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While many prefer more traditional formats when playing fantasy basketball, others are more willing to try new formats. With that in mind, Yahoo! Sports has introduced its new High Score fantasy basketball game. There are some differences between this league and the head-to-head and roto setups we’ve grown accustomed to over the years. Let’s look at how High Score is played, beginning with the rosters.

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– Each team has ten players, but only six will be active.

Lineups are set at the beginning of the week, with six active players and four on the bench. There are two guard slots for players with the point guard and/or shooting guard designation, three frontcourt slots (small forward, power forward and center) and one utility spot that can be occupied by any player regardless of position. The other four players will be on your bench, and you can slot them in at any point in the week.

However, there is a key factor that you’ll need to take into consideration when moving a bench player into the lineup for that week. The points accrued by the player you’ve decided to bench come off the board and can’t be recouped. Returning a benched player to the active lineup later in the week doesn’t do the trick; only the points earned in games from that point onward will be eligible. Each player’s high score from any game played during that week will count toward your team’s score, so targeting players capable of an explosive performance is the best way to approach your draft.

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– How does scoring work?

There are only five scoring categories for default High Score leagues, which are weighted.

Points: 1 point each

Rebounds: 1 point each

Assists: 2 points each

Steals: 3 points each

Blocks: 3 points each

For those who have played DFS, those point values will look somewhat similar, although rebounds and assists tend to count for 1.2 per rebound or assist. There are no decimals to deal with in High Score, only whole numbers. For those used to worrying about percentages or turnovers, those won’t matter in High Score. That boosts the values of players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Trae Young and Zion Williamson, to name a few.

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The game also limits some of the risk of drafting injury-prone players in other fantasy formats. Will you still use a first-round pick on Joel Embiid or Ja Morant, to name two players with prior injury issues? Probably not, but managers will be better positioned to compensate for a player missing time in High Score.

While the High Score format will take some getting used to, it’s a relatively simple deal from a scoring standpoint. The substitution situation and what that can do to weekly scoring may take many managers the most time to get used to, possibly losing a matchup or two. With these rules in mind, I recently entered a draft, hoping to craft a team that could do some damage in the High Score format.

I picked from the second slot in a 10-round snake draft, kicking things off with San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama. Below is how the draft played out.

Round 1

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Nikola Jokić

Denver Nuggets

2

F,C

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

3

G

Luka DonÄić

Los Angeles Lakers

4

G

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City Thunder

5

F,C

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks

6

G

Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons

7

G

Anthony Edwards

Minnesota Timberwolves

8

G

Devin Booker

Phoenix Suns

9

F,C

Anthony Davis

Dallas Mavericks

10

G

Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks

Round 2

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

G

James Harden

LA Clippers

2

G

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors

3

F,C

Kevin Durant

Houston Rockets

4

F,C

Karl-Anthony Towns

New York Knicks

5

G

Tyrese Maxey

Philadelphia 76ers

6

G

Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland Cavaliers

7

G,F,C

Amen Thompson

Houston Rockets

8

F,C

Jalen Johnson

Atlanta Hawks

9

F,C

Alperen Şengün

Houston Rockets

10

F,C

Evan Mobley

Cleveland Cavaliers

Round 3

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

G

LaMelo Ball

Charlotte Hornets

2

G

Jalen Brunson

New York Knicks

3

F,C

Domantas Sabonis

Sacramento Kings

4

G,F,C

Scottie Barnes

Toronto Raptors

5

G

Josh Giddey

Chicago Bulls

6

F,C

Chet Holmgren

Oklahoma City Thunder

7

F,C

Jaylen Brown

Boston Celtics

8

F,C

Jalen Williams

Oklahoma City Thunder

9

F,C

Pascal Siakam

Indiana Pacers

10

G

Jamal Murray

Denver Nuggets

Round 4

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Jaren Jackson Jr.

Memphis Grizzlies

2

F,C

LeBron James

Los Angeles Lakers

3

F,C

Bam Adebayo

Miami Heat

4

G

Derrick White

Boston Celtics

5

F,C

Paolo Banchero

Orlando Magic

6

F,C

Franz Wagner

Orlando Magic

7

F,C

Trey Murphy

New Orleans Pelicans

8

G

Austin Reaves

Los Angeles Lakers

9

G,F,C

Dyson Daniels

Atlanta Hawks

10

G

Deâ€Aaron Fox

San Antonio Spurs

Round 5

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Zion Williamson

New Orleans Pelicans

2

F,C

Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers

3

F,C

Jimmy Butler

Golden State Warriors

4

F,C

Ivica Zubac

LA Clippers

5

G,F,C

Desmond Bane

Orlando Magic

6

F,C

Brandon Miller

Charlotte Hornets

7

F,C

Kawhi Leonard

LA Clippers

8

F,C

Deni Avdija

Portland Trail Blazers

9

F,C

Kristaps Porziņģis

Atlanta Hawks

10

F,C

Cooper Flagg

Dallas Mavericks

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Round 6

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Myles Turner

Milwaukee Bucks

2

G

Ja Morant

Memphis Grizzlies

3

G,F,C

Brandon Ingram

Toronto Raptors

4

F,C

Miles Bridges

Charlotte Hornets

5

F,C

Walker Kessler

Utah Jazz

6

F,C

Nikola VuÄević

Chicago Bulls

7

G

Darius Garland

Cleveland Cavaliers

8

F,C

DeMar DeRozan

Sacramento Kings

9

F,C

OG Anunoby

New York Knicks

10

F,C

Lauri Markkanen

Utah Jazz

Round 7

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Jalen Duren

Detroit Pistons

2

G,F,C

Cam Thomas

Brooklyn Nets

3

G

Zach LaVine

Sacramento Kings

4

F,C

Deandre Ayton

Los Angeles Lakers

5

G

Coby White

Chicago Bulls

6

F,C

Jarrett Allen

Cleveland Cavaliers

7

G

Immanuel Quickley

Toronto Raptors

8

G

Tyler Herro

Miami Heat

9

G

Jordan Poole

New Orleans Pelicans

10

G

Payton Pritchard

Boston Celtics

Round 8

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

G

Andrew Nembhard

Indiana Pacers

2

F,C

Julius Randle

Minnesota Timberwolves

3

F,C

Isaiah Hartenstein

Oklahoma City Thunder

4

F,C

Rudy Gobert

Minnesota Timberwolves

5

F,C

Jakob Poeltl

Toronto Raptors

6

F,C

Mark Williams

Phoenix Suns

7

F,C

Matas Buzelis

Chicago Bulls

8

G,F,C

Paul George

Philadelphia 76ers

9

G,F,C

Shaedon Sharpe

Portland Trail Blazers

10

F,C

Michael Porter Jr.

Brooklyn Nets

Round 9

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

G,F,C

Bennedict Mathurin

Indiana Pacers

2

F,C

Ausar Thompson

Detroit Pistons

3

F,C

Donovan Clingan

Portland Trail Blazers

4

F,C

Mikal Bridges

New York Knicks

5

G,F,C

Christian Braun

Denver Nuggets

6

G

Jalen Green

Phoenix Suns

7

G,F,C

Norman Powell

Miami Heat

8

G

Anfernee Simons

Boston Celtics

9

G,F,C

Bradley Beal

LA Clippers

10

G,F,C

Devin Vassell

San Antonio Spurs

Round 10

Position(s)

Player

Team

1

F,C

Cameron Johnson

Denver Nuggets

2

F,C

John Collins

LA Clippers

3

F,C

Draymond Green

Golden State Warriors

4

F,C

Alex Sarr

Washington Wizards

5

F,C

Kelâ€el Ware

Miami Heat

6

F,C

Dereck Lively II

Dallas Mavericks

7

G

Kevin Porter Jr.

Milwaukee Bucks

8

F,C

Onyeka Okongwu

Atlanta Hawks

9

F,C

RJ Barrett

Toronto Raptors

10

F,C

Naz Reid

Minnesota Timberwolves

Final team:

F,C Victor Wembanyama
F,C Alperen Şengün
G Jalen Brunson
G,F,C Dyson Daniels
F,C Joel Embiid
F,C OG Anunoby
G,F,C Cam Thomas
G,F,C Shaedon Sharpe
F,C Ausar Thompson
F,C RJ Barrett

Drafting a player of Wembanyama’s caliber who can offer elite value in all five scoring categories opens things up regarding crafting your High Score team. I leaned toward offense with Åžengün and Brunson, but Daniels was a must-have for me in the fourth round. Even with the second pick of the fifth round, I was unwilling to risk losing out on a defender of his caliber, especially after he racked up 229 steals and 55 blocked shots in 2024-25.

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The back half of my draft focused primarily on players capable of putting in an explosive offensive performance, especially Thomas and Sharpe. The former is entering a contract year on a rebuilding team, while the latter is under similar pressure in Portland. Thompson hasn’t been an explosive offensive option in Detroit, but I believe in what he brings to the table defensively. And with Jaden Ivey out to begin the regular season, there may be more room for Thompson to spread his wings as a slasher within the Pistons’ offense.

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CALGARY – The Calgary Flames cemented another building block in place Thursday by signing coach Ryan Huska to a two-year contract extension.

Itâ€s yet another tidy piece of business by GM Craig Conroy ahead of opening night, further establishing that the culture, structure and direction of the club will continue evolving under the man who has done so well shaping it.

“First, heâ€s a teacher,†said Conroy when asked why the 50-year-old Cranbrook native has been such a good fit for the rebuilding Flames.

“Heâ€s cerebral, he lays out what he wants to do and explains, ‘this is what weâ€re trying to do, this is why weâ€re trying to do it and this is how we are going to do this.â€â€

Under Conroy and Huska, the Flames are an organization clearly trending upwards.

There is a plan. There is hope.

Itâ€s a refreshing direction for a club rewarded for taking a leap of faith in Conroyâ€s hiring as chief architect.

Up next will no doubt be a similar deal for Conroy, who is also entering the final year of a three-year pact.

A column for another day.

Extending Huska past this season is indeed another feather in Conroyâ€s cap, as it was a gamble to hire a longtime assistant to make the jump to bench boss inside his own organization.

“The organization gave me a chance, and I believed he deserved that too,†said Conroy of his decision in the summer of 2023 to replace Darryl Sutter with Huska.

Conroy wanted someone he could work and grow with, which is exactly what theyâ€ve managed to do.

The structure and environment Huska helped establish have been a driving force for a team known last year as one of the leagueâ€s hardest working.

That work ethic stems from a tight-knit relationship he forged immediately with the leadership group who rallied the troops, establishing a non-negotiable approach to the game that a rotating cast of youngsters and veterans have bought into.

Despite being the leagueâ€s fourth-lowest scoring team, Huskaâ€s motley crew of young and old fell just one point short of a playoff spot last season, going 11-2-3 down the stretch of a playoff chase few in the hockey world believed possible.

His new age, player-friendly approach has endeared him to a group that knows his door is always open and that he values their input.

“Heâ€s honest with them and they respect him,†said Conroy.

“Nowadays the communication is such a big thing, and heâ€s a great communicator.

“At the end of the day, the guys have to buy into it too. They have to agree with what heâ€s selling or it doesnâ€t work.â€

Todayâ€s players want to know where they stand, what and how they can do better, and Huskaâ€s approach and preparation make him tailor-made for the task.

As evidenced by his calm, measured press conferences, Huska is a brilliant spokesman for the team, the game and the organization.

There is no bombast, there is no yelling, but the players know his word is final and that he is to be respected, as itâ€s a two-way street.

Steadying the franchise through their first year of high-profile player departures, Huska and Conroy have done well to forge a new identity for the club, making it an attractive landing spot for drafted players looking to develop.

In time, and with a new arena in sight, itâ€s reasonable to believe free agents will soon start to see Calgary as a desirable destination.

While a well-earned extension is no surprise, it reinforces Conroyâ€s belief from Day 1 that the coaching carousel in Calgary needed to stop. Players know who is in charge and that Huska will be around for several more years to come.

For a team clawing its way into playoff relevance, this is the right call at the right time, ensuring there is no talk of Huska being a lame-duck coach playing out the final year of his deal.

Conroy has long seen Huska as a young Joel Quenneville, who Conroy played for, exuding quiet confidence while evolving into commanding leadership.

The likes of Connor Zary, Martin Pospisil, Matt Coronato and Dustin Wolf have all taken meaningful steps forward under his guidance, with a whole new crew spearheaded by Zayne Parekh, Matvei Gridin and Aydar Suniev next in line.

Wolf, in particular, emerged as a Calder Trophy contender thanks, in part, to Huskaâ€s well-thought-out deployment of the young goalie, building his confidence by putting him in position to succeed.

Expect more of the same, with Parekh in particular.

That kind of relationship-building is key in todayâ€s NHL, where locker rooms can fracture and egos can fester. Here, Huska has created cohesion.

Huskaâ€s demeanour is calm, but his expectations are high. Heâ€s demanding, intense, and passionate. But heâ€s also fair. He doesnâ€t berate players on camera or micromanage their every move. He lets them do their jobs. And when he does snap, itâ€s for a reason.

That balance — edge and empathy — is what makes Huska so effective. Although his style is an amalgamation of various head coaches he worked with over the years, heâ€s not trying to be someone else.

Heâ€s genuine, authentic.

Heâ€s guided Calgary through a hybrid rebuild with poise, purpose and progress. Heâ€s empowered youth, emboldened veterans, and given the organization direction and identity.

Extending him now isnâ€t just smart, itâ€s essential.

It sends a message to the locker room, the fanbase, and the league: the Flames arenâ€t chasing quick fixes. Theyâ€re building something real.

Conroyâ€s calculated gamble has paid off.

And should continue to do so.

NOTES:Rory Kerins and Ivan Prosvetov were put on waivers Thursday with an eye on joining the Wranglers, meaning the Flames’ backup goalie will be Devin Cooley. Huska said the decision was based on their familiarity with Cooley. Jonathan Huberdeau is considered day-to-day after a late-game collision Wednesday night. Â

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Pittsburgh Penguins defensive prospect Quinn Beauchesne is one of the Penguins’ 2025 NHL Draft picks participating in this year’s training camp.

Beauchesne, picked in the fifth round of the draft, is a brilliant skater and showcased that skill during development camp, and especially the Prospects Challenge earlier this month. He also showed that he has some snarl and was a goal away from getting a Gordie Howe hat trick in one of the Prospect Challenge games.

He’s participating in Group C during training camp, and is getting to learn from some longtime NHL veterans, including Bryan Rust and Rickard Rakell. Beauchesne has had a lot of fun at camp thus far, but knows he has a lot to prove going forward.

“I’ve got a lot to prove,” Beauchesne said. “Obviously, not being necessarily a high-round draft pick, just trying to put everything into every single day, every practice, every game. I don’t look too far ahead, but yeah, obviously, the main goal is trying to get signed, trying to make the team coming out of here. I think I have abilities to play in the NHL, whether that’s soon or in a couple of years down the road, but just trying to do absolutely everything I can.”

His skating is definitely NHL-caliber, and he has a good first-pass coming out of his own zone. If he can add a little more offensive tools to his game, there’s a chance he could be a well-rounded defenseman once he potentially comes up to the NHL.

Beauchesne is set to spend the 2025-26 season with the OHL’s Guelph Storm, and it will be his third season with them. He finished the 2024-25 season with six goals and 24 points in 49 games.

Bookmark THN – Pittsburgh Penguins on your Google News tab to follow the latest Penguins news, roster moves, player features, and more!

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