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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football: Dalton Kincaid headlines breakout candidates at TE position for 2025
With the NFL season approaching and fantasy football drafts in full swing, there's never been a better time to determine which players could be this year's breakout stars. It seems easy in hindsight, but identifying young talent on the verge of making a major leap is often what propels fantasy managers to championships. Over the next week, I'll highlight my favorite breakout candidates at every key fantasy position. Today, we're taking a look at tight Kincaid, Bills 2025 Fantasy Projection Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Dalton Kincaid 71 787 5 After Joe Brady took over as the Bills' offensive coordinator and the team moved on from having a target-hog No. 1 receiver in Stefon Diggs, their offense has been content to spread the ball around. Last year, WR Khalil Shakir was the only player on the roster to top 80 targets, but the results are hard to argue with since Buffalo has had one of the league's best offenses under Brady and Josh Allen is coming off his first MVP award. This is worth noting because fantasy managers searching for the next breakout tight end should be looking for someone who has a chance to be a top-2 target in their offense. As Andrew Cooper of Fantasy Alarm has pointed out in the past, the vast majority of fantasy TE1 performances come from players who fit that criteria. That brings us back to Kincaid, who finished second on the Bills in targets a year ago with 75 — despite battling through shoulder and knee injuries that cost him four games and limited him in several other outings. Through the first nine weeks of the season, before suffering the PCL sprain that sent him to the sidelines for a month, Kincaid was on pace for 102 targets. The 100-target mark was only reached by four tight ends last year — Brock Bowers, Trey McBride, Travis Kelce and Jonnu Smith. Not bad company to keep. It's also not the first time Kincaid finished second in targets on the team. If we go back to his rookie campaign the year before, he posted 91 targets but also had a slow ramp up in the opening month and missed a game due to injury. However, over the final 12 weeks, Kincaid was the TE11 in fantasy points per contest and ended up with 73 catches for 673 yards and two scores. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] One could argue that if he had stayed healthy last season, he would have outproduced those stats and perhaps even broken out already. Even with the injury issues, there were a number of close calls in 2024 where Kincaid was open and Allen simply missed him for big plays. If some of those connections hit, people would be talking about Kincaid right now. So while fantasy managers may feel burned by the unrealized potential of the former first-round tight end, I'm here to tell you that Kincaid still has a path to being a fantasy star. If the 25-year-old stays healthy and finds the end zone at a more normal clip, he'll be someone you want in your lineup every week. TE11 (Low-end TE1 with a path to top-seven production) Tucker Kraft, Packers 2025 Fantasy Projection Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Tucker Kraft 62 803 8 Whether Kraft belongs on this list is debatable after he had 50 catches for 707 yards and seven touchdowns last season. That was enough to make him the TE12 in fppg, but I see an even higher finish coming in 2025. Kraft showcased outstanding abilities with the ball in his hands (led all TEs in yards after catch per reception), while establishing himself as the Packers' clear starter at the position. If you're worried about the return of Luke Musgrave, who missed time due to injuries or the arrival of first-round wideout Matthew Golden, don't be. Jordan Love is on record saying Kraft's usage is a focus for the team this offseason. Green Bay is another offense that likes to spread the ball around, so expect Kraft to be among the team leaders in targets again. TE12 (Low-end TE with a path to top-seven production) Colston Loveland, Bears 2025 Fantasy Projection Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Colston Loveland 64 741 5 While we could discuss Baltimore Ravens TE Isaiah Likely in this space, his true breakout continues to be impeded by Mark Andrews. And with the way rookie tight ends have performed in recent years, it feels odd not to address the impact they will have on the fantasy landscape this season. Loveland is an explosive pass-catching weapon with top-10 draft capital who the Bears prioritized under the new Ben Johnson regime. While it might be too much to expect the kind of debut campaign that Sam LaPorta had with Johnson in Detroit, Loveland will be a key part of an ascending Bears' offense. TE10 (Low-end TE1 whose ceiling will only be limited by target competition in Chicago) Tyler Warren, Colts 2025 Fantasy Projection Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Carries Rushing Yards Rushing TDs Tyler Warren 58 665 4 9 36 1 The Colts' recent history of deploying a tight end by committee will come to an end now that Warren was selected 14th overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. The 23-year-old is an impressive all-around prospect, who posted an outrageous final college season stat line of 104 catches, 1,233 receiving yards, eight receiving touchdowns, 26 carries, 218 rushing yards and four rushing scores. Many beat writers mentioned how often Warren was getting the ball in OTAs, another sign the team plans to make the most of his skills in Year 1. TE13 (Borderline low-end TE1 with a chance to rise quickly if Colts feature him)
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football: 3 second-year standouts headline breakout candidates at WR position for 2025
With the NFL season approaching and fantasy football drafts in full swing, there's never been a better time to determine which players could be this year's breakout stars. It seems easy in hindsight, but identifying young talent on the verge of making a major leap is often what propels fantasy managers to championships. Over the next week, I'll highlight my favorite breakout candidates at every key fantasy position. Today, we're taking a look at wide Downs, Colts 2025 Fantasy Projection Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Josh Downs 89 1,022 4 Few players offer more value and upside in current fantasy drafts than Downs, who can be selected outside of the top-100 picks. His 72-catch, 803-yard, five-touchdown stat line from last year was really a tale of two seasons. With Anthony Richardson under center, Downs was barely startable in fantasy and provided inconsistent results week-to-week. However, in the seven games with Joe Flacco at the helm, Downs posted weekly fantasy finishes of WR8, WR25, WR16, WR34, WR21, W75 and WR18 - while averaging 7.1 receptions, 66.4 receiving yards, and 0.3 touchdowns. It's a small sample size, but would have paced out to a ridiculous 121 catches, 1,129 yards and five scores. With Richardson working his way back from a shoulder injury this offseason, many beat writers have suggested that Daniel Jones is the favorite to start Week 1 entering training camp. While Jones is far from a talent elevator, he peppered his former slot receiver Wan'Dale Robinson with 8.4 targets per game over his 10 starts with the New York Giants, which was 13th most in the league during that span. Yahoo's own receiver guru Matt Harmon ranked Downs as his No. 10 WR age 25 and under. Here's what he had to say: 'Downs is such a positive force in the offense because he's a dynamic separator at all three levels, and against both man and zone coverage. He is truly one of the best route runners at the position. Additionally, he's an excellent ball-winner in tight coverage and has been such dating back to his UNC days with QB Drake Maye. He's more like a Tyler Lockett-type of player than your typical popgun slot merchant. Downs needs a better offensive environment to really put it in the box score but he's a fantastic young wide receiver whom the Colts need to put a premium on featuring in their passing game' [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] It's not hyperbole to suggest Downs could be a top-20 fantasy receiver this season if the Colts target him the way Flacco did last year and the way Jones targeted Robinson on the Giants. Getting him should be one of your top priorities in redraft and dynasty leagues all summer long. : WR40 (WR3/Flex with WR2 potential if Colts get more consistent QB play) Marvin Harrison Jr., Cardinals 2025 Fantasy Projection Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Marvin Harrison Jr. 82 1,066 7 A year ago, Harrison was being drafted like a sure thing — and while he might still ascend to those heights in his career, the 62-catch, 885-yard, eight-touchdown rookie season was by most accounts a disappointment. In the end, he finished as the WR42 (fppg) and only cracked the top-12 weekly fantasy receivers twice. Not much has changed in the Cardinals' offense, but Harrison has transformed his body to contend with the physicality of the NFL game. Though that doesn't work for every receiver, the 22-year-old has an elite pedigree and comes across as a hard worker whose life revolves around football. That's the type of attitude-talent combination that will drive him to success. I'm more than willing to invest, especially at his much more palatable ADP this season. : WR19 (Fantasy WR2 with a WR1 ceiling if development continues) Rome Odunze, Bears 2025 Fantasy Projection Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Rome Odunze 73 1,003 6 The ninth overall pick in last year's draft is coming off an up-and-down rookie campaign where he flashed promising talent despite battling through the dysfunction of the previous coaching staff. Ben Johnson's arrival is a welcome addition for everyone in Chicago, but Odunze may benefit as much as anyone not named Caleb Williams. Odunze had 101 targets playing next to DJ Moore and Keenan Allen, but many of them were inefficient downfield looks. With Johnson taking over playcalling and the major upgrades on the offensive line, expect Odunze to have more plays schemed up for him while finding more success deep. If Moore doesn't rebound after a disappointing year where he showed questionable maturity at times, Odunze has the talent and athleticism to quickly become Williams' top target in a revamped attack. : WR32 (Rising fantasy WR3 loaded with upside, who could challenge for No. 1 role under new regime) Ricky Pearsall, 49ers 2025 Fantasy Projection Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Ricky Pearsall 68 954 5 Pearsall isn't getting nearly enough love from the fantasy community given his situation. Deebo Samuel is no longer with the team, Brandon Aiyuk is recovering from ACL and MCL tears, and Jauan Jennings just requested a new contract or a trade. Meanwhile, Pearsall is one year removed from being a first-round pick, who had his rookie debut delayed six weeks due to a gunshot wound. In the seven contests where he saw at least four targets, the 24-year-old posted 4.3 receptions, 56.4 yards, and 0.4 touchdowns. Those averages extrapolated over a full season would have made Pearsall the WR23 last year. While we shouldn't expect those exact numbers to be replicated and Jennings will likely report to camp and suit up in Week 1, there will be a significant opportunity for Pearsall to establish himself as a starter for however long Aiyuk is sidelined. : WR43 (Rising fantasy WR3/Flex with a massive ceiling if he can take advantage of Aiyuk's injury recovery) Stay tuned for the rest of Justin Boone's breakout series
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football: 3 rookies (and one veteran) headline breakout candidates at the RB position for 2025
With the NFL season approaching and fantasy football drafts in full swing, there's never been a better time to determine which players could be this year's breakout stars. It seems easy in hindsight, but identifying young talent on the verge of making a major leap is often what propels fantasy managers to championships. Over the next week, I'll highlight my favorite breakout candidates at every key fantasy position. Today, we're taking a look at running Hampton, Chargers 2025 Fantasy Projection Carries Rushing Yards Rushing TDs Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Omarion Hampton 242 1,087 9 35 276 2 In the past, I tried to avoid highlighting rookies as breakout candidates because they're in a category of their own after we spend all offseason discussing them. However, in recent years it's become almost impossible to speak about breakout running backs without mentioning a couple rookies, especially when you have a class this strong. While Ashton Jeanty stole most of the headlines and eventually went sixth overall to the Raiders (more on him later), Hampton also earned that rare first-round RB draft capital — going off the board 22nd to the Chargers. While some people will debate whether it's smart to invest that high of a pick on a ball carrier, it was well deserved for both players. In addition to a 6-foot, 221-pound frame, Hampton posted an impressive athletic profile, including a 94th percentile speed score and a 91st percentile burst score. The 22-year-old is also coming off back-to-back seasons with over 1,500 scrimmage yards and over 15 touchdowns at North Carolina. Jeanty's presence in this class might have been the only thing keeping the Hampton hype train in check. Now, fantasy managers can let themselves be inspired by Hampton's potential in a Greg Roman scheme, where he can star as a north-south runner and a true three-down difference-maker. Jim Harbaugh even referred to him as a four-down back at one point this offseason. It was evident that Harbaugh wanted to build a strong run game a year ago, but the inconsistent health of J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards made that task harder than it should have been. Still, that duo accounted for eight top-15 weekly fantasy performances and Dobbins was the RB14 in fantasy points per game before injuries derailed his season. Hampton will presumably be running behind a better offensive line, as well. The Chargers added guard Mekhi Becton to a group that already featured three first-round picks and one of the best tackle tandems in the league. Maybe you're worried about Najee Harris turning this into a committee? Don't be. Hampton is unlikely to be a workhorse during his first season, but the good news is that he doesn't need to be in order to have meaningful fantasy results. Think about Jahmyr Gibbs, another first-round runner who was overshadowed by a superstar in his class (Bijan Robinson). In that debut campaign in 2023, Gibbs shared his backfield and only played 56% of the Lions' snaps, yet finished as the RB11 (fppg). [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] Hampton is far more dynamic than Harris and will have a head start on the veteran, who's expected to miss some time at the beginning of training camp following an eye injury he suffered during a recent fireworks mishap. This all boils down to Hampton being positioned for a significant role in an ascending offense that wants to feature their backs. It's hard to believe a first-round runner could be under-appreciated by the fantasy community, but I'd argue that's where we're at with Hampton being drafted as the RB21 at the Round 4-5 turn. I'll have him on the majority of my redraft rosters if that continues. : RB17 (Strong RB2 with potential to push his way into the low-end RB1 range) Ashton Jeanty, Raiders 2025 Fantasy Projection Carries Rushing Yards Rushing TDs Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Ashton Jeanty 289 1,270 9 51 416 2 It seems silly to devote much space in this article to Jeanty, who is one of the more obvious rookie breakout candidates in recent years. On top of an elite prospect profile and the aforementioned top-six draft capital, he joins an offense ready to make him the engine of their attack. Chip Kelly has given us plenty of high-end fantasy starters over the years and he'll bring an uptempo approach to the Raiders, while giving Jeanty as many touches as he can handle. There's also minimal competition in the backfield, unless you're concerned about a 33-year-old Raheem Mostert. It might feel dangerous using your first-round fantasy pick on a rookie, but Jeanty is worthy and has an excellent shot to be a top-five RB in Year 1. : RB5 (Immediate bell-cow RB1 with an elite fantasy ceiling) TreVeyon Henderson, Patriots 2025 Fantasy Projection Carries Rushing Yards Rushing TDs Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs TreVeyon Henderson 187 764 5 52 411 2 Henderson is the third and final rookie I'll mention on this list, though Kaleb Johnson should get an honorable mention for almost making the cut. Henderson gets the edge over him thanks to higher draft capital, a more explosive profile, top-notch pass-catching ability and his pass-protection skills. This should help win over a new coaching staff who would love nothing more than to keep Drake Maye's jersey clean. So, why does his ADP have him down at RB28 in the seventh round? Fantasy drafters who are scared off by the committees OC Josh McDaniels deployed in his previous seasons with New England should remember Rhamondre Stevenson has found himself in the doghouse with prior regimes due to fumbling issues and an overall lack of big-play ability. It shouldn't take long for Henderson to establish himself as the best option and a safety net for Maye. The Patriots also have the eighth-easiest RB slate in my Fantasy Strength of Schedule Matrix, so get ready for Henderson to significantly outproduce where he's going in current drafts. : RB20 (Low-end RB2 with a high floor thanks to receiving stats) Jordan Mason, Vikings 2025 Fantasy Projection Carries Rushing Yards Rushing TDs Receptions Receiving Yards Receiving TDs Jordan Mason 173 746 5 19 138 1 Mason is one of the few non-rookie backs who meet the criteria of a breakout candidate this year and in the interest of not making this an All-Rookie Team, I'm awarding him the last spot. If you read my article on players set to excel with new teams, you already know why I'm in on Mason this year. If you didn't, let's recap. The Vikings traded for Mason after he shone as an injury-replacement starter for the 49ers last season. Since then, Minnesota's coaches have spoken about their backfield as a two-man band with Mason serving as a power complement to veteran Aaron Jones, who turns 31 in December. That's a role that should make Mason a weekly flex option with the potential for much more if Jones starts to break down given his age and injury history. If Jones were to miss time, Mason would enter the fantasy RB1 conversation. : RB31 (Consistent flex option with league-winning injury-replacement upside) Stay tuned for the rest of Justin Boone's breakout series
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Why Next Gen NYC's Emira D'Spain Is ‘Banned' From Mallorca
One of the cool things about Next Gen NYC is learning more about the reality kids we've seen grow up with their famous Housewives moms. But there's also something exciting about learning more about the new stars in the series' debut season. One of these breakout stars is Emira D'Spain. Even before Emira hopped onto reality TV, she was already a NYC 'It Girl.' She was Paper Magazine's beauty director and the first Black transgender model for Victoria's Secret. She was also popular as an influencer with over one million followers on TikTok. All her popularity didn't help her when Mallorca banned her though. No, but for real, Mallorca didn't actually ban Emira. She joked to some of Bravo's favorite nepo babies in an episode that she was 'banned' from the island. And as it turns out she was only half-joking. Emira posted a TikTok video in 2023 titled 'I Got Banned from a Country.' In the video, the influencer recalled the time she took a trip with friends when she was 18. She decided to get a rental car in Mallorca. On the last night of their vacay, she parked the car far from their villa thinking nothing of it. The next morning, she went to get the car and saw a tow truck about to drive off with it. 'Tow truck man is driving away, and I'm chasing after him on the streets of Mallorca,' Emira shared. 'I remember I was wearing these Gucci loafers and I could feel the blood pooling in the bottom of my shoe from how painful they were.' When she finally caught up with the driver, he asked for 1000 euros to give back the car. The driver also handed her a ticket which she tossed. When she got home to the U.S. Emira received a letter from the Mallorca court. The letter stated that because she failed to appear at her court date, the country no longer welcomed her and might fine or imprison her if she tried to enter. Emira was sharing the story in the video because she was back in Mallorca at the time and worried about getting in the country. Thankfully, she didn't have any problems. It looks like Emira has her own crazy stories. They may not be as scandalous as Charlie Zakkour and the crypto torture house or as weird as the rumors of Andy Cohen firing Gia Giudice, but it sure is fun getting to know her more. Next Gen NYC airs on Tuesdays at 9/8c on Bravo. It streams on Hayu in the UK and Ireland. TELL US – DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT EMIRA AND HER JET-SETTING LIFE? The post Why Next Gen NYC's Emira D'Spain Is 'Banned' From Mallorca appeared first on Reality Tea.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fantasy Football: J.J. McCarthy headlines breakout candidates at the QB position for 2025
With the NFL season approaching and fantasy football drafts in full swing, there's never been a better time to determine which players could be this year's breakout stars. It seems easy in hindsight, but identifying young talent on the verge of making a major leap is often what propels fantasy managers to championships. Advertisement Over the next week, I'll highlight my favorite breakout candidates at every key fantasy position — but let's kick this series off with quarterbacks. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] 2025 Fantasy Rankings (Half PPR) QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Top 300 J.J. McCarthy, Vikings It might seem like a bold call to lead my breakouts column with a quarterback who hasn't been on the field for a regular-season snap in the NFL, but I promise you there are very few projections I feel stronger about than McCarthy's in 2025. And even I might be too low on him. We're talking about the 10th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, who the Vikings handpicked to be their future franchise quarterback. Early returns were positive when McCarthy fared well in his lone preseason appearance throwing for 188 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, while rushing twice for 18 yards in around two quarters of action. Unfortunately, he came out of that game with a meniscus tear that required season-ending surgery and an unchallenged Sam Darnold went on to have a magical year. Advertisement Remember that. Darnold, who had struggled his prior six campaigns with the Jets, Panthers and 49ers, linked up with Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell and delivered a season unlike any other in his career. The veteran was fifth league-wide in both passing yards (4,319) and passing touchdowns (35), finishing as the QB11 in fantasy points per game (18.8). But he's not the only quarterback to have that kind of success under O'Connell's play-calling. Kirk Cousins was the QB7 (19.3 fppg) in 2023 and QB13 (18 fppg) in 2022. Joshua Dobbs was the QB10 (19.1 fppg) during his five-game starting stint for Minnesota in 2023 and Nick Mullens was QB14 (17.9 fppg) when he spent most of the final month under center that year. So, we have a multi-season sample of O'Connell and the Vikings' offense producing quality fantasy QB production, despite at times deploying backup-level talent at the position. And yet, the first-round pick who's spent a full year learning the system from the sidelines is going off the board in fantasy drafts as the QB20? Something doesn't add up. Advertisement I haven't even mentioned the outstanding weapons McCarthy will get to play with in Minnesota, including one of the game's best receivers in Justin Jefferson, an ascending star wideout in Jordan Addison, a top-5 tight end in T.J. Hockenson and a dynamic tandem in the backfield with Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason. The Vikings also made great strides to improve their interior offensive line by adding veterans Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, as well as first-round guard Donovan Jackson. McCarthy even gets the benefit of an early-season bye (Week 6) that will give the team an opportunity to reassess his progress and make any necessary adjustments. If you end up waiting on quarterback this year, you'll have plenty of options to choose from, but McCarthy represents the best value as a late-round pick who could turn into a set-it-and-forget-it fantasy starter. Advertisement Boone's redraft rank: QB15 (Borderline fantasy QB1 who's being incorrectly valued as a low-end QB2) Boone's 2025 projection for McCarthy: 4,239 passing yards, 28 passing TDs, 16 INTs, 285 rushing yards, rushing TD Caleb Williams, Bears Williams is the obvious breakout candidate among quarterbacks this season and every fantasy analyst — including myself — has gone on record with some level of excitement over his potential in a Ben Johnson offense. Between the improved coaching, the rebuilt interior of his offensive line (Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson) and the additional skill position talent (Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III), there are no excuses for Williams in 2025. How long it will take for all those elements to coalesce remains to be seen, but it helps that the 23-year-old gets a friendly schedule in the opening month with three of his four contests coming against teams that finished inside the top-12 for most fantasy points allowed to QBs last year. And despite the dysfunction with the former coaching staff, Williams did manage to post QB1 fantasy numbers in three of his final seven games as a rookie. A significant step forward is coming for this offense and that starts with Williams, who has a strong case to be a high-end fantasy producer moving forward. Advertisement Boone's redraft rank: QB11 (Low-end QB1 with an elite ceiling) Drake Maye, Patriots Maye is the second-most obvious breakout candidate at the position after taking over as the Patriots' starter in Week 6 last year and showing a very stable fantasy floor — in large part due to his rushing stats. In the nine outings where Maye played at least 85% of the snaps, he never finished lower than QB17 while averaging 212.7 passing yards and 36.7 rushing yards per game. He also threw 14 TDs, 10 interceptions and rushed for another two scores on the ground during that stretch. If you take those numbers and pace them out over a full 17-game season, it puts Maye in the conversation as a possible low-end QB1. He also put up those numbers as a rookie with very limited talent around him. This year he gets a new coaching staff with Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, as well as Stefon Diggs, Kyle Williams and TreVeyon Henderson joining the mix. Whether you like those names or not, they represent a huge upgrade for Maye. The only thing left to find out now is if the 22-year-old can take advantage of the new personnel and combine that high floor with some week-winning fantasy performances. Advertisement Boone's redraft rank: QB16 (High-end QB2 who will continue to flirt with QB1 results) Bryce Young, Panthers Many fantasy managers wrote off Young after a disappointing rookie campaign where he looked unsettled behind an offensive line that did him no favors. Even with the arrival of the QB career resurrector Dave Canales, the first half of last season was more of the same for the former first overall pick. However, something clicked along the way and after the Panthers' Week 11 bye, Young was a different player entirely. He appeared more comfortable in the offense and even began using his legs more. The result was the ninth-most fantasy points per game among quarterbacks over the final seven weeks. Now, with another full offseason in Canales' system and the addition of a true No. 1 target in first-round rookie wideout Tetairoa McMillan, Young has a ceiling that seemed almost out of reach a year ago. Though he has the latest ADP of any passer on this list, he has a legitimate path to top-12 fantasy production if his development carries into 2025. Boone's redraft rank: QB20 (Mid-range QB2 with sneaky QB1 potential) 2025 Fantasy Rankings (Half PPR) QB | RB | WR | TE | DEF | K | Top 300
