Fantasy Football Today: Fantasy Superlatives, Trade Targets, MIN-LAC Preview, Grade the Trade

CBS Sports Fantasy Football Today Podcast – October 22, 2025
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings

Episode Overview

This mid-season episode features a dynamic roundtable with Adam, Dave, Jamey, and Heath, packed with actionable analysis for fantasy football managers at the midpoint of the season. The crew walks through the most traded players, issues buy-low and sell-high recommendations, previews Thursday Night Football (Minnesota Vikings at Los Angeles Chargers), gives out first-half fantasy superlatives (MVPs, busts, etc.), predicts second-half breakouts, and answers plenty of listener trade questions. The tone is lively, friendly, and full of practical advice for managers looking to make playoff pushes and set up strategic trades.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Trade Market Breakdown: "Buy, Sell, Hold" (06:05—11:09)

• Derrick Henry:

  • Consensus: Hold – Still an RB workhorse with potential for 18-20 carries most weeks, especially given Tennessee's schedule.
  • Quote (08:32, Adam): “Judkins and Derrick Henry... you could see getting 20 carries… that’s the difference between Dobbins. Dobbins is around 15 carries most weeks and doesn’t get any catches.”

• A.J. Brown:

  • Dave: Sell High
  • Adam/Jamey: Buy or Hold
  • Debate on whether Philadelphia's pass volume keeps up and if Brown's recent boom can continue.

• J.K. Dobbins:

  • Consensus: Hold
  • Low passing-game involvement caps upside; not much trade value but a usable RB2/3.

• Chase Brown:

  • Dave: Worth trying to Buy if you’re desperate for RB help (09:25).
  • “He won’t cost you a ton… offense might crank it up a little bit with Joe Flacco and then Burrow coming back.”

• Travis Etienne:

  • Consensus: Buy low. Three-game slump is likely situational, with easier schedule ahead (10:11).
  • “He’s got a great role with a schedule that lightens up.” (10:31, Adam)

Waiver Wire and Drop-o-Meter Notes (11:15—12:02)

• Tez Johnson, Orande Gadsden: Observed real-life FAB spends—Gadsden had bigger bidding wars than expected.
• JMO (Jameson Williams):
  • Heated debate over his drop-worthiness (11:30).
  • Quote (11:44, Adam): “I've never lost a bet that I felt so good about.”

Buy Low Trade Targets (12:49—15:07)

• Jamey: Kyren Williams & Bucky Irving

  • Strategy: Target mid-season buy weeks and stashes for strong teams with good records.
  • “For the stretch run, [Williams] will be a prominent fantasy option. Both…” (12:53, Jamey)

• Dave: George Kittle & Rico Dowdle

  • “Lock yourself into one of the best tight ends in fantasy football [Kittle] without giving up too much.” (14:48, Dave)

• Tight End Trade Market:

  • Increase in streaming options with new tight ends popping up (Gadsden, Otten) complicates market value for guys like Kittle (15:37–16:45).
  • Some managers still prefer set-and-forget TE options.

• Heath on Buy-Low Strategy:

  • Focus on rookies (Travion Henderson, Luther Burden) and post-injury or “forgotten” breakouts.
  • “Every year there’s one or two guys… rookies, that we thought were good before the season… I would like to bet on those guys to do that.” (23:20, Heath)

Sell High Recommendations (26:56—32:43)

• Heath:

  • Jake Ferguson (TE): “I don’t believe he’ll continue to be the number one tight end… just go see if you can convince somebody that Jake Ferguson’s going to be this good all year.” (28:48)
  • DeAndre Swift (RB): “Just for the good teams… Swift probably gives you three more good games, the schedule turns awful...” (28:23)

• Jamey:

  • Michael Pittman & Davante Adams: If possible, flip now; Pittman’s usage could diminish as Josh Downs returns.

• Dave:

  • Javonte Williams & A.J. Brown.
  • Brown: “Sell high… not saying sell for whatever. If you can trade him and get a low-end RB and a really good WR, I wouldn’t be opposed.” (32:27)

• Notable Trade Scenarios Debated:

  • A.J. Brown vs DeAndre Swift (32:52)
  • A.J. Brown for Travis Etienne + Zay Flowers (33:07; Jamie: “Yes.”)
  • Realism check: “We got to be realistic here…” (32:43, Adam)

Thursday Night Football Preview: Vikings at Chargers (42:16—51:32)

• Stat of the Game:
  • “Chargers have allowed 29+ fantasy points to three straight RBs.”
  • Both teams are pass-heavy offenses facing struggling defenses.
• RBs:
  • Jordan Mason (MIN): RB1 in this matchup across the hosts, even if Aaron Jones is active (46:02, Jamie).
  • Kamani Vidal (LAC): Worth a start due to workload; more of an RB2/Flex, especially in byemageddon scenarios.
• WRs:
  • Start all main WRs: Justin Jefferson, Keenan Allen, Lad McConkey, Addison, Quentin Johnston. Order varies; all are in play.

First-Half Superlatives (55:50—58:30)

• MVP:

  • Jamey: Jonathan Taylor
  • Heath: Christian McCaffrey
  • Note: Both RBs provided massive value relative to draft cost.

• Rookie of the Year:

  • Tyler Warren (Jamie), RayJahne Booker (Heath)
  • Adam: “Do you think Emeka Egbuka is going to be a top 5, top 8 WR going forward?”

• Biggest Bust:

  • Brian Thomas Jr. (Jamie), Saquon Barkley (Heath), reflection on top picks who have underdelivered.

• Best Waiver Wire Add:

  • Rico Dowdle unanimously praised.

Second-Half Superlatives & Bold Predictions (58:42—63:00)

• Second Half MVP Candidates:

  • James Cook (Jamie): “You’ve heard chatter about not getting him the ball enough…he could be one of the top five running backs in fantasy rest of the way.”
  • Jameer Gibbs (Heath): “Seems like [Lions] are giving our best players the ball more often.” (59:06)

• Breakout Pick:

  • Lad McConkey (Jamie), “Showing life the last couple of weeks.”
  • Ted McMillan (Heath)

• Comeback Pick:

  • Stefan Diggs as a buy-low with strong advanced stats.

Listener Q&A & Trade Grades (70:08—71:39)

• Sample Trade:

  • Jake Ferguson & Zay Flowers for Tyler Warren and Addison or T. Higgins
  • Adam: “F minus. Do not do it.”
  • General consensus: Not a trade worth making.

• Jamar Chase acquisition:

  • Derrick Henry + Abuka for Jamar Chase branded as “a lot,” hinges on RB depth (70:40).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Every year there’s one or two guys… rookies, that we thought were good before the season… I would like to bet on those guys to do that.” (23:20, Heath)
• “Maybe you can go ahead and lock yourself into one of the best tight ends… without giving up too much for him.” (14:59, Dave, on Kittle)
• “I don’t believe [Jake Ferguson] will continue to be the number one tight end… just go see if you can convince somebody…” (28:48, Heath)
• “Heath’s head might explode if anyone says anything bad about Jalen Hurts.” (50:12, Adam – recurring lighthearted theme)

Segment Timestamps

• 00:00–01:56 — Ad reads and opening banter
• 01:56–06:02 — News, notes, and weekly housekeeping
• 06:02–11:09 — Most traded list: Buy/Sell/Hold roundtable
• 11:15–12:02 — Waiver wire and drop-o-meter discussion
• 12:49–15:07 — Buy-low targets
• 16:16–18:10 — Tight end trade market deep dive
• 26:56–32:43 — Sell high targets and strategy
• 42:16–51:32 — Thursday Night Football: MIN-LAC game preview
• 55:50–58:30 — First-half fantasy awards
• 58:42–63:00 — Second-half breakout predictions
• 70:08–71:39 — Listener trade grades

Episode Highlights & Tone

• The group maintains an upbeat, friendly, and sometimes self-deprecating tone.
• Subtle debates (especially about Eagles offense and positional trade value) are leavened with stats and counterpoints.
• Live trade “Grades” and waiver war stories keep things practical and interactive for the fantasy community.
• Frequent reminders about context: “If you’re contending, target these stashes; if you need wins now, here’s who to move.”
• Playful moments, such as the Halloween candy analogies for each host (65:48) and meta-debates about advanced stats.

This episode is jam-packed with mid-season trade and roster advice, strategic discussions for competitive and rebuilding teams, actionable previews, and a healthy dose of statistical reasoning and humor—a perfect blueprint for listeners ready to make expert moves for the fantasy stretch run!