For most, the journey of Living the Stream has ended—for better or worse. For some, it ended with a glorious cruise into the dock that is a fantasy championship. They are basking in glory. Clearing off a spot on the shelf for a trophy. Counting prize money.
For others, there is only frustration and disappointment. The agony of coming so close only to come up just short. This analyst feels your pain. The streaming options I started against Footballguys' own Matt Montgomery on defense weren't the reason I came up short in the King's Classic Butkus Division for the second time in three years. But come up short I did, and that doesn't feel good.
However, a few fantasy managers still have something to play for. They laugh at concerns about teams sitting players this week for whatever reason, be it resting for the playoffs or making Maxx Crosby angry. They embrace chaos. Live for anarchy.
And for them, this is Championship Week.
So, for one last time in 2025, we are grabbing an oar, pushing away from the shore, and Living the Stream—albeit in something of an abbreviated version.
I hope this column helped guide some of you to an IDP championship in 2025. Hope even more than you and yours have the best of new years. And assuming that Joe doesn't send his robot ninja monkeys to do me in soon, I hope to be back Living the Stream in 2026.
Week 18 Matchup Plays
EDGE George Karlaftis, Kansas City (at Las Vegas)
It has been a miserable season all around for the Chiefs, who will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014 and have lost double-digit games for the first time since 2012. Edge-rusher George Karlaftis hasn't been spared from the vortex of suck, either—his six sacks for the season are tied for a career-low, and the four-year veteran has just one sack over his last seven games.
Still, if ever there was a week for Karlaftis to go out on a high note, it's this week against a Raiders team in line to sport the NFL's worst record. Las Vegas leads the league in sacks allowed this season with 61, and no team in the NFL has allowed more fantasy points to edge-rushers.
EDGE Travon Walker, Jacksonville (vs. Tennessee)
The Jaguars are on the cusp of winning the AFC South in Liam Coen's first year as head coach, but the team's success has been more in spite of Walker's play than because of it. A trendy breakout pick in some circles (he writes sheepishly) after logging at least 10 sacks in both 2023 and 2024, Walker came out of the gate hot—and then fell off a cliff. His 35 tackles are easily a career low, and the first overall pick in 2022 has just 3.5 sacks for the season.
However, one of those sacks came last week against the Indianapolis Colts—Walker's first full sack since Week 3. He also added four solo total tackles in the game, which was a season-high. Throw in a game the Jaguars need to win, and a plus IDP matchup with the Titans, and Walker's disappointing 2025 is going to end on a high note.
LB Patrick Queen, Pittsburgh (vs. Baltimore)
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