
It was another high scoring weekend in the NFL and for fantasy football! Andy, Jason, and Mike recap Week 2 injuries, studs, and duds. What can we expect in Week 3 and on from Pat Mahomes, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and others? Plus, find out which players we cons
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Mike Wright
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Jason Moore
Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, coming to you from Draft.com Studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.
Andy Holloway
What's going on? It's Monday. It's September 17th. This is the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Andy, Mike and Jason reflecting on the majority of week two here today. So much going on. We got the rewind, studs duds, rising stars, reactions, Sweet fancy Mahomes. Good mercy, gracious.
Jason Moore
I knew I should have made.
Andy Holloway
I was wrong. I was wrong. I mean, mind you, greatest two games in NFL history, but I was wrong. Yeah, I. I laughed, though, because I had to make this. Look, if you listen to me about pumping the brakes, I meant cut the brakes.
Mike Wright
Yeah. You got to let that.
Andy Holloway
You got to let it go. And I started. I have two leagues, and thankfully I'm probably going to win both of them, but I started two quarterbacks over Pat Mahomes, so he's sitting on the bench of two of my leagues, Big Ben and Cam Newton.
Mike Wright
Well, you're just getting ready in case.
Andy Holloway
Who I think are the number two and three quarterbacks of the week. But sweet fancy Mahomes.
Mike Wright
Yes.
Andy Holloway
What is going on, guys? How much can you react to this, these two games in terms of, like a dynasty league, Right? Like, how high would you rank Pat Mahomes in a dynasty league? All of a sudden, that's.
Jason Moore
That's a legit question. Because if, if I think of the list of people I would for sure want ahead of Pat Mahomes, it's would you want Carson?
Andy Holloway
Do you want Carson Wentz ahead of Pat Mahomes?
Jason Moore
That's what I mean, if you're saying for sure. No, not, Not. Not necessarily for sure. We haven't seen him come back from this injury. So, I mean, probably. I would probably still put Carson Wentz ahead, but it's close. And my true belief. I said this in preseason. I said this after week one, you know, disagreeing a little bit with your pumpkin.
Andy Holloway
Oh, yeah.
Jason Moore
I believe that pat Mahomes is 100% legit. Now. He's not, you know, throw five touchdowns a game, you know, change the NFL history books great, but he is fully legit. You can count on him. You can start him. I mean, at this point, this isn't wild and breaking news, but you know, as opposed to, say, Ryan Fitzpatrick, who's on fire like 78%. Dude, I love this guy.
Mike Wright
He is big fan.
Jason Moore
Andy, have you seen the picture of him at the press conference?
Mike Wright
The whole world has seen the picture.
Andy Holloway
Talking about Conor McGregor and then have.
Mike Wright
You seen the video where D. Jacks comes in? And so I don't know what, what is true about the story or not, but Fitzpatrick alleges that he borrowed some things from desean Jackson specifically for the presser.
Andy Holloway
When all of your wide receivers are happy, it's a good time. And Miami, I'm sorry, Florida is undefeated.
Mike Wright
It's going well.
Andy Holloway
Dolphins going well for football. And the Bucks are having an incredible start to the season. We'll get into all of it. Follow us on twitter@the ff ballers on YouTube. YouTube.com the fantasy footballers. Click that bell and you'll be notified of Sunday Live with Mike the Fantasy Hitman. He went live this past week.
Mike Wright
It was delightful.
Andy Holloway
You were so live. Very live. L I V E We're going to talk about the Josh Gordon situation as well. Jason, I do want to check in with you now. It's very well known that you have a super team, dominant powerhouse, our league of record.
Mike Wright
And on this show we talk about the importance of the draft and the draft season. Yes, it is where you set the foundation. This is where you get ready to have a fantastic year.
Andy Holloway
Ultimate draft kit.
Mike Wright
But we always say you can't win at the draft.
Andy Holloway
Right.
Mike Wright
You can certainly lose at the draft, but you can't win at the draft. Meanwhile, Jason Moore.
Andy Holloway
Focus on the not winning.
Mike Wright
No, no. Meanwhile, Jason Moore, who, who of the three of us says that phrase, the most declared. He declared victory of our league after the draft on Twitter.
Andy Holloway
On this show, the words undefeated did come out of his mouth.
Mike Wright
Yes.
Jason Moore
Is there a question here?
Mike Wright
We're just checking in. How's it going?
Jason Moore
It's going.
Andy Holloway
How's week two?
Jason Moore
Week two is off to a look. It's not over, but I give myself a solid 5% chance at victory.
Andy Holloway
For those that want to follow along at home with Monday Night Football, Jason needs Russell Wilson and Trey Burton to outscore Alan Robinson by 32 points.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I mean, it can happen. I need Alan Robinson. If Alan Robinson just goes out and, you know, has a complete stinker and a goose, then I think I'll get there. But it's probably not going to happen. Might start. Oh, and two. And let me just say this book don't care. My team is too good to lose. And we have people every single year start out. Oh, and two. Oh, and three. Oh, and four. Oh, and four, five. And then they. And then they hit hot and they run and they get hit hot. They hit. They hit hot. They listen. They make the right start, sits, and they win the championship. This happens every single year.
Mike Wright
I am hot.
Jason Moore
You cannot. Here's what you can't do. You can't tilt off of a couple losses. And it's so easy to do. You cannot lose. And then all of a sudden think, I've got to blow things up. My team's not winning. I've got to make wholesale changes now. You've got to analyze your team. And maybe your situation does require that, but.
Andy Holloway
Well, we're here to help. We're here to help. Well, it might.
Mike Wright
I love the.
Andy Holloway
We'll talk about.
Jason Moore
I will say this.
Andy Holloway
We'll talk about David Johnson.
Jason Moore
Yeah, David Johnson. Dalvin Cook, that you.
Mike Wright
You are so committed to the show and the fan base that you have decided to put yourself out there. You are the Rock.
Jason Moore
You're darn right.
Mike Wright
You're showing people what it's like to just lose and lose and lose and lo. And lose and stay positive.
Jason Moore
Good for you, Jason.
Andy Holloway
Oh, my goodness.
Jason Moore
Weekly rewind.
Andy Holloway
All right.
Mike Wright
We do have undefeated in that league.
Andy Holloway
I am. I'm as well, undefeated in our dynasty.
Jason Moore
League, where I destroyed you, Mike, by the way.
Andy Holloway
Dynasty league. Brooks. Brooks did not disrupt my perfect season yet. I queued and cold all over him. Yep, that's what I did. All right, big news in the Weekly Rewind. Before we get into our studs and duds, let's start with what broke over the weekend. Josh Gordon went from out with a hamstring injury to out on the street. The Browns released a statement that they will be releasing Gordon today. Since that news, Adam Schefter has reported many times that they're more likely to trade Josh Gordon. We don't want to dwell too long on the rumor mill of Josh Gordon in possible destinations because it's very possible that he has a new home by the time you listen into this podcast.
Mike Wright
Or is not on a team.
Andy Holloway
Correct. Or just. Yeah, just completely released.
Jason Moore
And if he is released, he becomes a free agent. Free agent does not go through the waiver wire. So he could sign wherever he wants.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. The last we heard, eight to ten teams may be in on picking up Gordon. The gist Was that the Browns were concerned with his sobriety, on the verge of relapsing late to meetings, hurt his hamstring in a photo shoot and are just.
Mike Wright
Yeah, the reports are all over the place because I heard that they were concerned about his past demons coming up again. Then you heard that it had nothing to do with that. You heard it.
Andy Holloway
A suspension is not imminent. That's what fantasy owners should know, which is insane.
Mike Wright
It's a. It's a crazy situation.
Jason Moore
I mean, it's Browns because you hold on to a guy forever. A suspension is not imminent. He just scored a touchdown in the rain last week and is dominant and. And you let him go. And here's the thing. If you want to make that decision for your team, I support it. You know, you. You. That's fine.
Mike Wright
Your team.
Jason Moore
But you need to realize he's about to go sign somewhere and dominate.
Andy Holloway
No, he isn't. I don't agree with you. I actually think is a weird role reversal.
Jason Moore
On.
Andy Holloway
He could. But to say he is is ridiculous.
Jason Moore
The reason I say he is is because the Browns cut him.
Andy Holloway
But I'm going to give the Browns some rope here because.
Mike Wright
Because you love the Browns.
Andy Holloway
No, no, I. Guys, I'm going to give him rope because they might get compensation for Josh Gordon and if he really is struggling. First of all, let's put the player first.
Mike Wright
We don't know.
Andy Holloway
Let's put the player first. If I read this morning from a verifiable source that every Brown that was spoken to about this issue is concerned about Josh Gordon, the person. They're not. They're not throwing a fit about the situation. They're not dropping expletives because he's off the team. They're all saying he needs help more than a new team. That's exactly what they're saying. So if the Browns get compensation for Josh Gordon and all these years lost, let's say they get a third, fourth round pick for him. Because who knows if there's eight to 10 teams fighting. We've seen some bad wide receiver cores out there, have we not?
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
So if there's teams fighting for them, the Browns get compensation. And the distraction gone from that team. Antonio Calloway gets a chance to go and blossom. I'm going to give him some rope. And I do not think it's a foregone conclusion that Gordon goes and dominates somewhere. I think he could. But he could also be out of the league in two weeks. This is. I traded amazingly, fortunately, without any knowledge of the situation. I traded Josh Gordon in Dynasty for Doug Baldwin the day before this happened. And part of it is the risk mitigation of Josh Gordon. If you have Josh Gordon, you want to roll that die, go ahead.
Jason Moore
Yeah, there's certainly huge.
Mike Wright
You need to hold him, though. If you're in a season, you don't drop it if you're in redraft. Because that was the actionable. The actionable fantasy football advice is you hold on to Josh Gordon or trade him. You do not cut correct Gordon.
Andy Holloway
So maybe by the time you're listening to this, you're like, oh, yeah, he's on the, you know, he's on the Eagles, the Montana Alouettes, maybe. Joe Mixon will be out a couple of weeks at least with a procedure that he had Saturday to clean up loose particles in the knee. This is why he ran off the field multiple times in the Thursday night game.
Jason Moore
You've heard it said as early as a week, two weeks is the most common. But this is the exact same procedure that Sony Michelle had done early August that obviously kept him out, you know, long. Longer than two weeks, over a month.
Andy Holloway
There were some benefits for fantasy owners in the order of what things happened.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Andy Holloway
For mixing, you got him this past week, which was a fine, you know, double digit game, nothing special. Then he's got, you know, he got to have the procedure before Sunday, which means he gets a little more lead time on that situation. But Gio Bernard is going to be an AD this week. Mark Walton is likely to split time with him. And if you're a mixing owner, you're without him for a little while. Speaking of without him for a little while, Devonta Freeman didn't play. He's expected to miss a couple of weeks as well.
Jason Moore
This, look, this is a little bit concerning in the sense that it's the same issue. He, you know, he's re aggravating an injury from November and so they're hoping the rest kind of heals it. But it's a little worrisome to me for re aggravation, or you should say re. Re aggravation, definitely grabbed heaven. Coleman, he looked fine against a tough matchup this last week. I tried like the dickens to get Coleman, but I instead played against him.
Andy Holloway
Not as good.
Jason Moore
No, not as good. Not as good.
Andy Holloway
Larry Fitzgerald exited with a hamstring injury. The Rams game, that was a game the Cardinals are the worst.
Jason Moore
Deep, deep analysis.
Andy Holloway
The Cardinals are the absolute worst. Yep. To find something positive to say about the Cardinals is the equivalent Patrick Peterson to that scene in Jurassic park where they have to dig through that pile of poop and go elbow deep. Do you remember that scene?
Mike Wright
Yeah, but in that scene, they're looking for the poisonous plants.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
And when you pull your hand out, you have nothing. You found nothing. All you did was put your arm in the poop. That's all that happened. They are the worst. That is all I'm going to say. Speaking of the second worst, the Bills running back LaShawn McCoy suffered a rib injury in the third quarter. Returned for one more carry, didn't return after that. Mike, what's the latest?
Mike Wright
Well, update from this morning. Shady McCoy has fractured ribs. He's saying. He says he's going to play through it. Oh, wait, hold on. I'm getting another update now. He does not have broken ribs. Who knows what's going on with Shady McCoy.
Andy Holloway
Is this 1920s medicine we're dealing with right here?
Jason Moore
This is just Lashman.
Mike Wright
Some leeches on.
Andy Holloway
I mean, this is Lashawn McCoy.
Jason Moore
This is what happens every game. He gets crazy injured. He's done for the season.
Mike Wright
Whoa, wait, he's update.
Jason Moore
He's on the field. I mean, I was telling Mike before the show, I actually believe he broke his ribs, but has Wolverine healing, and that's why he's always legitimately tearing his acl. It just heals and he gets back up on the. On the field. So he's going to play through it. It's not going to matter. He's. Would you break David Boat right now?
Andy Holloway
Would you rather play running back for the Bills or break your ribs?
Jason Moore
Who. Man, if I could just have the broken ribs, I'd skip to there. It's the breaking part. I don't want to deal with it.
Mike Wright
I don't think you want to live with either. I'll play. I'll just play football.
Andy Holloway
All right.
Jason Moore
You're going to get both.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Dalvin Cook sustained a hamstring injury in overtime, was sidelined for the remainder of the game. Jason's shaking his head because his is Dallin Cook and David Johnson and Devonta Freeman.
Jason Moore
Oh, those are my three running backs in our super team. So foot. Glen, I am with you if you dealt with some injuries. We together, you, me, we're going to fight through. We're going to win the.
Andy Holloway
At what point do you have to take the super out of the super team? Like, how many.
Jason Moore
I can do that.
Andy Holloway
Losses.
Jason Moore
I can do it right now.
Andy Holloway
It's just.
Jason Moore
Let's just be a. Let's just. We're a fantasy football team that's going to win the Championship. Despite injuries, Todd Gurley sat out the.
Andy Holloway
Fourth quarter of the Cardinals quote game with cramps. He was giggling on the sideline. Whatever cramps they were, they were ticklish because he was fine.
Jason Moore
I believe they were called shutout. Cramps is the official term.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I had those two. Jay was out for all but two plays in the first half with a back injury. He did return, he did score. And he continues to be Jay Ajahi for your fantasy team, which is always this. Is that right, Brooks?
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Isn't he an adventure every week? Don't you love it? Yeah.
Jason Moore
He ends up being okay.
Andy Holloway
Yep. He does something to just make sure he's just fine. Mike Wallace carted off with an ankle injury. Unlikely that he is going to work through this. This could be a season ender.
Mike Wright
This is. This is not good for the Philadelphia Eagles. You have Alshon Jeffrey. Who knows when he's coming back. Now Mike Wallace is gone.
Andy Holloway
Matt Collins is on ir. When you're back up to the. Yeah, when you're back up to the backup tight end has four catches, which is what happened in Philadelphia. You know, your wide receiver and receiving core is in trouble.
Mike Wright
Yeah. Is it Dallas Goddard time?
Andy Holloway
I don't know.
Mike Wright
Could be.
Andy Holloway
The backup to Dallas Goddard had four catches. So Alshon Jeffrey, though they did report this morning he is going to practice this week.
Jason Moore
So I've assumed from the get go it's going to be a two pack. You're going to get Carson Wentz and Alishon Jeffrey back at the same time.
Mike Wright
He's just waiting. He's looking at Wentz like, I'm not going back out there with Foles. You go play with Foles.
Jason Moore
He stinks.
Andy Holloway
That's pretty funny. Greg Zurline. Mike suffered a groin injury. I don't know why I said Mike because I.
Mike Wright
Because he's on my team and I got a nice goose egg from my kicker.
Andy Holloway
He's probably going to miss at least a week. The Ram signed a new kicker. There you go.
Jason Moore
Should have picked up Zane Gonzalez, Mike.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I'll take the zero.
Andy Holloway
Cowboys have resigned. Bryce Butler. Legarrett Blunt was ejected from the game on Sunday.
Jason Moore
Oh, please be suspended. Please get us suspended.
Andy Holloway
Jason has been unabashedly willing to damage Legarre Blunt's career. You're going for the sake of.
Jason Moore
Anybody watching the games can see who their best running back is. By.
Mike Wright
By Matt Patricia can't see it.
Jason Moore
10 miles. No, they know it. There's no way that you can't hook them up to a lie detector test. To tell me that he doesn't know who his best running back is. But it's a. You gotta, you gotta make the rookies earn it.
Andy Holloway
What does he say again?
Jason Moore
He says, oh, you gotta, you gotta make the rookies earn it and buy Axe.
Andy Holloway
All right, well, let's pause there and thank Pristine Auction. I don't think any map Patricia gear is going on Pristine Auction today. But, but maybe because there's hundreds of daily auctions over there. The absolute best place to find autographs, sports memorabilia to celebrate your week or the future. Look, if you snag some Pat Mahomes gear, you got a bargain because everything's a bargain over there. Keenan Allen signed Jersey JSA witnessed authentic $78.39. Corey Davis signed Jersey $54 this past week. Oh sweet mercy. My fantasy MVP Stefan Diggs $81.90 for a signed Vikings jersey. Beautiful. Amari Cooper he actually had, actually had a game. $71.25. Joe Mixon color rush jersey $56. Check it out. Pristine auction.com can't go wrong. Everyday new auction so always something to browse. Pristineauction.com and hey, definitely want to make.
Jason Moore
Sure you guys know how to watch all of the games the way that all fantasy football players need to. That is thanks to NFL Game Pass who is helping to support this show. There are so many great games going on and so many great ways to watch it. With NFL Game Pass you get every game once it's completed, you can go back and rewatch it. You can watch it in condensed version where you they take out all the in between snaps, all the commercials. You can watch the whole game so quickly. You can do a player search now where you want to go and see Dallas Goddard and how he's looking as the backup and watch all his snapshots. Type his name in there. You want to see him on third downs. Type that in there. It's, it's really unbelievable. It's a tool we use. You can see the coaches film and all sorts of awesome, awesome things. That's, that's what we use every single day. Best of all, kick it off. Kick off your pass with a seven day free trial. Try it out. See if you like it. Sign up now@NFL.com fantasy footballers. That's NFL.com fantasy footballers. Game on.
Andy Holloway
I got a feature suggestion for that.
Jason Moore
My ears are open.
Andy Holloway
They should like if you watch that Cardinal Rams game, are you able to just filter out the cardinal part?
Jason Moore
Like I think they did that. I think they did that in the live Broadcast. I don't remember the Cardinals there. This week's fantasy stud muffins.
Andy Holloway
Oh, let's talk about some good things instead of some bad things. Let's talk about the stud muffins from week two. Fantasy implications of these performances, what you're doing with them, huh? Let's start here. J.J. zachary Sin @ late round quarterback talked about a very interesting stat. Five quarterbacks with 30 plus fantasy points this past week. Right. Pat Mahomes, Big Ben Roethlisberger, Kirk Cam Newton, Kirk Cousins and probably Matt Ryan. I think Matt Ryan's the fifth.
Jason Moore
Blake Bortles.
Andy Holloway
Oh, no, it was, it was actually Blake Bortles.
Jason Moore
He's got a. I mean, Blake the snake.
Andy Holloway
Guys, we. I got a snake man. He's good.
Jason Moore
I agree.
Mike Wright
He's A, that was his best game.
Andy Holloway
But like NFL good.
Mike Wright
Yeah, he might be.
Andy Holloway
Wow.
Mike Wright
All right.
Andy Holloway
B, in fantasy relevant weeks last season, we only saw 17 total 30 plus point quarterback performances. We had five this past week. Fantasy owners love this stuff, right?
Mike Wright
It's the return of the wide receivers is what happened last year was insanity with wide receiver scoring being way down. And it was with the way that the NFL is trending it all, everything pointed to that being an anomalous year for the wide receiver and that things would return. They would. We'd see that positive regression. And so far we are seeing it.
Andy Holloway
We talked about Patrick Mahomes before the season, all the optimism around the weapons. Right. You equip a young quarterback with a rocket arm with Travis Kelsey Tyree, kill Sammy Watkins, Kareem Hunt and company. But we said, hey, that schedule looks a little tough.
Mike Wright
Yeah, right.
Andy Holloway
You're going to go on the road against the Chargers, you're going to go on the road against Pittsburgh. Might be a little rough.
Jason Moore
And then not to mention after the San Francisco game on the road in.
Andy Holloway
Denver and then Jacksonville and Pat Mahomes has said, I don't care. 23 for 28, 326, six touchdowns. And more impressively, more impressive to me than. Well, not more impressive, but as impressive. Zero interceptions through two games for a guy that's been known to quote, you know, trust the arm too much or force the ball downfield. He is disintegrating the NFL.
Mike Wright
He is. Yeah, he, he's looking like Thanos right now.
Andy Holloway
He.
Mike Wright
He's snapping the fingers. And that defense just at this point feel so good.
Andy Holloway
Nobody look, he was either drafted late or signed off of waivers by most people. Is he a must start under all circumstances now?
Mike Wright
Of course, yes, he is.
Jason Moore
I'm not starting him against Jacksonville. That's the one team that, I mean, it's coming up in three.
Andy Holloway
Weren't you starting Brady against Jacksonville?
Jason Moore
No, no.
Mike Wright
I mean, Jason said he would prefer not to.
Jason Moore
I would prefer not to. But, you know, look, the reality is he is a must start or at the very least a must hold. So if I'm going to play someone else in three weeks against Jacksonville, I'm not usually. I have no problem in almost every league dropping whatever quarterback I have and picking up another one. He was like, well, it's Big Ben. You can't drop him. Yeah, I can. Watch me. But I'm not dropping Pat Mahomes at this point. I will play someone else once he's scorched.
Mike Wright
San Francisco and Denver. We'll. We'll check back in with you.
Jason Moore
All right.
Andy Holloway
What's interesting is Big Ben had a similar fantasy performance. I believe in our league of record, he was four points worse, a lot harder. He was actually a little bit better in a standard format than Mahomes by.
Jason Moore
Because of his awesome rushing touchdown.
Andy Holloway
But here's the thing. He had to throw twice as many passes. He had almost twice as many completions.
Mike Wright
For half the touchdowns. What a loser. Big Ben.
Andy Holloway
What a loser. Big Ben. Look, I've disrespected Fitzpatrick. I didn't include him in that 30 point performance. 27 for 33, 402 yards and four against a legitimate defense in Philadelphia. My goodness. Ryan Fitzpatrick. What do you do with him?
Mike Wright
What does Tampa Bay do with him?
Andy Holloway
Oh, you start him.
Jason Moore
Yes. If.
Mike Wright
If the team is three and O, what do you do?
Andy Holloway
It's a Z. Yeah. He's the starter.
Jason Moore
Yeah. If your team is three and oh, undefeated in a. In a schedule that you were, it would feel good to win three.
Mike Wright
Oh, absolutely.
Andy Holloway
If I was the gm, I would feel great. It'd be like cathartic to sit him on the bench and say, you don't own this team.
Jason Moore
And honestly, at home, Conor McGregor owns this team. At home against Pittsburgh next week. I mean, the reason I was so high on Big Ben in this off season, you know, if you listen, you heard, was because I. The Steelers defense is completely beatable right now and we've seen that through the first two weeks that they're going to be in some shootouts and the Steelers offense with Antonio Brown, that offensive line and of course juju are awesome. So now, I mean, it's hard to put your trust in Ryan Fitzpatrick, but he should have an okay game next week.
Andy Holloway
He's startable. 100%. Now, Mike, what decision are you making with Fitzpatrick in Dynasty? So I have Kirk Cousins, right?
Mike Wright
Kirk Cousins and Jameis Winston are my primary two quarterbacks. So before the season started, I had a. Basically a burner spot, and it was. I'm not going to find myself in a quarterback problem. I'm just going to put Fitzpatrick on there. So if something happens to Cousins in the first three weeks, I have a quarterback I could play. And then Fitzpatrick is the greatest quarterback of all time on your bench.
Andy Holloway
But Cousins has Buffalo next week.
Mike Wright
Yeah, Kirk Cousins was dominant.
Jason Moore
He was great.
Mike Wright
Week one, dominant Week two, and then he gets to play Buffalo. So I'm. I'm not going to play Ryan Fitzpatrick over Cousins.
Andy Holloway
Look, there were a ton of quarterbacks that did what you needed them to do this week. Kirk Cousins, 35 for 48. 425 and 4. Blake Bortles 29 for 45. 377 and 4 with the.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Matt Ryan, a very impressive performance in this one. Cam Newton, Andy Dalton, Matt Stafford, Philip rivers, and then DeSean Watson pulled it together.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Towards the fantasy owners. What stood out from these quarterbacks?
Jason Moore
I was super happy. You know, technically I was sad because I decided to bench him for a while. Matt Ryan, after week one, I had legitimate concerns with. Because it wasn't just that, oh, he was going up against Philadelphia. It was a difficult matchup. He looked bad. He was missing, you know, no accuracy on any of his normal passes. He's just, you know, hitting guys low. And so I was worried. But he went home, took care of business, looked great. I was very, very sad that I benched him for Blake Bortles until Bortles did better.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. Let's talk running backs. Todd Gurley. Yeah, he did a light jog for three touchdowns. You know, it was funny. This week, specifically, the yardage wasn't there for running backs. In fact, I believe Matt Breida was the leader with 11 carries, had 138 yards and a touchdown.
Jason Moore
James Conner was your.
Mike Wright
Pierre Garcon.
Jason Moore
James Conner was your running back. 5. I believe he had 17 rushing yards.
Andy Holloway
Wow. Wow.
Jason Moore
So what?
Andy Holloway
Yeah, that's true. That's disgusting. Yeah. I mean, Todd Gurley, we talked about it. Three touchdowns, but 42 rushing yards. Melvin Gordon dominated 28 rushing yards. Christian McCaffrey had 14 receptions, 37 rushing yards. Saquon Barkley, 14 receptions, 28 rushing yards.
Jason Moore
Chris Thompson, 13 receptions, 92 yards, one rushing yard.
Andy Holloway
I mean, this was a. That all the running backs just played wide out this week. It was funny. My son, he asked me, my seven year old, he asked me to like draw out every position and what everything means in the football game. And so I was telling him what all the whiteouts do in the tight ends. And he's been playing some Madden and like asking those questions, which is really fun. Right. I should have just moved all the running backs to the wide out position this week.
Mike Wright
Pass catching, running backs. It's a big deal.
Andy Holloway
It makes a huge look, game script proof. Right. Like Saquon. They were coming back all game last night. It didn't matter, like 14 receptions.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
He basically caught the ball while Eli was being smashed on everything.
Jason Moore
Oh, my goodness, that offensive line is bad. And then they lost their starting center.
Andy Holloway
Speaking of losing, Cam Robinson, ACL tear.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Starting left tackle for Blake the Snake. That's disconcerting.
Mike Wright
It's a big. It's a problem. It's definitely a problem.
Andy Holloway
Zeke did enough. 17 for 78 and a touchdown. James Conner did enough, got the touchdown. Corey Clementine made the Most of JI running off the field. Scored a touchdown, had 5 for 55 through the air. Blow, plow, blow. Only five carries for 6 yards, but don't care. Did it through the air. I know you don't. I know you don't at all. Blau Powell is like your Browns. It's just whatever little. Whatever little fiber of greatness you can grab, you're going to grab.
Jason Moore
Well, Blau Powell can help you win in fantasy.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I'm taking a W here. How many W's the Browns got?
Jason Moore
Oh, it was great. I'm driving in. Yeah.
Mike Wright
For life.
Jason Moore
I was listening to Dan Patrick on the drive in and a caller called in to say how great it is right now to be a Browns fan. And I get it. Like this is exciting times. You know, it's like their team has been competitive and I'm just so happy for you, Cleveland, but it's like you still haven't won. You haven't won a game. You've won one game in the last six.
Andy Holloway
So what you're saying is the Browns 35 are exactly tied with the Steelers through two weeks. Is that what you're telling me?
Jason Moore
Division worst.
Andy Holloway
Let's go to wide receivers, guys. Stefan Diggs and Adam Thielen proved two can tango. My goodness.
Mike Wright
Well, it takes two to tango. You can't tango without two.
Andy Holloway
Well, they clearly understand that. Nine for 128 and two touchdowns for Diggs. My fantasy MVP, Adam Thielen, 12 for 131 and one and his touchdown.
Mike Wright
Jason's if you haven't seen the Adam Thielen touchdown from Cousins, the window is.
Andy Holloway
That's a flag football court. Quarterback play. I mean, that he chucked that, took a shot to the belly button and that thing fell through like 18 arms into Thielen.
Mike Wright
So I say the window was the size of a football.
Andy Holloway
Yes.
Mike Wright
That's how. That's so narrow.
Andy Holloway
The gap was unbelievable play and goodness. All right, so. Yeah. Wow. You're going to start him.
Mike Wright
Yes.
Andy Holloway
That's the headline there. Not much to say. We talked about AJ Green from the Thursday night game. He was one of the studs this week. Michael Thomas.
Jason Moore
Michael Thomas is unstoppable, 100% unstoppable. The fact that the, you know, passing touchdowns are starting to come from Drew Brees. You saw from Michael Thomas's rookie year that he's. He's great, you know, as a red zone option and they just didn't come last year. But he is. I mean, he is a top five every week. Starter without question.
Andy Holloway
Let's ask some tougher fantasy questions. DeSean Jackson, 4 for 129 and a touchdown. DeShaun Jackson has, what, three touchdowns this season on a handful of receptions. I think he's averaging 35 yards of catch. Do you just start him now?
Mike Wright
Yes, as long as Ryan Fitzpatrick is the quarterback. We saw this back when. When Ryan Fitzpatrick caught. He caught Fitz Magic when he was playing with the jets. And Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker were incredible for fantasy football because Ryan Fitzpatrick loves the wide receivers.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. He does not.
Mike Wright
I have Mike Evans on my Dynasty team. I hope they go forward with Ryan Fitzpatrick because it's great right now for Evans.
Andy Holloway
It's a bit of a Josh McCown situation.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Andy Holloway
What? He's not afraid of anything.
Mike Wright
He has nothing to lose.
Andy Holloway
Exactly. He's a man playing with.
Mike Wright
They're dangerous.
Andy Holloway
No inhibitions.
Jason Moore
Winston goes long. But I mean, we saw last year, inaccurately. How many times did Winston go long? DeSean Jackson had his man beat and he missed him by 2 yards. FitzMagic has that deep ball that can hit a guy in stride and it's.
Andy Holloway
Perfect for DJ when he lets go of the ball. You can't see this because a lot of times the camera follows the ball.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
He will pull out his magic wand and he will cast a Harry Potter spell.
Jason Moore
Did you see how he charges it up?
Andy Holloway
No.
Jason Moore
Oh, man. Him and an offensive lineman with another incredible, great beard. They do Eskimo kisses with their beards. They take their helmets off and just rub beards. And I think the static Charges the wand.
Andy Holloway
Welcome to 2018, Brooks. How you feeling? Pretty good.
Jason Moore
It's a weird week.
Andy Holloway
Now, Brooks, I understand that not only did I defeat you, but your girlfriend defeated you this week as well. That is correct. Now, how much of this can be attributed to baby Josh's influence on your life?
Jason Moore
About 95%.
Mike Wright
Here we go.
Jason Moore
Brooks is a co owner of my formerly super team.
Andy Holloway
Wait, that's true.
Jason Moore
Is baby Josh cursing me through Brooks?
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I think maybe we got to.
Jason Moore
Get rid of that dude.
Andy Holloway
Based on Brooks being the owner of all those teams, it seems like it might just be Brooks. It might not be baby Josh. Will Fuller, 8 for 113 and 1 and more importantly, looked really important.
Mike Wright
We're going to talk about Will fuller.
Andy Holloway
Keelan Cole, 7 for 1, 16 and 1. Also Odell Beckham juniored all over the Patriots.
Mike Wright
Yes, he did.
Andy Holloway
Oh, I guess we're going to talk about him.
Jason Moore
Yes, we will.
Andy Holloway
DeAndre Hopkins.
Mike Wright
Nice.
Andy Holloway
Brandon Cooks.
Jason Moore
Brandon Cooks is very fast.
Andy Holloway
Yep, seven for 159 on nine targets. He's not just fast, he's good.
Jason Moore
Oh, he has incredible hands. I mean he kept if you.
Andy Holloway
Hands, legs, feet, face.
Jason Moore
So handsome.
Andy Holloway
Chris Hogan, three for 42 and two on five targets. Still there.
Mike Wright
Absolutely.
Andy Holloway
Got it. Done. Nelson Aguilar, Last man standing, 8 for 88 and a touchdown. He's. He's a good player. He plays Indianapolis next week. You can start Nelson Aguilar.
Jason Moore
You must start him until. Until Alshon's back. I mean there's no other options there.
Andy Holloway
Here are. I want to talk about these guys. Antonio Callaway, 3 for 81 and 1 played on 80% of the snaps. What do you do with Antonio Calloway now that Josh Gordon's out the door?
Mike Wright
You have to. He must be added. This is this I am sure.
Andy Holloway
This I am sure.
Mike Wright
This I am sure. Lee confident in.
Jason Moore
We made it. I'm not so confident now.
Andy Holloway
Get out of here. No, no, no, I'm with Jason.
Jason Moore
Look, here's the thing.
Andy Holloway
James Washington had 80% of the snaps this week. I didn't hear you say start James.
Mike Wright
Washington because he's the third option at best.
Jason Moore
But snap count Taylor does not usually. I mean this was my argument against Josh Gordon was that Tyrod Taylor is not a high volume guy. And yes, Antonio Calloway had a good game but he only had four targets on the game and one of them happened to be a super deep touchdown. If he doesn't get that, you're never talking about him as a mustache just because he played a lot of snaps. I'm not sold. Now, if you want to grab him. I'm not anti.
Andy Holloway
Is he a mustache?
Jason Moore
No, that's my point is I don't feel like he's a mustache. He's a fun. Kenny Golladay could be out on waivers.
Andy Holloway
He's a fun stash.
Jason Moore
There's no chance I'm taking Callaway over. Over Golladay.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I agree with that.
Jason Moore
I would call it targets.
Mike Wright
That's why Golladay was a must. Antonio Calloway is a very good player and he will be. He will be taking Josh Gordon's role in the offense.
Andy Holloway
He's very fast.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Andy Holloway
He's Amari Cooper. 10 for 116 on 10 targets. Wait for you. 10 receptions on 10 targets. That's a very high percentage of catching the ball.
Mike Wright
Derek Carr, I believe was in the highest or mid-90s when it comes to completion percentage. I'm remembering this off the top of my head. I'll pull up the number.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, give me that. That's Cooper. They still lost.
Jason Moore
I had said this to a co owner of mine because you bench when they're not mid-90s.
Mike Wright
I apologize, but 90.6% completion, that's insane. It was the record for the franchise.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I mean, Cooper was on everybody's benches this week and that's why he was able to perform where.
Andy Holloway
I mean, he was on your bench.
Jason Moore
Yes, he was.
Andy Holloway
I want to talk tight ends. Travis Kelsey, big bounce back week seven for 109 and two. Hopefully you didn't. Hopefully you listened and did not panic and did not trade him last week just because Mahomes didn't find him.
Jason Moore
I tried to trade for him pretty hard the night before Saturday night, and I was.
Mike Wright
I was concerned. I had my concerns that Pat Mahomes was going to be a wide receiver, like a Fitzpatrick type of targeting.
Jason Moore
But yeah, we're good. Season.
Andy Holloway
Jesse James stealing all my Vance dance points. Can't do advanced dance when Jesse James puts up one five for 138 and one on five targets. Mike, you want to take away any of this Vance excitement?
Mike Wright
Well, no.
Andy Holloway
Vance in your pants.
Mike Wright
No. That excitement went away when Vance McDonald got hurt early on.
Andy Holloway
Let's talk about Evan Ingram now. Mike, you were in the midst of a very close.
Mike Wright
Yes.
Andy Holloway
Fantasy battle yesterday and Evan Ingram was doing nothing. And then a minute was left in the game and he scored a touchdown.
Mike Wright
He wasn't doing nothing.
Andy Holloway
He was doing very little.
Mike Wright
He was having an average game. I think he was right around the like 4 for 40. Right around that range and then the garbage time touchdown came through it. And it was a glorious moment.
Andy Holloway
And you were saying things like, just give me all of the garbage. You can rub it on my body.
Mike Wright
And then there was a body after the touchdown.
Jason Moore
It was great.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, because they got a fumble, so.
Mike Wright
No, they recovered a fumble. Recovered an onside kick.
Andy Holloway
So O.J. howard, 3 for 96 and 1. How are you reacting to O.J. howard's game? I know how I'm reacting to it.
Jason Moore
O.J. howard to me is more of a must stash because I don't believe Fitzpatrick will utilize him. I mean, we've said this before, he only had four targets in the game, three receptions. But the reason that he is a mustache is because it is, you know, if Fitzpatrick comes out, has a bad game, Jameis Winston is not suspended. Jameis could be back in a week. And the thing about O.J. howard, and we said this in preseason, is in preseason he looked to be the clear, dominant tight end. I flip flop Cameron Brayton, O.J. howard. And he is showing, I mean, he is a different level of human. He's like the Kelsey, like the Gronk. He's. He is a special individual. And if they utilize him, if Winston comes back and they utilize him as the pass catching tight end, he is the type that has that top five potential to me. So he's mustache for now.
Andy Holloway
The concern for me with O.J. howard is that in 18 NFL games, and I just looked this up two times, in 18 games he's had more than three receptions.
Jason Moore
Yeah, but last year was his rookie season.
Andy Holloway
That's. That is included in his career.
Jason Moore
Yeah, but I'm just saying rookie titles usually don't.
Andy Holloway
Also this year he hasn't caught more than three passes in two games. In two games. Okay, so what, what is your point against that?
Jason Moore
I'm just saying he had.
Andy Holloway
So if you throw it, if you throw out all of his games, then my stat is incorrect?
Mike Wright
No, my what you just said, you're not accounting for.
Andy Holloway
He just said through two games and then you throw out his rookie year.
Jason Moore
Well, you could say that about literally every tight end not named Evan Ingram. I mean, stats that are, that are crazy bad going, he doesn't catch a.
Andy Holloway
High quantity of passes, he's not targeted a high frequency. My concern is you have to have a 75 yard touchdown from OJ Howard to get anything.
Jason Moore
I will agree with.
Andy Holloway
I'm not saying you can't add him is the quarterback. Okay. All right, Zachary, it's 11 for 94. He's your beneficiary from a lack of a wide receiver core because he's really good. He just missed the touchdown too. But 13 targets for a tight end, that's a boss game. Jimmy Graham, 6 for 95. Yeah, I think he had a touchdown call back.
Mike Wright
He did on a holding call.
Jason Moore
He. He could have been my rising star this week because it's the type of utilization that we were afraid was never going to come. And seeing that is, you know, look, if. If he's not just a touchdown upside guy, that's huge. I mean, because you already know that the touchdown upside is there with Aaron Rodgers. So he's a guy to keep your eye on.
Andy Holloway
All right, we're going to talk about rising stars right now. Jason, why don't you kick it off?
Jason Moore
All right, dude. I'm going with dude. Well, you know, you got to say. Do you got to. You got to keep it cool because I'm talking about Keelan Cool. Mr. Smooth man himself.
Andy Holloway
Sweet mercy.
Jason Moore
Keelan Cool. Last year was awesome. Okay. Over the last.
Mike Wright
Are we going with this?
Andy Holloway
No.
Jason Moore
Can I get a ruling from the judge? Okay, he's. Come on, Judge. Oh, he's shaking his head no, but you know, it feels right. He's Keelan Cool.
Andy Holloway
Nah.
Jason Moore
All right, just.
Andy Holloway
You can just keep talking about Keelan Cole.
Jason Moore
That's right.
Mike Wright
No, you can move forward with Keelan Cool. We're gonna try it on.
Jason Moore
All right. We'll try it on for size. Over the last six.
Andy Holloway
You know those Joe Cool shirts? Do you remember those? Yeah, it was Snoopy with Snoopy. My dad wore those all the time.
Jason Moore
Wait, I thought that was like cigarette sweet.
Mike Wright
No.
Andy Holloway
Well, no, that was Joe Cool.
Mike Wright
Joe Cool is Snoopy.
Jason Moore
You're thinking of Joe Camel.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
And Cool was Snoopy with hate blockers on. Yep.
Jason Moore
So listen, listen to this. Over the last six regular season games, he's averaging 107 and a half yards.
Andy Holloway
This is Keelan Cole.
Jason Moore
Cole. Sure. Five and a half catches and over a half a touchdown per game. His. I mean, you look at the last part, you know, of last year, you look at his college production. I know he was undrafted, but he was unbelievably dominant in college. And now forget the stats that bear out positive for him. Watch the film as well.
Andy Holloway
He's the best wide receiver on that team.
Jason Moore
Always open when he caught that one handed catch and just kept running with it, holding it above the defender. I mean, he's the only. He's the one to own if you want to take a shot at the Jaguars receiving Core.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, he's startable to me. Yes. He's a must start wide receiver. So he's a rising star.
Jason Moore
Certainly.
Andy Holloway
Mine is Philip Lindsay.
Mike Wright
Yep.
Andy Holloway
Running back for the Denver Broncos. It's funny because we have two undrafted players here. Philip Lindsay was another player with dominant collegiate production that was completely ignored. Not invited to the combine, not drafted. First undrafted player in NFL history with 100 plus yards from scrimmage in his first two NFL games. Listen to this. Graham Barfield tweeted out the snap breakdown through the first two weeks in Denver. Philip Lindsay, 40% snap rate, 23 routes run, 32 touches. Royce Freeman, 33% snap rate, 19 routes run, 23 touches. And then Devontae Booker down at 28% snap rate. He is involved. He is being used all in and around the red zone. He is making big plays. He is a flex worthy running back start.
Jason Moore
They just need to get rid of Booker.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Jason Moore
If it was just Philip Lindsay and Royce Freeman, they are two and oh too.
Andy Holloway
I mean this is. Yeah, this is working.
Mike Wright
It's, it's, it's troublesome for, for Royce Freeman. Philip Lindsay's very, very good. Yeah, I mean he's, he's been incredible. We do have breaking news though.
Jason Moore
Breaking news.
Mike Wright
Eagles say that Carson Wentz is cleared and will start Sunday. So there we go.
Jason Moore
That was soon to be breaking news. Jeffrey is healthy and ready to go.
Mike Wright
That came through on the sleeper alert.
Andy Holloway
Wow.
Mike Wright
So my rising star, Will Fuller. It's time to stop discounting and throwing Will Fuller away. The man is dominating for not just for not just real football but fantasy football as well. 8 for 113 with a score this past week. Currently wide receiver 8 on the week. Here are Will Fuller finishes when games that he plays with Watson with this quarterback to Sean Watson. 7, 16, 17 3. Currently wide receiver 8. Will Fuller is dominating when DeSean Watson is on the field. 8 receptions. This was not a one trick. He caught an Antonio Callaway deep bomb. Is Will Fuller is Will Fuller is a wide receiver too.
Andy Holloway
Keelan Cole or Will Fuller rest the season?
Jason Moore
Oh, that's a great one. I would go Keelan Cole because I'm still going to bank on target volume when they both can break a game open.
Mike Wright
Fuller would you and I like Keel Cole.
Andy Holloway
Would you flex. Would you rather flex those two over Philip Lindsay?
Mike Wright
Yeah, probably. I mean Phil Lindsay has been great but we because of Royce Freeman and Devonta Booker he's just, he's hamstrung from having a monster game and I still.
Jason Moore
I know this is a little Weird. But I really want to see his utilization on the road when he's not, you know, he's a Denver born and bred guy and, you know, playing in front of that home crowd, I want to see him on the road in the NFL.
Andy Holloway
All right, A reminder. The rising stars this year, brought to you by fantasychamps.com you can get trophies, you can get fantasy jerseys. High quality materials, custom engravings. This is where you go. If you're a fantasy champ or you hope to be, or you've been one before or you will be in the future, just go to fantasychamps.com I will be just. No, no, no. They have a different website for you. Gotta believe it's fantasychumps.com get bodied.
Mike Wright
Jason.
Jason Moore
Pooped in his big boy pants.
Andy Holloway
Look, that wasn't nice. That wasn't nice of me. But. But you're my friend.
Jason Moore
Fine, I'll take it out on the field.
Andy Holloway
All right. Pooped in their big boy pants. This is what everyone wants to talk about, right? The guy's letting them down. What in the world do they do with them? Do you overreact? Do you trade? Do you hold? Do you. Let's talk about David Johnson.
Jason Moore
David Johnson is extremely concerning. He shouldn't have even had a touchdown. Week 1. The Arizona Cardinals offense looked so bad they couldn't move the ball. This week. They literally did not cross the 50 yard line until the last minute of garbage time in the game. That's how putrid. Now if, if you're a team that can't get to the 50 yard line.
Mike Wright
On offense, you're not going to score.
Jason Moore
I don't care what position or how great you are, you're not putting up fantasy.
Andy Holloway
Sam Bradford is the worst rated quarterback in the NFL. He has the worst pass rating of any quarterback in the NFL. So check number one against you.
Mike Wright
His bank account is rated very highly though.
Andy Holloway
Mike McCoy has bought the 11 volume John Fox encyclopedia set and studied it. Fastidious. What's the word I'm looking for?
Mike Wright
I have no idea.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I believe that is correct and you best believe it was the hardcover.
Andy Holloway
It was.
Mike Wright
He could afford it.
Andy Holloway
Look at this. I mean, I don't know where to begin with David Johnson, but the equivalent of what Mike McCoy is doing with David Johnson is David Johnson is a world renowned chef on the field and McCoy is asking for hamburgers. I mean, this is.
Mike Wright
I don't like that analogy at all because I love hamburgers.
Jason Moore
They're great analogy.
Andy Holloway
It's ridiculous. David Johnson is not being split out as a Wide receiver the way he was under Bruce Arians. He's being run. If you see his runs. Every run by David Johnson was an inside run this past week. Every single mind blowing 1. In 2016, when David Johnson owned the NFL, he ran 31 routes a game. In weeks one through two, he's running 16 routes a game. His numbers of routes run compared to Chase Edmonds, his backup, they're comparable.
Jason Moore
That's the concerning part. The total number of routes run isn't that concerning because the Cardinals haven't had the ball yet on the season is what it feels like. But we say we don't know where to start with David Johnson. I know where to end with David Johnson.
Andy Holloway
Oh, tell me.
Jason Moore
Despite all of this crazy neck ringing information, you hold him. You do not freak out on David Johnson. You have to take, you have to also have.
Andy Holloway
You buy him though. What if you're. Because if you're going to hold him. Do you go seeking David Johnson because better and brighter days are ahead?
Jason Moore
I don't think so. I will. I'll always look. Whenever a great player has two terrible games, I'll go and see if I can get him for pennies on the dollar. But what I'm not calling for David Johnson to be the David Johnson we all hoped for the rest of the season, but I'm saying you can't sell him right now at his lowest. And keep in mind he was going up against the great Los Angeles Rams defense when they were running straight up the middle. It was to a pack of indomicants who. And you know, Aaron Donald, this is, this was a bad game. But coming up, you know, you've got Chicago, Seattle, Chicago and San Francisco two.
Andy Holloway
Weeks after they're at home for two weeks in a row.
Jason Moore
Right. So you just can't sell him right now. I think that would be a mistake.
Andy Holloway
Do you feel like you want to weigh in here, Mike? I mean, we are the hometown Arizona Cardinal fans.
Mike Wright
I'm trying to be measured and not incite panic with my word choice. But two years ago we saw who is now considered the best running back in the NFL. We saw Todd Gurley on a terrible offense with terrible play calling, was a monster bust for fantasy football. So that's what keeps running through my head is, oh crap, are we, is this what we're running into again? Where the team is going to be so bad and not know how to run an offense that we're in for big trouble with David Johnson?
Andy Holloway
Do you, do you have any hope? Because Josh Rosen could take over at Some point?
Jason Moore
Not really. I don't expect Rosen to like get a first down.
Andy Holloway
I mean Bradford had zero first downs.
Jason Moore
Rosen gives you hope, but it's probably false hope.
Mike Wright
So people and what people want to know right now is should they bail? And so Jason, you're saying no, I'm saying let's say that some trade offers come through. Someone is offering you Leonard Fournette for David Johnson. Would you take that trade?
Jason Moore
I don't think so. Due to the current injury with Leonard Fournette, the fact that it's a hamstring, it's re aggravatable. No.
Mike Wright
Would you trade also injured, but did someone comes with Dalvin Cook? Would you trade David Johnson for Dalvin.
Jason Moore
Cook because of the injury? At the very least you have to wait and get more detail.
Andy Holloway
Kareem Hunt.
Jason Moore
Oh, yes, I would trade David Johnson for Kareem Hunt right now. I think the offense of the Chiefs, I would much rather have a piece of that.
Mike Wright
All right, so with the Cardinals last one, Jordan Howard.
Jason Moore
No, I don't believe so. I want the pass catching back. You know you talked about Todd Gurley.
Mike Wright
But is he a pass catching. I know, we know he is great. But does the team know that?
Jason Moore
Yeah, yeah. I mean I. He's going to be utilized in the passing. I mean you bring up a great comp of Todd Gurley two years ago, terrible season, huge disappointment. Keep in mind he was still a running back to. If you look at his weekly, you know, I'm looking at the 2016 consistency charts from the ultimate draft kit and Todd Gurley, yes, he was very disappointing but he still, he still got it done. Most weeks he was an RB2 or better. He just never gave you those top five performance.
Mike Wright
That's what I'm asking of in fantasy football, you have to call your shots and wow, okay, so you don't want.
Andy Holloway
Him to burn you down if you think he's.
Mike Wright
So he ends up as a running back too. I mean, sure, that that's great. Not for where you drafted him.
Jason Moore
No. You trade David Johnson. If you, if you want to call your shot and believe he's going to be an RV2, you trade him. But what I'm saying is you don't trade him now. You don't trade him on the heels of a disgusting game. You look at Todd Gurley's, you know, two of his first three weeks in that 2016 season. Actually three or four. Running back 49. Running back 30. Running back 25. When you traded him then you got pennies on the dollar the next week he's the running back. 12. You want to wait for a good performance. Not coming off of the game.
Andy Holloway
When you get that good performance, it's.
Mike Wright
Yeah, but then you're going to buy back in.
Jason Moore
By the way, write yourself a note.
Andy Holloway
From what I understand.
Jason Moore
Fold it up and it says no matter what, Jeff Fisher.
Andy Holloway
Jeff Fisher and Mike McCoy, they hit the old arcade. They play the Pac man together. That's what they do. They hang out and they reminisce.
Jason Moore
When they're feeling crazy, they go, Mrs. Pac Man.
Andy Holloway
Right? Exactly. Dion Lewis, Derek Henry, both disappointing fantasy weeks. 18 carries for Derek Henry for 56 yards. Deion Lewis 14 for 42. Only one reception. I'm going to just no Marcus Mariota this week. Dogfight of a game. I'm not going to read too much into this.
Mike Wright
I agree. But next week they get Jackson.
Andy Holloway
Isaiah Crowell stunk 12 for 35. Nothing special there. Bad game against Miami. Game script was against him. It was more in favor of Bilal Powell. But that's the problem with Isaiah Cruelty.
Mike Wright
They will revenge game next week.
Andy Holloway
Disappointing performance. Adrian Peterson. Look, that team, that. That was a game script problem too. They were down the whole game here. They did not come out to play.
Jason Moore
One of the most impressive performances of the week was the Indianapolis Colts defense because I mean, they looked like the worst defense in the. You know, they were competing with Buffalo for who could be worse. And they went on the road to a competent offense and they really did shut down. A lot of what Alex Smith was trying to do is it was. It was impressive to me. I don't know that I buy in, but it's one of those things that you continue to watch the trend and say what you expect from week one. When it comes to team defenses, those are the. Those team defenses are the things that change more often than any other position over the course of the season.
Andy Holloway
All right, I'm going to blitz a few names, guys and I want to know how worried you are on a scale of 1 to 10. All right. Duke Johnson.
Mike Wright
7.
Jason Moore
8.
Andy Holloway
Rex Burkhead, 6 for 22 this week.
Jason Moore
8. 7.
Andy Holloway
Sonny Michelle, 10 for 34.
Jason Moore
2.
Mike Wright
4.
Andy Holloway
Peyton Barber, 16 for 22. He's put two single digit games together when he's had the entire backfield.
Mike Wright
Yeah, this is. Ronald Jones has been a healthy scratch for two weeks. Would not be surprising to see Ronald Jones get a chance in week three.
Jason Moore
And I would say seven.
Andy Holloway
Marlon Mack was 10 for 34. The best runner of this game was still Jordan Wilkins. Naim Hines was Very inefficient. He had one except for his touchdown. Yeah, he has seven yard touchdown run. But he was really bad and Marla Mack was really bad and Jordan Wilkins was the best of the bad. So you're just kind of blessed about this whole backfield or do you still have confidence in Mac, Mike Jason?
Mike Wright
Yeah, Mac man.
Jason Moore
I have confidence that Mack is the best of the three backs. I don't have confidence for fantasy that that's going to matter much.
Andy Holloway
Wide receivers that poop the bed. Demarius Thomas, 5 for 18. Odell Beckham Jr. 4 for 51. Really let you down last night. That offense can't move the ball right now.
Mike Wright
Yeah, the Giants, the Buffalo Bills and the Cardinals.
Andy Holloway
Maybe the Giants knew they didn't they could take Saquon because they could take a quarterback the next year.
Jason Moore
Neat. Neat idea.
Andy Holloway
Maybe that was the strategy. I mean, maybe. I think the NFL has passed Eli by. I think it's done well.
Jason Moore
Honestly, I don't think we even got a chance to see. I've never seen so many players in a backfield. I mean their offensive line was unbelievable. Every snap Eli Manning is basically having to run. And we all know he duck can't do that.
Andy Holloway
Hopefully. You traded Robbie Anderson off his touchdown last week. We told you to. And he was 3 for 27 this week. Also fumbled. Not a good week. Jameson Crowder does not look like his future with Alex Smith is going to be strong. 2 for 29. Kenny stills 2 for 17.
Mike Wright
Boo Kenny.
Andy Holloway
And Randall Cobb 4 for 30 against Minnesota after the big week.
Jason Moore
It was a huge disappointment.
Andy Holloway
You can't trust the Dallas Whiteout. Cole Beasley 2 for 13. Alan Hearns 1 for 9. Michael Gallup 1 for 5. Deontay Thompson got a lot of targets in that game. You can throw them all away. Sterling Shepard, 3 for 24. Disappointing week. And Ted Gann 4 for 55. That's fine.
Mike Wright
Yeah, the fumble killed him.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, he fumbled. And then Rob Gronkowski matched up against Jalen Ramsey. They went away from it, 2 for 15.
Jason Moore
Kind of bench him.
Mike Wright
George Kittle, that's the bigger news.
Andy Holloway
Two for 22.
Mike Wright
Let's ask you, mister, you went. You went hard in the pain after George Kittle. What's your level of. Oh, crap.
Andy Holloway
None.
Mike Wright
Okay.
Andy Holloway
None. And I don't. It's not just. It's not pride, it's not stubbornness. It's simply four targets, two catches. They were the game script. Here was one where they were, you know, they couldn't need.
Mike Wright
They could have used them.
Andy Holloway
No they were protecting a lead almost the entire game. I mean they had a big lead over my almost upset of the week. Detroit, who almost came back to win but didn't. Three point gap. Almost is going to be a word associated with Matt Patricia a lot this year. But Kittle had an end zone target. He was interfered with that he probably would have come down with. I'm not that concerned about it.
Mike Wright
Okay.
Jason Moore
I'm not either.
Andy Holloway
And then. Yeah, I mean I was disappointed in David and Joku this week. I thought he had an opportunity to step up in lieu of, you know, in light of the Josh Gordon news. He didn't do it. Jonah Smith, zero targets. But a high snap count. But a high snap count.
Jason Moore
What happened was that Blaine Gabbard came in. This is the weirdest game, right? Tennessee.
Andy Holloway
They won, by the way.
Jason Moore
Sucked. Every player for Tennessee on both sides of the field sucked and they won the game. It makes no sense.
Mike Wright
So it's Derek Henry, Wildcats.
Andy Holloway
It was, it was just Corey Davis 5 for 55. Nothing special.
Jason Moore
I don't understand how they won the game, but they did.
Andy Holloway
They did.
Jason Moore
They got a. They got a one and O this week.
Mike Wright
They got a one and oh, they.
Andy Holloway
Got a one and oh. What did he say earlier about getting hot? What did he call it? Hitting hot. Yeah, you were on.
Mike Wright
You're on fire today.
Andy Holloway
I'm fire.
Jason Moore
I'm hitting hot.
Andy Holloway
You were not.02 for your analysis. Thank you. Let's put it that way.
Jason Moore
And hey, Foot clan, don't forget about the NFL game pass. It is awesome. It gives you every NFL game on your time, your schedule. See all the standout performances, your favorite games, show the coaches, film the All 22 film. Watch it quickly. Best of all, you can get it started with a seven day free trial of NFL Game Pass. So go to NFL.com fantasy footballers that's NFL.com fantasy footballers gameon.
Andy Holloway
Enjoy your Monday night football game, Foot Clan. Thanks for supporting the podcast. JoinTheFoot.com is the community. Check out Draft.com Ballers if you're going to play some daily and we'll talk to you tomorrow with lots of weavers.
Jason Moore
Goodbye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the fantasy footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter the FFballers.
Title: Fantasy Footballers - Fantasy Football Podcast
Episode: Week 2 Studs & Duds, Rising Stars, Mahomes Madness
Release Date: September 17, 2018
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
The episode kicks off with Andy Holloway welcoming listeners and outlining the topics for the day: Week 2 recap, stud and dud performances, rising stars, and an in-depth discussion on Patrick Mahomes' exceptional start to the season.
The hosts delve into Patrick Mahomes' standout performances, referring to his early-season dominance as "sweet fancy Mahomes."
Andy Holloway reflects on his initial skepticism: “I have two leagues, and thankfully I'm probably going to win both of them, but I started two quarterbacks over Pat Mahomes, so he's sitting on the bench of two of my leagues... But sweet fancy Mahomes. [02:03]”
Jason Moore emphasizes Mahomes' reliability: “I believe that Pat Mahomes is 100% legit... you can count on him. You can start him. [02:48]”
The trio debates Mahomes' ranking in dynasty leagues, with Jason Moore contemplating whether quarterbacks like Carson Wentz should be ranked higher but ultimately agreeing Mahomes deserves top-tier status.
A significant portion of the episode addresses major news from Week 2, notably the release of Josh Gordon by the Cleveland Browns.
Andy Holloway summarizes the situation: “Josh Gordon went from out with a hamstring injury to out on the street... [07:10]”
The hosts discuss the implications for fantasy owners, debating whether Gordon will find a new team quickly or exit the league entirely. Andy Holloway advises putting the player first, suggesting that if the Browns receive compensation, it might be worth considering taking that option to avoid future distractions: “Let's put the player first... [09:32]”
Jason Moore shares his proactive approach: “I traded Josh Gordon in Dynasty for Doug Baldwin the day before this happened. [10:42]”
In addition to Gordon's release, the discussion covers various player injuries affecting fantasy lineups:
The hosts categorize players into "studs" (top performers) and "duds" (underperformers) based on their Week 2 performances.
Studs:
Patrick Mahomes: Dominated with multiple touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Ryan Fitzpatrick: Delivered a strong performance with 402 yards and four touchdowns against a tough Philadelphia defense.
Stefan Diggs & Adam Thielen: Both wide receivers had productive games, solidifying their roles as fantasy staples.
Keelan Cole: Highlighted as a rising star with consistent yardage and touchdown receptions.
Duds:
David Johnson: Criticized for underwhelming performances amid a struggling Arizona Cardinals offense.
Todd Gurley, Marlon Mack, and Other Running Backs: Noted for their inefficient games, leading to frustration among fantasy managers.
Wide Receivers like DeMarcus Thomas, Odell Beckham Jr., and others: Disappointing stats prompted discussions on potential benching or trading.
The hosts spotlight promising players who could become valuable assets in fantasy leagues.
Keelan Cole: Praised for his consistent yardage and touchdown potential.
Philip Lindsay: Noted as an undrafted breakout running back with impressive snaps and touches.
Will Fuller: Highlighted for his dominant performances, especially when paired with DeSean Watson.
O.J. Howard: Despite low target volume, he's identified as a potential top-tier tight end if utilized effectively by Ryan Fitzpatrick.
The discussion transitions into strategic advice for managing fantasy teams based on player performances and injury reports.
Holding vs. Trading Players:
Jason Moore advises caution with trading David Johnson immediately after poor performances, suggesting waiting for more consistent evidence before making moves.
Mike Wright supports the idea of holding onto reliable players like Ryan Fitzpatrick, emphasizing their necessity in lineups.
Managing QB Positions:
Evaluating Wide Receivers and Tight Ends:
The hosts share personal insights and anecdotes about specific players, adding depth to the analysis.
Josh Gordon’s Situation: Deliberation on whether Gordon will rebound or be out of the league, with personal anecdotes on trading him in dynasty leagues.
David Johnson’s Decline: Jason Moore voices extreme skepticism about Johnson’s future performance and potential value in fantasy leagues.
Patrick Mahomes vs. Ben Roethlisberger: Comparison of Mahomes' efficiency and touchdown rate against Big Ben’s volume-based statistics.
As the episode nears its end, the hosts reinforce key takeaways for fantasy managers:
Start Reliable QBs: Emphasize the importance of starting dependable quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes.
Monitor Injuries: Stay updated on player injuries and make informed decisions to mitigate risks.
Identify Rising Stars: Keep an eye on emerging players who can provide significant fantasy value moving forward.
Stay Calm with Fluctuations: Avoid overreacting to early-season performances; allow time for players to adapt and improve.
Andy Holloway wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to utilize tools like NFL Game Pass for in-depth game analysis and to join the Fantasy Footballers community for ongoing support and insights.
Andy Holloway on Mahomes' reliability:
“You can count on him. You can start him. [02:48]”
Jason Moore on David Johnson:
“David Johnson is extremely concerning... [47:31]”
Mike Wright humorously comparing Mahomes to Thanos:
“He is looking like Thanos right now. [22:42]”
Jason Moore on holding vs. selling David Johnson:
“You can't sell him right now at his lowest... [49:44]”
Andy Holloway on running backs’ performance:
“All the running backs just played wide out this week. [28:35]”
This episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast provides a comprehensive analysis of Week 2's key performances, player injuries, and strategic insights. The hosts offer valuable advice on managing fantasy teams, emphasizing the importance of reliable quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes, identifying rising stars, and making informed decisions amidst early-season fluctuations. Whether navigating the challenges of dominant players' performances or mitigating the impacts of unexpected injuries, listeners gain actionable strategies to enhance their fantasy football success.