Is it too early to print playoff tickets?

How about buy champagne and order championship rings? The Shit Talkers Division has a showdown this weekend as the upstart Gerbils try and hold off the second-place Packers

John Lambert — really, I'm not making this up — was at the top of the waiver wire this week and nabbed coveted Chargers RB Kimani Vidal, a third-stringer who has taken over as starter and had a huge day in Week 6.

Showdowns with huge playoff ramifications dot the card this week as we have finished a third of the 2025 schedule. Topping the list of rivalry showdowns is a battle between the leaders in the Shit Talkers Division — the 5-1 Gerbils and the 4-2 Packers.

With a couple of wild come-from-behind wins on Monday, four teams control their own destiny as the countdown to the playoffs ramps up.

Chuck Nelson’s Westchester Gerbils (an 86-percent chance to make the playoffs according to the stat gurus at ESPN) is the top team in the latest JSFL forecast. Amazing as the Gerbs started the season as the 8th-ranked team after the draft.

Second in the pecking order are the leaders in the Silent Division, the Spread Beaters, who sit with an 85-percent chance to advance. The league's top two scoring teams, the Del Mar Packers and the Hermosa Recliners, sit third and fourth, respectively, the Pack with a 79-percent chance and Chris Zimnoch's Recliners at 70 percent. There is no surprise for three of those four candidates. Who the hell would pick Chuck to finish anything?

Two Silent Division teams (WTNE and the Invaiders) are a distant tie for fifth place overall with matching 3-3 records and an identical 22-percent chance to advance (maybe for one of those, as one likely drops to 3-4 after a big loss this week to the Recliners, see the Swami’s predictions below).

The hapless Marietta Tirades are next in line with a remote, 16-percent chance to advance followed by Who Dey (9 percent chance), the Chandler Rangers (an 8-percent chance) and the Band Aids (with a 4-percent chance).

But, when we dive deeper into the current standings, it might be a bit of surprise to learn those same top four teams are the highest-scoring teams in the league so far. The Hermosa Recliners top the scoring chart with 654 points. The Packers are second at 626, the Spread Beaters a distant third at 564 and the Gerbils are fourth with 560.

There is nearly a 40-point gap over the fifth-place WTNE (523). The Tirades are sixth with 499 points and the Invaiders are sixth with 495.

As the playoff pressure builds, a lot can happen as the next 9 weeks unfold. Injuries have and will continue to happen. Teams may start to punt on the 2025 season (see below), and the trade deadline (midnight, Nov. 28) looms in just six weeks. Will there be another blockbuster move at the deadline (Derrick Henry going to Bob’s Band Aids) like last year that shook up rosters going into the playoffs and radically set up at least one team (the Spread Beaters) heading into this year’s draft?

There are three keepers from the last two seasons (Bijan Robinson of the Recliners, Justin Jefferson of Who Dey and Ceedee Lamb of the Invaiders) and have to move within six weeks and two days or be lost to free agency at next year’s draft.

The other way to reshape the roster is to follow in Chris’ footsteps and own the new waiver system and take advantage of free agents stepping in to fill roles of injured starters. The Rangers, even with only one win, jumped in to grab RB Kimani Vidal of the Chargers on Wednesday. Vidal looks to be the short-term replacement for injured rookie Omirion Hampton, who will miss at least three more weeks. Vidal appears to have a little less than a month window to shine before Omirion returns.

Steelers, Bengals start us out on Thursday

The Pittsburgh Steelers travel to bitter rival Cincinnati on Thursday night to kick off the Week 7 schedule. Too bad we could not find some way to arrange a schedule adjustment to square Steeler-lovin’ John against Bengal-honkin’ Matty. I am sure Jeff will find some way to adjust the 2026 schedule to accommodate our bloodlust for an old-fashioned brouhaha right within our ranks. The NFL slate continues with another international 6:30 a.m. (PDT) start from London as the Rams take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. The San Francisco 49ers end the Sunday slate (Go Niners!) at home to the Atlanta Falcons, and we wind up the action with two more games on Monday night – the Buccaneers travel to Detroit and the Houston Texans travel to Seattle. Here is to hoping for another wild Monday-night finish again.

Buffalo and Baltimore are Idle

We know one thing for sure. John Lambert and the Rangers will have no trouble picking a starting QB this week as Josh Allen is out golfing somewhere as his Buffalo Bills lick their wounds after a humiliating loss last week. Also idle are the Baltimore Ravens. Again, take the time now to look ahead to your Week 8 lineup as it will likely be chock full of holes as six teams loaded with fantasy studs (the Rams, Seahawks, Cardinals, Jaguars, Raiders and Lions) are all on a bye. You have been warned (if, you have read this far).

Game of the Week

Westchester Gerbils (5-1) vs. Del Mar Packers (4-2), Packers favored by 1: With the way the Silent Division is racking up wins, this could be the game that decides who will be representing the Shit Talkers in the playoffs in December. The team not clinching the division could be in a three-team fight for the final two playoff spots. These same two teams will tangle once more in Week 11. Buckle up. Jeff Lambert has the advantage at RB1 with De’Von Achane, WR2 with George Pickens, flex with RB Christian McCaffrey and the Eagles defense. Chuck gets the nod at QB with Patrick Mahomes, RB2 with Travis Etienne Jr., and WR1 with Davante Adams. The kickers are a push. The Swami still has a hard time buying this Gerbil rampage. The Habitrail Dome comes crashing down with an old-fashioned Packer butt-kicking. Take the Packers and 1.

Best of the Rest

WTNE (3-3) vs. Tirades (2-4), pick ‘em: There is a vicious rumor floating around (started by none other than Tirades owner Ron Hender himself) that if the Tirades lose this week, the fire sale will begin.  We’d hate to see Ron toss in the towel before the World Series begins, but who would not want to read the Tuesday wrap if he did lose? Wow, now that would be some fun reading.  In this tilt, points will be at a premium. The Tirades get the nod at QB with a returning Brock Purdy (Go Niners!), RB1 with Jonathan Taylor, both WRs with Ja’Marr Chase and Quentin Johnston (listed as “questionable” as of this writing) and kicker Harrison Butker. Jordan Garcia gets the nod at RB2 with Quinshon Judkins taking on Miami, tight end Tyler Warren, flex in RB Alvin Kamara (listed as questionable) and defense (the Seahawks). The Swami says it is too soon for a fire sale and says take the Tirades and 1. 

Who Dey (2-4) vs. Band Aids (1-5), Band Aids favored by 19: This has all the makings of a turd of a game but both struggling offenses make for a compelling watch. Like watching grass grow, or stopping to watch a train wreck happen. It is almost as perplexing as seeing Matty McCumber drop RB Bucky Irving for Rhamondre Stevenson early Sunday morning. Matty was sitting in the No. 3 in the waiver order priority behind the Band Aids and the Rangers but did not try to reclaim him. Perplexing indeed. And, Vern Ahrendes and the Invaiders say thank you. The defending champ Band Aids get positional nods across the board (except for WR1 Jaxon Smith-Njgba). Bob Garcia has the advantage with Caleb Williams at QB, both RBs in Javonte Williams and Jacory Croskey-Merritt, WR2 Rashee Rice, tight end Jake Ferguson, flex RB David Montgomery, the Chiefs defense and kicker Wil Lutz. The Swami says watch something else, like the divisional playoffs, and take the Band Aids by 15.

Chandler Rangers (1-5) vs. Santa Monica Spread Beaters (5-1), Beaters favored by 8: Can John Lambert make it two wins in a row? The odds are long but if anyone can derail the Beater runaway train (what is with the obsession with trains this week?) it might be John who stands in the breach. We would hate to see Matt Pringle clinch a playoff spot before the World Series ends (there we go with another baseball reference. Come on, Vern, focus). But this one reeks of a potential rout. The Beaters are favored at six of the eight positions this week. Pringle gets the nod at QB with Jayden Daniels, RB2 Rachaad White, both WRs in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Nico Collins, tight end George Kittle (yay, 9ers!) and flex RB A’Andre Swift. The Rangers get the nod at RB1 with Josh Jacobs. The Swami thinks John will take that new waiver claim (Kimani Vidal) and insert him into the flex spot. John currently has Steeler Kenneth Gainwell slotted there against a horrendous Bengals’ defense. Vidal is taking on the tougher Colts’ defense. Both are projected for 8 points. The Swami says take the Beaters and 5.

Dog of the Week

Hermosa Recliners (4-2) vs. Invaiders (3-3), Recliners favored by 10: If I can find some way to keep this game within 10 points, it will be a moral victory. Moral victories aren’t worth shit. The Recliners get the positional advantage in five spots with QB Dak Prescot, WR2 Jaylen Waddle, tight end Trey McBride, flex RB Bijan Robinson and the Rams defense. The Invaiders get the edge at both RBs in Kyren Williams and Jordan Mason, WR1 Ceedee Lamb (still a limited participant in practice) and the Washington kicker. Chris has too many weapons to bury the short-handed Invaiders. The Swami says take the Recliners and 15.