Ja'Marr Chase or Justin Jefferson? 🏈🏆

"How Can You Not Be Romantic About Baseball?"

The Philadelphia Phillies snagged Michael Lorenzen at the trade deadline, hoping he'd give their starting rotation a boost as they pushed for the playoffs.

In only his second appearance for the squad, he exceeded expectations by pitching a no-hitter in a 7-0 victory against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday night in Philadelphia, all while his family watched from the stands. How can you not be romantic about baseball?

Is this just a team of destiny? I initially picked the Phillies as my team at the beginning of the year, but gave up on them immediately when they kicked off the season with a 1-6 record! 🤣 To win the NLCS, they've got a few hurdles to leap over.

Here's a breakdown of the odds:

• Atlanta Braves (+150)

• Los Angeles Dodgers (+165)

• Philadelphia Phillies (+950)

The Dodgers? Not a concern. They seem to choke every single year. On the other hand, the Braves look solid – a team that I would be scared of.

Yet, I'm still in love with how the Phillies are built for the playoffs. They've got those star players who shine in the biggest moments. That's the recipe for postseason success.

If I were a betting man (which I am), I'd jump on their (+950) line as the National League Winner right now. And if I am feeling especially daring, that (+1900) to win it all might just get my attention. 👀

Preseason Football Needs Some Love

Texans vs Patriots tonight at 7:00 PM ET

Preseason football is very underrated. While it's true that we observe backup players in action, the excitement stems from the opportunity to witness promising rookies and second-year talents taking the field. This holds particularly true for players like C.J. Stroud, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, making his debut in the professional football arena. Yet, in the realm of betting, the preseason primarily revolves around the performances of backup players.

The Texans still have Davis Mills as their backup, a player who has held the starting position for the past two years. Additionally, they've got Case Keenum, a seasoned 35-year-old quarterback with ample experience in preseason games. These choices provide a strong front to take on the second- and third-string defensive players of the Patriots.

On the other side, I'm skeptical that Mac Jones will see action. This means the Patriots will likely field Bailey Zappe, Trace McSorley, and Malik Cunningham – all strong contenders.

Given the better-than-average quarterback depth on both teams, I'm leaning toward betting on the Over for this game.

Vikings vs Seahawks tonight at 10:00 PM ET

The only thing I really find exciting in this game is watching the rookie wide receivers, Vikings’ Jordan Addison and Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Besides that, I do not see any bets I am loving for this game. Let’s just watch the rookies go off in the first quarter.

Fantasy Football Experts Mock Draft 🏈🏆

Ja’Marr Chase over Justin Jefferson?! Do they know something we don’t?

Last week, our writer, Sam Wagman hosted 12 of the biggest fantasy football experts in the industry (including some of our Caps Off guys) to do a fantasy football mock draft. The results show you exactly which players experts are favoring and where you can draft them.

The mock draft style was pretty standard: 14 rounds, you start 1 QB, 2 RB, 3 WR, 1 TE, 2 FLEX and fill out the bench from there. Below, you will find the order in which everyone picked and who they selected in the first round.

1. Frank Ammirante (The Game Day) - Ja’Marr Chase - WR1

2. Lindellions (Reception Perception) - Justin Jefferson - WR2

3. Jordan Vanek (The 33rd Team) - Tyreek Hill - WR3

4. Herms (DraftSharks) - Austin Ekeler - RB1

5. Dave Kluge (Footballguys) - Cooper Kupp - WR4

6. Matt De Lima (The Game Day) - Christian McCaffrey - RB2

7. Chris Allen (MBFantasyLife) - Travis Kelce - TE1

8. Bob Harris (Football Diehards) - Bijan Robinson - RB3

9. Adam Tabatchnick (The Game Day) - Stefon Diggs - WR5

10. Felipe Fontes (The Game Day) - CeeDee Lamb - WR6

11. Derek Brown (FantasyPros) - Amon-Ra St. Brown - WR7

12. Scott Engel (The Game Day) - Saquon Barkley - RB4

Click this link to view rounds 2-7, where the REAL picks are made, where the trenches are built, and where Felipe Fontes, for some inexplicable reason, selected two Cowboys backups. 🤣 All kidding aside, the late rounds are how you win your draft and where you find diamonds in the rough. See how industry experts navigated rounds 2-7. 👇

Amari Cooper, Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver

UNDERRATED - BET THE OVER!

Amari Cooper went largely unrecognized despite his consistent performance.

Over the last four seasons, Cooper has exceeded 1,100 receiving yards in three of them.

Even in the 2022 season, Cooper managed to secure the 12th position in receiving yards, shared sixth place in receiving touchdowns (9), and tied for 19th in yards per game (68.2).

At 29 years old, he's undoubtedly Cleveland's primary receiver. If Watson regains his Pro Bowl level of play, Cooper has the potential to emerge as a top-10 or even top-five fantasy point generator.

Having had a complete offseason to work together, Watson and Cooper are poised to cultivate a remarkable synergy this year.

Cooper has hit the 1,000-yard mark in four of his last five years

James Cook, Buffalo Bills Running Back

I don’t even understand how James Cook is being valued as high as he is. When has a Bills running back ever really performed? To truly diversify their offense, the Bills must increase their ground game, and I'm not talking about Josh Allen scrambling.

They need a legit running game to open up those passing plays, but honestly, I'm still waiting to see that happen, and I'm not holding my breath for this season.

Cook and former Patriot, Damien Harris are probably going to divvy up the action in the backfield. Yet, the idea of sharing the load with an agile quarterback who frequently opts for red-zone plays himself, all while leading an offense focused on passing the ball, doesn't exactly instill confidence in me

The Miami Dolphins Offensive Line

PERFECTLY RATED - BET THE UNDER!

I guess Tua Tagovailoa can just throw it up and Tyreek Hill and Jalen Waddle will be down there somewhere. This offensive line is honestly hard to watch, and it’s truly sad because this team is built with some serious ballers. However, this offensive line will hurt them all year… again.

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