FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast - Week 14 Reactions & Injuries + Early Week 15 Waiver Wire (Ep. 1885)

Date: December 8, 2025
Host: Seth Wilcock
Guests: Dr. Deepak Chona (Injury Analyst), Scott Bogman (“Boggs”)

Episode Overview

This episode provides an in-depth recap of Week 14 in fantasy football, focusing on the implications of notable injuries, breaking down key player performances, and offering strategic advice heading into the fantasy playoffs. The hosts analyze emerging waiver wire options, deliver their “Playoff Trust-o-Meter” segment for top trending players, and round things out with a rapid-fire Q&A and panic meter topics sourced from the FantasyPros community.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Week 14 Injury Roundup

[04:16–20:06]

Notable Injuries & Fantasy Impact

• Daniel Jones (Colts, QB) – Achilles Injury

  • Likely a torn Achilles: “You can see on the video it does kind of snap on him... Average on these is taken between 6 and 10 months.” (Dr. Deepak Chona, 04:16)
  • Dr. Chona expects Daniel Jones may be ready around Week 1 next year but cautions about a dip in mobility/push-off and likely two years to get close to pre-injury form.
  • Fantasy Fallout:
    • Riley Leonard likely to start, which downgrades all Colts skill players: “Just, it hurts everybody. It hurts JT a little bit. It hurts Pittman and Pierce and Warren.” (Bogman, 06:33)

• Devon Achane (Dolphins, RB) – Rib Injury

  • Probably a rib contusion over a break: “Mike McDaniel afterwards said he could have come back even this game…” (Chona, 07:57)
  • Expect Achane to play Week 15 if he logs a full practice; otherwise, Jalen Wright is next in line for significant touches.
    • “Jalen Wright is now the number two. It’s pretty clear... It seems like it’s Jalen’s now.” (Bogman, 09:19)

• Tyrod Taylor (Jets, QB) – Groin Injury

  • Expected 2–3 week absence. With playoffs out of reach, unlikely to push him back quickly.
  • Brady Cook under center for Jets: “Not great… Jacksonville has been playing really well recently. They stopped the run very well and Breece Hall is like your only weapon left in New York.” (Bogman, 10:39)
  • Justin Fields possible to return, but injury details (“sore knee”) are vague.

• Jayden Daniels (Commanders, QB) – Elbow, and Zach Ertz (TE) – Knee

  • Daniels: Re-injured dislocated elbow. Likely out for rest of season.
    • “I would be pretty surprised if they brought him back next week…you’re not playing for anything and this is your franchise.” (Chona, 13:25)
  • Ertz: Suspected ACL tear, possibly career-ending.
    • “Data is not super favorable here…hard time suspecting this one’s going to be super favorable going forward.” (Chona, 15:11)

• Concussions (CE Lamb, Bay Shaltun, Darnell Washington)

  • CeeDee Lamb: Good chance to clear protocol with extra time; others less likely.
    • “CD Lamb has those extra three days and reportedly he's been progressing.” (Chona, 18:34)

Notable Quotes

• On Daniel Jones:
  • “We would expect around two years post injury you’ll start kind of regaining most of what he is now, but…next year he probably comes back around week one…maybe not exactly the guy we were looking at this year.” (Chona, 04:16)

2. Playoff Trust-o-Meter: Who Can You Rely On?

[22:23–36:25]

Hosts rate playoff confidence for key Week 14 “Heroes” & “Villains” (Scale: 1-10)

Playoff Heroes

• Tee Higgins (WR):
  • 8 or higher. “I love that Joe Burrow is back…Pretty decent schedule here for him.” (Bogman, 23:39)
• DK Metcalf (WR):
  • 7. “First play of the game…they want to take those shots…I think we're going to see more of that.” (Bogman, 24:35)
• Zay Flowers (WR):
  • 7-8. “It’s tough to sit a guy who's the number one target on his team.” (Bogman, 25:39)
• Kyle Pitts (TE):
  • 5. “How can it be higher than a 5 on Kyle Pitts at any point, right?” (Bogman, 26:31)
• Travis Etienne (RB):
  • 9. “I think he's going to be fine. So nine specifically with [Tank] Bigsby out.” (Bogman, 27:13)
• Devin Neal (RB):
  • 6. “If Kamara does come back, you know…what are we doing with Kamara?” (Bogman, 27:54)
• Blake Corum (RB):
  • 5-6. “It's going to be a 50-50 split until the playoffs…Corum's a great running back.” (Bogman, 29:00)
• RJ Harvey (RB):
  • 7 without Dobbins. “He’s just been outstanding...getting all the carries.” (Bogman, 29:48)

Playoff Villains

• Kenneth Walker III (RB):
  • 6. “He doesn't get the goal line…assume he's pretty good in the good matchups.” (Bogman, 30:49)
• Breece Hall (RB):
  • 4. “If we're getting Brady Cook…that's real bad for an already awful offense.” (Bogman, 31:24)
• Emeka Egbuka (WR):
  • 5. “If I can avoid starting Egbuka, I’m doing it.” (Bogman, 32:34)
• Justin Jefferson (WR):
  • 7 or 8. “I think it's going to get better—positivity for me.” (Bogman, 33:45)
• Tyler Warren (TE):
  • 5. “He's probably going to be started because the matchups are so good but he is very much matchup based right now.” (Bogman, 35:42)

3. Top Storylines of the Week

[36:25–43:46]

Browns vs. Titans: Points Explosion

• Shadour Sanders (QB) excels: 364 yards, 3 TDs, 33.5 points.
  • “Shadour was awesome. He really was…you don't get to play Tennessee every week, but the schedule is pretty good.” (Bogman, 37:29)
• Harold Fannin Jr. (TE) emerges: Sanders’s main target: “Fannin has now become the number one target on this team.” (Bogman, 37:29)
• Tony Pollard (RB, Titans): Career-best day, but skepticism remains.
  • “I don’t believe a single thing I saw from Tony Pollard today…I'm not buying what we saw today from Tony Pollard.” (Bogman, 37:29)

Steelers Running Back Split

• Jalen Warren vs. Kenneth Gainwell: Both borderline must-starts.
  • “It’s still Jalen Warren for me, but they're splitting down the middle…pretty much a coin flip at this point.” (Bogman, 40:13)

Seahawks Defense – Fantasy League Winner

• D/ST1 by far: “How can you not right now? Seattle is beating everybody and they're playing Riley Leonard next week against Indy.” (Bogman, 42:19)
• Advice: If facing them in Week 15, shoot for a high-ceiling lineup; Seahawks could put up 15–30 points.

4. Panic Meter

[45:27–48:43]

1–10 scale, 1 = chill, 10 = full-blown panic.

• Lamar Jackson: 3. “This week did a lot to dispel my issues with him.” (Bogman, 46:04)
• Ashton Jeanty (RB, Raiders): 7. “This offense looks disgusting right now.” (Bogman, 46:49)
• Emeka Egbuka: 6–7. “He's going to be a wide receiver three for me...You probably want to have two guys that are better than him in your lineup.” (Bogman, 48:10)

5. Listener Q&A

[48:43–55:14]

• Vidal vs. Higgins?
  “I’d probably go Vidal. I don’t trust Higgins.” (Bogman, 50:19)
• Dynasty Buy: Justin Jefferson:
  “It's the lowest you’re ever going to get him…perfect time to buy.” (Bogman, 50:58)
• First Overall Draft Picks (2026):
  • Consensus leans toward JSN (Jaxon Smith-Njigba), but Jonathan Taylor, Jameer Gibbs, Puka Nacua, and others could be in the mix based on off-season developments.
  • “If Jefferson has a huge finish to the season, he'll be right back in that discussion as well.” (Bogman, 55:01)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “This is a war of attrition and things are getting to guys right now.” (Bogman, 02:53)
• “We would expect around two years post injury you’ll start kind of regaining most of what he is now...” (Chona, 04:16 re: Daniel Jones)
• “Raise your hand if you started Tony Pollard this week and put it down because you're a liar.” (Bogman, 37:29)
• “If you are going against [Seahawks D/ST] next week…put out a high ceiling lineup. They could get anywhere from 15 to 30 fantasy points like it is on the table once again.” (Wilcock, 43:45)

Strategic Takeaways

• Monitor Injuries Closely: The ripple effects of QBs and RBs going down are massive for all fantasy-relevant players around them.
• Emerging RB Opportunities: Jalen Wright (if Achane sits), Jalen Warren/Kenneth Gainwell splits, and how team approaches to playoffs shake up committee work.
• Defensive Consideration: Seahawks D/ST is a league-winner, must-start until further notice.
• Start/Sit Nuances: Weigh opportunity vs. situation—some “automatic” plays (like Breece Hall, Egbuka) are now risky given quarterback or game script changes.
• Trade/waiver priorities: Now is the time to be aggressive (especially in keeper/dynasty: buy low on elite talent).

Timestamps of Major Segments

• Injury Roundup: 04:16–20:06
• Trust-o-Meter: 22:23–36:25
• Storylines of the Week: 36:25–43:46
• Panic Meter: 45:27–48:43
• Listener Q&A / Dynasty Talk: 48:43–55:14

Summary

A packed show featuring all the critical fallout from Week 14’s highs and lows, with injury updates, actionable playoff advice, and an unflinching look at which players you can actually trust as your league enters the postseason. The analysis is grounded, candid, and optimistic—peppered with in-jokes, community shoutouts, and the type of no-nonsense wisdom FantasyPros fans expect, such as:

• “How can it be higher than a 5 on Kyle Pitts at any point, right?”
• “Raise your hand if you started Tony Pollard this week and put it down because you’re a liar.”

The episode arms you with everything you need to make the tough lineup and waiver calls that can separate champions from the rest.