News of the day

As Sunday’s action for Week 11 of the NFL season draws closer, one name making headlines is Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Lamar Jackson. While the former University of Louisville star has yet to start a regular-season game, it’s looking like that may change this week. With the Ravens set for a huge divisional game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jackson’s number is expected to be called as the starter.

As ESPN’s Jamison Hensley revealed, the “most likely” scenario is that the Ravens start Jackson at quarterback, with Robert Griffin III mixing in.

While the Ravens probably won’t name a starting QB today, the most likely scenario for Sunday is starting rookie first-round pick Lamar Jackson and mixing in Robert Griffin III for some series and special packages.

— Jamison Hensley (@jamisonhensley) November 16, 2018

This news comes due to a hip injury which Has plagued starter Joe Flacco over the past two weeks. In turn, it could be on Jackson to help the Ravens keep pace in the AFC North, as they sit at 4-5 on the year behind both the Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2-1) and Bengals (5-4).

With the talented but unproven player set to become yet another rookie signal caller to start an NFL game this season, there’s a good chance it could have a fantasy football impact. Let’s take a look at whether Jackson should be in consideration as a starter this week for fantasy teams.

*Update: Obviously, Jackson starting for fantasy teams is only an option if Flacco is ruled out for this game. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Saturday that Jackson is expected to start.

Listed as doubtful, QB Joe Flacco is not expected to play against Bengals, per source, leaving first-round draft pick Lamar Jackson as the Ravens’ expected starting QB vs. Cincinnati on Sunday. It would be Jackson’s first NFL start.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) November 18, 2018

Should You Start or Sit Lamar Jackson?

There’s no denying this is an interesting spot for Jackson both with the Ravens and from a fantasy perspective. Week 11 is one of two which features six teams on bye (tied with only Week 9), but the only huge name not playing is Tom Brady. Along with Brady, Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield has made his way into the starting conversation in some leagues as well and …read more

Source:: Heavy.com

While the Detroit Lions and their fans believe they’ve found the answer at running back in rookie Kerryon Johnson, that doesn’t mean there’s no work available for others. Although for 27-year-old backup Theo Riddick, that work may not come as a runner. Fortunately, that doesn’t mean Riddick can’t be a productive player, and the proof of that came over the past two games.

Riddick was sidelined for nearly a month with a knee injury, but his return to the field grabbed some attention. This was largely due to the fact that he didn’t receive a single carry, but did catch seven passes for 36 yards. The numbers weren’t exceptional, but seven catches for a running back is solid.

Then Week 10 rolled around and Riddick again failed to receive a single carry, but caught six passes for 60 yards, and it quickly became apparent he could have fantasy football value. While the Detroit back is likely only a name to consider in point-per-reception leagues, he’s still worth evaluating as an option. Part of this is due to the fact that he’s acted as the team’s slot receiver a fair amount following the Golden Tate trade.

Let’s take a look at whether Riddick is worth starting in fantasy football in a Week 11 matchup with the Carolina Panthers.

Should You Start or Sit Theo Riddick?

This is an interesting spot for Riddick and fantasy players who are in need of a bye-week filler or possible flex play. With Marvin Jones (knee) ruled out against the Panthers, it means Kenny Golladay will receive a ton of work, and Riddick should also get a nice boost as well.

What stands out quite a bit is how much playing time Riddick has received over the past two weeks. Per Football Outsiders, the Lions back played 56 percent of the offensive snaps in Week 9 and 59 percent in Week 10. With Jones out and the Lions light on pass-catchers, we could see Riddick play out of the slot more than he has in either of the past two games.

As far as the matchup goes, it’s actually hard to evaluate, as the Panthers have been solid against opposing running backs but have given up four receiving touchdowns to the position. With that said, all of that may be irrelevant if Riddick plays wide receiver. If that proves to be …read more

Source:: Heavy.com

Some US states are more charitable than others.
We ranked the states by how much residents making over $500,000 donated to charity in 2016, based on IRS data.
Vermont is on the less charitable end of the spectrum, while Wyoming is the most charitable state.

Wealthy people live in every state in the US — but some states are more charitable than others.

The IRS publishes data about the number of people who itemize their tax returns every year, and how many people claim which deductions by state and by income bracket.

To arrive at the rankings, we looked at the people who itemized and made between $500,000 and $1 million, and more than $1 million in the year 2016 (the most recent one for which we have data). We looked at how many claimed the itemized deduction for charitable giving. The IRS also indicates how much money was claimed to be donated. Using that information, we could figure out the average claimed donation per $500,000+ income tax return per state.

Here, in ascending order, are the top 26 most charitable states plus Washington DC.

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26: Illinois

Average annual charitable contribution: $62,328.16
Percentage of people making $500,000+ who donate: 96%

25: Texas

Average annual charitable contribution: $64,512.10
Percentage of people making $500,000+ who donate: 94%

24: Vermont

Average annual charitable contribution: $65,926.79
Percentage of people making $500,000+ who donate: 95%

See the rest of the story at Business Insider …read more

Source:: Business Insider