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⚾ Five things to know Wednesday
- Cam Schlittler and Austin Riley opened the MLB postseason with electric performances. Schlittler was simply untouchable in an incredible 117-pitch outing and blanked the Red Sox across 6 1/3 innings to move the Yankees one win away from the ALDS. Earlier in the first day of the playoffs, Riley delivered the most clutch hit of the Wild Card Series: a go-ahead, three-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning. That round-tripper put the Braves on top of the Phillies, and with the benefit of hindsight, Philadelphia manager Don Mattingly might regret calling upon his closer in the seventh inning. Each of the four Wild Card Series remains undecided, but looking ahead, we made some bold predictions for the rest of the postseason, including a "4-4" series for Pete Crow-Armstrong. He's in the midst of a legendary season, and the best might be yet to come.
- Caitlin Clark's double-double highlighted a historic night in the WNBA playoffs. On a day where the No. 1 seed Lynx shockingly fell out of the postseason without a single win and became the first top seed to lose a series to the No. 8 seed, Clark did everything in her power to guarantee that the Fever did not find a similar fate. She became the first player in WNBA history with a 25-point, 15-assist game and delivered arguably the biggest shot of her career: a dagger 3-pointer over MVP favorite A'ja Wilson. Seconds after that play, Wilson got into a verbal altercation with a Fever fan and received a technical foul. Game 3 is set for Thursday, while the Dream and Valkyries seek series-clinching wins tonight.
- The NBA is about to take a major step toward expansion into Las Vegas. The league has not formally awarded a team to Las Vegas, but it is reportedly expected to select a winning bidder for ownership of the expansion franchise in the "very near future." The projected price tag could rival that of the Lakers' record-setting sale with some of the investment going toward construction of a new arena. This progress could set the potential team up for a debut in the 2028-29 season but does not necessarily delay the arrival of another new team in Seattle.
- The SEC could be in the midst of unprecedented success. Miami offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson downplayed what the SEC has accomplished in the first four weeks of the college football season, but the numbers tell the real story: This conference boasts five of the nation's 12 best teams. As a result, it has a real chance to set a College Football Playoff record with five (or even more) teams in the bracket. Florida and Mississippi State emerged as CFP dark horses and are not just threats to play spoiler; they are upper-half teams in the conference capable of getting into the postseason.
- Get your fantasy football roster ready for Week 4. Stop what you're doing and check whether these players are available in your league. If not, we have some trade advice to help you fill your roster holes with more established weapons. Let's say you lost De'Von Achane or simply need more depth at running back; go add the Dolphins' other ballcarriers or perhaps stash Keaton Mitchell of the Chargers. At quarterback, don't even think about taking Tyler Shough out of your lineup, and at wide receiver, it might be time to reconsider Emeka Egbuka, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr. as every-week starters.
🏈 Do not miss this: Pete Prisco's NFL Power Rankings
There is a new No. 1 team in the NFL, according to our Pete Prisco. The Seahawks' shocking loss to the Commanders was enough to cost them the top spot and then some. They slipped to No. 5 in Prisco's Week 4 NFL Power Rankings as the best one-loss team in the league, joining this group just outside the top tier:
5. Seahawks (↓4)
6. Broncos (↑3)
7. Jaguars (↑3)
The Ravens and Cowboys delivered an early contender for game of the year with their thriller in Rio de Janeiro. Both teams came away from that back-and-forth battle with issues, and the Cowboys picked up a loss in the process, but both are on the rise in Prisco's rankings. It's a three-spot climb for the Ravens despite the crisis they face at the center position, and it's a more modest one-spot jump for the Cowboys even with Brian Schottenheimer's coaching gaffes.
Here's how Prisco justified the moves:
- Ravens: "Beating the Cowboys on the last play really changes how they feel about their start. There is a big difference between 2-1 and 1-2 in the tough AFC North."
- Cowboys: "Losing to the Ravens with one second left is a tough one to take. Now they face a tough turnaround against a desperate Texans team on the road."
🏀 2027 WNBA Mock Draft 1.0
With the WNBA playoffs underway, we know which seven teams will make the first picks in the 2027 draft. The order will not be set for at least another month or two, but the last-place Storm and recent expansion teams, the Tempo and Fire, will be among those in play for the best prospects. Which college stars will be at the top of the board and which teams will be interested in them? We set out to answer those questions with our first mock draft of the cycle.
Three teams have multiple first-round picks, and here is who our Jack Maloney foresees them selecting:
- Sparks: LSU G MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina F Ashlyn Watkins
- Wings: Ole Miss G Talaysia Cooper, South Carolina F Chloe Kitts
- Sky: South Carolina G Tessa Johnson, France F Sarah Cissé
Unfamiliar with Cissé? Here's a little bit about the French star and why the Sky make a whole lot of sense as a first-round destination:
- Maloney: "Chicago has seven players with guaranteed contracts on the roster next season, and that doesn't include Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington, Sydney Taylor, Rachel Banham or the No. 11 pick. There may not be room for multiple rookies on next season's roster, so a draft-and-stash option would make sense here. The 6-2 Cissé was named MVP of FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket 2026 after leading France to the gold medal."
👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest
- These four teams would be ideal landing spots for Odell Beckham Jr. after the Giants released him.
- Jayden Daniels will not have in-season elbow surgery, but it is on the table for after the campaign.
- Deion Sanders is expected to make a quarterback change this week against No. 11 Texas Tech.
- Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts are mostly to blame for the Eagles' embarrassing Week 3 loss. On the other side, Case Keenum's performance shows that the Bears should not rush Caleb Williams back from injury.
- The Premier League formally announced Manchester City's 114 violations, setting the stage for massive sanctions.
- The women's flyweight title is one of five major storylines to follow at UFC 332 on Saturday.
- The J.J. McCarthy trade makes little sense for the Giants, but we could see him in the starting lineup before long anyway.
- Sebastian Berhalter guided the USMNT to a second win in the September international window, but the team's exciting young nucleus did experience some growing pains.
- Take a look at the eligibility status of every LSU basketball player as Márcio Santos departs for professional ball. Also, Florida won a major eligibility ruling, but very few additional NBA players are expected to attempt to return to college.
- A former Auburn football staffer faces felony charges for allegedly sharing recruiting information with numerous rival schools.
- Our college basketball experts identified the 2026 NCAA Tournament teams in danger of missing this season's Big Dance.
- The USC radio broadcast team received backlash for its call of the targeting penalty that injured Oregon's Dante Moore.
- The main event is set for UFC Fight Night in Qatar on Nov. 21.
- Our Jack Maloney revealed his official WNBA awards ballot.
- The USWNT announced its October roster, and Rose Lavelle agreed to a multiyear contract extension with Gotham FC.
📺 What we're watching Wednesday
⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Barcelona at Roma, 12:45 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
⚾ Phillies at Braves, Game 2, 2 p.m. on NBC
⚽ UEFA Women's Champions League: Bayern Munich at Benfica, 3 p.m. on CBS Sports Network/Paramount+
⚾ White Sox at Astros, Game 2, 5 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏀 Dream at Mystics, Game 2, 7 p.m. on ESPN
🏒 Penguins at Flyers, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
⚾ Red Sox at Yankees, Game 2, 8 p.m. on NBC
🏀 Valkyries at Wings, Game 2, 9 p.m. on ESPN
⚾ Cubs at Padres, Game 2, 10 p.m. on NBC Sports Network
🏒 Kings at Avalanche, 10 p.m. on TNT
