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New York Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Should you prioritize wide receivers or running backs in fantasy football? Here's the answer
Every year, I think I've written my last 'Flex 9 vs. Flex 10' article. I'm always convinced the market will have discovered that all this 'prioritizing RBs vs. prioritizing WRs' draft talk is strictly dependent on whether your league starts two WRs and a flex (Flex 9) or three WRs and a flex (Flex 10). We would then stop shouting at one another about the best draft strategy in fantasy football. Advertisement The fewer receivers you can start, the more you have to fight your league for the best running back room. With the ability to start four WRs or more (including two WRs and two flexes, etc.), having the best receivers in your league becomes paramount, which is why overall rankings are pointless. While we can customize rankings for half-point PPR or full-point PPR (no meaningful difference) formats or, god forbid, standard (meaningful, but a format played by an increasingly infinitesimal fraction of the market), I'm not aware of overall rankings that account for Flex 9 vs. Flex 10. Mention these terms to 95% of experts, writers, YouTubers, podcasters, and you'll get blank stares. Yet the difference between the two formats means everything, while the difference in draft strategies in half-point vs. full-point PPR leagues is so marginal that it's barely worth discussing. So my rankings are positional only — the only way to rank. The overall rankings are a product of an algorithm by the hosting site, Sharpener. I tell everyone to ignore them. All you need to know is to prioritize RBs in Flex 9 and deemphasize them in favor of WRs in Flex 10. It's basic math. In 2024, there were 138 20-point games (PPR) for running backs and 205 for WRs. If we move the bar up to 25+ points, it's 84-65 in favor of WRs. At 30+, WRs take it by a margin of 30-23. The more WRs your format allows, the more chances you have for explosive, week-winning performers. The scoring will be higher because you can add another starter from the position with the highest ceiling in PPR scoring. Last year, of the top-20 scorers in PPR points per game, 11 were receivers; of the top 25, 14 were WRs; and 15 WRs were among the top 30. It's not that the receivers score more points overall, but WR-scoring ceilings are higher each week. Advertisement No matter the format, RB touches, and thus RB points, are more projectable. The team with the best RB room will get about 10 more points per week than a team with a middling room. And that's pretty much bankable. Making that up with WRs is tough when you can only play three total (including at the flex) because who breaks out is more random. But in Flex 10, you start 33% more WRs, which is a massive additional opportunity to wash out a weekly deficit in your expected running back scoring with only one big WR game. And if you get two breakouts, forget it — you're likely to win no matter what your opponent's backs do. The bottom line: RB consistency is more of a winning edge in lineups with fewer starting receivers and less of one with more starting receivers. And there are more viable scorers at WR, too. Each week, each team has two starting wide receivers who could get 10 targets each, but only one running back will likely get 20 touches. In 2024, on average, a target was worth 1.74 PPR points and an RB touch was worth 0.84 points, according to TruMedia. While every RB who can conceivably get 20 touches in a week will be started in your league (including in flex spots, regardless of whether your league is Flex 9 or Flex 10), the pool of potential high-scoring WRs is larger. A Flex 9 league will start less than half of the potential top scorers (the 64 starting WRs in the real NFL, in weeks with no byes), and a Flex 10 league will start only about two-thirds. That's why if you're working with, say, three starting WRs and two flex spots (Flex 11), you should structure your draft to start five WRs. ZeroRB (no RBs drafted in the first four or even five rounds) is only viable in Flex 10. If you spend your first four picks on WRs and get four top-25 WRs, not a Herculean task by any stretch, your team will be dangerous. You can start them all. Then you can start committee backs, receiving-RB specialists, and stream the waiver wire when inevitable RB attrition strikes to get at least near average at the position. Then the dominant WR room you spent all that draft capital to build becomes your winning edge. Advertisement Robust RB is only a thing in Flex 9 formats. It makes sense in that setup that three of your first five picks are RBs. In Flex 10, however, that draft structure is madness. In both Flex 9 and Flex 10 formats, having a top tight end dramatically increases your odds of winning your league. This year, there are only three that I project as equivalent of a top-20 WR: Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and George Kittle (in the order they're being drafted generally, though I have Kittle as my No. 1 TE). An elite TE is more important in Flex 9 because you have fewer starters and less scoring, so it's harder for the opponent to make up that difference. So when do these differences matter most, and where are the inflection points in your drafts? In Flex 9, at least seven first-round picks should be running backs, and I can make a case for Chase Brown at No. 8. In Flex 10, it's four to five, at most. There is no RB 'Dead Zone' in Flex 9. Hitting on multiple WRs early is less important because your league is drafting fewer of them early and starting way fewer WRs. So you should keep swinging at the RB position, even 16-to-25 RBs in. Backs like Kenneth Walker, Chuba Hubbard, James Conner and Tony Pollard are ghastly picks in Rounds 3-4 in Flex 10, but you have to empty the queue in Flex 9 inside the first 50 picks. You only need to find one other top-25 receiver later in the draft in Flex 9, not two like in Flex 10. And everyone is pushing up the running backs, making a later hit more likely. The RB focus pushes down Courtland Sutton, Marvin Harrison and DK Metcalf, to name a few, probably outside Round 4. A Flex 9 draft will likely produce 25 RBs, 15 WRs, three TEs and three QBs through the first four rounds. A Flex 10 draft should generate 25 WRs, 15 RBs, three TEs and three QBs — a huge difference. And a totally rational one that too few recognize. (Photo of DK Metcalf, Kenneth Walker: Steven Bisig / Imagn Images) Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Play today's puzzle
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
The Sydney party that men weren't allowed into
On Saturday night while the city was smashed by rain, many women relaxed at home, cooked up some dinner, caught up with friends or tucked their children into bed. But, in a different corner of Sydney, thousands gathered armed with sparkles and unicorn doof sticks. Centennial Park's Hordern Pavilion was flooded with mothers and wives, bosses and CEOs, from all different walks of life. But they all had one thing in common; they were women and they came to party. The Disco Club is Australia's biggest women's only disco and is run by Brisbane-born and raised best friends and podcasters, Lise Carlaw, 46, and Sarah Wills, 45, who describe the experience as 'everything you miss about clubbing and nothing you don't.' With tickets sitting around the $100 mark, disco-goers get a complimentary welcome drink, three hours of uninterrupted partying, food trucks and access to multiple on-site bars. In this economy, you'd be lucky to hit a club and spend under $200 for the drinks, entry, Ubers and late-night feeds – so, bargain! Best friends Lise and Sarah, who also host the popular 'Lise and Sarah' podcast, first created the idea for their women's only space in 2022. The pair 'hired a room at a bowls club in Brisbane, borrowed a speaker, shared a microphone, and pressed play on music they love to 80 women.' The mothers met in their 30s and after discovering their 'extraordinary chemistry and genuine friendship,' the rest was history. As a 23-year-old I was definitely outside of the core demographic for Disco Club revellers, with most appearing to sit around the 40-year age. But that didn't bother me for one minute, and why would it? Led by my mum (a child of the 70s), who was keen to bring her retired feral party girl out, and my slightly mortified 20-year-old sister – we entered the event hall where the sea of sequins stretched further than the eye could see. Everywhere you look are women of all different ages dressed head-to-toe in sparkles – some who haven't been on the dancefloor for decades – laughing and partying with the same girlfriends they've had for 20 years. The dancefloor was pumping by the 7pm start time, with hits by Britney, Whitney, Madonna and Dolly riling up the crowd. When Lise and Sarah asked the crowd their ages, screams of women in their 40s and 50s filled the space, solidifying who was at the core of the club. The pair then asked the crowd who will be the 'sweatiest feral rat girl of them all' and spoiler, it might have been me after clocking 17,000 steps on the dance floor. The night that followed was three hours of intense singing and dancing to everyone's favourite 80s, 90s and 2000s classics, accompanied by lasers, confetti canons and onstage fireworks. It was an electric space where women could chuck their handbags in the middle of the floor, leave their drink while they went to the bathroom and occupy all the space they wanted.
Times
17-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
The Rest Is Politics US review — the stale art of Trump-hating
Like an enormous water buffalo sustaining a flock of flea-eating river birds with a lifetime of free dinners, the Trump administration supports a throng of parasitic podcasters. Conservatives gawk and cheer. Liberals gawk and scoff. The world can't look away and the dollars roll in. Very firmly in the gawk and scoff camp are Anthony Scaramucci and Katty Kay of The Rest Is Politics US. Kay is a British journalist. Scaramucci, you probably recall, is famous for his ill-fated 11-day stint as Trump's communications director. Though not quite culture-bestriding political commentary superstars on the level of Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart (hosts of the namesake show The Rest Is Politics), Kay and Scaramucci command a loyal audience of Trump-transfixed British liberals. That audience — world-weary, trainer-wearing centrists — was out in force last night for The Rest Is Politics US Live. Kay and Scaramucci appeared at Indigo at the O2 in London, a smaller side theatre in the famous dome where Billie Eilish was playing the main stage. But even Eilish's tweenage obsessives would struggle to equal the levels of fan devotion from the Rest Is Politics US crowd. 'Scaramucci 2028' caps were on sale at the merch stand and the hosts were whooped and cheered on to the stage. • Read more radio and podcast reviews I confess to a certain bewilderment. I've never quite got the appeal of The Rest Is Politics US. Scaramucci, though clearly genial, strikes me as a bit of a blowhard. I've never felt Kay has much of shattering insight to say on US politics. Still, the fun of Trump-hating will never die. You may have thought the vein of political comedy based on remarking repeatedly on what a ludicrous man the president is with his orange hair and silly tan was exhausted half a decade ago. Not here. The audience chortled away happily as we trotted through his disgraceful antics … the tariffs! The Musk bust-up! The hair! The hair looks like a racoon, Scaramucci observed to merry guffaws. My lips nearly twitched moderately upwards at his description of the president as 'an orange Moses descending from Mount Evil'. But an excess of self-respect prevented even a half-smile from forming. I read a thousand versions of that joke on Twitter in 2016. This stuff is really pretty tired. • Why are podcasters so fixated by Donald Trump? As for the commentary … well, we learnt that 'Trump has got Europeans to take defence spending seriously', that hosting Trump for a state visit may make him feel warmly towards Britain and that by cutting USAID Elon Musk's Doge unit has damaged American soft power. Why anyone would fight their way to the O2 through hordes of marauding Eilish fans on a sticky July evening to hear such lukewarm insights is beyond me. Such are the mysteries of podcasts. Rather more tenuously Scaramucci thinks Trump's havering on Ukraine can be explained by the fact Putin has kompromat of a sexual nature on the American president. To me this is sheer conspiracism but at the O2 I'm in a minority. 'Raise your hands if you think Putin's got something on Trump,' Scaramucci says and a forest of eager arms appears. 'It's not a pee-pee tape,' Scaramucci opines confidently. 'Trump could survive a pee-pee tape.' At one point Scaramucci says of Trump, 'He's a really bad guy, ladies and gentlemen.' This stunningly original observation is greeted with cheers and applause. It's just so easy. As long as Trump remains in the White House, the podcasters are safe. ★★☆☆☆
Associated Press
01-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
5 Proven Strategies to Keep Your Patreon Community Thriving
06/30/2025, Miami , Florida // KISS PR Brand Story PressWire // Building a vibrant, engaged Patreon community takes more than posting exclusive content. It requires thoughtful planning, genuine connection, and ongoing optimization. From artists and podcasters to writers and educators, these five strategies will help you deepen relationships with existing patrons, attract new supporters, and sustain long-term growth. 1. Curate Tiered Value—Beyond 'Just More Content' Patrons appreciate clear, tangible rewards that grow in value as they climb tiers. Instead of simply offering 'extra posts,' consider how each level can deliver a unique experience: Early Access & Sneak Peeks Let mid-tier supporters see work in progress—draft chapters, uncut interviews, or behind-the-scenes clips. This insider access fosters a sense of ownership. Exclusive Workshops & Q&As Host live Zoom sessions for higher-tier patrons. Teach a specific skill (e.g., sketching techniques, songwriting hacks) and answer questions in real time. Limited-Edition Merchandise Collaborate with a local artist or print shop to create small-batch zines, stickers, or prints. Tangible keepsakes reinforce patron loyalty. Tip: By tying each tier to a distinct experience, you reduce churn and give supporters something to look forward to. 2. Harness the Power of Micro-Moments Long-form content is valuable, but bite-sized updates keep patrons organically engaged between major releases: These micro-interactions maintain momentum and remind patrons why they signed up. 3. Build a Welcoming Community Hub Beyond posts and rewards, patrons crave connection with you and with each other. Fostering community within your Patreon page can transform one-off supporters into lifelong advocates: Private Discord Server or Slack Channel Invite all patrons to an official chat space. Organize channels by topic—fan art, feedback, off-topic banter—to give everyone a place to belong. Monthly 'Member Spotlights Highlight a different patron each month. Share their work, journeys, or reasons for supporting you. Public recognition encourages others to participate. Feedback Loops & Brainstorm Sessions Host quarterly brainstorming posts where patrons submit ideas for future projects. Vote on the best ones—then credit contributors in your final work. A lively hub doesn't just create fans; it forges friendships. 4. Set Transparent Milestones & Celebrate Wins Clear goals motivate patrons to recruit new members and increase pledges: Transparency builds trust, and turning success into a communal celebration amplifies reach. 5. Analyze & Iterate—Data Is Your North Star Creative intuition is vital, but combining it with data ensures you're meeting patron needs and optimizing for growth: Patreon Analytics Dashboard Monitor pledge churn, tier distribution, and top-performing posts. Look for patterns: What content drives sign-ups? What prompts cancellations? A/B Test Reward Descriptions Experiment with wording ('Behind-the-Scenes Access' vs. 'Insider Studio Pass') and measure which copy converts better, and incorporate this into your digital marketing strategy. Quarterly Retrospectives Schedule a regular review: celebrate your top three wins, dive into your biggest challenges, and set measurable targets for the next quarter. A cycle of testing, learning, and adjusting keeps your page fresh and responsive. Bringing It All Together Sustaining a loyal Patreon following blends heartfelt connection with strategic execution. With tiered value, micro-moments, community hubs, transparent milestones, and data-driven iteration, you'll not only retain supporters but inspire them to become ambassadors of your work. Original Source of the original story >> 5 Proven Strategies to Keep Your Patreon Community Thriving
CNET
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
Today's NYT Mini Crossword Answers for June 23
Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today's Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles. Need some help with today's Mini Crossword? It's kind of self-referential today, with a few nods back to the New York Times itself. Read on for answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips. The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times' games collection. If you're looking for today's Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET's NYT puzzle hints page. Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword Let's get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers. The completed NYT Mini Crossword puzzle for June 23, 2025. NYT/Screenshot by CNET Mini across clues and answers 1A clue: Measure of a country's economic health: Abbr. Answer: GDP 4A clue: Indicator of a dog's mood Answer: TAIL 5A clue: What "x" can mean Answer: TIMES 6A clue: Spots Answer: SEES 7A clue: Source of revenue for podcasters Answer: ADS Mini down clues and answers 1D clue: Part of the 5-Across with Wordle and Strands Answer: GAMES 2D clue: Runs out of battery Answer: DIES 3D clue: Opposite of "ty," in texts Answer: PLS 4D clue: Like shoelaces Answer: TIES 5D clue: Reason to remove a laptop from your backpack, for short Answer: TSA
