VENTURA, Calif. – Tyler Courtney topped Wednesday’s $1,000 Dash for Cash at Ventura Raceway to put himself on the pole for the USAC West Coast 360 Sprint Car Series finale at the fifth-mile dirt oval.

Courtney had to use patient aggression to dispatch polesitter Chase Johnson, who was the high point man through heat races and qualifiers, but finally made the winning move stick on lap 13 of 15.

An inside push off the fourth corner, while Johnson was committed to the high lane, gave Courtney the edge and propelled him to victory as he seeks redemption from his runner-up finish in last year’s Turkey Night sprint car feature.

This time he’ll start from the pole in Thursday night’s 41-lap finale, in honor of the late Jason Johnson.

“That right there was proof that you’ve got to be really patient around here, especially in a sprint car,” Courtney said. “There’s not a lot of room; it’s about a sprint car and a half wide, so you just have to bide your time. He (Johnson) kept getting tight into three there, so I knew if I could get a run down the hill like I did when I got to slide him there, I was going to be okay. I knew we were faster, so if I could get by him, I just needed to protect myself for one corner and I could go back to running the line I needed to.

“Steve (Watt) and all his guys over there give me a really good car every year I come out here, so I’m just looking forward to tomorrow now and seeing if we can’t close the deal finally.”

Johnson came up second after starting from the pole and noted after the race that he’s got a little bit of work to do in order to beat Courtney in Thursday’s sprint car finale.

“To lead the first 12 laps of the dash before we got passed, it shows we were good, but we need to still be a little better,” Johnson said. “We’ve got to dig a little deeper to pick up some speed, but overall we’re happy with where we’re at right now and we were for most of the day. Just a little short there.”

Geoff Ensign completed the top-three finishers, followed by Troy Rutherford and Brady Bacon.

Austin Liggett, Tanner Carrick, Tyler Edwards, T.J. Smith and Max Adams were the balance of the top 10.

Wednesday night’s Dash for Cash featured the top 10 cars in combined event points (passing points and finishing points) through heat races and qualifiers.

The finish:

Tyler Courtney, Chase Johnson, Geoff Ensign, Troy Rutherford, Brady Bacon, Austin Liggett, Tanner Carrick, Tyler Edwards, T.J. Smith, Max Adams.

CASA GRANDE, Ariz. – Starting with the recent Duel In The Desert in Las Vegas and continuing until mid-February, IMCA-sanctioned events will keep racers busy on the West coast.

This year’s Duel on the half-mile Las Vegas dirt track, part of the huge complex of many types of tracks at the facility, was one of the best in recent years. A few years back the track conditions were bad and this resulted in a drop in car count.

A new track prep plan has led to much better racing conditions and the mid-November three day series had four and five-wide racing all three nights. Only a 2:06 a.m. finish on Friday night (or Saturday morning) served to blemish the event, running for the 22nd time.

At 304, the car count total was one more than last year with IMCA Northern Sport mods setting a new record with 102. A significant and wonderful change this year was to delete hot laps from the plan each night of racing. Only the Wednesday practice session offered a chance to shake things down for the teams.

Not pounding the track with 304 cars running hot laps saved not only time, but track conditions from premature fatigue. Between the days of pre-event track prep and nightly grooming, the track was able to offer excellent racing not seen in quite some time.

Saturday night’s finals are always dominated by the front couple of rows as those drivers represented preliminary night winners. But this year even the two event closing mains were better than they have been in years.

IMCA Northern Sport mod ace Cody Thompson took the championship race along with the $1,777.77 check, taking 19 of the 25 laps to make his winning pass. R.C. Whitwell earned $7,777.77 for the IMCA modified 40-lap win, taking the lead on lap 30 and holding off fellow Tucson driver Jake O’Neil for the first Grand Canyon State championship.

It sounds as if IMCA is serious about adding the IMCA stock cars to next year’s Duel in the Desert. A prior try was not successful in terms of car count, but if the interest is shown by drivers it looks to be likely next year.

How more cars will be worked into a 304 or so field of modifieds will be interesting and hopefully the early morning finishes don’t become the norm.

The following weekend it was the Desert Thunder Nationals at Central Arizona Speedway at the fairgrounds east of Casa Grande. IMCA divisions again were modifieds and sport mods for the three day event.

Rain during the week lasted until Thursday night, canceling the practice and keeping staff very busy to try and get the Friday races in. Their effort was successful and a tacky and fast three-eighths-mile oval on Friday, followed by a more normal somewhat drier surface on Saturday, then an expected daytime type track on Sunday afternoon for the finale gave 3 distinctly different sets of track conditions each race.

Cody Thompson didn’t seem to be bothered any by the variety as he swept the sport mod mains, winning each from eighth on the grid. That brought his win total for the year to 44 with one weekend left racing the car.  Thompson noted he believed the car has been sold and the Razor chassis will be in new hands.

The Las Vegas champion in modifieds was also on his game when Whitwell won the two first nights, but a fourth-place heat finish on Sunday led to starting 16th in the finale.  Whitwell had redrawn the front row Friday and Saturday so Sunday’s deep starting spot was quite a change.

Jeff Taylor won off of the front row but Whitwell made it interesting when he moved into second with 10 laps remaining and put pressure on Taylor.  A sweep was not to be and Taylor eventually put some space between himself and the two-time winner to claim the $3,000 prize as event champion.

Central Arizona Speedway is in the hands of Dave Ellis for the second year and continued improvements display his dedication and effort in promoting the fairgrounds oval.  Ellis has been involved in racing for many years as a car builder before filling his plate further by taking the reins of the track.

IMCA racing continues this coming weekend at Canyon Speedway Park in Peoria, Ariz., at the Northwest edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area while the Southeast portion of the metro has Arizona Speedway running wing and non-wing sprints plus late models.

Even in the Southwest part of the country, tracks are idle in December but come 2020 things really happen. Six IMCA races at Cocopah Speedway as well as the huge Wild West Shootout at Arizona Speedway for USRA modifieds, X mods, as well as the headline super late models give the new year a huge kickoff for dirt track racing.

January ends and February starts with IMCA racing at Canyon Speedway Park, then a stretch of modifieds, sport mod, and stock car action following the IMCA Arizona Modified Tour lasts until Feb. 15.

This fourth year for the tour will see the return of one of the most popular Midwest divisions when IMCA stock cars again get a chance to race the tour.

Having all this racing in a state adjacent to California helps make the downside of living in the Golden State easier to accept.

HOUSTON — A.J. Foyt does not eat turkey at Thanksgiving or any other time of year.

However, in the 1960’s, he spent nearly every Thanksgiving trying to win the turkey as in the Turkey Night Grand Prix at Ascot Park, the now defunct half-mile dirt track in Gardena, Calif., a suburb of Los Angeles.

Foyt is a three-time winner (’60, ’61 and ’66) of the Turkey Night Grand Prix but the triumph that stood out for him was the first victory in 1960 which he won in Jack London’s No. 5 midget.

“It was nothing to have over a hundred midgets there and I think they started just 18 or 20 cars,” Foyt recalled.

His midget ride came about through Foyt’s chief mechanic George Bignotti, who in addition to fielding the Bowes Seal Fast Indy car in which Foyt won his first national championship in 1960, also worked on the midget owned by London.

“I was running up high coming from the back,” said Foyt, who had qualified 17th for the 150-lap race. “I was running up against the fence and coming off turn four, I thought my goggles were sweating up and I thought ‘What the hell is going on?’ I pulled them down a little bit and everything cleared up and then I come off turn four again and I couldn’t see anything! And it got worse and worse and finally they red-flagged it. I was thinking to myself, what the hell is wrong with my goggles because it was kind of warm and I was sweating and I thought my goggles were just fogging over. I was glad to see them stop it because you were coming off 4 and you were just blind for maybe half a second but you were running real fast up against the fence. They must have let it run like that for 10 or 15 laps—it was dangerous. Finally the fog just came down real thick and you couldn’t see nothing. That was a spooky night.”

The race was called after 122 laps with Foyt taking home the honors. As much as he enjoyed racing out there, he admitted to feeling the pressure of qualifying at the track which was one of the fastest half-miles in the country.

“Everybody wanted to run the Turkey Night race — there were a lot of great drivers and great cars that would miss that race. You were always worried about the number you drew for qualifying because the track would change a little bit before they would get down to you. It would get dry slick and then you couldn’t get the traction. It was kind of nerve-wracking.”

When asked what made racing at Ascot so challenging, Foyt said, “It was a tricky race track. Don Branson and Jud Larson were probably the greatest dirt drivers that ever were and neither one of them could get around that race track good. I couldn’t believe that. It was just a tricky race track you had to really be on your toes and watch what you were doing.

“The track would change up on you so quick,” he continued. “You’d be good for ten laps and then the tires you started the race with maybe would quit working, and that’s what made it tricky because you never knew which way the dirt was going to go. I always used to run high against the fence, not around the pole—but a lot of people would run down low. When the top groove would fade out, it really would hurt me. That was the only way I could really get around it was to run up high.”

Foyt, who raced in the Turkey Night Grand Prix from 1959 through 1968 qualified in the top-five five times, including winning the pole in 1966. He finished in the top-five five times as well, three of them victories.

This year’s Turkey Night Grand Prix will be the 79th running of the venerable midget race which has since moved to Ventura (Calif.) Raceway. Open wheel and NASCAR star Kyle Larson will try to make it three straight midget race wins in a row tomorrow night, a feat he accomplished in 2012. Billy Boat is the only other driver to achieve that goal which he did in 1995 en route to winning the USAC Western States Midget title. Two years later he was driving an Indy car for A.J. Foyt in the Indy Racing League.

As for Thanksgiving Dinner back in the ‘60s? Foyt, Bignotti and the team would go to the casino afterwards where Foyt ordered steak.

“I didn’t want turkey on Thanksgiving, I just wanted to win the Turkey!”

Georgia senior Lawrence Cager, the team's top wide receiver, injured his ankle in practice Wednesday, and the Bulldogs fear the injury might cause him to miss the next several weeks, sources told ESPN, confirming multiple reports.

Cager, a graduate transfer from Miami, leads the No. 4 Bulldogs with 33 receptions for 476 yards and four touchdowns in nine games.

Georgia closes the regular season at Georgia Tech on Saturday (noon ET, ABC/ESPN App) and plays No. 2 LSU in the SEC championship game in Atlanta on Dec. 7.

Cager missed the Bulldogs' 19-13 win over Texas A&M last week because of shoulder and rib injuries. He also played sparingly in wins over Kentucky in Week 8 and Auburn in Week 12.

A 6-foot-5 native of Baltimore, Cager had emerged as quarterback Jake Fromm's favorite target when he was on the field. Cager had seven catches for 132 yards with one touchdown in a 24-17 victory over Florida on Nov. 2.

With Cager sidelined because of injuries, Fromm completed only 11 of 23 passes for 163 yards with one touchdown against the Aggies, his third straight game in which he completed fewer than 50 percent of his pass attempts.

Freshmen George Pickens, Dominick Blaylock and Kearis Jackson have seen increased playing time in Cager's absence the past few games.

You drop a player in your fantasy football league only to watch him go off. Or worse, to watch him crush for someone else's team in your league. Or even worse than that ... to watch him crush for someone else's team in your league while playing you.

Oh yeah. That's a painful one.

Maybe you missed the playoffs. Or maybe you're alive but need help this week. Either way, the season hasn't gone the way you wanted it to, and I'm here to help. You see, it's Thanksgiving this week, so it's time to give thanks.

That's right. Thankful that you're not one of the people below. Because as bad as you are, you're not this bad. My way of giving back is to show no matter how bad you screwed up, there are those out there who have screwed up even worse. If nothing else, this will make you feel better about your own moves.

And so, with apologies once again to the band Oasis, it's time for an annual tradition -- the 2019 edition of "Don't Look Back in Anger."

As always, these are real roster moves made by real players. Here's my "top 10."

10. Week 3, Joshua Neely dropped Courtland Sutton (currently WR20 on the season) for Demarcus Robinson (currently WR65).

9. In Aaron Khan's league, someone traded Christian McCaffrey and Russell Wilson for Todd Gurley II and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

8. Reed Kaiser went back-to-back. In one league, he dropped Michael Gallup for kicker Jason Myers. And then in another league, he dropped No. 1 tight end for much of the season (before his injury) Austin Hooper for Demarcus Robinson.

7. After Week 1, @CJBrown1919 saw a guy in his league pick up Albert Wilson, making room for him by dropping ... Dak Prescott. Almost as bad of a QB drop for a WR as ...

6. Braydon Holmyard, who dropped Russell Wilson for Mecole Hardman. Which is almost as bad as the reverse, dropping a WR for a QB ...

5. @Roundhere77 dropped DJ Chark Jr. for Trevor Siemian back when it was announced Siemian would start in place of Sam Darnold. That ... that might be tough to beat.

4. Keith Balanis says it still haunts him. On Thursday, Sept. 5, Keith decided to add the Cleveland Browns defense ... and dropped the New England Patriots D/ST.

3. I wouldn't have believed it, but then Paul Lloyd sent me a screenshot. Just before Week 1, he needed a kicker and he doesn't like carrying two quarterbacks. Because he already had a solid starter in Jared Goff, he thought, no issue dropping Russell Wilson for Wil Lutz.

So many bad ones it was tough to choose, but for so many reasons these are the top two:

2. David Rhodes, aka @ChampD1012, thought he had found a starting running back on the waiver wire just before the season started. He claimed Kalen Ballage, and because he had Drew Brees as his starter at QB, he decided to drop his backup QB ... Lamar Jackson.

And as bad as that is, David, at least Ballage has played and scored three touchdowns on the season. It's not as bad as the No. 1 worst move this year ...

1. @Shlofensteiner, who felt good about rolling with Cam Newton as his starter and dropped Lamar Jackson in the preseason for Darwin Thompson.

You read that right. I saw the transaction screenshot. Imagine having to live with that. Dropping Lamar Jackson for Darwin Thompson. I feel for you, man. I feel for you. Come here. There, there. It'll be all right.

As we reflect on this holiday of thanks, be grateful you haven't made a move as bad as these. I'd like to give my thanks to "Thirsty" Kyle Soppe of the 06010 podcast and The Stat-a-Pillar Damian Dabrowski of "The Fantasy Show" on ESPN+ for their help at various points in this column. As always, this is not a start/sit column, but rather players I feel will exceed or fall short of projections.

Let's get to it.

Quarterbacks I love in Week 13

Kirk Cousins, Vikings (at Seahawks): After a slow start, Cousins has quietly finished as a top-10 QB in each of his past three games and in six of his past seven (the lone exception being that Thursday night game against my Redskins where the Vikings ran the ball 12 more times than they passed it). With two weeks to prepare for a secondary that has struggled this season, Cousins should have a clean pocket against a Seattle defense that ranks 30th in pressure percentage. When not under pressure this season, Cousins has the second-best touchdown percentage and completion percentage in the NFL.

Sam Darnold, Jets (at Bengals): You don't often hear the names "Lamar Jackson" and "Sam Darnold" in the same sentence, unless it's this sentence: Sam Darnold is not nearly as good as Lamar Jackson. But now I can use it in another one: Darnold and Jackson are the only two quarterbacks to have produced at least 21 fantasy points in each of the past three weeks. The Bengals are allowing a league-high 13.1 yards per completion this season and more than 21 points per game to opposing QBs.

Aaron Rodgers, Packers (at Giants): How do you think Sunday night's game against the 49ers is sitting with Rodgers? Exactly. The Giants' defense can fix a lot, though. I mean, it just made Mitchell Trubisky look solid. The Giants are allowing the sixth-most yards per completion and a touchdown on 12.3% of deep passes (league high), so Rodgers should get his groove back chucking it deep against the G-Men. Every non-rookie QB who has played the Giants this season has scored at least 18.9 points.

Others receiving votes: With multiple touchdown passes in five of his past seven games, Josh Allen is doing it with his arm ... and his legs, as he has a rushing touchdown or at least 45 rushing yards in nine of 11 games this season. He has accounted for multiple scores in seven consecutive games, and I like Allen to have another strong fantasy game as a touchdown underdog on the road at Dallas. ... Did you know that since Ryan Tannehill took over in Week 7, he is the third-best QB in fantasy on a points-per-game basis? The Titans quarterback has a 72.1% completion rate and 12.8 yards per completion in that span (topping Russell Wilson in both metrics!), and the Colts allow opponents to complete passes at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL.

Quarterbacks I hate in Week 13

Matt Ryan, Falcons (vs. Saints): Ryan ranks as just QB21 on a points-per-game basis since returning from the Falcons' bye in Week 9, and he has just one touchdown pass in his past 77 attempts. In a great matchup last weekend at home against Tampa Bay, Ryan completed a season-low 50% of his passes. When he saw these same Saints in Week 10, Ryan threw for just 182 yards (a season low in his fully healthy games) on 35 attempts. In a must-win week for fantasy managers, I don't see how you can trust Ryan this week, particularly facing a Saints defense that ranks second in pressure percentage (32.2%). When pressured this season, Ryan has more interceptions (four) than TD passes (three).

Jacoby Brissett, Colts (vs. Titans): Tough matchup with a Titans defense that allows the sixth-fewest red zone trips per game. That's important because the red zone is where Brissett does a lot of his damage. He's QB5 in red zone points this season, and 14 of Brissett's 15 TD passes have come in the red zone. (When not in the red zone: Brissett has just one TD pass and four interceptions in 245 pass attempts.) He has zero passing TDs in three of his past four games, and while you can chalk some of that up to T.Y. Hilton's injury, it's hard to get excited about Brissett in what Vegas expects to be one of the lowest-scoring games of the weekend.

Baker Mayfield, Browns (at Steelers): He's been a lot better recently, no doubt. But heading into Pittsburgh in a game that will be, ahem, filled with emotion, I'm nervous about Mayfield's chances at a big number here. At home this season, the Steelers are the sixth-best scoring defense, allow the sixth-fewest yards per pass attempt and are seventh-best against fantasy QBs. Like a lot of signal-callers, Mayfield struggles under pressure, and since Week 8, the Steelers are the best in the NFL in pressure percentage while being top three in lowest completion percentage allowed and highest interception rate.

Running backs I love in Week 13

Melvin Gordon, Chargers (at Broncos): He's been looking a lot like, well, Melvin Gordon, and the bye week should have done wonders for him and the entire Chargers offense. Averaging 21 touches per game over his past three with no fewer than 17 touches in any of them, Gordon should once again see a heavy workload against a Broncos team that is allowing opposing RBs to gain 1.9 yards per carry after first contact (seventh-most in the NFL) and has been the 21st-ranked run defense the past four weeks.

Josh Jacobs, Raiders (at Chiefs): Tough game against the Jets in Week 12, but forget that. Better days are ahead for Jacobs, who should get a ton of work as the Raiders try to slow down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs' offense. They will try to control the clock, and I believe they will be successful, as the Chiefs allow the third-most rushing yards per game, the second-most yards per carry and are tied for the sixth-most rushing touchdowns allowed. Prior to last weekend's blowout against the Jets, Jacobs was fourth in the NFL in rushing in Weeks 1-11, which includes his 12-for-99 performance against Kansas City in Week 2.

Jonathan Williams, Colts (vs. Titans): With Marlon Mack already ruled out of this one, it should once again be the Jonathan Williams show, as Williams got 74.3% of the Colts' running back carries in Week 12 (26 of 35). Even without Mack, it is clear Indy wants to continue its run-heavy ways, as Williams got more touches than Mack has gotten in all but one game of his career. Ranking fourth in rush percentage this season, the Colts not only love to run, they do it behind one the NFL's best offensive lines. And Williams has performed when he has gotten a shot. Very small sample size, but Williams is averaging 2.15 yards per carry after first contact. If he qualified, he'd rank fifth, behind only Derrick Henry, Leonard Fournette, Chris Carson and Jacobs.

Others receiving votes: In the past four weeks, it seems like Phillip Lindsay has moved past Royce Freeman and out of their timeshare, as he is averaging 2.53 carries to every one for Freeman, including a 3-2 red zone carry advantage. The duo rushed 28 times for 175 yards and a score (adding six catches for 39 yards) when the Broncos and Chargers met earlier in the season, and with the Chargers allowing 27.5 points per game to running backs, I like Lindsay to be the focal point of Denver's offense this weekend. ... As of this writing, I don't know if Jordan Howard will be cleared for contact or if it will once again be Jay Ajayi opposite Miles Sanders. But whoever is the starting "power" back for Philly this weekend, I like him against a Miami team that allows the fourth-most red zone drives per game and the fourth-most yards per carry before first contact in the red zone. ... It's always risky with a Patriots running back, but with New England's pass-catchers banged up and Houston giving up a league-high 7.36 RB receptions per game this season, this feels like a James White game. ... It's rarely pretty, but Ronald Jones II has a rushing touchdown in three of his past four games. Tampa Bay will always think pass first, but on the road against a Jaguars team that is bottom five against the run this season and coughs up 5.62 yards per carry this season to opposing running backs, Jones has some flex appeal this weekend.

Running backs I hate in Week 13

Chris Carson, Seahawks (vs. Vikings): A tough matchup to begin with, as the Vikings come off their bye with a defense allowing the sixth-fewest rushing yards per game (94.2) and giving up a rushing touchdown on just 1.2% of carries (the best rate in the league). Since Week 3, Damien Williams is the only player to rush for more than 76 yards against Minnesota, and that was thanks to a 91-yard rush that you can't bank on. So tough sledding ahead, and then you consider that it might not even be Carson doing the sledding. He's coming off his first game this season with fewer than 15 carries, after his fumbling issues reared their head against the Eagles on Sunday and Rashaad Penny promptly filled in ... and filled in well, with 14 carries for 129 yards and a touchdown. When all was said and done, Carson played about 53% of snaps, Penny played 47%, and this feels like a timeshare (at best) against a tough run defense. Not ideal in the final week before the fantasy playoffs.

Joe Mixon, Bengals (vs. Jets): After a brutal start to the season, Mixon has turned it around to be semi-useful recently. And the return to Andy Dalton as the starting QB certainly can't hurt this offense's chances of scoring. Of course, with Dalton under center this season, Mixon averaged just 12.6 carries per game. (He averaged 21 carries per game with Ryan Finley under center.) And then you look at the Jets, who have actually played really good run defense this season. They have given up 2.99 yards per carry (best in the NFL) and allowed just 78 rushing yards per game (also best in the NFL). Sony Michel is the only RB to score 14 points against the Jets without catching at least four passes. Mixon is averaging two catches per game and has caught four balls only twice in 11 games this season.

Tevin Coleman, 49ers (at Ravens): Coleman has averaged less than 3.6 yards per carry in three of his past four games, but he's bailed you out with some passing-game usage and a touchdown in Week 12. However, since his four-touchdown game in Week 8, Coleman is just RB35 on a points-per-game basis, averaging less than 10 points per game. A touchdown or passing-game usage is what you will need to once again bail you out with Coleman this weekend against a Ravens defense that is allowing the third-fewest rushing yards per game. Only twice has a running back had more than 65 rushing yards in a game against Baltimore this season. Only twice this season has Coleman caught more than two passes in a game, so you're really hoping for the touchdown here. How lucky do you feel?

Pass-catchers I love in Week 13

DJ Chark Jr. and Dede Westbrook, Jaguars (vs. Buccaneers): The Bucs allow the second-most red zone drives per game this season, which presents an enticing opportunity for Mr. Chark and Mr. Westbrook. Here's a surprising stat for the Jaguars, given they have Leonard Fournette: 71.7% of the Jags' red zone yards have come through the air (second-most in the NFL). Chark has been amazing this season, so he's a no-brainer against Tampa's pass defense, which ranked 29th over the past four weeks, but consider Westbrook as well. The Bucs allow a touchdown on 6.3% of slot attempts, the 10th-highest rate in the NFL, and Westbrook has at least seven targets in each of his past seven healthy games.

Cooper Kupp, Rams (at Cardinals): Well, Monday night didn't do anyone any favors, and I understand why confidence might be waning. But look closer. Ten targets last week, but just 9.5 fantasy points. That's unlikely to happen. Prior to last week (for his career), when my little Cooper Kupp sees 10-plus targets in a game, he averages 25.7 points per game. Over the past four games, Arizona has allowed five TDs to wide receivers, including a TD to the slot in three of its past four games. The Cardinals are the worst pass defense in the NFL in that four-week span, and they've allowed more than 150 yards to the slot in each of their past two games.

John Brown, Bills (at Cowboys): With at least eight targets or a touchdown in eight of 11 games this season (including five of his past six), Brown has had a terrific floor this season. And that should help Brown on Thursday, as he is averaging 8.1 targets per game, and wideouts who get at least eight targets against Dallas this season are averaging 14.7 PPG. Brown's 26.7% target share is fifth-best in the NFL, so expect plenty of looks in a game in which Buffalo is a touchdown road dog and likely throwing to keep up.

Greg Olsen, Panthers (vs. Redskins): With seven targets in each of his past four games, Olsen is a viable TE1 streamer this week against a Redskins team that, among many other things it does poorly, allows opponents to complete passes of shorter than 10 yards at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL. The Redskins are allowing a touchdown on 25% of drives (the sixth-highest rate in the NFL), so I like Olsen's chances to find paydirt against a defense that gives up the ninth-most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

Others receiving votes: Assuming he clears the concussion protocol, I like Golden Tate against a Packers team allowing the fourth-most yards per catch after the reception. Tate is averaging more than eight targets per game since Week 6, and the Packers have allowed the fourth-highest completion rate to slot receivers. ... One of the many bad statistics you can roll out there about the Bengals is they give up the highest deep completion percentage in the league. With a touchdown in two straight games and two deep receptions last week against Oakland, it seems Robby Anderson is getting hot at the right time. ... Very quietly, Jared Cook has a touchdown in four of his past five games. In what should be a high-scoring game on Thursday night, Cook has a pretty good shot at making it five of the past six against a Falcons team that allows the sixth-most red zone drives per game this season. ... DK Metcalf's 14 end zone targets are tied for second in the NFL. You probably knew that stat. But did you know the Vikings have faced the fifth-most end zone targets this season? Metcalf has played more than 92% of the snaps since Josh Gordon joined the team, and the rookie will almost certainly get a couple of deep shots against a Vikings team that allows opponents to complete deep passes at the seventh-highest rate. ... With Eric Ebron out for the year, you could do worse for a streaming tight end than Jack Doyle against a Titans squad that is bottom-10 in the NFL in points allowed to tight ends.

Pass-catchers I hate in Week 13

Adam Thielen, Vikings (at Seahawks): Hopefully he's now fully healthy, but this is not the best matchup to come back to. The Seahawks are the ninth-best defense in terms of lowest completion percentage allowed to the slot, and they own the third-lowest touchdown percentage defensively. I can't imagine having a better option, but I'm lowering expectations for Thielen on Monday night.

Amari Cooper, Cowboys (vs. Bills): Cooper has four or fewer catches in three of his past four games, and he's unlikely to break out of his slump against Buffalo. Likely seeing shadow coverage from Tre'Davious White, Cooper will have to face off against a secondary that allows a league-low 10.96 yards per reception to WRs, while giving up only four wide receiver touchdowns all season. Four. Cooper has just three red zone targets in his past six games, so it's hard to feel great about him, considering he appears to be less than 100 percent healthy.

Emmanuel Sanders, 49ers (at Ravens): Also clearly not 100 percent healthy, Sanders now has three or fewer receptions in three straight games, and Baltimore has not allowed a TD to a WR in any of its past three games. With the reemergence of the seemingly indestructible George Kittle, along with Deebo Samuel's impressive play, you'll likely need a touchdown from Sanders for him to pay off this week against the league's run-heaviest offense. Only twice this season has an opposing WR1 caught a TD pass versus Baltimore. How lucky do you feel?

Matthew Berry -- the Talented Mr. Roto -- wishes you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving. And that, of course, means no cranberry sauce. Feel free to @ me.

The Week 13 NFL slate kicks off with some great Thanksgiving Day football. Our NFL Nation reporters bring us the keys to every Thursday game, a bold prediction for each matchup and final score predictions.

Additionally, ESPN Stats & Information provides a stat to know for each game and the current playoff picture, and the Football Power Index (FPI) goes inside the numbers with a matchup rating (on a scale of 1 to 100) and a game projection. ESPN Fantasy's Kyle Soppe and ESPN Chalk's David Bearman hand out helpful nuggets, as well. It's all here to help get you ready for a loaded day of NFL football.

Let's get into the full Thanksgiving Day schedule, including a showdown between two NFC South teams on Thursday night in which one team can already clinch a playoff spot.

Jump to a matchup:
CHI-DET | BUF-DAL | NO-ATL

Playoff picture entering Thursday's games

AFC

1. New England Patriots (10-1)
2. Baltimore Ravens (9-2)
3. Houston Texans (7-4)
4. Kansas City Chiefs (7-4)
5. Buffalo Bills (8-3)
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)

NFC

1. San Francisco 49ers (10-1)
2. New Orleans Saints (9-2)
3. Green Bay Packers (8-3)
4. Dallas Cowboys (6-5)
5. Seattle Seahawks (9-2)
6. Minnesota Vikings (8-3)

• The Saints will clinch the NFC South and a playoff spot with a win on Thanksgiving. Even if the Panthers were to win out, the Saints would hold the tiebreaker in the division. Per ESPN Stats & Information research, it would tie the earliest clinch of the NFC South in the division's history, which dates back to 2002 (2009 Saints, 2012 Falcons and 2015 Panthers).

Bears (5-6) at Lions (3-7-1)

12:30 p.m. ET | Fox
Matchup rating: 29.5 | Spread: CHI -5.5 (37)

What to watch for: The Lions have lost seven of their past eight games, coach Matt Patricia is on the hot seat, and a local radio station and a local columnist have each called for Detroit fans to not show up Thursday to send a message to the Ford family about the direction of the franchise. Two weeks ago, Dallas fans invaded Detroit -- and if it happens again in front of a national audience, it could make waves. -- Michael Rothstein

Bold prediction: Bears rookie running back David Montgomery will rush for more than 100 yards. He has cracked 100 rushing yards in just one game this year, but he's fresh after carrying the ball only 13 times for 22 yards against the Giants. Why is that important? Because the Bears have an extremely tight turnaround with Thursday's game on the road. -- Jeff Dickerson

Stat to know: The Bears' offense is 31st in the NFL in yards per play, 29th in yards per rush and 30th in passing yards per game. But then there is the Lions' defense, which ranks 26th in yards per play, 20th in yard per rush and 30th in passing yards per game.

What to know for fantasy: The Lions' Bo Scarbrough has 76.2% of the Detroit running back carries over the past two weeks (4.8 yards per carry). See Week 13 rankings.

Betting nugget: In its past 11 Thanksgiving Day games, Detroit is 1-10 against the spread (ATS) as an underdog (going back to 2004). Read more.

Dickerson's pick: Bears 16, Lions 13
Rothstein's pick: Bears 21, Lions 17
FPI prediction: CHI, 54.1% (by an average of 1.4 points)

Matchup must-reads: Lions' Darius Slay has his own version of Friday Night Lights ... Call off the search party, Bears' Khalil Mack might be back

Bills (8-3) at Cowboys (6-5)

4:30 p.m. ET | CBS
Matchup rating: 58.0 | Spread: DAL -6.5 (47)

What to watch for: Dallas receiver Amari Cooper has just 17 receptions for 213 yards in six road games, but he has 39 receptions for 673 yards and five touchdowns in five home games, including more than 100 yards receiving in his past three home contests. Yet Buffalo is allowing just 184.3 passing yards per game and has allowed just one 100-yard receiver in a game this season. -- Todd Archer

Bold prediction: Buffalo's Tre'Davious White holds Cooper to fewer than 40 yards as he continues his campaign as one of the NFL's elite cornerbacks. In all, the Bills hold the Cowboys under 300 yards but can't muster up enough offense of their own to get the win. -- Marcel Louis-Jacques

Stat to know: The Cowboys have lost four straight Thanksgiving games against teams that entered with a win percentage as good as the Bills' current mark of .727. In fact, the last time they won a Turkey Day game against such a team was in 1999, when they won 20-0 against the 8-2 Dolphins.

What to know for fantasy: After producing just 274 receiving yards in his first seven games this season, Dallas' Randall Cobb has 307 in his past three games. See Week 13 rankings.

Betting nugget: Dallas is 1-3 ATS against teams with a winning record this year. And Buffalo is 4-0-1 ATS on the road this season. Read more.

Louis-Jacques' pick: Cowboys 17, Bills 10
Archer's pick: Cowboys 31, Bills 20
FPI prediction: DAL, 78.5% (by an average of 10.5 points)

Matchup must-reads: Cowboys at point in season where 'it makes you or breaks you' ... Cole Beasley mixes football, rap career: 'Fixated on proving people wrong' ... NFL execs predict Dak's (and Dallas') future: He bet on himself ... and will win ... 'Dak Dance' is a viral sensation -- and a pregame necessity for Prescott ... Bills have prime opportunity to impress on national stage

Saints (9-2) at Falcons (3-8)

8:20 p.m. ET | NBC
Matchup rating: 70.6 | Spread: NO -7 (48)

What to watch for: The Falcons' offensive line looked disastrous in last week's loss to the Bucs, and coach Dan Quinn didn't rule out making some changes up front. The Saints seem likely to make some defensive adjustments, as well, after sacking Matt Ryan just once back in Week 10 and allowing the Falcons to rush for a season-high 143 yards that day. -- Vaughn McClure

Bold prediction: New Orleans makes up for its dreadful 26-9 loss to Atlanta three weeks ago and holds the Falcons without a touchdown. The Saints' defense has been very good this year, but it should be extra motivated after a leaky 34-31 win over Carolina in Week 12. Getting cornerback Marshon Lattimore back from a hamstring injury would be a big boost. -- Mike Triplett

Stat to know: Saints receiver Michael Thomas' 104 receptions are the most by a player through 11 games in NFL history. And he is on pace for 151 catches this season, which would be an NFL record (Marvin Harrison had 143 in 2002).

What to know for fantasy: New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw 45 passes without a single touchdown toss in these teams' first meeting this season, something he has only done five times in his Hall of Fame career. But it is worth noting that the last time he played in Atlanta, he produced the most fantasy points he ever has in a road game (40.5). See Week 13 rankings.

Betting nugget: The Saints are 11-3 ATS on the road since the start of last season. Read more.

Triplett's pick: Saints 20, Falcons 9
McClure's pick: Saints 24, Falcons 21
FPI prediction: NO, 55.7% (by an average of 2.0 points)

Matchup must-reads: When Falcons' Matt Ryan reaches 50,000 yards, fantasy will become reality ... Sean Payton: Saints' penalty problem will 'cost us a bigger game'

Wasps captain Joe Launchbury has signed a new undisclosed-length contract with the Premiership side.

The England lock, 28, has made 142 appearances in 10 seasons at the club.

Launchbury has 62 international caps and was part of the England squad that reached the World Cup final in Japan earlier this month.

"There have been some special moments during the past 10 years and I want to create more of those over the coming seasons," he told the club website.

"Hopefully as a club we keep developing and growing more and more Premiership-class players, and compete for silverware moving forward."

Launchbury made his top-flight debut for Wasps in 2011 as a teenager, skippering them to the Premiership final in 2016-17.

In England colours he featured at the 2015 World Cup and was a part of the 2016 Six Nations Grand Slam-winning squad.

"He is a born leader, who adds a lot to this team and having someone of his ilk pledging their future to the club is a real statement of intent," said Wasps director of rugby Dai Young.

YAS ISLAND, Abu Dhabi – ROKiT Williams Racing has confirmed Canadian Nicholas Latifi will join George Russell as a team driver next year in the FIA Formula One World Championship.

The Formula Two competitor has spent this year as a reserve driver for the Williams F-1 program and will replace outgoing driver Robert Kubica, who opted not to return to the team after one season.

Latifi, who has taken part in six F-1 practice sessions, has enjoyed a successful career in junior formulas, winning multiple races in Formula Two. He sits second in Formula Two points entering the season finale. Prior to this, he competed in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series and Formula Three.

“I am thrilled to be stepping up as race driver for 2020,” said Latifi. “I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the team this year, supporting them with the development of the car, and assisting wherever I can trackside and at the factory. I look forward to the journey ahead with the team, and I am excited to make my Formula One debut at the Australian Grand Prix in 2020.”

“I am delighted to announce that Nicholas will be stepping up to the role of race driver to partner George in 2020,” said Claire Williams, Deputy Team Principal. “All of us at Williams have been immensely impressed at what he has achieved this year in FIA Formula Two, along with his commitment to the team, and the work that he has put in behind the scenes. Nicholas has become an established and well-respected member of Williams, and we look forward to him stepping up into this new role, as we look to fight our way back to the midfield.”

Jeetan Patel has stepped down as Warwickshire's captain ahead of his retirement at the end of next season, with allrounder Will Rhodes replacing him in the role.

Patel, who has captained the club for the last two seasons, will retire from all forms of cricket after the 2020 season, and looks set for a career as a coach, having worked as a spin-bowling consultant for England during their T20I series in New Zealand last month.

ALSO READ: Patel to work with England during T20I series

Rhodes, 24, joined Warwickshire from Yorkshire ahead of the 2018 season, and has become a fixture at the top of the order in the County Championship, opening the batting alongside Dom Sibley.

Paul Farbrace, the club's sport director said: "Despite being only 24, Will has quickly become recognised as a senior member of the dressing room and he has demonstrated excellent leadership qualities that have impressed the cricket management team.

"He can benefit from the wealth of experience that Jeetan offers as a former captain and player who, alongside Ian Bell and Tim Ambrose, knows what it takes to win trophies over a sustained period of time with Warwickshire.

"Jeetan is an outstanding cricketer and we're very grateful for the job that he has done as captain over the last two years. He took on the role at a difficult time, but he has played a critical role in securing our place back in Division One of the County Championship while also managing the transition of bringing many young players into the senior ranks."

Rhodes described his appointment as "a real honour," and credited Patel with aiding his development at Edgbaston. "Jeets has been my first captain here at Warwickshire," he said. "He's played a huge role in helping me settle at the club so quickly and in establishing myself here across all formats.

"Following in the footsteps of a true Warwickshire legend is a very exciting prospect and he will be a great support for me as captain."

Patel said the decision to step back from the captaincy had been a joint decision. "It is no secret that the club is held close to my heart, and renouncing the captain's role, as much as I've enjoyed the challenge of being at the helm over such a challenging period, is a result [sic] that both management and myself have come to with the club's future in mind.

"With my official retirement from playing all forms of cricket at the conclusion of the 2020 season, Will gives the club the opportunity to continue to transition smoothly into a young, hardworking and successful team with growth at the forefront of the Bears journey.

"I am wholly committed in my duty to support Will and the team wherever possible throughout my last playing season."

Rhodes will captain both the County Championship and 50-over teams, with Sibley continuing as vice-captain, while the club said that an announcement regarding their T20 captain would be made "in due course".