They saved the best for last -- an epic and dramatic final Thursday Night Football game of the season. A battle between two Super Bowl contenders. A contest featuring the two highest-scoring fantasy WRs. 38 points scored in the fourth quarter and overtime.
Some things that jump out: First, Kenneth Walker's monster performance followed a 10-touch Sunday afternoon. I believe he had the second-longest rush and also the second-longest reception of his career. One might assume he was held back against Indy so that he could be as fresh as possible last night. It paid off.
Kyren Williams was the only RB (among the four main guys) not to score. Yes, he had more catches (three) than in any of his previous nine games. But he entered the night with at least one TD in 10 of 14 contests. Red-hot Blake Corum has now scored in four straight.
For a while, it looked like Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be one of the biggest fantasy playoff busts in recent memory. Recent opposing #1 WRs facing the Rams' defense had posted receiving lines of 11-142-2 (Michael Wilson, Week 14) and 13-164-2 (Amon-Ra St Brown, Week 15). Eventually, he came around, as often happens. But it's also a reminder of how thin Seattle's receiver corps is: if JSN isn't producing, the drop-down to Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed is pretty big.
Puka Nacua dominated and now has 379.8 fantasy points, or 25.3 per game. Kupp averaged 25.9 in his record-breaking 2021 campaign. Nacua has a shot at producing the best fantasy WR season of all time.
How many people started Colby Parkinson? I cautioned that he was a better bet for only about eight points, give or take a point or two. He finished with 4.1. Today's FF4W podcast (episode #150) walks through TE point chasing: why managers are tempted, and why it often doesn't work out as expected.
Matthew Stafford is now the QB2 in fantasy points per game, wedged between Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Stafford's preseason ADP was QB23, wedged between Cam Ward and Michael Penix. The absurdity of what he's achieved -- almost career-best numbers across the board at age 37 after three consecutive dismal-to-adequate campaigns -- is like playing five-card draw and getting four aces, then getting four aces again on the next hand.
For the *final* final score competition of the season, a huge congratulations to Josh Pez, who came closest by predicting a 31-29 Seahawks win. Since this final competition counts more than any of the previous weeks (I just came up with that at 1:00 in the morning), let's say Josh is the overall 2025 champion. Similarly, the final winner during the 2029 season will be named "Closest Score Prediction Champion of the Decade." Something to look forward to.
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