Fantasy Football Today – Mailbag and Fantasy Cops! (11/22/25)

Hosts: Adam Aizer & Jamie Eisenberg
Date: November 22, 2025

Overview

This episode is the quintessential “mailbag” and “Fantasy Cops” edition, where Adam and Jamie tackle Week 12 start/sit dilemmas, trade questions, and the thorny rules and etiquette issues that often spark league drama. Listeners submit lineup decisions, roster moves, trades for grading, and league disputes via email, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and live YouTube comments. The hosts balance practical advice with good-natured humor and banter, especially when discussing their own fantasy misadventures and infamous dad jokes.

Key Discussion Points

1. Week 12 Start/Sit Dilemmas

Timestamps: 02:50–13:00

• Defensive Streamers: The Browns DST is “top tier” this week—ranked just behind the Seahawks for Jamie, especially due to the matchup and Myles Garrett’s disruptive potential. (03:00)
• RB/WR Calls:
  • Charbonnet vs. Burden: Otten preferred as a pickup over Burden (20:34)
  • Ken Walker vs. Alec Pierce: Walker has the edge in most formats (04:16)
  • Judkins vs. Jalen Warren vs. Ken Walker: Warren if healthy, Walker otherwise (04:57)
  • Pearsall vs. Addison (PPR): Pearsall favored (03:46)
  • Flacco, Taylor, Rudolph: Jamie chooses Flacco and Mason Rudolph as best QB pickups (05:15)
• QB Analysis: Purdy is preferred over Hurts this week due to matchup/trends (05:35)

“The only DST I have ranked ahead of the Browns this week would be the Seahawks.”
– Jamie, 03:16

2. League Strategy & Trade Policy Debates

Timestamps: 10:56–16:34

• Should eliminated teams make trades? Both say NO—if you’re mathematically eliminated, trading is unfair and should be disallowed. Waiver pickups, however, are fine for non-playoff teams since they help maintain league competitiveness week-to-week.
• Competing until the end: Jamie encourages all managers to try for wins each week—for pride, bets, or last-place penalties. However, he and Adam staunchly agree: eliminated teams should not inject imbalance with post-playoff trades.

“If you’re eliminated from the playoffs, you cannot make trades. That’s your own fault, you know?”
– Adam, 12:44

3. Stat Deep Dives & Analytics

Timestamps: 21:50–28:39

• Thursday Night QB Splits: Adam gathered data on QB performance in Thursday games, concluding there’s no significant dip: “Way more than half (of QBs) have been good. Five out of 22 were single-digit, which is about average.”
• Garbage Time’s Role in Projections: Jamie factors in likely garbage time for teams with bad defenses/trailing scripts but notes it’s hard to predict; Adam is more cautious, warning players can get pulled once games are out of hand.

“Sometimes, in garbage time, players get pulled...so it’s not a huge factor here.”
– Adam, 16:05

4. Grading Listener Trades & Waivers

Timestamps: Throughout

• Listeners submit numerous trade proposals for Adam & Jamie to “grade.”
  • Olave for Kittle, Mahomes for Achan (Superflex): Discuss proper trade value depending on playoff status (13:58)
  • Lamb + Q. Johnston for Hn: “If you need the running back, then yes.” – Jamie (24:30)
  • Dobbs + Q. Johnston for Alec Pierce + Basil Tootin: “At this point, I’d rather have the upside of Pierce and Tootin.” – Jamie (31:50)
  • Trader's Dilemma: If trading a star RB for future draft value as a bad team is fair in keeper leagues (39:07)
• Start/Sit Lightning Rounds: Many, but highlights include:
  • Start Ramondre Stevenson or Basil Tootin? “Tootin has more upside as a player, Stevenson for matchup.” (23:19)

5. Fantasy Cops: League Rules, Collusion & Ethics

Timestamps: 37:49–46:02

• Vetoes & Collusion: Adam implores leagues not to veto trades just because “the good team is getting better,” reminding listeners this isn’t how real sports work. Vetoes are for true foul play/collusion only.
• Unwritten Rules: Jamie and Adam debate whether it’s okay to make “verbal” trades and back out (“You can... but it’s not cool” – Adam).
• Keeper Leagues: Jamie describes his league’s 3-person committee for trade review; suggests restricting keepers to drafted players to avoid tanking trades (40:21).
• Auctioning players to force market value: If someone publicly threatens to dump a player to a contending team unless a better offer is made, it’s “dirty” but legal. (44:40)

“If I see another freaking email about your league vetoing a trade because they didn’t want the good team to get better, I’m going to visit your draft next year and…give you really bad food."
– Adam, 36:13

6. Quick Hitting Advice & Notable Advice Nuggets

Timestamps: Throughout

• Browns DST is this week’s top defensive play outside Seahawks (03:16)
• Charbonnet vs. Burden/Otten: Otten preferred as streamer (20:19)
• Test Johnson or Sean Tucker in Half PPR: Mooney and Downs in some scenarios (21:18)
• Chris Godwin’s status: Playable, but more impact to teammates, especially Trey Benson (19:30)
• Cutthroat waiver wire & last place penalties: Keep up the effort, but with proper boundaries—no trades for dead teams.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Thursday Night QB woes:

  "No, I don’t think Thursday night’s been unusual at all. Last night was bad, but it’s been normal.”
  – Adam, 28:39

• On lopsided or collusion trades:

  "Imagine if the NFL vetoed Jalen Phillips to the Eagles because they didn’t want the Super Bowl champion to get better…That can’t happen!”
  – Adam, 36:31

• Dad jokes and podcast banter:

  “My wife asked me to stop singing Wonderwall by Oasis. I said maybe.”
  – Listener Submission, 23:49

• Adam’s sitcom hot take:

  "The Big Bang Theory is incredible. Sheldon Cooper…he’s not on Mount Rushmore, he’s the gift shop at Mount Rushmore.”
  – Adam, 33:31

• Fantasy Cops Ethics:

  "You can threaten to do whatever you want until you actually do it."
  – Jamie, 44:40

• On league commish powers:

  “Just pay your dues, you big baby”.
  – Adam advising a listener with a league fee dispute, 52:57

Entertaining Sidetracks & Callbacks

• Teasing absent co-host Dan: Multiple running jokes about Dan’s whereabouts—"churning butter,” “dad jokes seminar,” "tour of the nose strip factory.” (Throughout the first 10 minutes)
• Movie night tangent: Adam and Jamie debate the greatness of A Bronx Tale (34:40)
• Fantasy Cops skits: Musical cues, cop references, and police movie character assignments to the FFT crew.

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Time | |-------------------------------------|------------| | Browns/Packers DST debate | 02:59 | | Week 12 Mailbag (start/sit Q’s) | 03:46–13:00| | Eliminated teams/trade policy |10:56–16:34 | | Garbage time impact | 14:46–16:05| | Thursday Night QB stats | 21:50–28:39| | Trade grading/sample deals | 13:49–31:58| | Keeper league trade ethics |39:07–41:04 | | Fantasy Cops: veto & collusion |36:13–46:02 | | Closing Q&A/Spotify comments |54:08–68:20 |

Takeaways & Listener Tips

• Set clear league rules for playoff eligibility and trading, especially for eliminated teams.
• Don’t veto trades just because they help the “strongest team”—vetoes are only for actual collusion.
• Thursday night games aren’t QB death sentences—pick your spots, look at actual matchup data.
• Keep playing competitively, even if out of contention—but respect boundaries on trades.
• Don’t overrate garbage time; focus on core offensive roles and backups.
• Dad jokes and sitcom debates bring levity—don’t forget to have fun!

Final Call to Action

• Visit the64.com and vote for Fantasy Football Today in the Podcast Bracket!
• Leave your start/sit or trade questions via Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or email.
• Tune in Sunday 11am–1pm ET for live lineup help before kickoff.

Summary prepared for fantasy managers seeking both strategic insight and a dose of FFT’s signature camaraderie.