Fantasy

The Golden State Warriors appear to be shopping Kelly Oubre Jr. ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.   

In an interview with Damon, Ratto & Kolsky on 95.7 The Game, Slater said the Warriors have "been aggressive. The general sense is they've been active and making calls on Oubre."

In 42 games with Golden State, the Kansas product is averaging 15.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 30.6 percent from behind the arc. Early-season struggles from three-point range muddled the beginning of his tenure. 

Golden State traded a conditional first-round pick and a second-round pick in 2021 to add Oubre from the Oklahoma City Thunder only three days after Klay Thompson suffered an Achilles injury that would keep him out for the year. 

Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area noted that as much as the Warriors love Oubre's game, as well as his fit with the roster, moving him now could lead to more options for the club in the long-term. Oubre is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, and Golden State could end up losing him for nothing if he doesn't re-sign. 

It's a notion head coach Steve Kerr has raised with the small forward as the deadline nears, per Poole:

"We've talked a lot about his circumstances, being a free agent, having his name tossed around. It's not an easy position to be in. But this is how it works. This is the NBA. He's got an expiring deal, he plays a position of need for a lot of teams and he's athletic and long. He's coveted. He's definitely coveted. His name is naturally going to be out there. He's done a great job of handling everything. He's really professional and poised and very practical. So, we'll see what happens."

It's unclear what the asking price for Oubre's services is. But if a Golden State team in the playoff race can acquire useful pieces, it may be worth ending his Bay Area tenure earlier than expected. 

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson posted on Instagram Monday that the team would be "back and better" following Saturday's 17-3 loss to the Buffalo Bills in the AFC divisional round. 

"It didn't end how we wanted it to but I'm proud of my Guyz after all we been through we got better throughout the season fought through Covid and all type of adversity..." Jackson posted. 

Jackson, 24, left the loss in the second half with a concussion and didn't return. He struggled against the Bills, finishing 14-of-24 for 162 yards with an interception and three sacks. He also ran the ball nine times for 34 yards.

Baltimore has now reached the playoffs in all three of Jackson's NFL seasons. The team has gone 30-7 in his regular-season starts but only 1-3 with Jackson at the helm in the postseason. In those four playoff games, Jackson has thrown for 900 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions, completing only 55.9 percent of his passes while taking 19 sacks and rushing for 367 yards and a score. 

Jackson ended the narrative this season that he couldn't win a playoff game when the Ravens beat the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round. But there's little doubt that he's struggled in the postseason, and that storyline re-emerged against the Bills (Baltimore trailed 17-3 when he left the game injured). 

That Jackson won an MVP in only his second NFL season is a testament to how talented he is and how much of a difference-maker he's been for Baltimore's offense. He's the definitive dual-threat quarterback, rushing for over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns in consecutive seasons. To put that in perspective, Michael Vick is the only other quarterback in NFL history ever to rush for at least 1,000 yards (1,039 yards in 2006). 

However, questions remain about whether Jackson can lead the Ravens to a Super Bowl title.

That might be slightly unfair given the incredible success he's already had through his age-23 season. But it's Super Bowl or bust for the Ravens given the talent they've accumulated. 

The Atlanta Falcons' passing attack could receive another shake-up after No. 1 wide receiver Julio Jones was ruled out of Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs with a hamstring injury. 

It's the third straight missed game for Jones, who has been dealing with the injury since early in the season.

Let's analyze how the other notable members of the Falcons pass-catching group may be impacted from a fantasy football perspective if Jones spends some time out of the lineup.

Calvin Ridley

Ridley has been a major fantasy contributor even when Jones has been available, but an extended absence for the seven-time Pro Bowl selection could turn the 26-year-old University of Alabama product into one of the position's top scorers.

The Falcons' Week 3 game against the Chicago Bears was a good example of what he can do while operating as the top target. He amassed 13 targets, seven more than anybody else on the team, and caught five of them for 110 yards.

His big-play ability combined with Atlanta's poor defense makes for perfect fantasy conditions. He was already a must-start player in almost every league and situation, but fantasy managers can now feel even more confident that he can put up numbers on a weekly basis.

Russell Gage

Gage opened the 2020 campaign with nine catches for 114 yards against the Seattle Seahawks, a breakout performance that made him a popular waiver-wire target. He hasn't maintained that level, but his stock could now rise again.

His overall fantasy upside is capped by his size (6'0'', 184 pounds), which will keep him lower in the pecking order in the red zone, but he should still receive enough looks to maintain relevance. That's especially true in PPR leagues for the duration of Jones' absence.

Consider him a flex option in the short term, starting him against weaker secondaries, but he could ultimately play his way toward No. 2 value.

Hayden Hurst

Hurst hasn't been a massive fantasy contributor throughout the campaign, which isn't a major surprise given the amount of other pass-catching talent on the Atlanta roster, but his red-zone presence makes him a player to watch with a possible uptick in targets.

He's never been asked to handle too large of a role across his first three seasons, the first two of which he spent with the Baltimore Ravens. This could represent his chance to post some breakout performances.

That's particularly noteworthy for a tight end given the relative weakness of the position in fantasy. He could prove himself as a weekly starter if Jones is out for a while.