Start or Sit (NFC): Panthers RBs and WRs, Bucs Pass Catchers, Giants Offense and More (10/24 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today Episode Summary

Episode Title: Start or Sit (NFC): Panthers RBs and WRs, Bucs Pass Catchers, Giants Offense and More
Date: October 24, 2025
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamie Eisenberg

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Episode Overview

This episode is all about breaking down start/sit decisions for some of the most pressing NFC matchups in fantasy football for Week 8. The crew—Adam, Dave, and Jamie—go game by game, delivering analysis, injury updates, rankings, and their trademark banter. They dissect tricky situations such as the Carolina Panthers’ backfield, the New York Giants’ trending fantasy assets, and which Tampa Bay pass catchers can be trusted. The episode is a dense one, jammed with numbers and calls to help you dominate your lineups.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Chargers vs. Vikings Takeaways (04:08)

• Adam’s Mood: Adam laments a rough fantasy week, notably due to starting Quentin Johnston.

  • “Just so you know, the energy I’m providing today, I am faking it... it is a Quentin Johnston-induced terrible mood.” — Adam (05:17)

• Chargers:

  • Justin Herbert: Called a "stud" by Jamie.
  • Arande Gadsden: Firming up as a must-start tight end with three straight big games.
  • Kamani Vidal: Emerging as a must-start RB1 due to opportunity and explosiveness.

• Vikings:

  • Jordan Mason: Disappointing in RBBC usage; game script hurt him, and Adam doesn’t trust him against the Lions.
  • Justin Jefferson: On pace for 100/1462/2 (receptions/yards/TDs). Worries over his WR17-18 per-game standing, but Jamie is bullish on a buy-low.
  • TJ Hockenson: Disappointment continues despite an opportune matchup.

News & Notes (13:12)

• Injury Roundup: Lamar Jackson (likely in), Bryce Young and Brock Purdy (not expected), Josh Downs (likely in), A.J. Brown (DNP twice—real game-time risk), plus several notable others with limited or missed practices.
• Commanders WRs/Terry McLaurin: Jamie ranks McLaurin just inside top-30, Debo Samuel as the better play.
• Pollard Practice Status: He’s “good to go,” per Dave (14:52).
• Tight Ends: Dalton Kincaid and Mason Taylor are both iffy with injuries; don't rank Kincaid unless full practice Friday.

One Key Question for Each Game Quick Hits (22:03)

San Francisco @ Houston

• Niners Passing Game: Dave doesn’t want to start either SF WR; Kittle is the only non-McCaffrey receiving option to use (22:40).
  • “Don’t want to start either 49ers WR. If I had to pick one, it would be Jauan Jennings. I’m going right back to George Kittle...” — Dave

Green Bay @ Pittsburgh

• Jalen Warren & DK Metcalf: Jamie starts both due to PPR upside and volume, but tempered given defenses are strongest vs run (23:14).
• Romeo Doubs: Wideouts do well against PIT if heavily targeted—a key stat supporting Doubs as a Flex/WR3 (37:15).

Miami @ Atlanta

• Jalen Waddle: Both Dave & Jamie are “low” due to ATL’s outside WR defense and Miami’s offensive struggles. Prefer other WRs where possible.
  • “There’s a pretty gross track record for outside WRs vs ATL this year... Waddle’s someone that I think you should down-grade expectations for.” — Dave (24:33)

Giants @ Eagles

• Giants Skill Players: Jamie calls only Scattaboo (RB) and Wandale Robinson (if Slayton is out) “must-start” (26:16). Jackson Dart remains a high-floor, low-ceiling QB in a tough matchup.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans

• Pass Catcher Rankings: Kamara, Tez Johnson, Otten, Shahid from Jamie; Dave has Kamara, Tez, Otten close, then Shahid trailing.

Buffalo @ Carolina

• Rico Dowdle: Jamie and Dave see Dowdle as a startable RB2 given opportunity, but caution a Chuba Hubbard split.

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Game-by-Game Deep Dives

San Francisco @ Houston (29:44)

• 49ers: Only start McCaffrey, Kittle.

• Houston:

  • Dalton Schultz is a strong start if Nico Collins is out—connection with Stroud and facing a weak coverage LB (Tatum Bethune).
  • Woody Marks—borderline RB2/Flex.
  • If Collins or Kirk plays, Schultz falls behind other streamers like Mason Taylor.
  • “49ers allowed over 13 PPR to Kyle Pitts last week after Fred Warner went out...every target at Bethune has been caught by opponents.” — Dave (31:00)

• Comparison: Schultz preferred over Hawkinson, Kincaid (if inactive), and even Travis Kelce in weaker matchups (per Jamie).

• WR Fliers: Only desperation for Jalen Knox/Jaden Higgins if both Collins & Kirk are out.

Green Bay @ Pittsburgh (36:27)

• Packers:

  • Jacobs (RB) is the "must-start". Doubs & Golden are WR2/3 given PIT's pass D and target volume.
  • Watson’s presence may not drag Doubs much; Kraft is their top TE streamer.

• Steelers:

  • DK Metcalf and Jalen Warren are borderline must-starts. Tight end production is not chaseable from last week.

• Quarterbacks: Prefer Rodgers over Love (recent production); neither is elite this week.

Miami @ Atlanta (45:53)

• Falcons:

  • Must Start: Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts (“Weird calling him a must-start, but it’s that kind of week.” — Dave)
  • Volume-driven Flex: Tyler Allgeier (great play if you need an RB2 due to Miami’s run D).

• Dolphins:

  • Only Devon Achane is “must-start”; Waddle is borderline WR2, not a must due to offense/ATL CBs.

• Passing Volume: Miami’s run defense means ATL WRs likely get lowed target share. Mooney is a desperation flex.

Giants @ Eagles (54:04)

• Giants:

  • Scatter Boo (RB) is RB7 since Jackson Dart took over.
  • Jackson Dart is a high-floor QB, mainly for superflex; tough matchup.
  • Wandale Robinson target share spikes if Darius Slayton is out.

• Eagles:

  • Hurts is a must-start unless A.J. Brown (questionable) is out, then decision gets closer.
  • Goddard is a low-end TE1 either way, “shoots up” if Brown is out (60:48).
  • Devonta Smith is top 10 WR if Brown is out; low WR2 with Brown in.

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans (64:07)

• Saints:

  • Chris Olave: Now flirting with WR1 territory due to massive target share and efficiency spike.
  • Alvin Kamara: Usage is good, but worried about his own OL, lack of upside, and Taysom Hill’s vulture risk.
    • “Don’t have high expectations... at best, the number two running back.” — Dave (68:28)
  • No desperation flexes among other Saints.

• Bucs:

  • Rashad White: Must-start, one of Dave’s favorite RBs due to improving O-line and Saints softening run D.
  • Mike Evans & Chris Godwin: Godwin not mentioned much, Evans is a locked-in WR1.
  • Cade Otton: Jamie is much higher (5th) vs. Dave (9th-11th) among TEs.
  • Tez Johnson, if needed, is in flex play.

Buffalo @ Carolina (73:03)

• Bills:

  • Start Josh Allen, James Cook (with lower expectations due to Carolina run D).
  • Shakir is a flex but not strong; avoid Keon Coleman.

• Panthers:

  • Dowdle is a start (over Shakir, Keon, Liggette, etc).
  • Chuba Hubbard and JCM (“just can’t miss”?) are low-upside plays.

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Injury Updates & Practice Alerts

• A.J. Brown: Two DNPs, highly questionable. If out, Devonta Smith and Dallas Goddard skyrocket.
• Terry McLaurin/Debo Samuel: Both practiced in full, McLaurin is just inside top-30.
• Tony Pollard: Missed one practice (rest), full participant Thursday—he’s "good to go” (14:52).
• Dalton Kincaid: Await Friday’s final practice; don’t rank unless full.

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Rankings & Player Comparison Highlights

• Dalton Schultz ranks ahead of Mason Taylor if both Collins & Kirk are out; if either play, Mason Taylor gets the nod.
• George Kittle: Clear TE1 tier with great matchup, “National Tight Ends Day.”
• Jalen Warren: Start over Waddle, Pickens, and even some RB2s with tough matchups. Warren also a preferred dump-off back for PIT vs. GB.
• Romeo Doubs: Start ahead of McLaurin and Waddle in Week 8.
• Texans DST: Dave & Jamie both prefer Houston’s defense over SF’s in their matchup.

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Notable Quotes

• On Chargers’ Quentin Johnston:
  “I’m afraid that he might be done as a fantasy starter and I feel like there’ll be a week where he, you know, goes back but I’m... annoyed.” — Adam (05:17)

• On Justin Jefferson:
  “If I’m looking at the Jefferson manager and they’re below .500, I’m going to try and make offers.” — Jamie (09:12)

• On Dalton Schultz’s Opportunity:
  “Nico Collins has to be out, but this is the guy who has the most time banked with C.J. Stroud... potential 7 for 80 type game from Dalton Schultz.” — Dave (31:00)

• On Devonta Smith/A.J. Brown Injury Fallout:
  “Number two receiver with [A.J. Brown], top ten receiver without [A.J. Brown].” — Jamie (60:29)

• On Alvin Kamara’s Week:
  “Don’t have high expectations. On top of that, Eric McCoy’s out for the year... He really hasn’t had upside all year long.” — Dave (68:28)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• [04:08] Chargers/Vikings Recap & Game Takeaways
• [13:12] News & Notes: Key Injuries & Practice Reports
• [22:03] One Key Question for Every Game
• [29:44] In-Depth: 49ers at Texans
• [36:27] In-Depth: Packers at Steelers
• [45:53] In-Depth: Falcons vs. Dolphins
• [54:04] In-Depth: Giants at Eagles
• [64:07] In-Depth: Bucs at Saints
• [73:03] In-Depth: Bills at Panthers

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Memorable Moments

• Adam’s self-deprecating energy, blaming Quentin Johnston “in four leagues” for his foul mood (05:17)
• Confirmation of “National Tight Ends Day” and its impact on George Kittle’s ranking (33:44)
• The weekly “Who’s the Kool-Aid Man?” banter, blending fantasy and pop-culture references (63:48)
• “Uncle Dave” reappearing as Dave’s longtime nickname, and admitted sharpness downswing in props season (03:36)
• Adam’s running joke about the “Game of the Week”—ending on a tangent about Michael J. Fox in Teen Wolf (79:46)

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Fantasy Managers’ Takeaway:
Expect some ugly games and low totals, but there are matchup exploitation opportunities—Dalton Schultz, Houston’s DST, Rashad White, Doubs, and all the RB2/Flex pivots are critical this week with six teams on bye. Monitor injuries up to Sunday, especially AJ Brown and Nico Collins. Adam, Dave, and Jamie deliver a blend of analytics, actionable advice, and humor to keep you ahead for Week 8.

Listen to the full show for in-depth mailbag answers and real-time Q&A with fans!

Transcript

[Adam]

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[Airbnb Host]

So I've been hosting my guest house on Airbnb for a while now, and it's honestly been super simple. People come through book a couple nights, and it's just extra money I wasn't making before. But here's the part I didn't really think about at first. You don't have to just host a separate space.

[Jamie]

Like.

[Airbnb Host]

Like, I've got a trip to Orlando coming up to play some golf. And while I'm out of town, my main place is just sitting there empty. Why not list that, too? It's already set up. I'm not using it. And it's such an easy way to cover some of the travel costs while I'm away. Maybe even a little extra for a box of Pro V1s or some merch from the Pro Shop. That's what I like about Airbnb. You can make it fit your lifestyle. Whether it's extra space or your own place while you're on vacation, your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host this is.

[Dave]

Fantasy Football Today from CBS Sports. Wanna play?

[Adam]

Can you believe this? No, I can't.

[Dave]

It's time to dominate your fantasy league. Off to the races and he stays at his feet. This is gonna go the distance. Now here's some combination of Adam, Dave, Jamie and Heath.

[Adam]

We have got six games to preview today. We're really sitting Jalen Waddle in a tough matchup. Atlanta hosting Miami. Green Bay is at Pittsburgh. It's not a revenge game, but it's a big game for Aaron Rodgers. San Francisco's at Houston. The Giants are at Philadelphia. It's a rematch. Tampa Bay is at New Orleans and Buffalo is at Carolina. Hey, man, that Carolina run defense has been really good. I know you're going to start James Cook, but hopefully he comes through for you this week after two straight duds. Good morning, everyone. Happy Friday. Trunk or treat tonight for me. Pumped for that. And oh, by the way, welcome to Fantasy Football Today, presented by BetMGM. Make it legendary. I have a legendary offer for Dave Richard. An invitation.

[Dave]

Oh, is this for Trunk or Treat?

[Adam]

No, you can't come to Trunk or Treat, but Dan Schneier is not going to be on the Mailbag today.

[Dave]

What time are you recording?

[Adam]

Noon.

[Dave]

I have to prepare for a player prop show at 1pm okay.

[Adam]

It's up to you.

[Dave]

Amy has just learned about this player prop show that I've been doing for five years, by the way, and that I have a specific nickname for the show.

[Jamie]

I know you did the show.

[Dave]

Oh, okay.

[Adam]

Okay.

[Dave]

But thanks for watching because every. Every episode for the past five years, I've gone by the nickname Uncle Dave. I. I really do not wish to be called that on this show. It's.

[Jamie]

Yeah, it's happening now.

[Dave]

It's happening because I brought it up. Okay. I'll be everybody's freaking uncle forever. But if you're. If you're bored and doing nothing. 1pm Eastern, CBS Sports Network Early Edge NFL Player Prop Show I went 2 and 2 on props last week, which is actually a good week for me considering this season. It's been terrible how unlucky I've been with player props. This year I've been better with fantasy. Let's talk about fantasy. If I can make the early portion of the mailbag, I'll be there.

[Adam]

Okay. Great sales pitch for the show, by the way. Chargers 37.

[Dave]

We have people on the show who are much sharper than I. At least this season they have been. Previous years, I've been one of the sharper guys.

[Adam]

Chargers 37 and Minnesota 10. It was just domination. The Chargers had the ball for 39 minutes. Vikings had the ball just under 21 minutes for them. We did have a lot of injuries. Unfortunately for the Chargers, Derwin James left in the first quarter and guard Mackay Becton left in the first quarter for the Vikings, Christian Daras. I mean this didn't help. Christian Darrin saw played 18% of the snaps and then later in the game cornerback Jeff Okuda left with the concussion. The Vikings get Detroit next week. If J.J. mcCarthy is healthy enough, he will be the starter. Obviously if you watch the game, Carson Wentz is not exactly healthy enough. The Titans. The Titans, yeah are the next matchup for the Chargers. Jamie Fantasy takeaways Just so you know, the energy I'm providing today, I am faking it. I'm in a terrible mood. It is a Quentin John it is an I started Quentin Johnston in four leagues induced terrible mood. I am afraid that he might be done as a fantasy starter and I feel like there'll be a week where he, you know goes back but I'm pit I'm annoyed your thoughts on the the Chargers offense which was great last night on only 25 pass attempts or something like that, which is a season low.

[Jamie]

Justin Herbert was a stud and Arande Gasson continues to prove that he's a must start tight end. So three straight games now of excellent production. I think you're right. Quentin Johnson's the one that feel like he's going to be left out of the fun. There'll be a big player too. I'm sure he'll still find the end zone on occasion. But this was disappointing to see. And Kamani Vidal, there's going to be some staying power. Daniel Popper of the Athletic tweeted after the game that Omarion Hampton's still in a walking boot. So this is now week five is when he got injured and we are going into week nine for them that he's still in a walking boot. So not great if if you're waiting for him to come back or at least start his comeback. So by that look great. That was the biggest prize for me. I didn't think Vidal would be as good as he was and so two games out of three where he's where he's a must start running back and I think that's going to continue.

[Dave]

Jamie, they play the Titans next week.

[Adam]

They do. Then they play the Steelers and the Jaguars. Those are pretty solid run defenses. Then they have a buy.

[Dave]

Jamie Kamani Vidal start of the week.

[Jamie]

Yeah, maybe do it. Do it.

[Adam]

On the other side of the ball, you know is Jordan Mason done?

[Dave]

Dave I don't know if done is the right word but I don't know if I'm going to trust him next week at Detroit. That feels like another game where game script could get away. He played 35% of the snaps because the Vikings fell behind. This was a tale of two offensive lines, in my opinion.

[Jamie]

The.

[Dave]

The Chargers offensive line got its best lineman back. The Vikings lost their best offensive lineman 18 snaps into the game. They were already without their right tackle, so they had backup tackles in and they fell behind early. And that just. It crushed Jordan Mason. I feel awful about recommending Jordan. And so anytime you look at a matchup for Minnesota, now that Aaron Jones is back, and maybe even if Aaron Jones hadn't been back, if there's. If there isn't a pathway where you feel like the Vikings will be competitive going well into the second half, you can't feel good about starting Jordan Mason. So probably going to put the red light on him for Week 9 against the Lions.

[Adam]

But even in the first three quarters, even on the opening possession, Aaron Jones started the game. Yeah, right. Jones was playing ahead of him. Mason. It was almost like Mason became the third down back. I. I'm gonna look right now at the.

[Dave]

No, I. I've got the snaps and the third down stuff.

[Adam]

Okay, so. So was Jones still the third down back? Because on the opening drive, it was Mason, but Jones, they. They split third down work in the first three quarters.

[Jamie]

I think both as flex options like we did at the start of the.

[Dave]

Season, probably the right thing to do. 7, 11 third downs for Jones. They each had one snap inside the 10. It was just awful. It was an awful game all the way around for the Vikings. I. This is the week where you wanted to play against Justin Jefferson because as the numbers were, okay, but man, just ugly. Look for this Vikings team that couldn't protect Carson Wentz.

[Adam]

I mean, let's talk about Justin Jefferson and then we'll move on here. Justin Jefferson right now per game is wide receiver. I'm going to remove Rasheed Rice and Jaden Reed as they've played one game. He's wide receiver 17 and non PPR. He's wide receiver 16 and a half PPR and he's wide receiver 14 per game in close 14 per game in full PPR. Justin Jefferson. Oh, you know what? That. This is not even updated. That is going into last night. So he's probably. He's probably still like close to eight. Let's say he's 18ish per game. He's had two good. Two good games. Like two really good games. Two games with more than 14 or 15 fantasy points this year. Jamie. It's one touchdown, obviously, but you know, are there. Are there major concerns here? Do you Think Justin Jefferson is going to be a big bust.

[Jamie]

I mean, based on where he's kind of hovering right now, then yes, you'd say he's a bust because he was a top five overall pick or top seven overall pick at worst. I still think there's plenty of big production coming for him, so I would be looking to buy low if the Jefferson manager is selling. So hopefully McCarthy can be better than Wentz. I don't think that's a big stretch. You know, we saw one good game from him, one good quarter for him. I guess you want to be fair. But one good game from McCarthy and one terrible game from McCarthy. And again, the terrible game seems to be against what is looking like a very good defense in Atlanta in week two. And at what point did he injure his ankle? Because he finished the game. So I'm. I'm gonna be hopeful. I do think that, you know, there. The other part of this is, is that Jordan Addison has been really good, and they're continuing to give him opportunities, which they should. But we just got finished talking about how the run game could struggle, and if the defense continues to look like this, then they're probably going to be chasing points, which I think will help Jefferson's numbers. So, again, if I'm looking at the Jefferson manager and they're below.500, I'm going to try and make offers. Okay.

[Adam]

I think it really is just touchdowns for the most part. I mean, he's still getting plenty of targets. He's still getting plenty of cat. Let me just see if I can get his. All right, here's the 17 game pace for Justin Jefferson. While I get that, Dave, any final thoughts on this game? Any other players you want to talk about? Addison Hawkinson, McConkey, Keenan Allen, whatever it may be.

[Jamie]

If you would.

[Dave]

If you told me before the game that Josh Oliver would get hurt and Derwin James would get hurt, I'd be a big fan of TJ Hawkinson, and I have not been a big fan of TJ Hawkinson for. It's got to be like a calendar year by now. And seeing him not even get 5 ppr points is pretty disappointing.

[Jamie]

Okay.

[Adam]

Yeah, I think it's pretty easy.

[Jamie]

Okay.

[Adam]

We cannot not talk about Arande Gadsden.

[Dave]

Yeah, what's to talk about? What's to say?

[Adam]

He only had five targets. It was almost all early, but, you.

[Dave]

Know, just like almost entirely the first half. Right?

[Adam]

I think so. Keep writing it out. Sell, buy. Like, buy, sell, buy, sell, hold, eradicasten.

[Jamie]

I saw everybody just comment in the chat about being a McBride owner and looking to sell. So like there, there are a lot of scenarios like that, right? We have the port on a buy, we had McBride on a buy, Bowers on a buy plus injury. So that goes one of two ways, right? You can ride it out with Gadson and sell the bigger name player and maybe get something great in return or you can try and sell Gadsden and get something quality in return. I don't know how many people want to unless your team is, you know, in trouble, start two tight ends or start a tight end of flex. But if this is going to be the norm and I'm not saying the, the, the production, the opportunities, the targets, the, the playing time, then he's going to have a chance to be one of those fringy flex plays on a week to week basis. So I think there's a, there is a sell opportunity for several fantasy managers here Again, whether you're in a good spot with your tight end and you just picked him up because he was the best available player or you needed him because of a bye week. So you can, you can treat that either way you want to, you know, sell the bigger name player or try and sell guests.

[Adam]

All right, Justin Jefferson a little, you're.

[Jamie]

Clearly playing Gatson over the Evan Ingrams at this point. The Hawkinsons at this point. Probably Najoku at this point. You know, the Kelsey Kelsey maybe. Yeah.

[Adam]

All right. All right guys, that's it for Chargers and Vikings. Justin Jefferson a little bit off. His pace is 17 game pace is 100 catches, 1462 yards, 2 touchdowns on 153 targets. It's not bad. If he were, if that were like 10 touchdowns, that's still a first round player. All right, follow it. Listen to us on Spotify. You know, if you, you want to give that a shot. Trying to grow our audience on Spotify. And you can leave us comments on Spotify too and we'll throw them in the mailbag. We're also going to do some Facebook questions. We have a Facebook group that you can join Fantasy football today. Just search for that on Facebook and we'll be reading some of those on the mailbag today. It's also time for football at BetMGM of course and register with BETMGM to get instant access to the best variety of parlay selection features. No sweat. And boost tokens, live betting options and much more. New players can receive up to 1500 dollars back in bonus bets with the bonus code fantasy. If they don't win their first bet. You don't want to miss out on any of the hard hitting action at BetMGM. Place your money line parlay bets and more today. Bet MGM make it legendary News and notes. Lamar Jackson still limited but we are ranking him expecting him. Jamie Daniels out. Bryce Young we're not expecting him. Brock Purdy Ltd. Not expecting him. Michael Pennix we are expecting him. And do you have any guesses as to who's going to be the jets quarterback? Did I miss anything? We still just don't know.

[Jamie]

I would guess to Rod but okay.

[Dave]

But he's on the injury report.

[Adam]

Yeah, the report was that he should be good enough to play but he is has questionable with a knee injury. Breeze hall was the way this after.

[Dave]

The way this week has gone I'd be surprised if Fields is the choice right of the jets coaching staff. If they're forced to start him because to Rod can't play then so be.

[Adam]

It and we expect Breeze hall to play but he is dealing with a knee injury. Tony Pollard, did he get back to practice yesterday? That's one I did not see.

[Dave]

I can find out if you'd like.

[Adam]

Yeah, go ahead and take a look at that. Kareem Hunt missed practice, but Andy Reid is optimistic about Kareem Hunt's playing. Tyler Algiers been limited. We're going to talk about him soon. Wide receiver.

[Jamie]

All right.

[Adam]

Jaden Waddle. Jalen, what'd you say?

[Dave]

He missed practice Wednesday because of rest.

[Jamie]

Tony Pollard, My bad.

[Dave]

I think he's full practice on Thursday. I think he's good to go. That's excellent for the 15% of people that are going to be forced to start Tony Pollard this week.

[Adam]

Yeah, I'm raising my hand unfortunately.

[Dave]

Hey, well, he'll do better than Jordan Mason.

[Adam]

He'll do better than Quinn Johnson, DJ Moore, you know. Okay, so I'm not going to go through all of it. Here are the ones that we need to know about. First of all, Jalen Waddle missed practice. We expect him to play.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

Yep. All right.

[Adam]

Washington, Terry McLaurin and Debo Samuel practiced in full. That's great news. That's their first practice of the week. See if they dial it back today. But Jamie, thoughts on the commanders wide receivers Monday night at Kansas City?

[Jamie]

Similar to what we said yesterday, Debo I put right around 22, 23 and McLaurin just inside the top 30. So hoping that he's going to be good just to get a little bit more faith in Debo right now based on what we've seen from him over the course of the season, but obviously they're playing a really good defense and it's Mariota, so just, I would keep expectations in check.

[Dave]

Well, it's interesting you say that because my expectations are sky high for Debo. Just knowing how he's played this year, practicing in full is a really good sign. This is a team that's not going to be able to run the ball very well. They haven't been able to run the ball very well. I'm way encouraged by Debo Samuel, so I'd, I'd love to hear a little bit more about why you're not, given how effective he's been. Even when Terry McLaren has played this year.

[Jamie]

What was it, one game?

[Dave]

I know. I think it was three games.

[Adam]

It was at least two.

[Dave]

So we've covered all the possibilities. One game, three games.

[Jamie]

I, I, you know, just coming back from injury, I want to see what it looks like. And, and it's. It's three games. Just. Just see what it looks like with, you know, backup quarterback being there.

[Dave]

So, like, I know you're not a big fan of Waddle. How do you rank Waddle compared to the commander's receivers?

[Jamie]

Debo, waddle, McLaren.

[Adam]

Okay.

[Dave]

And I've got McLaren a spot head of Waddle because I'm not excited about Waddle either. All right, that's interesting.

[Jamie]

Okay.

[Adam]

And then we're not expecting Ricky Pierasol. Calvin Ridley's been out. We're not expecting Kirk or Collins for Houston. I think we probably are expecting Josh Downs. He's been practicing in full now, but he's still in the concussion protocol. Olave is good to go. Apparently, Denver could be looking to trade for a wide receiver, according to CBS Sports's Jonathan Jones. Don. Tavian Wicks is likely out. Christian Watson plans to play. And then there's the big one, guys. A.J. brown, he has missed practice twice. Don't. I didn't. I was looking online to see if there was anything. Apparently this one Philly reporter said this is a, you know, the same injury he dealt with in the preseason, and they have their buy next week. So don't be surprised if AJ Brown does not play. But we don't know. All right, tight end Nijoku was limited. It's obviously a big deal. Dalton Kincaid was limited. Mason Taylor missed practice. Juwan Johnson practiced. But Dave, I. Are we ranking Dalton? I think you are ranking Dalton Kincaid. Expecting him. Okay, yeah.

[Jamie]

They've told us not to rank Dalton K this week.

[Dave]

Did I?

[Jamie]

Yes.

[Dave]

All right, then I should not have ranked Alton Kincaid cheater. My bad.

[Adam]

I'll pull him and then the team.

[Jamie]

The defensive wait till the afternoon because he might practice in full.

[Adam]

Okay, the defensive injuries.

[Dave]

I can't believe I did well. I can't believe I did that.

[Adam]

Ravens are getting healthier. They get the Bears, the Giants. Three of their top defensive players miss practice again. They're at Philadelphia. Sauce Gardner missed practice again. So those are kind of the big ones taking a break. One question for each game when we come back. I did see that. Yeah. So Lujarius needs on ir Jeffrey Simmons is week to week. So the Titans are just a mess. Colts are going to destroy them and we'll be right back on Fantasy Football Today.

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[Adam]

We are back. Welcome back everybody. Hope you're having a happy Friday and into a good weekend here. Remind me if we have time at the end of the show. We just saw a Paramount plus promo. I wanted to talk about the movie I watched on Paramount plus. One of the most ridiculous movies but a feel good fun one. And also Mayor of Kingstown this weekend. Holy cow. Even no, one of my favorites. Paramount plus is great. Okay, one question for each game. San Francisco is at Houston. Dave Richard, what are your expectations for the 49ers passing game? It's a brutal matchup and you know, it's. There's a lot up in the air. So what are your expectations for the Niners passing game?

[Dave]

Don't want to start either 49ers wide receiver. If I had to pick one, it would be Juwan Jennings. I'm going right back to George Kittle and that's probably. Is there anybody else I would even think about considering from the 49ers pass game? I think the answer to that is no other than Christian McCaffrey, but everybody's starting him for obvious Reasons.

[Adam]

Okay. The only two receivers who have really done well against the Texans are Pukinakua and jsn. Green Bay is at Pittsburgh. Jamie, do you like Jalen Warren and or DK Metcalf in this game?

[Jamie]

I'm starting both. I mean you know, normal week I would probably be a little bit more concerned about these guys. It's a good run defense. But I think what we'll see from Warren is a lot of work in the passing game. So he's a number two running back. And for Metcalfe, I mean you're starting to see prior to last week but the, the connection was there. I think you're. You're still starting him based on what the hopeful game script will be, which is they're probably throwing a lot.

[Adam]

Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Yeah, actually those two teams see defensively the most pass attempts. They're 30. They're one and two passes.

[Dave]

Almost 40 attempts a game.

[Jamie]

I don't think we'll see that from the packers though. Agreed.

[Adam]

Well, that's, I don't think we'll see that. That's the thing. They're. They're both run heavy teams. Aaron Rodgers, I don't know what his season high is. It might be like 34 or maybe he had one game but he pretty much like last week that shootout against The Bengals do 34 passes. I think they're a very slow offense. And the pack. The packers. The packers are. Have the fourth lowest pass rate in football. So it's, it's interesting. It's two run heavy teams facing each other and those seams defensively see a ton of past attempts. Past temps are great. Hope we hope we get that kind of game. Miami's at Atlanta. You guys are both kind of low on Jalen Waddle. We're really sitting Jalen Waddle this week.

[Dave]

Dave, I think you should try to. There's a pretty gross track record of how outside wide receivers have done against the Falcons this year. It's like Justin Jefferson, Mike Evans, Ted McMillan, Kendrick Bourne, guys that are like predominantly outside wide receivers. They play a lot of the routes or get a lot of routes from week to week that just get shut down. And this Dolphins offense is in rough shape right now. I think they probably. I think they're going to try and run the ball a little bit more and maybe revert back to last year with a bunch of just short throws. Get the ball out of to his hands faster. I don't think the solution is letting to a throw downfield because that could end in just I mean, we already know how that could end. So Waddle's someone that I think you should downgrade expectations for a bunch of other receivers. I'd rather. I'd rather start both commanders receivers coming back from injury rather start Zay Flowers assuming that Lamar Jackson plays. Tough call between him and Stefan Diggs. Diggs against Cleveland. Right now I have Waddle a couple spots ahead. I think I could see myself flipping that and put Diggs ahead of Waddle.

[Adam]

Okay, how about Waddle or Wandale?

[Dave]

Wanda in full ppr. You can absolutely make the case for Wandale Robinson. I think it's silly as this all sounds. It's just, it's a. It's a vote of no confidence against the Dolphins and a Falcons defense that's played really well against the past.

[Adam]

Amazing. Fantastic.

[Dave]

They've got a great corner.

[Adam]

Giants. Giants at the Eagles. Jamie, do you like the Giants? I'm going to give you. When we get to this game, I'm going to tell you where all of their skill position players rank since Jackson Dart took over. It's pretty high. You have confidence in the Giants offense this week?

[Jamie]

Moderately. I, I think, you know, you get the Eagles healthier than they were the last time these two teams met, and that's a big problem. So Scatter Boo is a must start given the week and what he's done. I think Wando's a must start given the week and what he's done. And that's really it. I think Dart is a questionable starter.

[Adam]

Tampa Bay is at New Orleans. Rank these 4. Tess Johnson, Kate Otten, Rashid Shahid, Alvin Camara.

[Jamie]

Camara Tez. She.

[Dave]

Okay, so for me, there are three of them are very close together and they are Camara, Tez and Otten. And then Shahid brings up the rear.

[Adam]

Okay. Boy, Mike Evans, man, he. He was finally going to get to face the Saints without Lattimore. Such a shame. But that was always one of my favorite fantasy things is he just never did well against the Saints, didn't he?

[Jamie]

Didn't he face them last year after he was traded?

[Adam]

I don't know.

[Dave]

I think so. That sounds familiar.

[Adam]

Yeah, we'll look at that. Sorry, I'm looking.

[Dave]

I got it.

[Adam]

Okay. Do you remember when we used to do the quicker, slicker looker, upper Davey?

[Dave]

Because.

[Adam]

Can't say that. Dave's like, I got it. I'll look it up. Buffalo at Carolina. Jamie starter sit Rico dowdle, start number two running back.

[Dave]

I agree with that week 18 against the Saints, Mike Evans had 14 targets, nine catches, 89 yards. That was the game that he needed to get, oh, yeah, like, 85 yards in to break a thousand for the 12th consecutive year. Whatever the. The stretch that he had going was. And there was, like, a turnover late in the game that opened the door for Evans to get there, and he got there.

[Jamie]

I can't wait till he comes back for the last four games of the season. And he goes for 250 yards.

[Adam]

Buffalo, by the way, is struggling against the run. They allow the six most fantasy points to running backs. All right, that's it for one question for each game. Rico Dowdle. You know, hopefully he. He can earn more carries and not just alternate drives. All right, here we go. Let's get into it.

[Dave]

It was more than just alternating drives. The Chuba Hubbard was dominating on third downs and near the goal line. It was gross.

[Adam]

All right. San Francisco is that. Well. Well, then how can you tell me that Rico Dowdle's a start?

[Dave]

Because I'm hoping that the coaching staff in Carolina saw what everybody else saw, and that is a much faster running back, someone who could read the offensive line quicker, hit the holes quicker, and just be a more efficient runner than what we got out of Chuba Hubbard. And it is Hubbard's first game back, so maybe there's some rust that he needed to knock off. But I. I just. I can't believe they're gonna have them split so closely again. So I'm hoping Dowdle has. A, he keeps the efficiency that he had not just last week, but in the games prior, and B, he gets more opportunities in a game where the Panthers should try and run the ball as much as they can.

[Adam]

Just kidding. It would have been really fun just based on that log thing.

[Dave]

Long 15 seconds.

[Adam]

What is that long you were going for?

[Dave]

Like, I'll be more succinct.

[Adam]

No, it's okay. It just would have been funny to break that out there, Sarah, but I can't. I couldn't in good conscience make that the game of the week. San Francisco is at Houston. All right. I don't really have a great stat of the game. I'll save this one. We'll get to it. Jamie, give me the lay of the land for this game and who you want to start and who you want to sit. San Francisco at Houston.

[Jamie]

I mean, this is a great one. McCaffrey. They've. They basically said it. You're starting McCaffrey. You're starting Kittle. I think that's it for San Francisco. Mac Jones, he hasn't turned into a pumpkin yet, but he's turned into more of a game manager, especially as he's been managing through injuries. So the receivers are definitely hands off, especially if Pierce all somehow manages to practice this week or what practice today? Excuse me. Nico would be a must start if he practices because he's coming through the concussion protocol, but it does not sound like he's going to play. And I think Woody Marks as a flex, maybe a number two running back depending on what your roster looks like. He's my favorite Texans player. If there is no Nico Collins, I'm sorry, Dalton Schultz and, and, and Woody Marks. Schultz deserves to be in the lab, but that's another guy we gotta keep an eye on from an injury perspective. He's been banged up, but Schultz is in that starting conversation as well. So I would start him ahead of Travis Kelsey, for example. I would start him ahead of Mason Taylor, if you're looking at, you know, the streaming options. And I would have started him ahead of Hawkinson behind Gadston. So, yeah, like the opportunity for Schultz, uh, eight PPR points or more in four straight games. Had the spike game last week when Nico Collins left. And so you could take a flyer on Jalen Knoll or maybe Jaden Higgins, just with the both guys being out if that happens. But I don't really want to trust them as anything more than desperation. Number three receivers.

[Dave]

I really like Dalton Schultz. He's this again, like Jamie said, Nico Collins has to be out, but this is the guy who has the most time banked with C.J. stroud. They're gonna have that connection that they've had for a couple years now. 49ers allowed almost 13.2. I was gonna 13. It was over 13 PPR points to Kyle Pitts last week when they lost Fred Warner. They put in Tatum Bethune as the replacement at linebacker. And he's been really good against the run. He's been terrible in coverage. Every target against him so far this, in this little time span that he's been starting and playing for the Niners, every single target against him has been caught by opponents. And I, I, I think that we're in line for like a potential 7 for 80 type game from Dalton Schultz. Big fan of his this week.

[Adam]

Oh, damn. Jamie has Tatum Bethune in the IDP league and I'm facing Jamie this week and Jamie's up 33 to nothing. That sounds like he started Justin Herbert. No, he didn't. He started Kymani Vidal and Justin Jefferson. Okay.

[Jamie]

That's the extent of my good players, though.

[Adam]

Good, good.

[Dave]

No, you Have Tatum Bethune.

[Adam]

Are you going to be affected your Dalton Schultz enthusiasm if Nico plays, which seems unlikely. I'm sure that would would change it. Let's just say real quick, if Christian Kirk played, would that change anything for you with, with Dalton Schultz?

[Jamie]

No. Again, you look at what he's, what he's been with those guys healthy and the floor is pretty steady. So I probably would go Mason Taylor over him if one of the receivers plays because of the matchup that Taylor has. But you are talking about just a great opportunity here for Dalton Schultz if those guys are not there.

[Adam]

Okay, let's talk about first George Kittle. Tell me why you're just going right back to him. And as a must start guy, I think he's top five for you guys.

[Dave]

Dave, are you not familiar with the athletic stylings of George P. Kittle?

[Adam]

I agree with you.

[Dave]

Full of doing.

[Adam]

I know I just.

[Dave]

Last week's dog. It was terrible. Only two targets but he, we talked about this earlier in the week. He played a ton of. That's encouraging. The matchup against Houston is actually more favorable for him than it is for the other receivers that the 49ers have. I think it's going to be a focal point of this offense to get him more involved. The one worry could be are they going to ask him to stay in the block a little bit more because the Texans have such a good pass rush that they, they might feel the need to kind of add some support for their tackles against them. And that's silly to say because they've got Trent Williams. But Trent Williams isn't the same Trent Williams as he's been in the past. So I, I know what the upside is. It's a little bit of fomo, but also a lot of, well, he's not going to see Stingley, he's not going to see Lassiter. This is probably where the 49ers should go.

[Jamie]

All right. Let's not forget, which is surprising, that they did it this day on a bye week for Sam LaPorta and Trey McBride and Brock Bowers. Sunday's National Tight Ends day, which is George Kittle's day.

[Adam]

That is a good point. Oh, all right. So listen, Woody Marks is like kind of right around.

[Jamie]

I think Kittle did it on purpose when he was like, you know, coming off these big years. I get this data myself, essentially.

[Adam]

Yeah, basically. I mean he's like around a Gadson's gonna be playing on Thursday. But Woody Marks, let's talk about him. Marks or Dowdle.

[Dave]

I believe I Have doubt a higher.

[Adam]

Yeah. I mean, I wish I had more enthusiasm about starting Marks. I'm starting him in one league as a flex because Chiron's on a buy. 49ers have been pretty good against the run. I thought that would go away without Fred Warner, but they held and it might. But last week Bijan Robinson had 14 carries or 40 yards. So let's finish with some questions here. Woody Marks or Jacori Crosby?

[Jamie]

Merit marks for me.

[Dave]

Me too.

[Adam]

Start two of this group. Kittle, Craft, Dowdle, Wandale, Robinson.

[Jamie]

We don't know the format. Right. I would go the tight ends.

[Dave]

I've got Kittle and Robinson. Robinson one spot ahead of Kraft. That's full ppr.

[Adam]

Born or Mims?

[Jamie]

Mims.

[Dave]

Marvin Mims.

[Adam]

Born or Jennings, who's your favorite Niners receiver?

[Jamie]

Born for me.

[Dave]

Jennings.

[Adam]

And they'd be ahead of all the Texans receivers.

[Jamie]

Yeah, unless Nico plays.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Adam]

Woody Marks or Rico Dowdle? Ppr.

[Dave]

Same.

[Adam]

I think I asked you that.

[Jamie]

Sorry.

[Adam]

Dowdle, chase Brown, Tele, McMillan. Start two. Why am I reading that? But you can read it anyway. You can answer it anyway.

[Jamie]

Why are you reading that?

[Dave]

Yeah, you're the host.

[Adam]

There's no one in this game. There's no one in the Houston.

[Jamie]

I'd go with the Panthers.

[Dave]

I think I would too. Where do I have Chase Braun in my stupid rankings?

[Adam]

Schultz.

[Dave]

Yeah, I. I have. I have Tet and Chase Brown ahead of Doddle.

[Adam]

Schultz vs. Fanon vs. Pitts Schultz.

[Jamie]

If Najoka plays.

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

So if Najoka plays, it would be Pitts, Schultz. Fannin. For me, if the joke was out, it would be Fanon, Pitts, Schultz. Okay.

[Adam]

And that'll do it. All right. Oh, the DSTs. Do you like both DSTs? Which one do you prefer?

[Jamie]

The Texans.

[Dave]

Same.

[Jamie]

All right.

[Adam]

Green Bay is at Pittsburgh Stat to know is. Yeah. These two teams see the most past attempts per game in the NFL. And Pittsburgh has allowed 90 or more receiving yards to seven wide receivers in six games. But they're pretty much all studs. It's Cooper cup and it's Garrett, Wilson, Jackson, Smith and Jigba. Justin Jefferson, Jordan, Addison, T. Higgins, Jamar Chase. So I know Heath was very high on Romeo Dobbs. I think let's take instead of, you know, how do you feel about Romeo Dobbs? Jamie? Just this environment, the. The run heavy nature of these teams versus the fact that teams throw on them all the time. What are you expecting in terms of did this. What do you expect from this game? What a great question. What do you expect Jamie from Pittsburgh.

[Jamie]

And Green Bay, I'll start with the Packers. Jacobs is the only must start player. I think Dobbs and Golden are number three receivers, maybe borderline number two receivers because of the week that we're dealing with here. So Dobbs over Waddle is something I would consider. I would start Dobbs over McLaren for this week. And so the targets are hard to ignore. Now we do have the wild card of Christian Watson potentially playing. He says he's going to play. I don't know if that's such a huge detractor for Dobbs because I'm gonna guess Watson snaps are going to be limited and probably going to have, you know, a few targets, not necessarily a ton of targets in this game. My favorite pass catcher for Green Bay is still Tucker Craft. Just based on how he'll operate for the Steelers. I think Metcalf and Warren belong in the number two conversation for their respective positions. And then I wouldn't chase the tight end production from last week. I know Friarmouth had a big game but that's the Bengals, so I'd avoid that. I'd avoid John Smith. The quarterbacks I think is where you have some tough calls because you have Rogers coming off two very strong games. A 21 point game against Cleveland, which is not easy, and then the huge game against the Bengals, which is easy. Now the packers have given up pretty quality production to quarterbacks in four of their last five games and so he's in the low end starting conversation. I would start Rogers over Love personally just because I think loves attempts and lack of scoring has been a problem for him. So he's been under 19 fantasy points in three of his last four, four of his last five. He just hasn't been giving you the fantasy production. The only game that he's been good lately has been the Cowboys game which everybody's good against Dallas and it was overtime.

[Adam]

Okay, Dave, same question to you. Give me a lay of the land how you see this game playing out.

[Dave]

I think it's plenty of running from Green Bay, but Dobbs has earned the benefit of the doubt with A plus targets in three straight games. Double digit PPR points in three straight games. Pittsburgh pass defense being predictable and beat up. I don't mind him as a number two wide receiver and I agree with Jamie. I would consider him ahead of Jalen Waddle. Probably a switch. You'll see in my rankings over the next 12 hours. Everybody else in Green Bay besides Jacobs and and Dubs and Kraft, I don't feel great about Golden's A good bye week replacement at wide receiver. Don't love Jordan Love. And with the Steelers, Warren's okay in full ppr, like I'm less than half a non dk. Metcalf has a decent matchup. I suppose that's about it. Don't love any of the tight ends. I don't think you should chase what you saw from Fryer.

[Jamie]

Me?

[Adam]

Pittsburgh tight ends. You don't love the Pittsburgh.

[Dave]

Pittsburgh tight ends.

[Jamie]

Yes.

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

Okay.

[Dave]

It was implied that that's what I meant because I had switched from talking about packers to Steelers.

[Adam]

Yeah. So thank you. Jordan Love is fifth in the NFL in yards per attempt. He's been. You look at his roster percentage.96 roster. You could argue he's the most. One of the most over rostered players in fantasy. But if we just get a game where he'd throw the damn ball, then he actually could be pretty good. You know, it's just, he's not, he's not throwing the ball enough.

[Jamie]

He's playing very well. He's just not producing very well for our purposes.

[Adam]

Right, right. But. So we're not really expecting a big, you know, that whole stat about these teams seeing the most past attempts that doesn't, that doesn't override the fact that they are run heavy teams in nature and the packers are super slow. The Vik.

[Dave]

The.

[Adam]

Nope. Steelers. They're super slow in nature. All right, Jalen Warren. So the packers are giving up the fifth fewest fantasy points to running backs. 3.6 yards per carry to running backs. It's going to be tough. He's going to need that really good usage like he got last week where he pretty much dominated the touches. Would you start Jalen Warren or Quentin Johnston? Sorry, I'm just buying time, man.

[Dave]

Or you are angry.

[Jamie]

I believe the, the packers are top eight in most receptions allowed to running backs as a team.

[Adam]

Oh, interesting. Because they're, they're not, they're giving up very few receiving yards, but that's interesting.

[Jamie]

So this is, I, if, if, if I were, you know, magic eight balling this, I would think that this is a dump off to the running backs quite a bit.

[Adam]

It's really, I mean, maybe it's very much influenced by the 10 catches for 31 yards by Jibbs in week one. All right, so Jalen Warren or Cam Scatter Boo and Saquon Barkley, both guys.

[Jamie]

In the Giants Eagles game.

[Adam]

All right, Jalen Warren or Jalen Waddle?

[Jamie]

Warren.

[Dave]

I have Warren. Higher as of now.

[Adam]

Jalen Warren or T. Higgins against the Jets Higgins, T. Jalen Warren or Chris Olave against the Bucks. All right, and then DK Metcalf. You know, you guys, Heath has him in the top 10. You guys have him around 18th and he's only got two games with more than six targets. Only one game with more than seven targets. But it just feels like you have to start DK Metcalf, I mean, he's the number one. This could be a high scoring game. And I know it didn't work for him last week, but you gotta start.

[Jamie]

I would be surprised if it's a high scoring game, but it's. Again, we're talking about six teams on a buy. This is one where I may put Debo ahead of him. I'm guessing Dave probably does it already, but yeah, I, I think you got to be a little bit concerned that Metcalf's targets have not been there and he's somewhat touchdown dependent. Yeah.

[Adam]

Do you like the DSTs?

[Jamie]

Yeah. The low end starter, Pittsburgh?

[Dave]

No, I like them both.

[Adam]

All right, I have a few questions.

[Dave]

More than Pittsburgh.

[Adam]

Full PPR is from the chat. Dobbs or Dowdle?

[Jamie]

Dowdle.

[Dave]

I could see myself going Dobbs, Dart or Rogers? I have dart.

[Jamie]

Higher dart.

[Adam]

Warren or Teteroa McMillan? That's a good one.

[Dave]

It is a good one.

[Adam]

Warren for you, Jamie, which one?

[Jamie]

Oh, Jalen, I would go with Tet.

[Dave]

I. I think I'm gonna end up going with Ted. Also.

[Adam]

Dobbs or Debo? Debo and Rogers or Mariota in four point per passing touchdown leagues that got.

[Dave]

Close with the Commanders getting those receivers back. I still have Rogers a bit higher.

[Jamie]

Mariota in that format, he's gonna probably. He's averaging 30 yards per game on the ground, so that gives him a little boost.

[Adam]

Okay, well, Rogers is probably averaging close to Rogers. What's higher? Rogers rushing yards in this game or Quentin Johnston's fantasy points? Okay, last one. Caleb Williams or a quarterback in this game?

[Jamie]

Caleb?

[Dave]

I. I believe I have both quarterbacks in this game ranked ahead of Caleb.

[Adam]

All right, let's take a break and we'll talk about Miami and Atlanta when we come back. Business owners, I'm going to give you a tool that will make a huge difference for you. It's called Quo, formerly openphone. It's the same great business phone system I've talked about before, just with a new name. And here's why it matters. Every time you miss a call, you're leaving money on the table. You need a phone system that keeps up and helps you stay connected 24 7. And that's why you need Quo over 90,000 businesses trust Quo, formerly OpenPhone, to streamline their customer communications. It works through an app on your phone or computer, so no more carrying two phones or using a landline. With Quo, your team can share one number and collaborate on customer calls and texts like a shared inbox. So anyone can jump in and keep response times fast and forget voicemail. Quo's built in AI agent can be set up in minutes to handle calls after hours, answer questions and capture leads so you never miss a customer. Get started free plus get 20% off your first 6 months at quo.com FFT that's qU-U-O.com FFT and if you have existing numbers with another service, Quo will port them over at no extra charge. Quo no missed calls, no missed customers.

[Dave]

Carolina basketball isn't just a program, it's a legacy.

[Adam]

I'm John Henson and we'll be the.

[Dave]

Host of Tar Heel 247, a UNC basketball podcast for fans who bleed Carolina blue. Each week I'll be joined by players, coaches and insiders for real unfiltered conversations about the team, the tradition, maybe some funny stories and everything in between.

[Adam]

No filters, no fluff, just hoop talk.

[Dave]

The Tar Heel way. Subscribe now to Tar Heel247@ UNC Basketball Podcast or wherever you get your podcast at. We will have a good time.

[Adam]

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[Jamie]

Which is their worst?

[Adam]

Well, the last time they got blown out they were competitive for five straight weeks. You know, they they had been competitive. They're one in six. They've been competitive in every game except for to the Colts in Week 1 and the Browns last week. So I hope they are competitive. Uncompetitive games are really just bad for fantasy a lot of the time anyway. Dave, who are the must starts, even the obvious ones in this game?

[Dave]

I am in Atlanta for the Falcons, it's Bijan Robinson, it's Drake London and Kyle Pitts. Weird calling him a must start, but it that's the way that it is. He's a very good start. I like Tyler Algier if you're desperate at running back or at flex. He's had four games this year with double digit carries in three of them. At least. I think the number is 9.8 non PPR points, so almost 10 non PPR points. This game does figure to be a blowout. And we know the Dolphins are terrible against everything, but they're especially bad against the run. And so Bijan gets his. Algier can find the end zone. He's worth taking a chance on as a low end. Number two, running back. The only player on the Dolphins that you'll feel great about starting is Devon Hn. And getting him involved on the ground through the air makes sense. He's the best part of their offense right now. And then waddle. Kind of a borderline number two wide receiver. There isn't a tight end that I like. There isn't another receiver that I like. You can't start Tuo with any confidence. I don't think I'm forgetting. Oh, going back to Atlanta, Darnell Mooney. It's the matchup. It's the Dolphins. It's a bad secondary. I think he's more of a flex play than anything else. I know he's done nothing this year, but he looked better last week and I think he's got a chance to maybe hit a couple of deep throws against the Dolphins. Dolphins this week.

[Adam]

Yeah. But surprisingly, the Dolphins allow the six fewest fantasy points to wide receivers. And there's an easy explanation for this. They see the second fewest wide receiver targets in the NFL. They have a horrible run defense. You gotta figure, you know what's gonna happen.

[Jamie]

Where does they rank?

[Dave]

Where did they rank before last week? Because last week it's gonna. Is going to. Okay, all right, that's fair.

[Adam]

I mean, I'll take a look. But yeah, I mean, it's not like they're good, but teams just don't really throw on them. So, I mean, I can. I can find that, but yeah, that's part of it here. And Algier. Let's see. So we don't really like Jacori Crosby. Merit. We're kind of nervous about Woody Marks. Would you start Tyler Alger over those guys?

[Dave]

I would.

[Jamie]

No. I would start LG in non ppr. I would start Marks over all the guys you mentioned in full ppr. And I would start Algeria. Over. Crosby Merit over. Pollard over. Pacheco, over. There's one more start.

[Adam]

Algeria over them.

[Jamie]

I mean. Yeah, I mean they've. Dave said it's. He's. He's actually been 10.8 PPR points or more in three of his last five. So you're not going to get anything in the passing game. It's basically can he score a touchdown? And if the game script goes as expected, this is when Algiers had his opportunities and they're pretty consistent in giving him these touches. So just the one thing keep an eye on. He's been on the injury report. Just make sure he's gonna play.

[Adam]

They're consistent in giving him his touches. In one sense he has. This is a wild stat for Tyler algier. He has 57 carries this year. Atlanta's three and three. Tyler Algier has 24 of his 57 carries in the fourth quarter of their three wins. And that is exactly what we're banking on. We're banking on them playing with a lead and running out the clock with Tyler Algier. That is when they feature him. And it's a lot to. It's a lot to put on. You know, it's a lot of hope to put on. A player that is entirely touchdown dependent basically has two or three catches all season. But I understand. I mean I'm starting him in a league I have really no choice. That's Algier A chan. You know, the fact that they want to get Ali Gordon more involved when Devon hn is averaging 12.7 carries per game is a little concerning for me. Not much.

[Jamie]

I'm gonna guess it's more of not overworked.

[Adam]

HN I 12, 13 carries per game. I mean.

[Jamie]

Yeah, but he's on.

[Adam]

Any interest in starting panic six weeks like panics versus Rogers in love.

[Jamie]

He's behind those guys. But I think you laid it out like this is not a game where the Falcons go in with their quarterback dealing with a bruised foot and say go throw the ball all over the place. So the, the. The concern is, you know, and, and Dave's not wrong in saying this is a good week to potentially trust. Darn. I just don't expect a lot of passing for the Falcons this week. So London and Pitts, based on what they've done and still have the potential to do, I'm starting them. Mooney is more of a desperation number three receiver for me.

[Dave]

You don't see the Falcons maybe telling Pennix let's. Let's take some shots. Let's try and get you in rhythm. Let's try and kind of write the ship.

[Jamie]

Not.

[Dave]

I don't know, do a lot of it, but I think they could do decent amount of it. Not while he's like 29 pass attempts.

[Jamie]

Not while he's banged up or your microphone's underwater.

[Adam]

No, Dave's microphone underwater. Yeah. It's not nothing.

[Jamie]

You're.

[Adam]

It's not your fault. Michael Panicks is ninth. Ninth in the NFL in yards per attempt when he's not pressured, and he's 28th in yards per attempt when he is pressured. The Dolphins don't really get a lot of pressure. They're 22nd in pressure rate. I. I definitely think there's a chance for. You can just look like there are a lot of quarterbacks. Miami has allowed 27.1 or more fantasy points to four quarterbacks, and none of them threw 30 passes. So a lot of them ran. That's the difference. Penix doesn't do that. But you do not need to throw 30 passes to have a good game against the Dolphins. So it's, you know, you could see this going in a number of ways. He could have a big game without doing a lot of throwing. He could hand the ball. He could hand the ball off and throw 22 times and have a bad game. So it's risky. With panics. Let's real quick on Kyle Pitts. I think he's like seventh or something in the rankings. Just how does he compare to Harold Fan? And if Najoku's out to Dalton Schultz, to K Dot and to Mason Taylor, all these streamers.

[Dave]

Kyle Pitts, he's ahead of all of them for me.

[Adam]

Oh, interesting. Because I am, I am very worried about the pass attempts and the fact that he has. He gets targets because three red zone targets all year, two green zone targets, zero end zone targets all year. I think only one touchdown. Yeah. One touchdown for Pitts. It is a good matchup, though, for sure.

[Jamie]

All right, Point. Yeah.

[Adam]

And then finally. All right, let's just wrap it up with this Jalen Waddle. Like, other than last week, in the small sample size of Waddle playing with Tua and without Tyreek Hill, I mean, he was a total stud, I think 95, 110 and 142 yards. I want to say in his first three, in his three games without Tyreek and with Tua, and last week was such a bad game. But you know, Dave, you, you've brought up all the, all the points like, so am I really starting? Am I really starting? George Pickens going up against the Broncos, probably seeing certain, you know, over Jalen Waddle. When Pickens had a 20 target share with Lamb last week, which was a season high for him.

[Jamie]

Like.

[Adam]

Yeah, how can I start Pickens over Waddle Dave?

[Dave]

Well, I mean, you make the case that George Pickens is going to be covered entirely by Patrick Certain in that game and I don't know if that's necessarily going to be the case.

[Adam]

No, not entirely at all. But that game, I mean, that's going to be tough for him. No, that Bronco secondary.

[Dave]

No, the Bronco secondary is very good. But it's certain who's the best of.

[Adam]

That's the game of the week. Yeah, the Broncos and the Cowboys, not the Falcons and the Dolphins. No, it's the game of the week. Hey, okay, I don't care. We talked enough about Jalen Waddle. Let's go to our next game. And the Giants are at the Eagles. Okay. So since Tyrone Tracy got hurt in week three, a week before Jackson Dart took over, Cam scatter boo is RB7 per game. Since Jackson Dart became the starter in week four. He is QB5 per game in six point per passing touchdown leagues despite being 18th or 19th in completions and passing yards. But he has the most carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns among quarterbacks since taking over. Since Jackson Dart became the starter, Wanda Robinson has had a target share of 25 or higher in three or four games. But Darius Slayton has not played. I think, I think Slayton played in one and a half of those games. And since Jackson Dart became the starter, Theo Johnson is the number seven tight end per game, averaging 13.1 PPR fantasy points per game. He has four touchdowns on 23 targets. He did of course benefit from a 41 yard fluke touchdown on the deflection. So I asked you this earlier, but you know, Jamie, you said. You basically said that Scatter Boo is the only must start Giant, right?

[Jamie]

No, I think Rondell is if there is no Darius late. But I don't think it's, you know, you're running away from Robinson because Slayton is there. So he goes from a top 20 caliber wide receiver to maybe top 24. Still be a number two running back. A number two receiver. Excuse me.

[Adam]

Okay. I'm looking at one of my leagues. I said this yesterday. Caleb Williams versus Jackson Dart. And I've just made the decision to stick with Caleb Williams. If Lamar Jackson doesn't play, I might make the switch because I need a high scoring game there for Caleb, but for Dart, you know, he did play well against the Eagles. He scored 25.6 fantasy points. He had 58 yards and a touchdown rushing. There's just not enough passing production there for me. And the Eagles defense is really good. They were missing Jalen Carter and Quinyan Mitchell. So you guys have you and Heath. They all have dart around QB12. Just have to respect what he's done but acknowledge it's, it's a tough, it's a tough matchup. Dave, what would you do with Wandale Robinson if Darius Slayton played or if he's out? Talk about that.

[Dave]

I have a ranked as if he's out and Wandale Robinson's a top 24 receiver in full PPR and if it stays that way, I mean that's how it is. If Slayton comes back, I don't think I'm going to change it that much. This is an easy short area target for Dart to throw to and in the case of his last game against Philadelphia, a decent downfield option for him to throw to as well. I ride him in full ppr. I still think the volume will be there. You talked about the target volume that he has been getting with Jackson Dart. I don't think this is a game that the Giants play with a lead in and that'll mean more passing for Dart and that's good for Wandell Robinson, who's basically his number one receiver.

[Adam]

Anybody want to start Theo Johnson?

[Jamie]

No. You mentioned the, the four games he had one dud and it was this matchup. It was so it, it's a week where there's just so many good tight end options like you don't need to play Theo Johnson. So Dalton Schultz is better than him. I think Mason Tate is better than him. You know, would have obviously said Rhonda Gaston better than him. So I would still start. I would start actually both Browns tight ends if Najoku plays over Theo Johnson.

[Adam]

Okay, I, I would, I started Quentin Johnston over Theo Johnson. Jalen hurts. Are you going to. I mean I love Jalen hurts if either way. I mean he's great if those two corners are out or this corner in the safety, which seems likely, but what if A.J. brown doesn't play Jamie starter sit. Jalen hurts. If A.J. brown does not play, I'm still starting.

[Jamie]

Dalen hurts, you know, so that would be a tough call with let's say a Daniel Jones or Drake May or even Caleb Williams, for example. So those low end starting options, you might consider it, but you still have Dallas Goddard and Devonte Smith. He probably would run a little bit more. The only concern that, that I have for Jalen Hurts honestly is when the run game gets going, he's going to have one of these 17, 18 point games where he just doesn't have the high end production. And this could easily be one of those weeks because they're trying and they just abandoned it quickly. And so if Brown is not there, then that could be the mantra of, okay, now we have the opportunity to still get it done. So I could see a 202 type of game, whether that's one rushing or one passing for him, but not necessarily a. A monster game. I think if A.J. brown's there, like you said, the secondary is banged up. They clearly have revenge on their mind after losing the first game, and so would not be surprising if they blow out the Giants this week.

[Dave]

Saquon averaged 4.9 yards per carry in the first quarter last week against Minnesota, and they got away from him the.

[Adam]

First two carries of the game against the Giants. Remember against the Giants, he went for like 40 yards or something and then he got away from what is. Stop getting away from it.

[Dave]

Yeah. You'd think that last week would have been the week where they try and stick to it way more than they had been in the past, but they just, they had so much success beating the blitz that they, they just, they took advantage of it. And I don't think the Giants are going to be able to play that same kind of way. I don't think they'll blitz like crazy because they're so weak in the secondary. They don't want to leave those backups on an island.

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Dave]

So this could be. There's definitely a chance that Saquon gets right this week.

[Adam]

Hope so. Barkley or Scatter Boo?

[Jamie]

Barkley.

[Adam]

I have.

[Dave]

I have Barkley a little bit ahead of Scatterboo.

[Adam]

Barkley or Debo Samuel?

[Jamie]

Barkley.

[Adam]

Barkley Saquon or one more. One more. Saquon or Judkins?

[Dave]

Saquon.

[Jamie]

All right.

[Adam]

And A.J. brown's top 12 if he plays borderline Devonte Smith. Jamie starter said Devonte smith in the two scenarios with A.J. brown without A.J.

[Jamie]

Brown, number two receiver without A.J. brown. Top 10 receiver. I'm sorry. Number two receiver with A.J. brown. Top ten receiver without Adrian.

[Dave]

Yep. And Dallas Goddard would obviously shoot up as well. If there's no A.J.

[Adam]

Brown, would you start Wanda Robinson or Devonte Smith with obviously without AJ Brown.

[Dave]

Either way, I'd start Smith.

[Adam]

Okay.

[Jamie]

I would start Robinson if there is no Slayton and Brown place. Okay.

[Adam]

And Goddard, you know, how is his ranking going to change, you know, from where to where in your mind, Dave, with With or without AJ Brown, he'd.

[Dave]

Be top five at tight end if.

[Jamie]

There'S no AJ Brown, he's close to that already for me with AJ Brown, so I don't see myself moving him maybe more than a spot or two.

[Adam]

Okay, so. So he's a mustard. Where is he for you right now, Dave?

[Dave]

He's actually very close to five, so he's a start either way, so.

[Adam]

Yeah. All right. I mean, it's hard to ignore his production. There's always the risk with Dallas Goddard of what we saw last week of three targets. In fact, he's had three games this year with two to four targets. But in the first two games, he, he scored three touchdowns combined. But you can't, I don't know, I don't think that I could rank him that high on a weekly basis.

[Dave]

We have that risk with 75% of the tight ends probably higher. Like 90 of the tight ends got.

[Adam]

Three and a half year sample size of this with Dallas Scotter. I mean, it happens all the time.

[Jamie]

I do. Well, it's also, you know, first year with a new coordinator. I, I do think that your point, which you, you know, smart to bring up, is that if the corners are not there, they may attack them a little bit differently.

[Adam]

Yeah. The first time he played the giants, he had nine catches, 110 yards and a touchdown on 11 targets. Personally, just, just as a quick aside here, I feel like, you know, doing this year after year, what's reliable, what's not reliable as something to preview a game. I feel like what the player did in a previous matchup against this team is one of the least reliable metrics for me. I don't know if you agree with that. Sure.

[Dave]

I like looking at how a team played this team the last time, the last three times, like what type of coverages did they use, how often did they blitz? Basic stuff. It's, it's not necessarily, I don't get so into the weeds about, you know, what type of, you know, pass rush games they're playing or, you know, cover three versus cover four or whatever. But that kind of stuff I think can translate because if it worked the last time they played, they could potentially try and do it again.

[Adam]

Okay, the Eagles DST is a low end starter. And I'll finish this game with some questions from the chat. Devonte smith or Tetero McMillan PPR.

[Jamie]

Smith. Tet. If A.J. brown plays Smith if A.J.

[Adam]

Brown'S out, Slayton or Josh Downs if they both play this week, Downs.

[Dave]

It's gonna, I Think I'd end up with Downs and PPR. Slayton and none.

[Adam]

Start 2. Wandale Robinson, Xavier Worthy, Michael Pitman, Shakir.

[Dave]

And.

[Jamie]

I'm sorry. Pitman and Wando. Excuse me.

[Dave]

Yeah. Pittman and Wando.

[Adam]

Wandale or flowers?

[Jamie]

Flowers.

[Dave]

I agree.

[Adam]

Goddard or Kittle?

[Jamie]

Kittle.

[Dave]

Georgie.

[Adam]

If Lamar Jackson doesn't play, I'm sure that would be Wanda. I don't know. Yeah. Wanda or flowers of Lamar Jackson were out one day.

[Dave]

Wanda Robinson.

[Adam]

Adam coming in with the game of the week is like the Kool Aid man busting through the wall. And then Ben said, who is the Kool Aid Man? Oh, no. Ben, look up. Go to YouTube and look up some old.

[Jamie]

Spell it right though.

[Adam]

Koolaid. Well, he doesn't even know who he is. I'm not going to blame him. It's Koolaid.

[Dave]

He's the cornerback on the saints.

[Jamie]

McKistry.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Adam]

Oh, the cornerback. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Oh, maybe. Okay. All right. Next game, Tampa Bay is at New Orleans. Waste of time. Stat of the game. Rashid Shahid has exactly four catches in six straight games. Let's see if we can keep it going. Here's the real stat of the game. The only wide receivers to score more than 13 fantasy points in PPR against the Bucks are Garrett Wilson.

[Jamie]

No.

[Adam]

Oh, Garrett Wilson. And JSN And Aman Rossi.

[Jamie]

What?

[Adam]

All right. This stat sucks. Oh, it's basically okay. Here's the stat. The only wide receivers who have done really well against the Buccaneers have been mostly studs. Kendrick Bourne and a bunch of studs. Garrett Wilson, JSN Aman, Ross, St. Brown, Nico Collins, Drake, London, Kendrick Bourne. So it's like they haven't really. So I guess it was leading into this. You guys are very confident in Chris Olave this week. Why the change from Olave being like wide receiver 30 to knocking on the top. Knocking on the door of the top 12.

[Jamie]

His targets have been excellent, really for the majority of the season. But the last three weeks, he's been producing on his targets. So just given how this game in my mind will unfold, the Saints throwing from behind. Olave's been pretty consistent and pretty solid. Six teams on a buy. I think he'll continue to be a very productive wide receiver. Like, it's hard to get away from somebody who's doing what he's doing. Yeah.

[Dave]

I see eight wide receivers who have had nine plus targets against Tampa Bay this year. And one, two, three, four, five of them have at least 14 PPR points. Six have at least 13 and a half PPR points. I think 13 and a half is a very safe floor for Chris Olave. And the ceiling is. I don't even think the ceiling is what we got last week. I think it's lower than that. It could be one touchdown with 6 for 45, 6 for 50, something like that.

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Adam]

I mean, the thing is with.

[Jamie]

By the way, since you missed. You missed his comment in chat, Ben was making the. Who is the Kool Aid Man? Because he spelled it wrong.

[Adam]

Oh. Oh, the first person spelled it wrong.

[Jamie]

Yes.

[Dave]

They all spelled Kool Aid McKinsey's name wrong.

[Adam]

One did it on purpose. Yeah. No, I think the thing with Olave is that he had been pretty horrible on a yards per target basis. But the last couple of weeks, Rattler has really been hitting on deep balls through some really good ones, and he's finally getting some explosive plays for a lobby. It's a very encouraging development on that side of the ball. Is there any other saint that you want to start?

[Jamie]

It's a really interesting week for Camaro because Kendra Miller, in his last four games, I believe it is, he's been getting nine touches a game. And so now that he's out, does that go to Camaro, which would be the hope? Does it go to Devin Neal? Does it go to Taysom Hills at a combination of those guys, you know, just getting those opportunities. And Tampa Bay has clearly been a good run defense, but they've given up some production to running backs still. So it's not like you should be completely benching Camaro like you have been or getting away from him. But I also think this is one of those weeks where you don't want to get the fool due game of. Okay, now there's opportunities, and he doesn't necessarily get those. So I think just given six teams on a buy, he's a number two running back by default. For me, it's like I get to that point in my rankings where it's, I thought this about Vidal, so, you know, I was wrong. But Chase Brown gonna get work. Not, you know, great, but could do well. Rico Dowdle, pretty decent matchup. But we know there's the situation with Chuba Hubbard, you know, so I'd start Camaro over Crosby. Merit, I start him over Pollard, I start him over Pacheco, you know, that group of guys. But I'm not getting over excited about it just because there is no Kendra Miller.

[Dave]

You nailed it. And. And Camara played 85 of the snaps last week after Kendra Miller got hurt. That's a good thing. He Dominated on third down. So that's a good thing. The Saints didn't get inside the 10. And we know that when they do get inside the 10, it could be Taysom Hill time. And that obviously hurts Alvin Camara. So I, I think, Jamie, you're absolutely right. This is one where you can start Camara, hoping that volume ends up getting them in the neighborhood of like 11 PPR points. But don't. Don't have high expectations. On top of that, Eric McCoy's out for the year. That's one of the better offensive linemen for the Saints. And remember last year when. When that offensive line started getting banged up, they went from a good offense to a terrible offense overnight. And I'm very. I'd be a little worried that that happens again and that hurts. The upside for Camaro, who really hasn't had upside all year long, at best, the number two running back.

[Jamie]

This is a great opportunity, if he does play well, to trade him right afterwards.

[Adam]

Yeah, Camara. The Buccaneers are giving up the most receiving yards per game to running backs, but Camara's played Seattle and he's played New England, and those are top five in receiving yards per game running backs, and he hasn't taking advantage of it. He's. He's just really doing very little with his touches. Bottom line. All right, so Olave is a must start. Camara's, you know, borderline number two guy.

[Jamie]

I. I will say this. As much as we just crapped all over the Saints offense, if you have an open roster spot, it's not a bad idea to pick up Devin Neil just in case.

[Adam]

Sure.

[Dave]

Is he the best guy to go and stash though, ever. Isaiah Davis is still out.

[Jamie]

Yeah, Davis, you look at Burchard Smith, you know, you look at some of these guys that are on better offenses that or. Or potentially better situations. Obviously, Isaiah Dave is not a great offense, but there's the. The Breeze hall injury that we're monitoring, plus the trade scenario. So, like, Davis is in a much better spot. I agree. But again, if they clearly are not going anywhere, do they start to give Devin Neal some more work like they were giving Kendra Miller more work?

[Adam]

All right, guys, let's talk about the Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield is about eighth in the rankings. Baker Mayfield or Drake Mayfield?

[Dave]

Buy a spot.

[Adam]

Baker Mayfield or Dak Prescott at Denver?

[Dave]

Dak.

[Jamie]

Go Dak.

[Adam]

Baker Mayfield or Jalen hurts? If A.J. brown were out.

[Jamie]

I'd go Mayfield there.

[Dave]

I think I'd stick with Hertz and.

[Adam]

Baker Mayfield over under 23 and a half fantasy points six point per passing, touchdown leagues.

[Dave]

I think 23 is, like, right where he'd be. Yeah.

[Adam]

Rashad White is a must start. Rashad White or Saquon Barkley?

[Jamie]

Barkley.

[Dave]

I have White higher in ppr.

[Adam]

All right. But they're close.

[Dave]

I am so. I am so unimpressed with this Saints run defense. Like, they got their D line, got pushed around by the Bears last week.

[Adam]

Yeah, it was doing well.

[Dave]

Offensive line might be getting a little bit healthier. At least their depth will be better going into the game. So I'm. I'm kind of encouraged by Rashad White.

[Jamie]

And what he might be able to do. I don't disagree with you. I just think that he hasn't exactly run very well and wouldn't surprise me if they give Sean Tucker a little bit more opportunities.

[Adam]

Oh, all right. Yeah, he hasn't run well, but he has faced Seattle, San Francisco, and Detroit. That's. That's tough sledding right there. So hopefully the Saints, they were playing well against the run before last week.

[Jamie]

All right. Tucker played the Saints in New Orleans.

[Dave]

Yeah. Yeah, it was. It was White who wasn't there.

[Jamie]

Yep.

[Dave]

It was a monster. Yeah.

[Adam]

Okay, guys, Tampa Bay passing game. Abuka is obviously a must start. Kate Otten and Tez Johnson, I think I asked you to rank them earlier. Did you both have Otten over Tez Johnson? Just as a. I do, yeah.

[Dave]

I think I might have had Taz a spot higher than Otten.

[Jamie]

Okay.

[Adam]

Jamie's much higher.

[Dave]

More than a spot. More than a spot.

[Adam]

Jamie's got out in fifth and Dave has him, I think, like 11th. Is there anything, any reason I'm ninth? All right, it's fine. So Tez Johnson, then who would you start Tez Johnson over?

[Dave]

Quentin Johnston.

[Adam]

Yeah, me too.

[Dave]

We talked a lot about Mooney earlier in the show. I'd start Tez over him. I. I've been outspoken about Marvin Mims this week. I would start Tez over both Mims and Troy Franklin. I'd start Tez over Shaheed. I'd start tez over the 49ers wide receivers. I. I just. I love the speed element that he brings, and he can use that in a. In a variety of ways to beat the Saint secondary, including the Kool Aid Man. And so Tez, to me, just. He. He looks like a reliable flex after what we've seen the last couple of weeks.

[Adam]

49Ers receivers or TEZ.

[Jamie]

Tez, man, you didn't listen.

[Dave]

It's okay. He's busy.

[Adam]

Yeah, I'm sorry. I Did not listen. I was talking with our producer. Okay, my bad. Tez Johnson or Alvin Camara?

[Jamie]

I might go Tess now. You know what? Without Kendra there, I'll give Camaro the benefit of doubt. We got a good question in the chat of Tez or Golden. I'd go Tez over gold.

[Adam]

Here's a better one. Tez or Dobbs?

[Jamie]

Dobbs, but that's close. All right.

[Adam]

All right, Good stuff. I'm very excited for Tejan. I wish I had gotten him. I put in some pretty, I guess smaller bids than I needed to, unfortunately. But it could just be a one week things. They have their buy next week.

[Jamie]

It is another scenario of big game sell because we have no idea what's going to happen. Coming off their bye week maybe.

[Adam]

Hopefully. Well, let's get that big game. Buffalo's at Carolina updated side of the game. In their last three games, Carolina has held Devon H. And Javonte Williams and Breece Hall 24 carries for 83 yards.

[Jamie]

Derek Brown is a beast.

[Adam]

Williams and hall have been were terrible for fantasy. I can't sit here and say sit James Cook. Just be aware it's not a great matchup necessarily. Start Josh Allen. Start James Cook. Khalil Shakir or Tez Johnson?

[Jamie]

Tess?

[Dave]

I believe I have Tez a little higher.

[Adam]

How would you rank Khalil Shakir and Keon Coleman against say Darnell Mooney?

[Dave]

Shakir Mooney, Quentin Johnston, Keon Coleman?

[Adam]

I mean Josh Palmer's not going to play, but he's only had like two. He's had three, one, three, two and two targets in his last five games. So it's not like he's getting a lot of targets. If Dalton, if Dalton Kincaid plays, would you start Kincaid or Kate Otten?

[Jamie]

Just look at Dave's rankings and you'll see where in case I pulled them.

[Dave]

But I'll probably end up ranking them by the, by the end of the day when it looks like he's going to play.

[Jamie]

So just so you know, Dave does a great job of. Of starting this conversation for years now. Uncle Dave for me, Dave and Heath of what who should be in, who should be out of our rankings. And then usually it's. I don't think he's rarely chimes in. Usually it's me and Dave putting most of the stuff that we see. Dave does it early Monday. I usually fill in whatever happens Monday afternoon and then we just text each other throughout the week. So Dave sends us a list and he says in, out or in for now, out for now, whatever. And so Kincaid, I believe, was out for now. And so I guess you just decided.

[Dave]

Yeah, I just.

[Jamie]

I didn't even see.

[Dave]

Completely forgot to pull him from my rankings. Ranked him like he. Like there was no big deal. I pulled him. He's out of there now. But he was very high for me in my rankings beforehand. So if he plays, I'm going to be bullish on him.

[Jamie]

And usually we linebackers in Carolina, we do it on, you know, hey, I think he should play. I don't think he's playing. You know, we vote. We kind of vote on it. So.

[Adam]

Yeah, I like that.

[Dave]

Behind the curtain.

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Dave]

On fft.

[Adam]

Okay. We've gotten a lot of questions about. But I don't think you answered the questions like, would it be concater on Kincaid for me.

[Jamie]

It would be on for me.

[Adam]

Okay. So we've gotten a lot of questions about McMillan and Dowdle. I almost regret saving this game for last. I thought it would be kind of easy real quick just to get it out of the way. Any interest in Xavier Lee get this week?

[Jamie]

It feels like you're chasing like he was great last week. You have a new quarterback. Now you have another game of Jalen Kolker coming in. So I think desperation number three receiver. I'll give you an example. And you know, I'm going to regret it because I started Quinn Johnson, but I play in a dynasty league where I start five receivers and a flex and he didn't crack the top five. Oh, wow.

[Adam]

Yeah. Someone's asking Chase Brown or league at. I think we'd go Chase Brown here.

[Dave]

I'd go Brown.

[Adam]

Yeah. He did get five of Andy Dalton's eight pass attempts went to Xavier. Liga and sauce was, I think out of the game for most, if not all of that. So it wasn't. That wasn't the reason. But that's another thing that I've learned over the years. You do not take that small sample size and apply it to the next week. It's just. It's a trap.

[Dave]

Not unless there's like a strong track record of it from the year before. I don't think I. Or injury. Sure. But I don't think there was such a strong track record the year before. I can check. I'll double check to see what his target per route run rate was with Dalton. So 2024.

[Adam]

Do you guys like Rico Dowdle or Tearl Macmillan better.

[Jamie]

I would go Tet and PPR and Dottle and not enough sounds right.

[Adam]

Okay. And do you like Teterell McMillan any more or less? Than you usually do with the quarterback change.

[Dave]

No, no.

[Jamie]

Number two receiver. As. As you've noted, he hasn't been great. You like to poo poo.

[Adam]

He hasn't even really been good. I mean, he's not even a top 30 guy.

[Dave]

Yeah, I don't think he's a top 20 guy by any stretch. I think he's more top 24 to 30 in that range. And PPR, he's way. He's got to be lower in non PPR.

[Adam]

I do think it just feels like something's there. The big thing for him, for Tedro McMillan, where's the stat? He's like 2 of 10 on. On deep balls or something. Yeah, two. Two catches for 50 yards, no touchdowns on nine targets. If they could just hook up on a big play and maybe Dalton will be better in that. I don't think his deep balls were pretty ugly last week, but he did complete one. But, you know, that's what's missing there. The Bills are 12th against wide receivers, but their defense, I mean, they've had so many injuries, it's really hard to know what to expect from the Bills and they're still injured.

[Dave]

I've got your. I've got your legit stat from 2024. Go 207 snaps, 119 routes. Xavier Legate had a 17.6% target per route.

[Adam]

Run rate not good.

[Dave]

With Andy Dalton, not so good.

[Adam]

Tess Johnson or Legate? I go Taz, Tedro, McMillan or Diggs staff. Oh, split there. Keon Coleman or Tez? Going Tez. Everybody over Keon, Khalil Shakir or Zay Flowers.

[Dave]

Flowers. If Lamar plays Rico Dowdle.

[Adam]

Rico Dowdle. I'm sorry. Rico Dowdle or Jalen Warren?

[Jamie]

Warren.

[Dave]

Warren.

[Adam]

Okay, that's it. We talked about Rico Dowdle during one question for each game. I know you have a lot of questions. Here's one. Dowdle or Shakir?

[Jamie]

I would go with Dowdle over secure.

[Dave]

Yeah, I believe I have doubt.

[Jamie]

I don't think you grabbed the right question. Yeah.

[Adam]

Okay. Chuba Hubbard or. Yeah, I'm sorry, I skipped him. Chuba Hubbard or jcm?

[Jamie]

This is actually close. I would probably still go JCM just based on the expected workload, but wouldn't shock me if given. Look, the Bills have been bad against running backs and so, you know, are the Panthers just continue to lean into both these guys with the backup quarterback. Wouldn't be surprising at all, but I would prefer to avoid both. But I'd still go JCM slightly.

[Dave]

I have Chuba slightly.

[Adam]

How would you rank The Panthers. Last question. Panthers running backs versus Algiers.

[Dave]

Yep.

[Adam]

An Alger sandwich. Okay. Watched a ridiculous movie last night starring Michael J. Fox. Keep me. Want to guess? Wasn't. Back to the Future.

[Dave]

Secret of my success.

[Adam]

He transforms. Teen Wolf.

[Jamie]

What is going to say? I couldn't think of the name.

[Adam]

It's fun. It's good. But he becomes.

[Jamie]

The first time. You've seen it?

[Adam]

No, I've seen. He becomes a wolf in the middle of the basketball game, and then he just starts dunking and everybody's like, yeah. And they carry him to the restaurant down the street. They're not freaked out. They're freaked out for five seconds. They're like, whoa, cool. You're a wolf.

[Dave]

It's.

[Adam]

Well, they don't make movies like that anymore, folks. What.

[Dave]

What were his two best friends names?

[Adam]

Styles and I don't.

[Jamie]

The girl.

[Adam]

Kenny. Oh.

[Dave]

Oh.

[Adam]

And Boof. Biff. Boof.

[Zebiotics Advertiser]

Boof.

[Jamie]

Biff.

[Dave]

Biff is from a different Michael J. Fox movie.

[Adam]

Boof and Biff and Michael J. Fox. All right, folks, have a great Friday. We'll talk to you on the mailbag. And Sunday morning, 11am [e-mail] fantasy football today and Happy Trunk or trip.

[Jamie]

See you later.

[Adam]

Paramount podcast.

[Dave]

Tulsa is my home now. Academy Award nominee Sylvester Stallone stars in the Paramount plus original series, Tulsa King.

[Jamie]

This distillery is a very interesting business.

[Dave]

And we got to know the enemy from Taylor Sheridan, co creator of Landman. What are you saying? I'm all right.

[Jamie]

If you think you're gonna take me.

[Dave]

Out, it's gonna be really difficult. Tulsa King new season now streaming exclusively on Paramount Plus.