Tag: Fox Sport News

The 2025 Emirates NBA Cup is wrapping up this week. The annual in-season tournament’s East Quarterfinals will be held on Tuesday, Dec. 9, beginning with the Miami Heat visiting the Orlando Magic tipping off at 6 p.m. ET. That game marks the first of the night; the New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors game will immediately follow at 8:30 p.m. ET. Then, on Wednesday, Dec. 10, the West Quarterfinals will take place with the San Antonio Spurs visiting the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Semifinals and the Championship Final will be held on Dec. 13 and 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

You can catch the Orlando Magic vs. Miami Heat NBA Cup quarterfinal on Prime Video, the platform holds exclusive rights to every playoff game and the Championship Final in December. Find out how to watch this game and all the rest now.

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How to watch the Miami Heat vs. Orlando Magic:

Date: Dec. 9, 2025

Time: 6 p.m. ET

Streaming: Prime Video

What channel do I need to watch NBA Cup games live?

While many games in the group stage were televised on broadcast TV, this week’s quarterfinal between the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic will stream exclusively on Prime Video.

How to stream 2025 NBA Cup games:

You can catch every playoff game as well as the Championship final on Prime Video.

There’s just a week left in the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, and by Dec. 16, the players of one NBA team will snag the NBA Cup trophy and find themselves a half a million dollars richer. The annual in-season tournament’s East Quarterfinals, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, feature the New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors, their game tips off at 8 p.m. ET on Prime Video. The platform holds exclusive rights to this game and every other NBA Cup playoff game all the way through to the Championship final on Dec. 16.

Also on Tuesday, you can catch the other East Quarterfinal, between the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, tipping off at 6 p.m. ET. Then, on Wednesday, Dec. 10, the West Quarterfinals will take place with the San Antonio Spurs visiting the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns at the Oklahoma City Thunder. Semifinals and the Championship Final will be held on Dec. 13 and 16 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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Find out how to watch the Knicks vs. Raptors NBA Cup quarterfinal and the rest of the tournament now.

How to watch the New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors:

Date: Dec. 9, 2025

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Streaming: Prime Video

What channel do I need to watch the New York Knicks vs. Toronto Raptors?

While many games in the group stage were televised on broadcast TV, this week’s quarterfinal between the New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors will stream exclusively on Prime Video on Dec. 9 at 8:30 p.m. ET.

How to stream the Knicks vs. Raptors:

You can catch the Knicks vs. Raptors and every other NBA Cup playoff game on Prime Video.

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🚨 Headlines

🏈 Chargers 22, Eagles 19 (OT): The Chargers (9-4) intercepted Jalen Hurts four times, including on the final play of the night, to win for the fifth time in six games and hand the Eagles (8-5) their third straight loss.

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⚽️ Seminoles crowned champs: Florida State beat Stanford, 1-0, to win its fifth women’s soccer national title (2014, 2018, 2021, 2023, 2025). Wrianna Hudson scored the game-winner in the 87th minute.

🏈 Heisman finalists: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State QB Julian Sayin were named finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Mendoza is the heavy betting favorite to win the award.

⚾️ MLB Draft Lottery: The White Sox (27.7%), Twins (22.2%), Pirates (16.8%), Orioles (9.2%) and Athletics (6.6%) have the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick in tonight’s MLB Draft Lottery, which airs at 5:30pm ET on MLB Network.

🏈 Rivers eyes return: The Colts are hosting Philip Rivers for a workout today after Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury. Rivers, 44, hasn’t played since the 2020 season, when he led Indianapolis to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth.

🏀 The magical Week 6 AP poll

It’s only December, but history tells us we already know who will be cutting down the nets in April: one of the top 12 teams above.

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The streak: The past 21 men’s basketball national champions (and 35 of the past 36) were all ranked in the top 12 of the Week 6 AP poll during their title-winning seasons.

• 2024-25: Florida (Week 6 rank: 9)

By the numbers: During the streak, the average Week 6 ranking of the eventual national champion has been 4.9. No other week has been a better barometer; not even the final AP poll before the NCAA tournament, where the soon-to-be champs had an average ranking of 5.5.

From Yahoo Sports’ Jeff Eisenberg:

It’s easy to explain why the Week 6 poll is more predictive than the Week 1-5 iterations. By early December, most high-majors have played at least a few games against fellow power-conference programs. There is more data available to help separate contenders and pretenders than there previously was in November.

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The more vexing question is why the Week 6 poll has proven more reliable than AP voters’ late-season evaluations. In theory, three more months of games should provide a richer understanding of which teams are truly elite. In reality, many of the teams that prove themselves national-championship caliber in November and December never drop out of the AP top 10 the rest of the season.

The most recent outliers: The last national champion that didn’t crack the top 12 in Week 6 was Carmelo Anthony’s 2002-03 Syracuse squad, which wasn’t even ranked until mid-January. Before that, you have to go all the way back to Danny Manning’s 1987-88 Kansas team (aka. “Danny and the Miracles”), which entered the tournament with 11 losses and unexpectedly won the title as a No. 6 seed.

Looking ahead: Who’s the most likely team to defy 20-plus years of history? BetMGM lists No. 18 Florida and No. 19 Kansas among its dozen national title favorites, and No. 13 Illinois, No. 14 UNC, No. 17 Arkansas and No. 22 St. John’s aren’t far behind.

🏈 Every bowl game, ranked

Bowl season ain’t what it used to be, to put it kindly. The increased emphasis on the CFP has made these games feel like glorified exhibitions, and numerous teams (including Notre Dame, Iowa State and Auburn) have opted out. But that didn’t stop us from ranking them all anyway.

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Every bowl game, ranked: Below are the 35 bowls being played from Dec. 13 to Jan. 2 (not including first-round playoff games), ranked from best to worst.

1. Citrus Bowl: No. 13 Texas vs. No. 18 Michigan (Dec. 31)

2. ReliaQuest Bowl: No. 14 Vanderbilt vs. No. 23 Iowa (Dec. 31)

3. Pop-Tarts Bowl: No. 12 BYU vs. No. 22 Georgia Tech (Dec. 27)

4. Gator Bowl: No. 19 Virginia vs. Missouri (Dec. 27)

5. Music City Bowl: Illinois vs. Tennessee (Dec. 30)

6. Alamo Bowl: No. 16 USC vs. TCU (Dec. 30)

7. Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs. Duke (Dec. 31)

8. LA Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington (Dec. 13)

9. Holiday Bowl: No. 17 Arizona vs. SMU (Jan. 2)

10. New Mexico Bowl: No. 25 North Texas vs. San Diego State (Dec. 27)

11-20: Liberty Bowl (Navy vs. Cincinnati); Texas Bowl (No. 21 Houston vs. LSU); Rate Bowl (New Mexico vs. Minnesota); Cure Bowl (ODU vs. South Florida); Frisco Bowl (UNLV vs. Ohio); Myrtle Beach Bowl (Kennesaw State vs. Western Michigan); Hawaii Bowl (Cal vs. Hawaii); IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl (Troy vs. Jacksonville State); Fenway Bowl (Army vs. UConn); Pinstripe Bowl (Penn State vs. Clemson)

21-30: Military Bowl (Pitt vs. ECU); Boca Raton Bowl (Louisville vs. Toledo); Gasparilla Bowl (NC State vs. Memphis); Las Vegas Bowl (No. 15 Utah vs. Nebraska); Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl (Miami-Ohio vs. Fresno State); Potato Bowl (Washington State vs. Utah State); GameAbove Sports Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Northwestern); New Orleans Bowl (Southern Miss vs. WKU); Duke’s Mayo Bowl (Wake Forest vs. Mississippi State); Xbox Bowl (Missouri State vs. Arkansas State)

31-35: 68 Ventures Bowl (Louisiana vs. Delaware); First Responder Bowl (FIU vs. UTSA); Independence Bowl (Coastal Carolina vs. Louisiana Tech); Birmingham Bowl (App State vs. Georgia Southern); Armed Forces Bowl (Rice vs. Texas State)

⚽️ Water breaks are coming to the World Cup

To combat the heat of a North American summer, the 2026 World Cup will feature something new: water breaks.

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Stay hydrated: Every game will include three-minute “hydration breaks” at the 22-minute mark of each half, effectively breaking games into quarters. The clock will still run during these breaks, with three additional minutes added to each half’s stoppage time.

• Last summer’s Club World Cup, also held in the U.S., featured similar breaks during matches played on exceptionally hot days. But at next summer’s World Cup, the breaks will be included in every game, regardless of temperature, “to ensure equal conditions for all teams.”

• The schedule itself was also crafted with heat-related player safety in mind, with afternoon games earmarked for indoor stadiums or cities with temperate climates, while hotter locales will host most of their games in the evening.

Between the lines: Player safety is the primary objective, but that’s not the only impact these breaks will have. For starters, broadcasters can sell six extra minutes of commercials per game. But they also provide coaches with two additional opportunities to speak with players, giving the best in-game tacticians a tangible advantage.

Looking ahead: The World Cup kicks off in Mexico in 184 days (June 11), when the first of three opening ceremonies will be held at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. The following day, two more will be staged ahead of the openers in Canada (BMO Field, Toronto) and the U.S. (SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles).

🥊 Meet boxing’s “professional loser”

In 101 pro fights across seven years, England’s Jake Pollard has lost 100 of them. Yet he not only survives, but thrives in a sport that quietly depends on men just like him. How?

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From Uncrowned’s Lewis Watson:

“People can call me what they like. B-side fighter, professional loser, scumbag, piece of s*** — I’ve had it all. And honestly? I couldn’t care less.”

Jake Pollard says the words with conviction. The 33-year-old leans back and takes a slow sip of his lager. He smiles, revealing a gap where a tooth once sat on the right side of his mouth, and never once breaks eye contact.

It’s a grey Thursday afternoon in West Yorkshire, and we’ve met in an uncomplicated pub in the heart of Bradford’s city center. Jake (1-100, 0 KOs) speaks to Uncrowned just a fortnight after his 101st professional fight and 100th professional defeat.

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On October’s Joseph Parker vs. Fabio Wardley undercard at London’s O2 Arena, he was stopped for only the sixth time in his career — this time by rising prospect Hassan Ishaq (2-0, 2 KOs). The defeat itself didn’t surprise him; the attention that followed did.

Broadcast live on DAZN, Jake’s performance — and the story behind it — struck a chord far beyond the usual diehards of the sport.

“I guess it’s a weird concept for people to understand if they’re not in the game,” he concedes. “I try to explain my role as best I can. I’m there to turn up, test these prospects and see if they are any good or not. I’m that first rung on their ladder — but if they aren’t up to it, they will be quick to find out once I hit them!”

“The away corner dressing room is like a community,” he says. “You know you’re all there expecting to lose, but you look out for each other and share stories.”

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“Everyone in the hall or arena wants you to lose — they want to see you laid out on your back covered in blood. They’re sickos, really. So you feel a bit like a caged dog going into a dog fight. It’s only you and your coach that want the opposite.”

Read the full story.

📺 Watchlist: Tuesday, Dec. 9

🏀 NBA Cup Quarterfinals

The knockout round of the in-season tournament tips off with two Eastern Conference matchups. First up, the Magic host the Heat in a Sunshine State battle (6pm ET, Prime); then the Raptors, who’ve lost three straight, host the Knicks, who’ve won three straight (8:30pm).

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🏀 Jimmy V Classic

ESPN’s annual men’s basketball doubleheader honoring legendary coach Jim Valvano is tonight at Madison Square Garden. No. 10 BYU and Clemson square off in the first leg (6:30pm), followed by No. 5 UConn vs. No. 18 Florida (9pm) in a meeting of the last two national champions.

More to watch:

• 🏒 NHL: Golden Knights at Islanders (7pm, TNT); Avalanche at Predators (9:30pm, TNT) … Colorado (48 pts) is the best team in the league. Nashville (24 pts) is the worst.

• ⚽️ Champions League: Inter Milan vs. Liverpool (3pm, Paramount+) … One of nine games to kick off Matchday 6.

• ⚽️ Women’s Champions League: Real Madrid vs. Wolfsburg (3pm, Paramount+) … One of four games to kick off Matchday 5.

Today’s full slate.

🏈 CFP trivia

Question: Do you know the nicknames of all 12 teams in this year’s College Football Playoff?

The teams: Indiana, Ohio State, Georgia, Texas Tech, Oregon, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Alabama, Miami, Tulane, James Madison

Answer at the bottom.

📸 Photo finish

🇿🇦 Cape Town, South Africa — Ahead of this week’s Freestyle Chess Grand Slam Tour Finals, grandmasters competed in an underwater competition, where American Hans Niemann emerged victorious.

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Underwater chess: The competition was held in the Silo Hotel’s rooftop pool, where a chess set was placed at a depth of 3.5 feet. Each time a player surfaced after making a move, their opponent had to immediately dive down to make their own move.

Trivia answer: Indiana Hoosiers, Ohio State Buckeyes, Georgia Bulldogs, Texas Tech Red Raiders, Oregon Ducks, Ole Miss Rebels, Texas A&M Aggies, Oklahoma Sooners, Alabama Crimson Tide, Miami Hurricanes, Tulane Green Wave, James Madison Dukes

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Things haven’t gone particularly well for the Dallas Mavericks this season. While Cooper Flagg has emerged after a relatively slow start, the Mavericks are 9-16 to open the season, and could be a popular seller at the NBA trade deadline.

If the team does sell off parts, 10-time All-Star Anthony Davis would be at the top of their list. Though Davis has already been limited by injuries, he’s proven to still be effective while on the court, averaging 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 10 games this season.

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Should the Mavericks decide to put Davis on the block, the Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks and Toronto Raptors are among the teams that reportedly have interest in acquiring Dallas’ star, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.

At 19-5, the Pistons are already the best team in the Eastern Conference. Adding a player like Davis to an already strong roster would go a long way toward making Detroit a true championship contender. The same can be said of the 15-10 Toronto Raptors, who aren’t far behind the Pistons in the East.

The Hawks currently sit on the fringes of the playoffs, though adding a player like Davis would likely elevate the team into a more serious contender.

It’s not a guarantee the Mavericks part ways with Davis, per Charania. Davis’ agent Rich Paul has met with Mavericks co-general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi on the team’s future plans. They reportedly told Paul they want to see how the team performs over the next few weeks before making a decision on Davis. It’s possible the Mavericks could offer Davis an extension, per Charania.

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Davis’ current contract covers the rest of this season and next year. At that point, Davis has a $62.7 million player option for the 2027-28 NBA season. He can either pick that up or decline it, hitting the free-agent market looking for a long-term deal. In that scenario, Davis would be 34 when he became a free agent.

He could also sign another massive extension before that happens. In August, Davis will be eligible for a four-year, $275 million max extension, per Charania. That deal would take Davis through his age-37 season, when he would make $76 million. It’s a massive commitment to an aging player, though it might be a necessary move for the team that acquires Davis in a trade. Otherwise, that team risks losing Davis after just a season and a half.

If the Mavericks opt to sell off parts, Davis is far from the only player who will be on the way out. The team is also exploring the trade market for Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson and D’Angelo Russell, per Charania.

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Of that group, Davis would likely make the biggest impact on his new team. When healthy, he can still perform like a superstar, and is capable of lifting a franchise to another level. The Pistons, Hawks and Raptors would greatly benefit from acquiring the big man, though they won’t be the only teams that feel that way. If Davis is put on the trade block, plenty of contenders should — at the very least — check in on the Mavericks’ asking price.

Every Monday during the season, Justin Boone breaks down the recommended waiver-wire pickups.

Roster percentages are generated from Yahoo leagues. Free-Agent Budget (FAB) amounts are based on a $100 salary cap. Only players rostered in less than 50% of leagues are considered.

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Key injuries to consider

• Daniel Jones (Achilles, season-ending)

• Cedric Tillman (concussion)

• Zach Ertz (ACL, season-ending)

• Darnell Washington (concussion)

Pickups by position

Week 15 top-10 overall pickups

1. Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders
2. Bam Knight, Cardinals
3. Blake Corum, Rams
4. Luther Burden III, Bears
5. Harold Fannin Jr. Browns
6. Jayden Reed, Packers
7. Colston Loveland, Bears
8. Isaiah Likely, Ravens
9. Devin Singletary, Giants
10. Jalen Coker, Panthers

Quarterbacks

J.J. McCarthy, Vikings

The quarterback options on the waiver wire have been very thin the last few weeks and that continues heading into the fantasy playoffs. So, hopefully you’re already set at the position.

It’s been an incredibly disappointing season for McCarthy, but he’s coming off his first 20-point fantasy outing since Week 1 — with a three-touchdown performance against the Commanders. That was enough to make him a top-12 fantasy QB on the week.

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We also have to keep reminding ourselves that this was just McCarthy’s seventh NFL start, so it’s not impossible that he could continue to improve.

He’ll have a chance to build some momentum in Week 15 against a Cowboys’ defense that’s allowing the most fantasy points to quarterbacks.

While he’s far from a must-start fantasy play, McCarthy might be the best the waiver wire has to offer for managers who are scrambling after Daniel Jones’ season-ending injury.

Trevor Lawrence is 59% rostered but would be the No. 1 QB add if available.

Sam Darnold is 54% rostered but would be the No. 2 QB add if available.

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Risky streaming options

• Bryce Young at NO (17% rostered)

• C.J. Stroud vs. ARI (42% rostered)

• Tyler Shough vs. CAR (8% rostered)

Risky streaming options (if starter is out)

• Marcus Mariota at NYG (8% rostered)

Desperation streaming options

• Shedeur Sanders at CHI (8% rostered)

• Aaron Rodgers vs. MIA (24% rostered)

• Kirk Cousins at TB (8% rostered)

• Cam Ward at SF (8% rostered)

• Tua Tagovailoa at PIT (18% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if healthy)

• Tyrod Taylor at JAX (15% rostered)

• Riley Leonard at SEA (0% rostered)

• Geno Smith at PHI (14% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if healthy and starter is out)

• Justin Fields at JAX (27% rostered)

Desperation streaming options (if starter is out)

• Kenny Pickett at PHI (0% rostered)

Running Backs

Chris Rodriguez Jr., Commanders

Rodriguez is coming off a quieter game in a tougher matchup with the Vikings, resulting in just 10 carries for 52 scoreless yards. More importantly, he continues to serve as the Commanders’ lead back.

That should serve him well in Week 15 when he takes on a Giants’ defense that’s allowing the second-most fantasy points to running backs. New York has given up at least 80 scrimmage yards and/or a touchdown to 10 different RBs over the last six games.

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Since stepping into a bigger role, Rodriguez had four straight usable fantasy outings prior to this week. He posted 65 yards and a score versus the Seahawks, a touchdown against the Lions, 85 yards on 16 touches in a loss to the Dolphins and 41 yards and a TD while facing the Broncos.

Rodriguez won’t win your fantasy league, but he can be an RB3/flex option with spiked-week potential in better matchups — like this Week 15 date with the Giants.

Bam Knight, Cardinals

Since returning for one limited practice, Trey Benson has logged five straight DNPs and it’s looking like he might not return at all this season.

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In his absence, Knight has been the most valuable fantasy back in Arizona and needs to be rostered in all leagues. Prior to Week 14, he had scored a touchdown in three consecutive appearances, finishing as a top-20 fantasy RB each time.

Whether you want to start him this week against a fierce Texans’ defense is up to you, but he has matchups with the Falcons in Week 16 (10th-most fantasy points allowed to RBs) and the Bengals in Week 17 (most fantasy points allowed).

Knight has now caught at least three passes in every contest over the last month and remains the goal-line option. He’ll continue to be a fantasy RB3 with RB2 upside if Benson remains out.

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Blake Corum, Rams

Kyren Williams might be playing slightly fewer snaps these days, but it’s kept the veteran fresh and he continues to produce like a fantasy RB1.

Meanwhile, his backup Corum has taken advantage of increased opportunities over the last six weeks. He now has at least 55 scrimmage yards in four of his last six outings, including 81 yards and a touchdown in Week 13 and 131 yards and two TDs on Sunday.

Corum isn’t coming for Williams’ job, but he has turned into a true fantasy RB3 with immense upside in favorable game scripts.

Expectations might need to be dialed back a bit versus the Lions and Seahawks over the next two weeks, but Corum still needs to be rostered everywhere and can sneak into fantasy lineups as a flex option in those games.

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Devin Singletary, Giants

The Giants are coming off a bye, which arrived at the right time for Tyrone Tracy Jr., who exited the Week 13 game with a hip injury.

Tracy downplayed the issue, but we’ll still need to see him back on the practice field before we know for sure that he’s 100% healthy heading into Week 15.

Even in a complementary role, Singletary has posted at least 45 scrimmage yards in five straight contests. When his snaps increased in Week 13, he went off for 102 yards and a score.

New York also has a favorable upcoming schedule with the Commanders, Vikings and Raiders during the fantasy playoffs. Washington is particularly enticing this week, with the Commanders’ defense allowing the third-most fantasy points to running backs.

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At worst, Singletary is an RB3/flex option even with Tracy in the lineup.

RB3/flex options (if starter is out)

• Jaylen Wright at PIT (3% rostered)

• Ollie Gordon II at PIT (8% rostered)

Flex options

• Tyler Allgeier at TB (41% rostered)

• Bhayshul Tuten vs. NYJ (40% rostered)

• Samaje Perine vs. BAL (5% rostered)

Flex options (if healthy)

• Keaton Mitchell at CIN (3% rostered)

Risky flex options

• Brian Robinson Jr. vs. TEN (21% rostered)

• Tyjae Spears at SF (28% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options

• Sean Tucker vs. ATL (25% rostered)

• Emanuel Wilson at DEN (31% rostered)

• Dylan Sampson at CHI (11% rostered)

• Jeremy McNichols at NYG (2% rostered)

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt at NYG (46% rostered)

• Michael Carter at HOU (6% rostered)

• Malik Davis vs. MIN (0% rostered)

• Rasheen Ali at CIN (0% rostered)

• Ty Johnson at NE (2% rostered)

• Jaleel McLaughlin vs. GB (2% rostered)

• Isaiah Davis at JAX (3% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options (if healthy)

• Nick Chubb vs. ARI (39% rostered)

Upside stashes to roster

• Tank Bigsby (18% rostered)

• Ameer Abdullah (0% rostered)

• Raheem Mostert (1% rostered)

• Dare Ogunbowale (0% rostered)

Injured-reserve stashes

• Braelon Allen (16% rostered)

• MarShawn Lloyd (1% rostered)

Wide Receivers

Luther Burden III, Bears

With Rome Odunze missing Week 14 with a stress fracture in his foot, Burden led the Bears in targets (6), catches (4) and yards (67). He also added another three yards on the ground.

Odunze’s injury seems more like a week-to-week scenario, meaning Burden should continue this role as the team’s most dangerous weapon through the air.

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You can treat the promising rookie as a WR3/flex option while Odunze is sidelined and a WR4/flex once he returns to the field.

Jayden Reed, Packers

Reed looked good in his first action since Week 2, helping the Packers get a win over the Bears.

The 25-year-old played 47% of the Packers’ snaps, generating 31 yards on four catches and 22 yards on two carries.

While a date with the Broncos’ formidable secondary looms in Week 15, Reed should still be rostered to see if his usage rises in the coming weeks.

As I mentioned last week, if we go back to his rookie year, Reed finished as the WR23, scoring 10 total touchdowns and adding 119 yards on the ground despite only seeing the field for 56% of the Packers’ snaps.

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In 2024, he averaged WR14 fantasy stats through the first nine games while seeing an increase in playing time up to 66% of the snaps. But after the Packers’ Week 10 bye, his numbers fell off dramatically — topping 50 yards just once in the second half of the season and being the WR62 during that final eight-game sample.

He’s likely to continue being a frustrating fantasy asset, but there aren’t many players on the waiver wire with his kind of upside as a WR4/flex with top-20 potential if everything goes his way.

Jalen Coker, Panthers

Coker was on bye in Week 14 and fantasy managers clearly didn’t take my advice and stash him cause he’s available in 96% of leagues.

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Prior to the bye, he had over 50 yards in two of his last three games, including a season-high 4-74-1 stat line in Week 13.

I’ve brought this up before, but if we remove his first game of the 2024 season where he only played 10% of the snaps, he was on pace for over 800 yards as a rookie last year.

It’s very possible we see him emerge as the second-best pass-catcher in Carolina down the stretch, especially with matchups against the Saints and Buccaneers, which aren’t intimidating at all.

Coker could be a sneaky WR4/flex option with the potential for more if Bryce Young can build off his recent quality performances.

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Ryan Flournoy, Cowboys

With CeeDee Lamb leaving last week’s game due to a concussion, Flournoy filled in admirably with nine receptions, 115 yards and a touchdown. It was his second 100-yard effort of the season.

Since that game was on Thursday, Lamb will have some extra time to clear concussion protocol. If he does, then Flournoy goes back to being a dart-throw flex option.

However, if Lamb isn’t available, Flournoy would be in consideration as an upside WR4/flex option for fantasy managers.

WR4/flex options

• Jayden Higgins vs. ARI (42% rostered)

• Darius Slayton vs. WAS (35% rostered)

• Adonai Mitchell at JAX (26% rostered)

Flex options

• Chimere Dike at SF (15% rostered)

Risky flex options

• Pat Bryant vs. GB (3% rostered)

• Tre Tucker at PHI (48% rostered)

• Jack Bech at PHI (1% rostered)

• Devaughn Vele vs. CAR (19% rostered)

• John Metchie III at JAX (9% rostered)

• Elic Ayomanor at SF (14% rostered)

Dart-throw flex options

• Cooper Kupp vs. IND (41% rostered)

• Josh Downs at SEA (45% rostered)

• Isaac TeSlaa at LAR (12% rostered)

• Andrei Iosivas vs. BAL (10% rostered)

• Xavier Legette at NO (7% rostered)

• Tim Patrick vs. NYJ (0% rostered)

• KaVontae Turpin vs. MIN (5% rostered)

Tight Ends

Harold Fannin Jr., Browns

Fannin has been a regular in this column and for good reason. The rookie is the TE11 in fantasy points per game on the year.

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However, over the last three weeks with David Njoku playing through injuries and Shedeur Sanders under center, Fannin’s playing time has increased, moving him up to TE4 in FPPG during that span.

Njoku hurt his knee on Sunday, which could force him to miss time. That would only elevate Fannin’s projection even more, which is saying something considering he’s coming off an eight-catch, 114-yard, one-touchdown performance.

Fannin can realistically be treated as a top-10 fantasy TE the rest of the way.

Colston Loveland, Bears

Though Loveland isn’t seeing the same kind of volume that his fellow rookie Fannin is commanding, the Bears’ tight end is finding ways to remain productive for fantasy with two touchdowns in his last three outings.

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Since Week 9, Loveland is the TE6 in fantasy points per game and looks like a potential superstar at the position if his targets ever catch up to his talent.

Fantasy managers can continue to use him as a fringe low-end TE1/high-end TE2.

Isaiah Likely, Ravens

As I predicted in my deep stashes column last week, Likely ended up being a sneaky fantasy streamer against a Steelers’ defense that he’s had success against over the last two seasons.

His stat line could have been even bigger if his second touchdown — which he appeared to catch — wasn’t overturned.

In Week 15, Likely gets to square off with another familiar foe in the Bengals’ defense that’s hemorrhaging fantasy points to tight ends at a historic rate this season. On the season, Cincy is allowing over five more points per game to the position than any other team.

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It was only two weeks ago when Likely had five receptions for 95 yards against them and we should expect another strong effort here. So, fire up Likely as an upside TE2/streamer.

Streaming options

• Darren Waller at PIT (38% rostered)

• Theo Johnson vs. WAS (42% rostered)

• Dalton Schultz vs. ARI (47% rostered)

Risky streaming options

• Mike Gesicki vs. BAL (2% rostered)

• AJ Barner vs. IND (12% rostered)

• Mason Taylor at JAX (24% rostered)

Dart-throw streaming options

• Evan Engram vs. GB (38% rostered)

• Colby Parkinson vs. DET (3% rostered)

• Pat Freiermuth vs. MIA (11% rostered)

• Jonnu Smith vs. MIA (14% rostered)

• Gunnar Helm at SF (0% rostered)

• Chig Okonkwo at SF (16% rostered)

• Ben Sinnott at NYG (0% rostered)

• John Bates at NYG (0% rostered)

Defenses

Week 16 stashes

• Bills vs. CLE (52% rostered)

• Chiefs at TEN (51% rostered)

• 49ers at IND (24% rostered)

• Saints vs. NYJ (8% rostered)

• Bengals at MIA (3% rostered)

• Cowboys vs. LAC (11% rostered)

Kickers

Cam Little is 59% rostered but would be the No. 1 K add if available.

Evan McPherson is 51% rostered but would be the No. 2 K add if available.

*If Pineiro isn’t healthy, then Matt Gay (6% rostered) would take his place.

This season, an AFC North coach with a championship past and Hall of Fame credentials is in the middle of a disappointing season, with the growing thought that a successful tenure might have simply run its course and a change might be best for everyone.

We just thought it was Mike Tomlin. It might be John Harbaugh.

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Sunday’s win by the Pittsburgh Steelers over the Baltimore Ravens flipped a narrative. The Pittsburgh crowd had been chanting “Fire Tomlin” a week earlier, and there was weeklong speculation that maybe a long tenure by Tomlin could come to an end. But then the Steelers beat the Ravens 27-22 to take over first place in the AFC North, and the speculation over Tomlin’s future can rest for at least a week.

The loss also highlighted that the Ravens might be the most disappointing team in the NFL this season.

[Get more Ravens news: Baltimore team feed]

Baltimore is 6-7 and it’s not all due to Lamar Jackson’s injury from earlier in the season. The Ravens are 5-5 with Jackson starting. Even if Jackson is obviously still less than 100%, the Ravens aren’t doing anything well lately. The defense has remained poor. The offense is simply average. The AFC North has been bad all season, and the Ravens, who were on the short list of Super Bowl favorites when the season started, have squandered a chance to at least win the NFL’s worst division. At some point that has to reflect on Harbaugh.

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Like Tomlin, Harbaugh’s recent playoff failures are becoming a part of his story. The last time the Ravens won multiple playoff games in a season was 2012. Since 2014, Harbaugh’s playoff record is 3-6. He hasn’t made a Super Bowl in that span despite having a two-time NFL MVP at quarterback. Harbaugh has had an unquestionably great run, but is it getting stale in his 18th season? That has been asked of Tomlin often, and it’s only fair to ask it of Harbaugh too.

If the Ravens miss the playoffs despite an easy path to a division title, will the franchise be ready to make a drastic move after being mostly successful with Harbaugh over nearly two decades? He has a 178-111 career record and a Super Bowl win. It will be hard to replace him. But all good things come to an end.

Panic meter: If the Ravens miss the playoffs, there will be very interesting discussions in Baltimore

Arizona Cardinals: Jonathan Gannon

The Cardinals lost their 10th game in 11 tries on Sunday, being blown out at home 45-17 by the Los Angeles Rams. That left Gannon with a 15-32 record over his three seasons coaching the Cardinals. Any glimmers of optimism built over Gannon’s first two seasons are gone now.

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The arguments for Gannon are that the quarterback situation with Kyler Murray has been messy, the Cardinals have lost a ton of close games this season, and the organization generally has given most other coaches more than three years (going back to 1996, five of seven coaches before Gannon got more than three years, and Dennis Green got exactly three). But the results on the field this season haven’t justified another season.

Panic meter: Gannon shouldn’t feel too comfortable unless Arizona gets on a late hot streak

Miami Dolphins: Mike McDaniel

A rare story of a coach getting himself off the hot seat when it seemed inevitable he would be fired. When the Dolphins were 1-6, all hope seemed lost for McDaniel returning next season. General manager Chris Grier was fired during the season and it seemed like McDaniel would be next. Now the Dolphins are 6-7. A lot of the wins came against bad teams, but it still seems like progress, at least compared to the first half of the season. The Dolphins could still face-plant over the last month, but it seems like McDaniel has earned another season.

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Panic meter: McDaniel isn’t out of the woods, but the seat is a lot cooler

Las Vegas Raiders: Pete Carroll

The Carroll era started with a huge win at the Patriots in Week 1. Nothing has gone right since. Las Vegas is 1-11 since then, and the only win came at home against the terrible Titans. Carroll, who is 74 years old, came in to increase the competitive level of the Raiders right away. It has gotten worse. Mark Davis might not want yet another fired coach on his payroll, but there has been nothing this season that indicates this will end up as a successful run for Carroll with the Raiders.

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Panic meter: It’s hard to justify another season of this

Pittsburgh Steelers: Mike Tomlin

Tomlin seems unlikely to be fired, only because if a change were to be made, the Steelers would probably handle it by mutually deciding to part ways instead of unceremoniously dumping a coach who has meant so much to the organization. The Steelers haven’t fired a head coach since 1968. It might not matter anyway. If the Steelers win the AFC North, would that be the time to end a 19-year head-coaching run? Probably not, though some Pittsburgh fans have grown tired of Tomlin and want a change. It would just be rare for a change after a division title, and the Steelers are now significant favorites to win the AFC North.

Panic meter: A lot lower after Sunday’s win

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Atlanta Falcons: Raheem Morris

When the Falcons traded next season’s first-round pick so they could select Michael Pearce Jr. 26th overall, the message was clear. The Falcons expected to win now. If the season ended today, that pick going to the Rams would be ninth overall. This has been an utter letdown for the Falcons, who are 4-9 and often find odd ways to lose winnable games. That isn’t good for Morris. Neither was a 37-9 home loss to the Seahawks on Sunday.

Morris was 8-9 in his first full season as Atlanta’s head coach, and his second season is going far worse. Usually coaches without a winning season are under some heat if they start to backslide. And this season has not provided any proof that Morris is the right fit for the job.

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Panic meter: Atlanta is getting restless as the Falcons fade

Cleveland Browns: Kevin Stefanski

NFL Coach of the Year is a strange award at times, but Stefanski does have two of those awards. Is he really the Browns’ problem, and will things get better if he’s fired after another losing season? Probably not.

But most owners don’t look at it through that prism. They react to losing seasons, and Stefanski has had two double-digit-loss seasons in a row. That’s not all his fault. No coach was going to turn the Browns’ version of Deshaun Watson into something usable, and this season’s trio of old Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders wasn’t taking Cleveland to the playoffs either. Stefanski is in his sixth season and is 43-54. Will owner Jimmy Haslam exercise some patience, or make a move just because?

Panic meter: It’s always tough to predict what Haslam will do, but two double-digit-loss seasons in a row is never good

Welcome to the knockout rounds of the 2025 Emirates NBA Cup, where eight teams — four from each conference — will compete in quarterfinal matchups on Tuesday (East) and Wednesday (West). The winners will advance to the semifinals in Las Vegas, where they’ll have the chance to compete for the right to etch their names into NBA Cup history, for the chance to hoist all 35 pounds of it, and for whatever bragging rights come along with being the third victors of this still-buffering competition.

And if that’s not doing anything for you, well, the stacks of cash awaiting the winners seem to be motivating the participants. Quoth philosopher/Miami Heat swingman Pelle Larsson: “I think $500,000 is $500,000 for anyone.”

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Before our quarterfinal quartet tips off, let’s reset the table in the East as we return to our irregularly scheduled tournament, already in progress:

Where we left off in the East

We detailed that frantic final evening of group-stage play, with three of the four quarterfinal spots still up for grabs.

There was drama in Detroit, where the conference-leading Pistons and hard-charging Magic were separated by just one point heading into the final minute.

All-NBA point guard Cade Cunningham, riding a monster 39-point triple-double, committed a costly turnover with a chance to put Detroit back on top late, when Magic guard Desmond Bane poked the ball out of Cunningham’s hands and out of bounds.

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The Pistons got a stop on the other end, but couldn’t finish the possession; a trio of Orlando offensive rebounds bled out the bulk of the final minute. After Magic guard Jalen Suggs knocked down a pair of clutch free throws to go up by three, the Magic fouled Cunningham just before he could get up a 3-point shot; when he missed his first free throw, the All-Star point guard had to intentionally miss the second, in hopes of getting a rebound and a chance at a game-tying 3 on a scramble-drill possession in the closing seconds.

He did it perfectly …

… but Magic wing Anthony Black raced out to block Duncan Robinson’s last-gasp attempt, allowing the Magic to come away with a hard-fought 112-109 win to finish atop East Group B at 4-0. That earned them not only a spot in the knockout round, but also — with a plus-64 point differential in group play, the highest mark in East — the No. 1 seed in the conference entering the quarterfinals.

Things didn’t go quite down to the wire in Manhattan, but there was no shortage of drama at Madison Square Garden, either.

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A 15-1 run spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarters put the Knicks in control of their East Group C tilt with the visiting Bucks … who responded in kind, with a pair of Kyle Kuzma 3-pointers keying a 14-3 jolt that made it a one-possession game with just over five minutes to go. With the contest and spot in the quarterfinals in the balance, though, Jalen Brunson came out of the Knicks bullpen to close the door, with six points and an assist in the final four minutes, plus a steal leading to a game-icing Mikal Bridges dunk to finish off a 118-109 win.

The loss eliminated Milwaukee, preventing Giannis Antetokounmpo and Doc Rivers from having the chance to defend their NBA Cup crown. (Not that there aren’t bigger issues to deal with in Bucksville these days.) The victory pushed New York past the Heat, whom they’d beaten head-to-head in group play, to the top of East Group C, and bumped Miami, the lone non-group-winner in the East to finish group play at 3-1, into the wild-card spot.

That cemented the conference’s final four, setting up an intra-Florida clash between the top-seeded Magic and No. 4 Heat, and an Atlantic Division battle between the No. 3 Knicks and second-seeded Toronto Raptors, who had already sewn up an undefeated run through East Group A.

What to know about Heat-Magic (6 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

The good news for the Magic: They’re 2-0 against the Heat already this season, having taken Miami down on opening night and again just last week, with do-it-all forward Franz Wagner feasting against the Heat defense: 28 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in the two victories, shooting 53.8% from the floor and 42.9% from 3-point land with just four turnovers in 70 minutes of work.

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The bad news: Wagner left Sunday’s loss to the Knicks with a left leg injury after being fouled by New York center Ariel Hukporti on an alley-oop attempt midway through the first quarter. The fifth-year pro needed to be helped off the court and back to the locker room, did not return and was subsequently diagnosed with a high left ankle sprain that will knock him out of the knockout round.

With Wagner — off to a sensational start to the season, averaging 23.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game on 49/35/82 shooting splits heading into Sunday — unable to suit up, Orlando could have a tough time scoring against a Heat defense that ranks fifth in the NBA in points allowed per possession, according to Cleaning the Glass. On one hand, the recent return of All-Star forward Paolo Banchero from a groin injury should help; on the other, though, the Magic have scored like a bottom-three offense this season when Banchero and Bane have shared the floor without Wagner on hand to connect all the dots.

Points have been at something of a premium for the Heat of late, too. After sprinting out of the gates with a newly minted high-octane offense that eschews pick-and-roll play in favor of persistent driving and perpetual motion, Miami has been a middle-of-the-pack attack over the past 10 games. That stretch has included five of the Heat’s least efficient scoring performances of the season and, notably, five of their slowest-paced games and their three worst transition offensive outings of the year to date … which have come in their last three games. They lost all three of them — including one to the Magic, on Dec. 5.

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With Wagner unavailable, if Banchero’s still limited on his minutes restriction, Orlando’s best chance of advancing might be leaning on its defense — one of the NBA’s best at limiting opponents on the fast break — to grind Miami’s gears, force Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Norman Powell and Co. to execute in the half-court, and to, as Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra put it after a recent loss to the Kings, win a game that isn’t played to Miami’s newfound identity. That could be a recipe for a slugfest — the type of ground-and-pound affair the Magic have favored throughout Jamahl Mosley’s tenure, but also one that Spo’s certainly got plenty of experience digging out of the mud in Miami.

(Keep an eye on Jalen Suggs in this one. Not for any particular reason; he’s just the kind of audacious player, in the best and worst senses of that word, who’s always worth keeping an eye on.)

What to know about Knicks-Raptors (8:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

In the season’s first meeting between these two clubs, New York blew the Raptors’ doors off in a 22-point drubbing that saw six Knicks crack double figures. Toronto was short-handed in that one, missing starting center Jakob Poeltl — one reason why the Knicks won the rebounding battle 61-40, with a season-high 25 offensive rebounds (including seven in less than 17 minutes for reserve center Mitchell Robinson) — and ex-Knicks wing RJ Barrett.

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Toronto’s offense, a surprise top-five unit over the first month of the season, has begun to sputter ever since Barrett sprained his right knee. Over the last eight games, the Raptors have scored just 109.2 points per 100 possessions — the second-lowest mark in the NBA over that span, ahead of only the similarly plunging Bulls — with Brandon Ingram struggling across the board (43.6% from the floor and 60.6% from the free-throw line in that span, with more turnovers than assists) and the Raptors searching, often fruitlessly, for another source of shot creation alongside Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley.

Barrett might not be a star himself, but what he brings to the table — running the floor in transition, cutting off the ball and running a second-side pick-and-roll in the half-court, burrowing his way into the paint off a dribble handoff and getting to the free-throw line more frequently than any other Raptor — helps the whole Toronto attack come together. The starting lineup of Poeltl, Barnes, Ingram, Barrett and Quickley has outscored opponents by 6.3 points per 100 possessions this season, on the strength of an offense that’s scoring at near-best-in-the-league levels. Subtract Barrett from that equation, though, and the rest of Toronto’s core begins to look significantly less than the sum of its parts, getting outscored by 3.1 points per 100 with an offense scoring like the Wizards and Tyrese Haliburton-less Pacers.

In a related story: The Raptors announced Monday that Barrett’s still on the mend …

… which figures to make the already difficult task of taking down a Knicks team that has won seven of its last eight — and that just got ex-Raptors forward OG Anunoby, playing arguably the best all-around ball of his career, back in the lineup — that much tougher.

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That’s doubly true if Karl-Anthony Towns is able to go. The All-Star big man led the way in New York’s win over Toronto with 22 points on 15 shots; he also missed Sunday’s win over the Magic with left calf tightness. The Knicks have blitzed opponents by 19.3 points per 100 possessions with Towns, Anunoby, Brunson and Bridges on the floor this season — the third-highest net rating among 85 four-man groupings to log at least 150 minutes together, according to NBA Advanced Stats. Having them all available would be a big boost for a Knicks team that’s gone just 3-6 away from the Garden this season.

What comes next?

The winners of Tuesday’s single-elimination quarterfinal games (and Wednesday’s West matchups — Suns-Thunder and Spurs-Lakers) will advance to Las Vegas, where the semifinals will be held on Saturday. The championship game for the NBA Cup will take place Tuesday, Dec. 16.

That championship game will be the only one in the entire tournament that won’t also count toward participants’ regular-season record and statistics. For those two teams, it will count as Game 83. The four teams that lose in the quarterfinals will each play one regular-season game against one another, too, with the games coming on Dec. 11, 12, 14 or 15.

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Making the quarterfinals guarantees every player on the participating teams a payout; to the winners, though, go greater spoils, with the tournament champion taking home the biggest bank.

For the inaugural in-season tournament, the prize pool operated in nice round numbers: $50,000 for each player on teams that lose in the quarterfinals; $100,000 for players on teams that lose in the semifinals; $200,000 for players on the team that loses in the final game; and a crisp $500,000 for everyone on the team that hoists the NBA Cup. The math has changed a bit year-over-year, thanks to a passage in the collective bargaining agreement between the NBA and its players union stipulating that those prize payouts rise by a “growth factor” tied to any increase in the basketball-related income (BRI) that the league generates.

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BRI has gone up over the past two seasons; thus, so have the payouts:

When is $500,000 not $500,000 for anyone, Mr. Larsson? When it’s actually $530,933. (Nice work if you can get it.)

Yahoo Sports, C15 Studio, and the Indoor Football League (IFL) are teaming up to bring live football broadcasts to Yahoo Sports Network, the new streaming TV channel available on leading FAST services and yahoosports.tv.

Yahoo Sports Network, operated by C15 Studio, will be the exclusive home for 59 live IFL games in 2026, including:

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• A selection of marquee Friday and Saturday night contests.

• Two first-round playoff games.

• The IFL Eastern Conference championship.

Produced by the IFL, the broadcasts will be available wherever Yahoo Sports Network is distributed. This includes FAST services such as Amazon Fire TV, Fubo, LG Channels, Plex, Prime Video, Sling Freestream and The Roku Channel, as well as yahoosports.tv, a comprehensive web destination for Yahoo Sports video.

The games add to the growing slate of programming available on Yahoo Sports Network, which includes football favorites such as Football 301, Inside Coverage, Yahoo Fantasy Forecast, College Football Enquirer, and Josh Pate’s College Football Show.

A selection of games will feature an all-Yahoo Sports broadcast team featuring Jason Fitz (co-host of Yahoo Sports Daily and host of Fantasy Football Live), Nate Tice (host of Football 301), and Caroline Fenton (co-host of Yahoo Sports Daily and Hoops 360).

“We’re thrilled to add the energy and excitement of live IFL action to our Yahoo Sports Network programming,” said Ryan Spoon, President of Yahoo Media Group. “These broadcasts pair perfectly with our original football shows and continue to make Yahoo Sports Network a go-to destination for football fans all year long.”

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“We are excited to bring the IFL to the Yahoo Sports Network audience,” said Todd Tryon, Commissioner of the Indoor Football League. “This is a big step for both of us. We are giving our coaches and players more opportunities to show what they bring to the game, while our fans have more ways to take in the action with all the viewing options Yahoo offers.”

“This partnership with the Yahoo Sports Network creates strong exposure opportunities for our corporate partners,” said Jared Widman, President of the Indoor Football League Business Division. “Yahoo is all in on growing their presence by helping us grow ours. We know the relationship will open new doors for sponsors to connect with a wider, enthusiastic audience.”

“Yahoo Sports Network isn’t just giving us distribution, they’re activating their ecosystem around the IFL because they believe in it,” said Eric Van Beek, Chief Operations & Brand Officer of the IFL. “Between the Yahoo Sports Network FAST channel, their web and mobile experiences, and the global reach of the Yahoo brand, this partnership puts our product, our players, and our fans in front of millions more people than ever before. It’s transformational for the visibility of the IFL.”

The 2026 IFL season kicks off in March. The league will release its full broadcast schedule, including the games available on Yahoo Sports Network, at a future date.

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###

About Yahoo

‍‍For 30 years and counting, Yahoo has served as a trusted guide for hundreds of millions of people globally, helping them achieve their goals big and small online through our portfolio of iconic products. For advertisers, Yahoo offers omnichannel solutions and powerful data to engage with our brands and deliver results.

About C15 Studio

C15 Studio is a sports media company that specializes in creating, distributing and monetizing Free Ad-Supported Streaming Television (FAST) channels on behalf of leading global sports organizations. C15 Studio partners with major streaming services to offer 24/7 sports programming to audiences around the world. Founded by Joe Nilsson and Amory Schwartz, with offices in London, Dublin and New York. Web: www.c15.studio

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About the Indoor Football League (IFL)

Led by Commissioner Todd Tryon, the Indoor Football League (IFL) is entering its 18th season in 2026 as the premier professional indoor football league in the United States. The league includes the Arizona Rattlers, Green Bay Blizzard, Fishers Freight, Iowa Barnstormers, Jacksonville Sharks, New Mexico Chupacabras, Orlando Pirates, Northern Arizona Wranglers, Quad City Steamwheelers, San Antonio Gunslingers, San Diego Strike Force, Tulsa Oilers, Tucson Sugar Skulls, Vegas Knight Hawks (2025 IFL National Champions).

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The annual baseball Winter Meetings were quiet — until suddenly they weren’t. Within a span of minutes, news broke that the Philadelphia Phillies had re-signed Kyle Schwarber, bringing him back to the City of Brotherly Love. While the move wasn’t entirely surprising, it was the news that followed that left the baseball world shaking.

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On this episode of Baseball Bar-B-Cast, Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman discuss the Los Angeles Dodgers signing Edwin Díaz away from the New York Mets to a three-year, $69 million contract, taking the trumpets out west. The move fills a much-needed void in the Dodgers’ bullpen and has people wondering if it could be key to a potential three-peat.

Later, Jake and Jordan talk about the Phillies bringing Schwarber back and why it made sense for them to commit five years and $150 million. They also discuss Philadelphia giving manager Rob Thomson a contract extension and speculate about the possibility of Don Mattingly joining as a bench coach to support the veteran skipper.

1:25 – Dodgers sign Edwin Díaz

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9:42 – How this affects the Mets

19:00 – Phillies re-sign Kyle Schwarber

31:00 – Rob Thomson gets an extension

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

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

We are a couple of days removed from Sunday’s College Football Playoff selection, but the drama continues to unfold. Notre Dame is at the center of the conversation as they continue to discuss being left out of the CFP. Notre Dame Athletic Director Pete Bevacqua was on the Dan Patrick show on Monday and the ACC’s handling of the Playoff situation has done “permanent damage to the relationship.” Andy Staples, Ross Dellenger and Steven Godfrey discuss this shaky relationship between Notre Dame and the ACC. They also debate whether the time is coming for Notre Dame to separate itself from the ACC and make a new scheduling deal with either the Big Ten or the SEC. Plus, they chat about the rule that will go into effect next season which gives Notre Dame an automatic CFP berth if they are ranked in the Top 12. Could that rule could potentially be voided?

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Then, the guys look to the coaching carousel, which has drastically slowed down. Penn State has finally named their new head coach. Matt Campbell, Iowa State’s head coach for the last decade, will now lead the Nittany Lions. Andy, Ross and Godfrey discuss this hire, why they like it, and what Campbell needs to do to succeed in Happy Valley.

Later, Ross discusses the groundbreaking news he broke while recording the pod. Utah has struck a private equity deal. The deal with Otro Capital could make over $500 million. Could this deal open the floodgates? The guys discuss this move and share their hesitations and expectations.

Catch up on the latest in the college football world with College Football Enquirer.

(1:23) – Notre Dame vs. the ACC

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(7:20) – Notre Dame’s CFP guarantee in 2026

(10:22) – Should Notre Dame separate from their ACC deal?

(27:26) – Penn State hires Matt Campbell

(43:51) – Utah strikes private equity deal

Check out all the episodes of the College Football Enquirer and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv