Britney Spears’ fans have speculated that a new Instagram post — in which she says she was “embarrassed,” by the NY Times’ “Framing Britney Spears” documentary and “cried for two weeks” — was not entirely written by the pop star.
Now, her former makeup artist Billy Brasfield is adding to the chorus, claiming to Page Six he personally spoke to Britney and that she told him she had no control over the caption.
In a post showing Britney dancing, the caption from her own Instagram states, “I didn’t watch the documentary but from what I did see of it I was embarrassed by the light they put me in … I cried for two weeks and well …. I still cry sometimes !!!!”
Brasfield, who has also worked with Mariah Carey, Beyonce and Christina Aguilera, contends of Britney, “The content is her, but … the words are NOT how she feels.”
Brasfield posted on his Instagram claiming that Britney told him that, “Of course watching certain things that are now so far in HER past … circumstances that she has already lived through, and has moved beyond, that are now being brought up over and over, can be #emotional. She ‘deals’ with it, and frankly very well … she is not ‘fragile’.”
Brasfield — who worked with Britney on “The X Factor” in 2012 through her 2013 video “Scream and Shout” — tells Page Six of the post, “I immediately knew it was not her,” alleging, “I texted her about it and she texted me back last night.”
“What was upsetting [about the post] — it was basically a narrative denouncing her fans and the Free Britney movement and people now taking a very conscious look at the facts and what is going on,” he tells us.
“Although it might be complicated for her, of course she is invested. It’s her life. She does not like being a victim, she never wanted to be a victim and doesn’t see herself as a victim. She sees herself as a survivor and has navigated this with patience and strategy.”
Brasfield believes that the post was meant to distract people from what is currently happening in court with Britney’s financial matters and conservatorship.
On Tuesday, Page Six reported that Britney’s father Jamie, who functions as her conservator, filed legal papers seeking to have the “Toxic” singer’s estate pay more than $3 million in legal fees — including nearly $2 million to his own lawyers.
“If approved by the judge, this money would come from Britney’s estate, meaning she essentially would be paying her own father’s lawyers to fight her in court,” a source told Page Six.
Jamie has also requested to continue receiving $16,000 per month for his role as co-conservator of the estate — as well as $2,000 per month for an office space.
Britney Spears and Jamie SpearsFilmMagic; AP
Fans have been speculating Britney did not write the social post, with one tweeting “There is not a single chance that Britney wrote this #FreeBritney.”
But Cassie Petrey, who runs Spears social media for the company Crowd Surf, in February commented on the rumors, insisting, “Britney creates her own posts and writes her own captions for Instagram.”
“She finds the Google images, Pinterest images, quotes, memes and everything else herself. Nobody is suggesting any of that stuff to her.”
Continuing, “Britney is not ‘asking for help’ or leaving secret messages in her social media. She is literally just living her life and trying to have fun on Instagram. My work on Britney’s social media does not involve her conservatorship in any way. That’s a court and lawyer thing … These are facts.”
A separate source close to Britney’s camp insists that the superstar wrote the social media post and alleged of Brasfield, “If he thinks he is speaking with Britney, he is not. He has no relationship with her. Maybe he is being catfished by someone pretending to be her.”
Jamie controlled Spears’ estate from 2008 until 2019 when he stepped aside due to health problems. Licensed fiduciary Jodi Montgomery temporarily replaced Jamie and has since taken steps to permanently succeed him at the star’s request.
Reps for Britney declined to comment, and her lawyers didn’t respond to us. Crowd Surf did not comment further.
OHIO VALLEY — A total of 13 new COVID-19 cases were reported in the Ohio Valley Publishing area on Wednesday.
Six new COVID-19 cases were reported by the Meigs County Health Department from March 29-31. There are now 17 active cases in the county.
The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) reported four additional cases of COVID-19 in Mason County on Wednesday.
In Gallia County, the Ohio Department of Health reported three new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday.
Local vaccine numbers
In Mason County, a total of 7,842 doses have been administered to Mason County residents.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, 7,703 people in Gallia County have begun the vaccine process, which is 25.76 percent of the population. A total of 5,125 people have been fully vaccinated in the county (17.14 percent).
In Meigs County, 5,772 people have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which is 25.20 percent of the population. A total of 3,740 people are fully vaccinated, which is 16.33 percent of the population.
Here is a closer look at COVID-19 cases in the region:
Gallia County
ODH reported a total of 2,297 cases of COVID-19 (since March 2020) in Gallia County as part of Wednesday’s update, three new cases since Tuesday.
ODH has reported a total of 44 deaths, 138 hospitalizations, and 2,195 presumed recovered individuals (one new) as of Wendesday.
Age ranges for the 2,297 total cases reported by ODH on Wednesday are as follows:
0-19 — 297 cases (1 hospitalization)
20-29 — 374 cases (2 new cases, 6 hospitalizations)
Gallia County is currently “Orange” on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System map after meeting two of the seven indicators on Thursday.
Meigs County
The Meigs County Health Department reported five additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 and one probable case from March 29-31 as part of Wednesday’s update.
The health department reported 17 active cases and 1,433 total cases (1,283 confirmed, 150 probable) since April 2020.
There have been a total of 37 deaths, 1,379 recovered cases (one new), and 71 hospitalizations since April 2020.
Age ranges for the 1,433 Meigs County cases, as of Wednesday, are as follows:
0-9 — 53 cases
10-19 — 133 cases (1 hospitalization)
20-29 — 208 cases (4 new cases, 1 hospitalization)
30-39 — 179 cases (3 hospitalizations)
40-49 — 206 cases (1 new case, 4 hospitalizations)
50-59 — 205 cases (1 new case, 4 hospitalizations)
To date, the Meigs County Health Department has administered 2,023 first doses of COVID-19 vaccinations and 1,417 second doses for a total of 3,440 vaccinations. Of the vaccines given by the health department, 1,744 were Moderna, 1,636 were Pfizer, and 60 were Johnson & Johnson.
Meigs County returned to “orange” on the Ohio Public Health Advisory System after meeting two of the seven indicators on Thursday.
Mason County
DHHR reported 1,872 total cases (since March 2020) for Mason County in the 10 a.m. update on Wednesday, four more than Tuesday. Of those, 1,824 are confirmed cases and 48 are probable cases. DHHR has reported 40 deaths in Mason County.
The DHHR has changed the way demographic data is reported through the COVID-19 dashboard, now only reporting ages of county cases by percentage of total cases in the county.
Confirmed and probable cases in Mason County, as reported by the DHHR by percentage of cases, are as follows:
0-9 — 43 cases (2.30 percent of county cases)
10-19 — 168 cases (8.97 percent of county cases)
20-29 — 321 cases (17.15 percent of county cases)
30-39 — 318 cases (16.99 percent of county cases)
40-49 — 276 cases (14.74 percent of county cases)
50-59 — 277 cases (14.80 percent of county cases, 3 deaths)
60-69 — 244 cases (13.03 percent of county cases, 7 deaths)
70-plus — 225 cases (12.02 percent of county cases, 31 deaths)
On Wednesday, Mason County was designated as “green” on the West Virginia County Alert System map. Mason County’s latest infection rate was 8.62 on Wednesday with a 1.57 percent positivity rate. Surrounding counties are green, yellow and gold.
Ohio
The Ohio Department of Health reported a 24-hour change of 1,989 new cases on Wednesday (21-day average of 1,623), bringing Ohio’s overall case count since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,017,566 cases. There were 108 new hospitalizations (21-day average of 89) and 13 new ICU admissions (21-day average of nine). On Wednesday, zero deaths were reported (since Tuesday). As announced earlier this year, ODH will only be reporting deaths approximately twice per week, those updates have typically been made on Tuesday and Friday.
As of Wednesday, a total of 3,387,577 first doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been given in Ohio, which is 28.98 percent of the population. A total of 1,947,427 people, 16.66 percent of the population, are fully vaccinated. Scheduling a vaccine in Ohio can be completed on the website gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov or for assistance in scheduling call 833-4-ASK-ODH (833-427-5634).
West Virginia
As of the 10 a.m. update on Wednesday, DHHR is reporting a total of 141,738 cases with 2,676 deaths. There was an increase of 416 cases from Tuesday and 36 new deaths. DHHR reports a total of 2,447,894 lab tests have been completed, with a 5.26 cumulative percent positivity rate. The daily positivity rate in the state was 3.64 percent. There are 6,278 currently active cases in the state.
DHHR recently reported 498,588 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to residents of West Virginia. So far, 313,427 people have been fully vaccinated. Gov. Justice urges all residents to pre-register for a vaccine appointment on vaccine.wv.gov. Social distancing and mask mandates remain in effect for West Virginia.
Kayla (Hawthorne) Dunham and Sarah Hawley contributed to this story.
The cast and crew of Six Feet Under reunited for the first time in 15 years this week at PaleyFest LA, sharing recollections of their time on the show and their thoughts on its legacy.
The creatives who joined in the panel included creator and executive producer Alan Ball and EPs Robert Greenblatt, David Janollari and Alan Poul, along with cast members Peter Krause, Rachel Griffiths, Michael C. Hall, Lauren Ambrose, Freddy Rodríguez and Frances Conroy.
Early in the conversation, Ball and Janollari reflected on their experience pitching Six Feet Under to HBO. “I think it was the day after Alan racked up a million nominations for American Beauty, and they sat there and loved what Alan had to say. The next day, [they] called and ordered the pilot,” Janollar said. “We essentially shot 98% of exactly what Alan wrote, and I think they had one big note, which was, ‘Just make it more f*cked up.’ ”
“I just remember getting that note and thinking, ‘I will never get this note again in my life,’ ” Ball added.
For the series’ entire team, working with HBO in the early 2000s (the show premiered in June 2001) could not have been a bigger opportunity. “HBO was the greatest. I think it was and still is, in many ways,” said Greenblatt. “Sopranos was on the air, and Sex and the City, and The Wire, and some of the greatest shows in the history of that network. We were so honored to join that lineup.”
At the time, streaming services didn’t exist, which meant there were few places other than HBO to put a show like Six Feet Under, which centered on the Fishers, a dysfunctional Los Angeles family running an independent funeral home.
What the premium cabler offered, Greenblatt said, was a “premium experience on every level.”
For Janollari and Poul, working with HBO was the “complete opposite” of what they had just recently experienced with Ball while trying to get a sitcom off the ground at a broadcast network. At first, Greenblatt referred to the network as one “that shall remain nameless,” joking that “it begins with the letter A.”
Poul later got specific, saying the show was the ABC sitcom Oh, Grow Up—which was canceled in 1999, after its first season aired. On the sitcom, Janollari says, “There was no support, it was adversarial. There was lying, there was meddling in the creative.”
“So [Six Feet Under] was a blessed experience,” he added, “from start to finish.”
In the HBO show’s early days, though, Ball and his team made sure to get their revenge, crafting a gag at the expense of ABC exec Stu Bloomberg, naming a corpse in one episode Mr. Bloomberg. “It’s just purely a coincidence,” Ball deadpanned. “Nothing to do with reality.”
Like Six Feet Under‘s EPs, each cast member had treasured memories to share of the show’s early days—so much so, that they repeatedly choked up during the Zoom conversation. “There was something magic about the script. There was something magic about every bit of the process,” said Hall. “It was amazing, our first table read. It felt like I was meeting my family from a parallel universe, and it still does.”
“I’m so overwhelmed right now. Like my heart is beating out of my chest,” added Ambrose, “just because these people are so knitted into the fabric of who I am as an actor, and an artist, and a person.”
Krause recalled bonding with Hall over their shared experiences at New York University, while Rodríguez remembered Ball telling him that the part of Federico ‘Rico’ Diaz was written specifically for him. “It was the kindest, most gracious thing anyone has ever done for me,” he said.
Later, Poul and Greenblatt reflected on the show’s ascent into the upper echelon of prestige TV. Poul noted that as the show went on, it became a “talent magnet.”
“We had people calling us saying, ‘Put me on.’ Or the other thing was, ‘I’ll play a dead body,'” added Greenblatt. “People wanted to just be in that room.”
The conversation then turned to the series finale, which depicted the way in which each key character would go on to die. While Poul said “it meant that we never had to worry about doing a reunion movie 20 years later,” Greenblatt teased, “There’s always a way to reboot something.”
The show’s creatives reflected, in closing, on the legacy of Six Feet Under, which over the course of its five seasons won three Golden Globes and nine Emmys among its other accolades.
“It’s incredible how unique this show was,” Krause noted. “You couldn’t compare it to anything else, and that is rare, to get to do a television series that stands alone.”
Griffiths and Rodríguez added that the show was ahead of its time, in terms of the way it represented women, members of the Latinx community and others. “I think it gave permission to so many creatives to be truly brave,” Griffiths said.
“Whether [Ball] knew it or not, it was revolutionary,” Rodríguez added. “It really left an indelible impression.”
Greenblatt also took the opportunity to chime in on the show’s “quietly groundbreaking” nature. “Latinx, LGBTQ, female characters, a Black gay character. I mean, that was revolutionary in and of itself,” he said, “and those weren’t soapboxes that Alan and this great writers’ room was on. It was just this tapestry of characters, and it really reflected the world.”
The entire conversation, presented by the Paley Center for Media, can be found at this link.
LOS ANGELES -- - Chuma Okeke scored 18 points and the Orlando Magic rallied in the fourth quarter to snap Los Angeles' six-game winning streak Tuesday night, defeating the Clippers 103-96.
The Magic didn't have the lead until late in the fourth quarter and went on a 17-3 run to close the game and get their first road win since Feb. 12, ending a seven-game skid. Kawhi Leonard made a pair of free throws to give the Clippers a 93-86 lead with 2:36 remaining before the Magic scored 11 straight points to take the lead.
Terrence Ross tied it at 93 with 1:46 remaining on two free throws, and Wendell Carter Jr. put the Magic in front with 1:10 remaining with a tip-in after James Ennis III missed a layup, making it 95-94.
"This league is all about wins. We took a great step forward in the right direction," Carter said. "It definitely is a confidence booster going up against one of the best teams in the Western Conference and getting a win on the road."
While the Clippers are one of the league's top teams, the Magic are a squad in transition. They traded five players - including their top three scorers - in three separate deals during last Thursday's trade deadline.
Coach Steve Clifford hasn't had much time to get some of the players acquired up to speed, but two had good games against the Clippers. Otto Porter Jr. scored 13 points, including eight in the final quarter, and Carter had 11 points.
"We have been a little bit limited in this stretch due to being on the road, but continue to add things, even if it is teaching them in a ballroom," Clifford said. "This is the style we are going to have to play. We have to defend and be smart."
Besides holding the Clippers to 32.7% shooting in the second half (16 of 49), the Magic outscored LA by 18 in the paint in the third and fourth quarters (36-18) as well as having a 15-2 advantage in fast-break points.
Orlando made 22 of its 25 free throws for the game, including 11 of 13 in the fourth quarter.
Leonard scored 28 points for the Clippers. Luke Kennard added 17 points and Ivica Zubac tallied his 10th double-double of the season with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
After a 24-point win over Milwaukee on Monday night, and with Denver up next on Thursday, coach Tyronn Lue thought that his team was winded in the final 12 minutes.
"I thought we struggled from the beginning, honestly. But when you're down guys and you're on a back-to-back, I think it's just tough, trying to keep guys minutes down as much as we could.," he said. "We missed a lot of shots and they got out in transition in the second half."
The Clippers scored the game's first 10 points - including a pair of 3-pointers by Kennard - and extended their lead to 16 points with under four minutes remaining in the second quarter.
LA led 51-37 at halftime on the strength of shooting 52.5% in the first half (21 of 40), but struggled in the third quarter, going 2 of 13 from beyond the arc as Orlando got within 73-70 at the end of the quarter.
The Clippers were 16 of 49 from the floor in the second half, including 6 of 22 on 3-pointers.
"I felt like we got some good shots, got some good looks in that second half that just didn't fall," Leonard said. "But obviously, just being more aggressive, attacking us when we're missing shots, getting out in transition. They kept fighting. They didn't quit."
TIP INS
Magic: Ross played in his first game after missing the last seven due to a sore right knee and scored 15 points in 26 minutes. ... The 66 points by Orlando in the second half is tied for second most it has had in the third and fourth quarters this season. It had 67 against Washington on Dec. 26.
Clippers: Nicolas Batum tied a season high with 10 rebounds. ... Paul George missed his second straight game because of right foot soreness. He has been out for 13 games this season. ... Marcus Morris Sr. (right calf contusion) did not play after scoring 25 points in Monday's win over Milwaukee. ... Rajon Rondo (right adductor soreness) has yet to play since being acquired from Atlanta last week, but Lue said Rondo and Patrick Beverley have been doing some on-court work.
UP NEXT
Magic: Travel to the New Orleans on Thursday. Orlando swept the season series last season.
Clippers: Host Denver on Thursday. LA won this season's first meeting 121-108 on Christmas Day.
Niantic turned mobile gaming on its head by forcing players to venture outdoors in Pokémon Go. The game was an instant smash and its popularity has only endured over the years, fostered through communal events. With the onset of 5G, Niantic is showing off its approach to next-gen augmented reality social gaming. We already got a glimpse of its mooted AR glasses, now it's unveiled a multiplayer demo to showcase the larger scale of its 5G games.
Borrowing elements from its existing lineup, including Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, the new Codename: Urban Legends sees players teaming up to cast magic spells on monsters big and small, cute and fearsome. The demo looks a lot like Japanese anime Dennou Coil, a mystery about a group of kids living in an increasingly virtualized world.
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Niantic has already tapped a number of major cell carriers to network test the game including Deutsche Telekom, Globe Telecom and (Engadget parent) Verizon. Initial results show that 5G allows the game to handle up to 10 times as many simultaneous players and boosts latency by up to 10 times, too. Further down the line, Niantic claims the new network will also improve gameplay by enabling longer phone battery life.
The demo follows the launch of Niantic's "Planet-Scale AR Alliance," which is a partnership to test AR on global networks with the help of major carriers including Deutsche Telekom, EE, Globe Telecom, Orange, SK Telecom, SoftBank, Telus, Verizon and Telstra. Together, the companies are hoping AR turns out to be 5G's "killer app."
The Outriders release is upon us, but the demo is still generating a lot of interest.
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Two million players have already tried out the co-op RPG shooter, but with the full game now set to be available there are understandable concerns that the demo end date is approaching.
However, the actual end date may very well surprise you – there’s good news for those yet to play the latest title from the creators of Bulletstorm.
When is the Outriders demo end date?
You may well be relieved to hear that the Outriders demo does not have a planned end date. While most modern game demos are only available for a limited time – and pulled well before release – Square Enix has confirmed that the demo will remain live up to and after launch.
There is no time limit, either for playing or for accessing it prior to launch.
The demo is also planned to remain live beyond launch.
However, there is a level cap in the Outriders demo – players can only progress to Level 7, set difficulty up to World Tier 5, and unlock only the first four skills of each class.
How long is the Outriders demo?
The Outriders demo includes the prologue and first chapter of the game and takes two to three hours for most players to complete. There is no time limit so you can, of course, play for as long as you like – one gamer even played the demo for 254 hours in only 15 days…
You can play the whole demo again using another class, however, or replay the missions as either a single-player or co-op experience – much like the full game, the Outriders demo supports cross-play, though you’ll have to turn this on in the settings.
How to restart the Outriders demo and try other classes
Outriders includes four classes – namely Trickster, Pyromancer, Devastator, and Technomancer – and once you’ve completed the demo’s prologue you’ll choose one class to use for the remaining missions. However, you can change to a new class at any point, meaning you can try out all four available classes in the demo.
To do this, simply create a new character (don’t worry – you have slots for six different characters!). You’ll then be able to skip the prologue, and immediately choose a new class to try out the demo with.
Will I lose progress from the Outriders demo?
No! As long as you are staying on the same platform (e.g. Playstation or Xbox), then all your progress from the Outriders demo will carry over if you purchase the full game. That means your customised characters, weapons, level, and mission progress will all transfer, so there’ll be no need to replay the opening and re-acquire all your items.
This means you’ll be one step closer to the game’s exciting endgame at launch – with a new Outriders endgame trailer revealing extensive post-campaign content.
The demo will not include any trophies or achievements, but your in-game accolades will transfer along with your regular progress.
How to transfer progress from Outriders demo to main game
Outrider save transfer seems pretty automatic – all you have to do is sign into the main game with the same account you played the demo on, be it Playstation, Xbox, or Steam.
However, Square Enix has stated that the Epic Games Store and Steam are considered two different platforms. The demo isn’t even available on the Epic Games Store, so if you’ve played the Steam demo, progress will only carry over if you purchase the full game on Steam as well.
Outriders launches on 1st April 2021 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5, Google Stadia and PC.
"Demo" - Google News
March 31, 2021 at 09:11PM
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Outriders demo end date: When it's ending and how to save your progress - RadioTimes
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Fewer than 20 games remain for some NHL teams, so it's gut-check time for your fantasy leagues. In default ESPN.com head-to-head leagues, this is the penultimate week of the regular season.
At this stage, there won't be a ton of impact players just floating around on the waiver wire. But, based on the rostership percentage of ESPN leagues, there are a few.
I usually try to focus on players rostered in fewer than 50 percent of leagues, so that there is some likelihood of availability in your league. But today we are doing some cleanup. The cut-off for this group of players is 80 percent because the idea is to make absolutely sure you aren't missing a clutch addition to your roster for the stretch run. Double-check each of them to make sure they are not already rostered.
Roope Hintz, F, Dallas Stars (rostered in 73.4 percent of ESPN leagues): The only excuse for him not being universally rostered is the way he's been in and out of the lineup with some injuries this season. Because, from a statistical output perspective, Hintz is a force. His 2.2 fantasy points per game (FPPG) is at the same level as Artemi Panarin and Steven Stamkos. If he keeps up that pace, he ranks 21st in the NHL for projected remaining fantasy points. Just in case you are among the quarter of leagues in which he sits available, make sure to have a quick look.
Martin Necas, F, Carolina Hurricanes (rostered in 67.6 percent): Since Feb. 26, Necas has posted 2.4 FPPG and is coming off a Player of the Week nod from the league. There was a wider window for scooping him up last week, but it's closing quickly. And while there is some concern about deployment once Vincent Trocheck and Teuvo Teravainen are back in the lineup, he should still be on rosters for the time being.
Brendan Gallagher, F, Montreal Canadiens (rostered in 79.4 percent): It's possible Gallagher has slipped under the radar as a rise in output coincides with the team's coaching change. At the time of the change, he was posting 1.5 FPPG, which is tangentially relevant for fantasy. Since then, he's driven his FPPG to 1.7 by posting 1.9 since Feb. 26. That is very fantasy relevant, whether you take the overall average or just his output since the change.
Timo Meier, F, San Jose Sharks (rostered in 69.8 percent): Similar to Gallagher, Meier has turned a corner during the past month, elevating his FPPG from 1.3 to 1.6. A strong showing on the power play has been responsible for much of the rise. His connection with Tomas Hertl was slow to show itself this season, but the pair have come around and Meier has been noticed less on the fantasy free-agent market.
Jonas Brodin, D, Minnesota Wild (rostered in 56.2 percent): Based on his output this season, Brodin is projected to be among the top 20 defensemen for remaining fantasy points. While he only has 15 points this season, his production is a perfect combination of most of the other key fantasy categories for ESPN. He actually leads all skaters for the Wild in total fantasy production this season, yet remains widely available. Lock him up for the stretch run.
Nikita Zaitsev, D, Ottawa Senators (rostered in 27.0 percent): While Thomas Chabot has 62.9 fantasy points this season and is on rosters in 96.3 percent of leagues, Zaitsev has 62.3 fantasy points and is only rostered in a quarter of leagues. Zaitsev, like Brodin, doesn't get most of his production from scoring, but hits and blocks shots with aplomb.
Forwards on the move
Mika Zibanejad, F, New York Rangers (up 43 spots to No. 31): I truly hope the first two months of this season are something we and Zibanejad can forget about come fantasy time for the 2021-22 season. But, for the remainder of this season at least, I think we can declare he is back. Last year's leader among skaters for FPPG has looked like his old self again, posting 3.0 FPPG since Feb. 26 to be just one tick back of Connor McDavid for the league lead in that span. And he's lifted all boats with him, as Adam Fox, Ryan Strome (power-play linemate) and Pavel Buchnevich (even-strength linemate) have all been at the next level too.
Clayton Keller, F, Arizona Coyotes (up 35 spots to No. 161): Though the overall fantasy output is somewhat muted by a complete lack of hits and blocked shots in his profile, Keller has picked up the pace for the fantasy stats he does accrue. He has 15 points in his last 16 games, including a handful on the power play. Keller is available in 57 percent of ESPN leagues.
Defensemen on the move
Keith Yandle, D, Florida Panthers (up 54 spots to No. 102): The loss of Aaron Ekblad for the remainder of the season hurts for fantasy. Yandle gets a boost here, but that won't help you replace Ekblad, since Yandle will already be on rosters. If the Panthers remain committed to their two-defensemen approach to the power play, Gustav Forsling could be of moderate interest to deeper leagues. He's been the third man up for the Panthers man advantage, even potting a handful of points lately.
Dougie Hamilton, D, Carolina Hurricanes (up 37 spots to No. 21): The past month of fantasy scoring by defensemen has had Dougie Hamilton, Adam Fox, Jeff Petry and Alec Martinez in their own tier above the rest. Hamilton hasn't gone a game without a point since Feb. 25.
Goaltenders on the move
Igor Shesterkin, G, New York Rangers (up 23 spots to No. 60): As the Rangers offense comes alive, Shesterkin is healthy again, hopefully for the rest of the season this time. Thanks to plenty of missed time to injuries, he should be better prepared to start the bulk of games for the Rangers going forward. He has a clear path to a 70 percent or more crease share from this point forward, as his showing has been significantly better than that of Alexandar Georgiev.
Alex Nedeljkovic, G, Carolina Hurricanes (up 19 spots to No. 208): I know I've been a Petr Mrazek advocate for the Hurricanes stretch run, but with the play of Nedeljkovic lately, it's no shock there is no rush to have Mrazek return from his thumb surgery. Mrazek is practicing again on occasion, but we still don't have a timetable for his return. Good thing, too, as the Canes had to waive Nedeljkovic earlier this season to get him playing time in the AHL. How lucky for them no one claimed him. He's starting the majority of the Canes games now and winning the vast majority of those starts. It would be fantastic if we could get clarity on Mrazek's status, but that seems unlikely unless the Hurricanes make some kind of deadline move with their bounty of goalies. In the meantime, get Nedeljkovic into lineups.
And then there are the asterisks that promise to figuratively litter the NFL record book. (Consider that, moving forward, a 1,000-yard season will now require an average of 59 yards per game, while a 4,000-yard passing campaign means averaging 236 yards a week.)
Some of the league's most notable records were already under siege in recent years, but now it seems pretty safe to assume they're much more likely to fall by the wayside with players getting a 6% opportunity boost afforded by playing the extra week henceforth.
Here are six esteemed marks that could be changing hands in the very near future:
1. 19+ wins
Since the NFL expanded to a 16-game regular season in 1978, seven teams have gone 15-1 or better going into the playoffs – the 2007 New England Patriots the lone squad to complete a 16-0 regular season. Those Pats finished 18-1 after getting upset by the Giants in Super Bowl 42, while the 1984 San Francisco 49ers and 1985 Chicago Bears also finished 18-1 – both of those legendary squads ultimately winning Lombardi Trophies. No team has ever won 19 combined regular-season and postseason games, though that mark is now (slightly) more attainable presuming a 16-1 season capped by three playoff wins, including a Super Bowl victory. Of course, those chasing the legendary 1972 Dolphins – the only team to go undefeated and win the Lombardi Trophy, though with a 17-0 ledger – must now pull off a 20-0 campaign.
The recently elected Hall of Famer (and league's only five-time MVP) surpassed Drew Brees by 1 yard before coming out of the 2013 regular-season finale early with a single-season mark of 5,477 yards. But even if Manning had stayed in that day in Oakland to push past 5,500 yards and beyond, this standard doesn't seem likely to last much longer. Of the 12 times 5,000 yards have been eclipsed, all but one have occurred since 2008. Manning and Brees averaged 342.3 yards per game in their most prolific seasons, but consider that Cowboys star Dak Prescott was averaging 422.5 yards – that projects to 7,183 over a 17-game season – in his first four starts last year for a defensively challenged team before being injured in the fifth. In a league obsessed with passing, it's likely only a matter of time before somebody overtakes Manning – and maybe even gets to 6,000 yards – under the new scheduling format.
3. Peyton Manning's TD passes
In that same Week 17 game to end the 2013 regular season, Manning – he'd already set the single-season TD pass mark the week before with 51 – piled on four more scoring strikes through the air. His total of 55 is five clear of Tom Brady (2007) and Patrick Mahomes (2018). Of the eight times the 45-TD plateau has been reached by a QB, six have occurred since 2007 – not including when Manning broke Dan Marino's 1984 record by throwing 49 in 2004. Taking down Manning's current standard in a 17-game season would require 3.3 TD passes per game.
4. Eric Dickerson's rushing record
The Hall of Famer piled up a record 2,105 rushing yards in 1984, his second season. Yet it's noteworthy that Dickerson's 131.6 rush yards per game may be the most of the 16-game era, yet are only fourth all time. O.J. Simpson, the only man to rush for 2,000 yards before 1978, owns that standard with 143.1 rushing yards per game in 1973 – 10 yards clear of second-place Jim Brown (1963). Back to the 21st century, 2020 rushing champ Derrick Henry averaged 126.7 yards per game on his way to a league-high 2,027. Based on those numbers, had Henry had a 17th game last year, he would have beaten Dickerson's record by nearly 50 yards. An average of 123.9 over 17 games will best Dickerson.
Former Lions WR Calvin Johnson nearly reached 2,000 receiving yards in his record-setting 2012 season.
5. 2,000 receiving yards
It's never been done in one season, newly minted Hall of Famer Calvin Johnson (aka Megatron) coming closest in 2012 when he amassed 1,964 receiving yards – the only time 1,900 has been eclipsed. Wes Chandler might have hit 2K in 1982, when he averaged a record 129 receiving yards per game, had that season not been curtailed by a strike. (Chandler would have finished with 100 yards more than Johnson over 16 games.) A 2,000-yard effort will require an average 117.7 yards over 17 games, a figure only Chandler and Johnson have attained in the Super Bowl era – though Josh Gordon's performance in 2013 would have projected to 1,999 yards over 17 games. Still quite difficult, but slightly more doable.
6. Michael Strahan's sack record*
Sorry, Mike, we're still tossing an asterisk on your 22½ sacks from 2001 given the – uh, help – fellow future Hall of Famer Brett Favre afforded you on the record-breaking takedown. Three others have finished with 22 in a season – including Mark Gastineau's 1984 record, broken by Strahan – since sacks became officially recognized in 1982. A pass rusher would have to average about 1.35 over 17 games to become the first to reach 23. Only six players have maintained that pace in a season while collecting at least 17 sacks, including Shawne Merriman with 17 in a dozen games in 2006, and Reggie White with a ridiculous 21 in 12 games during the strike-abbreviated 1987 campaign.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports' Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.
