Fantasy Focus Football Podcast Summary

Episode: Week 8 Fantasy Confidence Meter: Who’s Safe, Who’s Risky, Who’s Exploding?

Release Date: October 22, 2025
Hosts: Field Yates, Mike Clay, Daniel Dopp
(With contributions from Stephania Bell, though not present in this transcript)

Overview

This mid-season episode dives into the Week 8 “Confidence Meter” for fantasy football with Field, Mike, and Daniel sharing which players they feel best about for the coming week—and which they’re most concerned about. The crew debates high- and low-confidence options, gives volume-based and matchup-centric breakdowns, and plays a round of “Field in the Blanks”—a fill-in-the-blank segment on fantasy risers, fallers, and surprises. They close by answering listener questions and joking through friendly rivalries and podcast punishments.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Long Shots and Bragging Rights (02:00 – 05:00)

• Mike Clay is celebrated for hitting numerous “impossibly” long-shot touchdown picks—5 of the last 6 weeks, including Kanata Mumfield’s TD, rostered in 0.0% of leagues.
  • Quote (Mike Clay, 02:31): “There’s always a little luck in there… but it was fun, just to take a long shot like that.”
  • The hosts joke about their rivalries and bet histories before diving into the confidence meter.

2. Week 8 High Confidence Players

Derrick Henry – RB, Ravens (Field, 05:16)

• Citing the matchup vs Bears, who allow over 34 fantasy points per game to RBs.
  • Quote (Field Yates, 06:34): “My confidence is up in Derrick Henry. He’s RB8 on my board.”

Bo Nix – QB, Broncos (Mike, 06:43)

• 6.7/10 confidence ‒ coming off a monster 40-point fantasy game, good rushing upside, and a plus matchup vs Cowboys who have allowed huge QB fantasy days all year.
  • Quote (Mike Clay, 08:28): “Every quarterback that has faced the Cowboys has scored at least 17.7 fantasy points this season. …He’s QB5 for me. I would call him a lineup lock here.”
  • Field adds: Denver avoids running at the goal line, favoring Nix in TD equity (08:38).

Rashad White – RB, Buccaneers (Daniel, 09:49)

• Bounce-back spot after tough week vs Lions; heavy passing game use and strong floor.
  • “Saints are allowing the 12th most fantasy points to running backs… [White] is my running back probably 6 or 7 this week with an 8 out of 10 confidence.” (Daniel Dopp, 11:23/11:49)

Chris Olave – WR, Saints (Field, 11:53)

• Quietly consistent: severe target volume, back-to-back 98-yard games (12:00).
  • “He is the focal point of this Saints offense. …Volume matters.” (Field Yates, 12:57)
  • Mike notes Olave’s 8 end zone targets, 4th at WR (13:04).

T. Higgins – WR, Bengals (Mike, 13:14)

• 7/10 “Flacco Coins” of confidence. Secondary receiver in a Sauce Gardner shadow situation (if Gardner plays, he’ll shadow Chase, giving Higgins favorable coverage).
  • “This sets up T. Higgins as that secondary receiver for the Bengals, which means … a little bit of a boost this week.” (Mike Clay, 15:40)

Rome Odunze – WR, Bears (Daniel, 16:06)

• Citing the fantasy-friendliness of the Ravens’ defense to WRs (5th-most points allowed).
  • “I’m just going to continue to trust the matchup… he is my wide receiver 10 against the Ravens this week.” (Daniel Dopp, 17:26)

3. Lower Confidence / Risky Players

Quinshon Judkins – RB, Browns (Field, 18:17)

• Toughest matchup: Patriots have not allowed any RB to reach 50 rushing yards all season.
  • “My guess is … the Patriots have not allowed a running back to reach 50 rushing yards. … He’s my 20th ranked running back this week.” (Field Yates, 19:00/19:19)
• Mike: “He’s being utilized like Derrick Henry, but the offense is a lot worse.” (Mike Clay, 20:25)

Michael Penix Jr. – QB, Falcons (Mike, 24:37)

• 30th percentile of “Michael Juniors.” Disappointing production, little rushing upside, risky even in favorable streamer matchups.
  • “Five passing touchdowns and three interceptions in six games. He has zero or one touchdowns in four of his five last games. That’s not going to cut it.” (Mike Clay, 24:59)

Jalen Waddle – WR, Dolphins (Daniel, 29:50)

• Offense out of sync; Waddle’s volume and matchup (vs Falcons, allowing 2nd fewest WR points) both concerning.
  • “...the Dolphins just imploded in week seven… vibes are not high and now they face the Falcons who’ve allowed the second fewest fantasy points per game to wide receivers…” (Daniel Dopp, 30:35)

Jakori Croskey-Merritt – RB, Commanders (Field, 33:07)

• “If the Commanders are game-scripted out against the Chiefs, and he’s only caught 7 balls in 7 games, you can’t trust his passing game usage.”

Rhamondre Stevenson – RB, Patriots (Mike, 34:37)

• Scored only in cupcake matchups, losing passing-down work, faces Browns’ elite run defense.

Dalton Kincaid – TE, Bills (Daniel, 38:07)

• Output far outpaces opportunity—only 20th in targets/game at TE despite being top-five in PPG.
  • “He is just a house of cards that’s waiting to topple… he is the tight end version of DK Metcalf this year.” (Daniel Dopp, 39:14)

4. Field in the Blanks Game (40:05+)

Falling in the Rankings:

• Field: DJ Moore (“Top 20ish WR, but four, five, or six targets every game, just one double-digit outing.” 41:13)
• Mike: Chuba Hubbard (“Rico Dowdle’s not going away… more of a committee back, probably 1B.” 41:18)
• Daniel: David Montgomery (“Very little passing game, he’s become the grinder…” 43:10)

Rising in the Rankings:

• Field: Javonte Williams (“Top 8 RB three times, 74% of snaps… very impressed.” 44:23)
• Mike: Emeka Egbuka (“Egbuka’s now the cemented WR1 for TB with Evans/Godwin down.” 45:17)
• Daniel: Patrick Mahomes (“What he’s doing with his legs … I’d take him No. 1 QB off the board now.” 46:07)

Mr. Reliable:

• Field: Josh Jacobs (“12+ points every game… comfort food.” 48:32)
• Mike: Bijan Robinson (Stable high floor; “Very CMC-like usage.” 49:34)
• Daniel: Amon-Ra St. Brown (“The safest floor in fantasy.” 50:42, also shouts Pittman Jr.)

Pleasant Surprises:

• Field: George Pickens
• Mike: Keenan Allen (“Top 5 in targets, catches, end zone targets.” 52:58)
• Daniel: DeAndre Swift

Rocky Start, Strong Finish:

• Field: Travis Hunter (“20 targets, 7 and 13 last 2 weeks… expect the ‘offensive experiment’ to stick.” 55:06)
• Mike: Oronde Gadsden II (Rookie TE, now core part of passing game, trending TE1. 56:27)
• Daniel: Ladd McConkey (Start slow but increased involvement; “Steady option rest of year.” 58:29)

5. Listener Questions & Trade/Strategy Discussion (62:00+)

Responding to nuanced trade questions, the hosts gave quick-hitting advice on:

• Complex multi-player swaps (e.g., “AJ Brown, Pearsall, May for CD Lamb and Kyle Pitts?”)
• RB-for-WR trades (“Swift and Tez Johnson for Breece Hall and DJ Moore?”)
• “Would you trade Wondale Robinson for Tajie Spears? … I’d rather keep Wondale. Play to win, don’t hedge.” (66:37)

Field’s tangent on NFL trade comp picks, Breece Hall’s real-life possible value, and swap logic offers deeper strategic insights.

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Mike’s boldness on his long-shot TD picks: “That’s because I played by the rules, okay?” (02:20)
• Daniel’s take on running backs: “If you’re averaging like eight points per game, you’re like a top six tight end right now in fantasy football.” (38:07)
• Field on Olave: “He is the focal point of this Saints offense. …Volume matters.” (12:57)
• Mike, on Bo Nix’s “dog” performance: “I’m gonna give him 6.7 out of 10, guys. That’s my confidence dog.” (06:43)
• The crew’s running banter and tongue-in-cheek self-roasts: “You unlocked this comedy gene in me and now your punishment becomes your punishment for the rest of the season.” (Daniel, 28:39)
• On confident running backs: “There’s a category of RBs …potentially great rushing volume and maybe efficiency as well, but minimal passing game utilization. Henry, the new kid is Quinshon Judkins…” (22:36)

7. Fun & Friendly Podcast Chemistry

• Running jokes (wearing helmets, math/”nerd” stats, roster mistakes) create a loose, amiable tone.
  • “You have to give us a trigger warning before you do nerdy crap like that!” (Daniel, 58:20)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:00] – Mike’s long-shot glory; the future of the segment
• [05:16] – High confidence picks begin (Henry, Nix, White, Olave, Higgins, Odunze)
• [18:07] – Low confidence picks (Judkins, Penix Jr., Waddle, etc.)
• [33:07] – Croskey-Merritt concern; RB passing game floor
• [34:37] – Rhamondre Stevenson deep-dive
• [38:07] – Dalton Kincaid discussion
• [40:05] – Field in the Blanks (risers/fallers/steadies/surprises)
• [62:00+] – Listener questions, trade advice, and strategic tangents

Conclusion

This episode is a must-listen for fantasy managers seeking up-to-date, data-driven advice with doses of entertainment and fun. The cast delivers actionable insights on which players to trust and bench in Week 8, navigates the shifting injury and usage landscapes, and provides a wealth of context for both casual and advanced players.

For quick info on a particular player, refer to the segment’s timestamp above.