Futures bets for college basketball and college football from SI analysts, and recommended fantasy players to add.
(This is “Winners Club,” Sports Illustrated’s Fantasy and Betting newsletter, which you can get delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Click here to subscribe.)
Monday night concluded another wacky week of NFL football.
Matt Stafford played like Jared Goff, the quarterback he was brought in to replace. Taylor Heinicke exacted revenge on the Buccaneers. Cam Newton scored a pair of touchdowns in a Panthers win over the Cardinals. The Chiefs won convincingly against the Raiders, which was surprisingly a surprise considering how this year has gone.
That’s just life in the National Football League—to Week 11 we go!
NFL and Fantasy Football
The 49ers won their first division game of the season in convincing fashion Monday night, with Jimmy Garroppolo, Deebo Samuel and Co. trouncing Stafford and the Rams’ new acquisitions, 31-10. Los Angeles failed to make up ground on the Cardinals in the NFC West following Arizona’s home loss to Carolina, and remains a game back of the division leaders.
Waiver Wire: Current and former Patriots are atop this week’s list of priority pickups. Newton—after his successful return for Carolina—and Mac Jones, who led New England to a blowout win over the Browns, are Shawn Childs’ recommended quarterback additions.
Paul Rutherford/USA TODAY Sports
Bye Week Blues: The Broncos and Rams are idle this week, which means Cooper Kupp, the No. 1 player in fantasy football, has to be replaced. Denver and Los Angeles have plenty of other startable players whom managers rely on. Craig Ellenport has the answers to the bye week conundrum.
Fantasy Impact of Patterson’s Sprained Ankle: Falcons breakout running back Cordarrelle Patterson could miss Thursday night’s game against the Patriots after suffering an injury in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Cowboys. Ellenport analyzes what Patterson’s injury means for fantasy managers, and how it affects Atlanta’s offense.
Jones to Miss At Least a Week with MCL Sprain: Packers running back Aaron Jones left Sunday’s win against the Seahawks early and did not return. Jones has been up and down, and his absence opens the door for an A.J. Dillon breakout, which has been seen in spurts this season.
NBA and Fantasy Basketball
There are three NBA games on the schedule tonight, including the league-leading Warriors facing the Nets in Brooklyn in a potential NBA Finals preview. MVP candidate Kevin Durant squares off against the team he helped win two titles.
I make picks for that game as well as the Spurs-Clippers matchup in Tuesday’s edition of SO/UP. Check out si.com/betting later today for the picks and analysis from guest picker Ben Pickman and myself, and visit SI Sportsbook to check out the lines.
Week 5 Power Rankings: No surprise: The Warriors and Nets are No. 1 and 2 in this week’s power rankings ahead of Tuesday’s showdown. The Western Conference is starting to make up ground in the top five with the Suns and Nuggets surging.
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
College Basketball and Football
Tuesday is an important day for collegiate hoops and football. The third College Football Playoff rankings come out tonight. No. 8 Oklahoma lost Saturday, but the top 10 otherwise held strong.
CFP Championship Betting Breakdown: Frankie Taddeo checks in on the futures odds of top-ranked Georgia and the rest of the contenders ahead of the latest ranking drop.
Four top-10 teams take the court Tuesday evening as the second week of the men’s college basketball season begins. Later today on si.com/betting, guest picker Kevin Sweeney and I will have picks and analysis for Seton Hall vs. No. 4 Michigan and BYU vs. No 12 Oregon.
Kirthmon F. Dozier/USA TODAY Images
Wooden Award Futures Sleepers: Carter Yates helps you dig through the crowded field of candidates for “most outstanding” college basketball player in the country, and he has three sleeper picks to take home the award.
Subscriber Q&A
I appreciate each and every person who’s subscribed to the newsletter since this project began some 11 weeks ago, and I want to hear from you! This isn’t only a forum to help you set your lineups and place winning tickets—though we have you covered there, too—it’s a community. I love hearing from people on Twitter that some advice they took from myself or someone else on the SI Betting or Fantasy team led to a winning week or bet, and I recognize that not every pick is perfect—we can take criticism, too. The point is: I want to hear about your narrow wins, bad beats and, most importantly, what you want out of this forum. Email me at winnersclub@si.com for a chance to be featured or to submit whatever pressing questions you have.
That’s all for now. I’ll talk to you Thursday.
