Week 16 Fantasy Recap: Massive STUDS and DUDS! | Fantasy Focus 🏈

Summary

Fantasy Focus Football: Week 16 Recap – Massive STUDS and DUDS!

Episode Date: December 22, 2025
Hosts: Daniel Dopp, Stefania Bell, Liz Loza (No Mike Clay, Field Yates out)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the fantasy football performances of Week 16, spotlighting the week's biggest "studs" and "duds" as fantasy managers head into the championship round. The crew (Daniel, Stefania, and Liz) brings authentic reactions, memorable banter, and sharp insights on players who exceeded or failed expectations, offering both actionable takeaways and a few laughs for listeners navigating playoff heartbreak or euphoria.

Sections:

• Studs of Week 16 (Breakout and reliable performances)
• Duds of Week 16 (Disappointments and key letdowns)
• Notable trends & rookie developments
• Detailed injury updates
• Monday Night Football preview
• Memorable moments & quotes

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Opening and Atmosphere

• The show opens with a fun, light tone as Daniel welcomes "Ladies’ Day" with Liz and Stefania.
• Early banter about travel, Bears' record, and prepping for the Week 16 recap.

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2. Week 16 Studs: Game-Changers

James Cook (Buffalo Bills RB)

• Stat Line: 16 carries, 117 yards, 2 TDs; 1 catch, 17 yards (26.4 FP)
• Dominated on only 56% of the snaps; third in NFL with 14 total touchdowns.
• “He was just so unbelievably efficient...” (Daniel, 02:41)
• On historical context: “Competing for a bit of a franchise record... if you can post LeSean McCoy records in Buffalo, I think you’re gonna be appreciated at Orchard Park.” (Liz, 04:09)

DJ Moore (Chicago Bears WR)

• Stat Line: 5 catches, 97 yards, 1 TD (overtime heroics)
• “It was the veteran, of course... an incredible visual to watch him literally lay out in the end zone.” (Liz, 05:31)
• Emphasis on Caleb Williams’ frenetic play but improving trustworthiness.
• Overtime play swung matchups: “It’s like, oh my gosh, I thought I escaped DJ Moore and no, I didn’t.” (Daniel, 07:23)

Tight End Breakouts

• Kyle Pitts (Atlanta Falcons): Four straight games over 15 fantasy points since Kirk Cousins took over.
• Harold Fannin (Cleveland Browns): 10+ fantasy points in four consecutive weeks, 2 TDs in Week 16. “The Harold Fannin takeover continues in Cleveland.” (Liz, 19:53)
• “If you’ve been rolling with Kyle Pitts... there’s no way you can sit him at this point.” (Liz, 19:41)

Rookie & Role Player Surges

• Tedro McMillan (Carolina Panthers WR)
  • 10 targets, 6 catches, 73 yards, 1 TD; has surged second half of season.
  • “McMillan has really come on strong... 10 targets ... 19.3 fantasy points.” (Stefania, 08:44)
• Chase Brown (Cincinnati Bengals RB)
  • Ridiculous third quarter: 30.4 fantasy points in a single quarter!
  • “He scored 30.4 points in the third quarter alone.” (Daniel, 26:18)
  • 8 consecutive games with 15+ fantasy points—one of the hottest streaks in fantasy.

Other Notable Studs

• George Pickens / CeeDee Lamb:

  • Pickens: 7 catches, 130 yards, 1 TD (26 FP)
  • “He really is at his best when CeeDee Lamb is on the other side.” (Daniel, 12:57)
  • Lamb’s worst healthy game still produced a usable floor (11.1 FP).

• Bijan Robinson (Atlanta Falcons RB)

  • 29.8 fantasy points. “When he is so heavily involved... good things happen.” (Stefania, 45:13)
  • Emphasis on split with Tyler Allgeier but still elite production.

• Joe Burrow (Cincinnati Bengals QB)

  • Career/season-high—28.96 fantasy points. “Just love the way Joe Burrow plays this game.” (Daniel, 49:30)
  • Overcoming injury concerns, playing for pride.

• Kenneth Gainwell & Jalen Warren (PIT/DET)

  • Both had electric, explosive touchdowns—each with two 45-yarders.

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3. Duds: Disappointments and Letdowns

Trey McBride (Arizona Cardinals TE)

• Only 6.7 FP in a horrendous matchup; “That’s not what you were looking for in your playoffs... just a bummer.” (Stefania, 21:22)
• Most fantasy tight ends disappointed except unexpectedly for Elijah Higgins (16.1 FP).

Jackson Dart (NY Giants QB)

• 7/13, 33 yards, 1 INT, 2 carries, 7 yards—“Didn’t get hurt, just played 100% of the snaps...” (Daniel, 52:59)
• “When you only post 33 passing yards and Robinson gets 19, that’s still 57%...” (Liz, 54:11)

Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills QB)

• Season-low: 6.9 FP; “Really tough. We need a real WR2 on this team.” (Daniel, 55:00)
• Stefania: Keep an eye on X-rays for his foot; injuries may have hampered rushing.

Packers – Josh Jacobs & Christian Watson

• Jacobs: 4.8 FP—gutted it out through injury but was far from effective.
  • “He was on crutches earlier in the week. Never feel good about that.” (Stefania, 57:24)
• Watson: Down game, left with injury, as did Jordan Love (concussion).

Chiefs Pass Catchers

• Travis Kelce: 1.6 FP, Xavier Worthy: 6.1 FP
• “That game... you almost have to wad it up and throw in the garbage...” (Stefania, 58:49)
• Chiefs’ offense in shambles after injuries to both Mahomes and Minshew (Gardner Minshew torn ACL).

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4. Rookie and Trend Watch

Tedro McMillan & Emeka Egbuka

• Highlighting turning tides between preferred rookie WRs; McMillan has outperformed Egbuka in the second half, reflecting shifting roles as veterans return and injuries heal.

Ashton Jeanty / Bijan Robinson / Chase Brown

• All were cited as peaking at the time fantasy managers needed them most for playoff runs—emphasizing the value of late-season surges and workload context.

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5. Injury Updates (59:41+)

• Gardner Minshew (Chiefs): Torn ACL, devastating for KC’s offense.
• Quinshon Judkins (Browns): Ankle dislocation & fracture (brutal, season-ending).
• JJ McCarthy (Lions): Throwing hand injury, severity TBD.
• Treyvon Henderson (Ravens): Head injury, left game early.
• Lamar Jackson (Ravens): Ongoing injuries—Stefania: “I’d be making other plans immediately...” (62:20)
• Josh Allen (Bills): Foot X-rays, may impact rushing.
• Jordan Love (Packers): Concussion protocol.

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6. Monday Night Football Preview

• 49ers vs Colts: Stefania’s hype for the injury-riddled but resilient San Francisco squad.
  • “I think you see a lot of Christian McCaffrey tonight. I do think you see a lot of Jonathan Taylor...” (Stefania, 64:15)
• Fantasy focus: Play your studs, embrace the unpredictability!
• Playoff clinches and division race context for 49ers and Bears.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fantasy Heartbreaks:

  • “You never have a bad game with Trey McBride... If you lost your semifinal because of Trey McBride, I’m sorry—but you had a great season.” (Stefania, 23:39)

• On Chase Brown’s scoring:

  • “He scored 30.4 points in the third quarter alone... that’s unbelievable.” (Daniel, 26:18)

• Liz Loza’s Tight End Whisperer:

  • “No one has had a better heel-to-hero arc than Kyle Pitts.” (Liz, 15:18)

• On Joe Burrow’s mentality:

  • “There is a thing about that that I just respect the heck out of... love the way Joe Burrow plays this game.” (Daniel, 49:28)

• Bijan Robinson vs. Touch Count:

  • “If you are going to give running backs 40 touches, you can’t be giving Bijan 36 of them and expect him to hold up...” (Stefania, 47:25)

• Daniel’s Mom Joins On-Air:

  • “You guys get to spend more time with my mother than I do because she hangs out in the chat with you guys every single day.” (Daniel, 68:29)
  • “You give great hugs, Mama Dot.” (Liz, 69:58)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• James Cook breakdown: 02:38 – 04:32
• DJ Moore’s Overtime Heroics: 04:43 – 07:32
• Tedro McMillan’s emergence: 07:49 – 10:14
• Tight end boom (Pitts, Fannin, etc.): 15:01 – 23:54
• Chase Brown’s historic quarter: 25:58 – 28:19
• Trevor Lawrence & Jags’ surge: 29:02 – 34:20
• Stud/dud rapid fire: 40:47 – 48:03
• Injury rundown: 59:41 – 62:20
• Monday Night Football preview: 63:30 – 67:11
• Mama Dot cameo: 68:19 – 69:58

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Tone & Takeaways

• Language/Tone: Knowledgeable yet playful, supportive, and occasionally self-deprecating (lots of acknowledgment for fantasy heartbreak and the unpredictable nature of playoffs).
• For Listeners: This episode is heavy on actionable, nuanced analysis—especially around roster decisions for Week 17—while also recognizing the emotional roller-coaster of playoff fantasy football.

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Final Thoughts

The Week 16 Fantasy Focus episode is a must-listen for anyone who needs an engaging yet in-depth review of pivotal fantasy football performances and upcoming championship strategies. The panel’s chemistry, real-life stories, and up-to-the-wire injury notes make it essential for managers prepping for the final week. Don’t miss the heartfelt close-out with Daniel’s mom and the crew’s signature camaraderie.

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Good luck in your championship weeks! “Don’t forget to love each other and be kind to yourself, you guys. You deserve it.” (Daniel, 69:53)

Transcript

[Daniel Dopp]

Quick break. Let's talk defense. Football's on your screen, but peace of mind starts at home. Blink outdoor. Four security cameras offers up to a two year battery life and sync module xr so you can cover more space without constant maintenance. No wires, no fumbles. Just easy coverage that works in the background. You've got your team on the field now. Get your defense at home. Get Blink today at the Home Depot. How doers get. Get more done. Hello, and welcome into Fantasy Focus Football presented by Wingstop alongside Stefania Bell and Liz Loza. It's a ladies day. My name is Daniel Dopp. Excited to be here with my two favorite ladies on the show. How are you two doing today?

[Liz Loza]

I think there are three ladies in the room that you like quite a quite a bit.

[Daniel Dopp]

There is another lady here. We'll talk about her in a minute, though. We'll talk about her in a little bit.

[Stefania Bell]

I thought you meant the three girls at the table.

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh, look at that.

[Liz Loza]

I'm a bonus girl.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right, that's fair. That's fair. Yeah. Yeah. Very excited to be here with both of you guys. Liz always pumped whenever you get to join Focus.

[Liz Loza]

Thank you very much. I am running on some sort of fumes. This is my last Bristol trip of the 2025 fantasy football season.

[Daniel Dopp]

There we go. Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

It is a Monday and we are there. The miles that I have accumulated, almost as good as the Bears record right now.

[Stefania Bell]

Almost.

[Daniel Dopp]

Wow. It didn't take long to get that in the show. Stefania, how are you doing?

[Stefania Bell]

Nice. And because I know what. Somebody had a really good game this week and somebody else did. Not one of us has yet to play.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yet to play. Yeah, we'll see how that works out. We'll talk about that in a little bit. But obviously we're going to dive into our week 16 recap as we always do. Some studs and duds, but first and foremost, a quick shout out to our friends over at trophy smack. Visit trophysmac.com, use the promo code FOCUS10 for 10% off your order over at Trophy Smack and shout out to our buddy Eric Moody. Follow him on social media at Eric and Moody.

[Stefania Bell]

What do you think Eric's listening to this morning? Do you think he's got, like, Christmas carols with sort of a soulful vibe?

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh, I can maybe see that. Maybe the Metallica Trans Siberian Orchestra record.

[Liz Loza]

Like Godspeed you, Black Emperor or whatever.

[Daniel Dopp]

Maybe. I don't know if he's into that, but I would love it. That would be great. I could see some blue Oyster cult, maybe for Eric. So we'll see. Yeah. All right. With that being said, we're going to dive into our Week 16 recap. And guys, we have a bunch of people to be able to talk about. We're going to go around the table as we normally do, but if you don't mind, I'm going to start and talk about a player that helped me.

[Stefania Bell]

Don't mind.

[Daniel Dopp]

Thank you very much. I appreciate it.

[Liz Loza]

Giving and you're giving to your.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's right. Receiving well, I am because I received so much from James Cook. I got to give all the compliments to him because the dude dominated. For Fantasy managers, week 16 was awesome. 16 carries, 117 yards and two tighties plus a catch for 17 yards. 26.4 fantasy points. That was the second best running back game this season against the Cleveland Browns. Surprisingly, last week was the best game, which was Tony Pollard. He had 161 and two touchdowns last week as well. So back to back weeks of a hundred yards and at least two touchdowns for James Cook. His ninth game over 20 fantasy points this season. And the crazy thing is he only played 56% of the snaps. He didn't even play a ton. I thought he was going to play a lot more, but they got Ty Johnson and all the other running backs involved as well. The dude is just so unbelievably efficient with these two touchdowns in week 16 he has 14 total touchdowns. That is tied for third in the NFL. He has been carrying fantasy managers not just here in the playoffs, but all season long. We talked about how last year there's going to be some touchdown regression with James Cook. Wasn't that much regression to be honest. Right now if you've got 14 touchdowns heading into Week 17 with two games left, James Cook was just a monster for managers this week.

[Stefania Bell]

Just tell Mike the math doesn't Math.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's right. What does that guy know anyways? By the way, speaking of Mike, he's going to play James Cook taking on the Philadelphia Eagles next week. Little bit of a tougher matchup so we'll see how that one works out. However, still love James Cook.

[Liz Loza]

Nine games of a hundred or more rushing yards on the season.

[Daniel Dopp]

So good.

[Liz Loza]

Competing for a bit of a franchise record. I. I think he is running toe to toe with Lean McCoy in that regard. Number of 100 plus rushing triple digit passes.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah, well if.

[Liz Loza]

If you can post LeSean McCoy records. Yes. In Buffalo, I think you're going to.

[Daniel Dopp]

Be appreciated at Orchard Park 100%. And with the efficiency that this kid has. Man, he's just so good.

[Stefania Bell]

So while they still have Orchard Park.

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh.

[Stefania Bell]

Oh, nice.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, that's right.

[Stefania Bell]

Not many games there. It's true.

[Daniel Dopp]

But shout out to James Cook and all the managers that were able to start him this week. Liz, who do you have that you want to talk about?

[Liz Loza]

I have to talk about DJ Moore.

[Daniel Dopp]

Thank you.

[Liz Loza]

Only because I highlighted him in facts versus Feelings, but also because I was sweating that pick for a minute because, as Ben Johnson is want to do, he focused on the ground game, which is a bit surprised by. Given that Micah Parsons wasn't playing for the packers defense, I thought that maybe Caleb would start chucking it, but he didn't, which I think is probably smart given Caleb's skill set. Right. It keeps Caleb grounded and settled, and he doesn't get as frenetic. But when the game went into overtime, who was it in the end zone that saved the day for the Bears and fantasy managers? It was the veteran, of course, with Roma, Dun and Luther Burden, but both sidelined. But still, we love a narrow target tree, 97 yards and a touchdown. An incredible visual to watch him literally lay out.

[Daniel Dopp]

Literally. Yes.

[Liz Loza]

In the end, I'm a little worried.

[Stefania Bell]

I was like, did he.

[Liz Loza]

That's your job, though.

[Stefania Bell]

I mean, it looked great until I was like, okay, One, Mississippi, two. I started.

[Daniel Dopp]

Died for a minute. Did he hurt or is he just celebrating? He's like, oh, I'm exhausted. Game's over.

[Stefania Bell]

But, yeah, sometimes one doesn't.

[Daniel Dopp]

No, Right.

[Stefania Bell]

The adrenaline, it is. So you're waiting. I watched the other players go over and they, like, look at him, and then if they, like, yank them up, poke him like, okay, we're good.

[Liz Loza]

So that was exciting. I did not sleep for the rest of the night. I also was laid out, but staring at the ceiling because what am I supposed to do with myself in my hotel room after this incredible win? And these points for fantasy managers. I will say that, you know, Caleb is interesting. He's managed at least three rushing attempts every single game this season, so that's like a minimum. We love that. And his 250 passing yards were the most since week nine. And again, this game went into overtime, so that's evidence of what's going on. You love the rushing. I don't know if you love why it's coming necessarily, as a Bears fan, but Caleb is certainly producing in an interesting way. He's tough to. He's. I think he's tough to trust, though, because it's always a little bit frenetic. And you don't know if you're going to get those deep passes. But he is at Stefania's 49ers, I was gonna say.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah, I, I, he makes me nervous right now the way he's playing. I think this is the Caleb Williams that you wanted to see develop. Like his, that bomb to end the game was beautiful.

[Liz Loza]

Well, he, usually, they're not always on target. No, but I think that's a problem with him in Rome.

[Stefania Bell]

His accuracy is getting better. It's, it's improving. And he's being a little bit more selective in what he chooses to throw.

[Daniel Dopp]

By the way, going into the fifth quarter, if you were playing against DJ Moore, you were like, oh man, I thought DJ was going to such a bigger game than this. Right. Because it wasn't, it wasn't a bad game. But I, we all thought that it would be like a slightly larger game with no, like you said, no Luther Burn, no Roman Dunes.

[Liz Loza]

Just five catches.

[Daniel Dopp]

Just five catches. And so then by the time you get into overtime, to have that one play basically be like an 11 point play, it's like, oh my gosh, I thought I escaped the DJ more and No, I didn't.

[Liz Loza]

No, you didn't. Oh, one last quick note. It was interesting to see that Kyle Menong was more productive and received more targets in the receiving game. This is a true backfield split, though I will continue to rank DeAndre Swift.

[Daniel Dopp]

A bit, A little bit higher. Yeah, I'm with you on that one. All right. Stefania, what about you?

[Stefania Bell]

I know. Well, you know, it's, it's interesting because what I'm going to do is actually going to highlight that one of the, my preseason favorites has sort of fallen off in the second half of the season and there's been sort of a.

[Daniel Dopp]

I've been really good in the second half of the season. What are you talking about?

[Stefania Bell]

I know, but you're not a rookie and I'm talking about.

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh, okay.

[Stefania Bell]

Well done. Talking about. Emeka igbuka and Tedro McMillan have sort of swapped places now. And listen, I don't, this is not to disparage Emeka Igbuka who has, who really, especially in my case, got me to the back half of the fantasy season off some stellar performances when Chris Godwin was still not available and then continued to do so when Mike Evans initially got hurt breaking his collarbone. But Tedro McMillan has really come on strong and yesterday I think you saw the advantage of that week. 16, 10 targets.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

For McMillan, only two for Emeka Ibuka six for 73 and a touchdown. 19.3 fantasy points for McMillan, only five fantasy points for Buka, which actually didn't surprise me. I actually had him on my bench in my most important matchup because I.

[Liz Loza]

We.

[Stefania Bell]

We've seen this coming. There's been choices for Baker Mayfield, and I think with Chris Godwin, even though Mike Evans is the big, flashy target, Chris Godwin is doing enough now that he's back and healthy that it just, you know, they both play out of the slot quite a bit. Yeah. I think that he has really removed the necessity for Igbuka to step up, and he also was hurt in there, so I want to. I want to give him that. But basically, if you look at their average of fantasy points per game this season, it's pretty close. McMillan at 13.29. If you want to go two decimal points, Igbuka at 12.59. But fantasy points per game is a little misleading. Right. Because if you look at the chunks where they excelled for you, Igbuka was the first half, and McMillan is the second half. And if you're the Panthers and you're looking at the opportunity to go in the postseason, you want to see that rise. We definitely feel like the Buccaneers, the. It's not looking great.

[Daniel Dopp]

No. And it definitely felt like, without putting a number on it, Mecca Abuka was at his best, to be honest, when Mike Evans was out there being a one on the other side, and he could kind of play that Chris Godwin role without Chris Godwin being out there. Right. Like you described. And once all three of them came back, It's.

[Stefania Bell]

And Jaylen McMillan.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah. Oh, that's right. Receiver.

[Stefania Bell]

There are choices, and then they've got Bucky Irving back in, and you've got running backs who can catch passes, but you also have a Baker Mayfield who's not performing as well as he did before.

[Liz Loza]

Well, he's probably not fully healthy at all.

[Stefania Bell]

No, he's. He's not. But nonetheless, he's not performing.

[Liz Loza]

It's the deep balls for a Booker that have really waned his connection and making good on those deep balls that has really gone down and dipped that percentage over the course of the season. And I think you make a good point about Mike Evans being the alpha and drawing coverage on the other side of the field. And at least at this point of his career, Booker is not yet a number one.

[Daniel Dopp]

Not yet. And that is. I do think Tedro McMillan is the.

[Stefania Bell]

Number one hardest looking at fantasy rookie MVPs. That's. This is really, I think, when we were halfway through the season, we were talking about rookie of the year might be a Mechag Buka. And now I feel like that has switched.

[Daniel Dopp]

I agree with, with that. Agree with that. Well, speaking of guys that are good with alphas, on the other side, George Pickens delivered in a major way.

[Stefania Bell]

I thought you're talking about me. Wow.

[Liz Loza]

Oh, wait. I'm the alpha.

[Daniel Dopp]

You are the alpha. You're always the alpha. Liz.

[Liz Loza]

My baby Beta.

[Daniel Dopp]

CD Lamb leaves us wanting more in this one, unfortunately with the Dallas Cowboys. George Pickens rebounds in a major way after back to back games under nine fantasy points. He had seven catches, 130 yards and a touchdown on nine targets. Good for 26 fantasy points. It was a difficult matchup, obviously, taking on the Chargers. We know that it was the best game a wide receiver put up against the Chargers all season long and it happened in your semifinals. So shout out to you if you started George Pickens third game of 26 or more fantasy points. Six of the week, 10 by no shout out. No shout out if you're Mike clay, however, yes. Fifth game of 26 or more fantasy points this season. And I think he really is at his best when CD Lamb is on the other side. Ceedee Lamb unfortunately didn't deliver though. This was his worst healthy game of the season. Ceedee Lamb, he left week three after playing three snaps, technically at a zero in that game. But he wasn't healthy, obviously. So. But if you look at it like this is one of the weird things. His worst game is 11.1 fantasy points. If I said to you, CD coming into the season, the worst game Ceedee Lamb is going to have is 11.1. You're like, that's a pretty good floor for a guy all the way across. It just happened in the worst week that it could happen for you, which is obviously the semifinal week. Only seven targets. It's tied for the fewest he's had all season long. Gets a much easier matchup both of these guys do against the Commanders next week. But if you were looking at both of these Cowboys, even though this was a down week, we had a couple down weeks for George Pickens. This was a down week for CD Lamb against the Commanders. There's no way we're not ranking them both inside our top 15. Probably they're both going to be. Set it in. Lock it up. Number one wide receivers for our fantasy squad. Okay, talk to me.

[Stefania Bell]

I think, and this is not. We're. We're recapping so we're not looking too much ahead, but I, you know, Dallas is out now and so I, I just think when we look at what's happening this week, it's gonna be really interesting to see who's playing who and who's playing for what.

[Daniel Dopp]

Sure.

[Stefania Bell]

And how many people are playing the full game and who can you trust and who might you not trust as much? Just.

[Liz Loza]

Well, Pickens is on a one year deal like this is it.

[Daniel Dopp]

George does need.

[Stefania Bell]

He needs.

[Daniel Dopp]

This is great for him to be able to make extra money going into next season. Yeah. But I'll see.

[Stefania Bell]

But I'm just saying, you know, matchups and everything.

[Daniel Dopp]

It's a lot to talk about over the years.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah. Changes things. When you have a Dallas Cowboys trying to make the playoffs is different than a Dallas Cowboys. That is completely out of it.

[Daniel Dopp]

Totally. Yeah. We'll see if we get any news or rumblings.

[Stefania Bell]

George Pickens has already made enough noise that I think he's appealing to a lot of people.

[Daniel Dopp]

I hope so.

[Liz Loza]

Does he want to stop though, or does he enjoy it? I don't know. It's also a really big division rivalry game, so there's a lot of. I mean, you ask the Commanders fan, it is a very big gap.

[Stefania Bell]

Right now. I mean, they're completely disabled. It's not, it's not like a fair fight. It's like one hand tied behind their back going against the Cowboys.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

Okay.

[Liz Loza]

Very.

[Stefania Bell]

I mean, it's.

[Liz Loza]

They're good points.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's true though. That's. Unfortunately. Do you think that with Marcus Mariota.

[Stefania Bell]

Getting banged up commander's fan, we could ask.

[Daniel Dopp]

It's true. It's true. I was texting with him before the show, so we'll. We'll see. Yeah. But yeah, this will be. It'll be interesting to see. Assuming that everything.

[Stefania Bell]

Everyone's a full goal saying, if it's my finals, it's my finals week in week 17. If that's my finals week. I'm looking very carefully at every team and what they have to play for and who's playing and all of that. I'm not saying that George Pickens won't be worth starting. I'm just saying that's part of the. That becomes part of the equation. Week 17, that I wasn't worried about two weeks ago.

[Daniel Dopp]

Sure checks out. Liz, what about you?

[Liz Loza]

Well, I. As someone who maybe whispers to tight ends. Mike Kasecki did stream well. Found the end zone. I nailed it again. Would like to talk about. Wait, wait. Want me to reach over and pet her?

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh, she did it. She got it. We good, we good. We good.

[Liz Loza]

Hova. I would like to talk about my favorite position and more importantly one of my favorite narratives which is the Kyle Pitts redemption story. No one has had a better heel to hero arc then Kyle Pitts. He's cleared 15 fantasy points in four consecutive games with Kirk Cousins under center.

[Daniel Dopp]

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[Liz Loza]

Why are you laughing?

[Stefania Bell]

Because I have trauma scars for Kyle Pitt. So like forgive me if I don't.

[Liz Loza]

Celebrate this a little too little too late. If he wanted to, he would, right?

[Stefania Bell]

Exactly.

[Liz Loza]

If he wanted to, he could have. Good for you.

[Stefania Bell]

Where was this the last five years?

[Liz Loza]

Listen, growth is slow and also I'm not going to talk about a man's growth on this show right now. Okay. We can move on, right? Daniel, it's ladies show. I'm going to also guess that it was a man who pressed that.

[Daniel Dopp]

Probably.

[Liz Loza]

Anyway, Kirk Cousins has over his career traditionally leaned on the tight end positions. He's actually averaging 7.3 pass attempts at the tight end over his career. The whole of it. Yep, that ranks about ninth or 10th by this season standard. So it's not surprising then that Pitts has Managed at least eight targets over the last four weeks. And it was also really nice to see that even with Drake London back on the field, it still produced. He converted 7 of 9 for 57 yards and a touchdown. It'll be, you know, I think that maybe London and the connection with Kirk Cousins needs to develop a little bit there. So I'm not quite sure it'll stick. But again, we are at the end of the season, so what are we playing for? Is certainly I don't think you can sit Kyle Pitts at this point. And I believe they have the rams in week 17. Middle of the pack. Los Angeles is to the tight end position in terms of fantasy points though AJ Barner did score on Thursday night against the Rams.

[Daniel Dopp]

It was great being able to see Kyle Pitts do this with Drake London back in the lineup. Cause that was always the question. We knew without Drake London he basically, basically became the number one pass catcher. But even with Drake back. Stefania, did you see anything in Drake's.

[Stefania Bell]

Return that it's a game that I want to go back and watch like every snap because admittedly I'm watching multiple games. So the fact that, you know, I look every so often if I see Drake London, I saw him go up in the air land. I'm looking to see like if he falls on the knee, does he get up and is it still okay? So I didn't see anything that jumped out at me one way or the other. But I also didn't watch that closely enough. And here's what I would say. Kirk Cousins and obviously the Kyle Pitts bond is there. And I think for the two of them, that continues regardless of whether too.

[Liz Loza]

Late in the season for there to be a.

[Stefania Bell]

And also I'm not convinced that DRAKE London is 100%. I mean I knew he was coming back to play. We'll see how he looks. But I don't think that that is. That that's just not the game. That's not the game that Kirk Cousins is playing anyway. He's going to be going deep down the field a bunch.

[Daniel Dopp]

I think you said it right though. There's no way if you've been rolling with Kyle Pitts the last couple of weeks and he just helped you here in week 16. Like I'm still rolling week 17 unless I hear news that something crazy is going to be different. But he's not the only tight end that went off this week, right?

[Liz Loza]

A rookie tight end. The Harold fan. And takeover continues in Cleveland. Speaking of being like the focal point of an Offense David and Joku has been off the field for two weeks now. Quinn, Sean Judkins, who I'm sure we'll discuss in a little bit, knocked out early in that game and so it became the fan and Show he's managed 10 or more fantasy points in four straight weeks. He has four touchdowns over his last four games. Two on Sunday, one via the air, one on the ground on his soul rushing attempt. He's getting it done. It is interesting because Njoku obviously in his final year. So there is some question as to whether how quickly Fannin would come along and if Nujoku would sort of remain the the primary presence there. It has not been that case since top of the season, frankly. Great matchup for Fannin next week against the Steelers. Pittsburgh has allowed the second most fantasy points to opposing tight ends.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yep. It was a really great matchup and Harold Fannin is at this point, if you've been playing again just like I said with Kyle Pitts, like if I've been playing Harold Fannin, there's no way he's coming out of my lineup with the way that he is trusted within.

[Liz Loza]

That 19 fantasy points yesterday, the second most of the season.

[Daniel Dopp]

Unbelievable momentum. Yeah. Beautiful. Mike Clay doesn't believe in momentum, but that's why he's not on the show today. Stefania.

[Stefania Bell]

Well, since we're going all tight ends now, I'm going to talk to you about the tight end flip flop that you might not have been expecting. The one that you were certainly disappointed if you were starting a stud that got you all the way to your fantasy playoffs. You know where I'm going.

[Daniel Dopp]

I do.

[Stefania Bell]

Trey McBride.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

Had worst game of the season and he ends up scoring, what was it? 6.7 fantasy points. That's not what you were looking for in your playoffs. However, you should have known because Atlanta gives up the second fewest points to tight ends. However, they managed to overlook the film.

[Liz Loza]

However.

[Stefania Bell]

I know. However. However, don't get at me about grammar on Monday morning. I got my glasses in today. Elijah Higgins. You heard of him? I unfortunately you have now 16.1 fantasy points. You know who had The Falcons.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

Because he wasn't in the collection of the tight ends we're going to cover in this matchup. Look, they made a decision to reign in Trey McBride. Yeah. And that was probably smart or he would have had 30 something fantasy points. So for them, from a strategy standpoint, it obviously paid off. Michael Wilson still produced for you, but Elijah Higgins became the beneficiary of that. Eight targets, seven catches for 91 yards. It was just a bummer. I just. My heart goes out to those of you who are like, you never have a bad game with Trey McBride. And you know, we solved the touchdown problem this year. He scores touchdowns. He gets you fantasy points. He's number one or two every single week. I had looked at it. There's a stat I had, but I can't get my act together this morning. So I got. I want to see if I can pull this up while you're doing that.

[Liz Loza]

I can.

[Stefania Bell]

Fantasy scoring layers on the season. Trey McBride is still number one on the season with 278.8 fantasy points. You know who's number two?

[Daniel Dopp]

I don't.

[Stefania Bell]

Kyle Pitts with 195.4. Hard to say that out louder for eternity. Third is Kelsey. Fourth, Jake Ferguson, who I loved all year, but you know, has fallen off of late. And then Brock Bowers, despite playing for Las Vegas Raiders and despite missing multiple weeks, fifth on the season in scoring. But in week 16, tell him. Harold Fanon, number one with 19.5 fantasy points. Number two, Kyle Pitts with 18.7. Number three, Joanne Johnson. Didn't see that coming. 16.9. Number four, Chiga Conquo yeah.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

How many people were starting?

[Daniel Dopp]

Lizzo's a favorite as well.

[Stefania Bell]

Four fantasy points. And then five. Elijah Higgins, the guy you just heard about. So this was not what anybody hoped for. And if you lost your semifinal because of Trey McBride, I'm sorry, but you had a great season.

[Liz Loza]

Also, if you managed to get through your semifinal even with that performance, who does Trey McBride have in week 17? The Cincinnati Bengal.

[Stefania Bell]

That's right.

[Liz Loza]

Are you not starting him? You have to start him against this matchup. Also, really quickly. I love that you mentioned that McBride was able to solve the touchdown problem. I went back for whatever reason because I'm a dork, I guess. McBride has 10 touchdowns on the season. His preseason opening prop over under total touchdowns on the season was four and a half. You and I wrote a little article about it. Smashes it.

[Stefania Bell]

Smashes it.

[Daniel Dopp]

Gosh, we knew so low to start.

[Stefania Bell]

You know, funny, we knew that that had to get better.

[Liz Loza]

We.

[Stefania Bell]

We knew that had to get better. But if you told me that the way it was going to get better was Jacoby Brissette. Yes. I'm not sure that I would have.

[Daniel Dopp]

Fully believed you benching Kyler Murray moved to a veteran quarterback in Jacoby Brissette. That's going to fix all the passing game.

[Stefania Bell]

To be fair, Kyler was throwing touchdowns to I have to go back and look how many. But we knew Trey McBride was finding the end zone, but obviously with Jacoby.

[Daniel Dopp]

Brissette, the whole past, it's been so much better. Absolutely. I'm going to talk about a guy made me real nervous in the beginning of the season. And my dude came on strong in the second half when fantasy managers need him. Chase Brown, Second half of the season. Yeah. First half was tough, guys, because with Joe Burrow going down, obviously not a lot of. Not a lot of efficiency in the running game. But then Joe Flacco comes in, this team kind of looks different. Gets enough zhuzh. Lizzlo's a word. Yeah. To be able to have like enough production through the middle of the season. That's what it was.

[Liz Loza]

And then Kobe Brissette to unlock trace.

[Daniel Dopp]

Joe Burrow comes back after all that and keeps things rolling. Chase Brown just dominated here. In fact, I would love it if you guys could check out this. Check out this.

[Liz Loza]

Hey, man, check out this.

[Daniel Dopp]

Hey, yo, check out this.

[Stefania Bell]

Check out this.

[Daniel Dopp]

It's time to check out this.

[Stefania Bell]

They're so ridiculous. I love it so much.

[Daniel Dopp]

Thank you, friends.

[Stefania Bell]

I love it.

[Liz Loza]

So is that an alto sax?

[Daniel Dopp]

That is. That was an alto sax. Absolutely. Yes. Chase Brown, is that the first time.

[Stefania Bell]

You'Ve ever pulled out a measuring tape?

[Daniel Dopp]

No.

[Liz Loza]

Oh, no, it is not. How about a level? Have you ever used a level?

[Daniel Dopp]

I've used a level before. Yes, I have. Yes.

[Liz Loza]

Those are wild.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes, they are. They are. You know what else was wild was Chase Brown's. Chase Brown's third quarter, because if you take a look at the points scored in the third quarter alone, Chase Brown had the second most points scored in a quarter this season. He scored 30.4 points in the third quarter alone. In this game, 12 carries, 66 yards and a touchdown. Four catches for 43 yards and two touchdowns. Finishes the day with 32.9 fantasy points. So we had 32.9 fantasy points and 30.4 of them came in one quarter. That's unbelievable.

[Liz Loza]

We had 2.5 fantasy points.

[Stefania Bell]

Yes.

[Daniel Dopp]

And honestly, we'll take it again. This is one of those things. First 30 point game of the season. First 30 point game of his career. Previous high was 26.7. Highest scoring game of the season. And by the way, it is his 8 consecutive game with 15 or more fantasy points. Tied for Devon HN for the longest streak in the NFL amongst any non quarterbacks. JSN, Puka, Nakua, Amon, Ra. No. But Trey McBride. Nobody else can say that other than Chase Brown and Devon Achan. The floor that you have gotten from Chase Brown of at least 15 fantasy points for two solid months at the exact right time when your team is fighting for a playoff win. It has been fantastic. So this next week they're going to draw the Cardinals in Week 17. Chase Brown, hopefully going to keep on rolling because he has been. Been great for your squad the last couple of weeks.

[Stefania Bell]

Awesome.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right.

[Stefania Bell]

You know, you talk about the PE guys peaking at the right time. It's like, if only you could choose your crystal ball. Like, okay, I know this player's going to peak at the right time as opposed to the ones who might peak a little bit early and then fall off in championship week.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's the. That's the hard part. And it was great to be able to at least see him get to this point, but we'll see what happens in Week 7.

[Stefania Bell]

Despite the matchups. I mean, they haven't all been great. You think, oh, he's going to be contained and he has not. He's been relatively matchup proof.

[Daniel Dopp]

A lot of the passing game work has been great to be able to get some. Some usage there as well. So he has been definitely helped by Joe Burrow being able to come back to this offense as well. Even though they are out of the playoffs, that team has not given up. No matter what it feels like they're going in week in and week out. So Chase Brown going to be another.

[Stefania Bell]

Team, to my point, but they've talked about it.

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh, yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

Want to win. We want to provide. Joe Burrow very committed to, like, putting on a show. Yeah. The fans have been here all year long, so I get the Bengals. Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

Also still not sure about the Cowboys. Might be the last couple times Bengals fans get to see Joe Burrow and Bengals go ahead on with the next one.

[Liz Loza]

Um, well, you know, we are in week 16 and it's this point of the season. We're so close to Christmas. I have. I am tired, y'.

[Stefania Bell]

All.

[Liz Loza]

So I'm wondering. Everything's going a little bit wobbly. Like my knees, my vision, my mentals. So tell me if Trevor Lawrence is.

[Stefania Bell]

Actually real against the Bronco or am I this week?

[Liz Loza]

Am I losing it?

[Daniel Dopp]

Right.

[Liz Loza]

Against the Bronco? He had a monster game in week 15 and then we were all unilaterally agreeing that there was no way he was going to go into Mile High against the best defense, maybe arguably other than the Texans top three.

[Daniel Dopp]

Top even. Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

Go into Mile High with the altitude and slay for three touchdowns. He has been Legit. He looks decisive, he looks grounded. He's using his legs so much more. And you know, I was actually thinking about Caleb to your earlier point and Ben Johnson and I think in the summer we get so excited about, oh, Liam Cohen is coming from, you know, Tampa Bay and he's gonna, he's gonna salvage this reclamation project that is Trevor Lawrence and it's gonna happen in week one. And then when it doesn't, we're like bad take. Well, here we are. Because evolution takes time, right? Like nothing happens overnight. There is a growth process and it is all starting to click right now for Trevor Lawrence. I will say that I think key to Trevor Lawrence's success is the addition to Jacoby Myers. Now, Myers did not have the game production wise. It was Parker Washington that went off in week 16. But I think Myers is basically playing the Chris Godwin role in this offense and he is able to be a bit of a workman. He can do a lot of things and that has settled Trevor Lawrence down enough to get through his progression, set his feet and you know, properly, not. Not just digest, but articulate physically the playbook.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah. He's not just reacting, but also I think Travis CDN is a big part of this as well. Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

Well, that connection they've had since college is finally being reactualized.

[Stefania Bell]

Right. But there was that fall off for Etienne and there was a lack of confidence there. And then there was. We didn't know who was going to be the running back, remember? And there was Tank Bigsby and they drafted basically.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

And so what was going to happen? And then with the departure of Tank Bigsby, I think that made it pretty clear ETN's number one and he's been amazing. Like just watching the way he's playing, it's almost like everyone on that offense is playing with a new level of confidence.

[Liz Loza]

Because they're winning.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah. Yes. But like they've had little bits before where they've had a couple wins, but they. I don't think they've put together anything where they've appeared dominant like that to me is the difference. It's like they've won. You're like, oh, the Jags won. Like they pulled that one out. But now they're like dominating these games and they dominated in Denver yesterday and Trevor Lawrence just looks like a different per. It's really cool to see because you. It's like it's a thing you can't put in the Mike Clay computer. But there is a look of like this guy is playing like he Leads this team like he means business, like he knows they can win. Like they walk in, they know they can win. I think some of that comes from Liam Cohen. I think that is. It's all starting to manifest. It's like he's created this well, he's.

[Liz Loza]

Unlocking the full potential, not just the play potential, but everything is aligned and.

[Stefania Bell]

And the Hammers, it's like when you.

[Liz Loza]

Fall in love with someone, but you fall in love with their potential. And the realization. And now he is being realized and that's.

[Stefania Bell]

There's no divorce necessary.

[Daniel Dopp]

Exactly. Yes.

[Stefania Bell]

It did feel like.

[Daniel Dopp]

I felt like there was a situation earlier this season where you're talking about like the, the evolution and it just takes time. We came into the season being like Trevor Lawrence is going to have Brian Thomas Jr. And Travis Hunter. And we were all thrilled at the young, like the young excitement of the skill position players. What he really needed was just a veteran that could come in and it feels like he could come in that guy. And that was Jacoby Myers. And as soon as Jacoby Myers got here, I know it's been more than that. Has been good. Like he's had pockets of games, but.

[Stefania Bell]

Their defense I think has helped a lot, you know, but just having that.

[Daniel Dopp]

Trusted guy, I don't. It's going to be really interesting looking at Both Brian Thomas Jr. And Travis Hunter next year when we're talking about 2026 rankings and how we view them.

[Liz Loza]

Can I just make two final points?

[Daniel Dopp]

Bring it.

[Liz Loza]

So the Jags 34 points were the most the Broncos have given up all season.

[Daniel Dopp]

Wow.

[Liz Loza]

Interesting, right? And Lawrence has managed at least 19 fantasy points in four straight weeks. They're at the Colts in Week 17. You're obviously not sitting him. It'll be interesting to see what the hell health of that secondary in particular looks like.

[Daniel Dopp]

Trevor Lawrence, I believe. Correct me if I'm wrong, but on fantasy football now, Mike Clay said that it was Jacoby Brissette with the longest active streak of top 12 finishes. Now that Jacoby Brissette is outside of the top 12 this week, Trevor Lawrence is the quarterback with the longest active streak of most 12 top 12 finishes in the NFL.

[Stefania Bell]

Okay, trivia, just a little bit from.

[Daniel Dopp]

Our buddy Kevin Paulson. Jacoby Brissette, not this week.

[Stefania Bell]

So close.

[Daniel Dopp]

He was so close, but just couldn't find the end zone as much as he needed to in this one, unfortunately. But yeah, Trevor Lawrence has been awesome. I think after this, after that 45 point game that he had, or 44 point game, however, your Scoring works out in your league. And then seeing what he did to Denver, there's like, no way I can't start him if I have him in week 17. Now, mind you, if I got to week 17 and I didn't use Trevor Lawrence, then, like, I don't know who I would have started in his place. But if I started him and I was just like, I'm going to trust it. I'm going to trust it. It, I'm going to keep trusting Trevor Lawrence.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah, well, fortune sometimes, hopefully often favors the bold.

[Daniel Dopp]

Thank you. Yes, that's right, Liz.

[Stefania Bell]

I don't know. You know, it was bold. Was Ashton Genti's performance yesterday also?

[Liz Loza]

We can predict nothing. We can predict absolutely nothing. I know the Texans defense.

[Stefania Bell]

But you know what? Let's go back to the start of the year when you and I were both pretty high on him. It just took until week 16.

[Daniel Dopp]

No big deal.

[Stefania Bell]

This. No big deal. But actually, you know what? While we're. While we're handing out pats on the back to ourselves, I'm going to give myself one. Because yesterday on fantasy football, now, we had to give out Christmas gifts.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

And my Christmas gift was an offensive line to open up running lanes for astringente.

[Daniel Dopp]

And guess what happened?

[Stefania Bell]

Christmas came early.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes.

[Stefania Bell]

Like, he had lanes to run all day long. 24 carries, 128 yards and a touchdown, plus a runaway catch for 60 yards and a score. And he looked so happy doing it all 31.8 fantasy points, which is his. Is it his Highest?

[Liz Loza]

I think second, second highest. 35.

[Stefania Bell]

Oh, yeah, of course, you remember that. The thing is that Ashton Jetty, we talked about this last week has performed better than you might think given what he's had around him, which is like a lack of space. And we talked about how. I think I referenced it yesterday. 1.3 yards before contact is like the second lowest of the running backs that, that, that were measured starting running backs. So he has not had anywhere to go. And yesterday he had room to run. It was really interesting. If you look at the comments from both him after the game and Pete Carroll after the game, every comment was about the offensive line.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

And it really was about them doing what needed to happen. But hey, fantasy managers are appreciative that maybe they should be giving out gifts to the offensive line, just like the players do at the end. At the end of the year. But that. That 31.8 fantasy points was amazing. Guess who they play next week, kids?

[Liz Loza]

The Giants.

[Stefania Bell]

The Giants.

[Daniel Dopp]

The G Men.

[Stefania Bell]

Yep.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's an easy matchup. We really love that.

[Stefania Bell]

We love that. So, you know, I think the Raiders, it's. It's interesting because I feel like they're hard to predict, but I was watching parts of that game yesterday and love Max Crosby and just the heart and soul of a defense that the poor defense, which has been really good at times, but they can't be on the field for four quarters, they were playing so hard. And I think with there's so much uncertainty there right now that I do think what you saw yesterday from them, I think that carries over against New York. Because I'd like to think. Well, I'd like to think so. And also I think they will go into that game believing they can win it.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

And so I think we're going to get that kind of effort again in another week. I don't know if you get the numbers from Genti, but. But you're going to get that after.

[Daniel Dopp]

Doing that against the Houston defense. You would like to think they, they carry some of that, like, pride. Momentum, right? Yes. Momentum, I believe is the word. I did want to say this. In 15 games this year, Ashton Genti only has three games where he averaged over 4 yards per carry. So you're talking about this offensive line like it's just been atrocious for him basically the entirety of this season. That 60 yard catch that he had was a thing of beauty.

[Stefania Bell]

It was. And that was. That was the thing where you're like.

[Daniel Dopp]

And it wasn't catches up at the line of scrimmage. No, no, no. Like it was an awesome catch. We know he's a great pass catcher. Good for Ashton.

[Liz Loza]

He's seeing a stacked front 7% of his carries, which is rather high. Yeah, I think quinch on judgment was seeing like 12% but that makes.

[Daniel Dopp]

That makes a little bit more sense. Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

Just for context between the two. So we're seeing a lot of stack fronts and a bad offensive line. You know, you were talking about the top of the season, Stefania and how you and I were high on Genti and I had said I would draft Genti ahead of Saquon Barkley because I was anticipating a lot of regression based on his touch total in 2024. And some people were a little bit triggered by that. Like to get in my mention saying there's no way for the record, Saquon Barkley.

[Stefania Bell]

I was just gonna say for the.

[Liz Loza]

Record, Saquon Barkley, currently the RB12 overall. Ashton Genty, the RB13. So. So I can be half right that. Yes, Barkley has regressed end of the season schedule certainly boosting him. No one expected that from Genti. Again, given the matchup average fantasy points per game, 15 for Barkley, 14.9 for Ashton. Don't come at me.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, they were basically interchangeable, it seems like at this point.

[Stefania Bell]

Which is weird.

[Daniel Dopp]

It is weird.

[Stefania Bell]

It is weird because one team might go to the super bowl or super bowl aspirations and one team's the other team's the race. When do we pick?

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, that's correct.

[Liz Loza]

Can we golf? Yes.

[Daniel Dopp]

This season on Fansville by Dr. Pepper College football enters into the great unknown. Will the 12 team playoffs bear a new champion? Will conference realignments spark new rivalries? And will Dr. Pepper continue to have one of a kind taste with a unique blend of 23 authentic flavors? Okay, we actually know the answer to that last one and it's yes. Most definitely yes. So prepare yourself for more drama, more angry comment sections, and more ice cold Dr. Pepper, because this season everything is about to change. Stop by your local retailer today to score some ice cold Dr. Pepper college football. It's a Pepper thing.

[Stefania Bell]

Give big, save big with Rack Friday deals at Nordstrom Rack for a limited time, take an extra 40% off red.

[Liz Loza]

Tac clearance for a total Savings up to 75% off. Save on gifts for everyone on your.

[Stefania Bell]

List from brands like Vince Cole, Han, Sam Edelman and more. All sales final and restrictions apply. The best stuff goes fast, so bring your gift list and your wish list.

[Liz Loza]

To your nearest Nordstrom rack today.

[Stefania Bell]

This message may be shocking to many millennials. If you are one, you might want to sit down right now. Loads of people are searching the following on Depop Low rise jeans, halter top velour tracksuit, hookah shell necklace, disc belt. You likely place these in the dark.

[Daniel Dopp]

Of your closet in 2004, never to be seen again.

[Stefania Bell]

But if you can find it in yourself to dust them off, there are.

[Daniel Dopp]

A lot of people who will give you money for them.

[Stefania Bell]

Sell on Depop where taste recognizes taste.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right, let's dive into studs and duds here for week 16. Gonna dive into a bunch of different good players and we'll talk about some bad performances. But let's start with the Saints because.

[Liz Loza]

Why do we start with the good stuff and then end on the bad stuff?

[Stefania Bell]

Why not?

[Liz Loza]

Okay, it's on my show.

[Daniel Dopp]

Do you want which one you want to start with?

[Stefania Bell]

Start with whoever we want to start with.

[Daniel Dopp]

We. I like positivity. That's the thing. Chris Olave 16 targets guys, we knew that Chris Olave was going to have, I think I asked you about this on the, on FF now, this last week, but we knew that he was going to be heavily utilized within this game because there just weren't a lot of options. Didn't really have a lot at the running back position either.

[Liz Loza]

On Vale was out.

[Daniel Dopp]

Demon Valley was out. 16 targets, 10 catches, 148 yards and two touchdowns. 36.8 fantasy points. We've said it a couple times, but anytime that you can get a season high or career high from a player In a Week 16 playoff matchup, you are thrilled at any takeaways. From what you guys saw from Chris Olave or the Saints game.

[Stefania Bell]

I think it's just more of the same. He's good. Tyler Sheikh, we're starting to see some, something out of him and obviously the connection going back to the Christmas gifts we were giving, the one that Damian Woody asked for, was more time for that relationship to develop between Olave and Sheck. And I think this, this is why, because this is what magic can happen. They're really happy for Olavi. Just on a different note, the concussion issues he had last year is very scary. Him talking about whether he was going to even continue to play football. So it's been really nice. In spite of the Saints not really having anywhere to go as far as how the team would do. It's been nice to see him have this kind of year.

[Liz Loza]

It's been a great bounce back.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes. Yes.

[Liz Loza]

He has averaged 9.6 targets per game since Tyler Schick, since Tyler Shook took over and Rashid Shahid exited.

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh wow.

[Liz Loza]

So given that, I think it was around, I don't know, double digit weeks of the season, but since that point, 9.6 targets per game. Love that volume. And he's managed at least 70 receiving yards or found the end zone in five of his last six efforts.

[Daniel Dopp]

That is unbelievable. Nine games of 14 or more fantasy points this season, including five of the last six over 14 fantasy points. So look at that.

[Liz Loza]

We did the same math.

[Daniel Dopp]

Let's dive into the Chargers because Justin Herbert and Quinton Johnston. Can I just say this, and you guys can stop me if you don't want to, but Justin, Justin Herbert, if you started him, he was awesome. And we talked about the matchup against the Dallas Cowboys like you were starting him because of the matchup, because he had had five straight games under 15 fantasy points coming into this one. And then he gets 30.2 fantasy points against the Dallas Cowboys. This is why we start quarterbacks against this Cowboy squad. I just want to say that nobody cares that Quentin Johnston scored 20 fantasy points. We all moved on eight weeks ago. I hate to say this because we want to be thrilled for the kids not taking a shot at the human. I love the person.

[Stefania Bell]

No, but everybody was hoping.

[Daniel Dopp]

Exactly.

[Liz Loza]

We didn't want to Gadsden.

[Daniel Dopp]

We are like just too many weeks too late on Quinton Johnston. But he was a stud in this one with his third game over 20 fantasy points this week.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah. This year, you know, on ff now, I believe it was Dan Graziano who was on the ground for this game.

[Stefania Bell]

Correct.

[Daniel Dopp]

I think you're right.

[Liz Loza]

And he was like, yes, the matchup is good, but Joe Alt is still out. And since Joe Alt has been out of the lineup and injured, Herbert has averaged, I think, 160 passing yards per game. Or. Yeah, he's averaged 160 passing yards per game and one touchdown pass per game. So to me, this is much more about the Dallas Cowboys defense being booty cheeks.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes.

[Liz Loza]

Than Herbert being in a position to consistently succeed.

[Daniel Dopp]

300 passing yards and two touchdowns. You love what he did with his legs, though. Justin Herbert. Eight carries for 42 yards and a rushing touchdown as well.

[Liz Loza]

Yo, this game was the first game he wasn't sacked. Like, one game.

[Daniel Dopp]

Really.

[Stefania Bell]

Like, I don't know what to do with myself. Yeah. What's happening? I'm still upright.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah. Let's talk about B. John Robinson. He does have Houston.

[Stefania Bell]

Next week's gonna be Bijan Robinson. Had a. Bijan Robinson.

[Daniel Dopp]

It was unbelievable.

[Stefania Bell]

This is what you drafted him for. 29.8 fantasy points and so big in the passing game. Seven catches for 92 yards. You know, when he came out of Texas, that was. The thing was like he could do both everything. It was like, he can run, he can back, and he, He's a guy who works. A guy, a young man. He's so young. I've, I've, you know, I have sat and interviewed him. In fact, I interviewed him right after Christian McAffrey got paid when I was doing that feature on running backs. And he was like. I asked him about what he thought about the running backs in the NFL.

[Liz Loza]

And, And the ability, pay disparity. The theoretical.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah, and it's, it's not theoretical. It's real.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

I mean, they are. The only position that they rank higher above in salary is special teams. So if you look at. By position. So that's a very real thing. But he, his, his statement was. What he believed was if you put the work on the field, you Put the product on the field. You would be rewarded. When that time came and we. We saw it with Saquon etc that year. This is B John Robinson putting the work product on the field. I mean he is just so in when he is so heavily involved in the game. Good things happen. Obviously 76 yards rushing as well, but 29.8 fantasy points. And if you, you know, good for you. If you drafted Bijan Robinson paid off all the way through your playoffs.

[Liz Loza]

Splitting touches totes rather with Algier, but he's putting up wide receiver one production as a running back.

[Daniel Dopp]

Bijan has 29 and a half fantasy points in three of his last four games. Speaking of putting up production, the dude has been doing well. To your point, Liz, because we often think very similarly. I did write down here. Atlanta running backs touched the ball 40 times in this game, which is a lot. Sixteen carries for Tyler Algier is. Yeah, definitely that. That was one of those things which.

[Stefania Bell]

Here's the thing. When I'm going to just stop right here because if there's that much running back work, I just want to say because some people are like, why is your. Like you have to you. If you. If you are going to give running backs 40 touches, you can't be giving Bijan 36 of them. No. And expect him to hold up. You look at me like that's crazy. But as Sean McVeigh how many times Kyrene Williams used to touch the ball and it was up in the 30s when he was doing all the work. And all of a sudden the Rams have discovered, hey, we got this guy Blake Corman. We can actually split carries and have two productive running backs. I think Algiers serves a purpose. Like to me, if I was going in drafting right now, like Bijan's way up first round. That's your. That's your guy. But Algier, like I think last year we were a bit ready to cast him aside. Like there's no way he's going to have have enough of a role to make him worthwhile. He still has a role.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes.

[Stefania Bell]

And he can find the end zone.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah. Much to this agreement of fantasy managers. However, for the Falcons and being able to keep Bijon healthy as well. This is one of the things is like a fantasy manager for fantasy manager. Agree. That's what I was gonna say.

[Stefania Bell]

Just for Falcons like the team, it's like if you want to see your running back make it through the whole season, then you have to allow these split workloads and understand you can still get this kind of production and have a split workload.

[Daniel Dopp]

But Stefania, he had three touches and 29 fantasy points. What if he had 35 touches? Like, we just can't say that this isn't Madden as much as we love our friend Clint Oldenberg. Like, we. You can't just give a running back 35 touches because it's not a video game. So Bajan Robinson absolutely dominates. And specifically in the passing game, the dude is just a wizard.

[Stefania Bell]

A wizard.

[Liz Loza]

I love that.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

How about Joe Burrow, guys? How'd you feel about this Bengals game?

[Liz Loza]

He's magical. Certainly put a spell on a couple of people too.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

Not wrong side conversation.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah, I just like seeing him healthy, period. And thriving, you know, and like, good for him looking dude. Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

Well, I think, I think he's so legit. Like when he speaks about, like wanting to deliver for Cincinnati, I believe that's a thousand percent true. And he goes out there and like, I remember people saying, like, what do we really want him back when he was coming back from the toe injury? Do you really, you know, maybe he should just protect himself. That's not who he is. And this is part of what you get for him not being that way. You get a career high, a career high season high in Fantasy points with 28.96 fantasy points on the day. And I don't believe that people were expecting that.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, I, I actually. The one thing that I love about Joe Burrow more than anything else is that it just feels like he's got this mentality. This is going to sound like a shot at the NBA, but in the NBA we just have a lot of rest days and people pay money. Yeah, a lot of load management. People pay money. They take their kids and families to go watch games and then like people don't show up. I feel like Joe Burrow has this mentality where it's like, this is my job to be the entertainment for these people. People are putting their money on the line to come out here and watch me and this team play football. And there is a thing about that that I just respect the heck out of because I love the way that Joe Burrow plays this game.

[Liz Loza]

Salt of the earth resonance.

[Daniel Dopp]

Love that.

[Liz Loza]

For fantasy managers. He's also been quite lovely. Save that week 15 flop of five and a half half points. He has cleared 19 fantasy points in every game since returning from injury. And he is facing the Cardinals in week 17. I looked at an opening, an early opening, projected point total. The over under on this game right now is 53 and a half.

[Stefania Bell]

Wow.

[Daniel Dopp]

Wow.

[Liz Loza]

Sling it, Joe.

[Daniel Dopp]

Cool. That would be wonderful. Really quickly, one last stud. In fact, it's two studs, but it's just a position. And I'm gonna let you guys handle this because I don't want to talk about it.

[Stefania Bell]

I know you don't want to talk about it.

[Liz Loza]

I know.

[Stefania Bell]

It's really. We can't even talk about that game because we will just completely go off the rails with the. What? I don't even know what I saw, but I did see this. Kenneth Gainwell, to me, I. He has been one of the best fantasy ads that I've had season. And believe me when I tell you, and I'm sure you already know this, but when Aaron Rodgers anoints you. We talked about this.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes.

[Stefania Bell]

When he says, I trust this guy. He's been playing out of his mind. Like, look at what's happened. People follow him to other cities, you know, because Aaron Rodgers has decided, you're one of my guys. Kenneth Gainwell is one of his guys. And ever since this has started to click. He's very involved in the passing game. And that's a value to you for. For fantasy purposes. 23.8 fantasy points. I felt like this was about what we expected to see from him. And five catches, 78 yards and a score. An unbelievable ridiculous score that he. A catch that he. He made where you were wondering how he caught that. He said afterward he didn't know how he caught that. Lost the ball in the lights for a bit. But the fact that he also carried the ball some, that. That surprised me a little bit. Jalen Warren just had a heck of a night. Like he has not run that well of late. 14 carries for 143 yards and two touchdowns. I felt like he looked on the ground like the way that you wanted Jalen Warren to look if you drafted him. You haven't seen that.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah. I will say this really quickly. All three touchdowns for the Steelers were exactly 45 yards. Jalen Warren had two 45 yard rushing touchdowns.

[Liz Loza]

I was going to make.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

And Kenneth Gainwell had a 45 yard receiving touchdown. And so if you're telling me that Jalen Warren had basically 90 yards and two touchdowns on two plays, like that's going to. That's going to get you to where you need to be. And then all the extra is just gravy on that point. But Steelers running backs just dominated the Lions defense. Unfortunately.

[Stefania Bell]

I was surprised at how much they did because I felt like it was going to be a ground game going in Like, I just felt like this is what they're going to do. They're going to run.

[Daniel Dopp]

I was surprised. I was surprised. All right, let's talk about some duds really quickly. First dud here for week 16. Field Yates missing another Monday.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah, nice.

[Daniel Dopp]

What's up with that?

[Stefania Bell]

Oh, but Field Yates doing something big tonight.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes. Missing a Monday for some big stuff. Make sure you go watch ESPN 2. Gonna be a very fun alt cast with Field tonight. Dan Orlofsky. It's gonna. It's gonna be a really good time.

[Stefania Bell]

It's gonna be the. He called it the nerd cast.

[Daniel Dopp]

Nerd cast. Yes. It'll be. It'll be a lot of fun analysis. Him and Luke Keakley being able to go at it. He said a number of great things about Luke, so it should be a lot of fun being able to do that. But, yeah, Field missing the Monday show. What's up, baby? Come on. All right, let's talk about some other duds. The Giants. Can we start with Jackson dart? What are you supposed to do with this? 7. 7 for 13 for 33 passing yards and an interception and two carries for 7 yards for 0.02 fantasy points.

[Stefania Bell]

Does that even register?

[Daniel Dopp]

And. And he didn't get hurt. Like, he played 100% of the snaps in this game.

[Stefania Bell]

Right.

[Liz Loza]

But he put up these numbers because he's trying not to get hurt.

[Daniel Dopp]

It's what he.

[Stefania Bell]

It.

[Daniel Dopp]

This is what I feel like happens when you're like, play a game that you don't know how to play.

[Stefania Bell]

Right.

[Daniel Dopp]

So it didn't look like the Jackson dart that we thought was going to be out there under center. It hasn't been the Jackson dart that we've seen the last number of weeks. This felt like a very different quarterback.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah. He's topped 200 passing yards only twice in his last four starts. Just two rushing attempts, which was his fewest of the season, I think because he's been told to avoid going into the blue tent, which you cannot blame the coaching staff, the ownership for saying.

[Daniel Dopp]

We want you to be the future of our franchise. Please stay healthy for us. But that means he's going to have to figure some things out as to, like, how he can kind of to change his game over the off season and still be the guy that he needs to be for this team, while also learning to take care of his body, which is obviously important.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah. He hasn't ever been willing to concede that he's going to do that. So I'm not convinced that all of a Sudden he's changed his stripes. But there is a lot to sort out.

[Daniel Dopp]

A lot to sort out there. And unfortunately, Wandell Robinson fell victim to the idea that it was not a.

[Stefania Bell]

Good passing day this week.

[Liz Loza]

Well, when you only post 33 passing yards and Robinson gets 19, that's still 50.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes.

[Liz Loza]

So 57% of darts passing yards went to Robinson. So the share is still there.

[Stefania Bell]

You feel better as you are sitting in your fantasy.

[Daniel Dopp]

This is. Yeah, this is the, the, the nerds that look at the numbers.

[Stefania Bell]

I lost in my semifinals, but I still got 50% of the target.

[Daniel Dopp]

50. Yes, exactly.

[Liz Loza]

Also calculator figure that out.

[Stefania Bell]

Let's be honest. They were playing Minnesota.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

And so, you know, if you're Brian Flores knowing how to scheme for this exact scenario, I, I think it was a combination of factors. I don't think it's all of a sudden that Jackson dart has changed. As much as there was confusion and frustration about how to operate against that defense.

[Daniel Dopp]

Josh Allen had a tough one in this one as well. 12 for 19130 yards. Only seven carries. For 17. Only seven carries. Seven carries is great. Only 17 yards though, on those 17 carries, a season low 6.9 fan fantasy points. Really tough. And I talked about how we need to trade on fantasy football now. Let's give a real wide receiver to this team so that we can have a pass catcher that we can count on. I would love to see someone be able to go there. Keon Coleman, I think he was a healthy scratch yesterday. Dawson Knox dropped an a wide open touchdown in the back of the end zone. It just feels like we need to get somebody for Josh Allen to consistently rely on like every single, like week in and week out, we're still like searching for that guy. Guy. So I know he went into the locker room.

[Stefania Bell]

Stefania had X rays on his foot. Keep an eye on this. Because last year Josh Allen broke a bone in his hand and nobody really ever knew about it. And it did change his running. He was wearing something on his hand. It changed the way he rushed the ball because he was, you know, he's still Josh Allen. He's still making plays. But when we saw a little dip in his rushing, it coincided with that. Like he knew he had to get rid of the football versus always going to the ground on that hand while it was still trying to heal. A foot injury is a problem if you're trying to run. And even if he didn't have a fracture, there's a lot of potential sprains that one can have in the foot.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah.

[Stefania Bell]

So look, Josh Allen is about as tough as they come and refuses to be sidelined for just about anything. If we could provide the list of all the things he's played through, most of which people never really hear about. They just see him on the injury report because he's getting treatment during the week, but then he comes out in place. So I'm not saying this necessarily really threaten. I, I don't think it would take mountains that list him off the field at this critical juncture for the Bills. That being said, it may impact through no choice of his own just how much he's able to run the ball.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, I feel like if you had one of those like, like rolled up scrolls like that list, when you let it go and it's like a joke.

[Liz Loza]

And it just rolls for you, that's.

[Daniel Dopp]

How long the list list Sav. But yes. Let's talk about the packers really quickly guys as well. Josh Jacobs, unfortunately difficult game in this one. We weren't sure if he was going to play. Decided to give it a shot. We which we loved. We said if Josh Jacobs, if Josh Jacobs plays, you need to start him this week. 12 carries, 36 yards and a fumble. Two carry, two receptions for 12 yards. Only 4.8 fantasy points.

[Stefania Bell]

The guy's on crutches earlier in the week. Never feel good about that.

[Daniel Dopp]

And Christian Watson unfortunately kind of had a down game as well.

[Liz Loza]

Oh, and another injury scare.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes. Which was not great. Part of that was because Malik Willis came onto this game. Malik Willis is not known for his arm talent. He's got nice legs but he doesn't. Is not known for his arm talents to find you. That is because Jordan Love left this game early with a concussion with a.

[Stefania Bell]

Head injury goes into the concussion protocol. So you know, we're gonna just wait and see. Stay tuned.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah. I just wanted to clear up about Josh Jacobs because there was some consternation and potential buzzing on social media that Jacobs was being punished because he only managed two snaps after the fumble.

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh.

[Liz Loza]

In a postgame interview LaFleur said that it was just that Emmanuel Wilson was rolling. He was trying to protect Jacobs knee again.

[Stefania Bell]

Josh Jacobs was on crutches earlier in the week because of the swelling in his knee. So he's a gamer who wants to play. But that was a problem.

[Daniel Dopp]

Couple of other duds we thought in Kansas City with Rashi Rice out almost it wouldn't make a difference who's throwing the football because both Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy should just get peppered with targets over and over and over again that did not happen, Unfortunately. Travis Kelsey 1.6 fantasy points. Xavier Worthy 6.1. Xavier Worthy had two catches for 41 yards. Now this happened in part because Gardner Minshew left this game early, Stefania. And that's going to kind of lead us into the injury segment as well. But just a bad game for these, these Chiefs pass catchers.

[Stefania Bell]

I don't. They're that game. You. It's almost like you have to take a wadded up throw in the garbage because what a mess. I mean they've just lost Patrick Mahomes and everybody is all, you know, the. What's going to happen with Patrick Homans in the future? He has surgery on his reconstructed knee. So you got Gardner Minshew. Travis Kelce kind of pumped him up last, last week when he had to come in the game the last couple minutes like you're our guy now. Can you believe that Gardner Minshew potentially tore his ACL last yesterday. And the, the thought that that could happen back to back with quarterbacks. I'd have to go back and look at my notes and see if I've seen that before. But back to back ACL tear is just a terrible situation for the Chiefs.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right, well, with that, Stefania, let's go ahead and spin it forward to the Week 16 injury report to dive into a couple injuries we just need to make sure that managers know about as they head into a potential week 17 championship.

[Stefania Bell]

Yeah, well, we obviously Gardner Minshew and so we see what happens and how the Chiefs are impacted there. Quinton Judkins was really the most unfortunate looking injury of the day. This is when you, you know, just look away. Yeah, it's not something you want. We've seen quite a few of these ankle dislocation and, and leg fractures this year. It's just the rotational torque that happens on these lower legs of players, especially running backs tackled, get caught in a pile, what have you. It's a bad injury for running back obviously into the season. We'll have plenty of time to talk about in the offseason and what comes next for him. But Chris Godwin had an ankle fracture and dislocation and look how difficult it was for him to come back. So these are just unfortunate injuries and you know, my heart goes out to Quintean Judkins apparently his mom said first real injury that he's ever had to deal with. So this will, this will be tough for him. But you know, once guys get through, through feeling sorry for themselves and bad about the Things happening, they usually turn the corner and dive into the rehab. Have JJ McCarthy, after all the excitement about JJ McCarthy injures his throwing hand y ends up going out of that game. So who is to know what the seriousness of that is? We'll find out later this week. Trayvon Henderson, my guy who I had really been excited about in the second half of the season, leaves with a head injury in the second quarter, ends up, of course, not coming back. No surprise. But the loss of Trayvon Henderson in that game, really difficult for fantasy managers who were counting on him. And then Lamar Jackson, this one, you know, it was really hard to tell when it happened. He went down in. He looked uncomfortable when he went down, but he also took a knee in the back. But it, it didn't look like this is where, you know, you sometimes you look at the injuries on the video, you're like, that didn't look that bad. But he was clearly in so much discomfort on the sideline, they took him to the back. They were trying to get him stretched out, according to Harbaugh. So who, who knows what that means in terms of what was going on. But he was unable to return, and even though he came out on the sideline, you could see that he was uncomfortable through the rest of that game. Lamar Jackson has not been healthy since he tore his hamstring. I mean, the bottom line is he's been on the injury report with multiple things. If you think this is a question of whether he plays or not, I don't know. It's too soon to say. But he's not going to be healthy for you for the rest of whatever time. The Ravens, I don't think he's healthy again this year. As far as they go for fantasy purposes, I would be making other plans immediately whether he's available or not.

[Daniel Dopp]

Okay, that's really good to know. We'll talk about that tomorrow on the waiver wire. Stefania, just in case you need to be able to grab a quarterback to be able to help you in week 17, no one wants to start a waiver wire quarterback in your championship week. However, if you've been figuring it out with Lamar, you may have to go another direction. Do you have. I had one other injury in my sheet. Do you not have one? Okay, why don't you give me your two broken heart. So I do have a. I have a. No, but DK Metcalf I have on here. It suffered a pride injury as he punched a fan in the stands against the Lions. Did you not have that?

[Liz Loza]

That's not. No. I had Jordan Mason picked up an ankle and Kamani Vidal with the neck.

[Daniel Dopp]

Okay. Okay.

[Liz Loza]

But, yeah, also, that fan maybe ate some humble pie.

[Daniel Dopp]

How about both? I just want to say this. That's loser behavior on both sides. Like, don't go over to a player in the middle of the game and do it. Yeah. And also, like, don't punch a fan in the stands. Like, don't walk over and engage them. Do you know how much money DK is going to lose, like, in a game Check. By potentially being suspended.

[Stefania Bell]

Do you know DK's history? You know that's the play.

[Daniel Dopp]

I certainly do. But for fans also. Let's not do this to players.

[Liz Loza]

And that wing was weird.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah. You're not wrong. You're not wrong. All right, let's dive into a Monday Night football preview. Stefania's 49ers taking on the Indianapolis.

[Stefania Bell]

The 49ers friendship bracelet. She got us all.

[Liz Loza]

Friendship bracelet.

[Stefania Bell]

We need to see this. Everybody has friendship bracelets. Yeah. Lions, Bears and Niners.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's great. Well, we are Niners. Well, I'm a Niners fan tonight. For you, Stefania. Big game for your 49ers.

[Stefania Bell]

Be a Niners fan. That's a good. Come on in.

[Liz Loza]

Do you like Sabi B? You like Chardonnay?

[Daniel Dopp]

Not as much. I don't know. It's not too bad, though.

[Stefania Bell]

Listen, here's the thing. The 49ers people had us counted out, down and out with the injuries. I mean, we couldn't get off the ground with a healthy squad. We started the preseason with injury concerns. Nobody believed Christian McCaffrey would have the season he's having.

[Daniel Dopp]

Not wrong.

[Stefania Bell]

I. I might have believed, you know, but I wouldn't let myself fully go there because, like, how you had to see it to believe it. He's been incredible. I think you see a lot of Christian McCaffrey tonight. I do think you see a lot of Jonathan Taylor tonight. I think you can run on the 49ers. So I think Jonathan Taylo Taylor is a good start. 49ers defense has been playing out over their skis. I don't know how they're doing it. The loss of so many players on the defensive line, the loss of Fred Warner, the heart and soul, their defense, the linebacking core has been wrecked a little bit. We don't have a pass rush with the loss of Nick Bosa. Like, I think the Colts can put points on the board through the ground. I don't know if Philip Rivers going to throw a bunch of touchdowns to get paid. You never know know you never know what could happen there. I'm looking for a big game from McCaffrey and I wouldn't be surprised if George Kittle has a dang it has a good game.

[Daniel Dopp]

I don't need that. Stefania in the Fantasy Football now league I am facing Jonathan Taylor and George Kittle. I need them to score a combined 36 and a half or less in order to be able to win this matchup for FF now league. So I do think it is nice matchups actually for both of them. Not a lot of analysis as to who you should start. You've already made your lineup decisions at this point because it's Monday, but you're committed.

[Stefania Bell]

Big question marks as far as who's playing health, anything like fantasy relevant.

[Liz Loza]

I just love from a real football point of view that both the Bears and the 49ers who finished last in their division in 2024 have both now clinched a playoff berth. And as I'm finishing this thought, I am now realizing as well that it's because of the Lions loss mathematically to make it happen. But congrats to us from going from least to best.

[Stefania Bell]

You know, on Beck and Ollie that's we we could still get the number one seed in the division, the NFC West. And I say this for all my west coast friends out there who always like east coast bias, you know, but I always rep the NFC west and I swear that division gets overlooked all the time. Coming into this year I was like this division, if everything plays right, this could be a really tough division. I then did not think that would necessarily play out. I mean look, people didn't believe it because Matthew Stafford, remember him and his bad back before the year started, people like go no way. The 49ers, well they were a hot mess with injuries. People thought maybe Arizona would be the one that would rise to the top. Seattle, oh my goodness. Sam Darnold and Jackson Smith and Jigba just cruising until they ran into the rim. Like it's so competitive in there that I can't wait. We still have the Seahawks to play after we play your team. Yes. So you know it's going to be, it's going to be fun like 49ers bears going to be a good matchup. 49ers Seattle and tonight Monday Night Football on our network against the Colts in indie. I like that it's in a a dome tonight so we don't have weather to contend with.

[Daniel Dopp]

And do you have any Monday Night Miracles that either of you need.

[Stefania Bell]

I need about 60 points from Christian McAffrey. You think that can happen? Then I would beat Mike Clay in the fantasy football now league.

[Daniel Dopp]

I don't know. About 60 would be tough. I need CMC to score less than 36 in order to beat Matthew Barry in our dynasty league. But it's a half point PPR league, so it's being a half PPR that's at least an option. I would rather be in my spot than Matthew's spot. But it's. If there's one guy, he has no one. No one. He has cmc. And so if there's one guy left. But I need that to happen. I also need Tyler Warren to score 6.08 to be able to move on to a final. So if Tyler Warren can get me just seven fantasy points, I'd be thrilled.

[Liz Loza]

I need a total of 60. My opponent has played all of his players. I need a total of 60 from Brock Purdy, Juwan Jennings and Jonathan Taylor.

[Daniel Dopp]

Okay.

[Liz Loza]

To make it to the finals.

[Stefania Bell]

Ooh, that's. It's close. It's possible, but it's not probable. It's not probable. Yeah, you're probably. You're going to be like at the.

[Liz Loza]

Fourth quarter, like, come on, be on the plane screaming.

[Stefania Bell]

That's what I'm going to be.

[Daniel Dopp]

If I. Do you guys mind if I. If I close this show out this way really quickly?

[Stefania Bell]

Of course we don't mind. You're so nice to us.

[Daniel Dopp]

I don't know if usually we talk about, like hanging out in chat. Mama Dot is usually in chat all day. Have you been in chat today? So Momma Dap has been in chat, but she's also sitting here in the studio with us right now. Let's go ahead and bring her on. Why don't you like, just scoot your chair over real quick and we'll just say hello to mom and Dap because it is so great you guys get to spend more time with my mother than I do because she hangs out in the chat with you guys every single day. So it's just great to be able to have her today.

[Stefania Bell]

I think that the ESPN chat gang is great.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes.

[Stefania Bell]

And I absolutely adore my son.

[Liz Loza]

He's so amazing. Oh, my God.

[Daniel Dopp]

We were talking earlier today about how much we love Eric Moody and how great he has been in chat. Kind of like being a mom with so many people asking him so many questions. He's been so gracious. And Mama's been talking about that. How good Eric.

[Liz Loza]

Oh, my God. That like, really got me as the mother of a son.

[Stefania Bell]

I'm a little bit.

[Daniel Dopp]

Bit.

[Stefania Bell]

A little bit. Well, the thing is, I got to hug Damian Woody, a lion. So I was hug to death.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's right.

[Stefania Bell]

Now my next thing is to get to hug Eric.

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh, Eric. Have Eric come and do stuff. Yeah. Next time Eric is on campus, we'll fly you in from Michigan. We can make that happen. So. All right. That's going to do it for us. Thank you for being here with us, Mamadop, and for hanging out with everything. Thank you, Liz Loza, for being here as well, for coming on the show today. That's right, a full ladies day. Today's show was presented by Wingstop, and we're gonna close it out as we always do. Don't forget to love each other and be kind to yourself, you guys. You deserve it. Have fun watching Monday Night Football. And good luck going into week 17 for your championships.

[Stefania Bell]

Yep, we know he was raised by good mama.

[Liz Loza]

Yes, you give great hugs, Mama do. The Uniswap wallet makes crypto easier and.

[Daniel Dopp]

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[Stefania Bell]

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[Liz Loza]

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[Stefania Bell]

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