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Luis Severino is our top play, but he’s one of the few with clearly favorable matchup. In fact, many of today pitchers, including Michael Fulmer, Cole Hamels, Gio Gonzalez, Charlie Morton, and Alex Cobb, have poor matchups based on the splits. The numbers actually point to Mike Clevinger and Danny Duffy as solid options despite traditionally scary opponents and ballparks (@BOS and @BAL, respectively). Marco Estrada, who’s struggled noticeably since the start of June, has the best matchup of the day (@CWS), but it actually wouldn’t be surprising if he has a high ownership percentage....

If you feel the need to dip below that quintet, the two guys in the lone night game are unfortunately the next best options. Beyond that you’re taking a pretty big risk with anyone else, especially when you factor in the head-to-head matchups of Dylan Bundy (vs. McCullers and the Astros) and J.A. Happ (vs. Kluber and the Indians). Even Kyle Freeland, who has pitched well in Colorado all year (3....

Of course, there are also plenty of late-season injuries to contend with, including DeMarcus Cousins (knee), Kobe Bryant (shoulder), Andre Igoudala (ankle), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (illness), Kevin Love (illness), Goran Dragic (ankle), and Jonas Valanciunas (hand). The latter three are expected play, but most of the others will be game-time calls. Checking the latest injury info is important, as playing time opens up when a normal starter is out. That’s where you can find the real sleepers to pair with some of the stars listed below....

With that in mind, our DFS advice hones in on the strategy of finding values from the likes of players on teams competing for the postseason, especially when they’re facing those who are not. Case in (DFS) point(s): The offensively potent Falcons at home against the breathing corpse known as the 49ers – our sure-fire stacking plays of the week. WEEK 15 DFS: FanDuel GPP lineup | DK cash | DK GPP | DFS lineup builder...

We play the safe floor and high ceiling for the most part, but we also take a big swing for salary relief at one running back spot to take advantage of the many mid-priced and high-upside wide receivers this week. WEEK 9 RANKINGSQuarterback | Running back | Wide receiver | Tight end | D/ST | Kicker Week 9 FanDuel NFL DFS Picks: Cash game Dak Prescott, QB, Cowboys vs. Chiefs ($8,200)...

Elsewhere there are reports of 3 marquee Premier League transfers happening in the upcoming January window including the inevitable replacement for Cesc Fabregas. Alaba turns down Manchester United and picks Arsenal Manchester United defensive target David Alaba will prefer a move to Arsenal next summer instead of joining Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United, according to reports from Manchester Evening News. Recent reports have suggested that Mourinho is weighing up a move for Alaba next summer but the Bayern Munich man in favour of joining Arsenal due to their playing style....

— So there he was, Peyton Manning, NFL legend and former Tennessee football hero, taking in the drivers meeting at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was a time for Manning to hobnob with Dale Earnhardt Jr. Their common denominator: sponsorship. MORE: Bristol starting lineup | 10 drivers to watch | Angry drivers ahead Manning, by the way, is 6-5, making Junior seem small even though he is 6 feet tall....

Earnhardt, who spent the laps late in the race in May believing he would drive through wrecks in hope of getting closer to the front, ended up finishing a disappointing 26th. He said afterward he couldn’t afford to get hurt again at Talladega, the place where he suffered a concussion in 2012. MORE: Race predictions | Dale Jr. photos | Where is Earnhardt in SN Power Rankings? His Talladega strategy did not sit well with many of his fans, disappointed in him for not trying more moves....

NASCAR’s most popular driver will follow in Aaron Rodgers’ footsteps as the second celebrity guest picker for ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday. “That’s a home run,” show producer Jim Gaiero said, via the Roanoke Times. “The best college football game is never really near the NASCAR community, whether it’s Charlotte or wherever the race is that week. They never seem to coincide. This is the perfect storm. And unfortunately with Junior’s condition, he has the time off....

Earnhardt’s No. 88 car will start from the back of the field at Sunday’s FedEx 400 after his team had to change a rear gear in his Chevrolet earlier in the day. Earnhardt qualified 16th on Friday. MORE: Drivers to watch at Dover | Picks and odds | Why Jimmie Johnson isn’t going for 11th win Hendrick Motorsports noted the rule was put into effect for last week’s Coca-Cola 600....

Let just be glad they did, becuase this is fantastic. MORE: Most beloved NBA players | Best & worst case scenarios for the Mavericks Mark Cuban, you've done it again. 

Late in the game, there was another play at midcourt, and this one showed the competitiveness Lillard brings. It was a pivotal moment, and it should be getting him some extra notice. It was his chasedown strip of the Nets’ Caris LeVert, who was his team’s Lillard this night in the Central Florida bubble. The turnover led to a CJ McCollum bucket and a four-point Blazers lead with 53.4 seconds to play....

Lillard entered tonight’s contest against the Oklahoma City Thunder needing just 21 points to pass franchise icon Clyde Drexler on the all-time scoring charts and in the third quarter he did just that. SIGN UP TO WATCH EVERY GAME ON NBA LEAGUE PASS: U.S. and U.K. | All other countries With 8:48 remaining in the period, Lillard brought up his 18,040th career point with a signature long-range 3-pointer to tie Drexler’s all-time record....

Raiders General Manager Mike Mayock announced the decision to release Arnette during a conference call, saying that it was a “very painful decision.” “Today we waived Damon Arnette…We spent significant time, effort and resources trying to help him in all facets of his life,” Mayock said during the call. “There have been a series of bad decisions over the past year or so, but we can’t stand, we cannot stand for the video of Damon with a gun threatening to take a life....

Boyle watched from the stands as his Rangers exited the Stanley Cup Playoffs on Saturday; a healthy scratch in Game 5 against the Penguins due to what we think was sheer ineffectiveness. A terrific defenseman for more than 15 years, now 39 and getting paid $4.5 million annually, lost it. MORE: Best active NHL player at each jersey number Boyle had been losing it since he signed with the Rangers in July of 2014, and everything reached its tipping point Tuesday when he cursed out New York Post columnist Larry Brooks for criticism of him over the past two seasons....

Bullock and Gonzalez combined to make all eight of their kicks during the preseason — four field goals and four extra points — but they had their share of issues during training camp practices. Apparently, that was concerning enough that the Lions elected to release both players during their final roster cuts. As a result, they don’t have a kicker. MORE: What to expect from NFL’s rookie starters in Week 1...

We have some injury situations to monitor, which will hopefully open up some more value plays as we get closer to tip-off. If you’re looking to keep tabs on late scratches because of injuries or rest, follow our Player Alarms for news throughout the day, and check back for updates to the Playbook on Fantasy Alarm. MORE: Sporting News DFS | GO PRO with Fantasy Alarm Sporting News Fantasy’s partners at Fantasy Alarm are here to help with your lineup picks with their Daily Fantasy Basketball Playbook, which, along with daily rankings, analysis, lineups and more, is available in full to Fantasy Alarm subscribers....