Week 13 rolled in like a holiday hangover, knocking lineups sideways and leaving playoff hopes wrapped in ice. Stars limped, backups popped, and dynasty managers discovered that “next man up” is more prayer than philosophy. With just one week left before the playoffs begin, the margin for error is as thin as the last slice of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving Night. As we enter December, who will leave the Dynasty Nerds App League table the most thankful?
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NFL WEEK 13 RECAP
The Dallas Cowboys edged the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving 31-28, with Dak Prescott outdueling Patrick Mahomes down the stretch in a great game. Kansas City made several costly miscues that ultimately sealed its fate. The win keeps Dallas alive in the playoff race while Kansas City’s postseason hopes are now surprisingly hanging by a thread.
In a win over their rival, the Green Bay Packers beat the Detroit Lions 31-24. Jordan Love delivered a monster Thanksgiving performance: 234 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Packers managed to finish a season sweep of the Lions for the first time since 2020, and their strong showing keeps Green Bay firmly in the NFC Playoff hunt.
In one of the biggest upsets of Week 13, the Carolina Panthers pulled off a win 31-28 against the Los Angeles Rams. Despite being outgained, the Panthers capitalized on three turnovers, including uncharacteristic interceptions by Matthew Stafford. Bryce Young threw three touchdowns in one of his best performances. The victory shakes up the race in the NFC and gives Carolina momentum at a crucial point in the season.
In a surprising Black Friday upset, the Chicago Bears jumped out early and never gave the home team Philadelphia Eagles a chance after building a two-touchdown lead and cruising to a 24-15 win. Philadelphia’s offense sputtered, and calls for coaching changes could be heard from Allentown to Atlantic City. The Chicago Bears are currently the top seed in the NFC led by D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai who combined for 255 yards rushing and 2 touchdowns.
The Houston Texans picked up a key divisional road win 20-16 over the Indianapolis Colts as C.J. Stroud returned to action with a solid game. A clearly hobbled Daniel Jones and the Colts offense sputtered when it mattered most, and a late drive couldn’t salvage the result.
The Jacksonville Jaguars dominated the Tennessee Titans from start to finish in a 25-3 smackdown. The Jaguars defense utterly suffocated Tennessee’s offense, reinforcing Jacksonville’s status as a serious playoff contender in the AFC. Trevor Lawrence posted one of his best games of the season while the Jags trade for Jakobi Meyers (6 receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown) continues to quietly pay dividends.
Led by a steady run-game and opportunistic defense, the San Francisco 49ers overwhelmed a shaky Cleveland Browns squad 26-8. Christian McCaffrey scored 17.4 PPR points in a pedestrian performance, while Brock Purdy had one touchdown rushing and another through the air.
Nick Folk connected on a field goal as time expired to lift the New York Jets to a victory over the Atlanta Falcons, 27-24. The Jets leaned heavily on special teams to pull off a dramatic come-from-behind win, while Adonai Mitchell broke out with 102 yards on 8 receptions, adding a touchdown receiving. Meanwhile, although the season seems lost for the Falcons, there’s been no quit for Bijan Robinson. Bijan had 142 yards rushing and added another 51 through the air in the loss.
Tampa Bay eked out a narrow win over a resilient Arizona squad, holding on late for a 20-17 win. It wasn’t pretty, but the Bucs avoided another skid to stay relevant in a competitive NFC. Bucky Irving returned to action with 61 rushing yards and a touchdown. On the other side of the ball, Trey McBride continued his stellar season with 8 catches for 82 yards and a touchdown.
The tilt between the Miami Dolphins and the New Orleans Saints might as well have been called the De’Von Achane show. As the Dolphins downed the Saints 21-17, Achane was the entire offense for the Dolphins with 134 yards rushing and a touchdown. Tyler Shough continues to be steady if unspectacular for the Saints with 239 yards and 2 passing touchdowns.
The Los Angeles Chargers beat the Las Vegas Raiders 31-14, controlling the game from start to finish. The Chargers offense found itself again coming off a rough performance before their bye, while the Raiders simply look lost and outmatched. The biggest story coming out of this game for the Chargers is the status of Justin Herbert, who left the game early due to a hand injury. Brock Bowers was the lone bright spot for the Raiders, finishing the week as TE1 with 2 touchdowns on 4 receptions, adding 63 yards receiving.
In a wild overtime finish, the Denver Broncos held on after a swatted two-point conversion attempt by the Washington Commanders, clinching a narrow road win 27-26. RJ Harvey scored 2 rushing touchdowns, and Courtland Sutton had a big day with 5 receptions and a touchdown. The nail-biting victory pushes Denver to 10 – 2, a major statement as the AFC’s top seed race heats up. Meanwhile, even the long-awaited return of Terry McLaurin (7-96-1) wasn’t enough as the Commanders’ lost season continues.
The week ended on Monday Night in Pittsburgh as the Buffalo Bills routed the Pittsburgh Steelers 26-7. The Steelers never got off the ground, and they fell apart after halftime. The boos rained down like Heinz ketchup on a hamburger as calls for Mike Tomlin’s job get louder and louder. Josh Allen barely broke a sweat as James Cook led the way for the Bills. Cook had 144 yards rushing and added another 33 through the air. Aaron Rodgers looks older than the five-day-old Thanksgiving leftovers in your fridge. Could Mike Tomlin be the next name added to the list of coaches brought down by Rodgers?
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DYNASTY NERDS APP LEAGUE | THE PLAYOFF TEAMS
With one week left in the fantasy football regular season, not only are the six playoff teams locked into place, but so are our bottom three teams. Here is a recap of the inaugural season of the Dynasty Nerds App League.
Garret Price | @DynastyPrice | (20-6) 1st Place | 2224.11 PF
Garret’s team did not pussyfoot around on its way to first place entering the final week of the regular season. His bold build around running backs paid off with Jahmyr Gibbs and Ashton Jeanty leading the way, with old favorite Javonte Williams adding support. Rostering three of the top 13 running backs paid off, but perhaps no bet paid off for Garret as much as selecting Sam Darnold. With a few cheap, veteran darts at wide receiver like Davante Adams and Stefon Diggs having big seasons, Garret’s team is positioned well as we enter the Dynasty Nerds App League playoffs.
Current Roster
Interview With Garret
Rich Dotson | @DynastyRich | (19-7) 2nd Place | 2080.22 PF
The players on Rich’s team may not have had the flashiest seasons, but they’ve been very consistent. The breakout star of the show is George Pickens, sitting at WR4 on the season. Behind him, though, there are a lot of “good, but not great” performances. I don’t want to say Rich has gotten a bit lucky, but he does have the fewest points scored of the six playoff teams. Late-season injuries to Justin Herbert and Drake London may ultimately ruin his chances if he can’t earn a bye this week.
Oh, by the way. Rich’s week 14 matchup and the person standing in his way of a first-round bye? Garret Price.
Current Roster
Interview With Rich
Doc Mitchell | @ReflipeWTheNuz | (18-8) 3rd Place | 2202.67 PF
What a powerhouse team! Behind Jonathan Taylor and Jaxon Smith–Njigba, Doc’s team has been near the top of the standings all season long. Only one win behind Rich, if Doc can pull out two victories this week, he will jump the boss and earn a first-round bye.
Doc wisely picked up Mac Jones to back up Brock Purdy, solidifying his QB2 spot behind Baker Mayfield. At tight end, both George Kittle (TE6) and Jake Ferguson (TE5) have had solid years, but the anchors of this roster are the wide receivers. From JSN to a resurgent Michael Pittman to a breakout Wan’Dale Robinson, Doc has as good a chance as anyone to win the inaugural DNA Championship.
Current Roster
Interview With Doc
Peter Monahan | @PistolPete | (17-9) 4th Place | 2232.08 PF
Peter liked to joke that his team should be called “Josh Allen and Bijan Robinson“, and while they’re the backbone of his roster, it doesn’t end there. As our league’s top scorer through 13 weeks, Peter made great selections up and down his roster. Matthew Stafford is having a career season, and Josh Jacobs and Travis Kelce have been their old, reliable selves. Although he’s faded down the stretch, Emeka Egbuka was the breakout star of Peter’s roster, but he’s also gotten valuable starts out of players like Quentin Johnston and Christian Watson.
Don’t sleep on this team as the playoffs start. Garret, Rich, and Jared may have the name value, but popularity doesn’t score fantasy points.
Current Roster
Interview With Peter
Jared Wackerly | @JaredWackerlyFF | (17-9) 5th Place | 2125.43 PF
After week 4, I wrote this about Jared’s team: “This just doesn’t seem to be Jared Wackerly’s year in the DNA League. His roster let him down once again, scoring just 118.99 points after being projected to score 160. With the exception of C.J. Stroud, every single player in Jared’s lineup went below projections. To add insult to injury, Jared also lost Tyreek Hill, crushing what little roster depth he had to work with. Is it time to throw in the towel and rebuild?”
Since then, Jared’s team has won 7 of 8 matchups. Shows what I know, right? You’re welcome, Jared!
In all seriousness, I’m not sure how this roster has managed to hold it together. Whether it’s Tre Tucker or Jacoby Brissett, Jared’s roster of misfit pieces has just found a way to survive and advance week after week. Now, Jared is making the most of his chances. He made a recent trade to get Joe Burrow, and with a stack of Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, anything is possible come fantasy playoff time.
Current Roster
Interview With Jared
Mychal Warno | @DynastyDadMike | (16-10) 6th Place | 2119.57 PF
Rounding out the playoff teams is Mychal’s roster, led by Puka Nacua and Christian McCaffrey. The return of a healthy Bucky Irving and Mike Evans could loom large for Mychal’s chances. Although his roster is weakest at quarterback, Mychal has managed to find help when it counted. Joe Flacco, Davis Mills, and now Kirk Cousins have all taken turns behind Jalen Hurts, dragging Mychal to the playoffs. However, as the sixth seed, a matchup against a powerhouse team like Doc Mitchell’s lurks on the horizon. Mychal will likely need some help to manage getting past the first round, but stranger things have happened.
Current Roster
Interview With Mychal
NON-PLAYOFF TEAMS
Keith Ensminger | @TheSmingDynasty | (13-13) 7th Place | 2042.81 PF
There’s no use crying over spilled milk, but I’ll be honest with you, #NerdHerd. Managing the ups and downs of this roster this season has taken years off my life. The Dynasty Nerds App has consistently ranked me no worse than second in overall dynasty value, yet here I am. I know, I know. I’ve played fantasy football for a long, long time, and this stuff happens. Still, give me a minute. I’m sad! I wanted to win this thing, you know?
Overall, I’m happy with the general process. I made good calls and bad, with a few sprinkles of untimely luck along the way. On one hand, I was proud to be a part of the first-ever trade in this league. On the other hand, that trade had me passing up Josh Allen in our startup draft to pick Jayden Daniels one spot later. Getting only a handful of games out of Daniels really hurt this roster’s chances, but fortunately, I always go heavy on quarterbacks in my Superflex startup drafts. However, between Cam Ward and Bryce Young as my QB2, I was only barely able to keep my head above water with a .500 record. Injuries to key pieces like Terry McLaurin, J.K. Dobbins, and James Conner were the final nail in the coffin.
By far my worst move was trading my 2026 1st for Keon Coleman after his big opening game. I became overconfident and flew too close to the sun after scoring 202 points in a nearly 70-point win over Garret in Week 2. I would go on to lose my next four matchups, and by then, I had dug myself too big a hole to climb out of. Despite not having my 2026 1st or 2nd round pick, I am still confident in the future of this roster, especially if Daniels can return to form in 2026. See you next season!
Current Roster
Interview With Keith
Nick Piovano | @DynastyStump | (10-16) 8th Place | 1746.75 PF
Fantasy Occam’s Razor – Nick simply picked the wrong year to draft Justin Jefferson in the first round of our startup draft. Sometimes, it’s really that simple. At WR25 by average, Justin Jefferson has disappointed dynasty managers everywhere this season as an unfortunate bystander caught in the crossfire of the Vikings offensive woes. Kyler Murray’s early-season injury also hurt Nick’s chances without a second quarterback to start, as did his complete lack of decent running back options. When Tucker Kraft went down? That was all she wrote for poor Nick.
There are pieces to like here, but this team is going to need some help digging out of this doghouse going into next season. Nick has a few draft picks to plug holes, but he’s going to have to bat 1.000 to make it happen. Tough task ahead!
Current Roster
Interview With Nick
Jon Glosser | @Glosser13 | (10-16) 9th Place | 1707.38 PF
How did a team with Drake Maye, Patrick Mahomes, and Daniel Jones finish in 9th place? Breece Hall, too? Well, sometimes it’s the swings you don’t take. Behind Hall, Jon’s other running backs (Trey Benson, Kaleb Johnson, Jaylen Wright) just didn’t work out, nor did most of his wide receiving corps. D.K. Metcalf has struggled with Aaron Rodgers at the helm of the Steelers, while Xavier Worthy, Luther Burden, Xavier Legette, and Jaylin Noel just haven’t put it together on the field. Add in an injury to Sam LaPorta, and you have a recipe for a bad season.
Any roster set at quarterback has a solid foundation, so I like Jon’s chances to bounce back next season, especially in a rookie class with a few decent options at his weakest position, wide receiver. If even one of his running backs can mature, Jon might find himself out of the cellar sooner rather than later.
Current Roster
Interview With Jon
THE BOTTOM THREE
Matt Cooper | @CouchScoutsCoop | (7-19) 10th Place | 1791.09 PF
And now we get to the all-important Bottom Three. First, Mr. Cooper, master and manager of the Dynasty Nerds’ Film Room.
Matt’s gamble on J.J. McCarthy didn’t work out, nor did gambling on the 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers. If Matt is saved from elimination, he’s going to face an uphill battle rebuilding without a solid foundation at quarterback. Fortunately, Matt has two 2026 1st and 2026 2nds to work with, but he will undoubtedly need to invest at that position to have any chance going forward.
At running back, Matt is hoping to see Omarion Hampton break out as the season winds down and perhaps also see Bhayshul Tuten take more and more touches away from Travis Etienne. While Matt has issues elsewhere, his wide receiver room is solid. With CeeDee Lamb leading the way and Tee Higgins as his WR2, Matt can turn his attention elsewhere.
Of course, if Matt has any argument as to why he should be saved, it’s that he is absolutely stacked at tight end. Between Brock Bowers and Trey McBride, Matt doesn’t have to touch the position for the next decade. Add in Harold Fannin Jr, and it’s clear that Matt has a type when it comes to roster construction.
Current Roster
John Hammersmith | @Luxembourgh | (7-19) 11th Place | 1623.43 PF
Next up in the elimination bracket is our newest Nerd, John Hammersmith.
After another manager stepped away, John took over this team post-startup, so if he has an argument to be made for saving, it’s that he came into this whole thing blindly. He traded away Amon-Ra St. Brown to get Jaxson Dart and other pieces, and with Dart and Jordan Love, he at least has some pillars to work with at quarterback.
John wisely traded away his running backs to contenders, leaving him only with RJ Harvey. If saved from elimination, perhaps John could add Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love to his roster?
As with Matt Cooper’s roster, John is fairly stacked at wide receiver. When Malik Nabers returns healthy in 2026, he will join a corps of Brian Thomas, Jameson Williams, and the emerging Jayden Higgins. Add dart throws like Matthew Golden, Alec Pierce, and Kayshon Boutte, and John can hang his hat on at least this lone positional group.
The same cannot be said about John’s tight end group, unfortunately. With a new extension in hand, it doesn’t appear that Mark Andrews is going anywhere, so he will continue to be a thorn in Isaiah Likely’s side. Still, perhaps the #NerdHerd thinks John should get at least one full season to see what happens? Does that make him worth saving? We’ll see soon enough!
Current Roster
Interview with John
Taylor Christianson | @MySleepers | (2-24) 12th Place | 1254.58 PF
Finally, at the bottom of the standings, we have Editor-in-Chief Taylor Christianson.
“Be sure to show all the draft picks!” – Taylor*
Well, let’s start there. No matter what you think of Taylor’s roster or efforts this year, you have to be impressed with the abundance of rookie draft pick riches. With five 2026 1sts, four 2026 2nds, three 2027 1sts, (two calling birds, and a partridge in a pear tree), it’s clear that Taylor is down on his knees begging the #NerdHerd to save him from elimination.
As Rich often says, dynasty fantasy football is so great because even when you’re losing, you’re winning! Who wouldn’t want to rebuild a roster with his many rookie draft picks? Add in point scoring machine Lamar Jackson at quarterback and rookie phenom Tyler Warren at tight end, and Taylor could find himself back in contention as soon as 2027.
The only question is, will the #NerdHerd allow him to do so? Or, will he be among the first to be eliminated from the Dynasty Nerds App League?
Current Roster
Interview With Taylor
*Editor’s Note | Not shown: 6x 2026 3rd round picks (first round after the NFL Draft takes place), and 8 additional picks between 2026 and 2027.
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Note from the Editor (Taylor)
From all of us Nerds, we want to thank you for joining us this season. We’ve had a blast competing for you all and doing our best to show our individual dynasty strategies. We have 1 more week until voting opens for the Saving the manager. We will also reveal 1 of our new managers for 2027! Please reach out on Twitter or in the #NerdHerd Discord with any questions or criticisms of the format, managers, or otherwise. This is for you! (And apparently Garret and Rich’s egos.)
