NFL Standings Predictions 2019

Standings Predictions

AFC East	Record	NFC East	Record
New England Patriots	14-2	Philadelphia Eagles	12-4
Buffalo Bills	8-8	Dallas Cowboys*	10-6
New York Jets	6-10	Washington Redskins	5-11
Miami Dolphins	1-15	New York Giants	4-12
AFC North	Record	NFC North	Record
Cleveland Browns	10-6	Minnesota Vikings	11-5
Pittsburgh Steelers*	10-6	Chicago Bears*	10-6
Baltimore Ravens	9-7	Green Bay Packers	9-7
Cincinnati Bengals	4-12	Detroit Lions	5-11
AFC South	Record	NFC South	Record
Tennessee Titans	10-6	New Orleans Saints	13-3
Houston Texans	9-7	Atlanta Falcons	9-7
Indianapolis Colts	8-8	Carolina Panthers	8-8
Jacksonville Jaguars	7-9	Tampa Bay Bucs	5-11
AFC West	Record	NFC West	Record
Kansas City Chiefs	12-4	LA Rams	12-4
LA Chargers*	11-5	Seattle Seahawks	9-7
Denver Broncos	6-10	San Francisco 49ers	7-9
Oakland Raiders	5-11	Arizona Cardinals	4-12

*Indicates Wild-Card Team

• Note: I initially picked the Indianapolis Colts to win the AFC South. But following Andrew Luck's decision to retire, I switched my selection to the Tennessee Titans.

AFC Championship: Patriots defeat Chiefs

NFC Championship: Saints defeat Eagles

Super Bowl: Patriots defeat Saints

NBA Standings Predictions: Eastern Conference

Here is a projected order of finish for the 2019-20 NBA season in the Eastern Conference.

Eastern Conference

1. Milwaukee Bucks

2. Boston Celtics

3. Philadelphia 76ers

4. Toronto Raptors

5. Indiana Pacers

6. Miami Heat

7. Brooklyn Nets

8. Orlando Magic

9. Detroit Pistons

10. Atlanta Hawks

11. Washington Wizards

12. Charlotte Hornets

13. Chicago Bulls

          14. Cleveland Cavaliers

15. New York Knicks

NBA Standings Predictions: Western Conference

Here is the projected order of finish for the 2019-20 NBA season in the Western Conference.

1. LA Clippers 

Key additions: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Maurice Harkless

Key subtractions: Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Garrett Temple

2. Denver Nuggets

Key additions: Jerami Grant

Key subtractions: Trey Lyles

3. LA Lakers

Key additions: Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Jared Dudley

Key subtractions: Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Tyson Chandler

4. Utah Jazz

Key additions: Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Ed Davis, Jeff Green 

Key subtractions: Jae Crowder, Ricky Rubio, Derrick Favors, Kyle Korver

5. Houston Rockets

Key additions: Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler

Key subtractions: Chris Paul

6. Portland Trail Blazers

Key additions: Hassan Whiteside, Anthony Tolliver, Kent Bazemore, Mario Hezonja

Key subtractions: Evan Turner, Maurice Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu, Enes Kanter

7. Golden State Warriors

Key additions: D'Angelo Russell, Willie Cauley-Stein, Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks

Key subtractions: Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins, Shaun Livingston

8. San Antonio Spurs

Key additions: DeMarre Carroll, Trey Lyles

Key subtractions: Davis Bertans

9. Sacramento Kings

Key additions: Trevor Ariza, Dewayne Dedmon, Cory Joseph

Key subtractions: Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Frank Mason III

10. New Orleans Pelicans

Key additions: Zion Williamson, JJ Redick, Derrick Favors, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Jaxson Hayes, Josh Hart

Key subtractions: Anthony Davis, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton

11. Dallas Mavericks

Key additions: Seth Curry, Boban Marjanovic, Delon Wright

Key subtractions: Dirk Nowitzki

12. Minnesota Timberwolves

Key additions: Noah Vonleh, Jordan Bell, Jarrett Culver

Key subtractions: Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Dario Saric

13. Oklahoma City Thunder

Key additions: Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mike Muscala

Key subtractions: Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Jerami Grant, Markieff Morris

14. Phoenix Suns

Key additions: Ricky Rubio, Dario Saric, Aron Baynes, Cameron Johnson

Key subtractions: Josh Jackson, T.J. Warren

15. Memphis Grizzlies

Key additions: Ja Morant, Andre Iguodala, Josh Jackson, Tyus Jones, Jae Crowder

Key subtractions: Mike Conley, Avery Bradley, Delon Wright

Scorching-Hot Rafael Devers Joins Ted Williams in Elite Company

Rafael Devers is the first player to reach the 100-RBI plateau in 2019. 

The 22-year-old wrapped up his otherworldly week with a terrific Sunday, going 4-for-5 with a homer, two doubles and four RBIs in the Boston Red Sox’s 13-7 thumping of the visiting Baltimore Orioles.

pic.twitter.com/uy5pdGumLq

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) August 18, 2019

Completing a three-game sweep of the lowly Orioles, the Red Sox won their fifth consecutive contest. They still trail the Tampa Bay Rays by 6.5 games for the second AL Wild Card spot, but the monster production of Devers has made the Red Sox a must-watch.

Devers mashed his 27th homer of the season in Boston's win over Baltimore. (Michael Dwyer/AP)

Devers is the first player to register 100-plus runs and RBIs in a season before age 23 since future Hall of Famer Miguel Cabrera did so in 2005. The only other Red Sox player in franchise history to accomplish this feat was the legendary Ted Williams.

“Yeah, I mean, obviously it feels good to be a part of that group,” Devers said after Sunday’s win. “But overall I’m just trying to help the team as much as I can whether it’s baserunning, playing defense, that’s what I’m more focused on is just trying to contribute as much as I can to help the team win ballgames.”

During Devers’ eight-game hitting streak, he is 20-for-37 with eight doubles, four homers and 14 RBIs with a 1.656 OPS.

Devers leads MLB in hits (167), extra-base hits (76), RBIs (101) and total bases (300). Ty Cobb is the only other player in history to lead the league in these categories in his age-22 season, dating back to 1909.

Batting .332—the third-best in MLB—Devers has a shot at winning the American League MVP. Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout is currently the favorite to nab the award. Trout leads the AL in homers (41) and his MLB-best WAR (8.2) is far higher than Devers’ mark of 5.2.

New York Yankees second baseman DJ LeMahieu, who leads MLB in batting (.339) and ranks third in hits (156), is another strong candidate to win MVP. He has the same WAR as Devers and has been unquestionably the best player on the Yankees, who hold the top record (83-43) in baseball.

Jakobi Meyers Emerging as Tom Brady's 'Favorite Target' in Camp

A rookie wide receiver has made a significant impact during the New England Patriots’ training camp. Undrafted free agent Jakobi Meyers—not first-round selection N'Keal Harry—has emerged as the “favorite target” for quarterback Tom Brady.

Julian Edelman is sidelined with a thumb injury, allowing other receivers the chance to shine. Meyers has taken advantage of the opportunity. He has earned reps with the first team offense and could carve a role in the Patriots’ offense in 2019 if Josh Gordon remains suspended indefinitely.

Meyers has made a name for himself in training camp. (Mandy Lane/Boston Herald)

The 6-foot-2, 203-pound former North Carolina State wideout has been the talk of the town during most of the team’s practices. He grabbed 14-of-18 targets in 11-on-11 drills on Monday.

Meyers is a converted quarterback who switched to wide receiver before his sophomore year at N.C. State. He hauled in 92 receptions in 2018—the seventh-most in college football—for the Wolfpack during his senior season.

Not enough people are talking about NC State's Jakobi Meyers (@jkbmyrs5).

He isn't a big separator, but he catches everything. He's a top-5 WR in this class in drop rate and contested catch %.

He's a Jason Avant clone, IMO. Chain mover, sneaky red-zone threat and SO consistent. pic.twitter.com/XuAPGnCz3V

— Austin Gayle (@PFF_AustinGayle) March 30, 2019

Brady praised Meyers for seizing the moment during training camp.

                          

“He’s done a great job and he’s taken advantage of his opportunities,” Brady said. “I think that’s really what we try to stress to anybody. It really doesn’t matter — the football doesn’t care how old you are, whether you were drafted or not. The football doesn’t care how much experience you have. It just knows that when I let that ball go, it’s got to be in the hands of the guy who it’s intended for. If that happens to be him, it’s him. If it’s Julian, it’s Julian. Whoever it is, it doesn’t matter in football.”

Indians Trade Bauer to Reds, Acquire Puig, Reyes

The Cleveland Indians traded starter Trevor Bauer to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday. They acquired outfielders Yasiel Puig from Cincinnati and Franmil Reyes from San Diego as part of a three-team deal that included the Padres.

Left-handed 22-year-old reliever Logan Allen, minor league infielder Victor Nova and left-handed pitching prospect Scott Moss are also headed to Cleveland from the Padres. Minor league outfielder Taylor Trammell, formerly of the Reds and one of the highest-rated prospects in baseball, was sent to the Padres in the exchange.

Bauer, an All-Star in 2018 and the biggest name in the three-team swap, posted a 3.79 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 185 strikeouts in 156 2/3 innings this season. He has not pitched as effectively as he did in last year's breakout campaign. 

Trevor Bauer was sent to the Reds in a blockbuster deal. (USA Today Sports Image)

With Bauer set to become a free agent after the 2020 season, the small-market Indians wanted to deal the mercurial right-hander before he eventually hit the open market. 

The eccentric Bauer had a disastrous final outing with Cleveland, chucking the ball over center field after he was taken out of the game by manager Terry Francona in a loss to the lowly Kansas City Royals. Bauer surrendered eight runs (seven earned) in 4.1 innings in the defeat and took his frustrations out in embarrassing fashion.

After giving up a go-ahead, 2-run single, Trevor Bauer chucked the ball... over the centerfield wall 😳

(via @FSKansasCity) pic.twitter.com/s3LNn7kLzf

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) July 28, 2019

One of the best strikeout pitchers in baseball, the Reds hope the 28-year-old Bauer will be a key piece of the future in their rebuild.

By acquiring Puig and Reyes, the Indians are adding much-needed power to their lineup. Puig mashed 22 homers with 61 RBIs across 91 games for the Reds. Reyes launched 27 homers and added 46 RBIs in 99 contests with the Padres. The Indians' corner outfielders have combined for just 28 homers thus far in 2019.

The Indians (62-43) hold the American League's top wild-card spot and trail the Minnesota Twins by just two games in the AL Central.

Red Sox Interested in Ken Giles, Kirby Yates

The Boston Red Sox are in serious need of bullpen assistance. Their relievers have combined to rank 18^th in MLB among bullpen ERA—blowing the fourth-most saves (18) in baseball and holding the third-worst save percentage (52.63).

Looking to address their bullpen woes, the Red Sox are reportedly interested in Toronto Blue Jays closer Ken Giles. They also are pursuing Kirby Yates of the San Diego Padres, though it seems unlikely he gets moved before the MLB trade deadline on July 31.

Yates, the 32-year-old All-Star, is under contract through the 2020 season. Yates has a major-league best 31 saves in 33 opportunities this season. He boasts a 1.05 ERA, 0.81 WHIP and 70 strikeouts in 43 innings.

The Padres (47-52) have underachieved this season, but plan on competing in the NL West next year after signing Manny Machado in the offseason to compliment a roster flushed with young talent. The Red Sox would need to fork over significant assets to San Diego to acquire Yates.

A more reasonable target, Giles is also under team control through next season, but the Blue Jays (38-63) are in full-rebuild mode and are looking to stockpile young players. Giles owns a dazzling 1.64 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and 57/10 K/BB ratio over 33 innings with the Blue Jays this season. The 28-year-old has 14 saves in 15 opportunities.

The Red Sox are pursuing Ken Giles in trade talks. (Evan Habeeb/USA Today Sports)

The Red Sox announced last week that Nathan Eovaldi would be the primary closer moving forward. The right-hander—who was activated from the 60-day injured list on Saturday after undergoing elbow surgery—was arguably the team’s most valuable player last postseason. He registered a 1.61 ERA in six appearances (two starts) across 22.1 innings in the playoffs, recording two wins against one loss to help the Red Sox capture the 2018 World Series.

If the Red Sox were to acquire a proven closer such as Yates or Giles, Eovaldi would presumably be moved into a setup role or back into the starting rotation.