FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

The Extra Point: Gearing Up For Playoffs, Tough Week 12 Decisions, and Chat Q&A (Ep. 1860)

Date: November 22, 2025
Hosts: Welsh and Erickson

Episode Overview

This week’s “Extra Point” episode is all about gearing up for the fantasy football playoffs, making difficult Week 12 decisions, and live Q&A with the Discord community. Welsh and Erickson take audience questions directly on air, cover critical injury updates, trade strategy in keeper and dynasty leagues, and go deep on lineup management heading into the final playoff stretch. The tone is fun, conversational, and packed with both actionable advice and quick banter.

Major Themes & Key Insights

1. Playoff Mindset & Remaining Schedule Management

• Trust your process—don't overthink or overhaul your strategy at the last minute.
• Focus on making incremental upgrades and hold tight to what got you to the playoffs.
• Embrace depth for coverage against injuries, and use end-of-bench players as trade collateral to upgrade starting spots.

“Don’t change the process now. Continue to do what you’re doing. Trust the process and you’ll be fine.”
— Erickson [01:25]

2. Key Injury Updates & Impacts

• Joe Mixon out for the season: Elevated roles for Woody Marks and Chase Brown. (Brief mention)
• Other RB injury situations: Bucky, Josh Jacobs, and Trey Benson all discussed as questionable. Advice: Hoping for at least one to get cleared; contingency options reviewed.

3. Audience Q&A – Start/Sit and Trade Dilemmas

The heart of the show is detailed start/sit advice and trade strategy, with in-depth breakdowns for each scenario. Highlights below.

A. 49ers WRs: Pearsall vs. Juwan Jennings

• Both rank as WR3s, but Jennings is the safer “floor” play, Pearsall has more upside (especially as he gets healthier).
• If you only need a handful of points in a MNF matchup, go Jennings for the floor.
• Pearsall likely regains WR1 status in the near future—more bullish play if chasing points.

“Jennings doesn’t look explosive… There’s some touchdown equity... I personally am putting Pearsall slightly over Jennings, but Jennings is the safety net play.”
— Welsh [03:47]

"If you need five points, just play Jennings."
— Erickson [04:34]

B. Drake London’s Uncertainty & Trade Value (Keeper League)

• London is probably a hold; you’ll get poor trade return due to the QB situation and his injury.
• In keeper formats, consider flipping London for a younger WR like TMAC (Tetaroa McMillan) or for RB depth, especially if eliminated teams are buying future upside.

“If you can get TMAC for London in a keeper league, I’d do it… TMAC looks like the next Drake London—so similar to his rookie year.”
— Welsh [07:47]

C. Superflex Dilemma: Baker Mayfield vs. Skill Position Player

• Always start a viable QB in superflex—even meh weeks outscore most skill guys.
• Baker’s rushing and dome matchup give him a safe 15+ point floor.

“Superflex, it’s hard for position players—even on mid weeks—to take over a quarterback.”
— Welsh [09:43]

"Even if Baker has a bad game, he scores 15 points... Play your quarterback."
— Erickson [10:27]

D. Desperation RB Fill-Ins

Choices among Blake Corum, Michael Carter, Chris Brooks, Chuba Hubbard:

• Chuba and Carter offer best mix of workload and pass-game involvement, but all are low-upside dart throws.
• Wait on Bucky and Jacobs as long as possible; use late game flexibility to avoid zeros.

E. Playoff Flex & WR Decisions

Example scenario: Odunze, Flowers, Pittman, or Trey Henderson for WR/Flex

• Play Henderson for Bengals matchup upside (could produce RB1 numbers on limited volume).
• Odunze is the favorite among options, with Pittman as a close backup.

F. Upside Flex: Yoshivas vs. Downside/Volume Plays

• Yoshi Yoshivas is a priority upside WR3/flex start this week, especially for teams needing a home run. Ranked just outside top 30 WRs.
• He’s the go-over for low-ceiling floor options like Charbonnet or limited secondary receivers.

"If you're going to pick someone in this (WR3) tier, shoot your shot—Yoshi's kind of the guy."
— Erickson [20:55]

G. Other Notable Audience Start/Sit Picks & Bold Takes

• Tetaroa McMillan vs. Chase Brown: Split hosts, but Chase Brown is “bellcow” with high snap count and safe volume.
• Jaden Daniels in Dynasty: Time to drop—no value, not expected back.
• Genti’s Playoff Value: Hold for possible league-winning Week 17 matchup.
• Trading for A.J. Brown/Judkins: Hold Genti for schedule and pass-game work.

4. Quick Hits: Advice Lightning Round

• QB Depth: Don’t overvalue second/third QBs in 1QB leagues unless waiver pool is bone dry.
• Tight End Strategy: Use floor options (Fannin) unless you have a true ceiling swing like Taysom Hill.
• Bench/Depth Moves: Unless you’re packaging for an upgrade, keep bench depth for injury coverage into playoffs.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I play in a pentathlon league and Yoshi’s the guy I’m playing over Zach Charbonnet, over Tony Pollard… There’s just upside.”
  — Welsh [20:13]
• “If you need standalone value now, go with Tooten. Otherwise, Robinson is just one CMC injury away from being a top-10 RB.”
  — Welsh [27:39]
• “I don’t think having depth is the worst thing in the world… especially with all the injuries right now.”
  — Erickson [43:21]
• “Taysom Hill is the quintessential ‘what the heck’ tight end… could literally score zero—or multiple touchdowns.”
  — Erickson [40:23]
• Erickson’s philosophy on trading: "It's not just about which player to target—it's about which manager to target. Find the team with the weakest TE and sell Gadsden there.” [32:24]

Timestamps to Key Segments

• [01:25] — Playoff mindset advice
• [03:25] — 49ers WRs: Pearsall vs. Juwan Jennings
• [05:38] — Drake London keeper/trade discussion
• [09:22] — Superflex QB vs. Flex dilemma (Baker vs. Pickens/Quentin)
• [11:26] — Desperation RB fills
• [14:05] — WR/Flex pick: Odunze/Flowers/Pittman/Henderson
• [15:24] — Manual vs. Wilson, Yoshivas, Charbonnet, etc. for flex ranks
• [17:21] — Yoshi Yoshivas upside start
• [23:56] — TMAC vs. Chase Brown flex
• [28:12] — Dynasty: Drop Jaden Daniels?
• [29:10] — Genti trade/hold advice
• [32:20] — How to trade Gadsden/Burrow in regular leagues
• [35:07] — Yoshivas vs. Pearsall start/sit side-by-side
• [40:23] — Taysom Hill as tight end “roll the dice” start
• [44:17] — Playoff depth: When to hold, when to consolidate via trade

Fun & Light Moments

• Audience stories (e.g., golden eagle encounter in Mongolia) [16:23]
• Hosts’ impressions and on-air banter about fantasy rankings [21:17, 21:32]
• Madden game escapade & content team league woes [38:15]
• Thanksgiving wishes and holiday spirit in the outro [47:40]

Takeaways for Fantasy Managers

• Don’t radically change your approach or chase hot trends late in the season.
• Monitor injuries closely—relay on actionable info before setting lineups.
• Prioritize high-upside flex/WR3 options if you’re an underdog, “floor” plays if you’re ahead.
• Use your bench to your advantage—trade depth only for a meaningful starting upgrade.
• Leverage league context (keeper, dynasty, deep benches) for nuanced trade decisions.
• Stay engaged on Discord/with the community for last-minute news and encouragement—plus, lots more interaction and real-time Q&A!

Want live advice next time? Join the FantasyPros Discord (fantasypros.com/chat) and get on the show!

Hosts:

• Welsh
• Erickson

Listen every week ahead of Thursday kickoff!

Happy Thanksgiving, and good luck as you push for the playoffs!