Week 16 Waivers + Playoff Pickups, Monty Fallout - Fantasy Football Podcast for 12/17

Summary

Fantasy Footballers - Week 16 Waivers + Playoff Pickups, Monty Fallout (Released December 17, 2024)

In the Week 16 episode of Fantasy Footballers - Fantasy Football Podcast, hosts Andy Holloway and Jason Moore delve deep into the latest developments impacting fantasy football managers as playoffs loom. This comprehensive discussion covers game recaps, injury updates, strategic waiver wire recommendations, and identifies key "difference makers" that could tilt the balance in the final stretch of the fantasy season.

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1. Week 16 NFL Recap

Andy Holloway opens the episode by highlighting the significance of Week 16 as the semifinal week for most fantasy leagues. The hosts reflect on the recent Monday Night Football (MNF) doubleheader, expressing disappointment over the lackluster performances and predictability of the outcomes.

• Jason Moore notes the unwatchable nature of both games, emphasizing that neither Raider-Falcons nor Bears-Vikings contests were competitive or engaging.
  “It was the most boring, non-competitive… You knew both games were over instantly.” [03:29]

Key player performances included:

• Justin Jefferson: Racked up 73 yards and a touchdown.
• Aaron Jones: Achieved 86 yards and a touchdown.
• DeAndre Swift: Despite missing practice, he secured 20 carries and a touchdown.

Andy adds,
“Aaron Jones did enough for your team. Last night… Justin Jefferson did… it was okay for fantasy.” [04:03]

2. Injury Updates

The discussion shifts to critical injury news affecting fantasy rosters:

• Sincere McCormick suffered a significant injury, leading to his exit from the season.
  “This is one of those things where… in a few years we'll probably be saying, do you remember that guy, Sincere McCormick…” [08:18]

• David Montgomery torn his MCL, ruling him out for the playoffs, which deeply impacts fantasy managers who relied on his consistent performance.
  “David Montgomery is out for the year.” [18:00]

• Derek Carr and Alvin Kamara are also mentioned with concerns about their availability:

  • Derek Carr is expected to miss the remainder of the season with a broken hand.
    “Derek Carr probably not back before the end of the season.” [18:27]
  • Alvin Kamara's groin injury remains uncertain, adding to the anxiety for managers relying on his production.
    “We're in agreement because it's been five weeks.” [21:43]

3. Difference Makers

A pivotal segment identifies players poised to make a significant impact in the fantasy playoffs:

• Jameer Gibbs is highlighted as this season's ultimate difference maker, consistently appearing in playoff teams across multiple leagues.
  “Jameer Gibbs is this year's difference maker.” [15:06]
  “He is the running back you've got to have for the championship run.” [15:30]

Andy and Jason discuss how Gibbs' role as a workhorse back positions him to secure crucial touchdowns in the remaining weeks, despite sharing time with primary backs.

4. Waiver Wire Recommendations

As teams beef up for the playoffs, the hosts provide tailored recommendations for each position:

a. Running Backs

• Jerome Ford: Positioned as a safe RB2 with a strong matchup, Ford has demonstrated versatility both running and receiving.
  “Jerome Ford should be a top 24 running back this week.” [30:20]

• Taj Spears: Emerging as a reliable option, Spears offers explosive potential, especially if injuries persist on his team.
  “If we've got definitive like Pollard goes to IR, I would put Spears above Ford.” [35:22]

• Alexander Madison: With Sincere McCormick out, Madison is expected to receive increased volume, making him a valuable pickup.
  “He is going to get more volume even if he's not the pass-catching guy.” [40:11]

b. Wide Receivers

• Jalen McMillan: Favorited for his consistent involvement and favorable matchup against Tampa, McMillan is recommended over more volatile options.
  “I prefer Jalen McMillan this week than I do the Denver matchup for Huge.” [42:12]

• Rashad Bateman: Seen as a high-upside candidate against a weaker Pittsburgh defense, Bateman is encouraged for managers seeking explosive plays.
  “If you look at this season, he is pretty much… seven touchdowns… he's getting bombarded with passing attempts.” [43:18]

• Malik Washington: With Odell Beckham Jr. released and Jalen Waddle injured, Washington steps into a larger role, offering significant target opportunities.
  “He caught five passes last week… this week he's a near must start.” [46:32]

c. Tight Ends

• Brenton Strange: Despite being targeted frequently, Andy advises against rosterning Strange unless in unique league situations.
  “I don't think that I'm going to sit Otton down for Strange even if I got him on the waivers.” [51:48]

• Stone Smart: As a replacement tight end, Smart has shown potential but remains a risky start in critical playoff matchups.
  “Stone Smart is someone worth paying attention to, but hard to start him in round two of the playoffs.” [53:43]

d. Defenses

• Arizona Cardinals Defense: Despite a subpar week, the Cardinals’ defense remains a viable option due to Bryce Young's propensity for turnovers.
  “The Cardinals defense… better than you think for fantasy purposes.” [54:32]

• Green Bay Packers Defense: Highly recommended for their strong performance and favorable matchup against a struggling offense.
  “If you've got the Packers defense available to be picked up, they absolutely need to be picked up.” [55:15]

e. Streaming Quarterbacks

• Aaron Rodgers vs. Matthew Stafford: Both quarterbacks face high-scoring games, making them optimal streaming options based on defensive vulnerabilities.
  “Matthew Stafford feels very safe for the streaming options this week.” [58:16]

  • Andy leans slightly towards Rodgers for his home advantage,
    “Both could suck and both could be great, but Rogers has got a couple good weeks in a row.” [58:44]

5. Strategies and General Advice

The hosts emphasize the importance of strategic waivers and roster management in the playoff weeks:

• Prioritize Upside and Matchups: Focus on players with favorable matchups and proven upside, such as Jameer Gibbs and Jerome Ford.

• Monitor Injury Reports Closely: Stay updated on player statuses, especially key injuries that can affect lineup decisions and waiver pickups.

• Defensive Matchups Matter: Select defenses based on opponent's offensive strengths and tendencies, leveraging teams like the Packers and Cardinals for optimal points.

• Streaming Flexibility: Utilize high-upside quarterbacks like Rodgers and Stafford to maximize week-to-week performance based on opponent defenses.

6. Closing Remarks

In the concluding segments, Andy and Jason reflect on the intense nature of the waiver wire during the playoff push. They encourage listeners to remain vigilant and proactive in managing their rosters to capitalize on emerging opportunities. Additionally, they announce the availability of branded merchandise, such as custom helmets from shopballers.com, allowing fans to showcase their support.

Jason Moore wraps up the episode with a nod to their engaged community,
“Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on joinfootball.com and follow us on Twitter @HeffBallers.” [61:27]

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Notable Quotes:

• “Jameer Gibbs is this year's difference maker.” – Jason Moore [15:06]

• “If you've got the Packers defense available to be picked up, they absolutely need to be picked up.” – Andy Holloway [55:15]

• “Matthew Stafford feels very safe for the streaming options this week.” – Jason Moore [58:16]

This episode serves as an invaluable resource for fantasy football managers navigating the critical final weeks of the season, offering expert analysis and actionable advice to secure playoff success.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

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[Jason Moore]

The Fantasy Footballer Studio is brought to you by Amazon Prime. Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, welcome in. Here we are, round two, December 17th. The fantasy footballers Podcast semifinal week in the majority of fantasy leagues. But maybe more important than all of that, the Monday Night Football games are over. You don't. Oh my gosh, you don't have to watch them anymore.

[Jason Moore]

You know Mike, who is still sick, he is not recovered yet. TBD on his. We know nothing. He's.

[Andy Holloway]

Mike is not a. He's a man of fewer words than a man.

[Jason Moore]

A few words would be yes. So apparently he is not at the communication stage of health yet. But one thing that he has said many times in the past is that Monday Night Football, these double headers is good for when you have a bad game because then you can switch over to the other one. He couldn't see this coming. He couldn't see both games being so unwatchable.

[Andy Holloway]

I believe he switched over to mash reruns.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean I think that's what he.

[Jason Moore]

With a theme song like that.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, no, I think, I think he was disappointed. I think that would have been a pick me up. Maybe you would have seen him today. But we don't know, we don't know when he'll be back.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, when we talk about those games, let's blitz them. I just hope, I hope that you are in the position where you didn't need to come back to win. You know what I mean? Because if you really needed that comeback, you're like, I need so and so to score a lot.

[Andy Holloway]

It's like, well, sorry, no, it didn't happen. I mean, Jefferson did enough for your team. Aaron Jones did enough for your team. Last night in the 30 to 12 shellacking by the Vikings, you, you know Keenan got it going again.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, a little bit Found the end zone.

[Andy Holloway]

A little bit Keenan.

[Jason Moore]

A Little bit Keenan. DeAndre Swift did his thing where he doesn't practice all week, soups injured and then gets 20 carries.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, kind of got it going at the end.

[Jason Moore]

It was, I mean, in the end. Okay, Keenan, six for 82 and a touchdown. Fine, fine. For fantasy like you said. Aaron Jones 86 yards at a touchdown. Justin Jefferson 73 yards a touchdown. It was, in the end it was okay for fantasy like if you didn't watch. But this was the most boring, non competitive.

[Andy Holloway]

You knew both games were over instantly.

[Jason Moore]

Worthless game.

[Andy Holloway]

That's the biggest part to me is it's like you knew that the Raiders couldn't beat the Falcons even if the Falcons tried to beat themselves.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, and they did.

[Andy Holloway]

That game was Kirk Cousins had 112 yards in the pick and a touchdown.

[Jason Moore]

That game was far worse than the Bears Vikings and the. And please don't hear what I'm not saying. The Bears Vikings game was terrible and.

[Andy Holloway]

How Darnell Mooney do.

[Jason Moore]

Darnell Mooney. Darnell Mooney. He did what they call a Cooper.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, a Reed.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Oh, a cup. A cup or an Amari. Either one. They both goosed this week and so did Darnell Mooney. It was obviously very, very disappointing if you were relying on him.

[Andy Holloway]

They threw on first down one out of 24 times.

[Jason Moore]

I was going to bring that up. Running on first down, first and 10. A, you know, which is a very common play probably about 40% of the time to 50%.

[Andy Holloway]

Nothing wrong with it in moderation.

[Jason Moore]

Nothing wrong with running on 1st and 10. However, less effective than passing on 1st and 10. If I was a coach, I would certainly be passing 70% of the time on first and 10 and probably on, you know, second and 10. They threw the ball one time. One time on first and 10. That's. I've never. Unless it's like a crazy weather game, snowball. I don't think I've ever seen that before.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, it's one of the best ways that I've seen strategically and I've been around the game for a long time. If you run on first down, that is guaranteed to not be a pass.

[Jason Moore]

By Kirk Cousins or an interception by Kirk Cousins.

[Andy Holloway]

Right. He can't do either of those if he doesn't get the opportunity to.

[Jason Moore]

To be fair, the one time they did throw on first and 10 was an interception. It was the only time they're like, lesson learned. Not let Cousins, dude, he is.

[Andy Holloway]

Is he going to start next year?

[Jason Moore]

No, no, no, no, no. Every week you've got to ask the question, is he going to start next week? And right now they're pretty vehement that he is. He is their leader. He is their captain, Kirk. But he's done d u n like he sucks. It's a shame. We've always. This show has always been a huge fan of Captain Kirk. Back when he was the rookie behind RG firing phasers before Baker had lasers. Absolutely. And you know, I was rooting for him. That I've been excited for. The Atlanta Falcons team as a whole, the division is winnable. They added some good defensive pieces and their defense is legit with their weapons on offense with Mooney in London and I'll even throw pits out there. But Bijon and Algier, like, this should be a much better team than it is. But Kirk Cousins is late stage. Peyton Manning. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, he's got $300 million to. To comfort him at night. You know, if you're a Brock Bowers manager going into a semifinal because you survived his 3 for 35 night, you need to get on your knees and pray that it's not Desmond Ritter again. 39 passing attendance for Desmond Ritter ending up in 3 for 35 for your superstar tight end. This was the. It's not that it's much better with Aiden O'Connell either.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, it's much better with Aiden O'Connell.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. This is like a factorial thing. This is like Gardner Minshew was much better than Aiden O'Connell for Brock Bowers, sure.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And then Aiden O'Connell's much better than Desmond Ritter and Desmond Ritter's much barely better than me. You.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, correct. I don't think I could get. I don't think I could get the ball to Brock Bowers. Once. And maybe once. Maybe I could get the ball once. So I'd say Desmond Ridders about two passes better than I am.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. Yeah. And I'm glad we broke that down. And we had an injury to Sincere McCormick that was a monstrous, you know, significant situation for fantasy managers because he left with an injury. It went to Madison. After that, he did nothing with the seven carries he had before the injury. And so, you know, this is one of those things where, like, in a few years we'll probably be saying, like, do you remember that guy, sincere McCormick that was relevant for like a week.

[Jason Moore]

I doubt we'll remember his name.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, probably not. Moving on.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to Difference Makers, presented by Imes Pet Food.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I didn't realize that you had picked out a difference maker as well, Jason.

[Jason Moore]

I'll let you lead.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, no, I. I'll back clean up. No, I mean be bad in second.

[Jason Moore]

Well, no, like, you. You're gonna load the bases because you're talking about a handful.

[Andy Holloway]

No, that's good.

[Jason Moore]

You just.

[Andy Holloway]

You walked right into that. Well done.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I'm gonna walk off, too.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

Another one. I'm on baseball fire, baby.

[Andy Holloway]

It's pretty good. It's pretty good.

[Jason Moore]

I got finger guns.

[Andy Holloway]

I. Yeah, I. I like it. J E T S Jets. Jets. Jets. We talked yesterday about ready to roll incentives for players. We are talking about incentives for teams coming down the stretch. I talked about Houston. They don't have a real shot to change their playoff position. It's what freaks me out about Joe Mixon this week is that, you know, Joe Mixon had another one of those hip drop tackles happen to him.

[Jason Moore]

Where.

[Andy Holloway]

That's where he missed three games earlier in the year. So as far as we know right now, he's going to be active. But if he was banged up and I was Houston, I wouldn't play him. So we talk about team incentives, we talk about player incentives. I'm going to talk about a pride incentive. I'm going to talk about a trend that is happening right now. And this is difference maker. So I thought about this, and to me, it is the Jets. It's. Aaron Rogers has been a top 10 quarterback each of the last two weeks. I was so close to throwing Rogers, Adams, Wilson, and against the Jags last week in our draft Kings lineup. I was a coward. I didn't do it. Fortunately, still am. Not the shame, mercifully, but believe it or not, Garrett Wilson and Devonte Adams right now are top. They are two of the top 12 fantasy wide outs.

[Jason Moore]

It's wild. I Saw that. I saw that yesterday. That right now, both wide receivers for the, for the jets who have really stunk it up. Not one games. Aaron Rodgers has looked, you know, like a bad version of himself and an old version of himself. You're disappointed with the offense as a whole. And then it's like, wait, both these guys are on the season. They are a wide receiver one.

[Andy Holloway]

And Rogers in his last four games, that's a full season pace of 4234. You know, that's a 34 to 4 touchdown interception ratio. That's more vintage Rogers. We don't know how banged up he was. But the matchups, the Rams and then Buffalo, who, yes, they, they win, but they give up 40 a game.

[Jason Moore]

Well, that's because the other team just has to go hard after points. I mean, when you're playing against the Bills right now, you play. You know, it's kind of like years past when you played against the, the Chiefs, you would go for it on 4th when maybe usually you wouldn't. As a team, as a head coach, you're just like, I have to. I know I've got to try to put up 30 or 40 if I want any chance to win. And it's great when you are facing an offense like that.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. And they. But they've been bad. And in terms of giving up total points. And I think that Rogers and Adams are a couple of guys at this stage of their career that, look, you're not playing for a playoff spot, but there's a lot of pride there. There's a lot of pride in what. Showing some signs of what they were capable of on the offensive side. And we're seeing it. And I think they're going to be difference makers down the stretch. Playing the Rams at home, playing the Bills on the road, where the defense has been awful. I just.

[Jason Moore]

Devonte Adams has literally said before, I think it was last year, maybe it was the year before where it's like, I don't want to abuse the quote. It wasn't as egregious as what I'm going to say, but it was basically wins aren't the only thing that matters to me.

[Andy Holloway]

Legacy.

[Jason Moore]

I care about my legacy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, yeah. He cares about being a legend on the field.

[Jason Moore]

He wants to go to the hall of Fame, you know what I mean? And right now he's on the cusp, but I don't think he's a.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, he's in an ideal situation where he literally can focus on himself because there's no playoffs.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly. That's what I'm saying. Like incentive player. Incentive is, hey, Rogers, I want to go crazy, get me more yards to move up the list of all timers and touchdowns and just focus on me. And why not? What else are they playing for if not that? If you look at his yardage recently like this, last week was insane. 198 yards. But the week prior was 109 yards. The game two games before that, 71. Two games before that, 91. Like they are, they are connecting. And you know, that's, that's a long stretch. You take the first two games out. When he got to the jets when he was just getting integrated and we thought it would be quicker because of the history with Rogers. But if you take those two games out, you look at the last six games, he's on pace for 1600 yards.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it's vintage.

[Jason Moore]

120 receptions, 14 touchdowns. So, yeah, he looks like a difference maker down the stretch.

[Andy Holloway]

So that's. I'm sure Al Borland really thrilled to hear that as he has devonte Adams rostered. Made the trade midseason and I applaud it. He. We're a keeper league. We're a, you know, we have players that, you know, even when they're injured, they have value. He managed to turn the Brandon Iuk injury into devonte Adams for the remainder of the season.

[Jason Moore]

It was a great, it was a great move. Good, good job, owl. And owl, I am officially 100%. Like, you know how like in the political season, there's like, you have my endorsement.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, are you doing a formal endorsement?

[Jason Moore]

I am officially formally endorsing Al Borland has my vote for league of record champion this year. I will be rooting for you, young man. Thank you, sir. I accept the nomination.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's wonderful. I'm thankful. I would do the same in your position. Now move on to your difference maker.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. This will matter. The real difference maker. And we have buried the lead until whatever this is 13 minutes into the show.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, this was like, we didn't get to talk about it yesterday.

[Jason Moore]

Jameer Gibbs is this year's difference maker.

[Andy Holloway]

Thank you, Santa.

[Jason Moore]

Jameer Gibbs is in 100% of playoffs. Like, I've gone, you know, I'm in eight leagues.

[Andy Holloway]

Did you go and look?

[Jason Moore]

I went and looked every single league. Jameer Gibbs is in the playoffs.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, that's because he's the running back. Three on the year.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And the thing is, it's like he just happens to be on the teams that made it past the first round. Like Jameer Gibbs is still in the playoffs.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

And so this is the guy who's going to win championships. Jameer Gibbs. We have seen him without Monty in the past and he was a workhorse type of running back. He is the running back three on the season while sharing time with a running back one on the season. The amount of touchdowns, you know, you go, like, I would not doubt if next week, this week, the DraftKings sportsbook line for multi touchdowns for Gibbs is minus 110. Like I feel like that's assumed at this point because David Montgomery's touchdown goes to him. You're going down the stretch in the three week playoff run. And the crazy thing is sometimes you worry, okay, well, maybe Craig Reynolds will be far more involved. You know, it's not just going to all go to Gibbs. And while he won't be 100% of the snaps, I mean we've already had, we've got Dan Campbell coming out saying he's got to be ready. He's our workhorse now. Like they will, they've done this in the past. We've seen it. The coach has come out and said he's got to be ready for the workload. It's going to happen. He's going to be the biggest difference maker the rest of the playoffs.

[Andy Holloway]

You know what's a slight encouragement there too is the fact that There are now three teams in the NFC at 12 and two and there's one, there's one by.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. So this is not going to be a. They've locked it up by week 17 and in the championship they're going to take, you know, an easy approach. You've got Chicago and San Francisco as the final two matchups in most people's leagues. Minnesota in week 18. If you are in one of those dumb leagues that plays championships in week 18, please change that in the off season. But yeah, Chicago and San Francisco both on the road. I expect them to be essentially a top three back both weeks.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, that was Difference makers presented by IAMS Pet Food. When you choose iams, you can see the difference in your pet with your own eyes. Healthy energy in five days, healthy digestion in 10 days and healthy skin and coat in just 25 days. Feed IAMs and see a visible difference.

[Jason Moore]

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

[Andy Holloway]

Clearly, Mike has not discovered the iams for people yet because no, he'd be healthy. Not a healthy coat right now.

[Jason Moore]

He needs 25 days.

[Andy Holloway]

David Montgomery is out for the year. That was the news we Missed it broke moments after releasing yesterday's show out for the year.

[Jason Moore]

So it's a torn mcl, meaning he won't be back for the playoffs. If they make the super bowl, he will not be back. The timeline should be fine for week one next year. We'll. We'll learn a lot more in the off season. We'll see his recovery, we'll see him later. But not. Not anymore this season. And it's a.

[Andy Holloway]

It's a devastating blow. I know there are teams with buys like maybe Montgomery didn't get you through last week with that performance, but I know you know Kyle the Borgogan, he's got a team on a buy. He wasn't very happy about this, and it's because Montgomery has been so solid.

[Jason Moore]

He has been unbelievable. Until this last week when he got injured, he had only had one single game outside of the top 24 because he gets a touchdown every week.

[Andy Holloway]

Derek Carr probably not back before the end of the season. We got word that his broken hand, it's a few weeks away. Alvin Camara undergoing more tests on the injured groin.

[Jason Moore]

That's not a great sign. And he's Monday Night Football. So I know in one of the leagues where I had a buy and I'm going into round two as the favorite, Alvin Camara is a big piece that got me there. You figure if you don't have Derek Carr back, that means to me that you don't have Chris Olave back, who is. He was eligible this past week, and they said everything's on the table still. He's. He could return at any time. But, like, if Derek Carr's not back, why would you throw Chris Olave out there?

[Andy Holloway]

You just paid Alvin Camaro. Why would you put him out there?

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

You're waiting for him for the next season.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's what. That's what it feels like.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, and you're going into Lambeau.

[Jason Moore]

If he's an injured groin. Yeah. You want to go into the freezing cold and see how that's going to hold up. I. You almost want to make really scared about Camara this week.

[Andy Holloway]

I have made like, in the one team that I have in the semifinals with him. He's. He's on the bench. I'm not expecting to have him. I'm not expecting to play him. And I'm not sure he's worth the weight in this Green Bay matchup.

[Jason Moore]

I'm sure he's worth the weight if he were to play, but that's the thing, is that you have to have A pivot option. Like, I've got Brian Robinson.

[Andy Holloway]

How do they give him a full allotment of snaps, though?

[Jason Moore]

Well, I don't think they'll give him a full allotment of snaps. That doesn't mean he's not going to catch six or seven passes, though, even in limited work. I expect he would. Usually when you've got a player of his caliber and the workload is limited, it's really snaps that's limited. And it's like, when they're on the field, it's like, okay, Camaro's on the field. Let's. Let's utilize him and go to him. You see, like, the targets per route run. Just. Just go north. Kendra Miller, obviously would be the guy to play, but with, without the other offensive pieces, you don't expect a lot of touchdown opportunities. So I was saying I've got Brian Robinson Jr. Against Philly. Not excited about that matchup at all. No, but I feel like I have to start him Sunday morning because I don't see a world. Like, I feel like I'm doing the.

[Andy Holloway]

Exact same thing with Ramon Dre. I feel like playing Ramon Dre Sunday morning instead of Khmer on Monday.

[Jason Moore]

There is a world where we will know he is out by Sunday. We'll know. Okay. They've decided he's not going to play.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, well, all the practice, I don't.

[Jason Moore]

Think there's any world where we will know definitively. Like, he's practicing in full all week. He's good to go. He's not on the injury. Like, I don't see that as a possibility.

[Andy Holloway]

I really. Yeah. This is the. One of the biggest stories heading into the semifinal week is certainty on Alvin Camara and then, by extension, certainty on Kendrick Miller. As a start, he could get a lot of checkdowns. He can catch the football.

[Jason Moore]

He's. He's a. I mean, I've said this for years. I loved him coming out of college. The issue has been his health, but he's a really good player. Kendra is great. And if Derek Carr were there, if Derek Carr were there and Camaro was out, Kendra would be like a top 10 option for me. But without Derek Carr and Chris Olave.

[Andy Holloway]

You could be in a sincere McCormick situation.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Yeah. Joe Mixon talked about it. The hip drop tackle. D'Amico Ryan says he came out fine. Joe will be fine. It just freaks me out, man, because.

[Jason Moore]

Joe Mixon, that's a fart in the wind, man. Don't worry about D'Amico Ryan saying anything that's irrelevant. Saying he's going to be fine means nothing.

[Andy Holloway]

You're saying that we need to wait and see what the practice reports.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And see what the ankle does. Because he, you know, he was able to go back in the game, but the last time when he got injured, he went back in that game and then missed three weeks.

[Andy Holloway]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

And like you said, they're playing for nothing.

[Andy Holloway]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

So not great. They're going to the playoffs. And if they're going to the playoffs, nothing helps them more than a healthy Joe Mixon. Honestly, if I were the head coach, if he was pretty, okay, I put him. I want him to have fresh legs for the playoffs.

[Andy Holloway]

Houston is sitting at nine and five. There is a chance that they could take the two seed from Buffalo.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, you're bra. There's two. Well, I mean, yeah. Buffalo would have to lose. You ready for this schedule for Buffalo? New England this week and then the jets and then New England.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, so they've got to. Who was, who was the fire that Mike Tyson lost to way back in the day when he was like a bus?

[Andy Holloway]

Douglas.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. Buster Douglas. So they've got to parlay three Buster Douglas's in a row. Not happening.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no. So that's. That's freaky. That, that's, that's a scary one to me. And we'll be monitoring it. Patrick Mahomes might be out in week 16. They still have a two game lead on the one seat, by the way. Houston's the Saturday game this week. We have multiple Saturday games this week.

[Jason Moore]

That's.

[Andy Holloway]

And then there's a Christmas game the next week for championship week. But isn't there, I mean, isn't there matchup this week? Wait, I mean, it's Kansas City.

[Jason Moore]

There's a Christmas game. Is it Christmas on Wednesday this year?

[Andy Holloway]

Mm.

[Jason Moore]

They're doing Wednesday football.

[Andy Holloway]

It's Christmas football.

[Jason Moore]

It's Wednesday football too. It's both Christmas football dot com.

[Andy Holloway]

We own that, right?

[Jason Moore]

I'm checking.

[Andy Holloway]

We do.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Andy Holloway]

We own them all, baby. This is where the money is made. Yeah, we licensed that out.

[Jason Moore]

A lot of people don't realize. Bingo bango, they think that they support us by going to join the Foot, getting all of our premiums, all of our waiver wire tools. We got many helmets [e-mail] shopballers.com the replicas of what's on the set. They think that's how. That's not where we make our money.

[Andy Holloway]

We make our money licensing all of the something football dot com.

[Jason Moore]

Wednesday Football dot com Tuesday night football dot com Christmas football dot com. It's growingindex.

[Andy Holloway]

Millions of dollars.

[Jason Moore]

That's where groinindex dot com it just prints money. Growingindex dot com is just prints back my bank account. Right.

[Andy Holloway]

Goes up.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Geno Smith, hopeful to practice this week. Alex having a good time back there? Jalen Watta will not need surgery on his knee. Nothing major in question for the week.

[Jason Moore]

Matthew Betts, our injury expert says likely a sprained mcl could miss two games.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the truth is there's a lot of stuff we're monitoring this week. And it's Tuesday and it's waiver day and we'll talk about options if you need them. And then we will keep track of stuff and let you know what to do this weekend.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, Jalen Waddle is the type where when we don't have the information right now. I'm fine dropping him. Like if you need to make a waiver wire maneuver.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. If I told you it was healthy right now.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

How confident would you be to put him in your lineup next week?

[Jason Moore]

Mildly.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Barely.

[Jason Moore]

Barely.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. I think that is it by way of news. Is there anything else? Al, you got anything for us?

[Jason Moore]

I think you got it.

[Andy Holloway]

Any other of my players on my roster getting stronger heading into the semifinal.

[Jason Moore]

Or just hopefully not mixing?

[Andy Holloway]

Well, that's not some kind.

[Jason Moore]

Marshawn Lloyd. Bring that name up for the 100th time. This is the new Kendra Miller, talented player who's never played football.

[Andy Holloway]

You're bringing his name up?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, because he is now eligible to come back. He was healthy and came back.

[Andy Holloway]

Just stop.

[Jason Moore]

Then he got appendicitis. Man. It's not his fault.

[Andy Holloway]

It's so dumb.

[Jason Moore]

He had an emergency appendectomy and now he's had a month to recover from.

[Andy Holloway]

So he gets his name mentioned because he got a. He's got his appendix. No appendix.

[Jason Moore]

No. He gets his name.

[Andy Holloway]

We don't know. No appendix dot com. With all the guys without appendix, he.

[Jason Moore]

Gets his name mentioned. Because I think he'll play football this week for like the second time in his life.

[Andy Holloway]

No, he won't.

[Jason Moore]

You don't think he's playing this week?

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, active or not, he's the third, fourth string on this team. I mean, Chris Brooks has looked good.

[Jason Moore]

I mean.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. All right. Yeah. The unplayed Marshawn Lloyd. Take it from Jason. His start of the week. That was today's news. And notes presented by USAA Insurance. Learn more at USAA.com insurance. We'll take a break. We'll talk about waivers, not Neymad.

[Jason Moore]

This episode is brought to you by Peloton. Look, life's got a game plan and it's always changing. One season you're all about them four week strength building classes. The next it's squeezing in a run or hitting the bike after work. Whatever's on deck, Peloton's here to fit into your schedule. From strength, running and cycling and everything in between, Peloton adapts to your goals no matter the season of life. And with Peloton's all access membership, you've got the flexibility to work out wherever you need to. At home, on your bike, your tread, your row, or even on the go with an app at the gym. Whether you're gearing up for a marathon or just trying to keep your energy up for late night game replays, Peloton's got the classes to keep you in the zone. Find your push, find your power with [e-mail] this episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. There's a lot to look forward to this month, and not just because we're getting closer and closer to Super Bowl. I'm talking holiday season. Great music. My family and I, we're going to be starting the hot cocoa and driving around the neighborhoods. There's a lot of great stuff. Whatever traditions and plans you've got for the holiday season, I'm sure it's going to be a fun time. But joy and comfort aren't only reserved for December. You deserve to feel that all year long. And if you'd like some suggestions on how to do that, I'd check out therapy. I have had a therapist for years now, on a weekly basis. It has improved my quality of life. I've encouraged my family to do it. I really encourage everyone to try therapy. If you want to help, get yourself something nice this year, try therapy, especially through BetterHelp. It makes it easy to get started. All you have to do is fill out a brief questionnaire and get matched with a licensed therapist. And if that's not a good fit, you can trade therapists at any time. Find comfort this December with BetterHelp. Visit betterhelp.comfootballers today and get 10% off of your first month. That's BetterHelp Help Footballers.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, here we go.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to the waiver wire. I am. I am still, like this moment, cleaning up hair from that.

[Andy Holloway]

That wig.

[Jason Moore]

That wig. What was that? The troll or.

[Andy Holloway]

We were both trolls.

[Jason Moore]

Gnomes. It was like gnomes. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And that beard was. It just was $2 on Temu.

[Jason Moore]

A magical shedding masterpiece. I still find the hair everywhere. You're not far off on the price. And it actually came in a 10 pack.

[Andy Holloway]

So we have eight more back there. $2 for 10 wigs. I'd like one wig for $10 that doesn't fall apart.

[Jason Moore]

I think what they did on that wig is they took like. They're like just trying to find a way to use leftover product to make stuff. And they're like, if we take this asbestos and don't have it pink, can we turn it into a wig? I mean, stuff was.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, we suffered multiple weeks. All right, running backs. Now, I am on first glance not seeing Lloyd in this list, but I am seeing Jerome Ford at the tippy, top of this list, who has a magnificent matchup, who in my opinion, on film watching him every week has looked like not just a better runner than Nick Chubb, but a pretty good runner receiver all year long.

[Jason Moore]

So Jerome Ford, he had a 62 yard breakaway run this last week and we've seen him win, given the opportunity, be a very solid back. I don't look at Jerome Ford as one of those players that because of the injury, he's going to get so much work that he's a top five guy this week with the matchup, with the over under, with what I expect to happen offensively, you could see, you could see him, I could see him being a top 12 running back, but I don't see a world where he's not top 24. Like to me, he's a safe RB2. He's the top of my waiver wire rankings. I think there are some other guys that might have more upside should the starter be injured, but we know Chubb is out. That's where Jerome Ford needs to be number one to me because it's definitive as of this moment.

[Andy Holloway]

You also need to remember that before Chubb returned, when he was more of the full time back, he was on pace for 72 receptions on the season. I think it's going to be Dorian Thompson Robinson for multiple reasons. I don't think it does the team any good to put Winston out there anymore. I also believe that, you know, if you don't come out and basically say, hey, James is our guy right after the game, more often than not, it's not that guy. So I'm, you know, that can help the running game. I think Dorian Thompson Robinson can help the running.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I think it would be monumentally disastrous For Jerome Ford, if DTR was the quarterback, I don't think it'll help the running game in the slightest.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't think the numbers.

[Jason Moore]

If you're saying. If you're saying help the running game, as in his yards per carry is higher. Sure. If you're talking helps the running game as far as total yards, total offensive output, total touchdown opportunities. No way.

[Andy Holloway]

I disagree. I disagree. I think.

[Jason Moore]

So you think touchdown opportunities are higher with Dorian Thompson Robinson than with James Winston?

[Andy Holloway]

No, I think they're pretty good.

[Jason Moore]

Because you were putting something in your coffee, young man. If you believe that, it's not coffee.

[Andy Holloway]

James Winston was on base for 700 plus attempts. The offensive system and the focus on the running game, which is what made the Browns running backs valuable for years, was predicated on them not throwing the ball 700 times a year. And it's not like Jameis Winston. I mean, what, they scored six points or something last week. I mean, they have not been moving the ball down into scoring range. So to me, it's. I'm indifferent on the total touchdown situation there. And I think they hand the ball off. I think it's a built. It's a game plan built not around Jerry Judy, but built around Jerome Ford. And that's all I'm saying. I'm not saying that the offense will score more points, but I'm saying that he'll get more opportunities than he would have with Winston.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I understand. And I believe that you are correct when it comes to rushing opportunities, I value the passing game work from Ford a little bit more and the scoring opportunities, regardless, either one. That's there. Jerome Ford should be a top 24 running back this week. I just believe that the total reception count and touchdowns would be higher with Winston, who I still think, you know, I'm not bullish, but I would still put it, you know, 55% chance that it's Jameis. I do expect that we'll find out early in the week, though.

[Andy Holloway]

It's been. Yeah, it's unfortunate that we've gone the direction we did with Winston. I mean, they scored seven points against Kansas City, 14 against Pittsburgh the week before.

[Jason Moore]

But those are like. Those are also great defenses that oftentimes shut down teams like Kansas City and Pittsburgh. We worried about those matchups weeks and weeks earlier. This is Cincinnati Bengals. Like, if we get James Winston against Cincinnati now, I don't know the weather yet in Cincinnati this time of year. You got to care about that. But if it's clear. Oh, man. Oh, my baby. I won't I want. I want Cedric Tillman back. We'll talk about him when we get to wide receivers. On all the. All of the pieces in that 48 point over under as of right now, that's.

[Andy Holloway]

You're still very Winston Bullish.

[Jason Moore]

I am still very Winston Bullish. For fantasy football.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm fine with Judy. But beyond that, I mean, we just saw Will Levis get benched against Cincinnati last week and I don't know, he's playing some pretty crappy football as of right now.

[Jason Moore]

Only 2% chance of rain, 6 mile an hour winds which is a. Okay. All right, let's go. Come on.

[Andy Holloway]

Imagine Cincinnati. I mean, we probably have a line already. I'm guessing they are. Where's the game in Cincinnati? Eight and a half point favorites.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, that can't be seven. Told you. I probably would have gone like six and a half. Five and a half.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. So that implied point total, a lot of that's going to Cincinnati.

[Jason Moore]

Cleveland has an implied team total of 20 and a half points right now.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Yeah. Taj Spears.

[Jason Moore]

So that's the next big name.

[Andy Holloway]

He scored twice last week. Tawny Pollard re injured his ankle. We don't have any further reports on Pollard. He's been playing through injury. He's been finding a way to start games even when it didn't seem like he was going to. So that could happen again. I'll DeAndre Swift for the Bears missing practices.

[Jason Moore]

But Spears, if you knew for sure, if we got definitive like Pollard goes to ir, I would put Spears above Ford. I think Spears is a more explosive player, will be very involved in the receiving game. I believe he caught six passes last week.

[Andy Holloway]

They're very similar because they it could be DTR and Mason Rudolph which is the most likely.

[Jason Moore]

But the difference there is that I think Mason Rudolph is actually an upgrade. I think DTR is actually a downgrade. So I'm not worried about who the starting quarterback is for Taj. If it's Will Levis, great. He'll do some crazy stuff. But crazy stuff often makes your offense have to, you know, Jameis. And then if it's Rudolph, they tend to score more points with him.

[Andy Holloway]

Kendra Miller, we talked about him already in the context of Camara. If we get more, you know, it's hard. I would go hard in the paint for all three of those guys if they were somehow out there. Which by the way, they wouldn't be mentioned on this show if they were rostered in 50% or more of leagues. They're not, you know, probably a Little bit higher in playoff situations right now, but you know, Kendrick Miller is still 16% rostered. And I would, I would throw everything at picking up those three players. Put them in the order you think is most suitable for your roster, but bid everything on those three guys.

[Jason Moore]

If they're out there 100%, they need to be rostered. Also, take a look at your opponent. You know, you need to pay attention. They might have lost Camara, they might have lost David Montgomery and really be needing this player. There comes a time, and that time is now where if you've got your backup, you've got your insurance running back, you know, for your star who is currently healthy and you're like, I can't drop my insurance. What happens if for the championship game, you know, my guy gets injured, I need him. But if your opponent needs to play one of these three running backs, and personally I'll put four because I think Alexander Madison, but we could talk about him in a second. But if your opponent needs a starting running back for this week, drop your backups and block them even if you don't need them. It is more valuable for you getting to the championship than your backup right now.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. The value of the backup is diminishing exponentially right now.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. You have one week of insurance. That's it.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. And even if you're not blocking, I would be dropping the backups for these guys who might have prolonged value.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, yeah, that's true. I mean, Ford, Taj Kendray, they are probably more valuable than your backup next week as well.

[Andy Holloway]

What is the. Is Ty Johnson some sort of mirage or is this a new.

[Jason Moore]

I don't, I don't understand. I. I mean, look, Amari Cooper went from 14 targets to zero. Ty Johnson has two weeks in a row where he's been involved in the passing game. Now, you know, two weeks ago it was only two receptions, but he caught a like a 50, no, a 41 yard reception for a touchdown. This last week, still only seven total opportunities. Now he was five for one hundred and fourteen in the passing game. That's great, but I don't think you could bank on that. I wouldn't be even picking up Ty Johnson. He's the third string running back on this team.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know what he is, man. I don't know what he is. Is he a third string running back?

[Jason Moore]

I believe he's a third string running back.

[Andy Holloway]

Number one passing back. I mean it. Yeah, I mean it's probably an anomaly what's happened the last two weeks.

[Jason Moore]

There are Too many pieces in Buffalo that can score the touchdowns. You know, they've kind of started using him a little bit like Khalil Shakir the last. Well, really not even two weeks ago. Just as last week they kind of utilized him in that screen game the same way that they use Khalil Shakir. But the point is they can use Khalil Shakir, they can use other options. Let's talk about the Raiders running back because Sincere McCormick got injured. I don't think we. I've tried to look this morning, Kyle, if you can vet and see if there's any more definitive news on the ankle injury. But if he's out, and I think he will be out, it looked pretty bad. You've got a Mirabdullah and Alexander Madison. I would personally put Alexander Madison ahead. He's going to get more volume even if he's not the pass catching guy. And they play against Jacksonville, so the matchup is okay for a bad offense. I think he would be next up after the. After the three pack of.

[Andy Holloway]

I think Gainwell might be in play as well as an ad. Kenneth Gainwell looked good in the passing game and we really don't know how banged up Saquon is. If you are Philly, you know, you've got to make a decision on what's most important. He's got a lot of tread on the tires this year, Saquon does. And if you don't have him for the playoffs, you're in trouble. So as the practice reports go on, Kenneth Gainwell in our league of record, somebody threw him on the roster Sunday morning. Believe it. Was it you, Jason?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it was. Doesn't matter because Owl kicked me out.

[Andy Holloway]

And Barkley's not talking about his injury, but he missed like the second quarter and he only handled a little bit of work over the second half and he looked bad. Like he looked wrong.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean you look at just, you know, his efficiency on the course of the season, Saquon, and you're like, man, he's just so good every game. And then all of a sudden last game when he got injured, he's sitting there at 3.4 a carry, not getting it done. If you look at, look at his game logs going back 10.4 a carry, 4.9, 5.9, 4.7, 5.6, 9.8, 4.7, 6 point. He's just been unstoppable. And then he was clearly not just shut down by Pittsburgh, he was injured. You know, he was sub for a carry and looked bad on the field.

[Andy Holloway]

Wide receivers that you want to keep your eyes open for to me is Jalen McMillan is the headline.

[Jason Moore]

Really?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, because. Because I don't. Look, we're coming in here every week and we're repeating names that don't matter at the top of the waiver list. So I want. If I'm going into the fantasy playoffs, I think that Jalen McMillan matters. I, you know, we've said Huge for a thousand weeks because guess what? He just keeps getting dropped and picked up and dropped and picked up. I'm not saying if Q is out there, you shouldn't pick him up.

[Jason Moore]

I just think you would pick huge up over McMillan. Right. I mean Huge has been good pretty much most of the season other than his prime time drop epotomist fest.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

You would rather start McMillan.

[Andy Holloway]

No, because I'm living in the vacuum, the single vacuum of a one week situation and I prefer Jalen McMillan this week than I do the Denver matchup for huge where lad McConkey is the target hog and I'm. It's a touchdown prayer for Huge. And I think McMillan. We saw what Godwin did in the offense. He's finally getting the opportunity. Six for 75 and a touchdown. And guess what? We know what QGE is. We don't yet know what Jalen McMillan's potential is.

[Jason Moore]

It is the right approach to take a one week look. And if you say I like McMillan against Dallas, against Dallas more Dallas is. I need to look at the last few weeks.

[Andy Holloway]

Trayvon Diggs is out for the season now. I mean this is, this is a huge opportunity for Tampa. They're going to score a lot of points. Controlled weather environment, not up in Denver figuring it out. A team that's kind of going down that, that's just my.

[Jason Moore]

Is this like another McMillan touchdown guarantees.

[Andy Holloway]

There's barely. He barely has room to score more touchdowns. He's scoring so many.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, you know, if I'm the highest.

[Andy Holloway]

Over under the week by the way. And so I'm McMillan Huge. And then beyond that, you know, so I like.

[Jason Moore]

If we're taking a one week approach. I really like Rashad Bateman. It is again, it's. It's hot and cold. He's not a volume play. But if you look back at this season, I mean he is pretty much, you know, at least every other week gotten it done. He's got seven touchdowns on the course of the season. He is often getting. He's definitely getting bombarded passing attempts almost every week. This upcoming matchup against Pittsburgh with maybe no TJ Watt or a banged up TJ Watt. They're at home. The weather as of right now looks good. I like Bateman. I would. I think I would rather take the shot at Bateman than McMillan, who's really only had two good games in his career. Right.

[Andy Holloway]

That's.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, they've been the last two weeks.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's a rookie, so we'll disagree there. I mean, I feel like the baseline for McMillan is going to be higher. You know, Bateman is definitely a home run threat. He's had zero catches against Philly the week before, but then last week had the two touchdowns, so it's. I'm still McMillan, man.

[Jason Moore]

Sure. You also have the easy move.

[Andy Holloway]

We don't agree a lot today.

[Jason Moore]

I think we agree on Jameer Gibbs. Like, he's going to be really good.

[Andy Holloway]

There you go.

[Jason Moore]

What about the packers wide receivers? You had Dobbs get the dub touchdowns this last week. You're at home against an easy Saints matchup. I feel like you should have some passing touchdowns there.

[Andy Holloway]

Watson over Dobbs.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I would take Watson over Dobbs as well. And Watson might be better than Bateman. I will say McMillan. If you look at the path, he's got a good quarterback, he's got a good matchup. And when you have rookies that start to break out at the end of their rookie season, it can come in stretches. I'm not saying he is Almond Raw, St. Brown or the next coming, but we saw that with rookie season. Almond Raw, where it took a while and then towards the end of the year, it happened week after week after week and you don't have the time. This is the playoffs. You don't have the time to find out. You've got to call your shot. And so you're saying that it's going to be sticky and honestly, we've seen Kate Auton kind of disappear. They need McMillan. I think you've warmed me up to Jalen McMillan being higher up my personal waiver rankings.

[Andy Holloway]

I just want a shot at, you know, the way lad McConkeys, come on in the back part of the season. The fact this is the Baker Mayfield offense, that the running game is banged up and hurt. That's the way I lean now. None of these are. These are not must starts. Nobody in this wide receiver category is a guaranteed must start. Although I do consider Huge McMillan and probably Bateman as flex worthy plays. Another name that you have to bring up is Malik Washington in Miami because Malik Washington, it's a San Francisco matchup, but he already caught Five passes last week. They let go of Odell Beckham and Jalen Waddle is injured. And so you're looking at this situation where, you know, we caught what, three more passes than Tyreek did.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Another rookie who.

[Andy Holloway]

And his snap count will be in the 70s and 80s next week.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he'll get a lot more opportunities this week. I think a near must start. But you don't even know for sure if it's capable when you're making your transaction on the waiver wire. But Cedric Tillman's still available in half the leagues. He's missed three games with a concussion. He was practicing last week, seemed like he was going to play. Was not active. However, if James is only Jameis. Yes, only if it's James. Not for both of us.

[Andy Holloway]

We're in agreement because it's been five weeks.

[Jason Moore]

Just agreeing all over the place.

[Andy Holloway]

Super sympathetical.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. If Jameis is back and Cedric Tillman is active against the Bengals, I mean, he goes from possible flex to me to almost a must start.

[Andy Holloway]

My dart throw. My.

[Jason Moore]

Our dart throw.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, because fireball. No.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, all right. Shut up.

[Andy Holloway]

My dart. My dart throw. My. Don't be surprised if he has a huge week and you didn't see it coming. And he's still on waivers. Next week is Jalen Coker of the Carolina Panthers. That's Coker. Al. Jaylen, as I've always said, as you've always, as you looked up and verified, this is a. This is the deep threat for Carolina. Adam Thielen is going to be your underneath and you're dinking dunk. But you've lost Xavier Leggett and he's not really a deep threat type of guy anyways. And Jalen Coker is. Jalen Coker is a physical force. He played 80 plus percent of snaps. He had 4 for 110 and a touchdown against Dallas. And if you want to take a shot because you are just ravaged by injuries, that'd be your guy.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And I was going to throw out Fireball Jones, AKA Tim Patrick. Well, the last couple weeks, he's not only scored, but he's been involved in the target pecking order. Seven targets, eight targets. Now, the last two weeks, these are shootouts with Green Bay and Buffalo. I do think it comes down a little bit against Chicago. In Chicago, they don't. They probably won't need to throw it as much kind of like what you saw from Sam Darnold last night. But Tim Patrick, you know, I wonder leagues is available, Jason.

[Andy Holloway]

I wonder what the kind of next piece of the Lions offense is going to be without Montgomery. Like, is the is there going to be more involvement from a secondary option or more involvement from Laporta? Like, I think LaPorta could be more of a focal point where, look, you have to understand this team isn't going to just, they're not just going to run Montgomery packages with Gibbs every play. They're going to do what is in their best, you know, advantage when it comes to structuring this offense. We used to know what they do. They go out with their huge giant personnel and run Montgomery. That that's not how they're going to use Gibbs. They may use them sometimes like that, but. But they're going to kind of conform to the personnel that they have. And Laporta is a weapon that's been waiting in the wings. Maybe it's some Tim Patrick, maybe it's Jameson Williams. I think we're going to see some different stuff. Maybe it's more Jared Goff in general.

[Jason Moore]

Because I think it will be more Jared Goff. Jared Goff to me goes the next couple of weeks as more passing touchdowns and rushing touchdowns.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, we'll take a break. We'll jump into tight ends where we agree on everybody. 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 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]

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[Andy Holloway]

All right, we're into the tight ends and we agree on everyone because there is no one. We agree there's not really anybody.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, Brent. Brenton Strange is widely available. He was targeted on 30% of his routes, which makes sense because he had 11 targets with Mac Jones. This is the tight end for the Jacksonville Jaguars in replacement of Evan Ingram. If you're in a full PPR league.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, Every target for the Jacksonville went to Brian Thomas or Brenton Strange last week with Mac Jones. It's a great matchup against Las Vegas. But I have gone through this exercise. I don't have. I don't think that I'm going to sit Otton down for Strange even if I got him on the waivers.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, so that is the level. That is the exact low. Because most people who are in the.

[Andy Holloway]

Playoffs, I don't think I'm going to do that.

[Jason Moore]

They have a good tight end. You didn't just lose Evan Ingram and you're in the second round of the playoffs. Like you have an answer? I think that the people out there that don't are maybe the Nijoku manager, you know how to buy and is still in it, or the. You know, you're dealing with a Kate Auton level replacement. And if you're not going from Kate Auton to Britain Strange, I'm just going to bank.

[Andy Holloway]

I've been through this whole exercise. I knew bringing it up with Submarine. Any attempts of me getting Britain Strange on the waiver wire in our league of RA to fill in for Kate Oden. I've been through the exercise and to me it's the highest over under the week in the Tampa game, who's going to score a touchdown, right? I mean, Britain Strange. If I told you a player got 11 receptions in a game, you'd be like, that's a dominant week. This was not a dominant fantasy week.

[Jason Moore]

It should at least be 100 yards. 11 receptions at 100 yards would be pretty inefficient.

[Andy Holloway]

And it was. Yeah, it was 73 yards he didn't score. The odds of them scoring are low. I'm not saying Britain Strange is going to have a bad week and he's unstartable. I'm just saying I'm going to go with the odds that Baker throws three to four touchdowns and I'm just going to Hope that one of them is to Kate Otten. It's not like they haven't taken shots to him. I'm just going to hope that that's the situation.

[Jason Moore]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

And it sucks.

[Jason Moore]

Outside of that, you got Stone Smart on the way.

[Andy Holloway]

He's the next man up for me.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, because of untapped upside that we don't know about.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. But the problem there is the Denver matchup Divisional Stonesmart is the replacement of Will Disley for the Los Angeles Chargers. He looked. He looked pretty good. He got overthrown on a couple balls that he like. He actually could have had a pretty big game last week. Unfortunately, him and Herbert weren't quite in sync yet. So I think as the season goes along, Stone Smart is someone worth paying attention to. It'd be really hard to start him in round two of the playoffs against Denver, though.

[Andy Holloway]

Smart him. It'd be hard to smart him. Right. Busted. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Sorry, bud.

[Andy Holloway]

You weren't really.

[Jason Moore]

No, I wasn't feeling that one.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I mean, I don't feel any of these tight ends, so I shouldn't have even taken a shot.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Let's go to defenses then.

[Andy Holloway]

What do you like there?

[Jason Moore]

The Arizona Cardinals had a very down week this last week. However, so did Bryce Young. Bryce Young kind of pumped in a little bit and you know, they're, they're pretty available. The Cardinals defense on the course of this season has actually been better than you think for fantasy purposes. And Bryce Young has been known to throw some bad looking balls.

[Andy Holloway]

You know, that's. That's going to be my defense this week in the semifinals. Cardinals are a bit of a Jekyll and Hyde on defense, but I'm going to just hope that even if, you know, if Bryce plays well for three quarters, one bad quarter from Bryce could be enough to support a good performance. My favorite defense of the week is the Packers. It's gotten even better.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, no Camara, no car, no Olave, no buddy.

[Jason Moore]

So they're playing against the rat tail in Lambeau. If you've got the packers defense available to be picked up, they absolutely need to be picked up.

[Andy Holloway]

Hopefully he got him last week like Al Borland did.

[Jason Moore]

If for some reason, man, I love his team.

[Andy Holloway]

Al's team is so good.

[Jason Moore]

It really is.

[Andy Holloway]

It's like do no wrong.

[Jason Moore]

That's my guy. Yeah, that's. That's the man of the people over there. Everyone's rooting for you, Al.

[Andy Holloway]

You endorsed him.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And so when the rally happens, you go up there and you give A speech and stuff?

[Jason Moore]

Absolutely. Am I allowed some speech time? Of course. Oh, thanks, buddy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I mean, who wouldn't root for a guy that's never won one?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, that is part of it. Like I'm definitely rooting for him to get his first rather than you to get your second in a row. If Will Levis is announced a starter.

[Andy Holloway]

Sometimes it's a compliment, sometimes it's a backhanded compliment.

[Jason Moore]

Obviously the Colts can be all teams can be played against Will Levis. That worked really well for me this last week, throwing the Bengals awful defense against Will Levis and they should have had two pick sixes.

[Andy Holloway]

It'll be Mason.

[Jason Moore]

I think it will be Mason Rudolph as well.

[Andy Holloway]

And then the Raiders against Jacksonville and Jacksonville against the Raiders. Both directions kind of work. Although I wouldn't do it with the Raiders because I play Jacksonville defense if I'm desperate, but I wouldn't do the Raiders defense against the. Have you, did you watch the Mac Jones highlights? Did you watch the Max Mac Jones? Are there the bravado?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yes. The like post, good play, body language type of stuff.

[Andy Holloway]

I believe that Mac Jones is doing the one thing that you should be doing in your situation if you're a backup quarter. By the way, he was when you say, are there any highlights? He was a top 10 quarterback last week. He attempted 46 passes and he supplant. He supplied not Britain strange with 11 catches, but Brian Thomas with all those catches.

[Jason Moore]

I would say Brian Thomas supplied Mac Jones.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, Mac Jones threw for 300 yards. Mac Jones did what you're supposed to do when you get a chance. Don't come in and be a Desmond Ritter dink dunk fest. Just chuck it. Winston's done this for years. Flacco's done it. Come in and show another team like Mac Jones is playing for a job. Show another team that you could maybe be a starter someday.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I could.

[Andy Holloway]

It's not impossible.

[Jason Moore]

If Mac Jones goes the rest of the season with some good performances, I can easily see him getting one of these starting jobs for a team that drafts a quarterback. You know that type of situation where you, you're like come in and play and it'll probably end up going more the Drew Lock route. But yep, that's what he's got something to play for. There's actually a handful of really good pickups. The Atlanta Falcons, they've got 13 sacks over the last three games they play the Giants and their 10th string quarterback, I believe, is it going to be Tim Boyle? I don't know.

[Andy Holloway]

You never know. They pick them out of a hat right before the game.

[Jason Moore]

And the Rams defense, sometimes they're really hot. And the jets, while their offense has been going, they've actually given up a lot of fantasy points. So they're not the worst option either.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, that's going to dovetail poorly into this next segment.

[Jason Moore]

Full stream ahead.

[Andy Holloway]

Because my streaming quarterback is Aaron Rodgers against the Rams. Following up on difference makers, the rams defense is 28th against quarterbacks over the last six weeks, 31st against whiteouts. There's a lot of risk there for me. I think there will be a lot of points scored in that game. So I think Aaron Rodgers is actually a streamable option.

[Jason Moore]

How interesting. My streamer is Matthew Stafford on the other side because of pretty much everything you're saying. I think there's going to be a lot of points scored in that game. So maybe don't play the Rams defense. These, these two teams have been in some shootouts recently. Both these quarterbacks have put up a lot of yards recently. And if you look at the jets defense, the jets pass defense ranks 30th versus quarterbacks over the last eight weeks. It's not just the high end guys, it's literally everybody. Russell Wilson was the quarterback 5. Anthony Richardson was the quarterback 5. Tua was the quarterback 4. Mac Jones last week, quarterback 8. Everything we're talking about. Matthew Stafford feels very safe for the streaming options this week. Sometimes these, would you rather start between those two? Stafford and Rodgers are both there. Rogers just because he's at home or.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I just, I mean, both, both are fine. Both are in the exact same category. Both could suck and both could be great, but Rogers has got a couple good weeks in a row and, you know, it's, it's tight, it's close. Flip a coin, don't play either. I mean, we're, we're not in a position here. By the way, these, this waiver show feels weird to me in some regards. I know we got to do it and there might be a nugget here or there. Most people, most people have got players to play this week. I mean, that's why you're here. I mean, David Montgomery goes out, you probably got a guy on your bench that's better than most of the guys you're picking up. Maybe you end up able to grab a Spears or grab a Ford and that would be awesome. Ford would be outstanding. But if not, you know, this is, maybe you're doing, maybe you're playing defense more than you're playing offense in some of these leagues.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean, obviously, if you're playing defense, it's because someone else needs to be able to play offense. But to reiterate what you're saying, if Jameer gives us on the waiver wire.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Pick him up.

[Jason Moore]

Full swag.

[Andy Holloway]

Falcon, will you bring those in here real quick because we're going to close the show out. I forgot we had to show these up, but we do have some sweet swag. If you notice, there's a new custom helmet on the center of our table, and the folks at Green Gridiron hooked us up with that. We have many helmets for the first time. These have been requested for years. So if you want mini helmets, Jason's got the white one, I got the black one. They're all on shop ballers.com and we'd love to get them out to you so you can display them. They'd go nice. Right next to, like, a championship trophy.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

You know what I mean?

[Jason Moore]

Right under, like a championship ring.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Put the display, stack the cases.

[Andy Holloway]

It's not a bad idea. Thanks for joining us. Back tomorrow with the two of us. And maybe Mike.

[Jason Moore]

Or a bear.

[Andy Holloway]

Or a bear. We'll find out. Catch you then.

[Jason Moore]

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 Heff Ballers.