CINCINNATI BENGALS
10/10/2025

The Jake Browning Experience appears to be over in Cincinnati.

On Tuesday, the Bengals traded for QB Joe Flacco, formerly of the Cleveland Browns. Flacco has plenty of games under his belt and will start this week in Green Bay? Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said Flacco would get all the first team reps this week in practice leading up to Sunday’s game.

That is the right call. The team even had someone drive him from Cleveland to Cincinnati and go over the offense with him on the way. I mean what would it look like if QB Jake Browning starts and plays well … even better than he did the last few weeks? Almost have to run him out there again, right?

Truthfully, with so much of what the Bengals do on offense being out of the shotgun I wonder if Flacco playing depends on the coaches putting in plays from under center.

If so I have to believe the play-action pass will work better and the run game will also be improved. I know that is not saying much but any betterment in the run game is a benefit to the entire offense.

Do not get me wrong. Flacco is no QB Joe Burrow but he is an improvement over Browning. I believe defenses will respect Flacco more and that should help things. Browning was not given a great line in front of him for sure but he missed some throws that this team needs and believes Flacco can make even playing in front of the same suspect offensive line.

What that means …
RB Chase Brown has been one of the biggest disappointments. With competent play at quarterback, Brown should get better. Anything will be an improvement, right? He is worth paying attention to now for fantasy managers.

It would seem the biggest benefactor of Flacco and his play will be WR Ja’Marr Chase and WR Tee Higgins. Chase has been good, not great, but good enough. Higgins has been disappointing for sure.

I feel much better going with these guys now that Flacco is slinging it.

However Zac Taylor said WR Ja’Marr Chase became ill Thursday night and will be lised as questionable for the game against the Packers. Keep on this note if you have Chase right up to kickoff.

Will WR Andrei Iosivas and others benefit? Maybe but let us get the big guns going before we worry about the next line.
TE Mike Gesicki and TE Noah Fant also should see a boost. The theory is that young quarterbacks use the tight end more as a safety blanket but I would think Flacco would do the same at least in the beginning because he will be learning the offense and will just dump the ball off more than usual.
PK Evan McPherson also could get a boost as the offense becomes better so could his scoring chances. Not sure I am looking to blow by FAAC wad on him but keep an eye on him. This week may not be a great play but going forward McPherson could help you.

On defense, the Bengals have not been bad. They have been put in tough situations by a pitiful offense. DB Jordan Battle has been solid all season. DB Geno Stone has been good as well as has LB Demetrius Knight Jr. Up front in defensive tackle leagues, DT Tedarrell Slaton is a must add.

Overall I wonder if the addition of Flacco will just be a boost in mindset for the entire team. Time will tell if this is enough to bridge the gap between now and when/if QB Joe Burrow returns to keep this team in the hunt.

Also have to believe this means Burrow has a shot at coming back this season. Otherwise, you ride out Browning and keep losing and get better draft capital in 2026. With Flacco at least you appear to be trying to win this wide-open AFC North Division by staying close enough that when Burrow gets back, it’s wheels up.

End.

Mark Huber

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
10/7/2025

Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are my thoughts for this week as the 4-1 Colts get another home game by hosting the 2-3 Arizona Cardinals on Sunday:

LAST WEEK: The Colts steamrolled the Raiders 40-6 on Sunday, but it was very different than the season-opening blowout over the Dolphins. In week one, the Colts could do no wrong with the ball in their hands, but this week they were merely above average in efficiency on offense and created numerous big plays on defense instead. The Raiders actually outgained the Colts on Sunday, but got shelled on the turnover battle and consistently gave the Colts a short field. After getting stymied on their opening possession, the Colts then scored TDs on their next six possessions and put the game away. Taylor was again magnificent as has been the fantasy star of 2025 thus far. Indiana Jones was efficient under center and made no mistakes. The only real downside is the loss of Shrader and the abject failure on 2-point conversion plays.

INJURIES:PK Spencer Shrader is lost for the season with a torn ACL and MCL. He was leading the NFL in FGs and fantasy kicking points, so this is a big blow. The Indianapolis Star reported today that PK Mike Badgley will be brought back to take Shrader’s place. Badgley is above-average in accuracy, but his leg lacks from over 50 yards. The other kickers they brought in are veteran Dustin Hopkins and Matt Ammendola, but they also suffer in the longer kicks and are not familiar to the team. Curious why long-legged Greg Zuerlein was not considered…Recently signed CB Mike Hilton left the game early and did not return, but was moved back to the practice squad this morning. Veteran DL Grover Stewart also had a biceps injury that took him from the game, but that may have been precautionary due to the score.

QUARTERBACK: QB Daniel Jones has played brilliantly through his first five games as a Colt, but his fantasy production has predictably waned as his TD fountain has dried up. He is still consistently throwing for 250 yards per game, but this past week was the first time has tossed multiple TDs in five attempts, and there were four short yardage TDs with zero attempts for Jones in close. He has gone from a must-play to a matchup-dependent play or a high-floor bye week filler. The Cardinals have given up among the lowest quarterback fantasy totals thus far, so this looks like one of Jones’ floor games most likely, especially with how white-hot Taylor has been. Maybe 220 yards and a 1-2 TDs seems reasonable….perhaps even as both a ceiling and a floor!

RUNNING BACK: Umm…Start RB Jonathan Taylor. Period. This just in – he is pretty good and will score well on any defense.

WIDE RECEIVER: Arizona has allowed only two receiver TYDs thus far, 2nd lowest on the NFL. With the low-volume approach to the Colts’ passing game, this does not bode well for the scoring potential of the Colts wideouts, especially WR Michael Pittman. Pittman is 13th in fantasy points and 14th in receptions, but only 25th in yards, and has made his hay thus far primarily by hitting paydirt; he has made his living this season by scoring in four of five games in 2025. WR Josh Downs showed up for some PPR value as anticipated this week, but has a lower chance this week. After essentially getting benched for his costly mistakes in the week 4 loss, WR Adonai Mitchell was replaced by veteran special teams ace WR Ashton Dulin who made plays all over the field. I am not sure that will continue, nor will either get a chance if WR Alec Pierce can come back from concussion this week. I would generally stay away from the Colts receivers this week, unless you start Pittman as a low-upside #3.

TIGHT END: Rookie TE Tyler Warren is leading NFL tight ends in yardage, and in fact has as many receiving yards as this week’s stud opponent Marvin Harrison Jr. He is also right near the top in receptions and is being used in multiple ways, including as a goal line back and a short yardage wildcat passer. Arizona has allowed the 2nd most receptions and 5th most yards to the tight end thus far, so this should be a good opportunity scheme-wise for Warren again this week. Realistically, he likely needs to be in your lineup every week, especially if you are a PPR league owner.

KICKER: Arizona has allowed the 9th most fantasy points to kickers, but the 2nd most FGs under 40 yards which plays into the Colts’ hands. If they continue to allow a ton of short FGs by stiffening in the red zone, PK Michael Badgley will be a decent bye week filler. I want to see how far back the Colts let him try a kick from, before I blindly recommend him as a Shrader replacement for your roster. I don’t think he’ll hurt you, but his upside is capped by lack of distance and by a potential for reduced opportunity as compared to what Shrader had.

DEFENSE: I love the Colts D this week. They are playing fast and aggressive, and they get a Cardinals team that is on their 3rd running back and that may be without Kyler Murray (or at least will be playing with a slightly gimpy version of him). They have allowed the 7th most sacks and the 7th most turnovers this far in 2025, so there should be opportunity for the Colts to get some game-changing plays. The Colts are the #2 unit in fantasy through five weeks, and they should be a very solid play at home again this week, especially if the Cardinals are using a backup quarterback (although it would be former Colts starter Jacoby Brissett, who is known for protecting the ball well).

OVERALL: The Colts should be able to control this game, and if they get a lead they can put some pressure on the passing game and maybe come out with some more big defensive plays. I like the Colts to win this one by the score of 33-19, which is their averages for points scored and allowed thus far. I think the Cardinals are an average team, so they should perform up (or down) to their norms again them. The Colts do need to win this game at home against a mediocre opponent, because their schedule will start to get tougher real soon, and the number of road games will rise a lot in the second half of the season (four home games already after this week).

That is all for this week from the Crossroads of America. Good luck in your week 6 matchup and go win one FOR THE BOSS!!!

End.

Chris Rito

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DENVER BRONCOS
10/7/2025

Denver 21 Philadelphia 17

The Denver Broncos had only come back once when down 14 at the start of the fourth quarter but they rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 21-17. The Broncos scored on a 10-play 64-yard drive to open the fourth quarter and on a J.K. Dobbins short touchdown. The defense forced a third-straight punt. QB Bo Nix led a 72-yard-six play drive, highlighted by a Courtland Sutton 34-yard catch and Evan Engram’s 11-yard catch and run touchdown. HC Sean Payton trusted Nix and he found Troy Franklin for a two-point touchdown and an 18-17 lead The defense forced its third three-and-out, in a row. The offense ran the clock, and kicked a field goal to go up 21-17 QB Jalen Hurts led the Eagles down the field late for a Hail Mary that failed, ending the game. The Broncos struggled early, on both sides of the ball but showed up late for the win. QB Bo Nix dominated Philadelphia’s secondary throwing for 146 yards in the final 15 minutes. Payton stayed with the run game-Dobbins 20-79-1. WR Courtland Sutton 8/10-99-0 with TE Evan Engram 4/6-33-1 scoring a touchdown set up by Sutton. K Wil Lutz hit field goals of 55 and 36 yards (game sealer) and WR caught the go-ahead 2-point conversion. Denver being able to pull out a win like this is a big step forward for the team.

Denver Broncos @ NY Jets (in London)

Sean Payton will face his former assistant, Aaron Glenn, while general manager George Paton bumps into his former assistant, Darren Mougey, the Jets GM. The Broncos are 1-1 all-time in London and Payton led teams are 2-0 in London. This will be the sixth consecutive year the Jets and Broncos have played. Denver is 3-2 vs the Jets including the last two. The New York Jets aren't a good team but they're better than their 0-5 record shows. They've been able to run the ball successfully at times, but fumbles are a problem. The Broncos came straight to London from Philly in one long week of travel. They need to focus after the big win facing a winnable game. No time for a letdown before traveling to Denver to face the Giants. Denver 24 NY Jets 17

Transactions

LG Ben Powers (torn bicep/2 months) to IR (pending).

Orangeman’s Take

The Broncos are working to fix Nix’s fixable flaws. Nix needs to: sit in the pocket and go through all his reads; reset his feet more consistently when making throws. Nix has also been the worst NFL quarterback when under pressure. The Philly game shows they are at least making some progress.

Sean Payton-coached teams get going in October and November and hopefully this game is the jump off point for a big winning streak. The blueprint is here: ride RB JK Dobbins (run game) and WR Courtland Sutton (Mr. Clutch) and let everyone else help wherever they can.

Fantasy Outlook
Quarterbacks PPR Points
Bo Nix 16-20

Running Backs
RJ Harvey 7-9
JK Dobbins 9-17
Tyler Baddie 2-3
Adam Prentice (FB) 0-1

Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton 13-19
Marvin Mims, Jr 6-11
Pat Bryant 2-3
Troy Franklin 7-13
Trent Sherfield 0-1

Tight ends
Evan Engram 6-12
Adam Trautman 2-4
Nate Adkins 1-2

Kicker
Wil Lutz 8-9

DST 6-15

Good luck this week!

End.

Charles Rives

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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
10/7/2025

This will be an abbreviated preview of the week 6 Chargers at Dolphins game, due to my travel schedule.

QB: Chargers QB Justin Herbert has mostly been solid, absent a stinker against the Giants. He looks like a QB1 against Miami, in most fantasy leagues.

RB: Rookie RB Omarion Hampton (ankle) is OUT for 4+ games on IR. A big blow. RB Hassan Haskins is likely to start, wile RB Kimani Vidal will pitch in. Could the team acquire a RB? Perhaps. Haskins is a risky flex right now for fantasy.

WR: We’ve seen a fall from grace from WR Ladd McConkey. Through his first 4 weeks, he hadn’t done much. He did score last week, but remains a WR3 this week. WR Quentin Johnston has shown considerable improvement and remains the Chargers’ primary deep threat. WR2 this week. WR Keenan Allen remains a softer WR2, although without the home run potential of Johnston. But clearly, Herbert has a lot of confidence in Allen, which has hurt the value of McConkey.

TE: As of this writing, nothing to discuss & no Chargers’ tight ends to own currently.

PK: Against the Dolphins, PK Cameron Dicker has top 15 potential, making him worthy of week 6 starting consideration.

DEF: I like the matchup against Miami. Not a top 10 defensive option, but worth the possibility of a fantasy DEF start.

Best of luck with your week #6 games!

End.

Brad Willis

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DALLAS COWBOYS
10/10/2025

After a dominant win over the Jets in week 5, there is optimism in Cowboy Nation for the first time in a couple of years. We play the Carolina Panthers and a win is expected. We do need to be careful of this being a trap game, but this coaching staff seems to have the team much better prepared than previous regimes, so I am less concerned about that. Additionally, with all the injuries, they should not be overly confident against any opponent. This week is important as the next 2 games are much more difficult.
There are still numerous injuries along the offensive line including C Cooper Beebee, OG Tyler Booker and possible OT Tyler Guyton and OG Tyler Smith. Nobody is sure who is playing on the offensive line on Sunday but remarkably enough, this coaching staff has done an unusually great job preparing for contingencies. This is not a typical Cowboy experience, so I am still stunned. We will also be without WR CeeDee Lamb and WR Kavonte Turpin. There are some injuries in the secondary as well but again, they have been more than able to make due with substitutes, at least against weaker teams. QB Dak Prescott has been playing the best football of his career and I expect another QB1 outing. He should be a must start. RB Javonte Williams has been a top tier RB all season and should be a RB1 as well. RB Myles Sanders is out for the season with a lower extremity injury. I am wondering if this will be the end of the line for him. RB Jaydon Blue is the backup and should get a few touches. He is not worthy of a start yet. WR George Pickens managed to put up a good game against the best Jets CB and should have an easier time this weekend. I would expect a low end WR1 or high end WR2. At the moment, the only other receiver I would consider starting is WR Ryan Flournoy, who was outstanding last week. He should be a WR3 or a flex starter. TE Jake Ferguson is a weekly must start as a solid TE1, at least until Ceedee Lamb is back.
K Brandon Aubrey should be a weekly start. The only downside is that lately they have been scoring TDs and not needing FGs. This weekend may be no different. However, against the tougher opponents, he will have more FG opportunities. He is still a weekly start.
The defense is unpredictable. They had a great game against the Jets, but I would not start them unless you absolutely have to. They still cannot be counted on to stop the pass.
Prediction: Cowboys 34 – Panthers 20

End.

Dr. Gil Brovar

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NEW YORK GIANTS
10/9/2025

Giants rookie QB Jaxson Dart made plenty of mistakes in his second start, but still managed 23 fantasy points with two scores and 55 rushing yards. It will be tough for him to duplicate that this week against the tough Eagles defense, keeping him only a fair streaming QB2 for fantasy.
RB Tyrone Tracy (shoulder) may or may not play, meaning rookie RB Cam Skattebo will likely see most of the workload again, making him a low-end RB2 for fantasy. I'd sit Tracy unless they say he will start.
WR Wan'Dale Robinson will have to carry the load at wideout with WR Darius Slayton (hamstring) OUT this week. That makes Robinson a fair flex in PPR leagues. Dart is not targeting his wideouts very much, making none of the others, including WR Jalin Hyatt, fantasy worthy.
TE Theo Johnson scored twice last week, making him a high-end streaming TE2 for fantasy owners in need. Backup TE Daniel Bellinger deserves to be mentioned, since he led the team last week with 52 yards receiving on four catches. That said, he is only a risky TE2 with a low floor for fantasy.

Good luck this week!

End.

Michael Nazarek

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WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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CHICAGO BEARS
10/10/2025

Bears at the Bye

I expected the Bears to be 2-2 at this point, except that I had them winning the Minnesota game and losing to Dallas. I like what new HC Ben Johnson has brought to the table in terms of his intensity and attention to detail. At the same time, you can see that he’s still learning on the job. He’s admitted to getting plays in late on occasion, and he’s made some questionable challenges and play calls (the back-to-back quarterback sneaks against Detroit come to mind). Overall, it’s fairly impressive that the Bears have rebounded to win their last two games after getting their doors blown off in Detroit.

Quarterback QB Caleb Williams has definitely shown some growth after an erratic Week 1 performance. His footwork has improved, he’s been better pre-snap, and he looks a bit more comfortable in the pocket. He’s also gotten better at getting the ball out on time. That said, Caleb still needs to improve his accuracy and situational awareness (i.e. not getting sacked out of field goal range). The arrow looks to be pointing up for him.

Running back
RB D’Andre Swift has been a disappointment, but you can say that about the running game as a whole. Swift hasn’t been efficient, but the new interior O-line hasn’t been able to create many holes for him, and he’s often been hit in the backfield before he can get going. Rookie RB Kyle Monangai hasn’t stood out either in limited action, and RB Roschon Johnson hasn’t even gotten a sniff.

For all the talk that the running game is Johnson’s baby, well, the baby could use a diaper change right about now. Barring an unexpected signing or trade, the personnel isn’t going to change much, so the hope is that the O-line will develop better chemistry as the season goes on and Johnson will find some stuff that works.

Wide receiver
The emergence of WR Rome Odunze has been the big headline here. You can see that his confidence is a lot higher than it was last year, and with Keenan Allen gone, he should rarely lack for targets as Caleb’s guy. WR DJ Moore may never hit the heights he hit with Justin Fields, but I feel like he should be doing better than he has so far. He’s only averaging about a handful of targets a game; Johnson needs to figure out how to get him the ball more, and handing it off to him isn’t really the answer. I don’t know why Moore hasn’t been able to develop better chemistry with Williams despite working with him so much on it.
WR Olamide Zaccheaus has also averaged around a handful of targets a game and has made some clutch catches, but it’s difficult to predict whether he’ll be a fantasy factor most weeks. Rookie WR Luther Burden III had a huge game against the Cowboys, but that’s the only game where he’s had at least three targets. He’s expected to get more opportunities as the season goes on.

Tight end
Just like last season, the tight ends have largely been an afterthought. After TE Cole Kmet had nine targets in the season opener, neither he nor rookie TE Colston Loveland have had more than four targets in a game. I’m sure that the running game and getting the tight ends more involved have been on Johnson’s to-do list during the bye.

Defense/Special teams
The run defense has been the worst in the league. I could probably run for some yards against it (before pulling a hamstring and getting put on IR). LB TJ Edwards has been sorely missed. Ditto for CB Jaylon Johnson and CB Kyler Gordon, though the secondary has been surprisingly competent without them. CB Tyrique Stevenson has played well after a shaky start, and S Kevin Byard has three INTs.

Kicker PK Cairo Santos has made six of seven field goals and all of his extra points.

Week 6: Bears at Commanders (Monday Night Football)
And here we are. Back to the scene of the crime. Am I still bitter about the Fail Mary? Yes, even if in a roundabout way it led to a head coach upgrade. That was the kind of loss you never forget. Note: the Bears’ first injury report of the week came out on Thursday, but the team didn’t actually practice that day, so participation is an estimation.

Quarterback
The Commanders have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points/game to quarterbacks. The Fail Mary took away what should’ve been a game-winning drive for Williams. Between that and facing the guy picked after him (Jayden Daniels) again, I think emotions will be running high for him in this one. I have Caleb as a slightly above-average play this weekend. On the O-line, RT Darnell Wright (elbow) DNP on Thursday, so we may see rookie T Ozzy Trapilo on the right and T Theo Benedet on the left again. G Jonah Jackson (rib) was limited.

Running back
Washington has allowed the 11th-fewest fantasy points/game to tailbacks. Monangai (thigh) DNP on Thursday. RB Travis Homer (calf) fully practiced on Thursday and could potentially be activated from the reserve/injured list. If Monangai is out, Homer may be the backup, or it could be Johnson. Either way, Swift looks to get the great majority of touches again, making him a decent flex play despite a less-than-favorable matchup. Swift ran for 129 yards and a 56-yard TD in last year’s matchup between these two teams.

Wide receiver
The Commanders have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points/game to wideouts. I have Odunze as a strong play this week, with Moore as an average play. Could Zaccheaus be a fantasy factor in his return to Washington? If there’s any week to start him, this could be the one. Burden isn’t likely to get enough touches to be a fantasy factor.

Tight end
The Commanders are middling against tight ends. Loveland (hip) was limited but expects to play. Until the tight ends get more involved, look elsewhere.

Defense/Special teams
Gordon (hamstring) was limited but expects to play. S Jaquan Brisker (quad) and DT Grady Jarrett (knee) DNP, while Edwards (hamsring) and DE Austin Booker (knee) fully practiced. Booker may be activated from the reserve/injured list, the Bears need all the pass rush they can get. If Brisker and Jarrett are out, that would hurt the already reeling run defense. Daniels is obviously a handful for any defense.

Credit to Stevenson for facing the music again during media availability on Wednesday and saying the right things. You know the Washington fans (and even some of the players perhaps) will try to use the Fail Mary to get him off his game on Monday night. With a tough road matchup, look elsewhere this weekend.

Kicker
Santos (right thigh) fully practiced, but I wouldn’t play him given the possibility of re-injury.

Good luck this week!

End.

Richard Fung

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DETROIT LIONS
10/10/2025

Lions at Chiefs

QB: It was a pretty easy win over the Bengals on Sunday. One concern was that QB Jared Goff was sacked four times which would normally be a bit unusual but you need to factor in that LT Taylor Decker was out so you had a very inexperienced player protecting Goff’s blind side. Goff lost a fumble but otherwise had an efficient game going 18 of 23 for 258 yards with 3 TDs. Decker’s injury is one that they are trying to manage. He played through it since the season started but it sounds like it was becoming too much to manage. We’ll have to monitor to see if it turns into a multiple week absence. This week the Lions head to a hostile environment in Kansas City on Sunday night. The weather forecast is saying it will be warm on Sunday so it shouldn’t be too much of a factor unless there is wind or rain. The Chiefs are only allowing 190 passing yards per game this year. Overall I would expect an average day from Goff which makes him a middle of the road fantasy option this week.

RB: I didn’t make this connection before I wrote last week’s report but with RB David Montgomery returning to the area where he grew up you had to figure he would be looking at a big day in Cincinnati. It came true as he ran for 65 yards and a TD plus he threw a TD pass on a nice little jump pass play the Lions dialed up near the goal line. He has a background as a high school quarterback and this wasn’t his first TD pass as a Lion. RB Jahmyr Gibbs added 87 total yards with a receiving TD. They pointed out on the broadcast that this was the 14th time that Gibbs and Mongomery scored in the same game. This further demonstrates that they can both provide fantasy value despite sharing the workload. The Chiefs have been giving up yardage on the ground this year. Perhaps the Lions try a more run heavy approach like they did in Baltimore earlier this year. The thought there was to control the clock to keep Lamar Jackson on the bench. The logic would be the same with Patrick Mahomes. Gibbs is a no brainer to start. Montgomery usually needs a TD to meet or exceed his projection but he could get one again this week.

WR/TE: Another week, another nice game from WR Amon-Ra St. Brown. He didn’t score but he had 100 yards on 8 catches. St. Brown banged up his wrist in the game and he was listed as no practice on Wednesday but back to full on Thursday so as of now it’s nothing to worry about. TE Sam LaPorta got off to a hot start and ended up with 92 yards and a TD on his 5 grabs. Rookie WR Isaac TeSlaa had just 1 catch but it was a 12 yard TD as he is doing just enough to stay on the radar. The Lions have been using a lot of two tight end sets but it looks like TeSlaa has moved ahead of WR Kalif Raymond when it comes to playing in three receiver sets. Raymond got banged up against the Bengals by the way. WR Jameson Williams had his second straight dud on Sunday but he is always capable of explosive plays, so if you don’t mind the boom or bust with him, keep playing him.

K/DST: The Lions were already banged up in the secondary and things got worse after the game with the Bengals. Terrion Arnold will be out a while with a shoulder injury. With DJ Reed already out they are getting really thin at corner. Some of their defensive backs have the position flexibility to move from safety to corner, but some of those guys are also appearing on the injury report. There could be multiple corners coming up from the practice squad for this game. It’s setting up for Mahomes and the Chiefs receivers to have a big week. It’s almost a repeat of last year with the injuries hitting a specific position group except now it’s the secondary instead of the defensive line. The Lions defense dominated the hapless Bengals for most of the game, picking off Jake Browning three times. Browning threw 3 TD passes in the fourth quarter to make the final score look a little more respectable but the Lions added a late safety to close things out. They actually had a safety earlier in the game but it didn’t count because of a penalty. No field goal attempts for PK Jake Bates on Sunday.

Good luck to everyone with their fantasy teams this week.

End.

James Hintz

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ARIZONA CARDINALS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
10/9/2025

The over last week was 44.5 and both teams nearly hit that number individually. Seattle’s defense was definitely playing injured and so was the Buc’s. But QB Baker Mayfield carried his team on his shoulders. Predictably, PK Jason Myers had a missed field goal which allowed the Bucs to win on the buzzer instead of pushing it to overtime. The Bucs are a legit playoff team. The Jags not so much.

QB-
Enough of me glowing on the opposing quarterback. QB Sam Darnold was the higher rated guy in this one with 341 yards on 28 completions of 34 attempts with 4 touchdowns and a wack-o INT to drop him down to a 135.4 QBR. This week should be different because Seattle should be able to run the ball more effectively. That said, there is no reason not to run with the hot hand. If you have Darnold you should play him.

RB-
Seattle gave up on the run, only attempting 19 combined for RB Ken Walker and RB Zach Charbonnet. As has been typical, Walker had the yards and Charbonnet had the touchdown. Expect the same this week, expect more. Seattle will run more but these guys are splitting the fantasy yield every week. That prevents either from really being a valid RB1 though Walker continues to show the signs of being special … without … actually … doing the thing to make him special.

WR-
Speaking of special, right, you know where this goes. Man, if you drafted WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in your fantasy draft you look brilliant. JSN had 132 yards and a TD in this score-fest. WR Tory Horton continues to score and should be started especially if you score fantasy points for special teams touchdowns in your league. WR Cooper Kupp is the next up in this offense and could be a sleeper any week. He is performing above my expectations.

TE-
Another player who is exploding is TE AJ Barner. AJ had 2 touchdowns on 7 receptions. He should be started until this changes. TE Elijah Arroyo continues to be a sleeper. If you had an injury on your fantasy roster and do not have a better option you could do worse than giving him a try. He only had one catch for 10 yards in this last one, but he has the makings of being special. And it takes a lot to be a special tight end in Seattle.

K-
I wish I had been surprised when PK Jason Myers missed a 44 yarder on the first possession. That left him with just the 5 extra points not to mention damaging the tone of the game. If you started him last week in your fantasy league then you have a start of how it feels to have him start for real on the ‘Hawks.

D-
The defense did not just bend this week, it broke. But they did face the best offense they have yet to date. This is the area where Seattle can pivot best though. They were definitely outcoached this time, but that is okay. Coach Macdonald hit the ground running, but that does not mean he is done learnin’. The team is doing some reshuffling around injuries and I think they will be back to holding teams to 20 or less this week. I would start them if you’ve got them.

Prediction:
This game sets up for a Seattle win. Not much to talk about, really. The Jags are not the 49ers or the Bucs.

Seahawks: 28
Jags: 17

Go Hawks!

End.

Rick Watts

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LOS ANGELES RAMS
10/9/2025

Fumbled away! Los Angeles had a great opportunity to beat a depleted 49er team but lose 26-23 in overtime. The Rams started out slowly falling behind 14-0 but fought back and was in perfect position to earn the victory when Kyren Williams fumbled at the 1-yard line trying to score the winning touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. To their credit, Los Angeles was able to tie the game and get to overtime; however, they gave up a field goal to the Niners and failed to convert on fourth and one that sealed their fate. The 3-2 Rams head to Baltimore to take on another injury ridden team who was humiliated 44-10 by the Houston Texans in week five. Here are the stats for week 5 and Fantasy predictions for week 6.

QB: QB Matthew Stafford (30 of 47 for 389 yards and 3 touchdowns) had another monster game and currently leads the league in passing yards (1503) while trailing only former Ram QB Jared Goff in touchdown passes (11 to 12). The Ravens allow 270.2 yards passing per game. They have given up 13 passing touchdowns (most in the NFL) and have only 1 interception and 6 sacks in five games. Matthew has reached QB1 status and should post big numbers against a depleted defense. I think 250+ yards and 2 touchdowns are his floor against Baltimore.

RB: RB Kyren Williams (14 for 65 yards rushing with the crucial fumble and 8 receptions for 66 yards and 2 touchdowns) should have had a 3-touchdown game but went from hero to goat when he fumbled at the one. RB Blake Corum (1for 13 yards rushing and 0 receptions on two targets)had only one carry but he dropped a pitch from Stafford in the second quarter. Stafford was charged with the fumble but it should have been given to Corum, who did not get another carry for the rest of the game.Baltimore is near the bottom of the league in rush defense, giving up 146.4 yards per game. Their opponents average a robust 4.7 yards per carry and have scored 8 rushing touchdowns in five games. The Rams should be able to run the ball as long as their backs hold on to it. Williams was heavily involved in the passing game and I think he has 100+ combined scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns this week. He should be a RB1. Corum needs to step up or could land in McVay’s dog house. He is strictly Kyren’s handcuff.

WR: WR Puka Nakua (10 rec on 12 targets for 85 yards and 1 touchdown) continues to dominate and is the top Fantasy receiver. WR Davante Adams (5 rec on 11 targets for 88 yards) led the team in receiving yards but is still working on his chemistry with Stafford. WR Jordan Whittington (2 rec on 3 targets for 33 yards) dropped a key pass but was effective on his two receptions. WR Tutu Atwell (2 receptions on 4 targets for 72 yards) had a little more action and caught another long ball. Puka has been on fire and should continue post big numbers8-10 receptions for 100+ yards and at least 1touchdown are becoming that standard for him. Adams averages 9 targets a game but has only caught about half of them. I think that percentage will improve as the season progresses. This week I think Davante goes 6-8 catches for 50-70 yards and 1 touchdown. Puka and Davante are solid WR1 and WR2 respectively.

TE: TE Tyler Higbee sat out with a bad hip. TE Colby Parkinson (0 rec on 1 target) suffered a concussion and will be questionable this week. TE Davis Allen (2 rec on 2 targets for 24 yards) and rookie TE Terrence Ferguson (1 reception on 1 target for 21 yards) made a spectacular reception. The rookie has the most potential but no Ram tight end has any Fantasy value.

K: PK Josh Karty (1-2 on field goals (48 made & missed from 53) and 2-3 extra points) had another kick blocked and badly missed his long attempt. Karty is a good kicker but the field goal unit has allowed way too many blocked kicks.There have been reports that because Karty has been working on his kickoffs, it has affected his field goal accuracy. I am not sure if that is true but the Rams need to fix the protection and eliminate the blocked attempts. I predict 1-1 field goals and 4-4 extra points this week.

DEF: The defense struggled early against San Fran, failed to create a turnover, and was surprisingly ineffective putting pressure on Mac Jones. LB Nate Landman (8 solos and 6 assists) and DB Quentin Lake (7 solos and 4 assists) were busy making tackles; however, ED Jared Verse (4 solos and 2 assists) and DE Byron Young (4 solos, 2 assists, and .5sacks)failed to dominate as expected. The Ravens average 220 passing yards per game. They have 10 passing touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Raven quarterbacks have been sacked 16 times in five games. The Baltimore rushing attack, led by RB Derrick Henry, averages 115.6 yards per game on a whopping 5.5 yards per carry with 6 rushing touchdowns. The Rams will face an elite back for the fourth week in a row and will hopefully contain Henry. Superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson is questionable with an injured hamstring and the Rams defense will catch a break if he cannot play. Young has at least a half sack in every game this season and is an every week IDP. Landman has been a tackling machine and another capable IDP. Verse has been disruptive but has only 2 sacks. If Lamar sits out, I think Los Angeles collects at least four sacks. The DEF/ST unit struggled against San Fran but should bounce back in Baltimore.

The Rams laid an egg as heavy favorites last Thursday, but I think they bounce back in Baltimore. I am not sure who is out for the Ravens but I do know they are not 100%.I think Los Angeles wins a 31-17 regardless if Lamar plays or not, I lost my Dynasty game to improve to fall to 3-2but I won my Keeper league game to improve to 2-3. Congrats to Browns QB Dillon Gabriel on his first NFL start! Keep working and beat the Steelers! Love and blessings to my family. Miss you Pops & Scratch! God Bless!

End.

Layton Pang

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