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About Josh Friedman
Fantasy and wagering enthusiast. Freelance journalist for media outlets including Substack, RotoBaller, and BettingPros. Former U.S. investing editor at Bloomberg and markets editor at the Los Angeles Times.
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Josh Friedman has written 11 articles so far, you can find them below.
Cooper Kupp (WR, LAR) - 2021 Fantasy Football Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~50 Overall CURRENT ADP: ~60 ANALYSIS: Cooper Kupp is one of this year’s premier bounce-back candidates. He and the rest of the Rams’ offense will enjoy the upgrade to gunslinger Matthew Stafford from the worst version yet of dink-and-dunk king Jared Goff. The 28-year-old is also feeling fine after being slowed in 2020 by knee bursitis. Kupp caught 92 balls... Read More
Antonio Brown (WR, TB) - 2021 Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~105 Overall CURRENT ADP: ~120 ANALYSIS: After joining Tampa Bay in 2020, Antonio Brown posted a 45-483-4 line over eight games. Doubling that puts his 2021 numbers at 90-966-8, plenty respectable for a fantasy 10th-rounder. OK, perhaps this simplistic projection shows why I never got past Algebra II in high school. Extrapolations... Read More
Tyler Higbee (TE, LAR) - 2021 Fantasy Football Draft Sleepers
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~120 Overall CURRENT ADP: ~135 ANALYSIS: Remove tight end teammate Gerald Everett from the target mix and swap in quarterback Matthew Stafford for Jared Goff. All of a sudden, Tyler Higbee just might become something resembling the monster averaging 21.4 points a game over a five-game stretch at the end of 2019 -- when Everett was hobbled -- instead... Read More
Gleyber Torres Begins Rehab Stint
New York Yankees shortstop Gleyber Torres (thumb) is beginning a minor league rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset on Sunday, and if all goes well he could be activated from the injured list when the team returns from its current road trip on Friday, according to MLB.com. The 24-year-old has been sidelined since August 8 with... Read More
Jesse Winker Resumes Baseball Activities
Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jesse Winker (ribs) has started throwing, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Though he's not swinging the bat yet, Winker resuming baseball activities is hopeful news for the Reds and fantasy managers, as the outfielder appears to still be on track to return to the roster around mid-September. Winker has been sidelined since... Read More
Avisail Garcia, Lorenzo Cain Resting Sunday
Milwaukee Brewers outfielders Avisail Garcia and Lorenzo Cain are not in the starting lineup for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Twins. Manager Craig Counsell said after Saturday night's game that Cain was fine, according to The Athletic. He stayed in the game after Counsell checked on him after a play. Jackie Bradley Jr. is in... Read More
George Springer Hopes To Return Monday
Toronto Blue Jays outfielder George Springer (knee) hopes to be activated for Monday's game against the Baltimore Orioles, according to MLB Network's Jon Morosi. Springer ran sprints at high intensity before Sunday's game. The 31-year-old has been sidelined since August 14 due to a Grade 1 left knee sprain. He was in the midst of... Read More
A.J. Alexy Starting Monday For Rangers
Texas Rangers starting pitcher A.J. Alexy has been added to the taxi squad and will be recalled to make his Major League debut in a start against Colorado on Monday, the team announced. German Marquez is expected to start for the Rockies on the road. Alexy, a 23-year-old right-hander, was 3-1 with a 1.66 ERA... Read More
Christian Yelich Showing Improvement At Plate
Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Christian Yelich, who is hitting third on Sunday against Minnesota Twins right-hander Griffin Jax, has been showing signs of turning around his dismal year. Yelich is 10-for-25 with two home runs and nine RBI over his last 25 at-bats. The 29-year-old, chosen by some fantasy managers in the first round, has been... Read More
Gerrit Cole Enters Stretch On Hot Streak
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole is on a roll heading into the final month of the season. Cole, who beat the Oakland Athletics on Friday going six shutout innings with nine strikeouts, has won three straight decisions after an adjustment period following the league-wide crackdown on sticky stuff. The 30-year-old right-hander has just... Read More
Carlos Correa On Bench Against Rangers
Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa is resting on Sunday against the Texas Rangers and left-hander Taylor Hearn. Manager Dusty Baker wanted give Correa a day off on a travel day, according to MLB.com. Aledmys Diaz is playing shortstop and batting sixth. "I've said how much we missed Diaz when he was out," Baker said. Correa,... Read More
Jason Castro Headed To Injured List
Houston Astros catcher Jason Castro (knee) is going on the injured list and the team is calling up Garrett Stubbs from Triple-A in a corresponding move, according to the Houston Chronicle. The team sent Castro back to Houston to get his knee checked out, manager Dusty Baker said. As a backup to Martin Maldonado these... Read More
Jalen Hurts (QB, PHI) - 2021 Fantasy Football Draft Values
BALLER MOVE: Target Around ~72 Overall CURRENT ADP: ~84 ANALYSIS: Running quarterbacks have been called a cheat code but they’re more like the clearest path to success. You’re not cheating if you grab one or two of them -- you’re cheating yourself if you don’t. And the fantasy math is far too obvious to be... Read More
Wily Peralta Hits 10-Day IL
Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Wily Peralta is going to the 10-day injured list with a right finger blister, according to the Detroit Free Press. Right-handed reliever Alex Lange is back from Triple-A Toledo. Peralta, who is 3-3 this year with a 3.63 ERA, can be stashed on the fantasy IL in very deep leagues as... Read More
Kyle Tucker Could Return Midweek
Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker could be activated "hopefully midweek," the Houston Chronicle reported, quoting manager Dusty Baker. Tucker was placed on the injured list about a week ago due to health and safety protocols. The latest progress report is good news for the Astros and fantasy managers. The 24-year-old has been having a solid... Read More
Victor Robles On Bench Against Brewers
Washington Nationals outfielder Victor Robles is sitting Sunday because he's not feeling well, although the issue isn't related to COVID-19, according to the Washington Post. Lane Thomas is starting against the Milwaukee Brewers in center field, with right-hander Adrian Houser on the hill, and hitting leadoff again. The 24-year-old Robles is worth hanging onto in... Read More
Nelson Cruz Hits COVID List
Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Nelson Cruz was placed on the COVID-19 injured list, according to the Athletic. Austin Meadows is at DH Sunday against the Chicago White Sox and Brett Phillips is in right field. The 41-year-old Cruz hasn't shown signs of slowing down, slashing .270/.344/.515 in 2021. Check back for further updates on... Read More
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo Batting Leadoff
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo, who has homered in two straight games, is batting leadoff Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals with right-hander Adam Wainwright pitching. Hoy Park is at second base and batting eighth for Pittsburgh. Tsutsugo, who is hitting just .181 this year, has been getting semi-regular playing time since being picked up... Read More
Rafael Devers Hitless In Fourth Straight Game
Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers, who went hitless for the fourth straight game on Saturday, is mired in a mini-slump. The 24-year-old All-Star, who went 0-for-4 against the Texas Rangers, is slashing .196/.305./392 over his last 15 games. The slugger, who is batting .275 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI this season,... Read More
Yasmani Grandal Out Through Road Trip
Chicago White Sox catcher Yasmani Grandal (knee) won't return on the team's current road trip, which concludes Thursday in Toronto, the Chicago Sun-Times reported, citing manager Tony La Russa. The White Sox don't want to push Grandal too much. The veteran, who has been rehabbing at Triple-A Charlotte, is a must-roster catcher in just about... Read More
Alek Manoah Off Bereavement List
Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Alek Manoah was reinstated from the bereavement list and infielder Otto Lopez was optioned back to Triple-A Buffalo, according to The Athletic. Manoah -- who could be in line for two starts next week, facing Chicago and Detroit -- should be good to go in fantasy lineups. The 23-year-old right-hander... Read More
Jonathan India Resting Against Marlins
Cincinnati Reds second baseman Jonathan India is getting a rest from the lineup Sunday and Jose Barrero is filling in and batting seventh against the Miami Marlins with right-hander Sandy Alcantara pitching, MLB.com reported. Manager David Bell wants India to have the benefit of two straight days off, with no game scheduled for Monday. India,... Read More
Yoshitomo Tsutsugo Signs With Pirates
Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Yoshitomo Tsutsugo is signing with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to MLB Network's Jon Heyman. Tsutsugo was known for good pop in Japan but struggled to show any consistency with the Tampa Bay Rays and Dodgers since coming over in 2020. The 29-year-old flashed potential in Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, hitting... Read More
Travis Shaw Returning to Red Sox
Milwaukee Brewers third baseman Travis Shaw is returning to the Boston Red Sox after getting claimed off waivers, according to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, citing a league source. Shaw, who started his career with Boston in 2015, has slashed .191/.279/.337 in 178 at-bats this season. That makes the 31-year-old infielder a non-factor, even... Read More
Jed Lowrie Resting Against Rangers
Oakland Athletics second baseman Jed Lowrie is getting a day off Sunday after a night game in the Cleveland heat took a lot out of the players, according to the San Jose Mercury News, citing manager Bob Melvin. Tony Kemp is playing second and batting eighth against the Texas Rangers, while Vimael Machin is at... Read More
Carlos Rodon Could Return Soon
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Carlos Rodon (shoulder) could return soon as an exam was encouraging and showed no damage, according to The Athletic. Manager Tony La Russa said there's a chance Rodon pitches in Toronto, a series scheduled to begin Aug. 23. Rodon was placed on the 10-day injured list with left shoulder fatigue... Read More
Gary Sanchez Starting Double-A Rehab Assignment
New York Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez is beginning a rehab assignment with Double-A Somerset, the team announced. Additionally, the club returned right-handed pitcher Luis Severino from his rehab assignment to get testing Monday for his shoulder tightness, according to Lindsey Adler of The Athletic. Sanchez tested positive for COVID-19 and was replaced on the active... Read More
Adalberto Mondesi Has Setback in Rehab
Kansas City Royals shortstop Adalberto Mondesi (oblique) has come back to see the club's medical staff after experiencing tightness in his oblique during his minor-league rehab assignment, the Kansas City Star reported, citing manager Mike Matheny. Mondesi, who had struggled at the plate in his most recent rehab assignment, has played in just 10 games... Read More
Gerrit Cole, Jordan Montgomery Returning For Yankees
New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole will be back on the mound Monday against the Los Angeles Angels, according to The Athletic, citing manager Aaron Boone. Luis Gil and Jordan Montgomery are the expected starters for Tuesday's doubleheader against Boston. Cole and Montgomery recently tested positive for Covid-19, though they have been able to... Read More
Joe Ross Suffers Partial UCL Tear
Washington Nationals starting pitcher Joe Ross (forearm) experienced right forearm tightness after his bullpen session Saturday and an MRI showed a partial UCL tear, according to MLB.com. The next step is a re-evaluation, manager Dave Martinez said. Ross, who is 5-9 with a 4.17 ERA this season, had been a serviceable fantasy starter in deeper... Read More
