College Football and Professional Football intersected last night, when Nick Saban ordained Football Night in America with a hint of the supernatural by calling it “fate” that Tua & Jalen should meet in prime time. No matter what you think about Saban, his unrivaled consistency in excellence demands respect.

I don’t care what stars Taylor Swift invited to party with her and Brittany Mahomes in the Arrowhead Executive Suite–the greatest mind of a generation told us to tune in to Miami vs Philadelphia, so that’s the game I watched.

It was a great game. Two post-season favorites did not disappoint, with fantastic performances by every individual in the arena. In the end, Mike McDaniel’s cocktail of “innovative & promising” lost out to Nick Siriani’s mixed drink of “innovative & championship-caliber.” It was a real fight until the 2 minute warning.

In Fantasy, it was business as usual. BYE weeks took from some and gave to others, but each game settled about as expected. No real surprises are expected heading into Monday Night.

We’re officially halfway through the season, hence the longer-than-normal observations that follow. There will be no Wednesday Rankings this week, but I’ll still send a reminder to check your rosters.

How is each team doing?

JOE
How it’s going: In an interview last week, Davante Adams said, “My benchmark is not wins and losses—it’s greatness.” He has this in common with Joe, who is rolling with his head held high despite a 22 point blank spot in his roster while Justin Jefferson sits on IR. As a Bears fan, Joe knows how to set aside last week’s disappointment with fresh optimism for the week ahead, and his roster has plenty of talent to feel good about. At 2-5, Joe has nowhere to go but up.
W7 Prediction: Joe has a handful of players in MNF, but the hole is too deep. Joe will have lots to consider in W8 with all his players back and 2-4 more weeks without Jefferson.

JEAN
How it’s going: Jean lost this week, but at 5-2 she still holds the best record in the league. The loss in W7 is understandable: with Henry, Chase, and Lamb resting, Jean was forced to rely on backups with rough matchups. The “BYE Week Eclipse” blocked out the sun for one week, but Jean will be back. She averaged 138 Fantasy points per game in the weeks leading up to W7, and that level of production will return with her cornerstones back in the lineup.
W7 Prediction: A loss in W7, but Jean is still the team to beat.

ZAC
How it’s going: BYE week blues aside, Zac should still be considered a front runner for the playoffs. He has the centerpiece players from several of the top offenses in the NFL. Any given Sunday could mean 160 points for Zac–no one is safe. And his representation of players from the heavy competition in the NFC & AFC Easts could mean late-season production as those teams vie for playoff spots. A few down weeks will not keep Zac down forever.
W7 Prediction: despite Tyreek being Tyreek, the BYEosphere didn’t have enough oxygen for Zac to pull out a win. He’ll be 3-4 heading into the second half of the season.

CHELSEA
How it’s going: It’s officially time to move the narrative of Chelsea’s team away from the draft debacle. Her team has been consistent since W1, and she’s about to leave W7 in an excellent position for the second half of the season. She has some nasty BYE weeks coming up, but her players are reliable and her roster is deep. Chelsea is a contender.
W7 Prediction: Joe has a few more pieces on the board, but don’t expect a miracle. By this time tomorrow, Chelsea will be 4-3.

VERONICCA
How it’s going: Veronicca is about to be 4-0 since W4. Did you hear that? 4-0 since W4. What an inspiration! At no point in the season would one of us pass on the opportunity to win our next 4 matchups. Some skillful waiver pickups with Mostert and Williams flipped Veronicca’s script from rough weekend for her to rough weekend for her opponents.
W7 Prediction: Barring a miracle, Veronicca has reversed her fortunes and picked up a winning record.

JOSH
How it’s going: I’m not gonna lie, I’m proud of the team I’ve built. Injuries hit me hard at the beginning of the season: Travis Kelce missed W1, Kupp started the season on IR with a vague ailment requiring time away from the team, and Aaron Rodgers lasted 3 plays before Zach Wilson became the ankle weight on Garret Wilson’s chance to be the next top Fantasy receiver. After a panic trade of Kelce, I had to rebuild my squad from the waivers. I pulled together Thielen, Flowers, Nacua, and LaPorta, rebuilding the skill positions and giving myself a consistently dangerous team. I hope this ride continues; I wanna win that trophy.
W7 Prediction: This one is over, and Josh has a winning record again.

KAYLA
How it’s going: Kayla has shown unwavering commitment to her plan. With just 4 waiver claims this season, she has made fewer acquisitions than the league average. This, while 2 of her players have suffered potentially season-ending injuries. But Kayla trusts her team and she should, because it’s a good team. They haven’t been consistent yet and her QB situation has been unlucky, but don’t count her out—her roster has a healthy mix of go-to veterans and breakout rookies, which are often the best performers in those crucial wildcard race games leading up to the real playoffs. If Burrow starts producing, Kayla could become the late breaking frontrunner for a repeat playoff win.
W7 Prediction: Kayla will most likely be 2-5 by tomorrow morning, but scroll to the bottom for her potential pathway to a miracle.

BLAKE
How it’s going: If there’s one team I envy above the others, it’s Blake’s. Every single player on Blake’s roster will be playing his heart out in the last weeks of our season. Blake is going to be a killer in the playoffs. The real question that remains: which bracket will he slay, winners bracket or losers? Will his roster produce enough in the middle weeks to keep him in the running for the championship?
W7 Prediction: Blake put himself in a good position for the winners bracket in W7 with a win over Zac, bringing him to 4-3.

Monday Night Miracle?

Ok. Kayla is down 37 points to Veronicca and her last hope is Christian McCaffrey. This is a juicy miracle, because it is equal parts likely and unlikely.

• Why it’s likely: McCaffrey’s average Fantasy score is in the mid-20s and he had a 48 point game a few weeks ago. He is utilized all over the place and gets the ball on almost every play. 37 points is insane, but it’s doable for McCaffrey.
• Why it’s unlikely: Veronicca still has another player left to play: her kicker. How will V’s kicker do? Jake Moody is the rookie 49ers kicker out of Michigan, and he’s done pretty well so far in his first NFL season. 10/12 on field goals over 6 games, meaning he kicks about 2 field goals a game and is 83% accurate. He’s perfect on extra points: 22 in a row. On the year, he’s been better than 2/3rds of the other kickers in the league. At home this season, Minnesota has let 9/10 red zone drives into the end zone, and SF one of the most efficient red zone offenses. Therefore, this seems more like a 4 PAT/1 FG kind of night, instead of 3 FG/2 PAT—expect a sensible 7-8 points from Moody, but no boom. So the real deficit for McCaffrey will be more like 45-46: not impossible but also not likely. 

The chance for a miracle is inside 5%, but this is most likely a win for Veronicca.