Brian Kelly jumps to Billy Napier's defense ahead of Saturday's game. South Florida continues to take college football by storm. The Big 12 publicly reprimands one of its officiating crews.
Rangers Get Big Praise For Top Summer Addition
One of the New York Rangers' top objectives of the off-season was to add a steady defensive defenseman for the left side of their top pairing. In the end, it is fair to say that they did just that, as they signed top unrestricted free agent (UFA) blueliner Vladislav Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million contract.
With this Gavrikov signing, the Rangers have certainly improved their blueline, and they have now gotten some praise because of it.
In a recent article for Bleacher Report, Adam Gretz ranked the Rangers signing Gavrikov as the fourth-best move made in the entire NHL this off-season.
The only moves that Gretz argued were better than the Rangers bringing in Gavrikov were the Carolina Hurricanes signing Nikolaj Ehlers, the Vegas Golden Knights acquiring and then signing Mitch Marner, and the Montreal Canadiens acquiring Noah Dobson.
Given how solid of a defenseman Gavrikov is, it makes sense that Gretz sees the Rangers signing him as one of the top NHL moves of the summer. The 29-year-old's strong defensive play and ability to produce decent offense from the point could make him a real home run of an addition for the Blueshirts.
In 82 games this past season with the Los Angeles Kings, Gavrikov recorded five goals, 25 assists, 30 points, 140 blocks, and a plus-26 rating.
Recent Rangers News
Rangers Have Interesting PTO Target To Consider
AL East-leading Blue Jays put Bo Bichette on 10-day IL because of sprained left knee
TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays put shortstop Bo Bichette on the 10-day injured list because of a sprained left knee, retroactive to Sept. 7.
Toronto recalled outfielder Joey Loperfido from Triple-A Buffalo.
Bichette leads the majors with 181 hits and 44 doubles, and ranks third with a .311 average. The two-time All-Star and two-time AL hit leader has 18 homers and leads Toronto with 93 RBIs in 139 games.
Bichette was injured in the sixth inning of a 3-1 loss at Yankee Stadium when he collided with catcher Austin Wells and was tagged out at home plate. Bichette hobbled off the field with the assistance of a trainer after colliding with Wells’ shin guard.
Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger made a 95.3 mph, one-hop throw from right field to retire Bichette, who was trying to score on a single by Nathan Lukes. It was the final play before rain delayed the game for nearly two hours.
Bichette had X-rays during the delay and returned to strike out in his final at-bat. He did not play in the series finale.
The Blue Jays lead the AL East by two games over the New York Yankees with 19 games remaining, starting with a home game against Houston.
Colorado QB Ryan Staub takes majority of reps in practice, Deion Sanders declines to name starter
According to a report, Ryan Staub is expected to go from third-stringer to starter for Colorado’s Big 12 opener at Houston.
Flames sign goalie Dustin Wolf to 7-year, $52.5 million extension
CALGARY, Alberta — The Calgary Flames signed goalie Dustin Wolf to a seven-year, $52.5 million contract extension.
Wolf finished second in Calder Trophy voting last season as NHL rookie of the year.
He had a 29-16-8 record with a .910 save percentage and a 2.64 goals-against average.
The 24-year-old American finished 11th in wins and save percentage among NHL goalies in his rookie season, backstopping Calgary to the brink of a playoff berth.
Wolf, who also played 17 games in Calgary during the 2023-24 season, was the American Hockey League’s goalie of the year in 2021-22 and 2022-23.
His extension will kick in for the 2026-27 season and run through 2033.
Sabres Unveil 2025 Prospects Challenge Roster
The Buffalo Sabres unveiled the roster for the 2025 Prospects Challenge at LECOM HarborCenter later this week. The Sabres are slated to play three times during the five-day event, against the New Jersey Devils prospects at 7 pm on Friday, the Columbus Blue Jackets at 7 pm on Saturday, and the Pittsburgh Penguins next Monday at Noon.
The roster of 26 players consists of 14 forwards, eight defensemen, and four goaltenders, and includes 21 Buffalo draftees, including first-rounders Isak Rosen, Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, and 2025 top pick Radim Mrtka. Rosen and Ostlund are the only players on the roster who saw NHL time last season.
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10 players (forwards Riley Fiddler-Schultz, Helenius, Tyler Kopff, Olivier Nadeau, Viktor Neuchev, Ostlund, Rosen, and Anton Wahlberg, defensemen Vesvolod Komarov, and Nikita Novikov) were on the Rochester Americans roster last season. Forwards Matteo Costantini and Redmond Savage are signed to AHL deals, and 18-year-old undrafted blueliner Luka Dragusica is the only free agent invitee.
The Buffalo Sabres have announced their 2025 Prospects Challenge roster. pic.twitter.com/izsCOzG4ix
— Buffalo Sabres PR (@SabresPR) September 9, 2025
The weekend games will be the fans first opportunity to see Mrtka (selected ninth overall at the 2025 Draft last June) in action. Many of the players participating this weekend saw extended action during the exhibition schedule last September, as the Sabres' NHL roster headed to Europe to open the season in the NHL Global Series. With Sabres regulars needing taking up spots during the six preseason games, the opportunity to make an impression will not be as great.
Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo
There’s hope in Florida, with the state’s 7 FBS teams off to a combined 11-3 start
It’s early. A lot will happen over the next three months of college football. Nobody is guaranteed anything. That said, hope reigns all across Florida.
Illinois football stadium gets new name after $100 million gift from Larry Gies
The University of Illinois has announced a record-breaking $100 million donation from Larry Gies to its athletics programs.
Josh Giddey re-signs with Chicago Bulls for reported four years, $100 million
Compromise — a lost art in these times — has secured Josh Giddey's spot with the Chicago Bulls for the next four years.
Chicago and Giddey have agreed to a four-year, $100 million contract, his agent Daniel Moldovan of Lighthouse Sports Management told Shams Charania of ESPN, who broke the story. The Bulls soon confirmed it.
OFFICIAL: We have re-signed @JoshGiddey.
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 9, 2025
Read ➡️ https://t.co/ravAZLyPJhpic.twitter.com/LFf1xL8Hs5
Giddey showed what he can mean to this franchise with the numbers he put up last season after the All-Star break: 21.2 points, 10.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists a game for a Bulls team that went 17-10 in that stretch. Last season in Chicago, he had 30 double-doubles and seven triple-doubles.
Negotiations dragged out all summer because Giddey — based on his play the final stretch of last season — wanted to be paid in the Tyler Herro, Derrick White range of $30 million a year. That was not happening, and the last offer reported to be on the table was four years, $88 million ($22 million a season).
However, Chicago hurt its leverage because a year ago when it gave the unproven Patrick Williams a five-year, $90 million contract purely based on his potential. Giddey, despite his flaws (notably his lack of defense), is a proven commodity who can score and run an offense. What is that worth?
Chicago and Giddey met somewhere in the middle with a nine-figure contract that works for both sides. Giddey gets paid, but at that price Chicago can trade him if they decide to pivot.
GIDDEY UP. Welcome back @JoshGiddeypic.twitter.com/uhHqg7QW3N
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) September 9, 2025
If Giddey plays this coming season like he ended the last one, he could make his first All-Star team next February.
Giddey, the 22-year-old Australian, is expected to start at the point with Coby White at the two (and serving as a secondary shot creator). Combine them with second-year and improving player Matas Buzelis, just-drafted Noa Essengue from France, and the potential of Williams, and the Bulls may be starting to build something. It's been tough to see the big-picture vision in Chicago for a while — and that fog still hangs in the air — but locking up Giddey gives them a potential direction. This is a good deal for both sides.
Giddey inking his contract leaves two unrestricted free agents hanging out there, Jonathan Kuminga with the Warriors and Quentin Grimes of the Philadelphia 76ers. Both of those scenarios feel more like they could end in the player accepting the qualifying offer — as Cam Thomas did with the Nets — rather than the sides compromising on a deal.
Nashville Predators announce training camp, preseason roster, dates
The boys are back in town as the Nashville Predators announce their training camp roster, which is set to start on Sept. 17. All on-ice training camp practice sessions are open to the public and will be held at Ford Ice Center Bellevue.
Team meetings will be held on Sept. 17, with practices beginning on Sept. 18. The Predators will play two of their four preseason games at Bridgestone Arena against the Florida Panthers (Sept. 21) and Tampa Bay Lightning (Sept. 23).
Nashville will face the Lightning and Panthers on the road on Sept. 27 and Sept. 28.
Its game against the Panthers on Sept. 21 will be a split roster session. The first game will start at 2 p.m., followed by the second game at 6 p.m. I
The Predators will also host a Gold Star Showcase, which is an intersquad scrimmage, at F&M Bank Arena in Clarksville on Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m.
Predators training camp roster
FORWARDS (29)
7 Dylan Gambrell * 6-0 191 R Bonney Lake, Wash. 8/26/96 Cleveland (AHL)
9 Filip Forsberg 6-1 205 R Ostervala, Sweden 8/13/94 Nashville (NHL)
21 Jacob Lucchini 6-0 180 L Trail, B.C. 5/9/95 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
25 Joakim Kemell 5-11 182 R Jyväskylä, Finland 4/27/04 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
26 Daniel Carr * 6-0 186 L Sherwood Park, Alta. 11/1/91 HC Lugano (Swiss League)
36 Cole Smith 6-3 195 L Brainerd, Minn. 10/28/95 Nashville (NHL)
40 Fedor Svechkov 6-0 187 L Togliatti, Russia 4/5/03 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
44 Brady Martin 6-0 185 R Kitchener, Ont. 3/16/07 Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
45 Kalan Lind 6-1 162 L Swift Current, Sask. 1/25/05 Milwaukee (AHL)/Red Deer (WHL)
47 Michael McCarron 6-6 232 R Grosse Pointe, Mich. 3/7/95 Nashville (NHL)
49 Reid Schaefer 6-5 226 L Edmonton, Alta. 9/21/03 Milwaukee (AHL)
53 Hiroki Gojsic 6-3 210 R Langley, B.C. 5/1/06 Kelowna (WHL)
56 Erik Haula 5-11 191 L Pori, Finland 3/23/91 New Jersey (NHL)
58 Michael Bunting 6-0 186 L Scarborough, Ont. 9/17/95 Nashville (NHL)/Pittsburgh (NHL)
60 David Edstrom 6-4 193 L Gothenburg, Sweden 2/18/05 Frolunda (Sweden)
61 Joey Willis 5-11 184 L Elmhurst, Ill. 3/14/05 Kingston (OHL)/Saginaw (OHL)
63 Kyle Marino * 6-3 220 R Niagara Falls, Ont. 6/1/95 Milwaukee (AHL)
65 Cole O'Hara 6-0 189 R Richmond Hill, Ont. 6/20/02 Milwaukee (AHL)/UMass Amherst (Hockey East)
68 Zachary L'Heureux 5-11 197 L Montreal, Que. 5/15/03 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
71 Matthew Wood 6-4 202 R Nanaimo, B.C. 2/6/05 Nashville (NHL)/Minnesota (Big Ten)
75 Navrin Mutter 6-3 202 L London, Ont. 3/15/01 Milwaukee (AHL)
77 Luke Evangelista 6-0 183 R Toronto, Ont. 2/21/02 Nashville (NHL)
78 Ryder Rolston 6-1 175 R Boston, Mass. 10/31/01 Milwaukee (AHL)/Rockford (AHL)
81 Jonathan Marchessault 5-9 185 R Cap-Rouge, Que. 12/27/90 Nashville (NHL)
89 Ozzy Wiesblatt 5-10 183 R Calgary, Alta. 3/9/02 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
90 Ryan O'Reilly 6-1 207 L Clinton, Ont. 2/7/91 Nashville (NHL)
91 Steven Stamkos 6-1 193 R Markham, Ont. 2/7/90 Nashville (NHL)
93 Austin Roest 5-10 184 R Coldstream, B.C. 1/22/04 Everett (WHL)
97 Oasiz Wiesblatt * 5-7 180 L Vancouver, B.C. 4/8/04 Medicine Hat (WHL)
DEFENSEMEN (19)
5 Kevin Gravel 6-4 205 L Kingsford, Mich. 3/6/92 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
8 Andreas Englund 6-4 200 L Stockholm, Sweden 1/21/96 Nashville (NHL)/Los Angeles (NHL)
20 Justin Barron 6-2 198 R Halifax, N.S. 11/15/01 Nashville (NHL)/Montreal (NHL)
24 Spencer Stastney 6-0 184 L Woodbridge, Ill. 1/4/00 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
37 Nick Blankenburg 5-9 177 R Washington, Mich. 5/12/98 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
41 Nicolas Hague 6-6 245 L Kitchener, Ont. 12/5/98 Vegas (NHL)
42 Zack Hayes * 6-3 224 L Calgary, Alta. 4/24/99 Laval (AHL)
48 Nick Perbix 6-4 206 R Elk River, Minn. 6/15/98 Tampa Bay (NHL)
50 Tanner Molendyk 5-11 190 L McBride, B.C. 2/3/05 Medicine Hat (WHL)/Saskatoon (WHL)
51 Jack Matier 6-6 205 R Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. 4/8/03 Milwaukee (AHL)
52 Cameron Reid 6-0 179 L St. Thomas, Ont. 4/8/07 Kitchener (OHL)
57 Chad Nychuk * 6-1 194 L Rossburn, Man. 3/6/01 Milwaukee (AHL)/Atlanta (ECHL)
59 Roman Josi 6-1 201 L Bern, Switzerland 6/1/90 Nashville (NHL)
76 Brady Skjei 6-3 210 L Lakeville, Minn. 3/26/94 Nashville (NHL)
82 Jordan Oesterle 6-0 181 L Dearborn Heights, Mich. 6/25/1992 Nashville (NHL)/Boston (NHL)
83 Adam Wilsby 6-1 188 L Stockholm, Sweden 8/7/00 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
85 Ryan Ufko 6-0 174 R Smithtown, N.Y. 5/7/03 Nashville (NHL)/Milwaukee (AHL)
92 Andrew Gibson 6-4 211 R Windsor, Ont. 2/13/05 Oshawa (OHL)/Sault Ste. Marie (OHL)
98 Alex Huang 6-0 180 R Montreal, Que. 7/30/07 Chicoutimi (QMJHL)
GOALTENDERS (7)
1 Ethan Haider 6-3 197 L St. Louis Park, Minn. 9/4/01 Milwaukee (AHL)/Atlanta (ECHL)
29 Justus Annunen 6-4 210 L Kempele, Finland 3/11/00 Nashville (NHL)/Colorado (NHL)
30 Magnus Chrona 6-6 225 L Stockholm, Sweden 8/28/00 Milwaukee (AHL)
31 T.J. Semptimphelter * 6-1 190 L Marlton, N.J. 5/9/02 Bridgeport (AHL)/North Dakota (NCHC)
32 Matt Murray 6-1 196 L St. Albert, Alta. 2/2/98 Milwaukee (AHL)
39 Jakub Milota 6-1 178 L Ostrava, Czechia 4/14/06 Cape Breton (QMJHL)
74 Juuse Saros 5-11 180 L Forssa, Finland 4/19/95 Nashville (NHL)
* indicates player is attending camp on a tryout agreement
Predators training camp, preseason schedule
Wednesday, Sept. 17
All day Physicals/team meeting Bridgestone Arena
Thursday, Sept. 18
8:45 a.m. Practice - Group A Ford Ice Center Belleuve
10:50 a.m. 12:50 p.m. Practice - Group B Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Practice - Group C Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Friday, Sept. 19
8:50 a.m. Practice - Group B Ford Ice Center Belleuve
9:30 a.m. 10:10 a.m. 10:10 a.m. 10:50 a.m. 11:20 a.m. Scrimmage - Group B/C Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Scrimmage - Group A/B Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Practice - Group C Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Scrimmage - Group A/C Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Practice - Group A Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Saturday, Sept. 20
9:15 a.m. Practice - Group C Ford Ice Center Belleuve
10 a.m. 11 a.m. 1 p.m. Scrimmage - Group A/C Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Practice - Group A Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Practice - Group B Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Sunday, Sept. 21
2 p.m. Game vs. Florida Panthers Bridgestone Arena
6 p.m. Game vs. Florida Panthers Bridgestone Arena
Monday, Sept. 22
Day off
Tuesday, Sept. 23
7 p.m. Game vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Wednesday, Sept. 24
10 a.m. Practice - Group A Ford Ice Center Belleuve
12:15 p.m. Practice - Group B Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Thursday, Sept. 25
6:30 p.m. Gold Star Showcase Presented F&M Bank Arena By Ticketmaster
Friday, Sept. 26
10 a.m. Practice - Group A Ford Ice Center Belleuve
12:15 p.m. Practice - Group B Ford Ice Center Belleuve
Saturday, Sept. 27
6 p.m. Game at Tampa Bay Lightning Benchmark International Arena
Sunday, Sept. 28
6 p.m. Game at Carolina Hurricanes Lenovo Center
Warriors star Draymond Green reveals toughest defensive assignment of NBA career
Warriors star Draymond Green reveals toughest defensive assignment of NBA career originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
It’s no secret Warriors forward Draymond Green takes pride in his defense.
The nine-time All-Defensive player and 2016-17 Defensive Player of the Year has owned his reputation as one of the best on the floor at covering all five positions during his historic NBA career.
On Thursday, Green joined streamer Kai Cenat and spoke about what players have been the toughest to guard over the course of his career.
“The hardest player I had to guard in my career is KD,” Green said, speaking of Kevin Durant. “KD in OKC. After that, I figured him out, right. Slim can’t score on me no more – nah, he going to score on everybody, but I got better and learned more about his game. But, in OKC and just coming into the league and figuring — oh my God. No chance.”
Durant, who’s eighth all-time in NBA scoring with 30,571 points, hasn’t been figured out by anyone, so it’s no surprise Green gave him his flowers.
The topic then shifted to who currently gives the 35-year-old forward fits.
“The hardest now is Joker,” Green said of Nikola Jokic. “I play with Steph so I don’t have that headache. Joker — Luka [Doncic] will always be one of the toughest covers, but that ain’t my matchup. Of my matchups, the hardest to guard right now is Joker.”
The four-time NBA All-Star didn’t stop there, however. While he didn’t name another player, he did mention one anonymous big man in the Western Conference.
“There’s one that’s really tough. … I’m not saying it,” Green told Cenat, who pushed for him to say the name. “I don’t want to give him that edge. He probably don’t believe he has that edge, so I can’t give him that edge.”
We might never know who the mystery player is, but they must be a good enough talent if they’re able to get Green to almost mention them.
Mets activate Jose Siri from IL, option Jared Young amid flurry of roster moves
The Mets are receiving a nice boost ahead of Tuesday's game against the Phillies, as Jose Siri has officially been activated from the injured list.
Siri immediately jumps back into the starting lineup, batting ninth and playing center.
In a flurry of corresponding moves, Jared Young has been optioned back down to Triple-A, right-hander Wander Suero has been designated for assignment, and Justin Garza was outrighted to Syracuse.
Siri has been sidelined since the middle of April due to a fractured left fibula.
He appeared to be closing in on a return in late July, but hit a bit of a setback in his recovery when imaging showed the bone hadn't healed to the Mets' liking.
The speedster was shut down from all baseball activities until resuming a rehab assignment the past few weeks, in which he recorded hits in five of six games.
Siri figures to take on the bulk of the playing time in center down the stretch with Cedric Mullins struggling mightily and Tyrone Taylor still in the IL with a hamstring injury.
Prior to the injury, he had just one hit in 20 at-bats, but provided a nice spark with his speed and defense.
NHL Anticipates Eligibility Update On Hart, Formenton, Dube, Foote And McLeod In 'Near Future'
Nearly seven weeks have passed since the five players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault trial were found not guilty on all charges. And yet, Carter Hart, Alex Formenton, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Dillon Dube continue to remain ineligible to return to the NHL.
At least, for now.
According to NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly, a decision on the players’ future is coming. The question is whether it will arrive before the start of the 2025-26 regular season.
“I don’t have an update,” Daly told reporters at the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour in Las Vegas on Tuesday. “But I do anticipate a decision in the relatively near future.”
There is no guarantee that any of the players will be allowed back into the NHL this season. Even if they are, there is no guarantee that any of the 32 teams will want to offer any of them a contract.
Although all five players were found not guilty of sexual assault, the details of the trial shined a light on toxic masculinity and the negative culture that still pervades the sport of hockey. What the players did behind closed doors after a night of drinking at a Hockey Canada gala honoring their victory at the 2018 World Junior Championship might not have been criminal. But it was wrong on several levels.
NHL Made The Right But Difficult Decision With The Five Former WJC Players Found Not Guilty When a London, Ont., judge ruled on Thursday that all five players involved in the 2018 Hockey Canada sexual assault trial were not guilty on all charges, the NHL found itself at a crossroads of moral decency.
“The allegations made in this case, even if not determined to have been criminal, were very disturbing, and the behavior at issue was unacceptable,” the NHL released in a statement at the conclusion of the trial.
“We will be reviewing and considering the judge's findings. While we conduct that analysis and determine next steps, the players charged in this case are ineligible to play in the league.”
The NHL’s strong stance could explain why Formenton, whose NHL rights are still owned by the Ottawa Senators, recently signed a three-and-a-half-month contract to play in Switzerland.
When asked about Formenton during the Senators’ annual charity golf tournament on Monday, GM Steve Staois refused to say whether he had interest in the 25-year-old left winger.
Senators Aren't Saying Whether They'll Sign, Trade, Or Walk Away From Alex FormentonAt the team's annual charity golf tournament on Monday, Ottawa Senators GM Steve Staios held court with the media and was asked, among other things, about winger Alex Formenton. TSN's Clare Hanna brought up the fact that Formenton had signed to play in Switzerland again, that his rights still belonged to Ottawa and asked Staios if he had spoken to the player or if he had any thoughts.
“I have no comment on that. In fact, it's a league matter, and the player is ineligible to play,” Staios told reporters. “I won't comment on it.”
Formenton is not the only player who has played in Europe since London police initially laid charges on the five men.
Dube and McLeod, who last played for the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils, respectively, spent last season in Russia. Foote, a Tampa Bay Lightning first-round draft pick who has played for Nashville and New Jersey, spent last season in Slovakia.
Report: Flyers Interested in Carter Hart ReunionAccording to a report, the Philadelphia Flyers are one of several teams interested in free agent goalie Carter Hart.
Hart is so far the only player who is yet to play in North America or elsewhere. However, there are reports suggesting that several teams, including Philadelphia, where he last played, could be interested in signing the once-promising goalie if he becomes eligible to return to the NHL.
When — or if that is — remains unclear.
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.
Alex Orji injured: Former Michigan football QB out for season at UNLV
Former Michigan football quarterback Alex Orji sustained a season-ending injury at UNLV on Sept. 6. Here's what to know.
Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire: Brandon Sproat, Brad Keller, and Andrew Benintendi
We are officially in the fantasy baseball championship push.
While the rest of your leaguemates are focused on their fantasy football waiver wires, paying a little extra attention to some recent activity around the majors can help you find the necessary edge to putting the finishing touches on a winning season.
Most waiver wires have been picked over though and it’s difficult to find impact players readily available in most leagues at this point in the season.
Fear not, because there are still a handful of available players that have the chance to be difference makers that help push us towards glory.
Mookie Betts jumps back up, and Brad Keller is the high debut in this week’s top 300 update.
Matthew PouliotHere are three players that are under 40% rostered on Yahoo leagues that you should strongly consider adding.
If you want a larger list, Eric Samulski wrote his extended waiver wire piece on Sunday.
Brandon Sproat, SP Mets
(20% Rostered on Yahoo)
Sproat debuted for the Mets on Sunday against the Reds and struck out seven batters over six innings, walked four, and allowed three earned runs. The walks were a bit worrisome, but Sproat seemed content to give hitters a free pass rather than something to hit.
All of that damage came in that sixth inning too after he held Cincinnati hit-less over the first 5 1/3 frames.
Then, they smacked three straight hits that brought home all three of their runs. Sproat did well to strike out the following two hitters to stop the bleeding and leave his first start on a high-note.
Still, this was an excellent debut and he joins other impressive Mets’ rookies Nolan McLean and Jonah Tong to form a trio that’s reestablished some confidence in their rotation.
Yet, Sproat’s call-up was met with much less fanfare than that of the other two. That’s probably because after peaking as a top-40 prospect this winter, he scuffled to a 5.95 ERA through his first 15 starts at Triple-A this season.
It was a mess down there too. He leaned too hard onto his sinker and sweeper which left him susceptible against left-handed batters. They had a .336/.430/.516 slash line against him to that point and he didn’t have any solutions.
That is, until he rediscovered consistency with his changeup and curveball.
Sproat leaned on those two pitches when he was a younger prospect and during college at Florida. His feel for multiple secondaries is one of the things that made him such an intriguing prospect early on. Then, as he developed his sweeper after arriving in the Mets’ organization, something changed and he no longer mixed up his repertoire as much.
Those pitches came back in a big way this June though and everything changed.
He immediately ripped off a 23 inning scoreless streak and that lefty slash line fell to .135/.247/.216 over his final 11 appearances in Triple-A. He once again looked like one of the best pitchers in the upper minors.
Brandon Sproat since June 25th:
— James Schiano (@James_Schiano) September 4, 2025
59 IP / 2.44 ERA / 29.9 K% / 8.9 BB%
-Stopped throwing sinker & sweeper to lefties
- Replaced with changeups and curves
- Finally found consistency with those two
- Fastball sits 96-97 MPH
Another SP that could hit the ground running pic.twitter.com/ljGPAsM4M3
If you want to read in a little bit deeper on the importance of Sproat’s curveball specifically, Aidan Lippencott’s thread right here is fantastic.
Brandon Sproat has made some exciting changes in Triple-A, resulting in 18 straight scoreless innings since his 6/28 start.
— Aidan Lippencott (@AidanLippBB) July 11, 2025
It’s all about complementary pitches & attacking lefties: https://t.co/SPt9F2EVm8pic.twitter.com/DDZLJyPkHQ
He brought that curveball with him to the majors and it helped deliver his first big league strikeout.
Brandon Sproat's 1st MLB K pic.twitter.com/9JslnpZOcN
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 7, 2025
What a gorgeous back-door hook. Overall, Sproat’s sweeper accounted for nearly half of his total pitches and all of his swings-and-misses.
If anything will hold him back right now, it will be the inability of his fastballs to generate whiffs. With that, he has impressive feel for both of those breaking balls for a rookie and will be a tough at-bat for hitters from either side of the plate.
On top of all that, he’s scheduled to face the injury-riddled Rangers, Nationals, and Marlins to close out the season. That alone makes him an intriguing option off the waiver wire.
Brad Keller, RP Cubs
(22% Rostered on Yahoo)
Cubs’ closer Daniel Palencia left his appearance on Sunday with shoulder discomfort and has since been placed on the injured list with a strain. That opened the door for Keller to step in as Chicago’s closer for what could be the rest of the regular season.
The former starter has been incredible out of the bullpen full-time this season with a 2.17 ERA, 0.96 WHIP, and hasn’t allowed an earned run since before the All-Star break.
Moving to relief has helped him add some serious velocity. For his career, Keller’s fastball sat around 93-95 mph. This season, it’s above 97 mph with over two more inches of induced vertical break.
That pitch has never had a good shape, but now it’s much better and the added velocity has covered up the remaining deficiencies.
Every other pitch has ticked up as well. His changeup is coming in four miles per hour harder and nearly two more inches of arm-side run. It’s become his second-most thrown pitch against lefties and they have a 43.1% whiff rate against it.
Brad Keller. NAILS! pic.twitter.com/QHVsJ0si1X
— Chicago Cubs (@Cubs) September 1, 2025
The development of his sweeper is another huge reason for his success. Only introduced in 2023 and used just 6% of the time last season, it’s become his go-to breaking ball against righties and has a 49.1% whiff rate against them.
Outside of one rough appearance, Brad Keller had a strong month of July for the @Cubs with 7 scoreless outings out of 9. His sweeper was our RP Pitch of the Month pic.twitter.com/enavy3uCFo
— Baseball Prospectus (@baseballpro) August 4, 2025
Like everything else, he’s throwing it much harder and now at 86 mph, is in the 88th percentile of sweeper velocity among all qualified pitchers.
Great stuff and an opportunity to close full-time on a good team can make Keller an impact reliever over these final few weeks.
Andrew Benintendi, OF White Sox
(7% Rostered on Yahoo)
Something strange has happened with Benintendi in each of the last two seasons: he swings a pool noodle in the first half before catching fire after the All-Star break.
Last year, he dragged his feet to a .568 OPS in the first half and could barely keep his batting average over the Mendoza line. He was rightfully nowhere close to fantasy managers’ radars.
Then, his 13 home runs were tied for 14th-most in the league across the second half and his .830 OPS was a huge boost to anyone who noticed this turnaround happening.
Oddly enough, the same trend has appeared this season. While not as stark, Benintendi’s .233/.297/.429 slash line in the first half has bumped up to .269/.335/.442 after the break. That’s a useful player in deep leagues.
Plenty of value can be found in these steady yet unspectacular players this time of year who play every single day and produce enough to be better than league average. Plug and play Benintendi if you need help in an outfield spot.