Fantasy Football 2017 - Week 16 Waivers & QB Streamers, Bad Beats

Summary

Fantasy Football 2017 - Week 16 Waivers & QB Streamers, Bad Beats

Release Date: December 19, 2017
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright

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1. Championship Week Preparations

As the NFL season enters its final stretch, the Fantasy Footballers dive into strategies to secure those coveted championship titles. Mike Wright humorously shares his emotional state, revealing, "[...] my tilt is so hard" (00:55). The hosts emphasize the importance of staying focused and making strategic moves as fantasy managers gear up for the decisive Week 16 matchup.

2. Listener Stories and Bad Beats

The episode features several listener-submitted bad beats and close call victories:

• Vince Sue vs. Cameron Braid: Vince barely loses by 0.04 points after Cameron Braid, returning from a knee injury, scores crucial points (11:14).

• Larry Smiley's Tactical Play: Larry secures a win by needing six points from Julio Jones but ends up with eight, highlighting the unpredictable nature of late-season matchups (11:35).

• Matthew Cunningham's Regret: Cunningham laments not starting Blake Bortles, feeling it cost him the championship, a sentiment the hosts discuss in-depth (13:05).

3. Player Performance Highlights

The hosts review standout performances and underwhelming outings from the latest games:

• Devonta Freeman's Prowess: Freeman shines with 22 yards and a touchdown, reinforcing his reliability (08:24).

• Julio Jones' Struggles: Jones fails to deliver against Tampa Bay, marking his worst game since 2013, a critical blow for fantasy owners relying on him (08:33).

• Jameis Winston's Competency: Winston showcases a solid performance with a 77% completion rate, 290 yards, and three touchdowns, making him a valuable streaming option (08:44).

4. Injuries and Roster Moves

Injuries play a significant role in Week 16 fantasy decisions:

• Doug Martin's Team Issues: Martin faces a team rule violation, complicating his fantasy viability (06:03).

• Antonio Brown and Hunter Henry's Inactivity: Both key tight ends are likely out for the week, urging managers to seek alternatives (10:11, 31:38).

• Thomas Davis' Suspension: Davis is suspended for two games, impacting the Panthers' defensive options (19:28).

5. Waiver Wire and Streaming Options

The Fantasy Footballers provide actionable advice on waiver pickups and streaming positions:

Wide Receivers:

• Robert Woods: With a favorable matchup against Tennessee, Woods is recommended as a reliable pickup (24:25).

• Keelan Cole & DD Westbrook: Both offer solid upside, with Cole being a "bigger play" option (25:32).

• Martavis Bryant: Despite Antonio Brown's absence, Bryant remains a top streaming target (25:47).

Quarterbacks:

• Blake Bortles: Mike advocates for Bortles, citing his recent multi-touchdown performances and avoiding turnovers (37:21).

• Nick Foles: With four touchdowns and zero interceptions, Foles is highlighted as a prime streaming option for championship week (38:42).

Running Backs:

• James White: Recommended for his consistent target volume and touchdown potential, especially with Dion Lewis limited (29:00).

• Mike Gillislee: A riskier option due to his recent performance but viable given his role in the Patriots' goal-line scenarios (29:54).

Tight Ends:

• Charles Clay: Coming off high involvement and touchdown potential, Clay is a strong streaming candidate (32:02).

• Eric Ebron: With recent touchdowns and involvement in the offense, Ebron is another viable option (32:31).

6. Playoff Picture Analysis

The hosts examine the playoff landscape, discussing which NFL teams have clinched their spots and which are still vying for a finish:

• AFC Teams in Playoff Contention: Patriots, Steelers, Jaguars, Chiefs, Titans, and Bills have secured playoff berths. Teams like Baltimore and Chargers are still fighting for positions (41:30).

• NFC Teams in Playoff Contention: Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Saints, Panthers, and Falcons remain in the hunt, while Seahawks, Lions, and Cowboys are out despite still having regular-season games remaining (42:22).

The importance of team motivations is underscored, as teams fighting for playoff spots are more likely to exhibit high performance, influencing fantasy decisions.

7. Sponsor Messages and Lighthearted Banter

While primarily focusing on skipping advertisements, the hosts engage in lighthearted conversations and sponsor mentions, adding a personable touch to the episode.

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Notable Quotes

• Mike Wright on Tilting: "If you're not tilting this very moment, you're doing it wrong." (01:29)

• Jason Moore on His Irritated Moment: "I have never felt more like some sort of predator and criminal than I did in that moment." (04:31)

• Andy Holloway on Championship Strategies: "You're putting on the lightning rod right now." (40:33)

Conclusion

As Week 16 approaches, the Fantasy Footballers equip their audience with essential insights, strategic advice, and relatable stories to navigate the high-stakes environment of fantasy football championships. From player performances and injury updates to waiver wire targets and streaming options, this episode is a comprehensive guide for fantasy managers aiming to clinch that league title in style.

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Timestamps

• 00:55 – Championship week preparations
• 04:31 – Jason Moore's personal story
• 08:24 – Devonta Freeman's performance
• 08:33 – Julio Jones' struggles
• 11:14 – Vince Sue vs. Cameron Braid bad beat
• 11:35 – Larry Smiley's close win
• 13:05 – Matthew Cunningham's regret
• 24:25 – Robert Woods waiver target
• 25:32 – Keelan Cole and DD Westbrook recommendations
• 25:47 – Martavis Bryant as a streaming option
• 29:00 – James White as a running back pickup
• 29:54 – Mike Gillislee's viability
• 32:02 – Charles Clay as a tight end option
• 32:31 – Eric Ebron’s involvement
• 37:21 – Mike Wright on Blake Bortles
• 38:42 – Nick Foles’ strong performance
• 40:33 – Championship strategies
• 41:30 – AFC playoff contention
• 42:22 – NFC playoff contention

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This summary captures the essence of the Fantasy Footballers' Week 16 episode, providing listeners and non-listeners alike with a comprehensive overview of the key discussions and strategic insights shared by the hosts.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, foot clan. It is the time of year that championships are being won in fantasy football. And if you are a champ or you know you're going to be a champ, go to fantasychamps.com youm can order right now. These awesome, awesome fantasy football jerseys that got your name on the front and the back, the team name. You pick the color and the numbers. They're awesome. Get that this week and come back next week for your trophies, your rings, your belts. Be a [e-mail] promo code ballers to save 10%. Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast coming to you from the Play Draft studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Jason Moore]

Happy Tuesday.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, it is for many a people.

[Jason Moore]

Well, it is for you.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, it is. I agree.

[Jason Moore]

Because what you found out, Ace Ventura is on Netflix.

[Andy Holloway]

Ace Ventura 2.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, it doesn't get any better than that for Jason.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no.

[Mike Wright]

Welcome.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Thank you for joining us. It is Tuesday, December 19th, and we are officially in week 16 of the NFL season.

[Mike Wright]

It's championship week, people. If you're not tilting this very moment, you're doing it wrong. Because I have already. I've already performed a full 720. My tilt is so hard.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Mike Wright]

As I prepare for championship week, I.

[Jason Moore]

Am Tony Hawk level.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, for sure. I've grabbed. I'm holding down left. I'm holding.

[Andy Holloway]

Mike, are you going to pull the maneuver of benching your roster right now?

[Mike Wright]

I am definitely considering going with. I'm facing Andy. I need all the edges I can get.

[Jason Moore]

You don't want to let me know who you're starting, so you might. You're going to do that one?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I may do that.

[Jason Moore]

Look, people fear me. Makes sense.

[Mike Wright]

Well, to be fair, your team is 12 and 1.

[Jason Moore]

13 and 1 now.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Thank you for the correction. 13 and 1.

[Andy Holloway]

And avenged his only loss to Brooks.

[Jason Moore]

It's true.

[Mike Wright]

It's going to be a long time to avenge this upcoming loss, am I right?

[Jason Moore]

Champions.

[Mike Wright]

High five.

[Jason Moore]

Wait, you guys are on the same team together?

[Mike Wright]

Me and the foot claim.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, okay. Well, we'll see what happens. It'll be fun. I'm looking forward to it. I. What do we got on the show? We got some bad beats and close wins. We got the waiver wire, got the QB streamers, got the review of last night's game, which outside of Julio not having a monster game, you know, you kind of got what you wanted from the other big pieces in the game. I do. I Have to share a story from last night, though, because you guys will enjoy it. And occasionally things happen in our lives that are funny, and this was one of those times. So last night, late last night, I went to meet my sister at a coffee shop for a cup of coffee. Late last night, she just bought a new Honda Civic, and we both arrived.

[Mike Wright]

Spoiler.

[Jason Moore]

No, no spoiler. What do you mean?

[Mike Wright]

Does she have a spoiler on the Honda Civic?

[Jason Moore]

I was thinking. You're saying I'm spoiling something in the story. No, no spoiler. No spoiler.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

So she just bought a new Honda Civic, and we happen to pull up at the exact same time to the coffee shop. She doesn't know I see her, but, like, we pull in, and I'm behind her, and she parks in one spot of the parking lot, I park in the other. So I walk over and, you know, we're a funny family, and we like to. To joke around with each other, so I.

[Mike Wright]

They think they're a funny.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I'm no Jason family, but so I. I decide to walk over, and I think it'd be really funny to kind of be looming outside her car door when she opens it, because she'll get scared. Right, Right.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

And always scare the girl in the parking lot.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, well, that.

[Jason Moore]

That's exactly right. It's your little sister. It's funny. And this is where the story went sideways, because.

[Mike Wright]

Pepper spray.

[Jason Moore]

Well, it wasn't my sister.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, no, no. You're. Oh, that's the worst.

[Jason Moore]

No, no. It was a mid-60s woman, and I'm in a dark coat in a dark parking lot.

[Mike Wright]

What have you done?

[Jason Moore]

Just feet from her.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, my feet from her. Hawking by her.

[Jason Moore]

And here is. And she happened to own a brand new Civic.

[Andy Holloway]

Wow.

[Jason Moore]

So I have never felt more like some sort of predator and criminal than I did in that moment.

[Mike Wright]

I hope you apologize profusely to this woman.

[Jason Moore]

Apologized?

[Mike Wright]

Did you buy her coffee?

[Jason Moore]

I held the door open for her. I tried to explain myself, but. How do you explain yourself?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, I was trying to just terrify another little girl. My sister. Don't worry about it.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. So that. That was my night. I terrified an old woman.

[Mike Wright]

I hope you learned your lesson. Good.

[Jason Moore]

I. You know what was great is as I approached the car, I was like, I'm not sure. Is that. Is that a car? I'm like, that's definitely your car. And then I proceeded to terrify this poor lady in the parking lot. So you had a better night than I did if you won or lost.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

So follow us on twitter @the ffballers. On YouTube, the website's the fancyfootballers.com harass me on Twitter @andy Holloway. Harass Jason @Jasonasonffl. Mike is @ff hitman. And we'll jump back into this Monday night game briefly. Doug Martin was inactive. Mike Jason got the Krampus.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you certainly did. However, it did come out that this was a team rules violation. I think it was running backs who are running for, like, under two yards of carry.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I thought it was like running backs running backwards. That was the game.

[Mike Wright]

The violation was being putrid on the field.

[Jason Moore]

How do you have a team's violation, like a team violation the third to last week of the season when you might be cut? I mean, that just.

[Mike Wright]

And he's already had issues, because if you're Doug Martin. Just trying to put myself in the position of what's happening to Doug Martin. I mean, you got to be tilting right. You're a pro athlete. You believe in yourself, which you should. And you're in the NFL. You're a stud. He signed a big contract he's trying to make right after his mistake of getting suspended. He's had a. He's had some injuries. He's been bad. Got benched last week. So I. There was probably some lashing out that happened.

[Andy Holloway]

That's.

[Mike Wright]

That's just my. The way I think things went down.

[Andy Holloway]

Now going forward, he's supposed to be active. Yeah. So Barber didn't do anything to secure that role. In fact, he fumbled away one of his best opportunities. So next week, this coming week, championship week.

[Mike Wright]

It stinks.

[Andy Holloway]

I assume you have to avoid both, but if you had to take.

[Jason Moore]

I'd take Barber. If I had to take one.

[Mike Wright]

If I'm going in on a Bucks running back, which hopefully you don't have to do that. I would go with Peyton Barber because he fumbled, but he still played. At least he played.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

Better than Doug 3. Better than Doug Martin.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Per carry.

[Andy Holloway]

I might have to do it, though. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

You might be stuck having to play Martin.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. My championship team. Down Alf. Down. Antonio Brown. Down. Hunter Henry. And listen, Foot Clint. I've seen people out there. Yes. I've seen people out there going, oh, I got in. But now it's over because I lost Antonio. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Shame on you. You're in it. You get one game. I mean, fantasy football is crazy. Put out the best lineup you can scratch and claw and get that hashtag footclan title.

[Mike Wright]

Parappa the rapper Says you got to.

[Jason Moore]

Believe desean Jackson, Cameron Bray, OJ Howard, all injured in last night's game. Cameron Bray did come back. O.J. howard was in a walking boot and Desean Jackson, we don't know the status. He, you know, he goes from you don't want to start him to now you definitely don't want to start him. On the other side, Devonta Freeman delivered for fantasy owners. 22 for 125.

[Mike Wright]

A touchdown, 22 for 125.

[Jason Moore]

I believe that is exactly 32, 22. And then Devonta Freeman, five receptions as well. Now Julio Jones did not deliver.

[Andy Holloway]

No. Worst game against Tampa Bay in the since, since 2013.

[Jason Moore]

Unfortunate Matt Ryan, nothing special. All right.

[Mike Wright]

But on the other side, Jameis Winston, this was just one of those games where Jameis looks like a competent, good quarterback. I mean, a 77% completion, 130 rating, 290 yards, three touchdowns. And that completion percentage should have been better. His team had a few hands drops where he, he hit his target. So moving into next week, Jameis Winston is going to be in consideration for a lot of people, myself included. But it's at Carolina.

[Jason Moore]

Whatever you do, Mike, don't make the wrong choice at quarterback.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I'm, I told you, 720. It's already happened. The tilt is real. I will say for Mike Evans owners, the DeSean Jackson, the O.J. howard injuries, when Mike Evans was truly the elite fantasy option. It was when Mike Evans was the only target and Jameis had to force feed him.

[Andy Holloway]

He is a great volume player and he hasn't had the volume this year. So I agree. Both, both Mike Evans and Cameron Bright stand to have much better performances next week if those injuries hold up.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. You really hope that's a good sign for Evans. If he doesn't come down with that 42 yard touchdown, it's not a great night. It's four for 40. So it's. Everybody made the play, so they had the shot.

[Mike Wright]

He also had the OPI touchdown.

[Jason Moore]

You're right.

[Andy Holloway]

And another 29 yard OPI. Just play.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Stop breaking the rules.

[Mike Wright]

You got Mike Evans. Here's what you got to do. You go get the tape on DeAndre Hopkins.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

And you figure out how does DeAndre Hopkins get away with pushing off on 90% of his plays.

[Andy Holloway]

Here's the difference.

[Mike Wright]

You'll get the tricks.

[Andy Holloway]

The difference is DeAndre Hopkins does more slapping and like pushing down versus Mike Evans does the extend and shove away.

[Jason Moore]

Well, when you're really big, it's harder to get away with stuff. Plain and simple.

[Andy Holloway]

True.

[Jason Moore]

When you're gigantic, you overpower people on accident.

[Mike Wright]

You got to learn.

[Jason Moore]

Look at Gronk. Gronk gets called. Gronk is called on more OPI than almost anybody else, and he's enormous.

[Andy Holloway]

It is just because they push people, they go flying.

[Jason Moore]

That's exactly what it is. All right, wanted to share a few bad beats and some close wins that were shared with us by the Foot Clan. Vince sue won by 0.04 thanks to Cameron Braid, who came back after the knee injury.

[Andy Holloway]

Wow. Congrats.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Johnny was in first place all season. Three minutes before the game, his opponent switched to O.J. howard, as they should have, instead of Cameron Brait. If he had kept in Brait, he would have won and would have been in the championship. Johnny.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, Johnny. Congrats to your opponents.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, ouch.

[Andy Holloway]

Sorry.

[Jason Moore]

That hurt. Larry Smiley, playing his son in the semifinals, needed six points from Julio and got eight.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, congrats.

[Jason Moore]

Keeping the family in order.

[Andy Holloway]

There you are, the one person happy with Julio's performance.

[Jason Moore]

All right, this one's from Rudes on Twitter. Loser of our league runs the beer mile in address in Iowa on Christmas. The guy lost because Matt Bryant blocked field goal. Had his field goal block second year in a row for him. That's a tough one. Block field go I the game I lost by 0.6. I had Goskowski miss an extra point and I will not forget.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, this one from at Andy Holloway.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, go ahead, Steven. Matt Bryant block kick. Lost me the game. Mark. Matt Bryant block kick. Only reason I won.

[Andy Holloway]

That's the thing about all of these stories is that every single time there is a play. You know, I saw so many people upset about DeVont Freeman. He. That fumble going into the end zone, they would have won. But that means that just as many people did win because of that. Every time that something bad or good happens, the opposite is always true.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Should write a book. All right, Matthew Cunningham. Last one. If he says this, Mike, you'll enjoy it. If only I would have started Blake Bortles, I would have made the championship. Definitely not something I thought I would say at the start of this season.

[Mike Wright]

It always depends on who his other option was of going over.

[Jason Moore]

If it was Russell Wilson, you were.

[Mike Wright]

Playing Russell Wilson or Brady or Aaron Rodgers. I mean, but as much as I love Blake Bortles last week and love him this week, you couldn't. You couldn't bench your stud quarterback for Blake Bortles and felt good about it.

[Jason Moore]

We're going to jump into news we're going to jump into the waiver wire. But before we do that, Mike, I want to ask you a question. Maybe you can illuminate something for our listeners. If you were on the bad beat side of this equation and you're out, what can you do in the next two weeks if you're in a keeper league or a dynasty league, to stay relevant, to stay active and to be forward thinking for your team for next year? Because at this point it's Operation 2018 for you if you've lost.

[Mike Wright]

Well, we've given this tip a few times. But make sure you are heading up to, you know, there's websites like spotrack where you can check out player contracts and that that is a real, real big help to see who's going to be changing, who's likely to be changing teams, whose teammates are likely to be changing teams, changing up those opportunities. Get ahead of them because once March hits and free agency hits, then everyone's going to know about it. But if you're making the moves before like Tampa Bay, Charles Sims, did you know that Charles Sims is who's been fantastic a couple years ago? He's a good player. Just his, his opportunity that the team has soured on him. He's in a contract year. He's going to be on a different team. Maybe he turns into the pass catching back for, I mean you just, you have to, you don't know right now but you got to take the shots. And I know there's a, this is a pretty hot topic because the world is very divided on this. If you're out, should you be allowed to add players, be active in the playoffs? My opinion is yes, yes. Like the Green Bay packers. Right. Jason and I talked about we think that Aaron Rodgers will play this upcoming week.

[Andy Holloway]

I feel less confident, but continue.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, but, but the logic was they're playing spoiler for your division. It's like the Tampa Bay last night. What are they playing for? They're playing why are they up for this game? On top of you're an NFL athlete but you're trying to ruin the season for your division opponent. So I'm all about ruining things for everyone else if I'm going down.

[Jason Moore]

I agree. You are all about that.

[Mike Wright]

If the world is burning, if my world is burning, I'm not pushing you. I'm not saving you.

[Jason Moore]

No, you're throwing some fire my way.

[Mike Wright]

I'm pulling you. I'm throwing the bucket of fire over to your island. Enjoy.

[Andy Holloway]

You're coming with me. News and notes from around the League.

[Jason Moore]

Well, let's talk about that then. Briefly, the Aaron Rodgers situation. I know we disagreed yesterday. I don't see much of a reason for them to play him now. He is going to be the good soldier and say, I want to play. That's the way it's going to be. He wants to be the tough guy. Every quarterback does. They want to be the leader. And then in my opinion, then the coaching staff and the medical staff, they're going to take that decision out of his hands and they're going to do the right thing. And you're not going to play a guy in a worthless game. I understand the argument about Minnesota, but you're not stopping them from making the playoffs. That's not the situation. You're just talking about, you know, risking your franchise quarterback who took too many hits. They signed a third quarterback yesterday. I don't think he's playing. I don't see why he would. So my money is on that side.

[Andy Holloway]

I answered the question yesterday that he would play. I would play him. If I was the general manager, you know, I would ask the question of what do I have in Jordy Nelson? They need to know, is Jordy still fine? Is he going to be fine next year? I would love to see a couple of games with Aaron Rodgers and Jordy to be like, okay, what's the lay of the land here? Be able to go into the NFL draft having a better idea of what my needs are as a team. Because your team is completely different with Aaron Rodgers. But with. With the comments from Mike McCarthy, you have to assume he's already hedging. Like you said, they signed that quarterback. I'm more skeptical that he plays, but goodness gracious, Aaron play. I'm playing Case Keenum. I need the Green Bay packers to be able to score on the Vikings. My championship roster is hot garbage right now.

[Mike Wright]

Hey, you're in. You just stop complaining.

[Andy Holloway]

Scratch. I'm going to claw. I'm going to get it.

[Jason Moore]

Those are the best ones to win, though, if you find a way.

[Mike Wright]

You know the smell of hot garbage.

[Andy Holloway]

Delicious in victory.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

All right, I'm going to fly through these guys so we can get into the waivers. Keenan Allen should be fine, according to head coach Anthony Lynn. Hunter Henry. Status up in the air due to a small laceration on his kidney.

[Andy Holloway]

Have to believe he's out.

[Jason Moore]

Which means Antonio Gates has some relevance. Absolutely lumbering Antonio Gates. Marquis Lee. Expected to return by the playoffs or sooner, but I think that means he's out this week. Rex Burkhead. They're optimistic he'll return for the playoffs. But out this week. James Conner, you're done knee surgery. So if it's Gerald Toussaint, we mentioned it yesterday.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, if you're playing weeks, I guess we'll say it in the waivers as well. But if you're playing week 17, number one, please fix your league. But number two, you need no matter what your situation is, if you levy Bell, if you don't, you pick up Fitzgerald Toussaint in the event that they're going to rest Le'Veon Bell next week because you have a complete and total workhorse running back.

[Andy Holloway]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

Drew Stanton is starting for the Cardinals. The Blaine Gabbard experiment is apparently over. Wee he went from future franchise quarterback to not playing. And Drew Stanton playing very quickly.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

So there you go. Deshaun Kaiser is going to start week 16 against the Bears. Start your Bears. Bill O'Brien said Tom Savage is going to miss the rest of the season, most likely with the concussion. Yeah, I think that's it. I mean, the Broncos don't have a starting quarterback decided yet. Vance Joseph hasn't talked about it. Anything. Any other news you guys feel like we need to get into?

[Mike Wright]

Well, not fully into it, but Thomas Davis from the Panthers, he's been suspended for two games. He will appeal. It's likely one of those things that's going to drop down to one, but.

[Andy Holloway]

So I think that's really good news.

[Mike Wright]

For Cameron Brait, say, the aforementioned. We were talking about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Thomas Davis is out for the Panthers, it's definitely a hit. It's not world changing, but it's. But it's a hit to the defense.

[Jason Moore]

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[Mike Wright]

What?

[Jason Moore]

The rigamarole.

[Andy Holloway]

He nailed it.

[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

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[Mike Wright]

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[Andy Holloway]

Put me in coach.

[Jason Moore]

Sounded like you get 20 free ducks with your purchase. That's a good deal.

[Mike Wright]

If I got 20 free ducks with anything, you're taking that deal. Sign me up immediately.

[Jason Moore]

You want 20 ducks, dude, that's why.

[Mike Wright]

A duck is tattooed on my arm. A duck's my favorite animal.

[Jason Moore]

Is it really?

[Andy Holloway]

What?

[Mike Wright]

I love ducks.

[Jason Moore]

Where's your duck?

[Mike Wright]

On my forearm.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I, you know, I can't see your Armor. I mean, I was like asking. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Incredible.

[Jason Moore]

So what makes you like, you've always loved ducks?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, I've. Yeah, I've always loved ducks.

[Andy Holloway]

Mike Mallard Wright.

[Mike Wright]

That's right. Growing up, I had a buddy who lived on some farmland. They had chickens and they had a duck and his name was Howard. And we were.

[Andy Holloway]

Of course it was.

[Mike Wright]

We were best friends.

[Andy Holloway]

Howard the duck.

[Mike Wright]

And then they got a duck named Donald. I was best friends with that duck.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, was there, like, any jealousy issues between the ducks?

[Mike Wright]

There's enough, Mike, to go around for all the ducks. All right, now I need to change all passwords related to duck.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, Mike the Mallard. All right. The waiver wire is different now for the next couple of weeks. Look, if you are In a week 16 championship week, you're looking at guys to play this week and this week only. And we're not going to get muddled down with anything other than that. We're going to give you names, players that we believe are out there that you should sign and you can play if you need them. Injuries happen, decisions, matchups. You've got a lot of situations. Last week, guys like Jimmy Garoppolo were great starts. And this week they play Jacksonville. Oh, that's the way all stories go. By the way, it's last week this guy was a great start. And this week they play Jacksonville.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

Don't play Jimmy Garoppolo.

[Jason Moore]

No. So we're going to focus on people. You can start this week, Jason. Wide receivers.

[Andy Holloway]

So these two guys are probably owned, but it's worth checking out because about a quarter of leagues are still available, but Sterling Shepard and Robert Woods, I think even more so. Robert Woods.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, that's what I'd go for.

[Andy Holloway]

He's got the better matchup this week at Tennessee. He looks like the clear number one target for one of, if not the best offense in the NFL right now. So probably own. But definitely Robert woods is a starting, you know, championship week worthy wide receiver. If you're digging deeper, I would say that there's two great options.

[Mike Wright]

I have three. I have three great options.

[Andy Holloway]

We probably are speaking the exact same language here because I said three and you said two. But my two includes three players. You have the Jacksonville duo. I'm saying you're two good options, one of which is picking either of the Jacksonville wide receivers.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

Dede Westbrook or Keelan Cole, and then the other is Martavis Bryant. So I grouped the. I grouped the Jags.

[Mike Wright]

I see, I see you got one more.

[Andy Holloway]

So we got. We're going four.

[Mike Wright]

But so before we get into the guy that I really like besides these, of course, but Keelan Cole, DD Westbrook. People are going to want to know if you have to pick up one and you're playing them this week.

[Jason Moore]

I'm staying in the Flames with Cole. I am with the big play.

[Mike Wright]

Keelan Cole.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Three straight touchdowns, nine targets. I'm just going to stay in those Flames. He's playing great.

[Mike Wright]

Jason.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I mean, I think I agree to be fair.

[Mike Wright]

To be fair. Didi's been fantastic except for last week.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, Dee Dee has been great. He is the better player, at least the higher, you know, touted recruit. The previous several weeks, six receptions, five receptions, five receptions. I don't think you're going to go wrong with either. But Keelan is more widely available and I think he is the bigger play guy. So certainly I'm going to go Keelan.

[Mike Wright]

And Martavis Bryant, obviously great play.

[Jason Moore]

Without Antonio Brown.

[Mike Wright]

Antonio Brown will be out and Marty and well, I mean juju Smith, Schuster. There's zero percent chance that he's in a waiver wire, but may. Maybe it's like a 0.1%.

[Jason Moore]

So who's your other guy then?

[Mike Wright]

Because Mike Wallace. Yeah, I, he's been fantastic. I like.

[Andy Holloway]

He's always the guy you don't want.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, exactly. And the reason you don't want him right now is simply because the touchdowns aren't coming. But here's the past three weeks. Against Detroit, 5 for 116. Against Pittsburgh, 3 for 72. Last week against the Browns, 6 for 89. You aren't hearing Mike Wallace's name enough because he hasn't scored since Week 11 against the Green Bay Packers. But now he gets to take on the Indianapolis Colts, who are. Their secondary is pretty banged up and on top of that they're bad. Mike Wallace, I think is a. Is a great option this week to go along with these other guys. Jeremy Macklin is not expected to play, so more targets for Mike Wallace. Joe Flacco is one of those really low level streaming options. But Mike Wallace will be the benefactor of Joe Flacco, who like Blake Borrells. Joe Flacco has been playing a lot better if for people who have been paying attention to that. So I like Mike Wallace a lot. I like Colin Westbrook and Martavis Bryant.

[Andy Holloway]

You, you have fully convinced me on the Mike Wallace argument because I have been watching these games and constantly trying to remind myself that Mike Wallace is a legitimate thing. And I, and I just keep forgetting because he's Mike Wallace. But you know, look, Antonio Brown, Mike Wallace ex teammates, right. He's not replacing Antonio Brown, but he can be a plug and play guy that gets you double digits here this week. And I would, I would say this Indianapolis run defense has been much improved over the second half of the season, which, which helps Mike Wallace need to be involved if they're not able to just run at will with Alex Collins.

[Jason Moore]

Maybe one of the hardest things you can try to do in fantasy football is find a start worthy running back in the final week of the season for a championship matchup. But if you had to take a shot, the main waiver wire guys right now, it would be Peyton Barber who got the majority of the work. If they want to check him out, it would be taking a shot at a New England running back, James White or Mike Gillisy. Where would you lean in that. In that dark throw? Because Burkhead's going to be out. You're going to get Dion Lewis, he's going to be on the field a ton. I guess, you know, James White's going to be on the field. I guess I lean James White by. By a pretty wide march just because of.

[Mike Wright]

For floor.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And because look, we know that Dion Lewis isn't going to be on there out there for the entirety of this game. They don't want to give him that kind of a workload. And like you said, the floor for James White, the targets that maybe would have gone Burkhead's way, they're not going Gillisley's way, but they can go White's way.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. It's very fair.

[Jason Moore]

So I think that he would be the guy who even in spite of being number three on the ladder on the third rung, he's caught a touchdown here. There's. So that's Riley and Mike Gillislee.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, the glory.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, you got to have a heart of stone to play Mike Gillislee, but it's not a bad option. Rex Burkhead has been getting a ton of goal line carries and I honestly do expect the Patriot. The Patriot way is okay. Plug and play.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

It's not say okay, Dion Lewis, you're shifting over now. You're the full time goal line back. It's. We'll put Mike Gillisley right back in there.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. If Mike Gillislee had multiple touchdowns, this.

[Mike Wright]

Game would not surprise me.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

Elijah Penny Curlin Williams running backs for the Cardinals. They play the Giants.

[Mike Wright]

This is a health check on Kerwin Williams. If he's good to go Kerwin is the play. If he's out, Elijah Penny is. I mean, you're digging deep. But the Giants is a fantastic matchup.

[Jason Moore]

And they're at home throwing some probably owned guys out there. Bilal Powell, Duke Johnson, Theo Riddick, those would be other guys that you can take a peek on.

[Mike Wright]

Bilal Powell is very interesting against the Chargers.

[Jason Moore]

He is though. Every time I match people up with this terrible Chargers rushing defense, it never pans out the way I want. Also, it's worth saying Amir Abdul is really frustrated with the fact that Riddick, he came out with the. The injury briefly and he was still behind Tion Green. So if he, you know, play better, there's a chance that Abdullah like that frustration could lead to just inactive in this game. So Tian Green and Theo Riddick could both be. Oh, like viable streaming. Yeah, Miracles.

[Mike Wright]

That's. It's a situation to monitor because if Abdul is out, then Theo Riddick becomes a great play.

[Jason Moore]

Also Chris Ivory, don't forget Chris Ivory. If for some reason Fournette does miss another game, Ivory is going to be the 17 carries last week. I mean, he'll get volume and he's 27% owned. So you need to pay attention to him. There's. And TJ Elden didn't really have that bad of a game either. 6, 7, 8 points in most leagues at the tight end position. We talked about it earlier. Hunter Henry's going to miss the next game. Antonio Gates likely.

[Mike Wright]

That's not a confirmation yet, but prepare for him to miss the game.

[Jason Moore]

Antonio Gates is an option. Who else do you guys like at tight end? Mike?

[Mike Wright]

Well, if this is of course the. He's probably owned. But check for Greg Olson. Maybe someone Rage dropped him after the past two weeks because he's. He's back nine for 16 and a touchdown. But here, this is where it's. This is where your championships will be made.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

On the backs of these streaming tight ends. Eric Ebron has been very involved lately, even scoring a touchdown last week coming off. So this is two very strong performances. Mr. Playoffs, aka Mr. Necessary. Charles Clay, 5 for 68 on nine targets. Tyrod comes in nine targets for Charles Clay. Now he's on the road against New England. So it's. The matchup's not my favorite.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's. That's. That stinks. It's been. They have not. The Patriots have not given up a touchdown to the tight end since week six and I am deciding for my championship. I have both of these guys on my roster. Charles Clay, guy who I Hopped on his back last year and got the championship in the listener league. He is who I have been expecting to play after having lost Hunter Henry or Cameron Brait. Who things are lining up for him if OJ Howard is out and Thomas Davis is out.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you might have.

[Jason Moore]

I might.

[Andy Holloway]

Shawn Jackson is out. Eileen Brait. But it just seems less magical to me.

[Jason Moore]

Look, Charles Clay, I'm going to Spoiler alert. They do a little secret Santa around the Buffalo Bills locker room. Your secret Santa is Tyrod Taylor.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

When he's in the lineup, the targets come, the production comes. And the likelihood of you being down in this game and having to move the ball through the air a little bit, it's there. Anybody else you want to touch on at the tight end position before you get into streaming quarterback?

[Andy Holloway]

You know, Vernon Davis is okay. Denver has been susceptible to the tight end. He is. He's been a hard guy to trust. But you still have the boom potential from Vernon Davis. Where if I'm digging deep and I'm looking at would I rather have a Ricky Seals Jones or a Jesse James? I would. I would rather have Vernon Davis, by.

[Jason Moore]

The way, for Ricky Seals Jones is disappointing performance. Troy Nicklaus out snapped him.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

So that's worth noting. We thought Jermaine Gresham being out of there meant, you know, the fact of the matter is he can't block.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

So I think Nicklaus is in there for more snaps.

[Andy Holloway]

Seals Jones has his niche role.

[Mike Wright]

Back to the ocean.

[Andy Holloway]

You're going, you know he's going to get in there for 30, 35 snaps and run 10 routes and get five or six targets.

[Jason Moore]

Don't underestimate the power of a good defense in week 16. Hopefully you already picked a couple up, but if you didn't, these are the defenses that we love in this upcoming week. The Bears. The Bears against Deshaun Kaiser and the Cleveland Browns. And this is at home. And this is Deshaun Kaiser. And Kaiser loves to throw the ball to the opponent.

[Andy Holloway]

The Bears have been a top 10 fan almost as much as he loves to get sacked.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's tough. It's up in the air for him on which one?

[Mike Wright]

Which one? Well, ask Kaiser. Would you rather get sacked or throw a pick or do both?

[Andy Holloway]

That's his choice. That's his choice. Is that sack where the ball goes in the air?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, that's Winston's. Winston's favorite.

[Mike Wright]

We call that the Jameis.

[Jason Moore]

The Jameis.

[Andy Holloway]

But yeah, I like the Bears a lot. They're a top 10 fantasy defense on the Season very underrated. Not just in real life, but for fantasy they've been okay. And now at home in a cold weather game, what I see from the Bears is not necessarily like, okay, they're going to be this high scoring win you the week, but they are to me, safe. Safe.

[Jason Moore]

The Chargers, 67% owned. But against Bryce Petty's Jets. Let Bryce Petty get a taste of Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa and he won't like. No, he won't like it very much. The Patriots doesn't taste good. The very bitter. Yes, it's nice. Tastes like turf. The Patriots, they have a home game against the Buffalo.

[Andy Holloway]

I heard turd turf makes a lot more sense.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, yeah. The Patriots, the Buffalo Bills, the Cardinals take on the Giants.

[Mike Wright]

Cardinals, I like the Bears a lot. Hopefully you have those Ravens that was talking about a month ago, but the Cardinals at home against the Giants. I know the Giants took off, they took flight, so to speak, against the Eagles divisional game, weird things happen. I feel very confident despite that, that performance by the Giants to play the Cardinals at home.

[Andy Holloway]

I also think the Pittsburgh Steelers could be an option. I know that their defense has gotten worse with the loss of Ryan Shazier, but they're going to figure it out and they're going up against TJ Yates.

[Jason Moore]

I think that's the key there. They have something to play for here, maintaining home field. And at this point you've got to trust in any defense against TJ Yates.

[Andy Holloway]

Full stream ahead.

[Jason Moore]

All right, if you have to stream in week 16. Where are you going, Mike?

[Mike Wright]

You know where I'm going.

[Jason Moore]

Back to the board.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. Never abort. Oh, never abort. Championships with Blake Bortles. My rising star, my stream, my start, my everything.

[Jason Moore]

Mike, I notice you forego the warning.

[Mike Wright]

This this time because the warning is not needed. If you still need the warning, you're not paying attention to what Blake Bortles is doing. He is balling out multi touchdowns the last three weeks. No interceptions, going deep, the yards per attempt. Look, Blake Bortles is a great option this week on the road against San Francisco. He is absolutely on fire. Keelan Cole is on fire. Look, I talked about, I have Jameis Winston in my championship week against Andy. It's a dynasty. So I can't grab Blake Bortles. If I had the option to go Blake Bortles over Jameis Winston, I would do it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I would too. So as San Francisco, they're playing for the potential to, you know, get into that number two seed mix. I think it's a great start.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it's not bad. How many?

[Jason Moore]

I just look at it, last week, all three streamers worked out well. Jimmy G. Blake Borrells, Case Keenum.

[Mike Wright]

That's right.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. And that's nice, I think. Case Keenum at home, you can, you can stay with him. He's not really a streamer option anymore.

[Mike Wright]

But if you had picked him up, roll with him. Yeah, yeah, I just.

[Andy Holloway]

Man, come on, Rogers. Play make Case Keenum. Have to keep throwing the ball for me this week. How many, how many touchdowns did Blake Boroughs throw last week?

[Mike Wright]

3.

[Andy Holloway]

That's pretty good, but it's not as good as my guy. Oh, Nick Foles, four touchdowns, no interceptions. It looked like that magical year he had where he threw, what Was it like 28 touchdowns, four interceptions.

[Mike Wright]

Was an Eagle.

[Andy Holloway]

He's a good Eagles quarter.

[Jason Moore]

All the pieces for success are around him. He's protected in the pocket. The defense gives him short fields. He's got Aguilar and he's got Alshon, Jeffrey and Ertz. I mean the weapons are all there. And it's a Monday night game against Oakland. You get to win your title on Monday night with Nick Foles. Isn't that the you want to hang in your. On your record?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Now, I will say this. The Oakland Raiders, they are a terrible defense, but the last three weeks they have been much better. They have not even given up. They haven't even gone up 15 points to a quarterback in the last three weeks. Part of that, you know, give me those quarterbacks. So the quarterbacks was week 13, New York. I don't think that was that the week Eli was out.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, so that doesn't count. Then you had Kansas City, Alex Smith, they shut him down pretty good. That's legit. And then last week, Dak Prescott took himself out by throwing bad passes everywhere.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

So I don't give the credit there to Oakland. So a mixed bag. I don't think you're going to see another four touchdown, zero interception game. But Nick Foles, he's got enough weapons around him and he is capable enough to where you can roll him out for the second week. Foals and Bortles getting championships. One just like everyone thought at the beginning of the year. And this is why we say you don't win championships at the draft.

[Jason Moore]

No, you set the foundation and then you got to, you got to adjust.

[Andy Holloway]

It's a year long, fun event.

[Mike Wright]

Fantasy football, build a skyscraper. So you're putting on the lightning rod right now.

[Andy Holloway]

Mm.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. For the record, my streaming quarterback is also Nick Foles. I'm cheating this week. There aren't a lot of good streaming options. I love Nick Foles, so I'm going to double down with him and he's.

[Mike Wright]

Only 27% owned if we should be available.

[Andy Holloway]

So I'll just say this. If we can do the double down, then I'm going to shift. I would rather portals than foals.

[Jason Moore]

So you guys are double bortles and I'm foals.

[Andy Holloway]

There you go. Both good options.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. By the way, I think it might be worth it at this point to kind of lay out the playoff picture as well, because that might make a decision on who you're starting on certain teams. Who has something to play for right now in the afc, the teams that have clinched are the Patriots, the Steelers, the Jaguars. The Jags are still playing for the potential of seating. The Chiefs right now are in. The Titans are in, and the Bills are in.

[Andy Holloway]

That's bananas.

[Jason Moore]

The teams that are currently out but still have a chance are Baltimore playing for something. The Chargers are playing for something. The Raiders still have a minuscule shot at 6 and 8, as do the Dolphins. Not entirely dead, but both of those teams are pretty close. But they'll still be playing because, I mean, you're playing for the opportunity for all the situations to go your way. Similar to what Green Bay would have been like at. Had Atlanta lost last night. In the nfc, the Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Saints, Panthers, they're all in right now. The Falcons are currently in. The three teams that are out that still have a chance, the Seahawks, the Lions, and the Cowboys. Okay, all three of those teams are eight and six. They can all make the playoffs, but they're all out right now. And it's all going to be at the expense of Atlanta or Carolina.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

If they were to lose out. So those are the teams that have something on the line right now. The Eagles are 12 and 2. The Vikings are 11 and 3. So if the Eagles lose, the Vikings win. There's a chance for them to grab that number one seed and home field throughout the playoffs, including the Super Bowl. So those things, you know, motivation matters. I mean, look at Cincinnati. Look at A.J. green last week. It does matter. Wow.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm looking at this. I'm looking at this line, so I know how important you're bringing up these games and the importance. So the Seattle Seahawks, a perennial super bowl contender, an absolute lock for the playoffs basically every single year. If they lose to Dallas this week, they're out.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, it's. It's not like, oh, this is a must win. No, this is a must, period. But I was shocked to see that Dallas, even though they're home, they're a four and a half point favorite.

[Jason Moore]

Who's home?

[Andy Holloway]

Seattle. Dallas.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I guess getting Zeke back moves the needle for Vegas.

[Jason Moore]

It makes sense to me. I mean, you're at home. I mean, I probably would have hit around four, five points.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And Seattle, it's not going well over there. I mean, Billy Wagner supposedly is going to play. He called out. You say Billy Wagner. Is it Bobby? Did I say Billy?

[Mike Wright]

Is it Billy Wagner a pitcher?

[Jason Moore]

I think he is. He was a former closer.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

MLB knowledge.

[Andy Holloway]

He is not good at stopping the run, though.

[Jason Moore]

But, yeah, this team's in trouble. The team's in trouble right now.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, they are.

[Jason Moore]

And Zeke. Zeke is back. That's going to make a big difference. I would definitely side on Dallas on that one. All right, that is it for today's episode. Thanks for tuning in, supporting the show. Jointhefoot.com thanks for everything you guys do. We'll be back tomorrow with another episode of the show and hopefully your holidays are going well. Absolutely. You're in the title game and we'll be rooting for you.

[Mike Wright]

Check outballers or draft.comballers for your DFS action.

[Andy Holloway]

Goodbye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the fantasy footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter ballers.