A Sox-Yanks Nail-Biter, Intriguing NBA Story Lines, and Five Biggest Fantasy Football Story Lines With Bill’s Dad, Michael Pina, and Craig Horlbeck

What It Covers

Bill Simmons discusses Red Sox playoff victory over Yankees with his dad, explores five NBA preseason storylines with Michael Pina including Denver's championship potential, and analyzes fantasy football's biggest stories through four weeks with Craig Horlbeck.

Key Questions Answered

• •Red Sox Playoff Strategy: Boston won game one despite losing Casas, Devers, Anthony, Crawford, and Giolito, relying on Garrett Crochet's 117-pitch performance and unconventional lineup featuring Romy Gonzales batting fourth. Chapman's unusual eighth-inning entry disrupted his rhythm before recovering to throw 100-101 mph fastballs with bases loaded in the ninth.
• •Garrett Crochet Trade Value: The White Sox trade delivered one of Boston's best pitching seasons since Pedro Martinez, with Crochet posting career-high 200-plus innings and 16 consecutive outs in the playoff opener. His performance ranks alongside Clemens, Lester, Beckett, and Schilling for crucial game-one starts in Red Sox playoff history.
• •Denver Nuggets Championship Build: Adding Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr., and trading Michael Porter Jr. for Cam Johnson transforms Denver into a 61-62 win team. The roster depth addresses their previous one-arm-tied-behind-back offense, with Johnson providing ball-handling and health reliability Porter lacked at 40 million annually.
• •Victor Wembanyama Development Path: San Antonio's seven-foot-six center enters year three with improved roster support including Dearon Fox and Dylan Harper. The Spurs' 54.5 win total undervalues their potential top-five defense and Wembanyama's 12-to-1 MVP odds, fourth-best behind SGA, Jokic, and Doncic, with realistic 25-10-3 plus five blocks projection.
• •Fantasy Football Rookie Reality: Travis Hunter ranks as the 77th-highest scoring wide receiver through four weeks, playing only 58 percent of snaps for Jacksonville after they traded up to second overall. Tyler Warren immediately becomes a top-five fantasy tight end, while Emeka Ibuka's wide receiver seven ranking validates college production over combine metrics.