Week 2 Studs & Stinkers + Injuries, Injuries, Injuries! - Fantasy Football Podcast for 9/21

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary
Episode: Week 2 Studs & Stinkers + Injuries, Injuries, Injuries!
Release Date: September 21, 2020
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright

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Introduction

The Fantasy Footballers kick off their Week 2 episode with high energy, discussing a weekend filled with significant injury news, player performances, and strategic insights crucial for fantasy managers. The hosts—Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright—set the stage for a comprehensive analysis aimed at helping listeners navigate the tumultuous early weeks of the fantasy football season.

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Injury News Overview

Key Injuries Impacting Fantasy Football

The episode delves deep into the barrage of injuries that have rocked the NFL, emphasizing their profound impact on fantasy rosters. Mike Wright remarks, “The most significant fantasy football related news is injury news because you have to make huge adjustments to your team” (02:03). The hosts acknowledge that while injuries are a perennial issue, Week 2 has been exceptionally tumultuous, likening it to a "battle royale" where managers must swiftly adapt to stay competitive.

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Weekly Rewind

Positive News Amidst the Chaos

Jason Moore highlights significant contract extensions, noting, “Robert Woods got paid. Four-year, $65 million extension” (05:40). Similarly, Tariq Cohen’s three-year, $17 million extension with the Chicago Bears is discussed as a positive development, though concerns linger regarding the timing and its impact on the team's dynamics.

Saquon Barkley's Injury

A major talking point is Saquon Barkley's injury. Mike Wright reports, “Saquon Barkley is believed to have suffered a torn ACL” (07:15), detailing the severity of the injury and its implications for both the Giants' offense and fantasy managers who relied on him as a top-two draft pick. The hosts discuss possible replacements like Devonta Freeman, whose potential signing with the Giants could provide a temporary boost, although Andy Holloway expresses skepticism about Freeman's long-term effectiveness.

Christian McCaffrey's Ankle Injury

Christian McCaffrey’s ankle injury is another critical update. Mike Wright notes, “Christian McCaffrey is expected to be sidelined multiple weeks with the ankle injury” (08:41). The discussion centers on the disruption this causes for fantasy teams, especially given McCaffrey’s status as a first-round pick. Jason Moore concurs, emphasizing the uncertainty this adds to league standings.

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Key Player Updates

49ers' Injury Woes

The 49ers have been hit hard with injuries, including Nick Bosa’s torn ACL and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo’s high ankle sprain. Mike Wright elaborates, “Nick Bosa tore his ACL” (12:45), highlighting the defensive and offensive setbacks resulting from these injuries. The trio discusses the uncertain future of the 49ers' offensive lineup, considering the absence of key players like Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman.

Tyrod Taylor's Chest Injury and Justin Herbert's Role

Tyrod Taylor’s pre-game chest injury raises questions about Justin Herbert’s starting position. Mike Wright explains, “Justin Herbert's going to start another week” (16:04), signaling a potential shift in the Chargers' quarterback strategy. Andy Holloway praises Herbert’s performance, predicting he may secure the starter role for the remainder of the season.

Devante Adams and Kenny Golladay’s Injuries

Devante Adams’ recurring hamstring issues and Kenny Golladay’s missed games due to hamstring injuries are also scrutinized. The hosts express moderate concern, hoping these injuries don’t escalate and impact their respective teams' performances significantly.

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Studs of the Week

Quarterbacks

• Russell Wilson (Seattle Seahawks): Despite a rocky season start, Russell Wilson impresses with efficiency and multiple touchdowns, earning high praise. Jason Moore asserts, “Russell Wilson is just one of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL” (24:02).
• Josh Allen (Buffalo Bills): Celebrated for his phenomenal performance, Josh Allen has accrued over 700 passing yards and six touchdowns in the first two weeks, placing him among elite quarterbacks historically. Mike Wright exclaims, “Josh Allen is having a monster Fantasy Day” (24:38).
• Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys): Prescott's explosive performance, including 450 passing yards and three rushing touchdowns, marks him as a standout, making him a valuable asset in fantasy leagues.

Running Backs

• Aaron Jones (Green Bay Packers): Jones is hailed as a "king of the week" with impressive rushing and receiving stats, making him a must-start for fantasy managers. Mike Wright states, “Aaron Jones was unbelievable” (33:32).
• James Robinson (Jacksonville Jaguars): Emerging as a reliable back, Robinson’s consistent performance and high involvement in the Jaguars' offense earn him a spot among the studs. Jason Moore defends his value, emphasizing his fantasy potential.

Wide Receivers

• Calvin Ridley (Atlanta Falcons): Ridley’s standout performances, including significant yardage and touchdowns, position him as a top-tier receiver in fantasy football. Jason Moore remarks, “Calvin Ridley is actually going to be the higher scoring fantasy player over Julio Jones” (42:38).
• Stefon Diggs (Buffalo Bills): Diggs’ exceptional yards and targets make him a critical asset, especially in a high-powered Buffalo offense.
• Terry McLaurin (Washington Redskins): McLaurin’s surge in targets and receptions make him a valuable pickup, even with a struggling quarterback.

Tight Ends

• Dalton Schultz (Dallas Cowboys): Schultz’s versatility and consistent target volume earn him the stud position at tight end, providing reliable fantasy production (48:18).

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Stinkers of the Week

Quarterbacks

• Kirk Cousins (Minnesota Vikings): Cousins’ underwhelming performances and negative fantasy points label him as a stinker, with Andy Holloway advising, “He should be on the bench right now” (51:32).
• Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles): Wentz continues to struggle, showing poor performance despite initial optimism from Andy Holloway.

Running Backs

• Todd Gurley (Los Angeles Rams): Gurley’s lack of involvement in the passing game and minimal usage for fantasy points make him a concern for managers.
• David Johnson (Arizona Cardinals): Johnson’s inconsistent performance and tough upcoming matchups pose challenges, with Mike Wright suggesting, “I think you almost have to bench him” (53:16).
• Naim Hines (Colts): Hines’ sparse involvement and unpredictable usage make him a questionable pick, leading hosts to debate his future utility in fantasy lineups.

Wide Receivers

• Julio Jones (Atlanta Falcons): Jones’ limited end-zone targets and inconsistent performances raise red flags for fantasy managers.
• Allen Robinson (Chicago Bears): Robinson’s low target volume and underperformance make him a stinker despite his reputation.
• Michael Gallup (Dallas Cowboys): Gallup’s declining targets and yardage over two weeks place him on the stinkers list.

Tight Ends

• Rob Gronkowski (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): Gronkowski’s minimal involvement and low target count make him an unreliable option for fantasy teams.
• Austin Hooper (Atlanta Falcons): Hooper’s inconsistent production and missed opportunities contribute to his stinker status.

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Additional Discussions

Strategic Adjustments and Waiver Moves

The hosts emphasize the importance of depth and adaptability in fantasy football, especially in the face of frequent injuries. Andy Holloway advises, “Depth is crucial for your fantasy roster,” highlighting the need to utilize tools like the Stream Finder and Strength of Schedule data to gain an edge over league mates.

Mo Ali Cox Highlight

A special mention is given to Mo Ali Cox, who made an impressive performance despite being a backup tight end. Jason Moore shares, “Mo Ali Cox was awesome,” celebrating his unexpected contribution and high Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade, albeit temporarily until the primary tight end returns.

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Conclusion

The Fantasy Footballers wrap up the episode by reinforcing the necessity of staying informed and proactive in managing fantasy teams. With injuries reshaping rosters and emerging studs providing unexpected value, the hosts encourage listeners to leverage available resources, maintain flexibility, and continuously seek opportunities to optimize their lineups. The episode concludes with reminders to engage with their community and stay updated via their website and social media channels.

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Notable Quotes:

• Mike Wright: “The most significant fantasy football related news is injury news because you have to make huge adjustments to your team.” (02:03)
• Jason Moore: “Russell Wilson is just one of the top three quarterbacks in the NFL.” (24:02)
• Andy Holloway: “He should be on the bench right now.” (51:32)
• Jason Moore: “Calvin Ridley is actually going to be the higher scoring fantasy player over Julio Jones.” (42:38)

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This summary encapsulates the critical discussions and insights from the Fantasy Footballers' Week 2 episode, providing a comprehensive guide for both avid listeners and newcomers seeking to enhance their fantasy football strategies.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

This is Alan Lazard, AKA the Lazard King, wide receiver for the Green Bay packers, and you're listening to Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Mike Wright]

Welcome in. Oh, me, oh my, what a weekend. Monday, September 21, the fantasy footballers Podcast. Back with you, Andy, Mike and Jason. Oh, boy, oh, boy.

[Jason Moore]

It's gonna be a show.

[Mike Wright]

It's physical sport, Mike, this football.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it certainly is. We will do our best to report the news. There will be a lot of news to report and. But we also look, a lot of cool stuff happened yesterday.

[Mike Wright]

The first Megalodon injury episode.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, a lot of cool stuff happened yesterday. So we will make sure we try to balance out, highlighting a lot of that good stuff. But yeah, there's, there's unfortunately a lot of injury news that has to be talked about, evaluated, breakdown of what do we do moving forward. What, what situations does this create for fantasy football? So buckle up.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, Yeah. I mean, the most significant fantasy football related news is injury news because you have to make huge adjustments to your team with some of these injuries and we're going to have to walk through all of them and it's the nature of the game. I mean, every, every year it happens and yet we seem, you know, blown away by it. But it happens every single year.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. And when, when your players go down, at least this week you can say, well, so did everyone else's. I don't know anyone who just escaped this week where it's like the team that you went in with. Yeah, that's good. You, you exited with that exact same team.

[Mike Wright]

This, it felt like a battle royale. I mean, it was like last man standing. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, love Michael Keaton.

[Mike Wright]

All right, we will get into all of the injury news. The studs, the stinkers on the show today. So much to talk about. You can find us on YouTube. YouTube.com the Fantasy Footballers Twitter at the Ffballers. I have no doubt that there will be further updates throughout the day about some of these injuries and so you'll want to follow us on socials and make sure you're up to date. The fantasy footballers.com is the website. It's Monday, so it's time to get sophisticated with a some Monday punday. Well, we can start here with Naim Hyde.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. Nanheem.

[Mike Wright]

Rty Hilton.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

But we have the more positive Mo Ali rocks.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, very nice. Way to roll it, Dak. Impress Scott.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, but what about Tyler Higg? Three?

[Mike Wright]

I also heard Triler. Ooh, not bad. Oh, no, now we gotta get sad again. Hoo. Leo Jones.

[Jason Moore]

As in who?

[Mike Wright]

Foo Foo. Leo Jones and Julio Groan and Stew. Leo Jones.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, no. It is a poop.

[Mike Wright]

Jo Mark Blandrews.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, here's one you'll like. Mike Plod Girly.

[Jason Moore]

I'm not saying. I am just saying.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, here's a nice one. Terry McScorin. He looked great.

[Jason Moore]

I liked that one.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, no, this one might be the best and the worst. Potty Miller or Frotty Miller. Oh, that didn't work out. Or Benny Smell.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, if you started Benny Smell, that's on you.

[Mike Wright]

And I added one to the end. The failing V. Oh, no. Will Fuller. So, all right, Jason, what'd you think?

[Andy Holloway]

I give that. I give that an 8. I give that an 8 out of 10.

[Mike Wright]

My favorite was Potty Miller.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, Potty Miller was the best because.

[Mike Wright]

Dropped a touchdown pass.

[Jason Moore]

He did, yes. If he catches that touchdown, he's fine. He's not what you expected for. What did he have week one, like, five or six receptions. Was heavily involved in the offense. Chris Godwin is out. You expect to see things. And then. Then Jason's favorite player of all time, Justin Watson. Superstar Justin Watson is the one, I believe even led the team in snaps. Like it's the. You throw your hands in the air and just shake your head.

[Mike Wright]

I tried so hard to acquire Mike Evans before this past week, and in all of my leagues, I tried. I tried. Not with you, though. Not in Dynasty.

[Jason Moore]

Of course.

[Mike Wright]

I knew you wouldn't let him go.

[Jason Moore]

That's a fool's errand.

[Mike Wright]

We don't trade with each other. All right, let's do some rewind.

[Andy Holloway]

Weekly rewind.

[Mike Wright]

I want to be clear. I pushed that button. The evidence seems to betray me. All right.

[Jason Moore]

Let'S hit some positive news here, all right?

[Mike Wright]

Robert woods got paid. Four year, $65 million extension.

[Jason Moore]

Bobby Trees, he got. Yeah, there it is.

[Mike Wright]

He got paid because the Rams have unlimited money.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Apparently they've extended cup. Woods, I. It just. It just never stops. So there you go.

[Jason Moore]

He didn't parlay the money into a big game, though.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Jason Moore]

2 for 14.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he did have a. He had a rushing touchdown. He had a rushing touchdown. Tariq Cohen got paid three years, $17 million. I don't know why. What? I don't know why.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, he deserves to be on an NFL team. Like, I think. No doubt he's an addition to your. Your roster. It's just the timing of it, with all of the things happening with Alan Robinson is so bizarre.

[Andy Holloway]

This is A bite your thumb situation. This is a. Do you bite your thumb at me, sir? From Allen Robinson. Right. So rude to be like, we, we will not, you know, we're not going to look at extending these contracts in season. The, you know, the Chicago doesn't usually extend contract.

[Mike Wright]

They say that, that says that it's.

[Andy Holloway]

Not something that's come out with this Allen Robinson like negotiation, but it's a long standing Bears rule, which is what the assumption has been. And then, and then here's Tariq Cohen. Get an extension.

[Mike Wright]

Well, maybe, you know, some teams like to do that. If you keep quiet and negotiate, not in public, we'll get it done. That's what they do. Saquon Barkley. This was the headline news.

[Jason Moore]

All right, here we go.

[Mike Wright]

It's part of fantasy, Mike.

[Jason Moore]

I know.

[Mike Wright]

Saquon Barkley is believed to have suffered a torn acl.

[Jason Moore]

This was moments I can't remember off the top of my head. I don't know if it was literally the play after.

[Andy Holloway]

Literally the next play.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, so the play after he. Saquon Barkley, if you weren't watching the game, had taken a really awkward fall. Looked like he hyperextended his elbow. I mean, he jammed it really good to the point of a normal human being is tapping out. If I fell and hurt my elbow that way, it's it. I'm done for probably a couple weeks. Not Saquon Barkley. He is more human than human. The next play, leg is planted, knee twists. You know what's happening immediately as one who watches football. So it's. It's still a believed. I don't know whether we have a confirmation for it, but it's.

[Mike Wright]

Well, Devonta Freeman is visiting the Giants on Tuesday.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, here we go.

[Mike Wright]

Here we go. It's all but confirmed when teams come out and say what they believe.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

They're almost always right. And it's devastating. And you know, this is the kind of probably number two pick in most fantasy drafts and it is a complete disruption of the entire Giants offense and offensive capabilities.

[Jason Moore]

It is. But at least the number one pick in NFL or in fantasy football drafts is safe. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

No, he's not. Christian McCaffrey.

[Jason Moore]

Come on, man.

[Mike Wright]

Christian McCaffrey. News just broke this morning. Schefter McCaffrey expected to be sidelined multiple weeks with the ankle injury. We need to talk about both of these, though, in terms of who you might be looking to pick up. If Devonta Freeman is signed by the Giants, he would be the pickup because Dion Lewis maybe in a PPR league you could get by with a flex play. He doesn't look great. And then Wayne Gallman wasn't even active. Wayne Gallman will likely be active now.

[Jason Moore]

But what's tough about the Freeman situation, I don't. It's hard to disagree that if they signed Devonta Freeman, how is he not the guy. But it could. We have no idea. It could end up being that Wayne Gallman is the one who comes in and gets the most snaps because he. They feel like he is the most comparable. You know, I mean my money is on without saying it but.

[Mike Wright]

But my money's on the money because Freeman hasn't accepted a deal without getting paid. So if he's in this situation and they pay him, I have a hard time believing he won't be the guy.

[Jason Moore]

We'll see what the contract is.

[Andy Holloway]

It's just difficult to imagine that. Let's say they pay him and he is the guy. It's difficult to imagine he's going to come in and be really good. You know, even he. He stunk last year on the team that he was good with, you know, the system he knew and he's not any younger. So, you know, at least on the Christian McCaffrey side, not only is it, you know, only multiple weeks, but Mike Davis is the clear. You know, you don't always know who the backup is going to be, but you know, in this situation it is 100%. Mike Davis, he came in in relief and actually had a lot of fantasy points in garbage time. So, you know, we're going to talk through all this tomorrow and that'll let a little bit of the dust settle the official nature of the injuries and some of you know, if Freeman does get signed, the waiver show tomorrow, that's going to be a pretty big one.

[Mike Wright]

Devonte Adams hamstring injury in the second half of the game did not return. This is the second year in a row now that Devonte Adams is dealing with soft tissue issue. How concerned are you on initial reports?

[Jason Moore]

I would say I am moderately concerned. I can't remember the score of the game at that point, but the packers dominated this game. So I'm hoping that this was just a.

[Mike Wright]

By the packers, you mean Aaron Jones, right?

[Jason Moore]

Whatever. I'm hoping that this is. He tweaked it. There's no reason to put Devonte Adams back in a re aggravation. It increased probability of re aggravating it. Let him rest. This game is done. Move on to next week.

[Mike Wright]

Kenny Golladay's missed the first two weeks with a hamstring injury. Mike Evans missed week one with a hamstring injury. Something we'll be monitoring all week long. By the way, here's a. Here's a hot stat. Adam Leviton. On Saturday, Chicago gave Tariq Cohen $17 million. He played 32% of snaps, had six touches.

[Andy Holloway]

They were excellent. Six.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Yeah. Mike's throw. Mike's throwing his playing cards again. I tweeted when this extension is Adam Gaze in training because that's what it feels like with Matt Nagy over there in Chicago. That being said, been playing some okay football. So, yep, Drew Locke will miss two to six weeks with a sprained AC joint. Jeff Driscoll didn't look that bad.

[Jason Moore]

Arthur.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, Driscoll is back. I got a plan. I can't believe he's back. Cortland Sutton. Oh, my gosh. I didn't know this.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, this, this just happened as we started the show. I got a sleeper alert on it. So Cortland Sutton was coming back from his shoulder injury. He exited early with a knee injury. And now according to at James Palmer tv, he's getting an mri. There is more concern about the severity of the knee injury. So this is absolutely a wait and see. We have no confirmed news to report other than you better pay attention to.

[Mike Wright]

The news on Cortland Sutton scheduled for an MRI today. Could be significant.

[Andy Holloway]

We'll see the 49ers no matter what. You've got a hurt shoulder, a hurt knee, and a backup quarterback. That's if everything goes well. That's if the MRI comes back and says, good, it's not torn. It's not been a good month for the Broncos.

[Mike Wright]

They almost came back and won that game. I mean, Driscoll looked no different than locked to me. He had a plan and he executed. The 49ers survived the new York jets on the scoreboard, but physically, Jimmy Garoppolo missed the second half with the high ankle sprain. He's going to miss a week. So you have Mullins again. Raheem Mostert suffered a mild MCL sprain. Tevin Coleman exited the game with a knee injury. Nick Bosa tore his ACL. Most likely hugely impactful injuries to the 49ers. Jericho McKinnon is going to be part of the show tomorrow. We don't know how bad the injury is for Tevin Coleman. Raheem Mostert, it's a mild MCL sprain. I don't know if I'm sure you guys Both saw the 80 yard touchdown. Of course, on the first play of the game, that was the fastest.

[Jason Moore]

He broke his own record.

[Mike Wright]

He broke his own record. This is the fastest play in five years.

[Andy Holloway]

How did this guy go undrafted?

[Jason Moore]

That's. Jason and I were talking about this watching the game of how did the NFL miss so badly? And it wasn't. He didn't just go undrafted. He. It took him forever to earn his way up. I mean, some teams he was here, they're never getting any snaps. And then he finally gets this opportunity. How does, how does a player this good. I mean, this. A player who can make these types of special plays just go unnoticed in training camp.

[Mike Wright]

This is, this is why the 40 is such a sham in so many ways.

[Jason Moore]

Sure.

[Mike Wright]

Put pads on a player. I mean, Raheem Mostert just set the record for the last five years. That's faster than any Tyreek Hill play. That's faster than any play by any of these other record setters. No John Ross runs or anything like that. Put pads on them and have them run because apparently most are faster than all of them. I couldn't believe he got the edge and just disappeared. But now he's got the MCL sprain and we're, we're going to be, to.

[Jason Moore]

Be fair to the 40 yard dash, he ran a 4, 4, 2. So he was already very fast.

[Mike Wright]

Fair, Fair enough. Yeah. I imagine he wasn't slow on that one. And the pads get off.

[Jason Moore]

He ran a 5, 2.

[Mike Wright]

I don't know what happened when the pads get on. No, but, but look, do you have the 49ers matchup for next week?

[Jason Moore]

We can grab that.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, get me that matchup because you're going to have Nick Mullins, you're going to have Jerick McKinnon, the Giants. Okay. So they'll be fine. Great. I was going to say maybe you pick a defense to start against these guys so they, they go down to injury and they get Jets Giants back to back. Okay, cool. Well, that'll be an interesting matchup. All right. This was huge news. Nobody saw it coming because apparently it happened just before game time. Tyrod Taylor aggravated or suffered a chest injury before kickoff. The actual. You know, we were prepared after hearing this that this was more of a wink, wink injury.

[Jason Moore]

Sure.

[Mike Wright]

Because you want to get Justin Herbert in there. Okay. No big deal. It's. Yeah, he's. He's hurting, right? He's hurting. And it would have been par for the course with Baker Mayfield coming in when Tyrod was in Cleveland. But from what we're hearing, you know, prior to kickoff Tyra Taylor experienced difficulty breathing, was taken to the locker room, then transported to a local hospital. He's been discharged. Anthony Lynn came out and said, if he's 100%, he'll be our starter. Seems like right now, if I had to put my money on it, Justin Herbert's going to start another week.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. What's wild to me is, you know, got to be balanced here. Showered absolute praise upon Anthony Lynn over the off season. Hard Knocks looks like an incredible man. There is some weird decision making going on from the punt in overtime when you have fourth and short of your. We're trying to, quote, extend the game instead of, quote, win the game. That's a quote from Mike Wright. And then your rookie, your. The future of your franchise almost beats Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. And you're. Instead of just saying, we're going to evaluate, you're like all in on. On Tyrod who couldn't move the ball at all in week one against a really bad Bengals team.

[Mike Wright]

The most likely thing here is that Tyrod misses another week. Herbert's okay, and they decide to go forward with Herbert regardless of injury.

[Andy Holloway]

Herbert impressed me. This, you know, this is a situation where he didn't get, you know, he wasn't the entire first team rep in practice. He was not prepared to come in and be the starter that game.

[Mike Wright]

And he could throw the football.

[Andy Holloway]

He played very well. So, yeah, I agree with you, Andy. I do think Herbert will probably secure the job rest of season.

[Mike Wright]

If he does, it will be the best thing for Austin Eckler. It will be the best thing for Keenan Allen. Yeah. All right, Will Fuller. Hey, here we go. We're back. Hamstring injury in the second quarter.

[Jason Moore]

Yep.

[Mike Wright]

Supposedly came back out on the field after halftime as a mist that was never targeted.

[Jason Moore]

Yep. So, Brad, it'll be Brandon Cooks moving forward as the one for the team.

[Mike Wright]

And obviously very tough matchup this week with Baltimore, but nobody really did much on that side of the ball. They could have used DeAndre Hopkins, Cam Acres, rib injury in the first quarter. Darrell Henderson came out and looked outstanding.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, this is a mess, man. This. This Rams backfield is a disaster.

[Mike Wright]

I took McVeigh at his word in towards the back half of the right before the season started that he really wanted to use all three backs. And so it looks like Henderson, Malcolm Brown, who got goal line opportunities they didn't cash in on, and now Cam Akers with the injury. I mean, that's going to be a tough situation.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, very difficult.

[Mike Wright]

Somebody will produce sure. In that position.

[Jason Moore]

But who and which week? Good luck.

[Mike Wright]

And that's why we spin the wheel of random for that back.

[Jason Moore]

Random.

[Mike Wright]

No. Oh, okay.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's, that's the random backfield. I love it. Well done, Mike. That's.

[Mike Wright]

That's good for our show.

[Jason Moore]

That's what I'm here for.

[Mike Wright]

Sterling Shepard exited early with a toe injury, potentially turf toe. MRI today.

[Jason Moore]

If it's turf toe, Sterling shepherd will miss a few weeks.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Paris Campbell, carted off the field with a leg injury. Did not tear his acl. MRI today. Sammy Watkins, he received his first catch of the game in the fourth quarter and immediately was concussed.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it was a bad hit. It was a bad hit.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Brashad Perryman exited early with an ankle injury. Chris Hogan exited with a rib injury. And this is all after Galladay Godwin, A.J. brown Kittle, Lindsey Crowder Doyle and James White. Who thoughts and prayers of James White family. Absolutely tragic news, the passing of his father. And that was on the hearts and minds of everybody watching last night's game. So, yeah, it's, this is why, Jason, and we say on the show, you don't win your league at the draft because best laid plans get laid out in the middle of the week and you have to pivot, you have to adjust. Depth is crucial for your fantasy roster. And learning how to work the waiver wire, trade with your league mates and position yourself. You know what you're going to have to do now is you're going to have to pick up players tomorrow on the waiver show and you're going to have to play matchups. And we're getting more data, we're getting more information. That's part of why we have the stream finder tool on jointhefoot.com and we've got strength to schedule data that is now starting to accumulate. And yes, we're only two weeks in, but it's two more weeks than we had when the season began. So this is when you start to outwork your league mates and you can, you can really find an advantage. And we're going to try to help as much as we can. All right, before we get into the studs.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, some good news finally.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, studs. That's, that's good news. Those are, those are good players. We want to thank today's sponsor, lightstream. You don't need to be an expert to know that consolidating credit card debt into one low fixed rate can save you cash. Start saving today with a credit card consolidation loan from Lightstream. Lightstream's fixed rate credit card consolidation loans start at 5.95% APR with autopay and excellent credit lower than the average credit card interest rate of over 19%. And get a loan from 5,000 to $100,000 with absolutely no fees and the application is 100% online. You can even get your money as soon as the day that you apply. Lightstream believes that people with good credit deserve a great interest rate and no fees. That's what they deliver my listeners. Our listeners can save even more with an additional interest rate discount. The only way to get the discount is to go to lightstream.com footballers that's L I G H T S T R e a m.com footballers Subject credit approval rate includes 0.5% auto pay discount terms and conditions apply and offers are subject to change without notice. Visit lightstream.comfootballers for more information. All right, it's time for some studs.

[Andy Holloway]

This week's fantasy stud muffins.

[Mike Wright]

All right, Jason.

[Andy Holloway]

I am a stud muffin. If.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, no. You're a chef.

[Mike Wright]

You're a chef. Everybody knows it, baby.

[Andy Holloway]

He was back there cooking.

[Mike Wright]

Pow.

[Andy Holloway]

Emeril Lagasse just Russell Wilson throwing everyone a touchdown. It was unbelievable. And they should have lost the game.

[Mike Wright]

It was. It's just another Seahawks Patriots battle. I mean, just down to the wire, interesting play call at the end. I just kept thinking, Russ comes out on top because of course I kept.

[Andy Holloway]

Thinking like, you know, you're Pete Carroll. You win these games, you're a defense and run the ball team. Now you're letting Russ cook and you score a ton of points, but you're not controlling the time of possession as much. And all of a sudden you're here ready to lose this game with Russ having five touchdowns. So I'm just hoping they, they don't close the kitchen, you know, leave it open, let him do his magic. Also this week, I believe they play against the Cowboys. That'll be fun.

[Mike Wright]

Well, yeah, Russ with five touchdowns. You know, to be fair and balanced, this was a mistake to let him throw at the end of the game. I mean, they could have put this game away by running the football. If you don't trust Chris Carson to get a yard, you launch it down the field, you give the ball back and you could have lost.

[Jason Moore]

The only thing I will say for the it look, it absolutely looks like he's cooking and Russell Wilson could do this. So I promise this is not me here trying to throw a start a grease fire in the chef's Kitchen. Oh, he only threw the ball 28 times. Now Russell Wilson, this is what he can do. He can throw five touchdowns on 28 attempts. But 28. 28 attempts is not 35 to 40. So you know, like he. This isn't full cooking yet. To me this is. Russell Wilson is just one of. He's a top three quarterback in the NFL.

[Mike Wright]

His efficiency is so incredible. Yes, it's so incredible. Pretty much two perfect games. MVP front runner right now.

[Jason Moore]

Well, he's got some competition.

[Mike Wright]

Joshua Allen.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, the Stallion. Excellent. Josh Allen, my friend.

[Mike Wright]

What do you think so far, Mike?

[Jason Moore]

I am blown away. Like he. The, the. The change of philosophy like you want to talk about, they've changed to let someone cook. They're letting Josh Allen cook. This is not the cromwony Buffalo Bills of last year of the last couple years. I mean they're letting Josh Allen open it up over 400 yards. Passing yards. Not rushing yards, passing yards. For Josh Allen, he's completing I think over 70% of his passes.

[Mike Wright]

Like how many interceptions in two games?

[Jason Moore]

Oh my goodness. Is he at zero?

[Mike Wright]

Zero. Listen to this, listen to this. 700 plus passing yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions through the first two weeks of a season in history. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen. Only four players in history.

[Jason Moore]

I am absolutely shocked in a great way by the improvements that Josh Allen has made and the tip of the cap, sir. You are.

[Mike Wright]

I don't want this to go south, so can we just wrap the season right now? I made my Allen MVP prediction and I just want to wrap it after two weeks, please.

[Andy Holloway]

It looks impressive. He's still, he's still running the ball. So the fantasy points are just, oh my God. Seemingly endless right now. You. There were all the questions coming into this season, who's going to take that Pat Mahomes, Lamar Jackson leap? The common answer was Kyler, but Kyler will, you know, he cost you a fifth round pick. Josh Allen might be the correct answer. By the end of the season.

[Jason Moore]

They did have to come back against the Miami Dolphins.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, yeah. The Dolphins kept it very competitive. Dak Prescott. It was a bad start and a great finish. 450 passing yards, three rushing touchdowns. He is the first player in NFL history with 400 passing yards and three rushing touchdowns in a single game.

[Jason Moore]

That was a, that was a freaking wild game.

[Mike Wright]

It was absolutely incredible. What was that on Thoughts and prayers to the Falcons fans.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, the. Look, here's the stat here. This was from adam Schefter since 1933.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, the good old days.

[Jason Moore]

That's where we're taking it back. The Falcons are the first team since 1933 to lose a game while scoring 39 points and zero turnovers. Up until Sunday, teams were 440 and oh.

[Mike Wright]

440 and oh is a decent record. Holy moly.

[Jason Moore]

This ain't no who. What was the stat we had last week?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, this ain't no Gardner Minshew. The first. Yeah, what was it like the first.

[Jason Moore]

Week while he wore mismatching socks?

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

Added one untied cleat. No, this is ridiculous. That is. That's. Isn't Dan Quinn a defensive coach?

[Mike Wright]

Just think of the. Look, what matters.

[Jason Moore]

Come on, man.

[Mike Wright]

If Chicago or if the Cowboys don't win this game in miraculous fashion, they have to go play Seattle. Yeah, look, I mean, in Seattle, next week, they could have started 0 and 3. Cam Newton, Monster, monster game.

[Jason Moore]

Let me. Let me ask you guys, are you. Are we back? Are we back? Are we all in on this?

[Mike Wright]

It was just normal Cam Newton.

[Jason Moore]

I know, but we were talked about last week.

[Mike Wright]

I'm saying that as a compliment. I'm saying if you. If you ask before the season, what do you want to see? You say, I want to see booty scoot and Cam Newton. I don't want to see some, you know, vague shadow of the past. You know, I tell you what is not almost 400 yards passing.

[Jason Moore]

That's what's not Booty scooting is. He put up nearly 400 passing yards to go with his 11 rushing attempts. And the Patriots have showed their hand of. Once the ball is inside the five, there is a plan. Yeah, it is the same play, or it's the same formation every time. You have the one running back in the backfield, and then he scoots up into a fullback position and Cam Newton figures it out. Now, unfortunately, unfortunately, he got tripped up. Cam Newton made an incorrect read on the final run. If he had just gone outside, I believe he would have waltzed right into the end zone. But the fact that this is the plan for Booty Scooting, I mean, he's.

[Mike Wright]

Got four rushing touchdowns in two weeks.

[Andy Holloway]

I was going to say, if he finishes the season with 32 rushing touchdowns, the way that they. When they get down near the goal line, the fact that it's just always the same thing, and it's working 75% of the time.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, if he. If he has 20 rushing touchdowns this year, I'm not going to be shocked. Which is a shocking number.

[Mike Wright]

Cam passed a rush for 444 of the 464 yards that the team accumulated.

[Jason Moore]

Nice.

[Mike Wright]

That's insane. Matt Ryan in monster Fantasy Day, Kyler Murray great again and he went to 286 and one through the air, eight for 67 and two on the ground and ended up the quarterback five on the week because of these other monster performance.

[Jason Moore]

Crazy week.

[Mike Wright]

Has Detroit, Carolina and the jets the next three weeks.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yes.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, Kyler is set up to succeed Tannehill. Another very impressive week without A.J. brown looks great.

[Jason Moore]

And unfortunately for Ryan Tannehill, he runs into the juggernaut next week that is the Minnesota Vikings defense.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I would start Ryan Tannehill stream of the week.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know if you can stream him anymore.

[Mike Wright]

Well, he's got Pittsburgh and Buffalo the next two weeks after that. So this might be your final stream of.

[Jason Moore]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

My point is, I think he's. He should be rostered at this point. Since week seven last year, he's been great for fantasy football. Let me check. Oh, every single week he's just, he's dominant. He should be rostered and to the point where. Yeah, he's got a difficult schedule coming up. I think I would play him in those games.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, got some regression coming in terms of he's been responsible for all the touchdowns. I think Derek Henry has none on the year so far. No rushing touchdowns from Derek Henry.

[Jason Moore]

But I asked Jason this question.

[Mike Wright]

24 passing attempts.

[Jason Moore]

Because this is, this is not a panic alarm by any means about Derek Henry because he's, he's getting what, 27.

[Mike Wright]

Carries a game, second most rushing yards in football.

[Jason Moore]

But it's. That is, that's not the normal Derek Henry way that he has accumulated those type of rushes. I mean, we have not seen any big plays. We aren't seeing huge lanes for maybe.

[Mike Wright]

Draw some attention to the O line differences.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, the offensive line was the big question for Henry. Will it be as strong. Now this is also vintage Derek Henry that the man just grows in strength as the winter approaches. He feeds on the cold. Like if you look at his first half versus second half, the abominable Derek Henry. Yes, he, yes, he has some snowman going on there. But. And then it's. I asked Jason, I'm like, just, is there any concern for the high end? Are we, are we going to get like multiple high end games where you're like, yeah, Derek Henry locked in, top three type of a guy?

[Mike Wright]

I think so. Jason, I don't know what you think. I think we'll get some of Those two, three touchdown games.

[Jason Moore]

And will you get them with the frequency that you drafted Derek Henry to be?

[Mike Wright]

What do you think, Jay?

[Andy Holloway]

No, my, my answer was this is, this is great. He's having bad games for what you're hoping, and he's great. So his, his floor is so high and you're definitely going to get those games that, where he's got two or three touchdowns. I mean, there's just no way. They don't happen. Especially when, you know, it's a, it's a really soft defense that Derek Henry can run right through. And like I said, as the winter's coming, Derek Yeti is going to be unbelievable.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, my God.

[Jason Moore]

Jacksonville was supposed to be that soft defense and he carried the ball 25 times for 3.3 a carry.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, but Jacksonville hasn't been. I mean, that was.

[Mike Wright]

They've been better than we expected.

[Andy Holloway]

A horrific defense coming into the year, but the first two weeks they've shown that they're. They're not the trash can that projections had them. This is why we talk about strength of schedule prior to the season. There's too many people, you know, 11 guys on the field. It's not like you can predict one player to be better or worse. And the Jaguars aren't as bad as we had thought.

[Mike Wright]

I want to give a shout out honorable mention at the quarterback position, by the way. Mahomes ended up with a great game after just being stifled for the first three quarters. Gardner Minshew, 30 for 45, 339 passing yards, three touchdowns, two picks. That one at the end of the game, off the tip pass. Unfortunate, but competitive again. I mean, they were driving down the field with an opportunity there. Minshew's been great.

[Jason Moore]

Miami, Cincinnati, Houston, the next three. Those are the next three matchups for Gardner.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Not intimidating at all at the running back position. It belongs. Well, the king of the week was Aaron Jones.

[Jason Moore]

My goodness.

[Mike Wright]

18 for 168, eight targets, four catches, 68 yards and a touchdown through the air. Some of these receptions were the stuff of epic wide receivers. I mean, he was unbelievable.

[Andy Holloway]

If you're Jones, you won. I mean, it would be so difficult to have lost with that level of a game.

[Mike Wright]

And you would need Dan Quinn as your head coach to lose with Aaron Jones.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

[Andy Holloway]

Don't you apologize. That's what Dan Quinn deserves at this point.

[Jason Moore]

It's a good one.

[Mike Wright]

Tyrod Taylor considered week to week with the chest injury.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

So, yeah, we might not see him again. Yeah, you're right. Aaron Jones was unbelievable. And you start to believe the touchdown numbers are just going to be there. New Orleans, Atlanta, the bye week. The next three weeks for Jones, Chubb and Kareem and Kareem Hunt from Thursday. Big weeks. McCaffrey had a nice week before the injury. David Montgomery, who I think was Mike's taking it to 100 player this week.

[Jason Moore]

Yep.

[Mike Wright]

He went out with an injury in this game and still ended up 16 for 82, 3 for 45, and a touchdown through the air.

[Jason Moore]

And now that.

[Mike Wright]

This is a good touchdown, too.

[Jason Moore]

This is now two weeks that David Montgomery has on film looked good as well. So the volume is there. We are grateful that he's returned from the neck injury because when you hear neck injury, you go, that's not good. But seems like he's all right. And he looks. He looks solid. And he gets to play Atlanta next week.

[Mike Wright]

All right. Ronald Jones was looking solid and then he fumbled.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Leonard Fournette came in, went 12 for 103 and 2. Five targets, four catches, 13 yards.

[Jason Moore]

How long was that? The big touchdown?

[Mike Wright]

It was like a. Yeah, it was long.

[Jason Moore]

Not to take it away from him, but just you. Like when you say 100 yards, you go, wow, he was tearing him up.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. I don't know how long that one was, but he was. He did enough. And then you combine that with what? Rojo. The fumble, and you are incomplete. Who knows what Bruce is going to do now.

[Jason Moore]

I'm out, man. I'm out.

[Andy Holloway]

You're out on all options, including Fournette?

[Jason Moore]

Yes, that is correct. I will take the lumps if Leonard Fournette does actually emerge and he is the guy. I will take that. L. But right now, I am throwing the smoke bomb down and I am out.

[Mike Wright]

Well, here's the thing, Mike. Leonard Fournette could fumble.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, exactly. I'm out.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I get it. I think this is one of the rarest occasions of the start of the week. Ronald Jones still working out and yet maybe losing his job.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Ridiculous.

[Mike Wright]

Unpredictable Montgomery. I talked about the big game. James Robinson 16 for 102 and 1.

[Andy Holloway]

He looked good, right? Yes. He's breaking tackles. He's getting chunk plays. He's the clear. You know, he's got that role on lockdown. You know, he was a huge waiver wire pickup, and I think he retains the job the rest of the season. I'm not worried about Divino Zigbo or Raquel Armstead if they come back. He's just looked too good. And the Jaguars have been Playing well, like what? Why would they go away from him at this point?

[Mike Wright]

He was down to 51% of snaps. He was up at 68% in week one. Looked great, like you said. Do you try to pick him up with that soft schedule Mike mentioned about Gardner? It's Miami, Cincinnati, Houston, James Robinson. You feel like in a dynasty league or someplace like that, you could go and acquire him on the cheap.

[Jason Moore]

It would have to be crazy cheap, though. The undrafted free agents, we see them from time to time come out or, you know, journeyman running backs that come out, they have a magical year. I'm not taking a long term look at Robinson.

[Mike Wright]

You wouldn't give up a one?

[Jason Moore]

No. Oh, no.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, never. I would not either.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, man. No, no.

[Mike Wright]

All right. I think I know your opinion on it. I'm not sure you're offering.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, look, if someone offers me a one for James Robinson, they won't even be able to finish sending the offer because I will have already accepted it.

[Mike Wright]

James Connor 16 for 106 and one.

[Jason Moore]

This is the moment of the show we've all been waiting for, where Andy Holloway drafts James Conner. He's in one week. Happens. James Conner tweaks his ankle. We're not completely sure that the injury is what kept him out, but James Conner was. James Connor missed the rest of the game. Week one. All this chatter through the, off, through the, through the week that James Conner.

[Andy Holloway]

Who do.

[Jason Moore]

Who are we starting? Connor, you starting snell? James Connor 16 for 106 on the ground with a touchdown, two targets. Andy, are you back in? What are you doing with James Conner?

[Mike Wright]

No, I'm not. I'm not back in. But because he's a difficult player to roster and start. But this is what we were saying. Well, first of all, during the week, we said start James Connor. Mike, you were very. You said that'd be the player to play in that backfield. And last week, when in the world became, you know, lifted Benny Snell on their shoulders and walked him through the streets.

[Jason Moore]

It was very Rudy like moment.

[Mike Wright]

I have never supported James Connor, but I immediately tweeted, here's what's going to happen. And it's exactly what happened, Mike. You made the point. James Conner, they want to use somebody on all three downs. They want somebody that's out there that they know that they can pass the ball to. And that's not Benny Snell. Benny Snell scored negative fantasy points this week.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. This is two weeks in a row where Benny Snell has fumbled the ball.

[Mike Wright]

And Mike, this is James Conner's backfield right now.

[Jason Moore]

Mike Tomlin is not a Bruce Arians level coach where it's like one fumble and you're look, guess, guess who's not playing the rest of the game. But he gets very upset by the fumble. So moving forward it's James Conner.

[Mike Wright]

Now he can still get hurt because that's one of his specialties. He knows how to do that and that's what makes him hard to roster and hard to start and hard to count on. But with the fumble by Snell, the limited work, three touches in the game and James Conner actually producing for fantasy is 100% his backfield this week.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's going to be great until he's injured. I mean that's, that's James Conner and then he will. But he will be, you know, injured in some game. Some players can play through injury. It just seems like James Conner can't.

[Jason Moore]

Jason, are you riding it out or like are you throwing the dice if you have James Conner right now or are you taking this moment to get out?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I would probably trade him. Look, to sell high. I don't, I mean, let me, let me tell you that I think you're fine to, you know, to roster him to start him, but you're always playing with fire the injury fire when you start James Conner.

[Mike Wright]

I will say this, there was no one that I came in contact with last week that believed in James Conner because I tried to trade him to all of them and nobody wanted to bank on a bounce back from James Conner because it's a tough place to be banking on James Conner. But right now, Houston next week, he's, he's 100% star worthy. Miles Sanders 2495 and a touchdown after kind of a rocky start to the game. Seven targets really looked great to me. Cincinnati next week.

[Jason Moore]

And he was, he was the guy. He was the bell cow by far.

[Mike Wright]

Workload went up for Chris Carson. Great touchdown reception. 17 for 72 on the ground. I love seeing the workload go up. He's playing great. And then Jonathan Taylor season arrived. 26 for 1 on 1 and 12 targets 9 yards has the jets the Bears in Cleveland. He is a locked and loaded RB1 correct. All right. Calvin Ridley, welcome to the party. Who know he's great. He's great. He's a great wide receiver. What's funny, his routes are silly again.

[Jason Moore]

Interesting part about fantasy football and I guess just all of like prognosticating making projections is sometimes when things are so chalk, they're so chalky. So Locked in of like it's so obvious. You feel like I have to pivot because it is just so obvious.

[Mike Wright]

And you more than most.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, look, I've contrarian. We did not pivot from this chalk of Calvin Ridley. The offseason chatter is he the this year's Chris Godwin? I mean that some people felt that contrarian spelling him and had to bail if he did. Eggs on your face because Calvin Ridley. We may have another buccaneer situation where Calvin Ridley is actually going to be the higher scoring fantasy player over Julio Jones for the Atlanta Falcons.

[Mike Wright]

Ten targets, seven for 109 and two.

[Jason Moore]

He's the only one who can catch touchdowns.

[Mike Wright]

Well, and you start to. I mean that, you know, Matt Ryan struggles down there. You know, Julio's not the first read down there and Ridley is just. He's got. He's so shifty.

[Jason Moore]

Very bizarre.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, Julio had end zone targets. He just. Whenever Matt Ryan targets Julio in the end zone, he doesn't get the ball near him. It makes no sense.

[Mike Wright]

Here is a player playing very well, Stefan Diggs.

[Jason Moore]

Yep.

[Mike Wright]

13 targets, 8 for 153. One has made a humongous difference in Buffalo.

[Jason Moore]

I'm sorry, Mr. Diggs.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, this might just be the.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I am. The crow has been devoured through two weeks.

[Mike Wright]

He's been outstanding and one of the biggest steals in fantasy drafts. Terry McLaurin, 10 targets, seven for 125 and one. He's a great wide receiver.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

If he had a better quarterback, we would be talking even more about him.

[Jason Moore]

If he had a better quarterback, he would be a top 10.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, they. Because he was missed on. He was always open. There wasn't another wide receiver to for the Cardinals to try to defend. And here he was still putting up 7 for 125. The game script for Washington is going to be one where they're down very often. So he's got Cleveland, Baltimore, the Rams coming up. Edelman looked amazing in this game. Surprised at his production with Cam Newton. Eight for 179.

[Jason Moore]

179. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

That's a career high.

[Jason Moore]

When a player puts up their most receiving yards of their career with their brand new quarterback and not with the greatest quarterback of all time, then yes, I am. Consider me very surprised.

[Mike Wright]

All right, let me ask you guys real quick as we finish. Wide receivers, are you in on DK Metcalf? 4 for 92 and a touchdown.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Are you in on the target leader in each of the first two weeks for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Deontay Johnson, 13 targets 8 for 92 and a touchdown.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes to 100.

[Jason Moore]

Yep, I am in.

[Mike Wright]

John Brown, 4 for 82 and a touchdown this week. Still getting it done over the last two weeks despite the fun digs.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that one's still difficult to fully buy into. I mean I don't. Jay, where are you on John Brown?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I see him as a flex option but I'm not someone that I'm going to just rely on week in and week out. If it looks like it's a high over under, there's going to be good passing volume or a matchup that I like, then I think he'll be in flex consideration at the end of the year. He'll be okay, but he's not a. He's not someone that I even have to roster. He's someone that I can play the kind of stream at wide receiver. If I need to drop him for a running back pickup, I would.

[Mike Wright]

I see DJ Morin here as a stud. 13 targets, 8 for 120. But I don't want to talk about him. I want to talk about Robbie Anderson who went. Who went nine for 109. Are you in on Robbie Anderson now?

[Jason Moore]

Yes, 100%. The we've. You had to figure someone else was going to factor into this offense. It just was it. Even though he was the high priced free agent, it still seemed difficult to go in on Robbie Anderson. But both DJ Moore and Robbie Anderson will have weekly value. What happens to the targets of the top two options on this team now that Christian McCaffrey is going to miss? Tied.

[Mike Wright]

Wow. Like DJ Moore is going to be targeted even more.

[Jason Moore]

He's going to be targeted. Ton. If Robbie Anderson happened to be the kind of the waiver wire leftovers from last week, he is going to be a very high priority wide receiver.

[Mike Wright]

Ad if you don't want to call it the week of the injuries, let's call it the week of the tight end.

[Jason Moore]

Oh man. Man oh man.

[Mike Wright]

I've got so many names to get through. It's silly. Tyler Higbee. Oh, start of the week three five for 54, three touchdowns. Unbelievable. I mean they were just looking, looking to Higby around the goal line those first two and then, and then he got loose down the field for the third one. Looked great. Mike Gasicki, 11 targets, 8 for 130.

[Jason Moore]

Now his touchdown was. It was like right at the end of the game. So a bit garbage. He was already. He was still going to have a great game.

[Mike Wright]

Hit a couple highlight catches in that game.

[Jason Moore]

Yes he did.

[Mike Wright]

John New Smith, two touchdowns with A.J.

[Jason Moore]

Brown out. John who? Smith was the go to guy in the end zone.

[Mike Wright]

He's a little bit of everything. He's part wide receiver, part tight end, part running back. Jordan Reed, 7 for 50 and 2. Rule 81. Rule 81.

[Andy Holloway]

Rule 81.

[Jason Moore]

Rule 81. Go ahead.

[Andy Holloway]

Rule 81 is that if Jordan Reed is healthy and George Kittle is not, you play Jordan Reed.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, we, I was telling Jay I think we may have underestimated again. We talked. It's not something that we didn't mention the off season but Jordan Reed had a season with Kyle Shanahan. Like it's not like he didn't know what to do here.

[Mike Wright]

Can you really trust him though with Nick Mullins and that offense?

[Andy Holloway]

Giants? Yes.

[Jason Moore]

If George Kittle is out. Yeah, I think you can stream him.

[Mike Wright]

Kelsey. Big week. 14 targets, Hayden Hurst. Eight targets, five for 72 and a touchdown. This was the week you wanted to see from Hayden Hurst. Amazingly, Russell Gage also got into the end zone at the end of that game. Both of those players stole all of Julio's touchdowns.

[Jason Moore]

And who's next?

[Mike Wright]

Okay, I'm going to. Here's what I'm going to do, Mike. Here's what I'm going to do. By the way, let me throw Noah Fanta out there. Five targets, four for 57 and one. And if Sutton's down, Noah Fant is going to be a season long play at tight end. Yeah, but let me, let me, let me bring you down and then I'm going to bring you up. Okay. Okay. We're going to take you through the full range of emotions.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

Dalton Schultz.

[Jason Moore]

Who's, who is he? Andy?

[Mike Wright]

The tight end for the Dallas Cowboys.

[Jason Moore]

And why is he the starting tight end?

[Mike Wright]

Because the inferior. No, I'm just kidding. Because the injured Blake Jarwin is not available. 10 targets, nine for 88. And a touchdown for Dalton Schultz. And now we'll bring you up, Moali Cox.

[Jason Moore]

All right, we're back, baby.

[Mike Wright]

Gigantor. Six targets, five for one, 11 gigantor. Now I want you to read the stat you found. I need to hear that again, Mike.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, goodness.

[Mike Wright]

Can you look that up? I'll talk about this game for a second while you find it. Okay, Mo. Ali Cox was the last Gigantor standing in the tight end room. Has the jets, the Bears and the Browns. Are you a believer, Mr. Jason Moore?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah. I mean, look, they don't always work out when we name backups to the backups as like wait and see. But we've talked about Mo Ali Cox forever. The dude is ginormous. My strategy, my tight end, head coach strategy of one day when I become a head coach, getting some Yao Ming type of player where I can just throw it up four yards down the field over and over and over. You can do that with Mo Ali Cox, but he's actually going downfield.

[Mike Wright]

Could you do that with the actual Yao Ming at this point? Because you're just looking for height, right?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I'm just worried, you know, the bone density. These are some hard tackling, you know.

[Jason Moore]

The difference is Gigantor is. Is a sturdy man.

[Mike Wright]

Six seven, two, seven five.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Mike Wright]

We know when he was born.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, thank you.

[Andy Holloway]

That's right. Full head of teet.

[Mike Wright]

What's the stat? Did you find him?

[Jason Moore]

I can't follow it, but I find it. But I can summarize it. It was the.

[Mike Wright]

The probably didn't tattoo it.

[Jason Moore]

The Pro Football Focus grade that Mo Ali Cox hit this past week was the highest tight end grade for a single game that a tight end has received since 2017. A game that Rob Gronkowski put up.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. So, I mean, it's always impressive.

[Jason Moore]

For what it's worth, it's a pff grade. But Mo Ali Cox was awesome. I don't know if he can keep the job once Jack Doyle is back.

[Mike Wright]

He can't.

[Jason Moore]

But we will take this one week and we will celebrate. And we will always remember the week that Gigantor went hamburger.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. When you think of Blake Jarwin, just move that thought to Mo Ali Cox.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, by the way, anytime Dalton Schultz has a good game, I take full credit. That would have been a Blake Jarwin game.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I know. I know you will. We always say it's talent and opportunity for Mo Ali. It's size and opportunity. And he finally got the opportunity this week. Let's just spend a few moments on this week's Stinkers.

[Andy Holloway]

Stinkers of the Week, presented by Odor Eaters.

[Mike Wright]

All right, we're two weeks in. So when I mentioned some of these stinkers, I want to know whether or not we should be sounding the panic alarm. Two weeks worth of data, information, eyeballs on these players on the field. Kirk Cousins in this Minnesota offense. Kirk Cousins had one of the worst days I've ever seen in quarterback have. He was negative fantasy points.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, you need to be. I mean, Kirk Cousins wasn't really drafted to be your guy. If you drafted him. Was more than likely in a two quarterback league. But even in a two quarterback league, man, you. You got to put him on the bench and see if the Vikings can write the ship.

[Mike Wright]

Carson Wentz.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, he did not look good. This is basically after Andy tweeted week one about how great Carson Wentz looked.

[Mike Wright]

Don't blame me.

[Andy Holloway]

He stunk from then on out. He just, I mean, he's playing, he's playing poorly.

[Mike Wright]

And I tried to reverse that. I tweeted when D Jacks had no Djax had no, like targets in the game at all into the second half. Ended up leading the team in receptions and yards. But this is not an offense that's functioning right now.

[Andy Holloway]

No. I would take the same approach with Kirk Cousins. He should be on the bench right now.

[Mike Wright]

Todd Gurley, 21 for 61, no targets.

[Jason Moore]

Woof. I mean, the snaps did go up, but we're seeing Brian Hill on the field a good amount. We're seeing Judge Ito Smith on the field is including red zone work.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I saw that. It was not pretty.

[Andy Holloway]

There were so many opportunities down inside the 10 yard line where Todd Gurley wasn't on the field. It was. This is a real concern. Todd Gurley is going. He's going to get the carries that aren't that valuable for fantasy. He needs the touchdowns to, you know, like, like he had week one. Otherwise he's not going to be good because for some reason he is really not involved in the passing game at all.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you're right. I mean, when we talked about vacated targets there, they've gone to Hayden Hurst and Russell Gage.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, that is correct.

[Mike Wright]

David Johnson, any concern? 11 for 34.

[Jason Moore]

I think you have to have concern the fact that David Johnson plays the Pittsburgh Steelers next week.

[Mike Wright]

I think you almost have to bench.

[Jason Moore]

Him and Houston will. Their line is not up to the task that is managing the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I think what you saw week one was that David Johnson's going to be fine. But it is a little bit of a matchup issue both this week against Baltimore and next week against Pittsburgh. Those two are going to be bad games, but I'm not concerned season long.

[Mike Wright]

I think he had 100% of the work.

[Jason Moore]

I think you can consider either trying to trade for him right now, like trading low. Of course I'm not, you know.

[Mike Wright]

Or next week.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, or. That's what I was going to say. You can either do it now, see if the manager who has David Johnson is perturbed at week two, or you can even wait another week and be like, okay, remember when we were talking trade? I'm still willing to trade for David Johnson because after the Pittsburgh Steelers Minnesota, Jacksonville. Juicy matchups for David Johnson.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And Melvin Gordon did end up getting into the end zone against Pittsburgh. Through the end. A dime. Beautiful.

[Jason Moore]

A beautiful pass and a beautiful reception by Melbourne. Yeah, he's all right.

[Mike Wright]

This was the stinker that everyone wants to hear us talk about. Naim Hines. 00 carries, one target. I played nine total snaps. They gave the entire backfield to Jonathan Taylor.

[Jason Moore]

I don't, I have no idea, I have no idea what happened unless Frank Reich just took the situation of well game. Marlon Mack is out of the way. Great news for me because I want Jonathan Taylor to do everything now. It was game script. The game script was not one where they're having to pass very much as seen by Jonathan Taylor's targets. Where two, two receptions for him, I believe we said. And in a norm, in a more competitive game, even Jonathan Taylor is going to see more targets than that from Philip Rivers. So this is. I'm not, I'm not going to rage drop Hines, but you.

[Mike Wright]

That's what people are asking, do I drop him after spending all that fab on.

[Jason Moore]

I'm going to bench him. Jason, what are you doing?

[Andy Holloway]

Well, you've got one great week and one bad week. So you're saying what, what do I do? What's normal? And I think that normal is going to be not, not the two touchdown week one. But I do think Naim Hines will be involved in the passing game. The issue is it's not going to be this week against the New York jets where again the, you know, the Colts are going to be up. It's going to be a Jonathan Taylor game. So do you want to hold on to Hines as this pass catching PPR flex worthy back or do you want to go, you know, make a move after someone? If you need a spot start this week, you know, would you rather pick up a Mike Davis or someone like that? And really it's going to be team dependent. But I don't think Hines is going to be completely uninvolved like he was this week after next week.

[Mike Wright]

It's a good point. I mean with all the injuries that are happening, I imagine you need the depth at running back. But if you need a start, this week is like you said, that it's going to be another Jonathan Taylor week against the Jets. Maybe all of the weeks will be Jonathan Taylor weeks with that workload that was. He almost had 20 carries in the first half. Do you realize that?

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I think he had 18 so. And he looked good. He looked good. And you have, you can just do more with him. So any worries about the disappointing Clyde Edwards? A lair game. Eight targets in this one. That was nice to see.

[Jason Moore]

Not, not really the Kansas City offense really as a conglomeration. We're bad. I know. And Mahomes saved his day towards the end and so did Tyreek hill with the 50 yard touchdown. But it was divisional game against the Chargers.

[Mike Wright]

Every time they play the Chargers, they.

[Jason Moore]

Just, they were very, very flat. Nothing was happening, no magic was going on.

[Mike Wright]

Any concern over Kenyan Drake's Week 20 carries?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I would say no. Jason, where are you on Kenyan Drake?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I mean, look, I'm watching these games just wanting him to break something off, do something special, have a fantasy superstar game. It hasn't happened. It's been very disappointing. But I'm again, I'm not concerned. 20 carries, his baseline is high and if he breaks something off, great. Did you guys see Kenyan Drake's tweet about fantasy football?

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

To all the fantasy football managers who are sad with my performance, please drop me and bless someone else in your league as the season goes on. So he obviously thinks he's going to have a monster season as the season goes on. But if you're telling me I get 20 carries from any running back, I'm happy to start them week in and week out, every single time because the opportunity will eventually lead to a lot of fantasy points.

[Mike Wright]

J.K. dobbins only got two carries in this game. Gus Edwards, I believe had nine, Mark Ingram had 10 or vice versa. What do you do with the backfield in Baltimore? It seems to be a true committee.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's a bit like the random backfield of Los Angeles. Mark Ingram is still the start. He ripped off like a 30 yard touchdown run on 4th and 1 or 4th and short, whatever it was. It's still Mark Ingram, but it is, it's, it's a bit of a sketchy situation going on.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I don't have a great deal of confidence in either of those players. Even though you might start them anyway because it's Baltimore. Benny Snell, if you are not the James Conner honor, what do you do with Benny Snell?

[Jason Moore]

I, I'm still holding him. If you're, if you picked up and rostered Benny Snell because of a James Conner injury, that's, that's still the plan. Is, is see if James.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's.

[Jason Moore]

He's a high leverage insurance running back.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I think tomorrow we'll talk about whether or not guys like Tony Pollard and Benny Snell and these, whether they are worth dropping for player X or player Y, because there are situations where you would drop the backup, the insurance policy for a known starter. But there's a line to draw in the sand where you go, if I don't need this player to, you know, go into my starting lineup, then I'm going to hold on to the insurance policy.

[Mike Wright]

All right. Some wide receivers that stunk this week. Tell me if you're worried about them. Julio Jones, Allen Robinson, Ty Hilton. Hollywood Brown was not great. Michael Gallup, two straight weeks of not a lot.

[Jason Moore]

I was not concerned about anybody until you brought up Michael Gallup. It has to be at least a little bit concerning for what is happening. CD Lamb is seeing more targets, a higher target percentage than Michael Gallup. Dalton Schultz saw over 20% of the targets. Schultz. Schultz final stat line was certainly inflated because of the game script of what happened to the Cowboys where they were down like three scores and had to fight and scratch their way back in, but it still was over 20% of the targets. I mean, that's not just a beefed up stat line.

[Mike Wright]

Is CD Lamb the best wide receiver on the Cowboys?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, did you just say yes?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I mean, CD Lamb was my number one wide receiver coming into the NFL draft. I think he's a superstar now. He's a rookie. He's not necessarily anywhere near where he's going to develop and become, but I mean, I believe he is a really special player.

[Mike Wright]

Are you worried about this? Ty Hilton first two weeks looks pretty bad. Dropped a 50 yard touchdown in this game.

[Jason Moore]

Let's say moderately, not a huge amount. I'm not panicking yet.

[Mike Wright]

All right, we'll talk tomorrow about Michael Pittman, Scotty Miller, the bad week. Yeah, Goose for Anthony Miller. Tight ends, Rob Gronkowski, one target.

[Jason Moore]

We keep Rob Gronkowski out of here until he does something.

[Mike Wright]

Well, people need to know if they need to cut bait. I know we said not to draft him, but yeah, people drafted him anyways.

[Andy Holloway]

I feel like the Foot Clan. Nobody who listens to the show regularly has had to deal with any Gronk worries because nobody drafted him. Nobody's been rostering him, nobody's starting them. So congratulations.

[Mike Wright]

Austin Hooper. Goodbye.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I'm out.

[Mike Wright]

Chris Herndon apparently was blocking more than any other starting tight end because you have to block if you want to give the ball to Frank Gore every play.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it is ridiculous. Go ahead, Jay.

[Andy Holloway]

Adam Gates is just so stupid, man. He's number two. Maybe not as a man, high intelligence, I don't. But as a, as a Coach, as a coach, I can't and won't trust any option. They need to fire him immediately so we can have some Jets. You know, I would be far more in on the jets offense if they were to let Adam Gase go. Now. I think by the middle of the year, some of these offensive weapons could, I don't know, find the light of day.

[Jason Moore]

So here's. It's just to, you know, because we like to pile on on Adam Gates on this show. Here are the players who out produced Chris Herndon, the player that he has said is a huge part of this offense. He couldn't stop talking about Chris Earned during the off season. Braxton Barrios, Chris Hogan, Josh Malone. And you may say, wait, those guys aren't on the New York Jets. Well, that's because you were sort of correct. They were practice squad guys who got called up so that Chris Herndon on 36% of his passing snaps could block. What are you doing?

[Mike Wright]

What would our show content be though if we didn't have Adam Gates?

[Jason Moore]

That's a fair. We kind of need him. A necessary evil.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Yeah. Feel like we're. It's like SNL and you, you need a certain like president in place to really deliver.

[Jason Moore]

You don't want it, but you kind of need it.

[Mike Wright]

Kind of need it.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. It will be a bittersweet day, but I think the day is coming soon.

[Jason Moore]

He'll get another job.

[Mike Wright]

All right, last question here. Are you moving on from Eric Ebron? Greg Olson, Austin Hooper.

[Andy Holloway]

Hooper.

[Jason Moore]

I would move on from Ebron is. I would probably drop him. I'm still holding. Go ahead, Jay.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm the Ebron truther. I would move on from Ebron. Absolutely.

[Jason Moore]

I would hold. Logan Thomas though. It didn't turn into huge production, but it was still nine targets. And at the tight end position like Zach Ertz, seven targets. Dallas Goddard, eight targets. Neither of those players.

[Mike Wright]

Honestly, Hassan's just missed him. Yeah, a bunch of times and he.

[Jason Moore]

Will continue to miss him a bunch of times.

[Mike Wright]

But.

[Jason Moore]

But you got to trust the process. If your players get in an opportunity, they're going to come through.

[Mike Wright]

Stinkers of the week presented by Odor Eaters. Odor Eaters, the best in foot odor defense. We also want to thank Pristine Auction for sponsoring the show today. Daily auctions. Look, Calvin Ridley signed Jersey $46.54.

[Jason Moore]

Get in, get in. That number's about to go up.

[Andy Holloway]

They have dollars if you use the ballers sign up code.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And they have 24 hour auctions. Everything starts at a dollar. No reserves thousands of new items every single day. Miles sanders mini speed helmet $64 use the code [e-mail] make sure you follow us on Twitter Heff Ballers if you've got a free moment today and you are feeling generous, you can give us a review over on Apple Podcasts and we will catch you up with Waiver day tomorrow. Enjoy the Monday Night Football game. Everyone stay healthy.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, stay safe out there everybody. See you tomorrow. Goodbye.

[Andy Holloway]

Thank you for listening to another episode episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter the FFballers.