Recapping The Christmas NFL Slate
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Bleacher Nation Fantasy, we recap the two-game Christmas Day slate, the top DST streamers for the weekend, and more.
In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Bleacher Nation Fantasy:
When there are two games on Christmas during fantasy championship week, there is only one possible question to ask the morning after …
Can I still win a title or am I drawing dead?
While there were some solid scores, there is, fortunately, nothing that is insurmountable.
Here is a quick rundown of the scores and how they are likely making you feel right now …
Oh hell yes, give me some more of that spiked egg nog! If you started any of these guys, you are contemplating an early victory lap post on the message board:
- Lamar Jackson - 29.42
- Derrick Henry - 23.5
- Xavier Worthy - 18.9
- Travis Kelce - 18.4
Not too shabby, let’s keep on keepin’ on! You would have liked a little more, but you can’t complain:
- Patrick Mahomes - 26
- Mark Andrews - 13.8
- Jaylen Warren - 13.7
Oh God, is it 2025 yet? Forget the egg nog, give me the bleach …
- Najee Harris - 9.1
- Nico Collins - 7.4
- George Pickens - 6.5
- Joe Mixon - 4.9
- Zay Flowers - 4.1
- C.J. Stroud - 7.1
- Isiah Pacheco - 1.8
Regardless of how your matchup started, there’s plenty of time to catch up. Read on for some of the best defense streamers for championship weekend …
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- Week 17 DST Streamers: A Charged-Up Defense
- Watercooler: A big scratch for TNF
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Two Road Defenses To Stream
by Sam Wallace
One of the most overlooked pieces of that process is figuring out which team's defense to stream.
If you don't have a locked-in option each week like the Steelers, playing the matchups can be an effective way to manage that roster spot each week.
To assist, I'll consolidate a list of team defenses that every fantasy manager needs to know to prepare for the week ahead.
Los Angeles Chargers @ New England Patriots
The Chargers may have struggled against a rookie QB in Bo Nix on Thursday night, but I'm projecting a better performance against another rookie QB this week in Drake Maye. The Chargers travel east to take on the Patriots in one of three Saturday matchups on NFL Network.
This season, the Patriots are 3-11 and, heading into this past weekend, ranked 31st in scoring (17.0 points/game).
Maye has thrown 14 TDs to go along with his 10 INTs in 11 games. Perhaps more significant for fantasy purposes is that he's thrown at least one INT in seven straight games.
On the other side, the Chargers are a top-10-ranked defense that is averaging almost three sacks and over one forced turnover per game. They also ranked 3rd in points allowed at just over 18 points per game.
This could get to be a long afternoon for Maye & Co. if the Patriots' defense can't hold up their end of the deal. Don't hesitate to roll out the Chargers' defense in your championship matchup.
Seattle Seahawks @ Chicago Bears
The Seahawks travel to Chicago tonight as they take on their third straight NFC North foe. Their previous two matchups (Packers & Vikings) ended with losses, but Seattle has a prime opportunity in this one.
Despite getting shredded by Justin Jefferson this past weekend (10/144/2 on 13 targets), we shouldn't hold that against them (everyone gets demolished by Jefferson). This is still a top-10 defensive unit in the NFL, and we all know how much Caleb Williams enjoys taking sacks.
To his credit, Williams has thrown 10 TDs in his last five games while not throwing a single INT. But here's why numbers can be so fun … he's also thrown just 10 TDs in his last nine games.
Making numbers fit narratives is fun. Context matters.
Anyway, the Bears entered Week 15 as the 25th-ranked scoring offense at 19.0 points per game. By comparison, Seattle is league-average in both points scored (14th) and points allowed (15th), so they match up quite well.
In fact, besides getting lit up by Jefferson (and Geno Smith throwing a pair of picks), Seattle totally frustrated Minnesota for most of the second half and even had the lead late in the fourth quarter. They should have no issues sticking with Williams and whatever version of the Bears' offense shows up on Thursday.
More DST Streamers For Championship Weekend
The latest fantasy nuggets, silliness, and NFL gossip from our merry band of football nerds:
🍷 Big news for tonight’s game. Grab a glass of Charbonnet.
🪓 Playoff contests are live. Get up to speed on the Guilloteenie and the CHOPionship.
🏆️ Lamar Jackson out here breaking records. Incredible.
🎅 The Chiefs got in the holiday spirit after their win. Andy Reid is a natural.
🥰 He might not win the actual MVP … but he was the Christmas Day MVP.
🤔 Remember Diontae Johnson on the Ravens? I don’t.
🔒️ Lock it in. 2 playoff seeds are set.
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