Fantasy Football Week 15: Sunday Morning Gameday Preview

Another Sunday full of NFL action is upon us. This, of course, also means another full day of fantasy football. In this piece, we focus on preparing you for the busy day of gridiron entertainment ahead. 

There are several pivotal matchups to consider around the league. A potential shootout in San Diego offers several starting options. Some friendly metrics for David Johnson and the Arizona Cardinals against the New Orleans Saints should offer some fantasy fun. With an eye on history, Johnson could lead managers to imaginary titles. 

Join us in canvassing the league with specific matchup metrics for each game on the Sunday slate. Feel free to share your lineup questions and predictions in the comments below.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Cleveland Browns at Buffalo Bills

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Game Preview

If the Buffalo Bills don't make the playoffs this season, it will mark their 17th straight year missing the postseason, extending the longest drought in the NFL. The Cleveland Browns haven't made the playoffs since 2002.

This season, the Bills have proven competitive, as they rank 11th in points per drive on offense and claim the eighth-highest pressure rate on opposing passers. The winless Browns, however, remain feckless and rank 31st in points per drive on offense and last in the league in points per drive allowed. Given these disparities, Buffalo is understandably poised as a double-digit favorite, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

Sammy Watkins was limited in practice to end the week with his continuing foot issue, but is fully expected to start after playing a season-high in snaps in Week 14, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal.

Fantasy Fixtures

Browns

The Browns claim only two skill position players worthy of our attention in fantasy leagues. Wideout Terrelle Pryor leads the team by 363 receiving yards and has consumed 25.5 percent of the team's targets this season, 10.7 percent more than any other teammate. We can consider Pryor a WR3 or flex option in this scenario.

Tailback Isaiah Crowell has 423 more rushing yards than any teammate and 57.4 percent of the rushing yardage. Crowell has 209 yards from scrimmage over the past two games but remains a risky flex option given his low fantasy floor and reliance on big runs to fuel value.

Bills 

Tyrod Taylor is in a plus position for fantasy upside. With at least 30 rushing yards in seven of the past eight games and a choice matchup—the Browns have allowed a touchdown on 30.3 percent of opposing drives, highest in the league—Taylor is a stellar start for those dealing with unfavorable matchups at signal-caller.

Sammy Watkins played a season-high in snaps last week and Taylor has averaged 8.2 yards per attempt with him on the field versus 6.4 since the start of last season. While his floor is somewhat low given recent production patterns, Watkins has an awesome ceiling given his vertical abilities and this soft setup. The best situation on Buffalo is clearly tailback LeSean McCoy's, as the Browns have ceded the most rushing yards in the AFC and "Shady" has at least 10 fantasy points in ESPN standard leagues in five straight.

The Bills are a must-start defense given the Browns' inept offense and Buffalo's steady pass rush. 

Sleepers and Streamers

Charles Clay isn't a strong weekly option, but at a shallow position it helps to consider him in deeper leagues given the Browns have allowed the seventh-most yards and most touchdowns to tight ends this season.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Detroit Lions at New York Giants

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Game Preview

Strong defensive stretches from both teams have them each 7-1 over their past eight games, earning each team a record of 9-4. The New York Giants have yielded just 17 points per game since Week 6, fewest in the NFL over this sample, while the Detroit Lions have ceded 17.9 points per game over this stretch, second fewest in football. Given these solid defensive trends, we find a low implied total hover around 40 points, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

Receiving tailback Theo Riddick is listed as doubtful after missing last week's game and failing to practice this week, while tight end Eric Ebron is questionable with an expectation of playing, per Nate Atkins of MLive.com.

The Giants' Twitter feed reports Shane Vereen is still in concussion protocol, suggesting he's unlikely to play this week.

Fantasy Fixtures

Lions

Matthew Stafford has thrown 42 touchdowns to just 11 picks since Jim Bob Cooter took over as offensive coordinator in Week 8 of last season. The Giants have been stingy to opposing passers, allowing the second-fewest fantasy points to enemy arms in ESPN leagues this season. Even with the poor matchup, the larger sample of success still supports starting status for Stafford.

Golden Tate has a team-high 24.2 percent of the team's targets since Week 9 and is a worthy flex candidate in points-per-reception formats.

Giants

Odell Beckham Jr. has nine touchdowns since Week 5, the most in the league over this sample after not scoring in the first month of the campaign.  

We're fading Eli Manning since he has the lowest QBR against the blitz this season, while the Lions have the seventh-highest blitz rate in the NFL. It's essentially Beckham or bust in regards to the starting tier in fantasy.

Sleepers and Streamers

Anquan Boldin has at least 10 fantasy points in two of the past three games. The Giants' Sterling Shepard, meanwhile, serves a similar role as Boldin and has scored in four of the past six.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Philadelphia Eagles at Baltimore Ravens

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Game Preview

In a battle of birds, the visiting Philadelphia Eagles are looking to stop a six-game losing streak on the road, the team's longest since 1999. The host Baltimore Ravens claim a stingy defense—if they aren't facing Tom Brady—as they've yielded just 1.45 points per drive this season, second fewest in the league. The Eagles have lost four straight games and enter the game as significant underdogs in a game with a low implied total, per OddsShark, which suggests a sluggish offensive environment.

Injury Updates

The Eagles' Darren Sproles has been ruled out with a concussion, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Fantasy Fixtures

Eagles

Over the past four games, Carson Wentz has targeted tight end Zach Ertz 47 times, 20 more than any teammate over this span and second only to the New England Patriots' Julian Edelman in the NFL. Given such stellar usage, Ertz is a high-floor option. 

With the Ravens' stingy rush defense, we don't trust the remainder of the Philly backfield, as only Jordan Matthews merits interest in points-per-reception formats other than Ertz.

Ravens

The Baltimore defense has the second-most fantasy points among D/ST units, while both wideouts Mike Wallace and Steve Smith merit flex interest given steady usage and the Eagles' soft secondary that has allowed the second-most yards to receivers this season.

Sleepers and Streamers 

Kenneth Dixon played a career high in snaps last week and has at least 72 total yards in four of the past five outings.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Pittsburgh Steelers at Cincinnati Bengals

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Game Preview

If the Cincinnati Bengals lose to their division rivals Pittsburgh Steelers this week it would mark their first losing season since 2010 and end their franchise-best five-year streak of winning seasons. The Steelers are enjoying the historic success of scrimmage superstar Le'Veon Bell and have proven productive in the pass rush over the past month, thus they enter Ohio as field-goal favorites, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

Listed as doubtful for the contest, the Bengals aren't optimistic they'll have superstar wideout A.J. Green in the lineup on Sunday, per ESPN's Britt McHenry.

Fantasy Fixtures

Steelers

Le’Veon Bell has 1,616 yards from scrimmage this season, second most in league history in a player's first 10 games of a season and behind only Jim Brown’s 1,704 in 1963. With such amazing production and usage, it's encouraging to note the Bengals have allowed the 10th-most rushing yards to tailbacks this season.

Superstar wideout Antonio Brown needs just seven receptions for his fourth straight season with at least 100 receptions, which would match Marvin Harrison as on the only other player to accomplish this elite feat. Ben Roethlisberger hasn't been strong on the road this season, but he did deliver three touchdowns against Cincinnati in Week 2.

Bengals

Jeremy Hill is now a high-floor asset with a dominant claim of rushing work and helpful receiving upside that wasn't present with Giovani Bernard in the mix. The Steelers haven't allowed 100 rushing yards in four straight games, but Hill's goal-to-go role offers enough of a floor to remain in the starting mix. Tyler Eifert's stock is on the rise as he has four scores over the past three weeks, and the Steelers have allowed the 11th-most yards to tight ends.

Sleepers and Streamers 

Tight end Ladarius Green has 20.2 yards per catch over the past three games, most among tight ends. The Bengals, meanwhile, have allowed the most yards to the position.

Tyler Boyd and Brandon LaFell net worthy target shares, but it's LaFell who claims the stronger touchdown and yardage pattern.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Indianapolis Colts at Minnesota Vikings

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Game Preview

The Minnesota Vikings have been driven by their defense this season, as they rate fourth-best in the league in defensive allowance, ceding just 1.50 points per drive to opponents. On offense, however, the Vikings have produced just 1.55 points per drive, 27th in the league.

The Indianapolis Colts are essentially the inverse in regards to production trends, as they rate ninth in the league in points per drive on offense (2.17), yet have yielded the sixth-most points per drive on defense (2.18). With the Colts' depleted defense and the Vikings second in the league in creating pressure on opposing passers, it's fitting to find Minnesota poised as five-point favorites across most books, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

Bruising back Matt Asiata is questionable after missing practice on Friday with an ankle injury, per Matt Vensel of the Minnesota Star Tribune. Meanwhile, Adrian Peterson is surprisingly due to return to action this week, per ESPN.

Colts wideout Donte Moncrief has been ruled out with a hamstring injury, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Fantasy Fixtures

Colts

Andrew Luck isn't in an ideal spot given the aforementioned defensive metrics for Minnesota but with a volume-drive passing game for Indy, we still respect his ability to compile yardage, as he's only been held to fewer than 200 yards once this season. 

Tailback Frank Gore needs 77 scrimmage yards to pass Tony Dorsett for 10th-most in NFL history, while he's a bit dependent on goal-line usage to reach value in a tough matchup. We still trust T.Y. Hilton as a WR2 given his big-play ability and increased market share with Moncrief sidelined.

Vikings

Figuring out what to do with Adrian Peterson proves vexing for investors who stashed him on the bench or those who just added him during the fantasy playoffs. Peterson's snap count and usage appear mysterious heading in, so he's really just a boom-or-bust play behind a thin offense line.

Stefon Diggs is in a nice spot given his sizable 22.3 percent share of the team's target market. This rings especially true facing a depleted Indianapolis defense that ranks last in pass coverage on Pro Football Focus.

Kyle Rudolph has one of the steadier usage and production patterns among tight ends and remains a viable starting option against this soft secondary.

Sleepers and Streamers

Sam Bradford has completed at least 70 percent of his passes in six straight games and is worthy of streaming in truly deep leagues and as a flier in daily fantasy tournaments. The Vikings' dominant pass rush merits interest as a starting option given the Colts' leaky line.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears

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Game Preview

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers 93-92-6 in their 191 meetings, per CSN Chicago, in favor of the Bears. This means the Packers can tie the storied series with a win on Sunday as they enter Soldier Field as sizable favorites in a game expected to have one of the coldest climates in NFL history.

The Bears are 30th in the NFL in points per drive on offense, so this could game could prove low scoring in such a frigid environment. The Packers, for their part, have won three straight and have yielded 13 or fewer points over this stretch after ceding at least 30 in the previous four contests.

Injury Updates

James Starks is doubtful with a concussion and expected to miss the game, while Aaron Rodgers is questionable with a calf injury and expected to play, per Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

For Chicago, receiver Marquess Wilson is out with a broken foot while Eddie Royal will miss the game with a toe injury, per the team's Twitter feed.

Fantasy Fixtures

Packers

Rodgers has thrown 17 passing touchdowns to just one pick over the past five games against the Bears, while he's thrown at least three touchdowns in four of the past five this season. His top scoring weapon, Jordy Nelson, leads the league with 12 touchdowns and has at least one in 10 games this year, three more than any other player this season.

Davante Adams needs one more score to become the fifth receiver to haul in 10 touchdowns from Rodgers in a season. Randall Cobb is merely a flex option at this stage, but the upside against a depleted defense drives some upside.

Bears 

Jordan Howard is only 31 yards shy of 1,000 on the ground for the season and would become the fourth player on Chicago since the merger to earn as many yards in his rookie campaign.  Alshon Jeffery's return to action is compromised by a new quarterback to work with and the Packers' improved defense of late. That said, his big-play and red zone skills alone are enough to merit interest as a flex option.

Sleepers and Streamers

Ty Montgomery could earn a sizable uptick in touches with Starks ailing, especially if the cold climate pushes the team to run more. Green Bay's defense is a fine streaming option given the low point spread and Chicago's depleted arsenal.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Tennessee Titans at Kansas City Chiefs

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Game Preview

The Kansas City Chiefs can clinch a playoffs spot with a win and secure their first stretch of consecutive playoff appearances since 1995. The Tennessee Titans are fighting to become a playoff contender, with 125 as the magic numbers; they are 0-5 when rushing for less than 125 yards and 7-1 when achieving this threshold.

Given their strong position at Arrowhead Stadium, the Chiefs are poised as home favorites in a game with a low implied point total, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

We don't find any fantasy-relevant injuries for this matchup.

Fantasy Fixtures

Titans

DeMarco Murray is second in the league in rushing and his 12 scores from scrimmage are tied for fourth in the league, thus he's a must-start asset against a Chiefs team that has ceded the seventh-most rushing yards to tailbacks this season.

Marcus Mariota has proven special in fantasy production since Week 5 save for last week's tough matchup against the Broncos. The Chiefs have yielded a middle-of-the-pack 16.4 fantasy points per game to enemy arms this season in ESPN leagues, so this is a more promising matchup to consider. Delanie Walker is a viable starting option with a 20 percent share of Mariota's output.

Chiefs 

Travis Kelce has at least 100 yards in four straight games and is tied with Jimmy Graham from 2011 and 2013 and Tony Gonzalez for the longest such streak in the NFL. Besides Kelce, Spencer Ware merits interest given a healthy scrimmage pattern.

Sleepers and Streamers

Rishard Matthews is a strong flex or WR3, as the Chiefs have allowed the most yards to receivers this season.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans

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Game Preview

The Jacksonville Jaguars enter Houston having lost eight straight games, tying a franchise record. The Jaguars are one of just three teams to allow at least 16 points in every game this season. The host Texans are one of three teams in the NFL undefeated in division play at this stage of the season, as they seek to continue this rewarding trend as favorites in a game with a sluggish point total shy of 40 points, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

Jaguars tailback Chris Ivory was removed from the injury report and should play on Sunday, per John Oehser of the team's website. For Houston, tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz has been ruled out with a concussion, per Brian T. Smith of the Houston Chronicle.

Fantasy Fixtures 

Jaguars

We honestly don't trust any member of this option save for some sleeper and streaming options.

Texans

The Texans have rushed for 100 yards as a team 11 times this season, second only to the Dallas Cowboys. Lamar Miller is one of just six players with 21 touches per game, helping support a high fantasy floor for this division meeting.

DeAndre Hopkins is just 40th in the NFL after finishing third last season and is merely a flex option, albeit with some upside if he can net routes against corners other than Jalen Ramsey.

Sleepers and Streamers

With Jacksonville's turnover-prone offense—Blake Bortles is second in the league in turnovers—the Texans' defense merits streaming consideration. Tight end Ryan Griffin is a viable streamer given the Texans' healthy share of targets to the tight ends.

Allen Robinson's price in daily fantasy is attractive, while he's merely a boom-or-bust flex option like Hopkins. Marqise Lee is the safer option in the Jacksonville receiving game given his high-percentage role on underneath routes.

Fantasy Football Week 15: New Orleans Saints at Arizona Cardinals

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Game Preview 

The New Orleans Saints' Drew Brees has zero scores and at least three picks in each of the past two games, becoming the first signal-caller since Tyler Palko in 2011 to pull of this dubious feat. Brees will need to return to his elite production pattern to challenge an Arizona Cardinals defense that has surrendered just 1.60 points per drive, seventh fewest in the NFL.

The Saints have allowed the fifth-most points in the NFL, so the onus will be on Brees to fuel a shootout victory in a game with one of the highest implied point totals of the entire slate, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

We don’t find any meaningful injuries to report for this matchup.

Fantasy Fixtures 

Saints 

Brees is still in the starting tier given his sizable sample of success compared to this recent stretch of subpar production. There are risks given the recent struggles but also real upside given the healthy point total.

Brandin Cooks, Willie Snead and Michael Thomas are all in the WR3 tier at the position with real variance in their production pattern. Thomas has the most bankable production profile, but also likely draws a matchup with Patrick Peterson, thus he's in the same tier with his peers.

Cardinals 

David Johnson needs 84 scrimmage yards to set the single-season franchise record held by Ottis Anderson in 1979 and is one game shy of the record for starting a season with 100-yard scrimmage efforts. Only Le'Veon Bell has a higher ceiling than Johnson this week. 

Carson Palmer reenters the starting tier after a deflation in production this season given this rich home setup against a porous New Orleans defense. Larry Fitzgerald as an awesomely high floor for usage and production.

Sleepers and Streamers

Mark Ingram is a worthy streaming option, particularly in points-per-reception formats. J.J. Nelson is a big-play-dependent option but gets a leap in routes and targets with Michael Floyd's release this week.

Fantasy Football Week 15: San Francisco 49ers at Atlanta Falcons

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Game Preview

The San Francisco 49ers' Colin Kaepernick is winless in eight games as a starter this season, and is the only qualified quarterback completing less than half of his second-half passes this year. The Falcons lead the NFL in points per drive and need just 15 points to set the franchise record for points in a season. With the struggling 49ers in the Georgia Dome, we find the Falcons positioned as massive favorites with an elite implied team total of nearly 33 points, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

Julio Jones has been ruled out with a lingering toe ailment, per Vaughn McClure of ESPN. The 49ers' Torrey Smith won't play due to a concussion, per Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle.

Fantasy Fixtures

49ers

Carlos Hyde enjoyed career-high 200 yards from scrimmage against the Jets in Week 14. Hyde has never tallied consecutive 100-yard games, but is in a nice spot given Atlanta's porous defense that has allowed the second-most points per drive in the league.

Falcons

Matt Ryan is second in the league in yardage and is a must-start asset facing a 49ers team allowing the fourth-highest passer rating in the NFL. 

The 49ers have allowed the most rushing yards to tailbacks in the NFL this season and the most since the 2010 Buffalo Bills. With nearly 160 yards per game ceded to tailbacks per game, there is room for Tevin Coleman as a strong flex option and Devonta Freeman as a high-ceiling RB1.

The Falcons defense is a solid streaming option given their position as sizable favorites and a matchup with a mistake-prone offense.

Sleepers and Streamers 

Taylor Gabriel has five receiving touchdowns in his last six games after producing just one over his first 34 career games. With Jones sidelined, Gabriel becomes a high-end streamer.

Fantasy Football Week 15: New England Patriots at Denver Broncos

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Game Preview

The New England Patriots can clinch their eighth consecutive division title with a victory in Denver against the Broncos on Sunday. The Patriots have the highest rate of touchdowns per drive and the lowest rate of turnovers per drive since Week 5, while the Broncos have allowed the fewest points per drive in the NFL and have the best pressure rate on opposing passers in the league. With some strong opposing trends in place, we find the Pats as small favorites on the road this week, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates

We don't find any fantasy-relevant injuries heading into this conference showdown.

Fantasy Fixtures

Patriots

Volume can sustain Tom Brady's floor, as he's averaged 47.8 pass attempts per game during his past five games against the Broncos, per Mike Clay of ESPN. Julian Edelman leads the league in targets with 54 since Week 11, thus he's still a worthy option in points-per-reception leagues despite the stingy Denver secondary. 

LeGarrette Blount is in a nice spot against a Denver defense that has allowed the 11th-most fantasy points to tailbacks this season in ESPN leagues.

Broncos

Fantasy Labs affords Emmanuel Sanders an awesome ceiling of 30.8 fantasy points on DraftKings—fifth-highest in the NFL among wideouts this week. Demaryius Thomas received a comparably rich peak of 30.6, sixth-highest among receivers on the slate.

Thomas has consumed a team-high 31.1 percent of the team's targets since Week 9, while Sanders' share sits at 30.5 percent over this stretch. For some league-wide context, Thomas' share ranks second in the NFL over this sample and Sanders' ranks fourth.

Sleepers and Streamers

Martellus Bennett claims some upside in the red zone and is a worthy streaming option at a shallow position.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Oakland Raiders at San Diego Chargers

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Game Preview 

With a win, the Oakland Raiders can clinch their first postseason berth since their 2002 Super Bowl run, ending the third-longest drought in the NFL. The San Diego Chargers have been hit hard by injuries on offense this season and have lost five games after leading in the fourth quarter, most in the league.

With Oakland proving resilient on defense and nearly elite on offense, it's fitting to find them as slight road favorites, per OddsShark.

Injury Updates 

The Chargers have ruled out star tailback Melvin Gordon with hip and knee injuries, per Michael Gehlken of the San Diego Union-Tribune.

Fantasy Fixtures 

Raiders

Derek Carr delivered over 300 yards and two scores in a shootout win over San Diego earlier this season and is again poised as a solid starter. Latavius Murray has quietly become a steady workhorse and is a stable RB2 asset.

Both Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper enjoy nearly a quarter of the receiving market for Oakland, yet we trust Crabtree's ceiling more given "Coop" could net coverage from cover corner Casey Hayward throughout.

Chargers

Philip Rivers has at least 14 fantasy points in ESPN leagues in eight games this season, yet the fact he leads the NFL with 22 turnovers offers some risk. A pass-happy home setup propels a high ceiling, though.

Tyrell Williams and Antonio Gates should challenge for the target lead for the Bolts, as both have nice matchups against a leaky Oakland secondary.

Sleepers and Streamers

Kennett Farrow could be the best sleeper tailback of the week, as he netted 22 touches last week and the Raiders have yielded the third-most rushing yards to backs this season. Dontrelle Inman is also a viable streamer given his penchant for big plays lately.

Fantasy Football Week 15: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys

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Game Preview

The Dallas Cowboys have seen their offensive juggernaut erode recently, as they have scored just 24 points and committed five turnovers and converted just two of 24 third-down chances over the past two games. The Tampa Bay Bucs have Tampa has surrendered just 1.13 points per drive since the start of Week 10. The Bucs have also forced a turnover on a league-high 26.4 percent of drives. With a real challenge in place for the Cowboys, it will prove intriguing to see this conference battle play out.

Injury Updates

We don't find any fantasy-relevant injuries in this matchup to consider.

Fantasy Fixtures

Bucs

Mike Evans leads the league in targets but has averaged 8.6 over the past six games after netting nearly 13 per game previously. Doug Martin is a low-floor tailback with some scoring upside as the team's lead short-yardage back.

Jameis Winston is a borderline QB1 given he's produced at least 15 fantasy points in seven of the past eight starts in ESPN leagues.

Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott leads the NFL in rushing and is a legitimate candidate for 2,000 yards from scrimmage as a professional freshman, while Dak Prescott merits some patience, given his large sample of success and this home setup. Dez Bryant is a boom-or-bust option but remains a threat for multiple touchdowns.

Sleepers and Streamers

Cole Beasley is a solid points-per-reception commodity, while Jason Witten and Cameron Brate are solid streaming tight ends given sizable market respective market shares.

Data such as target share, defensive drive rates, rushing and receiving allowance sourced from ESPN database.