The News
Luis Castillo continues his rehab assignment to heal his left hip flexor, and in a game on Wednesday, he went 1-for-4 with an RBI and run scored, according to Mets.com.

Our View
Castillo has lost a lot of his speed, which had been his best asset for fantasy owners. He remains a decent option in NL-only leagues, but not mixed league formats.

The News
Nate McLouth missed his second consecutive game for the Pirates due to an undisclosed illness, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Our View
McLouth would not have helped the Pirates Wednesday against the Cardinals anyway, unless he could have pitched. Pittsburgh was pummeled by a score of 11-2.

The News
Paul Maholm will not be shut down by the Pirates for the remainder of the year to save his arm, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Maholm is nearing his career high in innings pitched, which was 177.2 last season. He is currently at 168.

Our View
Fantasy owners of Maholm are glad to hear this news. He is a bit of an underrated performer, with a 3.64 ERA and 1.23 WHIP. His eight wins are not inspiring, but he could have more if the Pirates scored more runs for him.

The News
Kevin Kouzmanoff went 1-for-4, but hit his 19th home run of the year in the Padres 8-6 loss to Arizona.

Our View
Kouzmanoff has had a nice August, and should be owned in all fantasy formats. Of his 21 hits on the month, eight have been for extra bases, pushing his slugging percentage over .500 in that time period.

The News
Adam Dunn hit a home run for the second time in as many nights, and also had three RBI, two runs scored and two walks in a 1-for-2 night to help lead Arizona to a 8-6 win over San Diego.

Our View
Dunn has struggled this month, especially with his power, but it looks like he has finally broken out of it with home runs in consecutive days, easing the concerns of fantasy owners.

The News
Jake Peavy saw his record drop to 9-9 as he threw a poor game, pitching five innings, allowing six runs on five hits and walking four in the Padres loss to Arizona.

Our View
Peavy has been tremendous this month, so chalk this one up to a bad night. His record is not a good indicator of how well he has pitched this season, as the Padres simply do not score enough runs for him.

The News
The much-hyped pitching match-up between Dan Haren and Jake Peavy never materialized, as both pitchers struggled, though Haren and the Diamondbacks wound up getting the 8-6 win. Haren went six innings, surrendering five earned runs on 11 hits.

Our View
Despite his performance, Haren remains one of the top pitchers in fantasy baseball, and will continue to be for a number of years.

The News
Andruw Jones missed two games on his rehab assignment after he stepped into a hole on the field, leading to soreness in his knee, according to Dodgers.com.

Our View
We're not sure why the Dodgers Triple-A club has a hole in the field, but it's not surprising that Andruw Jones stepped in it considering the season he has had thus far.

The News
Jason Schmidt threw a bullpen session Wednesday and is looking to start a rehab assignment in Triple-A sometime next week, according to Dodgers.com.

Our View
Schmidt has not pitched in the major leagues yet this season, and it is still possible that he won't. Either way, fantasy owners should not rush to add him to their rosters.

The News
Following another troublesome outing, Boston manager Terry Francona announced pitcher Clay Buchholz, who allowed five runs over 2-1/3 innings in an 11-6 Sox loss to the Orioles was demoted to Double-A Portland to work out his pitching issues, according to the Boston Herald.

Our View
Buchholz has never been able to find his rhythm all season. The team has tinkered with his arm angle, but that hasn't worked. The team did not make a corresponding move yet.

The News
KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh reports the Steelers and linebacker James Farrior are close to working out a contract extension, according to Pro Football Talk.

Our View
Farrior is entering the last year of his current deal. He’s due to earn a base salary of $3.24 million in 2008. Per the report, the deal could come as soon as tomorrow, and likely will be hammered out before Saturday’s game against the Vikings.

The News
Falcons linebacker and second-round pick Curtis Lofton could get the start for the Falcons during the team's preseason game against the Titans, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Our View
Lofton plays in the middle and is a potential sleeper in IDP leagues. If he gets the eventual starting nod, expect him to rack up tackles on a Falcons defense that could be on the field often.

The News
Pacman Jones will be a starter at cornerback in the team's preseason game against the Texans, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Our View
Jones has a good chance to start during the regular season no matter what, but it is a virtual certainty should Terrence Newman not recover quickly from his injury.

The News
Anthony Spencer, the Cowboys first-round selection in the 2007 draft, needed arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will be out 2-4 weeks, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Our View
The outside linebacker was pushing for a bigger role with the defense this season, and he was going to be used to rush the passer. However, it is possible he will miss the first game of the season with this malady.

The News
Vikings quarterback Tarvaris Jackson did some work in practice today, and there is a possibility that he could play in the team's preseason game against Pittsburgh on Saturday, according to the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.

Our View
Jackson has a sprained MCL, and the team will be cautious with him, as their championship hopes ride largely on his shoulders. However, he is someone for fantasy owners to ride to a championship, and he should not even be a backup on fantasy squads at this junction of his career.

The News
Ravens coach John Harbaugh reports he has set a timetable for the return of rusher Willis McGahee, but he remains undecided about his potential to play in the team's final two preseason games, according to the Sporting News.

Our View
Harbaugh admits his new offensive scheme could take time to absorb, and as such he worries that this time missed by McGahee could be a problem. He underwent arthroscopic knee surgery after the first week of training camp and has not practiced since. Rumors came forth early stating several offensive assistant coaches were unhappy with McGahee for missing several minicamps, and as such further rumors are coming forth that support a belief that rookie Ray Rice is favored and could be pushed into the role should McGahee continue to miss time. We'll keep you posted as more news comes forth.

The News
With two strong preseason outings in the books, Houston running back Steve Slaton has been slated to start for the Texans when they face the Cowboys on Friday, according to the Sporting News.

Our View
Slaton has registered 24 carries for 94 rushing yards thus far over the first two preseason games, working with the the team's 2nd- and 3rd-team offenses in those games. The Texans love his burst off the line, and while injury concerns from falls in college are hard to ignore, Slaton could find a role as the Texans' third-down back.

The News
Even with the loss of wide receiver Kevin Curtis to a sports hernia, the Philadelphia Eagles have not shown any interest in Joe Horn, according to ESPN.com.

Our View
Cut by the Dolphins Tuesday, Horn has not yet caught on with a team, but in all likelihood, it will only be a matter of time before that happens.

The News
Wide receiver Drew Bennett has had a strong showing in training camp so far, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “He’s proven to me we can count on him,” head coach Scott Linehan said.

Our View
He may have proven something to Linehan, but he has not to fantasy owners in recent seasons. He was a bust last season after coming to St. Louis as a free agent, catching just 33 passes. He is still not someone fantasy owners should be counting on.

The News
Rams saftey Oshiomogho Atogwe's hamstring injury is improving, and he could return to the practice field soon, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The team expects him to be ready for Week 1.

Our View
Atogwe led the NFC with eight interceptions last season and would make a solid addition to fantasy owners in IDP leagues.

The News
Yet another NHL free agent has decided to grab the money and move overseas to play in Russia's KHL. Kings forward Ladislav Nagy signed a two-year contract worth $5.6 million with the Russian league despite receiving interest from nearly one dozen NHL squads, according to the Sporting News.

Our View
Nagy was one of the few scorers left on the free-agent market, though injuries have slowed his progress over recent seasons. In the end, Nagy notes the sizeable pay raise and the promise of ice time in Russia was too much to pass up.

The News
The Detroit Red Wings signed tough-guy right wing Aaron Downey to a one-year contract on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

Our View
Downey signed with Detroit last season and played in 56 games. He has spent parts of eight seasons with the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens. In his career, Downey has collected seven goals, nine assists and 487 penalty minutes.

The News
As the season approaches and the teams of the NHL seek to solidify their rosters, no commodity influx is garnering more attention than future Hall of Fame forward Mats Sundin, and with recent rumors that place a short-but-powerful list of teams in talks with his agent, today we learn the Philadelphia Flyers have a desire to join those talks and seek a way to add Sundin to the Flyers' roster, according to ESPN.com.

Our View
According to the reports from ESPN, Flyers GM Paul Holmgren says he'd love to add free agent Mats Sundin to his roster despite his team lacking the salary cap space to do so. How do they accomplish that? We have no idea, but the longer Sundin takes to make a decision, the deeper the list of teams that want him becomes.

The News
Drew Larman has agreed to a one-year deal with Florida, according to NHL.com. GM Jacques Martin said, "We are pleased to have signed Drew for another season and look forward to his continued growth in our organization. He has had the opportunity to play with our club and understands the commitment and work ethic needed to compete in the NHL."

Our View
Larman contributed one assist over six brief games with the Panthers last season. The 23-year-old winger may need another year of development before he can compete for a role with the team.

The News
The Columbus Blue Jackets got some shocking news on Tuesday when they learned that prospect Stefan Legein has decided to quit playing hockey, according to TSN.

Our View
According to the Columbus Dispatch, the Blue Jackets were informed of Legein's decision by his agent Doug Woods, telling them he won't be at training camp and has decided to hang up his skates at the age of 19. Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson confirmed the report to the Dispatch but when contacted by the newspaper, Legein's mother said she hadn't heard the news while his father denied the report.

The News
Wild assistant GM Tom Lynn has told reporters the club will have to consider trading star RW Marian Gaborik if he doesn't accept their contract offers, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "If he were to indicate he wasn't going to sign, then we'd have to make a decision about whether we'd want to play with that distraction," Lynn told the Pioneer Press. "We would have to weigh the pros and cons, and if that time came and he was not re-signing, then we would have to decide his trade value. But it's not an automatic."

Our View
Lynn told the Pioneer Press the Wild would contact Gaborik's agent, Ron Salcer, "soon" to talk contract. Wild GM Doug Risebrough and Lynn met with Gaborik last week in Slovakia to give him a sales job on the Wild's future and convince him to re-sign instead of pursuing unrestricted free agency next summer. Part of the discussions were spent trying to convince Gaborik that he can score just as much by staying as he would by leaving. Lynn and Risebrough showed Gaborik he is fourth in the NHL in goals per game [behind Alex Ovechin, Ilya Kovalchuk and Dany Heatley], first in even-strength goals per minute played and tied for second in goals per 60 minutes played [behind Ovechkin]. Gaborik, 26, will make $7.5 million this season.

The News
Mats Sundin's agent, J.P. Barry has been in constant communication with the Rangers because of the free agent center's interest in joining the team, according to the New York Post. No numbers have been exchanged, according to the Post, which said Sundin's second choice is Philadelphia. Barry downplayed the rumor, saying there have not been increased discussions with the Rangers, according to TSN.ca. "Everybody has been calling regularly trying to get an idea of when his timetable is. Mainly I have just told them we have talked about everything and right now it's just for him to decide," Barry told TSN.ca.

Our View
The Rangers have only around $2M in cap space and would have to shed some salary to pay Sundin in the $5M-$7M range. The Flyers are already above the salary cap. The future Hall of Famer continues to tell the press he is undecided on what he wants to do, and that retirement is still an option, but the works behind the scenes suggest his people are trying to get a deal done. We'll keep you posted.

The News
While the Rangers ponder what to do with veteran Brendan Shanahan, hoping to seal one last season with the Blueshirts with a new deal, the forward has told the press he will be willing to listen to offers from other teams if a one-year deal with the Rangers can't be worked out, according to SI.com.

Our View
Shanahan's agent, Rick Curran, recently shot down a rumor that he had rejected a one-year, $2M offer from the Canucks, according to The Province newspaper. Curran also told the Vancouver paper that San Jose and Montreal are not in the mix, either. Before the free agent signing period began, the New York Post reported Shanahan might move to the Devils. Rangers GM Glen Sather previously told the Daily News that he urged Shanahan to be patient while he sorted out the team's roster and salary cap this offseason.

The News
Former Canucks head coach Marc Crawford defended himself in court documents, saying he had no control over Todd Bertuzzi when he attacked Steve Moore, seriously injuring him, in a game in 2004. Bertuzzi filed a claim saying Crawford should pay part of any damages received by Moore, who is suing Bertuzzi, according to the Toronto Star. In the statement, Crawford said in part that the attack "was not done under any specific or general direction or encouragement from Crawford, was a direct disobedience of the instruction that Bertuzzi had been given from the bench to get off the ice, and was a violation of Bertuzzi's duties."

Our View
Moore is suing Bertuzzi for $38 million. Hearings on the matter will begin sometime later this year.

The News
Carl Soderberg will not be playing in the NHL this season as he decided to remain in Sweden, according to the Boston Globe.

Our View
The Bruins were hoping he would be part of their rotation at center this season, but they will have to wait at least one more season while he plays in Sweden. He doesn't want to come now and be a marginal player. He wants to wait until he can contribute.

The News
Still resting an injured back he suffered during summer league in Las Vegas last month, New York Knicks first-round pick Danilo Gallinari has withdrawn from the Italian National Team, which kicks off today its Eurobasket Qualifier tournament vs. Serbia, according to the New York Post.

Our View
According to Gallinari's father, Vittorio, his 6-10 Italian prodigy will sit out all the games so he can be fully healthy when the Knicks kick off training camp in their new site September.

The News
Ed Stefanski had said he would like to discuss a contract extension - perhaps for two years - with point guard Andre Miller. However, that will be difficult to do because Miller no longer has an agent, according to ESPN.

Our View
Lon Babby had represented Miller, but isn't doing so anymore, according to Stefanski. Miller has one year and $10 million left on his contract, meaning he can become an unrestricted free agent in July.

The News
Goran Dragic passed his physical Tuesday, but will head home without signing a contract while he works out the formal details of his buyout -- which could take anywhere from a week to a month -- and obtains a work visa, according to ESPN.

Our View
Other reports indicate there are other financial ramifications to the decision to wait on Dragic's signing. The Italian club he once worked for and the financial terms of that deal may have an effect on the current works with Phoenix. It will all be worked out in time.

The News
Center Andrew Bogut injured his ankle as he and Team Australia were downed by Team USA 116-85 in the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, the Bucks center seems to think that he tore a ligament in his ankle and he will soon undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel.

Our View
Of course, it is entirely possible that Bogut is wrong and he could simply have a sprained ankle. More will be known after the MRI is complete. He is a very good option, when healthy, at the always-thin center position in fantasy basketball.

The News
Dorell Wright signed a two-year deal with the Miami Heat, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Our View
Wright put up a solid eight points and five rebounds last season, playing in over 25 minutes per game.

The News
Donyell Marshall was waived by Oklahoma City, according to the AP. He was traded to the team in February from the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Our View
Marshall struggled with injuries and scored less than four points per game in the 2007-2008 season.

The News
As expected, Theo Ratliff has signed a one-year deal with the Sixers worth $1.4 million, according to the AP. GM Ed Stefanski said, "We are fortunate to sign a player of Theo’s caliber. He is a consummate professional, both on the court and off, who will provide us with additional depth in the frontcourt while also serving as a mentor to some of our younger players."

Our View
His role will be favorable to the Sixers, but not for fantasy owners.

The News
Devean George has agreed to a two-year deal with the Mavericks worth around $4 million, according to ESPN.

Our View
The 30-year-old is a solid shooter from the perimeter and is an asset on defense, but doesn't play enough minutes to make him fantasy worthy.

The News
Jermaine O'Neal is ready to show his critics that he is not washed up. "The fact is, I played on one leg for two years," O'Neal informs SI.com. "You hear people say that you slowed down, that you don't have it anymore -- but you know that you still have it. All the naysayers who are saying that I lost a step, they'll get a full dosage of me next year." The center has been dealing with knee issues in recent years, specifically to his left knee.

Our View
O'Neal should be in good position to revive his flagging career, as Chris Bosh will help keep opposing defenses occupied. The persistent question for fantasy owners is if Jermaine can stay healthy for even 65-70 games. We don't doubt he has the skills to bump his scoring and rebounding back up to excellent levels, but it won't help if he only plays 45-50 contests. You have to appreciate a guy who is motivated, though.

The News
Luke Jackson has been working out with the Trail Blazers and will be part of their preseason roster, the OregonLive.com confirms.

Our View
Ah, home sweet home. Jackson was born in Eugene and was a star for the Ducks. He was the 10th overall pick in 2004 and hasn't worked out at the NBA level, partially due to injuries. Jackson has no fantasy value, but we're sure it will be a nice local story.