Fantasy Football Today (September 11, 2025)

Episode: Start or Sit (AFC): Travis Etienne, Omarion Hampton, Browns and Chargers WRs and More
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Jamie Eisenberg, Heath Cummings
Theme: Deep-dive into the AFC’s top start/sit decisions for Week 2, breaking down player values, injury fallout, and waiver wire moves to help fantasy managers dominate their leagues.

Episode Overview

This episode is focused on analyzing all relevant AFC home games for Week 2, dissecting start/sit questions for key players, and reacting to major injury news. The crew evaluates top quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers, discusses emerging waiver wire pickups, and debates both consensus and contrarian opinions about player rankings to help listeners set winning fantasy lineups.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Player Buy/Sell Debates & Injuries [03:37 – 13:40]

• Brock Purdy Injury (SF): Out two to five weeks with turf toe and a shoulder injury. Immediate ripple effects for receivers like Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings.
  • Jamie: “You don’t want to say this system is just that good…but it kind of is.” [12:25]
• Impact on 49ers’ Pass Catchers:
  Jamie emphasizes that Pearsall remains a low-end WR2 start if Jennings is hobbled and Kittle remains out, citing clear “target soaker” potential.
  • Jamie: "Four games in his career with at least six targets, 14 or more PPR points in all four." [13:14]
• Other Key Injuries:
  • James Cook (Buf, hamstring; Ray Davis in line for more work if Cook misses time.)
  • Darnell Mooney, Xavier Worthy, Juwan Jennings (all questionable)
  • Christian McCaffrey (monitor, but likely fine)
  • Dallas Goedert (Phi, questionable): Major boost to DeVonta Smith if Goedert sits.

2. Players We Love & Avoid for Week 2 [05:56 – 10:50]

• QBs to Start:
  • Jamie: “Jared Goff, start of the week…another division opponent, taking on his former coordinator.” [06:18]
  • Heath: “...Dak Prescott. I think it’s a get right game for Dak Prescott — especially for CeeDee Lamb.” [08:18]
  • QB Rankings: Dak > Fields > Goff (Heath); Goff > Fields > Dak (Jamie) — all ranked as top-10 options.
• Player to Avoid:
  • Jamie: “Zay Flowers...in two receiver leagues, I would sit Zay Flowers coming off this amazing game...[Browns’ defense] just erased the Bengals’ pass catchers.” [09:08]
  • Heath: “Aaron Jones...I’d start Jordan Mason over Aaron Jones. Neither's in my top 24 in full PPR.” [10:32]

3. News and Notes—OL, WR, RB, and TE Roundup [12:00 – 18:49]

• Detailed rundown of offensive line injuries across several teams, most notably Rams, Titans, Vikings, and Saints.
• Adam: “Saints...two offensive linemen missed practice and Carolina’s left tackle Iki Ekwonu was limited. Giants’ Andrew Thomas questionable.” [17:19]
• Key takeaways:
  • Injuries could dampen upside for Rams’ Kyren Williams and WRs; Saints, Vikings, and Giants also banged up.
  • “No change” for Puka or DeVonta, per Jamie, despite OL woes. [17:40]

4. Start/Sit Decisions – Game-by-Game Breakdown

(Key matchups, rankings, and player insights)

A. Cleveland @ Baltimore [20:27 – 24:16]

• Browns TEs: Start Both
  • Heath: “I have both Harold Fannin and David Njoku in my top 12.” [20:49]
  • Fannin is a hot waiver add: “If that usage from week one validates this week—holy cow.” [22:06]
  • WRs: Judy (Cleveland) is preferred over Tillman, but both are close.
  • Jamie: “The last five times [Tillman] played, he’s averaging north of 15 PPR points.” [40:17]
• Sit Zay Flowers if possible (Browns D tough vs WRs).

B. New England @ Miami [24:16 – 25:21, 43:10 – 48:03]

• Must-Start:
  • Jamie/Heath consensus: Tyreek Hill — don’t overthink, start him.
  • Uncertainty about Tua’s consistency and the offense’s Week 1 struggles; optimistic about rebound.
  • Jamie: “It's hard to have Tyreek Hill on your roster and sit him.” [24:33]
• Pats RB room worth close monitoring; Henderson slightly preferred to Stevenson.
  • Jamie: “Probably still start Tyreek, then Henderson, then Waddle.” [47:12]

C. Jacksonville @ Cincinnati [25:28 – 26:48, 49:37 – 54:07]

• Start Travis Etienne (“clear top-15 RB”), Brian Thomas Jr. (solid target volume).
  • Crew questions just how high Etienne’s value is after last week’s “best-case” performance.
  • Jamie: “Why not maximize it? We may just have seen the best of Travis Etienne.” [26:48]
• Etienne Preferred Over:
  • Walker, Charbonnet, Breece Hall (Jamie; Heath is closer). [53:42 – 53:54]

D. Buffalo @ NY Jets [27:00 – 38:56]

• Sit Keon Coleman (BUF WR) in favor of more proven options
  • Adam: "Tillman and Judy over Coleman for me." [28:08]
• Garrett Wilson: Consistently a start in all formats.
• QB: Justin Fields top-10 for the week, preferred over Jared Goff.

E. Philadelphia @ Kansas City [28:51 – 34:13, 60:55 – 68:06]

• If Dallas Goedert is out:
  • Adam: “Devonta Smith has averaged 17.7 PPR points in these games—good enough for WR9 per game last year.” [15:01]
  • Devonta > Marquis Brown if Goedert sits; otherwise, closer. [28:51]
• Concerns for Mahomes: Not in consensus top-12 this week (ranked as low as QB13) due to WR injuries and defensive matchup.

F. Chargers @ Raiders [29:04 – 39:49, 68:06 – 72:53]

• Must-Start WRs: Myers (LV), Lad McConkey (LAC).
  • Chargers WR3s (Allen, Johnston) ranked behind Cleveland WRs Judy/Tillman.
  • Jamie: “Jacoby Myers...most underrated WR last 2-3 seasons...13.7 PPR points or more in 8 of last 11.”
• RBs: Genti (LAC) a clear start; Hampton (LV) fringe RB2 but volume remains appealing. [70:30]
• Conversation on potential breakout for Quentin Johnston, but ranking trails other options.

G. Denver @ Indianapolis [74:27 – 76:15]

• Colts Starts: Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Warren (TE).
  • Heath: “Taylor ran 24 of 26 RB routes in Week 1 — career high 40 catches in sight.”
• Broncos: Bo Nix is a streaming QB, low-end starter vs IND; Dobbins the back to start in Denver's committee backfield.
  • Judy is preferred Cleveland WR over Pittman this week.

H. Tampa Bay @ Houston [76:34 – 81:52]

• Evans, Bucky Irving, Emeka Egbuka (TB): All startable, but Evans could struggle if shadowed by Stingley Jr. (HOU).
• CJ Stroud, Texans RBs: All sits except Nico Collins.
• Jamie: “Abuka or Brown? Flip a coin. Abuka.” [81:21]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Travis Etienne’s value:
  Jamie Eisenberg [26:48]:

  “You just got to be a little concerned. Like, we may have just seen the best of Travis Etienne, so why not maximize it?”

• On Zay Flowers’ tough matchup:
  Jamie Eisenberg [09:08]:

  “You’re looking at what the Browns just did to the Bengals passing attack... I would not say that Zay Flowers is a Must-Start.”

• On Browns Tight Ends Usage:
  Heath Cummings [22:06]:

  “Fannon’s the one guy that, if that usage... validates this week, holy cow.”

• On Miami’s week 1 issues:
  Jamie Eisenberg [45:00]:

  “The Dolphins offense was... so bad last week... and I watched a pretty in-depth breakdown of just how bad Tua was. Missing such easy opportunities.”

• On Chargers WR Quentin Johnston’s upward momentum:
  Jamie Eisenberg [71:34]:

  “Harbaugh said Quincy Johnston should be doing 'in your face' to the doubters.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

Opening & Theme Introduction

• [03:37] Start/sit theme, AFC home games dissected

Players to Love & Avoid, Buy/Sell Debates

• [05:56] Week 2 prove-it games (Etienne, Kelsey, etc.)
• [06:18] Jamie’s Start QB: Jared Goff
• [08:18] Heath’s Start QB: Dak Prescott
• [09:08] Jamie’s Sit: Zay Flowers

Major Injury News & Depth Chart Shifts

• [12:00] Brock Purdy fallout/49ers WR outlook
• [14:45] RB/WR/Tight End Injury Overview
• [15:01] DeVonta Smith’s bumps with Goddard out

Game-by-Game Start/Sit Breakdowns

• [20:27] Browns @ Ravens tight end/WR landscape
• [24:16] Patriots @ Dolphins quick-hits
• [25:28] Jaguars @ Bengals: Etienne, Thomas Jr., buy/sell outcomes
• [27:00] Bills @ Jets WR looks, QB values
• [28:51] Eagles @ Chiefs — A.J. Brown/DeVonta Smith, Mahomes
• [29:04] Chargers @ Raiders — McConkey/Myers, RB notes
• [74:27] Broncos @ Colts — RB/WR/TE breakdown
• [76:34] Buccaneers @ Texans — Evans, Egbuka, Houston WRs

Detailed Lightning Round Q&A

• [40:47] Rapid WR/TE/FLEX comparison rankings
• [79:55] Evans vs. Piersall and more close-call WRs

Listener Takeaways

Quarterbacks:

• Start Prescott, Goff, and Fields with confidence. Lawrence and May are on the bubble; May may get the edge this week.

Running Backs:

• Etienne is a secure RB1. Don’t panic about last week’s mediocre YPC.
• Hampton is a strong volume play, but has a lower floor than hoped.
• Samson’s PPR-specific spike is worth noting, especially if injuries persist.

Wide Receivers:

• Elevate DeVonta Smith (especially if Goedert sits).
• Tyreek Hill is still a “must start” despite Miami’s Week 1 issues.
• Jacoby Myers/Lad McConkey are locked into starting roles.
• Keon Coleman is best left on benches until the pecking order solidifies.
• Brown, Judy, Tillman all strong WR3/flexes, but track usage closely.

Tight Ends:

• Both Browns’ tight ends are legitimate starts; Fannin & Njoku are top-12 with Flacco under center.
• Consider Brenton Strange as a streaming option vs. CIN if needed.
• If you have Mark Andrews, consider streaming Fannin/Johnson if you want higher presumed upside.

Conclusion

The FFT Crew delivered a comprehensive, hard-hitting start/sit breakdown for every key AFC matchup, blending stat-backed context, deep bench recommendations, and practical game theory to help you nab a Week 2 victory. Injury updates and shifting depth charts were top of mind, alongside which hot waiver candidates are actual lineup upgrades versus week-to-week dart throws.

Don’t forget: Re-assess on Sunday morning as injury news and inactives roll in. Good luck in Week 2!

Memorable closing line (Adam Aizer, [81:52]):
"Long show. Thank you very much...You're very welcome!"

For the latest rankings and midweek updates, catch the team on CBS Sports Network every Thursday at 1pm Eastern or subscribe on your favorite podcast app.