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What truly defines a "productive fantasy player"? Math geeks know that simply considering the old industry standards of " Points Against" and "Player Cumulative Points" will leave way too much to error to be statistically reliable.That's why I helped create a system that predicts player performance and provides the actual strength of an opponent and actual player production values.When used, this sytem has proven to be up to 37 percent more accurate than the metrics that everyone else in your league is using.The system gives you a "Player Rating," "Defense Rating," and a "Matchup Rating." The ratings are based on the most advanced and accurate mathematical algorithm in , and take into account the following factors: Adjusted Player scoring based on strength of their previous opponents ** Adjusted Defense scoring based on the strength of the players they have faced at each position ** Whether the player and/or defense plays better at home or away ** How the player compares against other players within their same position ** How defenses compare against other defenses against the same positions ** ... and many more!Sound complicated? Don't worry -- it's simple to understand. All you need to know is that the player, defense or matchup with the higher rating is the better option. That's it. Leave the number crunching to the geeks.Use this system as the basis for your fantasy decisions to take the gue swork out of winning in and get the edge on the competition.EDITOR'S NOTE: The defense ratings for this week are based on numbers from the first six weeks of the 2014 regular season. "Statistically" a three week data sample out of a 16 week fantasy season is enough to draw valuable conclusions. The data continues to become more accurate each week. Plan on coming back for fresh algorithm-based ratings that you cannot get anywhere else!Weekly Matchup RangesThis chart shows the BEST and WORST defensive ratings against each position as of Week 8. The higher the number, the better the matchup:LegendHere's an easy breakdown of how each player module works. When these terms are mentioned in the text (i.e. "best") they are corresponding to these ratings and colors:Expect More:Players who could fall short of expectations this week based on the strength of their opponent compared to their inability to overcome a strong opponent.QB should be on the top of the waiver add list for anyone that regularly starts , , or even (if he sits). Tannehill is the algorithm's 20th-rated fantasy quarterback, but has had a nice run of productive fantasy games over the last month. Last week he seemed to have a letdown game against the , but the Jags are a tougher matchup for fantasy quarterbacks than you'd expect. This week, Tannehill faces the . If you are looking only at the fantasy points against (FPA) ranking, then you'll see that they do not appear to be a particularly easy matchup. But the algorithm can give you an edge here because the majority of the ' opposing quarterbacks have been highly-rated. So despite the opposition's fantasy production, San Diego is still the seventh-easiest matchup for fantasy quarterbacks. Adding to Tannehill's fantasy value is his rushing potential. He has at least 35 yards rushing in four straight games, making him le s risky than most other options. If you include quarterbacks in the yards per rush attempt statistic, then Tannehill is the second-highest ranked Joe Mauer Jersey player in that category out of every player in the NFL over the last month. Forecast: Tannehill should only serve as a bye-week filler in standard leagues, as next week he faces the top-10 rated defense. If you care to hold him in two quarterback leagues, he has a nice matchup in Week 13 against the , but faces nothing but "bad" rated matchups aside from that one. Recommended Usage: QB2 The fantasy panic alarms were going off for after he failed to take advantage of the defense in Week 7. But as you will see mentioned throughout this article, the Jags defense is not that easy of a matchup. Hoyer got back on track against the last week, regaining his poise and showing good decision making while pa sing with accuracy. Hoyer still leads the NFL in accuracy for pa ses over 20 yards and leads the NFL in yards per completion (13.1). Although the lo s of their starting center has created i sues with the running game, the offensive line has allowed the fewest quarterback hurries and pre sures in the league after eight weeks. Hoyer will be a viable bye-week filler in deep or two-quarterback leagues against the this week. The Bucs are the fifth-easiest matchup for fantasy quarterbacks and even made productive last week. Tampa Bay is giving up a 69.2 percent completion rate to opposing quarterbacks and have not held a quarterback to fewer than double digit fantasy points since in Week 2. Forecast: Hoyer actually has a pretty light schedule for the rest of the season and could be worth holding onto in deeper league as a matchup-based play. He has three "bad" rated matchups left, but also five easy ones. This week is the best matchup of the season for Hoyer. Recommended Usage: QB2 RB has quickly gone from a speculative waiver add to a bonafide fantasy starter. Hillman is the eighth-rated fantasy running back, due in large part to his ability to be productive even against tough matchups. He averages over 12 fantasy points a game against "worst" rated defenses, which is the fourth-highest per-game average of all fantasy running backs against that level of matchup strength. Hillman is playing no le s than 60 percent of the offensive snaps since taking over for and has had the sixth-most rushing attempts in the NFL during that span. This week Hillman will be at the feature back in a huge matchup against the . The defense is the third-easiest matchup for fantasy running backs so another productive week should be in order. Denver scores more touchdowns per game than any other team but Hillman only has two of those to his credit. That could change this week against a defense that has allowed a rushing score in four out of the last five weeks. Forecast:This week is the second-best matchup of the season for Hillman. If you make it to the fantasy championship game in Week 16, Hillman faces a top-three easy matchup against the . However, he does have two remaining "worst" rated matchups and three "bad" rated ones. Next week he should keep rolling against a "better" rated defense. Recommended Usage: LOW RB1 Since grabbed the starting role in Week 7, he has played nearly 60 percent of the offensive snaps, has the fifth-most rushing attempts in the NFL and has the fourth-most rushing yards per game. Only 22 percent of his fantasy points come from touchdowns or long plays, so his production has been steady and predictable. He is shaping up to be a weekly starter. This week he has a chance to break out even further as he has his easiest matchup of the season. The defense is the only "best" rated defense that Robinson has seen this year and happened to be the second-easiest matchup for fantasy running backs. The give up the fourth-most rushing yards per game, allowing 4.8 yards per carry to their opponents. The also give up the most plays per game to opponents, allowing more opportunities for your fantasy players to score points. Robinson should easily continue to be productive in this game. The have allowed double digit fantasy points to the last four lead backs they have faced and Robinson could extend that streak. Forecast: Robinson's remaining schedule has a lot to look forward to. He has nothing but "better" or "best" rated matchups between now and Week 16, with one exception in Week 15 against the . He has the second-easiest remaining schedule of any fantasy running back. Recommended Usage: RB2 WR started the fantasy season as hot as any wide receiver and it appeared that he was ushering in a changing of the WR1 guard in Houston. However, he has not been able to score more than single digit fantasy points in his last four games. Much of that lack of production can be attributed to having faced four straight tough matchups, including a "worst" rated defense last week. Hopkins gets a positive player rating from the algorithm due to his ability to still be productive against bad matchups. Last week, Hopkins was targeted 11 times (compared to 12 for ) and was stopped at the five-yard line on one catch. He could have had his best outing of the season against his toughest opponent if he had been able to score on that play. This week, Hopkins gets to face the , who are the third-easiest rated matchup for fantasy wide receivers. The defense has been a doormat to opposing receivers every week and has had a problem giving up the big play. Since Hopkins has the seventh-most pa s targets of any player over the last two weeks and is second in the NFL with 12 pa s targets of over 20 yards on the season, he shapes up to be the perfect player to take advantage of such a great matchup. Forecast: The are Hopkins' last remaining "best" rated matchup. He has two more "better" rated matchups in Week 11 and 14, but faces two very tough "worst" rated defenses in Week 12 and 13. Recommended Usage: WR2 Coming into this week, has been generating some fantasy heat after posting two double digit fantasy point games in a row. He is finally converting his nine targets per game into fantasy points. Only 16 percent of his fantasy points this season have come from either touchdowns or big plays so he is a steady producer. Hawkins averages 1.46 fantasy points per touch and this week faces a defense that allows the second-most fantasy points per touch to opposing wide receivers. Hawkins could be just the type of player that can take advantage of this matchup. The are the easiest-rated matchup for fantasy wide receivers and give up the most total touchdowns per game of any team in the NFL. Even though he is a smaller, slot-type receiver, his scoring potential is not limited to just short pa ses. Hawkins is 10th in the NFL in yards per pa s route run. PPR streamers should be particularly excited about Hawkins this week as a combination of a poor run game, a soft pa s defense and the absence of , should mean PPR fantasy gold. In the games that Cameron has mi sed all or part of this season, Hawkins is averaging a 7/81/1 stat line. Forecast: Next week Hawkins should go back to your bench as he faces the , who are the toughest matchup for receivers. Hawkins has two more excellent matchups in Week 12 and 13 before a terrible fantasy playoff schedule kicks in. Recommended Usage: FLEX TEIt seems like forever since you were able to get any production out of . After a red-hot start to the season as Eli's favorite target, Donnell has failed to eclipse five fantasy points since Week 4. If you held on this long, then you are going to be rewarded this week as Donnell gets one of the easiest matchups you can get for fantasy tight ends. Donnell gets the second-easiest rated tight end matchup on Monday night against the . There is no reason to think Donnell will not be involved since he played 90 percent of the offensive snaps in his last start. Eli has no reason not to trust Donnell, since he has zero drops while still receiving the 10th-most targets of any tight end in the NFL. The made a fantasy hero out of a similarly rated last week, so you should feel confident putting Donnell back in your lineup for this Monday Night showdown. Forecast: This week is the best matchup of the season for Donnell. Next week seems like a tough matchup on paper as he faces the , but they have actually been a "better" rated matchup for fantasy tight ends. Recommended Usage: TE1 D/STKC vs. NYJ: The have been one of the toughest matchups for your fantasy players all season, holding the #1 spot against quarterbacks and running backs. They are also very tough on opposing offenses. They average three sacks a game including seven against the in Week 8. This week the come to Arrowhead with a quarterback situation in flux. The average 2.8 sacks and 1.4 interceptions a game and have been trending higher in both areas in the last few weeks. The held their last two opponents under 250 yards of offense and the only average 18 scoreboard points a game. Stream the with confidence. CIN vs. JAC: The put in their first double digit fantasy point effort in Week 8 after three consecutive disappointing performances. Much of their poor production had to do with their opponents, the , and . But this week they host the in a home game. Jags quarterback looked -like with multiple pick sixes last week. The offensive line gives up a league-high 4.1 sacks per game and early in the season the were averaging three sacks per game against their le ser opponents. Enjoy the sweet matchup this week and then hold on to them for another week as they have a home game against the in Week 10.CLE vs. TB: The fantasy defense is on its third nice matchup in as many weeks. They have caused four interceptions and five sacks in their last two games but have given up quite a few yards. They are getting healthier and now have a home game against the struggling this week. The Bucs average 2.7 sacks and 1.1 interceptions allowed per game and only score 19 points per contest. Expect Le s:Players who could fall short of expectations this week based on the strength of their opponent.QB made his way onto fantasy rosters after two breakout games in Weeks 3 and 4. Many fantasy owners have held on to him in hopes of using Davis as a bye week replacement. However, crunching the numbers tells us that you should be looking elsewhere. Just last week, Davis took a total of seven sacks and lost three of his starting offensive linemen to injury. He has been held under 236 yards pa sing in each of his past three starts to go along with a mediocre four to two touchdown-interception ratio during that span. This week, he faces the defense that is the 11th-toughest matchup for fantasy quarterbacks. The will be a tough matchup for the offense this week. The have the fewest pa sing yards, the third-fewest yards per pa s attempt and have the third-most sacks per game over the last three weeks. Add to that a sputtering running game and no and you should have plenty of reasons not to expect a bounce-back game from your backup fantasy quarterback during this big bye week. Forecast: The matchups are not going to allow Davis to get back on track anytime soon. This week is only the first of three consecutive "bad" rated matchups. By the time he gets through this rough stretch of schedule, he shouldn't be on your roster anymore. Recommended Usage: SIT There he is, staring right at you on waivers. It's and he is finally getting a chance to start for the . You are desperate for a starter because your stud quarterback is on BYE and you're getting nostalgic about all those historic fantasy performances in Vick's past. So why not? Well, first, there is very little data on Vick this season so we can barely give him a player rating. The data that we do have is not impre sive. He came off the bench last week and took four sacks, threw an interception, and lost two fumbles. If anything, this just points to a great start for his opponent this week in the . The defense allows opposing fantasy quarterbacks to score only .42 fantasy points per pa s attempt and Vick was only able to score .28 fantasy points per attempt last week. Three of the four top-10 rated quarterbacks that have faced the have failed to score more than 15 fantasy points against them this season. Vick is the lowest-rated player they have faced so far this season and should match that low fantasy point production. Forecast: If Vick holds on to the starting job after this week, there is nothing but bad matchups waiting for him from here on out. The have the single worst remaining schedule of all fantasy quarterbacks so give yourself a break and avoid this situation completely. Recommended Usage: SIT RBYou've held on to McFadden all season with the hopes that he would overtake just in time for your bye weeks. The increased Jones-Drew's workload last week but he did nothing with the chances. McFadden played on 66 percent of the ' offensive snaps even with Jones-Drew in the mix, yet he only yielded a paltry six fantasy points due to a late-game fumble. If this is the week you hoped to use McFadden, then the matchup against the is going to be bad news. Although Seattle appears to have been slipping on defense, they are actually the second-toughest rated matchup for fantasy running backs, despite being ranked ninth in fantasy points against. Aside from a slip against the and a game against , no running back has scored double digits against Seattle this season. McFadden doesn't shape up to be one of those backs that can rise above the matchup. He is the 34th-rated fantasy running back while Oakland calls the fewest rushing plays per game (32.3 percent) and has gained the fewest rushing yards per game of any team in the NFL. For Seattle, opponents call rushing plays the seventh-most times of any defense, yet the still give up the sixth-fewest rushing yards and the third fewest yards per carry (3.3) per game. This does not shape up to be a productive week for McFadden. Forecast: Consider any momentum that Mcfadden has been gaining to be officially over. After this week's brutal matchup against the , the still have four more games against defenses that are top-five "worst" rated matchups with nothing but "bad" rated matchups in between them. Recommended Usage: RB4 For the first time in the " Number Crunch" series we are going to tell you to expect le s from an entire backfield. In this case, it is the running back by committee. The waiver wire madne s over after a nice outing in Week 7 only made this situation even le s predictable. is desperately trying to tell fantasy owners to stay clear of these three running. He even clearly stated, "We're going to play all three backs," when asked about the situation and he proved it last week. was the third back through the rotation on Sunday, tying Mason for the team lead with eight touches. , who got the "start", received only five touches. This approach isn't nece sarily working either. The are in the top eight in rush attempts per game, yet still generate the 12th-fewest rushing yards per game. If that isn't enough to convince you to pa s on all three backs, then consider that they face the this week who are the fifth-toughest rated matchup for fantasy running backs. Forecast: The running game is facing their fifth straight "worst" rated matchup, and things will only marginally improve moving forward. Over the next three weeks they face defenses rated among the top-eight toughest against running backs. They have one "best" rated matchup in the Week 16 championship game, but you will not get there if you need to start any of these players. Recommended Usage: FLEX has seen a drop in his fantasy production over the last two weeks. After averaging 24 fantasy points per game in his first two starts in relief of , his average dropped to just 6.5 points per game in his last two starts. His poor matchups over the last two weeks can certainly be to blame. In those last two games, he has faced two of the top-12 toughest rated defenses against fantasy running backs. Last week he played 81 percent of the ' snaps, but had a measly minus 3 yards through his first 12 touches. In what could be his last week owning the starting role he plays the who are the algorithm's 12th-toughest rated matchup for running backs. Miami has seen the fourth-fewest rushing plays per game against them in the last three games. Despite Miami letting a couple recent running backs score double digit fantasy points, they are trending slightly toward a tougher matchup this week. Do not be surprised if Oliver is held to single digit fantasy production for the third straight week. Forecast: Reports out of San Diego indicate that should be back after the ' Week 10 bye. Oliver will still have a role, but his days as the lead back are numbered. If you get one more lead back start out of him in Week 11 he has a "better" rated matchup against the . Recommended Usage: FLEX WR is putting in a full week of practice and should finally be fully healthy for Week 9. Last week he was targeted a team-high 11 times and still remains the best red-zone option for the . The problem for Decker this week will not be his health; it will be his lack of ability to get opportunities against a very tough defense. The give up the third-fewest touchdowns per game and allow the second-fewest plays per game to their opponents. They are the fourth-toughest rated matchup for fantasy wide receivers and have not allowed a fantasy receiver to score more than weight fantasy points since did so back in Week 4. Adding to this tough matchup is the ' uncertain quarterback situation, all pointing to low production for Decker this week. Decker has been backwards against his matchups this year. He had his two most productive games against his two toughest matchups. Last week was his easiest matchup of the season, yet all the other factors with this offense led to him having his second-least productive game of the season. Forecast:Decker has one more "best" rated matchup in Week 12 against the secondary, but otherwise faces either "bad" or "worst" rated matchups the rest of the season. Recommended Usage: WR2 is coming off his best game of the season last week, catching all 11 of his targets and converting them into 124 receiving yards and a touchdown. LaFell led receivers by playing on 61 of 74 snaps as well. These are very likely reasons why you picked him up off waivers this week. The algorithm gives him a decent player rating because of his ability to outplay bad matchups. Yet, he followed up his strong outing against the toughly-rated with a two-point dud the following week against another "worst" rated defense, the . This week he faces the in a marquee matchup of two of the league's best quarterbacks. LaFell should carry over some momentum from being Brady's favorite target last week, but the are the third-toughest defense against fantasy wide receivers this season. 25 percent of LaFell's fantasy point production this season has come from long plays, but Denver holds their opponents to the fewest yards per completion (9.6) of any team in the NFL. Forecast: LaFell's tough matchup this week is only the start of a four game stretch of nothing but "bad" or "worst" rated matchups between now and Week 14. If you think you will make the fantasy playoffs, LaFell is worth a hold because he has two decent matchups in Weeks 14 and 16. Recommended Usage: LOW WR1 TE's return from injury was highly anticipated for many fantasy owners who know how much upside this talented tight end can have. Yet, since his return he has averaged only six fantasy points per game. His snap count dropped a bit in Week 8 even though he led the in targets. That's good news for PPR leagues, but nothing worth noting in standard scoring formats. Reed's problem stems from him not doing much with the ball after the catch, limiting his big-play upside. If you are evaluating Reed as a po sible bye-week replacement, then consider that his matchup this week is against a defense that is the fourth-toughest rated matchup for fantasy tight ends. The have only allowed one touchdown to tight ends all season. Keep in mind that Reed's easiest matchup of the season was last week against the and he only scored four fantasy points. Forecast: After Reed comes out of his Week 10 bye, he will face two straight "bad" rated matchups and then one excellent Week 13 matchup against the . Before you consider Reed a long-term hold, it should be noted that Reed has one of the worst fantasy playoff schedules of any tight end. Recommended Usage: LOW TE1 D/STNE vs. DEN:The fantasy defense has been extremely matchup-dependent this season. All of their double-digit fantasy games have come against offenses ranked in the lower half of the league. This week, the host and the ' league-leading offense. Feel free to drop the defense completely as they have a bye next week and then face the , and after they return. The produce an average of over 32 points a game and give up le s than one interception a game. Even with Revis, there is still going to be little room for opportunity this week as well as over the next four games. MIA vs. SD: You combed waivers, saw the HUGE game from the fantasy defense last week and grabbed them. The problem is that this week they host a offense that has given up only .6 interceptions and 1.5 sacks per game. The also average 350-plus yards per game and over 25 points leading to a big letdown in Week 9.Week 10 Forecast:Want to get the jump on the Week 10 byes? Don't wait until next week's waivers, grab these guys now and enjoy their tasty matchups before they are even on your opponents' radar:QB: vs. STL, at NYJ, vs. ATLRB: vs. ATL, vs. TEN, vs. CARWR: vs. CHI, vs. DEN, vs. ATLTE: at NYJ, at DETDST: CIN vs. CLE, BAL vs. TEN, ARI vs. STL-- Chris Anthony is a guest contributor to NFL.com, hailing from . You can follow him on Twitter . Be sure to check back each week for more analytics-based analysis as the algorithm will only get more accurate over time! Minnesota Twins Blank Jersey

With the European Championship and Copa America now completed, now seems like a good time to take an early look at the 2024/25 Premier League title Nick Wittgren Jersey race.Manchester City are bookmakers favourites to claim top spot for the fifth succe sive season and it is difficult to argue with that view.Odds of 11/10 are a fair reflection of their chances and will likely attract plenty of interest from sports bettors before the season starts.Punters may even try to boost their bankroll at ahead of the big kick-off to increase the size of their wagers on City.Pep Guardiolas side have repeatedly hit the jackpot in recent years and are a good bet to deliver another winning return to bettors this season.However, several clubs will head into the upcoming campaign with genuine hopes of knocking City off their perch. Read on as we take a closer look.City will be tough to beatThe reigning champions are chasing an unprecedented fifth consecutive league title next season, and it would be no surprise if they achieved the feat.Their squad is loaded with world-cla s players who know what it takes to withstand the rigours of a Premier League title battle.With the club likely to enter the transfer market this summer, City are guaranteed to mount an extremely strong bid to defend their crown.Manager sets him apart from other top-flight bo ses, and he should enjoy another productive campaign with the club.Arsenal have a point to proveArsenal have also been quiet during the summer transfer window, although several incomings are expected over the next few weeks.Their addition to the ranks should boost the Gunners chances of making it third time lucky after finishing second in each of the last two seasons.However, with City also expected to make quality signings this summer, the London club may end up disappointed for the third year in a row.They have shown signs of mental fragility over the past couple of seasons and may crumble again when the heat is on next term.Liverpool hoping there is life after KloppLiverpool will embark on a new era this season with former Feyenoord manager in the dugout.It is unclear how things will change under Slot as the club are yet to make any noteworthy moves in the transfer market this summer.Slot will be under pre sure to hit the ground running at Liverpool, but his record in the Netherlands suggests he is well-equipped to handle the task.If Liverpool can improve a couple of key positions this summer, they could emerge as the Citys main title rival next season.Man United fancied to be the best of the restMan United, Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur are expected to challenge for a top-four finish, and the Red Devils are fancied to win that mini-battle.The Red Devils are close to completing deals for several players this summer, and these would boost their top-four hopes.Chelsea and Tottenham have already been busy during the transfer window, but both clubs still have sizeable i sues to addre s in their respective squads.On that basis, United will probably be best placed to force their way into the top four and could even mount a title challenge if everything clicks into place. Jose Urena Jersey

With the beginning on Feb. 23, Mike Mayock unveils the first of his position-by-position rankings for the .Quarterback, North Dakota State , California , Memphis , Michigan State , Mi si sippi StateRunning back, Ohio State , Alabama , Utah , Louisiana Tech , IndianaWide receiver, Ole Mi s , Baylor , Ohio State , TCU , Notre DameTight end, Arkansas , Stanford , South Carolina , Ohio State , Iowa Offensive tackle, Ole Mi s , Notre Dame , Michigan State , Ohio State , Western A.J. Pollock Jersey MichiganGuard, Kansas State , LSU , Stanford , Arizona State , MichiganCenter, Alabama , Notre Dame , USC , Mi souri , Michigan StateInterior defensive line, Oregon , Ole Mi s , Louisville , Alabama , AlabamaEdge rusher, Ohio State , Eastern Kentucky , Clemson , Georgia , ClemsonLinebacker, Notre Dame , UCLA , Alabama , Ohio State , LSUCornerback, Florida State , Florida , Clemson , Ohio State , Alabama Safeties, West Virginia , Ohio State , Boise State , Southern Utah , Duke Follow Mike Mayock on Twitter . Kirk Gibson Jersey

The City of Oakland is reportedly set to sell its half of the Coliseum site to a private developer, with the Leonys Martin Jersey deal expected to be announced on Wednesday.According to , Oakland is selling its share for at least $105 million to African American Sports & Entertainment Group.However, just when you thought the complicated situation with the old stadium was going to be cleared up, think again. The MLB's Oakland Athletics are in the proce s of completing their purchase of the other half of the old stadium from Alameda County, something that would complicate AASEG's plans to develop the site.It should be noted, though, that AASEG is negotiating with the A's to buy their half, although the MLB squad turned down a $115 million offer last year. There is hope that a deal can eventually be reached, though.As far as AASEG's plans for the site go, it includes a $5 billion plan to build housing, restaurants and a new convention center, with the hope of bringing both pro soccer and women's basketball teams, as well as a po sible NFL expansion franchise.Oakland was planning on shutting down a handful of fire stations and reducing its police force, as well as laying off several city workers due to budge i sues. This sale will avoid that. Carlos Carrasco Jersey

AURORA, OHIO -- oozes confidence. Despite a rocky Dallas Keuchel Jersey beginning to his football career, in which the pa s-rusher was cited for marijuana po se sion, saw his draft stock tumble and dealt with a toe injury that forced him to mi s most of the ' offseason work, the linebacker is determined to rewrite the narrative for his rookie season."I don't see anything le s than Defensive Rookie of the Year. I mean that's my goal," Ray told from the Rookie Symposium on Monday. The No. 23 overall pick understands the reception some might have to that declaration, but he's not concerned. "A lot of people might say that sounds cocky for you to say it right now, but I've always set high goals for myself, just like I did in college and that is something that I'm looking to prove, that I'm the best defensive rookie here," he said. Falling to the late in the first round might have cost Ray millions of dollars, but he landed in an ideal situation with veterans and showing him the ropes. "I work with DeMarcus and Von every day," he said. "Some days I might work with Von on pa s coverages, on reading receivers, how I'm supposed to play this receiver in this coverage. With DeMarcus, he might show me some hand stuff or pa s rush stuff, like 'maybe you should try this.' With both of those guys, I kinda have the opportunity to look through their eyes on how they see things on the field and I just utilize that and add to my game." Ray said the training staff has been cautious with his return from the nagging toe injury, but he's finally healthy. "I felt the best I've felt the past six months, started practicing last week, getting full reps, didn't have any injury holding me down," he said. As for the po se sion charge prior to the draft, Ray -- as he did after being selected by the -- dismi sed it as an i sue and said perhaps he could pa s his le son on to fellow rookies at this week's symposium. "What happened to me, I feel like I can share my story and give somebody some insight on better decision making," he said. "Like I said, everybody makes mistakes, it was unfortunate that it happened to me, but I learned from it ... I got my life together." With the legal incident behind him and the foot healthy, the pa s-rusher can focus on the pursuit of his lofty goals. The latest Podcast , 's appeal and the Jr. drama. Find more content on . Carlos Correa Jersey

As the wrapped up their June minicamp on Thursday, one of the stories coming out of that camp centered around running back Javonte Williams and his status on the roster. That talk started brewing after Cecil Lammey of Denver Sports questioning if he would even make the team.That has led others to and whether or not he could be sitting on the roster bubble.Things started so well for Williams in his career in Denver, how could they be going south so quickly? Most of the argument in favor of letting Williams walk will start and end with how he has not been the same player since a Yovani Gallardo Jersey crushing knee injury in 2022.Williams ran at a much more pedestrian level in 2023, but would the Broncos move on from him? No, and here is why they won't.Denver Broncos won't cut Javonte Williams in 2024That sounds like a bold statement to make in June with all of the doubt surrounding Williams, but much of that doubt may be completely created by the media and not at all shared within the organization.The Broncos have a young running back group for fans to get excited about, but the key word there is young. Head coach Sean Payton has historically been a coach who doesn't place too much at the feet of rookie players... at any position.This isnt being reported, its simply opinions from Broncos beat writersThat said, the Broncos didnt draft a Javonte Williams clone in Audric Estime for no reasonI wouldnt be shocked to see Jaleel McLaughlin get 50% of the snaps on a weekly basis this season Adam Koffler (@AdamKoffler) Even if Jaleel McLaughlin looks as good as suggested in his second year in the league, there is not a great amount of depth behind him. And while I am as big on the potential of fifth-round pick Audric Estime and undrafted free agent Blake Watson as anyone, a backfield of McLaughlin, Estime, and Watson, even with Samaje Perine thrown in, goes against what Payton has always done.On top of that, there is a real chance that the Broncos open Week 1 with a rookie at the quarterback position. Does it make any sense for Payton to throw him out there with rookies and a second-year guy around him?Williams may never look like the bowling ball who was carrying defenders for extra yardage as a rookie again, but it is still way too early to give up on the 24-year-old running back. It's also po sible that Williams needed an entire season plus this offseason to regain his form following his knee injury.The Broncos won't give up on Williams and fans should not either. Any talk of him being released or on the roster bubble is a bit ridiculous. He will be on the team this season. Robin Yount Jersey

A week has come and gone and we no closer to figuring out where star safety might be playing in 2020. The had recentlyThomas for personal conduct that had adversely affected the franchise -- even though he made his seventh Pro Bowl during his first season in Baltimore. Despite suffering a recent injury in the secondary, don't expect the to be interested in Thomas' services. Head coach Anthony Lynn made that very clear on Monday."Since you guys are constantly telling me how stacked my secondary is, why the hell would I be looking anywhere else?" Lynn responded when asked about having any interest in Thomas, .Many thought the Chargers would be a natural landing spot for Thomas after star safety left Sunday's training camp practice after . According to the, the 24-year-old actually sustained a meniscus injury that Cole Hamels Jersey could keep him out of action for anywhere from several weeks to several months.James is "likely to mi s significant time" as a result of the injury, Rapoport said Sunday night. "The options, pending further medical evaluation: A meniscus trim, which can be four or so weeks. Or a full repair, which can be several months."James is certainly a versatile defensive back who can line up at both safety spots or even at cornerback, while Thomas is more of a free safety -- which is something that the Chargers aren't nece sarily looking for since they have and . Plus, the Chargers claim that it is unknown if James will actually mi s any time with this injury, as they are still running tests and sifting through results.After a dominant 2018 rookie campaign in which James totaled 105 tackles and three interceptions as a leader of L.A.'s defense, the former first-round draft pick suffered a stre s fracture in his foot prior to the 2019 season. Surgery sent James to injured reserve prior to the season, and he remained there until late November, appearing in just five games. As of now, it appears the Chargers aren't in a hurry to replace him. Duane Underwood Jr. Jersey

-- or a well-compensated social media handler -- is on a roll.Last week, the quarterback saw his Facebook page go viral after he coming out of the University of Michigan in 2000."Found my old resume!" Brady (or a Carlton Fisk Jersey well-compensated social media handler) wrote. "Really thought I was going to need this after the 5th round."The hits kept coming Tuesday. You might recall when Brady's tendency to get left hanging on the sideline last season. After CBS cameras caught owner Robert Kraft suffering a similar fate at the hands of actor Mark Walhberg during over the , Brady -- or a well-compensated social media handler -- made magic with Photoshop. by . Iconic quarterbacks. Billionaire busine s magnates. We all get left hanging sometimes.The latest recaps all of the Week 3 action and picks Rafael Devers Jersey

It's been a rough week, to say the least, for defensive lineman P.J. Hall. The Las Vegas Raiders initially notified the former second-round pick he'd be released on Monday, but ended up finding a trade partner just before they submitted his paperwork to the NFL front office for proce sing, per . In exchange for a conditional seventh-round pick, the Minnesota Vikings were to be Hall's new home, and all he had to do was pa s the physical to make the deal official. Instead, he failed it, and was returned to the Raiders -- who immediately followed through on their original plan to release him, per the league's transaction wire.What made it that difficult for Hall to make the Raiders' 2020 roster was the fact teams around the league are making moves to get their count down to 80 men as opposed to the traditional 90 -- due to the league's COVID-19 protocols -- leaving fringe players and those on the bubble without a great chance of making the team. Anderson Espinoza Jersey Hall was one such player, after not flooring the team in his first two seasons and subsequently seeing them add talent at the position this offseason."We're not a lone ranger," head coach Jon Gruden said of the pre-camp cutdowns, via the Las Vegas Sun. "Everyone in the league is going through this. We have to do the best we can. It's not going to be an equitable, fair season. Some teams are going to be hit hard by this virus, some teams are not."The former Sam Houston State standout entered the NFL Draft with high expectations for what was to come at the next level, but also prior to Mike Mayock taking the wheel as the Raiders' general manager. Mayock signed veteran lineman this offseason to a one-year deal worth $6 million that guarantees him $5.75 million of that payout, and also reuniting him with Rod Marinelli -- the two having spent several seasons together when the latter was defensive coordinator for the .Collins spent four seasons in Dallas and produced 14.5 sacks, 84 combined tackles and 40 hits on the opposing quarterback in 55 starts, landing the No. 1 in all but five his 61 available games. As Mayock and Gruden begin tweaking the defense to Marinelli's liking in Year 1, it's Collins getting the nod and Hall getting the goodbye. He leaves the Raiders having logged 18 starts in 30 games played, garnering 1.5 sacks, 48 combined tackles and seven quarterback hits in the proce s. As for the Vikings, who recently saw Michael Pierce opt out of the 2020 season, they'll keep their seventh-round pick, but find themselves back in the market for another defensive tackle. Randy Jones Jersey

As the resident homer here at CBSSports.com, I was so depre sed last night that I thought about pa sing off the newsletter to someone else for the rest of the season because I HAVE NO REASON TO WATCH FOOTBALL AGAIN this year after what happened on Sunday.If you somehow mi sed it, knee is what happened. I'm not going to write anything more than that, because if I do, I'll cry and no one wants to see me cry. The only thing that kept me from having a total breakdown yesterday is the fact that signing up for a lifetime membership in the Fan Club is starting to look like the best decision I've ever made. How 'bout them ! (I think that's what they say in Dallas).Alright, let's get to the newsletter, and just so you guys know, I promise not to spend the entire thing talking about injured Bengals quarterbacks or former Bengals quarterbacks who no longer play for them. I realize there are other teams in the league. As always, here's your weekly reminder to tell all your friends to sign up for the newsletter. All you . A subscription makes a great Thanksgiving present (I'm don't think people actually give out Thanksgiving presents, but let's pretend they do).1. Today's Show: Week 11 winners and losers plus full recapIt's Monday, which can only mean one thing: I stayed up until 3 a.m. last night recording a podcast with Will Brinson and Ryan Wilson that touched on everything you need to know about Week 11 and let me just say, there is a lot you need to know, because Week 11 got a little crazy.One thing we do every week is hand out our weekly winners and losers from Sunday's action. For our losers this week, Ryan got lazy and picked the same team as last week, Brinson picked a team for losing to someone from the NFC East and I picked the Bengals because how could I not. Ryan WilsonWinner: .Raise your hand if you thought we'd see Drew Lock outplay in Week 11? Drew Lock's parents should be the only people raising their hands right now. It's still not clear if Lock is the long-term answer in Denver, but he keeps playing just well enough that the might have to think about keeping him around Nick Pivetta Jersey for the long-term. Loser: .It's pretty clear that Ryan hates the Ravens or at least that's the conclusion I've drawn after listening to him name Baltimore his loser for the SECOND STRAIGHT week. In Wilson's defense though, it's definitely fair to call the Ravens a loser this week: is struggling, the defense is injured, they don't have many receiving weapons and they'd be out of the playoffs if the postseason started today. Not ideal.Will BrinsonWinner: Frank Reich and .There have been plenty of questions this year about whether Reich made the right decision to bring in Philip Rivers and after Sunday's win, they both look like geniuses.Loser: .To get back in the NFC playoff race, all the Vikings had to do was NOT lose to the Cowboys and they couldn't even pull that off. In what was arguably the most embarra sing lo s of Week 11, the Vikings went down in flames against a Cowboys team that had not won a game since Week 5. John BreechWinner: NFC East.For most teams in the NFL, having just three wins through 11 weeks is usually viewed as a total failure, but NOT FOR THE FOUR TEAMS IN THE NFC EAST. Sure, every team in this division is horrible, but all of them still have a chance at the playoffs and that's all that matters in the NFL.Loser: Bengals.I'm starting to think this franchise is cursed. I'm also starting to think I might need a new team.Not only did we list our winners and losers, but we also recapped every game from Sunday. If you want to listen -- and you definitely should --.2. Joe Burrow done for the seasonThe Bengals have existed since 1968 and since then, they've basically suffered through 52 years of bad luck. During their game against Washington on Sunday, the Bengals saw their worst po sible nightmare become a reality: Joe Burrow suffered a serious injury to his left knee.By the time you read this newsletter, there's a chance the diagnosis will be official, but here's what we know so far:Burrow is done for the year. This news comes from Burrow himself, who after the Bengals game concluded.Bengals fear the worst. CBS Sports NFL Insider Jason La Canfora has reported that the Bengals fear it's an ACL and MCL injury, but they won't know for sure until the results of the MRI come in. The Bengals obviously knew it was serious because Burrow was ruled out of the game just minutes after he was carted off the field.Recovery timeline. If Burrow did tear his ACL, he'll be looking at a recovery proce s that will take seven to nine months. The good news for the Bengals is that seven months would be the end of June, which means even if Burrow takes eight months, he should still be ready for the start of training camp.For .3. Monday preview: Prepping you for Rams-BuccaneersThe older I get, the more I hate staying up late and although that might be weird thing to talk about right now, I'm only bringing it up because I'm pretty sure agrees with me. The man is 43 years old, he normally goes to bed at like 8 p.m. ET and because of that, I have to think he hates playing in primetime games.Is this the only explanation I can come up with for why the have been so bad in primetime game this year? Yes. Is it true? I have no idea. Anyway, I think the reason I'm telling you all of this is because the Buccaneers are favored by four points tonight and that feels like too many points for a team that's been outscored 81-47 in primetime games this year. With that in mind, let's take a look at a few nuggets from our Rams-Buccaneers preview.On the end, Sean McVay is going to have to do everything in his power to make sure doesn't see much pre sure in this game, because Goff is terrible when he's under pre sure. In nine games this season, Goff has a QB rating of just 36.9 when facing pre sure and the ugly part for him is that he's going up against a Tampa Bay defense that ranked second in the NFL in sacks going into Week 11. Don't be surprised if McVay calls a lot of short pa ses, wide receiver screens and jet sweeps so that Goff can get the ball out before Tampa Bay's pre sure gets to him.As for the Buccaneers, their offensive line is a work in progre s right now, which isn't great news for Tom Brady, who will be trying his best not to get destroyed by . The Buccaneers have struggled against good defenses this year, totaling just 45 points in lo ses to the , and Saints. The Rams have a good defense, which means it could be a frustrating night for Brady.Breech's prediction: Rams 26-23 over Buccaneers.For a more in-depth preview on this game from Jared Dubin, .4. Week 11 grades: get an 'F' for embarra sing lo sEvery week, I team up with six of my colleagues here at CBSSports.com to hand out grades, and this week, the Detroit Lions failed out of our imaginary football school. Actually, it's probably more accurate to say that they were expelled because we don't want to see them around anymore after their performance on Sunday. Speaking of getting expelled, the Lions front office might want to think about expelling Matt Patricia from the team.Here's a look at the grades from two notable games that were played Sunday: 20, Lions 0 ()Panthers takeaway:With and both out, the Panthers knew they'd need a huge performance from their defense to win and that's exactly what they got. The defense sacked five times, held the Lions under 200 yards and pitched Carolina's first shutout since 2015.Grade: B+Lions takeaway:It's not easy to get shut out in today's NFL, but the Lions managed to do it. The offense couldn't move the ball, the defense couldn't stop a former XFL quarterback (P.J. Walker) and all of that led to the Lions getting shut out for the first time since 2009. Matt Patricia's seat is so hot I can feel it from where I'm sitting and I live 535 miles away from Detroit.Grade: FSaints 24, 9 ()Saints takeaway:For the past few years, it feels like all we've heard Sean Payton talk about is how is destined to become the next Steve Young. Now, I'm not sure if that's going to happen, but Hill did look pretty good in this game. Not only did he throw for 233 yards, but he did something you never see from : He rushed 10 times for 51 yards and two touchdowns. For a deeper dive into Taysom Hill's first start, .Grade:A-Falcons takeaway:I'm not sure what happened at halftime in the Falcons' locker room, but whatever it was, it couldn't have been good, because Atlanta basically fell asleep at the wheel in the second half. After moving the ball pretty easily in the first half, the Falcons only made it into Saints territory one time in the second half. A lot of that probably had to do with the fact that had zero time to throw in a game where he got sacked eight times.Grade:DAs for the other 20 grades we handed out on Sunday, . 5. NFL playoff picture heading into Monday nightI don't know how it happened, but there are only six weeks left in the season and since I'll be in a food coma for the next seven days, it's going to feel more like there's only five weeks left. With that in mind, it's time to take a look at the playoff picture heading into the end of Week 11.Two key things to remember before checking out the standings below is that SEVEN teams will be getting in and that only the top seed will be getting a bye. Also, the "First team out" is being listed because that team could be the last one in if the playoffs are expanded to 16 teams. That proposal has been approved, but the expansion to 16 will only happen if multiple regular season games are canceled and can't be made up. AFC1. (10-0)2. (9-1)3. (7-3)4. (7-3)5. (7-3)6. (7-3)7. (6-4)First team out:Ravens (6-4)The most notable part of the AFC playoff picture is that the Baltimore Ravens wouldn't be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Before the season started, the Ravens were favored to win the AFC North, but now, they look like a shell of the team that went 14-2 last season, which probably isn't even fair to say, because it's an insult to shells.NFC1.Saints (8-2)2. (7-3)3. (7-3)4. (3-6-1)5.Buccaneers (7-3)6.Rams (6-3)7. (6-4)First team out:Bears (5-5)The Monday night game between the Rams and Buccaneers could shake things up in the NFC, but only if Los Angeles wins. If Tampa Bay wins, then the Rams will flip flop with the Cardinals and everything else will stay the same. On the other hand, if the Rams pull off the upset, they'll move to the three-seed, the Seahawks will drop to the five-seed and the Buccaneers will fall one spot to sixth. Basically, you probably shouldn't print out this NFC playoff picture, because it's definitely going to be changing after tonight's game. 6. NFC East is total chaosSomehow, the worst division in football is giving us the most competitive race. I've seen enough episodes of "The Bachelorette" to know that America loves trash television as long as it gives us drama and that's exactly what's happening with the NFC East.All four teams now have three wins on the season, which means this race is likely going to get pretty crazy down the stretch. I have no idea how the division is going to play out, but I'm going to try and predict it anyway. Let's take a look at the remaining opponents for each team plus my prediction for each team's final record.Eagles (3-6-1) Remaining schedule: Seahawks (7-3), at Green Bay (7-3), New Orleans (8-2), at Arizona (6-4), at Dallas, Washington.Schedule observation: All I have to say about this remaining slate is YIKES. Final record prediction: 4-11-1. (3-7) Remaining schedule: at Bengals (2-7-1), at Seahawks (7-3), Cardinals (6-4), Browns (7-3), at Ravens (6-4), Cowboys.Schedule observation: If the Giants can beat the Cowboys and Bengals and then sneak one win out of the other four games, that actually might be enough to win the division. I don't think that's going to happen though.Final record prediction: 5-11.Cowboys (3-7)Remaining schedule:Washington, at Ravens (6-4), at Bengals (2-7-1), (4-6), Eagles, at GiantsSchedule observation: In a division where everyone is terrible, having the most remaining divisional games is an advantage. If the Cowboys win two out of three divisional games AND beat the Bengals (Andy Dalton revenge game), that will get them to six wins and six wins is likely going to win this division.Final record prediction: 6-10.Washington (3-7)Remaining schedule:at Cowboys, at Steelers (10-0), at 49ers 4-6), Seahawks (7-3), Panthers (4-7), at Eagles.Schedule observation: Washington has to play three straight road games starting on Thanksgiving and let me just say that nothing kills your division title hopes quite like playing three straight road games starting on Thanksgiving.Final record prediction: 5-11.There you have it, I'm predicting the COWBOYS to win the division. Was there some sort of unconscious bias at play here because I'm Andy Dalton's biggest fan and because Dallas was my preseason prediction to win the division? Probably, but I'm still taking them.7. The Kicker!Guys, I have a very important kicker update: There are only two kickers left who have made all their field goals this season. Going into Week 11, there were three kickers who were still perfect on the year, but now that number is down to TWO after Steelers kicker mi sed a 45-yard field goal against the . That leaves us with (Seahawks) and (Packers) as the only two kickers who are still perfect on the season.Speaking of Crosby, he got into a kicking duel with on Sunday and as we all know, the first rule of kicking is to never get in a kicking duel with someone who wears rec specs. Blankenship pulled off the most impre sive kicking performance of Week 11 with four field goals, including three that came over the final nine minutes of Indy's 34-31 win over Green Bay. The final kick was a 39-yard field goal in overtime that gave the Colts the win.I'm very partial to overtime kicks because my dad (Jim Breech) holds . Speaking of my dad, I should probably call him this week and when I do, I'll be sure to tell him you guys said hi. See you Tuesday! Rhys Hoskins Jersey