Mississippi State has found some confidence and a starting quarterback going into its game against No. 20 LSU.The Bulldogs convincing 27-14 victory over South Carolina last weekend -- which included a 24-0 halftime lead -- was just what Mississippi State needed one week after a stunning home loss to South Alabama. And the emergence of quarterback Nick Fitzgerald should give Mississippi State some stability under center when the Bulldogs (1-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) travel to face LSU (1-1, 0-0) on Saturday.The 6-foot-5, 230-pound sophomore set a school-record for a quarterback with 195 yards rushing and also completed 19 of 29 passes for 178 yards, two touchdowns and an interception against the Gamecocks.Its the kind of performance the Bulldogs desperately needed after the embarrassing South Alabama loss. In that game, Fitzgerald started, but struggled during the first two series and was quickly replaced by Damian Williams.Against South Carolina, no replacement was needed.Its been my dream since I was six, to be an SEC quarterback and win an SEC football game, Fitzgerald said after Saturdays game. I finally made my six-year-old self proud.Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen has said Fitzgerald is a capable runner, but the 195 yards on the ground was still a stunner. Mullen said the best part of the performance was Fitzgerald wasnt trying to do much -- he was simply taking what the defense was giving.It wasnt like he was making dynamic runs and making seven people miss, Mullen said. He made good reads and the line blocked well. If you execute well, I think you can see that he will have success.Hopefully, he just looks at the things he did well and continues to do those things well.Now Mississippi States focus turns to LSU. The Tigers have dominated the series over the past few decades -- winning 22 of 24 meetings since 1992 -- but Mississippi State had a breakthrough 34-29 win over LSU in Baton Rouge in 2014.That win was largely thanks to the heroics of quarterback Dak Prescott, who is in the NFL with the Dallas Cowboys. Now its up to Fitzgerald to lead the Bulldogs into Death Valley.Mullen said that Fitzgerald is like a lot of young players -- learning to deal with the ups and downs of playing in a college football game. He hopes the South Carolina win is a good indication that Fitzgerald is a quick learner.Im sure he will make some mistakes on Saturday night down at LSU, but hopefully the mistakes he makes, he corrects, he fixes and plays with confidence, Mullen said. You are going to make mistakes but lets respond from it and come back and not make the same mistake again.---Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP---AP College Football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org John Stones Jersey . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season. Gary Cahill Jersey . The 19-year-old Olsen played 34 games with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL this season. In that time, hes recorded 17 goals and 17 assists with 36 penalty minutes. http://www.englandsoccerpro.com/Jordan-Pickford-England-Jersey/ .C. at the helm of the top team in the Eastern Conference. His tenure as the GM in Vancouver was all too brief. Though he led the Canucks to what was then a franchise record-shattering campaign in just his second season, Nonis was gone and replaced one year later. Harry Maguire England Jersey . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. Kieran Trippier Jersey . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Always has been.In the player rater of my heart, it lands squarely in Kevin Durant territory.As a child, Thanksgiving meant a yearly all-expenses paid trip to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: the City of Brotherly Love. Still does.But as the years have passed? I must admit that the sporting heart of Philadelphia is not as touchy-feely as the citys official tagline previously indicated.Ive witnessed family fistfights at Veterans Stadium. Ive seen Santa Claus duck D batteries. Ive covered my sons ears to prevent Phillies fanatics from expanding his vocabulary.As an adult with children of my own, I view our annual red-eyed Thanksgiving pilgrimage to Yardley, Pennsylvania, as the object lesson it always was:Patience is our greatest virtue.Because I have sat for hours upon hours upon hours patiently listening to Sixers fans describe and defend The Process. And I am impressed with just how long surly Sixers fans have been patiently willing to wait for something -- anything -- to cheer about.Sports fandom shouldnt be easy. Fantasy sports shouldnt be easy. Thanksgiving shouldnt be 100 percent easy.According to my calculations? X amount of struggle endured over Y amount of hours only enhances the level of post-gravy thanks that are ultimately produced. (Its sort of a similar formula to PER.) Patience enhances reward.And you know what? When I think about what I am thankful for in fantasy basketball this season?I am thankful for Joel Embiid.It makes me happy that this Thanksgiving, Sixers fans who have endured eons of The Process can be overwhelmingly thankful for an ambulatory star they can get excited about.Im thankful for Embiids 38.2 usage rate. Im thankful for his per-36 averages (29.8 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 3.7 BPG).Im also thankful that Embiid is still on a minutes restriction.Because as a fantasy basketball maven, I am drooling over what Embiid could do averaging 28-30 minutes. And I dont want it to be for a half season. Big men and bad wheels dont mix. Embiid is doing plenty enough to keep fantasy enthusiasts enthusiastic while safely stoking even more excitement for the production to come.I am thankful Kawhi Leonard has struggled with his 2-point shot.Because it means that when Leonard (career-low .451 FG%, .412 3PT%, way-career-low .466 2PT%) resumes hitting shots at his normal frequency (in 2015-16: .506 FG%, .412 3PT%, .528 2PT%), he may finally become a top-5 player.Leonard is already is producing a break-even return on his 8.0 ADP. But hes leaving almost two full player rater points on the floor with his inconsistent shooting.I am also thankful Kawhi Leonard blocked a shot last Wednesday.Because its the only shot hes blocked in the last two weeks. (Were used to about one per game.)I am thankful Earl Watson was retained.Teams with no mandate to make the playoffs, young upside, and gobs of possessions equal unexpected ladle-fulls of fantasy goodness.When Earl Watson was promoted from interim to head coach of the Suns back in February, it was a positive fantasy development. I just didnt know that come November, Watson was going to introduce Seven Seconds Or Less: The Sequel.In fantasy, the most underrated teamwide stat is pace. Possessions equal production. And so far this season, the Suns are dusting the competition at 108.0 possessions per game. (Brooklyn is second with 105.4. Sort of like the Suns, but with less long-term upside. Still exciting, though.)The Suns arent the most efficient team in the NBA (theyre in the lower third). But their inflated pace makes them a must-play-against team in DFS. It ensures they will have at least five players worth rostering in standard leagues. And it also makes them a waiver-wire hotbed.I am thankful Tom Thibodeau is pushing Andrew Wiggins to shoot 3s.During the preseason, Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau mentioned prioritizing 3-point attempts, a long-missing aspect of Wiggins fantasy portfolio. To take the next leap in his fantasy development, Wiggins sorely needs to start producing in 3s, steals and blocks. Even 3s or steals?or blocks would be a welcome improvement.If I played for Thibodeau, I would do whatever he said, as fastt as humanly possible.dddddddddddd I have a family. And Wiggins also seems to be acquiescing quickly. He has almost doubled his 3-point attempts from 2015-16, clocking in at 4.0 attempts per game. (Plus, hes hitting a career high 44 percent of them.)I am thankful Gordon Hayward is playing some power forward.Hayward personifies the solid midround pick. His statistical versatility (career averages of 4.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.0 steal and 1.2 3-pointers) and multi-positional eligibility (SG/SF) add flexibility and volume-based punch.But for me, Hayward is a source of personal perennial frustration. Because if he could function with a little more efficiency, hed be a top-20 fantasy player. Even worse, Haywards replacement-level percentages (.436 FG%, .357 3PT%) have regressed as his shot volume has increased.Hayward is currently plumbing career lows from the field (.399 FG%, .245 3PT%). But in this case, his early-season shooting swoon (even by his mediocre standards) can be attributed to an ugly finger injury.I see two reasons to be bullish on Hayward going forward; hes in the opt-out year of his contract, and hes playing more time at the 4.Because the more Hayward rebounds? The more he brings his offense inside? The more efficient hes going to get. Hayward is currently gathering a career-high 7.6 boards per game.I am thankful Dwight Howard is a Hawk.Not because of Howards production. Seventh-round value seems about right for Howard.Im thankful because Howards less-than-sunny decamping from Houston handed 25-plus minutes a night to Clint Capela.And Capela was handed his newfound minutes when Mike DAntoni arrived as Rockets head coach. Because DAntoni was Earl Watson when Watson was backing up Gary Payton.Capela is returning the favor with a career year. He just doled out the best five-game statistical stretch of his career: 14.2 points, 10.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks, with a .604 field goal percentage.(And, yes, an Andre Drummond-esque .538 free throw percentage. Nobodys perfect. As long as Capela remains under three attempts a night, he wont kill you.)I am thankful Jrue Holiday is back.For one big non-basketball reason. But Im also excited to maybe see what Holiday and Tim Frazier could accomplish in the same Pelicans?backcourt.I know its a bad fit on paper. But the shooting guard tandem of ETwaun Moore and Buddy Hield hasnt exactly taken Bourbon Street by storm. Given Fraziers ascendance and Holidays proven value, what do the Pelicans have to lose by occasionally playing them together?I am thankful Playoff Bradley Beal arrived in November. Because I dont know when well see him in an actual playoff game again. Im the only Wizards fan I know. The Wizards are bad. The Wizards have no depth.But amidst all the thudding disappointment, there is a fantasy silver lining. Because a paucity of rotation-quality players means more touches for Washingtons overworked starting five.And it means Bradley Beal has to play more minutes. (Fun fact: Did you know that Ernie Grunfeld once reportedly turned down a James Harden for Beal deal? Did you know that Grunfeld has his own, less catchily branded version of The Process called The Plan? Patience!)Beal has been an oft-injured regular-season disappointment. His 16.2 points, 3.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.8 3-pointers and 1.0 steal per game does exactly scream do not trade this guy for James Harden. However, a more assertive and productive Beal tends to arrive in the playoffs (Beal in 11 playoff games in 2014-15: 23.4 points, 4.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 3-pointers and 1.6 steals).Perhaps the combination of max-contract expectations, no one playing behind him, and having the 3-point-deficient John Wall as a running mate is finally forcing Playoff Beal into action early.Beals past three games: 31.3 points, 3.0 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 4.0 3-pointers.The Wizards (4-9) play the Magic (6-8) on Friday. The most beautiful aspect of fantasy sports? No matter how mind-numbing a matchup may appear, every game gives us?something to be thankful for. ' ' '