49ers-Bears SNF matchup is the stuff fantasy football dreams are made of
Both teams dropped 14 in the first quarter; from that point, you could feel a track meet coming. It was quarterback cinema. Brock Purdy and Caleb Williams traded blows all night with clean pockets, downfield shots and just one sack between them. Purdy ended with 24/33 for 303 with 3 passing touchdowns and 2 more on the ground. Caleb answered with 25/42 for 330 and 2 scores.
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That’s how you close Championship Week.
Let’s start with the winner. Purdy’s first snap was a disaster — tipped ball, pick six — then he answered immediately, hitting Jake Tonges for a 1-yard score on the next series, then rushed for back-to-back touchdowns on the next few possessions. From there, he looked in command — a quarterback who has settled into this offense, settled into his spot and played comfortable football. The George Kittle question hovered all week and Kyle Shanahan went next man up. Tonges balled out with 7 grabs for 60 yards and a team-high 9 targets. Ricky Pearsall delivered too. When Ricky Pearsall plays, Ricky Pearsall is good — nasty routes, smart spots and a 5 for 85 finish here. Jauan Jennings added a touchdown that gave Purdy his fifth of the night.
Two weeks in a row, Purdy has posted 5 touchdowns. That’s 10 TDs in two weeks. What a star through your fantasy playoffs.
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And then there was the 49ers’ engine.
Christian McCaffrey detonated. Twenty-three carries, 140 yards and a touchdown with a long of 41. It felt good to see CMC get loose like that again. He looked like himself — fast through the crease, finishing runs, breaking tackles, making defenders miss in space. No hint of slowdown. He got the volume and he was great.
That’s your fantasy MVP.
On the Bears side, Caleb Williams reminded everyone he’s a dynamic playmaker worthy of being the No. 1 overall pick from 2024. All night, Caleb was converting fourth downs, ripping off-platform throws, keeping pressure on the secondary snap after snap. His receivers were balling. Luther Burden III put together a next-year “you’re going to draft me high” highlight reel with 8 for 138 and a touchdown. It was a glimpse that showed just how dangerous he can be when he’s a priority in the offense.
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Colston Loveland looked like a future star, a massive wideout in a tight end’s body, going 6 for 94 and a score while leading the team in targets. D’Andre Swift punched in two touchdowns and added 54 rushing yards with 25 receiving. Kyle Monangai wasn’t fantasy relevant, but he played well.
If you trusted DJ Moore in the final, you got a rough beat. One catch for 7 yards on a night where points flooded the screen is hard to swallow. The talent is obvious, yet the usage drifted again. That’s going to be a talking point all offseason.
Big picture for fantasy, this was the full menu. Purdy wasn’t a system quarterback tonight. He was THE system. Tonges and Pearsall were clutch streamers if you had to dig. McCaffrey did MVP things. On the other side, Williams showed why his ceiling forces you to keep the light on “go” every week, Burden looked like a set-and-forget option for Year 2, and Loveland announced himself as a tight end you will draft much higher next summer.
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Instant Reaction: This was the game of the year. Fantasy points were abundant and the stars delivered when it mattered.
Drake Maye turns Week 17 into Maye Day
The Patriots blasted the Jets, 42-10, and it was never a game. Drake Maye was flawless. Maye’s arm was on full display, going 19/21 for 256 with 12.2 YPA, five TDs and one sack. Just two incompletions in a fantasy-title week. He fed his guys and threw touchdowns to Stefon Diggs, Rhamondre Stevenson, Hunter Henry, Austin Hooper and Efton Chism III. The passing game was on point snap after snap, from start to finish.
Stevenson was a monster. He checked in as the RB4 heading into Monday night with 8/47/1 rushing and 5/55/1 receiving, ripping chunk gains and cashing scoring chances even while TreVeyon Henderson handled 19 carries for 82. This was as efficient as we’ve seen him all year and exactly what you needed in Championship Week if you took the chance to start him.
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On the other side, the Jets started Brady Cook, and outside of Breece Hall crossing 1,000 yards on the season with a 111-yard day, the offense had nothing. This was all New England from the opening drive. Maye is the QB1 for Week 17 heading into Monday night and he looked like the MVP from start to finish.
There’s no next week for most leagues, but there is next draft. With the way he processed, attacked and distributed today, Maye should land in QB2 or QB3 range for 2026 fantasy drafts. Give the Patriots another offseason to add more speed and size on offense and he’s a player you build around.
Instant reaction: Drake Maye will be in the elite quarterback tier for 2026 drafts.
Josh Allen turns a 12-point slog into QB4 with two goal-line hammers
This didn’t look like a ceiling spot. Buffalo scored 12 total points, and for most of the afternoon, it felt like another rough one after last week’s dud. But it’s Josh Allen. He muscled Buffalo’s offense to fantasy pay dirt with two goal-line rushing TDs and 27 rushing yards, salvaging a day that had every sign of disappointment. He finished 23/35 for 262 with no TDs, no INTs and took five sacks against a defense that squeezed everything underneath. It wasn’t pretty; it was effective, and it lands him as QB4 heading into Monday night.
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That was the Allen experience in Championship Week — when the throwing lane tightened, he became the short-yardage back and the red-zone fixer. Buffalo wasn’t good on third down and explosive plays were rare, yet when it needed a drive, Allen found just enough through the air and then finished it himself.
One wild note from this slate: three quarterbacks sit top five without a passing TD — Jaxson Dart, Trevor Lawrence and Allen — a reminder of how valuable rushing is at the position.
Big picture, nothing changes for next draft season. Allen will again be at or near the top of the quarterback board in 2026 because the weekly floor and multi-TD rushing upside are unmatched.
Instant reaction: Josh Allen is HIM even when he’s not great.
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Ja’Marr Chase and Chase Brown closed Championship Week like title winners
Cincinnati handled its business in a 37-14 win over the Cardinals and the offense felt in rhythm from the jump. Joe Burrow was patient, then decisive, stacking easy completions before uncorking when Arizona bailed. Ja’Marr Chase finally snapped the drought and did it in the money week — 7 for 60 with two touchdowns — working the red zone and the middle where he wins. Chase Brown brought juice all afternoon from the backfield. He logged 22 carries for 101 and two scores and added three for 40 as a receiver, giving the Bengals balance and explosives when they needed them. Tee Higgins didn’t bury your lineup, but this was about the Chase duo with Burrow steering a comfortable win.
Looking ahead, Chase will head into next season as one of the top wide receivers in fantasy football. Burrow returns to that top quarterback tier because when he’s upright, the operation hums just like this.
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The interesting piece is Brown.
For the second straight year, he finished the season like a problem for defenses, and while Samaje Perine mixed in, when Cincinnati needed to close, it was Brown on the field. If the Bengals’ offseason signals he’s the lead back, he profiles as a sneaky mid-round pick who can cash big in 2026 drafts.
Instant reaction: Chase Brown should be in the top-10 RB conversation in 2026 drafts.
Trey McBride sets TE catches record, Michael Wilson shows out when it counts
This game was billed as a shootout and the total did hit 51, but Arizona didn’t carry its end in the loss to Cincy. Two guys still answered for fantasy. Trey McBride shook off last week’s worst game of his season and went 10 for 76 with a late TD on 13 targets, becoming the NFL’s single-season receptions leader for a tight end at 119 with one to play. TE1 heading into Monday night and he earned it.
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Michael Wilson was the featured receiver even with Marvin Harrison Jr. active. Wilson posted five for 89 and a TD on 10 targets and it could’ve been bigger. Wilson’s emergence has been one of the better late-season turns for Arizona and it puts real pressure on how the team builds this passing game for the future.
Looking ahead, McBride should be the top tight end off the board next season. Volume, red-zone trust and week-winning upside put him over Brock Bowers for me.
Wilson has established himself as a real fantasy weapon and I would not be shocked if he comes off the board ahead of Marvin Harrison Jr. in 2026 drafts, quarterback situation pending.
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Instant reaction: Trey McBride and Michael Wilson delivered for managers in Week 17.
A lot to be excited about in New Orleans; Chris Olave torches Championship Week
Chris Olave showed up like a true alpha when it mattered most. On 11 targets, he went 8/119/1, making it three straight games with a touchdown and back-to-back 100-yard outings. He’s been quietly consistent all season, then ramped it up for the playoffs, flat-out carrying teams through December. The Saints beat the Titans, 34-26, and this Kellen Moore offense kept feeding its best player.
Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough continued to get better. He’s sitting as the QB7 heading into Monday night and Olave answered every time they dialed his number.
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New Orleans has won five of its last seven to get to 6-10 with a chance to finish strong on the road at Atlanta, and the arrow on this passing game is pointing up. Shough’s development should have us feeling even better about Olave’s outlook next year. He’s in line for a big extension and he’s already one of the league’s better receivers. If this offense keeps building around him, he profiles as a top-five fantasy wideout for 2026 drafts. In half-PPR he’s the WR1 for Week 17 right now, which fits the dominance we just watched.
Instant reaction: Chris Olave belongs in the top-10 conversation at wide receiver for 2026 drafts.
Derrick Henry in December is inevitable
Derrick Henry carried people to fantasy championships and carried Baltimore to a 41-24 win at Lambeau. The Ravens needed every ounce of him with Lamar Jackson out and the coaching staff under fire after last week’s fourth-quarter freeze. The response was vintage. A career-high 36 carries, 216 yards and four touchdowns, with a long of 30.
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He was physical at the line, violent in the second level and you could see Green Bay wanted no part of those stiff arms by the third quarter. When Baltimore needed a first down to ice it, Henry didn’t just move the chains — he ripped off a house call for No. 4 to slam the door.
This is why the King is the King. We can say it’s been a down year by his standard, yet he’s still pacing for 1,500-plus and 16 touchdowns. The tape says the burst is there. The role is undeniable when the game is in the balance. Whatever age discount we get next draft season, I’ll gladly take it in 2026. Give me the volume, the goal-line work and the ability to stack 25-plus touches in December when leagues are decided.
Instant reaction: Derrick Henry will be one of the best value running backs of 2026 drafts.
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Trevor Lawrence doesn’t hit QB1, still delivers with 2 rushing TDs to bury Indy
I called QB1 for Trevor Lawrence this week, and while that didn’t hit, I’ll take QB5 heading into Monday night. It was still a championship performance. Jacksonville beat the Colts, 23-17, and Lawrence answered every time it mattered with his legs, punching in two rushing scores. That makes three straight games with a rushing touchdown, exactly the kind of late-season heater you needed in the playoffs. Indy threw a real punch at home, but Lawrence had the answers.
Travis Etienne Jr. had a solid day on the ground with 17 for 76. Parker Washington led the room with eight for 115, and Jakobi Meyers hauled in six catches. Brenton Strange and Brian Thomas Jr. were involved but didn’t have big days. Bottom line, Lawrence controlled the game flow and closed in the red zone, which is why he still lands in that top-five mix for the week.
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Stock up across the board in Jacksonville. As Lawrence plays better, everyone rises. There’s no next week, but there is next draft, and I’m very curious to see how a talent like Travis Hunter could fit into this attack next season if he’s healthy. Add one more dynamic weapon and this passing game gets scary.
Instant reaction: Trevor Lawrence proved he belongs in that top-tier quarterback mix for 2026 drafts.
Jaxson Dart makes Championship Week about winning, not the No. 1 pick
This was supposed to be a race to the bottom. The Giants didn’t care. They smacked the Raiders, 34-10, behind rookie Jaxson Dart, who played through missing pieces up front and still went full bulldozer in the red zone. He heads into Monday night sitting as the QB3 after ripping off nine carries for 48 yards and two touchdowns, running with attitude and finishing through contact. Concussions be damned, the kid refused to tap out and New York followed his lead.
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Dart kept it efficient and got his guy rolling. Wan’Dale Robinson turned 14 targets into 11 for 113 and was a chain mover all afternoon. Tyrone Tracy Jr. and Devin Singletary handled the backfield grind and Dart did the rest with timely scrambles and keepers near the goal line. For a game billed as draft-order theater, the rookie turned it into a statement that he’s the future.
Looking to next season, Dart’s rushing is a cheat code. He’s been a top-10 quarterback most weeks he’s started and Year 2 sets up for another leap if the Giants nail the coaching staff. His dual-threat profile makes him a high upside weekly starter with top-five upside in 2026 drafts.
Instant reaction: Jaxson Dart looks like a Year 2 star who could end up top-five in 2026.
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Zach Charbonnet put Seattle on his back in Championship Week
If you rolled with Zach Charbonnet in your starting lineup, congrats — you got exactly what you needed — and then some. Charbonnet hammered Carolina for 18 carries, 110 yards and two touchdowns, then tacked on two catches for 12. Explosive runs, short-yardage power — all of it. Seattle didn’t need much through the air with the way this one unfolded. Sam Darnold struggled and still, it didn’t matter, because Charbonnet was the best player on the field. The Seahawks won 27-10 and controlled it wire to wire while Carolina’s offense sputtered to 40 net passing yards.
Bryce Young couldn’t get anything going, which allowed Seattle lean on the ground game. Neither back for the Panthers got into rhythm. Tetairoa McMillan, the rookie standou,t was non-existent in this one as well, coming into the game with an illness designation. Kenneth Walker III mixed in for 15 for 51 and Jaxon Smith-Njigba led the passing game as he has all season with nine for 72, so you weren’t buried if you started him. Young tight end AJ Barner chipped in a score.
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But this was Charbonnet’s show front to back, the kind of December performance that, if you had the courage or necessity to start him you were rewarded in a major way.
Instant reaction: If you had to play Zach Charbonnet, well — congratulations!
