Gavin Lux's RBI single
On this week's Full Time Review, host Jillian Sakovits is joined by staff writer at The Athletic Tamerra Griffin to discuss the USWNT's 2-0 win over Brazil at SoFi Stadium. How did SoFi Stadium handle its first-ever women's sports event? How important was Trinity Rodman on her return? Did Los Angeles local Alyssa Thompson have her best international performance yet? Ahead of the second friendly with Brazil on Tuesday in San Jose, Tamerra also ponders what USWNT head coach Emma Hayes still needs to see from her developmental squad.
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New York Times
9 minutes ago
- New York Times
Answering crucial fantasy football draft questions at running back
After spotlighting the quarterback position, our first fantasy football roundtable series shifts focus to the running backs. The Athletic fantasy football crew of Jake Ciely, Michael Salfino, Andy Behrens and Dalton Del Don return to offer their opinions on hot-button questions at the RB position. What are the statistical expectations for lauded rookie Ashton Jeanty? Who are the RBs to target among the Top 12 in ADP in addition to those falling outside the Top 20? Who is the biggest backup lottery ticket? Read on for our answers to these questions, and stay tuned in later this week for our wide receiver and tight end roundtables! Note: All ADPs mentioned below are from Fantasy Pros. All members of our fantasy panel appear optimistic for a big year from Jeanty, though Ciely's projections are more conservative than others when it comes to how the rookie RB will be used in the passing game. Behrens was the most optimistic in the group in that regard and also gave him the highest total TD projection, with 14, which would have had him trailing only seven RBs last year (regular season) — behind Bijan Robinson and ahead of David Montgomery. Ciely: I'd say 9.5. Did you know that, over the past three seasons, Breece Hall (2022) is the only RB to finish among the Top 25 (in half-PPR FPPG) who failed to play at least 10 games in a season. Plenty of running backs missed three to five games, but a lost season is far from as frequent as most believe. So, that's where I get my 'random' over/under here, even with McCaffrey's injury history. Advertisement Salfino: I'll go with 8.5, given his average since 2020 is 9.5. Behrens: Let the record show McCaffrey is actually the healthiest running back on the Niners' depth chart as of this writing. He's doing just fine. CMC did not limp into camp with any preexisting injuries. That said, I am not risking my money on his calves and hamstrings unless the number is 7.5 or less. Del Don: He's averaged about 12 games played per season throughout his career, and I'm buying CMC in 2025, so let's say 12.5? McCaffrey's Achilles problem was (hopefully) healed through stem cell treatment; he's a maniac when it comes to his body, and all offseason health reports have been overwhelmingly positive. Of course, he's 29 and has elevated risk, but I'm willing to take it on. Funston: I'll say 6.5. CMC played seven games or fewer in three of his past five seasons, a timeframe that is a lot more relevant for a nearing-age-30 RB with a substantial injury history than those first three campaigns of his career when he played 16 games in each — the halcyon days! Bottom line: CMC will be somebody else's dice roll, not mine. Ciely: McCaffrey. He has the potential to be the top player in fantasy. Period. So, if we're getting him at a discount from the top tier of running backs and mid-to-late first rounder, I'll take that risk. Outside of him, I have a lot of Kyren Williams, even before the contract extension. The main concern with Rams' running backs is the potential for a few bad games turning the page to the next option, since Sean McVay can turn good running backs into great ones. Williams' new contract points to that risk being extremely unlikely … at least for 2025. Salfino: In Flex 10 (three WRs and a flex), none. In Flex 9 (two WRs and a flex), any of them. Know your format! But in the spirit of the question, Jonathan Taylor and Jacobs seem like values. Advertisement Behrens: No one ever fights you for Jacobs, despite the excellent team context and his history of high-level production. Jacobs is just 27, and he's finished as a Top 5 fantasy back in two of the past three seasons. He's also ranked among the NFL leaders in missed tackles in every healthy season of his career, so he's not simply a high-volume plodder. Del Don: Chase Brown, who was fantasy's RB5 after Zack Moss was injured in Week 8 last season. All offseason signs point to the Bengals again giving Brown a heavy workload in 2025, and it's a terrific situation in a high-scoring offense. Don't worry about Brown ceding some passing-down work, as third downs don't often lead to targets anyway. Funston: Kyren Williams is RB12 by ADP, and he sometimes drops even a little more than that. Either way, I'll gladly accept him in that value range, as he's ranked as my RB8, which is still a discount on his Top 6 fantasy finishes in the past two seasons. I don't know why the fantasy community likes to predict the demise of Kyren, but he's once again set for one of the league's largest workloads, and he just landed a three-year deal, which pretty much solidifies that notion. Ciely: I'm not hard-fading any of them, but there are two I've rarely drafted: Taylor and Jeanty. That's only because someone else is always more willing. I don't understand how people are worried about Saquon Barkley, CMC and Derrick Henry but not Taylor, who hasn't played a full season in three years. As for Jeanty, I love him, but I'm just a tad concerned that the lack of passing game volume and touchdowns will limit his ceiling and ability to reach the Top 5. Salfino: Obviously, McCaffrey, as he is old, was very unproductive last year, had a weird injury with an unknown prognosis (both Achilles were injured) and lost a ton of speed (3.5 mph from 2023, according to NGS, a 17% decline). Advertisement Behrens: De'Von Achane is a teacup-sized back coming off a season of weird usage. There's always someone in a draft who likes him a full round earlier than I do. If I'm drafting a back in the second round, I need to believe he can plausibly finish as the overall RB1. That's not Achane. Del Don: Taylor went off at the end of last season, but his receiving work is extremely limited, and he's quietly missed more games than McCaffrey over the last three seasons. Taylor's expected fantasy points per game dropped 5 points during Anthony Richardson starts last season, and Joe Flacco is gone. Funston: How does the saying go? 'Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me three times, shame on…' As a three-time injury bust, I'm avoiding CMC. Simple as that. Sure, if he plays a full season, I might regret my stance. But, in my best Allen Iverson voice, 'We're talking a full season!' Ciely: Jaydon Blue. While I don't believe Blue is built to be a 300-touch option, I do believe in his ability. If Javonte Williams still doesn't look anything like his pre-injury self, Blue can take advantage and lead this backfield, especially with his passing game value. Salfino: Now we're talking. I don't really target anyone, but the best value at that range for me is Jordan Mason at RB34. I guarantee 10+ TDs. Behrens: I've now completed enough drafts to firmly declare Isiah Pacheco is my guy. He's healthy following a season lost to injury and unthreatened by any other names in the team's backfield hierarchy. We shouldn't need to convince you that Kansas City's offense can deliver an every-week fantasy RB. Del Don: TreVeyon Henderson is my RB16, and I often target him and RJ Harvey. Rookies take more patience but frequently pay off with the biggest reward when it matters most in the fantasy season. Henderson will share carries with Rhamondre Stevenson, but the explosive rookie looks like the new Jahmyr Gibbs. Go get him. Advertisement Funston: I'd been targeting Cam Skattebo, but I don't like that he's dealing with a hamstring injury, especially since we're talking about a whole lot of hamstring with this guy. I like the other rookies mentioned here, too, in Henderson and Blue. I'm also happy to take Jaylen Warren at his RB31 price, as he's always been a helpful fantasy asset, even in a short-side platoon role. His experience could lead to his biggest role yet, with Najee Harris off to L.A. Sure, Kaleb Johnson could be a 1-for-1 replacement for Najee. But there's also a reasonable chance he takes time with the NFL learning curve, allowing Warren to eat for a good chunk of the season. Ciely: There are several, and some are obvious, like Trey Benson. While the big names get attention, I'd like to mention DJ Giddens, who would have Top 25 upside if Taylor misses time for the fourth-straight season. Tahj Brooks, who has a lot of similarities to Chase Brown and is similar to Giddens, could carry Top 25 value. Salfino: The best backup RB in the NFL by a mile is Sean Tucker of the Buccaneers — 6.2 yards per carry; 56% success rate (average is 47%); over 9.0 yards per target as a receiver. Plus, he had an elite broken tackle rate of once every 10 carries. Behrens: Ray Davis was a fun watch as a rookie, and he delivered proof-of-concept in the one game James Cook missed due to injury, piling up 152 yards against the Jets. If Davis happens to find significant touches this season, he'll gain must-start status. Del Don: Isaac Guerendo probably would get injured himself quickly if it happens, but he'd be a legit Top 5 fantasy RB any week he's starting in San Francisco. There are many other intriguing options, and my favorites include Will Shipley, Keaton Mitchell, Jarquez Hunter, Brashard Smith, DJ Giddens, Sean Tucker and Tahj Brooks. Funston: Jaylen Wright. Miami has ranked first and sixth, respectively, in FPPG at RB in each of the past two seasons. And we know head coach Mike McDaniel relishes speed, an attribute that positions Wright (4.38 40) as the heir apparent in the backfield should something happen to Achane. In addition to his wheels, Wright offers decent physicality in his 5-foot-10, 210-pound frame and upside as a pass catcher — Miami has also been Top 5 in RB receptions each of the past two campaigns. Ciely: Cook, James Conner, Chuba Hubbard, Alvin Kamara — but all super close. Cook is merely for touchdown regression, but I still think he's an RB1. Betting a near-full season from Conner again seems ill-advised. Hubbard had inefficiency issues down the stretch. And, Kamara is the main weapon for the Saints — even in a terrible offense, he should be a fringe RB1. Advertisement Salfino: I hate all these guys at their ADPs, and Cook and Conner were great to me in 2024. But it's never the player, it's the price. Seriously, I would not draft any of these guys at their ADPs. I'll go with the order in which they're being drafted, but how can you draft Cook there when he lost 40% of snaps to Ty Johnson in an elimination game? Behrens: Hubbard, Conner, Kamara, Cook Del Don: Conner, Hubbard, Cook, Kamara Funston: Kamara, Conner, Hubbard, Cook — On the most likely end of the spectrum, I just think Kamara is too central to the Saints offense. It's hard to imagine them having any kind of success without getting the ball in his hands as much as possible. And, yes, he's had some injuries in his career, but he's played no fewer than 13 games in any of his eight seasons, the kind of CV that CMC can only dream of. As for the least likely end of the spectrum, it's easy to imagine Cook losing a half dozen touchdowns from his total of 18 a season ago, especially if they get the stouter Ray Davis more involved in goal-line situations. (Top photo of Chase Brown: Scott Taetsch / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Bills running back James Cook ends contract standoff by agreeing to four-year, $48 million deal
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Bills running back James Cook ended a contract standoff by agreeing to a four-year, $48 million deal on Wednesday, two people with knowledge of the agreement confirmed to The Associated Press. The contract includes $30 million in guaranteed money, one of the people said. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not yet been announced. The Athletic first reported the agreement. The new deal comes a day after the fourth-year player ended his weeklong standoff by returning to practice. Cook skipped four straight sessions and although he took part in warmups, he declined to play in Buffalo's preseason-opener against the New York Giants on Saturday. Cook was the NFL's co-leader with 16 touchdowns rushing last season. Cook was selected by Buffalo in the second round of the 2022 draft out of Georgia. His older brother is Dalvin Cook, best known for his six seasons in Minnesota and who spent last year appearing in two games with Dallas. Cook's 18 touchdowns, including two receiving, doubled his combined production in his first two seasons (four TDs rushing, five receiving). And he was part of an offense that finished second in the league in averaging more than 30 points per outing. Until Wednesday, Cook proved to be the odd-man out in general manager Brandon Beane's offseason binge of signing core players to multiyear contract extensions. The group was made up of quarterback Josh Allen, receiver Khalil Shakir, edge rusher Greg Rousseau, linebacker Terrel Bernard and cornerback Christian Benford. In June, Cook said he didn't begrudge his teammates for getting extensions. 'I love those guys. Whatever they got paid, they got paid. That's not my problem,' Cook said. 'In the meantime, I'm here to work and be where my feet are at.' After practicing fully during the Bills' first eight sessions of training camp this year, Cook began his 'hold-in' on Aug. 3 by watching practice wearing a white sweatsuit along the sideline. Cook also declined to participate in the Bills' voluntary spring sessions before reporting and practicing in the team's three-day mandatory minicamp in June. He said the reason behind his decision to report was not wanting to risk getting fined. 'I like my money,' Cook said. 'That's why I'm here.' ___ AP NFL:
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Lakers mailbag: Is this LeBron's last season in LA? Could Giannis or Jokić be future targets?
Hello everyone and welcome to my first mailbag here at my new home, The Athletic. As the grandson of a letter carrier (fun fact) and as someone who attended every Los Angeles Lakers game a season ago, I'm uniquely qualified for this very assignment. I sent the signal out on social media for your questions, and I'm going to do my best to answer as many of them as possible, with neither rain, nor sleet, nor Eric Snow stopping me from delivering the answers. (Questions have been lightly edited for clarity and length.) What is the main change you believe the new majority owner of the Lakers will bring compared to the previous owner? —@afamosajems A few of you asked questions about something that feels like way too much of an afterthought considering the impact it could eventually have on the organization. A few things first. The general sense I've gotten from talking to my sources within the organization is that things are basically 'business as usual' currently. But no one who has paid any attention to the behemoth the Los Angeles Dodgers have become can realistically think that Mark Walter is going to just let the Lakers move forward powered solely by inertia. Advertisement One thing that fans should know — modernization efforts began prior to the sale with the Lakers further investing in things like analytics and medical staffing. But there was, to some extent, a budget. With deeper-pocketed ownership, it's reasonable to expect the Lakers will be able to take more risks in the ways they spend on non-salary cap matters. A common critique of the Lakers is that they get the big stuff right and the small stuff much less right. Resources, if deployed, should help the hit rights go up. It won't solve everything — plenty of wealthy teams still make mistakes with minimum contracts and second-round picks — but the extra cash should help once the sale closes. But the process for things like the hiring of new strength coach Jeremy Holsopple started before the team's sale became public. Will this be LeBron James' last year with the Lakers? Is the Lakers roster built to contend deep in the playoffs? — @mattyicefalcon Also, do you think LeBron will retire as a Laker? — @lakeshow4ever8 Yeah, OK so let's get to this. I write this with the explicit instruction to readers that I believe that very few people know what LeBron James is thinking when it comes to his future, and that at his age, figuring out how to get ready for the NBA season in front of him requires enough physical and mental energy to keep him from dwelling on questions about his career mortality. Here are the things we know: James has one year left on his contract with the Lakers for max-ish money (he took a slight discount last summer). He has a no-trade clause. He opted into his deal to be with the team. I think there are still questions that need to be answered about the ways he and Luka Dončić look as co-stars on a championship team, questions that are probably big enough to not want to tie yourself to any one significant decision for next summer. It's also, undoubtedly, a strange position to take one of the NBA's all-time leading scorers, a player still performing at an All-NBA level, and have him on an expiring deal. Advertisement All indications are that James will be in training camp at the end of September and will play his 23rd NBA season with the Lakers. But I really don't want to make any guesses, informed or not, about how James views his future, either as a Laker or as an NBA player. Again, all I know is that when faced with chances to play for teams other than the Lakers, James has chosen to stay in purple and gold each time. If you had to listen to one song every day for the rest of your life, what record would you pick? — @ECreates88 I love this because it's not my favorite song, but basically one I could never get sick of. The quick-look-through-my-playlist contenders: Neil Young 'Harvest Moon,' Tom Petty 'Wildflowers,' Talking Heads 'This Must Be The Place (Naïve Melody),' Father John Misty 'I Guess Time Just Makes Fools Of Us All,' Curtis Mayfield 'Movin' On Up,' Spoon 'The Underdog,' A Tribe Called Quest 'Electric Relaxation,' Beastie Boys 'Shake Your Rump,' Modest Mouse 'Missed the Boat,' Wednesday 'Chosen to Deserve,' Parquet Courts 'Tenderness' and MJ Lenderman 'She's Leaving You.' But ultimately, if I had to listen to one song every day, I'd want it to be a song that made me as happy as possible, as quickly as possible. And I don't think any song makes me happier faster than 'American Girl' by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. How realistic is a Matisse Thybulle/Robert Williams III deal for the Lakers by the deadline? And in the scenario that both Giannis Antetokounmpo or Nikola Jokić wanted to come to the Lakers next summer, which player would LA rather go after? — @RyanLucas_LA Let's just tackle the first question here. I have a hard time believing a team that's so close to the first apron that it can't currently sign a free agent would gamble on not one, but two guys that have no track record of availability. As far as the second part goes, I think the organization would reconsider its stance on the viability of three max players. (If I had to pick, it'd be Jokić.) Advertisement Realistically, is it a long shot to consider Giannis or Jokić in 2027? Or do you think the Lakers have any considerable assets to possibly trade for Giannis? — @afamosajems Do I think either is realistic as a trade target? No, not really. The market would need to be way suppressed by a player saying they would simply walk to the Lakers in free agency so 28 other teams shouldn't even consider bidding, and still the Lakers' offer would be thin. Now, 2027 in free agency, should either Giannis or Jokić make it there, could be interesting, especially if Dončić has the kind of season the Lakers expect out of him. What do you think is the biggest roster hole going into the season? I kind of like the roster makeup right now with the exception of backup big man/rim protector. — @ Do you think this is the roster going into training camp? — @LakeShowJoe_ Dan, do you think there's any chance LAL will make a minor trade with Maxi Kleber's or Gabe Vincent's expiring contracts before the start of the season? And if that happens and creates flexibility, could you see them adding Kevin Love as a veteran voice alongside LeBron in the locker room? — @Los_LakersBR I don't think another move is coming for the Lakers before the season starts, and really, it's just a simple cost-benefit analysis of making one. The Lakers have two tradable draft picks as of now, one first, one second and some low-value swaps because, well, any team with Dončić on it has a pretty high floor. To create a roster spot to sign a remaining free agent, you're spending at least one second and losing a veteran who you believe to some degree can help (or who can make as big of a difference compared to whatever player is still uncommitted here in August). As far as trades go, while talks could pick back up as training camp gets closer, I believe it's way more likely that the Lakers would rather look at the roster that they've built, assess the strengths and weaknesses and try to improve during the season than use any of their limited draft arsenal to get a deal done now. Are you hearing anything about the expected rotation role of Adou Thiero? Was he drafted to be developed or to play right away, as the roster needs athleticism? With Dalton Knecht, did his summer-league performance affect the team's expectations and role for this year? —@prettytile There were definitely some eyebrows raised around the NBA when Thiero missed summer league with a knee issue, but I can finally offer a little optimism (we're 1,000 or so words in so I probably should). I've been told Thiero has been working out in the Lakers' facility and is expected to be participating once training camp opens at the end of September. As far as his role? It's gonna be crowded. But it's sort of a universal truth in the NBA. If young players want to get on the court, you do it by making an impact on the defensive end. And Thiero has the tools to make an impact on the defensive end. I won't go too in-depth on Knecht, other than to say that I think NBA evaluators haven't put much stock into his summer-league performance. Who is your favorite Laker of all time? — @theJayAquino Fun question! Never had one. I didn't grow up in Los Angeles, but my dad once took me to a sporting goods store in Chicago for a James Worthy New Balance signing. One of the first names in the NBA I remember knowing is Sedale Threatt. But let's go with Jason Kapono, who once had my favorite NBA quote about his fading draft stock: 'I should have left UCLA after my freshman year, moved to Yugoslavia and changed my name to Jason Kaponovich. I'd have been a first-round pick.' What is going to happen to Rui Hachimura after his current contract? — @methmatthewman Another great question and another very underrated subplot of this Lakers season. Hachimura, to me, represents a lot about what the Lakers have done right in terms of ID'ing an undervalued player and molding him into a useful piece while also showcasing some of their weaknesses. (Were they really bidding against anyone when Hachimura was a restricted free agent in 2023?) And he does a lot of the stuff that should shine alongside Dončić. Another good season and you could argue that he should be with the Lakers for another multi-year stint, even if it eats into some of their future flexibility. But if the defensive gains weren't real and the shooting suffers (it's been two full seasons of being really good), keeping the books clean becomes the better option. Fascinating season incoming following a fascinating offseason. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
