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  • Fantasy Football Trade Analyzer: 5 players to target, 5 to deal ahead of deadline

    With Yahoo’s default fantasy football trade deadline set for Saturday, Nov. 16, now is the time to optimize your rosters for a potential playoff run. In the final trade article of the year, Sal Vetri lays out five players you should target in trades and five players you might consider moving while their value is high.

    The entire Bears offense struggled in Week 10. Chicago averaged just 3.9 yards per play Sunday against the Patriots defense. That bad day hurt everyone, including Swift, who managed just 65 yards and no touchdowns in Week 10. But the good news was that Swift still had a strong role to play. He played 68% of the snaps and posted 17 touchdowns in that game. Swift has now scored 17 or more touchdowns in six straight games.

    Now is the time to get a bargain at Swift. In Week 10, Swift scored 14 or more points in five straight games, including four games of 100+ yards and a touchdown. There is a possibility that the Bears will change the play caller, and if that happens, it could shake up the backfield usage. But that would just be looking at the weaknesses. There is also an outcome where the new play caller helps fix this offense and continues to feature Swift. Swift is a buy-low before facing the Packers’ 24th-ranked defense in Week 11, according to PFF. If you can, trade someone like Tony Pollard or Darnell Mooney for Swift.

    Stevenson continues to see one of the best roles in football in the final month of the season. In the last three games since recovering, Stevenson has played 75% of the Patriots’ snaps and averaged 20 snaps per game. That’s a quietly powerful use for the Patriot’s three-down back. Stevenson recently took over the long-distance job from Antonio Gibson, according to Fantasy Life. Stevenson has run almost five times as many courses as Gibson in the past three weeks.

    Stevenson is coming off a bad week, going 77 yards with no scores on 21 touches. But that ineffective day opened a window for him to buy low. The Patriots’ offense hasn’t been sexy for most of the season, but Drake Maye has given them life. He leads sustained drives that get into the red zone more often than Jacoby Brissett. That helped Stevenson, who finished in the top 10 twice in four games with Maye. Stevenson faces strong matchups against the Rams, Colts and Cardinals. Try signing Calvin Ridley or Jakobi Meyers for Stevenson.

    Nabers had a relatively quiet last month of the season. He hasn’t topped 75 receiving yards or 15 fantasy yards since Week 4, despite some great games against the Commanders and Panthers in that stretch. Naber is coming off another slump where he scored just eight fantasy points against the Panthers in Germany. But it’s hard to put all the blame on Nabers; Daniel Jones completed less than 60% of his passes in Week 10 and now ranks 30th in QB efficiency this season according to Player Profiler.

    The good news for Nabers is that his target range has remained elite. Nabers has earned 10+ targets in six of his last seven games and has had at least seven targets in every game this season. Nabers still ranks first in expected fantasy points (that’s how good his role is), but he ranks second in unrealized air yards because Jones struggles to complete passes downfield. Poor QB play creates an opportunity to buy low on Naber. Right now is the time to attack as Nabers enters a bye week and will face the Bucs in Week 12. The Bucs are allowing the second most passing yards per game this season. Try trading George Pickens or James Conner for Nabers while you still can.

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    Metcalf is coming off a bye week and is likely to return this week from a knee injury. Metcalf sat out the Seahawks last two games with that injury. That, along with his bye week in Week 10, opened up a nice window to buy low on Metcalf. Metcalf stars in an offense that currently throws 41 times per game, the third most in the NFL, and let’s not forget how dominant his role has been this season. Despite not playing a game the last three weeks, Metcalf still ranks sixth in explosive plays and first in deep targets of 20+ yards, according to Player Profiler.

    Metcalf is a true alpha receiver and his schedule for the rest of the season is strong. In the next four games, he will face the Cardinals secondary and a struggling Jets defense twice. Submit a trade offer for Metcalf before he returns in Week 11. Trade Jayden Reed or Marvin Harrison Jr. if you can. for Metcalf.

    Cooper has been a frustrating player on the roster the past few weeks. He was inactive for the last two Sundays, although he participated in training all week. Cooper was last seen in Week 8, when he posted just one catch for three yards before injuring his wrist against the Seahawks. There’s a good chance you can get Cooper at a discount right now, especially given his tough Week 11 matchup against the Chiefs.

    Cooper is shopping hard right now because the Bills and Josh Allen desperately need him. Allen has struggled the past two weeks without Cooper. In Week 9, Allen averaged just six yards per attempt, his second-worst of the year. In Week 10, Allen had a softer game against the Colts, but still struggled, completing less than 60% of his passes. Expect Cooper to immediately perform as the team’s top receiver when healthy. Now is the time to trade for him before his potential return in Week 11. Trade Kareem Hunt for Cooper if you can. Speaking of which…

    Hunt has been one of the best quarterbacks in fantasy since taking over the Chiefs backfield in Week 5. He earned 58% of the snaps during that stretch and averaged a whopping 23.5 chances per game. As of Week 5, Hunt ranks fifth in fantasy points per game among all RBs. During that time, he produced better fantasy production than Saquon Barkley, Alvin Kamara and Kyren Williams. This is all great; Hunt has been a league winner for his fantasy managers, but now it’s time to trade him.

    Isiah Pacheco is close to returning for the Chiefs. He is expected to return to training in the next one to two weeks. Pacheco could be back on the field by Week 13, meaning you may only have one or two more games of Hunt seeing a starring role for the Chiefs. Hunt has been through this season in a big way; his efficiency remains poor, averaging just 3.7 yards per carry. Now is a good time to sell high on Hunt after his 100 yards and seven catches in Week 10. Try splitting it away for Jakobi Meyers or Ladd McConkey.

    Harrison is coming off a quality performance where he averaged 13.9 fantasy points on five targets. He has now produced a serviceable fantasy week in two of his last three games. That opened up a nice window to sell high to the Cardinals’ first-round rookie.

    Over his last five contests, Harrison is averaging just five targets per game and ranks 48th in points per game by a wide receiver. TE Trey McBride leads the team in target share during that stretch, and Harrison has been typecast as a mostly undersized, up-or-down receiver. He ranks seventh in deep targets, but many of those are elusive as he ranks 57th in catchable targets this season, according to Player Profiler. Now is the time to sell Harrison if you can. Try trading him for DeVonto Smith or George Pickens.

    Irving has been great this season. He might be the most exciting returner to watch every week. Irving ranks second in breakaway rate and top 10 in explosive run rate. He’s a fantastic player and he’s coming off a great performance with 87 total yards on 16 carries against the 49ers.

    Irving now enters his bye week. In fact, he also has a strong schedule, taking on the Giants, Panthers and Raiders. I can understand if you’d rather hide it, but there’s one big problem.

    Irving still works behind Rachaad White.

    In Week 10, White played 59% of the Bucs’ snaps and completed 100% of the goal-line shots and 100% of the two-minute offensive snaps. That limits Irving’s upside. His fantasy value right now depends on him making explosive plays at high speed. If I could deal Irving for Jakobi Meyers or Brian Robinson Jr., I would.

    This one might surprise you, but now is a good time to test the market on trading Samuel Sr. He had a nice game in Week 10, going 76 yards with no scores on eight touches. It goes without saying that Samuel is a rare and elite talent, but this 49ers offense now has a lot of weapons.

    Christian McCaffrey returned in Week 10 and immediately earned 20 carries, and George Kittle continued his strong season with 57 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. But the more important takeaways from Week 10 come from the 49ers’ wide receiver usage. Jauan Jennings acted as the X team’s receiver. It was Brandon Aiyuk’s old role, and it led to Jennings leading the team with 93 yards on 11 carries. Freshman Ricky Pearsall also contributed with 73 yards and a score on six carries. Samuel’s production may not be as consistent as we once thought with the increased involvement of Jennings and Pearsall. If you can offer Samuel for DK Metcalf or James Cook, you should.

    Ekeler has been great in place of Brian Robinson Jr. the past two weeks. He has managed to average 14 carries over the last two games and has scored three touchdowns in that span. But Ekeler hasn’t just been productive in the last two contests, he’s been good all year. Ekeler has scored 10+ fantasy points in seven of his nine games and is quietly leading the NFL with a 6.8 yards per touchdown average.

    Ekeler is a strong piece of the roster, but there is potential to upgrade him to a weekly fantasy starter. Brian Robinson Jr. is leaning toward playing in Week 11, so now is the time to trade Ekeler after his season-high 17.6 points in Week 10. Try trading him for Courtland Sutton or Romeo Doubs if you can.

    #Fantasy #Football #Trade #Analyzer #players #target #deal #ahead #deadline

  • Women’s baseball players could soon have their own league again

    For nearly all of the highlights of Julie Croteau’s pioneering baseball career — all, in fact, except for her time as a double in «A League of Their Own» — she shared the field with men. Often as teammates. Always as enemies. This is mostly the case with generations of actresses.

    So when she recently heard about plans to give today’s female players a chance to shine against other women in baseball, Croteau had one thought.

    «It’s about time,» she said with a sneer.

    The Women’s Professional Baseball League (WPBL) announced plans last month to begin 2026 as a six-team circuit for female players. If and when it does, it will be the first women’s professional league since the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League — the one immortalized in «A League of Their Own» — disbanded in 1954.

    The increased interest in women’s sports in recent years makes it an ideal time to start a women’s baseball league, said co-founder Justine Siegal, the first woman to coach an MLB team with the Oakland Athletics in 2015.

    Consulting firm Deloitte has estimated that women’s sports will generate $1 billion in global revenue for the first time in 2024 thanks to soaring popularity and marketing deals. The WNBA had its most watched regular season in 24 years thanks in large part to its star-studded rookie class led by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. The inaugural season of the professional women’s hockey league brought a record number of visitors.

    «We’re definitely standing on the shoulders of the success of other professional leagues,» Siegal said.

    Siegal sought advice from women running other professional leagues and examines what made them successful. This includes meeting the special needs of female athletes, who often face different responsibilities than their male counterparts.

    In 2009, Siegall was the first woman to coach a professional baseball team with the Brockton Rox, and the first woman to take batting practice during the 2001 spring training of an MLB team with Cleveland.

    At the time, Siegalo recalls finding babysitters for her daughter while she coached, and pulling her daughter out of school and, in some cases, bringing her to the field with her.

    «I had to do a lot of things to make my dreams come true,» Siegal said. «That’s why I’m making a special effort to make sure we don’t overlook mothers who can compete and deserve a spot in the league.»

    When she was 13, a coach told Siegal she shouldn’t play baseball because she was a girl. She was told to play softball, something many girls in sports face.

    About 1,300 high school girls played baseball on boys’ teams across the U.S. in the 2023-2024 school year, according to a survey by the National Association of State High School Associations.

    «When I see that number, I think there are 1,300 people who have had to basically fight the system to continue playing the sport they love,» said Croteau, who made headlines in the 1980s with a lawsuit against to his high school for the right to play on the boys’ varsity team. She lost.

    «They had to stare down the athletic director or reach out to the baseball coach and they had to make it happen.»

    More than 471,000 high school boys played baseball, while 473,000 girls played softball. The NCAA does not offer women’s baseball, but nine women played on men’s baseball teams in 2024, according to the NCAA’s demographic database. Approximately 21,000 women have played college softball.

    Keith Stein, an attorney and businessman who co-founded the WPBL with Siegal, said they hope to help establish a solid culture of women’s baseball in the U.S. to create more opportunities for girls to play in the future.

    Both Stein and Siegal pointed to the early interest in female baseball players as clues to the desire for a venue where women would compete against women at the highest level. Although there was no professional league for female players, they still play. The Women’s Baseball World Series began in 2004 to showcase female talent.

    More than 400 athletes signed up for a tryout within 24 hours of the league launching its player portal, Siegal said.

    «These were mostly elite players,» Stein added. «Some of the best players in the world – from the United States, of course, but there were players from Japan, Canada and Great Britain.»

    The league will hold a scouting camp in the spring of 2025, and the draft will take place in the last quarter of the year. The WPBL will initially start with six teams, although Stein estimated that number could later increase to eight. In 2026 they will compete in the North East so they can travel by bus to the competition.

    While Stein expects the WPBL to become one of the major women’s sports leagues in the near future, it won’t get there without facing the same obstacles as the women’s leagues before them.

    Female athletes have long fought to be paid the same as their male counterparts, perhaps most prominently in the US women’s soccer team’s fight for equal pay, which culminated in the passage of the Equal Pay Act of 2022 in the US House of Representatives .

    «We shouldn’t gloss over certain realities,» Stein said. «And that reality is that female baseball players probably aren’t being paid what they deserve.»

    Stein said he believes the compensation will be adequate for players hoping to participate in the league, including those who have to relocate from other states or leave their current jobs.

    «But that will pale in comparison to what top-flight athletes earn in some other leagues,» he added. «That’s out of place at the moment.

    “We’re going to get there because of what we’re doing. We will raise the bar for professional female baseball players. But it will happen gradually over a few years.»

    Croteau, who is not affiliated with the WPBL, praised the league for trying to bridge a gap that existed long before she and teammate Beanie Ketcham were the first women to play in the MLB-affiliated minor league in the now-defunct league. Hawaii Winter League 30 years ago.

    “The girls that are out there playing by themselves,” Croteau said, “those 1,300 girls that we’re talking about now that we knew were good enough because they made the team. We also know that they are strong-willed. They are ready to beat the system and make it happen.

    «It helps them get noticed.»

    ___

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    #Womens #baseball #players #league