CINCINNATI BENGALS
1/1/2025

The 2025 NFL season finale should be a day of rest for our fantasy football teams. As I continue to say each and every year, if you play in a league who is playing this week for a championship, get out now. There should never be a fantasy football title game going on this week.

QB Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense is going gangbusters the past few weeks, ever since being blanked by the suspect Ravens defense.

This week really should be no different.

There are several things to watch for next season, which is the only reason to pay attention to these games through a fantasy football lens.

Burrow must stay healthy, that is first and foremost. DE Myles Garrett is seek the NFL single season sack record and the Bengals need to not worry so much about that as playing their game and scoring points.

The Steelers last week appeared to focus entirely on Garrett and keeping him from the sack record that the offense was stuck in neutral all day. Don’t play football scared.’’

Play with the pedal all the way down.

RB Chase Brown is looking to finish strong as he has played well after a slow start to the season. RB Samaje Perine gets looks because he can pass protect so there is always room for him on your roster. If Brown went down, Perine isn’t good enough to be a bellcow.

So RB Tahj Brooks has seen a few more snaps recently and is the best run-game option if Brown is down. I do not know if that is good or not. Brooks has been okay this season but not great. True, he has not had a great deal of chance so he will likely stay with the team into next year with a major addition for the running back room. He is worth a stash.

WR Ja’Marr Chase and WR Tee Higgins are studs to be sure and are must starts if they are healthy. Beyond that, I am becoming convinced there really is not anything on this current roster that is exciting for our fantasy football rosters.

Is that because of Chase and Higgins? Or is that because none of them are any good?

WR Andrei Iosivas is a good story coming from the Ivy League and could someday develop into a fantasy worthy player. He is not there now but could be next season or the year after if he goes to another team.

WR Mitchell Tinsley has flashed but is not consistent enough at this point in his young career to be a good play. Stash? If your roster is deep enough then maybe so but in general wait until next season to get him before he flashes again in the preseason.

The tight end position continues to be a tough call in these QB Joe Burrow years. Why? Is it because Chase and Higgins get so many targets or because the Bengals have average to okay tight ends and not great ones. TE Mike Gesicki is more a wideout than tight end so he serves as the primary third wide receiver on this team. TE Noah Fant is more of a typical tight end but just does not get enough looks on a consistent basis. Both are okay in certain situations but not good enough for every week play in your lineups.

PK Evan McPherson is worthy of every week play. With Burrow back this team scores a lot of points and with Zac Taylor as head coach they will kick a lot of field goals.

On defense, the Bengals have turned things around in dramatic fashion. Had this version of Al Golden’s defense played from the start, Bengal fans would be thinking Super Bowl right now.

But it did not play at all early and the team is headed to another off-season of what if.

Still there are good things to take from the recent surge. DL Joseph Ossai, DL Myles Murphy and DL Shemar Stewart are okay building blocks on the line. Rookie LB Demetrius Knight and rookie LB Barrett Carter could use a veteran with them but otherwise have turned around a woeful start to their NFL careers. I don’t know that they will ever be Pro Bowl caliber but good enough to be part of a good defense.

In the secondary, the Bengals have some prize players. DB D.J. Turner, DB Dax Hill and DB Jordan Battle could be really good in this league. With a top notch safety in the mix, the secondary could be feared.

There are plenty of holes, to be sure, but if this organization fills them in the right way, not necessarily the most expensive way, the Bengals can return to the Super Bowl sooner rather than later.

End.

Mark Huber

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
12/31/2025

Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are my thoughts as the 8-8 Colts close out their 2025 season by traveling to Houston to tangle with the 11-5 Texans:

LAST WEEK: Even though they knew they had been eliminated before kickoff, Old Man QB Philip Rivers nearly willed the team to victory over the white-hot Jaguars, ultimately falling 23-17. Taylor had 70 yards and a score, and rookie Tyler Warren led the way with only 5 catches and 43 yards receiving. Despite the close score, it was a boring game to watch with no drama and no meaningful outcomes. Yawn.

INJURIES: DL DeForest Buckner was added to injured reserve this past week with season-ending neck surgery. With the season lost, there is nothing to gain by running him out there, and he can have a few extra weeks toward recovery. KR Anthony Gould and TE Drew Ogletree were also added to IR, raising the team total to a league-high 21 players. QB Anthony Richardson will not be activated from IR this week, although special teams ace and WR Ashton Dulin has been activated for this week. OT Braden Smith had been designated to return, but as of now, he is not expected to be activated for this weekend; the remainder of the starting O-line should be intact this week as several guys that got dinged last week are set to return. It actually would be easier to say who IS playing with so many key players sidelined.

QUARTERBACK: This will be the first start of rookie QB Riley Leonard’s career…and he gets to face the league’s best pass defense on the road in a game they must win. Game script should increase his volume for the day, and his legs do give him a bit of upside not seen since Jones went down with injury. However, I just can’t see him having a great deal of success this week. Surely, even in two quarterback scoring systems, you have better options to consider. I suspect he might turn the ball over a few times and take a few sacks, but likely top out at 200 yards and maybe a score. Rivers will be a mentor and the #3 emergency quarterback this week, with recently-signed practice squad rookie QB Seth Henigan serving as backup.

RUNNING BACK: RB Jonathan Taylor is a little behind James Cook for the NFL rushing lead, and King Henry is right on his tail. Cook may sit or play minimal snaps this week, but Henry could get a lot of action in a key game. MY guess is that the team wants to protect Leonard and help Taylor claim the rushing title, so I would expect a heavy dose of Taylor this week. While the Texans are among the better run defenses thus far, Taylor did have a decent game against them in week 13 with 121 total yards. I would expect the volume to be there for Taylor to be very worthy of a fantasy start for you. He is also leading the league in TDs and he should have a better chance at a free look on the goal line with a rushing threat at quarterback – something that has been missing for a while.

WIDE RECEIVER: This is the top passing defense in the NFL, and they are #1 at limiting the fantasy wide receiver also. No receiving targets are approaching milestone numbers or incentive numbers, so there are no players I would look at to be targeted in any extra way. It is worth noting that when Leonard took over for an injured Jones against Jacksonville a few weeks back, he locked heavily onto WR Michael Pittan resulting in a season-high 12 targets for the day (almost all from Leonard). WR Alec Pierce also had a fair amount of targets that day, but many had come before Leonard took the reins. Nonetheless, a rookie passer tends to lock onto his primary reads, so I would suspect that only these two guys are worth considering this week, and then only as a #3 or #4 option for your fantasy team.

TIGHT END: TE Tyler Warren already holds the franchise record for receptions by a rookie with 71, but he is 70 yards away from having the 2nd-most yardage receiving by a rookie for the club (Bill Brooks 1113 in 1986). Maybe they try to get him to the record, but that is a stretch. He is also 80 yards behind Pierce for the team lead in receiving yardage, but I don’t think that closing that gap is reasonable this week. The Texans have allowed 5 tight end TDs in the last five games, including one to Warren in week 13, so maybe there is an enhanced chance for him this week.

KICKER: No. The Texans give up the fewest kicking fantasy points in the league. They have only allowed less than one FG per game, and the third fewest PATs as well. Plus with the new quarterback and nothing to lose, I suspect the coaches will eschew FGs and let the rookie get some experience in pressure situations. PK Blake Grupe is probably a real non-factor this week.

DEFENSE: There simply is too much missing for this unit to be effective, and the Texans really don’t turn the ball over much anyway. As a unit, this team is unplayable this week. There may be some individual players of valuesince there could be a lot of plays run by the Texans, especially on the ground in the second half. IDP may show some value for LB Zaire Franklin and LB Germaine Pratt, and maybe S Nick Cross as well.

OVERALL: I don’t see how the Colts stand a chance in this one. They are in “evaluate players for 2026” mode and beset by the most injuries in the NFL, and are on the road against the NFL’s top defense in a game the Texans desperately need to win for playoff positioning and a potential home game. This one could get ugly early in a Houston 34-16 laugher.

That is all for this week (and this year) from the Crossroads of America. I will be back in February to start looking at the free agency profile of this team in need of some change. I hope you have found my columns useful this season, and maybe even a little entertaining at times. A happy new year to you all – and best wishes for a safe and productive 2026!

End.

Chris Rito

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DENVER BRONCOS
1/1/2025

Denver 20 KC 13

HC Sean Payton’s Game plan was to not push the ball down the field too often and try to create balance and sustain clock-chewing drives. It was a successful plan, but it took RG Quinn Meinerz’s loud “Hut! Hut!” and RJ Harvey’s exaggerated movements to forced the Chiefs’ first penalty of the night on an offside call, to win the game. The Chiefs played an outstanding game with out Mahomes and other starters in what may have been TE Travis Kelce’s last game at Arrowhead. Nix: 26/38-182-1-1 plus a rushing touchdown; Harvey had 76 yards from scrimmage (43-33) with a receiving touchdown; McLaughlin added another 40 yards on the ground; Sutton lead the receivers with 40 yards; the rest of the receivers combined for 112 yards KC’s RBs Hunt and Pacheco had 38 and 32 yards respectively. There was little in the way of a passing game from KC with 66-yard and a touchdown for QB Chris Oladokun with 36 yards to TE Travis Kelce.

LA Chargers @ Denver

A Denver win will secure the AFC #1 seed for the play offs. Payton has never beaten Jim Harbaugh coached Chargers team. Payton is calling this a playoff game even with star QB Justin Herbert out of the game. Denver’s focus is on the strengths of backup QB Trey Lance who is a different style quarterback than Herbert. The Chargers are a very good football team and Denver is focusing on their preparation, not on who the Chargers sit. Denver is favored by a ridiculous 12.5 points. This will be another grind-it-out, tight game. LA 20 Denver 23

Fantasy Outlook Start QB Bo Nix, RB RJ Harvey, WR Courtland Sutton and the Bronco defense.

Orangeman’s Take

This was the 11th win of the season by eight or fewer points, matching the regular-season record. With the second win of the season over the Chiefs, QB Bo Nix became the ONLY QB in NFL history with 20+ wins, 7,500+ pass yards and 50+ pass TD in his first two seasons. Nix became just the third QB in NFL history to record 3,500 passing yards and 25 passing touchdowns in each of his first two seasons, joining Justin Herbert and Peyton Manning. Nix looks like the next great QB to lead Denver (Elway, Manning).

End.

Charles Rives

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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
12/31/2025

Last week, the Texans beat the Chargers 20-16. This week, the 11-5 Chargers take on the 13-3 Division Leading Broncos in Denver. This game is largely meaningless for the playoff-bound Chargers, so it’s important to note that they may be benching several key starters.

QB: Last week’s stats are not relevant, as the Bolts will be benching QB Justin Herbert in favor of backup QB Trey Lance. While Lance isn’t bad, you’d want to avoid him, as he represents a risky starter.

RB: Against the Texans, no Chargers’ running back exceeded 29 rushing yards, although RB Omarion, who carried 14 times for 29 yards, did score a TD. Hampton also had 8 catches for 31 receiving yards. I’m not sure who will or who won’t start or play a lot this week, so starting any Chargers’ running back is a caution play. If you have a better option, take it. If not, Hampton, who could be benched at any moment, is a FLEX against the stout Denver defense, and due to the other factors mentioned.

WR: The same cautionary story applies to Chargers’ wide receivers. It seems that the Bolts don’t want to see top talent injured in a meaningless game. So, who will play, and how much? I have no idea. And of course, a back-up quarterback will be throwing to these receivers. Last week, boom/bust WR Quentin Johnston caught 5 for 98 yards and no TDs. This week, he’s a sketchy WR3. WR Ladd McConkey caught only 1 for 31 yards and no TDs. Same disclaimers, WR3. WR Keenan Allen caught only 1 for 17 yards, and for the same reasons, WR3. Any of these guys could surprise, but I’m not big on rolling the dice during your playoff games.

TE: At least TE Oronde “Where have you been?” Gadsden caught 3 for 32 yards and a TD. TE Will Dissly barely appeared with 2 catches for 19 yards. This week, Gadsden is a weak TE1, while Dissly should not be owned or started.

PK: It was an uncommonly poor showing for PK Cameron Dicker, who was 1-2 on FGs (long of 27), and 1-2 on extra points. I like Dicker a lot, but I don’t like the matchup, or the fact that many starters may not play much, if at all. If you have a better option, take it.

DEF: The Chargers defense is generally solid, but the Denver offense has been very good, and as noted, a number of Chargers’ starters may be benched, or have limited playing time. I’d avoid them this week.

Good luck in your playoff games and Happy Holidays!

End.

Brad Willis

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DALLAS COWBOYS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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NEW YORK GIANTS

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM

The report for this week has not yet been released.

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CHICAGO BEARS
1/1/2025

Week 17: Shootout at the Levi’s Corral. 49ers 42, Bears 38
I had very mixed feelings after this game ended. I went into the game not expecting the Bears to be able to keep up with the Niners in a shootout. But Chicago did go toe to toe with San Fran, and by the end, I expected QB Caleb Williams and the Bears to find a way to win the game again because they’d done it so many times before. When it didn’t happen, I was obviously sad and disappointed. But the fact that the Bears were able to trade blows with one of the league’s top offenses provided a silver lining that gave me a small measure of solace.

After the Bears got their redemption against the Commanders earlier in the season, I openly wondered here what might’ve been if the Bears had taken Jayden Daniels instead of Williams. Since then, Daniels and the Commanders have endured a nightmarish season, while Williams and the Bears have gone in the opposite direction. Fellow draft classmates Drake Maye and Bo Nix have had stellar seasons themselves. It’ll be years before we know which of them winds up with the best career, so it’s time for me to stop worrying about whether the Bears got the “right” guy or not. Caleb is my quarterback, and I’ll go to war with him any day.

Quarterback
Williams completed 25 of 42 passes for 330 yards and two TDs and ran five times for 18 yards. I’ve mentioned multiple times this season that the deep ball has been lacking in this offense, but we’ve started to see it more recently (i.e. the winning TD against Green Bay), and we saw it again here as Williams had TD passes of 35 yards to WR Luther Burden III and 36 yards to TE Colston Loveland. The TD to Burden showed Caleb’s improving touch, while the TD to Loveland was just a frozen rope on a free play thanks to an offside penalty.

On the final play, HC Ben Johnson said that he didn’t get the play call in quickly enough, and Williams said that the players weren’t lined up correctly and there wasn’t time to fix it. The result was a mess where no one was really open other than Swift in the flat early in the play. If Caleb had thrown it to him quickly enough, Swift could’ve potentially had one man to beat for a TD unless other defenders rallied to the ball. The bottom line here is that Johnson should probably call a simpler play in this kind of situation in the future (no timeouts, one final play, must score a TD) and get it in quicker so Caleb has time to make adjustments at the line if necessary.

Running back
Swift had nine carries for 54 yards and two TDs and caught two of his three targets for 25 yards. On the hook and ladder play before the final play, I thought Swift should’ve cut outside and run for the pylon instead of cutting inside to get the first down. It was only second-and-ten, so trying to score is more important than getting the first down in that situation. I know the defender had outside leverage there, but I still feel like Swift could’ve juked him and potentially scored if he had cut outside and gone for the pylon. RB Kyle Monangai had eight carries for 38 yards and caught three of his four targets for nine yards.

Wide receiver
Unfortunately, the Bears dealt with a bug of some kind in the days leading up to the game, and two of the victims were WR D.J. Moore and WR Olamide Zaccheaus. Zaccheaus did not play, while Moore was clearly not himself as he caught one of four targets for seven yards. All this basically meant that it was the Burden and Loveland show for most of this night. Burden caught eight of nine targets for 138 yards and a score in his best performance yet. He is electric with the ball in his hands, and he broke a defender’s ankles twice on one play. WR Jahdae Walker caught two of four targets for 30 yards. WR Devin Duvernay was targeted once.

Tight end
Loveland hauled in six of his ten targets for 94 yards and a TD. TE Cole Kmet caught two of his three targets for 16 yards. TE Durham Smythe caught his only target for 11 yards.

Defense/Special teams
After LB T.J. Edwards notched a pick-six on the opening play of the game, the defense basically called it a night and went back to the team hotel. When this defense doesn’t get a takeaway, it’s in trouble. Even the few times when DC Dennis Allen blitzed, it didn’t work.

Kicker PK Cairo Santos hit his lone field goal attempt and all five of his extra points.

Week 18: Lions at Bears
The Bears will now host the Lions for a late afternoon kickoff at Soldier Field on Sunday afternoon. If you watched “The Last Dance”, you know that Chicago’s Michael Jordan played golf with Boston’s Danny Ainge the day before Game 2 of the Bulls-Celtics NBA playoff series in 1986. Ainge dished out some trash talk and won some money off Jordan that day. When Ainge was dropped off after the round, Jordan said to him, “Tell your boy D.J. [Boston’s Dennis Johnson] I’ve got something for him tomorrow.” Jordan would of course drop an NBA playoff record 63 points on the Celtics the next day.

What does this trip down memory lane have to do with Sunday’s game? After Detroit embarrassed and ran up the score on Chicago in Week 2, I think Ben Johnson has got something for Dan Campbell and the Lions on Sunday. The Bears can clinch the #2 seed with a win, so I expect Johnson to play his starters for the majority of this game and try to put up a ton of points. I think we’re going to see at least one or two trick plays as well. Remember RT Darnell Wright catching passes in training camp? Hey, I’m just saying. In fact, I’ll call it right now: Wright catches a TD pass. I think Johnson would like to put 63 points on the Lions if he could…

Quarterback
The Lions have allowed the ninth-most fantasy points/game to quarterbacks. Williams is 270 yards away from becoming the first signal caller in Bears history to hit the 4,000 yard mark, and other than getting the W, I think getting Caleb to 4K will be Johnson’s second priority in this game. The Lions are really banged up in the secondary, so I have Williams as an above-average play this weekend.

Running back
Detroit has allowed the eighth-fewest fantasy points/game to tailbacks. I have Swift as a slightly above-average flex, with Monangai an average flex.

Wide receiver
The Lions have allowed the third-most fantasy points/game to wideouts. Burden (quad) looked like he might’ve been seriously injured on the last play of the 49ers game, but fortunately he fully practiced on Thursday and looks set to play. WR Rome Odunze looks to be out again for Sunday. Moore and Zaccheaus are not on the injury report. I think the Bears are going to be throwing quite a bit, so I have Moore and Burden as above-average plays, with Zaccheaus an average play.

Tight end
Detroit is middling (15th) against tight ends. I have Loveland as an above-average play and Kmet as an average play.

Defense/Special teams
The Lions don’t turn the ball over much, and they can still score a lot of points. I have this unit as an average play this weekend.

Kicker
Detroit has allowed the tenth-most fantasy points/game to kickers. I have Santos as an average play this weekend.

Happy New Year!

End.

Richard Fung

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DETROIT LIONS
1/1/2025

Lions at Bears

QB: I guess it wasn’t enough that the Lions ruined Thanksgiving by losing. Now they had to ruin Christmas too. What an ugly performance against the Vikings and the headline was that the Lions turned the ball over an unsightly six times. QB Jared Goff was credited with five of them – two interceptions and three lost fumbles. Yes there were some issues with the young center that was up from the practice squad and overall the offensive line has not played well lately. Goff was sacked five times and the Lions looked like they were outcoached by the Vikings. It’s not like the Vikings showed up and did anything unexpected. They are a division rival. You know they will bring people up to the line, show blitzes, drop people back, and try to make you uncomfortable and that’s what they did for the second time this season. Goff ended up 18 of 29 for 197 yards and a TD so it was a pretty disappointing day. And much like the Lions season ended last year in the playoff loss to Washington, the turnovers came in bunches as the Lions are now eliminated from playoff contention. This week the Lions close things out in Chicago. I expect Goff to play the entire game. I haven’t heard otherwise. It’s possible the Lions could try to get more reps for some younger players at other positions this week. The Lions put 52 points on the Bears in week 2 but that was at Ford Field. This one will be outdoors in the cold. Overall Goff isn’t a great option this week but with so much uncertainty for fantasy players Goff gives you a high floor.

RB: The Lions tried to stick with the run against Minnesota but the results just weren’t there, for either back. RB Jahmyr Gibbs ran 17 times for 41 yards plus 23 yards on 2 catches. RB David Montgomery added 10-25 rushing and 2-15 receiving. Both of them under 3 yards per carry speaks to the offensive line struggles. Left tackle Taylor Decker was an unexpected inactive due to illness. The Lions being eliminated makes me wonder if it might be smart to limit Gibbs’ snaps this week Montgomery would gladly take more work after some rumblings lately that he hasn’t been too happy with his reduced role. I’d also like to see RB Sione Vaki get some action as he has been limited to special teams with Gibbs and Montgomery both staying healthy all year. You can play Gibbs or Montgomery but again with it being week 18 there is extra risk here.

WR/TE: The Lions only managed to score one TD in Minnesota and it was WR Isaac TeSlaa. That’s his 6th TD of the season on just 15 catches. The Lions aren’t going to tank this game but again if they want to give some younger players more looks TeSlaa would be another who could benefit. WR Amon-Ra St. Brown caught 8 for 68 against Minnesota and got banged up on a hard hit late in the game. He was up to limited practice on Thursday and is on track to play. WR Jameson Williams only had three targets as Goff was under too much pressure to be able to get him the ball. I’d expect a few more targets for Jamo this week. I checked the season stats and I didn’t see anyone close to any obvious milestones like 1000 yards or whatever. And I haven’t heard of anyone close to hitting contract incentives either. Two years ago they were throwing bubble screens to Josh Reynolds while running the clock out in the last game to get him a bonus in his contract. You can still avoid the tight ends. They got plenty of snaps last week but it was mostly for blocking purposes as they combined for zero catches. The Lions said they are hoping TE Sam LaPorta (back) will be ready for training camp.

K/DST: It was a quiet four point day for PK Jake Bates. If you need a kicker this week feel free to use Bates. The Lions defense did a nice job against Minnesota. They held the Vikings to 3 net yards passing with their third string quarterback. Minnesota scored points off of turnovers and clinched the game with a perfectly executed jet sweep. This week it’s a matchup against the Bears whose offense was clicking last week against San Francisco. I feel like the Lions will be motivated to beat their division rival but I wouldn’t consider the Lions defense a top option for fantasy this week

I hope everyone enjoyed their fantasy season.

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
12/31/2025

The Seattle Seahawks are now 13-3 and heading to Santa Clara riding a six-game winning streak after a 27–10 dismantling of the Panthers. Early in the game it looked like Seattle had fallen into a trap game, but the defense saved them early in the 3rd allowing the offense to just not make mistakes in order for them to win. QB - Sam Darnold
In the win over Carolina, QB Sam Darnold was efficient but "quiet," throwing for 147 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT. He didn't need to be a hero because the defense and run game dominated. However, this week the stakes are higher. While he’s helped lead Seattle to 13 wins, he faces a 49ers defense that, despite injuries, has been opportunistic during their own six-game win streak. Against the 49ers, "friendly skies" are gone. Brock Purdy and the SF offense have been putting up 40+ points recently, putting immense pressure on Darnold to keep pace. He’ll need to exploit a 49ers secondary that has surrendered big plays lately. For fantasy purposes, he remains a high-upside play, but in a championship/finale week, his floor is shaky if the 49ers' pass rush (even a depleted one) finds its teeth. RB - The identity remains the same: Seattle wants to run. The ground game came to life in Carolina and will be the "X-factor" this Saturday. The 49ers’ defense is missing key pieces in the front seven, making this a matchup Seattle can exploit to keep Brock Purdy off the field. RB Kenneth Walker III is locked-in RB2 with RB1 upside. Seattle will lean on him early to settle Darnold. RB Zach Charbonnet remains a high-end Flex/RB3. He’s the preferred goal-line option and his role in the passing game will be vital if the 49ers’ pass rush forces Darnold into check-downs. Last week he had 110 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 18 carries (6.1 avg) while Walker checked in with 51 yards on 15 carries. WR - WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the undisputed alpha. He is a must-start as the 49ers have struggled with elite slot/intermediate technicians this season. WR Rashid Shaheed owners will want to monitor his status. Shaheed left the Panthers game with a concussion and is currently limited in practice. If he clears protocol, he is a "boom" candidate against a 49ers defense that just gave up 38 points to Chicago. If he’s out, look for more targets for WR Cooper Kupp, who remains a "boom/bust" option but carries veteran reliability in a game of this magnitude. TE - TE AJ Barner caught a 17-yard TD against the Panthers, proving he is more than just a blocker. With George Kittle limited for the 49ers, Barner is likely to be the more productive TE on the field. The 49ers' linebackers (led by Fred Warner) are much tougher than Carolina's, but Barner is a "red zone favorite" for Darnold. He's a solid desperation start in deep leagues.
K - PK Jason Myers is nothing like who he had been in prior years. He remains elite and reliable game after game. In what oddsmakers expect to be a close game (Seahawks are narrow favorites), Myers could be the difference-maker. He is a must-start.
D -
The Seahawks' defense is the #1 EPA unit in the NFL. The Seahawks' defense held QB Bryce Young to just 54 passing yards on 24 attempts. This results in a staggering 2.25 yards per attempt, an incredibly low efficiency mark in any NFL game but especially so when a team is playing for their playoff life. QB Brock Purdy is playing at an MVP level, coming off a 42-point performance against the Bears. Seattle’s pass rush, led by DE DeMarcus Lawrence, must capitalize on the 49ers' offensive line injuries (LT Trent Williams is currently a DNP with a hamstring injury). If Williams is out, Seattle's D-Line should dominate. And they may even be with him because of age and injury. The secondary will need to contain a 49ers team that is "clicking" on the outside. Despite the 49ers' high-scoring ways, national pundits are almost unanimous in recommending starting the Seahawks Defense against the 49ers.
Prediction
This isn't just a rivalry game; it's a battle for home-field advantage through the Super Bowl. The 49ers are playing their best football of the year, but Seattle’s defense is a "lights out" group that historically baits Purdy into mistakes. If Trent Williams is out for SF, Seattle takes the West.
Seattle: 24
49ers: 20
Go Hawks!
End.

Rick Watts

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LOS ANGELES RAMS
1/1/2025

Monday blahs! After losing in overtime to the Seahawks in a Week 17 Thursday Night thriller, the Rams come out flat on Monday Night in Atlanta, falling behind 21-0 before fighting all the way back to tie it at 24 just to lose 27-24. It is the first time all season that Los Angeles has lost two consecutive games and need a win in the season finale to even have a chance at the fifth seed heading into the playoffs. The Rams are hosting the Arizona Cardinals and HC Sean McVay already told the press that his starters will play because the team needs to get back on track heading into the playoffs. Let’s look at the stats for week 17 and Fantasy predictions for week 18. Hopefully your league had its Super Bowl in week 17.

QB: QB Matthew Stafford (22 of 38 for 269 yardswith 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions (one a pick six))had his worst game since Carolina. Stafford has only 8 total interceptions for the season and incredibly, six have come from two games! Stafford is still in contention for the MVP award but definitely hurt his chances with this poor performance that also disappointed many Fantasy Owners. McVay plans to play the starters but for how long is to be determined. I think Stafford plays at least a half and hopefully throws three touchdowns to bring his league leading total to 45 for the season.

RB: RB Kyren Williams (13 for 92 yards rushing 3 receptions on 3targets for 38 yards) was solid but RB Blake Corum (6for 18 yards rushing)struggled and also got injured. Both backs are dealing with ankle issues so RB Ronnie Rivers and rookie RB Jarques Hunter might carry the load in the finale. If Williams and/or Corum do suit up this week, their workload will definitely be limited as the team will save them for the playoffs. This type of situation is just another reason to hold Fantasy championships in Week 17 and not Week 18.

WR: WR Puka Nacua (5 receptions on 10targets for 47 yards and 1 touchdown) came down earth after several huge games but he almost made one of the best one-handed catches ever that would have given his team a chance to tie the game. Unfortunately the catch was ruled incomplete upon review. WR Davante Adams missed the game with his injured his hamstring. So WR Xavier Smith (4-6 for 67 yards) and WR Konata Mumpfield (2-5 for 10 yards) tried to pick up the slack. WR Tutu Atwell was not able to secure his lone target, and was actually interfered with but the Refs blew another call. It has been a long physical season and I would be surprised to see Nacua play more than the first half if even that much. Adams might not even be active.

TE: TE Colby Parkinson (6 receptions on 7 targets for 53 yards) and rookie TE Terrance Ferguson (2 catches on 4 targets for 54 yards and 1 touchdown) were productive for the Rams and any Fantasy Owners using them. Parkinson continued his strong play; however, reports are that TE Tyler Higbee could be returning, which would hinder the Fantasy production of all Ram tight ends.

K: PK Harrison Mevis(1-1 field goals (35) and 3-3 extra points) got back on track on his limited attempts. The Rams fired ST Chase Blackburn after the Seattle game and the special teams made a huge play with a blocked field goal attempt.

DEF: This unit was gashed by Bijan Robinson (over 200 scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns) including a 93-yard touchdown run. The Rams had no sacks or turnovers and the only impact play was from ED Jared Verse (3 solos and 3assists)who blocked a field goal attempt and returned the ball 76 yards for a Ram touchdown that made the score 24-17. The defense has been regressing towards the end of the season and needs to get back on track if they want to succeed in the playoffs. Hopefully the return of DB Quentin Lake will help.

I apologize to everyone for not being able to submit a report last week. My mom is in the hospital and I got sick. I am back in action but please pray for my mom who is 95 years old. The 11-5Rams need to take care of the Cardinals at home and I think they will. Despite the sub-standard performances by Stafford and Nacua last week, I was able to win my Dynasty and Non-Keeper league Championships thanks ironically to 49er CMC! I have all three in both leagues. Congrats to everyone who won their leagues and best wishes for a happy and healthy 2026! Continued prayers for my Mom.Love and blessings to my family. Miss you Pops & Scratch! God Bless!

End.

Layton Pang

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