Big Ten spring preview: Can Ohio State knock off Michigan, and who wins the West?
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Blake Baumgartner
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Tom VanHaaren
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Tom VanHaaren
ESPN Staff Writer
- ESPN staff writer
- Joined ESPN in 2011
- Graduated from Central Michigan
For the first time in the College Football Playoff era, the Big Ten had multiple teams selected, with Michigan and Ohio State making it in 2022. This fall, Michigan and Ohio State could be joined by Penn State as top-10 teams in the preseason and all three should be capable of making a run at the CFP.
That’s not even including a potential undefeated team from the Big Ten West, with your three crossovers always pivotal. Iowa and Illinois don’t face either Ohio State or Michigan while Wisconsin misses Michigan but hosts Ohio State. Minnesota, however, plays at Ohio State and hosts Michigan.
As the league prepares for one final year at 14 schools before USC and UCLA come from the Pac-12 prior to the 2024 season, new coaches at Wisconsin (Luke Fickell), Nebraska (Matt Rhule) and Purdue (Ryan Walters) should energize the Big Ten West race. In the Big Ten East, new quarterbacks at both Ohio State (Kyle McCord) and Penn State (Drew Allar) will be two of the most prominent positions to watch while Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa is perhaps the most experienced signal-caller returning in the conference. — Baumgartner
EAST DIVISION
Top storyline: The Hoosiers had 17 players enter the transfer portal this offseason, including freshman linebacker Dasan McCullough, tight end A.J. Barner and quarterbacks Connor Bazelak and Jack Tuttle. That’s a lot of production to replace in one offseason, especially at quarterback. Bazelak was the starter in 2022 after transferring in from Missouri with Tuttle as one of the backups. The staff was able to get Tennessee transfer Tayven Jackson, but he was a freshman last season, attempted four passes for the Vols and doesn’t have much experience at the college level. There are a ton of new faces on the roster, and combined with new coaching hires on the staff, Indiana has a lot of change in one offseason to try to turn things around.
Newcomer to watch: Quarterback Dexter Williams injured his knee in November, and with Bazelak and Tuttle transferring, all eyes will be on Jackson. He was a freshman last season for Tennessee and by all accounts could be Indiana’s starter in the 2023 season. — VanHaaren
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Taulia scampers to make incredible play for Maryland TD
Taulia Tagovailoa breaks out of the pocket and finds Jeshaun Jones for a touchdown.
Top storyline: Tagovailoa is back for his final season, which gives the Terps an excellent chance at improving on their 8-5 record from last season. Tagovailoa finished the 2022 season with 3,008 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and eight interceptions while also rushing for four touchdowns. He is losing receivers Rakim Jarrett and Jacob Copeland to the NFL, as well as tight end CJ Dippre, who transferred to Alabama. The staff brought in West Virginia receiver transfer Kaden Prather, as well as FIU transfer Tyrese Chambers, to help replace those losses. If Tagovailoa can take another step up and improve on last season, Maryland should be in line for another winning season.
Newcomers to watch: Chambers and Prather are both players to watch. They had similar numbers for their respective teams last season with Chambers hauling in 544 yards and four touchdowns and Prather 501 yards and three touchdowns. They should be big additions to the offense. — VanHaaren
Top storyline: With star running back Blake Corum (1,463 yards, 18 touchdowns) working his way back from the knee injury he suffered in late November, building and maintaining depth at that position will be crucial. Donovan Edwards (991 yards, seven TDs) is also back after suffering a bone fracture on his right hand in mid-November. The trio of C.J. Stokes, Isaiah Gash and Tavierre Dunlap all received limited time last year and combined for 420 yards and three touchdowns. They should get ample reps this spring as Corum and Edwards continue their respective rehabs. It helps to have a sound offensive line, which will be looking to keep the momentum going after averaging 238.9 rushing yards in 2022 — fifth in the FBS.
Newcomer to watch: ESPN 300 running back Cole Cabana (No. 116 overall) could certainly factor into the competition behind Corum and Edwards. Cabana, who had 1,518 yards and 27 touchdowns as a senior for Dexter (Michigan) High School, is the Wolverines’ third ESPN 300 running back over the past four recruiting cycles. — Baumgartner
Top storyline: Michigan State fell from 11 wins and a Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl victory in 2021 to just five wins in 2022. A lack of a consistent running game (113 yards per game), which ranked 12th in the Big Ten, was a nagging issue throughout last fall and was a big reason for the offense’s difficulties. Jalen Berger (683 yards, six touchdowns) is the team’s leading returning running back, with Elijah Collins (Oklahoma State) and Jarek Broussard (NFL draft) having both moved on. Head coach Mel Tucker and offensive coordinator Jay Johnson will need to find a way to get more production on the ground to help quarterback Payton Thorne. Thorne threw for 3,233 yards and a program-record 27 touchdown passes two years ago and will be looking to get back on track in 2023 with the help of an improved running game and an emerging threat at wide receiver in Keon Coleman.
Newcomer to watch: Running back Nate Carter (983 career yards, three touchdowns) comes to East Lansing to try to provide a lift to the Spartans’ offense after spending his first two years at UConn. He played in only four games last season because of a shoulder injury. — Baumgartner
Top storyline: The Buckeyes’ offense has been a well-oiled machine in the Urban Meyer and Ryan Day eras. With C.J. Stroud now off to the NFL, Kyle McCord will be in the spotlight as Ohio State looks to get back atop the Big Ten after two straight losses to Michigan. The 31st-best player in the 2021 class, McCord (190 passing yards, one TD in seven games in 2022) saw limited snaps behind Stroud, the two-time Big Ten Graham-George Offensive Player of the Year. Getting McCord, who has only 58 career pass attempts, up to speed this spring is vital as the Buckeyes try to restore some order to their rivalry with the Wolverines and return to the College Football Playoff.
Newcomer to watch: Wide receiver Brandon Inniss (No. 34 overall) is one of three ESPN 300 receivers to matriculate to Columbus this fall. Along with Noah Rogers and Carnell Tate, Inniss figures to add depth behind established wideouts Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka. — Baumgartner
Top storyline: All eyes will be on sophomore quarterback Drew Allar as he appears ready to take the reins from Sean Clifford, who rewrote the program record book. Allar, the second-best pocket passer in the 2022 class, was the first ESPN 300 QB for James Franklin’s team since 2020. How quickly Allar (344 passing yards and four touchdowns as a freshman) adapts to being the guy under center could determine the Nittany Lions’ potential Big Ten title and CFP aspirations. Sophomores Nicholas Singleton (1,061 yards, 12 TDs) and Kaytron Allen (867 yards, 10 TDs) both starred in the backfield, and building depth behind them is imperative. The return of offensive tackle Olu Fashanu, who would have been a potential top-15 NFL pick this April, is huge and should help Allar’s transition.
Newcomer to watch: Incoming freshman London Montgomery (No. 233 overall) is the third ESPN 300 running back to sign with Penn State in the past two cycles. If Singleton or Allen gets hurt, Montgomery could provide some much-needed insurance. — Baumgartner
Top storyline: Rutgers went 4-8 in 2022, and if the team is going to look to make a turnaround in 2023, it needs to figure out the quarterback position. Both Evan Simon and Gavin Wimsatt played in 2022, but they combined for nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions. The staff didn’t add any quarterbacks through the transfer portal, so it’s likely going to be a battle between Simon and Wimsatt for the starting job in 2023.
Newcomer to watch: With no transfer quarterbacks coming in, 2023 three-star recruit Ajani Sheppard is a name to watch. It isn’t likely he’ll play right away, but the team needs more competition at the position. — VanHaaren
WEST DIVISION
Top storyline: How do you replace the production of one of the best running backs in program history? Bret Bielema and the Fighting Illini begin life after Chase Brown (1,643 yards, 10 TDs) this fall. Reggie Love (329 yards, two TDs) and Josh McCray (56 yards) are the team’s two leading returning rushers, while two openings on the offensive line (center and right tackle) remain up for grabs as the running game (166.2 yards per game) aims to remain a focal point of the offense. Aidan Laughery, Nick Fedanzo and Jordan Anderson are the other running backs on the roster and could get some reps this spring and in fall camp. For the second straight year, Illinois will be relying on a transfer quarterback and hopes Ole Miss import Luke Altmyer can be just as successful as Tommy DeVito was after coming from Syracuse.
Newcomer to watch: New defensive coordinator Aaron Henry, the youngest coordinator in the Big Ten, takes over from Ryan Walters, who left to take the Purdue head coaching job. Henry will be tasked with keeping one of the nation’s best defenses (12.7 PPG, 273.5 YPG) from last season humming. — Baumgartner
Top storyline: After averaging just 251.6 total yards on offense last year, things can only get better for the Hawkeyes. In particular, the passing game struggled (156.7 YPG) and Cade McNamara, who transferred from Michigan, will succeed Spencer Petras under center. McNamara threw for 2,576 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions with Michigan in 2021 before losing out to J.J. McCarthy in a quarterback competition that played out into the first few weeks of 2022. Iowa’s schedule doesn’t include either Ohio State or Michigan, so if offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz can get things flowing again on that side of the ball, Iowa can harbor hopes of playing meaningful football come November.
Newcomer to watch: Expectations will be high for McNamara, who helped pilot Michigan to a Big Ten title and CFP trip in 2021. With the Hawkeyes’ defense routinely one of the strongest in the nation, the offense needs to pull more of the weight for the team to reach its potential. — Baumgartner
Top storyline: The Gophers are losing running back Mo Ibrahim to the NFL, which is a huge blow to the offense. Ibrahim set school rushing records during his time at Minnesota and was the heart of the offense, with 1,665 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns last season. The next-best mark was shared by Trey Potts and Bryce Williams, who each had three rushing touchdowns. Replacing that production at running back will be a tough task and an important piece of whether or not the offense will have success in 2023.
Newcomer to watch: Running back Sean Tyler transferred in from Western Michigan to try to help replace Ibrahim’s stats. Tyler had 1,027 yards and seven rushing touchdowns last season for the Broncos. — VanHaaren
Top storyline: Nebraska finished the 2022 season 4-8 and saw head coach Scott Frost fired after the third game. Matt Rhule was brought in to get Nebraska on track and moving in the right direction — the Huskers haven’t won more than five games since the 2016 season. Rhule has had success at all of his previous stops at the college level and has been able to rebuild programs in the past, most recently at Baylor before leaving for the NFL. Rhule has a tough task ahead of him in rebuilding Nebraska and has a fan base eager for a winning product. With the transfer portal more relevant than ever, the pressure to win early is higher than ever and Rhule has his hands full at Nebraska.
Newcomer to watch: Rhule is the one to watch. If he can turn things around, he will be revered at the highest level in Lincoln. — VanHaaren
Top storyline: Northwestern went 1-11 in 2022 and lost 10 games in a row after beating Nebraska in the season opener. In the final five games of the season, the offense didn’t score more than 13 points in a game. The quarterback position has been a main point of pain for the offense and the team ranked No. 94 in pass yards per game last season, No. 122 in interceptions to attempts and 117th in passing touchdowns with just 10 the entire season. The staff didn’t bring in any help at quarterback through the transfer portal, so figuring out the position is going to have to come from within if Northwestern is going to flip the script in 2023.
Newcomer to watch: True freshman Aidan Gray is going to have a shot to compete for the starting quarterback job. He’ll have to battle with Ryan Hilinski and Brendan Sullivan, but neither played particularly well in 2022. Sullivan started to come on at the end of the season, but there’s plenty of room for improvement. — VanHaaren
Top storyline: Purdue head coach Jeff Brohm left for Louisville and Illinois defensive coordinator Ryan Walters was hired in his place. Walters has filled out his staff, including adding Graham Harrell as offensive coordinator. Harrell spent last season at West Virginia and had been part of the USC staff prior to that. Harrell needed a new quarterback as Aidan O’Connell is off to the NFL, and the staff was able to bring in Texas transfer Hudson Card. He and Harrell should mesh well, but it’s yet to be seen what the offense will look like in Year 1 with so many new faces.
Newcomer to watch: Card was a former ESPN 300 recruit, ranked No. 40 overall, who signed with Texas in the 2020 class. He threw for 928 yards, six touchdowns and one interception last season, playing when starter Quinn Ewers was injured. — VanHaaren
Top storyline: With quarterback Graham Mertz now off to Florida and new head coach Luke Fickell heading into his first year in Madison, things will look quite a bit different offensively. Offensive coordinator Phil Longo will have three new transfer quarterbacks competing for playing time, with Tanner Mordecai (SMU) possibly leading the way. Mordecai, who was 151st in the 2018 ESPN 300, has spent time at both Oklahoma and SMU and threw for 7,152 yards and 72 touchdowns over the past two seasons with SMU. Former 2022 ESPN 300 quarterback Nick Evers (Oklahoma) and Braedyn Locke (Mississippi State) join Mordecai in a revamped Badgers quarterback room as the offense looks to improve on last season’s 183.8 passing yards per game.
Newcomer to watch: Fickell, who went 57-18 in six seasons at Cincinnati, was arguably one of the best coaching hires this offseason. The former Ohio State player and coach should fit seamlessly into a conference he knows extremely well. — Baumgartner
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Sean Allen
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Victoria Matiash
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Victoria Matiash
Fantasy Hockey
- ESPN.com Fantasy Contributor since 2010
- Part-time anchor at NEWSTALK1010
Another week, another No. 1 landing spot for the Winnipeg Jets in the ESPN NHL Power Rankings. But who finishes 2-32?
Plus, it’s another fantasy hockey takeover week, with Sean Allen and Victoria Matiash identifying one player per team who is off to a slow start (relative to his teammates or expectations) and advising fantasy managers whether to have patience or panic at this time.
And as a reminder, it’s not too late to join ESPN Fantasy Hockey. Sign up for free and start playing today!
How we rank: A panel of ESPN hockey commentators, analysts, reporters and editors sends in a 1-32 poll based on the games through Wednesday, which generates our master list here.
Note: Previous ranking for each team refers to the previous edition, published Nov. 8. Points percentages are through Thursday’s games.
Previous ranking: 1
Points percentage: 88.24%
Cole Perfetti, LW (28.9% rostered in ESPN Fantasy leagues): As difficult as it is to find fault with anything Jets-related these days, Perfetti isn’t quite meeting 2024-25 fantasy expectations yet. But the 22-year-old remains cemented on the Jets’ second scoring line and power play, and he has pitched in enough multipoint showings to merit another look in deeper leagues. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ FLA (Nov. 16), vs. FLA (Nov. 19)
Previous ranking: 2
Points percentage: 73.33%
Brent Burns, D (69.5%): The writing had been on the wall, faintly sketched with a carpenter’s pencil, but now it’s been retraced in ink. Shayne Gostisbehere has the power play on lock, and Burns doesn’t put up the points without it now. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. OTT (Nov. 16), vs. STL (Nov. 17), @ PHI (Nov. 20), @ NJ (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 4
Points percentage: 67.65%
Gustav Forsling, D (68.8%): Playoff heroics can inflate rostership numbers even this far into the future, but Forsling isn’t a must-have fantasy contributor. You can find a defenseman with a higher ceiling among your league’s free agents. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. WPG (Nov. 16), @ WPG (Nov. 19), @ CHI (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 5
Points percentage: 78.13%
Marc-Andre Fleury, G (51.8%): As long as Filip Gustavsson continues to perform dependably well, the veteran No. 2 isn’t going to play much. There are other lesser-rostered backups in the league — Jake Allen and Jonathan Quick come to mind — who offer more fantasy punch than Fleury. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. DAL (Nov. 16), @ STL (Nov. 19), @ EDM (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 6
Points percentage: 70.00%
Matt Roy, D (45.6%): After a breakout fantasy campaign with the Kings last season, cut Roy some slack. He has had only a handful of games to get used to his new teammates, and the minutes are there to get the job done. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ COL (Nov. 15), @ VGK (Nov. 17), @ UTA (Nov. 18), vs. COL (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 3
Points percentage: 70.00%
Mika Zibanejad, C (95.6%): Zibanejad has had slow starts before — 1.78 FPPG in 2021-22 and 1.93 FPPG last season — yet still finished over 2.00 FPPG. His current 1.58 FPPG isn’t alarming. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ SEA (Nov. 17), @ VAN (Nov. 19), @ CGY (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 7
Points percentage: 68.75%
Brayden McNabb, D (52.3%): Returning to his selfless ways — highlighted by five blocked shots against the Ducks Wednesday — McNabb is already working back into his fantasy managers’ good graces. While hardly a prolific producer, the veteran should start pitching in a few more points, too. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ UTA (Nov. 15), vs. WSH (Nov. 17), @ TOR (Nov. 20), @ OTT (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 10
Points percentage: 65.00%
Luke Hughes, D (39.1%): He did an admirable job filling in for an injured Dougie Hamilton as a rookie last season, but unless that situation arises again, it looks as though Hughes is out of the limelight for this campaign. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ TB (Nov. 16), vs. CAR (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 8
Points percentage: 66.67%
Roope Hintz, C (79.8%): Some bad puck luck, illustrated by his 6.7% shooting percentage through six recent contests (career: 16.5%), is partially to blame for Hintz’s current skid. But the perennial 30-plus goal scorer is bound to get back on track soon, especially once Peter DeBoer inevitably juggles his lines again. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ MIN (Nov. 16), vs. ANA (Nov. 18), vs. SJ (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 11
Points percentage: 63.33%
Filip Hronek, D (51.9%): He’s averaging approximately a single shot and blocked shot per game. Unlike last season, the compensatory scoring isn’t there to make up for those shortcomings. Hronek appears far more valuable to the Canucks as Quinn Hughes‘ defensive partner than to his fantasy managers. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. CHI (Nov. 16), vs. NSH (Nov. 17), vs. NYR (Nov. 19)
Previous ranking: 9
Points percentage: 58.33%
Quinton Byfield, RW (43.2%): The lack of a single power-play point is one concern, along with his removal from the top unit. Through the fantasy lens, so is Byfield’s third-line role. If all remains as is, we might be in for another season of inconsistent fantasy returns. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. DET (Nov. 16), vs. BUF (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 13
Points percentage: 61.11%
Matthew Knies, LW (42.4%): He has been making hay while the sun shines, so to speak, as he gets first power-play unit access while Auston Matthews is out. The confidence boost should carry over to when Matthews returns, and they are linemates again. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. EDM (Nov. 16), vs. VGK (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 17
Points percentage: 55.88%
Jeff Skinner, C (45.0%): Afforded the opportunity to compete alongside just about every Oiler up front, including two of the best centers in the biz, the veteran winger has nonetheless failed to offer much of a productive presence. Now Skinner appears relegated to Edmonton’s fourth line. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ TOR (Nov. 16), @ MTL (Nov. 18), @ OTT (Nov. 19), vs. MIN (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 12
Points percentage: 56.67%
Jake Guentzel, LW (98.8%): Guentzel’s overall output is fantastic already, but with just two power-play points so far, he has yet to add his usual production with the man advantage. If he does, his already strong fantasy profile could get a big boost. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. NJ (Nov. 16), @ PIT (Nov. 19), @ CBJ (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 19
Points percentage: 52.94%
Devon Toews, D (66.7%): While it has taken the defender time to warm up after a delayed start to 2024-25, Toews now appears back in his groove: blocking shots, contributing to the score sheet and skating more minutes than nearly everyone else. Cale Makar‘s partner hasn’t averaged 0.58 points per game throughout his career by accident. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. WSH (Nov. 15), @ PHI (Nov. 18), @ WSH (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 15
Points percentage: 53.13%
Linus Ullmark, G (84.8%): The Senators are showing signs of competing, and we know Ullmark is capable of being among the best. Patience might already be paying off with some of his recent road outings against tough division rivals. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ CAR (Nov. 16), vs. EDM (Nov. 19), vs. VGK (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 14
Points percentage: 55.88%
Nazem Kadri, C (78.4%): While no one is scoring much for the Flames these days, including their No. 1 center, this too shall pass. Perhaps it’ll play out like last season, when Kadri collected two points in October before erupting for 13 in November, then maintained that scoring pace for the duration of the season. Also, he shoots the puck a lot. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. NSH (Nov. 15), vs. NYI (Nov. 19), vs. NYR (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 20
Points percentage: 50.00%
Charlie McAvoy, D (89.9%): The Bruins’ offense might be slower this season, but McAvoy’s 1.64 FPPG is still too low. Give him time. Not enough has changed to drop him far from his 2.29 FPPG average over the past three seasons. Verdict: Patience
Next seven days: vs. STL (Nov. 16), vs. CBJ (Nov. 18), vs. UTA (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 18
Points percentage: 53.13%
Barrett Hayton, C (17.5%): According to analysis by Evolving Hockey, the third-line center (for now) should be scoring more goals in accordance with the quality of his shots. That offers some comfort in light of his current skid. While Hayton certainly needs to play more minutes and shoot on net more often, he doesn’t merit giving up entirely in deeper fantasy leagues. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. VGK (Nov. 15), vs. WSH (Nov. 18), @ BOS (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 24
Points percentage: 52.94%
Brock Nelson, C (76.9%): The Isles’ collective offense isn’t weaker than it has been for several years. Nelson has averaged 2.03 FPPG across the past three seasons. He’ll come around. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ SEA (Nov. 16), @ CGY (Nov. 19), @ DET (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 21
Points percentage: 50.00%
Patrick Kane, RW (66.3%): If the Red Wings’ power play were in the dumps, maybe we could preach patience for Kane. But it’s not, and it might be time to move on from Kane in fantasy. He is getting all the opportunities required and is just not producing. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ ANA (Nov. 15), @ LA (Nov. 16), @ SJ (Nov. 18), vs. NYI (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 23
Points percentage: 50.00%
Dylan Cozens, C (49.3%): It is time to move off Cozens. He had that banner 2022-23 but is now matching the reduced fantasy production that lasted all of last season. Even an uptick in performance might not be enough to get to fantasy relevance from his current 1.41 FPPG. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ PHI (Nov. 16), @ LA (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 25
Points percentage: 50.00%
Adam Larsson, D (60.5%): Despite the relative drought, the top-pair defenseman still blocks a sufficient number of shots to merit rostering in deeper standard leagues. Plus, he’ll soon fall back into his usual (however relatively modest) scoring groove. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: vs. NYI (Nov. 16), vs. NYR (Nov. 17), vs. NSH (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 16
Points percentage: 44.12%
Jordan Binnington, G (55.1%): After winning the season opener against Seattle, the Blues’ No. 1 has yet to beat anyone outside of the Atlantic Division. Shouldering a 4-7-0 record, .887 save percentage and 3.26 goals-against average, Binnington has cost his fantasy managers a total net loss of 1.8 points. Yes, negative points. There are likely brighter days ahead for the banged-up Blues, but when? Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ BOS (Nov. 16), @ CAR (Nov. 17), vs. MIN (Nov. 19), vs. SJ (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 31
Points percentage: 47.06%
Joel Farabee, LW (50.7%): Farabee, Tyson Foerster, Scott Laughton; Take your pick of Flyers who were just picking up some fantasy momentum in their career but have been buried on the depth chart by the new core group. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. BUF (Nov. 16), vs. COL (Nov. 18), vs. CAR (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 27
Points percentage: 38.24%
Teuvo Teravainen, RW (41.4%): The Blackhawks’ offseason acquisition has one goal and zero assists in his past 11 games, and he isn’t shooting with any consistency. Even back on a scoring line with Connor Bedard, Teravainen can’t be counted on to contribute regularly enough. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ VAN (Nov. 16), vs. ANA (Nov. 19), vs. FLA (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 26
Points percentage: 41.67%
Erik Karlsson, D (94.1%): It’s been a season and a quarter now, so what we see from Karlsson as a Penguin might be what we get. He’s not the sole source of offense, so downgraded fantasy output is just the new normal. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ CBJ (Nov. 15), vs. SJ (Nov. 16), vs. TB (Nov. 19)
Previous ranking: 22
Points percentage: 40.00%
Ivan Provorov, D (19.2%): No one on the Blue Jackets is underperforming in a big way, but even 20% rostership is too high for Provorov. If he’s not on the first pair, you can safely pretend he’s not there. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. PIT (Nov. 15), @ MTL (Nov. 16), @ BOS (Nov. 18), vs. TB (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 28
Points percentage: 38.24%
Gustav Nyquist, RW (16.6%): Once replaced by Steven Stamkos on the Predators’ top line, Nyquist lost most of his fantasy charm. It’s no coincidence the winger was at his most productive when skating alongside Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: @ CGY (Nov. 15), @ VAN (Nov. 17), @ SEA (Nov. 20)
Previous ranking: 29
Points percentage: 40.00%
Lukas Dostal, G (60.7%): The Ducks allow the most shots against (35.5 per game) while scoring the fewest goals (2.20 per game). Plus, a healthy John Gibson is back to share Anaheim’s crease. Dostal’s successful fantasy run was fun while it lasted. It’s time to move on. Verdict: Panic.
Next seven days: vs. DET (Nov. 15), @ DAL (Nov. 18), @ CHI (Nov. 19)
Previous ranking: 32
Points percentage: 36.11%
William Eklund, LW (56.2%): The sophomore is playing a ton of minutes, pitching in assists and now skating on a scoring line with Mikael Granlund. Which is a good thing. Yes, we’d all like to see him shoot more. Verdict: Patience.
Next seven days: @ PIT (Nov. 16), vs. DET (Nov. 18), @ DAL (Nov. 20), @ STL (Nov. 21)
Previous ranking: 30
Points percentage: 35.29%
Sam Montembeault, G (22.3%): The Habs don’t look like they’ll win enough for Monty to shine in redraft leagues, but if you drafted him for a keeper league, there are positive signs for the future. Verdict: Patience, at least for the long term.
Next seven days: vs. CBJ (Nov. 16), vs. EDM (Nov. 18)
LAS VEGAS — Left-handers Chris Sale of the Atlanta Braves and Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox won Major League Baseball’s Comeback Player of the Year awards on Thursday.
Cleveland right-hander Emmanuel Clase won his second AL Reliever of the Year award and St. Louis righty Ryan Helsley won the NL honor.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani joined David Ortiz as the only players to win four straight Outstanding Designated Hitter awards. Ohtani and the New York Yankees‘ Aaron Judge won Hank Aaron Awards as the outstanding offensive performers in their leagues.
Major League Baseball made the announcements at its All-MLB Awards Show.
Sale, 35, was 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 177⅔ innings for the NL’s first pitching triple crown since the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw in 2011. He earned his eighth All-Star selection and first since 2018.
Sale helped Boston to the 2018 World Series title but made just 56 starts from 2020-23, going 17-18 with a 4.86 ERA, 400 strikeouts and 79 walks over 298⅓ innings. He was acquired by Boston from the White Sox in December 2016 and made nine trips to the injured list with the Red Sox, mostly with shoulder and elbow ailments. He had Tommy John surgery on March 30, 2020, and returned to a big league mound on Aug. 14, 2021.
Sale fractured a rib while pitching in batting practice in February 2022 during the management lockout. On July 17, in his second start back, he broke his left pinkie finger when he was hit by a line drive off the bat of the Yankees’ Aaron Hicks. Sale broke his right wrist while riding a bicycle en route to lunch on Aug. 6, ending his season.
Crochet, 25, was 6-12 with a 3.58 ERA over 32 starts for a White Sox team that set a post-1900 record of 121 losses, becoming a first-time All-Star. He struck out 209 and walked 33 in 146 innings.
He had Tommy John surgery on April 5, 2022, and returned to the major leagues on May 18, 2023. Crochet had a 3.55 ERA in 13 relief appearances in 2023, and then joined the rotation this year.
Sale and Crochet were chosen in voting by MLB.com beat writers.
Clase and Helsley were unanimous picks by a panel that included Hall of Famers Trevor Hoffman, Mariano Rivera, Dennis Eckersley and Rollie Fingers, along with John Franco and Billy Wagner. The AL award is named after Rivera and the NL honor after Hoffman.
A three-time All-Star, Clase was 4-2 with a 0.61 ERA, 66 strikeouts and 10 walks in 74⅓ innings, holding batters to a .154 average. The 26-year-old converted 47 of 50 save chances, including his last 47.
Voting was based on the regular season. Clase was 0-2 with a 9.00 ERA in the playoffs, allowing three home runs, one more than his regular-season total.
Helsley, a two-time All-Star, was 7-4 with a 2.04 ERA and 49 saves in 53 chances. He struck out 79 and walked 23 in 66⅓ innings.
Ohtani became the first player with 50 or more homers and 50 or more stolen bases in a season. A two-way star limited to hitting following elbow surgery, Ohtani batted .310 and led the NL with 54 homers and 130 RBIs while stealing 59 bases.
Ortiz won the DH award five years in a row from 2003-07.
The DH award, named after Edgar Martinez, is picked in voting by team beat writers, broadcasters and public relations departments. MLB.com writers determined the finalists for the Aaron awards, and a fan vote was combined with picks from a panel of Hall of Famers and former winners to determine the selections.
Judge led the major leagues with 58 homers and 144 RBIs while hitting .322.
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Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer
Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who lost his starting job earlier this week, will not be returning to the team, he announced Thursday night.
Castellanos, who started 12 games last season and retained the top job under new coach Bill O’Brien, wrote on X that “unfortunately, all good things come to an end, even though it’s sooner than I would like.” He did not mention the transfer portal in his departing message and has not officially entered it. The junior from Waycross, Georgia, started his career at UCF and appeared in five games in 2022.
O’Brien said Tuesday that Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos in last week’s win against Syracuse, will start Saturday when Boston College visits No. 14 SMU. Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the decision, O’Brien said, adding that the quarterback decided to step away from the team for several days.
Castellanos had 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards last season under coach Jeff Hafley, passing for 15 touchdowns and adding 13 on the ground. He had 18 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season, but his accuracy dipped in recent weeks, and he completed only 2 of 7 passes against Syracuse before being replaced.
In his statement, Castellanos thanked both coaching staffs he played for at Boston College and wrote that he had “some of the best experiences of my life in the Eagles Nest and I will truly cherish these memories forever.”
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