MANCHESTER, England -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has done the impossible: gotten Manchester United fans excited about the Europa League.

By serving notice that he intends to use this competition to blood the latest batch of youngsters coming through Carrington, the Norwegian has made these games must watch for supporters keen for a glimpse into the future. Make no mistake, Solskjaer does not want to be playing on Thursday nights, but he is at least prepared to make the most of the opportunity it presents.

Against FK Astana of Kazakhstan, that meant full debuts for 19-year-olds Angel Gomes and Tahith Chong. Mason Greenwood, 17, and Marcus Rashford, 21, also started in a front four made up entirely of academy graduates with an average age of 19. Another academy product, 21-year-old Axel Tuanzebe, started at centre-back.

It wasn't quite Sir Alex Ferguson throwing in the Class of '92 at Aston Villa in 1995, but it wasn't far off. That game ended in a 3-1 defeat at Villa Park but this 1-0 win, narrow as it was, was a far more promising start.

It could have 4-0 after 20 minutes.

- Europa League group stage: All you need to know

Fred, making his first start in 148 days, hit the bar from 30 yards after just three minutes. Rashford forced Astana goalkeeper Nenad Eric into two point-blank saves and Greenwood flashed a fierce left-footed drive just past the far post.

The visitors had their moments, but more often than not Tuanzebe was there to sweep up the danger with an elegance that would have reminded some inside Old Trafford of Rio Ferdinand. Tuanzebe starred for Aston Villa on loan last season as they won promotion to the Premier League, and he would have been welcomed back in the summer had Solskjaer not made a point of keeping him in Manchester.

Chris Smalling -- a title winner and capped 31 times by England -- has been allowed to join Roma on loan in order to give Tuanzebe more opportunities. Comfortable on the ball, commanding in the air and dangerous from set pieces, he took his chance here.

He has work to do to remove one of Harry Maguire or Victor Lindelof from Solskjaer's first-choice XI, but he is not far away. Lindelof, in particular, cannot afford many more mistakes like the ones that cost goals against Crystal Palace and Southampton, and that is exactly the way Solskjaer will want it. Young players knocking on the door, keeping the senior stars on their toes.

Gomes was also impressive.

United's fans chanted "Borat, Borat give us a song" at the visiting support, but Astana are no joke. They racked up eight points in the Europa League group stage last season and arrived at Old Trafford having lost just one of their past six European trips.

Still, they struggled to cope with Gomes, who found pockets of space behind Rashford. There one second and gone the next, picking up the ball and laying it off, he was United's creative hub. Early in the second half he turned so sharply inside the box that two yellow shirts were almost sent back to Kazakhstan. His pass found Marcos Rojo but the Argentinian's cross evaded both Greenwood and Chong.

In his programme notes before the game, Solskjaer assured supporters that the Europa League "is a competition we want to win this season," and midway through the second half he showed it, throwing on the experience of Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard for Gomes and Chong. The United manager faces a delicate balancing act in the Europa League this season: providing enough chances for his young players while also trying to win a trophy that leads back into the Champions League.

Fittingly, though, it was a youngster who ensured any potential embarrassment was avoided.

Greenwood jinked past Dorin Rotariu on the right and slid his shot underneath Eric for his first senior goal. He has already got a song -- "Mason Greenwood's dynamite, he scores them with his left foot and scores them with his right" -- and this was the perfect time for another chorus.

Of all the young players the club believe have a chance of making the grade, they are most excited about Greenwood, now the youngest player to score for United in Europe. Still only 17 but with technical ability that allows him to take penalties and corners with both feet, he is the one to watch. Solskjaer was so impressed with the teenager during the summer tour that he allowed Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to leave for Inter Milan without signing replacements.

Rashford launched his United career in the Europa League with two goals against FC Midtjylland three and a half years ago, and he used the platform to become one of the best young players in the world. Solskjaer has given the latest group off the conveyor belt the chance to do the same.

Recently the owners at Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) carried out a complete overhaul of the coaching staff, brining in former New Zealand coach Mike Hesson as team director and appointing former Australia batsman Simon Katich as the head coach.

On Friday, in Bengaluru, both Hesson and Katich had a media interaction where they discussed a wide range of issues including why they feel Royal Challengers, which is lead by India captain Virat Kohli, can be realistic about winning their maiden IPL title in 2020.

Excerpts:

Royal Challengers Bangalore haven't made the playoffs for three seasons now. How can you turn it around?

Mike Hesson: We have spent a lot of time in the last two weeks looking at how we want to structure things as a support staff. With the structure we have got and people we've got around us, we're well aware that we have to make a few tweaks in the squad to get the balance that we think we need moving forward. We are not going to talk about player names, obviously we are not going to give too much away, but there has certainly been a lot of behind the scenes thinking about how we want to structure things.

ALSO READ - RCB overhaul: Kirsten, Nehra out, Hesson, Katich in

Has there been any thought at all at looking at a different captain?

Simon Katich: Not at all.

How will the team management set-up work in the new structure?

Hesson: I will be having input pre-game, but Simon and Virat will be in charge on game days in terms of the XI they put on the park. The dealings I had with both are inclusive as well. I am sure coaches that have experience at certain venues against opposition, but it's a collective agreement. But Simon and Virat will be in charge on game days.

"You need to have guys who are prepared to put the team first over their individual needs of trying keep getting a game, or just potentially do well for the next option." RCB's head coach on what he expects

Kohli has lead for the past seven seasons. The outside perception is he calls the shots. Is that a strength or do you have any apprehensions about working with him?

Katich: From our point of view, we have been aligned about how we are going to go about things. We haven't got that perception about Virat at all. Potentially there is a learning from that and the fact that what he has done in the past, maybe he has learnt from that and wants to go about things differently moving forward. But from what we've discussed with him so far, he is very much been aligned about how we want to move forward, and happy to take advice from our experience and how we see things.

There is always going to be different opinions, but it is about what is best for the team and I think we have both (him and Hesson) spoken about it over the last couple of weeks. There's no question, for us Virat is captain.

How easy or difficult is it to talk to with superstar players like Kohli or Brendon McCullum (at New Zealand when he was head coach) to have an open discussion on decision-making?

Hesson: Simon, Virat and myself, everybody have been working together to this point and so far those relationships have been very good. There is a time and place for everything, but the three of us have to be brutally honest with each other behind closed doors around every decision.

There will be decisions we all make where we might say: "hang on, what we were thinking there?" And it might not necessarily be saying you have done something wrong. It's just asking for clarity on what you were thinking. I think this is responsibility of all of us to challenge the three of us as a leadership group to make sure we are getting the best out of each other. We are not gonna be passive and not be afraid of having honest discussions. There is no value in that for anybody.

Royal Challengers have never been short of talent. As a coach how do you get that talent work together?

Katich: A big part of it is identifying what sort of style of players will bat well with each other or potentially bowl well in partnerships together in different phases of the innings. So that's something we are working through at the moment. But then when it comes to a team's style of play, you need to have guys with that character that they are prepared to put the team first over their individual needs of trying keep getting a game, or just potentially do well for the next option.

So that's the balancing act of trying to put a squad together and that's where the character side of it comes into it because yes, they are a lot of players out there with lots of talent but are they playing in winning teams and how are they contributing in being part of winning teams? So that's all the things we have to weigh up when we are making these judgments over the next few months.

How do you make sure the Chinnaswamy pitch will favour RCB so that they utilise home advantage, a crucial determining factor in making play-offs?

Katich: It was probably the first thing I mentioned when I first came on about the job, was asking the question about the wicket because I have seen it evolved over the last four years. Obviously in 2017, it was a different type of wicket given what happened with the drainage. And obviously it affected the balance of the team because it was playing differently to what the team had been used to in the past.

So that was one of the first questions asked because you want to really utilise your home ground advantage for seven games and if you make it a fortress which others teams have done at their venues, whether it's at Chennai (Chennai Super Kings) or whoever it is, that becomes a big determining factor whether you can make it to the playoffs. So that's one thing we certainly will be taking into account and making sure that it suits the balance of our team and so we have to understand how it is going to play.

Warwickshire 488 (Sibley 215*, Hain 76) and 271 for 2 (Sibley 109, Burgess 61*) beat Nottinghamshire 498 (Mullaney 179, Clarke 125) and 260 (Clarke 112, Hannon-Dalby 4-54) by eight wickets

Dominic Sibley followed his unbeaten first-innings double century with another hundred as Warwickshire completed a successful run chase on the final day of their Specsavers County Championship match against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge.

Sibley, who scored an undefeated 215 in the first innings, followed up with 109 as the visitors reached their target of 271 from a minimum of 58 overs with eight wickets to spare. The 24-year old opener Sibley scored his runs from 147 balls, with 10 fours, and shared in an opening stand of 146 with Will Rhodes, who made 65.

Having been on the field for virtually the entire match, Sibley was eventually bowled by Paul Coughlin, who took 2 for 85.

By that stage the victory was already in sight, with Michael Burgess hitting an unbeaten 61 after coming in at No. 3.

Earlier, the day had looked as if it might belong to Joe Clarke, who registered his second hundred of the match.

Clarke followed up his first innings score of 125 with 112 as Notts made 260 in their second innings. He was last out, bowled by Oliver Hannon-Dalby, who took 4 for 54, with Jeetan Patel picking up 3 for 52.

Clarke's championship season had begun with scores of 112 and 97 not out against Yorkshire in early April but off-field issues disrupted his campaign and he had failed to reach 50 in any of his 17 Division One innings since then.

Dropped for the previous match, he returned to the starting XI as Notts rested players ahead of this weekend's Vitality Blast Finals Day. His return to form now puts him in contention to figure on Saturday as well.

The former Worcestershire batsman reached his sixteenth first-class century from 130 deliveries, having hit 15 fours.

"Firstly, Dom Sibley is a man in form and has played unbelievably well," Clarke said. "As a close mate of mine, hopefully I can see him in England colours this winter.

"It was nice for me after missing out last week. I was gutted, so coming back in I worked really hard to show people I don't want to be left out again."

On the prospect of playing at Finals Day on Saturday, he added: "I felt like I went ok in the T20s and feel confident but the decision is in other people's hands, not mine. I'll have a swing and be prepped to go if I get the nod."

Resuming from their overnight score of 105 for 5, a lead of 115, the home side had an early set-back when Coughlin was given out caught behind off Henry Brookes for 16.

Ravi Ashwin joined Clarke and kept the scoreboard moving in a partnership of 73, made in only 13 overs.

George Garrett broke the stand, gaining a positive lbw verdict against Ashwin, who made 42. The same bowler wasn't able to build on his success, clutching his thigh as he limped out of the action during his next over.

Clarke was on 89 when he lost his next partner, Luke Fletcher, popping Patel into the hands of Sam Hain at short leg.

Patel dismissed Zak Chappell for a promising 29 soon after lunch and the innings was completed when Clarke was bowled trying to farm the strike. In his disappointment he knocked out a stump with his bat - apologising immediately to the umpires.

Brendan Taylor, who made 114 and 105 not out against Durham in 2016 was the last Nottinghamshire batsman to record two hundreds in the same match.

The visitors began well, reaching tea on 82 without loss, with Sibley unbeaten on 48 and Rhodes on 34.

Gradual accumulation saw the openers advance the score to 146 before they were separated. Rhodes, who had hit Ashwin for two leg-side sixes in his 80-ball half-century, picked out Chappell in the deep, upper-cutting Coughlin.

A tired-looking Sibley then wandered across his stumps but Burgess reached his 50 from 51 balls, leaving Matt Lamb to hit the winning run.

The match aggregate of 1,517 runs is the largest in the competition this summer but leaves Notts still without a victory at the foot of the table. They now turn their attention to Finals Day on Saturday, before completing their red-ball season against Surrey at The Kia Oval next week.

Warwickshire move up to sixth in the table with their victory and host Yorkshire in their final encounter.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- In a limited media availability on Thursday, New England Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown deflected a question on whether he's heard from the NFL about being able to play throughout the 2019 season.

"I appreciate that question. I'm just here to focus on ball," Brown said in an interview that lasted just one minute. "I look forward to getting out there in the home stadium and being with the team."

Brown and the Patriots host the New York Jets on Sunday.

"I'm super grateful to be here, to play for Bill Belichick, Tom Brady. I got a lot of the offense to learn, and catch up. But I'm excited and grateful to be here and be a part of these guys," Brown said, when asked if he is in good standing with the NFL.

This marked the first time Brown has addressed reporters since joining the Patriots on Sept. 9.

Brown called working with Brady a "tremendous honor," saying he is a "great guy to be around" who inspires teammates.

Brown was not directly asked a question about his reaction to the civil lawsuit brought against him by his former trainer, Britney Taylor, which includes allegations of sexual assault and rape.

Asked what the process has been to get used to everything in New England, Brown said: "It's football. I'm grateful to play football. Every time you walk in the doors here, you do your best for the team. So every time I walk in here, I just want to make sure I'm preparing and giving these guys my best."

A team official, who had indicated it would be a short interview at the outset, ended the session after four questions.

Move over, Zion. There's a new dunker in Durham.

Duke freshman Cassius Stanley broke the school record for maximum vertical leap on Wednesday, a record set last year by Wooden Award winner and No. 1 NBA draft pick Zion Williamson.

There was no measurement announced by Duke, nor was there one when Williamson did it in July 2018.

Stanley, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard from Sierra Canyon High School (California), finished his high school career ranked No. 32 in the ESPN 100 for the 2019 class. Early in high school, Stanley was considered one of the elite prospects in the country due to his athleticism, resulting in a number of viral highlights and YouTube mixtapes showcasing his dunking ability.

?? MAX VERT RECORD ??

? @cassius_stanley ‼️

We've had some alarmingly athletic hoopers. Cassius has the new record. ??⚠️ pic.twitter.com/2xLlsX2P3I

— Duke Basketball (@DukeMBB) September 18, 2019

It looks as if it's carried over to college.

Stanley is part of the nation's No. 2-ranked recruiting class, the sixth straight year Duke has finished with a top-two recruiting class. He committed to the Blue Devils in late April, choosing Duke over a final list that included UCLA, Oregon and Kansas. Duke jumped into the picture late for Stanley, but began pursuing him in February and brought him on an official visit in April.

Duke opens its 2019-20 campaign with a showdown against Kansas at the Champions Classic in Madison Square Garden on Nov. 5. The Jayhawks rank No. 2 in ESPN's final Way-Too-Early Preseason Top 25, while Mike Krzyzewski and Duke slot in at No. 6.

We are all prisoners of the moment.

Hard not to be, right?

Especially in an emotional game such as fantasy football, in which way too often our heart, eyes and brain are in conflict.

"He plays for my favorite team and I drafted him early!"
"But he looks awful and hasn't had a good game in a month!"
"But they play the Dolphins!"

An NFL fantasy weekend results in a wide range of emotions for a fantasy player, as we go on a roller coaster filled with highs, lows, dread, hope, anger, prayer, yelling, cheering and cursing.

These are our guys.

We scouted them, we studied them, we drafted them, we started them and we watched them.

These are our guys.

At least they are supposed to be.

Until you look up at the leaderboard and realize that Joe Mixon is 56th at RB, just 0.2 points ahead of RB57, Dare Ogunbowale.

How could you not freak out? Joe Mixon! You could have had Dalvin Cook, but no, the idiot site you were on had Mixon ranked higher, so you took Mixon, even though podcast fans know exactly what happens whenever you count on the Bengals.

But you took him early, and then Donnie, stupid Donnie, with his dumb laugh and annoyingly loud voice, who showed up late with no draft materials and has been farting up a storm, asks someone who the next-highest running back is and some jerk tells him it's Cook, so he takes him one pick before it comes back around to you. And now Donnie -- moronic, gassy Donnie -- is in first place and hasn't even logged onto the site yet, but you're stuck with Mixon, and why the hell do you play this stupid game anyway?

So I get it, gentle reader. I have heard from you on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I hear from you when I meet you. I hear from you on the podcast and in texts from my friends.

I get it.

But if I may, before we go too far down a shame spiral, I'd like to offer a few blind résumés:

Player A: 18.2 total points, 26.5% target share
Player B: 21.8 total points, 26.4% target share

(Player A is George Kittle through the first two weeks of 2018. Player B is George Kittle through the first two weeks of 2019. Kittle finished last season as TE3.)

Player C: 21.4 total points, with one game under 7.5 points and another over 14
Player D: 22.8 total points, with one game under 7.5 points and another over 14

(Player C is Robert Woods through the first two weeks of 2018. Player D is Robert Woods through the first two weeks of 2019. Woods finished last season as WR11.)

Player E: 10.7 points
Player F: 14.9 points

(Player E is Mike Evans in Weeks 9-10 in 2018. Player F is Mike Evans through the first two weeks of 2019. Despite a two-week stretch when he was brutal, Evans still finished 2018 as WR11.)

Player G: 39.5 points (QB12)
Player H: 37.7 points (QB14)

(Player G is Matt Ryan through the first two weeks of 2018. Player H is Matt Ryan through the first two weeks of 2019. Ryan finished 2018 as QB2.)

Player I: 39.5 points, a TD reception in both games, 18 targets (6 deep) with 3 deep receptions, 89.8% of snaps played.
Player J: 40.7 points, a TD reception in both games, 16 targets (7 deep) with 4 deep receptions, 89.4% of snaps played.

(Player I is A.J. Green in the first two games of his rookie season. Player J is Terry McLaurin through the first two weeks of 2019. Green was WR17 as a rookie.)

Player K: 32.8 points through Week 2 (his previous worst start to a season in his career), 56.7% completion rate, 2 TDs
Player L: 27.3 points through Week 2, 62.5% completion rate, 3 TDs

(Player K is Aaron Rodgers at the start of 2009. Player L is Aaron Rodgers so far this season. Rodgers finished 2009 as QB1.)

I could do this all day. It's two weeks, kids. Last season, through the first two weeks ...

• Tarik Cohen was RB51 (10.6 points) ... finished as RB11.

• Chris Carson was RB45 (11.3 points) ... finished as RB15.

• Dak Prescott was QB26 (23.6 points) ... finished as QB10.

• Andrew Luck was QB21 (30.8 points) ... finished as QB5.

And it's not just about slow starters. Last season, through the first two games (all stats below are on a per-game basis, so as not to be influenced by injury) ...

• Javorius "Buck" Allen was RB16 ... finished as RB64.

• Nelson Agholor was WR20 ... finished as WR51.

• Jesse James was TE2 ... finished as TE32.

• Will Dissly was TE3 ... finished as TE17.

It's two weeks. I get it. I really do. But it's two weeks. There's a long way to go.

By the way, here's one final intriguing fact: 11 WRs had at least 40 points through two weeks in 2018. Eight of those 11 WRs went on to play at least 13 games ... and all eight finished in the top 10 among WRs last season.

This year, there are 15 WRs with at least 40 points through two weeks. Will all of them finish in the top 20?

Sammy Watkins (57.7)
John Ross III (56.0)
Emmanuel Sanders (48.4)
Marquise Brown (47.3)
Keenan Allen (44.1)
DJ Chark (43.1)
T.Y. Hilton (43.0)
Julio Jones (42.7)
Odell Beckham Jr. (42.2)
Michael Thomas (41.2)
Calvin Ridley (40.9)
Larry Fitzgerald (40.7)
Terry McLaurin (40.7)
Chris Godwin (40.4)
DeAndre Hopkins (40.1)

Food for thought, as is this Love/Hate for Week 3. As always, this is not a start-or-sit column. I don't "love" or "hate" players. I do, however, "love" or "hate" their ESPN projection for PPR leagues. So that's what this is. Players who are "loves" are players I believe will generally meet or exceed their ESPN projections. "Hates" are players I believe will fall short of their ESPN projections. That simple. For specific "this player or that player" questions, please consult my rankings, which are constantly updated all the way through Sunday at kickoff. You also can watch The Fantasy Show on ESPN+, which expanded to four episodes a week this year, and of course Fantasy Football Now, every Sunday morning on ESPN2. Thank you as always to "Thirsty" Kyle Soppe of the 06010 podcast and the Stat-a-pillar from The Fantasy Show on ESPN+, Damian Dabrowski, for their help at various points in this column.

Here we go:

Quarterbacks I love in Week 3

Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (vs. Dolphins; ESPN projection: 21.6): The hottest QB in the league takes on the worst defense in the league. Do you need more? Dak is the first player with 25 completions, 330 yards of offense and 3 TD passes in three straight games since Drew Brees in 2012. Las Vegas is projecting 33 to 34 points for the Cowboys in this game. Prescott averages 24 PPG for his career when the Cowboys score 28-plus points. Gimme the over on 21.6.

Josh Allen, Buffalo Bills (vs. Bengals; ESPN projection: 19.1): You had me at Bengals. Cincy is giving up 11 yards per attempt this season (second most). It's a good matchup for the strong-armed Allen, and with a banged-up run game, expect the Bills to take some deep shots here. Allen's rushing keeps his floor high; he has six rushing scores in his past six games.

Jameis Winston, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (vs. Giants; ESPN projection: 17.2): What's the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? I'm definitely crazy. But here I am, writing in front of you, putting Winston on the love list. What is wrong with me? Someone send me to rehab. In the meantime, he is at home and has had 10 days to prepare for a Giants team that has allowed opponents to complete 71% of their passes (seventh highest) for 642 yards (third highest) and has only three sacks on the season.

Others receiving votes: Despite not running very much so far, Kyler Murray is the 12th-best QB in fantasy. Only Patrick Mahomes has attempted more deep passes than Murray. I like the over on 16.7 points at home against a Panthers team that is giving up 9.0 air yards per target (eighth most in the NFL). ... Opponents have completed 75% of passes against the Steelers this season for 640 yards, 6 TDs and no INTs, making Jimmy Garoppolo a viable option for two-QB leagues or those streaming QBs in the wake of injuries to Ben Roethlisberger, Drew Brees and (maybe?) Cam Newton. ... Speaking of Newton, if he misses this game, I like Kyle Allen as a dirt-cheap DFS play and/or deeper-league fill-in. Allen is a better QB than you think. He impressed in his Week 17 start last season (16-of-27 for 228 yards and 2 TDs, and he ran in a third), and I like him against the group of people Arizona calls a defense.

Quarterbacks I hate in Week 3

Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams (at Browns; ESPN projection: 16.4): Currently below Derek Carr in yards per attempt and touchdown percentage, Goff has struggled on the road recently. Since the start of 2018, he averages just 237.4 passing yards and 13.3 fantasy points per game away from home. Myles Garrett & Co. have been great at getting to the QB this season, as the Browns rank third in pressure percentage. When Goff is pressured, he struggles. Since Goff has been in the league, he ranks 24th with just a 3.4% career TD rate when pressured. I'll take the under on 16.4.

Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns (vs. Rams; ESPN projection: 15.9): Fair warning -- the initial over/under for this game was 50.5, one of the highest of Week 3, so there's a decent chance putting Goff and Mayfield on the "hate" list is going to blow up in my face worse than putting Aaron Jones on it did last week. But here I am because, honestly ... I thought Mayfield looked bad on Monday night, throwing into double coverage and missing open receivers. He got two amazing Beckham plays -- and hey, he'll have OBJ on Sunday night, and those kind of plays are certainly in his wheelhouse. But those two crazy plays accounted for 59.2% of Mayfield's Week 2 points. Without those two big plays, Mayfield's season features a 59.2% completion percentage, just a single TD pass and four interceptions. The Rams, meanwhile, are giving up the fourth-fewest yards per pass attempt this season. I love Mayfield long term and am a fan, but on a short week against the seventh-best pass defense in the NFL, I'm a bit nervous here.

Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers (at 49ers; ESPN projection: 14.9): I think Rudolph will be fine for the Steelers pass-catchers you care about, but there are other fill-in/streaming types I prefer more than him traveling across the country to face a better-than-you-think Niners defense. San Francisco has the eighth-best scoring defense this season, it is sixth best in completion percentage against and it has more interceptions than touchdown passes allowed thus far.

Running backs I love in Week 3

Austin Ekeler, Los Angeles Chargers (vs. Texans; ESPN projection: 17.7): Since the start of 2016, here is the entire list of players who have had consecutive games of at least 55 yards rushing and 65 receiving yards: Melvin Gordon, Le'Veon Bell, Alvin Kamara, David Johnson and ... Austin Ekeler. The Texans allow a league-high 4.52 yards per carry before first contact this season. Ekeler has played 74% of the snaps and is locked in as an RB1.

Sony Michel, New England Patriots (vs. Jets; ESPN projection: 13.3): I expect the sun to come up tomorrow morning. I expect the sun to go down tomorrow night. And I expect the Patriots to crush the Jets at home. And when the Patriots are up big against New York, expect a heavy workload for Michel against a Jets team that has allowed the 10th-most yards per carry before first contact this season. Patriots running backs have run for more than 115 yards AND a touchdown in four of the past five games against the Jets. I say it becomes five of the past six on Sunday with Michel doing a good chunk of the damage.

Todd Gurley II, Los Angeles Rams (at Browns; ESPN projection: 14.3): I'm taking the over on 14.3 for Gurley on the road in what should be a raucous prime-time game. With the Rams wanting to take the crowd out of it and protect Jared Goff (see above), expect a nice workload for Gurley, who has been the ball carrier for 18 of the Rams' 24 drives this season. You can run on the Browns, as those with Derrick Henry or Le'Veon Bell have discovered this year. Bell wasn't efficient, but he got 31 touches and, given the rest of the offense, performed pretty well.

David Montgomery, Chicago Bears (at Redskins; ESPN projection: 12.2): The bell-cow usage is starting to come for Montgomery, as he got 18 of the Bears' 25 RB carries (72%) in Week 2, up significantly from 54.5% in Week 1. Montgomery's five goal-to-go carries this season are tied for the most in the NFL (all came last week!). And you couldn't ask for a better matchup, as the Skins are giving up 5.17 yards per carry.

Others receiving votes: I'm already on the hook for Jameis Winston, so what the hell. Might as well dive all the way in. I don't think Peyton Barber is anything more than just a guy, but he's currently the guy for the Bucs and now gets a Giants team that has allowed a league-high four rushing touchdowns in two games. ... Assuming Devin Singletary misses the game Sunday with that hamstring injury, Frank Gore should be flex-worthy against a Bengals team that has allowed the third-most rushing yards this season. ... There should be enough volume to give both Matt Breida and Raheem Mostert flex consideration. The Niners are the league's second-run-heaviest team this season, trailing only the Vikings, and the Steelers are a bottom-10 run defense traveling west as a 6.5-point underdog.

Running backs I hate in Week 3

Le'Veon Bell, New York Jets (at Patriots; ESPN projection: 18.0): You have to start him, of course, but I'm taking the under on 18 points here. The Patriots allow just 2.6 yards per carry this season (second best) and opponents have completed just 60% of passes to RBs against them this season (fifth lowest). Now, one of those games was against the Dolphins, so it shouldn't really count, but still. Pretty sure Bill Belichick will sell out to stop Bell and take his chances with Luke Falk. Volume and junk time will help, but I'm going under on 18.

Joe Mixon, Cincinnati Bengals (at Bills; ESPN projection: 14.1): Brutal, I mean BRU-TAL, offensive line and a concern that he may not be 100% after last week's game-time decision don't make you feel good. But even if Mixon is healthy, I don't have a ton of optimism against a Bills defense that, despite facing Le'Veon Bell and Saquon Barkley to start the season, is top 10 against the run so far. With a pretty low over/under for Week 3 (and you know I like Josh Allen in this one), I fear we see a lot more Giovani Bernard in the passing game than you'd want.

James Conner, Pittsburgh Steelers (at 49ers; ESPN projection: 14.6): I'm not sure he's going to play, and if he does, I'm not sure how much it'll be. And regardless of if he plays, this is a tougher matchup than you might think. The Niners are allowing just 3.24 yards per carry this season (seventh best) and my expectation is Jaylen Samuels gets more run in this game. Just like with Bell, you have to play Conner if he's active, but I would lower expectations here.

Kerryon Johnson, Detroit Lions (at Eagles; ESPN projection: 13.5): I believe the release of C.J. Anderson means more about the Lions' confidence in Ty Johnson than it does anything about CJA or wanting to get Kerryon more work. Tough matchup here for Kerryon, who will need significant passing-down work to earn his keep. The Eagles cough up just 2.83 yards per carry this season (fifth best) and have yet to allow a rushing TD. The way you beat Philly is by attacking its secondary (wait 'til we get to pass-catcher love) and given that Johnson (as of this writing) is less than 100 percent, I'm taking the under here.

Pass-catchers I love in Week 3

Kenny Golladay, Detroit Lions (at Eagles; ESPN projection: 13.9): The same reason I am down on Kerryon Johnson this week is why I'm high on Golladay. The way you attack Philly is through the air, as the Birds have allowed 300-plus passing yards and three TDs in both games so far this season. With a 29.6% target share in his past four games and what should be a running game that will struggle, expect Golladay to get plenty of chances to beat 13.9. Gimme the over.

Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks (vs. Saints; ESPN projection: 12.9): Coming off of a career-high 10 catches at Pittsburgh, Lockett makes a repeat appearance on the love list after last week. Likely seeing a lot of Saints slot corner P.J. Williams in a matchup Lockett should win handily, this is another great spot for Lockett against a Saints team that since the start of 2018 has allowed a score on slot passes at the eighth-highest rate. Also since the start of 2018, Lockett has at least five catches or a touchdown in 15 of 18 games. He'll do it again at home against the league's sixth-worst scoring defense.

Stefon Diggs, Minnesota Vikings (vs. Raiders; ESPN projection: 12.6): Weird game last week, and Diggs had a touchdown called back. But despite the low volume and inconsistent QB play so far for the Vikes, Diggs still has a 24.3% target share and is averaging 18.9 air yards per target. So far this season, the Raiders have allowed the most receiving yards (382) and the most TDs (four) on deep passes and the second-most deep receptions allowed (11). I'm digging Diggs this week. Sorry. I'll see myself out.

George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers (vs. Steelers; ESPN projection: 14.0): You know from the intro that I'm on team #patience with Kittle. He's still getting a significant target share (26.4%), the Steelers' issues with players out of the slot are well-documented and coming off a game where Will Dissly just hung five for 50 and two touchdowns on them, this might be your last chance to acquire Kittle at any sort of a discount.

Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers (at 49ers; ESPN projection: 9.6): He seemed to have a connection with Mason Rudolph, as he led Pittsburgh with four catches from Rudolph in Week 2, two of which went for scores. McDonald is playing heavy snaps and opponents are 11 for 15 when targeting the TE position against San Francisco this season (73.3%). Given the state of the position, McDonald is locked in as a TE1.

Others receiving votes: As I said earlier, I like Kyle Allen. So whether it's him or Cam Newton on Sunday, I'm in on the Panthers' offense. You were already starting DJ Moore, but Greg Olsen has run a route on 80% of Carolina's dropbacks this year. The Cardinals have given up an NFL-leading 273 receiving yards to opposing tight ends. I also like Curtis Samuel, who quietly had 13 targets last week and should see similar volume against Arizona's bottom-five pass defense. ... In the same game, the Cardinals are going to have to throw, so Christian Kirk (currently top 15 in the NFL in targets) is on the WR3 radar and deep-league managers and/or DFS dart-throw seekers should take a long glance at his teammate Damiere Byrd, who has run 92 routes this season (third most among all players) and has gotten seven targets in both games. Breakout game coming soon. Maybe it's Sunday. ... Much has been made of the connection Mason Rudolph and James Washington have from their days together at Oklahoma State. Allow me to be another one echoing that. I interviewed both of them at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere a few years ago and they could not have been more effusive about each other. Washington played 13 more snaps than Donte Moncrief last week and expect it to be even more this week. ... For the truly TE desperate, it's worth noting that Jason Witten has now scored in two straight weeks, Michael Gallup is out for this game and opposing tight ends are averaging 22 points a game against the Dolphins early on.

Pass-catchers I hate in Week 3

Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles Rams (at Browns; ESPN projection: 12.8): You already know I'm down on Goff in this one, so it stands to reason Cooks takes a hit as well. Especially because he has stark home/road splits as well, averaging just 10 points per game on the road as a Ram while averaging more than 19 a game at home. We talked about the high pressure rate Cleveland brings and, for his career, when Goff is pressured, he averages just 5.6 yards per attempt (a 33% decline over what he normally does). You still have to start Cooks, but I think this is a close-to-the-line-of-scrimmage Todd Gurley/Cooper Kupp game, so I'm taking the under here.

Tyrell Williams, Oakland Raiders (at Vikings; ESPN projection: 12.9): Xavier Rhodes isn't what he once was, but he's still good enough to create issues for Williams. Since the beginning of last season, the Vikings have allowed the third-lowest deep completion percentage (37.6%) in part because they rank fifth in pressure percentage (31.7%). Ten of Williams' 11 catches this season have come when Derek Carr is not pressured. Volume will help here, but not enough. I'm taking the under.

John Ross III, Cincinnati Bengals (at Bills; ESPN projection: 11.8): He has been a revelation this year and I'm on board with it being more legit than not. But I think the train derails a bit this week against a Bills defense that, so far this season, has allowed just one deep completion. He'll see more Tre'Davious White than I would like in this one, and given the expected low-scoring nature of this one, I'm going under 11.8.

T.J. Hockenson, Detroit Lions (at Eagles; ESPN projection: 8.9): One good game, one bad one ... that inconsistency isn't a shock from a rookie tight end. And I believe he's more likely to struggle again this week than have a huge game. Since the beginning of last season, the Eagles have the best red zone defense (45% of such drives have resulted in a TD) and have given up just three -- count 'em, three -- tight end touchdowns in 18 games. Not a top-10 play for me this week.

Matthew Berry -- the Talented Mr. Roto -- says that if Mike Evans or O.J. Howard don't do it against the Giants, then you can freak the hell out.

Doc Rivers has revealed eye-opening, undisclosed details of the Los Angeles Clippers' free-agent meeting at his house with Kawhi Leonard and how the team approached it.

Rivers, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times, says the Clippers, knowing the Oklahoma City Thunder "wanted to break their team up," provided Leonard with a list of players to choose from.

And it included Paul George.

"Which was a mistake, but we got lucky," Rivers told the Times. "We shouldn't have had a list, because then he got to choose who he wanted to play with. And the assumption was that we could get them. We didn't know if we could get anybody. We just showed him guys that we thought would match him and when he saw Paul George's name he said, 'I want to play with him.'"

The Thunder had been ousted from the first round of the playoffs for the third straight season. But a year earlier, in July 2018, they had signed George to a four-year, $137 million extension, indicating they were committed to keeping the team's core intact.

"We showed him everybody else and he didn't want to hear it. He just stayed on Paul George," Rivers said of Leonard. "So after the meeting we sat down and I said, 'We got to get Paul George. I don't know how we are going to do it, but we have to do it.' We did know that Oklahoma City wanted to break their team up, so that helped. But we didn't know if we could get him."

River said Leonard, a Southern California native, made firm demands in the meeting, telling him and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer he wanted to see a boost in their efforts in upgrading the team.

"Kawhi said, 'I want to play for you.' And he pointed at me," Rivers told the Times. "He said, 'Mr. Ballmer, I love the things you do and what you stand for, but your team is not good enough, and if you don't change your team, I'm not coming.'"

Ballmer and the Clippers completed the blockbuster trade for George on July 5. The deal included four future unprotected first-round picks, one protected first-round pick and two pick swaps.

Three weeks later, they unveiled impressive, expansive plans for a proposed new home complete with headquarters, a training facility, a sports medicine clinic, community courts, and an area with a giant big screen for fans to watch games outside -- a la Toronto's Jurassic Park -- all located on 26 acres in Inglewood, California. Last week, the Clippers then announced they were investing $100 million in the city of Inglewood in a community benefits plan that was negotiated with city officials as part of their arena development agreement.

"Steve Ballmer was nervous about the picks. I said, 'Steve, you keep saying six picks for Paul George is insane, but you're saying it wrong," Rivers said. "It's not six for Paul; it's six for Paul and Kawhi. So three for each. I would do that.' You have to look at it in those terms."

The NBA power brokers descending on New York this week for the league's Board of Governors meeting have reacted to the league's beefed-up anti-tampering proposal with a mix of skepticism about its potential deterrent effect and concerns of privacy.

In conversations with numerous league officials, team owners, general managers and agents, there's some uncertainty about the means the NBA might use to investigate alleged rules violations. Atop those concerns for team officials are what league sources insist was Commissioner Adam Silver toughest decision in bringing new rules to a vote: An annual, random auditing of five teams' communications with rival front offices and player agents.

Some teams believe that the league is rushing the process of changing the rules.

In reaction to the blatant disregard of free agent tampering rules and an angry owner's meeting in July, NBA owners are faced with a vote on Friday that could reshape -- even if only in mechanics -- how the business of player procurement is done.

The push to strengthen tampering rules -- including a huge increase in the amounts of potential fines -- was born out of a historic free agent period that witnessed several stars change teams in an acrimonious climate. The recruitment of Kawhi Leonard became fraught with charges that his uncle and advisor, Dennis Robertson, requested benefits outside the boundaries of the salary cap, league sources said.

Whatever apprehensions exist in the rank-and-file of the league, the league's owners made it clear at a July Board of Governors meeting in Las Vegas and privately with Silver that they wanted change that would help level the playing field.

Approval of the league's anti-tampering proposal requires a "yes" vote from 23 of 30 teams. The league rarely brings such matters to a vote unless it is confident it has requisite support; the failure of the league's initial proposal to tweak the lottery odds in 2014 was a rare public defeat.

Small-market teams, fearing the free agency allure of big-city rivals, may line up to support the league's proposal on Friday - as well as teams embittered by recent free agency defections. Those who vote against the new measures risk the perception that they condone cheating, even if other reasons colored their decision.

Even so, teams and league officials will address questions about privacy and the specifics of enforcement.

Silver appears to have put himself in an enviable political position by thrusting the onus onto owners. Even if he fails, he will still be seen as having tried to clean up tampering.

Silver has insisted the league's intent is not to establish a police state. In meetings and direct conversations, the message has been to regulate each other: behave as partners, not pirates. Silver wants the owners accountable for creating a culture of compliance, yes, but the league recognizes its golden era of popularity has come at the cost of a viciously competitive and sophisticated era of free agency.

Some in the league wonder if the proposals would mark any meaningful change.

The reality is, Silver already has enormous authority to investigate allegations of tampering -- including reviewing text messages and other forms of communication -- and snatch draft picks if such an investigation reveals evidence of malfeasance. (That power is outlined in, among other places, Articles 24 and 35a of the NBA's constitution and by-laws, and is worded in similarly expansive and vague language to that used in the proposals at issue this week in New York.)

The $6 million fine for "unauthorized agreements," including side benefits designed to circumvent the salary cap, is already included in the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.

The new set of proposals would require governors and top basketball operations officials to "certify annually" -- i.e., sign documents -- that they did not tamper with free agents ahead of the July 1 start date of free agency or offer any "unauthorized benefits" to free agents. That sounds new and foreboding -- almost like a loyalty oath -- but top officials already sign documents each season vowing to abide by all NBA rules and regulations, sources say.

In substance, the changes really amount to:

• an increase in fines (from a maximum of $5 million for tampering to $10 million) that mostly mirrors the increase in franchise values and player salaries over the last two decades;

• allowing Silver to (in theory) take draft picks as punishment for any "conduct detrimental to the NBA";

• the annual random audits of five teams and a brief mandate that "where cause exists" the league may "undertake more in-depth investigations."

• the requirement that top team officials save communications with agents for one year.

For the most part, the increased fines have not unnerved teams. The sort of tampering at issue -- the kind that leaves angry rivals in its wake -- concerns the league's best players, and most teams will absorb a $10 million fine if it means acquiring one of those players in his prime for several seasons. Rarely is any team going to file an allegation of tampering concerning a role player.

Snatching picks is the punishment teams fear -- the one that hurts. The league already has authority and discretion to do that. Some front office executives believe these proposals would create more compliance had the league included language that the forfeiture of at least one first-round pick was automatic -- not discretionary -- in any case of proven tampering. The NBA did not take that step.

(The league can in theory invalidate contracts, but that creates a hornet's nest of questions -- not the least of which is, "What happens if a contract is invalidated in mid-July and there is no cap room left around the league?")

Perhaps the act of proposing this new set of rules is a signal Silver will be more willing to levy the harshest punishment possible in the event investigators can prove tampering. Even if the letter of the law doesn't change much, the discussion and attention surrounding tampering may cause some minor behavioral changes. If it eliminates the most brazen flaunting of the timing rules -- deals reported prior to the starting gun -- and sends governors fleeing from the very idea of circumventing the cap, the league would likely count just that as a success.

Pre-June 30 discussions between teams and agents would migrate away from text messages and emails if the league gets the right to audit five teams per year at random. That one clause will likely engender a lot of discussion today and Friday, league sources say. Teams are curious: what would an audit entail? How much access would the league get to the cell phones of GMs and governors? What happens if they go looking for tampering and find other information of interest -- intel on players and coaches, financial plans, one off-color joke?

Silver can cull texts and emails and call records, but this isn't in the NSA: The NBA won't be monitoring calls, so communications promise to move exclusively to phone and face-to-face conversations. It would be nearly impossible for any investigator to prove that a phone call between a GM and an agent in mid-May had anything to do with an impending free agent. It could concern another client of that agent already on the GM's team; a prospect in the upcoming draft; or any number of unrelated matters.

"I don't think he should have any right to get into my phone," one GM told ESPN. "I wish my owner would vote no, but I doubt he will. You'll only make yourself a target for investigation if you do."

Some in the league wonder if the proposals would mark any meaningful change. (This could bizarrely engender support: why vote against the league, and risk alienating it, if you think the proposal doesn't matter?)

Some executives and agents are already planning to wean themselves off electronic communication --- including less traceable communications messaging services like WhatsApp and Telegraph. Some front offices scrubbed devices of those communications, too, and insist this now: Only the reckless will get caught, and perhaps that's how the NBA wants it.

"I don't think (Silver) should have any right to get into my phone. I wish my owner would vote no, but I doubt he will. You'll only make yourself a target for investigation if you do." NBA general manager to ESPN

Trust will become paramount, and general managers and agents with history and relationships will rely on those in clandestine talks more than ever.

The NBA had considered rules that mandated team executives immediately report player agents who approach them for conversations about pending free agents before June 30, but changed course, league sources told ESPN. In conversations with league executives, the NBA realized that pressure on teams would complicate and compromise relationships with agents.

Front office executives insist that there's no motivation for them to turn in high-profile agents whom they do volumes of business, even if they know of a deal done prior to free agency. For starters, it could destroy a relationship with someone who controls significant NBA talent - and risk putting your own team under scrutiny for its machinations.

Teams and agents both have an incentive to know the lay of the land before free agency starts. As one prominent agent told ESPN: "There's a big difference between having conversations about how a team wants to build its roster, what it prioritizes in free agency and whether they have interest in your player --- or having a deal done on June 20," one prominent agent tells ESPN. "Both sides are in the information gathering business; that's the nature of the job."

Teams with a better grasp of that information at the draft have an important tactical advantage in making trades. That is one reason several teams have suggested starting free agency before the draft -- and officially allowing teams to begin negotiating with free agents after the end of the NBA Finals.

The Houston Rockets last year presented a revised calendar with free agency before the draft, but only ten teams supported it when the NBA polled teams in July, sources have told ESPN.com. (Several teams responded in that polling that they did not care either way, and proponents of the change are hopeful the discussion will continue, sources say.)

Most teams and agents discuss business before the Finals now, and will still do so even if these proposals pass. The league justifiably has qualms about such discussions occurring as the free-agent-to-be in question competes in a high-stakes playoff series -- especially if the chatter filters down to the player -- but squashing it is unrealistic.

The same is true for player-to-player recruitment. The league has never policed that. The new proposals would include a renewed prohibition of one player inducing another player under contract to request a trade, but enforcement would be difficult. In the future, the NBA wants to pursue cases if it can be proven that a player's acting on the behest of his organization to interfere with a player on roster elsewhere, league sources said.

The NBA is not going to find a perfect workable solution. Friday's vote will not end the discussion about what the league's free agency landscape and calendar should look like. But it is a starting point, and the results may hint at what comes next.

CLEVELAND -- Indians third baseman Jose Ramirez took batting practice Thursday for the first time since breaking his right hand last month and is hoping to return before the end of the regular season.

Ramirez had surgery for a broken hamate bone Aug. 26, and the expected recovery window had him slated for game action in early October. The last day of the regular season is Sept. 29.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona said there's no new timeline for Ramirez's return, but it was encouraging that Ramirez felt good after swinging from both sides of the plate.

Ramirez is batting .254 with 20 home runs and 75 RBIs despite a sluggish start. He hit .325 with 15 homers, 47 RBIs and a 1.045 OPS in the 53 games before the surgery.

The club is already without second baseman Jason Kipnis for the rest of the season, also because of a broken right hamate bone.

Cleveland is four games behind first-place Minnesota in the AL Central and a half-game behind Tampa Bay for the second AL wild card. The Indians trail Oakland by 2.5 games for the top wild card.

NEW YORK -- Yankees reliever Dellin Betances has been told surgery is not recommended for the partially torn Achilles tendon that ended his season after eight pitches.

Betances received a second opinion from Dr. Martin O'Malley of the Hospital for Special Surgery, who concurred with Dr. Justin Greisberg of New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

"He'll be in a walking boot for another four weeks, and then they'll kind of re-evaluate where he is, but the belief is that he will not need surgery," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Thursday. "I guess that could possibly change, but they feel pretty confident that this is something that will not need surgery."

Betances hurt his left foot when he hopped on the mound Sunday at Toronto after striking out Brandon Drury, his second and final batter.

Betances appeared to think it was the third out of the inning and landed awkwardly on the artificial turf at Rogers Centre . His foot was sore when he arrived at Yankee Stadium before Tuesday's game .

A four-time All-Star, Betances is a 31-year-old right-hander eligible for free agency after the World Series. Boone spoke with New York on the brink of clinching the AL East title.

Betances was diagnosed with an impingement in his pitching shoulder after his fourth spring training appearance on March 17. His rehabilitation stopped when the team said June 11 that he had strained his right latissimus dorsi muscle, and Betances did not start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment until September.