The Whole Nine Yards

Ep. 27: Twas The Night Before Championships 🎄🎁


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The Vibe: On Christmas Eve, our souls belong to the NFL and the fantasy championship. Milton is alive in one final league, going for the grand prize. Vivian pulled off a "miracle" (or just great management) to overcome Puka Nacua's 158-point onslaught and advance.

Week 16 Pick 6: Our six biggest takeaways from the semifinals:

  1. Cleveland is a Fantasy Graveyard: Milton's one ironclad rule held true. Josh Allen was held to a ridiculous 6.9 points in the "cursed" Cleveland stadium.

  2. Purdy's MNF Masterclass: Brock Purdy threw 5 TDs on Monday Night, making history and leading the 49ers to a blowout win.

  3. Injury Heartbreak: Key injuries to Lamar Jackson and TreVeyon Henderson in the Patriots-Ravens thriller ended many fantasy seasons.

  4. Bears' Miraculous DNA: Chicago won its 6th game this year after overcoming a deficit in the final 2 minutes, an NFL record.

  5. Jags Are For Real: Trevor Lawrence played the best game of his career to end Denver's 11-game win streak, proving Jacksonville is a legitimate contender.

  6. Late-Season Casualties: Brock Bowers is shockingly on IR, DK Metcalf is suspended and lost $45M in guarantees, and Justin Fields is on IR.

The News: The injury report is the final boss of the fantasy season.

  • Major Losses: Vikings QB JJ McCarthy (hand) is out. Chiefs WR Rashee Rice is almost certainly out (concussion). Rams WR Davante Adams could be shut down.

  • RB Roulette: Jaylen Warren will be limited. TreVeyon Henderson is in concussion protocol. Jordan Mason is a "long shot."

  • Questionable Stars: Amon-Ra St. Brown (knee) is expected to play. Josh Allen (foot) plans to play but didn't practice.

  • Returns: Woody Marks practiced in full.

The Game Script: A festive, chaotic slate with everything on the line.

  • Christmas Games: Cowboys at Commanders – Dak Prescott owns Washington. Lions at Vikings– A must-win for Detroit against a backup QB.

  • Saturday: Texans at Chargers – Houston can clinch a playoff spot. Ravens at Packers – Green Bay fights for the NFC North.

  • Sunday Marquee: Bears at 49ers (SNF) – A massive clash for the NFC's #1 seed and the division title.

  • Playoff Implications: Almost every game has major seeding consequences, from the Jags at Colts to the Eagles at Bills.

The Depth Chart: Your final lineup decisions for all the marbles.

  • Key Context: Trust no one in Cleveland. Start anyone facing the Commanders (Dak). Bench anyone reliant on JJ McCarthy.

  • Injury Leverage: If Jaylen Warren is limited, Kenneth Gainwell becomes a premium start. If Amon-Ra St. Brown is limited, Jameson Williams gets a boost.

  • Must-Win Spotlights: Players on teams fighting for playoff lives (Jaguars, Packers, Bears, 49ers, Texans) have extra motivation.

Lock It In: Our final advice for the championship: Trust players on teams with everything to play for, fade those on eliminated or locked-in teams, and may your studs stay healthy for one more week.

Tune in for our full, festive breakdown to set your championship-winning lineup. Raise a toast, and may the fantasy gods deliver your title. And just like DK Metcalf's guaranteed money, we are GONE!

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The Whole Nine YardsBy Milton and Vivian