NFL Week 12 Power Numbers

NFL Power Rankings - Week 12: Redskins move into top 10 with SNF win

Via the score

1. Dallas Cowboys

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

1111

Previous Rank: 1st

One of the few remaining questions about Dak Prescott was his lack of chemistry with Dez Bryant. The duo put that to bed with two touchdown connections against Baltimore. - Browne

2. New England Patriots

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

2223

Previous Rank: 2nd

New England might still look vulnerable on defense, but they don't face another legit offense for the rest of the regular season. We'll likely have to wait for the divisional round to see if Belichick's tinkering pays off. - Browne

3. Seattle Seahawks

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

3332

Previous Rank: 3rd

Rebounding from a slow start in impressive fashion, the Seahawks have quickly re-established themselves as a Super Bowl favorite. Sound familiar? - Wilkins

4. Oakland Raiders

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

4444

Previous Rank: 4th

Even when not at their best, the Raiders just keep finding a way to win. That's all that matters come playoff time. - Wilkins

5. Denver Broncos

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

5555

Previous Rank: 6th

Flawed as this year's Broncos team may be, the opportunity for a deep playoff run is still there. Sunday night's matchup with the division-rival Chiefs will provide a strong indicator of where Denver stands. - Wilkins

6. New York Giants

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

7866

Previous Rank: 8th

New York has yet to put on a dominant display, with all seven of their wins coming by eight or fewer points. That should change next week with Cleveland upcoming. - Browne

7. Atlanta Falcons

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

6778

Previous Rank: 7th

If the Falcons used their late bye week properly, they should be well set up to avoid a 2015-esque collapse and stroll to the division title. - Sanderson

8. Kansas City Chiefs

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

8687

Previous Rank: 5th

Losing to Tampa Bay is a major disappointment, but perhaps we should have seen it coming. Neither of the Chiefs' previous two wins, each coming against weaker competition, were the most convincing of performances. - Wilkins

9. Detroit Lions

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

1091011

Previous Rank: 12th

The Lions are a prime regression candidate, leading the NFC North with a measly +6 point differential. Until then, they'll feature as the NFL's most frenetic team. - Srinivasan

10. Washington Redskins

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

912910

Previous Rank: 13th

"How do you like me know?!" was Kirk Cousins' message to Redskins GM Scot McCloughan after throwing three scores in a rout of Green Bay. Cousins knows he's getting paid, and paid big. - Browne

11. Pittsburgh Steelers

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

1210149

Previous Rank: 10th

The Steelers are the league's most puzzling 5-5 team but they catch a break, squaring off against a Colts squad that will likely be without Andrew Luck on Thanksgiving. - Srinivasan

12. Philadelphia Eagles

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

11151312

Previous Rank: 9th

A loss to Seattle doesn't change how the Eagles should be viewed: They're a solid team that is being held back by the inexperience of their rookie quarterback, their receivers' constant drops, and the strength of the NFC East. - Browne

13. Houston Texans

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

14131214

Previous Rank: 11th

Without the laser pointers, homophobic slurs, high altitude, and poor officiating breaks in Mexico City on Monday, the Texans might have actually beaten a quality team for the first time since Week 2. - Sanderson

14. Minnesota Vikings

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

13111615

Previous Rank: 16th

Minnesota stopped its four-game losing streak but it's still too early to determine whether it'll regain the outstanding form it showed at the start of the year. - Srinivasan

15. Miami Dolphins

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

17191113

Previous Rank: 18th

This looks like a team destined to be exposed in the wild-card round of the playoffs. - Browne

16. Arizona Cardinals

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

16181518

Previous Rank: 14th

Is it finally time to stop expecting the Cardinals to put it all together? Aside from the continued dominance of David Johnson, there isn't anything all that promising about Arizona's level of play through 10 games. - Wilkins

17. Buffalo Bills

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

15171719

Previous Rank: 21st

Buffalo kept its head above water with a close win over Cincinnati, but will have to play better to stay in the AFC wild-card hunt - Browne

18. Baltimore Ravens

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

14142216

Previous Rank: 19th

Baltimore got bullied at their own game against Dallas, but will be thankful this winter that the rest of their division is facing a myriad of problems of their own. - Srinivasan

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

18221921

Previous Rank: 25th

Jameis Winston said the tomahawk chop in Kansas City made him feel like he was back at Florida State. The fans in Seattle this week won’t be creating such a welcoming environment. - Sanderson

20. Green Bay Packers

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

23162617

Previous Rank: 15th

At some point, Aaron Rodgers has to be complicit for the team's landslide into mediocrity. It's OK to criticize the quarterback fairly, no one will revoke your press pass. - Srinivasan

21. Indianapolis Colts

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

20201824

Previous Rank: 26th

Having yet to win games in back-to-back weeks this season, Thursday night against the Steelers won’t be an easy way to break that trend for the Colts. - Sanderson

22. Carolina Panthers

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

19232122

Previous Rank: 24th

It's going to be quite a challenge for the Panthers to continue on this season without Luke Kuechly, both schematically and emotionally. - Sanderson

23. Tennessee Titans

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

21212025

Previous Rank: 17th

The Titans were looking poised to finally get a win off Andrew Luck behind Marcus Mariota and a strong running game, but alas, they did not, leaving their division record at 1-3. - Sanderson

24. New Orleans Saints

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

22242323

Previous Rank: 20th

For the second week in a row, a blocked kick cost the Saints a win. Maybe Drew Brees should play special teams too. - Sanderson

25. San Diego Chargers

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

25252520

Previous Rank: 23rd

While a playoff spot may be unlikely, the Chargers still have some dangerous spoiler potential. Nobody should want to play this team down the stretch. - Wilkins

26. Cincinnati Bengals

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

26262426

Previous Rank: 22nd

Let's take a moment to reflect on the Bengals' five consecutive playoff appearances, a streak that will almost certainly be halted with A.J. Green and Gio Bernard suffering severe injuries. - Srinivasan

27. Los Angeles Rams

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

27272727

Previous Rank: 27th

The decision to start Jared Goff was long overdue. He wasn't great in his debut, but these are important reps for him to receive as the Rams build for the future. - Wilkins

28. Chicago Bears

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

29282929

Previous Rank: 28th

The Jay Cutler era in Chicago may finally be over. Too early to tell whether Bears fans will properly appreciate his career. - Srinivasan

29. New York Jets

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

30292828

Previous Rank: 29th

Can the Jets be on bye for the rest of the season? - Browne

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

31303030

Previous Rank: 30th

Not many players can throw an interception deflected off a teammates' foot, but only Blake Bortles can do it twice in two weeks. - Sanderson

31. San Francisco 49ers

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

28313131

Previous Rank: 31st

At what point do we wonder whether the 49ers will make a coaching change for the second straight offseason? As weak as the roster may be, Chip Kelly isn't exactly bringing much hope. - Wilkins

32. Cleveland Browns

BrowneSandersonSrinivasanWilkins

32323232

Previous Rank: 32nd

NFL Week 12 Fantasy Notes

Fantasy: Waiver Wire - Week 12

by David P. Woods

Quarterback

Colin Kaepernick, 49ers

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at MIA18%$1

Kaepernick has thrown five touchdowns to just one interception across his last three games, and is adding a few fantasy points each week (plus the chance for a rushing touchdown) with his legs. You could do worse.

Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. SF24%$1

With two touchdown passes in back-to-back games and the 49ers on tap, Tannehill is an option for owners who stream quarterbacks.

Running Back

Rob Kelley, Redskins

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at DAL64%$100

There's a good chance Kelley is already owned, but if you play in the 30% of leagues where he remains available, spend the rest of your FAAB budget to acquire him. Kelley probably won't score three touchdowns in a game again this season, but he's a locked-in feature back in a high-scoring offense.

Dion Lewis, Patriots

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at NYJ60%$35

Lewis put to rest any questions about his agility and explosiveness in his first game back from ACL surgery, looking like the dangerous weapon he was last season. The issue for Lewis' fantasy value is that LeGarrette Blount and James White remain in the picture. Bet on Lewis leapfrogging White within the next few weeks.

Derrick Henry, Titans

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at CHI48%$11

Purely an upside stash, Henry would be a borderline RB1 if DeMarco Murray were to get hurt - and Murray has shown some signs of wearing down.

Chris Ivory, Jaguars

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at BUF48%$9

T.J. Yeldon suffered an ankle injury in Week 11, which should only cement Ivory's status as the Jaguars' lead rusher. Temper your expectations here, since the Jaguars have a very bad offense, but Ivory should see enough touches to have value as a RB3/FLEX.

Tim Hightower, Saints

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. LA51%$7

Mark Ingram sustained a concussion on Thursday and is no lock to play in Week 12. Hightower will start and get a heavy workload if Ingram is ruled out.

Kenneth Dixon, Ravens

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. CIN28%$7

Dixon and starter Terrance West are splitting touches roughly 50-50, with neither player looking all that impressive. At some point, the Ravens might decide to give their rookie a bigger piece of the pie.

Wendell Smallwood, Eagles

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. GB5%$3

Ryan Mathews (knee) and Darren Sproles (rib) should both be considered questionable for Week 12. Smallwood would start if neither can go, and would take on a bigger role if either veteran sits.

Mike Gillislee, Bills

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. JAX25%$2

LeSean McCoy is reportedly expected to play in Week 12 after undergoing thumb surgery Monday. But it remains to be seen whether McCoy actually sees the field (the Bills are often overly optimistic about their injured players) and how effective he'll be if so. Gillislee is next in line.

Wide Receiver

Rishard Matthews, Titans

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at CHI70%$30

Matthews is already owned in most fantasy leagues, but needs to be owned in all of them. He and Marcus Mariota are developing some real chemistry.

Tyler Boyd, Bengals

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at BAL6%$20

A.J. Green's hamstring injury should keep him sidelined for several weeks, and the rookie Boyd will be asked to step up. Don't expect Green-like numbers, but Boyd could see enough targets to join the WR3 conversation.

Sammy Watkins, Bills

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. JAX41%$15

Watkins has yet to resume practicing after being placed on IR in late September, but it sounds like the Bills expect him back within the next few weeks. For playoff-bound fantasy owners, Watkins makes an excellent stash. He could be a difference-maker in Weeks 14-16.

Cameron Meredith, Bears

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. TEN57%$4

With Alshon Jeffery suspended and Zach Miller out for the season with an injury, the Bears have no choice but to target Meredith in the passing game.

Eli Rogers, Steelers

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at IND23%$3

With an injury limiting Sammie Coates, Rogers has established himself as the Steelers' No. 2 receiver.

Marqise Lee, Jaguars

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at BUF6%$1

There isn't much fantasy value to be found in the Jaguars' passing attack, but Lee has been a bright spot. He has at least 50 yards in five of his last six games.

Tight End

Jared Cook, Packers

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at PHI12%$5

The wire is pretty barren at tight end this week. Coming off a 105-yard performance, Cook is easily your best option.

MLB All Stars That Need A New Team

5 All-Stars who could use a change of scenery

by Bryan Mcwilliam

The Major League Baseball offseason is already budding with a plentiful amount of hot stove rumors featuring high profile names such as Chris Sale, Ian Kinsler, Chris Archer, J.D. Martinez, Sonny Gray, and more.

While rumors are rumors, some are more legitimate than others and could have a player on the move who may be thankful for a fresh start in new surroundings.

Here are five players who could benefit from a change of scenery:

Chris Sale, White Sox

With the Chicago White Sox rumored to be transitioning into a potential rebuild, the name of their ace Sale has prominently been featured in numerous trade reports, with the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves showing interest.

The wirey 27-year-old could use a change of scenery, especially after an incident this past July, where he was sent home after cutting up a White Sox throwback jersey, citing its discomfort.

He later stated the team - who finished 78-84 - was more interested in making PR moves than winning ball games.

Ryan Braun, Brewers

Braun has had a spectacular 10-year run with the Milwaukee Brewers, which has featured a Rookie of the Year and MVP award, but the 33-year-old, who is under team control until 2021, hasn't appeared in the postseason since 2011 and it doesn't appear the Brewers will be doing so anytime soon.

His name has swirled in trade rumors since before this past season's trade deadline, and despite loving Milwaukee, he's admitted losing as much as the Brewers do has been hard on him.

Joey Votto, Reds

For the seventh time in his 10-year career, Votto surpassed .400 in on-base percentage in 2016. Too bad, he plays for the rebuilding Cincinnati Reds who finished 68-94 last season.

The 33-year-old Canadian could be an incredible addition to a winning club interested in acquiring him and the $172-million remaining on his contract until 2023.

Votto's displeasure with playing for a losing team may have shown its colors over the past two seasons when he frustratingly got into an argument with a Reds fan while attempting to catch a foul ball this past August, which was less than a year after he was suspended for an altercation with an umpire.

Yasiel Puig, Dodgers

It wasn't the greatest of seasons for Puig in 2016, the eccentric Cuban outfielder of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Not only did the 25-year-old struggle at the plate, he was demoted to Triple-A in August in favor of Josh Reddick, who was acquired via trade, and still had the reputation as a divisive personality in the clubhouse.

The Dodgers reportedly tried to trade him to the Brewers in exchange for Braun, and the deal could be revisited if the stars align, which could pull Puig out of the L.A. spotlight and allow him to focus on baseball.

Mike Trout, Angels

How much longer is Trout going to be in a Los Angeles Angels uniform?

The franchise player of not only the Halos, but perhaps baseball, is entering the prime of his already dominant career and he's now on a losing club, who could use a change of direction.

A trade of Trout, arguably baseball's best player, would be a bold move by the Angels that could presumably make them the butt of a joke for years to come, but it could help the team clear payroll, and restock MLB's worst farm system in the process.

Trout isn't one to voice his displeasure, but if 2017 ends in another losing season, it could be the kickstarter towards a blockbuster trade and perhaps a healthy change of scenery for the 25-year-old superstar.

NFL Week 11 Betting Tips

Week 11 Warmup: Packers face must-win; Cowboys on upset watch

by Dan Wilkins

The Rundown

Prescott's biggest challenge

Dak Prescott has been sensational. As difficult as the decision may have been, the Cowboys really had no choice but to relegate Tony Romo to a backup role. That said, the rookie signal-caller still has a long way to go before he's on Romo's level as a passer. Sunday's game could present him with his most difficult matchup yet, as Baltimore boasts one of few defensive fronts that stands a chance at limiting Dallas' league-best rushing attack. Precsott leading the way to another win with a strong passing performance could silence any remaining doubters.

Packers facing early must-win

Green Bay's running out of time to put it all together. Sitting at 4-5 after dropping three consecutive games, falling Sunday to the Redskins just isn't an option. Having one of the NFL's all-time great quarterbacks will always give the Packers a chance to break out of their struggles, and there's certainly potential for a big day against a Washington defense allowing 23.2 points per game. But if last week's disaster against the Titans is any indication, it's the defense that has the most work to do.

NFL returns to Mexico

This week's Monday nighter sees the Raiders and Texans go head-to-head in Mexico, the NFL's first trip south of the border since 2005. Houston will hope that taking on a still-leaky Raiders secondary can finally allow Brock Osweiler to get on track, but this one should be decided on the other side of the ball. Oakland won't be deviating from the run-oriented strategy that earned them a convincing win over the Broncos prior to last week's bye. The Texans' 26th-ranked run defense will need to come through with its best showing of the year.

Must-See Matchups

Seahawks O-Line vs. Eagles D-Line

A Sunday night road win over the Patriots appropriately has many pinning the Seahawks as a Super Bowl favorite. One of few concerns remaining on an otherwise stacked roster is the offensive line. The underwhelming unit in front of Russell Wilson could be exposed by a talented Eagles defensive front, potentially setting Seattle up for a letdown just one week removed from a statement victory.

Carson Palmer vs. Vikings defense

The Cardinals offense has recently been flashing signs of the explosive unit the football world was expecting heading into the season. With the recent performances coming against subpar opponents, though, facing Minnesota's third-ranked defense should tell us everything we need to know about the legitimacy of that trend. Palmer will have to take care of the ball for Arizona to avoid another costly loss.

Mike Evans vs. Marcus Peters

Evans is the only real threat for the Buccaneers passing attack, so its only fitting he leads the league with 108 targets through nine games. Now's the ideal time for Kansas City to alter its typical strategy and have Peters travel around the field in coverage. These two young playmakers going head-to-head on every snap would provide football fans with one of the season's most entertaining individual matchups.

Upset Watch

Ravens over Cowboys (-7)

The Cowboys have established themselves as legitimate playoff contender, but the Ravens match up too well not to give them a run this week. Look for the Baltimore defense to do everything it can to limit Ezekiel Elliott's impact and force the ball into Prescott's hands. That'll be a relatively new experience for the rookie, so it'd be no surprise to see him struggle.

Stat of the Week

Unexpected Star

Percy Harvin, Bills

The Bills didn't bring Harvin out of retirement for nothing. Now that he's had a few weeks to get himself back into playing shape, there's no reason not to design a few plays that can utilize his athleticism. What better game for a breakout performance than taking on a Bengals defense that can't seem to stop anyone?

Updated NFL Fantasy Tips

Fantasy: Week 11 Rankings (Updated)

by Justin Boone

Quarterbacks

PlayerOpp

1Cam Newtonvs NO

2Tom Brady@ SF

3Ben Roethlisberger@ CLE

4▲Andrew Luckvs TEN

5Drew Brees@ CAR

6▲Aaron Rodgers@ WAS

7Marcus Mariota@ IND

8Matthew Staffordvs JAC

9Russell Wilsonvs PHI

10▲Kirk Cousinsvs GB

11▼Derek Carrvs HOU

12Tyrod Taylor@ CIN

13▲Eli Manningvs CHI

14▼Dak Prescottvs BAL

15Blake Bortles@ DET

16Andy Daltonvs BUF

17Colin Kaepernickvs NE

18Jameis Winston@ KC

19▲Alex Smithvs TB

20▼Carson Palmer@ MIN

21Joe Flacco@ DAL

22Ryan Tannehill@ LA

23▲Sam Bradfordvs ARI

24▲Cody Kesslervs PIT

25▼Jay Cutler@ NYG

26Brock Osweiler@ OAK

27▼Carson Wentz@ SEA

28Jared Goffvs MIA

NFL Week 11 Fantasy Tips

Fantasy: Waiver Wire - Week 11

by David P. Woods

Quarterback

Tyrod Taylor, Bills

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at CIN61%$5

Taylor's ownership has dropped to the point where he may be available in your league. With Sammy Watkins eligible to return from IR in a few weeks, Taylor could be worth stashing. He also makes a decent streaming option in Week 11.

Alex Smith, Chiefs

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. TAM25%$1

Smith gets the Buccaneers in Week 11, which makes him a viable bye-week replacement.

Running Back

C.J. Prosise, Seahawks

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. PHI35%$45

Prosise broke out in front of a national audience Sunday night, collecting 17 carries for 66 yards and seven passes for 87 yards on the Patriots. He played more than three-quarters of the Seahawks' snaps and appears not just to have edged past Christine Michael on the depth chart, but to have left him in the dust. Acquiring Prosise should be your top priority on the waiver wire this week, but it's important to note that Thomas Rawls is expected to return to the lineup Sunday. It's possible Prosise will settle into a role as a passing-down specialist. He'll still have fantasy value in such a role, but he likely won't be the a league-winning type of player.

Thomas Rawls, Seahawks

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. PHI48%$45

The Seahawks' Week 1 starter, Rawls hasn't played since injuring his leg in Week 2. He's healthy now, though, and looks primed to play in Week 11. What his role will be remains a complete mystery, but it's possible Rawls will emerge as the Seahawks' best option on early downs and near the goal line. He's worth a sizable FAAB bid if he's on the waiver wire in your league.

Rob Kelley, Redskins

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. GB48%$40

In Kelley's first game as the Redskins' starter (Matt Jones was a healthy scratch), he made it clear he deserves to keep the job by taking 22 carries for 97 yards. Kelley isn't a top talent, but he's far more consistent than Jones ever was and should retain low-end RB2 value for the rest of the season.

James Starks, Packers

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at WAS27%$25

Starks returned from knee surgery in Week 10 and played ahead of Ty Montgomery as the Packers' lead running back. It's a role he's likely to retain moving forward, though we've seen enough of Starks in a featured role in previous seasons to conclude he's unlikely to be anything more than a low-end RB2.

Jeremy Langford, Bears

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at NYG26%$9

Bears starter Jordan Howard hurt his lower leg Sunday and the team suggested it could be an Achilles injury, which might put the rest of Howard's rookie season in jeopardy. If Howard misses time, Week 1 starter Langford would presumably return to the top of the depth chart.

Dion Lewis, Patriots

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. SF58%$3

Lewis is eligible to return to the Patriots' lineup after a stint on the PUP list, but the team seems to be in no rush to get him back. Every week, Lewis' remote chances of being a fantasy factor this season get even slimmer.

Wide Receiver

Michael Floyd, Cardinals

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at MIN45%$20

Floyd posted his first 100-yard game of the season in Week 10 and finally looked like the physically dominant receiver he was during the second half of last season. Owners probably can't trust him to keep it up, but another week or two of top production from Floyd could put him right back in the WR2 conversation. If you're hurting at the position, he should be the first wideout you target on the waiver wire this week.

Kenny Britt, Rams

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. MIA57%$18

Much of the football world chuckled at Britt's recent campaigning for a Pro Bowl berth, but he's right that he is quietly having the best season of his career. He should be owned in every fantasy league and has a very appealing matchup against the Dolphins' weak secondary on tap.

Jamison Crowder, Redskins

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. GB48%$8

Crowder has scored a touchdown in five of nine games played this season. One score is probably his weekly upside, but that's more than many players can say.

Rishard Matthews, Titans

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. IND54%$8

Emerging as Marcus Mariota's favorite red-zone passing target not named Delanie Walker, Matthews has six touchdown catches in his last six games. As Mariota's star continues to rise, Matthews will be pulled upward by its gravitational force.

Corey Coleman, Browns

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. PIT57%$4

Coleman has been quiet since returning from a hand injury two weeks ago, but he has the potential to post one or two big games down the stretch and in the fantasy playoffs.

DeVante Parker, Dolphins

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at LA63%$3

Parker topped 100 yards receiving for the first time since Week 2 on Sunday. He has the chance to do it a few more times before the season's end.

Tight End

Eric Ebron, Lions

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

vs. JAX57%$7

Still available in four of 10 fantasy leagues, Ebron has been a big part of the Lions' offense since returning from a foot injury three weeks ago. He has top-three tight end upside.

Cameron Brate, Buccaneers

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at KC52%$2

Make America Brate again. (Sorry. He's mentioned in this column almost every week. What else can be said about him at this point? Pick him up if you're in a deep league and you want a tight end who's guaranteed to get targets.)

Julius Thomas, Jaguars

Next UpOwnershipFAAB bid

at DET58%$1

The Lions are the NFL's worst team, by far, against tight ends. That makes Thomas an options for streamers.

Blogs by Danny B Part 30

Blogs by Danny B

Part 30

14 Touts got arrested that day and it turned out to be the largest Gambling Arrest ever in South West Florida.. We were being charged with the Wire Wager Act and over 14 Million Dollars was seized from us before we even seen the Judge..

 The courtroom was very hectic & filled with media, attorneys and family members who were in a state of panic especially my 8 month pregnant wife... We had no family in Florida and we were not friendly with the others since I left their company in November of 2003, so you can imagine how worried Jamie was since all our money was gone.. We had about 5k in cash and that was it!

  You can read the details of the arrest if you research the case.. The fact was originally the Feds thought we were bookmakers working out of Florida but after the investigation was over they realized we were just a Handicapping service referring players to certain casino that we knew would pay quickly plus allow us 3rd party payouts which was very common and was transferred by the player not the casino... We made too much money and they spent too much money so we were charged with a crime that technically we were not guilty of..

 We all made bail by the next day and were meeting with our attorneys.. I was very lucky to find Peter Ringsmuth who was by far the best in town.. Peter told me we have a problem because 3 or 4 guys were already making deals to avoid jail time.. he also said we could beat the case if we all stood together, but that was not in the cards..

 I agreed to plea out if the Feds would agree to return the money I made after I left the other company.. I needed to know if something happened Jamie would have money.. remember she was 8 months pregnant and all alone.. Peter presented my offer to the prosecutor and after a few days they agreed to give back a large sum after I got sentenced in August of 2003.. They agreed it was not part of their investigation which ended in December of 2003.. They waited to April 8th of 2004 knowing there would be more money made during March Madness...

 Our son was born on May 20th of 2004 and all I wanted to do was hold him and never leave his side because I did not know if jail time would be imposed, most were 1st time offenders and were pretty much looking at house arrest and probation..

  I was sentenced on August 29th and was very lucky to get 6 months House Arrest and 3 years probation which basically everyone received.. This was a high profile case that also featured Legendary NHL Star Jeremy Roenick who was one of our clients.. All the stations carried the story especially ESPN...

   After we finished House Arrest I sold my house and moved to Miami for 3 months and during that time I got a chance to hang out with my childhood friend Kurt Delorenzo who recently passed away..

I also invested a large sum of money into Sports Memorabilia and planed on opening a side business selling and collecting.. My wife got lonely and wanted to move back to Pa to have family around.. I did not want to leave especially since I was living on the Beach in a beautiful high rise... But I understood where my wife was coming from so we moved back to Pa in July of 2005....

Blogs by Danny B Part 29

Blogs by Danny B

Part 29

We were on top of the world, business was great and we were getting ready to have our first child, I was felling like a million dollars and worth more...

  It was April 8th 2004 when we got that Bang on the door... not a knock but a repetitive Bang that would rock our world and change everything... A task force was waiting outside our home.. guys with masks, guys in uniform, guys from every agency fully armed and ready for war... I opened the door and right away a gun was at my head and I was handcuffed without even knowing the reason why..

 My wife was 8 months pregnant and 3 members of the task force charged her as she walked down the stairs until one local officer yelled out to the others ... "She is pregnant do not throw her on the ground" or words to that effect as they were ready to shake her down for weapons as they thought she was concealing one under her bathrobe.. Before I knew it I was being transported to the local police station in Ft Myers FL and was not told what I was being charged with other than I was not alone..

 When I arrived at the holding center there were several buses and dozens of officers and the news crews were everywhere... My main concern was for my wife.. I was worried she would have a panic attack or something that would cause her issues with the baby that was due in mid May.. I was still clueless on what I was being charged with but my first thoughts were that my old crew set me up since I was now a competitor but that idea changed when I started seeing them come in the station 1 by 1 handcuffed and looking like hell...

 We were not able to talk to each other as they questioned us separately, that's when they started drilling us about our business and members involved.. I did not say anything other than I do not work for them and have not since November of 2003.. this took them buy surprise...

  14 of us were arrested and now we were on our way to the main police station in Ft Myers on a public bus... I was held separately in a cage on the bus like I was a dangerous or deadly person.. When I asked why I was told shut up and be quiet... to this day I still don't know why...

Danny B

Blogs by Danny B Part 28

Blogs by Danny B

Part 28

As we prepared for my 3rd season in Florida both Jamie and I agreed that this would be our last one working with The Players Edge.. With John selling out to Rob and the office and ego's getting bigger I felt it was time to make a move.. I also sensed shit was going to happen as we were making way too much money plus I just had the feeling something was not right..

 By October of 2003 we personally saved almost 1/2 million dollars and found out Jamie was pregnant again.. I was having some friction with a few of the guys in the office and said to my wife that I have several deals pending and once they are completed I would quit and take some time off to think about what I wanted to do.. It was a big and ballsy move on my part especially since I was making 20k a week, some weeks more..

On November 2nd of that year I told Rob I was done and wanted my buyout money as a partner.. Rob did not want me to go but he had a money making machine and by me leaving they would not skip a beat..

 It felt good to take some time off and enjoy my success with my wife but I knew I would have to get back to making money before too long as I spend money like a drunken sailor on payday.. In January of 2004 I started looking for office space as I decided to open up my own business and do things my way and not have to answer to anyone... I recruited 4 guys that somewhat new the business but were not seasoned like the staff at the Players Edge.. I was very confident I could do a show on my own because I had contacts in radio and secured several markets, plus I was the main reason we were successful in the first place..

 My first show aired on January 17th of 2004 and I was now competing with my former workers who were stunned when they heard me on radio.. I was now working with less talented reps who were not even close to the crew down the block from me but I was good enough to make it work and generate almost a million dollars from January 17th to April 7th ... On April 8th my world and 13 others would be turned upside down in a blink of an eye...

 In my next blog I will explain what happened and the aftermath that comes with making too much money...

Danny B

Week 10 NFL Fantasy Tips

Fantasy: Week 10 Rankings (Updated)

by Justin Boone

Quarterbacks

PlayerOpp

1Aaron Rodgers@ TEN

2▲Tom Bradyvs SEA

3Ben Roethlisbergervs DAL

4▲Matt Ryan@ PHI

5▼Cam Newtonvs KC

6Carson Palmervs SF

7Philip Riversvs MIA

8Jameis Winstonvs CHI

9Drew Breesvs DEN

10▼Russell Wilson@ NE

11▲Marcus Mariotavs GB

12Joe Flaccovs CLE

13Jay Cutler@ TB

14Eli Manningvs CIN

15Dak Prescott@ PIT

16Andy Dalton@ NYG

17Trevor Siemian@ NO

18Blake Bortlesvs HOU

19▼Carson Wentzvs ATL

20Kirk Cousinsvs MIN

21Alex Smith@ CAR

22▼Ryan Tannehill@ SD

23Colin Kaepernick@ ARI

24Brock Osweiler@ JAC

25▼Ryan Fitzpatrickvs LA

26Sam Bradford@ WAS

27Case Keenum@ NYJ

28Cody Kessler@ BAL

Blogs by Danny B Part 27

Blogs by Danny B

Part 27

After a little over 1 year in Florida Jamie and I were able to save a lot of money and buy a new Mercedes Benz, we were now in the process of looking to buy a home and start a family..

 Most of the guys started getting back to the office the last days of July, others waited to mid August.. John did expand the office and added more sales reps to his money making machine, looking back that was the mistake that eventually lead to our demise...

 Our first show of season 2 was a huge success and everyone was making a ton of money out the door including me as I was given a partnership which would lead to monthly bonuses of 25k of more... Most of the staff were young, in their late 20's early 30's .. Crazy cash for guys their age...

I was one of the older guys in the office that now held 15 full time reps and 10 part timers including more girls to answer the phones.. The guys were young and not thinking when they would go out with their fancy cars and buy fancy things like watches, everyone but me had a few Rolex's or something that stood out.. Ft Myers is a Mom & Pop type of place, small and everyone was nosy..

Even though we were all making a boat load of lute there was a lot of jealousy in the office.. Reps fighting over money, clients or who had the nicest car.. it was crazy how greedy we all were.. Our parking lot was filled with fancy rides from Benz's, Hummers, BMW's, Vipers, Lamborghini's, NSX's.. You name it we had it.. Each rep had at least 2 high end rides, some more...

 In January of 2003 we signed up a famous Hockey Player named Jeremy Roenick who was referred to us by his plastic surgeon who had success with us betting the games.. This I believe was the first time I thought we were getting too big and making way too much money.. In late 2002 we bought a house that would be ready in March of 2003, this was perfect as we found out in February that Jamie was pregnant...

 Another season was winding down and we were in our new house and had saved a shit load of cash, we were on top of the world until the Doctor told us Jamie lost the baby, this was very tuff on both of us...

  In late April John announced he was selling the company to his long time friend Rob who was also the office manager.. We all thought he was crazy to sell out since he made over 5 million himself without even making 1 sale in the 2 seasons I was there..

I said to Jamie that day that something smelled fishy and if we did not just buy a house I would move back to New Jersey or Pa.. Turned out I was right... In the next blog I talk about the day our world was rocked!

Danny B

EPISODE 031 - "LET'S ALL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN..."

This podcast we talk about our most recent election and Jamie's upcoming Birthday Bash! We also talk to Jaden and get his perspective on the election as a 12 year old! 

LET'S MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Blogs by Danny B Part 26

Blogs by Danny B

Part 26

By early October we were so busy we needed more reps and more people to answer the phones so we added 3 more Cappers and several girls.. We started the season with 6 reps plus John the owner, and now had 9 very sharp and aggressive salesmen... John did not deal with the callers/clients but he did do the radio show and handled all our offshore matters.. Before 9/11 and The Patriot Act, offshore Sports Books were allowed to advertise on our show and basically everywhere they wanted.. It was important our players had a good bookie who could handle large wagers and pay without waiting more than a few days.. We built relationships with several casinos that would allow players to transfer money from one account to another.. This was very useful on a Saturday or Sunday when a player won a early play and needed to make a payment to us.. They would simply call their casino and make a 3rd party transfer... We made different deals with different players depending on how much they were betting or how much they were willing to pay... On a good day a player could pay 2 to 3 times if the games were winning..

The money continued to pour in and the phones were ringing off the hook, especially on a Saturday when we would get over 400 calls from the radio show that was becoming a Monster Money Maker!

 Jamie was the main secretary and was making over 1k a week herself, when you add the 5k a week plus I was making at the time we were doing much better than we expected especially since we were just getting stared... Even though I was making great money I was still the low man in the office at the time but that would change over the next few months when I raised my weekly average to over 10k and now was one of the top earners and the guy who was very responsible for the Radio Show results that were bringing in an average of 500k a week..

Unlike today we would stop advertising after March Madness and just service our clients, and by mid May we would close the office until August 1st..

 The entire staff made a shit load of money and were looking forward to spending some of it and going on vacation or whatever they wanted to do.. We were on Top Of The World...

Jamie and I kept it simple, I bought a new Benz and we went on local trips to the Beaches and Resorts.. We came along way in the first year considering we left Allentown with about 8k, no furniture, no where to live or any friends...

 Before the office closed for break John was making plans on expanding the office by blowing out a wall and renting more space and adding 6 more Cappers who heard about what we were doing and what we were making.. The word was out.. The Players Edge were doing things and making money others could only dream of...

 Looking back now we should of kept things as they were.. WE GOT GREEDY

Danny B

Blogs by Danny B Part 25

Blogs by Danny B

Part 25

The week prior to the 2001 Football Season my wife Jamie and I had a fight over something stupid but she flew back to New Jersey to visit her mom, I am pleased to say that was our last war of words..

 It was now time to record our 1st radio show that would air in over 30 cities across the nation on Saturdays and Sundays, my boss John was nervous because he was spending 25k a week and was worried that he would be wasting a lot of cash..

 The first show would air at 8 am but I was running late due to traffic and did not arrive until 8:15 or so.. When I got out of my car John came running towards me with a huge grin on his face.. The phones were going crazy and he was amazed by how many calls we got in only 15 minutes, John was no longer worried about doing the show or investing 25k a week...

 By the end of our first day we signed up over 100 new members and brought in almost 50k in business.. After 1 full week we generated over 250k between us and we were just getting started..

I was very happy but I was missing my wife who was not coming back until Sept 11th which she did not due to the terror attacks! I remember that day very clearly as we were about to record our 2nd show.. Our producer was a pilot and was showing us photos of his new plane and was also talking about JFK JR and shared his thoughts about why he crashed, etc...

After our first commercial break Brian (The Producer) told us that a plane just crashed into one of the towers, we all said "WOW" what a crazy coincidence since we were just talking about plane crashes..

We started recording the second segment when Brian opened his mic and said guys we have to stop the show, the second tower was hit and that we are at war! We were all in shock and quickly left the studio to get back to our homes to watch the news.. First thing I did was call Jamie but I could not get through to her or anyone in Jersey.. I was watching the news as the other attacks took place and was somewhat in shock but more worried about Jamie as she was to fly out of Newark that day to come back to Florida... Later in the day Jamie did call me which was a huge relieve knowing she was safe but would not be flying home due to the attacks and air space being shut down..

As we know all games were canceled that week so our 2nd show did not air and we closed the office down until the following Monday..

On a Tuesday we went back to the studio to cut another show and Jamie also was flying home later that day.. It was time to get back to business and making money.. Like the 1st show the 2nd show kicked ass and we doubled our week 1 profits by generating almost 500k and the new accounts kept pouring in... This was the start of a money making machine and a lot of .... "HUGE EGO's"

Danny B

Baseball Trades

10 bold predictions for the MLB offseason

via The Score Staff

Another major-league season is in the books as teams gear up for the winter. With less than 24 hours to go until the start of free agency, here are 10 bold predictions for the 2016 offseason:

Cubs trade Schwarber for a star young pitcher

The Cubs don't want to trade Schwarber - especially not after his remarkable return in the World Series - but they may have to part ways with their young hitter in order to bring in another quality arm thanks to a logjam of outfielders.

Jason Heyward's contract is still on the books, so he's not movable, and even if Dexter Fowler doesn't come back, there should be enough already there to help cover the loss of Schwarber. Out of that logjam, it's Schwarber who will bring back the most right now and be the easiest to move. If they can entice one of the AL East teams into giving up a quality arm, for instance - Aaron Sanchez? Roberto Osuna? Chris Archer? - it could be enough to convince the Cubs to trade their star now.

When the Cubs dangle Schwarber, though, you can be sure that 29 other teams will be making phone calls, and the Cubs will get a very worthwhile and large return for his services. - SSG

Giants break $60 million for Chapman

The Giants had a legitimate chance against the Cubs in the NLDS, but they were undone by a lack of quality late-relief arms. After their bullpen collapsed for four runs in the ninth in Game 4, general manager Bobby Evans didn't pull any punches about looking for a closer in the offseason, and there's no better option than the same one who slammed the book shut on their postseason hopes than Aroldis Chapman.

With the Cubs looking to keep the key pieces of their squad together, it'll take a ludicrous bidding war, but the Giants will have their closer in 2017. - JS

Nationals, Desmond reunite

Ian Desmond, who famously rejected a seven-year, $107-million extension offer from Washington in 2014, was forced to settle for a one-year pillow contract with the Rangers last winter, having played himself out a multi-year deal (and his position) in 2015.

As it happens, though, his season in Texas went swimmingly - installed in center field, Desmond managed 3.3 WAR with 22 homers and 21 steals - while the Nationals watched Danny Espinosa eke out a .684 OPS as their primary shortstop. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

Watch the estranged 31-year-old return to D.C. in 2017 and take over either at shortstop or in center, with Trea Turner playing whichever position Desmond doesn't. - JB

Bautista signs with Texas, becomes teammates with Odor

Jose Bautista joining the Rangers would instantly become the storyline of the offseason for obvious reasons (see bat flip of the 2015 ALDS and the Rougned Odor punch heard 'round the world). The Rangers' outfield for 2016 is set, but the team has a void at DH, and who better to fill the vacancy than Bautista, whose flair for the dramatic is well-known. One of the best athletes in Toronto Blue Jays history leaving to join a hated adversary will be tough to swallow for fans, but with his time in Toronto likely done, Bautista's arrival in Texas will immediately turn him from villain to hero. - LC

Pirates start rebuild by trading McCutchen

With the powerhouse Cubs residing in the same division, Pirates GM Neal Huntington recognizes his team's window to contend has closed and packages away his most tradeable asset in McCutchen in an attempt to accelerate the rebuild.

While still among one of the game's best outfielders, McCutchen did show signs of slowing down last season, and the Pirates would be wise to trade him sooner than later in order to maximize a return. With two years, $28.75-million remaining on his deal, the Pirates would have no shortage of suitors for the 29-year-old. - BW

Encarnacion bolts for the Big Apple

After the most productive season of his career, and despite a constant sales pitch from the retiring David Ortiz, Edwin Encarnacion will leave behind the Blue Jays in favor of the division-rival New York Yankees, burning the Boston Red Sox in the process. The 33-year-old Dominican will bring his 42 home runs and 127 RBIs to a Yankees offense that finished in the bottom half of the league in both categories. - BM

Orioles land Cespedes

The Yoenis Cespedes sweepstakes are on, and general managers are ready to fork out the cash. While it would be expected for the Giants, Red Sox, or Nationals to dish out the big bucks, it'll be the Orioles who come out of nowhere to make the biggest splash. Cespedes is the biggest bat on the market, and a batting order comprised of Chris Davis, Manny Machado, Adam Jones, and Cespedes would make for one of baseball's most daunting gauntlets. - GH

Angels go all-in

Without a single Top 100 prospect, the Angels are finally realizing it makes no sense at all to stand idly by with the best baseball player in the world playing center field. Their trade for Cameron Maybin was only a sign of things to come. Tired of being the ugly sister in Los Angeles, the Angels will sign either Jeremy Hellickson or Ivan Nova, before also landing an A-list second baseman like Neil Walker immediately after. - JS

Eric Thames returns to crush it in MLB

Over the last three seasons in Korea, outfielder Eric Thames put up superhuman numbers, belting 127 home runs to go along with 379 RBIs, which included a .381/.497/.790 slash line in 2015. Someone in need of an outfielder (Orioles, Blue Jays) could sign the 29-year-old to at least a minor-league deal, and he'll end up paying big dividends for whoever gives him a shot at success once again in MLB. - BM

White Sox trade Sale

Despite the crazy premium contenders were paying for pitching at the 2016 trade deadline, the White Sox, unwilling to concede, opted to hang onto Chris Sale. The 27-year-old left-hander owns a career 3.00 ERA (135 ERA+) and will make just $28 million over the next three years.

After finishing below .500 for a fourth straight season, though, and with no pitcher even close to as valuable as Sale available in free agency, general manager Rick Hahn will bite the bullet and start the rebuild, in earnest, by shipping Sale to Boston or Los Angeles or Washington for a clown car full of prospects. - JB

Predictions were written by Jonah Birenbaum, Lucas Casaletto, George Halim, Bryan Mcwilliam, Simon Sharkey-Gotlieb, Jonathan Soveta, and Brandon Wile.

Blogs by Danny B Part 24

Blogs by Danny B

Part 24

My relationship with Dennis & The LVSN  from March 1995- April 2001 was a good one, maybe not perfect but all in all I enjoyed myself and I made a lot of great contacts.. I was able to meet Athletes, Celebrities, Bookmakers, Casino Owners, Pro Bettors and a ton of Handicappers!

 For several years a few Capping Companies were trying to recruit me to work for them, especially John Rodney aka "Dan The Man Wilson" who owed a tout service out of Fort Myers Florida..

John was one of our advertisers on the Score Phone so I would talk to him daily and he would boast to me how much money his guys were making and that I could double or triple what I was currently making.. For over a year or so I was pondering his offer but I never took him up on it until my wife Jamie said she was up for change and wanted to make the move, so we did...

 After selling all our furniture and everything else that we did not want, we packed up my STS with all we could fit including my parrot Moses and took off to Florida on April 19th 2001.. We did not have a lot of money saved but we had enough to get started and carry us until Football Season..

John never did a radio show before but wanted to get one started so that was one of the reasons for the move as he needed my help to get it going and host the show... I never met John face to face but for over 3 years we spoke often and he was a likeable guy and generous too.. He sent me 1k for my wedding..

 We arrived in Fort Myers on April 21st and drove to Johns house were he and his wife Linda met us.. They were very nice and let us stay in one of their homes that was on the market until they could sell it.. The next day we went to the office to meet the original crew which would expand very quickly.. It was the slow season for touts so things were quite as far as business goes but I got my feet wet and made some money cold calling.. The guys were very aggressive, more so than the crew that Jack Price had in California back in 1994.. I am not going to name the cast that worked for John but I will tell you each guy was quirky and could sell sand on the beach, they were ruthless and hungry..

 By mid June the office was closed and we were now living in a rental as John sold the house we were staying at when we first arrived.. The summer was dragging and the heat was insane, we could not wait to get back to work.. We all returned to the office the first week in August and started hitting the phones and getting clients excited about Football and Baseball.. John and I went into the studio to do a dry run for the radio show that would begin Week 1 of the NFL Season... Our chemistry on air was amazing, it was like we did radio together for years and the show sounded great.. Both John and I new we had something special but neither one of us expected the results and the incredible amounts of money we would make in such a short amount of time....

Danny B

Blogs by Danny B Part 23

Blogs by Danny B

Part 23

In late November 1997 Keith and I had a argument over money, my end of the profit was due and he kept putting me off which lead to me giving him a option.. Pay me or I tap dance on your head!

He choose to pay me but we both decided it would be best if we part ways.. Between Dennis hitting us with a law suite and word on the street that the heat was on us I knew it was best for me to walk away and take my share before things got out of control...

 I contacted Dennis attorney and told him I no longer work with Keith so they can remove me from the law suite which was Bull Shit but I did not want to go through the crap that came with it.. Why pay attorneys for something that held no water or merit.. Not only did they remove me from the suite but they offered me my job back with a 10K bonus to resume my role to maintain and update the score phone and sell adds in the LVSN..

 From December 1997 through April of 2001 I continued working for Dennis and made a lot of great contacts from the score phone and selling adds to handicappers and sports book who would advertise in the Las Vegas Sporting News.. The best thing that happened to me during that period was meeting my wife and eventually getting married in July 2000 which Dennis and most of my co-workers attended..

 In my first few blogs I talked about Mickey "The Mob" who introduced be indirectly to Dennis but he also introduced me directly to Jamie my wife of almost 16 years.. It was the spring of 1998 when Mickey took me see his buddy Rick who owned a pawn shop in Easton, Pa when I first laid eyes on Jamie who worked for Rick.. I thought she was the sexiest women I ever seen and said on that very day that I will marry her one day... And I did... For over a year I would visit Jamie who is 14 years younger than me and would flirt with her every chance I had.. We both were dating others at the time but I was not happy with the girl I was seeing and was looking for a reason to part ways.. The day I broke up with my girlfriend was bitter sweet, I was available but Jamie was not, she moved out west to Vegas.. My heart was broken but 3 months later she came home to see her Dad who was dying from Cancer.. On October 4th 1999 I took Jamie on our first date and she moved in the very next day... Her dad died in late December of 1999 and I feel that was the day that I fell in love with her and I really new she was the one 4 sure..

In my next blog I talk about our BIG Move to Florida

Cespedes opts out...

Cespedes opts out of contract with Mets

by George Halim

Yoenis Cespedes has opted out of his three-year, $75-million deal with the New York Mets, according to multiple reports Saturday. The slugger is leaving $47 million on the table as he enters free agency.

The slugger is expected to receive a qualifying offer before Monday's deadline, allowing the Mets to pick up a draft pick if Cespedes decides to sign with another team.

It's no surprise to see Cespedes opt out, since the two-time All-Star had already made his intention to do so clear.

The Mets would ideally like to have him back, though he's expected to be one of the top free-agent players on the market and will cash in big time.

Cespedes signed a deal with the Mets in January that included an opt-out after this season.

Since joining the Mets last August, Cespedes has slashed .282/.348/.554 with 48 home runs and 130 RBIs in 189 games.

Future of Sports Betting

Future of sports betting: the marketplace

By David Purdum and Ryan Rodenberg

Bettors will have many other options outside Las Vegas if sports betting is legalized in the U.S.A

There are no immediate plans for Patent No. 0125691.

The description contains plain words like "computer," "real-time" and "online." Figure 2, an accompanying diagram, shows the system's entire process in an eight-step flow chart that ends with "determine payout of event."

The patent application, published on May 6 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, remains pending.

But don't let its apparent simplicity fool you: This patent application is held by Microsoft, and it could be a critical piece of a future with widespread legal sports betting in the United States.

Over four months, ESPN interviewed more than 50 sources representing a vast spectrum of interests and came away with numerous key findings about the future of American sports betting. Among them:

• Congress is in the early stages of reviewing federal gambling laws and plans to introduce comprehensive legislation that will address sports betting, daily fantasy sports and other forms of online gaming.

• Some of the world's largest tech companies are expected to emerge as bookmaking giants that will compete against established U.S. and international sportsbook operators, state lotteries, Native American gaming interests and fantasy sports sites for a share of the market.

• Stock market-like sports betting exchanges will be created to cater to the more sophisticated bettor, while also presenting the sports leagues with a potential opportunity to profit directly off of legal sports gambling.

• Robots -- fueled by dynamic algorithms, motion-tracking cameras and microchips capable of ingesting troves of real-time data from athletes' bodies -- will increasingly dominate high-stakes sports betting.

• Legalization may produce pitfalls, including increases in gambling addiction and gambling-related advertising, which have plagued other jurisdictions with legal sports betting.

While opinions vary on when a legal market may take shape in the U.S., who the biggest bookmakers of the future will be and if American society can handle what will be a dramatic shift in sports culture, experts almost unanimously agree with NBA commissioner Adam Silver's prediction: Expanded legalized sports betting is "inevitable."

In this three-part series, ESPN examines a future landscape with widespread legalized sports betting in the United States, beginning with potential paths to legalization and what the resulting marketplace may resemble.

Part 1: The marketplace

Capitol Hill, the states and paths to legalization

The mainstream acceptance of sports betting is peaking. Cash-strapped states are starting to see sports betting as a potential source of revenue more than a detriment to society. The point spread and betting action in Las Vegas are now popular storylines for every big game, and for the first time, a commissioner of a major professional sports league has come out in support of legalizing sports betting. There simply has never been this much momentum to legalize sports betting outside of Nevada.

But momentum and definitive results are two very different things. As of now, state-sponsored gambling is illegal outside of a handful of states, with single-game wagering permitted only in Nevada.

Editor's Picks

• Congress to review sports betting prohibition

  Congress is reviewing current "obsolete" federal gambling laws and plans on introducing comprehensive new legislation.

Some in the U.S. government feel it's time for a change and that the current federal gambling laws --most notably the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA), Wire Act of 1961 and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 -- aren't appropriate anymore and need updating.

"The laws need a wholesale review to see how they can actually work together and create a fairer playing field for all types of gambling, both online and offline, including sports betting and daily fantasy sports," U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., of New Jersey told ESPN. "At the same time, we must ensure the laws are actually creating an environment of integrity and accountability, and include strong consumer protections.

"I plan to continue discussions with the key stakeholders and then will introduce comprehensive legislation to finally update these outdated laws." In addition, lobbying efforts led by the American Gaming Association are set to begin in 2017. "The next [U.S.] president is going to have that issue of legalizing sports betting on their desk," AGA CEO and president Geoff Freeman has said.

But all the sports leagues are not on board, yet. They are, however, strategically positioning themselves for widespread legal sports wagering. The NCAA and NFL remain publicly opposed to legalization. The NHL and Major League Baseball, while showing signs of a softening stance, have stopped short of coming out in full support. Even the NBA, by far the most outspoken proponent of legalization among the sports leagues, has repeatedly said it's not ready to contribute to direct lobbying efforts.

"The next [U.S.] president is going to have that issue of legalizing sports betting on their desk"

Geoff Freeman, American Gaming Association CEO and president

"We've been supportive of legalized sports betting, and we'll continue to be supportive," NBA senior vice president and assistant general counsel Dan Spillane told ESPN. "If someone in Congress were to ask our view on a bill that's proposed, then I'm sure we'd be happy to participate and weigh in." The leagues have financial stakes in daily fantasy sports sites and a sudden interest in Las Vegas, and have struck deals with data companies that fuel the international sports betting market.

The NFL, NBA and NHL have deals with Sportradar, a Switzerland-based conglomerate that is the parent company of Betradar, a major player in the global sports betting industry, and Major League Baseball has partnered with Genius Sports, a multi-faceted gambling data firm located in London. Even the NCAA has a commercial affiliation with Sportradar, with the Pac-12 conference using the services of CG Analytics, a subsidiary of a prominent Nevada sportsbook.

These partnerships represent a profound shift in the leagues' position on line monitoring, the task of tracking gambling data in an attempt to identify unusual moves or unnatural money. As recently as 2007, representatives of the NBA, NCAA, NHL, MLB, and NFL sent a letter to Congress dismissing the value of line monitoring.

In addition, game integrity concerns -- often cited as a reason to oppose regulated sports betting -- are now increasingly being used as a reason to support legalized sports wagering, given the ability to track statistical data.

While the leagues' stances are shifting gradually, experts say sports betting of the legal variety is still years away from arriving at your local casino or on your mobile phone.

"My heart says it should be one to three [years]," former NBA commissioner David Stern told ESPN in September. "My head says it's between five and 10."

"My heart says it should be one to three [years]," former NBA commissioner David Stern told ESPN in September, regarding a timeline for legalization of sports betting in the U.S. "My head says it's between five and 10." Photo by Brad Barket/Getty Images

Individual states might not wait that long.

New Jersey has invested millions of dollars in legal fees while fighting the sports leagues and challenging PASPA (the federal prohibition on state-sponsored sports betting) in its ongoing case that began back in 2012. In October, New Jersey filed its second appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court on this issue.

This summer, Pennsylvania passed a resolution urging Congress to "lift the Federal ban on sports betting and to allow states that authorize, license and regulate casino gaming, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, to legalize sports betting through its licensed facilities." And New York Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow is currently planning a 2017 legal challenge to PASPA.

While it's clear that states are already taking steps, it is unknown exactly how many would begin offering legal sports betting if the federal prohibition were lifted. Estimates range from less than half to as high as 48.

"[If] PASPA gets amended, I think you'll see five to 10 states opt in quickly and offer it," Tim Wilmott, president and CEO of Penn National Gaming, Inc., said. "There are places like Utah, Hawaii, Tennessee, some states down in the South, that I think are going to be slower to accept it."

The landscape in some of the states that do opt in may be different than that in the United Kingdom, where sports betting is legal and retail bookmaking shops are commonplace on city streets. More conservative states likely will restrict sports betting to casinos and horse racing tracks; others may allow locations that sell lottery tickets to accept sports bets; and some will have betting kiosks at sports bars, gas stations and liquor stores.

Darren Rovell

Eventually, though, almost all sports betting will take place online, experts say.

"Online is where everything is going," John McManus, executive vice president and general counsel for MGM Resorts International, told ESPN this summer. "That's where people are going to want to place bets. That's where it makes sense to place bets and to be done safely."

A widespread, fully mature online sports betting market in the U.S. would be the largest such market in the world, according to research from industry trade publication GamblingCompliance. By the time the U.S. gets to that point, though, everything about sports betting will have changed, from the way bets are placed, what games and events are the most popular to bet on and even who is taking the bets.

"Providing a mechanism for a state to legalize [sports betting] doesn't have to be rocket science," said Sue Schneider, an industry veteran who has testified before Congress and consults on gaming issues. "The rest of the world has been doing this successfully for decades. We just need to look around to see the best practices.

"Up until recently, I always felt that sports betting would never be legalized in my lifetime," Schneider added. "With rumblings among some of the sports leagues [that] seem to realize that the writing is on the wall, I already see a change in the landscape."

The bookmakers of the future

While different avenues to legalization are explored in the U.S., several big-name companies are already lining up in anticipation of what would be a major shift in American sports culture.

Familiar Nevada and European sports betting operators, like MGM and William Hill, are eyeing the opportunity, and state lotteries and Native American gaming interests also want a seat at the negotiating table, experts told ESPN. Online daily fantasy sports sites, with their infrastructure and established player bases in a coveted demographic, would appear to be in good position to offer traditional sports betting if made legal, as well.

The biggest bookies in the future might not be the names you'd expect, though.

A review of recent patents in the betting genre revealed Microsoft, Sony, Reuters and Wall Street financial firm Cantor Fitzgerald to be either existing holders or applicants. A number of individual entrepreneurs are in the mix, too; patent No. 8,632,392, for example, was issued in 2014 for "systems and methods for enabling remote device users to wager on micro events of games." And others have built virtual currency-based wagering systems designed to be implemented on social media platforms like Facebook.

"In 10 years' time, I expect sports betting to be part of major telecommunications companies and data companies," said Chris Eaton, an integrity monitor and former investigator for INTERPOL. "I see the large international conglomerates -- Bloomberg, Google, the massive data companies -- swallowing up most of the sports betting operations around the world and operating an international platform, with all of sports betting being essentially offered on the mobile device, the mobile platform."

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company had "nothing to share at this time" regarding its patent for a betting exchange or any future interest in the sports betting industry.

Microsoft's patent coincides with a research paper by David Pennock, a principal researcher and assistant managing director for the company. Pennock's research produced an innovative wagering mechanism akin to pari-mutuel systems used in horse racing that Microsoft wanted to patent. There were no immediate plans for its use, Pennock said, but he does envision a future with tech companies involved in the sports betting world.

"In 10 years' time, I expect sports betting to be part of major telecommunications companies and data companies."

Chris Eaton, an integrity monitor and former investigator for INTERPOL

"I do think that there's a lot of technology involved that's not that trivial, especially for the more innovative things that I imagine are going to happen; so some of the technology companies may be better suited than an old-school sportsbook," Pennock said. "I think maybe some of the technology companies are in better position to build the [betting] exchange in a better way."

Mark Cuban, owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and outspoken proponent of expanding legal sports betting, agrees.

"In the short term, there will be a lot of attempts by companies big and small to use their own versions of big data to be predictive in sports, financial markets and other industries," Cuban told ESPN. "In the long term, it will come down to what sources of information and which companies will help create the most powerful learning and reproductive algorithms and who will own those algorithms. I don't have that answer and neither does anyone else at this point."

Nevada and offshore

If sports betting is legalized and the tech titans do get into the bookmaking game, are Las Vegas' days numbered as the epicenter of legal American sports betting? Is the traditional bookmaker an endangered profession?

Art Manteris, one of the longest-tenured Nevada bookmakers, doesn't necessarily think so.

Manteris believes the state's 50-plus years of regulating sports betting are invaluable and envisions a scenario where Nevada would remain a central hub for sports betting in the U.S., with bets from other states transmitted through the Silver State's established regulatory body and infrastructure.

"In a perfect world, things would flow into Nevada and there would be a point-of-consumption tax, just like there is in the U.K.," Manteris explained. "If they're betting from Colorado or California, you'll get a tax credit back to your state from where that bet emanated."

Recently, Nevada has taken steps to position itself for such a scenario. The majority of the state's books offer mobile sports betting in Nevada. In 2015, the state passed a bill clarifying that the state's licensed operators could manage sports pools in other legal jurisdictions, and Nevada also has set up a scheme where out-of-state bettors can invest into sports betting entities -- similar to mutual funds -- that are managed from within the state.

But some Nevada operators are also advocating for expanded legalization.

MGM, William Hill and Boyd Gaming are among those that have joined the American Gaming Association's coalition aimed at lifting the federal prohibition. They appear willing to surrender the monopoly Nevada has enjoyed in exchange for the ability to expand into other jurisdictions and offer one of the rare forms of gambling that is growing: sports betting.

An all-time high $4.2 billion was bet on sports in 2015 at Nevada's regulated books, the sixth straight year the industry enjoyed record handle. In each of the past three years, the state's books have won more than $200 million, and they haven't suffered a losing month since July 2013.

The legal market of sports betting in Nevada remains a small part of the overall U.S. betting pie. David Purdum

While business is booming, Nevada remains a small portion of the enormous American sports betting pie. Experts estimate more than 90 percent of all sports betting in the U.S. takes place outside of Nevada, mostly through offshore sportsbooks located in the Caribbean and Central America.

That behavior must change if the U.S. market is going to fully mature, but moving bettors from the unregulated market to a newer legal one won't be easy.

There are dozens of online books, the largest handling more than a $1 billion a month during football season, an industry source said. For the most part, the offshore industry has evaded U.S. laws and continues to serve America's thirst for sports betting without being saddled with added costs of regulation.

"We have to remain economically competitive with the offshore market, in order for it to go away," Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill's U.S. operations, said. "And, ultimately, that is what happens: People, given the choice, prefer to be in the legal, regulated market."

It's going to take more than just offering competitive odds for a new regulated market to take a bite out of the established offshore market, one longtime offshore bookmaker told ESPN.

"If they want to go against the offshore, they have to have the same type of menu that the offshore does, which includes all the props, all the live [betting]," said Scott Kaminsky, a veteran of the offshore market and now the sportsbook director at TheGreek.com. "If they do it the right way and you can bet anywhere inside the U.S., I think they'll maybe convert 35-40 percent of the people off of the offshore back to the states."

Marisa Lankester, author of "Dangerous Odds: My Life Inside an Illegal Billion Dollar Sports Betting Operation," believes offshore operators will continue to use cutting-edge technology to stay ahead of the game, even if the U.S. legalizes sports betting.

Sources said operators desiring secure phone lines have considered purchasing an entire telecommunications company on an island, and some bookmakers are already moving operations onto yachts in international waters. A commercial satellite engineer told ESPN that such technology "already exists."

"This is the modern version of the old riverboat casino and my source tells me it is already being done," Lankester said. "Satellites have this capability, and successful bookmakers have the means to invest in yachts, batteries, et cetera."

There's also a platform being designed that would take the bookmaker completely out of the equation.

Augur

"I see potential for large bets or bets with untaxed money being taken through the anonymity of the dark web," Lankester said.

Enter Augur, where anonymity rules.

Every stock exchange -- and its sports betting cousins Betfair, Matchbook and Smarkets -- is centralized, meaning each bet starts and ends in the same place. Augur, which recently entered beta, is a decentralized prediction market fueled by virtual currency.

Users are free to offer or match a plethora of sports-related options. Many markets will pose binary "Yes" or "No" questions, like, "Will the Chicago Cubs win the World Series in 2016?" for example. The Augur platform will be available to anyone willing to deal in e-money.

Jerry Brito, the executive director for Coin Center, a nonprofit research advocacy center focused on cryptocurrency and computing technologies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, believes a decentralized sports betting exchange market is the future.

"You can imagine a decentralized sports books that is provably fair," Brito said. "It's cheaper, because the cut that the book takes is incredibly small, because there's no company there, there's no overhead, besides the network. And because it's potentially global, it could be a really big book with a lot of bets. That's going to be very interesting to watch."

Peer-to-peer online betting

Sophisticated sports bettors in the future may be able to place their bets on U.S.-based peer-to-peer exchanges as well. The process for regulatory approval of such betting platforms has already started at the federal level and in Nevada, multiple experts said.

As early as 2008, records obtained by ESPN show that Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and others in the technology sector made written filings to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) in support of expanding so-called prediction markets into the public sphere. The CFTC, which regulates futures and options markets, is currently considering the legality of an exchange-type platform that could include sports, two sources told ESPN. A CFTC spokesman declined to comment on any pending case that was not yet in the public record.

A betting exchange is the functional equivalent of a stock exchange for sports, where bettors can offer or take positions on sports events. In such an exchange, every bettor becomes a miniature bookie, proposing potential wagers and waiting for one or more others to bite. For example, a $100 point-spread bet on a certain team could be matched by another bettor in full or by four bettors at $25 each. It's a peer-to-peer model, with the platform charging a commission fee.

In 2010, Betfair, the mammoth London-based betting exchange that revolutionized sports gambling in Europe a decade ago, was granted an American patent titled "Betting Exchange System." The 22-page documentation for patent No. 7,690,991 includes a subsection on point-spread betting, noting that it is "particularly popular in the U.S."

Betfair began operating a horse racing exchange betting platform in New Jersey earlier this year after several years of legal wrangling. Smarkets, a smaller betting exchange operator based in Europe, recently announced plans to open an office in the U.S.

"I think more and more the peer-to-peer, exchange style will be the way that wagering happens in the future, both in terms of gambling and in terms of prediction markets," Pennock, the Microsoft researcher, said.

A screenshot of the current Betfair exchange system. Betfair

The exchange model would seemingly give the sports leagues an opportunity to directly monetize sports betting, something experts said may be all that's stopping them from reversing their decades-long opposition to legalization.

"If the sports leagues directly benefit, then there may be more of a buy-in from them," said Tobias Moskowitz, a Yale finance professor and co-author of "Scorecasting: The Hidden Influences Behind How Sports Are Played and Games Are Won."

In the exchange model, the leagues wouldn't have a stake in the outcome, like a traditional bookmaker. Instead, they could profit off of how much is wagered through a trading commission, tacking on a data surcharge or a "right to offer bets" type of licensing fee as is found in other countries.

Not everyone believes the exchange model will be the dominant platform in a future regulated market, though. Asher, William Hill's CEO in the U.S, said the exchange is the niche product. "The mass-market product is the traditional form of sports betting like we have in Nevada," he added.

"One of the goals is to give people who are interested in betting on sports an incentive to switch from illegal markets to legal markets. And backing or selecting one particular form of betting to the exclusion of others, I'm not sure that's going to accomplish that goal."

Dan Spillane, NBA senior vice president and assistant general counsel

The NBA's Spillane, while familiar with the exchange model, says the league hasn't determined whether a certain betting platform is better than the rest.

"Legalized sports betting shouldn't select one subset of the industry, necessarily, to be the 'one,' as opposed to having regulations in place that make sure whatever model ultimately is used or wins the market is going to be something that provides adequate protections from an integrity and consumer standpoint," Spillane said. "One of the goals is to give people who are interested in betting on sports an incentive to switch from illegal markets to legal markets. And backing or selecting one particular form of betting to the exclusion of others, I'm not sure that's going to accomplish that goal."

Paul Clement, the lead lawyer for the five leagues (NCAA, NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL) in the ongoing New Jersey sports betting case said that a permissible exception to PASPA would be wagers up to $1,000 between individuals. Clement described it as a "friends and family" plan. In a court decision in September, a panel of judges endorsed Clement's position as illustrative of measures states could take that wouldn't run afoul of the federal ban.

Gaming regulators in Nevada also are considering sports wagering exchanges. Quinton Singleton, a vice president for sports betting technology provider NYX Gaming Group, has been writing regulations for a potential Nevada sports exchange and expects movement in 2017. In addition, the Silver State Sports Exchange is working to get approval for a phone app that would allow anyone located in Nevada to offer bets, but only gaming license holders, like the state's sportsbooks, could accept wagers posted on the exchange.

"The books will be able to take whatever they need to satisfy their particular risk for the day," said Silver State Sports Exchange founder Pete Korner. "We think we're going to increase handle, increase churn and therefore profitability as the state as well."

Looking ahead

In a 2012 deposition, former baseball commissioner Bud Selig described sports gambling as "evil" and "the deadliest of all things that can happen" to sports. Four years later, a more pragmatic approach is now emerging among sports league brass, government policymakers and law enforcement, signaling a future with expanded legal sports betting in the U.S. appears to be on the horizon.

"We think the integrity of the game is the most important thing, and we believe that our current position is the right way to be able to handle that," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told The Associated Press in April. "But on the other hand, if changes happen, we'll be prepared for those."

Coming in Part 2 on Thursday: Who will be the bettors of the future?

Blogs by Danny B Part 22

Blogs by Danny B

Part 22

The HBO Interview aired late August 1997 or early September, I don't remember the exact date but I will tell you it was a great segment! My friends & family were calling me left and right, they could not believe it was me they were seeing as I did not tell many about the interview...

 We were all excited and now it was time to make some cash and recoup the money we invested in advertising.. The news paper adds hit days before the segment but the phones were not ringing and tension started building in the office. In the first month alone we spent 30k out of our 50k budget and not a penny came back to us, it was very depressing.. I told one of the partners not to invest too much too fast but Kyle thought he was a marketing expert and did not listen which quickly lead to me giving him a beat-down in the office..

 By late September we all decided we should take it on the chin and turn our Handicapping business into a bookmaking venture with Keith who recently opened up a Sports Book based in Aruba.. I had worked with Keith before and I new he was capable of doing well as he was a big part of ESB's early success.. We made the transition and right away the phones were ringing via direct mailers and adds in the USA Today and Pro Football Weekly. In the 90's you could advertise Offshore Betting and no one cared, as long as the check was good they would run the adds. Today that would never happen as the laws changed a few years later..

 We advertised that the Casino was in Aruba but the only thing that was in Aruba was a contact at Western Union who would pull the deals for us and funnel the money back to Keith in Kutztown, Pa were we moved our office, right by the college! We were kicking ass but word spread fast and before we knew it we were getting heat from Dennis who hated the fact his former workers were now his competition! Within a few weeks we got severed with a law suit from Dennis stating we signed a no compete with him and that we used his data base to steal clients from ESB, this was somewhat true but I never took shit from him, Keith did and so did a few others that worked for him.. Everyone felt they were mistreated and taking some names was justifiable.. Shit was ready to hit the fan...

Danny B