When the German Ice Hockey Association (DEB) named Harold Kreis as the men’s national team head coach three years ago, many observers saw his appointment as something of a no-brainer. By then, he’d simply seen and done it all in German hockey.
But the Winnipeg native’s arrival in the Ice Hockey Bundesliga, the predecessor to Germany’s topflight DEL, was not without controversy. Kreis came at the age of 19 as part of an influx of several Canadian players in 1978, recruited by Mannheim’s general manager to help make his side, newly promoted from division 2, competitive in the top league. The fact that he and four of the others who came over were eligible for West German passports meant little to their detractors.
Heckled during warmup
“In Mannheim we were welcomed with open arms, but when we played in other rinks, not so much — even though other teams had their own Canadians,” Kreis told DW.
“One night in Rosenheim a fan was really giving it to me in the warmup. I went over and asked him if he also swore at Karl Friesen [Rosenheim’s Canadian-born goalie] like that. He didn’t say another word.”
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“I think it was something that people simply weren’t used to, this big influx of ‘Ausländer’ [foreigners] — even though we were all of German heritage.”
Harold Kreis spent almost two decades as a player for MannheimImage: Roth/picture alliance
Olympic debut delayed by four years
Like Friesen, Kreis, a defenseman, quickly became a mainstay of the West German national team, and he was on the initial roster to make his Olympic debut at the 1980 Games in Lake Placid — but was dropped at the last minute due to a technicality regarding his West German passport. It’s something that he laughs off these days, but he still finds the whole thing a bit “strange.”
Kreis would not be deterred, playing his entire 18 seasons with Mannheim while making 180 appearances for the national team — including at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics.
Transition to coaching
After he hung up his skates in 1997, having won a second title with Mannheim, Kreis turned his hand to coaching, where he has also found success, including winning two Swiss championships and leading Germany to a silver medal at the 2023 world championship — his first major tournament after taking the job.
Harold Kreis (right) got into coaching as an assistant to Lance Nethery at Mannheim the season after he hung up his skatesImage: Oliver Behrendt/IMAGO
Almost 50 years since he arrived in West Germany, the question of how many foreigners are “too many” still comes up from time to time. Germany captain Moritz Müller caused a stir a few years ago, when he accused DEL rivals Iserlohn on live television of icing a “Canada 1c [third rate] national team” — the DEL now allows nine imports, as opposed to just two in 1978.
Foreign players a positive in Germany
So, has the influx of foreigners helped the game’s development in Germany? Or has it hurt it by denying ice time to German-born youngsters?
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“I’d say that overall it has helped. I believe the influx of players from North America or Czechoslovakia back then helped raise the level of play, although it probably hindered the development of individual German-born players,” Kreis said.
“For a high-caliber league, which the DEL is, you simply need foreign players to improve or maintain its current level of play.”
At the same time, though, he pointed to a rule introduced a few years ago, requiring DEL teams to carry two spots on their squads for U23 German players to give prospects more opportunity to play at a high level.
Strongest Germany team aren’t favorites
Having recently turned 67, Kreis is set to head back to the Olympics — for the first time as head coach. He does so with what is generally seen as the strongest German team ever, as the world’s top league, the NHL, is allowing its players to participate for the first time since Sochi in 2014.
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Germany has six NHLers in the squad for Milano Cortina, including Edmonton’s superstar Leon Draisaitl and fellow star forwards Tim Stützle of Ottawa and Utah’s JJ Peterka, as well as Calder Trophy-winning defenseman Moritz Seider of Detroit. In goal, Seattle’s Philipp Grubauer has returned to form at just the right time, after a couple of sub-par seasons.
But their strength doesn’t make them favorites — not by a long shot — as the traditional powerhouses of the game, like Canada, the USA, or Sweden are packed with NHL stars. And like Draitsaitl, who has had to wait until the age of 30 to get his first shot at an Olympic medal, their stars have also been chomping at the bit for years to play in a truly best-on-best tournament.
“Sturm brought a completely different mindset to the dressing room — to the entire German Ice Hockey Association,” he explained.
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Germany’s Olympic silver medal in Pyeongchang represented a ‘change in mindset’Image: Reuters/B. Snyder
“No longer was Germany happy with a 3-1 loss to Canada, for example. His attitude was that this is not acceptable. We can do better, we intend to do better. And the team brought this mindset to the ice in 2018, and ever since, the players have brought a high competetive level when they play for Germany.”
Coach Kreis declined to name a specific goal for this tournament, but he did accept that getting out of a group with the United States, Denmark and Latvia was doable.
“Denmark and Latvia are two teams that we have always performed well against. They have similar numbers of NHL players as we do, so these will be two very interesting and very important games for us,” he said.
“Our goal is to achieve the best possible result for us. To play our very best ice hockey in each game. And then we’ll see where we stand at the end.”
Germany’s men’s ice hockey team start their campaign against Denmark on February 12.
PSG are without Fabian Ruiz with a knee injury and winger Quentin Ndjantou.
Chris Wilson17 March 2026 17:09
Team news
However, the Blues will be without Reece James for a number of weeks with a fresh hamstring problem.
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Rosenior faces a dilemma in goal with Jorgensen a doubt with a groin issue, but his rival for the No 1 spot, Robert Sanchez, is similarly prone to errors.
Chris Wilson17 March 2026 17:06
Chelsea vs PSG LIVE
Chelsea face an uphill struggle in their fight to progress to the Champions League quarter-finals, with a three-goal deficit to overcome to reigning champions PSG.
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Chris Wilson17 March 2026 17:02
Good evening
Hello and welcome to TheIndependent’s live coverage of today’s Champions League last-16 second leg clash between Chelsea and PSG.
The Blues have a mountain to climb as they hope to overturn a three-goal deficit, having lost 5-2 in the first leg in Paris last week. However, they’ll take plenty of encouragement from parts of their performance in the first leg as they welcome the holders to Stamford Bridge.
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And we’ll have all the latest build-up, team news and updates right here.
Selection Sunday is in the books, and the 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket has been unveiled. After Florida won it all last year, the SEC will again be well represented in the 2026 March Madness bracket, with 10 of the conference’s 16 teams earning a spot in the Big Dance. Florida is again a No. 1 seed in the 2026 NCAA bracket despite falling to Vanderbilt in the SEC Tournament semifinals. The three other No. 1 seeds are Duke, Michigan and Arizona.
The No. 2 seeds in the 2026 March Madness field are Houston, UConn and Iowa State. Should any of the No. 1 or No. 2 seeds be on upset alert when the first round of the NCAA Tournament 2026 gets underway on Thursday, and which teams are primed for a 2026 March Madness Cinderella run? Before you make your 2026 NCAA Tournament predictions, see the 2026 March Madness bracket picks from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Two years ago, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including huge wins by No. 11 Oregon over No. 6 South Carolina, No. 11 NC State over No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Colorado over No. 7 Florida. Last year, SportsLine’s computer simulation nailed massive upsets, including calling both 9-seeds that advanced in the first round, No. 12 Colorado State over No. 5 Memphis, and No. 6 BYU advancing to the Sweet 16. The model has beaten over 91 percent of all CBS Sports bracket players in four of the past seven tournaments.
This model, which simulates every game 10,000 times, has nailed 25 first-round upsets by double-digit seeds since its inception in 2016 and nailed UConn’s championship run in 2024. It nailed 12 teams in the Sweet 16 and correctly predicted all four Final Four teams a year ago.
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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every college basketball game 10,000 times. It entered conference tournament week on a sizzling 14-2 run on its top-rated over/under college basketball picks dating back to last season, and is on a 28-21 run on top-rated CBB side picks. You shouldn’t even think about making a pick without seeing what their model has to say.
Top 2026 March Madness bracket upset picks
One South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 11 VCU upsets six-time national champion and No. 6-seeded North Carolina. This is a familiar spot for VCU fans, as the Rams were one of those rare double-digit seeds to make the Final Four in 2011. Long-time Saint Joseph’s head coach Phil Martelli took over the program this season and he led the Hawks on legendary runs to the Sweet 16 in 1997 and Elite Eight in 2004.
Meanwhile, North Carolina limps into the 2026 NCAA Tournament coming off a loss to Duke to close out the regular season and then suffering a loss to Clemson in its only game of the ACC Tournament. The Tar Heels will unfortunately be without superstar freshman Caleb Wilson, who suffered a season-ending thumb injury on Feb. 10. Wilson’s absence is a big reason why the model considers VCU one of its best upset candidates.
Another South Region surprise the model has identified: No. 10 Texas A&M knocks off No. 7 Saint Mary’s. Aggies head coach Bucky McMillan got his start as a high school coach in Alabama while Gaels head coach Randy Bennett has been in charge of the Gaels since 2001. However, this game will likely be decided by which team dictates the tempo, with Texas A&M ranking 29th in adjusted possessions per 40 minutes and Saint Mary’s ranking 297th.
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In their only matchup against an SEC opponent this season, the Gaels gave up 96 points to Vanderbilt in a loss and the Commodores also play fast an efficiently offensively. Saint Mary’s was also only 1-4 in Quad 1 games this season and the Aggies constitute an extremely tough first-round matchup after a great season in the WCC. See which other 2026 March Madness upsets and matchups to target here.
How to make 2026 NCAA Tournament bracket predictions
At Rosehill to start his day, Bryce Heys was absent for the reappearance of his 100th success story as Flying For Fun secured her breakthrough Group placing in the Maurice McCarten Stakes.
Heys had saddled Mailata to fourth in Sydney’s curtain-raiser before dashing via the freeway to Gosford provincials, where Banjora featured in the finale.
“He was here and then we tagged in and out,” Heys’ stable representative, Tammy Blair, said.
“He’s gone to Gosford to saddle up Banjora. So he’s there, and I’m here.”
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Returning from Listed Starlight Stakes (1100m) glory at Rosehill in November, Flying For Fun at $5 proved too strong for persistent Mal Coupe ($9) by a long neck, King’s Secret ($4 fav) third and 1-1/4 lengths adrift.
Blair mentioned Heys’ history with Flying For Fun’s sire Spieth and dam Vol Prive amplified the victory’s appeal.
“We’re very happy. We had mum and dad, so this makes it that little bit special,” she said.
For his sixth mount on the four-year-old through 12 starts, jockey Zac Lloyd applauded her dominance over decent rivals and her development beyond her prior spell.
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“She’s come back super,” Lloyd said.
“Much more mature and stronger. For her to do that first-up, that was a pretty strong Maurice McCarten Stakes, and she’s done it really nice.”
Connections lack a fixed autumn itinerary, yet Lloyd believes her settling ability now creates more paths forward.
“I’m sure Bryce will find a good option for her, but she’s so tractable now,” he said.
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“She can come from right up on the speed, or just off the speed. It definitely opens a lot of doors.”
England’s Ollie Pope bats on day two of the first Ashes cricket test match between Australia and England in Perth. (AP)
England batter Ollie Pope has responded to criticism following his side’s Ashes defeat in Australia, saying the perception that the team “weren’t fussed” is not accurate, while accepting why that view took hold among fans and experts.England, led by Ben Stokes, lost the 2025/26 Ashes series 4-1 to Australia cricket team. The tour is still under review by the England and Wales Cricket Board.Apart from results on the field, the tour also drew attention due to reports around team culture. During a break in Noosa, there were claims of players drinking heavily. There were also reports that vice-captain Harry Brook had an altercation with a nightclub bouncer during a pre-series visit to New Zealand.
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Jay Shah calls 2019 to 2026 as Indian cricket’s golden period
Pope said the team remained focused on winning the Ashes and pointed to the first Test in Perth as a key moment.“Going into that series, there was a lot spoken about the preparation of it,” Pope told reporters. “As a team, the misconception might be that we weren’t as fussed as it came across.”Speaking at Surrey’s media day, the 28-year-old said the outcome of the opening Test shaped the narrative.“The tough thing for everyone in that first game (Test) was the nature of it. Had we won that, and we’d done slightly better on day two, the idea is different.“Of course we want to be a well-liked team, on and off the pitch, and unfortunately our performance didn’t allow that to happen in Australia.”“I can understand why people felt that way, but at the same time the perception that we weren’t fussed was probably the hard thing. All we wanted to do was go and win the Ashes…All anyone wanted to do was to win,” Pope said.“And for us at times it was just trying to, in our minds, take the pressure off the actual Test match.”Even before the series began, questions were raised about England’s preparation in Australian conditions. Their build-up included a three-day match against England Lions at Lilac Hill in Perth.“As we’ve done over the previous years, we tried to treat it like a normal series to get the best out of ourselves,” Pope said. “Unfortunately, it didn’t quite go to plan.”He added: “I know what I need to be as ready as I can be. From a personal point, I felt as ready as I could have been for that first Test.”Pope was dropped after the third Test, having averaged 20.83 across the first three matches. Jacob Bethell replaced him and scored a century in the fifth Test in Sydney.Despite the setback, Pope said he is focused on returning to the side.“I still feel like my best batting years are to come.”He was speaking after the ECB reversed a plan to restrict Ashes players from speaking to the media ahead of the county season while the review of the tour continues.
A touch of gold is hitting the United States baseball team for the World Baseball Classic (WBC).
As Team USA arrives at loanDepot Park later in Miami, the team will be decked out in game-worn USA Olympic hockey sweaters.
Team USA outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong connected with Olympic hero Jack Hughes, who scored the goal to give the United States its first gold men’s hockey medal since the “Miracle on Ice” team in 1980. Hughes then reached out to his contacts at Fanatics Authentic, the company’s memorabilia division and partner of both athletes, who hand-delivered the jerseys to the team hotel in Miami in time for tonight’s game.
Roman Anthony of Team United States celebrates with teammates after hitting a solo home run against Team Dominican Republic during the fourth inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026, in Miami, Florida.(Gene Wang – Capture At Media/Getty Images)
In total, 36 jerseys, covering players, managers and staff, were sent because the team wanted everyone wearing them.
After being worn in the Olympics and now by Team USA at the WBC, fans and collectors will have a chance to own a piece of one of the most unique crossovers in American sports history when they are auctioned off this summer at the third annual Fanatics Fest in New York, as well as select jerseys featured in Fanatics Under Wraps NHL product launching in May, which offers fans a wide array of licensed sports memorabilia in a mystery format.
The hockey team won gold against Canada to get some long-sought revenge. It was the eighth time the U.S. and Canada played for Olympic gold, and the only time the Americans had won prior to last month was 1960. Canada had given the United States gut punches in recent memory, including the 2002 gold medal game in Salt Lake City, Sidney Crosby’s golden goal in 2010, a semifinal knockout in 2014, and the 4 Nations final in 2025.
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United States’ Jack Hughes (86) poses with teammates after a men’s ice hockey gold medal game between Canada and the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)
But this year, the U.S. has dominated Canada in plenty of facets. Not only did the men’s hockey team win gold over Canada, but so did the women’s team as well as the men’s Paralympic team. The baseball team also defeated Canada in the WBC quarterfinals last week.
Team USA will face Venezuela on FOX at 8 p.m. ET for the title. It is the third consecutive championship appearance for the U.S., which won in 2017 but lost to Japan six years later. This year marks Venezuela’s first trip to the championship, beating reigning champion Japan in the quarterfinal and then Italy in Monday’s semifinal.
Gunnar Henderson of Team United States celebrates with Aaron Judge after hitting a solo home run against Team Dominican Republic during the fourth inning at loanDepot park on March 15, 2026, in Miami, Florida.(Megan Briggs/Getty Images)
New York Mets pitcher Nolan McLean will get the start for the Americans, while Eduardo Rodriguez of the Arizona Diamondbacks will toe the rubber for Venezuela.
INDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 10: A general view of Stadium 1 at sunset as Jannik Sinner of Italy plays against Joao Fonseca of Brazil in their fourth round match of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 10, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Former American tennis player Sam Querrey has raised concerns about the prize money awarded at the Indian Wells Open, arguing that the tournament champions should earn significantly more.
The comments came after Jannik Sinner defeated Daniil Medvedev 7-6, 7-6 in the final to claim his first Indian Wells title. Sinner received $1.15 million for the victory, the same amount earned by women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka.
Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, Querrey said the amount does not reflect the scale of the tournament or the revenue generated by top players.
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“I’m convinced they should get $3 million,” he said, suggesting that champions at a major Masters event like Indian Wells deserve a larger share.
Querrey pointed to ticket sales and packed stadiums during Sinner’s matches as evidence that star players bring enormous value to the tournament.
He also compared tennis prize money to golf payouts, noting that recent golf events have awarded significantly larger prize checks to winners.
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Data from recent tournaments shows that prize money for early rounds has increased over the years, but payouts for champions and finalists have actually dropped slightly compared to previous editions.
The IRFU has announced contract extensions for Bundee Aki, Dan Sheehan, Jamison Gibson-Park and Josh van der Flier.
This secures the futures of four key players as Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell builds his squad towards Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027.
Bundee Aki
Connacht’s Aki has signed a new one-year contract extension. Leinster duo van der Flier and Gibson-Park have put pen to paper on two-year deals up until the end of the 2027/28 season. Sheehan has committed his future to Ireland and Leinster for a further three years until the end of the 2028/29 campaign.
Since making his debut against South Africa in 2017, Aki has been an influential figure in Ireland’s midfield, winning 69 Test caps in green, most recently coming off the bench in Saturday’s victory over Scotland.
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Aki has won three Guinness Men’s Six Nations titles with Ireland, including two Grand Slams, and in 2023 was nominated for the World Rugby Men’s XVs Player of the Year award.
Josh van de Flier
Van der Flier won his 79th Test cap in green at the weekend, with his performances throughout the Championship campaign underlining his enduring worth in Ireland’s back row.
The 2022 World Rugby 15s Player of the Year remains a key part of Farrell’s side and will continue playing his rugby with Ireland and Leinster until the end of the 2027/28 campaign.
Jamison Gibson-Park
Gibson-Park was one of Ireland’s outstanding performers throughout the Guinness Men’s Six Nations, most notably at Twickenham where his Player of the Match performance inspired Farrell’s side to a memorable bonus point win.
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The scrum-half won his 50th Ireland cap against Wales earlier this month and news of his commitment to Ireland and Leinster for a further two years is a major boost.
Dan Sheehan
27-year-old Sheehan has established himself as one of the game’s leading players since breaking on to the international scene against Japan in 2021, winning 39 Ireland caps in that time.
On Saturday, the hooker scored his 15th Six Nations try in green and Sheehan is a central figure in Ireland’s pack.
Key leaders
Ireland Head Coach Andy Farrell said of today’s contract extensions:
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“You cannot underestimate the outstanding contributions of these four players to Irish Rugby over many years. That they see their futures here is a significant boost, which I have no doubt will delight Ireland supporters around the world. They are all key leaders who put their bodies on the line time and time again in reaching the highest standards on the field.
“All four players are a pleasure to work with and have played key roles throughout the recent Guinness Men’s Six Nations. In congratulating Bundee, Jamison, Dan and Josh on their new contracts, we look forward to seeing them progress in Ireland in the months and years to come.”
Stan Moody held his nerve to clinch a 5-4 win over John Higgins at the World Open in the veteran’s 2,000th professional match.
Higgins, 50, fought back from 4-1 down to square the second-round contest against England’s Moody in Yushan, China.
But the 19-year-old, ranked 47th in the world, made a break of 65 in the deciding frame to knock out the four-time world champion.
“I watched John growing up and learning the game. To beat him in an important match out in China and to do it with a lot of breaks as well is a good feeling,” Moody told World Snooker, external.
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“John is a class act. I knew if I let him back in he would come back, so I’m glad I managed to hold my nerve in the decider.”
Moody’s reward for the victory over defending champion Higgins is a third-round meting with Welshman Ryan Day.
Elsewhere at the Yushan Sport Centre, Masters champion Kyren Wilson eased to a 5-2 win over Lyu Haotian, while world number one Judd Trump cruised to a 5-1 success over Florian Nuessle.
World champion Zhao Xintong claimed a 5-4 victory over Chinese compatriot Long Zehuang.
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Mark Williams, Gary Wilson and Jackson Page progressed at the expense of Ricky Walden, Aaron Hill and Liu Wenwei respectively.
Bayern Munich may hand 16-year-old goalkeeper Leonard Prescott his first-team debut in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The German giants have three goalkeepers struggling with injury and if Jonas Urbig fails to recover from concussion then Prescott will play in the second leg of their last 16 tie against Atalanta, head coach Vincent Kompany said.
Urbig sustained his injury in Bayern’s 6-1 victory in Italy last week, while regular starter Manuel Neuer is working towards full fitness after a muscle tear and third-choice keeper Sven Ulreich picked up an adductor issue in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Bayer Leverkusen.
“Jonas trained normally today [Tuesday]. The decision tomorrow will be a medical one,” Kompany said.
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“If everything goes well then Urbig will be in goal. If not then we will have to find another solution.”
Prescott, a German youth international who plays for Bayern’s under-19s, will require clearance from German labour authorities to work in the evening as he is a teenager.
He has been on Bayern’s bench in their past two matches with fellow teenage keeper Leon Klanac, 19, also out with a thigh injury.
Reserve team keeper Janis Bartl, 19, has featured on the Bayern bench in two Bundesliga matches this season, but it is Prescott who Kompany will turn to if necessary.
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“He [Prescott] is very calm. Overall, we as a staff are also calm. If he plays tomorrow he will have our full backing. Everyone will help,” Kompany added.
“There will never be a young player who will be forced to play a main role. We have full confidence in him whatever happens tomorrow.”
Neuer, a World Cup winner and 12-time Bundesliga champion with Bayern, has played 19 times in the league this season, with the 37-year-old’s last appearance coming on 6 March.
Urbig, 22, has played eight league matches, including six starts, while Ulreich, 37, made his first appearance of the season on Saturday.
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Bayern, the defending Bundesliga champions and current league leaders, will face either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the last eight should they beat Atalanta.
The Braves saw their seven-year playoff streak come to an end last year as a number of their players underperformed. The likes of Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, Raisel Iglesias and Jurickson Profar, who has now been suspended for all of this season after missing half of last season, all ended up as Fantasy baseball busts, whether due to injury, suspension, ineffectiveness or a combination. As anyone entering 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts knows, composing a winning squad will be as much about hitting on your top Fantasy baseball picks as it will be about avoiding selecting Fantasy baseball busts 2026.
Others like Adley Rutschman, Bryan Reynolds, Zac Gallen and Devin Williams are also coming off down years and failing to live up to their Fantasy baseball ADP. Thus, you’re faced with a decision as to if last year was the start of a trend of if they’ll bounce back and are worth taking in 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts. Before finalizing your 2026 Fantasy baseball draft prep, be sure to see the 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets from the proven computer model at SportsLine.
Last season, SportsLine’s Projection Model identified several top Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts, including Braves starting pitcher Spencer Strider.
Strider led MLB in both wins (20) and strikeouts (281) in 2023 before missing most of 2024 due to injury. He returned last year but the model predicted he would struggle to regain his pre-injury form and wouldn’t live up to his lofty Fantasy baseball ADP (97.81). Strider was the SP30 by average draft position, but SportsLine had him barely cracking the top 75 starting pitchers in its rankings.
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The result: Strider posted a 7-14 record, with a 4.45 ERA and not even half as many strikeouts (131) as his dominant 2023 season. He also missed over a month of action due to another injury and ended up barely making the top 100 starting pitchers in Fantasy points, much closer to SportsLine’s projection of SP74 rather than his ADP of SP30. Anybody who followed the model’s advice and avoided Strider in their Fantasy baseball drafts avoided a major headache in their Fantasy baseball lineups.
The SportsLine model is engineered by the same people who powered projections for all three major Fantasy sites. And that same group is sharing its 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings and cheat sheets over at SportsLine, helping you find Fantasy baseball sleepers, breakouts and busts long before your competition. Their cheat sheets, available for leagues on many major sites, are updated multiple times every day.
One of the Fantasy baseball busts 2026 the model is fading: Brewers starting pitcher Jacob Misiorowski. A June call-up last year, the rookie became the first pitcher in over 60 years to record 11 no-hit innings to start his career and then made MLB history by becoming an All-Star after just five starts. He had the majors’ fifth-highest average fastball velocity (99.3 m.p.h.) across his 66 regular season innings and then posted a microscopic 1.50 ERA across 12 postseason innings.
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However, in between the All-Star Game and the playoffs, Misiorowski looked every bit like a novice on the mound. He had a 6.03 ERA over his last eight starts as batters adjusted to seeing his arsenal, while Misiorowski failed to make adjustments to hitters. Many Fantasy owners are being overly influenced by his hot start as his No. 121 Fantasy baseball ADP puts him amongst the top 30 starters. However, SportsLine’s model has him barely cracking the top 100 starting pitchers, making Misiorowski one to avoid in Fantasy baseball drafts 2026.
Another of the 2026 Fantasy baseball busts the model projects won’t live up to their ADP: Orioles first baseman Pete Alonso. After seven years in Queens, Alonso left the Mets for Baltimore in the offseason, on the heels of a season with 38 homers, 126 RBI and an .871 OPS. He’s going in the third round on average, in 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts with a mean draft position of 28.
However, Alonso’s metrics from last year should be a bit concerning. His batting average on balls in play (BAbip) was a career-best of .305, indicating he was a bit lucky and could regress to the mean. Additionally, his home run rate (5.4%) was the second-lowest of his career, while his walk rate (8.6%) was the lowest of his seven seasons. Alonso’s greatest strength is his home run power, but the two lowest HR rates of his career have come in the last two seasons as the 31-year-old could be on the decline. The model has Alonso on par with Michael Busch in its Fantasy baseball 2026 rankings, but Alonso is being drafted seven rounds earlier on average. See more busts at SportsLine.
How to find proven 2026 Fantasy baseball rankings
SportsLine’s model is also fading a surprising ace who is coming off the board in the sixth round on average in early 2026 Fantasy baseball drafts. The model is predicting this All-Star fails to live up to his lofty daft status finishes outside the top 30 at his position. Avoiding him until later on could be the difference between winning your league or going home with nothing. You can only see who it is here.
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