The Nuggets suffered a stunning first-round exit as favorites, falling 4-2 to a Timberwolves squad missing Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards for multiple games. Denver was also without Aaron Gordon, but with Joki and Murray healthy, most expected them to advance. That didnt happen, raising questions about what went wrong for a team built to contend.Now, the focus shifts to 2026 and how the Wolves, after this upset, will build from here. Heres a recap of the Nuggets season and what it means for fantasy basketball.Availability mattersThe Nuggets earned the 3-seed in a brutal Western Conference despite their roster rarely being intact, which speaks to just how good Joki and Murray are. Aaron Gordon played just 36 games, finishing with 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field. When he's on the floor, Denver is a different team.Peyton Watson was well on his way to a genuine breakout before a hamstring injury in February shut him down, pretty much wiping out the final stretch of the season entirely. Christian Braun managed to play in just 44 contests. Cam Johnson played in 54 games. Those are all critical starters who missed significant time this season, affecting the Nuggets and fantasy managers.Joki and Murray remain an elite duoJoki was the best fantasy player in the league again. He averaged a triple-double in consecutive seasons. And for all the Joki-plays-no-defense people, the man racked up 2.2 stocks per game. Theres no reason not to pick him first overall next season in any format. But I understand if youre lured by Victor Wembanyamas glass ceiling. Murray had the best regular season of his career, finishing first-round value in 9-cat leagues and second-round value in High Score. Murray played 75 games and was Denvers anchor, providing stability amid a constantly changing lineup. His ability to hold the offense together, especially during stretches with a depleted supporting cast, was invaluable. Now fully healthy, Murrays mix of efficiency, usage and volume gives him the kind of versatility you want in a guard.Id target Murray in the mid-to-late second round next year. He and Joki remain one of the leagues elite duos, and they were the only Nuggets to finish inside the top 100 in both 9-cat and High Score formats.Final thoughtsDenver has three draftable fantasy assets heading into next season: Joki at the top of every board, Murray in the second round with Gordon as a late-round target if healthy. Watson is a restricted free agent, meaning the Nuggets can match any opposing teams offer. Braun is efficient and worth rostering in deeper 12-team leagues, but his counting stats don't profile well enough for 10-team formats or points leagues to justify a meaningful draft pick.The biggest offseason question for this team isn't talent it's health. They own their pick in the upcoming draft, but if this roster takes the floor intact for a full season, are they even a championship contender? That's a big if after losing to a six-seed missing Edwards, DiVincenzo and Dosunmu with the series on the line.

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The NFL Draft is behind us, and we're now able to get a clearer picture of how teams are shaping up to look next season. Some squads, like Carolina, are strengthening their defenses, while teams like the Raiders are building their offenses by drafting what they hope will be a generational quarterback. With this in mind, let's look at some wagers I like for awards season, along with one team's win total that I'm going to back now. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Jacob Rodriguez to win Defensive Rookie of the Year The Miami Dolphins drafted Rodriguez in the second round, and he will immediately start at middle linebacker. Rodriguez was a tackling machine at Texas Tech the last two seasons. He had 127 total tackles in 2024, with 77 of those being solo tackles. Last season, he had 128 total tackles, four interceptions and seven forced fumbles. Hes a force on the field, and reminds me of last year's DROY, Carson Schwesinger. Schwesinger was drafted by the Browns in the second round in 2025, after putting up 136 tackles at UCLA. He immediately became a starting linebacker and played nearly every game last season. With the Browns being so poor offensively and playing from behind most of the season, Schwesinger played enough snaps to get 156 total tackles in 16 games. He also had 11 tackles for loss and two interceptions. Rodriguez is in the same boat as Schwesinger highly productive in college and drafted to a team that projects to lose a ton of games. He will get the chance to make tackles all season long. Im making this wager. PICK: Jacob Rodriguez (+2200) Defensive Rookie of the Year Fernando Mendoza to win Offensive Rookie of the Year Simple handicap here. I believe Mendoza is going to start Week 1 and play all 17 games for the Raiders. It makes no sense for the Raiders to keep him on the bench. For what? Give him the reps immediately so he can make his rookie mistakes. Get him comfortable with the NFL, with his linemen and with his weapons. Let him get comfortable making adjustments. All of it. Playing Kirk Cousins for any period of time doesnt help the future of the Raiders. Anyway, with Mendoza playing a full 17 games, he will have the best opportunity to win this award. The Raiders have improved their offensive line and have Brock Bowers, plus they have Ashton Jeanty at running back. The Raiders' offensive scheme, with new coach Klint Kubiak, has produced high numbers and points for years with plenty of quarterbacks less-skilled than Mendoza. In addition, the story of Mendoza reviving the Raiders will play well with voters. The other candidates for this award have more of an uphill battle to win. Jeremiyah Love is playing on a poor Cardinals team that might not run the ball as much when they are behind in every game. They also have, at best, an average offensive line. I dont think Love will put up numbers worthy of this award. The top drafted receivers have a shot to win the award, but I dont know what the Tennessee offense will look like. Jordyn Tyson in New Orleans was something I was eying, but hes not WR1 for the Saints. Hard to pick him. So I settled on Mendoza. PICK: Fernando Mendoza (+350) Offensive Rookie of the Year Carolina Panthers Over/Under 7.5 wins The Panthers finished last season 8-9 and won the NFC South. It was a fascinating season for them. They took some badlosses, like losing 17-7 to the Saints, while also beating the Rams, Packers and almost beating the Rams again in the postseason. Carolina established a ground game while quarterback Bryce Young continued to improve as a quarterback. The Panthers drafted a new left tackle and another receiver to pair with Tetairoa McMillian, who finished the season as the Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Panthers' defense had some issues but improved in the offseason. It added Devin Lloyd, Jaelen Phillips and drafted Lee Hunter in the second round. Rookie Nic Scourton came on strong to end the season and Derrick Brown is a fantastic insider. In short, the defense should be much better. The Panthers' schedule is far tougher this season, with games against both the NFC and AFC North, plus a first-place schedule that includes Seattle, Philadelphia and Denver. Taking their Over win total means I believe the Panthers are now a viable threat to compete for the NFC. Theyd have to go 4-2 in division and then pull a few upsets along the way. I believe this team is ready for that moment, especially considering how it has improved and continued to build the roster to maximize the talent. PICK: Carolina Panthers Over 7.5 wins

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SportsLine's Adam Thompson reveals his top MLB predictions for Friday's games

Was Cooper Flaggs ROTY win more impressive than it looks? Breaking down production vs. team success originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Cooper Flagg was forced into a big role in the Dallas Mavericks because they had no business asking a teenager to carry the offense. Kyrie Irving never shared floor with him after tearing his ACL in 2025. They traded Anthony Davis to Washington Wizards mid-season.Those unplanned moves basically ended any hope for the year, leaving Flagg to lead a 2656 team that finished 12th in the West. On Wednesday, he was officially named the 202526 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, edging roommate and former Duke teammate Kon Knueppel, who finished with 386 points.Critics used the losing record to argue against his Rookie of the Year case, but others believe his numbers are actually more impressive because he had so little help.Why Cooper Flagg's rookie stats stand alone in modern NBA historyFlagg led all rookies with 21.0 points per game, while ranking in the top five in rebounds (6.7), assists (4.5), and steals (1.2). He is one of only four rookies in the last 50 years to average at least 20 points, six rebounds, and four assists, joining Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and Doncic.He also joined Jordan as the only rookie to lead their team in total points, rebounds, assists, and steals. On April 3, he scored 51 points against the Orlando Magic, becoming the youngest player ever to record a 50-point game. He followed it with 45 points against the Los Angeles Lakers.Those statistics carry weight precisely because Dallas was so undermanned.Dallas dysfunction made Cooper Flaggs win sweeterKon Knueppels strongest case for the award was team success. His development helped Charlotte improve from 1963 in 2024-25 to 4438 this season, with the Hornets reaching the play-in tournament. That 25-win improvement is legitimately impressive.However, Flagg was the sole engine for a rebuilding Mavericks team. While Knueppel contributed to a winning system, the Mavs rookie was forced to be the system.Reflecting on watching his former Duke teammate compete for the same award all season, Flagg said per ESPN, "I was watching him as a fan as well, but there was obviously that competition at the same time.While the vote was tight, Flaggs individual production was unmatched. In this case, winning only 26 games didn't hurt his argument but proved just how much he was carrying on his own.More basketball news:The Indiana Pacers are depending on a 52.1% draft chanceWhy Cameron Boozer is more likely to go 3rd than 1stCaleb Wilson gets some good NBA Draft news as Jazz, Kings watchGrizzlies draft projection could swing Ja Morant trade rumorsHow Jalen Brunson is avoiding a travel call on slick move

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Since joining Chip Ganassi Racing six seasons ago, Spanish driver lex Palou has shown to be a generational talent who is quickly working his way through INDYCAR'S record books. For that, Palou has earned a multi-year contract extension on his current deal that runs through the 2027 season. The extension was finalized following this week's two-day Indianapolis 500 test. Ganassi never publicly discloses contract terms. The reward capped a celebratory week for Palou, who drove into Indianapolis Motor Speedway as the defending Indy 500 winner for testing and saw a larger-than-life banner of himself chugging the traditional winners milk. Its the main banner as you enter the speedway key placement hed seen reserved for rival drivers the previous six years. "I took a picture when I was driving by and sent it to my parents," Palou said. Palou has won four INDYCAR championships in five years, including the last three consecutive titles. He won eight times last season, including the 500, as he's blossomed in INDYCAR since joining Ganassi in 2021. Ahead of the Long Beach Grand Prix two weeks ago, former Indy 500 winner Alexander Rossi was asked if anything had surprised him through the first quarter of the season. His response was immediate: "Yeah, that Alex has only won two races. And isnt the points leader." Palou responded by winning Long Beach to give him three wins through five races this year and reclaim the top spot in the championship standings. "Its incredible, actually amazing," said rival driver Will Power, a two-time INDYCAR champion and Indianapolis 500 winner. "Its something Ive been thinking about the last week or so because, once again, hes gone out and won three out of five races. I mean [Kyle] Kirkwood's average finish is like three-point-something, and hes not leading the championship, which is insane. "So its something Im absolutely, like, how is he doing that week in, week out? Well, its one, hes qualifying well. Two is he executes in the race and three is the pit stops, you know, top-notch, theres no mistakes in there. And hes fast. So thats what it takes when youre driving out there." His 22 career victories through 103 starts ranks fifth in 121 years of INDYCAR history. Sebastien Bourdais won 31 times in that span in the diluted Champ Car era; A.J. Foyt won 30, Mario Andretti 27 and Ralph DePalma 26. Palous four titles already match Andretti and Bourdais, and in the post-World War II era, Palous 61 top-five finishes in his 103 starts trails only Andretti, who had 64. Dario Franchitti, a four-time INDYCAR champion and three-time Indy 500 winner, is now a driver coach and consultant for Ganassi. He believes there hasnt been a driver this dominant in the series since Alex Zanardi, who won 12 races and back-to-back titles for Ganassi in 1997 and 1998. "Winning one championship is one thing, but then the subsequent ones, it gets progressively more difficult," Franchitti said. "Just watching what he's done, and at this early stage in his career, it's something very special. And the level of domination, that's the icing on the cake. "You feel sorry for the others. I've said to him a number of times, I would have hated racing against you. He is the complete package." At Long Beach last month, rival driver Pato O'Ward conceded his McLaren team has not closed the gap at all on Palou and the No. 10 Ganassi team. "The guy goes into every weekend being able to win. Honestly, it's impressive to see," O'Ward said. "The gap is as big as it's been, and we're working hard to try to be at the level he is of being able to win every race, but we don't have that." Connor Daly believes the domination is a combination of Palou's flawless performances and the strength of his race team. "Alex is very good, but that team, when theyre called upon, they dont make mistakes and that is what is so important about this game," Daly said. "Everything has to be, everyone has to be on the same page, and he is, like without a doubt, one of the best drivers in the world right now." Reporting by The Associated Press.

This knock comes as a huge relief for Riyan Parag, who was in the news earlier this week after stirring up a huge controversy.