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Fantasy football is a passion for many. Sometimes that passion pushes fantasy managers to make emotional decisions even when the data suggest otherwise. Each week during the 2024 NFL season, Liz Loza will attempt to strike a balance between what the data states and what the heart wants. This is called Facts vs. Feelings. I'm writing this week's column on Christmas Eve, feeling as though I should incorporate a Yuletide theme. The fact is, however, you're probably going to read this after December 25th. In which case, I hope that your holiday was merry and bright. Whether Santa slid down your chimney, the glow of Hanukkah is lighting up your evenings, or the bemusement of Festivus tickled your counter-culture soul, may the ritual of your choosing have brought you a comfortable sufficiency of your favorite things and people. If it didn't ... well, then notes for next year. Because we're already thinking about next year, aren't we? These final few days of 2024 are guaranteed to be stuffed with "spin it forward" takes and headlines selling us the "hottest new resolutions" for 2025. Many of us will pen mental manifestos about counting macros (because cutting carbs faded away with the flip phone and trucker hats) and prioritizing probiotics. Others will make public proclamations regarding intentional self-care while committing to grabbing those long overdue drinks with that friend who lives across town. It's all just wheel-spinning, really. Not that creating healthful change is frivolous. Or that I would ever doubt the authenticity of anyone's personal promises. Not at all. Rather, this specific space of time exists in such a liminal way that we can't help but feel disoriented. I don't want to dodder around in a fugue-like state but straddling the end of one year while not beginning the next invites a discomforting amount of confusion. Ripping off robust resolutions and organizing tool sheds offers us agency. Sitting still is tough. Distractions often provide us with deep delight. I'm not advocating for either. Though, I am planning to give "staying present" a valiant try. The concept is not novel. I've hinted at it throughout the season. Aiming to live in the now when the now is muddy, however, requires an accented amount of discipline. And who wants to talk about discipline on Dec. 27? Instead, why don't we just allow events to unfold? Maybe change things up when new data is discovered or different feelings bubble to the surface? Even if the calendar and the coordinating fantasy football season don't imply an expanse of hours or minutes with which to cull updated information. Who cares? We still have one, maybe two more weeks. And besides, if we can't control our circumstances, let's at least focus on how we react to them. So, don't let the purgatory of this period mess with your mentals. Ponder what it is you really want and then do that thing, taking full responsibility for any potential consequences. Trust your gut in late December as much as you did in early October and as much as you will in mid-January. Purge your garage with as much enthusiasm as a De'Von Achane Stan starting him at Cleveland. Or languish in cozies on the sofa with satisfaction similar to that of Bijan Robinson managers coming off of a third multi-TD effort. The stakes may be high and the time may be muted, but you remain the captain of your destiny in fantasy ... and life. Now, get out there and enjoy all of it. It's not too late to play for free There's still time to join or create a league in the No. 1 Fantasy basketball game. Your league starts fresh on the first scoring period following your draft. Create or join a fantasy basketball league on ESPN. Your championship run starts today! Sign up today! Brock Purdy , QB, San Francisco 49ers : Few players have seized an unexpected moment with as much vigor as Purdy. From being under center at the Super Bowl to being unceremoniously eliminated from the postseason 10 months later, the 49ers' QB has moved through an impressive number of obstacles. And, yet, he's battled through all of the disappointment and continued to produce. Purdy is currently fantasy's QB12 in terms of points per game, registering nearly 17 per contest. That's down just 1.5 points from his 2023 average. Certainly, not bad given the number of offensive stars that made early exits from San Fran's season. Moreover, Purdy has posted 20 or more fantasy points in four of his past seven games. There were two single-digit outliers (most notably the 'snow game' versus Buffalo) during that span and he tossed an ugly INT at Miami in Week 16, but his performances have been of starting caliber more times than not. Part of Purdy's appeal sneakily exists in his legs. The 24-year-old is QB8 in rushing fantasy points behind Jalen Hurts , Josh Allen , Jayden Daniels , Lamar Jackson , Anthony Richardson , Kyler Murray and Bo Nix . More specifically, Purdy is in the second tier of mobile QBs, averaging 3.9 fantasy points per game from rushing alone. That sets up nicely versus Detroit, as the Lions' defense has given up the third-most rushing yards per game (28.3) to opposing QBs. Speaking of the Lions' defense, it is banged up to say the least. As the injuries have mounted, so has the opposing offenses' production; all three signal-callers that have reached 22 fantasy points against the Lions this season have come over the team's most recent four games. The unit allowed seven passing scores from Weeks 1-12. That number jumped to eight over the most-recent four games. With Purdy playing for pride in what's expected to be a relatively close (+3.5) and high-scoring affair (51.5) , Mr. Irrelevant is in a position to make fantasy squads anything but. Alexander Mattison , RB, Las Vegas Raiders : The Raiders' backfield has been giving EOY energy since Josh Jacobs left town. Make no mistake; the team cast Mattison in an understudy role, but with Zamir White (quadriceps) and Sincere McCormick (ankle) both on the IR, the former Viking figures to receive top billing over the next pair of weeks. Even with Ameer Abdullah stumbling into a resurgence, Mattison found the spotlight in the passing game, converting four of seven looks in Week 16. The 26-year-old has handled lead back duties on five occasions this season, registering at least 16 touches and averaging 19.5 opportunities over the collection of games. His output in those efforts has been of the RB2 variety, as he's managed a solid 13.6 fantasy points per contest. He figures to post similar stats in a plus matchup at New Orleans. The Saints have allowed 17 rushing TDs to RBs, including a whopping three (to three different Packers running backs) this past Monday night. Mattison may not have been on early-season bingo cards but could be a perfectly-timed Band-Aid for facile managers seeking positional depth. Introducing the ESPN Smack Talk Fantasy Football Greeting Cards This 3-card pack offers the perfect blend of humor and humiliation, making sure your league's biggest underachievers get the recognition they deserve. Use code FOCUS10 for 10% off your order. Shop Now Terry McLaurin , WR, Washington Commanders : Talk about delayed gratification! The unlocking of Scary Terry has been a journey six years in the making. No matter the stumbling blocks or setbacks, McLaurin efforted towards ascent. That dedication exists not only on a macro level, but also from a micro POV. The chemistry between McLaurin and Jayden Daniels didn't happen overnight. At no point, however, did the duo stop massaging it into existence. Take, for example, their splits facing Philadelphia. McLaurin converted just one of two balls for 10 yards in Week 11. That number improved to a 5-60-1 stat line (worth 17 fantasy points) in Week 16. The evolution has been equal parts constant and consistent. Currently the virtual game's WR5 overall, McLaurin has posted 15 or more fantasy points in nine of his past 10 outings and in 11 total contests over the course of 2024. For context, those 11 games of 15-plus fantasy points ranks second-most in the NFL among non-QBs. Only Justin Jefferson has more (12), while Ja'Marr Chase and Jahmyr Gibbs are tied with the same number. The climb figures to continue in a game with major postseason implications on Sunday night. Washington will host a Falcons' squad miraculously still in the hunt for the NFC South crown and, with it, a playoff berth. With both offenses firing on all cylinders and Atlanta's defense allowing the highest completion percentage in the NFL (69.8%), McLaurin should put forth a commanding display. Additionally working in the wideout's favor is the fact that the Falcons have allowed a league-high (tied with the Texans) 20 receiving scores to wide receivers. That's got to make McLaurin investors feel pretty good about their chances of victory in Week 17. Alec Pierce , WR, Indianapolis Colts : No better way to close out the year than with a little YOLO. Pierce has brought the boom (and the bust) throughout 2024. Assuming he clears the leagues' concussion protocol (from a head injury suffered in Week 15), the explosive wideout figures to deliver more of the former, especially facing an ultra-generous Giants' secondary. Ranking first at the position in deep targets (29), Pierce is averaging an astounding 22.2 yards per reception (WR2). He's listed second among Colts' pass-catchers in routes run (353) and receiving yards registered (645) while leading the corps in air yards per target (21.41) and receiving scores hauled in (tied with Josh Downs for five). Pierce's downfield ability figures to be healthily exploited given the matchup. New York's defense has given up an absurd 62% completion rate on deep passes, which is by far the worst in the NFL, registering a full five points behind of the down-and-out Jaguars (57%). Interestingly, three of the six receivers who, like Pierce (21.5 yards, WR1), rank inside the top 20 in terms of aDOT have each logged season-high fantasy point totals when facing the G-Men: Calvin Austin III (20.4 FPTS, which included a kick return), Amari Cooper (27.6 FPTS), and Rashod Bateman (23.0 FPTS). The timing for Pierce and his managers could not be better. Editor's Picks The Playbook: Your fantasy football guide for Christmas Day games 2h Mike Clay Shadow Report: Your weekly guide to WR/CB matchups 1h Mike Clay Matchup rankings: Bucky Irving, Jayden Reed set up well 56m Tristan H. Cockcroft Chig Okonkwo , TE, Tennessee Titans : I am but a humble fantasy analyst, standing before you, and asking you to, once again, consider the underutilized talents of the Titans' second-most targeted pass-catcher. To be fair, it appears as though Mason Rudolph and I share an affinity for the tight end's receiving potential. Okonkwo -- who has drawn double-digit looks in back-to-back efforts -- has logged a healthy target share of 19% with Rudolph under center as opposed to 11% with Will Levis at the helm. Coincidentally, the Maryland product has also experienced an increase in snap share, up from 54% in Weeks 1-8 to 70% since Week 9. While Rudolph has not been perfect, he has provided the offense with an undeniable spark. So much so that the Titans are favored (-1) at Jacksonville in Week 17. Of course, much of that has to do with the state of the Jaguars' (briefly aforementioned) defense. Jacksonville has given up the fifth-most fantasy points to opposing TEs, including 20.9 to Brock Bowers last Sunday. Chig may not be Brock, but his Week 16 effort (19.1) ranked second-most at the position, behind only the Raiders rookie. He has a solid shot to flirt with those numbers again this go-around, reminding managers that late is better than never. Yes, I just gave you two entire paragraphs of Mason Rudolph-adjacent analysis without a single on-the-nose reference. Happy New Year. Follow Liz on social @LizLoza_FF

Over the years, Roblox has expanded its RPG offerings and become increasingly expansive in terms of what’s actually available, showcasing the platform’s real development capabilities. Whether they offer rich combat systems or immersive world exploration features, these are the best Roblox RPGs available now on the platform. 10. Sword Blox Online: Rebirth Offering a more traditional MMORPG-style experience, Sword Blox Online: Rebirth focuses on classic dungeon crawling and character progression. There are multiple weapon types each offering distinct combat styles, gameplay, and ability sets. Social interaction and party play are encouraged via more challenging dungeon content that actually requires coordination from all players involved. Also, Sword Blox Online: Rebirth maintains and relies on an active player-to-player trading system, creating valuable equipment and materials through a player economy. Players can develop their characters through both combat prowess and via crafting abilities, which creates a pretty well-rounded online RPG experience. 9. Wings of Fire Inspired by the popular series of novels with the same name, Wings of Fire allows players to take on the role of various different dragons from unique tribes. Each tribe has abilities that align with their lore from the book series as well. For example, RainWings are able to camouflage themselves while SeaWings excel in aquatic biomes. Wings of Fire offers both PvE and PvP elements of gameplay. The world of Wings of Fire is divided into different territories that also match the series’ settings, with each area offering its own distinct challenges and resources. Players can form groups with other dragons as well as alliances that creates social dynamics mirroring the heavy political intrigue from the book series. 8. Northwind Set in a colonial frontier environment, Northwind combines survival mechanics with RPG progression to create a rather unique colonial experience. Players can choose from a variety of different professions including hunting, trading, and crafting, each offering unique gameplay paths but also ways to grow and flourish in the RPG. Northwind also features a winter setting that creates additional survival challenges that players must traverse while adapting to the colonial setting. The economy in Northwind is largely player-driven, featuring mostly player-crafted items and resources that must be traded amongst other players rather than relying solely on self-found items. The game environment also hosts various settlements where players create their own sort of hubs to trade and interact, creating a true colonial setting. 7. Treasure Quest Treasure Quest is a more traditional dungeon-crawling RPG that focuses more on cooperative gameplay and loot progression than world exploration. Players can choose from a variety of different classes for their character, each with unique abilities to complement specific team compositions when delving deep into the dungeons. With random generation, each dungeon delving experience ensures run variety creating an almost roguelike RPG experience. The full Treasure Quest experience also features a robust trading system for players to exchange equipment found deep in their delves. With varying types of equipment and deep classes, various compositions of teams can tackle the unique dungeons with their own approach, creating a deeply social RPG. 6. Dinosaur Simulator Offering a very unique RPG experience, Dinosaur Simulator allows players to simulate the life of various dinosaur species. Each species of dinosaur has unique abilities and entire playstyles as you live the life of that dinosaur, including powerful T Rexes and more fast-action Velociraptors. Regardless of which dinosaur you choose, you’ll start as a juvenile dino and must survive to reach adulthood and become stronger. Dinosaur Simulator features various different biomes that suits each of the dinosaur species, encouraging players to find their own niche in each ecosystem and biomes. Depending on which dinosaur you choose, you’ll have to seek out the right biome for you to flourish, teaming up with other players to form dinosaur packs and increase your chances of survival. 5. Legends Re:Written Legends Re:Written is an action RPG with anime-inspired combat mechanics and character customization, giving players the opportunity to live out their anime dreams in an RPG setting. Legends Re:Written features various fighting styles and ability combos that players can master to truly become anime legends as the name suggests. Combat throughout all forms of progression emphasizes combination chains and skill timing in both PvE and PvP combat. As such, players can participate in both solo and group content to level, with certain challenges being offered exclusively for team-based play. Paired with the unique character progression system, Legends Re:Written provides a robust anime-themed RPG experience for solo and social players. 4. Slime Slaying Simulator A progression-focused RPG about hunting increasingly powerful slimes as the name suggests, Slime Slaying Simulator features various weapons and equipment that players can collect and upgrade to amplify their slime massacring. Different areas feature unique slime types with their own strengths, weaknesses, attack patterns, and of course drops, allowing you to farm areas for specific resources and items. Character development in Slime Slaying Simulator includes both equipment progression and character-based skill improvements. Along the way, players can trade items and resources with each other through Slime Slaying Simulator’s in-game marketplace system. 3. Creatures of Sonaria Creatures of Sonaria is essentially a monster-collecting RPG where the player takes on the role of the creature itself, trying to survive in a brutal world of other creatures in the world of Sonaria. Players will unlock and have the ability to play as other creatures as they progress, similar to Dinosaur Simulator, allowing players to grow from child to adult as each creature. With over 350 creatures in total across Creatures of Sonaria, there is a lot of variability in terms of look, playability, and features for players to uncover between all the creatures. With a robust player-to-player marketplace, each creature also maintains its own value for players to trade with each other and try out new setups. 2. Pilgrammed: The Raindrops In short, Pilgrammed is a long-running deep open-world RPG with deep armor and weapon crafting. Pilgrammed is a massively expansive world with plenty to explore and tons of secrets to uncover. There are a variety of playstyles including melee weapons like swords and spears, ranged options like bows and guns, or even magic casting via spells like a mage in more traditional RPGs. As players become stronger in Pilgrammed they will be able to take on stronger boss enemies with their own unique skillsets and strategies. Taking down these bosses will give access to exclusive weapons, armor, and resources that can allow players to get even more powerful regardless of their playstyle. 1. Deepwoken Taking the top slot on our best RPG list for Roblox has to be the immersive RPG Deepwoken. At its core, Deepwoken is a massive online RPG with a very unique mechanic: permadeath. This is an RPG that doesn’t hold your hand despite being on a platform like Roblox , and many have compared it to more hardcore RPGs like the Dark Souls and Sekiro series’. While it can be difficult, it’s an extremely rewarding RPG that utilizes a talent card system for players to create diverse character builds. Deepwoken also features rich lore that rewards players in both story, and loot, for going off the beaten path and exploring what the world has to offer. Paired with its permadeath system, Deepwoken offers a very unique but rich gameplay experience hard to find on Roblox .

Road Town, British Virgin Islands–(Newsfile Corp. – December 24, 2024) – In a significant move for cryptocurrency enthusiasts, LBank Exchange, a premier global digital asset trading platform, has announced the listing of TON Station (SOON) on December 22, 2024. The SOON/USDT trading pair ( https://www.lbank.com/trade/soon_usdt ) is available to users of LBank Exchange. SOON Listing Banner To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://images.newsfilecorp.com/files/8831/234896_319f78a534dbcab2_001full.jpg The crypto market has been suffering from the high-FDV, low-liquidity VC-backed tokens for so long, with retail investors having limited access and little control over the token’s price dynamics. In response to these challenges, TON Station presents a unique opportunity. By creating a platform where token ownership is more decentralized and transparent, TON Station aims to address the flaws of traditional VC-funded projects. Its low FDV and commitment to community-driven growth present a more equitable model for token distribution. TON Station: Redefining Blockchain Gaming with Community-Driven SOON Token and Transparent Economy TON Station (SOON) is a blockchain-based platform integrated with Telegram, designed to combine elements of GameFi and SocialFi. By enabling users to earn cryptocurrency rewards through social interaction and gaming activities, TON Station has created an ecosystem that is both engaging and rewarding. The platform was created by gaming trailblazers Sidus Heroes and EllioTrades’ SuperVerse and features partnerships with other leading Web3 projects. At the heart of this ecosystem is the SOON token, which serves as the primary means of exchange and reward. By leveraging Telegram’s massive user base, TON Station provides a seamless and rewarding experience for participants. TON Station features unique games designed to drive user engagement. It aims to be the largest and most efficient game distribution platform on Telegram. With a rapidly growing community, the platform has gained traction with 7.2 million subscribers and 19 million miniapp users, USA, CIS, Europe and some emerging markets such as Nigeria and Bangladesh. Revenue is generated through a combination of game payment fees, advertisement views, affiliate programs, and paid placements within the platform. Additionally, TON Station promotes a deflationary model, with revenue allocated to regular buybacks of SOON tokens. The emphasis on transparency ensures that a large portion of the supply remains circulating in the market, benefiting the community rather than centralized entities. The SOON token is central to the TON Station platform, serving as both a utility and reward token. It is used by gaming companies to create quests, tournaments, and marketing campaigns, while external companies can also purchase SOON for marketing activities within the app. One of the key differentiators of the SOON token is its community-driven distribution model. Unlike many other tokens that are subject to lockups or vesting schedules, SOON offers immediate access to holders, allowing for a more fluid and transparent token economy. This setup eliminates the traditional bottleneck of locked tokens. SOON Tokenomics With a total supply of 70 billion tokens, SOON has a low FDV of $7.5 million at launch. The tokenomics model is notable for its simplicity and transparency: there are no vesting periods, no lockups, and no involvement from venture capitalists. The entire token supply is available since its listing day, with no restrictions on when users can access or trade their tokens. As part of its deflationary strategy, TON Station will buy back SOON tokens using a portion of its revenue. Learn More about TON Station: Website: https://tonstation.app/ X: https://x.com/tonstationlabs Telegram: https://t.me/+MU0Iw3DQkpw4ZDhi About LBank Founded in 2015, LBank is a top crypto exchange offering financial derivatives, asset management, and secure trading. With over 15 million users across 210+ regions, LBank ranks in the top 20 for spot trading and top 15 for derivatives trading globally, ensuring fund integrity and supporting global crypto adoption. Leveraging its acute market insight and expertise, LBank always takes the lead in spotting and listing Alpha altcoins. The platform was among the first to list popular gem coins like BONK, BOME, and FLOKI, as well as emerging favorites like NEIRO, MOODENG, GOATSEUS, and PNUT. Start Trading Now: lbank.com Community & Social Media: Telegram Twitter LinkedIn Instagram YouTube To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/234896 #distro