Michigan junior defensive tackle Mason Graham has declared for the NFL draft and hired agents Drew Rosenhaus and Ryan Matha to represent him.
“We expect Mason to get drafted in the top five picks,” Rosenhaus told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday.
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Graham is the No. 5 prospect in ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper’s latest Big Board rankings.
Graham (6-foot-3, 320 pounds) is an Outland Trophy finalist this year and a two-time All-Big Ten selection. He was a second-team All-America pick in 2023.
He has 46 tackles (24 solo) and 3.5 sacks this season, and 108 tackles (61 solo) and 9 sacks over his three years at Michigan.
Former manager at a Fortune 100 financial services company, now living my dream creating fantasy and sports betting content about the NFL, NBA, and WNBA for ESPN.
The NFL is a “next man up” league. By extension, your fantasy football league is as well. You acquired your team during the draft, but it’s the moves you make as the season unfolds that will ultimately decide whether you’re playoff-bound or planning for next season. Every week, we’ll help you identify the players available in more than 50% of ESPN leagues whose value has taken a turn for the better and should be added to your roster as starters or as smart stashes for your bench.
Next man up
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The fantasy playoffs begin in Week 15 for many leagues. Whether you’re competing for a championship or just trying to avoid a last-place punishment that could go viral on social media, I’m here to help.
Every season, a few players come out of nowhere to help managers win championships. We’re talking playoff heroes — waiver-wire gems who turn into instant starters. By season’s end, you’re kicking yourself for having overlooked them. Sincere McCormick (rostered in 11.2% of ESPN leagues) of the Las Vegas Raiders could be that guy this year.
McCormick has solidified himself as the Raiders’ top running back with injuries keeping both Zamir White and Alexander Mattison sidelined for three straight games. The former practice squad player has looked sharp, totaling 27 rushing attempts over the last two games with 60-plus rushing yards in both contests and it’s even more impressive that he averages 5.2 yards per carry.
The snap count suggests that McCormick will continue to dominate both early-down and short-yardage situations moving forward. With upcoming matchups against the Jacksonville Jaguars and New Orleans Saints — two defenses ranked in the top eight in terms of most RB fantasy points allowed — McCormick should be at the top of your waiver wire priorities.
Other RB options
Tank Bigsby and the Jaguars have an easier-than-usual schedule the rest of the way. Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8.5%): McMillan scored a season high 21.9 fantasy points against the Raiders on Sunday, reaching the end zone twice in a breakout game for the 2024 third-rounder out of Washington. He’s worth adding in deeper leagues, but keep in mind that McMillan has seen seven-plus targets in only three games this season. The Buccaneers have a favorable schedule the rest of the way, but it would be encouraging to see McMillan receive more consistent targets behind Mike Evans.
Next TE up
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Pat Freiermuth, Pittsburgh Steelers (48.2%): Freiermuth has stepped up in the Steelers’ passing game since their Week 9 bye, scoring 10-plus fantasy points in five straight games. However, he’s seen four-plus targets in just two of those games, and Russell Wilson’s modest 30.4 passing attempts per game is worth noting. If you need a tight end, don’t overlook Freiermuth as he faces the Ravens and Chiefs in Weeks 16 and 17, both ranking among the top-eight most generous defenses for TE fantasy points allowed.
Another TE option
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans Saints (13.9%): The Saints are running low on receiving playmakers. Chris Olave is on IR and both Rashid Shaheed and Taysom Hill are done for the season. Johnson stepped up against the Giants on Sunday with five targets and 15 fantasy points. Looking ahead, he faces the Packers and Raiders in Weeks 16 and 17. Both those defenses rank among the top-10 most-generous defenses for TE fantasy points. This makes Johnson a reliable option for fantasy managers in deeper leagues during the fantasy playoffs.
Kevin Seifert, ESPN Staff WriterDec 8, 2024, 01:48 PM ET
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Kevin Seifert is a staff writer who covers the Minnesota Vikings and the NFL at ESPN. Kevin has covered the NFL for over 20 years, joining ESPN in 2008. He was previously a beat reporter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Washington Times. He is a graduate of the University of Virginia. You can follow him via Twitter @SeifertESPN.
MINNEAPOLIS — Somehow, Minnesota Vikings receiver Jordan Addison realized that quarterback Sam Darnold’s deep pass was going to be significantly underthrown. Atlanta Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes did not.
The result was a 49-yard touchdown pass from Darnold to Addison that pulled the Vikings even with the Falcons at 7-7 with 37 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
What an adjustment by Jordan Addison for a 49-yard score ?
?: #ATLvsMIN on FOX ?: pic.twitter.com/m81sZxmY9x
— NFL (@NFL) December 8, 2024
It was Addison’s third touchdown in the Vikings’ past four games.
It was Darnold’s 24th touchdown pass of the season, on a play where he couldn’t step into the throw because of a strong Falcons pass rush. Darnold directed each of his first three passes Sunday to Addison, who caught two of them for a total of 65 yards.
Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterDec 6, 2024, 06:48 PM ET
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Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN’s coverage of the Niners’ 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick’s protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam’s subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team’s relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — For the third straight game, the San Francisco 49ers will be without star left tackle Trent Williams as he continues to recover from a left ankle injury.
The Niners officially ruled out Williams on Friday ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Chicago Bears. They also will be without safety George Odum (knee), linebacker Dre Greenlaw (Achilles) and running back Jordan Mason (ankle).
There is, however, at least some hope for defensive end Nick Bosa. Although Bosa did not practice this week as he recovers from left hip and oblique injuries, he showed enough signs of improvement to be listed as doubtful for Sunday, according to coach Kyle Shanahan.
Whether that’s enough to have Bosa available remains to be seen, particularly since the Niners have a short week coming with a Thursday night game against the Los Angeles Rams.
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The 49ers have struggled mightily without Bosa and Williams, arguably two of the best players in the league at their positions and undoubtedly two of the most difficult to replace on the team.
Since Williams arrived via trade in 2020, San Francisco is 49-28 when he plays and 3-8 when he doesn’t. Since Bosa arrived in 2019, the Niners are 62-28 when he plays and 5-12 when he doesn’t.
