The holiday season is underway. I say this with confidence because November’s arrival ushers in auto-rejections to any time-off requests as a retail employee. It’s a timeless tradition where work-life balance is shelved for bending to consumerism’s staggering demands. Every year, I promise myself it will be my last in the suffocating, anxiety-riddled suck. It never is. Job security is a hell of a drug, with health benefits being the warped spoon.

Speaking of tradition, my favorite day of the year looms like a tryptophan nap. It took years for my inlaws to entrust me with the responsibility of an entire dish for Thanksgiving dinner. About the time I was given my first Traeger, I stumbled upon a video in the old west days of YouTube for an apple bourbon-glazed ham. 

I had to ask my mother-in-law if I could make it and bring it to the table. “Sure, but I don’t know if Michael will eat it.” Mike is my war hero father-in-law, who served in the Marine Corps during Vietnam. He likes what he likes and doesn’t try new things (ever). The ham was so much of a hit among the whole gang that I’ve made it every Turkey Day since, going on more than a decade now. 

That apple bourbon ham was my foot in the door. The gateway drug. I’ve since added my mac and cheese to the menu. My brother-in-law texts me every year to confirm I’m making that “crack mac” before he books his flight from Las Vegas. 

Trust is earned, and breaking into a whole new family’s holiday traditions is the ticket.

Mike trusts me entirely now, at least when it comes to food. From stirring his vinha d’ahlos the week of Thanksgiving to brining the fancy Diestel Farms bird, it’s work I’m willing to do to keep myself useful. I’ve even got him hooked on my oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. He tried them in secret the other day, a staggering departure from his modus operandi. My phone buzzed at 10:00 on a Tuesday night. A true American badass texted me, “Those cookies are the best. Make a batch for Thanksgiving.” Yes, sir.

Week 10 marks the home stretch toward the fantasy football playoffs. Some of my rosters are dead in the water, but most are jockeying for a higher seed over the next few weeks—crunch time. With a tasting spoon slid into the pocket of my frilly “Ceid Milhe Failte” apron, here are the talking points that intrigue me.

~ Check out our Week 10 Fantasy Football Rankings ~

Week 10 Fantasy Football: Dressing and Early Darkness

Obsidian in the Loss Column

The late, great Mercury Morris would’ve had that Dom Perignon at the ready last week. The Kansas City Chiefs kept their perfect season alive in an overtime thriller with Baker Mayfield‘s Buccaneers. Patrick Mahomes shredded their depleted secondary with a new toy, DeAndre Hopkins. It raised some concern, though. That Steve Spagnuolo defense wasn’t nearly as locked in as it had been, even though Mayfield resorted to peppering Cade Otton without Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. The Chiefs were among the toughest run defenses until Rachaad White and Bucky Irving diced them up in primetime.

While I don’t know how much success Bo Nix will have against this vaunted defense, I do expect the Denver defense to have success against the Chiefs offense. I really expect this to be a low-scoring slobber knocker with depressed fantasy scoring. The potential upset narrative really piques my interest here. I don’t think it’s as much disrespecting the champs as it is tipping my cap to how much better the Broncos have been over expectations.

Gnats & No-See-Ems, See?

All you poor souls who drafted Christian McCaffrey at the top of your fantasy leagues may finally exhale and plug him in like Clark Griswold’s light display. Hopefully, you’re still in contention and have that warm, fuzzy feeling that it’s all going to be okay. The 49ers are not very good without CMC. Beating the Cowboys before the bye week isn’t the flex it used to be. They get a very game Tampa Bay Bucs team on the road in a contest brimming with shootout potential. The 49ers’ defense is a huge step down from the Chiefs that Tampa Bay beat up on last week. They have struggled to tackle, which lends to Irving and White going ham again.

Brock Purdy and Deebo Samuel get massive boosts from McCaffrey’s presence. The Bucs’ defense is an affront to the franchise’s reputation this season. San Francisco needs this win badly. They will need to light up the scoreboard in a big way to get it done. George Kittle and Ricky Pearsall have also boosted projections through my lens.

Hail Yeah, Brother!

Washington hasn’t had this kind of squad since Jordan Reed and Alfred Morris were carrying our fantasy teams alongside Robert Griffin III. Santana Moss isn’t walking through that tunnel, but Terry McLaurin is having the career year he has always deserved. Jayden Daniels is a bona fide stud, but he is up against it this week with the Steelers defense. Daniels didn’t exactly light it up the last time he was challenged by a great Bears defense. Brian Robinson is out again this week, so the tandem of Austin Ekeler and Chris Rodriguez will need to keep this nasty Pittsburgh front honest. Otherwise, the 7-2 Commanders will get roughed up.

Russell Wilson isn’t a fantasy world beater like Justin Fields, but he provides the stability that a boring Arthur Smith offense craves. Dan Quinn’s defense has overachieved so far this season, but George Pickens might be too much for a secondary that won’t have Marshon Lattimore quite yet. Najee Harris is a fine player, but I expect Jaylen Warren to see a usage spike exiting the Week 9 bye.

Nico de Gallo

Nico Collins is off IR and at Friday practice. We haven’t received official word on his status for Sunday night, but Houston desperately needs him to start to beat the Lions on Sunday night. C.J. Stroud has not been the same superstar quarterback in Collins’ absence, though Joe Mixon has been otherworldly for our fantasy teams. Tank Dell is very important either way. His ability to get open quickly allows Stroud to get rid of the ball quickly in the face of instant pressure from his truly awful offensive line. The Texans offense has been decimated with key injuries and are still somehow 6-3. They will need to be nearly perfect to avoid their third loss in four games.

The Lions are fun. I love watching their brand of football and think they’re the best team in the NFL. Jared Goff has been nearly flawless as a passer this season. The catalyst has been a lethal running game with Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery. Again, they are both startable RB1 options against a decent Houston defense. Sam LaPorta isn’t dead, but the sunken cost might’ve driven your fantasy team to its demise by now. Amon-Ra St. Brown‘s peripheral stats are the same as last year, but his weekly touchdown scoring has completely saved his cataclysmic decline in yardage. Evergreen knucklehead Jameson Williams is back from his most recent suspension. It’s a really big deal. Make sure you put his immense upside into every starting lineup possible.

Find more spicy advice from Bo McBrayer on X (formerly Twitter) @Bo_McBigTime & up your kitchen pantry game with his custom spices and sauces at hotboxbatch.com.