Jour : 27 décembre 2024

Improving our mental and cognitive health does not always require drastic change. Even small, intentional habits can add up over time, creating a ripple effect that improves not only our brain but our overall quality of life.
From managing our nighttime light exposure, to embracing mindful activities such as yoga and gardening, to finding JOMO, or the joy of missing out, here are seven science-based tips that can help bolster our brain health and strengthen our emotional resilience:
1. Sleep with an eye mask
Your bedroom is probably not as dark as it should be. Even through closed eyelids, light streaming from the television or hallway can make its way into our retinas and harm our health and mental acuity the next day.
The deleterious health effects of nighttime light exposure are staggering.
Research has shown that even relatively dim light when we snooze — about the equivalent of a hallway light — can have surprisingly profound physiological effects, raising heart rates, reducing the duration of important sleep stages and increasing insulin resistance. In older adults, any light exposure at night was associated with higher rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension. It also affects our sleep quality, memory and alertness.
Thankfully, there is a simple solution: Wear an eye mask when you sleep.
2. Do sun salutations
Yoga has long been associated with better physical flexibility and health, and now it is being linked by research to improved cognition.
A recent study also suggests that yoga may benefit some older people at risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.
The holistic mind-body practice of yoga provides physical and mental health benefits through four main components: breathing, physical relaxation, mindfulness meditation, and postures.
Together, they make up a “smorgasbord” that allows people to reap benefits and gravitate to what speaks to them the most, said Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and editor in chief of the International Journal of Yoga Therapy. “It’s about optimizing your functioning and performance as a human being on all levels,” Khalsa said.
3. Stay up-to-date with vaccines
Getting sick feels bad in the moment and may affect your brain in the longer term.
A new study published in Nature Aging adds to growing evidence that severe infections, including flu, herpes and respiratory tract infections, are linked to accelerated brain atrophy and increased risk of dementia years later. It also hints at the biological drivers that may contribute to neurodegenerative disease.
The current research is a “leap beyond previous studies that had already associated infection with susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease” and provides a “useful dataset,” said Rudy Tanzi, a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School and the director of the McCance Center for Brain Health at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Other recent studies have found that the flu shot and the shingles vaccine may reduce the risk of dementia. Severe infections have also been linked to subsequent strokes and heart attacks.
4. Manage blood pressure
For a healthy brain as we age, we need healthy blood pressure.
However, nearly half of American adults have hypertension, which is one of the most common — and preventable — risk factors for developing dementia decades later, research shows.
Hypertension, or chronically high blood pressure, is a double whammy for the brain — making it harder for oxygen and nutrients to get into the brain and more difficult for the brain to get rid of metabolic waste products. Abnormally high blood pressure can damage the small blood vessels in the brain, causing brain injury and atrophy, and driving neuroinflammation.
When people have hypertension, especially in midlife, “they start losing blood flow to the brain, they start having impacts on the vasculature in the brain,” said Silvia Fossati, an associate professor of neural sciences and the interim director of the Alzheimer’s Center at Temple University School of Medicine. “And this is parallel and additive with the Alzheimer’s pathology.”
5. Try JOMO — the joy of missing out
Your friends are probably having fun without you.
For many, this knowledge would trigger a fear of missing out — popularly acronymized as FOMO. But emerging research suggests that missing out need not be something we fear, but something we can enjoy.
For better mental health this year, try reframing those feelings of FOMO and instead find JOMO — the joy of missing out.
“JOMO reminds us that we cannot only not fear that we are missing something important, but actually enjoy missing something,” said Tali Gazit, an associate professor of information science at Israel’s Bar-Ilan University.
The research into JOMO is nascent and focuses on the effects of social media. But we can find JOMO in the rest of our lives, too, by choosing when we want to step away. JOMO can feel rejuvenating because it helps us stop being preoccupied with other people.
6. Garden to connect with nature and friends
Looking for a simple change that can improve your physical, mental and emotional health? Try gardening.
People garden indoors and out, in different weather and climes and with different intensities and goals. Research consistently shows that gardening has a positive effect on mental health and well-being. And emerging research suggests that gardening may also be a way into healthy behavioral changes writ large.
Why is gardening such a healthy pursuit? Research suggests that there are two main pathways that lead gardeners to mental well-being. One is through the connection with nature and its aesthetic beauty. But another, perhaps surprisingly, is how gardening can also be a way for us to connect with other people.
“I feel like it’s just about bringing the pieces back together of what makes us human,” said Jonathan Kingsley, senior lecturer of health promotion at Swinburne University of Technology in Australia.
7. Help someone
If you want to increase your happiness and well-being, spend your money, time or energy on someone else.
Research consistently finds that acts of altruism such as donating money, volunteering or giving blood benefit both the receiver and the giver — even when the giver does not expect anything in return.
American volunteering and charitable giving have been on the decline in recent years. But helping others may set up a positive feedback loop: Because doing good feels good, altruism can beget more altruism and better well-being.

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Manmohan Singh death latest updates: Rahul, Sonia Gandhi visit ex-PM’s house  Hindustan Times
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Escalating Challenges for Iran’s Oil Sector Amid Sanctions and Corruption
Arab League Warns Iran’s Regime Against Fueling Strife in Post-Assad Syria
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Recent data from over 10 provinces in Iran reveals alarming disparities in the state of preschool education, particularly in rural and underprivileged regions. The findings, drawn from interviews with preschool teachers and officials, highlight significant challenges in both the availability and quality of early education. These deficiencies not only hinder children’s foundational learning but also exacerbate educational inequalities in later stages.
The data, collected by Sharq newspaper from provinces such as West Azarbaijan, Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchistan, Fars, Kerman, Kermanshah, Lorestan, Hormozgan, Golestan, North Khorasan, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, underscores a troubling trend: more than half of the children in deprived areas lack access to preschool education. This is despite widespread acknowledgment among educators that early education can address learning disorders and enhance academic performance.
A significant barrier to preschool enrollment is the cost of tuition. Even in government-run schools, fees range from 150,000 tomans to 12 million tomans annually, depending on the region’s level of deprivation. Many families in rural and disadvantaged areas struggle to afford even the lower end of this spectrum. Consequently, preschool education has become a luxury beyond the reach of countless families.
The lack of preschool education has far-reaching consequences. Basic skills and learning strategies developed during preschool play a critical role in children’s ability to thrive in higher grades. Teachers in both deprived and affluent areas note a stark difference in classroom readiness between children who have attended preschool and those who have not. The absence of this foundational education often leads to learning difficulties that persist throughout the educational journey.
Statistics from international assessments paint a grim picture: 40–45% of Iranian fourth and eighth graders fail to meet minimum learning standards, and nearly 40% perform below average. This means that 80% of students cannot achieve above-average performance, a situation that often results in school dropouts, even at the elementary level. Teachers report that children with unresolved learning difficulties are frequently required to attend night classes at a young age, further compounding the challenges they face.
The financial burden on preschools exacerbates these issues. With insufficient government funding, public preschools increasingly rely on tuition fees, operating similarly to private institutions. This dependence creates inequities, as administrators often deny enrollment to children with disabilities, learning challenges, or from low-income families under the pretext of overcapacity. Such practices deepen the deprivation of vulnerable children, further excluding them from the education system.
Some families, unable to afford long-term enrollment, register their children for just a month or two, leading to inconsistent early education. The absence of a legal requirement for preschool attendance further weakens its role as a stepping stone for primary education.
The economic and cultural gaps in Iran’s society are widening, and the inaccessibility of preschool education is both a symptom and a driver of this divide. For many families, preschool has become an unattainable privilege due to economic hardships and the ongoing financial crisis. If left unaddressed, the long-term consequences for Iran’s education system and society could be devastating.
Experts have repeatedly warned about the deteriorating quality of education in deprived areas. Reports such as Hame Mihan’s investigation into “The Disaster of Illiteracy” reveal that educational attainment in these regions is alarmingly low. For instance, out of every 20 students transitioning from sixth to seventh grade, 4–5 are reportedly functionally illiterate.
According to the Literacy Movement Organization, Iran’s population of absolutely illiterate individuals aged six and above stands at 7.4 million, with an additional 2.5 million classified as “newly literate.” These individuals, having only completed up to the second or third grade, struggle to reach higher levels of literacy.
Furthermore, the Parliament Research Center reported dismal average scores for final exams in May 2023:
Despite claims by Iranian authorities about progress in eradicating illiteracy, the reality tells a different story. In recent years, the demographic of illiterates and low-educated individuals has shifted from the elderly and middle-aged to children and teenagers. Poverty, inadequate educational facilities, and systemic neglect have left many young Iranians without access to quality education, perpetuating cycles of inequality and deprivation.
The state of preschool education in Iran’s deprived regions highlights a critical need for immediate intervention. Addressing financial barriers, improving access, and ensuring equitable treatment of all children are essential steps toward breaking the cycle of poverty and educational failure. Without urgent action, the education system risks deepening societal divides, with dire consequences for future generations.
About Us: Precious analysis and exclusive details have become the Iran News Update a trusted counterweight to the state-run censorship in Iran…

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By Lara Cooper
An EF4 tornado destroys a Mississippi town as well as the community’s critical health center. Wind and water sweep through New Orleans’ Ninth Ward neighborhood. A hurricane strengthens before inundating communities in North Carolina and Georgia.
These emergencies were all experienced by communities, but also by staff at health centers. But instead of shying away from these disasters, those staff stepped up for their communities, many times as first responders even as they experienced the storm’s impacts personally.
Whether through driving mobile units, creating resilient power hubs, or working to connect patients with lifesaving medications needed during an evacuation, community health centers are often on the frontlines as disasters increase in frequency and intensity.
Through an editorial partnership, Direct Relief and the National Association for Community Health Centers, or NACHC, uncover and share stories of health centers reaching their patients in unique ways, during emergencies and beyond. These stories, published by Community Health Forum and Direct Relief, are offered free of charge for republishing and have been syndicated in various digital and broadcast outlets throughout 2024.
The editorial partnership relies on high-quality storytelling from professional journalists at a time when health reporting from many outlets has been significantly reduced, leaving stories untold.
In between times of emergency, health centers work each day to meet patients where they are, with personal and culturally competent care. They are also actively involved in training the next generation of health workers, many of whom have been patients themselves or have had family seek care.
Here are some of their stories.
After an EF4 tornado swept through Rolling Fork, Mississippi, in March 2023, destroying one of Delta Health Center’s sites, the organization set up a temporary clinic and harnessed resilient power for nine months until a site with power became available. The microgrid allowed health center staff to treat Rolling Fork patients in their hometown.
Adoris Turner, deputy chief executive officer at DHC, said the solar power allowed the health center to offer services through the worst phases of Rolling Fork’s recovery.
“It was a lifesaver, and I literally mean a medical lifesaver,” Turner told Direct Relief journalist Olivia Lewis. “The ability to see a patient who may be having an asthmatic crisis or people who are having any type of medical need, it went a long way to have our facility up and running.”
Read more.
As Hurricane Debby loomed over South Carolina in August, staff at Fetter Health Care Network, the Low Country’s only federally qualified health center, evacuated medicines and mobile units to their inland Summerville location for safekeeping.
The following morning, on storm game day, Powers led her staff through a plan for the day to ensure that patients throughout the city and on the neighboring barrier islands would have as much time to access care and get medication refills as possible.
“The city may shut down at 3 p.m., but we can’t do that. We have to give our patients an opportunity to get off with the shutdowns and then pick up their meds, Powers told Direct Relief journalist Noah Smith. Her staff also took vaccines off the islands in case of power outages and also coordinated with migrants to help them with supplies and to find off-island shelters.
Read more.
One health center decided to train people who wanted a career in health care, starting with its own patients. The Laura Rodriguez Medical Assistant Institute, a program of the Family Health Centers of San Diego, reported that 65% of participants in its medical assistant program have been health center patients themselves, and aim to better reflect the community they serve, reported Olivia Lewis.
FHC of San Diego has 27 locations, which serve about 160,000 patients annually, with over 95% of them living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, according to HRSA data. Most identify as part of a racial or ethnic minority.
For Diana Garcia Cortes, who graduated from the program in August, one of 15 in her cohort, the program was a game-changer. “It’s really, honestly life-changing to know that within a year I’m able to have a different career, better opportunities, a different job,” she said.
Read more.
Tropical Storm Francine was sweeping towards New Orleans, but in the city’s Lower Ninth Ward, Teresa Bovia kept her health center’s doors open.
Regardless of the impending storm, six new patients had already needed walk-in appointments at Baptist Community Health Services, Inc., where Bovia is the chief operating officer. Most needed to refill their medications before the storm hit, but hadn’t been able to contact their regular doctors. The health center’s existing patients also needed insulin or other medications, or wanted to check their blood pressure, before sheltering in place.
“The people we serve, they don’t have the means to leave,” Bovia explained to Talya Meyers, Direct Relief’s senior editor and writer. In New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward, where Bovia works, patients are always vulnerable. She explained that life expectancy in the community is fully 20 years lower than it is for residents of her home neighborhood 15 minutes away.
“We know [the inequity] is there and it’s our responsibility to do something about it,” she said.
Read more.
When Dr. Joronia Chery applied for a residency program, it wasn’t at a hospital, but a community health center.
“I came here because this is where I see myself making the most difference. It feels like treating my grandmother or my mother,” said Dr. Chery, a first-year resident at the Institute for Family Health’s Harlem location. Her decisions stemmed from growing up witnessing the healthcare gaps in her Brooklyn community, where she had to travel 30 minutes by bus to the closest community health center.  
Many residents, like Chery, intentionally choose the program because they see themselves in their patients, reported Noah Smith. Fluent in French and Haitian Creole, she has bridged language gaps that might otherwise complicate care. “When a patient hears someone speaking their language, their shoulders relax. They know they’re in the right place,” she said.
Read more.
An EF4 tornado destroys a Mississippi town as well as the community’s critical health center. Wind and water sweep through New Orleans’ Ninth Ward neighborhood. A hurricane strengthens before inundating communities in North Carolina and Georgia.
These emergencies were all experienced by communities, but also by staff at health centers. But instead of shying away from these disasters, those staff stepped up for their communities, many times as first responders even as they experienced the storm’s impacts personally.
Whether through driving mobile units, creating resilient power hubs, or working to connect patients with lifesaving medications needed during an evacuation, community health centers are often on the frontlines as disasters increase in frequency and intensity.
Through an editorial partnership, Direct Relief and the National Association for Community Health Centers, or NACHC, uncover and share stories of health centers reaching their patients in unique ways, during emergencies and beyond. These stories, published by Community Health Forum and Direct Relief, are offered free of charge for republishing and have been syndicated in various digital and broadcast outlets throughout 2024.
The editorial partnership relies on high-quality storytelling from professional journalists at a time when health reporting from many outlets has been significantly reduced, leaving stories untold.
In between times of emergency, health centers work each day to meet patients where they are, with personal and culturally competent care. They are also actively involved in training the next generation of health workers, many of whom have been patients themselves or have had family seek care.
Here are some of their stories.
After an EF4 tornado swept through Rolling Fork, Mississippi, in March 2023, destroying one of Delta Health Center’s sites, the organization set up a temporary clinic and harnessed resilient power for nine months until a site with power became available. The microgrid allowed health center staff to treat Rolling Fork patients in their hometown.
Adoris Turner, deputy chief executive officer at DHC, said the solar power allowed the health center to offer services through the worst phases of Rolling Fork’s recovery.
“It was a lifesaver, and I literally mean a medical lifesaver,” Turner told Direct Relief journalist Olivia Lewis. “The ability to see a patient who may be having an asthmatic crisis or people who are having any type of medical need, it went a long way to have our facility up and running.”
Read more.
As Hurricane Debby loomed over South Carolina in August, staff at Fetter Health Care Network, the Low Country’s only federally qualified health center, evacuated medicines and mobile units to their inland Summerville location for safekeeping.
The following morning, on storm game day, Powers led her staff through a plan for the day to ensure that patients throughout the city and on the neighboring barrier islands would have as much time to access care and get medication refills as possible.
“The city may shut down at 3 p.m., but we can’t do that. We have to give our patients an opportunity to get off with the shutdowns and then pick up their meds, Powers told Direct Relief journalist Noah Smith. Her staff also took vaccines off the islands in case of power outages and also coordinated with migrants to help them with supplies and to find off-island shelters.
Read more.
One health center decided to train people who wanted a career in health care, starting with its own patients. The Laura Rodriguez Medical Assistant Institute, a program of the Family Health Centers of San Diego, reported that 65% of participants in its medical assistant program have been health center patients themselves, and aim to better reflect the community they serve, reported Olivia Lewis.
FHC of San Diego has 27 locations, which serve about 160,000 patients annually, with over 95% of them living at or below 200% of the federal poverty line, according to HRSA data. Most identify as part of a racial or ethnic minority.
For Diana Garcia Cortes, who graduated from the program in August, one of 15 in her cohort, the program was a game-changer. “It’s really, honestly life-changing to know that within a year I’m able to have a different career, better opportunities, a different job,” she said.
Read more.
Tropical Storm Francine was sweeping towards New Orleans, but in the city’s Lower Ninth Ward, Teresa Bovia kept her health center’s doors open.
Regardless of the impending storm, six new patients had already needed walk-in appointments at Baptist Community Health Services, Inc., where Bovia is the chief operating officer. Most needed to refill their medications before the storm hit, but hadn’t been able to contact their regular doctors. The health center’s existing patients also needed insulin or other medications, or wanted to check their blood pressure, before sheltering in place.
“The people we serve, they don’t have the means to leave,” Bovia explained to Talya Meyers, Direct Relief’s senior editor and writer. In New Orleans’s Lower Ninth Ward, where Bovia works, patients are always vulnerable. She explained that life expectancy in the community is fully 20 years lower than it is for residents of her home neighborhood 15 minutes away.
“We know [the inequity] is there and it’s our responsibility to do something about it,” she said.
Read more.
When Dr. Joronia Chery applied for a residency program, it wasn’t at a hospital, but a community health center.
“I came here because this is where I see myself making the most difference. It feels like treating my grandmother or my mother,” said Dr. Chery, a first-year resident at the Institute for Family Health’s Harlem location. Her decisions stemmed from growing up witnessing the healthcare gaps in her Brooklyn community, where she had to travel 30 minutes by bus to the closest community health center.  
Many residents, like Chery, intentionally choose the program because they see themselves in their patients, reported Noah Smith. Fluent in French and Haitian Creole, she has bridged language gaps that might otherwise complicate care. “When a patient hears someone speaking their language, their shoulders relax. They know they’re in the right place,” she said.
Read more.

Filed Under: Health, North America, United States
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First Eagle Global Real Assets Fund Q3 2024 Commentary  Seeking Alpha
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There’s been 34 Netflix No. 1 movies in 2024 — here’s the 7 you need to watch  Tom’s Guide
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Sorcerers, unite!
Get ready to power up your sorcerers with the latest Sorcerer Tower Defense codes!
Sorcerer Tower Defense is a popular Roblox game inspired by the hit manga and anime Jujutsu Kaisen.
In this game, you’ll defend cities from relentless curses by summoning powerful sorcerers and mastering strategic gameplay.
Redeeming codes can give you valuable rewards like gems and coins to strengthen your team and progress faster.
In this ONE Esports article, we’ve compiled a list of active Sorcerer Tower Defense codes to help you dominate the battlefield.
Sorcerer Tower Defense is an exciting game mode in Roblox where players take on the role of powerful sorcerers to protect the city from relentless waves of curses.
Combining strategic tower defense mechanics with magical combat, the game challenges you to summon and upgrade units to fend off increasingly difficult enemies.
Each sorcerer brings unique abilities to the battlefield, allowing players to experiment with different team compositions and strategies.
Whether playing solo or teaming up with friends, you’ll need quick thinking and careful planning to survive the curse onslaught.
Redeeming a code is easy! Just do any of the following steps:
READ MORE: Roblox Rivals codes (December 2024): Fight enemies in style with these free weapon wraps!
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Herbal sake O-toso for Good Health and Longevity | JANUARY 2025 | HIGHLIGHTING Japan  政府広報オンライン
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December 27, 2024
Kate Middleton recently showed a major sign of where her relationship with Prince William stands, after she was spotted with a look of concern.
During the Royal Family’s Christmas Day appearance at Sandringham, the Princess of Wales had a moment of concern, but it was quickly overcome when William caught her eye and smiled, noted a body language expert.
As per GB News, body language expert Judi James said that this small interaction spoke volumes about their relationship.
Kate’s facial expression changed as expert noted that it seemed like a “moment of concern,” which could be a sign that the Princess, who recently recovered from cancer, was feeling “tired.”
She added, “She looked across at William and they exchanged a glance that came with an ignited smile, meaning her expression responded to his grin with an instant and wide smile of her own.”
James further noted that Kate’s instant smile in response to William’s grin was “perhaps the biggest body language cue of the current relationship” between the couple.
“His strongest moment of support here came at a distance then, but it was a powerful tie-sign between them nevertheless and with that response smile in place, Kate went out to greet the fans looking genuinely happy and touched.”
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The fantasy football season is winding to a close, and most leagues are hosting their championship games in Week 17. That creates one final, crucial set of lineup decisions for fantasy managers.
Managers with elite starting quarterback options like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson or Jayden Daniels don’t have to worry about the quarterback position. Those high-volume passers are plug-and-play starters who should not be benched for any reason.
But if you made it to the fantasy championship game streaming quarterbacks, you will face some difficult start ’em, sit ’em decisions. Why? Because several of the fringe QB1s have tough matchups this week.
Additionally, anyone who made it to the fantasy championship despite Jalen Hurts‘ injury will have to worry about the quarterback’s status entering Week 17. It won’t be easy to make a decision at the position without knowing his availability, but with six games set to be completed before Sunday’s NFL action, Hurts owners will have to be calculated with their decision.
Who are the best quarterbacks to start and sit in Week 17? Here’s a breakdown of the signal-callers to trust and fade in this week’s fantasy playoff matchups.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
NFL WEEK 16:32 things we learned, including second-guessing NFL’s top teams
Love had a volatile game in the Packers’ early-season matchup with the Vikings in what was his first game back from a knee injury. He threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns in that contest but tossed three interceptions in Green Bay’s loss.
Love may not have to throw 54 times like he did in that game, but the Vikings are averaging 33 points over their last three games. This could be a shootout against a defense that has allowed the fourth-most passing yards per game (248.7) this season, so expect Love to finish as a top-10 in Week 17.
The Bears have generally been good against quarterbacks this year, but their play has continued to tail off as the season has continued. While the team has allowed just 17 passing touchdowns to quarterbacks, 10 have come over its last five games. And in four of those five contests, opposing teams have thrown for at least two touchdowns.
That bodes well for Smith’s chances of repeating his Week 16 performance. Smith threw for 314 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions against the Vikings. He should have an easier time finding space against a Bears defense that doesn’t get a lot of pressure. The Seahawks also need to win on “Thursday Night Football” to stay in the NFC West race, so Seattle may be willing to take more downfield chances than usual in this contest.
Mayfield didn’t have a big outing in his first game against Carolina a few weeks ago. Since then, he has averaged 295.3 passing yards, 26.3 rushing yards and three touchdowns per game. Mayfield may endure some turnovers, as he has throughout the season, but he still has one of the strongest floor/ceiling combinations among quarterbacks for Week 17.
Mayfield also has something to play for, as a loss and an Atlanta Falcons win could eliminate Tampa Bay from postseason contention.
Trusting Young to win you a fantasy championship may sound scary, but he has the potential to be a sleeper hit this week. The Buccaneers are allowing the second-most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and Young has continued to take noticeable steps forward in his first year under head coach Dave Canales.
Notably, Young is averaging nearly 30 rushing yards over his last six games and has three touchdowns on the ground in that span. He is coming off a career-high 68 yards on the ground, so if he continues to run against a Tampa Bay defense that has allowed six rushing touchdowns to quarterbacks (tied for third-most in the NFL), he could end up with a bigger line than expected.
Don’t necessarily start Young over some of the other fringe-QB1s like Sam Darnold, but consider him if you’re in a bind looking for a potential Hurts replacement. Young can serve as a decent lineup anchor this week.
NFL PLAYOFFS:Steelers losing their mojo at critical juncture for postseason seeding push
Mahomes looked good on a short week after suffering a mild high-ankle sprain in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns. Can he perform well on another short week in Week 16? That will be a tougher test, as his mobility won’t catch Pittsburgh off-guard while the Steelers are allowing the third-fewest fantasy points per game to opposing quarterbacks.
Mahomes will always have a high ceiling, but if the Chiefs take a ground-dominant approach after watching Derrick Henry gash the Steelers last week, that could limit Mahomes’ impact on the game. He has thrown for just one touchdown in three of his last four games, so his floor is too low to trust in a championship game over other higher-volume streaming options.
The Patriots had a couple of bad games against the pass to start their five-game losing streak, but they have been much better the last three weeks. They have allowed an average of just 164.3 passing yards and a touchdown per game over the last three weeks, which is less than five yards more per game than they are allowing running it.
The Chargers want to be a run-first team and Herbert has been nursing a balky ankle in recent weeks. Jim Harbaugh and Greg Roman may view this as an opportunity to get a win by trusting the team’s running game and defense, so don’t be surprised if Herbert has a quieter day than usual.
Purdy has seemingly alternated good fantasy performances with bad ones this year. That isn’t a reason to fade him outright in Week 17, but his matchup against a Lions defense that has allowed just 15 passing touchdowns to opposing quarterbacks (second-best in the NFL) this season probably is.
Also, Detroit will be looking to exact revenge upon San Francisco for its NFC championship loss last season. Meanwhile, the 49ers were eliminated from the playoffs in Week 16, so they aren’t guaranteed to put their best foot forward in this matchup. Simply put, they’re a team from which to stay away in a tough matchup.
How to win your fantasy football league:Sign up for The Huddle in 2024
Looking for more fantasy football advice? USA TODAY Sports has you covered:
→ A good running back makes all the difference. A bad running back can cost you a lot of points. Here’s who to start and who to sit in Week 17.
→ Kickers are people, too. Here are the most clutch kickers to start, and some to sit, for Week 17.
→ Tight ends can be the perfect X-factor for any fantasy team. Here’s who you should start and sit in Week 17.
→ The wide receiver position has been decimated this season. Protect yourself in Week 17 with start ’em, sit ’em advice for wideouts.
→ A good defense can shut down your fantasy opponent’s offense. Here are some D/ST options to start and sit for Week 17.

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