battle for boards and not give Howard many opportunities

CHICAGO -- Best in the majors this season, the Chicago Cubs cleared their first big October hurdle. Now, they wait to see whos next.The Cubs advanced to the NL Championship Series for the second straight year by knocking out the San Francisco Giants in a thrilling four-game NLDS. They will face the winner of Thursdays Game 5 between the Washington Nationals and Los Angeles Dodgers in what they hope will be another step toward the World Series championship that has eluded the franchise since 1908.Game 1 is at Wrigley Field on Saturday.I think it validates on a lot of different levels the job that we have done to this point, manager Joe Maddon said. I think if youre a player on this particular team within the organization, its getting to the point now you want to expect to get to the postseason and you want to expect to get deeply into the postseason. It also speaks to the way we played.Chicago is looking for more this time after getting swept by the New York Mets in the NLCS a year ago.The Cubs dominated like no other team in the majors this season, running away with the NL Central championship. They got off to a 25-6 start and spent all but two days in first place on the way to a major league-best 103-58 record -- the most wins by the Cubs since they finished the 1910 season with 104.For a franchise defined by heartbreak rather than championships, one can only imagine the anxiety in Chicago had the NLDS returned to Wrigley Field for a Game 5 on Thursday. But instead of the billy goat and black cat and Bartman , all thoughts are on the next round for a team that has followed Maddons advice to embrace the high expectations.I think were growing every day, pitcher Jon Lester said. The biggest theme for us is just never quit. We always battle and grind out until the last out and see what happens.The NLDS sure was one wild grind.That series had it all, whether it was Lester and Johnny Cueto dominating on the mound in Game 1, Javier Baez coming up with huge hits or spectacular plays, the Giants rallying in Game 3 and ultimately winning in 13 innings, or the Cubs scoring four in the ninth on Tuesday to wrap things up.The Cubs joined the 1986 New York Mets (in Game 6 of the NLCS against Houston) as the only teams to rally from a three-run deficit in the ninth to win a playoff series clincher. They also stopped the San Franciscos 10-game winning streak when facing postseason elimination and squashed the possibility of another even-year championship. The Giants won the World Series in 2010, 2012 and 2014.They played us tough, MVP candidate Kris Bryant said. I feel like if it did go back to Chicago we were ready to play. Its nice to get it done here, kind of regroup and find out who were playing next.Whether its Washington or Los Angeles, either series would offer intriguing storylines.If its the Nationals, how does Dusty Baker going against the Cubs in the postseason sound? Not that anyone would mention Chicagos collapse five outs shy of the World Series in the 2003 NLCS against the Marlins, when he was the Cubs manager. No need to recall Steve Bartman, or shortstop Alex Gonzalezs error on a potential double-play grounder.If its Los Angeles, well, theres the connection between Maddon and Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, his boss in Tampa Bay.But for now, the Cubs can rest. Avoiding a Game 5 against San Francisco means Maddon could go with Lester in Game 1 of the NLCS. It also quiets talk of curses for at least a few days, though this group refuses to buy into superstitions.Little seems to rattle these Cubs, for that matter.Theyre so balanced, great pitching staff, great bullpen, thats why they won over a hundred games, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. So whoever plays them has their work cut out. Thats how good they are. And we played them tough. Shoes UK Online Cheap .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Shoes Online UK Review . -- If this was Aaron Gordons final home game at Arizona, and it almost certainly was, then he went out in style. https://www.shoesukonline.com/ .S. -- Nikolaj Ehlers registered a hat trick for the third straight game and Jonathan Drouin had a goal and five assists as the Halifax Mooseheads hammered the host Cape Breton Screaming Eagles 10-1 on Tuesday in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Cheap Shoes UK 2020 . Louis Blues absence from top spot in the TSN. Fake Shoes UK .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Mondays evening slate of NBA action offers up just five games. Which players should you build around and which players should you fade? Our experts have the answers.Todays panel includes ESPN Fantasys Kyle Soppe, Joe Kaiser, plus DFS expert Renee Miller.Players to build aroundKyle Soppe -- Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix SunsBledsoe has had a tough week. So what? His DFS price has dropped a bit after he shot just 37.5 percent from the field (20 percent from 3-point range) over the last week, but he has a chance Monday in Minnesota to resume what was a solid campaign, as he faces the fourth-least efficient defense in the NBA. Even during the rough week, Bledsoe still averaged 18.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. His playing time and usage are stable, so Id look for Bledsoe to offer nice value Monday in that third tier of point guards, much like he did three weeks ago against these very Timberwolves (23 points, 53.3 FG%, 2 3-pointers, 3 steals, 10 assists and 6 rebounds).Joe Kaiser -- Bradley Beal, Washington WizardsThe Pacers continue to give up huge games to shooting guards, and right now, Beal is in the middle of one of his hot streaks. He scored 41 points against the Clippers on Sunday and is averaging 25.2 PPG in his last 10. Still reasonably priced, Beal has a good chance to shoot his way past his salary value against Indiana.Renee Miller -- Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota TimberwolvesOver the past five games, no team has allowed more fantasy points to opposing centers than the Suns. in addition, all the Timberwolves should enjoy more shooting and rebounding opportunities against the much faster-paced Suns. While Towns doesnt need the benefit of a good matchup to make him a good DFS play, it certainly doesnt hurt. Hes double-doubled in nine of his past 10 games and scored more than 40 real points twice in that span. The floor/ceiling combination, along with a slate where you can find plenty of miidrange value to slot in around him, makes Towns a perfect place to start your lineups.ddddddddddddPlayers to fadeKyle Soppe -- Dwight Howard, Atlanta HawksIn contrast to Bledsoe, Howards stock has been on the rise of late with three straight games of at least 15 rebounds. Thats all fine and dandy, but Im not paying up for him in this spot. Howard has averaged just 10 points (on 48.7 percent shooting) and 8.6 rebounds over the last two seasons (five games) against the Thunder, and with OKC ranking as a top-five team in terms of rebounding rate, Im not sure that Howards ceiling is as high as you might assume. I also have my concerns about Howard on the defensive end, as Enes Kanter has the ability to draw fouls and Steven Adams is an effort guy who will battle for boards and not give Howard many opportunities to block his shot. The offensive usage rate is a concern and, this just in ... Howard is still not a good free throw shooter. Im going cheap at center and stacking Suns on Monday.Joe Kaiser -- Tobias Harris, Detroit PistonsHarris has to post right around 27-28 DFS points to reach his salary value on Monday, and thats a mark he hasnt hit in his last six games. Even on a small five-game slate, like the one we have on Monday, there are better mid-priced power forwards to go with, such as Gorgui Dieng and Markieff Morris.Renee Miller -- Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver NuggetsEven though the Dallas Mavericks are playing the second game of a back-to-back Monday, they have still been the stingiest team in fantasy points allowed to opposing point guards. Mudiay played well against them a week or so ago but has demonstrated some head-scratchingly bad stat lines in much better matchups this month too. The risk is not worth the small reward you might get for using Mudiay on Monday. ' ' '