Dan Johnson has been an editor, writer, and analyst for DraftKings and DraftKings Network since 2024. He’s previously held editorial posts at The Paris Review, Macmillan Publishers, Bedford/St. Martin’s Press, ASSIGNMENT Magazine, and FantasySixPack. You can find his various editorial work & writing (sports-related and non-) at all of the above.
Week 17 shows up with bright lights and sharp edges, because the Rams are 11–4 and already in, but still stuck fighting for the cleanest January lane. Atlanta is 6–9 and eliminated, yet this still reads like a national stage for young pieces and future contracts. Last week left the Rams simmering after a chaotic, […]
December 29, 2025
Week 17 lands like a fork in the road for both franchises, even with different maps in their hands. Jacksonville is 11–4 and already punched a playoff ticket, but it still chases the cleanest path through January. Indianapolis is 8–7 and now eliminated from the playoff picture, so the urgency shifts into evaluation, pride, and […]
December 28, 2025
New England is 12–3, and every win still buys it something in the AFC’s top tier. The division is still on the table, and the seeding math still matters, so the Patriots can’t treat this like a preseason Sunday. The Jets are 3–12, living in that late-season fog of auditions, injuries, and quiet exits, where […]
December 27, 2025
Nashville gets a Week 17 that feels like a tryout and a verdict at the same time. Tyler Shough (QB) and Cam Ward (QB) aren’t placeholders, so nobody is calling it safe, even if the standings aren’t the headline. New Orleans arrives with a little late-season pulse, the kind that comes when the tape finally […]
December 27, 2025
Monday night lands in Indianapolis with the roof closed and the stakes loud. San Francisco is 10–4, already in, and still climbing for a cleaner seed. Indianapolis is 8–6, slipping in the AFC race, and playing from the edge. Brock Purdy (QB) brings the stable version of this offense, while Philip Rivers (QB) brings the […]
December 21, 2025
Sunday night in Baltimore isn’t just a matchup, it’s a checkpoint in the AFC race. New England is 11–3 and can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie, while Baltimore is 7–7 and playing to keep its season alive. The building will be loud, the calls will be aggressive, and every third down […]
December 21, 2025
Baltimore on Sunday night is the kind of stage where reputations get edited in real time. New England arrives at 11–3 with the playoffs within arm’s reach, and the pressure is the privilege. The Ravens sit at 7–7, and the margin for error is basically gone. Every camera angle will hunt for signs of panic, […]
December 21, 2025
After taking a sack that resulted in a scoop-and-score for the New York Giants, Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy ran to the halftime tunnel early with what the Vikings announced is a right hand injury. He’s since been ruled out, and won’t return to the game. Thankfully for any of McCarthy’s prop backers on DraftKings […]
December 21, 2025
Baltimore on Sunday night always feels like a referendum, and this one carries real AFC weight. New England is 11–3 and can clinch a playoff berth with a win or tie. Baltimore is 7–7, and the margin between “alive” and “done” is one loss. The league-wide ripple is the point, because this result changes wild-card […]
December 21, 2025
Detroit is 8–6, chasing breath in a crowded NFC North, and Ford Field still matters because it keeps the offense on its preferred rhythm. An NFC loss here doesn’t just sting, it shifts wild-card leverage and forces Detroit to start scoreboard-watching. Pittsburgh is 8–6, sitting atop the AFC North, and every win tightens its grip […]
December 21, 2025
Denver is 12–2, leading the AFC West, and every win keeps the AFC’s top-line math within reach. Jacksonville is 10–4, leading the AFC South, and a road cover here keeps its division grip firm while shaping the wild-card traffic behind it. This game also lands in the league’s Sunday window of consequences, where one result […]
December 21, 2025