The close of the fantasy football season is always bittersweet. The season is a grind. Behind the scenes, we call it "Groundhog Day." Each week brings the same cycle, on repeat, for 17 weeks. Those weeks start after multiple months of work have already occurred, to devise and work out draft plans and strategies. At this point, it feels like I have either worked or thought about work every day for six months.
Yet, I have not worked a single day.
We are kids in a candy store. We love football. Watching football, thinking about football, and talking about football.
As we move through life, it is natural to wonder, "What is the point of it all?" While I am not sure I understand anything, I do believe the point of life is to find what you love and use it to enrich the lives of those around you.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to do just that during this 2025 NFL season.
Thirteen games are left on the schedule following a Christmas triple-header; here is your Week 17 fix.
Number Watch
Record Chases and Statistical Thresholds
Trey McBride, Arizona - 7 Receptions
McBride needs seven receptions to Zach Ertz's single-season tight end receptions record of 116. DeAndre Hopkins holds the Cardinals franchise record of 115.
Derrick Henry, Baltimore - 63 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing Touchdowns
Henry needs 63 rushing yards to catch Tony Dorsett for 10th on the career list. He sits two rushing touchdowns behind fourth-place Adrian Peterson on the career list.
De'Von Achane, Miami - 105 Rushing Yards
Achane's 1,267 are the 4th most by a Dolphin in a season. He can move as high as second place, with Ricky Williams' 1,372 from 2003 in that spot, 105 yards away. Williams holds the top spot at 1,853.
Bijan Robinson, Atlanta - 150 Scrimmage Yards
Robinson has an opportunity to set the Falcons franchise record for most scrimmage yards, needing 150 to top William Andrews' 2.176.
Jonathan Taylor, Indianapolis - 1 Rushing Touchdowns
Taylor needs one rushing touchdown to tie his own Colts record of 18. He already broke the career mark for the franchise this season.
Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco - 8 Receptions, 151 Receiving Yards, 1 Rushing Touchdown
McCaffrey is the only running back in NFL history with multiple 100-catch seasons. He needs eight more catches to add this third.
McCaffrey, Marshall Faulk, and Roger Craig are the only players in NFL history with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards. He needs 151 receiving yards to become the only player to do it twice.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee - 51 Rushing Yards / 151 Rushing Yards - 2 Rushing Touchdowns
Pollard has been red hot over the last three weeks and needs 51 yards to hit 1,000. He is looking to join Derrick Henry and Najee Harris for the longest active 1,000-yard rushing season streak at four years. Henry has extended his mark for 2025, while Harris came into the year with four, and his streak ends.
Pollard would earn a $250,000 incentive with 1,100 rushing yards and needs two rushing touchdowns to hit a $200,000 incentive.
Mike Evans, Tampa Bay - 13 Receiving Yards / 102 Receiving Yards
Keenan Allen, LA Chargers - 2 Receiving Yards
Evans needs 13 yards to be the 22nd player in NFL history with 13,000 yards. He could move inside the Top 20 in career yardage, needing 102 yards to catch Steve Largent. Evans has temporarily moved down to 23rd. Travis Kelce has three more career yards after playing his Week 17 game on Thursday.
Allen needs two yards to become the 33rd player with 12,000 career yards. He needs 85 yards to pass Hines Ward to move into 31st and would pass Derrick Mason in the process.
Ja'Marr Chase, Cincinnati - 17 Receptions / 2 Receptions, 17 Receiving Yards, 2 Receiving Touchdowns
Chase has a chance to break his own franchise record, needing 17 catches to equal his 127 from 2024.
He sits just outside of the Top 5 in Bengals history for receptions and receiving yards. He needs 2 catches to tie T.J. Houshmandzadeh for fifth and 17 yards for fifth place Cris Collinsworth. Two touchdowns would tie him with Isaac Curtis for fourth in Bengals touchdowns.
Zay Flowers, Baltimore - 158 Receiving Yards
Flowers can set the Ravens' single-season receiving yardage record, needing 158 to pass Mike Jackson's 1,201 from 1996.
Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina - 15 Receptions, 84 Receiving Yards, 2 Touchdowns
McMillan's current line is 65-924-7. The Panthers' rookie records are 80 receptions (Christian McCaffrey), 1,008 yards (Kelvin Benjamin), and nine touchdowns (Benjamin).
Caleb Williams, Chicago - 438 Passing Yards / 600 Passing Yards, 6 Touchdown Passes
Williams has a chance to break the Bears' record for passing yards and touchdowns. He has 3,400 yards with 23 touchdowns. Erik Kramer holds both franchise records, with 3,838 passing yards and 29 touchdowns.
Matthew Stafford, LA Rams - 1 Passing Touchdown / 3 Passing Touchdowns, 100 Passing Yards / 707 Passing Yards
Stafford's next passing touchdown will tie the franchise record of 41, held by Stafford and Kurt Warner. It would also tie Ben Roethlisberger for 8th on the career passing touchdown list. Three touchdowns would tie Dan Marino for 7th on the career list.
Stafford needs 100 passing yards to catch Roethlisberger for sixth on the career yardage list. He has a chance to break his own team's single-season passing yardage mark, needing 707.
Philip Rivers, Indianapolis - 251 Passing Yards
Stafford passed Rivers on the career yardage list in Week 15. Rivers is chasing the same history as Stafford, needing 251 yards to catch Roethlisberger. Rivers has cleared Roethlisberger and Marino in touchdowns, with 424 compared to Stafford's 417.
Kirk Cousins, Atlanta - 4 Touchdown Passes
With 296 career touchdown passes, Cousins needs four to hit an even 300 and tie him with John Elway for 14th.
George Kittle, San Francisco - 2 Receptions / 10 Receptions, 21 Receiving Yards
Kittle needs two catches to tie Terrell Owens for second on the 49ers franchise reception list. Ten receptions push him to 600 in his career, a mark only ten tight ends have hit.
He needs 21 yards to hit 8,000 in his career. He would be the 10th tight end in NFL history to hit that threshold.
Kyle Pitts Sr., Atlanta - 13 Receptions, 172 Receiving Yards
Pitts has 80 receptions and 854 receiving yards. He has a chance to catch Tony Gonzalez's team record of 93 tight end receptions and his own tight end receiving yardage record of 1,026.
Tyler Warren, Indianapolis - 2 Receptions
Warren needs two catches to tie Josh Downs' Colts rookie record of 68 receptions.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Seattle - 327 Receiving Yards
Puka Nacua, LA Rams - 372 Receiving Yards
Smith-Njigba and Nacua are competing head-to-head for the NFL's receiving yardage crown. Both have a chance to break the single-season yardage record, held by Calvin Johnson. Smith-Njigba has the Seahawks franchise record for receiving yards. Nacua could set the Rams record, needing 355.
The following players are less than 121 yards from crossing the 1,000-yard rushing threshold:
- Travis Etienne Jr., Jacksonville (1)
- D'Andre Swift, Chicago (7)
- Breece Hall, NY Jets (46)
- Tony Pollard, Tennessee (51)
- Josh Jacobs, Green Bay (74)
- Ken Walker III, Seattle (121)
The following players are less than 131 yards from crossing the 1,000-yard receiving threshold:
- Justin Jefferson, Minnesota (53)
- A.J. Brown, Philadelphia (65)
- DeVonta Smith, Philadelphia (69)
- Tetairoa McMillan, Carolina (76)
- Jaylen Waddle, Miami (90)
- Emeka Egbuka, Tampa Bay (90)
- Wan'Dale Robinson, NY Giants (99)
- Alec Pierce, Indianapolis (129)
- Stefon Diggs, New England (131)
Contract Incentives
Running Backs
Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia - 155 Scrimmage Yards
Barkley has a $250,000 bonus at 1,500 scrimmage yards. He is currently at 1,345, 155 away.
Tony Pollard, Tennessee - 151 Rushing Yards, 2 Rushing Touchdowns
Pollard can unlock a $250,000 bonus if he reaches 1,100 rushing yards and $200,000 with seven touchdowns. He sits at 949 yards and five touchdowns. He comes in off three straight 100-yard games, rushing for 367 yards during that stretch.
Rico Dowdle, Carolina - 70 Scrimmage Yards, 1 Touchdown
Dowdle has already unlocked $1.75 million in multiple incentives. He has two more thresholds at 1,350 scrimmage yards and eight touchdowns. He needs 70 scrimmage yards to earn $1 million, and one touchdown will earn $250,000.
Nick Chubb, Houston - 95 Rushing Yards
Chubb would earn $250,000 at 600 rushing yards; he will enter Week 17 with 505. Woody Marks should return and take the top role. Chubb may have lost his RB2 job to Jawhar Jordan over the last two weeks.
Wide Receivers
Jauan Jennings, San Francisco - 11 Receptions, 34 Receiving Yards
Jennings can earn $666,667 bonus for 60 receptions, 600 yards. He sits at 49 catches with 566 yards.
Keenan Allen, LA Chargers - 7 Receptions, 26 Receiving Yards, 151 receiving yards, 2 Touchdowns
Allen signed an incentive-laden deal that includes four steps of $250,000 each, followed by a final step of $750,000 at reception and yardage thresholds.
With 73 receptions, he can earn $750,000 at 80. He has 724 yards and has unlocked the first two steps; the next two are 750 and 875, with 1,000 the final barrier. His touchdowns are structured slightly differently, with $250,000 at each of six and eight. He has four.
Stefon Diggs, New England - 4 Receptions, 131 Receiving Yards
Diggs can earn $500,000 for each of 4 catches and 131 yards, pushing him to 80-1,000 on the season.
Mack Hollins, New England - 4 Receptions
Hollins can earn $400,000 with four catches, pushing him to 50 on the season.
Sterling Shepard, Tampa Bay - 1 Reception, 29 Receiving Yards
Shepard has incentives of $125,000 at 40 receptions and 400 yards. He has 39 catches and 371 yards. He has a second threshold of 50 receptions and 500 yards, with an additional $125,000 each.
Van Jefferson, Tennessee - 4 Receptions
Jefferson has 26 catches on the season. His contract is structured with non-cumulative bonuses. He unlocks the first $100,000 at 30 receptions.
Tight Ends
Juwan Johnson, New Orleans - 67 Receiving Yards
Johnson had a huge Week 16 to unlock most of his incentives. One remains; he can earn $250,000 with 800 yards, needing an additional 67 to hit the mark.
Dawson Knox, Buffalo - 1 Receptions, 37 Receiving Yards, 1 Receiving Touchdown
Knox has 29 receptions and earns $100,000 at each of 30 / 40 / 50 catches. He is at 363 yards, earning $100,000 at 400 and 750. With three touchdowns, he needs one more to hit $100,000, then earns another $150,000 at both six and eight.
Hunter Henry, New England - 3 Receptions / 8 Receptions
Henry has 52 receptions; he would earn $250,000 at both 55 catches and 60 catches.
Quarterbacks
Sam Darnold, Seattle - 297 passing yards, 4 Passing Touchdowns, 100 Passer Rating, 67.5% Completion
Darnold has multiple incentives in his contract, earning $500,000 each for 4,000 passing yards, 28 Passing Touchdowns, 67.5% completion, and a 100 passer rating. He is currently at 3,703 yards, 24 touchdowns, 67.2% completion, and 100.6 passer rating.
Darnold can set the Seahawks' single-season passing mark, needing 617 yards over the remaining two games.