TORONTO -- Sydney Leroux showed some love for Toronto after an emotional 24 hours that saw the Canadian-born U.S. soccer international inflame passions with a cheeky goal celebration and a tweet about racial slurs. But while calling the atmosphere at Sundays Canada-U.S. game in Toronto a "positive step forward for womens soccer," Leroux revealed she had been racially abused in her birthplace of Vancouver during last years Olympic qualifying tournament. The Canadian Soccer Association, while adding its voice against racism, noted that no complaint was ever filed at the time. Leroux, U.S. Soccer said, had chosen to stay silent. But Lerouxs open-ended tweet Monday opened up the issue. The rising star, who was booed throughout Sundays match by the soldout crowd at BMO Field, scored the final goal in the 3-0 U.S. win. In celebrating her stoppage-time goal, she popped out her jersey to show the U.S. crest and put a finger to her mouth as if silencing the crowd. On Monday morning, the 23-year-old -- who was born in Vancouver to a Canadian mother and American father -- took to Twitter to explain her actions. "When you chant racial slurs, taunt me and talk about my family dont be mad when I shush you and show pride in what I represent. .america," Leroux tweeted. The timing of the tweet led many to assume that the racial slurs in question happened at the game in Toronto. Not so, U.S. Soccer clarified later in the day after the story took off. Lerouxs tweet "was not in response to anything heard" at BMO Field, the U.S. governing body said in a statement. U.S. Soccer said Leroux "has endured abuse both verbally and in social media," since switching her international allegiance from Canada to the U.S. in 2008. "The racial slurs to which she referred in the tweet occurred during the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Vancouver in January of 2012 and revolved around her father, who is African-American," said the statement. "At the time, she chose not to address them. "Since the match (Sunday), she has received a significant number of tweets that contained racial slurs, and her tweet this morning was in response to the last year and half in which such abuse has occurred more frequently. In the statement, Leroux also offered her own explanation: "My tweet from this morning wasnt in response to anything from yesterdays match at BMO Field. In fact, the atmosphere at the stadium was a positive step forward for womens soccer," she said. "Unfortunately, the type of abuse I have received in the past and via social media for my decision to play for the United States is a step backwards. That is what prompted my response in the heat of the moment. "It is sad that people are inclined to write these incredibly negative comments, but I am not going to focus on them moving forward. Racism has no place in our beautiful game and we all need to come together to make sure no players are subjected to this kind of treatment in stadiums or on social media anywhere in the world. That said, the majority of fans have been extremely positive and I appreciate their support." Sundays game, a much anticipated rematch of last summers Olympic showdown won 4-3 by the Americans in controversial fashion after extra time, drew a BMO Field record crowd of 22,453. Leroux drew boos and chants of "Judas" during the Olympic qualifying in Vancouver. "I know that there are some people who dont respect my decision," Leroux said at the time. "And there are some people who do. And not everyones going to like you, and I feel like you have to have some enemies in life or else youre not doing something right. Im happy where I am. "Im happy to wear this jersey, and thats how it is." The Canadian Soccer Association released its own statement Monday. "The Canadian Soccer Association is aware that U.S. Soccer national team player Sydney Leroux has indicated having been the target of racial abuse at the 2012 CONCACAF Womens Olympic Qualifying tournament held in Canada. At that time, no CONCACAF or Canadian Soccer Association officials were informed nor was any formal report filed by Leroux or U.S. Soccer," the statement read. "The Canadian Soccer Association is a proud supporter of fair play and respect in sports, and will not tolerate discrimination on or off the pitch. We would also ask of all Canadian soccer fans that they hold themselves to these same standards when enjoying the beautiful game." As for the goal celebration, Leroux downplayed it after Sundays game. "Come on ... how many American-born players do you have on Canada?" said Leroux, who was yellow-carded for her celebration. "I thought I dealt with it well." The seventh-ranked Canadian squad includes defender Lauren Sesselman, who was born in the U.S. Coach John Herdman is said to be examining other U.S. options. American captain Abby Wambach also spoke up for her teammate. "If you knew some of things that Canadian folks tweet at her, that for her was a special moment, and that for her was saying, Hey look, Im here, Im on the U.S. team," Wambach said. "So for her, Im proud of her to come on in the time that she had." Lerouxs mother played third base for the Canadian national softball team while her father played for the Anaheim Angels. At 14, Sydney was part of the Canadian team at the 2004 FIFA U-19 Womens World Cup in Thailand, where she was the youngest player in the tournament. She was captain of Canadas under-15 team before moving to the U.S. at 15 with an eye to earning a college scholarship and playing for the U.S. team, according to U.S. Soccer. She played at UCLA and is currently a member of the Boston Breakers of the National Womens Soccer League. Lerouxs weekend actions drew a quick response from Canadian news outlets, even before any mention of racism was introduced. "Sydney Leroux scores goal, acts boorish," was the headline on The Score website. "Canada has a meltdown over Sydney Leroux goal celebration," said the National Post. "Canadians see red after Lerouxs gesture," added The Globe and Mail. And The Voyageurs supporters group, whose section of the stadium is near where the American forward celebrated, put out a statement, "We really shouldnt need to address this, but given the firestorm created by an accusation coming from one American player this morning, a reminder to everyone: We have zero tolerance for racist behaviour," the statement read. "Anyone engaging in this type of behaviour is not representative of the Voyageurs, and is not welcome in our sections." Booing the return of players who have left for another team is common in soccer, however. And players change international allegiance around the world. But Canadians are perhaps especially sensitive to the issue given past defections from a mens team that is currently ranked 80th in the world. Owen Hargreaves (England), Jonathan de Guzman (Netherlands) and Asmir Begovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) are just some of the recent Canadians who have elected to play for another country. Canadian soccer officials are waiting on where highly touted Queens Park Rangers winger Junior Hoilett will play internationally. Canada has not shied away from snapping up players with eligibility from other countries, however. As for scoring against former teams, there are usually two approaches: wildly rubbing it in or not marking the moment at all, as former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie did when he scored against the Gunners for Manchester United this season. Eric Hanhold Jersey . -- Mike Smith never saw his first NHL goal go in. Renato Nunez Jersey . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. https://www.cheaporioles.com/1618i-steve-stone-jersey-orioles.html . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Merv Rettenmund Jersey . "Thank you for the warm welcome," Beckham said on an 80-degree February morning. In this case, it was soccer weather. The sport moved a step closer to returning to South Florida on Wednesday, when Beckham confirmed he has exercised his option to purchase a Major League Soccer expansion franchise in Miami. Boog Powell Jersey . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists. Each week of the NFL campaign we will sift through the deeper options at each position with an eye on identifying streaming fantasy commodities with valuable matchups to consider.Do you need replacement options due to byes or injuries? We have some choice names to consider for those seeking widely available options at each position.Quarterback?Colin Kaepernick, San Francisco 49ers Kaepernick leads the pack this week among quarterbacks who are owned in less than 20 percent of ESPN.com leagues.? Kaepernick has demonstrated over his last two games that he is a serviceable option, scoring more than 20 fantasy points in both outings.? This week, hell draw the New England Patriots, whose lack of a pass rush was extremely apparent on Sunday night against the Seattle Seahawks.? While Russell Wilson is obviously a better quarterback than Kaepernick, if theres any player in the NFL who mirrors Wilsons skill set, its Kaepernick.? Look for Kaepernick to own garbage time, as the likelihood of him seeing a prevent defense with no pass rush is high, based on the overall differential between the 49ers and the Patriots. -- K.D. ?Alex Smith, Kansas City Chiefs ?The Chiefs won at Carolina in Week 10 despite not scoring a touchdown, the first time the franchise has achieved this rare feat since Week 9 of 2013. Smith has struggled in averaging just 152.5 passing yards over the past two games, while the absence of rushing production this season has also hurt his fantasy stock. The reason Im endorsing Smith as a viable streaming option at signal-caller is the favorable matchup metrics he enjoys against the visiting Bucs this week. Tampa has ceded 18 fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks, seventh most in the league, while the team has allowed a touchdown on 24.8 percent of opposing drives, well above the league average rate of 21.2 percent. The Bucs simply dont get to the opposing pocket on defense, as their pressure rate of 22.2 percent ranks 29th in the league. A positive correction in the passing game is due for Smith and the Chiefs, while a position as home favorites against a generous defensive foe is an ideal recipe for this to materialize. -- J.M. ?Running back?Jalen Richard, Oakland RaidersAmong running backs who are owned in less than a fifth of ESPN.com leagues, the cupboard is almost completely bare.? If you are in the deepest of leagues and need a desperation play at this position, your best course of action is looking for someone who is certain to see at least five touches and possibly more, based on how his game flows.? This week, Richard fits the bill.? Richard has 17 touches for 109 yards from scrimmage over his last two games.? Richard will face the Houston Texans, who are nowhere close to being the defensive force they were with J.J. Watt on the field.? In fact, the Texans are actually a juicy matchup for opposing running backs, as they rank eighth in terms of most fantasy points scored by opposing running backs. -- K.D.?Kenneth Dixon, Baltimore Ravens A gifted receiver, Dixon led all draft-eligible backs in the NCAA last season with 2.28 yards per route and earned the highest grade among positional draft prospects in the passing phase on College Football Focus last season. Dixon is earning increased snap exposure and touches with each successive week, as he set a career high with 80 yards from scrimmage in Week 10, thanks to a career high in snaps. The talented rookie also tied for the team lead in targets, netting a reception on a team-best 41.7 percent of his routes this past week. The selling point for Dixon as a streaming flex option or deep-league RB2 is the potential to again prove busy in the passing phase. The team simply hasnt established a successful running game in weeks, and this week, the game script should trend pass-heavy, as the Ravens are sizable road dogs facing a Dallas offense that is averaging the most points per drive on offense. -- J.M.?Wide receiver?Cameron Meredith, Chicago Bears?The news of Alshon Jeffreys four-game suspension makes Meredith an immediate must-add in all league formats.? Meredith will become the Bears No. 1 wide receiver and should see at least seven targets per game while Jeffrey is gone.? The Bears draw the New York Giants, who going into Monday nights game against the Cincinnati Bengals had allowed more than 22 fantasy points per game to opposing wide receivers in standard scoring systems.? With Eddie Royal as the only established presence in the Bears wide receiving corps, Meredith is positioned for success this weeek and moving forward.dddddddddddd -- K.D.Robert Woods, Buffalo Bills Since Sammy Watkins went down, Woods has led the Bills with a? 24 percent share of the teams targets since the start of Week 3. The fact Woods hauled in six receptions on passes of at least 10 yards downfield -- a career high on such targets -- against a sound Seattle secondary in Week 9 is also encouraging. While he hasnt delivered strong statistics each week, the opportunity rate helps support WR3 expectations for Woods in this meeting with a Bengals secondary that ranks 28th in pass coverage per Pro Football Focus. -- J.M.Tight end?Ladarius Green, Pittsburgh Steelers After missing the first nine weeks of the NFL season, Green finally made his debut with the Steelers in Week 10. The results were encouraging, as Green caught three of his four targets for 30 yards. Green was brought in to fill the Heath Miller role and figures to see at least four targets per game.? This week, hell have the best matchup he could hope for as the Steelers face the Cleveland Browns, who have allowed the greatest number of fantasy points per game to tight ends.? This game will be Greens coming out party in Pittsburgh, take advantage of it. -- K.D.Cameron Brate, Tampa Bay Buccaneers For the second straight week, Im endorsing Brate, who is still owned in less than 40 percent of ESPN leagues as of Tuesday morning. Brate is third in targets and second in receiving yardage for Tampa over the past four games and has hauled in an impressive 85.7 percent of his targets over this stretch. The Harvard product also leads the team in red zone targets with five over the past four games. Seventh in fantasy points per game at the position over the past month, Brate is a viable streaming option this Sunday in Arrowhead. -- J.M.D/ST?Miami Dolphins?Grabbing the Dolphins D/ST off the waiver wire is highly recommended, even if you dont need a streaming option this week.? During their last three games, the Dolphins have demonstrated the ability to bring substantial pressure to the passing pocket.? The results have been clear: 10 sacks, 6 interceptions and 2 defensive touchdowns.? Thats good enough to consider starting them against most opponents, but against the Los Angeles Rams, it requires no thought.? The Rams have allowed opponent defenses to score 37 fantasy points over their last three games, so this is quite simply a hot defense going against an ice-cold offense.? Expect a double-digit point total for the Dolphins this week. -- K.D.Detroit Lions The Lions have produced at least two sacks in all but one game this season and at least four fantasy points as a D/ST in five of their past six games. The real promotion angle here is the fact the sloppy Jacksonville offense makes its way to Motown this week, as the Jags have turned the ball over on 15.7 percent of their drives this season, the fifth-highest rate in the league. With Blake Bortles attending the Matt Schaub Academy of Pick-Sixes this season, there is real upside and an underrated floor present for this streaming defensive group. -- J.M.Individual defensive players?Linebacker ?Deone Bucannon, Arizona Cardinals A hybrid safety and linebacker early in his career, Bucannon is now a full-time backer who is proving particularly productive of late. His magnetic ability to get to the ball-carrier has led to 48 tackles over the past five games, fifth most at the position over this stretch. You can find this rangy linebacker for free in nearly 80 percent of ESPN leagues, while an upcoming matchup with a Vikings offense that sticks to short-yardage passing could feed Bucannon another nice batch of tackle opportunities. -J.M.Defensive back ?Kevin Byard, Tennessee Titans This Middle Tennessee State product has played on 77 percent of the Titans defensive snaps from the free safety spot over the past three weeks, leading to 23 tackles and a sack in the process. Available in 100 percent of ESPN leagues, Byard is a nice plug-and-play option against the pass-happy Colts while some top defensive backs are on bye this week. -- J.M.Defensive line?Chandler Jones, Arizona CardinalsAvailable in nearly two-thirds of ESPN leagues, Jones is regularly ranked in the top three among defensive lineman thanks to his production role as an outside-edge rusher for Arizona. With the Vikings offensive line proving porous this season, Jones is a strong acquisition for Week 11. -- J.M. ' ' '