Week 16 Studs & Duds + Championship Prep - Fantasy Football Podcast for 12/23

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary: Week 16 Studs & Duds + Championship Prep (12/23/2024)

Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
Release Date: December 23, 2024
Episode Title: Week 16 Studs & Duds + Championship Prep

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1. Weekend Recap: Key Plays and Implications

The hosts kicked off the episode by reflecting on the exhilarating weekend of NFL action. A standout moment was Devon Hn's impressive touchdown run for the Dolphins, reminiscent of a memorable Jonathan Taylor play for the Colts years ago.

Andy Holloway highlighted the dramatic nature of the Hn run:

"He just breaks through the front line and goes to the house. And that's what Hn did." [02:50]

Mike Wright compared Hn to Nick Chubb, noting his consistent performance despite past injuries:

"He knows what I feel like. It's like his Nick Chubb is like gone down multiple times." [03:05]

The discussion touched on the emotional impact of clutch plays, emphasizing the thin margins in fantasy football. The trio dissected how a single play with a 1% chance of victory could drastically alter league standings.

Jason Moore and Mike Wright lamented the frustrations tied to quarterback performances, especially when pivotal players like Jalen Hurts underperform or sustain injuries. Mike expressed empathy for those on the losing side of Hurts' unpredictable games:

"If you want to quit fantasy football, I don't blame you." [03:53]

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2. Championship Week Preparations: Dominant Stacks

As the league heads into championship week, Andy Holloway praised the formidable pairing of Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase, noting their unprecedented consistency:

"Burrow has seven straight weeks of 253, and Chase has scored seven straight touchdowns. That's a record." [05:27]

Jason Moore highlighted their dominance, pointing out that shared stacks have led to back-to-back championship appearances in their Dynasty league.

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3. Player Injuries and Impact on Fantasy Lineups

Injuries loomed large as the hosts discussed several key players sidelined or performing below expectations:

• Tank Dell suffered a devastating knee injury during his best game of the season, raising concerns about his availability for upcoming matches.

  Andy Holloway expressed sympathy:

  "It was devastating. It was his number one fantasy finish of the season." [21:12]

• James Conner dealt with a hyperextended knee, casting doubt on his participation next week. Jason Moore anticipated Conner's absence, citing little chance of return due to pride and contract incentives:

  "There is nothing. There is no reason other than pride or contract incentives." [22:35]

• Josh Allen faced an elbow contusion but didn’t miss any snaps, albeit with a significantly reduced performance:

  "He only had 154 yards and one touchdown. He didn't have a rushing touchdown for the first time in six weeks." [24:33]

• Kenneth Walker battled an ankle injury, limiting his effectiveness and raising concerns over his future contributions.

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4. Studs and Duds: High Performers vs. Underperformers

Andy, Jason, and Mike delved into the week's top-performing and underperforming players:

Studs:

• Jameer Gibbs emerged as a top performer with significant contributions both in the air and on the ground.

• Jared Goff delivered a game-winning touchdown in a creative play, showcasing his play-designing prowess:

  "When you are on fire as a play designer, that's impressive." [31:19]

• Ben Johnson overshadowed expectations after returning from his candidacy, making impactful plays despite questionable team strategies:

  "The play calling there is driving me insane." [32:17]

Duds:

• Marvin Harrison Jr. struggled with effort and matchup issues, leading to frustrations among the hosts. Andy criticized his performance:

  "He's not as good as Brian Thomas Jr., Malik Neighbors, or Xavier Worthy." [11:12]

• DeAndre Swift was labeled a major bust despite high draft expectations, failing to live up to his potential:

  "This is a lost season for Travis ETN. Maybe the biggest bust in fantasy football." [54:23]

• Brian Robinson and Rico Dowdle underperformed with multiple fumbles and low point outputs, respectively.

---

5. Ready to Roll: Home vs. Road Performance Insights

In the "Ready to Roll" segment, Mike Wright and Jason Moore analyzed running backs who exhibit stark differences in performance based on game location. Highlighted players included:

• Ramon Ray Stevenson: Significantly better at home (+6.3 fantasy points per game) compared to the road (-9.1 fantasy points).

  Jason Moore shared the stats:

  "15.4 at home, 9.1 on the road." [14:12]

• DeAndre Swift: Exhibited a +4 fantasy point advantage at home when facing Seattle.

Mike emphasized leveraging these splits to optimize flex positions and lineup decisions heading into championship week.

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6. Listener Reactions and Community Engagement

The hosts engaged with listener submissions, reading creative and humorous fantasy football-related usernames such as "Brian Thomas Sr." and "James T. Cook." This segment fostered a sense of community and highlighted the playful side of the fantasy football experience.

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7. Fantasy Stud Muffins: Top Performers of the Week

In the "Fantasy Stud Muffins" segment, the hosts celebrated standout players of the week:

• James Conner led with an outstanding performance despite his injury struggles.
• Chuba Hubbard, Devon Hn, and Jameson Williams delivered multiple touchdowns, solidifying their status as top studs.
• Keenan Allen and Bryan Thomas Jr. showcased exceptional receiving performances, contributing significantly to their teams' successes.

Jason Moore praised Jameer Gibbs for his versatility and clutch performance, enhancing his value in championship lineups:

"Gibbs Bijon and James Conner got it done this week." [35:21]

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8. Championship Week Strategy and Final Matchups

The conversation shifted to preparing for championship week, emphasizing the importance of strategic lineup decisions, especially with key injuries and high-performing stacks:

• Jason Moore recommended monitoring late-week waiver wire pickups like Quentin Johnson and Cortland Sutton to bolster lineups.
• Andy Holloway advised keeping an eye on quarterback matchups, particularly the upcoming Christmas games which introduce unique challenges and opportunities.

The hosts underscored the unpredictable nature of championship week, urging listeners to remain vigilant and adaptable:

"It's going to be a brutal football week and a glorious football week for half of every championship matchup." [20:21]

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9. Final Thoughts and Season Wrap-Up

As the podcast drew to a close, the hosts reflected on the intense season, congratulated standout performers like Justin Jefferson, and teased upcoming discussions on waiver wire strategies and Christmas football games.

Jason Moore encapsulated the competitive spirit:

"Congrats to our champs, and here's to an exciting championship week ahead." [61:30]

Andy Holloway encouraged listeners to stay engaged year-round, celebrating their podcast's decade-long run as a premier fantasy football resource.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Andy Holloway:

  "He just breaks through the front line and goes to the house. And that's what Hn did." [02:50]

• Mike Wright:

  "He knows what I feel like. It's like his Nick Chubb is like gone down multiple times." [03:05]

• Jason Moore:

  "15.4 at home, 9.1 on the road." [14:12]

• Andy Holloway:

  "Burrow has seven straight weeks of 253, and Chase has scored seven straight touchdowns. That's a record." [05:27]

• Mike Wright:

  "He is the guy that I think people had to overcome because I saw teams couldn't." [53:12]

• Jason Moore:

  "Gibbs Bijon and James Conner got it done this week." [35:21]

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Conclusion

This episode of the Fantasy Footballers provided a comprehensive overview of the week's NFL action, highlighted key players shaping the championship landscape, and offered strategic insights for fantasy managers navigating the final stretch. With engaging discussions, expert analysis, and a touch of humor, Andy, Jason, and Mike ensured listeners are well-equipped to make informed decisions as they vie for their league titles.

For more insights and fantasy football strategies, visit JoinTheFoot.com and follow the Fantasy Footballers on Twitter @heffballers.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

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[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

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

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome in the Fantasy footballers podcast. Monday, December 23rd Fa la la la.

[Jason Moore]

La la la la.

[Andy Holloway]

What a weekend it was.

[Jason Moore]

How about that Devon Achan run?

[Andy Holloway]

So I talked to somebody this morning. That match on the Devon Hn run, which if you didn't watch the game was over. The Dolphins had the football with under two minutes to go. They could have they needed the first down to fully run out the clock. But once they did that, they could have needed out and 50 yards from the end zone. It was one of those plays and it's ones we've seen before. I remember very vividly identical situation for the Colts many years ago. I had a victory secured and the ball was handed to Jonathan Taylor on a third and one.

[Jason Moore]

Just get the first.

[Andy Holloway]

The entire defense pushes up to try to stop him and he just breaks through the front line and goes to the house. And that's what HN did.

[Jason Moore]

Ain't no sliding with my man.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he know what I feel like. It's like his Nick Chubb is like gone down multiple times.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, that's what he absolutely should have done. Yeah, but he didn't.

[Jason Moore]

Not my man.

[Mike Wright]

He's like, we're six and eight guys.

[Andy Holloway]

Where's the hn?

[Mike Wright]

I'm taking my touchdown.

[Andy Holloway]

Was there a HN touchdown incentive that we didn't talk about? But that play, you know, if you were on sleeper where they, you know, the projections, they control your emotions, right? The percentage chance of victory if you were in that boat. This guy had 1%. It was a 1% chance of victory and one play and then like a.

[Mike Wright]

13 point player or something.

[Andy Holloway]

And the other, the other guy quit his job, left his family and moved away. No. So it was a wild weekend. It was a lot of fun. If it went the way that you wanted and didn't have Jalen Hurts as your quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that is unbelievable.

[Andy Holloway]

That is catastrophic.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. The. If you are listening to this show and you're on the, you're on the losing side of the Jalen Hurts things and you're here, you're like, I need guys, I need a release. Number one. Just. Oh my gosh. That is if you want to quit fantasy football. I don't blame you for those.

[Jason Moore]

When it's like, oh, come on.

[Mike Wright]

Everything I got to the start, it wasn't your fault.

[Andy Holloway]

My quarterback, doesn't that matter? You didn't make the wrong start. Sit.

[Jason Moore]

I feel like I would. It might sound stupid, but I would rather lose that way. I would rather lose with my. With Mike. No way. I mean, if I'm losing, I don't want to lose, but if I'm going to lose a game, I want to be able to say my star quarterback went out right at the beginning of the game.

[Andy Holloway]

Dude, I'm with you. If I'm going to lose anyway, I don't want the hn touchdown at the end of the game to beat me. I don't want it to be a start sit decision. Like I don't want to be the guy that started Britain Strange instead of Chiga conquo and have it cost you the win?

[Jason Moore]

Oh yeah. Now would you rather have had Jalen Hurts go out there and score five fantasy points or Josh Allen who played the whole game, scored 11 fantasy points.

[Andy Holloway]

Not a lot of those people moving on. In fact, the common denominator in all the championship games that I've seen this morning and who I will be playing against in Listener league because I'm going to make it through is Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase. That Stack has led Mike to a back to back appearance in our Dynasty league title game.

[Jason Moore]

Unstoppable.

[Andy Holloway]

And that combo is just really difficult. If they do anything. And Chase has scored in. So listen. Seven straight weeks burrowed Chase Stack has resulted in a touchdown. Seven. That's a record.

[Mike Wright]

Seven.

[Andy Holloway]

Seven straight. It's a record. They showed it on the, on the broadcast yesterday.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I think they're liars because I'm showing no touchdown for Chase last week.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, maybe. Maybe they were. Thanks for submarine that.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I just want to bring the facts.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

You're right. Yeah. They said seven straight. Maybe they're at home or something like that. But Chase has 16 on the year and without a touchdown, finished at 22 last week. Yeah. What was that, Brooks? Let me know if you find that stat. But that was one of the common denominators was Burrow has seven straight weeks of 253.

[Jason Moore]

250.

[Andy Holloway]

That's how you get there. And stacks are so powerful this time of year. You get it right. It's hard to overcome in our league of record, which many of you are following along. It happened. Here we are, Al Borland sitting over there. Blood pressure 220 over 180.

[Mike Wright]

Owl got the Jalen Hertz fantasy football Christmas gift.

[Andy Holloway]

I did.

[Jason Moore]

It didn't matter. He did. Emotionally, emotionally. It was like facing Jalen.

[Andy Holloway]

Hurts. But still scoring 180 points.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

His team has been on fire.

[Jason Moore]

Did you really.

[Andy Holloway]

And by. Let me be the first.

[Jason Moore]

Did you really score? Depends on Jacobs tonight. I think I've got like 160 something and still have Jacobs and I have Green Bay's defense tonight.

[Andy Holloway]

Al's in the. He's in the championship game for the first time. There's a 16, 17 years we've been a league of record. Yeah, he hasn't been there.

[Jason Moore]

I haven't been there.

[Andy Holloway]

He hasn't been there the entire time. But your first opportunity at a title.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, sir.

[Andy Holloway]

And the world will be with you.

[Jason Moore]

I don't know because I got a lot of fans out there.

[Andy Holloway]

I snuck in and I have an opportunity to go back to back. And Al Borland has a chance to knock me off this week. And one of the little subplots in our matchup that I was looking at preseason in the draft season, I traded Kyron Williams for Jameer Gibbs and both got. You got Kyron Williams and I got Jameer Gibbs are both in the title game going into the final week. Both guys playing really well. Do you have any thoughts. Do you have any thoughts on the matchup, Jason?

[Jason Moore]

It's going to be. It's going to be an awesome matchup. You guys have to put your lineups out there on X so that we can like have everybody follow along. It should be really, really cool. And in the Listener League so people can root for Owl in the league of record. People can root for you in the Listener League because that gives them an extra spot, I guess, even tonight. What?

[Andy Holloway]

You.

[Jason Moore]

You're down like a point or two.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm down one point. But I have the packers defense.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

So I'm good.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I agree.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't care what I say right now. I'll set it all.

[Jason Moore]

You're not afraid?

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Jason Moore]

Jeez.

[Andy Holloway]

Set it all up to come crumbling down when the Spencer Rattler goes into Lambeau and dominates the packers defense. But, yeah, listener league, if I win that next week, that there will be an extra spot for us to give away during the year. And that's the goal, as well as crushing the hopes and dreams of every individual in that league, which we, I think, are succeeding at right now. Yeah, they seem pretty sad. I saw one of the managers with a binky.

[Jason Moore]

Or.

[Andy Holloway]

No, a pacifier.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's the same thing.

[Andy Holloway]

Is that the same thing?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. I don't understand why it's called the binky, but it is either.

[Andy Holloway]

We have your reactions to the weekend. There were lots of them. And we'll jump in. You submitted them Monday Punday on X on Instagram. I guess we'll do that right now. Go ahead, Mike.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, I'm going to read it this way.

[Jason Moore]

Chubba hubba hubba.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, not too bad. Brian Thomas Sr. Jaden Daniels.

[Mike Wright]

Or a salute to captain James T. Cook.

[Andy Holloway]

Devon Ye Chan.

[Jason Moore]

To infinity. And Devon. Oh.

[Andy Holloway]

Big Okonkwo or Chig Ogronkwo.

[Mike Wright]

I like that one.

[Jason Moore]

And just Jefferson.

[Mike Wright]

Jonathan Taylor. Touchdown. He made up for his mistakes for.

[Andy Holloway]

All the teams that aren't in the playoffs anymore. Saquon Gnarly.

[Jason Moore]

Jackson Smith win. Jigba.

[Mike Wright]

It wasn't all good.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Mike Wright]

Trey MC died.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Trey MC lied to all of us.

[Jason Moore]

Jerry Doody.

[Mike Wright]

Oh. Jalen Hurt. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Aw.

[Andy Holloway]

There was Joe Fiction on Thursday.

[Jason Moore]

And Patrick failure Jr. I'll leave him alone.

[Mike Wright]

He's a fifth stringer. Rashad Light.

[Andy Holloway]

Rashad Light. Josh Stalin. The Stalin.

[Jason Moore]

And Cooper. Crap.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, no. With Pooper. Nakua.

[Jason Moore]

That's a lot of turds.

[Andy Holloway]

And I was gonna end it with the innovative pun, Kyle sucks. But we'll go with Marvin Embarrassin Jr. Because dude, dude, not sophisticated. Mike. The Cardinals, not sophisticated.

[Jason Moore]

Marvin Harrison.

[Andy Holloway]

I hate them.

[Jason Moore]

Marvin Harrison Jr. I hate them so much. I can't stand watching the Cardinals. They're the worst. Kyler is not a good court. He's just. He doesn't have it. However, Marvin Harrison Jr. I believe has everything to be a star. But the one thing I have seen absent way too many times is effort.

[Mike Wright]

Well, He's. They. They X rayed him, Jay.

[Andy Holloway]

No dog.

[Jason Moore]

No dog. I mean, there ain't no dog in there.

[Mike Wright]

There's no puppy.

[Jason Moore]

Healthy, clear lungs.

[Mike Wright]

There's no elderly dog in there. There is complete.

[Andy Holloway]

No, it's a pussycat.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Can they, like, feed him a dog or something? How do you get dog in this, man?

[Andy Holloway]

So you are 100% right. Weak hands. We saw him late in the game. Overtime. They're trying to get back to the line of scrimmage. Who's the last man getting to the line of scrimmage? Ho hum. Let's go for a stroll down the lane.

[Jason Moore]

Everybody on the team was maximum effort. Run into the line, get the ball to the ref. We got to go. And then there's like, Marvin Harrison's like, I don't. I'm too cool for that.

[Andy Holloway]

I want to believe that. The problems of getting him targets has created this situation where mentally he's pressing. So the. The few opportunities he gets, he's. You know, he's overthinking them. I don't know. He's not as good as Brian Thomas Jr. He's not as good as Malik Neighbors. He's not as good as lad McConkey. He might not be as good as Xavier Worthy. So you're getting to a. You're getting to a place where this is depressing and.

[Jason Moore]

But the issue is, oh, man, we.

[Andy Holloway]

Were so mad yesterday.

[Jason Moore]

It's the controllable thing, like, that's the most frustrating part. He doesn't come back hard on routes. He doesn't fall. Fight hard. That's where it's like, you can do that. You. I know you can. You can give 100% and you're not. It's frustrating.

[Andy Holloway]

No. And he's now the wide receiver. 35 on the season and a far cry from the screams that we got from Mike Wright on draft day when he picked him. And he said. He said to everybody, no one will ever pry him from my hands in our keeper league. I'm thinking you're going to let people pry.

[Mike Wright]

Well, it's weak hands holding on to him.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. All right. That's fair.

[Mike Wright]

I thought they were diamond. They're paper.

[Andy Holloway]

Cardinals suck. Cardinals suck. All right, let's move on.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to Ready to Roll, presented by Nissan.

[Mike Wright]

All right, I'll lead this one. This week's Ready to Roll final.

[Andy Holloway]

Ready to roll.

[Mike Wright]

It is the final. We're gonna keep this one short and sweet. We're just gonna highlight a couple running backs here who. Sometimes there's wild splits between how a running back performs at home and on the road, which generally speaking, I want my running backs at home. I want my running backs in a, in a over under where they are heavily favored. But just sometimes it works out that guys are just much, much better on the road. But a couple players to highlight who are at home and have been just much, much better by a points per game. And these are, you know, running backs who are types of fringe starters. Ramon Dre Stevenson who came, he had an okay game last yesterday against the Bill. The Patriots as a whole had a pretty good game against the Buffalo Bills. But Ramon Ray Stevenson at home has been over six points better on fantasy points per week.

[Jason Moore]

15.4 at home, 9.1 on the road.

[Mike Wright]

And he's at home. It's a tougher matchup against the Chargers, but he has been just like the work and everything. He's just been such a better player at home that I think it could give you a little bit of confidence that he's in that flex consideration. And then DeAndre Swift, like I said, these are lower tier guys that you will be making decisions and you're hiding.

[Andy Holloway]

These aren't the only players that have big splits. These are ones that you're highlighting as fringe options as we head into decision.

[Mike Wright]

Because it's like Kyron Williams. There's no decisions.

[Jason Moore]

There's no decisions.

[Mike Wright]

However, Devon H.N. there's no decisions.

[Jason Moore]

It's worth noting that Kyron Williams is significantly better at home. And for Andy and Owls matchup. He's at home this week, but he's.

[Andy Holloway]

Going to kill the sucky Cardinals.

[Mike Wright]

DeAndre Swift at home has been four points better in those matchups. He gets to take on Seattle at home. So that will be an interesting one to watch. And then on the road side of.

[Jason Moore]

It, well, before you move to the road side, yeah, I think Rashad White is worth highlighting as well. Another player that's been much better at home and I think you're going to have decisions there, especially after kind of a more down week but much better at home. And it's against the Carolina Panthers.

[Mike Wright]

I saw a matchup that swung last night on the Rashad White fumble.

[Jason Moore]

Oh no. That play was infuriating.

[Andy Holloway]

That play was like amazing plays. Like nobody this season has held themselves up in the middle of a sack more than Baker pushing off Joey Bosa earlier in the year or Nick Bosa and then he breaks through five guys, gets the ball to his player. You're saving the play. Oh my God. Oh, the game's over.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

It will. The highs and lows of that play were absolutely insane. Road warriors just want to highlight the guys from Seattle have. And we're talking about Zach Charbonnet and Ken Bone Walker. They've just. They've been better on the road. On the road. And they're on the road against Chicago, which actually coincides with a plus matchup here for these running backs. Kenneth Walker obviously back injured because the dude is made out of wet cardboard. Like just every time he's healthy, he got a goal line carry. Didn't get in, but got hurt.

[Jason Moore]

I've never seen a player that I can remember ever who didn't get to 10 fantasy points and had eight receptions. He was. He. He had not targets. He. I mean he had eight targets as well, but he had eight receptions and he did not score 10 fantasy points and half PPR. How is that possible?

[Andy Holloway]

And he had seven of them in the first half. Seven receptions. And Kenneth Walker now has an ankle injury.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Andy Holloway]

So it's something where it's like this is not just a recurrence of what they're dealing with. Right. I mean this is just.

[Mike Wright]

We need a lot of news actually from Seattle. What's going on. Because you had. Because Charbonnet, if you missed this, was listed as a captain for this team and then everything was ken Walker and McIntosh like Charbonnet was the third guy in. So that'll be something to monitor, I would expect. If Walker is out, then Charbonnet is right back into being a great play. And then it's a tougher matchup.

[Jason Moore]

Your boy.

[Mike Wright]

And coming off of just an absolute disaster of a performance for Rico Dowdle where the Cowboys could get nothing going.

[Andy Holloway]

13:23 on the ground like he was.

[Mike Wright]

Just as soon as he had the ball he was getting contacted and he just. He couldn't make anything happen. Anything special happen. But points wise at home, Rico daddles under 10 points. And on the road he's been a 13 point per game type of a player. He is on the road. Tougher matchup against Philadelphia.

[Andy Holloway]

But the worst.

[Mike Wright]

It's at least worth considering that they just.

[Jason Moore]

He.

[Mike Wright]

He's been better on the road.

[Jason Moore]

Last name to bring up only because it's an Indian Owls matchup. Joe Mixon. He has the largest road split of any running back over the last decade. Potentially all time. We just looked at a decade and it's number one. He is the 10th most fantasy points per game on the road for any running back. And so. But he's at home.

[Mike Wright]

He's at home.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean if you look at who he played on the road, you'll understand why. Yeah, I mean you played Dallas and Indy and New England. The jets defense, the Jacksonville, he dominated in those matchups for sure this week. It will be this week. Interesting.

[Mike Wright]

This week is going to also because.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know how motivated they're going to be.

[Jason Moore]

It's going to be the Ravens or the. Or the Texans.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, the Texans really needed to get a W in order to now they got what they needed from Pittsburgh's loss. So maybe they'll still be motivated to be able to slide into the three seed but they didn't win against Kansas City so that made me sad.

[Mike Wright]

But the this week is going to be unique because reminder there is games on Christmas and Christmas is on a Wednesday.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, that's crazy.

[Mike Wright]

So the we don't have data to say, you know, like this is what's going to happen one way or another. But I think it's going to be interesting. Like do you guys think that they're like the running backs? You think that they will have a small edge here that they're. That all the, you know, like the lines are tired and the running backs will be able to get a little bit more points here?

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know. I really don't with the Wednesday Christmas games.

[Mike Wright]

I mean right.

[Andy Holloway]

It's gonna, it's gonna be another fragmentation that we had last week where I think I've got four. I have five players. I think five of my players will play on Christmas. I'll. I don't think you have any. You'll have to look into that. I'll check. It'll give you information for the weekend on start sit decisions on how their trajectory of your team is going. Play safe, play, you know, play for the win. But the Jason, you're smirking Chiefs, I.

[Jason Moore]

Just think that's this week's going to be so much fun. It's going to be insane. With Wednesday football happening at two Wednesday.

[Andy Holloway]

One Thursday, three Saturday games.

[Mike Wright]

Wednesday is Chiefs at Steelers and Ravens.

[Jason Moore]

At Texas on championship week. The slow death or victory like this week is going to be a brutal football week and a glorious football week for half of every championship matchup.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, that was ready to roll. Thanks again to our sponsor Nissan Adventure calls in the first ever Nissan Roguerock Creek. Visit NissanUSA.com to learn more. Intelligent all wheel drive cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions.

[Jason Moore]

News and notes from around the league presented by USAA ins.

[Andy Holloway]

Does that mean we've got Wednesday football, Thursday football, Saturday, Sunday and Monday football.

[Jason Moore]

Correct.

[Andy Holloway]

What are we doing? What are we doing?

[Jason Moore]

We're taking Fridays off.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I guess that's what it means for us and our families. Friday.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Well, lots of news. You know, it was heartbreaking to watch. Tank Dell.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, man.

[Andy Holloway]

Devastating knee injury on a touchdown pass.

[Jason Moore]

Awesome touchdown catch. He was determined. A dislocated kneecap.

[Andy Holloway]

Very plus tax. I mean, we don't even know what the rest.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. So from what I've seen is the expectation with that might come with additional ligament damage. And if it does, which we'll know soon, that would be like over a year recovery, like 20, 25 might be missed. Now for Tank Dell, it's. It's brutal for a player who broke his fibula and you know, had a season end or last year. You saw C.J. stroud very emotional. That's his best friend. And so tough for the Texans.

[Andy Holloway]

Were caused by his own players.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

That he suffered. And this was a practice squad wide receiver in the wrong place on a freak accident. It was devastating. It was his best game of the year. In spite of that, it was his number one fantasy finish of the season. James Conner did a lot of work and then left in the third quarter with a hyperextended knee. Did not return. Arizona was eliminated from playoff contention. If you had to make me bet, I'd bet almost everything that Connor misses next week. There is nothing. There is no reason other than pride of wanting to play a full season or, you know, contract incentives, you know, fighting with his guys. I mean, the likelihood of him being back is just very, very low.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean, we've talked about. He's never finished season yet. We knew something might be coming. We were hoping.

[Andy Holloway]

Most people are blaming us.

[Jason Moore]

Well, that's.

[Mike Wright]

I think I. If you think we have that level of power and control.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, we accept.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

We do.

[Jason Moore]

And you're right.

[Andy Holloway]

James Conner, the tough part here, wins the games. Thursday games.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Like I have Xavier Worthy. I get to play him on Wednesday on Christmas or try to wait for practice reports on James Conner. It's impossible, you know.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Andy Holloway]

It's going to be brutal. And Kenneth Walker left again. We talked about it. With an ankle injury. It's a Thursday night game. Goodbye, Kenneth. Goodbye, Drake. London left the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury. Didn't return. Their head coach Raheem Morris said that he believe he would have went back in. I don't really care what he says about that right now. I care about what practice says. Because I've seen that before.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, for sure. I mean, we. You can't go by the quote, but it is at least helpful to know they weren't blowing. You know, this was a game where they did not need Drake London anymore. So it could have just been, you know, extreme caution to be like, yeah, if you tweak anything, just. Just rest. We don't need you.

[Andy Holloway]

We have Jalen hurts. The concussion, devastating. He tried to go back in the league. The referees, they did not let that happen. And they ended up losing the ball game. Josh Allen, elbow contusion, didn't miss any snaps. You could see him working on the sideline.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. It said he lost feeling in his hand.

[Jason Moore]

Josh Allen shaking his hand out the whole game and he did not look quite the same.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he only had 154 yards and one touchdown. He also, for the first time in six weeks, didn't have a rushing touchdown. He was coming off of 51.9 and 41.3 point performance. And then, you know, this was obviously against New England at home. You expected the fireworks.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he got you.

[Andy Holloway]

Especially when they're down 14. Nothing. You'd think in that case, yeah, that would happen.

[Jason Moore]

Josh Allen got everyone to the playoffs, but you have to have had a roster around him.

[Mike Wright]

I took you into this world, I'll take you out.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. That's basically what he did. So hopefully you have a good enough roster around him or you were playing against Jalen Hertz because, you know, Josh Allen teams were in all the playoffs and that was a brutal game.

[Andy Holloway]

It was. It was. Where did he finish? 15. No, two.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I think he was the quarterback. 24.

[Andy Holloway]

And then George Pickens has a real chance to play on Christmas.

[Mike Wright]

George, some of us need you. George.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah. Yeah. And then Justice Hill, dmp. That was. There was also a estimated do not practice for Zay flowers. But these are not the flowers.

[Mike Wright]

One that would not like.

[Andy Holloway]

They play on Wednesday.

[Mike Wright]

He'll probably play the Justice Hill one. I mean, he was. That dude took flight and landed on his head and he was out cold immediately. And with a Wednesday game, with the limited time, I. No chance.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Which, I mean, glass half full is. That's a lot more Derek Henry snaps.

[Andy Holloway]

That was today's news and notes presented by USAA Insurance. Learn more at USAA.com insurance We'll take a break. We'll hit the studs. This episode is brought to you by Abbott. Let's talk about a small thing that can make a big difference if you have diabetes. The Freestyle Libre 3 Plus sensor. It's amazing how the sensor gives you real time glucose readings so that you can see the impact of every meal and activity to make better choices. The Freestyle Libre 3 sensor can help you live life with diabetes on your terms. This is progress. You can try it for free at FreestyleLibre US. Offer available for people who qualify. Visit MyFreestyle US to see all terms and conditions. Certain exclusions apply for prescription only. Safety info found @freestylelibre us.

[Jason Moore]

This episode is brought to you by NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV buying gifts for the holidays is overwhelming, but even if you have to unwrap another ugly sweater on Christmas morning, you could still get yourself something you know you'll enjoy. Get yourself the gift of NFL Sunday Ticket on YouTube TV. It's only $49 right now and you'll be able to catch the last few weeks of the NFL regular season as your favorite teams race to the playoffs. So forget the candles and socks. Gift yourself NFL Sunday Ticket for the rest of the NFL season for only $49. Sign up [e-mail] fantasy footballers device and content restrictions apply to multi view local and national games on YouTube TV. NFL Sunday Ticket for out of market games excludes digital only games.

[Andy Holloway]

Let's go.

[Jason Moore]

This week's Fantasy Stud Muffins.

[Andy Holloway]

I was just distracted because I was expecting this entire show to be filled with you going champ.

[Jason Moore]

Unfortunately I wish, I wish that could be the case that it's a lot of fun to do. Our champ champ champ team did exit the playoffs we ran in.

[Andy Holloway]

Who would you give the greatest thanks to?

[Mike Wright]

Justin Jefferson.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Jefferson was thank thank you for your best game of the year there Justin Jefferson.

[Andy Holloway]

Sometimes you know you can play great and just face great players. That's what the playoffs is all about. Speaking of great players and really glad this one worked out. Spent most of the week telling you to just ride Jaden Daniels, the number one quarterback of the of the week and it was that tough matchup. People were I mean we got Jaden Daniels or Kyler. We got Jaden Daniels or Baker. We got Jaden Daniels or Goff. Daniels was the number one quarterback. Five touchdowns, fully healthy in this game against philly.

[Jason Moore]

Ran for 81 yards which the whole thing is insane.

[Mike Wright]

They lost their superstar quarterback and Washington had to keep pace with Kenny Pickett. I mean I like I get yes Saquon Barkley was the one doing most of the damage but that like it was a backup quarterback and you had to throw five touch. He had to throw a touchdown at the End of the game. Just so Washington could win.

[Andy Holloway]

Several good reasons for that, beyond Saquon, like five turnovers by your offense and.

[Mike Wright]

But I'm saying the environment, like, generally when I have my quarterback and the other quarterback gets knocked out, you're like, yeah, well, there's. There goes the points.

[Jason Moore]

Thankfully, they were already down a ton.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And then Saquon had that big breakaway run and they kept turning the ball over and giving them short fields.

[Andy Holloway]

Jared Goff got it done again. Bryce Young was the number two on the week.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Andy Holloway]

Because the Cardinals started and Patrick Mahomes and Sam Darnold rounded out the top five. You know, you go into next week and you say, well, we think Hertz will be back. We don't know. You know, you're looking at Sam Darnold and what he's been doing with a healthy Addison and a healthy Jefferson in a big game against Green Bay on the docket. And he's the quarterback. Eight on the year.

[Jason Moore]

Like, Darnold is playing awesome. I mean, like, it's not, it's not just system, you know, I, I think the coaching has been outrageously good. Setting these. The Vikings, who we thought were in a rebuild, you know, they're tied with the Lions.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

They're playing 13 win team and it's, it's incredible. But it isn't all scheme. Darnold, his pocket maneuverability. I've watched these games because I spent weeks trying to target defenses against Arnold, waiting for the pumpkin. And you'd watch these defenders get right up behind them, to the side of him, grab him and not take him down. And then he completes a pass. Obviously having Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and Hawkinson, it's very helpful. But he needs credit, especially from me because he's playing outstanding football.

[Andy Holloway]

Anybody else you want to highlight at the quarterback position? I mean, Burrow got it done. Didn't have a prolific game, but a good game.

[Jason Moore]

I want to highlight the Jared Goff play. The insane Ben Johnson. Like they.

[Mike Wright]

There was a play if Barking dog style play.

[Jason Moore]

Unbelievable. They scripted a fake fumble on their offense where Jared Goff. What happened was there was like a mistake. There was a play that I think it was the packers had where they did fumble and it turned out that it kind of caused the defense to do one thing and then they threw a touchdown on that play. So they emulated it. And in practice, Jared Goff came out and talked about this. This was, this was actually because I saw people right after the play thinking, oh, did they do that on purpose? It was like, no. Yes, they did. Jameer Gibbs falls to the ground. Jared Goff acts like he drops the ball and stumbles and then he turns around and throws the touchdown to Sam Laporta. It was like, when you are. When you are at the stage mentally where you are playing around with plays like that, you are. You're on fire as a. As a play designer.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. There's been a big differential between Ben Johnson's performance this year coming off of his candidacy and what you've gotten in Houston.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Andy Holloway]

Houston. I mean, the play calling there is driving me insane.

[Jason Moore]

Last year, Bobby Slowik and Ben Johnson, those were the two names. It was like, those are the. You know, because C.J. stroud had his breakout campaign. Slowik's play calling is not good. It is. The amount of runs on second and 10 are disgusting.

[Mike Wright]

And I mean, now.

[Andy Holloway]

Lost two thirds of their super wide receiver room.

[Mike Wright]

Now Ben. Ben Johnson will be like, whatever job out there, if he wants that job. Yeah, he will be able to go and take that.

[Jason Moore]

He should be able to do that with a job that's not open, you know, like genuine. Like, he should be like, you know, maybe he likes Kyler.

[Andy Holloway]

Fire that guy.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, you should fire him. I'll take this job.

[Mike Wright]

I'm bringing that up as like the structure of the Detroit Lions, you know, like the archetype of what kind of head coach Dan Campbell is. Dan Campbell's not the X's and O's drawing up creative offensive plays. I'm sure if slash when Ben Johnson leaves, that's going to be a heavily talked about point into the off season.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I push back just a little. Like, I know he is not the one doing it right now, but he was, you know, he was a tight end. He was an offensive guy. He has done some. So I don't think it's the same as the defensive coaches that lose. You know that when their office is good and they keep losing their offensive coordinator to head coaching jobs. Now you're like, reroll, start over.

[Mike Wright]

But that'll be the argument of. Are you concerned about it?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, Yeah, I think. I think it's Chicago time for Ben. Ben Johnson. Jonathan Taylor, number one on the week.

[Mike Wright]

Goodness gracious.

[Andy Holloway]

Just showing you what he's capable of. Ran all the way through the back of the end zone with the football in his hands and was just outrageous. Chuba Hubbard, number two in the week. Devon Achan with the breakaway run. Barkley Cook, all these guys, all five of them, breakaway touchdown runs. Chuba finished off overtime and James Cook keeps getting it done despite rotating on and off the field. 11 touches, 11 runs.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Mike Wright]

It's.

[Jason Moore]

That's two touchdowns. Literally only had 11.

[Andy Holloway]

I think he's at 14 rushing touchdowns.

[Jason Moore]

He was so good on a per touch base. I mean he had 100 yards.

[Andy Holloway]

I think the team's validating this strategy. Yeah, by the result, by the results. I mean, Ty Johnson's making plays, James Cook is making plays, Ray Davis is making plays. There's no evidence that they are making.

[Mike Wright]

A mistake there, but when there is, I'll be here to talk about it.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Jameer Gibbs, 23 for 109 and one also four for 45. Through the air, we knew he was going to be good. Could have been better.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, I feel like silly.

[Andy Holloway]

As that is, it could have been better.

[Jason Moore]

I genuinely feel disappointed in that result. He wasn't a top five back. He was awesome. Scored enough, was great. Not good enough. Like not. We need more.

[Andy Holloway]

Gibbs Bijon and James Conner got it done this week. Jerome Ford was the start of the week and took care of business. Tcb.

[Mike Wright]

Jerome Ford, if you started him and if you watch the game, it was so frustrating of Jerome Ford literally started the game with a 60 plus yard run and then it was like multiple, multiple possessions later that he's even up to three carries.

[Jason Moore]

And they kept giving Deonta Foreman the goal line.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, they gave Foreman the goal line carry. They were like enamored with. We try to get. We got to get DGR throwing the ball like what are you doing? And then every time Jerome Ford touched the ball, it's like four or five yards.

[Jason Moore]

He was so good. He was great when given the opportunity. Given not enough opportunities.

[Andy Holloway]

You know who's been outrageous is a wide receiver by the name of Keenan Allen. Jefferson led the week two touchdowns. Keenan Allen 13 targets for the second straight week. Third top 10 performance in five weeks.

[Mike Wright]

How many of those yards were in the second half?

[Andy Holloway]

Probably all of them. I mean he. Caleb does not come out to play. There's actually twins and one twin plays.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, is this like the prestige?

[Andy Holloway]

One twin plays the first half, the other guy comes out in the second half.

[Jason Moore]

I would just use the second half guy for both halves. That's what I would do.

[Mike Wright]

First guy should learn how to play football.

[Andy Holloway]

He's afraid of the introductions.

[Jason Moore]

That makes. That makes sense. No, Keenan's been good.

[Andy Holloway]

And what's crazy pace is 183 over the last five games.

[Jason Moore]

What's crazy is Keenan at his elderly statesman agen is like he is doing really cool stuff. I mean his hands haven't gotten worse. You have a couple of these plays where I don't even know how he.

[Andy Holloway]

Like cartwheels and just like somersaults.

[Jason Moore]

I remember he was juggling. He was basically on a slant defender blocking his vision of where Caleb was. Caleb throws it right behind him and somehow he reaches his hands out and snags a ball that I don't think he could have seen but a millisecond before it was there. I mean obviously Keenan is, you know, he's an all timer. He's great but he's showing no, you know, no let down on the skills side.

[Andy Holloway]

Brian Thomas Jr. 13 targets, 9 for 132. Another touchdown where he was open by 30 yards from the closest defender. Absolute beast wide receiver 6 on the year.

[Jason Moore]

I thought he helped me Crush you in DraftKings because I had him in my lineup and I didn't realize that that HN run at the very end that took you back. So you actually.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I ended up sneaking by just, just a cool 208 target pace with Mac Jones that the 208.

[Mike Wright]

There will be plenty of time in a whole entire offseason. Which ladies and gentlemen, if you're new to the show, we don't shut the podcast down in the off season. We are year round. We have two once. Once January hits. We're still two episodes. We're still breaking things down.

[Jason Moore]

That's when the fun stuff happens.

[Andy Holloway]

We think Al's still coming in.

[Mike Wright]

Maybe, maybe Papa Josh. Definitely.

[Jason Moore]

I think Al's coming in with a crown on his head.

[Mike Wright]

But the we talk about the truth of what happened the past year and then it looked rookies, tons and tons of great stuff. But the conversations on Brian Thomas are going to be fascinating. Of he is absolutely dominating right now. But 10, 12, 14, 13 targets. This was not the treatment that he was getting from Trevor Lawrence.

[Andy Holloway]

It's a tough discussion because that's also natural for a rookie to progress to that point. So you become a dominator. You know, the OBJ rookie season and the chase and like these guys are going like I, I'm going to be so in on Brian Thomas because I loved him in college. I love the skill set. He, you know, it doesn't mean it's always going to translate. It did translate. They found something here. They found something where other teams, you know, invested in other names and this guy was, was right there.

[Jason Moore]

It has coincided with the injuries to Krisha Kirk, to Evan Ingram, Gabe Davis. There's so much so it's like there's all these reasons that like these numbers for him are inflated. And while that is true, I can't wait for people next year to be not as in as they should be on Brian Thomas because of those ancillary reasons. Because y'all should be soup. He is awesome.

[Andy Holloway]

Jameson Williams, huge day. Five for 143 and one.

[Mike Wright]

Was it like a 90 yard touchdown?

[Andy Holloway]

He was 82 or something like that.

[Jason Moore]

That he had two touchdowns?

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, Jameson Williams. I heard Jameson and I was thinking the name that we have forgotten.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, you thought Crowder.

[Jason Moore]

Crowder.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, my goodness. Who did have two touchdowns and he still plays football. If you want to use an old man voice, Mike, that's your old man. That Jameson Crowder has been in the league since the late 1960s.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he played. He played for the Chicago Cardinals.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

And you know what?

[Andy Holloway]

His.

[Mike Wright]

He's three years younger than Adam Thielen.

[Andy Holloway]

That's not possible.

[Jason Moore]

Wait, is that real?

[Andy Holloway]

His locker is a casket.

[Jason Moore]

He's 31 and a half years old.

[Andy Holloway]

Jameson Crowder cannot be that young. That man is. Who was the guy that. That lied on his birth certificate?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, the running back, Cameron.

[Andy Holloway]

Jameson Crowder. 600 years old if he's a day. Amazing. Debo Samuel. Thanks, man.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Really appreciate it.

[Jason Moore]

There it is.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. No one played you. Terry McLaurin got it done. Five for 60 and a touchdown. Sunday live. We kind of just said like, you know, can you live with yourself putting that dude on your bench?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. So I'm so thankful he continued to do what he's done this year in such a difficult matchup because people had to play him and he came through.

[Andy Holloway]

It was good to see JSN now the wide receiver. Seven keeps getting it done, scored again.

[Jason Moore]

They use him in every way and I love that. There's no part of the field like he gets deep shots, but he gets screens behind the line of scrimmage and jet sweeps and middle of the. You know, they're just getting the ball to him wherever they can.

[Mike Wright]

If you spent the Rookie 101 on Marvin Harrison Jr. JSN is. You just. Just hold on to that hope. Because JSN's rookie season was a disaster. And the beginning of this year was not much better. So it have some hope. It's like, look at this.

[Jason Moore]

Look at.

[Mike Wright]

Look at the career path of that wide receiver who was like. It was the regrets of people who took JSN over Jameer Gibbs had to be just an uncountable number.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

But we're back.

[Andy Holloway]

And he's elite now tight ends on the week. Number one, 15.4 points. Brock Bowers.

[Jason Moore]

No surprise he had Aiden O'Connell there. And he is the best.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. 13 targets, 11 for 99. Just always, always open.

[Jason Moore]

And then number.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, let's go.

[Andy Holloway]

Important, dude. It became a thing that I didn't even really want it to be that prolific.

[Jason Moore]

What a call. What a call.

[Andy Holloway]

Number two on the week, Chig. A conquo tied with George kittle for number two in the week. Nine for 81, 11 targets, a two point conversion.

[Jason Moore]

And I think you had two leagues where you got to the championship.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

And in both of those leagues you put Chig in. Right. And in both of those leagues, if you had not moved to him, the.

[Andy Holloway]

One I would have been knocked out.

[Jason Moore]

The one championship I'm in, Chig was in the lineup. Thank you. I had Strange in made the pivot.

[Andy Holloway]

You know what, that's awesome that you made the swap. Who is your other option?

[Jason Moore]

Britain Strange.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Okonkwo. And you know what the thing here is, I think we get another week.

[Jason Moore]

I agree.

[Andy Holloway]

I think against Jacksonville next week. Who. Guess who Brock Bowers just played and had 11 for 99. And the flats are open all day long. I think chick gets one more week of this 100%.

[Jason Moore]

I mean he. The like pecking order of targets. He was very, very involved. He had four catches in the, you know, early on and it was. It never stopped. Eleven targets this week. Ten the week before.

[Mike Wright]

And this is the. Loving it. But why, what are you. Why now? Tennessee like we, we were. We were banging the drum for this guy last year of like, this is a player who should be a featured part of your offense. He's got the. He's got the skills, the ability for a. For a tight end in the NFL, especially for fantasy football athleticism is like, it's.

[Jason Moore]

It.

[Mike Wright]

It's super overrated for almost every other position but the tight end position. It matters so, so much. And this guy's been on the team all year.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I mean it's a little bit like what happened with Najoku at times where he would disappear. Let me tell you something. Every game that Mason Rudolph has started, he's had 20 plus completions. Do you know the last time that will Levis had 20 plus completions? It was week three. You know how many times he did it all year? One time he hasn't done. He hasn't done it. He's under 20 every game he completes eight passes. How can Chig do anything with that.

[Mike Wright]

Will Levis is a bye bye.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, he sucks.

[Jason Moore]

Oh yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Bye bye.

[Jason Moore]

I mean he's the one quarterback Banana rama.

[Andy Holloway]

He's the only guy I would prefer Kyler to. All right. That's not true. But yes. Okonko. I think it goes on for another week. But not if Rudolph isn't the starter which we he will be. Rudolph. He expects him to be. It's Jacksonville. So let's go. Sam Laporta got it. Done. Got the touchdown. That's what the bet would be. Hunter Henry scored. Mark Andrews scored. Isaiah likely scored. David Najoku was good. Heavily targeted DTR does that Miami next week Najoku will be okay.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it was good. Good to see he was a real question mark. And the only other stud who leads us into the duds perfectly it would just be the Raiders for winning out of the number one pick. Good job, guys. Just like we called on the show. We're like who's. Who's the worst coach? That's. That's who's going to win this.

[Andy Holloway]

It might be the worst owner because did you see the news report about like Mark Davis was like celebrating with the team like crazy in the locker room.

[Jason Moore]

Yep. The big win. Congrats.

[Mike Wright]

It's such an impossible situation.

[Jason Moore]

No, it is probably great though because you lose though if history is, you know, if recent history is good. You want that number two pick. You want that Jaden Daniels, that C.J. stroud.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, we'll talk duds in a second. Take a quick break.

[Jason Moore]

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[Andy Holloway]

I gotta ask Al Borland real quick. You know, after that performance, how afraid of Chigaconko are you now? I mean, they took a deep. They were going to take a deep shot to him. I don't know if you saw this in the game. Rudolph's arm got hit. I mean, it was probably going to be like a 200 yard touchdown.

[Jason Moore]

I'll trade you Trey McBride for him.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. All right, that works, we'll get to.

[Mike Wright]

Talk about Trey McBride.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah, let me hit this button.

[Jason Moore]

Pooped in his big boy pants.

[Andy Holloway]

You know what?

[Jason Moore]

No, that's not fair to him.

[Mike Wright]

We're not there yet.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no, no, we are. We'll start with tight ends Trey McBride, 3 for 20 in a game against Carolina where the Cardinals needed to win to stay in the playoffs. Why use this guy, guys?

[Jason Moore]

All he did was run wide open all game long. I mean, Mike and I and our. I mean, he's the. He is basically the reason that we lost in the championship champ league. And we're watching the entire game. He is in front of Kyler's face, wide open, and Kyler launches it to some uncatchable area to someone else. All game long. The overtime, it was so infuriating. He walked off. Looks at the camera Says some expletives. He was very unhappy.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, I didn't see that. Yeah, Yeah. I would be mad if I was used for 20 yards in a must win game with overtime. You got five quarters. T.J. hawkinson, two for 27. Kelsey five for 30.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I guess we made the wrong decision to start McBride over Kelsey.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah, they both were awful and a lot of people felt backed into them.

[Jason Moore]

Shout out to Kyle Pitts, who had the best play, the most awesome Kyle Pitts play.

[Andy Holloway]

Kyle, are you on the line? Yes, I'm here. You big Kyle Pitts fan right now. I hate Kyle Pitts. He's one of my least favorite people.

[Jason Moore]

Would you. You're saying you'd rather have like Jamar Chase who was drafted right after him. But if you didn't see the play, Michael Penix coming in first, first game looked pretty darn good, I thought. He's driving down, gets in the red zone, gives a nice pass to Kyle Pitts, hits Kyle Pitts right in the hands around the, I don't know, three, four yard line, something like that. Kyle Pitts turns and throws the ball to the, to the opponents. It was so silly looking and it was an interception.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, yeah, it was. It was bad. If you look back now at the quarterback disappointments. We already talked about them. Jalen Hurts, the injury, Josh Allen, the disappointing game, they still, you know, they still pulled it out to a tongue of Iloa.

[Jason Moore]

Wait, does that mean. Sorry, going back to the. Jamar Chase being drafted, does that mean Penne Sewell was also drafted after Kyle Pitts? Yeah, because that was the decision the Bengals were making.

[Andy Holloway]

No, but they went with Pitts. Oh, man. Matthew Staffordua, disappointing games. Joe Mixon, the Thursday game, 14 for 57.

[Jason Moore]

We knew that was going to be tough.

[Andy Holloway]

It was okay. I mean, it really wasn't that. It was as much as you'd expect against Kansas City on the road on a Thursday after an injury.

[Jason Moore]

And he didn't destroy you the way that some guys can just, you know, make it to where you have to overcome them. You didn't. I don't think you felt like you had to overcome Joe Mixon. You were just disappointed.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Isaiah Pacheco, it has not been a special return. 3.7 per touch. You wonder if he came back too soon.

[Jason Moore]

Well, and also you got Hunt, who is very involved. Kareem Hunt. It looked like 16 fantasy points. It looked like the, you know, the first game it was like Hunt was still getting more of the work. But then Pacheco the second game, Pacheco took over the lead role and then you thought it would even escalate from there and instead it went the other way. I mean you're talking about 13 carries and 11 carries the last two weeks for Kareem Hunt. So, you know, part of the reason I love Pacheco coming into the year was he was the only guy. He was going to be a workhorse back. That's not. I don't even think through the playoffs like they're going to use cream. Hunt and Pacheco together, not good for fantasy.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Tony Pollard 8 for 35 on the ground. Pollard was playing hurt. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

The injury was.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know why they keep trying to make him Play. Brian Robinson, two fumbles, 10 for 24. A disaster.

[Mike Wright]

Absolute disaster.

[Jason Moore]

He is the guy that I think people you had to overcome because I've seen a lot of teams hopefully you didn't play. I have a. I have my, you know, in the expert league where I was the number one seed, I had Brian Robinson who I had to play because I lost Camara and could not overcome him.

[Andy Holloway]

You didn't like the having the 72nd ranked running back on the week?

[Jason Moore]

No, I did not.

[Andy Holloway]

No. That matchup already sucked and then he's like here's -4 on these fumbles and.

[Jason Moore]

Then basically got benched rightly so for a long time and got very few opportunities.

[Andy Holloway]

Dowdle was 13 for 23 on the ground. He couldn't get it going. Philly's a brutal matchup. Philly is the team that just played Brian Robinson where he was 10 for 24. So Dowdle is not. Dowdle has been very good in his opportunities but the matchups, he's not a.

[Mike Wright]

We talked about at the top. He's not a must start. He's going to be a very difficult.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean his three big games in a row were Giants, Bengals, Panthers, three of the worst defenses in football. So Philly's going to be try to find somebody else. In my opinion. DeAndre Swift was bad ETN. This is a lost season for Travis ETN. Maybe the biggest bust in fantasy football.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

A season where you're going to finish. Maybe, maybe if you're lucky in the top 36. Probably not for a guy that was drafted so high. How many top 20 finishes guys on the year?

[Mike Wright]

I don't know. How many?

[Andy Holloway]

Zero.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Andy Holloway]

Zero on the year. And these are the players. When you say big bust to me. Well, sometimes you say other things but it's players that you would lock into Your lineup for a while waiting for it to finally happen. And it never happens. And then he got hurt. This was a huge bust. Najee Patrick Taylor. Patrick Taylor did nothing.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, Patrick Taylor did absolutely nothing. Process was right. He was the like only running back utilized. He got five targets and he was just not. He's just not a good enough running back. When you are that low on the depth chart, there's a reason you're just not good enough to actually have that role. Debo was really the running back you wanted in this game. But I don't think you can use Patrick Taylor going forward. And I don't know if the Niners will try to get, you know, do they look towards Keyshawn Vaughn or do they look towards Izzy after seeing that Patrick Taylor just kind of didn't have the.

[Mike Wright]

The stuff or what was grando status?

[Andy Holloway]

We'll see if he's back. Yeah. So I'll be curious if this continues for Cooper Cup. Three catches for 24 yards a week after zero catches.

[Jason Moore]

And I was not worried at all about Cooper Cup. One bad game is like, so what?

[Andy Holloway]

Who cares if this continues. The off season narrative around cup is going to be insane.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. Thankfully Arizona Cardinals this week. Now that's not really a great matchup for wide receivers, but they do suck.

[Andy Holloway]

And that's really the headline of today. Khalil Shakir, just two catches. Mari Cooper, invisible. Keon Coleman, nothing. Judy. Oh man. It didn't work with dtr.

[Jason Moore]

You got humped. I mean you. You got. He's out of your lineup. You guys like that one? No, wasn't expecting.

[Andy Holloway]

Unexpected is really the.

[Jason Moore]

That's because you guys didn't. You didn't play him. He was also in that lineup with Brian Robinson.

[Mike Wright]

He has to be.

[Andy Holloway]

So you didn't win.

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Mike Wright]

Like it's so strange because I get it that Jameis Winston is.

[Andy Holloway]

That's a first.

[Mike Wright]

Like James. Yes. He's throwing these back breaking interceptions. I get it. But you can actually win, right?

[Jason Moore]

You can win.

[Mike Wright]

You can win.

[Jason Moore]

DTR put up six points.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, but look, Cleveland's at the fifth pick right now.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean, yes, they don't want to.

[Mike Wright]

Win if that is the goal. But I'm saying like if you're Jerry. Judy, you've been waiting your entire career for this and you. Has it happened? It's happening for what?

[Jason Moore]

You've been waiting for what? 6 for 142 and a touchdown or 6 for 85? 9 for 235 and a touchdown. 5 for 64 and a touchdown. 11 for 108 or were you waiting for 2 for 20?

[Mike Wright]

Like this is. I mean if I'm.

[Andy Holloway]

This is, this is the Jameis experiment. I mean this is the NFL. They've never seen somebody like Jameis before.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I'm.

[Andy Holloway]

James is so good for fantasy and so bad as a quarterback.

[Mike Wright]

If you're Jerry Judy in that locker room knowing that the coaching staff is like taking this opportunity away from you and they're giving you maybe DTR at some point in his career can turn into a starting caliber quarterback. He's. He's nowhere close to that right now. And if you're Jerry Judy, that's got to be just an absolute kick in the pants.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, Winston wasn't even active. Was it a. Was it an actual injury for.

[Jason Moore]

No, no.

[Andy Holloway]

Sore shoulder.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean they might write something sore from throwing picks.

[Andy Holloway]

Harrison, this one sucked. Juwan Jennings.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

I feel like, you know, this is two weeks in a row. I mean this is, this is one of the biggest playoff fantasy end of season busts without question. I mean for the last five games has been a bust and, you know, no secret sauce anymore. This was a game where Brock Purdy could have turned to him more. Just 4 for 51 Detroit next week. I mean, I think recommending him is going to be hard now.

[Jason Moore]

It's going to be hard. The, the difficult thing is how good the matchup is against Detroit with the banged up secondary and is what, like.

[Mike Wright]

What is your, what's your faith in the 49ers who have scored 17 points, 6 points, 38, 10, 10, 17. Like this, very little.

[Andy Holloway]

Without a running game. The office is broken and they're eliminated. Their priorities now are different. They cannot make the playoffs. This is where I. At least on Wednesday this week I really want to focus on some, you know, overt motivation issues for teams. Not every team in the entire league, but like the three or four most impacted teams by playoff scenarios.

[Jason Moore]

That's actually really cool. Mike, what are you doing on Christmas? He's going to be doing. He's going to be going through motivations. I'm open. Gifts.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Maybe Wednesday is the wrong day for them.

[Jason Moore]

You do you. Man.

[Andy Holloway]

Why don't. Because tomorrow is going to be an abridged waiver wire. It's not going to be this big extensive waiver wire. Most of the, you know, the big names, a few of them. We should talk about that tomorrow. We'll be through the week. The Monday night game will be over. Let's. Abridged waiver wire plus big time team motivation, decision making stuff so that you can start thinking about that while you open your gifts. Jason.

[Mike Wright]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

And we got to preview the Wednesday games because there's games. That's crazy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Yeah. Waivers will be, waivers will be quick. We'll get you some big names. Quentin Johnson, Cortland Sutton on Thursday, didn't get it done. And that'll be it. Like I said, tomorrow we'll talk a few waiver names. We'll talk about Christmas football games, two of them. And we'll set the stage for fantasy championship week. Do want to say thank you to everybody supporting the [e-mail] all of you out there who click that follow button, who subscribe over on YouTube who have been with us throughout the year. As Mike said, it's a year round show. This is our tenth season. We started this thing as the first year round fantasy football podcast because we knew that were there were other thirsty people who wanted more fantasy football talk throughout the off season. So, you know, we will, we'll get into it all tomorrow, set the stage for some fun championship weeks. And you know, I'm sure that we'll remind you that the Cardinals suck tomorrow as well. So that is it. You know what? I got one thing as the show concludes, I just wanted to say congratulations. Congrats.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, he beat you to it. Oh, goodbye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter heffballers.