Winners Club: NFL Week 11 Recap and a Big Day for College Hoops and Football
Good morning. Week 11 of the NFL season was still full of some wonky results (see: the Texans convincingly beating the Titans), though there was a return to the status quo as well. The Chiefs beat the Cowboys by double-digits, shutting down Dak Prescott in the process. And the Buccaneers ended their two-game losing streak by blowing out the Giants on Monday night.
It appears the two preseason favorites in the AFC and NFC have righted the ship heading into the home stretch of the season. Is it possible, after all the theatrics, we still get the Tampa Bay-Kansas City Super Bowl rematch many predicted in the summer?
NFL and Fantasy Football
The Buccaneers needed a win after consecutive losses to the Saints, their division rival, and the lowly Washington Football Team. Playing at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, where the team is undefeated, Tom Brady threw for 307 yards and two scores, and the defense produced three turnovers in a 30-10 victory over Daniel Jones and the Giants.
Waiver Wire Players to Add: In a pinch for the bye week? Looking to move on from Russell Wilson? Matt De Lima lists the top players at each position to pick up this week and advice for how much of your FAAB to allocate for each.
Photo credit: Jeremy Brevard/USA TODAY Sports
Bye Week Blues: The Chiefs and Cardinals, two of the best offenses in the NFL, are idle this week. Craig Ellenport explains what you’re missing with those teams on bye and gives you options to replace Patrick Mahomes, DeAndre Hopkins, Travis Kelce, Tyreek Hill and more.
Jonathan Taylor, Decider of Fantasy Football Matchups: The Colts’ running back went ballistic against the Bills, romping for five touchdowns and surpassing 50 PPR fantasy points. You likely won your matchup if you had him and you lost if you went against him. Taylor now leads the NFL in rushing and has entered the MVP discussion.
NFL Power Rankings: Don’t look now—the Chiefs are back to the top spot in the latest power rankings. And in a tie at No. 2? A franchise we’re all too familiar with that has sustained success for an inordinate amount of time. That’s right, the Patriots have a quarterback and now they’re back on track and atop the AFC East.
IDP Waiver Report: Chase the points, but seek out consistent performances from your IDP targets, writes Matt De Lima. Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport fits that bill and he needs to be added in your IDP leagues.
NBA and Fantasy Basketball
Tuesday night brings four NBA games featuring teams muddled in the middle of their conference standings. The Lakers, Knicks, Nuggets and Trail Blazers all have nine wins and are looking to distance themselves from the pack.
Dave Scipione and I will pick the Los Angeles-New York and Denver-Portland games later today on si.com/betting in the latest edition of NBA SO/UP picks. Check out SI Sportsbook to find the spreads for those games and more.
Week 6 Power Rankings: The Warriors maintain the top spot in the latest SI rankings and the Suns jumped the Nets for No. 2. See how the other 27 teams shake out all the way down to the 30th-ranked Rockets.
Photo credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Michael Porter Jr. Could Miss Remainder of Season: The fourth-year Nuggets forward reportedly has a nerve issue in his back that could sideline him for the rest of the season. Denver is dealing with a rash of injuries to its top stars including Nikola Jokic, who has an injured wrist, and Jamaal Murray, who’s still recovering from a torn ACL.
Kings Fire Luke Walton: Sacramento let go of coach Luke Walton on Sunday after a 6-11 start. Walton was in his third season coaching the Kings, who have not made the playoffs since 2006.
College Basketball and Football
Tuesday is an important day for collegiate hoops and football.
The fourth College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be released Tuesday evening and there’s bound to be some shakeup in the all-important top four teams. No. 23 Utah routed No. 3 Oregon, 38-7, likely sending the Ducks into a free fall. Meanwhile, No. 4 Ohio State blew out No. 7 Michigan State, 56-7. And then there’s No. 2 Alabama narrowly outlasting No. 23 Arkansas, 42-35.
Most FBS teams only have one game remaining on their schedule to make their case to the committee before conference championship weekend. These rankings carry a lot of weight.
Photo credit: Adam Cairns/USA TODAY NETWORK
College Football Composite Picks: It’s difficult to predict what will occur during rivalry week—just ask Elijah Moore. Richard Johnson’s model took a stab at doing the impossible. See where the smart money is for Michigan-Ohio State, Auburn-Alabama, Florida-Florida State and more heated matchups.
Bowl Game Predictions: It’s almost bowl season, and Johnson tried his luck at predicting which teams will play in dozens of bowl games. There’s tie-ins to take into account and games still to be played. See where your alma mater (if they’re eligible) will be playing in December.
What Richard Johnson Bets in Service Academy Games: As part of SI Betting’s “My favorite Bet” series, Johnson explains why he likes to take the under in service academy games.
The top two men’s college basketball teams in the country clash Tuesday night in Las Vegas. No. 1 Gonzaga battles No. 2 UCLA in the Good Sam Empire Classic. The Bulldogs and Bruins meet at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN. Gonzaga is a six-point favorite on SI Sportsbook.
Photo credit: James Snook/USA TODAY Sports
Latest Men’s NCAAB AP Poll: Purdue surged into the No. 3 spot after a 4-0 start with wins over then-No. 18 North Carolina and then-No.5 Villanova. Check in on all of the movement in the top 25.
That’s all for today. Thanks for reading.
