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The NHL and NBA teams adjusted the start times for several games in the coming days to avoid going head-to-head with the Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Leafs†home game on Saturday against the Buffalo Sabres will start at 5 p.m. ET (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+) instead of 7 p.m., the NHL club announced Wednesday.

Also, the Leafs†game on Tuesday against the Calgary Flames at Scotiabank Arena will start at 6:15 p.m. ET instead of 6 p.m.

The Leafs†game in Buffalo on Friday will move up a half hour to 7 p.m. ET from 7:30 p.m. (Sportsnet ONE, Sportsnet+).

Meanwhile, the Raptors†home opener on Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks will start at 6:30 p.m. ET instead of 7:30 p.m. The same game-time switch is happening for next Wednesdayâ€s home game against the Houston Rockets.

The Blue Jays host the Los Angeles Dodgers in Games 1 and 2 of the World Series just down the street at Rogers Centre on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. ET. Games 3-5 of the World Series are in Los Angeles next Monday to Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET. All World Series games are on Sportsnet.

The Leafs and Raptors say they will show the Blue Jays games on the Scotiabank Arena videoboard following their home games.

“Toronto sports fans are undeniably some of the most passionate fans in the world, and we are proud to have the cityâ€s teams come together and give these fans an opportunity to experience a significant moment in our cityâ€s and nationâ€s history,†MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement.

“Each of these game time changes are quite complicated and represent the cooperation of many stakeholders, including the respective leagues, coaches and players of the Leafs, Raptors and opposing teams and broadcasters. We are grateful to them all for their assistance as we work to make this a very special moment for Toronto fans as we come together to support the Blue Jays.â€

Previously, the Leafs moved a home game up two hours to 2 p.m. on Thanksgiving (Oct. 13) to avoid a conflict with Game 2 of the ALCS at Rogers Centre.

The Leafs†home opener on Oct. 8 took place during the Blue Jays†ALDS-clinching win over the Yankees in New York. Toronto fans let out huge cheers several times during the Leafs game when good things were happening for the Jays.

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TORONTO — On another night that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs play with fire, another night that saw them cough up pucks with the vultures hovering, wire off-target passes at out-of-position teammates, and take up residence in their own zone while their opponents lobbed chance after chance at their netminder, this tumultuous blue-and-white roller-coaster squad once again managed to avoid getting burned.

Five games into the 2025-26 campaign, the juryâ€s still out on what exactly Brad Treliving and Co. have in this group. Itâ€s still early — thereâ€s still rust to shake off and new names to work into the mix. But through five games, the Maple Leafs have shown little in the way of inspired hockey, and even less in terms of the type of elite play required to take down any of the leagueâ€s best.

Thursday night, under the Scotiabank Arena lights, they waded through another night in the sludge, a messy affair against the New York Rangers chock full of lacklustre sequences in every corner of the rink. And once again, the lack of a top-tier opponent across the sheet meant they could pull out a late moment of quality and steal another win.

“You know, the first period had four penalties, so that sums up that period for me,†head coach Craig Berube said after the final buzzer sounded on an eventual 2-1 overtime win. “In the second period, I thought we got caught extending our shifts — they transitioned from defence to offence quickly and caught us with some odd-man rushes. Third period, they had the momentum.

“We grinded it out, though. … Weâ€ve got to be better than that, but it was a win.â€

Among the growing list of issues to sort out as the season wears on is the make-up of the Maple Leafs†struggling top line. Much was made coming into the campaign of the situation regarding Torontoâ€s top trio. With longtime top-six stalwart Mitch Marner leaving town, and captain Auston Matthews hunting for a bounceback campaign following an injury-plagued 2024-25, all eyes were on the name that would be pencilled in beside Nos. 34 and 23.

After a brief dose of Matias Maccelli up there, young Easton Cowan has gotten the call of late, with mixed results. Thursday night wound up more valley than peak, the 20-year-old finishing with a team-high five giveaways, and seeing only a couple shifts of action in the third period as Berube sent out Max Domi, Bobby McMann, and William Nylander in his place for stretches.

After the dust settled on the night, Berube chalked up Cowanâ€s limited third-period minutes to the flow of the tilt, rather than the young wingerâ€s own performance.

“The game in general, I think, more than anything,†Berube said of what forced No. 53 to the bench. “I thought our team maybe lacked a little energy tonight, so I was just trying to find some lines and some energy together, thatâ€s all.â€

Thereâ€s no doubt work still needs to be done in terms of ironing out the forward corps†wrinkles and finding some genuine chemistry with the new recruits. While the depth trio of Calle Jarnkrok, Nicolas Roy and Dakota Joshua came up with some good sequences; the trio of Domi, McMann and Nick Robertson had moments; and the second line of Nylander, Maccelli, and John Tavares seems reliable enough, thereâ€s still a sense that the group overall isnâ€t clicking. And that the most important question mark heading into the season — who lines up in No. 16â€s former spot — remains unanswered.

Still, even with the clubâ€s offence looking disjointed, the Maple Leafs find themselves heading towards a Saturday-night return to the ice with another win in the bag, largely because the clubâ€s leaders managed to pull out key moments when they were needed most.

It started in the first, when the Maple Leafs found a power-play marker amid a largely ugly opening frame, Nylander firing a puck on net and watching it bounce in off Knies.

“Weâ€ve worked on that play — just hang on the back post, make myself big, and hope that it bounces in,†Knies said of the goal. “Fortunately, it did.â€

It continued in the second, when a strong defensive play from Knies at the netfront preserved Torontoâ€s one-goal lead, the young winger using his size to hold off the hungry Rangers scorers after an initial Anthony Stolarz save spurred some chaos in the crease.

“You just want to stay close to Stolie, obviously make his life a little bit easier,†said Knies. “I think we did a good job of that in parts of the first and parts of the third, but in the second, we did hang him out to dry a little bit.â€

While the top line might be struggling to find its groove offensively without its former Selke-nominated leader, Matthews has seen improvement from young Knies on the defensive side of the game.

“I think heâ€s taken steps in that regard,†the captain said from the locker room late Thursday. “You know, heâ€s a big body, uses his size and his reach very well, and heâ€s smart. So, the more experience heâ€s had, and the situations heâ€s put in â€” end of the game, up a goal, down a goal, PK — you just kind of get a feel for how to use yourself in those situations. And heâ€s done a really good job improving in all those areas.â€

It was what transpired in the final seconds of Thursdayâ€s wobbly win that should give the blue-and-white faithful some reason to hope, though. The fact that even on a night like this, when it all couldâ€ve gone wrong for the home side — when it perhaps should’ve — the clubâ€s best came up with a moment of brilliance to put two points on the board.

Morgan Rielly kicked off the game-winning overtime play, stuffing an attempted Rangers†chance in Torontoâ€s zone before sending Matthews in on a 2-on-1 with Nylander. The snipers took care of the rest, Matthews dishing to Nylander, Nylander returning the favour, and No. 34 burying the game-ender.

If there was a time to come up with the one promising offensive sequence of the night, that was a good spot for it.

“Just had some time and space,†Matthews said of the goal. “Weâ€ve seen it a lot of times before, just playing a little give-and-go — obviously, heâ€s a great passer, and he put it right on my tape. It was a really nice play, and Mo made a great play in our zone there to break out that play and get us on that 2-on-1.â€

“Heâ€s an integral part of our team,†Stolarz said of No. 88. “You see him getting those big minutes there in the last two minutes — heâ€s someone thatâ€s grown into that role, and someone that weâ€re going to need as the year progresses to continue to battle, continue to work. You see him go for the change, and then his hockey instincts take over, he back-checks, Mo makes a nice pass to him, he comes down and feeds someone for the tap-in.

“The way heâ€s able to move up and down the ice, play defence, play offence, I think thatâ€s going to be huge for us.â€

Win aside, thereâ€s little outside of that final play that the Maple Leafs can look back on positively from this one. The list of issues to be sorted isnâ€t short, and thereâ€s little doubt a better club wouldâ€ve outlasted these Maple Leafs. But if youâ€re going to put up performances like this one while youâ€re fighting to find your game, youâ€d rather finish it with a W.

“I think we were kind of over-skating a little bit,†Knies said of the night. “I think they did a great job, honestly, hemming us in a little bit and controlling the momentum in parts of the game.

“But a winâ€s a win. And we found a way to get a victory here. Thatâ€s all that matters.â€

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Nadine de Klerk got South Africa over the line again as they recovered from another top-order collapse to beat Bangladesh by three wickets at the Women’s World Cup.

Having been set 233 to win in Visakhapatnam, the Proteas slipped to 78-5 before half-centuries from Chloe Tryon, who made 62 from 69 balls, and Marizanne Kapp, 56 from 71 balls, brought them back into contention.

Kapp fell with 70 still needed to bring De Klerk – fresh from her heroics against India – to the middle, and for a time it seemed that she and Tryon would get South Africa home comfortably.

Instead, Tryon was run out with 35 required and there were more uncomfortable moments to come as De Klerk twice miscued in the penultimate over with match in the balance.

While the first skied shot landed safely, the second went straight to long-off but Shorna Akter dropped the catch – a particularly cruel moment given it was the 18-year’s superb 34-ball fifty that had earlier taken Bangladesh up to a competitive total.

But having been given that life, De Klerk – who ended unbeaten on 37 from 29 balls – made sure she finished the job and a mighty six over the leg side sealed the victory with three balls to spare.

While South Africa can celebrate a third straight win, and a second in a row in which they have battled back from a losing position, Bangladesh are left to rue a number of crucial dropped catches.

Rabeya Khan put down a simple chance off her own bowling to give Proteas skipper Laura Wolvaardt a chance early on.

Sub fielder Soumya Akter then dropped Tryon on 46 off Rabeya’s bowling in the 44th over, allowing the ball to run away for four, with the next ball disappearing for six before Shorna’s drop late on.

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The NHL has announced that Mondayâ€s game between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena will be pushed from a 4 p.m. ET start time to 2 p.m. ET.

The league made this scheduling tweak to allow fans to tune into Game 2 of the ALCS, when the MLBâ€s Toronto Blue Jays will be hosting either the Detroit Tigers or the Seattle Mariners at Rogers Centre.

Not only will fans of the Maple Leafs get to watch the Blue Jays, but if the Tigers advance, Red Wings fans will also get to experience that game without any crossover from the NHL and MLB.

MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley played a part in making this scheduling adjustment possible.

“The Blue Jays playoff excitement has captured the entire city and we want to help make sure that fans donâ€t miss a pitch,†Pelley said in a statement.

 â€œWe greatly appreciate the cooperation by the NHL and Amazon Prime to make this time change possible and we all look forward to cheering on both the Leafs and the Blue Jays on Monday afternoon and evening.â€

The start time for Game 2 of the ALCS involving the Blue Jays is yet to be determined. However, itâ€s known that the first pitch on Monday will either come at 5:03 p.m. ET or 8:08 p.m. ET, depending on whether the Milwaukee Brewers advance to the NLCS.

Since the game between the Red Wings and Maple Leafs has been pushed up by a couple of hours, fans will be allowed to remain in Scotiabank Arena to watch the Blue Jays game on the videoboard.

The Maple Leafs allowed fans to hang back at Scotiabank Arena in their home opener on Wednesday to watch the Blue Jays advance to the ALCS in a 5-2 win over the New York Yankees. The Leafs fans also chanted “Let’s go Blue Jays†during the game.

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LOS ANGELES — Kyle Schwarber homered twice, his first towering shot clearing the right-field pavilion in a three-run fourth inning, and the Philadelphia Phillies avoided a sweep with an 8-2 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the National League Division Series on Wednesday night.

It was the first Schwarbomb of the postseason for the NL’s leading home run hitter and the first allowed by the Dodgers in these playoffs. Schwarber snapped an 0-for-8 skid in the NLDS, slugging a 96 mph fastball from Yoshinobu Yamamoto 455 feet.

“It’s ridiculous how far that ball went,” Phillies shortstop Trea Turner said. “Sometimes it’s hard to create your own momentum, and you’ve got to build off things like that. No better way than the ball leaving the stadium.”

Schwarber became just the second player to homer over the pavilion, joining Pittsburgh’s Willie Stargell, who did it in 1969 and 1973. Fans standing near the back railing pointed as the ball went out.

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“I didn’t even see where it landed,” Schwarber said. “I was looking in the dugout, trying to get the guys going.”

Schwarber’s 23 career postseason homers rank third all time and are the most among left-handers. Game 4 of the best-of-five series is Thursday at Dodger Stadium, with the Dodgers clinging to a 2-1 lead. Left-hander Cristopher Sanchez, who started Game 1 of the series, goes for the Phillies against Dodgers right-hander Tyler Glasnow, who pitched 1â…” scoreless innings of relief in Game 1.

“It’s pretty close to being flushed already,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “I feel good with where we’re at.”

After Philadelphia’s Aaron Nola pitched the first two innings, Ranger Suarez came in and allowed one run and five hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked one.

“Ranger did a fantastic job,” Schwarber said. “Kept everyone right there for us to eventually crack through and have a beginning.”

The Phillies tacked on five more runs in the eighth — including a solo shot by J.T. Realmuto and a two-run drive by Schwarber — off three-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw in his first postseason relief appearance since 2019.

Six of the Phillies’ 12 hits came off Kershaw in his 18th and final season with the Dodgers before retiring at season’s end.

“I was battling command,” Kershaw said. “It’s hard when you’re trying to throw strikes in the postseason to get people out.”

Yamamoto retired nine of his first 10 batters before the Phillies jumped on him in the fourth. Bryce Harper and Alec Bohm followed with singles and Harper scored on center fielder Andy Pages’ throwing error. It skipped away from third baseman Max Muncy and into the Dodgers’ dugout, moving Bohm to third. He scored on Brandon Marsh’s sacrifice fly to left for a 3-1 lead.

The Phillies chased Yamamoto with back-to-back singles by Bryson Stott and Turner in the fifth.

Reliever Anthony Banda came in and worked out of a bases-loaded jam. He struck out Schwarber after Stott and Turner’s double steal. Harper flied out and Bohm was intentionally walked before Banda got Marsh on a swinging strikeout to end the threat.

The Dodgers led 1-0 on Tommy Edman’s homer on the first pitch by Suarez leading off the third.

The Dodgers had the potential tying runs on first and second in the sixth but Muncy grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Kershaw allowed three runners to reach base in the seventh, but none scored. Another left-hander, 89-year-old Dodgers great Sandy Koufax, was on his feet applauding as Kershaw jogged to the mound.

Dodgers sluggers Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman were a combined 0-for-8 with three strikeouts. Mookie Betts tripled and singled in four at-bats.

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The location changed for Game 3 of the NLDS between the Milwaukee Brewers and Chicago Cubs, but the scoring cadence didnâ€t. There were first-inning fireworks in the Friendly Confines, too.

In an NL Central division showdown that produced 13 first-inning runs in the first two games, the Cubs put up a four-spot in the opening frame Wednesday, igniting the Wrigley Field fans desperate for more playoff baseball.

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They’re getting it.

The Cubs maintained their lead the rest of the way, even as the Brewers chipped away, and staved off elimination with a 4-3 victory. Milwaukeeâ€s series lead is down to 2-1, and Game 4 is Thursday at Wrigley.

[Get more Chicago news: Cubs team feed]

In the top of the first inning, the Brewers staked themselves to a 1-0 advantage, in large part thanks to Christian Yelich, who ripped a leadoff double off Cubs starter Jameson Taillon and then scored on a sac fly from Sal Frelick.

While the veteran Taillon ultimately recovered and turned in four innings of work, the same couldnâ€t be said for 25-year-old Brewers righty Quinn Priester. Pitching against the team he grew up rooting for, Priester battled command issues and gave up four runs and two walks in two-thirds of an inning before he was yanked.

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Redeeming himself after losing an infield popup in the sun that advanced Yelich to third in the first frame, Michael Busch blasted a leadoff homer for the second time in the series. Not even swirling Wrigley Field winds could keep this one out of the right-field bleachers.

The Cubs then loaded the bases, and Pete Crow-Armstrong smacked a two-out, two-RBI single to right, chasing Priester and forcing Brewers manager Pat Murphy into a bullpen game early.

In came Nick Mears, the first of five additional Milwaukee arms deployed Wednesday. Almost instantly, Mears fired a wild pitch that catcher William Contreras couldnâ€t corral while Crow-Armstrong swiped second. Ian Happ scored as a result, making it a 4-1 game.

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From there, the Cubs didn’t score again, and the Brewers chipped away at their deficit throughout the night.

Jake Bauers delivered an RBI single in the top of the fourth, and in the seventh, he teed off on reliever Andrew Kittredge’s first pitch, sending a solo shot over the left-center wall and cutting the Cubs†lead to 4-3.

Milwaukee threatened to break hearts in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs, and Bauers came up again with the tying run 90 feet away. Fortunately for Chicago, Brad Keller blew by Bauers with a 97-mph, four-seam fastball up in the zone for a clutch strikeout.

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With that, Keller secured the four-out save in the ninth and extended the Cubs’ playoff run at least one more day. Game 4 is scheduled for 9:08 p.m. ET Thursday in Chicago.

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• Steve Alexander

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  Steve Alexander is a contributing writer for men’s fantasy basketball at ESPN. Steve is a member of the FSWA Hall of Fame.

Oct 8, 2025, 12:39 PM ET

Using a high draft pick on an injury-prone player, or any player who misses a lot of games, can ruin a fantasy season in a hurry.

The same is true of using a high pick on a player who is set to see their minutes decrease from last season.

Savvy fantasy managers are able to sniff these type of situations out in advance, and stay away from those players on draft day.

Here are five big names to avoid in your drafts this season.

Joel Embiid, C, Philadelphia 76ers

Embiid has averaged just 50 games played over nine seasons and he appeared in only 19 games last year. He’s never played more than 68 games in a season and he’s reached 60 games just four times. Yes, Embiid is a dominant fantasy player when healthy, but most reports over the summer were not encouraging. Maybe he’ll shock the world and play in 70 games, but the chances of that happening are extremely slim. I’m avoiding Embiid altogether but if I were somehow forced to draft him, I’d definitely be using the final pick of my draft to get Adem Bona, who will take over on nights Embiid is watching in street clothes.

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Anthony Davis, PF/C, Dallas Mavericks

Like Embiid, Davis has a lengthy history of missing games due to injury, and like we saw last season that didn’t change when he was traded to the Mavericks. This season, Cooper Flagg has been handed the keys to the car in Dallas, Kyrie Irving (Achilles) will miss much of the campaign, and the Mavs aren’t expected to be very good. It won’t take much for Davis to be sidelined for substantial time whenever he is injured and an early shut down isn’t out of the question, either. He made it through 76 games in the 2023-24 season, but that was an outlier. He’s an incredibly risky first-round pick.

Paul George, SF/PF, Philadelphia 76ers

George, who is 35 years old, was a fantasy disaster last season, playing in just 41 games. He had offseason knee surgery in July and his availability is questionable for the start of the season. Games played are always an issue with George, and the Sixers are serious tank candidates in hopes of keeping this summer’s draft pick. On top of that, Embiid’s future is murky due to his health problems. Tyrese Maxey was shut down last season and it’s hard to see the Sixers not trying to protect their draft pick again for this campaign. I will not be drafting George, regardless of how far he may fall.

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Ivica Zubac, C, LA Clippers

Zubac is coming off a fantastic season in which he posted averages of 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in a whopping 32.8 minutes per game. The points, rebounds and minutes were all easily career highs and the Clippers simply didn’t have anyone to relieve the big man. They signed Brook Lopez over the summer, who has been a starter throughout his career, and that means there’s absolutely no reason for Zubac to play big minutes again this year. Right around 25 minutes per game sounds like a reasonable expectation for Zubac in 2025-26, which means a reduction of eight minutes per game. While I don’t expect a true timeshare between the two big men, Zubac’s numbers simply have to come down. Zubac averaged just 11.7 points and 9.2 rebounds in his previous season.

Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Atlanta Hawks

Porzingis is great when he plays, but he hasn’t played in back-to-backs over most of his career and the Celtics used him as an every-other-game center last year. He’s now with the Hawks, who have an excellent young prospect in Onyeka Okongwu, and while that they could start Porzingis at power forward and Okongwu at center, it’s tough to envision Porzingis playing much more than half the season. His games-played log speaks for itself: 42, 57, 65, 51, 43, 57, 0, 48, 66 and 72. He’s appeared in at least 60 games just three times over his 10-year career and I’d be shocked if he plays in more than 55 games in this one.

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Part of the process of crafting a fantasy basketball team, whether it’s in a snake draft or a salary draft, is finding positive value. Can you unearth a potential “diamond in the rough,” or pay a lower cost for an elite talent than expected? Doing so can make all the difference between winning a league and finishing out of the money.

However, in addition to seeking those players, fantasy managers need to identify players who should probably be left alone based on their average draft positions. Below is a list of ten players who should not be drafted at their current ADPs, beginning with a player who’s led the NBA in rebounding three straight years.

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ADP data credit: Hashtag Basketball

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves-Media Day

Fantasy Basketball Draft Prep Guide: 2025-26 rankings, strategy, sleepers, mock draft results, and more

Your one-stop-shop for Rotoworldâ€s fantasy basketball draft coverage.

1. C Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

Yahoo! ADP (as of October 2): 10.9

Sabonis’ production isn’t up for debate. However, his ADP as of October 2 was a bit too high. Last season, he appeared in 70 games, averaging 19.1 points, 13.9 rebounds, 6.0 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.9 three-pointers. While Sabonis’ rebounding and scoring output held steady compared to his 2023-24 production, the assists decreased by more than two per game. The Kings added DeMar DeRozan last offseason, but that wasn’t the most problematic roster change.

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Sacramento traded point guard De’Aaron Fox to San Antonio just before the February deadline, adding Zach LaVine as part of the multi-team deal. From February 6 onward, Sabonis averaged 16.0 points, 13.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.5 three-pointers per game. It’s possible that the Kings addressing the point guard position by adding Dennis Schröder helps, but he’s another playmaker who needs to have the ball in his hands. That may negatively impact Sabonis’ assist value and scoring opportunities.

2. PF/C Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

Yahoo! ADP: 16.9

Many expect Banchero to be a breakout player this season after recording career-highs in points, rebounds and three-pointers in 46 games played in 2024-25. However, expecting second-round value from the Magic forward may be a bit ambitious, given Banchero’s fantasy history. He’s yet to produce a top-100 season in either per-game value or totals, and the same can be said of his per-36 fantasy numbers according to Basketball Monster. Can Banchero produce a top-100 season? Given his talent and the changes made to the Magic roster, absolutely. However, expecting a top-20 season, which is what his current ADP implies, is a bit much.

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3. SF/PF LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Yahoo! ADP: 18.3

There’s no denying James’ greatness, and for him to be as effective as he was last season was nothing short of remarkable. That said, he’ll turn 41 in December, which may result in more injury management measures being taken despite the Western Conference being loaded. James has played at least 70 games each of the last two seasons, the first time he’s done this since his final three seasons in Cleveland. In 2018-19, James was limited to 55 games played. LeBron did finish last season as a top-20 player, exceeding his Yahoo! ADP of 24.5. Expecting similar production, especially with the Lakers entering their “Luka DonÄić era,” may prove to be unrealistic.

4. PG/SG Deâ€Aaron Fox, San Antonio Spurs

Yahoo! ADP: 26.8

Fox’s first full season in San Antonio has already gotten off to an inauspicious start, as he’ll likely miss the beginning of the regular season with a hamstring injury. Also of concern is the potential production, especially with a healthy Victor Wembanyama set to command touches after missing the post-All-Star break portion of last season due to injury. In 17 games for the Spurs last season, Fox averaged 19.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 three-pointers. While the rebounds took a slight hit and the assists increased compared to his pre-trade numbers in Sacramento, Fox’s scoring decreased by more than five points per game. To approach top-25 value as some expect him to, Fox will need to boost those numbers as part of a lineup that will be more talented (and healthier) than it was last season.

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5. SG/SF Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics

Yahoo! ADP: 30.5

Brown’s preseason fantasy value has been boosted by Jayson Tatum being sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon and the Celtics losing multiple rotation players by trade or free agency. The roster changes set Brown up to be a more productive player, but this also means opposing defenses will pay even more attention to him defensively. Brown, who underwent knee surgery during the offseason, has just two top-50 fantasy seasons to his credit. And the early ADP does not take into account the possibility of the occasional rest day, especially if the Celtics aren’t a factor in the East.

NBA: Atlanta Hawks at Milwaukee Bucks

Fantasy Basketball Forwards 2025-26: Top 50 rankings, season outlooks, key stats

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Giannis Antetokounmpo and Anthony Davis lead the way in our forward rankings while phenom rookie Cooper Flagg joins the fold.

6. C Ivica Zubac, LA Clippers

Yahoo! ADP: 36.2

Zubac enjoyed the best season of his NBA career in 2024-25, posting career-best averages in points, rebounds, assists and steals. However, expecting the 7-footer to approach top-30 value for a second straight season is a bit much, especially with the additions the Clippers made during the offseason. The two most impactful moves concerning Zubac were the signings of John Collins, who will likely start at the four, and Brook Lopez to fill the backup center role. Zubac played 32.8 minutes per game, the first time his average as surpassed 30 minutes. It would be unsurprising if his playing time dipped under 30 in 2025-26, thus lowering Zubac’s fantasy ceiling.

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7. SG/SF Josh Hart, New York Knicks

Yahoo! ADP: 49.8

Hart was likely a league-winning player for many managers who selected him in drafts ahead of the 2024-25 season, as he was nearly a top-25 player in per-game value and nearly top-10 in totals. However, that was under Tom Thibodeau, who was more than willing to have his best players log heavy minutes. Hart moving to the bench during the Eastern Conference Finals may have been a harbinger of what’s to come, especially with Mitchell Robinson being healthy. Add in a new head coach in Mike Brown, and Hart’s fantasy ceiling may be lower than many managers believe it to be. Also, he underwent surgery on his right index finger in July and aggravated the injury during an offseason workout. Hopefully, that won’t be a serious issue during the regular season, but the finger injury is something else for fantasy managers to consider when evaluating Hart.

8. SG/SF RJ Barrett, Toronto Raptors

Yahoo! ADP: 77.4

Based on his early ADP numbers, there’s no shortage of managers who believe Barrett may have a top-75 season in him. Based on Toronto’s roster and Barrett’s fantasy history, those expectations are unrealistic. Barrett has yet to finish a season ranked inside the top-150 in per-game value, and he has one such season in roto (2020-21). As for the roster, the Raptors also have Immanuel Quickley and Scottie Barnes healthy, not to mention Brandon Ingram, who’s fully recovered from the ankle injury that limited him to 18 games last season (all with the Pelicans). Given the number of players who will command touches within the Raptors system, Barrett’s ADP is too high at this point in the preseason.

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9. C Kelâ€el Ware, Miami Heat

Yahoo! ADP: 83.7

Ware had a productive rookie campaign, finishing sixth in Rookie of the Year voting and averaging 9.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals and 1.1 blocked shots per game. After moving into the starting lineup in January, he averaged 10.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.2 blocks in 27.8 minutes while shooting 54.4 percent from the field. However, Ware will have to earn the right to remain in the starting lineup, and Miami’s lack of proven bigs behind Bam Adebayo could result in the Heat staggering Ware and Adebayo’s minutes more than they did down the stretch last season. Is a top-100 season possible? Absolutely. But betting on Ware to finish safely within that threshold is a serious roll of the dice.

10. PG/SG Keyonte George, Utah Jazz

Yahoo! ADP: 113.0

George recorded improved averages in points, rebounds, assists, steals and three-pointers last season, which was his second in the NBA. However, he was moved to the bench in favor of then-rookie Isaiah Collier, who offered more as a distributor and defender, in late January. Collier may not have done enough to claim the starting point guard job as his own, as evidenced by Utah’s decision to use one of its first-round picks on former Florida guard Walter Clayton Jr. Unless he’s somehow out of the rotation completely, which should not happen, Expecting George to approach top-100 value with Utah’s current logjam at the point guard position is overly optimistic.

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Having already adopted certain physical techniques to protect himself, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has also made changes to his diet to help avoid future concussions.

Speaking to reporters about his eating habits, Tagovailoa explained that his doctors have stressed the importance of adding carbs to his meals along with water to keep more fluid in his body.

The discussion came about in the wake of Tagovailoa taking a hard hit to his head and neck area as he was sliding down from New York Jets linebacker Kiko Mauigoa in the third quarter of Monday’s game.

Mauigoa was flagged for unnecessary roughness on the play. Tagovailoa did bounce right up and was okay, but it was a scary moment given his history of concussions.

There has been a lot of attention around the various ways that Tagovailoa has gone about trying to avoid significant head injuries. He began practicing jiu-jitsu after suffering two concussions during the 2022 season in an effort to learn how to fall in ways that protect his body.

“So I mean, with jiu-jitsu, I’ve been thrown airborne, I’ve been put in many uncomfortable positions for me to learn how to fall and try to react throughout those positions that I’m getting thrown around in,” Tagovailoa told ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques in June 2023.

There have been some setbacks along the way. Tagovailoa did suffer a concussion in the third quarter of Miami’s Week 2 game against the Buffalo Bills last season. It was his fourth documented concussion dating back to his final year at Alabama in 2019.

Since returning to the lineup in Week 8 last season, Tagovailoa has started 13 of Miami’s last 15 games. He missed the final two games of the 2024 campaign due to a hip injury.

There will always be a sense of unease whenever Tagovailoa is on the field because of how often he has suffered concussions, but hopefully the steps he is taking to protect himself as much as possible keep working.

After a rough game to start this season, Tagovailoa has played well for the Dolphins. He’s completing 71.4 percent of his attempts with 638 passing yards, six touchdowns and two interceptions since Week 2.

Miami earned its first win of the season against the Jets on Monday Night Football. The Dolphins will look to keep their positive momentum going on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

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What should be a hyped time for the John Cena retirement tour, exiting a historic Brock Lesnar match, is instead one of anxiety for fans.Â

Cena’s match with Lesnar, after all, wound up an unmitigated disaster just weeks before he’s scheduled to take on AJ Styles in a match at Crown Jewel from Perth, Australia on October 11.Â

Thankfully for everyone, fans included, Cena-Styles can book the feud and match in a way that is the polar opposite of the Lesnar debacle.

First, the trainwreck. By now, the majority of fans know what went down at the poorly-named Wrestlepalooza. Cena went out and got squashed by Lesnar at the PLE, a completely odd decision by all involved that was aimed at making Lesnar look amazing to casual fans on the first WWE PLE to stream on ESPN.

Cena looked like a chump in the process, with WWE going unnecessarily cruel, too, considering he did his entrance with a bunch of kids wearing his attire, then cameras made sure to pick up kids in the crowd in tears after his loss.Â

Just an odd thing all around, yet not so odd when one considers how miserable the majority of Cena’s retirement tour booking has gone. To tick off a few boxes, think, the failed heel turn, The Rock, Travis Scott, R-Truth and now squashed by Lesnar, not to start a feud and rematch, but to make the…48-year-old part-timer look good?Â

Anyway, a feud with Styles gives everyone a chance to course correct. Put the train back on some semblance of tracks, at least.Â

The groundwork for this already happened, too. Where the Lesnar feud was set up by a random attack and then the two, for some reason avoiding each other on weekly shows, Cena took to social media to build the feud by “campaigning” Triple H for the match. Styles, meanwhile, expressed frustration in interviews about not getting a Cena match.Â

It’s a little thing…but it’s a start. The experiment is again appreciated and, frankly, the build is already slowly creeping toward being one of the best of the retirement tour.Â

From here, Cena and Styles can go some interesting ways while building the feud. Since he’s been in WWE for so long, it’s almost easy to forget what a juggernaut of an international star Styles was for so long. Cena can certainly remind audiences of that.Â

There’s also the dynamic of Styles retiring in 2026. Getting this out there in front of huge audiences and working it into the story, even if it’s just Styles being prematurely bitter because his tour won’t get as many headlines as Cena’s, would be a nice way to build things.Â

Don’t forget the match itself, either. Lesnar-Cena, predictably, just spammed finishers. It’s not even worth a rewatch, but Lesnar ate, what, three finishers and kicked out before hitting three-plus F-5s for the win?Â

Frankly, that was insulting to viewers. We weren’t that far removed from Cena putting on a really technical, fun match with Logan Paul, of all people. Fans have known for years that while there’s a five-moves-of-doom cliche with Cena, he’s extremely underrated and capable of putting on versatile matches with almost anyone.Â

Cena going against Styles has a chance to stress that point in a big way. It would only be fitting if the two go into the matchup in Australia motivated to make that very point. One can almost hear the you still got it chants already.

If nothing else, it will be nice to see a carefully built feud for Cena against a great wrestler that gets the care and attention it deserves before a solid match. Some probably wouldn’t have predicted that Styles will need to bail out Cena’s farewell tour so late in the process, yet here we are.Â

If it’s Styles, Randy Orton and CM Punk as the high marks for the Cena goodbye tour over the last year or so, maybe that’s just fitting, really. It’s certainly marquee company for Styles to join and given both men’s importance to the sport over the last few decades, only right.Â

While it’s a shame things have come to this, it’s hard to suppress optimism that Cena-Styles, when booked with even the slightest bit of common sense, can be a high mark of the year while bridging the gap between both iconic wrestlers’ retirement journeys.Â

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