Another week, another blown late lead for BJ & Da’ Bears. This one wasn’t a Monday Night heartbreak, and it didn’t come down to one play. I only had a slight lead going into the Sunday night game and my opponent had Jordan Love. Only a miracle would have saved me.
I’m now 2-6. I think it’s time to start thinking about next season. I’m opening the trade block. All players available, looking to stockpile some draft picks for next season.
Caleb Williams was better this week, slightly. He still hasn’t scored a TD in two weeks, though. It’s hard to win fantasy football games when your QB gets single digits.
Kimani Vidal had an excellent week for me, he’s actually my MVP for the week. His 18 points helped me win the RB battle, 23-17.
Interestingly, I finally cut bait on TreVeyon Henderson, only to have him picked up by my opponent. He had his best showing in weeks, but still only managed 3 fantasy points. Such a major disappointment this year, and a big reason my team is in the hole it is.
Rome Odunze broke his mini slump, though he didn’t find the end zone. Tetairoa McMillan also had a nice game. Quentin Johnston, however, put up a goose egg in a game where the Chargers offense lit it up.
Speaking of Chargers, I picked up Oronde Gadsden II, and he had a decent game, continuing my recent string of strong TE performances.
My streamed defense, the Atlanta Falcons, was a total dud.
Kimani Vidal, RB, Los Angeles Chargers. Photo Credit- Jessie Alcheh/ Associated Press
Week 9 Preview
BJ & Da’ Bears vs Delta House Blutarskys
Projected Lineups & Reserves
I’m currently heavily favored in this matchup, but that will change. I expect my opponent to get Amon-Ra St. Brown & TJ Hockenson into their lineup.
My opponent, as you might have discerned, is a Cowboys fan. Dallas has a plus matchup at home against the Arizona Cardinals. This bodes well for my opponent outdoing his projections.
I’ve opened the trade block, so my lineup could look vastly different come Sunday.
My keys to the week, as they currently stand:
Caleb Williams: Williams has a fantastic matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. He’s been rather pedestrian the last couple weeks, this could be the week he erupts.
Trey McBride: McBride was on a heater before the bye, now Kyler Murray likely returns at quarterback. McBride has an excellent matchup against Dallas, but Murray scares me.
BrianThomas Jr: Thomas has been a major disappointment thus far, but he showed signs of breaking out before the bye. He gets a plus matchup against the Raiders this week.
Kimani Vidal: Vidal has seized the opportunity afforded him by the injuries to the Chargers backfield. He gets another plus matchup against Tennessee this week and I need him to continue his hot streak.
Huge win for the Trash Pandas this week! My opponent was the defending league champion & this marks the first winning streak of my season. I’m now 4-4 and right in the thick of the playoff race.
I dealt with a huge bye week, only one player on my bench actually had a game this week, and hopefully some key injuries have been resolved.
Every win in fantasy football involves a little bit of luck, and I had it this week. Despite losing the RB battle 53-0, I won at every other position, except TE where I only lost by 2. My opponent made some major managerial mistakes, leaving 98 points on their bench, an actual cost of 87 points to their lineup.
What should have been a blowout loss for me instead became a signature win for the Trash Pandas.
Justin Herbert seems to have regained his early season form, putting up over thirty points for the second straight game. I won the QB battle, 33-8, because my opponent started Baker Mayfield over Daniel Jones.
Six teams being on bye really messed with my RBs. I hit the waiver wire and added Justice Hill & Brashard Smith. It didn’t work out so well, and I predictably got crushed at RB, but it didn’t hurt me.
Rome Odunze broke his mini slump and paced my WR group with 17 points. Jordan Addison had his lowest yardage output since his return, but he did score a TD. Quentin Johnston, unfortunately, put up a goose egg but that was offset by Jerry Jeudy’s goose egg for my opponent. I won the WR battle, 25-7.
I lost the TE battle, 4-2, but my opponent made a gigantic mistake here. They played Cade Otton over Tucker Kraft. That decision cost them 28 points.
The other huge mistake made by my opponent was starting the Cincinnati Bengals defense over the Baltimore Ravens. Cincy put up negative 11 points, while Baltimore had 15. That’s a 26 point swing.
Andy Borregales won the kicker battle for me, 17-1, and I considered naming him my MVP, but instead I’m giving it to my waiver wire add at LB, Tatum Bethune, for posting my highest IDP total this season, 14 points.
Tatum Bethune, LB, San Francisco 49ers. Photo Credit- David Gonzales/ Imagn Images
Week 9 Preview
Trash Pandas vs Steel City Mafia
Projected Lineups & Reserves
My opponent this week has been on a similar trajectory as me. They’ve won two in a row to get themselves back to .500 and in the thick of the playoff race.
They have some minor bye week issues and more injury issues than I have, hence why I’m currently favored.
Here’s my keys to the week:
JustinHerbert: I think QB is where my real advantage in this matchup lies. Herbert gets a great matchup against Tennessee and he’s been on a heater the last two weeks.
Jahmyr Gibbs: Gibbs is the only true fantasy superstar in this matchup and he’s coming off a bye after a monster performance against Tampa Bay. Another big performance against Minnesota would go a long way to securing me a victory.
Rome Odunze & Marvin Harrison Jr: Both Odunze & Harrison have plus matchups versus Cincinnati & Dallas, respectively. Odunze has been a WR1 most of the season and just broke his mini slump, he should have another big week. Harrison is tougher to predict, he’s been up and down since entering the NFL and he’s coming off a concussion.
Brock Bowers: Bowers missed two games due to injury and had his bye week last week. The hope is that he’s ready to go and even though the Raiders are a mess, a healthy Bowers is a fantasy cheat code.
Second straight Monday night heartbreak for BJ & Da’ Bears. Despite my team not having a great week, neither did my opponent. I held a lead into the second half of the Seattle-Houston game, but lost on the Houston defense’s sack/fumble/touchdown in a game they were otherwise dominated.
My team didn’t deserve to win this week, but it’s still gut wrenching to come so close only to have it ripped away from you.
Caleb Williams had his worst week of the season, managing only two points in a plus matchup. I lost the QB battle 11-2.
Running back was another wasteland for me.i was outscored 19-8 at RB.
Quentin Johnston returned and scored a TD, but my other three WRs combined for 6 points. However, I only lost the WR battle by 3 points, 17-14, because my opponent had a player put up a goose egg.
Trey McBride was my lone bright spot. He’s really come on lately and won the TE battle for me, 23-11, despite my opponent playing two tight ends.
Ka’imi Fairbairn was decent, winning the kicker matchup, 10-2.
I streamed the Chicago Bears defense, who did well with 18 points. Unfortunately, my opponent’s defense put up 22.
Trey McBride earns my MVP for the week, hopefully the rest of my team can start to complement my TE.
Trey McBride, TE, Arizona Cardinals Photo Credit- Joe Camporeale/ USA Today Sports
Week 8 Preview
BJ & Da’ Bears vs Nerves of Steel
Projected Lineups
I’m a slight favorite at this point, mainly because my opponent doesn’t have a RB for his starting lineup because of byes. I’ve got bye issues, too, but I’m at least able to field a full lineup.
This game could come down to which of our reserves come through for us.
My keys to the week:
CalebWilliams: Williams is coming off his worst game of the season. I need him to bounce back. I don’t need him to have a monster week, just league average would be nice. He’s got a decent matchup against Baltimore to do so.
Rome Odunze: Odunze goes hand in hand with Williams. If one has a good game, the other likely does too. Odunze has had two down games in a row, I need him to get back to his early season form.
RachaadWhite: White is the best RB in this matchup & I need him to show it. He’s got a plus matchup versus New Orleans. He could very well carry me to victory this week.
Kimani Vidal: Vidal is pretty much the only healthy RB the Chargers have left. The matchup against Minnesota isn’t great, but Vidal should get plenty of opportunities.
What a difference a week makes. Last week this team managed a measly 49 points. This week, one of my players outdid that completely by himself and another came damn close.
Big win for the Trash Pandas, stopping a two game skid & moving to 3-0 within my division.
Justin Herbert exploded this week for 54 points! He outscored my opponent’s QB by 37!
I played 2 RBs to my opponent’s 3, and one of my RBs, TreVeyon Henderson, put up a goose egg, yet I still won the RB matchup by 35 points because Jahmyr Gibbs romped for 47 points on Monday night.
Despite having three WRs in my lineup to my opponent’s two, I lost the WR battle, 40-31, but it wasn’t a terrible week. Quentin Johnston was back and scored a touchdown. Jordan Addison entered my lineup for the first time and put up 19 points. Rome Odunze was the only downer with his second straight dud.
I scooped up Dalton Schultz off the secondary waiver wire and he won me the TE matchup, 10-7.
Philadelphia’s defense added a touchdown to help my efforts.
My MVP goes to Gibbs, whose huge Monday night turned a probable heartbreaking loss into a breathe easy win.
Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions Photo Credit- Ryan Sun/ Associated Press
Week 8 Preview
Trash Pandas vs Township Gilmores
Projected Lineups & Reserves
I get the defending league champion this week and it couldn’t come on a worse week. My roster is decimated by bye weeks. I need to find a RB, preferably two so I don’t have to play TreVeyon Henderson against Cleveland.
It’s going to take some major luck for me to pull this one off, but here’s the keys to the week:
Justin Herbert: Herbert had a monster game last week. It’s asking a lot for him to repeat it, but I could definitely use it.
Dalton Schultz: Schultz actually had a nice game last week, he saw tons of targets. It would be nice if he saw the same volume this week.
Rome Odunze: Odunze needs to break out of his mini slump if I want any shot at pulling off this upset.
Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles defense needs a much better showing this week than the last time they played the Giants when they put up negative points.
Now that the Tennessee Titans have become the first team to fire their head coach this season, I thought I’d take a look at some other coaches on the hot seat. Listed in order of most likely to be out of a job come January:
White Hot
Photo Credit- John Kuntz/ Cleveland.com
Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are a mess. They have issues on both sides of the ball and in the locker room. They were not even competitive against the Cleveland Browns, not exactly a juggernaut. McDaniel’s seat is nuclear hot. I wouldn’t be shocked if he’s gone before Thanksgiving. Side Note- I think Miami will be breaking in a new coach and quarterback in 2026.
Photo Credit- Norm Hall/ Getty Images
Jonathan Gannon, Arizona Cardinals: When the Cardinals organization imposed a fine on Gannon for his altercation with running back Emari Demercado on the sideline during the game against the Tennessee Titans, Gannon’s seat became hot. With each mounting loss, the seat gets hotter. To be honest, Gannon is an example of a guy who probably rushed into being a head coach without fully looking into the situation he was getting into. The Cardinals, and Gannon, are tied to Kyler Murray and, sadly, that was never going to work. Murray has never shown a consistent ability to be a top tier quarterback and the Cardinals investment in him had hamstrung them in other areas. The offense has actually looked better without him the last two weeks. Gannon’s best hope to make it through the season may be to stick with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback and maybe, just maybe, they win a game or two along the way.
Smoldering
Photo Credit- Kai River Kanzer/ New York Post
Brian Daboll, New York Giants: Not only do I think Daboll is safe for the rest of this season, I think there’s a chance he returns in 2026. The reason? Jaxson Dart. Dart was Daboll’s hand picked quarterback and he’s looked the part. If he continues to grow, Daboll could be retained. BUT… Meltdowns like Sunday’s against Denver don’t help his cause. Sure, coaches aren’t making the plays on the field, it was the players that made the mistakes that allowed that improbable comeback, but Daboll made questionable decisions. He should never have put Dart in the position to throw that critical interception. There is such a fine line in this sport. Had the Giants won that game that would have been two big time upsets in a row and Daboll wouldn’t even be on this list, but here we are.
Photo Credit- Ken Blaze/ Imagn Images
Kevin Stefanski, ClevelandBrowns: Personally, I think Cleveland would be stupid to move on from a two time coach of the year, but the Browns have a habit of making stupid decisions. Cleveland’s troubles are a direct result of the stupid decision to jettison Baker Mayfield in favor of Deshaun Watson, and give Watson an enormous contract, fully guaranteed, that he’s come nowhere close to living up to and Cleveland has no way to get out of. Stefanski could end up being the fall guy, deserved or not. He’d be a top candidate for any opening if he is let go.
Waiting on a Spark
Photo Credit- Sam Greene/ The Enquirer/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images
Zac Taylor, CincinnatiBengals: Joe Burrow’s injury may have given Taylor a pass on this season, especially if he can keep the Bengals in contention until Burrow’s return. However, there’s a couple scenarios that could ignite the hot seat. 1) If the Bengals completely fall out of contention, even after acquiring Joe Flacco, perhaps Cincinnati’s front office will see it a justification for moving on from a coach who seems to be squandering some world class offensive talent in their prime. 2) Even worse would be keeping them in contention yet still falling short upon Burrow’s return. You have to wonder if the front office is not just a little frustrated with not living up to expectations.
Photo Credit- Bryan Bennett/ Getty Images
Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills: Don’t get me wrong, I find this to be highly unlikely. I think the Bills will eventually win the AFC East and make a deep playoff run, but Buffalo’s last two games opens the possibility. The Bills are vulnerable, especially defensively, and that is McDermott’s specialty. If Buffalo should stumble down the stretch and miss the playoffs, I think the axe could fall. The inability to get over the hump in the postseason and wasting some prime Josh Allen years could weigh in as well.
Photo Credit- Eric Christian Smith/ Associated Press
Demeco Ryans: I’m listing Ryans simplybecause Houston has a history of making rash coachingdecisions. Ryans has made the playoffsevery year he’s been head coach, but they have an uphill climb to get there thisseason. The regression of CJ Stroud and stagnation of the offense may be allthejustification the Texans’ ownershipwould need.
Short Leash
Photo Credit- Robert Deutsch/ Imagn Images
AaronGlenn, New York Jets: I never thought we’d get here, but the Jets are an absolute embarrassment this season. They are undisciplined and make way too many mental mistakes. That’s coaching, and they’ve gotten worse as the season has progressed. Maybe Glenn will be able to scapegoat Justin Fields and not having his quarterback, but the problems are deeper. The Jets franchise has proven to be impatient in the past, so a one and done for Glenn isn’t out of the question.
Photo Credit- Jeffrey McWhorter/ Associated Press
Brian Schottenheimer, DallasCowboys: Jerry Jones certainly does things his own way, and he’s proven to be impulsive and impatient before. Schottenheimer was a surprise hire and he’s been decent. The Cowboys’ issues have been defensive, not Schottenheimer’s forte, and he had nothing to do with trading away their best defensive player. Still, it wouldn’t surprise me if Jones moves on if Dallas misses the playoffs.
Photo Credit- Charlie Riedel/ Associated Press
Pete Carroll, Las Vegas Raiders: Pete Carroll’s career resume should earn him a longer leash, but this is the Raiders. Whether in Vegas, Oakland or Los Angeles, the Raiders have a long history of quickly moving on from head coaches. Make no mistake, the Raiders are very bad and much worse than many expected. It wouldn’t be a total shock to see Carroll gone after one season.
No Heat, but…
Photo Credit- Albert Cesare/ The Enquirer/ USA Today Network via Imagn Images
Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers: Let me be clear, Tomlin won’t get fired unless Pittsburgh doesn’t win another game this season. However, I think a mutual decision to part ways is certainly in the cards if Tomlin can’t lead Pittsburgh to at least the second round of the playoffs.
Photo Credit- Ric Tapia/ Getty Images
John Harbaugh, Baltimore Ravens: Even if Baltimore’s season continues on its downward spiral, there is no way Harbaugh would get fired. But, maybe he’d get moved up to the front office. Some kind of mutual agreement type thing. Highly unlikely, nearly impossible in my mind.
Nickels and Dimes 