Fantasy Football Today – Start or Sit (AFC): Lamar and Mahomes, RJ Harvey, Khalil Shakir and More (12/04/25)
Date: December 4, 2025
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Heath Cummings, Jamie Eisenberg
Theme: AFC Start/Sit Breakdown – Week 14
Overview
In this episode, Adam, Heath, and Jamie help listeners navigate a pivotal Week 14, offering crucial Start/Sit advice for every AFC game. With the fantasy playoffs looming and numerous teams vying for a spot, the crew highlights key quarterback questions (Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes), late-season breakouts (RJ Harvey, Khalil Shakir), injury impacts, and deep flex decisions. This episode is packed with context-specific rankings, actionable player comparisons, and lively debate—perfect for listeners facing stressful lineup choices.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
1. The State of Week 14: High Stakes & Injury Landmines
- Playoff drama: More "must-win" scenarios than ever, both in the NFL playoff race and fantasy leagues.
- Host banter: The opening features friendly ribbing about ongoing playoff standings, plus a funny dispute about game show rules (13:22).
2. Players We Love (Starts of the Week)
- Jacoby Brissette, Michael Wilson, Brenton Strange: All cited by Jamie as prime fill-in/waiver targets due to matchup and opportunity, particularly with injury/inactive teammates.
- Jamie: “Brissette was basically a must add…four out of the last six quarterbacks on the road against the Rams have been 19.5 fantasy points or more." (05:00)
- Quinshon Judkins: Heath projects a heavy workload (“might have 25 rush attempts”) and has him top-18 among RBs. (07:09)
- Jordan Love vs. Bears: Heath points out the high volume potential and recent improvement; Love is a strong QB2/low-end QB1 this week, especially if Bears LB TJ Edwards is sidelined.
3. Players to Avoid (Sits of the Week)
- Caleb Williams (Bears) at Packers: Off-target throw issues, tough defense, and potentially freezing weather make him a low-end QB1/high-end QB2. (10:00)
- Woody Marks: Volume is fine but efficiency is “disgusting,” and the Arrowhead matchup is daunting (10:11).
- David Montgomery: Jamie worries about reduced role ("Montgomery is a touchdown-dependent flex" – 10:11).
- Justin Herbert: Jamie is out, anticipating injury limitations and recent poor output (11:30).
- Kareem Hunt, Romo Odunze: Jamie is bearish, especially vs. tough matchups and due to role/injury uncertainty.
4. Major Question: What to Do With Slumping Stud QBs?
Lamar Jackson vs. Steelers (23:03, 39:00)
- Three straight games under 7.2 fantasy points; only 1 TD pass in 4 games.
- Jamie: “Still a start, but mostly out of FOMO.” Weighs his past struggles vs. Mike Tomlin teams and Baltimore’s likely run-heavy script.
- Heath: “If I’m a 15-point underdog, I’m playing Lamar Jackson. Too much upside to leave on the bench.” (39:18)
Patrick Mahomes vs. Houston (23:29, 46:27)
- Mahomes ranks as a start, but “you have reason to be nervous.”
- Both Jamie and Heath would take him under 22 points, but insist there are not enough better options this week (46:27).
- Jamie: “I wish the offensive line was healthy. Down three linemen, this defense is just nasty.” (46:36)
5. Deep Flex/RB2/WR3 Dilemmas
- AD Mitchell: Heath likes him as a WR3; higher target share and air yard dominance, but admits “he’s borderline unplayable when the ball’s thrown his way.” (72:30)
- Sutton/Franklin: Sutton is a low-end WR2 vs. LV; Franklin is volatile and just lost significant snaps to Pat Bryant. “Franklin’s a very low floor and never a huge upside.” (61:35)
- RJ Harvey & Ashton Jeanty: Jeanty has the PPR edge; Harvey preferred in other formats—role clarity has reversed from preseason. (25:21, 64:48)
6. Tight End Triage
- Harold Fannin, Brenton Strange, Dalton Schultz, Mark Andrews:
- Strange and Fannin talked up as volume-focused starts if your options are thin.
- Jamie: “Fannin’s pretty much led the Browns in target share; with Sanders at QB, he’s up to 27%.” (27:24)
- Kincaid, Schultz, and Strange are solid options but injury designations must be monitored.
7. Notable Injury Nuggets & News
- Marvin Harrison Jr., Greg Dortch, T. Higgins, etc.: Updates throughout (19:17+)
- O-line and D-line status highlighted for Chiefs, Bills, Steelers—key context for risky RB/WR decisions.
8. Live Listener Q&A: Key Debates
- Lamar Jackson or Jordan Love? Consensus: Love (43:48)
- Kincaid or Fannin? Split: Jamie (Kincaid if healthy), Heath (Fannin for safety—60:33)
- Kareem Hunt or Woody Marks? Split with light conviction; Hunt possibly better TD odds (49:00)
- Dozens of rapid-fire questions comparing second-tier WRs, RBs, and TEs—Pierce, Myers, McLaurin, Mitchell, etc.
9. Memorable Quotes & Fun Moments
- Heath (on Adam's hosting): “You are the worst game show host...and you’re biased on top of that. You are like a WWE referee who is both bad at your job...and also regularly makes mistakes.” (13:22)
- Adam on WRs this week: “You could argue top 15 wide receivers might suck too. That’s how we feel about the position.” (69:08)
- Heath on AD Mitchell: "He's sixth in targets since he joined the Jets...borderline elite at getting open, borderline unplayable when the ball's thrown his way.” (72:30)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Start/Sit QB: Lamar Jackson, Mahomes – 23:03, 23:29, 39:00, 46:27
- Players We Love/Avoid – 05:00, 10:00
- WW & Flex Fliers (Jeanty, Harvey, Sutton, Shakir) – 25:21, 24:47, 57:43, 61:35
- Injury News & Roster Notes – 17:00–21:29
- Live Q&A Rapid Fire – (34:55, 35:01, 43:48, 60:24, throughout)
- D/ST & Kicker Debate – 36:53, 74:37
- Funny Game Show Rant – 13:22
- Deep Dive: Bengals at Bills, Burrow Volume Stat – 55:05
- Jets Discussion ("Do you love Breece Hall?") – 68:09, 72:00
- Stranger Things vs. Game of Thrones – 78:52
Actionable Start/Sit Takes (By Game/Position)
Indianapolis at Jacksonville
- Must starts: Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman (borderline), Tyler Warren, Travis Etienne
- QB rankings: Daniel Jones and Trevor Lawrence are fringe QB1s—risky, but QB position is thin. (29:25–31:50)
- Wideouts: Pittman > Myers > Pierce; weak trust in Brian Thomas.
Pittsburgh at Baltimore
- Start: Derrick Henry, Zay Flowers (borderline), Jalen Warren
- Sit/concern: Lamar Jackson (low-end starter), Steelers WRs/TEs (besides Warren)
- Debate: Zay Flowers a WR3, behind Myers & Pittman.
Houston at Kansas City
- Start: Mahomes (even with risk), Nico Collins, Dalton Schultz, Rashee Rice, Travis Kelce
- Sit/concern: Woody Marks, Kareem Hunt (low-end RB2, TD-dependent)
- Mahomes projection under 22 pts accepted by all
Cincinnati at Buffalo
- Start: Allen “#1 QB this week,” Burrow a strong start due to likely high volume.
- T. Higgins: Must start if active.
- WRs: Khalil Shakir gets mild endorsement as a deep flex, especially if the game stays close.
Denver at Las Vegas
- Start: Jeanty (PPR), Harvey (non-PPR), Sutton (flex/WR2)
- Sit: Troy Franklin (snaps declining), Broncos/RAIDERS DST
Miami at NY Jets
- Start: Jaylen Waddle, Achan, Breece Hall
- Flex: Adonai Mitchell (WR3, targets trending up)
Tennessee at Cleveland
- Start: Quinshon Judkins (volume RB2), Harold Fannin (TE1)
- Sit: Browns/ Titans WRs/QBs
Notable Quotes
- "Brissette was basically a must add...four out of the last six quarterbacks on the road against the Rams have been 19.5 fantasy points or more." – Jamie (05:00)
- "If I was setting my lineup and I had to win, I was a 15 point underdog, I think you have to play Lamar Jackson. It's hard to sit that type of upside in a must-win game." – Heath (39:18)
- "Montgomery is a touchdown-dependent flex." – Jamie (10:11)
- "He's just got too much upside to leave on the bench – that's Lamar Jackson in a nutshell." – Heath (39:18)
- "He's sixth in targets since he joined the Jets...borderline elite at getting open, borderline unplayable when the ball's thrown his way." – Heath on AD Mitchell (72:30)
Final Thoughts
The hosts emphasize that Week 14 is unusually dark for quarterbacks and receivers. Their advice: Don’t be afraid to start volume-dependent RBs and overlooked TEs. Traditional “must-start” QBs (Lamar, Mahomes) have lost their shine, but the lack of alternatives means they’re still ranked as top-10 options.
Their best advice: Trust your process, chase volume and opportunity, and don’t overthink your studs unless you have clear, better options. And—keep your eyes on injury reports right up to Sunday kick-off.
“Good luck, enjoy the games, and don’t forget to vote for us at The64.com!” (67:49, 80:09)
For more context, tune in to the full episode to hear the group’s debates, statistical nuggets, and crowd-sourced wisdom from the chat. Good luck with your Week 14 matchups!