Liam Hanley Articles - Page 13

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter 2023 in the first season of the post-Tom Brady years somewhere in between a restock and a full rebuild. The team still has star wide receivers in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and defensive standouts Devin White, Lavonte David, and Vita Vea, but outside of this group, the team is […]

With two preseason games played, the New Orleans Saints are 2-0. This record of course has little correlation with the team’s regular-season showing, but the performances of players — especially fringe guys — in these meaningless games provide a glimpse of what we can expect from them individually when the games really do matter. One […]

One of the hardest positions to predict in fantasy football is often tight ends. After Kansas City Chiefs superstar Travis Kelce, the drop-off at the position is immense, and after the top four or five TEs, it feels like five through 20 are almost indiscernible. Finding a consistent tight end late in the draft can […]

The New Orleans Saints enter the 2023 season as a refreshed team following the acquisition of franchise quarterback Derek Carr. With a number of offensive playmakers, including Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and Michael Thomas, and a strengthened defensive front New Orleans will be playoff contenders in a weak NFC South. With training camp well underway […]

After months of additions, both through the NFL draft and free agency, we will soon enter the portion of the off-season focused on roster cuts. Pittsburgh Steelers training camp and preseason games are well underway, and by August 29, the roster must be trimmed from 90 to 53 players. With pressure on incumbent Steelers to […]

The New Orleans Saints enter the 2023 season as a new team now that they have a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. With a number of offensive playmakers, including Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and Michael Thomas, and a strengthened defensive front, New Orleans has the potential to make some noise in a weak NFC South. […]

As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs are once again the favorites to top the NFL in 2023. Patrick Mahomes continues to be the key to Kansas City’s success, but the Chiefs’ underrated defense could be the deciding factor during a possible playoff run this year. With preseason and training camp in […]

After a strong rookie year, New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones took a step back in 2022. Jones finished second in AP Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2021 behind only the 1,455 receiving yards of Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase. The Patriots passer led all rookie quarterbacks with 22 touchdowns and a passer […]

The Milwaukee Bucks have a long history of trading away franchise players. It started with Kareem-Abdul Jabbar and continued more recently with the likes of Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson. Fortunately for Bucks fans, the franchise has improved its trade judgment as of late and used this newfound knowledge to become a championship contender (and […]

The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2023 season in the peculiar position of being a talented team with a low confidence level. Dallas is 24-10 in the regular season over the last two years, with both seasons coming to an end early in the playoffs thanks to some questionable late-game decision-making against the San Francisco 49ers. […]

Chicago Bears tight end Cole Kmet was a pleasant fantasy football surprise in 2022 for those willing to stick with him throughout the season. After not earning a single point through the first two weeks, Kmet caught seven touchdowns, helping him finish eighth in fantasy points among tight ends in PPR leagues. With quarterback Justin […]

After three injury-plagued seasons, Baltimore Ravens running back JK Dobbins — as well as fantasy football owners — will hope that 2023 is the year that the gifted running back breaks through as a true lead back in Baltimore for a full season. On limited carries in eight games last year, Dobbins averaged 65 rushing […]

One of the most unexpected moves in recent NFL history came in March 2022, when the Miami Dolphins traded for Kansas City Chiefs star wide receiver Tyreek Hill. The Dolphins acquired Hill in exchange for five draft picks: first, second, and fourth-round picks in 2022, plus fourth and sixth-round picks in the 2023 draft. The […]

After earning First Team All-Pro honors and finishing second in AP Offensive Player of the Year voting in 2021, Jonathan Taylor had a down year in 2022. Injuries limited the young running back to just 11 games, as he rushed for 861 yards and four touchdowns. Then in a tumultuous off-season, Taylor requested a trade […]

When Lamar Jackson made his public trade request on March 27, it looked like the Baltimore Ravens would lose their franchise quarterback. Yet exactly one month later, Jackson re-signed with the Ravens, making him the highest-paid player in the NFL. Jackson, the 2019 NFL MVP, has been invaluable to Baltimore’s success in recent years. Over […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a 9-8 season, extending Mike Tomlin’s career-long streak of 16 seasons without a losing record. The franchise will once again be a contender in a tough AFC North alongside the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals as the team looks to return to the playoffs. With Kenny Pickett under center, […]

Few MLB clubs have been as disappointing this year as the San Diego Padres. Even with a solid 15-9 record in July thus far, the team is still eight games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL West and five games behind in the race for the final National League Wild Card spot. […]

Perhaps no one was happier to see Lamar Jackson re-sign with the Baltimore Ravens than Mark Andrews. The Ravens tight end has established himself as Jackson’s number-one target and consistent safety outlet over the last few seasons. Fantasy football owners who have or covet Mark Andrews will also be glad to hear that Jackson stayed […]

The 2023 MLB trade deadline is on Tuesday, and a team with an unpredictable history in the trade market is the Milwaukee Brewers. Last season, the Brew Crew traded away All-Star closer Josh Hader while leading the NL Central. The front office made the move to maximize the Brewers’ championship window, only for the team […]

One of the most prominent headlines of the NFL off-season came earlier in the summer when the Minnesota Vikings cut star running back Dalvin Cook. Cook will be 28 years old when he enters his seventh NFL season this fall — the prime age for many positions in the NFL but near retirement age for […]

After a slow start, the Houston Astros have slowly clawed away at the Texas Rangers’ lead at the top of the AL West. Houston is currently at a season-best 14 games over .500 and the Astros are just one game behind the division leaders. Injuries have proven costly to the pitching staff, while slow first […]

The 2023 MLB trade deadline is August 1, and a team that has often been unpredictable in the trade market is the Milwaukee Brewers. Last season, the Crew traded away All-Star closer Josh Hader while leading the NL Central. The front office made the move to maximize the Brewers’ championship window, but the team faltered […]

The NFL Draft is over, free agency is winding down, and the beginning of NFL training camp is imminent. The Kansas City Chiefs are still at the head of the pack and the Detroit Lions are quickly rising up the ladder, but where do the other 30 teams fall in the NFL landscape? Let’s check […]

The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming off a 9-8 season, extending Mike Tomlin’s career-long streak of 16 seasons without a losing record. The franchise figures to once again be a contender in a tough AFC North alongside the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals as the team looks to return to the playoffs. With Kenny Pickett under […]

The Milwaukee Bucks finished up NBA Summer League play in Las Vegas last week, concluding the tournament with a 2-3 record. 2022 second-round pick MarJon Beauchamp, who played 52 times for the Bucks last season, led the way with 13.3 points per game as the team started hot but faltered against more serious competition. The […]

In a flurry of moves on Wednesday, the San Diego Padres cleared struggling veterans Austin Nola and Rougned Odor from the roster. Nola was batting a miserable .146 this year while Odor while slightly better at .210. The pair also combined for just five home runs in more than 300 plate appearances. An experienced catcher […]

For most teams, a 52-42 start to the season would be satisfactory. Not the Houston Astros. Coming off their fourth World Series appearance and second World Series title in six years, the Astros expected to once again be among the cream of the crop in the American League. Instead, the Astros are barely holding down […]

The Green Bays Packers enter a new era of football in Wisconsin after the departure of Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But in terms of personnel, this team will not look too much different than it did last year. Despite the losses of wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, the Green Bay Packers […]

Behind the legs and bat of top prospect Elly De La Cruz, the Cincinnati Reds have taken Major League Baseball by storm over the last month. The Reds won twelve straight games in June, then won nine of 11 contests leading up to the MLB All-Star break. This scintillating month took Cincy from five games […]

It became clear during the 2023 NBA Summer League play that the Milwaukee Bucks wanted an extended look at MarJon Beauchamp. The 22nd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft led the team in minutes per game (28.9) and points per game (13.3) during Milwaukee’s five contests in Las Vegas. The young wing came to […]

Someone has to win the NL Central, and over the last few weeks, the Milwaukee Brewers have re-established themselves as the favorites atop the division. The Brewers started hot in April, experienced a two-month slump, then found their form again leading up to the All-Star Break. Things are far from settled in this unpredictable division, […]

As the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Kansas City Chiefs will once again be among the favorites to top the NFL in 2023. Patrick Mahomes continues to be the key to Kansas City’s success, but the Chiefs underrated defense could be the deciding factor during a possible playoff run this year. One concern though for […]

After some tumultuous weeks early in the off-season, the Baltimore Ravens steadied the ship by re-signing star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Jackson’s five-year, $260 million deal made him the highest-paid player in NFL history. The Ravens also looked to upgrade the offensive pieces around him. The team used a first-round pick on Boston College wide receiver […]

Coming off an early playoff exit for the third time in four seasons, this off-season was crucial for the Milwaukee Bucks. Brook Lopez and Khris Middleton were both free agents and the Bucks did not have much cap space to work with. Yet the Bucks were able to re-sign Lopez and Middleton, plus they also […]

After a decade-plus of Matt Ryan’s prolific passing attack, the Atlanta Falcons offense turned in a new direction in 2022, using a run-heavy scheme to create a surprisingly efficient attack. The Atlanta defense was not quite as successful, giving up the sixth-most yards per game in the NFL. The 7-10 Falcons spent the off-season improving […]

Coming off an NFC Championship game defeat, the San Francisco 49ers are once again one of the lead Super Bowl contenders in the NFC. Breakout quarterback Brock Purdy (if he is healthy) will lead one of the most balanced offenses in the NFL and will have the benefit of having one of the league’s stoutest […]

The New Orleans Saints enter the 2023 season as a new team now that they have a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. With a number of offensive playmakers, including Alvin Kamara, Jamaal Williams, and Michael Thomas, and a strengthened defensive front New Orleans will immediately become playoff contenders in a weak NFC South. As training […]

In the age of conference realignment, it has become standard practice to expect somewhat unforeseen conference switches by schools. But of all the moves that have taken place in recent years, none was as surprising as UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 to join the Big Ten. The move sent the world of college football […]

In an age when the All-Star contests of the NFL and NBA are increasingly shifting toward pickup games in a neighborhood park, the MLB All-Star Game is one of the few matchups that still maintains some semblance of competitiveness. Yet even with this level of competition, the MLB All-Star game has its fair share of […]