Sunday, December 14, 2025
Fantasy Basketball Week 9 Schedule Primer: Gearing up for the pre-Christmas rush
The latest installment of the Emirates NBA Cup will conclude on Tuesday, with the Knicks and Sprus meeting in Tuesday's final. As a reminder, the game will not count toward official league records or statistics, which also removes the contest from fantasy basketball leagues. As for the rest of the NBA, things will pick up on the back end of Week 9, with Thursday and Saturday being the busiest days. Let's look at the Week 9 schedule breakdown and some key storylines.
Week 9 Games Played
4 Games: HOU, MIA, TOR
3 Games: ATL, BOS, CHI, DAL, DEN, DET, LAC, MEM, MIN, NYK, SAC, SAS, UTA, WAS
2 Games: BKN, CHA, CLE, GSW, IND, LAL, MIL, NOR, OKC, ORL, PHI, PHO, POR
Week 9 Back-to-backs
Sunday (Week 8)-Monday: None
Monday-Tuesday: None
Tuesday-Wednesday: None
Wednesday-Thursday: None
Thursday-Friday: ATL, MIA, NYK, OKC, SAS
Friday-Saturday: BOS, PHI
Saturday-Sunday: HOU, SAC, TOR, WAS
Sunday-Monday (Week 10): None
Week 9 Storylines of Note
- Both Emirates NBA Cup finalists have good fantasy schedules for Week 9.
Obviously, none of the four teams that advanced to Las Vegas will be in action on Monday. As for the Knicks and Spurs, who advanced to Tuesday's final, they'll have busy Week 9 schedules. Tuesday's contest will not count toward official statistics or fantasy basketball, but it is the first of four games that both teams will play in Week 9. New York and San Antonio get back to "regular" NBA play with back-to-backs on Thursday and Friday, followed by games on Sunday to end their respective weeks.
The back-to-backs are notable for two players in particular: San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama and New York's Mitchell Robinson. While the latter has not been an impactful fantasy option this season, the former ranks among the best in the NBA regardless of position or league format. Two of San Antonio's three games will be against the Wizards (Thursday at home, Sunday on the road), so Wemby could be looking at a two-game week (not counting Tuesday's final) as he returns from a strained calf.
- Cleveland and Oklahoma City have the worst Week 9 schedules.
Not only do the Cavaliers and Thunder have two-game weeks, but both will play their final Week 9 game on Friday. The good news for Cleveland is that they won't have a back-to-back, and their first game is on Tuesday, the lightest game night of the week (two games). With Evan Mobley expected to miss two to four weeks after suffering a strained calf on Friday, the light schedule comes at a good time for Kenny Atkinson's team. Jarrett Allen could be back as soon as Sunday after missing time with a finger injury, and his fantasy ceiling may be raised as the solid post player in the Cavaliers' starting lineup. That said, he does not offer the same upside as Mobley.
As for the Thunder, Isaiah Hartenstein returned to action on Saturday after missing six games with a strained calf. He played 20 minutes against the Spurs, and expecting him to play both games of a back-to-back so soon feels a bit unrealistic. Oklahoma City hosts the Clippers on Thursday before visiting the Timberwolves on Friday, so it could very well be a one-game week for the 7-footer. Cason Wallace was the replacement in the starting lineup when Hartenstein was out, and he would likely move back into that role if iHart is given a night off.
- Monday, Tuesday and Friday are the light game days of Week 9.
A lot of the action in Week 9 will take place from Thursday onward, with Thursday (12 games) and Saturday (10) the busiest days. On the other end of the spectrum is Tuesday, with only two games on the schedule. Cleveland visits Chicago, and Memphis will visit Minnesota. As noted above, the Cavaliers don't have a good Week 9 schedule, but the other three teams in action will all play three games. Minnesota and Chicago end their slates with games on Sunday, which should enhance the fantasy values of some of their more unheralded options.
And all three teams have dealt with injury concerns recently. Chicago's injury report has finally thinned out after a wild Week 8. As for Memphis, the Grizzlies lost Zach Edey right as they were welcoming back Ja Morant, while the Timberwolves were without Anthony Edwards and Mike Conley for Friday's win over the Warriors.
The Monday and Friday schedules each have five games, while Sunday has six.
- Houston, Miami and Toronto have the best schedules for managers focused on games played.
Those are the only teams that will play four games in Week 9. All three are active on Monday, and they'll play three games over the final four days of the week. While Miami has a Thursday/Friday back-to-back against the Nets and Celtics, Houston (at Denver, at Sacramento) and Toronto (Boston, at Brooklyn) have Saturday/Sunday back-to-backs.
The lingering question for the Raptors is when RJ Barrett will be available after being sidelined by a sprained MCL. He received a PRP injection last week, and an update should be provided early in Week 9. With the back-to-back, Barrett managers may be looking at three games tops if he's available immediately. Ja'Kobe Walter was the replacement in the starting lineup until Toronto's NBA Cup quarterfinal loss to the Knicks, with Jamal Shead receiving the nod.
- Fantasy managers are likely looking at a one-game week for Philadelphia's Joel Embiid.
The 76ers play two games in Week 9, and they're part of a Friday/Saturday back-to-back. After visiting the Knicks, Philadelphia will host the Mavericks the following night. Given Embiid's injury history, it would be stunning if he were available for both games. But which one will take priority? One can certainly argue for the game against the Knicks, since it's a divisional matchup that could influence tiebreakers at the end of the regular season. Paul George would also be a player to watch heading into the 76ers' Week 9 back-to-back due to his injury history.
- In total, eight teams will play three games between Thursday and Sunday.
Atlanta, Sacramento and Washington are three teams that won't play at all before Thursday, but they'll make up for lost time with busy schedules to wrap up Week 9. The Kings are dealing with injuries to two of their three centers. Domantas Sabonis was already out with a knee injury, and Drew Eubanks suffered an avulsion fracture of his left thumb on Thursday. That leaves Maxime Raynaud and Precious Achiuwa to handle the center position. A second-round pick out of Stanford, Raynaud is worth rolling the dice on simply because of the opportunity in front of him.
Atlanta and Washington are also dealing with key injuries. Trae Young is still working his way back from the knee injury he suffered in late October, while the Wizards have been without Alex Sarr for the last six games, if you count Sunday's matchup with the Pacers. Both situations have been easy to read from a fantasy standpoint; Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a must-roster player while Young sits, while Marvin Bagley III is worth a dice roll at best in deep leagues.
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Saturday, December 13, 2025
Eagles are convinced it's not 2023 all over again
In Philadelphia on Sunday, something's gotta give.
The Raiders have lost seven games in a row, something coach Pete Carroll has never previously experienced in any of his 28 years as a head coach. And the Eagles have lost three straight; coach Nick Sirianni has never lost four in a row.
The Eagles' recent stumbles have dredged up memories of only two years ago, when a 10-1 start melted into a 1-6 finish that was capped by an ugly 32-9 loss to the Buccaneers in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
After Monday night's loss to the Chargers, various members of the organization insisted it's not 2023 all over again. Including the man who signs everyone's check.
“Nothing like it,” owner Jeffrey Lurie told Michael Silver of TheAthletic.com. “Absolute opposite. We have a Super Bowl defense and great special teams. Our offense will get it going. I’m not worried at all.”
It seems like a stretch to be not worried at all. Given the current slide — and considering that it's happening in December — there's reason for at least some miild concern. Jeffrey?
“I have zero concern,” Lurie told Silver. “We had a lot of turnovers, but some of them were flukes.”
Lurie also regarded the interception that ended the Week 14 game to be an aberration. Possibly unprecedented in more than three decades of his ownership of the franchise.
“In 32 years, I don’t think we’ve ever lost a game we were about to win, like on a missed field goal or a last-second catch or something like that,” Lurie told Silver. “[Brian] Dawkins would get a pick in the end zone, or something would happen and we’d pull it out. Maybe I’m not remembering something, but I don’t think it’s ever happened. I expected us to do it again. We were just a couple of plays away.”
It did indeed feel like a win was inevitable, especially after quarterback Jalen Hurts connected with receiver Devonta Smith on a third-and-16 play in overtime that resulted in a 28-yard gain. The momentum was squarely in Philly's favor. Until it suddenly wasn't.
And while Lurie can brush it off as a once-in-many-blue-moons curiosity, it happened. The fact that it happened reasonably should spark at least some concern that something is off this year.
Is it 2023? Maybe not. But if feels a lot more like the season that ended with a thud than 2024, which ended with a ring.
Although a win over the woeful Raiders won't guarantee a February trip to Santa Clara, a loss to arguably the worst team in the NFL — led on Sunday by Eagles 2024 backup quarterback Kenny Pickett — would also prompt Lurie to scan and re-scan his memory bank for a similar outcome during his many seasons of running the team.
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Friday, December 12, 2025
Eagles-Raiders matchups to watch in Week 15
Eagles-Raiders matchups to watch in Week 15 originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles (8-5) are back home to face the Las Vegas Raiders (2-11) on a short week as huge favorites.
Here are some key matchups to watch:
Vic Fangio vs. Kenny Pickett
It sounds like Raiders starting quarterback Geno Smith is going to miss this weekend’s game with a shoulder injury. That means former Eagles backup Kenny Pickett is in line to get the start for one of the NFL’s worst offenses. We won’t get that Chip Kelly Revenge Game because the former Eagles head coach was fired as the Raiders OC last month, but there’s at least the Pickett angle for this game.
Pickett, 27, spent one season with the Eagles in 2024 and finished off the Super Bowl LIX win in New Orleans with a big lead. Pickett started one game for the Eagles last season as the Eagles picked up a 41-7 win over the Cowboys. The Eagles traded him to the Browns in March and then the Browns traded him to the Raiders in August.
Pickett got into the game against the Broncos on Sunday and completed 8 of 11 passes for 97 yards and a touchdown. The Raiders lost 24-17 but 10 of their points came with under 3 minutes remaining.
It’s not like the Raiders can really rely on their run game either. They have the No. 32-ranked rushing offense in the NFL.
Eagles LBs vs. Brock Bowers
The Raiders don’t have many blue chip players but Bowers is really good. The 2024 first-round pick is the Raiders’ leading receiver with 53 catches for 619 yards and 6 touchdowns in just 10 games. Bowers missed all of October with a knee injury but came back on Nov. 2 with one of the best games of his career (12/127/3) against the Jaguars. Since then, Bowers hasn’t had outstanding production but he has been steady.
The good news for the Eagles is that they have been fantastic against tight ends this season. They have given up the fewest receiving yards to opposing tight ends in the NFL this season. Opposing tight ends have had just 51 catches for 428 yards and 3 touchdowns against Vic Fangio’s defense.
Eagles DL vs. Shaky offensive line
The Eagles’ defensive line had a dominant performance against the Chargers with 7 sacks and 28 QB pressures. They had a bunch of different players with multiple pressures and they should have a chance to get to the quarterback in this game too.
The Raiders have allowed 50 sacks this season, which is the most in the NFL. They have given up a sack on 10.8% of their dropbacks and a pressure on 36.9% of his dropbacks. The Raiders’ two tackles have given up a lot of pressure this season:
LT Stone Forsythe: (10 games) — 10 sacks, 33 pressures
RT DJ Glaze: (13 games) — 7 sacks, 36 pressures
This is a chance for guys like Jalyx Hunt, Jaelan Phillips and Nolan Smith to come through again. As long as the Eagles stuff a bad rushing attack, they will earn the opportunities to get after Pickett.
Fred Johnson vs. Maxx Crosby
If Lane Johnson misses his fourth straight game with a Lisfranc sprain, Fred Johnson is in line to start again. And he’ll have to deal with one of the best pass rushers in the NFL. Maxx Crosby is the Raiders’ best player and the four-time Pro Bowler is playing at a really high level again in 2025. In 13 games, Crosby has 10 sacks, 18 QB hits, 25 tackles for loss, 63 tackles 6 batted passes, 2 forced fumbles and an interception.
He also rarely leaves the field. Crosby has played 93% of the Raiders’ defensive snaps and has been at 93% or higher in each of the last four seasons. Crosby lines up almost exclusively on the defensive left. According to ProFootballFocus, around 87% of his snaps have come against right tackles.
Saquon Barkley vs. Raiders run defense
It hasn’t been the greatest season for Saquon Barkley, but he had his second 100+ yard game against the Chargers on Monday night and the run game is starting to look a little better recently.
The Raiders’ run defense is middle-of-the-pack. They rank 16th in the NFL in run defense, giving up 113.9 yards per game. They have given up 18 touchdowns on the ground. While the Raiders have an OK run defense on paper, they are allocating a lot of resources to it. According to NFL NextGen Stats, the Raiders are using a stacked box (8+ defenders) on 50.5% of their snaps. That is by far the highest percentage in the NFL and the next closest team is the Browns at 37.6%. The difference between 1 and 2 on the list the same as the difference between 2 and 14.
The Raiders’ starting linebackers are Elandon Roberts and former Eagle Devin White, who actually leads the team with 133 combined tackles.
Dallas Goedert vs. Raiders defense vs. tight ends
While the Eagles lost on Monday night, Dallas Goedert had a big game with 8 catches for 78 yards. In 12 games this season, Goedert had 48 catches for 481 yards and 7 touchdowns. With four games left to play, Goedert is on pace for a really nice season.
The Raiders have been very good against opposing tight ends. While the Eagles have given up the fewest receiving yards to opposing tight ends, the Raiders have given up the third-fewest. Opposing tight ends have 47 catches for 487 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Raiders this season.
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NFL Playoff Picture 2025: Updated AFC and NFC standings, bracket, tiebreakers for Week 15
The Carolina Panthers moved into first place in the NFC South when the Buccaneers lost on Thursday night, and Week 15 will see several more games that impact the playoff race. Here's how the NFL playoff picture looks after Thursday Night Football in Week 15:
AFC Playoff Picture
DIVISION LEADERS
1. Broncos (11-2) If they win out, they're the No. 1 seed in the AFC, as they own the tiebreaker over the Patriots.
2. Patriots (11-2) Their lead in the AFC East looks safe, but to earn the No. 1 seed they have to hope the Broncos lose a game.
3. Jaguars (9-4) After beating the Colts, they're the clear favorites in the AFC South.
4. Steelers (7-6) Got their biggest win of the season in Baltimore.
WILD CARDS
5. Chargers (9-4) First in the wild card race thanks to a better AFC record than the Bills.
6. Bills (9-4) Probably won't catch the Patriots in the AFC East even if they win on Sunday, but in great shape for a wild card.
7. Texans (8-5) Own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Colts.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
8. Colts (8-5) Getting to the playoffs may require a miraculous performance from Philip Rivers.
9. Ravens (6-7) Losing at home to the Steelers was costly.
10. Chiefs (6-7) Kansas City could be eliminated as soon as Sunday, and probably can't make the playoffs even if they run the table.
11. Dolphins (6-7) Best of the bad teams in the AFC.
12. Bengals (4-9) Clinched a losing record with their loss in Buffalo.
13. Jets (3-10) Mathematically eliminated.
14. Browns (3-10) Mathematically eliminated.
15. Raiders (2-11) Mathematically eliminated.
16. Titans (2-11) Mathematically eliminated.
NFC Playoff Picture
DIVISION LEADERS
1. Rams (10-3) Own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Seahawks in the NFC West.
2. Packers (9-3-1) Big win over the Bears.
3. Eagles (8-5) Defending champions are on a three-game losing streak but still have a 1.5-game lead over the Cowboys in the NFC East.
4. Panthers (7-6) Took the lead in the NFC South for the first time this season when the Buccaneers lost to the Falcons.
WILD CARDS
5. Seahawks (10-3) Need to win their rematch with the Rams on December 18.
6. 49ers (9-4) Despite a lot of injuries, they remain in playoff position.
7. Bears (9-4) If they run the table they win the NFC North.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
8. Lions (8-5) If they run the table they're guaranteed of at least a wild card berth.
9. Buccaneers (7-7) Two games remaining against the Panthers will determine who wins the NFC South.
10. Cowboys (6-6-1) They probably need to run the table, and even then they may not make the playoffs.
11. Vikings (5-8) Last place in the NFC North.
12. Falcons (4-9) Mathematically eliminated.
13. Cardinals (3-10) Mathematically eliminated.
14. Saints (3-10) Mathematically eliminated.
15. Commanders (3-10) Mathematically eliminated.
16. Giants (2-11) Mathematically eliminated.
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