Multiple potential College Football Playoff programs are now eye-to-eye with the Bye Question: Do they or don't they want a weekend off?
Maple Leafs Set For High-Scoring Clash Versus Marchenko, Blue Jackets
Thursday's slate of NHL action is chalk full of marquee matchups across the league with 12 games for fans to enjoy. One of the most intriguing games on the board is the league's most valuable franchise in the Toronto Maple Leafs, looking to bounce back after losses in five of their last eight games when facing off against a team that normally gives them trouble in the Columbus Blue Jackets.
For anyone following our Pad Stack challenge, the mission has not changed. We began with a ten dollar bankroll and continue to grow it through calculated, research-driven plays.
Our previous run ended on Monday at a season-high total of $411.47 before a last-minute empty-netter from the Florida Panthers spoiled our Vancouver spread. We are now rebuilding after resetting to $54.25, boosted by the Washington Capitals offensive outburst against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Our aim is to keep climbing with a confident selection from Thursday's Leafs-Jackets clash.
All betting lines are from BetMGM Sportsbook and are subject to change. Hockey is a difficult sport to predict so please gamble responsibly.
Sign up with BetMGM, make a deposit, and place your first wager on any game using your First Bet Offer token. If that bet with the token applied loses, you’ll get your original stake paid back in Bonus Bets, up to $1,500! Get in the game today with BetMGM.
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer, Avalanche's Cale Makar Already Near-Locks in NHL Award RacesAn 18-year-old phenom and a Norris contender are dominating early NHL award races, setting impressive records and dazzling fans.Picks: Leafs ML, Over 5.5 Goals, Kirill Marchenko Over 0.5 Points (+350)
The last time these teams met, the Blue Jackets overwhelmed a struggling Maple Leafs defense by scoring six times in a 6–3 victory. Toronto has shown some signs of improvement on the defensive side, highlighted by its 3–2 win over the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday, but the issues are still very much present. The Leafs rank second-worst in the league in goals allowed per game at 3.70, a weakness that has been masked only by their strong offense, which averages 3.50 goals per game and sits among the NHL’s top four.
Toronto’s games have consistently turned into high-scoring matchups, and Thursday’s game is expected to follow the same pattern. Columbus has won six of its last nine meetings with Toronto, with many of those contests producing plenty of goals. The teams have combined for six or more goals in ten of their past thirteen games, and Toronto’s defensive troubles suggest that this trend will continue.
The Blue Jackets have also found some momentum, winning three of their last five games, which should give them confidence heading into this matchup. Even so, this is a spot where Toronto is positioned to rebound at home. A win here would help them reverse both their recent record against Columbus and their overall trend of losing five of their last six games.
Toronto will likely still concede a few goals, and one of the biggest threats is Columbus forward Kirill Marchenko. The 25-year-old winger leads the team with eight goals and 14 assists for 22 points in 20 games. He has also performed well against the Leafs recently, earning points in three of their last four meetings for a total of one goal and three assists.
Combining a Blue Jackets player to record a point with a Leafs win creates a strong same-game parlay opportunity. A wager of $54.25 on this parlay would return a profit of $189.88 for a total payout of $244.13, giving us a nice boost heading into the weekend.
Are The Detroit Red Wings For Real?Detroit's surprising start defies middling stats. Can a youth-fueled surge finally end the playoff drought?
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Fantasy Baseball 2026 Starting Pitcher Rankings: Cole Ragans, Kyle Bradish surge after lost seasons
The MLB offseason is kicking off, and people are starting to turn their attention to the 2026 season, which means it's the perfect time to drop some rankings.
This is now my third year publishing my top 150 starting pitchers. If you've read my work before, you know I generally hate publishing starting pitcher rankings because they never feel done to me. As somebody who spends a lot of time watching/thinking about pitching, I always feel like there are tweaks I want to make or pitchers that I constantly change my opinion of.
However, at this point in the season, it's hard to overthink. There are three months until pitchers and catchers report, and players aren't playing games or posting videos of new pitches, so there is nothing to get geeked about. Instead, these rankings are more "gut feel" rankings based on how I feel about all of these pitchers at the end of the season. I tried not to get too in the weeds about stats, but simply ranked the pitchers based on how I believe they performed in 2025 and how excited I am about growth from them in 2026.
Our early 2026 Top 300 rankings highlight the latest Hot Stove developments and projections.
Matthew PouliotAs always, the pitchers are split into tiers, which I’ve named based on movie quotes, so you can understand why they are ranked where they are. The tiers themselves are more important than the rankings inside the tiers, so I wouldn’t split hairs over a few spots in the rankings.I’ve also ranked these pitchers as if I’m doing a 12-team league, so safe but boring low-end starters take a hit in value, etc.
PLEASE READ: I went to a lot of effort to share my thoughts on the rankings below, so you’ll find short blurbs with my thoughts “off the dome” for these guys. I would highly encourage you to read the blurb and not just focus on the ranking because it allows you to get a sense of WHY I have the pitcher ranked where I do, and if that logic makes any sense to you.
OK? Ok, so let's get started.
2026 Fantasy Baseball Starting Pitcher Rankings
Rank | Player | Team |
"I'm king of the world!" | ||
You have no complaints about any of these top three guys. They are the consensus top three starting pitchers in fantasy baseball, and I can't seem to find an argument against that.
"Not me. I'm in my prime." | ||
Yamamoto was the "workhorse" of the Dodgers' rotation and made 30 starts. He looks like the most likely candidate to lead the team in innings in 2026 and was clearly electric when he was on the mound.
Last season, I said that Bryan Woo would be a top-20 pitcher if he could stay healthy, but I didn't rank him there because I didn't believe in his health. Whoops. Woo has great fastballs and improving secondaries, and is perhaps the highest upside pitcher in this tier if we could guarantee health.
Cole Ragans was in my top 10 heading into 2025 after posting a 3.14 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and 223 strikeouts in 186.1 innings last season. He came back healthy at the end of the season, which makes me confident that he will head into 2026 fully healthy.
Logan Gilbert battled some injuries this past season and continues to struggle to maintain a consistent approach. Maybe I'm too high on him because he has yet to deliver at this level, but he has all the tools and an elite home park. It will happen one season.
Max Fried is just about as safe as they come. He's had minor injuries over the last two seasons, but we know that, when he's on the mound, he is basically really good in every category without being a true elite standout in any. But there is very little risk with Fried.
Cristopher Sanchez was a breakout star in 2025, posting a 2.50 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, and 26.3 percent strikeout rate in 202 innings. He pitches for a strong team and has an elite changeup to put away righties. This all feels very real.
I discussed Hunter Brown in my presentation at First Pitch Arizona, and there are a few things that make me pause a bit. His fastball command was poor last year, with a fastball zone rate under 50%, and his entire arsenal grades out poorly in Pitcher List's PLV model, which takes location into account. I still think Brown is good, hence the ranking, but I have some pause.
Jacob deGrom pitched 172.2 innings in 2025, and we know he's elite when he gives us volume. Yes, he's not as dominant as he was in previous seasons, and there's no guarantee that he pitches over 130 innings next season, but I can take the gamble here.
Yes, I have Kyle Bradish in this tier. I look at him a bit like I looked at deGrom heading into 2025 after deGrom came back and made three starts in 2024. We have seen that Bradish is healthy, and we've seen what he can do when he is.
Chris Sale and Blake Snell are similar for me. We know they are elite when they're on the mound, but we also know that they're rarely on the mound for the full season.
Shohei Ohtani is another player in this tier thanks to his confusing workload. We assume the Dodgers will use a six-man rotation or limit his innings in some capacity in 2026. Ohtani has elite strikeout upside and a great chance at wins, but what if he throws just 130 innings? It's certainly possible.
I know many people have George Kirby higher, but some red flags jumped out at me when I did my FPAZ presentation. His best secondary to righties is a slider that posted just a 14% swinging strike rate, which is fine but not truly elite, and his fastball zone rate has decreased in each of the last two seasons. I don't love that combination if I want an SP1 for my team.
Stay up to date with the MLB free agent market this offseason, including player signings, contract details, and team fits as the 2025-26 Hot Stove heats up.
- ,
D.J. Short
This is an entire tier of pitchers who have clear ace upside but plenty of question marks either about health, team context, or lack of track record. I will certainly target at least one pitcher in this tier, maybe two, but I don't think I can wait around and take one as my ace.
I'm fully in on Eury Perez heading into 2026, as I noted in my FPAZ presentation. Last year, he featured a sweeper with a 22% swinging strike rate to righties and a harder slider with a 21% swinging strike rate to lefties. He throws a 98 mph fastball with an elite zone rate and has a deep five-pitch mix. I think this is the breakout season.
I know that, if I'm high on Kyle Bradish, I should have Shane Bieber around him, but I have a little more concern about Bieber's overall health and also his lack of strikeout upside. Bieber had just a 13% swinging strike rate overall in 2025 and features below-average velocity on his fastball. The introduction of the cutter has been great for him but it has limited his strikeout upside a bit.
I think Freddy Peralta will stay in Milwaukee for this season and continue to be the pitcher we've come to know. He was tremendous this past season, but he had 18th percentile four-seam fastball command and benefited from the deadened ball, which led to far fewer home runs than normal. I think the batting average luck will regress back to the norm a bit.
Joe Ryan's season nose-dived a bit once the Twins started selling off pieces and not contending. I can't really blame him for that. The talent is there, and I expect him to be on a new team that may have some direction on how to establish a consisent approach with his secondaries.
I think the hype for Jacob Misiorowski has outpaced the results a little bit. Yes, he's tons of fun, but valid command concerns were coming into the season, and he posted a 4.36 ERA and 1.24 WHIP in 66 MLB innings. The strikeouts are awesome, but the Brewers may be cautious with his innings, and the WHIP may always hurt you a bit.
I have more concerns about Tyler Glasnow's health than I do most of the other pitchers in the top 25, and so this may be the year I finally decide not to rank him that highly, since he has only one season in his entire career with over 120 innings.
We saw the home run issues come into play for Shota Imanaga again in 2024, and he also battled a hamstring injury; however, I think the talent is there, and the Cubs should be a good team with a solid defense behind him.
Yes, I'm this high on Nick Lodolo. He just had the best season of his career. His curve is a tremendous swing-and-miss pitch, and he features multiple fastball variations for all hitters. His hit suppression has always been strong, and the command has improved over the last few seasons. Health and his home park are the only big bugaboos.
Where will Dylan Cease pitch in 2026? That's the big question. I covered his free agency and fantasy profile in an earlier article this offseason.
Michael King was my 8th-ranked starting pitcher coming into last season, but a shoulder injury sapped much of that production. Even if I can't give him 180 innings again, I also can't pretend that I don't love the skillset, so this feels like a good place to rank him before we see where he signs.
There are all pitchers I feel like present a modicum of safety and consistency but not really the upside of the tier above.
Nick Pivetta had his best HR/FB% season ever, and you have to think the deadened ball we saw in 2025 had something to do with that. What if that ball isn't back in 2026?
Framber Valdez is who he is at this point. He's a two-pitch pitcher who relies heavily on his curveball and will have stretches of elite production and stretches where he gets hit too hard. However, he has never been bad, and I can't see him becoming bad.
Really, the only knock against Drew Rasmussen last year was volume, and that's to be expected while coming off Tommy John surgery. He'll no longer be pitching home games in a minor league park, and I think he could push six or seven innings in most of his starts now. He's not the highest upside arm, but that's why he's in this tier.
Logan Webb used to be a fringe top 10 pitcher because of his innings reliability and solid ratios. However, we've seen his WHIP become a bit less consistent thanks to some pitch mix tinkering. I'm not sure Webb has settled into what type of pitcher he wants to be and maybe the new coaching staff can help with that.
All of these guys have the upside to finish inside the top 20 overall starters, but also have clear warts or a lack of track record, which adds some volatility.
Like all Rays pitchers, Ryan Pepiot will no longer be pitching in a minor league park, which could mean fewer home runs, which were a major problem for him in 2025. He continues to rock really above-average H/9 rates and a solid swinging strike rate, and I think this is the season it comes together.
People are so ready to write off Bubba Chandler because the Pirates keep him in the minors forever, and then got frustrated and started over-throwing or trying to prove himself, which led to command issues he hadn't had before and didn't show in the majors. Then he got to the majors and looked like one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. I'm a believer.
It seems that I'm a little low on Cam Schlittler, but I have some concerns, which I outlined in my FPAZ presentation. For starters, he's so fastball heavy. He has a four-pitch mix, and three of them are fastball variations. Yet, his four-seam fastball had below-average command. That's not great. Also, his best swing-and-miss secondary pitch to righties was a cutter that posted just an 11.6% swinging strike rate. I just see a lot more volatility in this profile than others seem to.
Chase Burns' strikeout upside is real, which we know because he posted 10+ strikeouts across four starts at one point in the season. He also has a narrow pitch mix and gives up more contact on his fastball than you'd think at his velocity. Oh, and his home park sucks. However, the slider is a wipeout pitch, and I think there could be a step forward in 2026 given how quickly he progresses through the minors.
Jesus Luzardo is tremendously volatile; we know this, but his new sweeper was a tremendous addition for him, and we know that the Phillies will put him in a solid position for wins regularly.
I'm a sucker for Edward Cabrera. He made the change to using his sinker as his primary fastball in 2025, and it led to massive improvements in command. Pair with that a plus slider and curve, and I think we have the makings of a potential top-25 arm.
Robbie Ray added a changeup and had some stretches of solid production that push for top 25 value, but he also has below-average fastball velocity and command, which I don't love. He still only throws one fastball type, and the swing-and-miss wasn't really present for him this past season. He may be more of an SP2-3 in fantasy now.
Nolan McLean was another rookie I covered in my FPAZ presentation. There are a few things I really liked, like his deep pitch mix, his velocity and sinker command, and the growth he showed in 2025. I didn't love that his sweeper, which was his main secondary to righties, posted just a 5.8% swinging strike rate. That's not gonna cut it over a long season, so he'll need to either tweak that pitch or his approach.
I always believed Sandy Alcantara was more of a safe SP2 than an ace. I was wrong for a while, but perhaps it's settling in a bit now. Alcantara seemed to get a little bit back to himself at the end of the season, but he's going to remain a low-upside arm with slightly more volume risk than we had seen previously. I'd prefer if he were traded, but Miami was feisty down the stretch too, so maybe they could be in for a solid season.
Sonny Gray has said that he's willing to waive his no-trade clause, so there's a good chance that he will be on a new team in 2026. At this point, we know what we're getting from Gray, and it's usually pretty solid.
Cade Horton had a tremendous year and showed a deeper arsenal than we originally thought with a much-improved changeup. However, he also had a 20% strikeout rate and gave up a lot of contact. It's not hard contact, and the defense behind him is good, so that works, but I'd love to see more strikeouts.
Ranger Suarez is another pitcher who could be finding a new home in 2026. Suarez’s command was really good for most of the season, and we know who he is at this point. It just remains to be seen where he lands.
Trevor Rogers came out of nowhere in 2026 but rode a new sinker and a plus changeup to a tremendous season. Can we believe it? I think it's MOSTLY true, but I'm not in on another top 25 season with such mediocre fastballs.
It will be an even year, so Aaron Nola will be great. Kidding. Kind of. Nola battled injuries throughout the season, but he didn't showcase a velocity dip or much of a change in his elite curveball. I expect a bounce-back season for Nola, who is more of a fantasy SP3 at this point in his career.
Kevin Gausman is all about his splitter. We know that. He had it for much of the year last season, but he also lost it at times too. He has yet to add another fastball variation (maybe he can't), and so he will continue to be a slightly volatile arm that will be hard to use when the splitter is off.
I was never a big fan of Andrew Abbott, but some pitch mix changes led to a little more swing-and-miss in his game in 2025, and we know that his solid changeup will always perform well against righties. He's kind of like Trevor Rogers in that way. I just wish he had a better home park.
Gavin Williams was "my dude" in 2025, and it didn't work for most of the year. However, he was tremendous in the second half, so maybe it's starting to come together. I think he's more of a "thrower" than a pitcher, so he can't always execute as well as he wants, and that will likely limit his overall fantasy upside.
Shane Baz is another pitcher who will benefit from no longer playing in a minor league park, and is another pitcher I discussed in my FPAZ presentation. His inability to truly replace his former slider has led to some swing-and-miss concerns against righties, but he has never really allowed hard contact, and the new cutter is a solid enough pitch against righties that the floor feels a bit safe here.
Bryce Miller is coming off elbow surgery to remove bone spurs and has yet to establish consistent success at the big league level. I think he's good, and I like his home park, but I don't quite trust him yet.
I can't quite figure out Trey Yesavage yet, and I need to be honest about that right now. He's like Kevin Gausman, except he has a slider that can help him when his splitter abandons him. He also doesn't have near the track record of success that Gausman does. His four-seamer has average velocity and has proven to be hittable with fairly average swing-and-miss metrics. I don't love that and think he will be drafted too high based on his postseason.
I wrote about Tatsuya Imai earlier this offseason in our Player News blurbs, which you can check out here, but I said: "The 27-year-old Imai is coming off a strong season that saw him post a 1.92 ERA, 0.89 WHIP, and 178/45 K/BB ratio in 163 2/3 innings. It was his second straight season with 163 or more innings, and he continued to show that he could return his mid-to-high 90s velocity on his fastball over a full year. He also posted a career-high strikeout rate that was better than Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s mark in his final NPB season. In addition to his high strikeout totals, Imai has proven to be a solid groundball pitcher with a six-pitch mix that includes a slider, changeup, splitter, curveball, and sinker."
Kodai Senga may very well be on a new team in 2026. The right-hander has not been the same guy we saw in his rookie season, but he does still have that solid cutter and elite Ghost Fork. I think injuries have played a huge role in his struggles over the last two years, and I'm willing to buy back in if the price dips like this.
Nick Pollack has really talked me into Troy Melton over the last few months due to Melton's 97 mph four-seamer with seven feet of extension and flat attack angle. He also has a good slider and a deep pitch mix, but what he might not have is a spot in the rotation. That keeps him in this tier for me.
Eric Samulski breaks down the Orioles-Angels trade and discusses what the fallout could be for both teams and players
Eric SamulskiPretty simply, this is a tier full of injured pitchers who are too hard to rank until we know just how hurt they are. I expect all of these guys to be ready to go by spring training, at which time I'll move them into their rightful tiers.
Luis Castillo and Seth Lugo are who they are at this point in their career. The results are likely to always be there, but we're no longer getting elite production.
Noah Cameron is the epitome of what Nick Pollack is calling a SWATCH (Southpaw With a Tremendous Changeup). Actually, Matthew Boyd is too. Both of them are lower velocity pitchers with good command of a deep arsenal and a changeup that eats up right-handed hitters. I'm not sure how trustworthy they will be year-over-year, but that approach led to tons of success for them this year, and I could see it happening next year as well. Especially since they both have good defenses behind them.
Ryne Nelson seems all but assured of being in Arizona's rotation next year, so we can avoid that headache again. However, he remains an elite fastball pitcher with a limited arsenal of secondaries. Unless he locks in on one of them, he will be hard to trust.
This whole tier is full of players that have been the proverbial rake in our face once or twice before, but I think there is enough there to remain somewhat intrigued.
Could MacKenzie Gore be on a new team? It seems possible, and it may help him unlock the consistency that has been evading him. His new slider looked great early on, but we continue to see Gore struggle to maintain a level for a full season. But, hey, if you draft him here and then cut him over the summer when he starts to pitch poorly, you've probably returned good value on the draft slot.
People like Emmet Sheehan a lot, and I'm also a fan in general, but I have no idea what his role will be on the Dodgers, and I don't feel confident that he begins the year in the starting rotation.
Tanner Bibee’s had a really bad season thanks to poor secondaries that failed to cover for his average fastball. However, I like the idea of him going to multiple fastball variations to cover up for that weak four-seamer, and we have seen his secondaries perform well in the past. That plus his locked-in spot in the Guardians rotation means that I'm likely to take a gamble in 2026 since most people have jumped way off the bandwagon.
Yes, I'm this low on Spencer Strider. He returned from his second Tommy John surgery with a much worse fastball and poor command. It did not get better as the season went on, and he doesn't have a deep enough arsenal to survive a step back with his fastball like that.
Connelly Early was great for the Red Sox in September, and I'm high on him as a polished lefty with an uptick in velocity and a deep pitch mix that he can command. However, I expect the Red Sox to be active in trying to bring in a strong starting pitcher this offseason, and they also have Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello, Patrick Sandoval, Payton Tolle, Kutter Crawford, Richard Fitts, and Kyle Harrison, so a rotation spot is far from guaranteed for Early, who has three minor league options left.
I just believe in Zebby Matthews, man. I don't know what to tell you. He has a deep pitch mix of solid offerings, and I know he lacks that true plus pitch, but I think he can find a sequencing and approach that will unlock success.
I probably should have Reese Olson in the injured tier since he ended the year on the IL with a shoulder strain. However, I expect him to be ready for the start of the season, but I don't like him as much as the starters that were in the injured tier above. He has two good secondary pitches and a bad fastball, so he'll always be a bit volatile.
From this point on, I'm going to stop with notes on every pitcher.
This is a tier of boring veterans who are on the downside of their careers but could still have plenty of value. You know who all of these guys are at this point, and you know what to expect from them. It's not overly exciting, but it will be valuable more often than not.
This is just a tier of younger starting pitchers who I really like but have yet to show consistent value at the Major League level, which makes them all question marks. Some of them may not even be in the rotation come spring, but these are all guys I'm curious about and will be watching closely this spring training.
These are all younger pitchers who I don't believe have the ceiling of the tier above. In most cases, these pitchers are safer, and I would prefer them if I were in a 15-team league or deeper formats. However, in a 12-team league at the end of my draft, I'd probably rather chase the upside of any of the pitchers that emerge in the tier above.
This is another injury tier, but I don't believe any of these pitchers will be ready for the start of the season. I'll adjust their rankings when I get a better sense of their recovery timeline.
These are all pitchers who have intrigued me at times for various reasons, but feel like bigger landmines than that tier of young, upside pitchers above. Some of these guys pitch in bad ballpacks (Morales) are coming off poor seasons (Ober, Arrighetti, Javier, Festa, Manaea), can't seem to establish consistency (Gil, Soriano, Cecconi, Kikuchi) or may not have rotation spots (Tolle, Sproat, Povich).
However, I do need to call out Mike Burrows. I'm not sure what the Pirates plan to do with him in 2026, but he has popped for me a bit in my off-season research. He had a really solid 13% swinging strike rate with a changeup that was elite against lefties (26.7% swinging strike rate) and a slider/curve combo that both posted slightly above-average swing and miss marks to righties. His four-seamer is above average, but he features a sinker that can allow it to play up a bit, so if he can take even a small step forward with the slider or curve to righties, I think he could be really interesting.
In a 15-team league or a Draft-and-Hold format, you may have all of these pitchers higher, but most of them are on the downside of their careers or have capped ceilings in terms of fantasy value.
A look at the top MLB prospects who have a chance to make a fantasy impact in the coming seasons.
Pretty self-explanatory here, but these guys all interest me, but mostly from a distance. I'm not sure if they have set roles or will even make the Opening Day roster for their team. These guys feel like way more wild cards than the tier with guys like Payton Tolle and Cade Povich.
These guys are boring, but they seem to produce stretches of fantasy value every single year. In 15-team leagues or draft-and-hold formats, that matters.
Line Combinations: Red Wings vs. Islanders
The Detroit Red Wings head into Thursday’s matchup versus the New York Islanders with momentum after a milestone filled win over Seattle, highlighted by Dylan Larkin’s 600th point and Nate Danielson’s first NHL goal. Detroit has won three of its last four and will rely on Danielson’s growing confidence, subtle lineup shifts from coach Todd McLellan, and the red hot play of Lucas Raymond, who enters with four straight multi-point games and a five-game scoring streak.
Red Wings Ride Hot Streak Into Clash With Schaefer, Red-Hot IslandersLarkin milestone-bound, Danielson arrives. Can Detroit's hot streak survive a red-hot Islanders squad and rookie sensation Schaefer?The Islanders arrive just as hot with five wins in their last six, powered by emerging rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who leads New York in minutes and contributes heavily in all situations. Detroit contained Schaefer in their first meeting, but the Islanders still broke through for seven goals with big contributions from Bo Horvat and Emil Heineman.
New York will likely turn to Matt Barzal as an offensive spark given his strong history against Detroit, while Horvat looks to rebound from inconsistent matchups with the Red Wings. Detroit’s top line of Raymond and Larkin has typically produced well against the Islanders and will be counted on again to drive the offense. With both teams trending upward and several young talents taking center stage, the matchup sets up as a competitive test for Detroit as they aim to avenge their earlier season loss.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Detroit Red Wings’ Expected Line Combinations vs. New York (Thursday):
DeBrincat – Larkin – Raymond
Kasper – Compher – Kane
Finnie – Danielson – Appleton
Rasmussen – Copp – van Riemsdyk
Edvinsson – Seider
Chiarot – Sandin-Pellikka
Johansson – Hamonic
Gibson
"Feeling More Comfortable": Nate Danielson Thrilled After First Career Goal Detroit Red Wings rookie forward Nate Danieson picked up the first goal of his NHL career during Tuesday evening's tilt against the Seattle Kraken. Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Canucks Chose Wisely In Pushing Miller — Not Pettersson — Out The Door Last Season
The headlines don't look great.
Neither do the highlights. Or, rather, the low-lights.
After J.T. Miller looked like he gave up playing defense in a viral clip that led to a goal against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday, hockey fans from New York to Vancouver ripped into the Rangers captain, who is off to a horrendous start in the Big Apple.
"New York Rangers Regret Making Former Vancouver Canucks Star JT Miller Captain After What's Happened," wrote Canucks Daily.
"J.T. Miller Is Dragging The Rangers Down And Everyone Sees It," wrote Blue Line Station.
"9 Vancouver Canucks Players Are Outscoring J.T. Miller Right Now," wrote Daily Hive Vancouver.
Even Miller agrees he's been a mess so far this season.
"At some point you look in the mirror," he told reporters after the Rangers lost 3-2 to the Golden Knights. "Speaking on behalf of myself, I certainly expect a hell of a lot more production than what I have."
Rangers' Penalty-Kill Struggles And J.T. Miller's Harsh Criticism Of Himself Headline Loss To Golden Knights The New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> started their three-game road trip on a sour note, losing 3-2 to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.
It's been less than a year since Miller was traded to the Rangers. But the verdict is in: the Canucks appear to have made the right decision in pushing Miller — not Elias Pettersson — out the door in the midst of last year's drama-filled season.
Since the trade, which saw Miller traded to the Rangers on Jan. 31 in exchange for Filip Chytil, Victor Mancini and a first-round pick, both teams have obviously struggled. Neither made the playoffs last year. And with the NHL at the quarter mark of this season, neither is currently in a playoff spot.
That being said, Miller has struggled far more than Pettersson has.
After 21 games, Miller has four goals and is sixth on the Rangers in scoring with 10 points. It is his worst per-game production since 2014-15. Pettersson, who had the second-worst season of his career last year, meanwhile has rebounded with six goals and 19 points in 21 games. Only Quinn Hughes has produced more.
"I’ve never really gauged my game on points," Miller told reporters. "Typically, when I bring my game, the points come. That being said, this year, it seems like nothing’s really going in the net… So it’s making me frustrated. It’s hard to control that."
It's not just Miller who is feeling frustrated.
The Rangers brought in the 35-year-old veteran last year to help turn around a season that went off the rails. This year, they went one step further and named him captain in hopes of changing their losing culture. Miller even created T-shirts that said "No BS."
But as many have pointed out, in the game against Vegas it was Miller who brought "The Most BS Effort Ever Shown On A Hockey Rink."
For Canucks fans, this has to be a relief. After all, the debate last season was over whether the team should part ways with Miller or Pettersson. At the time, you could have made the argument that both needed to be gone. But in choosing Miller over Pettersson, the Canucks may have dodged a bullet.
As many have pointed out, it's not just Pettersson who looks like a different player now that Miller is not around.
Looking At How These 5 New Canucks Have Performed In The First Quarter Of 2025–26Here's how these 5 new Canucks have performed so far throughout 2025-26. Kiefer Sherwood, who had 19 goals last season, has exploded out of the gates with 12 goals in 21 games. Brock Boeser, who had 25 goals last season, already has 8 goals in 19 games. And Conor Garland is on pace for a career-best 62 points.
Sure, the Canucks (9-10-2) have slightly worse record than the Rangers (10-9-2). But except for the weekly — if not daily — trade speculation surrounding Hughes, it's been mostly drama-free in Vancouver.
That's a lot more than what the Rangers can say.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Tristen Nielsen Recalled to Avalanche from AHL
DENVER — Tristen Nielsen has been recalled by the Colorado Avalanche ahead of Thursday night’s matchup against the New York Rangers, the team announced.
Nielsen was previously called up ahead of the November 4 game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which the Avalanche won 3-2, marking his NHL debut. He skated eight shifts and logged 5 minutes and 25 seconds of ice time.
The 25‑year‑old forward has appeared in 16 games this season with the Colorado Eagles, the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate, recording nine goals and five assists for 14 points.
Why Nielsen Was Recalled
The recall comes as the Avalanche continue to manage a lower-body injury sustained by Valeri Nichushkin. He left the ice during the third period of Colorado’s 8-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on November 11 after blocking a shot. Head coach Jared Bednar later confirmed that Nichushkin would be sidelined on a week-to-week basis. While the injury is not considered severe, it is significant enough to keep him out of action. Nichushkin resumed skating on Wednesday in a non-contact sweater.
With Gavin Brindley moving up to the second line to fill Nichushkin’s role and Logan O’Connor not yet ready to return, the Avalanche are likely to continue cycling players from the AHL for the foreseeable future.
The most recent AHL call-up was Taylor Makar, younger brother of Cale Makar, who has appeared in three NHL games this season and has made a notably strong impression.
A native of Fort St. John, British Columbia, Nielsen played a key role in the Abbotsford Canucks’ 2025 Calder Cup championship. During the 2024-25 season, he recorded 28 points in 67 regular-season games and added nine points across 24 playoff contests, both career highs for postseason production. His five playoff goals ranked tied for fifth on the Abbotsford roster.
The 5-foot-10, 192-pound forward has steadily built his professional resume since turning pro prior to the 2021-22 season. He spent four seasons with Abbotsford before joining the Avalanche organization, compiling 122 points (55 goals, 67 assists) in 238 AHL regular-season games and contributing 17 points in 36 Calder Cup playoff appearances. Nielsen signed an entry-level contract with Vancouver in 2023 after posting a career-high 41 points in 64 AHL games the previous season and has reached double-digit goals in each of his last four campaigns.
Before turning professional, Nielsen spent six seasons in the WHL with the Calgary Hitmen and Vancouver Giants, tallying 175 points in 241 games. He served as an alternate captain for Vancouver in 2020-21 and finished tied for eighth in league scoring during the COVID-shortened season. Nielsen also appeared in 26 WHL playoff games and skated alongside current Avalanche goaltender Trent Miner from 2018 to 2021.
The Game
The Avalanche (13-1-5) take on the New York Rangers (10-9-2) Thursday evening at Ball Arena to conclude a four-game homestand. Coverage kicks off at 7 p.m. local time.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Blues Get Huge Boost With Return Of Forward
Jake Neighbours is back.
The St. Louis Blues forward was activated off injured-reserve on Thursday and is expected to make his return to the lineup against the Philadelphia Flyers (6 p.m.; FDSNMW, ESPN 101.1-FM). To make room for the 23-year-old, the Blues non-rostered forward Alexandre Texier and placed the 24-year-old on waivers.
This could turn out to be another Brandon Saad situation, according to section 16.12 of the NHL's collective bargaining agreement found on page 124, where the team puts Texier on waivers at 1 p.m. (CT) Thursday, and the player could can -- if unclaimed -- go to Springfield of the American Hockey League or in Saad's case, ask for mutual termination of contract in order to become a free agent and sign wherever he chooses. That's what happened with Saad last season and be signed with the Vegas Golden Knights. Texier is in the final year of a two-year, $4.2 million ($2.1 million average annual value) contract he signed after the Blues acquired him from the Columbus Blue Jackets on June 28, 2024 for a 2025 fourth-round pick.
Of course, depending on what happens, Texier could report (he will still be paid his full remaining $2.1 million) but first step is being put on waivers, which would be expected.
Neighbours, who is tied for the team lead in goals (six) in just eight games, has missed 12 games with a right leg injury stemming from a blocked shot Oct. 18 against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Blues can use the boost in the top nine, for sure, perhaps as high as top six, from a player who was off to a rock solid start to his season with seven points in eight games.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Red Wings Ride Hot Streak Into Clash With Schaefer, Red-Hot Islanders
On Thursday, the Detroit Red Wings return to action after a thrilling win on Tuesday over the Seattle Kraken that saw several major milestones like captain Dylan Larkin recording his 600th point while rookie Nate Danielson potted his first career goal. Detroit looks to continue their recent hot streak with three wins in their last four games when hosting rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer and the New York Islanders.
It'll be the 132nd all-time matchup between these two teams and should be a good one as the Islanders have also been red hot with five wins in their last six games with their only loss coming against the top seed in the league in the Colorado Avalanche. It should be an interesting test for Detroit to take on this new look team and how they'll handle a new face taking over the hockey world like Schaefer.
Hockey Fights Cancer Night 💜
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) November 20, 2025
🏒 7:00 P.M.
📺 @FanDuelSN_DET
📻 @971theticketxyt
🎟️ https://t.co/zBxXvMUnbO
🤝 @comericabankpic.twitter.com/uEVzfD59wV
Lineup Storylines
Red Wings top prospect Nate Danielson finally arrived on Tuesday with his first career goal, a second goal on a highlight reel play but was called off due to former Griffins linemate Emmitt Finnie being caught offside before the former Grand Rapids duo brought their talents to the NHL stage and combined on a game-winning goal for the Red Wings. It was fantastic for any Detroit fan to see Danielson finally look comfortable and confident as many who have seen him play know that once he gets confident and moving the way he'd like to, that's when he truly unlocks his high-end potential.
Line Combinations: Red Wings vs. IslandersLarkin, Raymond, and Danielson look to ignite Detroit's offense against a surging Islanders squad featuring rookie sensation Matthew Schaefer.From plays where he deked through entire teams or snipes with his lethal shot, Danielson is now a player to look out for and will be tested against a tough Islanders team that is red hot with their defense even hotter. New York has a 2.17 goals against average during their recent six-game hot streak with their last matchup versus Detroit going well with just two goals allowed.
The lines are expected to experience a subtle shift once again as Red Wings bench boss Todd McLellan is going to look for the Griffins connection once again. McLellan will look to move Finnie down to the third line to play with Danielson while veteran winger Mason Appleton takes the other wing. Marco Kasper will get to play with Patrick Kane once again on the second line with J.T. Compher centering.
For New York, you can always count on Islanders bench boss Patrick Roy to smash the Schaefer button. If you have not seen a New York game this season and are curious to see what Schaefer can do, you will get ample oppurtunity on Thursday. The 18-year-old Hamilton, Ontario native has the most minutes on the Islanders by a significant margin, playing on the top defense pairing, power play and penalty kill. From the blue line, he’s generated more shot attempts than anyone on the roster and has shown impressive quickness, ranking second on the team in takeaways while also clogging lanes with the fifth-most blocks.
Bookmark The Hockey News Detroit Red Wings team site to stay connected to the latest news, game-day coverage, and player features.
Islanders' Matthew Schaefer, Avalanche's Cale Makar Already Near-Locks in NHL Award RacesAn 18-year-old phenom and a Norris contender are dominating early NHL award races, setting impressive records and dazzling fans.He’ll be a key player for the Red Wings to track on Thursday, especially since they’ve only faced him once this season and were able to hold him off the scoresheet. In that meeting, Detroit couldn't handle the rest of the Islanders offense, surrendering seven goals in a 7–2 loss. Early season breakout for New York in Emil Heineman scored twice and has carried that momentum forward, entering Thursday with 14 points in 20 games. The former Montreal forward has thrived alongside the red-hot Bo Horvat, who continues to pace the Islanders with a team-leading 24 points in 20 games.
Player & Betting Trends (Presented By BetMGM)
DET ML (-133) | NYI ML (+110)
DET -1.5 (+180) | NYI +1.5 (-222)
O/U 6.0 Goals
Detroit's Lucas Raymond has been white hot with four straight multi-point games and riding a five-game point streak. He's totaled two goals and eight assists for ten points over the five games and has made the Red Wings top line lethal once again.
New York's win over Detroit earlier this season snapped a four-game winning streak in the matchup and could mean we will likely see a bounce back game for the home team on Thursday. Raymond should lead the way although he doesn't have the greatest history in this matchup.
The Swedish winger has points in just four of his last seven games versus the Islanders, tallying three goals and two assists for five points. He'll look to keep his hot streak alive and score for the third straight game as well as the third time in his last four matchups versus New York. Top line center Dylan Larkin should be able to help get Raymond on the board once again as this is a matchup he normally excels in. The Michigan native has points in five of his last six games versus the Islanders, recording four goals and two assists for six points.
To combat the Red Wings top line, we would expect New York's answer to be Horvat as their top line center, however the 30-year-old London, Ontario native has struggled in this matchup. He did get a pair of assists in their last matchup earlier this season but prior to that, Horvat had gone five straight games versus Detroit without recording a point.
Thursday, they may need more secondary options and that very well could come from the second line in Matt Barzal. The high-flying center has produced decent numbers this season like 15 points in 19 games but when playing against the Motor City hockey club, he finds ways to get the puck in the net. Barzal has four goals and 21 assists over his last 25 games versus the Red Wings, including eight multi-point performances and one five-assist game back in 2018.
Goalie Matchup
Detroit: John Gibson (Season: 4-5-1 record, 3.32 GAA, .875 SV% | VS NYI: 4-4-1 record, 3.31 GAA, .899 SV% in 10 games)
New York: Ilya Sorokin (Season: 6-5-2 record, 2.92 GAA, .898 SV% | VS DET: 4-4-2 record, 2.47 GAA, .911 SV% in 11 games)
Two Former Michigan Teammates Hit Major NHL Milestones On The Same NightWolverines reunited: Larkin and Werenski hit monumental NHL point milestones on the same electrifying night, echoing their Michigan glory.Never miss a story by adding us to your Google News favorites!
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
Injuries to NBA star players are up this season. Steve Kerr says pace, spacing of modern game to blame.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is out for at least a couple of weeks with a groin strain. Anthony Davis remains sidelined in Dallas with a calf strain. Victor Wembanyama is out with a strained calf. Wemby's star teammates Stephon Castle (hip) and No. 2 pick Dylan Harper (calf) are out. Ja Morant is out with a calf strain.
If it feels like injuries to the NBA's biggest names — especially soft tissue injuries — are on the rise, it's because they are. The numbers are shocking, as Tom Haberstroh laid out at Yahoo Sports. (Note: He defines a star by using the NBA's definition in its Player Participation Policy, an All-Star or All-NBA player within the past three years. There are 45 such players in the league.)
"All told, NBA stars have already missed over 200 games this season due to injury or illness, doubling the total we saw at this point two years ago ... For a league fighting the image that star players aren't playing enough, this season's power outage is especially alarming. In 2023-24, with the first year of the midseason tournament seeming to motivate its biggest names to suit up, star players played 87.2% of its games by this juncture of the season (12 games in). Last season, it dipped to 82.6%. This season, the bottom has fallen out, with star participation falling to 67.6%."
It's worth noting that while star players are missing more games, overall injuries are not up, including soft tissue injuries.
The time lost for calf strains in the NBA is roughly 2-3 weeks, but 1:3 cases will miss more than 20 days and 1:5 cases will miss more than 30 days.
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) November 17, 2025
What is different this year is that teams are being more cautious with their injured stars. Fresh in the minds of fans, team medical staffs, owners, and everyone else is the image of Tyrese Haliburton pounding the court during Game 7 of the NBA Finals, after trying to play through a sore calf and tearing his Achilles. Same with Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles after playing through a sore calf. Same with Damian Lillard, who is out this season after tearing his Achilles while playing through a sore calf.
The volume of injuries to stars is real and concerning.
Steve Kerr concerned
The rise in injuries has drawn the attention of a lot of people, including Golden State coach Steve Kerr. He blamed a combination of the increased pace of play around the league, the increased spacing in today's game, and the relentlessness of the NBA's 82-game schedule for the rise.
"I'm very concerned. It's dramatic — the pace difference is dramatic…" Kerr said Tuesday, via NBC Sports Bay Area. "I think across the league, everybody understands now that it's just easier to score if you can beat the opponent down the floor, get out in transition. But when everybody's doing that, the games are much higher-paced, faster-paced, and then everyone has to cover out to 25 feet, because everybody can shoot 3s.
"So we have all the data players are running faster and further than ever before, and so we're trying to do the best we can to protect them, but basically, have a game every other night and not an easy thing to do."
Kerr isn't the only coach thinking that way.
"I would agree with Steve," Utah Jazz coach Will Hardy said. "The tempo of the game is quick, and I think you're seeing, even this year, I think there's 25 teams in the NBA that are averaging 100 possessions a game [Note: it is 24], and last year there were 12 [13]. So you're seeing an uptick in the pace of the game, it seems like over the last couple of years."
The median pace of an NBA game is 101.5 possessions per team, per game this season. That is up from 99.6 last season, and 96.6 10 years ago (when only two teams had a pace over 100 for the season). That increased pace doesn't just impact offense.
"I think if you ask any coach in the NBA what's the first key to any game, it's literally getting back on defense, and the numbers back that up," Lakers coach J.J. Redick said.
Increased spacing an issue
Shooting and spacing are everything in today's NBA, but that means more ground for defenders — and tired leg and calf muscles — to cover. Defenders are now asked to collapse down in a help situation to protect the paint, then race back out and contest a shot at the arc (or, they are zoning off the weak side as the rest of the defense collapses, and they have to be able to move to challenge multiple players). That kind of explosive movement can be hard on muscles and put pressure on tendons and ligaments. Not to mention a game where Euro-steps, deceleration moves and more put more strain on a player's body.
All that has changed over the years.
"When I was in Orlando (2006-13), I could play through injuries all the time because it was just, it was easy to do based on the way the game was played," said Redick, who played 15 years in the league before retiring. "And then by year 14-15, you're going to have to guard crazy stuff on every possession, and it's just too much movement, and if you're second-guessing your body, you're not an effective player."
What was different about the game?
"[When I] first got in the league, there were two bigs, and you go against Memphis, and you're playing against Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol," Redick said. "And then the stretch four — God bless, RIP, doesn't exist anymore — that was a short-lived thing. And then I think over the last eight to 10 years it's really evolved as teams have spread you out more and gotten to more movement, more multiple actions, and more pace."
That's not changing. If anything, the pace of the game is going to increase and shooters will have to be covered further out. Another trend this season — popularized by the Pacers a season ago on their run to the Finals — is pressuring the ball handler for 94 feet up the court, adding more wear and tear to bodies.
There are no easy answers here. Kerr is among those who would like to see 10 fewer (or more) games on the NBA schedule each year, but he also understands the reality.
"The tricky part is everyone, all the constituents, would have to agree to take less revenue," Kerr said. "And 2025 in America, good luck getting any industry to agree [to that]."
The best teams can do right now is focus on recovery between games, monitor the situation, get players rest when needed, and take care of injured players, not push them to get back on the court.
But all of that is going to mean years like this one, where a month into the season, a lot of stars are sidelined.
Senators May Use Some Halliday Time As Hellish Seven-Game Road Trip Begins Thursday In Anaheim
The Ottawa Senators (9-6-4) return to action Thursday night in Anaheim, kicking off one of the longest and most demanding stretches of their season. After four full days between games, the Senators will now begin a seven-game, 13-day road trip that spans California, Nevada, Missouri, Texas, and Quebec before they finally return home in early December.
Ottawa hasn’t played since Saturday, giving them a chance to rest up before their travelling road show opens at Honda Centre on Thursday.
The Road Ahead: 7 Games in 13 Days
Nov. 20 – at Anaheim Ducks – 10:00 p.m.
Nov. 22 – at San Jose Sharks – 7:00 p.m.
Nov. 24 – at Los Angeles Kings – 9:00 p.m.
Nov. 26 – at Vegas Golden Knights – 10:00 p.m.
Nov. 28 – at St. Louis Blues – 4:00 p.m.
Nov. 30 – at Dallas Stars – 6:00 p.m.
Dec. 2 – at Montreal Canadiens – 7:00 p.m.
Through three time zones and faceoff times all over the map, they finally return home on Dec. 4 to face the New York Rangers. The Senators will be fine if they can pull at least 7 points out of this trip. Anything less could be damaging in the very tight Atlantic Division.
As reported by Senators' host Jackson Starr, here’s how Ottawa lined up at practice on Wednesday:
Forwards
Perron – Stützle – Batherson
Greig – Cozens – Zetterlund
Amadio – Pinto – Giroux
Cousins – Halliday – Hodgson
Defence
Sanderson – Zub
Kleven – Spence
Matinpalo – Jensen
Goalies
Ullmark
Meriläinen
Senators in the Halliday Spirit
When the Senators called up Stephen Halliday on Tuesday, it looked like he might just be along to be a spare in case of injury. But it turns out that Lars Eller isn't fully healthy and isn't expected to play on Thursday, so that might open the door for Halliday, Belleville's leading scorer, to make his NHL debut. He took Eller's usual spot on the fourth line on Wednesday.
Sens Give Thanks For Probable Tkachuk Return Next Week
On this week’s Wingmen podcast, captain Brady Tkachuk shed more light on his recovery from last month’s thumb surgery. The Senators' captain revealed he hopes to rejoin the lineup about a week into the road trip and says he's targeting "hopefully, around Thanksgiving." Either way, the Sens will be in St. Louis for Thanksgiving Day, so Tkachuk will get to enjoy some holiday family time in the city he grew up in.
That would fall between the Vegas and St. Louis stops, and the captain's return would be a significant boost to a lineup that's hung in nicely without him.
What's Up, Ducks?
While the Senators were resting this week, the Ducks were busy doing them a favour on Wednesday night. Lukas Dostal made 36 saves for the Ducks (13-6-1) in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins.
Anaheim has now won six straight at home, and enters Thursday’s matchup surging under new head coach Joel Quenneville, who guided the Chicago Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups and has also stepped into an ideal situation with a Ducks team that was ready to take flight. They've spent years collecting elite young talent during their rebuild, and now they lead the Pacific Division.
The Ducks' top six is particularly ridiculous with a pair of budding young Swedish superstars in Leo Carlsson, 20, and Cutter Gauthier, 21, leading the way. The duo has combined for 23 goals and 50 points in the first 20 games. Then you have Carp's Mason MacTavish, rejuvenated bull-in-a-china-shop Chris Kreider, and Troy Terry, who's over a point per game.
Anaheim’s Lineup at Wednesday morning skate (via Ducks reporter Zach Cavanagh)
Forwards
Kreider – Carlsson – Terry
Gauthier – McTavish – Sennecke
Vatrano – Strome – Killorn
Johnston – Harkins – Nesterenko
Defence
LaCombe – Helleson
Zellweger – Trouba
Moore – Gudas
Goalies
Dostál
Mrázek
With Dostal getting the win in Boston on Wednesday, it's a good bet that former Ottawa 67 Petr Mrazek will start for the Ducks. Face off is at 10 pm.
Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa
Read more Ottawa Senators articles at The Hockey News Ottawa:
Former Senators Defenseman Returns To Ottawa In Monday Trade With Philadelphia
Arthur Kaliyev Heating Up, Now Third In AHL Goal Scoring
Forsberg Returns To Ottawa As A King, Pitches A Shutout
Senators Have Big UFA Contract Decisions In Next Few Years (Who Stays And Who Goes?)
Four More Years: Shane Pinto Signs Four-Year Extension
Creator Of 'New Heights' Gives Brady And Matthew Tkachuk Their Own Podcast
Ranking Mets' top 5 free agent reliever targets for 2025-26 MLB offseason
When it comes to constructing their 2026 bullpen, retaining Edwin Díaz should be Job 1 for the Mets. He’s the best available closer, has some of the game’s nastiest stuff, and has proven he can weather high-pressure moments and rough times in the roil of New York’s baseball cauldron.
OK, so we’ve already given away the top spot of our list of free agent relievers the Mets should target this winter. But this one is that obvious, isn’t it?
The rest is a little more tricky, because if Díaz re-signs, the Mets must hunt skilled setup men for a bullpen with multiple vacancies. If he goes elsewhere, the Mets need a big-time closer. Our list will reflect both categories.
The Mets were 15th in bullpen ERA (3.93) last season and their relievers allowed 35 percent of inherited runners to score, tied for the fourth-highest percentage in the majors. The Mets also threw the third-most relief innings in baseball last year.
So they have significant bullpen work to do. Here’s a list of five potential targets to get them started:
5. Flushing is Mr. Rogers' neighborhood
You may feel some lingering dissatisfaction with the Mets’ relief moves at last summer’s trade deadline. It wasn’t Tyler Rogers’ fault. He had a 2.30 ERA in 28 games for the Mets, got a ton of ground balls, per usual, and walked three and gave up one homer in 27.1 innings. He does not throw hard – his fastball averaged 83.5 miles-per-hour last season – but his sinker-slider combo is hard to pick up. His pitches come at hitters from grass level because of his submarine arm angle, giving him a unique look that would diversify any bullpen. The righty, who turns 35 in December, has proven durable with five straight seasons of at least 68 appearances, including an MLB-best 81 last season. Hello, again?
4. We like Kyle’s style
Since Kyle Finnegan has three seasons of 20-plus saves on his Baseball Reference page, he’ll probably get market attention as a closer, especially after a sparkling second-half with Detroit following a midseason trade. But perhaps the 34-year-old righty would set up in the right circumstance and maybe that’s the Mets. Finnegan tweaked his pitch mix with the Tigers, moving his splitter up in his arsenal, and had a 1.50 ERA in 18 innings. He gave up just nine hits in that span and did not give up a run in his first 12 appearances with the Kitties. Overall, in 56 appearances between Washington and Detroit in 2025, Finnegan had a 3.47 ERA and 24 saves.
3. Rapid Robert
If Díaz departs, Robert Suarez profiles as an easy answer to the Mets’ closer spot. With San Diego last season, he led the NL with 40 saves and has one of the game’s best fastballs, a 98.6-mph monster that held hitters to a feeble .169 average. It’s nicely complemented by a sinker with around the same heat and a changeup in the 90s. He raised his strikeout rate and lowered his walk rate last season, an enticing combo, and was an All-Star for the second straight year. He did not get a qualifying offer, so there’s no draft compensation for the Mets to fret over. If Díaz does return, it’d be fun to think about the Mets adding Suarez as a smothering setup man, but that seems unlikely given that Suarez is easily the second-best closing option on the market, even though he’ll be 35 in March.
2. New York, New York?
Devin Williams spent last season with the Yankees and notched a career-worst, by far, 4.79 ERA. Losing the closer’s job is no way to build a strong platform for free agency. But Williams still has stuff – his “Airbender” changeup remains difficult for hitters to cope with, and he struck out 90 batters and allowed only 45 hits in 62 innings for the Yankees. ESPN reported that the Mets are in on Williams as part of their bullpen remake. He could close or possibly set up if Díaz is back.
David Stearns, the Mets’ front office boss, was with Williams in Milwaukee when the righty was becoming one of the best relievers in baseball. Whatever happens, the Mets must evaluate whether the bright lights and big city contributed to Williams’ struggles in pinstripes. After last season’s disappointment in Queens, there figures to be plenty of pressure and scrutiny for the 2026 Mets, especially back-end relievers whose bad nights tend to be loud.
1. Sweet reunion
Bring “Sugar” back. Yes, Díaz will be 32 in March and his hellacious stuff won’t last forever. Giving him a contract of four years or so might feel uncomfortable, but he also gives a club that has won exactly two World Series in its history a significant asset in its Fall Classic quest.
Díaz had a 1.63 ERA last season and allowed 37 hits in 66.1 innings while striking out 98, plenty of evidence that he’s back to his old self after his WBC injury. Batters hit .133 against his 97.2-mph fastball and .179 against his 89-mph slider. Obviously, he’s a very uncomfortable at-bat and, in what was a combustible year for Mets relievers, Díaz provided so much security.
There figures to be big competition for Díaz from big-time contenders, which could add some urgency to the Mets’ Díaz pursuit. The Blue Jays lost Game 7 of the World Series, in part because their closer gave up a key home run. That closer, Jeff Hoffman, allowed two homers per nine innings last season. Díaz, who once had his own longball woes, allowed 0.5 HR/9. Toronto is rich, stacked, and eager to make another run. Do the Mets want to be the ones facing Díaz in big October games?
Can Duke overcome early struggles and make a run this college basketball season?
Not much has gone according to plan for the Duke women’s basketball team so far this season.
Will Big Ten seize upon final 3 weeks after taking a back seat to SEC all season?
After a season full of meaningful SEC games, the Big Ten is finally set for marquee games across back-to-back-to-back weekends.
NHL Rumor Roundup: Latest On Rangers' Panarin And Flames' Andersson
The Los Angeles Kings' signing of Adrian Kempe to a long-term contract extension earlier this week further depleted the top talent in next summer's NHL UFA pool.
Kempe joins Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov, Winnipeg Jets left winger Kyle Connor, Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel and Colorado Avalanche right winger Martin Necas among the stars who've opted to remain with their current teams.
That leaves Artemi Panarin sitting atop Sportsnet's Luke Fox's list of players eligible for UFA status on July 1. The 34-year-old New York Rangers left winger is finishing a seven-year contract with an annual cap hit of $11.64 million.
Fox indicated that Panarin has no interest in accepting a pay cut to stay in New York despite his age and declining stats. Meanwhile, the Rangers aren't keen to have a high-salaried player on their roster well into his late 30s.
The Rangers will likely hang onto Panarin if they're holding a playoff berth by the March 6 NHL trade deadline. If not, they will likely entertain trade offers. Fox's colleague Nick Kypreos suggested the Carolina Hurricanes and Minnesota Wild as potential destinations for Panarin.
The Hurricanes made a big move last season by acquiring Mikko Rantanen from the Avalanche last January. However, they traded him to the Dallas Stars before the deadline when he wouldn't agree to a contract extension. They might be reluctant to pursue Panarin merely as a rental player, but they could prefer that he accept less money on a shorter deal.
As for the Wild, Michael Russo and Joe Smith of The Athletic aren't convinced they'll pursue Panarin at the trade deadline. Russo doesn't see the sense of giving up assets when they could sign him on July 1 as a free agent. Smith doesn't think the aging winger is the right fit for the Wild in their quest to become a Stanley Cup contender.
Rasmus Andersson of the Calgary Flames sits second on Fox's list. The 29-year-old defenseman is in the final season of a five-year contract with an average annual value of $4.55 million. Fox indicated that Andersson hasn't closed the door on re-signing with the Flames, but their struggles this season suggest he'll be moving on.
Fox felt the Golden Knights seemed the prime landing spot for Andersson. They have the advantage of playing in a no-tax state, and could use a replacement for sidelined blueliner Alex Pietrangelo. However, Fox noted that they've got limited salary-cap space.
The Golden Knights could find a way to free up cap room to add Andersson's remaining cap hit within their payroll, perhaps by requesting the Flames retain half of it to make the dollars fit. However, the real sticking point is whether the Golden Knights have sufficient tradeable assets to win a bidding war for Andersson's services.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
NBA Minutes Report: How Ja Morant's injury and LeBron James' return shake up minutes
Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will be going through each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.
The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three games, five games, ten games, and for the entire season to see what trends stand out to you.
All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also incredibly generous, so make sure to give him a follow to check out all of his baseball data as well.
2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Wemby injured, Jalen Johnson providing value in Atlanta
The Hawks forward has exceeded the expectations of many fantasy managers this season, especially after Trae Young went down.
Raphielle JohnsonAtlanta Hawks
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Jalen Johnson | 39.7 | 35.6 | 34.6 |
| Onyeka Okongwu | 35.4 | 30.6 | 28.9 |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker | 33.9 | 30.8 | 31.4 |
| Dyson Daniels | 33.6 | 33.3 | 34.7 |
| Vít Krejčí | 30.1 | 28.2 | 23.4 |
| Zaccharie Risacher | 22.6 | 24.6 | 25.3 |
| Luke Kennard | 16.3 | 18 | 21.1 |
| Kristaps Porziņģis | — | 24.8 | 26.1 |
| Trae Young | — | — | — |
We know that Trae Young will be sidelined for at least the month of November, but now Kristaps Porzingis also missed the last three games with a knee injury, and Zaccharie Risacher missed Tuesday's game with a hip injury. All of that has led to higher usage for all of Jalen Johnson, Onyeka Okongwu, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, with Johnson averaging an absurd 27 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists over his last three games. He's been elite. We've also seen a minutes boost for Vit Krejci, who is averaging 13.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists over his last seven games and has some fringe fantasy value because of his three-point shooting.
Boston Celtics
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Payton Pritchard | 32.9 | 32.6 | 31.3 |
| Derrick White | 32.6 | 33.9 | 32.2 |
| Jaylen Brown | 32 | 32.9 | 31.8 |
| Neemias Queta | 25.4 | 26.1 | 24.6 |
| Jordan Walsh | 20.8 | 23.4 | 22.3 |
| Anfernee Simons | 20 | 21.7 | 22.8 |
| Josh Minott | 17.6 | 15.4 | 19.2 |
Things have settled a bit for the Celtics in their main rotation, but Joe Mazzulla keeps experimenting around the fringes with guys like Jordan Walsh and Josh Minott. Those guys will spike some fantasy value on a given night, but it's hard to rely on them regularly, given their inconsistent minutes and lower usage rates on offense. You don't really need to consider anybody in fantasy here other than Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard.
Brooklyn Nets
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Michael Porter Jr. | 34.6 | 33 | 33 |
| Nic Claxton | 31.4 | 30.3 | 30.8 |
| Ziaire Williams | 31.2 | 27.8 | 24.8 |
| Terance Mann | 28.1 | 26.9 | 28.3 |
| Noah Clowney | 26.6 | 27.4 | 26.9 |
| Tyrese Martin | 22.7 | 21.3 | 22.3 |
| Drake Powell | 21.9 | 21.9 | 20.2 |
| Egor Dëmin | 20.4 | 22.8 | 20.4 |
| Jalen Wilson | 6.9 | 12.4 | 14.7 |
| Cam Thomas | — | — | 27.5 |
We know that Cam Thomas is likely out until the middle of December, which has led to a bump in usage and minutes for Michael Porter Jr., who has been really good of late, averaging 26.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game over his last six. Ziaire Williams has also seen his minutes increase, but there has been less fantasy goodness there, averaging 10.2 points and 2.7 rebounds over his last six games/ On the other side, Ben Saraf has been battling an ankle injury and was also sent to the G-League, and Jalen Wilson seems to have all but fallen out of the rotation.
Charlotte Hornets
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Kon Knueppel | 35 | 36.1 | 35.7 |
| Miles Bridges | 34.7 | 35.8 | 36.7 |
| Collin Sexton | 27.5 | 26 | 26.1 |
| LaMelo Ball | 27.4 | 27.4 | 28.9 |
| Ryan Kalkbrenner | 26.3 | 26.3 | 25.9 |
| Sion James | 24.8 | 29.2 | 29.1 |
| Moussa Diabaté | 22.5 | 26.8 | 24.3 |
| Brandon Miller | — | — | — |
It seems like Brandon Miller could return to the lineup as early as next week, and LaMelo Ball and Collin Sexton have already made it back, so things are getting back to normal little by little for the Hornets. We have seen Moussa Diabaté infringe on Ryan Kalkbrenner's minutes a little bit more of late, thanks to his rebounding value. Diabaté is averaging 9.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over his last six games, while Kalkbrenner is putting up 11 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks in the same stretch. It doesn't seem like either one of them will truly pull away, but I might prefer Diabaté if the minutes remain consistently similar.
Chicago Bulls
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Nikola Vučević | 34.7 | 31.6 | 31.3 |
| Josh Giddey | 34.5 | 34.5 | 35.6 |
| Coby White | 28.9 | 28.9 | 28.9 |
| Isaac Okoro | 28.7 | 27.7 | 25.9 |
| Matas Buzelis | 27 | 27.9 | 28.4 |
| Kevin Huerter | 26.4 | 28 | 26.4 |
| Ayo Dosunmu | 25 | 26 | 25.3 |
| Dalen Terry | 17.4 | 11.9 | 9.7 |
| Jalen Smith | 15.5 | 16.3 | 16.7 |
| Tre Jones | — | 31.8 | 29.7 |
Coby White returned to the Bulls lineup and played 30 minutes in a double-overtime game, which means he sat out the next game. We should see his minutes tick up consistently over the next couple of weeks, but he may hover around 25-28 minutes per game initially. That could cut into minutes and offensive production for Kevin Huerter and Ayo Dosunmu, but we're going to need to see a few more games before we can tell that for sure. Tre Jones was also playing about 30 minutes per game before White came back, but Jones has also missed the last three games with an ankle injury. He doesn't need to be rostered in fantasy leagues though.
Cleveland Cavaliers
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Evan Mobley | 35.7 | 35.5 | 34.5 |
| Donovan Mitchell | 34.3 | 34.6 | 34.6 |
| De'Andre Hunter | 29.4 | 28.8 | 29 |
| Sam Merrill | 27.5 | 25.7 | 26 |
| Jarrett Allen | 26.5 | 25.5 | 25.4 |
| Dean Wade | 26.2 | 25.2 | 21.4 |
| Lonzo Ball | 23.4 | 22.6 | 22.7 |
| Craig Porter Jr. | 19.6 | 23.1 | 18 |
| Jaylon Tyson | — | 31.1 | 28.6 |
| Darius Garland | — | 19 | 24.5 |
Darius Garland has been dealing with a toe injury, which has kept him out longer than we initially anticipated, and Jaylon Tyson has missed the last few games with a concussion, which has led to some minor shakeups in the rotation, but nothing much to react to. Nobody's fantasy value has changed because of it; although, De'Andre Hunter has spiked a few solid games with higher usage and is averaging 15.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists over his last four games.
Dallas Mavericks
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| P.J. Washington | 32.2 | 25.5 | 28.9 |
| Cooper Flagg | 32 | 36.3 | 34.4 |
| Max Christie | 28.1 | 31.1 | 30.4 |
| Naji Marshall | 28 | 31.4 | 28.6 |
| Daniel Gafford | 27.9 | 27.5 | 23.7 |
| Brandon Williams | 25.1 | 25.4 | 23.5 |
| Klay Thompson | 23.1 | 25.5 | 22.3 |
| D'Angelo Russell | 23.1 | 24.5 | 22.2 |
| Dwight Powell | 16.6 | 9.2 | 8 |
| Dereck Lively II | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.6 |
| Anthony Davis |
Welcome to everybody's favorite disaster. It feels like Anthony Davis may never play another game for the Mavericks, but Derek Lively (knee) did make his return this week, even though he seems to be on a bit of a minutes restriction right now. We've also seen Brandon Williams get a slight uptick in minutes at the expense of D'Angelo Russell, only to have Russell come back and take some of those minutes, so that point guard rotation remains confusing. Daniel Gafford may see his minutes change with Lively back, but we need to see how the front-court rotation shakes out with players like Naji Marshall and P.J. Washington as well. Washington has had some value with Davis sidelined, averaging 12.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals over his last seven games. Cooper Flagg was sick on Wednesday and missed the game, which is why his minutes dipped.
Denver Nuggets
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Jamal Murray | 37.5 | 36.5 | 34.8 |
| Nikola Jokić | 36.7 | 35.3 | 34.6 |
| Cameron Johnson | 34.7 | 24.9 | 26.2 |
| Peyton Watson | 34.2 | 28.6 | 25.1 |
| Aaron Gordon | 34.1 | 32.3 | 30.7 |
| Bruce Brown | 26.5 | 27 | 24.7 |
| Tim Hardaway Jr. | 22.9 | 22.7 | 22.6 |
| Christian Braun | — | 22.9 | 28.7 |
Christian Braun got hurt last week, so we've seen some minor tweaks to the rotation this week, the biggest of which has been a boost in minutes and usage for Peyton Watson. The 23-year-old is averaging 16.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 steals over his last three games and could have some fantasy value.
Detroit Pistons
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Cade Cunningham | 33.8 | 39.2 | 37.8 |
| Daniss Jenkins | 32.7 | 34.5 | 29.6 |
| Duncan Robinson | 32.2 | 32.5 | 32.7 |
| Javonte Green | 30.8 | 32.5 | 26.9 |
| Jalen Duren | 28.7 | 32.4 | 32.9 |
| Ronald Holland II | 24.5 | 25.1 | 25 |
| Ausar Thompson | 23.7 | 23.7 | 29.5 |
| Isaiah Stewart | 23.2 | 23.2 | 24.1 |
| Caris LeVert | 20.2 | 20.8 | 20.1 |
| Tobias Harris | — | — | 35.5 |
Injuries to Tobias Harris and Cade Cunningham shook up the Pistons' rotation a bit, but Cunningham came back to play 34 minutes earlier this week. What's interesting is that Daniss Jenkins still played 30 minutes in that game. Over his last six games, Jenkins is averaging 17.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.8 steals, and could maintain fantasy value, at least until Harris is back. However, Jenkins' emergence has led to fewer minutes and production for Ausar Thompson, who then injured his ankle and missed all of last week. He returned on Tuesday, so we'll see how this situation plays out.
Golden State Warriors
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Jimmy Butler III | 34.7 | 34.5 | 29.4 |
| Moses Moody | 32.8 | 30.8 | 28.9 |
| Stephen Curry | 31.2 | 33 | 30.9 |
| Brandin Podziemski | 28.9 | 29.1 | 27.8 |
| Draymond Green | 28.1 | 29 | 27.6 |
| Al Horford | 23.7 | 23.3 | 23 |
| Buddy Hield | 22 | 19.1 | 18 |
| Will Richard | 18.5 | 18.6 | 20.9 |
| Jonathan Kuminga | — | 12.1 | 23.9 |
An injury to Jonathan Kuminga has shaken up the minutes allotment a bit, but it hasn't really done anything for fantasy value. Moses Moody is playing more minutes, but he's averaging just 12.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals, which doesn't help you too much in fantasy.
Houston Rockets
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Alperen Sengun | 39.7 | 37.3 | 36.3 |
| Kevin Durant | 39.1 | 37.1 | 36.1 |
| Amen Thompson | 37.2 | 36.8 | 37.3 |
| Jabari Smith Jr. | 33.6 | 32.4 | 32 |
| Reed Sheppard | 25.8 | 26.3 | 22.6 |
| Steven Adams | 24.2 | 22.4 | 21 |
| Josh Okogie | 16.9 | 18.7 | 21.1 |
| Aaron Holiday | 16 | 12.8 | 10.1 |
| Tari Eason | 10.6 | 16.8 | 22.4 |
The Rockets have seen some minutes shifting of late thanks to an injury to Tari Eason, which will keep him out until the middle of December. We've also yet to see Dorian Finney-Smith play this season after ankle surgery, which means players in the rotation have all just gotten a slight bump in minutes with nobody of note really entering a meaningful role. Jabari Smith Jr. is playing a bit better since Eason has been out but it's nothing to get overly excited about right now.
Indiana Pacers
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Pascal Siakam | 35.3 | 34.4 | 35.2 |
| Andrew Nembhard | 32.3 | 30.8 | 31 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | 29.6 | 29.6 | 29.6 |
| Jarace Walker | 27.8 | 26.4 | 28.6 |
| Ben Sheppard | 26.8 | 23.8 | 23.7 |
| Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | 22.4 | 23.3 | 20.3 |
| Isaiah Jackson | 20.5 | 20.1 | 21.1 |
| T.J. McConnell | 15.3 | 14.5 | 14.5 |
| Aaron Nesmith | — | 26 | 29.9 |
The Pacers were starting to get a little healthier with Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin back, but then Aaron Nesmith got hurt and is expected to be out until the middle of December with a knee injury. We did finally see T.J. McConnell debut on November 11th, but his minutes have remained pretty restricted right now, so that's something we need to watch in the coming weeks.
The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.
Los Angeles Clippers
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| James Harden | 41.9 | 38.8 | 38.1 |
| Ivica Zubac | 37.9 | 35.1 | 33 |
| Bogdan Bogdanović | 32.8 | 29.6 | 29.4 |
| Kris Dunn | 27.9 | 27.1 | 26.9 |
| John Collins | 27 | 26.6 | 25.3 |
| Derrick Jones Jr. | 25.6 | 26 | 26.4 |
| Kobe Sanders | 22.2 | 22.8 | 22.8 |
| Nicolas Batum | 22 | 21.5 | 19.3 |
| Kawhi Leonard | — | — | 36.7 |
| Bradley Beal | — | — | 20.2 |
A season-ending injury to Bradley Beal and the continued absence of Kawhi Leonard have changed some things around for the Clippers, but not as much as we anticipated. Tyronn Lue said that he was going to play the younger guys more minutes, but Jordan Miller got hurt, so it's just been Kobe Sanders entering the rotation. He could continue to see more minutes with Derrick Jones Jr. now out until, potentially, the new year. Sanders played 30 minutes in his last game, but Kawhi's return would push those minutes back down.
Los Angeles Lakers
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Luka Dončić | 37.6 | 36.8 | 36.6 |
| Austin Reaves | 36.2 | 33.6 | 34.6 |
| Deandre Ayton | 31.3 | 30.5 | 28.1 |
| Rui Hachimura | 30.4 | 32.3 | 32.7 |
| LeBron James | 29.6 | 29.6 | 29.6 |
| Jake LaRavia | 27.9 | 26.1 | 28.6 |
| Marcus Smart | 25.8 | 29 | 29.3 |
| Gabe Vincent | 16 | 16 | 16 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | 9.5 | 13.5 | 16 |
LeBron James made his season debut on Tuesday night, and I talked all about that in a video I made for the NBC Sports website.
Memphis Grizzlies
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | 29.7 | 29.5 | 30.1 |
| Vince Williams Jr. | 27 | 24 | 20.3 |
| Olivier-Maxence Prosper | 26.1 | 13.5 | 8.2 |
| Cedric Coward | 25.2 | 26.9 | 27.7 |
| Jaylen Wells | 25 | 25.4 | 24.6 |
| Zach Edey | 24.9 | 24.9 | 24.9 |
| Santi Aldama | 24.8 | 26.8 | 26.6 |
| Cam Spencer | 24.3 | 22.4 | 20.9 |
| Jock Landale | 20.5 | 23 | 24.3 |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | 20.3 | 19.9 | 22.4 |
| Ja Morant | 6 | 24.4 | 29.3 |
Ja Morant is now out for the next two weeks, which continues a tough season for the All-Star guard and the Grizzlies as a whole. Vince WilliamsJr. has stepped into a starting role in his place and produced well, but I covered that whole situation in detail here.
Miami Heat
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Andrew Wiggins | 34.3 | 34.7 | 34.4 |
| Jaime Jaquez Jr. | 33.7 | 32.8 | 31.3 |
| Norman Powell | 31 | 32.8 | 31.1 |
| Davion Mitchell | 30 | 32.4 | 31.8 |
| Bam Adebayo | 28.8 | 28.8 | 25.9 |
| Kel'el Ware | 28.3 | 29.2 | 25.6 |
| Pelle Larsson | 26.2 | 26.5 | 26 |
| Nikola Jović | 16.8 | 21.6 | 20.2 |
Bam Adebayo returned to the lineup for Miami on Wednesday, and it sounds like we may get Tyler Herro back on Monday against the Mavericks, which means this Heat rotation could look really different in next week's column. For now, we should probably see a major dip in production for Kel'el Ware, and Jamie Jaquez Jr. would likely see his minutes and usage decrease with Herro back.
Milwaukee Bucks
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Myles Turner | 33.6 | 31.5 | 30.1 |
| AJ Green | 30.4 | 29 | 28.2 |
| Ryan Rollins | 30.1 | 31 | 30.9 |
| Giannis Antetokounmpo | 28.3 | 30.6 | 31.4 |
| Kyle Kuzma | 27.4 | 28.7 | 26.6 |
| Gary Trent Jr. | 25.6 | 26.6 | 27.2 |
| Bobby Portis | 21.3 | 22.9 | 21.7 |
| Cole Anthony | 19.2 | 17.9 | 19 |
| Gary Harris | 18.1 | 12.4 | 11.6 |
An injury to Giannis Antetokounmpo on Monday night has led to some changes in Milwaukee for the next week or two, which I covered in my video for NBC Sports.
Minnesota Timberwolves
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Anthony Edwards | 34.6 | 35.5 | 32.8 |
| Julius Randle | 32.6 | 32.8 | 32.1 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | 32.2 | 32.9 | 31.1 |
| Rudy Gobert | 29.4 | 31.3 | 31.6 |
| Jaden McDaniels | 28 | 30.5 | 29.8 |
| Naz Reid | 27 | 26.8 | 25 |
| Mike Conley | 22.7 | 20.7 | 20.9 |
| Jaylen Clark | 18.6 | 18 | 17.7 |
Things have been pretty status quo for the Timberwolves of late, except that Jaden McDaniels is dealing with a bit of a wrist injury that will keep him out until this weekend. There doesn't appear to be much to be concerned about though.
New Orleans Pelicans
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Trey Murphy III | 33.5 | 35.8 | 35.7 |
| Zion Williamson | 29.1 | 29.1 | 28.6 |
| Herbert Jones | 28 | 30.5 | 31.4 |
| Derik Queen | 27.1 | 29.7 | 24.9 |
| Jeremiah Fears | 25.3 | 26.2 | 26.1 |
| Saddiq Bey | 23.8 | 29.9 | 28.2 |
| Jose Alvarado | 22.3 | 22 | 22.1 |
| Karlo Matković | 20.9 | 17.2 | 14.1 |
| Yves Missi | 19.7 | 14.3 | 15.6 |
| Jordan Poole | — | — | 25.5 |
Zion Williamson returned for the Pelicans on Wednesday and played 29 minutes in his first game back. Notably, Derik Queen also started that game and played 30 minutes, scoring 30 points, with nine rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Yes, a lot of that came in the fourth quarter when the Pelicans were down 15+ points, but that's likely going to be the norm for them this season. Saddiq Bey saw his minutes dip a lot with Zion back, but Jeremiah Fears should continue to maintain fantasy value until Jordan Poole returns.
New York Knicks
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Mikal Bridges | 38.9 | 36.5 | 34.5 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 35.2 | 34.3 | 33 |
| Jalen Brunson | 34.8 | 35.9 | 33.7 |
| Landry Shamet | 33.3 | 29.6 | 23.8 |
| Josh Hart | 32.6 | 29.2 | 26.2 |
| Miles McBride | 30.1 | 25.4 | 23.1 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 26.5 | 21.4 | 19.3 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 18.1 | 17.8 | 17.1 |
| OG Anunoby | 5.1 | 24.9 | 29.6 |
Jalen Brunson returned on Wednesday against the Mavericks, but the Knicks could be without OG Anunoby for another two weeks. Miles McBride shifted to the bench with Brunson back, and Landry Shamet stayed in the starting lineup, which should continue. Shamet has averaged 18.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists over his last three games, but a lot of that is skewed by a career day against the Heat. There probably isn't anybody worth playing in fantasy apart from Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart.
Oklahoma City Thunder
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Chet Holmgren | 32.1 | 28.2 | 27.8 |
| Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 31.3 | 30.4 | 31.3 |
| Ajay Mitchell | 28.5 | 28.6 | 28.8 |
| Cason Wallace | 28.3 | 25.9 | 27.8 |
| Isaiah Hartenstein | 27.9 | 24.7 | 26.5 |
| Luguentz Dort | 27.6 | 27.6 | 24.4 |
| Isaiah Joe | 22.6 | 26.3 | 25.5 |
| Jaylin Williams | 14.1 | 19.4 | 19.2 |
| Aaron Wiggins | — | — | 26.6 |
The Thunder remain a bit of a marvel, doing all of this without Jalen Williams and now Aaron Wiggins as well. They just keep playing consistent and beautiful. basketball
Orlando Magic
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Desmond Bane | 41.1 | 38.1 | 33.2 |
| Franz Wagner | 38.8 | 37.9 | 36.3 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | 34.8 | 33.1 | 31.3 |
| Tristan da Silva | 33.9 | 28.2 | 25.1 |
| Jalen Suggs | 30.1 | 28.8 | 25.1 |
| Anthony Black | 28.4 | 28.1 | 27.4 |
| Goga Bitadze | 15.2 | 15.9 | 15.6 |
| Jett Howard | 14.7 | 13.3 | 9.6 |
| Tyus Jones | 14.5 | 12.4 | 11.6 |
| Paolo Banchero | 23.4 | 30.5 |
Paolo Banchero has been out for a week after leaving last Wednesday night's game against the Knicks with a groin injury. The Magic expect him to return at some point this weekend, but Franz Wagner has taken on a much bigger role in the meantime, averaging 24 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.0 steals over his last three. Desmond Bane has also moved into a higher usage role, while Tristan Da Silva has averaged 16.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.3 steals in his increased minutes. That production should stop when Banchero is back.
Philadelphia 76ers
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Tyrese Maxey | 39.7 | 38.2 | 39.2 |
| VJ Edgecombe | 37.3 | 35.6 | 36.1 |
| Andre Drummond | 35.9 | 35.1 | 28.3 |
| Quentin Grimes | 33.3 | 31.5 | 31.2 |
| Dominick Barlow | 22.5 | 22.5 | 22.5 |
| Paul George | 21.1 | 21.1 | 21.1 |
| Justin Edwards | 19.3 | 21.1 | 16.3 |
| Trendon Watford | 18.2 | 20.2 | 21.6 |
| Kelly Oubre Jr. | 14.9 | 27.4 | 32.9 |
| Joel Embiid | — | — | 25.5 |
| Kyle Lowry | — | — | 3.2 |
Paul George made his season debut on Monday night, but then sat out Wednesday's game against the Raptors. That should be how things go for George for the next few weeks, so the fantasy value for guards like Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgecombe, and Quentin Grimes isn't changed much. Andre Drummond has been playing plenty of minutes with Joel Embiid out and can be counted on in fantasy as long as that lasts because Drummond has tremendous rebounding and defensive value.
Phoenix Suns
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Devin Booker | 32 | 32.2 | 34.9 |
| Dillon Brooks | 29.7 | 29.2 | 28.9 |
| Collin Gillespie | 27.8 | 23.2 | 23.8 |
| Royce O'Neale | 26.4 | 25.9 | 27.8 |
| Mark Williams | 24.7 | 24 | 25.6 |
| Ryan Dunn | 23.1 | 23.3 | 25.1 |
| Jordan Goodwin | 22.1 | 21.9 | 19.5 |
| Isaiah Livers | 16.4 | 15.1 | 11.7 |
| Grayson Allen | 12.2 | 24.2 | 30.2 |
| Jalen Green | — | — | 14.9 |
Jalen Green remains out with a hamstring injury, and Grayson Allen missed some time this week with a quad injury. Dillon Brooks has stepped into a much bigger offensive role, but Collin Gillespie is also averaging 14.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.0 steals in his last three games and is putting up solid fantasy value for deeper formats.
Portland Trail Blazers
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Jerami Grant | 38.2 | 28 | 29.1 |
| Toumani Camara | 36.7 | 36.4 | 35.7 |
| Deni Avdija | 35.3 | 34.2 | 34.8 |
| Shaedon Sharpe | 34.1 | 32.3 | 29 |
| Kris Murray | 30.8 | 27.4 | 24.7 |
| Donovan Clingan | 28.3 | 27.3 | 25.3 |
| Caleb Love | 21.6 | 17.3 | 15.2 |
| Sidy Cissoko | 20.6 | 17.8 | 15.3 |
| Jrue Holiday | — | 33 | 34.2 |
Bumps and bruises are starting to pile up for the Blazers. Jrue Holiday has been out a week with a calf injury, and Shaedon Sharpe also missed Wednesday's game with a calf injury. That led to more minutes for Kris Murray, Caleb Love, and Sidy Cissoko, but nobody is really doing much with those minutes. Sharpe had seen the biggest bump in value with Holliday out, but they both may return this weekend.
Sacramento Kings
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Domantas Sabonis | 37.8 | 31.9 | 33 |
| DeMar DeRozan | 36 | 31.7 | 32.9 |
| Dennis Schröder | 31.8 | 28.4 | 30 |
| Russell Westbrook | 31.8 | 29.8 | 30.6 |
| Zach LaVine | 30.3 | 31.4 | 32.5 |
| Malik Monk | 23.6 | 24.8 | 24 |
| Maxime Raynaud | 18.6 | 16.7 | 13.5 |
| Precious Achiuwa | 16.8 | 17.7 | 18 |
| Keon Ellis | 15.9 | 18.5 | 17.5 |
The Kings could be getting Keegan Murray back on Thursday, and that could shake up this rotation a bit, as I discussed in my video for NBC Sports.
San Antonio Spurs
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Victor Wembanyama | 38.2 | 36.8 | 35.9 |
| De'Aaron Fox | 33.7 | 34.7 | 34 |
| Devin Vassell | 33.5 | 31.3 | 32.9 |
| Harrison Barnes | 30.2 | 28.7 | 29.6 |
| Stephon Castle | 26 | 28.7 | 32.6 |
| Julian Champagnie | 24.4 | 23.1 | 26.5 |
| Keldon Johnson | 24 | 23.2 | 23.4 |
| Luke Kornet | 23.3 | 22.5 | 22.5 |
| Jeremy Sochan | 19.1 | 14.8 | 16.5 |
| Dylan Harper | 17.9 |
A week after the Spurs lost Dylan Harper for a few weeks, they're now going to be without both Stephon Castle and Victor Wembanyama for the next two weeks, with Castle set to return around November 30th and Wemby not coming back until December. That should lead to a big playing time and usage boost for Devin Vassell and also Keldon Johnson, who played 30 minutes in the team's first game without Castle/Wemby and had 18 points, seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Luke Kornet was also brutal in that game, so don't be surprised to see more Kelly Olynyk minutes over the next few games.
Toronto Raptors
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Scottie Barnes | 33.7 | 33.3 | 32.7 |
| Immanuel Quickley | 33 | 32.5 | 31.8 |
| Brandon Ingram | 32.8 | 33.3 | 33.8 |
| RJ Barrett | 31.6 | 30.1 | 32 |
| Jakob Poeltl | 30.1 | 29.9 | 27.8 |
| Jamal Shead | 19 | 19.7 | 19.1 |
| Gradey Dick | 17.7 | 18.8 | 16.6 |
| Sandro Mamukelashvili | 17.4 | 17.3 | 17.7 |
| Collin Murray-Boyles | 16.2 | 17.4 | 19.7 |
Everything is status quo for the Raptors so far.
Utah Jazz
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Keyonte George | 38.8 | 35.9 | 34.4 |
| Lauri Markkanen | 38.1 | 36.7 | 34.9 |
| Jusuf Nurkić | 31.7 | 30.2 | 27.3 |
| Isaiah Collier | 27.6 | 25.1 | 25.3 |
| Svi Mykhailiuk | 26.2 | 26.8 | 27 |
| Ace Bailey | 21.9 | 23.8 | 22.2 |
| Kyle Anderson | 20 | 20 | 17.2 |
| Kyle Filipowski | 19.3 | 21.3 | 19.2 |
| Brice Sensabaugh | 19 | 16.8 | 13.5 |
| Walter Clayton Jr. | — | 15 | 14.3 |
| Taylor Hendricks | — | — | 15.8 |
Ace Bailey in the starting lineup hasn't really been great, and his minutes have started to plateau. Isaiah Collier has played his way into a decent bench role after making his season debut on November 7th and is averaging 10.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.2 assists in six games. Jusuf Nurkić remains interesting for fantasy because of his large role, which has led him to average 7.5 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals over his last six games.
Washington Wizards
| Name | Last 3 | Last 5 | Last 10 |
| Kyshawn George | 34.9 | 32.6 | 30.7 |
| CJ McCollum | 30.8 | 33.7 | 28.2 |
| Bilal Coulibaly | 28.5 | 28.5 | 25.4 |
| Alex Sarr | 27.5 | 30.8 | 29.6 |
| Khris Middleton | 25.8 | 26 | 23.7 |
| Tre Johnson | 20.6 | 22.2 | 23.7 |
| Marvin Bagley III | 19.9 | 18.5 | 16.2 |
| Cam Whitmore | 19.3 | 23.3 | 17.1 |
| Bub Carrington | 18.7 | 23.8 | 24.7 |
Alex Sarr missed Wednesday's game, which is why his minutes totals are down a little bit. He should be back this weekend. Bilal Coulibaly also returned to the lineup, so Tre Johnson and Bub Carrington have seen their minutes decrease. Coulibaly should be added in more leagues now that he's back.