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Former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore reportedly engaged in strange and uncomfortable social-media interactions with multiple women as far back as 2020, according to a new report from The Athletic.

Five women spoke to The Athletic about those interactions, with some sharing exchanges with the former Michigan coach. The most recent interaction reportedly came in November, as one woman said Moore sent her a hand wave emoji prior to Michigan’s win over Purdue on Nov. 1.

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Moore’s online interactions with women were reportedly raised to university officials in 2024, early in Moore’s first season as Michigan’s head coach. The university determined Moore’s interactions weren’t criminal — as they didn’t constitute sexual harassment and did not involve university employees — though showed a poor lack of judgement, per The Athletic.

“It was not sexual harassment,” said one of those officials. “It was propriety, ‘Are you an idiot?’ kind of stuff.”

Screenshots of those conversations obtained by The Athletic show that Moore often used emojis to start up conversations with the women on social media. After that, he would try to engage the women in conversation.

One of the women who spoke to The Athletic shared messages in which Moore invited the woman to Michigan to come see Moore. The woman, who knew Moore was married, asked whether the pair would need to avoid being seen together and if she would need to be “holed up in some hotel.”

Moore allegedly responded, “I guess we will have to see ! I would say yes but you would also have a driver haha,” per The Athletic. He later reportedly told the woman, “We will go into that detail later.”

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Moore’s social-media interactions were not the reason he was fired for cause. The 39-year-old former head coach was fired by Michigan after it was determined he engaged in a relationship with a staffer. Michigan was reportedly alerted to that relationship toward the end of Moore’s first season as its head coach. While the university initially couldn’t find direct evidence of a relationship, it found enough that it contacted an outside law firm to conduct an investigation.

That investigation reportedly determined Moore and a staffer engaged in a relationship, leading to his firing.

Following his firing, Moore allegedly broke into the woman’s house, grabbed butter knives and kitchen scissors and reportedly threatened to kill himself, per reports. Moore was detained by police and charged with felony home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering or entering without breaking. He was later released on $25,000 bond. His next hearing is set for Jan. 22, 2026.

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Following Moore’s firing, the team hired Biff Poggi as its interim head coach. Poggi was asked about Moore’s firing, saying Michigan players felt “betrayed” by the former head coach.

When Mauricio Pochettino gathered his U.S. national team for training camp last month in greater Philadelphia, Weston McKennie remained in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. Pochettino was not punishing him or sending a message, as he had done with several veterans during this defining year.

Rather, Pochettino decided McKennie — and, by extension, the national team — would benefit more from the Texan strengthening his relationship with new Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti than strengthening bonds with teammates in two U.S. friendlies.

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The move has paid off. Without McKennie, as well as several injured regulars, the Americans swept past Paraguay and Uruguay. And McKennie has remained a fixture in Spalletti’s lineup, logging 90 minutes in each of the past 10 matches.

On Saturday, in his 200th appearance over five years for the Italian giants, he recorded a second-half assist during a 2-1 victory over Roma, marking the third time in four matches he has scored or played a secondary role in a goal.

Across three competitions, Juventus is 8-1-3 in its past 12 matches. Saturday’s victory drew it within a point of Roma for Serie A’s fourth Champions League berth in 2026-27.

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McKennie, 27, has proven valuable not only with production and minutes played but versatility. In 18 starts overall, he has started eight times at right wing back, five in central midfield, twice in attacking midfield, twice at right wing and once at left wing back.

As the World Cup approaches, that flexibility will provide options for Pochettino, who, in October, started McKennie in attacking midfield for friendlies against Ecuador and Australia. Since Pochettino’s arrival more than a year ago, McKennie has also played wide and in a deep central role.

The U.S. boss has plenty of time to continue evaluating McKennie — not to mention the entire player pool. The next international window is in late March for friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta. About two months later, Pochettino will name his 26-man World Cup squad.

Elsewhere in Europe this weekend …

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Italy

Forward Christian Pulisic and second-place AC Milan had the weekend off after losing to Napoli 2-0 in the Italian Super Cup semifinals Thursday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Midfielder Yunus Musah made his first Serie A start in four months, playing all of Atalanta’s 1-0 victory at 10-man Genoa.

In Serie B, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann made his usual start as Cesena drew 1-1 with Juve Sabia extending the club’s unbeaten streak to four and leaving it in fourth place, three points out of promotion.

Netherlands

The U.S. duo of Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest combined for a tying goal early in the second half, with Pepi scoring for the fifth time in six matches over all competitions as first-place PSV Eindhoven came from behind to win 2-1 at Utrecht.

According to Opta, the 22-year-old striker has recorded 15 goals in 13 Eredivisie starts since joining PSV last season, scoring at least one goal in 10 of those 13 starts, including the last four. In league play this season, Pepi has posted seven goals and one assist in 14 appearances (seven starts) for PSV, which is 15-1-1 and 11 points ahead of second-place Feyenoord entering the winter break. He also has three goals in five Champions League matches.

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Dest recorded his fourth assist of the Eredivisie campaign.

England

It was the end of a rough week for center back Chris Richards and Crystal Palace, which lost at Leeds 4-1. Richards didn’t play well over 90 minutes.

The stretch began with a 3-0 home loss to Manchester City in the Premier League, followed by a 2-2 home draw with Finnish club KuPS, which left Palace 10th in the UEFA Conference League (Europe’s third-tier continental competition). A victory would have earned a top-eight finish and an automatic berth in the round of 16. Instead, a playoff awaits.

Midfielder Brendan Aaronson played 76 minutes for Leeds, which is 16th on the 20-team circuit. Palace is eighth.

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Sidelined two to three months with a torn MCL, midfielder Tyler Adams missed Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw with Burnley.

In his return from a knee injury, left back Antonee Robinson made his third consecutive 90-minute appearance in Fulham’s 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

In the second-tier Championship, Patrick Agyemang’s pressure forced an own goal in the first half and his late bid for the winner was saved well as Derby County settled for a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth. The former Charlotte FC forward has five goals and three assists in his first season overseas.

Forward Haji Wright played 82 minutes as 10-man Coventry City earned a 1-1 draw at Southampton, leaving the frontrunners 12 points clear for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

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Midfielder Aidan Morris (leg injury) missed his fifth consecutive match for second-place Middlesbrough, while forward Josh Sargent (concussion) missed his second straight for Norwich City.

Germany

Midfielder Malik Tillman started for the seventh time in eight matches across all competitions as Bayer Leverkusen won at RB Leipzig, 3-1, and moved into third place in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Based on Fotmob analytics, Tillman is Leverkusen’s third-best player this season.

Noahkai Banks, a 19-year-old center back, made his 10th consecutive start in Augsburg’s 0-0 draw with Werder Bremen.

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Right wing back Joe Scally (90 minutes) and midfielder Gio Reyna (65) started in Mönchengladbach’s 2-0 loss at Dortmund. Reyna has started four consecutive matches, a positive development in his effort to remain in Pochettino’s good graces.

Central midfielder James Sands remains a St. Pauli fixture, making his 14th start in a 0-0 draw at Mainz. Left wing back John Tolkin entered in the 63rd minute as Holstein Kiel ended a four-game winless streak in the second division with a 2-1 win over Dynamo Dresden.

France

In a cup weekend, forward Folarin Balogun (90 minutes) and Monaco had the most difficult assignment, winning at Ligue 1’s Auxerre 2-1 to advance to the round of 32.

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Center back Mark McKenzie (90) captained Toulouse to a 2-1 win at fifth-tier Lyon la Duchere. Winger Tim Weah played 69 minutes in Olympique Marseille’s 6-0 victory at third-flight Bourg en Bresse Peronnas. Midfielder-defender Tanner Tessmann entered in the 78th minute as Olympique Lyonnais needed three second-half goals to sweat out a 3-0 home victory over seventh-tier Saint-Cyr Collonges.

Others

In Scotland, Celtic center back Auston Trusty played 90 minutes in a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen, a result that ended a four-game losing streak and left the Glasgow club six points behind front-running Hearts with a match in hand. … In Spain, central midfielder Johnny Cardoso didn’t play in Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 triumph at Girona. He has made one brief appearance the past eight times he’s been in uniform for a La Liga match.

Welcome to The High Score Playlist: my weekly column that lets you know who to add off the waiver wire and get in your lineup for the upcoming week in fantasy basketball. You can also read my 9-cat and standard points leagues pickups story for advice in those formats.

So press play and shuffle through the latest fantasy basketball info.

🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: High Score

Kel’el Ware – FC, Miami Heat (67% rostered)

Since entering the starting lineup three games ago, Ware’s been a force, recording three straight double-doubles. In those games, he averaged 47.6 fantasy points by posting 24.7 points, 15.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Even while Erik Spoelstra remains publicly critical of his defensive lapses, the production is undeniable. Ware’s shooting a ridiculous 71% from the field and 12 for 16 from 3 in that span, so he’s been on fire. Whether the role sticks long-term is still to be determined, but in High Score, the counting stats and stocks are too good to leave on waivers.

John Collins – FC, Los Angeles Clippers (77% rostered)

Managers grew frustrated with Collins’ inconsistency, but his situation flips with Ivica Zubac out for at least a few weeks due to an ankle injury. Collins responded Sunday with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 4 stocks and 43 fantasy points — his highest of the season. He’s been a shell of himself compared to last season, but Collins will see a significant uptick in touches and rebounding chances, putting him back into must-start territory for the next few weeks.

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Santi Aldama – FC, Memphis Grizzlies (44% rostered)

Memphis is running on fumes, and Aldama is stepping into a massive role. He exploded for a season-high 57 fantasy points on Saturday against Washington, posting 37 points, 10 rebounds and 2 stocks while attempting 23 shots. That shot volume is the story — the Grizzlies are desperate for offense, and with Brandon Clarke now sidelined by a calf injury and Ja Morant already ruled out ahead of Monday, Aldama’s looking good in a week where the Grizzlies play four games.

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. It’s not too late to create or join a league]

Isaiah Collier – G, Utah Jazz (20% rostered)

Collier is doing what I thought he would in the preseason, racking up mad assists. The backup point guard recorded three straight games with 38+ fantasy points, averaging 10 assists per game over that stretch. For managers in need of playmaking and multi-category coverage, Collier is a streaming option in Week 10 with the Jazz playing a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back, plus a Friday/Saturday back-to-back as well.

Donte DiVincenzo – G, Minnesota Timberwolves (45% rostered)

DiVincenzo has put up 50+ High Score points in each of the past two weeks, stepping up in Anthony Edwards’ absence. Even with Edwards back, Jaden McDaniels’ hip injury creates another opportunity window for DiVincenzo to soak up more usage and shot attempts.

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His blend of scoring and rebounding at the guard spot, stocks and underrated passing offers a 31-point fantasy floor with a 40-50 point ceiling, as he’s shown over the past two weeks. The Wolves are one of the teams playing on the five-game slate on Christmas, so if you’re looking for a streaming option there, DiVincenzo is in play.

The 2025-26 NFL regular season is heading into the last few weeks, and Week 16 saw one of the wildest set of games in recent memory from the two-point conversion that helped the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night to the Chicago Bears’ improbable comeback win on Saturday night to whatever happened at the end of that Detroit Lions-Pittsburgh Steelers game.

It’s never too early to look ahead to next week, though, and sportsbooks have already posted lines for every matchup.

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Here are the odds for every Week 17 NFL game at BetMGM:

Thursday, Dec. 25

Dallas Cowboys (-6.5, 50.5) at Washington Commanders

Detroit Lions (-5.5, 44.5) at Minnesota Vikings

Denver Broncos (-13, 37.5) at Kansas City Chiefs

[Check out all of Yahoo’s sports betting content here in our new betting hub]

Saturday, Dec. 27

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5, 39.5)

Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers (-2.5, 40.5)

Sunday, Dec. 28

1 p.m. ET

Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals (-7, 53.5)

Pittsburgh Steelers (-4.5, 34.5) at Cleveland Browns

New Orleans Saints (-2.5, 39.5) at Tennessee Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars (-6.5, 46.5) at Indianapolis Colts

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5.5, 46.5) at Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots (-12.5, 43.5) at New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks (-7, 42.5) at Carolina Panthers

4 p.m. ET

New York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders (-1.5, 42.5)

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (-2.5, 45)

Sunday Night Football

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-3, 50.5)

Monday, Dec. 29

Los Angeles Rams (-8, 49.5) at Atlanta Falcons

We’re here. (Or at least after Monday Night Football, we’ll be here.) After 16 weeks, the fantasy football championship has arrived. Unless you’re fighting for third place, or to avoid the last-place punishment or compete in a league with a Week 18 final, this is for all the marbles. So, heading into the final weekend of most fantasy seasons, I’ve got a special Stock Report column looking at the hottest and coldest players deserving of a lineup decision as we head into the week. Buckle up and let’s go win some titles!

📈 Stock Up at RB

Saquon Barkley, Eagles

No, you probably weren’t considering benching Saquon Barkley at any point. But through November, it was starting to feel like the star running back was hurting you more than he was helping you. Fortunately, Barkley has kicked it into gear at just the right moment, logging three straight games with 16+ fantasy points heading into a glorious matchup with the Bills defense in Week 17. Barkley found the end zone in each of those three contests and hit 120+ rushing yards in two of three. After a mostly lackluster encore to his 2024 campaign, the Eagles back is poised to win people fantasy championships (again) this weekend.

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Blake Corum, Rams

Somewhat quietly, Blake Corum has become one of fantasy’s most consistent backs the last month. He has 12+ fantasy points in four straight games, with five touchdowns over that stretch and 70+ rushing yards in three of four. The last two outings came against extremely tough run defenses, and Atlanta (in Week 17) does not belong in that group. That sets Corum up for another great game as part of Sean McVay’s elite committee — he should be played as an RB2 or flex in nearly every fantasy championship.

Tony Pollard, Titans

Okay, I’m not sure what sort of “Michael’s Secret Stuff from Space Jam” Tony Pollard got a hold of in Week 14, but after a season of mediocrity, he has now put together three straight games with 100+ rushing yards (including Sunday against the Chiefs defense, even with Tyjae Spears having a day of his own). It’s been too consistent to ignore any longer. Simply put, Pollard should be in starting lineups for Week 17 against the Saints.

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📈 Stock Up at WR

Justin Jefferson, Vikings

After a horrendous two-month stretch that had legitimately lowered Justin Jefferson to must-sit territory, the All-World wide receiver snagged six catches for 85 yards on eight targets on Sunday. The production was especially impressive considering J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer combined for just 160 passing yards. McCarthy’s health is to-be-determined for Christmas Day on Thursday, but honestly I don’t know that Brosmer is a downgrade. Jefferson should be tentatively playable in a great matchup with the Lions — against whom he scored his only touchdown of the last 15 weeks.

DJ Moore, Bears

Catapulted heavily by the recent absences of Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, DJ Moore has now posted back-to-back games with 19+ fantasy points. And while he did score 11.1 of his 19.4 points on the last play of overtime on Saturday, the fact that he’s the one making that play does matter. He’s scored five touchdowns over the last five weeks and will likely play a major part in the offense again on Sunday night against the 49ers in Week 17 … pending injury statuses. Stati? The point is, if Odunze, Burden or both are inactive for Chicago, Moore should be active for your fantasy team.

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George Pickens, Cowboys

A week after hitting the “Stock Down” section of this column — coming off 11 fantasy points combined in Weeks 14 and 15 — George Pickens absolutely exploded against the Chargers for 130 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. Considering he had 15 targets over that two-game mini-slump, and was dominant the rest of the year, I think we can confidently write that stretch off as an aberration. Most importantly, he and the Cowboys get the Commanders on Christmas. They’re an awful defense and a division rival Dallas will be motivated to wallop despite being eliminated from the playoffs. Pickens is a must-start once again.

Chris Olave, Saints

With Tyler Shough playing surprisingly decent quarterback for the Saints, Chris Olave has now hit double-digit fantasy points in five of his last six games and has scored 49.3 over the last two weeks in particular. He scorched the Jets for 10 catches, 148 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets Sunday, and takes that momentum into a matchup with the soft Titans secondary next weekend. Olave started the season somewhat slow, but at this point he’s a borderline must-play WR2 with a high, volume-based WR1 ceiling against the Titans.

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📈 Stock Up Elsewhere

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence’s 44.3 fantasy points against the Jets two weeks ago was impressive. But his 31.16 points against the Denver defense is honestly more impressive. T-Law tagged the Broncos for 279 yards and three scores through the air, plus 20 yards and a TD on the ground. He hasn’t thrown an interception in four straight games and has 12 touchdowns over that stretch. Heading into a meeting with the Colts — with big playoff hopes building in Duval — Lawrence is too hot to sit and should be started as a top-six-or-so QB in fantasy championships.

Kyle Pitts Sr., Falcons

This. This is what Kyle Pitts Sr. truthers have dreamed of for several years now. Over the past month, Pitts has scored four touchdowns and logged 31 catches and 395 yards. Importantly, he still put up 15.2 fantasy points on Sunday with Drake London back in the lineup. Given the dearth of reliable starts at the tight end position, Pitts is a Week 17 must-start who’s even hot enough to play in a flex if you also happen to have Trey McBride, George Kittle or Brock Bowers.

📉 Stock Down at RB

Rico Dowdle, Panthers

Rico Dowdle has just one touchdown over his last five games, and that score saved what would have been an otherwise abysmal Week 15. Moreover, he’s logged fewer than 60 rushing yards in six straight games and was particularly bad on Sunday, when he totaled just 43 scrimmage yards on 13 touches. Chuba Hubbard hasn’t been all that much better, but he does remain involved and Dowdle has not been able to recapture that ceiling from early in the year (for going on two months now). He has fallen considerably from his RB1 peak and has a terrible matchup with the Seahawks in Week 17, making him an RB3 or flex, if he even cracks your lineup.

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David Montgomery, Lions

After three straight games with a touchdown, David Montgomery failed to find the end zone on Sunday … and scored just 1.4 fantasy points as a result. In fact, in his eight games without a rushing touchdown this year, Montgomery has averaged just 5.0 fantasy points per game. It’s been particular bad the last six weeks, as he’s topped 35 rushing yards just once over that span. On Christmas against the Vikings, playing Montgomery is purely targeting a TD — if he misses it, he could ruin your week.

📉 Stock Down at WR

Emeka Egbuka, Bucs

Former Rookie of the Year frontrunner Emeka Egbuka has graced this section of the column before, but at 97% rostered on Yahoo, it’s time for a reminder. You cannot play him in the fantasy championship. He’s scored single-digit fantasy points in nine of his last 10 games, and just logged his fifth straight with four or fewer catches (specifically, he had one reception on two targets against Carolina). With a tough matchup against the Dolphins, it doesn’t matter who you find to play over him, but find someone. Parker Washington, for example. Heck, Chimere Dike has been better the past month.

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📉 Stock Down Elsewhere

Travis Kelce, Chiefs

As it turns out, losing Patrick Mahomes and dropping to Gardner Minshew and then to third-stringer Chris Oladokun is not good for Travis Kelce’s fantasy prospects. The future Hall of Famer caught just one of his four targets for six yards on Sunday against the Titans. And the entire offense managed just 126 passing yards. Unfortunate as it is, you’ll need to find another option for your tight end slot against the Broncos on Christmas Day.

Dalton Kincaid, Bills

Dalton Kincaid looked great early in the year. Then he missed three games. Then he looked solid again in his Week 14 return … admittedly against the Bengals. But over the past two weeks, he’s caught just three of five targets for 34 yards — including a goose egg on Sunday against the Browns. Next week brings an extremely ugly matchup with the Eagles, and as with Kelce, you’ll need to find another option for your tight end slot.

Welcome back to The Playlist — your weekly scan of the fantasy basketball landscape, where we break down waiver adds for 9-cat and standard points leagues to help you stay competitive.

Week 10 means it’s time for Christmas and hoops. There are no games on Wednesday (Christmas Eve), and while 11 teams play four games this week (most of which I discuss in my pickups), the Nets are the only team to play two. So, you can move on from fringe players from BK.

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Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk pickups.

You can also read my High Score pickups story for advice in that format.

🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: Shallow leagues

Cam Spencer – PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies (27% rostered)

Ja Morant and Vince Williams Jr. are out on Monday against the Thunder, opening up another spot start for Spencer. He’s surprisingly ranked 31st over the past month, providing a balance of scoring, efficiency and assists. There’s no guarantee Morant plays on Tuesday either, so if Spencer is on your waiver wire, scoop him up in 9-cat or points leagues as the Grizzlies play four games in Week 10. Spencer had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists across 37 minutes in a loss to Washington on Saturday. I’d also look at Jock Landale as an alternative in the frontcourt.

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Cason Wallace – PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (25% rostered)

OKC has a favorable schedule this week, starting with a back-to-back on Monday/Tuesday. They’ll also play on Christmas and Sunday (two lighter slates), so Wallace makes for a good option in Week 10. Wallace’s numbers aren’t jumping off the page; however, he’s been a top-90 player over the past two weeks thanks to his defense, averaging more steals per game than most reserves in the league. Whether you’re in 9-cat or points leagues, his stocks make him a consistent 20-25 fantasy-point contributor with upside for more if there’s an injury or he gets over 25 minutes. Ajay Mitchell (25% rostered) is another option.

Naji Marshall – SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks (22% rostered)

Marshall has a decent 25-fantasy point floor in points leagues, but with Cooper Flagg, Max Christie and Klay Thompson all questionable on Monday, their absence could increase his share on offense. He dropped 22 points with 9 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals against Philly on Saturday, but he’s scored at least 15 points in seven straight contests. He’s ranked 36th over the past month and with his efficiency and ability to stack numbers across categories, he’s an add in either points or 9-cat leagues.

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🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: Deeper leagues

Bruce Brown – SG, Denver Nuggets (6% rostered)

The Nuggets play four games in Week 10, starting with a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back and I’d stream Brown in both 9-cat and points leagues. He’s coming off his first double-double since March 2024 and was a top-60 option in 9-cat leagues in Week 9. Over his last seven games, Brown is averaging a mix of counting stats, tallying 8.6 points, 5.0 boards, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. In points leagues, the volume of games plus the opponents to start the week (Jazz and Mavs) should offer at least 27 minutes with 20-30 fantasy points. He’s widely available for deep leagues.

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Bub Carrington – PG, Washington Wizards (19% rostered)

Carrington is thriving since his move into the starting lineup, averaging 17.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists over his last five games. Efficiency will be a constant knock, but you don’t have to worry about that in points leagues. The Wizards play the Hornets, Raptors and Grizzlies this week, so three matchups against backcourts who won’t pose much of a defensive challenge.

Now that Bub’s getting the minutes, his combination of scoring and playmaking makes him an appealing option for Week 10. In 9-cat, I’d be adding him for counting stats, and hopefully you’ll have some higher-efficiency players to balance out his inevitable shooting woes. He’s ranked 61st in 9-cat over the past two weeks, primarily because of his ability to keep his turnovers down, posting 24 assists with just 9 turnovers.

Isaiah Stewart – PF/C, Detroit Pistons (20% rostered)

Beef Stew’s been trending up as Tobias Harris’ play is looking more and more suspect. Stewart’s been a solid source of blocks this year, averaging 1.9 swats per game. Despite his size, his ability to stretch the floor allows him to play valuable minutes at PF alongside Jalen Duren. So with Stewart’s defense and shotmaking, he can easily get a bump up to 25-30 minutes if Harris continues to struggle. Stewart’s role is stable and while I prefer him for 9-cat, the Pistons’ four-game schedule opens him up for points leagues as well. A Monday-Tuesday back-to-back versus Portland and Sacramento is promising for fantasy production.

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Other pickups to consider:

• Spencer Jones – SG/SF, Denver Nuggets (1%)

• Ryan Nembhard – PG, Dallas Mavericks (13%)

• Dominick Barlow – PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers (10%)

• Ace Bailey – SG/SF, Utah Jazz (22%)

• Noah Penda – SF, Orlando Magic (1%)

• Brook Lopez – C, Los Angeles Clippers (11%)

The ups and downs in the NBA have made for a more exciting start to fantasy basketball in High Score’s inaugural season in 2025-26. One minute you’re topping the High Score leaderboard for the week with 99 fantasy points. The next, you’re exiting a game early with a leg contusion. But it doesn’t matter after that High Score is locked in. We’ve preached this plenty over the past couple months — it takes only one game and volatility isn’t always a bad thing.

[High Score is a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring. It’s not too late to create or join a league]

Let’s talk a bit about the player we’re alluding to above and the rest of the perfect lineup for High Score from Week 9 of the NBA season.

More on the top performers

Luka Dončić, guard: We were reminded of Dončić’s ceiling with his 99-point performance on Thursday against the Jazz. He finished with 45 points, 11 rebounds and 14 assists, plus five steals for 99 fantasy points. It was his second game all season with over 90 fantasy points and first game of 80+ points since Nov. 25, nearly a month ago. We’ve seen Dončić do this dance — missing time due to injury but being able to post a big High Score total. As the Lakers continue to deal with injuries (both to rotation players and Dončić), the superstar will have an increased ceiling.

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Cooper Flagg, guard: The Mavericks’ rookie phenom makes his first appearance in the perfect lineup for High Score. He started to show flashes back in November and his scoring has really come on of late. Flagg has at least 22 points in four straight games, one of those contests his 42-point explosion against Utah to start Week 9. He became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40+ points, breaking a record held by LeBron James. Flagg is currently a top-30 asset in High Score and he should only get better with more experience.

Nikola Jokić, frontcourt: This story is obviously all about highlighting top performances but for Jokić that isn’t uncommon. What is uncommon is when he doesn’t post a lopsided fantasy point total. So we’re going to shift our focus to that since all we do in this piece week-to-week is talk about how incredible Jokić is at basketball. After opening the week with 86 fantasy points against the Rockets, he faced them for a second time on Saturday and posted a season-low 42 fantasy points on 25-7-5. The big man only played 29 minutes as Houston jumped out to a 16-point lead after the third quarter. Don’t get used to this but know that a team with talent like the Rockets and the length to defend Jokić can slow him down.

Jalen Johnson, frontcourt: We’d been waiting for Johnson to come back down to Earth with the return of Trae Young. It seems head coach Quin Snyder is going to ease Young back into the rotation. The Hawks PG was held to just 20 minutes in his return from injury on Thursday in Charlotte. That meant another game with ATL running the offense through Johnson, who finished with 43 points, 11 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 stocks for 78 fantasy points. It was Johnson’s ninth straight game with at least a double-double. So long as Young is being restricted, Johnson will maintain his high fantasy ceiling.

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Lauri Markkanen, frontcourt: He started off the week on the right foot but has missed the past two games due to a groin injury. Markkanen and teammate Keyonte George combined to score 70 points in an OT win over the Mavericks on Monday. The big finished with 33 points, 16 boards, 5 dimes and 5 stocks to get into the perfect lineup. His outlook for Christmas week doesn’t look great; the injury is still a concern and Utah faces tough matchups against the Nuggets and Pistons.

Alperen Şengün, utility: Jokić wasn’t the only big to go off on Monday. The Rockets center posted his fourth game of the season of 70+ fantasy points with 72 in the narrow loss to the Nuggets to start last week. Şengün had a 33-point triple-double with three stocks. Şengün continues to offer Jokić-lite type of stat lines as a similarly skilled big man. The difference between the two is Şengün has a much lower floor and isn’t the No. 1 offensive option on his team (Kevin Durant is).

One of college football’s most storied rivalry series is going on hiatus.

Despite months of negotiations, USC and Notre Dame officials have failed to reach an agreement on playing what would be the 97th game in the series next year and are now each exploring replacement opponents for 2026, multiple sources told Yahoo Sports.

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The Irish are finalizing a two-year agreement with BYU to play the Cougars in 2026-27. Next year’s game will be in October in Provo, Utah, before a return game the next season in South Bend, Indiana.

The temporary end of the USC-Notre Dame series is a jarring move and something that’s only happened once in nearly 80 years. Next year’s game would have been the 79th consecutive meeting, excluding the COVID-impacted 2020 season. The series began in 1926 and was only paused for a three-year stretch during World War II, before the arrival of the pandemic.

Steeped in great players, colorful coaches and rich tradition, the Irish and Trojans hold a pedigree unlike any in the sport’s history, as they’ve combined to win 24 national championships and 15 Heisman Trophies, and have produced more than 1,000 NFL draftees — believed to be the highest combined total of any college football rivalry series.

Yet, scheduling complications and College Football Playoff implications were at the root of the series’ demise, according to those familiar with the negotiations.

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The latest round of discussions among administrators at each school fizzled over the past two weeks — a stunning about-face. The two programs were on the verge of finalizing a two-year extension of their agreement in late November, with USC agreeing to host Notre Dame next season on the traditional date after Thanksgiving and the Irish hosting in 2027.

However, USC officials determined that the game date was not ideal considering past decisions from the CFP selection committee in punishing schools for losses, especially those late in the season.

The latest discussions between Trojans athletic director Jen Cohen and Notre Dame athletic director Pete Bevacqua centered around a possible game next year on Week Zero, though that did not materialize. The two administrators have agreed to work to restart the series as soon as 2030, those with knowledge of their talks told Yahoo Sports.

Meanwhile, the Irish are expected to soon announce their new series with Big 12 member BYU — an interesting development considering what transpired earlier this month. Notre Dame opted out of a bowl game after missing the College Football Playoff. The Irish would have played BYU in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

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The team’s decision to opt out, as well as critical comments from Bevacqua over the CFP selection, triggered a backlash from several administrators within college sports, especially Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark, who publicly chided Bevacqua’s comments two weeks ago.

Notre Dame’s schedule and position in the CFP is a subject of constant consternation among those in college athletics as the school remains only one of two independent programs in FBS (UConn is the other) and has a guaranteed path to the CFP in future years if they finish inside the top 12 in the rankings. The Irish play five ACC games each season in an agreement with that league, have annual traditional games against Stanford (ACC) and Navy, as well as normally playing USC, along with one or two other Big Ten programs.

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The Irish haven’t necessarily shied away from big matchups.

As part of the program’s Shamrock Series, Notre Dame kicks off next season with Wisconsin at Lambeau Field and plays Purdue and Michigan State. The Irish recently struck a 10-year, annual scheduling agreement with Clemson, assuring the two programs meet for the next decade — with or without the ACC deal — and they’ve played Texas A&M each of the past two seasons with future matchups scheduled against Auburn and Texas.

The University of North Carolina is working on bringing in former Arkansas and Louisville head coach Bobby Petrino as Bill Belichick’s new offensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.

Petrino is reportedly set to join UNC following a 0-7 run as interim head coach of the Razorbacks in 2025, marking his second stint at the SEC school. Belichick and the Tar Heels are coming off a rather disappointing first year of the Belichick era, finishing the season 4-8 with a 2-6 record in the ACC.

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Prior to his brief stint as interim head coach at Arkansas, Petrino had been the team’s offensive coordinator since 2024 and served as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator in 2023. Petrino has a long coaching legacy in college football dating back to 2003, when he got his first head coaching gig with Louisville. Overall, Petrino’s journey as a football coach began two decades earlier in 1983 as a graduate assistant for Carroll College.

In 1999, Petrino ventured into the NFL for the first time, joining the Jacksonville Jaguars as quarterback coach and eventually being promoted to offensive coordinator. That run lasted just three years, and by 2002, Petrino made his way back to college, taking a job at Auburn as offensive coordinator. In terms of success, Petrino’s first NFL run started strong with the Jaguars finishing the regular season 14-2 and making the AFC title game in his first year.

His most successful stints came as head coach for Louisville (2003-06, 2014-18), where Petrino’s teams qualified for bowl games in eight out of nine seasons. Petrino’s first stint at Arkansas from 2008 to 2011 was also quite successful, as the Razorbacks appeared in bowl games three out of four years. In 2007, Petrino got the opportunity to be an NFL head coach with the Atlanta Falcons and quickly realized he was better suited for college football when he abruptly resigned to take the Razorbacks’ job. The Falcons were 3-10 under Petrino.

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Controversy has followed Petrino during his coaching career, whether it be short stints, abrupt exits, or even a motorcycle accident turned scandal, which led to his dismissal from Arkansas in 2012. Despite all of this, Petrino is recognized as a great mind when it comes to coaching an offense, especially at the college level. He’s had hiccups along the way, but UNC is interested because Belichick just finished a season coaching one of the worst offenses across the board in college football.

For Belichick, it can’t get much worse offensively after his Tar Heels ranked toward the bottom in most major offensive statistical categories in his first year at Chapel Hill. Even if this ends up being another short stay for Petrino, if he gets the offense to where it needs to be, then everybody wins.