FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode Title: Kenneth Walker for Jacory Croskey-Merritt? | Week 2 Fantasy Football Trade Advice (Ep. 1700)
Date: September 11, 2025
Hosts: Joey P. Zeppia (“Joey P.”), Michael Florio

Episode Overview

In this episode, the FantasyPros Live team—Joey P. Zeppia and Michael Florio—fielded a barrage of pressing trade questions from listeners as the fantasy football landscape began to shift after Week 1 of the NFL season. With panic trades starting to fly and managers scouring for actionable advice, this episode centered around running back values (with a spotlight on Kenneth Walker and Jacory Croskey-Merritt), trade targets, RB depth, and the art of executing deals at the right time. The hosts answered dozens of real listener trade conundrums, debated “buy low” and “sell high” opportunities, and offered guidance on how to handle running back committees, injuries, and team construction.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

The Week 2 Trade Panic: “It's Only Week Two, but Trade Winds Are Already Blowing”

• Running back panic: Many are already nervous about their rosters, especially with underperforming running backs, injuries, or ambiguous committee situations.
• Trade quantity: Multiple listeners reported executing or being offered several trades—hosts cautioned against overreacting and “just playing for six weeks from now.”

"Let's not throw away all the preseason ranks yet. We can do that in October when it doesn't matter anymore!"
— Joey P. Zeppia [29:17]

Running Back Values: Kenneth Walker vs. Jacory Croskey-Merritt

Main Listener Question: Should you trade Kenneth Walker for Jacory Croskey-Merritt?

• The question that inspired the episode led to a deep debate:
  • Both sides argued: "Could Walker be a 'one-week wonder' you regret selling, or could JCM be a league-winner you missed?"
  • The hosts leaned “stick with Kenneth Walker” for now, but acknowledged the debate was closer than anyone expected.

"You could say in four weeks, ‘oh man, I missed out on Jacory Croskey-Merritt, league winner!’ or, ‘oh my god, I can’t believe I traded away Ken Walker for a one week wonder.’ I think the latter is more likely, so I'm holding K9 for now."
— Joey P. Zeppia [24:25]

Evaluating Trades & Player Values

Noteworthy Trade Debates:

• Chris Olave for Aaron Jones
  – Hosts felt both sides were “gross,” preferred the Olave side, but noted his risky usage so far.

• Connor & Sutton for Kyron Williams & ETN:
  – Joey advocated for aggressively targeting both RBs, “I do the deal. I say yes.” [04:04]

• DJ Moore and ‘anyone’ for Amon-Ra St. Brown:
  – High endorsement of Amon-Ra as a by-low star receiver. “Take my money.” [05:06]

• KW3 (Kenneth Walker) & DK Metcalf for McConkey & Rhamondre:
  – Mixed opinions, but ultimately felt the McConkey side “gives up a lot,” and the Walker side might be safer. [06:05]

Running Backs to Target or Avoid

• Jacory Croskey-Merritt: The ultimate “hot waiver wire pickup,” but potentially volatile. If you missed out, don’t overpay.
• Derrick Henry: Universally praised as a “top 5 RB until he retires”—don’t sell unless you’re overwhelmed.
• Judkins/Samson debate: Judkins is a fading asset—if someone wants to “buy the whole Browns backfield,” oblige them. [45:22]

"Derrick Henry is an all-timer. We didn’t appreciate him enough in fantasy."
— Joey P. Zeppia [46:29]

League Size & Trade Strategy

• Shallow League Advice: – With “super teams” everywhere, pursue big upgrades, not depth. “Needle movers move the margin.” [06:55] – Two-for-one trades are often the only way to land stars.

• Waiver Wire Flipping:
  – “Anybody that’s got the hype, flip them!” The hosts endorse churning the wire for value to trade up. [07:42]

Position Battles & Handcuffing

• Walker/Charbonnet (Seattle backfield): – If you roster Walker, “don’t sell Charbonnet.” Keep the backfield handcuffed unless you’re getting a clear upgrade. [59:17]

• Jordan Mason and other RB fliers:
  – Mason is a preferred “floor play” over shaky route-share WRs like Golden. [14:37] – “I want Mason. Golden didn't even run 50% of the routes.” [14:37]

Buy, Sell, or Hold?

Buy Low

• Gibbs (Lions): “Gibbs is going to smash this week—get him on the cheap.” [22:33]
• Amon-Ra St. Brown: “Perfect buy-low after non-monster Week 1.” [05:06]
• Bucky Irving, Jaylen Warren, Genti: Consistent RB targets to upgrade a shaky flex. [20:40]

Sell High

• Anyone with an outlier 2-TD performance (e.g., Javonte), combine with another asset to get a true RB1. [28:31]
• Harold Fannin: If he “smashes this week, flip him.” [60:12]

Hold / Avoid

• Don’t panic/overtrade on Week 1 disappointments. “Don’t throw away your preseason reads just yet.” [29:17]
• Don’t sell Derrick Henry or Mike Evans unless you’re overwhelmed. [46:40, 54:00]

Other Memorable Trade Analyses

• “If you can get Chase Brown and Harvey in a deal, easy win.” [15:29]
• “Keep the Seattle backfield for now—it's going to be valuable.” [41:19]
• “Kittle for Bowers? Yes, if you need the RB depth now.” [65:51]
• “Trade Neighbors for Gibbs, much better than for a fringe option.” [66:15]
• “Metcalf, Egbuka, Devonta, Keenan Allen, McLaurin—rankings for 8 teamers: McLaurin, Egbuka, Metcalf, Keenan Allen, Smith.” [62:15]

Notable Quotes and Moments

"I've got my little Derrick Henry NFL Blitz shirt. I’ll happily wear it tomorrow… He had 12,000 yards in high school in four years and he probably never played a fourth quarter!"
— Joey P. Zeppia [46:01]

"Just because he showed up and signed a contract does not mean he's going to play football or be fantasy relevant right out of the gate!"
— Joey P. Zeppia (on Judkins) [31:29]

"If you have a strong part of your team—don’t rip it apart for trade’s sake. Find solutions, don’t break strengths."
— Michael Florio [38:41]

"He is the Philip Rivers of Fantasy Pros, that guy… Stop growing the family!"
— Joey P. Zeppia (joking about a coworker’s large family) [08:36]

Important Timestamps

• Trade evaluations/Listener questions begin: [03:22]
• Walker vs. Croskey-Merritt deep debate: [23:54]–[24:49]
• Shallow League Trade Strategy: [06:55]
• Buying/Selling Mason, Charbonnet, etc.: [14:29]
• RB depth targets and flip advice: [28:50], [45:22]
• Closing lightning round of trades: [64:42]–[67:16]

Podcast Tone and Style

The hosts maintain a high-energy, jokey, and conversational tone throughout, mixing sharp analysis with inside jokes and running gags about cocktails, work colleagues, and pop culture references. They encourage engagement (“Drop your comments so you can win the Trophy Smack!”), embrace the chaos of the trade avalanche in fantasy, and repeatedly stress the importance of patience and value-based trading—while still pushing listeners to be aggressive in upgrading their rosters.

Summary Table: Kenneth Walker for Jacory Croskey-Merritt?

| Side | Pros | Cons | Final Lean | |----------------|------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------| | Kenneth Walker | Safer, proven role, less risk of being a fluke | Offense concerns, possible committee issues | Prefer to hold for now | | Croskey-Merritt| Big upside, could be a league winner | Risky, could be a one-week wonder, unproven | Only trade if desperate at RB |

"There’s tons of risk on both sides—are you chasing upside, or do you want floor? I lean Walker for now."
— Michael Florio [24:40]

Takeaway Advice

• Don’t overreact after Week 1, but don’t be passive. Use value shifts to upgrade your lineup in meaningful ways, especially at running back.
• Chase high-volume, stable RB roles (Gibbs, Henry, ETN, Genti) and avoid speculative committee members unless your roster is desperate.
• In shallow leagues, package depth for stars—but in all leagues, don’t rip apart your strengths just to “balance” your team.
• Leverage the current hype (e.g., Harold Fannin, Jacory Croskey-Merritt) for better, proven assets if possible.

Final Thoughts

This was a turbo-charged mailbag episode full of actionable advice and trade debates as foundational weeks shift the fantasy landscape. If you’re stuck on a potential trade, the underlying theme is: “Don’t chase points from last week, chase roles, volume, and league-winning talent… but, most of all, have fun with your moves and play to win.”