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While much of America and Europe is bundled up, dodging snowstorms or sick with the flu, there’s a reason they call the Australian Open the “Happy Slam.”

Fresh from tennis’ offseason, most players have already been Down Under for a couple weeks basking in summer heat and sunshine as they prepare for the first big event of the year. While casual fans might consider the Australian Open an afterthought compared to Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the U.S. Open, it has sneakily become a lot of players’ favorite tournament for the logistics, hospitality and atmosphere. It also helps that most competitors have spent the last couple months healing up injuries, refreshing their minds and arrive in Australia eager to compete for one of the sport’s biggest prizes before the monotony of the tour season sets in.

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Here are the seven storylines to know as the Australian Open kicks off Saturday night in the U.S.:

The world No. 1 has a new coach

When we last checked in on the best rivalry in tennis, Carlos Alcaraz defeated Jannik Sinner handily in the U.S. Open final to win his sixth Grand Slam title. After the match, a concerned Sinner said he needed to add more variety to his game, even if it meant some growing pains along the way.

But actually, it’s Alcaraz who enters 2026 amid more significant change after separating from longtime coach Juan Carlos Ferrero.

The underlying dynamics of why they split are a bit murky. It obviously wasn’t based on results, and Ferrero has denied there was a financial dispute. There’s been speculation in the Spanish press that Alcaraz’s father and Ferrero were not on the same page on a variety of issues.

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However it went down, Ferrero’s absence will be very different for Alcaraz, who often leaned on his coach for guidance during rough patches, almost to the point of being overly dependent. It’ll be interesting to see how he reacts now that Samuel Lopez, who was previously part of the team, is the head coach. It also appears Alcaraz has made some technical adjustments to his serve motion in the offseason.

Another ‘Sincaraz’ final on deck?

One of the subplots of this year is the race between Alcaraz and Sinner to complete the career Grand Slam.

Alcaraz gets the first shot in Australia, where he’s been bounced in the quarterfinals each of the last two years. Sinner, who has won the last two Aussie titles, is hoping to complete the set in Paris.

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Until proven otherwise, they have to be considered the favorites to face off in a fourth straight Grand Slam final, which last happened between Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal across the 2011 and 2012 seasons.

Interestingly, they both opted to skip the warm-up events and instead began 2026 with a big-money exhibition match against each other in Korea (Alcaraz won 7-5, 7-6, for whatever that’s worth) before sharing a private jet to Australia.

Djokovic’s last stand?

Speaking of the 38-year-old Djokovic, you never know if this will be a final trip to Australia, where he’s won 10 of his record 24 Grand Slam titles. How competitive will he be this year? It may determine how long he continues to chase No. 25.

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Though Djokovic made the semis of all four majors last year, it felt like he was getting further away from winning one. After the U.S. Open, he admitted that beating both Alcaraz and Sinner in best-of-five matches was a huge physical hurdle at this stage of his career and that he would have a better chance in a best of three.

The endurance issue is complicated by several factors besides age. Djokovic barely plays the regular tour anymore, so he doesn’t come into the Slams with a great foundation of match fitness. He’s also had a tendency the last couple years to pick up injuries during the Slams, and there’s been reporting in recent days he’s dealing with some type of neck issue that has limited his time on court.

If Djokovic can make his way through the draw, his best shot might be rooting for someone else to knock out one of the top two. Seeded No. 4, he would project to play 27^th seeded American Brandon Nakashima in the third round, No. 16 seed Jakub Mensik in the fourth and No. 5 seed Lorenzo Musetti in the quarterfinals. After that, it’ll probably be hard to dodge Sinner in the semifinals — unless rising Brazilian star Joao Fonseca beats him in a blockbuster potential third round.

Meddy magic is back

If it’s not Sinner, Alcaraz or Djokovic holding the trophy, look out for former No. 1 Daniil Medvedev. A three-time finalist in Australia, with heartbreaking five-set losses to Nadal in 2022 and Sinner in 2024, the 29-year old Russian seems to be back on form after a miserable 2025.

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After winning just one Grand Slam match last year, Medvedev dropped out of the top 15 for the first time since 2019 and made a coaching change. By the fall, he started to put the pieces back together. Now, he enters the Australian Open off winning his 22nd career ATP title at a warm-up event in Brisbane. It was particularly notable that Medvedev’s serve, which was such a weapon at his peak, looked far more effective than it had been the last couple years. If he’s got his A-game, he’s proven that he can be a nuisance to the top two.

Women’s No. 1 out for revenge

In an otherwise fabulous year, Aryna Sabalenka’s loss to Madison Keys in last year’s final stands out as a low point. Going for three Australian titles in a row, Sabalenka lost most of the big points in a tense third set and felt like she let a huge opportunity slip through her fingers.

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Still, Sabalenka is clearly the best player in women’s tennis right now and deserves to be the favorite here. The last time she failed to make a final at a hardcourt major? The U.S. Open in 2022 when she lost in the semis.

Sabalenka looked sharp last week in Brisbane, winning the title without dropping a set — including a 6-3, 6-3 win over Keys. Her draw could present some interesting challenges, including a potential third round against the very talented Emma Raducanu and a fourth round against Canadian teenage sensation Victoria Mboko.

Concerns hover over Iga Swiatek

No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who needs an Australian Open to complete her career Slam, did not start 2026 with aplomb. Though her Polish team won the United Cup last week, Swiatek lost matches to Coco Gauff (6-4, 6-2) and Belinda Bencic (3-6, 6-0, 6-3), continuing the shaky form with which she finished 2025.

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What’s the deal? Early in 2025, Swiatek started to implement some adjustments in her game alongside new coach Wim Fissette to become more reliable under pressure. Overall, her results have been uneven since then with notable highs (like last year’s surprise Wimbledon title) and some earlier exits than she’s used to. Swiatek has been committed to taking the longer view of her career, even if there’s a painful short-term transition, but she has been susceptible at times of retreating to old habits.

With someone that talented but in a period of internal conflict, you never know what you’re going to get. It wouldn’t be surprising if Swiatek lost in an early round or ended up with the trophy and her seventh Grand Slam title.

Fight for American No. 1

The 2026 season begins with a very close race between Coco Gauff and Amanda Anisimova for the top-ranked American woman. Gauff, No. 3 in the world, leads Anisimova by just 103 ranking points, meaning they would flip flop if Anisimova advances further.

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Gauff had a very uneven 2025. After winning Roland Garros, she went into a pretty concerning slump and hired a biomechanics expert to help fix a serve that was regularly breaking down.

Her Australian Open draw could include a second-round matchup with Venus Williams, which would be a fitting full-circle moment for Gauff. It was their 2019 first-round match at Wimbledon, which Gauff won 6-4, 6-4 as a 15-year-old, that launched her to superstardom.

Anisimova was the breakout player in women’s tennis last year, winning two WTA 1000-level titles and making the finals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. For the first time in her career, she comes into a season under a significant spotlight and an expectation to win her first major.

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Anisimova’s prodigious baseline power can be mesmerizing when she’s in the flow, but the key to cashing in a Slam title might be whether she can harness her aggression in the biggest moments. She certainly has to like her draw, which looks soft on paper until a potential quarterfinal matchup with American Jessica Pegula.

Before I finished this article this morning, I went outside, cleaned off my car, shoveled some snow. It’s winter in the Midwest. My toes are cold, my head a little stuffy. So the opening of Yahoo Fantasy Baseball comes at the perfect moment. I could use some spring fever. You probably could, too.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

With the game opening this week and our rankings hitting the streets, I thought it was a good time to list a few themes I’m excited about for 2026. Consider this your appetizer into the new season, with more comprehensive entrees served up in the weeks to follow.

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The Chicago Cubs lineup

Before I dive into the fun, let me concede that as a Red Sox fan, the Alex Bregman loss stings quite a bit. Bregman’s career arc lines up remarkably with that of Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre. Both players spent their year-31 seasons in Boston, got back to the All-Star Game after a few years absent and posted a plus season to take to the market. Beltre shipped off to Texas after his Boston stop, had a lovely run in his 30s; Bregman will look to do the same with the Cubs.

Beltre’s first season in Texas (2011) resulted in a World Series trip, sparked by an offense that had six regulars above league average. The 2026 Cubs have similar dreams, and they probably boast a deeper offense than that Rangers team did. Eight of Chicago’s nine primary hitters hold a projected wRC+ over the mean, and the one lagger — Dansby Swanson — is right around league average. Pitchers are going to hate facing this lineup.

The Cubs have a balance of lefties and righties in their lineup, a mix of power, speed and OBP skills, and plenty of players around their theoretical peaks — everyone here is in their 20s or early 30s. Last year’s 92-win season feels like a starting point.

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The lineup isn’t just fun, it’s fantasy-affordable — at least, so far. Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki are the only Chicago players currently in the top 100 in global ADP. Nico Hoerner, Michael Busch, Bregman and Swanson all make sense in the top 150. Ian Happ and Carson Kelly are even cheaper, and thus far Moisés Ballesteros is an ADP giveaway. Give this lineup a long look all spring.

Ranking and drafting the shortstops

The first moments of baseball awareness as a kid, you quickly learn that shortstop is where the action is. The best player on your little league team is probably the shortstop (he might pitch, too). MLB’s first-year player draft is commonly overloaded with shortstops, with the hope that a chunk of them can actually hold the position as professionals.

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Once upon a time, the shortstop position was a fantasy wasteland. But in the internet era, we’ve been treated to a plethora of offensive options at this position, making this a fantasy playground. Consider that last year, we saw seven different shortstops make it to 20 homers and 20 steals, and a handful of guys just missed those cutoffs. (For contrast, consider just one second baseman made it to 20-20 in 2025.)

Shortstop is a position filled with young and ascending talent. Geraldo Perdomo was the best offensive player at this spot last year (using Baseball-Reference oWAR), a breakout season in his age-25 campaign. Bobby Witt (age 25) was just behind him, and Gunnar Henderson (24), Jeremy Peña (27), Bo Bichette (27) and Elly De La Cruz (23) made the top 10. Zach Neto only needs health to become a superstar. Jacob Wilson batted .311 as a rookie. CJ Abrams offers plenty of category juice.

The older guys aren’t bad either. Francisco Lindor is remarkably consistent, Trea Turner is a multi-talent guy, Mookie Betts wasn’t lost at shortstop. The price might be right on Willy Adames, Corey Seager or Swanson. Take a good look around, there’s a lot to unpack here.

Targeting the top of the Seattle pitching staff

The trivia question lives on — the Mariners are still the only current MLB club that’s never made the World Series. They almost got there in 2025, finally succumbing to the Blue Jays in the seventh game of a terrific ALCS.

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But this Seattle team still has plenty of talent on the escalator, especially on the pitching staff. Bryan Woo is coming off a breakout season, the fourth-most valuable pitcher in fantasy last year. Andrés Muñoz was the third-most valuable closer. Logan Gilbert missed a chunk of starts but was useful when available (3.44 ERA, 1.031 WHIP). George Kirby also battled injury and didn’t have the ratios we wanted, but he also struck out 137 men in 126 innings. His upside remains tantalizing.

Any of these pitchers could have career seasons on the way — they’re all in attractive age pockets. Woo steps into his age-26 campaign, Muñoz will turn 27 this year, Kirby has 28 candles on his next cake and Gilbert turns 29 in May.

Anytime you roster a Seattle pitcher, there’s a tailwind behind you. T-Mobile Park is by far the hardest stadium to score in over the past three seasons, and with favorable dimensions and atmosphere at play, the Seattle pitchers can let their hair down. This park also has a strikeout boost of 17% over the past three years, easily the best float in the game. You need to audit this staff before you step into any fantasy draft.

The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers will square off for the second time in a three-week span on Saturday night, though this battle between the two NFC West foes feels different.

The Seahawks are coming off a bye after earning the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and they’re now a win away from reaching the conference title game for the first time since their Super Bowl run during the 2014 campaign. While not all were dominant by any means, they are on a seven-game win streak and successfully made it through the toughest division in the NFC.

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The 49ers are in a much different position. They snuck past the Philadelphia Eagles last week in the wild-card round, thanks to a go-ahead touchdown to Christian McCaffrey late in the fourth quarter. They are significantly injured, too, and just lost star tight end George Kittle to an Achilles injury. Though a win would keep the 49ers’ hopes of playing in a home Super Bowl alive, it’s clear these two teams are in very different places entering the NFC West grudge match.

Previous meetings this season

This will be the third matchup between the two teams this season, and the first two were incredibly entertaining. The 49ers edged out a late 17-13 win in Seattle in Week 1 to open the season, thanks to a game-winning drive from Brock Purdy and then a strip sack turnover by Nick Bosa that sealed the deal near the goal line.

Then 17 weeks later, the two teams met again in Northern California. Darnold and the Seahawks dominated the entire game to win 13-3 while shutting the 49ers’ offense down. That gave Seattle the No. 1 seed in the NFC, and allowed it to take last week off.

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Health update

The 49ers are pretty banged up, and are without Kittle for the rest of the season. Linebacker Fred Warner is trying to return from a fractured and dislocated right ankle, but he may not be able to return until the next round should the Niners advance. LB Dee Winters (ankle), DB Keion White (groin, hamstring), DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee), LB Luke Gifford (quad) and S Ji’Ayir Brown (hamstring) were all either limited or not practicing due to injuries as of Wednesday, leading to potentially more struggles for their defense.

The Seahawks, coming off their bye, are relatively healthy. Linebacker DeMarcus Lawrence is expected to play after being limited with an Achilles injury.

The head coaches

Mike Macdonald got the Seahawks to the No. 1 seed in the NFC for the first time in more than a decade in just his second season on the job, so what’s not to love there? While there may be time to question Kyle Shanahan soon, he has led the 49ers to the Super Bowl twice and the NFC championship game four times in his nine seasons. He may not have delivered a ring yet, but that’s hard to beat.

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Key player for the 49ers

The 49ers lost a big target with Kittle now out for the rest of the postseason, so McCaffrey will have to be an even bigger presence for their offense on Saturday night. And the last time out against the Seahawks, McCaffrey was almost a non-factor. He had just 23 rushing yards, his lowest output of the season.

If he can make some ground up there, and find the end zone at least one, the 49ers will be in a position to pull off the upset.

Key player for the Seahawks

We could pull out one player here, but it’s the defense as a unit that will decide this game for Seattle. The Seahawks held the 49ers to just 173 yards the last time out, the fewest the Niners had in a regular-season game in the Shanahan era. Seattle allowed only three first downs in the first 30 minutes. The Seahawks shut down McCaffrey, and didn’t allow much from Brock Purdy, who has been dealing with plenty of injuries and can be very hit-or-miss.

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The 49ers will have undoubtedly learned from their mistakes in Week 18, but a repeat performance now at home on this side of the ball would be huge for the Seahawks’ chances.

Betting market watch

“The Seahawks opened as 7.5-point favorites in this game, the fourth time this season that Seattle has been that big a favorite at home; Seattle is 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the spread in those games. It’s also an unfamiliar position for the 49ers, as it’s the biggest underdog they’ve been in the postseason in more than 40 years. We’ve seen this game twice already this season and San Francisco has scored just 20 total points. I think this game stays under the total of 45.5 points, as Seattle advances to the NFC title game.” — Ben Fawkes

Check out more of Ben’s work at the Yahoo Sports betting hub.

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Prediction

The Seahawks are a 7.5-point favorite at home, and it’s no surprise why. They’re fully rested and in the midst of a seven-game win streak, and the 49ers have been just scraping by at best the past few weeks. While a third battle between these two division opponents would be fun, the Seahawks should once again control this contest and secure their first spot in the NFC title game in more than a decade.

Seahawks 24, 49ers 10

The Chicago Bears could check out for the rest of the postseason and they’ve already made their fans happy.

This has been a dream season in Chicago. An NFC North title was great. Beating the Green Bay Packers in the playoffs took it to another level. Ben Johnson certainly liked it, and let the Packers know about it. He spoke for all Bears fans.

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But the Bears’ season isn’t done. They have another shot at a win that would (somehow) make this season even more memorable.

The Los Angeles Rams come to Chicago, and the Rams haven’t played like a Super Bowl favorite for about a month. They blew a huge lead to the Seahawks in Week 16, lost to the Falcons in Week 17 (and Sean McVay angrily said his starters needed to play in Week 18 because they weren’t playing well enough), they trailed a terrible Cardinals team in the third quarter of the finale before pulling away, then in the wild-card round barely beat a Panthers team that went 8-9 in the regular season. The Rams were a popular Super Bowl pick, and they have the talent to do it, but they will need to play better to get there.

Meanwhile, the Bears continue to defy logic in many cases. Teams aren’t supposed to fall way behind and rally to win over and over, but the Bears are never out of any game. They have confidence, and a quarterback in Caleb Williams who has played very well in fourth quarters. That goes a long way.

The Rams are 3.5-point favorites at BetMGM. That was Rams -4.5 earlier in the week but it has come down. Perhaps the weather, which is expected to be 20 degrees at kickoff with a 52% chance of snow, has bettors fading Los Angeles. Or maybe it’s the idea that the Bears just find a way to get back in games and pull off wild wins. Maybe the Rams win, but it will be close. Bears +3.5 is the pick, with another entertaining game in Soldier Field on tap.

Here are the rest of the picks for the divisional round, with all odds from BetMGM:

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Broncos (-1.5) over Bills

The Bills began the week as a 1-point underdog. Perhaps oddsmakers overestimated the betting public’s admiration for Josh Allen. The line has been on the move in Denver’s direction since early in the week.

There are many reasons to like the Broncos’ side. They’re at home, and the altitude provides a unique advantage for them. The Broncos had a bye week while the Bills have a short week on a Sunday-to-Saturday turnaround. Denver is also a very good team. They were seventh in DVOA this season, one spot above the Bills. The Broncos are discounted more than you’d expect from a 14-win team, but that’s due to their fortunate 11 wins in games decided by eight points or fewer, and an offense that is prone to disappearing for long stretches.

Allen is the equalizer for the Bills. They have injury issues at receiver and in the secondary, the run defense wasn’t good this season and they rely far too much on their quarterback, who suffered finger, foot and knee injuries against the Jaguars last week. But they have Allen. That gives them a chance in any game, but the Broncos have a lot going for them as well.

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49ers (+7) over Seahawks

The Seahawks are fresh off a bye, facing a banged-up 49ers team that lost George Kittle to an Achilles tear. We saw Seattle dominate the 49ers in San Francisco two weeks ago, a 13-3 win that clinched the No. 1 seed. This game is in Seattle as a result of that win. The point spread, at a full touchdown, doesn’t seem unfair.

And yet, the 49ers have been surprising everyone all season. Why not again in this divisional round game?

The 49ers pulled the biggest upset of the wild-card weekend when they won at Philadelphia. Doing it after Kittle’s injury added to the surprise. San Francisco has gotten to this point with a fantastic coaching job from Kyle Shanahan and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh. The 49ers looked bad, especially on offense, against Seattle two weeks ago. But they will make adjustments. Seattle is much better, but San Francisco can keep this game close.

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Patriots (-3) over Texans

This is a tough pick against Houston, whose defense is clearly championship quality. And the Texans were my pick when the playoffs began to win the AFC. But Nico Collins’ injury changes things.

Collins suffered a concussion on Monday night. It’s his second concussion of the season, and the Texans play on short rest this week. It seems very unlikely that Collins, Houston’s best offensive player, plays on Sunday. And no matter how good the Texans’ defense is, the offense needs to score something.

The Patriots looked good in wild-card weekend. Their defense had its best game of the season, keeping the Chargers out of the end zone. They’re not going to score that much against Houston, but if Collins is out, they might not need to score too many points to win and cover.

Last week: 2-4

Season to date: 136-135-7

You don’t need me to tell you that Victor Wembanyama is a force defensively. There is a visual, visceral loudness to what Wemby brings to the table that can be seen by many. The question to me is: What are opposing teams trying to do about Wemby?

One of my favorite subplots is watching as announcers talk about the “Wemby Effect” (when teams stop driving), but Eurostep over the attempts coaches and players are making to poke at his impact. The blocks are fun, but let’s walk through the little things that have allowed Wemby’s defensive impact to stick night in and night out.

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How the Spurs keep Wemby near the paint

One of the keys for San Antonio is the effort to keep Wembanyama in a position to rotate and protect the rim. Random possessions where an attack may look available feel a little different once you see Wembanyama’s presence in the paint.

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In an ideal setting, the Spurs operate at their best when Wembanyama is planted on the block with his primary assignment being whoever is in the corner. This allows the Spurs guards and wings to pressure, switch and funnel drives toward the paint. With Wembanyama’s size, speed and timing, openings can close quick and drives can be discouraged. If teams run pick-and-roll when Wembanyama is defending the weakside corner, he will rotate to take the roller, point for the guard to close out to his man, and, just like that, the Spurs’ defense is set again. Wembanyama is free to roam and protect the paint. And if teams put him back in action, he can take away the paint and switch if you dribble too far.

The tricky part is opponents have to understand how hard the Spurs work to get Wembanyama in that low-man, help position. The ability to contain drives or block shots at the rim will get all the rage, but I’m a fan of the little things. When the Spurs reset their defense after a made basket, watch Wembanyama. More times than not you’ll see him pointing and communicating, making sure everyone is matched up so he can get in his spot.

In the play above, Oklahoma City worked to get to a guard/guard screen with an empty right side. What initially looks like a ton of space for Jalen Williams to attack quickly comes with the price tag of Wemby’s help. The commitment is so strong that there is a moment where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is just left without someone guarding him. The help on the drive discourages an extra attack and allows the Spurs to defend with activity knowing what is behind them.

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How offenses can attack Wemby’s help

One thing to track as the season goes on is how offenses try to counter and poke at what the Spurs want to do. As difficult as it may be to deal with Wemby patrolling the paint, every defensive scheme has an opening. If the rotations are consistent, the offense has to work to find the advantage and make the defense pay.

In the clip below, when OKC has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander post up on the right side of the floor with everything clear, Wemby sees it and rotates over to help. On the kick, the Spurs are able to recover. But how set up are they for the next attack? OKC drives from the middle of the floor, Wemby is hanging around the paint, and it’s a 2v1 on the left side. A skip pass opens up a wide-open 3.

Another way to counter Wemby’s help is to work to get him on the strong side of the floor. The tricky part is teams have to disguise it to a degree. Because of the previously mentioned communication, if they try to set it up too early, the Spurs will work to switch their way out of it. Pushing him on the strong side of the floor should, in theory, remove him as the low man or the last man standing help-wise defensively.

OKC’s plan was to start with a guard/guard screen, but only use that as a setup for the real action. Notice the quick advance to Williams and Chet Holmgren going right into pick-and-roll. Williams is now attacking that left side, making Wemby a strong-side defender and leaving Harrison Barnes as the help as Holmgren rolls to the floor. OKC went back to the same set later in the first quarter and Wemby engaged, which opened up a kick to the corner for a 3.

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(There is a world where teams can try to get Wemby to defend a shooter in that corner. The issue is how many times can you get back to it once you show it and, as much as a I love the X’s and O’s, the disguise of plays, the manipulation of defense, we have to be honest: Basketball is played with pace, space, tempo and randomness. It’s not easy to always tap those kinds of buttons within the flow of play.)

Wemby’s corner

What’s the counter to Wemby’s defense? An easy thing to point to is to work to get him out of the corner. Wemby’s presence defending that corner was so strong against Boston on Saturday that Joe Mazzulla was yelling at Baylor Scheierman to get out of the corner.

Was Scheierman involved in the action? Absolutely not. The most important thing is that he was no longer in that corner. And that meant that Wembanyama was also not in that corner, but on the move and not in a position to plant and help. The result? Jaylen Brown was able to attack Luke Kornet, turn the corner and finish.

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The problem is that counter is not an automatic because of Wembanyama’s vision and communication. Adjustments get made and plans get changed. When Minnesota worked to move Wembanyama on Sunday, he refused to cooperate.

As Julius Randle clears the corner to go screen, Wembanyama is communicating a switch to keep him close to the block. When Jaden McDaniels sees that and decides to go screen, Wemby once again communicates a switch to keep him close to the block. It helps to have Anthony Edwards, who can go get a basket, but the Spurs’ overall defensive scheme was not poked at. Wemby was able to stay on the block, everyone else was able to stay out of rotation and reset. The communication and rotations allow the Spurs to maintain a consistent impact defensively when Wemby is on the court.

Pop quiz, offenses

The impact of Wembanyama staying near the block and roaming the paint to help exists partly because of two questions.

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The first: Are offenses ready for the rotations around what Wemby is doing?

Because of Wemby’s size, length, ability to recover and ability to take space, there isn’t an automatic coverage you are going to receive. And behind him is a defense (when humming) that is connected and works to move to get Wemby back into optimal position.

When Brown gets a screen (below), Wembanyama starts at the nail at the free-throw line. If you take a snapshot, that feels like drop. As Luka Garza tries to find a screening angle, you can see how Wembanyama begins to lurk and churn space away quickly. That presence (and the hesitation it can produce) allows Stephon Castle to navigate and recover. And because the Spurs are aware of their rotations, instead of pressuring Wemby to rotate to the pop, it’s De’Aaron Fox who pulls over instead.

An easy answer may be to move whomever Wemby is guarding to the wing, but that unlocks what makes the Spurs’ defense hum and gets Wemby in his ideal help position.

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When Boston goes with high pick-and-roll for Brown (below), Wemby has Derrick White on the wing. He’s not low, and technically the roll would not be his responsibility. Unfortunately for Boston, Wemby just takes the roller as he gets in the paint, the Spurs recover around it and, just like that, he’s back near the block. The ability to shape-shift, anticipate what an offense is doing and dictate terms is when the Spurs’ defense is at its best.

In another example, OKC goes with a guard/guard screen for Gilgeous-Alexander on the left side of the floor. Holmgren is spaced on the right wing to take Wemby out of that low, help position. You can see Wemby communicate with the weakside defenders to rotate so he can sink back to that low man position. The Spurs are able to rotate, and when OKC gets back to a high pick-and-roll guess who is waiting to take Holmgren’s roll? You guessed it, Wemby.

The second question: How much do you want to put Wembanyama in action?

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In other words, are you going to get the results you want, and is that going to keep San Antonio from getting Wemby back into a help position?

In the clip below, Boston goes to pick-and-roll for Brown and Wemby switches. The key is not that the Spurs take away the drive and the pop, it’s what happens once Boston decides to go to the second side of the floor. Wemby immediately points to Barnes to rotate to Brown so he can get back to the block and, just like that, the Spurs have put you in the same dilemma. Pritchard is able to drive and finish, but the pressure is on teams to win matchups and counter Wemby’s help again.

In the clips after the make, notice the consistency of Wemby passing defenders off to make sure he stays low. The idea is to keep offenses in the same box, facing the same problem. Wemby is able to turn a switch into offenses facing the same problem: he’s the low man communicating switches, deterring drives and wishing you would tempt fate.

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Does this mean the Spurs, currently a top-five defensive unit, will automatically vault to the best defense in the NBA? No, it does not. Teams will adjust. The best course of action is likely not one single thing, but working to move Wembanyama around the court and poking at the rotations behind what he brings to the table.

The issue for offenses is they will have to work to make sure that becomes a realistic equation because of how the Spurs work to keep Wembanyama in a strong position. It’s something to monitor throughout the rest of the season as we enter a very interesting playoff race.

But for now it’s clear: Every night Victor Wembanyama steps on the court is a night when he can anticipate and dictate terms on the defensive end.

There wasn’t much betting optimism that Indiana would be better in 2025 than it was in 2024.

The Hoosiers made the College Football Playoff a season ago in what was then the best season in school history. Indiana only lost to Ohio State in the regular season before losing to Notre Dame in the first round of the CFP. The Buckeyes beat the Fighting Irish for the national title.

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But thanks to some key holdovers and transfer portal additions for coach Curt Cignetti’s season, Indiana is even better. And it is a game away from giving speculative bettors a handsome payout.

A win in Monday’s national championship game will make Indiana the first school to go 16-0 in a college football season since Yale in 1897. Indiana will also be the first undefeated national champion in three seasons after three straight schools won the national title without a loss from 2018 through 2020.

The Hoosiers opened the season at +10000 to win the national championship at BetMGM. That’s $1,000 profit on a $10 bet before the season began. If you wanted to bet Indiana to win the national title now, the Hoosiers’ odds are -350.

Twenty-two teams had better odds than the Hoosiers did to win the national title. Some of those, like Texas, Ohio State and Notre Dame are among the usual suspects at the top of the preseason odds lists. Others may surprise you. Here are a few of the teams who had better or equal odds to win the national championship when BetMGM opened up betting for this season’s national title.

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Tennessee (+2000)

The Vols made the playoff a season ago and returned QB Nico Iamaleava … for a few months, anyway. Iamaleava transferred to UCLA in the spring and former App State QB Joey Aguilar came to Knoxville after a short stint with the Bruins. Though Tennessee averaged 40 points a game in 2025, a defense that was one of the best in college football in 2024 took a huge step back in 2025. Tennessee gave up nearly 29 points per game as it went 8-5 after a Music City Bowl loss to Illinois.

Miami (+3500)

It’s easy to see why the Hurricanes had considerably better odds than the Hoosiers did at the start of the season. Miami added Carson Beck and returned stellar offensive and defensive lines. The Canes also barely missed the playoff a season ago.

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This year, Miami barely made it into the playoff. And now it’s in the title game against the Hoosiers, though Indiana is an 8.5-point favorite.

South Carolina (+4000)

It was a disaster of a season for the Gamecocks. South Carolina ended the 2024 regular season on a six-game win streak before a Citrus Bowl loss to Illinois. The return of QB LaNorris Sellers provided optimism for 2025, but Sellers couldn’t make up for a defense that lost a ton of talent and an offensive line that was overrun at various points in the season.

South Carolina went 4-8 and lost its last six games against power conference opponents as the Gamecocks had just a brutal schedule. Six of South Carolina’s eight SEC opponents were ranked at the time of their game.

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Auburn (+6000)

The Tigers had markedly better odds despite entering the 2025 season on a five-year streak of failing to have more than six wins in a season. That streak is now six, after Auburn went 5-7 in 2025. Hugh Freeze was fired nine games into the season as an excellent defense couldn’t make up for an offense that couldn’t get out of its own way at times.

Louisville (+8000)

Like Indiana, the Cardinals added a quarterback from California in the transfer portal. We can safely say that the addition of Fernando Mendoza was much better for Indiana than the addition of Miller Moss was for the Cardinals.

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Louisville started the season 7-1 and took down Miami on the road. However, the Cardinals quickly fell out of ACC contention with a three-game losing streak that included close home losses to Cal and Clemson and a blowout road loss to SMU.

Florida State (+10000)

Hey, FSU fans had every right to be optimistic after the Seminoles’ Week 1 takedown of Alabama. That optimism quickly faded, however. Florida State’s next win over a power conference team came in November when the team beat Wake Forest at home to snap a four-game losing streak. FSU added a win at home over Virginia Tech, but lost its last two games of the season to finish 5-7 and out of bowl contention.

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Nebraska (+10000)

The Huskers were a sleeper pick in the Big Ten thanks to a very manageable schedule. And Nebraska started the season 5-1 with that lone loss coming in a three-point home defeat to Michigan.

But after a win at Maryland put Nebraska in the AP Top 25, the Huskers were embarrassed on the road at Minnesota and didn’t sniff the top 25 the rest of the season. Nebraska ended up losing four of its last five games of the season as QB Dylan Raiola suffered a season-ending injury. Raiola entered the transfer portal at the end of the season and is set to back up Dante Moore at Oregon in 2026.

Missouri (+10000)

The Tigers started off 5-0 but lost 27-24 at home to Alabama on Oct. 11. That loss was a sign of the struggles Mizzou would have against good teams in 2025. Missouri went 8-0 against unranked opponents but 0-5 against teams in the top 25. In addition to Alabama, Mizzou lost to Vanderbilt, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and then Virginia in the Gator Bowl.

After Mike Tomlin stepped down as Pittsburgh Steelers head coach, it affected Aaron Rodgers’ future too.

What seemed pretty evident: Rodgers probably wasn’t coming back to Pittsburgh since Tomlin was gone, Steelers president Art Rooney II said Wednesday at a news conference.

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“Aaron came here to play for Mike. So it will most likely affect his decision,” Rooney said.

So what happens next with Rodgers if he wants to keep playing?

[Get more Steelers news: Pittsburgh team feed]

His options will be slim. A few teams might be in need of a quarterback, but that list will be short. It was short last season too, but Rodgers and the Steelers needed each other and it was a reasonably successful one-year arrangement.

Here are Rodgers’ (few) options heading into the offseason:

Minnesota Vikings

This would complete the Brett Favre circle, from Packers to Jets to Vikings to finish things off. There were conversations last offseason about Rodgers and the Vikings, but it didn’t make enough sense then. The Vikings wanted to see what they had in J.J. McCarthy and it wouldn’t have been ideal to bring in Rodgers. After McCarthy struggled for most of his first season starting, the Vikings talked about adding depth to the quarterback room. Could that be Rodgers?

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This time around it might fit. It would be like the Indianapolis Colts bringing in Daniel Jones to compete with Anthony Richardson Sr. last season, after Richardson had some troubling signs through two seasons. It would also be unbelievable for Rodgers to follow the same path as Favre (other than the one-year stopover in Pittsburgh) at the end of his career.

Retirement

Rodgers played pretty well this past season. Considering the history of 42-year-old quarterbacks, it was amazing. Before Rodgers, only Tom Brady had any level of success at age 42. The history of quarterbacks at age 43 is predictably worse. Much worse. The only seven quarterbacks to appear in one game at age 43 or older are Brady, George Blanda, Vinny Testaverde, Warren Moon, Doug Flutie, Steve DeBerg and Philip Rivers. Other than Brady, Rivers was the best of that group with an 80.2 passer rating in three games. Blanda is next best with a 66.1 passer rating. It’s not pretty.

Maybe Rodgers could defy history again. But that’s far from a guarantee. Rodgers hinted at the 2025 season being his final one, then late in the season kept the door open for a potential return in 2026. But clearly at his age, retirement is on the table. Going out with a rough season on his fourth team in five seasons isn’t how any legend wants to leave the game.

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Wait around for an opening

Speaking of Philip Rivers, there are always quarterback injuries through a season. Teams get desperate. Even Rivers, after almost five full seasons off and at age 44, got a call from a Colts team that had few options. In comparison, Rodgers at age 43 (he’ll be 42 until December) who played at a reasonably high level the previous season, would be a popular call for a team in need. Then Rodgers could assess each potential team’s playoff viability and make a decision late in the season that best suits him.

The others

If Rodgers wants to join a team during the offseason — maybe late in the offseason, given how long he waited last year to sign with the Steelers — there will be teams that don’t have ideal quarterback situations. If the Dolphins move on from Tua Tagovailoa, they’ll need someone to play quarterback. The Jets might need a quarterback too, but a reunion there is never happening after how that relationship ended.

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Perhaps the Steelers will reemerge as an option if they strike out in other avenues to find a quarterback, as unlikely as Rodgers returning there seems now. It could be just like last offseason, when Rodgers and the Steelers were the only realistic options for each other.

Maybe the Cardinals make a call? There aren’t many obvious answers outside of perhaps Minnesota, which is why Rodgers returning is no sure thing.

NFL Free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft will completely shake up the fantasy football landscape in the coming months.

Before the roster movement begins, Justin Boone is identifying one fantasy-relevant player from every team who’s most likely to break out during the 2026 season.

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Early Breakout Candidates

Early NFC West Breakout Candidates

Arizona Cardinals – Trey Benson, RB

Benson appeared to be on the verge of a breakout when James Conner went down with a season-ending ankle injury in Week 3. Unfortunately, just a week later, Benson suffered a meniscus tear in his knee and wasn’t able to return the rest of the year.

While it was a small sample size, Benson looked and performed like the more effective runner at the start of the season, gaining 170 scrimmage yards on 29 touches during the first three contests, compared to Conner’s 133 yards on 40 attempts.

Coming off a serious injury can be difficult for any back, but it is particularly concerning for one who turns 31 years old before next season. Expecting Conner to return to his previous form seems unlikely.

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The team also drafted Benson two years ago to be their succession plan and we saw him earning a larger role before the two backs got hurt. A passing of the torch only makes sense at this stage of their careers, since the former third-round pick is seven years younger than Conner.

While a lot still needs to be sorted out in Arizona this offseason, including the hiring of a new coaching staff, Benson has an excellent chance to emerge as the Cardinals’ lead back in 2026.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★☆

Los Angeles Rams – Terrance Ferguson, TE

Speaking of succession plans, the Rams made a notable investment in Ferguson, taking him 46th overall in last year’s draft.

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The move was a clear sign they were preparing to replace 33-year-old Tyler Higbee, who is a free agent this offseason.

Despite being buried on the depth chart for most of his rookie campaign, Ferguson managed to make a fantasy impact on several occasions. In the five games where he saw at least three targets, Ferguson posted 50 yards and/or a touchdown four times.

Ferguson also finished the season with double-digit fantasy points in back-to-back contests, while Higbee was sidelined.

There’ll be plenty of quality fantasy tight ends to choose from in 2026 and a big reason for that is the infusion of talent that came with last year’s rookies, led by Colston Loveland, Harold Fannin Jr., Tyler Warren and Oronde Gadsden II. But there are even more members of that class who could emerge as fantasy starters with Ferguson, Mason Taylor and Gunnar Helm already flashing their upside.

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Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★☆

San Francisco 49ers – Ricky Pearsall, WR

After beginning the season with two 100-yard games in the first three weeks, Pearsall seemed destined for a breakout before a knee injury derailed his year in Week 4.

When he initially attempted a return to the lineup in Week 11, he didn’t seem like himself and managed just five catches for 20 yards over the next three games.

Since then, he’s been in and out of the lineup but did post stat lines of 6-96-0 in Week 15 and 5-85-0 in Week 17, helping managers who were willing to take a chance on starting him during the fantasy playoffs.

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The good news coming out of Pearsall’s sophomore campaign is that he was a top-24 fantasy wideout four times in the six appearances where he wasn’t limited due to injury.

Brandon Aiyuk isn’t expected to return to the team and George Kittle is dealing with a torn Achilles that could sideline him for most of 2026. So, Pearsall will be a key piece of this offense moving forward and a possible fantasy WR2 if he can stay healthy.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★★

Seattle Seahawks – Tory Horton, WR

Horton was a fifth-round rookie who immediately earned a role in the Seahawks offense and was playing around 48% of the snaps before groin and shin injuries sidelined him for the rest of the season.

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Before getting hurt, Horton was becoming a true playmaker in Seattle’s passing attack with five touchdowns in his first eight games and two top-10 weekly fantasy finishes.

If he was able to contribute like that as a part-time piece, imagine what he’ll be able to do when his number gets called more frequently in the future.

It’s also worth noting that his offensive coordinator, Klint Kubiak, cited Justin Jefferson when he was asked early in the season if there was a wideout he’s worked with that reminds him of Horton.

With Cooper Kupp fading entering his age-33 season and Rashid Shaheed set to hit free agency, we could see Horton move into a more significant role in 2026. He’ll be an intriguing late-round target in this year’s fantasy drafts, with his value only being held down because he missed half the season.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★☆

Early Breakout Candidates

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw had an emotional farewell tour last year after announcing in September that he would retire at the conclusion of the 2025 MLB season. He got one more legendary moment, was able to pay tribute to Dodgers fans one more time and walked away from MLB a World Series champion.

But apparently Kershaw’s retirement from baseball applied only to MLB, not to the 2026 World Baseball Classic. To the surprise of many, the 37-year-old Kershaw was added to Team USA’s roster on Thursday and will pitch for the team in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.

Kershaw made sure to stress that he is not coming back to MLB this season, telling Andy McCullough of The Athletic that he’s doing just enough to make it through the tournament.

“I am throwing just enough to make it for 10 days,” he said. “I’m not pitching this season — so I figured this is the perfect time to try the WBC. I really want to be a part of it.”

When asked why he decided to pitch in professional baseball one more time, Kershaw replied, “Why not?”

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Since early in the offseason, Team USA’s roster has started to take shape. It became clear almost immediately that the U.S. is hungry to win the event, as Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge quickly committed to the tournament. Over the following weeks, they were joined by other MLB stars such as Bryce Harper, Cal Raleigh and Bobby Witt Jr., among many others.

While Kershaw is far removed from his peak, he’s still a big name within the sport. He is arguably the best pitcher of his era and a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer. Even with his reduced velocity and workload over his last few seasons in MLB, Kershaw managed a 3.36 ERA in his final year in the majors, a testament to both his stuff and his intelligence as a pitcher.

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Team USA will have to hope those same skills are on display in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Kershaw proved at the end of last season that he could provide value out of the Dodgers’ bullpen. It sounds like he’ll be used in the same role on Team USA, per The Athletic.

Despite his late-season success, Kershaw made sure to set his WBC expectations low, saying he doesn’t expect to be used in high-leverage situations in the tournament, per The Athletic.

“I am not going to pitch to Shohei in any meaningful game,” Kershaw said. “I’ll tell you that right now. He would hit it so far off me right now.”

Regardless of how it turns out, Kershaw’s addition to the team adds a bit more excitement to the tournament before it starts in March. The Dodgers’ legend already had the perfect ending to his MLB career, going out with a championship.

He now stands to further his already impeccable legacy by also leaving the game of baseball with a gold medal in his final professional appearance.

Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl quarterback Josh Allen was limited in practice on Tuesday, listed as having foot, knee and right finger injuries. Despite a limited designation, Allen told reporters, “I feel good” as the team prepares for their divisional round matchup with the Denver Broncos on Saturday.

The Bills were able to overcome a tough Jaguars team in Jacksonville, winning 27-24, behind three Allen touchdowns, 273 passing yards and 33 yards on the ground. Two of Allen’s three touchdowns came in the running game as he carried Buffalo to their sixth win in the last seven games, dating back to the end of November.

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Allen plays like a bowling ball the way he rolls over defenders week in and week out. Even with a limited practice designation just a few days out from the biggest game of the season, there isn’t anyone in Buffalo who believes Allen will miss this game, no matter how sore he may be.

Last season, Allen took home his first MVP award, and the Bills advanced to the AFC title game. This year, Buffalo is looking to advance to consecutive AFC championship games for the first time since the franchise appeared in four straight Super Bowls in the early 1990s. Before Allen’s arrival, fans in Buffalo hadn’t seen this level of success in decades.

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Denver will be looking for a measure of revenge on Saturday after being eliminated convincingly in last year’s wild-card round at the hands of the Bills, in Buffalo, 31-7. The roles are reversed this time as the Broncos are the higher seed and have the home-field advantage in this matchup.

Saturday’s divisional game between Buffalo and Denver kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET from Empower Field at Mile High.