Previously
Previously ranks things in a few different ways, and they aren't all the same kind of judgment. This page explains what each list is, where its numbers come from, and how often it changes.
Power rankings are the sports desk's own read of a league at a moment in time. They weigh, in order: results and record; strength of schedule — beating good teams counts for more; recent form, which counts for more than early-season games do late in the year; injuries and availability; and the underlying numbers, like point differential and efficiency, where they add signal. Rankings are republished weekly during each season and dated on the page. They are an opinion, written to be argued with — not a prediction and not betting advice.
Leaderboards in the stats hub rank players by the numbers themselves: points, rebounds, passing yards, home runs, and the rest of the recorded line. A leaderboard is sorted by the statistic it names, for the season or career span it names, from official box-score data. When a source corrects a statistic, the board is corrected with it.
Trending lists and Top 10 rows in Browse order titles by current audience interest — what people are watching, searching for, and adding to lists — using industry tracking data for movies and television. They refresh as that data updates, and the label on the row says which list you're looking at.
Music charts on Previously compile published chart and streaming data; the source is credited on the page in the music section. Verse of the Week is different: it is an editorial choice by the music desk, one verse picked each week for the writing itself.
Odds shown on Previously are market prices collected from sportsbooks through odds feeds; they move as the market moves. Where an example line is shown, it uses a $100 example stake so the math is easy to follow. Picks, verdicts, and comparisons — including Marquee Matchup — are the desk's argued opinion, written as opinion, and they sometimes disagree with the market on purpose. They are entertainment, not financial or betting advice.
A ranking built on a wrong number gets fixed when the number is fixed. If you think a ranking used bad data, tell us through the contact page with the page link and the source for the right figure.