WEEK 17 RANKINGS: QB | RB | WR | DEF | K FIVE STAR Rob Gronkowski, Patriots vs. BUF. It’s the best fantasy TE vs. the best fantasy TE defense. Something’s gotta give, and we’re betting it’s the Bills. Gronk had 7-94 in the first meeting. However, make sure the Pats aren’t planning to rest their regulars. Jimmy Graham, Saints @ TB FOUR STAR Antonio Gates, Chargers @ KC...
See, that’s more fun, right? OK, the truth, as always, is somewhere in the middle. Certain QBs looked great (Jackson, Dak Prescott, Tom Brady); other highly ranked guys struggled (Roethlisberger, Jared Goff, Aaron Rodgers). Things will even out in Week 2, but how much? We’re expecting bounce-back efforts from Goff (back at home in a favorable matchup), Matt Ryan (ditto), and Mayfield. We’re not quite as excited about Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers, and Jameis Winston, but given their talent levels and the state of this position, all are still in the discussion for a starting spot....
However, starting 2-0? Fantastic. Open 2-0 (again, since 1990), and you make it to the playoffs just over 63 percent of the time. Eight teams started that way last year, and five made the playoffs, just under 63 percent. Amazing, right? That included the two Super Bowl teams and three of the four conference finalists — all but the 49ers, who lost Game 2 in Seattle. So statistically, it would be helpful for a lot of teams with playoff aspirations to keep the momentum going, and two of those teams happen to play in national TV games this weekend — the 49ers and Eagles....
Once again, the Rams find themselves near the top of the defense rankings because of an excellent matchup with the Washington Football Team. The Patriots and Steelers return to the top five, as well, after a tough matchup with the Chiefs and a postponed game, respectively. They should be solid performers against the Broncos and Brett Rypien (or possibly Drew Lock) and the beat-up Eagles. WEEK 5 STANDARD RANKINGS: Quarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | Kicker...
Standings through four weeks: Against the spread (last week): 28-12: Jon Cooper, SaturdayDownSouth.com (7-3)26-14: Mike Griffith, MLive.com (5-5)26-14: Ken Bradley, Sporting News (6-4)24-16: David Matter, St. Louis Post-Dispatch (7-3)24-16: Bill King, Host of On Campus with Bill King, 6-9 a.m., SiriusXM 91 (7-3)23-17: Bill Bender, Sporting News (7-3)22-18: Andrew Carter, Raleigh News & Observer/Charlotte Observer (5-5)21-19: Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune (8-2)20-20: Matt Hayes, Sporting News (5-5)20-20: Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel (6-4)...
Our top 10 is full of favorable matchups for quarterbacks. Tom Brady travels to the Meadowlands to play the Jets on Monday Night Football – and yeah, the Jets made Dak Prescott look rough, but Brady is much better than him and should have a field day like he did against the Jets earlier this season. Russell Wilson and Lamar Jackson should have a shootout against each other. Josh Allen should light up the Dolphins, Aaron Rodgers should rekindle his prime against the Raiders, and Kyler Murray should compile a ton of numbers against the Giants....
The upside of that, though, is that nearly everybody is in the playoff hunt, even the two-win Colts, who are again blessed to be in the AFC South and who can move up the standings if they beat the uninspiring Bengals and the rest of the chips fall the right way. Sweet. That, then, is a big tease for what could be one of the more stunning results of the first half of the season....
— NFL regular season, Cowboys-Saints. Prediction: 12.9; final rating: 14.1. — NFL regular season, mostly Packers-49ers. Prediction: 15.6; final rating: 15.0. — College football, Notre Dame-Clemson. Prediction: 4.0; final rating: 4.5. — WNBA Finals, Fever-Lynx Game 1. Prediction: 0.4; final rating: 0.4. — Ratings not immediately available for Jets-Dolphins and Alabama-Georgia on CBS. This week’s predictions (all times Eastern): NFL regular season, mostly Patriots-Cowboys (4:25 p.m. Sunday, CBS). The two highest-profile teams in football clash on CBS Sunday afternoon as the defending champion Patriots head to Dallas....
The Broncos have a 165-34 over the last 15 years, third-best in the FBS behind only Ohio State (171-28) and Alabama (173-32). That’s what makes Boise State’s recent statement regarding the Mountain West so interesting. The Broncos have a disagreement with the conference about whether this would be the last time they can negotiate a media rights deal separate from the rest of the league after the conference landed a six-year, $270 million deal with FOX and CBS....
As some people have indicated on social media, there is a glitch in Red Dead Redemption 2 that makes horses combust spontaneously. When players walk on the road with the glitch, their horses seem to throw them off and then catch fire. The road is just outside the town of Rhodes, and to make it worse, the fire is invisible. Once any object or creature (including horses and humans) come into contact with the invisible fire, they begin burning....
The film’s audience is left to wonder how these complex and often hauntingly similar patterns could possibly crop up in such far-flung places all at once. How to explain this phenomenon, which has been documented many times over the last century? It’s a question that has riveted Americans since long before “Signs” hit Main Street. The popular new flick may star Mel Gibson and boast the most skilled director of spooky cinema since Hitchcock, but its $150 million gross after just three weeks in theaters is at least partially due to the fact that no one quite knows what to make of crop circles, the eerie leitmotif at the heart of the movie....
Through partnerships with automotive manufacturers, suppliers and others in the space, Wejo is utilizing a connected car’s embedded sensors with the goal of reducing the time lag of created value. In an interview, founder and CEO Richard Barlow told Newsweek that the applications from sorting through all of this data are virtually endless. “My mission is data for good,” he explained. “It’s about having an open conversation. “There are 225 million cars in the world that have this better connectivity, that needs to be a platform to help OEMs build better cars and provide better mobility experiences to drivers....
“Divine Intervention’s” impact extends far beyond Israel’s disputed borders. It beat out “8 Mile” and “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” at the European Film Awards in the best non-European picture category and won big at the Cannes Film Festival. Though it won’t be released in the United States until next month, it’s already sparked great interest–and controversy. Some pro-Israeli groups want to have the film banned, and it’s not eligible for a best- foreign-film Oscar because the motion- picture Academy does not recognize Palestine as a nation....
It was a wry grin that effectively let the cat out of the bag in 2013. In the wake of Arsenal’s 1-0 win over north London rivals Tottenham almost 24 months ago, Arsene Wenger, when quizzed on whether there would be any more arrivals before the transfer window slammed shut, simply replied: “Maybe we’ll have a good surprise for you.” Arsenal fans were sent into a frenzy, guessing who the “surprise” signing would be....
Ozil 5/2 to score v Man U Despite Alexandre Lacazette’s third-minute opener, Arsenal laboured against the Terriers, who saw Steve Mounie’s deflected shot pushed behind off the crossbar by Petr Cech early in the second half. Ozil eased the tension by setting up Olivier Giroud – a half-time replacement for Lacazette, who sustained a groin injury that will rule him out of Saturday’s clash with Manchester United – and Alexis Sanchez in successive minutes, before adding one of his own shortly after....
Sanchez, 28, is entering the final year of his contract and the Chile forward is reportedly holding out for an improved deal amid interest from Manchester City. However, Wenger – in Australia for Arsenal’s pre-season tour which continues against Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday – is positive about Sanchez’s future at Emirates Stadium. “Of course. There is not a lot to resolve at the moment with the player,” Wenger said when asked about Sanchez and whether he is convinced the Chilean will stay....
Arsenal tell PSG: Alexis going nowhere The teenage striker has emerged as one of Europe’s brightest talents, with his goals helping lead Monaco to the Ligue 1 title in 2016-17, as well as the Champions League semi-final. Arsenal are one of a number of clubs who have been linked with Mbappe, with the likes of Manchester City, United and Real Madrid all apparently keen admirers. Goal understands that the Gunners are interested in signing the Monaco star but that no official bid for the 18-year-old had yet been made....
The Chile international is in the final year of his contract with Arsenal and was rumoured to be angling for a move to Manchester City for much of the summer. Alexis 25/1 to be PL top scorer After a possible deal between the two clubs fell apart at the transfer deadline, Sanchez was reportedly furious over the move and his future with the Gunners beyond this year is in doubt....
Sanchez only returned to training on Tuesday, having initially been given a later start date due to his involvement in the Confederations Cup with Chile, which was then further delayed by illness. Sanchez 18/1 to win PL Golden Boot Wenger explained the absence of the 28-year-old, who has been heavily linked with Manchester City with only a year left on his contract, while also allaying fears over Per Mertesacker’s head injury after he had to come off in the first half at Wembley following an aerial clash with Gary Cahill....
