- NFC East projected starters for 2023 NFL season: Eagles, Cowboys boast conference’s top two rosters NFL.com
- Giants’ NFC East rivals Part 2: Are Dak Prescott-led Cowboys a team on the rise or in decline? NJ.com
- Where did the Eagles land in Ryan Clark’s ranking of the top 5 NFC teams? Yahoo Sports
- NFC West projected starters for 2023 NFL season: Seahawks closing in on 49ers? Cards, Rams in limbo NFL.com
- ESPN slammed for ‘criminal take’ by bemused football fans after unveiling its NFL power rankings… The US Sun
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: starters
Ohio State Will Have 20 New Players, 13 Returning Starters and 48 Returning Letterwinners in Spring Practice | – Eleven Warriors
- Ohio State Will Have 20 New Players, 13 Returning Starters and 48 Returning Letterwinners in Spring Practice | Eleven Warriors
- Biggest questions for Ohio State entering spring practice 2023 247Sports
- Blue-Chip DB Johnson-Rubell Set for First Ohio State Visit | 2024 Ohio State Football Recruiting Tracker Sports Illustrated
- The Hurry-Up: Ohio State Expected to Host More Than 65 Recruiting Visitors over the Spring, Four-star OL Jorda Eleven Warriors
- Buckeye targets lead today’s first group of recruits visiting Ohio State this spring 247Sports
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Week 12 Defense (DEF) Streamers, Starters & Rankings: 2022 Fantasy Tiers, Rankings
We had a pretty solid week, getting six of the top 10, including four of the top five. However, we missed by not having Atlanta, Detroit, and Carolina, and Buffalo was trending as a top-10 defense until two garbage-time touchdowns after building a 28-10 lead. Those are the things you can’t account always account for, so I’m feeling pretty good about how the process has been going of late.
We’re also far enough into the season that we need to keep in mind season-long rankings but also recent performance. In the writeups below you’ll hear me mention season-long stats as well as fantasy performances over the last six weeks to try and create a balance analytical approach.
As a reminder, every week I do a YouTube DST video called Pick 3(DST) where I give you three defenses I like during the week and one that I’m fading. We have some fun with it, but I think it gives a lot of the same reasoning I present here, so check it out for some video fun. And my BOD Leaderboard is available on Public Tableau, where you can see my updated BOD rankings, plus a leaderboard for the individual defensive stats I use for the BOD formula, and some of the offensive stats that I think can help us determine which DST to play or not. Also, make sure to always check back with this article over the weekend because I will my updated rankings as the week goes on when we get injury news or troubling weather information, etc.
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What is the BOD Ranking Formula?
Last year I introduced my Best Overall Defense (BOD) rankings formula, and I’ll be using it again this year. I’ll give a quick overview of the formula below, followed by my general strategy for streaming defenses, and then my Week 12 fantasy football defense (DST) rankings. Good luck in Week 10 everyone!
The BOD (Best Overall Defense) formula takes into account my favorite stats for picking the right defenses (both positive and negative) and weighs them in a formula. You can view the RANKINGS AND COMPLETE LEADERBOARD of all the stats I use here. I tweaked the formula as the season went on last year, and I feel like it gives us a pretty good indicator of who has the best defenses for fantasy purposes. If you don’t want to click that link, the formula is:
(Pressure Rate x 2) + (Sacks) + (QB Hurry Rate) + (Pass Break-Ups) + (%Drives ending in a Turnover x 2)
Minus
(Missed Tackles)+ (% Drives ending in a Score x 2) + (Yards per play)
It’s important to clarify that the BOD rankings ARE NOT to be treated as weekly rankings. BOD is meant to tell us who the best fantasy defenses are, but depending on the matchup, they might be ranked differently in a given week. That’s why we have this column where I will be breaking down my rankings for each week and an explanation of why I have the defenses ranked the way I do. The rankings will take into account their BOD ranking, opponent, injuries, weather, etc., but I hope my explanation will help make sense of each ranking.
Picking The Right Defenses To Pickup and Start
Just a quick recap of my general philosophy and what we discussed at length last year: when choosing a defense, you want to look for defenses that get consistent pressure and takeaways. Sacks and turnovers are more valuable for fantasy defense than preventing yardage and even, to a certain extent, preventing points. If a defense allows a stingy yards-per-play number, that’s great and I’ll cite some of those numbers below. However, they better also be able to get into the backfield or force turnovers, or else it won’t really matter in the long run.
Essentially, we need to move away from points against as being the most important factor in choosing a fantasy defense. In 2021, NFL offenses gained 343.6 yards per game and scored 23.0 points per game. While that’s down from the 24.8 scored in 2020 (most likely because of the deep safety defenses), it’s still the third-most in the Super Bowl era.
With offenses putting up video game numbers, it means that we can’t continue to judge a defense solely by the number of points they allow or the number of yards they give up. Those numbers will naturally be higher than we’re used to. Instead, we need to look for which offensive lines are truly weak points and which defenses will either be blitz-heavy or get consistent pressure with their pass rush. These are all incredibly important pieces of information in determining which defenses to play in any given week.
Starting the right defense every week can be a difference-maker, so remember to check back here during the week as I will make updates once we get more information on some of these injuries and also get a better sense of the weather for the game.
Season Record
58-53 correctly predicting top-10 defenses
I want to track how correctly I pick the top 10 this year, so I’ll keep track using FantasyPros total points. If anybody has other suggestions, let me know.
Week 12 Defenses To Start and Stream: Tiered Rankings
Confidence Ratings (out of 15) – Since every league’s DST scoring is different, projections don’t always make a ton of sense. The confidence rating is a guideline for how much more I like one team over another instead of just a point projection. This is the best way to see just how much I like one team over another. Not all one or two-spot differences are the same.
A zero means “do not start,” and then the confidence rises from there. Typically the top three tiers will be DSTs you should target, with Tier 4 being options in deep leagues.
The Cowboys and 49ers stand out ahead of the pack for me this week. Not only because they are two elite defenses but also because they both have strong matchups.
The Cowboys are going to get the Giants on Thursday afternoon, which means Richie James will likely be unable to recovery from his knee injury in addition to New York losing Wan’Dale Robinson for the season. That leaves just Darius Slayton and Kenny Golladay on the outside, so, really just Darius Slayton. The Cowboys can key in on Saquon Barkley and fire up that front seven which leads the NFL in both sacks and tackles for a loss.
The 49ers also have an elite pass rush, ranking 5th in sacks and 8th in tackles for a loss. Despite their injuries in the secondary, they have also held up well against the deep ball, which should help against Chris Olave. What’s more, Alvin Kamara got his ankle rolled up on in the third quarter last week and only played one snap after that. Nobody is talking about it yet, but I’m not confident he’ll be 100%.
The Jets are another team that could benefit from an injury to the opposition as Justin Fields will either miss this game or play through a dislocated shoulder. While it is his non-throwing shoulder, any big hit or any forceful landing on that shoulder is sure to be immensely painful, so you have to wonder how much Fields runs even if he is active. This Jets defense has been elite for most of the year, so I love them against a banged-up Bears offense.
The Eagles have also let us down a bit of late, but they remain a tough defense to sit. They have incredibly stingy corners, allowing a league-leading 4.7 yards per pass attempt, which will make life hard for Aaron Rodgers. Philly is also 1st in the NFL in turnover rate, 3rd in the NFL in sacks, 11th in tackles for a loss, and 6th in the rate of offensive drives that end in a score, so I like them against a downhearted Packers team.
The Commanders have also been an underrated unit and should welcome Chase Young back this week (even though I thought that last week). They’re 8th in the rate of offensive drives that end in a score, 3rd in pressure rate, 11th in sacks, and 3rd in tackles for a loss. They have also been the 4th-ranked fantasy defense over the last six weeks, averaging 10.3 points per game. Atlanta runs a lot, which means teams often aren’t able to rack up sacks and turnovers, but I still think you need to play Washington here.
The Chiefs also make tier two because of their matchup against a Rams offense that gives up a league-worst 15.1 points to opposing defenses. They are without Cooper Kupp and just cut Darrell Henderson, so this is a team in turmoil. Their defense has also underperformed all year, so I don’t expect them to be able to stop the Chiefs, which will lead to a pass-happy Matthew Stafford and some interceptions from Kansas City. Just beware of the garbage time points.
I almost had the Steelers in tier three, but the Colts have actually looked okay these last two weeks. Still, they give up the 3rd-most points to opposing fantasy defenses, and this Steelers team is a different beast with T.J. Watt back. I still think Pittsburgh is a good play here. But the Colts are also in play after they showed up against the Eagles. I’m still a bit worried about them without Shaq Leonard; however, the Steelers give up the 7th-most fantasy points to opposing defenses, so there should be a safe floor with Indy.
I also like both New England and Minnesota, but prefer the Pats. New England is actually the number-one defense over the last six weeks, scoring 14 points per game. They’re 2nd in sacks, 2nd in pressure rate, 2nd in the rate of offensive drives that end in a score, and 7th in turnover rate. The only reason they’re in tier three is that the Vikings only give up 6.4 points per game on average to defenses.
However, the Vikings themselves are a top-10 defense over the last six weeks, averaging eight points per game. I am not a Mac Jones believer, and New England allows opposing fantasy defenses to score 8.8 points per game, so I think there is a bit of a safe floor with Minnesota this week.
The Bills, Ravens, and Dolphins are all trendy picks, but I’m cautious about all for various reasons. The Bills will likely be without Tre’Davious White, Tremaine Edmunds, AJ Epenese, and Gregory Rousseau. Those are not small losses against a Lions team on a three-game winning streak. The Ravens have been tremendous of late, but Jacksonville, for all their struggles, allows only 6.3 points to opposing fantasy defense, that’s the 5th-lowest in the league. This is not as easy a matchup as some think.
Lastly, the Dolphins are in a good spot against a Houston team that allows the 2nd-most points to opposing fantasy defenses, but Miami’s defense has been bad. They’re 29th in turnover rate, 24th in sacks, 25th in pressure rate, and 31st in tackles for a loss. It makes them a riskier option than people think.
Denver and Carolina are both in play here because of the concerns about each offense. However, Carolina has actually been the vastly better defense of late. They are 11th with 6.5 points per game over the last six weeks, while Denver ranks just 25th, averaging 4.2 points per game over that same span. I want to trust Denver because Sam Darnold is starting, and he’s been awful, but this defense hasn’t been good and doesn’t have Bradley Chubb. I weirdly think I might prefer Carolina.
I think people are too harsh on the Bucs’ defense. They’re 3rd in the NFL in the rate of offensive drives that end in a score, 6th in pressure rate, tied for 4th in sacks, and 6th in tackles for a loss. They were missing some pieces in their secondary earlier, but they’re healthy now; however, they also face a run-heavy Browns offense that allows the 7th-fewest points per game to opposing fantasy defenses, so it’s not a high-ceiling game.
The Titans are the 5th-ranked defense over the last month with 10.2 points allowed per game. However, the Bengals should get Ja’Marr Chase back, and even if Joe Mixon is out, this secondary in Tennessee is a bit of a concern. They are 30th in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game and 19th in passing touchdown rate allowed. If the Bengals receiving corps is at full strength, they could hit some big plays.
However, all of these are potential plays in 12-team leagues as you can see how closely I have DSTs 9-17 ranked. It’s going to be about trusting your gut this week.
The Bears are also a trendy pick because Zach Wilson isn’t good, but remember that this team traded away Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith. The defense isn’t good. Lastly, Seattle is a defense I really like, but the Raiders give up the 3rd-fewest fantasy points to opposing defenses, so it’s not really a great matchup.
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Pokémon Scarlet and Violet starters are really tough to pick
I’m convinced the good developers at Game Freak are trying to mess with my emotions when it comes to picking a starter in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
In pretty much every mainline Pokémon game (save Pokémon Yellow) each trainer starts their journey by picking one of three Pokémon to start their journey with. Choosing your starter has never been an easy decision; whichever Pokémon you go with is the first creature to join you on your journey, and because of that they get special attention and cooler designs. Even then, in all my years of playing Pokémon, I never struggled with the decision quite as much as I did when I had to pick one in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
This is because, for the first time in franchise history, the game makes you spend time with all of them before making a decision.
In the past, you might be presented with an option of three Pokémon in a lab, and you’d simply pick the one that looked best. But in Scarlet and Violet academy director Clavell shows up to your home and tells you it’s time to pick a starter before you attend the local academy. Instead of picking a Pokémon on the spot, you get to spend time with all three of them and then you pick.
Image: Game Freak/Nintendo, The Pokémon Company
You take a short walk with all three of them. As you stroll, you get to see a bit of each starter’s personality. The grass-type Sprigatito stops to smell the flowers, Quaxly gets lost in the view of the ocean, and Fuecoco stares at a random sign.
But that’s not even what’s hardest. Afterwards there’s a little cut scene where you see them all playing in the yard of a home where each gets a little character moment. Fuecoco, for example, takes interest in an orange on the ground but then sneezes and accidentally roasts it. It was like each Pokémon was actively being as cute and charming as possible in an effort to sway me, and let me tell you, it made the decision difficult.
I went in wanting either Sprigatito or Fuecoco, but after seeing his goofy personality, I chose Fuecoco. Even then, I wanted to take all three of them home with me. So even if some fans disagreed about how much they liked the final evolutions, I can confidently say they are adorable at the start — so cute that it makes the decision to pick just one very difficult.
Getting healthy at right time, Chicago Bears practice with all projected starters on offense
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears’ offense saw the return of center Lucas Patrick and wide receivers Byron Pringle and Velus Jones Jr. during Monday’s practice. For the first time since late July, Chicago’s entire group of projected offensive starters practiced together.
Patrick has not practiced since he broke his right thumb on July 28 and underwent surgery. Pringle sustained a quad injury in early August and missed the entire preseason while Jones missed significant time with undisclosed injuries throughout training camp. In his lone preseason action against Seattle, the rookie third-rounder showed off his speed on a 48-yard punt return and caught one pass for 4 yards.
“A lot of guys are back and looking really good, looking healthy and moving around and we’re assessing that as we go,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “Everything looks really good.”
The Bears will disclose their first injury report of the season Wednesday. Chicago hosts the San Francisco 49ers in its season opener Sunday.
Wide receiver injuries have been a constant for Chicago throughout the preseason. Last week, Eberflus announced veteran Tajae Sharpe is out for the year with an injury to his ribs, while N’Keal Harry (ankle) was placed on injured reserve after the initial 53-man roster was set. Harry is eligible to return after missing the Bears’ first four games.
Chicago claimed second-year receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette off waivers last week. He spent the 2021 season with Minnesota.
Pringle confirmed that he originally sustained his quad injury during an individual drill in training camp and tried to remain on the field during the following day’s practice.
“I actually messed it up in that individual period [on Aug. 2], but I stayed,” Pringle said. “I tried to practice through. It’s just that undrafted free agent mentality that I have, can’t get out when you’re injured, so I practiced like three days after the injury. And then I just got an MRI and after the results, I was injured.
“I’m a tough dude, so I know they didn’t want the setback. I didn’t either because I wanted to go out in the preseason and show what I could do on the field. It was just one of the things I need to communicate to the team.”
Pringle said he felt “great” in his first practice back and credits riding the stationary bike in the training room and boxing away from the team’s facility for helping him stay in shape while rehabbing.
The 28-year-old receiver, who signed a one-year, $4.125 million contract with Chicago as a free agent, said he’ll assess his availability for the opener later in the week.
“They’ve got me limited right now,” Pringle said. “I’m just trying to feel everything out, trying to get my feet back up under myself.”
As for Patrick, Eberflus said the Bears are looking at the veteran offensive lineman to play either center or guard. During the portion of practice open to the media on Monday, Patrick — who was the team’s starting center prior to his injury — did not snap the ball during individual drills with the offensive line.
While Patrick was sidelined, Sam Mustipher has handled center duties with the first-team offensive line while Teven Jenkins made the switch from backup tackle to starting right guard midway through training camp.
Last week, Eberflus said the team is hoping Patrick will return for Week 1, and the Bears would “never rule out” playing him at multiple positions on the interior of the O-line given his experience at center and guard.
“Just how he’s moving around, his conditioning level, where he’s at,” Eberflus said. “He can certainly function at a bunch of different spots for us. We’re looking at all those.”
Robert Saleh undecided on playing New York Jets’ starters in second preseason game
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — New York Jets coach Robert Saleh can’t make up his mind on whether to play his starters Monday night against the Atlanta Falcons.
“I’m torn on it,” Saleh said Saturday after the second joint practice with the Falcons. “I wake up one day and I’m like, ‘OK, they’re going to play.’ The next day I wake up and they’re not going to play.”
It’s a multilayered decision for Saleh. The starters played only two series in the preseason opener against the Philadelphia Eagles, and they typically don’t play in the final game. If they sit against the Falcons, it would be like having three consecutive bye weeks before the Sept. 11 season opener.
On the flip side, there’s the injury factor. The Jets already have suffered key injuries to right tackle Mekhi Becton (season-ending knee surgery) and quarterback Zach Wilson (arthroscopic knee surgery). Wilson, hurt against the Eagles, is expected to miss about a month, making it likely that Joe Flacco will face the Ravens in Week 1.
Flacco, 37, saw no action against the Eagles, so he would have no game reps before the opener — a risky proposition for a quarterback who hasn’t seen much game action in recent years.
“He doesn’t need it, but I feel like everybody can use it as a reminder of how to get yourself prepared and making sure every game is just a normal game,” said Saleh, hedging once again.
Saleh said they got two productive days of work against the Falcons, reducing the need to see his starters in the game. The Jets were in a similar situation last year, and those memories aren’t pleasant.
They lost defensive end Carl Lawson to a season-ending Achilles injury in a joint practice against the Green Bay Packers, then played their starters in the subsequent game. One of them, linebacker Jarrad Davis, suffered a significant ankle injury and was sidelined for two months.
“It was like bloodshed,” Saleh said, recalling the trip to Green Bay.
The Jets were crushed by injuries during the season, too, which may explain Saleh’s cautious approach. In Philadelphia, he decided at the last minute to rest key veterans, most notably Lawson, linebacker C.J. Mosley and tackle George Fant.
One potential problem area is the offensive line. As a result of Becton’s injury and Duane Brown’s late arrival, the starting five has yet to practice together. Brown, 36, who signed Aug. 15, spent the entire week with the conditioning staff, working his way into football shape. He won’t play Monday night, meaning the offensive line might not be together in a game setting until the opener.
Safety Jordan Whitehead said the joint practices were “like the preseason,” but acknowledged that actual game reps are important, too.
“When you do get into the game, it speeds up, so you definitely need some reps to get ready for the season,” he said. Another factor for Saleh: Monday Night Football.
“There’s tremendous value in this one. This one is different because it’s Monday Night Football,” he said. We’re such a young team and that’s what a lot of guys dream of.”
Saleh said the Monday Night Football stage creates a “heightened environment,” which he believes helps prepare the players for the intensity of the regular season.
Mac Jones, most New England Patriots starters not expected to play in preseason opener
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones and most of the team’s starters aren’t expected to play in Thursday night’s preseason game against the New York Giants, sources told ESPN.
The Patriots have joint practices next week with the Carolina Panthers followed by a preseason game with them.
Then the following week, the team flies to Las Vegas for joint practices with the Las Vegas Raiders and a final preseason game against them.
The Patriots’ preseason opener is expected to mostly feature rookies and backups vying for roster spots. Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe, a fourth-round pick out of Western Kentucky, projects to see the majority of action behind veteran Brian Hoyer.
The Giants plan to open with their healthy starters, per sources.
BYU football: Here’s why some potential starters aren’t on fall camp roster
Before the media viewing portion of the first practice of preseason training camp on Thursday, BYU distributed copies of its “2022 BYU Football Fall Camp Roster” to reporters.
There were a whopping 109 names on the roster, with a lot of multiple numbers, like usual. For instance, Cal transfer running back Chris Brooks and 2021 leading tackler Ben Bywater will both wear No. 2 this year.
That number will grow once school starts, as schools are allowed to have 123 players on their final rosters, per NCAA rules.
“If guys aren’t practicing today, 90% of them are because they are not cleared yet, not 100% healthy. So in (Chaz Ah You’s) example, he is not ready to go. We are not going to force it. We still have a month to go, and some time.” — BYU football coach Kalani Sitake.
There were a few startling omissions from the roster for those who follow the program closely, but don’t panic just yet. Coach Kalani Sitake said some guys, such as former four-star recruit Chaz Ah You, either haven’t been medically cleared yet, or are still taking care of some academic work with summer term concluding on August 12.
Ah You, who is a game-changer when he’s healthy, apparently falls into that former category. He was seen at practice Thursday, but wasn’t participating.
Ah You “is in fall camp,” Sitake said. “If guys aren’t practicing today, 90% of them are because they are not cleared yet, not 100% healthy. So in (Ah You’s) example, he is not ready to go. We are not going to force it. We still have a month to go, and some time.”
Here is what Ah You posted on his Twitter account Thursday afternoon: “Patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. We all good on this side!”
Patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset. We all good on this side!🙏#AG2G
— Chazyboy (@chazahyou3) August 4, 2022
Sitake said coaches “want to make sure we work with our specialists and get (Ah You) in the right position to be healthy first before he takes the field.”
Ah You played in BYU’s first eight games last year, and started in six, before leaving the Washington State game on October 23 with an undisclosed injury. He never played again in 2021.
Punt returner Hobbs Nyberg, defensive back Quenton Rice, offensive lineman Donovan Hanna, backup kicker Justen Smith, cornerback/returner Caleb Christensen, receiver Chris Jackson and defensive lineman Atunaisa Mahe were all on the roster BYU published in June (except Jackson, who returned from the transfer portal), but not on the fall camp roster distributed Thursday.
Rice, Hanna, Smith and Mahe were all at practice Thursday, but not participating, according to KSLsports.com.
As for Hobbs, who was listed as the No. 1 punt returner on the offseason depth chart, Sitake said the former baseball standout from St. George “will be joining us” but didn’t specify why he’s not currently practicing.
“I will just tell you: some guys are either (working through) injury, or handling academics right now,” Sitake said. “We are at the tail end of summer semester, and some guys are still finishing that up, too.”
Rice, the son of former BYU standout DB Rodney Rice, is returning from an injury, Sitake said.
Offensive lineman Lisala Tai, a transfer from Snow College who was one of the prizes of the Cougars’ 2022 recruiting class, is also not on the roster yet.
Son you have powered through some crazy physical setbacks at BYU. Your grit & competitiveness has always kept you from giving your body enough time to fully heal and recover before the next season begins. Patience is rough but it will be worth it to finally see you play at 100% https://t.co/xd79ygwhdK
— Jasen Ah You (@Jasen_AhYou) August 4, 2022
Sitake said Tai “has got his academics in order,” but some paperwork needs to be finished before he joins the team.
In media viewing portion of Thursday’s practice, Jaren Hall got the first reps at quarterback, followed by Jacob Conover and then Cade Fennegan. No surprise there.
“Right now, I am looking for guys to compete for starting spots, and then once we get a depth chart (solidified), we will move on (with developing younger guys),” Sitake said.
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MLB All-Star Game: Aaron Judge leads all vote-getters as Yankees, Blue Jays, Dodgers each land two starters
On Friday evening, Major League Baseball announced the starters for the 2022 All-Star Game, which will take place on Tuesday, July 19 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. The voting results from the league’s two-step voting process for the All-Star game were revealed during a live broadcast.
The top two vote-getters at each position (and four outfielders) advanced to Phase 2 of the voting process. Fans voted this week to determine what position players will start later this month, and the polls closed Friday afternoon. The rest of the All-Star rosters, including both the American League and National League pitching staffs, will be revealed on Sunday, July 10. As part of this year’s voting process the leading vote-getter in each league in Phase 1 gets to skip Phase 2 and is given an All-Star Game starting spot automatically. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge led all players with 3,762,498 votes and will start for the American League for the fourth time (also 2017, 2018, and 2021). Braves wunderkind Ronald Acuña Jr. led the National League with 3,503,188 votes. This is his third straight All-Star Game starting assignment. As well, Albert Pujols of he Cardinals and Miguel Cabrera of the Tigers have already been added to the All-Star rosters via a ‘special selections’ designation.
Here, then, are the 2022 MLB All-Star Game starters as elected by the fans.
American League
Catcher: Alejandro Kirk, Blue Jays (first selection)
Runner-up: Jose Trevino, Yankees:
First base: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Blue Jays (second selection)
Runner-up: Ty France, Mariners:
Second Base: Jose Altuve, Astros (eighth selection)
Runner-up: Santiago Espinal, Blue Jays:
Third base: Rafael Devers, Red Sox (second selection)
Runner-up: José Ramírez, Guardians
Shortstop: Tim Anderson, White Sox (second selection)
Runner-up: Bo Bichette, Blue Jays:
Outfield: Aaron Judge, Yankees (fourth selection); Mike Trout, Angels (10th selection); Giancarlo Stanton, Yankees (fifth selection)
Runners-up: George Springer, Blue Jays; Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Blue Jays
Designated Hitter: Shohei Ohtani, Angels (second selection)
Runner-up: Yordan Alvarez, Astros
National League
Catcher: Willson Contreras, Cubs (third selection)
Runner-up: Travis d’Arnaud, Braves
First base: Paul Goldschmidt, Cardinals (seventh selection)
Runner-up: Pete Alonso, Mets
Second base: Jazz Chisholm, Marlins (first selection)
Runner-up: Ozzie Albies, Braves
Third base: Manny Machado, Padres (sixth selection)
Runner-up: Nolan Arenado, Cardinals
Shortstop: Trea Turner, Dodgers (second selection)
Runner-up: Dansby Swanson, Braves
Outfield: Ronald Acuña Jr., Braves (third selection); Mookie Betts, Dodgers (sixth selection); Joc Pederson, Giants (second selection)
Runners-up: Starling Marte, Mets; Adam Duvall, Braves
Designated Hitter: Bryce Harper, Phillies (seventh selection)
Runner-up: William Contreras, Braves
Pitching and reserves will be determined by a combination of player vote and selections by the commissioner’s office.
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2022 MLB All-Star Game starters
The votes are in and the starters for the 2022 MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard are set.
The winners of the 2022 Chevrolet All-Star Ballot Finals were announced on the 2022 Chevrolet MLB All-Star Starters Reveal show on ESPN on Friday, rounding out the starting lineups for the 92nd Midsummer Classic at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on July 19.
The leading vote-getter in each league from Phase 1 of the voting — Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge in the American League and Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. in the National League — had already secured a spot in his team’s starting lineup.
In all, 14 different clubs are represented among the elected starters this year, led by the Blue Jays, Angels, Yankees and Dodgers, who have two All-Star starters apiece.
The complete All-Star rosters will be announced during the 2022 Chevrolet MLB All-Star Selection Show on Sunday at 5:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Here’s who will be starting the All-Star Game.
Here are the All-Star starters:
NL: Willson Contreras, CHC (3rd election)
After leading NL catchers in votes during Phase 1, Contreras easily topped Travis d’Arnaud in the finals and will make his third career All-Star start. Contreras is having a career year in his final season before free agency, with 13 homers and a personal-best .890 OPS.
Runner-up: Travis d’Arnaud, ATL
AL: Alejandro Kirk, TOR (1st election)
Hitting .312/.399/.491 with 10 homers in 74 games, Kirk cruised to a victory over the Yankees’ Jose Trevino in the finals. He’s the first Blue Jays catcher to win an All-Star fan election.
Runner-up: Jose Trevino, NYY
NL: Paul Goldschmidt, STL (3rd selection)
On paper, Goldschmidt had a tough matchup in the finals against Pete Alonso, who has produced 22 homers and an MLB-leading 69 RBIs for the first-place Mets in 2022. But the NL leader in batting average, slugging percentage and OPS ran away with this one, earning the opportunity to make his fourth career All-Star start — he’s been elected three times and started as the NL DH in 2018 after being selected as a reserve first baseman — and his first as a member of the Cardinals.
Runner-up: Pete Alonso, NYM
AL: Vladimir Guerrero Jr., TOR (2nd election)
The MVP of the 2021 All-Star Game, Guerrero will join his teammate Kirk in the AL’s starting lineup after soundly defeating Ty France in the finals to grab his second consecutive starting nod at first base for the AL. Vlad leads the Blue Jays with 19 homers and 54 RBIs this season.
Runner-up: Ty France, SEA
NL: Jazz Chisholm Jr., MIA (1st election)
Chisholm (right lower back strain) is on the injured list, but he still has a chance to be back by the Midsummer Classic to make the start he earned with his win here. He’d be the fifth Marlins player to start the All-Star Game, joining Hanley Ramirez (three times), Stanton (twice), Marcell Ozuna (twice) and Gary Sheffield (once). The flashy 24-year-old is having a breakout season, producing 14 homers, 12 steals and a 139 OPS+ in 60 games.
Runner-up: Ozzie Albies, ATL
AL: Jose Altuve, HOU (5th election)
For the fifth time in his esteemed career and the first time since 2018, Altuve will be part of the AL’s starting lineup. He’s now an eight-time All-Star, breaking a tie with Hall of Famer Craig Biggio for the most in Astros history. The 34-year-old entered Friday with a 156 OPS+ this season, his highest since his 2017 AL MVP Award-winning campaign (160 OPS+).
Runner-up: Santiago Espinal, TOR
NL: Manny Machado, SD (3rd election)
This hot-corner matchup between a pair of perennial All-Stars was the closest of any position, with Machado defeating Nolan Arenado by just a few percentage points. This will be Machado’s third career All-Star start overall but first in the NL, putting an end to Arenado’s four-game starting streak.
Runner-up: Nolan Arenado, STL
AL: Rafael Devers, BOS (2nd election)
José Ramírez got the most votes among AL third basemen in Phase 1, but Devers leapfrogged him in the finals after vote totals were reset. The 25-year-old, who ranks among the AL’s top five in wins above replacement, hits, extra-base hits, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, will make his second straight All-Star start at the hot corner.
Runner-up: José Ramírez, CLE
NL: Trea Turner, LAD (1st election)
Now a two-time All-Star, Turner will get to make the start in front of the hometown fans in Los Angeles. He’s the second Dodgers shortstop since 1970 to win the All-Star fan vote after Bill Russell in 1980, the only other time the Midsummer Classic was held at Dodger Stadium.
Runner-up: Dansby Swanson, ATL
AL: Tim Anderson, CWS (1st election)
After earning his first All-Star selection in 2021, Anderson will start the Midsummer Classic for the first time in 2022. The former AL batting champion has hit .313 with five homers, 10 steals and a 120 OPS+ over 55 games this season.
Runner-up: Bo Bichette, TOR
NL: Bryce Harper, PHI (6th election)
Harper is out indefinitely with a fractured left thumb, but the injury didn’t prevent the reigning NL MVP from defeating William Contreras in the finals, marking the sixth time in his career and first time with the Phillies he has been elected as a starter. He hit 15 homers and recorded a .985 OPS (175 OPS+) before his injury.
Runner-up: William Contreras, ATL
AL: Shohei Ohtani (2nd election)
After becoming the first player to start an All-Star Game on the mound and lead off for his team a year ago, Ohtani (18 HR, .833 OPS) will be back in the AL’s starting lineup as the DH. The Angels’ two-way superstar was the fans’ pick by a 52%-48% margin over the Astros’ Yordan Alvarez, who has 26 homers and an MLB-leading 1.076 OPS in 2022.
Runner-up: Yordan Alvarez, HOU
Ronald Acuña Jr., ATL (3rd election)
Acuña tore the ACL in his right knee days before the 2021 All-Star Game, preventing him from making his second career All-Star start and knocking him out for the season. The 24-year-old has dealt with some bumps and bruises since he returned in late April, but he has otherwise looked like his old self for the Braves, and earned the starting nod after leading the NL in votes in Phase 1.
Joc Pederson, SF (1st election)
Acuña and Betts will be joined by Pederson, who is the first Giants outfielder to win an All-Star fan election since Melky Cabrera in 2012. Signed to a one-year deal as a free agent after winning a World Series title with the Braves in 2021, Pederson has produced 17 homers and a 144 OPS+ across 72 games for San Francisco this season.
Mookie Betts, LAD (3rd election)
After Acuña narrowly edged him out as the NL’s top vote-getter in Phase 1 to receive an automatic spot in the NL’s starting lineup, Betts was able to grab one of the two remaining starting outfield spots, giving the hometown Dodgers a pair of starters. Betts already has 20 homers this season, the second most he’s hit before the All-Star break during his career after 2018 (23).
Runners-up: Starling Marte, NYM; Adam Duvall, ATL
Aaron Judge, NYY (4th election)
Leading the Majors in homers (30) and the AL in RBIs (64) with a .993 OPS, Judge was MLB’s leading vote-getter in Phase 1, which allowed him to bypass the finals and grab one of the starting outfield spots in the AL lineup. He’s one of two All-Star starters from the Yankees, who have the best record in baseball.
Mike Trout, LAA (9th election)
Trout handily secured one of the two remaining starting spots in the AL outfield and will make his seventh All-Star start. He was also elected as a starter in 2017 and 2021 but missed the Midsummer Classic due to injury in both years. With the win, Trout maintains his streak of earning an All-Star nod every year he’s been eligible, with the exceptions being 2011 (made MLB debut on July 8) and 2020 (no All-Star Game held).
Giancarlo Stanton, NYY (2nd election)
The race for the third outfield spot came down to the wire, with Stanton (22% of the vote) edging out Toronto’s George Springer (20%) and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (18%). This will mark the first time Stanton has started the All-Star Game since he joined the Yankees following the 2017 season, and the second time he’s won the fan vote. He was previously elected in 2015 but missed the game due to injury. Stanton also started as the NL DH in 2014 and 2017 after making the team as a reserve outfielder both years.
Runners-up: George Springer, TOR; Lourdes Gurriel Jr., TOR
The pitchers and reserves for both squads — totaling 23 players for each side — will be determined via “Player Ballot” choices and selections made by the Commissioner’s Office.
Before today’s biggest stars take the field in the All-Star Game, the stars of tomorrow will have a chance to grab the spotlight in the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game at Dodger Stadium on July 16 at 7 p.m. ET.
The All-Star Week festivities will continue with Day 1 of the MLB Draft on July 17 at 7 p.m. ET from Xbox Plaza in L.A. The Draft was held during All-Star Week for the first time last year.
On July 18, the game’s top sluggers will take the stage at the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, airing live on ESPN from Dodger Stadium at 8 p.m. ET.
It all leads up to the 2022 MLB All-Star Game the following night, airing live on FOX starting at 7:30 p.m. ET.