Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists five sleeper cornerbacks Los Angeles could target.
Cornerback sits near the top in regards to positional groups that need to be addressed in the upcoming draft for the Chargers.
While the team could draft one early on, head coach Brandon Staley will likely look to take another one later on to bolster the room.
With that being said, here’s a look at five of the best-kept secret corners of the 2021 NFL draft.
Week 13 fantasy football starters, sits, sleepers.
We’ve hit double-digits in the NFL season as Week 13 is here. We’re also closing in on the playoffs, too.
Now more than ever, especially if you’re still alive in the playoff push, setting your lineup correctly for the weekend is a major key in fantasy football. Nothing worse than having a guy on the bench going off or someone in your starting lineup that has laid a dud.
vs. Football Team
As a team the Steelers should have their way with Washington. Having said that, it might not come via Ben Roethlisberger. The Football Team has the second-best pass defense in 2020, only trailing… the Steelers.
vs. Saints
Todd Gurley has been a limited participant in practice since Wednesday and missed Week 12. He’s banged up and is facing the Saints defense, which has allowed the fewest points vs. opposing running backs in fantasy this year.
at Dolphins
The Dolphins are the seventh-best defense against the run this season and Gio Bernard just hasn’t had the successes one might’ve thought with both Joe Burrow and Joe Mixon out of the lineup.
vs. Rams
The Rams are the best defense in fantasy football against opposing wide receivers. DeAndre Hopkins would be the very bold choice to put here… but we’re playing it safe and putting the Cards’ No. 2 wide receiver instead.
at Seahawks
The Seahawks are a bad secondary and defense, but Darius Slayton had a horrible start with Colt McCoy under center last week. Two targets and no catches. That will probably change, but don’t expect a big game like you could with someone else on your roster.
Fantasy football sleepers, starts, sits, Week 10.
We’ve hit double-digits in the NFL season as Week 10 is here.
Now more than ever, especially if you’re still alive in the playoff push, setting your lineup correctly for the weekend is a major key in fantasy football. Nothing worse than having a guy on the bench going off or someone in your starting lineup that has laid a dud.
Let us help you right here. Our five sleepers to start and five starters to sit in fantasy football Week 10:
Jared Goff wasn’t great going into the Rams’ bye last weekend… but we’ve hit the point with the Seahawks defense where we can pretty much start whoever plays against them.
With Alex Smith starting, their running backs are going to be elite for fantasy production because he throws to them a lot. The Lions also are the worst defense in terms of fantasy football against opposing running backs, just look at Dalvin Cook last week.
The Bucs are pretty inconsistent with their rushing attack and just attack in general. We never know who will lead the way. The Panthers are the fifth-worst team in fantasy football against opposing running backs, though… so Fournette should get some looks.
Rashard Higgins should have a good look to heat back up against the Texans since Odell Beckham’s still done for the year. Houston has the sixth-worst fantasy football defense vs. WRs, and they’ve allowed nine TDs to the position in the last four games.
DJ Chark had 146 yards and a touchdown via QB Jake Luton last week. The Packers have a better secondary than the Texans, but their No. 1 CB in Jaire Alexander is still in the concussion protocol, which would make things massively easier for Chark.
Fantasy football starts, sits, sleepers for Week 5.
Another week down early in the 2020 fantasy football campaign. Whether you’re off to a hot start or were slow out of the gate, finding the right players to start and sit each week will be key to your success.
With that, here are five sleepers to start and five starters to sit in fantasy football Week 5:
at Saints
Also someone who was available on the wavier wire this week, the rookie has been pretty impressive since being inserted into the lineup. He’s averaging 310 yards per game and is up against the Saints this week, who’ve allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to opposing QBs this season.
vs. Panthers
After a solid Week 3, Brian Hill had a dud for the Panthers while Todd Gurley ran wild. But the Falcons play the Carolina Panthers, who have allowed very few points to opposing quarterbacks, while allowing the fifth-most to opposing running backs this season. Both Hill and Gurley are must starts.
at Cowboys
The Giants got the ball into Devonta Freeman’s hands double-digit carries last week, plus four catches. One can envision them working him in and increasing the workload against the Titans, who allow the second-most rushing yards in the NFL at 172.5 yards per game.
at Seahawks
Justin Jefferson has solidified himself, following his Week 3 breakout with another big game last week. Can he make it three in a row? Some would think yes because the Seahawks allow the most point against opposing wide receivers this season.
at Jaguars
The Texans are a mess right now, and Brandin Cooks is at the center of it after having no catches last week. However, that won’t happen again, and Houston fired Bill O’Brien. They’ll want to come out and impress after that.
The NFL season is almost here and so is fantasy football! Charles Curtis has sleepers to target in your fantasy draft.
The NFL season is almost here and so is fantasy football! Charles Curtis has sleepers to target in your fantasy draft.
These guys could be the key to a successful fantasy season.
NFL teams are all at the beginning of their training camp sessions. This is just the start of fantasy football season. Without the benefits of public training camps, joint practices, or preseason games, predicting who will be able to help your team will be even more difficult than normal.
Hopefully, football, and more specifically, the fantasy game, will help take the mind away from all the serious issues that are happening in the world today. And, if you need a little help putting together your roster, maybe this is the place for you.
While using FantasyPros.com rankings from their PPR format, we are able to determine that these five tight ends may be drafted too low. One of these guys could be a great value addition for your fantasy team.
Ebron’s production dropped off in 2019, his final season with Indianapolis. He recorded 31 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns. However, the year prior was Ebron’s best season, finishing with 66 receptions for 750 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Now in Pittsburgh, Ebron is being drafted as the 20th tight end in fantasy football. With Ben Roethlisberger healthy, the 26-year-old tight end may be able to jump back up into TE1 production instead of the low TE2 he’s being drafted as.
Highlighting the top 5 sleepers to target in your 2020 fantasy baseball drafts.
[jwplayer eksOOQvZ]
The key to the shortened 2020 fantasy baseball season will be getting every bit of production out of players and not letting them toil away on the waiver wire during a hot streak, especially at the start of the season. With this in mind, we look at the top fantasy baseball sleepers to target in your drafts for the 60-game MLB season.
Fantasy baseball sleepers
Average Draft Position (ADP): 255
Braun is one of the many National League players who will benefit from the universal designated hitter this season. The 36-year-old’s 144 games played last year were his most since 2012. A poor fielder late in his career, Braun will be able to focus predominantly on offense and will be at a much lower risk of injury.
He has hit 42 home runs over the last two seasons and hasn’t stolen fewer than 11 bases in a season since playing just 61 games in 2013. He’ll hit behind OFs Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich in the top-heavy Brewers lineup and will have plenty of opportunities to drive in runs.
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ADP: 269
Hernandez moves over to the American League after spending the first seven seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, and will get to play a lot of games against the weak pitching staffs of the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Royals and Chicago White Sox. He’s able to contribute in all categories and is assured the bulk of the playing time in the center of the infield.
ADP: 295
Solak isn’t guaranteed a regular position in the Rangers lineup, but his versatility and talent should keep him involved, especially if any Rangers position player suffers an early injury. He slashed .293/.393/.491 with five home runs across 33 games in Texas’ lost 2019 season. He needs to be drafted before becoming a hot commodity on the waiver wire.
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ADP: 168
Rosario developed some power last season and finished with a career-high 15 home runs to go with 19 stolen bases. He struggles with strikeouts and needs to draw more walks, but his batting average improved greatly over the second half of last season and his defense will keep him in the lineup every day for a competitive team.
ADP: 317
Schoop swatted 23 homers and drove in 59 runs over 121 games with the Minnesota Twins last season. He struck out in 25% of his plate appearances and walked in just 4.3%, but he’ll be fully allowed to take his cuts while hitting in the center of a bad Tigers lineup.
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Previewing the fantasy baseball landscape and highlighting the top 5 sleeper pitchers for the 2020 MLB season.
[jwplayer eksOOQvZ]
Fantasy baseball managers will need to act quickly in the shortened 2020 MLB season. The 60-game campaign will mean smaller sample sizes of both successes and struggles will carry more weight, and fantasy owners will need to be ready to pounce on the waiver wire and cut ties sooner than usual. Below, we’ll help you get a head start on the 2020 fantasy baseball season with a look at the top-five sleeper pitchers to target in drafts.
Average Draft Position (ADP): 171
Acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason, Maeda joins Jose Berrios and Jake Odorizzi at the front of the Twins’ rotation. Maeda went 10-8 over 37 games (26 starts) and 153 2/3 innings last year while pitching to a 4.04 ERA and 1.07 WHIP with 169 strikeouts against just 51 walks.
Maeda will benefit greatly from the change of scenery. He’ll no longer need to pitch in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field and Chase Field, and will instead get to feast on the expected cellar-dwelling Kansas City Royals and Detroit Tigers.
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ADP: 277
Matz went 11-10 in 32 games (30 starts) while throwing a career-high 160 1/3 innings in 2019. He posted a lackluster 4.21 ERA and 1.34 WHIP, but both those figures improved greatly in the second half of the season, as did his K-BB percentage. The Mets lineup should be much stronger this season and can help provide more win opportunities with improved run support.
ADP: 198
Heaney was limited to 18 starts and 95 1/3 innings in 2019. He averaged more than 11 strikeouts per nine innings for the second time in his career and walked fewer than three batters per nine for the second straight year. The 29-year-old has been named the Angels’ Opening Day starter and will front a new-look rotation.
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ADP: 144
Hendricks hasn’t been able to replicate his breakout 2016 campaign in which he pitched to a 2.13 ERA, while going 16-8, but a regression to a 3.44 ERA in 2018 and a 3.46 ERA in 2019 are being viewed too unfavorably. He won’t steal matchups with strikeout totals, but his reliability and consistency will pay off nicely in an otherwise unpredictable season.
ADP: 128
Giles recorded just 23 saves over 53 games last season, but pitched to a sparkling 1.87 ERA with a career-best 14.09 strikeouts per nine innings. He may still struggle to get save opportunities while backing the middling Blue Jays, but should get into games more regularly with teams expected to limit the usage of their top starters in 2020.
Want action on any 2020 MLB futures? Sign up and bet at BetMGM. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow @SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
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Analyzing three lesser-know MLB prospects entering the 2020 season as fantasy baseball sleepers who have the upside to help win your league.
Drafting prospects can be one of the most fun parts of fantasy baseball. It’s always exciting to get a share of MLB’s new wave of top, young talent, whether they’ll be starting the season in the majors or auditioning for an early season promotion. Here, we look at three sleeper prospects available toward the end of your fantasy baseball draft who’ll be able to make big contributions upon their MLB debut this season.
Bohm comes into the 2020 season just 23 years old and without having played a game above Class AA. Hit hit 14 home runs across 63 games at the second-highest minor-league level last year. Additionally, he has shown promising plate discipline in the minors with a 10.4% walk rate and stomachable 14.1% strikeout rate last year in AA ball.
Also see: 2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts: 5 Players to Avoid on Draft Day
The Phillies have a crowded infield following the signing of SS Didi Gregorius this offseason. Scott Kingery is expected to handle third base duties to open the season, but he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations through his first two seasons. Kingery’s versatility and ability to play multiple positions defensively also makes him an easy injury replacement whether it by around the infield or in the outfield.
The Phillies are all in, and they’ll make room for Bohm if he can get off to a hot start at Class AAA. He’s a top option in keeper leagues or redraft leagues with Inactive slots.
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The Blue Jays finally splurged in free agency this offseason, reeling in SP Hyun-Jin Ryu as one of the top starters on the open market. He’ll front the starting rotation this year, but he’s followed by an uninspiring corps of veterans with potential injury concerns in Tanner Roark, Matt Shoemaker and Chase Anderson.
Pearson has been dominant in spring training and could be forcing the Blue Jays’ hand. The team is in need of a top-level No. 2 starter behind Ryu, and it may be best for his development to be up in the majors and working with the veteran ace while facing MLB hitters rather than toiling away in the minors.
Mountcastle is the top hope for an Orioles club in dire need of adding excitement and offensive talent. The 23-year-old hit 25 home runs across 127 games at Class AAA last season, and he has little left to prove.
He’s stuck behind highly paid, but struggling veteran Chris Davis at first base, but he could force the Orioles to admit the mistake of Davis’ lofty extension and make them swallow salary to clear room. If not, he’s likely to get his shot in left field, as the Orioles are in need of an upgrade at several positions.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.
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Assessing 2020 fantasy baseball sleepers and looking at four late-round closer options who can pile up saves this season.
Drafting closers who can rack up saves is one of the most difficult parts of fantasy baseball. The inherent volatility of the position — with many managers having short leashes for any sort of struggles in the latter innings — adds to the difficulty. It’s often not worth the price to take unproven closers in the early-to-mid rounds only for them to lose their job before the end of April. Here, we’ll look at four relief pitchers with a chance to take over the ninth-inning duties for their respective teams who are worth a late-round flier in your 2020 fantasy baseball drafts.
Buttrey is expected to start the 2020 season behind Hansel Robles on the Angels’ closer depth chart. Robles has struggled this spring, however, and new manager Joe Maddon will have little allegiance to a player who converted 23 of 27 save opportunities in 2019.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old Buttrey appeared in 72 games last season but converted just 2 of 6 save opportunities. Still, he had a better strikeout rate than Robles and could certainly earn a shot if Robles takes his spring issues into the season. The Angels are expecting to be much better in 2020 after a busy offseason, and Robles’ leash will be kept tight while closing for a team with playoff aspirations.
Also see: 2020 Fantasy Baseball Busts: 5 Players to Avoid on Draft Day
Jackson begins the 2020 season in a middle- relief role, while Mark Melancon and Will Smith occupy the late-inning roles. Jackson ranked inside the top 20 of qualified relievers last season in both strikeout rate (33.7%) and ground-ball rate (60.5%).
The 28-year-old converted just 18 of 25 save opportunities in 2019, but he did gain a reasonable amount of experience. He may need only to overcome Melancon, who hasn’t saved more than 12 games since 2016, with Smith preferred for the set-up role.
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Betances, who’s recovering from a torn Achilles which limited him to 2/3 of an inning with the New York Yankees last year, is still targeting Opening Day for his return to a major league mound. Used almost exclusively as a set-up man by the Yanks, Betances has converted 36 of 55 save opportunities over his career. He has an elite strikeout rate year-over-year and he induces more soft contact than hard. Betances will be available to replace Edwin Diaz if the latter’s 2019 struggles persist in the early going of 2020.
Another veteran with considerable ninth-inning experience, Miller will start the season behind Giovanny Gallegos for closer duties. Gallegos, 28, pitched to a 2.31 ERA across 74 innings and 66 games last season, but he’s just 2-for-6 in career save opportunities. Miller has mostly been a set-up man the last four seasons, but he has 59 career saves and just 16 blown chances. He’s available at the end of drafts and will get enough work even in middle relief to provide value from the RP slot with strong ratios and high strikeout totals.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.
Follow @EstenMcLaren and @SportsbookWire.
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