Fantasy Football 101: When ADP Matters and Where It Misleads

Average draft position, usually shortened to ADP, is one of the most commonfantasy footballdraft tools. It tells managers where players tend to get selected across many drafts. That makes it useful, but only if it is used for the right reasons.

ADP is not a rankings list. It is not a projection. It is a record of draft tendencies -- how fantasy owners perceive value -- and how the data is curated can create wild swings in the results. Those distinctions matter. A player’s ADP shows what other managers are willing to pay, not what you are required to invest.

What ADP Actually Means

If a wide receiver has an ADP of 24, that usually means he is coming off the board approximately at the end of the second round in a 12-team league. If a quarterback has an ADP of 78, that places him somewhere in the middle rounds.

The "value slotting" of that information is simple and can help managers understand cost relative to what others believe. Knowing cost helps with timing. You can get a better sense of when a player may no longer be available, which positions are drying up, and whether you can wait another round before making a pick.

Why ADP Matters

Drafts are not just about identifying good players. They are also about understanding when players need to be selected. That is where ADP helps most. It can give conceptual structure to the board, especially for novice managers or early in the draft season.

A manager may love a certain running back, but if the RB's ADP sits several rounds later, reaching too early can cost value. On the other hand, if a player you like keeps going earlier than expected, waiting too long can mean missing him every time.

ADP also helps managers prepare for position runs. If several tight ends or quarterbacks tend to go in the same draft range, that tells you where the board may tighten.

In that sense, ADP helps managers draft with awareness rather than guesswork.

Related: Fantasy Football 101: Utilizing Mock Drafts

Where ADP Misleads Managers

The mistake comes when managers treat ADP like a strict draft order.

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ADP reflects consensus, and consensus is not always correct. Every season, some players get drafted too early because of hype, recent headlines, or name value. Others fall too far because of age, injury concerns, or uncertainty that the market may be overstating.

A sharp drafter does not ignore ADP but does not worship it, either. If you believe a player is undervalued, taking him ahead of ADP can be reasonable -- though savvy gamers will gamble on said player falling past their placement in certain cases. Conversely, if you think a player is overpriced, passing on him is fine even if the pick matches the market. The point of ADP is to provide context, not to make the decision for you.

Another way ADP can lead managers astray is when the source data isn't representative of your league structure. For example, if you're drafting in the last week of August and the ADP provider uses data that includes draft trends from May, the numbers won't be as precise. The same problem applies with non-PPR data for PPR leagues, keeper data being used in redraft formats, two-QB leagues in single-starter formats, etc.

Overly generic ADP figures can lead gamers down a deceptive path, and it's ideal to find a service that allows you to narrowly filter customized data with enough entries to justifiably form a trend.

How to Use ADP the Right Way

Use ADP to understand the room. Use your rankings to make the pick. That is the clearest way to think about it.

ADP helps you judge cost, anticipate when a tier may disappear or a positional run tends to start, and decide whether you should act in a specific manner. Your own evaluation should decide whether the player is worth taking.

It works especially well as a tiebreaker. If two players are fairly close in value, ADP can help you decide which one may still be available later. That can help you squeeze more value out of each round as well as plan accordingly if you're drafting from the turn.

ADP is a draft tool, not a replacement for doing the work of building well-reasoned rankings.

Related: Fantasy Football 101: Understanding How to Best Use Strength of Schedule

This story was originally published byAthlon Sportson Apr 6, 2026, where it first appeared in theFantasysection. Add Athlon Sports as aPreferred Source by clicking here.

byAlpha World

in

April 07, 2026

Fantasy Football 101: When ADP Matters and Where It Misleads

Average draft position, usually shortened to ADP, is one of the most commonfantasy footballdraft tools. It tells managers where players...

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US soldier trying to halt wife's deportation after she was detained on Louisiana military base

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A U.S. Army staff sergeant is trying to halt his wife's deportation after she was detained inside a Louisiana military base where the couple was planning to live together just days after their wedding.

Matthew Blank, left, and his wife, Annie Ramos

The effort to remove the soldier's wife, who was born in Honduras and remained in a federal immigration detention center Monday, has drawn backlash from military family advocates who called the detention demoralizing ina time of warand warned that deporting spouses could undermine recruitment.

Staff Sgt. Matthew Blank said he brought his wife, Annie Ramos, 22, to his base in Fort Polk, Louisiana, last Thursday so that she could begin the process to receive military benefits and take steps toward a green card. The couple married in March.

Federal immigration agents detained Ramos as part of the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda, which legal experts say has dispensed with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's practice of leniency toward families of military members.

“I never imagined that trying to do the right thing would lead to her being taken away from me,” said Blank, 23, in a statement to The Associated Press. “What was supposed to be the happiest week of our lives has turned into one of the hardest.”

Ramos' detention wasfirst reportedby The New York Times.

Ramos entered the U.S. in 2005, when she was younger than 2 years old. That same year, her family failed to appear for an immigration hearing, leading a judge to issue a final order of removal, according to DHS.

“She has no legal status to be in this country,” DHS said in an emailed statement. “This administration is not going to ignore the rule of law.”

In 2020, Ramos applied to receiveDeferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, also known as DACA, but her husband says her application has remained “in limbo” amid legal fights to end the Obama-era program.

Last April, DHS eliminated a2022 policythat considered military service of an immediate family member to be a “significant mitigating factor” in deciding whether or not to pursue immigration enforcement. The administration’snew policystates that “military service alone does not exempt aliens from the consequences of violating U.S. immigration laws.”

Prior to the Trump administration's mass deportation push, DHS generally allowed the spouses of active-duty military members to gain legal status through policies like parole in place and deferred action that military recruiters promote, according to Margaret Stock, a military immigration law expert.

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Ramos' case would have been easy to resolve in the past, Stock said, but instead DHS now appears to be focusing on detaining members of military families whenever the opportunity arises — including when, like Ramos, they are attempting to apply for legal status.

“It doesn’t make any sense — they’re going to get arrested for following the law? That's stupid," Stock said. “It's bad for morale, it disrupts the soldiers' readiness.”

In September, more than 60 members of Congress wrote to DHS and the U.S. Department of Defense warning thatarrests of military personnel and veteran's family memberswas “betraying its promises to service members who play a key role in protecting U.S. national security."

The Pentagon declined to comment.

Lydiah Owiti-Otienoh, who runs an advocacy group called the Foreign-Born Military Spouse Network, said she's anecdotally seen an increase in cases where the lives of military families have been upended by tightening immigration restrictions. She believes the federal government is undermining its own interests by attempting to deport military spouses.

“It just sends a really bad message — we don’t care about you, about your spouses, anything you are doing,” Owiti-Otienoh said. “If military families are not stable, national security is not stable.”

Blank’s mother, Jen Rickling, told the AP in a statement that her daughter-in-law, a Sunday school teacher and biochemistry major, had been everything she hoped for — someone who “loves my son with her whole heart.”

“We absolutely adore her,” Rickling said. “I believe in this country. And I believe we can do better than this — for Annie, for other military families, and for the values we hold dear.”

Blank says he had been eager to start building a life and with Ramos on the base while he served his country.

“I want my wife home," Blank said. “And I will not stop fighting until she is back where she belongs, by my side.”

Brook is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative.Report for Americais a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

byAlpha World

in

April 07, 2026

US soldier trying to halt wife's deportation after she was detained on Louisiana military base

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A U.S. Army staff sergeant is trying to halt his wife's deportation after she was detained inside a Louisiana mi...

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Sacramento County confirms 2 additional measles cases

Two additional measles cases were recorded by theSacramento County Department of Public Health, bringing the total cases to five in the county's outbreak.

Both cases occurred in unvaccinated children. It's unclear when or where these children were exposed to the disease, but county health officials confirmed that both children are "in isolation and are recovering."

“The continued identification of measles cases in our community is concerning and underscores how quickly this disease can spread,” saidDr. Olivia Kasirye, Sacramento County public health officer, in a press release.

“Measles can cause serious illness but it’s important to remember these cases are preventable. Vaccination is the most important step people can take right now to protect themselves and others.”

Last month, county health officials determined there was an outbreak in thegreater Sacramento area, which includes Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo counties, after an unvaccinated toddler contracted the virus while traveling through South Carolina.

After returning to California, three kids in Placer County came in contact with the toddler and transmitted the disease. In March, the health department recorded two additional cases in the same community. In one case, a child contracted the disease at an educational program where there were at least 130 children present.

Within the greater Sacramento area, officials have confirmed at least eight measles cases.

Last month,California's Department of Public Health urged residents to check their immunization statusand get vaccinated against measles after it was determined that cases are on the rise across the state.

Where have cases been reported?

As of March 30, local public health departments have identified 34 measles cases in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Riverside, Sacramento, Placer and Shasta counties.

Nine cases were linked to exposure in Southern California, possibly at Disneyland in Anaheim and at Los Angeles International Airport as people were traveling on Jan. 22 and 28, California Department of Public Health officials said on Feb. 3.

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The disease is breaking out across the nation as South Carolina is experiencing one of the largest outbreaks in over 30 years, with nearly 990 associated cases reported as of April 2026.

"The United States is experiencing the highest numbers of measles cases, outbreaks, hospitalizations and deaths in more than 30 years, driven by populations with low vaccination rates," Erica Pan, California Department of public health director and state public health officer in a February press release "We all need to work together to share the medical evidence, benefits, and safety of vaccines to provide families the information they need to protect children and our communities."

What are the symptoms of measles?

Measles typically begins with a fever, cough, runny nose and red eyes, usually about seven to 14 days after exposure but can occur up to 21 days after contact with an infected person, according to the California Department of Public Health. The fever can reach 105 degrees.

Tiny white spots may appear inside the mouth two to three days after symptoms begin, according to the California Department of Public Health. A rash can form on the hairline and face two to four days after symptoms first appear.

The rash then spreads down the back and torso and extends into the arms, hands, legs and feet, according to the California Department of Public Health. After about five days, the rash fades in the same order in which it appeared.

"The MMR vaccine provides the best protection against disease and serious illness," according to the California Department of Public Health.

The department recommends families avoid hosting or attending holiday gatherings, birthday parties, group gatherings, faith-based services and school if they believe their child is sick.

Officials are also recommending that families returning home after traveling to an area experiencing a measles outbreak should monitor for symptoms and limit contact with others.

If an individual believes they or a family member may have been exposed to the disease, they should contact their family's health care provider or the local health department.

Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him atnpadilla@usatodayco.com, follow him on X @1NoePadillaor on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social.Sign up for theTODAY Californian newsletteror follow us on Facebook atTODAY Californian.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Sacramento County confirms 2 additional measles cases in the region

byAlpha World

in

April 07, 2026

Sacramento County confirms 2 additional measles cases

Two additional measles cases were recorded by theSacramento County Department of Public Health, bringing the total cases to five in the...

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Savannah Guthrie returns to 'TODAY' amid search for her 84-year-old mother

“TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie is set to return to the flagship NBC morning show Monday, more than two months after her mother disappeared.

Guthrie, who has co-anchored “TODAY” since 2012, stepped away from her role in early February afterNancy Guthrie, 84, went missing from her home near Tucson, Arizona. Authorities have described the case as a possible kidnapping or abduction.

Guthrie told an Easter church service on Sunday "I still believe," while speaking about how her Christian faith has been tested during the search for her mother.

In her first interview since the start of her family’s ordeal,Guthrie told Hoda Kotblast month that she believed returning to the “TODAY” anchor desk is “part of my purpose right now,” even though it was difficult to imagine going back to a workplace she associates with “joy and lightness.”

“I can’t come back and try to be something that I’m not. But I can’t not come back because it’s my family,” Guthrie said in the interview, which aired in March. “I don’t know if I can do it. I don’t know if I’ll belong anymore, but I would like to try.”

“TODAY” co-anchor Craig Melvin,announcing Guthrie’s returnon the March 27 broadcast of the show, said: “It’s where she belongs. It’s where we all want her to be. We cannot wait to welcome her back with open arms here in Studio 1A.”

Nancy Guthrie’s family reported her missing around noon Feb. 1 after she did not show up at a friend’s house for virtual church services, according to the Pima County Sheriff’s Office. She was last seen the previous night around 9:45 p.m. after having dinner at her daughter Annie Guthrie’s home, according to authorities.

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The investigation into her disappearance gripped the nation and put an intense spotlight on the quiet Catalina Foothills area of Tucson. Authorities have not identified a suspect or motive, though theFBI releasedchilling doorbell camera footage ofan armed and masked manoutside Nancy Guthrie’s home on the morning she was reported missing.

The bureau described him as a man of average build, 5 feet, 9 inches to 5 feet, 10 inches tall, wearing a black Ozark Trail Hiker Pack 25-liter backpack.

Guthrie and her siblings, Camron Guthrie and Annie Guthrie, have provided updates on the case via social media. In emotionally wrenching videos on Instagram, they have thanked members of the public for their prayers and made direct appeals to Nancy Guthrie’s possible abductor.

“Someone knows how to find our mom and bring her home,” Guthrie wrote in the caption toa Feb. 24 video post.

The family is offeringup to $1 millionfor information that leads to the 84-year-old’s recovery. The FBI is offering a reward ofup to $100,000for “information leading to the recovery of Nancy Guthrie and/or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.”

Kotb, a “TODAY” contributor, substituted for Guthrie. In that period, Guthrie withdrew from NBC’s coverage of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics; Mary Carillo stepped in to co-host the opening ceremony alongside NBC Sports’ Terry Gannon.

Guthrievisited the “TODAY” set March 5. In photos taken from outside the studio by a photographer for The Associated Press, Guthrie could be seen wiping tears and embracing her colleagues. The visit was not televised.

“I really wanted to come and see everybody. I just love this beautiful place that we call home, where we get to come and be every day,” Guthrie told Kotb, adding: “When times are hard, you want to be with your family.”

byAlpha World

in

April 06, 2026

Savannah Guthrie returns to 'TODAY' amid search for her 84-year-old mother

“TODAY” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie is set to return to the flagship NBC morning show Monday, more than two months after her mother disa...

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Appeals court reinstates $656M judgment against the PLO and Palestinian Authority

NEW YORK (AP) — A $656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities has been reinstated by appeals judges, following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Americans killed or wounded in attacks in Israel.

The decision from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals comes a decade after it first tossed out a verdict against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority on the grounds that U.S. courts couldn't consider lawsuits against foreign groups over overseas attacks that were not aimed at the United States.

But the appeals court reinstated the judgment in light ofa Supreme Court ruling last Juneupholding a 2019 law enacted by Congress to allow the victims’ lawsuits to go forward against the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority.

“We conclude that the original judgment for the plaintiffs should be reinstated. That conclusion is consistent with the plain import of the Supreme Court’s decision,” the judges said in a decision dated March 30.

“Our client families are very relieved that the court has reinstated the judgment without requiring a new trial. They have been waiting for a very long time for justice to be done,” attorney Kent Yalowitz said in an email.

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Nitsana Darshan-Leitner, another attorney for the plaintiffs, said she was pleased with the decision after 22 years of litigation.

The victims had sued under the Anti-Terrorism Act, which was signed into law in 1992 to open U.S. courts to victims of international terror attacks.

The victims and their families assert that Palestinian agents either were involved in the attacks or incited them.

The Palestinians have consistently argued that the cases shouldn’t be allowed in American courts.

Emails seeking comment were sent to attorneys for the defendants on Sunday.

byAlpha World

in

April 06, 2026

Appeals court reinstates $656M judgment against the PLO and Palestinian Authority

NEW YORK (AP) — A $656 million judgment against Palestinian authorities has been reinstated by appeals judges, following a U.S. Supreme...

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