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Dan Hurley and the Huskies suffered a rare, bad loss at Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday night.

No. 5 UConn fell apart down the stretch and allowed Creighton, which has struggled all season in a down year in Omaha, to pick up a very solid 91-84 upset win. That was by far the biggest victory of the season for the Bluejays, who sit at just 14-13 and need some help in order to even make the NCAA tournament.

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The loss for UConn was just the team’s third all season, but it both put their hopes at claiming a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament in serious risk and opened the door for Rick Pitino and St. John’s to take the Big East title. The Red Storm survived a scare of their own later on Wednesday night and beat Marquette 76-70 in Milwaukee to take the lead in the conference standings.

Creighton had no issue keeping up with UConn all night. The Bluejays entered the locker room tied with the Huskies, and then mounted a huge 14-5 run in the second half while shutting down UConn’s offense almost completely. They forced a stretch in which the Huskies missed 10 of 11 shots, too, and briefly pushed their lead to 12 points before cruising to the seven-point win.

Blake Harper likely sealed the deal after he drilled a huge corner 3-pointer just seconds after a Silas Demary layup on the other end. Harper’s bucket pushed Creighton’s lead to 10 points with just 90 seconds left.

Josh Dix led Creighton with 21 points and eight rebounds, and Nik Graves added 18 points. Harper finished with 12 points off the bench.

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The win seemingly came out of nowhere for the Bluejays. They entered Wednesday night’s game having lost six of their last eight. The only wins during that stretch came by a combined two points. They were just 1-8 against Quad I teams up until this point, too.

An NCAA tournament bid is likely out of the question for Creighton, however, unless it manages to knock off No. 17 St. John’s on Saturday in New York and goes on a run in the Big East tournament. Wednesday’s win, however, was a big step to getting that done.

Braylon Mullins led UConn with 25 points and six rebounds, and Demary added 17 points and nine assists. Star Alex Karaban was held to just two points after he shot 1-of-6 from the field, marking his worst output of the season.

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UConn, after starting the season winning 22 of its first 23 games, has now lost twice in its last four after falling at St. John’s last week. And if they aren’t perfect, or close to it, the rest of the way, securing a top seed in the NCAA tournament could be out of reach.

The rematch between the two teams leading the Big East next week is suddenly that much more important heading into the conference tournament.

On Wednesday evening, Bruce Meyer was officially elected as the new interim executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association. The news, which comes less than 48 hours after the shocking resignation of former head honcho Tony Clark, was first reported by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Meyer, 64, was previously the union’s deputy executive director and chief negotiator. He will serve as executive director on an interim basis as the union prepares for a contentious collective bargaining showdown with the league this coming winter.

Matt Nussbaum, who had been the MLBPA’s general counsel, was promoted into Meyer’s old role. However, sources indicate to Yahoo Sports that Meyer’s job will be largely unchanged. Bargaining will remain his priority, while Nussbaum is set to assume many of the day-to-day responsibilities of running the union, responsibilities that once belonged to Clark.

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Meyer’s unanimous election by a committee of 72 players — 38 major leaguers and 34 minor leaguers — is the culmination of a tumultuous few days for what is considered the most powerful union in American sports. Clark, who had held the MLBPA’s top position since 2013, stepped down Tuesday after it was alleged that he had an inappropriate relationship with a union employee — an employee who, salaciously, also happened to be his sister-in-law.

The eight players on the union’s executive subcommittee — Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Detroit’s Tarik Skubal, Miami’s Pete Fairbanks, New York’s Marcus Semien, Baltimore’s Chris Bassitt, San Diego’s Jake Cronenworth, Los Angeles’ Brent Suter and Tampa Bay’s Cedric Mullins — found out about Clark’s misdeeds earlier in the week as part of a broader investigation into potential financial improprieties via the subcommittee’s outside counsel, Adam Braverman. Clark and the union remain under investigation by multiple federal agencies for allegedly misappropriating funds related to an MLBPA-sponsored youth organization called Players Way.

But player sources told Yahoo Sports that Braverman informed the subcommittee that — to his knowledge to this point — Meyer does not appear to have been involved in any of Clark’s potential malfeasance. The same is true of Nussbaum. In fact, neither has been officially accused of anything related to either of the investigations swirling around Clark.

This entire saga unfolds at a crucial time for the union, with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire Dec. 1. Although the two sides will negotiate between now and then, the league and its owners are widely expected to lock out the players. Burgeoning fan frustration about small-market frugality and big-market extravagance has intensified calls for a salary cap. Major League Baseball remains the only large-scale American sports league without a cap; such a mechanism has long been opposed by the MLBPA.

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Into that context steps Meyer, a career labor lawyer who joined the MLBPA in 2018 after a stint with the NHL Players Association. Brought in by Clark to bolster the union’s negotiating prowess, Meyer played a significant role in the 2022 CBA talks, an agreement generally considered to have been a win for players.

He has, however, been a polarizing figure. In 2024, a group of players attempted to have Meyer removed from his role at the moment he boarded a flight to Korea for the season’s opening series. Clark and other allies rallied to Meyer’s defense, and Harry Marino, the union lawyer behind the mutiny, threw in the towel.

Meyer lacks Clark’s charisma and playing background. Others have critiqued him for being too aligned with agent Scott Boras, though Meyer has, both on and off the record, vehemently denied such assertions. He is far from a social butterfly, and his intense, wintry demeanor does not lend itself to the hobnobbing typically associated with a top union job.

But many of those same characteristics, union sources say, make Meyer a formidable presence at the bargaining table. He is not afraid to say no. He does not cower from a fight. He is well-versed, passionate and unconcerned with how others perceive him. So while he wouldn’t be anybody’s choice to host “Saturday Night Live,” Meyer remains uniquely positioned to lead the union into the breach.

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That is why he received unanimous support from the players on Wednesday. A segment of players had wanted to elect Meyer on a Tuesday night call, but others wanted to discuss things with their teammates first. On Wednesday, across spring training complexes in Florida and Arizona, that’s exactly what happened, with players at both the major- and minor-league levels holding meetings to debate next steps. In the end, Meyer emerged as the most reasonable, most logical choice.

Distracting as this entire soap opera has been, players and union officials remain resolute that Clark’s obscene exit does not threaten their position ahead of the upcoming labor battle. Some, granted anonymity to speak freely, even contended that Clark’s role in previous negotiations was more marginal than publicly understood, that it was Meyer’s show and will continue to be.

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“We don’t expect anything to change in terms of bargaining,” Meyer told members of the media, including Yahoo Sports, on Wednesday morning before his elevation to interim executive director. “We’ve been preparing for bargaining for years. Players have been preparing. Players know what’s coming. At the end of the day, you know, leadership is important, and leadership comes and goes, but what remains is the players.”

Editor’s note: An earlier edition of this piece stated that Meyer and Nussbaum had not been “completely absolved.” It has been updated to reflect that the pair have not been accused of any wrongdoing.

Chinese freestyle skier Eileen Gu will be leaving the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics with at least two silver medals. She could add one more medal to her total if she can qualify for Saturday’s women’s skiing halfpipe final.

The 22-year-old Gu entered these Olympics as a favorite to win multiple gold medals. Four years ago in Beijing she won the women’s big air and halfpipe events, while earning a silver medal in slopestyle.

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Despite not having a haul of gold medals with the Milan Cortina Games winding down, Gu doesn’t look at that as a disappointing result. When asked Tuesday if she sees her silver medals as “two golds lost,” Gu laughed off the question and offered her perspective of her career accomplishments.

“I’m the most decorated female freeskier in history. I think that’s an answer in and of itself,” Gu said. “How do I say this? Winning a medal at the Olympics is a life-changing experience for every athlete. Doing it five times is exponentially harder, because every medal is equally hard for me, but everybody else’s expectations rise, right?

“So, the two medals lost situation, to be quite frank with you, I think is kind of a ridiculous perspective to take. I’m showcasing my best skiing. I’m doing things that quite literally have never been done before. And so I think that is more than good enough, but thank you.”

Along with her five Olympic medals, Gu is a two-time world champion, three-time X-Games winner and even won two gold medals at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics. That’s a very decorated career, even at the age of 22.

Gu’s hard work has paid off, literally, as she was the fourth-highest earning female athlete in 2025, earning upward of $23 million. According to Sportico, all but $20,000 of that $23 million came from endorsements.

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The American-born Gu has been a controversial figure for her decision to compete for China, where her mother is was born. Last year, she, along with another American-born athlete who competes for China, were paid a combined $6.6 million by the Beijing Municipal Sports Bureau in 2025 for “striving for excellent results in qualifying for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.”

With the NBA returning from the All-Star break and heading into the final eight weeks of the season, there are still some opportunities in the futures market that provide strong value and won’t tie up funds for a long time.

Here are a few futures bets worth considering right now.

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L.A. Lakers under 48.5 regular-season wins

The Los Angeles Lakers have the eighth-hardest strength of schedule remaining. They are often put on national TV against other strong marquee teams because of the increased attention. The Lakers have a backloaded schedule.

According to current market ratings, combined with their current record and remaining schedule, they are projected to win 47 games. This also does not factor in that Lebron James often sits on the second leg of back-to-backs, Luka Dončić is coming back from injury to a minutes restriction, and Austin Reaves went into the All-Star break coming off the bench and playing limited minutes because of a calf injury.

Given the number at 48.5, the projection at 47, the hard schedule and increased likelihood they sit stars during some schedule-loss games, the Lakers under was my first midseason futures bet.

L.A. Clippers under 41.5 regular-season wins

I used similar criteria to project the Clippers’ win total. I used market ratings and current record combined with remaining schedule and got to 41 wins, almost spot on with the market number of 41.5.

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However, the Clippers just traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac at the deadline and gutted their roster to get younger and collect future assets. It is unknown when Darius Garland is going to return.

Both their offense and defense took major hits that should cause some setbacks, leaving Kawhi Leonard with a massive usage rate to keep this team afloat. Brook Lopez has looked very slow footed and cannot provide the defensive backbone Zubac did. If Kawhi sits out any games, this team will likely take a dive in the wrong direction.

The Clippers’ actions show the front office is prioritizing future seasons, and it’s tough to envision a postseason run. Thus far, Leonard has played most back to backs, but I wonder if that shifts as the season nears the end and they are locked into a play-in seed. Their market rating right now might be the highest it is all season.

Cleveland Cavaliers to win Eastern Conference and NBA Finals (+300, +1200)

I am looking to back the Cavaliers in futures markets right now before they show us what a full roster looks like with the recent addition of James Harden and the returns of injured players Evan Mobley and Max Strus.

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This team has by far the best shooters in the Eastern Conference, and I suspect it will finish the season and go into the playoffs as the clear favorites in the Eastern Conference. The Cavaliers consistently take sharp action in games vs. the New York Knicks, and I seriously doubt the Pistons’ chances in the playoffs, where spacing likely creates some issues.

The Pistons showed their hand at the deadline by not making a big win-now move, letting this team do what it can and considering 2025-26 a successful season.

On the other hand, the Cavaliers clearly want to win now by trading 26-year-old Darius Garland for a piece that is healthy and can bolster both their offense and defense in Harden.

Yes, Harden can bolster the Cavaliers’ defense. Historically, Garland would get picked on because of his size, and then Donovan Mitchell would have to also guard up in size and be exploited a bit as well and get worn down physically. If Harden is good at one thing defensively, it’s guarding against bigger plays, which allows Mitchell to go back to guarding his true PG position. This is an upgrade on both ends for the Cavaliers.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win MVP (-200 or better)

Right now the biggest caveat in the MVP market is forecasting games played with the 65-game minimum required to qualify for NBA awards.

Gilgeous-Alexander has missed seven games and can miss 10 more. Nikola Jokić is the next contender for MVP, but if he misses just one more game he is disqualified. Gilgeous-Alexander went into the All-Star break not playing because of an abdominal injury. Based on the reported timing of his recovery and the Thunder’s upcoming schedule, I would predict SGA sits vs. the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and returns when the Thunder face the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

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I am waiting for SGA to be ruled out on Friday and striking this bet Friday night or Saturday morning before he is potentially announced back for Sunday. SGA was north of a -700 favorite before sitting a few games with his injury and being able to get this below -200 right before he returns will be perfectly timed and a huge discount.

Hat tip to my friend, Joe Dellera, at Action Network for pointing out this schedule quirk as the OKC Thunder return from the break.

In the modern era, large, guaranteed contracts force teams to set most of their roster before Spring Training begins. But there are still some occasions where players wage an old-fashioned battle for a specific role, relying on their Spring Training performance to impress their coaching staff and the front office.

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

Here are several positions that will be hotly contested in Florida and Arizona this spring. Please note that I omitted closer competitions, as those battles could fill an entire article on their own.

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Position Players

Baltimore Orioles RF: Dylan Beavers vs. Tyler O’Neill

Although Beavers wasn’t dominant in a late-season trial with the Orioles, he did just enough (.775 OPS) to be considered for an Opening Day lineup spot. The 24-year-old has a respectable mix of power and speed, and his premium plate patience is his main calling card. Meanwhile, O’Neill, one of baseball’s most inconsistent and injury-prone players, is coming off a disappointing season in which he logged three injured list stints and hit .199 in 54 games. But O’Neill still has two seasons remaining on a significant contract and is just one year removed from producing 31 homers and an .847 OPS in his lone season with the Red Sox.

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Prediction: Money talks, which means that O’Neill will get a second chance to make a first impression with the Orioles. He will receive most of the early-season opportunities, with Beavers either working as a reserve player or returning to Triple-A to receive regular playing time. O’Neill is an excellent late-round dart throw in deep formats.

Tampa Bay Rays LF/RF: Chandler Simpson vs. Jake Fraley vs. Jonny DeLuca vs. Justyn-Henry Malloy vs. Jacob Melton

What a mess. The Rays grabbed Fraley off waivers in November, traded for Melton in December and purchased Malloy from the Tigers in January. Those three will throw their hats into the ring against DeLuca, who has a meager career .648 OPS, and Simpson, who could hit .300 and lead the majors in steals but has no power and is a subpar fielder.

Prediction: Simpson is the only draftable member of this group, and he will be overvalued unless he is working out of the leadoff spot. Melton will be the odd-man out, but by July, he will have returned from Triple-A and will earn more playing time than all the others in the second half. Keep an eye on Malloy in AL-only leagues, as the Rays will value his ability to draw walks.

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Pittsburgh Pirates SS: Nick Gonzales vs. Konnor Griffin

The No. 1 prospect in most publications, Griffin is ready to join Paul Skenes as the future of the Pirates. Truthfully, there is no battle here – the Pirates simply need to decide if Griffin is ready to start his clock. His 2025 slash line (.333/.415/.527) says yes. His age (19) says no. Gonzales is merely an innocent bystander who will either play shortstop or work as a utilityman.

Prediction: Normally an extremely cautious organization (see: Bubba Chandler, 2025), the Pirates will get as wild as they can, and promote Griffin in May, a few weeks after he turns 20. I hope I’m wrong, but those who wisely stash this generational prospect will need to wait about six weeks before they reap the rewards.

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Detroit Tigers SS: Kevin McGonigle vs. Zach McKinstry

A top-five overall prospect in virtually every publication, McGonigle has a career .922 OPS in the minors but has not reached Triple-A. He could skip that level and replace McKinstry, who is coming off his best season (.771 OPS) but has a lifetime .680 OPS and profiles more as a utility player.

Prediction: The Tigers open the season with McKinstry and give McGonigle one month in Triple-A before calling him up in May. The 21-year-old is worth stashing in most leagues.

New York Mets LF: Carson Benge vs. Tyrone Taylor

Mets fans are excited about Benge, as the 2024 first-round pick has emerged as the organization’s top prospect and is knocking on the door to debut. His main competition is Taylor, who is a capable fielder and has a respectable career .706 OPS. Brett Baty, who has not played the outfield in the majors but was pushed into a utility role over the winter, could also factor into the mix.

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Prediction: Mets fans won’t like this one. Unless Benge becomes the biggest story of camp, he will open the season in Triple-A, with Taylor and Baty sharing left field. Benge will be one of the hottest waiver wire options when he debuts in May.

Cincinnati Reds 1B/LF: Sal Stewart vs. JJ Bleday vs. Spencer Steer

The addition of Eugenio Suárez tied up the DH spot, which leaves first base for either Stewart or Steer. If Stewart wins the job, Steer will either work as a utility player or claim left field at the expense of Bleday, who was released by the Athletics after struggling last season.

Prediction: After posting a .905 OPS across Double-A and Triple-A last season, Stewart has nothing left to prove in the minors. He will play first base, as the Reds need his powerful bat in the lineup. Steer and Bleday will share left field, but it won’t be a straight platoon split. Expect both players to earn about 350-400 at-bats, which will keep them on waivers in mixed leagues.

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Rotation Battles

Boston Red Sox SP5: Johan Oviedo vs. Connelly Early vs. Payton Tolle

While the additions of Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez grabbed the headlines, the Red Sox made a smaller trade to improve their rotation depth by adding Oviedo, who logged mixed results (3.57 ERA, 42:23 K:BB ratio) in nine starts after returning from Tommy John surgery. He will compete with Early and Tolle, who each had their moments in late-season auditions. Early fared so well that he was tabbed to start the deciding game of the Wild Card series against the Yankees last season.

Prediction: Oviedo has one minor-league option remaining, and the Red Sox will use it. Early has more upside and will get the final spot for an organization that is intent on challenging the Blue Jays and Yankees. Early is a viable final-round option in deep leagues.

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Texas Rangers SP5: Jacob Latz vs. Kumar Rocker

Rocker was supposed to be a star by now. Unfortunately, injuries took a toll on him, and he has a lifetime 5.45 ERA over 17 starts. Latz was solid as a reliever last year and posted a 2.72 ERA over eight starts. Set to turn 30 shortly after Opening Day, he’s the fallback option if Rocker continues to struggle this spring.

Prediction: Rocker will show just enough during Spring Training to push Latz back to the bullpen. That being said, fantasy managers can leave the 26-year-old on waivers unless he thrives in April.

New York Mets SP 3/4/5: Sean Manaea vs. David Peterson vs. Kodei Senga vs. Clay Holmes vs. Jonah Tong

With five contenders for three rotation spots, the Mets are the envy of most teams. Manaea is coming off a dreadful season (5.64 ERA) but was excellent the previous year (3.47 ERA). Over 622.2 career innings, Peterson has used a heavy groundball lean to limit the damage (4.12 ERA) of allowing too many baserunners (1.37 WHIP). Holmes’ skill set mirrors that of Peterson, and his first season as a starter went well (3.53 ERA, 1.30 WHIP). Senga was effective overall last year (3.02 ERA) but fared so poorly in his final eight starts (6.56 ERA, 1.71 WHIP) that he spent September in the minors. One of baseball’s best pitching prospects, Tong had mixed results during five major league starts last season.

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Prediction: The only member of this battle who still has options, Tong has no chance of making the rotation. He will return to the minors, and if everyone is healthy, the Mets will open 2026 with a six-man rotation. These things have a way of working themselves out, and the guess here is that one of the four 30-somethings will open the season on the IL.

Baltimore Orioles SP 4/5: Shane Baz vs. Zach Eflin vs. Dean Kremer

By signing Chris Bassitt, the Orioles created a logjam at the back of their rotation. Every pitcher in this battle has warts. Baz had a 4.87 ERA last season and is the only contender who has minor league options. Eflin made just 14 starts in 2025, making him the biggest injury risk of the group, but he didn’t get $10 million from the Orioles to work out of the bullpen. Kremer has the least upside but has made more than 20 starts while logging an ERA under 4.20 in each of the past four seasons. Tyler Wells is a dark horse in this race. The 31-year-old could make a case that he’s the best pitcher of the bunch (career 3.98 ERA, 1.03 WHIP), but he has options remaining, was limited by injury to seven starts over 2024-25 and has the smallest contract of the group.

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Prediction: The Orioles paid too much for Baz to put him in the minors. If everyone is healthy at the end of Spring Training, Kremer will have to open the season as a bulk reliever. A six-man rotation is also on the table in Baltimore.

St. Louis Cardinals SP5: Kyle Leahy vs. Hunter Dobbins vs. Richard Fitts

One could argue that the three pitchers who will battle for the final rotation spot are more interesting than the four who already have their roles. Leahy will get his opportunity after thriving (3.07 ERA, 80:28 K:BB ratio) as a multi-inning reliever last year. He will compete against two hurlers who came from Boston in offseason trades. Both Dobbins and Fitts have shown glimpses of ability over roughly 60 career innings.

Prediction: Leahy will get his chance, with Dobbins and Fitts opening the season in Triple-A. None of these three pitchers is worth drafting, but they can all be monitored early in the season.

Not every fantasy basketball playoff is won the same way. High Score, points leagues and 9-cat all require different strategies to achieve a championship run. This primer breaks down what actually moves the needle in each format as you approach the playoffs — the roster decisions, the waiver logic and the schedule awareness to last through the fantasy postseason.

High Score

🙌 Forget the floor, it’s all about upside

We’re big-game hunting over here. The consistent, high-floor guys won’t increase your chances of winning High Score — and unlike standard points leagues or 9-cat, the schedule doesn’t matter as much here either. You’re not building toward a string of games that stack up raw production or efficiency numbers. You need one explosion. One spike game wins your week, and that changes everything about how you build your roster.

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😏 Hunt bad defenses

The edge in this format isn’t identifying stars — it’s finding the complementary players who can deliver one game of elite production at any point in the week. The waiver wire is stocked with depth pieces whose roles have quietly expanded over the last month, guys now seeing 30 minutes a night with a green light and nothing to lose (but real-life wins). When one of those players draws a tanking, bottom-10 defense, take your swing.

Defensive quality is the only matchup context worth tracking in High Score. A resource to use is FantasyPros’ defensive vs. position tool, where you can filter by team performance for the past seven, 15 and 30 days. That way, you can gauge how bad certain teams have been over different time periods. It’s a good way to take advantage of schedule matchups where the game total could sail over market expectations.

💥 Move the reliable, chase the volatile

Before your playoffs start, trade your high-floor, low-ceiling guys to the league managers who overvalue them (the Yahoo default trade deadline is March 5). Use that capital to acquire volatile players who have already proven their blow-up potential. While the trade deadline hasn’t expired yet, I’d try 2-for-1 deals to shed some roster depth to free up one streaming spot to capitalize on any notable absences or injuries around the league. I know the benches are short, but don’t hamstring yourself with guys who aren’t even getting into your lineup.

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🤔 Where do you stand?

Suppose you have a bye; scout and trade with zero pressure. Identify the boom candidates with increased playing time. And make the moves before your opponents come up for air after their first-round matchup — stay active!

If you’re on the bubble, you can’t play conservative and survive; aggressive, ceiling-first lineups are exactly what the format rewards, so take advantage of the small slate opportunities to plug in players who have 45+ fantasy-point ceilings. Remember, upside matters more than volume here.

Standard points leagues

😌 Volume matters, but quality does too

Points leagues live and die on games played because winning is all about accumulating more points than your opponent. The general sentiment is, “play more games, score more points,” but not all games are created equal. Small slates — nights on which the NBA runs seven games or fewer — are the place where you can get more value (quality games). Just because a team plays four games in a given week doesn’t mean you’ll be able to fit everyone into your lineup for every game.

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The big slates are unavoidable, and you can’t start everyone. So, the best way to get those extra games in and use the depth of your bench to rack up more games is to review the schedule ahead of your matchups. I utilize Hashtag Basketball’s Advanced Schedule Grid. It’s an excellent resource for planning both the regular season and the playoffs. And be sure to identify those nights in your playoff window now, and fill the added depth with players who can play on smaller slates.

✌️ Deuces to the unavailable and unreliable

Begin the process of offloading players who will be load-managed or who will lose minutes over the next two months. These are roster spot liabilities; instead, target players on teams competing for seeding or tanking, which gives younger players additional run and opportunity. Tons of injury news dropped on Wednesday and it’ll only continue for the weeks to come. Be ready to act and hit waivers at a moment’s notice.

🤔 Where do you stand?

If you’re trending toward a bye, I’d take a similar approach to High Score. Plot a week ahead and assess your team to identify any players who are playing a high number of games in the final two weeks of the playoffs. Also, it’s worth stashing high-upside players who may have been dropped, or opponents in the heat of battle who aren’t able to scoop them up.

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For those on the bubble in points leagues, be honest about whether your adds help you get in or help you go deep — ideally, both. Prioritize players on strong playoff schedules who are also producing now. A hot streamer on a load-managed team can carry you in, but disappear on you in Week 21.

Focus on the highest-game-total teams and target the depth contributors getting guaranteed minutes — volume is everything in points leagues.

9-cat leagues

5️⃣ > 9️⃣ The goal is five wins — not nine

The managers who lose 9-cat championships are almost always the ones who try to compete everywhere. Know your five categories, build a firm grip on them and selectively concede the rest. A roster watered down across all nine categories will likely lose to a team that dominates five of them every time.

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How do you determine what you’re good at? Check your league page:

Go to: Standings -> Current standings -> Head-to-Head Stats -> Win-Loss

Which categories did you consistently win? Unless you make a trade in the next couple of weeks, those categories are your identity. Every waiver add should compound those strengths. However, assessing other opponents’ squads could expose weaknesses that you can counter via waivers. I’ve done it before on turnovers — grabbing bigs who don’t carry a high usage rate and don’t commit turnovers. Know what you are and build toward it.

😅 Don’t just add to add, think it through

The most common way 9-cat managers mess up their own run? Chasing volume. The quality-of-games rule still applies, like in points leagues, but you have to be more selective about your waiver adds. Add a high-volume, low-efficiency scorer and watch your FG% crater for the entire week. Think it through to maximize your strengths.

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🤔 Where do you stand?

If you’re jockeying for a bye, do the category audit you haven’t had time for. Find the one waiver add that shores up your thinnest winning category and makes you harder to beat. Also, scout your likely second-round opponent — know their weaknesses before you play a single game.

And for those bubbling, temporarily abandon your category identity. You need wins this week, which might mean swinging for categories you don’t normally contest. Get in the room first, then return to playing your game once you’re in the bracket.

In 9-cat, target teams with 11-12 games over the course of your playoff start date (Week 19, 20 or 21) with some quality games mixed in. Add players whose stat profile compounds your strongest categories — not just any warm body with volume.

That’s Part I of my fantasy playoff primer. Be on the lookout for a deeper schedule breakdown soon!

The Illinois House committee meeting that was scheduled for Thursday to discuss funding a new stadium for the Chicago Bears has been canceled. That development makes a potential Bears move to Indiana feel like a very real proposition.

An amended version of Indiana Senate Bill 27, which allows the Northwest Indiana Stadium Authority to issue bonds to finance, build and lease a stadium, was passed unanimously (24-0) by the Indiana House Ways and Means Committee on Thursday. The state of Illinois was ready to move forward following a three-hour meeting Wednesday, but it was reportedly paused by Bears leadership so it could make tweaks to the bill.

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Illinois legislators were surprised to see the team’s statement this morning in favor of Indiana.

“We are committed to finishing the remaining site-specific necessary due diligence to support our vision to build a world-class stadium near the Wolf Lake area in Hammond, Indiana. We appreciate the leadership shown by Governor Braun, Speaker Huston, Senator Mishler and members of the Indiana General Assembly in establishing this critical framework and path forward to deliver a premier venue for all of Chicagoland and a destination for Bears fans and visitors from across the globe,” the team said. “We value our partnership and look forward to continuing to build our working relationship together.”

Indiana lawmakers had previously expressed how they needed the Bears to show serious interest in moving to Northwest Indiana. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun has been outspoken in favor of his state’s pursuit of the Bears.

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“Indiana is open for business, and our pro-growth environment continues to attract major opportunities like this partnership with the Chicago Bears,” Braun said in a statement. “We’ve identified a promising site near Wolf Lake in Hammond and established a broad framework for negotiating a final deal. If approved, the proposed amendment to Senate Bill 27 puts forward the essential framework to complete this agreement, contingent upon site due diligence proceeding smoothly.”

Hammond is just the latest proposed location for the new home of the Bears, in addition to Gary and Portage in Indiana, and Des Moines, Iowa. The Bears have explored a new lakefront site near Soldier Field, as well as a mixed-use development on land they purchased in suburban Arlington Heights. Both of those options would require more than $1 billion in taxpayer support.

The Bears have floated both a lakefront site near Soldier Field and a development in the suburb of Arlington Heights, both of which would require more than a billion dollars in taxpayer support.

Indiana lawmakers feel like this is a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” for the state.

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“Hammond is uniquely positioned for this moment. We’re part of the Chicagoland region. We’re only 20 minutes from Soldier Field,” Sen. Ryan Mishler said Thursday. “We’re ready to help write Indiana’s next great chapter.”

The Winter Games are in full swing in Italy. From the rink to the slopes, a new generation of stars has emerged to chase gold. We’ll keep you connected to all of the thrilling moments and top stories as we track the medal race each day of the Games.

Thursday’s Olympic slate is action packed, featuring the Olympic debut of one sport and one of the Games’ most anticipated medal rounds.

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Ski mountaineering will make its first Olympics run early in day. On the ice, Canada and USA will play for women’s hockey gold. Jordan Stolz will compete for his third speedskating gold medal. And the women will compete in the free skate for coveted figure skating gold.

Here are the top five things to watch on Thursday at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics:

Ski mountaineering

Spain’s Oriol Cardona Coll and Marianne Fatton of Switzerland won the first-ever Olympic gold medals in ski mountaineering on Thursday.

Ski mountaineering, also known as skimo, made its debut at the Milan Cortina Olympics. The sport involves athletes skiing up part of a hill, then taking their skis off to hike up steep climbs — and then skiing down that same hill. There’s more to it, including specialized gear to give skis grip for the climb up. But that’s the gist of it.

It’s a grueling sport that push athletes to their cardiovascular limits.

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Men’s speed skating 1,500-meter final

Jordan Stolz took silver in the men’s 1500m final, finishing 0.77 behind China’s Ning Zhongyan. The 21-year-old won earlier in these Olympics with gold medal performances in the 500m and 1,000m.

He has one competition left in his debut Games, Saturday’s mass start event.

Women’s figure skating free skate (1 p.m. ET)

This is it. One of the marquee events of the Games will hand out some of the most coveted medals in Olympic competition when the women take the ice for their free skate.

USA entered Tuesday’s short program with dreams of a podium sweep behind “Blade Angels” Alysa Liu, Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn. But Liu is the only skater of the three in medal position after a third-place finish in the short program.

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Levito enters the free skate in eighth place, and Glenn is in 13th after a short rotation on a jump in the short program plummeted her to 13th place, leaving her in tears after her skate.

Instead, it’s the Japanese team that’s in position for a potential podium sweep. Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto enter the free skate in first and second place, and their teammate, Mone Chiba, isn’t far behind in fourth.

Will Liu contend for gold? Will Japan pull off the sweep? Will Levito and Glenn recover to get into medal contention? It all adds up to intrigue with Olympic hardware on the line.

Women’s ice hockey gold medal game (1:10 p.m. ET)

Gold will be awarded on hockey ice as well as USA and Canada square off in the gold medal match.

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The two teams entered the Games as co-favorites for gold, but USA will take the ice Thursday as the clear-cut favorite. USA has dominated Olympic competition, scoring five-plus goals in each of its games. And it hasn’t allowed a goal since its first game in group play.

The U.S. enters Thursday’s game with a 31-1 goal differential in six games, a record that includes a 5-0 win over Canada in group play. Gold is the expectation for USA, while Canada will look to deliver a stunning upset to its rival.

Sweden and Switzerland will play for bronze at 8:40 a.m. ET.

Olympics schedule for Thursday, Feb. 19 (Day 13)

Curling

Men’s round-robin

• 3:05 a.m.: Sweden vs. Czechia, Italy vs. Switzerland, China vs. Germany, Norway vs. Canada

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Women’s round-robin

• 8:05 a.m.: Switzerland vs. USA, Canada vs. South Korea, Japan vs. China, Great Britain vs. Italy

Men’s semifinals

• 1:05 p.m.: Teams TBD (One semifinal airs on CNBC at 5 p.m., the other airs on USA Network at 8 p.m.)

Ski Mountaineering

• 7:55 a.m. ET: Women’s Sprint finals: Finals (USA Network)

• 8:15 a.m. ET: Men’s Sprint finals (USA Network)

Figure Skating

• 1 p.m.: Women’s free skate (NBC)🏅

Halfpipe

• 4:30 a.m.: Men’s qualifying (airs on USA Network at 8:45 a.m.)

• 1:30 p.m.: Women’s qualifying (airs on USA Network at 4 p.m.)

Hockey

Women

• 8:40 a.m.: Bronze-medal game, Sweden vs. Switzerland (airs on USA Network 12 p.m.)🏅

• 1:10 p.m.: Gold-medal game, U.S. vs. Canada (USA Network) 🏅

Nordic Combined

Large hill

• 3 a.m.: Men’s team jump (airs on USA Network at 5 a.m.)🏅

• 8 a.m.: 2×7.5km cross-country ski relay (USA Network coverage begins at 8:20 a.m.)🏅

Ski Mountaineering

• 3:45 a.m.: Men’s and women’s sprint heats (USA Network)

• 6:55 a.m.: Men’s and women’s finals (USA Network)🏅

Speed Skating

1,500 meters

• 10:30 a.m.: Men’s final (USA Network)🏅

With the fresh fantasy baseball season approaching, it’s time to get you some tiered rankings from my Shuffle Up series. Use these for salary cap drafts, straight drafts, keeper decisions or merely a view of how the position ebbs and flows. Today, we complete the series with a look at relief pitchers.

Chasing saves is a key part of fantasy baseball, even as it’s frustrating at times. We always want to be mindful of both skills and roles. It’s possible for a mediocre reliever who’s trusted in the ninth to accrue more value than a wipeout reliever who doesn’t get the handshakes. It’s up to you to season to taste, considering your needs, league shape and the strategies of competitors.

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

In most leagues (especially in a standard mixed league), I think it’s unwise to spend a lot of draft capital (even late draft capital) on speculative relievers and presumed ratio-dominant monsters. There’s a high level of volatility with relief pitchers and I’d rather identify valuable non-closing relievers in-season, after we have some fresh data to work off. I guarantee you a bunch of relievers you know little to nothing about will work their way into your league, and we can usually identify them easily. Wait a few weeks and then do a free-agent search based on walks and strikeouts — consider adding the guy throwing 98 mph who has 17 Ks and just two walks. I promise you, these guys emerge every year and you can acquire them at the minimum cost.

The salaries below are unscientific in nature and meant to reflect where talent clusters and drops off. Assume a 5×5 scoring system, as usual, and away we go.

More Tiered Rankings

The Big Tickets

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The Dodgers have had a checkered closer history during the Dave Roberts era, so they decided to throw resources at the problem this year and get Díaz, one of the automatics at the position. Díaz’s velocity and strikeout rate have dropped slightly since the patellar injury that cost him the 2023 season, but he’s still popping the gun over 97 mph and striking out batters at an elite rate. Into his age-32 season, it’s too early to worry about skills declining.

The Athletics were wise to recognize that a closer is a luxury on a non-contending club, so it made sense to package Miller to the Padres last summer. And Miller’s spike in San Diego also made sense — he no longer had to negotiate the tiny Sacramento Park. Miller’s 0.77 ERA and 0.73 WHIP with the Padres is too good to be true, but there’s no reason why he can’t pitch to his career ratios of 2.81/0.96. The walks are a trifle high, but the zesty strikeout rate keeps the stress down.

Chapman is a tricky call coming off a stunning career year at age 37 (1.17 ERA, 0.70 WHIP). Generally, I think it’s misguided when modern relievers get Cy Young consideration, but Chapman’s seventh-place finish last year felt merited. I’ll take the prudent approach and bid on him based on three-year averages (2.68/1.097), which still makes him a top-of-fold option. The Red Sox should contend for another playoff spot, and the Boston rotation is the deepest it’s been in a while, which is good for Chapman.

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Proactive Picks

Megill sits in the first chair in Milwaukee, with Abner Uribe not far behind. A common theme in this Shuffle Up series is to trust the Brewers, a shrewd small-market franchise that’s won at least 86 games in eight straight seasons (if we logically exclude the truncated 2020 campaign). Milwaukee’s win-loss projection has slipped to 84.5, which feels like an overreaction to the Freddy Peralta trade. When you bet on the Brewers bullpen, you’re betting on the smartest team in baseball.

Pagán has typically battled a standard platoon disadvantage, but last year he found a way to dominate all batters — lefties had a .507 OPS against him, a ridiculous 472-point drop from 2024. All relievers work in small sample sizes and Pagán turns 35 in May, so we have to bake in some regression here. Nonetheless, he has Terry Francona’s trust from Day 1, and the Reds project to be competitive again.

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Some Plausible Upside

O’Brien and Romero will battle for the St. Louis closer gig and given their handedness (Romero is the lefty), it’s possible both make it to 10 saves. Just be mindful that the Cardinals are coming off a losing season and their current win projection is a scary 69.5 wins. Non-contending clubs can support a closer for fantasy purposes, but it needs to be an automatic button. This has committee written all over it.

Beeter probably gets the first shot in Washington and has electric stuff, though he still doesn’t know where it’s going much of the time (31.7% strikeout rate, 17.3% walk rate). There’s a reason we suggest you don’t watch your non-elite closers.

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Bargain Bin

Vest is probably the value pick in the Detroit bullpen, the youngest of the three right-handers and coming off a solid 23-save season (3.01/1.209). Granted, the team recruited over his head at the trade deadline, but that doesn’t mean Vest isn’t a part of the 2026 plans. Kenley Jansen was paid to handle the ninth and he’ll mostly do that, but the team will probably keep him from heavy usage — and Jansen hasn’t even made it to 60 innings the last three years.

Vodnik was surprisingly useful as the Colorado closer in the second half, but it’s extremely rare that any Rockies reliever gives us positive value two years in a row. You can’t bet against gravity.

Two more Georgia football players have been arrested for driving-related offenses.

Linebackers Chris Cole and Darren Ikinnagbon were booked Wednesday night within a half hour of each other on misdemeanor charges — Cole for speeding and reckless driving, according to On3, and Ikinnagbon for speeding, reckless driving and following too closely.

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The school said in a statement that it was aware of the charges and was “actively gathering additional information.”

Their arrests continue a trend that is not seeming to slow down in recent years for Georgia players. Over a dozen players have been arrested for driving offenses in the past three years since the death of offensive lineman Devin Willock.

[Get more Bulldogs news: Georgia team feed]

Willock and team staffer Chandler LeCroy were killed in a car crash on Jan. 15, 2023, following the Bulldogs’ national title parade. Police said that LeCroy was driving an SUV that was racing another SUV driven by current Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter.

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Carter pleaded no contest to charges of reckless driving for his role in the incident.

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has said his program has implemented efforts to curb the driving issues that have plagued it. In November, Nyier Daniels was dismissed from the team after he was charged with felonies for a police chase. Daniels and his mother were both arrested after he passed an officer who had pulled over his mother while going more than 100 mph in a 25 mph zone. Daniels then allegedly reached 150 mph with his younger siblings in the car while he was evading police.

Cole was fourth on the team with 59 tackles in 2025 while Ikinnagbon had two tackles.