2025 Top 12 WRs and Divisional Round DFS Preview! (01/16 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today Episode: 2025 Top 12 WRs and Divisional Round DFS Preview! (01/16 Fantasy Football Podcast) Release Date: January 16, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Fantasy Football Today, host Adam Azar teams up with fellow analysts Jamie Eisenberg and Dave Richard to delve into the 2025 top 12 wide receivers (WRs) and provide a comprehensive preview of the Divisional Round Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) matchups. The panel discusses player rankings, team performances, injury updates, and strategic lineup building to help listeners dominate their fantasy leagues.

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Top 12 Wide Receivers of 2025

00:45 – 18:01

The discussion kicks off with the unveiling of the top 12 wide receivers for the 2025 fantasy football season. The rankings are a blend of seasoned veterans and emerging talents, each analyzed for their potential impact on fantasy rosters.

1. Ja'Marr Chase

   • Adam Azar: "Chase Jefferson."
   • Recognized for his consistent performance and high target volume, Chase tops the list as a reliable first-round pick.

2. Justin Jefferson

   • A close second, Jefferson's explosive playmaking abilities make him a valuable asset for any fantasy team.

3. Puka Nacua

   • Dave Richard: "I put Neighbors ahead of Amonra."
   • Nacua shines with his route-running precision and chemistry with his quarterback, securing a spot among the elite.

4. Amon-Ra St. Brown

   • Jamie Eisenberg: "St. Brown was kind of a weird year for him."
   • St. Brown's steady production despite team changes underscores his reliability.

5. Nico Collins

   • Adam Azar: "He's like A.J. Brown, maybe even better."
   • Collins impresses with his efficiency and end-zone targets, making him a top-five WR.

6. Malik Neighbors

   • Dave Richard: "Neighbors target volume last season was ridiculous."
   • Neighbors benefits from a high-target environment, enhancing his fantasy upside.

7. Brian Thomas Jr.

   • Jamie Eisenberg: "He's a superstar."
   • Thomas Jr.'s breakout potential and increased role in his team's offense secure his position.

8. CD Lamb

   • Jamie Eisenberg: "He reminded me of Mark Andrews."
   • Despite a challenging season, Lamb's elite potential keeps him in the top eight.

9. A.J. Brown

   • Jamie Eisenberg: "A.J. Brown is 9."
   • Brown's speed and targeting in high-powered offenses make him a valuable pick.

10. Mike Evans

    • Dave Richard: "Mike Evans at 12."
    • Evans remains a consistent performer with a knack for finding the end zone.

11. Rashid Rice

    • Jamie Eisenberg: "Rashid Rice is 9."
    • Rice's ascending trajectory and increased targets boost his fantasy appeal.

12. Drake London

    • Jamie's Analysis: "He's clearly their number one guy."
    • London showcases strong performance metrics, warranting his inclusion in the top 12.

Notable Insights:

• Consistency vs. Upside: While players like Amon-Ra St. Brown offer reliability, others like Nico Collins provide high upside with their explosive play potential.
• Impact of Team Dynamics: Changes in team offenses, such as new quarterbacks or offensive coordinators, significantly influence WR rankings.
• Target Volume Importance: High target receivers like Malik Neighbors and Brian Thomas Jr. are favored for their increased opportunities to score fantasy points.

Notable Quote:

Adam Azar [08:10]: "He is still, two years in a row, one of the most efficient wide receivers. Great yards per target is insane."

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In-Depth Analysis of Top Wide Receivers

18:02 – 35:15

The panel provides a deeper dive into the intricacies of each top-ranked wide receiver, examining their performance metrics, team roles, and potential for the upcoming season.

• Amon-Ra St. Brown vs. Malik Neighbors:

  • Dave Richard [09:54]: "Neighbors target volume last season was ridiculous."
  • St. Brown's consistency is juxtaposed with Neighbors' high target environment, highlighting different strategies for fantasy drafts.

• CD Lamb's Yearly Performance:

  • Jamie Eisenberg [18:31]: "Holdout, Prescott injury, offensive line concerns, his shoulder injury. It was pretty much a disaster."
  • Lamb's fluctuating performance due to team injuries and changes sparks debate on his long-term value.

• Brian Thomas Jr.'s Breakout Potential:

  • Dave Richard [25:54]: "He's going to be closer to 11.7 targets per game but probably in the neighborhood of like eight, eight and a half."
  • Thomas Jr.'s recent surge in performance metrics suggests a high ceiling for the season.

Key Takeaways:

• Injury Impact: Player performances can be significantly affected by injuries, both to themselves and key teammates.
• Quarterback Play: The presence of a reliable quarterback increases a WR's fantasy value through higher target volumes and better scoring opportunities.
• Offensive Schemes: Teams with dynamic offensive schemes that emphasize passing are advantageous for wide receivers.

Notable Quote:

Jamie Eisenberg [20:32]: "He's probably the safest first-round pick you could find because he's just so consistent with his production year over year."

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DFS Lineup Strategies and Game Previews

35:16 – 57:23

Transitioning to DFS strategies, the analysts dissect upcoming Divisional Round matchups, offering tailored lineup suggestions to exploit favorable player performances.

• Lions vs. Commanders:

  • Dave Richard [38:18]: "I'm going to go right back to him [Jane Daniels]."
  • Emphasis on stacking key players like Donovan Daniels and David Montgomery to maximize DFS points.

• Chiefs vs. Texans:

  • Jamie Eisenberg [39:08]: "Mahomes ended the season playing great."
  • Leveraging Patrick Mahomes along with top receivers like Xavier Worthy for high-scoring DFS lineups.

• Rams vs. Eagles:

  • Adam Azar [43:57]: "Justice Hill caught a touchdown last week."
  • Identifying undervalued players who can break out in high-stakes playoff games.

Strategic Recommendations:

• Player Stacking: Combining a quarterback with one or two of his primary receivers can amplify scoring potential.
• Value Plays: Targeting players who are underpriced due to recent underperformance but have high upside based on matchups or team strategies.
• Game Selection: Focusing on games with high projected scoring or mismatches to maximize DFS returns.

Notable Quote:

Jamie Eisenberg [41:16]: "Tyreek Hill could still be the number one receiver in fantasy. I don't know. The Dolphins want to go back to that style of offense, but I don't."

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Lineup Building and Final Picks

57:24 – 58:11

In the concluding segment, the hosts share their final DFS lineups for the weekend's games, highlighting key players and strategic choices to optimize their fantasy performance.

• Adam Azar's Lineup:

  • Key Players: Chiefs DST, Laporta, Xavier Worthy, Sam LaPorta
  • Strategic Moves: Upgrading from Jameson Williams to Xavier Worthy to maximize receiver efficiency.

• Jamie Eisenberg's Lineup:

  • Key Players: Mahomes, Xavier Worthy, Terry McLaurin, Travis Kelsey
  • Focus: Balancing high-value stars with reliable mid-tier players to ensure consistent scoring.

• Dave Richard's Lineup:

  • Key Players: Jane Daniels, Austin Eckler, Saquon Barkley, Jameson Williams
  • Strategy: Emphasizing strong running backs and versatile wide receivers to dominate matchups.

Final Tips:

• Monitor Injuries: Stay updated on player health leading up to game time to make last-minute adjustments.
• Stay Informed on Matchups: Understanding defensive strengths and weaknesses can guide player selection for optimal performance.
• Diversify Lineups: For tournament plays, diversify player selections to mitigate risk and increase chances of hitting high-scoring players.

Notable Quote:

Dave Richard [56:28]: "I think I want to pivot off the Chiefs and go to the... I'm sticking with the Chiefs."

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with the hosts expressing excitement for the upcoming games, sharing their picks, and encouraging listeners to apply the insights discussed to enhance their fantasy football strategies. They emphasize the importance of staying informed, adapting to changing team dynamics, and making informed decisions to secure victory in their leagues.

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Notable Quotes Collection:

• Adam Azar [03:02]: "It's time to dominate your fantasy."
• Jamie Eisenberg [08:22]: "Neighbors does. And neighbors target volume last season was ridiculous."
• Dave Richard [09:54]: "Neighbors target volume last season was ridiculous."
• Jamie Eisenberg [20:32]: "He's probably the safest first-round pick you could find because he's just so consistent with his production year over year."
• Jamie Eisenberg [39:08]: "Mahomes ended the season playing great."
• Jamie Eisenberg [41:16]: "Tyreek Hill could still be the number one receiver in fantasy."

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Final Thoughts

This episode serves as a vital resource for fantasy football enthusiasts aiming to refine their strategies and gain an edge in their leagues. By meticulously analyzing player performances, team dynamics, and game matchups, the Fantasy Football Today panel equips listeners with the knowledge needed to make informed decisions and dominate their fantasy competitions.

Transcript

[Adam Azar]

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[Adam Azar]

This is Fantasy Football today from CBS Sports. What a play. Can you believe this?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

No, I can't.

[Adam Azar]

It's time to dominate your fantasy. This is gonna go the distance. Now here's some combination of Adam, Dave, Jamie and he. Four big games this weekend. It is time for some good football. Last week was kind of a disappointment, but things gonna be better this week. Houston at Kansas City, Washington at Detroit, Rams at Eagles, Ravens at Bills. We're going to build some DFS lineups and just talk about the games. But we're also going to give you our top 12 wide receivers for 2025. Good morning and welcome to fantasy football today presented by BetMGM, the sportsbook. Born in Vegas, it's Adam Azers, Jamie Eisenberg and Dave Richard. Guys, how we doing? Which, which game are you second most excited for?

[Dave Richard]

Commanders Lions.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Bill's Ravens.

[Adam Azar]

Oh, yeah. What's number one for you, Jamie?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

They're all number one.

[Adam Azar]

Which game are you going to build the most DFS stacks with commander's lines?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

All of them.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, great. You could have eight different lineups.

[Dave Richard]

How much money is. Are you going to spend on DFS lineups?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

James lose on DFS lines? My favorite lineup that I built so far was a Chief Stack.

[Adam Azar]

Oh, interesting, interesting. It's going to be cold this weekend, by the way, especially in Buffalo. I don't know, I don't think we're going to get any horrible weather in terms of rain or snow or anything as of now, but it is going to be really cold. Maybe feels like single digits in that Buffalo Baltimore game on Sunday night. Chief Stack, you say?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I do.

[Adam Azar]

Michael. Who, like, who's, you know, give me, give me a little sneak peek.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Mahomes. Kelsey Worthy, Chiefs defense.

[Adam Azar]

I know them. Okay. All right. They haven't played in a while, so, you know, I just had to make sure I still knew who they were. Let me go through the news and notes real quick. The Ravens claim Deontay Johnson. He's not going to play for them. He's. He'll be a free agent. They could possibly get a compensatory pick in 2026. So this is a non story for the injuries. Not a lot of huge injuries.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

He's actually like unpacked anywhere. Like just, you know, suitcase. Living on a suitcase.

[Adam Azar]

I don't know. Strange journey for Deontay Johnson.

[Dave Richard]

His mouth has been unpacked at every team he's played on.

[Adam Azar]

Joe Mixon, offensive guard Shaq Mason and linebacker Aziz Al Shire are all limited. We expect them to play. Here's one of the bigger ones. It's Jalen Watson. He's the number two cornerback for the Kansas City Chiefs and he has been practicing in full. He's been out since week seven and they've really struggled, like in the first seven weeks of the season. The only quarterback who did well against the Chiefs was Lamar Jackson and he had 122 rushing yards in week one. They were great against receivers and then Watson got injured and they really were pretty vulnerable pass defense. So is that a coincidence? I don't know, but they should be better if he's back and he's been practicing in full.

[Dave Richard]

Is Chris Jones good to go?

[Adam Azar]

He's practiced in full. I think he's good to go. Yeah.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I think they're like, that's.

[Dave Richard]

That's the only defender that really matters for Kansas City who's been on the shelf.

[Adam Azar]

I don't agree with you. I think the stats would say Watson does matter. Their corners, just. Their past defense has not really been that good. I'm not saying that Chris Jones doesn't matter. Obviously, he's a huge.

[Dave Richard]

Right. I wouldn't say that. Watson is the linchpin to this defense.

[Adam Azar]

No, I wasn't saying that. But they're past defense.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Yeah, you were. Dave called you out. Admit it.

[Adam Azar]

Bobby Wagner missed practice. Washington, linebacker. I think he should be fine. Detroit's got a few banged up players. Kevin Zeitler, their offensive guard, missed practice. But I. I think pretty much these teams are healthy Rams. We'll keep an eye on cornerback Akila Witherspoon, nose tackle Bobby Brown, offensive lineman Alaric Jackson. But we've. Oh, Zay Flowers. I was gonna say Brown.

[Dave Richard]

Did Brown choose to practice?

[Adam Azar]

Which Brown? Bobby Brown.

[Dave Richard]

Bobby Brown.

[Adam Azar]

He did not.

[Dave Richard]

Oh, that's his prerogative.

[Adam Azar]

I knew it. Zay Flowers missed practice. He could play this week without practicing, but I would say he's the biggest injury name still out. We know last week they only threw 21 passes. Nobody really did that well. But we know Rashad Bateman. Isaiah likely could benefit with Zay Flowers being out and Ray Davis is in the concussion protocol.

[Dave Richard]

Do you want your Jalen Watson stats?

[Adam Azar]

Yeah.

[Dave Richard]

To make you feel good about yourself.

[Adam Azar]

I feel great about myself, Dave. I played tennis the other day. I'm playing today. I'm playing Saturday. The training has begun. I will beat Schneier the summer of 2025. I feel great. So what. What is your Jalen Watson stat?

[Dave Richard]

He's actually allowed a lower completion rate than Trent McDuffie. So kudos to you for finding this guy and realizing how much of a potential difference maker maybe he will be. 50, 54 completion rate allowed 12.8 yards per catch. Isn't that great? Not a lot of yak. Low QB rating. He has allowed zero touchdowns this year. Are you telling me that this means that C.J. stroud's gonna be bad?

[Adam Azar]

Look, Stroud scored 20 fantasy points last time he faced the Chiefs. Actually was having a pretty good game. And then Tank Dell got the leg injury and they only managed a field goal rest of the way. But he. That was like the last time he scored. 20 points, I think right around 20 in that game. 20.5 or something. Okay, so we'll help you out here. You know what, I'm gonna give you my favorite stat for the day and it really hurts my stack because I like everyone else, I have a lion stack. But the commanders have not allowed more than 11.5 full PPR fantasy points to a number two wide receiver or a second wide receiver since week three. That's unbelievable. They. They are bad against one receiver pretty much every week, most weeks, but never multiple wide receivers. So I don't know. I have a. I have Jameson Williams and St. Brown in a lineup. I'm trying to change it, but I can't really think of anything better. But maybe, maybe we go Xavier Worthy instead because Jamie. Jamie likes his chief stack. Hey, let's talk about the top 12 wide receivers who are one and two for you guys?

[Dave Richard]

Take a guess.

[Adam Azar]

Chase Jefferson.

[Dave Richard]

You got it.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. No explanation needed. Who are 3 and 4?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Puka and St. Brown.

[Dave Richard]

I agree with Puka. I put neighbors ahead of Amon Ra.

[Adam Azar]

I have Puka and Nico, so. All right, Jamie, let me give you an Amanra St. Brown stat. He had four games this year with more than 80 yards. Hit 11 in 2023. Yeah, I don't know. Is anyone concerned about. I'm on Ross St. Brown. It was kind of a weird year for him and like he had. He had 1263 yards in 17 games. That's not really. That's concerning, I think. But what do you guys think?

[Dave Richard]

What's concerning for me is he averaged two targets per game less this year than last year. And so this. The spreading of the ball in Detroit's passing game impacted Laporta to a degree and I think it impacted a Monroe to a degree and I don't know if that's going to change. Does it flip back to him next year? I don't think so. So not a receiver that I think has the potential for 20 PPR points per game or more. I think neighbors does. And neighbors target volume last season was ridiculous. I'm expecting a quarterback upgrade because how could they not have a quarterback upgrade given all the filth that they had there this year? So neighbors for me just makes more sense. 170 targets this year, 11.3 targets per game. I will lean on that playmaker over St. Brown which is why St. Brown falls all the way to fifth in my receiver rankings.

[Adam Azar]

Jamie, your rebuttal?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Oh, I mean look, his St. Brown's track record is as consistent as they come. I remember when we were discussing the first round picks for 2024, I'll say the same thing about him then. That I'll say now is he's probably the safest first round pick you could find because he's just so consistent with his production year over year. He was over 20 PPR points last year. Will that change, you know, can he get back to that level? Sure, I think he can. This offense is so dynamic. Obviously we have to see what happens with the new system or potential system change. If, you know, Ben Johnson's departure changes anything from what whoever steps into his role wants to do. You know, the heir apparent will probably keep things the same if it's on staff. If they decide to hire from outside the staff, which will be a surprise, then, you know, we have to see how that all impacts everything. Jameson Williams may end up being a holdout. You know, it's contract time for him. So we see how that impacts things for the Lions coming off what could be a career year for him or I'm sorry, what, what is a career here for him? Excuse me. So we'll see how that offseason goes for him. But in any event, you know, when you start to look down the the list. Nico Collins, Awesome Malik Neighbors. I think if he's getting 170 targets again, this team is going to be terrible.

[Adam Azar]

So why?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Because I don't think you want to have to throw that much to one guy. I think you want to be in the 140 to 150 range.

[Adam Azar]

No, no, no, no. Jamar Chase had 175 targets.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

And how was their team?

[Adam Azar]

Pretty good. I mean, no, look at CD Lamb the year before. I think the number one wide receiver is going to have that many.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I don't think you want it to be 170+.

[Adam Azar]

CD Lamb.

[Dave Richard]

181 possible to have a competitive team whose offense is on the field and having to, you know, play in one score games and still have a number one receiver with 170 plus.

[Adam Azar]

I think you can move your, I can get to move it up. I think it's got to be at least 155, I would say for, for an elite wide receiver.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

You know, I, I, I'm, I'm expecting 150. I just don't think you want it to be 170 plus, you know, so to me that's the number. I think you want to see a competitive team. Now granted, we're talking about the Giants, so It could be 190 for him. You know, that's how bad it could go. But between neighbors and Thomas and Collins and Lamb and all these guys, there's so many positives and a few negatives, which is why they're still, you know, first round picks. I just like the situation for Amara St. Brown. It's just been so proven. His quarterback's locked in again. Offensive lines, best in the NFL, plays games indoors. Like there's just. Everything just continues to fall in place right now. Yeah, and I was looking at. I don't think he's lower than sixth for any of the six of us that ranked. Heath has in the highest at 3.

[Dave Richard]

He's pissed off about losing Ben Johnson. He's. He does a podcast with his brother Equanimous that Caleb Williams on and he's. He's really upset about Ben Johnson leaving. I do think the heir apparent is on staff. It's a guy named Tanner Angstrand. He's called plays for the Lions before. It's been in preseason games. But I, I'm hoping that that change won't really alter the offense. I think they are what they are. Why would they change it that much, be that dramatic about it? So it comes down to who's there and who's healthy and, and all that Jazz. And if, if it's the same offense that they're running it back with in 2025, then St. Brown's going to be great. I just don't know if he's got the shot to get over 20 PPR points per game. Just saying what I said before.

[Adam Azar]

So we all have. You guys have Puka three.

[Dave Richard]

I do, yes.

[Adam Azar]

Chase Jefferson, Puka. Brian in our. Eddie.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Sorry.

[Adam Azar]

Eddie in our chat says Puka is my number one.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Heath has PUK at six, Dan has PUK at five, Jacob has PUKAT two.

[Dave Richard]

I do wonder how better he could be if the Rams move on from Cooper Cup. We. We saw this.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I mean basically have moved on for Cooper cup the last four games.

[Dave Richard]

Okay. So like I, I checked that out too. So let's start there. Four games, week 13 and then 15 through 17 when Cooper cup was a total non Factor. Nakua Average, 9.8 targets per game, 17.9 PPR points per game. Everybody's really happy with that. But the PPR points per game is actually lower than his season average. His season average was 18.8. I think back to those first four games of his career where he averaged almost 24 PPR points per game when cup was out, didn't play. And I wonder if that's the upside for Puka. Nakua.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah.

[Dave Richard]

And so if that, if that is the upside, dude, I think he's absolutely worth taking a three, if not two.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I mean, you know, he averaged 21.8 points per game in nine games after returning from injury regular season. So that does not include the game he got ejected. He scored only 2.1 fantasy points in about a half in that game at Seattle. Dave, you gave that stat. It was 17.8 points per game. Whatever you said, 17.9. He didn't score in any of those games. But you know, but the targets are great, right? So 10 targets per game, you know, that's phenomenal.

[Dave Richard]

So Puka be a first rounder is.

[Adam Azar]

Three for all of us and for the three of us and no lower than six for any of the six people ranking. And I put Nico Collins at four. We'll talk about him a little bit more later. We're gonna take a quick break here on Fantasy football day. Before we do that, though. Now's the time. Let's get on it here. Sign up for BetMGM. Use the bonus code Fantasy when you do it and you're gonna get up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. So you download the BetMGM app and you sign up using the bonus code Fantasy. Deposit at least ten dollars. That's it. Just ten dollars. Place your first wager on any game and you'll receive up to fifteen hundred dollars in bonus bets if your bet loses. Just make sure that you use the bonus code Fantasy when you sign up. All right, we'll come back with wide receivers 5 through 12 after this. This episode is brought to you by Allstate. Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like, you know to check the date of the big game first before you accidentally buy tickets on your 20th wedding anniversary and have to spend the next 20 years of your marriage making up for it. Yeah, checking first is smart. So check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hand with Allstate Savings. Vary terms apply. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and Affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

[Dave Richard]

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[Adam Azar]

Welcome back. So top four, Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, Pukinakua, and then for Jamie, it's Saint Brown. For David's Malik neighbors. For me, it's Nico Collins. Wide receivers five and six. Jamie.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Five for me is when. Double check. Make sure I don't say the wrong thing. Five of CD Lamb, six. And Nico Collins.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, Dave, I already told you that.

[Dave Richard]

Amonra is fifth. Nico is six.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, so everybody's got Nico in the top six. And kind of a bad ending to the season for him, which was just strange. But then a huge playoff game. Hopefully he can back it up. Not too much. I'll say this about Nico Collins. I mean, he is still, two years in a row, one of the most efficient wide receivers. Great. Yakov on a pretty high a dot. Yards per target is insane. Yards per route run is insane. He's like A.J. brown, maybe even better. I'm sorry to say that, because it's hard to be better than A.J. brown, but doesn't necessarily need those 170 targets to be great. And he gets a ton of end zone targets. I'm loving Nico Collins. CD Lamb is interesting, Jamie, because he's not in the top six for me or Dave. Oh, no, he is. I'm sorry. He's fifth for me, so I have him fifth. And I have Aman Ross St. Brown sixth. He's not. Where is he for you, Dave? CD Lamb.

[Dave Richard]

CD Lamb is eighth.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, so, Jamie, you have him fifth. What do you think went wrong with CD Lamb this year? He's number nine per game overall in PPR, number nine per game and number 15 per game in non PPR. And I don't even know if he was that much worse with Cooper Rush, the touchdown.

[Dave Richard]

A couple of points per game.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I think probably because of the touchdowns, but he averaged more catches. But what do you think went wrong? It was just kind of a weird year for CD Lamb.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Holdout, Prescott injury, offensive line concerns, his shoulder injury. I mean, it was pretty much a disaster. And if this is a disaster, you got to be excited about it because what we saw from him, you know, you talk about potential to be. When we were talking about the running backs, you know, who could be number one in their position with McCaffrey and that whole conversation. And you said it, you know, who is the one guy who wrecked fantasy in 2023? It was CD Lamb's finish to the season. And I still think he has that in his bag, you know? So Prescott back. We have to see you the coaches. So, you know, looking at this, we did, we did these rankings leading into week 18 for most of us. So things have changed for the Cowboys. I still think that Lamb will be like, I can see myself flip flopping Nico and Lamb Easley, he's still going to be a receiver. I would be surprised if that's not the case for everybody, no matter what the coach, who the coach is, who the coordinator is. But he may slide depending on, you know, the, the play caller there for the Cowboys.

[Dave Richard]

But it would be moronic for any coach to go to, to Detroit, to Dallas and say we're not going to throw it as much to CD Lamb. We're going to spread it around like why would anybody do that? So I think for sure he's going to be a top 10 wide receiver. But this will probably be, we said this last year, don't hold it against me if it doesn't come true. This will probably be a team that upgrades at running back. It will probably be a team that adds somebody else to catch the football, be it at wide receiver or tight end. Maybe the pass heavy nature that we've seen the last season and a half from Dak with Lamb fades just a little bit. And that's why I just, I want to be a little careful with CD Lam not to overrank him. I certainly don't think he's ready to be in the top three again. Probably close to the top five, but not in the top five is how I feel about him right now.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I think the thing just to keep in mind is his best numbers came with McCarthy. It was firing Kellen Moore and McCarthy taking over play calling duties. And that's when CD Lamb's numbers popped.

[Adam Azar]

I mean, I think you could argue that CD Lamb has had one elite half season in his career and otherwise has just been a good to very good fantasy wide receiver. Yeah, I wouldn't really make. I mean you could definitely say that that is true. Right. But he also kind of reminds me this, this is a little bit of a stretch actually. I don't think so. I think you guys be with me a little bit of, of reminds me of Mark Andrews. Mark Andrews had one great year. Was it his second season or third season? I'm gonna pull up his page now. It was second season, no? Yeah, it was the second season, right. 852 yards, 10 touchdowns and 15 Mars first MVP. But then he had this. Then he had a 1300 maybe I'm thinking of the 1300 yard season. Okay. I think it was 20, 21 it was his fourth year.

[Dave Richard]

13.2 PPR points per game.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. 2021.

[Dave Richard]

Yep.

[Adam Azar]

Right. So he showed this, and then if you looked at him going into 2023, you could say, well, he's been in the league for five years. He's only had one great season. Other than that, he's been, you know, very good, but not someone who should be taken in the second round or anything like that. And then how many points per game did he average in 2023. And the problem is that whatever you're going to give me, you have to kind of take away. Remember, he got hurt against Cincinnati in the first quarter, but he was awesome that year, and I knew he had it in him. Just, they never threw enough. So I still feel like Lamb has elite potential even though he's only done it for half a season. He's going to be tough for me to even draft. I have him fifth. Like. Yeah. I mean, I guess. I guess he's not going to crack the top three. But you're right. Right. I could see swapping him with. With.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

He may end up just being one of the, you know, it's hard to say value pick in the first round, but you know, these guys that we see in the back half of the first round, which is what we've seen in the first two drafts we've done that you're like, I can't believe he slipped.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Dave Richard]

This year, Saquon.

[Adam Azar]

Right. All right, so let's go to seven and eight. Jamie, who's seven and eight.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Seven for me is Malik. Neighbors. Eight is Brian Thomas Jr.

[Dave Richard]

I have BTJ at seven and CD Lamb at eight.

[Adam Azar]

Neighbors and Brian Thomas Jr. And what'd you say? Who do you have at seven? Brian Thomas Jr. Brian Thomas Jr. And CD Lamb. So I think you guys have the same top eight, right? In some order?

[Dave Richard]

Yes.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Yes.

[Adam Azar]

Right. You've got Chase, Jefferson, Puka, you got Nico in there. You've got Neighbors and Thomas, and you've got Elijah Moore.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Adam Azar]

CD Lamb there as well.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Oh, does Heath. Different. Much different order, but so does he.

[Adam Azar]

And so do I because I have Malik, Neighbors, and Brian Thomas Jr. Seven and eight.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Same eight for Dan.

[Adam Azar]

Interesting.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

And same eight for Jacob.

[Adam Azar]

Okay.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

All different orders, but same, same eight.

[Adam Azar]

Interesting. And does. How many people have Brian Thomas Jr. Ahead of Malik, Neighbors?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Let's see. Heath. No. You know, Dan does. And Jacob. No. So just Dan.

[Adam Azar]

I think he might be better. I think I might have to just give in on that. I think he might be a better player.

[Dave Richard]

He's so good.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

It's insane.

[Adam Azar]

Will, how much will the quarterback influence this Brian Thomas Jr vs Malik neighbors for you?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I mean, Brian Thomas Jr's numbers popped when it was Mac Jones, not Trevor Lawrence.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, but okay, there was no Christian Kirk during that stretch and barely Evan Ingram. And Evan Ingram got hurt. Was hurt as well. So that, you know, we keep that in mind. But like if the, if the Giants go get Cam Ward or Shooter Sanders, if the Giants get Russell Wilson or something, or if they're running it back with some scrub, how much is that going to influence Neighbors versus Thomas?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I mean, as Dave said earlier, you know, it's not like what he was dealing with this season was great, you know, so you had Daniel Jones, Drew Locke, Tommy DeVito, you know, it was, it was bad for Neighbors from a quarterback standpoint. But again, you know, this is what high impact level talent players do. You know, they are able to overcome situations and become playmakers. And I think you saw that for Neighbors at various times during the season. There was that stretch post concussion where it looked like it was a struggle and you know, then he kicked into gear at the end of the season, you know, finally started scoring some touchdowns, won a lot of people a lot of fantasy playoffs and championships because of how he played in two of his last three games. So he's, he's a superstar. Thomas is, is a really fascinating case because as you just alluded to, you know, they're going to bring back most likely one of, if not both of Kirk and Ingram and then what does this do for him? Plus, does Trevor Lawrence pepper him with the same, pepper him the same way that Mac Jones did? Because again, of other players being there, it really comes down to I think who the play caller is for the Jaguars, you know, so if they get the guy that everybody wants them to get, which is Ben Johnson, then the sky's the limit. You know, could be Bobby Slowik, for example, you know, who did great things for Nico Collins, so Liam Cohen, who ends up there. You know, if it's, if it's a defensive minded head coach, then it's going to be a little, a little hard to say he's better than Neighbors. But there's a reason why for me they're back to back. I think they're both elite level talents. I think they both have some, you know, warts that they have to overcome. And hopefully, you know, year two is just as successful as year one was in a lot of ways.

[Dave Richard]

There's, there's definitely some things that can go wrong. Like if Jacksonville doesn't nail the at least the offensive coordinator, but certainly the head coach. But the splits before and after the buy for Brian Thomas Jr are insane. Listen to this. After their buy, their buy was in Week 12, 22.9 PPR points per game. Every single game from Week 13 on for Brian Thomas Jr. Was at least 16 PPR points, three with at least 23.9. He averaged 11.7 targets per game before the buy. And maybe this, this is one of the big indictments on Doug Peterson. 5.7 targets per game, 13.3 PPR points per game for BTJ. The fact that they didn't involve him even more earlier is just ridiculous. Now that we've seen what he can do, especially without Trevor Lawrence under center. And so I would guess that he's going to be closer to 11.7 targets per game but probably in the neighborhood of like eight, eight and a half. And I'll take that all day long. Second season, new offense. Hopefully the quarterback is healthy and the offensive line doesn't suck and we'll see Brian Thomas Jr. Finish potentially as a top five fantasy wide receiver.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

The one thing I think that could impact both these guys is how much better is the run game.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah.

[Dave Richard]

Okay. And so to that end I would say that I would expect Jacksonville to upgrade theirs. I think the Giants are going to stand pat with their run game.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I'm not talking about their running backs, I'm talking about their running game. Sure, it's system for the Jaguars it's probably more rushing attempts for the Giants, you know, it's again this factors into the targets for, for neighbors as well, you know. So I don't think either of these teams want to have the same lack of success running the ball, you know. So you could say Tracy had a thousand yard season. It was great. But they didn't do a good job running the ball consistently. And certainly the case for the Jaguars, their run game was abysmal. So how much does that change things for the passing games? And look those things open up play action and changes things for how these teams are going to operate. You get more pre snap motion. It changes everything as well, especially in the case of Jacksonville. So it's really a lot to dissect still for these two rookie receivers because there is going to be a lot of change coming.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I think a good running game would be just fine for them because I think it'll just make their offenses better. Their offenses have so much room to grow.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Right. But it impacts targets. If they're running ball better Right.

[Dave Richard]

You don't want their offense to suddenly like have a dominant run game.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Correct.

[Adam Azar]

But they want to really change. They're on the field more.

[Dave Richard]

They operate from week to week.

[Adam Azar]

If they're on the field more than New York points, you know, I'm okay. The best. Let's see here. The highest. There's some cases for and against here. The top, top rushing teams in the NFL. Baltimore, Philadelphia, Washington, Tampa Bay, Green Bay.

[Dave Richard]

A lot of running quarterbacks.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. Detroit. So you've got. Of the top six, you know, you've got four teams that had very good. Well, three teams. Right. You had Washington, a great receiver, Tampa Bay, Detroit. And then you had AJ Brown, who you know is on the second best rushing team.

[Dave Richard]

Maybe that's still average, almost 17 PPR points per game.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. So. But, you know, production was down. The Eagles had 29 rushing touchdowns this year. So I could see your point there.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I just think for the Giants, it's not. It's not a net negative. It's just a small ding that could hurt these guys.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, so we have the consensus top eight, it seems, of Chase Jefferson, Puka Lamb, Nico St. Brown and neighbors and Brian Thomas Jr. So wide receivers 9, 10, 11 and 12. It will get more interesting here. Jamie, who's 9 and 10 for you.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

A.J. brown is 9 and Drake London is 10.

[Dave Richard]

Rashid Rice is 9. In full PPR, A.J. brown is 10.

[Adam Azar]

All right, so I have A.J. brown 9 and Mike Evans 10. Rashid Rice. All right, so first of all, are you worried about a suspension? Second, are you worried about him struggling, coming off a knee injury?

[Dave Richard]

Obviously, a long suspension would scare me off of Rasheed Rice and make him. Make me move him down a lot. Same thing. If he's not ready, I'm assuming that he'll be ready to go. And I'm also assuming that Travis Kelsey, if he's back next year, will have a much smaller role and Rice will pick up more work in the middle of the field. And I loved what I saw from him this year. I thought he'd be good. I didn't think he'd be as good as he was. I view him as an ascending player.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, we all have A.J. brown in our top 10. Jamie of Drake London as a wide receiver, 10. Let's do wide receivers 11 and 12 and just see who we're comparing them to. Jamie, who are 11 and 12 for you?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

11 is rice and 12 is McConkey.

[Dave Richard]

I have McConkey at 11 and I have Mike Evans at 12. You know, I. I think I might have A blind spot for Drake London because I, I just. I never rank him that high. I'm never like all in on him. And maybe I should be because the splits with Penix this year. It's only three games. But I mean, he was good with Cousins. He was ridiculous with Pennix, and I just wonder how much of that could carry over in an offense. That isn't going to change. We know what to expect, and he's clearly, their number one guy.

[Adam Azar]

He did play week 18 without Mike with. Without Darnell Mooney. Pardon me.

[Dave Richard]

And yeah, it was ridiculous. 18 targets.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. He scored 40.7 fantasy points in week 18 against Carolina.

[Dave Richard]

So he still averaged in the other two games. I think he had like nine and some like a higher number.

[Adam Azar]

13, 21 targets in the other two games.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, that's still really good.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. And he was originally out of my top 12. And then we were doing a draft and I said, whoa, I'm overlooking Drake London here. So He's. He became 12 for me. Oh. So I went AJ Brown, Mike Evans, 9, 10. I put Tyree Kill at 11 and Drake London at 12. So that's Tyree Kill over guys like Lad McConkey and Rashi Rice. And I think I could see this changing. It's gonna be one of those things where if no one else is drafting Tyreek Hill As a top 12 guy, why would I? But I don't think he's done. I watched enough tape of him. He is still extremely fast. If they want to feature him, if they want to throw the ball downfield more, I think he could. I honestly think based on this year, if he's as good as he was in 2024, I honestly think Tyree Hill could still be the number one receiver in fantasy. I don't know. The Dolphins want to go back to that style of offense, but I don't.

[Dave Richard]

Know if he's on the Dolphins.

[Adam Azar]

That's true. That's true. But I wouldn't mind that. But I still. I still think. I do not. I put this way, I do not think Tyreek Hill was washed up. I. I am confident that he wasn't in 2024. Will he be. He's a year older, so maybe he will be in 2025. But right now his skill set, I think, is still elite.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I mean, it's the same. It's the same questions we'll have with him going into next season. I think that we had at the end of this past season. Is Tua going to be healthy? Because now you have concussion situation again. And remember, he had a hip issue in college. He has a hip issue now that he's dealing with that he couldn't finish the season with. It's. It's something you got to factor in with Tyree Kill because he's been bad. Especially if they don't address the backup quarterback position to a level that, okay, this guy goes out, backup comes in, and it's a seamless transition. He was awful without Tua. He was absolutely abysmal. So that's a factor. You mentioned his age. He'll be 31. This is typically when guys start to really show a decline. We'll see if that happens to him. It didn't necessarily happen to Mike Evans, although Evans did miss four games with a hamstring injury. How much of that is age? How much that is just general wear and tear. It's hard to say. I. I have been surprised in the two drafts that we've done that he's still going around to.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. Has it been the same guy both times?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

No. No. And I do think I just. Because I know Dan drafted him in the half. PPR 1. So Heath does not have Tyreek in his top 12. He has T. Higgins and Terry McLaurin in his top 12. Did not have Rashi Rice and does not have Mike Evans. Dan has Tyreek at 10, George Pickens at 11 and Drake London at 12. And Jacob has no Tyree Kill. He has. His last four are Brown, Rice, London and Mike Evans.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, McLaurin was a tough one to leave off, I'm sure, but just very low targets. I think I gave the stat a couple of days ago since they went to a 17 game schedule. Terry McLaurin. It's tied for the fewest targets of any wide receiver who's finished as a top eight guy in PPR. He had 117 targets this year, and the previous guy who did that was Jalen Waddle. He's not been able to replicate that success. So good wide receivers, you know, really good wide receivers, I think for me, pass like, I kind of lean toward targets. Pass volume, that kind of stuff. That's why I didn't put McConkey in the top 12. Nobody put JSN in the top 12.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

No.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. All right, well, yeah, good stuff. That's our top 12 wide receivers. You can check.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

No, Garrett Wilson, which is interesting too.

[Adam Azar]

Oh, yeah, that's a good point. I mean, Garrett Wilson. Oh, man, I'm really gonna love the round Round three wide receivers. Like the late round two round three wide receivers because there's probably not a huge difference between wide receiver 1617 and wide receiver 12.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

No. I think like I started three receivers in both drafts. I forget the the first two that I took in the PPR and I got Rashi Rice because I think people forgot about him in the third round of the PPR1, which I was picking 12th in the half. PPR1 I started. Amara St. Brown, A.J. brown, Drake London.

[Adam Azar]

Oh, wow. Yeah. That's amazing. Yeah, that's great. All right, we're going to take a break and come back and talk about the games this weekend. And our David Montgomery is $4,000 on FAND. Do you have to play David Montgomery or is it a trick? Because everyone else is going to play David Montgomery. That's less than Carson Steele, by the way. That's. I mean, what. Yeah, maybe they just weren't planning on him playing.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

But Dave, is he going to be 100?

[Adam Azar]

He's practicing in full. It's kind of crazy.

[Dave Richard]

That's a yes.

[Adam Azar]

The Commanders give up 4.9 yards per carry to running backs.

[Dave Richard]

I was thrilled to get him in my DraftKings lineup and he is not at 4000. I wish he were on DraftKings.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, prices are a little bit different on FanDuel and DraftKings too, but $4000? Dave Montgomery is. I mean, ordinarily I think he'd probably be in the 7000s or something. All right, we'll be right back after this. On Fantasy Football today, Pluto TV is the place for movie fans like me.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

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[Adam Azar]

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[Jamie Eisenberg]

A little crime before bedtime with NCIS.

[Adam Azar]

Or Tracker or curl up with a surefire hit like Forest Gump, Pluto TV has thousands of movies and shows all for free. Pluto TV stream now pay never. What's up everyone? It's the counselor of Cash, Sia Najad from the Early Edge, a daily sports betting show powered by Sportsline and CBS Sports. If you're looking for the best bets, picks and analysis for the day in sports, we are the one stop shop for you. We are locked in to get you set with winners every day for the NFL playoff race and super bowl, college football and college basketball, the NBA and so much more. Download and follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere podcasts are found and subscribe to the SportsLine YouTube page to watch us live at 10am daily and turn on your notifications so you don't miss a single pick all season long. Good luck. Yes. For $4,000 in your FanDuel lineup, you could have Lions running back David Montgomery or you could have Owen wright, who's on IR or Frank Gore Jr. Or Sir Roderick Thompson Jr. So it's just crazy, but it's something you're going to have to consider because pretty much everyone I think is going to have David Montgomery anyway. Who are some players that you think are going to have big weeks? Dave, who do you like this weekend?

[Dave Richard]

I want to pick players in that Lions commanders game because I don't trust the Commander's defense and I still look at the Lions defense as one that can be beaten. And the way that Jane Daniels has been playing, I loved him last week. I'm going to go right back to him this week. He'll be even more popular this week. I don't care. I've got my Commander Stack running it back with Montgomery and Jameson and LaPorta. I'm not sure if I picked the right quarterback. I think I did just because Daniels with the rushing. But that's the game I really want to focus in and target on. It's indoors. I don't have to worry about cold or anything else. Easy decision to do that in a 50 50, right?

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, it'll be popular. So if you're playing in a tournament, maybe you want to try something else like Jamie's chief Stack. What do you like about the Chiefs this week?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Oh, I mean, you know, playoff time is they flip the switch and so I think we'll see. Look, Mahomes ended the season playing great. You know, his last two games, you know, week 16, week 17 were fantastic. Xavier Worthy with 30 targets in his last three games, 31 targets, excuse me, his last three games, 9, 11, 11 and just, you know, finally coming into his own. Kelsey, as we know, has at least based on last season, you know, struggling in the regular season turn things on in the playoffs and I think they're going to have the ball a lot because I think that the Texans are going to struggle to move the ball offensively. So for me, you know, going with the three, the, the quarterback and two main pass catchers there, we could see a Hopkins revenge game. In the playoffs we could see Marquis Brown who, you know, hopefully is, you know, fully incorporated into the offense and healthy again. There's lots of different ways you can go with the Chiefs, but I'm going to lean on their top guys and I think Worthy right Now is their best receiver, and Kelsey is going to be playoff Kelsey again.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. I finally got Jameson Williams out of my lineup because I did not want to have both St. Brown and Jameson.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

What if Jameson's better?

[Adam Azar]

He could be, but I went with Xavier Worthy. But what I did was I had Dalton Schultz, so I think it was a good tight end to have. Right. He's had, you know, two touchdowns all year. One of them came against the Chiefs. It was in that game. It was. I think it was before Tankdale's injury, but yeah, it was. But, you know, the Chiefs struggle against tight end, so if you want to save money at tight end, Dalton Schultz is a good option. But I'm going to upgrade from Schultz to Sam Laporta and go from Jameson Williams to Xavier Worthy. So now I have Worthy and Laporta instead of Jameson and Schultz.

[Dave Richard]

Schultz did have a good game against them in week 16. I believe he was one of four tight ends to get more than eight half PPR points against them in the past 15 weeks.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I don't like the fact that he had the same amount of targets as Brevin Jordan last week.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I don't love it. So tight end's not great, I think. Who's the best tight end this week? Is it kelsey? Is it LaPorta?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I think if Flowers is out, you get some good production from Likely. Again, from a cost standpoint, yeah. Laporta's value is great on both sides, just given what he's done. And Andrews is still relatively inexpensive, too. There's not a lot. The pricing is not bad for the Titans.

[Dave Richard]

Right. Andrews is 4500 on DraftKings.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. Kelsey at 6500 on FanDuel. That's really not so bad. And, yeah, you got to hope we've seen it before. So two years ago, Kelsey kind of struggled down the stretch, and then he averaged 100 yards per game in the playoffs in a Super bowl run. So we definitely see, as Jamie said, they flip the switch. Okay. Any other players you want to talk about that you really like this week? Like, do you like Puka? Do you. Do you like anyone in particular in that Rams Eagles games? Because we have pretty good defenses there. The Eagles. The Eagles put up some big, big points on the Rams last time they played them, but the Rams have mostly been a good defense since then.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

It's a different team, I think, if, you know, you're looking for some cheap options. We don't have an update on Higby yet. Right. I'm assuming he's not playing?

[Adam Azar]

No, he's supposed to play.

[Dave Richard]

Oh, yeah.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Yeah. Oh, he's good.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I was gonna say Davis Allen is. Is not a bad Darth Row based on what he did last week with the touchdown catch in this game. Like love.

[Adam Azar]

No, it's okay. Yeah. I just, Just want to. Just want to close out this segment of players that we really want to put in our lineup.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

That to me is. Is almost the game I want to avoid the most.

[Dave Richard]

I've got Saquon in my lineup.

[Adam Azar]

I do have Saquon. He's. He's considerably cheaper in fan on fan. Well, he's 300 cheaper than Derrick Henry. What's. What was my rationale there? You know, they're both obviously great. The Bills have a pretty bad run defense, but I guess I could see a scenario where the Bills put up a lot of points and the. And the Ravens are chasing and maybe Henry's not as involved as we want him to be. So I'll save 300 and go with Saquon Barkley, but I can't trust A.J. brown.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

And no A.J. brown stuff to trust. It was, it was hard to do the updated playoff rankings with him because, like, how healthy is he?

[Dave Richard]

What about in PPP formats?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Points per.

[Dave Richard]

Points per page is red.

[Adam Azar]

Pppr.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I. I do think there's some value in Justice Hill. I think there's some value in Austin Eckler. I think, you know, you know, the, the how those games could unfold, you know, with. Look, Hill caught a touchdown last week and you know, if this game gets back and forth between these two teams, you can see some, some production there. Maybe even Ty Johnson too, if you want to go that route. Just. He hasn't been as involved as those other guys when things are going well for them. Diamond Brown has, you know, also, you know, we looked at Zacchaeus and just how he was performing. Obviously, Brown's coming off a big game last week, so he's relatively cheap.

[Adam Azar]

Best game of his career, though.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Sure. But there's opportunity there. You know, the, the second receiver for Washington's wide open right now. You know, so could it be Brown? Could it be Zacchaeus? Could it be another good game for Zach Ertz? Yeah, you know, so there, there's, there's potential there. I still think Rashad Bateman, I know he didn't get a lot of targets last week because score touchdown, especially Flowers is out and then probably somebody for Buffalo will have a good game receiving wise. Shakir is easy if you're just looking for, you know, cheap Points and, and good cost six for 61 last week. He'll get six to eight targets and so you know, weather will be a little bit of a potential issue just because of. Of the cold, but we know Josh Allen's not bad in those situations.

[Adam Azar]

I'm glad you brought up Justice Hill and Austin Eckler. Austin Eckler, Detroit. They do give up a lot of production in the passing game to running back. So that's a guy that they. Especially if they're chasing points. And, and Justice Hill, not only did he catch touchdown last week, he had a really big game against the Bills in the first matchup, which was a blowout by the way for the Ravens. They crushed them. He had six catches.

[Dave Richard]

He always plays a lot more when Baltimore's trailing.

[Adam Azar]

Well, he played six catches, 78 yards and a touchdown in Week 4 in a big win. And the Bills give up the most receiving yards per game to running backs.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Yep.

[Adam Azar]

So it's a good point. Yeah.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I'm doing, I'm doing a lot of Jameer Gibbs and one of those guys.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. Yeah. Gibbs going up against bad. But, but I will say this about the commanders and this is a, I say this a lot. This is a Dan Quinn staple. Commanders give up the fewest receiving yards per game to running backs. So something to keep in mind. All right. Players that we'd like to avoid this week.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

So I, again, for me it's. It's not necessarily avoiding Saquon, but it's avoiding a lot of the Eagles Rams game because the best players are obviously expensive and the second tier guys are a little tough to trust. So like the Eagles receivers right now, Devonte Smith feels a little bit better than A.J. brown. But if Brown is healthy, you know, then we could see Smith disappear. But Smith would be my favorite Eagles receiver. But a lot of this game I'm trying to necessarily avoid just because the defense are so good.

[Dave Richard]

I, I feel the same way. Although I, the reason why I have Saquon is because I think a lot of people are going to avoid him. He is the most expensive running back on draftkings and so I'm trying to zig while everybody else is zagging. I don't feel great about any Bills pass catcher other than Shakira. He's also in my lineup, but it's more of the safe play than it is anything else.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I would not play. Joe Mixon.

[Adam Azar]

Yup, that's the one I was gonna say.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, I didn't avoid. Like I think the only Texan you'd Be comfortable playing is Nico.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

But even then, you know, again with the. The secondary being healthy for the Chiefs and this. I. Look, they played great last week. Their defense was awesome. I, I think that was their. Okay, we got. We got our playoff win. Now we're gonna get smashed.

[Adam Azar]

What do we got on C.J. stroud, outdoors, Dave, or anything? Do you have any of that?

[Dave Richard]

It's not great. I sent you the numbers. If you want. If you can give me 15 seconds, I can.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I hadn't taken a look. I'm sorry. I know you sent something. Yeah. What do you. What do you think about James Cook against this Ravens run defense?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I would not be inclined to play him unless you think Buffalo is going to win the game handily, which I don't think anybody thinks that now.

[Adam Azar]

He is discounted. I mean, you got. You're talking Derek Henry, 9, 600 on FanDuel, Derek Hunting, Henry, 9, 600. Saquon Barkley, 9,300, Gibbs, 89, Kyron Williams, 77, Joe Mixon, 7, 600, and then James Cook, 7, 400. So the way he's been playing lately, that's a nice discount on James Cook. But the Ravens run defense is so good. Cook was bad against them the first time they played. I haven't gone with him. I. It's just so hard not to start. David Montgomery on FanDuel. So I have Barkley and Montgomery as my running backs, and I have Eckler as my flex.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

It's a good pair.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, I have Eckler with Barkley.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I will say that's just a Dave's point. It's hard to zig and zag when you. When there's only four games, you know everybody's going to play. A lot of. All the. All the experienced DFS players are playing all different combinations, so. Yeah, of course, you're not. You're not getting a lot of surprise.

[Adam Azar]

Right.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah. Adam, you asked about C.J. stroud outdoors.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, we're in the cold or whatever.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, right. In the cold. So, like, we actually can filter player results based on temperature at kickoff. And so he's played three career games where the temperature is 50 or lower. One of them was against Kansas city in week 16. Jamie talked about it. 20.1 fantasy points and 6 point. The only other game that he played that like he finished was the divisional game last year at Baltimore. It was cold and his numbers shriveled up in the cold. It was a little teeny, tiny 7.9 fantasy points.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, they. They look. I mean, I'm Getting some deja vu here because they beat Cleveland in the first game last year of the playoffs in the wild card round and then they went to Baltimore and they beat the crap out of Cleveland, by the way. They won 45 to 14. Yes, they went to Baltimore. They lost 34 to 10. I just, I don't want to, I don't want the Texans in my lineup and.

[Dave Richard]

Okay, so that's easy and I think a lot of people are going to feel that way. And so if you, if you try one Texans player, even if it's Nico, I think that'll be a differentiator.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, but it won't be mixing. I mean we've seen we have enough sample of him in bad matchups and he is just awful. Won't be mixing for me anyway. I definitely wanted to get McLaurin in my lineup. You know, I know you just talked about that game in general, Lions versus Commanders. But we know how bad Detroit is against receivers and the second most fantasy points allowed and McLaurin is I guess a thousand dollars less than Puka, for example, on, on FanDuel. So McLaurin with some. I just wanted to bring him up. We haven't said his name.

[Dave Richard]

No. I think McLaren needs to be in lineups. He'll be popular though. So will Daniels. Are you interested in results of other quarterbacks when they're playing in the cold?

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, just one last thing because we're talking about players to avoid. I don't think Dallas Goddard should be the second most expensive tight end on FanDuel. I'd rather have LaPorta than him. I'd rather have Andrews. Maybe I'd take Goddard after that. But I mean like Goddard had an amazing play last week, but he's probably not going to get more than five or six targets. All right, go ahead.

[Dave Richard]

So speaking of players, to avoid Matthew Stafford playing outdoors under 50 degrees with the Rams, I'm not taking games when he was with Detroit. He also has played only three games. One was a monster. It was at Green Bay, but it was back in 2021. The other two games, one in 2023, one in 2024 under 15 fantasy points and that is six point per passing touchdown. So a little bit of a small sample size lean towards Stafford not enjoying cold weather. And I just, I, I checked this for Lamar and for Josh Allen, but you can probably predict where this is going when they play at 30 degrees or colder. Lamar, it's the game of the week.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, Bills and the Raven gonna be a cold one, but it's the game of the week.

[Dave Richard]

Hey, Lamar's been awesome in the cold. Josh Allen's been awesomer in the cold.

[Adam Azar]

Wow.

[Dave Richard]

This should be an awesome game. An easy call for game of the week.

[Adam Azar]

Josh Allen. This is like, Josh Allen's great in this weather. I love it. Do we need to get more. More Ravens and Bills? All right, so I put in golf. All right, let's just do our lineups. I put in golf because, like, golf's 8,000, Allen's 9,000, Jackson's 8. 700. Daniels 8,500 hertz. 8,200. So Jared Goff is QB5, and Jared Goff's playing at home against Washington. I mean, he could obviously have a huge game, but it was tough not to put Allen or Jackson in there. I mean, you got to figure spotlights on, and those guys are amazing. And they're the MVP candidates for reason. By the way, the MVP is over. It's gonna be Lamar Jackson. I didn't realize that. Jamie, you mentioned that he had won first team all pro, that he. And it's the same boaters that are going to vote for mvp. So if they voted for Jackson over Allen as first team all Pro, I don't. I do not see how he's not going to win mvp. But anyway, let's do our lineups here.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Vindicated, if that happens, you know.

[Adam Azar]

No, because, like, there was one point where I switched to Alan and then I went back to Jackson. But I think I do feel a little vindicated. People were just very critical of me because that's what people do. Also, I go, I put up my podcast league team after I drafted it. I was like, I think this is a good team. I'm going to put it on Twitter and see what people give me. What? Great. I got a very bad grade, as I recall. I won the league. I don't know why people just don't ever take me seriously. Like, what are you doing? You think it was crazy for me to say that Lamar Jackson was the mvp? Like, obviously, I was on to something. Yeah. Anyway, I do feel a little vindicated. Thank you. When I beat Schneier in tennis, I'll feel. I'll feel even better about myself. All right, Jamie, give me a lineup.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I have Mahomes at quarterback. This is on FanDuel. Jameer Gibbs and Austin Eckler at running back, Xavier Worthy, Terry McLaurin and Jameson Williams at receiver, Travis Kelsey a tight end, Laporta at Flex and Chiefs dst.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. I have a pretty similar lineup. I have the Chief, let's see the commonality. Commonalities. Is That a word? McLaurin, Worthy, Laporta, Eckler, Chiefs. We both have those five. McLaurin, Worthy, LaPorta, Eckler Chiefs. I have Saint Brown. You have Jameson, Williams. I have Barkley and Montgomery. You have Gibbs and who?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Eckler.

[Adam Azar]

And who's your flex?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

LaPorta.

[Adam Azar]

Who's your tight end? Kelsey Kelsey. That's the difference there. And I have golf and you have Mahomes. All right, so golf. Montgomery, Barkley, McLaurin, Worthy, St. Brown, LaPorta, Eckler, Chiefs. For me, that's fanduel lineup as well. Dave, who you got?

[Dave Richard]

Guess what. We have a lot of commonality. I also have Eckler and McLaurin and Laporta and the Chiefs. I think I want to pivot off the Chiefs and go to the. I can't go to the lines if I'm stacking the commander, so screw it. I'm sticking with the Chiefs. Jane Daniels is my quarterback. Running backs are Eckler and Saquon. Wide receivers are McLaurin, Shakir, Jameson. I've got double tight end Andrews at the tight end, LaPorta at the flex. This is a team that. I like this team a lot. I just wish that it were a lot more unique than your teams.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. Maybe we should be playing in some 50 50s. Yours is a 50 50, right? Or.

[Dave Richard]

No, I mean, I. Yes.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. Mine. I'll probably do a tournament.

[Dave Richard]

I don't at this point. I don't mind putting it into a tournament either. I just. I just feel like if you're going to win a big gpp, you've got to find the one or two players. You've got to find this week's Diami Brown.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. Give me a. Give me a guy that you think has the best Chancel.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Oracle.

[Dave Richard]

Alamede, Zakias.

[Adam Azar]

Who's my guy? Marquis Brown, maybe. He's gotten a lot of targets.

[Dave Richard]

It's not bad.

[Adam Azar]

All right, let's get some picks. Texans, Chiefs, Chiefs minus eight and a half.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Chiefs winning, cover.

[Dave Richard]

Agreed.

[Adam Azar]

Agreed. Commanders, Lions. Lions minus nine and a half.

[Dave Richard]

Lions win.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Commanders cover.

[Adam Azar]

Lions win. And cover for Dave. Commanders cover for Jamie.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Yep.

[Adam Azar]

All right, so we all like the Lions. I also like the Commanders plus nine and a half, but we all like the Lions to win. Rams, Eagles. Eagles minus six.

[Dave Richard]

Eagles.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

When Rams cover.

[Adam Azar]

I don't know. I feel like the Rams are playing really well. They're playing really well. Their defense is so good. I don't know. I don't think they're gonna win, though. Eagles win. Rams cover. Bills, Ravens. Ravens minus one on the road.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Bill's winning cover.

[Dave Richard]

Ravens winning. Cover.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, Ravens.

[Dave Richard]

I feel heartbroken for whichever side loses that game.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. It's not fair. Why can't.

[Dave Richard]

Amazing year for both those teams.

[Adam Azar]

I'll take the Ravens to win and push Ravens.

[Dave Richard]

I just think their defense is playing significantly better.

[Adam Azar]

Their defense is, I think, yeah, definitely better than the Bills. Right. All.

[Dave Richard]

All it takes is, like, two, three stops, and that could be enough to win the game.

[Adam Azar]

Why are you taking the Bills, Jamie?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I mean, they were my super bowl pick to begin the season, so I'll stick by it.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. And the good thing is Jamie is equally as excited about all four of these games, so he's gonna have a very fun weekend. And we will talk to you on Monday.

[Dave Richard]

Jamie says this is the best weekend of the year.

[Adam Azar]

This is the best weekend of the year. Schaefer, do we have a. Especially if you include Monday. National championship game. Do we have a show on Monday? Are we taking that day off? I was gonna ask you after the show. No, ask me now. Let's figure it out. Well, if we do it on Tuesday, we gotta do it before the dynasty show at 11, so people have to be on time. Oh, okay. All right. Yeah, let's just. You. It's up to you. I don't care.

[Dave Richard]

I'm working.

[Adam Azar]

Regardless. I will talk about it after the show. We'll figure it out. Thanks. Thanks, everybody. Welcome to our production meeting. We'll talk to you Monday or Tuesday on fantasy football today.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Paramount podcasts with.

[Adam Azar]

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