#ref: nathan's starters | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

shnuggletea · 4 years

Photo

Hey there! Been a minute I know. So, be honest, how many of you thought this was done? Shame, shame. The title says it all, Infinity. As in I ain't close to finished with this one lol! My hope is to go past college with this series but we shall see. I'm updating because someone asked me about updating this. Why am I telling you this? Because if you ask, you shall receive. Unless I don't have more material at the moment but then I'll just start writing the update for you.

I'm not going to update this one again until October because the next chapter in Halloween. I messed up my timing on this fic lol. But there you go, you have an ETA for the next chapter! Hope you all enjoy it!

Fanfiction link HERE!

AO3 link HERE!

Eighths

The locker room was cold, the bench beneath me causing me to hiss when my skin touched the metal. Keno chuckled at me, pulling his jersey on over his head. The bright white of our 'away' shirts dotted out all around the small room, as visiting team we had duffels at our feet filled with all our equipment for the night.

I was pulling long white socks over my shin guards, shooting Keno a glare. "What's so funny?"

He shrugged, "You and your continued annoyance with our travel games."

"Undressing in strange places bugs me."

Keno stopped, grinning down at me, "Something tells me that's not true. Otherwise, you and Usagi wouldn't have gotten caught in the auditorium last week."

"Our clothes were on, thank you. I'd be dead if I got caught doing more than kissing with Usako."

"That's not what the entire school is saying."

A squeak and a huff and Zenko was sitting next to me, "What is the entire school saying?"

"About Mamoru and Usagi last week."

I glared up at Keno who just chortled at me. "Oh, you mean them getting caught having sex?"

"We weren't having sex!"

"Not what I heard."

Laces tied, I jumped to my feet, turning on them as Jin nosed his way into the conversation. "Cause the rumors around our school are always accurate?"

I watched as grimaces grew on each of their faces. Keno knew through Minako how wild and vicious the rumor mill at our school could be. Jin had his share first hand, a rumor going around for a while that his Dad left him and his Mom for another man. And Zenko? He was suffering right now, rumors running wild that Ami and Seiya were a real couple, which included sleeping together.

"As I said, just stupid rumors."

"Not that you mind'em eh?" Nathan added, not reading the room as he clapped a hand on my shoulder before plopping down.

A glance had me finding Seiya, slow to change into his uniform, chatting it up with a few other players and wasting time. The rumor that Usagi had slept with Seiya right before me had died long ago but its effects were lingering. Ami still wasn't talking to Usagi and even though no one chose sides or asked, Ami cut herself off completely from the others as well. I was pretty sure how guys got girls to do things they normally wouldn't.

Six games, three of them home games, and Ami sat far away from the girls each time to quietly cheer Seiya on. Like the dick deserved it. He sat on the bench for most of the game, playing maybe 20 minutes out of the 90.

Zenko was glaring at Seiya too, the only person out of us that Ami still talked to. The two of them must have bonded, taking her home after my birthday party. Zenko was the type to do anything for his friends and it looked like he was staying silent for his friend Ami. I wondered how much longer that would last? What with Seiya flirting with the wanna-be's after every practice now. Looking for his next victim it would seem cause no way in hell was Ami sleeping with him.

And if she was, he was losing interest because he had been seriously close to taking a girl home the other day after practice, Minako not so subtly reminding him, and the girl he was with, that he had a girlfriend.

"Why don't you just admit it, Mamoru," taking my eyes off the cluster fuck waiting to happen, Keno was smirking again, "the reason you hate away games is because Usagi doesn't come."

When did I become so transparent? Yes, I hated the away games because Usagi didn't come to them. That was my call, not wanting her to have to find transportation all over Honolulu just for a stupid soccer game. Sure, I missed hearing her screaming from the stands and the little t-shirt she wore with my name and jersey number on it. The signs she made were nice too, even if they were embarrassing, the last one saying, 'Mamo works hard and plays HARDER'.

Something I happily proved to her after the game, her not able to even say the word 'harder' when I fucked her later that night. That was another thing I missed when she didn't come to my games, getting to go off somewhere afterward that was quiet and going at it hard like rabbits. On away games, I had to sneak into her room after I got home. I enjoyed either one, taking Usagi somewhere and making her scream or quietly making love to her. One, we could be as loud and wild as we wanted but the other, we could be fully naked and hold each other. The fear of her mom walking in, in the middle was a bit hindering.

Their eyes were all on me and it didn't look like what I said mattered. "It's not like I expect her to follow us around. That is asking too much."

"Is it? I asked Minako yesterday."

Doing a double-take, I caught the serious look on his face. "And she said?"

"That she'd love to."

"Alright, let's go, gentlemen, it's showtime!"

The tone of Coach's voice had us all tensing up. "God, can someone get the stick out of his ass?"

Zenko sneered at Jin, "Can you blame him? Two losses already and now we are up against Edith Academy and we lose to them every year. One more loss and we are out of finals."

"Best part," they all looked at me, "he blames all of it on me."

Nathan huffed, "How'de figure?"

"It's cause he's got his head up Usagi's ass!" Seiya tossed out, sauntering by and eavesdropping.

I gave him the finger and he kept moving. Which was good because a fist to the face would have definitely gotten us a loss tonight. "Ignore him. Sore asshole."

Zenko was gently pushing me towards the door, the five of us walking out to the field together. Seiya wasn't completely wrong, whenever Usagi wasn't at the game I didn't play as well. A combination of not caring as much if she wasn't there to cheer me on and my mind elsewhere thinking about her. If we lose tonight I'd never hear the end of it from Coach, more bull shit about getting my act together.

We jogged out, the crowd on our side getting to their feet to cheer us on. I didn't want to waste any time, getting my starters out on the field for the coin toss. Our backs to our crowd, I had to look over the larger and packed stand of our opponent. All part of the game, the opposition using their friends and family to help intimidate. There was a reason why the visitors' side of most stadiums was small, to encourage less support.

"MAMORU!"

The Ref before me and I still turned, unable to stop myself from finding the voice. There she was, golden girl in the bright white shirt, my name in big letters across her breast. Usagi had come.

Minako was next to her and my parents sat right behind them. Keno was already waving so I joined in, Usagi blowing me a kiss and making my heart soar. No doubt, we were going to win tonight.

Winning the coin toss, the others spread out on the field, ready to play. It was easy to block out the sounds of the crowd. If it wasn't Usagi's voice, I didn't want to hear it. A dull hum in the back of my mind, the ball dropped and I took off. I might have been showing off a little, dancing with the ball till I passed it off to Jin for a goal. The goalie dived but it flew just past his fingertips. A goal within the first five minutes of the game was rare. We were so going to win tonight.

Three goals to us and two goals to Edith and it was halftime. I walked the line, getting as close as I could to the stands and Usagi watched me the whole time, her face resting on her palm with her elbow on her knee. Mom gave me a small but obnoxious wave until I waved back, Usagi giggling from my obvious annoyance. Then Mom went back to chatting up Dad, the two most likely discussing my future and trying to get Usagi involved in it.

Halftime was spent in silence, all of us breathing in deeply and enjoying the air-conditioned reprieve. That is until my phone dinged inside my bag.

A few looked my way with a smirk, like Zenko and Nathan, while I dug it out.

I hope you're saving some energy for me tonight?

I couldn't help the dumbass smile I got on my face, a few chuckling at me from it as if they could read my phone.

I always have the energy for you, Usako.

Well, do your best. If you're too tired then I will gladly do all the work ;)

Good god, now she was getting me hard with text messages.

I'll talk to you after otherwise, all my blood will be elsewhere.

:( Okay

A soft chuckle escaped, returning my phone, our break over as Coach clapped his hands at us to get up and get back out there. "Keep it up, boys! The next 45 minutes are going to be the toughest of your lives!"

Keno shook his head at me but we said nothing, gliding past Coach who gave us nods of approval. Thank god he didn't slap our asses like some coaches did. I would have left the team years ago.

Somehow, Usagi managed to scream louder than the rest of the crowd, my name flowing over the top of the cheering. The only one who seemed bothered by it was, of course, Seiya, cursing and bitching about the sound of my girlfriend's voice. Everything about Usagi was beautiful and anyone would agree. Seiya was just a jealous prick.

Taking his spot on the bench, I smirked at him for a moment as I took my spot on the field. The truth was, I never really needed to say or do anything to Seiya. I just needed to keep living my life and it would be enough to piss him off.

Tied up, Keno scoring the last goal, there were only ten minutes left in the game. If it were any other night, I would have gladly gone into overtime. But Usagi was watching. Edith's captain was pushed over the line by Jin so Jin took the throw-in, aiming right at me. Everyone knew, when Usagi was around, I did better than even I knew I had in me. Her presence alone brought out the best in me every time.

The ball in my control and the clock ticking, there was no way I was going to get close to our goal by running it in. The buzzer sounded, me only halfway to our goal, and I slammed my foot into the checkered ball as hard as I could. Time slowed as it soared through the air, the goalie not even paying attention, the dumb ass, jumping at the last second after my shot. It sailed past him, his body dropping to the ground with a thud that was heard all around as well as the swish as the ball hit the net behind with everyone holding their breath with me. The Ref allowed it, giving us the point and sound exploded all around me.

I was in shock for a moment, Keno and Jin breaking me out of it with slaps to the back and shouts of glee. Then I was running. Right up to the stands and jumping up on the railing. Usagi met me, grabbing my jersey in her fist and pulling me closer.

"You're my good luck charm."

Her face split with her smile while mine cracked open, pushing up the last inch to claim her mouth with mine. It didn't last long, strange hands patting my back and making it weird. Falling back to the ground, I gave her one last look and a wink before heading back to my teammates, still celebrating in the middle of the field. I had to call them to attention and remind them of good sportsmanship which only half-rolled their eyes at.

I was rushing, quick to the showers and back to my duffle. All I had was my uniform and the worn-out t-shirt and cloth shorts that I wore here, but Usagi wouldn't care anyway. Hell, she wouldn't even care if I showered or not but I wanted to not smell like sweat and grass for her.

Cleaned, dressed, stuff packed, and Coach and teammates appeased I made for the exit as fast as I could without looking too overeager. My sneakers squeaked on the polished tile floor, echoing off the empty hall that led out of the school and to the parking lot. The steps behind me, I assumed was Keno as he rushed off behind me to Minako, slowed to a stop.

"The Ref should have called that shot out, you know."

Against better judgment, I turned. My face blank as I stared at Seiya. "Come on man, we won! The team won! You are supposed to be happy about that!"

"I am when it's fair."

"It was the Ref's call and he counted it in. What is your problem?"

The guy was actually grimacing. We just beat our biggest rivals and instead of being thankful, he searched out faults. "I'm tired of spoiled pieces of shit like you getting everything, while those of us who play by the rules and work hard for everything, get fucked!"

"What...are you talking about?!"

I should just walk away. The guy was crazy. Delusional. But the overly inquisitive side of me just had to know.

"I'm talking about you, Mamoru Chiba. Son of the owner of Utopia, straight A's student, soccer captain, and boyfriend of Usagi Tsukino. What part of that list did Daddy buy huh? He bought his company, did he buy your grades? Your placement on the team? Did he buy Usagi for you too?"

It was laughable, so I laughed, turning on my heel and making for the exit. "You don't know shit. Your grades and skills were enough to prove that to me before and now, your dumb mouth only solidifies it for me."

I thought he was done. I sure as hell was. "One day, Chiba, you are going to be out of money and luck. You and I both know you sure as shit don't have any charm to save your ass and everyone is going to see you for the worthless fuck you are. Especially Usagi."

"You know, you should really stop acting like you know everything. You know shit."

I double-timed it, leaving Seiya and his crazy shit show behind. Was my family wealthy? Sure, but that had nothing to do with my success and I knew this as did the rest of the world. But trying to prove or explain that to people like Seiya was a waste of breath. He had already made up his fucked up mind about it.

The fact that he thought Usagi would be with anyone over something as petty as money was enough for me to walk away. Seiya was living in another land where everything was set against him by me it seemed. Usagi's family had their own money. Hell, her father owned 20% of Utopia and he bought in before the company went public.

It didn't matter how much he wanted Usagi or if it was even for legit reasons instead of fucking with me. If I learned anything in the last two months it was; how to make Usagi come so hard she passed out, trying to study with her was pointless unless I used a reward system like candy or kisses, and most importantly that we were soul mates.

I also learned that 'no sex on a school night' policies made the weekends precious and not to be wasted arguing with psychos.

She was sitting on my bike, waiting for me and perked up at the sight of me. "I was just about to send a search party!"

"Oh yeah? And who exactly would you send?"

I had my arm around her waist, the other one still holding my duffle or it would be around her as well. "Papa Chiba. He can do anything!"

Her eyes went wide when she said 'anything' like my Dad was magic or something. There were many moments in my memories that had me easily agreeing with her on that. Settling my bag on the back of the bike, I got my other arm around her and she pressed into me as much as she could without falling off.

"You came to my game?"

She gasped, faking shock, "Of course I did! It's your biggest rival and I'm your lucky charm!"

I pressed my lips to hers hard for a long second, humming against her mouth. "Hmmm...yes you are."

Her eyes flitted off of mine to something behind me. Or should I say, someone, turning my head slightly and catching Seiya as he passed. Phone at his ear, he talked far louder than necessary.

"Hey, Ames, what are you up to right now?"

Usagi's face fell, hearing her lost friend's name still bringing her pain. I pulled her face back up, her eyes sparkling with unshed tears. "Ami will come around. Trust me. Seiya is going to fuck up soon and she will see him for what he really is."

A sniff and a few blinks and I wiped away the few tears that got free with my thumbs. "Is that what took you so long? Seiya held you up again?"

She knew me too well. And I had hoped to get away with that encounter. "He said more crazy shit that didn't make sense about me."

"I guess that's better than him talking about me again. Means he's moving on." My tongue tripped and she caught it. "Great. At least he's consistent."

"Don't worry about it. We have far more important things to focus on. Like applications. Did you get yours finished young lady?"

She smirked, her arms wrapping around my neck. "Yes, teacher."

"Good girl."

"Do I get my reward?" She ran her tongue over my bottom lip and I moaned, loudly. "You gonna take me somewhere quiet? Your lucky charm wants to help you get lucky again."

I'd never slapped my helmet on so hard in my life, Usagi giggling as I pushed her to the back of the bike, her taking only a second to get her helmet on.

Our houses were in the suburbs of Honolulu. Which meant in the middle of nowhere. It was a 30-minute drive to town and it was all thick forest with the occasional house cutting into it all the way there. The private road that led up to our houses, off the main road and up a small hill, was made of gravel and only the two houses were on it. Usagi and I weren't just neighbors, we were the only neighbors either of us had.

Which was always fine with me because I never liked competing for Usagi's attention.

Because we lived out in the middle of nothing, as kids, we did a lot of exploring. Which led to us discovering the small park I now pulled into.

It was on the edge of the bluff, a bit of a hike down to the water but it was doable. Not at night though, you would break an ankle or your neck. Once my engine silenced, you could hear the waves crashing and the crickets chirping. The sky above was an endless sea of stars and even as kids, Usagi said this was one of her favorite spots, saying it was 'like being on the edge of the world'. I, being the jerk I was, always liked to point out that the world is round and therefore doesn't have an edge.

Usagi got off, looking over the area and pulling off her helmet. I had mine in my arms, watching her, wondering if she remembered this place. "Like being on the edge of the world, isn't it?"

She turned back, matching my smirk. "Mamo, the Earth is round, it doesn't have an edge."

Her voice got weird at the end, deepening to an unnatural level. "Was that supposed to be me?"

"Usako," her voice went even lower, "that one is a planet, not a star. Do you even pay attention in astrology camp?"

Hands on her lovely hips, she gave me a lopsided grin while I chuckled. "I was hoping to impress you."

"Instead, you made me feel stupid."

Dropping my helmet and grabbing her shirt, I pulled her back to me, wrapping my arms loosely around, while she pouted at me. "I'm sorry, Baby. You know, you are far from stupid, right?"

She was still pouting but the corners of her lips turned up a little as she shook her head at me.

"I'm sorry I ever made you feel anything other than the intelligent, beautiful, funny, sexy, and amazing woman that you are."

Now she rolled her eyes, "You don't have to lay it on so thick, Mamo. I'm going to sleep with you."

A laugh barked out of me, tightening my hold. "Oh, I know. That's not why I said it. I said it because it's true."

Slow and gentle, she pulled my hands off her, unwrapping herself and standing a few inches from me on my bike. Fidgeting and twerking her hips, she shimmied her panties off from under the little, ruffled skirt she wore and placed them over my shoulder. I started to get up, planning on taking her over to the picnic table a few feet away to have my way with her but she stopped me with a hand on my shoulder.

"I wanna do it on your bike."

Hot blood coursed through me, Usagi reaching over and working me out of the elastic waistband on my shorts, my cock now standing at attention for her in the breeze. But then she turned from me, grabbing the handles and put a leg on either side of me. Sitting down slowly, I held my cock and guided it into her hot, wet core. She sat in my lap now, her back to my chest and her hands still on my handlebars with me filling her up.

Then she started to bounce.

My hands flew to her hips, both my feet on the ground to hold the bike steady while I steadied her thrusts. The new angle was greatly appreciated, taking me in impossibly deep over and over again. At this rate, her sides were going to have bruises matching my fingers because I was gripping and pulling her down on me so tight and hard, the bike was bouncing on its wheels.

Panting heavily, I pulled her back, her hands slipping from the handles as I put her back flush with my chest. Her hips didn't stop, rolling them in a circle that had stars falling from the sky. Her thin, homemade t-shirt was a little tight but stretchy. It allowed me to slip my hands under it and get to her skin. Her heart was pounding under my palms as I slowly worked my hands up her ribs and under her bra.

Her head flopped back to my shoulder and I nipped at whatever I could reach of her skin. Her hands were on my thighs, helping herself move. I was rolling her nipples in between my fingers when she started to cry out, her orgasm wetting my shorts. But I loved it.

She was slowing, trying to keep up her rhythm but she was falling fast. I stopped her, pulling my hands from her breast and slipping them down to her thighs to still her. "Let's go to the picnic table, Lucky Charm. I want to make you come again."

Her crazed giggle came out, the one she made when she was loopy happy and I picked her up to carry her to the table. Many times over the years, we'd sneak out at night and lay on this table to look at the stars. Now I laid her down on it and looked at the stars reflected in her eyes.

I leaned over her, setting her down so her hips were on the edge of the table, and kissed her deep. She flicked her tongue across my lips and parted them, the two of us fighting over each other's mouths. Twisting under me, her head went back and forth, trying to taste every inch of me as I tasted her. And her hips wiggled against mine too, my shorts having slipped back up over me I now had two layers between me and her.

One hand holding me over her, I used the other to push my shorts and briefs off my hips, getting them just past my balls before giving up. She spread her legs, wrapping them around me in anticipation.

But I didn't make her wait, not any longer, burying into her till there was nothing left of myself. She arched, her ribs lifting as if pulled by a string and I stood up to watch. My rhythm was slow but heavy, her body jumping from my thrust. Usagi gripped the edge of the table, keeping herself from moving while I pounded her.

It was hard not to go a little crazy, my name printed across her chest, bouncing with her breast and her writhing under me. Her thighs in my hands, I put her legs over my shoulders and started pulling out to my tip and ramming into her so hard, my own head spun.

"Oh god...yes Mamo...YES! AH, MAMO!"

She clenched me so hard, I struggled to pull out and my entire body throbbed with my orgasm. Usagi was still screaming my name when I fell over her, grabbing the end of the table above her head to help me pull myself into her. No one around so neither of us was holding back, myself included as I screamed her name, some semblance of sentences coming out of me as I tried to tell her she was fucking amazing. I was still twitching inside her, laying with most of my weight on top of her for a few moments. She just ran her hands up and down my back, whispering little things like how she loved me and how good I made her feel. It was hard not to fall in love with her all over again when she did things like this. From making me boneless from sex to her screaming my name in the stands for me, to causing my heart to race with her words or a single smile. I'd fall in love with her over and over again if given the chance, but that would require me falling out of love with her first and that was impossible.

Somehow, her panties had managed to stay on my shoulder the entire time and I tried not to take offense in that, sliding them back up on Usagi's hips with a little help from her. My shorts back in place, I climbed onto the table with her and she curled into me. Silent for a long time, we just looked at the stars, just as we had as children.

Her face found its way into my neck, rubbing her nose against my skin. "You have it wrong you know. You're my lucky charm, I'm not yours."

I shifted a little, trying to see her eyes but she had them hidden. "How is that?"

The hold she had on my shirt tightened, her leg wrapping a little higher on my thigh and I grabbed it with my hand. "I always wanted to be in the same classes as you so I studied hard but all I could do was just barely miss the advanced line. And now I've applied to multiple colleges, all in Seattle because you believed in me. I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for you."

"I wouldn't be where I am now if it wasn't for you." Her head popped up, looking at me and finally letting me see her eyes, "You were...are my best friend, my only friend for all of my life. Everything I am, the person I am today is because you were always there for me. And because I love you."

Putting an elbow under her, she propped her face upon her fist. "Well, that proves it I guess."

"Proves what?"

Her face was so fucking adorable, I was putty. "That we are meant to be! In love! Soul mates!"

She said it so easily, defining us in a way I hadn't dared to say out loud for the past two months of knowing. Even without any doubt, I wanted to hear her theories. "Soul mates?"

Her furious nod on top of her fist had my heart swelling in my chest. "Real, true, soul mate kind of love changes you. It makes you a better person, into your best person without trying. It just...happens. Because that love builds you up. And you build me up, Mamo."

A gentle push on the arm that held her and she slowly fell to me, letting me kiss her. She pulled away but hovered close. "You build me up too, Usako. To the highest peak."

Her eyes danced around my face as she looked down at me, a grin pulling at one side of her face before lowering it to mine again. A hand in her hair to hold her, we planted slow, wet kisses on one another.

Tired of holding her weight, she fell to me completely and I pulled her even more on top of me. A few more sweet caresses and she flopped to my chest, a content sigh coming from her. Tiny fingers ran up and down my arm, a small tickle coming from it while I played with her hair, endless locks uncontained so she could get a helmet over her head.

"Minako's Halloween Party is this Friday. Are we still going costume shopping tomorrow?" I groaned, it vibrating through my chest to hers. "Mamo, you promised."

"Ug..fine. But I am not wearing anything stupid."

She giggled, dancing on my chest. "We will steer clear of the 'stupid' section."

A grunt from me and I lifted us both up to sit. "I better get you home unless you want to be grounded for all of that….which doesn't sound too bad…"

Usagi jumped off the table, "Mamoru Chiba!" I chuckled through my shudder, knowing she was serious when she used my full name. "I have been going to Minako's party for years now, so whether you go or not, I will be there."

"What? You would go without me?"

Hands on her hips, she shook her head as she walked towards my bike. "I get it, you don't like parties and that's fine. You don't have to go if you don't want to, but I do. We don't have to be one of those couples that does everything together."

I leapt off the table and was at her side in a heartbeat, "You're giving me an out?"

"There is nothing less fun than a fussy Mamo."

I grabbed her hips to stop her slow walk to my bike, "What exactly goes on at this party?"

She shrugged, "Dancing and drinking. Some people hooking up."

"Hooking up?"

"You know, making out. Although this year I'm sure they will be hooking up with sex…"

"And you don't want me to come?!"

Her eyes got big and her lips full, "I didn't say that Mamo. I want you to come."

My knees faltered with how she drew out the word 'come' and curled her lips around it. "So what you're telling me is, if I go to this party, we will slip into the back and have sex?"

She smirked, thick lips tugging up at a corner, "After we dance."

"Dance…"

My blood slowed at the idea but Usagi ran her hands up my chest to my shoulders. "Yes, dance. Like foreplay."

"So shall I pick you up at noon tomorrow?"

She laughed, my change of tune obvious a mile away. "Noon sounds perfect."

#sailormoon #sailor moon fandom #sailor moon fanfiction #sailor moon AU #mundane world AU #high school AU #mamoru chiba #usagi tsukino #mamoru x usagi #friends to lovers #OTP FEELS #faulkner writing

11 notes · View notes

tipsoctopus · 5 years

Text

"The deluxe Klavan", "Give them Clyne" - Lots of Liverpool fans want one man as key backup

Some Liverpool fans have identified Nathan Ake as the man bolster the depth in their defence.

Liverpool are expected to pursue a left-sided defender this summer, with Alberto Moreno all set to depart Anfield when his contract expires at the end of this month.

Andy Robertson is the clear first choice on the Reds’ left flank, but the Scottish captain played 48 matches this past season, and will likely need more rotation to survive another trophy charge in the next campaign.

With that in mind, some Reds fans have suggested moving for Ake, who could provide depth in multiple positions.

The former Chelsea youngster, who signed for Bournemouth for £20m last summer, can play centre-back or left-back, and also operate as a centre-back in a back three.

This would give Jurgen Klopp plenty of options to rotate his league-best defence without sacrificing too much quality.

Take a look at some of the Twitter reactions down below, where Reds fans are convinced Ake is their man…

This summer, Liverpool need the deluxe Klavan. He never played it for LFC, but he played LB often in his career. I think Ake is that man; can cover CB, LB and even DM. Is Dutch but counts as homegrown. Besides, we owe Bournemouth a nicety after shafting them so often.

— John O'Sullivan (@NotoriousJOS) June 12, 2019

I’d be 100% on board with this.

— Dan Vanderkamp (@DanVanderkamp) June 12, 2019

Would be class. Just don’t see him settling for backup to Robbo and Virgil who play almost all games, at the age of 24. Probs has aims of being a starter at an elite European club himself

— Raj Chohan (@rajsinghchohan) June 12, 2019

Absolutely spot on – Nathan Ake is just who I was thinking of. 24, CB or LB, rarely misses a game. He would be an ideal signing for Liverpool.

— Ref-Justice (@96RedKlopps) June 12, 2019

I’ve always said get Ake and van Ann Holt for backup ( if Ann Holt don’t mind playing backup) wouldn’t mind a bid for Dumfries too

— Paul Johnson (@Johnson_1488) June 12, 2019

Great shout

— Simon Bray (@SimonBrayLFC) June 12, 2019

Give them Clyne in exchange.

— … (@LFC19) June 12, 2019

Agree mate he is a decent player who can offer solutions

— Nick ?82? (@NickPap82) June 12, 2019

Been thinking this lad would be a sound signing for a couple years.

— Jay (@PPipeProLFC) June 12, 2019

This actually makes massive sense

— TalkingRed (@TalkingRed23) June 12, 2019

from FootballFanCast.com http://bit.ly/2WwG0q0 via IFTTT from Blogger http://bit.ly/2X9s1Ld via IFTTT

#FootballFanCast.com

0 notes

thrashermaxey · 6 years

Text

Ramblings: Hakstol on Hot Seat, Barkov Getting Noticed (Dec 16)

For starters, here’s a few updates on some injured defensemen:

Oscar Klefbom will need surgery on his injured finger, which will result in him being sidelined for another 6 to 8 weeks. Klefbom has already missed the past two games and left the previous game early. In Klefbom’s absence, Darnell Nurse has seen a major spike in usage with icetime totals of 30:44, 31:04, and 27:50 over the past three games. Nurse has taken full advantage of the increased deployment with five points (2g-3a) over his last three games and also has eight points (3g-5a) over his last six games. Nurse is still unowned in just over half of Yahoo leagues.

Matt Dumba left Saturday’s game late in the first period with an injury. Possibly related to the injury, Dumba fought Matthew Tkachuk early in the first period. Jared Spurgeon stepped up on Dumba’s absence, playing a season-high 29:20 in this game. Spurgeon’s icetime and power-play time would stand to increase if Dumba misses time.

Kris Letang missed Saturday’s game after leaving Friday’s game with a lower-body injury. Letang owners should breathe a sigh of relief, as this injury sounds more day-to-day than anything. His status for next week should remain up in the air, though. Olli Maata logged first-unit power-play minutes for the Penguins and was able to record a power-play assist on Phil Kessel’s overtime winner against the Kings. Maatta also led all players in this game with five blocked shots.

Mike Green has been placed on IR and is expected to miss the next 3 to 5 weeks with a lower-body injury. With Green out of the lineup, Trevor Daley logged a season-high 25:57 on Saturday against the Islanders and scored his first goal since November 1.

If your league is one of the few that counts shorthanded goals, Mark Giordano will have helped you win that category this week. Gio scored his second shorthanded goal in as many games on Saturday, giving him a four-game point streak in which he has lit it up for nine points. After back-to-back sub-40 point seasons, his point-per-game performance has to count as one of the season’s biggest surprises. The Flames’ offense may have something to do with that, as the team’s offense has improved from 2.63 GF/GP last season to 3.48 GF/GP this season.

Aleksander Barkov is widely considered one of the NHL’s most underrated players. Maybe that will change after he posted a hat trick on Hockey Night in Canada against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Barkov also stuffed a couple of other categories, firing seven shots on goal while logging an insane (for a forward) 27:42. Barkov leads all forwards with an average of 23:13 in icetime. With a point-per-game average dating back to last season, don’t expect his icetime to decrease anytime soon.

Fantasy owners would have also been watching for the season debut of Henrik Borgstrom, who was just recalled from the AHL. Borgstrom was inserted into a scoring role, centering a line with Evgenii Dadonov and Frank Vatrano. He was held without a point in 12 minutes of icetime, but he did see some second-unit power-play time. Keep expectations tempered for Borgstrom this season, but keeper leaguers should no doubt target him (Dobber Prospects profile here). He recorded 22 points in 24 games in the AHL this season.

With Mitch Marner adding to his legend in Toronto, it might be hard to believe that he scored his first goal in 14 games on Saturday. Then to make up for lost time, he scored his second to tie the game late in the third period. Marner sits third in the NHL with 35 assists and appears set to smash his career high in that category (47), set last season.

Alex Ovechkin didn’t record another hat trick on Saturday. But he did score another goal (his 29th) while taking eight shots on goal and logging 25:34 in icetime. He’s currently riding a 14-game point streak – see the details below. The goal total alone is amazing.

In a losing cause for the Sabres, Rasmus Dahlin scored a goal and added two assists. Dahlin had been held without a point in his previous seven games, so this very up-and-down type of production shouldn’t be that surprising from an 18 year old with this much potential.

By the time you read this, I might already be writing about a Flyers’ coaching change. Or else one of us here will be soon. If Dave Hakstol does lose his job by the time the Flyers arrive home from their road trip, he can rightfully say that the team’s goaltending situation didn’t do him any favors. The Flyers allowed three goals to the Canucks in the first 11 minutes, with Anthony Stolarz departing after the second goal with a lower-body injury. Even though I could probably use another goalie on one or two of my teams, I’m steering clear from the Flyers’ current goalie situation completely.

Before you get excited about a Carter Hart callup, note that he is still getting used to the AHL (2.98 GAA, .903 SV%). For the sake of Hart’s long-term confidence, it’s probably best not to bring him into a situation as volatile as what the Flyers have going on.

Hakstol won’t be able to say he’s been able to rely on Shayne Gostisbehere either. Ghost simply isn’t going to come anywhere close to his 65 points from last season. For a player who fires a ton of shots from the point on the power play (without them necessarily reaching the net), he has completely dried up with no goals over his last 15 games and counting. His minus-18 further deflates his value.

In case you’re thinking that this is a perfect opportunity to try Ivan Provorov on PP1, he has struggled himself this season as well (11 points in 31 games, a similar total to Ghost). We’ll have to keep an eye on how a potential coaching change could affect the fantasy values of these two blueliners. It can’t really make things any worse, as the Flyers have just one power-play goal over their last 11 games.

If you have been daring enough to start Jacob Markstrom, you’ll be happy to know that his win against the Flyers was his fourth consecutive win. With some recent fine play, Markstrom has a 1.75 GAA and .942 SV% over that four-game stretch. If the Canucks start Markstrom about two of every three games, then he will probably be at his most effective. He won’t start any more games than that if the Canucks decide to give Anders Nilsson showcase starts with the intent of trading him (to make room for Thatcher Demko).

This picture was from the Elias Pettersson After Hours interview on Hockey Night in Canada:

Yeah, but can Elias Pettersson score a goal while doing this? pic.twitter.com/RtqJ6EslxP

— Ian Gooding (@Ian_Gooding) December 16, 2018

Even though Daniel Sprong is only 21, it seemed like we had waited an eternity for him to find his way onto the Pittsburgh Penguins and make an impact playing on a line with one or more of their big guns. That won’t happen, but it doesn’t mean that it’s time to give up on him. Now in a situation with a team that really needs him, Sprong has scored three goals in five games as a Duck, including both of their goals on Saturday. His icetime is also up over six minutes per game to 14 minutes, which tells you how little he had been playing in Pittsburgh.

Goal called off after Artturi Lehkonen is called for embellishment on this play. Thoughts?#HockeyNight pic.twitter.com/dVoNK5wyL5

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 16, 2018

I think the embellishment makes the goal even more amazing. Not that the call made a difference in the outcome, though. This goal would have given Artturi Lehkonen a three-point night. But yeah, don’t embarrass the refs, I guess.

I decided to move on from Thomas Vanek about a week ago in a deeper league, so it figures that he would score a goal and add two assists on Saturday. The goal was his first in nine games. If you feel so inclined to add or keep Vanek, he’s been playing on a line with Andreas Athanasiou and Frans Nielsen.

I kind of figured that a matchup between the Stars and Avalanche would turn into a high-scoring affair, and it didn’t disappoint if that’s what you were hoping for. Nathan MacKinnon (1g-3a) and Mikko Rantanen (2g-1a) extended their leads in the NHL scoring race, combining for seven points in an eventual 6-4 win over the Stars. I went to see the Avalanche play live two seasons ago in that dreadful 2016-17 season when the Avs finished with 48 points – it was literally the easiest ticket in town. MacKinnon finished the season with 53 points, while Rantanen reached 38 points. Look how far they’ve come since then.

#Avs Rantanen has 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in a 14-game point streak. MacKinnon has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in a five-game streak.

— Rick Sadowski (@RickS7) December 16, 2018

In a losing effort, Tyler Seguin scored two goals and added an assist. Seguin slumped during the early part of December with no points over a four-game stretch, but he appears to be back on track.

For more fantasy hockey information, you can follow me on Twitter @Ian_Gooding.

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-rambling/ramblings-hakstol-on-hot-seat-barkov-getting-noticed-dec-16/

0 notes

andrewuttaro · 6 years

Text

New Look Sabres: GM 29 - TOR - 2.7 Seconds

I have been accused of hating the Toronto Maple Leafs more than I love the Buffalo Sabres. Really, I’m leading off with that? YES I AM; because once upon a time I thought this made up hatred with this team that hardly existed in my hockey lexicon (Yes, I only trace my Sabres fandom back to about 2011 so give me a break here) was all hype from a bygone era that never actually happened according to the actual history books. Then my hatred for the Leafs came alive in 2016. If you want that spiel go back to Preseason Game 4. No, today I want to meet that truly pretentious chirp with more relevant, contemporary thoughts. Although all the Leafs other rivals are either kicking their ass in the playoffs or in the dumpster (blink twice if you’re reading, Steve), Buffalo is now here to make life difficult for the lesser blue and white team in this division. All you Leafs fans up in your high tower have benefited from drafting on easy mode for a few years now The Sabres just caught up. Rasmus Dahlin and the New Look Sabres are coming to get you! Hell, we might even meet in the playoffs this year. Oh God have mercy upon this earth! Even I would drive up to your overpriced City for that series! AAAAAAGGGGGHHHH I AM SO READY! I came in person to this game to be at least one voice against the invasion of would-be NHL Hamilton Hockey fans at this game. It had been on my bucket list for five years and finally the day hath come! ITS TIME FOR THE TIM HORTONS RIVALRY MATCHUP!

Oh, I almost forgot: I turned on the roast but forgot to crack open the Burn Book! That’s right, forget reasonable word counts, it’s time for: Why do we hate this Atlantic Division team!? With no further ado: let’s crack open that burn book. Toronto: You pioneered cheating with the salary cap and everyone still lets you. Sure you basically pay for this junk league to exist but you’re not the center of the hockey universe no matter how many plush Auston Matthews dolls you sell! Toronto Fans seem to think we eat their trash here in Buffalo but your greatest player in decades is Made in America, baby! It’s easy to overshadow a city that is smaller in every metric but that just makes you assholes. We relish beating you and reminding you all how bad the traffic is on the bridge afterward. Original Six Stanley Cups don’t count and if you really think this is your year than maybe give Morgan Reilly some help back there. Speaking of the big dance: the only playoff battle between these two Tim Horton’s loving cities ended with the Sabres going to the Stanley Cup Final! It is almost with pity us here in Buffalo smile on this new Leafs squad: Buffalo may have no Cups yet but Toronto suffering is long having not seen a Cup Final since Gilbert Perrault was playing after-school shinny in Quebec you snooty assholes! I suppose I better stop there. I think we can agree the shit-talking has gone too far when French Canada is brought up. That said who in the US hates the Leafs more than Sabres fans? Boston? Sit down you drunkards; you can’t hate a team you beat every friggin year. Well anyway, onto the matchup.

In spite of having a positively brutal stretch of games recently (most of which the won fyi) the Sabres came out in this game with a vendetta. No penalties were called in the first while the boys in the darker blue peppered Fredrick Anderson with shots in the first. As the period dragged on there were some Leafs chances as well but Anderson really got peppered and according to the Leafs fan next to me when he’s warm he’s at his best. Linus Ullmark faced only the token efforts of what is supposedly the best offense in the Eastern Conference. There must have been a grand total of five maybe six Leafs shots that first period. It ended up really just being a great conversational period. That Leafs fan sitting next to me was actually a really nice man. He had enough kids that looked like him that they may have been the stunt doubles for the Weasley family in Harry Potter but hardly a chirp out of this dude. Apparently Kitchener, Ontario has some pretty wicked hockey.

The second period is when the temperature began to rise. 8:33 in Auston Matthews gets a charitable pass behind the net and bounces it in past Ullmark off the back of his leg. The thunderous applause of the Leafs invasion was surprised because if you watch that play it didn’t seem likely it was going in. You really can’t blame Linus on that one. It was long before I got to jump around: six minutes later that beautiful top line with Jack and Sam were on the ice and Samson Reinhart roofed it on an arch shot that probably doesn’t go in if the Leafs defenders weren’t screening Anderson. The biggest criticism of this Toronto team is always a bad D-Corps. I say the D-Corps is supposedly bad but the guy named Par Lindholm who screened Anderson is a forward evidently. He better be a decent golfer at least with a name like that. One of the other guys on the ice for that goal, Jake Gardiner, got the Leafs back on top 2-1 with a shade over ten seconds left in the second period. That goal stung a little going into the 2nd intermission but if there is any place the third period Sabres show up, it’s in third periods against the Leafs. Twitter predicted it and it came true the third period was fun.

Before that though can we talk about the officiating in this game? I am not going to go into how many times Eichel was slashed or Casey Mittelstadt being dragged down because that’s the low hanging fruit. At one point in the second period the Leafs net was off its moorings. I am no ref but I really thought it was officiating 101 that you blow the play dead when that happens. One use for the refs that was never needed weirdly enough was for a fight. Rasmus Ristolainen was tearing it up and getting shots like a frat brother in this game but he never fought which is surprising for him against the Leafs. I’ll take it. I’d rather have the Risto that shoots for the net than the Risto that shoots at Leafs faces although both are fun. 2:39 into the third frame and our sweet ginger boy Jack Eichel evened it up after a quick feed from Ristolainen. You won’t see his name on the score sheet but let me tell you Rasmus Dahlin was ludicrous in this game. He must have been responsible for half of the times the Leafs turned over the puck, especially in the second and third periods. He very nearly got a goal here in the third too. But no, it was Captain Jack again at 12:57 to put Buffalo on top. These games against the Leafs never feel totally like a home game with all Leafs fans that come into town but that goal sounded like it was just us and it was beautiful. The Sabres took the game back now, it was a rare Leafs setup in the Sabres zone that yielded the puck bouncing charitably off the boards to Patrick Marleau who evened it up. That guy is 38 now from what Leafs fans told me. If that’s true god bless the guy for still be this decent at hockey. This one went to OT where the Sabres dominated possession and once again outshot the Leafs. It was their last ditch effort with the shootout practically a formality when somehow, Auston Matthews got a pass from Kapanen and ended it. For those of us who were there it was probably the second most painful way this game could have ended right behind a regulation blowout: there were literally 2.7 seconds left in overtime. I have photographic proof of that. This game ended 4-3 Leafs and the Sabres really nearly got two points in this game but they’ll walk out with only one.

You don’t want the loser point in rivalry games like this, you want both winner points. Maybe I’m not as grumpy as I could be because all the Leafs fans around me were sober and personable. You tell me your experience of the rougher variety and I’ll be hard pressed to not see where you’re coming from. The Sabres played the better game. Nathan Beaulieu, remember the guy who fought Leafs Matt Martin and talked afterward about how much he hated the Leafs? Yea, he may be one of the most improved Sabres players this season, particularly in this game. Captain Jack played with the hate he professes for the Leafs and very nearly won the game with a hat trick a few times. He certainly played better than the other two-goal scorer in this game: his good American friend Auston Matthews but I won’t be throwing stones at a guy who’s scoring at a tad over a goal a game. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if he’s not wearing a Leafs jersey, Auston Matthews is probably my favorite non-Sabre in this league. I already talked about Rasmus Dahlin but it’s worth noting he passed Drew Doughty’s 2008 record for most time on ice for an 18 year old defenseman with 29:15 in this game. He’s still 18 and he is already dominating opponents. I really look forward to Rasmus Dahlin torturing Leafs for years to come.

Gee, this one is getting long in the teeth. The Sabres had a brutal stretch going into this game. They won most of those games and got so far ahead that if you’re going to go on a four game losing streak this is possibly the best way to do it… yea I just can’t say that with a straight face after losing with 2.7 seconds left in OT. Holy shit, I hate the Leafs. Anyway, if the team with these stats was not named the Leafs and we played this game against them this is probably the closest thing you can get to one of those non-existent moral victories considering injuries, schedule and… just how well you controlled play through this game. Linus Ullmark looked like a starter in this game and you will not change my mind! This matchup still has three games this season and maybe a playoff series. Tell me that series wouldn’t be absolutely bonkers. A series loss would sting an awful lot but if the Sabres could win in 7 and prevent this Leafs team from a series win for their third straight year… I wouldn’t know how to put that kind of pleasure into words. Like, comment and share this blog around, even if you’re Leafs fan. I get the feeling this rivalry is going to finally be the war we’ve been waiting for and if 2.7 seconds is the only thing that’s going to separate the two teams that oh holy hockey gods is it going to be fun.

Thanks for reading.

P.S. Credit to Steve Dangle for the “Tim Horton’s Rivalry” moniker. He’ll probably tell you he wasn’t the originator of that title but I heard from him first so there you go.

#buffalo sabres #toronto maple leafs #hockey #nhl #blog

0 notes

junker-town · 7 years

Text

Top daily fantasy football plays for Week 14 of the NFL season

With Week 14 of the NFL season upon us, we take a look at some of the best values to be found on Draftkings and FanDuel, and some players worth fading.

SB Nation will be bringing you the top Daily Fantasy options each week through the regular season and into the playoffs. We have a small sample size of which offenses look good to target and others we should avoid until further notice. As for who should be in your lineups, here are the top value plays of the week, with an eye toward low ownership and high upside.

Quarterback

Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs vs. Oakland Raiders ($6,500 DK, $8,200 FD)

Philip Rivers is going to be the popular play after his four-week run of excellence, combined with a plus matchup against Washington. But Smith is back on the upswing, as well, after torching the Jets last week. The Raiders are among the worst pass defenses in the league and the Chiefs are in desperation mode at home. Smith is a solid pivot off Rivers in tournaments.

Russell Wilson, Seattle Seahawks at Jacksonville Jaguars ($6,200 DK, $7,700 FD)

Casual DFS players are going to see Jacksonville as the opponent and write Wilson off. That’s fine for the rest of us, as the Jaguars might be without Jalen Ramsey and Wilson is, essentially, the entire Seattle offense at this point, as a passer and a runner. Wilson’s salary is the lowest it’s been all season, down $900 from last week. That’s called bargain shopping right there.

Jimmy Garoppolo, San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans ($5,500 DK, $7,000 FD)

The numbers would tell you that Garoppolo struggled last week against the Bears in Chicago, but he actually played well against a tough pass defense on the road, leading an expert final drive for the win. Bill Belichick loved Jimmy G and the 49ers are about to find out why. So, too, I suspect, will the depleted Texans defense. Garoppolo might be the top point-per-dollar play on the slate.

DeShone Kizer, Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers ($4,900 DK, $6,400 FD)

Don’t look now, but Kizer is starting to become fantasy relevant down the stretch. He topped 20 DK points in 2 of 3 games before last Sunday and had a respectable 15 points against the brutal Chargers defense last week. Josh Gordon and Corey Coleman give Kizer two legit receiving weapons and the Packers secondary is an absolute mess right now. If Kizer can just stop with the turnovers, he’s capable of a massive output in this one.

Discount Darling: Eli Manning, New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys ($4,800 DK, $6,000 FD)

Holy narratives, Batman! The proud, two-time Super Bowl champion re-takes the field as the starter following the sacking of the coach and GM who benched him. The emotion in this game is going to be off the charts, and the Cowboys defense, even with the return of Sean Lee, might not be capable of stopping this wave. A Manning-Sterling Shepard-Evan Engram stack is definitely in play here.

Avoid: Cam Newton, Carolina Panthers vs. Minnesota Vikings ($6,200 DK, $7,700 FD)

The Vikings are going to take away Devin Funchess (Xavier Rhodes) and they possess the best defense in the NFL against running quarterbacks. That’s too many weapons that Cam won’t have at his disposal to justify his salary.

Also consider: Philip Rivers, Los Angeles Chargers; Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys; Blaine Gabbert, Arizona Cardinals

Running back

LeSean McCoy, Buffalo Bills vs. Indianapolis Colts ($7,200 DK, $9,000 FD)

There’s really only two possibilities here: Either a walking-wounded Tyrod Taylor starts, or Nathan “Five Picks” Peterman gets the call. In either scenario, it only makes sense that the Bills will try to rely heavily on Shady, who gets to face one of the worst defenses in the league against pass-catching backs. This could be check-down heaven for the full-point players on DraftKings.

Jamaal Williams, Green Bay Packers at Cleveland Browns ($5,900 DK, $6,600 FD)

With Ty Montgomery on IR, Williams will remain the lead back, despite the presence of Aaron Jones, who vulture the game-winning touchdown in overtime last week – his only carry of the game. Williams has 21 carries in each of the past two games and a similar workload is in the offing against a Browns defense that is softening lately against the run.

Lamar Miller, Houston Texans vs. San Francisco 49ers ($5,800 DK, $6,600 FD)

Miller also gets to face a defense that’s atrocious at stopping running backs who catch passes, allowing the most yards in the league in that category. With the receiving corps again short-handed, the Texans will rely on Miller a great deal, as they have the past few weeks.

Frank Gore, Colts at Bills ($3,900 DK, $5,500 FD)

The Bills have been downright dreadful at stopping the run since they traded Marcell Dareus. They are fourth-worst in the league in rushing yards allowed and dead last with 18 rushing touchdowns – 11 in the past five weeks. This is a great spot for Gore to enjoy a last hurrah and a great salary saver to allow for some of the high-priced backs to make a roster.

Discount Darling: Giovani Bernard, Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears ($3,100 DK, $5,100 FD)

He might be the chalkiest chalk that ever chalked, with ownership north of 50 percent, but at $3,100 for the amount of production he’s going to provide, he’s going to be near impossible to fade. You just can’t get 8K production at that price. Eat the chalk and thank yourself later.

Avoid: Peyton Barber, Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Detroit Lions ($4,500 DK, $5,500 FD)

Barber was looking like another solid value play until Doug Martin cleared concussion protocol. Barber should still have a role, but nothing like last week, when he was named the starter right before kickoff and ran wild on the Packers. Sadly, the volume just won’t be there this time.

Also consider: Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams; Kareem Hunt, Kansas City Chiefs; Mike Davis, Seattle Seahawks.

Wide receiver

Adam Thielen, Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers ($7,200 DK, $7,500 FD)

The Panthers have been routinely blown up by opposing wide receivers and Thielen is probably going to have a depressed ownership level after a genuine stinker last week, coming off the heels of a somewhat underwhelming Thanksgiving Day performance. Third one the charm? That’s a bet DFS players should be willing to take.

Michael Crabtree, Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs ($6,700 DK, $7,100 FD)

Just as Crabtree returns from a one-game suspension, Chiefs top cornerback Marcus Peters heads off with a one-game ban. Talk about timing. Add to that the strong likelihood that Amari Cooper either sits out with injury or plays on limited basis. In game with enormous playoff ramifications, expect Crabtree to come out angry and loaded with target share.

Marquise Goodwin, San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans ($5,100 DK, $5,700 FD)

Whenever a new quarterback takes over, it can take a while for pricing to catch up the actual roles the receivers take on after the adjustment period. The small sample size seems to indicate that Jimmy Garoppolo enjoys throwing the ball to Goodwin, whom was targeted eight times last week in Chicago. Goodwin caught all eight, so there’s chemistry there right off the bat. Against a soft pass defense, Goodwin could be a smash candidate at just over 5K.

Corey Coleman, Cleveland Browns vs. Green Bay Packers ($4,100 DK, $5,700 FD)

Josh Gordon is going to be the super-chalk at wide receiver. But unlike Gio Bernard, this chalk can be faded with confidence. With so much ownership going to Gordon, Coleman is going to go almost entirely overlooked against a defense that will struggle with all Browns pass-catchers. This is a potential GPP-winning pivot play, as Kizer and Coleman already have a solid rapport, pre-Gordon.

Discount Darling: Chester Rogers, Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills ($3,000 DK, $5,100 FD)

This is my favorite play on the entire slate, and I’m praying the DFS community doesn’t get wise to the opportunity here. With Donte Moncrief ruled out, Rogers should see increased work as the opposite receiver from T.Y. Hilton. Rogers has 16 targets over his past three games and torched the Steelers, of all teams, three weeks ago for 25 DK points. The Colts want to see what they have with Rogers and the Bills are in the top-10 for most catches allowed to wide receivers this season.

Avoid: Corey Davis, Tennessee Titans at Arizona Cardinals ($4,200 DK, $5,600 FD)

Patrick Peterson alert. Move along.

Also consider: Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers; Mike Evans, Tampa Bay Buccaneers; Cooper Kupp, Los Angeles Rams.

Tight end

Delanie Walker, Tennessee Titans at Arizona Cardinals ($5,700 DK, $6,600 FD)

Did we mention that Corey Davis is going to get the Patrick Peterson treatment? With RIshard Matthews active but coming off a hamstring injury, Marcus Mariota will likely lean on his trusty tight end who has six straight games in double-figure DK points. Walker is as un-sexy as it gets, but he produces at low ownership, and that’s all you can ask for.

Jimmy Graham, Seattle Seahawks at Jacksonville Jaguars ($5,000 DK, $,6090 FD)

Like Wilson, DFS owners are going to shy away from Graham because of the matchup, but Graham stands as the most prolific tight end inside the red zone and has scored at least one touchdown in four straight games and 7 of 8. Wilson will run around in the backfield for five minutes, then hit Graham for a score. Bank on it.

Austin Seferian-Jenkins, New York Jets at Denver Broncos ($3,600 DK, $5,900 FD)

If the refs actually get the call right, you can almost guarantee ASJ gets a touchdown this week against one of the worst defenses against the tight end position in the league. It’s been the Robby Anderson/Jermaine Kearse show for the Jets the past few weeks, but Aqib Talib and Chris Harris will likely flip that script this week, and Seferian-Jenkins should be the prime benefactor.

Ricky Seals-Jones, Cardinals vs. Titans ($3,400 DK, $4,500 FD)

Until Blaine Gabbert decides he actually doesn’t love showering Seals-Jones with targets, we’re going to keep listing him here. The Titans are very beatable through the air, and outside of Larry Fitzgerald, this the pass-catcher on the Cardinals worth investing in.

Discount Darling: Stephen Anderson, Houston Texans vs. San Francisco 49ers ($3,200 DK, $4,500 FD)

Will Fuller is expected back, but C.J. Fiedorowicz and Bruce Ellington are on IR and Braxton Miller has been ruled out. Anderson had a 5-79-1 line on 12 targets and he should see similar volume and production against the 49ers.

Avoid: Kyle Rudolph, Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers ($4,800 DK, $6,000 FD)

The Panthers allow next to nothing to opposing tight ends, which makes Rudolph’s high salary a no-go.

Also consider: Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs; Jason Witten, Dallas Cowboys; David Njoku, Cleveland Browns.

Defense

Los Angeles Chargers vs. Washington ($3,600 DK, $5,100 FD)

Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills ($3,500 DK, $4,100 FD)

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears ($3,300 DK, $4,600 FD)

New York Jets at Denver Broncos ($3,300 DK, $4,500 FD)

Discount Darling: Minnesota Vikings at Carolina Panthers ($2,700 DK, $4,600 FD)

Avoid: Houston Texans vs. San Francisco 49ers ($3,200 DK, $4,800 FD)

0 notes