Dodgers take NLDS lead, Padres extend series vs. Brewers; Pete Prisco’s Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

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⚾ Five things to know Wednesday

1. The NL West’s best shined in division series Game 3s. First, it was the division champion Dodgers who reigned supreme over the Braves in a 3-1 battle. Their power showed up at the plate when they roughed up Chris Sale with two home runs in the fourth inning, and that was all the offense they needed to secure the series lead and move one step away from the NLCS. Hours later, the Padres gutted out a 4-3 victory over the Brewers to fend off a sweep and force a Game 4 tonight. All four division series will be in action today, and the microscope is on the Yankees as they seek to avoid a winless showing against the Rays.
2. Lane Johnson and Marcus Davenport retired from the NFL. Johnson missed Week 4 for personal reasons and announced on Tuesday that his football career is over, effective immediately, as he prioritizes his mental health. It is a sudden exit for the Eagles’ star right tackle, who is destined for the Hall of Fame. Johnson’s retirement deals a major blow to Philadelphia’s offense and, in turn, gives coach Nick Sirianni a lot of work to do in order to save his job. Davenport, a veteran edge rusher, also abruptly retired ahead of Week 5, ending a brief stint with the Bears. The former first-round pick battled injuries throughout his nine-year career and finished with 25 sacks across four teams.
3. SEC and Big Ten logjams shape the Week 6 College Football Playoff projections. The top of the CFP bracket remains quite clear. But outside of the very best teams in the two biggest conferences, it is anyone’s guess who will earn their way into the playoff. The SEC is the biggest confusion of them all. While Texas, Georgia and Alabama form a clear top three in this conference, there is a massive middle class that could shake out in any number of ways. Just look at Florida. The Gators remain a top-12 team from a power ratings perspective even though they laid an egg against Missouri, and they are one of nine SEC teams ranked 17th or better in this week’s AP Top 25.
4. Lionel Messi played his final match for Argentina. It is the end of an era in international soccer. Messi officially entered his retirement from the national team at the conclusion of Tuesday’s 3-0 win over Benin, and he did it in typical Messi fashion with a goal and two assists in his farewell. Argentina must now somehow turn the page without the greatest player on the planet. There is no replacing the legend, but it was fitting that rising star Nico Paz scored in Messi’s finale, because he might become the new face of the national team.
5. Take this fantasy football advice for Week 5. The first bye weeks of the season are here, and they come at a rough time for fantasy managers considering last week brought a plethora of impactful injuries. To address the roster crunch you likely find yourself in, look out for top waiver wire targets like Tyreek Hill, Emanuel Wilson, Keon Coleman, Jacoby Brissett. If none of them are available in your league, check out Dave Richard’s Week 5 trade chart to help you land a plug-and-play starter. Other risers to consider this week are running backs Will Shipley and RJ Harvey and wide receivers Carnell Tate and Khalil Shakir. And if you’re ready to lock in your lineup, keep in mind that Matthew Stafford finds himself in a great spot against the Bills, Braelon Allen and Tony Pollard are ideal bye week replacements at running back, Zay Flowers has a modest ceiling with a backup quarterback and Trey McBride is one of seven must-start tight ends.

📈📉 Do not miss this: Pete Prisco’s Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

The Chargers are a disaster. Their 0-4 start might be the NFL’s biggest disappointment, and it feels like a coaching issue with offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel failing to get anything out of quarterback Justin Herbert. Plus, Jim Harbaugh might be working his way out of a job as he seems destined to go a third consecutive year without a postseason win. The Chargers are one of three AFC teams that received an “F” on our report card through four weeks, and they now reside near the bottom tier of Pete Prisco’s NFL Power Rankings.

Here’s where they landed after their loss to the Seahawks:

25. Cardinals (↓2)
26. Texans (↑1)
27. Chargers (↓3)
28. Commanders (–)
29. Jets (↑1)

Surprisingly effective quarterbacks, on the other hand, are responsible for a couple of notable climbs for previously underwhelming teams. The Browns made the biggest leap of the week with a nine-spot jump in Prisco’s rankings, while the Falcons look completely rejuvenated with a healthy signal-caller and are up two spots to No. 19.

• Prisco: “Getting Michael Penix Jr. back has really helped liven up the offense. Bijan Robinson is special and they are now 2-2 and have turned their season around.”

🔢 2026-27 NBA head coach rankings

The four best coaches in the NBA are in a tier of their own, according to our Sam Quinn. Everyone else is just fighting for No. 5. Who is more deserving of that “best of the rest” title than the reigning champion, Mike Brown? For our annual preseason NBA coach rankings, Quinn saw enough from Brown in the Knicks’ run to the title to warrant a 13-spot surge not just into the upper half of the league but all the way near the top.

• Quinn: “Brown is here because he just went on the ultimate heater. Every lever Brown pulled in the playoffs, starting in Game 4 of the Hawks series, was the correct one. Turning Karl-Anthony Towns into a passing hub gave the Knicks the best playoff offense of all time. Closing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals with Landry Shamet led to a historic comeback. Leaning on Jose Alvarado down the stretch in Game 4 of the NBA Finals helped create another.”

The defending champion making a steep climb in the rankings is no surprise. So what about the less anticipated moves? And how about the first-year coaches? All five of them have to start somewhere. This is where the newcomers landed:

16. Taylor Jenkins, Bucks
21. Tiago Splitter, Bulls
26. Dusty May, Mavericks
27. Micah Nori, Trail Blazers
28. Sean Sweeney, Magic

Among the other biggest movers are Mitch Johnson, Charles Lee, Ime Udoka and Jordan Ott. Check out the rankings to see how far they climbed or fell and where they landed.

👍👎 The best (and not-so-best) of the rest

📺 What we’re watching Wednesday

⚾ Guardians at White Sox, Game 3, 4 p.m. on TBS
⚾ Dodgers at Braves, Game 4, 6 p.m. on FS1
🏈 Jacksonville State at Kennesaw State, 7 p.m. on CBS Sports Network
🏀 Timberwolves at Pacers, 7 p.m. on NBA TV
🏀 Liberty at Dream, Game 2, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏈 New Mexico State at FIU, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN2
🏒 Penguins at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. on TNT
⚾ Rays at Yankees, Game 3, 8 p.m. on TBS
🏀 Aves at Valkyries, Game 2, 9:30 p.m. on NBC Sports Network <
⚾ Brewers at Padres, Game 4, 10 p.m. on FS1
🏀 Warriors at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. on NBA TV