
Championship Week! Find out which players we’re concerned about for Week 16 during our “Pump the Brakes” segment. After Pump the Brakes and the latest NFL News, it’s a Mailbag show! We answer a handful of listener questions to help lead you to a #
Loading summary
Mike Wright
Navy Federal has a mission to put members first by making their financial goals. The priority receive a lifetime membership of benefits to help you and your family accomplish your life's missions. Like a full suite of financial products designed to fit your needs. 24. 7 life support and access to over 300 branches on or near military bases. Visit Navy federal.org for more information or call 1-888-842-6328 or download the Navy Federal credit union app message and data rate supply Foreignasy footballers podcast coming to you from Draft.com Studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Daddy's gone. Hey.
Jason Moore
Welcome to the podcast.
Mike Wright
Thank you. I am so happy to be here. Mike.
Jason Moore
The f that one got me the fantasy footballers podcast. I'm your host with the most for today. Not not Beetlejuice. It's me, Mike the fantasy hitman Wright, joined by my best friend of all time, Jason Moore. How you doing?
Mike Wright
It's not me. Jason Amore. Very similar to Mario. I'm doing great. You want to know why I'm doing great?
Jason Moore
Very similar.
Mike Wright
Very similar to Mario.
Jason Moore
Look, if. If there's anyone you've been compared to.
Mike Wright
Oh, has to be Mario, it's Mario because overweight, a little plumber, super hops. I mean, yeah, your jumping ability. I can jump over that flagpole, Mike. Okay. I can proof it. I can jump over that. Them. Their flagpole.
Jason Moore
Did you ever make it over as a. As a young lad?
Mike Wright
Yes. Not without cheating. It was game Genie. Genie. Yes. Yes. I don't think. Is it really possible?
Jason Moore
I don't know because I tried it.
Mike Wright
A hundred thousand times.
Jason Moore
Usually get it right in the grundle.
Mike Wright
And here's the crazy. Yes, you do. You're right.
Jason Moore
And then you bounce.
Mike Wright
You're taking that flag down for a real special ride to the bottom. But no, what's crazy is like, the fact that you could put a code in and jump over and like, says it's possible. There's a world on the other side of the flag. I've done it. But I couldn't do without a code.
Jason Moore
This is not a video game podcast. This is a football podcast. The fantasy footballers welcome and this is.
Mike Wright
Gonna be a great show.
Jason Moore
We got the mailbag. We got Pump the brakes. We got the news, and you can watch it all.
Mike Wright
What? The news? Incredible, Mike. Yes.
Jason Moore
We have the news. If you want to watch this ridiculousness that is happening. YouTube.com the fantasy footballers make you make sure you subscribe. You click the bell, follow us on Twitterffballers. You can follow my personal at ffhitman. Jason is at jasonffl. And Andy is at Andy Holloway. Don't worry, ladies and gentlemen. Andy will be bringing his incredible analysis to the show tomorrow. He will be here for the matchups.
Mike Wright
The three of us will be together for all the matchup previews. This is the last day the dad is away. So we get cray.
Jason Moore
Yeah. Cray, cray.
Mike Wright
Cray, cray.
Jason Moore
And make sure you check out foot clan giveaway. Hey, Jason.
Mike Wright
What?
Jason Moore
Along with the news, it's also Wednesday, which means.
Mike Wright
Oh, oh, oh. O'Reilly. O'Reilly Auto Parts. Yes.
Jason Moore
Good work, Brooks.
Mike Wright
Best work you've ever done.
Jason Moore
Brooks, that was the best one of all time. All right, Jason, we're going to let you kick off the pump the brakes brought to you by O'Reilly Auto Parts. Who are you pumping the brakes on?
Mike Wright
I'm pumping the brakes on someone that feels a little scary to pump the brakes on. Right. Because last week you went into the week thinking it wasn't going to be a great week for this player, and they dominated. So now you go into this week thinking, well, it's not going to be a great week. Why wouldn't they dominate again? But my pump the brakes is still going to be on Kenny Golladay the smoothest.
Jason Moore
Oh, but they're so smooth.
Mike Wright
I know. I. Oh, Kenny.
Jason Moore
You're gonna pump the brakes on this.
Mike Wright
How can. I'm just gonna. I'm gonna slowly pump the brake. Depress the pedal.
Jason Moore
Yeah, look, pump the brakes. I mean, that's.
Mike Wright
Yeah, you gotta.
Jason Moore
Gentle.
Mike Wright
What would that be? You're the music man. What would the move be on pumping the brakes?
Jason Moore
Now you're going to put.
Mike Wright
What's the little kick drum?
Jason Moore
The little kick drum?
Mike Wright
Is that what it's called? Okay, the bass drum. The bass drum. I'm going to hit the bass drum with my foot. Pump the brakes.
Jason Moore
That's an immediate, though.
Mike Wright
Okay, I'm slamming the brake. Here's what's going on with Kenny Golladay. Last week, he dominated 7 for 146 against the Bills. Against the Bills, who have been pretty good against wide receivers, great against quarterbacks. They moved him into the slot.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Mike Wright
He was not shadowed this last week. We verified this yesterday, Mike. We looked at kind of the routes and the matchups and how they played against Kenny Galladay. Sometimes the Bills use. Their main corner was Tritavius White to shadow, and they chose not to. And, you know, it worked out okay. They, you know, they were. It was a good game. For them overall. But Kenny Galladay had a good fantasy day. Xavier Rhodes for the Minnesota Vikings. And the entirety of the Minnesota Vikings defense is much better than the Bills and they shadow most games. So Rhodes.
Jason Moore
Yeah, Rhodes is a shadow corner, and he is a complete shutdown corner.
Mike Wright
Exactly. When he was on Marvin Jones the last time that these two teams matched up, he did nothing to. There's really no other guy other than Kenny Golladay to focus on. You've got Matthew Stafford injured with a back issue. I'm. I'm still. And the reason I'm pumping the brakes is because of the big week against Buffalo. I'm not playing Kenny Golladay this week. It would take a lot. I mean, if you're telling me Kenny Golladay or Dante Pettis, sure, I would go Kenny Golladay.
Jason Moore
All right.
Mike Wright
But, you know, if there's another good option, which. This is championship week, you've got depth, you've got a great roster, you're in it. I'm not going to play Kenny Golladay in most situations.
Jason Moore
All right, Jake Reyes wants to chime in here. That's right, the Bear. The Bear is pumping the brakes on Matt Burrito and Jeff Wilson because they're playing Chicago.
Mike Wright
That makes a lot of sense. And I think you can pump the brakes on them just fine. That's. Yeah.
Jason Moore
I mean, this. This is just. That's a homer call over there by the Bear.
Mike Wright
What's next? Pumping the brakes on Dante Pettis?
Jason Moore
Really, I am going to take this as our annual opportunity. Look, we love. All members of the Foot Clan, we, everyone, we thank you so much for your support. But we know, and I'm talking to you, Bill, Frank, Sally, Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim and Jim. Look, I know there's some of you out there. You got that week 17 championship week.
Mike Wright
You can't.
Jason Moore
You cannot do it. You cannot have your championship in week 17. Too many terrible variables exist of your superstar players possibly not playing.
Mike Wright
Because are you. Are you pumping the brakes on those people? Yeah. And their leagues get body.
Jason Moore
And their leagues, hey, I still love you. But this is the reminder. Write it down in your little notebook and say, we got to talk to this league commission. We got to get this fixed, this rectified, because a championship in Week 17 is not a championship at all.
Mike Wright
You know, next week, during week 17, we're going to get some arguments out there. We're going to get some people saying, hey, look, I love football. I want more football. Week 17, that's the final week of the regular season.
Jason Moore
Play some DFS go to draft.com ballers.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I mean that's just.
Jason Moore
There's things you can do.
Mike Wright
It's just a super dumb argument. That's all we would say.
Jason Moore
I mean, there you have it.
Mike Wright
Why not stop? Why not stop till the super bowl, huh?
Jason Moore
But if I'm going to pump the brakes on a player, it's Cam Newton.
Mike Wright
Yeah, that shoulder is.
Jason Moore
It's the Panthers passing offense. Besides, Christian McCaffrey's fine, but very concerned about that man and his health and his wide receivers that was pumped the brakes with O'Reilly Auto Parts. Better parts, better prices every day. Jason, we teased it hot and heavy.
Mike Wright
This is incredible.
Jason Moore
It's time for the news.
Mike Wright
And notes from around the league. Oh yes. Oh yes.
Jason Moore
Rams sign running back C.J. anderson.
Mike Wright
Eat it everybody.
Jason Moore
Todd Gurley is considered day to day, like we said, with knee inflammation. So they brought in the stud, the.
Mike Wright
Beast himself, last year's thousand yard rusher for the Denver Broncos, who has now been signed and cut by no fewer than 22 teams this season. Look, here's the real deal with the signing of CJ Anderson. This shows a couple of issues with health. So you have the health of Todd Gurley, obviously, which they're playing against the Arizona Cardinals. You want a week to rest Todd Gurley, this could be that week. And you know, it doesn't appear to, to be any kind of like MCL issue. So this is one where, look, just a little bit of rest could help. But it also is indicative that Justin Davis.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Mike Wright
Who is the backup to Todd Gurley.
Jason Moore
Now that Malcolm Brown is on the ir. Justin Davis is hurt. John Kelly, who was sensational in preseason, sensational in college. There's still rumblings that the team is not impressed. I think that's why they brought in the veteran, especially for past protection situations. And I'm trying my best not to cause a an alarm here because I don't have any inside information. This is just me reading the tea leaves. I really think that Todd Gurley sits this weekend and you need to be prepared. We talked about all the running backs you could have picked up on waivers last night. Hopefully you got Jamal Williams.
Mike Wright
Hopefully you got Kalen Bellagio, Damien Williams.
Jason Moore
Damien was somebody because you have to be ready. If you're sitting there, is it worth if you're being the grasshopper thinking that everything is perfectly fine and your opponent is the ant planning for winter and you show up Sunday morning and they go, oh, Todd Gurley's not going to play, you're going to have a really, really bad weekend.
Mike Wright
So here's the question. Todd Gurley, let's say, ruled out now, I don't believe he sits. I think there's a chance you don't sign CJ Anderson for no reason. I think Todd Gurley will still play, but let's say he does sit. So you've got three names now. You know, it's not clear cut. You've got John Kelly, the rookie who they don't seem to like a lot. They don't believe he's ready yet, but he's healthy. C.J. anderson, the vet who's a good pass protector.
Jason Moore
He's right off the street.
Mike Wright
Right off the street. Doesn't know the offense. And you've got Justin Davis. Let's say he is healthy. Todd Gurley's out. Justin Davis is in. Can a fantasy football player play one of those three guys? And if so, who?
Jason Moore
As of right now, I think I can't even give a good.
Mike Wright
Exactly. So the answer is no. The answer is, as of right now, you can't choose one of those to play until it comes out from the team or from beat reporters very close to the situation. If Gurley is rested, then you've got to monitor. I would pick them all up. Like, I. You know, I would rather have, like, Pokemon. You got to collect them all, man.
Jason Moore
Rams, running backs.
Mike Wright
Maybe one of them will evolve, turn into something special.
Jason Moore
Ooh, like level three.
Mike Wright
Yeah. You know, maybe become legendary.
Jason Moore
Maybe we get a bulbasaur.
Mike Wright
It's possible.
Jason Moore
Maybe.
Mike Wright
So I would pick them up, but you can't start. You can't start them unless you're looking for the absolute glory play, which I will be honest. Foot clan. I have C.J. anderson in this dynasty league going up against Brooks, and I'm currently starting Dante Pettis against Jay Grizz's Bears. And I. The temptation. Yeah, I know. Oh, you want me to play cj What? J. Calm down.
Jason Moore
Don't do it.
Mike Wright
I want to play him so bad. Especially because if you've been listening to this podcast, there was a week where I was like, C.J. anderson.
Jason Moore
Those are.
Mike Wright
A few weeks is a must. Grab. Handcuffed, a must. And I so firmly believed it that he was. He was a championship winner should Christian McCaffrey get injured. And then it was like two weeks after that. You were.
Jason Moore
You were wrong.
Mike Wright
It got cut.
Jason Moore
You were right, and you were wrong.
Mike Wright
Because he could win championships as a handcuff.
Jason Moore
Oh, goodness. Who will not be winning championships? Aaron Jones, running back for the Packers. He has been placed on the ir. All of further IR news. Marcus Murphy for the Buffalo Bills has been placed on the ir. Carry on. Johnson will have to carry on next year.
Mike Wright
And he will, he'll be awesome next year.
Jason Moore
He's on the ir. And Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn has conceded Devonta Freeman will not return this week. That's the bad news. Let's get it.
Mike Wright
Well, the great news. Jeremy Langford, I was going to say.
Jason Moore
The bad news continues. Jeremy Langford has been added off the practice squad for the Atlanta Falcons.
Mike Wright
Irrelevant. It might not even be.
Jason Moore
Kevin Coleman is going to touch the ball a lot this weekend.
Mike Wright
Will it matter? I mean he was good last week, but he's stunk the whole.
Jason Moore
You'll have to stay tuned for the matchup.
Mike Wright
Do you think that, yeah, we'll talk about it more. But do you think that maybe like Derek Henry and Tevin Coleman were doing a little rope a dope the whole season? They're like, oh, we're not good. We don't know how to run. They're just saving up their legs. And then all of a sudden at the end of the year when you.
Jason Moore
Know Coleman would not surprise because he's playing for money. Derek Henry is, I don't know, maybe trying to get a feature role for the playoffs. But to the good news, Melvin Gordon practiced in full on Tuesday. If you made it to the championship week with Melvin Gordon on your bench, congratulations.
Mike Wright
You're about to win the championship. Because if you made it to the championship without him and now you get to add him.
Jason Moore
Yeah, that's big time.
Mike Wright
Congrats.
Jason Moore
I guess there's a tiny little bit of bad news for the Chargers. Of course. Anthony Lynn said that Keenan Allen could be a game time decision. This is, at least it's Saturday.
Mike Wright
This is great news to me in this for Keenan Allen. Like I thought Keenan Allen was a foregone conclusion that he, there's no chance he was playing this week. It's a very important game for, for the Chargers in order to, you know, secure their position in the division. And yeah, I mean I, I mean the fact that he's a game time decision surprises me. I figured he would be ruled out early.
Jason Moore
The whispers from the bushes are positive on Keenan Allen.
Mike Wright
Yes. And like you said, it's a Saturday game which is good and bad. Bad for his playing one fewer day of rest.
Jason Moore
Right.
Mike Wright
But good for fantasy if you, you're going to know before you have to put in a replacement. And there's no Thursday games the week, no game to preview for tomorrow. So that means this Will be, you know, the first day of football this week.
Jason Moore
Absolutely. Before we move into the mailbag, your mailbag, want to thank today's sponsor. Got a new sponsor? Check them out. Hopsy. It's like the Nespresso or Keurig for beer. It brings the tap to the home, to the comfort of your own home with the sub, a countertop appliance that fits neatly in your kitchen, your bar, your living room. Whether you're a hop head, malt mouth, a pallet partier, whatever you are. There's stouts for everybody. IPAs, stouts, pilsners from big and small breweries which rotate monthly. It's a delivery service, man. They're hooking you up. And right now you can go to tryhopsy.com footballers use the promo code footballers. And for just $99, you'll get the sub home draft machine, two mini kegs, two hopsy glasses and membership into the monthly beer club. That's try h o p s y.com footballers. The promo code is footballers. You're going to get that sub home draft machine. Like I said, the two mini cakes, two hopsy glasses and the membership for just $99. Or the link will be in the show notes so you can check that out. Terms and conditions apply.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I do know. Andy got it. He was liking that. And hey, Foot clan. It's that time of year to go to these games to root your teams on. The playoffs are coming, big games. Get your tick through SeatGeek. If you're trying to get them online from some other place, it's too complicated, it's too confusing. They're not always fully guaranteed, but on SeatGeek, it's easy. On SeatGeek, it is fully guaranteed. On SeatGeek, you can get a great price because they go out and they search all these different websites they pull in so that you are getting, you're getting the best price imaginable for your tickets. It's very, very easy. And it's not just for sports. You want to go to a comedy show, you want to go to a theater event, you're sitting there going, oh, no. Oh, no, Christmas is here. What do I get? The wife? Look, the show can be a month away. You can get the ticket in two minutes on SeatGeek using that app. Best of all, our listeners get $10 off the SeatGeek. Off your first SeatGeek purchase, just download the SeatGeek app, enter the promo code ballers today. That's promo code ballers for $10 off your first SeatGeek purchase SeatGeek Lifesin event. We have the tickets.
Jason Moore
All right, let's get into it.
Mike Wright
Mailbag. Mailbag. Championship week. Dad's gone.
Jason Moore
The pressure is on, Jason.
Mike Wright
The pressure is nothing. Oh, for this guy. Let's do it.
Jason Moore
You got like a space suit on?
Mike Wright
Yeah, no. Impervious deep diving. I can go thousand meters underwater.
Jason Moore
I like to imagine you, though, with like the old school diving suit for sure. Looking like you're in BioShock.
Mike Wright
I've got a. I've got the tube that is connecting. There's no. There's no.
Jason Moore
No scuba tank.
Mike Wright
No scuba tank. The tube is very long and it's going to the surface.
Jason Moore
Did you know that SCUBA is an acronym?
Mike Wright
I did not know that.
Jason Moore
Brooks, did you know that? No. I believe it's self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus. That is not a joke.
Mike Wright
You just made that up, you liar. The more you know that.
Jason Moore
I mean, you didn't give the knowledge.
Mike Wright
I was supposed to be the one giving. The more you know there.
Jason Moore
But you didn't know, so now you know.
Mike Wright
Now the more knows.
Jason Moore
All right, so we're in the mailbag. We're gonna start it off with a Facebook question from Chris. He made it to the ship. Oh, my opponent wants to split the pot. We're going.
Mike Wright
This. This is the first question that is we surprised. There was like a few of these, so it had to be addressed.
Jason Moore
We're right into it. All right, my opponent wants to split the pot. What should I do? I'm projected to win by 20 points.
Mike Wright
So I made this joke to Brooks yesterday. We're in the studio. We're facing off mano a mano. Now there's no money in our Dynasty League. This is. This is. We take it as if it was.
Jason Moore
You know, pride only.
Mike Wright
Thousand dollars on the line, but, you know, it's pride only. And so I made the joke to him. I'm like, hey, let's. Let's. Let's split the pot. Brooks, let's bench our rosters, both be champs. They can't take it away. Guarantee it. And that was a joke because I would never do that. That's ridiculous. You play to win. It's not like. So when you're playing poker, okay, and you're playing and you get to the final table, you're playing to win money. Like, that's the reason you're sitting down. To play poker is to win money. You can guarantee yourself the money. That's not why I play fantasy football. That's a benefit. That's an awesome thing. I Want it. I want to win that money. But I'm playing to be the champ. I'm playing to be better than you. All of you. Everyone in your in this league. I'm gonna go to fantasychamps.com and get a ring. I'm gonna put it in their face. I'm gonna say kiss it. Kiss the ring. Kiss the ring. But on your knees first, please. Oh, get out of here. Now. Kiss the ring. That's what I would say. So, no, I'm not splitting a pot.
Jason Moore
But you just. You just conflicted yourself because you're saying that the championship is everything. The money is secondary. So why not just split the money? You're still playing for the championship. You're not conceding number one or number two. You're just splitting the money.
Mike Wright
Okay, so now we're.
Jason Moore
This is. You're guaranteeing yourself money. Are. Are you taking the coward's way out?
Mike Wright
Look, and making sure you get 200 bucks or whatever says he's projected to win by 20. So no, I mean, come on. You only agree to split the pot if you're the odds on to lose. But no, I'm still.
Jason Moore
Yeah, that's a smart move by your opponent.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Jason Moore
Nice hedge.
Mike Wright
I'm still going. I'm going for it all.
Jason Moore
All right, we're going to get into a voicemail question. Hey, ballers, second season listening to your show, second clan title game and swimming in Phillips rivers all season long.
Mike Wright
But don't know if I should take.
Jason Moore
A deck dive in the deep end.
Mike Wright
After Stash and Prescott a couple weeks ago. Bringing the heat. Let me know what you think. First of all, well done. I mean, I just had a thought. Okay.
Jason Moore
If you're in a two quarterback league and you have Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson and your team name is not Wilson Phillips, you have failed.
Mike Wright
You have made a terrible, terrible mistake.
Jason Moore
Because you brought shame to your family.
Mike Wright
You could have lost a lot of weight.
Jason Moore
You could have. You could have broke the chains.
Mike Wright
Yeah. Oh, man. Wilson Phillips. That is great. I'm entering a two quarterback league just so I can. First pick in the draft, Russell Wilson. Second pick, second round, Philip Rivers. All right, let's answer. My sister was a big fan. So Philip Rivers or Dak Prescott? Look, I'll give an example from the future champion. Clearly the projected to win dominating team of Brooks. Brooks has been swimming in the rivers as well with Phillips. He knows he's got a bad matchup, but he has. He's not pivoting away. He's sticking with Philip Rivers. That's his play.
Jason Moore
Has Rivers put up anything close to a bad game?
Mike Wright
I mean, it really depends on what you're saying is bad. Like a terrible game. Like what we've seen recently is Breeze or Jared Garf. No. Against Cincinnati. Disappointing.
Jason Moore
Cincinnati was a disappointing game in our league format. He scored a little over 17 points. 220 and one touchdown. His only single touchdown game of the entire season. And my point being, Philip Rivers isn't giving you Patrick Mahomes level of holy crap. I just won the week because Philip Rivers was my quarterback.
Mike Wright
Right.
Jason Moore
But even, even that down game against the Cincinnati Bengals, he has Never ruined over 200.
Mike Wright
No interceptions.
Jason Moore
He has never ruined your week.
Mike Wright
Dak has.
Jason Moore
Unlike Dak Prescott, who has ruined many weeks. Yeah, Dak has the matchup this week, though.
Mike Wright
No, I mean, I'm going Philip Rivers here. There's. It's more than just rankings as well. It's exactly what you're saying your team is made up of. Look, you just got to the championship on the back of the consistency of Philip Rivers. He's going to do enough for your roster to take over and win the same way you got to the championship. Yeah, I'm sticking with Philip Rivers.
Jason Moore
Man, that's so tough. The Ravens the past six weeks are fifth against the quarterback. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers are. Oh, wow, the sheet accurate. Do I need some spectacles over here? The past six weeks, the Bucks are ninth against fantasy quarterbacks because they're giving it all up to the running back. That's very interesting. Very interesting indeed. Next question off of Instagram from Brad Start. The New England defense vs. Buffalo or Denver against Oakland, the future home of sensational quarterback Nathan Peterman, if anything of the rumor mill is to be believed. John Gruden. John Gruden. I can't love that man any more than I do.
Mike Wright
Here's what's crazy about John Gruden. Here's what's crazy. We rag on him as a coach. I actually legitimately really like Jon Gruden. Yes, me too. I would love to hang out with Jon Gruden. I loved him as a commentator. How everybody's the greatest player you've ever seen.
Jason Moore
Monday Night Football watchers also love Jon Gruden and are so sad that he's gone.
Mike Wright
Yes. If you didn't like Gruden when he was a Monday Night Football analyst, you are saying, please come back.
Jason Moore
You're the reason we got blade hands up there.
Mike Wright
Yeah. No. So the question is Denver's defense now Denver's on the road. Oakland is terrible. Buffalo's offense, I would say is near as bad as Oakland's offense. Oakland has actually put up some points lately. I'm usually going to side with the home team and the fact that this is a divisional game, must win from New England. Coming off for the first time in a long time, back to back losses. I'm rolling with the Patriots defense. I'm trusting Bill Belichick.
Jason Moore
Patriots for me. Josh Allen. Josh Allen will do his thing. He's going to be a fine fantasy play this weekend, but he's going to turn the ball over. That's going to happen.
Mike Wright
He loves doing that.
Jason Moore
It's his favorite off of Twitter from Rachel. Can you trust Sony this week?
Mike Wright
Oh, man. So, you know, look, Sony, my fitness consigliere, Michelle. Yes, Sony Michel. Going into last week, he was one of those like, look, you have to plug him in your lineup because he's been getting, you know, again going into last week, 21 carries, 17 carries. 20 carries. He's getting red zone work. Some of that was with Rex Burkhead back. His volume was good. But then all of a sudden, this last week, he continued running poorly and he didn't continue getting the volume. He only got 13 carries. Buffalo's defense is not too scary to me for running backs. So Buffalo's defense, they're great against quarterbacks right now, great against wide receivers and tight end. But the running back is kind of their, their weak spot. If they've got a weak spot, you.
Jason Moore
Look in Quinn Suocha, Rex Burkhead has absolutely stolen the soul of fantasy value for Sony, Michelle and James like this. I still, you can, you can play him. But I, I'm not trusting him at all. At all.
Mike Wright
What about like, so you've got Tavin Coleman, he's got the show to himself.
Jason Moore
Interesting in Carolina.
Mike Wright
Or you've got Sony Michelle as large favorites at home, which, you know, home favorites. That's great for a running back. Which one would you play out of those two?
Jason Moore
Oh, man. Right now Sony is ahead in my rankings, but I would play Tevin Coleman. I'm going to have to make an.
Mike Wright
Adjustment that's identical to me. I was looking at my rankings saying I don't agree with how high Sony is. I think he's more, he belongs down near where Tevin Coleman is. I mean, look, I was not the hugest Sony. I mean, we disagreed on Sony Michelle coming out of the draft, you were a big fan. I didn't like him. I liked him once he was drafted, you know, in the first round by New England Patriots great situation, but I'm disappointed with the amount of carries he's had on the season for his touchdown volume on the Patriots. Right. Like the. The Patriots usually have a great touchdown rushing touchdown total as a team. And so far, what does he have? Four, five touchdowns on the season. We're coming up to the last two weeks of the season and he's been getting 20 plus carries plenty. So, yeah, I think I go Tevin Coleman in that situation. It's a matter of who you have on your roster. I think we, we at least laid out Sony's situation for you. Hopefully that helps.
Jason Moore
We've gotten a lot of questions about James Conner and Jalen Samuels. So this one's from Facebook, from Daniel. If Connor is active, would you still play Samuels as your tight end?
Mike Wright
No, I wouldn't.
Jason Moore
So Jalen Samuels at the tight end position or David and Joku?
Mike Wright
David and Joku. Do you believe that, that Jalen Samuels has played his way into sharing the load?
Jason Moore
No, no, I don't think he will share the load. The question is, do you think Jalen Samuels can get three to four receptions with a scoring?
Mike Wright
Well, he can. So, like, if you look back Week 10 Carolina, then that would be at.
Jason Moore
Least equal if not better than to David and joku.
Mike Wright
He had three receptions for 22 yards and a touchdown. So you were okay. But that's like his peak. His peak before James Conner went down. I mean, usually here's his line. His line is 0 carries. 0 carries, 3 carries. You know, he just had no involvement when James Conner was there. And we joke on air and off air. We know what Mike Tomlin's doing. When Mike Tomlin came out and said, we're going to have a committee, we're going to share with Jalen Samuels. Yeah, we were joking around like, oh, sure you will. No, no, he's not. There's so much history. It was kind of like, you know, with North Turner. When you have a coach with as much history of him doing the exact same thing over and over and over, you know, you can predict it. You can say with pretty fair certainty they're not going to have an RBBC when Connor gets back. It's going to be the Conner show. So I'm not starting Jalen Samuels. I would still rather start in Joku.
Jason Moore
This one's off of Instagram from Rogers. Jeff Rogers, underscore Jeff. If Spencer Ware is active, would you start warehouse or your favorite running back of all time, Damian Williams.
Mike Wright
If Spencer Ware is active, Damian Williams does not belong in a game. That's my opinion. Now, could he do what happened a couple of weeks ago?
Jason Moore
He'll still be in a timeshare.
Mike Wright
Yeah, he'll still.
Jason Moore
It won't be all where, but I would start where over Damian Williams.
Mike Wright
Correct. That being said, I don't think where starts. I don't think where he's in the game. So Damian Williams to me is still very attractive. If Ware comes back.
Jason Moore
It's got great eyebrows.
Mike Wright
Yeah. I mean, yeah. You wake up and you say, oh, this is. This was Damian Williams. I made a trash. Great eyebrows but great eyebrows. What is happening?
Jason Moore
This one's off of Twitter from Burpee Stevens. Is it a good idea? Yeah. Burpee Stevens. You got a problem with that?
Mike Wright
I don't. I mean, I can't burp myself, but Burpee Stevens. All right, Stevens.
Jason Moore
Maybe he does the exercise move the burpee a lot?
Mike Wright
Yes, that's. That's what it is.
Jason Moore
Have you ever done a burpee? Have you ever done 10?
Mike Wright
I don't know if I've done 10. I quit after one.
Jason Moore
Yeah, good for you. Because they're the worst.
Mike Wright
Yeah. Exercise. Yeah.
Jason Moore
Get out of my face as exercise.
Mike Wright
Stay obtuse. There's a wide angle.
Jason Moore
Is it a good idea to load up the bench with quarterbacks for championship week if the tiebreaker is bench points?
Mike Wright
I've actually thought about this.
Jason Moore
I was going to say it yesterday on yesterday's show.
Mike Wright
Yeah. If your tiebreaker is bench points, then yeah. I mean, once your lineup is pretty much.
Jason Moore
I would I hold off until Sunday morning?
Mike Wright
Yes.
Jason Moore
Because I don't want some freaky deaky thing to happen where I got a scramble for now, a backup running back.
Mike Wright
Yeah. Let's say you've got open waivers. You do it right before, right before game time. Go and throw Sam Darnold on your bench or whoever's out there. If they're a quarterback, they're going to score more points. Load up. If it's championship week, if you don't have keeper considerations, then, then whatever. You're not hurting yourself. You're only helping if you. If your waivers run once a day, do it Sunday morning so that those, those players you're dropping can't be kept. But I would just say if it's the Sunday morning waiver, leave yourself, leave yourself an out for some kind of warm up injury.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Mike Wright
Leave one player that you can flex in should somebody get injured. Otherwise you're going to be like, oh, I lost the championship. But look at all My bench points.
Jason Moore
This one's off of IG from JMag. Can I trust Rob Gronkowski in the finals or should I roll with Evan Ingram?
Mike Wright
Oh, don't ask that. I really don't want this question asked on the show because when I was.
Jason Moore
Too late, the cat's out of the bag. Wow, this seems personal.
Mike Wright
This is per. Look, I'm making my rankings and I toiled with the Rob Gronkowski Evan Ingram ranking and I landed on Evan Ingram one spot ahead of Gronk. That's how I have my rankings. And I literally thought, I believe it. And I really hope people don't. Look, I really hope people don't ask me because I don't want to follow up and say it. But the truth is I believe it. Like, if it was my team, I'm willing to do that to myself, you know, like, that's the difference. And you give this advice is like, I can handle that. I'm making the decision. So yes, I'm a man. I'm a man, I could do it. Look, I believe that you can start Evan Ingram over Gronk. I would do it, but you have to make that decision because losing with Gronk on your bench, when you're getting too cute, you're going to be mad at me. And I'm saying if you're. If you put it all right, here's my answer. If you're the type of person that's going to be mad at me when I say play Evan Ingram, then play Gronk. That's my answer. Otherwise I would go Evan Ingram.
Jason Moore
Let me ask you this, does that have any impact if Odell Beckham actually plays?
Mike Wright
100% is only if Odell Beckham is out. Thank you for clarifying that. I don't expect Odell Beckham to play. That's how my rankings are set up right now. If Odell Beckham is in the game, it's wrong city.
Jason Moore
Speaking of Odell Beckham. Hey, footballers, this is Dylan from Ohio. Got a little bit of a dilemma, kind of hypothetical as well, but I have Odell Beckham. I'm in the last week of my two week playoffs, up by 15. If, let's say Odell's healthy, do you guys trust him enough or should I flex him? Somebody like Chris Carson instead? All right, guys, keep up the good work.
Mike Wright
Thank you, Odell. So what was crazy is I was like, of course I trust him enough. Like, and I do. If Odell Beckham is healthy, you're putting Odell Beckham out There he's going to be great. But then he said Chris Carson who's.
Jason Moore
Taking on the Kansas City Chiefs and.
Mike Wright
Chris Carson is great. I mean Chris Carson's been a.
Jason Moore
He's a very good player.
Mike Wright
He's at home against the Chiefs. I mean I think I go Chris Carson there.
Jason Moore
Chris Carson is my running back eight right now.
Mike Wright
Yeah. I mean look, last week he was my start of the week. The last two weeks, both weeks, 22 carries, both weeks of touchdown, 90 yards, 120 yards. So you're averaging 105 yards and a touchdown and 20 plus carries. You're at home against the team that's bad against the run. This is not an anti Odell Beckham take. It's. I mean I would say this. If Odell Beckham had been healthy, had never had a quad injury at all and you're just going into the game, both are fully healthy, I would go at el Beckham. But there is still the chance when a guy misses two games in a row, you come back re aggravate injury. We see it all the time.
Jason Moore
Right.
Mike Wright
So if you've got a great option like that then I would probably go with Chris Carson and take that injury risk off my team. But in general, I love Odell Beckham.
Jason Moore
If he plays off of IG from yeah, Boilo, Amari Cooper or Derek two game turn up Henry in my flex in a ppr. Ppr you say P P R. That's a pirate.
Mike Wright
That's a pirate.
Jason Moore
That's favorite scoring format ppr.
Mike Wright
Dang it. I feel like they would be just as happy with half point ppr.
Jason Moore
No, no Pirates all in though.
Mike Wright
That's true.
Jason Moore
They never half anything.
Mike Wright
No, they want all the booty.
Jason Moore
You ever tried to half a piece of weight?
Mike Wright
No, it doesn't work.
Jason Moore
I love Michael Keaton.
Mike Wright
There was a question here. It was Amari Cooper.
Jason Moore
Yeah, it's from your boy low.
Mike Wright
Your boy low. Look, Derek Henry's must start.
Jason Moore
Yes, I agree. Even in a PPR.
Mike Wright
Derek Henry 17 carries then 33 carries. I've been calling him the Tennessee Derek Henry. He's getting 50 carries. Yeah, I mean where do you have.
Jason Moore
Amari Cooper right now? Let's give some context.
Mike Wright
So right now I have Amari Cooper in a great matchup at home and.
Jason Moore
This is based the Buccaneers.
Mike Wright
This is basically in a standard format as wide receiver 7. I have 10 and I've got Derek Henry as the running back 8. So there, I mean this is a good conversation that yes, you could go either way but I guess the way that I see it is you look floor and you look upside. Right. The upside of both is equal. Would you agree?
Jason Moore
Amari Cooper. Yeah. I mean, literally upsides the penthouse. You can't. You cannot get higher than Amari Cooper's upside.
Mike Wright
Derek Henry is knocking on that door. Considering that he just against, you know, I mean, look, a couple weeks ago he had 238 yards and four touchdowns.
Jason Moore
Fair. But I would not ever consider the ceiling for someone to be numbers that egregious. I know it happened, but you're not like.
Mike Wright
Yeah, this week I got.
Jason Moore
I got Henry standing out for about 225 at 4.
Mike Wright
No, I. All right, I'll see you. That. Whose floor is lower on the season? Derek Henry had a terrible floor. 4.7 points. 6 points.
Jason Moore
But the question. The question to me simply is you got to throw all that crap out. Is this the future for Derek Henry, him getting 20 carries a game?
Mike Wright
There is no chance that Derek Henry, barring injury, does not get 20 carries in this game against Washington. With their poor offense, that's not going to be able to force them to throw the ball. No. I think Derek Henry's a workhorse, so I'm going to lean Derek Henry here.
Jason Moore
All right, this one's off of Twitter from Sir Rick diculous.
Mike Wright
Oh, I love it.
Jason Moore
I have to start to Jason.
Mike Wright
I. Okay, he's in.
Jason Moore
He didn't.
Mike Wright
And who's that? Who else? Because, I mean, Jason's locked and loaded.
Jason Moore
But it's Jason Campbell.
Mike Wright
Oh, he's out.
Jason Moore
All right, start to Corey Davis, Josh Reynolds, Cortland Sutton. I am the underdog.
Mike Wright
You think? Sorry, that was a little rude, but you just said you had to start two of these terrible options. This is the championship. Yeah, it's a deep league, Jason. It sure is.
Jason Moore
He's in the title game.
Mike Wright
He's in. Hey, I support you. We all root for the underdog, which means I'm rooting for you, buddy. Sorry, it was low hanging fruit. Now I'll help you out after. I'm. Now I'm done. Now that I'm done torching you. Here's the thing. We love our audience. We like staying positive here. We. We don't ever want to make fun of questions and stuff like that. So there's part of me that apologizes. But there's. But there's. The other part of me knows how much you enjoyed that. You enjoyed laughing at that. So we're even.
Jason Moore
Totally.
Mike Wright
So Josh Reynolds, Cortland Sutton and who?
Jason Moore
Corey Davis.
Mike Wright
Corey Davis. Does he Give his scoring format.
Jason Moore
No.
Mike Wright
All right, so we've got Josh Reynolds playing in Arizona, where I still like Jared Goff. I really do this week. I know that'll surprise people. Mike, We.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Mike Wright
We're kind of in disagreement on this, but I really like them. Arizona's got nothing to play for. Their head coach is pretty much a lame duck. The expectation is he'll be gone. You have Sutton, who has just been a huge disappointment. I've got them back to back in my rankings. He's playing against Oakland. And then Corey Davis, who's been great when in the. In the games that marks Mariota has started, minus the last two weeks where Derek Henry has taken all the passing away. He's been good, but I. I expect it to be the Derek Henry show again. So what's.
Jason Moore
What's tough is Corey Davis, his quarterback, three of the past five games has thrown 162 yards or fewer.
Mike Wright
And they're winning. And they're winning. Derek Henry, I mean, that's.
Jason Moore
Davis is higher in my rankings, but that's a really difficult question. I don't mind. Josh Reynolds against Arizona.
Mike Wright
Reynolds is in. To me, he's the one. Yeah.
Jason Moore
Cortland Sutton is the harder one. He should be in. Great matchup, great talent. He's the guy.
Mike Wright
But we talked about what's happening.
Jason Moore
Should be the guy. He's. He's not from targets.
Mike Wright
He's certainly not been the guy. I mean, he got five receptions, but they're just. They're not the valuable receptions that you should be getting with Cortland Sutton down the field because Case Keenum's unwilling to throw the ball down the field. So between Corey Davis and Cortland Sutton, I guess I go Corey Davis, I mean, Josh Reynolds, I think, has the. He could just get one catch for 40 yards and a touchdown and you'd be happy.
Jason Moore
Yeah, Eileen, Corey Davis and Josh Reynolds as well. But like you said, you're the underdog for a reason. And I'm feeling that this one's off of IG from Brandon. What to do with Jordan Howard in a Dynasty league. This one's right at home. Pull up a chair next to the hearth and listen to Jason Moore as he talks about Jordan Howard on his team.
Mike Wright
Sit next to the fireplace with me. It's freezing warm. Your bunions. Oh, no, it's out. It's just cold. It's freezing near the Jordan Howard Dynasty fireplace. Well, you all are welcome. It sucks. I don't have a clue. But, yeah, I am in the Dynasty league. I'm starting Jordan Howard. I'm in the championship with Jordan Howard, but my depth behind him is not much. And look, if I'm the Chicago Bears and Jay Grizz, maybe you can weigh in on this. I would. Wow. You read my mind. Next year I'd draft a running back. They need a different. As the Bears. As the Bears. I believe they need a different style of running back. And you can argue. What are you talking about? They're winning games. They've got, you know, the thunder and lightning. You know, Jordan Howard's getting 20 carries wearing down defenses and they're winning games. So hopefully they don't for Jordan Howard owners. But what you do with him is you hold him. That's what I believe. I believe you just hold Jordan Howard. Get the value you can get out of it. Wait and see what happens in the draft. If I was able to trade Jordan Howard for good value, someone is very running back, needy and I can get a solid wide receiver. You know, if for some reason I could trade Jordan Howard for Kenny Golladay, I'll do that.
Jason Moore
There's no way. I got a. I got a weird hypothetical because I was just thinking about my own team and my running back depth. This is not an official offer.
Mike Wright
Oh, okay. But all right.
Jason Moore
Hypothetically.
Mike Wright
Hypothetical. Also. Your running back depth is the worst I've ever seen. Go on.
Jason Moore
Yeah. Would you trade in a dynasty league? I didn't. I hate to bring his name up, but there's going to be a lot of questions. Would you trade Jordan Howard for Kareem Hunt?
Mike Wright
Oh, my goodness. Wow.
Jason Moore
A guy who may never. May never play in the league again, but a guy who is also a top five talent at the position if he can come back.
Mike Wright
So.
Jason Moore
Versus a player who may not even be on his team next year taking.
Mike Wright
Out any of the. Taking out any of the.
Jason Moore
Any of the.
Mike Wright
More off the field stuff. Taking that out. Because if. We've always been supporters of this. If you're morally against a player in fantasy, Joe Mixon, Tyree Kill Kareem Hunt for their pass.
Jason Moore
Yeah. Don't play with them.
Mike Wright
Don't play them. Draft them. Totally support that. So I'm going to take this out and just make this fantasy advice. I would not do that trade. And here's why. I believe in the now. I believe in winning championships now. I believe that a first round draft pick in this year's draft class is more valuable than a first round pick in next year's draft class. Even if next year's draft class is supposed to be Better. The reason is because one is a year earlier. One you get a whole extra year of playing when Kareem Hunt comes back, if he comes back big, if he's going to lose probably close to a year. So now I'm trading a guy that might come back two years from now. So, no, in that situation, philosophically, just fantasy football related, I would go Jordan Howard and Kareem Hunt is not coming back to a starting workhorse face of the franchise role. You know what I mean?
Jason Moore
Right.
Mike Wright
Whoever's going to take a shot on him, he might work his way there over time, but he's not just signing some great. We're giving you the ball a ton. You're our lead dog role off of.
Jason Moore
IG from M. Del Machio, Doug Baldwin or Gus Bus Edwards.
Mike Wright
Ooh, that's a good one. That's easy. Is it? It is for me and we'll talk about this tomorrow.
Jason Moore
But I asked the question right now.
Mike Wright
I'm going to talk about it more tomorrow. I'm going to answer the question now.
Jason Moore
All right.
Mike Wright
It's Doug Baldwin. Okay, look, this is the same. Same game. No, no, no.
Jason Moore
This is Doug Baldwin's playing the Chiefs. Gus Edwards is playing the Chargers.
Mike Wright
Gus Edwards is a solid play. I like Gus Edwards. He's getting the ball enough. The team runs the ball fantastically. He's a solid play. But I think Doug Baldwin against Kansas City at home has much higher odds of a touchdown. He appeared healthy this last week, obviously had a monster game, two touchdowns this past week. Look, I'll just give a. I'll give a little preview. Doug Baldwin is my start of the week at the wide receiver position. Wow. I'm going back to my fantasy mvp.
Jason Moore
Wow.
Mike Wright
Who has crapped on me. Yeah, he has, big time. But I believe this is the week where, look, Doug Baldwin's a great player. Nobody can argue that he's not a great wide receiver, has a great connection with Russell Wilson. He's been injured this year. They've been running the ball. Like it or not. You're probably, I would say odds on very heavily that you're not going to just be able to run the ball all game against Kansas City. Because if Kansas City is scoring, which they've done on everyone, you're going to have to keep up. So I like Doug Baldwin. This week.
Jason Moore
I brought this question up as also. So we can have a little bit of a further discussion on Gus Edwards. If you haven't been paying attention, if all you're looking at is the box score, it's still been very good for Gus Edwards this past week. 19 over 100 on the ground and a score.
Mike Wright
Yeah, the Kenneth Dixon.
Jason Moore
Except Kenneth Dixon out snapped Gus Edwards. The snaps have been trending down for Gus Edwards. So that was the question.
Mike Wright
No, I don't care at all. Out. Snap them three to one if I still get 19 carries. I mean, the difference is, like, there are certain players that are on the field when they don't get the ball. And there are certain players that when they're on the field, they get the ball. Right. Like Taysum Hill comes in for very few snaps, but he, when he lines up in the backfield. I saw this on the broadcast. It's a rushing play to Taysom Hill 90% of the time on the season. 90% of the time when Taysom Hill comes in, he's getting the ball and he runs with it like he is.
Jason Moore
Throwing a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Book it. Book it.
Mike Wright
Seriously, they've set this up the long con 100%. You are correct.
Jason Moore
If the Saints are in the Super Bowl, Taysom Hill will throw.
Mike Wright
Take that prop bet.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Mike Wright
Yeah, that'll be out there. But yeah, look, Gus Edwards comes in to run the ball. Kenneth Dixon comes in when it's passing down, which means they might throw it to him. He's not going to touch the ball that much. So, yeah, I'm not worried at all about Gus Edwards. Like him a lot.
Jason Moore
Folk land. Before we close out today's show, want to thank today's sponsor, Navy Federal. They got the mission. Put the members first by making their financial goals the priority. And you can visit navy federal.org for more information. Call 1-888-842-6328 or just download the Navy Federal credit union app. Message and data rates may apply. The matchups are tomorrow. Jason Moore, are you prepared?
Mike Wright
I still need to do 100 push.
Jason Moore
Ups and 10 burpees.
Mike Wright
Oh, no. I really thought you were going to go there with me. The 100 push ups.
Jason Moore
Not tracking in the slightest.
Mike Wright
No. One punch, man. Oh, one punch. Yes.
Jason Moore
Fair enough. There you have it. Foot clan. Hey, we're doing an extra show if you're a supporter on jointhefoot.com that'll be up this afternoon and of course going to play that daily draft.com ballers. We'll see you tomorrow.
Mike Wright
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. The FFballers.
Fantasy Footballers Podcast - Episode: "Pump the Brakes, Championship Week Q’s + Great Eyebrows"
Release Date: December 19, 2018
In this high-energy episode of Fantasy Footballers, hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright delve deep into the strategies and decisions crucial for navigating the final stretch of the fantasy football season. Titled "Pump the Brakes, Championship Week Q’s + Great Eyebrows," this episode is packed with expert analysis, listener questions, and insightful discussions aimed at helping fantasy managers secure their championships.
The episode kicks off with the trio introducing the "Pump the Brakes" segment, where they discuss players whom fantasy managers should consider benching despite their apparent upside. Mike Wright initiates the conversation with Kenny Golladay as his primary candidate.
Key Discussion Points:
Kenny Golladay:
Mike Wright [03:58]: "I'm pumping the brakes on Kenny Golladay, the smoothest."
Despite Golladay's impressive performance against the Bills last week, Wright advises caution due to the upcoming matchup against Buffalo, a team known for its strong defense against wide receivers and quarterbacks. The trio analyzes the defensive strategies, noting that Buffalo opted not to shadow Golladay as intensely as usual, making him a risky play for championship week.
Jake Reyes' Perspective:
Jason Moore [06:26]: "Jake Reyes is pumping the brakes on Matt Burrito and Jeff Wilson because they're playing Chicago."
Reyes suggests holding off on players facing tough defenses, emphasizing the importance of leveraging depth and favorable matchups during the final playoff push.
Championship Week Dynamics:
The hosts discuss the potential chaos of championships set in Week 17, highlighting the uncertainties surrounding player availability and the importance of having reliable starters.
Transitioning from strategic plays, the hosts provide crucial updates on key NFL players that could impact fantasy lineups in the pivotal championship week.
Notable Updates:
Rams Sign CJ Anderson:
Mike Wright [09:17]: "The signing of CJ Anderson shows concerns with Todd Gurley's health."
Anderson's addition to the Rams presents fantasy managers with a potential alternative if Gurley remains sidelined due to his knee inflammation. However, Wright advises caution, suggesting that without definitive information from team sources, managers should avoid starting Anderson prematurely.
Injury Reports:
The heart of the episode lies in the comprehensive Mailbag section, where the hosts tackle listener-submitted questions, offering tailored advice for a variety of fantasy scenarios.
Highlighted Questions and Responses:
Splitting the Pot in a Dynasty League:
Chris [19:43]: "My opponent wants to split the pot. What should I do?"
Mike Wright firmly advises against splitting the pot, emphasizing the competitive nature of dynasty leagues.
Mike Wright [21:10]: "You play to win championships now. Splitting the pot dilutes the competitive integrity of the league."
Philip Rivers vs. Dak Prescott:
Daniel [22:05]: "If Connor is active, would you still play Samuels as your tight end?"
The hosts compare Rivers' consistency to Prescott's volatility, ultimately favoring Rivers for his reliability.
Jason Moore [23:17]: "Philip Rivers isn't giving you Patrick Mahomes level of performance, but he's more consistent than Dak Prescott."
New England Defense vs. Buffalo/Denver:
Brad Start [25:21]: "New England defense vs. Buffalo or Denver – which should I trust?"
Favoring the Patriots' defense based on their performance and the necessity to secure playoff positions, the trio weighs the defensive matchups.
Mike Wright [26:32]: "I'm rolling with the Patriots defense. I'm trusting Bill Belichick."
Sony Michel vs. Tevin Coleman:
Rachel [26:42]: "Can you trust Sony this week?"
The decision pivots between the performance and health of Michel and Coleman, with a lean towards Coleman for his consistent workload.
Jason Moore [28:25]: "I would play Tevin Coleman over Sony Michel this week based on current performance."
Rob Gronkowski vs. Evan Ingram:
Dan [34:11]: "Can I trust Rob Gronkowski in the finals or should I roll with Evan Ingram?"
Wright advocates for Ingram over Gronkowski, citing rankings and game-time decisions.
Mike Wright [34:33]: "I believe you can start Evan Ingram over Gronk. If you're the type to get mad at this advice, then stick with Gronk."
Amari Cooper vs. Derek Henry:
Dylan [37:33]: "Should I start Amari Cooper or Derek Henry in a PPR league?"
The hosts debate the high ceiling of Cooper against Henry's consistent rushing volume, ultimately favoring Henry for his reliability.
Jason Moore [39:13]: "Amari Cooper has a high upside, but Derek Henry's floor is more reliable this week."
Mike Wright [40:09]: "There is no chance that Derek Henry, barring injury, does not get 20 carries in this game against Washington."
Jordan Howard vs. Kareem Hunt (Dynasty League):
Brandon [43:51]: "What to do with Jordan Howard in a Dynasty league?"
Wright recommends holding onto Howard rather than trading for Hunt, focusing on current performance over speculative future gains.
Mike Wright [46:14]: "Philosophically, I would go with Jordan Howard. Kareem Hunt is too uncertain for this decision."
Doug Baldwin vs. Gus Edwards:
JMag [47:50]: "Is it Doug Baldwin or Gus Edwards this week?"
Favoring Baldwin for his matchup against Kansas City while acknowledging Edwards' steady performance.
Mike Wright [48:10]: "Doug Baldwin is a great player and has a high chance of a touchdown against Kansas City."
Risk Management: The "Pump the Brakes" segment emphasizes the importance of evaluating upcoming matchups and player reliability, especially during critical championship weeks.
Injury Vigilance: Continuous monitoring of player health is crucial, as late-season injuries can pivot fantasy outcomes significantly.
Mailbag Expertise: The hosts provide nuanced advice tailored to specific league formats (e.g., dynasty vs. standard), underscoring the complexity of fantasy decision-making.
Player Consistency vs. Upside: Balancing reliable performers against high-ceiling players is a recurring theme, with a slight preference towards consistency in championship scenarios.
Strategic Depth Utilization: Leveraging bench depth and understanding team strategies (like the Patriots' defensive play under Belichick) can provide a competitive edge in tight playoff races.
Mike Wright [03:58]: "I'm pumping the brakes on Kenny Golladay, the smoothest."
Jason Moore [19:57]: "Philip Rivers isn't giving you Patrick Mahomes level of performance, but he's more consistent than Dak Prescott."
Mike Wright [21:10]: "You play to win championships now. Splitting the pot dilutes the competitive integrity of the league."
Jason Moore [28:25]: "I would play Tevin Coleman over Sony Michel this week based on current performance."
Mike Wright [34:33]: "I believe you can start Evan Ingram over Gronk. If you're the type to get mad at this advice, then stick with Gronk."
This episode of Fantasy Footballers delivers a wealth of information and strategic guidance for fantasy managers aiming to secure their leagues' championships. From cautious player selections in "Pump the Brakes" to in-depth Mailbag sessions addressing diverse fantasy dilemmas, Andy, Jason, and Mike provide actionable insights backed by their extensive expertise. Whether you're navigating injury uncertainties or debating the merits of consistent performers versus high-upside players, this episode serves as a valuable resource for making informed decisions in the final weeks of the fantasy football season.
Note: Timestamps are referenced to provide context for where discussions occur within the episode. Listeners are encouraged to revisit specific segments for a deeper understanding of the analyses and recommendations.