Tag: Fox Sport News

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.

Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson is returning for the 2026 season, his 14th in the NFL, The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Jeff McLane reported Thursday.

Johnson, 35, missed the final eight games of his injury-riddled 2025 campaign, including the Eagles’ wild-card playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers, because of a Lisfranc foot injury.

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The 2013 No. 4 overall pick is a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro who has helped Philly reach three Super Bowls and win its first two rings in franchise history.

Johnson is a cornerstone of the Eagles’ offensive line and will offer valuable continuity up front as the team transitions to a new offense under 33-year-old coordinator Sean Mannion.

Longtime O-Line coach Jeff Stoutland resigned earlier this month, and Chris Kuper — a former Denver Broncos guard who most recently coached with the Minnesota Vikings — will serve as his replacement.

With the scheme expected to change, and a new voice in the O-Line room, Johnson coming back is significant, particularly during an offseason that’s also reportedly included 27-year-old left guard Landon Dickerson mulling retirement after weathering a slew of injuries in his young career.

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Johnson isn’t just a locker room pillar, but he’s likely a future Pro Football Hall of Famer as well.

Consistently one of the NFL’s best right tackles, Johnson has allowed just six total sacks since the start of the 2019 season, playoffs included, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s a force in the run-blocking department, too, and played a role in Eagles running backs LeSean McCoy (1,607 rushing yards) and Saquon Barkley (2,005 rushing yards) leading the league on the ground in 2013 and 2024, respectively.

Barkley, of course, became the ninth back in NFL history to pile up more than 2,000 rushing yards in a single season.

This past season, though, Philadelphia’s vaunted offensive line wasn’t as dominant as usual. Injuries were certainly a factor, and so was a predictable offense that then-OC Kevin Patullo called.

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Barkley averaged just 4.1 yards per carry — 1.7 fewer than the previous season — and the Eagles plummeted from second in the NFL in rushing yards per game (179.3) in 2024 to 18th (116.9 per game) in 2025.

Johnson sustained his Lisfranc injury during a Week 11 “Sunday Night Football” win over the Detroit Lions. In Week 10, he injured his ankle amid the Eagles’ “Monday Night Football” victory over the Green Bay Packers. All the way back in Week 3 against the Los Angeles Rams, he left the game with a stinger.

Johnson’s presence makes a difference.

The Eagles were 8-2 in games he played in last season and just 3-5 in his absence, according to The Athletic, which reported that, since 2016, Philadelphia is 96-41-1 with Johnson on the field and a mere 15-28 when he doesn’t play.

Team USA women’s curling entered Thursday with a simple task: Win, and you’re in. With a victory over Switzerland, the United States would guarantee itself a spot in the playoffs.

In the end, it wasn’t that simple, but Team USA secured its spot in the semifinals with a narrow 7-6 win over Switzerland that came down to a clutch hammer from Tabitha Peterson in an extra end. After giving up three points in the 10th end and missing on some early shots in the extra end, Peterson needed an expertly placed shot with the hammer to send the U.S. to the semifinals.

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It nearly came down to a measurement, but Peterson did it. Team USA picked up the walk-off win to advance.

While the match ended in dramatic fashion, things started slowly. Team USA opened the match with the hammer, and after an uneventful first end, decided to strategically clear the house so they could keep the hammer in the second end. No points were scored until the second end, when Peterson used the U.S.’s hammer to grab the first point of the game. Peterson didn’t have a large margin for error with her shot, and managed to land the stone almost directly on the button, grabbing a point and an early 1-0 lead for Team USA.

Switzerland used its first hammer in the third end to tie things up. They had a shot at two points in the end, but the hammer wasn’t thrown hard enough, and failed to knock Team USA’s stone far enough outside the house to net Switzerland two points. The Americans grabbed the lead back in the fourth end, as Peterson once again landed the hammer on the button to go up 2-1.

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The fifth end proved to be massive for Team USA. After placing a stone close to the button, the Americans decided to play defense, making it harder for Switzerland to score with the hammer. The tactic worked out, as Switzerland’s hammer made contact with one of Team USA’s defensively placed stones. That stopped the momentum of Switzerland’s hammer, allowing Team USA to steal a point in the end. That pushed Team USA’s lead to 3-1 after the fifth end.

Thanks to more strong defense, Team USA limited Switzerland to a point in the sixth end. Leading 3-2, and holding the hammer, Team USA needed multiple points in the seventh end to gain some breathing room. They made that happen, as Peterson’s hammer netted the U.S. two more points, giving them a 5-2 lead entering the eighth end.

Switzerland needed multiple points in the eighth end, but had to settle for just one. That made it 5-3, with the U.S. controlling the hammer in the ninth end. If Team USA could score multiple points in the end, they would hold a massive lead heading into the final end. It looked shaky with three U.S. stones left, but Peterson cleared out Switzerland’s stone on the second-to-last stone for Team USA. A strong shot by Switzerland’s Alina Paetz limited the U.S. to settling for just one point in the end, giving them a 6-3 lead heading into the 10th end.

Switzerland refused to go down quietly. Paetz executed on the hammer, grabbing three points to tie the match 6-6, sending it to an extra end.

While the momentum seemed to be slipping away from Team USA, it held the hammer in the extra end, a massive advantage.

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But the letdown in the 10th may have extended to the extra end for the Americans early on. Some missed shots made it stressful with just three stones to go. Team USA still had an opening as the match wound down, but it wasn’t going to be easy.

It all came down to the final stone. Peterson needed to navigate around three Switzerland stones to secure the victory for Team USA. She came up extremely clutch with her shot, getting it just around Switzerland’s stones, but not pushing it too far outside the house. It was a close finish, nearly coming down to a measurement. Ultimately, that wasn’t needed, and the U.S. picked up the narrowest of wins.

With the victory, Team USA women’s curling advances to the medal round for the first time since 2002. That team failed to medal after losing in the semifinals and the bronze-medal game.

This time around, Team USA’s opponent in the semifinals will be familiar, as the Americans will face off against Switzerland on Friday. The winner will move on to the gold-medal match. The loser will play for bronze.

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Sweden and Canada will meet in the other semifinal game Friday.

Team USA defeated both Switzerland and Canada in round-robin play, but lost 9-4 to Sweden during the round-robin session. Both wins over Switzerland and Canada came by just one point, which should lead to some more tense games for the Americans as they inch closer to earning a medal.