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Anthony Smith DAL WRCowboys' Anthony Smith: Two catches to open preseason
8h agoSmith brought in two of five targets for 28 yards and rushed once for nine yards in the Cowboys' 17-7 preseason win over the Seahawks on Saturday.
The rookie seventh-round pick tied for the team lead in targets and recorded an impressive 23-yard reception on third down during Dallas' first possession of the second half. Smith finished his six-year college career with a flourish over his final two seasons at East Carolina, but he still seemingly has an uphill battle for a spot on the 53-man roster due to a deep Cowboys wide-receiver depth chart. Smith should see ample time in the second half again during next Saturday night's exhibition at Arizona.
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Jaydon Blue DAL RBCowboys' Jaydon Blue: Logs 10 touches in preseason win
9h agoBlue rushed eight times for 19 yards and brought in both targets for 15 yards in the Cowboys' 17-7 preseason win over the Seahawks on Saturday. He also returned one kickoff for 23 yards.
Blue was the Cowboys' starting running back Saturday and gained six yards on two rush attempts over Dallas' first pair of plays from scrimmage. The 2025 fifth-round pick has been praised for having a much better training camp this summer than he did as a rookie, and as Saturday's game demonstrated, the coaching staff is set to give him an extended look during preseason to determine his fitness for a potential No. 2 role. One of Blue's primary competitors for the job, Phil Mafah, notably suffered a chest injury during Saturday's game, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer said he doesn't expect him to miss significant time.
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Marquez Valdes-Scantling DAL WRCowboys' Marquez Valdes-Scantling: Blanked in preseason opener
9h agoValdes-Scantling failed to bring in his only target in the Cowboys' 17-7 preseason win over the Seahawks on Saturday.
The veteran speedster was blanketed down the left sideline on his one target. Valdes-Scantling was dealing with a knee injury earlier in the week and was slated to get an MRI as recently as Thursday, so his availability for Saturday's game was somewhat surprising. Valdes-Scantling will hope to make a better case to stick as a depth option at receiver in Dallas' second preseason game next Saturday night on the road against the Cardinals.
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Jason Myers SEA KSeahawks' Jason Myers: Misses field goal in preseason opener
9h agoMyers missed his only field-goal attempt from 45 yards out and made his only extra-point try in the Seahawks' 17-7 preseason loss to the Cowboys on Saturday.
The veteran kicker's miss went wide right late in the first half at the end of a 15-play march. Myers is coming off a 2025 regular season during which he recorded new career highs in made field goals (41) and field-goal attempts (48), and he also tied a career best with nine makes from 50-plus yards. Despite Saturday's miss, Myers is fully expected to serve as Seattle's placekicker again this season.
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Brandon Aubrey DAL KCowboys' Brandon Aubrey: Perfect to open preseason
9h agoAubrey made his only field-goal attempt from 29 yards and knocked home both extra-point tries in the Cowboys' 17-7 preseason win over the Seahawks on Saturday.
Aubrey became the NFL's highest-paid kicker this offseason by inking a $28 million extension, and he put together a signature perfect night in his first taste of game action since signing the deal. Aubrey's long-distance prowess is legendary, and he's seen a combined 34 field-goal attempts from 50-plus yards over the last two regular seasons, so he should remain the top fantasy option at his position again in 2026.
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Adam Randall BAL RBRavens' Adam Randall: Leads ground attack in preseason win
9h agoRandall rushed 12 times for 46 yards and a touchdown and brought in one of two targets for two yards in the Ravens' 24-7 preseason win over the Eagles on Saturday.
Randall led the Ravens in rush attempts and rushing yards on the night, and he capped off an impressive pro debut with a four-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The rookie fifth-round pick out of Clemson is fighting to carve out a depth running back role behind the top duo of Derrick Henry and Justice Hill, and given the long look he got Saturday, it seems evident the coaching staff sees plenty of potential in him. Randall should continue seeing plenty of action in Baltimore's second preseason game on the road against the Vikings next Saturday.
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Drew Sommers DET RPTigers' Drew Sommers: Charged with loss Saturday
9m agoSommers (0-3) allowed one run on two hits in two innings of relief and was charged with the loss in Saturday's 4-3 defeat to the White Sox. He walked one and struck out four.
The lefty reliever pitched decently but was charged with a tough-luck loss in the middle part of Saturday's contest after starter Troy Melton covered just 4.1 innings. Sommers has only been asked to log 22 frames so far this season in the majors, though he's mostly been sharp despite the winless record with a 3.68 ERA and 34 strikeouts. The southpaw doesn't have a ton of fantasy appeal at the moment, however, given his role in the middle of Detroit's bullpen.
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Eduardo Valencia DET CTigers' Eduardo Valencia: Pops another home run Saturday
18m agoValencia went 2-for-4 with a solo home run and two total RBI in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the White Sox.
While he's stuck behind Dillon Dingler on the depth chart, Valencia has managed to carve out some standalone fantasy value with his bat. The 26-year-old rookie has gone deep twice in his last three games and has six home runs overall through 18 contests to go along with a robust 1.291 OPS. Dingler has been excellent in his own right, so Valencia is highly unlikely to surpass him as Detroit's top catcher anytime soon, though the Tigers could find more opportunities to get both sluggers into the lineup moving forward, with Valencia a prime candidate to serve as the DH.
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Michael Conforto CHC RFCubs' Michael Conforto: Smacks 10th home run Saturday
27m agoConforto went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run in Saturday's 8-4 loss to the Cardinals.
Conforto took St. Louis starter Michael McGreevy deep in the second inning with two runners on, giving him 10 long balls and 30 RBI through 81 games this season. The veteran outfielder is still seeing occasional playing time against right-handed pitching, but Chicago's addition of Tyrone Taylor before the trade deadline has added more depth to the outfield, which has cut into Conforto's role. He'll have reduced fantasy appeal unless there's an injury that pushes him into the lineup more regularly.
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William Contreras MIL CBrewers' William Contreras: Snaps slump with two hits, including homer
6h agoContreras went 2-for-4 a two-run home run and an additional run scored in Saturday's 4-1 victory versus the Dodgers.
Contreras entered Saturday having gone 0-for-20 over his previous six games, so he was sorely in need of a positive performance. The veteran catcher produced just that, with his biggest knock being a two-run homer in the fourth inning for the game's final runs. Contreras is having a pretty quiet campaign with a modest 12 home runs through 115 games, though he has knocked in a healthy 61 runs and scored 59 times. Still, his .711 OPS is on pace for his worst mark since 2021, when he played in just 52 regular-season contests during his rookie campaign with Atlanta.
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Justin Wrobleski LAD SPDodgers' Justin Wrobleski: Gives up two more homers Saturday
6h agoWrobleski (11-5) yielded four runs on four hits and one walk while striking out six batters over six innings in a loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.
Wrobleski was mostly effective, racking up 15 whiffs on 107 pitches and allowing as many baserunners as innings pitched (six). However, two of the hits he allowed left the park, and both were two-run shots. Wrobleski has now given up 11 home runs over 19.2 innings across his past four starts while taking three losses during that span. He made his first career All-Star team on the strength of a 2.69 first-half ERA, but that number has increased by nearly a run (to 3.56) due to what has been a rough second half. On most staffs, Wrobleski's impressive pre-break performance would be enough to keep him comfortably in a starting role despite his recent struggles, but that's not a guarantee with the Dodgers. With Blake Snell recently returning from injury, Tyler Glasnow (back) nearing activation from the IL, Shohei Ohtani throwing bullpens as he looks to return to the rotation and Tarik Skubal, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Eric Lauer all healthy and pitching well, there may no longer be room for Wrobleski to start when either Ohtani or Glasnow returns to big-league game action.
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Aaron Ashby MIL RPBrewers' Aaron Ashby: Registers first save
7h agoAshby recorded a save against the Dodgers on Saturday, walking one batter and striking out two over two hitless and scoreless innings.
Ashby entered to begin the eighth inning with Milwaukee up 4-1. He retired the side in order on 17 pitches and returned for the ninth, when he worked around a two-out walk and subsequent fielding error to finish off the save. It was Ashby's first save of the season, as he's instead been busy racking up victories -- his 13 wins lead MLB relievers and is tied for fourth in the league overall. Ashby has managed that mark despite an underwhelming 3.42 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, though he has an impressive 97 punchouts through 68.1 innings and has been scored upon in just one outing (albeit in a five-run, 0.1-frame blowup) over his past 12 appearances.
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Tre Mann CHA PGHornets' Tre Mann: Shipped to Cleveland
2d agoThe Hornets traded Mann to the Cavaliers on Friday in exchange for Dennis Schroder and cash considerations, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
Mann was expected to serve as backcourt depth for Charlotte before the move, and now he'll assume a similar role with his new team. He'll likely be competing in training camp with Craig Porter and Tyrese Proctor for the backup role at point guard behind James Harden, and Mann has an opportunity for a fresh start after playing a career-low 12.6 minutes per game for the Hornets last regular season.
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Dennis Schroder CLE PGCavaliers' Dennis Schroder: Heading to Charlotte
2d agoThe Cavaliers traded Schroder and cash considerations to the Hornets on Friday in exchange for Tre Mann, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
The two sides are effectively swapping backcourt depth with the move. Schroder averaged 10.8 points, 4.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 24.2 minutes per game across 70 regular-season appearances between the Cavaliers and Kings in 2025-26, and he gives the rebuilding Hornets a veteran presence as a backup point guard behind Coby White.
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Bradley Beal LAC SGClippers' Bradley Beal: Returning to Clippers
3d agoBeal (hip) agreed to a two-year, $13.2 million contract with Los Angeles on Thursday, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
Beal declined his $5.6 million player option for the 2026-27 season and became a free agent earlier this offseason, but he's agreed to new terms with the Clippers. The 33-year-old never got going during the 2025-26 campaign, as he suffered a fractured left hip in November after appearing in only six matchups. It remains to be seen whether Beal will be healthy for the start of the season, though once he is, he'll be expected to offer key contributions in the backcourt alongside rookie Keaton Wagler.
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Ethan Thompson IND SGEthan Thompson: Cut loose by Indiana
3d agoThompson was waived by the Pacers on Thursday, Tony East of Forbes.com reports.
This move, which opens up a two-way spot on the Indiana roster, will allow Thompson to pursue opportunities overseas, per Scott Agness of FieldhouseFiles.com. Thompson appeared in 32 games (13 starts) with the Pacers a season ago, averaging 7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 20.4 minutes per matchup.
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Haywood Highsmith PHO SFSuns' Haywood Highsmith: Waived by Phoenix
4d agoHighsmith was waived by the Suns on Wednesday, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.com reports.
Highsmith appeared in only seven games for the Suns during the 2025-26 campaign, averaging 5.4 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists across 13.0 minutes. The 29-year-old has plenty of experience, and while he could find a new team ahead of the 2026-27 season, he likely won't see much playing time.
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Russell Westbrook SAC PGRussell Westbrook: Announces retirement from NBA
4d agoWestbrook announced his retirement from the NBA on Wednesday.
Westbrook is calling it a career after spending 18 years in the league. The nine-time All-Star was the 2016-17 MVP and is hanging it up as the NBA's all-time triple-double leader, compiling 209 triple-doubles over the course of his illustrious career. Westbrook, a future Hall of Famer, averaged 20.9 points, 8.0 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game across stints with the Thunder, Rockets, Wizards, Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Kings.
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Brad Marchand FLA LWPanthers' Brad Marchand: Availability for start of season in doubt
22h agoMarchand (lower body) had offseason surgery and could be unavailable for the start of the 2026-27 campaign, according to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now on Saturday.
Marchand sat out the final 19 games of the 2025-26 regular season due to what is believed to be a hip and sports hernia injury. He had 27 goals and 54 points in 52 appearances before ending the year on long-term injured reserve. With Marchand's availability unclear, Sandis Vilmanis, Cole Schwindt, Cole Reinhardt and Sam Lafferty could be in the mix for a roster spot with the Panthers out of training camp.
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David Jiricek PHI DFlyers' David Jiricek: Likely to make NHL roster
2d agoJiricek is projected to make the Flyers' roster to start the 2026-27 campaign, per Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia.
With Philadelphia returning each of their top five defensemen from a season ago, general manager Danny Briere was asked about the last slot and had high praise for Jiricek. The 22-year-old blueliner has struggled to gain traction at the NHL level, as he has just 13 points across 85 career regular-season outings. However, the sixth overall selection from the 2022 NHL Entry Draft offers a strong shot and solid two-way potential if things click for him at the highest level. He'll likely see competition from young right-shot defenseman Oliver Bonk, but Jiricek has a real chance to receive a regular spot in the Flyers' lineup as they look to return to the postseason for the second straight year. Ahead of the 2026-27 fantasy hockey season, he might be a worthy streaming option if he proves capable of earning a consistent role in the lineup.
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Oliver Bonk PHI DFlyers' Oliver Bonk: Might earn NHL roster spot
2d agoBonk is expected to be in the mix for an Opening Night roster spot, per Jordan Hall on NBC Sports Philadelphia on Friday.
Bonk got his first taste of NHL action when he recorded a goal and an assist across 16:28 of ice time in a 4-2 win over Montreal on April 14. He also recorded a hit while logging 12:36 in a playoff appearance May 9. At the AHL level, he had six goals and 19 points in 46 regular-season outings with Lehigh Valley in 2025-26. The 21-year-old has enough offensive upside to be worth keeping an eye on. He'll probably be limited to a third-pairing role if he does make the Flyers out of training camp, but he might also get some power-play ice time in that scenario.
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Lynden Lakovic WAS LW
Capitals' Lynden Lakovic: Likely to make jump to AHL
3d agoLakovic is expected to make the jump to the AHL level for the 2026-27 campaign, Sammi Silber of The Hockey News reports.
Lakovic was a first-round pick by the Capitals in 2025, and he was loaned to WHL Moose Jaw last year. He made 22 regular-season appearances for the club, recording 18 goals, 11 assists and eight PIM before he sustained a shoulder injury that required season-ending surgery. However, he's expected to be ready for training camp in the fall and has been able to add size and muscle over the past few months. The 19-year-old should spend time with the Capitals during training camp before presumably spending most of the regular season with AHL Hershey. If he makes enough of an impact with the Bears, it's possible he could make his NHL debut at some point during the 2026-27 campaign.
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Ivan Miroshnichenko WAS LWCapitals' Ivan Miroshnichenko: Could push for NHL role once again
3d agoMiroshnichenko could push for playing time in the NHL once again during the 2026-27 season, Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News reports.
Miroshnichenko has had brief stints in the NHL across the past three seasons, totaling five goals, eight assists, 97 hits, 19 blocked shots and eight PIM while averaging 10:32 of ice time across 52 regular-season appearances. He's made the most of regular playing time with AHL Hershey, most recently recording 14 goals, 20 assists and 47 PIM over 41 regular-season appearances last year. If the 22-year-old can showcase his skill set during training camp, he could make the case for more of a full-time role with the Capitals during the 2026-27 season.
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Ilya Protas WAS LW
Capitals' Ilya Protas: Likely to take on full-time role
3d agoProtas will likely take on a full-time role for the Capitals during the 2026-27 campaign, Tony Ferrari of The Hockey News reports.
Protas was productive for AHL Hershey last year, recording 29 goals, 37 assists and 40 PIM across 69 regular-season appearances. He was rewarded with a late-season call-up, and he generated a goal, three assists, two blocked shots and two PIM while averaging 15:54 of ice time across four appearances with the Capitals, marking his first taste of NHL action. Following his brief stint with Washington last year, Protas should have the opportunity to carve out regular playing time in the NHL during the 2026-27 campaign.
