Fantasy Focus Football – Week 4 Preview, Part 1: The #1 RB You Should AVOID

Podcast: Fantasy Focus Football (ESPN)
Hosts: Field Yates, Daniel Dopp, Mike Clay
Date: September 25, 2025
Episode Theme: Deep dive into Week 4 fantasy storylines and previews—the RB you should avoid, debate over tricky start/sit players, wide receiver/cornerback matchups, injury outlooks, and bold long-shot calls for the week.

Episode Overview

This episode launches into the first part of the Week 4 fantasy football preview. The crew dissects running back tiers, highlights matchup traps, debates rankings, and outlines must-watch players. Special focus is given to the shifting Detroit backfield, the Browns' defensive prowess, and which mid-tier backs can truly be trusted this week. Later, they dig into wide receiver/cornerback matchups and close with their fun Monopoly Fund long-shot touchdown picks.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Detroit Running Back Conundrum (05:16 - 08:32)

• Jameer Gibbs is getting more work than last year, flipping last season’s roles with David Montgomery.

  • Gibbs’ usage: 50 more snaps, 21 more touches than Montgomery after three games.
  • Consistent fantasy success: 15, 19.4, and 26.9 points the first three weeks
  • However, warning flag for Week 4: The Browns' defense has stifled top backs (Chase Brown, Derrick Henry, Josh Jacobs all failed to top 13.1 fantasy points).
  • "I won't be shocked. I would be disappointed, but I won't be shocked if a guy we're ranking as RB5 finishes as RB12 to RB18." (Daniel, 07:22)

• David Montgomery: Coming off a huge week ("went ham Monday night"), but facing a team that's shut down all RBs.

  • Major drop in confidence as an RB2/flex despite his big outing.

• Mike Clay's Rankings Debated:

  • Massive “RB2-tier blob” from RB10 through RB31; differences among the group are minuscule.
  • “The reaction to your list underscores your initial point… it is very close from 11 to 31.” (Field, 22:30)
  • Notable board bet: Mike bets Ashton Gentry (Raiders) will be top-20; Field says no chance (13:38).

2. Wide Receiver + Tight End Insights (22:36 – 31:10)

• CD Lamb injury impact:

  • "If the Cowboys declare him out… we’ll make him IR eligible." (Field, 22:36)
  • Jake Ferguson is a “lineup lock” at tight end; unanimous TE1/2/3 by the panel (23:06).
    • “He is the number one scoring fantasy tight end and first in targets, catches and fantasy points this year.” (Mike, 28:37)
  • George Pickens: Now a must-start ("He's should be locked into lineups." – Mike, 23:48) but still boom-bust given his history.
  • Dak Prescott: universally benched this week; nowhere near top 15.

• Jordan Love as a “sneaky” QB1 vs Dallas:

  • Cowboys have been torched by QBs—Jalen Hurts, Russell Wilson, Caleb Williams (“How does a guy throw 450 yards and 4 TDs and get benched the next week?” – Daniel, 26:06)
  • Great start, but hosts warn: none of his WRs are trustworthy outside of maybe Tucker Kraft.

3. Running Back Rabbit Hole: Ranks and Tough Calls (09:26 – 22:30)

• “Derrick Henry's RB10, then… at 11 Jalen Warren... 12 A. Hampton… 13 Kyren Williams…” (Mike, 09:49)
• At RB16 Ashton Gentry is flagged by Field as too high; extended debate about talent vs. situation.
  • “Rushing volume, but the worst offensive line in the NFL and no passing game role.” (Field, 11:09)
  • But Mike is hopeful: “He handled almost all their running back carries and he's been on the field for 60% of their pass plays…” (Mike, 11:51)
• David Montgomery (RB29) and Nick Chubb (RB27) get huge demotions.
  • “Really tough to bench a guy that just scored 29 points, and then think you have him as RB30.” (Daniel, 21:42)
  • A near-universal consensus that the matchup (Browns/Lions) overrides prior-week performance.

4. Notable Injury Watch & “Cloudy Backfields” (37:45 - 42:22)

• Patriots’ RBs: total mess. Stevenson vs. Henderson vs. Gibson—uncertain shares, huge fumble risk, and not enough upside this week.
  • “Cloudy with a 100% chance of benching. I'm not playing either of these two players.” (Daniel, 41:19)
  • “Keep Henderson on standby because Stevenson might be one fumble away from just... major buy-low candidate.” (Mike, 42:12)
  • Stevenson ranks mid-RB30s for everyone—a ‘last resort’ flex.

Memorable Quotes & Moments

Tabletop Game: Ranking Disagreements (09:03 – 13:39)

“Welcome, welcome to the show… ‘The price is wrong’ if you disagree with any of my takes!”
— Mike Clay, embracing a Price is Right bit for RB debates (09:03)

Dropping Stats Bombs:

“Chase Brown: 47 rushes for 93 yards in three games. Out of 813 players in the Super Bowl era with 47+ rushes, that's the fewest yards.”
— Daniel via ESPN Stats (17:51)

Apartment Life and Fantasy Life Collide:

“I was out shopping for a new sofa... That’s what I was doing on my non football nights.”
— Mike Clay (02:57)

“If anyone has suggestions for a good sofa, I’m in the market.”
— Mike Clay (03:14)

Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Topic | |-------------|------------------------------------------------| | 00:44 | Opening, off-field banter | | 04:47 | Week 4 Preview kicks off | | 05:16 | Lions RB breakdown: Gibbs/Montgomery vs Browns | | 09:03 | Mike’s RB rankings: “Price Is Right” | | 13:38 | Field/Mike make Ashton Gentry board bet | | 22:36 | WR/TE: Lamb injury, Ferguson, Pickens, Dak | | 25:12 | Jordan Love as top-8 QB this week | | 31:26 | Tight end chatter: Ferguson, Kincaid, Andrews | | 37:45 | Drake May, Patriots backfield mess | | 42:28 | WR vs. CB matchups (Shadow Report) | | 52:22 | Thursday Night Football (Seahawks-Cardinals): Preview, lineups, storylines | | 58:43 | Monopoly Fund Long Shot Calls |

Wide Receiver & Cornerback Shadow Report (42:28 – 51:49)

Upgrades

• Bills WRs (Keon Coleman): Saints giving up 3rd most points to perimeter WRs
• Bears WRs (DJ Moore): Raiders giving up tons, Moore trending up despite sluggish start
  • “I would still call him a lineup lock but obviously trending down a little bit.” (Mike, 43:53)
• Packers WRs: Cowboys surrendering most yards/TDs to perimeter

Downgrades & Shadowed Receivers

• Jamar Chase vs. Pat Surtain: Surtain shutting down top WRs, but T. Higgins pops as a possible beneficiary recall (46:34)
• Steelers WRs (against Vikings), Patriots WRs (against Panthers), Calvin Ridley vs. Stingley/Lassiter—all facing tough shadow assignments.

Interesting Quick Stats

• “DK Metcalf is 78th of 80 qualified WRs in air yards per target (5.6 avg).” (Daniel, 50:09)
• “When Kendrick Bourne and Mac Hollins have deeper air per target than you do, you know…” (Daniel, 50:39)

Thursday Night Football Preview (52:22 - 56:56)

• Seahawks vs. Cardinals: Only lineup locks are JSN (Jackson Smith-Njigba) and Trey McBride.
  • Trey Benson to see 70%+ opportunities (RB18 consensus); possible Alexander Mattison-like letdown but excitement is high.
• Seattle’s WRs: JSN has three straight 90+ yd games, but “not likely to keep that up”… leads to another friendly board bet (JSN over/under 85.5 receiving yards).
• Sam Darnold: Has played well—different vibe for Seahawks offense this year vs. Gino Smith.

Monopoly Fund Long Shot Picks (58:43 – 62:18)

• Rules: Must be rostered in <0.5% of leagues.
• PICKS:
  • Daniel: Hassan Haskins (Chargers backup RB, maybe goal-line role pops up)
  • Field: Demarcus Robinson (49ers WR, back from suspension, paper-thin depth chart, possible Purdy return)
  • Mike: Isaiah Bond (Browns WR, getting more snaps, against porous Lions secondary)
  • Producers: Elijah Moore (Bills WR, making a risky repeat long-shot call)
• Previous “near-misses” and ineligible producer picks are discussed with playful banter.

Other Notables & Fun

• Podcast Tone: Informal, lively, a mix of sharp analysis and inside jokes (e.g., “If anyone has suggestions for a sofa!; The Price is Wrong; Shadowed matchups as TV drama”).
• Listener Engagement: Shout-out to YouTube chat with analyst Eric Moody fielding live questions (04:27).
• Advice Recap: “Don’t start a Thursday Night player in your flex!” – importance of lineup construction for late swaps (63:11).
• Parting Words: “Be kind to yourself... Set your lineup... Don’t forget to love each other.” (Daniel, 63:11)

Takeaways for Fantasy Managers:

• RBs 10-30: This is a massive tier—matchups and roles drive start/sit decisions. Don’t get stuck on preseason expectations; be ready for volatility, especially with defenses like Cleveland lurking.
• Don’t chase last week’s points—Montgomery, Chase Brown, etc. are at serious risk in bad matchups.
• Jake Ferguson and Jameer Gibbs remain strong, but context is critical.
• If you’re desperate at RB, “long-shot” options are real this week—but so is the risk.
• Monitor injury news: CD Lamb, Charbonnet, and Detroit's backfield will swing lineup decisions.

Quick Reference Board Bets (with Timestamps)

• Ashton Gentry Top 20 RB Debate (13:38)
  • Mike: Top 20 | Field: Outside top 20
• JSN Over/Under 85.5 Yds (57:19)
  • Daniel: Over | Mike: Under

This summary covers all essential fantasy context, big debates, and the hosts’ signature humor—useful for fantasy football players seeking actionable advice and a feel for how the ESPN crew is viewing some of the trickiest situations in Week 4.