Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry

Episode: 2025 Season Leaders Trivia + Wild Card Weekend DFS Stacks
Date: January 6, 2026
Host: Matthew Berry (with Field Yates, Connor Rogers, and Denny Carter)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the 2025 NFL regular season stat leaders through interactive trivia, peppered with the show’s signature mix of playful banter, pop culture references, and audience engagement. Following a lengthy opening segment full of movie talk and light-hearted arguments, the core of the episode features fantasy leaderboard trivia covering QBs, RBs, WRs, and red zone usage, plus analysis on what these numbers mean for 2026 fantasy drafts. The latter portion is dedicated to DFS advice for Wild Card weekend, featuring stack strategies for large-field tournaments with guest Denny Carter.

1. Opening Banter: Movies, Culture, and Hot Takes

[01:01 – 11:44]

• The "Star Wars" Debate

  • Berry admits he’s barely watched Star Wars, leading Field and Connor – and the chat – into a whirlwind debate over which American classic is more essential viewing: Star Wars or The Godfather Part II.
    • "I would say that Godfather 1 and 2 is more important than all nine of the Star Wars." — Matthew Berry [01:18]
    • "Never seeing Star Wars is more egregious than having never seen Godfather 2." — Field Yates, echoing audience poll [02:28]

• Armageddon Logic & Bad Movie Choices

  • Nostalgia and movie plot holes dissected: Why train drillers to be astronauts in “Armageddon”, bad sequels, and Matthew’s claim to fame as a Razzie nominee for “Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles.”
    • "I'm a Razzie nominee for my work on Crocodile Dundee in Los Angeles." — Matthew Berry [07:31]
  • Comparing “The Martian”, "Interstellar", “Gravity”, and “2001: A Space Odyssey" as favorite space movies. Field confesses he hasn't seen Interstellar, to much chagrin.
    • "I think Interstellar is one of the best movies of the past 20 years." — Connor Rogers [10:47]

• Christopher Nolan’s Confusing Endings

  • Split opinions on Nolan’s movies (Inception, Tenet). Connor: “Tenet is an atrocious movie... Anyone who likes that movie is wrong.” [11:48]

2. Fantasy Leaderboard Trivia: Season Stats Deep Dive

[12:21 – 41:08]

Quarterback Points Per Game

• Key Points:

  • Josh Allen led QBs in PPG (22.8). The focus shifts to Brock Purdy at #2 (21.5 PPG) and Jalen Hurts at #9.

    • "I’d be buying into the Niners offense next year... I'd be heavily in on Brock Purdy next year." — Matthew Berry [15:23]
    • "He’s not just the system quarterback... Purdy’s taking this to another level." — Connor Rogers [14:28]
    • Caution: Purdy's injury risk—“He’s been in the NFL for four years. He’s gotten hurt all four years.” — Connor [16:47]

  • Jalen Hurts underwhelmed in 2025 due to decreased rushing: “If Jalen Hurts isn’t going to run the ball…he’s just not as nearly as much of a needle mover.” — Connor Rogers [18:30]

    • Field projects Hurts will still be a top-8 fantasy QB pick next year, but is wary due to lower floor. [21:33]

Rushing Yards Per Game (RBs)

• James Cook: Led at 95.4 yards/game.
• Surprise Names: Javonte Williams at #6, Kyren Williams at #7.
  • "Kyren should at least have some regression in terms of goal line carries." — Connor Rogers [29:18]
  • Offseason questions for both – particularly the Cowboys’ RB room and potential role for Williams.

Red Zone Touches

• McCaffrey dominates (91 touches), surprise: Travis Etienne tied for 4th.
• Analysis:
  • Etienne’s value dependent on returning to Jags and remaining the workhorse under OC Liam Coen. [31:20]
  • Quick nickname banter: “King Tutankhamun” for Bashal Tootin, “Brown Gobbler” for Chase Brown.

Wide Receiver Points Per Game (Fantasy PPG)

• Top 2: Puka Nacua, Jackson Smith-Njigba (~23/21 PPG).
• Surprise #4: Rashee Rice (18.8 PPG), discussion on his emerging value.
  • "When he came back, it was just like — you’re my guy [Mahomes]." — Field Yates [35:00]
  • "If Travis Kelce does retire, Rashee Rice is going to be on the short list for Ride or Die candidates next year." — Field Yates [36:51]
• Devante Adams at #9: Massive touchdown dependency, but age and injury raise doubts for 2026.
  • "He’s probably the most touchdown dependent fantasy superstar among pass catchers." — Field Yates [40:31]

3. Wild Card Weekend DFS Stacks with Denny Carter

[43:03 – 49:48]

• Stacking Philosophy in Playoff DFS

  • Denny: Stack not just a lineup, but a game narrative—QB + multiple pass catchers + an opponent for correlation in big tournaments.
    • "Make your lineups like you’re right... Stacking is important here if you want to get your lineup to the top." — Denny Carter [45:18]

• Sample Stack Targets for Wild Card

  • Buffalo @ Jacksonville (52.5 O/U):
    • Target lower rostered Bills stacks (Josh Allen + receivers); bring back with Travis Etienne.
    • Jags’ offensive pieces also live due to Bills’ porous run D.
  • Texans @ Steelers (39.5 O/U):
    • Texans pass-heavy; recommend Nico Collins, Stroud, Dalton Schultz, run back with Ken Gainwell.
  • 49ers @ Eagles:
    • Eagles stack is “contrarian” due to late-season slide, but upside is there.
    • A.J. Brown uniquely positioned vs. Niners’ coverage; bring back with CMC.
      • "If you think Hurts is going to have a big game, then you throw in A.J. Brown, you throw in Dallas. Got it? Maybe Devonte Smith.” — Denny Carter [49:12]

4. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Armageddon’s Plot:
  • "People overlook that astronauts are actually, like, some of the smartest scientists in the world. They're not just people that wanted to go to space." — Matthew Berry [07:03]
• Defending Not Seeing Star Wars:
  • "Maybe not my America." — Matthew Berry [04:48]
• On Fantasy Draft Caution:
  • "If Hurts is taken as a top 8 quarterback next year, I’d be entirely out." — Matthew Berry [21:17]
• DFS Big Picture:
  • "Embrace variance, embrace uncertainty here." — Denny Carter [48:50]
• Audience Engagement:
  • The hosts actively address the “regulars” in the chat by name (Ved, Aloha Bricks, etc.), using their trivia answers to guide the segments and riffing off their jokes.

5. Last Call: Early Line Alert and Quick Picks

[52:38 – 53:55]

• Wild Card Bets
  • Connor: Niners +4.5 vs. Eagles (expects close game)
  • Matthew: Chargers +3.5 vs. Patriots (“Herbert will want to bring his absolute best”)
  • Field: UNDER 52.5 in Jags-Bills (“Both teams will go run heavy, fewer possessions”)
• Show News/Updates
  • Quick reaction to Cliff Kingsbury leaving the Commanders.

6. Tone & Style

• Playful, fast-paced, banter-laden.
• Frequent pop culture analogies; doesn’t take itself too seriously.
• Encourages live audience participation and chat jokes.
• Casual, occasionally irreverent (especially around memes, inside jokes, and movie spoilers).

Quick Timestamps for Key Segments

• Star Wars vs. Godfather Banter: 01:01–06:09
• Armageddon/Astronaut Movie Talk: 06:10–11:44
• QB Leaderboard Trivia: 12:21–17:16
  • Brock Purdy analysis: 14:08–16:47
  • Jalen Hurts disappointment: 17:01–22:13
• RB Rushing, Red Zone, and Kyren/Javonte Focus: 22:38–29:50
• WR Points Per Game, Rashee Rice Emergence: 33:55–38:22
• DFS Wild Card Stacks (with Denny Carter): 43:03–49:48
• Wild Card Betting/Last Call: 52:38–53:55

For Listeners New and Old

Expect a lot of laughter, strong movie opinions woven into the fantasy talk, and practical analysis on how season-ending numbers and playoff matchups should shape your 2026 fantasy strategy—especially if you like to keep playing DFS through January. Individually, each contributor brings football expertise, but it’s their camaraderie and willingness to have fun that makes the show a standout for fantasy fans.