Author: Amanda Collins

Hello and welcome to the 16th installment of our weekly two-start pitcher article for the 2025 MLB season.I’ll be here every Friday to highlight some of the best two-start pitcher options in fantasy baseball leagues for the upcoming week, as well as some streaming options to keep in mind.AdvertisementThinking ahead with your weekly strategy can give you an advantage on the waiver wire and hopefully be a difference-maker in the standings at the end of the season.This is a living document, so we’ll update the options below as the weekend moves along.Before we get into it, we’ll start with a…

In 2024, the Pittsburgh Steelers went 10-7 and made the playoffs as the sixth seed. They lost 28-14 to the Ravens in the wildcard round.  This offseason, former Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt was eligible for a contract extension. There was lingering drama between Pittsburgh’s front office and Watt this offseason. Pressure was building for the two sides to reach a deal. Finally, ESPN’s Adam Schefter announced that the Steelers gave Watt a three-year, $123 million extension. With an AAV of $41 million, Watt is now the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history. It’s the second time in his…

The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic’s daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox.Good morning! This newsletter is fully guaranteed.Deals: Why a new NFL contract battle has emergedOur free and excellent NFL newsletter, Scoop City, published an edition this week that left me thinking about several recent pieces of news. You can judge how related they are: An independent arbitrator found that in 2022, the NFL encouraged owners to limit guaranteed contracts after the Browns made their disastrous $230 million commitment to Deshaun Watson. (The NFLPA alleged collusion that year; journalist…

The Washington Nationals have signed No. 1 pick Eli Willits, the team announced Saturday. He has signed for $8.2 million, according to MLB Pipeline, which is the record for a high school draftee but under the bonus slot amount of $11,075,900.Willits is the son of former big-league outfielder Reggie Willits. At 17 years, six months and 21 days, the Fort Cobb-Broxton (Okla.) high school shortstop is the youngest No. 1 pick in MLB Draft history as of June 30 (the draft used to be held in mid-June).A switch-hitter, Willits is “a darling of analytical models because of his age, position…

Kansas City receiver Rashee Rice has received a 30-day jail sentence and five years of probation for a car crash from 2024.Rice can serve the 30 days in jail at any point during his probation.The odds are very good that he’ll be suspended by the NFL at some point during the 2025-26 season.Kansas City wide receiver Rashee Rice was convicted of eight counts stemming from a 2024 car accident. He has been sentenced to 30 days in jail, and five years of probation.The odds are also high that Rice will be suspended by the NFL. But for how many games?Rice…

By David Aldridge, Josh Robbins, Dan Woike and Matt MoretMarcus Smart and the Washington Wizards have agreed to a contract buyout, and the 31-year-old former NBA Defensive Player of the Year intends to join the Los Angeles Lakers after he clears waivers, league sources told The Athletic.Smart was entering the final season of his contract with the Wizards and was due to earn a guaranteed salary of $21.6 million. Once released, he cannot sign with another team for 48 hours until he clears the waiver process.Team and league sources believe Smart will then finalize a two-year deal with the Lakers…

If it wasn’t already clear then it certainly is now. Usyk is the standout heavyweight of his generation.Usyk has not just cleaned out his biggest rivals – Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Dubois – but he has gone all the way round the block and defeated each of them twice.He dethroned Joshua in just his third fight as a heavyweight to become a unified champion and it has been an upward trajectory ever since.The easy path is not one Usyk likes to explore.After becoming the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era by beating Fury in 2024, Usyk had…

Jul 19, 2025, 12:00 PM ETEverything that happens in and around MLB has some additional context when viewed from a fantasy baseball perspective. From lineup changes to minor league call-ups to injuries and so much more, the news cycle will constantly affect player values in fantasy baseball.Our fantasy baseball buzz file, with contributions from our ESPN fantasy writers, aims to provide fantasy managers with the intel they need as news breaks around MLB.Key links: RP depth chart | Player Rater | Scoring leaders Saturday’s lineup advice | 10-day hitting forecasterJuly 19: What you need to know for SaturdayTodd Zola: Action…

The 49ers surprisingly released core special teams player George Odum on Saturday.It turns out Odum underwent elbow surgery last month from an offseason injury, Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports. That’s how Odum landed on the non-football injury list earlier this week.Odum should be healed in 6-8 weeks, per Rappoport, and he could sign with a team mid-season.Odum appeared in 12 games with two starts last season for the 49ers, recording 16 total tackles and four passes defensed. He was on the field for 19 percent of the defensive snaps and 69 percent on special teams in games played.The safety…

With the start of the 2025 NFL season just three months away, it’s time to dive into offseason news, roster changes, and important names to know for the season ahead. That’s why our writers are highlighting everything you need to know about all 32 teams ahead of fantasy football draft season.Whether it’s Aaron Rodgers and DK Metcalf in the Steel City, Ashton Jeanty joining Geno Smith in Las Vegas, or Travis Hunter alongside Brian Thomas Jr., this offseason saw plenty of movement that rocked the fantasy landscape. Whether you know exactly who you want on your roster this year or…