Fantasy Football Roundtable: Trevor Lawrence, the Rams RBs, Best Christmas Movies and More!

Let's get into this week's Fantasy Football Roundtable! 

1. Even with Trevor Lawrence going full-on Josh Allen-mode with his 6-TD game this past Sunday, can you trust him in your semifinal lineup in a road game at Denver?

Cooterdoodle: I get it. The Denver Broncos just sh*t on Jordan Love’s comeback streak. But let’s not ignore the elephant with the big balls in the room! You had the cojones to start Lawrence in the first round of the f*cking playoffs and he got you through to the next! Isn’t it rude to dump him now?? I mean, it probably won’t be pretty. And it definitely won’t be a 5 passing TD affair. But if you had to start Lawrence last week, it’s probably because you didn’t have anything better anyway. And for what it’s worth: The elephant is uncomfortable and having trouble sitting, but he said “Lawrence or bust.”

Jake: “Trust” is a pretty strong word. Trusting Lawrence in this situation is like trusting that an underwater fart won’t make bubbles on the surface. But you can’t argue with his recent success. The guy has four straight multi-TD games — even against a couple of respectable defenses, mind you — and is THE QB1 during that stretch. It’s not a good matchup against Denver, but top tier fantasy quarterbacks are dropping like flies. I think you have to trust the fart, folks.

Pete: There’s a dumb saying in fantasy football that you need to “dance with the girl who brung ya.” Let me just say that you absolutely do not need to play T-Law on the road in Denver simply because Travis Etienne turned three screen passes into touchdowns in Week 15. Lawrence is fine and has a nice floor because of his rushing, but you likely have better options. He’s our consensus QB17 on the week.

2. Can you start Kyren Wiliams or Blake Corum in your final four this week and feel good about it?

Cooterdoodle: They've really turned into the Costco version of 2024's Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery these last few weeks, haven't they? Touchdowns for everyone! Sure, sometimes there was a killer deal on Davante-Adams-1-Yard-TDs that Stafford couldn't pass up while browsing between food samples and Kirkland's finest. But with Adams' hamstring injury making him an unlikely start for a few weeks, fire 'em up!

Jake: Coots is right. Over the last three weeks, these guys have been quite the dynamic duo. Like Mario and Luigi. Or Donkey and Diddy Kong. Or…another famous video game pairing, probably. Touchdowns are coming in droves, they’re splitting everything down the middle, Corum is averaging an absurd 9.3 yards per carry…and neither are getting targets. It actually seems like a recipe for a letdown, especially in a very tough matchup against Seattle. And yet, can you really sit Scorpion and Sub-Zero in the playoffs?? Many probably can’t.

Pete: Kyren, yes. Corum, no. The latter is only averaging 10.1 attempts and .4 targets since Week 9. You are playing with fire if you roll that out in your semifinals matchup. Sure, he’s always live for a TD in this high-powered offense, but you will never forgive yourself if you start him and he puts up a 10-40-0 line.

3. For the purposes of this question, Die Hard is a yes, Gremlins is a yes – let’s not get caught up on details. Which holiday movie is your must-watch over the next week?

Cooterdoodle: If you’re caught up on Stranger Things and need more Winona Ryder: Edward Scissorhands. If you've got problems with intimacy, crave depravity, and love It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia: A Very Sunny Christmas. If you want to actually feel something: The Family Stone.

Jake: Thank you for including Die Hard. Because every year on Christmas Eve at my mother-in-law’s, we fire up John McClane and the gang. It’s a tradition that allows some of the more Grinch-ian dudes in the family to get into the holiday spirit. This will be our first Christmas without my mother-in-law around (miss you, Lori!) but you better believe we’ll be watching over Nakatomi Plaza in her honor.

Pete: Considering my 3-year old daughter just discovered Frozen a few weeks ago and now insists on watching it whenever given the chance, that is the odds on favorite to be the only Christmas movie played in our house over the next week  (“I don’t care what they’re going to say…the cold never bothered me anyway” is a bar, though).

If I were to wrestle away the remote, though, I’m throwing on National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

Hey Griswold, where are you gonna put a tree that big?

Bend over and I’ll show ya.

4. When dynasty trading opens up, and someone puts Ashton Jeanty on the trading block… what will be your reaction?

Cooterdoodle: You'll catch me rolling my eyes saying, "Get a load of this f*cking guy." I prefer the intimate one-on-one trade offers in my DMs. Trade negotiations are a love language. Wine & dine me a little. Chase after me. Tell me how much you love my team and how badddly you think I need Ashton Jeanty in my life. Let's banter. Let's tease each other with trade offers that we'll never accept. You can save the league-wide "on the trade block" announcements for someone else.

Jake: I’ll just shake my head and smile, knowing that Jeanty will never be had with a reasonable trade offer. Sure, he’s only RB20 in points per game. Yes, the Raiders offense is “effective” like Saran Wrap is effective birth control. But I’m sure he’ll still be valued like the generational talent that he maybe possibly sorta could still be but perhaps never was.

Pete: Did the Raiders trade for Jacoby Brissett?

5. Say you lost Patrick Mahomes in your superflex lineup and have to start a former backup as your new QB2 for Week 16 — who of these three are you choosing: Marcus Mariota, Gardner Minshew, Philip Rivers?

Cooterdoodle: So you're saying I have three doors to choose from and behind each door is a guy who could get me anywhere from 0-2 TDs? Cool. Door Three comes with a pack of Tums and a subscription to AARP. Door Two comes with mustache creams and a membership to the Sunglass hut. So I'll go with Door One, I guess. It at least comes with nine data points, 1,600 passing yards, and 10 TDs.

Jake: I feel disrespected on Mariota’s behalf for him even being included in this motley group of rare-do-wells. The man has more top 10 finishes than C.J. Stroud despite only starting seven games! Okay…maybe that’s not a high bar. But it’s the one I’m hoping Mariota continues to trip over as my second QB.

Pete: Give me the bullet. Jk, it has to be Mariota. For one, he’s 12 years younger than Rivers. Secondly, he’s the only one of these guys who is going to run at all. I’m sorry for not mixing it up, but there’s only one right answer.

6. We didn’t do a gift guide this year, but the floor is yours… what’s the coolest gift you’ve seen this season? 

Mine is this Wyomissing, PA, hat from BartBridge — IYKYK… and if you have a Swiftie in your life, it’ll get you props forever. But what about you?

Cooterdoodle: If you like listening to podcasts (The Fantasy Life Show, obviously) but you don’t want to totally block off your hearing, you need the bone conduction headphones from Shokz. I’m able to listen to Mk.Gee or Dijon as I'm cooking gumbo on the weekends, but I can still hear my kid every time she says "Mom mom mom mom mom! Watch this!”

Jake: There’s a creator I found on TikTok who paints famous sitcom characters into old, mass-produced thrift store prints. Wanna see the cast of Friends reimagined in a Paris cafe? Bob’s Burgers as a work of American Realism? The Always Sunny cast painted into an opium den?? Whatever TV show you’re into, there’s probably an absurd oil painting for you.

Pete: I think I touted this last year in the gift guide, but I’m going back to the well again because I still use it 2-3x a week and that’s my Ninja Creami. Make healthy homemade ice cream on the reg and never look back. I’ve given it as a gift to multiple people and everyone loves it. If you need a base recipe or some mix-in ideas (leftover cake has been my go to lately), hit me up.