Starts of the Week, Wk 1 Matchups, Super Bowl Picks

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary Episode: Starts of the Week, Wk 1 Matchups, Super Bowl Picks
Release Date: September 5, 2019

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Episode Overview

In this episode, the Fantasy Footballers—Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright—dive into their Super Bowl predictions, analyze Week 1 fantasy football matchups, discuss player news and injuries, and share their start-of-the-week player recommendations. The hosts blend expert analysis with entertaining banter, providing listeners with valuable insights to kick off the NFL season.

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Super Bowl Predictions

The trio begins with their Super Bowl picks, reflecting on last year's disappointments and projecting this season's potential champions.

• Mike Wright favors the Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints, stating:

  "I believe that the Saints will get there from the NFC and the Chiefs will get there from the AFC. I have the Chiefs winning the Super Bowl over Drew Brees on his swung swan song."
  [03:24]

• Jason Moore anticipates a face-off between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Chiefs, confidently predicting:

  "The Eagles are going to win the Super Bowl. They're going to do it over the Kansas City Chiefs."
  [04:15]

• Andy Holloway opts for an offense versus defense showdown, choosing the Chiefs over the Chicago Bears:

  "I'm taking the Chiefs to defeat Chicago in the Super Bowl."
  [04:58]

Despite their differing opinions, all hosts express respect for Andy Reid's coaching prowess while debating his in-game management skills.

---

Week 1 Matchups Analysis

Player News and Injuries

• Stefon Diggs missed practice due to a hamstring issue, raising concerns about his availability for Week 1.

  "I expect Stefan Diggs to play like this is just a minor tweak,"
  [07:37]

• DeSean Jackson is confirmed to play against the Washington Redskins in Week 1 despite a finger injury. The hosts discuss his reliability and potential impact:

  "I'm pivoting in most of my leagues,"
  [09:47]

Team-Specific Insights

• Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets: The Bills are favored due to their strong defense, especially against quarterbacks and tight ends. The absence of key Jets players like Chris Herndon also tilts the favor towards the Bills.

• Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans: The Browns are slight favorites with an improved defense. Derek Henry is highlighted as a reliable RB pick against the Browns' defense.

• Baltimore Ravens vs. Miami Dolphins: The Ravens are favored, with discussions around Lamar Jackson's performance and the Dolphins' defense vulnerabilities.

• Kansas City Chiefs vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Chiefs are favored in a high-scoring game, but the unpredictable nature of the matchup is noted, especially concerning Tyreek Hill and Sammy Watkins.

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Starts of the Week

The hosts share their recommended players to start in Week 1 across various positions, providing strategic insights tailored for fantasy football success.

Quarterbacks

• Andy Holloway selects Jameis Winston facing a weak San Francisco defense:

  "I expect huge things from both San Francisco and Tampa Bay... San Francisco allowed the fifth most points per game last year."
  [58:34]

• Jason Moore opts for Kyler Murray against the Detroit Lions, citing the Cardinals' depleted defense and Murray's dual-threat capabilities:

  "Kyler Murray is going to have more passing attempts per game than most quarterbacks in football."
  [59:24]

• Mike Wright recommends Kirk Cousins against the Atlanta Falcons, praising his recent performance and matchup advantages:

  "Kirk Cousins will come out, has a really solid performance week one."
  [57:50]

Running Backs

• Andy Holloway endorses Mark Ingram due to Miami's strong rushing defense:

  "Mark Ingram is playing Miami. They give up the second most rushing yards per game."
  [62:21]

• Jason Moore recommends Sony Michel against the Pittsburgh Steelers:

  "Sony Michel kind of continue his playoff performance into week one."
  [60:36]

• Mike Wright advises caution with Derek Henry, but ultimately supports starting him:

  "I am going Derek Henry because it's just playing the game of probability."
  [22:57]

Wide Receivers

• Jason Moore selects Chris Godwin facing a weak 49ers secondary:

  "Chris Godwin will be peppered with targets."
  [63:14]

• Andy Holloway chooses Dee Dee Westbrook for his favorable matchup against the Jaguars:

  "Dee Dee Westbrook is going to be... a favorite target in a pass-heavy game."
  [64:56]

• Mike Wright highlights Curtis Samuel as a high-upside, sneaky flex option:

  "Curtis Samuel can have a top 10 wide receiver game with a bomb touchdown."
  [64:38]

Tight Ends

• Jason Moore advocates for Jared Cook against the Houston Texans, leveraging his red-zone potential:

  "Jared Cook's going to feast in his debut game."
  [65:53]

• Mike Wright recommends Darren Waller as a primary tight end option, especially if Antonio Brown is suspended:

  "Darren Waller is going to have a very good game and you can probably pick him up off of waiver."
  [68:54]

• Andy Holloway suggests Delaney Walker, acknowledging his reliability despite lower excitement:

  "Delaney Walker is going to be... steady if not spectacular."
  [68:36]

Kicker

• Mike Wright confidently selects Will Lutz from the New Orleans Saints:

  "Week one with the Saints kicker, Will Lutz."
  [69:43]

---

Conclusions and Final Thoughts

The Fantasy Footballers wrap up the episode by reiterating their Week 1 recommendations and expressing enthusiasm for the upcoming NFL games. They emphasize the importance of monitoring early performances without overreacting, as Week 1 can set the tone but doesn't solely determine season-long success.

Notable moments include the hosts' humorous exchanges about "water bets" among themselves and their lighthearted takes on player behaviors, such as the discussion surrounding Antonio Brown's suspension.

---

Notable Quotes

• Mike Wright on Super Bowl predictions:

  "I believe that the Saints will get there from the NFC and the Chiefs will get there from the AFC..."
  [03:24]

• Jason Moore on Kyler Murray:

  "Kyler garbage time opportunities. He's lightning fast, his routes are great."
  [59:24]

• Andy Holloway on Mark Ingram:

  "Mark Ingram is playing Miami. They give up the second most rushing yards per game."
  [62:21]

---

This episode provides a comprehensive analysis for fantasy football enthusiasts gearing up for the NFL season, blending strategic advice with engaging discussions on player performances and team dynamics.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, Foot clan. The drafts are over.

[Jason Moore]

Football is here.

[Andy Holloway]

It is time to get it on. You know what else you can do? You can play some DFS if you are into that. We've got you covered as well with our ultimate DFS pass. It's got our rankings, it's got expert advice from stellar people in the community. We're talking Jake Seeley, Robert Woziak, Chris Meaney. Incredible things, a lineup optimizer. The the DFS pass is bigger and better than ever. Go check it [e-mail] Today's episode of.

[Jason Moore]

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[Mike Wright]

This is Dede Westbrook here with the.

[Andy Holloway]

Jacksonville Jaguars, and you're listening to the Fantasy Footballers podcast.

[Mike Wright]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast coming to you from pristineauction.com studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike wr.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, welcome in.

[Andy Holloway]

It's football time.

[Mike Wright]

Hey, hey, hey.

[Jason Moore]

Throwing in a few lyrics for the theme song today.

[Andy Holloway]

Those are actually the words. People don't know this.

[Jason Moore]

Well, you did write it.

[Andy Holloway]

So people don't know that the Fantasy Footballers theme song has. It has words.

[Jason Moore]

It's called it's football time. Yeah, that's the name of the song.

[Andy Holloway]

And that's the. That's it.

[Jason Moore]

That's it.

[Andy Holloway]

You just, you fit it in where you can fit it in and then scream, hey, hey.

[Jason Moore]

It's a Billboard Top 500. Welcome into the show. Jam packed today. Super bowl picks, fantasy forecast starts of the week. The boom boom kicker. Football. Football is back. It's Thursday, September 5th. Some people know it as the debut of the NFL season. Others know it as Michael Keaton's birthday.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, I love Michael Keaton.

[Jason Moore]

I do, too. Yeah. So I'm not surprised with our illustrious history with Michael Keaton that he would choose to move his birthday to the day in which the NFL season begins. So thank you for that.

[Mike Wright]

Good of you.

[Andy Holloway]

And if you don't realize people out there, if you're new to the show, Michael Keaton tweeted at us once.

[Jason Moore]

He did. He did. And he is now my favorite.

[Mike Wright]

He's also in the set.

[Jason Moore]

He is. Look around, look around you.

[Mike Wright]

Hiding in the shadows.

[Jason Moore]

So excited today. The quick question. We're going super bowl picks. The season starts today. Let's do it.

[Mike Wright]

Jason, I'll hop in here first because I'm going.

[Jason Moore]

Goodness gracious. We. I didn't see your guys picks.

[Mike Wright]

I know.

[Andy Holloway]

I feel like I got to change it. Just.

[Mike Wright]

Well, you've got time because I'm going to talk.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

I am going with the two saddest stories you could say from last year. Two teams that many people believe should have been in the super bowl and were basically a play away each. I believe that the Saints will get there from the NFC and the Chiefs will get there from the afc. I have the Chiefs winning the super bowl over Drew Brees on his swung swan.

[Andy Holloway]

Stop looking at me.

[Mike Wright]

Swung on his swan song.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. All right. I'm going to. I'm going with a Doug Peterson, Andy Reid super bowl matchup. I told you many months ago, I can see the future. The Eagles are going to win the Super Bowl. They're going to do it over the Kansas City Chiefs.

[Mike Wright]

The student has become the match.

[Jason Moore]

The Eagles last year were the objectively most injured team in football and they're going to bounce back in a big way. Carson Wentz redemption. And the. The student will become the master. Doug Peterson will. Will beat Andy Reid in the playoffs. And I've got the Eagles.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, well, I'm going with an offense versus defense showdown. Of course, it's also an Andy Reid showdown because I got the Bears taken on the Chiefs. So it would be Matt Nagy. The students loses to the master. I'm taking the offense. I'm taking the Chiefs to defeat Chicago in the Super Bowl.

[Mike Wright]

It's really a shame that all three of us have the Chiefs here because we all know it's going to be the Patriots.

[Andy Holloway]

I just.

[Mike Wright]

I want.

[Andy Holloway]

Andy couldn't do it.

[Jason Moore]

I picked the Eagles. I'd love to see Andy Reid get one. Just. I want to see a happy Andy Reid at some point. At the end of a season.

[Mike Wright]

There's no coach who deserves a Super bowl more than Andy Reid. But what Andy Reid is great at is. Is, you know, compared to what he is terrible at. And that is in game management. That matters a lot in those playoff games. That's. That's why I got the Saints.

[Andy Holloway]

I know. Look, Mr. Reed, I know you're listening.

[Jason Moore]

Higher, obviously. Higher.

[Andy Holloway]

Someone to manage the clock, just the last two minutes.

[Jason Moore]

You can do the rest, but the last two minutes, hand that off to an intern.

[Andy Holloway]

It literally could be a kid, a teenager who plays Madden, because they will know what to do.

[Jason Moore]

That's good advice, Mike. You can follow the show on twitter @the ffballers. We're on Instagram, instagram.com fantasy footballers. I mentioned this to the Foot clan [e-mail] we are so excited for the new year. We're also going to be giving you more behind the scenes access to Foot Clan headquarters. And we're going to be doing water bet videos. We make bets throughout the year. Al Borland himself is going to be responsible for making sure we carry those out. We've got a whole new set for the water bets. And so you'll see Jason getting wet over and over and over again as he spins the wheel of water in defeat.

[Mike Wright]

Hmm, interesting take. I will say this.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, there's only one of us who has already lost the water bet.

[Mike Wright]

That is true. That is true. But many victories are on the way.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, yes. It's not how you start, how you finish. Is that right? Thank you for everybody who's subscribing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, we're ad free on Stitcher Premium. We're on Google podcasts everywhere. You listen to podcasts, you can find us. And we appreciate the subscriptions, the reviews, all the support of the show. And let's go ahead and get into the news.

[Mike Wright]

News and notes from around the league presented by Sleeper.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Mike. End of day yesterday, Mike looked over with his very somewhat ghastly depressed facial expression. Said, did you see Stefan Diggs missed practice on Wednesday with a hamstring?

[Andy Holloway]

Come on, man.

[Jason Moore]

Do you have any new information about this absence?

[Andy Holloway]

I do not. I. I expect Stefan Diggs to play like this is just a. To me, a. All right, maybe he tweaked it a little bit. It's feeling a little wonky. Let's sit him down, let him rest before the big debut. But Stefan Diggs biggest problem is his football or his body doesn't like to play football. And he frequently misses games. He gets nicked up, he gets banged up. And it's to start the season this way is it sucks, it's frustrating.

[Mike Wright]

It feels different because it's going into week one in the middle of the year. What we would be saying is you never like late additions to the injury report, guys that weren't injured and now it's new. That means this is a fresh injury.

[Jason Moore]

It concerns me.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. That's what I agree.

[Jason Moore]

In jeopardy, you think of jeopardy, of missing. Of missing week one. I think it's in that. Yeah. I mean, you need to pay attention. Mike. Sunday morning, how do they find out what's going on?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, that's, that's a great transition. Yeah. Every, every Sunday. If you're new to the show. If you are. If you're new to the show, you're going to find out about it. If you've been a listener of the show. We're back. Sunday live will be happening. I will be live streaming, answering news notes last second start sit questions. You'll get to see me tilt. Yes, that's usually people's favorite part as I make my own lineup decisions and I'm freaking out. But that happens every Sunday and we do that an hour before kickoff. Periscope, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Twitch. Wherever you consume streaming content, it will be there.

[Jason Moore]

So we'll know about Stefan Diggs. You'll have to monitor that. We'll give you an update tomorrow as well. Before the weekend. DeSean Jackson has been confirmed he will play in week one against the Redskins. I'm not personally very excited to play desean Jackson, Week one. I own, I have him in a lot of leagues. I got him late. I like him over the course of the season. I'm not as enthusiastic coming off the finger injury as 10 point favorites against the Washington Redskins. They may, they might not need to do a whole lot through the air over the second half of the game and with the finger injury, I'm pivoting in most of my leagues. How do you guys feel about D Jacks?

[Mike Wright]

100% the same. I mean, that's not to say he couldn't catch a long bomb touchdown, but you know, you're taking in as much information as you can on every player and I prefer my players who catch the ball to not have broken fingers.

[Jason Moore]

It's one of my call me crazy top tips. Doug Peterson told reporters the Eagles will continue to utilize a committee system at running back. He said for us here, it's worked. We know they have Jordan Howard, Miles Sanders, Darren Sprouls and Corey Clement on the roster right now. It's tough to argue with Doug Peterson here on the basis of the success he's had utilizing a committee and with the team's success. That being said, I think the better player will dominate snaps at some point. I think that player is Miles Sanders.

[Andy Holloway]

And a lot of it's going to come down to who actually gets the red zone work. They Tried out Corey Clement at one point, it just didn't work out. If Miles Sanders can earn that role or maybe he starts the season with it, that's where the true value will come.

[Jason Moore]

The Chargers head coach, Anthony Lynn plans to utilize multiple running backs ahead of the Week 1 matchup. We know this Eckler, Justin Jackson, I think you could play either. I mean you could play either player this week. In moving forward, you're going to be playing a little bit of roulette when it comes to touchdowns there. I think Justin Jackson's probably the safer bet to score. Echler's the safer bet to get more passing work which might be more valuable in most leagues and I would also.

[Mike Wright]

Say probably more carries. The games where both of them played without Melvin Gordon last year it was Austin Eckler getting the majority of the work with Justin Jackson certainly getting enough work to be a fantasy start. But I view Austin Eckler pretty much as a must start this week in a. You know, when they're favored at home and Justin Jackson as a could start.

[Jason Moore]

And then we kind of know this but offensive coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, Brian Deboll said that Frank Gore, Devin Singletary and T.J. eldon will each have roles this season. We talked a lot about the post, LaShawn McCoy, Buffalo Bills backfield and the fact that this is going to be the case. TJ Eldon is going to steal receiving work.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

He's been a proficient pass catcher in the NFL. Devin Singletary will have a role, Frank Gore as well. And they said look, they're all going to have roles. They're all going to be defined on what they can do on a week to week basis. Predictability is going to be a challenge here to start the season.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I mean it's, I think it's somewhat similar to the Eagles situation. Right. Where yeah, it's a committee but hopefully the talent will win out. I think Miles Sanders, Devin Singletary, these aren't guys necessarily that you're wanting to start Week one, but as the weeks go on they could just work themselves more into a necessity for the offense to more difficult.

[Jason Moore]

They could force the hand. Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

If it's difficult to take you off the field, then you stay on it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, no question. And the nice thing about Singletary is that he is versatile. He can do the thing. You know, Gore is going to have more of a early down work. Yelden, you'll be looking at two minute drills and things like that too. You know which guy gets on the field during those crucial, you know downs. So that's it for news and Notes in an in or out tomorrow, which is our injury breakdown. It'll be on tomorrow's show heading into the weekend. We'll put out the game day alerts one hour before on Sunday as well. You just heard Mike will be live Sunday morning and we'll get you up to date at the last minute. News and notes is always brought to you by the Sleeper app. Do not miss a single piece of impactful fantasy football news. Download the free sleeper app today. The Megalobol is in the books.

[Mike Wright]

Guys, we have breaking news.

[Jason Moore]

I'm not hitting the button.

[Andy Holloway]

It's not.

[Mike Wright]

It's. Well, I was. I was accused that I was the only one who's lost a water bet so far. In fact, each of us have already won a water bet so far. We will be paying those out on YouTube soon. So YouTube.com/the fantasy footballers.

[Jason Moore]

It looks like Mike and I bet apparently in February. February on who would have a higher average draft position in Joku or Ingram. Now, was this before the Odell Beckham Jr. Trade?

[Andy Holloway]

Maybe.

[Mike Wright]

Who cares?

[Jason Moore]

Who cares? Mike wins. Ingram definitely had a higher adp. And then Jason, you bet that Rashard Matthews would make the Saints roster for some reason those early bets he did not. And then Damian Williams ADP will be back of the first. Mike, you said yes. Jason said no. Jason wins that one. As Damian Williams dropped out of the first round and out of our hearts and minds over the last week.

[Andy Holloway]

Speak for yourself.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he's still in yours. So we've got starts of the week coming up. We're going to get into the breakdowns right now. Man, I'm so excited. I'm so excited. We're going to get real football. I think they should be scheduling these games on Thursday with the highest over unders. They should let Vegas evaluate, then move the highest over under to Thursday.

[Andy Holloway]

That is actually a great idea because.

[Jason Moore]

This is going to be a low scoring game tonight.

[Mike Wright]

Here's. Here's why that wouldn't work because basically the Chiefs would be on every Thursday.

[Andy Holloway]

It doesn't matter.

[Jason Moore]

Works for me.

[Andy Holloway]

And the NFL.

[Mike Wright]

Fantasy forecast. Very rude.

[Jason Moore]

I apologize.

[Andy Holloway]

Very rude for nothing. I mean, the NFL loves offense because the consumer loves offense.

[Mike Wright]

The NFL loves defense, Mike.

[Jason Moore]

Offense. All right, let's start our first fantasy forecast of the year. We talked about the packers and Bears yesterday and reminder, if you have a.

[Andy Holloway]

Packer or a Bear, get them out of your flex. Don't have a situation where you're counting on Stefan Diggs to play on Sunday and then you've screwed yourself over by playing one of your packers in the flex and there can't fit him in.

[Jason Moore]

There are more and more leagues with multiple flex positions as well. So you know, it's very likely that you have a Packer or Bear in that flex. Put them into a regular positional roster spot. Give yourself the ability to pivot, especially in week one. Desean Jackson, maybe you don't want to play him. Robbie Anderson, tough matchup. Yeah, should be out there. But you know, do you want to deal with that?

[Mike Wright]

And this is, this is a matchup that's just rife with flex level players. The Tariq Cohen's, Allen Robinson's, who were your wide receiver three or maybe four. Your bad matchups with Aaron Jones, it doesn't matter if they're not as good as your starters, put them into the main role.

[Jason Moore]

And I will say this, when we go through matchups for week one, it is a different ball game than the majority of the season. You know, we have last year's stats to go on. Last year is more descriptive than predictive for a lot of these things. Yes, we know. Look, the Bears, are they going to be a top third defense? Probably. Are they going to be what they were last year now that they don't have Vic Fangio as defensive coordinator? Maybe not. We don't know that. So we, we don't have this year's information to go on. We don't know a lot of usage. There's a lot more questions in Week one. That's the kind of stuff I'm going to bring up in these matchups is what are we watching for? What happens if X, Y and Z happens? What does it mean for the rest of the fantasy football season? And we can't overreact to week one either.

[Mike Wright]

No, it's hard.

[Jason Moore]

You know, if Adam Humphries catches 10 passes in week one, oh, that's happening. That doesn't mean he's going to be a PPR machine for the rest of the season. It just means that those that like him will take a victory lap in Week one.

[Mike Wright]

That's the most important part. They're fun victory laps.

[Jason Moore]

The Tennessee Titans take on the Cleveland Browns. In Cleveland, The Browns are five and a half point favorites. Vegas has this as a 45 and a half point over under. And we get to see this Cleveland Browns defense chase Marcus Mariota around at home. So the Browns hype train finally pulls into the station. The Titans defense, I think is pretty good. I think they're going to be, you know, at least the middle of the pack type of defense. We saw Baker struggle at the end of the preseason with none of his weapons. But Odell Beckham, he'll be out there healthy, ready to go. The hip is not an issue. Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Nick Chubb, Season 2 and then that sounded like a Netflix series. Nick Chubb, season two debut. And David and Joe could be out there as well. So what are the storylines that you see on the brown side of the ball? Like confidence level with Beckham and Landry?

[Mike Wright]

I mean, the confidence level is where you drafted them, right? You drafted them high. You know, you're talking about Odell Beckham being a back of the first, early second round. This isn't the Jaguars or the Bears or a team where you go even then I doubt you would. But this is a storyline where it's much more about what we get to see. And what you think you're going to see is 100% what you did in the draft. Because this isn't a matchup that's going to scare you away. It's a middle of the road matchup. So if you were a believer in Nick Chubb, a believer in Jarvis Landry, a believer in Odell Beckham Jr. At your draft, prove it. Put them in your line and watch them succeed. I am. I personally, this is the one team I was, I was talking to Mike yesterday. I want to watch the Browns more than any team. I'm the most interested. I'm probably the least bullish on them, but I'm also super excited and I hope I'm wrong. I hope Baker just lights the league on fire.

[Jason Moore]

Now, would you say you're the least bullish because you overtly predicted their downfall? Would that be one of the reasons why you say that?

[Mike Wright]

That. Well, opposite the reason that I overtly predicted a. And keep in mind on a bold prediction show that their ADPs were too high across the board. Sure is because I am. I'm less bullish.

[Jason Moore]

Last year, Baker Mayfield was perfect in the red zone. 20 touchdowns, no interceptions. It's ironic because you remember Marcus Mariota was like that to begin his career in Tennessee. And that's his opponent in this game.

[Mike Wright]

You heard it here first. Andy Holloway is predicting the career of Marcus Mariota for Baker Mayfield.

[Jason Moore]

I don't think I said that, but okay, let's go to the Tennessee Titans side because this is, you know, confidence levels cannot be high.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

With pretty much anybody here. But I know that, you know, Delaney Walker is going to be back out there. Derek Henry.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, strike that. I'm very confident in Delaney Walker, but the rest of the Titans offense, I do not want to play. The Browns defense, even though they were giving up fantasy points last year, they are improved. I mean, you now have Miles Garrett, Sheldon Richardson, Olivier Vernon.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, gosh.

[Andy Holloway]

The Browns are one of my defensive plays of the week.

[Jason Moore]

No doubt about it. At home. That crowd is going to be insane. And we have Derek Henry on the fringe, RB2 for the week.

[Andy Holloway]

Because Derek Henry is great when the Titans win and he's bad when the Titans lose. And I don't see a very positive game script for Derrick Henry.

[Jason Moore]

Well, that. And that's a chicken or the egg situation because when he's had more than 12 rushing attempts over the last two seasons, the Titans are 11 1. So he has been, you know, but you can only give a guy rushing attempts when you're in a positive game script. So it's one of those things where I don't think any of us are extremely excited about the upside here of Derek Henry because he may not be afforded the number of carries that we'd love to see. Last year, the Browns gave up the fifth most rushing yards in the league. But like you said, it's a different defensive front. It's a home game. You like Delaney Walker? The Browns gave up the six most fantasy points to tight ends last year. Delaney Walker should have a steady workload in this game, especially if it's a negative game script.

[Mike Wright]

So with. With Derek Henry specifically, a lot of people were around the turn where they got a Derek Henry and a Marlon Mack, two very similar players. They need to be in winning games. Both are on the road. Both are projected to lose by Vegas. If you had to make the decision between those two players, where are you going? I would go Derek Henry.

[Andy Holloway]

I would go Derek Henry.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I think I'll take the guaranteed workload there. With Derek Henry. I agree. The Marlon Mack will be on the road against the Chargers defense. And so, yeah, yeah, I think I go Henry. Henry may just not have the upside, but he's going to get 15 carries, right? I mean, that's.

[Andy Holloway]

He should.

[Mike Wright]

But that could still turn into 32 yards.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's the problem. We've seen it before and I'm going Derek Henry because it's just playing the game of probability. I think that the Titans have the chance to keep pace with the Browns, as in slow their offense down. I think that's going to be. It's going to be tougher for The Colts.

[Mike Wright]

All right, before we talk about the Ravens and Dolphins. So the Ravens want to thank today's sponsor and I do want to thank today's sponsor from my heart. I'm talking about Omegle, my Omego. That is a toilet seat bidet that has changed the way.

[Andy Holloway]

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[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

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[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

I'm only shaking my head because I know how much you love it and.

[Mike Wright]

Neither should you get 20% off your first order when you go to myomigo.comfootballers. that's Omego with an O as in O. How did I ever live without this?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, nice.

[Mike Wright]

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[Andy Holloway]

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[Jason Moore]

It's.

[Andy Holloway]

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[Jason Moore]

All right. The Ravens take on the Dolphins. Oh dear, it's in Miami. But the dolphins are six and a half points point underdogs, the the Vegas lines, only 37 and a half points. If you look at the implied point total there, that would be 22 points for the Raven, 16 for the Miami Dolphins. Yeah, I just read an athletic article this morning. You know, there's a lot of articles coming out about projecting out the entire season and records for teams they had the Dolphins at a cool one and 15.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, wow.

[Jason Moore]

So a little generous on the win total there for Miami.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, they're trusting the process, man.

[Jason Moore]

They certainly are. And I'm trusting the Ravens in this matchup. Without question. I think it's easy to get put off by the over under number that, 37 and a half maybe because, you know, we're not expecting this to be a barn burner. We're not expecting Miami to be able to march it up and down the field against this Ravens defense even though they're at home. Ryan Fitzpatrick will get the start. You'll see Lamar Jackson in a sophomore season and we'll get to see Mark Ingram in a brand new uniform and he's got a great opportunity this week against Miami. Mike, you're expecting pretty big things. Miami allowed the fourth most running back rushing yards and third most quarterback rushing yards last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. The implied point total in the over under for the Ravens. It doesn't matter because I'm not super excited to start pass catchers from the Ravens. Until Lamar Jackson proves that the quarterback that his throwing has actually improved, I'm not really interested. Mark Andrews is fine as a lower end, tight end, but snead Miles Boykin, just any of the wide receivers, I have little, little to no interest.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you're not starting those guys. But this is a week where you want to keep your eyes on how Lamar Jackson is doing, what the offense looks like, how he's doing.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, oh, I got you sounded weird.

[Mike Wright]

I just want to know like, you know, is his day going okay?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

No. Is he feeling good?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. But after I know, you know, if he woke up on the right side of the bed, I want to see how Miles Boykin is performing on the field for football activities.

[Jason Moore]

I apologize.

[Mike Wright]

No worries. But yeah, I do. Myles Boykin is one of the guys I'm going to keep an eye on. The only like this is a game I'm really excited about. Mark Ingram would have been my start of the week if it wasn't for the obvious real start of the week. But I would. I think Mark Ingram is a must start. And Gus Edwards and Justice Hill, if you're in a super deep league you know, if you're playing with a lot of Flex or 14, 16 team league, these are sneaky players where, I mean, if they're just running the ball for the whole second half, which that's what the Ravens want to do, they're going to share that around and I think you could get a sneaky snort.

[Jason Moore]

I would not like. So Mark Andrews in this game, if he doesn't give you a huge performance, I'm not going to be surprised if they can win this game on the ground. I wouldn't overreact to pass catchers on Baltimore this week. And you know, Lamar Jackson, it will be very interesting. I brought it up yesterday. Warren Sharp talked about this. When he throws on first down, his success rate is nearly double compared to second and third down. He just, you know, when you're put in that position as a rookie, the must throw scenario, you start to see blitzes that you're not familiar with, defensive formations you're not familiar with. So I want to see that mature this year for him. Last year, from weeks 11 through 17, here were his fantasy point finishes and all he needed was one passing touchdown for these weeks to be a top 12 guy. 15, 20, 16, 18, 16, 18, 26. You never got this huge performance from Lamar Jackson last year, but you also were never let down. You were always okay to play him. I would expect something more in these scoring totals because he's not going to be stressed as much to throw the football. So we've talked about the Ravens. You know, Mike, you're going to talk about Mark Ingram more later on the other side of the ball. You know, the unofficial official. I guess it's the official depth chart that is kind of maybe put out more by a PR team than the head coach. But Kenyon Drake, there's some positive momentum here for Kenyon Drake. He's listed as number one on the depth chart. There were some reports from beat writers that he's going to touch the ball a ton. So what do you do with Kenyan Drake in week one?

[Andy Holloway]

Hopefully you don't have to play him.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I mean, he dropped a little.

[Andy Holloway]

Bit in draft, so it's possible that he's your running back three or maybe even your four, so hopefully you don't have to play him.

[Mike Wright]

I.

[Andy Holloway]

Things are going to be better for Kenyan Drake over the season. I like how they're talking about, you know, getting him a bunch of touches, but Week 1 against the Ravens is. It's not very interesting to me.

[Jason Moore]

So Kenyon Drake at home against the Ravens, we've got him on the running back three fringe edge. Rashad Penny above him at home against Cincinnati. Jordan Howard with the committee above him in our rankings right now for week.

[Andy Holloway]

One because of the game scripts where both like both Penny and Chris Carson could have monster games. Both Jordan Howard and Miles Sanders could have huge games. They're in very positive matchups.

[Jason Moore]

The biggest over under in the week is the Monday night game. Saints Houston. Would you play Latavius Murray or Kenyon Drake?

[Mike Wright]

Latavius Murray.

[Jason Moore]

Ooh.

[Mike Wright]

But I mean that's close. I and you know, don't hear what I'm not saying because I still love Kenyan Drake. I would be willing to make a cheap trade offer for him. His value is very low right now. Nobody's looking to start him this week against Baltimore and I still think he. I think that the talent will win out over Bellage in that backfield. And in general you're not going to be super happy because I don't think the Dolphins are going to score a lot of points all season long. But that's not to say he can't be an important flex player for your roster.

[Jason Moore]

What happens emotionally to you, Mike, if Ryan Fitzpatrick comes out in week one at home and torches the Baltimore Rapists and is the number one fantasy quarterback for a second straight year after week.

[Andy Holloway]

One, what would happen to my emotions?

[Jason Moore]

I mean, would you come in with the glasses and the chain shirtless? Would you be happy to see this happen or would you.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, would. I would be ecstatic. Absolutely. That would be fantastic because that's great for football. Sorry Baltimore a little your fans. But if Ryan Fitzpatrick does it again, does it with this ragtag motley crue against the Ravens. Steve Ravens, then it's just. It's fantastic. It also would mean that the Bird alert himself. Albert Wilson had a good game.

[Mike Wright]

Well, just remember last year, week one that was against. I mean they are terrible team was against the unbelievably difficult to score on New Orleans Saints and he put up 48 points. Go get him, Fitzpatrick.

[Jason Moore]

We're all rooting for you, buddy.

[Mike Wright]

We are.

[Andy Holloway]

Except. Except for the coaching staff. Like the GM of the Dolphins will.

[Mike Wright]

Be screaming no get rose it in there.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I said one in 15 so week one could be that one. All right. Not projecting the upset. All right, let's move on to the Bills taking on the Jets. The jets are three point home favorites.

[Mike Wright]

Andy's almost upset of the week.

[Andy Holloway]

I like it. I actually picked the Bills to win this game.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I think the Bills do win this game and that's not to say I'm not optimistic about what the New York jets have in terms of fantasy production this year. I think Robbie Anderson, we all like his future, but right now he's dealing with, you know, barely getting back from an injury. It's a very difficult matchup for him against Radevius White, one of the best cornerbacks in football. The Buffalo Bills last year, they were so far and away the best team when it came to, you know, fantasy points against at the quarterback position. They dominated fantasy quarterbacks last year. 12.7 points on a weekly basis. That was first in the league. They were number one in terms of not giving up, you know, fantasy points to the tight end position. And right now the jets don't even have their best tight end in Chris Herndon to start the year due to the suspension. They were fourth against, you know, fantasy wide receivers. This is a good defense.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

I think they can travel defense. You know, they say defense travels and it's an interstate battle here. And I think the Bills, they, they get this win. Josh Allen and company with his new toys at wide receiver, John Brown, Cole Beasley. Yeah, we'll see that backfield we talked about earlier. So let's, let's talk about the fantasy storyline, number one to me, which is what happens to Le'Veon Bell.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

What kind of workload does he receive? I think there were some comments yesterday from Bell. From Bell, yes. Saying he literally told the team, give me as much as you can.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's got his money. He doesn't.

[Jason Moore]

He wants 50 touches, guys.

[Mike Wright]

If he wants him to have 50 touches as well. I mean, certainly, look, this is actually a good, this is a really good matchup for him. While you brought up how great the Bills were against the passing game, they weren't that good against the run last year. Now, we can't use last year's data. There's so much changeover on, you know, a team level for a defense. But some of those things still will be in play. A lot of the same players obviously, same regime running the show. So this is a home game where you are projected to win and if you lose, if you're right that the Bills win, I don't expect it to be a blowout. No, you know, barn burner type. So that means Lev Bell is going to be able to get the ball all game long at home against a team that they allow you to beat them on the run. They don't want you to beat them through the air. So I think, look, if, I mean Obviously everyone's playing Love Bell that drafted him, but I think he gets off to a strong start this week.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I think he probably scores. I mean, the Bills, they gave up 17 touchdowns, the running backs last year. That is the one area that they were beatable. They are at home. Pace of play is going to be a problem for fantasy production.

[Andy Holloway]

That's what I'm watching for is did Adam Gaze learn anything from this preseason when his team and specifically his quarterback looked outstanding when they were playing at a high rate of speed? Because as the head coach of Miami in his whole tenure there, they were, they were last in pace of play. But not just last, but outrageously, outrageously on the bottom when it came.

[Jason Moore]

Outrageously last.

[Andy Holloway]

Outrageous.

[Jason Moore]

Jason's league of record team. Outrageously.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, get body.

[Jason Moore]

Outrageous, Outrageously. Super.

[Andy Holloway]

Does he, does he turn that around because he feels like he has the talent to actually run a faster pace of play.

[Jason Moore]

And so Mike, you're kind of off of Robbie Anderson in Week one matchup. What about the Bills wide receivers? John Brown, Cole Beasley, Zay Jones. You know, Josh Allen goes on the road in this game. He's our consensus QB, 22 in week one. You know, a traveling Josh Allen. Other options that we like better.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

What do you expect from the Bills offense?

[Andy Holloway]

I'm fine playing Josh Allen. I'm, in fact, I'm doing that in a few leagues at the running back position. I'm going to let it sort itself out first. Even if he got overexcited and spent the high draft pick on Devin Singletary, I'm not putting him out here in Week one. I want to see what they're going to do. And the nice thing about the wide receivers, I think John Brown could have a fine game and we'll see if those targets actually keep going for Cole Beasley or not. But you took him so late in the draft that you aren't forced to make that decision this week, which is nice. So the only, the only Buffalo Bill player I am starting is Josh Allen.

[Jason Moore]

I think that the Bills are a perfect wait and see situation for fantasy. There are some teams that you have a more guaranteed understanding of what's going to happen. I want to see what this wide receiver distribution looks like on this, on this roster. So I'm not, you know, I think there are better options than Josh Allen in Week one, but I'm optimistic on the season. Any other thoughts in this matchup, Jason, before we move on?

[Mike Wright]

No. I echo what Mike was saying and I think because of the rushing baseline, while you might not get one of those top five performances out of Josh Allen. I think he is going to be relatively safe.

[Jason Moore]

All right. The Redskins travel to Philly to take on the Eagles. The Eagles are nine and a half point favorites. It's a 45 and a half point over under in this game. Now, while I am not predicting an upset, this is the kind of game that jumps off the page to me as maybe something different happens here than we're all expecting because there's not a lot of positivity around the Redskins, the offense, the newness of the wide receiver core. You know, you had an injured Trey Quinn last year. You now you got Terry McLaurin in there. You don't have Josh Dockson. Jordan Reed's in the concussion protocol case, Keenum's the starter. But somehow, some way, this is the National Football League and games like this interdivision, they end up a lot closer than you think they will. And because these teams, you know, the matchups, the way they prepare for one another, I. All I'm saying is I would take the Redskins in the points. Yeah, that's where I.

[Andy Holloway]

It is where I would be points. But if the offensive line for Washington, like it's, it's a problem in the Eagles pass rush and their depth at pass rush, I mean, they can just, they can have guys take two snaps and then rotate in new players. And on the left side, the left side of Washington's line is not going to be able to hold up against the backups for Philadelphia. So I get it. Taking the nine and a half points, because that's generally. I will take that. But Washington's in big trouble this week.

[Mike Wright]

Look, I could see them even covering the nine and a half. Maybe they don't. But the point that you're making here, Mike, from a fantasy perspective is this line is the way that it is because Philadelphia's defense matches up with Washington's offense very well. There could very well be a defensive score. So obviously, if you drafted the Eagles, you should be playing them. But that takes away a little bit from the passing game. You know, if, if the Eagles go out there and get a pick six or fumble return for a touchdown is scoring in that manner that takes away a little bit from the need to pass the ball from your Alshon Jeffries and desean Jackson's. So while it looks on paper home huge, you know, favor favored score. That was huge favorite.

[Jason Moore]

Well, the word is. The word is favorite. A huge favorite.

[Mike Wright]

Really?

[Jason Moore]

That's not a huge favored score, my friend.

[Andy Holloway]

I saw A man.

[Mike Wright]

A huge favorite.

[Andy Holloway]

You were Hans Gruber at the end of Die Hard. Just slowly rasping please words.

[Jason Moore]

Somebody help me.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, and we let you fall. I was gonna say Andy yelled down as I landed on the pavement.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, dummy.

[Jason Moore]

It's favorite 2719's the implied point in the game. I think you're right about the defense.

[Mike Wright]

But Zachary is fine.

[Jason Moore]

Of course. Yeah. Zach Ertz is fine.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm still playing. Alshon.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I'll say. Alison Jeffries, our consensus wide receiver. 23 on the week.

[Mike Wright]

Mike's fancy over here.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that was a weird pronunciation.

[Mike Wright]

He's French now.

[Jason Moore]

What's the name of. What's Urkel's?

[Andy Holloway]

Stefan. Oh, is this when he goes in the machine?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. And he becomes.

[Jason Moore]

But it's pronounced in the same fashion as your Alshon.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. A nice Urkel reference to get your week started.

[Mike Wright]

Also, can't wait for my Dallas Goddard touchdown.

[Andy Holloway]

It could happen.

[Jason Moore]

All right, running backs. Darius Guys. Adrian Peterson.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

Miles Sanders, Jordan Howard.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

That's well said.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, analysis complete.

[Jason Moore]

Nelson Aguilar, a sneaky flex play this week.

[Mike Wright]

I think he's a sneaky play throughout the season because people aren't paying any attention to him whatsoever. And he will be a very targeted wide receiver over the course of the season. Is this the matchup for it? I don't think so. I'd rather play him in a game that I think is going to be a two way street where they're going to have to throw the ball, maybe catch back up. You know, if this was the Chiefs, I'd be talking about Aguilar as a great, you know, sneaky play.

[Jason Moore]

I think that the Redskins are going to be forced into comeback mode. And if that's the Case sneaky Trey Quinn this week. Case Keenum lives his life between 1 and 10 yards away from wherever he is. That's what he does.

[Andy Holloway]

PPR only.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, yeah, of course. And this you're deeply. Only I wouldn't be taking that risk. But Case Keenum threw the ball 10 yards or less on 74% of his attempts. That's the third highest in football. It's where he's very comfortable.

[Andy Holloway]

He's going to have no choice.

[Jason Moore]

If you moved his mailbox 11 yards away from his house, he would never receive the mail. That's all I'm saying. He wouldn't be able to get it.

[Mike Wright]

You know, you want to talk a sneaky start here, and this probably isn't for your home leagues. This is maybe for like a DFS Cash play or something where you're trying to super not be chalk. But Vernon Davis, he's still got juice.

[Andy Holloway]

He does.

[Mike Wright]

And if Jordan Reed is out and they're playing catch up, tight end landscape terrible.

[Jason Moore]

All right, the Chiefs travel to Jacksonville. Tough week one matchup against the Jags. The Jags are three and a half point home underdogs. It's a 52 point over under and we get to see Patrick Mahomes take the field. The MVP of football, Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, the debut of McColl Hardman at wide receiver and then whether or not Lashawn McCoy is active, we'll see Damian Williams, Darwin Thompson and company is there. How are you approaching the Chiefs this week? Is it simply with measured expectations, Mike? Because I can't imagine you're sitting any of them. But you also have to realize, you know, Tyree Kill and Sammy Watkins have very, very difficult matchups this week. You know, you have to deal with Jalen Ramsey, arguably the best cornerback in the league. AJ Bouillet against Sammy Watkins is not a good matchup. And so you start to look at Travis Kelsey and the pass catching out of the backfield. I think that that would be your, you know, your most excited there.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, you're playing Tyreek Hill. I'm still playing Sammy Watkins, the lizard King himself. And of course you're playing Travis Kelsey. I think that more interesting discussion is the running back position because of the, the addition of Shady, the, the hints at a timeshare. This isn't the week that I believe that happens. LaShawn McCoy just got to the team. He, he's, he'll get up to speed quicker because it's Andy Reed, but I believe if you drafted Damian Williams, you can start him with full confidence. The matchup sucks, but at least he's still the starting running back for Patrick Mahomes in an Andy Reid offense.

[Jason Moore]

Last year the Jags were number one in football in terms of the least amount of fantasy points given up to the wide receiver position. They only gave up 22 total fantasy points a game to the position that, you know, they didn't face Patrick Mahomes every week, but they did face him at the end of the year and he threw zero touchdowns against him. So it'll be very interesting to see what happens here. Obviously Vegas thinks it'll be a high scoring affair, but I just don't know. This is a team that, you know, you could have some overreaction here. Like if Sammy Watkins comes out and gets shut down, I will not be surprised. But I think that would be a overreaction to, you know, throw the baby out with the bathwater, so to speak. Moving into weeks two, three for Sammy. Yeah, I mean, I look, I don't even like him.

[Mike Wright]

I've been the biggest Sammy supporter and I in on my own roster this week. I have taken Sammy out of the lineup, put Dante Pettis in, assuming his groin is good to go because, you know, so that's an example of, you know, he's not a must start every week. This is a terrible matchup. Now on the flip side, you want sneaky players when you're very interesting. The Jaguars offense looks really appetizing to me to put it in my worldview.

[Jason Moore]

You could eat them up.

[Mike Wright]

I could just eat all these sausages up and cook my eggs and my bacon, have a wonderful breakfast with. Look, I love Dee Dee West, Hans Gruber, I love Leonard Fournette and I am totally fine. You know, we talk about streamers, you don't need it week one, but Nick Coles would have been my stream of the week here in a matchup against Kansas City, we haven't seen what the Jaguars are going to do. You've talked, Mike, about how they could actually pass more than we think in the sense that, you know, they got a new OC that is known for passing. They paid a new quarterback not to come in and just hand the ball off. So I'm interested in the Jaguars offensive pieces and by the pieces, I'm pretty much meaning Leonard Fournette, Dede Westbrook and possibly Nick Foles.

[Andy Holloway]

What's, what's wild about this matchup is the 52 point over under. It's very high, but it's only. They're only dogs by three points. So clearly the sharp people in Vegas, they're expecting Jacksonville to put up points. And I am very infatuated with DD Westbrook this week and I think it will be interesting to see which other guys on the team actually step up and make some plays.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, last year, again, not prescriptive, but last year the Chiefs defense, obviously very, very bad. I mean part of that's a product of like the offense, like just scores so often. Pace of play, tons of points, you give up a lot of garbage time, yardage, but you. At the same time, I think they've improved the defense. It's one of the reasons I like them to go to the super bowl. But I think it's going to take time. Tyrann Matthew on the back end. It's going to take some time for that defense to kind of figure things out.

[Mike Wright]

I was going to bring up the Honey Badger, Tyrone Matthew. I wish we knew how he was going to be used before this game. Is he going to come down and try to be used as a slot cover, you know, and could he get in the way of D.D. westbrook a little bit? Because that is a new addition and an important new addition. He's looked great in camp when he's been out there, healthy at least. So, you know. Yeah, like you said, it's not exactly prescriptive what they did last year.

[Jason Moore]

And really we can't help you a lot with saying, okay, it's a tough matchup because if you drafted Patrick Mahomes, you're playing them. If you draft the Tyree Kill, you're playing them. The real decisions are Sammy Watkins pretty much, and Damian Williams and Mike.

[Andy Holloway]

I would.

[Jason Moore]

You said it. You'd play Damian Williams week one.

[Mike Wright]

I would as well.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, right now where is he? Brooks? Where Consensus Week 1 Damian Williams, do you have that up?

[Mike Wright]

I don't have the entire consensus up, but Damian Williams is my running back. 16. So he's still an RB2 this week.

[Jason Moore]

All right. The Rams take on the Carolina Panthers. Jared Goff just got paid. Carolina two and a half point home underdogs. We were looking at some numbers. Look, Jared Garf himself. Yes. Jared Garf on the road. It's not been good.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

You know, he's got A league leading 10 plus adjusted yards per attempt at home. It drops to 6.77 on the road, which is Brock Osweiler territory. His completion percentage drops from 68% to 60% on the road. Touchdown to interception ratio from 22 to 23 at home, goes to 10 to 9 on the road. It's more difficult. I mean, this is, this is not exclusive to Jared Goff. I mean, you go on the road, difficult situation, but particularly heading to Carolina. How do you see this thing breaking down? Where's your confidence level with Jared Garf himself?

[Mike Wright]

I am, I'm. I'm fine playing Jared Garf. I think that I just. I want people to write in and say, I do.

[Jason Moore]

I want them to write in golf.

[Mike Wright]

You idiots. You dummies. Look, Jared Garfield, here's the thing. Look, I know that he had several bad games down the stretch. Some of those road games are misnomers where they. I mean, especially at the end of the year when C.J. anderson was running in like 10 touchdowns a game. Yeah. It just so happened that those weren't the games that Jared Goff was throwing the touchdowns. And also, there is a lot skewed. I know it's not all the Bears game, but that Bears game, super cold weather on the road against the best defense in the league was a catastrophe, a complete collapse. He threw for 180 yards, four interceptions, and zero touchdowns. That skews the numbers. And now I'm going to seed the mic over to Mike because we need.

[Andy Holloway]

The breaking news button.

[Mike Wright]

Oh.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, we do.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Breaking news.

[Andy Holloway]

This is from Shefty. Antonio Brown and GM Mike Mayock got into it Wednesday. The team is now planning to suspend its star wide receiver.

[Mike Wright]

The Wizard. The wizard of Oz is a crazy man behind the curtain.

[Andy Holloway]

Holy crap.

[Mike Wright]

I am selling yesterday's question of over 100 yards receiving for Antonio Brown. And also, fire up your Darren Waller.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, pick up Waller.

[Mike Wright]

We saw Jared Cook when he was the only show in town. Darren Waller now my start of the week claim. Let me scroll down here.

[Jason Moore]

Dude, this is just ridiculous.

[Mike Wright]

He's an insane person.

[Andy Holloway]

He. Yeah, he's. He needs some help.

[Jason Moore]

See, Mike, you tried to convince me yesterday that he was crazy like a fox with this whole helmet thing.

[Andy Holloway]

With the helmet thing?

[Jason Moore]

With the helmet thing. He's not crazy like a fox. He's crazy like a crazy.

[Andy Holloway]

He needs some people in his life to help him out.

[Jason Moore]

No, but all he has is money. He looks around, he just finds money. This is just ridiculous. Look, you're about to make.

[Mike Wright]

Benjamin Franklin was a smart guy. He could get good advice from all.

[Jason Moore]

Of his Benjamins if he speaks to the money itself.

[Mike Wright]

Well, that's what you're saying he has in his life.

[Jason Moore]

It's just. It's really unfortunate because this was not the player that, you know, was in camp, was in the locker room six, seven years ago. It's not the same player. He had a very Jerry Rice like Persona for many years. Hardest worker in the league. Kept his head down, you know, breaking records. And now. I mean, is he addicted to the. To the Twitter sphere? I mean, I don't understand what's going on.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, my honest take is I think he has concussion problems. Like, if you remember that hit he took from Vonta's Perfect. Where was claiming he didn't have a concussion. But if you watched Antonio Brown, not many guys get hit like that.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, that's.

[Andy Holloway]

That's why I'm saying I think Antonio Brown's friends need to find him some help.

[Jason Moore]

The thing that's so difficult is how good of a player he is mixed with like this altercation like I was breaking on the show. I Don't. I don't have any more information than Adam Schefter's tweet.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

And it's breaking on the show. And you don't know how Antonio Brown responds to a suspension. Does he show up in week two? Does he rebel against the suspension? Does he ever play for the Raiders?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, because yesterday the. It wasn't huge news, but it was. Brown was. He had ig that he was mad that the team was fining him for skipping some practices. This is bad news for the Oakland Raiders in Antonio Brown, but I still like to spin it very positively. Pick up Darren Waller.

[Jason Moore]

You need to mention Tyrell Williams.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, sure.

[Jason Moore]

That it's not just Darren Waller. Tyrell Williams will inherit a ton of targets from the proposed Antonio Brown situation. Williams has been great in camp, been great in the preseason.

[Mike Wright]

That also means, look Kyle Borgognoni, our editor in chief over here who does some. He's just a beast. Does great work, great research.

[Jason Moore]

Also one of the best dishes at Olive Garden.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, yes. He did some research on vacated targets and found that it is pretty prescriptive to say that teams with large vacated targets the first season following that, you know, the higher numbers, they tend to target the running back a lot more pretty much across the board. So this.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, Josh.

[Mike Wright]

Josh Jacobs also should be a beneficiary here because they're going to need to dump that ball off all over the place.

[Jason Moore]

All right, we got to get to start to the week and we got to wrap up this Rams Panthers matchup. They got once again, you know, Antonio Brown, he doesn't care. He will disrupt anything you're doing. He will do that for team or for podcast.

[Mike Wright]

He's like, wait, are they not talking about me right now?

[Jason Moore]

Goodness.

[Andy Holloway]

We can make it pretty quick. The Rams, I'm starting all three wide receivers.

[Jason Moore]

The you're confident with Cooper cup in week one. That's. That's the part that I think people will want to know the most because it's first week back from the acl. They just paid Higby and they got Everett and do they, do they lower the reps for Cooper cup coming back into to week one? I'm not as confident as you on the road.

[Andy Holloway]

It's. Look, it's certainly possible, but I would still start him. I think you'll get enough work with that high opportunity to score. What I am fascinated to watch is from the Ram side, does Todd Gurley come out and have a monster Week one and the victory lap from the Todd Gurley truthers will Be. It will be incredible.

[Mike Wright]

Well, it's not a great matchup. If things hold true to last year. Panthers were definitely top 10 against the run. They were beatable through the air. So this should be one where Robert Woods, Brandon Cooks, Cooper cup, they are all okay, including Jared Goff. I am fine with Jared Goff. Obviously, if you drafted him, you're probably going to be starting him. Same with Cam Newton on the other side of the ball. Obviously a Christian McCaffrey's a go. The real question is, are you fine week one? You know, there's a lot of breakout potential here for DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel. Those two guys names, they get talked about all over the place. Huge breakout potential this year. But are you going to take that shot week one or do you wait and see with these guys?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, you know, my rankings say I'm waiting and seeing what you have in Curtis Samuel.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I agree. If you have the luxury to wait, you've got other good options.

[Jason Moore]

Go ahead and wait and you probably do, right? I mean, the value of Curtis Samuel in drafts meant that maybe he's a flex play for you, maybe he's not. Maybe you drafted him in the range where you're making that decision. So depending on where you got him, I don't mind the play at all. Like, I don't if you need to play DJ Moore or Curtis Samuel, they should be the primary pass catchers for Cam Newton at home. But I'm. I would love advanced knowledge of what's going to happen, you know, and you don't get that. So Cam Newton, you're confident in. In this matchup? Yes, he's start him up. He's back. He's ready to go. This Christian McCaffrey youngster, decent play this week.

[Andy Holloway]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

All right, we're going to need to move on. We're going to get into all the other matchups tomorrow. It's time for the starts.

[Mike Wright]

Starts of the week.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Week one, starts of the week. We'll begin at the quarterback position and I'll let the fantasy hitman himself kick it off.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, it's me like my, my start of the week at the quarterback position. It's. It's Jameis Winston the over under on this game of Tampa Bay and San Francisco is absolutely bananas. And on top of that, it's. Last time I saw it, it was a pickup. So I expect huge things from both San Francisco and Tampa Bay. They both have bad defenses. Things could certainly change from last year. I just see that really happening. And San Francisco, they allowed the Fifth most points per game last year. So I love it. Jameis was a late round guy you could take and this is a smash place for James.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Jason, who do you have at your quarterback start of the week?

[Mike Wright]

So I'm going a little deeper here. Those two quarterback leagues you want to know, you know the matchup play, I like Kirk Cousins. There's so much information about running the ball and this is a matchup against the Falcons that can actually score on the Vikings. It's not a prime time game. So I think Kirk Cousins will be okay. Now if it turns out that he doesn't have Stefan Diggs, then I would pivot, I would, I would move to, I mean I would play Jameis over Kirk either way, but I think if he's a full go with both Adam Thielen and Stefan Diggs, I think Kirk Cousins comes out, has a really solid performance week one. He was pretty great for a lot of the year last season, especially early on and we tend to forget that.

[Jason Moore]

All right, and I'll go outside the top 12 on the week and go with Kyler Murray against Detroit. It's not a name that I want to bring up and get accused of being a homer repeatedly on, but it's the play of the week for me. He's at home. We know the collegiate resume. We know last year over 1,000 yards rushing, 12 touchdowns on the ground. The Cardinals have a, what I'm, what I've written in our doc is a disgusting defense. There are going to be loads of opportunities for Kyler garbage time opportunities. You know, they're going to have to, they're going to have to win a shootout in this, in this matchup and we, I'm excited to see the very pass heavy, very play heavy Cliff Kingsbury offense in week one. I think Kyler Murray this year is going to have more passing attempts per game than most quarterbacks in football. And then you get to put the rushing yardage on top of it. And we know, you know, in a four point touchdown league, every 40 yards is a touchdown for the quarterback. Every, in a six point league, every 60 yards is a touchdown when you're on the ground. And I, I was there for Cam Newton's debut game in the NFL, 400 plus passing yards. Had a rushing touchdown in his debut as an NFL rookie in 2011.

[Andy Holloway]

That sounds like the line that Matt Stafford's about to put up.

[Jason Moore]

It's very, very. The Cardinals defense, it's depleted.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

And I don't trust Vance Joseph to make it not he can't make it. Not depleted. He could scheme his way into that.

[Mike Wright]

It could be the worst in the league. With their two starting cornerbacks, including Patrick Peterson, which they have neither of them.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. So Kyler Murray started the week at the quarterback position. I'll go right into my running back start of the week. Let's unleash the beast. Sony Michelle. Against Pittsburgh. They are at home. They are six point favorites. The Patriots running backs averaged 103 rushing yards per game last year and the Steelers gave up 96 a game. I don't expect this. You know, do I think the Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers are going to improve this year? I do. But week one in New England's a tough task at hand. So I think we see Sony Michelle kind of continue his playoff performance into week one. On the other side of the ball, I think James Conner has a struggling Week 1 against the Patriots defense.

[Andy Holloway]

Look, if you want to take a week one allegins, James Conner, we can do this every week.

[Jason Moore]

Can we return to this?

[Mike Wright]

I think James Conner is going to have a good week one. Yes, we certainly talk about that.

[Jason Moore]

So let's figure out the bet because I think James Conner struggles in week one. Patriots struggles how?

[Mike Wright]

Like not top 15 type of running back on the week or. Sure. Oh, yeah, done.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, done. I'm in.

[Mike Wright]

Both of us.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Waterbed.

[Andy Holloway]

I was in before the buzzer.

[Jason Moore]

There you go.

[Andy Holloway]

It's official. All right. My running back start of the week. It's real easy. Mark Ingram. He's playing Miami. They give up the second most rushing yards per game. 145 rushing yards per game. Ravens heavy favorites. That one. There's not much else that needs to be said there.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. For me. We got the drop ready. Let's go. Look, if he comes out and stinks week one, if he has a great week one.

[Andy Holloway]

What are you doing?

[Mike Wright]

No, no, no. I'm saying I'm getting all of that feedback on my Twitter, so he might as well be my start of the week. And also it's not just for that. It's for the fact that the Arizona Cardinals defense was terrible, but their offense could be great. So that just means more pace of play, more offensive opportunities for the Lions. They are on the road and they are favored by Vegas. This should be a carry on Johnson feast.

[Jason Moore]

It really should be.

[Mike Wright]

It should be.

[Jason Moore]

It really should.

[Mike Wright]

Look, I'm taking the ride and I'm landing at the top of the mountain. Playing the flag very high.

[Jason Moore]

All right, I will piggyback on Mike's quarterback start of the week I'm going Chris Godwin at wide receiver.

[Andy Holloway]

Nice.

[Jason Moore]

I believe Bruce Arians will come out and establish what this offense is against San Francisco, which is basically an offense with three pass catching options and one of them is Chris Godwin. He'll be peppered with targets.

[Andy Holloway]

How dare you.

[Jason Moore]

First eight.

[Andy Holloway]

Agunbowale is coming for everyone.

[Jason Moore]

I don't see that weak one, Mike. I'll go Godwin over Agun Boale.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

The 49er secondary gave up a passer rating of 105 a year ago. 35 touchdown passes, which was second worst in the league, gave up 25 points a game. Love that. 50 point over under. Give me some Godwin in week one.

[Mike Wright]

All right. My start of the week. Look, I said if you've got the opportunity to wait and see and you've got great options, go ahead, but I actually think you can start Curtis Samuel this week. If you look at the actual matchups, I don't think they're going to be viewing him as the one. This is a very, very high score in Vegas. Over, under. He's at home. You haven't seen him yet. So if you want a sneaky high upside play, like I could see a situation where Curtis Samuel comes out Week 1 and is a top 10 wide receiver in the NFL because he has a bomb touchdown. He's lightning fast, his routes are great. So if you want a high upside play, that's why I'm making him my start of the week. He, you know, we haven't seen it yet, so it's risky, but give me those diabetes.

[Jason Moore]

I hope somebody. I mean, there are new listeners that have no idea what on earth you mean.

[Mike Wright]

Keep listening. You'll catch on my friends.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

You live a very sugar dance predictive life.

[Mike Wright]

That is true.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

My wide receiver start of the week, my sweetie.

[Mike Wright]

Didi.

[Andy Holloway]

Didi Westbrook. He's in a unbelievable situation. He already looks like Nick Foles favorite target. Nick Foles favors the slot wide receiver even before having D.D. westbrook on his team as the primary pass catcher. The game script is incredibly in favor of Nick Foles having to throw the ball a ton. The Jaguars will not be able to slow this game down and try and grind it out with Fournette. This is a game they're going to have to pass. So I love Dee Dee.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, you have to. And my sweetie. He's your sweetie. Dee Dee's your sweetie. Sweetie I just love. We're in the CBS Telethon League where we had the St. Jude draft and we're playing it through for the whole season. And simultaneously, you know, Hunter Renfro just got picked up by Jake Seely in that league. That's the Antonio Brown reaction. Hunter Renfro, the accountant. Yes, The State Farm agent. All right.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, all right.

[Jason Moore]

One more tight end start of the week. I'm going with Jared Cook. Debut game against Houston. Biggest over under on the week. The Texans allowed six receiving touchdowns to tight ends last year in the red zone. That's an area where Cook was frequently targeted. To me, this is all about the big play and that is what the tight end landscape is. Somebody wrote in. There was like a five minute period of time on the website where I had mis formatted our tight end rankings page and it was all disrupted and somebody wrote in they go. The tight ends page is all disgusting. I assume you did. This is a reflection of the tight end landscape.

[Andy Holloway]

The thing is, this is a statement.

[Jason Moore]

This is. I'm expecting a big play from Jared Cook in this game. Houston's linebackers, their DBs, they missed tackles at an alarming rate last year. One missed tackle and you give up a monstrous play. And Jared Cook's going to feast in his debut game, which he owns. Week one anyway.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, he does.

[Jason Moore]

Jared Cook loves week one of the NFL season. It's the weeks two through seventeen he has trouble with from time to time. Jared Cook, start of the week.

[Mike Wright]

That is a good reminder. He does always come out.

[Jason Moore]

He really does.

[Mike Wright]

And dominate. I am genuinely pivoting to Darren Waller. He is my start of the week this week. If Antonio Brown is not there, if you watched Hard Knocks or paid attention in the offseason, all the camp buzz was always Darren Waller. He's unbelievable. He's so good nobody can guard him. Then you go to Hard Knocks. They're asking different players, who's the surprise? The players are saying, dude, it's Darren Waller. This guy's amazing. You watch the preseason. He looks great. He's always open. He's a freakishly talented physical specimen. And then on this last Hard Knocks episode, you actually, if you caught it when Gruden was talking about his offense for a second, he said, my offense runs through the tight end. Well, that's Darren Waller. That was after they gave Luke Wilson the boot. So, yeah, Darren Waller, I think he's going to have a very good game and you can probably pick him up off of waiver. So if you've got a disgusting tight end and you want to.

[Jason Moore]

Now, are you confident if Antonio Brown is not suspended because he has it's all planning to suspend right now. If Antonio Brown's out there, are you comfortable with Darren Waller? Would you ask our listeners to pivot or would you say stick with it because of, you know, week one upside? If you don't have a good tight.

[Mike Wright]

End, I mean, a lot of people out there, on our advice, drafted Darren Waller. I would just go ahead and play him. I was going to play him with Antonio Brown at that level.

[Jason Moore]

Waller over Andrews.

[Mike Wright]

But if Antonio. That would be like if Antonio Brown is gone, then I would go Waller over Andrews.

[Jason Moore]

I might go Waller in either situation. I like that pick. I like it. Jason. Thanks, Mike. You close us out.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. My stream or my start of the week at the tight end position, it's old man Delaney Walker.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. It's my turn now.

[Andy Holloway]

It's not a sexy pick. It's not fun to have pieces of the Tennessee.

[Mike Wright]

I'm open. I spit out my teeth.

[Jason Moore]

That's 35 year old Delaney Walker.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. Hey, that's how old I am.

[Jason Moore]

I haven't been talking the right way for years.

[Andy Holloway]

Just a reminder.

[Jason Moore]

Here we go. Dumbledore.

[Andy Holloway]

Apparently before last year where he was, he got hurt halfway through week one. He had played, he had received over 100 targets four straight years. And last year in that game where he barely played 50% of the snaps in week one, he already had seven targets.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Delaney Walker is Marcus Mariota's go to guy. It's bland, it's boring. It doesn't have that upside feeling of. Of someone like Darren Waller. But Delaney Walker is going to be.

[Mike Wright]

Let's get.

[Jason Moore]

You're going Looby's for week one with Delaney Walker. Is that what you're saying?

[Andy Holloway]

Look, they got great roast beef.

[Jason Moore]

All right, we do have one final segment.

[Mike Wright]

Jason Moore's ironclad, locked and loaded. 100% guaranteed boom boom kicker of the week. Let's start the year off without getting too nuts. Go with the sure thing. Week one with the Saints kicker, Will Lutz.

[Jason Moore]

That sounds pretty locked and loaded, Jason.

[Mike Wright]

Boom boom.

[Jason Moore]

100% guaranteed ironclad. All right, we'll be back with more matchups tomorrow. More injury updates, probably more Antonio Brown news.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Quick thank you to our studio sponsor, Pristine Auction. Listen, head over to pristineauction.com use the registration code BALLERS. A signed DeAndre Hopkins jersey yesterday. $68. Goodness, that is a steal on a DeAndre Hopkins jersey. Head over there. Pristineauction.com that is it for today's show. Freaking Antonio Brown. What are you doing, man? Hey, let's play football. We'll talk to you tomorrow. Foot Clan. Thanks for tuning in.

[Andy Holloway]

Enjoy tonight's game.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, buddy.

[Mike Wright]

See you tomorrow.

[Andy Holloway]

Goodbye.

[Mike Wright]

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.

[Jason Moore]

And a reminder, today's episode of the Fantasy Footballers is brought to you by Mugsy Jeans, the most comfortable men's jeans ever made. That is not an exaggeration. Their high tech fabrics are so soft and flexible, they literally feel as comfortable as sweatpants. Do your legs a favor and head to mugsy.com grab your own pair of ridiculously comfortable jeans. Today listeners can use the code footballers for $10 off that is m u G-S-Y.com with the code footballers for $10 off your pair of Mugsy Jeans.