LOS ANGELES — Dalton Rushing said his season is not over yet. The Los Angeles Dodgers backstop told The Athletic he does not believe he will need surgery to address a slight tear in the ulnar collateral ligament in his throwing elbow.

“I don’t have to go lay on a table and get my arm cut open,” Rushing said after the Dodgers’ 6-5 win over Kansas City on Monday night. “That’s a good thing. That’s where we’re at right now.”

Rushing felt discomfort while warming up before a game against the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 2 and was a late scratch from the lineup before being placed on the injured list a day later. In rehashing the injury for the first time publicly, Rushing said the tear was not a massive surprise — or an area of real immediate concern.

“From a structural standpoint, we had a history a little bit of it,” Rushing said. “(The Dodgers) were aware of it. Everyone was aware of it. I think that’s what popped up as of recently on scans and kind of threw up a red flag for some people.

“But as far as the feel of it, we’re worried about the muscle side of it that surrounds it. That’s what we’re going to rehab.”

Doctors, Rushing said, are “not worried about anything structurally right now” in his elbow, which fuels his hope to avoid a season-ending surgery. The Dodgers are still hopeful their former top prospect could provide a boost in their quest for a third consecutive World Series title.

Manager Dave Roberts said last week there is a “very small” chance that Rushing catches again this season, though much of the Dodgers’ evaluation will depend on the results of scans after Rushing goes four to six weeks without throwing.

“I hope I’m wrong,” Roberts said at the time after downplaying the odds.

The Dodgers already have contingencies. They spent the day after Rushing complained of symptoms trading for a pair of catchers they knew previously in Ben Rortvedt and Hunter Feduccia to help address the position. It’s not the setup anyone envisioned, but it’s the catching situation the Dodgers are stuck with until Will Smith returns from injury.

Rushing had served as the Dodgers’ primary catcher ever since Smith hit the injured list in June with an inflamed disc in his neck. Smith is expected to take batting practice on the field this week for the first time since his injury, Roberts said on Monday.

“This is going to be a big week for Will,” Roberts said.

If all goes well, Smith is expected to be behind the plate in October. The Dodgers still see Rushing filling a potential role, even if he cannot catch.

Rushing has continued to swing in the week since going on the injured list, wearing protective gear on his right elbow. The Dodgers have a clear need for a left-handed bat as they roll with what on most nights is exclusively a right-handed bench. That unbalanced roster construction has complicated things, Roberts said Monday afternoon, as the Dodgers have clear redundancies. Roberts said he will start Alex Call on Tuesday, which will mark the outfielder’s first start since July 21 and just his seventh game overall in that span.

“It’s not ideal,” Roberts said.

Rostering Rushing is not a clear-cut solution if he medically cannot play a position (and the Dodgers famously employ Shohei Ohtani as a designated hitter), but they’re keeping the possibility alive.

The 25-year-old has put up an .809 OPS in 245 plate appearances so far this season, ranking as the fifth-most productive offensive player at the catcher position in that much playing time. That has been more than enough for the Dodgers to want to keep Rushing as a viable option. It’s also a chance for the team to continue making the most of what has been a strong first full season in the big leagues for Rushing.

“It’s just adversity,” Rushing said of the path ahead.

Every year, fantasy football managers head into their draft hoping that they land the No. 1 pick. What if they are thinking about it wrong?

We’ve long associated getting the top pick with the best run of luck you can get. But that’s not necessarily true. While it’s nice to take the best player on the board and relax until the picks come back around, last year the best spot to pick from was  No. 4, and the year before, you wanted No. 9.

This summer, the No. 5 spot is the place to be.

Think about it like this. The top of the draft has a handful of clear studs. Jahmyr Gibbs and Bijan Robinson are incredible. Each deserves to be the top pick in any 2026 draft. There is no wrong answer there.

This year also has three wide receivers who stand out above the rest: Puka Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. All three have a case to be the first WR off the board.

And if you’re picking fifth in your draft, you are guaranteed to get at least one of those five players. (Full disclosure: I originally planned on featuring six players and the top-six picks, but I’ve downgraded Christian McCaffrey from the top tier because of the injury that kept him out of practice Monday and his 413 regular season touches last season, among other reasons).

The benefit of picking at the bottom of your tier is that while it takes away agency and limits your options, it also means you get one of your top players and a higher pick in Round 2.

The fifth pick in the first round gives you the 20th-overall pick (assuming a 12-team league) in Round 2. The options are pretty good there (ADPs are via FantasyPros for a half-PPR league).

At No. 20 you have several great options. You can take the top tight end in the draft. Both Trey McBride (20.0) and Brock Bowers (20.7) are projected to be available there. While there are significant downsides to picking a tight end that high, this year, Bowers could be the kind of TE who wins your league for you.

You could also choose to pair your top pick with an elite QB in Josh Allen (21.7), but that might be too early with several top quarterbacks still projected to be on the board several rounds later. A more intriguing option would be to pivot off your top pick. If you went RB early (unlikely as that would’ve likely required Gibbs and Robinson dropping), you can start building your WR corps with A.J. Brown or Nico Collins. More likely, you’ll want an RB after going WR early. Derrick Henry (21.7) and Jeremiyah Love (26) should still be there for you at No. 20 and there’s a chance that Kenneth Walker (18.7) falls.

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Whatever you do at No. 20, think about that pick in conjunction with who will be there in the third round. The top options at No. 29 are likely to be wide receivers. Chris Olave (28.7), Rashee Rice (29), Malik Nabers (31.3), and Devonta Smith (34) may all be available for you. There should be some RBs on the board too, but the options don’t look that enticing: Josh Jacobs, Kyren Williams, Javonte Williams. All three are at risk of losing their premier workloads. Jets running back Breece Hall (33.7) is the top pick if you want to go RB in Round 3.

The choice looks a lot better by the time No. 44 rolls around. Garrett Wilson (43), Ladd McConkey (44.3), Luther Burden (48), and Jaylen Waddle (48.3) all loom as intriguing picks in the fourth round. It’s possible to start the draft with JSN, Derrick Henry, Nabers and McConkey, which would leave your team with three possible WR1s this season all starting for you, and you still have a strong lead back. Bhayshul Tuten (55.7), Terry McLaurin (53), Drake Maye (52.7), and Jayden Daniels (59.7) could all be there in the fifth round if you need help at one of those positions.

The sixth round could be a great spot to land your starting tight end — Tucker Kraft and Harold Fannin both have an ADP of 68, or you could try to wait for Sam LaPorta (77.3). You can also still land a starting WR; Carnell Tate (73) could be an interesting option. Since 2019, Travis Hunter was the only receiver to go in the top 10 in the NFL draft and not amass at least 734 receiving yards. Five of the 10 hit the 1,000 yard mark. Tate, who went No. 4 to the Titans, will be WR1 in Tennessee.

The key to the first few rounds might also be understanding 2026 draft trends. Running backs are pushed up just a little bit this year. The ADP for the No. 25 RB was 59 last year; this year it’s currently 55.7. The ADP for RB10 is 15.7; last year it was 19.7. Receivers are up, too. WR12 has an ADP of 29; last year it was 31.7. But WR36 is going later in the draft: 79.3 ADP last year and 85.7 this year.

It’s possible to get starting WRs later this year, but you’ll probably have to jump on RBs a little earlier. Parker Washington seems ready for a breakout year after he finished last season on a tear (WR19 from Week 9 on); he’s going as WR32 with a 77.3 ADP. Jordyn Tyson, also a top-10 pick at WR, is going at an ADP of 84. If Alec Pierce is healthy, he could be the Colts’ WR1 and a steal at his ADP (89.7).

Or you could take the opposite approach and try to bet on fantasy trends reversing themselves. The NFL has seen an unusual amount of healthy running backs over the past two seasons. That’s benefited anyone who has taken RBs early in those drafts. If you think that trend ends this year, it would make sense to go WR early in the top rounds, then bet on a number of up-and-comers and backups later to make up ground. Betting big at receiver and making up ground late and on the waiver wire at RB could be the winning strategy this season.

But whatever you do, just don’t draft a kicker before the last round.