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Xabi Alonso said Kylian Mbappé is “on his way to making history at Real Madrid” as the star forward closes in on Cristiano Ronaldo‘s club record for most goals scored in a calendar year.

Mbappé’s brace in Madrid’s 3-0 LaLiga win at Athletic Club on Wednesday made it 55 goals for the club in 2025, just four short of Ronaldo’s 59-goal record, set in 2013.

Madrid have four games left this year, starting with hosting Celta Vigo at the Bernabéu on Sunday.

Kylian Mbappé is edging close to Cristiano Ronaldo’s Real Madrid goal record. Pedro Castillo/Real Madrid via Getty Images

“Kylian is on his way to making history at Real Madrid, just like Cristiano did,” Alonso said in a news conference on Saturday. “With his ambition, his statistics … he’s among a chosen few.

“Working with him on a daily basis is great. His desire to influence others, his contagious energy, is something he shares with Cristiano. There, I see similarities.”

Alonso refused to say which player he’d pick — Mbappé or former teammate Ronaldo — if he had to choose.

“Cristiano is Cristiano, and Kylian is Kylian,” Alonso said. “They’re both exceptional. We’re very lucky to have Kylian, and we have to make the most of it.”

Madrid began the weekend just a point behind rivals Barcelona at the top of the LaLiga table.

They go into the Celta game with no specialist right-back, after Trent Alexander-Arnold joined Dani Carvajal as a long-term absentee this week, with midfielder Fede Valverde likely to deputise.

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“We’ll have to assess what decision we take, but there are other options,” Alonso said. “Fede always puts the team first … I remember great games he’s had against Barça, Juve. He’s generous and wants to help the team.”

The victory in Bilbao relieved some pressure on Alonso, after Madrid’s three previous league games ended in draws.

“It was a good game, complete, an all-round [performance],” Alonso said. “Now we want to find consistency. We’ve have to be where we need to be in April or May.”

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The winter meetings are just days away, and the tentpole event of the MLB offseason usually provides plenty of movement via trades and free-agent signings.

Going into next weekâ€s events in Orlando, Florida, some teams are under more pressure than others to make a significant move or risk being left on the outside looking in at the offseason action.

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Here are the four teams under the most pressure at this yearâ€s winter meetings.

Chicago Cubs

No one seems to know what the Cubs want to be, including the Cubs themselves. Around this time last year, they were preparing to put a package together to acquire this yearâ€s biggest free agent, Kyle Tucker. Now, after a successful season with Tucker that included winning the NLâ€s top wild-card before being bounced by the Brewers in the NLDS, the expectation is that the outfielderâ€s time in Chicago is over.

If thatâ€s the case, the Cubs are back to where they were last year, with more questions in their lineup than answers. And itâ€s not just their lineup that needs some reinforcements; their rotation needs help as well.

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But beyond the need to add, the pressure on Chicago comes from the fact that the organizationâ€s desire to spend has come into question in recent years, as the ownership group has pulled back from being near the top of the league in payroll. This fall, Cubs fans finally saw their team get back to the NLDS for the first time since 2018, and theyâ€re tired of hearing about the players the team almost signed.

Next week, GM Jed Hoyer and Co. will have all eyes on them, waiting for a big move at the winter meetings.

Bryce Harper’s Phillies and Aaron Judge’s Yankees are among the teams under the most pressure this winter.

(Jonathan Castro/Yahoo Sports)

New York Yankees

Last winter, after losing Juan Soto to the crosstown rival New York Mets, the Yankees pivoted to Cody Bellinger, who filled the void admirably with a strong 2025 campaign. The former MVPâ€s impact on New Yorkâ€s season was significant, as he was not only strong defensively but also provided lineup protection for AL MVP Aaron Judge. This winter, the Yankees could once again lose a pivotal part of their lineup, as Bellinger is one of the best position players available in free agency.

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Beyond the question of bringing back Bellinger, the Yankees need to add a first baseman and reinforcements in the back end of their bullpen. Right-hander Devin Williams signed a three-year, $51 million deal with the Mets earlier this week, and mainstay Luke Weaver is currently a free agent.

The Yankees havenâ€t made any significant moves yet this offseason. GM Brian Cashman was extremely active at the winter meetings in 2024, and it wouldnâ€t be shocking to see his team making moves again this year.

Detroit Tigers

The clock is ticking on the Tigers and their time with two-time AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. It seems impossible to think Detroit would trade the best pitcher in the world, but reports have indicated that could happen, as theyâ€ve at the very least entertained calls on their ace, who will be a free agent after next season. In that case, the biggest question is how do you get enough value in return for a player of Skubalâ€s caliber, even with just one year of club control remaining?

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After a long rebuild, the Tigers reached the postseason in back-to-back seasons and seem to have a promising future ahead of them. So after all it took to get here, why not extend Skubal? There has been no better pitcher in baseball over the past two years than the Tigers†ace, and no matter the return, you will not be able to replace the type of pitcher Skubal is and the impact he can have on a playoff series. The problem, of course, is money, as the two sides are reportedly more than $100 million apart in extension talks.

If the Tigers know theyâ€re not going to find common ground with Skubal, it would be good business to shop him around and see what other teams might offer. Still, that doesnâ€t feel like the ending either side was hoping for in this situation.

Philadelphia Phillies

On the surface, the Phillies might not seem like a team under a lot of pressure. Over the past five years, theyâ€ve been one of the most aggressive and successful teams in baseball, building a core of talented players on long-term deals and reaching the postseason the past four Octobers. But the Phillies havenâ€t been able to get to the mountaintop, despite advancing to the World Series in 2022 and the NLCS in ‘23.

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Now Philadelphia has real decisions to make regarding the future of its roster, as three major contributors to the teamâ€s recent success are free agents: NL MVP runner-up Kyle Schwarber, left-hander Ranger Suárez and catcher J.T. Realmuto.

The priority for the Phillies this offseason is undoubtedly Schwarber, who is coming off the best season of his career and has been a leader in the Philadelphia clubhouse since he arrived in 2022. It would be devastating for the franchise to lose a guy like that, one of the most respected players in baseball and a fan favorite.

Outside of Schwarber, what moves does president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski have up his sleeve? Even if the Phillies re-sign Schwarber, their roster has some other needs in the lineup and bullpen. The front office has the resources to address them, but theyâ€ll need to work quickly. With the roster getting older and the National League only getting better, Phillyâ€s window could be closing.

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Holiday shopping season is in full swing… just maybe not in the NHL quite yet, where wish lists are growing long, but actual deals have yet to come to fruition.Â

With so little separation between the contenders and the sellers, the messy middle extending to much of the league while injuries hamper plans, itâ€s hard to figure out which teams are in position to buy and whoâ€s going to start selling.

Weâ€ll start there.

Stars, Islanders among teams to watch as big injuries hit

The Florida Panthers have been an obvious target of trade chatter as theyâ€ve been decimated by injuries to major stars early on, but theyâ€re far from alone when it comes to questions about how health setbacks might fuel a big move on the trade market.

The Dallas Stars join that conversation following Tuesdayâ€s ACL injury to Tyler Seguin. Itâ€s clear heâ€ll be out for a while, but it remains to be seen whether his recovery timeline will extend beyond the regular season. That has a big impact not only on the obvious loss of his talents in the Stars†lineup, but also when it comes to what kind of LTIR cap relief Dallas might see. If he is in fact ruled out for the rest of 2025-26, which means the remainder of the regular season and playoffs, he can be placed on season-ending LTIR and the Stars will have a sudden influx of cap flexibility (Seguinâ€s full cap hit, which is $9.85 million). If thereâ€s any possibility he could return at any point, though, the cap relief would be less than half of that.

While the Islanders arenâ€t as obvious a contender at this point in the season, they are in a similar position with Kyle Palmieri, who suffered an ACL tear last weekend and has been placed on injured reserve with a recovery timeline of six to eight months. With so many teams in the messy middle of the standings, itâ€ll be interesting to see how they proceed with any cap space they have.

Adam Foxâ€s injury has Rangers looking for help

While the New York Rangers donâ€t face the same long-term questions when it comes to defenceman Adam Fox, whoâ€s dealing with a shoulder injury, his absence does leave New York in a tough spot. Sportsnetâ€s Elliotte Friedman believes theyâ€re looking for a little help, particularly when it comes to trying to fill the void left on the power play.Â

“I do think they are looking for somebody out there, and one of the names Iâ€ve kind of heard thrown around was Erik Gustafsson, which would make some sense,†Friedman said on Fridayâ€s Edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. Thereâ€s some familiarity there. Gustafsson, who is currently with the Detroit Red Wings†AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids, played for the Rangers in 2023-24 and registered 25 assists with the club.Â

“I donâ€t think thereâ€s anything done there by any stretch of the imagination, but I know theyâ€re looking around to see if thereâ€s someone they can find while Fox is out,†Friedman said.

Flyers trying to calm the chatter around Tippett

Thereâ€s been chatter around the status of Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett and whether or not he might be available via trade. As Friedman explained on Fridayâ€s podcast, there may be too much chatter.

“I think the Flyers are trying to do everything they can to calm the noise around him,†Friedman said. “I think itâ€s bothered him a little bit. I think heâ€s definitely heard it. I think the Flyers are trying to say, ‘Look, this is not our doing.â€â€

Friedman said he believes the Vancouver Canucks have been among the teams inquiring, but said, “I donâ€t think thatâ€s gonna be happening.â€

Said Friedman: “I think (the Flyers are) trying to calm down the noise, simply because this is not created by them. Sometimes names are out there because teams are looking to move guys — this is not the case with Tippett. So, weâ€ll see where that goes.â€

Are the Sabres shopping Luukkonen?

All eyes will be on the goalie market as the season goes on, considering how many teams currently have questions at the position due to both health and performance. That could make the Buffalo Sabres an interesting team to watch when it comes to Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period believes “there’s an appetite to seriously look at moving him.” Whether that means an in-season trade or if it’s something that heats up closer to the draft in June, is unclear.

Luukkonen is 4-3-1 on the season so far and has a 2.51 goals-against average and .899 save percentage. The 26-year-oldâ€s contract is interesting — his $4.75-millin cap hit, with three more years of team control beyond this season, would appeal to plenty of clubs, and the fact that he has a modified no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1 puts a bit of a timeline on any potential deals, too.

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Both New York clubs are searching for starting pitching this offseason, and two players they are reportedly strongly considering are Tatsuya Imai and Michael King.

The Mets and Yankees are among the most interested in the free agent righties, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

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That certainly doesnâ€t come as a surprise, as both would present a strong addition to either clubs rotation.

Imai, who was posted by the NPBâ€s Seibu Lions this offseason, is coming off a spectacular campaign in which he pitched to a career-best 1.92 ERA and 0.89 WHIP in 163 innings.

His plus-arsenal includes a mid-90s fastball, a splitter, slider, and cutter.

He has until Jan. 2 to sign with a club, and according to a recent report from the Athletic, he is expected to visit with teams upon the end of next weekâ€s Winter Meetings.

Boston, Philly, and the Cubs are also believed to be interested as well.

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King was tremendous in 2024 as he transitioned from the bullpen to a full-time starter, but he battled injuries for most of last season and was limited to just 15 outings with the Padres.

He dealt with a nerve injury in his throwing shoulder, and also lost time due to a knee injury.

The NY native and former Yankee has top of the rotation potential when healthy, but concerns over his durability could result in him landing a short-term deal this offseason.

King could potentially bet on himself with an eye on hitting the market again next winter, but there are several other clubs in the mix for his talents including the Orioles, Tigers, and Marlins.

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As the Mets search for a top of the rotation starter, they are “among the favorites” for free agent left-hander Framber Valdez, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.

Per Feinsand, the Orioles are also viewed as a top suitor for Valdez.

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In addition to Valdez, Feinsand reports that the Mets are one of the teams most interested in free agent starters Tatsuya Imaiand Michael King.

Additionally, Feinsand links the Mets to Ranger Suarez, but lists his most serious suitors as the Astros, Cubs, and Orioles.

As far as the 32-year-old Valdez, he has been a workhorse over the last four seasons while posting a 3.21 ERA and 1.15 WHIP across 767.2 innings.

After leading the American League in innings pitched in 2022 (201.1 IP), Valdez hasn’t really slowed down. He fired 198.0 innings in 2023, 176.1 innings in 2024, and 192.0 innings this past season.

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His ERA in 2025 was 3.66 — the highest it’s been since 2019, when Valdez was working mostly in relief. But while the ERA was a tick high, there wasn’t much cause for concern elsewhere, as Valdez’s WHIP, hit rate, walk rate, home run rate, and strikeout rate were all right around his career averages.

It’s also worth noting that Valdez has excelled over the course of his career despite never being an advanced stats darling.

Part of the reason why he’s able to perform so well while not blowing hitters away is his elite ground ball rate, which was in the 97th percentile in 2025. Valdez’s sinker — which he relied on 44 percent of the time this past season — also graded out strongly, ranking in the 91st percentile.

When it comes to Valdez’s advanced stats, there are some causes for concern. The biggest one is that his curve ball and slider — his two main secondary pitches — both graded out poorly in 2025. That was a stark difference from the prior three seasons, so perhaps it was just a one-year blip.

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There was also troubling moment with Valdez this past September, when he seemingly intentionally crossed up his catcher in order to hit him with a pitch — and showed no remorse after. For his part, Valdez claimed it was unintentional.

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With most teams having played at least 20 games, the NBA season has reached its quarter mark, so itâ€s time to take stock of what weâ€re seeing. Yesterday, we covered seven teams that stood outwith surprising starts to the 2025-26 NBA season. Some for better reasons than others. Today, we’re going to look at which individual players have provided some of the most impressive breakouts of the early season.

Austin Reaves – Guard, Los Angeles Lakers

Entering this season, Austin Reaves and the Lakers had to figure something out heading into his free agency next summer: Could he thrive and be the No. 2 offensive option they needed next to Luka Doncic? Twenty games into the season, the only question is how much the Lakers will have to pay Reaves next summer to keep him. He is averaging 28.1 points and 6.6 assists a game, has shown he can work next to Doncic when the Slovenian is healthy, and more importantly, showed he can take over the offense when Doncic is out — and even hit a game-winner.

“There’s a cadence right now to his game,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said of Reaves. “He’s got a great understanding of when he has a good matchup. He’s got a great understanding of how to play with Luca [Doncic]. And so the flow state that every athlete kind of searches for. He’s just in that right now.”

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Reaves should be an All-Star this season and will be in the All-NBA conversation as well. All of which is going to earn him a massive pay raise this summer.

Jalen Duren – Center, Detroit Pistons

Last summer, when the Pistons and Jalen Duren talked extension to his rookie contract, Duren and his agent threw a big number on the table. Detroit balked. The Pistons had questions about how well Duren fit with Cade Cunningham and if he could defend the paint well enough as a big man.

Looking back, the Pistons probably should have taken Duren’s offer, because his play so far this season has earned him an even bigger payday. Duren is averaging 19.6 points a game on 66% shooting, plus he’s pulling down 11.8 rebounds a game. However, the raw numbers donâ€t begin to tell the story of how he fits in on offense. Duren has become Cunninghamâ€s best pick-and-roll partner: Detroit scores a league-best 1.45 points per possession when he is the pick-and-roll screener, and he is shooting 83.3% when he gets the ball back on the roll (stats via Basketball University).

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Then there is the key reason Duren looks like a first-time All-Star (and is maybe the frontrunner for Most Improved Player) — his defense. He has transformed from the guy teams tried to isolate against into a solid, physical defender that helps anchor the Pistons’ second-ranked defense. Duren is going to get paid this summer, and he will have earned it.

Alex Sarr – Center, Washington Wizards

Another big man who deserves to be getting more attention is Wizards center Alex Sarr. Yes, the Wizards are bad, but Sarr is part of an exciting future they have there (along with Kyshawn George, who Eric interviewed earlier in the season). Last season, Sarr was the 2nd overall pick in the NBA Draft but looked overmatched as a 19-year-old. He averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game but shot just 39.4% from the field and was taking over five three-pointers a game, despite shooting a 30% clip from deep. This season, he has become a far more efficient and effective scorer, averaging 19.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks on 51.5% shooting.

Sarr is now taking almost six shots per game in the restricted area and shooting 74% on those looks after taking just 2.9 shots per game from that close last year and shooting 63.5%. Heâ€s also being used as a pick-and-roll screener 24% of the time with the team scoring 1.05 points per possession on those looks, which is up from the 0.79 points per possession they scored on his 26.3% pick-and-roll usage last year. Heâ€s also become a strong rim protector, as his 50.8% block rate ranks seventh among all NBA starters, and his 11.0 contested shots per game rank 2nd among all centers. Considering heâ€s only 20 years old, the ceiling is getting considerably higher for Sarr.

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Ryan Rollins – Guard, Milwaukee Bucks

There is perhaps no better story in basketball this year than Ryan Rollins. The Bucks guard has taken the long and winding road to get to this point. He was a second-round pick in 2022 out of Toledo and barely played for a veteran-led Warriors team. He was then traded in 2023 with Jordan Poole to Washington, where he played 10 games before being released because he was caught shoplifting. The Bucks then signed him to a two-way deal in 2024 when he had averaged about 5.5 minutes per game in 25 career games over two years. He wasnâ€t asked to do much last year, but played well in limited opportunities when Damian Lillard was injured, so the Bucks re-signed him to a three-year, $12 million deal. Bucks general manager Jon Horst said at the time that Rollins could outplay that deal, and boy has he ever.

With Kevin Porter Jr. hurt to start the year, Rollins was given a chance to start at point guard, and he hasnâ€t looked back. The 23-year-old is averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Heâ€s shooting 48.5% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc on 6.0 three-point attempts per game. He has earned the admiration of his teammates, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, and looks ot be a real part of the Bucks†future, whether that future contains Giannis or not.

Deni Avdija – Forward, Portland Trail Blazers

There are a few front office people around the league watching this breakout season from Deni Avdija in Portland and cringing, thinking about how their team had a chance to land him while Washington didnâ€t realize what they had, but their teams chose another direction.

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Portland did, and now they are benefiting from a physical 6â€8†forward who can run the floor, run the offense, and is leading the surprising Trail Blazers by averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists a game, all while shooting 38% from 3-point range. He leads the league in drives, averaging 19.4 a game — thatâ€s more than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — and heâ€s shooting 50% when he does put his head down and go hard to the rim. On the other end of the court, he has fit in well with one of the high-pressure defense-into-offense teams around the league, and heâ€s been asked to guard bigger wings and has thrived in that role.

Even in the deep West, Avdija has to be a first-time All-Star this season. On a Portland team starting to build something serious, Avdija has become a cornerstone.

Keyonte George – Guard, Utah Jazz

Itâ€s a bit of a lost season in Utah with Walker Kessler out for the season, and Lauri Markkanen the subject of plenty of trade rumors. However, the Jazz have to be happy about what theyâ€ve seen from third-year guard Keyonte George. The 22-year-old has become a far more effective scorer on his drives and mid-range, which has led to him upping his scoring from 16.8 points per game to 22.8 points per game on 44.6% from the field, which is up from an identical 39.1% in each of his first two seasons. Heâ€s also getting to the free-throw line far more often, averaging 7.0 attempts per game after being at 4.3 last season.

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A big component of that is his newfound aggression. George is averaging 10.7 drives per game and shooting 47.1% on those drives. Last season, he averaged just 8.6 drives per game and shot 42.8% on them. Whatâ€s more, 76.5% of his drives end in points this year, which is a big increase from a 62.2% mark last year. George is now taking 5.5 shots per game in the paint after taking just 3.4 last year. Heâ€s also connecting on 50.9% this year after making just 41% of those last year. Weâ€ve also seen growth in his mid-range game, with him now taking 2.4 mid-range shots a game and connecting at 43.8%, which is a huge step up from last year, when he took just 1.2 mid-range shots a game at a 35.4% clip. Yes, George remains a subpar defender, and that will likely always be a component of his game, but his offensive improvements canâ€t be denied, and thatâ€s at least something for Jazz fans to be excited about.

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Hampshire’s Linsey Smith is among 17 players to have received full England women’s central contracts for 2025-26.

Left-arm spinner Smith, 30, has earned her first central contract after playing in a combined 34 one-day and T20 internationals for England.

Four players have been awarded a skills contract, with all-rounder Em Arlott and batter Emma Lamb both given their first.

In a change from last year, and their male counterparts, England’s women have opted not to extend any of their players on two-year deals.

Ten players have received new one-year contracts, with seven players entering the second year of their current terms.

Bowler Kate Cross, 34, revealed in September that she would lose her central contract and is the only player to lose her full deal.

Clare Connor, managing director of England women, said Cross had provided “years of extraordinary service” to the women’s game and that “the door to selection is never closed on any domestic cricketer”.

Skills contracts allow the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to manage the workload and development of those players in collaboration with their county sides – effectively falling between a domestic and full central contract.

England, who were knocked out of the Women’s World Cup semi-finals in a 125-run defeat by South Africa in October, will host next year’s T20 World Cup.

Connor said: “It’s an immensely exciting year ahead for England women and the awarding of these contracts reflects our confidence in this group of players with our collective focus firmly on winning the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on home soil next summer.

“Linsey Smith, Emma Lamb and Em Arlott have all made important contributions for England across the last year and these contracts are both a reward for what they have achieved and an opportunity to develop their skills further.”

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Australian golf fans love Rory McIlroy but the Irishman doesn’t appear to love Royal Melbourne with the global superstar saying the famous course isn’t even the best in the city.

The world No.2 was swamped by a large crowd during the pro-am in a sign of things to come this weekend, with the Australian Open general public tickets sold out for the first time in years.

McIlroy will tee off in the opening round on Thursday with Australian great Adam Scott, whom he famously beat for the title in 2013, and another drawcard Min Woo Lee.

The game’s newest grand slam winner praised the tournament’s return from dual gender to its traditional format and its location on the Victorian sandbelt.

But McIlroy, who played five holes at five different Melbourne courses on Monday, wasn’t overly enthusiastic about Royal Melbourne, rating nearby Kingston Heath above it.

“I don’t want the membership to take this badly but it’s probably not the best course in Melbourne,” said McIlroy, who won the Masters this year to become just the sixth man to achieve the career grand slam.

He did at least add the course was still in the top 10 in the world and said it possibly played “funky” on Wednesday due to the northerly wind.

“I didn’t anticipate how many blind tee shots there was going to be, and it takes a little bit to figure out, it’s certainly not straightforward.

“I think as well, it probably plays better in the southerly wind rather than a northerly wind … it’s probably not a fair reflection on the golf course playing it in this wind.

“It would be good to play it in a few other directions, but it’s obviously an amazing golf course and I can’t wait to get out there and compete on it this week.”

The 36-year-old, who last played in the Australian Open in 2015, often credits his thrilling win over Scott at Royal Sydney two years earlier as a turning point in his career.

“I think about that tournament a lot and about what it meant,” McIlroy said.

“I felt at that point in my career I was at a bit of a crossroads … in 2013 I’d really struggled and I really do think that that win at the end of the year was a catalyst for what happened in 2014, which I’d say, up there with 2025, are the best two years of my career,” he said.

McIlroy felt the 121-year-old tournament deserved a standalone week rather than clash with Tiger Woods’s Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas plus another in South Africa.

He said Australia was “starved” of top-shelf tournaments.

“Australia has been a very big part of my golfing life and my golfing journey, going all the way back to playing the Australian Open as an amateur back in 2005 and 2006.

“I just think the quality of the golf down here, the quality of the players that have come from here.

“You look at an event like LIV (Golf) in Adelaide and the people that come out to that event and how excited they are that some of the top players in the world are down here playing, it just feels like this country is starved of top-level golf.

“A market like this with amazing fans and the history that it does have probably deserves more of a consistency of big players and big tournaments.

“This tournament in particular because of the history, because of the tradition, deserves to be a standalone tournament, a week on its own, and hopefully one day they could put together a schedule where the biggest and best tournaments in the world and the oldest and the ones with the most heritage can be elevated.”

The star trio tee off at 7.05am AEDT followed by Cameron Smith, who is playing alongside fellow Australian Elvis Smylie and 2016 Masters champion Danny Willett.

• 

  André SnellingsDec 1, 2025, 10:00 AM ET

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  Dr. André Snellings is a senior writer for men’s and women’s fantasy basketball and sports betting at ESPN. André has a Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from Michigan. He joined ESPN in 2017 after a 16-year career as a neural engineer, during which time he was also a writer and analyst for Rotowire.

As the NBA season moves into December, rotations continue to change and take shape around the league. With that comes opportunity for players who maybe weren’t all that valuable in fantasy at the start of the season, or even a week or two ago.

Things change fast in the association, and we’re here to keep you up with the latest.

These are the players who are trending up and worthy of your attention heading into the new month.

Resources: Sign up and play | Rankings | Adds/Drops | Scoring leaders | Player Rater | Mock draft lobby | Depth charts | Schedule | Injuries

Point guard

T.J. McConnell, PG, Indiana Pacers (rostered in 41.5% of ESPN leagues): McConnell made his season debut on Nov. 11 after dealing with a hamstring issue, and in the weeks sense has ramped back up to his typical level as one of the most productive sixth men in the NBA. McCollum scored in double-digits in five straight games between November 19 and 28, and even including that sixth game with eight points he has averaged 13.0 PPG, 6.2 APG and 4.0 RPG in 20.2 MPG over that span.

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Jose Alvarado, PG, New Orleans Pelicans (5.7%):Alverado is a streaky performer off the bench for the Pelicans. On average, he’s a threat to score low double-figures with a handful of assists and rebounds, a couple of 3-pointers and a steal per night. But when he gets it going, he can put up points in bunches. He had it going over a two-game span last week in which he averaged 20.0 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 5.0 APG, 4.0 3PG and 2.0 SPG. Alverado is unlikely to sustain that level, but the fact that it’s there is enough to make him worth considering for a roster or streaming spot on fantasy squads.

Shooting guard

Jaylen Wells, SG, Memphis Grizzlies (6.1%):Wells has been playing a larger role in the Grizzlies’ offense since Ja Morant went down, and it’s starting to show up in his box scores. In his last three games, Wells has gone over 20 points twice after having not done so in the first month of the season. Overall, in his last three games, Wells is averaging 20.0 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 3.3 3PG and 1.0 SPG.

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Jaylen Wells is automatic from 3-point land

Jaylen Wells is automatic from 3-point land

Collin Sexton, SG/PG, Charlotte Hornets (39.3%): Sexton has split his time fairly evenly between starting and coming off the bench, but in either role he has become one of the key parts of the Hornets’ rotation. Sexton has scored in double figures in every game this season but one, the second of the season. In his last 12 games, Sexton has averaged 16.3 PPG, 4.0 APG and 1.3 3PG in 26.8 MPG.

Small forward

Saddiq Bey, SF/PF, New Orleans Pelicans (27.0%): Bey has been in the starting lineup for most games this season, and as a starter he has been a consistent 20 PPG scorer who has been crashing the boards as well. Bey turned in three straight double-doubles last week, a span in which he averaged 18.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG and 2.7 3PG. While these averages represent a bump in rebounds compared to his typical, the scoring and 3-point shooting are similar to his season averages in the starting lineup.

Cameron Johnson, SF/PF, Denver Nuggets (33.5%): Johnson was brought to the Nuggets this offseason in exchange for Michael Porter Jr., and was expected to fit into his shooter-scorer forward role. After a slow start and extended slump to start the season, Johnson has found his shot. In his last four games, Johnson has averaged 20.3 PPG and 4.0 3PG. Those numbers are a bit higher than his expectation moving forward, but he has sustainable mid-teens scoring and two to three 3-pointers potential on a nightly basis.

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Cameron Johnson buries 3-point shot against Memphis Grizzlies

Cameron Johnson buries 3-point shot against Memphis Grizzlies

Julian Champagnie, SF, San Antonio Spurs (12.1%): Champagnie has had two extended stints in the starting lineup for the Spurs, the most recent of which due to the injury absence of Stephon Castle. Champagnie is taking advantage of his larger role, proving capable of scoring 20 or more points on any given night while averaging in the upper teens, powered by three or more 3-pointers. He’s averaging more than 30 MPG as a starter, and as long as he holds that role he has flex value in fantasy leagues.

Power forward

Noah Clowney, PF, Brooklyn Nets (11.6%): Clowney had been on a roll, with arguably the best extended stretch of his play in his career over the last couple of weeks before he was slowed with a hip injury. In those eight games, he averaged 17.9 PPG, 3.0 3PG, 1.4 BPG and 1.1 SPG. Clowney is probable to play on Monday, indicating the hip injury isn’t serious, and if he can return to his previous level he is worthy of a flex starting role, particularly in category leagues.

Center

Jay Huff, C, Indiana Pacers (8.1%): Huff has scored in double figures in four straight games and five of the last six, and his solid play has re-earned him a spot in the starting lineup. In three starts this season, Huff has scored in double-digits each game with averages of 12.7 PPG, 8.3 RPG and 3.7 BPG. The nightly double-double threat with big shot-blocking numbers is good enough for starting consideration in category leagues and streaming consideration in all formats.

Neemias Queta, C, Boston Celtics (24.6%): Queta is working his way through an injured ankle, but when he is on the court he has been productive. He has double-doubles in each of his last non-injury-shortened performances, and is coming off a career game of 19 points, 18 rebounds and 2 blocked shots on Saturday. Queta is a nightly low-mid double-double threat, and when healthy could be worthy of a fantasy roster spot or streaming consideration.

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November 30, 2025 | Paul Stimpson

Wales and GBâ€s Anna Hursey is a world champion – and ends the ITTF World Youth Championships with THREE medals!

She won the Under-19 Girls†Doubles alongside Mia Griesel of Germany, adding to their European gold at the same age group and at Under-21s.

The medal goes with the silver won alongside Romaniaâ€s Iulian Chirita in the Mixed Doubles.

In the singles, the top seed had to settle for bronze as she was defeated in the semi-finals.

The medals are Wales†first at this level and Hursey is only the second British athlete to get on the podium in the individual events after Englandâ€s Paul Drinkhall won silver in the Boys†Singles is 2008 – England also won team bronze that year.

The doubles final was hugely dramatic as Hursey & Griesel came from 2-0 down and saved three match points before taking the gold 14-12 in the decider.

There wasnâ€t much indication of what was to come when their opponents, Chinaâ€s Zong Geman & Qin Yuxuan won eight points in a row to take the first game 11-4.

When they kept the momentum going and won the second 11-5, never trailing, it looked a long way back for the European champions.

But the momentum shifted from 2-2 in the third when six successive points broke the back of that game. The Chinese reduced the arrears but could only get to seven. And it was 2-2 when Hursey & Griesel won the fourth 11-8, themselves never trailing.

The decider sae neither pair leading by more than two at any stage, but the Chinese generally had the edge and brought up two match points. They were saved and then two more match points were traded – first for Hursey & Griesel and then for Zong & Qin. Finally, the historic point was taken by the Europeans, winning the game 14-12 and getting on the top step of the podium.

Hursey was top seed in the singles but had to be content with bronze after she was defeated 4-1 in the semi-finals by third seed Qin, who went on to beat compatriot Zong in six games in the final.

Hursey took the first game 11-6, sealing it with a run of four points, but once Qin had edged the second 11-9, after seeing Hursey close from 5-9 to 9-9, she started to dominate and won the next three 5, 3, 5.

Hursey earlier beat sixth seed Yeh Yi-Tian of Chinese Taipei in six games in the quarter-finals.

But Hursey and coach John Murphy can reflect on an incredible week in Romania, returning with three medals and a place in GB table tennis history.

Results

Under-19 Girls’ Singles
Quarter-finals
Hursey bt Yeh Yi-Tian (TPE) 4-2 (11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 13-11)

Semi-finals
Qin Yuxuan (CHN) bt Anna Hursey (WAL) 4-1 (6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-3, 11-5)

Under-19 Girls’ Doubles
Final
Anna Hursey (WAL) & Mia Greisel (GER) bt Zong Geman & Qin Yuxuan (CHN) 3-2 (4-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-8, 14-12)

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