Category: Sport

It’s possible that by Week 18, there’s no real intrigue left in the NFL’s playoff picture.

With two games left, the field is mostly set other than figuring out the AFC North and NFC South champions. Both of those divisions could be clinched this week. The only two wild-card contenders who are still mathematically alive but aren’t currently in the field are the Colts and Lions. They have a 4% and 6% chance, respectively, to make the playoffs, according to NFL.com. The NFL has to fill Saturday slots and a Sunday night slot in Week 18, and there might not be any great options.

Advertisement

What could save the NFL’s scheduling staff are the races for the No. 1 seeds. There should be a little more clarity about that after Sunday night’s game between two 11-4 teams.

The Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers are both alive for the very important top seed in the NFC. The loser of this game is likely eliminated from the race. The Bears probably will win the NFC North regardless of Sunday night’s result, but the 49ers’ path to a division title and the No. 1 seed is predicated on winning out. With two more wins against the Bears and Seahawks in Week 18, San Francisco would be the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The Seahawks still have the inside track for the top seed in the NFC, but Sunday night’s result should streamline the race.

Here are the other Week 17 games that will have the biggest impact on the playoff picture:

Advertisement

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers

Among the Week 17 games, the meeting with the most direct impact on the AFC playoff picture is probably the Houston Texans visiting the Los Angeles Chargers. A Texans loss would give the Jaguars a chance to clinch the AFC South title with one more win in their final two games. Jacksonville plays at Indianapolis on Sunday and finishes by hosting the Titans. The Chargers are the lurker in the AFC race. While we’ve been talking about the Broncos and Patriots vying for the top seed for a few weeks, the Chargers can steal the AFC West and have a shot at the No. 1 seed by winning out. That would mean beating a tough Texans team and then beating the Broncos in Denver to close the season. NFL executives are hoping for a Chargers-Broncos AFC West title showdown to end the season because that would make for an easy Sunday night flex option.

Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers

This Saturday night game should have been more impactful, but the Packers’ loss to the Bears last week gives Chicago the inside track to the NFC North title and the Ravens’ loss to the Patriots last week means the Steelers can clinch the AFC North with a win at Cleveland on Sunday. Or the Steelers can clinch on Saturday night if the Ravens lose. That would allow Pittsburgh to perhaps rest players for its final two games. If the Ravens win and the Browns upset the Steelers on Sunday, a Ravens-Steelers game in Week 18 would decide the division championship.

Advertisement

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Miami Dolphins

The Buccaneers are flailing with six losses in seven games. But they can still take the NFC South title by winning out. If the Buccaneers beat the Dolphins on Sunday, a Week 18 game against the Panthers would be for the NFC South title, regardless of whether the Panthers win in Week 17. If the Buccaneers lose and the Panthers win on Sunday, Carolina would clinch the division and the Week 18 game would be meaningless for both teams. The NFL will be rooting for the Bucs on Sunday, with its Week 18 scheduling in mind.

Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers

The Rams will be paying close attention to this game. The Rams need to win out and have the 49ers and Seahawks each lose a game to win the NFC West. Because the 49ers and Seahawks play each other in Week 18, the Rams can’t win the division if San Francisco and Seattle both win this week. For the No. 1 seed, the Rams need the 49ers, Seahawks and Bears to each lose one game. Seattle simply needs to win out for the No. 1 seed.

Advertisement

The Panthers need to win in case the Buccaneers lose in Miami. Both games kick off at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday. If the Panthers win and Tampa Bay loses, Carolina is the NFC South champion. But if Tampa Bay wins at Miami then the Panthers’ result doesn’t matter; the Panthers and Bucs will play in Week 18 for the NFC South title. But the Panthers won’t know that result ahead of time.

The 2025-26 NFL season hasn’t exactly gone according to plan for the Kansas City Chiefs. Not only did their nine-year streak of winning the AFC West get snapped, but last week they were eliminated from the postseason for the first time since the 2014-15 season.

A team that had made the previous three Super Bowls saw its starting quarterback Patrick Mahomes tear his ACL in a Week 15 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers — and then on Sunday at the Tennessee Titans, backup QB Gardner Minshew got injured in an ugly 26-9 loss. That left third-string QB Chris Oladokun to play for the rest of the game — and be in line to start on Christmas Day against the Denver Broncos.

Advertisement

Oladokun will have a tall task on Christmas, as the Chiefs are currently 13-point home underdogs against the Broncos at BetMGM — the most points Kansas City has been an underdog in nearly 50 years.

The Chiefs were last a 13-point underdog at home on Oct. 3, 1977 against the Raiders, and lost the game — but did cover — 37-28 en route to a 2-12 season overall.

The lookahead line at sportsbooks for this game was Broncos -5.5 when it was believed that Minshew would be the starter, but a combination of how Kansas City looked in Tennessee, Denver’s ferocious defense and Oladokun’s inexperience has made the line balloon.

The Chiefs are 6-9 overall and 5-9-1 against the spread this season. They have clinched the under on their preseason win total of 11.5 and currently own the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

The Las Vegas Raiders will reportedly place tight end Brock Bowers on injured reserve on Wednesday, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. The move will end the 23-year-old’s season.

Bowers has been dealing with a knee injury all season that forced him out of the lineup for four weeks in October and limited him to 12 games this season.

Advertisement

The 2024 first-round draft pick was an All-Pro last season and has made two Pro Bowls in his first two NFL seasons. After recording 112 catches for 1,194 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, the injury affected his output this season as he’ll finish with 680 receiving yards, with 64 receptions and seven touchdowns.

Bowers will miss the Raiders’ final two games against the New York Giants and Kansas City Chiefs. This week’s game against the Giants has draft implications with both teams sitting at 2-13 as they vie for the No. 1 overall selection in April’s NFL draft.

The San Antonio Spurs are being overly cautious with Victor Wembanyama, who’s returning from a calf strain, but that has not hindered their upward trajectory.

Over the past five games (not including the loss in the NBA Cup Final), the Spurs have kept the Frenchman to 20.8 minutes per game as the franchise has gone undefeated.

Advertisement

Overall, the team has won seven consecutive games, not including the NBA Cup Finals, and on Christmas Day it faces a dominant Oklahoma City Thunder squad the Spurs have defeated twice in the past two weeks.

But what’s the ceiling for Wembanyama? And what does that mean for the Spurs and the rest of the league?

Let’s break it all down.

Victor Wembanyama is dominating in his limited playing time

He’s averaging 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and two blocks per contest.

Those are near All-Star numbers, all while playing under 21 minutes per game.

The 21-year-old is slowly becoming one of the league’s best rebounders, on top of already being the league’s best defender.

Advertisement

He’s grabbing 13.9 boards per 36 minutes, and is at 11.8 per game for the season, while playing 30.6 minutes.

These aren’t just gimmes, either. The 7-foot-5 center is outworking opponents, gathering inside position, reading angles on how the ball pops off the rim and positioning himself to optimize his own chances of grabbing the ball.

It’s another step in what has been a ridiculous evolution as he’s becoming the league’s most dominant two-way force.

Wembanyama is winning, too. Including the NBA Cup Finals loss, he’s lost just five total games this season, while helming the Spurs to 13 wins in the regular season.

Advertisement

Fortunately, the organization won when he was sidelined too, going 9-3 in the 12 games he missed, in large part due to the play of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes.

The Spurs are currently second in the Western Conference, behind only the Thunder.

What’s next for Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs?

Given the success they’ve had this season, and given the fact that Wembanyama will be extension-eligible after this season, it’s becoming increasingly clear the Spurs must consider making a move sooner than later.

When Wembanyama’s inevitable extension triggers in 2027-28, that’s going to take up, presumably, 30% of the salary cap if he qualifies for the Derrick Rose Rule.

Advertisement

That means San Antonio is working with a very set window, to the point where you might be inclined to say they have a deadline of July 1, 2027.

With the organization still in possession of numerous draft selections, a plethora of young players, and even expiring contracts, the Spurs have virtually everything to make a push for another star.

They seem set at guard, with Fox, Castle and rookie Dylan Harper all playing well.

They’re somewhat short on the wing and could use a genuine 3&D threat who is on the right side of 6-8 and can play both forward spots.

There’s also the question of whether it makes sense to upgrade the two-guard spot.

Advertisement

(While Devin Vassell has played fairly well, it’s fair to ask questions about his long-term fit and role with the franchise, especially considering he’s earning almost $27 million per season.)

This isn’t to say the Spurs should in any way panic and make a move just for the hell of it. That’d be poor judgment, and it’d be poor process.

However, they must be aware of the timeline, and that means taking calls, as well as placing them, in an effort to find the right recipe of players to put alongside Wembanyama for the years to come.

The Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers being 11-4 this late in the season is surprising, in different ways.

The Bears are one of the breakout teams of 2025. They are very likely to win the NFC North after a thrilling Week 16 overtime win against the Packers. The Bears built their record in the first half of the season with a lot of close wins against bad teams, but they have played better over the past month. And they still have a shot at the No. 1 seed.

Advertisement

The 49ers were expected to be good before the season started, but a multitude of injuries should have pushed them well out of the playoff race. But coach Kyle Shanahan has done a great job and the 49ers are also alive for the No. 1 seed. Given how many star players have missed time, the 49ers having a shot at the top seed is remarkable.

The only argument against the legitimacy of the 49ers is the same one the Bears faced a month ago. They have mostly fattened up on bad teams. Since a Week 5 win against the Rams, the 49ers have won seven games and two came against teams currently above .500. Those two wins were against the 8-7 and inconsistent Panthers, and the 8-7 Colts who are a shell of themselves since starting 7-1 and then losing quarterback Daniel Jones. The 49ers have won despite injuries, but the injuries still factor into their season: The defense, which has not been great without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, will have trouble against better teams. That doesn’t take away from them winning 11 games already, but it’s also hard to ignore.

Motivation won’t be a problem with both teams still alive for the No. 1 seed. The Bears are a 3-point underdog, and that is the pick for Sunday night. The 49ers could simply outscore Chicago with a red-hot offense, but the Bears are playing very well too. Chicago should at least keep it close. It’s one of the rare good games on the Week 17 schedule.

Here are the rest of the picks for Week 17 in the NFL, with odds from BetMGM:

Advertisement

Cowboys (-7.5) over Commanders

The Commanders are down to Josh Johnson at quarterback with Marcus Mariota being ruled out. Johnson is a fun story, a 39-year-old who has played for seemingly every NFL team and many teams in other leagues too. But his team has won only one of his nine starts since he entered the NFL in 2009. His career passer rating is 69.5. At least we know the Cowboys will generate some offense.

Vikings (+7.5) over Lions

Undrafted rookie quarterback Max Brosmer will start again for the Vikings. In his first start he threw four interceptions and had a 32.8 passer rating. So why take the Vikings? They have been very competitive around the quarterback position lately. And perhaps the Lions have a big letdown after a crushing loss last week to the Steelers that all but killed their playoff dreams. It’s not comfortable backing Brosmer, but here we are.

Advertisement

Broncos (-13) over Chiefs

Last week, I thought the Chiefs would at least compete even though their playoff hopes were over. They lost 26-9 to a putrid Titans team. Losing Gardner Minshew II to a knee injury right away didn’t help, but that’s the situation they’re in again. Chris Oladokun, who played his first significant snaps in the NFL last week, gets the start against a very good Broncos defense that will be motivated to rebound from last week’s loss to the Jaguars.

Chargers (-2) over Texans

The Chargers were somehow underdogs last week against a Cowboys team that had already been eliminated from the playoffs and hasn’t been very good all season. The Chargers won 34-17. This week they’re barely favored at home against Houston. The betting market has been strangely lukewarm to a Chargers team that is 11-4 and could still take the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The Texans are good, particularly on defense. Their pass rush will give the Chargers problems. But it’s time to give the Chargers their respect.

Advertisement

Ravens (+3) over Packers

Will Lamar Jackson play? Will Jordan Love play? Both quarterbacks left their Week 16 games with injuries. With so much uncertainty at this point in the week, just take the points.

Bengals (-7) over Cardinals

The Cardinals’ injury report is treacherous. Arizona might be able to put up some points on a bad Bengals defense, but there’s no question Cincinnati will score plenty.

Steelers (-3) over Browns

There’s one key piece that we don’t know the answer to yet. If the Ravens lose Saturday, the Steelers clinch the AFC North and would have practically nothing to play for. There’s little chance they could move up from the No. 4 seed to the No. 3 seed. But if the Ravens beat the Packers, the Steelers have to win to clinch the division (if the Ravens win and the Steelers lose, a Ravens-Steelers game in Week 18 would be for the division title), and the Browns would love to play spoiler against their rival in that scenario.

Advertisement

Saints (-2.5) over Titans

The Titans deserve credit for continuing to play hard. They are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven games. But the Saints are playing hard too. They’ve covered the spread four games in a row. And New Orleans is the better team.

Jaguars (-6.5) over Colts

Philip Rivers has been a compelling story, but the Colts are falling apart around him. The defense was ravaged by the 49ers on Monday night. And Rivers will face a much tougher defense this week. The Jaguars are one of the NFL’s hottest teams, and if Houston loses on Saturday, a win on Sunday would clinch the AFC South title.

Advertisement

Dolphins (+5.5) over Buccaneers

The Bucs still have plenty to play for — a win Sunday ensures they will play the Panthers in Week 18 with the NFC South title on the line — but does it matter? The Buccaneers have been bad lately, losing six of seven. The Dolphins are no prize themselves, especially with Quinn Ewers at quarterback, but the Buccaneers shouldn’t be this much of a favorite.

Patriots (-13.5) over Jets

It’s generally not a great idea to take 13.5-point road favorites in the NFL. But have you seen the Jets lately? They’ve lost five of six, and the losses have been by 13, 13, 24, 28 and 23 points.

Advertisement

Panthers (+7) over Seahawks

The Panthers are in a weird spot. It’s possible the outcome of their game means nothing, or it results in them winning the NFC South. If the Buccaneers beat Miami, they force a division title showdown against the Panthers in Week 18. If the Bucs lose and the Panthers win, Carolina wins the NFC South. Both games kick off at 1 p.m. Eastern time Sunday. The Panthers have to play to win, and as the Rams found out a few weeks ago, an early start in Charlotte won’t be the easiest task for Seattle.

Giants (+1) over Raiders

Strangely, this is one of the most intriguing games of the week. These are the only two remaining 2-13 teams, and the loser will be close to locking up the first pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. While you hear a lot about tanking, players and coaches don’t really care about draft positioning (Maxx Crosby made that clear on Wednesday). Giants interim coach Mike Kafka probably won’t even be around after the next few weeks, and Raiders coach Pete Carroll might be on his way out too. So don’t assume the teams will play to lose. They’re just bad. And the Raiders are worse.

Advertisement

Bills (-1) over Eagles

This game, strangely, has little on the line. The Eagles have clinched the NFC East and are very likely to get the No. 3 seed in the NFC. The Bills do have a 19% shot to win the AFC East, via DVOA, but that gets worse if the Patriots win as 13.5-point favorites in the early window Sunday. These teams could conceivably meet in the Super Bowl, but the stakes for this one aren’t very high. We still haven’t seen the Eagles play well against a good team in a while.

Falcons (+8) over Rams

If the 49ers and Seahawks win on Sunday, the Rams will be eliminated from the NFC West race. As is, they need some breaks to take the division and get the No. 1 seed. Not much went right for them in Week 16. The Rams are clearly the better team, but the Falcons might have a little extra juice playing on Monday night.

Last week: 7-8-1

Season to date: 119-116-6

We’ve finally hit Championship Week for the fantasy football season, so let’s run down a few strategy tips. Most of this will be review, and stuff we’ve written and talked about in years past. Some of these things are specific to December; other tips are more universal. As usual, many of these tips are common sense — common sense is the most important club in your bag.

It all boils down to good decisions. That’s what probably led you to this point, and that’s the key to giving yourself the best chance in the next few weeks. Keep making those good decisions, amigos.

Advertisement

Here’s what you need to know and consider as you work on securing that title.

Audit Team Motivations

All 32 NFL teams are in play this week, but motivation varies. You need to spend some time scouting who cares about this result versus who might not care so much.

Some of this stuff is easy. The Bears and Packers are fighting for the NFC North title — they care. The Lions, Ravens and Colts are all long shots to make the playoffs, but still alive — they care. The Panthers and Buccaneers need to win as the NFC South is up for grabs.

And some of this stuff is tricky. This next paragraph is critical, gamers.

Advertisement

The Seahawks and 49ers will be all-out to win Sunday, trying to win the NFC West. But if both those teams win, the Rams would enter their Monday game knowing they cannot win the NFC West. This doesn’t mean the Rams would automatically mail in Monday’s game — they’d like to see Matthew Stafford secure the MVP, and the No. 5 seed in the NFC is extra important this year because it draws a favorable matchup at the NFC South winner. But be very careful with the Rams this week, and be ready with Monday pivots, as needed.

Three of the AFC divisions are hotly contested, so all of their teams remain fully motivated. That includes the Patriots, Bills, Jaguars, Texans, Broncos and Chargers.

The Eagles are in the playoffs but probably locked into the NFC’s No. 3 seed. There’s no inclination that they’ll hold out starters, but an early shutdown in a blowout game wouldn’t surprise me — see what they did two weeks ago against the Raiders.

[Upgrade to Fantasy Plus and gain your edge in player projections and much more]

The Steelers need a win (or tie) or a Baltimore loss (or tie) to clinch the AFC North. If Baltimore doesn’t beat Green Bay on Saturday, the Steelers would not need the Cleveland game on Sunday. It’s almost impossible for Pittsburgh to move off the AFC’s No. 4 seed, assuming it wins the division.

Advertisement

Teams eliminated from the playoffs include: the Cowboys, Commanders, Giants, Vikings, Falcons, Saints, Cardinals, Jets, Dolphins, Bengals, Browns, Titans, Chiefs and Raiders. It’s not that these clubs can’t play well in Week 17, but they don’t have the cleanest motivation. Consider that before you commit to a lineup.

Think Like a DFS Player

Keep in mind your head-to-head game and your starting lineup are constantly evolving entities, both before the games start and while the games are in action. If you find yourself shifting from clear favorite to obvious underdog after a few results filter in, it might make sense to embrace volatility in the later part of the slate.

Optimum decision-making is a dynamic process; like a card counter at the blackjack table, the variables are constantly in flux. Don’t throw common sense out the window as your game progresses, but at least consider how the picture is changing, and if you need to take a different strategy as your winning odds are improving or decreasing.

Advertisement

A key hack that ties into this — realize what your flex spots are for. If you’re going to play anyone in the early games, make sure they’re occupying a static position (RB, WR, etc.) rather than a flex spot.

Also consider the flow of championship week this year. We have three games on Thursday, Christmas Day. We have two more games on Saturday. Then the week finishes with the usual cadences, a slate of games on Sunday and the Monday capper. There are several points in the week where you can reevaluate your projected outcome and decide if you need to change anything to reflect the new reality.

Consider All You Respect, but Make Your Own Decisions

You’re the CEO, the general manager, the marketing director. You win, you get the spoils. I don’t blame you for seeking out information and other opinions — I’m going to do the same thing — but at the end of the day, you want to be responsible for your choices. You know your league better than we ever could.

Advertisement

There are no shortcuts or golden tickets, even as we want to believe in those things sometimes. This would be a rather boring game if the answers were easy. No analyst is worth your blind devotion, nor is anyone so dense that they’re worth an automatic fade (that would be just as valuable as the omniscient analyst, but neither exists). Consider the reasonable opinions you normally seek out, but condense everything down to your own sound decision-making process.

Don’t Play For Friendliest Loss

This note isn’t for everyone, because I understand that many managers want simple rules of thumb to follow as they struggle with the Paradox of Choice. “Always Start Your Stars” has always struck me as a crutch, not an answer to anything — because the definition of a star is too fluid. Is Justin Jefferson still a fantasy star? Is Travis Kelce unplayable now that the Chiefs are down to their third-string quarterback? What about an injured star, or a player coming off a multi-game layoff? Do they fit this dated “start your stars” maxim?

Most coaches in professional sports still manage by the book (though that’s starting to change), and often they flush expected value in the process. It’s understandable that they’re pushed in this direction — they need to keep their jobs, answer to the media and the public, keep favor in the locker room. Very few decision-makers are tenured in a way that they can do unorthodox things without significant risk.

Advertisement

But fantasy managers don’t have that invisible hand guiding us. We don’t have to please ownership, or win the media or placate the players. We just want our best chance of winning.

I am not going to pick my starting lineups by name-brand value, or by August ADP or by how I viewed my depth chart a month ago. I will try to make all of my key decisions with the sole objective of scoring the most points. I do not care which potential losing scenario would hurt the least (that’s why it’s so hard for some to bench a name player; it’s human nature to try to cushion the blow before it even comes).

Never forget, it’s a game about numbers, not a game about names.

Advertisement

Quick Hits

This article could be a non-stop entity; eventually, we have to hit publish. A few other bite-sized thoughts:

— Weather is worth considering but as a low-end priority; heavy wind is generally the only thing to be proactive about.

— If you can get an indoor or warm-weather kicker, that’s nice, though mostly I just want a kicker tied to a team expected to win.

— The skill of fantasy football is what you do over the long run, the balance of the season. See the playoffs for what they are: a tournament. We all get bitten by variance sometimes.

— Take as much time as possible before you commit to decisions. The walk-up days are for collecting information.

I’m sure I left out some tips that are prominent on your clipboard. Catch me on social media and share your thoughts.

With fantasy football championship week here, a lot of managers are just now turning their attention to the NBA. If you haven’t been tuned in since Opening Night, don’t worry. Christmas marks a clean checkpoint in the fantasy basketball season. Here’s a quick catch up on what you’ve missed so far — and what you should know if you’re jumping into a fantasy hoops league now.

Roles are real now — and that helps late entrants

We’re a third of the way through the season and things are finally starting to make sense. The early-season experiments are mostly over and most rotations have settled (well, except if you’re Steve Kerr). That matters for fantasy basketball, because you’re no longer drafting off hope or hype — you’re reacting to how teams are actually operating. For managers jumping in now, that clarity is an advantage, not a drawback.

Advertisement

Of course, there will be the inevitable late-season tanks from bottom-feeding teams that’ll influence player minutes and usage come playoff time, but that’s nothing that new players need to wrestle with around Christmas.

The young star and rookie waves arrived earlier than expected

The usual tried-and-true first-round vets have shifted to the next crop of young, emerging talent like Cade Cunningham, Tyrese Maxey, Jalen Johnson and Alperen Şengün. Building balanced rosters with a healthy mix of youth and experience is the right strategy, especially with the scheduling demands and the dizzying pace at which the NBA is played in 2025.

Advertisement

At the very top, the elite tier of fantasy assets has remained intact. Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Dončić continue to define the ceiling across all formats. Victor Wembanyama would be right there too if it weren’t for injuries.

Now, I’m not usually a rookie guy, but No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg is the real deal. What’s more surprising is the impact of fellow rookies Kon Knueppel, Derik Queen, VJ Edgecombe, Ryan Kalkbrenner and Cedric Coward, who all rank in the top 150 in 9-cat leagues through Wednesday. And that class doesn’t stop there, as I anticipate Dylan Harper, Maxine Raynaud, Ace Bailey and a few others becoming rosterable guys in 12-team leagues as the season progresses.

Still can’t turn injuries off …

One of the defining fantasy storylines this season has been the rise of calf injuries to star players. The season began without Jayson Tatum, Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard, who all went down with Achilles tears last year, leaving teams extra cautious around any lower-extremity injury. There’s been a reported 40% increase in calf strains through December. Fortunately, these strains haven’t led to mass shutdowns; they have caused short absences, maintenance days and minute restrictions for players like Evan Mobley, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Ja Morant, Jrue Holiday, Karl-Anthony Towns and more. Missing those players for any number of games is a challenge that has forced fantasy managers to utilize their depth more than ever.

Advertisement

If I’m drafting now, I’d do some simple math to determine which players have played in at least 80% of the games this year. Most teams have played 30 games, so I’d be targeting the guys who’ve played at least 24, since availability matters. Insulate your stars with depth and flexibility so your roster can absorb short-term volatility.

Some draft mistakes have repeated themselves

The pitfalls have been consistent for a few years now, yet some of us can’t quit. Oft-injured players like LaMelo Ball, Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson, Joel Embiid and Kristaps Porziņģis have once again tested managers’ patience.

Advertisement

This isn’t about just fading these type of players — it’s about pricing in the risk. Cost matters. When these guys play, they still move the needle, but you have to have contingency plans ready to go. By this point in the season, you know exactly which stars require some coverage and which ones don’t.

The trade window is open, and fantasy value could swing

The NBA trade window is officially open at this point, and several struggling teams could reshape the fantasy landscape. The Bucks, Mavericks, Wizards, Grizzlies, Kings and Jazz are all teams to monitor, as movement could unlock new roles — or completely reset them.

Fantasy managers should keep an eye on potential headliners like Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMar DeRozan, Ja Morant, Lauri Markkanen and Tyler Herro. Even rumors alone can shift usage trends, minutes and fantasy outlooks as teams might showcase their stars ahead of the deadline.

Advertisement

You might’ve also missed Yahoo’s newest fantasy hoops format

One of the most significant developments this season has been High Score, Yahoo’s newest fantasy basketball format. High Score offers the cleanest entry point into fantasy basketball thanks to its simple scoring, flexible lineups and emphasis on total production over daily micromanagement.

[It’s not too late to create or join a High Score league, a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring]

Like fantasy football, the goal is to maximize your weekly total score to beat your opponent. In High Score, each of your six starter’s single-highest point total of the week counts toward your overall score. If you want a low-maintenance way to try out or get back into back fantasy hoops, High Score makes it easy. If you’re ready for more depth, 9-category and standard points leagues still reward managers willing to grind.

Advertisement

There’s still plenty of time to join a league, so get up to speed with our High Score 101, use the High Score 100 rankings to prep for a draft, and jump in as the NBA season hits its stride. No matter what format you pick, there’s a chance to compete for a fantasy championship at Yahoo!

Christmas Day delivers an NBA feast, with five marquee matchups featuring playoff implications, star power and plenty of fantasy basketball intrigue. From a bruising Eastern Conference showdown at Madison Square Garden to a heavyweight clash between San Antonio and Oklahoma City, this slate offers no shortage of storylines.

Advertisement

[It’s not too late to create or join a High Score league, a new way to play Fantasy Basketball on Yahoo with simple rosters and scoring]

Injuries loom large across several games, creating potential value swings and unexpected rotation changes. Superstars like Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards and Donovan Mitchell headline the action, while emerging contributors could swing outcomes. Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of what to watch as the NBA takes center stage on Christmas.

Cleveland Cavaliers (17-14) at New York Knicks (20-9)

New York leads this season series 1-0. It’s 7-3 over its past 10 games and it is 14-2 at home. Cleveland is 5-5 over its past 10 and is 6-6 on the road.

Advertisement

Like many of the games on this Christmas Day slate, there’s a notable injury report. Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are both questionable, while Evan Mobley remains sidelined. Potential absences to Brunson and Anunoby could lead to more minutes for Tyler Kolek and Jordan Clarkson, plus Mitchell Robinson and wing players like Ariel Hukporti.

For the Cavs, Dean Wade has been starting in place of Evan Mobley, and Sam Merrill is coming off a great performance and will help with the team’s offensive punch. Jaylon Tyson and Jarrett Allen should also continue seeing expanded roles. Donovan Mitchell has been Cleveland’s best performer, averaging 31.9 points, 5.2 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.0 steals this month.

Brunson has been New York’s best player, but know for sure that Karl-Anthony Towns will be available. In December, he’s producing 23.6 points, 11.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals.

San Antonio Spurs (22-7) at Oklahoma City Thunder (26-4)

The Spurs lead this season series 2-0. They’re 9-1 over their past 10, winning seven straight and are 10-5 on the road. OKC is 7-3 over its past 10 and is undefeated at home.

Advertisement

This game has a much cleaner injury report than Cavs/Knicks, though Chet Holmgren and Ajay Mitchell are notably questionable. Their potential absences could create more opportunities for Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and others. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continues to produce at an MVP level, averaging 32.4 points, 6.5 assists, 4.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks in December.

For the Spurs, Victor Wembanyama has come off the bench for five straight games and produced 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 blocks in 20.6 minutes. It’s unclear if he’ll rejoin the starting five and see a minutes increase for Christmas Day.

Dallas Mavericks (12-19) at Golden State Warriors (15-15)

This is the first time these teams have faced off this season. The Mavericks are 3-9 on the road but are 6-4 overall across the past 10 games. Golden State is 9-4 at home and 5-5 across the past 10 games.

Advertisement

Dallas has a handful of role players questionable for this game, and one starter in PJ Washington. Cooper Flagg is coming off an excellent performance, with 33 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and 1 block against the Nuggets. Anthony Davis has rounded back into form as well, averaging 26.3 points, 12.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.3 blocks across his past six games.

For the Warriors, Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler continue to be the team’s go-to options offensively. Curry is averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.4 steals over his past five. During that same stretch, Butler is averaging 21.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.0 steals.

Houston Rockets (17-10) at Los Angeles Lakers (19-9)

This is the first matchup of the season for these squads. Houston is 9-8 on the road and 4-6 across the past 10. The Lakers are 7-4 at home and 5-5 over the past 10.

Advertisement

Luka Dončić and Rui Hachimura are questionable for this one, as is Jaxson Hayes. That means we could see expanded roles from Austin Reaves and LeBron James as the Lakers’ primary creators, while Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart could see extra run. Reaves played 22 minutes in his return from a calf strain on Tuesday but should be at full strength for Christmas. In his prior 10 games, he averaged 27.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.1 assists.

Over LeBron’s past six games, he’s putting up 26.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 1.0 steals. The Rockets are being led by Alperen Şengün, who is having a career year with 23.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 blocks.

Minnesota Timberwolves (20-10) at Denver Nuggets (21-8)

Denver leads this season series 2-0. It’s 9-5 at home and 7-3 across the team’s past 10 games. Minnesota is 8-5 on the road and is 8-2 over the past 10 with a three-game win streak.

Advertisement

For Minnesota, Jaden McDaniels is questionable. His potential absence could lead to more minutes for Jaylen Clark and Terrence Shannon. Anthony Edwards continues to lead the way with averages of 28.7 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals.

Denver could be even more shorthanded than usual as Cam Johnson suffered a knee sprain Tuesday against the Mavericks. Assuming he is sidelined, more minutes should be in store for Tim Hardaway Jr. and Spencer Jones. Nikola Jokić is putting up MVP numbers with 28.7 points, 11.1 rebounds, 10.8 assists and 1.4 steals in December.

Pete Fairbanks isn’t returning to the Tampa Bay Rays, but the right-handed relief pitcher is staying in Florida. The Miami Marlins are signing the 32-year-old Fairbanks to a one-year, $13 million deal, according to multiple reports Wednesday.

Fairbanks, 32, entered the open market after the Rays declined his $11 million club option for 2026. As a free agent, he will reportedly sign a contract worth $2 million more.

Advertisement

There’s a $1 million signing bonus included in the deal, plus an additional $1 million in incentives based on appearances, per MLB.com, which reported that Fairbanks will have the largest annual salary the Marlins have ever given a relief pitcher, topping the $9 million average Heath Bell earned over the 2012-14 seasons.

Fairbanks was drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2015 and made his major-league debut for the organization in 2019. He was traded to the Rays later that year. He spent six-plus seasons in Tampa, serving as the Rays’ primary closer from 2023 to 2025. Over those three years, he piled up 75 saves, good for 12th-most of any reliever during that span, according to The Athletic.

In that stretch, he has recorded a save in 85.2% of his opportunities and posted a 2.98 ERA, 171 strikeouts and only 55 walks. His consistency can be attributed to a high-powered fastball that hovers around 97 mph and is aided by his 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame. Fairbanks has a reliable slider as well and has recently worked a cutter into his arsenal.

Advertisement

Injuries have been an issue for him. From 2021 to 2024, he landed on the injured list on seven different occasions, per The Athletic.

[Get more Marlins news: Miami team feed]

That said, he stayed away from the IL this past season while stacking a career-high 60 1/3 innings across 61 games. His 27 saves were also a personal best.

Although it has declined in recent seasons, Fairbanks’ average strikeouts per nine innings — which was 8.8 in 2025 — should provide a boost to a Marlins bullpen in which he’ll be joined by fellow righties Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher and Tyler Phillips.

Last year, Miami’s bullpen finished 22nd in MLB in ERA (4.28) and 25th in strikeouts per nine innings (8.21).

Earlier this week, the Marlins announced that right-handed reliever Ronny Henriquez will miss next season after undergoing a hybrid procedure that featured Tommy John surgery.

The Jaguars have done all they can to support franchise QB Trevor Lawrence. They drafted Brian Thomas Jr. last year. They traded up for Travis Hunter this year. They hired offensive guru Liam Coen. It’s been a proactive effort.

But maybe Jakobi Meyers was the final piece to the puzzle, the skeleton key needed.

Advertisement

Lawrence wasn’t doing anything special through the first couple of months. Consider his first eight games: the Jags were 5-3 despite middling Lawrence production. He had a piddly 6.3 YPA, nine touchdowns against six picks, a mediocre 79.7 passer rating. Jacksonville was scoring 22 points per game.

At that point, the Jaguars made the trade for Meyers. And it’s been a eureka moment.

The Jaguars lost the first game of the Meyers era, no fault to the offense. It was a 36-29 overtime defeat to Houston. Since then the Jags have won six straight, beating some strong teams in that mix (Chargers, Broncos). And Lawrence has taken off over this period.

The stats jump off the page. Lawrence has 17 touchdowns against five picks over his last seven games, good for a 104.8 rating and an 8.2 YPA. Jacksonville is averaging 33.4 points a game in the stretch, posting 25 points or better every week. And when you easily move the ball against defenses like the Chargers, Texans and Broncos, you earn street cred — and fantasy cred.

Advertisement

Lawrence had a so-so fantasy resume in the first two months, helped occasionally by some resourceful running. Consider those first eight finishes: QB23, QB12, QB28, QB28, QB5, QB13, QB14, QB12. Since the Meyers trade, the numbers are much prettier: QB21, QB11, QB7, QB5, QB13, QB1, QB2.

Lawrence is up to QB4 on the year. And if you grade all the quarterbacks during the past seven weeks, when Lawrence inherited Meyers, the Jacksonville QB jumps to the No. 1 spot, an eyelash above Josh Allen. Lawrence has the tinge of a potential league winner (Indianapolis is a dreamy Week 17 draw), and he’s already smashed his summer ADP (which was in the QB18 range).

The move has saved Meyers for sure — he was WR52 on the broken Raiders offense but is WR16 since heading to Jacksonville. His new team understands how important Meyers is — he signed a three-year, $60 million extension last week.

Advertisement

Schematically, it makes sense, too. Meyers is a dominant player in the middle of the field, a tall and fearless target who provides an easy button for Lawrence. You have to respect that the Jaguars would quickly address a receiver gap despite having already invested so much draft capital in Thomas and Hunter. Something was missing (obviously Hunter’s rookie year was mostly ruined by injury) and it was smart to identify a potential fix.

There are moving parts to the Jacksonville offense. Lawrence has taken off and Meyers has been excellent, and Travis Etienne Jr. (RB6 the last seven weeks) is also tilting leagues. But the Jaguars have been disappointed in Thomas all year, and Hunter showed little before he was hurt. Brenton Strange is a solid tight end, but likely a capped-upside player. We’ll have plenty to sort out in Duval County next season.

But maybe there’s something shinier even before those conversations start. In the current year where the AFC feels wide open, Jacksonville has a puncher’s chance against anyone. I was ready to follow Liam Coen into a burning building after watching him succeed with the Buccaneers. Trevor Lawrence might be ready for that vote of confidence, too.