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Each Monday, fantasy football analyst Joel Smyth will go over important stats that you may have overlooked from this week. Week 16 had plenty of notable stats. What keys to fantasy success do you need to know that your leaguemates may have missed?​

15

Routes run for Emeka Egbuka on Sunday, the lowest of his rookie season. With Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan fully healthy, both WRs played more than the struggling Egbuka in Week 16. The QB efficiency hasn’t bounced back upon the Buccaneers receivers return. To begin the year, Egbuka was excelling not because of the incredible volume he saw as Tampa Bay’s lone healthy wideout, but because of top-notch efficiency. Now, the rookie has neither. In his two games back, Evans has a league-high 40.4% targets per route.​

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With Egbuka being fourth in line for a struggling Bucs’ passing attack, he is no longer in the flex range for managers hoping for a bounce-back week. Since the Week 9 bye, Tampa Bay ranks 24th in receiving fantasy PPG produced. Even when facing a weak Miami secondary in Week 17, there isn’t much positive to hold on to for any Buccaneers passing weapons outside of Evans.

18-5

The carry + target advantage for Omarion Hampton over Kimani Vidal. In the first two weeks since Hampton’s return, it was a near-perfect 50/50 split at 31-30. With the offensive line struggles and lack of receiving volume, Hampton needs the bell-cow volume to produce as he did on Sunday vs. the Cowboys. The difference between receiving 18 of the 23 touches compared to Vidal, rather than the usual 12 of the 23, is the difference between a great RB2 and a weak flex, based on his points per touch on the day.

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The Cowboys without Quinnen Williams aren’t the same as the Texans defense Hampton will face in the fantasy championship, but Week 16 should give some hope. Fellow rookie first-round RB Ashton Jeanty scored over 30 fantasy points in Week 16 against the Texans defense, which was the best against the position when compared to their schedule. A close score in a home game could help Hampton’s success greatly next Saturday.​ Vidal is also nursing a neck injury, which could help Hampton even more.

21.5

Fantasy PPG for Ashton Jeanty in the Raiders’ six games where they didn’t lose by over three points. In his other games, the rookie has averaged only 10.5 points. When they keep it close, Jeanty becomes the focus, shown by his 25 touches on Sunday versus the best defense in the NFL. I don’t use this stat only because of the Raiders losing by two against a dominant Texans defense, but because of their Week 17 matchup.

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As mentioned earlier, Houston was No. 1 versus RB compared to its schedule this season. The Giants, the Raiders next matchup, entered the week ranked 31st. Las Vegas has a shot to have its seventh close game of the season, as the Raiders are only 2.5 points underdogs at home to New York. Jeanty can be a much more confident start in Week 17 for those who survived the 31-0 blowout to the Eagles in Week 15.

83%

Of routes run for Drake London. It wasn’t the day people hoped for coming off injury, but London’s volume was back to normal. In a Zac Robinson offense, Kirk Cousins has kept the philosophy of having a heavy focus on the star players. Bijan Robinson with 11 targets, Kyle Pitts with nine and London with eight. No other player had more than two targets. London may have been out-targeted by Pitts, but his downfield targets should pan out better than they did on Sunday.

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London’s 26.7% targets per route were the best among Atlanta wide receivers and tight ends, however. Next week, the Falcons play the Rams, who have fallen off in terms of passing fantasy PPG allowed as of late. I could very well see it going like the Rams’ Week 14 matchup versus a struggling Cardinals team. Arizona lost 45-17, but it didn’t stop Michael Wilson and Trey McBride from posting 200 receiving yards. For what it’s worth, London’s last poor game came in Week 7 versus San Francisco. In Week 8, he scored 34.3 points.

13.3

Fantasy points for Taysom Hill in Week 16. The best thing about a good Taysom Hill is the fact that the QB-RB hybrid counts as a TE, the most difficult fantasy position to find real value at. The key here is the absence of Devin Neal and Alvin Kamara. The Saints pivoted to their triple threat “TE” by giving Hill 12 carries, six targets and a passing attempt that went for a 38-yard TD to Chris Olave. Fantasy TEs are all about TDs, and Hill’s red-zone usage makes him one of the best shots.

Another reason, outside of volume, that Hill played great in Week 16 was the Jets defense. New York allows over 28 points scored per game to opposing offenses, yet the Titans, the Saints’ Week 17 matchup, are less than two points better. Hill has multiple games of 15+ fantasy points in every season since 2019; he just got his first of 2025.

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33.7

Fantasy PPG by Steelers RBs since Week 11, the second–most in the NFL to Detroit. Kenneth Gainwell and Jaylen Warren have been a dominant duo with Aaron Rodgers. Pittsburgh is second to only CMC and the 49ers in RB target share this season, as 25% of Rodgers passes go to backs. It most importantly helps their consistency. In their last five weeks, each RB has scored 12+ fantasy points in four out of five games. Gainwell specifically has been the fantasy RB10 since Week 10.

With no DK Metcalf in Week 17, the Pittsburgh running backs may become even more of a focus. Although the Steelers duo combined for under 100 scrimmage yards in their last matchup against Cleveland, this has not been the same Browns defense. Since the bye in Week 9, Cleveland ranks last (32nd) in fantasy points allowed to RB. Both running backs can be trusted as the Steelers continue their playoff push.

0/7

RB touches for Josh Jacobs following his third-quarter fumble. After entering Week 16 against Chicago on Saturday without practicing, Jacobs finished his day with 12 carries for 36 yards. The key for Week 17 is watching his practice report. In weeks past, when Jacobs had produced while injured, the Packers were allowing him to practice in limited fashion throughout the week. Only in Week 16 did Jacobs fully rest up until game time.

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Once he fumbled in the third quarter, the injured back played just two snaps in the fourth quarter without receiving a touch. It can be a scary start against a Ravens defense that has dominated on the ground in the second half of their season. Since their Week 7 bye, the Ravens defense has allowed just 11.7 rushing fantasy PPG, the lowest in the NFL. With Jacobs value relying on his rushing touchdowns, it’s a concerning matchup with Baltimore, which has allowed two rushing touchdowns to RBs in the last six games.

0.16

Fantasy points per snap for Breece Hall with Brady Cook at QB, which would be last among RBs on the season. Rushing volume can only take you so far. I say rushing because Hall’s once game-changing receiving upside has been nonexistent in 2025. Hall hasn’t had a game of 5+ targets since Week 5. The Jets’ star RB has a TD on under 2% of his touches this season, and his odds aren’t getting any better.

New York has already played New England in Week 11, when Hall had 14 carries for 58 yards along with two receptions for six yards. I would not be shocked to see Hall held under 10 fantasy points once again, and for the fourth straight week.

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Just think, for a moment, how you’d look in a pair of form-fitting football pants and a tight-around-the-belly jersey. Would you look like a honed specimen of humanity, lean and taut and ready to explode? Or would you look like 10 pounds of sausage in a five-pound casing, busting the seams?

If you’re being honest, you, me, and pretty much everyone both of us knows would look a whole lot more like a sausage than a specimen. A whole lot like Philip Rivers does, honestly.

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But the difference between Philip Rivers and us, of course, is that we aren’t starting at quarterback on Monday Night Football.

Rivers and the briefly-mighty, now-floundering Indianapolis Colts take on the San Francisco 49ers in a matchup that, from a sheer talent standpoint, looked a whole lot more attractive back in September than it does now. Ball-knowers will scoff at Rivers and wonder who in the world would want to watch a 44-year-old grandfather run around for three hours.

To which I would say: Everyone. Everyone would love to see that. Because what Rivers is doing is both awesome and ridiculous.

In any other career, Rivers would be hitting his prime at age 44, old enough to have learned the ropes but young enough to have the energy and desire to do more. In sports, though, he’s impossibly ancient, a relic who could burst into a pile of dust with one good sack. Hopefully he won’t, but that’s the line on most aged pro athletes.

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Players like Tom Brady and LeBron James have redefined the possible parameters of a late-career athlete, but then again, Tom Brady and LeBron James are arguably the GOATs of their respective sports. They played for such a high level for so long that their age-related decline merely brought them down to star level.

Rivers wasn’t ever in that stratosphere, though he had a few years in the mid-2000s — you know, about two decades ago — when he garnered some Pro Bowl nods and MVP votes. He ran with all the speed of the changing seasons, yes, but he also possessed two valuable attributes — an orbital-launch arm and a surpassing knowledge of potential defensive schemes.

That’s how he was able to come back and mesh with the Colts so quickly last week against Seattle. He played within himself, tossing a nifty 18-of-27 completions for 160 yards, with a long of just 17 yards. He had an adjusted yards gained per pass attempt of 3.52 — quite the falloff from the 8- to 9-yard average of his best days. Against San Francisco, he could fare even better; the 49ers trail Seattle in every major defensive category.

But stats are for nerds. What Grandpa Rivers did last week was ball, plain and simple. And now he’s getting a chance to take Indy on a last-ditch playoff run? Come on, how can you not love this?

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At 8-6, Indianapolis sits in the dreaded first-team-out spot, well behind 10-5 division rival Houston for the final spot in the AFC playoffs. After this week, the Colts have games against the Texans and Jaguars, both teams they’re staring up at in the playoff bracket. The Athletic gives Indianapolis just a 3 percent chance of making the playoffs, which is a rough prognosis given the Colts’ 7-1 start to 2025.

That’s tough news for the franchise and the city, but on a micro level, a great story is unfolding. Rivers is the embodiment of every former football player — whether high school, college or just two-hand touch Turkey Bowl — who would love to get one more turn in the arena, one more play with the ball in their hands, one more chance to rear back and throw it deep. He’s living the dream that if you keep in shape, if you keep your edge — if not your waistline — then maybe, just maybe, they’ll call your number one more time. Father Time is undefeated, yes, but you can always move the ball against him if you want it badly enough.

Rivers’ return is a hell of a story, however it ends. But it’d be nice if he went out with at least one more victory. Why not a prime-time one?

Say what you will about Philip Rivers and his return to the NFL after five years, but when it comes to Monday night’s game between the 49ers and Colts, we should thank our lucky stars that he’s involved. Otherwise, after the season-ending injury to Daniel Jones essentially ended the Colts’ previously-dream-like season, there’d be considerably less to talk about for the penultimate Monday night matchup of the regular season.

It doesn’t always work out that the hot topic on the pregame show is also the fulcrum for the game handicap, but here we are, as the favored 49ers visit the Colts — a team whose rating in the market is in flux with continued uncertainty about what they might get from Rivers, the most veteran of quarterbacks.

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Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

San Francisco 49ers (-5.5, 46) at Indianapolis Colts

With the Seahawks’ dramatic win over the Rams on Thursday, and now with a prime-time game of their own, the 49ers are no longer under the radar, with a clear path to the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

The 49ers aren’t rated like their counterparts in the NFC West, though, despite a four-game winning streak since the return of Brock Purdy, one that’s seen the Niners cover as a favorite in each game.

That’s in keeping with a preseason handicap of San Francisco, where we could see how easy the schedule would be, suggesting the 49ers might finish the season with a great record without truly knowing how good they are. That said, there’s room for upward movement on their market power rating, as their average level of play might be better than they’re getting credit for.

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San Francisco has a top-five offensive EPA/play on drop-backs for the season, and while that’s actually dropped a bit in its last four games, the run game’s gotten more effective, going from league average efficiency to seventh-best since Week 11. That’s likely a result of Purdy’s presence forcing opponents to play further off the line of scrimmage, and more room for Christian McCaffrey and Brian Robinson.

While San Francisco can control its own destiny and the level to which it plays on Monday, whether the team covers or not might have more to do with what the Colts get from Rivers.

Indianapolis almost won last week, but Rivers’ arm strength was there only in spurts (short, line-drive throws). The Colts were unable to push the ball down the field, and their 16 points on 120 passing yards from Rivers was the result. It didn’t take long for Seattle to note that the Indy offense was running checkdowns (eight) to running backs, and after an early 11-yard run from Jonathan Taylor, he was held in check as well.

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You can make the case the Seahawks didn’t know what to get from the sudden return of a future Hall-of-Famer, but after halftime adjustments, they allowed only 67 total yards the rest of the way. Now Robert Saleh and the Niners’ defense has gotten a heads up on what to expect, and over a week to prepare.

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The Colts’ defense put up an inspired effort last week, and though they’re still without Sauce Gardner, the expectation is that DeForest Buckner is coming off IR. That will shore up the run defense, but there’s still so little room for error against the always tough-to-track 49ers offense, happy to just throw the ball to their star tailback.

The Colts’ market rating, which had them comparable to the worst teams in the NFL last week, has been boosted to the level of the Giants, Commanders and Patrick Mahomes-less Chiefs. That might still be too low, given what we saw from those teams this past weekend, but against a low-key title contender, there’s too much being asked of a team limited on both sides of the ball.

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Pick: 49ers -5.5

Player props

Buckner’s return and Ricky Pearsall’s absence cloud the prop calculus for when the 49ers have the ball, but we can still play a trio of props from the Colts’ offense that have some correlation, while also potentially mutually exclusive, as they tell a story of what should happen now that the Niners defense knows what Rivers can do.

Jonathan Taylor under 98.5 rushing yards (-115)

The first thing that should happen is that San Francisco should bring everyone a step closer to the line of scrimmage, and key on the one element of the Colts’ offense that can beat them — Jonathan Taylor. The betting market knows this, but it’s also fully aware that Taylor is going to get handed the ball constantly early on. However, if the 49ers can build a lead in a way Seattle couldn’t last week, Rivers might not be able to blindly give it to Taylor 25-plus times.

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San Francisco’s run defense has been just OK by advanced metrics (12th in EPA/play on opponent run plays), but against run-first teams like Carolina, Cleveland and Atlanta, they’ve been up to the task, allowing just 3.9 yards per carry to Rico Dowdle, Quinshon Judkins and the combination of Bijan Robinson/Tyler Allgeier.

Alec Pierce longest reception over 13.5 yards (-115)

So the Niners bring their guys up close to the line of scrimmage and dare Rivers to throw it over them. If you know anything about Rivers, he’ll try it. The Colts’ best man-to-man, jump-ball target is Pierce, who averages 20.1 yards per reception, and has a long reception of at least 16 yards in every game he’s played this season. That low long-catch was last week, when Rivers gave him a shot to come down with one, and Pierce did.

Philip Rivers over 0.5 interceptions (-120)

Rivers takes a few shots because of how Saleh operates his defense, and some are successful. But also, some are not, particularly late in a game the Colts trail. Indianapolis trailed for all of seven plays last week; on the seventh play, Rivers threw an interception.

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Anytime touchdown

Jauan Jennings (+130)

To borrow a phrase from Chris “Boomer” Berman, all Jauan Jennings does is catch touchdowns. He’s got seven scores on just 44 receptions this season. Of all the players with seven touchdowns, only Quentin Johnston has a higher percentage of catches resulting in a touchdown. But wait, there’s more. Since Purdy’s return to health in the starting role, Jennings has scored in three straight games, and has four touchdowns on 16 catches from Purdy.

Tyler Warren (+280)

Without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, the 49ers’ defense isn’t dominant enough to completely shut down the Colts, but Shane Steichen may need to get creative near the goal line, since he no longer has Jones as a nominal threat to carry it in, and Rivers never deployed the QB sneak even in his prime.

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Not only is Rivers one half of one of the great QB-TE duos in NFL history — so he knows where to look for the Colts’ rookie tight end — but Warren’s also been used in direct-snap plays in short-yardage scenarios.

You can find more valuable betting analysis from Yahoo Sports betting contributor, Matt Russell, at THE WINDOW.

Former Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore reportedly engaged in strange and uncomfortable social-media interactions with multiple women as far back as 2020, according to a new report from The Athletic.

Five women spoke to The Athletic about those interactions, with some sharing exchanges with the former Michigan coach. The most recent interaction reportedly came in November, as one woman said Moore sent her a hand wave emoji prior to Michigan’s win over Purdue on Nov. 1.

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Moore’s online interactions with women were reportedly raised to university officials in 2024, early in Moore’s first season as Michigan’s head coach. The university determined Moore’s interactions weren’t criminal — as they didn’t constitute sexual harassment and did not involve university employees — though showed a poor lack of judgement, per The Athletic.

“It was not sexual harassment,” said one of those officials. “It was propriety, ‘Are you an idiot?’ kind of stuff.”

Screenshots of those conversations obtained by The Athletic show that Moore often used emojis to start up conversations with the women on social media. After that, he would try to engage the women in conversation.

One of the women who spoke to The Athletic shared messages in which Moore invited the woman to Michigan to come see Moore. The woman, who knew Moore was married, asked whether the pair would need to avoid being seen together and if she would need to be “holed up in some hotel.”

Moore allegedly responded, “I guess we will have to see ! I would say yes but you would also have a driver haha,” per The Athletic. He later reportedly told the woman, “We will go into that detail later.”

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Moore’s social-media interactions were not the reason he was fired for cause. The 39-year-old former head coach was fired by Michigan after it was determined he engaged in a relationship with a staffer. Michigan was reportedly alerted to that relationship toward the end of Moore’s first season as its head coach. While the university initially couldn’t find direct evidence of a relationship, it found enough that it contacted an outside law firm to conduct an investigation.

That investigation reportedly determined Moore and a staffer engaged in a relationship, leading to his firing.

Following his firing, Moore allegedly broke into the woman’s house, grabbed butter knives and kitchen scissors and reportedly threatened to kill himself, per reports. Moore was detained by police and charged with felony home invasion, stalking, and breaking and entering or entering without breaking. He was later released on $25,000 bond. His next hearing is set for Jan. 22, 2026.

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Following Moore’s firing, the team hired Biff Poggi as its interim head coach. Poggi was asked about Moore’s firing, saying Michigan players felt “betrayed” by the former head coach.

When Mauricio Pochettino gathered his U.S. national team for training camp last month in greater Philadelphia, Weston McKennie remained in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. Pochettino was not punishing him or sending a message, as he had done with several veterans during this defining year.

Rather, Pochettino decided McKennie — and, by extension, the national team — would benefit more from the Texan strengthening his relationship with new Juventus coach Luciano Spalletti than strengthening bonds with teammates in two U.S. friendlies.

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The move has paid off. Without McKennie, as well as several injured regulars, the Americans swept past Paraguay and Uruguay. And McKennie has remained a fixture in Spalletti’s lineup, logging 90 minutes in each of the past 10 matches.

On Saturday, in his 200th appearance over five years for the Italian giants, he recorded a second-half assist during a 2-1 victory over Roma, marking the third time in four matches he has scored or played a secondary role in a goal.

Across three competitions, Juventus is 8-1-3 in its past 12 matches. Saturday’s victory drew it within a point of Roma for Serie A’s fourth Champions League berth in 2026-27.

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McKennie, 27, has proven valuable not only with production and minutes played but versatility. In 18 starts overall, he has started eight times at right wing back, five in central midfield, twice in attacking midfield, twice at right wing and once at left wing back.

As the World Cup approaches, that flexibility will provide options for Pochettino, who, in October, started McKennie in attacking midfield for friendlies against Ecuador and Australia. Since Pochettino’s arrival more than a year ago, McKennie has also played wide and in a deep central role.

The U.S. boss has plenty of time to continue evaluating McKennie — not to mention the entire player pool. The next international window is in late March for friendlies against Belgium and Portugal in Atlanta. About two months later, Pochettino will name his 26-man World Cup squad.

Elsewhere in Europe this weekend …

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Italy

Forward Christian Pulisic and second-place AC Milan had the weekend off after losing to Napoli 2-0 in the Italian Super Cup semifinals Thursday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Midfielder Yunus Musah made his first Serie A start in four months, playing all of Atalanta’s 1-0 victory at 10-man Genoa.

In Serie B, goalkeeper Jonathan Klinsmann made his usual start as Cesena drew 1-1 with Juve Sabia extending the club’s unbeaten streak to four and leaving it in fourth place, three points out of promotion.

Netherlands

The U.S. duo of Ricardo Pepi and Sergiño Dest combined for a tying goal early in the second half, with Pepi scoring for the fifth time in six matches over all competitions as first-place PSV Eindhoven came from behind to win 2-1 at Utrecht.

According to Opta, the 22-year-old striker has recorded 15 goals in 13 Eredivisie starts since joining PSV last season, scoring at least one goal in 10 of those 13 starts, including the last four. In league play this season, Pepi has posted seven goals and one assist in 14 appearances (seven starts) for PSV, which is 15-1-1 and 11 points ahead of second-place Feyenoord entering the winter break. He also has three goals in five Champions League matches.

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Dest recorded his fourth assist of the Eredivisie campaign.

England

It was the end of a rough week for center back Chris Richards and Crystal Palace, which lost at Leeds 4-1. Richards didn’t play well over 90 minutes.

The stretch began with a 3-0 home loss to Manchester City in the Premier League, followed by a 2-2 home draw with Finnish club KuPS, which left Palace 10th in the UEFA Conference League (Europe’s third-tier continental competition). A victory would have earned a top-eight finish and an automatic berth in the round of 16. Instead, a playoff awaits.

Midfielder Brendan Aaronson played 76 minutes for Leeds, which is 16th on the 20-team circuit. Palace is eighth.

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Sidelined two to three months with a torn MCL, midfielder Tyler Adams missed Bournemouth’s 1-1 draw with Burnley.

In his return from a knee injury, left back Antonee Robinson made his third consecutive 90-minute appearance in Fulham’s 1-0 victory over Nottingham Forest.

In the second-tier Championship, Patrick Agyemang’s pressure forced an own goal in the first half and his late bid for the winner was saved well as Derby County settled for a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth. The former Charlotte FC forward has five goals and three assists in his first season overseas.

Forward Haji Wright played 82 minutes as 10-man Coventry City earned a 1-1 draw at Southampton, leaving the frontrunners 12 points clear for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

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Midfielder Aidan Morris (leg injury) missed his fifth consecutive match for second-place Middlesbrough, while forward Josh Sargent (concussion) missed his second straight for Norwich City.

Germany

Midfielder Malik Tillman started for the seventh time in eight matches across all competitions as Bayer Leverkusen won at RB Leipzig, 3-1, and moved into third place in the Bundesliga behind Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. Based on Fotmob analytics, Tillman is Leverkusen’s third-best player this season.

Noahkai Banks, a 19-year-old center back, made his 10th consecutive start in Augsburg’s 0-0 draw with Werder Bremen.

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Right wing back Joe Scally (90 minutes) and midfielder Gio Reyna (65) started in Mönchengladbach’s 2-0 loss at Dortmund. Reyna has started four consecutive matches, a positive development in his effort to remain in Pochettino’s good graces.

Central midfielder James Sands remains a St. Pauli fixture, making his 14th start in a 0-0 draw at Mainz. Left wing back John Tolkin entered in the 63rd minute as Holstein Kiel ended a four-game winless streak in the second division with a 2-1 win over Dynamo Dresden.

France

In a cup weekend, forward Folarin Balogun (90 minutes) and Monaco had the most difficult assignment, winning at Ligue 1’s Auxerre 2-1 to advance to the round of 32.

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Center back Mark McKenzie (90) captained Toulouse to a 2-1 win at fifth-tier Lyon la Duchere. Winger Tim Weah played 69 minutes in Olympique Marseille’s 6-0 victory at third-flight Bourg en Bresse Peronnas. Midfielder-defender Tanner Tessmann entered in the 78th minute as Olympique Lyonnais needed three second-half goals to sweat out a 3-0 home victory over seventh-tier Saint-Cyr Collonges.

Others

In Scotland, Celtic center back Auston Trusty played 90 minutes in a 3-1 victory over Aberdeen, a result that ended a four-game losing streak and left the Glasgow club six points behind front-running Hearts with a match in hand. … In Spain, central midfielder Johnny Cardoso didn’t play in Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 triumph at Girona. He has made one brief appearance the past eight times he’s been in uniform for a La Liga match.

Welcome to The High Score Playlist: my weekly column that lets you know who to add off the waiver wire and get in your lineup for the upcoming week in fantasy basketball. You can also read my 9-cat and standard points leagues pickups story for advice in those formats.

So press play and shuffle through the latest fantasy basketball info.

🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: High Score

Kel’el Ware – FC, Miami Heat (67% rostered)

Since entering the starting lineup three games ago, Ware’s been a force, recording three straight double-doubles. In those games, he averaged 47.6 fantasy points by posting 24.7 points, 15.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Even while Erik Spoelstra remains publicly critical of his defensive lapses, the production is undeniable. Ware’s shooting a ridiculous 71% from the field and 12 for 16 from 3 in that span, so he’s been on fire. Whether the role sticks long-term is still to be determined, but in High Score, the counting stats and stocks are too good to leave on waivers.

John Collins – FC, Los Angeles Clippers (77% rostered)

Managers grew frustrated with Collins’ inconsistency, but his situation flips with Ivica Zubac out for at least a few weeks due to an ankle injury. Collins responded Sunday with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 4 stocks and 43 fantasy points — his highest of the season. He’s been a shell of himself compared to last season, but Collins will see a significant uptick in touches and rebounding chances, putting him back into must-start territory for the next few weeks.

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Santi Aldama – FC, Memphis Grizzlies (44% rostered)

Memphis is running on fumes, and Aldama is stepping into a massive role. He exploded for a season-high 57 fantasy points on Saturday against Washington, posting 37 points, 10 rebounds and 2 stocks while attempting 23 shots. That shot volume is the story — the Grizzlies are desperate for offense, and with Brandon Clarke now sidelined by a calf injury and Ja Morant already ruled out ahead of Monday, Aldama’s looking good in a week where the Grizzlies play four games.

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

Isaiah Collier – G, Utah Jazz (20% rostered)

Collier is doing what I thought he would in the preseason, racking up mad assists. The backup point guard recorded three straight games with 38+ fantasy points, averaging 10 assists per game over that stretch. For managers in need of playmaking and multi-category coverage, Collier is a streaming option in Week 10 with the Jazz playing a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back, plus a Friday/Saturday back-to-back as well.

Donte DiVincenzo – G, Minnesota Timberwolves (45% rostered)

DiVincenzo has put up 50+ High Score points in each of the past two weeks, stepping up in Anthony Edwards’ absence. Even with Edwards back, Jaden McDaniels’ hip injury creates another opportunity window for DiVincenzo to soak up more usage and shot attempts.

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His blend of scoring and rebounding at the guard spot, stocks and underrated passing offers a 31-point fantasy floor with a 40-50 point ceiling, as he’s shown over the past two weeks. The Wolves are one of the teams playing on the five-game slate on Christmas, so if you’re looking for a streaming option there, DiVincenzo is in play.

The 2025-26 NFL regular season is heading into the last few weeks, and Week 16 saw one of the wildest set of games in recent memory from the two-point conversion that helped the Seattle Seahawks beat the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night to the Chicago Bears’ improbable comeback win on Saturday night to whatever happened at the end of that Detroit Lions-Pittsburgh Steelers game.

It’s never too early to look ahead to next week, though, and sportsbooks have already posted lines for every matchup.

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Here are the odds for every Week 17 NFL game at BetMGM:

Thursday, Dec. 25

Dallas Cowboys (-6.5, 50.5) at Washington Commanders

Detroit Lions (-5.5, 44.5) at Minnesota Vikings

Denver Broncos (-13, 37.5) at Kansas City Chiefs

[Check out all of Yahoo’s sports betting content here in our new betting hub]

Saturday, Dec. 27

Houston Texans at Los Angeles Chargers (-1.5, 39.5)

Baltimore Ravens at Green Bay Packers (-2.5, 40.5)

Sunday, Dec. 28

1 p.m. ET

Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals (-7, 53.5)

Pittsburgh Steelers (-4.5, 34.5) at Cleveland Browns

New Orleans Saints (-2.5, 39.5) at Tennessee Titans

Jacksonville Jaguars (-6.5, 46.5) at Indianapolis Colts

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5.5, 46.5) at Miami Dolphins

New England Patriots (-12.5, 43.5) at New York Jets

Seattle Seahawks (-7, 42.5) at Carolina Panthers

4 p.m. ET

New York Giants at Las Vegas Raiders (-1.5, 42.5)

Philadelphia Eagles at Buffalo Bills (-2.5, 45)

Sunday Night Football

Chicago Bears at San Francisco 49ers (-3, 50.5)

Monday, Dec. 29

Los Angeles Rams (-8, 49.5) at Atlanta Falcons

We’re here. (Or at least after Monday Night Football, we’ll be here.) After 16 weeks, the fantasy football championship has arrived. Unless you’re fighting for third place, or to avoid the last-place punishment or compete in a league with a Week 18 final, this is for all the marbles. So, heading into the final weekend of most fantasy seasons, I’ve got a special Stock Report column looking at the hottest and coldest players deserving of a lineup decision as we head into the week. Buckle up and let’s go win some titles!

📈 Stock Up at RB

Saquon Barkley, Eagles

No, you probably weren’t considering benching Saquon Barkley at any point. But through November, it was starting to feel like the star running back was hurting you more than he was helping you. Fortunately, Barkley has kicked it into gear at just the right moment, logging three straight games with 16+ fantasy points heading into a glorious matchup with the Bills defense in Week 17. Barkley found the end zone in each of those three contests and hit 120+ rushing yards in two of three. After a mostly lackluster encore to his 2024 campaign, the Eagles back is poised to win people fantasy championships (again) this weekend.

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Blake Corum, Rams

Somewhat quietly, Blake Corum has become one of fantasy’s most consistent backs the last month. He has 12+ fantasy points in four straight games, with five touchdowns over that stretch and 70+ rushing yards in three of four. The last two outings came against extremely tough run defenses, and Atlanta (in Week 17) does not belong in that group. That sets Corum up for another great game as part of Sean McVay’s elite committee — he should be played as an RB2 or flex in nearly every fantasy championship.

Tony Pollard, Titans

Okay, I’m not sure what sort of “Michael’s Secret Stuff from Space Jam” Tony Pollard got a hold of in Week 14, but after a season of mediocrity, he has now put together three straight games with 100+ rushing yards (including Sunday against the Chiefs defense, even with Tyjae Spears having a day of his own). It’s been too consistent to ignore any longer. Simply put, Pollard should be in starting lineups for Week 17 against the Saints.

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📈 Stock Up at WR

Justin Jefferson, Vikings

After a horrendous two-month stretch that had legitimately lowered Justin Jefferson to must-sit territory, the All-World wide receiver snagged six catches for 85 yards on eight targets on Sunday. The production was especially impressive considering J.J. McCarthy and Max Brosmer combined for just 160 passing yards. McCarthy’s health is to-be-determined for Christmas Day on Thursday, but honestly I don’t know that Brosmer is a downgrade. Jefferson should be tentatively playable in a great matchup with the Lions — against whom he scored his only touchdown of the last 15 weeks.

DJ Moore, Bears

Catapulted heavily by the recent absences of Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III, DJ Moore has now posted back-to-back games with 19+ fantasy points. And while he did score 11.1 of his 19.4 points on the last play of overtime on Saturday, the fact that he’s the one making that play does matter. He’s scored five touchdowns over the last five weeks and will likely play a major part in the offense again on Sunday night against the 49ers in Week 17 … pending injury statuses. Stati? The point is, if Odunze, Burden or both are inactive for Chicago, Moore should be active for your fantasy team.

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George Pickens, Cowboys

A week after hitting the “Stock Down” section of this column — coming off 11 fantasy points combined in Weeks 14 and 15 — George Pickens absolutely exploded against the Chargers for 130 yards and a touchdown on seven catches. Considering he had 15 targets over that two-game mini-slump, and was dominant the rest of the year, I think we can confidently write that stretch off as an aberration. Most importantly, he and the Cowboys get the Commanders on Christmas. They’re an awful defense and a division rival Dallas will be motivated to wallop despite being eliminated from the playoffs. Pickens is a must-start once again.

Chris Olave, Saints

With Tyler Shough playing surprisingly decent quarterback for the Saints, Chris Olave has now hit double-digit fantasy points in five of his last six games and has scored 49.3 over the last two weeks in particular. He scorched the Jets for 10 catches, 148 yards and two touchdowns on 16 targets Sunday, and takes that momentum into a matchup with the soft Titans secondary next weekend. Olave started the season somewhat slow, but at this point he’s a borderline must-play WR2 with a high, volume-based WR1 ceiling against the Titans.

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📈 Stock Up Elsewhere

Trevor Lawrence, Jaguars

Trevor Lawrence’s 44.3 fantasy points against the Jets two weeks ago was impressive. But his 31.16 points against the Denver defense is honestly more impressive. T-Law tagged the Broncos for 279 yards and three scores through the air, plus 20 yards and a TD on the ground. He hasn’t thrown an interception in four straight games and has 12 touchdowns over that stretch. Heading into a meeting with the Colts — with big playoff hopes building in Duval — Lawrence is too hot to sit and should be started as a top-six-or-so QB in fantasy championships.

Kyle Pitts Sr., Falcons

This. This is what Kyle Pitts Sr. truthers have dreamed of for several years now. Over the past month, Pitts has scored four touchdowns and logged 31 catches and 395 yards. Importantly, he still put up 15.2 fantasy points on Sunday with Drake London back in the lineup. Given the dearth of reliable starts at the tight end position, Pitts is a Week 17 must-start who’s even hot enough to play in a flex if you also happen to have Trey McBride, George Kittle or Brock Bowers.

📉 Stock Down at RB

Rico Dowdle, Panthers

Rico Dowdle has just one touchdown over his last five games, and that score saved what would have been an otherwise abysmal Week 15. Moreover, he’s logged fewer than 60 rushing yards in six straight games and was particularly bad on Sunday, when he totaled just 43 scrimmage yards on 13 touches. Chuba Hubbard hasn’t been all that much better, but he does remain involved and Dowdle has not been able to recapture that ceiling from early in the year (for going on two months now). He has fallen considerably from his RB1 peak and has a terrible matchup with the Seahawks in Week 17, making him an RB3 or flex, if he even cracks your lineup.

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David Montgomery, Lions

After three straight games with a touchdown, David Montgomery failed to find the end zone on Sunday … and scored just 1.4 fantasy points as a result. In fact, in his eight games without a rushing touchdown this year, Montgomery has averaged just 5.0 fantasy points per game. It’s been particular bad the last six weeks, as he’s topped 35 rushing yards just once over that span. On Christmas against the Vikings, playing Montgomery is purely targeting a TD — if he misses it, he could ruin your week.

📉 Stock Down at WR

Emeka Egbuka, Bucs

Former Rookie of the Year frontrunner Emeka Egbuka has graced this section of the column before, but at 97% rostered on Yahoo, it’s time for a reminder. You cannot play him in the fantasy championship. He’s scored single-digit fantasy points in nine of his last 10 games, and just logged his fifth straight with four or fewer catches (specifically, he had one reception on two targets against Carolina). With a tough matchup against the Dolphins, it doesn’t matter who you find to play over him, but find someone. Parker Washington, for example. Heck, Chimere Dike has been better the past month.

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📉 Stock Down Elsewhere

Travis Kelce, Chiefs

As it turns out, losing Patrick Mahomes and dropping to Gardner Minshew and then to third-stringer Chris Oladokun is not good for Travis Kelce’s fantasy prospects. The future Hall of Famer caught just one of his four targets for six yards on Sunday against the Titans. And the entire offense managed just 126 passing yards. Unfortunate as it is, you’ll need to find another option for your tight end slot against the Broncos on Christmas Day.

Dalton Kincaid, Bills

Dalton Kincaid looked great early in the year. Then he missed three games. Then he looked solid again in his Week 14 return … admittedly against the Bengals. But over the past two weeks, he’s caught just three of five targets for 34 yards — including a goose egg on Sunday against the Browns. Next week brings an extremely ugly matchup with the Eagles, and as with Kelce, you’ll need to find another option for your tight end slot.

Welcome back to The Playlist — your weekly scan of the fantasy basketball landscape, where we break down waiver adds for 9-cat and standard points leagues to help you stay competitive.

Week 10 means it’s time for Christmas and hoops. There are no games on Wednesday (Christmas Eve), and while 11 teams play four games this week (most of which I discuss in my pickups), the Nets are the only team to play two. So, you can move on from fringe players from BK.

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Now that’s out of the way, let’s talk pickups.

You can also read my High Score pickups story for advice in that format.

🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: Shallow leagues

Cam Spencer – PG/SG, Memphis Grizzlies (27% rostered)

Ja Morant and Vince Williams Jr. are out on Monday against the Thunder, opening up another spot start for Spencer. He’s surprisingly ranked 31st over the past month, providing a balance of scoring, efficiency and assists. There’s no guarantee Morant plays on Tuesday either, so if Spencer is on your waiver wire, scoop him up in 9-cat or points leagues as the Grizzlies play four games in Week 10. Spencer had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists across 37 minutes in a loss to Washington on Saturday. I’d also look at Jock Landale as an alternative in the frontcourt.

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Cason Wallace – PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder (25% rostered)

OKC has a favorable schedule this week, starting with a back-to-back on Monday/Tuesday. They’ll also play on Christmas and Sunday (two lighter slates), so Wallace makes for a good option in Week 10. Wallace’s numbers aren’t jumping off the page; however, he’s been a top-90 player over the past two weeks thanks to his defense, averaging more steals per game than most reserves in the league. Whether you’re in 9-cat or points leagues, his stocks make him a consistent 20-25 fantasy-point contributor with upside for more if there’s an injury or he gets over 25 minutes. Ajay Mitchell (25% rostered) is another option.

Naji Marshall – SF/PF, Dallas Mavericks (22% rostered)

Marshall has a decent 25-fantasy point floor in points leagues, but with Cooper Flagg, Max Christie and Klay Thompson all questionable on Monday, their absence could increase his share on offense. He dropped 22 points with 9 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals against Philly on Saturday, but he’s scored at least 15 points in seven straight contests. He’s ranked 36th over the past month and with his efficiency and ability to stack numbers across categories, he’s an add in either points or 9-cat leagues.

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🎧 Who’s in My Rotation: Deeper leagues

Bruce Brown – SG, Denver Nuggets (6% rostered)

The Nuggets play four games in Week 10, starting with a Monday/Tuesday back-to-back and I’d stream Brown in both 9-cat and points leagues. He’s coming off his first double-double since March 2024 and was a top-60 option in 9-cat leagues in Week 9. Over his last seven games, Brown is averaging a mix of counting stats, tallying 8.6 points, 5.0 boards, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game. In points leagues, the volume of games plus the opponents to start the week (Jazz and Mavs) should offer at least 27 minutes with 20-30 fantasy points. He’s widely available for deep leagues.

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Bub Carrington – PG, Washington Wizards (19% rostered)

Carrington is thriving since his move into the starting lineup, averaging 17.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists over his last five games. Efficiency will be a constant knock, but you don’t have to worry about that in points leagues. The Wizards play the Hornets, Raptors and Grizzlies this week, so three matchups against backcourts who won’t pose much of a defensive challenge.

Now that Bub’s getting the minutes, his combination of scoring and playmaking makes him an appealing option for Week 10. In 9-cat, I’d be adding him for counting stats, and hopefully you’ll have some higher-efficiency players to balance out his inevitable shooting woes. He’s ranked 61st in 9-cat over the past two weeks, primarily because of his ability to keep his turnovers down, posting 24 assists with just 9 turnovers.

Isaiah Stewart – PF/C, Detroit Pistons (20% rostered)

Beef Stew’s been trending up as Tobias Harris’ play is looking more and more suspect. Stewart’s been a solid source of blocks this year, averaging 1.9 swats per game. Despite his size, his ability to stretch the floor allows him to play valuable minutes at PF alongside Jalen Duren. So with Stewart’s defense and shotmaking, he can easily get a bump up to 25-30 minutes if Harris continues to struggle. Stewart’s role is stable and while I prefer him for 9-cat, the Pistons’ four-game schedule opens him up for points leagues as well. A Monday-Tuesday back-to-back versus Portland and Sacramento is promising for fantasy production.

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Other pickups to consider:

• Spencer Jones – SG/SF, Denver Nuggets (1%)

• Ryan Nembhard – PG, Dallas Mavericks (13%)

• Dominick Barlow – PF/C, Philadelphia 76ers (10%)

• Ace Bailey – SG/SF, Utah Jazz (22%)

• Noah Penda – SF, Orlando Magic (1%)

• Brook Lopez – C, Los Angeles Clippers (11%)