FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast – Out of Bounds (Ep. 1742)

Episode Title: Fantasy Football Takeaways: Fact or Fiction + Week 5 Waiver Wire & Trade Advice
Air Date: September 30, 2025
Hosts: Joe Pisapia (“Joey P”), The Welsh, Scott Bogman
Focus: Week 4 fantasy football takeaways, waiver wire, trades, injuries, and rest-of-season strategy.

Episode Overview

This episode covers the big-picture lessons from Week 4 of the fantasy football season, answering key listener questions about roster management, future outlooks for struggling or hot players, and offering waiver/trade advice heading into Week 5. The hosts blend analysis and humor, debating whether certain teams or players are for real or fading, while dropping actionable insights to keep your fantasy team competitive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Week 4 Recap & Takeaways

• Sloppy Mistakes and Survivor Pool Heartbreaks
  • Early banter about player mishaps (specifically Adonai Mitchell dropping the ball before crossing the end zone), and survivor pool losses after upsets (e.g., Niners losing to Jaguars).
  • [02:09] Scott Bogman: “It takes a split second to not screw with the ball before you go in. Just don’t do it.”
• Injury Fallout
  • Numerous WR injuries (Malik Nabers, CeeDee Lamb, Mike Evans, Terry McLaurin, Jamar Chase’s QB woes, and more) have decimated rosters.
  • Early WR drafters are suffering; waiver-wire aggression is crucial.

2. Is the Eagles’ (and AJ Brown’s) Model Sustainable?

[04:18-07:03]

• Welsh: “They did this last year, this exact same nonsense... It is horrific for fantasy, but for real football this is what every coach dreams of.”
• A.J. Brown’s Fantasy Value:
  • Miserable month for fantasy managers; advice generally to hold, not panic-sell at a low point.
  • [05:49] Scott Bogman: “You can’t sell him with three terrible games...wait till he strings a couple good ones together.”

3. RB Spotlights – Ashton Jeanty, Woody Marks, Waiver Talk

• Ashton Jeanty’s Breakout
  • [08:37] Joe: “Chip Kelly finally realized, ‘hey, we should really get Ashton Jeanty the football a lot more’ and good things happen... not the time to sell.”
  • [09:16] Bogman: “If I’m getting Rashee Rice as the kicker, I’m all about that deal.”
• Woody Marks (Texans RB) Waiver Priority
  • [30:59, Welsh]: “He’s just more of a complete back... hard to believe he’ll have less than 15 touches a week. This is the guy moving forward.”
• Waiver Strategy Recap: Aggressive early moves (even hyper-aggressive) recommended as WR injuries pile up.

4. Quarterback Streaming & Injury Management

• Stafford’s Streaming Value
  • [09:57] Welsh: “Stafford is definitely the play here and definitely an underrated quarterback week to week.”
• Lamar Jackson Injury
  • Discussion on contingency plans, like plugging in Stafford, and adjusting rankings accordingly.

5. Rest-of-Season Debates: Trade/Cut/Hold

• AJ Brown – Wait or Move?
• Chase Brown vs. Ladd McConkey (rest-of-season hold/cut debates)
• Replacement RB/WR Priority for Injured Stars

6. Running Backs Outperforming WRs So Far

• [16:27] Bogman: “Running backs have been better somehow than the wide receivers to start the year. That’s not typically what happens.”
• Emphasis on targeting reliable ("boring but good") WRs like Amon-Ra St. Brown and Puka Nacua.

7. Handling the Injury Crisis at Wide Receiver

• Streaming and Aggressive Waivers:
  • Targeting high-upside profiles or safe floor players week-to-week.
  • Don’t compromise your primary roster or trade top RB assets unless absolutely warranted.
  • “If you're stuck or you've got those injuries, what more can you do?” — [14:43] Welsh.

8. Trade Mailbag: Listener Questions

• [36:37] Justin Jefferson – Trade for Depth
  • Welsh: “I think you should trade Justin Jefferson...try to get some more depth to this team.”
  • Go for two-for-one, balance out the roster, especially in desperation.

Notable Quotes & Times

• On the Eagles' offense:
  • [04:18] Welsh: “It is horrific for fantasy, but for real football, this is what every coach dreams of.”
• On aggressive waivers:
  • [14:43] Welsh: “Be hyper-aggressive on waivers and never complacent with your bench.”
• On WR injuries and early drafters:
  • [13:56] Joe: “Especially for the early wide receiver drafters like me, it’s been a really weird start to the season. Seems like Puka Nakua is the only real guy...AJ Brown has been more boring than safe.”
• On the RB/WR dynamic:
  • [16:27] Bogman: “Running backs have been better somehow than the wide receivers to start the year. That’s not typically what happens.”
• On trading for depth:
  • [36:46] Welsh: “You suck, unfortunately. Lovingly, I say your team sucks. So make a big change...try to get the best two package to try to pick up a win.”

Memorable Moments

• The “Cool Guy” A.J. Brown trade talk:
  • [07:03] “Two good games to then trade him for 80 cents on the dollar. That’s insanity to me.” – Welsh
• The “Limbo Game” on Ladd McConkey:
  • [23:00-24:25] The hosts compare McConkey to various low-tier WRs to see who’d they trade to get rid of him.
• “Randy Marsh with a wheelbarrow” Award:
  • [26:12] Welsh: “Ashton Jeanty just becoming Randy Marsh and pushing a bunch of footballs in a wheelbarrow and just wear. Pushing them around.”

Key Segments & Timestamps

• [04:18] – Eagles model sustainable for NFL, but disastrous for fantasy
• [08:37] – Ashton Jeanty’s Week 4 explosion and trade value
• [09:57] – Stafford as a top streaming quarterback
• [14:17] – Navigating WR injuries, streaming/waivers vs. trading
• [16:27] – RBs outperforming WRs so far in 2025
• [18:56] – Listener trade questions: Addison vs. Terry McLaurin
• [20:22] – Week 4 takeaways (Warren as TE1, Cowboys defense collapse, Quinton Johnston breakout, etc.)
• [23:00] – “Limbo Game” on how low you’d go to trade away McConkey
• [30:04] – Fact or Fiction: Chiefs “are back,” Woody Marks as lead RB, Patriots offense
• [34:19] – Jackson Dart’s post-injury fantasy outlook
• [36:37] – Deep trade mailbag: Rossi Rice, Breece Hall deals, selling Jefferson for depth

Actionable Advice

• Waivers:
  • Add Woody Marks (Texans RB), monitor Menangai (Eagles), and be proactive on rising/healthy backs.
• Trades:
  • Package struggling stars for depth if your record is suffering; consider trading high-end WRs for multiple starters.
• Streaming:
  • Matthew Stafford is a reliable, undervalued plug-in at QB.
• Rest-of-Season Strategy:
  • Manage injury risk by churning WR bench spots, and don’t be afraid to play matchups.
  • Hold A.J. Brown and Jeanty unless you get a sizable return.
• Roster Drops:
  • Move on from Lad McConkey in most leagues unless the context changes significantly.

Tone & Style

The episode is high-energy, humorous, and honest, mixing trash-talk and banter (“untradable cool guy”, “herbert just goes like, you know, Madison Beer told me to throw to Lad, so I’m going to throw the Lad a whole bunch now”) with hard-nosed analysis and actionable advice, making it both entertaining and practical for serious fantasy managers.

Summary Table – Top Takeaways by Segment

| Segment | Key Takeaways/Advice | |----------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Week 4 Recap | Injuries, upsets, and silly player mistakes abounded. WR stability is at a premium. | | Eagles/AJ Brown | Offense is real football sustainable, but unreliable for fantasy; be patient with AJB or sell only after big weeks. | | RB Breakouts & Waivers | Add Woody Marks, consider Rice/Hampton packages for Jeanty; RBs outperforming WRs is the theme so far. | | QB Streaming | Stafford undervalued, plug in while others injured. | | WR Injury Response | Aggressive waivers, streaming, and not panic trading primary RBs for “maybe” WRs is preferred. | | Trade/Rest-of-Season Mailbag | Consider trading Justin Jefferson if you need depth; look for two-for-ones to stabilize rosters with multiple injuries. | | Fact or Fiction | Chiefs not “back” yet; Marks is lead back in Houston; Geno Smith not (yet) being replaced; Pats O not fixed. | | Notable Moments | AJ Brown “cool guy” bit, Limbo/lowest trade value on Ladd, wheelbarrow Jeanty skit, owner fines for dumb “celebrations.”|

For those managing fantasy squads battered by injuries, this episode delivers sharp advice: stay aggressive on the wire, don’t undersell stars in a panic, and always look for floor-raising trades if your season is on the ropes. And never fumble the ball before crossing the end zone…or your league mates will never let you hear the end of it.

[Created for FantasyPros listeners seeking the must-know advice, moments, and strategic takeaways from the September 30, 2025 Out of Bounds episode.]