 seconds into the third, backhanding a loose puck past Mackenzie Blackwood to put Minnesota ahead 2-1. The 22-year-old Boldy has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his last eight contests. He's up to 25 goals and 58 points through 65 games this season.
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Brady Skjei CAR D
Hurricanes' Brady Skjei: Career season continues
16m agoSkjei scored a goal for the third time in his last four games in Thursday's 4-0 win over the Red Wings.
Skjei has been on a pretty remarkable run lately, with six points in his last six games (3G, 3A), giving him a career-high 42 points (13G, 29A) with eight games remaining. Skjei has been a terrific source of secondary scoring from the Canes' blue line this season, which has earned him a spot on the second power-play unit where he's averaging almost a minute of ice time per game. Seven of Skjei's 42 points have come with the man advantage this season (4G, 3A), which boosts his fantasy value even further. Enjoy the ride.
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Claude Giroux OTT LW
Senators' Claude Giroux: Pots shorthanded winner Thursday
26m agoGiroux scored the game-winning goal, a shorthanded tally just 36 seconds into the first period, in Thursday's 2-0 victory over Chicago.
The veteran forward completed a 3-on-2 counterattack by wiring a shot past Petr Mrazek from the slot. Giroux's goal gave him an even 20 on the season, the 11th time in his career he's reached that mark, but he's having a fairly quiet finish to the campaign. He hasn't produced a multi-point performance since Feb. 13, and in 23 games since then he's managed just three goals and 14 points.
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Andrei Svechnikov CAR RW
Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov: Scoring drought continues
27m agoSvechnikov fired five shots on goal and dished out three hits during Thursday's 4-0 blanking of the Red Wings, but failed to crack the scoresheet for the third consecutive game.
Although Svechnikov has missed 21 games due to injury this season, he is still producing at a near point-per-game pace with 46 points (17G, 29A) in 53 games. Svechnikov tends to go cold for long stretches (e.g., he currently has just three points in his last 10 games), but when the scoring comes, it tends to come in bunches. The overall approach with the 24-year-old Russian is simply to remain patient, however his fantasy appeal has obviously taken a bit of a hit recently with the arrival of Jake Guentzel who has taken his place on the Canes' top line. As long as Svechnikov continues to see solid minutes (currently averaging 17:04 TOI with 2:32 on the power play), it shouldn't take long for his next hot streak to materialize.
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Anton Forsberg OTT G
Senators' Anton Forsberg: Records second shutout of season
30m agoForsberg turned aside all 19 shots he faced in Thursday's 2-0 win over Chicago.
Claude Giroux scored a shortie just 36 seconds into the game, and Forsberg took care of things from there. The shutout was his second of the season, with the other coming Dec. 2 against the Kraken, but it was a rare bright spot for the 31-year-old netminder of late. In five March starts, Forsberg has gone 2-3-0 with a 3.37 GAA and .886 save percentage.
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Petr Mrazek CHI G
Blackhawks' Petr Mrazek: Gets no help in Ottawa
33m agoMrazek stopped 32 shots in Thursday's 2-0 loss to the Senators.
Both goals came early in the first period, including a shorthanded tally by Claude Giroux just 36 seconds into the game, and while Mrazek locked things down the rest of the way, Chicago's offense never woke up. Mrazek has appeared in seven of the last eight games and gone 4-2-0 with a 2.68 GAA and .913 save percentage -- a solid performance for a team that has the second-worst record in the NHL.