Why Lane Kiffin could be poised to get Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff
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Chris Low, ESPN Senior Writer
OXFORD, Miss. — It’s just before 6 o’clock in the morning during the dog days of Ole Miss’ sweltering preseason camp, and Lane Kiffin is already on fire.
No, he’s not grading tape, drawing up new plays or even thinking much about football at all.
His endorphins are racing after an intense yoga session. As he transitions from yoga to prayer and meditation and finally to journaling, Kiffin reminds himself that this day, this week, even this season — the most anticipated at Ole Miss in more than 50 years — is not about him.
“When you’re making changes to be the best version of yourself, you learn to let go of control, to let go of your ego, to let go of the things that don’t matter,” Kiffin told ESPN. “Everything I ever wanted was on the other side of letting go, which is the exact opposite of how you think because you think you can’t let go of anything. You’re not trained that way, especially in football.”
Mention Kiffin’s name around college football, and you’re sure to get a wide array of reactions.
Offensive mastermind. Narcissist. Twitter troll. Unrelenting competitor. The ultimate antagonist. Unapologetically himself.
He’s also sober and says he hasn’t had a drink in three and a half years.
“Not drinking is just a part of my journey to where I am now, which is as fulfilled as I’ve been in coaching, and as important as all of that, is having peace and rhythm in my life,” Kiffin said. “I’m still not perfect, still have my moments. But there’s a freedom in not feeling like you need a drink to celebrate a big win or get over a tough loss. There’s a freedom of not having to have acceptance of what some guy writes about you or what the fans think of you or if you’re on the hot seat.
“There’s just a freedom in knowing that it’s going to be OK.”
Not since Archie Manning was carving out a legendary career more than 50 years ago has Ole Miss gone into a season with this level of expectation. Kiffin has said more than once that this is the best roster he’s assembled in his five years at Ole Miss. In the first year of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff, the Rebels enter Saturday’s opener against Furman as the No. 6 team in the country. And Kiffin will look to show that this is indeed the best version of himself — and he’s built for the moment.
“Just because you build a talented roster doesn’t make you a great team,” said Jaxson Dart, entering his third season as Ole Miss’ starting quarterback. “So I think that’s kind of where we’re at right now, and we’ve got a coach who’s never been more connected with everybody in this building.
“Let’s go out and do it.”
DART IS HARDLY the only person who has seen an evolution in the 49-year-old Kiffin, one of the more polarizing figures in college football for much of his career, going back to his hiring as Tennessee’s coach in 2009 when he was only 33. He bolted Knoxville after 10 eventful months, with angry students and fans burning mattresses as he was whisked away from campus to take his “dream job” at USC, where he lasted less than four seasons before being famously fired at the LAX Airport following a 62-41 loss to Arizona State on Sept. 28, 2013.
Nick Saban hired Kiffin as his offensive coordinator at Alabama before the 2014 season, and while Kiffin was a huge part of revolutionizing the Crimson Tide’s offense, he acknowledges he was living a reckless lifestyle at the time. Kiffin also clashed repeatedly with Saban, at times purposely trying to get under his boss’ skin. In 2016, Saban fired Kiffin the week of the national championship game, following a lackluster 24-7 semifinal win over Washington, because he believed Kiffin wasn’t focused enough after landing the job as head coach at Florida Atlantic.
Kiffin remains grateful for his time under Saban and has apologized for some of his antics.
“I would have really struggled with myself as an assistant coach at that stage, and I told Coach (Saban) that,” Kiffin said. “I don’t think I would have put up with it as a head coach.”
After moving to FAU, Kiffin was seeking more purpose in his life outside of football. He invited Jon Gordon, a 17-time best-selling author of 30 books on leadership and teamwork, to meet with him in Boca Raton in 2017.
Gordon was brutally honest with Kiffin and told him one of the first things he needed to do was quit drinking.
“I even said, ‘If you don’t want to hear any of this, I’ll leave right now and go,'” Gordon recounted. “And Lane said, ‘No, stay. I need to hear it,’ and a friendship began. He wanted to get better and was humble enough to take those steps, to move closer to God. That’s why I think his story is so great because he’s an example and a testament to so many people that you can change. You can get better.”
Kiffin’s oldest daughter, Landry, is a sophomore at Ole Miss. She moved to Oxford from Los Angeles prior to her senior year of high school to be with her father. In fact, had it not been for Landry, her dad might be coaching at Auburn right now. Kiffin was leaning toward taking the Auburn job toward the end of the 2022 season when Landry came to him with a heartfelt message.
“You left me one time for another job when you went to Alabama, and now I’m here with you and you’re going to do it again?” she asked her father.
Landry and her friends created a slideshow, complete with music, showing all of them together with Kiffin at Ole Miss. Meanwhile, the school was prepared to sweeten his deal. (He wound up signing a new six-year contract in November 2022 that was extended another year in December 2023 and pays him $9 million annually through the 2029 season.)
In addition to that big contract, what helped seal the decision for Kiffin was that he didn’t want to leave his daughter, not to mention the support from Ole Miss fans, athletic director Keith Carter and the “Grove Collective,” which was committed to dive into the deep end of the NIL pool.
“I think he’s where he needs to be right now, not just for me, but for him too,” Landry said. “It’s a different version of my dad for sure. He’s more involved with everything, more aware, and it wasn’t always this way. It’s been awesome to see. We all love seeing him like this.”
Pete Golding was Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama for five seasons before Kiffin hired him away prior to the 2023 season. Golding had never coached with Kiffin and made the move for family reasons. His wife, Carolyn, is an Ole Miss graduate, adjunct professor at the university and grew up in the Mississippi Delta. They wanted their three kids to be closer to her family.
Golding said the unique way Kiffin runs his program has been eye-opening after being part of Saban’s regimented model.
“You’re at Bama for so long and think that’s the only way you can do it and win,” Golding said. “Lane’s who he is and has seemed to find the perfect balance.”
The newfound balance in Kiffin’s life has also had an impact on Golding, who was arrested on a DUI charge in 2022 while coaching at Alabama.
“What I’ve appreciated about him the most is the way he’s turned his life around,” Golding said. “It’s been an inspiration for me. He’s been through a lot of things I’ve gone through. I had no damn clue what to expect when I got here, but this dude ain’t the Lane Kiffin I was hearing stories about at Alabama.”
NOBODY IS SUGGESTING Kiffin has suddenly become a choir boy. He still revels in trolling coaches and media members. There’s an old saying among his friends, former coaches and players, even family members, that “Lane is going to Lane.” His mother nicknamed him “Helicopter” as a kid because he would go from room to room stirring up things.
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze has been a frequent target of Kiffin’s on social media, most notably Kiffin trolling Freeze when reports surfaced that Auburn was taking control of Freeze’s social media accounts after he was hired.
In the last year, Kiffin has mocked LSU’s Brian Kelly and Missouri’s Eliah Drinkwitz for dancing and playing electric guitar, respectively, with recruits. And at SEC media days in July, Kiffin told ESPN’s Paul Finebaum on air, “Really, I don’t know what you’re good at.”
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Lane Kiffin ribs Paul Finebaum over past takes
Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin jabs at Paul Finebaum over past takes on his USC firing and Miley Cyrus.
Kiffin remains unpredictable, whether he’s in his office designing plays or at a news conference calling out his sponsors. It’s entertaining, but also makes his bosses and legal representatives a tad nervous anytime he’s behind a microphone.
Last week, Kiffin ended his news conference by picking up a bottle of Coca-Cola that routinely sits on the podium for advertising purposes — Coca-Cola is an official corporate sponsor — and asked, “Does anybody drink Coke?” as he proceeded to trash the soft drink.
“One hundred and thirty percent of your sugar for the entire day is in this one bottle,” he said.
KIFFIN HAS JOKED that he looked like an anaconda who swallowed a deer during his first season at Ole Miss. But he’s slimmed down considerably since he quit drinking and took up pickleball.
“He won’t play me one-on-one because he knows I will beat him, so he always wants to play doubles,” Dart said.
Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. met Kiffin at Alabama in 2015 when Weis was just 24 and working as an analyst. Weis said the changes in Kiffin go beyond his physique.
“Just a different guy. Not less competitive. He’s still competitive as hell,” Weis said. “There’s a lot more to him now than just football. You see it every day, whether it’s going over and helping out an equipment guy or helping one of our players with a problem off the field.”
Running backs coach Kevin Smith was on the plane with Kiffin when he came from Florida Atlantic to Ole Miss on Dec. 8, 2019, one of only two assistants Kiffin brought with him from FAU. Smith, who has been with Kiffin all but one season at Ole Miss, understands how his boss might not be for everybody.
“I don’t agree with everything LK does or says,” Smith said. “Who says we have to agree on everything? But when he screws up, he’s one of those people who can reflect and own it. He’s more of a thinker now. Trust me, I’ve seen him change. He’s taking care of his mind, taking care of his body, which I think is what kind of catapulted him to be more patient in life and as a coach.”
Smith, a record-setting running back at UCF, said Kiffin has been an example for him. Smith was struggling with his own demons. He gained a lot of weight, hitting 270 pounds, and said he was drinking way too much. Now he’s given up alcohol and credits Kiffin for his metamorphosis.
“I’m like, ‘If he can do it, then I can do it,'” Smith said. “And to watch him do it is what really inspired me, the way he changed his life, not just the drinking part. And then he brought me along too. He’s the one who got me working out. He’s the one who sat me down and we’d have talks every night, just me and him. I can’t tell you how much he’s influenced me, and I’m glad I’m right by his side.
“I’ve got his back. We all do.”
KIFFIN’S FATHER MONTE died July 11 at 84 after dealing with dementia. Monte was always around the Ole Miss football complex and known affectionately as “Pops.” They shared a deep connection.
Since Monte’s death, Kiffin said he has often thought about something Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said about his dad. Kiffin and Sarkisian coached together at USC and Alabama.
“It’s like Sark said, my dad cared about the people no one else really cared about,” Kiffin said. “He invested in everybody no matter who they were.”
Kiffin knows he will never be his dad, but he vows to be more like him, especially when it comes to family. Landry already is at Ole Miss and loving sorority life as a Kappa Kappa Gamma. Kiffin said the plan is for his son Knox to move to Oxford next summer and play football at Oxford High as a sophomore. He’s a quarterback. His daughter Presley will be a freshman at USC next year and plans to play volleyball.
Kiffin’s younger brother Chris also recently moved to Oxford with his family — they live on the same street as Kiffin. Kiffin hired Chris, who has coached in the NFL the past six seasons, most recently as the Houston Texans linebackers coach, as an analyst on the Ole Miss staff. It’s the third season the brothers have worked together.
“I know that’s what Dad would want, as many of us as possible to be together,” Kiffin said.
KIFFIN HAS STOCKPILED a staff of analysts, personnel directors and other football-based hires with a variety of backgrounds, including former head coaches Joe Judge (New York Giants) and Zach Arnett (Mississippi State).
Judge, who had no previous ties with Kiffin, had planned on taking the season off from coaching while visiting some campuses to refamiliarize himself with the college game.
“This was my first stop this spring, and I was planning on being here for three days, but by the middle of the second day, they were asking me if I would be interested in a deal,” said Judge, who worked for Bill Belichick in the NFL and Saban with Alabama. “And by the time I was getting ready to leave, there was something about it that was really good here, what they were doing, the energy. It was fun.”
For example, Kiffin often ended practices in preseason camp with a variety of basketball games, rolling a portable hoop into a team meeting room. One day he said he would scrap a scheduled walk-through if a stocky graduate assistant made a dunk. The players lowered the hoop as low as it would go, with some linemen hanging on the rim to pull it even lower, and the graduate assistant rammed it home. The place went wild, with Kiffin wearing the biggest grin of all.
“I’ve been to a lot of team meetings in my life,” Judge said. “I’ve never had one end in full contact basketball like that and then a dunk contest. It’s laid back, but when it’s time to work, you work here.”
Judge, who played at Mississippi State under Sylvester Croom, said what Kiffin has created — with the portal, his high-powered offense and culture — has elevated Ole Miss’ standing as a national brand.
“There have been a lot of good players from the state of Mississippi and all the Mississippi schools have had good players in the past, but he’s put a national element to this being a fashionable place for players to go from all around the country,” Judge said. “You can call a kid in California and Texas and Ohio, and when they hear Ole Miss is interested, that instantly makes them interested. It’s become an intriguing place to be.”
Kiffin isn’t running away from the lofty expectations this season. The general feeling around the program is that it’s College Football Playoff or bust for the Rebels.
Kiffin has taken Ole Miss to heights the program hasn’t experienced in decades. Prior to his arrival, Ole Miss had won 10 games in a season only three times in the previous 50 years. Kiffin has guided the Rebels to double-digit wins in two of the past three seasons. Last year was the first 11-win season in school history, capped by a 38-25 win over Penn State in the Peach Bowl, and Ole Miss finished with its highest ranking in the AP poll (No. 9) since 1969.
What Kiffin hasn’t done consistently as a head coach is beat the best teams on his schedule. He’s 6-25 against teams that finished the season ranked in the final AP poll. Two of those wins came last season against LSU and Penn State. To be fair, the only current SEC head coaches with a winning record against teams ranked in the final AP poll are Georgia’s Kirby Smart (28-12) and new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer (8-2).
The heightened expectations won’t change Kiffin’s aggressive approach.
“It’s not like we’re all of a sudden going to start going for it on fourth-and-2 inside our own territory,” Kiffin deadpanned. “That’s who we are. That’s what we do, go for it.”
When Kiffin took the Rebels’ job, he said he didn’t come to Ole Miss to be good. He came to be great. In his fifth season, this is his best chance yet to make good on that proclamation.
He realizes there will be questions along the way: How will the Rebels handle the hype? How will they respond if they lose to somebody they’re not supposed to? Will Kiffin hang around if a blue-blood job like Florida opens up?
Kiffin isn’t getting ahead of himself. He’ll deal with what’s right in front of him and let go of everything else. In one of his most recent journals, he wrote: “Ego was being replaced with self-respect, resentment and hatred were being replaced with tolerance and understanding. Fear was being replaced with trust, loneliness and self-pity with gratitude and love.”
As Kiffin put the preseason in his rear-view mirror, he treated himself to a night out on the town — by going on a neighborhood golf cart ride with his 10-year-old nephew Cookie.
“Times have changed,” Kiffin said.
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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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