CINCINNATI BENGALS
12/26/2024

After playing several fantasy football patsies, the Bengals face a quality team as the Denver Broncos visit Paycor Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The Broncos are not only a likely playoff team this season, the defense is the best overall defense the Bengals have faced in a few weeks.

Here is the thing. The Broncos do not face the Bengals regularly so how they will matchup against Joe Burrow and Co. is not a certainty.

What I am saying is do not hesitate to run your Bengals out there. The best offensive trio in football this season has you this far, so do not bail on them now.
QB Joe Burrow is the best passer in the game. Continue to put him in your lineup. Denver has given up five top 12 quarterback finishes over the season, so stingy for sure. They can pressure and they can cover but they have not faced a quarterback like Burrow (sorry, Patrick).
RB Chase Brown is on fire and is a top five running back this season. He can run it, he can catch it. He is a tough cover. Plus the offensive line should be pretty healthy with Orlando Brown Jr. on track to play.

WR Ja’Marr Chase is the best receiver in the league this season (sorry, Justin). Denver has been tough against receivers this season, allowing 10 top 24 finishes this season. The Broncos could put DB Patrick Surtain II on Chase or they could put Surtain II on WR Tee Higgins and double Chase. I would have no trouble putting Chase in my lineup and to be honest I think Higgins is a must start as well. Their success will be on Burrow finding the best matchup and exploiting it. I have faith. Let us not forget WR Andrei Iosivas who is developing into a strong wide receiver behind Chase and Higgins. Iosivas probably is not in your lineup options this week but if for a fourth option in the receiver game you could do worse that Iosivas who is a good option for a touchdown at least.
TE Mike Gesicki is facing another tough battle as the Broncos have surrendered five top 12 finishes to tight ends this season. Again, this will be a matchup situation. Will the Broncos push coverage to Chase and Higgins which might leave Gesicki open more? If you don’t have a good tight end, you could do worse than Gesicki this week.
PK Cade York has been mostly good replacing PK Evan McPherson. York has missed a few but overall he is a good kicker. I would believe the Bengals will take points when they can against a good defense so York will be a good play.

On defense, since a reported simplification of the scheme and playing of younger guys, this Bengals defense has been … not as bad. If it were not as bad like this all season, making the playoffs would not be a discussion, it would be a certainty.
DE Trey Hendrickson is a play in leagues that honor sacks more than tackles. If you have to go with a defensive tackle, DT Kris Jenkins had a couple of sacks last week and might be a worthy play in leagues that focus on sacks.

Linebackers are tricky. Tackles are key here so LB Akeem Davis-Gaither and LB Germaine Pratt are solid but not spectacular plays.

In the secondary, DB Mike Hilton and DB Geno Stone have really come on lately and could be good plays in a defense that is suddenly getting turnovers. DB Jordan Battle is reaching must start status as both a tackler and ballhawker.

Good luck this week!

Mark Huber

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HOUSTON TEXANS
12/24/2024

Bad things happened to the Texans last Saturday. Terrible injury for WR Tank Dell playing his best game of the year.

The O continued to stutter, settling for FGs in lieu of TDS. By contrast the Chiefs played an error free short game. The Texas D just not good enough to stop a top NFL O.

Which brings us to the X-mas day home game against the Ravens. QB Lamar Jackson has played at MVP level this year. The Chiefs QB killed the Texans last week running. So did Lamar last year in the play~offs. The Texans need to spy the QB. I don't believe I ever seen the Texans spy. Start Lamar if you have him. Also start RB Derrick Henry. The Texans D will be tired.

The Texans O will be challenged due to WR injuries. My gut tells me this is the game QB C.J. Stroud mans up and figures out how to play BIG on the national stage. Start him. I also like WR Nico Collins and the new bad guy, WR Diontae Johnson. I believe the Texans want to win this and will play well. Of course always start RB Joe Mixon.

I see a high scoring game that will thrill the fans. WRs, RBs and QBs will score in this game. Find your TE somewhere else.

David Trojanowsky

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INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
12/24/2024

Hey there Colts’ fans! Here are my thoughts as the barely-alive 7-8 Colts travel to the Meadowlands to face off with the reeling 2-13 Giants:

LAST WEEK: Taylor and the Colts ran away from the Titans to a 38-7 lead late in the 3rd quarter before nearly blowing it by pulling back the reins too hard. Taylor was unstoppable and when they pulled him late in the third, they were unable to control the ball or the clock and nearly let the huge lead slip away. Richardson has his biggest yardage day rushing as a pro as well as Taylor posting 218 yards and 3 TDs, and the defense picked off three passes to hold the Titans at bay. Taylor did make sure to carry the ball all the way to the tunnel rather than dropping it as a result of his critical gaffe last week. The Colts scored 38 points while Richardson completed only 7 passes, due to the franchise-record 335 rushing yards.

INJURIES:OG Quentin Nelson did leave the game briefly with an ankle injury, but did return for the final death blow series to kill the clock. Keeping him healthy and the return of OC Ryan Kelly this past game are certainly not unrelated to the success running the ball, especially on the Richardson runs with a pulling Nelson Q leading the way. Two defensive backs left the game with injuries – starting CB Jaylon Jones (neck) and backup DB Tre Flowers (shoulder) with no word on their status as of early this week. Key contributors LB EJ Speed (knee) and WR Alec Pierce (concussion) both missed the game, and both could be back on the field this coming week. CB JuJu Brents was apparently close to being activated from IR last week, so may be able to hit the field this week to help slow down Malik Nabers.

QUARTERBACK: QB Anthony Richardson has been producing fantasy numbers that are off the charts when one considers how poor his passing has been and how infrequently he throws the ball anywhere near a Colts receiver. Since coming back from his benching in week 11, he has posted top 10 numbers despite throwing only 4 TD passes and 5 picks. The Giants have allowed top 10 fantasy numbers, and have even been a little worse than their own average against mobile ones so AR5 could be in store for another solid fantasy day even if his passing does not move the needle. He shouldn’t hurt you, and he always has multiple rushing TD upside.

RUNNING BACK: The Giants are even more generous to the running back than are the Titans, and you just saw what RB Jonathan Taylor did to them. If the Colts had not inexplicably sat him for most of the 4th quarter, the game would not have been as close and he might have topped 300 yards rushing. The Giants will again get a heavy dose of a motivated Taylor, and his December stats have always been super. He is locked in as a high-end #1 again this week.

WIDE RECEIVER: This is still a “play WR Josh Downs” and “I am iffy about WR Michael Pittman” offense as long as it is low volume and Pittman is seeing top coverage options. Downs is a solid #3 play, especially in PPRs, and Pittman is a #4 at best despite getting the targets. In non-PPRs, Pittman has only one double digit game this year, and it is only 11 points; Downs has posted double digits in half of his starts. In PPRs it is even more disparate as Downs has averaged 13+ PPG with 2/3 of his games in double figures while Pittman is averaging under 10 and has only posted double figures in ¼ of his games. Without knowing if WR Alec Pierce will play this early in the week, I can’t recommend him as anything more than a boom-bust #3 if he even plays – he will have a low floor even if active (which is not a guarantee)

TIGHT END: Why do I even put this section in the report? NO.

KICKER: The Giants are a middling option for opposing kickers, and with the weather potentially bad outdoors in New Jersey on Sunday, PK Matt Gay is probably a slightly below average streaming option. Gay probably has a high floor, but a low ceiling, so he probably is not a great streaming option for most in a championship week. I would look for someone with a more favorable and generous opponent and/or a better weather scenario (or indoors, preferably).

DEFENSE: The Colts again posted a lot of turnovers and sacks last week, and this week’s opposing offense is even more prone to allowing fantasy defenses to have big days. The Colts are getting turnovers and sacks recently, but have allowed a ton of points – many of them in garbage time while playing conservative on defense. Hopefully they learned from last week’s game to keep the pedal down and might actually limit this weakened opponent, but surely they can do something this week to be at least a safe play with some big score potential. Ther Giants have allowed the most defensive TDs in the NFL this season, and just allowed two last week to a weak Falcons unit.

OVERALL: The Giants are a dumpster fire and really should be easy fodder for a team that still has something to play for – at least as of this writing, no matter how improbable. And aside from blossoming star Malik Nabers, there is little that should scare the Colts on either side of the ball for the G-men. Of course, this has been the kind of game wherein the Colts of the last decade or so have laid an absolute egg, so nothing is guaranteed! I will still say that the Colts beat up the Giants a bit, although they might give away a few plays that make the final score seem closer than the game is to the naked eye. Colts 29, Giants 22

That is all for this week – and this calendar year – from the Crossroads of America. I will be back just after the new year to preview week 18 for those of you still active in leagues that week. Until then….Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah…and a Happy New Year!

Chris Rito

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DENVER BRONCOS
12/24/2024

Denver 27 LA Chargers 34

Denver is a flawed team and showed it, allowing the Chargers to sweep the 2024 series. Denver got off to a great start before ending the first half with some head scratching play calling that closed their lead to 8 points. The Broncos had success moving the ball-even on the ground- scoring 21 points and controlling the game. Denver's defense held the key to the game, but DC Vance Joesph's game plan was a disaster and QB Justin Herbert was unstoppable (arm and legs) despite throwing his third interception of the year.

Penalties played a big part in Denver's loss. They had seven penalties for 61 (LAC 2/8), including a fair catch interference, a horse collar tackle, a personal foul (contact on sliding QB), and multiple plays where the defense lined up offside. Denver's offense started out hot with three touchdown drives and then, spearheaded by their fearless leader, Sean Payton, squander an 11-point lead and put all their playoff eggs in one basket: Cincinnati. RB Audric Estime ran the ball well (9-48-1), until Payton stopped calling his number in favor of 11 passing targets to RB Javonte Williams. Nix (29/40-2-0) threw two touchdown passes, one to WR Devaughn Vele and one to TE Nate Adkins. WR Courtland Sutton remained clutch receiver with only five targets. Rookie CB Kris Abrams Draine notched another interception, while the pass rush was limited to 2 sacks while Herbert diced up the Broncos.

Denver @ Cincinnati

Denver must clean up their penalties or the explosive Cincinnati Bengals will make them pay for their mistakes. The defense has allowed 3 touchdowns and 26.3 points per game in December. They’re allowing 1.04 yards per play and 140.8 per game mote than in the previous three months.. QB Joe Burrow (36 TDs) is having an MVP despite the Bengal's surprisingly poor record. RB Chase Brown is 168 yards shy of 1000 yards for the season (7 TDs), WR Ja'Marr Chase leads the passing game with 102 receptions, 1,413 yards and 15 touchdowns. Sean Payton needs to open up the offense and turn Bo Nix and his gang loose. There have been enough Payton game plan pratfalls. It's time to ride the whirlwind! The Bengals are counting are counting on their fans to turn up "loud and proud" as they have all season and hit the Broncos and their rookie quarterback with a big-time hostile crowd. The Bengals are favored by the home team advantage of three points.

Orangeman's Take

Payton loved the idea of flexing the Charger game to Thursday night to get extra rest and preparation time for the road trip to Cincinnati. The problem is Vance Joseph's vaulted defense has become porous, plagued by miscues and game changing penalties. Payton's baby, the offense, remains inconsistent and has yet to play a complete four quarter game. This game has the makings of a shootout. Nix is good, but he isn't ready for a shootout against an elite quarterback like Burrow who also has better support from his running backs and wide receivers. Personally, I'd put the ball in Estime's hands and hope the defense and special teams can rise to the occasion one more time. I'd really like to see Denver make the playoffs and go to Buffalo. Then we would know where Denver really stands and what it needs heading into the offseason.

Fantasy outlook
Quarterbacks PPR Points
Bo Nix 15-18

Running Backs
Javonte Williams 9-12
Jaleel McLaughlin 4-9
Audric Estime 4-6
Michael Burton FB 1-2 Wide Receivers
Courtland Sutton 14-20
Marvin Mims, Jr 7-12
Lil’Jordan Humphrey 2-6
Troy Franklin 6-9
Devaughn Vele 7-10

Tight ends
Adam Trautman 2-4
Lucas Krull 3-5
Nate Adkins 2-3

Kicker
Wil Lutz 7-8

DST 5-6

Good luck this week and Merry Christmas!

Charles Rives

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LOS ANGELES CHARGERS
12/27/2024

Last Thursday, the Chargers beat the Broncos 34-27 in a game with important playoff implications. This week, the 9-6 Chargers head to New England to take on the reeling 3-12 Patriots. Despite the differences in their wins and losses, this game may not be a cakewalk, and the weather may play a role. This report will be a review of last week’s win, and a preview of the Chargers at Patriots game.

QB: Last week, Chargers’ QB Justin Herbert was 23/31 for 284 yards, 2 TDs and a rare INT. Herbert also ran 8 times for 28 yards. This week, consider Herbert a weak QB1.

RB: Plodding RB Gus Edwards carried 14 times for 68 yards and 2 TDs, and had a catch for 3 yards. Out of fairness, Edwards has looked a bit lighter on his toes recently, however, he is out this week due to an ankle injury. Kimani Vidal carried 5 times for 24 yards but did not score. Vidal should not be started at this late point in your fantasy season, unless Dobbins can’t go. It appears that RB J.K. Dobbins (knee) will return, so monitor his status and if he plays, he’s a solid RB2 and perhaps a lower-end RB1.

WR: The Chargers’ most consistent receiver has been rookie WR Ladd McConkey. Last week, he caught 6 for 87 yards but no TDs. Consider him a WR2 this week. WR Josh Palmer had 3 receptions for 41 yards. The talent is there, but I don’t see him as a great week 17 fantasy option. Bench him unless you are in deep need at the position. WR Quentin Johnston caught 3 for 18 yards. While Johnston is much improved in 2024, he’s had a case of stone hands in the 2nd half. He’s a boom/bust, roll of the dice WR3 this week.

TE: I’ve been impressed by TE Stone Smartt, who caught 3 for 37 yards and a TD. Still, I can’t recommend him this week due to probable lack of opportunity. It appears that TE Will Dissly (shoulder) will return, and if he plays, he’s a soft TE1 or strong TE2. He’s currently listed as questionable, so do monitor his status.

PK: Chargers PK Cameron Dicker was 2/2 on FGs (long 57 yards), and 2/2 on extra points. He looks like a solid option against New England.

DEF: Although the Chargers defense was up and down last week, they toughened up when it counted. But the reality is that the Patriots are not a very good team and the Chargers defense is very good. So, you’ll want to start them against the Pats this Sunday.

Happy Holidays and good luck with your games this week!

Brad Willis

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DALLAS COWBOYS
12/27/2024

Last week the Cowboys upset the Bucs and this week they play the Eagles who will be without their starting QB Jalen Hurts. QB Cooper Rush is not a good start against this defense. His 2 worst games in his career were against the Eagles. I would not want to start him RB Rico Dowdle is also not a good start this week. I would consider him a flex or RB3. WR Ceedee Lamb is not playing this week and is on the IR for the remainder of the season. I would consider WR Brandin Cooks and WR Jalen Tolbert to be risky flex players at best. TE Jake Ferguson is a low end TE2.
The Cowboys defense could be a low-end risky stream since Jalen Hurts is not playing but I would not expect much since the running game will likely be effective against the defense. PK Brandon Aubrey is a non-elite start this week given the defense he is up against, but you could do worse.
Final Score prediction: Eagles 24 - Cowboys 13.

Dr. Gil Brovar

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NEW YORK GIANTS
12/26/2024

The Giants lose yet another game last Sunday to the Falcons in Atlanta 34-7. This season cannot end soon enough for Big Blue as their record drops to 2-13 fueled by a team record 10 losses in a row. The GMen are home this Sunday facing the Indianapolis Colts who possess some dangerous offensive weapons. The Giants have yet to win a home game and I am not confident they will do so this week!

The reviews/previews by area are below:

QB: QB Drew Lock did not play well as he threw TWO pick sixes and also fumbled. He was 22 for 39 for 210 yards, 1 TD, 2 interceptions and a rating of 58.7. He was sacked 3 times.

Lock will get another start this Sunday as the Giants are trying to get some continuity. He faces aColts pass defense that is ranked 23rd in the league. They have allowed22 TD passes. They also had 34 sacks and 15 interceptions.Lock isn’t playable in any possible fantasy format this week given the recent offensive trends.

RB: RB Tyrone Tracy had 7 carries for 26 yards.He also had 4catches for 43 yards and a TD. RB Devin Singletary chipped in with 4 carries for 12 yards.

Tracy is a very risky flex play this week as he has a gimpy ankle and faces the 28th ranked rush defense allowing 137 yards per game with 16 TD’s &4.4 yards per carry.

WR: WR Malik Nabers had a solid game with 7 catches for 68 yards accompanied by 14 targets. Nabers now has 97 receptions this season and he missed 2 games earlier this year with a concussion. Very impressive stuff from the rookie wideout although the losing is starting to catch up with his morale. WR Wan’Dale Robinson had 7 grabs for 62 yards.

Expect Nabers to corral 7 catches for 70 yards and a score make him a middling WR2 this week. No other receiver is fantasy worthy.

TE: TE Daniel Bellinger had 1catch for5 yards.

Stay away from this group!

DEF: Zero sacks and one turnover is terrible fantasy production.Keep this group on the waiver wire.

PK: PK Graham Gano should be kept on the waiver wire due to lack of scoring opportunities.

That’s all for now and good luck in Week 17 and for those of you in your fantasy championships!

Tony de Armas

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CHICAGO BEARS
12/24/2024

Week 16: If You Can’t Beat Him, Hire Him. Lions 34, Bears 17
It’s the worst-kept secret in the NFL thatLions OC Ben Johnson is... “intrigued” by the Bears’head coaching job. On Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, Johnson showed Chicago what could be as he orchestrated another offensive explosion for Detroit. For all the talk about hiring a hard-assDitka-like “leader of men” like Mike Vrabel or Brian Flores, if you have a franchise quarterback, the gold standard to aim for in today’s NFL is what Kansas City has with Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.

If you want to give your franchise quarterback the best possible chance to succeed for a long time, give him a head coach/playcaller who won’t leave at the first sign of success.Names like Joe Brady and Liam Coen will be bandied about come Black Monday, but the most obvious choice for the Bears was staring at them from across the field on Sunday. If Johnson interviews well and presents a good plan for QB Caleb Williams’ development, Chicago should roll out the red carpet for him and be thankful that he’s willing to join the Bears’ dysfunctional family.

Quarterback
Williams completed 26 of 40 passes for 334 yards and two TDs and scrambled six times for 34 yards. He was also credited with a fumble lost, though that was more on WR Rome Odunze for his inability to take a handoff. Williams was very good for the most part, though as usual there were some throws he’d like back. His 45-yard TD dart to WR Keenan Allen was a thing of beauty. Unfortunately, LT Braxton Jones broke his left ankle and LG Teven Jenkins left with an injury during the second quarter. There was also a very odd decision by interim HC Thomas Brown to kick a field goal on fourth-and-seven from the Lions’ 12 in the third quarter with the Bears down by 20. Seriously?

Running back
RB D’Andre Swift had nine carries for 20 yards and caught all three of his targets for 33 yards. RB Roschon Johnson had one carry for three yards. It’s tough to commit to the run when you’re down by double-digits all the time.

Wide receiver WR Keenan Allen continues to be the biggest beneficiary of Brown’s play calling, catching nine of his 13 targets for 141 yards and a TD. His 45-yard TD was the longest of his career.WR D.J. Moore caught seven of his ten targets for 68 yards and had one carry for two yards. Odunze caught four of his seven targets for 77 yards but also lost a fumble (two, really).Rome has had a pretty good rookie season and made a couple of great grabs in this one, but he’s still making more mistakes (drops, fumbles, etc.) than you’d expect from a ninth-overall pick.

Because of Allen’s increased production the past few weeks, there’s been talk about bringing him back next season, and he seems to want to return. I personally would advise against that idea; Odunze needs starter-level snaps next year, and he’s not going to get them with Allen still here unless Keenan is willing to take a role as a third-down specialist. Considering his stature in the NFL, I don’t think he’d be willing to take such a role. Plus, more speed is needed in this receiving corps. That’s why I called for WR Tyler Scott to get some snaps a few weeks ago.

The third receiver in this offense next season, whether he’s a true slot guy or not, should have enough speed to take the top off the defense and open things up for short-intermediate routes by Moore, TE Cole Kmet, etc. I know that Moore can/should be a downfield speed threat at times, but he may be best used as a Deebo Samuel-type player where you get the ball in his hands quickly and let him run. I mean Prime Deebo, not Deebo for most of this season.

Tight end
Kmet hauled in both of his targets for nine yards and a TD, while TE Gerald Everett caught his only target for six yards. What did I ask for last week? A play fake and a throw to the tight end. That’s exactly how Kmet scored. You’re welcome.

Defense/Special teams
Next question.

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

Week 17: Seahawks at Bears (Thursday Night Football)
After Santa Claus leaves town, the Seahawks will come to Chicago for a Boxing Day matchup with the Bears on Thursday night.

Quarterback
The Seahawks have allowed the 14th-most fantasy points/game to signal callers, and their pass defense is middling. Minnesota’s Sam Darnold threw for 246 yards and three scores against them on Sunday. With Jones now out for the season, either LT Larry Borom or rookie LT Kiran Amegadije will start at left tackle, and Jenkins’ health is always a question mark. This will be Williams’ first primetime home game. I have Caleb as a slightly above-average play this week.

Running back
Seattle has allowed the 13th-most fantasy points/game to tailbacks, and their run defense is also middling. Their nine rushing TDs allowed to tailbacks is tied for sixth-fewest in the league. Aaron Jones ran for 67 yards on 18 carries and caught three of five targets for 26 yards against them on Sunday. Swift is an average flex play this week, and I wouldn’t play Johnson.

Wide receiver
The Seahawks have allowed the 11th-most fantasy points/game to wideouts. Their 18 receiving TDs allowed to wideouts is tied for third-most in the league. Justin Jefferson went bonkers against them on Sunday with a 10-144-2 stat line, while Jordan Addison added 5-35-1. I have Moore and Allen as above-average plays this week, with Odunze a slightly above-average play.

Tight end
The Seahawks are middling (17th) in fantasy points/game allowed to tight ends, and they’ve allowed only three TDs to them. They held T.J. Hockenson to two catches for 27 yards on Sunday. Kmet is a below-average play this week.

Defense/Special teams
Fuggedaboudit.

Kicker
Seattle has allowed the seventh-fewest fantasy points/game to kickers. Look elsewhere this week.

Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays everyone!

Richard Fung

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DETROIT LIONS
12/26/2024

Lions at 49ers

Before we get into the positional breakdown, I just want to bring some awareness to the Lions playoff picture. They are tied at 13-2 with Minnesota but would win any tiebreaker with the Vikings. The Vikings play Sunday and the Lions play Monday. If the Vikings lose, the Lions would clinch the NFC #1 seed with a win on Monday. If the Vikings win, the Lions cannot clinch anything on Monday and that would mean regardless of Monday’s result, it would come down to the week 18 game between the Lions and Vikings. In theory the Lions could rest some players on Monday night under that scenario, especially knowing you are already going to be on a short week coming back from the west coast Tuesday morning. But Dan Campbell says they will be going all out to win no matter what, so we will take him at his word. They must believe revenge for the NFC Championship game loss is something worth going for.

QB: Nice game this past Sunday from QB Jared Goff in Chicago as the Lions handled the Bears 34-17. He went 23 of 32 for 336 yards with 3 TDs and 0 turnovers. He even had a nice deep ball to Jameson Williams which was nice to see since they haven’t connected on those as often as you would like. This week the Lions will be in San Francisco for another outdoor game. The weather forecast looks fine. A little on the cool side but it doesn’t look like it will be a factor. The 49ers have a bad record but their defense is no joke. They are only allowing 183 passing yards per game so I wouldn’t expect hugh numbers from Goff this week. Some news this week as QB Teddy Bridgewater, who recently said he wanted to come out of retirement, signed with the Lions. He was Goff’s backup last year and I assume once he’s up to speed he will be back in that role, pushing QB Hendon Hooker down to third on the depth chart. It seems the Lions wanted the veteran to be ready to go in case anything happens to Goff in one of these critical upcoming games. Maybe Bridgewater could see action in week 18 if the Lions clinch the #1 seed this week.

RB: So far so good without half of the Lions dynamic duo in the backfield. RB Jahmyr Gibbs handled most of the load in Chicago. He had 23-109 and a TD on the ground, and added 4-45 receiving. So yes it’s fair to say his stock is up with RB David Montgomery hurt. There were only 11 other touches and they were pretty evenly spread among the three other backs (RB Craig Reynolds, RB Jermar Jefferson, and RB Sione Vaki). With low volume none of the three made much of an impact so fantasy managers can ignore these guys. Vaki played in the two minute offense before the half and caught two passes which I was happy to see. If we have the scenario where the game doesn’t mean much I would hope they don’t give Gibbs 30+ touches because they can’t afford to lose him. If you are counting on Gibbs you should probably hope the Vikings lose just to take some stress away when it comes to his workload on Monday. The 49ers are middle of the pack in rush defense which means Gibbs could be in for another big game.

WR/TE: As I mentioned above, WR Jameson Williams caught a deep ball on Sunday and it was an 82 yard TD. Such is life with him when it comes to fantasy The big plays make him a boom or bust from week to week, but his 143 yards on Sunday gets him up to 890 yards and 6 TDs on the year. Bridgewater being back on the roster could also help Williams as they had a good relationship with Bridgewater taking Williams under his wing a bit even though they don’t play the same position. Maybe this will help with some of his mental errors (he had another unsportsmanlike conduct foul on Sunday). WR Amon-Ra St. Brown added 6-70 and a TD and TE Sam LaPorta had 4-43 and a TD so the guys you expect to see producing are getting it done.

K/DST: Another 10 point day for PK Jake Bates. He did have a missed field goal but it was from 65 yards so we won’t hold that against him. The Lions injury ravaged defense had a solid day against the Bears. Yeah the Bears have issues but the Lions did keep them scoreless through four possessions (two punts and two fumbles). The Lions injury report is looking pretty clean this week, but don’t let that fool you because there are so many defensive players on IR. San Francisco’s offense has obviously been affected by injuries, but I would still try to look elsewhere for a defense in fantasy this week.

Good luck to all as we reach the end of the fantasy season.

James Hintz

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SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
12/27/2024

Due to medical issues in my family, I was unable to provide a Seahawks preview this week. I hope to return next week.

Rick Watts

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LOS ANGELES RAMS
12/27/2024

Grounding the Jets! The Rams hold their opponent to single digits for the second week in a row, defeating the New York Jets 19-9 a week after beating the Niners 12-6. What is even more impressive for Los Angeles is that both victories were on the road. The Rams are 9-6 with two home games remaining and could possibly clinch the West Division if they beat the Arizona Cardinals in Los Angeles this week. The Cards lost to the Panthers in week 16 and might be without starting running back James Conner this week. Let’s take a look at the Rams Fantasy positions.

QB: QB Matthew Stafford(14-19 for 110 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception) had another quiet game and threw a terrible interception but still led his team to victory. Arizonais allowing 227.7 passing yards per game and has given up 18 touchdowns in fifteen games. The Cardshave collected 7 interceptions and 39 sacks in fifteen games. The running game will be featured but I think Stafford bounces back to his productive ways and throws for 250+ yards and at least 2 touchdowns.

RB: RB Kyren Williams (23-122 and 1 touchdownrushing and 1 reception on 1 target for 7 yards) has been the bell cow for the Rams and Fantasy teams. Rookie RB Blake Corum (5-14 rushing) continues to provide support.Arizonahas allowed 129.5 rushing yards per game at4.7 yards per carry. The Cardshave yielded16 rushing touchdowns in fifteengames.The Rams will continue to runKyren and he should have another productive day. I predict at least 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. If Los Angeles gets up early controls the line of scrimmage, Williams could have even more rushing yards along with multiple touchdowns, which is perfect for Fantasy teams in the Super Bowl.

WR: WR Cooper Kupp(3 receptions on 3 targets for 24 yards)had another quiet game as Stafford completed only 14 passes. WR Puka Nacua (8 receptions on 9targets for 56yards) put up respectable numbers. WR Tutu Atwell (1 rec on 2 targets for 12 yards) was the only other receiver to catch a pass. Nacua is the unquestioned number one receiver on this team and remains a WR1 in Fantasy. Kupp has sputtered recently but has potential to go off, especially with defenses focused on Nacua. Puka should be good for 8-10 receptions for 100+ yards and a touchdown. Cooper bounces back with 6-8 receptions for 75+ yards and also scores a touchdown. This tandem did not produce as expected last week so hopefully they lead their Fantasy teams to wins this week.

TE: TE Tyler Higbee (1 reception on 2 targets for an 11 yard touchdown) scored on his first reception of the season and provided a spark for the entire team. TE Colby Parkinson (zero receptions) and the rest of the tight ends should not be on any Fantasy rosters. Higbee is the leader of this pack and even his Fantasy value is nonexistent.

K: PK Josh Karty (2-2 field goals (38&45) and 1-2 extra points)missed an important extra point but made all of his field goal attempts. Josh has been inconsistent and needs to be better moving forward. I hope you have a better option for your Fantasy team this championship week, even though he could kick a long on at home.

DEF: This unit has been impressive the past two weeks and needs to continue to improve to the point where they are dominant. Rookie DB Jaylen McCollough (7 solos and 2 assists) and LB Christian Rozeboom (3 solos and 5assists) led the team in tackles, while DB Kam Curl (1 solo, 4 assists, and 1 sack/fumble) made the big impact play. His sack fumble was recovered by DE Jared Verse (2 solos, 3 assists, and 1 fumble recovery). I want to recognize WR Jordan Whittington for his stellar special teams play. On the Ram’s first punt, he jumped before the goal line, caught the ball in the air, and tossed it back to his teammate on the one yard line to pin the Jets at the one yard line. On the Ram’s last punt, after the Jet return man muffed the punt, Jordan pushed him down, leaped over him, and recovered the loose ball to seal the win. The Cards average 219.7passing yards per game with 16 passing touchdowns in fifteen games while throwing 9interceptions and surrendering 26 sacks. The Arizona run game averages a solid 145.8rushing yards per game, which fifth best in the league. They average5.3 yards per carry and have16 rushing touchdowns in fifteen games.Arizona’s rushing attack is led by James Conner but he is questionable with an injured knee. Los Angeles needs to contain and pressure Kyler Murray which is a challenge for most teams. Verse and Fiske need to step up and create sacks and turnovers. Rozeboom has been the most consistent IDP with his tackle numbers.

In week two at Arizona, the Rams were humiliated 41-10 by the Cardinals, but that was fifteen weeks ago and both teams are significantly different. The Rams are healthy and playing winning football while Arizona has lost four of their last five games and could be missing starting running back James Conner. Even if Conner plays, he is not 100%. I think Los Angeles’ offense gets back on track and the defense continues to perform well as the Rams earn a 31-17 victory and get one step closer to winning the division. My Keeper league season was done at 7-7. I have Kupp and Nacua in my Dynasty league and unfortunately got upset in my playoff game. I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Best wishes to Oregon and QB Dillon Gabriel as they prepare to take on Ohio State in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Love and blessings to my family. Miss you Pops& Scratch! God Bless!

Layton Pang

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