Category Archives: Yahoo

At least digital humanoids dont get Zoom fatigueyet.

During the Meta Connect 2022 live keynote last week, CEO Mark Zuckerberg discussed his new plans for Meta to bring avatarsuncanny digital stand-ins for human workersto video chats.

They would be customized to match a persons exact skin tone, hairstyle, and outfit choices. According to Zuckerberg, an entirely virtual roundtable meeting would consist of you and your coworkers avatars chatting in something like a third mode between fully camera-on and camera-off.

You can still express yourself and react, but youre not on-camera, so its kind of like a better camera-off mode, he said.

The social media giant invested $10 billion in building the metaverse last year, a digital space where users can interact with experiences and other people using VR technology. Zuckerberg revealed the video chat avatar feature in the key note after announcing partnerships with several companies, including one with Microsoft chairman and CEO Satya Nadella that would bring Microsoft apps to Meta Horizon Workroomsthe VR metaverse rooms where workers avatars meetto create a unified, digital office we think can make distributed work so much better.

As Intelligencers John Herrman points out, all of this could be a strategy to diversify Metas businessbut it could also be a play at acknowledging execs challenges with remote work and trying to rectify them. The opportunity for a better camera-off mode just might be an answered prayer for the bosses unhappy with the remote workers who tend to join meetings with their web cameras off.

Proximity bias, which describes bosses tending to prefer workers they can see in person, has long been proven. It also may explain why managers who are used to commandeering a physical office would be thrilled if they could see their workerseven if that required them to wear an elaborate headset that costs as much as a Peloton.

Story continues

A 20,000-person survey by Microsoft itself found that bosses are still regularly questioning their remote employees productivity levels. Some have even taken draconian measures to ensure that their ideal level of productivity is met. Per August research from the New York Times, eight out of the 10 largest private employers in the U.S. track productivity metrics, including active online time, incidence of keyboard pauses, how long it takes to write an email, and even individual keystrokes.

Zuckerbergs enthusiasm about metaverse meetings, and the support from a tech sector heavyweight like Nadella, may speak to exactly this kind of productivity paranoia.

But some experts are wary of a full-scale pivot to the metaverse. We would have to carefully attend to the physical implications of headsets, Roshni Raveendhran, assistant professor at the University of Virginias Darden School of Business, told Fortune last year. Like if it harms our eyesight or implicates our brain functions; we dont know any of these things now, and we wont know until theres more of a continual usage pattern. We need to pay attention to some of those before we go into full-scale adoption.

The metaverse is unlikely to be as all-encompassing as Zuckerberg hopes, says Cathy Hackl, a futurist and metaverse expert. For instance, meetings that hinge on deeper bonding or team building, such as new hire orientations or holiday parties, are still best done in person. Your company cant treat you to a cocktail virtually, she told Fortune.

And with even the most advanced VR devices, Hackl added, she hits her limit around the 45-minute mark. I dont think I could wear a headset for a six-hour video call.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

More from Fortune:

The economist who just won the Nobel Prize warns the Fed will cause all kinds of trouble

Microsofts remote-work-friendly CEO puts his finger on the big problem with working from home

Gen Z activists who dumped 2 cans of tomato soup on Van Goghs Sunflowers plead not guilty in court

South Korea stands to lose billions from making K-pop superstars BTS do military service

See the original post:

Mark Zuckerberg has a $10 billion plan to make it impossible for remote workers to hide from their bosses - Yahoo Finance

American security experts expect Russian hackers to attack voting systems and stir up trouble in the final days before the midterm elections on Nov. 8. That would fit the pattern of aggressive Russian interference that marred the 2016 presidential election and has continued in various forms ever since.

But Russia is influencing the 2022 midterms more overtly, through its war in Ukraine and the corresponding disruptions to global food and energy markets. As Americans finalize their voting decisions, inflation has become a top concern, and for good reason: Prices are increasing at an average pace of 8.2% per year, considerably more than incomes are rising. A surge in the cost of staples such as food and rent leaves many Americans with no way to offset their declining purchasing power.

When voters struggle, they blame incumbents, which is why President Biden and his fellow Democrats face long odds of keeping control of Congress in November. Democrats appeared to be gaining momentum at the end of the summer, as gas prices fell, Congress passed popular legislation and many voters grew disgusted with the rightward lurch of the Supreme Court. But voters also seemed to hope inflation would dissipate quickly, which it hasnt. Polls now suggest Republicans are solid favorites to win the House, with decent odds of taking the Senate, as well.

Inflation has no single cause, and some Biden critics want voters to think of the Democrats 2021 stimulus bill as the main trigger of higher prices. But Russian acts of aggression, both military and economic, are probably the biggest factors pushing food and energy prices higher.

Russian President Vladimir Putin attends the summit of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Astana, Kazakhstan October 14, 2022. REUTERS/Turar Kazangapov

[Follow Rick Newman on Twitter, sign up for his newsletter or sound off.]

Ranging from higher oil prices to a global food crisis all the way through to the imminent threat of energy security in Europe, the conflict has certainly taken its toll, Moodys Analytics economists wrote in a recent report on global commodity markets. Higher oil and gas prices have dealt a huge blow to purchasing power in major developed nations such as the U.S. and Germany, pushing them to the brink of recession.

Story continues

Ukraine is thousands of miles from the United States, and Americas economy is far more protected from Russias war than European nations that need Russian energy, or developing nations with little financial cushion. But the United States also participates in global markets, and when prices go up anywhere, they typically go up everywhere.

The Russian war against Ukraine has pushed prices up in several ways. Ukraine is a major grain exporter, and Russia has interdicted some of that trade, causing shortages and higher prices. Strict sanctions imposed on Russia by the United States and Ukraines other allies have caused further shortages, even though those sanctions aim to exempt staples such as food.

Then theres Russias oil and natural gas, which accounts for more than 10% of global production. Russia has used that leverage to starve Europe of desperately needed natural gas, and keep oil markets tight. Russian ally Saudi Arabia seems to be helping, by imposing a cut in oil production on the OPEC+ oil cartel. That has helped Russia earn a windfall in oil revenue, while consuming nations have to pay more.

This is not mere collateral damage, the unintended economic consequence of military action. Russian President Vladimir Putin actually practices what strategists call hybrid wara military war on the battlefield coupled with nonmilitary efforts to harm anyone opposing him, and weaken their resolve.

Russia is in a hybrid war with the collective West, Tatiana Mitrova, a research fellow at Columbia University, said during an Oct. 12 energy forum. In the West, people do not actually understand that they are at war with Russia. But one goal of this war is to wage maximum damage for the West.

President Biden is an obvious target for Putin, given that the United States is the leading donor of military gear and other types of aid to Ukraine. Putin famously meddled in the 2016 presidential campaign on Donald Trumps behalf not because Putin is a closet Republican, but because Trumps opponent, Hillary Clinton, was a Russia hawk. Putin had reason to think Trumps approach to Russia would be softer. Trumps endorsement of Putins views on the very topic of meddling in foreign elections proved Putin to be right.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin is seen on a display in the background as U.S. President Joe Biden speaks about "gas prices and Putin's Price Hike" during remarks in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building's South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 22, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Can Putin harm Biden? Thats arguable. World energy markets were already tight before Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, because of a global economy rebounding from the COVID downturn and capacity cutbacks in the energy sector stemming from deep losses in 2020. Russias Ukraine invasion spooked markets and pushed oil prices up by about 35%. But Biden clapped back by releasing oil from the US reserve. Oil prices now are slightly lower than they were before Russia invaded. US gasoline prices have retreated from summer highs, but theyre still about 10% higher than before the invasion. So American voters may have some lingering anxiety that they take out on incumbent Democrats on Nov. 8.

Another coming shock is a surge in heat and electricity prices this winter. That has everything to do with Putins energy war and an acute shortage of gas in Europe, now that Russia has pulled the plug. US natural gas prices havent surged as much as they have elsewhere, but were not immune to those price hikes, either. Higher utility bills wont hit with full force until after the election, however.

Energy is a key component in many manufactured and processed goods, including food. Thats one explanation for grocery costs that are up 13% during the last year. Theres also a global shortage of fertilizer, because Russia and Belarus (also subject to certain sanctions, as a Russia ally) produce key components. Fertilizer accounts for nearly 20% of a typical American farms operating costs, and near-record prices raise the retail price of food. So does the higher cost of energy for farm equipment and transportation.

Food inflation may be a bigger problem for Biden now than gasoline costs. Soaring gas prices during the spring directly correlated with a decline in Bidens approval rating, which then recovered as gas prices fell. But the average family only spends about 3% of its budget on gas. Food is about 12% of total spending, or four times as much as gas. That 13% hike in food costs means many families are struggling to pay for something they cant do without.

Bidens approval rating has been around 43% since early September. For Democrats to keep control of Congress, Bidens approval rating probably needs to be 50% or higher. Its not going to get there by early November. Thats not all because of Putin, but hes a factor: Inflation would be lower if there were no war in Ukraine, perhaps a lot lower. Thats true everywhere, but for the next couple of weeks, a key target of Putins hybrid war will be the American election system.

Rick Newman is a senior columnist for Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter at @rickjnewman

Click here for politics news related to business and money

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube

Read more:

How Russia is disrupting the US election (again) - Yahoo Finance

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are shaky right now. This team was supposed to be a bona fide Super Bowl contender, but the Bucs (3-3) look just like a regular NFL team thats trying to balance out the highs and lows of a long season.

The offensive line is banged up, Tampa is too reliant on its defense and Tom Brady is actually starting to look like an aging quarterback at age 45 (to say nothing of the rumors swirling about his personal life). On Monday, Brady vowed on Instagram to turn the season around:

Football is hard.Were not playing like we are capable.Were in it together.Well turn it around. #GoBucs

That's good, because Tampa Bay's problems stem from Brady's offense.

The Buccaneers just lost to the Kenny Pickett- and Mitch Trubisky-led Pittsburgh Steelers, 20-18, on Sunday the same Steelers that didnt belong on the same field as the Buffalo Bills a week ago.

Looking at the entirety of the Buccaneers' season makes the loss to the Steelers a little more understandable, but also a little more jarring. They almost allowed an Atlanta Falcons offense with no Kyle Pitts to come back from a 21-point, fourth-quarter deficit in Week 5. They scored only 12 points in their home loss to the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, and when the offense finally showed up against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 4, their defense was eviscerated by Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce. Putting together a complete performance has been difficult for the Buccaneers this season and they dont look nearly as formidable as they were the past two years.

I think guys who are living off the Super Bowl are living in a fantasy land, head coach Todd Bowles said after the loss to the Steelers. Its unclear exactly who he was talking to with that line, but theres one side of the Buccaneers' team that has struggled to consistently hold up their end up the bargain this year, and its not the defense.

On Monday, Bowles defended the team's handling of Brady, who missed the team's walk-through Saturday to attend the wedding of his former boss, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft.

Story continues

"He works as hard as anybody," Bowles said. "Special treatment, there's been a few guys that have missed some meetings and some practices for some special things. That just doesn't get publicized because they're not him."

Brady might not be that guy who can carry an offense on his shoulders anymore, and the running game certainly isnt helping. According to Ben Baldwin of The Athletic, the Buccaneers are dead last in expected points added per rushing play (-0.269). What used to be an effective part of the offense has become an anchor.

Bowles has the defense still performing at a high level, but the offense under coordinator Byron Leftwich has come to a standstill. Theres no juice and explosive plays have been hard to find lately. Of course, injuries to Julio Jones and Chris Godwin havent helped and neither did the one-game suspension for Mike Evans for his role in a brawl with the New Orleans Saints. Even with those caveats, the Buccaneers feel bogged down on offense. Godwin and Evans played over the past two weeks, when Tampa Bay struggled to consistently score against two of the worst defenses in the league in Atlanta and Pittsburgh. A Brady-led offense, of all things, is really struggling to generate points and consistent yards.

Tom Brady and the Buccaneers' offense is stick in a rut. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Center Ryan Jensen being out for the season certainly isnt helping matters, while rookie left guard Luke Goedeke is getting used to the NFL (to put it lightly) and running back Leonard Fournette hasnt been able to create plays by himself. Over the past five games, Fournette is averaging just 2.9 yards per carry and has scored one rushing touchdown in that timespan. The Bucs are running into brick walls and hoping they can find a crevice to squeeze through at the end.

Luckily for them, the NFC South isnt the strongest division in the league, so they still own the inside track toward hosting a playoff game in January. The Falcons (3-3) have been scrappy, but theyre dealing with a roster that has been handicapped with almost $80 million in dead salary-cap money. The Saints (2-4) are extremely injured. The Carolina Panthers (1-5) belong in the SEC.

The division still belongs to the Buccaneers as far as this season goes, but their performance through six games makes it seem like changes are coming to this team after the season. Their current mode of operation isnt a sustainable path toward winning.

See the original post here:

Tom Brady vows on Instagram to 'turn it around.' Which is good, because Bucs' problems start with his offense - Yahoo Sports

The G leagues tagline for the 2022-23 season is a a whole different league. Thanks to the official minor leagues growth, one could say that the NBA fits that same description.

A record 234 players have G league experience, according to a release from NBA communications. Thats 47% of the league.

Last seasons best team had a strong G league presence. Gary Payton II (Wisconsin Herd), now a Portland Trailblazer, started in multiple playoff games and won a ring with the Golden State Warriors.

The reigning champions will defend their title this season with Jonathan Kuminga (G League Ignite) and Jordan Poole (Santa Cruz Warriors) as integral members of their young core. But its not just the Warriors that benefited from the G league. In fact, the development league saw 164 NBA call-ups of 117 different players last year.

After being sent to Santa Cruz and coming back better than ever, Golden State Warriors guard Jordan Poole is a G league success story (John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports).

While Frances Victor Wembanyama skyrocketed to stardom in two exhibition games against G League Ignite, 17-year-old point guard Scoot Henderson also solidified his status as a top draft pick.

Henderson will likely follow the footsteps of 2021s second overall draft pick, Jalen Green, and enjoy an early selection after his time with G league Ignite.

"I'm sure there's a lot of teams out there wishing they could add him to their roster right now, he's that good," an NBA team scout told Yahoo Sports' Krysten Peek.

Ignite was established to provide opportunities for prospects looking to play professionally, and present an alternative to college. Preparing to begin their third season as a developmental program, the team currently has an impressive eight alumni in the league.

And its not the only team producing. With at least four players having minor-league experience on all 30 teams in the NBA, the G Leagues proven itself as an alternative path to the game's biggest stage.

See the original post here:

The NBA is back, and almost half its players played in the G League - Yahoo Sports

This is an op-ed by Secretary of the Treasury Janet L. Yellen and US Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge.

The housing shortage in the United States is not new and its causes are not a mystery.

Chronic underinvestment in new housing means we simply have too few homes in America, and the consequence has been that affordable housing is out of reach for too many families. The pandemic worsened this challenge, with an increased demand for housing during the pandemic coupled with constraints on the ability to scale up housing supply quickly.

And today, inadequate housing supply is a major driver of inflation, with rents contributing significantly to recent inflation. The pain of rising housing costs is most acutely felt by those with the lowest incomes. The recent increase in mortgage rates coupled with high prices has further strained affordability, particularly for low-income and first-time homebuyers.

Fortunately, efforts by the Biden-Harris Administration have helped prevent the housing challenges that emerged from the pandemic from turning into widespread evictions and lost homes. Emergency rental assistance, targeted support for homeowners, loan modifications for homeowners that reduced monthly payments, and other policies such as earlier federal moratoria on evictions and foreclosures have kept eviction rates below pre-pandemic levels and prevented millions from losing their homes during COVID-19. This is a remarkable achievement, particularly in contrast to what many predicted would take place in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic based on prior economic downturns.

But we now have the chance to address the longer-term affordability challenge that too many families face. The Biden-Harris Administration is tackling the root causes of rising housing costs by expanding the housing supply, while continuing to do everything we can legislatively and administratively to provide support to low-income renters and promote fair housing. Resources from the American Rescue Plan (ARP) offer a historic opportunity to improve this housing shortage by developing and preserving high-quality homes that all Americans can afford, including homes for very low-income Americans that are often the most difficult to finance.

Story continues

Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge, one of the authors of this op-ed, speaks during the daily press briefing at the White House on March 18, 2021 in Washington, DC. Later on Thursday, President Joe Biden will speak about coronavirus vaccination progress. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

As part of the ARP, Congress provided Fiscal Recovery Funds to states, localities and tribes to help them recover from the pandemic; the Administration has urged these governments to use a portion of their ARP funding to address housing costs, and we have already seen hundreds of governments across the country respond to this call to action.

Some states are using their ARP funds to overcome increased construction costs related to the pandemic-created supply shortages. Illinois, in particular, is devoting a substantial portion of its ARP funds to address these increased costs. Through June 30, 2022, over 670 state and local governments had budgeted over $13.4 billion in ARP funding to meet housing needs over 20% of federal housing spending in a typical year including nearly $4.5 billion for affordable housing development and preservation.

But we are not stopping there. In July, the Treasury Department announced new guidance that makes it even easier to use ARP funds to build and preserve homes. This guidance simplifies the requirements that states and localities must meet in order to devote ARP funds to affordable housing, while making it easier for recipients to make long-term affordable housing loans, including those that take full advantage of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) incentive, the largest source of federal support for the construction and rehabilitation of affordable rental housing. These changes are already helping many previously stalled projects move forward across the country, like the construction of a 278-unit affordable apartment complex in Wilmington, North Carolina.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen testifies during a House Ways and Means Committee hearing on President Biden's proposed 2023 U.S. budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., June 8, 2022. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

And this month, the Treasury Department released a new regulation that will unlock federal support for new types of affordable housing developments using LIHTCs. In 2018, Congress provided additional flexibility that permits affordable housing developments to qualify for this tax credit based on the average income of the households that live in them. The new regulation is designed to make that flexibility a reality and unlock funds to start and complete vital projects that may not have otherwise been able to benefit from this important support.

These recent efforts are part of the Administrations broader approach to address housing costs. In May, President Biden released his Housing Supply Action Plan to close the housing shortfall in five years through both direct investments and broader strategies, such as incentives for local governments to ease harmful land use and zoning regulations that prevent new construction. As part of these efforts, the Department of Housing and Urban Development is working with states and localities to leverage the Departments own ARP dollars to build affordable housing for families experiencing, or at risk of experiencing, homelessness. With jurisdictions across the country able to layer these investments with ARP Fiscal Recovery Funds they directly received, these resources will increase the affordable housing supply in even more communities.

The Biden-Harris Administration will continue using all avenues available to address the vital challenge of housing stability, including through significant investments using ARP funds. But this effort is one we are not undertaking alone. State, local, and private sector partners must join us by taking advantage of this historic opportunity to make new investments in our nations housing supply.

Perhaps most importantly, Congress should increase investments in LIHTC and enact the Neighborhood Homes Investment Act this year. These bipartisan proposals would be the fastest way to surge the production and preservation of affordable rental and owner-occupied housing in communities nationwide. For families who have waited too long for action, its time for us to work together to build the housing our communities need.

Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube

See original here:

President Biden's plan to boost affordable housing is unprecedented and necessary - Yahoo Finance

Facebook parent company Meta Platforms (META) stock is getting cooked as the technology company spends money manufacturing virtual reality hardware, generating awareness, and finding friends for a future in the metaverse.

The advertising budgets of its customers are tightening as companies restructure costs amid macroeconomic challenges which even leads an optimistic analyst to say the third quarter for Meta Platforms is make or break.

"I think the stock is back to questions around, really, core fundamentals," AB Bernstein Senior Analyst Mark Shmulik told Yahoo Finance. Folks can understand that that's [the metaverse] like a more long-term initiative. I imagine investors would love it if they were spending a lot less on it."

Advertisers tend to run digital marketing campaigns where the largest audience, targeting capabilities and conversion rates reside for a decade, Meta subsidiaries Facebook and Instagram have been that venue. Corporate budgeting during macroeconomic uncertainty makes experiencing the value of ad spends through realized sales even more paramount.

"The macro environment continues to deteriorate. We think many ad-driven companies will miss their fourth-quarter earnings," Needham Senior Analyst Laura Martin told Yahoo Finance "And in Meta's case, not only is just the macro environment deteriorating, but they're losing a lot of user time to TikTok. And that continues to happen."

According to research conducted by Piper Sandler, TikTok is the favorite social media app among teens and the margin has only widened for the Bytedance-owned company when compared to Facebook and Instagram.

"I think Mark Zuckerberg is telling us he doesn't think he has a core business," Martin said. "He is moving to Reels because it competes with TikTok. He is moving to the metaverse, and he's changed the name of this company, which tells me he doesn't think his core business that he built 15 years ago is actually a business anymore."

Story continues

Finding legs in the metaverse

Facebook spent $10 billion in 2021 in early efforts to build the metaverse and Mark Zuckerberg informed shareholders in 2022 that the company will continue spending heavily to create the metaverse and will bleed money for three to five years.

Meta Official Big Game Ad | Still Image

The big bet may have an outsized reliance on the ability of Meta to sell metaverse experiential hardware and a reason to be there.

"If you take a look at the motivations behind it, we've gone through these changes in the past from desktop to mobile," Shmulik said "And so they [Meta] understand that at some point, there's going to be another computing platform change. They don't want to be stuck in the application layer."

At Meta Connect, Facebook Founder & CEO Mark Zuckerberg introduced a $1,500 VR headset, with the prevailing plan that a suite of familiar workplace collaboration applications may jumpstart engagement in the metaverse.

Accenture, Zoom, and Microsoft also announced a metaverse partnership with Meta platforms. Microsoft offers a significant friend in virtual reality with the commitment to bring its productivity tools and gaming cloud technology to the experience.

"I think what he's talking about in terms of changing the world of computing for consumers is really innovative and interesting and risky, but bringing on the CEO yesterday of both Microsoft and Accenture? Great says he's got some great enterprise partners," Martin said. "And I don't think consumers want to pay $1,500. I think that's the exception. But I think Accenture can pay to buy thousands of $1,500 goggles."

Brad Smith is an anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow him on Twitter @thebradsmith.

Click here for the latest trending stock tickers of the Yahoo Finance platform

Click here for the latest stock market news and in-depth analysis, including events that move stocks

Read the latest financial and business news from Yahoo Finance

Download the Yahoo Finance app for Apple or Android

Follow Yahoo Finance on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Flipboard, LinkedIn, and YouTube

Read the rest here:

'Mark Zuckerberg is telling us he doesn't think he has a core business': Meta Analyst - Yahoo Finance

Yahoo and DirecTV have added set-top box data to their advanced TV partnership in a bid to unify linear and digital for buyers.

Yahoo and DirecTV expand strategic partnership / Adobe Stock

In June the cable operator made Yahoo the exclusive one-stop demand-side platform for advertisers to get access to its video content. The companies forged a strategic partnership to unlock addressable TV and streaming inventories, and its set box integration is the next phase.

The new deal gives TV buyers using Yahoos demand-side platform (DSP) access to data from millions of DirecTV households. This means advertisers will be able to activate, optimize and measure digital campaigns across all of DirecTVs inventory.

Set-top box data plugs directly into households and gives advertisers real-time viewing data, which also allows buyers to serve ads based on actual programming viewed.

Amy Leifer, chief advertising sales officer of DirecTV, said Yahoo understands the enormous value of our set-top box data. She added that the expanded partnership will enable DirecTV to broaden the use into the programmatic space.

Elizabeth Herbst-Brady, chief revenue officer at Yahoo, added: We have built a multi-sourced data backbone for our advanced TV suite aligned to industry best practices that empowers marketers with the ability to plan and activate more efficiently than ever across linear and connected TV (CTV) inventory.

Originally posted here:

Yahoo And DirecTV Forge Linear And Digital TV Data With Set-top Boxes - The Drum

Fantasy football sit-and-start advice should always be relative and league-dependent. Note that some players are targeted for DFS. Good luck with your Week 6 lineups!

Wilson ranks top-five in rush yards over expectation, sandwiched between Saquon Barkley and Nick Chubb. He lost some playing time to Tevin Coleman last week, but that mostly came with the game out of hand; hes averaged 17.8 touches over the last four games. The extremely run-heavy 49ers are favored against an Atlanta defense allowing the second-most EPA/rush this season, making Wilson undervalued in DFS.

London ranks top-three in target share among all receivers this year, but thats resulted in more than seven targets in just one game, and Kyle Pitts is returning Sunday. The 49ers elite run defense will almost certainly force the Falcons to throw more than usual (especially with no Cordarrelle Patterson), but San Franciscos secondary is also incredibly strong (although Emmanuel Moseley was just lost for the season, and Nick Bosa not expected to play this week).

SF has allowed just 5.2 YPA, an NFL-low two passing scores and the seventh-fewest fantasy points to wide receivers this season (theyve faced Cooper Kupp, Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf over the last three weeks).

Stevenson led all backs in snap percentage last week when he handled all 27 RB opportunities after Damien Harris left with a hamstring injury. Other RBs will contribute in Week 6, but Stevenson will be featured again with Harris unlikely to go no matter who starts at quarterback for New England. The Patriots get a Browns run defense allowing 5.3 YPC, the most EPA/rush (0.17) by a wide margin and the third-most fantasy points to running backs. Cleveland has also averaged the fourth-most combined points during their games this season. Stevenson is an emerging star and hes my No. 1 ranked RB this week.

Story continues

After a slow start, Njoku has recorded 5+ catches for 70+ yards in three straight games, making him as good as any fantasy tight end not named Travis Kelce or Mark Andrews. In fact, Njoku joins the big two as the only tight ends to rank top five in route and target share, as increased volume has followed his big offseason contract (as many expected).

New Englands heavy usage of man coverage helps Amari Cooper more on paper, but Njoku should be heavily involved with Bill Belichick focused on stopping Nick Chubb.

Hall was the No. 4 back last week, and he still doesnt have a top-15 RB DFS salary. The rookie had the most snaps inside the five-yard line among all running backs last week, as Michael Carterssnap% continues to decline each game. Hall remarkably ranks top three among all running backs this season in targets, receiving yards, yards per route run, breakaway run rate, missed tackles/attempt and yards per touch. The Jets have gone run-heavy with Zach Wilson and get a Packers run defense that ranks 30th in DVOA this week.

I still have Dillon as an RB3 given the positions issues, but you could easily have a better FLEX option this week even in a matchup with the Packers more than touchdown favorites. The Jets have been more vulnerable through the air than the ground, and while Green Bay may compensate Sunday, Dillon is coming off playing a season-low 31% snaps last week. Dillons target share has also decreased every game this year.

James Robinson deserves bench consideration in this matchup, but Engram is a fine start versus a pass-funnel Colts defense. Engram saw 10 targets last week and the second-highest air yards share among all tight ends. He gets a Colts defense Sunday thats tough against the run yet allowing the fifth-most fantasy points to tight ends this season.

Consider Evan Engram in fantasy lineups this week. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images)

Pierce quietly ranks top-40 in targets per route run, and the rookie is set to see more action moving forward. Pierce led the Colts in targets last week despite running a dozen fewer routes than Michael Pittman, and Indianapolis could easily be forced to pass more than preferred while facing a stingy Jacksonville run defense and with Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines out due to injury.

Cousins has one of the best matchups on paper this week, and if Mike McDaniel is truly choosing to start Skylar Thompson over an available Teddy Bridgewater, theres hope this game doesnt become as sluggish as originally feared. Xavien Howards possible return would help, but the Dolphins have allowed both the fourth-most EPA/pass and fantasy points to quarterbacks this season.

Mostert was given a rest day mid-week after carrying the majority of Miamis rushing workload last week but is expected to be ready Sunday. He can be a real difference-maker when healthy, and the Dolphins figure to be run-heavy while a seventh-round rookie QB makes his first NFL start. Chase Edmonds snap share has dropped each week, and he appears to have fallen behind Myles Gaskin on the depth chart. Mostert should be treated as a top-15 fantasy RB this week.

Boyd has lost slot snaps to JaMarr Chase this season, but he should see an expanded role this week with Tee Higgins either sidelined or severely limited by an ankle sprain. The Bengals offense ranks bottom-five in EPA/rush while the Saints defense is second-best in EPA/rush allowed, so Joe Burrow figures to be busy in a matchup indoors Sunday.

Chase also becomes an intriguing DFS option ($30) with Marshon Lattimore out.

Hill is the No. 3 (!) fantasy tight end with one catch for two scoreless yards on the season, and he also didnt record a touch during one game. Last week he saw a season-high 31% snap share, so that type of production (six touchdowns on 22 carries/passes) seems highly unsustainable even with some valuable red-zone carries.

Hills ECR is the TE8 this week, and while he absolutely may be your best option at a thin tight end position (injuries to New Orleans WRs Chris Olave, Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry also increase his chances for opportunities), just realize how low Hills floor is when comparing alternatives.

Rashod Bateman is out again, and Duvernay recorded a healthy 26.9% TPRR last week when he was also top-10 in air yards share (45.3%). Facing ex-DC Wink Martindale, Lamar Jackson could easily find himself having to pass more than usual this week. Duvernay is a solid flex option.

What once appeared to be a deep WR position in New York has quickly become one of the leagues thinnest groups, with Slayton going from preseason cut candidate to seeing more than twice as many targets as any other NYG player last week (when he also ranked top-five in air yardage share among all receivers). Slayton is plenty capable, and hes set to be the Giants clear WR1 again Sunday against a Ravens defense allowing the third-most fantasy points to wide receivers this season.

Cameron Brate is set to return against the Steelers, but Otton should remain part of Tampa Bays offense anyway. The rookie ran the most routes among all tight ends last week, with more than a third coming from the coveted slot. Otton also led Tampa Bay in targets, and its becoming clear none of Chris Godwin, Julio Jones nor Russell Gage are close to fully healthy right now. Otton is an option at the DFS minimum, especially at the weak tight end position.

Rookie Jaylen Warren has been getting buzz, but Harris had an 11-1 carry and 4-0 target advantage over the rookie before the fourth quarter of a blowout last week. Harris has been a big fantasy disappointment and will likely continue to fail to come close to paying off his ADP. But he remains Pittsburghs lead back and has a matchup this week against a Tampa Bay defense that ranks first against the pass in DVOA yet middling versus the run, so leave Harris in starting lineups. The game script could easily not match the misleading point spread here.

Brown has seen double-digit targets in four straight games, averaging an NFL-high 12.3 over that span (tied with Cooper Kupp). He should be busy again Sunday with DeAndre Hopkins serving the final game of his suspension and facing a Seahawks defense allowing by far an NFL-high 8.6 YPA and the second-most EPA/pass (0.25) this season. This game has the weeks second-highest total at 50.5 points the next highest is 4.5 points lower. Seahawks matchups are essentially tied for the second-most combined points scored in 2022.

Expect one more big fantasy performance from Brown before Hopkins returns.

Hollywood Brown should have another big game on Sunday. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images)

Moreover, with James Conner and Darrel Williams out, treat Eno Benjamin as a top-15 RB this week. Hes $15 in Yahoo DFS.

Its shocking Smith has been the No. 6 fantasy QB to open the year, but it also hasnt been fluky. Seattle is throwing at a higher rate than they did with Russell Wilson, and the Seahawks schedule hasnt been easy already facing the Broncos, 49ers and Saints. Smith has been incredibly accurate on deep passes, benefits from two terrific receivers (DK Metcalf looks far healthier than last season) and leads the NFL in CPOE and Passer Rating. The Seahawks remarkably rank first in offense in DVOA.

Sunday looks like a good matchup Arizonas defense ranks among the league leaders in EPA/rush yet is toward the bottom of the NFL in EPA/pass and has produced the highest pass rate over expectation against this season. Moreover, Seattle is getting the second-most yards per play while simultaneously allowing the most. Smith has become a fantasy starter and looks especially attractive in DFS this week.

Allen was fantasys top scoring QB last week if you just counted his first half, and Buffalo isnt going to let up after halftime versus a Chiefs team that knocked them out of the playoffs. Theres a real chance no punts occur in this game, and KC has allowed the seventh-most fantasy points to quarterbacks this season. Allen is somehow averaging more rushing yards and is getting 1.5 more yards per pass attempt than last season. Youre only fading him in this DFS matchup to be contrarian in tournaments.

Valdes-Scantling led Kansas City in routes run and targets last week, while JuJu Smith-Schuster looks completely washed, and Mecole Hardman is battling a heel injury. MVS is the near DFS minimum despite getting good targets from Patrick Mahomes in a matchup with this weeks highest over/under by a wide margin.

Moore has been one of the bigger fantasy busts this season but may have ironically become more valuable with the Panthers now down to their third-string quarterback. Moore has averaged three more targets with PJ Walker starting throughout his career, as the two appear to be a good match. The Rams have been gashed for the most fantasy points to Moores primary side this season.

During his career, Moore has somehow caught twice as many touchdowns while playing indoors in 36 fewer games!

The defending Super Bowl champions are getting the fewest yards per play (4.8) in the NFL to open the season, and Carolinas defense is better than average and getting healthier. But with Cam Akers ruled out Sunday for personal reasons and potentially done with the team, Henderson suddenly becomes a top-20 RB this week (at worst) and maybe longer. Even if LA mixes in others, Henderson is well worth starting in fantasy leagues with the Rams 10-point home favorites.

Gallup will be worth using once Dak Prescott returns (and absolutely start him should CeeDee Lamb unexpectedly miss Sunday nights game), but hes in a tougher spot against an Eagles defense allowing the third-lowest EPA/pass and getting healthier in the secondary. Game script could force increased passing volume from the Cowboys this week, however.

Dallas keeps winning thanks to a dominant defense, but Cooper Rush has quietly struggled during obvious passing downs. Playing just his second game outdoors this year, Rush will be facing an Eagles defense that ranks top five in pressure rate; Dallas has allowed the third-highest pressure rate on offense this season.

Wilson is dealing with a shoulder injury, but assuming hes good to go after a PRP injection, expect a nice bounce-back performance Monday night. Hes been a big fantasy disappointment having been outscored by Jacoby Brissett while not being a top-15 QB so far this season, but Wilson is due for major touchdown regression with some wild red-zone issues.

Wilson has gotten 8.6 YPA with four of his five TDs coming during two road games this year. The Chargers rank in the bottom quarter of the league in pressure rate and have allowed multiple passing TDs in all but one game this season during a schedule thats included Davis Mills, Trevor Lawrence and Jacoby Brissett. With Melvin Gordon and Mike Boone both dealing with injuries over the course of the week, expect a big game from Wilson in primetime.

Everett is coming off a quiet performance last week but saw a target inside the 10-yard line for the third game this season. He should be busier Monday night facing a Denver defense thats tough to run against and with Keenan Allen likely out again.

Follow Dalton Del Don on Twitter

Read the original post:

Fantasy Football: Sit/Start tips for Week 6 of the NFL season - Yahoo Sports

(Bloomberg) -- Investors are looking beyond a looming global recession and they see one country and its financial markets emerging strongest on the other side.

Most Read from Bloomberg

US stocks and bonds will lead the way out of the current wave of market turmoil, according to respondents in the latest MLIV Pulse survey. Meanwhile they reckon its close to an even bet as to whether the UK economy or the euro area will fall into a slump first.

About 47% of the 452 respondents expect the UK to win that unwelcome prize, perhaps reflecting greater financial stability risks in that country, compared with 45% who said Europe. Only 7% saw the US becoming the first economy to crack. And both an American rebound and a prolonged European downturn will pose different sets of risks for wealth and income inequality.

The trans-Atlantic gap reflects the war in Ukraine and energy crunch adding long-run economic pressures across Europe that are less prevalent in the US. Even so, investors indicated that the Federal Reserve is just about as likely as the European Central Bank or the Bank of England to stop its cycle of interest-rate hikes first.

Whats more, the survey also indicates that any downturn may end up being a long slog for Europe and the UK while an overwhelming majority of investors, a full 69%, say the US will weather the storm best and emerge as the relative winner among major economies from this years serial crises.

The survey highlights the clear implications for asset allocation. Some 86% of investors expect US markets to recover first, with respondents slightly favoring stocks over bonds.

That result suggests the longstanding premium for US stocks will remain in place and that as peak hawkishness becomes apparent, investors are prepared to return to US Treasury markets in droves.

Story continues

US equity futures advanced in early Monday trading while Treasury yields fell after UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said he would ditch the tax plans that investors considered harmful for the economy.

There are at least three potential reasons that could explain why so many investors see the US as likely to halt rate hikes first allowing the economy and asset markets to recover even though recession risks are much more severe elsewhere.

The first is global financial stability concerns. Given the dollars status as the worlds major reserve currency, the US may be loath to continue rate hikes in the face of rising global turmoil, even if its main locus is outside of the US.

A second idea to consider is that the Fed started aggressive jumbo rate hikes first, suggesting its job may be done first as well. Thats supported by the survey data, as a majority of investors see the US as most likely to quell inflation.

And a third important reason to believe the Fed may stop first is simply because it has said so. The US central bank has telegraphed its desire to front-load rate hikes so that it can hold for a considerable period, at a restrictive level, beginning early next year. Neither the Bank of England nor the ECB have been so explicit in their forward guidance.

The survey found some interesting splits between retail and professional investors. For example, US stocks were more favored by retail than US bonds, suggesting a buy-the-dip mentality has not been permanently broken by the recent bear market in equities. Retail investors were also more likely to tip the UK as going into recession first.

One caveat to think about: inequality. The (unspoken) downside risk for the US if the surveys outcomes come to pass could be a widening of income and wealth gaps.

The Fed's rate hikes have hit interest-rate sensitive sectors like housing the hardest. Some potential first-time homeowners have already been forced to give up on building wealth via buying, and rent instead.

And the central banks explicit goal is to cool the economy via a softening of the labor market. If that happens, while US financial markets are first to recover, it could magnify wealth differences. Rebounding financial assets owned disproportionately by wealthier households would be juxtaposed with stagnating labor income from wages, and renters trapped by rising rates.

Europe and the UK are unlikely to escape increasing inequality. While almost everyones wealth goes down in a slump, the least wealthy tend to lose the most. And inflationary recessions are the worst of both worlds, because inflation is a de-facto regressive tax hitting the poorest who spend the greatest proportion of their disposable income.

Survey respondents are much more pessimistic that the UK and euro area can get the cost of living under control, with only 11% and 16% respectively expecting the BOE or the ECB to succeed in quelling inflation in 2023, versus 65% in the US.

In the UK, the so-called squeezed middle may be in for a particularly torrid time, if the 73% of survey respondents who believe the country will face a housing crash next year are correct. Housing is a powerful driver of wealth effects, and falling home prices tend to impede any trickle-down into the rest of the economy. The upshot could be worsening inequality even as the middle-income group sees a fall in asset prices.

In the end though, the survey brings to mind Warren Buffett's dictum: I will tell you how to become rich. Close the doors. Be fearful when others are greedy. Be greedy when others are fearful.

For those seeking to benefit from US economic and asset-market outperformance, the time to do so is not after the coast is clear and the path is obvious. It is when peak hawkishness and fear pervades.

So one reading of the overall survey results is this: At some point much sooner than in the UK or Europe buying the dip in the US will make sense, even if that time is not quite now.

To subscribe to MLIV Pulse stories, click here. For more markets analysis, see the MLIV blog. Full survey results can be viewed here.

(Updates with Monday markets reaction.)

Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek

2022 Bloomberg L.P.

See the article here:

The Time to Buy the Dip Is Fast Approaching for One Country - Yahoo Finance

Saquon Barkley had a good fantasy day in the New York Giants' upset win over the Baltimore Ravens. But it could have been even better.

Barkley slid right before the end zone on a six-yard run with 1:17 left on the clock to effectively end the game following a Giants' strip-sack of Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson on the previous possession. The wise clock management let the Giants run out the game and take home their third consecutive victory this one a 24-20 win but it left fantasy managers wanting more.

To his credit, Barkley still finished with 83 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown and three receptions for 12 yards. That's a nice 17.0 points in half-point PPR formats. He also had the go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter to give the Giants the lead.

Lament all you want, fantasy managers, but Barkley's decision was the correct one. A touchdown would have put the Giants up by at least 10 points but it would have given the Ravens the ball back with time to score.

Remember the New York Jets' comeback win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 2? That was only possible because running back Nick Chubb scored a touchdown with 1:55 left in the game that gave the Browns just a 13-point lead. That decision, which Chubb owned up to later, gave the Jets enough time for a quick touchdown, an onside kick recovery and then another touchdown to pull off the upset.

Barkley didn't let that happen here, and now the Giants are sitting pretty at 5-1 and potentially tied for first in the NFC East depending on what happens between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night. Credit should also be given to the Giants' defense, whose strip-sack and fumble recovery on the ensuing Ravens drive after the Barkley score set up New York to end the game on its terms.

Saquon Barkley's savvy clock management secured the Giants' fifth win of the year. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

Read more here:

Giants RB Saquon Barkley's slide seals win over Ravens, much to the chagrin of fantasy managers - Yahoo Sports