The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap for Week 9

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Monday – Monday Punday, Blame Mike, Studs, and Duds

It is another best friend’s day on The Fantasy Footballers podcast as Mike and Jason reflect on another crazy week in the NFL. After getting sophisticated, the guys move on to the news.

News

Calvin Ridley announced that he is taking a step away from football to concentrate on his mental health. With no timeline, Jason says it depends on your league and your team on how to proceed. The next bombshell is that Derrick Henry fractured a toe. This means he could be out for the rest of the season. James Robinson also exited the game with a heel injury, and it is reported that Kyler Murray has a sprained ankle. Jameis Winston also had a significant knee injury.

Studs

Starting with the QBs. After a slow first half, Josh Allen came back with a ridiculous rest of the game. Mike White of the New York Jets also had an incredible game to the joy of all watching. Jimmy G. came back, showing that he too can rush for TDs. Justin Fields looked great, especially on a fantastic TD scramble. Matthew Stafford and Ryan Tannehill also had wonderful Sundays. RBs are highlighted with Michael Carter, Joe Mixon, and Darrell Henderson. Austin Ekeler ended up playing and excelled. Elijah Mitchell was also excellent. Jonathan Taylor did great, and he has a very friendly schedule moving forward. AJ Brown was one of the best WRs of the week, and everyone wants to move to Pitty City as Michael Pittman Jr. had a great game. Cooper Kupp continued his success, and Tyler Lockett had a great week, much to the chagrin of everyone who finally benched him. Deebo and Robert Woods also had great results. With TEs, TJ Hockenson played great, Dan Arnold delivered, and the Muth was Luth.

Duds

Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert highlight the Duds segment this week. Matt Ryan also had a bad game, with his hand gushing blood. Jalen Hurts and Kirk Cousins were also disappointing. At the RB position, Dalvin Cook, Zeke, and D’Andre Swift all had terrible games. Kenny Gainwell pretty much disappeared, and Antonio Gibson needs to have the alarm sounded. With WRs, Mike Williams had a low number of targets, but better days seem to be ahead. Justin Jefferson was bad, and Manny Sanders completely disappeared. Terry McLaurin, DJ Moore, and all the Broncos receivers had rough days. Pretty much all the streaming TEs were disappointing.

Good luck if you need a Monday night miracle!

Tuesday – Monday Night Recap, Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire, Waivers, Streamers

Andy could not stay away too long! With Andy taking part remotely, the show was full steam ahead!

Monday Night Recap

The Chiefs won on paper last night over the Giants, but the great Chiefs seem to have disappeared. Jason is unsure of the issue, but no matter what, it affects the fantasy implications of Travis Kelce, CEH when he returns, and all the other pass-catchers. Jason still trusts the talent of Patrick Mahomes and the offensive mind of Andy Reid. On the other side of the ball, Davante Booker had a decent game, and Mike’s start of the week, Evan Engram, got a TD.

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

The first player in this segment is Michael Carter. Carter was the recipient of many Mike White throws on Sunday, but will this continue? Mike believes long-term he has value, but Zach Wilson making use of him remains to be seen. Jason thinks this might be fire, at least while Mike White is starting. Next is Michael Pittman Jr. The governor of Pitty City, Mike Wright is all about the fire, stating that Pittman is currently the WR 13 on the season and becomes safer and safer by the day. Triple fire for Pittman.

News

Kyle Shanahan said Elijah Mitchell came away from the Sunday game with a rib injury. Jason reminds us that the practice window for Jeff Wilson Jr. is now open. Derrick Henry is out 6-10 weeks, and the Titans signed Adrian Peterson. David Montgomery is eligible to come off the IR, and Dak should play this week. Jameis Winston suffered a torn ACL and MCL injury.

Waivers

Andy starts off the waiver segment questioning whether we should drop Calvin Ridley. The consensus is to do what you can to keep up at this point in time. Drop Allen Robinson. Do not pass go. Favorite WR options include Rashod Bateman and Devante Parker, especially with Will Fuller still unhealthy. Jamison Crowder is an interesting option if Corey Davis is out and Mike is back on the Aiuyk bandwagon. Jason is a fan of Van Jefferson as well. With RBs, Michael Carter is an immediate pickup. Boston Scott, Adrian Peterson, and Jeremy McNichols are other names to target. Pending the James Robinson situation, Carlos Hyde could also be a pickup. On to TEs. If traded to the Packers, Jason would be reluctantly interested in Evan Engram. The Muth was Luth, and Big Ben seems to really like him. With the matchup this week, temper your expectations. If you have a bench spot open, stash Logan Thomas. Defensively, Andy’s favorite is the Colts, which has an excellent matchup for two weeks. The Dolphins against Houston also looks great. QB streamers to target this week ate Tua, Carson Wentz, and Taysom Hill.

Wednesday – Buy/Sell, Mid-Season Review, Thursday Night Breakdown

It is mid-week, and the guys start with Buy/Sell.

Buy/Sell

Our first Buy or Sell topic is DJ Moore. Is he a top 20WR against New England this week?  Jason sells this in that the Patriots take away every team’s best passing option, and Andy agrees in that he believes the New England defense will demolish the Carolina offense. Next is Kyle Pitts – will he have ten or more fantasy points? Pitts is clearly athletic enough to his this number, but the matchup against the Saints might be too tough for him to succeed. Andy disagrees in that even though the Saints are great against TEs, Pitts is not really a TE. Finally, is Darrel Williams a top 20 RB against the Green Bay Packers? Andy buys this, as he believes Williams will do enough in the passing game.

News

OBJ has been “excused” from practice today, and Andy believes there is a chance he might be cut. Michael Thomas has announced that he will not be playing at all this season. Aaron Rodgers tested positive for Covid and might miss two weeks if he is unvaccinated. After a horrific accident, Henry Ruggs has been waived by the Las Vegas Raiders. Noah Fant also has Covid. Jason tells us Logan Thomas is coming back soon, and we should stash him, especially with an IR spot.

Mid-season review

The guys will walk through the position groups, talk about the top ten players, and generally reflect. Starting with QB, Josh Allen is sitting in the top spot, even with being slightly boom or bust. Tom Brady is in the second spot, and he is nothing if not consistent. Andy’s “my guy” has been the best value so far. Other players in the top ten include Lamar, Stafford, Kyler, and Jalen Hurts. Andy feels like Matthew Stafford especially is locked and loaded for the rest of the season. Looking at the rest of the season, Mike feels that Justin Herbert might not end the year in the top ten, and Jason feels the same about Taysom Hill. RBs are next. The current number one is sigh, Derrick Henry. Ekeler, Taylor, and Zeke are a few of the others in the top ten, and the most surprising name in there is Corrdarelle Patterson, and Andy has confidence that he will keep up at this level. Mike thinks that Joe Mixon might drop out of this group by the end of the year, as he has times where his efficiency can go down. Dalvin Cook, David Montgomery, and Josh Jacobs are the names of RBs who might end up in the top 12 by the end of the season. Cooper Kupp highlights the WRs, outpacing pretty much every player in the league. Deebo, Tyreek, Ja’Marr Chase, and Davante Adams round out the top five. Mike thinks we might lose Adam Theilen out of the top 12, Jason thinks Mike Williams, and Andy says it might be Hollywood Brown. We could see the likes of Justin Jefferson and Dionte Johnson in the top-12 by the end of the season. Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce are the top TEs. Jason says Dawson Knox might fall out of the Top 12, and Mike thinks it might be Mike Gesicki.

Thursday Night Breakdown

The Mike White-led New York Jets take on the Indianapolis Colts on Thursday. Michael Carter’s pass-catching success should be tested here, especially with the Colts now having tape on White. Carter is Andy’s only start on the Jets side, with Jason also willing to start Jamison Crowder. On the other side of the ball, Jonathon Taylor has a fantastic matchup, and Michael Pittman should continue to succeed.

Thursday – Never Not Working, Fantasy Forecast, Starts of the Week, Boom Boom Kicker

Welcome! It is football time!

Never Not Working

Part of this segment is pulling that thread from a sweater to see where it leads. Last week we learned that Big Ben is only completing 25% of pass attempts over 20 yards, hindering Chase Claypool’s breakout potential. This week we are looking at other QBs who might be affecting their teams or players’ fantasy success because of the depth of passes. Sam Darnold is the only QB below the league average in all four areas of the field. DJ Moore has the second most intermediate targets in the NFL but less than 50% catch rate. If you are waiting for that DJ Moore breakout, it might not happen due to Darnold. Justin Herbert is throwing much shorter passes this season, and you see the results with his WRs; Mike Williams is averaging a much shorter depth of target. By changing Herbert’s utilization, it is better for football but not as beneficial for fantasy. Jason is telling us to look more holistically at the WRs and their QBs moving forward to get a better picture.

News

The drama with OBJ continues, and Jason is suggesting trying to trade him. Saquon tested negative on his Covid re-test. CeeDee Lamb has a sprained ankle, and AJ Green has also been placed on the Covid list. Taysom Hill and Christian McCaffrey also returned to practice.

Fantasy Forecast

The Cleveland Browns head across the state to play the Bengals. With no Kareem Hunt in the backfield, D’Ernest Jonhston is still an interesting play. Baker will need to throw, so the Cleveland WRs are an option. Jason likes Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase on the other side, with the possibility of Tee Higgins as well. The Broncos play the Cowboys in a game where it seems like Dak will start. Mike is concerned with Lamb since he landed on the injury report today but is starting Amari Cooper and possibly Dalton Schultz. The Denver side is a bit murkier, with Jerry Jeudy back and the RBs sharing carries. The next game is the Texans (with Tyrod Taylor returning) at the Dolphins. Andy thinks Tua is a strong play, and Mike Gesicki should be started as well. Jason believes in Myles Gaskin this week. Do not start any Houston RBs, and Brandin Cooks is an option. Atlanta plays New Orleans in the south. If Taysom Hill starts, you play him, as well as Alvin Kamara. On the other side, without Calvin Ridley, Jason says this game should give us a good view of what will happen in Atlanta. The guys are starting Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Pitts, even with a bit of concern. The Raiders head East to play the Giants, and it should be another week without smooth jazz. Andy likes Devontae Booker if Saquon does not play. On the other side of the ball, send in the Carr and start Josh Jacobs. Finally, the Patriots play the Panthers in a game with a very low over/under. Outside of Damian Harris and possibly Hunter Henry, there aren’t many other players on the New England side to start. Jason will start Chuba/McCaffrey and DJ Moore on the Carolina side.

Starts of the Week

Andy’s starts of the week include Tua, D’Ernest Johnson, and Dallas Goedert. Mike is a big fan of  Taysom Hill if he starts, Zack Moss, and Jared Cook. Finally, Jason is starting Joe Burrow, Josh Jacobs, Robert Woods, and Tyler Conklin.

The episode ends with the elegant prose in the latest installment of Jason’s Boom Boom Kicker.

Friday – Thursday Night Recap, Fantasy Forecast, Fantasy Faceoff & Wheel of Shame

As Andy welcomes us into Friday, he reminds us to check out Matthew Betz and his Injury Podcast that lands Friday afternoon and always has the most up-to-date info.

Thursday Night Recap

Jonathan Taylor laid his claim to being RB1 for the rest of the season last night. Taylor had an incredible night against a Jets team that lost their backup QB early. Michael Pittman delivered again, building more of Pitty city, and streaming Carson Wentz proved successful. Even without Mike White, Elijah Moore also had a great game. It was sad to see Mike White go down so early.

News

The Cleveland Browns are releasing OBJ. Andy sees him perhaps landing in Atlanta or Las Vegas. Kyler and Deandre Hopkins are both questionable for Sunday. The Saints have announced they are starting Trevor Siemian this Sunday, and the 49ers announced that Jeff Wilson has been activated and might play this week.

Fantasy Forecast

The Bills get to travel to Florida and take on the Jags. This is simple, start your Bills and do not play a Jaguar, especially with James Robinson probably not playing. Next, the Minnesota Vikings play the Baltimore Ravens. Andy says that coming off a loss, the Vikings tend to compete, so Kirk Cousins could surprise. Ravens-wise, without Latavius Murray playing, you will be playing RB roulette. The Chargers head east to play the Eagles and are two-point favorites in this game. The Chargers have a great pass defense, so Mike is out on DeVonta Smith. Both teams are not great against the RBs, so fire up Ekeler and Boston Scott. Dallas Goedert is Andy’s start of the week. The Packers take on the Chiefs with a diminishing over/under due to the Aaron Rogers situation. No one is sitting Davante Adams, but questions arise for Aaron Jones. Jason thinks he is still a go. On the Chiefs side, you can start your usuals as well as Darryl Williams. In an NFC battle, the Cardinals take on the 49ers. Kyler has not practiced, and the guys lean towards him not playing. Mike is also pivoting off James Connor. Jason mentions how this is a confusing game – not knowing who is starting and who is injured. This game could be yucky. Sunday night, the Titans play the LA Rams, and we will see Adrian Peterson take the field. Jason trusts the Titans enough to still believe in their fantasy-relevant players. Jeremy McNicholas is an option for Mike. All of your Rams are locked in. Finally, Monday night, Chicago plays Pittsburgh in a very low over/under game. The only Bear to play is Khalil Herbert or David Montgomery, depending on the situation. On the Steelers side, you start Najee and Diontae Jonhson.

Fantasy Faceoff

Jason lost the weekly DraftKings lineup battle and had to spin the Wheel of Shame.

This week, Jason had to spin the *Wheel of Shame* during the Fantasy Faceoff segment presented by @DraftKings!

Watch the full segment with our Week 9 lineups: https://t.co/xVD7AGDHky

Download the @DraftKings app and use code BALLERS when you sign up pic.twitter.com/rjV1oXolRm

— Fantasy Footballers (@TheFFBallers) November 5, 2021