Podcast Summary: Fantasy Football Today

Episode: Fantasy Cops, 2026 Resolutions, Week 18 Tough Calls
Date: December 31, 2025
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings

Overview:

This year-end episode delivers a lively mix of fantasy football analysis, New Year’s resolutions, listener mailbag, and the always-entertaining “Fantasy Cops” segment. The crew shares lessons learned from 2025, ideas for improving your fantasy play, settles league disputes, and dissects tough lineup dilemmas for an often-chaotic Week 18.

Main Topics & Highlights

1. New Year Check-In & Fantasy Discussions

• Host Banter: The hosts kick off with lighthearted personal resolutions and New Year's plans—but quickly steer toward fantasy football lessons.
• Adam jokes about finding something to be “great” at outside of fantasy football:

  “I just want to be great at something. I’m more than a year away from being great at that, so I just want to be great at something.” (04:33)

• The crew discusses their confidence (or lack thereof) in upcoming New Year's resolutions, emphasizing a mix of self-improvement and laughter.

2. News and Notes (07:04)

• Stefon Diggs facing assault allegations—uncertain fantasy impact, but he's expected to play this week.
• T.J. Watt, Dallas cornerbacks, and other late-season injuries are discussed, with implications for lineup choices in Week 18.
• Key Highlight:

  “The Cowboys could have played all of their starters, bring back Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, and the Giants are still going to win this game.” – Heath (06:45)

• Teams Resting Starters: Speculation about Eagles, Cowboys, Bills, and Chargers sitting key players, and how that affects Week 18 rankings.

3. Fantasy Football Resolutions for 2026

Jamey’s Resolutions (10:12 – 17:44)

• Avoiding Contract Holdouts in Drafts:
  • Past examples where players entering the season with unresolved contracts underperformed (e.g., Terry McLaurin).
  • Hesitation around leaning on players stuck in off-field negotiations.

  • “I just think it’s an easy storyline to stay away from.” – Jamey (10:25)

• Not Panicking Over Every Preseason Injury:
  • Lessons from overreacting to injuries for players like H.N. and Stafford—sometimes “panic” is unwarranted if teams aren't outwardly concerned.

  • “I won’t treat all preseason injuries as the plague.” – Jamey (13:35)

• Caution with Receivers and Inexperienced Quarterbacks:
  • Flagged the unpredictability of wide receiver output with new QBs (e.g., Jefferson/Ridley/Saints/Olave scenarios).

Adam & Heath’s Resolutions (23:19 – 32:59)

• Projections & Bad Offenses:
  • Heath resolves to better check for outlier offensive projections, particularly on teams with new coaches or rookie signal callers.
  • Adam doubles down on avoiding players tied to bad offenses early in drafts, using examples from the Raiders and Falcons.

  • “Try not to draft players on bad offenses…especially in the early rounds.” – Adam (24:38)

• Selling High on Schedule-Based Value:
  • The crew discusses being open-minded about trading stars like Mahomes or Taylor when future schedules appear daunting.
  • Heath reflects on missing with De’Andre Swift due to strength of schedule concerns that didn’t pan out.

4. Fantasy Cops: Settling League Disputes (35:22 – 48:28)

Case 1: The Stat Correction Switcheroo

• Scenario: In a high-stakes final, a manager accepts a “double or nothing” Week 18 extension, not realizing they’d win via stat correction after the original matchup. The opponent may have known the stat change was coming.
• Panel Verdict:
  • Heath: Take the win since the opponent conceded after knowing the correction (38:08).
  • Jamey: Play Week 18 since both sides had opportunities to check corrections (39:02).
  • Adam: Nuanced—it depends if both truly had access to the same information (40:24).

Case 2: Kicker Mishap

• Scenario: A scoring setting accidentally gave +1 for missed kicks, awarding a title due to a kicker’s miss.
• Advice:
  • Don’t retroactively change the title given the season-long rule; instead, tweak payout distribution if the commissioner erred.

  • “If it’s been the rule for two years, I…believe me, I commissioned several leagues…you just, you gotta live with it.” – Jamey (44:11)

• Panel encourages leagues to designate a “rules nerd” for annual rule-checks.

General Commissioner Advice

• Don’t overextend yourself running too many leagues; have a partner double-check settings and ensure transparency.

5. Week 18: Tough Start/Sit Calls (50:43 – 57:24)

• Travion Henderson’s Boom-or-Bust Profile:
  • Adam notes that in his “three good games…two had multiple 50-yard touchdowns.”
  • Jamey: Start as RB2; Heath: “He’s in my top 24.” (51:37)
• 49ers WRs vs. Seahawks:
  • Both Jamey and Heath endorse starting Juwan Jennings and Ricky Pearsall in Week 18 due to secure roles and their team’s playoff urgency.
• Steelers RBs (Gainwell & Warren):
  • Jamey trusts Gainwell as a “top 20 option,” less bullish on Warren (56:17).
• Terry McLaurin vs. Philadelphia:
  • Not a recommended start in typical league sizes.

6. Listener Mailbag & Advanced Strategy (57:25 – End)

• Fantasy MVP Debate:
  • Introduction of a custom “Lamar” metric (League Adjusted Measure Above Replacement) validates McCaffrey’s MVP status in most formats.

  • “McCaffrey is actually something of a superhero... He has the three best Lamar seasons in my league’s history.” – Listener Paul (58:12)

• Dynasty League Startup Question:
  • Strong advice to NOT allow keepers from previous redraft seasons; start fresh with new drafts and possibly integrate rookies into the pool for more fun.

  • “I would start fresh. You didn’t go into the draft last year thinking about keepers, so I don’t think it’s fair now.” – Heath (62:27)

• Existential “What’s the Point?” Email:
  • Hosts empathize; acknowledge the chaos and chance in fantasy is also why victory tastes so sweet.
• Bonus/Alternative Week 18 Ideas:
  • One listener runs a “guillotine” league bonus round for extra fab next season; Adam muses about a DFS contest for fans.

Notable Quotes

• “I just want to be great at something.” – Adam (04:33)
• “Try not to draft players on bad offenses... especially in the early rounds.” – Adam (24:38)
• “I won’t treat all preseason injuries as the plague.” – Jamey (13:35)
• “If it’s been the rule for two years, you gotta live with it.” – Jamey (44:11)
• “It’s about the journey.” – Heath (65:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Fantasy Resolutions: 10:12 – 23:19
• Bad Offenses & Draft Cautions: 23:19 – 28:26
• Sell-High Approach Discussion: 28:26 – 32:59
• Fantasy Cops Disputes: 35:22 – 48:28
• Week 18 Start/Sit Calls: 50:43 – 57:24
• Listener Mailbag: 57:25 – End

Final Notes

The episode captures the gut-wrenching unpredictability, emotional swings, and creative problem-solving essential to fantasy football. The FFT crew balances actionable resolution advice, entertaining commish war stories, and nuanced game theory, providing the perfect end-of-year pod for any fantasy football enthusiast.