While the postseason goes on in Fantasy World, there will be no playoffs for Patrick Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs.

The future hall of famer went down with a season-ending knee injury. The Chiefs will play out the string with the barely-functional Gardner Minshew. No fantasy maven in his or her right mind will do the same.

The hottest quarterback right now is Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence, who had his career-best day last week against the feeble Jets. But you’re at least a week too late to claim him on waivers. But here are some guys you might be able to claim this week:

C.J. Stroud (Texans) — The former rookie of the year looked like his old self with three TD passes last week. This week’s foe (Raiders) is very weak, but next week’s (Chargers) is not.

Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud (7) runs away from the pressure by Arizona Cardinals linebackers Josh Sweat (10) and Zaven Collins (25) as Texans offensive tackles Trent Brown (77) and Aireontae Ersery (79) make blocks during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Houston. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Tyler Shough (Saints) — The Louisville rookie is getting more comfortable as a starter, having run for two scores in Week 14. Has the weak defenses of Jets and Titans the next two weeks.

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) celebrates after a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Tyler Kaufman)

Marcus Mariota (Commanders) — The former Heisman Trophy winner has six TD passes in his last four starts replacing Jayden Daniels. But he has to face tough Philly defense this week.

Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) carries the ball against the New York Giants during the first quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) — He’s up and he’s down, but the Vikings’ rookie is valuable as a running threat with three TDs this season. Can add to that total against Giants and Lions.

Dallas Cowboys linebacker Demarvion Overshown (0) looks on as Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Kirk Cousins (Falcons) — You like that? The former Viking had 373 yards and three TDs last week in Tampa Bay. He could approach that number this week against Cardinals.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) makes a pass attempt during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Thursday, Dec 11, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Peter Joneleit)

Philip Rivers (Colts) — If you like your desperation QBs well seasoned, this fortysomething played OK last week. But his next two opponents (49ers, Jaguars) will be tough.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers (17) looks to throw during the second half of an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Sitting stars

New Orleans’ defense is playing well lately, and Jets RB Breece Hall is not . … Cleveland rookie RB Quinshon Judkins looks like he’s already running out of gas, so don’t count on him against Buffalo. … Same goes for banged-up Denver rookie RB R.J. Harvey versus Jacksonville. … Two top tight ends are being sunk by their surroundings, so be wary of starting the Raiders’ Brock Bowers against Houston or Chiefs’ Travis Kelce versus the Titans. … And two top QBs are likely to underwhelm against strong defenses in Week 16: Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson against New England and Dallas’ Dak Prescott versus the Chargers.

Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. runs with the ball during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

Matchup game

The Giants’ poor run defense should make both Vikings RBs, Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason, decent starting options. … Miami RB De’Von Achane will run through Cincinnati. … Seattle will be hard-pressed to slow Rams RB Kyren Williams, who has eight TDs in his last seven games. … Tennessee RB Tony Pollard will continue his late-season revival against the dispirited Chiefs. … Two hot receivers that will stay that way are the Bears’ D.J. Moore against Green Bay and Philly’s A.J. Brown against Washington. … And two no-names who could post strong numbers this week are Saints WR Devaughn Vele versus the Jets and Detroit WR Isaac TeSlaa versus Pittsburgh.

Jacksonville Jaguars safety Eric Murray (29) tackles New York Jets running back Breece Hall (20) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Injury watch

Other than the Mahomes departure, the biggest exit last week was Rams wideout Davante Adams, who is having a banner season but is now week to week with a hamstring injury. … Chicago WR Rome Odunze was still not available last week, and Packers WR Christian Watson is iffy because of a shoulder injury.… Noteables listed as questionable to start the week include six running backs (Houston’s Woody Marks, Saints’ Alvin Kamara and Devin Neal, Washington’s Chris Rodriguez, Cleveland‘s Dylan Sampson, Arizona’s Bam Knight) and four wide receivers (Atlanta’s Drake London, Cincinnati’s Tee Higgins, Arizona’s Marvin Harrison Jr., San Fran’s Ricky Pearsall).

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) makes a catch over Detroit Lions cornerback D.J. Reed (4) during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Katie Chin)

Deepest sleeper

Houston running back Jawhar Jordan made some history Sunday in his first game off the practice squad. After Marks went down with a foot injury against Arizona, Jordan rushed 15 times for 101 yards. The 2024 draft pick out of Louisville became the first player to top the century mark in his NFL debut since San Francisco’s Elijah Mitchell in 2021. Jordan could see a lot of action this week against lowly Las Vegas.

Houston Texans running back Jawhar Jordan (22) rushes against the Detroit Lions during an NFL football game in Detroit, Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

The Thursday/Saturday picks

Rams at Seahawks (+1½)
Pick: Rams by 3

Packers at Bears (+1½)
Pick: Packers by 3

Eagles at Commanders (+6½)
Pick: Eagles by 11

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata (68) celebrate the touchdown of Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

You can hear Kevin Cusick on Thursdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on X– @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.

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Today is Wednesday, Dec. 17, the 351st day of 2025. There are 14 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On Dec. 17, 1979, Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance broker and former Marine, was beaten by police after leading them on a chase with his motorcycle in Miami. McDuffie died four days later. (Four white police officers accused of beating McDuffie were acquitted in 2000, sparking riots in Miami that led to several deaths and millions of dollars in damages.)

Also on this date:

In 1777, France becomes one of the first nations to officially recognize the independence of the United States.

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In 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright conducted the first successful manned, powered airplane flights near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, using their experimental craft, the Wright Flyer.

In 1933, the Chicago Bears defeated the New York Giants 23-21 in the first NFL championship game.

In 1944, U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Henry C. Pratt rescinded incarceration orders for people of Japanese ancestry during World War II; more than 110,000 people, about two-thirds of them U.S. citizens, had been forced into camps after a February 1942 executive order by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1963, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Clean Air Act into law; it was the first federal legislation targeting the control of air pollution.

In 1975, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme was sentenced to life in prison for her attempt on the life of President Gerald R. Ford in Sacramento, California. (She was paroled in August 2009.)

In 1989, “The Simpsons” debuts on Fox television; it has become the longest-running animated U.S. TV series.

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari signed the North American Free Trade Agreement in separate ceremonies; NAFTA went into effect in 2004 and was replaced by the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement in 2020.

In 2014, the United States and Cuba announced they would restore diplomatic relations, which had been severed in 1961 after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution overthrew a U.S.-backed government. Full diplomatic relations resumed in 2015.

In 2024, Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, a senior Russian general, was killed by a bomb hidden in a scooter outside his apartment building in Moscow, a day after Ukraine’s security service accused him of directing the use of banned chemical weapons in Russia’s war in Ukraine. A Ukrainian official said the service carried out the attack in which Kirillov’s assistant also died.

Today’s Birthdays:

Actor Armin Mueller-Stahl is 95.
Actor Ernie Hudson is 80.
Political commentator Chris Matthews is 80.
Comedian-actor Eugene Levy is 79.
Actor Wes Studi is 78.
Rock singer Paul Rodgers is 76.
Actor Bill Pullman is 72.
Filmmaker Peter Farrelly is 69.
Rock musician Mike Mills (R.E.M.) is 67.
Country singer Tracy Byrd is 59.
Actor Laurie Holden is 56.
Actor Claire Forlani is 54.
Filmmaker Rian Johnson is 52.
Actor Sarah Paulson is 51.
Actor Giovanni Ribisi is 51.
Actor Milla Jovovich (YO’-vuh-vich) is 50.
Boxer Manny Pacquiao is 47.
Actor Emma Bell is 39.
Actor-singer Nat Wolff is 31.

With the Washington Capitals in town, fans who came to Grand Casino Arena hoping to see a Russian sniper illuminate the goal light absolutely got what they were expecting. Sort of.

Capitals legend Alexander Ovechkin was held scoreless, but Wild veteran Vladimir Tarasenko had a pair of goals, helping Minnesota to a 5-0 win on Tuesday.

It was a Russian-dominated night for the Wild, with Kirill Kaprizov and Danila Yurov — after a pretty assist by Tarasenko — also scoring. Matt Boldy added a late shorthanded goal.

The fifth victory in a row for the Wild came due in part to a 25-save shutout performance from goalie Filip Gustavsson, and avenged a lopsided loss to the Capitals earlier in the season.

Kaprizov scored in the second period and made franchise history in the process. His 70th career power play goal moved Kaprizov ahead of Zach Parise for the most man advantage goals in franchise history.  It was also Kaprizov’s 206th career goal, which places him second on the Wild’s career list, one better than Mikko Koivu. The franchise record of 219 is held by Marian Gaborik.

Minnesota emerged from the first period with a lead after Tarasenko wired the team’s first shot on goal past the Caps’ goalie with a wrist shot from the high slot. It was Tarasenko’s fourth goal of the season and his first at home since Nov. 1.

After the Wild killed the game’s first power play, the lead nearly doubled, but Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren thwarted Marcus Foligno’s breakaway with a glove save. On the next shift, Gusvatsson did the same, making a left pad save on Connor McMichael’s breakaway attempt.

Already thin on the blue line, the Wild lost defenseman Daemon Hunt in the first after what appeared to be a knee-on-knee collision with Washington center Ethen Frank.

Minnesota finally created some breathing room on a second period power play, when a long-range shot by Quinn Hughes hit traffic in front, but Kaprizov backhanded the rebound past Lindgren for a 2-0 lead.

Matt Kiersted, playing his second game for the Wild, assisted on Boldy’s shorthanded goal. I t was Kiersted’s first point in the Minnesota uniform.

Lindgren, the former Lakeville North and St. Cloud State star, had 27 saves for Washington, which had beaten the Wild 5-1 in October at their home rink a few blocks from the White House.

The Wild have a brief break in their homestanding ways in December, paying their only visit of the season to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT. Columbus beat the Wild 7-4 in Minnesota’s home opener on Oct. 11.

Briefly

One of the bigger ovations of the night came during a first period media timeout when Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch was shown on the arena’s video screen. Finch, 56, who has led the Wolves to the Western Conference final the past two seasons, was taking in the game from a suite. Wolves power forward Julius Randle, attending the game with his family, posted a social media video welcoming Hughes to Minnesota.

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Democratic-Farmer-Labor primary voters in St. Paul’s House District 64A on Tuesday picked Meg Luger-Nikolai as the candidate who will advance to the January special election.

Luger-Nikolai, a labor lawyer who had the DFL endorsement, had nearly 30% of the vote in a six-candidate contest, according to unofficial results late Tuesday night. Progressive organizer Dan McGrath was the runner-up, with 27% of the vote.

One Republican candidate filed to run in District 64A, ruling out the need for a primary.

Meanwhile, Shelley Buck won the Democratic-Farmer-Labor special primary for Woodbury and Maplewood’s House District 47A. Buck had about 88% of the vote in a three-way race, according to unofficial results.

No Republicans filed to run in District 47A.

Undated courtesy photo, circa December 2025, of Meg Luger-Nikolai, a Democratic candidate in the special primary election for House District 64A on Dec. 16, 2025. The election is to replace Kaohly Her, who vacated her House 64A seat after being elected mayor of St. Paul in November 2025. (Courtesy of the candidate)

Buck is the former president of the Prairie Island Tribal Council and director of a Dakota-led nonprofit organization working to restore land around St. Anthony Falls in Minneapolis, known as Owámniyomni in the Dakota language. She had the DFL endorsement.

Winners of Tuesday’s pair of DFL special primary elections for two vacant House seats advance to the Jan. 27 special general election. No Republican primary was required in either House district.

Prairie Island Indian Community President Shelley Buck speaks at the Treasure Island Center ribbon cutting in St. Paul on Jan. 16, 2018. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

Districts 47A and 64A have been vacant since their former representatives won election to new offices in November.

Rep. Kaohly Her, DFL-St. Paul, was elected St. Paul’s next mayor, and Rep. Amanda Hemmingsen-Jaeger, DFL-Woodbury, won a special election for Senate District 47, the seat Nicole Mitchell resigned from after her burglary conviction.

Both districts strongly favor Democratic candidates. Six DFLers sought their party’s nomination in St. Paul’s District 64A, which includes the Union Park, Macalester-Groveland and Summit-University neighborhoods.

Besides Luger-Nikolai and McGrath, 64A candidates included:

• Beth Fraser, a former Minnesota deputy secretary of state.

• Matt Hill, an aide on the Ramsey County Board of Commissioners.

• Dan McGrath, a longtime progressive organizer.

• Lois Quam, a health care executive who helped implement MinnesotaCare.

• John Zwier, an assistant state attorney general under Attorney General Keith Ellison

Luger-Nikolai will face the sole Republican candidate, business owner Dan Walsh, in January.

DFLers dominate elections in St. Paul. Her won four consecutive two-year terms with more than 80% of the vote.

Three candidates sought the DFL nomination in House District 47A, which includes parts of the city of Woodbury and southern Maplewood.

Since no Republican filed paperwork to run in the district, Tuesday’s primary likely determines the winner of the January special general election.

Buck competed with David Azcona and Juli Servatius for the DFL nod.

The House currently has 67 Republican members and 65 DFL members, though barring a significant, unprecedented upset, January’s special elections are likely to return the chamber to a 67-67 tie, which voters delivered in the 2024 election.

The Minnesota Legislature is scheduled to reconvene on Feb. 17.

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