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This is an article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM Newsletter, the ultimate guide to every day in sports. You can sign up to get it in your inbox every weekday morning here.


🏌 Good morning to all but especially to ...

RUSSELL HENLEY

Any golfer that wants to beat Scottie Scheffler at the Tour Championship has to be nearly perfect, and Russell Henley was just that in the first round on Thursday.

Henley shot a sparkling 9-under 61 at East Lake, and that gives him a two-stroke edge on Scheffler going into the second round. In fact, Henley tied Collin Morikawa for the lowest opening round ever in the Tour Championship at East Lake. The only lower score came in 2007, when Zach Johnson shot 60 in the third round.

While Henley's scorecard was littered with birdies (and one eagle), he came about his success in an unconventional manner, writes Patrick McDonald.

  • McDonald: "He ranked last in terms of driving distance but consistently found the short grass and took his chances when he had them. It was a round that perfectly encapsulated who Henley is as a player as he never tried to chew off too much and the birdies kept on flying when he found the stroke with the putter."

Here is what the top of the leaderboard looks like heading into the second round:

1. Russell Henley (-9)
2. Scottie Scheffler (-7)
T-3. Collin Morikawa (-6)
T-3. Patrick Cantlay (-6)
T-3. Justin Thomas (-6)
T-3. Robert MacIntyre (-6)
T-3. Tommy Fleetwood (-6)

Henley may have gotten off to a hot start, but there is still a lot of golf left to play. You can check out the Round 2 tee times and pairings right here, and we have all the info on how to watch as well. Or you can follow all of the action right here.

😃 Honorable mentions

🏈 And not such a good morning for...

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THE ATLANTA FALCONS

The Falcons are betting their future on former No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. In order for that bet to pay off, Penix has to stay upright, and right tackle Kaleb McGary will play a big role in that. Unfortunately for the Falcons, McGary could be sidelined for a while.

McGary was carted off after suffering a leg injury in practice on Wednesday, and now the timetable for his return is unknown. If McGary does miss any portion of the regular season, it will be a big blow to Atlanta's offensive line. A first-round pick in 2019, McGary has the responsibility of protecting the left-handed Penix's blindside.

Over the course of his 92 starts on the offensive line, McGary became an anchor on the right side. Just earlier this month, the Falcons rewarded McGary with a two-year contract worth $30 million.

Earlier in the offseason, Penix said the Falcons' offense "should be the best in the league." Given the weapons around him -- which include Bijan Robinson and Drake London -- it's hard to knock that optimism. However, without McGary holding down the right side of the line, hitting that ceiling will be much harder.

😩 Not so honorable mentions

🏆 Check out our fantasy football draft tools

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Fantasy football draft season is in high gear, and we have you covered with the best expert advice anywhere in the industry. From the No. 1 overall pick to those late-round sleepers, CBS Sports has all the information you need to crush the rest of your league.

Let's start with the top of the draft. Our consensus rankings are a great tool that combine the insights of our experts, and they include the top 200 players. Here is how the first round could look in a full PPR league, according to those rankings:

1. Ja'Marr Chase, WR, Bengals
2. Bijan Robinson, RB, Falcons
3. CeeDee Lamb, WR, Cowboys
4. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Lions
5. Justin Jefferson, WR, Vikings
6. Saquon Barkley, RB, Eagles
7. Christian McCaffrey, RB, 49ers
8. Nico Collins, WR, Texans
9. Malik Nabers, WR, Giants
10. Ashton Jeanty, RB, Raiders
11. Puka Nacua, WR, Rams
12. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, Lions

Of course, not all of those players will pan out. That's the cruel nature of fantasy football. With that in mind, Jamey Eisenberg has presented his bust case for each player going in Round 1, according to average draft position (ADP).

What about the players not everyone is quite as familiar with? The type of players who take the next step and wind up winning championships for managers everywhere? In Eisenberg's latest edition of Fantasy Football Breakouts, he highlights players who could hit another level in 2025. One of them is Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens.

  • Eisenberg: "He should prove to be a solid complement to CeeDee Lamb and a big-play threat for Dak Prescott. We'll see if Pickens can command enough targets to enhance his Fantasy value, but the Cowboys passing game should carry this offense. There's a lot to like about Pickens playing in Dallas, and I plan to be aggressive in drafting him this year."

Want more information on how to draft circles around your competition? You got it:

As always, check out "Fantasy Football Today" everyday for the absolute latest in fantasy football news, as well as top-notch advice.

🏈 ACC expert picks, predictions

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Mike Meredith, CBS Sports

Next up on our tour of college football previews is the ACC, a seemingly top-heavy conference that has two clear College Football Playoff contenders and a legendary NFL coach making his college debut. 

Let's start with Bill Belichick and his North Carolina Tar Heels. There's a lot of hype and anticipation for UNC this year after the program backed up the Brinks truck to land Belichick, but will it pay off? Perhaps not in Year 1 because Brad Crawford pegged the Tar Heels as his most overrated ACC team.

  • Crawford: "After failing to impress in talent acquisition this offseason, first-year coach Bill Belichick will have an incredibly soft schedule to thank for getting to bowl eligibility this fall. That said, the start of the campaign may not look pretty in Chapel Hill. There's a chance the Tar Heels lose their first three games against Power 4 competition -- TCU, at UCF and Clemson -- before figuring it out the rest of the way."

While North Carolina may be a couple years off from being true contenders for an ACC title, Clemson and Miami are there right now. While the Hurricanes have invested heavily in the transfer portal, our experts all picked the Tigers to finish first in the conference standings. Only one picked the Canes to win the ACC Championship Game.

In a way, that's kind of fitting because Miami landed at No. 8 in our ranking of the 10 most overrated programs of the last decade. Can Miami finally deliver on the hype? I guess we're about to find out.

📺 What we're watching this weekend

⛳ We'll be tuned into the Tour Championship all weekend: Here's how to watch.

Friday
🏆 Women's Rugby World Cup: USA vs. England, 2:30 p.m. on Paramount+ (Here's a preview.)
Little League World Series: Home Run Derby, 7 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Red Sox at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on Prime Video
Royals at Tigers, 7:10 p.m. on Apple TV+
🏀 Lynx at Fever or Storm at Wings, 7:30 p.m. on ION
🏈 Vikings at Titans, 8 p.m. on CBS
🏈 Falcons at Cowboys, 8 p.m. on NFL Network
🏀 Valkyries at Mercury, 10 p.m. on ION

Saturday
🏈 Iowa State vs. Kansas State, 12 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Little League World Series: international championship, 12:30 p.m. on ABC
🏈 Rams at Browns, 1 p.m. on NFL Network
Red Sox at Yankees, 1:05 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Liberty at Dream, 2 p.m. on CBS
⚾ Little League World Series: U.S. championship, 3:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Sun at Sky, 4 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏈 Seahawks at Packers, 4 p.m. on NFL Network
Blue Jays at Marlins, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Network
🏈 Fresno State at Kansas, 6:30 p.m. on Fox
🏈 Sam Houston State at WKU, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏈 Jaguars at Dolphins, 7 p.m. on NFL Network
🏈 Stanford at Hawaii, 7:30 p.m. on CBS
Dodgers at Padres, 8:40 p.m. on FS1
🏈 Raiders at Cardinals, 10 p.m. on NFL Network

Sunday
Little League World Series consolation game, 10 a.m. on ESPN
Rockies at Pirates, 12:05 p.m. on Roku
Mets at Braves, 1:35 p.m. on MLB Network
🏀 Big3 All-Star Game, 2 p.m. on CBS
⚾ Little League World Series championship, 3 p.m. on ABC
🏀 Big3 Championship, 3 p.m. on CBS (Here's a preview.)
🏀 Fever at Lynx, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
Red Sox at Yankees, 7 p.m. on ESPN