What’s New

The Chicago Blackhawks are in a tough spot. They go into Friday’s match against the Columbus Blue Jackets with a record of 7-20-4. They are dead last in the NHL in wins (7), points (18), and points percentage (.290). To say it has been tough would be an understatement.

The good thing for them is that it has been by design. General Manager Kyle Davidson sees this as a long-term rebuild that has a goal of sustained success. They want to have a very high draft pick and continue building through the draft.

One mistake that they have made so far is not trading Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane already. They both have no move clauses and a big-time contract but there are ways around it. These two should be on other teams by now.

It is so hard for them to produce at a high level right now because of the team that they play on. It would be hard for anyone to produce at an elite level playing on a team this low on talent. They simply have no help.

The Chicago Blackhawks are in a tough spot with the two legends on their team.

In 31 games played, Patrick Kane has four goals and 18 assists for 22 points. His assist numbers are doing fine but he hasn’t scored as much lately. Again, he has no good playmakers helping him get good chances from good areas.

As for Toews, he is tied with Max Domi for the team lead with 10 goals. He has seven assists for 17 points which is not the usual production that you’d expect from him either. Again, his team doesn’t help him or Kane like they normally have in the past.

However, it does also spark a fear that they are on the decline. If that is true, why would any team give up lots of amazing assets in order to add one of these guys? It would be worth it if a change of scenery elevates their game naturally but nobody can be sure that would be the case.

Davidson should have found a way to move at least one of them (probably Kane because he’d return the most) before this could happen this year. Now, they might not get the return that they thought.

In the case of Kane, his 18 assists on this horrid team should prove that going to another team loaded with great players will get him back to the Kane numbers that we are used to.

Both of them should go before the deadline which will certainly make things interesting. It will also make the Hawks worse which will improve their chances at the number one overall pick and Connor Bedard. After the holidays, it is time to get moving, Kyle.

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The Chicago Bears are taking on the Buffalo Bills for a Christmas Eve matchup between one of the best teams in the NFL and one of the worst teams in the NFL.

The Buffalo Bills are 11-3 with legit aspirations of making it to the Super Bowl. On the flip side, the Chicago Bears are 3-11 and could end up with a top-three pick in the draft.

So the game is going to be close to 0 degrees, the Bears are terrible, and the Bills could blow them away when it comes to the final score.

Why would anyone want to tune into this game if they don’t just love all football in general? Well, if you are a Bears fan, there are plenty of reasons to do it.

There are three really good reasons to watch the Chicago Bears game this week.

1. Competing With Good Teams

The Chicago Bears are a very bad team. However, they have somewhat shown the ability to stay with some of the best teams in the league. They have a win over the San Francisco 49ers and they only lost to the Philadelphia Eagles by five. Those are the two best teams in the NFC.

The third-best team in the NFC is the Minnesota Vikings who the Bears only lost to by seven and they had a lead in the game for most of it.

Now, with another good team on the other side, it will be interesting to see how the Chicago Bears play in this one.

2. Justin Fields

Justin Fields has taken some shots this season because of the fact that he has no offensive line and limited weapons to work with. However, he is the third quarterback in the history of the NFL to reach 1000 rushing yards in a single season which is very impressive.

Fields needs to average 68.8 yards per game the rest of the way to break Lamar Jackson’s single-season record for the most rushing yards in a single season by a quarterback. He is incredibly fun to watch and a reason to watch every single Bears game.

3. Watching the Buffalo Bills

You might not be a Buffalo Bills fan but football is awesome. The Buffalo Bills play football really well. They have one of the best quarterbacks in the world, some amazing receivers, and an awesome defense.

Josh Allen is a treat to watch every single game that he plays. He is right there with Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow for the title of the best quarterback in the NFL. The Bears have faced some good ones this year and Allen is right there near the top.

Allen is also someone who can make the Bears feel good about Justin Fields. He fell in his draft a little bit and went behind a few quarterbacks that are significantly worse than him. He also took some time to become elite in the NFL. All of these things also apply to Fields.

This game might not be pretty because of the winter weather but it is still going to be fun to watch for a variety of reasons. We can only hope that Justin Fields plays well but the Bears maintain their current 2023 NFL Draft status.

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The Chicago Bears participated in some Christmas Eve football against the Buffalo Bills on Saturday. There was a full NFL slate to kick off the holiday weekend and the Bears were a part of it against one of the best teams in the NFL. This one took place in frigid temperatures.

At 3-11, the Chicago Bears came in with one of the worst records in the NFL. On the contrary, the Buffalo Bills came in at 11-3 which is one of the best records in the league. If the Bills don’t win the Super Bowl later this season, they will be considered one of the league’s failures.

When a team like the Bears faces a team like the Bills, it is always scary for the fans of the lesser team. However, the Bears have played well against a lot of the contenders that they have played this year. They were never going to beat the Bills but it was good to see them keep it close at first.

The Bills eventually outclassed the Bears and won the game by a final score of 35-13. Justin Fields made some plays early in the game but this was certainly not his best performance this season. We have seen him be a lot more dynamic this season but the Bills had a plan for him.

The Chicago Bears lost but they won in the long term of their franchise.

As of right now, the Bears are projected to be making the second overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That could be franchise-altering for the Bears so seeing them lose again isn’t the worst thing in the world. This is their NFL-leading 8th straight loss.

What is it going to take for the Bears to get into the same realm as the Bills? Well, they need Fields to become as impactful as Josh Allen who is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Buffalo has also surrounded him with lots of great weapons including an offensive line.

The defense of the Bills is very good as well which certainly helps them win. Their running game has been a weakness this season but that has even been getting better lately. If they can keep it up, a deep playoff run should be ahead of them.

It is a shame that this type of matchup has to go this way but there is light at the end of the tunnel. With how the Bears played against the Philadelphia Eagles last week, it was fair to expect more of that this time around against another Super Bowl contender but Buffalo was too much.

Nw, the Bears have two more games. The first is against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field and then they will close the season at Soldier Field against the Minnesota Vikings. As mentioned before, we can only hope that they play well but continue to help their draft stock.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are a very bad hockey team. They are amongst the worst in the entire National Hockey League for the first time in a long time.

It is obvious that they are trying to rebuild their organization and are taking the long route. So far, the first part of their plan seems to be working.

They still have a couple of legends left over from the Stanley Cup days in the 2010s. There are a lot of good memories in the recent past but they are clearly eyeing the future now.

With Christmas here, it is time to think about what Chicago Blackhawks fans might be wishing for in light of the holiday season. This is the perfect Chicago Blackhawks wish list:

1. A good return for 19 and 88

The Chicago Blackhawks have been so blessed with Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. They are amongst the best players to ever put on the Blackhawks sweater. Championships and individual feats highlight their careers.

Each of them has one year left on his contract that is worth over ten million dollars against the salary cap. They are probably going to try and trade both of them but they need to find a way to make the money work in addition to waving off no-move clauses.

It isn’t going to be an easy trade to execute (for either of them) for a variety of reasons but fans are hoping that the team is able to get some good assets in return.

2. Developing prospects

The prospects in the organization are getting better and better. With kids like Lukas Reichel, Kevin Korchinski, and Ian Mitchell amongst others at different levels are trying to build this thing the right way.

Keeping them in good healthy situations right now is the key to their success. All of them have lots of talent but need to learn how to bring it to the NHL level. If they are successful in this, there will be some good times ahead.

3. The Draft Lottery

Some Blackhawks fans are hoping that their Christmas present actually comes a few months into 2023 when the NHL has the Draft Lottery. The Blackhawks will have amongst the best odds in the league if not the very best odds.

Connor Bedard is the top prize for whoever wins it and he will change the fortunes of whoever it is that wins it. Even the teams that come in second and third will be excited as guys like Adam Fantilli and Matvei Michkov are ready to star in the NHL.

None of these things are going to be easy for anyone but it is a process for everyone. The second half of this season is going to be rough but it should all be worth it in the end.

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The rumor swirling the Chicago Blackhawks all season has been that they will deal both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane come the Trade Deadline on March 3rd.

Dealing Kane will prove beneficial for the club, but a deal involving Toews would be counter intuitive.

Besides the ridiculous contracts, and the amount the Hawks will need to retain across dealing both Kane and Toews, keeping the lesser of the two production wise, Toews, makes sense.

16 years in the NHL, three Stanley Cups, one sexual assault scandal, and an injury plague that has sidelined him from the league for a mix of time across multiple seasons.

The Hawks aren’t getting any older roster wise, and neither is any team in the league.

Keeping a veteran presence around, in the form of a player that will bring in a worse return, and won’t get you a deal with a team willing to part with a high pick for Toews, makes the most sense.

Kane’s deal will be a monster, and come as no surprise to anyone, but will be the second biggest trade to Jakub Chychrun’s departure from the Arizona Coyotes.

Despite the 2023 NHL Draft class being the most expansive, and deep in regards to the talent level, since we have seen since 2015, a late pick, could be costly to the Hawks.

Toews getting dealt to a team on the verge of the playoffs, may land a late teens to mid twenties pick, and a few low level prospects the Hawks may never see through developmentally.

Dealing Jonathan Toews is a detriment to the organization, and the building of the future for more Cup runs in the city of Chicago. See the season through on his contract, pay him what you owe him, and let him walk away, unscathed at the end of the season to someone that is willing to pay for him (which is few to no teams FYI).

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The Chicago Blackhawks are building their future through prospects and the draft. That is why the day after Christmas will be an exciting time for the next few years as they figure to always be well-represented at the World Junior Championships.

Of course, Chicago is in the United States of America so cheering on Team USA will undoubtedly be a priority because seeing hockey grow in this country is very important. There are studs on that team led by their captain Luke Hughes (New Jersey Devils).

Unfortunately, the Blackhawks don’t have any prospects on Team USA but they are still sending a lot of good prospects to the tournament as a whole as five of their players are there. It is a great time to catch a glimpse of these guys as they try to capture World Junior Gold.

Team Canada has four of the five Blackhawks prospects playing in this thing. Three of them are defensemen and one of them is a forward.

The Chicago Blackhawks are well represented at the 2022-23 World Juniors.

Let’s start with the back end. Half of Canada’s top-six defense is made up of Blackhawks. Ethan Del Mastro, Kevin Korchinski, and Nolan Allan will be manning the blue line for Canada.

The Hawks need to keep developing these guys in hopes that a few of them can be ready for NHL play one day. If you don’t build a good defense, you won’t win anything. The forwards are fun and flashy but it would all be for not if the team can’t defend.

Speaking of forwards, Colton Dach is on Team Canada representing the Blackhawks as well. He is the younger brother of Kirby Dach who was once a Blackhawks draft pick that now plays for the Montreal Canadiens.

The other non-Canadian Blackhawks prospect playing here is Victor Stjernborg who will represent the Blackhawks playing for Team Sweden. He was a fourth-round pick (forward) for the Hawks in 2021 that has hopes of being an NHL player one day.

Both of these hockey countries have had tremendous success in international play over the years including at the World Junior Championships. It should be very exciting to see both of them compete in this tournament.

The current Blackhawks aren’t the only ones to be excited about either. As of right now, the Blackhawks are projected to have the best odds at the 2023 NHL Draft Lottery which could mean a very special player would be coming to town.

Connor Bedard will suit up for Team Canada in this tournament and many are expecting him to light it up. He is going to be in the NHL next season and he will probably be an impact player right away. Keep an eye on him with Canada as he should end up stealing the show.

Adam Fantilli is projected to go second overall behind Bedard and he is playing with him on Team Canada. If the Hawks end up with the second pick, they would be getting a good one with him as well. Both of these guys are worth tuning in for this year.

This tournament is special every year as we all get to see some of the best hockey prospects in the world do their thing. Hopefully, the Blackhawks come out of this tournament feeling very good about the future.

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The best fantasy basketball managers make a habit of looking at the NBA schedule, examining box scores and scouring the news for any tidbit that can help give them the edge in their leagues.

Luckily, Eric Moody does all that work for you each and every Thursday with the Fantasy 30, helping answer the tough questions such as whom to start, who are the best fantasy basketball sleepers out there and what’s the latest injury news with key players around the league.

Here’s the latest fantasy news from each of the 30 teams around the league.

Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young has underperformed this season and is shooting a career-low 41.1%. However, Young has scored 40 or more fantasy points in four consecutive games, including one with 61 points. Rumors surfaced Thursday that Young could be the next NBA superstar to request a trade, which adds some volatility to Young’s fantasy value. That’s worth keeping tabs on in the weeks and months ahead.

There’s still time to play Fantasy Basketball this season! With leagues tipping off every Monday, it’s the perfect time to get started. Create or join a league today.

Play for free! “Not Too Late” draft guide

Boston Celtics: Jayson Tatum continues to make Celtics franchise history. He’s averaged 30.6 PPG this season, which is meaningful because no Celtics player has ever averaged 30 points for an entire season. Tatum is also the first player in franchise history to average 30 PPG through his first 30 games of a season. He also leads the league in plus-minus. Robert Williams III is rostered in only 69.5% of leagues and should be higher. Additionally, fantasy managers should prioritize him in trades. He’s scored 22 or more fantasy points in three consecutive games despite playing 19.3 MPG. As he gets back into playing shape, that number will rise.

Brooklyn Nets: Fantasy managers are not complaining about Kevin Durant‘s performance this season. He’s averaged 53.5 fantasy points per game and has a true shooting percentage of 67.2%. He currently has the highest true shooting percentage for a player averaging 30 points in a season since Stephen Curry in 2015-16 (66.9%). Meanwhile, Nic Claxton continues to produce in points and category formats. He’s averaged 34.4 fantasy points per game and providing contributions in multiple categories including the highly coveted categories of steals and blocks. It’s been fun to watch Claxton’s breakout season.

Charlotte Hornets: After an injury-plagued start to the season, LaMelo Ball has performed well since returning to the court. Five consecutive games have seen him score 45 or more fantasy points. Against the Clippers on Wednesday night, he had his seventh career triple-double, tying Anthony Mason for the most in franchise history. Also, don’t overlook Mason Plumlee, who is only rostered in 32.6% of ESPN leagues, if you need help at the center position. He has scored 30 or more fantasy points in six of his last seven games.

Chicago Bulls: DeMar DeRozan, Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic have each scored 20 or more points in the last three games for the Bulls. That streak is tied for the longest by a trio in franchise history. In December 1984, Michael Jordan, Orlando Woolridge and Quintin Dailey did this for Chicago. There are apparently issues between LaVine and DeRozan on the court, though, and it is worth monitoring this situation closely.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Donovan Mitchell is on pace to shatter his previous career high in scoring (26.4 PPG), as he’s putting up 29.5 PPG in this, his sixth NBA season and first with the Cavs. A big reason for the increase? Efficiency. Mitchell 64.4 True Shooting Percentage is well ahead of anything he put up in his five seasons in Utah, with last season’s 57.2 TS% being his previous best.

Dallas Mavericks: Even though Tim Hardaway Jr. doesn’t contribute much outside of points and 3-pointers, he remains a viable streamer since entering the Mavericks’ starting lineup. In the last 12 games, he has scored 25 or more fantasy points nine times. Meanwhile, Luka Doncic continues to impress in nearly every way. On Wednesday night, he had his 95th game with 10 or more assists. He is three games away from tying and four away from passing Steve Nash for third most in franchise history.

Denver Nuggets: Aaron Gordon is in the midst of the best fantasy season of his career. On the court, he’s averaged 17.3 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 2.1 APG, 0.9 SPG and 0.8 BPG while shooting 60.9% from the field. He has scored 26 or more fantasy points seven times over the last seven games, including four games with 40 or more points. Gordon is still capable of being productive for fantasy managers even when Michael Porter Jr. returns within the next two weeks.

Detroit Pistons: Even though the Pistons rank 24th in points scored per 100 possessions, Jalen Duren should be rostered in more fantasy leagues. While Duren struggled against Joel Embiid on Wednesday night, he has scored 31 or more fantasy points in each of the four games prior. It’s worth considering Marvin Bagley III in deeper leagues if you’re looking for a big. He’s scored 19 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games and is only rostered in 13.6% of ESPN leagues.

2 Related

Golden State Warriors: Now is the perfect time to take a flier on James Wiseman. In his biggest workload of the season, he finished with 50 fantasy points against the Nets on Wednesday. Wiseman became the first Warriors player with 30 points on 85% shooting in a game since Klay Thompson back on Jan. 21, 2019 against the Lakers. Wiseman is only rostered in 10.8% of ESPN leagues.

Houston Rockets: Alperen Sengun is one of the Rockets’ most reliable fantasy players. Over the course of only 26.6 MPG, he has averaged 14.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 2.3 APG. Sengun could be much more productive if the Rockets gave him more playing time, so keep that in mind in case it starts to happen.

Indiana Pacers: Since Aaron Nesmith has been in the starting lineup, he has had stellar statistical results. In the last five games, he has played 28 minutes four times and scored at least 33 fantasy points three times. Nesmith is only rostered in 2.1% of ESPN leagues and should be considered by fantasy managers in deeper formats.

LA Clippers: The Clippers roster is at full strength for the first time this season with several key players returning. Having one more game left this week should allow Los Angeles to become even healthier. It is unknown whether Kawhi Leonard will be available for back-to-back games but he’s scored 31 or more fantasy points in each of the last four games, including two with 49 or more.

Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers will be without Anthony Davis for the next month as he recovers from a right foot injury. Considering Davis’ injury history and the Lakers’ 13-18 record, he could be out longer. Thomas Bryant is the primary beneficiary and is still shockingly rostered in only 16.6% of ESPN leagues. In four consecutive games, he has scored 24 or more fantasy points, including two with 39 or more.

Memphis Grizzlies: Ja Morant recorded his 11th career game with 30 points and 10 assists against the Nuggets on Tuesday. All other players in franchise history have combined for eight. Morant has also averaged a career high 7.8 APG this season. The defensive contributions Jaren Jackson Jr. has made since returning from injury have been outstanding, with him putting up 6.0 RPG, 1.0 SPG and 3.2 BPG.

Miami Heat: Whenever the Heat are without members of their backcourt, Victor Oladipo is a viable streamer. He is only rostered in 11.1% of ESPN leagues and fantasy managers should keep him on their watch lists as he has scored 25 or more fantasy points in three of his last four games. In category formats, Oladipo’s also a great source of steals.

Milwaukee Bucks: Khris Middleton is still dealing with right knee soreness and has missed the Bucks’ last three games. In seven games, he’s averaged 11.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG and 4.4 APG. With a 22-9 record, the Bucks can afford to ease him back into the lineup. Fantasy managers need to remain patient. Just last season Middleton was recognized as an All-Star and averaged 20.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG and 5.4 APG.

Wednesday, Jan. 4

Bucks-Raptors, 7:30 p.m.Heat-Lakers, 10 p.m.

Friday, Jan. 6

Bulls-Sixers, 7:30 p.m.Heat-Suns, 10 p.m.

*All times Eastern

Minnesota Timberwolves: Anthony Edwards has had four straight games with five or more assists, which is the longest streak of his career. December has been a phenomenal month for him, as he has averaged 46.1 fantasy points per game.

New Orleans Pelicans: Herbert Jones was one of my favorite preseason sleepers. So far this season, he hasn’t exceeded expectations statistically, and he has missed nine games due to injury. With that said I believe now is a perfect time to stash him. In three consecutive games, Jones has scored 23 or more fantasy points. As of right now, he’s only rostered in 27.1% of ESPN leagues, and his minutes are on the rise. Jones can provide fantasy managers in category formats with points, rebounds, assists and steals.

New York Knicks: Due to a right ankle sprain, Quentin Grimes missed Wednesday’s game against the Raptors and may miss Friday’s game against the Bulls. Meanwhile, Immanuel Quickley has back to back games with 32 or more fantasy points. He is only rostered in 4.0% of ESPN leagues and if Grimes is out and you need a streamer you should consider Quickley.

Oklahoma City Thunder: After missing the last two games with a non-COVID illness, it was great to see Josh Giddey back in the fold. Over the last nine games, Giddey has scored 30 or more fantasy points six times. The dominant play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues. He has averaged 51.4 fantasy points per game this season. Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey continue to handle most of the heavy lifting for a Thunder team that ranks 23rd in points scored per 100 possessions.

Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero recorded his sixth career 20-point and 10-rebound game against the Rockets on Wednesday night. He’s the first player to record six such games in 26 career games or less since Blake Griffin during the 2010 to 2011 season. Furthermore, this was Banchero’s 20th career 20-point game. The last two players to score 20 or more points in 20 of their 26 games were Zion Williamson and Michael Jordan. Banchero has averaged 34.4 fantasy points per game as a rookie and delivered on all the preseason hype.

Philadelphia 76ers: As James Harden and Tyrese Maxey have missed time this season, Shake Milton has performed well in the additional minutes provided to him so far. 76ers coach Doc Rivers revealed earlier this month that Milton will remain in the rotation when everyone is healthy. He is only rostered in 6.0% of ESPN leagues.

Phoenix Suns: Deandre Ayton had his 58th career game with at least 20 points and 10 rebounds in Tuesday’s loss to the Wizards. He’s one shy of tying Tom Chambers for ninth in Suns franchise history. It was Ayton’s fourth career game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. In other news, Chris Paul injured his shoulder against the Wizards when he was bumped on a screen that looked similar to the injury he sustained in the 2021 playoffs, and that played a role in his suboptimal statistical production. Paul’s situation should be closely monitored by fantasy managers.

Portland Trail Blazers: In the nine games since Damian Lillard returned, Anfernee Simons has remained productive. In seven games, he has scored 23 or more fantasy points. The Trail Blazers rank ninth in points scored per 100 possessions which bodes well for Simons in fantasy hoops. He also benefits from Portland’s defensive woes.

Sacramento Kings: Domantas Sabonis has been phenomenal recently. He is the first player with 75 rebounds and 30 assists over a four-game span since Wes Unseld in 1970. Sabonis has scored 55 or more fantasy points in four consecutive games, including three with 60 or more.

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