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Arsenal turn another corner in title race and Spurs lack ‘everything’… — and more

March 2, 2026

Arsenal turn another corner in title race and Spurs lack ‘everything’ | Football Weekly – video

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Philippe Auclair and Barney Ronay as Arsenal beat Chelsea 2-1 at the Emirates to maintain their five-point lead over Manchester City. On the podcast today; Arsenal edge past Chelsea at the Emirates. It had lots of things you’d expect. Goals from corners and lots of holding, a Chelsea red card and Robert Sanchez flapping about. Chelsea almost equalised but it’s as you were after Man City’s win at Leeds on Saturday Elsewhere, an agonising VAR check at Burnley as we were forced to look at Ashley Barnes pixellated hand for six minutes, Liverpool hit five at home to West Ham. Jordan Pickford makes an unbelievable save for Everton as one goes in off Barry’s backside. Plus, Igor Tudor says Spurs lacked ‘everything’ which is quite a lot of things - relief for them then that Forest also lost. Manchester United go 3rd with victory over Palace while Wolves win their 2nd game of the season. A lopsided Champions League draw Iran potentially not playing at the World Cup and your questions answered.

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Fantasy Basketball Waiver Wire: Micah Potter coming on strong for Indiana

The NBA season is winding down, but the fantasy basketball season is heating up. Injuries and blatant tank jobs have opened up new opportunities, and fantasy managers can find plenty of unsung heroes on the waiver wire.

As a reminder, this article will only feature players rostered in 25% or less of Yahoo! leagues for the rest of the season. The waiver wire in competitive leagues is cut-throat, and managers looking for an end-of-season edge will need to dive deep.

Here are the top fantasy basketball waiver wire adds for Week 19.

→ Watch the NBA on Peacock on Monday night, as the Clippers take on the Warriors in the Bay Area. The action gets underway at 10 p.m. ET!

NBA: Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Clippers
Fantasy Basketball Week 19 Schedule Primer: Will Darius Garland make his Clippers debut?
With the calendar flipping to March, it’s “prime time” in fantasy basketball.

Priority Adds

1. Micah Potter
2. Nique Clifford
3. Will Riley
4. Leonard Miller
5. Danny Wolf
6. Guerschon Yabusele
7. Julian Champagnie
8. Olivier-Maxence Prosper
9. Elijah Harkless
10. Taylor Hendricks
11. Al Horford
12. Javon Small

Nique Clifford, Sacramento Kings (18 percent rostered)

The rookie’s three-game scoring slump is far behind him as he’s posted double-digit points in four straight. In that span, Clifford has averaged 16.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 3.3 steals and 1.5 triples across 34.5 minutes. He’s got a tremendous runway for the rest of the season as Sacramento careens toward the lottery.

Julian Champagnie, San Antonio Spurs (18 percent rostered)

Champagnie’s scoring is hit-or-miss, but he’s been steadily impactful as a defender and continues to start for San Antonio. Across his last four outings, Champagnie has averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks and 3.8 triples.

Micah Potter, Indiana Pacers (13 percent rostered)

Potter has split time with Jay Huff in the frontcourt, but he’s made quite an impact as of late. Across his last three games (all off the bench), he’s averaged 20 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocks and 3.3 triples. Potter has been electric as an outside shooter and defender, and that versatility has been tremendous for fantasy managers. The return of Pascal Siakam could put a damper on Potter’s current heater, but the Pacers have little incentive to rush Spicy P back into action.

Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Memphis Grizzlies (12 percent rostered)

Prosper has started five straight for the Grizzlies, turning his increased opportunity into 12.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.6 blocked shots and 1.0 triples across 23.4 minutes. His playing time isn’t ample, but that’s been the case for most Memphis players as of late. O-Max is doing enough to warrant a roster spot in most fantasy leagues.

Will Riley, Washington Wizards (10 percent rostered)

The Wizards will continue to prioritize minutes for their young players down the stretch and the rookie will be a prime beneficiary. Across his last four games, Riley has averaged 15.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 triples across 32.5 minutes.

Javon Small, Memphis Grizzlies (10 percent rostered)

The WVU product has seen increased playing time as of late, and he’s found his groove as Year 1 comes to a close. Small has averaged 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.5 steals, 0.5 blocks and 2.2 triples across 25.5 minutes over his last six outings. Memphis’ backcourt is ravaged by injuries, and Small should take on meaningful minutes moving forward.

Al Horford, Golden State Warriors (8 percent rostered)

The veteran continues to deliver, logging solid performances in a shorthanded Warriors frontcourt. Across his last three, the 39-year-old has averaged 13.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.7 blocked shots and 3.3 triples across 25.3 minutes.

Taylor Hendricks, Memphis Grizzlies (8 percent rostered)

Hendricks is enjoying a productive start to his Grizzlies tenure after getting traded from Utah at the deadline. Over his last four games, Hendricks has averaged 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.0 steals, 1.0 blocked shots and 2.0 triples across 25.3 minutes. Memphis’ frontcourt is somehow more shorthanded than Golden State’s, and Hendricks should stay heavily involved for the rest of the 2025-26 campaign.

Guerschon Yabusele, Chicago Bulls (7 percent rostered)

With Jalen Smith hobbled by a nagging calf injury, Yabusele has enjoyed a productive run in the starting lineup, averaging 10.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.0 triples across 25 minutes over his last five games. The big man is taking full advantage of his new opportunities, and fantasy managers can readily find him on the waiver wire.

Danny Wolf, Brooklyn Nets (4 percent rostered)

Brooklyn has done a great job getting its rookies involved in Year 1, and Wolf has posted solid numbers over the last week. Across his last three games, he’s averaged 17.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.0 steals and 2.3 triples across 24 minutes. He had the best game of his career on Sunday, going off for 23/9/5/2 with three triples in 27 minutes against Cleveland. He’ll look to carry that momentum forward.

Elijah Harkless, Utah Jazz (1 percent rostered)

Harkless has logged four straight games since being recalled from the G League, and he’s seen substantial minutes in each of his last two outings. In that two-game span, Harkless has averaged 12.5 points, 3.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.5 steals, 0.5 blocked shots and 1.0 triples across 24.5 minutes. The two-way player has more than enough games left for the 2025-26 campaign, so fantasy managers should expect him to be available moving forward.

Leonard Miller, Chicago Bulls (0 percent rostered)

Miller has come on strong over his last two games with averages of 13 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.5 steals, 2.0 blocked shots and 1.5 triples across 25 minutes. Jalen Smith and Patrick Williams are dealing with injuries, and it’s no secret that Chicago’s frontcourt rotation is razor thin. Miller is a sneaky add, especially if Guerschon Yabusele is already rostered.

Other options:Moses Moody (23%), Herbert Jones (23%), Peyton Watson (23%), Jordan Miller (4%), Jaylin Williams (4%), Tristan da Silva (3%), Daeqwon Plowden (1%)

War disrupts sports with doubt over Messi's 'Finalissima,' Ronaldo games and F1 races

Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lewis Hamilton are among the sports stars whose schedules are in doubt because of the spreading war in the Middle East.

Cancelations and travel shutdowns are already affecting events since the United States and Israel launched a wave of strikes on Iran on Saturday. Organizers of Formula 1 and major soccer games face deciding within weeks whether they can go ahead as scheduled.

Middle Eastern nations have become crucial to the world sports landscape over the last decade as event hosts, financial backers and employers for some of the world's top athletes.

Key upcoming events

The clock is ticking for a decision on whether to cancel or move the “Finalissima” soccer game on March 27 between Spain and Argentina, the champions of Europe and South America. That match would offer Messi a chance to win yet another trophy in a glittering career.

Qatar suspended all soccer games until further notice Sunday. Argentina was also scheduled to play Qatar in a friendly March 31.

“UEFA is monitoring and carefully assessing all developments of the situation in cooperation with (South American soccer body) CONMEBOL and the (local organizing committee),” European soccer body UEFA told The Associated Press on Monday.

Ronaldo's soccer team, Saudi club Al Nassr, has already been affected by a wave of cancelations of Asian Champions League games. His team was scheduled to play Wednesday in Dubai.

Formula 1 has races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia next month. F1 and its teams typically start to fly in staff and freight weeks in advance, limiting the time to make a decision on whether to go ahead. Governing body FIA says its priority is “safety and wellbeing.”

The men's and women's tennis tours and golf's European tour have just finished their Middle East tournament swings and aren't due back for months.

Iran is set to play in US at the World Cup

Iran is due to send its men's soccer team to the U.S. for the World Cup in just over three months, with a first game June 16 against New Zealand in Inglewood, California.

There's doubt over whether Iran can or will take part in the tournament. Iranian soccer federation president Mehdi Taj has said “we cannot be expected to look forward to the World Cup with hope.”

The U.S. government has promised exemptions from its travel bans for athletes and coaches at events like the World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

Airspace closures leave athletes stranded

Even if some events go ahead, a major concern for athletes and teams will be how they can travel in and out of the region safely.

Former U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev is among a group of tennis players waiting in Dubai for a chance to fly out after a tournament there concluded last week. If they can't travel soon, it will affect the BNP Paribas Open starting Wednesday in Indian Wells, California.

Cricket and basketball players are facing challenges, too, along with thousands of foreign tourists, while F1 personnel are seeking alternative travel to avoid the region on their way to this week's Australian Grand Prix.

A key region for world sports

The Middle East's influence on world sports has surged in recent years as countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar have hosted major events and become crucial financial backers.

Besides soccer and auto racing, Qatar has a World Endurance Championship sportscar race this month, a MotoGP motorcycle race, a gymnastics World Cup next month and hosts the first Diamond League track meet of the year in May. Qatar also owns Champions League-winning soccer team Paris Saint-Germain.

Saudi Arabia, which will host the 2034 World Cup in men's soccer, has funded the LIV Golf breakaway league and become a major player in world boxing.

___

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

MLB News Updates, March 2: Andrew Painter makes 2026 debut, and more from spring training to note for fantasy baseball

Every week, we will update fantasy baseball managers with all the MLB news they may have missed as we make our way through spring training and get closer to Opening Day.

[Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Baseball league for the 2026 MLB season]

It seems like forever that fantasy baseball managers have been waiting for Andrew Painter to make noise in the majors. After all, three years ago, the then-19-year-old made his spring training debut, only to find himself undergoing Tommy John surgery, ending any hopes of an expedited career in MLB.

But Painter, MLB’s 28th-ranked prospect and long considered one of the Phillies’ best prospects overall, is healthy now and ready to make his mark in Philadelphia’s rotation this season.

Painter made his 2026 spring training debut against the Yankees on March 1. He pitched two scoreless innings and collected one strikeout, to Jasson Domínguez (another former highly-touted prospect who’s already gotten a lot of MLB action).

Painter will likely be eased along, but it seems like a given that he’ll get a chance to stick in the Phillies’ rotation to start the season. He’s currently carrying a 205 ADP in Yahoo leagues; that won’t last.

In what ended up being one of the more bizarre-sounding news stories of the past few days, Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton claimed that the pain in his elbows is so bad that he “can’t open bottles, can’t open a bag of chips.”

As someone who has opened a lot of bags of chips in his day, that is a wild statement. Injuries, of course, are no strangers to Stanton — the last time he played more than 140 games was in 2018.

Highlights of Stanton running have been making the rounds on social media; that’s a low bar. But nonetheless, Stanton has remained one of the most feared, powerful hitters in baseball, despite his litany of injury woes. Last season was even a resurgence for him, posting a .944 OPS in 77 games (after returning from, yes, an injury) while hitting 24 home runs. Stanton currently has an ADP of 193, but this elbow news will probably lower that even further. At that point in drafts, you could do worse than taking a chance on someone who has 40+ homer upside.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are not a good team, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer reasons for excitement. Oneil Cruz is an exciting hitter with a yet-untapped ceiling, Paul Skenes is already one of the five best starting pitchers in baseball and Bubba Chandler could reach that position at some point.

And there’s a chance another one of Pittsburgh’s prospects could take the field in the majors this season — and he might be the best of the bunch.

Konnor Griffin — who will turn a mere 20 years old when the season reaches its one-month mark — has already made waves across social media with his first spring training homers:

Not only did he launch that blast against Boston’s prized free-agent pickup, Ranger Suárez, but Griffin would go on and hit a second home run later in the game. Then, he hit a third spring training homer on March 1. At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, Griffin is the Pirates’ top prospect — and the top prospect in baseball overall.

But again, Griffin is just 19 years old at the time of this writing. He’s only played in A-A+-AA (in which he made mincemeat of opposing pitching to the tune of a .333/.415/.527 slash line with a .941 OPS) in the minors. The chances of him making the big league roster before the summer — much less right out of spring training — are not high. And we know Pittsburgh isn’t exactly the place where prospects get rushed, no matter how good they are.

Griffin has a Yahoo ADP of 195.6 — apt for someone who is just a hopeful bench stash right now; Yahoo managers aren’t too hyped yet. But if he continues the highlight reel and fan pressure continues to build, the Pirates’ hand may be forced at some point in May or June. He’s a must-watch player during spring training.

Mets SS Francisco Lindor was one of a group of high-profile players who announced a need for surgery after injury to the hamate bone; for him, the surgery was performed on his left hand.

No one wants to hear about a star player needing surgery right before spring training, but thankfully, Lindor recently had his stitches removed and is reportedly still on track to start for the Mets on Opening Day.

Lindor is currently just on the cusp of being a second-round pick in Yahoo Fantasy leagues. If he falls to the third round, he’s a snap-selection, especially when you consider he’s gone nearly 30-30 (he stole 29 bases in 2024) for three straight seasons.

Diamondbacks OF Corbin Carroll (who currently holds a Yahoo ADP of 16.6) had surgery on Feb. 11 on his right hamate bone, and as he continues his rehab, he has stated that he’s “pushing” to be ready for Opening Day against the Dodgers on March 26.

At just 25 years old, we likely still haven’t seen Carroll’s best season; he has a .258/.341/.491 slash line with an .832 OPS in his career. His ADP could shoot up if his timeline does the same during spring training.

Once considered the clear best player in baseball, it’s been a rough couple of seasons for Mike Trout on the injury front. Trout last played more than 130 games in 2019 (134). He played just 29 and 82 games in 2024 and 2023, respectively. He did play 130 games in 2025, but the results were pretty subpar, by his standards: .232/.359/.439 with a .797 OPS, 26 home runs and just two stolen bases.

But maybe there’s a chance things turn around this season. On Saturday, Trout flew down the line in an attempt to beat out an infield single versus the D-backs. He was recorded as reaching a sprint speed of 29.9 feet per second — his highest sprint speed since a meniscus tear in 2024. Trout himself revealed that his goal for this season is 30 feet per second.

Now, this is not to say that Trout will suddenly return to his glory days of stealing 30+ bases, but a return to elite speed would certainly help in that regard. At the very least, a healthy Trout will undoubtedly steal more than the measly two bags he’s averaged the last six seasons.

For context, Trea Turner had the highest sprint speed in the league in 2025 at 30.3 feet per second, per Statcast. Trout was down at 223 with 27.9 feet per second.

Trout is coming off the board as OF58 in Yahoo leagues, a far cry from his previous elite years. Two years removed from his meniscus tear and with an eye on redemption, Trout could end up being a draft-day steal.

The Yankees aren’t exactly the Pirates in terms of exciting prospects, but they do have some young players who have been turning heads so far in exhibition play.

George Lombard Jr., baseball’s 32nd-ranked prospect, has been making defensive highlight after defensive highlight so far in spring training, and the Yankees expect his bat to catch up with his glove. Defense can get players onto the field sooner than later; Lombard’s ascension is one to watch.

Carlos Lagrange is another of New York’s top prospects, a potentially front-line starter with triple-digit stuff. His arm is already making waves on social media. In Double-A last season, Lagrange put together a 7-6 record with a 3.22 ERA and 104 strikeouts in 78.1 innings pitched. At 22 years old, Lagrange has the chance to not only begin the season in Triple-A, but could see himself in the big-league club sooner rather than later, whether as a starter or in the bullpen.

Finally, we have Ryan Weathers, the Yankees’ offseason trade acquisition from the Marlins. At just 26 years old, Weathers hasn’t even reached his prime yet; once upon a time, Weathers was a Padres first-round pick. He flamed out with San Diego, but delivered moments of promise with the Marlins. The Yankees traded for that promise, and it may have already shown itself in spring training:

Weathers ended his exhibition outing with the following line: 3.2 IP, 1 H, 5 K, 0 BB. Not bad for a debut. He currently holds a Yahoo ADP of 207.6; expect that to rise in the coming weeks, barring injury or a blow-up outing, as Weathers is projected to be the Yankees’ third or fourth starter to open the season.

In brief

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