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2025 NFL Draft: Are Titans a bad fit for Cam Ward?

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

Schwab is optimistic about Ward's future, predicting he will be really good, potentially a first-tier quarterback. In contrast, Fitz believes the Titans might ruin Ward due to organizational instability, predicting that he will face a difficult career with the Titans.

Fitz argues that the Titans are a bad fit for Ward because he believes the organization does not provide a stable environment for developing quarterbacks. Fitz shares concerns about the Titans' franchise management, noting that the revolving door of coaches and general managers creates instability. He also points out that head coach Brian Callahan took over a team with low expectations last year and the Titans ended up being the worst team in football, not due to injuries but due to poor talent, coaching and game management.

Fitz is worried that without consistent leadership and a strong supporting cast, Ward will struggle to succeed or develop into his potential. He fears that within a few years, Ward will be stuck dealing with multiple offensive languages and systems, which could hinder his growth as a quarterback. 

Essentially, Fitz foresees that Ward may be set up to fail due to the Titans' organizational issues.

Fitz predicts that four quarterbacks will be taken in the first round, including a surprise pick of Jalen Milroe. In contrast, Schwab predicts only two QBs will be drafted in the first round, and that Shedeur Sanders might slip to Round 2.

While Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan is often considered the next receiver off the board, Schwab believes Texas' Matthew Golden will be picked before him due to his speed and game-breaking ability.

Schwab suggests a surprising pick of Jeanty by the Dallas Cowboys, and the excitement it could bring, despite the Raiders and Bears being favorites.

Fitz boldly predicts that the Steelers will find themselves needing to draft a quarterback due to uncertainties with Aaron Rodgers, potentially leading them to reach in the draft.

To hear more NFL discussions, tune into Inside Coverage on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

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The hottest start of the 2025 MLB season belongs to … the Los Angeles Angels??

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

The start of the 2025 MLB season has been a roller coaster for many teams, but few have begun their campaign quite like the Los Angeles Angels. In the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," hosts Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman dive in to how the Angels have managed to capture the baseball world's attention. 

The Angels are the only team yet to lose a series this season.

"I don't believe in this franchise," Mintz said. "And yet, so far this season, this team, at the very least, has provided reasons for optimism."

"Let us recall that this season began for the Angels with Nicky Lopez pitching on Opening Day against the White Sox," Shusterman noted. "And we were like, all right, here we go again. We're on our way to 100 losses. This is the most embarrassing franchise in baseball." 

And yet, through two weeks, the Angels stand out with their surprising achievement: They've won all four series they've played, albeit without sweeping any of them. Despite their success, the 8-4 Angels find themselves trailing the 9-4 Texas Rangers by a half-game in the AL West.

A standout story for the Angels is the unforeseen rise of Kyren Paris, who boasts an impressive 1.485 OPS, a 1.000 slugging percentage, five home runs and four steals so far. Paris, 23, was drafted by the Angels out of high school in the second round of the 2019 MLB Draft.

As Mintz noted, "None of this is sustainable for even the godliest of men, but there does seem to be something interesting brewing here with Kyren Paris."

Paris' journey through the minors was fast-tracked, as the Angels like to do, and then he struggled massively upon arriving in the big leagues in 2023. 

"And then last year, it's even worse," Shusterman explained. "He hit .167 in 60 minor-league games. He had some injuries. They were still putting him in the big leagues for some of it. He hit .118 in 21 big-league games.

"He was 22, so it's not like you were dooming him forever. But this seemed like a case of, 'Oh, the Angels. They got too aggressive with one of their players that seemed to be on a decent track, and now he's paying the price.'"

But starting this spring, Paris has looked like a different player. As the hosts noted, Paris worked in the offseason with Aaron Judge's personal hitting coach, Richard Schenck, and has made some apparent adjustments to his stance in the batter's box, which are clearly paying off.

"Which is most compelling because Kyren Paris is not a big dude, you know?" Shusterman said. "To see kind of applying some of the same methodology, the same physical moves that have helped Aaron Judge — it's not a perfect replica, but it is maximizing and making the most of athleticism that Kyren Paris has always had."

Will Paris slug 1.000 for the rest of the season? Almost definitely not, but as the hosts pointed out, he also brings defensive versatility that will continue to benefit the Angels.

What else is going right in Anaheim? The hosts took a look at the rest of the lineup, highlighted by new right fielder Mike Trout, who has also hit five home runs. And the Angels have seen some improvements in their starting pitching, thanks to Kyle Hendricks and Jose Soriano stepping up early in the season. Lastly, the Angels have Kenley Jansen anchoring the bullpen and closing out games.

Shusterman summed it up well: "We're talking about 12 games, and when you have a couple good starting pitchers and an offense that's hitting a bunch of homers, you're going to win a decent number of games."

It's important to note that the Angels have played the Rays, White Sox, Guardians and Cardinals — not exactly the most daunting slate of opponents. Also, the Angels have started strong through April a few times in the past few years, yet they've always fallen off before the second half. 

As such, the hosts aren't buying this Angels team quite yet.

"I'm glad they're playing well right now," Shusterman said. "I am loving the Kyren Paris breakout. I'm loving Mike Trout. But they would just need to be doing it for so much longer and so many other ways for me to believe."

To listen to the full episode and more, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

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2025 NFL Draft: Why Travis Hunter going to Browns would ‘suck so much’

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

Subscribe to Yahoo Fantasy Forecast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen.

In the latest episode of the Yahoo Fantasy Forecast, Matt Harmon and Charles McDonald took a deep look at the wide receiver class and shared concerns about Travis Hunter's transition to the NFL if he lands with the Browns with the second overall pick in this year's draft. The worries have nothing to with Hunter's ability, he's a once-in-a generation talent, but Cleveland's quarterback issues can't be ignored.

Kenny Pickett and Deshaun Watson are the only two quarterbacks currently on the roster, raising red flags about the environment Hunter would be entering. 

McDonald warned, "What is he (Hunter) changing about this situation that they have going on there?" Later adding, "I hope they pass, just for all of us because like that would suck so much if he ended up in Cleveland."

From a fantasy perspective, Hunter would likely going to the Browns as a receiver first, which means he would be peppered with targets as a rookie. Who would be throwing him the ball is a totally different question. Malik Nabers was able to overcome poor QB play en route to catching 109 balls for 1,204 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Could Hunter pull off something similar? 

Hunter is one of Harmon's favorite prospects in this year's class, likening him to a prime Odell Beckham, which makes the idea of him being in an unstable situation with the Browns worrying but one where he might be able to succeed despite Cleveland's QB conundrum.

There's a chance the Browns try trading back into the first round to select Shedeur Sanders, reuniting the college teammates and giving Cleveland a quarterback to grow with Hunter. 

Whether it's Sanders or someone else, Hunter's fantasy outlook would significantly improve if the Browns can figure out a reliable solution at quarterback. If the Browns can bring in a capable passer then Hunter has the potential to be a fantasy star. His skill set suggests he could see a high volume of targets, and we know how valuable that kind of workload can be in fantasy football.

However, given the uncertainty, fantasy managers might need to approach Hunter with cautious optimism. There's a potential for high reward, but you'll want to keep an eye on what the Browns do at QB if they do decide to take Hunter second overall before getting too excited about drafting him for your fantasy team.

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How many Tommy Edmans would the Dodgers want if they could clone Tommy Edman?

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

During a lively discussion in the latest episode of "Baseball Bar-B-Cast," Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman ventured into a very fun and totally hypothetical exploration of cloning the versatile Tommy Edman and fitting multiple of him into the Dodgers' roster.

Through two weeks of the 2025 regular season, one of the biggest reasons of concern for the Dodgers is their defense, which has been subpar at almost every position. As Mintz put it, "I think they only have one above-average, very good defender in the field at any time. And it's just where Tommy Edman is, right?"

This led to the delightful hypothetical: If the Dodgers could clone Edman, who can play shortstop, second base and outfield at a high level, just how many Edmans would L.A. want?

"You obviously don't want 26 because then he's going to pitch. You obviously don't want 13 because you'd rather have Shohei Ohtani," Mintz stated. "How many guys on this roster would you be like, 'Thanks for the memories, but I'm going to take Tommy Edman No. 7?'"

According to the hosts, the Dodgers would still need Austin Barnes or another backup catcher, and they're not displacing any of their stars. But they could have Edman cover second base, center field and most of the bench, replacing Kiké Hernández, Andy Pages, Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor and Hunter Feduccia. The hosts debated Michael Conforto but decided the Dodgers would probably keep their offseason addition.

Including the actual Tommy Edman, that adds up to six Edmans on the Dodgers' hypothetical roster.

As Shusterman said, "I think the line's around 5.5 or 6.5 Tommy Edmans that you would want, even on this team."

Taking it one step further raises the question of just how many Tommy Edmans would other MLB teams want?

"The White Sox would take all Tommy Edmans but the catchers," Mintz said.

All hypotheticals aside, through 14 games, Edman is tied for the Dodgers' lead in home runs with five.

To listen to the full episode and more, tune in to "Baseball-Bar-B-Cast" on Apple, Spotify or YouTube.

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2025 NFL Draft: This knock on Tetairoa McMillan's game isn't as big a deal as people think

Arizona's Tetairoa McMillan is projected to be one of the top wide receivers selected in the 2025 NFL Draft later this month.

The 6-foot-4, 219-pound McMillan ran 40-yard dashes at his pro day that hovered around the 4.5s, and there aren't many receivers at that size that can move like that. McMillan is the No. 7 overall pick in Yahoo Sports' latest NFL mock draft by experts Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, and both have him highly ranked on their big boards.

There is one issue, however, with McMillan's game that's seemed to pop up during the evaluation process: his lack of separation.

Tice and Yahoo Sports Fantasy Analyst Matt Harmon weren't buying it, as they discussed on the latest episode of Football 301.

"This guy is not some lack-of-separation, stiff player," Harmon said. "... If a guy can't separate on tape, nobody's talking about him as a Round 1 player, or a top half of Round 1 player."

Harmon pointed out recent big-bodied receivers who supposedly couldn't separate, including Drake London and Rome Odunze, and it didn't hinder them in their transition to the NFL.

Speaking of Odunze, not only does Tice agree that McMillan's separation is fine, he thinks it's part of a package that has him grade out close to 2024's dominant wide receiver prospect class that included Odunze, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Malik Nabers.

"I consider him closer to those top three guys from last year than maybe what we're talking about this year," Tice said, "because I see him as an X, I see him as a ball winner, but I see him as fluid. And how he gets in and out of routes is really just really cool to watch. And you don't really see that from a guy that's legitimately 6-4."

Harmon said McMillan's long speed isn't the strength of his game, and it's true he won't threaten separation on go routes straight downfield.

McMillan particularly shines on comeback routes, where Harmon charted him as having an 88.9% success rate in terms of getting open.

"He can and has created chunk plays in the intermediate area, and in deep in-breakers, things like that," Harmon said.

Tice doesn't have concerns over McMillan's speed, either, due to his body control and agility allowing him to get yards after catch. He also thinks McMillan's 40 time isn't a worry, pointing out Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins — who just signed a huge contract extension and ran a 4.59 at his pro day five years ago — has a similar profile.

"So running a middle-ish 40 does not damn you," Tice said.

Tice is bullish on McMillan's potential, and thinks he should be a top-10 pick. Harmon didn't go quite that high, but is still a big fan of McMillan's game and thinks he projects as similar potential-wise to the Broncos' Courtland Sutton and the Colts' Michael Pittman.

"You can get away with having them as your No. 1," Harmon said. "You probably want them as, like, a really, really great No. 2. But to me, I think that's still like a top 20 draft pick."

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2025 NFL Draft: Despite Najee Harris addition, Chargers taking Omarion Hampton would be a fantasy football win

(This article was written with the assistance of Castmagic, an AI tool, and reviewed by our editorial team to ensure accuracy. Please reach out to us if you notice any mistakes.)

The Yahoo Fantasy Forecast recently delved into some exciting possibilities for the NFL Draft, and one intriguing prospect that caught Matt Harmon's and Frank Schwab's attention was North Carolina running back Omarion Hampton potentially landing with the Los Angeles Chargers. Here's why Hampton to L.A. could be a big-time fantasy football win.

Schwab noted that Hampton would be a great fit for the Chargers' offensive system. The Chargers employ a power-gap scheme that's tailor-made for a running back like Hampton who can thrive behind defined running lanes. The way the Chargers configure their offense with pulling linemen and gap schemes would give Hampton the perfect setup to explode through holes, making him a tantalizing fantasy option.

Harmon and Schwab both highlighted the value Hampton could bring as a rookie starter. Schwab even speculated that, despite the presence of Najee Harris on the team, if the Chargers used their 22nd pick to draft Hampton, he'd quickly become a starter. His ability to elevate the team's inconsistent ground game — they ranked 27th in rushing success rate last year — cannot be understated, and fantasy managers should take note of this potential workload.

“All of us fantasy bros would be geeked out,” Schwab exclaimed at the thought of Hampton joining the Chargers. If the Chargers indeed snagged Hampton, his ADP would shoot up. Schwab anticipated that Hampton, currently considered a fourth-round pick in early best ball drafts, would move to the early third round, reflecting the fantasy community's excitement around his potential in Los Angeles.

Justin Herbert + Hampton = The high-octane offense L.A. has been looking for

Integrating a talent like Hampton into an offense led by Justin Herbert could create a dynamic duo. Defenses already have to account for Herbert's arm and pass-catchers like Ladd McConkey, so adding a dynamic, fresh-legged running back like Hampton into the mix would make the Chargers' offense even more formidable, thus elevating Hampton's potential fantasy production.

The discussion emphasized how the Chargers have been searching for consistency and explosiveness from their backfield to complement their air attack. With Hampton, the Chargers would have a home-run threat on every down, which could translate into significant fantasy points, especially in leagues that reward long runs and touchdowns.