FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: Week 6 Lineup Advice: Starts, Sits, Player Debates, and TD Calls (Ep. 1763)
Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Seth Wilcock, Jake Seeley, Pat Fitzmorris

Episode Overview

This Week 6 episode dives into start/sit advice, deep player debates, and touchdown calls aimed to help fantasy football managers perfect their lineups. Hosts Seth Wilcock, Jake Seeley, and Pat Fitzmorris breakdown key matchups, evaluate trending waiver pickups, make their "flag plant" start-of-the-week picks, and engage in rapid-fire debates at every position—all with their signature banter and analytical insight.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Waiver Wire Start/Sit Decisions

Michael Carter (Arizona Cardinals, RB)

• Ranking: Both Jake and Pat have Carter at RB23 this week.
• Jake: “I have him in front of DeAndre Swift and Jalen Warren… even in front of Chase Brown at this point because Chase Brown in that offense has been miserable.” [04:14]
• Analysis: Both see Carter as a strong RB2/flex, citing his workload (23 touches last week) and neutral matchup against the Colts.
• Pat: “He had a 57% snap share and it’s really hard to see the Cardinals boosting Amari Dmercado usage after his goal line theatrics last week.” [05:10]

Hassan Haskins (Chargers, RB)

• Pat: Ranked as RB31 (“mid-range RB3”). Safest bet in the backfield, likely to be used at the goal line but with little pass-catching upside. “It is guesswork with Kamani Vidal and the Chargers brought in Nahim Hines, a pass catcher. So there are some wild cards here.” [06:36]
• Jake: Leaned Vidal initially for pass-catching, but Hines signing indicates Haskins may get goal line work. “I still only have him at 32... we’re all kind of saying avoid if possible.” [07:47]

Kendrick Bourne (49ers, WR)

• Jake: Not expecting another 100+ yards but sees him as a “solid WR3 if Jennings and Pearsall are both out because it’s clearly Mac Jones’ favorite target.” [09:25]
• Pat: If both Jennings and Pearsall are out, Bourne ~WR30 and a start. If only one returns, a flexible option in deeper leagues. [10:31]

Mason Taylor (Jets, TE)

• Pat: Ranked TE15, citing low upside in a poor matchup (Broncos defense has limited TEs). “He pretty much has become the number two passing option in the Jets offense behind Garrett Wilson. But targets from Justin Fields aren’t quite as valuable...” [11:37]
• Jake: Slightly lower on Taylor (TE16), preferring Theo Johnson, Tonjes, even Njoku. “If that’s the case, everybody struggles, including Mason Taylor. So I’m a little bit more concerned than he is.” [12:38]

2. Flag Plant Players (Starts of the Week)

Pat: Caleb Williams (Bears, QB)

• “He’s averaging 21 fantasy points per game, which puts him QB6 in that category… it’s a little easier to throw on the Commanders than it is to run on them.” [19:09]

Jake: Troy Franklin (Broncos, WR)

• “Jets allow the second most yards per route run to WRs out wide. That’s a good thing for Troy Franklin... it’s the number two wide receiver that has really destroyed the Jets...” [21:01]
• Franklin’s upcoming schedule (Jets, Giants, Cowboys) makes him a strong multi-week play.

3. Start/Sit Debates

Running Back Debates

• Tony Pollard (Titans) vs. Chase Brown (Bengals)

  • Pat: “Pollard. He is the better matchup. The Raiders have allowed the 10th most fantasy points to running backs.” [22:53]
  • Jake: “The floor is with Tony Pollard, but... I actually have Chase Brown a few spots higher. I just think he's still getting all the volume.” [23:39]

• Jalen Warren (Steelers) vs. Rhamondre Stevenson (Patriots)

  • Both lean Warren, wary of Stevenson’s fumble issues. “Stevenson might be one fumble away from a benching...” (Pat) [26:35]
  • Both see Warren as safer despite tougher matchup (Cleveland).

Wide Receiver Debates

• Jacoby Myers (Raiders) vs. Zay Flowers (Ravens)

  • Pat: Leans Myers; skeptical of Flowers with backup QB.
  • Jake: Slight edge to Flowers for higher ceiling; “The Titans... are actually a worse matchup than the Rams are... Cooper Rush is going to go to Zay Flowers.” [30:10]

• Calvin Ridley (Titans) vs. Wan’Dale Robinson (Giants)

  • Jake: Slightly prefers Wan’Dale for volume but doesn’t feel strongly. [32:23]
  • Pat: Sides Ridley, citing soft matchup vs. Raiders (“Ridley does have a pretty soft matchup... Given Giants’ depleted WR corps, I still worry about Jackson Dart and facing the Eagles’ defense.”) [33:45]

Honorable Mention Debates (Rapid Fire)

• Kareem Hunt vs. Zach Charbonnet: Split decisions. Jake: Hunt (more goal line work); Pat: Charbonnet (softer matchup, Seattle's run-heavy tendencies). [37:33]
• Jameson Williams vs. Tee Higgins: Split. Pat prefers Williams’ big-play upside and Goff’s reliability; Jake would lean slightly Higgins for volume (if forced to play either). [38:47]
• DeAndre Swift vs. Brian Thomas Jr.: Both close, but Jake prefers Swift for floor, Pat sees upside in Brian Thomas Jr., skeptical of Swift’s effectiveness. [41:42]
• David Montgomery vs. DJ Moore: Both favor Monty due to DJ Moore’s diminished involvement. [44:46]
• Matthew Golden vs. Travion Henderson: Both lean Henderson; Golden’s role still too volatile. [46:08]
• Kenneth Gainwell vs. Travis Hunter: Both prefer Gainwell for secure touches. [48:54]
• Sam Darnold vs. Bryce Young (QB): Both opt for Darnold as the reliable option. [51:17]
• David Njoku vs. Kyle Pitts (TE): Both prefer Njoku, but admit it’s a coin flip. “Very slightly in toward David Njoku.” (Pat) [55:03]

4. Touchdown Calls

Running Back: J.K. Dobbins (Pat)

• “He’s had a touchdown in four of the Broncos’ first five games... Dobbins keeps the touchdown mojo rolling this week against the Jets.” [58:31]

Wide Receiver: Puka Nacua (Seth)

• “The Ravens have arguably the worst secondary I've ever seen in some time... Puka has at least 10 receptions in four out of five games.” [58:45]

Tight End: Tucker Kraft (Jake)

• “He’s been, arguably, the best play this week at tight end... Play the matchup!” [59:15]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jake on Pod List Controversy:
  “Every time I do a list, they assume like I'm consuming that entire list every single day... I'm not sitting there eating 25 bags of candy when I made this list.” [01:10]

• Pat on RB Fumble Risk:
  “If you are a Rhamondre Stevenson stakeholder, this fumbling problem is terrifying... three fumbles in three games.” [26:35]

• Jake on Buying Low on Calvin Ridley:
  “I was buying low on Calvin Ridley. I was like he's had one of the toughest schedules opening the gate...” [32:23]

• Pat on DJ Moore:
  “D.J. moore just isn't very involved. His target counts… 5-6-5-5. Roma Dunes is the alpha receiver in Chicago now. Like it took me a little while to accept that, but I now accept it.” [44:46]

• Jake on TE Usage:
  “If this was two weeks in a row of seeing that usage for Njoku over Fannin with Dylan Gabriel, I would say Njoku, but I can't yet...” [53:56]

Segment Timestamps

• Waiver Wire Start/Sits: [04:14 - 14:28]
• Flag Plant Players: [18:56 - 22:12]
• RB/WR Debates: [22:12 - 47:25]
• Rapid Fire Flex Debates: [47:25 - 50:59]
• Quarterback & Tight End Debates: [51:17 - 56:00]
• Touchdown Calls: [58:04 - 60:34]

Tone & Banter

The hosts maintain a light-hearted and occasionally irreverent tone, mixing pop culture (Halloween candy, sodas, Tim Allen TV tangents) with hard-hitting, analytics-driven fantasy advice. The rapport between Jake and Pat, in particular, provides both expert disagreement and a sense of friendly competition that underscores their deep knowledge and makes the episode highly engaging.

Summary for Non-listeners

If you missed this episode, you missed a blend of actionable advice and entertaining banter from three of the sharpest minds in fantasy football. Whether you need a tiebreaker for your RB2 or want to find a sneaky start at TE, this week’s show covers it all. Don’t forget to check out their TD contest, and remember: it’s not just about who you draft—it’s about who you start.

For complete rankings and start/sit tools, visit fantasypros.com/rankings and make sure to join their discord for more weekly contests.

[End of Summary]