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Moms noticed her first.Wearing No. 89 in her red, white and blue East Thunderbirds jersey, Alissa Pili tore through the offensive line in an otherwise all-boys tackle football league. Pili, a powerfully built defensive lineman, led her Boys & Girls Club football league team in sacks and gained a following.I dont think they were expecting a girl to be playing so well against boys, Pili said. They would come up to me after games and tell me they loved watching me beat the boys.Pili, who recently turned 15, hasnt played football in nearly two years. But the 5-foot-11, 240-pound power forward brings the same physicality to basketball, and she is a star for A.J. Dimond High School in Anchorage, Alaska. She averaged 18.3 points and 11.7 rebounds as a freshman last season.Ive been coaching for many years, and Alissa is a special athlete, the type we havent had in Alaska, Dimond coach Jim Young said. So strong for her age. Alissa can rep 135 pounds eight times on the bench press. And she played tackle football against boys from the third through the eighth grade. Coaches I talked to said she was as mobile and strong as any boy she went up against.As good as she was in football, basketball is Pilis passion. As a freshman last season, she led Dimond to the Class 4A state championship game, in which the team lost 44-40 to Wasilla High School. Pili had 14 points, nine rebounds and two blocks -- all game highs -- and she had a putback with 80 seconds left to cut Dimonds deficit to 42-40.That was as close as Dimond got, and Pili tasted disappointment in the biggest game of her life so far.It was really emotional, Pili said. We worked so hard.Pili should have more opportunities at state. She was one of two freshmen on the five-player first-team all-state squad. The other was 5-foot-9 guard Olivia Davies of Wasilla. Those two happen to be AAU teammates with the Alaska Lady Hoops.We have a lot of love for each other, Pili said. Losing state to her didnt ruin anything.Davies said shes a fan of Pili and her versatile game.She can bring the ball up the court, Davies said, and then she can be a beast in the post.Train with meThe second of Billy and Heathers seven children, Pili, who has four brothers and two sisters, has seemingly always been an athlete.Pili, who is of Samoan and Alaskan Native ancestry, grew up wrestling her older brother, Brandon. Thats no easy task. Brandon, 17, is 6-foot-4, 315 pounds and a defensive end for Dimonds football team.In addition to football and wrestling, Pilis other hobbies include volleyball and track and field. She earned first-team all-state honors in volleyball and won an Alaska title in the shot put in an incredible freshman year.Pili was so dominant that two basketball players on other teams asked if they could train with her this summer, thinking there must be some secret to her success. Pili invited those girls to play with her dad, brothers and cousins -- all male -- in her rough-and-tumble cul-de-sac basketball games. Perhaps intimidated, the girls never showed.It was their loss because the Pili Plan is working. She has received recruiting interest from schools such as Washington State, Washington, Utah, South Carolina and Fresno State.Ryan Hales, who coached Oregon-bound Ruthy Hebard, the states three-time Gatorade player of the year, on the Alaska Lady Hoops, figures to build his team around Pili this season.Alissa can have people hanging off her arms and still find a way to finish, Hales said. She can play any position. She can cross you over, shoot the 3 and then hold her ground in the post. I cant think of anyone to compare her to. Shes uncommon in the way she moves.Hales said he had to beg Pilis parents to let her play with his team this past spring and into the summer. The Pili family is close, and they go on family camping trips in the summer. They hike, they fish, and they enjoy the great outdoors and the breathtaking scenery Alaska has to offer.But once Pili got the go-ahead from her parents, she went to a tournament in Oregon and led Alaska Lady Hoops to second place in their pool. Hales said Pili had 28 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to a loaded Cal Stars team. She also had her shot blocked a few times by the taller Cal Stars players, who were keying on her.Pili powerWith a 3.5 GPA, Pili is interested in studying engineering in college. Singing is also among her seemingly endless list of talents. Her teammates say she can belt out Alicia Keys and Beyonce.She almost always hits the right notes. Thats especially true on the basketball court, where Pilis power is a source of intimidation, inspiration and sometimes even imitation.Jahnna Hajdukovich, one of her AAU teammates and the owner of one of the greatest buzzer-beaters in basketball history, said other kids want to test Pilis strength.Everyone likes to wrestle her or play fight, Hajdukovich said. I cant tell you what happens because its kind of like Fight Club. The first rule of Fight Club is you dont talk about Fight Club. ... But I can tell you that no one can beat Alissa.Shes a rock -- crazy strong.How to Buy Cheap Jerseys . Thousands of Southern California fans enveloped the Trojans to celebrate an improbable win secured by an interim coach, an inconsistent kicker and a thin defence that wouldnt break. What is the best site to buy team jerseys from China .com) - The game was all punts and field goals before Kodi Whitfields catch. https://www.wheretobuycheapjerseys.com/ . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. Where can one buy good quality but cheap jerseys . Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, announced Wednesday that the team would assign Swedish forward Elias Lindholm to his nations team for the upcoming tournament. Where Can Buy Cheap Jerseys . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season.After Thursday and Friday brought us only two elite options combined, Saturday is a breath of fresh air. Not only are there four hurlers who crack the elite tier, but there are also numerous midrange options who could be just as widely owned. Theres a lot to get to, so lets not waste any more time.?PitchingEliteIts a bit crowded at the top Saturday, with four hurlers earning elite scores within a point or two of each other. Coming out on top is Stephen Strasburg, who has a home date with the Giants. Its hard to find fault with the Nationals righty -- he boasts a top-five strikeout rate (10.8 K/9), has a nice offense behind him and has allowed zero or one runs in six of his last seven starts. That said, the Giants are not an ideal opponent. While they are only average against right-handed pitching, they are whiffing just 16.8 percent of the time, the lowest rate in the National League. Strasburg remains a strong cash option, but its hard to pay the premium for a guy whos facing a team that makes so much contact.Corey Klubers matchup against the Yankees is more appealing. The Cleveland right-hander cant quite match Strasburgs swing-and-miss potential, but hes still whiffing a batter per inning and owns a 2.34 ERA and 0.92 WHIP since June 1.The Yankees, meanwhile, struggle against right-handed pitching (86 wRC+) and have been particularly punchless since the break, putting up a 71 wRC+ that ranks in the bottom five in baseball. Theyve also been whiffing at a 21 percent clip since the All-Star break, up from 18 percent in the first half. Kluber is one of my favorite plays of the day. The only catch that his DFS availability is limited with an afternoon start time.Also getting an afternoon start time are Jake Arrieta and the Cubs, who travel to Oakland. The Cubs ace is an elite fantasy hurler, though his monthly ERAs show that hes trending in the wrong direction: April - 1.00 ERA; May - 2.08 ERA; June - 3.54 ERA; July - 4.88 ERA. Still, despite heading to the AL and having to face a DH, this is a favorable spot for Arrieta. The O.co Coliseum is more favorable to pitchers than Wrigley Field, and the As lineup is well below average. The only downside is that, like the Giants, the As are a tough team to strike out, which caps Arrietas upside.Although he draws the lowest Game Score of the group, Chris Archer might offer the most upside with a home start versus Minnesota. The Twins sticks have heated up since the break, sporting a 111 wRC+. However, they are also whiffing at a 22 percent clip. That pairs well with Archers 10.5 K/9. He makes for an intriguing tournament play on Saturday.SolidIf youre not paying up for one of the elite, Carlos Martinez is a fine alternative. While the Ks might not be there, he should have little trouble mowing down a Braves lineup that is the worst in baseball against right-handed pitching (79 wRC+). Martinez is also in a great spot to pick up a win against Mike Foltynewicz, the owner of a 6.56 ERA so far in the second half.The Blue Jays announced on Wednesday that Aaron Sanchez will remain in the starting rotation for the time being. Fantasy owners can rejoice -- the 24-year-old has been brilliant this season. He owns a 2.71 ERA in 21 starts, and hes surrendered more than two runs just once in his last 11 outings. While hes not overpowering hitters (7.6 K/9), he owns the second-highest GB rate in baseball (58 percent), and his 22 percent soft-hit percentage is top-three in the American League. On Saturday, hes in a very favorable spot, facing a Royals team thats the worst in the AL against righties (85 wRC+) and has been even worse since the All-Star break (58 wRC+).Chris Tillman is one of the days lesser exciting options, but he still deserves mention here. The right-hander has been pitching some of his best ball of late, posting a 2.72 ERA over his last six starts, and he gets a White Sox team that brings little to the table against right-handed pitching (86 wRC+) and has stumbled out of the gate in the second half (80 wRC+). If youre paying up in your first pitcher slot, Tillman makes for a solid, cost-effective SP2.With so many elite options available, itd be easy to ignore Danny Duffy in a tough matchup against Toronto. However, the Royals lefty has just been too good lately to look over. Over his last seven starts, he holds a 2.52 ERA, 0.90 WHIP and a 9.9 K/9, which includes eight shutout innings of one-hit ball and 16 Ks againnst Tampa Bay his last time out.dddddddddddd The Blue Jays handle southpaws well, but they also whiff 23 percent of the time. Duffy is a really intriguing GPP option.StreamersAvailable in 87 percent of leagues, Eduardo Rodriguez is a prime streamer on Saturday as the Red Sox head to LA to face the Dodgers. Not only does Rodriguez trade in the DH for a hitting pitcher, but he gets to square off against a Dodgers lineup thats one of the worst in the game against lefties (81 wRC+, 21 percent whiff rate). While Rodriguez holds a 5.91 ERA this season, hes shown promise of late, post a 2.63 ERA over his past four starts.Tyler Skaggs has made only two starts this season, but over those two starts hes tossed 12 1/3 scoreless frames with 13 whiffs and only three walks. With the Mariners on tap, the left-hander gets an average offense that strikes out at a 22 percent clip. Thats enough to make Skaggs a quality streaming option. Hes available in more than half of ESPN leagues.Whichever starting pitcher is set to face the Padres usually gets mentioned in this space, and were going to keep that trend going. Saturdays lucky winner is rookie right-hander Jake Thompson, making his long awaited debuted in Petco Park. The Padres, of course, are prime matchup for right-handed pitchers, as they sport an 83 wRC+ and a bloated 25 percent whiff rate.AvoidTaijuan Walker returns to the mound on Saturday against the Angels after missing time with tendinitis in his right foot. The Angels may have one of the worst records in the AL, but its still a tough matchup. The Angels are above average versus righties, strike out less than any team in baseball (15 percent), and have been the best offense in baseball since the break (115 wRC+). Walker is a talented pitcher, but Im avoiding him in his first start back.His game score falls in the automatic avoid range, but in case you are wondering, yes, thats Roberto Dont call me Fausto Hernandez making the start for the Atlanta Braves. Either that or the Internet has been hacked.HittingTheres no way around it: Matt Garza has been really bad this year. Whenever he takes the mound, I usually try to get some exposure to the team going up against him. On Saturday, that team is the Diamondbacks. Garza has been an equal opportunity hurler this season -- both left- and right-handed batters have him hit hard -- so theres no reason to avoid hitters who dont have the platoon advantage. That said, lefty Jake Lamb is one of the more appealing plays, as hes batting .305 against right-handed pitching this season with 19 of his 23 homers coming against pitchers from that side.Im also targeting left-handed bats against Matt Cain. The right-hander has been bludgeoned for a .403 wOBA by lefty hitters this season. The Nationals are light on left-handed bats, but Daniel Murphy and Bryce Harper are two awfully good ones.With struggling left-hander Patrick Corbin toeing the rubber against the Brewers on Saturday, Ryan Braun, Chris Carter, Hernan Perez and switch-hitter Jonathan Villar are all in play. Corbin has actually had more trouble with left-handed batters this season, but historically righties have given him more trouble.Of course, youll also probably want some exposure to the Coors Field game. Rockies right-hander?Chad Bettis sports a 5.47 ERA at Coors this year, and because hes shown reverse splits in his career (.370 wOBA allowed to righty batters), you dont have focus only on hitters with the platoon advantage. The Marlins 3-4-5 of Christian Yelich, Giancarlo Stanton and Marcell Ozuna are all on the radar.Andrew Cashner has been much better of late, but this is still Coors were talking about. He holds a 6.23 road ERA this season, and his career ERA at Coors sits at 6.94 in eight appearances. Feel free to fire up the usual suspects in the Rockies lineup on Saturday.Most likely to go yard: Bryce HarperHarper is hitting just .131 with one home run in the second half, but a matchup against Cain is a great opportunity for last years MVP to bust out of his slump and hit one over the boards.Most likely to swipe a bag: Marcus SemienArrieta is tough to reach against, but once you do, swiping second is much, much easier. Semien is sitting on nine steals and will have his eyes set on reaching double digits for the second straight season. ' ' '