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    Week 7 sleeper hitters

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  • Chris Olave NO WR
    Saints' Chris Olave: Set as WR1 in Big Easy
    15h ago

    Olave once again is in line to serve as the focal point of New Orleans' passing attack after the team added just one wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft, selecting Bub Means at No. 170 overall.

    Olave is coming off back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career. The 2022 first-round pick has provided much-needed juice to an otherwise stale Saints offense. In fact, he's the only receiver to put up more than 720 yards in either of the past two seasons, as the team relied largely on aging veterans like Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry to buoy the passing game. New Orleans then moved on from Landry during the 2023 offseason before cutting Thomas in March. Meanwhile, the team went cheap with its additions at the position, signing free agents Cedrick Wilson and Equanimeous St. Brown and waiting until the fifth round to draft Means. As a result, the Saints will more than likely enter the 2024 campaign with three pass catchers who have recorded more than 500 yards in a single season: Olave, No.2 wide receiver Rashid Shaheed and tight end Juwan Johnson. A.T. Perry, a 2023 sixth-round pick, will likely round out this receiving room, which Olave should clearly lead this season.

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  • Alvin Kamara NO RB
    Saints' Alvin Kamara: Role safe following NFL Draft
    16h ago

    Kamara (ankle) is in a strong position to maintain his role in New Orleans' offense after the team did not pick a running back in the 2024 NFL Draft, instead signing Jacob Kibodi as an undrafted free agent.

    The Saints added two running backs by this point of last offseason, bringing in veteran free agent Jamaal Williams and third-round pick Kendre Miller for depth behind Kamara. The latter running back still shouldered the majority of work out of the backfield with 180 carries for 694 yards and five touchdowns. He also played a significant role in the passing game with 75 receptions for 466 yards. This versatility speaks to Kamara's importance in what was an extremely limited offense. Williams unsurprisingly played much more sparingly as a short-yardage back, and he should function in a similar role in 2024. Taysom Hill has always been used as a Swiss Army Knife who, at times, operates as a rushing quarterback out of the shotgun. However, Hill's usage has never threatened Kamara's production in the past. Instead, his biggest obstacles to seeing another heavy workload in 2024 would be whether or not Miller starts to see more opportunities or if Kamara continues to struggle with injuries, as he did miss the 2023 season finale with a sprained ankle. The Saints added offensive lineman Taliese Fuaga with the 14th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which could help keep defenders off of Kamara while improving the team's ground game as a whole.

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  • Brandon Aiyuk SF WR
    49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Likely staying in Bay Area
    20h ago

    49ers GM John Lynch recently told ESPN's Pat McAfee Show that he doesn't want to trade Aiyuk or Deebo Samuel despite taking Ricky Pearsall in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

    Trade rumors earlier in the offseason centered on Aiyuk, who is scheduled to play out 2024 under the fifth-year option on his rookie contract. After the Niners drafted Pearsall, a few reporters suggested Samuel was actually more likely to be moved, in which case the Niners presumably would place greater emphasis on signing Aiyuk to a long-term deal. It now appears both will stay with the team this season, as will returning No. 3 receiver Jauan Jennings. That's not a guarantee, but it at least seems more likely that spring 2025 will be the break-up date for San Francisco's veteran WR corps. Aiyuk and Jennings are only under contract through 2024, while Samuel has two more years on his deal but no guaranteed money after this season.

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  • Izaiah Gathings KC WR
    Izaiah Gathings: Cut by Kansas City
    2d ago

    The Chiefs waived Gathings on Saturday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

    Gathings inked a reserve/future deal with Kansas City back in February after being part of the team's practice squad for nearly two months to close out the 2023 campaign. He's yet to play in a regular-season game.

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  • Jacob Copeland KC WR
    Jacob Copeland: Cut by Kansas City
    2d ago

    The Chiefs waived Copeland on Saturday, Matt Derrick of ChiefsDigest.com reports.

    Undrafted out of Maryland last year, Copeland signed a reserve/future deal with Kansas City back in January, but the team now needs his roster spot for the latest wave of undrafted signees. Copeland has yet to appear in an NFL game.

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  • Dorian Thompson-Robinson CLE QB
    Browns' Dorian Thompson-Robinson: Will have followup MRI on Monday
    2d ago

    Thompson-Robinson (hip) will undergo an MRI on Monday and is expected to participate in minicamp next week, Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com reports.

    DTR suffered a hip subluxation against the Texans on Christmas Eve and was ruled out for the remainder of the Browns' season. His most recent MRI in March revealed progress in his rehab, and Thompson-Robinson is hoping the latest one this upcoming week will allow him to get the green light to do some on-field work with the team's rookies and fellow younger players. The Browns signed veteran QBs Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley in the offseason, so DTR is facing stiff competition for backup duties behind Deshaun Watson.

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  • Teoscar Hernandez LAD RF
    Dodgers' Teoscar Hernandez: Leaves yard in Sunday's win
    6m ago

    Hernandez went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 5-1 win over Atlanta.

    Hernandez homered for the second time in three games and has tallied at least a hit in 10-of-12 games since April 23. The 31-year-old is slashing .252/.320/.468 with eight homers, 25 RBI, 23 runs and a 13:49 BB:K in 153 plate appearances. Hernandez is showing increased signs of power from a year ago but strikeouts still remain an issue. His 49 strikeouts are currently the fourth-most in baseball, as he's striking out 32 percent of the time.

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  • Shohei Ohtani LAD DH
    Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani: Immaculate day at plate
    16m ago

    Ohtani went 4-for-4 with two home runs and three RBI in Sunday's 5-1 win over Atlanta.

    Ohtani moved into a tie for first place in the majors with his ninth and 10th home runs of the season, and his perfect day at the dish also brought his average up to .364, vaulting him past the Phillies' Alec Bohm (.360) for the best mark in baseball. The lefty-hitting Ohtani did all his damage against southpaws, opening the day with a two-run blast in the first inning and base hits in the third and sixth innings off Max Fried before tacking on a 464-foot solo shot off A.J. Minter in the eighth.

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  • Jake McCarthy ARI RF
    Diamondbacks' Jake McCarthy: Three hits Sunday
    26m ago

    McCarthy went 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored in Sunday's 11-4 win over the Padres.

    McCarthy had an RBI double and two singles on the evening and came around to score all three times he reached base. In 11 games since April 19, McCarthy is slashing .371/.452/.457 and has consistently been hitting leadoff for the Diamondbacks. Things may get a bit murky with Alek Thomas (hamstring) set to return to the big club this week, as it's currently unclear how manager Torey Lovullo plans to split up playing time between the two once Thomas is officially back in the fold.

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  • Jake Burger MIA 1B
    Marlins' Jake Burger: Expected to return Monday
    30m ago

    Burger (oblique) joined the Marlins in Los Angeles and is expected to be activated from the 10-day injured list ahead of Monday's series opener versus the Dodgers, Kevin Barral of FishonFirst.com reports.

    On the shelf since April 15 with a left intercostal strain, Burger looks to have checked out fine after completing the final phase of his recovery process this past week, when he joined Triple-A Jacksonville for a rehab assignment. He played in three games for Jacksonville, going 3-for-11 with two runs, two walks and one RBI in addition to playing nine innings at first base and 18 innings at third base. Once activated, Burger should immediately settle back in as the Marlins' everyday option at the hot corner, resulting in Vidal Brujan and Emmanuel Rivera losing out on playing time.

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  • Joc Pederson ARI DH
    Diamondbacks' Joc Pederson: Goes yard in big win
    33m ago

    Pederson went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Sunday's 11-4 win over the Padres.

    Pederson got going with a two-run shot in the fourth off Johnny Brito to put the Diamondbacks up 10-4. It was his first round-tripper and RBI since April 17. He now has five hits in four games in May and is slashing .297/.419/.514 with three homers, seven RBI, 13 runs and a 13:15 BB:K in 94 plate appearances.

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  • Braxton Garrett MIA SP
    Marlins' Braxton Garrett: Getting one more rehab tune-up
    37m ago

    Garrett (shoulder) is scheduled to cover around six innings or 75 pitches Monday in a rehab start with the Marlins' rookie-level Florida Complex League affiliate, MLB.com reports.

    Garrett made the fourth start of his rehab assignment this past Wednesday with Triple-A Jacksonville and looked sharp over five scoreless innings, scattering one hit and three walks while striking out three. Since he was lifted after 61 pitches, Garrett will need one more outing in the minors to get fully stretched out for starting duty before the Marlins are comfortable bringing him back from the 15-day injured list. Assuming Monday's rehab outing in rookie ball goes smoothly, Garrett should be activated this weekend and will likely slot into the rotation either Saturday or Sunday against the Phillies.

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  • Evan Mobley CLE PF
    Cavaliers' Evan Mobley: Pulls down 16 boards in Game 7
    2h ago

    Mobley supplied 11 points (5-8 FG, 1-2 FT), 16 rebounds, one assist and five blocks over 41 minutes during Sunday's 106-94 victory over the Magic in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Mobley was forced to move to center due to the absence of Jarrett Allen (ribs), but he delivered another solid performance down low, showing energy on the glass and an accurate touch near the rim. Mobley posted three double-doubles in the series against the Magic while scoring in double digits in all but one of his appearances. He should continue as Cleveland's starting center as long as Allen remains sidelined.

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  • Donovan Mitchell CLE SG
    Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell: Carries Cleveland to Game 7 win
    2h ago

    Mitchell finished Sunday's 106-94 win over the Magic in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with 39 points (11-27 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 15-17 FT), nine rebounds, five assists, one block and one steal across 45 minutes.

    The Cavaliers needed Mitchell to step up and deliver a superstar performance in Game 7 against a rising Orlando team, and that's exactly what he accomplished with this outing. Mitchell had some ups and downs in the series, but he often stepped his game up when the Cavaliers needed him, something that will be even more noticeable against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Mitchell averaged 28.7 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in the first round while putting up at least 28 points in each of the last three contests.

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  • Wendell Carter Jr. ORL C
    Magic's Wendell Carter: Close to double-double in Game 7
    2h ago

    Carter produced 13 points (5-10 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 1-1 FT), seven rebounds, one assist and three steals across 35 minutes during Sunday's 106-94 loss to Cleveland in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Carter started each of Orlando's final five games of the series and scored in double digits in three of those starts, so it's safe to say he was an upgrade over Jonathan Isaac, who started in the first two contests. Across his five starts in the series, Carter averaged 8.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

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  • Paolo Banchero ORL PF
    Magic's Paolo Banchero: Explodes for 38 points Sunday
    2h ago

    Banchero had 38 points (10-28 FG, 3-6 3Pt, 15-18 FT), 16 rebounds, two assists, one block and three steals in 42 minutes during Sunday's 106-94 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Banchero did everything in his power to keep the Magic alive in the playoffs, but even though his stat line was magnificent, the struggles of Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner were too much for Orlando to overcome, meaning Banchero couldn't carry the team to the next round on his own. Despite the early playoff exit, the series against the Cavaliers fully established Banchero as one of the league's up-and-coming superstars. He averaged 27.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals across 37.4 minutes per game.

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  • Darius Garland CLE PG
    Cavaliers' Darius Garland: Stuffs stat sheet in Game 7 win
    2h ago

    Garland finished with 12 points (3-13 FG, 1-4 3Pt, 5-6 FT), three rebounds, four assists and three steals across 30 minutes during Sunday's 106-94 victory over the Magic in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

    Garland struggled badly from the floor and finished with more field goal attempts than points scored, but the speedy point guard salvaged his fantasy performance by delivering decent numbers in other categories. The Cavaliers need Garland to play a more prominent role on offense during the Eastern Conference Semifinals matchup against the Celtics, however, as he only averaged 14.9 points per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the floor in the first round.

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  • Jalen Suggs ORL SG
    Magic's Jalen Suggs: Awful shooting in playoff exit
    2h ago

    Suggs closed Sunday's 106-94 loss to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with 10 points (2-13 FG, 2-10 3Pt, 4-5 FT), nine rebounds, four assists and one steal across 40 minutes.

    Suggs didn't have a good series against the Cavaliers, and he was unable to operate as the third scoring option the Magic desperately needed at times. He was able to reach the 15-point mark in just two of the seven games during the series, averaging 14.7 points and shooting a mere 40.2 percent from the floor. Despite the playoff woes, Suggs' role as a starter for the Magic next season shouldn't be under any sort of question.

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  • Michael Amadio LV C
    Golden Knights' Michael Amadio: Sends assist in loss
    11h ago

    Amadio notched an assist and two hits in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Stars in Game 7.

    Amadio played the final four games of the series after being scratched in favor of Pavel Dorofeyev early on. Amadio had two points, four shots on net, two hits and a plus-2 rating. The 27-year-old is set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer after posting back-to-back 27-point campaigns for Vegas.

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  • William Karlsson LV C
    Golden Knights' William Karlsson: Plays through injury
    11h ago

    Karlsson played through a lower-body injury during the Golden Knights' first-round playoff series versus the Stars, which concluded with a 2-1 loss in Game 7 on Sunday, Danny Webster of the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

    The injury wasn't bad enough to keep Karlsson off the ice, but it was obvious he was struggling, as he was limited to two helpers over seven games. He added nine shots on net, eight hits, five blocked shots and a plus-4 rating from a third-line role. Karlsson was a 60-point contributor in the regular season, and he should fill a middle-six role again in 2024-25.

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  • Brett Howden LV C
    Golden Knights' Brett Howden: Nets lone goal in loss
    11h ago

    Howden scored a goal on four shots, added two hits and blocked two shots in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Stars in Game 7.

    Howden tied the game at 1-1 with a goal late in the second period. The 26-year-old played in all seven of the Golden Knights' postseason contests, earning two points, seven shots on net, 23 hits and five blocked shots from a bottom-six role. He remains under contract for 2024-25 after posting 19 points in 72 regular-season outings during 2023-24.

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  • Adin Hill LV G
    Golden Knights' Adin Hill: Loses in Game 7
    11h ago

    Hill surrendered two goals on 24 shots in Sunday's 2-1 loss to the Stars in Game 7.

    A turnover led to the Stars' first goal, and they scored again early in the third period on the first shift of the frame. Hill went 1-2 with five goals allowed on 72 shots over the final three contests of the series after losing the starting job to Logan Thompson at the beginning of the playoffs. Hill is under contract for next year and should continue to split the goaltending duties with Thompson, barring any trades that change the composition of the Golden Knights' crease.

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  • Craig Smith DAL C
    Stars' Craig Smith: Supplies assist
    11h ago

    Smith logged an assist, two shots on goal and four hits in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Golden Knights in Game 7.

    Smith set up Radek Faksa's third-period tally, which was the game-winner. After being a scratch for the first two contests of the playoffs, Smith contributed two helpers, 10 shots on net, eight hits and a plus-1 rating over the last five games of the first round. The 34-year-old winger should continue to play in a fourth-line role when he's in the lineup.

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  • Thomas Harley DAL D
    Stars' Thomas Harley: Gets first point of postseason
    11h ago

    Harley registered an assist, two hits, two blocked shots and a plus-2 rating in Sunday's 2-1 win over the Golden Knights in Game 7.

    Harley snapped a seven-game point drought with the helper on Radek Faksa's third-period tally, which was the game-winning goal. The 22-year-old Harley had an excellent regular season with 15 goals and 47 points over 79 appearances, but he has just one assist with 12 shots on net, 20 blocked shots and a plus-2 rating through seven playoff outings. He'll still absorb top-four minutes, especially with Dallas leaning heavily on five blueliners, but his offense may take a back seat to his defensive duties again versus the Avalanche in the second round.

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