Fantasy Football Today

Week 15 Fantasy Football Mailbag + Fantasy Cops | Start/Sit, Waivers & Questions Answered

Date: December 13, 2025
Host: Adam Aizer
Analysts: Jamey Eisenberg, Dan Schneier
Podcast Theme: Listener mailbag and league dispute resolution, with deep-dive start/sit advice, waiver advocacy, and league integrity talk

Episode Overview

This episode brings together Adam, Jamey, and Dan for Fantasy Football Today's famed Friday Mailbag. They answer a barrage of start/sit, waiver, and trade questions from multiple channels (YouTube, email, and podcast comments), resolve listener disputes in "Fantasy Cops," and stir up entertaining debates—ranging from fantasy policy to movie hot takes. The show is sprinkled with spirited banter, pop culture arguments, and fantasy football integrity conversations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Listener Mailbag: Rapid-Fire Start/Sit & Waiver Questions

The crew responds to a large batch of lineup dilemmas, pivots, and roster strategy plays as fantasy playoffs approach.

• PPR and Non-PPR Dilemmas:

  • Breece Hall vs. Other Flexes: “I'd play Breece.” (Jamey, 06:23)
  • Stefon Diggs or Devin Neal? "I'll just play Diggs." (Adam, 07:00)
  • Pat Freiermuth or Darren Waller? “Waller for sure. Freiermuth’s role has grown but Waller's upside is higher.” (Dan/Jamey, 07:47)
  • Drake Maye or Brock Purdy? - Split, with Jamey on Purdy and Dan liking Maye. (08:03)

• DST Streaming:

  • Saints, Panthers, or Rams?
    “All close, but Saints get you two weeks, including the Jets next week.” (Jamey, 10:56)
  • Panthers are in consideration because "they've been good in four of their last five games." (Adam, 11:08)

• Playing Multiple RBs from Same Backfield:
  “Is it crazy to start both Giants RBs?” – Crew agrees: not crazy in deeper leagues or limited options, especially because backfield production can be predictable in run-heavy games. (59:41)

2. League Management, Collusion, and Consolation Brackets

Waiver Eligibility for Consolation Brackets

• Consensus: Teams eliminated from playoff contention shouldn’t have access to waivers, or their moves should be delayed until after playoff teams.
  “Once you’re eliminated from the playoffs, you should be locked from free agency.” (Dan, 49:09)

Collusion and Anti-Competitive Behavior

• Discussion: Viral league story where two managers benched entire rosters to engineer a tie and both make playoffs, locking out a third team.
• The Crew’s Ruling:
  “This is textbook collusion—two managers impacting league balance together. If you’re working with another team, that’s the problem.” (Adam/Dan, 52:58)

Fantasy Cops: Chronic League Issues

• Long-standing, Unaccepted Trade:

  • Original complaint: Trade left up for 8 weeks, accepted later despite earlier rejection via text.
  • Commissioner’s response: Told parties to reverse on their own, as “you’re adults.”
  • Aaron (original complainer) refused reversal out of pride, demanding commissioner action.
  • Ruling: “Aaron, you’re so wrong here. Don’t let pride get in the way—just accept the reversal.” (Adam, 48:21)

• Dropping Star Players in Consolation Bracket:

  • Question: Is it fair for a team out of contention to drop Mike Evans, allowing a playoff team to claim him?
  • Ruling: If league rules allow consolation waivers, “it’s fair game, but it’s a bad rule to allow non-contenders access.” (Dan, 55:28)

• Bench Slot Rule Mishap:

  • Listener lost a matchup for not filling required bench spots due to personal tragedy.
  • Consensus: These settings exist to help but should not zero a lineup—a commissioner should always rectify if necessary.
    “I will never let anyone have a zero for it. I’ll fix that if I see it.” (Adam, 62:46)

3. News & Injuries

• Critical Updates:
  • Marvin Harrison Jr. OUT but expected to return this season
  • T. Higgins OUT for this week
  • Chargers to use “hot hand” at RB vs. Chiefs
  • Josh Jacobs limited, Nick Chubb missed practice
  • TJ Watt likely OUT (injury severity and context discussed at [71:04])
• Follow Beat Writers: Several mentions of monitoring status for stars like McLaurin and Deebo Samuel

4. Banter, Movie Debates & Personality

"Ross vs. Joey" and Mug-Grabbing Ridiculousness

• Who’s who from Friends, questions about mug-grabbing technique, and playful back-and-forth about hygiene quirks and living habits.
• “You’re weird too, dude. Let me just tell you that.” (Dan, 14:30)

Movie Hot Takes Segment (15:00–45:00 approx.)

• Spirited debate on movies, especially “Rocky” vs. “Seven” vs. “Usual Suspects” and “Goodfellas.”
• Notable Quotes:
  • “You can’t say that one is better than the other when you haven’t seen the other one.” (Jamey, 16:08)
  • “Rocky is better than Goodfellas! …That’s insane.” (Adam, 39:38)
• Chat explodes with accolades and laughter about Dan’s wild pop culture opinions:
  “Dan is the Skip Bayless of pop culture takes.” (Chat, 34:18)

“Fantasy Bet” Hijinks

• Bet suggestions for Adam and Dan, including Rocky-style footraces and performing scenes if they lose to one another.

5. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Don’t let pride get in the way of winning in fantasy football.” (Adam, 48:44)
• “This is textbook collusion—two managers impacting league balance together.” (Dan, 52:14)
• “You just talked up yourself like you were Craig Hodges.” (Adam to Dan, 09:40)
• “If you’re eliminated from playoffs, you should be locked from waivers.” (Dan, 49:09)
• “Adam cutting off Dan when he’s pre-ranting: you need to continue to stay vigilant.” (Listener via chat, 76:18)
• “Rocky won Best Picture. It’s a great story. You’re going to realize it’s more than just a boxing movie.” (Adam, 32:44)
• “When it comes to bad takes, Dan is the usual suspect.” (Listener chat, 32:53)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment/Event | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------|----------------| | Show Start/Post-ad Opening Banter | 02:10–05:50 | | YouTube & Listener Questions | 06:04–12:15 | | DST and Defensive Waiver Strategy | 10:41–11:20 | | PPR Flex Debates: Flowers/Hall/Watson | 11:32–12:00 | | Major Injury & Player News | 12:07–13:24 | | Run of High-Speed Start/Sit Mailbag | 22:06–35:10 | | Rocky vs. Seven Movie Debate | 15:00–45:00 | | Waivers/League Integrity (Collusion Case) | 49:09–53:00 | | Fantasy Cops: Trade Dispute 8-week acceptance | 45:02–48:44 | | Bench Slot Rule & Fantasy Cop | 60:54–63:02 | | Lightning Round Start/Sit from YouTube Chat | 71:34–77:30 |

Episode Tone & Style

True to Fantasy Football Today’s vibe—expert-driven but relaxed and fraternal. Adam, Jamey, and Dan mix actionable fantasy wisdom with self-aware, often self-deprecating, humor. They’re transparent about their foibles, competitive quirks, and pop culture blind spots. The tone is conversational, warm, and relatable, with lots of inside jokes and real-time chat banter weaved in.

Summary For New Listeners

This episode is a must-listen for fantasy footballers poised for playoff glory or in need of league management advice. The crew blitzes through dozens of specific lineup decisions, addresses the nuances of league policy (from waiver access to anti-collusion), and entertains with personality-driven detours—making the pod both educational and laugh-out-loud funny. For listeners, you’ll come away with both strong roster advice and new ammunition for arguing pop culture in your group chat.