Fantasy Football Today (Week 16 Tough Calls, LAR-SEA Preview, Fantasy Cops!)

Date: December 17, 2025
Panel: Host - Adam Aizer, analysts Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings
Episode Theme:
This episode is all about crucial Week 16 start/sit decisions, analysis of Thursday’s pivotal Rams-Seahawks showdown, dissecting tough lineup calls for the fantasy semifinals, and resolving real listener disputes in the Fantasy Cops segment. The hosts also discuss injury news, quarterback uncertainties, and answer a treasure trove of tricky listener questions.

Episode Overview

• Primary Focus:
  • Navigating the trickiest start/sit decisions for the fantasy football semifinals.
  • Deep dive into the Rams vs. Seahawks (LAR-SEA) Thursday Night Football matchup, its key players, and fantasy implications.
  • “Fantasy Cops” segment: resolving league ethics and playoff contention fairness issues.
• Tone: Lively, banter-filled, rooted in practical analysis, with plenty of relatable fantasy agonizing and humor.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Week 16 News & Notes

[04:05 – 09:15]

• NFL Injury Updates
  • Jets cut QB Adrian Martinez from the practice squad; possible sign that one of their regular QBs will play.
  • Josh Jacobs aggravated his knee, would have been DNP if Raiders practiced; “maybe don't drop Emmanuel Wilson just yet.” (Heath, 05:59)
  • Devante Adams (shoulder) not ruled out yet for Thursday’s game.
  • Saquon Barkley and Jalen Carter both DNP with respective injuries.
  • Multiple Eagles offensive linemen did not practice ("Yikes," Heath, 07:00).
  • Other names: Donavan Knight out for year, Houston signs Jawar Jordan, Dolphins S Minkah Fitzpatrick week-to-week.
• QB Watch
  • Miami’s Mike McDaniel leaves door open for a QB change as playoffs slip away. No shock if Tua is benched, but as of now, still expected to start. (Jamie, 04:53)
  • “If there’s any question about Tua, then you go [Colby] Parkinson” at TE over Waller. (Jamie, 05:40)
• Waiver Cautions
  • Don’t “hastily drop” backup RBs with weekend injuries looming (Emmanuel Wilson/Michael Carter).

2. Week 16 – “All Tough Call Team”

[09:03 – 12:14]

• Dave unveils his “All Tough Call Team” (players who are fringe start/sits due to matchup, usage, injury, or inconsistency):

  • Trevor Lawrence (at DEN)
  • Omarion Hampton (at DAL)
  • Breece Hall (at NO)
  • Emeka Egbuka (at CAR)
  • Lad McConkey (at DAL)
  • D.J. Moore (vs. GB)
  • Harold Fannin (at BUF)
  • FLEX: Tetairoa McMillan (at TB)
  • DST: Seahawks (vs. Rams)

• Debate on Omarion Hampton at DAL:

  • “I would like to go into the week with him as a sit.” – Jamie (10:04)
  • Dave counters that the matchup and usage (split with Vidal, Dallas missing Quinn and Williams) make the decision less clear: “He’s right on the cusp of someone who would be a good number two fantasy running back.” (10:16)

3. Wide Receiver Tough Calls: Egbuka, McMillan, McConkey, D.J. Moore

[14:45 – 25:03]

• Tetairoa McMillan (Carolina)
  • Jamie: “If [Bryce Young] is north of 30 attempts, I’ll feel comfortable with McMillan as a No. 2 receiver.” (15:11)
  • Dave: “Both [Egbuka and McMillan] have had the floor come out from under them.” (16:27)
• Emeka Egbuka (Tampa Bay)
  • Concerns that Mike Evans’ presence cuts into his targets. Heath notes a serious drop in target share when Evans is on the field (18:23).
  • Jamie: “More concerned about Egbuka than I am McMillan.”
• Consensus on Four WRs
  • Jamie’s preference: McMillan > McConkey > D.J. Moore > Egbuka
  • Dave’s: McConkey highest, “I think they have more upside than both Egbuka and McMillan.” (23:38)
• Where is the Drop-Off?
  • Consensus: strong top-20 WRs, after which start/sit decisions get messy (24:35).

4. Running Back Tough Calls: Breece Hall, Others

[25:04 – 28:51]

• Breece Hall

  • “He's generally good for a big workload and high-value touches… but starting Breece Hall over a Seattle RB or Pittsburgh RB? You might have a hard time doing that.” - Dave (26:45)
  • Jamie leans toward starting “Gainwell, Tracy, Michael Carter, Woody Marks, Aaron Jones” over Hall (27:57)

• Running Back Rankings – When Does It Get Tough?

  • By consensus, after ~17 RBs, it quickly gets dicey (28:14).

5. Quarterback Dilemmas

[28:51 – 35:32]

• Trevor Lawrence (Denver)

  • Clearly a “sit if you can,” ranked QB17-18 by all. No “waiver wire” QBs leapfrog him — only the likes of Brissett, Purdy, or Goff offer a real alternative.
  • Jamie: “He’s ranked where he is. It’s a fairly good week for quarterbacks if you sort of bypass a couple of bad matchups…” (32:14)

• Jackson Dart

  • “Only one game this season under 19 fantasy points... But Minnesota has erased some great quarterbacks.” (34:29 – Jamie)

• Drake Maye

  • Same issue: lower rushing production, “If you got this far with Drake Maye, you should still start Drake Maye. I'd love to see him get back to running the ball...” (Jamie, 37:04)
  • Maye or Burrow? Jamie leans Burrow, expects a bounce-back against the Dolphins (38:09).

6. Rapid Fire: Other Tough Calls

[35:44 – 39:47]

• Harold Fannin (vs. BUF):
  • Dave likes the role but hates the matchup. Schultz over Fannin is a consideration here. (36:00)
• Quinshon Judkins:
  • Dave: “You need to have a little courage to start him… you’re just hoping for a couple breakaway runs and something that finishes in the end zone.” (39:31)

7. Rams vs. Seahawks (Thursday Night Football) Deep Dive

[40:51 – 54:59]

a. Matchup Stakes & Defensive Strength

• “These are two of the top three defenses in football — points and yards per play.” (42:10 - Heath)
• Only seven combined running back carries over 13 yards allowed all season.

b. Rams Fantasy Starters

• Puka Nacua (“auto start”), Kyren Williams (“They play eight offensive linemen at times”), Matthew Stafford, and Colby Parkinson considered main starts. (42:29 – Jamie)
• Stafford: Ranked mid-QB1 but still some risk in tough matchups, esp. if rainy.
  • “He doesn’t have Devonte Adams. That’s a big part of this... you expect him to rise above.” (Jamie, 46:07)

c. Seahawks Fantasy Starters

• Only Jackson Smith-Njigba is a confident start; heavy skepticism re: Sam Darnold, Ken Walker (now a clear bench).

d. Colby Parkinson — Breakout TE?

• Full buy-in from Jamie and Dave: 5 TDs in 6 games, 14 RZ targets, 7 green zone targets. (51:52, stats discussed at 51:47+)
• “If it blows up in your face, it’s going to blow up in my face, your face, a lot of people's faces.” – Jamie (53:16)

e. D/ST Rankings

• Rams D/ST gets slight edge – both are “startable if desperate, but Chiefs/Bills clearly preferred.” (54:56 – Heath)

8. Listener Mailbag – Start/Sit Qs

[55:12 – 73:30]

• Dozens of nuanced start/sit questions for WRs, RBs, TEs, QBs, and flex, including Kyren Williams vs. Travion Henderson, Parkinson vs. Goddard, Stafford vs. Bo Nix, McMillan vs. Egbuka, and many more.

Memorable Exchange:

• On Colby Parkinson vs. Tyler Warren:
  • Jamie: “I dropped Warren to pick up Colby Parkinson. It felt gross.” (51:52)

9. Fantasy Cops: League Ethics & Playoff Disputes

[57:19 – 68:04]

• Grandparents Lineup Conundrum:

  • Commissioner sets grandparents’ lineup; Dad says it’s unfair and will quit if it continues.
  • Verdict: Should keep helping if that’s what was done all year; use a “remind them, then help if they ask” workaround.
  • Jamie: “Casually reach out to his grandparents… then they could ask, and you set their lineup.”

• Is Playoff Drop-Blocking Collusion?

  • Listener considers dropping his RB4 so a higher waiver priority can use him to knock out a close rival.
  • Dave: “That’s collusion. You’re playing Santa Claus with another member of the league.” (62:49)
  • Jamie: “I don’t know if it’s ethical, but I don’t think it’s collusion.” (63:04)
  • Group agrees it’s only truly collusion if the two managers actively coordinate.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Injury News and Notes: 04:05 – 09:15
• All Tough Call Team (RB/WR talk): 09:03 – 25:03
• RB Rankings Cutoff: 25:04 – 28:51
• QB Dilemmas (Lawrence/Dart/Maye): 28:51 – 35:32
• Rapid-Fire Tough Calls: 35:44 – 39:47
• Rams/Seahawks Preview Begins: 40:51
• Colby Parkinson Discussion: 51:47 – 53:56
• D/ST Analysis: 54:20 – 55:03
• Mailbag (rapid fire S/S): 55:12 – 73:30
• Fantasy Cops (league disputes): 57:19 – 68:04

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “He's right on the cusp of someone who would be a good number two fantasy running back, and it has to do with just his utility over the last couple of games.” – Dave, on Hampton (10:16)
• “I would like to go into the week with him as a sit.” – Jamie on both Hampton and Lawrence (10:04)
• “Both [Egbuka and McMillan] have had the floor come out from under them and you could end up with some really rotten games.” – Dave (16:27)
• “He's generally good for a big workload and high-value touches…starting Breece Hall over a Seattle RB or Pittsburgh RB? You might have a hard time doing that.” – Dave (26:45)
• “This is the type of game where you expect [Stafford] to rise above and play at a good enough level... I just think Seattle's defense is amazing. But he's the MVP of the NFL for a reason.” – Jamie (46:07)
• “I dropped Tyler Warren to pick up Colby Parkinson. It felt gross.” – Jamie (51:52)
• “That’s collusion. You’re playing Santa Claus with another member of the league.” – Dave, on drop-blocking playoff strategy (62:49)
• “Casually reach out to his grandparents… then they could ask, and you set their lineup.” – Jamie, with creative Fantasy Cop wisdom (59:39)

Summary Table: “Tough Calls Consensus”

| Player | Jamie | Dave | Consensus/Notes | |-----------------------|---------------|----------------|-------------------------------------------| | O. Hampton (RB, DAL) | Sit | Flex (cautious)| Only start as borderline RB2/flex | | T. Lawrence (QB, DEN) | Sit | Sit | Waiver QBs not much better this week | | T. McMillan (WR) | Start | Flex | Target volume/game script key | | E. Egbuka (WR) | Low flex | Low flex | Floor has cratered | | L. McConkey (WR) | Start | Start | More upside than McMillan/Egbuka | | D.J. Moore (WR) | Start | Start | Game script highly relevant | | H. Fannin (TE) | Start only PPR| Low PPR start | Matchup is very tough | | B. Hall (RB) | Sit | Marginal start | Needs passing usage to be viable | | Drake Maye (QB) | Low QB1 | Low QB1 | Still trust, hope for legs | | Colby Parkinson (TE) | Top 10 | Top 10 | Massive RZ/endzone usage; trust | | Rams/Seahawks DST | Streamable | Slight lean LAR| Prefer Chiefs/Bills D/ST as better starts |

Want-to-Win-League Hot Tips

• Don’t overrate the “safe”/familiar player: Trust recent usage and role (Parkinson!) over prior name value.
• Don’t drop lottery ticket RBs until late injury news comes out.
• Context matters: E.g., start/sit decisions should consider implied team totals, offensive line injury fallout, and opponent defensive splits.
• **Trust your weekly research, but don’t be afraid to play hot waiver pickups over struggling “studs” at this point in the season.
• When in doubt: Chase the player with the clearest path to volume and TD upside over perceived “floor”.

Final Words

This episode is a must-listen for anyone sweating over lineup choices in the semifinals. The crew’s discussion steers you away from trap plays and toward sneaky, high-upside plug-ins just as the stakes peak. Their chemistry and the Fantasy Cops segment are the icing on the cake—bring your toughest questions and your wildest league ethics dilemmas!

For full rankings, position-by-position debates, and the latest injury/contextual updates, listen to the full show or visit the CBS Sports Fantasy Football Today rankings page.