Plus, Final Four breakdowns, NBA check in and NFL futures.
Good morning! It’s a busy week in the sports world with something big happening at almost every sport at every level.
I’ve got you covered with today’s edition of Winners Club, spanning fantasy baseball, golf betting and, of course, Final Four coverage.
Opening Day is Fast Approaching
The first day of the MLB season is eight days away. Spring training is raging on in the warmest parts of the country ahead of next Thursday’s nine-game slate.
Did you draft your fantasy baseball team yet?
If not, Jen Piacenti has five late-round picks with league-winning potential. Some you may have heard of, like ex-Yankee and first-year Padre Luke Voit, and some are true sleepers with ADPs outside the top 300.
Charlie Riedel/AP
And if you’ve already drafted your squad, consult Shawn Childs’ roster management advice. Don’t overspend on free agents early on, Childs warns, but be sure to actually spend your free-agent budget to improve your roster.
“If I find myself out of contention in midsummer with a boatload of free-agent cash,” Childs writes, “I didn’t roll up my sleeves and get my hands dirty when I was still in the game.”
And on the topic of replacing players, it’s important to churn your roster and swap out underperforming players for waiver wire options.
For all of your fantasy needs—sleepers, rankings, draft strategy—consult SI’s Fantasy Baseball Draft Kit.
Get Ready for the Final Fours
The men’s and women’s Final Fours take place this weekend in New Orleans and Minneapolis, respectively.
Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports
The last men’s bracket matchups feature No. 2 Duke vs. No. 8 North Carolina and No. 1 Kansas vs. No. 2 Villanova. The semifinals will be played Saturday evening with the national championship Monday night.
Kevin Sweeney power ranked the Final Four teams. From a betting perspective, Duke (+160) is the favorite, slightly ahead of Kansas (+170).
And in the women’s bracket, No. 1 Louisville will face No. 1 South Carolina while No.1 Stanford battles No. 2 UConn. The semis will be played Friday night with the title game Sunday evening.
Ben Pickman laid out the key factor for each of the remaining teams.
NBA Regular Season Winding Down
Don’t look now, but the Lakers are out of the play-in tournament following Tuesday night’s loss to the Mavericks.
Chris Herring argues LeBron James and the Lakers would be better off not reaching the play-in at all. L.A. has one of the toughest remaining schedules, James is injured again and awaiting them in the first round would likely be Phoenix. Still, because it’s March and because with James on your team, you’ve never truly out of it, the Lakers are +4000 to win the NBA title and have better odds than the Bulls, Timberwolves and Clippers.
Speaking of the Clippers … L.A. got Paul George back Tuesday from his three-month injury absence and he led the team back from a 25-point deficit for a comeback win against the Jazz. The Clippers, 2.5-point home underdogs, won 121-115. Los Angeles is in eighth place in the Western Conference with 12 days remaining in the regular season.
In Other News
2023 Super Bowl Futures Check In: The quarterback movement that was promised finally happened, and the odds to win it all adjusted accordingly. The Bills and Buccaneers are co-favorites—see how the other 30 teams stack up and where the value in the field might be.
Tiger Woods Arrives at Augusta: The five-time Masters champion was seen at Augusta National on Tuesday, fueling speculation that he may compete in next week’s tournament.
Fantasy Free Agency Period Winners and Losers: Elite quarterbacks, top-end wide receivers and a handful of running backs and tight ends switched teams early in the offseason. See which players are better off and whose stock may have fallen as a result.
Valero Texas Open Best Bets: Rory McIlroy is the favorite to win this weekend—the Morning Read writers offer up their mid-tier plays, sleepers and one-and-done picks to win.
That’s all for today. Thanks for reading!