by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen Sportz Nation - 10/15/2026 Quarterbacks Start 'Em Photo Credits to David Dermer via Associated Press Jordan Love vs DAL Jordan Love was finally back to what he had hoped he would be last week, posting 367 yards and 2 TDS. Granted, the Bears defense is a lot to be desired, but so is the Cowboys defense who will face off against Love this week. Love has thrived when he has been able to let it rip downfield, which he should have no problem doing aga

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 10/15/2026 Photo Credits to Aaron Baker via Imagn Images Matchup of the Week College Gameday will be in Bloomington this week for the HUGE Ohio State-Indiana game but my attention will also be in Utah this week for the other Top-10 showdown between the Fighting Irish and the Cougars of BYU. Ranking 2nd in the latest AP Poll (4th in my ranking), the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame will be on the road in what will be BY FAR their toughest test of the

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 10/13/2026 Elite Teams Photo Credits to Olivia Vanni via Getty Images 1. San Francisco 49ers 5-0 /\ 1 Last Week: 32-29 Win at SEA The 49ers are not only the best team in the NFL right now but they're doing so with one of the most injured teams as well. As a 3-point underdog this week in Seattle, against reigning champions in the noisiest stadium in the league in a divisional rivalry, the 49ers, Kyle Shanahan and Brock Purdy just win and can bea

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 10/9/2026 Photo Credits to Timothy T. Ludwig via Getty Images Pats v Bills Recap Last week I was very critical of the Patriots and more specifically Drake Maye and they really showed everyone that they are still capable of living up to their Super Bowl run last season. Maye was much better even if he still wasn't elite but the Patriots' defense definitely played their best game. Coming into the game, the Bills had the 4th most rushing yards per

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 10/6/2026 Photo Credits to Nhat V. Meyer via Bay Area News Group Super Bowl or Bust 1. Kansas City Chiefs 4-0 /\ 1 The distance between #1 and #2 on this list is very short but I have the Chiefs in my top spot. Mahomes is looking elite again after his 3-year hiatus and the leadership and veterans on the roster assure that they can win any game. 2. San Francisco 49ers 4-0 /\ 1 The 49ers just keep on winning even despite their injuries. Brock Pu

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 10/3/2026 Photo Credits to Gene J. Puskar via Associated Press Overview The Patriots will travel to Buffalo for their first AFC East matchup of the season this week. Standing at 1-2, the Patriots will be a touchdown underdog to the 3-0 Bills who will be playing in their 3rd consecutive home game at Highmark Stadium. This game has the Bills -6.5 across most major markets with a 49.5 over/under mark. With the way both teams have been performing so

by Zak Drapeau and Joel Piton Sportz Nation - 10/2/2026 Photo by Greg McCabe/AP The wait is over. A new NBA season is on the horizon, and all 30 teams enter the year with a clean slate and something to prove. Some teams are seemingly playoff bound. Others are trying to force their way into contender conversation and prove everyone wrong. But before the season actually starts and everything we think we know gets thrown out the window, it's the perfect time to take an actual l

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/29/2026 Photo Credits to Shawn Dowd via Rochester Democrat And Chronicle Super Bowl or Bust 1. Buffalo Bills 3-0 -- For the 3rd week in a row the Bills are the #1 team on my list. Josh Allen had one of his worst games in years this weekend and they still found a way to win and that says a lot about their team and defense. 2. Kansas City Chiefs 3-0 /\ 1 The Chiefs' win in Miami isn't by itself impressive but after 3 weeks it's clear that this

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/24/2026 Photo Credits to Troy Wayrynen via Imagn Images Now that we're into Week 4 of the CFB season, conference play is really going to be kicking off and while there are a few huge games in the SEC and even ACC, the Game of the Week has to belong to the Big 10 Conference and Oregon at USC. While the AP Poll has USC at 12 and Oregon at 20, I have them at 11 and 13 respectively ahead of their much anticipated B1G showdown in Los Angeles this S

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/23/2026 2025 Season Review Photo Credits to Ronald Martinez via Getty Images The LA Lakers finished the 2026 season with a 53-29 record and making it to the 2nd round of the NBA Playoffs before getting swept by the Thunder. Their 53 win season and Series win over the Rockets was a huge win for this club who dealt with a lot of injuries and roster turnover especially in the final month of the season. With Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic both sitt

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/22/2026 Tier 1 1. Buffalo Bills 2-0 -- Last Week: 41-31 Win vs DET The best offense in the league and best player through 2 weeks are the Bills and Josh Allen. Their defense has allowed 31 points in both games so there's definitely room to improve there but as long as they have Josh Allen this team is going to be close to impossible to beat. 2. Los Angeles Rams 1-1 /\ 2 Last Week: 28-6 Win vs NYG That was more like it for the Rams. After the

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/22/2026 Photo Credits to Christian Petersen via Getty Images Quarterbacks Drew Lock - SEA Lock is on my Waiver pickups for the 2nd week in a row and after his display in Arizona I think this will be the last because he should be rostered by at least 50% of leagues. His 23.88 points ranked 8th among Quarterbacks in Week 2 and his connection to Jaxon Smith-Njigba more than makes him worth a Fantasy start as long as Darnold is out. Kirk Cousins -

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen Sportz Nation - 9/16/2026 Quarterbacks Start 'Em Photo Credits to Carolyn Kaster via Associated Press Baker Mayfield vs CLE Baker Mayfield is coming off a modest performance in week 1, where we threw for 216 yards but zero touchdowns. The Buccaneers struggled to get things going against the Bengals, but should have a bounce back game against a Browns defense that just let up 34 points to Jacksonville. Jaden Daniels at DAL In what was a very tough

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen Sportz Nation - 9/14/2026 Photo Credits to @ufc on Instagram Jean Silva vs Aljamain Sterling Matt Hylen - I understand that a lot of the media believes Silva deserves a title shot next, but I still think he's a fight away from proving he deserves one. This win doesn't move him up in my eyes, plus he has lost to the only top-ranked guy he has faced in Diego Lopes. This may be a hot take for some, but Silva hasn't accomplished more than what I thin

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/15/2026 Quarterbacks Photo Credits to Troy Hull via The Charlotte Post Bryce Young I know the Panthers just let up 59 points to the Bears but their offense looked like the best version we've seen in years. Young's 32.03 points saw 4 total TDs, 361 yards through the air and only 1 turnover. The Panthers have given Young a better O-line and more weapons to throw to and I don't think he will keep this up all season but he's clearly a Top-20 QB in

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/15/2026 Photo Credits to Alamy Stock Photo 1. Buffalo Bills /\ 1 Last Week: 36-31 Win at HOU The Bills defense didn't look great in allowing 274 passing yards to CJ Stroud but the offense was spectacular. Josh Allen is already in MVP talks especially with DJ Moore as his new top receiver and when it came down to the 4th Quarter, this team just knows how to win big games. 2. Baltimore Ravens /\ 3 Last Week: 41-23 Win at IND A lot of people w

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/10/2026 Check out my CFB Week 1 Review and updated Top-25 (and Next 5) list here Week 2 of College Football starts tonight and with it comes a HUGE weekend of football. There are at least 5 games that could shape the rest of the college football season this week including a Top-5 clash with two Heisman favorites. After an eventful Week 1 that saw National championship contenders assert their dominanace, three Top-25 schools lose and one of the

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen Sportz Nation - 9/9/2026 Quarterbacks Start 'Em Photo Credit to Jeferee Woo via Tampa Bay Times Baker Mayfield vs CIN Now that his contract dispute is officially come to an end, Baker Mayfield can put his full focus towards his week one matchup against the Bengals. Sure, the Bengals' defensive line has improved and Mayfield lost his #1 target in Mike Evans, but I still believe this game has all the makings to be high scoring. I do not trust the B

by Zak Drapeau Sportz Nation - 9/1/2026 Photo Credits to Williams Navarro via Imagn Images Above Everyone Else 1. Los Angeles Rams ESPN Rank: 1 Super Bowl Odds: +500 Key to Season: Not underperforming The Rams added Myles Garrett, Trent McDuffie and Aaron Donald on the defensive end while keeping their offensive talent and adding Kliff Kingsbury as assistant Head Coach for a little extra fire power in the passing game. They were already one of the favorites before their histo

by Zak Drapeau and Matt Hylen Sportz Nation - 9/1/2026 Photo Credits to Xinhua via IMAGO Song Yadong vs Merab Dvalishvili Matt Hylen - After a knockout like that against an opponent like Umar Nurmagomedov, Song Yadong has officially solidified himself as one of the top-2 contenders in the division, alongside Sean O'Malley. His performance on Saturday night was absolutely spectacular; he did not let anything get to him, stayed composed, and ultimately sent Umar Nurmagomedov in