Blog

The regular fantasy football season is over, but we can still have fun playing Yahoo DFS in the divisional round of the playoffs. Here is a traffic cop report for the four games — note some matchups do not have a yellow or red light designation because one wasn’t warranted.

[Join a DFS contest for the divisional round]

Bills at Broncos

Green Light

QB Josh Allen ($40): He was able to solve this defense in the playoffs last year (135.4 rating), and Allen’s rushing production is just about automatic every week. Allen isn’t going to repeat his MVP of 2024, but he’s still the best player alive in the playoffs.

Advertisement

RB RJ Harvey ($22): The Broncos leaned into Harvey down the stretch, giving him 35 touches the last two games. The Buffalo run defense has been leaky all season, and Harvey was a consistent touchdown scorer all season, even before his role was upgraded.

Yellow Light

WR Brandin Cooks ($13): Injuries have forced the Bills to play Cooks more than expected, and he was helpful in the comeback at Jacksonville (3-58-0, five targets). Cooks has a reasonable chance to draw 7-9 opportunities at Denver.

49ers at Seahawks

Green Light

RB Zach Charbonnet ($24): He’s $4 more expensive than running mate Kenneth Walker III, but perhaps the upgrade is merited. Charbonnet has a lower YPC than Walker but a higher success rate, and Charbonnet also gets more goal-line work, scoring 12 touchdowns to Walker’s five. No matter which back you lean into, take heart that they both looked good in the Week 18 victory over the 49ers.

Advertisement

Yellow Light

RB Christian McCaffrey ($40): The rushing efficiency has tanked and we can’t unsee how poorly the Niners played against Seattle two weeks ago. But McCaffrey probably has six or more receptions already in his back pocket, and double-digit catches could be in play if the 49ers fall behind.

TE A.J. Barner ($10): If your roster build requires a punt play somewhere, Barner might make sense. He found a way to score seven touchdowns in 2025 and gets the occasional carry as a short-yardage specialist. The Niners lost track of Dallas Goedert a few times last week, twice for touchdowns.

Red Light

QB Brock Purdy ($29): While we admire Purdy’s talent and always respect offensive designer Kyle Shanahan, we can’t forget that the Niners managed just 173 yards against this defense just two weeks back, and now they have to play without alpha TE George Kittle.

Texans at Patriots

Green Light

RB Rhamondre Stevenson ($21): He’s just one dollar more than TreVeyon Henderson, and both backs should get double-digit opportunities here. But note that Stevenson has turned into the team’s pass-catching back; over the past five games, Stevenson has been busy through the air (15-206-2) while Henderson has been an afterthought (4-31-0).

Advertisement

Yellow Light

RB Woody Marks ($19): He compiled his best tape of the year in the win over the Chargers, but the Patriots are much harder to run on when run-stuffing lineman Milton Williams is in the lineup. Marks should be looking at 15-18 opportunities — the Texans don’t want to force C.J. Stroud into a proactive passing game — but his efficiency will probably drop this week.

QB Drake Maye ($32): His efficiency stats have been outstanding all year and Maye also contributes handy production as a runner. But the Houston offense is unlikely to force a high-scoring game, and we also have to respect the formidable Texans defense. It’s plausible Maye will throw 30 passes or fewer on Sunday.

TE Dalton Schultz ($15): With star WR Nico Collins ruled out due to a concussion, Schultz has a reasonable path to be Houston’t busiest target. I expect he’ll chase past 50 receiving yards without much trouble, and has about a 35% chance at a touchdown. Those might sound like modest expectations, but they play at tight end.

Advertisement

Red Light

QB C.J. Stroud ($22): You might be temped to play the value game at QB for Sunday’s slate, but Stroud’s ceiling looks modest, especially with Collins unable to go. Josh Allen is the only quarterback who’s thrown for multiple touchdowns on the Patriots since Week 11.

Rams at Bears

Green Light

QB Matthew Stafford ($35): He’s the most expensive quarterback on the Sunday slate, though he’s only $3 higher than Drake Maye and $4 higher than Caleb Williams. The Bears have the worst pass defense remaining in the playoffs, and Stafford was the runaway leader in touchdown passes (12 ahead of the field) and passing yards.

Advertisement

WR Davante Adams ($26): Obviously Puka Nacua is a god, but his salary is priced as such at $38. Adams might hold a little more touchdown equity and comes at a $12 discount. The Rams employ one of the tightest passing trees in the league — 31 of Stafford’s 42 targets last week went to Nacua and Adams.

TE Colston Loveland ($20): You have to pay expectant salaries now, but Loveland has earned that right, going ballistic over the last three games (24-320-2). The Bears have steered 38 targets to Loveland over this period, and the Los Angeles seam coverage has been average all year.

Red Light

WR Luther Burden III ($15): Although he collected seven targets in the dramatic comeback win over Green Bay, he didn’t do much with the opportunity (3-42-0). Burden is still making rookie mistakes — there were some crossed signals last week — and as much as he’s flashed at times this year, he’s still stuck on just two touchdowns for the season.

Advertisement

TE Colby Parkinson ($18): He’s been one of my favorite sleepers in recent weeks, but he’s no longer priced as an overlooked player. The Rams are getting healthier at tight end, which means it should be a platoon come Sunday night. Parkinson holds touchdown equity, but he’s working with a capped target ceiling.

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.

Advertisement

Early Breakout Candidates

Atlanta Falcons – Michael Penix Jr., QB

At the moment, the Falcons don’t really have a true breakout candidate on their roster. Atlanta enters the offseason with several starters set to become free agents, like Kyle Pitts Sr. and Tyler Allgeier, as well as a lack of developmental depth pieces ready to step up behind them on the depth chart.

When you add in a new coaching staff and uncertainty at quarterback, this offense is likely to look a lot different in 2026.

So, that leaves Penix as the only possible breakout option — by default. The former first-round pick hasn’t done much fantasy-wise since he took over as the starter late in his rookie season. He’s a pocket passer who didn’t offer much with his legs even before he tore his ACL in November.

Advertisement

Now, the injury puts his Week 1 availability in question, meaning any sort of fantasy breakout would likely come later in the season.

While we wait to find out who will be calling plays for the Falcons, it’s worth noting that Penix did finish as a top-12 fantasy QB three times despite only playing half the season. The book isn’t written yet on who the 25-year-old can be in the pros, but he’s got a lot of question marks around him heading into his third season.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★☆☆☆

Carolina Panthers – Jalen Coker, WR

Coker missed the first six games of the season with a quad injury and was eased back into the lineup when he finally returned. However, from Week 11 on, he emerged as a top-36 fantasy receiver on a per game basis.

Advertisement

The 24-year-old saved the best for last, delivering career-highs in the Panthers’ wild card round loss with 12 targets, nine catches, 134 yards and a touchdown.

Tetairoa McMillan remains the No. 1 wideout in Carolina, but Coker has made a strong case to be a meaningful part of the passing attack moving forward.

Even if we go back to his rookie season in 2024, Coker’s production flew under the radar due to missing some time with an injury. If you remove his first game, where he only played 10% of the snaps, the undrafted Coker was on pace for over 800 yards that year.

Injuries again are responsible for his lower overall numbers in 2025, but if he can stay healthy next season, Coker will be a fantasy starter as a WR3 with upside.

Advertisement

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★☆

New Orleans Saints – Tyler Shough, QB

Shough was a surprise second-round pick last season who seemed unlikely to develop into a long-term starter for the Saints.

However, his outlook has changed completely after a strong performance in the second half of the season, where he looked in command of Kellen Moore’s offense.

For fantasy, Shough was also a revelation, averaging the 13th-most points among quarterbacks (17 FPPG) over the final nine weeks.

Even as the roster around him was thinned out by injuries and trades, Shough found a way to produce. The 26-year-old eclipsed 30 rushing yards in three of his last five appearances (including Week 18) and scored three rushing touchdowns during that stretch.

Advertisement

Shough profiles as more of a fantasy QB2 or bye-week replacement, but there’s a non-zero chance he turns into a top-12 option if he continues to use his legs and the Saints surround him with more talent.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★☆

Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Emeka Egbuka, WR

Egbuka had one of the most puzzling fantasy results of anyone in the league during the 2025 season.

When a rookie arrives on the scene averaging the third-most fantasy points per game over the first five weeks of his career — behind only Puka Nacua and Amon-Ra St. Brown — you take notice.

Unfortunately, that was the high point of his debut campaign. From Week 6 on, Egbuka was the WR57. He was held under 45 yards in seven of his last eight outings and failed to score a touchdown during that span. Injuries can take some of the blame since both Egbuka and several members of the Bucs offense dealt with a variety of ailments throughout the season, but that doesn’t fully explain the sharp decline in performance.

Advertisement

While Egbuka still appears to be a promising young wideout, he’ll continue to be a fantasy enigma until we get some clarity on who the new offensive coordinator will be in Tampa, as well as Mike Evans’ future with the club.

There’s no doubt Egbuka can be a fantasy difference-maker, but he comes with a wide range of outcomes heading into 2026.

Where his ADP lands will ultimately dictate whether he’s worth the risk or not.

Fantasy breakout potential: ★★★★★

Early Breakout Candidates

UPDATE: On Jan. 16, Bo Bichette reportedly agreed on a 3-year, $126 million deal with the Mets, and J.T. Realmuto reportedly agreed on a 3-year, $45 million deal with the Phillies.

At the offseason’s outset, the Philadelphia Phillies’ to-do list appeared relatively simple.

Advertisement

Reuniting with free agent Kyle Schwarber was far and away priority No. 1. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski accomplished that task briskly, with the parties agreeing to a five-year deal in early December. The club then checked off a few other must-dos, upgrading the bullpen with free agent Brad Keller and shuffling the outfield mix with the addition of former Ranger Adolis García.

As the calendar flipped to 2026, only two big assignments remained: Cutting ties with out-of-favor slugger Nick Castellanos and his albatross of a contract, and re-signing veteran catcher J.T. Realmuto. But a contract standoff with Realmuto, who has been with the team since 2019, has unexpectedly pushed Phillies brass to consider a different path, one built around highly prized free-agent infielder Bo Bichette.

The two sides met virtually earlier this week, and the industry consensus at present is that the Phillies are now the favorites to land the longtime Blue Jay. It’s quite a pivot for a team that didn’t appear primed to land a big-ticket newcomer this winter, despite its cash-flashing track record.

The team’s interest in Bichette makes sense, even if there isn’t currently a positional opening for the 28-year-old. He’s considered one of the game’s premier contact hitters, a profile the big-swinging Phillies have been lacking in recent years, particularly in the playoffs. Bichette has a close relationship with new Phillies bench coach Don Mattingly, who was in Toronto the past three seasons. Compared to his counterparts around the league, Phillies owner John Middleton has been uniquely comfortable handing out long-term contracts like the one Bichette is surely seeking.

Advertisement

Dombrowski has never been shy about acquiring game-changing pieces. Bichette, who shined in the World Series despite playing through a significant knee sprain, is exactly that. And while he’s a star on the field, Bichette is the type of character who would probably prefer to not assume face-of-the-franchise responsibilities. That would be just fine at Citizens Bank Park, where Schwarber and Bryce Harper soak up most of the attention. Most importantly, Bichette’s arrival would boost the 2026-28 Phillies’ chances of capturing that ever-elusive title.

But a Bichette signing, giving the Phils five infielders for four spots, would precipitate a fascinating fallout. Harper, a former outfielder, is entrenched at first base for the foreseeable future. A move back to the grass is unlikely; the future Hall of Famer has been good in the dirt and quite enjoys his new home. Trea Turner, under contract for eight more years, just posted a sublime defensive season at shortshop. That leaves second base and third base, two positions Bichette has never played in the regular season, as the only possibilities for him. Besides his injury-motivated stint in the World Series, Bichette has only ever appeared at shortstop, though the overwhelming expectation is that he’s open to moving off the position.

Since 2022, Bryson Stott and Alec Bohm have been staples at second and third, respectively, for the Phillies, though neither player has consistently produced like a franchise cornerstone. Importantly, Stott is under contract for two more seasons, while Bohm is a free agent after 2026. That makes Bohm the likelier of the two to get shipped out as a trade piece.

Advertisement

An All-Star in 2024, Bohm had an uneven 2025, though he showed well after returning from an injury in mid-August. Anaheim, Pittsburgh and Boston are all reasonable trade landing spots for the 29-year-old, whose $10.02 million contract might limit the value of a return. In the event of a Bohm trade, whether the Phillies would opt to push Stott to the hot corner to have Bichette at second or try to teach Bichette how to play third remains to be seen.

Realmuto would be the other major party impacted by a Bichette deal. He and Harper are the team’s two longest-tenured position players. As such, a reunion with Realmuto felt like a foregone conclusion back in November. But the two sides have struggled to find middle ground on a deal. That in turn pushed the Phillies toward Bichette as another avenue to spend. Middleton might stretch the purse strings to retain Realmuto after inking Bichette, but that would depend on how much of a discount the three-time All-Star catcher would be willing to take.

If Realmuto goes elsewhere, Philadelphia would be left with the catching tandem of Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs, neither of whom has ever started more than 50 games in a big-league season. Precious few options remain on a barren backstop market: Victor Caratini, Reese McGuire, Jonah Heim, Gary Sánchez. How the Phillies’ rotation adapts to life without Realmuto would surely become one of the major storylines of their 2026 season.

Advertisement

[Get more Philadelphia news: Phillies team feed] 

A few quick thoughts on Nick Castellanos

The 33-year-old was arguably the worst every-day player in MLB last season. Because while Castellanos’ .694 OPS was merely below average, his defensive metrics were downright abysmal. He also repeatedly butted heads with skipper Rob Thomson, leading to a one-game manager’s decision suspension. By the end of the year, Castellanos had become something of a social pariah within the Phillies clubhouse.

The upshot of all that: There is no chance Castellanos plays another game for the Phillies. Dombrowski has all but said as much. However, Castellanos has one more year at $20 million left on his contract. That’s a prohibitively high price for a player of his current caliber. Up to this point, no club has shown any interest in parting with assets to acquire the fallen two-time All-Star, meaning the Phillies are likely to eventually release him outright. They would, in turn, be eating that $20 million, but that’s the cost of doing business.

Advertisement

A few quick thoughts on Ranger Suárez

At no point this winter did the Phillies display any interest in re-signing the 30-year-old southpaw. Considering how much success Suárez experienced in Philadelphia — a 3.45 ERA over 119 career starts, and his playoff exploits were even more notable — that qualifies as something of a surprise. But there were legitimate concerns about how Suárez, already a soft-tosser with a heater in the low-90s, would age. The Phillies already have long-term commitments to Cristopher Sánchez and Aaron Nola, not to mention Jesus Luzardo hitting free agency next winter. That left the club effectively out on Suárez, who is now on the Boston Red Sox.

The Philadelphia Phillies have reached an agreement to re-sign catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million deal, according to multiple reports on Friday.

A three-time All-Star, Realmuto was the top free-agent catcher available this offseason. The 34-year-old has been with the Phillies since 2019 and will remain a member of the team’s core for three more seasons.

Advertisement

News of Realmuto’s deal broke the same day the Phillies missed out on former Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette, who agreed to a free-agent deal with the rival New York Mets. Philadelphia met with Bichette on a video call earlier this week, according to The Athletic, and was considered a serious suitor for the 27-year-old.

Signing Bichette might have meant Realmuto going elsewhere and likely would’ve led to the Phillies trading third baseman Alec Bohm. But Bichette landed with a division foe, and so Philadelphia is bringing back Realmuto, who is still one of the most reliable backstops in the majors.

Last season, his seventh with the Phillies, Realmuto made an MLB-high 132 appearances behind the plate. On one hand, he’s not a top-notch framer. On the other, he has maintained quite a bit of zip on the ball, as evidenced by his tying for the fastest pop time to second base in the major leagues in 2025, per Statcast. Plus, he’s known for his processing ability and in-game communication with pitchers.

Advertisement

As a hitter, Realmuto has been a lineup staple in 11 MLB seasons, counting the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, and he has mashed double-digit homers in all of them.

This past season, he hit .257 with 12 home runs, 26 doubles, 1 triple and 52 RBI. That said, his .700 OPS was his lowest since 2015 when he was a rookie with the Miami Marlins.

Even so, when it mattered most, Realmuto supplied offense that was practically absent from the top of the Phillies’ lineup in the playoffs. In fact, during the NLDS against the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, he went 6-for-17 with two doubles, a triple and a home run.

Realmuto earned All-Star recognition in 2018 with the Marlins and in 2019 (when he blasted a career-high 25 long balls) and 2021 with the Phillies.

Advertisement

There are some questions about the wear and tear Realmuto has experienced to this point in his career. Since he joined the Phillies in 2019, he has caught 1,183 1/3 more innings, the equivalent of approximately 131 games, than anyone else in MLB, according to The Athletic.

Earlier this offseason, the Phillies also re-signed 32-year-old slugger Kyle Schwarber to a five-year contract. And they extended manager Rob Thomson through 2027, despite the club coming off its second straight speedy postseason exit.

Philadelphia isn’t completely running it back, though. Another one of its free agents, left-handed starting pitcher Ranger Suárez, inked a deal with the Boston Red Sox this week.

Bo Bichette entered his walk year with one goal in mind: To prove he could still be an elite hitter after an injury-riddled 2024. He accomplished that goal last season and was rewarded handsomely for it on Friday.

Bichette has reportedly agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with the New York Mets, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

Advertisement

Bichette is expected to play third base in Queens, which is currently occupied by Brett Baty. The deal features no deferrals, a full no-trade clause and opt-outs after the first two years, according to Jon Heyman.

Coming into the 2025 MLB season, it was not a guarantee that Bichette would receive a major deal when he hit the market. Despite five previous seasons in which he slashed .299/.340/.487, he experienced a down year in 2024, hitting just .225/.277/.322 over 336 plate appearances. While his defense still graded out fine, Bichette was among the worst hitters in baseball in 2024.

There were a few reasons for that. In June of that year, he landed on the injured list due to a calf issue. He was able to return but quickly aggravated the injury, leading to a longer stint on the IL. Bichette once again worked his way back, only to break his finger one game into his second return from the calf injury.

Advertisement

While that explained his second-half struggles, his slow start in the first half was more of a concern. Bichette appeared to be healthy entering the 2024 season, so there wasn’t a clear explanation for his early performance. Was he already a player in decline, or did a slow start spiral out of control due to injuries?

Bichette definitively answered that question in 2025. The shortstop returned to his hit-happy ways, slashing .311/.357/.480 with 18 home runs over 628 plate appearances. It was his best offensive performance since his rookie season, when he clubbed 11 home runs in 212 plate appearances.

With the performance, Bichette proved that his 2024 was a fluke. That set the 27-year-old up for a major payday on the free-agent market, where he ranked No. 4 on Yahoo’s list of this winter’s top available players.

Advertisement

While Bichette is capable of superstar production, injuries have been an issue for the infielder. In addition to his injury-riddled 2024, Bichette missed time in 2023 due to knee and quad injuries, and he missed most of the playoffs in 2025 after sustaining another knee injury.

Other than 2024, Bichette has performed despite those injuries. Following his knee injury in September, he was able to return in time to play in the World Series. Despite being less than 100 percent, he hit .348 across seven World Series games. He even smacked a three-run homer off Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani in Game 7 of the World Series.

Advertisement

Thanks to his bounce-back year, Bichette was given a qualifying offer from the Toronto Blue Jays. He declined that offer, knowing he would make far more on the free-agent market.

And he was proven right. The Mets will shell out $126 million for Bichette, who has proven multiple times that he’s a legitimate top-of-the-order hitter.

Injuries remain a concern with Bichette moving forward. But as long as he stays on the field, he should be a perennial down-ballot MVP candidate in the short term.

After writing up the Western Conference side of my official media ballot for the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, it seemed like a good idea to do the same for the East. Y’know, never leave a job half done, and all that.

A quick reminder: You vote for five players in each conference, with fan voting accounting for 50% of the final result, with player and media ballots accounting for 25% each. The main difference this year? Rather than choosing three frontcourt players and two backcourt players in each conference, the ballot has gone fully positionless. Just pick five guys, and keep it movin’.

East

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

Advertisement

Cade Cunningham, Pistons

Tyrese Maxey, 76ers

Jaylen Brown, Celtics

Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers

All stats and records entering Friday’s games.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks

Yes, the Bucks are crummy — 17-24, two games out of the play-in spots in the East, in the bottom 10 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. Most of that crumminess, though, emanates from the time when Antetokounmpo isn’t available: Milwaukee is 14-13 when he plays, and just 3-11 when he doesn’t.

As it turns out, it’s pretty useful to have a dude who scores nearly a point per minute — 28.8 points in 29 minutes per game — while making two-thirds of his 2-point shots, averaging nearly 10 rebounds and six assists per game, creating more 3-pointers for teammates per 100 possessions than anybody but T.J. McConnell (!), and leading the NBA in points in the paint … despite missing 14 games.

With Giannis on the floor, the Bucks have actually outscored opponents by a very strong 7.2 points per 100 non-garbage-time possessions in his minutes, according to Cleaning the Glass — the net rating of a 57-win team — and have scored at a clip commensurate with the Nuggets’ league-leading offense. The big fella still moves the needle to a degree unmatched by any other force in the Eastern Conference … which is probably why his relative satisfaction levels, contract status and prospective next moves are so closely watched and so often discussed by so, so many people.

Cade Cunningham, Pistons

Somewhat less frequently remarked upon than Giannis’ future: The present-tense excellence of the Detroit Pistons, who have firmly established themselves as the class of the conference. Cunningham has led that charge, building on last season’s All-Star and All-NBA breakthrough as the straw that stirs the drink for the East’s No. 1 seed.

Only Nikola Jokić is averaging more assists per game or points created by assist than Cunningham, who’s on pace to become just the seventh player in NBA history to average more than 25 points and nine assists per game in multiple seasons. His 3-point accuracy has dipped, but he’s counterbalanced that by getting to the free-throw line more often and curbing his turnover rate. He’s also become an even more active participant in a Pistons defense that trails only Oklahoma City in points allowed per possession: Cunningham is one of just eight guards in the NBA this season to snag a steal and block a shot on at least 2% of opponents’ offensive possessions.

Advertisement

One of the other seven guards on that list?

Tyrese Maxey, 76ers

Maxey’s uptick in defensive playmaking has come alongside a bona fide offensive leap that puts him squarely in the conversation for the best guard in the conference.

Amid preseason questions about how the Sixers could possibly stand a chance of competing given the ever-present injury concerns surrounding Joel Embiid and Paul George, Maxey presented a simple and compelling answer, one that has been by far the biggest reason why Philly is within hailing distance of a top-four spot in the East: Let me friggin’ cook, and never take me off the floor.

The 25-year-old leads the NBA in total minutes despite missing two games in mid-December, and in minutes per game by a country mile; the gap between him (39.4 minutes per game) and second-place Amen Thompson (37.1) is roughly the same as the gap between Thompson and 14th-place Mikal Bridges (34.9). Having him out there’s been vital for Nick Nurse’s crew: The Sixers have outscored opponents by 2.7 points per 100 possessions in his minutes, scoring and defending at near-top-10 levels, and have been outscored by 3.8 points-per-100 in his exceedingly rare moments of respite.

Advertisement

Maxey has made the most of all those minutes. He joins Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of three players averaging more than 30 points per game this season, and he’s doing so on career-best scoring efficiency, shooting a career-best 52.6% inside the arc, 40.5% beyond it on 9.1 launches a night, and 87.7% at the free-throw line while taking a career-high 6.4 attempts per game. He’s married that elite three-level scoring prowess with continued growth as a playmaker; only four players in the NBA this season have both an assist rate as high as Maxey’s and a turnover rate as low.

[Subscribe to Yahoo Sports NBA on YouTube]

One of those four players is Jalen Brunson. His name, as you might have noticed, does not appear on my ballot. Given both his high placement in fan voting results, his second-place finish among guards in both the player and media votes last year, and the fact that he has once again been awesome this season — eighth in the NBA in scoring at 28.2 points per game and 20th in assists at 6.1 per game, shooting 48.1% from the field, 38.8% from 3-point range and 85.2% from the free-throw line — it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he winds up getting a starting spot when all’s said and done.

As I looked at it, though, once I got past Giannis (the best player in the conference) and Cunningham (the best player on the No. 1 seed in the conference), the last three starting spots came down to four guards: Maxey, Brunson, Mitchell and Brown. (With apologies to Scottie Barnes, who deserves an All-Star spot for his fantastic two-way work in Toronto.)

Jaylen Brown, Celtics

Just as Maxey has carried the Sixers, Brown has assumed a mammoth offensive workload — the third-highest usage rate in the NBA this season, behind only Antetokounmpo and Luka Dončić — for a Celtics team missing not only perennial All-NBA First Teamer Jayson Tatum, but also championship mainstays Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porziņģis and Al Horford. He has proven more than equal to the challenge of becoming Boston’s No. 1 option, averaging a career-best 29.4 points and 4.9 assists per game on 49/37/79 shooting splits that rival the best scoring efficiency of his career.

Only five players who have commanded this high a share of an offense have ever scored this efficiently over the course of a full season: Giannis, Embiid, Dončic, James Harden and Bernard King. That’s the kind of company Brown’s been keeping, propelling the Celtics to the NBA’s second-best offense, fourth-best net rating and second place in the East — spots that precisely nobody outside TD Garden thought Boston would occupy halfway through what the rest of us thought would be a gap year, but has instead turned into an opportunity for Brown (and Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard, and Jordan Walsh, and Neemias Queta, and on, and on) to show everybody just how much they’re capable of when given the opportunity to strut their stuff.

Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers

While the Celtics have outperformed their humble preseason projections, the Cavaliers have struggled to meet vaulted expectations coming off a 64-win campaign. On one hand, the fact that Cleveland sits 2.5 games back of New York in the standings, in seventh place, feels like a dramatic disappointment. On the other, given the raft of injuries the Cavs have dealt with — only five teams have lost more player games this season, according to Spotrac, with Darius Garland rarely resembling his All-Star self and starting swingman Max Strus still yet to suit up — and the at-times-underwhelming performances of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, that they’re within striking distance of a top-four seed at all is something of a testament to just how damn good Mitchell has been across the board in what has been arguably the best all-around season of his career.

The ninth-year pro is averaging 29.7 points per game, shooting a scorching 58.9% on 2-pointers and 38.7% from 3-point land while taking more than 10 triples per game — all career highs. With Garland scuffling as he works through a persistent toe injury, with Mobley’s attempts to advance as a shot creator and offensive hub seeming to plateau, with key 2024-25 reserve Ty Jerome no longer on the team, and with offseason addition Lonzo Ball struggling mightily to make a positive offensive impact, Mitchell has been the lifeblood and bellwether of Cleveland’s attack. The Cavs score like a top-three offense with Mitchell at the controls, and like the Wizards or Haliburton-less Pacers when he’s off the floor; their net rating has been 13.3 points-per-100 better in Mitchell’s minutes, one of the biggest on/off swings of any player to log significant minutes this season.

Advertisement

Brown and Mitchell have scored more per-minute and per-possession than Brunson; Maxey has done so more efficiently. Mitchell and Maxey outpace Brunson in a number of advanced metrics — estimated plus-minus, LEBRON, value over replacement player, player efficiency rating, win shares, win shares per 48 minutes, box plus-minus, etc. Brown doesn’t — his game has never rated particularly well by advanced metrics — but he’s been nearly as efficient in an even larger role for a better offense while also adding value as a rebounder and multipositional defender … which wound up being the hair that I split.

As good as Brunson’s been, I found his role in the Knicks’ post-NBA Cup downturn difficult to overlook when stacked up against players carrying such significant burdens for teams that would likely be lost without them — especially considering all three of the other players under consideration dramatically outperform Brunson on the defensive end, which has been the most consistent pain point throughout New York’s slump, and where advanced metrics routinely grade Brunson as one of the most glaringly negative big-minutes performers in the league. In a situation marked by thin margins, that was enough to bump the others ahead of him, just barely, on my ballot.

The free-agent frenzy continues.

Any consternation about a slow-developing market informed by a quiet holiday and first week of 2026 has suddenly evaporated. For the fourth time in seven days, a big-market club has leaped forward with a nine-figure offer to land a premium free agent. The latest cash-splashing sequence: The New York Mets, hours after coming up short in their pursuit of Kyle Tucker, have reportedly agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with Bo Bichette.

Advertisement

Wait, what?

Before contemplating Bichette’s fit in Queens, let’s take a second to acknowledge the futility of forecasting free agency. If we’ve learned anything from the past week of head-spinning transactional activity, it’s that attempting to gauge which teams are “in the lead” or “considered favorites” for a free agent is a fool’s errand. The reality is that when only a handful of clubs are considering spending at the top of the free-agent market, each successive agreement immediately shakes up the state of play. We saw it earlier this week with the Red Sox responding to losing Alex Bregman by signing starting pitcher Ranger Suarez instead, and now we’ve seen it with the New York Mets whiffing on a much-needed outfielder and pivoting to an infielder who doesn’t fit their depth chart at first glance but most certainly makes them a better team.

Teams spending at this level are usually focused on adding elite talent and willing to figure out the exact roster ramifications later. Funnily enough, that dynamic was part of what made the Philadelphia Phillies seem like a logical landing spot for Bichette, despite their crowded infield situation. Philadelphia met with Bichette recently and reportedly offered him a seven-year contract worth $190 million-200 million, an indication the Phillies considered him worthy of a significant investment, regardless of Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott. And when president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski targets a star player, he tends to seal the deal.

Advertisement

But the Mets’ proposal — a scaled-down version of what they offered Tucker, a reported four-year, $220 million deal — was evidently too enticing for Bichette to turn down, and it’s a reminder of owner Steve Cohen’s unique willingness to spend exorbitantly when the right opportunities arise. Most crucially, the deal features opt-outs after the first two seasons. For a player who is still firmly in his prime — Bichette turns 28 in March — the sky-high AAV ($42M!) combined with the chance to reenter what projects to be a shallow free-agent class in either of the next two offseasons was apparently reason enough to take a short-term stint in Queens rather than putting down roots in Philadelphia.

Making sense of the Mets’ seemingly sudden interest in Bichette is its own compelling exercise. Focus on Bichette the hitter, and it comes as no surprise that his special bat would appeal to a team amid a drastic lineup overhaul, having watched three longtime mainstays in Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Jeff McNeil depart via trade or free agency. The Mets added Marcus Semien in the Nimmo trade and signed Jorge Polanco, but it was hard to argue that those two additions were remotely enough to replace the production lost.

Adding Bichette, who has been at least 20% better than league average at the plate in all but one (his injury-marred 2024) of his seven major-league seasons goes a long way toward quelling those concerns. His rare ability to blend terrific contact skills with plus power should only be enhanced by sharing a lineup with another disciplined hitting savant in Juan Soto, just as it was in Toronto with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Add the bonus of snagging him at the last minute from the division-rival Phillies, and the Bichette signing is that much more satisfying for New York.

The defensive fit, meanwhile, invites more questions.

Advertisement

A shortstop for essentially his entire professional career, Bichette’s defensive outlook has been a hot topic throughout his free agency, considering how poorly his glove rated by nearly every advanced metric in 2025. The widespread assumption was that Bichette would soon make the move to second base, a transition many former shortstops have made and a sensible adjustment considering his prior experience at the position in the minor leagues and during the World Series. There were occasional hints that Bichette would perhaps consider a move to third base, but when surveying the landscape for potential fits — and considering Bichette’s below-average arm — a slide to second seemed more likely.

[Get more New York news: Mets team feed] 

Or not. All reports indicate Bichette is indeed going to man the hot corner for the Mets, a position at which he has zero professional innings in the majors or minors. Shortstop was obviously not happening; that Francisco Lindor fellow is still pretty good. Playing Bichette at third in deference to Semien, still an elite defender at second base and a familiar face for Bichette, who shared the infield with him in Toronto in 2021, seems reasonable.

But it’s an enormous bet on Bichette’s work ethic and the coaching infrastructure, including new bench coach and noted infield guru Kai Correa, to turn him into a reliable defender at a brand new position. And the pressure is only heightened by the fact that another such process is taking place with Polanco, who is expected to handle first base for the first time in his career. That these transitions will both occur after president of baseball operations David Stearns touted an organizational priority to improve on defense this offseason is questionable but certainly intriguing.

Advertisement

Beyond Bichette’s outlook on defense, there’s also the matter of the player he’s displacing. That’s 26-year-old Brett Baty, who, after a slow burn of development since his first-round selection by the Mets out of a Texas high school in 2019, finally broke through as a solid big-league regular in 2025. Baty posted a 111 wRC+ while bouncing between second and third last season, and the Mets were not shy about their intention to give him the third-base job entering 2026.

Bichette’s arrival obviously changes that and raises the possibility that Baty could emerge as a candidate to fill the hole in left field that has not been addressed post-Nimmo. Baty does have some experience there, having made 29 starts in left in the minors across 2021 and 2022, but that’s hardly an ideal plan, considering the previously stated intentions of improving on defense. Still, if New York plans to keep Baty, he could appear in left while providing some insurance for Bichette’s and Polanco’s transitions at third and first. Otherwise, Baty suddenly becomes an intriguing trade candidate, as he would seem overqualified to be a luxury bench option. That doesn’t even begin to address the paths to playing time for young infielders Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña.

Advertisement

The point is the Mets have a lot to sort out. So if there’s one other thing to take away from this stunning Bichette signing, it’s that more Mets moves are on the way. A crowded infield just got more crowded, and the outfield remains remarkably unsettled outside of Soto. The rotation has not been addressed whatsoever. The bullpen still looks thin despite the additions of Devin Williams and Luke Weaver.

The Mets will probably look significantly different by the time they report to Port St. Lucie, Florida, in a month. The Bichette signing is merely the latest installment in a full-fledged transformation of the roster — one that is still very much in progress.

Subscribe to The Dunker Spot

We have a fun episode of The Dunker Spot coming your way!

Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones check in on the now-streaking Oklahoma City Thunder, fresh off a pair of blow-out wins against potential Western Conference contenders. From Shai’s process against traps to OKC’s effective game plan against Victor Wembanyama (on both ends), the guys break down what they’ve liked and what they’re keeping an eye on.

Advertisement

From there, they give their early thoughts on the Most Improved Player award — how the award should be decided on, and some names they have in consideration right now.

(Don’t worry, a full-blown deep dive on the award will be coming soon!)

The guys then preview the upcoming slate of Unrivaled games, sharing the matchups, lineups and scheme questions they’re most interested about.

Finally, Hall of Famer Becky Hammon (head coach, Las Vegas Aces) joins the show to discuss her journey and upcoming documentary, her evolution as a coach, coaching A’ja Wilson and so much more.

If you ever have NBA or WNBA questions, email us at dunkerspot@yahoo.com.

Advertisement

5:34 — OKC problem solving
8:06 — OKC offense vs Spurs
15:06 — Shai dealing with traps + overall decisiveness
22:47 — OKC defense
28:07 — Most Improved check-in
40:57 — Unrivaled weekend preview
50:46 — Becky Hammon interview

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

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

Bill Belichick wasn’t a part of the College Football Playoff on the field or sideline this season due to a disappointing 4-8 record in his first season as North Carolina’s head coach. However, he will be a presence during Monday’s CFP national championship game as a broadcaster.

ESPN announced Friday that Belichick will be a part of ACC Network’s coverage of the matchup between No. 10 Miami and No. 1 Indiana, contributing to the channel’s “ACC Huddle” studio show before the national title telecast and “Field Pass with ACC Huddle” from the sideline during the game.

Advertisement

Per ESPN, Belichick will offer his analysis on “championship preparation, in-game strategy and postseason success.” He will join ACC Network anchors Taylor Tannenbaum and Kelsey Riggs Cuff, analysts Eric Mac Lain, Eddie Royal and Tom Luginbill, and former Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher and former Miami head coach (and quarterback) Mark Richt.

Belichick and his Tar Heels did not play Miami this past season. North Carolina finished 2-6 in ACC play, tying FSU and Virginia Tech for 13th in the conference.

Miami finished second, tied with four other teams at 6-2 in conference play, but earned an at-large berth in the College Football Playoff. Virginia finished 7-1 in the regular season, but lost to Duke in the ACC championship game. The Blue Devils’ win indirectly helped Miami’s selection to the CFP over Notre Dame.

Duke quarterback Darian Mensah is entering the transfer portal, he announced Friday.

Mensah posted a 34-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio, threw for nearly 4,000 yards and guided the Blue Devils to an ACC title this season after transferring from Tulane.

Advertisement

Mensah went from having one FBS scholarship offer out of Saint Joseph High School in California to impressing at Tulane and attracting a bidding war in last year’s portal.

He ultimately signed a lucrative, two-year deal with Duke, and, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, it’s the school’s understanding his contract gives it his exclusive NIL rights and that only Duke has the ability to cancel that.

On Friday, the final day for a player on a team not in Monday night’s national title game to enter this year’s portal, Thamel also reported:

“The only way [Mensah] can access revenue share money is through Duke, unless they terminate the contract. Mensah is in Year 2 of the contract for a deal that would pay him up to $4 million. The ability for any school to pay him outside of revenue share would be scrutinized.”

Additionally, On3’s Pete Nakos reported there’s no buyout in Mensah’s Duke contract.

Advertisement

Last month, rather than declaring for the NFL Draft, Mensah committed to rejoining the Blue Devils for the 2026 season. Now he’s changed course.

There are still marquee programs in need of a star quarterback like Mensah for next season. Miami is chief among them and reportedly is the school to watch in his portal recruitment.

Mensah turned heads in Tulane camp ahead of the 2024 season, seized the starting job and led the Green Wave to the American championship game in Jon Sumrall’s first season as head coach.

Tulane rose as high as No. 17 in the College Football Playoff rankings, and Mensah completed 65.9% of his passes while tossing 22 touchdowns against six picks as a redshirt freshman.

Advertisement

At Duke this season, the 6-foot-3, 205-pound signal-caller turned in six 300-yard passing games. In total, his 3,973 yards through the air were second most of any FBS quarterback during the 2025 campaign. Plus, his 34 touchdowns were tied for second most nationally.

Mensah did all of that while bumping his completion rate to 66.8% and piloting Duke to a 9-5 record, including four straight wins to end the season.

The five-loss Blue Devils won a five-way tie for second place in the ACC over four other teams with better overall records, most notably Miami, and wound up beating Virginia in the conference title game.

Advertisement

Mensah helped deliver some more hardware back to Durham, throwing for 327 yards and four touchdowns in a 42-39 Sun Bowl win over Arizona State.