CINCINNATI BENGALS
11/20/2025

Well QB Joe Burrow is back. It is almost a certainty, though the team has not official said anything, that Burrow will be the signal caller when the Bengals visit Foxboro to face the Patriots.

The New England defense has allowed three QB1 finishes this season so Burrow faces a stout side this week. He will not be 100 percent with his foot injury, though it could be said that no player who has played football this season is 100 percent.

How effective can Burrow be this week? Nobody knows. He will not have WR Ja’Marr Chase to throw to because the receiver is sitting out a one game suspension for spitting on DB Jalen Ramsey of Pittsburgh last week.

Burrow has looked good in practice the past two weeks and serves as an upgrade over QB Joe Flacco, though I do not believe the upgrade is big enough to make up for the worst defense in the league … maybe worst defense of all time.

Still if you have Burrow you play him. I know I will.
RB Chase Brown has been good since Flacco started. Will this continue with Burrow? Not sure. The offensive line was way beter with Flacco than Burrow because Flacco does not hold on to the ball as long as Burrow. I do believe the line has learned to play with each other and that cohesive unit is a plus regardless of talent level. I would keep Brown in my lineup but the Patriots are among the best at containing running backs this season, allowing just six Top 24 finishes this season. Only Detroit and Jacksonville have been better.

Again no Chase to WR Tee Higgins is a must start, right? Right. Do not overthink it. The thing to consider will be do you dare play WR Andrei Iosivas or WR Mitchell Tinsley? Managers who are considering either player are in dire straits for sure and likely doing a legitimate tank job to get a better draft pick next season. Iosivas would be the first choice but Tinsley is not out of the question. He could be a sneaky start.

New England has given up 10 Top 24 games this season to a wide receiver and only five teams have given up more so probably a good play.

At tight end, TE Noah Fant has had clear run since TE Mike Gesicki has been on injured reserve. Gesicki had his practice window opened this season. With Gesicki out, I would run Fant out there. The Patriots have given up seven top 12 finishes to a tight end this season. Burrow does not use the tight end much but this game might be an exception.
PK Evan McPherson is a start this week.

On defense, the usual suspects are good to run out there. DB Jordan Battle is a good play. LB Oren Burks saw considerable time last week and may be on your waiver wire if you need a linebacker this week.

The Bengals did change some things during the bye week and the most notable was DL Myles Murphy had his best game ever last week with 7 total tackles and 1 sack. DB Geno Stone might be someone to keep an eye on. He had a horrible game, continues to miss tackles, and showed a general lack of effort. His numbers were good (8 total tackles) but he might be in line to go to the bench this week.

From a fantasy standpoint it is exciting that Burrow is back. From an NFL standpoint it is a puzzling move. I know Burrow wants to play. That is what he gets paid to do but this team is going nowhere fast with an abysmal defense. Burrow will provide an excitement for sure but it would be a miracle if this team ran the table and made the playoffs. If so, Burrow would get elevated to best quarterback in the league status.

End.

Mark Huber

---

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
11/20/2025

Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are my thoughts as the 8-2 Colts come out of their bye and travel to Kansas City to face the reeling and desperate 5-5 Chiefs:

INJURIES: Throwing a scare into all Colts fans, QB Daniel Jones was added to the injury report and held out of practice on Wednesday and was limited on Thursday with a calf injury. This may have been merely precautionary due to his importance, but the later week practice sessions will be more telling. With only the rookie Leonard available as a passer otherwise, they surely will be very conservative with Jones practice reps. On the plus side, both CB Charvarius Ward and LB Jaylon Carlies practiced in full both days this week. Ward has been on IR with a concussion, and hopes to be available to face his former team; Carlies has been on IR all season and would be a welcome addition to a thin linebacking corps and for the special teams unit. Veterans DL Grover Stewart and CB Kenny Moore were held out earlier this week, but Moore practiced in full on Thursday; both should be a full go on Sunday. DE Tyquan Lewis and DE Samson Ebukam were more limited thus far and both are iffy for Sunday, with Lewis being slightly more likely to be in the rotation. And of course, DT DeForest Buckner is still going to miss a few more games, leaving a big hole physically and emotionally in the heart of this defense.

QUARTERBACK: The concern is over how serious the injury to QB Daniel Jones. My guess is that he is going to be a full go, but even a slight calf strain could minimize his potential for running with the ball or escaping pressure. When you combine this reduced scoring potential with the fact that the Chiefs have been pretty good at limiting the fantasy quarterback, this looks like a likelihood that Jones will fall outside of the #1 ranks this week. The only chance he has for some big numbers is if the Colts fall behind early and start to fling the ball around 40+ times; this could give him volume (and is not a stretch), but that might also increase the chance for costly turnovers. He is probably a very low end #1 or a high #2 this week.

RUNNING BACK: I am not betting against anything for RB Jonathan Taylor, no matter who he faces. The Chiefs have stifled opposing runners, allowing the 5th fewest rushing yards and in the top 7 for fewest fantasy points allowed. They have been even better in the last month….but then again, so has been Taylor. You are starting him, and he will almost assuredly do very well. I would not be surprised if this was one of his lower games this season, but he certainly will still be a #1 for your squad

WIDE RECEIVER: The Chiefs have yet to allow a 100-yard receiver this season, and have not allowed a lead receiver for a team to top 59 yards since week 5. Courtland Sutton, Amon-Ra St Brown, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel, Malik Nabers, AJ Brown, Devonta Smith…..averaged 37 yards and collectively scored only once. As a result, I would suspect a down game from WR Michael Pittman. They have on occasion given up the deep shot, so maybe this is a better week to consider the rising fantasy star WR Alec Pierce who can be a worthy #3 at worst with a single catch. I don’t have a lot of confidence in this crew this week due to the matchup.

TIGHT END: Overall, the Chiefs have been fairly decent in limiting the opposing fantasy tight end, but to be fair they have played a rather pedestrian schedule in that regard. The only decent tight ends they have faced all did well against them, so I would suspect that rookie TE Tyler Warren should be one of the better plays for the Colts this week in fantasy, especially in a PPR league. Warren should have a high floor in PPRs with the strong chance of 5-6 receptions as a base. I would have no concerns with him based on this matchup or the likely game plan.

KICKER: PK Michael Badgley has played the Chiefs 5 times in his career – all in his years with the Chargers – and has played in Kansas City three times. He is 17 for 18 on all his kicks in this series, only missing a single FG in San Diego one time. Amazingly, in three games in Kansas City he has yet to even attempt a FG, but making all 10 of his PATs. I tend to doubt a huge game is in order, but history does indicate that he probably won’t miss many kicks! A low end #1 kicker this week, and a safe but uninspiring option.

DEFENSE: They will need to have all their secondary in order and healthy to matchup with the Chiefs deep receiving crew. The biggest handful is Travis Kelce since the Colts have really struggled with the tight end, and Kelce has never failed to catch 10 passes or score (or both) in three career games versus Indy. They will have their hands full. The Chiefs also have only committed 6 turnovers all season and allowed a mere 20 sacks in 10 games. This is not a recipe for success by opposing fantasy defenses. I would believe that you likely have better options on the waiver wire this week.

OVERALL: Surprisingly, the Colts have won back-to-back games against Kansas City and five of the past seven in the series. They have also won the past three regular-season matchups in Kansas City, believe it or not. But even with the bye week to rest, I am having a tough time seeing the Colts winning a road game this week in Kansas City, which has always been one of the toughest places to play even when the Chiefs were not great – and this week they are a team that is humming on defense and really needing a win to keep from being written off in the AFC playoff picture. I also don’t like a primarily indoor team going outdoors in late November to a potential cold weather game (although the weather is supposed to be nice and unseasonably warm. I just think the desire for this game might be higher, and the Colts could come out rusty and fall behind, taking them out of their preferred game plan of a heavy dose of JT. Lets go with the Chiefs holding off their playoff doom by one more week by a 27-20 score.

That is all for this week from the Crossroads of America. Your trade deadline may be approaching if it has not already passed, so look at those last deals you need for the stretch run. Good luck in week 12!

End.

Chris Rito

---

DENVER BRONCOS
11/18/2025

KC 19 Denver 22

The Chiefs entered the game healthy and ready to give the Broncos their best shot. The Broncos' offense had struggled the past two games with fatigue and a lack of success in the screen game, especially on early downs. Now, they are missing their most consistent offensive threat, RB JK Dobbins. The game turned out to be a classic KC-Denver defensive struggle. Denver’s defense was great (helped by drops and penalties) and the offense did enough to win (despite drops and penalties). QB Bo Nix got better control of his feet and made some big time passes when needed: 24/37-295-0-0. The Denver running game was minimal with all backs combining for 21 carries for 59 yards with RB Jaleel McLaughlin scoring on a four-yard run. They also managed to contribute some first downs. RB Kareem Hunt matched their 59 on 13 carries, including a two-yard touchdown. Denver’s OT Frank Crumb blocked KCs PAT, after TE Travis Kelce’s touchdown, returning the favor for KC’s field goal block to beat the Broncos last season. WR Troy Franklin was 4/8-48-0, rookie WR Pat Bryant 5/6-82-0, WR Courtland Sutton came up clutch 4/8-59-0 and TE Evan Engram was 4/5-33-0. Denver’s defense held the Chiefs to 5/13 on third down and 0/1 on fourth down. QB Patrick Mahomes was his usual evasive self, but only threw for one touchdown, was sacked three times and threw one interception. Denver’s CB Ja’Quan McMillian had a career game with 5 solo tackles, 1 interception (16-yard return), and two sacks. DT DJ Jones had a sack as the entire defense put pressure on Mahomes all night. Both team kickers were perfect on the night, but PK Wil Lutz won the battle with one PAT and five field goals, including the walk-off game winner. WR Marvin Mims returned from a concussion and had three punt returns for 101 yards. P Jeremy Crawshaw rebounded from his poor outing against Houston with booming punts that flipped field position. The coverage teams had their best game. Now if they can keep it up! Both teams had 10 penalties, but the Broncos lost the most yardage (147 to 69)

Week 12–Bye

The Broncos enter the bye with a divisional and conference win and a nine-game winning streak. QB Bo Nix has been inconsistent, the offense can't get out of its own way and their best running back is on IR. They need the bye to get away from football for a while. They need rest and healing before they enter the final stretch of their season. The big question is “Will Payton make a move at running back?” With or without a new running back, there is a lot for Payton to do.

There’s no dominant team in the league this year. The Broncos’ final stretch includes five of seven opponents who currently have a plus-.500 record. But the bye will afford the Broncos with precious time to get healthy and recharge for the stretch run. However, the road ahead is treacherous. Denver will play 3 road games and 3 home games with three of the final four games being in Denver. Denver has to face the Chiefs on the road week 17and then the Chargers in Denver week 18. These games will likely decide the AFC West champion. The Las Vegas Raiders are the only team that can be considered bad. An abysmally weak offense, inconsistent quarterback play, and a league-leading 83 penalties are not a sustainable way to win against quality opponents. The wins tend to mitigate looking at the problems for fans but the coaches need to be on top of the problems and get them corrected. The Broncos have a 97% chance at making the playoffs, but the offense needs to show up for 4 quarters in every game after the bye. If the defense falters, as it did against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Indianapolis Colts, the offense can’t make up for it.

Payton is an “impatient guy” but until Nix can show he can operate the drop back offense Payton wants, Payton should loosen up and lean into what Nix can do. Nix is unable to run a true drop-back passing game. He is still a work in progress. He’s nervous trying to please Peyton and so he plays with Payton on his shoulder saying: “DON’T RUN”.

Nix needs to go with his instincts because playing like he is, he’s unsettled and skittish. His footwork is atrocious which causes his inaccuracy. Nix's eyes are downfield; he fixes on a single receiver, rushes his process and throws an erratic pass because of his unsettled feet. Settling in where you have the right footwork for the right situation is something that comes with experience–which Nix is still collecting. Until then, he needs to think about his footwork–which he thought he was past doing.

Nix needs to be drilled on passing concepts and to take the easy stuff (not wait on the long stuff). Half way through his second season, he has shown no growth and perhaps has even regressed a bit. Nix needs to fix his feet (accuracy) and his receivers need to stop their drops (2.5 per game) and run their routes at the right depth to help Nix out.

Because there is no consistency, Payton needs to get back basics: give the ball to their best players the most. He talks up the run game and about needing balance on offense, but he doesn’t call the plays to give the offense balance. Payton needs to sequence and script (consult Mike Shanahan). He needs to run the ball more and better (Harvey) and stop with his cute plays and manage personnel group usage better.

Payton’s game planning and play calling should be to Nix’s strengths (his skill set is better than Brees): 1. Establish the run with force and conviction; 2. Run more plays from under center (with more play action); 3. Target veteran #1 WR Courtland Sutton (rookie WR Troy Franklin has earned a larger role in the offense because of his "explosiveness" and smooth transitions, but he should not lead the team in targets); 4. If RB Tyler Badie is not going to be used to run the ball, he should be phased out of the game plan. (His present use is a tell.); 5. Quit overthinking it on third down (a double pass on third and short!??!); 6. Run QB Bo Nix by design or at least let Nix use his instincts and run! (The Broncos are 4-1 and the offense puts up 29 PPG when Nix has 45 or more rushing yards in a game); 7. Use Evan Engram on run plays because using him only on pass plays is another tell. 8 Work the middle of the field (whoever owns the middle controls the game–Sid Gilman); 9. Clean up the penalties! 10. Fix the special teams coverage units. (Rizzi and the players need to do their jobs!

The Broncos’ defense is full of players deserving of All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors, all led by Vance Joseph, who has masterfully schemed them together. Even with the absence of Patrick Surtain II, the Broncos' defense continues to lock down receivers and batter quarterbacks. DC Vance Joseph has put himself in a great position to become a head coach next season. If he takes a head-coaching job, he could look to take players with him who know his scheme to help him install it: 1. ILB Justin Strnad 2. DL John Franklin-Myers 3. DT Malcolm Roach. Denver needs to lock up these players because the inhouse replacements for Franklin-Myers and Roach aren’t ready and Strnad is the back up for Alex Singleton.

Transactions

IR’d rookie ILB Karene Reid. Claimed OT Garon Christian (Dallas). Waived WR Michael Bandy. Released OT Marques Cox from the practice squad. ILB Alex Singleton to miss weeks due to cancer surgery. Signed WR Lil’ Jordan Humphrey. Designated ILB Garret Wallow for return from injured reserve. Resigned WR Michael Bandy to the practice. Resigned defensive end Garrett Nelson to the practice squad. IR’d RB JK Dobbins (likely done for the season).

Orangeman’s Take

Nix is going through the growing pains every second-year quarterback does. Nix is a playoff quarterback in his second year. He has the most career touchdowns of the 2024 draft class-55. His sped-up clock is better and easier to fix than the alternative–taking sacks. Nix is the number nine fantasy quarterback but it would be good if he had a cut up of his mechanics, throwing motion, and situational awareness to review when he returns from the bye even after his good game against KC Drops and penalties remain problems entering the bye.

End.

Charles Rives

---

LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
11/21/2025

In week 11, the Chargers were humiliated by the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-6. Due to the week 12 BYE, this will be an abbreviated report, recapping the embarrassing loss.

QB: It was an atrocious week for QB Justin Herbert, who was 10-18 for 81 passing yards, no TDs, 1 INT and 3 scrambles for 21 yards. In fact, Herbert was the team’s leading rusher. Yes, it was that bad. Can you say UGLY?

RB: No scores, horrible performances, so I won’t spend much time discussing how bad the Chargers running game was. They have now have a bye week to try to figure out what went wrong.

WR: Chargers receivers didn’t do much better than their running backs. WR Keenan Allen caught 4 for 53 yards and no TDs, WR Ladd McConkey caught 3 for a whopping 13 yards and no TEs, and boom/bust WR Quentin Johnston was targeted 3 times but had no catches. Sad all the way around.

TE: Not great, but better than most other Chargers is a way to describe TE Oronde Gadsden’s performance of 2 receptions for 41 yards and no TDs.

DEF: I think the Chargers defense was on BYE, only one week early. They must have been confused as to the schedule. Just an awful performance on offense and on defense. I’ll provide a preview after the week 12 bye.

Good luck with your fantasy games and Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family!

End.

Brad Willis

---

DALLAS COWBOYS
11/21/2025

We played a very good all-around game, probably for the first time all season, albeit against an awful opponent. However, the defense showed definite signs of improvement related to the new acquisitions.
Now onto the Philadelphia Eagles. This is a team we generally play well against, but it will be a tough game. It will be interesting to see if our defense really is improved. QB Dak Prescott will probably have a low end QB1 or high end QB2 against this tough defense. I would start him if you do not have a better option but don’t expect a stellar game. RB Javonte Williams should be an RB2 as well against this tough defense. There is no other RB worth mentioning. WR Ceedee Lamb and WR George Pickens should both be good for low end WR1 or high end WR2 performances, but again, I would not expect mind blowing stats. TE Jake Ferguson should be a TE1 due to the lack of great options at this position, but don’t expect him to break any records.
K Brandon Aubrey will make all his kicks. The question is whether the game script will call for the team to need to go for it on 4th downs.
The Defense should not be started but if they play well again, it should be considered in the near future.
Prediction Eagles 24 - Cowboys 20
End.

Dr. Gil Brovar

---

NEW YORK GIANTS
11/20/2025

NYG @ DET:

Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart (concussion) seems likely to start this week, making him a low-end QB1 for fantasy. He will have to throw a lot in this game to beat the Lions.

RB Tyrone Tracy and RB Devin Singletary are timesharing, making both players no better than fair RB3s for fantasy this week.

WR Wan'Dale Robinson is a top 25-WR in PPR leagues this week assuming Dart plays. WR Darius Slayton (hamstring) may or may not play, making him a risky flex at best. WR Isaiah Hodgins showed out last week in his first game back as a Giant, giving him some interesting flex value if Slayton sits. WR Ray-Ray McCloud and the other WRs have very little fantasy value due to uncertain target shares.

TE Theo Johnson is a lower-end TE1 assuming Dart plays this week. TE Daniel Bellinger has no real fantasy value with the team concentrating more on WRs and Johnson in the passing game.

The Giants may keep this game fairly close, but the Lions are likely to pull away late to win easily.

Good luck this week!

End.

Michael Nazarek

---

WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

The report for this week has not yet been released.

---

CHICAGO BEARS
11/20/2025

Week 11: A Hero a Day Gets You Into First Place. Bears 19, Vikings 17
These Bears just keep finding ways to win late, and there have been different heroes in each game. That is one of the hallmarks of a good team. Another hallmark is finding ways to win when you don’t play your best. This was another ugly game and shouldn’t have been nearly this close, but what matters most is the W.

Quarterback QB Caleb Williams completed 16 of 32 passes for 193 yards and ran four times for 26 yards. As usual, he had accuracy issues, though the Vikings’ incessant blitzing didn’t help matters. As I’ve mentioned before, deep shots are one of the main things missing from this offense, and Caleb missed a couple of early ones. He has struggled with airmailing deep balls his entire time with the Bears, which is troubling and might be the main thing that is holding this offense back. Williams did just enough in this game to get the win, but he really needs to improve his touch on the deep ball.

Running back
RB D’Andre Swift had 21 carries for 90 yards and was targeted once. RB Kyle Monangai had 12 carries for just 23 yards but scored once and caught his lone target for 14 yards. The carry split is about what I’d expect going forward. Does Monangai’s TD mean that he’ll get more goal line carries going forward? Quite possibly, but I think Swift will still get some opportunities in goal-to-go situations as well.

Wide receiver WR Rome Odunze caught two of his six targets for 41 yards. WR D.J. Moore caught one of his three targets for 18 yards. Moore had a really bad drop shortly after nearly twisting himself into a pretzel catching a pass that he almost dropped. WR Olamide Zaccheaus played just ten snaps and was not targeted, a result of his bad drops against the Giants. This opened the door for rookie WR Luther Burden III to get 33 snaps. He caught three of his five targets for 27 yards. His improvement in route running in practice and his production in games has resulted in more playing time, and deservedly so.

Tight end TE Colston Loveland hauled in three of his four targets for 40 yards, while TE Cole Kmet reeled in all five of his targets for 45 yards. With Brian Flores blitzing at will, Williams looked to his tight ends more frequently as outlet receivers.

Defense/Special teams
The defense kept the Vikes in check for most of the game, notching a couple picks off J.J. McCarthy. Minnesota did leave quite a few yards on the field though, as McCarthy made some really awful throws and his receivers had some drops as well. Allowing the rookie to have a late go-ahead TD drive like he did in the season opener was not a good look for this defense, but hero of the day WR Devin Duvernay bailed them out with a 56-yard kickoff return that helped set up the winning field goal. I’ve been waiting to see the Duvernay I saw excel with the Ravens a few years ago, and he finally showed up in a crucial moment.

Kicker PK Cairo Santos hit four of his five field goal attempts (including the winner from 48 yards out) and his only extra point.

Week 12: Steelers at Bears
This one is personal. Everyone knows that Aaron Rodgers is going to play no matter what, and I want him to play, so that the Bears can have one last chance to beat him. “Be careful what you wish for,” you say? I don’t care. After all the pain he’s caused Bears fans over the years, I want the Bears to get at least some small measure of payback against him.

Quarterback
The Steelers have allowed the tenth-most fantasy points/game to quarterbacks. They have the third-most sacks in the league with 33, and T.J. Watt is obviously a big problem to deal with. LT Theo Benedet (quad) popped up on Thursday’s injury report as limited. C Drew Dalman (knee) and RT Darnell Wright (pec) have been limited this week. Williams is going to have to focus on getting the ball out quickly, and he’s probably going to have to do some more Houdini stuff. I have him as a slightly above-average play this weekend. This game could turn into a bit of a shootout, as I’ll explain later.

Running back
Pittsburgh has allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points/game to tailbacks. Swift (hip) fully practiced on Thursday after being limited on Wednesday. I have him as an average flex play this week, with Monangai more of a deeper league flex option.

Wide receiver
The Steelers have allowed the most fantasy points/game to wideouts. For the first time in weeks, none of the Bears receivers are on the injury report. I have Odunze as a strong play this weekend, with Moore an average play and Burden a deep league option.

Tight end
Pittsburgh has allowed the sixth-most fantasy points/game to tight ends. I have Loveland as an above-average play this weekend, with Kmet a deep league option.

Defense/Special teams LB T.J. Edwards (hand/hamstring), LB Tremaine Edmunds (groin), and LB Noah Sewell (elbow) all haven’t practiced yet this week. That’s all three of the Bears’ starting linebackers. That’s not good, especially against Rodgers, who mostly throws short these days. CB Tyrique Stevenson and CB Kyler Gordon (calf) have been limited this week, while CB Jaylon Johnson (groin) fully practiced on Thursday for the first time since his injury several weeks ago. Whether the Bears will feel comfortable enough to activate Gordon or Johnson from IR is anyone’s guess. The sheer amount of injuries on this side of the ball is why I think this game could potentially turn into a shootout. I have this unit as an average play this weekend.

Kicker
The Steelers have allowed the third-most fantasy points/game to kickers. Santos had another five field goal attempts last week, so given the matchup, I have him as an above-average play this weekend.

Good luck this week!

End.

Richard Fung

---

DETROIT LIONS
11/20/2025

Giants at Lions

QB: There’s no sugar coating it. QB Jared Goff turned in a stinker on Sunday night, one of the worst games he has played during the Lions resurgence of the last few years. Sure the Eagles defense is good, and the weather conditions weren’t ideal, but 14 of 37 from the guy who entered the game with a completion percentage in the 70s? And 2 of his last 18? He was sacked twice but he seemed to let the pressure affect him. There were some good run after catch plays so his yardage total ended up at 255 to salvage some fantasy points but overall he has to be better. The next six games are indoors so at least that won’t be a factor. But the offensive line continues to be a little leaky in pass protection and it has been well established that it is important for Goff to have a clean pocket. The Giants are not a great team but they do have some excellent pass rushers so it might not be as easy for Goff to get back on track as you might think. I would expect Dan Campbell to call a lot of quick throws early in the game to try to get Goff back into a rhythm after things were out of sync on Sunday night. I would expect an average fantasy day from Goff this week.

RB: The Eagles did a nice job of containing the Lions running game. RB Jahmyr Gibbs broke free on some pass plays to end the day with 146 total yards but only 39 of those yards were on the ground. RB David Montgomery was quiet with just 6-27 rushing and one catch for 10 yards. I think they will try to balance it out a little better this week. If they can get a lead against the Giants that would lead to more Montgomery in the second half. Plus you have to consider that there is a quick turnaround with Green Bay coming to town on Thursday in a huge NFC North game. So you might not want to give Gibbs 25+ touches this Sunday. Gibbs is still an excellent play in all formats. I think Montgomery is a decent option this week as well, especially when you consider how poor the Giants defense ranks against the run, allowing 150 yards per game to rank 30th in the league ahead of only Buffalo and Cincinnati.

WR/TE: First of all there is an injury to discuss. I mentioned last week that TE Sam LaPorta was not practicing due to a back injury. Well on Friday his game status was listed as out. Then Saturday he was placed on IR, so he is out at least four weeks. Campbell’s comments after the game on Sunday weren’t encouraging either. I don’t know what happened to LaPorta exactly but it’s sounds like there is no guarantee that he returns any time soon. That makes TE Brock Wright the starter at tight end. He can block but he doesn’t have the receiving ability of LaPorta. He did have seven targets on Sunday which only turned into 2 catches for 8 yards. There isn’t much behind him on the depth chart so he’ll get the playing time. Maybe in a salary cap format if you need a cheap option you could give him a shot. WR Jameson Williams led the way for this group on Sunday in Philly with 88 yards on 4 grabs. He had a big play 40 yard TD which of course he followed up with a dumb unsportsmanlike conduct celebration foul. It’s nothing new. The Lions will live with his errors because of his big plays. He could continue to benefit as we enter the third week of Campbell calling plays. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown was a victim of Goff’s off night as he could only catch 2 of his 12 targets. I would guess that St. Brown has the bigger game than Williams this week. Rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa was a late addition to the injury report last week. He played but only had one target and is still listed as limited practice this week. He has a bright future but we’re running out of time for him to be useful in redraft leagues.

K/DST: In tough conditions PK Jake Bates made a 54 yard field goal which was impressive. I’m not sure they were going to try that field goal but I think Campbell changed his mind during an Eagles timeout. Much was made of the Lions going 0 for 5 on fourth downs but three of those were not in field goal range. The other two I felt like going for it was the right call. So yeah overall Bates might lose some fantasy value relatively speaking because the Lions go for it on 4th downs but they will still kick field goals when it’s the best option. He did miss the long extra point after Williams’ dumb penalty. The Lions defense played well against the Eagles. Hurts didn’t do much and Barkley averaged 3 yards per carry. This is encouraging moving forward. We can’t say for sure yet who will start at quarterback for the Giants but it’s a favorable matchup if you want to play the Lions defense.

Good luck to everyone with their fantasy teams this week.

End.

James Hintz

---

ARIZONA CARDINALS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

---

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
11/21/2025

Was that a good game? It was a painful mess to watch as a Seahawks fan, but at the same time the Rams are truly a contender for the ring this year and even with 4 turnovers they still had a chance to win on the final play of the game. It was a 61 yard attempt, so I cannot really hate on PK Jason Myers for the miss. QB Sam Darnold also has been one of the best this year, but evidence is mounting that when the pressure is on his game is altered dramatically.

QB-
I expect Darnold will come out on fire against the Titans. And that is bad for the Titans and good for fantasy owners. Darnold had 279 yards last week but 4 interceptions and no TDs. I said last week that either the Rams will show that Darnold is really the guy who failed in the playoffs last year or Darnold tells everyone to kiss his grits. We all know which way that went. Those grits are not being kissed any time soon. But this is another week and Darnold should be started with confidence.

RB-
As the running back room turns, last week was RB Ken Walker’s turn with 67 running yards and a TD along with 44 receiving yards. RB Zach Charbonnet had 37 yards on the ground and 10 through the air. This may be the weakest run defense that Seattle plays for the rest of the year, so both guys deserve consideration. If Seattle has this wrapped in the first half though, they are not shy to go to RB George Holani for clean up duty. All of that combines to make either a good gamble and a risky one too. Start with caution and hope you pick the right one. If Holani gets the lion share of the reps then he could outperform the starters!

WR-
Even with all the ugly WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba surpassed 100 yards with 105 even though he was denied a touchdown. WR Rashid Shaheed was targeted 5 times, caught 2 for 27 yards. He could be a sleeper in this one since there should be lots of yards to go around. In theory WR Cooper Kupp could also outperform, but I think they can win this without him taking a snap. So I would start JSN as a stud, Shaheed as a flyer.

TE- TE AJ Barner has moved up the boards. Last week his 70 yards were impacted by his fumble even though it was not lost. TE Elijah Arroyo was on the wrong side of uncatchable balls but technically had 2 targets. I would start Barner with confidence and Arroyo only on a gamble.

K-
The only people happy (other than JSN owners) that started a Seattle guy would be those who profited from Myers’ 4 field goals being the main production of Seattle’s game. This week he should kick nothing but extra points.

D-
The Rams are a big deal offense and they struggled mightily against Seattle. Darnold absolutely responded poorly to the pressure and put the defense in really ugly situations. This could easily have been a 35 to 12 going into the fourth quarter. As state, the Titans are not the Rams. This defense is a must start and will punish the Titans.

Prediction:
Now that Seattle has shown that they can blow out the teams they are supposed to beat, that is the way to pick.

Seattle: 35
Titans: 10

Go Hawks!

End.

Rick Watts

---

LOS ANGELES RAMS
11/19/2025

Defensive win! The Rams intercept Sam Darnold four times and score just enough to hang on for a 21-19 home victory. Seattle attempted a 61-yard field goal to end the game but it was short and wide right. With the win, Los Angeles improved to 8-2 and is on top of the NFC West. The Rams will host the 6-4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers who lost 44-32 to the Buffalo Bills in week eleven. Here are the stats for week 11 and Fantasy predictions for week 12.

QB: QB Matthew Stafford (15 of 28 for 130 yards with 2 touchdowns)came back down to earth after the previous three-game record streak but he protected the ball and made enough plays to earn the win. The Bucs allow261.2 passing yards per game and have given up 16passing touchdowns in ten games. Tampa Bay has 26 sacks and 10 interceptions for the season. Despite the conservative week eleven numbers,Matthew is still a solid QB1 this week. I predict 275+ yards and at least 3 touchdowns in a potential shootout.

RB: RB Kyren Williams (12 for 91 yards rushing with 1 touchdown and 1 reception on 2targets for 5 yards) had several long runs and scored a huge fourth down touchdown. Kyren while RB Blake Corum (8for 10 yards rushing and 1 reception on 2 targets for -5 yards)was not as productive.Tampa Bay is giving up 100.4 rushing yards per game and 4.2 yards per carry. Their opponents have scored 12 rushing touchdowns in ten games. The Buc’s run defense is good but not as good as Seattle’s and I think the Rams have a little more success running the ball this week. Kyren has potential for 80+ rushing yards and at least 1 touchdown. Corum should bounce back with 40+ yards and a possible touchdown. Williams is high end RB2 while Blake is s reach play if your regulars are injured or on a bye this week.

WR: WR Puka Nacua (7 receptions on 8targets for 75 yards) led the team in catches and yards but also had an uncharacteristic fumble.WR Davante Adams (1 reception on 8 targets for 1 yard and 1 touchdown) was coming back from a minor injury and could not secure several passes that would normally be routine if he were 100%. Even though he had only one reception, it was for a touchdown and was his 1,000 career reception. WR Jordan Whittington (1 on 1 target for 9 yards) and WR Xavier Smith (1 reception on 2 targets for 8 yards) played small roles but unfortunately Smith suffered a concussion and could miss time. I think this will be a game where Puka dominates and puts up great numbers. 10 receptions for 100+ receiving yards and at least one touchdown is my prediction for Nacua. I think Davante goes for 4-6 catches for 60+ yards and a touchdown. Puka is an every week WR1 and Adams is a WR2.

TE: TE Tyler Higbee (1 reception on 2 targets for 23 yards)and TE Colby Parkinson (2 receptions on 2 targets for 14 yards and 1 touchdown) were the only tight ends to be targeted. Higbee injured his ankle and will most likely miss the Tampa game. This unit is deep so look for rookie TE Terrance Ferguson to step up. The tight group has been productive recently but it is difficult to figure which player has individual Fantasy value.

K: PK Harrison Mevis (3-3 extra points) has yet to attempt a field goal but is perfect on his nine extra point attempts.He does not have much Fantasy value for now.

DEF: This unit kept Seattle in check and forced the Seahawks to attempt five field goals. Thankfully they only made four. DB Kam Curl (9 solos and 2 assists) led the team in tackles followed by LB Nate Landman (6solos and 1 assist) and LB Omar Speights (3 solos and 4 assists). Byron Young (3 solos and 3 assists), ED Jared Verse (2 solos and 1 assist), and the rest of the defense did not get any sacks but they put enough pressure on Darnold that he threw four interceptions. DB Darious Williams and DB Cobie Durant each had a pick and DB Kam Kinchens had two. Tampa averages236.5passing yards per game. They have thrown 17 touchdowns and only 3 interceptions in ten games and have been sacked 20 times this season. The Buc’s rushing attack is averaging 110yards per game. They average4.2yards per carry and have scored9 rushing touchdowns. The Bucs lost their top two receivers and their top running back but Baker Mayfield is a gamer that keeps them rolling. I think the Ram defense is becoming elite after their four-interception game against the Seahawks. I think this week Young and Verse finally get back into the sack column as Mayfield tries to extend plays. Landman is the best IDP for the Rams and should be in your lineup..

The 8-2 Rams control their destiny for the NFC West and have a shot at the number one overall seed in the NFC. This team is dialed in and I think they are too much for a Tampa team flying cross country for the late Sunday game. My prediction is Los Angeles controls the game and comes away with a convincing 35-24home victory. I won my Dynasty League game but lost my Keeper league game so I am 7-4 in Dynasty and 6-5 in Keeper. Thoughts and prayers go to QB Dillon Gabriel coming back from a concussion. Hope you are back in action soon my man.Thanks to God for blessing us with a great 95th birthday party for my mom this past weekend. God is good all the time. Love and blessings to my family. Miss you Pops& Scratch! God Bless!

End.

Layton Pang

---