FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast:

Fantasy Football Takeaways: Fact or Fiction + Week 17 Waiver Wire & Trade Advice | Out of Bounds (Ep. 1915)
Date: December 23, 2025
Hosts: Joey P. (Joe Pisapia), Scott Bogman, The Welsh

EPISODE OVERVIEW

The crew covers all the chaos, drama, and fantasy football implications coming out of Week 16 as managers head into Week 17 – the fantasy championship. With a blend of analysis and holiday banter, Joey P., Bogman, and Welsh break down injury news, hot-button NFL headlines (including the DK Metcalf fan incident), league takeaways, key memorable moments, and run a rapid-fire "Fact or Fiction" segment. Listener questions and bold waiver/trade advice round out an episode perfect for championship-bound managers.

MAIN THEMES & TAKEAWAYS

• Navigating the Most Chaotic Fantasy Season in Memory:
  Injury-plagued, outcome-swerving, and demanding more managerial perseverance than ever, 2025 is characterized as the toughest fantasy football year yet.

• NFL Week 16 Recap & Standout Moments:
  Wild come-from-behinds, controversial calls, and the best Thursday Night Football game in years set the stage for must-watch Week 17 matchups.

• Hot Button Issues:

  • DK Metcalf’s altercation with a fan and imminent NFL suspension.
  • The war of attrition brought on by injuries, spurring debate on NFL schedule changes.
  • Fact or Fiction segment tackling quarterback futures, MVP races, and playoff predictions.

• Waiver, Trade, and Start/Sit Advice:
  The latest injuries and performances mean it's time for gutsy waiver wire claims and bold start/sit decisions for championship week.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & INSIGHTS

1. Season of Attrition – The Injury Plague

• Injuries Are Everything:
  “This has been the most difficult fantasy season ever with the injuries we’ve got … It has been a war of attrition and a war of trying to not throw in the towel and just stay alive every week.” – Joey P. (18:11)

• Impact on Management:

  • Fantasy football “felt a lot more like fantasy baseball” with heavy streaming, constant waiver pickups, and a need for relentless vigilance – Welsh (19:24, 20:14).

• Bogman’s Proposal:
  “We need two bye weeks … You want your star players playing all season long.” (20:32–21:46)
  The proliferation of injuries should force the NFL to add another bye week for more rest and a better product for both fantasy and real football fans.

2. The DK Metcalf Fan Incident and Suspension Debate

• What Happened:
  Prior to a Steelers game, DK Metcalf had a heated altercation and took a swing at a harassing fan.

• Reactions:

  • Joey P.: “You can’t take swings at fans. And he did. … I’m going to be really surprised if DK Metcalf plays again this season or the playoffs … You can’t do this at work.” (09:00–14:03)
  • Bogman: "I would suspend him for the rest of this season, the regular season … maybe it’s one or two games" (10:16)
  • Welsh is the outlier: “This is maximum one game … It looks like he shoves him. None of it's really great … I think this is maximum one game. It'll have zero impact on the actual playoffs … They've made dumber decisions.” (11:20–12:50)
  • Key Quote: “The talk around it, ‘oh, he attacked a fan,’ and then what you see … I don’t think so.” – Welsh (12:01)

3. Wild Week 16: Unpredictable Outcomes and Fantasy Chaos

• Strange Coaching Decisions:
  “What the hell were the Ravens doing getting away from running the football with Snoop Huntley playing quarterback? Why was Derrick Henry not carrying the ball every single time?” – Joey P. (15:35)

• Thursday Night Football Classic:
  “Was that the best Thursday Night Football game we’ve ever seen?” (17:02)
  Puka Nakua and Matthew Stafford’s Thursday night heroics are cited as potentially the best TNF in years.

• This Season’s Unpredictability:

  • “Week 16 was the upside down more than anything … the guys that tell you the story that look bad were good. And then the guys … you would just clearly count on … get knocked out.” – Welsh (21:50–22:35)

4. Fact or Fiction: Rapid-Fire Debates & Listener Q&A

[28:40+] "Fact or Fiction" Segment Highlights & Time Stamps

• Bryce Young Will Be the Panthers’ QB in 2026

  • All hosts: Fact. No competition in the draft/free agency means Young is locked in despite struggles. (28:57–30:20)

• Rams Can Still Win the Super Bowl

  • Collective: Fact. “NFC is wide open … Rams can definitely still go.” – Bogman (30:20–31:19)

• Lamar Jackson Plays Again in 2026?

  • All: Fact. Minor bruise, no reason to doubt comeback. (31:29–32:15)

• Jaguars Are Better Than We Think

  • Welsh: Fact – “I think the majority of people do not think the Jaguars are as good as they are playing.” (32:21)

• Bears Reach the Second Round?

  • Bogman: “They might get there just by getting the number one seed. I’ll say true.” (33:32–33:39)

• Should Giants Trade Jackson Dart for Fernando Mendoza?

  • All: Fiction. “How impatient can you be? … He's your quarterback week one next year.” – Bogman (34:41–35:33)

• Start Drake May or Josh Allen in Championship?

  • All: Drake May, given matchup vs. Jets, despite Allen playing the Eagles. (37:07–37:34)

• Is Justin Herbert Underrated This Year?

  • Joey P.: “He should at least be in that conversation a little bit more …” All agree he’s overachieving despite adversity. (38:16–39:30)

• Panthers Win the NFC South?

  • Joey P., Welsh: Fact (“Let’s go, fact. Screw you Buccaneers!”) Bogman: Fiction (Buccaneers will pull it out in Tampa) (43:24–43:33)

• May & Allen are better MVP candidates over Stafford?

  • Welsh: “I would go May, then Stafford, then Allen is a notch below.” (39:37–39:59)
  • Odds Recap: Stafford -195, May +170, Allen +2500 (40:02)

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fantasy League Wars:
  “If you win this year in 2025 … chances are actually you did a hell of a job week to week managing lineups, managing waiver wire, making trades. … You should be proud of winning in 2025 than any year I’ve ever played fantasy.” – Joey P. (18:11–19:24)

• Classic Thursday Night:
  “That has to be the best [Thursday Night Football] game of the year, right? ... It had everything you could possibly want.” – Bogman (17:02–18:00)

• Player’s Christmas Wish List Fun:
  Extended riff on Cam Scadaboo’s (fake?) Christmas wish list—bubble wrap, McRib, crowbar, air fryer, Gatorade—sets a jovial holiday tone. (04:30–07:54)

• DK Metcalf Incident:
  “You can’t take swings at fans. And he did. He took a swing in a fan. He’d missed. If he had hit him, God knows what the uproar would have been.” – Joey P. (09:00)

• Weekly Moments:
  “My moment of the week ... is the DJ Moore catch for the touchdown. … Phenomenal moment.” – Joey P. (24:44)

  “Just the end of the Steelers game … so many crazy, weird stuff, things, stuff and things happening in there.” – Bogman (25:16)

6. 3-1-1 Contest and Waiver Wire Picks for Week 17

Contest:

• 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher, 100-yard receiver predictions.
• Joey P: Drake May (QB), James Cook (RB), Puka Nacua (WR).
• Bogman: Baker Mayfield (QB), Chase Brown (RB), Chris Olave (WR).
• Welsh: Trevor Lawrence (QB), Ashton Jeanty (RB), CeeDee Lamb (WR).
  (44:13–46:50)

STRUCTURE & SEGMENTS (With Timestamps)

• [00:00–04:30] Cold open, congrats to league winners, audience welcomes.
• [04:30–07:54] Cam Scadaboo’s (fictional) Christmas wish list and hosts’ fun picks.
• [09:00–15:35] DK Metcalf incident: reactions, NFL discipline, sportsmanship.
• [15:35–18:10] Patriots comeback, Ravens’ game mismanagement, injuries.
• [17:02–20:14] Best Thursday Night Football ever? Season difficulty.
• [20:14–21:46] Injury plague and pitch for double byes in the NFL.
• [21:50–24:44] Overarching week recap, weird fantasy results, AFC/NFC playoff implications.
• [24:44–26:23] Favorite moments of Week 16: DJ Moore catch, Steelers/Lions madness, Michael Wilson highlight.
• [28:40–43:33] Fact or Fiction: QB futures, playoff upsets, MVPs, league hot takes.
• [43:33–46:50] 3-1-1 predictions, playoff resets, the ongoing quarterback carousel tally.

FINAL THOUGHTS

• 2025 has tested all fantasy managers, requiring near-daily pivots, waiver magic, and constant vigilance.
• Key advice for championship week:
  Trust matchups, monitor injury reports, don’t second-guess bold waiver claims, and acknowledge that fortune and good management both matter.
• The Discord and chat community is central—listener questions spark some of the best "fact or fiction" debates.

QUOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS

• “This season was so tough. … I think week 16 was so tough. So tough.” – Welsh (22:30)
• “You don't fight at work. It's just something you don't do. He's at work. For whatever this is, this is his professional life.” – Joey P. (13:31)
• “You want your star players playing all season long. ... I think we just have to go to two bye weeks.” – Bogman (20:32)
• “This is the most difficult fantasy season ever. ... you should be proud of winning in 2025 more than any year I've ever played fantasy.” – Joey P. (18:10–19:24)
• “I want to personally thank my colleagues here … you guys are my real-life friends and the fact that we get to do a show here, I’m very grateful.” – Joey P. (50:11)

With a mix of irreverence, sharp analysis, listener engagement, and timely league wisdom, this episode captures the chaos and camaraderie of fantasy football’s wildest season in recent memory. Managers looking ahead to Week 17 will find both battle-worn commiseration and championship-caliber advice.