FantasyPros - Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: Start/Sit Advice & Fantasy Football Playoff Prep: Justin Jefferson, Kenneth Walker, Alec Pierce & More | The Extra Point (Ep. 1828)
Date: November 7, 2025
Hosts: Scott Bogman & Andrew Erickson
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts

Episode Overview

This episode of "The Extra Point" dives into the critical mid-season stretch of the 2025 fantasy football campaign. Hosts Scott Bogman and Andrew Erickson field a barrage of start/sit questions, provide playoff preparation strategies, and dissect challenging injury situations. Listener calls focus on Justin Jefferson, Kenneth Walker, Alec Pierce, and other high-upside players. The tone is lively, fast-paced, and loaded with actionable insights to help managers make tough decisions as the fantasy playoffs approach.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Injury Quandaries and Patience with Lineups

• Main Concern: Fantasy players are frustrated by uncertain injury statuses, particularly for late-week games.
• Recommendation:
  Andrew encourages patience:

  "I know we want to set our lineups for Sunday on Wednesday, but sometimes it's okay. We can just be a little bit patient." (01:28)

• Thursday vs. Sunday Dilemma:
  When in doubt, wait for injury news—unless you have a valuable player locked in for Thursday.

Start/Sit Dilemmas

RB2 and Flex Decisions

• Rashad White vs. Alec Pierce
  • Andrew leans Rashad White due to high snap share and involvement in the passing game, even in tough matchups.

  "It's hard to keep [Rashad White] on the bench... I've just seen a 90% snapshare from Rashad White in this Bucs offense, and that's just really hard to beat that type of floor." (03:14)

  • Prefers running backs over receivers for higher floor/flex.

QB Choices

• Justin Fields vs. Geno Smith (Superflex)
  • Play Justin Fields if starting; Geno is less trustworthy against tough matchups.

  "You got to play Justin Fields. Don't play against the Broncos." (06:09)

  • If Fields is benched/hurt, pivot to Tyrod Taylor or alternatives.

Tight End Streamers

• Colston Loveland & the Waiver Wire
  • Loveland is a recommended hold for upside over safe floor plays like Dalton Schultz:

  "Loveland’s upside on a week to week basis is significantly higher." (09:57)

  • Kyle Pitts named as a sneaky trade target due to target volume:

  "He's third in the NFL in tight end receptions this year. Third. Wow." (10:14)

WR Start Decisions

• Rashid Shaheed after trade

  • Andrew and Scott advise waiting a week on Shaheed, play a known option if available.

  "Just play Troy Franklin, Shinser. Come on, you know the rules." (13:04)

• Alec Pierce's Hype

  • While Erickson is bullish on Pierce in general, he still recommends higher-tier options over him (e.g., Olave, A.J. Brown, etc.):

  "I like him, but like as a wide receiver 3. I just think those other... I mean, team exit and alpha." (29:00)

RB Usage & Running Back-by-Committee

• Kenneth Walker vs. Zach Charbonnet

  • Andrew is encouraged by Walker’s usage post-bye, particularly his goal-line and pass-game work, recommends rolling with him:

  "He was used more in the passing game last week as well, which was also encouraging. So I would go with him." (16:41)

• Mitigating TD Risk in RBBC

  • If stuck with both Seahawks backs, play both for combined upside.

Trade & Playoff Prep Strategies

• Evaluating Trade Offers

  • Don't overpay for shaky upside: For example, trading Dowdle and London for Ladd and Jefferson was deemed a clear “No!”
  • Flip the occasional “sell-high” coming off a big game (e.g., Kyle Manungai for DK Metcalf):

    "This is a smart way to capitalize on Kyle Manungai. I like Manungai a lot, but this is a really strong return for a guy after he's coming off a monster game." (31:43)

• Playoff Stashes and Roster Management

  • Prioritize handcuffs with real contingent upside over low-upside depth (swap Ray Davis for McCaffrey handcuff).
  • Hold onto high-upside players with great late-season matchups (e.g., keep Trey McBride for his Week 17 Bengals game).
  • Don't fix what isn't broken on a high-scoring team; minor tweaks > major overhauls.

Notable Listener Questions

Packaging for Upgrades

• Combine two players in a trade for a needed upgrade (e.g., packaging Gadsden and Harvey for a better RB).
  • Andrew: "Maybe you package Gadsden and Harvey...you give them Gadsden, and you kind of go from there." (35:46)

Running Back Scraps & Waiver Priorities

• Saquon Barkley vs. Derrick Henry
  • If thin at RB, move surplus WRs for either elite back, but confirm Barkley's health first.
• Cutting Ties:
  • Willing to drop Isaiah Davis if a better waiver option emerges.

Defensive Streamers

• Hold Jacksonville for multi-week value unless better streamer is easily available.

Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On being patient until injury news:

  “I know we want to set our lineups for Sunday on Wednesday, but sometimes it’s okay. We can just be a little bit patient.” (01:28, Andrew)

• On running back floors:

  "I usually lean towards running backs just because they offer a higher floor than receivers..." (04:36, Andrew)

• On Kyle Pitts as buy-low:

  “Third in the NFL in tight end receptions this year. Third. Wow.” (10:14, Andrew)

• On Alec Pierce hype:

  “I like him, but like as a wide receiver 3. I just think that those other... I mean, team exit and alpha.” (29:00, Andrew)

• On not fixing what isn’t broken:

  “This is a weird case of it isn’t broke so don’t fix it.” (22:27, Scott)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Injury Dilemma & Weekly Trends: 01:28–02:15
• Start/Sit: RB2 & Flex (White, Pierce, etc.): 02:34–05:09
• QB Decisions (Fields vs. Geno, Superflex): 05:29–07:42
• Tight End Streaming & Kyle Pitts Value: 07:55–12:09
• WR Decisions (Shaheed, Pierce, etc.): 12:09–14:03
• RBBC: Seahawks RB Situation: 14:03–18:27
• Rostering Playoff Handcuffs: 22:44–23:02
• Trade Offers & Playoff Preparation: 19:21–22:44, 29:50–33:33
• Audience Rapid Fire (Late Episode): 55:05–60:09

Tone & Takeaways

The hosts combine expert strategic commentary with friendly banter—occasionally ribbing each other about fantasy heartbreaks or mustache bets! The episode is rich in actionable advice, particularly for those facing lineup paralysis, tough injury news, or evaluating trade options as playoffs loom.

Summary Table: Key Recommendations

| Situation | Recommendation/Quote | Timestamp | |----------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Difficult injury calls days early | “Be patient. Wait for info if you can.” | 01:28 | | RB2/flex: White vs. Pierce | Prefer Rashad White for volume and floor | 03:14–04:36 | | Fields (questionable) or Geno | Play Fields if active, pivot otherwise | 06:09 | | Tight end streamer: Loveland vs. Schultz | Loveland for upside, Pitts as sneaky buy | 09:57–10:14 | | Buy/Sell: Manungai after big week | “Smart deal to trade for DK Metcalf right now.” | 31:43 | | Playoff prepping: high-scoring but losing | “Don’t fix what isn’t broken.” | 22:27 | | Streaming D/ST: Jaguars vs. alternatives | Jaguars offer longer-term versatility | 44:49 | | Handcuffs: McCaffrey | Prioritize his backup over distant RBs | 22:57 |

For fantasy managers approaching playoff crunch time, this episode delivers concise, expert-driven recommendations with just enough spice to keep things lively.