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Luke McCaffrey WAS WR
Commanders' Luke McCaffrey: Washington adds in third round
11h agoThe Commanders selected McCaffrey in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 100th overall.
McCaffrey originally arrived to Nebraska as a coveted quarterback recruit, but he couldn't stick at the position and ended up making the switch to receiver after transferring to Rice. He's a bit thin at 6-foot-2, 198 pounds and has little catch radius to speak of, but his athleticism tested well at the NFL Combine (4.46-second 40-yard dash, 6.7-second three-cone drill), and his production at Rice was generally encouraging, especially since he just started playing wideout in 2022. It's possible that McCaffrey might need some more developmental time after switching from quarterback, but the bloodlines are obviously highly favorable, and he clearly possesses starter-caliber athleticism. Washington simply now waits to see how much he can improve with experience.
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Payton Wilson PIT LB
Steelers' Payton Wilson: Pittsburgh ends fall in third round
11h agoThe Steelers selected Wilson in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 98th overall.
Wilson would have gone much earlier than this if not for his extremely long injury history at North Carolina State. Wilson's right knee and both shoulders have required multiple surgeries at various points, and he heads into the NFL a 24-year-old rookie after spending so much time on the shelf. His strengths as a prospect are obvious -- at 6-foot-4, 233 pounds Wilson is freakishly fast (4.43-second 40-yard dash), and this lends well both to his pass-rushing and his coverage abilities. Wilson will never be the linebacker you want lining up in the middle -- he stands very upright and his arms are bizarrely short, making it easy for guards to grab him first -- but in the open field, very few ballcarriers can lose Wilson's pursuit.
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Jarrian Jones JAC CB
Jaguars' Jarrian Jones: Jacksonville adds in third round
11h agoThe Jaguars selected Jones in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 96th overall.
Jones (6-feet, 190 pounds) didn't have as much hype as Florida State teammate and second-round Buffalo selection Renardo Green, but Jones was a good starting corner in his own right for the Seminoles and actually had the better athletic testing of the two players. Jones' arms are probably too short for press coverage, but his 4.38-second 40-yard dash, 39.5-inch vertical and 129-inch broad jump indicate uncommon vertical range. Jones will compete with the likes of Montaric Brown and Darnell Savage for reps behind starting corners Tyson Campbell and Ronald Darby.
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Jalyx Hunt 2005 LB
Eagles' Jalyx Hunt: Philly adds third-round pass rusher
11h agoThe Eagles selected Hunt in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 94th overall.
Hunt (6-foot-4, 252 pounds) was a non-entity as a recruit and had to take a strange path from Cornell (where he arrived as a defensive back) to Houston Christian, and he wasn't especially productive there given the low level of competition. The reason the Eagles gambled on Hunt anyway is that his rawness might be explained by his inexperience, and he otherwise has excellent athletic tools to work with (4.64-second 40-yard dash, 37.5-inch vertical, 128-inch broad jump). Hunt is now in a race against time to build up his skill set before his developmental window closes.
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Jalen McMillan TB WR
Buccaneers' Jalen McMillan: Tampa adds third-round wideout
11h agoThe Buccaneers selected McMillan in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 92nd overall.
McMillan might not have as much hype as former Washington teammate Rome Odunze or even Ja'Lynn Polk, but McMillan was about as productive as Odunze and was more productive than Polk prior to McMillan missing roughly two months with a knee injury in 2023. In other words, if McMillan never got hurt, then Polk might not have been drafted ahead of the former. McMillan (6-foot-1, 197 pounds) demonstrated his skill set by producing alongside the likes of Odunze and Polk in college, and his solid combine performance proved the NFL viability of his athleticism (4.47-second 40, 37-inch vertical). Trey Palmer should not be in the WR3 role much longer for Tampa.
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Kamren Kinchens LAR SAF
Rams' Kamren Kinchens: Joins secondary in Los Angeles
11h agoThe Rams selected Kinchens in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, 99th overall.
Kinchens came into the pre-draft process with potential to go much higher, but a disastrous combine performance hurt his stock. At 5-11 and 203 pounds, Kinchens was clocked with a 4.65 40-yard dash and had a broad jump that ranks in the seventh percentile among safeties. The lack of athleticism didn't hurt his on-field performance, however, and that's what the Rams are betting on. He was a first-team All-American performer in 2022 and finished his career at Miami with 11 interceptions and 26 pass breakups. He has instincts and coverage ability on film, but how it translates to the NFL will be tested immediately by opposing offenses, given the lag in athleticism.
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Orlando Arcia ATL SS
Braves' Orlando Arcia: Launches second homer
1m agoArcia went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-2 win over the Guardians.
The shortstop crushed a Pedro Avila two-seamer over the fence in left-center field, giving Atlanta its last offense of the night in the eighth inning. Arcia has both his homers on the year in the last nine games, and he's slashing .311/.340/.478 through 97 plate appearances with nine RBI and 12 runs as he proves his 2023 resurgence was no fluke.
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Ian Gibaut CIN RP
Reds' Ian Gibaut: Scheduled for back-to-back outings
4m agoGibault (forearm) is scheduled to throw back-to-back games next week, Mark Sheldon of MLB.com reports.
After experiencing renewed discomfort in his forearm, Gibault had a rehab assignment paused April 16 before returning to pitch Wednesday and again Friday. Next up are the back-to-back outings scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday. Presumably, that would be the right-handed reliever's final hurdle before activation.
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Chris Sale ATL SP
Braves' Chris Sale: Another strong outing
6m agoSale (3-1) picked up the win Friday, allowing one run on two hits and a walk over seven innings in a 6-2 victory over the Guardians. He struck out six.
The veteran lefty has been healthy and dominant to kick off 2024, and he completely shut down the Cleveland offense after serving up a leadoff homer to Steven Kwan. Sale has worked seven-plus innings in three straight starts for the first time since June 2018, and he's allowed three runs or less in four of his five outings so far for Atlanta. Sale will take a 3.69 ERA, 0.92 WHIP and 33:7 K:BB through 31.2 innings into his next start, which is scheduled to come on the road next week in Seattle.
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Steven Kwan CLE LF
Guardians' Steven Kwan: Pops third homer
12m agoKwan went 1-for-4 with a solo home run in Friday's 6-2 loss to Atlanta.
He led off the game by ripping a Chris Sale sinker down the right-field line, but not much else went right for the Guardians on the night. Kwan managed only 11 homers total in his first two big-league seasons, but the 26-year-old already has three in 25 games to begin 2024. He's still making plenty of contact too, sitting third in the AL in batting average at .343, just behind Jose Altuve (.346) and Salvador Perez (.344).
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Logan Taylor Allen CLE SP
Guardians' Logan Allen: Stumbles in Atlanta
15m agoAllen (3-1) took the loss Friday, giving up four runs on five hits and two walks over 4.2 innings as the Guardians were downed 6-2 by Atlanta. He struck out five.
The 25-year-old southpaw was able to keep the ball in the park after serving up four homers across his last two starts, but there weren't many other positive takeaways from this performance. Allen tossed only 48 of 91 pitches for strikes, and he's been tagged for at least three runs in five of his six outings to begin the season. He'll carry a 5.46 ERA, 1.40 WHIP and 26:11 K:BB through 31.1 innings into his next start, which lines up to come on the road next week in Houston.
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Pete Fairbanks TB RP
Rays' Pete Fairbanks: Tests come back clean
16m agoFairbanks (arm) has no structural damage to his arm, MLB.com reports.
Fairbanks had an MRI done Tuesday and then had unspecified additional testing done later in the week. All exams came back clean, which is good news and provides some optimism that he'll avoid a lengthy absence. However, both Fairbanks and the team have cautioned that he does not have a timeline to be activated from the injured list.
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Rudy Gobert MIN C
Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert: Efficient performance in Game 3 win
1m agoGobert logged 19 points (6-8 FG, 7-8 FT), 14 rebounds, one assist and one steal over 38 minutes during Friday's 126-109 victory over the Suns in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Gobert's scoring numbers have increased with each passing game in the series, though the increased offensive responsibility in Game 3 was directly related to Karl-Anthony Towns being limited with foul trouble. Gobert also has two double-doubles in three games during he current series, averaging 17.0 points and 13.0 boards per contest.
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Karl-Anthony Towns MIN PF
Timberwolves' Karl-Anthony Towns: Double-doubles in Game 3
3m agoTowns registered 18 points (7-16 FG, 3-5 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 13 rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes during Friday's 126-109 win over the Suns in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Towns needed 16 shots to score 18 points, but he still made his presence felt and looked active on the glass, grabbing double-digit boards despite being limited to just 24 minutes due to foul trouble. Towns has adjusted well to life operating as Minnesota's second offensive option behind Anthony Edwards, but he remains extremely valuable in fantasy as a two-way big man who can shoot threes at an above-average rate. He's averaging 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the current series while shooting an elite 45.5 percent (5-for-11) from beyond the arc.
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Anthony Edwards MIN SG
Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards: Scores 36 points in Game 3
7m agoEdwards totaled 36 points (12-23 FG, 1-5 3Pt, 11-11 FT), nine rebounds, five assists and two steals in 43 minutes during Friday's 126-109 victory over the Suns in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Edwards has reached the 30-point mark in two of the three games during the current series against the Suns, and the star guard has stepped up every time the Timberwolves have needed him despite having the tough assignment of dealing with Bradley Beal on both ends of the court. Edwards should handle his heavy workload in Game 4 on Sunday, where the Timberwolves will look to advance into the Western Conference semifinals.
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Jaden Hardy DAL SG
Mavericks' Jaden Hardy: Cracks rotation Friday
11h agoHardy finished with one point (0-2 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 1-2 FT), one assist and one steal in three minutes during Friday's 101-90 win over the Clippers in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Hardy, along with A.J. Lawson and Dwight Powell, secured a handful of minutes down the stretch Friday. With the game well in hand, the Mavericks were able to give their fringe players a rare opportunity to see playoff basketball. This is not something we should expect to see very often moving forward.
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Kyrie Irving DAL PG
Mavericks' Kyrie Irving: Gets hot late in victory
11h agoIrving finished with 21 points (8-17 FG, 3-7 3Pt, 2-2 FT), four rebounds, six assists and two steals across 37 minutes during Friday's 101-90 win over the Clippers in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Despite a sluggish start to the game, Irving delivered when it mattered, helping the Mavericks to an emphatic victory. Both he and Luka Doncic are at the peak of their powers at the moment. A repeat performance in Game 4 will see Dallas on the cusp of an impressive first-round victory.
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PJ Washington DAL PF
Mavericks' P.J. Washington: Ejected in Game 3 win
11h agoWashington chipped in 10 points (5-10 FG, 0-4 3Pt), five rebounds, one assist, one block and three steals over 34 minutes before getting ejected from Friday's 101-90 win over the Clippers in Game 3 of the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.
Washington was ejected following a scuffle with Russell Westbrook, much to the delight of the home fans. While losing a player is never a good thing, his energy and willingness to not back down proved a hit with the Dallas faithful. Before his premature exit, Washington managed to put together another strong performance. He will look to maintain that energy heading into Game 4 on Sunday.
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Ilya Samsonov TOR G
Maple Leafs' Ilya Samsonov: Between pipes Saturday
6m agoSamsonov was the first goaltender off the ice at morning practice, per Mark Masters of TSN, indicating he will defend the home crease versus Boston on Saturday.
This is a crucial game for the Maple Leafs as they trail the best-of-seven series 2-1. Samsonov has not been great in the first three games of the series, giving up nine goals on 86 shots (.895 save percentage). Samsonov could be replaced for Game 5 in Boston by Joseph Woll, should he come up with another weak performance Saturday.
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Ilya Lyubushkin TOR D
Maple Leafs' Ilya Lyubushkin: Back at practice Saturday
20m agoLyubushkin (personal) is back at practice Saturday and will be in the lineup for Game 4 versus Boston, according to Mark Masters of TSN.
Lyubushkin went to California after Wednesday's Game 3 loss to Boston and witnessed the birth of his daughter. Lyubushkin had four assists, 64 hits and 30 blocked shots in 19 regular-season games with Toronto after he was dealt from Anaheim at the end of February. He will team up with Morgan Rielly on the top defensive pairing for Saturday's tilt with the Bruins.
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Adam Fox NYR D
Rangers' Adam Fox: Sets up power-play goal in win
2h agoFox emerged with a power-play assist in Friday's 3-1 win over the Capitals to take Game 3.
Fox didn't have a point in the previous two games of the series, which comes as a bit of a surprise after he doled out 56 helpers on his way to 73 points in the regular season. Nonetheless, the Rangers have the momentum and are in prime position to try and advance to the second round in Sunday's Game 4 matchup on the road.
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Dylan Larkin DET C
Red Wings' Dylan Larkin: Sets bar higher in ninth season
2h agoLarkin finished with more points than games played for the first time in his nine-year career, adding 33 goals and 36 assists -- with 26 of those points on the power play -- across 68 contests in 2023-24.
A fierce competitor, Larkin fought to the bitter end of the regular season, and had it not been for the captain's late-season surge -- including two goals and five assists in the final four games -- the Wings wouldn't have had even the slightest hope for a playoff berth in those final moments of the 2023-24 campaign. Larkin appeared in five playoff games as a rookie in 2016, but the Wings haven't returned to the postseason since then. Staying healthy and solidifying his chemistry with Alex DeBrincat on the top line will be crucial steps in getting Larkin where he needs to be from both a fantasy standpoint and in terms of his playoff aspirations.
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John Carlson WAS D
Capitals' John Carlson: Nets 20th career playoff goal
3h agoCarlson was the lone scorer for the Capitals in Friday's 3-1 Game 3 loss to the Rangers.
Carlson opened the scoring with a fluttering shot that eluded Igor Shesterkin, but the lead was short-lived as the Blueshirts countered with two goals of their own in the first period, followed by a power-play insurance tally in the second frame. The venerable defenseman is up to 20 goals and 75 total points through 126 career playoff games, but being down 3-0 in the series, the Capitals need goals any way they can get them.
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Juuse Saros NSH G
Predators' Juuse Saros: Takes loss despite light workload
3h agoSaros permitted two goals on 12 shots in the 2-1 loss to the Canucks on Friday in Game 3.
Nashville put up 30 shots to dominate possession in the attacking zone, but Saros ended up with the loss after the Canucks converted on two of three power-play opportunities. Saros didn't carry over any momentum from his 17-save performance in Nashville's 4-1 victory over Vancouver in Game 2 on Tuesday. Now faced with a 2-1 series deficit, Saros will look to shake off the most recent loss in time for a pivotal Game 4 matchup on Sunday.