Well, it’s almost two weeks away — but the matchup is set and a plethora of betting opportunities are already live across the market. Before we dive into some early angles for the side, total and player props, I wanted to take a quick moment to say thank you.
Advertisement
Whether you are a regular reader or a sporadic one, thank you for taking time to read my weekly early best bets article throughout the NFL season. There are an infinite number of ways to spend your time and energy, so devoting some of your week to take in my content truly means a lot to me.
The results were amazing this season: There was a five-week stretch where every single early best Bet hit (13-0 in that span), and personally this was the biggest NFL season I have had in my betting career spanning over a decade. I certainly think there is a correlation between the detailed work needed to produce long-form writing and the success achieved with the plays.
As always, the goal of attacking betting lines early in the week is to close ahead of the market by kickoff. By generating bets with closing line value, we can gain a positive expected value on our bets.
Let’s try to do it one more time in a clash between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks in Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, Feb. 8.
The Super Bowl spread opened Seahawks -5 at BetMGM, while other books opened Seahawks -3.5 a little earlier. The traders at BetMGM noticed the early action favoring Seattle, and shaded their number a little further toward the seemingly sharp side. So, despite the line moving down from Seahawks -5 to -4.5 (-115), we should take a full market scope and say Seattle is the early side taking action.
This point can be solidified by mentioning the moneyline shows Seahawks -235 and has not moved once at BetMGM since the open. BetMGM is still pricing the most expensive Seahawks moneyline across the market. They are inviting early New England money, but that will not be coming from my wallet
Advertisement
I definitely want to back Seattle in this game, but there is no rush to lock in -235 as an early-week best bet. I expect this line to remain around Seahawks -4.5, and inevitably BetMGM will show a higher handle on New England and reduce the price on Seattle. If the goal is to close ahead of the market and time the bet and number appropriately, it’s a pass for now on the side.
The total: 46
Evident by a full season’s worth of content, my breakdowns always start with a comparison between the current betting line and the most recent market moves relative to that bet. The Super Bowl LX total opened at 46.5 and has dropped to 46. The first move in the Super Bowl total was toward the under, and I think this makes a lot of sense.
Advertisement
The Seahawks allowed the fewest opponent points per game this season at 17.1, but the Patriots weren’t far behind, allowing only 17.3 PPG. These are two stingy defensives led by defensive-minded head coaches. Whether we look at other broad categories like yards allowed, total sacks and turnovers forced — or advanced metrics like EPA, success rate, or DVOA — these defenses remain elite units.
The Super Bowl also provides the brightest spotlight, a neutral field creating a de facto away game for both teams, and a two-week prep window for the defensive game plan to be fortified. One direct translation between the spotlight of the game and the moment to the total is the average time until the ball is snapped. The Super Bowl pace slows down and the total number of plays regularly sees a dip.
I think this line will close at 45.5 or lower, so I am taking the under now. We have seen some patterns in betting these playoff games so far, and under action has been the norm. The lone spot I can point to for a game where sharp money came on the over was the AFC championship game, where the final score was 10-7.
Advertisement
Lock it in now, the edge won’t be huge because these markets are sharp, so I suggest a half-unit play towards the under.
Bet: Under 46 (-110)
Player props
Kenneth Walker III over 20.5 receiving yards
During Seattle’s divisional round win over the San Francisco 49ers, Seahawks RB Zach Charbonnet tore his ACL and was lost for the season. The biggest on-field impact of this injury is a heavier reliance on Walker in passing downs.
Charbonnet was regarded as the better pass blocker and would consistently get snaps on clear passing downs. George Holani took over the RB2 role, and a backfield by committee changed to a backfield led by Walker being spelled by Holani.
Walker played 63% of snaps last week, his highest number this season. In fact, Walker only got 60% or more of the snaps once this entire regular season, but he has done it in back-to-back weeks in the playoffs. The injury to Charbonnet, combined with the decreased emphasis of keeping Walker upright for the most important games, has led to a full unleash of “KW3” on the big stage.
Beyond the increased snaps, the matchup against a Patriots defense that boasts a stout run defense means the Seahawks will rely on Walker in short passing downs. This was my first prop placed, and a no-brainer that I think closes about 3 yards higher.
Rhamondre Stevenson longest rush over 11.5 yards (-110)
The Patriots have made a concerted effort to lean on Stevenson the entire season. Despite fumbling issues in past seasons — and again to start the year — Mike Vrabel never wavered that Stevenson was going to be a focal point of the offense.
Advertisement
Sticking with Stevenson has paid dividends for the Patriots, as he is averaging 4.6 yards per carry this year and profiles as a power back still capable of explosive playmaking. Stevenson got 94% of the snaps for the Patriots against the Broncos and touched the ball 25 times. While I am actively considering the over on his rush attempts at 14.5, the longest rush line offers more value and was an early bet I made.
Going beyond the usage stats that highlight Stevenson having a large role in the Super Bowl, this prop is also a market read. BetMGM offers the best price in market not only by a full yard but also less vig paid. This prop can be found 12.5 (-130) as the consensus price elsewhere, making that factor alone a reason to play it here.
If you want to know what Deni Avdija is really like — or, rather, how over the span of 19 months he was able to transform from a maybe, possibly good starter into an All-Star — then the following story, courtesy of Portland Trail Blazers head of player development Gilbert Abraham, is the best one you’ll hear. It’s an example of how a player’s wiring can sometimes matter more than his skills.
It was the second day of January, and the Blazers were in New Orleans trying to protect a double-digit lead over the Pelicans. With just under four minutes remaining, Avdija tossed a lazy ball to the top of the key that was nearly stolen. The next possession, facing some soft full-court pressure, Avdija threw an even weaker pass. This time it was picked off, with Zion Williamson blowing by Avdija for a layup. Avdija dropped his head. Furious, Blazers interim head coach Tiago Splitter called a timeout.
Advertisement
Back on the Blazers’ bench, Abraham told Avdija — in what he describes as “colorful language” — that his effort wasn’t good enough. Avdija pushed back. To prove his point, Abraham took out an iPad and cued up the film. Avdija sat in silence, then walked back onto the court.
In the locker room after the game, a 122-109 Blazers win, Avdija pulled Abraham aside.
“He hugged me and said, ‘Thanks for coaching me,’” Abraham recalled. He added: “In my experience, most players don’t allow coaches to coach them as hard as we coach Deni. And he doesn’t just accept it. He wants it.”
(Amy Monks/Yahoo Sports Illustration)
Growing up in Israel, shooting on a bedroom mini hoop emblazoned with an NBA All-Star Weekend 2015 logo, Avdija dreamed of one day suiting up in that game himself. It took longer than expected, but on Sunday, Avdija was named a reserve on the Western Conference All-Star team, finally fulfilling that dream, becoming the first Israeli ever to earn the honor and capping a breakout few saw coming.
Advertisement
After all, it was less than two years ago that Avdija, despite being just 23 years old, was shipped off in a deal most experts considered a clear win for his former team. Yet here he is now, an All-Star putting up All-NBA-level numbers — 25.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game — and carrying a Blazers team that, according to the website Cleaning the Glass, without him would be languishing in the league’s cellar instead of hovering around .500 and chasing a Western Conference play-in spot.
The question, then, is what sparked this breakout? Was it a new system? A new role? A simple change of scenery?
Ask Avdija and he’ll tell you that all of that has played a part. But the true catalyst, he insists, is something deeper.
“I believe in myself more than ever before,” Avdija told Yahoo Sports recently, “and, because of that, I’m able to play more free.”
Advertisement
You’d never know it now, watching him barrel his way to the rim and take over in crunch time, but there was a point not that long ago where Avdija was wrestling with feelings of doubt. He’d entered the NBA as a hyped lottery pick, someone whom the Washington Wizards were giddy to grab at No. 9 in the 2020 draft. Avdija was just 19 at the time and knew adjusting to life in the NBA would be hard. Still, he figured that within a few years he’d have things mostly figured out.
It was like, ‘Do I really belong here? Am I really going to be the basketball player I think I can become?’
Deni Avdija
Reality, though, proved to be more difficult. He’d landed on a Wizards team with playoff expectations. That meant a short leash. (It also meant adjusting to life alongside Russell Westbrook, a star known for demanding a lot from his rookies even when away from the court. “At, like, 10 p.m. before we’d go on a road trip, he’d text me a list of snacks he wanted, but they were crazy snacks that were impossible to find,” Avdija said with a laugh. “Like, Wavy Lay’s barbecue chips. No places carry Wavy, they just have flat ones.”) Avdija’s confidence waned. The looseness with which he had played in Israel — and the aggression which had allowed him to thrive — had disappeared. He’d miss a layup and stop attacking. He’d miss a 3 and stop shooting. Wizards personnel point to a December 2022 loss when the Los Angeles Lakers’ gameplan was to leave Avdija open from the perimeter and dare him to shoot. Avdija misfired on seven of his eight attempts and turned down numerous more.
“A lot of times you could see him become deflated,” said Wes Unseld Jr., Avdija’s head coach for three seasons in Washington. “He always held himself to such a high standard and, when he felt like he was falling short of that, he would let it affect him and compound.”
Three years into his NBA career, it looked like he had hit a wall. He couldn’t crack a double-digit scoring average. His shooting had regressed, with his 3-point percentage dropping below 30%. He was a good and eager defender, and a weapon in transition — especially when he could grab a rebound and go — but that wasn’t the future that scouts had envisioned years earlier during EuroLeague games when they saw Avdija, as a skinny teenager, running circles around grown men. It certainly wasn’t the future he had envisioned for himself.
Advertisement
“It was like, ‘Do I really belong here? Am I really going to be the basketball player I think I can become?’” Avdija said. “The NBA is so hard and up and down, it’s very easy for a young guy to get sucked into those thoughts.”
In October 2023, the Wizards, under new management and looking to tear things down, offered Avdija a four-year, $55 million extension, the going rate for an average role player. The goal was to lock him into a team-friendly figure that could be easily slotted into a future trade. For Avdija, though, the contract did something else. “It made me feel like I had less worries,” he said. He also refined his shooting stroke — his 3-point percentage jumped to 37.4 — which provided room for the rest of his skills to flourish. He averaged career highs that season (14.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game), making it the perfect time for the Wizards to flip him. On draft night in 2024, they traded Avdija to the Trail Blazers for a package that included two first-round picks.
Sitting with his parents in their apartment in Israel, where he was spending the summer, Avdija let the news of the trade wash over him. He was sad his time in Washington and with the Wizards was coming to an end. But what stood out most was how much the Blazers had given up.
Advertisement
“I was like, ‘Wow, that’s a lot,” Avdija said. “And seeing that, it was like, ‘They really believe in me, they really want me.’”
When Avdija reported to training camp a few months later, Blazers coaches and officials saw a different player than the one they had scouted in D.C. “It was clear right away that he was the best in the gym,” said Chris Fleming, a longtime NBA assistant who spent the 2024-25 season in Portland. But Avdija, still acclimating to his new surroundings, struggled once the games began. “I’m someone who gets very close to people, especially teammates and coaches,” Avdija said. “Having new ones and moving to a new city on the other side of America — it was tough.” Old habits resurfaced. “He’d make a mistake and be very hard on himself,” Fleming recalled.
As the year progressed, Portland began playing faster and adjusting rotations and offensive schemes. Little by little, Avdija grew more comfortable and confident with the ball in his hands. He played like an All-Star over the 2024-25 season’s final 20 games (23.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.2 assists) and returned the following summer ready to make one more leap.
Advertisement
When Jrue Holiday, Portland’s starting point guard, went down with a calf strain less than one month into the 2025-26 season — joining former No. 3 pick and fellow point guard Scoot Henderson, out since the summer with a hamstring injury — Splitter, who had taken over for the suspended Chauncey Billups in October, pulled Avdija aside. Since joining the staff in the summer, he and Avdija had talked about the first time Splitter had seen him play, around eight years earlier, when Splitter was a scout for the Brooklyn Nets watching EuroLeague games in Spain. Avdija at the time was a member of Maccabi Tel-Aviv, playing point guard, and now Splitter wanted to know if Avdija was comfortable doing so again.
Avdija, no longer harboring any doubts, didn’t hesitate.
Coach, he told Splitter, you know I can. You saw me do it when I was 18.
Deni Avdija’s mini hoop with an NBA All-Star logo on it. (Photo by Yaron Weitzman)
The confidence the Blazers have shown in Avdija has created a snowball effect. The more they believe in him, the more he believes in himself, the better he plays, which makes the Blazers believe in him even more, and round and round it goes.
Advertisement
“My opinion matters now,” Avdija said.
Feeling empowered, Avdija’s become a battering ram. He leads the league in drives, attacking the paint like a halfback charging through the line of scrimmage. And yet, despite defenses knowing what’s coming — for example, 90% of Avdija’s drives are to his right — opponents have had no answers. Only Luka Dončić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have taken more free throws than Avdija, and the 1.1 points per possession the Blazers generate on his drives rank in the 72nd percentile.
At 6-foot-8 and close to 230 pounds, Avdija is nearly as big as some of the league’s rim protectors. He’s stronger than many of them, too, with the Blazers’ medical staff marveling at the force he’s able to generate through his legs and core. Some opponents have accused Avdija of foul baiting, but Blazers coaches believe that what separates Avdija from other downhill specialists is his ability to marry brute force with a cerebral approach.
Take his James Harden-style rip-through that he’s perfected, a move that’s become one of the league’s most effective weapons. Avdija first began experimenting with it two years ago during practice. It felt good, and, like a scientist, he spent hours refining it. The footwork, the angles, how and when to extend the ball, how and when to pull it back.
Advertisement
“I like to think about these things from the mental side,” he said. “So what’s hard for defenders? To ignore their instincts. And if you hold the ball out, your initial reaction is that you want to go grab the ball. It’s tempting.” Avdija said that, when driving, he’ll watch for the exact moment defenders reach out. “I know the patterns. And that’s when I extend my arms.” All the while, Avdija’s reading the floor and processing the positions of the other nine players on the floor.
“There’s a brilliance to him in his ability to process things,” Abraham said.
The proof is in the numbers. Avdija dishes out of his drives nearly 50% of the time, one of the league’s top marks, and a nearly seven-point jump from last season. He’s among the league leaders in points generated off assists. In other words, as defenses collapse on him, Avdija has turned that attention into opportunities for everyone else.
Avdija knows there’s still more room to improve. He turns the ball over too much. He can struggle scoring on those rare occasions when opponents are able to keep their hands off him or when officials swallow their whistles. “I just need to add a couple of counters,” he said. He’s become a knockdown 3-pointer shooter on spot-ups (40.7%) but puts up bricks when launching off the dribble (26.9%), meaning defenders can duck under screens and direct all their attention to walling off his drives. He’s also discovering how hard life can be as the No. 1 option.
Advertisement
“Oh my God, when I have the ball at the top of the key now, they’re collapsing like crazy and throwing all sorts of traps at me,” he said. “It’s so different.” A recent focus among opponents has been forcing Avdija to his weaker side, though without much success. “You can try to stop me from going right, but it’s going to be very hard,” he said. “I use a lot of rejects (of the screens). Sometimes, you know, the big guys are screening and for me to go left, and I snake up to my right.”
But Avdija’s relishing the perks that come with stardom, too, and not just because it means future riches. He loves being in a position where he can shape his team’s culture, whether it’s by organizing dinners on the road, gifting all his teammates mini fridges for Christmas, or learning Mandarin so he can communicate with the Blazers’ Chinese rookie, Yang Hansen.
“I think that stuff’s really important,” Avdija said. “The NBA can be a brutal place, switching teammates every year, changing teams, things like that.”
The difference now is that, for the first time in his career, Avdija feels in control. The need to prove himself has dissipated. He’s at ease with who he is and comfortable with the player he’s become. Speaking a few weeks before the All-Star reserves were announced, you could hear it in his response when asked what it would mean to receive that honor.
Advertisement
“It would obviously be a dream come true, but at the end of the day, there are a lot of great players that are not All-Stars,” Avdija said. “So, yeah, it would be nice to have that crown, but I’m not playing for that stuff. My goal is just to continue being me.”
The Bulls can’t extend White, due to the league’s 140% veteran extension limit, meaning he will go into 2026 free agency fully unrestricted.
This means the Bulls have a choice: They can either move White ahead of the deadline in order to get something for him as opposed to losing him for nothing, or they can hope to retain him this summer, without any insurance whatsoever.
Door No. 2 might be the most appealing, but door No. 1 is the safest.
The Bulls won’t get a ton for White, but that’s on them for not moving off the scoring guard earlier, so they’re unsurprisingly left dealing with the consequences of their own actions.
Advertisement
What could they do to salvage some of that value? Well, they do have one bullet left in the chamber in regard to White.
His contract ($12.8 million) is immensely easy to match in any trade scenario, meaning even contenders could get into the bidding without much issue.
If the Bulls could create a small bidding war among the league’s elite teams for White’s scoring prowess, they might be fortunate enough to get a first-round selection, even if it’ll be heavily protected.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
We’ve all seen the reports that the Warriors are less likely to move Kuminga after the season-ending Jimmy Butler injury.
Advertisement
But show of hands: How many believe general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. and Co.? Yeah, me neither.
This relationship is so over, both parties have re-installed Tinder. It’d be incredibly irresponsible for this relationship to linger any further, especially for Kuminga, who has never been given anything that resembles a steady role in order to develop.
While the league’s interest in the 6-foot-7 combo forward is seemingly lukewarm, surely there will be takers for a guy who has only one year left on his deal — a team option no less — and has proven he can put pressure on the rim virtually whenever he wants.
Kuminga has a ton of potential, and while it’s unclear as to whether he realizes it, NBA history suggests someone else will give him that chance.
Advertisement
For the Warriors, it’s also a necessary step to get closure on a situation that has festered for at least two years, if not longer. No good will come from having Kuminga on the roster after the deadline, so let’s get this ship sailing, shall we?
Khris Middleton, Washington Wizards
Could the Washington Wizards have one more major move up their sleeve after acquiring Trae Young?
Most would argue they shouldn’t go all-in on a new timeline, and that’s certainly a reasonable take. But what if Middleton’s expiring contract can fetch something interesting that will help the young players develop at a more realistic pace?
Advertisement
Middleton’s $33.3 million in expiring money is attractive, and the fact that Washington can add picks to any package only adds to the intrigue.
Will the Wizards go out swinging for Zion Williamson? Or possibly identify a long-term center now that they have their point guard in the fold?
This organization can go in so many different directions with Middleton that one eye has to be on them at all times before the deadline.
Tobias Harris, Detroit Pistons
Harris’ $26.6 million in expiring money is not nothing, and as Kelly Iko and I recently discussed, the Pistons are too good to not make a big move before the deadline.
Advertisement
That requires moving Harris’ contract, and possibly adding picks to the equation, to roll the dice on some big piece who can provide them with a legit chance of making a real push toward the Finals.
It’s necessary to note the Pistons need to do something now, as Jalen Duren — who is a restricted free agent this summer — is about to get paid. Handsomely.
Harris’ expiring deal represents a major part of the puzzle for what will ultimately be the final big piece for the Pistons and not using it would be a shame.
Whoever it is the Pistons bring in, whether it’s Lauri Markkanen or some other big fish, the Harris contract is utterly vital in getting something done.
Advertisement
John Collins, Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers made a good trade in the offseason, you’d think, for a scoring forward who can produce points inside and out, but their system has so far not catered to his skill set, meaning the 6-9 Collins might be more useful as an expiring trade chip (earning over $26.5 million) than as a player.
It should come as no surprise that the Clippers aren’t cheap, and with plenty of money locked up for next season, letting Collins just expire could be seen as a waste of an asset. He won’t fetch the Clippers some enormous return, but perhaps he could fetch them a contract that runs longer, allowing them to at least have a player (or two) to utilize Collins’ salary slot.
Advertisement
If we know one thing about the Clippers, it’s that they don’t care about taking on players with off-court issues, and with that in mind, could Miles Bridges, whose deal runs a year longer, perhaps be interesting?
Collins would give the Hornets a more natural power forward who could return to them in the offseason on a cheaper deal, and the Clippers would add a player who has an additional year left on his deal who could give them an offensive bump.
The NFL is heading to France. The league announced Monday that it will play a regular-season game in Paris, France for the first time ever.
The New Orleans Saints will take part in the contest, though the league did not announce their opponent.
The contest will take place in Stade de France, which has held UEFA, FIFA and rugby matches.
Advertisement
In addition to that, the NFL also announced it would return to Spain in 2026. The Miami Dolphins and Washington Commanders played the first-ever NFL game in Spain in 2025.
The league announced a multi-year partnership with the country, meaning the league will likely play multiple games in Spain over the next couple years.
The 2026 game will be played at Bernabéu Stadium, which hosted the Commanders and Dolphins this season. That contest, which took place in November, went to overtime, with the Dolphins picking up a narrow 16-13 win over the Commanders. The NFL has not announced which teams will take part in the Spain game in 2026.
Advertisement
With the announcements, the NFL now has eight international games on its schedule for the 2026 season. The league will play one game in Australia, one game in Brazil, one game in Germany, three games in the U.K., one game in France and one game in Spain. The NFL has confirmed the Los Angeles Rams are one of the teams that will play in Australia and the Jacksonville Jaguars are one of the teams playing in London. The league also announced the Saints will be one of the teams playing in Paris. But the NFL has not announced additional teams for its international games next season. The NFL has also not announced dates or times for any international game in 2026.
The league first started playing international games in 2007, when the Dolphins faced the New York Giants at Wembley Stadium in London. Since then, the league has essentially had at least one international game in every season, though no international games took place during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Advertisement
The NFL has made an attempt to expand the countries in which it holds games, with Brazil, Ireland and Spain all being added to the mix since 2024. In 2026, the league will add France to its ever-growing list.
For the so-far brief entirety of 2026, Lakers superstar Luka Dončić had posted the highest score week-to-week … until we reached the end of January. Scoring seems to be on an upswing with a few 80+ point performances this past week. We hadn’t seen that in over a month. We also saw the return of Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, so it’s only a matter of time before he gets his name back in this article. We’ll be waiting patiently for a vintage ceiling triple-double from Joker.
In the meantime, let’s go over the Yahoo High Score perfect lineup from Week 15:
Week 15 High Score Perfect Lineup.
(Taylor Wilhelm)
More on the top performers
Luka Dončić, guard: We were one slate away from Luka topping this lineup for the fourth straight week. Instead, he came up two points short but did manage his highest fantasy point total since Dec. 18. With NHL legend Alex Ovechkin in attendance, Dončić dropped a 37-point triple-double with 11 rebounds, 13 assists and 3 steals in a blowout win over the Wizards in D.C. on Friday. Luka should have another opportunity to make this lineup with the Lakers facing the Nets, Sixers and Warriors in Week 16.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, guard: Volume scorers like Shai aren’t always the top options for High Score. But when the Thunder guard takes the time to dish it out, he generally reaches a ceiling. SGA combined the two in a win over the Nuggets on Sunday with 34 points and 13 assists, plus 5 rebounds and 3 stocks to get into the No. 2 slot at guard. Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 30+ points in six of the past eight games. The reigning MVP and Finals MVP has some work to do to win his second straight scoring title by overtaking the guy above him in this story.
Jarrett Allen, frontcourt: This is the man who dethroned Dončić from another week on top. Allen made easy work of an inexperienced Trail Blazers frontcourt on Sunday, scoring a career-high 40 points with 17 rebounds, 5 assists and 6 stocks to throw up 85 fantasy points as our highest scorer of the week.
Jalen Johnson, frontcourt: January was a down month for Johnson, at least based on what we had grown accustomed to seeing from the budding star in ATL. His average scoring dropped by nearly 5.0 points from December to January, when he posted 21.3 points per game over 15 games. This is surprising given the Hawks dealt PG Trae Young to the Wizards in early January. But Johnson was able to end the month on a high note with a 33-point triple-double, plus 14+ rebounds in four of the past six games.
Advertisement
Victor Wembanyama, frontcourt: Injuries have made it a very tough fantasy season for Wemby managers who invested so highly in the phenom. The Spurs’ big missed time earlier in the campaign and was eased back into action. Wembanyama is still on a minutes restriction of sorts, averaging 27.7 minutes per game in the month of January. That has given him a much lower floor while limiting his ceiling, which got all the way up to 80 points at the start of the season. Still, he showed what he can do even in limited minutes, with 28 points, 16 rebounds and 7 stocks in a win over Houston last week.
Alex Sarr, utility: Sarr makes his first appearance in the perfect lineup and has been benefiting (like Johnson) from the Young trade. Not because Young has lifted the Wizards offense up, but because the point guard hasn’t been able to stay on the court. He’s sidelined until after the All-Star break, which has opened up more opportunity for Sarr. The young forward was able to post 8 stocks to go with 29 points and 12 rebounds to get over the 70-point mark last week.
Malik Tillman and Gio Reyna are attacking midfielders in the Bundesliga. Both are 23. Over the years, they have seen their U.S. national team stock rise and fall like a bank of elevators. Both have high World Cup aspirations.
With coach Mauricio Pochettino’s roster decisions less than four months away, Tillman and Reyna find themselves on divergent paths.
Meanwhile, Reyna ended an empty month unavailable for the second consecutive weekend because of muscle issues. Before the injury, he had played just 26 minutes for Mönchengladbach since the Bundesliga returned from winter break.
It’s a critical time for players jockeying for World Cup roster berths. Performances on the club circuit are heightened. Players need to not just solidify playing time but perform well when they are on the field. Pochettino and his staff are watching closely.
There is a good chance both Tillman and Reyna will make the cut this summer. Tillman’s current form demonstrates what he can bring to the national team, while Reyna is coming off a stirring performance in his long-awaited return to the U.S. program in November.
Injuries and limited playing time have slowed Gio Reyna’s momentum at Borussia Mönchengladbach.
(Rene Nijhuis/MB Media via Getty Images)
Pochettino, of course, would prefer to see both hitting their stride before the World Cup. Right now, only Tillman is raising his game.
“He hasn’t had the consistency we would have expected, but he’s a player, without consistent playing time, who came to us in November and performed at a very good level,” Pochettino said of Reyna. “It is a similar situation [now]. We’re taking him into account for the decisions we’ll make in March and then for the World Cup.”
Advertisement
Over the weekend, Tillman was confident and polished with the ball, scoring in the 33rd minute for his fourth Bundesliga goal and sixth overall.
In his first season at Leverkusen, Tillman was sidelined for weeks in the fall with a hamstring injury — a setback suffered in U.S. camp in October that kept him off the U.S. squad in November. Since returning, he has made 11 starts in all competitions, including Wednesday’s Champions League gem against Villarreal.
“It’s about time I scored more often,” Tillman said.
Conversely, Reyna remains in Mönchengladbach’s shadows. Since the U.S. camp in November, he has started four times and come off the bench four times. Overall, he has made 13 Bundesliga appearances for 399 minutes, with four starts, no goals and no assists.
Advertisement
Elsewhere in Germany, center back Noahkai Banks returned from a yellow card suspension to make his 14th Bundesliga start in four months, logging 90 minutes in Augsburg’s 2-1 comeback victory over second-to-last St. Pauli. Midfielder James Sands went the distance for St. Pauli, which is winless in six straight.
Wing back Joe Scally (17th start) played 84 minutes in Mönchengladbach’s 1-1 draw with Werder Bremen.
Because of a calf injury, forward Damion Downs missed Hamburg’s 2-2 home draw with first-place Bayern Munich.
In the second division, left wing John Tolkin made his 18th start in Holstein Kiel’s 2-1 home loss to last-place Greuther Fürth.
Advertisement
England
Forward Patrick Agyemang’s terrific first season at Derby County continued with a 66th-minute header during a 5-0 stroll at Bristol City — his third goal in four matches and ninth in the second-tier Championship. He is second on the team in scoring.
Unbeaten in four straight, the seventh-place Rams are two points behind Wrexham for the last promotion playoff berth. It’s been 18 years since they last played in the Premier League.
The top of the English Championship features Americans on clubs heading in opposite directions: Coventry City forward Haji Wright and Middlesbrough midfielder Aidan Morris.
Advertisement
After squandering a second-half lead, Coventry City fell at Queens Park Rangers 2-1 and dropped level on points with Middlesbrough, which won at struggling Norwich City 1-0. Both remain on pace to earn promotion to the Premier League, though three clubs are within striking distance.
Wright entered in the 71st minute for Coventry, which is 2-4-1 over seven matches. Morris played 90 for Middlesbrough, which has won five straight as it seeks a return to the top flight for the first time since 2017.
Left back Antonee Robinson went 71 minutes in Fulham’s 3-2 loss at Manchester United, a heartbreaker after the eighth-place Cottagers overcame a late two-goal deficit.
Crystal Palace center back Chris Richards (90 minutes in his 20th Premier League start) was part of a 1-1 draw at 10-man Nottingham Forest — a result that stopped a three-game losing streak across all competitions but extended the Eagles’ winless drought to 12. They have not won a league game since Dec. 7 and have tumbled to 15th place.
Advertisement
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson (71 minutes in his 17th Premier League start) and Leeds were on a 4-1-6 run in all competitions before getting buried at home by front-running Arsenal 4-0.
Italy
Few if any U.S. players have enjoyed a better winter than midfielder Weston McKennie, whose sterling play continued with a goal and unquestionable influence in the playmaker’s role during Juventus’ 4-1 domination at Parma.
McKennie (74 minutes) scored with a sweet side volley in the 33rd minute — his fourth goal in eight matches over all competitions — and sent a header off the crossbar in the second half. Fourth-place Juve, which is 14-2-5 overall since Oct. 29, is within a point of Napoli and two of AC Milan.
Gazzetta dello Sport gave McKennie high marks and said he was “still excellent.”
Advertisement
After a rare start mid-week in the Champions League, midfielder Yunus Musah remained on the bench for Atalanta’s 0-0 draw at Como — his second consecutive Serie A no-show. He’s made just three league starts all season.
Forward Christian Pulisic and AC Milan had the weekend off ahead of Tuesday’s match at Bologna.
In Serie B, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann and sixth-place Cesena continued to lose ground in the promotion chase, losing at Avellino 3-1 to extend its rut to 1-4-1.
France
Striker Folarin Balogun’s scoring slump reached five matches — and eight of nine — but he assisted in the 33rd minute of Monaco’s 4-0 romp over Rennes before leaving early in the second half with hamstring tightness.
Advertisement
Winger Tim Weah went 80 minutes in third-place Olympique Marseille’s 2-2 draw at Paris FC, setting up next Sunday’s showdown at Ligue 1 leader Paris Saint-Germain.
With Tanner Tessmann manning central midfield, Olympique Lyonnais won its 10th straight in all competitions, 1-0 over Lille, to pull even on points with Marseille, which is ahead on goal differential.
Defender Mark McKenzie played 90 minutes for the 15th time in his 18 league appearances as Toulouse drew at home with Auxerre 0-0 for its second straight clean sheet.
Spain
Midfielder Johnny Cardoso started for the third consecutive La Liga match as third-place Atletico Madrid played to a 0-0 draw at Levante, increasing its unbeaten run in league play to six (4-0-2).
Advertisement
Days after his transfer from Orlando City was finalized, right back Alex Freeman was in uniform but didn’t play in Villarreal’s 2-2 draw at Osasuna.
Netherlands
In a battle of the Eredivisie’s top clubs, right back Sergiño Dest played 73 minutes in first-place PSV Eindhoven’s 3-0 rout of second-place Feyenoord, improving to 18-1-2 with a plus-39 goal differential. PSV forward Ricardo Pepi remains out with a fractured forearm.
Scotland
In the Premiership, center back Auston Trusty‘s red-card suspension left him watching Celtic’s 2-0 victory over Falkirk. He has been exceptional of late in the Europa League, scoring in consecutive matches.
Advertisement
Mexico
In Liga MX, winger Alex Zendejas resumed training this past week but remains absent from Club América’s matchday squad. Between the muscular injury, the club’s early Apertura playoff elimination and the winter break, he has not played since Nov. 29.
They say the NFL Draft starts in Mobile, and so can fantasy football. With the current college landscape and players staying in school longer than ever, the Senior Bowl talent has gotten better with each passing year. Seahawks guard Grey Zabel was the practice MVP last season, Quinyon Mitchell was the star the year before, who shined this past Saturday to raise their NFL Draft stock? Football analyst Joel Smyth breaks down the future fantasy rookies who were Senior Bowl winners.
WR Malachi Fields, Notre Dame
Projected Draft Round: Second
Advertisement
Fields will become one of the top drafted WRs this April, an outlook that was cemented after his Senior Bowl week. Following four years at Virginia, Fields transferred to Notre Dame for his final season. His raw production dipped slightly, but Fields played a vital role in the Notre Dame offense, which is more known for its run game.
At 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, he is a deep-threat playmaker who averaged 17.5 yards per reception last season. Yes, his contested-catch ability is a strength, but unlike many young, big wideouts, he does not rely solely on his size. This practice week gave him a chance to showcase his strong route running skills, reliable hands and the versatility NFL teams look for. I would love to see the Notre Dame WR land in with Fernando Mendoza in Las Vegas as his new X receiver, or a team in need such as the Saints or Giants.
QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Projected Draft Round: Third
Advertisement
Nussmeier, the Senior Bowl MVP, passed for 57 yards to go with a rushing touchdown. His interception came on an accurate throw deep over the middle that went through his tight end’s hands. Nussmeier was receiving top-10 NFL Draft hype last summer, which has since cooled off, but he looks like another NFL QB taken out of LSU after this week of practice.
Now back healthy, Nussmeier looked much more like himself after struggling in his final two games of the season. An interesting storyline to watch will be the temptation for New Orleans to take Nussmeier, whose father is the team’s offensive coordinator. The Saints made Doug Nussmeier a first-time offensive coordinator for his former NFL team, which he played QB for in the 1996 and 1997 seasons.
RB Mike Washington Jr., Arkansas
Projected Draft Round: Fifth
Advertisement
Washington’s best season came against the best competition. After pedestrian numbers at Buffalo and New Mexico State, Washington transferred to Arkansas for his fifth year, posting nearly 1,300 yards on great efficiency. In his four matchups versus top-25 opponents, Washington averaged 125 yards per game, leading to his draft stock rising into the better half of Day 3.
NFL offenses have relied on Day 3 RBs to handle bellcow volume, and Washington is even more capable to handle a bigger workload than the average player at 6-foot-2, 223 pounds. In recent history alone, Chase Brown, Bucky Irving and Kyren Williams have gone from Day 3 selections to workhorse backs.
RB Jaydn Ott, Oklahoma
Projected Draft Round: Seventh
Advertisement
Ott needed a positive Senior Bowl experience more than almost anyone this past week after a senior season that fell short of his production at California Berkeley. Following two incredible campaigns for the running back, Ott was plagued by injuries and moved onto Oklahoma for a new start.
His draft stock heavily slipped until this last week, where Ott looked healthy and produced in key moments. The senior RB’s pass blocking was noted by several scouts, a crucial factor of a rookie running back’s playing time, especially those drafted in later rounds.
WR Kevin Coleman Jr., Missouri
Projected Draft Round: Fifth
Coleman played for his third team in as many years in 2025, bringing in 66 receptions for the Missouri Tigers, after catching 74 as a junior at Mississippi State. Although consistency was his strength in 2024, it was the opposite story for the senior WR this past season.
Advertisement
Coleman had a season low of four receptions in 2024, catching 5+ targets in 11 out of 12 games. However, after another transfer, Coleman failed to have consecutive weeks of 5+ receptions following the first month of the season, including three games under five total receiving yards. The strengths come after the catch and his versatility, as both a playmaker out of the slot and as a long-time punt returner.
WR Tyren Montgomery, John Carroll
Projected Draft Round: Sixth
The Senior Bowl gives opportunities for draft hopefuls to shine, especially for those who may not face quality competition as frequently. Montgomery set a school record with 119 receptions, but the opponents John Carroll faces are usually not stocked with NFL talent.
Advertisement
Montgomery showed last week in practice that he’s more than a product of his competition. His path is nothing short of absurd. After playing college basketball at LSU, Montgomery eventually shifted to football as a walk-on at Houston. He had never worn shoulder pads, had no high school football experience and is now in line to be drafted into the NFL. The talent is there, and it can be an amazing coaching opportunity for an NFL WR coach.
RB Kaelon Black, Indiana
Projected Draft Round: Seventh
Coming off a National Championship, Black could’ve chosen to stay on the sidelines, and nobody would blame him. Instead, he straps back up and gets right back to work. The former James Madison RB who followed his head coach to Indiana saved his best for last. In IU’s last five games of the season, Black had 60+ rushing yards in every contest, adding five rushing touchdowns. Keep in mind, these were against defenses such as Ohio State, Oregon and Miami as part of a committee backfield.
Advertisement
He won’t be the dominant bellcow in the league, but that doesn’t mean the Hoosier RB can’t continue to be a significant contributor as a role player. He looked the part one more time in Mobile, including putting his receiving chops on display, and can sneak into being a Day 3 pick this April.
If Matthew Stafford wants to return to the Los Angeles Rams in 2026, he’ll have a job waiting for him. Rams coach Sean McVay confirmed Monday that he “absolutely” wants Stafford back next season, but will give the quarterback some time to decide if he still wants to play football.
McVay expressed as much Monday, saying he wants Stafford back as long as “that’s something that he wants to do.”
McVay’s comments shouldn’t come as a major surprise considering Stafford’s numbers in 2025. The 37-year-old led the NFL with 4,707 passing yards and 46 touchdowns. He’s considered the favorite to take home the MVP award once its announced.
But there’s at least some uncertainty over whether Stafford — who is signed with the Rams through the 2026 NFL season — will return for next season. While McVay angrily dismissed the idea immediately following the Ram’s loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC championship, the quarterback said he would take some time to think things over.
McVay said Monday the team would “respect [Stafford’s] timetable.” McVay added there was no specific date set for Stafford to make that decision.
The Stafford-McVay pairing has been incredibly successful since the Rams traded for the former Detroit Lions quarterback. Since joining the Rams, Stafford has led the team to the playoffs in four out of five seasons. He won the Super Bowl in his first year with the team back in 2021. Stafford has made two Pro Bowls and was selected to the first-team All-Pro team once with the Rams. He’ll likely add an MVP award to his list of accomplishments with the team before long.
Advertisement
Given his success in the NFL, there’s not much else Stafford needs to accomplish before he calls it a career. He already ranks sixth all time in passing yards and seventh all time in passing touchdowns. Combine that with his Super Bowl win — and probable MVP award — and Stafford has a pretty strong case for the Hall of Fame if he never plays another down in the NFL.
But walking away from the game right now could prove difficult. Stafford just had the best season of his career and was able to take the Rams on a deep playoff run. The temptation to try and win one more ring might prove too strong, especially with Stafford showing little to no signs of decline in 2025.
What separates an Olympic figure skating routine from a glide over the ice? Music, of course. Music is the backbone of every Olympic performance, the foundation of the magnificent choreography of every routine. But suddenly, with just days to go before the start of the Milan Cortina Olympics, music is very much at the center of figure skating’s first controversy of the 2026 Games.
Just days before the Olympics begin, Spain’s Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté announced via Instagram that his short program music, which he’d been skating to for months, cannot be used due to “copyright clearance issues.” It’s a massive blow to Guarino Sabaté’s dreams, given that he’ll apparently need to devise an entirely new routine to a cleared song with just days of preparation. But it also illustrates the fragile, complicated state of music licensing for skating performances.
Advertisement
“Finding this out last Friday, so close to the biggest competition of my life, was incredibly disappointing,” Guarino Sabaté wrote. “Nevertheless, I will face this challenge head-on and do everything I can to make the best of this situation.”
Licensing issues in figure skating are a relatively new phenomenon, because most routines prior to the mid-2010s used instrumental, classical, copyright-free public domain music. In 2014, the International Skating Union (ISU) permitted skaters to use songs with lyrics in their routines as part of an overall move to help skating appeal to a wider audience.
Team USA’s Amber Glenn, for instance, will be skating to Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” in her short program, while ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates will perform their rhythm dance routine to a selection of Lenny Kravitz songs. “Quad God” Ilia Malinin has skated to the music of Ed Sheeran, while Maxim Naumov has performed routines using songs from artists ranging from Frank Sinatra to Queen. Familiar, relatable music helps audiences connect with skaters on a deeper, more personal level; the ISU’s decision to permit the use of lyrics in songs has paid off in some spectacular, moving routines.
Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate of Spain competes in the Men’s Free Skating during the ISU European Figure Skating Championships 2026. (Photo by Yuan Tian/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
(NurPhoto via Getty Images)
But copyrighted music also brings the added burden of public performance legality into play. After the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, American pairs skaters Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier were served with a lawsuit for the alleged unsanctioned use of Heavy Young Heathens’ “House of the Rising Sun” in their routine. The suit, which also named NBC for broadcasting the performance, was settled later that year for an undisclosed amount.
Advertisement
In response, the skating community has attempted to quell similar issues before they reach the litigation stage. U.S. Figure Skating has worked with the music performance rights organizations ASCAP and BMI to help coaches, choreographers and skaters clear their music for performance.
A 2024 U.S. Figure Skating memo laid out in stark legalese the obligations of performers and their teams to clear music for public performance: “To comply with applicable copyright laws, it is strongly recommended that all music being used for competitions, shows, training, and other background or intermission music being utilized during a U.S. Figure Skating sanctioned or approved event, program, or activity is 100% cleared by BMI, ASCAP, or a combination of the two,” the memo reads. “Further, it is strongly recommended that the coach, choreographer, athlete, and/or parent/guardian only use music for competition that is 100% cleared as described above.”
The result is that while skaters may now use a wide range of songs without fear of triggering a lawsuit, not every song is viable. Alysa Liu, for instance, one of the United States’ medal hopefuls, had begun choreographing a routine to an orchestral cover of a Lady Gaga song she’d found on YouTube — “ a random person on YouTube made it, like, 10 years ago,” she said recently — only to abandon it after learning that the use of the song would be a copyright violation.
“Initially my idea was to have, like, an orchestral version, but, like, they’re only YouTube versions,” Liu said. “We were actually choreographing to the orchestral version. Competition comes around, [and her team said], No, we can’t risk it.”
Advertisement
Adding to the challenge is the fact that music licensing is incredibly complex, depending on whether the music is being performed in a public space, broadcast or livestreamed, or used as the basis for choreography. All of these elements can require separate licenses, and each one can trigger a lawsuit if the proper rights aren’t obtained.
Katherine Hill, Glenn’s free skate choreographer, notes that rights issues are generally handled “pretty early in the process” after selecting a potential song. “We’re trying our best to make sure that approvals are there,” she told Yahoo Sports. “You want to make sure that boxes are checked. It’s definitely part of the conversation.”
ISU requires skaters to clear their songs through a variety of means, including ClicknClear, a music licensor. This is where Guarino Sabaté’s issue comes into play. “I followed all required procedures and submitted my music through the ISU ClicknClear system back in August, and I competed with this program the entire season,” he wrote.
Advertisement
“We are not at liberty to discuss specific cases,” ClicknClear CEO Chantal Epp told Yahoo Sports in a statement, “but in general, it is a condition of participation at Olympic events that all athletes obtain the necessary authorizations and consents before using music to accompany their performances.”
The challenge for Guarino Sabaté is that skaters spend months honing and refining their choreography to a specific song. “Figure skating is unique because skaters not only are judged on athletic prowess, they are also judged on the intangibles,” Hill says. “How can I make an audience feel? What do I want them to feel? How can I portray emotion non-verbally, and how can I interpret this music?”
Music remains a key element of any figure skating program, but copyright law could pose an obstacle as tricky as any that a skater faces on the ice.
Giving McVay and Snead new deals was an obvious decision considering their ongoing success and another appearance in the NFC title game. Although they didn’t reach the Super Bowl this year, the Rams had a strong season, winning 12 games and just missing out on playing in Super Bowl LX. Over the past three years, McVay’s team has won at least 10 games each season.
Advertisement
This duo has built a consistent winner, leading the Rams to two Super Bowls, capturing one, and remaining playoff contenders in the NFC most years since McVay became head coach in 2017. The players and personnel may have changed, but McVay and Snead’s leadership has remained constant.
In McVay’s nine seasons, the Rams have had only one down year, finishing 5-12 in 2022, mainly because quarterback Matthew Stafford missed eight games due to injury. Under McVay, the Rams have achieved double-digit wins in seven seasons and reached the NFC title game three times, including two Super Bowl appearances.
Snead has been closely aligned with McVay, providing the players who have helped shape the franchise. He has been with the team since the St. Louis days, joining in 2012. His influence is evident in the many successful deals he’s made over the years.
Advertisement
The most notable moves during Snead’s tenure include trading for Matthew Stafford during the 2021 offseason and drafting future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald. Snead has also made numerous other shrewd moves, like selecting Puka Nacua in the fifth round, but acquiring Stafford and Donald stand out as his top achievements.
Despite playing in what many would call the toughest division in football, the NFC West, McVay and Snead have been able to present a consistent winning team that should be in contention in the conference for many years to come, especially if Stafford returns and continues to play like a Hall of Fame quarterback.
