The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 3

Remember to listen to The Fantasy Footballers podcast, available wherever you listen to your podcasts.

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• YouTube

Monday – Studs, Duds, and Surprises!

We have learned more about players with close to two weeks under our belts, and Andy, Mike, and Jason start the week by getting sophisticated.

News

Just before kickoff, it was announced RB Cam Akers was a healthy scratch, and he was on the trading block. Kyren Williams took advantage. Amari Cooper reaggravated his groin injury and should not play on Monday night. Saquon exited the game at the end of the Arizona game and will probably not play this week on Thursday. Joe Burrow aggravated his calf injury on Sunday, which will no doubt linger. Jason says you will have to consider other options. David Montgomery also left on Sunday with a quad injury.

Studs

After being shut out in the first half, Daniel Jones came back and had a tremendous second half. Kirk Cousins is currently the QB1 in fantasy right now, and Russell Wilson is not too far behind. Jalen Hurts had a bounce-back game, and Josh Allen also delivered. Lamar Jackson also had a good Sunday, and CJ Stroud had almost 400 passing yards. Brian Robinson headlines the RB studs, Raheem Mostert produced for Miami, and Kyren Williams played 96% of snaps. CMC was incredible, and Bijan is delightful to watch.

The benefactor of no Austin Ekeler was WR Keenan Allen, who had a game. Mike Evans balled out, and Puka Nacua showed that the stout Niners defense didn’t matter. He was targeted on 40% of his routes and could be a league winner. Nico Collins and Tank Dell both had great games for Houston. Jason’s start of the week Tee Higgins looked great, and Lockett and CeeDee Lamb also had great games. Andrews, Kelce, Hockenson, Henry, and more headlined TE performances.

Duds

Trevor Lawrence was very disappointing, and even in a good game, Tua did not deliver. Andy is hitting the panic alarm on Justin Fields. With the RBs, Breece Hall only had four carries, and he was clearly unhappy. Josh Jacobs had a bad game, and Jason is slightly concerned about the overall offense. Tank Bigsby did not get a target or carry, and he is still a wait-and-see. Dameon Pierce only had 31 total rushing yards, and Joshua Kelley did not deliver in replacement of Austin Ekeler.

WRs who had terrible days included Ja’Marr Chase, Calvin Ridley, and AJ Brown. The guys aren’t panicked. TE wise – Kyle Pitts. Five targets, sure…but he has no potential, thanks to Arthur Smith. Dallas Goedert has another subpar game, and Jason sounds a red alert for Tyler Higbee. George Kittle was disappointing.

Tuesday – Week 3 Waiver, Andy’s Demise, Chubb Reaction

Football is especially brutal this season as the guys reflect on Monday night’s horrendous Nick Chubb injury. 

Monday Night Recap

After some impressive runs, Chubb will be out for the rest of the season, and Jerome Ford becomes a discussion. Deshaun Watson does not look like the QB he was in Houston, which is perplexing. Andy is dropping and/or not starting him. Mike reminds us that the Browns have an okay schedule in the next few weeks, but Watson might be suspended after pushing a referee. On the Steelers’ side, Najee looks slow and inefficient. The split with Warren could be intriguing moving forward.

There is a second game to reflect on, and Bryce Young looks unmatched. AARP-sponsored Adam Thielen could be relevant moving forward. Miles Sanders could look better, but he still gets the volume, and Jason is targeting him. Backup Chuba Hubbard is getting some snaps and opportunities, so keep an eye out. Jamaal Williams went down to injury for the Saints, and the RB room must be addressed.

News

The Lions signed Bam Knight to their active roster while we wait and see how long David Montgomery will be out. Saquon will miss three weeks due to an ankle sprain, and Brandon Aiyuk might miss Thursday, but it is unclear. It is unknown if Joe Burrow will start this week, and Anthony Richardson and Jaylen Waddle are both in the concussion protocol. There is no timeline for the return of Austin Ekeler.

Waiver Wire

RB Jerome Ford is one of the top adds this week, but if Kyren Williams is available, he should be picked up first. Zack Moss should also be looked at, much to Jason’s chagrin. Matt Breida is Jason’s next man up, just not this week against San Francisco. Kendre Miller is also an option, but he might not immediately be active. The guys are okay to drop Akers to pick up one of the top options.

Nico Collins leads all WRs in receiving yards and is the top pickup for this position. You can also consider Tutu Atwell and Josh Reynolds, and the guys think Zay Jones could be droppable. Jaylen Reed could be a stash on your bench, and Hunter Henry is a solid option if you need to pick up a TE. Rookie Sam LaPorta and Zach Ertz can also be targeted. Andy is monitoring Logan Thomas.

The guys are targeting Kansas City, Jacksonville, and Seattle defenses this week.

Full Stream Ahead

Andy is streaming Baker Mayfield this week since Philly is the number-one matchup for fantasy QBs so far. Mike likes Brock Purdy, and Jason is streaming Matt Stafford.

Wednesday – Unsolved Mysteries and Hungry for More, Prophetic Hope

Hungry for More

Mike starts with his player, who has recently flashed, and Mike wants to see more from him. Houston’s WR Tank Dell is his guy this week. Jason is hungry for more from Gabe the Babe. Finally, Andy wants to see more from George Pickens and the Pittsburgh offense.

News

Amid the run to grab Jerome Ford, the Browns have signed Kareem Hunt to a one-year deal. Jamaal Williams is out for the immediate future, and it is Kendre Miller’s time. Anthony Richardson is still in the concussion protocol, and Amon-Ra St. Brown will not practice Wednesday. Brandon Aiyuk is a game-time decision.

Unsolved Mysteries

The guys start with the mystery of Jahmyr Gibbs’ usage and whether it will improve. In Week 1, he was RB36, which improved in Week 2 to RB24, but now there is the injury bug on the Lions. Jason believes Gibbs’ usage will be similar to what he had last week, which is enough for him to be effective for fantasy managers. He might be the biggest benefactor if Amon-Ra misses time.

The next mystery is the Baker Mayfield redemption tour, which is opened with the Mike Evans explosion. Mayfield is currently the third-highest-rated passer, and Evans has been targeted on 28% of his routes run. Mike likes what he has seen so far but also credits the easy matchups. The Bucs play the Eagles this week, and Baker will see more pressure. Next up are the Bengals’ offensive woes, similar to last season. The matchups look much better coming up, and Jason thinks the schedule and the talent should help them out enough.

Finally, what is the truth about Jordan Love? He currently has an insane TD rate, which should even out, and when that does, Love will return to Earth. Mike believes in regression to the mean.

Thursday Night Breakdown

This week, the San Francisco 49ers are ten-point point favorites over the New York Giants. This game should follow the script we anticipate, and Daniel Jones should have a bad day. There aren’t many fantasy options on the Giants’ side, but Darren Waller is still an option. There’s no need to start Matt Breida in a bad matchup. On the Niners’ side, you fire up your studs, and you can still start George Kittle, even though he has a wide range of outcomes. Brock Purdy is Mike’s start of the week.

After a dive into the mailbag, the Ballers sign off.

Thursday – Starts of the Week, Week 3 Breakdown, Akers Reaction

News

Cam Akers has been traded to the Minnesota Vikings, and Mike is oddly okay with it. Derrick Henry was limited on Wednesday with a toe injury, and Austin Ekeler also did not practice. Bryce Young didn’t practice for the second straight day, and Saquon is officially out for Thursday night.

Fantasy Forecast

The Titans take on the Browns in Cleveland to start us off. It is a bad week to break out Jerome Ford against a stout Tennessee defense. Andy believes the Browns will pass a lot, and Deshaun Watson should have a big game. Amari Cooper is a must-start. The Falcons head to Detroit to play the Lions, and the rookies should be exciting to watch – it’s a big opportunity for Jahmyr Gibbs. The rest of the Detroit offense is fighting injuries, so Sam LaPorta could capitalize. On the other side, the receiving options are good for Atlanta.

The next game is New Orleans versus Green Bay. Jordan Love has looked competent, and Jayden Reed has been helping with that. Andy is concerned this could be a snoozefest and is not starting a Packer. Jamaal Williams will miss this game because of injury, and Kendre Miller should have his debut. The guys caution us that Miller may be broken in slowly. You start Chris Olave, and Michael Thomas can be a flex.

Denver heads to Miami to take on Tua and the Dolphins. It is a great matchup for Javonte Williams. It should be a great game for the Miami offense, so start your studs. Jason is leaning away from Denver pass catchers, except the TEs. The Chargers play the Vikings in a high over-under. It’s wheels up for the stars on both sides, but Austin Ekeler might miss the game again. You can still start Mattison, and TJ Hockenson is also an option.

The Pats play the Jets in what could be a very gross game. The best two plays here are the defenses on both sides. Breece Hall should get more carries than last week, but it will be tough to start him against that defense. It is scary to start any offensive options here. Buffalo takes on the Commanders in Washington, and this is not a great Sam Howell matchup in Andy’s eyes. Jahan Dotson has been disappointing, and Jason is staying in the flames with Brian Robinson. Start all your Buffalo studs, and Gabe Davis is a dart throw. Andy believes the Dalton Kincaid breakout is still coming.

Starts of the Week

Andy is starting Kirk Cousins, Josh Jacobs, Jordan Addison, and the Muth. Mike is going with Dak Prescott, Travis Etienne, Zay Flowers, and Jake Ferguson. Finally, Jason is starting Geno Smith, Miles Sanders, Amari Cooper, and Kyle Pitts.

The show ends with Jason’s Boom Boom Kicker.

Friday – Week 3 Matchups and Start Sit Challenges, Shametown!

Thursday Night Recap

Everything went according to plan in last night’s game, with Brock Purdy’s classic two TDs. CMC almost had a monster game, and Deebo looked incredible. George Kittle also delivered in the second half. There is not much to talk about on the other side of the ball. Darren Waller had seven targets, but it translated to a lousy game. Wan’Dale Robinson can be on your radar.

News

Austin Ekeler remained sidelined on Thursday, and Jason thinks he will not play. Jaylen Waddle is still in the concussion protocol and is questionable this week. RB Aaron Jones returned to practice, but it looks like the Gardner Minshew show with Anthony Richardson is probably out. Kenny Gainwell returned to practice.

Fantasy Forecast

First up is Houston versus the Jags, in Andy’s almost upset of the week. Christian Kirk is back in play with Zay Jones missing practice, and the guys have been impressed with CJ Stroud. Jacksonville has a solid rush defense, so it is scary to start Dameon Pierce. You can stay in the flames with Nico Collins. The Colts take on the Ravens with Gardner Minshew under center. Zay Flowers is Mike’s start of the week, and you start Mark Andrews. On the other side, you have to start Zack Moss in a bad matchup based on volume.

Carolina heads to Seattle to take on the Seahawks. Geno is Jason’s start of the week, and you are starting the Seattle studs. Keep apprised of Metcalf’s status. One last ride – Andy Dalton and Adam Thielen, and Thielen could be startable. Seattle’s defense has not been great. Chicago heads to Arrowhead to try to take on the Chiefs. The Bears’ offense has looked grotesque, and the matchup is rough for them this week. The guys are steering clear of Khalil Herbert, but you can start DJ Moore. Andy does not want to play Justin Fields.

Dallas plays Arizona in what will clearly be a delightful game. You can play Ertz, James Conner, and perhaps Hollywood on the Cardinals’ side. Dak is Mike’s start of the week, and you are starting the rest of the Dallas studs, plus Jake Ferguson. The Steelers play the Raiders in Las Vegas in the next matchup. You are starting Josh Jacobs and Davante Adams, and Mike is okay with Jakobi Meyers. For Pittsburgh, Najee has a good matchup.

Monday Night Football brings us another doubleheader. The first is Philly and Tampa Bay. This was close to Andy’s almost upset, and you can start Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Rachaad White has more question marks. On the Eagles’ side, you are staring Gainwell, Swift, and the rest of the studs. The Rams versus the Bengals close out the week in a Super Bowl rematch. It seems like Joe Burrow is playing, but make sure to have a pivot. You can start Kyren Williams, Puka, and Tutu Atwell. On the Cincy side, you start your studs.

After the guys reveal their Draft Kings lineups, Jason spins the Wheel of Shame, and we are off into Week 3. Good luck, FootClan!