8 Early Questions For Wildcard Weekend

Jamaal Williams was put on this earth to score TDs...

In today’s Fantasy Life Newsletter presented by BetMGM:

After a wild day of football the 2023 NFL playoff matchups are set:

Here's everything we know and one big question mark for each game...

💤 Bye - Chiefs

Are we destined for a Bills-Chiefs AFC Championship game that would take place on a neutral site?!

🚑 Dolphins (7) @ Bills (2)

Will Tua Tagovailoa play in this game or are the Bills waltzing to the Divisional round?

🚑 Ravens (6) @ Bengals (3)

Will Lamar Jackson play in this game or are the Bengals waltzing to the Divisional round?

📈 Chargers (5) @ Jaguars (5)

Can Brandon Staley pull it together in time to beat an upstart team who feel a bit like last year's Bengals?

💤 Bye - Eagles

Are the Eagles ready for the weight of massive expectations?

🎱 Seahawks (7) @ Niners (2)

The Seahawks went 0-2 against San Francisco regular season and only scored 23 points across those two games. Third time's a charm?

⚔️ Giants (6) @ Vikings (3)

Who will win out between the most underrated team in the NFC and the most fraudulent?

🧚 Cowboys (5) @ Buccaneers (4)

Does Tom Brady have one last playoff hurrah in him?

🎲 Don't You Know a Gambler's Week Ends Sunday Night and Resets Monday Morning?

That’s why we’re giving you another opportunity to bet $10 and get $200.

And the CFB Natty is also always on a Monday, coincidence? We think not.

Will the Bulldogs go back-to-back or will the Horned Frogs humble them?

Regardless, if either team scores a touchdown, and you live in Ohio, Maryland, Kansas, Illinois, or Louisiana, all you gotta do is bet $10 to get $200 on BetMGM.

If you’re trying to get in on the action as the reigning champs Georgia take on the once unranked TCU...

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Peter is here to share his six big takeaways from the week's action compliments of our friends over at Bud Light. Let's crack open that six pack, Pete...

🍺 1. The Bills are a Disney movie

I hadn't even turned Red Zone on before Nyheim Hines returned the opening kickoff 96-yards to the house and subsequently sent the crowd at Highmark Stadium into a euphoric frenzy.

Damar Hamlin, watching from his hospital room in Cincinnati, immediately weighed in on Twitter:

Hines wasn't done, though. He did it again mid-way through the third quarter. The Bills went on to drop 35 points on the Patriots, who hung around for a bit but ultimately couldn't keep up with Buffalo's high-powered attack.

🍺 2. The 1.01 battle was epic

Playoff jockeying might have been the main event yesterday, but the fight for the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft gave it a run for its money.

After the Bears lost to the Vikings, they waited with baited breath to see if there was any chance the Texans could upset yhe Colts and hand them the number one pick.

And that's exactly what happened. The Texans torched their chance at the pick with a miracle TD and two-point conversion with 50 seconds left in the game. After the game, head coach Lovie Smith was unapologetic...and later fired.

🍺 3. Sam Howell has arrived

Most takeaways from this game will focus on the Cowboys collapse, but the real story was Commanders rookie QB Sam Howell balling out in first career start, something Matthew foretold earlier in the week.

Howell's stat line was modest (169 yards and 1 TD, plus 5-35-1 on the ground), but he made some incredible throws while leading the team to an impressive 26-6 win against a team many (previously?) viewed as a Super Bowl contender.

It's a shame the organization didn't turn to him sooner, but their 2023 outlook is much, much brighter with this data point.

🍺 4. Cincy & San Fran are ready for a run

The Eagles, Bills, and Chiefs lead all betting markets when it comes to Super Bowl odds, but the secondary contenders—Bengals and the Niners—deserve some praise for commanding wins yesterday.

The Niners put up 38 points on the hapless Cardinals, while the Bengals took care of business 27-16 vs. the Ravens. It should surprise no one if Kyle Shanahan recaptures some of the same Super Bowl run magic he bottled up with Jimmy G a few years ago, or if 2021's Cinderalla Bengals green light a sequel.

🍺 5. The Falcons rookies have a bright future

Sure the game didn't matter, but the Falcons 30-17 win over the Bucs was impressive. The young cohort of Desmond Ridder (224 yards and 2 TDs), Tyler Allgeier (24-135 on the ground), and Drake London (6-120) have a bright future.

Just imagine what this team could do if they land an elite TE.

🍺 6. Chargers, wyd??

Not sure anything was more bizarre yesterday than Brandon Staley playing his starters deep into a meaningless game against the Denver Broncos.

His questionable decision-making backfired when oft-injured wideout Mike Williams suffered a low back injury and had to be carted off the field. What's the saying? Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.

Keenan Allen was playing so deep into the game that he scored a TD in the 4th quarter...from the backup QB.

I'm excited to watch the Chargers in the playoffs, but it's hard to root for a team this reckless and dumb. Cut the excuses, Staley.

🏅 Joe Burrow has unlimited swagger. They conquered the North.

❌ This is not a record you want to hold. Woof.

🧟 Hahah, what a TD celebration. This one is great.

🤑 Actually, this one is incredible too. Joe Mixon's troll game is unmatched.

👐 Catch of the day. Wait, who is that guy?!

🤣 The Swag Daddy is unhinged. And we are here for it.

We're humans who play fantasy football, which means we are prone to overreact. In this weekly series, Kendall will lead us in overreacting to this weekend's action...

💗 How can you not be romantic about football?

Last week the entire world stood still, waiting to hear about Bills cornerback Damar Hamlin. Thankfully, we got incredible news on Friday morning. Hamlin’s breathing tubes were removed, and he was able to talk with his family and even facetimed into a Bills meeting. Everyone was finally able to take a deep breath.

But then something incredible happened in the Bills/Patriots game on Sunday.

Nyheim Hines drew up what you only see in the movies. He returned the opening kick and leaped into the stands of crazed Bills fans. It was a picture-perfect start to a game that just days before had so many questions surrounding it. How can you not be romantic about football?

The Buffalo Bills defeated the New England Patriots 35-23 and there is no doubt that they played for Damar.

Now, on to the playoffs.

🚀 Buckle up, the playoffs are here

Welcome to the playoffs, Jaguars! One year after an epic failure of a season with former head coach Urban Meyer, Jacksonville has turned things around with rising superstar Trevor Lawrence and head coach Doug Pederson. The team defeated the Titans and secured the AFC South title and the team’s first playoff berth since 2017.

They are the first team since the 2008 Dolphins to go from the worst record in the league to a division title in one season.

The SWAG-uars will be taking on the Los Angeles Chargers, who haven’t been to the playoffs since the 2018 season. It will be Justin Herbert’s playoff debut as well and despite Brandon Staley's best efforts, the team is mostly healthy heading into this exciting matchup.

The Miami Dolphins also found its way into the playoffs (don’t look at the final score).

They will take on a dominant Bills team on Super Wild Card weekend. The big question to monitor is who will be the starting quarterback? The Dolphins finally broke that five-game losing streak but will need everyone at full health to have a chance against this Buffalo squad.

Timing is crucial when it comes to sports betting. Lines get released late on Sunday night, and every Monday, our betting specialist Matt LaMarca drops by to give you his first look at the betting markets. Here's what he likes for Wildcard weekend. All lines from BetMGM...

💰 Jaguars +1.5 (vs. Chargers)

The Jaguars officially completed a miraculous turnaround and will represent the AFC South in the postseason. They got plenty of help – the Titans dropped seven straight games to end the year – but the Jags were there to capitalize.

They took care of business down the stretch, winning seven of their final nine games, including a head-to-head matchup vs. the Titans in Week 18.

They’ll draw a home matchup vs. the Chargers in the first round of the playoffs, and Los Angeles has been equally hot. They did drop their final game of the year vs. the Broncos, but Justin Herbert and the starters didn’t finish that contest. Prior to that, they had rattled off four straight wins to secure the top Wild Card spot in the conference.

The Chargers are listed as slight road favorites in this spot, but are we sure they’re that good? Their past four wins have come against the Dolphins, Titans, Colts, and Rams, which is not the most impressive competition you’ll ever see. They also finished the year with a point differential of just +7, giving them an expected record of closer to .500. Finally, they entered Week 18 ranked merely 18th in Football Outsiders total DVOA, while the Jaguars were in 14th.

Of course, the Chargers have one of the best young quarterbacks in football, and Herbert is capable of pulling games out late.

Do you know who else has a good young quarterback?

The Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence has played as well as anyone down the stretch, averaging 8.17 adjusted yards per attempt with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions.

If not for some unlucky losses early in the season, the Jaguars would be favored in this contest. There isn’t a ton of value in grabbing them at +2.5 since there are no key numbers below three, but I expect this line to move toward a pick ‘em before kickoff.

💰 Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3 (vs. Cowboys)

Don’t look now, but that sound you hear is Tom Brady getting tuned up for the playoffs.

Brady put together his best game of the year in a crucial Week 17 contest vs. the Panthers, completing 34 of 45 passes for 423 yards and three touchdowns. That win secured Brady a trip to the playoffs for the 14th consecutive season, and the last time he wasn’t in the playoffs was back when he tore his ACL in 2008.

Brady and the Bucs kept things rolling in Week 18. They played into the second quarter in a meaningless contest, and Brady completed 13 of 17 passes for 84 yards and a score. He wasn’t quite as efficient as he was vs. the Panthers, but he appears to be playing his best football at the most important time of the year.

All the pressure will be on the Cowboys in this spot. Dak Prescott has a 1-3 record during the postseason, and his lone win was by two points. With the Cowboys favored, he’s going to be expected to guide this team to a victory. Tampa Bay is essentially playing with house money, and Brady certainly isn’t going to be fazed by playing in a Wild Card game. When you’ve been to 10 Super Bowls, a Wild Card matchup vs. the Cowboys will barely get his pulse elevated.

This is a game where locking this number in early should be advantageous. I expect the sharps will be on the Buccaneers, so locking them in at +3.0 ensures you don’t miss out on a key number.