Author: PlayActionNews

Giannis Antetokounmpo will play for Greece in FIBA EuroBasket. This is not a surprise — he had said that if he were healthy, he would play — but is now confirmed by the Greek national team.Antetokounmpo is the reason Greece is a threat in the tournament, which begins on Aug. 27 and runs almost up to the start of NBA training camps. Antetokounmpo was the leading scorer at the Paris Olympics last summer, averaging 25.8 points along with 6.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists across four games (Greece made it out of group play in the tournament but was knocked out in…

Jul 23, 2025, 02:52 PM ETXander Zayas and Jorge Garcia will clash for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title Saturday at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs), ESPN’s eighth-ranked junior middleweight, looks to keep his unblemished record intact in his first bout since February. The 22-year-old San Juan, Puerto Rico, native stopped a then-unbeaten Slawa Spomer in the ninth round in the same venue.The upset-minded Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs) will mark Zayas’ first shot at a world championship. Garcia enters the showdown on an eight-fight winning streak. The 28-year-old’s last defeat came in a…

At the beginning of last season, the Cincinnati Bengals had RB Zack Moss atop the depth chart. As a result, he was a trendy sleeper pick in fantasy football. But as the season progressed and Moss struggled with consistency and injuries, it didn’t take long for Chase Brown to engrain himself as the RB1 for the Bengals.It was in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers that Brown broke out, rushing for 80 yards on 15 carries and two TDs while adding two receptions for 12 yards. Brown would run away with the starting role and become fantasy football gold, helping…

CINCINNATI — On the left side of the Cincinnati Bengals’ locker room, a backpack with a No. 97 ID tag lay unopened at a locker bearing the same number. Shower towels lay unused and folded in an upper compartment. An unopened package rested on a seat atop rows of cleats.Three cubbies down, a black folding chair obstructed entrance to a locker that didn’t need entering. Three sealed boxes piled in front of a No. 91 jersey.AdvertisementQuestions loomed about when each locker would again be inhabited.Because as the Bengals kicked off training camp practices Wednesday, two key edge rushers did not…

Ilia Topuria has had enough of two top lightweight contenders. Topuria is the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion after delivering a first-round knockout victory over Charles Oliveira to close out “International Fight Week.” It’s another accolade in the young career of “El Matador.” He vacated the UFC Featherweight Championship after handing Max Holloway his first knockout defeat. Now, Topuria is lashing out at both Holloway and Arman Tsarukyan over recent comments. During a Kick stream with The Nelk Boys, Topuria was asked about Arman Tsarukyan, who accused “El Matador” of ducking him. Topuria didn’t have kind words about “Akhalkalakets” (via MMAFighting).…

On Tuesday, July 22, the Washington Commanders’ 2025 training camp officially began. The team is eager to have another successful season after a 12-5 finish in 2024.  Washington made a trip to the NFC Championship game but lost to the Eagles. Still, it was an incredible season for the Commanders. Ahead of the 2025 season, the team still has an issue it needs to resolve. Veteran WR Terry McLaurin is seeking a contract extension, and reports are that the team is low-balling him. Due to a contract holdout, McLaurin hasn’t reported to training camp. Subsequently, the Commanders placed him on…

Jul 23, 2025, 05:41 PM ETDetroit Tigers ace left-hander Tarik Skubal was placed on the paternity list Wednesday with his wife close to giving birth to the couple’s second child.Skubal is slated to start Saturday’s game against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. A player can miss three games while on the list.”It’ll be a three-day paternity,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch told reporters, “and we’ll celebrate another Skubal baby.”Skubal was placed on the list prior to Detroit’s afternoon game at Pittsburgh.Editor’s Picks2 Related”We’re on baby watch,” Hinch said. “It’s imminent. We don’t really know when the baby is coming. They’re anticipating…

Jul 21, 2025, 11:12 PM ETPORTLAND, Ore. — It hit Damian Lillard as he drove home with his kids after signing a contract to return to the Portland Trail Blazers.He was coming home.Lillard’s three children, Damian Jr., 7, and twins Kalii and Kali, 4, accompanied him to sign his three-year, $42 million deal with the Blazers over the weekend. The contract includes a no-trade clause, and he can opt out after two seasons.”Just knowing that I’m going to be back home for all parts of my life, with my kids, playing for the Trail Blazers, driving on the same streets…

Jul 23, 2025, 03:25 PM ETCheck out all of our starting pitcher rankings and other lineup selection tools here to help you make smart fantasy baseball lineup decisions. MLB betting tips for each day’s slate of games will also be added in the morning. MLB game odds are provided by ESPN BET, and all fantasy advice is geared toward ESPN 10-team leagues with standard scoring.Note: All information is accurate as of the time of publication. For updates, including what you might have missed from last night, as well as any breaking news that might impact today’s MLB slate, be sure…

Matt BowenJul 23, 2025, 06:25 AM ETCloseMatt Bowen is a fantasy football and NFL writer for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2015, writes regularly for ESPN+ and spent multiple years on “NFL Matchup.” After graduating from the University of Iowa, Matt played safety in the NFL for St. Louis, Green Bay, Washington and Buffalo over seven seasons.Training camps are underway in the NFL, and we’re starting to get a clear picture of what all 32 rosters will look like in September. Like most years, there has been plenty of turnover since last season after an exciting draft and major free…