Latest news with #ADPs
New York Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Beating the consensus: Fantasy football ADP winners from Justin Fields to Cooper Kupp
There are players the fantasy market irrationally hates. Their ADPs make little sense, but the consensus means they keep being drafted low, reason be damned. It's groupthink at this point. If you want the room's approval with the murmur of 'good pick,' you can't take these players. You'll only get raised eyebrows — and higher win probability in your league. Advertisement Fade the conventional wisdom, pay the market price and profit. These opportunities exist every year, just waiting to be capitalized on. I'll note the positional ranking according to Fantasy Pros as well as my positional rankings. (I eschew overall ranks since the number of receivers you are allowed to play, typically three or four, determines whether you should prioritize running backs or wide receivers, respectively.) LOL Jets. Gang Green (or is it gangrene) can't have nice things. They are Wile E. Coyote pulling down the shade in the TNT shack right before it gets smashed by the train. But what if you don't believe in curses? In his starts last year, Fields was the QB6. And that's the floor. The Jets' offensive line is good and could be great. Unlike the Steelers, their plan is for Fields to embrace his unique running ability with his WR speed and great size at 230 pounds. I expect 1,000 rushing yards and 10 TDs. But we don't have to pay for it because the world is snickering and assuming the Green and White will be a joke in perpetuity. He's already had a season as QB7 in fantasy. How is he five slots behind Caleb Williams, when everything you can say about Williams you can say about Lawrence, and, unlike Williams, Lawrence has been a fantasy asset already in his career. Passing game guru as head coach? Check. Elite weaponry? Check. The talent of a No. 1 overall draft pick? Check. I am agnostic about QBs, but I believe in wide receivers, and I think Brian Thomas and Travis Hunter will be at or near the top of NFL WR tandems. Taylor won his managers money last year with a playoff explosion. But by then, almost everyone who plays our game had tuned out because they were eliminated. So they missed that he averaged 100 rushing yards per game with nearly a TD per game. I understand if you think that if Anthony Richardson is the Colts' QB, then Taylor's targets and catches collapse into virtual nothingness. Advertisement It's a huge swing in Taylor's favor if Daniel Jones is his QB, about 30 to 40 expected catches. But even then, Richardson is such a running threat that defenses can't key on Taylor. Last year, when both were on the field, Taylor averaged 4.8 yards per tote and had 9 TDs. He averaged 15.8 fantasy PPG in those Richardson starts — 267 points per 17 games, which would have been RB8 last year. So that's his range: Possibly RB1 with Jones, given those extra catches, to about RB8 with Richardson and without the catches. So anyway you slice it, RB10 makes zero sense. We're all still infatuated with Patrick Mahomes' fantasy mediocrity. So we're conditioned to think the Chiefs' RB is an afterthought who an explosive passing offense will marginalize. But the Chiefs grind it out on offense now and win with defense, the ideal environment for a bell-cow RB. Is that Pacheco? Well, who else is it going to be? He looked bad last year after returning from injury, but that injury should've been a season-ender. I can't take Kareem Hunt and Elijah Mitchell seriously, due to age and an inability to stay healthy, respectively. Remember, before he was hurt, Pacheco was on pace for 300 touches, including 59 catches. He'll be the goal-line back, and the Chiefs don't sneak or tush push (0.1% designed runs for Mahomes last year). All the evidence supports my long-held position that Hunter is a wide receiver first and foremost. He played 92% of snaps with the first-team offense in the first preseason game. He's a starting WR on the depth chart and a backup CB. The head coach said the plan is for Hunter to get at least 80% of the snaps on offense. There's a belief Hunter is merely a generic first-round receiver and not one who would be drafted near the top of the round if not for his two-way skills. But most experts say that's false and maintain that he was by far the best WR prospect in a draft in which another WR went top-10 overall. Look, Hunter's already up from WR35 last week, and the market is going to land at WR20, I confidently predict, by your late-August draft day. By then, I'll probably move him to WR15. Remember, this market had Marvin Harrison Jr. as the WR8 last year, so even WR15 is cheap for this talent. I think he and Brian Thomas will help each other, and each will command 25%+ of targets, similar to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Advertisement The market proclaims, 'He's DONE!' Well, the Seahawks don't think so. They gave him a three-year contract. Kupp was hurt last year, so I don't hold that against him. He's been hurt a lot, it's true. This is his age-32 season. I want you to pay WR41, believe me. But if Kupp can stay healthy, he's getting 130 targets. Do the math. No matter how they want to run, the Seahawks will throw 525 passes. How many are you giving JSN? 300? Even at 175, that leaves 350 targets, and where is the competition for them? Kupp is not a Hall of Famer, but he's a historic fantasy WR and could rebound like Adam Thielen did not long ago at a similar age. He's free money now. You can't profit from fading Kupp at that price; you should draft him there. I don't get it. The man averaged nearly 11 yards per target. He was elite at separating in the intermediate zone (10-19 air yards downfield). He just got a three-year contract. He is on the field almost as often as Zay Flowers (WR26 in the market), who goes 31 WR slots earlier. He plays with an MVP favorite who will likely throw for 40 TDs again. So Bateman, who had nine scores in 2024, is a solid bet to haul in that many or more scores again. At worst, he's the arbitrage Flowers. He's an easy pick where he's going, and the worst manager in your league will just look at the 2024 TDs. But we're (the rankers) the worst for giving him his current ADP. Again, follow the money. Palmer got serious coin from the Bills, starter money at $29 million for three years with $18 million guaranteed. Why can't he get 120 Josh Allen targets? That is ostensibly the Buffalo plan, and Palmer is WR74, basically undrafted? Madness. He's averaged 9.2 yards per target the past two years, which is solid, and that nets out to 1,100 yards if I'm right about the targets and his efficiency carries forward with the MVP QB. The expert market pays zero attention to contracts, but money is speech, and the Bills are telling us they think Palmer is a leader in their passing game. And this isn't a contract they may want to eat — they just signed him! (Photo of Cooper Kupp: Steph Chambers / Getty Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
Express Tribune
11-07-2025
- General
- Express Tribune
Trout farming crumbles amid govt apathy
The trout fish farming industry in the Kaghan Valley is on the brink of collapse due to government neglect and lack of support. Following last year's devastating floods, trout fish farmers have suffered heavy losses, with millions of rupees worth of fish perishing. Despite the scale of the damage, the government has failed to take any meaningful steps toward the restoration of the affected farms. The fluctuating water temperatures and frequent outbreaks of disease have further exacerbated the situation, causing severe losses to those involved in this once-thriving industry. However, the farmers remain deprived of any backing or supervision from the government or the fisheries department. In July of last year, flash floods caused massive destruction in the Bhoonja Valley, wiping out several trout farms. To this day, most of these farms lie abandoned, with no rehabilitation efforts initiated despite the fact that many of them were built through government-funded Annual Development Programmes (ADPs). Sources reveal that farmers attempting to revive their operations on a self-help basis are forced to purchase fish seed from Swat or Gilgit-Baltistan, incurring costs nearly four times higher than normal due to transportation and limited local supply. At the local level, no facility exists to support seed provision. The Kaghan Valley has two trout hatcheries — one at Shinu Jarid, which is operational, and another at Lohar Banda, which was built at the cost of millions but now lies deserted, a glaring example of negligence by the fisheries department. Trout farming, which was once a lucrative enterprise offering employment opportunities to many in the region, has now turned into a loss-making venture due to the lack of governmental support. Last year's mysterious disease outbreaks and flooding inflicted massive losses on farmers. This year, the crisis continues as fish seed remains unavailable, compelling farmers to travel long distances to source it.
New York Times
10-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Players like Mookie Betts add roster flexibility and impact draft strategy in fantasy baseball
In every fantasy baseball draft, there are points where managers have tough decisions to make. In snake drafts, two similarly ranked players may be calling to you. In a salary cap auction, managers need to know when to bid an extra dollar or two and when to stop. Upside, consistency, durability, positional need and statistical versatility are important player profile components to consider when faced with a hard choice. Flexible positional eligibility can be a surefire tiebreaker during a snake draft or when deciding whether to bid higher on a player in auction formats. Advertisement Multi-position eligibility elevates the fantasy appeal of a draft target. It gives you maneuverability throughout the draft when looking to fill various positions. During the season, you will have more roster pliability when dealing with injuries, and players who can slide in and out of different lineup slots become additionally valuable in daily lineup formats. I'm looking comprehensively at position eligibility factors for the 2025 season, including positional depth and prime draft targets. My analysis is mainly based on standard 5×5 Roto leagues. This will be the first installment in a two-part series where I focus on positional depth, site requirements and guidelines and share top players to highlight on fantasy spreadsheets. Below, I've ranked offensive positions for fantasy baseball depth as a first step to determining where multi-position players can be most valuable. Before diving into specific site platform qualifiers, positions are ranked from weakest to strongest overall. This is always the thinnest position in fantasy baseball, especially in tougher leagues where two players must be started at catcher. There aren't too many guys who will give you ample production at more than one position, including catcher, yet I am interested in stashing David Fry until he returns to full health. Following catcher, second base must be considered regarding position scarcity. In NFBC leagues, only six second basemen are being drafted in the top 100. Jordan Westburg, who can also play third base, and Matt McLain, with additional shortstop eligibility, are being drafted around pick 90. Somewhat comparable to first base, there is a fall-off after the top 5 at third, which ends with Manny Machado. Still, you can get an adequate option through the top 12. Jazz Chisholm Jr. gives you usefulness at third base and the outfield — more on him below. As you get deeper into the position, many players also qualify at second base, providing additional flexibility at the middle and corner infielder spots. Advertisement According to the most recent NFBC ADPs, almost 10 first basemen are being drafted in the top 100. Good power is available in the position's top 12 or so spots. Depending on the platform, some viable dual-position finds are available, such as Cody Bellinger, who can also play the outfield, and Jake Burger, a qualifier at third base. Shortstop is loaded with good depth at the top, as six of the best shortstops are being drafted in the top 25 in NFBC leagues. A total of 11 shortstops are being taken in the top 100. Mookie Betts, the ultimate dual-position acquisition, has an ADP of 11.2 overall. Oneil Cruz offers SS/OF versatility at 39.6. This is naturally the deepest offensive position in fantasy baseball because of pure volume, but it must be viewed uniquely because while three outfielders start for every MLB team, many fantasy baseball teams require five OF spots. Outfielders fly off the board fast, as the top 24 are gone in the top 100 in current NFBC drafts. Only approximately five of them have any sort of multi-positional eligibility. How deep this position is on the surface is sort of an optical illusion. Where players qualify depends on the platform or custom settings put in place by a league manager. Here are some of the basic hitter guidelines by site, with default rules spotlighted. On Yahoo Sports, information from previous seasons and MLB rosters are used for preseason determinations, and a player must make five starts or 10 total appearances to qualify at a position. On ESPN, players must have logged 20 games or 25 percent of their games played at a position in a previous season. Once a player has 10 games at a position in-season, he can qualify at a new position. In leagues, hitters must have played 20 games at a position last year or will play five there during the upcoming season. On Fantrax, hitters require 20 games played at a position from the previous year or 10 during the current season. The NFBC has similar requirements as Fantrax. Advertisement Considering the aforementioned depth by position, these are some of my favorite multi-position players to target in 2025 drafts. The ones not featured here will appear in the following article of this two-part series: Mookie Betts (NFBC ADP of 11.22) SS/OF/2B (Yahoo): Betts is the top multi-positional superstar available and is even more valuable in Yahoo leagues. Betts qualifies in all other formats at SS and OF, yet his 18 games played at 2B in 2024 boost his appeal on that site even more. Jazz Chisholm Jr. (23.5) OF/3B/2B (pending): He can be drafted as a top-three third baseman, but the major added appeal of Chisholm is that he is going to return to second base in 2025, which will give him unique eligibility at three positions on all platforms. If he can play close to a full season, Chisholm will be an ideal multi-eligibility and multi-statistical standout. Oneil Cruz (39.6) SS/OF: With 23 games played in the OF last year, Cruz barely cracked eligibility there, yet now he is set to play outfield full-time. There is a definite 30/30 promise for 2025 here, and while Cruz is being drafted as a top 15 OF, he goes off the board as a No. 7 SS. Jordan Westburg (85.0) 3B/2B: After his breakthrough campaign with Baltimore last year, Westburg is being drafted as a top 4 fantasy second baseman and has the extra 3B qualification. You can get 20 homers and 10 steals if you're concerned about the thinner nature of 2B availability. Matt McLain (91.6) SS/2B: He missed last season and has yet to play a full schedule in the majors. McLain, however, carries a lot of potential for power and speed in a favorable home park, and we could see a 20/20 season from him as a projected top-5 to top-10 second baseman. Cody Bellinger (102.88) OF/1B): If I don't land one of the top 5 players at 1B, I will be satisfied with Bellinger as a top-10 option. He is being drafted as the 25th OF in NFBC leagues. He should be a solid pick for 25-plus home runs in Yankee Stadium, with the opportunity to be a featured performer in a retooled lineup. Advertisement Jake Burger (112.4) 1B/3B: I will take dual eligibility with 30-plus HR power here as long as batting average can be recouped elsewhere. Moving away from Miami into a better hitting environment in Texas can only help Burger's outlook. If you miss out on Pete Alonso and his possible 35-plus HRs earlier, getting Burger and a few less HRs is a decent alternative. Luis Rengifo (151.6) 2B/3B: Keep an eye on Rengifo's preseason hamstring injury, but if he logs close to a full season's worth of games, you can get a respectable batting average along with 15 homers and 15 stolen bases. Rengifo is an adequate complementary infield pickup. Luis Arraez (175.8) 1B/2B: Arraez is just a one-category hitter. Get him later and slide him into the middle or corner infield. He may be more valuable at 2B due to the scarcity there. Next: Site-specific standouts, sleepers and players who will gain or lose eligibility in 2025. (Photo of Mookie Betts: Brandon Sloter / Getty Images)
NBC Sports
06-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
What to make of Rodriguez's drop in velocity
Eric Samulski explores what fantasy managers should make of Grayson Rodriguez's "concerning" spring training struggles before highlighting several pitchers he's more comfortable drafting with similar ADPs.
