Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry

Episode: "Commanders at Packers Reaction + David Montgomery, Calvin Ridley Expectations"
Date: September 12, 2025
Host: Matthew Berry (with Connor Rogers, Jay Croucher, Dr. Denny Carter)

Episode Overview

This episode dives into Thursday Night Football’s Commanders at Packers game, covering detailed fantasy football reactions and fallout. The team analyzes player performances (with special focus on Jaden Daniels, Tucker Kraft, Matthew Golden, and Green Bay’s WR room), injury outlooks (notably Austin Ekeler), and upcoming expectations for players like David Montgomery and Calvin Ridley. The show also features the fan-favorite "Flexual Frustration" segment with Dr. Denny Carter, addressing tough start/sit decisions, before rolling into a dynamic Q&A and actionable advice for Week 2.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Commanders at Packers Reaction

00:00–09:00

• Packers' Defensive Dominance

  • Packers’ D smothered the Commanders, as anticipated. Jay: “If you've gone up against the Packers defense, you're in big, big trouble.” (05:38)
  • Packers have now shut down two of last year’s top NFC offenses (Lions and Commanders).

• Jaden Daniels' Performance

  • Despite struggles, Daniels managed 19.7 fantasy pts: “In what I think was his worst NFL start...still managed to get 19.7 fantasy points. Gets a couple ‘oh, by the way’ touchdowns.” – Matthew Berry (03:57)
  • Under pressure nearly every play, only 17 rushing yards.

• Fun Moments

  • Birthday shoutout for producer Steven, jokes about his Jacksonville Jaguars fandom and age (02:25)

Notable Quotes

• “More of a peacekeeping role, trying to contain the animals, as it were.” – Matthew Berry (01:40)
• “If Matt Gaye makes two field goals, it’s a one-score game. It was closer than it should have been.” – Matthew Berry (06:54)

2. Packers Fantasy Reactions

09:00–18:30

• Tucker Kraft (Tuck Wagon) Breakout

  • Kraft clears 100 yards for the first time (college or pro). “Hopefully I can keep stacking games like that, but it’s the first time I’ve ever gotten over 100 yards…so, you know, I’m feeling it now.” – Tucker Kraft, via postgame soundbite (09:13)
  • Group consensus: Kraft is a locked-in top-5 fantasy TE, especially with Jaden Reed’s injury.

• Jordan Love's Ascendance

  • Jay: “You were on [the Love] bandwagon from moment one…if he’s healthy, this is a guy that can be an elite fantasy quarterback.” (11:04)
  • Love’s deep passing: “Nine different passes with an aDOT of 15+ air yards. Leads all QBs in aDOT so far.” – Matthew Berry (13:03)

• Green Bay WR Room: Chaos Post-Injury

  • Jaden Reed’s collarbone opens up for DonTavian Wicks (widely available on waivers) and further opportunities for Golden and Dobbs, but no true WR1 emerging.
  • “If Jordan Love hits Matthew Golden in stride, we’re having a whole different conversation.” – Connor Rogers (16:20)

Notable Quotes

• “Tuck wagon is fine. He looks like a wagon when he’s running, that’s why it works.” – Jay Croucher (14:32)
• “Wherever you got Tucker Kraft in drafts, you are earning a profit. 26% target share, and that only goes up with Reed’s injury.” – Matthew Berry (14:42)

3. Commanders Fantasy Outlook

18:19–23:04

• No Panic on Commanders' Skill Players
  • “It’s a road game on a short week against probably the best defense. They had a bad day at the office…For fantasy purposes, I’m not worried.” – Matthew Berry (18:26)
  • Terry McLaurin’s usage still promising, schedule softens the next month.
  • Zach Ertz shoutout: “People want to write him off every year…but Ertz keeps going…He’s a touchdown machine.” – Matthew Berry (20:57)

Notable Quotes

• “For fantasy football purposes, Jaden Daniels had what I thought was the worst game I’ve seen him, and yet he still winds up with 19.7 fantasy points.” – Matthew Berry (19:22)
• “If they flop against the Raiders, maybe I’ll worry. But for now, it’s schedule and matchup.” – Matthew Berry (22:00)

4. Injury Fallout: Austin Ekeler, Jaden Reed, Others

23:04–29:52

• Austin Ekeler's Achilles Fear

  • “Our hearts go out to Austin and his wife and his many fans…He’s been a great advocate and friend of the fantasy football community.” – Matthew Berry (24:00)
  • Matthew expects a 3-headed RB committee (Bill/JaCory, Rodriguez, McNichols). “He’ll be the lead of a committee…but not 20 touches/game.”

• Other Key Injuries

  • Brock Purdy, Juwan Jennings, Christian Kirk, Chris Godwin, etc.
  • Mac Jones to start for 49ers: “I can’t imagine starting Mac Jones unless you’re in a deep superflex…but he’s good enough to get the ball to the people we care about.” – Matthew Berry (27:22)

5. Flexual Frustration with Dr. Denny Carter

33:35–38:42

A comedic, informative segment where Dr. Denny dispenses “telehealth” advice on start/sit questions:

• Wandell Robinson: “The urge to play Wandell…is wrong and sickly. Honestly, it’s a perversion.” – Dr. Denny Carter (34:01)
• David Montgomery: “He still should be in your flex this week. Just sometimes things are over before they begin. It’s okay.” – Dr. Denny Carter (34:59)
• Calvin Ridley: “Your past can play a huge role in your present flexual experiences…Calvin Ridley had 8 targets last week; he’ll be okay, you’ll be okay.” – Dr. Denny Carter (36:15)
• Ke'Shawn Boutte: “You’re not weird is what I’m saying. Try to, you know, plug in the Boutte this week into your flex.” – Dr. Denny Carter (37:39)

Memorable Moment

• Audience question: Should I play Diggs and Booty? “That’s too experimental for me. If you’re going to commit to Booty, you gotta commit to Booty.” – Dr. Denny Carter (38:13)

6. Rapid-Fire Start/Sit and Waiver Advice

42:12–51:50

• Top Calls
  • Cedric Tillman ("Club Ced"): “The answer is always Club Ced…he’s averaging 18.1 fantasy pts over his last five full games.” – Matthew Berry (43:15)
  • Ameka Egbuka: “Give me Ameka Egbuka…deep passes, 94% route participation, the Texans allowed the 6th most yards from the slot last week.” – Matthew Berry (45:39)
  • Harold Fannin: “Yes, I do think Fannin is a viable starter this week for sure.” – Matthew Berry (48:06)
  • Tyrone Tracy: “He’s basically playing all three downs. They use him in the passing game.” – Matthew Berry (48:45)
  • Keenan Allen: “Try to trade for Keenan Allen…I think he’s a real thing, a top-25/30 receiver.” – Jay Croucher (50:09)

Notable Quotes

• “Sometimes you have to rapidly adjust your priors. Even after one week.” – Jay Croucher (43:53)
• “If you can turn a bench player and ETN into Bucky Irving, you do it.” – Matthew Berry (52:19)

7. Pickup Lines: Bets to Impress Matthew

54:41–56:59

• Jay’s Pick: Hollywood Brown longest reception over 23.5 yards. “If there’s nine targets for Hollywood Brown, I believe one of them is going for at least 24 yards.” – Jay Croucher (55:12)
• Connor’s Pick: Giants under 20.5 pts. “Russell Wilson’s last six games: offense hasn’t scored more than 17. I don’t think Giants can get to 21 pts in this game.” – Connor Rogers (56:18)

Matthew picks Jay’s bet: “Come on, big daddy. Come on, leather daddy. I’m all yours. But keep your phone on…I might text on the way home.” (56:50)

Notable Quotes ("Must-Hear" Moments)

• “He’s eviscerating triple teams. Miles Garrett was amazing in week one, but those two guys right now…” – Jay Croucher on Micah Parsons and pass rushers (07:47)
• “To be clear, your best bet, Micah Parsons over a quarter sack, that cashed.” – Matthew Berry (04:53)
• “I just think people get impatient…if someone in your league gets frustrated and drops him [Matthew Golden] this week…buy low. I’m in on Matthew Golden’s talent.” – Matthew Berry (16:20)
• “The urge to play Wandell Robinson in the flex…is wrong and sickly. Honestly, it’s a perversion.” – Dr. Denny Carter (34:01)
• “If you’re going to commit to Booty, you gotta commit to Booty.” – Dr. Denny Carter (38:20)

Actionable Takeaways

• Tucker Kraft: Top 5 TE rest of season, especially with Reed’s injury.
• Jordan Love: Firm top-10 fantasy QB, aggressive vertical passing.
• Packers WRs: Wicks is the top waiver add; Golden buy-low target.
• Austin Ekeler: Multiple-back committee; Bill/JaCory as high-end FLEX but not a workhorse.
• Jaden Daniels: Even in tough matchups, safe fantasy floor.
• Club Ced (Cedric Tillman): Start in most formats; strong rapport with Flacco.
• David Montgomery: Continue to flex despite Week 1 letdown.
• Calvin Ridley: Don’t panic, target volume remains strong.
• Waiver/Start: Harold Fannin, Ameka Egbuka, Tyrone Tracy; monitor Quinton Judkins' role.

Timestamps for Key Topics

• [03:57] Jaden Daniels' resilience
• [09:03] Tucker Kraft’s breakout & tight end landscape
• [13:03] Jordan Love’s fantasy upside
• [14:42] Packers’ WR breakdown post-injury
• [20:57] Zach Ertz and Commanders’ schedule outlook
• [24:00] Austin Ekeler injury reaction
• [33:35] Flexual Frustration: start/sit therapy with Dr. Denny Carter
• [43:15] Cedric Tillman “Club Ced” case
• [45:39] Ameka Egbuka slot upside
• [48:06] Harold Fannin streaming viability
• [54:41] Pickup Lines bets from Jay & Connor

In Closing

This episode is rich in actionable advice, confidence-boosting recommendations for managers with early-season concerns, strong waiver wire targets, and nuanced reactions to the latest player news and injuries with Berry’s signature blend of stats, banter, and wit. The Flexual Frustration segment stands out for clever analogy-driven advice. Whether you missed the game or just want to sharpen your lineup, this is an essential listen/read for competitive fantasy managers heading into Week 2.