Rays win Game 2 vs. Guardians to knot up ALCS; ranking top 100 NBA players

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⚾ Five things to know Wednesday

The Rays knotted up the ALCS at 1-1. Freddy Peralta powered Tampa Bay to its first win of the series with the hardest-throwing start of his career, tossing six shutout innings en route to a 3-1 victory over the Guardians. A defensive gaffe by José Ramírez set up a three-run fourth inning for the Rays, and that was all the offense they needed in the series-leveling triumph. Game 3 sends the series to Cleveland on Thursday, but first, the Dodgers seek their first win in the NLCS. Shohei Ohtani will remain in the lineup for Los Angeles in tonight's critical home date with the Brewers despite his postseason struggles and injuries.
The Bills-Rams thriller on "Monday Night Football" had long-term consequences. The Rams had a chance to win on the second possession of overtime, but the blocked field goal was the last straw for Harrison Mevis. Los Angeles released the second-year kicker, who ranked last in the NFL in conversion rate at just 55.6%. Things got even worse for the Rams after the final whistle when left tackle Alaric Jackson punched Bills edge rusher Bradley Chubb, and now they will be without their important lineman for two games as he serves a league-imposed suspension. Even in victory, the Bills were not perfect. Coach Joe Brady threatened to reduce James Cook's playing time due to his fumble issues and the loose ball that nearly cost Buffalo the game.
Oregon is out of our College Football Playoff projections -- for now. With two losses on their ledger through five games, there is no justification for putting the Ducks in the bracket. Dan Lanning even hinted at a quarterback change as he faces a must-win situation in Week 7. As a result, our John Talty projects five SEC teams and only two from the Big Ten in his CFP outlook. But that doesn't mean Oregon can't bounce back from its incredibly disappointing start. From a power ratings perspective, this is still a top-10 team. It will be a while before Dan Lanning's squad is back in the conversation, though, so the focus in Week 7 shifts to the Big 12 and a couple of key games. BYU has a chance to make a massive statement to the selection committee when it hosts Notre Dame, while Texas Tech might be on upset alert against Arizona State.
UEFA Champions League Matchday 2 is off to a shocking start. Three top-flight clubs were on the wrong side of stunning results on Tuesday. Viking secured their first Champions League point at Bayern Munich's expense in a bewildering 3-3 draw while Inter and Napoli both suffered losses to sizable underdogs. Will the madness continue today? Our picks are in for all nine matches, including the game of the day: Manchester City vs. Paris Saint-Germain. You can watch every minute on Paramount+.
Woody Marks and Germie Bernard are on the rise in fantasy football. Before you make any other changes to your roster, make sure neither of them is available in your league, because they are the top two waiver-wire targets for Week 6. If you can't get your hands on them, use our trade chart to construct a package for someone like Malik Nabers, who is back in the top-12 wide receiver discussion. Looking for someone to drop? RJ Harvey is among those whose projections are on the downturn this week. On the other hand, we're expecting a big week from Jordan Love (perhaps even as a top-three quarterback), and both halves of the Cowboys' wide receiver duo are locked into the top 12 at their position. At running back, Blake Corum and Brian Robinson may be backups on their teams, but they could be starters for you in fantasy. And it might be time to look for tight end help and bench Colston Loveland and Kyle Pitts.

📈📉 Do not miss this: Prisco's NFL Power Rankings

Gracen Halton 49ers celebrating — Getty Images

There is no change atop Pete Prisco's NFL Power Rankings this week. Trust me, that's nowhere near as boring as it sounds. It's simply a product of the 49ers proving that they are truly the best team in the league. If you didn't believe it before, then you certainly should now after their road win over the Seahawks. Mike Evans looks like one of the offseason's best free-agent acquisitions, Brock Purdy is on fire and Kyle Shanahan might coach his way to another Super Bowl appearance.

Prisco: "This team, provided it stays healthy, has a real shot at getting back there for Shanahan. For now, they are the league's best team with a schedule that might not be as tough as expected before the season. Plus, they already have victories over division rivals in the Rams and Seahawks. This could be Shanahan's year to win one."

There is a clear frontrunner through five games, and the usual suspects are right there with them. But who else could surprise us and make some noise between now and Valentine's Day? Our Jordan Dajani identified seven Super Bowl candidates from outside the top tier in the betting market, and a few of his favorites rank highly in Prisco's Week 6 pecking order:

3. Vikings (--)

4. Jaguars (↑1)

8. Broncos (↑3)

9. Bengals (↑5)

11. Patriots (↑4)

12. Lions (↑8)

15. Bears (↓7)

💯 NBA's top 100 players for 2026-27 season

Winning NBA championships nowadays is less about building superteams centered around top-25 players and more about constructing deep rosters with multiple top-100 players. The last four champions accounted for a combined 21 players inside the annual CBS Sports top 100, so our preseason exercise tends to be a strong predictor of which squads are best equipped to make runs to the NBA Finals.

With that being said, it's time to unveil this year's rankings. Six of our experts filled out ballots and the results are as follows:

There is a new preseason No. 1, and he might win MVP and Defensive Player of the Year.
LeBron James ranks behind two of his new 76ers teammates.
Cooper Flagg, Deni Avdija and OG Anunoby are on the rise.
The Spurs' supporting cast leveled up.
Trae Young, Zion Williamson and De'Aaron Fox tumbled.

That's right – Nikola Jokić slipped from the top spot. He's down to No. 3 to start the season. Our Robby Kalland said that is more a testament to the stars in the top two than any decline from Jokić.

Kalland: "Jokić hasn't finished outside the top two in MVP voting since 2020, but the three-time MVP slides to No. 3 in this year's rankings. He's still the best offensive hub in the game and led the league in assists and rebounds in 2025-26, but his ability to elevate a team into the contender tier will be put to the test after a rocky summer for the Nuggets."

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

Chargers Broncos NFL Sofi — Getty Images

The Chargers say they have no plans to trade Justin Herbert, but we still expect them to be sellers at the Nov. 10 deadline. Meanwhile, the Vikings might be prepared to shop Jauan Jennings after his slow start.
It's time to turn the page to Week 6 in the NFL. Here are John Breech's picks for every game.
Payton Pritchard agreed to a two-year contract extension. It's a steal for the Celtics.
The Dream's WNBA championship hopes hang in the balance after Allisha Gray underwent surgery on her shooting hand. At least they will be able to host Games 3 and 4 at State Farm Arena thanks to a schedule change.
Who had the biggest coaching blunder of Week 5? Sean McVay, Jim Harbaugh, Nick Sirianni and Dan Quinn each made crucial mistakes.
St. John's received good news when the NCAA cleared prized point guard Quinn Ellis, but LSU may not be so fortunate with RJ Luis Jr.
The NFL is considering a schedule change with a Sunday night flex in Week 8.
The USWNT came back from a 2-0 deficit to earn a draw against reigning World Cup champions Spain. In the process, Ashley Sanchez made her case for a spot on the World Cup roster.
The ACC basketball preseason poll is here, and there is a consensus favorite to win the conference.
Four fighters earned UFC contracts in the final week of Dana White's Contender Series.
Who is the best wide receiver in the NFL? Puka Nacua made a strong case on "Monday Night Football."
Zuffa Boxing added to its middleweight division with the signing of 160-pound champion Carlos Adames.
Micah Parsons let Jayden Daniels hear it for his "disgusting" overtime mishap.
The WNBA announced its 2026 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award winner.