Week 16 Start/Sit + Panic, Anxiety, & Playoff Decisions - Fantasy Football Podcast for 12/17

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fantasy Footballers – Week 16 Start/Sit + Panic, Anxiety, & Playoff Decisions

Date: December 17, 2025
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright

---

Episode Overview

In this high-energy episode, the Fantasy Footballers tackle the intense emotions and tough decisions of fantasy football semifinal week. The hosts dive into start/sit debates, playoff pressure, unexpected news, waiver wire strategies, and the Thursday night matchup, mixing sharp analysis with trademark banter and memorable one-liners.

---

Key Sections & Discussion Points

1. Playoff Anxiety & Fantasy Heartbreak

Timestamps: [01:33]–[02:57]

• All hosts discuss the emotional rollercoaster of fantasy playoffs: anxiety, anticipation, and the reality that all but one manager will finish the season as a “loser.”

• Notable Quote:

  “The whole game we’re playing is everyone but one loses…I mean, we look at it like, 'Oh, I want to be the winner,' but the game is everybody but one is a loser.”
  – Jason Moore [02:39]

• Reminder to keep perspective, as even great teams get bounced. Dealing with upsets— the "Kyle Pitts" effect— is inevitable.

---

2. Semifinal Week Housekeeping & Community Updates

Timestamps: [03:51]–[05:54]

• Tips for checking standings in the “Megalobol,” a lighthearted debate on Christmas party logistics during football season.
• Sunday Live pre-game stream will resume even after the company party; commitment to community support emphasized.

---

3. Waiver Wire & Backup Options for Week 16

Timestamps: [10:03]–[14:42]

• Chris Rodriguez (Washington RB):

  • Practicing in full and offers strong after-contact yardage.
  • Mike Wright:

    “He ranks number one in yards after contact per attempt among 51 qualifying running backs…That’s good.” [11:02]

• Jaguars D/ST:

  • Jason surprised by high drop rate; sees strong playoff utility, particularly in week 17 vs Colts (with aging Rivers at QB).
  • Memorable exchange about Rivers’ projected struggles and Jaguars’ defense being a “double pick-six opportunity.” [12:37–13:18]

• Trey Harris (Chargers WR):

  • Emerges as a deep-league dart throw if Quentin Johnston is sidelined.
  • Andy:

    “He’s a good player…if Huge is out, Trey Harris…on Monday when we’re in studs and duds, it wouldn’t surprise me if you’re like, ‘holy crap, look what Trey Harris just did in the semis.’” [14:12]

---

4. News & Noteworthy Updates (QB Shake-ups, Injuries, and More)

Timestamps: [15:00]–[23:54]

• Major QB News:

  • Dolphins benching Tua Tagovailoa for rookie Quinn Ewers vs Bengals.
    • Jason:

      “I literally can’t believe they made this decision…I mean, they just won four games in a row.” [16:32]

    • Fantasy implications: Major downgrade for Dolphins’ pass-catchers (notably Waddle & Waller, who’s also splitting snaps).

• Waiver Wire/Streaming TEs:

  • Tight end streaming with several viable options: Colby Parkinson, Tyler Warren, Juwan Johnson (if available), Harold Fannin.
  • General consensus:

    “This is a good week for streaming tight ends, honestly…” – Jason Moore [19:45]

• Key Injury Notes:

  • Bam Knight to IR (Cardinals).
  • Saquon Barkley, Josh Jacobs (stinger) — both DNP in early week, Jacobs vocal about playing through pain.
    • “It’s easier for me to play through pain than to watch on the sideline. And that is music to my soul.” – Jason Moore [22:43]

• Other Updates:

  • Jeremy Ruckert praised as a “workhorse” TE for Jets (hosts mock the social media hyperbole).
  • Christian Watson, Josh Jacobs, Luther Burden, Rome Odunze: All uncertain with missed practices.

---

5. Thursday Night Football Breakdown: Rams vs. Seahawks

Timestamps: [26:04]–[32:08]

• Historic first TNF matchup with both teams at 11+ wins.

• Los Angeles Rams favored by 1.5; over/under 43.5.

• Seattle’s run game woes and overall offensive struggles dissected.

  • Andy notes:

    “If you can’t get the coops system running where you have any concern about the running backs, everything just falls apart.” [28:30]

• Start/Sit Notes:

  • Avoid Seattle RBs, play JSN as a desperation PPR, Puka Nacua in all formats.
  • Colby Parkinson is a strong TE replacement if Devonte Adams is out (or used sparingly).
  • For Rams, Kyren Williams is a must-start.
  • Rain/drizzle expected in Seattle, further complicating offenses.

---

6. Mailbag: Listener Start/Sit & Playoff Dilemmas

Timestamps: [32:27]–[40:00]

• Brock Bowers vs. Streaming TEs:

  • Bowers remains a top option unless you have Tre McBride or Kittle.

  • “Even with Kenny Pickett…if you want a guy who could get one target and break three tackles and score a manimal touchdown, it’s Brock Bowers.” – Jason Moore [34:10]

• Tyler Warren vs. Other Streamers:

  • Hosts down on Warren (Colts' offense limits upside) and prefer Schultz, Parkinson, or Juwan Johnson.
  • Mike:

    “I have Warren at 13, and I might lower him even more. It’s not his fault.” [36:42]

• Rashee Rice without Mahomes:

  • Slight downgrade; not a must-sit, but willing to pivot to promising alternatives (Tet McMillan, Lad McConkey).

  • “I’m not out on him—he’s just a little bit lower. If there’s good options, like Tet, like Lad, then you can make a pivot. But I’m going to play him over Jalen Waddle now.” – Jason Moore [40:18]

---

7. Deeper Listener Questions: Playoff Pivot Bonanza

Timestamps: [42:50]–[49:01]

• George Pickens’ Playoff Slump:

  • Despite recent struggles, upside outpaces Jaden Reed or Brian Thomas Jr.

  • “Jaden Reed’s upside in a playoff matchup is not even close to what Pickens’ is.” – Andy Holloway [43:10]

• Mentality on Team Collapse and Player “Effort”:

  • Uncertainty about Pickens’ up-and-down effort: “Is it as simple as he shows up when he feels like it? There’s more to it.” – Andy [44:21]

• Dallas/Cincinnati Stack Worries:

  • Discussion about both teams’ postseason motivation, plus personal investments in fantasy semifinals.

---

8. Fun & Fandom: Favorite Christmas Meals and Boy Scouts Tangent

Timestamps: [46:16]–[51:57]

• Long banter on whether ham or turkey is the superior Christmas meal (hosts are pro-ham).
• Playful jokes about wild turkeys, holiday leftovers, and family customs.
• Spirals into a humorous debate about Boy Scouts ranking names, whittling as a hobby, and Life Scouts vs. Eagles.
  • Memorable quip on Boy Scout ranks:

    “First class? What a loser.” – Jason Moore [45:53]

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “I can have the utmost confidence, but there’s a Kyle Pitts out there waiting for this weekend.”
  — Andy Holloway [01:55]

• “If you have a buy and your first matchup is not against the worst team as the best team, that sucks. That’s why the NFL does it. The NFL is better.”
  — Mike Wright [09:33]

• “There’s no better bet for a defensive score in football than a rookie start at quarterback.”
  — Mike Wright [18:26]

• “Ham and cheese on a nice toasted pretzel bun…It’s just better.”
  — Jason Moore [47:46]

---

Best Advice & Takeaways

• Hold Steady: Don’t panic and bench proven assets due to tough matchups unless you have truly top-tier alternatives.
• Be Proactive with Waivers: Think two weeks ahead, especially with defenses and tight end streamers.
• Monitor News Closely: QB and injury news can swing fantasy matchups dramatically this time of year.
• Maintain Perspective & Enjoy the Ride: Recognize the role of luck, control what you can, and savor the fun—whether you’re facing playoff heartbreak or holiday ham sandwiches.

---

Timestamp Highlights

• [02:39] – Insightful chat on fantasy heartbreak
• [10:39] – Analytical breakdown of Chris Rodriguez as a waiver target
• [16:05] – Immediate fantasy fallout from Dolphins’ QB change
• [28:30] – Seattle’s offensive struggles explained
• [34:10] – Bowers vs. streaming tight end debate
• [40:18] – Candid advice on Rashee Rice without Mahomes

---

For listeners eyeing a championship run, this episode offers a brisk mix of strategic start/sit calls, timely news, and a reminder that, in fantasy and life, sometimes the journey is as wild as the outcome. Good luck in your semifinals!

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Thursday Night Football is on and it's only on Prime Video. Tonight, the NFC west grabs the spotlight as the Rams visit the Seahawks coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with TNF tonight presented by Verizon. It's Rams Seahawks Thursday at 7pm Eastern. And don't miss the Broncos and Chiefs on Christmas night. Only on Prime Video. Not a Prime member. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.comamazonprime for details.

[Grainger Advertiser]

If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free. And you know that when the first problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat. With Grainger's easy to use website and product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome in.

[Mike Wright]

What is that?

[Andy Holloway]

That's the anxiety.

[Mike Wright]

I thought so.

[Andy Holloway]

Really? Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's the anticipation. He hasn't had a playoff game.

[Jason Moore]

No, I know, but Mike's been just soaring above it. That's nobody for school.

[Mike Wright]

Nobody's really truly above.

[Jason Moore]

No, it's all pretend.

[Mike Wright]

The fantasy. No, it's, I think it's an execution of like, you know, instill some confidence.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I can have the utmost confidence. But there's a Kyle Pitts out there waiting for this weekend.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

Like, there are a lot of people in the second round that probably shouldn't be.

[Andy Holloway]

There will be another Kyle Pitts type of performance. May it be Chris Olave from someone in football. And you're just like, it's, he's waiting. It's just waiting to knock you out.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, you, you, you spend the time, the skill, the ability, the consistency, you make yourself a playoff team and then you lose. You need a little bit of. Well, you need a little bit of luck.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

And one. I mean, it's, it's shocking. Breaking news. I'm surprised they didn't hit the button. But one person wins the title.

[Jason Moore]

That is my, that is the thing.

[Mike Wright]

You can have two good teams and they can both play well and one team's going to win.

[Jason Moore]

That's the thing that passes by everyone. They all get, ah, I did this. I lost. It's like everyone loses. Literally all but one. The whole game we're playing is everyone but one loses. I mean, we look at it like, oh, I want to be the winner. But it's the game is everybody but one is a loser.

[Mike Wright]

It's a good time to remind people that next week at this time, one of you two will be a loser.

[Andy Holloway]

Yep.

[Mike Wright]

That is because you are facing off in the league of records semifinals.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, by this time, one of us will have been a loser for at least a day.

[Mike Wright]

One of you will be suffering this time.

[Andy Holloway]

Next.

[Mike Wright]

Now, I will be suffering this weekend, but also entertained to listen to both of you. Mike is more quiet. Jason, not so much.

[Jason Moore]

No, like this weekend, my emotions.

[Mike Wright]

This weekend you will be. You will be talking. You will be slowly walking us through everything that happens with extreme language. Yeah, you know, things like, you know, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that I'm. I've already lost after the first catch of the game or something like that.

[Andy Holloway]

Was. I was already congratulated yesterday.

[Mike Wright]

You were on my feature.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I just, you know, look, the projections were pretty wide, so congrats.

[Mike Wright]

13 points. Backup options on the show today. NFL News Thursday night preview the mailbag. We're here for you. And it is semifinal week. So good luck to everybody in the Megalobol. The that is still alive. If you want to see your megalobol standings, megalobol.com you can, you can go in there and check it out. Find us on YouTube. We are a year round podcast. YouTube.com the fantasy footballers. Do us a favor. Subscribe. Click the bell. We will have Sunday live. Now, I want the people to know I'm going to just come out and say this. Mistakes might have been made by yours truly when planning our company Christmas party.

[Andy Holloway]

Which it's unfortunate because you took the bull by the horns. You're like, I'm getting this.

[Mike Wright]

I'm gonna get it scheduled.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm getting out ahead of it. It's a big day.

[Mike Wright]

It's the.

[Jason Moore]

We.

[Andy Holloway]

We often are like, oh, crap. Get the company Christmas party plan. Andy was like, no, this year I got it. I'm hosting. I'm setting it all up. It's gonna be awesome. What are you doing, Jason? We're trying to. What are you doing?

[Jason Moore]

I was trying to make a waiver claim.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, okay.

[Jason Moore]

And then it turned out I have ineligible guys on my ir.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, damn it. And so Andy was going to take care of it and then he planned it on Saturday.

[Mike Wright]

Right. Which I thought was normal, but I guess it's not been normal.

[Andy Holloway]

No. Because we have a Sunday live and.

[Mike Wright]

That'S early in the morning.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. But not only is it early in the morning. Late. Not only is it early in the morning after a late night party, but at said party there shall be extra tilting because there is football games happening where.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

They'll be making impact on.

[Mike Wright]

I'm kind of looking forward to that, though. I'm actually kind of excited that there will be because we've got Al Borland and his packers taking our Packers.

[Jason Moore]

Al the Bears. Yeah, baby.

[Mike Wright]

Go pack.

[Jason Moore]

Go, baby. Josh Jacobs, Packers.

[Andy Holloway]

And then me and baby Jake with our Bears.

[Mike Wright]

This was a. This was my long way of me saying we will still have a Sunday live, but I think I'm going to fill in for Mike. I think I'll be there and take one for the team. Papa Josh, are you with me on Sunday live?

[Jason Moore]

I'm with you.

[Mike Wright]

Okay. Lucky us. Merry Christmas. But that will be on Sunday morning before the games will be with you as always, to get you primed and ready. React to the latest news. Because you never know when Roma Dunes is going to be suddenly removed from rosters three minutes before kickoff.

[Jason Moore]

That. That one was brutal. If you are out there and I actually saw a league that they allowed someone to swap out because the only player good, the only player that was. But here's the crazy part. The only player who would have been realistically swapped out on that team and it was realistic and it was not really the fault of the manager because it was announced, you know, minutes before him was Kyle Pitts. So they got to swap Rome out for Pitts.

[Andy Holloway]

But they already knew Pitts's points.

[Jason Moore]

But. Oh, is that what I just looked at the post. I don't know.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, Pitts played on Thursday.

[Jason Moore]

Whatever they allowed happened, I'd be out of that league. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I was so with it. I'm like, dude, that's great. If the.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Because you couldn't have made that.

[Andy Holloway]

Someone could have been at, you know, church or whatever and you're like, I have Rome in. Okay, okay, we're good to go. And you don't. You're not able to react. So, I mean, allowing people to fix that. But you can't just throw the 40 points in there.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

That I would not stand for.

[Mike Wright]

No, you can't. Yeah. Somebody was. Somebody was asking about receding in the middle of the playoffs. Like, oh, it was an oversight. We didn't recede. I want to just put it into place right this moment. And then they were like. But just to throw in, like, I'm the commissioner and it's my team in.

[Andy Holloway]

The semis, I was like, that one.

[Mike Wright]

You can't do that, man. You got to live with it.

[Andy Holloway]

How is receding not the default? Like, it's so insane to me. It's a tournament.

[Mike Wright]

Not every professional sports league does that, obviously.

[Jason Moore]

Who.

[Andy Holloway]

Who doesn't recede?

[Mike Wright]

I don't think does the NBA receipts.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah. The higher seed always plays the lowest seed possible. Because that's how tournaments work. That's like you're a reward.

[Jason Moore]

No, the NBA does not recede after the first round of the playoffs.

[Mike Wright]

That's what I thought.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, well.

[Mike Wright]

Only the NFL among the big US truly recedes itself.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, well, football does it.

[Mike Wright]

And that's a good enough argument.

[Jason Moore]

I will say.

[Andy Holloway]

NBA doesn't recede.

[Jason Moore]

No, that's why, you know, I kind of. Actually, this might be contrarian. I don't know, but there is part of me that prefers to not recede simply because you can look at the bracket and know who's playing who. If they, you know, whenever we're doing our playoff picks, which we'll be doing here in a couple weeks again, it's always annoying to be like, oh, okay, well, if this one wins, then the bracket changes here. So now my matchup is this versus.

[Andy Holloway]

You know, so that your. Your argument against rewarding a team for having the better season playing, winning, being great. Your argument is you at home when filling out your bracket. It's slightly more confusing.

[Jason Moore]

It's actually that you can. The same argument that I was making. If you're making the argument argument side is actually that you can prepare for exactly who your next opponent would be.

[Andy Holloway]

I'd rather prepare for the team that's worse.

[Jason Moore]

Unless you're the team that's worse. Then you'd rather be able to prepare. You'd say that because you got the buy and you're the one seed.

[Andy Holloway]

Why are we rewarding the bad teams?

[Mike Wright]

If you have a buy and your first matchup is not against the worst team as the best team, that sucks. That's why the NFL does it. The NFL is better.

[Jason Moore]

Well, we do it. And Papa Josh actually was the one seeding. Yes, he was getting the layup. So Papa Josh will be in the championship against one of us. Mike.

[Mike Wright]

So you're trying to jinx him right now?

[Jason Moore]

No, I'm just telling the truth.

[Andy Holloway]

No, there's no way he's going to lose.

[Mike Wright]

Moving on.

[Jason Moore]

Backup options presented by Progressive Insurance.

[Mike Wright]

All right, we're into backup options for week 16. The most dropped players on sleeper over the last 24 hours. We'll look at them and tell you if you should grab them. There's a. There's a huge name that we didn't really talk about yesterday because we didn't necessarily think he'd be back.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. We talked about the backup.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, exactly. And Chris Rodriguez is practicing in full. He is one of the most dropped players on sleeper over the last 24 hours. He has my backup option this week. He was my start of the week last week, which I really think would have worked out quite well.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Considering Jakori, Kraski. Merit was dominant. He missed last week. They got him healthy. He had been limited in practice. Now he practices in full on a Tuesday. You know, it's crazy. Chris Rodriguez, for all the disrespect that his own coaching staff and the rest of the league shows him among 51 qualifying running backs with 80 plus carries. He ranks number one in yards after contact for a tip. Number one among 51.

[Andy Holloway]

That's good. The third. And rush rate, rush success rate is even more impressive.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And his upcoming schedule, fifth easiest for running backs. Week 16, Philly. I know we talk about Philly all the time. Believe it or not, over the course of the year, 1.1 points above expectation. They're not a bad matchup. And then Dallas is real bad.

[Andy Holloway]

Do you have any concerns after last week's Bill performance and the trajectory of the team they shut down Jaden Daniels. Is there any chance? They just say, let's see if Bill can do it.

[Mike Wright]

I think they need to know about both of those guys.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I was going to say Chris Rodriguez is 25 years old. This is he. I think they have to question who should be our running back next year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Or part of the depth of the team next year. So who do you guys have?

[Jason Moore]

So I've got the Jaguars. I was shocked to see them as one of the most dropped teams. I have been looking at week 17 matchups and, you know, playing that two week ahead game where you're looking at your championship and saying, who could you play now, first of all, they play the Broncos this week, which is probably why they're so dropped. People are like, I'm not going to play them against the Broncos. The Broncos are good offense. Sometimes off in times. I don't know, they're very confusing offense, but they really aren't one of those teams you can't play against. I think you could play the Jaguars against them. They have been on fire. Their pass rush has been great.

[Mike Wright]

They're just a good defense.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, they're just A good defense. And so that's, that's why I'm surprised they're dropped. But then you've got the matchup. And I know on paper when you look at the season totals, you go, oh, it's a bad matchup in week 17, but it's the Colts.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, things have changed.

[Jason Moore]

Things have changed. And not only do are you going to have film on the passing speed of Philip Rivers, but Philip Rivers is going to be coming off of a Monday Night Football game with a short week of rest. You know what I mean?

[Andy Holloway]

Like at 44, it's like he needs all the rest.

[Jason Moore]

He needs extra rest, which he has one day extra rest going into this week. But for a championship, you know, I would, I would be thrilled to play the Jaguars defense. I mean, the Jaguars aren't going to give up three touchdowns to Philip Rivers in the championship week. And they could. If you want to watch a prediction, double pick six opportunity, watch Philip Rivers throw out routes. It's like one is coming.

[Andy Holloway]

He floats them.

[Mike Wright]

I also, I overheard this name that you're about to mention, Mike, when you were on a radio show yesterday. I thought it was pretty astute and it could be one of those, you know, really, really surprising. You know, you mentioned Kyle Pitts.

[Andy Holloway]

Gives you the weird week, right?

[Mike Wright]

Go ahead and this.

[Andy Holloway]

Are you trying to pick up Jay?

[Jason Moore]

Warms my heart.

[Andy Holloway]

It's you, it's Trey Harris. Love this man of the Los Angeles Chargers. And obviously this only if Quentin Johnston is hurt. We don't have the information on it right now. However, he is a good player. He's a second round pick. He's, he's big. He had been on the field for 42% of the snaps on the season. But then last week with Huge out, He ran the second most routes on the team. He had five targets, three for 49. And that was against a difficult Kansas City matchup. Now they get the Dallas Cowboys. While the offensive line will not be fixed and Herbert will still take some shots from, from the Cowboys, certainly if Trey Harris is out there for the second most routes against the Dallas Cowboys, you have a chance for something. Just you have a chance for a miracle to happen. You know, you got to wade through the crap of who could possibly do it. And I think if Huge is out, Trey Harris is one of those guys that on Monday when we're in studs and duds, it wouldn't surprise me if you're like, holy crap, look what Trey Harris just did in the semis.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I think you could be right. Especially even like DFS and stuff like that. That was backup options. Sponsored by Progressive Insurance court [e-mail].

[Jason Moore]

News and notes from around the league presented by Progressive Insurance.

[Mike Wright]

Normally I kind of lay the news out and you guys break it down a little bit. I'm gonna let Jason take this.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, no. Okay, I'm up.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, no. Yeah. Be a professional, Jay.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. The Dolphins are benching quarterback to A. Tongue of Viola because he has been playing poorly. Unless he's been throwing the ball to the tight end Darren Waller. That is work. Excellent. And they are going to be starting Quinn Ewers this week. E Lears against the Bengals. So this is a matchup I have been salivating over. I talked about on the backup options. Two weeks ago it was pick up Darren Waller who had two more touchdowns. He's got like six touchdowns in basically six games because he exited one early with tua. And now the question is, okay, the. You know, the world's greatest matchup for a tight end who's been great. Titans can be, you know, the best friend of a young quarterback. But can you really play Darren Waller when he's playing 50% of snaps with a seventh round rookie quarterback? I can't. I would be.

[Mike Wright]

It sucks.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, just to follow up, I mean it sucks because it's not like we didn't just see variable, you know, production from tight end against this defense last week we saw Isaiah likely Mark Andrews. If they had gone out and both dominated, maybe we would be so overwhelmed by the three consecutive weeks with the triple Bills and double Ravens. And look, there's an opportunity for Waller to be productive. They don't really have pass catchers.

[Jason Moore]

I can't believe. I literally can't believe they made this decision. I mean, they just won four games in a row and then they go and play in freezing cold weather and he has a bad game. Quarterbacks have a bad game.

[Andy Holloway]

McDaniel is just. He's done with it. He is like, man, you. You have to be able to play in every scenario.

[Mike Wright]

You also need to know what you have here in seventh round. Like he's not the. Yours was the third stringer. You know, Zach Wilson was the backup for the majority of the year. They made the decision. They know what he is on film.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

You need to go see what Quinn Ewers has. They have ways out with tua. Tongue of Iloa's contract.

[Jason Moore]

Expensive.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it's going to cost.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, technically everyone has a way out. You can cut anyone.

[Andy Holloway]

I think he is like more than 50 million guaranteed next year for Tua.

[Jason Moore]

Cutting Tua would leave the dolphins with 99 points.

[Mike Wright]

How do you make this move if you're not planning to move on from him? That's what I'm curious about.

[Andy Holloway]

It really felt, you know, like we were training that too. It won't be part of the team next year. It just has accelerated here. And for Ewers, I think the biggest thing is just the touchdown opportunities. Can yours be that good? I mean, the matchup for a. For a guy who's making his first start. You're at home against the Bengals. Okay, that. That seems like a positive scenario. We've already seen the line move from 50.5 down to 47 and a half, while Cincinnati gained two points on the. On the spread. So I think it hurts. Is a big move.

[Mike Wright]

I actually think it hurts Cincinnati quite a bit. And I know you won't want to hear that with the Chase, but like, you just talked about it, the lines coming down.

[Andy Holloway]

I got Chase Brown too, so.

[Mike Wright]

No, but it's not just that. It's like touchdown opportunities for the defense, total points. It's Cincinnati's defense being able to do stuff, maybe turn them over, maybe score. There's no better bet for a defensive score in football than a rookie start at quarterback.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

So I'm saying that if Cincinnati. You want every possible possession for them to put up points, it's not something you're going to overemphasize or change your start. Sit. It's just I'm less excited about the game, period.

[Andy Holloway]

But it's like waddle.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I mean, Waddle is in huge trouble.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, a hn Hn you keep starting. Hn I keep starting. I'm just trying to think through it.

[Mike Wright]

Of like even hopefully Ewers.

[Andy Holloway]

Hopefully Ewers is like, I'm just going to keep checking it down to Achan like I saw to do it. But he. He's a different quarterback. We don't know what his tendencies will be. We've seen the Dolphins with bad quarterback play and what that did to Achan. It was nowhere close to the superstar that we've had all season.

[Jason Moore]

The helpful thing is that a Chan has been so good on the ground. Like, it's not just what it was like last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Defenses doesn't respect a passing game.

[Jason Moore]

Absolutely. They'll crowd the line for sure. But I'm looking at, you know, the game log and two weeks ago, he was the running back eight and he had one target. Three weeks ago, he's the running Back four. He had one target. He can do it on the ground.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. The Darren Oller start sit questions already piling up. Those are. You know it's Colby Parkinson. I'd go Parkinson.

[Jason Moore]

There are a lot.

[Mike Wright]

Tyler Warren. I'd probably go Warren.

[Jason Moore]

We had Harold Fanning.

[Mike Wright]

I go Fanning.

[Jason Moore]

So our team was already prepared for this. We knew that the. The rumors were in the bushes. So we had all of our waiver claims. I've got four waiver claims in already on four different tight ends that I'm happy to start any one of them and they're. This is a good week for streaming tight ends. Honestly, there's tight ends I would start over. Tyler Warren that are in my list as well, I think.

[Mike Wright]

Are you trying to block it like it's hot?

[Andy Holloway]

Mike.

[Jason Moore]

I don't think he could.

[Andy Holloway]

There's no. I don't have. I don't have bench space.

[Jason Moore]

Josh and Mike combined. Can't block my four guys. Remember we had the discussion willing to be free.

[Mike Wright]

This is why we had the discussion the other day and you said you changed your opinion on things is because when you have wide open waivers and you in a redraft league that has no dynasty implications. If a bunch of other managers.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Jumped into this scenario right now to.

[Jason Moore]

Block you and that would be.

[Mike Wright]

That would feel. It would really true and biased.

[Jason Moore]

It would be collusion. I mean if. If there is a sensational player out.

[Andy Holloway]

There that could be that and tell no one to do nothing.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. It's not collusion because there's not a collective effort. But it's still disadvantages targeted team over the other. Which I don't think is fair.

[Jason Moore]

Right. You know, and if it was a keeper worthy guy. Okay. But the tight ends on waivers aren't keeper worthy players. We'll find out what happens in about 30 minutes.

[Mike Wright]

Bam. Night on injured reserve for the Cardinals. We kind of knew that Jeremy Ruckert signed to a two year extension for the jets tight end and then Saquon did not practice on the Tuesday walk through dealing with the stinger.

[Andy Holloway]

Hold on. You breezed past workhorse workhorse Jeremy Ruckert.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man.

[Andy Holloway]

At least according to Ian Rapaport. I mean Jeremy Ruckert, everyone.

[Mike Wright]

He's a workhorse. That's what you think of. When I think of a workhorse, I think of Jeremy Ruckert.

[Andy Holloway]

How the people you can just block.

[Mike Wright]

And do your job at tight end and be.

[Jason Moore]

Since the buy. Since the buy. 53% of snaps, 44% of snaps, 34%.

[Mike Wright]

Of workhorse work horses don't work at night, man. They still sleep.

[Andy Holloway]

What sucks is like this has nothing to do with Jeremy Ruckert. This is just the idiocy of what is happening with social media posts. Yes. And from their agents. So like our audience right now, what is set the line over under the amount of the percentage of our audience that knows what team Jeremy Ruckert played for before we just said this.

[Jason Moore]

Let me do one divided by 32 because maybe that team's fans.

[Andy Holloway]

Workhorse cup. We gotta be better about this.

[Jason Moore]

3%, I think 3% of our audience.

[Andy Holloway]

It's so frustrating.

[Mike Wright]

Christian Watson. Josh Jacobs did not practice on the Tuesday walkthrough. They play on Saturday. Well, they, Josh Jacobs intends to play on Saturday. You had some really fun public comments where they came out and said like, look, he re injured his knee immediately. We, we kind of saw it on the film. He had to stop them from taking him off the field. He says he's gotten into arguments with their head coach multiple times about it. And he's like, and normally I have a good game.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. He goes at this point, I think he just trusts me that if I say I'm good to go, I'm going to go out there and help the team. And he followed that up and said it's easier for me to play through pain than to watch on the sideline. And that is music to my soul. That's what you want your players saying. And the truth is a lot of NFL players, there are just injuries you can't play through no matter how tough you are. But there is a middle ground where you look at these injury prone players that are sometimes like, you know, a little softer and it's like they just, they keep, they're, they're, they're not going to be willing to play through things that, you know, if the coach gives them an opportunity. Yeah, I mean, Marshawn Lloyd.

[Andy Holloway]

Marshawn Lloyd is made out of paper mache those hamstrings him and Kendra Miller are just begging for is.

[Jason Moore]

I don't think he machined it. It's just, it's just newspaper.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's good. It's going to be a dog fight. It's Packers Bears. That helps. Yeah, it helps a lot for Jacobs being out there. But we'll keep you, we'll keep monitoring those guys. Luther Burden, Roma Dunes. They did not practice.

[Andy Holloway]

Come on, Luther.

[Mike Wright]

Luther, I think will play a Dunes. They I think won't. But that's just my gut on Wednesday. And that was news and notes Sponsored by Progressive Insurance quote [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and third party insurers not available in all states or situations. Coverage subject to policy terms, limits and conditions. We'll be back in a minute.

[Jason Moore]

Aura Frames is the hidden gem that becomes the favorite gift long after the wrapping paper is gone and you can enjoy unlimited free photo and video uploads. Simply download the Aura app, connect to Wi Fi and start adding memories in seconds. Every gift can be personalized with a custom message that appears when it's first turned on. A very thoughtful touch for any occasion. And if there's that person in your family or your friend group that you really want to impress, that you hope years from now they look back and they say I remember when I got that. That's now changed how I experience like life. Because new photos are always coming up and new memories are showing up. That's the Aura Frame. And for a limited time you could save on the perfect gift by visiting auraframes.com to get $35 off Aura's best selling Carver mat frames named number one by Wirecutter by using the promo code Footballers at checkout. That's Aura A U R A frames.com promo code footballers. This deal is exclusive to listeners and frames sell out fast. So order yours now in time for the holidays and support this show by mentioning us at checkouts. Terms and conditions apply.

[Andy Holloway]

Thursday Night Football is on and it's only on Prime Video. Tonight the NFC west grabs the spotlight as the Rams visit the Seahawks. The coverage begins at 7pm Eastern with TNF tonight presented by Verizon. It's Rams Seahawks Thursday at 7pm Eastern and don't miss the Broncos and Chiefs on Christmas night. Only on Prime Video. Not a Prime member. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

[Mike Wright]

Well, we have Saturday games but we also have a Thursday night game.

[Jason Moore]

Thursday night breakdown.

[Mike Wright]

And it is the first ever Thursday night game between two teams with 11 plus wins in history. Los Angeles 11 and 3, the Seahawks 11 and 3. That would be the Rams, not the Chargers Vegas line. Los Angeles Rams minus one and a half the over under is 43.5. The Rams won 2119 in week 11. The Seahawks had the ball for over 37 minutes in that game but Darnold had the four picks. If both teams are basically guaranteed to make the playoffs right now, the Rams I believe The Rods are 63% to win the division they are.

[Jason Moore]

Last I saw the Rams were number one in super bowl winning odds and the Seahawks were number two.

[Mike Wright]

There is still.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm concerned about Seattle.

[Mike Wright]

We have not ruled out like devonte Adams. Like this isn't. He is not. He's considered a game time decision right now and this is a big game. That's crazy. So I don't. I don't know what's going to happen. I would have you play him as a fantasy manager.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

I think you may be in a situation where you literally couldn't.

[Jason Moore]

If he couldn't not play him, couldn't not play.

[Andy Holloway]

So you are.

[Jason Moore]

Well, let's.

[Mike Wright]

Let's look at our.

[Jason Moore]

Let's look at our roster.

[Andy Holloway]

It's very clear. Could it not perhaps.

[Jason Moore]

So we would go to the tape and say everything. We have a decision on devonte Adams. If he's active, I presume that we would start him over Travis Kelsey without Patrick Mahomes.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's probably.

[Jason Moore]

What about DJ Moore?

[Andy Holloway]

I think I'd play DJ Moore. Dude, you are.

[Mike Wright]

I play DJ Moore. He.

[Andy Holloway]

He went. He's running in a straight line and he just went. He won't be face first into the ground.

[Jason Moore]

He won't be playing between the twenties. You know what I mean?

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

He's going to be. If he's active, he's going to be out there for goal line. You're hoping for a little juke route and good hands.

[Andy Holloway]

Two catches for two yards and two touchdowns.

[Jason Moore]

100%.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Brooks said he's going to be in for him in Dynasty if he's active at all.

[Andy Holloway]

Brooks has no one else.

[Mike Wright]

Well, that's. I mean that's the situation. But you know, I like the Rams in this game. The running game for Seattle has been awful. I mean not, not kind of awful. Awful, awful like 30th in the league in rush success rate between the two backs, 28th in yards per carry, 26 in yards before contact.

[Andy Holloway]

And I think this is what. This is part of why the offense is so broken right now for Seattle is if you can't get that the. The coops system running where. Where you have any concern about the running backs, everything just falls apart. I mean you have. What is it the. Of the past three games you have one half of actual good Seattle offense. They didn't score a single touchdown at home against the Colts who had Philip Rivers on the other side. I mean like this isn't a. I'm not saying the sky is falling. I'm not playing jsn but. But I'm saying overall I have great concern for what's happening with Seattle.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, they have a great defense with their offensive, you know, consistency is questionable. They turn the ball over a lot. So, you know, the decisions for the fantasy player here is I don't want to play Sharbs or Walker. I mean, playing against the Rams, I'm.

[Andy Holloway]

Playing jsn and that is probably it.

[Mike Wright]

And on the other side with the Adams injury, we talked through that. Pukinakua, of course. I think Colby Parkinson is really interesting and I, you know, if Adams is out, he's even more interesting to me if he's a pickup at tight end and you're on the, on the fence, that might push you over the fence if Adams is ruled out for Thursday and even if he isn't, you know, like you said, one play could be all he can handle.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Parkinson's has just been a touchdown machine. He is certainly. I mean, you look at our start sit tool. He's one of the most common. Like should we pick up and play Parkinson? I was talking to Kyle. You know, Parkinson is. He's looking right now at Tyler Warren or Parkinson. Parkinson's a good play. He's a good play this week and I can't. I mean, I get it. Devonte Adams, tough guy, great player. Maybe they'll use him sparingly, but I still don't think he plays.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't think he plays either.

[Jason Moore]

It's like you. I mean, I know how important this game is, but also I know how important Devonte Adams is to the playoffs games which are way more important than this game.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

You know, Kyren is number one and rush success rate among all running backs and Corum is number two.

[Andy Holloway]

Wow.

[Mike Wright]

Like I would play Corum over both Seattle running backs.

[Jason Moore]

It's tough because this is like a match where neither side, both. Both defenses are so good against the run. They're just. They shut it down.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's true. And Corum has been on fire in recent weeks with the matchup is tough. Stafford, top eight quarterback in eight of 11 starts. Again, tough matchup. The over unders 43 and a half in this game. It was 21:19 last time. So you know, the fact that it's in seattle as well. 12th man, Thursday night football island game. That's their path to victory. Their path to victory is, you know, play. Play good defense. Make it a close game.

[Jason Moore]

It's a little, little drizzle in the air projected.

[Mike Wright]

Is that what they call rain?

[Jason Moore]

Well, they call drizzle in the air when it's just a little light, little bit rain, a little bit rain.

[Mike Wright]

A little bit rain. Any other thoughts from this game you guys want to comment on for the fantasy playoffs?

[Andy Holloway]

No, I think it's a pretty straightforward one. There's. I can't imagine you're playing any of the backup wide receivers.

[Mike Wright]

No. Shahid is leveling up, by the way. He is starting to.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

He's seeing his.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm talking from like the Rams.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, I'm sorry. Yeah. No, Shaheed, I wanted to mention as.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, if Adams is out, I'm not like, okay, well, next man up. Not when on the season. The Seattle Seahawks are the worst matchup for fantasy wide receivers.

[Mike Wright]

Rashid. She had 4 for 67, 5 for 74 the last two weeks. Snap counts up, opportunities up, something to monitor. Feels a little trey heresy to me, but with a worse matchup. All right, if we're done there.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

I'll click this button.

[Jason Moore]

Mailbag.

[Mike Wright]

If you have a question for the show, we're here to help, go to the website the fantasy footballers.com, click the submit a question button or dial our voicemail hotline. 302464, TFFB. Why not just start here? Because this is not the first time I've heard benching.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, no.

[Mike Wright]

This guy has a question this week. Hey, ballers.

[Andy Holloway]

Henry from Australia here.

[Jason Moore]

Bonjour. Quick question regarding Brock Bowers, especially this week.

[Andy Holloway]

Do I play him or do I.

[Jason Moore]

Pivot to someone like Colby Parkinson?

[Mike Wright]

Thanks, guys. Love the show. I think this is a really, really important discussion to have because I've seen multiple. I've seen multiple people ask if they should bench Bowers this week. They're scared of the matchup. I saw one this morning that was should I play waller over Bowers Now I said on that one is like, hey, watch out. They may switch quarterbacks. It probably takes that decision off.

[Andy Holloway]

Bowers is in for me of your mind.

[Mike Wright]

I can't imagine benching Bowers.

[Andy Holloway]

Philadelphia is. They're really strong against tight ends, right? Am I. Am I remembering that correct?

[Jason Moore]

Who. Philadelphia is very good.

[Andy Holloway]

That's who they just played. And he. I know it's Kenny Pickett problem.

[Jason Moore]

Well, it could be Gino last. Last that Pete Carroll said. He said Gino is certainly ready to go. From where I saw him this morning, I don't.

[Andy Holloway]

I wasn't sure if that was a Geno's going to play or Pete Carroll is like, Gino should play. If he doesn't play, he's soft. But I'm. Brock Bowers is in before the Philadelphia matchup. He. I mean, he's just been.

[Jason Moore]

He Was on fire and even play.

[Mike Wright]

The better player, man.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, yeah. I'm saying, like Kenny Pickett to Geno Smith. Can he pick? Who cares?

[Jason Moore]

Even with Kenny Pickett, he had eight targets. Yeah, but it was just a really tough matchup. And if you want a guy who could get any one target and break three tackles and score a manimal touchdown, it's Brock Bowers. So you got to play him.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. I want to just clear this up real quick. Trey McBride. I play over Bowers.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

I'd play Kittle. I'd probably play over Bowers this week against Houston.

[Jason Moore]

I would definitely.

[Mike Wright]

That's it. I don't think I have the guts to try. I'm not playing Goddard. I'm not playing. I don't think I'm playing Pitts. That's the end of my list.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, Pitts is honestly still interesting. Like if. If Drake London doesn't play again against Arizona, he's high up there.

[Mike Wright]

Well, the Cardinals, we know, will give up one touchdown to the defense, one to the special teams and two to Bijon. So I don't know how close that gets us to 40 points. Maybe there's room for a couple like.

[Andy Holloway]

That to be John talk.

[Mike Wright]

So are you. Are you making pits above Bowers and official recommendation?

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

What about. What did Fannin. Matt wants to talk Fannin.

[Jason Moore]

Fannin has been great. I mean, Harold Fanny, I think Kyle Fan. Harold Fannin. They're great plays this week.

[Andy Holloway]

14 targets.

[Jason Moore]

They're great plays. I'm still going to play Bowers. I agree with Andy. I mean, it's pretty much Trey McBride and George Kittle and then Bowers.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Yep. All right, we've got. Oh, boy. Another tight end question. Hey, this is Hannah from Montana.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm just wondering, should I play Tyler Warren or roll the dice and stream.

[Mike Wright]

Adult and Schultz or Colby Parkinson? Think. I think that is a much more realistic question with Tyler Warren or the pivot. Yeah, I think the pivot might be my answer.

[Jason Moore]

I am out on Tyler Warren. Like I looked, you know, I went and I rewatched the Colts film and my opinion on Tyler Warren, who's a great player. He also could break tackles and make a manimal play. I think his opportunities and the team's opportunities to score are going to be very hard to come by. And there are a lot of good options this week and you know, she named some of them. I also would throw Joanne Johnson out there as another great play. A Vale is injured, which it looks like he's week to week right now. Juwan Johnson becomes the number two target for the Saints. There's a lot of options.

[Andy Holloway]

I'd play over Tyler Warren or Colson Loveland.

[Jason Moore]

Loveland.

[Mike Wright]

I have Warren at 13, and I might. I might lower. I might lower him even more. It's not his fault.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no.

[Jason Moore]

He's awesome.

[Mike Wright]

This is. This is 100%. Like, you watch the offense. The offense strategy was screen pass, short area, short area, screen pass, short area. Emergency numbers of.

[Andy Holloway]

It was like passes over 10 yards.

[Jason Moore]

I think it was like one of three for eight or something awful.

[Mike Wright]

It's just not viable. It just isn't. So I think Schultz and Parkinson sin are both in play over Warren. I just dropped him to.

[Jason Moore]

He's at 16.

[Mike Wright]

He was at 13. Now he's at 17.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's. It's tough. It's sad, but I think if you roll with someone who. You can't get a deep shot, like, one of the things that was so great about Tyler Warren throughout this year was, you know, when he's going down the field 15, 20 yards across the middle, you hit him in stride, he breaks tackles. He just looks awesome. He's never getting one of those shots with Philip Rivers.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

This is the Back to the Future photograph where Alec Pierce has disappeared already.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

And then Warren's disappearing and everybody's disappearing, and I.

[Andy Holloway]

You know, the Alec Pierce stuff is such a bummer.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, he was. He was dominant, but you can't. You can't. No, there's nothing down the field. Yeah. I mean, did he even have a target?

[Jason Moore]

He did. I think he had one important catch.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, very late. Right. On that drive. Yeah, yeah. For the field goal. All right, well, we have more panic in the streets. Rashi Rice without my homes. Question from Instagram. Molecular matter. How do we feel about Rashi Rice without Patty Mahomes? Are you rolling with Rice? Are you rolling with Tet? McMillan.

[Andy Holloway]

Ooh, Tet is interesting.

[Mike Wright]

Had two bad weeks in a row overall.

[Andy Holloway]

Like, I'm not. I'm not completely out on Rasheed Rice just because of how he. How he's used in the offense. Gardner Minshew, obviously a massive downgrade, but Rasheed Rice is. Is like. We figure out how to just get him the ball as easily as we can possibly get in the ball and then let him go out there and cook. This isn't precision route, precision timing. It's a. It's. He's out athleting people. So he's. He's not a. Like, I'm not. I'm got to Escape. I got to get Rice out of my starting lineup. Ted McMillan against Tampa Bay. That one I can be talked into.

[Mike Wright]

Nobody has taken more shots than Rashi Rice the last two weeks.

[Jason Moore]

He has been blowed up.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

I mean.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, the recipe is out there for how to stop Rashi Rice. He's caught zero of those past.

[Jason Moore]

Hit him with a Mack truck.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. I mean, he is. He's a weird receiver, guys. He really is.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah. Always has been.

[Mike Wright]

He's not a normal, prototypical one. He feels a little bit. He feels a little bit like Michael Thomas. Not in the exact same style, but in the fact that you do kind of a couple things better than everybody in the entire league, and that's what you operate under, and that's where your fantasy value is found. It's not going to be deep routes.

[Andy Holloway]

It's not going to be Rasheed Rice or Justin Jefferson against the Giants. Jason.

[Jason Moore]

I would go Jefferson, honestly, and I know that I'm not allowed to say that anymore.

[Andy Holloway]

Rasheed rice or lad McConkey against Dallas.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man.

[Mike Wright]

Bounce back week for McConkey.

[Jason Moore]

It was probably loud because of the matchup. Yeah. I do agree with your premise, though, Mike, that Rushy Rice is not. I'm not out on him. He's just a little bit lower. There are other good options. If there's good options, like Tet, like Lad, then you can make a pivot. But I'm going to play him over Jalen Waddle now.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

All right. Well, you have more questions on the way after this break.

[Andy Holloway]

Today's show is brought to you by Indeed. There's a talented person out there who could take your company to the next level. And with Indeed sponsored jobs, you can connect with them faster. Join the 3.3 million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs. We know all about hiring here at the Fantasy Footballers hq. It is extremely important. You have to find the right person for the job. If you don't, it is detrimental to your company. So why not get a leg up on that? Finding the person the fastest way you can spend more time interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results. Now with Indeed sponsored jobs and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help get your job the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com footballers. Just go to Indeed.comfootballers right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com Footballers terms and conditions apply. Hiring. Do it the right way With Indeed this episode is supported by Prize Picks. It is the holiday season, the best time of year for sports, bowl games, basketball matchups, playoff pushes. It's all happening at once. And while you're out here making decisions every day, what gifts to buy, which game to watch, there is one place where it feels good to be, right? Prize Picks. And hey, check this out. Prize Picks now is early payouts. If your lineup gets off to a hot start, you may now have the option to cash out those winnings before the game even finishes. We have been loving our time on the Prize Picks this year, facing off against each other, going the mores or less. And look what I really love on Prize Picks number one. The app is extremely easy to use. It's very intuitive. But I love all the creative stuff out there, you know, like just overall past percentage of a quarterback, a running back, will they get more or less than 20 yards on their first five carries? Really special, unique, fun stuff that makes the game day just a little bit more exciting. Download the Prize Picks app today and use code footballers to get $50 on lineups after you play your first $5 lineup. That's code footballers to get $50 on lineUps after you play your first five dollar lineup. Price picks. It's good to be right.

[Mike Wright]

All right, we have people panicking, not just about Rashi Rice. How about George Pickens? Mike, I'm. We got an Instagram question from Mama Kucina. Am I crazy for considering benching George Pickens for Jaden Reed? Feels a little crazy.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Crazy. Yeah. The.

[Jason Moore]

The.

[Andy Holloway]

The meter is a little more on the crazy side. I know that the two weeks have been horrifically bad, but everything around Pickens is still the same. And I would. Jaden Reed's upside in a playoff matchup is not even close to what Pickens.

[Mike Wright]

What's your. What's going to be your postmortem if Pickens has the year he had but.

[Andy Holloway]

Then just completely falls apart like he's.

[Mike Wright]

A flop for the fantasy playoffs?

[Andy Holloway]

I would be. I mean, just nervous. Really, really nervous about how. How teams will look at that. I mean, because it's. It's on him. It feels like It's. This is 100% on George Pickens and this is not.

[Jason Moore]

It looks like effort, but that's such a hard thing to judge.

[Mike Wright]

It's funny how it always looks that way when he struggles and.

[Andy Holloway]

But then why he's great effort. I mean, like when he's out there making the.

[Jason Moore]

Does he give too much? And it's framed from the future.

[Mike Wright]

It's possible. That's why he succeeds. He's just like hyper.

[Andy Holloway]

Right. But I'm saying athletic. It's not just the spectacular catches, it's also the run after catches.

[Mike Wright]

That's true. You're right. Yeah, you're right.

[Andy Holloway]

So it's. Is it as simple as he shows up when he feels like showing up or is there some. There's probably more to it than we realize. It can't be that easy.

[Mike Wright]

It's a weird week for Dallas in general because there's nothing left to play for playoffs wise. I'm just very curious. Everything's been about this epic comeback for their team. You know, Javante Williams has been great all year. CD Lamb and Dak like you guys have, ironically, just to use it as an example, to talk about it, you have two stacks. Burrow. Chase, Mike Emo. Burrow right now.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. Because tonight will be the night. Burrow. Get it together, man.

[Mike Wright]

And then you've got Dak out of it. Dak and CD Both teams were like last week it was like, oh, we got like a 3% chance to make the playoffs. And both teams lost. And they lost two teams that they thought maybe they could beat. You know, Minnesota beats Dallas, Baltimore, Schmax, Cincinnati. And now how do both teams rebound? And you have everything writing on both of those stacks and you both would like them to have playoffs on the line.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, yeah. But we don't. So we'll just have to see.

[Mike Wright]

And then you're not pivoting.

[Jason Moore]

The nice thing is with the Cowboys is they've got a lot of experience at the end of seasons of kind of not having to play.

[Andy Holloway]

So does Cincinnati.

[Mike Wright]

They both. Yeah. Three, three years.

[Andy Holloway]

Maybe they'll be more comfortable.

[Mike Wright]

Pickens or Brian Thomas Jr. Is a good question.

[Andy Holloway]

That is from Fleases writing it on Instagram.

[Jason Moore]

That would be Pickens for me.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. The Patrick certain treatment I as good as Jacoby has been for this team, you got to imagine certain on Thomas.

[Mike Wright]

Instagram question from Kyle.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh man, that would be interesting if Brian Thomas gets out there.

[Mike Wright]

Talk about the inverse of Pickens.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm saying if Thomas is out there and he sees that Sir Tan is lined up on Jacoby. That is such an insult.

[Mike Wright]

Kyle writes in this one slightly different than the last one. What's on the table for your Christmas meal? Is it ham, turkey or both? I think we've been on the record. We're pretty big fans of ham.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

So good.

[Andy Holloway]

Let me ask you this very pro Ham. When you like your your team explodes so many points you go turkey. Yeah. Did that team go turkey? No, that team went ham. Going turkey is like, yeah, that's like.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, man, you're what a turkey. What a turkey.

[Andy Holloway]

No one's like, oh, you're a ham now.

[Mike Wright]

Turkey's good, though.

[Jason Moore]

Well, if you do three in a row.

[Mike Wright]

But turkey really needs, like, turkey ham. You just. Is delicious no matter what happens to it. Turkey, you need, like, gravy you have to have. And maybe mashed potatoes mixed in or.

[Jason Moore]

A hefty glass of water.

[Andy Holloway]

Which is funny because turkeys are mean turkeys.

[Mike Wright]

That's funny.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm not saying like the. We call people a turkey and it's like you're being. You're weak. You're a coward. A wild turkey. Don't mess with them.

[Jason Moore]

That's fair.

[Andy Holloway]

I think that thing will mess you up.

[Mike Wright]

Turkeys look ridiculous. I think that's part of it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. No, they do.

[Mike Wright]

If I call you a turkey. If I call you a turkey.

[Andy Holloway]

Josh knows a wild. A pack of wild turkeys.

[Mike Wright]

They're mean.

[Andy Holloway]

You leave them alone unless you're armed.

[Mike Wright]

You know what's good is a turkey sandwich.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, dude. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Like after Thanksgiving or Christmas. And you got some mayo up in there to keep it wet.

[Jason Moore]

You know what's better, though? A ham sandwich. Ham and cheese on a nice toasted pretzel bun.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, the honey baked.

[Andy Holloway]

Right?

[Mike Wright]

We do the honey baked.

[Andy Holloway]

It's just better.

[Jason Moore]

Sweeter. Sugar's delicious.

[Andy Holloway]

You can eat the turkey. It's fine.

[Mike Wright]

Neither of these will be at our Christmas party.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I don't. We don't do a Christmas dinner. Big Christmas meal. Like I don't think we've ever had.

[Mike Wright]

Your family doesn't.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, we do a huge Thanksgiving feast.

[Mike Wright]

Obviously you don't have like a Christmas meal.

[Jason Moore]

No, not really.

[Mike Wright]

I feel like even Mike has that.

[Jason Moore]

Jack in the box.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, Jack in the box.

[Jason Moore]

No, we've. We've never done. I don't think in our entire lives we've ever done a sit down Christmas dinner.

[Mike Wright]

Raheem Morris. Little update here. Says Drake London day to day. He'll be at practice, look forwarding to see how much he'll be able to give us this week. Oh, that's the worst sentence you could give a fantasy player.

[Andy Holloway]

Josh's team.

[Mike Wright]

Looking forward to seeing how much he'll be able to give us this week. We would like to know ahead of time.

[Andy Holloway]

I'll probably be playing him.

[Jason Moore]

Definitely help Josh's team.

[Mike Wright]

He doesn't.

[Jason Moore]

Drake London plays.

[Andy Holloway]

He does. He traded him.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, no. But they're facing Kyle Pitts.

[Andy Holloway]

Ah, yes. Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that would make a big difference. That would make a big difference.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Drake London plays. I mean, Kyle Pitts is.

[Mike Wright]

We got one more question here from Heiserberg. New hobbies for the eliminated question mark. Oh, so some new hobbies. Sports cards. Yeah, Mike and I. Yeah, we've been doing the sports cards thing. Maybe whittling. I feel like that's something Al would do. If you do you whittle, Al?

[Andy Holloway]

Not anymore.

[Mike Wright]

You used to whittle.

[Andy Holloway]

I did like a whittle bit.

[Mike Wright]

I was a Boy Scout.

[Jason Moore]

Swish. Nice.

[Mike Wright]

Papa Josh had to have whittled as well.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, for sure.

[Mike Wright]

You grew up when whittling was pretty much the only thing you could do, right?

[Jason Moore]

He carries. That's how we made our toys.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

He carries a pocket knife on him at all times.

[Mike Wright]

He does carry a pocket, and that's.

[Jason Moore]

Because he might need to whittle. The 3D printer of his generation.

[Mike Wright]

The whittling and then the falcon. Do you even know what whittling is? Yeah. Okay. All right.

[Andy Holloway]

Whittling's whittling. It's interesting. I'm getting old, man.

[Jason Moore]

Imagine sitting around a campfire with a block of wood and a knife. That sounds awful.

[Andy Holloway]

Sounds pretty cool.

[Mike Wright]

You were a Boy Scout, too, Matt? Yeah, for a little bit. Okay, so you. What about you, Josh?

[Jason Moore]

No, I'm not a nerd. Yeah, get him.

[Andy Holloway]

Get him.

[Jason Moore]

Take that.

[Andy Holloway]

Boy Scouts.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, my gosh. I think Al is pro Eagle Scout. No, you stopped short. I stopped just short. At Life Scout. Yeah. Oh, okay. I didn't know there was one below.

[Jason Moore]

No one has ever heard of a Life Scout. Because usually if you get there, you.

[Mike Wright]

You finish the job.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, because, like, everyone knows.

[Andy Holloway]

No. Now I got to explore this. What are the ranks?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, there's wee.

[Mike Wright]

Below is the lowest thing, right? Is that one of them?

[Jason Moore]

What word did you say?

[Mike Wright]

We below.

[Jason Moore]

We below.

[Mike Wright]

You didn't know about Webelo? It might be like, that's Cub Scout. That's Cub Scout.

[Jason Moore]

That's just a wee below Cub Scout.

[Andy Holloway]

I can't remember at all. I just. How. Who set it up? We're like, okay, we got Life Scout. What's next?

[Mike Wright]

Eagle.

[Andy Holloway]

Eagle. Yeah, dude. Jim, enough with the Eagles.

[Mike Wright]

The Eagle Scouts have to do a big project, like a bunch of hours, like a huge year.

[Andy Holloway]

But if you make it all the way, the nail on the head as.

[Mike Wright]

To why I didn't finish. Yeah, you didn't want to put in. Did you ever have a project figured out and Then you just didn't do it.

[Andy Holloway]

Nope.

[Mike Wright]

Okay. Could have done a whittling thing. Probably should have. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

That was really good.

[Mike Wright]

Whittle, like 700 signs. It looks like we got Scout Tenderfoot.

[Jason Moore]

Second class, first class, Star Life Eagle. You went really far to quit.

[Mike Wright]

I think so. Star Life Eagle. We're just picking words.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, they are. And this is after second and First.

[Mike Wright]

We should rename.

[Jason Moore]

Wait, we should rename them all Second and First.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Read them again. They did. Scout Tenderfoot Second class, First Class, Star Life Eagle.

[Mike Wright]

These are our new UDK tiers.

[Andy Holloway]

This is our first class guy. He's way worse than the Life Scout. What? First Class.

[Jason Moore]

What a loser.

[Mike Wright]

We're going to hear from a lot of.

[Andy Holloway]

When I buy plane tickets, I'm looking for the Life section.

[Mike Wright]

A lot of Boy Scouts. All right, that'll do it. For today's show, we got starts of the week and matchups tomorrow.

[Andy Holloway]

So Tenderfoot that is just Tenderfoot.

[Mike Wright]

That just reminds me of Lamb before time.

[Andy Holloway]

But you're like, hey, look out.

[Jason Moore]

Here comes the tenderfoot.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I guess it was Little Foot, huh? That's not a rank. No matchups and Fantasy Face off on Friday. My routine, Wheel of Shame and. And then we'll be into the playoffs in Sunday Live Sunday morning before the games, so you do not want to miss it. Good luck, everybody out there on waiver day, your waivers went through. Hopefully you got your guys, you played a little defense against your opponent. We'll be back tomorrow.

[Jason Moore]

Goodbye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on twitterffballers. The world of Avatar will change forever this Friday. Discover why Avatar, Fire and Ash is being hailed as bigger, better, and more emotional than ever. And the best one yet. Avatar, Fire and Ash, in theaters, IMAX and 3D screens everywhere this Friday. Get tickets now, guys. Did you feel like by week 10 last season you were making some really boneheaded roster moves? Like having three quarterbacks all with the same bye week and completely forgetting to start players during the Thursday games? Maybe you were just exhausted. Fantasy football is a marathon and being tired kills your decision making. If you have sleep apnea and CPAP isn't working, you might be running on empty, too. Check out Inspire Therapy, an implant that's proven to treat sleep apnea without a mask or hose view. Safety info at inspiresleep. Com.