Binar – underground junglist mixtape autumn 2024 101124 #finsubito richiedi mutuo fino 100%

I currently have a Sager NP8250-S (Clevo P157SM) laptop that I ordered from XoticPC back in 2014 with these parts:

• NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 780M 4,096M
• 4th Generation Intel® Haswell Core™ i7-4900MQ (2.8GHz – 3.8GHz, 8MB Intel® Smart Cache)
• 16GB – DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (2 SODIMMS)
• 128GB Crucial M4 mSATA SSD
• 240GB Crucial M5 Series Solid State Drive [SSD2 Serial-ATA III]

It has served me pretty well for most of my needs which includes a lot of dev work, Lightroom and Photoshop and I have even been able to run a fair amount of VMs and containers, Plex media streaming, etc. till recently. I am not much of a gamer by any means and occasionally dabble in some FPS games every once in a while. Also, my laptop is always on and running 24×7. Its always at my desk and I never take it with me anywhere. Back when I ordered the laptop, I was ok with its size, but I hadn’t accounted for the charger which is as big as a brick.
At this point, I am ready for an upgrade. I cannot upgrade to Windows 11. I am starting to run into issues with the USB ports. I would run Linux, except for some software that runs only on Windows at the moment. I am also trying to get into AI and ML and will need some hefty processing for that.
I keep getting enticed by the M3 Max and the new M4 Max MacBook pros. But I really can’t justify spending almost $4k for that. Especially when I know I can get something comparable custom built for less than that.
Also, I am looking to future proof it as much possible. It will be great if I can get close to another 10 years out of this (one can always dream, right!!). Since I spent close to $2500 last time, I figured if I can build something even better for under $3k including taxes, it will be a big win for me.
Based on my preliminary research, this is what I have come up with so far:
[PCPartPicker Part List](https://pcpartpicker.com/list/wMPBDj)
TypeItemPrice
:—-:—-:—-
**CPU** [AMD Ryzen 9 9950X 4.3 GHz 16-Core Processor](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/T6GhP6/amd-ryzen-9-9950x-43-ghz-16-core-processor-100-100001277wof) $584.00 @ Newegg
**CPU Cooler** [Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB 66.17 CFM CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/zyNxFT/thermalright-peerless-assassin-120-se-argb-6617-cfm-cpu-cooler-pa-120-se-argb) $36.90 @ Amazon
**CPU Cooler** [ARCTIC Liquid Freezer III 360 A-RGB 48.82 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/CfcgXL/arctic-liquid-freezer-iii-360-a-rgb-4882-cfm-liquid-cpu-cooler-acfre00144a) $107.79 @ Amazon
**Motherboard** [MSI MPG X870E CARBON WIFI ATX AM5 Motherboard](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/dGWJ7P/msi-mpg-x870e-carbon-wifi-atx-am5-motherboard-mpg-x870e-carbon-wifi) $489.99 @ Newegg
**Memory** [TEAMGROUP T-Force Delta RGB 48 GB (2 x 24 GB) DDR5-8200 CL38 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/x8QKHx/teamgroup-t-force-delta-rgb-48-gb-2-x-24-gb-ddr5-8200-cl38-memory-ff3d548g8200hc38edc01) $249.99 @ Amazon
**Memory** [Patriot Viper Xtreme 5 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-8200 CL38 Memory](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/VzGhP6/patriot-viper-xtreme-5-32-gb-2-x-16-gb-ddr5-8200-cl38-memory-pvx532g82c38k) $129.99 @ Amazon
**Storage** [Intel DC P4511 1 TB M.2-22110 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/BsTPxintel-dc-p4511-1-tb-m2-22110-nvme-solid-state-drive-ssdpelkx010t801) $140.19 @ Amazon
**Video Card** [Gigabyte GAMING OC Radeon RX 7900 XTX 24 GB Video Card](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/cNJgXL/gigabyte-gaming-oc-radeon-rx-7900-xtx-24-gb-video-card-gv-r79xtxgaming-oc-24gd) $889.00 @ Newegg
**Case** [Fractal Design Pop XL Air ATX Full Tower Case](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/8qFbt6/fractal-design-pop-xl-air-atx-full-tower-case-fd-c-por1x-06) $109.99 @ B&H
**Power Supply** [Corsair RM850x SHIFT 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular Side Interface ATX Power Supply](https://pcpartpicker.com/product/MgYmP6/corsair-rm850x-shift-850-w-80-gold-certified-fully-modular-side-interface-atx-power-supply-cp-9020252-na) $124.99 @ Amazon
*Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts*
Total (before mail-in rebates) $2872.83
Mail-in rebates -$10.00
**Total** **$2862.83**
Generated by [PCPartPicker](https://pcpartpicker.com) 2024-11-07 18:05 EST-0500
I am not sure about which direction to go with the case (full tower vs mid) and cpu cooler (air vs water cooled). I am really curious to try an AIO since I have never had one before. I thought about going for the 4090, but that feels too much right now.
I would really appreciate the review and welcome any suggestions. Planning to make use of the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals to buy everything.
TIA

Hey everyone, I wrote up the following as my first piece of fantasy football content. Let me know what you think, and I hope it helps!
Injury Report
New Injuries
WR Chris Olave (concussion) – Olave suffered the fourth concussion of his NFL career and his second this season. I’d expect him to miss Week 10 at a minimum with a potential multi-week absence. Note that the Saints have a Week 12 bye – Olave could be held out until Week 13 or longer.
QB Dak Prescott (hamstring) – Likely to be placed on IR, will miss at least four weeks.
WR Drake London (hip) – London suffered a hip pointer and an oblique strain. It isn’t believed to be serious and he could suit up as early as Week 10.
WR AJ Brown (knee) – No structural issues, more of a contusion – he could play as early as Week 10.
WR CeeDee Lamb (shoulder) – Sprained AC joint, not considered serious, could play in Week 10.
WR Darius Slayton (concussion) – In concussion protocol, typically miss one game or so.
WR Keon Coleman (wrist) – Waiting for news.
QB Caleb Williams (lower body) – Will likely be fine for Week 10.
Existing Injury Updates
RB Zack Moss (neck) – expected to miss rest of regular season.
WR Nico Collins (hamstring) – eligible to return this week, no update yet.
RB Christian McCaffrey (achilles) – back at practice and trending towards playing this week .
Waiver Wire Week 10
Quarterbacks

1. Drake Maye – In the three full games Drake Maye has played, he has finished as the QB8, QB7, and QB 11, averaging 21.4 fantasy points per start. That would make him the overall QB6 across weeks 6, 7, and 9. With a season/career-high 95 rushing yards against the Titans in Week 9, Maye provides both a strong floor and enticing upside as a dual-threat quarterback.

Running Backs

1. Ray Davis – We know that James Cook isn’t going anywhere. However, it’s that time of year where we want to roster high-upside handcuffs as the fantasy playoffs approach. Davis looked explosive this week, taking a checkdown pass 63 yards to the house, and we know what he is capable of (18.2 fantasy points in Week 6) were James Cook to go down.
2. Trey Benson – Similar to fellow rookie RB Ray Davis’ situation, Benson is unlikely to be startable in fantasy without an injury to James Conner. However, Benson is coming off the highest fantasy output of his young career (12.5 fantasy points), including scoring his first NFL TD from the one-yard line. It doesn’t hurt that the Cardinals have the most favorable fantasy playoff schedule for running backs. Stash him!
3. Blake Corum – Kyren Williams leads all running backs in snap share with an outrageous 88% through 9 weeks. The next highest player at the position is Breece Hall with 76% – a 12% difference. Sean McVay loves to utilize a workhorse RB, and rookie third-round pick Corum is next in line were Kyren to miss time.
4. Khalil Herbert – Herbert was traded to the Bengals this morning, and with Zack Moss expected to miss the remainder of the regular season, Herbert’s upside case is filling in as the 1B in Cincinnati’s backfield. Additionally, he would be the biggest beneficiary if Chase Brown were to miss any time.

Wide Receivers

1. Elijah Moore – While his 5.8 point performance in Week 9 was disappointing, Moore still saw 8 targets (19% target share) this week after seeing 11 targets (30%) in Week 8. In the wake of Amari Cooper’s departure, Moore will continue to be valuable as long as Jameis Winston remains at quarterback. Cleveland has the 6th-highest pass rate over expectation in the league since Jameis took over.
2. DeMario Douglas – In three full games played with Drake Maye, Douglas is averaging 7 targets – tied with Hunter Henry for the team lead. Based on how Douglas was utilized in Week 9, he had the 16th-most expected fantasy points among wide receivers. A bet on Douglas is a bet on his ascending rookie quarterback elevating the entire offense, and DeMario doesn’t have much to compete with at the WR position.
3. Noah Brown – In Week 9, Brown led the Commanders in targets with 6 in a game where Jayden Daniels only attempted 22 passes, good for a 27.3% target share. Additionally, Brown posted a 76+% route share for the second straight week, an indication that he has cemented himself as the second option in Washington’s WR corps. While Terry McLaurin will typically see more than his 3 Week 9 targets, Brown offers access to a Washington offense scoring the 4th-most fantasy points per game.

Tight Ends

1. Taysom Hill – Simply put, the Saints are low on weapons. Rasheed Shaheed is out for the year. Chris Olave will likely miss time with a concussion. Jamaal Williams is nursing a groin injury. And last but not least, running back Kendre Miller is on IR. In Week 9, Hill finished as the overall TE5, setting season-highs across the board in targets (5), receptions (4), and reception yards (41), with a rushing touchdown to boot. Expect his increased usage both on the ground and through the air to continue, especially while Olave remains out.
2. Hunter Henry – In three full games played with Drake Maye, Henry is averaging 7 targets per game, tied for the team-high with DeMario Douglas. Additionally, based on how he has been utilized in those three games, Henry has the 4th-most expected fantasy points per game among tight ends, according to PFF. On an offense starving for production from their wide receivers, Henry’s strong usage should continue.
3. Mike Gesicki – Gesicki set season-highs in route share (61%), air yards share (38%), and of course, fantasy points (27.0) in Week 9, and has shown the ability to capitalize on additional volume when given the opportunity. An important note, however, is that Tee Higgins’ (quad) absence was the main factor in Gesicki’s expanded role – I wouldn’t expect him to be featured once Higgins returns. That being said, the Bengals just lost TE Erick All for the season, and next week, Gesicki faces a Ravens defense giving up the 7th-most fantasy points over expectation to tight ends. He would be a fine start in that spot were Higgins to miss another week.
4. A.J. Barner – Based on his Week 9 usage, Seattle’s rookie tight end had the 7th-most expected fantasy points among tight ends, according to PFF. While he turned his 7 targets into just 4 catches for 27 yards, he posted the highest route share (86%) of any Seahawks TE this season. He may not be a special talent (his pro comp was Durham Smythe, per Player Profiler), but his role is worth stashing on your bench until we get a better idea of how long Noah Fant will be out.
5. Theo Johnson – Johnson had his best performance of the season on Sunday, turning a season-high 6 targets into 3 catches for 51 yards and a touchdown. He trailed only Malik Nabers in target share with 23.1%, and had a 72.4% route share. Johnson has the 7th-highest athleticism score among 479 all-time tight ends analyzed by PlayerProfiler, and the Giants have the most favorable remaining schedule for tight ends rest of season.

Notable Snubs

• WR Quentin Johnston – More than half of Johnston’s Week 9 receiving yards came on a 66-yard touchdown, and he’s had more than 5 targets in just one game this season. Johnston also had the second-most fantasy points over expected (+14.3) among WRs in Week 9. Additionally, per Ryan Heath of FantasyPoints, busted coverage plays account for 44% of Johnston’s 2024 fantasy output. QJ has flashed at times in Year 2, but his production has been too dependent on splash plays.
• WR Demarcus Robinson – Robinson benefitted from Puka Nacua’s ejection on Sunday, but his four touchdowns over the past two games are fool’s gold. With Nacua and Kupp back and healthy, Robinson can not be trusted in fantasy lineups.
• TE Jonnu Smith – Smith set a season-high in route share (83%) in Week 9 and turned 6 targets into a respectable 5 catches for 46 yards. However, I don’t see the upside for his role given where he stands behind Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, and De’Von Achane in the target pecking order.
• WR Jalen Coker – Coker took a step back in Week 9 as his route share dropped from 80% to 59% and he earned just 3 targets. Assuming Adam Thielen doesn’t get traded, his return is imminent, which is bad news for Coker’s role expanding. While Jonathan Mingo (targeted once in Week 9) was traded to the Cowboys, it’s hard for me to see Bryce Young supporting Coker in addition to Thielen and Legette on a weekly basis.
• TE Ja’Tavion Sanders – In Week 9, Sanders generated the most receiving yards over expected in a game by a rookie tight end this season (+50) ,per Next Gen Stats. He also led the Panthers in receiving, catching 4 balls for 87 yards. However, he’s still contending with Tommy Tremble (when healthy) at the tight end position on a team quarterbacked by Bryce Young.
• RB Jaylen Wright – While Wright has shown promise as a rookie, he is one Mostert or Achane injury away from a 1B role in Miami’s backfield. That role is valuable in an explosive offense like the Dolphins’, but I prefer the upside of guys like Davis, Corum, and Benson, who are one injury away from potential workhorse roles. If you have the bench space, however, he’s worth the stash.
• RB Isaac Guerendo – With CMC trending towards a Week 10 return and Jordan Mason back at practice, it remains to be seen who the CMC backup to roster is. Until we have an answer, I prefer to roster guys like Davis, Corum, and Benson who have clear paths to workhorse roles.

So, our defense is kind of a problem huh? Here’s a list of some evident and perhaps less-evident needs that we can address both in free agency and the draft to make a 8-9win team next year or you can fire me. (TLDR of final roster post FA/Draft at the end)
The Keys Offense We need to help Drake improve at doing the easy stuff, which means we need players that make the easy stuff…well…easy. He struggles with over the middle ball placement, slant and comeback placement, and throwing to his left weirdly. How do we mitigate this until he blossoms into a beautiful drake maye butterfly?

1. A YAC Monster at RB.
2. An off-script monster at TE (ala Hunter Henry, who is turning 30.)
3. A bigger Alpha X Receiver who’s got that dawg in him and not the kind that SAYS they have that dawg in him but don’t (I’m looking at you, Baker. Polk.)
4. Exterior / Interior Linemen who can also run block. Because running the ball will be a HUGE help for him.

Where do we get them? RB: Mondre is great, but he’s not a shifty YAC guy. Later rounds in the draft will hold the RB we seek. Think someone in the mold of Darren Sproles, Danny Woodhead, or Demario Douglas in RB form.
TE: The draft has 3-4 options in the top 3 rounds that I think we should absolutely target. Henry is 30 next year. Tight end takes time to develop. Austin Hooper isn’t hooping. Let’s get another guy ready to go.
WR: We have seriously needed a big time X receiver for like 10 years. I have no idea why this isn’t happening. The draft has 3-4 options in the top 3 rounds and a couple of deeper cuts that could sneakily pan out. There is also a couple of free agents worth targeting as one maybe two-year rentals (and no, Mr. No Hamstrings Higgins is not included.)
OL: The draft has MANY options. Don’t let anyone tell you there’s only Banks at the top of the draft. In my eyes, this draft is DEEP on tackle. There’s no mega-stars, but there’s a lot of pretty damn good to really good. There is also options in free agency for the interior.
Defense We just got ran on by the ghost of Tony Pollard. Our run defense is criminally bad, and our pass rush is somehow worse. We need to fix the defensive line, add athleticism and leadership to the LB core, and shore up corner for the future. Where do we start?

1. Defensive linemen. We need to compete in the run game and fix our near league worst pressure rate. It starts with them.
2. Two linebackers. One who can hit gaps and blitz, and one who can cover and go side-to-side.
3. A corner opposite Gonzalez.

Where do we get them? DL/DE: Much like their offensive counterparts DL/DE are deep in this draft. There are some options here that range from game-wrecking cornerstone defensive pieces to dependable starter between the 2nd-5th round. Free agency also has some serious contenders that will require a payday to entice.
ILB/OLB: The draft has some very good depth at LB. I’m talking plug-and-play guys in the 4th and 5th rounds who are both athletic and strong. If mayo can coach up anybody, it’s gotta be the linebackers. Free agency has an option or two as well.
CB: There’s options hitting free agency this year that I would be remiss to pass on. There’s some depth in the draft, but i’d much rather spend our capital elsewhere. Jonathan Jones is going to be 32 next year. Marcus Jones is solid as a slot corner, but he’s not elite.
The Targets Draft: Offense Look each player up on draftbuzz.com – A solid overview with early estimates of where they land in each round. Watching tape also recommended.
RB: Ashton Jeanty – Possible first draft pick target who would immediately make our offense more threatening. RB: Dylan Sampson – Possibly available in the 3rd-4th round. Electric accelerator, great pass catcher. RB: Brashard Smith – Possible 4-5th round. Excellent burst, excellent hands. Converted WR to RB.
TE: Tyler Warren – 2nd round converted QB who is 6’6, 260. Plays like a BAAAAAD MAN with surprising speed. TE: Coleston Loveland – 2nd-3rd round TE whos 6’5 245. Versatile and can line up everywhere. TE: Bryson Nesbit – Late round slot TE who played with Drake. Very good YAC player worth an easy flier.
WR: Tetairoa McMillan – 1st round pick worthy X receiver with 6-5 mike-evans level dawg in him. WR: Jalen Royals – 2nd-3rd rounder X receiver with sub 4.4 speed and great contest catch ability. WR: J.Michael Sturdivant – 5-6th round 6’3 205 X receiver with sub 4.4 speed. Drake’s teammate.
OT: Kelvin Banks Jr – A first round pick if there ever was one, he excels in pass pro and run blocking. OT: Wyatt Milum – low 1st rounder who excels in pass pro and is solid in the run. OT: Cernando Carmona – Likely available in the 2nd-3rd round, a good LT prospect with excellent pass pro. OT: Ozzy Trapilo – A 3rd-4th rounder from Boston College with good size at 6’8 310. A better pass protector. OT: Jack Nelson – a 4th-5th rounder who has started LT/RT and Guard. He has excellent size and technique. OG: Donovan Jackson – 2nd rounder with elite physical traits and is a true terror in the run game. C: Parker Brailsford – Alabama’s center whom draws comparisons to Jason Kelce. Enough said. 3rd rounder. OG: Micah Morris – 6th-7th late round flier with perfect size and an absolute mauler archetype.
______________________________________________________________________________________________ Draft: Defense DT: Deone Walker – Low first round MAMMOTH of a man at 6’6 345lbs. Excellent vs run and as a pass rusher. DT: Tyleik Williams – High 2nd round 6’3 327lb DT with shocking wheels. A quarterbacks worst nightmare. DT: Bear Alexander – 6th round 6’3 315lb DT with serious run stopping chops. Can also help bull rush the pocket.
DE: Nic Scourton – A 1st round talent with no weaknesses. Is he better as a pass rusher or a run defender? Yes. DE: Landon Jackson – A 2nd-3rd round DE athletically blessed by the gods. 6’7 280lbs with a sub 4.7 40. DE: Jared Ivey – A 3rd round DE who is a no-run zone on the edge with some solid pass rush chops to boot.
LB: Danny Stuntsman – A three down backer with great size and leadership available in the 2nd round. LB: Lander Barton – Another 2nd round backer who has sideline-to-sideline ability. LB: Smael Mondon Jr – A talented and athetically gifted backer with crazy upside available in the 3rd round. LB: Jay Higgins – A 3rd round thumper who loves hitting gaps to stop the run and as a blitzer. —————————————————————————————————-
Free Agency Offense RB: I think we’re good here.
TE: As is customary, a barren wasteland in free agency.
WR: Amari Cooper – He’s got the size, the know-how, and would be a very reliable X receiver for Drake. WR: Keenan Allen – See above WR: DeAndre Hopkins – See above
OT: Ronnie Stanley – Baltimore Ravens Tackle who’s really shined this season. Likely-resigned. OT: Garret Boles – Solid LT protecting Bo Nix this year. Likely re-signed. OG: Trey Smith – KC can’t pay him, and he’s a total stud at his position at only 25 years old. A no brainer. C: Ryan Kelly – Indiannapolis likely re-signs him, but he’s a solid center with 3-4 years left in the tank. —————————————————————————————————- Defense DT: Alim Mcneill – Lions DT who’s only 24. He’s an absolute monster defending the run and is a servicable pass rusher. Likely re-signed. DE: Demarcus Lawrence – An aged vet who still has good pass-rushing chops. An expensive short term option. DE: Khalil Mack – See above
LB: Dre Greenlaw – Recovering from a nasty achilles tear, he should be good to go at 27 for next year. A very impactful LB on the 49ers worth a good contract. LB: Tyrel Dodson – 26 years old seahawks LB who can blitz well and cover even better. The seahawks are having cap troubles and we should be able to pay this guy.
CB: Chavarius Ward – The 9ers might pay this man, but if they don’t he’s an excellent corner to pair with Gonzalez. CB: Rasul Douglas – A ball hawking turnover machine that could play effectively opposite Gonzo. CB: Asante Samuel Jr. – Just kidding. No shot. Fuck you Asante Samuel.
Final Draft Notes:

1. Assuming we don’t trade down from 3, grab one of : Kelvin Banks Jr, Ashton Jeanty, Tet McMillan.
2. Trade up into the low 1st or stand pat and grab one of the following: Tyler Warren, Deone Walker, Nic Scourton
3. Trade up into the mid/low second (Do not stand pat) and snag one of the following: Jalen Royals, Cernando Carmona, Landon Jackson,
4. 3rd rounder options include: Jared Ivey, Smael Mondon Jr, Jay Higgins, Parker Brailsford, Coleston Loveland, Dylan Sampson
5. 4th round pick likely traded.
6. 5th round pick: Jack Nelson, J. Michael Sturdivant, Ozzy Tripilo, Bear Alexander, Brashard Smith 7th round picks: Take shots on fliers: Bryson Nesbit, Micah Morris

Concluding Opinion Sign Free agents: Amari Cooper or Keenan Allen Trey Smith Dre Greenlaw or Tyrel Dodson Chavarius Ward
My ideal starting lineup post FA/Draft QB: Drake Maye LT: Kelvin Banks Jr LG: Trey Smith C: David Andrews/Cole Strange RG: Mike Onwenu RT: Caeden Wallace RB1: Rhamondre Stevenson RB2: Brashard Smith WR1: Amari Cooper WR2: Kayshon Boutte/Polk/Bourne/Baker SlotWR: Demario Douglas TE1: Hunter Henry TE2: Tyler Warren
RDE: Keion White RDT: Christian Barmore LDT: Davon Godchaux LDE: Landon Jackson ROLB: Tyrel Dodson MLB: Juwaun Bentley LOLB: Smael Mondon Jr CB1: Christian Gonzalez CB2: Chavarius Ward SlotCB: Jonathan Jones/Marcus Jones FS: Kyle Duggar SS: Marte Mapu

FGO breaking me out of my recent Satisfactory addiction.
So we have a weird one today, because it has just enough of a unique mechanic to demand me making a specialized sheet, but it’s also quite simple. I haven’t taken the time to change it since the start of GUDAGUDA (other than updating the language from “Job” to “Activity” and fixing the first line), so hopefully there’s nothing wrong with it. Also, the ‘Event Quest’ sheet should be compatible with Fate/Grand Farm, but I haven’t tested it.
The baseline analysis assumes a lvl 70 Servant in each slot and 10% CE Bonus for each kind of Activity.
[LINK HERE!]
In case people want to refer to other Events (it’s broken at the moment because of the new Mats being added in JP):
[The Usual Sheet]

Disclaimer

The analysis in this Reddit Post is starting from the assumption that you want all of XP, Bronze, Silver, and Gold mats about equally, but do not care about Gems or Statues. For an analysis more catered to your specific material goals, you can either make a copy of the above Google Sheet and fill it out to your specifications, or alternatively use this tool I made.
Further, the purpose of these posts and google sheets is not to provide a roadmap for clearing the Event Shop; other guides and websites, such as Gamepress, provide those. The purpose is to answer whether or not the Event Quests are worth farming for their Materials alone. You should use your own judgment on whether or not an efficient shop clear is more valuable to you.

Mount Liang: Intro

Okay so let’s talk about the main gimmick for this Event. This Event has been a thorn in my side for the past year because it looks like it should be more complicated than it actually is, so I felt like all the resources I found were incomplete. But it really is that straight forward; no matter which Free Quest you run, you get points in every Activity based on the levels of the servants appointed to them.
For our purposes, this makes it really easy to determine the Efficiency gains from this gimmick. We can calculate a simulated drop rate for each Activity reward based on how much progress we make toward completing that Activity each run, and then add that drop rate to every Event Quest. For each Activity.
For people who know how to use my Google Sheets, I hope the new tab explains itself and you can get it to work. For people that use that other tool I made, the ‘Event Quest’ tab should work with Fate/Grand Farm, as usual.

For everyone else, I’m going to do my best to offer good information. The 1st part is going to be me making some observations. The 2nd, much longer part is going to be me comparing this Event to the looming specter that is the Tam Lin Cup.
Keep in mind that I’m defining Efficiency, or Eff, as the ratio between that Event Quest’s APD and the best APD for that Mat from normal Free Quests. So “Eff = 0.5” means that the Event Quest’s APD is double that of the best Free Quest, which means it effectively has half the drop rate when you standardize AP Costs.

Mount Liang: General Observations

• The levels of the Servants you appoint have less impact than you would expect. Upgrading from lvl 70 Servants to lvl 90 Servants in each slot only increases the Total Efficiency by ~0.3 when bonus is not included (from a 3.1 increase to whatever Event Quest you’re running to a 3.39 increase).
• Blue Activities primarily reward QP. Using lvl 70 Servants and no bonus, each Quest run ends up about 40% as good as running Doors for QP. With a 50% Bonus, that becomes almost 60%.
• Green Activities provide all the XP Rewards, which my sheet and analysis is not really equipped to handle. You would expect this to cause the Green Bonus to look really bad on my sheet, but Wine Drop rates are so goddamn awful that that Activity carries the category.
• The rates for the Gold Mats are actually pretty good when you consider that you’re getting all 5 at once. When appointing lvl 70 Servants with no bonuses, the Efficiency values are as follows: Wine (Eff = 0.48), Spirit Roots (0.39), Claws of Chaos (0.29), Tearstones of Blood (0.28), and Lanugos (0.25).
• The other rates are bit more mediocre on average. Silver Mats general clock in at around Eff = 0.15, while the two Bronze Mats are about 0.13 and 0.14. Pages have a better rate than you’d expect, with Eff = 0.2.
• The Role/Category/CE Bonuses affect a Reward’s Efficiency exactly as you’d expect. A +20% Bonus increases the simulated drop rate by 20%, which increases that Activity’s Efficiency by 20%.
• No Mat can achieve an Efficiency greater than 1, unless you can somehow get a +120% Bonus (I dunno what the cap is, honestly). Wine gets close. To put that back into normal speak, that means that if you only care about 1 Mat, it’s impossible to get a better rate from Activity Rewards than the Best Free Quest. If there’s any saving grace for this Event, it’s the sheer number of Mats you get handed to you, not their individual rates.
• Red Activity Bonuses provide more value than the other two, in general. This is both because there’s a lot more Activities that are Red compared to other colors, and also because XP and QP are not completely accounted for in this analysis. If you want either of those, it’s usually better to farm Lottos anyway, which brings us to…

Mount Liang: Halloween Compared to Tam Lin Cup

Adding a drop to every Quest for every Activity sounds like it should be really good, but the results are weirdly mediocre. Because of the way this gimmick works, the big question is not which Event Quest you should farm (they end up interchangeable for Activity rewards), but whether you should commit to farming this Event instead of the upcoming Lotto. If we look at a finalized farming set up for the upcoming Lotto Event (Tam Lin Cup with a Drop Bonus of +12), we see that the Total Efficiencies for various Event Quests range from 9 to 12. By contrast, if lvl 90 Servants are appointed to each slot for every Activity and you have a Point Bonus of +40% for each Role (requiring 6 MLB Event CEs), the best Quest for this Event manages to only reach a Total Efficiency of ~7.2. Even if we move all those Point Bonuses to Military (giving us the greatest increase in Efficiency using these calculations) raising the Military Bonus to +120% (I’m pretty sure that’s not possible, but I don’t actually know what the cap is), and also somehow appoint level 100 Servants to each slot, that only gives us a Total Efficiency of 8.3.
Now, your next thought might be that this isn’t quite a fair comparison, as it also matters what you get, not just how much. And that’s a very good point. Lottos are famously incredible if you want just a bit of everything, but once you’ve done a few you can start noticing some holes in your inventory. Focusing on the Mats, Lottos tend to be amazing for Bronze Mats, a tiny bit less amazing for Silver Mats, and you only get Gold Mats based on which Quest you happen to farm (Christmas Exchange Tickets provide exceptions, but we don’t have a full Christmas Lotto this year). In contrast, Halloween offers a variety of Silver Mats and 5 different Gold Mats, which might be more enticing to you. You also have a bit of influence in how many Rewards you get in comparison to others!
While that sounds nice (and it may very well be worth it if you want a lot of these Gold Mats), there’s a kind of hilarious downside that you might notice a couple of sections down (“Other Events Which Give Activity Rewards”). A lot of these Rewards end up being paired as drops in upcoming Lottos (Tam Lin Cup and Ilya’s Castle). Of the 5 Gold Mats you can get, 4 of them are dropped in upcoming Lottos, and 3 of those are paired with another Activity Reward.
So you’re kind of going to get these Mats while farming those Lottos anyway.

Gestione Bed & Breakfasts

Finanziamenti Bed & Breakfasts

Mount Liang: Some Positives

So what are the good points of this Event? Well, if you instead compare the Efficiencies with more modest assumptions, the difference shrinks. With a +6 Drop Bonus (and not including Gems or Statues), the Efficiencies for various Tam Lin Cup Event Quests range from 5.5 to 7.3. With a 10% Bonus in each Role (6 non-MLB CEs) and lvl 70 Servants appointed to each slot, the best Halloween Event Quest has an Efficiency of 6. This Event is very kind right out the gate as long as you have a leveled up roster.
Further, while many of these Mats will appear in upcoming Lottos at great rates, not ALL of them will. Tearstones are going to be quite scarce until Christmas next year, and good rates for both Pages and Soundless Bells are suspiciously absent from Events in the next 2 years if I’m reading the data right. Arrowhead of Malice appears in a Lotto Exchange Ticket competing with 4 other Mats you might want, as well as being dropped in the 2nd best Event Quest in the Summer 2023 Rerun.
In other words, while the Mount Liang Activities end up being kind of a bust compared to normal Lottos (and especially compared to that last GUDA GUDA Event, I am swimming in Oni Lanterns right now), there’s a few Mats here that are hard to get elsewhere now, and you also don’t have to make many decisions. You don’t have to choose between farming Farming Scarabs + Seeds or Lanugos + Horseshoes in the 2nd Round of Tam Lin Cup. Here you can do both… although it’s at a much worse rate and if those are the only two mats you care about, just switch between 90++ and 90+ in Tam Lin Cup. It’s nice to get 5 different Gold Mats at once. While the rates are pretty low, especially compared to the Summer 2023 Rerun in a few years, all 5 still add up to a Total Efficiency addition of 1.86.

Mount Liang: Comparison TL;DR

While progressing Activities every run seems like it could be powerful, the math is not particularly kind to this gimmick. A lot of the Activity Rewards are also going to be dropped in upcoming Lotto Events. Still, there’s a few Mats here that are going to be scarce as Event drops over the next couple of years. If you want a lot of them, the numbers for this Event ARE pretty good, they just pale in comparison to Lottos and Pseudo-Lottos.

Other Events Which Give Activity Rewards

In this list, drops from Event Quests whose Efficiency is lower than about 0.6 are usually ignored. There may be other sources, but at a rate low enough that you might as well just farm Free Quests.

• Mystic Gunpowder: Dropped in the 2nd Round of the Ilya’s Castle Lotto Event next year (Eff = 0.66) alongside Chaos Claws, competing with Mirrors and Rainbow Thread. It is also in the Boxes of next year’s Christmas Lotto, and also appears as a treasure in the Summer 2023 Rerun in about 1.5 years.
• Void’s Dust: Dropped in the 1st Round of the Ilya’s Castle Lotto Event next year (Eff = 0.6) alongside Spirit Roots, competing with Star Bits and Spiritrons. Also dropped in Hunting Quest 13 (Eff = 0.8) alongside Eternal Ice and Twilight Swords.
• Shell of Reminiscence: Dropped at a mediocre rate in next year’s Summer Event (Eff = 0.6), and at an amazing rate in Hunting Quest 13 (Eff = 1.1). Also appears in the Boxes of next year’s Christmas Lotto. Also appears as a treasure in the Summer 2023 Rerun in about 1.5 years.
• Meteor Horseshoes: Dropped in the 2nd Round of the Tam Lin Cup (Eff = 0.85) alongside Lanugos, competing against Scarabs of Wisdom and Seeds of Yggdrasil.
• Arrowhead of Malice: Can be gotten using an Exchange Ticket from the Boxes of next year’s Christmas Lotto. The other choices are Reactor Cores, Horns, Lanugos, and Silvery Crowns.
• Giant’s Ring: Dropped in the Arcade Collab (Eff = 0.7), Wandjina World Tour (Eff = 0.66), and in the Mahoyo Collab (Eff = 0.83). Also appears as a treasure in the Summer 2023 Rerun in about 1.5 years.
• Forbidden Page: Dropped in one of the Daily Quests in next year’s Christmas Lotto (Eff = 0.64). Weirdly scarce, if I’m reading the data right.
• Divine Leyline Spiritron: Dropped in the 1st Round of the Ilya’s Castle Lotto Event next year (Eff = 0.85) alongside Star Fragments, competing with Roots and Void Dust.
• Soundless Bell: Dropped at bad rate in two of the Daily Quests in next year’s Christmas Lotto (Eff = 0.28 and 0.34). Also weirdly scarce, if I’m reading the data right.
• Mysterious Divine Wine: Dropped in the 3rd Round of the Ilya’s Castle Lotto Event next year (Eff = 1.39, not a typo) alongside Ash of Remembrance, competing with Flaming Oni Lanterns and Crowns of Silvery Light. Also appears as a treasure in the Summer 2023 Rerun in about 1.5 years.
• Tearstone of Blood: Dropped at a mediocre rate in next year’s Summer Event (Eff = 0.72), at a good rate in the Mahoyo Collab (Eff = 1.06), and at a good rate in one of the Daily Quests in next year’s Christmas Lotto (Eff = 1.03).
• Claw of Chaos: Dropped in the 2nd Round of the Ilya’s Castle Lotto Event next year (Eff = 0.92) alongside Gunpowder, competing with Mirrors and Rainbow Thread. Also appears in Hunting Quest 13 (Eff = 2.14).
• Spirit Root: Dropped in the 1st Round of the Ilya’s Castle Lotto Event next year (Eff = 1.23) alongside Void Dust, competing with Star Bits and Spiritrons. It is also dropped in Valentines 2025 (Eff = 0.9), Hunting Quest 13 (Eff = 2), and the Mahoyo Collab (Eff = 1.2).
• Primordial Lanugo: Dropped in the 2nd Round of the Tam Lin Cup (Eff = 1.21) alongside Horseshoes, competing against Scarabs of Wisdom and Seeds of Yggdrasil. Also dropped in two of the Daily Quests in next year’s Christmas Lotto (Eff = 0.84 and 1.03), and can be obtained using Exchange Tickets from the Boxes in that same Lotto. It also appears as a treasure in the Summer 2023 Rerun in about 1.5 years.

Event Quests

We’re going to talk about 5 of the Quests here, even though this post has gotten rather long. As which Event Quest you run does not affect your Activity Progression, you should choose which Event Quest to farm based on their own merits. You can see these drops as a bonus to your Mount Liang Activity Rewards. Consequently, the numbers below are ignoring the Activities, and I will include notable Mats dropped alongside each Mat in Free Quests.
A simple comparison to choose between these Quests is to compare the Total Efficiency values (the Efficiency of both Mats added together, assuming you care about both of them).

Taichi Twins Simulation Battle

Drops: Fragment of a Twinkling Star (Eff = 1.17), Ceremonial Sword of Twilight (Eff = 0.67), Saber Gems/Monument
Initial Total Eff: 1.85
Initial min Total Eff: 1.11
Fragment of a Twinkling Star: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Silvery Crowns, Seashells, Serpent Jewels, and Spiritrons.
Fragments will be in the aforementioned 1st Round Ilya’s Castle Quest (Eff = 1.45), as well as Grail Front 2025 (Eff = 0.76) and Valentine’s 2025 (Eff = 0.97).
Ceremonial Sword of Twilight: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Chaos Claws, Ash of Remembrance, Dust, and Feathers.
Swords will be dropped in Valentines 2025 (Eff = 0.66), Hunting Quest 13 (Eff = 1.11), and two of the Daily Quests in next year’s Christmas Lotto (Eff = 0.32 and 0.41).

Expose the Smugglers

Drops: Heart of the Foreign God (Eff = 0.99), Great Knight Medal (Eff = 0.73), Rider Gems/Monument
Initial Total Eff: 1.72
Initial min Total Eff: 0.862
Heart of the Foreign God: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Stakes, Spinal Fluid, and Caster Training Grounds stuff (Pages, Lamps, Scarabs, Dust, Serpent Jewles).
Heart of the Foreign God will also be dropped in the Christmas 2022 Rerun (Eff = 0.95), Arcade Collab (Eff = 1.05), Wandjina World Tour (Eff = 0.78), and that crazy GUDAGUDA Super Raid (Eff = 1.83).
Great Knight Medal: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Lamps, Dust, and Scales of Fantasy.
Great Knight Medals will be dropped in next year’s Summer Event (Eff = 0.84) and is in the Boxes of the Ilya’s Castle Lotto Event.

Demonic Cavern Survey

Drops: Flaming Oni Lantern Plant (Eff = 0.83), Ghost Lantern (Eff = 0.48), Berserker Gems/Monument
Initial Total Eff: 1.32
Initial min Total Eff: 0.78
Flaming Oni Lantern Plants: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Rainbow Thread, Magatamas, Bones, and Dust.
Flaming Oni Lanterns will be dropped in the Christmas 2022 Rerun (Eff = 1.217), as well as in the aforementioned Ilya’s Castle 3rd Round Quest competing with Wine and Ashes (Eff = 1.24).
Ghost Lanterns: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Mirrors, Seeds, and Grease (from Assassin Extreme Training Grounds).
Ghost Lanterns are a treasure in the Summer 2023 Rerun.

Restrain Corrupt Merchants

Drops: Scarab of Wisdom (Eff = 0.82), Fool’s Chain (Eff = 0.39), Caster Gems/Monument
Initial Total Eff: 1.22
Initial min Total Eff: 0.61
As an aside, this is just worse than Camelot’s Great Temple not accounting for Activities.
Scarab of Wisdom: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests are Silvery Crowns, Chains, Bones, and it’s also in Caster Extreme Training Grounds, so all that stuff.
Scarabs are dropped in the aforementioned Tam Lin Cup 2nd Round Quest (Eff = 12.1) alongside Seeds and competing with Lanugos and Horseshoes.
Fool’s Chains: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Dust, Eggs, Scarabs, and Grease.
Fool’s Chains are in the boxes for Ilya’s Castle.

Suppress Advance of Dangerous Organisms

Drops: Egg of Truth (Eff = 0.86), Deadly Poison Needle (Eff = 0.38), Archer Gems/Monument
Initial Total Eff: 1.25
Initial min Total Eff: 0.73
This is basically a worse Shanyang Hill in SIN.
Egg of Truth: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Dust, Feathers, Chains, Arrowheads, and Gears.
Eggs of Truth will be dropped in the 1st Round of the Tam Lin Cup (Eff = 1.25), alongside Spinal Fluid, competing with Reactor Cores and Scales of Fantasy.
Deadly Poison Needle: Notable drops alongside this in Free Quests include Dust, Reactor Cores, Horns, Dragon’s Reverse Scales, and Gears.
Hopefully some people will find this helpful!
EDIT:
I actually updated the Event-specific sheet, mostly just for readability. In the ‘Activity’ tab, Runs per clear is now only 1 significant figure. Runs per clear, Material Efficiency, and Material Efficiency (min) now have a gradient. The Total count will now ignore excluded materials, and QP’s Eff value is now added to Total Eff (min).

Here’s my parts list (eventually)

Item	Type	£	Retailer
OS	UnRaid Lifetime	£195.94	Unraid
CPU	Intel Core i5-13500 2.5 GHz 14-Core Processor (Raptor Lake)	£227.97	ORBIT
Paste	Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Paste 3.5g	£8.95	Amazon
Cooler	Thermalright Peerless Assassin MINI 66.87 CFM CPU Cooler	£39.00	ORBIT
Mobo	Gigabyte Z790 AORUS ELITE DDR4 ATX LGA1700 Motherboard	£156.99	KOVENDOR
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory	£66.99	AWD IT
Storage M.2	2 x Western Digital Blue SN580 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	£209.98	AWD IT
Case	Fractal Design Define R5 ATX Mid Tower Case	£140.93	ECPROF
PSU	Corsair RM750x (2021) 750 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	£99.00	AWD IT
Storage SAS	8 x Western Digital 14TB 7.2K 12Gbps 512MB 3.5 SAS HDD WUH721414AL4204	£1,000.00	ebay
Storage SAS	4 x WD DC HC510 10TB 7.2K SAS 12Gbps 3.5” HDD HUH721010AL5200	£280.00	ebay
SAS Control	H221 LSI SAS 9207-8e HBA MiniSAS H3-25280-02B Low Profile PN: SAS9207-8E-LP	£29.99	ebay
DiskShelf	Netapp DS4246 24 LFF Bay Disk Array 2x IOM6 Controllers 2x PSUs No Ears NAJ-0801	£150.00	ebay
Server Rails	NetApp 404-00079 404-00080 24″ Server Rack Mount Universal Rails	£40.00	ebay
Cable	External SAS Cable QSFP SFF-8436 to SFF-8088 SAS Cable For NetApp DS4243 DS4246	£35.98	ebay
Cabinet	LMS Data 12U 800×600 server rack	£175.00	ebay
Cabling	AllRack Brush & 2 x 2m Power cables	£19.52	Attock Network
Cab Fans	Noctua NF-S12A FLX 12V 1200RPM 120mm Flexible Ultra Quiet Cooling Fan	£95.60	Quiet PC

£2971.84 Total including VAT (UK)
I had gathered what I thought was the right information from very helpful people all over reddit, the unraid forums, general internet helpfulness, and youtube videos for what seemed to be the best way to achieve the goals stated by MrB2891 in various threads he had posted about (and https://www.reddit.com/unRAID/comments/1btd90l/comment/l1uuc0i/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button )
The server made lots of sense to me (and probably to others, as it’s just a basic PC, which is good, for me at least.
How to piece that together with a disk shelf was dauting and worrying, but I gave it a go.
After some research I picked the Netapp DS4246, dunno why, the prospect of multiple TB of data in something that can be expanded again with not lots of extra work (or so I thought) was enticing.
How to attach it? Again, it’s as simple (if you’re using just one shelf, with no mixed drive types in there and don’t need multiple data paths (i.e. you’re just using it for a plex build and some personal storage), as connecting one of the right kinds of cable into the right hole.
I built the PC and got that booted onto the flash drive, no problem, the online guides for that are simple.
The hardest things have been in the server rack, and disk shelf.
Problems I came across were/are, correct rails and connections (especially as I was second hand for everything).
I can recommend systemsuppliesindustrieslimited on ebay for the used server gear though, did some deals and was helpful.
Encountered problems: PSU on disk shelf dead. – No it wasn’t you have to be very sure you’ve plugged them in firmly. Disks not being accessed by shelf – There’s a knack to getting them seated properly, push to the “business end” of the tray, gently push in until the end when it’s a bit of a “shove” to get them connected. LSI HBA card wrong height (I ordered low profile, because I didn’t check, so a replacement full height connection plate is incoming (easy replacement).
Then we get to the unraid fun, I got lots of help when I thought it was the OS not picking up on the drives, (as it turns out it was all physical problems). When I started then setting up, I found the alientech youtube videos pretty good for my needs, all the arrs, some utils, some principles with no BS fluff.
All in all now I’m sitting here watching the parity sync progress I’m very chuffed I’ve got this far, network and physical isn’t my strongest point, and I did nearly cry last night when the disks wouldn’t light up at all, but it was worth it.
Now in the process of using Krusader to start moving data around into the new array and eventually I can retire the old NAS’s to Dad’s house when I have what I need moved across.
If anyone wants a shoulder to cry on when playing around for the first time with a netapp disk shelf (their online support is limited and aimed at paying enterprise customers to be encouraged to ring them and pay more, it seems) i’m all ears. I can’t offer much technical advice but I can give you the 14 thousand web pages I’ve visited from my browser history to “get me there” if it will help.
So, thanks community and all. I now love unraid!

*Note: this article was originally published earlier this evening, before the start of TNF.
Welcome back to the Rookie Report! Is it just me, or did the first month of the season fly by? It was a month full of frustrating injuries, frustratingly low passing volume, and frustrating tight end performances, but there was plenty of good in there too. Several rookies have wasted no time in showing they belong in the NFL, while others are still biding their time and waiting for an opportunity. I think we’ll see a few more of them start to emerge over the next quarter of the season.
Hopefully at this point you find your team sitting in a good place and are not considering doing anything too drastic to change your fortunes. The best course of action for a struggling team is usually to make minor tweaks rather than blow the whole thing up, but you certainly shouldn’t be complacent if you’re sitting at 0-4. We enter the first bye week this weekend, you may be looking at using some players you typically wouldn’t, and I’m guessing for a lot of you, some of those players are rookies. I’m here as always to help you sift through which rookies can propel you to victory.
A couple of housekeeping notes for the players listed below – All players listed under the same header at the same position are listed in the order that I would play them this week. All usage rates (snap share, target rate, air yardage share, etc.) are from the MB Fantasy Life Utilization Tool from Dwain McFarland, and all references to fantasy points and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.
Let’s get into week 5…
Rookies You Already Know You Should Start:
QB Jayden Daniels, WAS (Wk. 5: vs. Cle.): Daniels is the QB1 for the season by total points. He’s finished as the QB5 or better in 3 out of 4 weeks, and the Commanders’ offense has only had two drives in the last 3 weeks that didn’t end in points. Everything is clicking for Daniels and Washington, and while this could be the toughest secondary he’s faced yet this season, you can’t sit him. There is a little bit of risk of a down game against a Cleveland defense that allows the 7^th-fewest QB points per game, but I have a feeling Daniels will do enough with his legs to offset any drop off in passing production. The Browns play man-to-man coverage at the 3^rd-highest rate in the league this year, and man-to-man defense can leave open huge rushing lanes if the DBs turn their back to the QB. Cleveland will likely look to use a spy to keep Daniels contained, but I expect at least a couple opportunities to break a long run. Jayden has to be treated as a clear top-10 QB option this week.
WR Malik Nabers, NYG (Wk. 5: @ Sea.): Nabers left last week’s game with a concussion, but not before he had tallied 12 catches for 115 yards. There’s a little concern here since Nabers hasn’t cleared the concussion protocol yet, but as long as he gets cleared in time to play, there shouldn’t be any drop-off in his performance level. Nabers has logged 3 straight top-6 PPR finishes and has seen massive target shares in all 3 games (at least a 38% share and 12+ targets in each). The Seahawks are a tough matchup – they rank 9^th in FTN’s pass defense DVOA and have allowed the 8^th-fewest WR points per game, but that shouldn’t deter you from starting him. Expecting a 4^th straight top-6 finish may be too lofty, but he’s a locked & loaded WR1 if he’s able to get cleared in time.
WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., ARI (Wk. 5: @ SF): Harrison’s fantasy production hasn’t been quite as scintillating as fellow rookie standout Malik Nabers, but after a disaster debut, he’s now logged 3 straight games with 15+ PPR points and at least a 25% target share. The 49ers are a formidable defense, ranking 5^th in pass defense DVOA, but they’ve allowed 3 different receivers to top 80 yards against them in 4 games. Harrison should have a good chance to be #4. He’s a quality WR2 option this week.
Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Starting:
WR Brian Thomas, Jr., JAX (Wk. 5: vs. Ind.): Thomas has been about as consistent as a rookie can be through 4 weeks. His route participation rate has been between 77% and 83% in all 4 weeks, his target share has been 20% or higher in 3 of them, and his air yardage share has been 19% or higher in all 4. While that consistency has been there since week 1, he’s really emerged as a go-to receiver in this offense over the last two weeks, earning 9 targets in each of the last 2 games. His usage and production have made him a weekly fantasy WR3, but his recent uptick in targets and a plus matchup this week give him even more upside in week 5. The Colts have allowed the 10^th-most WR points per game and have allowed a 100-yard receiver in 3 of their 4 games this season. In the only game where they avoided allowing a 100-yard receiving performance, Malik Willis was the opposing starting QB. Thomas should be treated as a WR2 this week and is the likeliest Jaguar pass catcher to top the century mark.
WR Xavier Worthy, KC (Wk. 5: vs. NO): Worthy displayed the feast or famine nature of starting him in fantasy football yet again last week. He’s yet to top 4 targets in any game this year, but he’s also posted a top-10 and a top-20 finish in the weeks where he and Patrick Mahomes have managed to connect on a deep ball (he caught a 54-yard TD in week 4). The problem is that he’s finished outside the top-65 WRs in the weeks where they haven’t connected deep. The upside is still enticing, and while this isn’t a great defensive matchup to attack with Worthy (New Orleans ranks 2^nd in pass defense DVOA on deep throws), I have a feeling we’re going to see Worthy’s floor get elevated with Rashee Rice on IR. The conventional wisdom is that Travis Kelce is going to pick up a lot of that additional work in the short & intermediate part of the field, but I think Worthy benefits as well. He’s still mostly a boom-or-bust player with a low floor, but I think the ceiling makes him a viable WR3 this week, even in a tougher matchup.
WR Jordan Whittington, LAR (Wk. 5: vs. GB): Whittington’s role in this Rams’ offense drastically changed from week 3 to week 4, and I think it’s worth us taking notice. I had a lot of hope for Whittington getting a chance in this offense when Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua went down, but in week 3 without Kupp, he played behind all of Demarcus Robinson, Tutu Atwell and Tyler Johnson and was limited to just a 34% route participation rate. Something we should’ve paid more attention to is the fact that he was targeted on 30% of his routes in that game. The ball found it’s way to him when he was on the field, and when his route rate jumped up to 97% in week 4, the target rate stayed high. Whittington was targeted 8 times last week and finished with a solid 6-62 line. I think the Rams have found something here, and I expect him to play close to a full-time role again this week against a Green Bay defense that has allowed the 7^th-most WR points per game and ranks 20^th in pass defense DVOA. The Rams are 3.5-point underdogs, so game script should keep them throwing enough for Whittington to find his way to a WR3 finish. He should be a very solid, but unspectacular fill-in option if you’re looking for help covering an injury or bye this week.
TE Brock Bowers, LV (Wk. 5: @ Den.): Realistically, Bowers still belongs in ‘Rookies You Know You Should Start’ section, but you might take issue with me calling him an auto-start after posting TE15 and TE22 finishes in the last two weeks. You might not realize that he logged his highest route participation rate of the season last weekend (81%) with Michael Mayer out for personal reasons. The targets weren’t exactly there, but Mayer looks to be out again this week and any tight end running a route on 80%+ of a team’s dropbacks should be considered a slam dunk top-10 option for the week. The Broncos aren’t an imposing matchup here. They’ve allowed the 16^th-most TE points per game on the year. You should continue to feel comfortable starting Bowers in all formats unless your format doesn’t require you to start a tight end.
Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Sitting:
QB Caleb Wiliams, CHI (Wk. 5: vs. Car.): Caleb Williams has the same outlook this week that he does most weeks…he’s a weekly QB2 that has some fringe QB1 appeal in really good matchups (especially during bye weeks for other QBs). His matchup this week is a pretty good one – the Panthers allow the 10^th-most QB points per game and rank 23^rd in pass defense DVOA, but that’s not quite enticing enough for Caleb to be a top-12 option in my opinion. The Bears are a 4-point favorite, so passing volume could be on the lower end, and I still don’t quite trust Shane Waldron yet. Every opponent the Panthers have faced this year has thrown for multiple TDs against them. If Caleb does that, he should push near a top-12 finish, but I’d view him as a mid-to-high end QB2 this week.
QB Bo Nix, DEN (Wk. 5: vs. LV): Unlike Caleb Williams, Nix is a borderline option for 2-QB and superflex formats, not 1-QB leagues. Nix posted a performance in week 4 that few QBs have ever matched. He became just the 8^th quarterback to ever throw for 60 or fewer passing yards on 25 or more attempts in a game, and the first QB to do it since Tim Hasselbeck in 2003. Nix is the only QB to ever do that and win the game. It was a level of inefficiency that we just don’t see in the NFL anymore. In fact, at halftime, Nix had 8 completions for negative-7 yards. Things can only get better this week against the Raiders, who rank 25^th in pass defense DVOA, but the Broncos implied Vegas point total is under 20, and only 1 QB this season has found the end zone more than once against the Raiders. Nix’s rushing upside and favorable matchup mean you could plug him in as a QB2 if you had to, but I’d prefer to have a better option available.
RB Bucky Irving, TB (Wk. 5: @ Atl.): Irving has been a hot waiver wire name now for a couple weeks thanks to a handful of impressive breakaway runs and some coach speak from Todd Bowles ahead of week 4 saying Irving has earned more work. The reality is that this backfield hasn’t shifted as drastically as you might think. Irving was out snapped by Rachaad White 44 to 30 in week 4. The gap between the duo has been narrowing, but White is still the RB1 in this backfield for now. The calls to for Irving to get more playing time were largely due to White’s abysmal rushing efficiency, but in week 4 White matched Irving with 10 carries for 49 yards on the ground. White has also averaged 8.3 yards per target while Irving has averaged just 4.3. Rachaad is going to have to continue to run well to stave off calls for him to lose more work to the rookie, but his receiving work is safe, and he’ll continue to handle about half of the rushing attempts for now as well. That means Irving is going to have to continue generating breakaway runs or find the end zone to be useful in your fantasy lineup, and the Falcons have allowed just 2 rushes of 20+ yards thus far. Atlanta allows the 10^th-fewest RB points per game. It’s not a great matchup to attack with a running back that’s getting less than 50% of the workload. I’d view Irving as a fringe RB3 this week at best.
RB Braelon Allen, NYJ (Wk. 5: @ Min.): Allen has now played 20+ snaps and received 9 or more opportunities in each of the last 3 games, but that usage level continues to make him a clear second fiddle to Breece Hall. He’s already shown us this season that he’s a flex-worthy option in good matchups, and he’s going to prove valuable at some crucial moment during bye weeks, but the matchup this week is rough. The Vikings rank 1^st in run defense DVOA and have allowed the 4^th-fewest RB points per game. It’s just not the right spot to count on Allen making an impact in a part-time role.
RB Carson Steele, KC (Wk. 5: vs. NO): Steele may have fumbled away his opportunity to lead the Chiefs’ backfield during Isiah Pacheco’s absence last week. He fumbled his first carry of the game, played one more series, and then was barely seen the rest of the day as Kareem Hunt served as the lead back. Steele finished the game with just a 19% snap share and saw just one opportunity – a target he didn’t catch- after the first 2 drives. Andy Reid said after the game that “he’s got to hang on to the football,” but insisted that Steele is not a fumbler and that they still have confidence in him. I think they’ve at least lost enough confidence in him that he no longer has a stranglehold on the early down work, and that makes him tough to start against a Saints’ defense that ranks 8^th in run defense DVOA. He’s got to re-earn that lead back role before you can plug him into lineups.
WR Xavier Legette, CAR (Wk. 5: @ Chi.): Legette took a big step forward in week 4 with Adam Thielen sidelined, logging an 88% route participation rate and tallying 6-66-1 on 10 targets, good for a WR13 finish for the week. It’s an extremely positive development for the rookie’s outlook for the next month or so while Thielen is out, but I’m going to be a little bit of a wet blanket here for at least week 5. Legette still ran fewer routes than both Diontae Johnson and Jonathan Mingo last weekend, and his breakout game came against a Cincy defense that has been struggling to contain wide receivers in the last 3 weeks – they’ve allowed 20+ PPR points to 4 different receivers in the last 3 games. The Bears, on the other hand, have allowed just one receiver all year to reach that mark (Nico Collins). Chicago ranks 4^th in pass defense DVOA and has allowed the 6^th-fewest WR points per game. I also think Legette is likely to draw the toughest CB assignment more often than Mingo or Diontae. The Bears have a clear #1 CB in Jaylon Johnson, who has been significantly better than CB2 Tyrique Stevenson and nickel Kyler Gordon. The Bears are predictable about where these corners line up. Mingo in the slot will draw mostly Gordon, and I expect Carolina to do what they can to keep WR1 Diontae Johnson away from Jaylon Johnson, meaning Legette is going to have to tangle with him often. It doesn’t mean Xavier can’t be useful this week. There’s certainly upside and he’s carved out a role, but I see him as more of a WR4 this week than WR3.
WR Keon Coleman, BUF (Wk. 5: @ Hou.): Coleman saw his route participation rate in week 4 climb back up to 73% after being all the way down at 31% the week prior, but that additional usage led to just 3 catches on 4 targets, with most of that production coming late in the game when the Bills were in a deep hole on the scoreboard. Houston has been a favorable matchup for fantasy WRs, allowing the 8^th-most points per game to the position, but Coleman just hasn’t been involved enough in the last couple weeks when the games are still in doubt to trust him here. I’d keep him parked on the bench until we see him start to get more early usage in tight games.
WR Rome Odunze, CHI (Wk. 5: vs. Car.): We got one glorious week of the Bears running their passing game through Odunze in week 3, but in week 4 he was back to running wind sprints. He’s now posted a target share below 15% in 3 out of 4 games this season despite being a full-time player, and he’s finished as the PPR WR50 or worse in all 3 of those games. There are going to be spike weeks when the Bears have to throw the ball a lot, but I worry this week’s contest could look a bit more like last week’s. Caleb Williams dropped back 103 times in weeks 2 & 3 combined as the Bears played from behind against the Texans and Colts. He dropped back just 26 times against the Rams while playing from the lead with the run game finally working. The Bears are 4-point favorites this week against Carolina, so the passing volume could again be a problem for Odunze. A 15% target share and 30 or fewer pass attempts means an uphill climb to a fantasy relevant finish for Rome.
Rookies You Already Know You Should Sit:
RB Jaylen Wright, MIA (Wk. 5: @ NE): Wright played his highest snap share of the season in week 4. He was on the field for 46% of the offensive snaps and was in a route on 54% of the team’s passing dropbacks, turning that usage into 9 rushing attempts and 1 target. The problem is that this offense has been a mess without Tua under center, those opportunities didn’t lead to much production, and Raheem Mostert seems likely to return from injury this week. The Patriots are just a middling run defense, but the Dolphins have a paltry implied total of 17.25 for the week, and Wright will likely serve as the RB3 if Mostert is able to play.
RB Ray Davis, BUF (Wk. 5: @ Hou.): Davis’ box score performances make it look like he’s had good involvement in the Bills offense, totaling 23 rush attempts in the last 3 games, but all 3 contests were blowouts, and Davis is getting the bulk of his work in garbage time. He’s only reached a 20% snap share once in 4 games, and this week’s contest with the Texans should be close enough that Davis doesn’t get much garbage time work. The Bills are favored by just one point. Davis is basically a TD dart throw with a low chance of hitting the mark.
RB Tyrone Tracy, NYG (Wk. 5: @ Sea.): Tracy has averaged 15 snaps and 4 opportunities per game, which just isn’t enough work behind Devin Singletary to be worthwhile in fantasy lineups.
RB Trey Benson, ARI (Wk. 5: @ SF): Benson handled 30% of the Cardinals’ rushing attempts last week, but much of that work was at the tail end of a blowout loss to the Commanders. He’s still splitting backup work with Emari Demercado, spelling James Conner in early down situations while Demercado spells him on passing downs. This week figures to have more of the latter with the Cardinals a 7.5-point underdog to the 49ers.
RB Blake Corum, LAR (Wk. 5: vs. GB): Corum hasn’t played a single offensive snap in 3 of the 4 games the Rams have played this season.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk, NE (Wk. 5: vs. Mia.): Polk saw his best usage of the season in week 4, running a route on 87% of the team dropbacks and earning 7 targets (24% target share). He even made a highlight real catch on a sideline throw dropped between two 49er defenders. The usage was more promising than the 3-30 final stat line that Polk finished with, and I’d be more bullish on Polk going forward if I felt like we could count on that usage continuing, but I don’t think we can. The Patriots’ week-to-week usage of their pass catchers has been very inconsistent, especially when it comes to targets. Each of their top 3 receivers have had at least one week with a 60% route participation rate and 5% or lower target share. They’ve also each posted a week with a 24% or higher target share. It’s impossible to trust any New England wide receiver when the team is averaging less than 150 passing yards per game, and you have no clue which receiver is going to see the target volume from week-to-week.
WR Luke McCaffrey, WAS (Wk. 5: vs. Cle.): McCaffrey was limited to a 47% route participation rate and just 1 target in week 4 as Noah Brown continued his ascent up the WR depth chart. Brown has seen his own route participation rate climb from 32% in week 2 to 58% in week 3 and 72% in week 4. He’s functioning as the clear WR2 behind Terry McLaurin, and McCaffrey is left splitting WR3 work with Olamide Zaccheaus. The Commanders are too run-heavy of an offense to take a chance on a player who is playing half of the WR3 role.
WR Adonai Mitchell, IND (Wk. 5: @ Jax.): Mitchell has run just 11 routes and tallied zero catches in the two games since Josh Downs returned to the lineup. There’s a sliver of hope this week that he hits a splash play and winds up fantasy viable – the Colts have still tried to get him the ball deep, throwing 4 targets in his direction for 105 total air yards in the last 2 weeks, and the Jaguars rank dead last in pass defense DVOA and have allowed the 2^nd-most completions of 20+ yards in the league. If there isn’t a deep ball connection though, there’s a very real chance Adonai scores zero points yet again.
WRs Troy Franklin and Devaughn Vele, DEN (Wk. 5: vs. LV): The Raiders rank just 25^th in pass defense DVOA this year, so there’s an opportunity for success against them in the passing game, but Franklin and Vele aren’t involved enough to be relied on. Vele had a promising week 1 but has been sidelined with a rib injury since. Now that he’s missed 3 weeks and Lil’Jordan Humphrey has established himself in the slot, Vele will likely have to earn back those reps slowly upon his return. Franklin has seen a small bump in playing time in recent weeks, logging route participation rates of 30 and 35% in the last two games, and Bo Nix targeted him on more than 40% of his routes in each game, but that turned into just 4 catches for 9 yards on 9 targets. His role could increase in future weeks, but neither player here is likely to exceed a handful of PPR points even if they have a good week.
WR Roman Wilson, PIT (Wk. 5: vs. Dal.): Is this the week Wilson is finally activated? It probably won’t matter in fantasy. He’s missed enough time that there will be an inevitable ramp up before he’s playing a meaningful number of snaps. Rumors that the Steelers might trade for a WR diminish his value even further.
WR Jermaine Burton, CIN (Wk. 5: vs. Bal.): In two games with Tee Higgins back from injury, Burton has run just 5 routes total and earned zero targets.
TE Theo Johnson, NYG (Wk. 5: @ Sea.): Johnson continues to operate as the Giants lead tight end, but the volume just hasn’t been there. He’s averaged nearly a 70% route participation rate, but he’s only been targeted on 5% of the routes he’s run. We saw some promise in week one when he was targeted 4 times, but he’s earned just 4 total targets in the last 3 weeks as Malik Nabers has ascended.
TE AJ Barner, SEA (Wk. 5: vs. NYG): I mention Barner because he got into the end zone on Monday Night Football against Detroit and posted a top-10 finish for the week as a result. There’s not a good reason to chase the touchdown here. Barner has made the most of his opportunities – he’s caught all 5 of his targets this season for 40 yards and a score, but he’s averaged just a 25% route participation rate and is no higher than 7^th in the offensive pecking order on this team. Starting TE Noah Fant has also made the most of his opportunities, pulling in 8 of 8 targets for 86 yards on the year, making it harder for Barner to make real headway.
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, CAR (Wk. 5: @ Chi.): Sanders posted his best fantasy day of the season last weekend. He only put up 2 catches for 16 yards, but it was still his best fantasy day of the season. Unfortunately, he also logged his lowest route participation rate of the season as well at just 21%. At this point, Sanders is merely the backup to Tommy Tremble. He hasn’t topped 2 targets in any game this year.
TE Tip Reiman, ARI (Wk. 5: @ SF): As I expected last week, it was Elijah Higgins, and not Reiman who served as the Cardinals TE1 with Trey McBride sidelined by a concussion. Reiman was in a route on just 14% of the team dropbacks and wasn’t targeted. McBride is fully expected to be back this week.
TE Ben Sinnott, WAS (Wk. 5: vs. Cle.): Sinnott has been on the field a little bit more in the last two weeks, reaching a 20% route participation rate in each game, but his next target this season will be his first. He’s still splitting backup TE work with John Bates.
Rookies on Byes in week 5: WR Ladd McConkey, LAC
IR Rookies (practice window not open yet): RB Jonathan Brooks, CAR, RB Audric Estime, DEN, WR Ricky Pearsall, SF
Deep League Sleepers and Stashes:
QB Drake Maye, NE (Wk. 5: vs. Mia.): Jerod Mayo keeps insisting that the Patriots aren’t all that close to making a change at QB, but beat writers have suggested there are rumblings from within the building that the change could be getting close. If Maye is still on the waiver wire in 2-QB redraft leagues, the best time to stash him would be now, before the change happens. If the Patriots fall to the Tyler Huntley-led Dolphins this week and drop to 1-4, it could be Jacoby Brissett’s final start. Maye provides much more upside as a passer than Jacoby, and some rushing upside to boot. The schedule after this week does include some daunting defensive matchups, but there are soft spots against the Jaguars, Rams and Colts that could be great opportunities to start Maye in fantasy.
WR Mason Tipton, NO (Wk. 5: @ KC): Tipton isn’t a player who should be put into lineups this week, but he’s worth mentioning for those of you in deep dynasty leagues because you may not realize the UDFA out of Yale has quietly emerged as the WR3 in New Orleans. It’s not a role that’s bringing a lot of target volume yet (just 4 targets in the last 2 weeks), but he’s logged route participation rates of 48% and 56% in the last 2 games. He’s worth stashing in the deepest dynasty leagues for the inevitable future hamstring injury that will hit Chris Olave or Rashid Shaheed. He doesn’t have the same upside as that pair, but there will be weeks where he sees more targets than he has so far.
TE Erick All, CIN (Wk. 5: vs. Bal.): All continues to play second fiddle to Mike Gesicki on the Bengals’ depth chart – he’s logged less than a 40% route participation rate in every game he’s played in – but the ball comes his way when he’s on the field. All has quietly logged 3 straight top-20 PPR finishes and has been targeted on more than a third of his routes in that span. His limited playing time makes him more of a floor play than a ceiling one, but he’s already worth weekly starting consideration in 2-TE formats, and he could be a reasonable bye week fill in for deeper leagues as he faces a Baltimore defense that has allowed the 2^nd-most TE points per game.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you sort through your lineup decisions and find your way to a win this weekend. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@Shawn_Foss) if you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, and always make sure to apply what’s written in the context of your own league rules and roster. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week if you have any guys who are questionable and do a final pre-game check to make sure you don’t start any inactive players. As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game. Original article from drinkfive.com.

As always, check out my new FPL Instagram for the same exact information in bite-sized, more visual chunks that you don’t to have a completely dry inbox on dating apps to read the entirety of: www.instagram.com/fantasy_trennier_league
(I have also made a FPL Groupchat there, so if you want to be included, worth Following)
And as always, KEY TAKEAWAYS at the bottom will have the key points from the post. KEY TAKEAWAYS ARE THE TL;DR. If you can’t even be bothered reading those, keep scrolling, this post isn’t for you.
If you feel the need to make suggestions about how I write my posts: You’re in luck! I just made a Ko-Fi account where I will listen to all your ideas, suggestions and criticisms: https://ko-fi.com/fantasy_trennier_league
If instead you decide to give feedback on how I write on this post, rest assured: I will not read a single thing you say. You want input on something I voluntarily do for fun, you’re welcome to pay up
NOTE: I’m ABSOLUTELY interested in counter-arguments to any assertions I make, or any context I didn’t consider, ESPECIALLY if you have evidence to prove it. I’m just tired of people acting like they’re paying me to do these when they aren’t (and calling my posts ‘Pollution’)
WHAT IS THIS POST?
After a suggestion I saw on this sub, I checked out an FPL Focal video and saw him say Brentford’s Goalkeeper Flekken was the best 4.5 Mil Goalkeeping option right now. Flekken. The guy who gave up 1.57 xGC to Southampton, has 9 Goals Conceded, and is averaging 2.22 xGC. So I decided to take a closer look into which Defences we should ACTUALLY be targeting/scared of.
(Re Flekken specifically and the ‘He gets a lot of Saves!’ point: Henderson also gets a lot of Saves, Lacroix has actually had time to gel, Chalobah is coming back, Palace’s fixtures are solid. Sels has an AMAZING Defence (even if I’m not personally convinced by him as a shot-stopper), solid fixtures. Muric gets a lot of Saves, has a better Defence, outperformed his xGC both last season AND this season in the EPL (albeit small sample size). Areola has great fixtures, better Defence, also gets a lot of Saves (granted, understand the concerns about him being made of glass). Point being, there are better options out there).
PRE-AMBLE Part I: Why Stats
FantasyPL is a fun place because you have FPL players from two COMPLETELY different ends of the spectrum with regard to their approach to the game, and many who try to compromise by taking the middle ground. By that I mean you have the “JUST WATCH THE GAME” purists, you have the statisticians who predominantly rely on tangible and expected stats, and you have people who see the value in both.
Obviously, I’m on the Stats side, and anecdotally it’s done well for me in the past while attempts to go the opposite direction (even partially) have gone horrifically. But why do I lean Stats to begin with? Three main reasons:

1. Completeness – Even if I wanted to, I don’t have time to watch every Game, and I doubt you do either. So I’d be working with a limited dataset, which leads to the 2nd issue:
2. Bias – We have a tendency to attach extra importance to things we see over those we don’t. Confirmation bias is also very real, in that we often decide what we want to see in advance then shape the evidence in front of us around it. So if you’re watching fewer Games, you’re probably going to be more enticed by whatever you happened to see (be it positive or negative), and downplay whatever you don’t. Likewise, if you watch only Highlights, you’re more likely to decide whatever you saw matters and the rest of the game doesn’t. And a club’s fans especially tend to feel more emotional about whatever they see from their team and the narrative impact on their team’s performance, which can colour how they perceive FPL-relevance even if it shouldn’t. As an example I had an Ipswich fan LIVID I said Liam Delap wasn’t very good in the Championship (at least with regard to potential FPL-relevance) when… he wasn’t (even if you look exclusively at his time playing CF last season, he only had 5 Goals and 1 Assist in 17 starts in the Championship. That doesn’t scream ‘Massive Premier League impact’). But it’s to be expected, fans want to support their guys (or if their team is doing badly, want to Doom on their players). Which brings me to the 3rd issue:
3. Inaccuracy – Most people aren’t very good at identifying FPL impact from watching football. You might feel like you are – You saw something once and it happened and you felt like a genius – But oftentimes we attribute great importance to our successes (particularly because we feel strong emotion after being vindicated), diminish our failures, and as a result over time all we remember is how smart we are and all the times that prove it, and forget the failures. Memory is fragile, and “It’s not a lie if you believe it!” – George Costanza

So what are the advantages of Stats?

1. Fantasy Premier League track EVERYTHING that happens every game, and fbref has expected data for the years before they did (Completeness)
2. The data is objective (no Bias)
3. Because the data is Complete and lacks Bias, we have no concerns about anything being over-stated, diminished or outright missed (Accuracy)

Don’t get me wrong, I completely understand the desire to be smarter than stats, and to want to justify all the time you put into watching football. And with certainty there will be some people who DO see FPL-relevant things watching football that give them an edge over stats. But for the vast majority, it’s safer to rely on the data
PRE-AMBLE Part II: xGC
As expected, there were some yesterday who had issues with looking at xGC rather than talking about the tangible results. “Aston Villa COULDN’T have been performing exemplarily defensively, because they’ve Conceded Goals every single week!” So what benefit does xGC have?
Expected data is useful because it tells us what is most likely to happen over a long period of time. It’s never going to be 100% accurate, but as anomalies tend to be just that (outliers), real life data can become heavily skewed and paint a less clear picture moving forwards than expected data does. Does that mean there won’t be players who consistently outperform/underperform expected data? Of course not. Expected data assigns probability to what would be expected to happen for the AVERAGE Premier League player. There will be players who are exemplary finishers/goalkeepers, and there will be players like Sheffield United’s 2023-24 Goalkeepers who are shite. But for the most part expected data is GENERALLY accurate – Even when I looked at Premier League Goals v xG for the Top 11 Scorers of last season across their EPL careers, there’s a reason only 3/11 exceeded their xG in real life goals by more than 120% (and you’d assume these would be amongst the very best chance finishers in the league).
Regarding xGC specifically, a quick look over the results of the last 3 full seasons found an average deference from xGC of 9.5%.
So if we look at Aston Villa, who have conceded 7 Goals from 5.2 xG, should we be seeing them as a Defence to sit offensive players against or not? If we extrapolate their current xG to a full season, that’d be 39.5 Goals Conceded, which is ELITE. If we add the 10% Average deference from the last 3 seasons, that’s 43.5 Goals, still REALLY good. If we extend it to 20%, that’d STILL be 47.4 Goals, which is less than 1.5 Goals per Game. Emi Martinez is only 32, and marked Goalkeeper decline tends to happen from age 35 onwards, so that’s unlikely to be a consideration. Likewise, in only 1/6 seasons in the Premier League has he Conceded more Goals than his xG. And then we consider that only 22/60 EPL teams in the last 3 seasons have Conceded more Goals than their xG, 17/60 Conceded 10%+ more Goals than their xG, 6/60 Conceded 15%+ more Goals than their xG, and 3/60 Conceded 20%+ more Goals than their xG. Not to mention the fact that includes Villa’s anomalous GW1, without which they’re averaging less than 1.0 xGC (0.68)
(To exceed 20% more Goals Conceded than xGC, your Keeper has to SUCK:
2023-24 Nottingham Forest (Mats Selz has exceeded Post-Shot xGC in 6/7 Top 5 League seasons, Matt Turner had never played outside the Salary-Capped MLS)
2023-24 Sheffield United (Wes Foderingham had never played in the Premier League, Ivo Grbic had played 2 Top 5 League seasons – 1 in Strasbourg where he Conceded more Goals than Post-Shot xGC, the other in Atletico where you face FAR less Shots than a Relegation Contender or even Mid-Table side, requiring far less consistent focus)
2022-23 Tottengham (Hugo Lloris was 35, and on average while xG makes up 95.1% of Goals for Keepers age 27-34, it makes up only 90.7% for Keepers aged 35-40))
Given all of this, do you think it would be safer to sit your fringe attacking players against Aston Villa or play them? Most likely sit, right? The lone exception would be if they have a tendency to score from Set Pieces, since Villa conceded the 2nd most Set Piece Goals in the Premier League last season with 16.
PRE-AMBLE Part III: Why not xCS (expected Clean Sheets)
Transparently I’m looking at this from the view of attacking players facing Defences, rather than defensive abilities of Defenders (my gut says that the Clean Sheet drop from 207 in 2022-23 to 157 in 2023-24 brought on by the Extra Time Rule Changes ahead of 2023-24 won’t be remedied by the new Extra Time Rule Changes, so there’s more value in Attacking Defenders than playing Cheap Defenders for Clean Sheets)
That said, how much different would most Goalkeepers’ approaches REALLY be to preventing the 1st Goal Conceded v the 2nd one? Seems somewhat unlikely predicting Goals Conceded would be markedly different to predicting Clean Sheets.
CRYSTAL PALACE:
One guy in a Live Thread said “We all know Crystal Palace are shit” to justify his GW5 Rashford punt and uh… You sure bout that?
Palace have Conceded the 8th worst Average xGC so far (1.64), giving up 1.59 xGC to Brentford, 1.39 xGC to West Ham, and 1.23 xGC to Leicester.
But what that fails to consider is that Palace got rid of their most important Defensive piece in the off-season (Joachim Andersen), and brought in his replacements in Transfer Deadline Week. Of those replacements, Lacroix was signed ON Transfer Deadline Day (the day before Gameweek 3), and played his 1st Premier League Game in Gameweek 4. You’d expect that a new player to the league wouldn’t be able to make an impact Game 1, but he DOES appear to have started to make an impact in Gameweek 5, and you’d expect this to be exponential as time goes on. Ditto, Palace signed Trevoh Chalobah, with whom Chelsea only conceded 14 Goals in 10 Games (1.4 Goals Conceded per Game, v 1.75 Goals Conceded per Game without him (49 Goals, 28 Games). Chalobah is at 50% right now with Abdominal Injury, so MAY be back in the next couple Gameweeks.
Once the new signings have blooded in, it seems more likely than not that Crystal Palace’s defence notably improves. So maybe Palace shouldn’t be a team to target with offensive players who haven’t been consistent offensive threats since 2 seasons ago.
Average xGC: 1.64 (13th)
Average xGC v non-Top 7 Teams: 1.48
EVERTON:
I’m gonna be real with you, Everton’s situation may change substantially THIS WEEK.
Jarrad Branthwaite is currently 75% to play, and in his absence Michael Keane has been playing, who is AWFUL. So while Everton have justifiably targeted thus far, once Branthwaite IS back, it’s likely they become the opposite (Everton conceded just 44 Goals in 35 Games, which would be 47.8 Goals in 38 Games, which would still have them 4th Least Goals Conceded last season ahead of 58 Goals United/Palace)
So uh… Yeah. Keep tabs on that one.
Also worth bearing in mind that Everton Conceded 33 Goals Away last season, and only 18 Goals at Home. So may still be playable in Away Fixtures, but at Home with Branthwaite: AVOID.
Average xGC: 1.77 (16th)
Average xGC v non-Top 7 Teams: 1.44
FULHAM:
Fulham are a GOOD Defensive Team, although it remains to be seen how much of an impact defensively new signing Joachim Andersen has on the side (Fulham conceded an xGC of 2.43, 0.61 and 0.45 with Issa Diop and 0.76 and 1.54 with Andersen, but WhoScored has Diop at an average of 6.36 and Andersen at 7.3, and the Newcastle Andersen faced ARE the only Top 7 offensive team Fulham have faced so far).
Last season Fulham were MUCH more formidable Defensively at Home (24 Goals Conceded) than Away (37 Goals Conceded), so Fulham at Home is probably a game to not expect much from unless the player is Fixture-Proof.
Incidentally, for all the trash Anthony Gordon is getting for not performing against Fulham (even after I DID SAY 14/18 of his returns came in Home Games last season), the fact Fulham was an Away Game for him AND a Home Game for them indicates truly nobody should have expected anything from him in that fixture at all.
Average xGC: 1.16 (7th)
Average xGC v non-Top 7 Teams: 1.06
IPSWICH:
Ipswich are… not great Defensively. Even if you remove their opening games against Liverpool and City (probably fair, what a Welcome To The Premier League), they’re STILL averaging 1.7 xGC per game, which is especially bad when you consider Brighton have an Ultra-Defensive Manager and Southampton are Southampton.
What IS worth mentioning is their lowest xGC was against Fulham (0.95) and Brighton (1.66), suggesting that potentially they’re strategically going ALL-OUT in Games they feel they have a chance of winning (Southampton) OR Games where they know they’ll get owned regardless (Liverpool, City), and Parking the Bus in Games where they feel like a Draw is the best realistic outcome (Fulham, Brighton). Indeed, the fact they had comparable xG v Fulham and Brighton (0.4, 0.3) as they did Powerhouses Liverpool and City (0.5, 0.3) somewhat confirms this. (Bear in mind last season Liverpool and City conceded 41 and 34 Goals, while Fulham and Brighton conceded 61 and 62. So trying offensively v Liverpool and City could yield comparable xG to Parking The Bus against Fulham and Brighton).
Another positive for Ipswich fans is they DO have a competent Relegation Contender Goalkeeper in Muric, who backs up Conceding less Goals than his xGC this season (6 Goals from 8.4 xGC) with doing the same for Burnley last season (16 Goals from 20.43 xGC). Moreover, we can arguably write off his game against City this season as he looked still hobbled from the Injury that kept him out of Gameweek 1 v Liverpool, which means he’s conceded 1, 0 and 1 Goals in his healthy Fixtures.
So basically target Ipswich with your Offensive players, but they’re still not Southampton bad and you shouldn’t feel too trash about owning their Defensive players (particularly considering Leif Davis’ offensive output and Set Pieces, and Muric’s 4.0 Saves:Goals Conceded Ratio last season is showing itself against this season with 11 Saves and 2 Goals Conceded in his healthy games).
Average xGC: 2.22 (20th)
Average xGC v non-Top 7 Teams: 1.7
KEY TAKEAWAYS:

1. xGC is a generally accurate way of assessing difficulty of fixtures for Offensive players unless the Keeper is AWFUL (35+/No EPL experience/Not EPL quality) or the Keeper is GOD TIER (probably only applies to Alisson, less Goals Conceded than Post-Shot xGC in 6/7 seasons)
2. Yes Aston Villa are a good defensive team lol, don’t let the Dooming of their fans tell you otherwise
3. Crystal Palace have started to get better with Lacroix blooding into the side, and likely get better again with Chalobah nearing full-health. No, they’re not Southampton, and yes, punting a Rashford-like underperforming offensive player against them is stupid (especially if they haven’t been consistently threatening offensively for 2 seasons)
4. Everton have been trash, but may be Elite again once Branthwaite returns (possibly as soon as this week)
5. Fulham are a VERY GOOD Defensive side, especially at home. Unknown how much of an impact Andersen has on their defense though, but signs so far are good
6. Ipswich are BAD Defensively, but do have a very competent Relegation Contender Keeper in Muric and may Park The Bus in mid-table clashes where they feel like a Draw is their best possible realistic result

Wrote this last night but Reddit went down, will do the rest tomorrow

We recently received a grant for a STEM lab and are looking to get 10 CAD / Esports PCs. I believe the budget is $1,000 per PC. Currently coming from Lenovo Tiny’s with integrated graphics, so anything is a step up. But for Esports, I want to get the students the best bang for the buck. I have 2 Micro Centers nearby.
Currently the person overseeing the budget was inquiring about Laptops. Obviously the Desktop benefit of upgrading is more preferable, but we wouldn’t be totally against a Laptop.
I see Micro Center currently has a AMD Ryzen 5 7600X3D, ASUS TUF Gaming B650 Plus WiFi, G.Skill Flare X5 Series 32GB DDR5-6000 Kit Bundle for $449 which is enticing.
This is just a very hastily put together Part List, not tied down to anything in particular. Glaring omissions: sales tax and a gaming capable monitor.
PCPartPicker Part List

Welcome back to the Rookie Report! As usual, the opening week of the season was full of surprises and disappointments. It was a bad week to be a star tight end (the top 6 tight ends by ADP all failed to score more than 8 PPR points), it was a bad week to be a rookie running back (only two rookie backs played 10+ snaps), it was a bad week to be Marvin Harrison Jr. (1 catch for 4 yards), but it was a good week to be a kicker attempting long field goals (kickers league-wide made 21 out of 23 attempts from 50+ yards).
It was also a good week to be Xavier Worthy, Brian Thomas Jr., Jayden Daniels, Jalen McMillan, or Ladd McConkey, who all found the end zone. My biggest piece of advice after week 1 is to not overreact to surprising fantasy point totals. Focus on the player’s usage rather than how many points they scored because touchdowns can be fluky. A player like Alec Pierce isn’t going to score 2 long touchdowns every week on just 3 targets, so we shouldn’t overreact to his point total. Quality volume is the name of the game, and that’s the lens I’ll be using as we get into what to expect in week 2.
A couple of housekeeping notes for the players listed below – All players listed under the same header at the same position are listed in the order that I would play them this week. All usage rates (snap share, target rate, air yardage share, etc.) are from the MB Fantasy Life Utilization Tool from Dwain McFarland, and all references to fantasy points and points allowed rankings are based on half-PPR scoring unless otherwise noted.
Let’s dive into week 2…
Rookies You Already Know You Should Start:
QB Jayden Daniels, WAS (Wk. 2: vs NYG): Daniels’ passing performance was less than exciting if you started any of his pass catchers in week 1, but his usage was excellent if you started the rookie QB. He racked up 88 yards on 16 carries, including 8 designed rushing attempts, and found the end zone twice on the ground. Ladies & gentlemen, that’s over 20 fantasy points before you count any passing stats. Of course, he’s not going to run for 2 TDs every week, but his rushing production is going to give him a floor that puts him in the top-12 QBs more weeks than not. He should be treated as a QB1 every week, and especially this week against a bad Giants team that ranked 27^th in FTN’s pass defense DVOA a season ago.
WR Malik Nabers, NYG (Wk. 2: @ Was.): One week into their NFL careers, Nabers is off to the best start of the big 3 WRs in the 2024 draft class. Rome Odunze and Marvin Harrison Jr. didn’t set a high bar for him to clear after combining for just 15 yards last Sunday, but Nabers cleared it with ease, finishing with 5 catches for 66 yards on 7 targets, good for PPR WR32 for the week. He ran an absurd 50 routes, 10 more routes than any of his teammates, and although Wan’Dale Robinson led the team in targets, Nabers is the clear alpha WR1 on this team. An interesting tidbit about Nabers’ debut: He ran 7 routes on plays where he went in motion pre-snap and was targeted on 6 of those plays. He had just 1 target on the other 43 routes run. I’m sure it’s something the Giants are aware of and will look to do more of in week 2. The biggest plus for Nabers this week is that he gets to face off with arguably the worst pass defense in the NFL. Washington allowed the most WR points per game and ranked 31^st in pass defense DVOA a year ago, and in week 1 this year they allowed the 2^nd-most WR points and ranked dead last in pass defense DVOA. This is a game where Nabers’ floor could be higher than his final line from last week. He did pop up on the injury report mid-week with a knee issue, so have a backup plan ready, but if Nabers is good to go, start him with confidence.
WR Marvin Harrison, Jr., ARI (Wk. 2: vs. LAR): Week 1 for Harrison could only be labeled a massive disappointment. He earned just 3 targets in his debut despite leading the team with a 95% route participation rate, and he finished with just 1 catch for 4 yards. When asked about Marv’s lack of involvement, QB Kyler Murray said he trusts in OC Drew Petzing, and that it isn’t his job to force the ball to Harrison. That tells me that Harrison probably wasn’t the first read in many of the plays that Petzing called. I’d expect that to change a bit this week. The Cardinals didn’t draft Harrison where they did to not use him. Speaking of where Marv was drafted, you didn’t draft Harrison in the 2^nd round of your fantasy drafts to sit him on the bench. I know week 1 was painful, but I’d advise rolling with him again this week against a Rams’ defense that allowed the 7^th-most WR points in week 1. I understand if you’re not willing to do that, but the targets are going to come.
Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Starting:
WR Xavier Worthy, KC (Wk. 2: vs. Cin.): Worthy made a splashy debut last Thursday, finding the end zone twice and piling up 68 scrimmage yards on just 3 touches. The resulting top-10 finish for the week was great, but the underlying usage is what we were afraid of. Worthy’s long speed is going to be valuable to the Chiefs in opening up underneath routes for Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce, but it probably won’t result in a ton of targets for the rookie himself, so he’ll need to keep making splash plays to help your fantasy team. I think he will keep it up for week 2 at least. The Bengals allowed the 2^nd-most completions of 20+ yards in the NFL last season, and corner Cam Taylor-Britt may have poked the bear this week when asked about Worthy, saying “He can run straight…He can’t do much else, so that’s about it.” That’s the kind of bulletin board material that often backfires on the person providing it. I like Worthy’s chances of making Taylor-Britt eat his words this week and hitting the boom side of his boom-or-bust profile.
WR Keon Coleman, BUF (Wk. 2: @ Mia.): We entered week 1 not really knowing what to expect from the Buffalo receiver rotation, but coming out of week 1, it looks like Keon Coleman is the WR1. Coleman led the team with a 90% route participation rate (no other WR was above 70%), and he had a team-high 5 targets that he turned into 4 catches for 51 yards. Those numbers don’t jump off the page, but week 2 could see a better performance against a Miami defense that allowed the 11^th-most WR points per game last year and struggles against Josh Allen. Since the start of the 2022 season, Josh Allen has played 40 games against teams that are not the Miami Dolphins (playoffs included). In those games, he’s thrown for 300+ yards 10 times, and 350+ yards twice. In that same time frame, he’s played the Dolphins 5 times. He’s topped 300 yards against them in all 5 and put up 350+ yards in 3 of them. I don’t necessarily expect quite that many passing yards this year with a whole new WR group, but this feels like a week where the passing game could boom, and Coleman could be a big beneficiary of that. I’d treat him as an upside WR3.
TE Brock Bowers, LV (Wk. 2: @ Bal.): At first glance, Bowers’ final stat line of 6-58-0 doesn’t jump off the page at you, but with so many of the top tight ends underperforming in week 1, it was good for a top-5 finish for the week, and the underlying usage was phenomenal. Bowers was in a route on 78% of the team passing dropbacks, and he earned a team-high 7 targets against the Chargers. I mentioned last week that Bowers led Georgia in receiving every year he was there, and it looks like he’ll waste no time pushing for a similar role in the NFL. I don’t expect him to overtake Davante Adams and lead the team in targets, but he should be #2. The defensive matchup this week is a tough one. The Ravens ranked 1^st in pass defense DVOA last season and allowed the 9^th-fewest TE points per game. They had a hard time slowing Patrick Mahomes in week 1 but should fare better against Gardner Minshew. Even in this tough matchup though, I think Bowers is a top-10 TE play this week.
Borderline Rookies I’d Lean Toward Sitting:
QB Caleb Williams, CHI (Wk. 2: @ Hou.): Caleb’s debut performance did not go according to plan. He missed some throws he should make; his vaunted receiving weapons didn’t help him out very much, he finished with a pathetic 3.2 yards per attempt, and to make matters worse, he lost Rome Odunze to injury in the process. The Bears’ defense managed to bail Williams out and help the team to a win, but Caleb needs to play better. I expect improvement this week against a Houston defense that allowed the 11^th-most QB points per game last season and had the 6^th-lowest pressure rate in the league last week, but without Odunze I have a hard time viewing Caleb as more than a lower-end QB2 in this one. On the plus side, there should be passing volume with the Bears nearly a touchdown underdog.
QB Bo Nix, DEN (Wk. 2: vs. Pit.): Until a couple of 4^th quarter drives last Sunday, Nix was having an even worse week than Caleb. As I expected, he struggled with Mike McDonald’s complex coverage disguises and threw two costly interceptions. Bo managed to put together a solid TD drive in the final minutes to make the final score look close and finish as the QB16 for the week, but he had just 3.3 fantasy points entering that final drive. There are things to like here – Bo showed that he can provide rushing production even though the Broncos aren’t calling designed runs for him (5-35-1 on the ground on 5 scrambles), and Sean Payton was willing to let him drop back and throw more than 40 times in his first game. Unfortunately, his matchup isn’t any easier this week. The Steelers dominated Kirk Cousins in week 1, generating the 8^th-highest pressure rate in the league and holding Cousins to the 5^th-lowest QB score of the week. If Nix doesn’t find the end zone with his legs again, he’ll have a hard time matching his week 1 output. I’d treat Nix as a fringe QB2 this week.
RB Bucky Irving, TB (Wk. 2: @ Det.): Irving was the most impressive of the rookie backs last week, putting up 76 scrimmage yards on 11 touches while most other rookie backs didn’t play even 10 snaps. 8 of those 11 touches occurred in the second half while the Bucs were up by multiple scores. I wouldn’t count on that happening again this week against Detroit, where the Bucs are a touchdown underdog. Starter Rachaad White has been wildly inefficient as a runner (3.6 ypc last season, 2.1 ypc in week 1), leading to speculation that Irving may eventually steal some of his workload, but the Bucs love what White provides in the passing game. Rachaad was 2^nd on the team in the opener with 6 catches and 75 receiving yards. I don’t expect a drastic shift in rushing workload in week 2, and the Lions are a stout run defense anyway. They ranked first in run defense DVOA a year ago and allowed the fewest RB fantasy points per game, and they limited the Rams’ backfield to the 7^th-fewest fantasy points in week 1. Don’t expect a repeat of week 1 for Bucky in this matchup. It’ll be a win if he breaks 30 scrimmage yards.
WR Ladd McConkey, LAC (Wk. 2: @ Car.): McConkey’s usage looked pretty much how we expected it to in week 1. He was 3^rd among Chargers’ WRs in route participation rate, playing mostly in the slot, but he was their most-targeted pass catcher, putting up 5-39-1 on 7 targets. The problem for McConkey is his 5.3-yard aDOT. With that kind of usage in the short part of the field, he’s going to either need volume or a touchdown to turn in a quality fantasy day, and I’m just not convinced they’ll need to throw much to beat the Panthers. The Chargers want to run the ball as much as they can, and the Panthers are going to have a hard time giving them compelling reasons to throw it. If you trust the Panthers to keep this game competitive, McConkey is a reasonable WR3 option. If you expect a blowout, you’re praying for a touchdown if you start him.
WR Brian Thomas, Jr., JAX (Wk. 2: vs. Cle.): Thomas finished his debut as a top-20 PPR WR, but I’m not counting on a repeat performance in week 2. Thomas’ fantasy day was buoyed by a touchdown catch, but my concern for the Jaguars’ pass catchers is that the team seems to be more run-heavy this year than in previous years. They ran 50 offensive plays in week 1, and 26 of them were rushing plays, including 12 for Tank Bigsby. That run-heavy approach could’ve been matchup related – the Jaguars were up by 2 scores early in the game, and running the ball limits how many possessions the explosive Dolphins’ offense gets – but it’s still a little troubling. T-Law didn’t throw fewer than 29 pass attempts in any game last season, so 21 in the opener isn’t a great sign. Thomas’ 4 targets last Sunday actually tied for the team lead. The Browns were an elite pass defense last year, so I tend to trust that they’re better than they looked in week 1 against Dallas. I’d err on the side of sitting Thomas this week in a bad matchup so we can get a better idea of whether the Jags’ low passing volume is a trend or just a week 1 fluke.
WR Adonai Mitchell, IND (Wk. 2: @ GB): I’m not sure any single player left more fantasy points on the field in week 1 than Mitchell. The rookie pulled in just 1 catch for 2 yards on 5 targets in the opener, but he and Anthony Richardson just missed connecting on deep targets that could’ve gone for TDs not once, not twice, but thrice. It’s a great sign that Richardson likes to push the ball down the field, but it’s not a great sign that Richardson has had more success doing it when he’s throwing to Alec Pierce rather than Mitchell. Josh Downs returned to practice Wednesday, and if he’s active this week, Mitchell will likely be relegated to competing for WR3 snaps with Pierce. Given how Pierce performed in week 1, I’m not sure Mitchell would get any more than a 50/50 split, if he even gets that. Green Bay isn’t a great pass defense, ranking 26^th in pass defense DVOA a year ago, but they didn’t let opponents take the top off. The Packers allowed just 3 completions of 40+ yards all season. If Downs plays, I’d keep Mitchell parked on the bench. If Downs sits, Mitchell becomes a volatile WR4 option.
WR Jalen McMillan, TB (Wk. 2: @ Det.): McMillan pulled in just 1 of his 3 targets last week, but he made it count, securing a 32-yard touchdown to start the 4^th quarter. His other two targets both also looked like they might go for touchdowns if Jalen had managed to haul them in, so he narrowly missed out on a massive day. It was promising to see he’ll be used as a full-time receiver in this offense (he was in a route on 88% of the team passing dropbacks), but 3 targets on 30 routes and a high aDOT screams boom-or-bust. He’ll be a low-volume WR3 behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and while that resulted in a nice TD catch in week one against arguably the worst secondary in the NFL, it’s not guaranteed to happen again in Detroit. The Lions allowed a league-high 69 completions of 20+ yards last season, but they also went out and signed Carlton Davis and drafted Terrion Arnold to improve their starting CB spots. Cooper Kupp still had a field day against them last week, but they’re certainly better than the Commanders. McMillan is a boom-or-bust WR4 option in Detroit on Sunday.
WR Xavier Legette, CAR (Wk. 2: vs. LAC): Legette’s usage in week 1 was promising. His 59% route participation was lower than you’d like for a fantasy starter, but he led the team in catches and targets, and saw an impressive 37% share of the air yards for the week. All of that usage only led to 7.5 PPR points though, and the Chargers look like a much-improved defense in 2024 under Jim Harbaugh and Jesse Minter. The Chargers ranked 27^th in pass defense DVOA a season ago, and ranked 8^th in week 1. Of course, that could be because they faced Gardner Minshew, but I’m not sure Bryce Young is a tougher QB to defend at this point. Legette is probably in line for similar usage this week, which makes him a WR4/5 option.
WR Luke McCaffrey, WAS (Wk. 2: vs. NYG): McCaffrey was 2^nd on the Commanders behind Terry McLaurin in week 1 with a 71% route participation rate, but his upside is capped by Jayden Daniels’ unwillingness to push the ball down the field (could be a scheme issue rather than QB issue), and his penchant for scrambling. Daniels dropped back 34 times in week 1, and attempted just 24 passes, and the 3 passes that went in McCaffrey’s direction totaled negative-2 air yards. He finished with 3 catches for 18 yards on those targets. McCaffrey gets a favorable matchup this week against a Giants’ defense that allowed the 5^th-most WR points per game last year, but the Washington passing game is a work in progress, and I don’t expect a breakout game for the rookie this week.
Rookies You Already Know You Should Sit:
RB Tyrone Tracy, NYG (Wk. 2: @ Was.): Tracy was one of just two rookie running backs to play 10+ snaps in week 1, but his 14 snaps amounted to just 3 touches and 7 yards. The Giants get a much better matchup this week against a bad Commanders’ defense, but I wouldn’t have enough trust in Tracy to plug him into lineups.
RB Ray Davis, BUF (Wk. 2: @ Mia.): There was a lot of excitement about Davis potentially playing the ‘Latavius Murray role’ in the offense behind James Cook, where he would see goal line opportunities in addition to change-of-pace work. Instead, he played just 6 snaps and served as the 3^rd-string running back behind both Cook and Ty Johnson, and the only Bill to handle a rushing attempt inside the 5-yard line was Cook. Davis still has some work to do before you can plug him into the lineup.
RB Trey Benson, ARI (Wk. 2: vs. LAR): Like Ray Davis above, Benson opened the season one spot lower on the depth chart than we were hoping for, handling RB3 duties behind workhorse James Conner and Emari Demercado. Demercado played more in passing situations, while Benson spelled Conner on early downs. Even if he had all the backup work behind Conner, he likely still wouldn’t be getting enough work to be a viable fantasy starter. Demercado and Benson combined for just 6 touches in week 1.
RB Carson Steele, KC (Wk. 2: vs. Cin.): Steele’s role in week 1 played out pretty much as I expected it to. He was merely an early down change of pace back when Isiah Pacheco needed a breather. The rookie played just 4 snaps and handled 2 rushing attempts while Samaje Perine played 8 snaps in passing situations. A couple carries isn’t enough for fantasy relevance, even against a mediocre Bengals run defense (they ranked 28^th in run defense DVOA a season ago).
RB Isaac Guerendo, SF (Wk. 2: @ Min.): Guerendo served as the RB2 for the 49ers when Christian McCaffrey was a surprise inactive on Monday night, but it’s not a role that makes him fantasy relevant, even if CMC misses another game or two. Jordan Mason was fantastic as the fill-in RB1 last week, piling up 147 yards and a TD, and his change-of-pace back was Deebo Samuel. Whenever CMC is out, the 49ers lean more heavily on Deebo out of the backfield. Samuel carried the ball 8 times on Monday night while Guerendo was limited to just 3 snaps.
RB Blake Corum, LAR (Wk. 2: @ Ari.): Corum’s time will come. He’ll eventually work his way into the RB2 role behind Kyren Williams, but for now he’s running behind Ronnie Rivers as well. Corum didn’t play a single snap in week 1 and will be limited to kick return duties for the time being. Don’t get impatient if you drafted Corum but know that he probably won’t play a very meaningful role in these first few weeks.
RB Braelon Allen, NYJ (Wk. 2: @ Ten.): Allen logged 8 snaps in week 1, but many of those came late in the game after the Jets had fallen behind and pulled Aaron Rodgers from the game. This backfield wholly belongs to Breece Hall, and Allen is just hoping for scraps. The Titans are a tough matchup for running backs even when they do get opportunities. I don’t expect Allen to get many of them.
RB Marshawn Lloyd, GB (Wk. 2: vs. Ind.): Lloyd was inactive in week 1 with a hamstring injury, and there’s a good chance that even if he’s good to play this week, he may serve as the RB3 behind Josh Jacobs and Emmanuel Wilson. This Colts’ defense got dismantled by Joe Mixon in week 1, and Jordan Love is out with injury, so the Packers will likely lean on the ground game. If all 3 Packer backs are active, I wouldn’t expect more than a handful of touches for Lloyd. Josh Jacobs did pop up with an injury as well this week, but it doesn’t sound serious. I’d expect him to be in line for his usual workload.
RBs Audric Estime & Blake Watson, DEN (Wk. 2: vs. Pit.): I was going to talk about Estime playing just 3 snaps in the opener, but if you missed the news, he was placed on IR on Wednesday and will miss at least the next 4 games. That means Blake Watson will step up into the RB3 role going forward, but I don’t expect him to find substantial playing time. Jaleel McLaughlin was terribly inefficient in week 1, tallying just 28 total yards on 15 touches, but he was hardly the only inefficient Bronco in the opener. I wouldn’t expect a drastic change in playing time in the backfield for week 2. Watson could be worth a stash in deep PPR leagues though in case that inefficiency continues.
WR Ja’Lynn Polk, NE (Wk. 2: vs. Sea.): Polk didn’t start in week 1, but he played essentially a starter’s share of the snaps. He was in a route on 62% of the team’s passing dropbacks, but that led to just 1 target that he caught for 6 yards. The New England passing offense is going to be conservative as long as Jacoby Brissett is under center, and the Seahawks’ defense looked stellar in week 1 – they ranked 2^nd in pass defense DVOA for the week. I wouldn’t count on Polk breaking through this week.
WR Roman Wilson, PIT (Wk. 2: @ Den.): It’s still unclear whether Wilson will make his NFL debut this week (he’s getting in limited practices as of Wednesday), but he’d be a lackluster fantasy option even if we knew he was being inserted right into the starting lineup. With Justin Fields at QB, the Steelers attempted just 23 passes in week 1, and half of the targets went to George Pickens and Pat Freiermuth. Wilson would be splitting the other half with the running backs, Van Jefferson, Calvin Austin, and the backup tight ends (we all know how Arthur Smith likes his backup tight ends). Wait until we see what Roman’s usage looks like before starting him.
WR Jordan Whittington, LAR (Wk. 2: @ Ari.): The Rams’ WR room took a big hit in week one when Puka Nacua suffered an injury that will land him on IR and sideline him for at least 4 weeks. Tyler Johnson and Demarcus Robinson figure to be the biggest beneficiaries of the available playing time, but Whittington could see a bump as well. He technically only played 2 offensive snaps in the opener, but he did have a goal-line TD run get called back due to penalty. One goal-line rushing attempt isn’t enough reason to start him this week, but you could see his role grow during Puka’s absence. Whittington put up gaudy numbers during the preseason when the 1^st and 2^nd stringers were sitting and impressed the coaches.
WR Rome Odunze, CHI (Wk. 2: @ Hou.): If you missed the news, Odunze sprained his MCL last weekend and is considered week-to-week. He’s almost certain to miss this week’s tilt with the Texans.
WR Malachi Corley, NYJ (Wk. 2: @ Ten.): Corley didn’t run a single route in week 1, and there’s not much reason to expect a drastic change in week 2. If anything, the competition for playing time will get tougher after a strong opener by Allen Lazard and with Mike Williams getting healthier. There’s no reason to fire up Corley.
WR Jermaine Burton, CIN (Wk. 2: @ KC): The Bengals were without Tee Higgins in week 1 and Burton still didn’t come close to cracking the WR rotation. He played behind all of Andrei Iosivas, Trenton Irwin, and Charlie Jones, and ran just 1 route in week 1. Tee Higgins looks to be on the wrong side of questionable again this week, but Burton likely isn’t going to pick up much playing time as a result.
TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, CAR (Wk. 2: vs. LAC): Sanders was on the field a lot in week 1, running a route on 69% of the Panthers’ passing dropbacks, but he was targeted just once, and he was 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage on that target. Even though he’s playing starter’s snaps, this is a broken passing game where he’s an afterthought in the target pecking order for now.
TE Ben Sinnott, WAS (Wk. 2: vs. NYG): If Sinnott is going to play a major role in the Commanders offense this season, it’s going to happen later in the season than we’d like. He played behind both Zach Ertz and John Bates in week 1, running just 3 target-less routes. There’s upside here, especially with the Commanders’ scheme focusing on short passes for Jayden Daniels, but you’re going to have to be patient and wait for his playing time to come up.
Deep League Sleepers and Stashes:
RB Jaylen Wright, MIA (Wk. 2: vs. Buf.): Wright was a healthy scratch in week 1, but that almost certainly won’t be the case in week 2 with Raheem Mostert already ruled out for Thursday night’s game and De’Von Achane questionable as well. Jeff Wilson Jr. served as the RB3 in the opener, and he has more experience in this offense, but Wright’s big-play ability makes him the more enticing fantasy option. We know the Dolphins love game-breaking speed, and Wright has plenty of it. If Achane plays, look for Wright to only log a handful of touches, but there’s a chance he could break any one of them for a big play. If Achane sits, I’d expect Wilson to get the start, but would expect Mike McDaniel to be willing the ride the hot hand if Wright gets it going. If Achane sits, I’d see Wright as an upside RB3 option this week.
Update: De’Von Achane is active for Thursday night
WR Devaughn Vele, DEN (Wk. 2: vs. Pit.): The Broncos passing game was an ugly slog of short passes, but a lot of those short passes found their way to Vele, and he did a great job of hauling in the targets that came his way. The rookie had 8 targets with just a 2-yard average target depth, but he did catch all 8 passes for 39 yards and finish the week as a top-30 PPR WR. It’s clear Bo Nix and Sean Payton like Vele, and Denver’s pass-heavy approach should make him a viable PPR WR3 in a lot of weeks. The Steelers do boast a strong pass defense, so I wouldn’t be too aggressive about getting Vele into the lineup this week, but he should probably be rostered in most 12-team PPR leagues.
TE Theo Johnson, NYG (Wk. 2: @ Was.): Johnson’s week 1 usage was a big surprise after the Giants’ listed Daniel Bellinger as their starting tight end on their final depth chart. Johnson was in a route on 76% of the team’s dropbacks while Bellinger was in a route on just 16%. Johnson is the starting tight end. This week isn’t a great matchup to plug Johnson in – the Commanders get shredded by wide receivers but allowed the 10^th-fewest TE points per game a year ago – but he shouldn’t be sitting on waivers in deeper leagues, especially 2-TE or TE premium leagues. Johnson is an impressive athlete and had an 18% air yardage share in week 1 on his 4 targets. You’d prefer he had a better QB throwing him the ball, but there are some spike weeks in Johnson’s future with his physical traits and playing time.
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, DAL (Wk. 2: vs. NO): Spann-Ford is really only a name you need to be familiar with in the deepest of TE-premium leagues. Cowboys’ starter Jake Ferguson suffered a sprained MCL late in Dallas’ opening win against the Browns, and it was the UDFA rookie Spann-Ford that was 2^nd on the team in tight end routes run, and not 2023 2^nd-round pick Luke Schoonmaker. Both will likely factor in while Ferguson is sidelined (a sprained MCL should keep him out for a few weeks), but if I had to pick one to target, I’d rather add Schoonmaker than Spann-Ford. It’s likely the rookie saw extended snaps in the opener due to the lopsided score. Schoonmaker is a better athlete, has more sure hands (PFF credited Brevyn with 9 drops in 2023 despite catching just 25 passes), and more pro experience. I’d treat Schoonmaker as a streaming TE2 option and Spann-Ford as a stash to watch this week if you need immediate TE help in deep leagues.
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Hopefully it helps you sort through your lineup decisions and find your way to a win this weekend. Feel free to hit me up on Twitter (@Shawn_Foss) if you have any questions or want to yell at me about anything written above, and always make sure to apply what’s written in the context of your own league rules and roster. Keep a close eye on the injury report throughout the week if you have any guys who are questionable and do a final pre-game check to make sure you don’t start any inactive players. As always: Good luck, trust your gut and have fun. It’s just a game. Original article from drinkfive.com

One of the things that comes up on here all the time is fees, and I decided to take a look at how much it costs to sell on Etsy vs. other platforms. There’s always a lot of talk of “this other platform does this” but I wanted to see how much we were all actually making, and how these different sites rank for traffic and how many people are actually shopping there.
I also want to be very clear I have no vested interest in posting this, I just like numbers and wanted to see if we were really getting the best deal selling on Etsy vs. other platforms.
For the purposes of this post, I’ve explored six major platforms: Etsy (of course), GoImagine (Etsy’s most direct competitor at this time), Ebay, Poshmark, Mercari, (primarily resale sites with some handmade goods) and Shopify, which is a standalone service but everyone loves to compare it to Etsy, so why not throw it in the mix!
(10/18/24 EDIT: This post was made prior to Poshmark instituting fees for buyers similar to Mercari. I have not updated the numbers for Poshmark, so they will be out of date.)
I have also tried to include data on Michael’s Makerplace and Amazon Handmade where possible, but given that these platforms are part of a much larger ecosystem and they are slightly more difficult to be accepted to, it is actually somewhat hard to find information on them. I don’t find them a good solution for the average Etsy seller. I do think they’re a great option for established sellers if you’re willing to keep up to their strict requirements.
Please note that all prices and dollar amounts are in USD and are assuming United States sellers. This is not with disrespect to international sellers, but simply because it would take way too much time to account for every country that is allowed to sell on every platform. That said, even with the USD prices you should be able to see, at a glance, what each platform offers.
Global Ranking & Traffic Estimate stats come from a company called Semrush, which focuses on data. Here’s a link to Etsy’s page for an example. These are all estimates, but they are estimates from a company that knows what they’re doing.
Buyer data came largely from quarterly financial calls with various companies, as reported in the news. I have included sources where possible.
If viewing on mobile, please be sure to scroll sideways to view all columns in these charts.
Visit/ranking/buyer data is not included for Shopify because Shopify is a tool, not a marketplace.
I did not include data for Amazon or Michael’s because it is impossible to sort out how many visitors they have specifically for one segment of their total sales.

Platform	Start-Up Fee	Monthly Fee	Listing Fee
Etsy	$15 to $29 (Refundable)	None	$0.20
GoImagine	None	$2.50 to $10.00	None
Ebay	None	None	First 250 Free, then $0.35
Poshmark	None	None	None
Mercari	None	None	None
Shopify	None	$29	None
Michael’s Makerplace	None	None	None
Amazon Handmade	$39.99 (Refundable)	None	None

Etsy
As of September 2024, Etsy is currently charging a $15 – $29 USD “start up fee” for all shops. However, we have seen evidence on Etsy and here on EtsySellers that many sellers are being refunded this fee after their first legitimate sale.
GoImagine
GoImagine includes 20 Listings for $2.50, 200 listings for $5.00, or 1000 listings for $10.00. At the lowest price point of $2.50, this means listings cost $0.13 each.
Shopify
As this is a service to build your own shop, Shopify does have plans going all the way up to $2,300/month. I am choosing to focus on the $29/month plan for the duration of this post because it is the most common for the average seller.
Michael’s Makerplace
There is an optional $10/month subscription that gets you higher return on sales and lower fees.
Please note that everything in this section is what YOU pay as the seller, EXCEPT for the Buyer Fees. Buyer Fees are paid by the buyer. Some additional notes are included below the chart where applicable.

Platform	Transaction Fees	Processing Fees	Additional Fees	Buyer Fees
Etsy	6.5%	3% + $0.25	None	None
GoImagine	5%	2.9% + $0.30	None	None
Ebay	None	None	13.25% + 2.35%	None
Poshmark	None	None	19.67% to 20%	$7.97 Shipping
Mercari	None	None	$2-3 to cash out	2.9% + $0.50
Shopify	None	2.9% + $0.30	None	None
Michael’s Makerplace	4%	3% + $0.20	None	None
Amazon Handmade	15% or $1.00	None	None	None

Etsy
One thing I did not include here is Etsy’s Offsite Ads fee. The 15% offsite ads fee is OPTIONAL and does not needs to be paid by sellers making under $10,000 a year. I left it off for this reason because this guide is meant more for people getting started who aren’t in that demographic yet.
If you ARE in the demographic that makes over $10,000/year and has forced offsite ads, the fee is 12% and that will not be on every transaction, only ones that were reached by a buyer clicking on an offsite ad.
This fee can be negated by increasing all of your prices by around 3% to 6%, which would be an additional $0.60 for 6% on a $10.00 order, since not all of your sales will come from offsite ads. This is, again, something that will only affect high volume sellers, can be accounted for in pricing, and also does ultimately increase your sales. It’s hard to say how offsite adds are affecting an individual shop without seeing what percentage of an individual shop’s sales are attributed to offsite ads.
Ebay
In addition to the Listing Fee, Ebay also has something called a “Final Value Fee” and a “Per Order Fee” on all orders. This ranges from 6.5% to 15% for the Final Value Fee and 2.35% to 13.25% on the Per Order Fee.
Most categories are 13.25% FVF + 2.35% POF.
Poshmark
Seller pays flat $2.95 fee for sales under $15.00, and a 20% fee for sales over $15.00. The flat fee comes out to 19.67% on a $15.00 sale, and 29.5% on a $10.00 sale.
Poshmark also charges a flat fee of $7.97 for shipping. The seller does not see this money and has to ship with the label provided by Poshmark, within 7 days. Seller has no way of changing shipping price.
Mercari
Mercari has very low fees but makes up for this by charging the buyer. Additionally, they charge $2.00 to cash out Direct Deposit and $3.00 to cash out Instant Pay to debit cards. The $2.00 cash out fee is fixed, so to cash out $3.00 would still cost you $2.00.
Amazon Handmade
The referral fee for selling on Amazon Handmade is 15%, but the minimum amount they will charge is $1.00. This means that items under $6.67 will be paying a higher percentage fee. $1.00 is 20% of $5.00, for example.
For the sake of this comparison I am using the following example:
We are selling a $10.00 item that cost us $0.00 or $3.00 to produce. The item costs $4.00 to ship, so you are charging the buyer $4.00 to ship (except for Poshmark, where sellers do not have a say in shipping costs) which results in a total cost of $14.00 for the buyer before any buyer fees.

Platform	Cost to Buyer	Seller Profit ($0.00 Cost)	Seller Profit ($3.00 Cost)
Etsy	$14.00 + Local Tax	$ 8.22	$ 5.22
GoImagine	$14.00 + Local Tax	$ 8.46	$ 5.46
Ebay	$14.00 + Local Tax	$ 7.74	$ 4.74
Poshmark	$17.97 + Local Tax	$ 7.05	$ 4.05
Mercari	$14.91 + Local Tax	$ 5.69	$ 2.69
Shopify	$14.00 + Local Tax	$ 9.41 **	$ 6.41 **
Michael’s Makerplace	$14.00 + Local Tax	$ 8.82	$ 5.82
Amazon Handmade	$14.00 + Local Tax	$ 8.50	$ 5.50

GoImagine
I used the lowest possible subscription fee of $2.50 to assume the listing fee. If you have only made this one sale and no other sales, profit would instead be $6.09 for 0 cost items and $3.09 for $3.00 cost items.
Ebay
Ebay does not assume that you will be paying a listing fee since the first 250 listings are free. It assumes an average cost based on the category of the item.
Mercari
Profit assumes that the seller will be cashing out their funds at a rate of $2.00 direct deposit and will be making no other sales after this one individual sale.
Shopify
** The profit listed assumes that you’ve already made enough sales to justify your monthly subscription fee.
Shopify sellers must sell 4 items at $10.00 to make back their monthly subscription fee and to be able to enter an area where you are making a profit.
One last one that I thought was important — how much does it cost to get paid?! I covered this a little under Additional Fees, but I figured it was worth highlighting in its own section.

Platform	Cost to Cash Out	Minimum Amount to Cash Out	Funds Availability
Etsy	$ 0.00	$ 0.00 weekly/monthly, $25.00 daily	Next day after sale unless seller is on a hold or reserve.
GoImagine	Unknown	Unknown	Unknown
Ebay	$ 0.00 or $2.00 (Faster payout)	$ 10.00	Within 2 days of confirming buyer’s payment
Poshmark	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	Within 3 days of order marked delivered
Mercari	$ 2.00 slow, $ 3.00 instant	$ 0.00	After buyer rates the sale or 72 hours after marked delivered
Shopify	$ 0.00	$ 0.00	Instantly after sale
Michael’s Makerplace	$ 0.00	$ 0.00 (Weekly only)	2 Weeks (Estimate based on several blog posts)
Amazon Handmade	$ 0.00	$ 0.00 (Every 2 weeks, unknown fee for other withdrawals)	After order is shipped

I will note that it was incredibly difficult to find this information on how frequently you get paid and a lot of it came from combing over blog posts from other people making similar comparisons to this one. if anyone is an active seller on any of these platforms who has a correction to offer, I will happily include it.
Etsy Reserves
Some buyers, especially new ones, are put on a hold where a percentage of funds are held for something like 45 days or until the order is shipped with tracking. These are flexible and change but are not the case for all Etsy users. Most established users who ship with tracking and meet good customer service standards will never have holds.
I obviously did not touch on many intricacies of these platforms such as shipping requirements (Poshmark requires shipping within 7 days), sales requirements (Michael’s Makerplace, for example, requires 85% positive feedback or you will be removed from the platform), or difficulty in getting approved (Amazon Handmade and Michael’s Makerplace, for example, have several hoops you have to jump through to be accepted) but in general I think it is safe to say that Etsy’s fees are ultimately comparable to or better than most of their competitors.
It certainly also does depend on what you sell, many handmade items will not do well on Poshmark or Mercari as resale platforms, many cheap items are difficult to sell on Poshmark because of that mandatory $7.97 shipping fee that you literally cannot change (imagine selling a $3.00 sticker with THAT shipping price), Amazon Handmade and Michael’s Makerplace are both highly restrictive as far as what categories of items can be sold.
Also, just in case you are enticed by Mercari’s otherwise low fees for sellers — keep in mind that buyers can return items on Mercari for any reason and you MUST accept returns. This means that you get to keep all of your $10.00 you charge the buyer (less your $2.00 to cash out) but if they so much as decide it looks funny or that they just don’t want it anymore, you MUST accept the return and give them their $10.00 back.
GoImagine also does have fairly great fees, but they do not have traffic that is anywhere NEAR that of Etsy, and the traffic estimate includes sellers, not just buyers. GoImagine’s traffic is around 5% of Etsy’s. I’m sure someone out there is making money on that platform, but I don’t think it’s a viable alternative at this time.
Shopify has the highest profit if you can sell enough per month to justify the fee, except Shopify does not remit sales tax for you, so even though you’re making more money, you’re going to have to spend time remitting it to the local tax authorities or set up a Shopify add-on that will take care of that for you.
I hope this was helpful to some people – I genuinely did this because I wanted to see the breakdown for myself and because I recently saw a post talking about Poshmark’s 20% fees and how many sellers found it reasonable and I thought there was no way they are actually charging 20% for fees so I wanted to see how every other platform shapes up.
Obviously there are a lot of other factors when it comes to starting to sell online, but I think for the average seller Etsy is still a great choice.
If you take nothing else away from this post, please let it be the following:

1. Credit card processing fees are very standardized across different platforms.
2. If there isn’t a listing fee or a card processing fee, there will be fees somewhere else to make up for it.
3. None of these platforms are free. Someone, somewhere, is always paying for it.

A social media hook is a concise and attention-grabbing element that captures attention and engages an audience within the fast-paced and competitive environment of social media that you can use with Revid.AI
to create viral videos.
Serving as the initial point of contact between content creators and their audience, a social media hook is designed to evoke curiosity, spark interest, and prompt immediate action.
It is a carefully constructed phrase, question, or statement strategically positioned at the beginning of a post or content piece, aiming to entice users to pause, interact, and delve further into the presented content.
A hook can be used in the form of caption text, used as text overlay on a video or image, or it can be the audio in a video.
Whether aiming for increased visibility, enhanced engagement, or brand recognition, mastering the art of social media hooks is integral to establishing a meaningful connection on social media.
Whether you’re a seasoned social media manager or just getting started, these hooks are your golden ticket to capturing attention, sparking conversations, and building that meaningful connection with your audience.

1. Hot take: _______ [Controversial topic]. What’s your opinion?
2. You need to hear this today: _______ [uplifting or motivating message].
3. Hey _______ [specific group], I’ve got something to brighten your day!
4. _______ [number] ways to level up your _______ [specific area] game!
5. Can you relate? Comment with ______ [insert your favorite emoji].
6. Comment FIRE if you want ________ [benefit or result] for yourself!
7. Want to know something crazy? _______ [unexpected fact or revelation].
8. Are you struggling with _________? This should solve your problem!
9. _______ [number] hacks to supercharge your _______ [specific area] game!
10. Need a boost? Here’s a quick dose of _______ [positive affirmation or encouragement].
11. Having trouble with _______ [common issue]? This post is your one-stop solution!
12. If I had to start all over again, my first step would be _______.
13. Does this sound like you? _______ [common challenge or experience].
14. What happened when I __________.
15. Can I share a secret? The best ________ [topic] strategy is _______.
16. Ever wonder how to improve your _______ [specific aspect]? Let me show you the way!
17. Why I don’t believe in _______ [common belief or practice]. Here’s my take.
18. Comment something you’ve heard about ________ that might be a myth!
19. Unpopular opinion: _______ [bold statement or perspective].
20. Don’t you just love it when _______ [positive experience]?
21. Something I’ve learned about _______ [relevant topic] recently.
22. Lessons I learned from overcoming blunders in _______ [specific situation or activity].
23. Sneak peek: something exciting is coming soon!
24. This is not a joke. _______ [serious or surprising statement].
25. _______ [number] things I learned this year that completely changed my perspective on _______ [topic].
26. I can’t believe I’m sharing this behind-the-scenes look at ______.
27. People love to ask this question: ________?
28. How to ___________ [positive result] in just _____ [number] easy steps!
29. I wasn’t going to share this, but I couldn’t resist: _______ [share a surprising fact or revelation].
30. Which side of _______ [issue] are you on? A) _______ or B) _______?
31. Tag a friend who needs to see this.
32. If you have one _______ [goal], start doing this!
33. I can’t believe I used to overlook _______ [something important], but now I swear by it. Here’s why.
34. Struggling with your _______ [challenge]? You’re going to want to save this.
35. What to do after ________ [event] disrupts _______ [results].
36. Brace yourself for a jaw-dropping transformation in my _______ [aspect of life or work].
37. Did you know that _______ [statistic] of people struggle with _______ [common issue]?
38. Which _______ [category] resonates with you? A) _______ or B) _______?
39. ______ [number] steps to ________ [outcome] that _________ [benefit].
40. Breaking news: _______ [topic].
41. I’ll tell you a secret no one has ever told you about _______ [insider knowledge].
42. This is what I love about _______ [aspect of your industry or interest].
43. If you’re a fan of _______, get ready to elevate your game with this expert tip!
44. Today’s mantra: _______ [uplifting message]. Pass it on!
45. Hey fellow _______ [enthusiasts]! I see you hustling. Here’s a little pick-me-up.
46. Can I drop some knowledge? The secret to mastering _______ is _______.
47. Ever ask yourself, __________?
48. What do you think of this? _______ [thought-provoking question or statement].
49. Did you know that ____ [number] % of __________ [interest group] believe in __________?
50. How to make the most of your _______ [time, resources, etc.] in just _______ [short time frame].
51. Stop scrolling! You won’t believe what happens next.
52. ________ [specific group], don’t _______. Find out why.
53. I want to be extremely honest with you about ________.
54. We just experimented with _______ [new approach], and the outcome is mind-blowing!
55. It really doesn’t have to be complicated. Simplify your _______ [process or task]!
56. Swipe left to reveal a surprise.
57. Tips for _______ [task] to achieve _______ [positive outcome] with minimal stress!
58. Feeling a bit stuck? Let’s chat about overcoming _______ [common challenge or experience].
59. Fun fact: Did you know today is _______ [quirky holiday]?
60. If I had to start all over again in ______, here’s what I would focus on.
61. You need these _______ [helpful tools or resources] to make life easier!
62. I’ve always been _______ [trait or preference], but _______ [something unexpected].
63. Calling all _____________ [interest group]: Elevate __________ [topic] with this secret technique!
64. See what happened when I decided to _______ [take a specific action] for a month straight.
65. The most valuable lesson life taught me and how it can transform your _______.
66. Let’s figure out why _______ [common problem or challenge] persists and how to overcome it.
67. Calling all _______ [specific group]! Resist the urge to _______. Here’s why.
68. You’ll never believe this transformation in _______ [aspect of life or work].
69. Did you know that _______ [number] % of people find success by incorporating _______[strategy or process]?
70. Can I share a quick tip? _______ [concise and valuable advice].
71. The wildest thing just went down, and it involves _______ [share an unexpected experience].
72. Calling all _______ [specific group]: Revolutionize your _______ [activity] with this hack!
73. Behind-the-scenes look at ______ [event or project].
74. _____ [number] things I learned about ________ [topic] this year that changed my game.
75. How I ________ [result] in just __________ [length of time]!
76. I was on the fence about sharing this, but you deserve to know.
77. _______ [number] eye-opening insights I gained this year that rocked my world in _______ [specific area].
78. _______ [specific group], don’t limit yourself to _______. Here’s why.
79. Let’s talk about overcoming mistakes I made when _______ [specific situation or activity].
80. I don’t know who needs to hear this, but _______ [encouraging or motivating statement].
81. ____ [number] ways to _________ [outcome]!
82. I can’t believe I’m sharing this _______ [personal experience or tip].
83. Ready for a secret that no one’s spilled before? Brace yourself for _______.
84. I have a confession to make about _______ [reveal something personal or surprising].
85. _______ [number] steps to master _______ [skill or achieve a specific outcome] that will _______ [benefit].
86. Steal my _______ [process] and _______ [benefit]!
87. Can you believe I used to steer clear of _______? Now, it’s a game-changer. Here’s why.
88. The craziest thing just happened, and it involves _______ [unexpected event or outcome].
89. Pro tips for _______ [task] to achieve _______ [positive outcome] without breaking a sweat!
90. Why I’m not buying into the _______ [common belief or practice].
91. If you want to ______, start doing this today! Your future self will thank you.
92. Can I be real with you for a minute? _______ [share something authentic or personal].
93. Did you know that __________ [fun fact]?
94. Can I share a secret? The best advice I ever received was _______.
95. Double-tap if you agree!
96. I’ve been keeping this under wraps, but it’s time to spill: _______ [confession or revelation].
97. We just tried _______, and you won’t believe the results!
98. Exclusive offer inside! Swipe right to reveal.
99. How I achieved _______ [positive result] in just _______ [time frame] – and you can too!
100. Can I be honest with you for a bit? _______ [authentic revelation or realization].

Ready to put your social hook to the test?
Get your Free Revid.ai account and create your first viral video.

I really hope you all enjoyed PART I – Let’s continue to party in PART II
Heart of a champion
RECAP

Part I started John Cena’s retirement tour. He was pulled in a historic U.S title match vs LA Knight to break Ric Flair’s record for the U.S titles but the circumstances didn’t let him win. It changed the plans. Inspired by his biggest rival – Randy Orton. Cena aimed to break Ric’s World title record. Cena hit a road bump against Drew McIntyre & Bron Brekker. Cena put away Drew. Brekker embarrassed him for the Intercontinental title. Cena regained his passion thanks to a friend. He found the SUPER CENA again for an iconic mania match but Brekker’s tactics prevailed, leaving Cena devastated on not fulfilling the GRAND SLAM or any other prophecy but now Part II

PART I

CHAPTER THREE: NEVER GIVE UP

POST WRESTLEMANIA XLI

Cena disappears from the WWE following his devastating I.C title loss at Mania 41! But he’ll return soon. Meanwhile Brekker dropped the title. Orton aims to reclaim the WWE title to be a 16x champ. Matt Cardona vows to claim Money In The Bank briefcase & more

MONEY IN THE BANK 2025

Men’s Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Michael Cole: This has been so insane. You can’t predict who’s going to win Corey Graves: I can predict. Look at Cardona. He’s left alone Cole: Matt’s focused since returning. He nearly won the Rumble but Cena had other plans
Cardona is an inch away from the briefcase but Orton is pulling his leg. Matt KICKS Orton away. He hits Randy with a RADIO SILENCE off the ladder. Matt climbs up to finally get the Briefcase
Matt Cardona wins the Men’s Money In The Bank 2025 (21::31)

POST MONEY IN THE BANK

Raw (19/5/25)
Triple H announcement
Triple H (in ring promo): 2025 has already been a big year for ua. Big moments like Rock vs Roman at Wrestlemania. Cena’s retirement tour is an ongoing sensation. But things are about to get bigger. Next Raw! We officially kick off the prestigious tournaments – KING & QUEEN OF THE RING! it’s going to be BIGGER THAN EVER.16 of WWE top male & female superstars will battle across Raw & Smackdown & at the Premium Live Event – We crown KING & QUEEN OF THE RING – Who gets a World title shot of their choice at Summerslam. From my experience. I can tell – this tournament can change lives. But that’s in the next 2 months.This Friday has a special surprise for you all. Stay tuned (He leaves)
SD (23/5/25)
HE IS BACK
The night is set to close with a surprise return of JOHN CENA! The crowd’s hot to hear
Cena: You all know how to make me realise what I was missing when I was gone. It’ll be tough when I’m gone for good but honestly this absence was for no reason. After losing the I.C title at Mania – I was upset. I needed a break to think – what I need to do. Physically, mentally & philosophically. But it turns out. I was just wasting my time. Luckily I got a call from Triple H. He asked – Where am I? I told him my story. He made me an offer. I reiterate my story. He tells me “John – You didn’t build your career by strategically planning. You followed your heart. Despite failing more than succeeding. All you did “NEVER GIVE UP” After that I only said “I ACCEPT THE OFFER” The offer was “First time it happened. It was in 2002 in my debut year. Now in my last year in the WWE! I’m entering KING OF THE RING. The 7TH U.S, 17TH WWE or FIRST EVER I.C title aren’t the only unfulfilled prophecies. It’s winning the KING OF THE RING too. I’m going NUMBER 17TH
Suddenly Logan Paul interrupts to face off Cena
Logan: THE GOAT JOHN CENA! Having you on my podcast is great but being in this ring with you is special. You know you & I are the only MEGA STARS in this tournament. We’re the only 2 worthy to be in the finals of this tournament but they put us in round one on free TV! That’s unfair to MEGA STARS of similar magnitude Cena: We’re not similar. It’s unfair that you are in this tournament. I don’t say that because you’re part time. I’m the biggest part timer here. I say that because I’m a MEGA STAR born in this business. You’re a MEGA STAR who thinks you own this business. That’s why you buried the U.S title in your prime. That’s why I’m going to knock you out of this in the first round.. Logan: You’re a legend but you better watch your mouth. At 29 I’m better than what you were at 29. Now you’re 47! How do you plan to coup with that Cena: That’s exactly why you’re never going to match up to someone like Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns & me. You fight for views. We fight for victory
Cena drops the mic. Logan’s speechless. He tries to cheap shot Cena but is lifted for the AA. But escapes the ring to stare at a confident Cena
SD (30/5/25)
KING OF THE RING ROUND ONE John Cena vs Logan Paul
Amazing aura surrounds this MANIA worthy MAIN-EVENT! Logan & Cena are staring at each other with intensity. They advance in a TEST OF STRENGTH. Logan tries hard to push Cena back but Cena’s still too strong. So Logan starts KICKING Cena’s gut. Cena quickly forces Logan to the corner. Logan gets the ropes to force space. They try again but Cena gets the SIDE HEADLOCK. Logan rebounds Cena off the ropes. He ducks & leap frogs then drops Cena with a HIP TOSS in style. Cena’s frustrated but he initiates the same sequence but this time he hoists Logan from the HIP TOSS into the AA but Logan escapes in a scared way. Cena smirks. Logan tries to avoid lock ups but tries a WRIST LOCK. Cena hoists him again for the AA but this time Logan slips out with a ROLL UP for a 2.5! Cena kicks out in urgency. Logan & Cena stare at each other cautiously. The base is set for VETERAN INSTINCT vs PRIME ATHLETICISM
SPOTS: Logan throws BODY SHOTS at Cena but Cena retorts with his own BODY SHOTS to follow up with his SIGNATURE TACKLES, Logan cuts out Cena’s 5 KNUCKLE SHUFFLE with a FLYING FOREARM for a 2.25! Cena hoists Logan up from the last SUPLEX of 3 AMIGOS for the AA but Logan slips to the apron to bounce back with a BUCKSHOT but Cena barely dodges with a scary face, Cena gets him up for the AA but Paul flips for a SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT on Cena for a 2.25! Cena eats a SPRINGBOARD CROSSBODY but rolls through for the AA, Logan slides out for the DEADEYE but Cena ELBOWS Logan back to remain on his feet to counter in a SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB for a 2.75! Cena sets up a 2ND ROPE ATTACK but Logan drops him a SUPERPLEX for a 2.8! Logan steals Randy’s DRAPING DDT but takes too long, Cena pushes out to drop Logan in the STF far away from the ropes but Logan eventually rolls up for the ropes
BIG MATCH comes to a CHAOTIC CLIMAX! Logan shoves Cena out of the SUPER AA. Follows with a FROG SPLASH but an urgent cover lets Cena get the ropes on 2.97! Pau frustratedly tries again but Cena avoids it. He tries the AA but Logan escapes. ONE LUCKY PUNCH sends Cena out. A cocky Logan wears a VLOGGING CAMERA on his hand. He tries a SPRINGBOARD MOONSAULT to the outside but Cena catches him on for the AA through the announce desk. Cena sends Logan back in quick but takes a brea. Ref is asking Cena to return. Logan retrieves his BRASS KNUCKLES. Cena goes to Logan. He tries a smart BRASS KNUCKLES PUNCH behind the ref on Cena but Cena ducks & Logan hits the ref. Before Cena recovers. Logan drops him with BRASS KNUCKLES. Logan’s yelling for the ref. It takes time for him to get up but Cena’s up. Logan urgently jumps to the apron in a BUCKSHOT. Cena smoothly counters into the AA for the W!
Corey: Cena was right. Logan did fought for the views & that cost him against the veteran instincts Cole: THE GOAT is always THE GOAT
John Cena def. Logan Paul to advance (19:40)
SD (6/6/25)
KOTR ROUND 2 John Cena vs Carmelo Hayes
Corey: I can’t wait for this main event. It’s a PREMIUM LIVE EVENT! Hayes often expressed – How he has partially modelled himself after Cena Cole: I’m sure Hayes is proud to wrestle Cena before. Knowing Cena he must be proud too
Carmelo & Cena stare with big smiles. Hayes shakes Cena’s hand upon the bell ringing. They respectfully give each other space. Then lock up. Cena gets a SIDE HEADLOCK early. But Hayes rebounds him off the ropes. Cena returns with his PATENT TACKLES. Goes for a SIDE SUPLEX. Hayes HEADSCISSORS. Cena rolls out. Hayes playfully does “YOU CAN’T SEE ME” Cena laughs. The pace is set for IDOL vs FOLLOWER
SPOTS: Cena has a SIDE HEADLOCK but Hayes SWEEPS Cena’s legs before hitting a PENALTY KICK for just 1! Cena catches the SCISSOR KICK with a rare HALF NELSON SLAM to Melo’s back for a 2.10! Cena blocks a PUMP KICK only for Melo to ENZIGURI him, Melo follows up with a RUNNING LEG DROP for a 2.5! A Provoked Cena GUT KICKS Melo to hit his own LEG DROP BULLDOG from years ago for a 2.5! Melo slides off the AA to the apron In a SPRINGBOARD HEEL KICK but Cena catches it for the STF but Melo barely touches the rope
Thrilling encounter nears its end. Cena tries to LARIAT Melo off the ropes but Melo hangs on, sending Cena out. Melo nails a sick SUICIDE DIVE to Cena in the barricade. Cena grabs his back. Melo sends him back in to hit NOTHING BUT NET to Cena’s back. He makes an urgent cover that lets Cena get the ropes at 2.98! Melo is in disbelief. Melo tries NOTHING BUT NET again but misses. Cena climbs up to hit the DIVING LEG DROP to show that he’s the O.G! Cena drops Melo with the AA! Cena holds Melo’s hand briefly. He says “ONE DAY” Cena rolls through for a 2ND AA for the 3
John Cena def. Carmelo Hayes to advance (16:05)
SD (13/625)
KOTR SEMI-FINALS John Cena vs Ricky Starks

NOTE: Going by the rumours Ricky debuted in the WWE for a successful career as a heel

Cole: Even before Ricky joined the WWE! He admired Cena. Cena often acknowledged him online Corey: But when the bell rings that admiration won’t hold up. None of them wants to miss out on the finals
Bell rings. Cena & Ricky cautiously circle each other to engage in traditional lock ups. Cena powers Ricky down to his knees in PALM LOCK! Ricky HEADBUTTS Cena in the ribs. Cena stumbles back. RAPID CORNER SPEARS slows down Cena. Giving Ricky a target. Ricky hits a NORTHERN LIGHT SUPLEX for a 2! Cena shows signs of bad ribs. Setting a pace for Cena to fight his injury & Ricky
SPOTS: Ricky hits Cena with a VERTICAL SUPLEX on the bad ribs for a 2.25! Cena blocks a FROG SPLASH but Ricky shoves Cena back in the ring, follows with a CROSSBODY but Cena rolls through in a SWINGING FACE PLANT for a 2.5! Ricky slides off the AA in a ROLLINS ELBOW, Cena rolls to the apron, Ricky tries a DRAPING DDT but John resists but Ricky SHOULDER TACKLES to the ribs sends Cena off the apron. John eats a SPEAR off the steps for a 2.9! Cena flips out of a ROSHAMBO with the STF but Ricky rolls Cena down to ELBOWS his ribs for an innovative escape
The first fight between the 2 comes to a crazy close. Ricky slips to the apron out of the AA. He climbs the top rope but Cena picks him for the SUPER AA! Cena punches his ticket to the finals with bad ribs
John Cena vs Ricky Starks to advance (14:55)
SD (20/6/25)
Randy’s rooting
Cena is in his locker room. Orton confronts him with a clear motive
Orton: John? I just wanted to congratulate you on coming this far in KING OF THE RING. I believe in you. I believe you can win it & once you do. I’ll be a 16 time WWE Champion. There I want to face you for your 17TH TITLE. Make no mistake – I’ll beat you but I want that for us Cena: Focus on your title match. I’ll see you soon
KOTR FINALISTS
Cena is face to face with his KOTR FINALIST – BRON BREKKER! All the memories of their first feud flashes in their eyes. Brekker is in mocking demeanour
Brekker: John? It’s been a while. A lot has changed. I don’t have a title but I’m going to punch an easy ticket to MY FIRST WWE WORLD TITLE! Because you’ve not changed at all. Going into Mania you didn’t have a title. You were hurt. Despite you giving it your all. You lost to me. It’s going to be the same if not worse Cena: I’m sure you know about Dragon Ball! In that show the protagonists are the aliens called SAIYANS! Their best trait is you put them down once they come back as SUPER SAIYANS. You put them down twice. They come back, beyond SUPER SAIYAN. This vicious cycle continues until they don’t win. You’ve beaten SUPER CENA once. Now it’s time I go beyond. Last time I took you to the limits with bad ribs. Imagine what I’ll do now that the momentum is on my side – FORMER CHAMP (Before Brekker responds. World Champ Gunther interrupts) Gunther: I don’t care who walks out – KING OF THE RING! I want you to pick me at Summerslam. Last year I won that crown, then I won this title at Summerslam. Since then I’ve restored the prestige of this title. Now I need to cement its secrecy. The only way it happens – If I main event Summerslam against the new KING to prove myself – THE GREATEST KING & WORLD CHAMPION! Good luck gentlemen. May the best man.. lose to me
Gunther leaves Bron & Cena in a state of intensity. They don’t move at all while the show closes

KING & QUEEN OF THE RING

Real Randy
Cole: These 2 never fails to amaze me. Randy may have failed to be a 16 time champ but he’s definitely inserting his name to achieve that one day
Randy’s sitting next to the barricade with a devastated look. The replay shows Cody turning the RKO into a TRIPLE CROSS RHODES to retain. Suddenly Randy drops Cody with the RKO! Orton PUNTS Cody. Signalling THE APEX PREDATOR’S return
2025 KOTR FINALE John Cena vs Bron Brekker
This is beyond just the finals. It’s the finale to this epic feud. The bell rings – Cena cautiously protects his ribs as Brekker eyes to target them. Brekker circles around to catch Cena off guard. Bron mimics their first fight opening. He comes RUNNING but Cena picks him for the AA. He slides off for a SPEAR but Cena smartly dodges this time. Bron rebounds for a 2ND SPEAR but Cena hits a BACK BODY DROP for a 2! Just like their 2ND fight Cena rains with a SERIES OF PUNCHES but Bron drives Cena to the corner with SHOULDER BLOCKS. Adding more to the rib injury. The story is set to conclude this storied feud, playing off the last battles with new spots. Cena’s in urgency to finish this to save himself from further injury
SPOTS: Just like the last time Brekker stuns John – He builds speed for a CLOTHESLINE but Cena ducks this time for a DOUBLE COLLISION that hurts Cena’s ribs. Cena lifts Brekker for the AA but Brekker slides back to push Cena in a REBOUND SPINEBUSTER for a 2.4 to damage the ribs. Brekker follows to the outside & frees a STEEL CHAIR to POWERSLAM Cena on it but Cena gets him up for the AA on the chair, a weapon enticing him on this tour but Brekker slips out to GORILLA PRESS Cena on the chair to cause ultimate damage, adding a chair spot to their 3RD fight too. Cena hoists Bron for AA out of a SPEAR but due to his ribs it’s one handed, allowing Brekker to hit FRANKENSTEINER but Cena immediately rises for a DROPKICK to mirror the MANIA spot. Bron BELLY TO BELLY Cena to the floor. Bron tries to SPEAR Cena in the announce desk but is dropped with the AA in the table
The epic feud is coming to a close. Cena brings Bron back in but Bron drops him with a desperate SPEAR. Cena gets the rope break. Cena escapes a RECLINER to pick Brekker for the AA but Bron slips out in such a hurry that he knocks the ref out. Bron quickly gets the knuckles but Cena AAs him. Cena takes Brekker to the top rope for a SUPER AA but there’s no ref. Cena takes the brass knuckles away. He considers using them but Brekker pulls him down for a RECLINER. Cena has the urgency to prevent his ribs. He slides from underneath to show improvement after Mania. Cena locks the STF. Ref’s back. Brekker faints
John Cena def. Bron Brekker to win 2025 KING OF THE RING (21:25)
Cole: Cena does it. For the first time in his career John can call himself KING OF THE RING. The only other time Cena was in a KING OF THE RING – It was 2002 – His debut Corey: Now in his last year he wins it to punch his ticket for #17! What an illustrious career
INCARNATION
Bret Hart -The first ever KOTR crowns Cena as 2025 KING OF THE RING. He celebrates with a clear aim for Summerslam

POST K&Q-OTR

Raw (23/6/25)
Summerslam main event
Cena opens Raw after becoming KOTR. He has punched his ticket to Summerslam
Cena: You all already know why I’m here. I was on Smackdown lately. Showing up on Raw after the KING OF THE RING win makes it clear. I’d 2 choices – To go after the current FACE OF THE WWE – WWE Champion Cody Rhodes OR To go after the most dominant champion regardless of the title – World Champion Gunther. I’d love to go after Cody but I didn’t. Not because of what Gunther said but because – I’m sure Cody isn’t done with Randy. More importantly – Gunther thinks he’s the saviour of integrity of this ring & the World title. Usually that’s alright but Gunther thinks he’s the only one who can do that. I’m a 16 time World Champ. Soon to be 17 -You may have set records with the titles you but I BREAK RECORDS
Gunther & Ludwig Kaiser come out. Gunther & Cena come face to face with Gunther’s title being the focus. Ludwig’s about to hit Cena but Gunther stops him. Gunther lifts his title high & looks at Cena. He doesn’t even touch Cena but the energy is unreal
Raw (30/6/25)
Gunther’s Response
Gunther with Kaiser stands in the ring under. Ludwig addresses on behalf of Gunther
Ludwig; Ladder & gentlemen – For those of you not aware – Your newly crowned KING – THE GOAT JOHN CENA has chosen to take a hiatus.. again. Some might believe he’s hiding. Others may say he’s re-evaluating his challenge to Gunther at Summerslam.. But let’s make it clear Gunther actually respects Cena Gunther (takes over): John? I know why you need a break. I respect it. In fact I want you to utilise this time wisely. Rest, recover & return at your 110%! You need it at Summerslam. You’re not like the others. You’re a part timer. But everytime, you return, you fight for the integrity of what we do. The proof is you didn’t use the brass knuckles in the finals when you could. Your decision to not cheat earned my respect. That’s why I’ve decided to not hurt you.. until Summerslam. Take the time you need. But.. It doesn’t matter if you’re 50%, 100 %, 110% or more. I need to protect this mat & this title from you (Gunther stands tall with his title)

Going into Summerslam – Gunther instructs Ludwig to not disturb his business with John. Gunther also keeps discussing that respect he has for John yet he’s superior

Raw (21/7/25)
Cena & Gunther face off
Cena: Gunther? In the Summerslam main event – I’m set to conquer the most dangerous of them all. Let’s get it straight – You’re the most dominant athlete in the business today. You call this mat sacred. You fight like hell to protect it. That’s exactly why beating you for my 17th World title means that much more. I couldn’t have asked for a better opponent to make history against Gunther: John.. I must commend you. After all the setbacks you’ve had in your last year. It’s remarkable to see you still standing with such confidence. But it’s not just built on your decades of accomplishments. You’ve had recent successes to remind us why you’re still here. I admire your passion for this business. But this is as far as your passion gets you. I haven’t touched you for all these weeks. Not because I can’t but because I’m saving it for Summerslam. We’re both passionate about this but there’s a key difference between us. I’m the greatest wrestler in the world. You are just the greatest superstar Cena: You know what? You’re dominant. But let’s be real here – There’s a secret to your dominance. it’s not just your talent. It’s that you’ve artificially designed yourself to be this way. Always having sidekicks by your side, then holding them back, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash them like dogs. Ludwig is the sidekick that’s always in the back pocket of yours. But when SummerSlam rolls around, Hw can’t save you from me
Suddenly Ludwig blindsides Cena with a FOREARM. He doesn’t look to Gunther for approval. But Gunther pulls him back. Cena quickly recovers, shoving Gunther out of the way & dropping Ludwig with the AA. Cena stands tall, his eyes on Gunther, who’s pissed at Ludwig
Raw (28/07/25)
John Cwna vs Ludwig Kaiser
Corey: Look at Ludwig go. He’s not letting Cena breath Cole: It’s not looking good for Cena
Ludwig is giving Cena CORNER UPPERCUTS. He goes for a RUNNING UPPERCUT but Cena cuts him off with a BIG LARIAT. Cena rolls through for the AA to get the W
John Cena def. Ludwig Kaiser (9:45)
Cole: You can never count Cena out. There’s a reason he’s THE GOAT
STATEMENT
Gunther runs to the ring. Exhausted Cena smartly rolls out but Gunther didn’t come for Cena. Gunther CHOPS Ludwig. Gunther doesn’t stop. He viciously assaults Ludwig. He even drops him with a POWERBOMB on the apron, then through the announce desk. Cena looks stunned

SUMMERSLAM

World Heavyweight Championship Gunther (C) vs John Cena
Match feels like a mañia main event. Cena clearly used his break to get more jacked. Gunther’s focused. They stare down after the bell. They circle each other to advance into a TEST OF STRENGTH. This is that rare time where Cena’s overpowered. Gunther gets a SIDE HEADLOCK! Cena rebounds him off the ropes. He LEAP FROG but Gunther easily grabs him in a BEARHUG! Cena’s already in trouble. His back is in pain. Cena finds space for RAPID ELBOWS to Gunther’s shoulder. He escapes to stare at Gunther from the corner. He knows it’s going to be an uphill battle
SPOTS: Cena lays a flurry of FISTS but Gunther’s unfazed, Cena comes with his FLYING TACKLE but is CHOPPED midair for a 2.25 so early. A BIG BOOT sends Cena in the corner but he KICKS Gunther away, A FLYING TORNADO DDT off the 2ND ROPE drops Gunther for a 2.5! Gunther shoves Cena from the AA, a SHOTGUN DROPKICK for a 2.65! Cena turns a POWERBOMB in a FRANKENSTEINER & DROPKICK combo but Gunther turns the AA in a GERMAN SUPLEX, hurting Cena’s back. Cena quickly turns a SLEEPER in the AA for a 2.9! Gunther slides in the front from the AA with HARD FISTS to Cena’s back, hitting a POWERBOMB for a 2.95, Gunther shifts to an ANKLE LOCK but Cena survives long enough to push him face first in the corner, Cena locks in the STF but Gunther finally powers out of the hold with bare hands
After a tremendous fight it feels like the victory is one move away. A POWERBOMB is turned in the AA but Gunther REVERSE LIFT in the POWERSLAM! Cena escapes to return with a SPRINGBOARD STUNNER! & SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMB. Cena hits the AA but Gunther kicks out at 2 with authority. Cena’s shocked. Gunther rises to his feet easily. Gunther with a BRUTAL LARIAT. Gunther goes to the top for a BODY SPLASH but Cena stops him with a SUPER AA but the bad back gives up. The Champ lands back. Gunther drops Cena with a SUPER POWERBOMB! Cena’s back is crushed but he kicks out with authority at ONE to shock Gunther! Who wastes no time to put Cena in a KNEELING CHOKE! Cena tries to hang on before fainting
Gunther (C) def. John Cena (22:30)

POST SUMMERSLAM

Cena’s completely absent from the WWE for a few months. There’s a lot of teasing about who will challenge him for the last phase of his retirement tour

CHAPTER FOUR: THE TIME IS NOW

SD (7/11/25)
FACE OF THE WWE
Arena erupts at John Cena’s return. He’s visibly emotional in the spotlight
Cena: I gotta admit – Everytime I step into this ring – you all make me feel like I’m still THE FACE OF WWE. For 23 years – you’ve made my life special. I’m beyond privileged for the iconic moments I’ve had in the last 2 plus decades. But.. the time is now. This last run didn’t go as planned but I have no regrets. I’m going out on my own terms. Plan was to retire at the end of 2025. We’re almost there. No better place to say goodbye than to Survivor Series. But before I go – I want one last fight. Who’s going to give me that fight? You want some. Come get some
WWE Champion Cody Rhodes confronts Cena in the ring
Cody: John? it would be an honour to face you at Survivor Series but not just to give you a fight but to a shot at your 17th title.. Cena (interrupts): Cody.. I’ve tried too many times. After all the setbacks. I can’t just get a title shot handed to me. I can’t walk from one shot to the next without earning it Cody: I’ve told this story before but not on TV! John.. When I joined WWE! I naively thought I’d be the NEXT JOHN CENA in 2 years but it took me over a decade to even come close. I feel the struggle, the setbacks. Let me make it clear – no matter what anyone says – you were, are & always will be the FACE OF THE COMPANY. If I’m going to cement my place as your successor? I need this match more than you. Can you retire without testing the man who wants to carry your legacy?”
Cena stares at Cody! A slow, determined smile forming. He nods silently accepting the challenge. The crowd erupts at the moment

Going into the PLE – This match is a clash between THE CURRENT FACE VS THE ALL TIME FACE OF THE WWE! They aim to be the superior of THE FACE

SD (28/11/25)
FACE OF THE WWE
The show closes on Cody & Cena face to face before the PLE
Cena: Cody.. This isn’t just about MY 17TH TITLE! It’s not just about me retiring on a high note. This isn’t just about you facing one of your idols. This is about the fate of the WWE. You want to be the face of this company. I need to know that I’m leaving the WWE in the right hands. I’ve been in the business for long enough to know “There are many to step up but a few to keep up” Which one of them are you? Cody: I’ve spent my entire career to get to where you’ve been. You carried this company longer than anyone but it’s time for someone to not just take that torch from you but keep it until the next one arrives. I’ll take that from you. No.. I’ll earn it from you. When I beat you – It won’t just be your 17th title slipping away. It’ll be the tag of FACE OF THE WWE! I’ve got the title but you’ve still got that tag. Come Survivor Series – that’s coming to me Cena: You’ve got the talent, talking & the title but when you’re standing across from me in that ring. You’re not just fighting for just a title. You are fighting for a legacy that’s built on 23 years of HUSTLE, LOYALTY & RESPECT! At Survivor Series – you can’t stop me from saying THE CHAMP IS HERE
Cody raises his title. Cena eyes it. Both men locked in a stare-down as the camera fades out

SURVIVOR SERIES

WWE Championship Cody Rhodes (C) vs John Cena
Main event is a generational clash meant for the Mania main-event. Current face of WWE vs the All-time face. If Cena doesn’t get his 17th title. He’s done. Cena & Cody share a thrilling look. They start with the TEST OF STRENGTH. Cena dominates early on but Cody rises from his knees to fight. Cena dominates again but Cody drops down to flip Cena off his feet. Cody & Cena share a heavy look. Knowing this is A BIG MATCH
SPOTS: Cena’s 5 KNUCKLE SHUFFLE is cut by Cody’s DISASTER KICK for a 2.25! Cody tries an early CROSS RHODES but Cena reverses in a MICHINOKU DRIVER for a 2.35! Cena misses a LARIAT, Cody comes back with a LARIAT of his own but misses, they meet in a DOUBLE COLLISION. Cena turns a MOONSAULT for the AA but Cody flips out in a CODY CUTTER for a 2.5! Cena spins out of a FIGURE 4 right in the STF, Cody barely gets a rope break. Cody attempts a 2ND straight SUICIDE DIVE but Cena runs back in for the AA for a 2.9! Cody turns the AA for a CROSS RHODES but Cena lifts him for the AA but Cody slides back for a CROSS RHODES for a 2.9! Cena catches a CODY CUTTER in mid air for the AA but Cody kicks out at 2.97
Generational clash is about to close. Cody blocks Cena’s LEG DROP but Cena pushes him back. Cody kicks out or a CROSS BODY at 2.75! Cena shockingly dead lifts Cody for the AA. Cody escapes for an ALABAMA but Cena PUNCHES him down. A SUNSET FLIP POWERBOMBS & SPRINGBOARD STUNNER for a 2.95! Cody flips out of the AA in a DISASTER KICK! A CODY CUTTER! A DOUBLE CROSS RHODES but Cena spins out of the 3RD for the AA! Cena rolls through for the 2ND AA but Cody slides back into a TRIPLE CROSS RHODES for the W
Cody Rhodes (C) def. John Cena (24:15)
Cole: For the first time in my life I don’t know if I should be happy or not. Cody did cement himself tonight but Cena may never get his 17TH title anymore Corey: I know this much. Calling this match was a privilege
TIME TO GO
Cena endorses Cody! Rhodes leaves the spotlight to Cena! Fans’ react emotionally. Cena slowly removes his wristbands. Ready to go home but out of nowhere Orton drops Cena with the RKO. He PUNTS Cena with a cold look. Randy yells “This was supposed to be us” Randy escapes from the crowd as Cody comes to check on Cena

CHAPTER FOUR: THE TIME IS UP

POST SURVIVOR SERIES

SD (5/12/25)
THE LAST OF US
Orton’s in the ring in a menace demeanour. He’s soaking the hate with a cold look before he explains
Randy: Not that I care but I know a lot of you here, in the back & behind the camera are upset with me. Well.. I’m upset too. I’m upset at John. I’m upset about what I’d do to him at Survivor Series. I’m upset with myself. You see – John & I are THE LAST OF OUR GENERATION! The moment at Survivor Series was supposed to be “us” One of us going for the iconic record-breaking NUMBER 17TH against the other. It’s no secret that I wanted that for years but John took it away from me. It’s not like it couldn’t have happened. It’s because John failed. I failed. We failed. He failed when he couldn’t win the Rumble, I failed when I didn’t have the title & John was ready to fight. We failed when John was ready to go without giving me that moment. I love John but after such a failure. I’d to send him home for good because he wasn’t ready to give me that moment. He’s gone but I’m still here. I’m going to be a 16 time champion then I’ll do what John couldn’t & be a 17 time champion, then 18, 19, 20 & way more than John could ever be. I’m the APEX PREDATOR & I’ll be back at the top of the food chain
Orton drops the mic to embrace the absolute hate from the fans for what he did to a most like retired Cena

Going into the next PLE – Orton set his eyes on Cody for a 16th WWE title. Cody accepted it to redeem one his idol on Cena. But the fans are left saddened due to the fact that John is most like retired from the in-ring competition but he has yet to make any official statement

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION 2026

LATEST CHAPTER – PREDATOR VS NIGHTMARE
Corey: What an addition of the latest chapter in a long standing blood feud between Randy & Rhodes Cole: But this is ridiculous if you ask me. A ref’s error cost Cody his title Corey: Say what you want but the history would say – Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes for his 16th WWE title
Cody’s being helped to the back. Randy’s clutching the title in the corner. The replay shows Randy wobbling on a bad leg with a frustrated face but somehow catches Cody in a midair RKO but Cody still kicks out. Randy instantly PUNTS Cody but collapses in the pin. Ref counts to 3 to declare Orton the champ but Randy’s own shoulders were down too in the pin because or how he collapsed but the ref didn’t see him until after the results
ONE MORE TIME
Suddenly John Cena’s music hits. Cena surprisingly comes out in his ring gear to an electric pop. Cena & Orton are face to face. Behind Cena a graphic appears on the big screen – Declaring Cena for the 2026 MEN’S ROYAL RUMBLE! Confirming – Cena is still here. Orton psychotically stares back at a confident Cena
Cole: This is unbelievable- THE GOAT JOHN CENA has returned for the Royal Rumble

POST NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

SD (10/1/26)
HISTORIC DECISION
Triple H alongside G.M Nick Aldis & a couple of officials confronts the WWE Champion in the ring. Triple H has a heavy look on his face
Triple H: Randy? I’ve known for a very long time. I’ve seen you come a long way. Under any other circumstances – I would be here to congratulate you on your 16th title win but.. the controversial ending to New Year’s Resolution can’t be ignored. Cody lost that night but you didn’t win either. Alongside Cody – Your shoulders were down too. In light of that, the WWE board has decided that your historic run comes to an abrupt end. You’re being stripped off the title. Effected immediately
Randy’s shocked. He avoids the officials to not let them take away his title but Nick talk some sense into him
Nick: I understand how you feel but if you don’t cooperate – You lose the chance to get any sort of compensation from my side & the company too
Randy reluctantly let the title escape his grasps. Triple H is about to leave with Nick but not without a last word
Triple H: Randy? I know this will be tough for you to hear but alongside ending your historic rain. The company has made a historic decision. The winners of this year’s Men’s Royal Rumble & Elimination Chamber will collide in the main event of Wrestlemania for this vacant WWE title. If you find yourself a 2ND CHANCE! Don’t screw it up
Triple H & Nick leaves but Randy drops the officials with vicious RKOS before leaving like a maniac from the crowd

Going into the Rumble – So many superstars have made claims to win the Rumble, make even Mania to become the WWE Champion but a certain 16 time Champion has yet to address properly

SD (30/1/26)
THE LAST TIME IS NOW
John Cena makes his return on Friday before Rumble to an expected eruption. Cena takes the spotlight with a mic
Cena: By every imaginable scenario – I should’ve been retired from the in ring competition by now. But here I am. Partly because of Randy Orton. What he did at Survivor Series – Attacking me when I was ready to say goodbye – That hit hard. But what he said & did afterwards. That left me no choice but to come back. A large part of my career has revolved around breaking Ric Flair’s all-time record of 16 World titles. I fought too damn hard for that but as I was on that path. Another veteran stopped up as the 16 time champion – Randy Orton. Now he’s eyeing the 17th. I can’t let Randy fulfil the prophecy that I’ve been fighting for so many years. That’s because Randy has become a psychopath. I can’t let him call himself the 17 time champion before me. Right now the WWE landscape presents a rare opportunity to make history. The WWE title is vacant. Royal Rumble & Elimination Chamber’s winners are set to clash for that gold in the main event of Wrestlemania. If there’s ever been a time to make history. It’s now. I’ve heard everyone talking about going to Wrestlemania for this. Drew McIntyre, Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, CM Punk & more. Heck I wouldn’t be shocked if the cameraman told me – he’ll go to Wrestlemania for the title. But I’m not here to talk. I’m here to guarantee. I’m going to Wrestlemania. My last one & I’m going to come out a 17 time WWE Champion because – “Sometimes there’s no next time”
John drops the mic, ready to leave but he stops due to CM Punk’s music. Punk & Cena come face to face for a stare down. Their silence speaks volumes about their iconic history. The fans go crazy at the face off to close the show

ROYAL RUMBLE 2026

30 Men Royal Rumble
John Cena poetically enters at #17! He gives a great performance. Sending notable names like Knight, Mcintyre, Brekker, Logan out of the match. Shocking his rivals on his last Rumble
Cole: What a performance by Cena. I know I failed last year with my pick but I pick him again Corey: Even if your pick doesn’t win but if this is Cena’s Last Rumble. What a way to go out
Last 3 are Cena, Orton & Punk. Orton tries to RKO Cena but is pushed into Punk for a GTS into the AA from Cena over the ropes & out of the Rumble. Cena & Punk mix up in a regular bout but at last Punk goes to GTS Cena but Cena avoids the knee to AA Punk over the ropes. Punk slips to the apron. He tries to pull Cena out with a GUILLOTINE! Cena’s pulled but he pushes Punk off the apron. Causing them both to fall simultaneously. The bell is rung
Both men get in the ring to find out who won. Ref discusses the outcome. They replay shows – Cena landing on Punk. Therefore Punk hit the floor first. Giving Cena a HUGE W! This is the mirror image of the 2005 Rumble for Cena but this time – Cena makes history. Punk falls to the corner in disbelief. Cena emotionally celebrates his historic 3RD Rumble victory to tie Steave Austin
John Cena wins (66:16)

POST ROYAL RUMBLE

SD (6/2/26)
FULL CIRCLE
CM Punk shows up on Friday from Monday. Punk stands in the next to a crazy crowd
Punk: I know I’m from Raw. Showing up here again & again isn’t in my contract but I’m here with reasons. Firstly I would like to call out the 2026 Royal Rumble winner John Cena (Punk & Cena come face to face) Congrats John – You tied Steve Austin with your 3RD historic Rumble win. But I’ve to say – Seeing you celebrating makes me.. mad at myself. Since my return I’ve been chasing what has always eluded me – Wrestlemania main event. This time I was an inch away but an inch too far Cena: I know how it feels. That’s my story too with the 17th WWE title. But you’re definitely not here for comparison. Let’s cut to the chase Punk: You’re right. I’m not here to compare. I’m here to settle the controversy. You’ve always been the thorn between me & my Wrestlemania main event. Even in your last Rumble it was no different. The only difference is it’s truly controversial. Is this the legacy you want to leave behind? Cena: More things change, the more they stay the same. 2013 – we were in the same boat. 2026 – we’re at it again. So how about we do what we did back then. You & me at the Elimination Chamber. Winner gets the main event of Wrestlemania! Just know this “It’ll come full circle because I’ll beat you.. again” Punk: At Elimination Chamber – You’ll find out why I’m “BEST IN THE WORLD”
Cena & Punk come nose to nose to an electric pop. The match is official

Going to Chamber – Cena & Punk engage in back & forth promos. Punk’s determined to beat Cena this time for his Mania main event due to Punk’s superior athleticism. Cena’s focused to not let himself down on his last chance

REST IS IN THE COMMENTS