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The 2026 NFL Draft is still several months away, but this is the ideal time of year to get caught up on the prospects who will make an impact on the fantasy football landscape for redraft and dynasty leagues.

With the main fantasy season complete, I’ve had time to go over game tape, collegiate production, interviews and more, in order to project what this incoming crop of rookies will become at the next level.

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We’ll get more precise athletic testing numbers to work with at the NFL Combine in late February, before eventually finding out how NFL front offices value this class when draft day arrives in April.

Consider this a starting point in the pre-draft process, while understanding that landing spots will have an important impact on the fantasy value of each player. Once we know which organization they’ll be joining, it reveals a larger part of the puzzle in terms of their opportunity, coaching, scheme and team culture.

For now, we’ll continue this series by focusing on the incoming wide receivers who have the best chance to become fantasy-relevant in the NFL.

Prospect Fantasy Outlooks

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Two at the top

There’s at least one high-end talent at every position in this year’s class, but the receivers are by far the most intriguing and deep group for fantasy managers to target.

That begins with Lemon and Tate as the top tier, both expected to go off the board early in the first round of the draft — and for good reason.

Lemon is a scrappy playmaker who’s dangerous all over the field, with his best work coming in the short-to-intermediate range. His contested-catch ability and toughness are notable given his 5-foot-11, 195-pound frame. He’s also quick and decisive with the ball in his hands, shaking defenders en route to extra yards.

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While he lacks elite speed, he moves very well and will always find ways to beat the defense he’s facing. The slot is where he does his best work, but he can be effective all over the formation.

Tate is a more traditional big-bodied X-receiver who also overcomes a lack of elite speed with a variety of high-level traits. The 21-year-old is a smooth athlete with good awareness, who carves up defenses with strong hands, quality route running and excellent contested-catch ability. He does a great job tracking the ball, high-pointing passes and using his body to box out defenders.

His college production wasn’t as massive as you might expect, due to the level of target competition at Ohio State and some durability issues. While he would be wise to add some bulk to his frame, Tate has all the tools to become a difference-maker in the NFL.

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Fantasy Outlook: Given their talent profiles and the likely top-10 draft capital they should get in April, Lemon and Tate will be highly coveted by fantasy managers in dynasty and redraft formats. 

In the right situations, we could see them emerge as top-24 fantasy wideouts right away, which is why they occupy two of the top three spots in my dynasty rookie rankings, behind only Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love. Even if it takes time for them to learn how to win in the pros, both Lemon and Tate offer high ceilings as potential fantasy WR1s.

Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): 1.02-1.03

Immense upside

• Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State

• Denzel Boston, Washington

This category contains three wideouts who are extremely talented and could also see first-round draft capital in April.

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Tyson often gets mentioned in the same tier as Lemon and Tate, but I see him as a slight step down. That doesn’t mean I’m not interested in the player, though. The 21-year-old is a versatile weapon who separates well and is a smooth route runner. He displayed a knack for making clutch plays in college and will be a reliable target for his next quarterback, thanks to a big catch radius, but he doesn’t offer the same amount of elite attributes as the guys above him.

Boston might have an equally high ceiling as Tyson, but will likely be drafted after him. In Boston, I see a strong possession receiver and red-zone threat with ideal size who has trustworthy hands, which serve him well in contested-catch situations. He also shows veteran savvy near the sidelines, pulling off toe-tapping grabs with ease. If you’re going to include Tyson in the top tier, then Boston needs to be there as well.

That brings us to the final member of this section in Concepcion. The 21-year-old plays like a more physical Jordan Addison. His willingness to square up and take on a defender is worth highlighting, given his size at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds.

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Concepcion is a high-end athlete who’s a versatile and dynamic playmaker. While he might not have lightning-fast, straight-line speed, he can still threaten deep and is tricky to deal with in tight spaces.

Fantasy Outlook: This trio has a longer path to becoming top-12 fantasy receivers, but it’s not out of the question. A more realistic projection for them long-term would have them settling in as fantasy WR2s. 

The good news is they all look the part of being potential stars from their skills to athleticism to confidence on the field. That, combined with their suspected first-round draft capital, makes for a smart bet in the opening round of dynasty rookie drafts. 

Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): 1.04-1.09

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Believe the hype

• Malachi Fields, Notre Dame

• Zachariah Branch, Georgia

If you’re looking for the best fantasy values, they’re likely to come from this group.

Cooper really stood out to me as a versatile receiver who has great contact balance and a big catch radius for his size. He fights for every yard after his receptions, pushing off and evading defenders along the way. He’s a smooth mover and powerful ball carrier. While it’s a lofty high-end comparison, his playing style has shades of Deebo Samuel Sr. meets Odell Beckham Jr.

Fields is another favorite of mine who profiles as a strong No. 2 receiver in the NFL, but showcased enough Alpha traits to make me want to invest heavily in dynasty. The Notre Dame product has an excellent size-speed combo, even though his true speed comes as a long strider when he opens it up downfield. It’s impossible to deny his circus-catch abilities, stemming from his high-pointing the ball and using his expert body control to adjust on the fly. He’s also surprisingly sneaky after the catch, not going down easily and spinning off defenders.

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Branch is from the Zay Flowers mold as a dynamic athlete with high-end speed, soft hands and obvious playmaking ability. He’s the kind of receiver who can change direction without losing a step and is incredibly dangerous after the catch, capable of taking any pass to the house. Let’s hope he finds an offense willing to feature him and not just use him as a gadget option and special teamer.

Sarratt has all the makings of a strong possession receiver on the outside or perhaps a big slot, depending on the offense he ends up in. Either way, he has confident hands that pluck the ball out of the air, which pairs well with his quality route running. He’s not going to blow anyone away with his athleticism, but he’s a physical wideout who appears to have that clutch capability that will make him a quarterback’s best friend.

Bell will be tough to evaluate over the next few months after suffering a torn ACL in late November. Though we’ve seen many players return from serious knee injuries before the following season, that’s much harder to do as an unproven rookie. Bell is a physical possession receiver who isn’t afraid to mix it up over the middle of the field, but he lacks elite skills, which makes him an even riskier pick given the injury.

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Fantasy Outlook: While my personal preferences could have led to more tiers within this section, I wanted to stay true to my analysis and keep this quintet together. 

All five players project to be meaningful starters in the pros and deserve to be drafted on Day 2. If that comes to pass, they’ll have the necessary draft capital to get them on the field early in their careers. That makes them enticing for fantasy, especially if they fall into the second round of dynasty rookie drafts. 

Cooper, Fields and Branch are my favorites in this bunch, but Bell would have a strong case to lead the tier if it weren’t for his injury. 

Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Late-first to mid-second round

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Growing concerns

• Chris Brazzell II, Tennessee

Distancing yourself from prospects at this stage of the pre-draft process puts you at risk of looking foolish. However, I’m struggling to see the upside case for these three wideouts at the moment.

Brazzell is tall, has a good catch radius and decent downfield ability, but he needs significant development if he’s going to become a starter in the pros. He needs to haul in more contested-catch opportunities and add some muscle to his frame. That might help him become a little more physical, because at the moment, he lacks the scrappiness you’d like to see from an incoming rookie. And though you shouldn’t factor this in too much, it’s hard not to think of all the Tennessee receiving prospects who have disappointed in the NFL in recent years.

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For Lane, the word I wrote down most in my notes was “decent.” That describes his hands, route running, red-zone skills and more. He glides around the field and looks the part, but doesn’t have the speed to put pressure on defenses deep and he’ll need some grit if his lanky frame is going to hold up at the next level.

Bernard seems like a good college player whose traits aren’t strong enough to excel in the pros. He’s a limited athlete, which will become more evident against tougher competition. That will put a lot of pressure on him to be a savvy player who can find ways to outwork defensive backs, since his physical tools aren’t going to get the job done on their own. You should expect a depth role for him unless some serious evolution occurs in his game.

Fantasy Outlook: This section features a trio of pass-catchers who need a lot of work to reach their high-end outcomes in the pros and even then, we’re only talking about them becoming No. 2 or No. 3 receivers in NFL offenses. 

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The further we go down this list, the lower the draft capital likely gets. That means teams will have less invested in these players, so they have to do more in order to earn playing time. 

From a fantasy perspective, unless you feel particularly strong about a receiver from this point on, they are often better off left for your opponents to draft. For every Puka Nacua, there are a ton of Day 3 wideouts clogging up dynasty benches with no breakout in sight. 

Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): third-to-fourth round

Works in progress

• Antonio Williams, Clemson

We’ll have plenty of time before the draft to discuss deep sleepers, but consider these two names as a sneak peek.

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Williams is unlikely to be an elite fantasy producer, but he’s a smart slot receiver who could be a high-volume earner at the next level — if given the opportunity. He offers very reliable hands and is a great route runner, with his short-area quickness shining through. He also comes down with more contested catches than you would expect for a 5-foot-11, 190-pound receiver.

Hurst might be a bit more of a project with a tall and thin frame. However, he shows excellent ball skills and boxes out defenders very well, which is one of the reasons why he stands out in the red zone. The biggest worry for Hurst is the jump in competition that will occur, going from Georgia State to the NFL.

Fantasy Outlook: Don’t let yourself get too attached to deeper prospects like these. Just consider them intriguing developmental players whom you can stash on deeper dynasty benches or keep on your waiver wire watchlist in case they start to make some noise in offseason practices. 

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Dynasty rookie value (Superflex): Fourth round or later

Prospect Fantasy Outlooks

MILAN — If U.S. women’s hockey goalie Aerin Frankel stumbles across friends from opposing teams at the Olympic Village, she won’t be greeting them with a hug.

Frankel is being extra cautious after an outbreak of norovirus within the Finnish women’s hockey team forced the postponement of its opening game against Canada.

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“No need to give hugs to other teams right now,” Frankel said Thursday after the U.S. opened its quest for Olympic gold with a 5-1 rout of Czechia. “Obviously we have teammates on other teams, but we’re just trying to be careful.”

Norovirus, according to the Center for Disease Control, is a “very contagious” illness that is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea in the United States. Most people with norovirus illness recover in 72 hours or less, the CDC says, but they can still spread the virus for several more days afterward.

Complicating the U.S. team’s quest to avoid an outbreak is the fact that the Americans’ next scheduled group-stage opponent is Finland. Assuming the Finns are healthy enough to play Saturday, U.S. players won’t have the option of keeping their distance.

The IOC consulted with medical professionals before canceling Thursday night’s scheduled match between Finland and Canada. In a statement, the IOC described the decision as “responsible and necessary” and called the health of athletes and team staffers “the highest priority.”

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What can the U.S women’s hockey team do to avoid a similar norovirus outbreak? Players emphasized washing hands and not touching surfaces that lots of other people touch.

“You get this many athletes and people eating at the same cafeteria, you have to try to stay diligent,” U.S. defender Megan Keller said. “Nobody wants to go down here. We’ve worked so hard to get here.”

Added Frankel, “So many people living in one place, sharing a dining hall, you’ve gotta be careful.”

What have we learned from the NBA’s 2026 trade deadline.

Let us count the ways.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo isn’t going anywhere … for now

The deadline has passed, and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo remains a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, at least until the offseason, when he will almost certainly be dealt.

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If you had been following, you would know this was always the likeliest outcome.

Antetokounmpo all but requested a trade in the weeks before the deadline, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Jan. 28 that the 31-year-old was “ready for a new home,” and the Bucks, at long last, were “starting to listen” to “aggressive offers” from “several teams.”

Among those suitors, we came to learn from multiple outlets, were the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and Miami Heat. The Bucks, obviously, are reportedly eyeing a package of “blue-chip young talent and/or a surplus of draft picks.”

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The Warriors may have had the picks — as many as four first-rounders, to be exact — but their offer, which reportedly included Jonathan Kuminga as a foundational figure, was not enough to persuade the Bucks to part with Antetokounmpo at this juncture. So, instead, Golden State shipped Kuminga to the Atlanta Hawks for Kristaps Porziņģis’ expiring deal.

None of the Timberwolves, Knicks and Heat could match Golden State’s draft haul, at least not at the moment. New York and Miami — both thought to be attractive destinations from Antetokounmpo’s perspective — will have additional draft capital to offer in the offseason.

Which is precisely why it always made sense for the Bucks to wait on an Antetokounmpo deal. As more realistic trade partners enter the fray, offers will only get more competitive.

2. The league can’t stop paying James Harden

For a fourth time in five years, James Harden had a trade request granted, this time landing him on the Cleveland Cavaliers, who have eyes for championship contention.

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Only, with Harden in place of Darius Garland and a second-round draft pick, they appear no closer to a title than their second-round playoff exits from the previous two seasons.

Raise your hand if you think Harden will elevate the Cavaliers from their current standing, fourth place in the Eastern Conference, to a berth in the NBA Finals? We are still waiting and have been since he was a sixth man on the West champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

It has been 15 years since then, and Harden has come no closer. His Houston Rockets did make the 2015 conference finals, largely because he was benched in a Game 6 comeback. He has been no better in Game 7s. We have as much evidence of his playoff failures as we do his successes, if not more, and still the league cannot stop giving him tens of millions.

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Harden reportedly rejected a two-year, $103 million contract extension offer from the Rockets in 2020 and a three-year, $161 million extension from the Brooklyn Nets in 2021, seeking a four-year, $227 million offer in the summer of 2022, when he was to turn 32 years old. For myriad reasons, ranging from Kyrie Irving’s vaccination status to Harden’s hamstrings, that offer never came. Not from Brooklyn. Nor from the Philadelphia 76ers.

[NBA trade deadline winners and losers]

That is when Harden called Sixers executive Daryl Morey “a liar” and sought a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers, who extended him twice, first for $34 million for the 2024-25 season, and then for an additional $39 million this season. He also owns a $42 million player option for the 2026-27 season, when at one point he could have been making north of $60 million.

This is so much money. Harden has been guaranteed almost half a billion dollars in salary, let alone what he has made in endorsements, and still he is chasing what he sacrificed by not signing one of those aforementioned extensions — some $50 million in lost earnings.

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This is why he is in Cleveland now, for another extension, he surely thinks. And maybe he gets one. I do not begrudge anyone for prioritizing individual salary over team success; I just have never seen a superstar player so blatant about it. He is the greatest of all time at finding the next NBA owner to offer him as much money as possible, regardless of the fit.

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Why it makes any sense for the Cavaliers is a separate matter. As I’ve mentioned before, they traded a 26-year-old two-time All-Star (Garland) for a 36-year-old future Hall of Famer (Harden), and used a small asset (their second-round draft pick) to do so. This is usually bad business but for the fact that Harden has been healthier than Garland in recent years.

What did that get the Clippers? A first-round playoff exit last season and a sub-.500 record this season. Yes, Harden has set a playoff floor for his teams, which may be good enough for some, but his ball-dominance and defensive deficiencies also set a sub-championship ceiling. And isn’t the point of the NBA to win rings? In the meantime, Harden will get paid.

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3. So much of the trade deadline is financially driven

Speaking of the point of the NBA, which we thought was to win championships, why does it seem like so many deadline deals are more motivated by finances than they are winning?

This is why you cannot blame Harden for pursuing maximum money at all times.

Why were Trae Young and Anthony Davis moved to the Washington Wizards ahead of the deadline? Not because D.C. envisioned them as a championship contender but because the Wiz had to pay someone to play for them, and it may as well be a pair of ticket sellers.

You see, there is a salary floor and a salary cap. Teams must spend at least 90% of the salary cap, which for the 2026-27 season is projected to be $166 million. Teams must spend at least $149.4 million of it, or surrender the difference to every other team instead.

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Teams can spend beyond the salary cap, to a point, before they incur penalties associated with the luxury tax ($202 million), first apron ($210 million) and second apron ($223 million). You will hear more about these aprons than you ever care to learn, but know this: Nobody wants to spend more than $223 million for fear of losing additional assets.

It is, in the end, why the Cavaliers dumped Lonzo Ball’s $10 million contract, why the Minnesota Timberwolves shed Mike Conley’s $10 million salary, and why the Boston Celtics swapped Anfernee Simons for Nikola Vučević. All to save some cash and duck an apron. Follow the money, and you can almost always figure out why a deal went down.

Why did the Detroit Pistons trade Jaden Ivey to the Chicago Bulls for Kevin Huerter and Dario Šarić? Same reason the Golden State Warriors traded Jonathan Kuminga to the Hawks for Porziņģis’ expiring salary, and why the Bulls dealt Coby White to the Charlotte Hornets. Ivey, Kuminga and White are due contracts, their current teams did not want to pay them their worth, so they discovered the next team that might ahead of the deadline.

4. There is going to be some creative tanking

Both the Wizards and Utah Jazz made moves for All-Stars, only to realize: Oh, shoot, they are going to help us win games, and our first-round draft picks are only protected so much.

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The Wizards traded for Trae Young last month and Davis on Wednesday. Their first-round pick is protected 1-8, or else it is owed to the New York Knicks. Right now, the Wizards are 13-36, tied for the league’s fourth-worst record. Right now, they would keep their selection.

Win a few games, though, and they could quickly find themselves in danger of losing their pick in what is considered a loaded draft, depending on how the ping-pong balls pop out.

This is probably why we have not seen Young in a Wizards uniform. He has been nursing a quadriceps injury since December, and Washington executive Michael Winger recently hinted at the idea that we may not see the four-time All-Star point guard until next season.

Could the same be true of Davis on the Wizards? The oft-injured 10-time All-Star has not played since early January with a hand injury. Might it linger into the offseason as well?

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The Jazz, who just traded for two-time All-Star and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr., are in the same boat. Their first-round pick in the forthcoming June draft is also protected 1-8, otherwise owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder. No way they send that selection to the defending champions, and they can’t afford to win much more.

Likewise, the Indiana Pacers reportedly traded Bennedict Mathurin, two first-round picks and a second-round selection to the Clippers for Ivica Zubac, who will be the center of Tyrese Haliburton’s offense next season. This season? Well, the Pacers are also going to want to lose as many games as possible, and Zubac does not exactly help in that regard.

And what becomes of the Sacramento Kings, who held on to Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, despite their rumored interest in shopping all three of them?

It can’t be great for morale. Then again, morale was at an all-time low, as the Kings already owned the league’s worst record (12-40). Everyone is chasing them, including the Bucks. Well, everyone except for the New Orleans Pelicans, who owe their first-round pick to Atlanta. They, like the Kings, are just bad for no other reason than mismanagement.

The New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks are headed to Santa Clara, CA, to play in Super Bowl LX. The Big Game kicks off on Feb. 8, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. ET at Levi’s Stadium. Bad Bunny, the most-streamed artist in the world, is set to headline the 2026 Super Bowl Halftime Show. Looking to tune in in person? Super Bowl tickets are on sale now. Want to watch from home? The 2026 Super Bowl will be broadcast on NBC and will stream live on Peacock. Here’s what you need to know to tune in to Super Bowl LX.

How to watch Super Bowl LX:

Date: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026

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Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

Location: Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA

TV channel: NBC, Telemundo

Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NFL+, and more

Where is the 2026 Super Bowl being played?

The 2026 Super Bowl will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, home of the San Francisco 49ers.

Where to buy tickets to the 2026 Super Bowl:

Tickets to the 2026 Super Bowl are available on third-party resale platforms like StubHub and Gametime.

Find tickets on Gametime

Find tickets on Stubhub

What time is the 2026 Super Bowl?

The 2026 Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on Feb. 8, 2026. Green Day will also be performing a pre-game special starting at 6 p.m. ET.

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2026 Super Bowl game channel

Super Bowl LX will air on NBC. A Spanish-language broadcast available on Telemundo.

Who are the 2026 Super Bowl teams?

The AFC champions, the New England Patriots, will play the NFC champions, the Seattle Seahawks, at Super Bowl LX.

How to watch the 2026 Super Bowl without cable

You can stream NBC and Telemundo on platforms like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV, both of which are among Engadget’s choices for best streaming services for live TV. (Note that Fubo and NBC are currently in the midst of a contract dispute and NBC channels are not available on the platform.) The game will also stream on Peacock and NFL+, though with an NFL+ subscription, you’re limited to watching on mobile devices.

Although Seattle Seahawks rookie safety Nick Emmanwori suffered a low-ankle sprain during practice Wednesday, he told reporters Thursday that he’ll “be good to go” Sunday for Super Bowl LX against the New England Patriots.

Emmanwori, who the Seahawks selected out of South Carolina early in the second round of last year’s draft, has started the past 10 games for Seattle, including the playoffs.

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The injury he’s dealing with now is to his right ankle, the same one he hurt in the season opener against the San Francisco 49ers, although that high-ankle sprain was more severe, Emmanwori clarified.

“Not sure how extensive, if at all, he’s going to practice,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said Thursday, per The Athletic.

“But he’s confident. Got a great plan. Fully expect him to play. … He’s doing great and moving around.”

Emmanwori, a finalist for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year, has done a bit of everything for a vaunted Seahawks defense during his first season in the NFL. He ranked third on the team with 11 passes defended and 81 total tackles. Plus, he added 2.5 sacks and an interception.

In the regular season and postseason combined, he’s lined up 420 snaps in the slot, 329 in the box, 103 along the defensive line, 15 on the outside corner, and seven at deep safety, according to Pro Football Focus.

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[Get more Seahawks news: Seattle team feed]

Emmanwori explained that his most recent ankle issue sprouted toward the end of Wednesday’s practice when he rolled his ankle.

He noted that practice was “nothing crazy” and that the injury took him by surprise.

“Nobody really wants to get hurt or banged up during the Super Bowl week, or any week at that, so it just kind of caught me off guard. It was just a little scare,” Emmanwori said, per Gregg Bell of The News Tribune.

Emmanwori said it felt different than his Week 1 setback, which cost him the subsequent three games.

“I feel like I could walk off on my own and just had to give it a break,” he said. “It feels good.”

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Macdonald said the Seahawks will be “overcautious” with Emmanwori in the coming days to make sure he’s all set for Sunday’s matchup.

The 2025-26 NBA trade deadline just wrapped, and fantasy basketball rosters are about to look very different. Here’s who’s eating and who’s getting buried in the chaos. But I gotta be honest, there aren’t many waiver wire pickups to make based on the moves that were made by Thursday — sigh.

Let’s get to it.

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📈 Fantasy Winners

Jalen Smith, FC – Chicago Bulls

Nikola Vučević was shipped to Boston, leaving Smith in an optimal position to take on more frontcourt responsibilities. Here’s my whole take on Smith’s upside, but in summary, I’m projecting he’d be at least a top-60 type of player across formats. The Bulls sold off a few of their key starters, leaving a lot of uncertainty everywhere else — but not for Smith (and Josh Giddey).

Kawhi Leonard, FC – Los Angeles Clippers

James Harden’s gone, Darius Garland’s in and Kawhi’s usage is about to detonate. The Clippers just handed him the keys to the offense again. Garland’s a complementary piece — not a co-star, plus he’s out with a toe injury. It’s Leonard’s show now, and if he stays healthy-ish, we’re looking at top-10 fantasy upside rest of season. It’s undoubtedly an “if” though.

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Bennedict Mathurin, G/FC – Los Angeles Clippers

A new home breeds new opportunity. I love this deal for Mathurin’s fantasy value, as he’ll join Kawhi and Garland as the Clippers’ primary scoring options. He’ll likely get a new contract and be given free rein to cook. I doubt he’s available in many leagues, but I’d hold if you have him rostered.

Santi Aldama, FC — Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis traded Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jock Landale, accelerating the franchise’s development plans. Zach Edey and Brandon Clarke are hurt, leaving Aldama as one of the last frontcourt players left standing for the Grizz. He returned to the court on Wednesday, scoring 12 points with 6 boards in under 25 minutes.

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Once the minutes trend back up, he’s a guy I’d want to hold onto for the remainder of the season across formats. Cedric Coward gets a boost here, too, along with Taylor Hendricks, who came over from the Jazz. He’s on my deep league watchlist.

Onyeka Okongwu, FC — Atlanta Hawks

The Hawks added Jock Landale in a minor deal, but Okongwu remains the starting center. Once Okongwu gets his teeth fixed, he’ll be squarely in the top-50 conversation the rest of the way.

Russell Westbrook, G – Sacramento Kings

With Dennis Schröder joining the Cavs, Russ will continue soaking up a majority of PG minutes for the Kings. He’s had a nice resurgence under Doug Christie, averaging 15-6-7 in under 30 minutes per game. The Kings retained all their vets, so even though the team is terrible, they’re not mailing it in yet.

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Other winners:

• Wizards’ young core (Tre Johnson, Justin Champagnie and Bilal Coulibaly)

• Naji Marshall – Dallas Mavericks

• Isaiah Collier – Utah Jazz

• Daniel Gafford – Dallas Mavericks

• Jarace Walker – Indiana Pacers

📉 Fantasy Losers

Jaren Jackson Jr., FC — Utah Jazz

I expanded on it here, but landing in Utah in the midst of vying for a top pick in 2026 isn’t good for JJJ’s fantasy value. I’d look to sell, but most fantasy managers are likely well aware of Utah’s late-season shenanigans.

Anthony Davis, FC — Washington Wizards

I covered the full fallout from Dallas trading AD to the Wizards, but the TL;DR is: a move to Washington is essentially the nail in the coffin for AD this season. I don’t expect him to play much, if at all, for the Wizards. Drop him and move on with no regrets.

Coby White, G — Charlotte Hornets

White goes from a featured, starter role to the presumed sixth man of the Hornets.

He’s still looking for a new deal, so he’ll play well enough for the Hornets to consider keeping him around beyond this season. I wouldn’t drop White in fantasy yet. He’s better than Collin Sexton, and they’ll surely use him as the primary option off the bench and a secondary playmaker in certain lineups.

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Nikola Vučević, C — Boston Celtics

I’m anticipating a timeshare for Vooch in Boston. Neemias Queta is the better defender and frankly, Vooch won’t have to do as much offensively for Boston. What he does is provide them with another floor-spacing threat who can rebound and play-make enough to warrant 25-28 minutes a night — essentially the Kristaps Porziņģis role from last season. You’re not dropping Vučević, but I’d expect some decline in his raw counting stats in Boston.

Jusuf Nurkić, FC — Utah Jazz

Sorry, Nurk, your run is done. Nurk will likely be in and out of the rotation the rest of the season with unpredictable minutes. Once a waiver wire gem, Nurk will be a frustrating hold for fantasy managers across formats.

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Bulls Guard Rotation (Sexton/Simons/Ivey)

Chicago’s backcourt is complete chaos after deadline day. It moved Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu out and brought in Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton and Jaden Ivey. Nobody knows who’s starting, closing or getting consistent minutes. Avoid this entire situation until rotations stabilize post-deadline — it’s a headache.

Players on the move — still relevant though

Ivica Zubac, FC – Indiana Pacers

The Pacers made a move to get their big man of the future to pair with Tyrese Haliburton next year. What I don’t know is how much they’ll use him when they’re tanking. Still, he’s an easy double-double no matter the team he plays for.

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Ayo Dosunmu, G/FC – Minnesota Timberwolves

The Wolves made one of the better deals at the deadline. Dosunmu is having a career year, and he’ll step into a Nickeil Alexander-Walker-type role for Minnesota. Ayo is both physical and versatile, and the Wolves will utilize his skill set well. There might be a drop-off in counting stats, but I don’t anticipate it being dramatic enough that he won’t be a fantasy asset. Keep holding.

Ali vs. Frazier. Godzilla vs. King Kong. Everyone loves a rematch. And this year’s Super Bowl promises to deliver a great one when the New England Patriots face the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX. The two teams met back at the 2014 Super Bowl, which ended with a 28-24 Patriots win, and now they meet on the championship stage again. Super Bowl LX will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, on Sunday, Feb. 8, with a 6:30 p.m. ET kickoff.

You can watch Super Bowl LX live on NBC and Peacock this year. Here’s everything you need to know to tune in to Super Bowl LX when it airs on Feb. 8.

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How to watch Super Bowl LX:

Date: Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026

Time: 6:30 p.m. ET

TV channel: NBC, Telemundo

Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NFL+ and more

Which teams are competing in the 2026 Super Bowl?

The New England Patriots, winners of the AFC Championship this year, will play the NFC Champions the Seattle Seahawks at Super Bowl LX.

2026 Super Bowl kickoff time

The 2026 Super Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT on Feb. 8, 2026.

2026 Super Bowl game channel

The 2026 Super Bowl airs live on NBC and a Spanish-language broadcast will be available on Telemundo.

Where is the 2026 Super Bowl being played?

Super Bowl LX will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA.

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How to watch the 2026 Super Bowl without cable

You can stream NBC and Telemundo on platforms like DirecTV and Hulu + Live TV, both of which are among Engadget’s choices for best streaming services for live TV. (Note that Fubo and NBC are currently in the midst of a contract dispute and NBC channels are not available on the platform.) The game will also be streaming on Peacock and on NFL+, though with an NFL+ subscription, you’re limited to watching the game on mobile devices.

The Washington Commanders added some veteran pieces last offseason. There figure to be plenty more roster changes in the coming months, as the Commanders try to rebound from a 5-12 campaign and continue building around franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels.

So who would Daniels add, if his bosses were listening?

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“There’s a couple individuals that are out there. Maybe somebody from Arizona State in my past,” Daniels told Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice on on radio row in San Francisco ahead of Super Bowl LX this week.

“Lives on the west coast?” Tice followed up.

“Yeah, most definitely,” said Daniels, who was appearing on behalf of Xfinity.

It’s pretty easy to connect those dots to Brandon Aiyuk, the disgruntled San Francisco wide receiver who, by general manager John Lynch’s own admission in January, “has played his last snap with the 49ers.”

[Get more Commanders news: Washington team feed]

Aiyuk, who spent a season as Daniels’ teammate at Arizona State in 2019 and has been friends with him for years, was placed on the 49ers’ reserve/left squad list in December and didn’t play a snap for the 49ers in 2025. He signed a reported four-year, $120 million contract extension just before kickoff of the 2024 season, but hasn’t played for San Francisco since tearing his ACL and MCL in Week 7 of that year.

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The 49ers placed Aiyuk on the active but physically unable to perform (PUP) list ahead of training camp last summer. Questions hovered over when he’d be ready to play again, but and reports began to surface the 49ers were getting frustrated with Aiyuk’s behavior behind the scenes.

It certainly feels like Aiyuk will be playing elsewhere next season despite being under contract with the 49ers.

Daniels seems to want it to be Washington.

“There’s people like that out there. I don’t wanna give too much,” Daniels said. “But when that time comes, hopefully we can sign those types of players.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo is officially staying with the Milwaukee Bucks — at least for the remainder of the season.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported hours ahead of Thursday’s NBA trade deadline that the Bucks would not be trading Antetokounmpo and focus on other deals. Now that the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline has passed, it makes that official.

Antetokounmpo himself confirmed he’d remain in Milwaukee after the deadline, sharing a clip from “The Wolf of Wall Street” on his Instagram account, in which actor Leonardo DiCaprio emphatically announces, “I’m not leaving.”

Milwaukee is still expected to field offers for Antetokounmpo in the offseason, when teams have more clarity on their draft pick compensation and the market potentially widens as some contenders fall short in the playoffs.

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“They were never serious,” one team executive told Jake Fischer regarding an Antetokounmpo deal.

The passing of the NBA trade deadline now officially ends months of speculation that the two-time MVP and franchise stalwart wouldn’t finish the season with the Bucks team that drafted him. The Bucks are in the midst of a losing season and are not on pace to make the playoffs.

Antetokounmpo has twice missed time this season with significant calf injuries. He sustained his second injury on Jan. 23 in a 102-100 loss to the Denver Nuggets. Antetokounmpo said after that game that he expected to miss 4-6 weeks with the injury, and head coach Doc Rivers said there’s no timetable for his return. It’s unclear if or when he’ll be able to return this season to the Bucks, who would benefit by improving their odds for the draft lottery.

Speculation of Antetokounmpo eventually leaving the Bucks started before the season began. As the losses piled up, so did the tension in Milwaukee. After home fans booed the Bucks during a blowout loss to the Timberwolves on Jan 13, Antetokounmpo pointed two thumbs down and booed them back. He played four more games for the Bucks after that incident.

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Yet, the franchise isn’t quite ready to end its most successful era since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Oscar Robertson led Milwaukee to two Finals appearances and an NBA championship in the early 1970s.

The Bucks selected Antetokounmpo with the No. 15 pick in the 2013 NBA Draft as a raw, high-upside prospect with an enormous physical tool set. He’s delivered on that upside and more.

Antetokounmpo spent his rookie season developing off the bench as a 19-year-old before joining the starting lineup full time in his second NBA season. He made his first All-Star team in his fourth season in Milwaukee and has been an All-Star in eight seasons since as a dominant two-way force.

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Antetokounmpo won the first of his two consecutive NBA MVP awards after the 2018-19 season. He also won Defensive Player of the Year alongside his second MVP award the following season.

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In 2020-21, Antetokounmpo completed his NBA resumé. Playing alongside Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday, Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to the franchise’s second NBA championship. The only major accomplishment now missing from his career as a pro is entry into the Hall of Fame, which is a certainty as soon as he’s put on the ballot.

But he likely won’t complete his career having played for just the Bucks. Milwaukee didn’t maintain its contender status after winning the 2021 championship and hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs since. It’s suffered first-round playoff exits in each of the past three postseasons.

Middleton and Holiday are both gone, and Milwaukee’s attempts to rebuild another contender around Antetokounmpo fizzled with Damian Lillard’s Achilles tendon tear last season.

The Bucks exceeded expectations early this season with a 6-3 start. They have since faded out of playoff contention with a losing record. A full-blown rebuild, however, will have to wait until the offseason.

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Antetokounmpo is playing on a three-year, $186 million contract extension he signed in 2023 in the aftermath of Milwaukee’s trade to acquire Lillard. That extension includes a player option for the 2027-28 season.

According to ESPN, Antetokounmpo is eligible for a four-year, $275 million extension in October if he stays with Milwaukee. If he’s traded during the offseason, he would need to wait six months from the trade date to sign an extension.

All roads lead here: to Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. and Super Bowl LX. The Seattle Seahawks enter as the favorite, but there are paths to a New England Patriots victory, which we’ll hit in this Super Bowl edition of the Four Verts column. There’s a lot at stake Sunday. Let’s go over some of the biggest storylines.

Patriots’ offense appears to be outmanned again

New England’s offense has faced some of the toughest defenses the NFL has to offer en route to a Super Bowl berth. In fact, they’ve gotten completely dominated by the Chargers, Texans and Broncos defenses, riding a handful of drives, a defensive touchdown and the help of an overwhelmed backup quarterback in the snow. That’s not to say they don’t deserve to be here. Every team that can weather the storm of attrition to get to this point deserves the ability to play in this game.

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Drake Maye is as good as any player who will play Sunday. The second-year quarterback has earned his stamp as an MVP finalist considering he has done an Atlas-level carrying of the offense this season. The Patriots barely had success in the rain against the Texans and their only touchdown drive against the Broncos came on a short field following a baffling decision by Jarrett Stidham to throw the ball backward for a fumble.

Seattle will be New England’s toughest cohesive test yet, barring an explosion from Maye and the supporting cast around him. The Rams pushed the Seahawks to the brink in the NFC championship game, but Puka Nacua, Davante Adams and Sean McVay aren’t walking through that door for the Patriots’ offense. It’s largely going to be up to Maye and a shaky offensive line to stay afloat against a truly dominant defense this season.

Points will be difficult to come by. Maye will have his moments, but when looking at the non-quarterback players on this offense against the Seahawks’ defense, it’s hard not to see how they don’t get stuffed into a locker for the fourth consecutive game. It’s not unreasonable that the Patriots struggled mightily against the defenses they’ve faced this postseason, but they’ll need a little more help to get a win in what should be a clean weather environment.

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New England needs star defensive trio to dominate

The Patriots are underdogs in the Super Bowl for good reason. When stacking the rosters of the two teams, it’s clear which one recently picked in the top five of the NFL Draft two straight years, and which one has been a fringe playoff team that reached its final form this past offseason. However, the Patriots aren’t a team that’s completely bereft of talent, and they have a few high-level players who can turn the tide for them if they can play to the best of their abilities. In that respect, cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive tackles Milton Williams and Christian Barmore are going to be the lynchpins here.

[Get more Patriots news: New England team feed]

The good thing about these players is they play positions of value and all of them can really impact the game with high-level performances, particularly their duo on the interior. There is no better way to shut down Seattle’s offense and make life difficult for the Seahawks than to have immediate disruption on the front lines with Barmore and Williams. Seattle’s interior offensive line is one of the weaker parts of its offense. This soft spot gives those two Patriots a prime opportunity to take over the game and provide some relief to their own offense.

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Specifically, Seattle’s duo of Jalen Sundell and Anthony Bradford will need help against the Patriots’ defensive tackle duo. There’s also a level of natural symbiosis between defensive line play and secondary play where Barmore and Williams taking advantage of this matchup will actually make things easier for Gonzalez, the third member of this defensive trio that New England needs to play well. Pressure forces bad plays and Gonzalez already showed his ability to make plays on the ball by closing out the Broncos’ offense in the AFC championship game with an interception.

Gonzalez will have his hands full with a matchup against Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL right now. If he can win just a couple of those battles while Barmore and Williams take advantage of their talent advantage in the trenches, there’s a chance for the Patriots to win.

Those three need to play up to their Pro Bowl billings, because overall this Patriots roster appears to be completely outmatched. If they can do that, New England has a puncher’s chance. Sam Darnold is prone to lapses that lead to turnovers, even though he hasn’t done that yet in the postseason. Getting the ball back to Maye and the offense will be imperative, but that’s easier said than done.

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Sam Darnold needs to make it just one more game

One more game, Sam. Just one more.

While the Seahawks’ offense was flustered over the second half of the season, Sam Darnold has played really clean football through these playoffs. If he can make it one more game without tanking himself and having a classic Darnold implosion, Seattle should cruise to a Super Bowl victory and he can change the narrative on himself. Darnold has become one of the most fascinating quarterbacks in the league because the great heights that he is capable of reaching have not always been attainable for him, mostly due to his own mistakes. So far in the playoffs, he’s been able to avoid them. One more game will cap off the most important three-game run in his career where he’s been able to do one thing everyone has consistently been clamoring for him to do: just play clean!

Darnold has always been one of the more physically gifted quarterbacks in the league. I can say this from personal experience as someone who spent time covering him when he was a member of the New York Jets a few years ago. He often had practices where he looked like the best QB in the league. And then would follow those practices up with some of the sloppiest stuff you will ever see. There’s a reason why he’s on his fifth team and it’s not because of his general ability. It just hasn’t been clean enough.

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Seattle hasn’t asked Darnold to do a high volume of passing through two playoff games, but he’s worked well with what he’s been asked to do. He’s thrown the ball 53 times for 470 yards, four touchdowns and nearly a 70% completion rate. He’s got a passer rating of 122.4 and the only real blemish has been the five sacks on such a small number of dropbacks. However, the most important number for Darnold: zero turnovers.

Darnold has fumbled once, but was able to recover it. That works in the one-game sample sizes of single-elimination playoffs. He needs to do it just one more time. That seems feasible considering what he’s done so far, but there is also the permanent aura of the unknown with Darnold where the bottom could fall out at any time. He has so much to gain from this if he can make it one more game without the intrusive thoughts popping in his head as he’s scanning the Patriots’ coverages.

Forging new destinies is the theme of Super Bowl LX

There are plenty of established figures in this game between the coaching staffs and the players who can begin to cement and individualize their legacies in this Super Bowl. This game has an extra weight added to it in terms of reputational benefit (or loss) with a win (or loss). With a victory, history and narratives can be forgiven, or forgotten. These are some of the most compelling storylines the Super Bowl generates and with two new(ish) teams in the Super Bowl, it feels like more is on the line than recent years.

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Sam Darnold feels like the obvious, biggest benefactor with a Super Bowl win, as long as he plays cleanly. His career has been mired by puzzlingly bad play, especially considering he has great physical skills and is capable of stringing together great play. However, the ruts are real and they still show up occasionally even though Seattle has won in the rough moments. If Darnold can get through one more game without turning the ball over, paired with a win, he can rewrite the narrative on what people think about him. There’s no better time to cap off what could be the best three-game run of his career.

Josh McDaniels and Mike Vrabel can write new stories for themselves with a win, considering their previous stops did not end in the most flattering manners. While Vrabel bounced back from how his tenure in Tennessee ended, it’s not like it was completely nonsensical for Tennessee to move on from him. The Titans were stuck in the mud following two middling seasons and never really rebounded from the losses of wide receiver A.J. Brown and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. Moving onto then-rookie quarterback Will Levis was not a fruitful endeavor and the Titans’ offense was so bad that the team decided to move in a different direction from Vrabel. That turned out to be a bad decision, considering Brian Callahan lasted only 23 games as head coach, but it was an understandable move at the time.

McDaniels’ firing from the Raiders requires less explanation; they were awful and so was he. However, he can begin to rebuild the narrative around his career if he can provide answers for the Patriots’ offense to survive a raucous, physical Seattle defense. McDaniels can prove to himself and everyone that he can reach the mountaintop of success without the titanic shadows of Bill Belichick and Tom Brady hovering over him.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald are new enough here where they shouldn’t be dinged too much with a loss, but they can hit the ground running on their respective careers with a Super Bowl victory in each of their respective second seasons. History can be made and rewritten with a Lombardi Trophy — at least until there’s a shaky 2026 season that turns up the heat on the hot take machine and makes everyone forget, because that’s just what we do now.