Fantasy Focus Football: Lineup Locks for Week 9 + TNF Review (Oct. 31, 2025)

Hosts: Field Yates, Daniel Dopp, Mike Clay
Podcast: Fantasy Focus Football
Date: October 31, 2025

Episode Overview

This Halloween-themed episode brings fantasy football fans an in-depth review of Thursday Night Football (Ravens vs Dolphins), key fantasy performances, lineup locks for Week 9, debates on tricky start/sit decisions, injury updates, and potential waiver/streamer targets. Field Yates, Mike Clay, and Daniel Dopp blend analysis with humor (and costumes!) as they help listeners navigate the fantasy landscape for the upcoming weekend.

Key Segments & Insights

1. Halloween Costume Banter & Show Start

• The crew describes their costumes, including Mike Clay's “6, 7” outfit and Field as “half of a bell cow RB.”
• Daniel dons a “statapillar” suit from the Matthew Berry show, sparking inside jokes and family mentions.
  (Runs through 03:30 — skip for main content)

2. Thursday Night Football Recap: Ravens vs. Dolphins

[03:45–08:28]

Key Discussion Points:

• Ravens Standouts:

  • Lamar Jackson (QB): “Four passing touchdowns. Flat out ridiculous…” (Field, 04:02)
  • Derrick Henry (RB): Back-to-back-to-back solid games, 119 rushing yds. “King Henry still did King Henry.” (Daniel, 05:14)
  • Mark Andrews (TE): “Score two touchdowns, get three targets…same old Mark Andrews.” (Mike, 04:54)
  • Zay Flowers (WR): Reasserting himself; solid PPR flex.

• Team Note: Ravens have posted 4+ TDs in every game Lamar played fully this season.

• Dolphins Frustrations:

  • Devon Hn (RB): “Legitimate WR2 usage…gonna catch 90 balls this year.” (Field, 06:04)
  • Jalen Waddle (WR): 6 rec, 82 yds—lost a big play to a questionable penalty.
  • Tua Tagovailoa disappoints; Miami's offense “so frustrating.”
  • Poor decision-making and play calling, especially with short throws on 3rd-and-long.

Notable Quote:

“Watching this team last night was so frustrating…they are a tough watch…the two players that matter in fantasy are obvious.” — Field Yates, [05:35]

3. Lineup Locks & "The Lockening:" Start/Sit Debates

[08:41–19:43]

Quarterbacks:

• Brock Purdy (SF) — Lock if starts vs NYG (Field, 09:09)
• Daniel Jones (NYG) — Borderline QB1, lock for this week vs PIT (Mike, 11:01)
• Mac Jones (NE) — Viable streamer if needed.

Wide Receivers:

• Wandale Robinson (NYG): “25% target share since becoming WR1...solid flex lock.” (Daniel, 12:19)
• Xavier Worthy (KC): “No longer a lock, just flex/boom-bust.” (Daniel, 21:02)
• Michael Pittman Jr. (IND): Quietly a “set and forget” lineup lock, extremely consistent (Field, 22:39)
• Khalil Shakir (BUF): Volume up but TD luck; lineup lock in 12-teamers, flexible in 10. (Mike, 25:51)

Tight Ends:

• Kyle Pitts (ATL): “Three of last four weeks with 13+ fantasy points…He is a lineup lock this week.” (Daniel, 26:42)

Quarterbacks to sit or temper:

• Bo Nix (DEN) / CJ Stroud (HOU): “Houston has allowed the fewest points to QBs…find someone else if possible.” (Field, 13:42)
• Jordan Love (GB): “Not a lineup lock…upside capped, QB2 only.” (Mike, 16:38)

4. Curse of Carries: Murky RB Backfields and Bad Matchups

[29:31–44:12]

Teams/RBs discussed:

• Vikings RBs (Aaron Jones & Jordan Mason): Both shaky vs Detroit. Jones is slightly preferable, but ranked only ~RB26. (Mike, 29:53)
• David Montgomery (DET): Gibbs is “that guy.” Montgomery still flex-worthy but risky in tough matchup; game script dependent. (Daniel, 32:18)
• Panthers RBs (Chuba Hubbard, Rico Dowdle): Coach-speak hints Dowdle could take over, but remains a committee; still only weak flexes. (Field, 35:41)
• Chiefs RBs (Kareem Hunt, Brashard Smith): If Pacheco (injury) is out, Hunt is likeliest to have fantasy value (goal-line). Smith is the “curiosity play,” and Elijah Mitchell could factor. (Field/Mike, 38:44)

Injury Watch:

• Rhamondre Stevenson (NE RB): Watch for Trey Henderson if Stevenson is out (“RB20-22 range—but temper expectations”). (Field, 42:31)
• DeAndre Swift (PHI): Multiple DNPs, monitor status.
• Terry McLaurin (WAS): Ruled out.

5. Trick or Target: Boom/Bust WRs for the Week

[46:34–56:54]

Key Boom/Bust “Trick or Target” Picks:

• Jameson Williams (DET): “Embodiment of Trick or Target: Two games over 18 points, rest under 7.” — Daniel, 47:00
• Kayshon Boutte (NE): “Four TDs in three games on low volume—can’t trust, risk of 2 pts.” — Mike, 50:10
• Shimmarye DK (JAX): “Good recent run with injuries to Jags WRs, deep dart throw if desperate.” — Daniel, 55:00
• Travis Hunter (JAX): Was poised for big week, but immediately breaking injury news (placed on IR).

6. Starts of the Week & Accents Challenge

[56:54–62:11]

• Hilarious segment where Mike, Field, and Daniel deliver their “starts of the week” in fake British/Australian accents as a Halloween forfeit.
• Popular picks: Jordan Love, Sam Darnold, D.J. Moore, Rico Dowdle, Kareem Hunt, Colston Loveland
• D.J. Moore is picked by all three.
• Detailed jokes about accent quality and eligibility of picks (Travis Kelce not allowed due to “top-8 TE only” rule).
• This segment is light, fun, and full of playful ribbing.

7. Listener Questions & Miscellaneous

[28:24; sporadically throughout]

• Flex questions (e.g., Christian Watson vs Troy Franklin—Franklin favored)
• Ongoing six/seven jokes referencing Mike’s costume
• Discussion of waiver-pick darts, injury pivots, situation monitoring

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Michael Pittman Jr.’s consistency:
  “When you get a trade offer for Michael Pittman, you're not like, ‘I gotta drop everything!’...But he has been unbelievably consistent for your team.” — Daniel, [24:36]

• On Trick or Target WRs:
  “Jameson Williams this year is trick or target. Literally could not be a better definition.” — Daniel, [46:52]

• Mike Clay’s Halloween regret:
  “I was locked in on the numbers. I can't believe that was—the perfect authentic use and you missed it.” — Daniel, [31:13]

• Lineup Lock Philosophy:
  “If Brock Purdy is out, then yes, I do believe [Mac Jones] is back on the radar. But if Purdy plays—you’re firing him up vs the Giants.” — Field, [10:09]

• On the state of the RB landscape:
  “Running back is gross.” — Daniel, [32:45]

• On Kyle Pitts as a lineup lock:
  “He is still inside my top 10 at the position and I would be rolling with him this week.” — Daniel, [27:05]

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |------------------------------------------|------------| | TNF Recap (Ravens/Dolphins) | 03:45 | | Lineup Locks / "The Lockening" | 08:41 | | Curse of Carries (Problematic RBs) | 29:31 | | Injury Rundown (with Update Break-ins) | 42:31 | | Trick or Target (Boom/Bust WRs) | 46:34 | | Starts of the Week/Accent Challenge | 56:54 | | Listener Questions Intermittent | Various |

Conclusion & Takeaways

This episode blends sharp, actionable Week 9 fantasy football analysis with the hosts' trademark banter. From highlighting the Ravens’ and Dolphins’ key playmakers to flagging risky RB and WR plays (while tracking injuries closely), listeners walk away with:

• A precise view of "must start" players and cautious sits for Week 9.
• Warnings on misleading box scores and usage shifts.
• Up-to-the-minute injury pivots and distinguishing speculation from actionable news.
• Entertaining Halloween spirit and camaraderie—making a complex fantasy week feel a little more fun.

Don’t miss:

• Start/sit clarity on top-20 QBs and WRs
• Deep-dive RB committee breakdowns
• Halloween-nuanced humor and podcast chemistry

For in-game pivots, check Saturday night injury updates and watch the Sunday morning Fantasy Focus live stream.