A candid Mitchell Marsh has revealed the extent of his spiral out of the Australian set-up last summer and also his path back to playing the fifth and final Ashes Test, despite what he readily acknowledges is a fractious relationship with many of those who follow the game Down Under.

"Yeah, most of Australia hate me," he said with amusing resignation. "Australians are very passionate, they love their cricket, they want people to do well. There's no doubt I've had a lot of opportunity at Test level and I haven't quite nailed it, but hopefully they can respect me for the fact I keep coming back and I love playing for Australia, I love the baggy green cap and I'll keep trying and hopefully I'll win them over one day."

Named one of two Test team vice-captains ahead of the 2018-19 season, Marsh was initially a central part of plans being drawn up by the Australian coach Justin Langer, but a poor tour of the UAE against Pakistan and then a brief and unproductive stint at home against India left him not only out of the Test side but removed from World Cup calculations and also losing his Cricket Australia contract.

Marsh said that personal issues, including the suicide of a close friend late last year, combined with underperformance and fitness issues to leave him a long way from enjoying the game. It took extensive work on his fitness, technical elements of his game and also his mentality with the Western Australia sports psychologist Matt Burgin to put him into the place where he was able to squeeze onto the Ashes tour. At The Oval he was given permission by Langer to attack with the ball, resulting in arguably his finest Test bowling display so far.

"I wasn't making runs - if you bat No. 4 for Australia you need to make runs," Marsh said. "Last year was a range of stuff, a few things in my personal life. I lost a close friend to suicide at the start of the summer and when things like that happen, I didn't handle it as well as I could have and that transitioned into my cricket at times as well. I understand everyone goes through tough periods in their life but I certainly didn't handle it as best I could.

"But to have gone through that and got through the summer the way I did and finished with WA, I knew I still had love for the game. It was a tough summer last year. I tried to put it behind me as quickly as possible and here I am. It took me until probably March, the last three Shield games of the year for WA. When you play cricket or you do anything and you want to do well badly and it doesn't work out, it's very easy to get down on yourself.

"My body likes to put on weight easily and my mum loves to feed me, so I haven't had as many roasts at home the last six months"

"I was certainly at that stage, so I did a lot of work with our sports psych Matt Burgin at WA just about detaching myself from the outcome, working as hard as I can, getting as fit as I can, preparing well and it sort of started from there. I've hardly played any cricket since then but that's what I've been doing."

At the same time, Marsh's physical fitness had measured up poorly against the likes of Ben Stokes, forcing him to make numerous lifestyle and diet changes in order to do better. "As a professional athlete when you have setbacks you always think the worst, you think you might not play again after a summer I had last year," he said. "There's been no secret recipe, I've just worked my arse off for the last five months hoping to get another opportunity.

"I wanted to come here and have a positive influence on this group, i think I've done that running the drinks and I just waited for my opportunity. I don't necessarily eat that bad, I'm just a big eater, so I probably cut down my portion sizes a fair bit. There's no secret JL's certainly challenged me from a fitness perspective, he wanted me to get fitter and stronger and over the last six months I've put everything I've had into it.

"I've certainly changed my lifestyle a little bit, I'm waking up every day trying to be the best cricketer I can be, and today was good reward for that but it's one day of a Test match. It wasn't terrible [but] my body likes to put on weight easily and my mum loves to feed me, so I haven't had as many roasts at home the last six months, but it hasn't been that hard. I love playing for Australia, I just love it, and I want to keep doing it, so I'll keep working my arse off."

Marsh's contribution at The Oval was very welcome for the Test team at the end of a draining series, and he hoped it would be the start of a far more productive run in the team. "I think in the past my role as a bowler has been to hold an end," he said. "JL came up to me before the start of play and at lunch time and he just said 'go for it, attack, bowl the way you want to bowl', and I was a little bit, not shocked, but it gave me the confidence to go out there and give it everything I had.

"Maybe a change of mentality allowed me to bowl a bit more attackingly as a player and it was fun. I want to be the best I can be at both batting and bowling, I don't really want to pigeonhole one of them. No doubt as an allrounder at times you certainly hit them better than you're bowling or vice versa but that's just something that happens in cricket I guess as an allrounder. I want to be the best allrounder I can be in both facets of the game."

After scoring his first half-century of the series to help keep England above water on the first day at The Oval, Jos Buttler admitted the Ashes had been a struggle for him. Having tried to "scrap through" his poor form, he reached the close on an unbeaten 64, finally hinting at the freedom his game is known for with a barrage of boundaries that included three towering sixes.

Following another batting collapse that saw England go from 170 for 3 to 226 for 8, Buttler could be forgiven for looking at the "F*** it" motto on his bat handle and deciding to do just that. He had grafted his way to 20 from 44 while wickets fell around him, before his next 44 came at more than a run a ball as he attempted to bring out the scoops and reverse-sweeps that characterise his one-day game.

"I've just found it hard all series," he said. "An excellent attack and I don't think I've played very well. I haven't really got in and the period at the start of your innings is always tough. You have to be on it straight away and they challenge you straight away. I haven't quite been good enough to get through those periods, but the last couple of games I tried to fight as hard as I could. I didn't necessarily feel great at the crease but tried to scrap my way through it.

"The new ball was about 10-12 overs away, I thought that would be the hardest time to try and attack, with the bowlers having bowled a lot, it felt the best time to score some runs, and find a bit more enjoyment in my batting."

On the subject of whether he had felt drained by England's World Cup exploits, Buttler said he had been trying not to listen to all the talk about workloads. "It's been a big test this summer, both mentally and physically," he said. "Any game against Australia is massive and you find something within yourself to do it for your team. The more you can remind yourself, the more you find energy to do that."

That England ended the day with 300 still a possibility was almost entirely down to Buttler putting on an unbroken stand of 45 in 11.2 overs alongside No. 10 Jack Leach, who continued his string of unexpected batting cameos this summer by digging in for 10 not out.

"It was good fun," Buttler said of batting alongside his former Somerset team-mate. "I've found batting hard this summer, so it was nice to try and relax and have some fun. That style of batting comes quite naturally to me, I've spent a lot of my career trying to bat like that, so I enjoyed it, especially with him at the other end."

Despite surviving to the close after being inserted, England would have envisaged being in a stronger position after reaching tea only three wickets down and with conditions having eased. Rory Burns continued his impressive series with 47 - although his dismissal pulling limply to midwicket was a surprise - while Joe Root survived three dropped catches to make 57, with Buttler suggesting that neither team had yet forged a clear advantage.

"I've found batting hard this summer, so it was nice to try and relax and have some fun. That style of batting comes quite naturally to me"

"Maybe a little bit in the balance. We lost the toss but got into a very good position, 100 and something for 2 and 170 for 3. Shame not quite to capitalise on that but it showed there is a little bit in the wicket for batters and bowlers. If you played well and applied yourself there were runs to be had but likewise with the ball it swung a bit all day and the odd one nipped around, so I think if you bowled well there were wickets to be had as well.

"I think we were going to bat. Not many times Australia bowl first. I was a little bit surprised but it showed there was a bit of indecision with the way the wicket looked. Not like ten years ago when you turned up and knew you were going to bat. I think it's actually been a pretty good cricket wicket, a bit in it for both."

He also praised Burns for having a "fantastic series", after the Surrey opener took his tally to 370 runs at 41.11 - more than Alastair Cook ever aggregated in a home Ashes.

"He's played brilliantly. One of the big things that impressed me straight away with Rory is that he just acted like an international cricketer. He probably didn't have the results early on but he handled it brilliantly, he showed the character he's got. He's got a huge amount of skill and he's been the standout opening batsmen in county cricket for a number of years. He's earned his chance and as much as the runs he's scored I think it's the character he's showed that has stood him brilliantly through this series."

BEREA, Ohio -- Odell Beckham Jr. accused New York Jets defensive coordinator Gregg Williams of teaching "cheap shots" and "dirty hits," and he said that led to an ankle injury that almost derailed his career two years ago.

"If I was a coach, I would never teach what he teaches," said the star wide receiver, whose Cleveland Browns face the Jets next on Monday Night Football. "But that's just him and what he does."

In a preseason game two years ago, when Beckham was with the New York Giants and Williams was Cleveland's defensive coordinator, Beckham sprained his ankle after being undercut by Browns cornerback Briean Boddy-Calhoun, who drove his shoulder and helmet into the star receiver's left leg. Beckham's legs flipped into the air, and he banged his head on the turf.

Beckham said he tried to come back from that injury too soon and ultimately broke his ankle, knocking him out for the season. Beckham believes that the initial Boddy-Calhoun hit eventually led to the broken ankle, and he attributed subsequent ailments, including a torn quadriceps muscle last year, to it, as well.

"I came back too early for my team," he said. "I gave them all I had even though I know I was three weeks out. I probably came back three weeks too early because [the Giants] lost the first game of the season last year and I felt the pressure to be able to come out there and do what I can to help the team. I just came back too early.

"If God hadn't blessed me the way that I am, I probably would've blown out my knee in that preseason game. And that high ankle sprain led to the broken ankle on the left, which led to compensation in many different areas. It was kinda like a little spiral. So it's something that I never forget. It changed my life forever."

Beckham said that according to his Cleveland defensive teammates, Williams, who eventually became Cleveland's interim head coach last year before taking a job with the Jets, actually told the Browns players to try to hurt Beckham during that 2017 preseason game.

"I had people who were here when he was here telling [them], 'If you get a chance, take a shot at him. If you can, hurt him. I guarantee he's going to leave the game hurt,' and stuff like that," Beckham said. "We're all men out here. There's no need for doing any of that kind of stuff. Make the plays the best you can clean."

The NFL suspended Williams for one season for his role in the infamous "Bountygate" scandal in which the Saints were found to have operated a bounty system whereby players were paid bonuses for hard hits and deliberately injuring players.

"I'm in."

"But," he said, laughing, "I haven't even asked the question yet."

"OK sure," I said. "Ask your question. But it doesn't matter what it is," I told him. "I'm in."

Because, you see, when Joe Russo asks me to do something, the answer is always yes.

I've written about Joe before. He, along with his brother Anthony, has produced and directed many movies and TV shows you have enjoyed over the years. But the Russo Brothers are best-known for a number of superhero movies in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: "Captain America: The Winter Soldier," "Captain America: Civil War," "Avengers: Infinity War" and the highest-grossing movie of all time, "Avengers: Endgame."

Superheroes have been a huge part of Joe's life for a number of years. And, if you read my preseason Love/Hate or have caught any of Joe's appearances on Fantasy Football Now or the Fantasy Focus 06010 podcast, you know fantasy football has been as well. He has played for more than 20 years and is in four leagues this year.

And now he was on the phone with me, talking about a fifth. He had an idea.

Well, it wasn't exactly his idea. He was just adding on to Guillermo Lozano's idea. Guillermo has worked for years with Chris Evans, and he is also the commissioner of Bloodsport, the fantasy league that counts Evans, Joe Russo and a number of other celebrities among its ranks, including a lot of the actors from "Avengers: Endgame."

Since that league has started to get some publicity, Guillermo has been besieged by his famous friends wanting in that league. (I'm not famous, of course, but I've also been on the waitlist for two years now).

The challenge with the Bloodsport league, Guillermo has explained to me in the past, is that no one wants to leave it. So Guillermo, who never likes disappointing people, has to say no a lot more than he would like.

Luckily, Guillermo had a simple solution: What if there were another celebrity league?

But, he didn't want this to be "just another league." Even if it had insanely famous people in it.

There are a decent number of celebrity leagues out there (with, ahem, various levels of celebrity, but still; they are out there). Hell, we do one for the Fantasy Focus 06010 podcast with some really big names, and I love that league. Guillermo, knowing all this, wondered what else could be done with this new league.

Well, anytime you have an idea and are trying to figure out how to make it bigger, more entertaining, more interesting, more ... anything, you call Joe Russo. Which is what Guillermo did, and now Joe is telling me what the two of them came up with.

"It's a fantasy league, of course, but with a twist," Joe explains. To be in the league, you have to have appeared in a superhero movie. The theme of superheroes means a great deal to Joe, obviously. Not just because of the success his movies have had on his career but more because of what they represent. Fighting for those who can't. Sacrificing personal needs for the greater good. Representing the best in us, of what we aspire and hope to be. Showing that the impossible can, in fact, be possible.

In short, making the world a better, kinder, safer place.

And those aren't just words to Joe. He and his brother Anthony own AGBO Studios, a TV and film studio. Joe tells me that AGBO is putting up $100,000 for charity and that the celebrity "Superhero" actors in the league are playing for their favorite cause. Doing in real life what they do on the big screen -- using their powers to make the world a better place.

And doing it all while playing fantasy football. What could be better than that?

As we continued talking, Joe told me how fantasy football trash talk was rampant on the set of "Infinity War" and "Endgame." That those in the league Guillermo ran would constantly run their mouths, and that the ones who weren't included really wanted in on the fun.

The original idea for the league was a simple 10-team league. But as Joe started sending out feelers, there were so many "superheroes" who immediately said yes that we had to make it a 14-team league.

Amazing, right? I told you. It's not just me. Everyone agrees. When Joe Russo calls, you say yes.

We got hard-core players and those who had never tried it before but were excited to see what all the fun was about and raise money and awareness for some great causes.

Joe and Anthony announced the league on their Instagram page (@TheRussoBrothers), and Anthony (not in the league) drew the draft order out of a hat. And as anyone who watched that video already knows, the list of people in this league is just pure insanity.

So without further ado, here's who is in the league, the charity they play for and their first-round pick, in draft order. Because I know not everyone who reads this column is a superhero movie fan, I have included the role each plays.

1. Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch). Elizabeth is playing for The Rape Foundation, and she didn't overthink it, taking consensus No. 1 Saquon Barkley.

2. Karen Gillan (Nebula). Karen is playing for Mickey's Line in Inverness, Scotland. She went with Ezekiel Elliott.

3. Anthony Mackie (Falcon). Anthony is playing for Stem NOLA, but he didn't let his NOLA roots keep him from taking Christian McCaffrey.

4 Chris Pratt (Star-Lord). Chris is playing for The Brain Treatment Foundation. He took Alvin Kamara, whom Mackie passed on.

5. Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool). Ryan is playing for SickKids Foundation of Canada. He took David Johnson.

6. Michael B. Jordan (Killmonger). Michael is playing for My Brother's Keeper, and he took the first wide receiver off the board, DeAndre Hopkins.

7. Miles Teller (Mr. Fantastic). Miles is playing for NAMI. He also went wide receiver, taking Michael Thomas.

8. Chris Evans (Captain America). Chris is playing for Christopher's Haven in Boston, and he picked Le'Veon Bell.

9. Tom Holland (Spider-Man). Tom is playing for The Brothers Trust. He took James Conner.

10. Chris Hemsworth (Thor). Chris is playing for The Australian Childhood Foundation. He went with JuJu Smith-Schuster.

11. Paul Rudd (Ant-Man). Paul is playing for Big Slick, Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City. His pick, appropriately, was Patrick Mahomes.

12. Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man). Robert is playing for Guy Aquino's Sacred Hearts intervention, counseling and treatment services for addiction. He picked Todd Gurley II.

Now I know what you are thinking. That's only 12 names. Where are the other two? Well, that's where Joe is very clever. You see, the rule isn't that you have to have played a superhero. No, you just have to have been in a superhero movie.

So, much like most of my career, I manage to sneak in under the wire, this time thanks to my "Endgame" cameo. I picked 13th, and I am playing for The Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research. I took Dalvin Cook.

And, of course, Joe Russo has to be in it. For those who have seen "Endgame," Joe plays the grieving man in the group therapy session that Steve Rogers (i.e., Captain America) is running, discussing a date he had and how he is coping with the events of Infinity War. If you didn't realize that was Joe, it's understandable. He was listed as Gozie Agbo, which is the alias he uses anytime he does a cameo. And, of course, that pseudonym is where Joe got the inspiration for the name AGBO Studios.

Joe picked 14th and is playing for The Arthritis Foundation. He picked Julio Jones.

So, it's all for a bunch of great causes and I hope you'll take some time, check them out and help if you can.

Being that this is a 14-team league that is entirely for fun and charity, and that we have a few new players, we wanted to level the playing field a bit. So PPR scoring but the starting lineups are a little funky: QB, RB, WR, 2 FLEX (RB/WR/TE), K, D/ST and 5 bench. So a hybrid between a super flex and a standard league where you're not going too deep.

You'll be able to check in on the league on ESPN.com to see how we are doing throughout the season. In addition, we will be providing updates from the league (along with lots of superhero trash talk videos) throughout the year on The Fantasy Show on ESPN+, Fantasy Football Now and various other platforms at ESPN, including our digital and social platforms. In fact, if you'd like to see the first video of the year featuring Chris Pratt, Chris Evans, Ryan Reynolds, Karen Gillan, Joe Russo and myself, head over to the ESPN YouTube channel to check it out.

Me? I got off to a tough start as Paul Rudd rode Patrick Mahomes, Mark Ingram II and Evan Engram to a win over my Carson Wentz, Dalvin Cook and Odell Beckham Jr. trio, no thanks to my Matt Bryant and the Philadelphia D who combined for one, count 'em, one point. Brandin Cooks did nothing for me either, while Rudd got 15 points from his D/ST and K and that was that. For the record, Rudd is a longtime, hard-core and very good fantasy player.

How did I feel about losing in Week 1? ... Whatever! I'm playing Paul Rudd! For charity! That's awesome in and of itself! The rest doesn't matter.

And that's what I would say to anyone who lost in Week 1. Anyone who drafted Lamar Miller, Hunter Henry, Tyreek Hill, Derrius Guice or anyone else who might miss a significant amount of time. What I would say to anyone who started the wrong player. Who is sweating their Todd Gurley selection. Who wants to criticize the league format or any moves made in this league.

Fantasy football is for fun. And more and more leagues support a charity. Try to use fantasy football to do some good in the world and have a blast doing it. That should be the goal with every league. Because it certainly is with this one.

Let's get to it.

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. And an extra-special thank you to Guillermo Lozano and to Joe Russo (and everyone at AGBO, including Josh Williams and Sophia Russo) for all their help in setting this up in an incredibly short amount of time. So pumped for this league.

Excelsior!

Quarterbacks I love in Week 2

Tom Brady, New England Patriots, at Dolphins (ESPN projection: 19.9): He was on my preseason "Hate" list. But that was before he got Josh Gordon back. And now he's getting Antonio Brown. Last week was Brady's first game with four deep completions and multiple deep touchdowns since Week 3 of 2017. And he'll keep it going against a Dolphins defense that just allowed five TD passes on 20 attempts to a QB (Lamar Jackson) who threw five in 158 attempts as a starter in 2018. In Brady's past three trips to Miami he has averaged 20.5 PPG and he has posted a top-three finish at the position twice.

Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens, vs. Cardinals (ESPN projection: 19.9): Off a monster week, he has another great matchup in facing Arizona. The Cardinals have a depleted secondary, which they try to mask by blitzing. (Last year, the Cards blitzed at the highest rate in the NFL, and last week they blitzed at a 47.9% rate, fourth highest in the NFL.) Well, when Miami blitzed Jackson last week, all he did was go 9-for-10 for 137 yards and four touchdowns. Jackson may not be this good all year long, but he'll certainly look like it again on Sunday.

Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons, vs. Eagles (ESPN projection: 19.3): I know, he looked brutal last week. But back at home where he has five straight games with multiple touchdown passes, I expect a big week for Ryan. The Eagles' secondary certainly looked beatable last week as (checks notes) Case Keenum threw for (checks notes again) 380 yards against them. You can't see it, but I just did a double take. In a game with one of Week 2's highest over/unders, I like Ryan, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley to at least match what Keenum, Terry McLaurin and Paul Richardson did.

Others receiving votes: Back at home where he was the best QB in fantasy last season (200.5 points in eight home games), I was surprised to see Jared Goff ranked well outside the top 10 this week. In a game with an over/under of 53 (53!) against a Saints team that is 29th against the pass since the start of 2018, I like Goff to have a big game. ... We know Josh Allen can run (five rushing TDs in his past five games), but last week we saw some real growth. He completed 64.9% of throws (third best of his career) and had a career-high 254 passing yards. Now he gets a Giants defense that looked completely overmatched and can't generate a pass rush, allowing for plenty of time for Allen to find John Brown deep. ... You know who looked good last week? Derek Carr (ducks). No, seriously he did and certainly, for those in deeper leagues, you could do worse than Carr at home against a Chiefs defense that allowed Nick Foles and Gardner Minshew to move the ball easily. Given the potential that K.C. just pours it on (the over/under is 53 with the Chiefs a 9.5-point favorite as of this writing), I like Carr in a deep, 2-QB league sort of way.

Quarterbacks I hate in Week 2

Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions, vs. Chargers (ESPN projection: 15.5): It's one thing to have a huge game when you're playing against a depleted secondary like Arizona's for five quarters. It's another against a Chargers unit that can get after the quarterback. They were above average in opponent completion percentage and seventh best in terms of touchdown percentage on throws of 10-plus air yards last season, and they held Jacoby Brissett below 200 yards passing in Week 1. Since the start of last season, the Bolts have allowed a league-low two 20-point performances by a QB.

Kirk Cousins, Minnesota Vikings, at Packers (ESPN projection: 16.1): Look, I'm not expecting only 10 attempts again, but with a good Vikings defense that limits the need for shootouts and a strong running game, Cousins has now been held to 215 or fewer passing yards in five of his past six games. On the road against an underrated Packers defense that held Mitchell Trubisky without a touchdown pass last week despite 45 attempts, I'm taking the under on 16.1 for Cousins.

Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers, vs. Vikings (ESPN projection: 17.0): The Vikings are always a tough matchup for Rodgers. He has been held below 20 points in eight of his past nine games against the Vikings and has thrown for zero or one touchdown in four of his past five healthy games against them. After making Matt Ryan look like a lost rookie last Sunday, the Vikes come to Green Bay to play a Rodgers-led offense that looked very much like an out-of-sync work in progress against Chicago. An over/under of 44.5 (one of the lowest on Week 2's slate of games) makes me think this is more slugfest than shootout, so I'm taking the under on 17.

Running backs I love in Week 2

Todd Gurley II, Los Angeles Rams, vs. Saints (ESPN projection: 13.8): Arghh! What? (later) Arghh! Again?! After being assured there was no "pitch count" for Gurley, fantasy managers watched in horror as Malcolm Brown scored twice. But look closer. Gurley out-snapped Brown 51-19, and all of Brown's touches came on three drives (one of which started at the Carolina 10-yard line). My belief is that Brown was set to get a specific number of drives and that it was just good luck (or bad, depending on your point of view) that Brown was in when they scored. I have Brown on every team I have Gurley, but I'm not panicking. Give me the over here in what should be one of Week 2's highest-scoring games against a Saints team that gave up the third-most rushing yards in Week 1 and the second-highest yards per carry to Duke Johnson Jr. and the ghost of Carlos Hyde.

Chris Carson, Seattle Seahawks, at Steelers (ESPN projection: 15.2): If Josh Jacobs wasn't my ride or die, this guy would have been. He ranked significantly higher than the consensus all preseason for me, and the reasons were obvious in Week 1. He's a powerful runner in a run-heavy offense behind a good offensive line, and he was used much more in the passing game than folks thought. Out-snapping Rashaad Penny 39-12, Carson got all of Seattle's red zone rushing attempts, led the Seahawks in targets and receptions last week and now gets a Steelers team that allowed 10 RB receptions last week.

Josh Jacobs, Oakland Raiders, vs. Chiefs (ESPN projection: 17.0): My fantasy ride or die, Jacobs became the first player since LaDainian Tomlinson (2001) to total 100 scrimmage yards and run for multiple scores in an NFL debut, so yeah, so far it's working out just fine. The Chiefs allowed the second-most yards per carry last season (4.97) and by allowing the Jags to average 5.06 yards per carry in Week 1, I'd say it's still an area of concern for them. This should be a high-scoring game and Oakland needs to keep Patrick Mahomes off the field. Their best bet to do that is with Jacobs, who gained yardage on 87% of his Week 1 carries, the fifth-highest rate among backs with at least 15 carries.

Sony Michel, New England Patriots, at Dolphins (ESPN projection: 12.9): I'm in on Sony this week after a brutal Week 1, in which a lot of Patriots not named Sony looked awesome. He still got work (15 carries, more than James White and Rex Burkhead combined) and against a Dolphins team that just coughed up 265 rushing yards, I expect the Patriots to not only be up big here but get their ground game going again (remember, they were fifth in rushing percentage last season). And that means a lot of Sony Michel.

Others receiving votes: After being on the field for 74.6% of the Chargers' offensive plays last week, expect another heavy dose of Austin Ekeler in a game in which the Chargers won't have Hunter Henry and, as of this writing, are unlikely to have Mike Williams. That means the passes will go to Keenan Allen and Ekeler, who is averaging 19.6 fantasy points per game when he gets 10-plus touches. ... I thought Devin Singletary looked good last week. I thought the Giants looked awful last week. I was encouraged by Singletary's 43 snaps (compared to 20 for Frank Gore and T.J. Yeldon combined) and his surprising usage in the passing game. ... Death, taxes and you start pass-catching running backs against the Falcons. I know last week wasn't great, but you could do worse at your flex this week than Miles Sanders, whom I like to beat his projection of 9.5. ... Given what should be the high-scoring nature of Chiefs-Raiders, I'm back on Damien Williams this week, as he now has at least five catches in five of his past six games dating to last season (including playoffs). ... Digging a little deeper, the Redskins won't be using Adrian Peterson in the passing game, especially if they fall behind Dallas, and Chris Thompson led the team with seven catches and 10 targets last week. Since the beginning of last season, the Cowboys allow the second-highest completion percentage to opposing RBs. ... If you're desperate, I could see Raheem Mostert being useful in a good matchup against the Bengals, as I don't expect Matt Breida to handle the full workload. Mostert looked good in limited work last week, averaging 3.56 yards per carry after first contact.

Running backs I hate in Week 2

Philip Lindsay, Denver Broncos, vs. Bears (ESPN projection: 12.7): Can we just point out he's playing the Bears and call it a day? Last week, only the Ravens and the Bears allowed less than 1.1 yards before and after first contact and, unlike last year, this is a true RBBC (31 snaps for Lindsay in Week 1, 27 for Royce Freeman). If Chicago could shut down Aaron Jones with the threat of Aaron Rodgers, I'm pretty sure stopping Lindsay and Freeman with the threat of Joe Flacco should be no issue.

Aaron Jones, Green Bay Packers, vs. Vikings (ESPN projection: 14.3): As the flag-waving founder of the #FreeAaronJones movement, I wish someone in power in Green Bay would listen to me. But until they do, weeks like this one happen, where I want the under on Jones' projection. Jones has slowed down since his hot start last season, averaging just 3.74 yards per carry over his past six games. And now he faces a Vikings run defense that, since the start of last season, is allowing the third-fewest yards per carry after first contact and just held the Falcons running backs to below 50 yards rushing ... total.

Adrian Peterson, Washington Redskins, vs. Cowboys (ESPN projection: 10.9): As a Redskins fan frustrated by last week's loss, I hope I'm wrong about this. It does feel like every time you bet against Peterson he makes you look silly. I would love it if it's the case this week, but with the Redskins as 4.5-point underdogs at home, Peterson won't be involved in the passing game should the Skins fall behind. It's still a brutal offensive line for Washington and since the start of last season, the Cowboys are the seventh-best run defense in the NFL. He'll beat this projection if he scores a touchdown, and he certainly has a chance to do that, but ... how lucky do you feel?

David Montgomery, Chicago Bears, at Broncos (ESPN projection: 10.1): Even with Tarik Cohen turning into a slot receiver in Week 1, Montgomery played just 23 snaps to Mike Davis' 38. If Mitchell Trubisky plays like he did last Thursday night, nothing I write here will matter. But even if he's better, former Bears defensive coordinator and current Broncos head coach Vic Fangio will likely know how to stop the offense he saw every day in practice last year. At 40.5 points, this game is projected to be the lowest-scoring game in Week 2, so until we see more usage from Montgomery (and more life from the Bears' offense as a whole), he's too risky for me in a week with no teams on a bye.

Pass-catchers I love in Week 2

Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks, at Steelers (ESPN projection: 12.1): Happiness is having a slot receiver against the Steelers. Pittsburgh has been bad against the slot for as long as I can remember, and that includes last Sunday night when New England rinsed them to the tune of 11 receptions for 224 yards and 3 TDs out of the slot. Back at home, I expect the Steelers to bounce back in a big way, which means Russell Wilson will have to throw. A lot. And when he does, it will be to Lockett in the slot against a Pittsburgh squad that allowed a league-high 158 slot receptions last season.

Sammy Watkins, Kansas City Chiefs, at Raiders (ESPN projection: 15.7): Now the No. 1 wideout on the best offense in football, when Watkins gets work, he rocks. In Sammy's past 16 games in which he's gotten at least seven targets, he has scored 318.6 fantasy points (which would have been WR6 in 2018, just ahead of Michael Thomas). Since the beginning of last season, Oakland has allowed a touchdown pass on 9.6% of deep attempts (seventh highest), and the Raiders got burned on deep passes last week by both Courtland Sutton and Emmanuel Sanders.

Brandin Cooks, Los Angeles Rams, vs. Saints (ESPN projection: 14.4): Hashtag revenge game for the former Saints wideout, but most importantly, as we saw with Deshaun Watson throwing all over them last week, you can beat New Orleans deep. Since the beginning of last season, opponents have completed a league-high 68 deep passes on a league-high 52.3% completion rate on deep passes against the Saints. Cooks ... wait for it ... cooks at home, where he was the third-best receiver in football last season. After a quiet Week 1, expect Brandin to have a big game on Sunday in a high-scoring affair.

Julian Edelman, New England Patriots, at Dolphins (ESPN projection: 13.3): Pass-catching running backs against the Falcons and the Colts. Slot receivers against the Steelers. Julian Edelman against the Dolphins. There are just some rules in sports and this is one of them. Edelman has more than 75 yards in seven straight games against the Fins, averaging 24.3 fantasy points in those games. All eyes will be on Antonio Brown in this one, but Edelman is the one I feel most confident in to beat his projection.

Darren Waller, Oakland Raiders, vs. Chiefs (ESPN projection: 10.7): Waller the baller should have already been on your roster if you had paid any attention to me in the preseason. But regardless of whether you had him already or just picked him up, it doesn't matter. Waller played every snap for the Raiders in Week 1 and in a game where Oakland will have to throw to keep up with Patrick Mahomes and crew, Waller should see close to double-digit targets from a quarterback who threw the fourth-most passes to tight ends last season.

Vance McDonald, Pittsburgh Steelers, vs. Seahawks (ESPN projection: 9.0): Back at home against a Seahawks defense that just got shredded by Andy Dalton and now has to travel east for a 1 p.m. local start, gimme some Vance McDonald. After being a preseason favorite of mine, I'm not bailing after a tough Week 1. Especially against a Seattle defense that just gave up nine receptions for 93 yards combined to C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Eifert last week.

Others receiving votes: Including the playoffs, Michael Gallup now has a touchdown or at least seven targets in six of his past seven games (and a 19.6% target share). ... Calvin Ridley has now scored in three straight games and has 11 touchdowns in his past 16 games. In a projected shootout with a bad Eagles secondary on the turf in Atlanta, I like his chances to make it 12 in the past 17. ... Some things from last week are flukes, but John Brown's 32% target share, Josh Allen's love of chucking it deep and a bad Giants secondary that was burned for six deep receptions and three deep touchdowns against Dallas are not among them. ... Tyrell Williams will get volume in a high-scoring game. For his career, when Williams gets at least seven targets (like he did on Monday night), he averages 13.6 points per game. ... Terry McLaurin played 84.5% of snaps last week and came thisclose to having a two-touchdown game. ... I like Greg Olsen (or, if he can't go, Ian Thomas) in the Thursday night game in a plus matchup against the Buccaneers, who are traveling on a short week. ... It's still kind of a three-headed monster in Baltimore at the tight end position, but certainly for this week, Mark Andrews is very viable against the Cardinals, who just got lit up by T.J. Hockenson.

Pass-catchers I hate in Week 2

Robby Anderson, New York Jets, vs. Browns (ESPN projection: 9.5): An expected shadow from Denzel Ward doesn't help, nor does the dink-and-dunk nature of what the Jets ran last week. Sam Darnold's air yards per target in Week 1 was just 5.37 (NFL average in Week 1 was 8.01), and it's hard to imagine the Jets' offense will be more wide-open with Trevor Siemian under center. And Robby needs the deep ball. Since the beginning of last season, he's averaging just 5.3 PPG when doesn't record a 25-plus-yard catch.

Kenny Golladay, Detroit Lions, vs. Chargers (ESPN projection: 12.4): Golladay is super-talented, but I believe last week was a bit of a fluke for the Lions' offense, as I expect them to be much more run-heavy than they were in their Week 1 overtime game against a depleted secondary. Golladay will be fine, but I'm taking the under here, as it's a tough matchup (the Chargers were ninth best in opponent deep TD% last season). So while a deep touchdown is always possible, volume is unlikely with how much work Danny Amendola and T.J. Hockenson got last week. It's an ugly week for pass-catcher hates, so because I have to pick someone, I pick Golladay. But I don't really "hate" him. More like lukewarm on him.

Emmanuel Sanders (ESPN projection: 10.6) and Courtland Sutton (11.3), Denver Broncos, vs. Bears: Both guys looked great last week, but that was against Oakland. This is against Chicago, where since the beginning of last season, the Bears have allowed the sixth-fewest yards per catch after the reception. Gimme the under on both of these guys in a low-scoring game.

Jimmy Graham, Green Bay Packers, vs. Vikings (8.2): Just like I've been telling you not to panic on slow starters from last week, so too am I asking you not to buy into Graham's box-out, jump-ball touchdown catch. What's most likely to happen? Graham hasn't caught more than three balls in eight of his past nine games and the Vikings haven't allowed a tight end to reach double-figure fantasy points while catching three or fewer passes since Week 5 of 2017.

Eric Ebron, Indianapolis Colts, at Titans (ESPN projection: 7.0): I mean, when I say pass-catcher is ugly for me this week (in other words, I like a lot of the pass-catcher options), I mean it. Am I really taking the under on seven points here? Damn right, I am. In addition to dropping a touchdown last Sunday, Ebron was out-snapped 42-25 by Jack Doyle. And since the start of last season, the Titans have allowed just two tight end touchdowns. This is a tough road matchup for the Colts and I expect a low-scoring game.

Matthew Berry -- the Talented Mr. Roto -- plays Tom Holland this week in the AGBO Superhero league. So help me, if I don't beat Spider-Man.

DONGGUAN, China -- USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said Thursday that when the time comes to start assembling the 2020 Tokyo Olympics roster, he won't forget those who backed out of commitments to play in the World Cup this summer.

Of the 35 players originally selected for the U.S. player pool, only four are in China for the FIBA World Cup. The U.S. lost to France in the quarterfinals, ending a streak of seven major international tournaments -- four Olympics and three World Cups -- where the Americans captured a medal, the last five of them being gold.

"I can only say, you can't help but notice and remember who you thought you were going to war with and who didn't show up," Colangelo said. "I'm a firm believer that you deal with the cards you're dealt. All we could have done, and we did it, is get the commitments from a lot of players. So with that kind of a hand, you feel reasonably confident that you're going to be able to put a very good representative team on the court.

"No one would have anticipated the pullouts that we had."

The U.S. lost again to Serbia on Thursday and will finish no better than seventh -- the worst finish by an American men's team in a major tournament. The previous worst was sixth at the 2002 world championships.

The coaches with this World Cup team insist this group deserved better, in terms of return on effort invested.

"It's a great, great group of guys who are competing," U.S. assistant coach Steve Kerr said. "They've been so committed to each other and the process. You take a lot of pride in that and you're disappointed for them, but this is life."

Many players cited schedule concerns as a reason to not play this summer, while others are dealing with injuries and some are acclimating in advance of joining new teams when training camps start in less than three weeks. The new international schedule is a challenge as well, with the World Cup and the Olympics in consecutive offseasons for the first time since 1967 and 1968.

More than 50 players were part of the U.S. World Cup plan at one point or another. Of those, 12 went to China, two got cut after the first week of training camp -- and the other three dozen or so dropped out on their own.

"We're going to let the dust settle, let things depress a little bit," Colangelo said. "Obviously I'm always thinking ahead, which means what's going to take place, and it's going to happen fast and soon because we just have to get our act together for the Olympics."

The U.S. will go to Tokyo seeking a fourth consecutive gold medal, and getting stars to play on the Olympic team is rarely a problem. The World Cup team wasn't exactly loaded with superstars. Only two of the 12 U.S. players on the World Cup roster were NBA All-Stars last season, whereas nine of the 12 players on the 2016 Olympic team were coming off All-Star appearances.

Colangelo felt ankle injuries sustained by Jayson Tatum during the World Cup and Kyle Kuzma just before the tournament hurt the U.S. chances in China, noting that the team felt Kuzma was going to be a big help. Colangelo insisted that he didn't fault the effort of the players who made the commitment this summer.

"The players did everything they can do," Colangelo said. "They are a good group of guys. But we went in with higher expectations in terms of roster and it didn't kind of happen the way we were hopeful and anticipating and expecting. That, to me, was a big disappointment."

Colangelo also expressed disappointment for coach Gregg Popovich, who will also lead the Tokyo-bound team next summer. Popovich missed out on making the 1972 Olympic team as a player and was an assistant coach on the 2002 world championship and 2004 Olympic teams that failed to win gold medals.

"I told Pop I felt really bad for him because I wanted him to have a chance to win a gold medal after his experience with USA Basketball in the past," Colangelo said. "But it wasn't meant to be in this competition."

So now, his eyes are turning to Tokyo.

It won't take long for the recruiting process to start either.

"Going forward for USA Basketball, we're going to need the cooperation of teams, agents, and then there has to be communication with players one-on-one to solidify those commitments," Colangelo said. "I am going to be anxious to see how many players reach out early to indicate that they wish and want and desire to play.

"But I'll make this statement: It's as much about maybe who we don't want as much as who we want."

The Detroit Pistons and veteran swingman Joe Johnson have agreed to terms on a deal, according to ESPN and multiple reports.

The deal is worth $2.6 million and has $220,000 in guaranteed money, a source told ESPN's Bobby Marks. The balance of the contract will become fully guaranteed if Johnson is on the roster past Jan. 7.

Johnson, 38, last played in the NBA during the 2017-18 season. He recently was named the MVP of the Big3 and led his team, the Triplets, to the league championship.

He has averaged 16 points per game in 17 seasons in the NBA.

In his most recent NBA action, Johnson averaged 6.8 points on 40.6% shooting in 55 games for the Utah Jazz and Houston Rockets in 2017-18. In the 2018 playoffs, he saw his playing time cut to 6.8 minutes per game as the Rockets advanced to Game 7 of the Western Conference finals before falling to the Golden State Warriors.

He played for the Brooklyn Nets from 2012 to 2016, earning one of his seven career All-Star appearances.

Aside from the Pistons, Johnson also worked out earlier this month with the Milwaukee Bucks and Nets, according to ESPN and reports.

MRI results on Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner's left ankle revealed a mild sprain, the team announced Thursday.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said he hasn't ruled Turner out of this weekend's series against the wild card-contending New York Mets, but his status won't be decided until closer to game time.

"Right now, with where we're at, to push it doesn't make a whole lot of sense,'' Roberts said.

The 31-year-old Turner sat out the series finale against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday night due to what was termed as ankle soreness, then remained out of the lineup through Thursday vs. the Orioles.

Turner is hitting .291 with 27 homers, 67 RBIs and a .370 on-base percentage in 131 games.

Los Angeles Angels star Shohei Ohtani will have season-ending knee surgery Friday but is expected to recover in time for 2020 spring training.

The Angels announced Thursday that the surgery will "address a bipartite patella" in Ohtani's left knee.

The operation carries an expected recovery of 8-12 weeks, according to the Angels.

Ohtani, 25, had Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow last October and did not pitch or play in the field this season.

Serving exclusively as a designated hitter or pinch hitter, Ohtani batted .286 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs in 106 games this season.

DETROIT -- Yankees slugger Edwin Encarnacion and pitcher J.A. Happ have both been sent back to New York for further testing after Thursday's first game of a doubleheader against the Tigers.

Encarnacion, who had hit his 34th home run in the third inning of a 10-4 victory against the Tigers in Game 1, left the game with a strained left oblique in the seventh inning. The 36-year-old designated hitter missed nearly a month of action with a fractured right wrist earlier this season.

"He felt it, I guess, in his first at-bat and, obviously, homered in his second at-bat," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "My understanding is [that] he was fine swinging; he was just getting it a little when he was coughing or whatever.

"Again, we hope it's minor and we got ahead of it, but we won't know until we get him checked out, obviously. Edwin even took his third at-bat and said he wasn't feeling anything swinging. Hopefully we're ahead of it, but we'll see."

It is officially clinching season across MLB as baseball's best teams vie to lock up division titles, and wild-card hopefuls look to earn a place in October. As the race to the finish heats up and magic numbers shrink, we've got you covered on everything you need to know about which teams have already punched their postseason tickets, who could be popping the champagne next and which races could come down to the very end of the regular season.

For more, including current playoff odds, check out our MLB standings page and get ready for October with our MLB playoff schedule.