Fantasy Dreams and Nightmares: Game of the Year

I can't zero in on a single player from that game. I'm almost certain you know exactly which one I'm talking about between the intro and the photo. If not, I'm referring to the Bears' improbable collapse and equally improbable recovery act against the Bengals.

I could've made Caleb Williams, Joe Flacco, Colston Loveland, or Tee Higgins a fantasy dream for this week. How could I not mention Kyle Monangai, either? There were too many standouts. My focus for that entry will be instead trying to encapsulate how unreal that game was by hitting on all of them. I've been doing this for a couple of months now. Shouldn't be too tall a task. 

I'll have some more for you, too. That's par for the course around here in Fantasy Dreams and Nightmares. 

Welcome back to everyone's favorite weekly retrospective. I haven't confirmed that people actually like this little venture I've got rolling. I just like to think it's true. If you do, then shoutout to you. We're now friends. You've got that going for you, which is nice. 

There were some compelling quarterback storylines this week. Sam Darnold and Matthew Stafford are on a tear. That's nothing new, though. Stafford might be the most underrated quarterback of this generation. Darnold, though, playing like a top-five quarterback isn't as familiar. That's a 2024 development. The transcendence to a new system gives it staying power. 

Speaking of Darnold's former system, J.J. McCarthy didn't look overmatched in Detroit. Am I allowed to say he looked good? Because he looked good. That throw to Jalen Nailor to clinch the game was nails. 

Daniel Jones and the Colts offense faced adversity. Possibly for the first time since Indianapolis lost its first game in Week 4 to the Rams. They responded with four straight wins. This response could give us valuable insight into a realistic ceiling for the league's most surprising team. 

That should do it for the quick-hitters. Let's get to the absurdity of Week 9. 

Fantasy Dream: The Standard For All Shootouts

There are several angles I could take with this one. I don't want to overlook any of them, so I'm covering everything I can.  

First, some context. 

The Bengals' defense is bad. Like, your teammates can't resist taking shots at you after a game, bad. I'll drop the Chase Brown comments, in case you're curious. He took a spirited approach when describing the end of the game.

Chase Brown has had it with the defense. "What the f—k.. Finish the f-ing game." pic.twitter.com/WF9Klk0psc

— Mike Petraglia (@Trags) November 2, 2025

That's not new frustration. Comments like that are the product of issues boiling over. A level of exasperation manifested only by repeated disappointment. I guess it's not shocking. Watching Loveland bounce off tackles and sprint toward the endzone couldn't have been pleasant. 

The rookie tight end followed his 80.6 percent snap share in Week 8 with an 81.3 percent figure in Week 9. With Cole Kmet banged up during the game, Loveland handled a 19.4 percent share of the targets. He took advantage, with six catches for 118 yards and two touchdowns. His ability after the catch flashed when the Bears needed it most. 

Williams and Flacco combined for 750 passing yards. Flacco did the heavy lifting with 470 yards, while Williams' 280 was his third-highest total of the season. Williams threw for multiple touchdowns for just the third time this season. Whether or not the Bears found solutions to their red zone woes applicable to stingier NFL defenses is a storyline to monitor. 

For Flacco, life throwing the ball up to Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase can't be better. Sure, he might turn the ball over three times, but the plan doesn't change. Get the ball out quick, throw it downfield, and let his dynamic duo do the rest. It was the Higgins show in the Game of the Year. He caught two of Flacco's three touchdown passes. His nine targets were second to Chase Brown's 14. He caught seven, for 121 yards. 

You can't overthink Flacco at this point. Ignoring him would be fantasy malpractice. This quarterback situation might be the dreamiest part of this entry. His 41.6 passing attempts per game are the most in the league. Chase and Higgins are the targets more often than not. With the state of this defense, that probably isn't changing. He did what he did with an ailing shoulder, too. Elite stuff all around. 

The cherry on top of this game is the seventh-round rookie Monangai. Have I mentioned context is important, and he had the luxury of earning his first career start against Cincinnati's defense, yet? Of course I did. I don't want to discredit what he did. The Bengals still employ professional football players, and Monangai totaled 176 yards on 26 carries against that payroll. His rushing yardage total was the most among running backs in Week 9, as was his +2.5 rushing yards over expected per carry average. The physicality showed. That's something Ben Johnson might choose to lean on, even with a healthy D'Andre Swift. 

If you're going to refer to any other game as a shootout this season, you must first compare it to what we saw at Paycor Stadium in Week 9. Odds are, it'll fall short of that standard. 

Fantasy Nightmare: The Wrecking Dal Stops Swinging

I've had to learn a tough lesson this season; when something feels too good to be true, there's a real chance it is. That's not the case in every situation. That's what makes this all the more frustrating. It can be difficult to discern the gold from the pyrite. 

Williams against the Bengals, for example, ended up being gold. It made sense. The Bengals' defense was a perfect get-right spot. Kimani Vidal, the Wrecking Dal, as he's come to be known, didn't swing against the generous Tennessee Titans. He was the pyrite that made me look a fool. 

I do think I'm the only one who called him that, for what it's worth. Guy got a nickname and then decided to burn me. The ultimate betrayal. 

If something looks this good, my instinct from here on out will be to question it. Entering Week 9, the Titans ranked last in rushing touchdowns allowed (14), seventh-worst in rushing yardage allowed (142.6), fifth-worst in opponent expected points added per rush (+0.05), and second-worst in rushing yardage over expected allowed per carry (+1.4). They didn't have Jeffery Simmons. Here's how Vidal exploited that matchup, compared to what he did in Week 8 against Minnesota. 

That's the same Minnesota run defense that just corralled Jahmyr Gibbs, by the way. Vidal's opportunities dropped by almost half against Tennessee. The efficiency plummeted, too. A tough beat, given how set up he was to build on his Thursday Night Football showing. 

The Wrecking Dal's momentum was stalled. Nothing's being knocked down by a stationary object. 

Fantasy Dream: Take a Bow, Brock

That four-week layoff probably feels like it flew by right about now. As someone who didn't end up with many Bowers shares, I had major FOMO watching his return. If you were able to buy low on Bowers during his time on the shelf, you may just be the Howie Roseman of your league. 

Bowers slotted right back in as the alpha of this offense. In Week 1, before the knee injury surfaced, Bowers looked as advertised. He outdid himself in Week 9. 

The Week 9 performance was one of the best of Bowers' career. The entire repertoire showed up. He caught everything. He was a problem after the catch. He was also the clear focal point of Chip Kelly's offensive game plan. That last part seems like it shouldn't need to be said. We're all aware of the occasional overthinking that can pop up on the part of NFL coaches. There was none of that here. Bowers made this offense look more competent than it has in weeks. 

His five red zone targets and seven quick targets in his return may have been the most promising development as it pertains to his weekly role. There shouldn't have been any doubt. He's a special talent whom the Raiders seem committed to leaning on.

You might not get the three touchdowns and 13 targets each week. Still, if his Week 1 performance, which was still consistent with his rookie averages, is closer to what you get consistently, he'll give you a sizable advantage at a fantasy position I've been known to call frustrating. 

So, take a bow, Brock. Glad to have you back. 

Fantasy Nightmare: Some Love Lost