In today's Fantasy Life Newsletter, presented by Guillotine Leagues:
And just like that the regular season is over and the playoffs are set.
After their victory over the Vikings, the Lions have earned a bye along with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here’s a super-early-week preview of the Wild Card round …
(5) Chargers -3 at Texans (4)—Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET
The Chargers are the only road favorite on the Wild Card slate. Can the Texans find their mojo after a rough close to the regular season?
(6) Steelers +10 at Ravens (3)—Saturday at 8:00 p.m. ET
The Ravens are undoubtedly the better team, but they can’t be thrilled to face a division rival that is a scary out when the moon balls are connecting.
(7) Broncos +8.5 at Bills (2)—Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET
The Bills are a wagon, but the Denver defense is solid and Bo Nix is playing out of his mind right now. I think the Broncos can keep this closer than the spread suggests.
(7) Packers +5 at Eagles (2)—Sunday at 4:30 p.m. ET
Man, maybe I’m just an underdog enjoyer, but the Packers could easily surprise in this spot. Will they finally be forced to take the ball out of Josh Jacobs’ hands and let Jordan Love cook?
(6) Commanders +3 at Bucs (3)—Sunday at 8:00 p.m. ET
With a 50.5 total, this is where to look for a Wild Card shootout.
(5) Vikings at Rams (4)—Monday at 8:00 p.m. ET
Justin Jefferson and Puka Nacua going back-and-forth? Ya, sign me up.
What else is in today’s newsletter?
- Pete’s Pick 6: Bryce Young’s redemption arc
- Watercooler: Guillotine LeaguesTM keep the fantasy fun going in the playoffs
- Fantasy Life Trivia: Mike Evans punches ticket to history
Week 18 Fantasy Football Takeaways
by Peter Overzet
It's time for Pete's Pick 6—a weekly recap column where I spotlight the best and the worst—the AFC East has been on one recently—performances from Sunday's games.
Let's dig in …
🌏️ Bryce Young's roundtrip to glory
What a year for Panthers second-year QB, Bryce Young.
The 2023 No. 1 overall pick was unceremoniously benched for Andy Dalton back in September. If you recall, the Panthers were the laughingstock of the league for passing on C.J. Stroud for him.
Flash forward to Sunday and he's playing near-perfect football, orchestrating game-winning drives in overtime on the road, and spoiling the playoff hopes for a division rival.
How in the world did this happen? It's truly night and day:
Young finished the game vs. the Falcons with 251 yards passing, 3 passing TDs, 24 yards rushing, and 2 rushing TDs.
The defining moment, though, was this TD bullet to Tommy Tremble that he punctuated with the Steph Curry-esque no-look celebration. If that's not proof that Bryce got his swag back I don't know what is.
🛫 Tyreek on the move?
Outside of a little record-breaking, the Dolphins/Jets game ended up being the "Where Are They Headed Next? Bowl."
Let's take a look at the disgruntled individuals who happened to play against one another yesterday …
Tyreek Hill: After the game, Hill basically said he wanted out of the Dolphins organization. It's quite the pivot after he made it seem like he'd want to stay in Miami forever earlier this summer. Whether this was just heat of the moment or an actual reveal, it'll make for an interesting offseason subplot.
Aaron Rodgers: You know the deal. He's going to torture us all offseason with headfakes and misdirection about whether he wants to return or retire or get traded or accept a cabinet position. I'm already so tired.
Davante Adams: Adams is almost for sure gone since there's basically no way the Jets will agree to pay him his $35 million salary at age 33 (or at age 34 in 2026). That means he'll likely get released before free agency begins on March 12.
Garrett Wilson: He's already insinuated that he wants out if Rodgers is back.
The AFC East dysfunction wasn't contained to just this game, though …
The Best Sweat in Fantasy Football Just Got Sweatier
Playoff Guillotine League contests are now LIVE.
AROUND THE WATERCOOLER
The latest analysis and insights from our merry band of football nerds:
🪓 Want to play in a playoff Guillotine League against Ian and Dwain? Avoid the CHOP here.
👀 OK, this is an incredible TD celebration. What a callback. LOL!
🕵️ NFL QB or speakeasy bartender? You be the judge.
🤯 The body control on this TD is absurd. Malik Nabers is a baller.
💪 I don’t think the human body is supposed to move like this. Luckily he was fine.
📢 The chant says it all. It’s a long way from 0-10-1.
We’re back with another edition of Fantasy Life Trivia! To submit your answer, simply click your selection and you will be redirected to the submission page.
*The correct answer will be revealed here in tomorrow’s Fantasy Life Trivia segment.
It was sweaty, but Mike Evans ultimately eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards for the 11th straight year to start his career. That’s a record, and it’s the second-most 1,000-yard campaigns for any receiver in history. Who is the only player to top 1,000 yards more often?
