TAP FOR 6 MONTHS OF PREMIUM FREE 💰
X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

Monday Morning NFL Recap - Week 5 Surprises, Busts & Laughers

Listen, man, I'm just straight-up done.  I am one hundred percent over this, and after this most recent presidential debate, I was inspired to say something.  Not about the election  - God no, that debate was a hot mess.  But it did make me feel like yelling incoherently for theatrical effect at something that made me mildly angry, so here goes.

I can't support the NFL's absurd standards of player conduct anymore.  It was bad when they fined Brandon Marshall for wearing green cleats for mental health awareness instead of pink ones for marketing to women breast cancer awareness.  Roger Goodell has roughly the same status in Boston as the New York Yankees and the letter R.  Some lady got the vapors when her daughter saw Cam Newton dance in the endzone and made a national case about it.  Now we're here, where the NFL is throwing out taunting penalties like Halloween candy and the league's brightest stars spend half their games on the knife's edge of ejection because the NFL feels they need to shut down "sexually suggestive" celebrations in their telecasts (brought to you by Viagra, Cialis, and that uncomfortable quasi-nauseated feeling you get watching 80-year-olds give each other bedroom eyes in a loving, lingering shot that lasts for approximately 5 minutes).

Editor's Note: Be sure to check out FantasyAces DFS contests. New users that sign up on Fantasy Aces and make a $20 deposit will receive RotoBaller's full season NFL Premium Pass for free (including Premium DFS), normally a $59.99 value. Expert DFS research, sample lineups, matchup ratings and lots more!

Featured Promo: Looking for some more fantasy football action? Adopt a dynasty orphan team over at FFPC. Sign up today and get $25 off any FFPC league. Sign Up Now!

 

It's Monday Morning... What Just Happened

So in the spirit of the NFL's draconian celebration rules, today's Stars and Duds will rank various players' celebrations by the magnitude of the fine I predict the NFL will give to them and why.  Let's put on our best "out of touch insufferable trust fund baby" hats and pretend like we make decisions in the NFL.  It can't be any worse than what we've currently got.
 

The Duds:

These celebrations will be ranked in an ascending order, from lowest monetary amount to the highest amount.  If you disagree with the fine issued, just remember that I'm pretending to be the NFL so I literally don't care about you at all unless you are currently giving me money.  This goes double if you're one of those strange wo-man creatures we've been hearing so much about recently.

6. Nickell Robey-Coleman: The Quasi-Pump

The fine: $3,000

Now, Robey-Coleman didn't do much after his utterly unsurprising pick-six of Case Keenum, but there was the barest hint of a pump after the touchdown.  Since we're following the "three pump" precedent famously set in the case of McCringleberry v. Peele, he was not flagged nor fined heavily, but since there was at least an implied pump, we have found definitively that Robey-Coleman was not in compliance with the NFL's policy of stringently avoiding sexually suggestive material.  At least until the next Carl's Jr. commercial.

5. Ezekiel Elliott: Feeding the Beast (Multiple Times)

The fine: $6,666

Regardless of Elliott's magnificent 133 yard, 2-touchdown performance, his "feed the Beast" celebration is one that we feel could possibly be construed as Satanic, especially if you capitalize the word "beast" to land the joke, so we in the NFL want to make it perfectly clear that we abhor the worship of Satan and set ourselves against the Adversary in all of his wickedness and destructive ways.

Just to be clear, though, this isn't a position we take on moral grounds, because we're pretty sure even rebellious teenagers have favorite teams, but mostly because we spent 3 hours last week in the presence of some asshole who wouldn't shut the hell up about LaVey's Satanic Bible and we are one hundred percent sick of "baby's first pissing off Mom & Dad" religion.  Elliott gets the fine of the Beast and we hope he finds Jesus.

4. Joey Bosa: Sackmaster Flex

The fine: $7,500

First off, Dean Spanos has been whining at us ever since we awarded the Inglewood proposal to Stan Kroenke and it's getting really annoying, so when the first-round pick that he aggressively tried to screw over had the gall to celebrate laying his hands on a quarterback, it really set Dean off and that's just a sight and sound no one wants to see or hear.  It's astounding the sounds you can make when you're a spineless yes-man but you've dedicated yourself so wholly to screwing over your team's city financially that your skin is pure flint.

Anyway, we at the NFL want to make sure that it's understood by everybody that we in no way condone when a player lays his hands on another person.  "Person" is of course a word which here means "quarterback, because they make us the money."  I'm sorry, what?  Wo-man?  That's that weird word again.  You mean those weird beings that buy our pink shit in October?  You're saying that's a people?  You're just not making any sense, we're moving on.

 

The Studs:

Now these are the celebrations that are just unacceptable by "Leave It To Beaver" standards, so God knows that it's our job to shut these hooligans down before they start having sock hops after 8 pm or kissing their girls before going steady.

3. Tom Brady: Albuquerque - 3000 mi

The Fine: I Don't Know, Whatever Four Game Checks Is For Him

Mostly just because screw this a**hole, man.  We can't stand the dude.

2. T.Y. Hilton: Semaphore Shuffle

The Fine: $25,374

We have no idea what this celebration means, honestly, and we just chose a number at random in case T.Y. Hilton was signaling extraterrestrial overlords that the planet is ripe for invasion and harvesting.

What, do you not have a fine for that?  What kind of clown league are you running that you don't have a fine structure set up in case of alien invasion?

1. Odell Beckham, Jr: Bygones be Bygones

The Fine: $1,000,000

This celebration is one that could set a dangerous precedent in our league and we want to make sure that no player ever does anything like this ever again.

If the players start displaying self-awareness, fans could become accustomed to it and then start expecting us to start showing self-awareness and we are totally, fully, and completely opposed to that in any way, shape, or form.  Now if you'll excuse us, we need to package all of these into a celebrations highlight DVD we can sell at $60 a pop.

 

Ugh, I always hate going into that "owners" frame of mind.  Jerry Jones leaves his exotic dancers residue in there, and I always come out with lingering thoughts about how successful Levi's Stadium is.  It's a dark place, completely disconnected from humanity, and the longer I stare into that abyss the more it whispers to me about how much money could be found if you moved the Packers to Milwaukee.  It's gross.  I'm gonna have to take like eight showers now, and hope I'll be clean by next week.

 

*None of the videos in this article were created by me.  All credit for the videos goes to their rightful creators.




POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Import Your Leagues
Weekly Rankings
Compare Any Players
Projections
Articles & Tools
Weekly Planner
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Bryan Ramos

Orioles Acquire Bryan Ramos From White Sox
Los Angeles Rams

Rams Sign Sean McVay, Les Snead to Contract Extensions
Diego Lopes

Outclassed At UFC 325
Alexander Volkanovski

Dominates Diego Lopes
Dan Hooker

Stopped In The Second Round
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Extends His Win Streak
Los Angeles Dodgers

Mike Sirota Rising Through Los Angeles System
Alfredo Duno

a Name to Watch in Dynasty Formats
Rafael Fiziev

Suffers Second-Round TKO Loss
Tampa Bay Rays

Brody Hopkins Will Attend Big-League Spring Training
MMA

Maurício Ruffy Gets Back In The Win Column
Seattle Mariners

Jurrangelo Cijntje to Focus Exclusively on Right-Handed Pitching
Tommy Troy

Headed to Big-League Camp
Ryan Waldschmidt

Earns Invite to Spring Training
CFB

Gus Malzahn Retiring from Coaching
Morgan Geekie

Extends Point Streak to Seven Games With Big Performance
Nikita Kucherov

Tallies Four Points in Stadium Series Win
Isiah Kiner-Falefa

Pirates Unlikely to Reunite with Isiah Kiner-Falefa?
Masataka Yoshida

Remains Potential Trade Candidate
Chris Kreider

Pots Two Goals in Sunday's Win
Brandon Bussi

Makes History With Another Win
Kristian Campbell

Holding Undefined Role Ahead of Spring Training
Shayne Gostisbehere

Sets Up Two Goals Sunday
Terrence Shannon Jr.

Still Sidelined Without Timetable for Return
Mikey Anderson

Hurt Versus Hurricanes
Pavin Smith

Not Guaranteed Everyday Role?
Isaiah Hartenstein

Cason Wallace, Isaiah Hartenstein Rejoin Thunder Starters
Anthony Cirelli

Fails to Finish Stadium Series Matchup
Eugenio Suárez

Red Sox Did Not Pursue Eugenio Suarez in Free Agency
Jarrett Allen

Explodes for Career Night vs. Portland
Scotty Pippen Jr.

Remains Out Monday vs. Minnesota
JJ Bleday

Could Open Season in Minor Leagues
De'Andre Hunter

Poised for Kings Debut Wednesday
Dennis Schröder

Keon Ellis, Dennis Schroder Could Debut Wednesday for Cavaliers
Joel Embiid

Expected to Play Monday
Christian Braun

Downgraded to Out
Jamal Murray

Cleared to Face Thunder
Nikola Jokić

Nikola Jokic Active Against Thunder
Craig Porter Jr.

Returns From One-Game Absence
Harrison Barnes

Rejoins Starting Lineup Against Magic
Victor Wembanyama

Good to Go Sunday
Blake Wesley

Back in Trail Blazers Lineup
Robert Williams III

Active Sunday
Kobe Sanders

Returns to Starting Unit Sunday
Stephon Castle

Out Sunday Against Magic
Josh Green

Listed as Probable for Monday
John Konchar

Unavailable Monday
Santi Aldama

Ruled Out for Monday
Jaren Jackson Jr.

Iffy for Monday
Eugenio Suárez

Pirates Offered $15 Million to Eugenio Suarez
Carlos Santana

Diamondbacks Expressing Interest in Carlos Santana
Cole Irvin

Inks Minor-League Contract With Dodgers
Jose Siri

Signs Minor-League Deal With Angels
Eugenio Suárez

Eugenio Suarez Signs One-Year Deal With Reds
San Francisco 49ers

49ers Set to Name Raheem Morris Their Defensive Coordinator
Las Vegas Raiders

Raiders Close to Naming Klint Kubiak the Next Head Coach
Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals Finalizing Deal to Make Mike LaFleur the Next Head Coach
Sonny Gray

Set Up for Strong First Season in Boston
Michael Busch

Looking to Repeat Standout 2025 Performance
Boston Red Sox

Red Sox Acquire Pitching Prospect Gage Ziehl From White Sox
Breece Hall

Jets Want to Re-Sign Breece Hall, Could Use Franchise Tag
Troy Terry

Ready to Return Sunday
Victor Hedman

Set to Return Sunday
Connor McMichael

Out Week-to-Week
Kris Letang

Out for Four Weeks
Nico Hischier

a Game-Time Call Saturday
Jack Hughes

Won't Play Saturday
Linus Ullmark

Returns to Action Saturday
Charlie Coyle

Pots Second Career Hat Trick
Filip Hronek

Expected to Play Saturday
Pavel Zacha

Not Traveling With Bruins
Elias Lindholm

to Miss at Least Two More Games
William Nylander

on Track to Return Saturday
Kris Letang

Misses Practice, Uncertain for Saturday
Evgeni Malkin

Iffy for Saturday
Diego Lopes

An Underdog At UFC 325
Alexander Volkanovski

Set For UFC 325 Main Event
Benoît Saint Denis

Benoit Saint Denis Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Dan Hooker

Set For UFC 325 Co-Main Event
Mauricio Ruffy

Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Rafael Fiziev

Returns At UFC 325
CFB

Texas Lands Wake Forest Transfer Sterling Berkhalter
Kirk Cousins

Falcons Expected to Release Kirk Cousins
Chase Brown

Working on Extension With Bengals
Michael Penix Jr.

Hopes to be Ready for Week 1
Dalton Kincaid

Doesn't Need Offseason Surgery
Josh Allen

Undergoes Foot Surgery
Josh Allen

on Crutches, Wearing Walking Boot
CFB

Michigan RB Bryson Kuzdzal Withdrawing from Transfer Portal
Bo Nix

Expected to Resume Training in 4-6 Weeks
Michael Penix Jr.

Thinks he'll be Ready by April
Cleveland Browns

Browns Hiring Todd Monken as Next Head Coach
Sahith Theegala

Off to Much Better 2026 Start
Gary Woodland

an Intriguing Option at Torrey Pines This Week
Andrew Putnam

Hopes to Keep Momentum Rolling This Week
Matthieu Pavon

Seeks to Return to 2024 Form at Torrey Pines
Luke List

Still Looking For Birdies at Torrey Pines
Jake Knapp

Faces Stiff Challenge at Farmers Insurance Open
Rasmus Hojgaard

Needs to Play Better at Torrey Pines
Christiaan Bezuidenhout

Could Struggle at Farmers Insurance Open
J.J. Spaun

A Steady Option At Farmers Insurance Open
Andrew Novak

Looking For More Success At Torrey Pines
Denny McCarthy

A Wild Card At Farmers Insurance Open
Max Homa

Looks To Keep Resurgence Going At Torrey Pines
Joe Highsmith

Struggling Heading Into Torrey Pines
Wyndham Clark

Looks To Carry Momentum Into Farmers Insurance Open
Tony Finau

Aims To Turn Things Around At Torrey Pines
Akshay Bhatia

Looks to Bounce Back at Torrey Pines
NFL

Bill Belichick Won't be First-Ballot Hall of Famer
Si Woo Kim

Looks to Continue Incredible Run at Torrey Pines
Jason Day

has a Good Chance to Keep Momentum This Weekend
Keegan Bradley

has Good Course History at Torrey Pines
Billy Horschel

Isn't a Great DFS Option at Torrey Pines
Aaron Rodgers

Mike McCarthy Says he Wants Aaron Rodgers to Return
Will Zalatoris

Has a Shot to Challenge at the Farmers Insurance Open
Drake Maye

Expected to be Fine for Super Bowl
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF