The first week of the NFL preseason is officially here. We got a small taste of the action last week with the Hall of Fame Game, but this week, things will be kicking into warp drive with 16 games going down between Thursday and Saturday.
When it comes to the preseason, you never know what you’re going to see on the field. Some coaches will keep their starters on the bench, but that strategy isn’t for everyone. There are also plenty of coaches who like to see their starters get some action in the preseason.
With that in mind, we’re going to start off this winners and losers list by naming every coach who plays their starters a winner. Thanks for adding some excitement to the preseason.
And now, let’s get to our full winners and losers list for Week 1 of the preseason.
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Winners
Broncos WR Courtland Sutton … and anyone who likes great catches
Courtland Sutton set the tone Friday evening, and apparently, the word got around: Let’s make some highlights. Sutton “Mossed” Falcons defensive back Mike Hughes on the opening possession and made a ridiculous one-handed snag on the next drive. Overall, he finished with three catches for 60 yards in very limited action.
Sutton’s size, strength and contested-catch ability are going to be great complements to trade acquisition Jaylen Waddle, whose game is more based on speed, verticality and yards after the catch. Bo Nix (who, like Waddle, didn’t play Friday night) is going to love having both on the field together.
Sutton’s catch was awesome, but let’s also shout out Dolphins rookie Caleb Douglas, who is making waves in training camp …
With Aaron Rodgersset to retire at the end of the 2026 season, the Steelers need to find their quarterback of the future and they might have already done that. The team drafted former Penn State QB Drew Allar in the third round back in April and he was a one-man highlight show during the Steelers’ 28-9 win over the Packers on Thursday night. Allar didn’t get in the game until the second half, but once he was on the field, he absolutely took over: He finished 10 of 13 for 153 yards and three total touchdowns.
Will Howard and Mason Rudolph also saw some action on Thursday and they were both good, but Allar was great. Khan’s decision to draft Allar — despite having Rudolph and Howard already on the roster — is looking like a smart one so far. Of course, Allar put up his numbers in the second half against the backend of the Packers’ defensive roster, so we still need to see what he can do against better competition, but this is a promising start. We broke down Allar’s full performance from Thursday and you can read more about that here.
Oh, and Friday, the Steelers and Keeanu Benton agreed to a four-year, $72 million extension, per ESPN. It’s another nice find for Khan: Benton was the 49th overall pick in 2023.
The rookie kicker has struggled at times during training camp, but he seems to have put those struggles behind him. Smack had a huge game against the Steelers, scoring all nine of Green Bay’s points in the loss. Smack went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts and that includes hitting a 58-yarder just before halftime.
Long field goals are notoriously difficult to hit at Heinz Field, so that’s an impressive kick.
Smack actually Smacked TWO 58-yard field goals in the game, but one of them got taken off the board due to a Steelers penalty. The former Florida star was the ONLY placekicker selected in this year’s draft and the Packers’ decision to take him is starting to look like it might actually pay off.
Cardinals quarterbacks
Earlier this year, we ranked the 10 worst QB rooms in the NFL and the Cardinals were near the top of the list. And I’m only telling you that because we might need to redo our rankings if the Cardinals quarterbacks keep playing like they did during the team’s 27-14 win over the Raiders on Thursday. Jacoby Brissett, Gardner Minshew and Kedon Slovis combined to go 26 of 30 for 212 yards and three touchdowns. Brissett and Minshew combined to go a perfect 15 of 15 in the first half and Brissett threw what might end up going down as the most impressive touchdown pass of the preseason.
Brissett was on the field for just one possession, but he made the most of it, going 5 of 5 for 44 yards, including that TD pass to Marvin Harrison Jr. You never want to overreact to anything from the preseason, but if Brissett is going to be making throws like that all year, the Cards’ offense could surprise us this year.
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Fernando Mendoza hype
The Mendoza hype train has been going strong since April 23 when the Raiders selected him with the first overall pick in the NFL Draft. We finally got to see Mendoza in action on Thursday and he looked impressive. He wasn’t perfect — he completed 10 of 16 passes for 97 yards and a TD — but he showed flashes of what he could eventually become, and that’s exactly what you want to see if you’re the Raiders.
Although Mendoza was good, Raiders coach Klint Kubiak said the starting QB job was still Kirk Cousins‘ to lose, so don’t look for the rookie to be starting in Week 1. If you want a deeper dive into Mendoza’s first start, we’ve got that here.
49ers WR De’Zhaun Stribling
Kyle Shanahan made the decision to bench most of his starters against the Titans on Thursday, which makes sense, because training camp has been a battle of attrition for the 49ers. Everyone is injured. However, Stribling is healthy and he might have been the best offensive player on the field for the 49ers. He caught seven passes for 63 yards against the Titans and he did all of that in just one half of play.
If you have a fantasy draft coming up, you might want to think about taking Stribling. With Ricky Pearsall out for the season, Stribling could definitely make a name for himself in San Francisco as a rookie.
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Bengals WR Dohnte Meyers
If you need someone to root for this year, make it Dohnte Meyers. Going into training camp, the Bengals receiver looked like a long shot to make the roster, but he’s slowly been proving that he belongs. In Thursday’s game against the Lions, not only did he catch three passes for 29 yards, but the human Swiss Army knife also had one rush for 13 yards and a punt return for 11 yards.
After the Bengals’ 16-14 win, Joe Burrow revealed that Meyers drove seven hours overnight from Atlanta to Cincinnati just to attend an offseason throwing session with the QB. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his unlikely story.
The 26-year-old Meyers, who spent some time in the CFL, has never played a down in an NFL regular-season game, but that could soon change because it’s looking more and more likely that he’s going to make the roster.
Last week, the Falcons lost 2025 first-round EDGE Jalon Walker to a torn ACL in practice. It was a crushing, sudden blow.
Friday, Atlanta took another major hit in the pass-rushing department, though this one had been in the works. The NFLhanded down an eight-game suspension to edge defender James Pearce Jr., a 2025 first-round pick. The suspension stems from a Feb. 7 incident with ex-girlfriend (and current Chicago Sky standout) Rickea Jackson that originally led to three felony charges against Pearce: aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence to his or her person. All three were dismissed as part of a pre-trial agreement, but Pearce’s violation of the personal conduct policy means he won’t play until this season is nearly halfway done.
Somehow, things didn’t get any better when the Falcons took the field. Tua Tagovailoa fumbled his second snap of the game, and with Michael Penix Jr. (knee) still unable to play, this isn’t exactly the quarterback competition Kevin Stefanski was hoping for. The Falcons got bulldozed 27-7 by the Broncos, by the way.
Titans QB Cam Ward
Going into his second year, the Titans were probably hoping to see some progress from Ward in this game, but that definitely didn’t happen against the 49ers. Ward was on the field for three offensive possessions and it was a boom-or-bust performance: He went just 5 of 12 for 57 yards with 46 of those yards coming on just three completions, so he went 2 of 9 for 11 yards on his other throws. His accuracy was off and his decision-making wasn’t great.
There’s still plenty of time for Ward to improve, but the Titans can’t be thrilled with his performance, which came against a 49ers defense that didn’t really have any starters on the field.
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Patriots kicker Andy Borregales
The Patriots kicker had an impressive rookie year, but he didn’t look great on Thursday night against the Colts. The game ended in a 13-13 tie, but the Patriots would have won if Borregales had made his kicks. He missed three field goals in the game and that’s something that Mike Vrabel definitely wasn’t happy about following the tie.
“We’re expected to make them. That’s pro football,” Vrabel said of the wayward kicks. “They’re banging them in from 60 yards. They got two kickers on the roster, so Andy knows that we have to make those field goals.”
Borregales’ misses came from 49, 55 and 56.
The 49-yard miss came with 13 seconds left to play and would have won the game for the Patriots. New England is working in a new long snapper, so that could possibly be having an impact on their kicking game, but no matter what the issue is, it’s a situation that the Patriots need to get figured out quickly.
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Lions WR Isaac TeSlaa
As a rookie last year, TeSlaa came up with some big plays for the Lions, but he wasn’t able to do that against the Bengals on Thursday. The Lions receiver was targeted three times in the game and he came away with zero catches. There were two passes he probably should have caught, including one that led to an interception.
With the Lions driving down the field against Cincinnati’s first-team defense on the opening possession of the game, Detroit QB Luke Altmyer threw a pass to TeSlaa, and that’s when things got ugly. The ball went through TeSlaa’s hands and into the waiting arms of Jordan Battle.
Later in the first quarter, Altmyer targeted TeSlaa on a fourth-and-3 play in Bengals territory, but the receiver wasn’t able to come down with the ball. TeSlaa caught six touchdown passes last year and the Lions would love if he turns into a consistent playmaker, but if this game was any indication, he still has some work to do before that can happen.
With Daniel Jones coming off a torn Achilles, the backup QB job is an important one in Indianapolis this year, and if Thursday night was any indication, Leonard might have just fallen behind Anthony Richardson. Leonard played the entire second half, which came against the Patriots defensive backups, and he wasn’t overly impressive. He completed less than 50% of his passes (10 of 21) and he threw an ugly interception in the third quarter on a badly underthrown pass.
On the other hand, Richardson, who started the game, had a much stronger showing. The former fourth overall pick finished 11 of 14 for 145 yards and although he also threw an interception, it wasn’t his fault (The pass went through the hands of the receiver). Leonard is expected to start Indy’s second preseason game, which will come against the Falcons on Aug. 22, and he’s going to have to play much better if he wants to win the backup job.
Chargers QB Trey Lance
Lance was the backup QB for the Chargers last season, but he might not be keeping the job for 2026. The former No. 3 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft was outplayed on Thursday night by DJ Uiagalelei. Lance was off-target at times, especially in the second quarter, which is when he threw this interception.
He did throw for 164 yards against the Texans and he did show flashes at times, so there’s still plenty of time for him to battle back and keep his job, but Uiagalelei is certainly doing his best to make things interesting. The former Florida State QB went 6 of 9 for 120 yards and a touchdown in the Chargers’ 27-7 win over Houston. The Chargers backup QB battle will continue into the team’s second preseason game, which will take place on Aug. 20 against the 49ers.
Sydney conditioner Michael Freedman has dispatched Satin Summer to Melbourne to take part in the upcoming sprint races tailored for three-year-old fillies.
Satin Summer is slated to kick off Freedman’s strategy at Caulfield this Saturday in the Group 3 Quezette Stakes, covering a distance of 1100 metres.
Freedman has noted that Melbourne provides more suitable options for sprinting fillies, with the exception of the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on the subsequent Saturday and the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m), also at Randwick, two weeks thereafter.
“There’s not a lot here (in Sydney),” Freedman commented.
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“You’ve got the Silver Shadow and the Furious, and after that there is nothing.
“You go down there (to Melbourne) and basically every second week there is a fillies sprint race.”
Having raced only three times, Satin Summer secured a debut victory at Randwick in January before advancing directly to Stakes races, finishing fifth in the Listed Lonhro Plate at Randwick on January 7.
The filly was then absent from the racing scene until finishing third at Rosehill over 1100 metres on July 4.
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Satin Summer has since completed a trial at Warwick Farm on August 4, following Freedman’s decision to withdraw the filly from two previous race entries.
“She’s had one run back and we’ve scratched off a couple of wide gates the last two times she was in,” Freedman explained.
“She trialled at Warwick Farm with the blinkers on and went great and she’ll wear them in the Quezette, plus we’ve got Jamie Melham to ride her.”
Satin Summer is set to start from barrier one on Saturday.
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When asked about Satin Summer potentially remaining in Melbourne following Saturday’s race, Freedman stated, “Possibly, if that’s the way it pans out.”
Consider the latest betting sites for your wagers on this promising filly.
The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s class of 2026 will be inducted on Saturday night. It includes Amar’e Stoudemire, Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw, Elena Delle Donne, coaches Mike D’Antoni, Mark Few and Doc Rivers, and the entire 1996 U.S. women’s national team.
Naturally, it got us to thinking about future classes and who may or may not be included among current players. We will not be covering any retired players who are either not yet eligible or not yet voted in. This would include the likes of Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook (who just announced his retirement on Wednesday), both of whom are surefire first-ballot inductees. Kyle Lowry is going to get in, too. I would bet on Andre Iguodala eventually.
But those are debates for another day. We’re focusing on currently active players and have broken them into tiers ranging from first-ballot locks to those on the outside looking in.
Arguably the GOAT. All-time leading scorer in both regular and postseason, both by extreme and still-growing margins. Four championships, including the only 3-1 comeback in Finals history over the 73-win Warriors in 2016. Four league MVPs. Four Finals MVPs. Three Olympic gold medals. LeBron has played for three franchises and won at least one MVP and a championship with each, the only player in history to do so. He’s trying to go four-for-four with the 76ers, but obviously, his legacy and Hall of Fame spot are cemented no matter how this (presumably) final chapter turns out. — Brad Botkin
Stephen Curry
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Once Michael Jordan took official control of the NBA, save for his two-year baseball hiatus, nobody else won. Curry winning four titles in the LeBron era begs an honest question: Was it actually the Curry era? Since 2015, Curry has won two MVPs, including the only unanimous one in history, to LeBron’s zero and the four titles to LeBron’s two. Three of those titles came via a head-to-head Finals win over LeBron. Who was the better player during the heart of Curry’s run is a real debate, but obviously Curry’s first-ballot Hall of Fame status is not. He’s the all-time 3-point leader and the greatest shooter to ever live by a wide margin. He changed the game in a way very few players, if any, ever have. — Botkin
Kevin Durant
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Perhaps the purest scorer to ever play, Durant ranks fifth all-time with 32,597 points and counting. His 50% career shooting percentage is remarkable given his primarily jump-shot diet. A four-time scoring champion, Durant won MVP in 2014 and has four top-two finishes and five top-fives to go with two championships, two Finals MVPs, 16 All-Star and 12 All-NBA selections, including six first-teams. He’s also a two-time member of the exclusive 50-40-90 shooting club. In addition to his NBA résumé, Durant is the only male basketball player in history with four Olympic gold medals and is Team USA’s all-time leading Olympic scorer. — Botkin
Nikola Jokić
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The best player on the planet for no less than a half-decade and his reign is arguably ongoing. To call Jokiċ the best passing big man of all time is an insult; he’s one of the greatest passers the game has ever seen, period. He won three MVPs in four years and hasn’t finished lower than second since 2020. Led the Nuggets to the 2023 title without a single other All-Star on his roster. In fact, Jamal Murray (one selection) and late-career Russell Westbrook are the only All-Stars Jokiċ has ever played with. An advanced stats god, Jokiċ is the only player in history to lead the league in assists and rebounds per game in the same season, which he did last year when he averaged a triple-double. When it’s all said and done, he’ll have a legit case as the greatest offensive center of all-time, if he doesn’t already own that title. — Botkin
Giannis Antetokounmpo
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A two-time MVP and the 2021 Finals MVP, Antetokounmpo tallied nine straight All-NBA nods, including seven straight first teams, before his run ended last season when he played in just 36 games. He has also made five All-Defense teams, and in 2020, he became the third player in history to win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in the same season. Antetokounmpo is one of the most physically overwhelming and forceful downhill drivers the league has ever seen with a relentless motor. Had he ever really learned to shoot, we might’ve been talking about him with the GOATs one day. — Botkin
James Harden
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One of the greatest individual creators to ever play, Harden, in his prime, was a virtually indefensible one-man offense, and he’s still doing it as he enters his 18th NBA season. Two years ago, Harden was a third-team All-NBA selection. Last year, he averaged 23 and 8. Between 2015 and 2020, Harden finished in the top three in MVP voting five of six years and won it in 2018. That was the year he came closest to the championship that has eluded him. Harden’s Rockets had the juggernaut Warriors in a 3-2 hole before Chris Paul went down for the rest of the series with a torn hamstring. It’s true that Harden has an inconsistent playoff profile with some pretty loud no-shows on big stages, but this is a guy who averaged north of 33 points per game over a three-year span, something only four other players (Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Rick Barry and Luka Dončić) have ever done. He’s a no-doubt first-ballot Hall of Famer. — Botkin
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
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Gilgeous-Alexander is one of 14 players in history to have won two MVPs and one of eight with a Finals MVP and scoring title to boot. The other seven who check all three of those boxes are Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Moses Malone, Wilt Chamberlain and Giannis Antetokounmpo. A little lower on this list, we’re going to look at players who are certain to eventually make the Hall of Fame through an “if they retired today” lens, but SGA is already too secure for that list even though he’s only played eight seasons. His last four simply have been too historic to deny, even if he somehow never played another game. — Botkin
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Joel Embiid
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Embiid’s peak may end up being among the shortest of any player on this list, but it was also better than just about anyone else’s. Two MVP runner-ups preceded his win in 2023, when he averaged 33.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game — the highest scoring average from an MVP since Michael Jordan in 1988. Postseason success has eluded Embiid and injuries are unfortunately as big a story as his on-court dominance, but every eligible past NBA MVP has been inducted into the Hall of Fame and Embiid will not be the exception. — Robby Kalland
Draymond Green
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Green feels like a player many people will label as a fringe Hall of Famer, or at least not a first-ballot selection, which is ridiculous. Save all the nonsense about riding the coattails of Curry and the Warriors; they needed Green as much as he needed them. Green was the second-most important piece of the dynasty — a generational defender and a criminally underrated offensive weapon during his prime. An instinctual passer, brilliant impromptu screener and a force pushing the ball in transition, Green was the quarterback of those Warriors title teams and should absolutely go into the Hall on the first ballot. — Botkin
Kawhi Leonard
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The NBA cares a great deal about whether Leonard conspired with the Clippers to circumvent the salary cap, but the Hall won’t. He’s rightfully going in on the first ballot, his inconsistent health notwithstanding. When Leonard has been able to stay on the court, he’s been one of the best players in the world for more than a decade. Kawhi has made seven All-NBA teams and seven All-Defense. He’s one of 12 players in history with two championships and two Finals MVPs, and of those 12, only two have also won two Defensive Player of the Year awards: Hakeem Olajuwon and Leonard. He was named to the league’s 75th anniversary team as one of the greatest players in history. Assuming this investigation actually ends at some point, he’ll be back on the court with still plenty left in the tank after a second-team All-NBA season last year. He’s a lock. — Botkin
The second-greatest 3-point shooter and greatest 3-and-D player in history. Thompson was a core part of four championships and flat-out saved the Warriors on multiple postseason occasions, most notably Game 6 of the 2016 conference finals against the Thunder when he poured in 41 points on 11 3-pointers. Thompson holds the single-game record with 14 made 3-pointers, and he’s fourth all-time with 2,899 made 3s and should pass Ray Allen for third place this season, barring injury. The two All-NBA and five All-Star selections don’t do justice to how great a two-way player Thompson was for basically the entirety of his Warriors career. — Botkin
Anthony Davis
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Davis is a 10-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-Defensive team selection, 2013 Rookie of the Year, a 2020 NBA champion and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team. There’s not really any room for debate based solely on his NBA resume, but if you add in his year at Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats to a national title as a freshman, there’s no world where he’s not in on the first ballot. — Kalland
Damian Lillard
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Lillard is currently in the top 50 all-time in points and assists (42nd in both categories), and the seven-time All-NBA selection (and NBA 75th Anniversary team member) will go into the Hall on his first ballot. Lillard not only will have the statistical profile to merit that selection — likely finishing his career in the top 30 in scoring and assists — but he was one of the early pioneers of the deep 3-pointer that shifted how the game was played. The only thing lacking from Lillard’s resume is a championship, but even then, he’s produced plenty in the postseason and authored some iconic game-winners ––most notably his series-winner over OKC in 2019. — Kalland
Jayson Tatum
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Tatum has been a major contributor on a championship-contending team from the second he stepped into the league. He’s averaged at least 23 points per game in his last six full seasons (we’re not counting the 16 games he played at the end of last season) and at least 26 points in each of his last five, with four top-six MVP finishes. The bottom line is he has been one of the best players in the league for nearly a decade. He’s got the championship. The gold medal. He’s far from done, and even if he’s not quite the same player after his Achilles injury, he’s going to tack on enough quality seasons over the latter half of his career to make it a no-brainer by the time he retires. — Botkin
Jalen Brunson
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Not all championships are weighed equally. The Knicks are different, and Brunson leading the way to last year’s title, in addition to the two national championships and Naismith award he won at Villanova (remember, it’s the basketball Hall of Fame, not just the NBA Hall of Fame), seals the deal. We all know Brunson is far from done, but even if he were to retire right now, this Knicks run (three All-NBA teams, a Clutch Player of the Year and a 29.4 points per game average over 61 playoff games in New York with a Finals MVP) plus all the Villanova stuff are already enough to get in. — Botkin
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Luka Dončić
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Like Gilgeous-Alexander, Dončić has only been in the league for eight years. Unlike SGA, he doesn’t have a championship or an MVP yet, so we can debate whether he has done enough to get into the Hall if he were to retire today. I say yes, and I say it pretty emphatically. For my money, Dončić is already one of the greatest offensive players in history. Just for fun, let’s say Dončić gets sick of basketball over the next month and decides to never play again: He will become the only player ever to retire with career averages of at least 29 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. He and Michael Jordan are the only players in history to hold 30 points per game postseason scoring averages. Six All-NBA first-team selections. Six top-six MVP seasons. Rookie of the Year. All the international success — winning the EuroLeague with Real Madrid at 19 years old while taking home MVP and Final Four MVP honors. I cannot imagine how he wouldn’t go into the Hall if he retired today. But of course, he’s not going to do that, so he’s definitely headed there on the first ballot someday. — Botkin
BARRING AN ALL-TIME JINX
Victor Wembanyama
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When we were putting this list together, we debated putting Wembanyama in the lock category already. He’ll be there within a few years, and if he’s in the league for a decade-plus, he will likely end up on a lot of people’s all-time top 10s. That’s how good this guy has been to start his career. And after leveling up in 2025-26 to lead the Spurs to the Finals and collect his first DPOY award, he seems destined to add a ton of DPOY and MVPs to his collection. The debate over his spot on the all-time lists will likely come down to how many Larry O’Briens he’s able to add to San Antonio’s trophy case, but even three years into his career, the Hall of Fame can likely start prepping an extremely long orange jacket. — Kalland
HIGHLY PROBABLE
Kyrie Irving
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A nine-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection, 2011 Rookie of the Year and 2016 NBA champion, Irving — in spite of some injury and off-court hiccups — will eventually make his way to Springfield. The only question is whether it’s on his first ballot, as there is a divide between how his peers view him and how some in the media do. Irving is beloved by fellow NBA players, as his ball-handling skills elevate him to an all-time elite tier among hoopers. However, the media has not always been fond of Irving and it will be interesting to see if that leads to more than one year on the ballot. — Kalland
Paul George
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George, pending health, will cross the 20,000-point mark this coming year and will likely cruise into the top-50 on the all-time scoring list within the next season or two. He’s a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection and a four-time All-Defensive team selection — and has an Olympic gold medal to boot. He’s going to be in the Hall of Fame, but how he ends his career will determine how quickly he cruises in. — Kalland
Jimmy Butler
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A six-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA selection and four-time All-Defense selection, Butler’s highs are incredibly high. He led the Heat to the NBA Finals twice, but is still chasing that elusive championship ring that would bump him into another tier of star. Still, Butler’s journey from unheralded rookie to one of the league’s top players has been incredible, and he has made every team he’s been on better when he’s there — even if he’s sometimes left by burning bridges on the way out of town. He’s not going to end his career so high on the all-time statistical lists that he’ll avoid any debate, but it’s safe to assume he’ll make it to Springfield. — Kalland
Karl-Anthony Towns
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Towns is going to be a fascinating debate over whether he gets in on the first ballot — and some of that will depend on who he’s up against — but his performance as the second-best player on the Knicks’ title team (and to some, arguably the best) elevates him into the likely category. He’s a six-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA selection, the 2016 Rookie of the Year and now an NBA champion. He is also the best 3-point-shooting big man of all time. That bolsters his case, as the Basketball Hall of Fame aims to tell the story of the game. This era has been defined by stretch bigs and no one has been more prolific or successful in stretching their range than Towns. Another few strong seasons — or one more title — and he’ll lock up his spot in Springfield without much debate. — Kalland
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Donovan Mitchell
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If Mitchell never makes a Finals, let alone wins a championship, you are going to hear a lot of people screaming about “winning basketball” versus numbers. But he’s most likely getting in. He finished fifth in MVP voting in 2023, and sixth and seventh in the past two seasons. He’s made three All-NBA teams, one first-team and two seconds. He currently owns the seventh-highest postseason scoring average in history at 27.8. He’s not finished as the Cavs just signed him to a max contract extension. If his decline is precipitous, he has a fairly debatable case at the moment. But assuming at least a few more seasons of elite production, he’s probably bound for Springfield. — Botkin
Kevin Love
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Love may not be a first-ballot selection (depending on who he’s up against), but the five-time All-Star, two-time All-NBA selection and 2016 NBA champion will eventually make his way into the Hall. While the All-Star selections lag behind, Love’s profile is fairly comparable to that of Chris Bosh — right down to sacrificing personal stats for the good of a team as the third option on a LeBron James-led championship squad. Not only does he have the statistical profile and accolades, but Love was also one of the early stretch fours who fully embraced shooting threes and helped change the way the position was played. — Kalland
Anthony Edwards
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Edwards should, at a minimum, end his career with a Lillard-like case for the Hall of Fame — a likely first-ballot selection. Edwards is the leading man on a perennial playoff team that may never quite get over the hump, given the competition in the West. However, it took him only six seasons to get to 10,854 career points and he’s got four All-Star nods and two All-NBA selections. If he keeps shooting threes at the rate we’ve seen over the last two years, he’s going to rocket up the all-time scoring list over the prime of his career and continue stacking accolades. An MVP season would secure his spot, but provided he simply stays on his current track, he’s going to be a Hall of Famer by the time he hangs them up. — Kalland
Rudy Gobert
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The Gobert Hall-of-Fame wars are going to be amazing. Personally, I don’t think there’s a world where he doesn’t get in, but there will be plenty of people — including some of his peers — who absolutely hate it because a lot of people really, really don’t like the guy. Gobert is tied with Dikembe Mutombo and Ben Wallace (two Hall of Famers) for the most DPOY wins with four. He’s a nine-time All-Defensive team selection. He’s a four-time All-NBA selection. He will be a Hall of Famer and Draymond Green will be very mad about it. — Kalland
DeMar DeRozan
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There’s a very short and powerful Hall of Fame case to be made for DeRozan: He is 18th on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. He’s likely going to finish his career inside the top 15 and is about to pass Hakeem Olajuwon this year. Like Al Horford, I’m not sure most fans immediately think “Hall of Famer” when they see DeRozan, but his longevity as a scorer is going to punch his ticket. He’s made six All-Star teams and earned three All-NBA nods, which on their own wouldn’t lock him into Springfield, but it’d be a true historical outlier for him not to make it in as a top 20 all-time scorer. — Kalland
PROBABLE
Devin Booker
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Booker feels a lot like Jaylen Brown to me. He sort of feels like an eventual Hall of Famer, but when I look at the résumé, it’s not as impressive. Two All-NBA teams. One top-four MVP finish. Five All-Stars. He’s been a pretty elite scorer (one of 30 to average at least 24 points for his career) and he does have two Olympic gold medals. Most of his career has been spent on losing teams, save for the Chris Paul years. Booker probably makes it in eventually on sheer numbers, but it’s not yet a slam dunk. — Botkin
Jrue Holiday
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Ask yourself this: Who is a better basketball player, Jrue Holiday or Trae Young? Your answer to that question is a good indication of your Hall standard. Young is going to end up with all-time numbers on mostly (to this point) losing teams. Holiday is not going to have Hall of Fame numbers, but he’s the ultimate winner (with pretty damn good numbers, too). If Rudy Gobert gets in on defense, which he should, then Holiday is the perimeter equivalent. — Botkin
Al Horford
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I will preface this by saying I grew up a Hawks fan and my first job in the NBA was covering the Hawks from 2011-17. As objectively as I can say it: Al Horford is a Hall of Famer. Now, to be fair, his NBA case is admittedly borderline and largely based on longevity. He’s a five-time All-Star, made the All-NBA team in 2011 and won a championship in 2024 with the Celtics as a starter. He is 11th in all-time playoff games played with 197 and is in the top 20 in all-time playoff rebounds and blocks. He transformed his game mid-career to become a stretch big after taking 65 3s over his first eight seasons and has hit 39.1% from three on nearly 2,800 attempts. However, when you add in Horford’s college career, helping lead Florida to back-to-back national titles, his case becomes pretty solid. — Kalland
ON THE FENCE
Jaylen Brown
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Brown is a good bet to eventually get in, but he’s not a lock at this point. Last year was the first time he finished inside the top 10 of MVP voting. He’s never made an All-NBA first team. Yes, he has the championship and the Finals MVP. That helps big-time, and he’s got a lot of career left. If he gets another title in Philadelphia, you can pretty much start fitting his orange jacket. But outside of that, he’s going to need to have a few more elite seasons before we can call him a Hall of Famer with real certainty. — Botkin
Bam Adebayo
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Adebayo is perhaps the most interesting of the stars in their primes currently to debate. He is a three-time All-Star and has made six All-Defensive teams, but he’s never won a DPOY and may never get one now that Wembanyama is on the prowl. His defensive prowess has always been central to his case as one of the league’s best, but if he doesn’t have that ultimate defensive hardware, will voters put him in the Hall? That’s going to come down to how successful the Heat are with Adebayo alongside Antetokounmpo. He has two Finals appearances already and an Olympic gold medal. Given the dearth of young American centers, he is highly likely to be part of the 2028 squad. A championship or at least a few years with Miami as a contender with him playing at a high level would bolster his case. Right now, he’s on the outside looking in. — Kalland
TRENDING UP
Cade Cunningham
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Cunningham has exploded over the last two years. At 24 years old, he has two All-NBA nods, including one first team last year, when he finished fifth in MVP voting. He doesn’t have the longevity yet, but currently, he and Dončić are the only two players in history with career averages of at least 22 points, eight assists, five rebounds and one steal per game. Cunningham does it all, and he hasn’t even hit his peak yet. — Botkin
Tyrese Haliburton
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How Haliburton looks post-Achilles injury will determine if he remains on track, but with two All-Star trips, two All-NBA selections and serving as the engine of a Finals team in his first five seasons in the NBA, he’s on an early Hall of Fame path. At the rate he piles up assists, he could very well end up in the top 10 all-time when it’s all said and done, which would further bolster his case for Springfield. — Botkin
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WORK TO DO
Pascal Siakam: Siakam has a real chance to move into the “probable” category with a few more elite seasons, especially if Indiana manages to get back to another Finals. He has two All-NBA teams and four All-Star appearances. He already has one championship with the Raptors and was one win from second in 2025 with the Pacers, when he may have won Finals MVP. It might surprise you that Siakam finished 10th in MVP voting with Toronto, and he has averaged north of 20 points per game for seven straight seasons now.
Jamal Murray: Until last season, Murray had never made an All-Star team and he has zero All-NBA selections. Yet he’s one of the premier postseason performers of his era and played second-fiddle to Jokić on a championship team. He’s an interesting case that still has time to strengthen, but is probably shy of Hall worthiness at present.
Trae Young: As mentioned above, Young is tracking toward all-time numbers. Only Magic Johnson and John Stockton own high career per-game assist marks than Young’s 9.78. He’s got a shot to pass 25,000 career points, which would place him in the top 25 all-time. If he finds some postseason success over the second half of his career, he’ll have a strong Hall case. But as of now, he’s below the cut line.
— Botkin
TOO EARLY TO TELL
Chet Holmgren: Holmgren will be a fascinating case to watch develop. He would typically be viewed as a generational defender, but plays in a generation with a guy who may end up the best ever in Wembanyama. His Hall case will be determined by the Thunder’s team success. If they win multiple titles with Holmgren anchoring the defense, he’ll get in. If more rings aren’t on the way and he finishes second to Wembanyama in DPOY every year, he might end up on the outside looking in.
Cooper Flagg: It’s too early to tell for sure, but Flagg got off on the right foot with his Rookie of the Year campaign, averaging 21.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. He looks the part of a player who will pile up All-Star and All-NBA selections, and has to be considered the most likely HOFer from the last two rookie classes.
— Kalland
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
Bradley Beal: Injuries derailed what was, at one point, a potential HOF path. Beal made three All-Stars, one All-NBA squad and averaged north of 30 points in two consecutive seasons, but he won’t end up high enough on all-time lists to garner much consideration.
Khris Middleton: Three All-Star appearances and a phenomenal performance as the Robin to Antetokounmpo’s Batman to help the Bucks win the 2022 title won’t be enough to get Middleton into the Hall, but it will get his jersey retired in Milwaukee one day.
Brook Lopez: Lopez had one of the most incredible and dramatic mid-career shifts, going from a low-block scoring center to a stretch 5 who was briefly one of the league’s most dominant defenders. He won’t end up with enough accolades to make it to Springfield, but he was emblematic of how the NBA has changed over the last 15 years.
Mike Conley: Perhaps the poster child for a Hall of Very Good career. A core piece of the Grit N’ Grind Grizzlies, he elevated the Timberwolves upon arrival and is viewed as an all-time elite teammate. But with just one All-Star nod, he’ll fall short of the Hall.
Julius Randle: Randle had some high highs with three All-Star appearances and two All-NBA selections, but playoff disappointments and inconsistencies are unfortunately as much a part of his story as the at-times elite play.
CJ McCollum: McCollum doesn’t quite pass the “you know a Hall of Famer when you see one” test, but he’s got a sneaky case. One of the league’s best individual shot makers for the last 15 years, McCollum averaged north of 20 points for a decade straight and is still an 18 points-per-game guy with go-to postseason scoring chops. He has an outside chance to finish his career with 20,000 points.
The race for the third wild-card spot in the American League is even tighter after Friday’s results.
Wins by the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles and losses by the Detroit Tigers and Texas Rangers leave six teams within 1.5 games of the final playoff spot.
Here is an updated look at how the American League standings look after Friday’s results:
PITTSBURGH — Brandon Lowe hit a three-run home run and rookie Rafael Flores Jr. homered for the third time in two days to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Friday night.
Lowe’s homer came in the fifth inning off Jovani Moran and landed in the right-field stands, extending the Pirates’ lead to 7-2 as they won back-to-back games for the first time since July 26-27. Flores hit a solo shot off Jake Bennett (7-6) in the second to open the scoring after connecting twice Thursday in a 13-1 victory at Miami.
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Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez hit a two-run double in the third and scored on a single by Flores to make it 4-0. Lowe had three hits and Bryan Reynolds added two.
The Red Sox lost for the sixth time in seven games after winning 28 of 36. They had runners on first and second with two outs in the ninth, but Mason Montgomery escaped the jam for his third save.
Rookie Bubba Chandler (6-8) won his third straight start, allowing two runs and four hits in five innings with five strikeouts and two walks. Bennett gave up four runs over four innings while losing for the fourth time in four starts.
Nick Sogard drove in two runs for the Red Sox.
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TORONTO — Shane Bieber threw six strong innings and Alejandro Kirk homered to lead the Toronto Blue Jays to a 3-1 win over the New York Yankees on Friday night at Rogers Centre.
Relievers Tyler Rogers and Mason Fluharty threw an inning apiece before Louis Varland came on to pick up his 27th save as Toronto (60-64) won for the fourth time in five games.
Trent Grisham hit a solo homer in the sixth inning for New York. The Blue Jays took advantage of some suspect defence in the bottom half of the frame to take the lead.
With two runners on, George Springer hit a chopper to Ryan McMahon, who stepped on third base for the force but made a low throw to first.
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Luis Garcia Jr. couldn’t corral the ball and then threw to third base before shortstop George Lombard Jr. was in position. Lombard collided with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and the Toronto slugger scored when the ball rolled into foul territory.
Springer then came across with the go-ahead run on a double by Kirk. Guerrero, who appeared to be shaken up, was removed from the game and replaced by Charles McAdoo.
DETROIT — Miguel Vargas homered twice, Tristan Peters and Munetaka Murakami went deep once each, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 9-5 on Friday night
Vargas went 4 for 5 and had his third multihomer game as the White Sox extended their lead atop the AL Central to 3 1/2 games. Peters and Braden Montgomery had three hits each.
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Montgomery gave the White Sox the lead with an RBI single in the first, but Detroit pulled ahead 3-1 on Ben Malgeri’s two-run homer in the second and Eduardo Valencia’s RBI double in the third.
Peters’ seventh home run of the season tied the game at 3-all in the fourth. Murakami gave the White Sox the lead for good three batters later with a solo shot, and Montgomery tripled to drive in two more and cap off a five-run inning.
Vargas hit his first home run in the sixth and added his second in the eighth.
CLEVELAND — Luis Campusano and Xander Bogaerts each drove in three runs, Fernando Tatis Jr. homered for the fifth time in nine games and the San Diego Padres overcame an early three-run deficit to defeat the Cleveland Guardians 7-5 on Friday night.
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The Padres have won six straight and 16 of 20 since July 24 while the Guardians have dropped five of their last six and are 8-18 since the All-Star break.
Campusano had a pair of doubles, including one off the wall in right-center with the bases loaded in the fifth inning to drive in two runs and give the Padres a 5-3 lead.
Bogaerts hit a towering two-run homer to left-center in the fourth to get the Padres within a run. Tatis tied it on the first pitch of the fifth when he connected on an elevated sinker from Cleveland starter Gavin Williams (11-7) for a solo shot to left field.
Cleveland’s Nathaniel Lowe had three hits and drove in a pair of runs. The first baseman went opposite field to left for his 14th home run in the second and then had an RBI base hit in the third to extend Cleveland’s lead to 3-0. Brayan Rocchio also went deep with one out in the third when he lined an elevated sinker by Padres stater Michael King (8-8) over the wall in right.
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Dylan Beavers hit a two-run, pinch-hit single in the seventh to put Baltimore ahead to stay, Gunnar Henderson and Colton Cowser homered, and the Orioles beat Tampa Bay 6-5 on Friday night to snap the Rays’ nine-game win streak.
Chris Bassit, activated off the 60-day IL before the game, allowed two runs and five hits in 5 1/3 innings in his first appearance since June 3.
Josh Walker (1-0) earned the win with 2/3 innings in relief and Cam Sanders got the final out to end Tampa Bay’s three-run ninth-inning rally for his second save.
Garrett Cleavinger (4-4) took the loss as Tampa Bay used six relievers behind opener Steven Matz. The Rays, who returned home following a 9-0 road trip, maintain a 6 1/2-game lead over the New York Yankees in the AL East.
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Beavers greeted reliever Kevin Kelly with a base hit to right field with the bases loaded to break a 2-2 tie. Henderson hit a two-run home run off Chris Roycroft in the eighth, which proved to be the difference after the Rays scored three times in the ninth.
ASTROS 10, MARINERS 7 (10 INNINGS)
HOUSTON — Christian Walker’s three-run home run with two outs in the 10th inning lifted the Houston Astros to a 10-7 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday night.
Yordan Alvarez hit a solo shot, his AL-leading 36th of the season, in the first. Isaac Paredes had two hits and drove in three runs.
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The Mariners scored two runs in the top of the 10th before an RBI single by Paredes cut the lead to 7-6. Jose Altuve singled with two outs before Daulton Varsho drove in a run with a single.
Walker then sent an off-speed pitch from Andrés Muñoz (5-5) to the train tracks atop left field to give the Astros the win.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jeff McNeil was 4 for 5 with three RBIs, including the go-ahead home run, as the Athletics snapped a three-game slide with an 8-3 win over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
Lawrence Butler also went deep for the Athletics, who have lost 12 of their last 15 games.
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A hit batter, a single, and a walk loaded the bases for Carlos Cortes in the first inning, and he drove a 1-2 slider from Kumar Rocker to right that emptied the bases and gave the Athletics a 3-0 lead.
It took until the sixth inning for the Rangers to respond. Jake Burger worked the count full and hit a 428-foot, three-run homer to left-center that tied the game and ended Gage Jump’s start for the A’s.
Jump threw 5 1/3 innings and allowed three runs on three hits while walking four and striking out one.
McNeil got the A’s back in front with a 400-foot homer, his fifth of the season. It was a home run in every MLB ballpark, per Statcast.
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Butler tacked on a 411-footer in the seventh to double the Athletics’ lead, and three more came across in the eighth.
In other action across MLB:
LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine in six innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers moved back within a game of the National League-leading Milwaukee Brewers with a 3-1 victory Friday night.
Andy Pages and Tommy Edman homered to help the Dodgers win the second game of the four-game series after the Brewers rallied to take the opener 5-4 on Friday night.
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Yamamoto (12-7) allowed one run on four hits while striking out at least nine for the third time this season. Edwin Diaz loaded the bases in the ninth inning but finished off his seventh save after taking the loss Thursday when he was charged with three runs in the ninth.
Robert Gasser (3-5) allowed three runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings for the Brewers, who surged back atop the NL at the start of August. Joey Ortiz had an RBI for Milwaukee.
CHICAGO — Clay Holmes and three Cubs relievers combined on a three-hitter, and Seiya Suzuki hit a three-run homer to send Chicago to a win over St. Louis.
Making his second start and first at Wrigley Field since being acquired from the New York Mets at the trade deadline, Holmes (5-5) retired his first 16 batters before José Fermin singled in the sixth.
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Holmes, who missed three months with a broken right fibula before the trade, struck out three, walked one and allowed one hit in 6 2/3 innings, exiting to a standing ovation. Ryan Rolison, Ryan Zeferjahn and Jacob Webb followed, with Webb pitching the ninth for his ninth save.
For the first five innings, Matthew Liberatore (5-10) was just as good as Holmes. He set down his first 13 batters before Nico Hoerner singled in the fifth.
Liberatore ran into trouble in the sixth, allowing the first two batters to reach before retiring Pete Crow-Armstrong on a foul popup and yielding to George Soriano.
Suzuki hit Soriano’s fourth pitch, a 2-1 changeup, an estimated 390 feet to left for his 21st homer. He also doubled in the eighth, the only player with multiple hits.
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CINCINNATI — Chase Burns gave up four hits and struck out eight in seven innings, Eugenio Suárez hit an RBI double in the sixth, and Cincinnati beat Miami.
Burns (14-2) did not give up a walk and allowed just one runner to reach second base. He has now thrown 131 innings this season, far exceeding the 43 1/3 innings he pitched last season and the 66 innings he tossed in the minor leagues. He last pitched 100 innings in a season while at Wake Forest.
Emilio Pagán, who was experiencing hand soreness but cleared to pitch Friday, retired the Marlins in order in the ninth for his 15th save.
Marlins right-hander Sandy Alcantara (13-7) allowed one run on three hits with four walks in seven innings. By holding the Reds scoreless over the first five innings, he extended his scoreless innings streak to a career-long 25 2/3 dating to July 28.
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It’s his second scoreless streak of 20 or more innings this season. The streak surpassed his previous best of 25 straight innings in 2022.
ATLANTA — Brandon Pfaadt allowed only two hits in seven innings in another strong start, Tim Tawa homered in the ninth and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Atlanta Braves 2-0 on Friday night.
Pfaadt (7-1) outdueled Braves ace Chris Sale, striking out seven without a walk. He threw 87 pitches. Since returning to the rotation from Triple-A Reno on June 30, Pfaadt is 7-0 with a 1.16 ERA. He has gone 32 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run.
Sale (12-8) gave up one run on five hits in six innings. He struck out nine and threw 108 pitches, which tied a season high.
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Tawa’s solo shot in the inning was his seventh homer of the year. Geraldo Perdomo was 3 for 4 with a run and Corbin Carroll was 2 for 4 for the Diamondbacks.
Rookie left-hander Brandyn Garcia picked up his fourth save with a perfect ninth inning.
Arizona scored its only run off Sale thanks to a misplayed ball in the first inning. After a leadoff walk to Perdomo, Carroll hit a line drive to left where Mauricio Dubón started to come in, then reached up and couldn’t come up with the ball. It was ruled a double, and Perdomo came home on a groundout by Gabriel Moreno.
The Braves had not been shut out since June 27 and were 10-0 in Friday night home games this season.
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NEW YORK — Francisco Lindor and Jared Young homered, powering New York to a win over Washington.
Lindor went deep in the sixth, three batters before Carson Benge delivered the tiebreaking RBI single for the last-place Mets, who have won seven of 10 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline.
Lindor’s fielding error in the third inning led to the Nationals’ run.
Young homered with one out in the seventh, and Bo Bichette added an RBI single.
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Jonathan Pintaro (1-0) earned his first big league win with two innings of scoreless relief. Kodai Senga worked out of a two-out, two-on jam in the ninth, striking out Abimelec Ortiz to record his second save.
Senga, a former starter who went 0-8 with an 8.66 ERA in his first 13 outings this season, has both Mets saves since Devin Williams went on the injured list Monday.
Mets starter Robert Stock gave up an unearned run and struck out five over 4 1/3 innings.
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jac Caglianone homered and drove in five runs on a three-hit night, Michael Massey also homered and had three hits and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 on Friday to snap a four-game losing streak.
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John Schreiber, Nate Pearson and Steven Cruz threw scoreless relief innings for the Royals, with Cruz finishing for his fourth save.
Nolan Schanuel had two hits and four RBIs for the Angels. They had won three straight.
After Josh Lowe’s solo homer off Alex Lange (2-7) gave the Angels a 6-5 lead in the sixth, Kansas City scored twice off Tayler Saucedo (0-1) in the seventh to make it 7-6.
Caglianone is batting .438 (21 for 48) with five homers and 18 RBIs during a 12-game hitting streak. In the ninth, he took second on an error and scored on Massey’s two-out RBI single to finish the scoring.
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SAN FRANCISCO — Kyle Freeland pitched eight innings of one-run ball, Zac Veen hit his second home run of the year and Colorado beat slumping San Francisco to take the opener of a three-game series.
Freeland (4-10) allowed one run, gave up four hits and walked one. Brennan Bernardino closed out the ninth inning.
Veen hit a curveball 406 feet down the first base line into McCovey Cove to give the Rockies a 4-1 lead.
Brett Sullivan scored from third to break a 1-1 tie in the fifth inning when he beat the throw home after Mickey Moniak reached on a sharp grounder to shortstop Christian Koss.
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Will Castro tacked on an RBI sacrifice fly in the ninth. Troy Johnston gave Colorado an early 1-0 lead on his first triple of the year that drove in TJ Rumfield.
Landen Roupp (7-12) surrendered four runs and five hits with five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
LOS ANGELES — Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out nine in six innings and the Los Angeles Dodgers moved back within a game of the National League-leading Milwaukee Brewers with a 3-1 victory Friday night.
Andy Pages and Tommy Edman homered to help the Dodgers win the second game of the four-game series after the Brewers rallied to take the opener 5-4 on Friday night.
Yamamoto (12-7) allowed one run on four hits while striking out at least nine for the third time this season. Edwin Diaz loaded the bases in the ninth inning but finished off his seventh save after taking the loss Thursday when he was charged with three runs in the ninth.
Robert Gasser (3-5) allowed three runs on eight hits over 6 1/3 innings for the Brewers, who surged back atop the NL at the start of August. Joey Ortiz had an RBI for Milwaukee.
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The Dodgers took a 1-0 lead in the first inning after three consecutive singles with one out. A hit by Mookie Betts scored Pages, who was back in the second spot of the order with Freddie Freeman getting a planned day off.
The Brewers got even in the fifth inning when a fly ball from Ortiz scored Luis Lara from third base. Lara led off the fifth with a double off Yamamoto.
Pages put the Dodgers up 2-1 in the bottom of the fifth with his 20th home run of the season.
One inning later, Edman gave Los Angeles a 3-1 advantage with a home run to left-center, his fourth.
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Diaz hit Andrew Vaughn to lead off the ninth inning and walked William Contreras and David Hamilton before Ortiz grounded out to Betts at shortstop to end the game.
Hard-throwing Brewers RHP Jacob Misiorowski (11-5. 1.76 ERA) was set to start opposite Dodgers LHP Justin Wrobleski (11-4, 3.44) on Saturday night.
When it comes to Fantasy football rankings at the quarterback position, Josh Allen is in a class of his own. He’s finished first or second in positional points in each of the last six years, as not even the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson or Joe Burrow can match his consistency. But only one manager can select Allen — who has an ADP of No. 20 overall — in 2026 Fantasy football drafts, and if that is not you, then you’ll have to consider alternatives with your Fantasy football picks 2026.
Arranging players within tiers is 2026 Fantasy football advice than can be applied for every position. Utilizing Fantasy football ADP can assist in ranking the aforementioned QBs with the likes of Lamar Jackson (ADP of 41), Drake Maye (51), Joe Burrow (53) and Jayden Daniels (61), but classifying them into groups could prevent you from reaching on a player when you’re on the clock.
Last year, the model accurately predicted Daniel Jones’ huge season in his first year in Indy. It also called Terry McLaurin’s down year, predicted Tetairoa McMillan’s breakout campaign and projected De’Von Achane to be one of Fantasy football’s elite running backs in 2025.
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The same model has a proven track record providing Fantasy football tips, identifying A.J. Brown as a sleeper in 2020, nailing Jonathan Taylor’s monstrous season in 2021 and correctly predicting C.J. Stroud would take a step back in 2024. Additionally, it’s called past Fantasy football sleepers like Derrick Henry in 2019, Christian McCaffrey and Alvin Kamara in 2018 and Davante Adams in 2017.
Now, SportsLine has simulated the entire NFL season 10,000 times and released its latest Fantasy football positional rankings 2026, along with plenty of sleepers, breakouts and busts at every position. Head to SportsLine now to see them.
Top 2026 Fantasy football QB rankings
Here’s a look at SportsLine’s top 2026 Fantasy football QB picks:
1. Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills: Last season, Allen had his fewest passing yards (3,668) and passing touchdowns (25) over the last six years but still finished as No. 1 Fantasy quarterback. That displays how high of a Fantasy floor the 2024 NFL MVP has. His 41 rushing TDs over the last three years are second most in the league, regardless of position, and he has at least 500 yards on the ground in seven of his eight NFL seasons.
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2. Jayden Daniels, Washington Commanders: The model has Daniels rated higher than the consensus ADP at this point in draft season, putting him ahead of Jackson, Maye and Burrow — all QBs coming off the board earlier in most drafts. He showed QB1 upside as a rookie in 2024, but injuries and issues with the supporting cast derailed him in 2025. With Terry McLaurin hopefully healthier and the recent addition of Stefon Diggs, SportsLine’s model is calling for a big bounce back for Daniels.
3. Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens: Due to both injuries and attrition, Jackson had a down year in 2025 but remains as explosive as anyone at the position. He’s one who plays his best with something to prove as after his last injury-plagued season in 2022, he responded by winning the MVP the next year. With a new OC in Baltimore in Declan Doyle — who unleashed the best of Caleb Williams last year — Jackson is poised to bounce back and reward those who select him in Fantasy football drafts. See more top QBs here.
Top 2026 Fantasy football RB rankings
Here’s a look at SportsLine’s top 2026 Fantasy football RB picks:
1. Bijan Robinson, Atlanta Falcons: Robinson made great strides in his efficiency last year as despite having just one more touch than he had in 2024, he produced 411 more scrimmage yards. He’s coming off a year in which his 1,478 rushing yards ranked fourth in the NFL, while he led all running backs in both receptions (79) and receiving yards (820). Robinson, like the next two players on this list, got a huge contract extension during camp, proving their value to their respective teams.
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2. Jahmyr Gibbs, Detroit Lions: With the departure of David Montgomery, Fantasy managers may finally see Gibbs reach his full potential. In the six career games Gibbs has played without Montgomery, the former’s averaged 152.3 scrimmage yards with 10 total touchdowns. Even with somewhat limited touches, the back has produced at least 1,800 scrimmage yards and 18 touchdowns in each of the last two seasons.
3. Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis Colts: Taylor’s 90.5 rushing yards per game are the highest amongst any active player, and he’s also coming off his second season in which he led the NFL in touchdowns (20). He’s shown the ability to produce with or without competent quarterback play, and an added incentive for Taylor in 2026 is that he’s in a contract year. See more top RBs here.
Top 2026 Fantasy football WR rankings
Here’s a look at SportsLine’s top 2026 Fantasy football WR picks:
1. Puka Nacua, Los Angeles Rams: Nacua has improved his receiving yards per game each season of his three-year career, leading the NFL with 107.2 yards in 2025. His career average of 95.3 receiving yards per game is the highest in NFL history. Outside of the game in which he got injured in last year, Nacua had zero Fantasy duds all season long as he had at least 72 yards or a touchdown in each of the other 15 games he played in.
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2. Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati Bengals: Through the first five seasons of an NFL career, Chase’s 520 catches and 6,837 yards both rank second, while his 54 touchdowns rank fourth. His production isn’t tied to Joe Burrow being healthy and under center which should bring any Fantasy manager confidence in utilizing an early pick on the wideout.
3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle Seahawks: The reigning Offensive Player of the Year has the potential to top the amazing numbers he put up last year when he led the league with 1,793 receiving yards. He now has an even better rapport with Sam Darnold after a full year working with him, and Seattle will likely lean on the pass more in 2026 after ranking just 29th in attempts last season. See more top WRs here.
Top 2026 Fantasy football TE rankings
Here’s a look at SportsLine’s top 2026 Fantasy football TE picks:
1. Trey McBride, Arizona Cardinals: The TE1 last season, McBride actually got off to a slow start when Kyler Murray was Arizona’s quarterback. But he went off with Jacoby Brissett throwing him passes which has McBride maintaining his status atop the positional rankings. The tight end averaged 8.1 catches for 80.3 yards with 10 total touchdowns in 12 games with Brissett as starter, compared to 5.8 catches for 55 yards and just 1 touchdown in five games with Murray.
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2. Brock Bowers, Las Vegas Raiders: Bowers’ numbers took a step back as a sophomore with him both playing through injury and missing five games due to injury. Even with that his Fantasy points per game ranking actually increased, as he finished second in FPPG in 2025 after placing third among TEs in 2024. He remains the focal point of a Raiders offense which doesn’t have a single wideout who reached 700 yards last year.
3. Colston Loveland, Chicago Bears: When Cole Kmet missed a Week 8 game due to injury, Loveland filled in as the team’s top tight end and never relinquished that role. The rookie ranked second in positional Fantasy points from Week 8 through Week 18 and then had a 137-yard playoff game. If you extrapolate Loveland’s numbers over his last 13 games, including the postseason, over a 17-game schedule, he’d post a stat line of 81-1,083-8. See more top TEs here.
It was the summer of 2018, days before France kicked off their World Cup-winning campaign that Antoine Griezmann laid out his plans for the big reveal.
‘The Decision’, he teased, would come at the end of a half-hour documentary broadcast on Spanish TV. Barcelona thought they had him, as did most fans when Gerard Pique – whose company produced the show – tweeted a popcorn emoji.
At the end of the documentary, however, Griezmann stood in front of the Metropolitano and revealed he was staying at Atletico Madrid in one of two different endings reportedly filmed to keep the decision secret.
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The self-confessed NBA fanatic – inspired by LeBron James’ live show by the same name in 2010, when the basketball star joined the Miami Heat – was attempting to own his narrative. Instead he, and Pique, caught some criticism.
Kyle says that “self-commercialisation” did not have the impact it would have done now if it was Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.
Griezmann was almost before his time. Many prominent players now share regular updates from their lives on their own YouTube channels – from Haaland, to Ronaldo, Jude Bellingham and Lionesses’ star Ella Toone.
“Players are becoming their own distribution levers, with some in particular taking a driving seat in terms of ‘how I project myself onto the world’ and building their own channels and audience,” explains Kyle.
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Now, in many cases, the players do own the narrative and fans are increasingly able to invest in their journeys, which are more accessible than ever.
“Players are far more culturally symbolic than they used to be,” says Kirkham. “It is not that players don’t do endorsements now, but they know they have to resonate with fans, so fans can really latch on to them and get behind them.
“Look at what Marcus Rashford did during Covid in terms of changing actual legislation.
“Young fans want to know players stand for something more – that gives them more chance to follow and pursue them, find a deeper connection with them.
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“They look for stuff that is aligned to them, who they are, their causes and where they’re from. I think we will increasingly see that.”
Michael Carrick sent Marcus Rashford Man United instruction ahead of Ruben Amorim reunion – Manchester Evening News
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Manchester United winger Marcus Rashford has been included in Michael Carrick’s travelling squad to face AC Milan this afternoon
Marcus Rashford is part of a 26-man travelling squad who will take on AC Milan tomorrow(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
All you need to know about Marcus Rashford instruction ahead of Manchester United vs AC Milan
United take on AC Milan in their final pre-season fixture in Wroclaw, Poland, this afternoon. However, the match takes on extra significance after Ruben Amorim’s appointment at the San Siro earlier this summer.
During an underwhelming tenure at Old Trafford, Amorim and Rashford had a major falling out that looked to have ended the 28-year-old’s time at the club. Amorim banished Rashford from training after dropping him for the Manchester derby in December 2024.
The following January, Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan for the remainder of the season.
Upon his return, Rashford was placed in a ‘Bomb Squad’ and joined Barcelona on a season-long loan that summer. During the stint in Spain, Amorim was sacked by United and replaced by Michael Carrick.
Rashford was expected to join Barcelona permanently at the end of last season. However, Barca chose not to activate his £26m buy clause and signed Anthony Gordon instead.
Following the World Cup, Rashford returned to United and was in Dublin this week. He did not feature against Leeds, but has since been chosen to travel for the clash against Milan.
MEN Sport has asked our United readers: ‘Should Marcus Rashford play against AC Milan on Saturday?’
2,799 votes were cast, at the time of writing, with a whopping 84 per cent voting ‘Yes’. Only 13 per cent voted ‘No’, while a further three per cent were ‘Unsure’.
Rashford is joined in the travelling squad by Kobbie Mainoo, who also suffered a tough time under Amorim. Elsewhere, teenage sensation JJ Gabriel has been given another opportunity with the first-team. Read the full story here.
The former moderator of the r/LivestreamFail subreddit, Bryan “Stale2000,” also known as “Tarrot_Card,” has revealed that his accounts have been permanently banned from Reddit and that he was escorted out of a moderator event organized at Reddit’s headquarters. On August 14, 2026, Stale2000 posted a two-minute-56-second video with the caption “Reddit Banned me For Attending an Event!”
In it, Stale2000 detailed an event organized by Reddit for the platform’s moderators. He stated that he attended the event as a plus one and “showed up as himself with a hat” because he did not want other Reddit mods to “swarm or bother” him:
“Hey, it’s a mod event, I’m a moderator of other subreddits, why not just, like, shoot my shot? See if I can stop by. So, I was on the waitlist for the event, and the event even allowed plus ones. So, I got on the event waitlist, and I found somebody else was going to the event over the internet, and then I just showed up as myself with a hat, mostly so, like, the bunch of other mods don’t swarm me or bother me. So, I went inside, said I was a plus one of this other guy, and gave the username. And the person at the sign in looked at me a little funny and told me to sit down in the chair in the lobby and wait for somebody to bring me up.”
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Stale2000 then stated that a security guard told him to leave the premises because he “was not authorized” to attend the event:
“5 minutes later, a security guard walked up to me and asked me very nicely to step outside, which I politely did. And then he said to me that I am not authorized to be at the event, and asked me to leave, else they would have to call the police. I just said okay and then briskly walked away and went to a different tech event that I was actually planning on going to later.”
Furthermore, Bryan disclosed that all of his Reddit accounts had been permanently banned:
“And then I wake up this morning and see that all of my accounts have been permanently banned for a moderator code of conduct violation. A bit annoying, but whatever.”
Stale2000 claims Reddit banned his accounts for a “rule he did not break”
In the same video posted on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform, Stale2000 stated that Reddit “went too far” by banning his accounts for a “rule he did not break.”
“You know, banning my Reddit account for a rule I did not break, that is going too far, and I will be submitting a strongly-worded complaint as to this travesty in my fan appeal. You just wait!”
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen scored twice as Galatasaray came from behind to draw 2-2 with Çorum FK in their opening match of the 2026/27 Turkish Süper Lig season.
The Nigerian striker showed his importance to the Turkish champions by scoring a late equaliser to rescue a point at RAMS Park.
Galatasaray went into the game as strong favourites, but Çorum FK made life difficult for the hosts during a goalless first half.
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Osimhen eventually broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute with a fine finish from a difficult angle. The goal was checked by VAR before it was given.
However, Çorum FK responded strongly. Alexandros Kyziridis equalised in the 59th minute before Jesús Ramírez completed the comeback two minutes later to put the visitors 2-1 ahead.
The game changed again in the 70th minute when Kyziridis was shown a straight red card, leaving Çorum FK with 10 players.
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Victor Osimhen
Galatasaray then increased the pressure as they searched for a way back into the game.
Their efforts finally paid off in the 90th minute when Osimhen found the net for the second time to complete his brace and earn Galatasaray a 2-2 draw.
The performance comes as Osimhen continues to attract strong transfer interest from top European clubs.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding his future, the Nigeria international has started the new season in impressive form, making his value clear with two important goals.
Osimhen will now hope to continue his goalscoring form as Galatasaray begin their title defence with what is a disappointing draw against Çorum FK.
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