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Most Valuable Intel (7/14/20): Cowboys WRs, Mavs Offense, and MORE!
Ranking all 32 WR committees, breaking down Dallas Mavericks film, and more!
Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News
The best sports content covered today presents new insights and interesting takeaways regarding the hottest topics in sports, including a ranking of all 32 WR committees and a list of the top 10 lineups in baseball. Here’s the Most Valuable Intel to know from the best articles in sports.
FULL ARTICLE: NFL Wide Receiver Rankings: All 32 Units Entering the 2020 NFL Season by Steve Palazzolo, Pro Football Focus
HOT: NFL Wide Receiver Rankings for All 32 Teams by @PFF_Steve
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— Hottest Sports Content (@Sports_Hottest) July 13, 2020
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: Cowboys have the most dangerous WR crew if WR CeeDee Lamb delivers
In the modern NFL era, most franchises utilize three Wide Receivers in their starting lineup. While some teams have one elite primary target, others have multiple players who are starting-caliber. Steve Palazzolo of Pro Football Focus ranks the 32 WR units heading into the 2020 season. Last year, football fans witnessed Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup become one of the best WR duos in the business after combining for 2,300 receiving yards and 14 TDs in 2019.
After Dallas used their first-round pick to add Oklahoma WR CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys are now locked and loaded to light up scoreboards this winter. The Bucs, Falcons, Saints, Cardinals, and Chiefs each have two premier weapons on the outside, but Dallas has earned the right to be considered the best WR corps in the league if the talented CeeDee Lamb is even remotely productive in 2020. With one of the most talented offensive squads in the nation, Dak has high expectations in 2020 and must prove why he’s worth the max contract he desires.
FULL ARTICLE: Unique Aspects About the 2020 MLB Season by Jamie Segui, Pro Sports Outlook
HOT: Unique Aspects of the 2020 MLB Season by @SeguiJaime
— Hottest Sports Content (@Sports_Hottest) July 13, 2020
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: Yankees & Twins will use the trade deadline to reinforce rotation thanks to suspended SP’s
While the MLB regular-season has been reduced to 60 games, baseball fans can still expect a full postseason schedule. Besides the schedule changes, the shortened campaign will generate many unique effects that fans have yet to observe in big league history. From the impact of the DH, new daily routines, potential tanking, and much more, PSO’s Jamie Segui breaks down what will be different in the upcoming season and beyond.
One major difference about the upcoming campaign is the new trade deadline date of August 31st, just over a month after Opening Day. One other impact from the new shortened season is that NYY’s Domingo German and MIN’s Michael Pineda will now be forced to miss the entire year. Considering those teams have two of the top-5 lineups in the league, expect them to make moves to solidify the rotation come August 31st due to German and Pineda’s absence. The 60-game schedule and early trade deadline could indirectly encourage clubs to tank, as in save their resources for the future seasons. The amount of factors that could be altered in 2020 and beyond from this year’s rare circumstances seem endless after consuming this article.
FULL ARTICLE: Here are the Top 10 Lineups in Baseball by Anthony Castrovince, MLB.com
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: The Dodgers lineup is absolutely stacked and extremely versatile from top to bottom
With the shortened MLB season slated to start on July 23, nearly every ball club will have the opportunity to completely rewrite their expectations. Mentioned previously, the trade deadline is roughly five weeks after Opening Day, meaning that just one unproven rookie or a seasoned veteran can drastically affect their team’s 2020 trajectory. Keeping that in consideration, Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com ranks the top 10 lineups in the league as the upcoming campaign approaches.
In a baseball world filled with uncertainty, the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ starting nine is anything but. From top to bottom, the lineup features two MVPs, multiple All-Stars, and a few developing stars. Beyond OFs Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger, every other player anticipated to be in the LA lineup has the ability to break out in the 2020 season. From having one of the highest-rated prospects in the No. 9 hole to an abundance of players who can slide into the DH role, there’s much to be excited about if you’re rooting for the boys in Dodger blue.
FULL ARTICLE: Film Study: Mavs’ Efficient Offense Still Has Room to Improve by John Schuhmann, NBA.com
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: The Mavericks offense benefits from elite efficiency but lacks crunch-time production
Prior to the league’s suspension, the Dallas Mavericks were in the midst of the most efficient offense ever recorded in NBA history (115.8 points per 100 possessions). To be fair, it’s important to note that teams across the nation have been playing exceedingly more efficient, showcased by the rise in shots taken behind the arc and in the paint. Due to the unusual talent that is Luka Doncic, the Mavs are able to sustain their historic efficiency by running the offense through him as much as possible (35.8% usage rate, third-highest).
What makes Dallas such a deadly squad is their “popping” and “rolling”. With one of the best PGs at the helm (47% of DAL ball-handling possessions), defenses have the issue of choosing either to stop Doncic on pick-and-rolls or to guard their roll men (second-highest efficiency). Having Bigs like PF Kristaps Porzingis and PF Maxi Kleber who can also spread the floor makes their lineup even more dangerous heading into the NBA restart.
FULL ARTICLE: Predicting One Future First-Time Pro Bowler for Each AFC Team by Marc Sessler, NFL.com
HOT: 1st Time Pro Bowler for Every NFL Team in 2020 by @MarcSessler
— Hottest Sports Content (@Sports_Hottest) July 13, 2020
MOST VALUABLE INTEL: RB Austin Ekeler will soar up fantasy draft boards with the departure of Melvin Gordon
Whether a player has been an underappreciated veteran or a recently drafted rookie, each and every player has an opportunity to make a name for themselves in 2020. NFL.com’s Marc Sessler identifies one player on each AFC franchise with the best chance to make their first Pro Bowl appearance this season.
After letting 2x Pro Bowler Melvin Gordon walk in free agency, the Chargers extended dynamic RB Austin Ekeler to a 4y/$24.5M contract this past spring. Now emerging as the primary contributor of LA’s backfield, Ekeler has his first swing at being the highest graded pass-catching back for a full campaign. As the team figures out their QB1 situation between Tyrod Taylor and Justin Herbert, Ekeler could be generating top-10 production at the RB position in his new “centerpiece” role.
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