Category: Sport

Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Forecast

Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski recap a wild Wild Card weekend that saw 4 classic playoff games and the Patriots dispose of the Chargers on SNF. The two look at ‘fantasy’ performances that actually mattered for Wild Card weekend and what the biggest implications we can take from them for the 2026 fantasy season.

Advertisement

(2:15) Rams 34, Panthers 31

(18:00) Bears 31, Packers 27

(33:30) Bills 27, Jaguars 24

(45:15) 49ers 23, Eagles 19

(52:20) Patriots 16, Chargers 3

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

The Buffalo Bills survived a crazy wild-card game on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, as Josh Allen & Co. emerged victorious in a 27-24 classic. The Bills closed as a 1.5-point underdog after being favored for much of the week, and the game stayed just under the total of 51.5. Despite multiple injuries and big hits taken during the game, Allen threw for 273 yards and touchdown (and rushed for two more TDs), while posting a QBR of 87.2.

The Bills will head to Denver to take on the Broncos on Saturday, and oddsmakers aren’t giving the Broncos much respect as a rested No. 1 seed.

Advertisement

Buffalo opened as a 1.5-point road favorite at BetMGM at the Broncos, which if the line holds would mark only the third time since the NFL’s divisional round was created in 1970 that a No. 1 seed was an underdog.

The other two?

In 1971, the No. 1-seeded Minnesota Vikings were 1-point home underdogs against the Dallas Cowboys; the Cowboys won 20-12.

In 2017, the Nick Foles-led No. 1-seeded Philadelphia Eagles were 2.5-point home underdogs against Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons; the Eagles prevailed 15-10.

Oddsmakers haven’t been particularly impressed with the Broncos all season, despite a gaudy 14-3 record, as Denver went just 7-9-1 against the spread. Denver frequently played down to its level of competition, going 10-2 straight up as a favorite, but a putrid 3-9 ATS. Bo Nix was 8-0 ATS as a favorite in his rookie season.

Advertisement

Yahoo Sports asked two oddsmakers to reveal their NFL power ratings before the start of the postseason and both had the Bills (third in one oddsmakers’ power ratings, fifth in the other) well above the Broncos. Denver wasn’t in the top five in either oddsmaker’s power ratings.

To wit, the New England Patriots (+230) are currently the favorites to win the AFC at BetMGM, while the Bills and Broncos are tied at +240. Denver hasn’t played in an AFC championship game since its Super Bowl-winning run in 2016.

The Bills did struggle this season when playing at a rest disadvantage against their opponent, going 2-3 SU (1-4 ATS). The Broncos only had two games with a rest advantage this season, going 1-1 SU and 1-0-1 ATS in them.

Advertisement

The Bills had been 0-4 SU and ATS on the road in the postseason in Allen’s career before Saturday’s victory in Jacksonville. Buffalo ousted Denver from the postseason last year in the wild-card round, winning 31-7 in Buffalo as 8.5-point home favorites.

Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman will not face charges after being accused of battery following an alleged altercation at his son’s high school wrestling meet, according to WSBT’s Bennett Wise.

Per Wise, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office reviewed the evidence and “would not be able to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred. While the evidence suggests that a touching may have occurred, an inadvertent touching is not sufficient.”

Advertisement

The alleged incident occurred on Saturday, Jan. 3, at Mishawaka High School in Indiana. According to the South Bend Tribune, New Prairie High School assistant coach Chris Fleeger filed a police report against Freeman this week.

The report was then turned over to prosecutors.

From the South Bend Tribune:

The altercation allegedly took place after Vinny Freeman’s match against Hanover Central senior Israel Sinnott, which Vinny lost. As Vinny was escorted off the mat and out of the gym by Marcus and Penn head coach Brad Harper, Fleeger allegedly began exchanging words with the group.

As Marcus Freeman walked through the doorway into the hallway, physical contact allegedly occurred between Marcus Freeman and Fleeger, but police did not disclose the extent of the alleged contact. Once in the hallway, Fleeger and Marcus Freeman’s wife, Joanna, engaged in a shouting match before local law enforcement and Mishawaka school officials separated the two groups.

Notre Dame said in a statement on Sunday that video evidence “fully exonerates” Freeman. Vinny Freeman is the oldest of the Freemans’ six children.

“Vinny Freeman, head coach Marcus Freeman’s son, was verbally accosted during and after his wrestling match by a local wrestling coach,” Notre Dame said in a statement. “Marcus and Joanna Freeman intervened and removed Vinny from the situation. At no point did Coach Freeman physically engage with anyone. We believe that the police report, which includes video evidence, fully exonerates Coach Freeman and makes clear these accusations are totally unfounded.”

Freeman, who turned 40 on Saturday, recently completed his fifth season at Notre Dame. The Irish are 43-12 in his time with the school and went 10-2 in 2025 before being jumped by Miami in the final set of College Football Playoff rankings to miss the postseason.

Advertisement

Freeman has been mentioned as a potential candidate for NFL jobs even after he said he’s staying at Notre Dame for the 2026 season. A Sunday morning report from the NFL Network said that NFL teams are still looking at Freeman. Eight teams have head coaching vacancies.

Brooks Koepka is officially back on the PGA Tour. The 35-year-old golfer announced the news Monday, just as the Tour unveiled a new initiative aimed at getting other LIV golfers — three specifically — to return to the Tour.

Koepka announced his decision on social media, saying it was always a dream to play on the PGA Tour. He added that new leadership drew him back to the program, though the decision will come with financial penalties. He also thanked the fans for supporting him.

“When I was a child, I always dreamed about competing on the PGA Tour, and I am just as excited today to announce that I am returning to the PGA Tour,” Koepka wrote, in part. “Being closer to home and spending more time with my family makes this opportunity especially meaningful to me.

“I believe in where the PGA TOUR is headed with new leadership, new investors, and an equity program that gives players a meaningful ownership stake. I also understand there are financial penalties associated with this decision, and I accept those.”

Koepka ended his statement by saying he would see the fans soon, when he takes part in the Farmers Insurance Open (Jan. 29-Feb. 1) and WM Phoenix Open (Feb. 5-8).

Advertisement

Koepka originally left the PGA Tour in 2022 in favor of joining LIV Golf. At the time, Koepka joined a number of other big-name golfers, including Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau and Sergio Garcia, among others, to join LIV Golf, which is funded by Saudi Arabia. The organization faced criticism for engaging in sportswashing, a process in which a government uses sports as a way to improve its reputation after being involved in a possible scandal or human-rights violation.

Many golfers who left the PGA Tour at the time did so for monetary reasons, as LIV Golf offered extremely lucrative deals to golfers as a way to legitimize itself and compete with the PGA Tour. A number of golfers took that bait and joined the new organization.

Koepka, however, made waves in December, announcing a split with LIV Golf. At the time, many wondered whether Koepka would apply for reinstatement to the PGA Tour, and how the tour would handle that situation. To that point, the Tour had indicated a path back to the PGA would require sitting a year.

In early January, Koepka reportedly applied for reinstatement to the PGA Tour. As Monday’s news confirmed, those reports were accurate, and it didn’t take long for the PGA Tour to come up with a solution for three other golfers — and only three — who wanted to return.

Advertisement

PGA Tour unveils “Returning Members Program”

Koepka’s reinstatement comes on the same day the PGA Tour announced an initiative called the “Returning Members Program.” The program opens the door for golfers who “have achieved elite performance-based criteria” to return to the PGA Tour after leaving for LIV Golf.

The PGA Tour’s statement did not specifically mention LIV Golf, merely referring to players who want to return from “elsewhere.”

For now, the program only allows golfers who won either The Players Championship, Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open or British Open Championship between 2022 and 2025 to apply for reinstatement. The PGA Tour explained its rationale by claiming this will allow only the most elite talent to return to the organization.

Advertisement

That particular criteria only applies to Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Jon Rahm and Cam Smith. DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith have until Feb. 2 to reapply to the PGA Tour. At that point, the organization said this “one-time, defined window” will close, and “there is no promise that this path will be open again.”

Notably, the PGA Tour’s criteria for reinstatement would not apply to Mickelson, who won the PGA Championship in 2021.

Any golfer who applies to the PGA Tour’s “Returning Members Program” will be subject to financial penalties.

As the PGA Tour laid out in its statement, golfers who want to return will be subject to “heavy and appropriate limitations to both tournament access and potential earnings that we believe properly holds returning members accountable for substantial compensation earned elsewhere.”

Advertisement

The PGA Tour then outlined how that rule will impact Koepka upon his return.

“It’s strict limitations, which Brooks has agreed to, include a five-year forfeiture of potential equity in the PGA Tour’s player equity program, representing one of the largest financial repercussions in professional sports history, with estimations that he could miss out on approximately $50-85 million in potential earnings, depending on his competitive performance and the growth of the Tour. At the request of the PGA Tour, Brooks has also agreed to make a $5 million charitable contribution, the recipient(s) of which will be determined jointly.”

DeChambeau, Rahm and Smith could face the same — or at least similar — penalties should they choose to apply for reinstatement to the PGA Tour.

The organization noted that the “Returning Members Program” will not take away playing opportunities from current players, and that fields will be expanded if necessary so certain players won’t get squeezed out if golfers return to the PGA Tour.

The Chicago Bears pulled off one of the best comebacks in NFL playoff history in a 31-27 win over the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round this past weekend. A big reason why they were able to do so was rookie TE Colston Loveland, who had an up-and-down first year in the league but showed up on the biggest stage. On the latest episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast, analyst Matt Harmon and Scott Pianowski discussed just how high Loveland should be ranked among fantasy tight ends going into the 2026 season.

Pianowski begins by pointing out that Loveland had stepped up during the season when injuries to WRs Rome Odunze, DJ Moore and Luther Burden III opened up more opportunities. But on Saturday night, everyone was healthy, yet QB Caleb Williams peppered Loveland all game. Pianowski likes that Loveland was targeted on and converted a crucial two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter, reminding everyone that goal-line equity is important when evaluating the tight end position in fantasy.

Maybe it’s irresponsible to think Loveland can be the top tight end overall in fantasy next season, but Pianowski thinks it’ll happen at some point in the youngster’s promising career.

Advertisement

Harmon likes the trajectory of this Bears offense going into next season and thinks Loveland would be the first Chicago player off the board in drafts for 2026 right now. And beyond Trey McBride, Loveland has a case to be the next tight end off the board next season.

Loveland, who was selected with the No. 10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had a slow start to this season. He dealt with injury before the season began and missed Week 4. Loveland didn’t start to play significant snaps until Week 7 before breaking out in Week 9 versus the Bengals with a 6-118-2 line. Despite missing time and the slow start, Loveland still finished as the TE14 in half-PPR scoring after posting 58 catches for 713 yards and six TDs.

Advertisement

Yahoo analyst Justin Boone has Loveland ranked TE6 in his early tight end rankings for the 2026 fantasy football season. Boone has the young TE ranked third in hid dynasty TE rankings and trade value charts.

The Minnesota Timberwolves won’t have center Rudy Gobert when the team takes the court for Tuesday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks. Gobert was issued a one-game suspension from the NBA on Monday after he was called for a flagrant foul during the Timberwolves’ narrow 104-103 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

The NBA announced its decision Monday, explaining Gobert accrued his sixth flagrant foul point during Sunday’s game, leading to an automatic suspension.

Gobert received the penalty with 7:24 remaining in the contest. While trying to defend a Victor Wembanyama 3-pointer, Gobert did not give the Spurs’ star enough landing space on the play. He was called for a foul and eventually assessed with a flagrant, which triggered an automatic suspension.

Advertisement

[Get more Timberwolves news: Minnesota team feed]

Gobert came into the contest with five flagrant foul points on the season. Under the NBA’s flagrant foul points system, a player with at least five flagrant foul points is automatically given a suspension if they are called for a flagrant foul 1 or higher during a game.

The 33-year-old Gobert is now in a situation where he would receive an automatic suspension every time he commits another flagrant foul. If that foul is classified as a flagrant foul 1 next time, Gobert would receive a one-game ban. If he commits a flagrant foul 2, he would reach seven flagrant foul points on the season and automatically be suspended for two games.

Players who reach seven flagrant foul points in a single season are automatically assessed a two-game suspension for each additional flagrant foul, regardless of the severity of that foul.

Advertisement

Gobert is in the midst of yet another strong season, averaging 11 points and 11.4 rebounds over 40 games. At 26-14, the Timberwolves sit in fourth place in the Western Conference entering Tuesday’s game.

Subscribe to The Kevin O’Connor Show

Kevin O’Connor is joined by Andrew Sharp to break down the Ja Morant situation in Memphis. They discuss the Grizzlies reportedly entertaining offers for Morant, his trade value and potential suitors for Ja.

Advertisement

Next, they check in on the ongoing ‘point guard musical chairs’ situation in the NBA. Is LaMelo Ball going to follow Trae Young’s lead or stay in Charlotte? Should the Cavaliers explore Darius Garland trades? Will a point guard solve Houston’s problems? Plus, the duo drafts their 10 most underrated NBA players for this season.

Later, Mohamed Farah joins for this week’s Draft Class to highlight Kingston Flemings, Darryn Peterson and more of the top NBA draft picks.

(0:44) Grizzlies open to trading Ja Morant
(5:19) Ja Morant trade destinations
(22:07) Point guard musical chairs
(42:37) Underrated NBA player draft with Andrew Sharp
(1:08:31) Draft Class with Mohamed Farah

🖥️ Watch this full episode on the Yahoo Sports NBA YouTube channel

Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv

The Chase for the Cup is back in NASCAR.

The sanctioning body announced Monday that it was returning to its original postseason roots and getting rid of the multi-round format it had used since 2014. In 2026, the top 16 drivers through the first 26 races of the season will compete in the 10-race postseason. The driver with the most points over the final 10 races of the season will win the championship.

Advertisement

NASCAR first implemented the Chase in 2004. Before 2004, NASCAR’s Cup Series had been decided by whoever earned more points over the entirety of the season.

The format from 2014 through 2025 eliminated four drivers in each of the first three three-race rounds. The final four drivers would then race heads-up for the championship in the final race of the season.

In 2025, Kyle Larson used a two-tire pit stop during the last caution to get off pit road first among the championship contenders and win his second Cup Series title. Larson did not lead a single lap during the final race as Denny Hamlin dominated but found himself behind Larson thanks to a four-tire pit stop ahead of the two-lap sprint to the finish.

How the Chase will work

In the previous format, drivers who won a race during the regular season were guaranteed a spot in the playoffs. Now, the top 16 drivers in the points standings after the first 26 races of the season will make the playoff field, regardless of how many wins each has and playoff points no longer exist.

Advertisement

Drivers will receive a base level of 55 points for winning a race instead of 40 before stage points are added in and the driver who finishes first in the standings over the first 26 races of the season will start the playoffs with 25 more points than the driver who finished second.

The No. 1 seed will start the postseason with 2,100 points and the scale will slide down to 2,000 for the last driver in the playoff field.

If two drivers are tied at the end of the playoffs, their number of wins and, if necessary, second-place finishes, will serve as the primary tiebreakers.

The format will also be implemented in both the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series (formerly the Xfinity Series) and the Truck Series. The O’Reilly postseason will be nine races and include 12 drivers while the Truck Series playoffs will be seven races and 10 drivers.

Advertisement

Homestead will host the finale again

The original site of the playoff finale will be the site of the 2026 final race. Homestead-Miami Speedway hosted the finale in 2004 and will again be the last race of the season. The nine Cup Series playoff races before Homestead will be at Darlington, Gateway, Bristol, Kansas, Las Vegas, the Charlotte Roval, Phoenix, Talladega and Martinsville.

Homestead is considered one of the best tracks in NASCAR thanks to its aged pavement and progressive banking. The track put on one of the most thrilling races in modern NASCAR history when Tony Stewart won his fifth race of the playoffs to tie Carl Edwards on points in 2011. Edwards, who finished second to Stewart in that race, lost the title to Stewart because he had fewer wins.

That race, ironically enough, seemed to heavily influence NASCAR’s move to a multi-round playoff format in 2014 as it attempted to create more season finales with the drama that unfolded in 2011.

Advertisement

How the Chase has evolved over the years

When the Chase was first implemented in 2004, the top 10 drivers in the points standings after 26 races made the postseason. The driver who won the regular-season title got 5,050 points while the driver in 10th got 5,000 points.

In 2007, NASCAR expanded the postseason field to 12 drivers. Each driver in the playoffs started with 5,000 points, but that total could be boosted by 10 for every race win during the regular season.

In 2011, the top 10 drivers in the standings again automatically qualified for the Chase while the 11th and 12th spots went to the drivers with the most wins from those who were between 11th and 20th in the standings.

Advertisement

NASCAR’s most controversial Chase moment came in 2013, thanks to a poorly executed attempt at race manipulation in the regular-season finale. Clint Bowyer purposely spun to protect his Michael Waltrip Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr.’s playoff spot. After NASCAR investigated, Truex was removed from the postseason field in favor of Ryan Newman. Additionally, David Gilliland pitted late in the race to help Joey Logano sneak into the playoffs ahead of Jeff Gordon.

The overarching result? Gordon was added to the playoff field as a 13th participant by then-NASCAR CEO Brian France.

A year later, NASCAR overhauled the Chase, expanded the field to 16 participants and implemented the multi-round format it used for over a decade.

NASCAR kept that format for three seasons, but changed it again in 2017 when it added stages to its races. As NASCAR broke each race into three stages, drivers could earn a point they could bank for the playoffs by winning a stage and five points for the playoffs by winning a race. In the first three years of the multi-round format, everyone started with the same number of points at the start of each round.

Additionally, the regular-season champion was rewarded with 15 playoff points and other drivers in the top 10 at the end of 26 races got bonus points to use in the postseason.

Matthew Stafford will be “good to go” come Sunday.

The Los Angeles Rams quarterback sprained the index finger on his throwing hand, head coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday, but he isn’t expected to miss any time. Stafford should still be able to start in the team’s divisional-round matchup against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Sunday.

Advertisement

Stafford hurt his finger while leading the Rams past the Carolina Panthers on Saturday. Stafford tried to get a pass to wide receiver Puka Nacua late in the first half, but his right index finger bent awkwardly back against the arm of Panthers linebacker D.J. Wonnum.

“He’s as tough as it gets, but he’s feeling good … He had a sprain on the index finger, but he was able to push through it” McVay said, via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “He’s as tough as it gets and will be good to go.”

Stafford did not leave the game Saturday and ended up going 24-of-42 for 304 yards with three touchdowns and an interception. He led the team on a game-winning drive and hit Colby Parkinson with a perfect 19-yard touchdown pass near the pylon to seal the 34-31 win.

X-rays on Stafford’s finger after the game came back negative. McVay doesn’t think Stafford will have to wear anything to protect his finger moving forward, either.

Advertisement

The Rams are back in the divisional round of the playoffs for a second straight year. They’ll now take on the Bears, who also rallied to pull off a wild win over the Green Bay Packers in their wild-card matchup on Saturday. A win for the Rams in Chicago on Sunday would send them back to the NFC championship game for the first time since their Super Bowl run during the 2021 campaign.

While Stafford is fine, the Rams lost cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for the rest of the postseason due to a shoulder injury he sustained Saturday. The Rams are hopeful that guard Kevin Dotson (ankle) and tight end Terrance Ferguson (hamstring) are able to play against the Bears after their respective injuries, too.

Jalen Hurts was asked on Monday if he wants Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo to return next season, a day after Philadelphia lost a wild-card game at home to the San Francisco 49ers.

Here’s his answer:

Advertisement

“It’s too soon to think about that,” Hurts said. “Like I said, I put my trust in Howie, Nick and Mr. Lurie.”

That’s not a yes.

Hurts instead deflected to general manager Howie Roseman, head coach Nick Sirianni and owner Jeffrey Lurie. Whoever ultimately makes the decision on Patullo’s future with the Eagles will do so without an endorsement from Philadelphia’s starting quarterback.

Hurts was also asked about his feelings on wide receiver A.J. Brown, who had multiple drops and another sideline incident while tallying three catches for 25 yards in Sunday’s 23-19 loss. While he also didn’t say yes to that question, Hurts was quick to offer a more encouraging response.

“A.J. and I have talked,” Hurts said. “We’re in a great place. Maybe y’all can talk to him and ask.”

Advertisement

Saquon Barkley’s thoughts on Patullo

Hurts wasn’t the only prominent offensive Eagles player asked about Patullo on Monday as players cleaned out their lockers for the season. Saquon Barkley also addressed his offensive coordinator’s future. He also declined to offer an explicit endorsement for bringing Patullo back.

“I think you have to point the finger at one person, like that’s what you guys have to do in your job,” Barkley said. “Somebody’s got to catch the blame, especially when we had the season we had the year before.

“Do I think that’s fair? No, I don’t think that’s fair at all.”

Advertisement

[Get more Eagles news: Philly team feed]

Barkley did shoulder the blame for Philadelphia’s offensive struggles on himself and his teammates while touting Patullo as “a man and a coach.”

“I’ll be the first one to say, did I play to the level that I played last year? I don’t think so,” Barkley continued. “So I let him down. I let my teammates down. We all — it’s a group thing. I know you guys are going to point at one person and say this, say that, but it’s a group effort.

“I’ve got nothing but positive things to say about KP as a man as a coach. Just, we fell short. We as a collective. I want to make sure we get this — as a collective didn’t do enough.”

Should Patullo keep his job?

Patullo’s on the hot seat thanks to a significant offensive decline in Philadelphia from last season’s top 10 unit that won a Super Bowl. There’s plenty of blame to go around but Sirianni appears to be escaping the brunt of it, thanks largely to coaching the Eagles to last season’s Super Bowl victory.

Patullo was also on that Super Bowl team, but as the pass game coordinator. This season, he replaced Kellen Moore, who left his post as Philadelphia’s offensive coordinator to become the head coach of the New Orleans Saints.

Advertisement

And under Patullo’s watch, the Eagles’ offense took a significant step back They finished 24th in the NFL in yards per game. They also ranked 24th in third-down conversions. That they ranked that high in either category might come as a surprise to those who regularly watched the team.

Eagles games were frequently a struggle to watch. Their offensive shortcomings paired with an elite defense regularly resulted in games devolving into punting contests. Punter Braden Moore was tied for the fourth-most punts in the league as the Eagles repeatedly failed to move the ball.

Despite those struggles, Philadelphia managed to win 11 games and secured a second consecutive NFC East title. But their offensive failures proved too much to overcome against the 49ers Sunday and were further magnified when they failed on a must-have fourth down late that sealed their fate.

Advertisement

Is this Patullo’s fault? It’s difficult to pinpoint precisely. But as Barkley alluded to, it’s an easy conclusion to reach given that this season was Patullo’s first on the job.

But Barkley was also correct in concluding that there’s plenty of blame to go around — from Hurts’ limitations as a passer to Brown’s repeated disappearing acts (six games with fewer than 50 yards) to his own inevitable decline from the historic highs of his 2024 campaign. And then there’s Sirianni’s frequently questionable game-management decisions.

Those issues all came to a head in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers. How they play out in Philadelphia’s offseason decisions is yet to be seen.