News
WR Julio Jones announced his retirement.
Jones finished his 13-year professional career with 914 receptions, 13,703 yards, and 66 touchdowns. He spent the first 10 years of his illustrious career with the Falcons before playing one year each with the Titans, Buccaneers, and Eagles, having gone over 1,000 yards receiving seven times while setting a career high in 2015 with 1,871 yards in a 16-game season. There aren’t many sure thing first-ballot Hall of Fame wide receivers in the present game, but Jones certainly did his part on the field to warrant significant consideration once eligible.
Isaiah Stevens (foot) is out against the Pelicans on Friday.
Stevens is not in the Heat rotation when he is healthy, so the rookie’s continued absence will not impact active fantasy leagues.
Zach Neto (shoulder) is playing shortstop once again at Triple-A Salt Lake on Friday, marking the first time that he has done so in back-to-back games.
Angels’ manager Ron Washington is already on record saying that he wanted Neto to play nine innings at shortstop in back-to-back games before he rejoins the Angels. Neto played six innings on Thursday night and hasn’t played more than seven, so it’s going to take him at least a few more games before he’s able to check off that box. If all goes well, there’s a chance that he could be ready to return by the end of next week.
Astros’ general manager Dana Brown told reporters on Friday that they’re hopeful Spencer Arrighetti (thumb) will be able to return in six weeks.
Arrighetti suffered a broken right thumb when he was hit by a line drive while playing catch in the outfield during batting practice on Monday. If he is able to reach that optimistic timeframe, he could be back in the Astros’ rotation before the end of May. Fantasy managers in leagues that don’t feature an injured list may have some tough decisions to make on whether or not to cut bait or wait it out.
Dalen Terry (calf) is out for Friday’s game against the Wizards.
Terry has been downgraded from questionable to out for Friday’s game. His absence will not significantly impact active fantasy leagues, as most of the Bulls’ perimeter standouts will be available. The lone question mark is Josh Giddey, who is a game-time decision.
Karlo Matkovic (hamstring) has been ruled out against the Heat on Friday.
Matkovic has been starting at center for New Orleans, but they’ll be even thinner down low against Miami. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Kylor Kelley are the available options at center for this game, though neither should be an appealing streaming option on a day with 15 games.
Beat reporter Jeff Duncan reports that the Saints hosted Louisville QB Tyler Shough for a top-30 visit on Friday.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Derek Carr’s new shoulder injury little more than an hour before Duncan broke the Shough news. This does not seem like a coincidence. With Carr’s 2025 season jeopardized, both by the shoulder injury and his poor play in 2024, the Saints must engage in an exhaustive pre-draft search for a long-term answer at the quarterback position.