Week 15 Buy or Sell + Semi-Finals Mailbag, Lizard Rules

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fantasy Footballers - Week 15 Buy or Sell + Semi-Finals Mailbag, Lizard Rules

Release Date: December 11, 2019

Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright

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1. Buy/Sell Segment

Overview: The hosts delve into the "Buy or Sell" discussion, evaluating key players' performances and their impact on fantasy football lineups for Week 15.

• Josh Jacobs:
  Jason Moore (03:04): "We all sold him as a top 12. So that's a win."
  Andy Holloway (03:07): "He was not a top 12. It's just facts."
  Outcome: Jacobs did not perform as a top 12 running back, validating the sell decision.

• Baker Mayfield:
  Jason Moore (03:11): "Baker Mayfield, a top 12 quarterback. We all sold that. He ended up quarterback 24."
  Outcome: Mayfield underperformed significantly, reinforcing the sell recommendation.

• Joe Mixon:
  Jason Moore (04:06): "Joe Mixon with 10 fantasy points versus New England. That's an easy buy for me."
  Andy Holloway (04:28): "He's too involved and too talented a player."
  Insight: Despite a modest performance, Mixon's consistent workload secures his value.

• Odell Beckham Jr.:
  Jason Moore (06:06): "I will sell just two games this entire season as the wide receiver, 16 or better for your first round pick, Odell Beckham Jr."
  Andy Holloway (06:42): "I'm going to sell, as they say. He does not get a top 15 performance against the hapless Arizona Cardinals."
  Decision: Beckham Jr. is recommended to be sold due to inconsistent performances against weak defenses.

• Todd Gurley:
  Jason Moore (11:46): "He's the RB12 on the season. He has five top 10 finishes..."
  Andy Holloway (12:26): "I'm going to sell begrudgingly."
  Conclusion: Gurley's high snap count and touchdown potential make him a buy despite some reservations.

Notable Quote: Jason Moore (05:23): "If Joe Mixon was on the Baltimore Ravens, he would be the best running back in football."

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2. News and Notes

Injuries and Team Updates:

• Darius Geiss:
  Jason Moore (14:26): "The Redskins officially placed Darius Geiss on injured reserve."
  Impact: Geiss is out for the season due to a sprained MCL.

• Marvin Jones:
  Jason Moore (14:42): "Marvin Jones on injured reserve. Wide receiver for the Lions. Ankle injury."
  Impact: Jones' absence affects the Lions' receiving corps.

• Kenny Golladay:
  Andy Holloway (15:13): "This week he has just the creme de la creme matchup."
  Insight: Golladay faces a favorable matchup, boosting his fantasy potential.

• Alshon Jeffery:
  Jason Moore (16:21): "Alshon done for the season."
  Concern: Jeffery's injury underscores the need for robust WR depth.

Team Performances:

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
  Andy Holloway (07:05): "Kyler Murray is at home against Cleveland. The last two weeks have been disasters for Kyler."
  Analysis: Tampa's offense struggles have significant fantasy implications.

• Baltimore Ravens vs. New York Jets:
  Jason Moore (19:01): "If Lamar Jackson walked on his hands, I think they lose by 10 points because the defense."
  Takeaway: Ravens are heavy favorites with a strong defense.

Notable Quote: Andy Holloway (07:05): "Tyree Kill ended up the wide receiver. 39. So far away from the top 15 area."

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3. Thursday Night Preview

Ravens vs. Jets Analysis:

• Matchup Overview:
  Jason Moore (27:03): "The jets are 32nd in yards per play. 31st in rushing."
  Insight: The Jets face a tough Ravens defense, making them significant underdogs.

• Player Strategies:
  Jason Moore (37:23): "Just say Lamar Jackson and tomorrow's Thursday night game or if I continue streaming, Ryan Tannehill."
  Decision-Making: Evaluates whether to start Lamar Jackson or Ryan Tannehill based on matchup and performance.

• Risk Assessment:
  Jason Moore (19:26): "Lamar Jackson could not throw a single pass in this game, and Baltimore would win."
  Conclusion: Despite Lamar's injuries, his high ceiling makes him a staple in lineups.

Notable Quote: Jason Moore (35:34): "If you believe that Vegas is right about this game, I would not be surprised if Gus Edwards has a very nice performance over the just second half."

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4. Mailbag: Listener Questions

Key Questions Addressed:

• Rolling Out Lamar Jackson vs. Ryan Tannehill:
  Listener Matt (37:20): "Just wondering if I roll Out Lamar Jackson and tomorrow's Thursday night game or if I continue streaming, Ryan Tannehill."
  Hosts' Response:
  Jason Moore (37:36): "I do think that Lamar Jackson is automatic. This team, they’re too smart, they don’t play a guy in this situation unless he can play and he says he's fine."
  Andy Holloway (38:27): "Lamar Jackson has a quad injury and you worry..."

• Picking Up Sammy Watkins:
  Listener Brian (39:00): "Do I dare pick him up and play him?"
  Hosts' Response:
  Jason Moore (39:41): "I'd play Robbie Anderson against Baltimore over Sammy Watkins."
  Andy Holloway (41:17): "Yeah, I do. It's not even a good matchup."

• Starting James Conner if He Returns:
  Host Discussion (43:09): Debates the reliability of James Conner due to his injury history and performance during returns.

• Devontae Freeman vs. Other Running Backs:
  Listener Arturo (44:52): "Devontae Freeman has been good the last two weeks. But he plays San Francisco. Where does he rank for you guys?"
  Hosts' Response:
  Andy Holloway (45:15): "Not low enough."
  Jason Moore (46:19): Emphasizes the importance of consistency and matchup.

• Fantasy League Playoff Rules:
  Jason Moore (46:33): "There's a camp that says if you didn't make the playoffs, you have no right or ability to touch the waiver wire..."
  Discussion:
  Andy Holloway (47:29): Advocates for continued engagement even after being eliminated from playoffs.
  Jason Moore (48:50): Argues against restrictive rules, citing motivations behind waiver pickups.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Moore (37:36): "Lamar has never finished 22nd the entire year and is just automatic."
• Andy Holloway (41:28): "He has one performance that quarterback to finish. That is in the top 20."
• Jason Moore (51:31): "I just think that people will only sign like, I'm not paying attention in a league. I'm out from a waiver wire standpoint."

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5. Concluding Insights

Strategic Takeaways:

• Player Consistency:
  Emphasis on selecting players with proven consistency and favorable matchups, such as Joe Mixon and Todd Gurley.

• Injury Management:
  Importance of monitoring player injuries (e.g., Lamar Jackson) and making informed decisions based on health reports.

• Waiver Wire Strategy:
  Encouragement to actively engage with the waiver wire, especially for teams still in playoff contention, to bolster lineups.

• League Rules Advocacy:
  Hosts discuss the merits of maintaining active participation post-playoff elimination, advocating for flexible league rules to keep all members engaged.

Final Notable Quote: Jason Moore (53:25): "It's impossible. But... mere mortals, you know, we don't understand the ways of the lizard."

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Conclusion: This episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast offers in-depth analysis on key player performances, strategic decisions for Week 15, and thoughtful discussions on league participation rules during the playoffs. The hosts provide actionable insights, backed by current player data and matchup evaluations, ensuring fantasy managers are well-equipped to make informed decisions for their teams.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

This is Dede Westbrook here with the.

[Mike Wright]

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

[Andy Holloway]

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

[Jason Moore]

Welcome in. Excited to be here. Wednesday, December 11th, right in the middle of the week. Semifinal playoffs on the way. Mike Wright is here.

[Mike Wright]

Hello.

[Jason Moore]

Jason Moore is present.

[Andy Holloway]

Let's do it. Foot Clan. Let's get these hashtag footclan Clan titles.

[Mike Wright]

You seemed very unsure that it was.

[Jason Moore]

Hashtag but then you like pivoted into like that's just a cadence that I was gonna do for just fastest.

[Andy Holloway]

That was just how I emphasized my man.

[Jason Moore]

Today we have Buy Sell. We've got Thursday night preview. We've got mailbag questions galore. We're trying to get your team ready, get it right. There are going to be some names on your roster, all you champions out there that you didn't expect at the beginning of the season but will be heralded as in fame forever if you win a title with them.

[Mike Wright]

The old Herald.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's to go. And proclaim their name out at the public square.

[Andy Holloway]

Justin Watson.

[Jason Moore]

Oh dear.

[Mike Wright]

Hark hark in the Herald.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's seasonal too, Mike. Thank you. Twitter, the ffballers. Instagram.com fantasy footballers. We're on YouTube. We're everywhere. You listen to podcasts and we appreciate it when you leave us a review. Subscribe to the show. We are a year round fantasy football podcast. So it does not stop once you have that trophy. In fact, you probably got that trophy because you listened to us the whole year long or at least we helped contribute.

[Mike Wright]

When you get the trophy, that's just the beginning of next year.

[Andy Holloway]

That's right.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. It's the beginning of your reign. And the beginning of the reign is. It's wonderful. You know, you have 365 days ahead of you to make the people in your league feel less than.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's go ahead and do some Buy Sell.

[Andy Holloway]

Buy or Sell. Presented by Pristine Auction.

[Jason Moore]

Well, last week we did a fantasy playoffs edition. One of the buy sells was kind of omitted. Josh Jacobs didn't play. Now we all sold him as a top 12. So that's a win.

[Andy Holloway]

I think we all got it right. He was not a top 12. It's just facts.

[Jason Moore]

And then I got all the rest of them right.

[Mike Wright]

So nicely done.

[Jason Moore]

I feel like I'm on a pretty good streak in recent weeks with the Buy Sell. But that's based on the perfection of last week. Mostly. All right. Baker Mayfield, a top 12 quarterback. We all sold that. He ended up quarterback 24. Todd. It's a really small. Just a little fart sound there. Todd Gurley ended up with 113 total yards. DJ Chark, before he got injured, went up above the 60 receiving yard mark, which was news.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, my goodness.

[Mike Wright]

This was breaking news to Jason right.

[Jason Moore]

Before the show began. He was shocked.

[Andy Holloway]

My. When I saw that he was nine for 75. I mean, we watch all these games. We're here watching every moment almost. Yeah, apparently. Because I just don't remember Tark doing jack squat. And then I'm like 10 targets, nine receptions. How did I miss all of that? Somehow it blew my mind.

[Jason Moore]

And then Tyree Kill ended up the wide receiver. 39. So far away from the top 15 area. Let's do a semifinals edition. I'm excited to talk about this player. Buy or sell. Joe Mixon with 10 fantasy points versus New England. That's an easy buy for me. 10 fantasy points is not difficult for Joe Mixon.

[Andy Holloway]

He didn't do it against Pittsburgh.

[Jason Moore]

No, but he did it against everybody else. Yeah, he did it against Baltimore. He did it against the Rams. He did it last week. He was the third ranked fantasy running back. He just gets too much work. And with Andy Dalton there in the passing game and Mixon's ability to break off one or two big runs regardless of the opponent, I'm easily buying that.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I'm going to buy it as well. Too involved and too talented a player. Even on a bad team with a bad matchup, 10 is a low bar. We're not saying he's going to have a phenomenal week. We're just saying he's going to get the ball enough.

[Mike Wright]

Bye.

[Jason Moore]

He is up to.

[Andy Holloway]

Mike is leaving.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. See you later. Have a good one.

[Mike Wright]

That's buh by.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, that's different. Yeah. That's what people were doing with Joe Mixon through the first few weeks of the season.

[Mike Wright]

And I do not blame them.

[Jason Moore]

And because he was. Yeah. I still believed that Joe Mixon.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it pulled through.

[Jason Moore]

Just. Just the player that he is. If Joe Mixon was on, I don't know, the Baltimore Ravens, he would be the best running back in football. I believe that.

[Mike Wright]

The best running back in football.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, the best. Yeah. If you put him on that team to succeed, who's better than him?

[Andy Holloway]

It's a bold declaration.

[Jason Moore]

I guess McCaffrey would be in that category.

[Mike Wright]

I would definitely say yes, but I.

[Jason Moore]

Mean, I think he's a top five running back.

[Andy Holloway]

He's in the group of most talented running backs is the point you're making.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. If you flip flop teams with Zeke and him, he'd be, you know, he'd be a top five guy. I just think he's that talented. Odell Beckham Jr. Will he be a top 15 wide receiver at Arizona?

[Andy Holloway]

This is tough for me because if I have a chance this season to bet against Odell Beckham Jr. You've taken it every time and it's been great. Yeah, I've taken it and I've taken it to the bank. But Arizona is buh. Bad they are. I mean, they're just. They're just a steaming pile of donkey dongs. So this is a really great line. I'm going to sell, as they say. I'm going to sell that. He does not get a top 15 performance against the hapless Arizona Cardinals.

[Mike Wright]

I can't buy two top 15 wide receivers from the Cleveland Browns. So I will not buy the wide receiver two finishing there.

[Jason Moore]

I will sell just two games this entire season as the wide receiver, 16 or better for your first round pick, Odell Beckham Jr. I'll buy it. I'll buy a top 15 performance against Arizona.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't blame you. I've watched Arizona.

[Jason Moore]

Kyler Murray is at home against Cleveland. The last two weeks have been disasters for Kyler. QB 20, QB 25. I don't. I feel like they moved the ball into the red zone on every drive against Pittsburgh and then didn't ever score.

[Mike Wright]

Well, they didn't realize it's called the red zone because like, it's dangerous for the defense. But they, they're like, red zone. We're supposed to stop here, right?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, they think it's a light situation. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Red light. Green light situation.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

Classic.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, dude, just.

[Jason Moore]

He's a rookie. He doesn't understand.

[Andy Holloway]

Just let him know it's the green.

[Mike Wright]

Green zone. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Green means go.

[Jason Moore]

Well, let's see what you believe.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm buying.

[Jason Moore]

Can you teach him this soon?

[Andy Holloway]

I am buying. He's. He's been on a terrible streak. He's looked to me to be bad scared and little bitty baby.

[Jason Moore]

Bad scared, little bitty baby. By.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. But the reality is his rushing ability can always propel him into the top 12. He has so many performances up in the top 12 through the year. I mean, you've talked about it. He can move down to the 20s. Some games he throws multiple touchdowns, at other games he doesn't throw any. I'm going to buy that. This is A good Kyler week. I am in.

[Jason Moore]

I'm selling it. I don't think we're going to. It's just been really bad in Arizona, so I'm going to go ahead and sell it.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it has. It's been bad.

[Jason Moore]

You're on the fence, Mike.

[Mike Wright]

I am, because I'm trying to remember what Kyler Murray's actually done this year. And he's still the quarterback. Seven and the last two weeks have absolutely been garbage. But the three right before that, six, four and seven quarterback on the week at home. I'm gonna. I gotta fix my rankings third straight.

[Jason Moore]

By the way, the QB20 and QB25 weeks were both at home against the Rams in Pittsburgh. It's close.

[Mike Wright]

I'm gonna buy it.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, you're in. You're in. Hunter Henry, five receptions against Minnesota.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm gonna.

[Mike Wright]

What happened?

[Jason Moore]

We got a touchdown last week, but I was. But he.

[Mike Wright]

He came off of the injury and he was just dominating. Phil Rivers was like, oh, holy crap. Hunter Henry's back on the team. Let's give him the ball. And then he's like, I'm over this. I'm over using Hunter.

[Andy Holloway]

I think they use him enough week in and week out. I really do.

[Mike Wright]

You know, he's had two weeks, two receptions a game. That's enough for you.

[Andy Holloway]

When you get a touchdown now, it's.

[Mike Wright]

Not necessarily 2 for 10.

[Jason Moore]

Mike Williams has been healthier and Austin Eckler has been further integrated into a slot wide receiver. I think that's awesome.

[Mike Wright]

Eckler, yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Austin Eckler, Yeah. I will sell it. Five receptions too much. I think four.

[Andy Holloway]

Five receptions is a lot. I think four is more.

[Jason Moore]

I thought you just bought.

[Andy Holloway]

I didn't. I didn't make my declaration. But I am going to buy. I am going to buy. You know, the last couple games haven't been there, but I think that the Minnesota game could turn into more of a surprising shootout. You know, they can be beat through the air. So I'm going to buy here.

[Mike Wright]

Hunter Henry has done it in four of nine games. I will buy.

[Jason Moore]

With such prediction.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, nope, not confident about it.

[Jason Moore]

44 and a half point over under in that game. It's in Los Angeles. I'm with Jason. I think that game ends up being a little bit more prolific on the scoring side.

[Mike Wright]

Who sounds like you should play Philip.

[Jason Moore]

Rivers, Jason, But I'm still selling the five receptions.

[Mike Wright]

I think you just endorsed Philip Rivers as a fantasy quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

You proclaimed him your champion.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't believe that the Foot Clan wants to either watch or hear vomit. Please stop with your words and don't ever say kind things from me to Oscar.

[Mike Wright]

You're the one who said it.

[Jason Moore]

Mike, did you get to hear the clip of Philip Rivers that was circulating.

[Mike Wright]

Yesterday of him on the field talking garbage?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. When he was screaming about 90 yard touchdown. And then he's like, yeah, but please don't yell in my ear. And he's like, I will yell in your ear. I will yell in your ear.

[Andy Holloway]

It seems so much like Talladega Nights to me when he's doing that. He was like, yes, I will. I will yell in your ear.

[Jason Moore]

And then Brooks, I said, no offense. Brooks really wants to know about Todd Gurley again. So he's got him in here. I think we all want to know. Top 10 running back against Dallas. Todd Gurley been getting the work, been producing. He's the RB12 on the season. He has five top 10 finishes, including two in a row. Somehow that's. Somehow that's more than Chris Carson, Nick Chubb and Leonard Fournette.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it's because touchdowns. I'm. I like Todd Gurley this week. I think he's a good option. They are clearly focusing the offense. We talked about the snap percentage for Cooper cup and for Brandon Cooks being very low. Some of that was because they were winning heavily in the, you know, in the fourth quarter. But another part of that and McVeigh came out and talked about it was because they are focused on getting the line right and being able to run the ball. If that takes, you know, 10 other guys in the block for Gurley, they're doing it. That being said, I do feel like the line at 10 is a little too high. So I'm going to sell begrudgingly.

[Jason Moore]

I'm selling as well.

[Mike Wright]

Mike Dallas has been kind of middle of the pack against fantasy running backs. But just looking back at their recent schedule, Chicago, Buffalo, I guess shutting Singletary down or they didn't shut him down, but I mean, Singletary is of note. New England, Detroit, and then they got absolutely torched by the Minnesota running game, I, I'm gonna buy Todd Gurley. I'm buying the resurgence that he is back to the focal point. And unless they give me one of those surprise Malcolm Brown touchdowns where, like I was with Jason, that the first rushing touchdown of Malcolm Brown was absolutely shocking, where it seemed like they got down to the one and then they were running and the television producers couldn't keep up. The Rams explode into the end zone. You're like, oh, sweet.

[Andy Holloway]

Gurley got a Touchdown.

[Mike Wright]

And then it's just Malcolm Brown threw a smoke bomb down. He's like, guess what, it's me, Malcolm.

[Andy Holloway]

Todd Gurley ripped off his face like, haha. You thought it was Todd Gurley? It was me the whole time.

[Jason Moore]

Those plays are always rough too, because I didn't, you know, I didn't see Gurley when he ran off the field.

[Mike Wright]

It was real fast. So.

[Jason Moore]

So it's one of those things where, you know, Gurley could have thrown his hand up and been like, I need one. But, you know, because that happens from time to time in a very annoying fashion for fantasy owners. But yeah, you never know. He has been playing well and your odds for a good performance go up when you have increased touches, which is what's finally happening. I mean, we've seen the breakdown over the course of, you know, the last two years versus this year. He's like five or six touches fewer per game. They need to get back to that level because they, they were pretty good when Todd Gurley was running the ball.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

All right. That was by yourself from Pristine Auction. You can check them out. Pristine auction.com use the code ballers to get yourself some sports memorabilia. Let's get into the news.

[Andy Holloway]

News and notes from around the league presented by Sleeper.

[Jason Moore]

All right. The Redskins officially placed Darius Geiss on injured reserve. A sprained mcl. This season is over.

[Andy Holloway]

Is the time of year when smallish injuries just, they all go to ir. You're going to miss a couple weeks. You're done. But it's so sad.

[Jason Moore]

Marvin Jones on injured reserve. Wide receiver for the Lions. Ankle injury. The smallish injury part.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, just, you know, IR sounds so like terrible.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's fair. No, Marvin Jones, though, that's, that's disappointing. Kenny Golladay, I was looking at the last, you know, eight since week eight. He's a like top five point per game wide receiver in that span, despite the Driscoll Blau period of his life, which I'm sure one day he'll talk to a counselor about.

[Andy Holloway]

And this week he has just the creme de la creme matchup. So it's, it's, you know, full steam ahead.

[Mike Wright]

Is it?

[Andy Holloway]

Is the phrase. I think so, yes.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, you could take the narrative both ways of he's the only show in town, but he's the only show in town.

[Andy Holloway]

Is.

[Mike Wright]

Can Kenny Galladay and David Blau overcome that?

[Jason Moore]

I'm into Galladay against Tampa. He's too big, too fast, too strong.

[Andy Holloway]

If this was a different matchup, I would say Marvin Jones going down could hurt Golladay, but I don't think Tampa can hurt Golladay. I just don't. They don't have the personnel and they're. They've even lost, you know, they were already the worst and they, they lost one of their major pass rushers.

[Jason Moore]

So it's like, yeah, I'm kind of done doubting him considering the fact that we've, we've gone through with the quarterbacks. Is there a sneaky PPR play on Detroit when you have to trust David Blau and. But you are facing the Tampa secondary. You know, Danny Amendola. You don't have Hawkinson there anymore either. He' so there's Jesse James.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't, I don't trust Blau enough to make someone like a Danny Amendola like Danny Amadolas had eight targets the last two weeks. That's great. Except they were David Blau targets and you know, he's ended up, I believe, 60 yards combined in those two games.

[Jason Moore]

66 Alshon done for the season. I think we saw this coming, talked about it yesterday.

[Mike Wright]

Do we have an update yet on what that injury is?

[Jason Moore]

Hey, Giamatti, you got anything? I'll check out. You've been on the phone with Al Shawn. Give him a call, let us know.

[Mike Wright]

I'm just, I'm concerned, man. Like long term.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's older, so if it is older, if it's a serious injury, if it's Achilles or if it's something.

[Mike Wright]

If it's an Achilles injury, he's done.

[Jason Moore]

He doesn't, he doesn't recover. He's not main injured. Doesn't recover well from anything. No, I mean, he, Even when he has good games, you find out later that he had a severe shoulder injury during them. I mean, he is one of the most redundantly injured players that exists. So they need to completely fix their wide receiver core in totality heading into next year. If you want to know whether you have the future in Carson Wentz, you cannot be targeting Greg Ward for the duration of the season.

[Andy Holloway]

I was thinking about this very, very selfishly as I am forced into playing Carson Wentz in my playoffs this week. Again, you could always go Rivers. It's dynasty. So I can't. But also shut your mouth. No, but I was like, Antonio Brown is out there. Tweet like, come on.

[Mike Wright]

Antonio Brown will go right onto the commissioner's list if he's signed. That's why no one has signed.

[Andy Holloway]

But I mean, if you're the Eagles, if you are the team and you're like, okay, we're being gifted playoffs here. We shouldn't be, but we're in. But we don't have anybody to throw the ball to. You are. I mean, forget Antonio Brown. You're looking at every wide receiver that is out there in the world saying, I've got to find people to come in who maybe I could sign off the street or something. And then there's Antonio Brown out there. Like, you got to kick a tire. Right. It's just my thought, hey, there's a tire.

[Mike Wright]

Let's kick it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I probably don't think.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, I get it. I get it.

[Jason Moore]

All right, this is good news. Lamar Jackson, he's going to start Thursday's game against the Jets. They are mondo favorites. We've got the preview coming up shortly. Quad injury, question mark.

[Mike Wright]

Holy goodness. I just looked at the line.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's like, what, 14 and a half? Yeah. Well, they're out against the Jets. That's the real crux of the argument.

[Mike Wright]

Still, man, two ton. That is greater than two touchdowns.

[Andy Holloway]

That is nowhere near high enough. I would genuinely bet that they cover that.

[Jason Moore]

Well, Lamar is going to be in your fantasy lineup. There's no real evaluation here.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

If he's active, you play him. He's active, you're going to play him. And this seems like the kind of game to me that the Jets. It is an actual, like, scientific impossibility to win the game. Like, I don't think there's any possible way that they could do it.

[Andy Holloway]

The quad injury is the way. I mean, this is.

[Jason Moore]

Even if Lamar Jackson walked on his hands, I think they lose by 10 points because the defense. How are you going to score on Baltimore with Sam Darnold on the road? I don't know how it's going to happen.

[Mike Wright]

Lamar Jackson could. Could not throw a single pass in this game, and Baltimore would win.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. After I said it, I regretted it because I'm like, Robert Griffin could beat this jets team with. With the defense and the running game, and that's not.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, I don't know. I guess that's an insult to the Jets.

[Mike Wright]

It is, and it should be taken as such.

[Jason Moore]

But it's also just a compliment to that defense. There are just situations where, you know, you just can't do it. It's the same situation as. Look at how Pittsburgh's winning games right now.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jason Moore]

They're winning games with Duck Hodges.

[Andy Holloway]

Ugly.

[Jason Moore]

And if, if, if the jets were traveling to Pittsburgh on Thursday night this week, I would say that they should be 10 point underdogs regardless of Duck Hodges. All right. Don't forget to check your waiver wire. I saw many of you. Congratulations, by the way, releasing Aaron Rodgers into the. Into the pool.

[Mike Wright]

The plan is being executed.

[Andy Holloway]

Please work.

[Jason Moore]

I was gonna say I realized today when I saw these screenshots from the play play bench plan or play play cut that this could turn very poorly for us as a show if Aaron Rodgers goes out and does like a. And Brooks is nodding. I think I heard Jason saying this this morning. Did you really?

[Andy Holloway]

You weren't in yet. And I saw someone screenshot that, you know, Aaron Rodgers was cut. And I just, I said, we are going to feel something big on Monday. We're either going to feel really good, we predicted the future in advance and it worked out, or we're going to feel horrific.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I saw a lot of, you know, ryan Tannehill. Yeah, 100% was the pickup for many of you when you dropped Aaron Rodgers.

[Andy Holloway]

Is that dependent on Devonta Parker? I mean, if he doesn't have Parker, would you still play Tannehill?

[Jason Moore]

I don't think he's going to have Parker.

[Andy Holloway]

I was hearing Fitzpatrick. Now, what if Tannehill added Devonte Parker?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I'd probably go up.

[Mike Wright]

Let me. What if I told you this, Jason? Since week nine, Philip Rivers is averaging more points per game than Aaron Rodgers.

[Jason Moore]

Keep saying stuff like this so that people know that we're not just insane.

[Andy Holloway]

I would believe it. That's a very low bar, though.

[Mike Wright]

Since week nine, Matt Ryan is averaging more points per game than Aaron Rodgers. And Matt Ryan has been horrifically bad.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, that's because Aaron Rodgers has been horrifically bad. Yeah, for fans.

[Mike Wright]

Exactly. Aaron Rodgers since. In this time span. I'm talking about since Week 9. Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback. 22.

[Jason Moore]

22 is not a good number. How do you feel about this?

[Mike Wright]

And that includes a number two overall finish.

[Andy Holloway]

Here's. Here's the thing about that. If you take a look at that number two finish. Okay. That is the only. And this is since week nine. That's a. That's a lot of weeks. That's six weeks ago. He has one performance that. That quarterback to finish. That is in the top 20.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

That's the only one that is in the top 20.

[Mike Wright]

This is what I will bet on.

[Jason Moore]

I was gonna say. You're betting on that.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Now, the problem is that there's a QB2 performance in the middle of that.

[Mike Wright]

Run against the Giants.

[Jason Moore]

Is that who it was?

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. So we didn't even go Back to the Oakland game, right?

[Mike Wright]

No Oakland game.

[Jason Moore]

He was QB1.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, yeah. You know who we played last week? Washington.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I know, I know.

[Mike Wright]

I'm. Stick to the plan, everyone.

[Jason Moore]

The problem's going to be.

[Mike Wright]

No, don't get nervous now.

[Jason Moore]

As is often the case in fantasy football, Mitch Trubisky is the problem here. Mitch Trubisky is the real problem. If he Mitches his way to some points in Green Bay, you'll have a problem. That's what I think. But you have to play the odds and you need, you need to win. You're weak and your odds on playing Aaron Rodgers and winning at the quarterback.

[Andy Holloway]

Position are low against Chicago when he's been, you know, five of six weeks outside the top 20. Yeah, you certainly don't want to play.

[Jason Moore]

We are rationalizing to ourselves now.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, it's just true. If you don't want to cut him and you don't want to go that far for the sake of the joke or for the sake of the landmine to your opponent, that could work out. Regardless, you should probably not be playing Aaron Rodgers. You should look for a better option. I thought I had a playoff matchup against our friend Michael Butler in our Dynasty league because he told me that we were playing each other next week. I was so excited because he has Aaron Rodgers and no other option. And then I found out I'm not playing. That's very sad.

[Jason Moore]

Weird. End of the story News and notes is always brought to you by the Sleeper app. Don't miss a piece of news. Grab the Sleeper app and we want to pause before our Thursday night preview and thank today's sponsor. I'm talking about hello Fresh. You've heard us talk about them before. They're America's number one meal kit. Easy seasonal recipes, pre measured ingredients delivered right to your door. All you got to do is cook and enjoy. Maybe you're in a little bit of a dinner rut. HelloFresh has it figured out. With their new recipes and basically everything. You're talking about a wow worthy dinner on the table. Just 30 minutes. Yeah. That's what you say when you see it. That's what you say when you eat it.

[Mike Wright]

That's what Owen Wilson would say.

[Jason Moore]

And look, we've all, all three of us, we've used HelloFresh for a long time. Occasionally, frequently. Really? We come in here and we're like, have you had those burgers with the grilled onions that you got sent last night?

[Andy Holloway]

Dude, when we made the pickles out of cucumbers like in my kitchen. And then they were delicious.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's great. And you can get nine. Listen to this. Nine free meals with HelloFresh.

[Mike Wright]

Wow.

[Jason Moore]

See, by going to HelloFresh.com Footballers9 and you use the code Footballers9. That's HelloFresh.com Footballers9and use the code Footballers9 for nine free meals.

[Mike Wright]

Wow, wow, wow. Want to thank today's sponsor, Sonos. This holiday season, immerse yourself in all your favorite holiday classics with a new home theater system from Sonos. Look, you get the Sonos system, you hook it up, you download the app. The whole process is very enjoyable. Just unboxing the Sonos, knowing what's about to happen, the sound quality that's about to occur in your bedroom, it is fantastic. We all have Sonos systems. I love it. I've turned mine into my Amazon. Alexa, bring that thing in the bathroom. I crank out the jams while I'm cleaning out the bod.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, my goodness.

[Mike Wright]

You don't like to do that.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, dude, that's a pro tip. I'm right there with you, Mike.

[Mike Wright]

You can wirelessly connect all your speakers to create your perfect sound system. You can play carols and more with the TVs off. You got the carols still going. Tis the season. Hark to Harold. As we have been saying all show.

[Andy Holloway]

Dude, Sonos is awesome. I tell, I say, alexa, play. Play Christmas music in my living room. And then it's like.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, the sound quality is fantastic. Look, it's. It's not a joke. We all have Sonos systems. I love my Sonos system throughout my house. Go to sonos.com to learn more and complete your holiday shopping.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's talk Thursday.

[Andy Holloway]

Thursday night breakdown.

[Jason Moore]

I'm not going to get into it, Jason, but, like, while you were talking, some sort of let's kick the tires on AB Philadelphia. While you were doing that, Antonio Brown was.

[Mike Wright]

He's handling Twitter.

[Jason Moore]

Was working on his Twitter some more.

[Andy Holloway]

Amazing. Yeah. My favorite part of this whole thing is how you said, I'm not going to talk about it. Just talked about it.

[Jason Moore]

Not the details. I wasn't going to get into the details about the tweets and things like that.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, so he's out.

[Jason Moore]

I'm just. I was just saying, like, maybe you don't look his direction. Yeah. The jets at 5 and 8 at the Ravens, 11 and 2 Ravens. Armando Favorites, as I said, 14.5 point Favorites. 30 point Implied point Total. The jets at 14.5. Vegas looking at the game and saying, we don't Care about your quad because we got you at 30 points. You know, do you have confidence or the guts to trot out? Do you have it jets offensive options for fantasy football purposes?

[Mike Wright]

No, I don't.

[Andy Holloway]

I benched Robbie Anderson in the Dynasty League where he was a big part of my win last week. No, I'm not. There's, there's no option here. I mean, Lev Bell would be, I assume he's going to be back and he's probably a must start running back to option. I don't think the upside is there, but he gets enough work to be.

[Mike Wright]

Le'Veon Bell or you were able to pick up DeAndre Washington off the waiver wire.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I was going to mention they added Rod Smith to their team. It's looking like Josh Jacobs is likely to miss again.

[Mike Wright]

So Washington would start again.

[Andy Holloway]

I would go with my start of the week spoiler. This is the second start of the week we've talked about DeAndre Washington.

[Mike Wright]

So that sounds like Le'Veon Bell is not a must play.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, no, he's not a must play right now. He's my running back 22. So like I said, a running back two that you're probably going to play. You know you're going to play. Play him over Sony Michelle and options like that.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Lev Bell on the road in Baltimore, probably a very, I mean, he's already been a low ceiling player. So you're looking at like hoping for eight to 10 points from him.

[Mike Wright]

Le'Veon Bell or Kareem Hunt against Arizona.

[Jason Moore]

I'll take my shot on Kareem Hunt.

[Andy Holloway]

I would go love Bell.

[Mike Wright]

Levy on Bell. Oh, you over Kareem.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. All right.

[Mike Wright]

Levy on Bell.

[Jason Moore]

Give me mustard or.

[Mike Wright]

I wasn't going to go there. I was going to go with the prodigal son, David Montgomery against Green Bay.

[Andy Holloway]

I would go love Bell.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I would play love in that.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, I realize this is not a good matchup and I, you know, that's, that's 100% true. But if you look at Lev Bell's season going all the way back to week five, he's had two bad games and every other game has not, not been great. Like, I'm not saying like, oh, he's top five, but he's been inside the top 24 running back every single week. Other than those two, he's, he's been. There's just volume. You know, it's like Joe Mixon.

[Jason Moore]

It's the exact same thing as early season Joe Mixon. You're just Choosing opportunity. Right.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. That's. That's all it is. I know he's going to touch the ball 15, you know, times. And that's just something rare in fantasy when you're talking about those.

[Mike Wright]

Just rough to start.

[Jason Moore]

I agree. Ty Montgomery's hurt.

[Mike Wright]

I agree with the volume. But you know, you're starting a player who's not going to score a touchdown.

[Jason Moore]

Correct.

[Mike Wright]

And that's.

[Andy Holloway]

I wanted to retort.

[Mike Wright]

I wanted in your fantasy playoffs, knowing your running back has like, pretty much no chance of scoring a touchdown. That sucks.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. He's not. He's not going to touch him.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

That's for sure. If there's a prop bet on that bet the zero. I mean, I wanted to. I really want to say, well, no, he could, but how the touchdown is not happening. You're hoping.

[Jason Moore]

Is that 10 to 1 odds that he scores a touchdown. 15 to 1.

[Mike Wright]

10 to 1.

[Andy Holloway]

10 to 1 sounds right. I mean, it's one of those things where you're hoping for 100 combined yards, you know, which he could get. Absolutely. You get, you know, 60.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, he's gonna do some math.

[Andy Holloway]

Rushing yards and 40.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, my gosh.

[Andy Holloway]

You did it. You did it. But, you know, with several reception. Surprised you didn't go 50, 50 and then. And then you're fine. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

I do something. Something about him saying he could get 100 yards. Now the way he could do that could be like 54 and then like 46.

[Andy Holloway]

You know, it's like, all right.

[Jason Moore]

Really, any combination. Mark Ingram, you're going to play him in this matchup at home. I don't have any confidence to play Hollywood Brown at all. Hollywood Brown's floor is zero. That's what you. You got 107th and 105th at the position the last two weeks. You always have a shot with him, but you haven't seen a real big play from him in a while. The Los Angeles Rams game was like 30 something yards receiving. He just happened to get in the end zone.

[Mike Wright]

The jets are the place where they're beatable. Is the Fantasy wide receiver 22nd, allowing 31 points per game to fantasy wide receivers.

[Jason Moore]

But it could just as easily be. I mean, the last several weeks, you look at the box score and you see Hayden Hurst and Boyle and Andrews, and I just don't have the confidence. It's not a volume play. Would you agree with that? You're hoping for a big play.

[Mike Wright]

I agree that he is risky, but. He's risky.

[Jason Moore]

But the matchup Ravens wide receivers have a 43% market share. That's the, that's the. When you look, when you look at the box score and like last week, the big Hayden Hurst play, Nick Boyle caught a touchdown. Mark Andrews is returning to practice today or yesterday. He returned to practice. And then we've been wondering how healthy is he for this game? How much is he needed? Are you just playing him if he's active? Because we've been here before with Mark Andrews.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, if Mark Andrews is active, I can't imagine that you just have a better option sitting out there. You know, if, if Jack Doyle type options. I mean, you're going to play, you're going to play Mark Andrews and you know, so sketchy.

[Jason Moore]

But would you play like in one of my leagues, I picked up Ian Thomas.

[Andy Holloway]

No, that's a, that's a good one. Thomas the Thursday night.

[Jason Moore]

But you have to choose Ron Andrews.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I still think Andrews has the much higher ceiling. You know, you talk touchdowns, right? Mark Andrews has a much higher probability of getting a touchdown than Ian Thomas does. But I do think Ian Thomas's floor is safer right now. When you take away the injury and the matchup for Ian Thomas is good.

[Jason Moore]

But would you, Mike, would you consider doing like a pick up Nick Boyle and wait on the activity? Boyle had 90% of snaps last week. Mark Andrews had 9%.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Who, what were the tar. What was the target split do you have in front of you of Hearst and Boyle?

[Jason Moore]

Hurst has been really, really bad.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

If you look over the last eight weeks, Boyle has more productive games than Hurst does. And a higher, a higher floor. Obviously Hurst had the one giant.

[Andy Holloway]

They both are not fantasy options you want to look at. I mean, you don't think so I'm not going to look at Boyle or Hurst here. The jets are surprisingly good at tight end and it's not just because of.

[Jason Moore]

Playing defense against the tight end.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, playing defense against the tight end. They're, they match up very well.

[Mike Wright]

They shut down like their own tight ends.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

That's how good they are.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, they're like Herndon. You're out of here.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Ryan Griffin don't practice.

[Andy Holloway]

So yeah, I'm not, you know, I'm willing to play Mark Andrews. It is dicey. That's where I was going to say with your matchup. I think it depends on your opponent. You know, if you're projected to win and the rest of your roster is better than the rest of his roster. I might roll Ian Thomas there just to avoid getting a possible goose or, you know, the injury involved there. If you're playing against a really tough, you know, competition and you need. You need all your team to have the best touchdown upside, then I think that's Mark Andrews. I was just looking at this. This is unbelievable. The first five weeks of the season, the Ravens were bottom 10 against. They were like middle of the pack against quarterback. Bottom 10 against running back. Bottom 10. They were. They were a plus matchup. And right now they are such on the. Funny. I totally forgot about it on the season. They are excellent across the board now and that includes. So that means after week five, they've just been shut down. Central.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Heading into this game, The jets are 32nd in yards per play. 31st in rushing. Yes. 32nd in pressure rate allowed. It's going to be.

[Mike Wright]

That's not.

[Jason Moore]

If you believe I want to say this, and I don't know if it has any value, so why say it? Right?

[Andy Holloway]

But at this point, I want to hear it.

[Jason Moore]

But if you believe that Vegas is right about this game, I would not be surprised if Gus Edwards has a very nice performance over the just second half.

[Mike Wright]

Cleans up.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, cleans up. Jets are beaten up mentally, physically, the game's over and Gus has a way of finding production at the end of these matchups. All right, let's go ahead and get into the mailbag. What do you say, Mike? You in? You in?

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Andy Holloway]

Mailbag. Mailbag.

[Jason Moore]

All right, if you have a question, head to the website. The fantasy footballers dot com.

[Mike Wright]

That was Baby Macho Man.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, I get it. Oh, yeah. Is he as cute as Baby Yoda? Cuter. Impossible.

[Mike Wright]

You ever seen a baby with those giant snowboarder goggles and a huge beard?

[Andy Holloway]

A baby. A baby with a beard.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

It's also really bald.

[Jason Moore]

The beard got me. Yeah. Glasses were cute.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, the cute was going. And then the beard.

[Jason Moore]

That's season two of Mandalorian. The Baby Macho man is Baby Yoda.

[Mike Wright]

Versus Baby Macho Man.

[Jason Moore]

They're just gonna lean in to the cute factor, which is winning. All right, the website, the fancy footballers.com youm can go there. There's a start sit tool. It will help you with your matchup decisions if we don't touch on something this week, Thursday, Friday, we have all of the matchup breakdowns and so stay tuned for that. You can dial our voicemail hotline. 302464, TFFB. We're going to jump into one of those questions now.

[Mike Wright]

What's up, ballers?

[Jason Moore]

This is Matt out of Louisville, Kentucky.

[Mike Wright]

Just wondering if I roll Out Lamar.

[Jason Moore]

Jackson and tomorrow's Thursday night game or if I continue streaming, Ryan Tannehill.

[Mike Wright]

Thanks, guys. Love the show.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, Lamar Tannehill.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's Lamar. It's Lamar Jackson.

[Mike Wright]

It's Lamar.

[Andy Holloway]

But what about nice Lamar? I just want to be.

[Mike Wright]

I get it because Tannehill seems like an excellent option this week, but it's Lamar.

[Jason Moore]

His. He's just so good. And even though Tannehill. Tannehill was a good matchup a couple weeks ago when he let you down a little bit and didn't give you the rushing yardage and he's great, but he's Ryan Tannehill. This is Lamar Jackson.

[Andy Holloway]

I totally understand. Lamar Jackson has a quad injury and you worry. Okay. Comes out. He aggravates it. They're up. They want to rest him. That is within the realm of possibility. But it's not that it's without, you know, within the realm of possibility for Tannehill is an equally bad game just on, you know, he plays whole game and doesn't throw touchdowns. So both of them have a low floor. But only Lamar has the ceiling that he has right now in fantasy football.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Tannehill was 22nd two weeks ago against Indianapolis in a game that we thought maybe he'd do better. Lamar has never finished 22nd the entire year and is. He's just automatic. And this team, in my opinion, they're too smart, they're too well run. They don't play a guy in this situation that you need to win a Super bowl unless he can play and he says he's fine and he's built of a different material.

[Andy Holloway]

I know most people. It really stinks for half of everybody in the playoffs right now. Those of you playing against Lamar Jackson.

[Jason Moore]

You should be afraid.

[Andy Holloway]

I am very. We are playing against Adam Rank and he has Lamar Jackson and I was really hoping that they gave him just a rest, a heal up week just to get better. Lamar.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Yeah. Probably not going to happen. All right, let's hit another question. What's up, ballers? This is Brian in Kansas City. Hey, I am weak at wide receiver. I had Robert woods and Marvin Jones. Jones got placed on ir. Sammy Watkins is on the waiver wire staring me in the face. The lizard king himself. Do I dare pick him up and play him? Thanks for your help. Are you a masochist?

[Andy Holloway]

Nope.

[Jason Moore]

I. It takes all of my willpower to restrain the amount of things I want to say against Sammy Watkins. When his name comes up, go pick up.

[Mike Wright]

Let's see who could possibly be on the waiver. Anthony Miller.

[Andy Holloway]

Yep.

[Mike Wright]

Could be on there. I'd play him. Chris Conley could be on the waiver.

[Jason Moore]

I'd play Robbie Anderson against Baltimore over Sammy Watkins.

[Mike Wright]

What about.

[Andy Holloway]

Obviously, we've got Zach Pascal if he's still out there. What about. What about Marcus Johnson?

[Jason Moore]

I'd play Marcus Johnson three times before. I played Sammy Watkins once.

[Andy Holloway]

I think I would as well.

[Mike Wright]

About Cole Beasley.

[Jason Moore]

Mike, would you mind reading the wide receiver depth chart for every team in the National Football League?

[Mike Wright]

All right.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

I got a good one for you, Andy.

[Jason Moore]

I would play. Yes. Yes. Al Borland just sent me a message.

[Andy Holloway]

He says he's got a good one.

[Mike Wright]

This is it. Would you play Justin Watson?

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Superstar over Sammy Watkins.

[Jason Moore]

I will not put Sammy Watkins into my roster, on my bench, in any circumstance, ever again.

[Andy Holloway]

So you would play Justin Watson?

[Jason Moore]

Yes, I'd play superstar Justin Watson.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, we've got the sound bite. Cut it, Brooks. I need that sound bite. Thank you.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, my.

[Andy Holloway]

Right into the trap.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. When you put those two up to next to each other.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, this will be cut out without context, my man. There is no. No, next to nothing.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, no, I know, but. What. What? Has Sammy been tweeting anything cool lately?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah, I'm sure he has. Yeah, he's.

[Mike Wright]

I'll find something. You get to the next question.

[Jason Moore]

All right. I'm sorry. Do you agree? Do you play everybody over Sammy?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Yeah, I do. It's not even a good matchup. It's Denver, so. I mean, Sammy Watkins has. I mean, I made a top 45 bet with Sammy Watkins, and I lost.

[Mike Wright]

Did you know that consciousness consists of expanding wave functions of quantum energy? Quantum means an awakening of the mystical. Today, science tells us that the essence of nature is power.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's. That's wide receiver 48 stuff right there. All right.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. I'm so sorry, but this is just Sammy Watkins.

[Jason Moore]

You've done our listeners dirty for too long, Sammy. This is recompense.

[Andy Holloway]

Sammy Watkins, no one to blame but yourself since. Since week one where he was the wide receiver One.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, so you've. You've chopped that game off.

[Andy Holloway]

One game off the entirety of the season. He is the wide receiver. 80, 78.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, baby.

[Andy Holloway]

And he has played the whole year with Patrick Mahomes. Yes. And Andy Reed and this system. And he is the wide receiver.

[Mike Wright]

How is that possible?

[Andy Holloway]

It's impossible. But. What. What? Mere mortals, you know, we don't understand the ways of the lizard.

[Jason Moore]

No, it's more of a golf scoring system in the lizard community. He has one lowest points wins.

[Andy Holloway]

He has a single week in that entire stretch inside the top 40 wide receivers. And mind you, that was. He was the wide receiver 30. So it was not a great game. That's just incredible.

[Mike Wright]

We vibrate. We dream. We are reborn. We exist as biofeedback.

[Andy Holloway]

Thank you, Sammy.

[Jason Moore]

See, I know, Mike, that you have found something that can produce quotes like that, but I don't know whether you're reading Sammy's actual Twitter or whether you're reading that.

[Mike Wright]

You'll never know.

[Jason Moore]

We'll never know. All right, we must digress from the Lizard King. Do we start James Conner, if he returns this week, It's a Bills matchup. It's Sunday night.

[Mike Wright]

It's Sunday night.

[Jason Moore]

Let's set the table, though, Mike, because right now, I would say no, but let's say he's, you know, he's at practice and the confidence builds in Thursday and Friday, and he's out there fighting for their playoff lives. James Conner is greater. Sign all the other running backs by a lot when he's healthy. Last time you took the chance on him, he destroyed your week in the. And he played a couple plays, hurt the shoulder again.

[Mike Wright]

So as of yesterday, Mike Tomlin was not ready to say if James Conner or juju would play pivot.

[Jason Moore]

If you're deciding right now, yeah, I.

[Andy Holloway]

Think you have to pivot. You. Here's a player who has been injured on and off the whole season. Even when he's been in the game, he's been banged up. He has not shown himself to be capable of the workload, is currently injured. I don't think you want to rely on that. Also, I have to read this because I just went to Sammy Watkins most recent tweet, and this is real. This isn't from one of your silly generators. This is actually.

[Mike Wright]

How dare you.

[Andy Holloway]

Right? Yes, this is actually Sammy Watkins generator. Look, he's talking about, you know, victory Monday. Congratulations to Sam. He says we have went through many phases and energies shift as a team and battle through them, the journey have now been aligned and set. The energies, the vibes are mutual. Our souls are now connected. With that alone, we will be a force that cannot be stopped. Oh, no.

[Mike Wright]

And you said I have a generator.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, Sammy has a generator. I mean, that was real. He typed all that.

[Mike Wright]

How many care. Like, why does Sammy Watkins have 3000 characters per tweet?

[Jason Moore]

Lizard rules here. Both producers cackling in the corner. Oh, dear. All right, Twitter question from Arturo. Devontae Freeman has been good the last two weeks. But he plays San Francisco. Where does he rank for you guys?

[Andy Holloway]

Not low enough.

[Jason Moore]

I don't think he. I mean, we've talked about so many of these players. Like, I would play. Would you play Freeman or Love Bell?

[Andy Holloway]

I will play Lev Bell over. Over Freeman for sure.

[Jason Moore]

The strange thing is San Francisco managed to give up 46 points and not allow a productive fantasy running back in New Orleans last week.

[Mike Wright]

And he was good last week against Carolina. Running back 11. But, I mean, you know, two. Two start of the week. But that's because he played the Carolina Panthers. He was not very good the last couple weeks before that. And he's playing San Francisco on the road.

[Jason Moore]

I'd be looking for another. I'd play Mostert in the same game over him. I'd probably play Breeda in the same game over him.

[Mike Wright]

I would not go that far.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

Most are. You could probably talk me into it.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, it is a similar argument to Lev Bell in the sense that Freeman should get the ball a lot.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, he should.

[Jason Moore]

So, you know, what do you need as a team? Right, Right. What do you need? Do you need upside from your running back? Because you probably don't get it with Bell or Freeman.

[Andy Holloway]

Right, Correct. But I do think that Bell has shown more consistency through the year. Freeman has been bad plenty of times this season, you know, and this is a really tough matchup against San Francisco. All right.

[Jason Moore]

I want to muse on something for a second. It's a question that I have and it's a question that actually Brooks brought up last week. We didn't get to talk about it on the show, but people have. I'm curious where you guys stand on this because I think my mind is shifting, but there is. There's the question out there of once the playoffs are set in your league, the regular season's over. There are some. There's a camp out there that said if you didn't make the playoffs, you have no right or ability to touch the waiver wire sign, release players, you should be banned, stopped, your team should be frozen. It's impermissible because there's nothing you're doing to. You're not playing, you're not playing. And then there's a camp that says or tries to say that it should just maintain the same cadence as the regular season and you should not have an advantage as a playoff team and only compete with a couple people for waiver wire pickups. What's the right answer?

[Andy Holloway]

I'm so happy you phrase it like that because there is one. Look, I am firmly in the camp that when you are out of the playoffs, you should continue playing. And I think there are a lot of reasons for that camp and only one reason I could think of for the other. So here's the reasons I would say. One, you're going to be better. The following, there's no doubt. You can't just stop playing fantasy football and really feel like you kept up with it through these important weeks in the real NFL. 14, 15, 16. I mean, where, you know, 17, where, you know, I remember back before I was an analyst, I would, when I was out, I would quit. And then I come in the next year and all these players that kind of broke out from here along the way, there were waiver wire stars. I was kind of out of the loop on them, you know, and it wasn't like I stopped watching football. So that's one reason. Another reason is, look, teams have prepared depth. You know, should the team that has better depth be punished when they're in the championship matchup because the other team that's in the championship matchup only now has to compete against. And they were ill prepared?

[Jason Moore]

I mean, I do. I am on the other side.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, let's.

[Jason Moore]

I've changed. I had always.

[Mike Wright]

You're a turncoat.

[Jason Moore]

I am. And Mike, I'm guessing that means you're on Jason's side.

[Mike Wright]

Real Benedict Arnold over here.

[Jason Moore]

Let me explain why. First of all, you made a compelling argument, but not for this rule, in my opinion. You made a compelling argument for our listeners to keep playing even when you lose. Which, sure, I think that's great. We talk about that all the time. You want to stay up to date on what's going on, but you're really not. You're not playing for anything. You're not even competing against the real opponent. In a lot of these leagues, you just get randomly assigned somebody. Now, if you're on sleeper, you're in the toilet bowl, except for the loser. Each week is the one that moves on in the toilet bowl.

[Mike Wright]

And you don't want to end up in the toilet.

[Jason Moore]

No, okay, sure, sure. But, but here, here's the problem that I have is I think that if you look at the situation and you say everybody should just compete for waiver wires positions, that's. I don't think that's genuine. I think the real what you're. If you open it up to everybody, people are signing people to keep them away from people. They're not signing them to help your team because you don't care if you win or lose. Because the season's over and you're not competing against anybody. So the actual motivations, if you say, hey, I want the same playing field that I have during the regular season, I don't think that they exist in actuality, I think that people will only sign like, I'm not paying attention in a league. I'm out from a waiver wire standpoint. And if I sign somebody off of waivers, I'm doing it with the mindset of I either need to do this to keep the league fidelity of the league, or I'm doing it on the basis of I want to keep somebody that I don't want to see win a championship away from somebody, which is not the motivation by which I sign people during the entire season.

[Andy Holloway]

It's still great motivation.

[Mike Wright]

That's weird because that, that, that is.

[Andy Holloway]

Your motivation for doing it. You're just talking about this three years.

[Mike Wright]

Here's reason number one, why you should be allowed to make waiver claims whenever you want. Cuz screw you. That's why I don't want you to win. If I'm out, I'm burning the whole thing to the ground. You can kiss my butt. Tell me I can't add people out the waiver wire. And why should now the number six seed, all of a sudden they're like, they've now been given an easier path to the waiver wire. Like, you're there because they're higher on the priority, they will break the tie. Why? You were supposed to be rewarding the top seeds and now you're rewarding the lower seeds.

[Jason Moore]

All I was saying is that during the duration of the regular season, you're signing people for a purpose, for your own team. You're not necessarily trying to collude against an owner that you want to lose. That's all I'm saying.

[Andy Holloway]

I want everyone to lose.

[Jason Moore]

Right. But you're, you're picking and choosing and some other owners aren't doing that. So I just think the situation. I used to be in your camp 100%, but then I realized that nobody's actually playing like they do during the regular season in the playoffs. So at that point in time, the playoff team should be competing for players.

[Mike Wright]

I think like, your league should fix this. There should be. You should be rewarding people every single week.

[Jason Moore]

If you're in a money league, I agree with that. If that exists, then it changes.

[Mike Wright]

If you're in a money league, there should be a payout for high score every single week and there should be.

[Andy Holloway]

A penalty for last place. So People are playing for that, you know, in our league of record, well.

[Jason Moore]

Last place doesn't matter. Once you don't have records though, the records are figured out.

[Andy Holloway]

Sure. But like we've got, you know, the picks that happen, you know, I barely missed superfluid rivers. I barely missed the playoffs. And so me and the next seed that missed the playoffs are playing a three week playoff for who gets the better draft order next year. I mean those things should be in all leagues so that everybody can keep playing and then you can. And then that, that takes the, the whiny guy out. That's like you shouldn't be allowed to play because I'm the best.

[Jason Moore]

I think that if you can create systems in your league that make everybody want to be competitive from weeks one through 16, everybody, that's the best case scenario for any league because then it's a hundred percent what you want. It's competitive. Each and every week people are fighting on the waiver wire and then the world's a better place.

[Andy Holloway]

Do it. Foot Clan leagues.

[Jason Moore]

So maybe that's just an overarching league creation. Commissioner.

[Mike Wright]

I agree.

[Jason Moore]

All right. We want to thank today's studio sponsor, Pristine Auction. A Keenan Allen signed jersey for $51 and 60 cents. It's so cheap Sammy Hagar wouldn't even buy it.

[Andy Holloway]

You know what I mean?

[Jason Moore]

It's not even at the right level. Christinauction.com previews tomorrow. It's going to be a fun week.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, goodness.

[Jason Moore]

Pay attention on Twitter at the Ffballers. We'll break some injury news as we get it.

[Mike Wright]

We'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye.

[Andy Holloway]

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 Foot Clan.

[Mike Wright]

Remember, this holiday season, immerse yourself in all your favorite holiday classics with a new home theater system from Sonus. I have multiple rooms decked out with Sonos gear. My loft. It sounds great because I have a Sonos sound system up there. Get wireless speakers. Get Amazon Alexas and speakers that actually sound good. Go to sonos. Com to learn more and complete your holiday shopping.