The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 17

As you settle in for championship week, remember to listen to The Fantasy Footballers Podcast, available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

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Monday – Week 16 Studs and Duds, Stages of Grief, One More Week

Congratulations if you made it out of your semi-championship week! Andy, Mike, and Jason start the week off by getting sophisticated.

News

Christian Watson exited with a hip injury and did not return in the Packers game. With the AFC South in a tornado, the winner of the Titans versus Jags game will win that division in week 18, and therefore Tennessee might rest the Yeti during your fantasy championship week. Jamaal Williams limped off the field with a leg injury last week as well. In TE injury news – Hunter Henry, Jonnu Smith, and Greg D. all exited their games. Taylor Heinicke was benched for Carson Wentz, and that is that.

Studs

Hard to believe, but there were some great performances this week. Stud QBs include Dak Prescott, Jared Goff, and Patrick Mahomes. Josh Allen managed to save his day with a couple of late drives, and Joe Burrow is playing especially tremendous and takes on the Bills next week. RB studs are highlighted with Cam Akers playing against a “stout” Denver defense. Team Achilles took over with D’Onta Foreman and teammate Chuba Hubbard also had huge success. Saquon had a great game, and James Conner could be a lynchpin in your championship, playing Atlanta next week. Dump truck Lenny dominated the work for Tampa.

Even without Jalen Hurts, DeVonta Smith and AJ Brown had great showings. CeeDee Lamb and Justin Jefferson also delivered for fantasy owners. Jaylen Waddle capitalized on a big play to have a solid week, as expected DJ Moore scored, and Tee Higgins was great. The Commanders also got Dotson! TJ Hockenson was this week’s KJ Osborn, scoring two TDs. George Kittle looks like vintage Kittle as of late, and it is delightful, and Tyler Higbee existed this week just to hurt us. Evan Engram and Travis Kelce were solid as well.

Duds

Bad games came from Justin Fields, Geno Smith, and Tua. Jason is concerned with Tua in the championship week and is suggesting looking away. Monitor your Justin Fields injury. Rhamondre Stevenson was a huge letdown, as well as Josh Jacobs. Banged-up Aaron Jones and D’Andre Swift were horrible. After having the first three carries in Miami, Raheem Mostert went straight downhill, and he will be a scary start in championship week.

Your usual stud WRs caused nightmares this week – Stefon Diggs, Davante Adams, and DeAndre Hopkins. Once again, Mike Evans returns to the dud segment. Ju-Ju was ho-hum, and everyone in the Thursday night weather game was horrid. Baltimore TEs continued to break owner’s hearts – no Lamar might mean no start. Dalton Schultz and Cole Kmet also had terrible games.

Tuesday – Week 17 Waivers, Nasty Boys, Full Stream Ahead

Monday Night Recap

First up, the guys recap the gross Monday night game with Nick Foles and his cement shoes. He had three interceptions and took seven sacks. Justin Herbert has been bizarre this season, with only two passing TDs in the past four weeks – he is destroying you for fantasy. Ekeler and Keenan Allen still got it done, and Mike Williams was average.

News

Derrick Henry did not practice on Monday due to a hip injury, and Jason does not think he will play because of a short week. The perfect hire coach Nathanial Hackett has been fired, and who knows what will happen next. JJ Watt just announced he is retiring after this season, and Tua is in concussion protocol yet again. Expect Teddy Bridgewater. Mike White is cleared to start this week, moving Zach Wilson to laundry duty.

Welcome to the Fold

The guys start with WR – and the number one pickup here is Jahan Dotson. He is a potential big-play guy and worth playing. If Dotson is rostered – which he probably will be – Isaiah Hodgins is a solid pickup on volume alone. The Giants’ WR continues to emerge in the necessity category, and the team needs a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Jason loves Romeo Doubs in an excellent matchup for Green Bay, with Christian Watson potentially missing the game with an injury. New Orleans’ Rashid Shaheed, despite the weather, still managed five targets and is worth a glance. Nasty boy Greg Dortch could also be an option.

Before we get deeper into RB, make sure to check for Cam Akers and Tyler Allgeier. Now the nasty boys – Zack Moss could be a desperation play. Monitor the Derrick Henry situation – if he sits, you have Hassan Haskins as the next man up. The Lions’ Jamaal Williams got injured last week, and since we know the team hates to feed D’Andre Swift, Justin Jackson could get some volume. JaMycal Hasty could step in for Travis Etienne if he sits in a less important game. If you need a TE and Evan Engram is somehow still available, run to him. Tyler Higbee is the last man standing in Los Angeles, and Jason also suggests Conking your way to a championship with Tyler.

The Kansas City defense plays Russell Wilson with an interim head coach. Play them this week. Jason suggests Jacksonville against a divisional opponent. The Chargers take on the Rams, and Bosa could return this week, and the Giants also take on the Colts, and we all know how that can go.

Full Stream Ahead

This week Andy is streaming Jared Goff, Jason is going with Gardner Minshew, and Mike likes San Francisco’s Brock Purdy.

Wednesday – Championship Week Worries, Underdog Tips, TNF Preview

News

Carson Wentz will start this week for the Washington Commanders in a must-win game, and it has been reported that Jeff Saturday is keeping Nick Foles as their starting QB. Deebo Samuel might return to practice later this week, Antonio Gibson has a sprain, and Will Dissly has a knee injury and moves to IR.

Thursday Night Breakdown

Dallas takes on the Tennessee Titans, and the betting line already reflects the expected player absences, mainly Derrick Henry. This team has rested Henry in a similar situation, leaving you Hassan Haskins and hot dog king Julius Chestnut. If you need to throw a random dart, Haskins would be the choice. On the other side, Tony Pollard has not practiced, yet the team says he will play. If he is active, you are playing him. CeeDee Lamb has been on fire and is undoubtedly in your lineup.

Mailbag

The guys pull the first question out of the mailbag – being a big underdog, should you look to maximize your stacks? Looking at variance, if you want to maximize your output – even with added risk – stacking is the way to go. Mike also suggests going with an upside defense. Matt DiSorbo goes into more detail on this topic in his great article on the website. The next question considers Brian Robinson or Tyler Allgeier, and the guys are split. Geno Smith or Brock Purdy is up next, and only if Tyler Lockett is back are the guys going with Smith.

Thursday – Starts of the Week, Week 17 Breakdown, Title Time!

Welcome to title time!

Never Not Working

Today we are looking back on the first and second half of the season and looking at WRs and their target share and percentage. First, those that improved – Christian Watson was the biggest gainer in target share. Davante Adams, Terry McLaurin, Amon-Ra St. Brown, and Zay Jones all improved as well. Target share fallers were Curtis Samuel, Mike Williams, Adam Thielen, Jakobi Meyers, and CeeDee Lamb.

News

The Raiders have decided to bench Derek Carr for the final two games of the season, and this team is clearly broken. Get ready to evaluate the youth. In Jason freaks out news, Austin Ekeler was listed with a knee injury which is new information. He still believes Ekeler will play. Ken Walker and Tyler Lockett both did not practice in Seattle. Christian Watson also was held out of practice due to his hip injury, and finally, Derrick Henry will not play tonight.

Fantasy Forecast

The Arizona Cardinals take on the Atlanta Falcons in the battle of the dirty birds. Colt McCoy returns for Arizona, which is excellent news for Hopkins owners. After an illness this week, James Conner should play. On the Atlanta side, Tyler Allgeier will run for days. Drake London seems to be the go-to receiver for rookie Desmond Ridder, and he is in your lineup. Next up, the Chicago Bears head to Detroit to play the Lions. Even with the gross record, there is positivity for the future in Chicago. This game should be great for fantasy, so fire up your studs in a high over-under game. Andy does have some concerns for Fields’ health. For Detroit, the guys think it is a good week to bet on the Jamaal Williams TD. Jason also likes DJ Chark this week.

Denver heads east to get (potentially) pummeled by Kansas City. Andy is concerned about playing anyone on the Broncos’ side of the ball, but Jason is OK with Jerry Jeudy. With Denver having issues defending the run, you can start both Chiefs’ RBs. Miami and New England play in a battle of the AFC East. Miami is starting Teddy Bridgewater, and they are in a downward spiral. Even without Tua, you are starting Tyreek. You can adjust Waddle down slightly. It is scary to pick your poison with the Miami RB. You can go back to the well with Rhamondre – no matter how scary that may be. The Colts take on the Giants in a low over-under game, and you might have to close your eyes if you start anyone from Indianapolis. Pittman might get the volume, and as much as we know how bad Zack Moss is, he, too, might get the opportunity. On the New York side, Saquon is probably your only start. Andy likes the safety of Isaiah Hodgins. The Saints head up to Philly to play the playoff-bound Eagles. Start your Eagles studs, and with Miles Sanders logging a DNP plus his recent lack of success, you could do better. You could also do worse, Mike reminds us. Goedert is right back in your lineup. On the other side of the ball, Taysom Hill is a possible start.

In Andy’s almost upset of the week, Carolina and Tampa Bay duel for the NFC South. Carolina loves to run the football, but it is scary to start Hubbard or Foreman. For the Bucs’ RBs, Carolina is pretty good at stopping the run, so Fournette and White are also frightening starts. The Panthers have great boom-bust potential, so depending on what you need, they might have startable players.

Starts of the Week

Mike is starting Justin Fields, Brian Robinson, Mike Evans, and Cole Kmet. Jason is going with Trevor Lawrence, Tyler Allgeier, Garrett Wilson, and David Njoku. Finally, Andy likes Jared Goff, Dump Truck Lenny, Allen Lazard, and Dawson Knox.

After the brilliant Boom Boom Kicker, the guys sign off. Good luck, FootClan!

Friday – Week 17 Matchups, Wheel of Shame, Theme Park Tour

Thursday Night Recap

It was a bumpy ride for the Cowboys last night – not what you were expecting. Minimal production from Zeke, but he did manage to get in the end zone to somewhat save your day. If you emergency-started Hassan Haskins, he was not great, but if you were in that bad situation, it was not too shabby. The Doctor will see you now; Dalton Schultz had the biggest performance for your fantasy teams.

News

James Conner did not practice due to illness, as well as Alvin Kamara. Jalen Hurts was still limited on Thursday, and whether he will start is still up in the air. The guys will talk through Ekeler, Deebo, and Stefon Diggs later in the matchups.

Fantasy Forecast

First up is the Cleveland Browns taking on the Washington Commanders. Washington needs this game badly, and who better to lead them than Carson Wentz? Mike’s start of the week, Brian Robinson, will have some great opportunities, but Nick Chubb might have some problems against a solid Commanders run defense. With the switch to Wentz, McLaurin’s targets have decreased while Dotson’s have gone up. There is a world where you pivot from Amari Cooper. Jacksonville plays Houston in the next matchup. The Jags’ big game is next week, so Jason is slightly worried that we will not see the team commit fully. That being said, Travis Etienne should have a solid game. You can start the Jacksonville pass catchers.

The Niners take on the Stidham-led Las Vegas Raiders in what could be an intriguing game. Many questions surround whether Davante Adams and Josh Jacobs will have a full workload as the team looks to evaluate their young talent. Andy is still starting them. Steer clear from Darren Waller with a new QB under center. On the other side of the ball, San Francisco can still get the number two seed in the NFC, so slight motivation does exist. Start your studs but understand that players could be rested late in the game. The Jets fly west to play the Seahawks in an elimination game for both teams. Whether Tyler Lockett plays will be the biggest question mark in this game. Mike White returns under center for New York, and the world celebrates; start Garrett Wilson, and both Elijah Moore and Corey Davis could be options.

Minnesota and Green Bay play in an NFC North battle. Justin Jefferson is on the precipice of the receiving record in a divisional matchup – this game should be good for fantasy. Start your Vikings studs. If Christian Watson is active, you start him, but Andy is avoiding Aaron Rodgers. AJ Dillon is a good start, but starting Aaron Jones could be scary. In a battle of Los Angeles, the Rams play the Chargers. Justin Herbert has not been what you drafted him to be, and starting him could be gross. Ekeler was limited in practice, but he looks to play, and if he is active, you start him. For the RBs on the Rams’ side, Cam Akers has been the RB1 over the last three weeks, and Andy is all about starting him. Higbee is a streamer.

A classic AFC battle happens in primetime, with the Steelers playing the Ravens Sunday night. It is a low over-under, and the offenses cannot move the ball well enough for you to trust any pass-catchers. You can play Najee and the right leg of JK Dobbins. Monday night brings us Buffalo at Cincinnati, and Buffalo must win to get the number one seed and home-field advantage. This should be a big one—wheels up for the Bengals. Jason is not excited about the Bills’ RBs against a stout Cincy defense, but he likes all the pass-catchers.

After Andy spins the Wheel of Shame (again), the guys reveal their DraftKings lineups. Go win some fantasy championships, FootClan!