FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: Fantasy Football Takeaways: Fact or Fiction + Week 8 Waiver Wire & Trade Advice | Out of Bounds (Ep. 1786)
Date: October 21, 2025
Hosts: Joe Pisapia ("Joey P"), Scott Bogman ("Boggs"), Chris Welsh ("The Welsh")

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into Week 7 NFL games and sets the table for Week 8 of the fantasy football season. The hosts analyze key fantasy situations—especially the impact of injuries and bye weeks—debate waiver wire targets, answer listener questions, and play a spirited round of "Fact or Fiction" about pressing fantasy topics. They bring lively banter, actionable advice, and plenty of humor as they help fantasy footballers navigate a challenging, injury-riddled season.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Quarterback Turmoil: Waiver Priorities & Injury Fallout (03:35–07:24)

• QB Flux: With six quarterbacks on bye and multiple QB injuries, the hosts discuss waiver priorities for desperate managers, especially in superflex leagues.
  • Andy Dalton (likely starting for Panthers due to Bryce Young’s high ankle sprain):
    • Bogman: “40–50% [of remaining FAAB budget]—people are desperate for QBs.” (06:02)
    • Welsh: Prefers Tyrod Taylor if he starts for the Jets—“Old guys with great experience have been great this season. Look at what Joe Flacco just did.” (06:45)
  • Tyrod Taylor (possible Jets starter):
    • “If they make the switch, Taylor is probably the starter for the season.” (06:23–06:33)
  • General Advice: “If you’re desperate, you gotta unload [your FAAB]. How many more opportunities are you really going to have?” – Welsh (07:24)

2. Notable Drop Candidates: Calvin Ridley & Chris Godwin (08:23–09:06)

• Are they droppable?
  • Bogman: Would drop Ridley for Kayshawn Booty but prefers to hold Godwin due to uncertainty about his injury timeline.
  • On Ridley: “It’s tough to drop these guys with six teams on a bye, but if there’s something better out there, sure.” – Joe (08:23)
  • Tennessee situation: "Tennessee looks rough right now. They’re going to have a new head coach next year." – Bogman (08:53)

3. Trade Advice: Ashton Gente & Jaden Daniels (09:06–10:08)

• Listener trade: Chase Brown + Jaden Daniels for Ash Gente (prior to Daniels injury)—“B minus kind of trade… you did upgrade to the best singular player.” – Joe (09:32)
• Welsh: “Gente is the best play here. You did give up a top-four or five round QB and a running back who underperformed.” (10:08)

4. Waiver Wire Gold: The Bears’ Backfield & Rasheen Manngai (10:26–13:20; 11:22–12:50)

• Joe: “Common on Guy [Rasheen Manngai] is our #1 waiver wire pickup of the week… That line was very David Montgomery-esque yesterday.”
• Welsh: “It’s just running backs that are going to eat into each other... Manngai is going to have some value, but it takes away from [D’Andre] Swift. It makes them both irrelevant.” (11:22)
• Bogman: “Waiver wire has been unbelievably barren for RBs this year. If you can get Manngai or Burchard Smith, go spend.” (12:50)

5. Why Is the Waiver Wire So Thin for RBs? (13:20–15:15)

• Bogman: “People grabbed and stashed all the rookies... they’re mostly rostered in Shark leagues.” (13:48)
• Welsh: “Everyone’s holding on to everybody... No one drops anybody.” (13:57)
• Joe: “First six weeks, teams don’t use these guys, and then last eight, they’re league winners.” (14:17)

6. Week 7 & Week 8 Challenges: Bye Week “Hell” & Strategic Moves (15:25–17:12)

• Teams on bye: Cardinals, Lions, Jaguars, Raiders, Rams, Seahawks (15:25)
• Bye week frustration: “That is the face of Week 8 bye weeks—setting your rosters...” – Welsh (15:47)
• Wish from hosts: “Why can’t the NFL just do four teams on bye a week?” – Joe (16:03)

7. Takeaways & Memorable Moments (20:23–29:04)

The Colts Are Legit

• Joe: “The Colts are not just AFC South good; they’re good-good. Jonathan Taylor is arguably the fantasy MVP.” (20:38)

Panthers’ RB Split Nightmare

• Welsh: “It is a split backfield that’s going to be super, super annoying… Both at best low RB2s to high RB3s, and that’s a bummer.” (21:47)

Henderson Hopes & Patriots' Backfield

• Bogman: “The Patriots are giving the backfield to Rhamondre Stevenson and I hate the Patriots. I’m just going down like the Titanic with the ship here, holding [Trey] Henderson.” (24:07)

Concerns About Christian McCaffrey’s Usage

• Bogman: “It’s kind of starting to freak me out that McCaffrey is still carrying the ball so many times... He looks possessed!” (26:06)
• Joe: “He had orthobiologic treatment in Germany.” (27:00)

Andy Reid: Offensive Wizard

• Welsh: “Hat tip to Andy Reid for the innovative play calling. I love they continuously do that stuff.” (27:23)

Fact or Fiction: Rapid-Fire Fantasy Takes (29:52–39:14)

• Is Saquon Barkley still an RB1?

  • Bogman: “Fiction. He is an RB2 that can be RB1 any week.” (30:16)
  • Welsh: “Fact. He still has monster games left, can finish as RB10 or RB11.” (30:25)

• Travis Hunter vs. Brian Thomas Jr. (BTJ) rest of season:

  • Welsh: “Travis Hunter is becoming more reliable… could be WR3, maybe even WR2 for the rest of the season.” (33:37)
  • Bogman: “If they keep Travis Hunter as just a WR, he’s better than BTJ.” (33:45)

• Justin Fields droppable?

  • ALL: “Fact.” (35:02)

• Should Panthers trade Chuba Hubbard and make Rico the bell cow?

  • All: “Fact—they should, but fiction because it won’t happen.” (35:30)

• Panthers a playoff contender?

  • All: “Fiction.” (35:42)

• Ricky Pearsall relevant ROS?

  • Bogman & Welsh: Uncertain, leaning “fiction.” (36:52)

• Bears a good bet to win NFC North?

  • ALL: “Fiction.” (37:31)

• CMC a top-three RB if healthy in fantasy playoffs?

  • ALL: “Fact.” (37:55)

• Giants’ rookie QB is the next franchise guy—for the next Giants coach?

  • Joe & Bogman: “Fact. Hard fact.” (38:31)

• DJ Moore: Drop for Booty or Franklin?

  • Joe: “For Booty, yes, but probably in the minority.” (39:14)

Listener Q&A (Throughout)

• How much FAAB on QBs?
• Who to drop for rising RB/WR waiver adds?
• Streaming QB options for Week 8?
• Would you trade Nico Collins for CMC?
• Is Manngai worth burning waiver #1?

Notable Quotes & Fun Moments

• “Old guys with great experience have been great this season. Look at what Joe Flacco just did.” – Welsh (06:45)
• “Calvin Ridley, son, nothing.” – Bogman (08:23)
• “The waiver wire has been unbelievably barren for running backs this year.” – Bogman (12:50)
• “The Colts are not just AFC South good, they’re good-good.” – Joe (20:38)
• “It is a split backfield that’s going to be super, super annoying.” – Welsh on the Panthers (21:47)
• “McCaffrey looks possessed. He might be Clark Kent.” – Bogman (26:06)
• “Why aren’t we funding this?” – Joe on orthobiologic treatments (27:17)
• “[Andy Reid’s] innovativeness… pushes boundaries. I love that they continuously do that stuff.” – Welsh (27:23)
• “Justin Fields? Drop him. Stinks.” – Joe (19:54)
• “If you’re desperate, you need to unload your FAAB. How many more opportunities are you really going to have?” – Welsh (07:24)

Key Timestamps

• 03:35–07:24: QB injury/waiver wire/FAAB debate
• 08:23–09:06: Ridley, Godwin droppability
• 10:26–12:50: Bears backfield—Manngai as top waiver add
• 13:20–15:15: Thin RB waiver wire—why?
• 20:23–21:35: Colts are real contenders
• 21:47–23:51: Panthers' RB split—the fantasy headache
• 29:52–39:14: Fast-paced “Fact or Fiction” segment

Tone & Style

• Conversational, lively, self-deprecating.
• The hosts riff off each other easily, keep things light with jokes/memes (“heyo”, “bruh”), and aren’t afraid to admit their misses (“we’re accountability buddies here”), while delivering strong, actionable fantasy football takes throughout.

Summary for Non-Listeners

If you missed this episode, you got analysis of every major fantasy-relevant storyline heading into Week 8—especially regarding QBs, the drought at RB on waivers, bye week challenges, and key pickup/drop moves. The highlight was a robust “Fact or Fiction” segment that tackled hot-button rest-of-season questions with no-nonsense takes and plenty of laughs. The collective advice: be aggressive on waivers, look for creative solutions to cover byes, don’t be sentimental with underperforming former stars, and be ready for the chaos that mid-season NFL injuries and schedule oddities bring.

For those navigating fantasy through Week 8’s landmines, this episode is a must for actionable advice and a dose of comic relief.