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Danny Kelly
This episode is brought to you by Ford Blue Cruise. It's not just where you're going, it's how you get there. And Ford Blue Cruise hands free highway driving technology helps make the journey more enjoyable. We took it for a test drive so we could experience the convenience for ourselves. So I tested the Ford Blue Cruise hands free highway driving technology last month and it was amazing. I was blown away. Like we're just on the highway and you can just hit a blinker and it just changes lanes and you can set how many car lengths ahead you want the truck to be in front of or behind the car, like how far you want it from the nearest car. It was amazing. I was. I didn't realize we were there. I felt like I was living the future. So it was, it was absolutely mind blowing. With Ford Blue Cruise, you arrive at your destination ready to take on whatever comes your way. But don't just take our word for it. Experience the convenience for yourself. Ford Blue Cruise hands free highway driving for a hands on life available feature on Blue Cruise equipped vehicles. BlueCruise requires a connected services plan and modem activation. BlueCruise driver assist features can be activated in hands free blue zones and do not replace safe driving and drivers need to control the vehicle. See Ford.com BlueCruise for more details on available plans and hands free models.
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Welcome to the Ringer fantasy football show. My name is Danny Heifetz and I'm joined by Danny Kelly and Craig Korobek. And we're going over all the games from Week 14 of the NFL season, aka the last week of the fantasy football regular season. So if you didn't make the playoffs, we're gonna go through a lot of real life playoff implications this week. A lot of fantasy playoff implications. So we're gonna go through just all the start sit players that are agonizing in all the cool games and that's basically it.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. Well, I think we should just go through my ringer league matchup.
Danny Kelly
We're just gonna go through Craig's team.
Craig Korobek
I would, I'd love to do that for an hour. Scour the waiver wire, see what I should.
Danny Heifetz
Craig, aren't you mathematically eliminated?
Craig Korobek
No, we just talked about this last episode. I have to like outscore teams by like 30 or 40, which is unlikely, but certainly not mathematics.
Danny Kelly
Got a socks Stingers.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I need to. What I really need to do, sabotage other people's teams.
Danny Heifetz
Oh, okay.
Danny Kelly
You should just get access to their phones and just bench their players.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah.
Craig Korobek
Maybe Spotify can help with that.
Danny Kelly
Yeah. Okay. But first we're going to take a quick break. This episode is presented by Chime Bank Smarter. This season, fantasy football is all about strategy. Well, here's a winning strategy for your money trade. Banking fees for fee free banking, 1.5% cash back getting paid when you say and a higher APY on your savings. That's a lineup that wins. Stop banking the old way. Bank Smarter through Chime Chime is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services and the secured Chime Visa credit card provided by the Bancorp Bank NA or Stride Bank NA members. FDIC optional services and products may have fees or charges details@chime.com fees info with a qualifying direct deposit earn 1.5% cash back on eligible secured Chime Visa credit card purchases. APY means annual percentage yield. Learn more@chime.com all right, get into the games for week 14 starting as always with the game of the year. And the game of the year is brought to you by Chime.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah.
Craig Korobek
Bears packers legendary matchup. Did you guys see that there was a Al Michaels shot? Bill and Sal were talking about this. Al Michaels and Bob Costas were on Ari Emanuel's podcast, which he has a podcast now. If you didn't know that the head of endeavor where they just do Mount Rushmore and they said that Packers Bears is on the Mount Rushmore of sports rivalries. Do you agree with that?
Danny Heifetz
Well, it doesn't feel like a rivalry lately.
Craig Korobek
I agree.
Danny Kelly
How old you are?
Danny Heifetz
When was the last he grew up in the 70s.
Craig Korobek
Bill and Sal were like, when was the last good Bears packers game? Well, I'm like, I don't really have a memory of one.
Danny Kelly
Well, it's funny you asked because I was looking into this and if you take out games where the packers, you know, bench their starters in Week 18 because they had already clinched the playoffs the last 17 games versus the Packers. So a full season, the last 17 games versus the Packers. The Bears are 1 in 16.
Danny Heifetz
See, that's not a rivalry.
It's just not.
Danny Kelly
It's. It's sad is what it is. That's what this is. That's why this is the game of the year. Because the Bears, they've come in last place in the NFC door three years in a row.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
And now they're sir their first place in division. They're number one seed in the nfc, but now they have two games versus the packers in a three week span. And if either team wins both those games, that team basically will win the division. So the Bears it's winning this game versus Green Bay. The, I mean, one in, one in 16 in their last 17 competitive games versus the Packers. It, I mean, 15 years of Rogers being like, I own the Bears, and then Jordan Love is three and, oh, in games he's actually started and finished, I don't know. This game will weigh in the heads of Bears fans way more. Whether they win or lose, it will weigh much heavier than all the other games they've won or lost this year.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I mean, especially because the Bear, I mean, the Bears have had a, an easier schedule, I would say. And so this game is like kind of a, I mean, outside of the Eagles last week, who they, they destroyed them and ran for over 200 yards against the Eagles. This is their biggest test of the year.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah, I was gonna say this is sort of like a good litmus test to how real last week was and how real they are. Just generally speaking, how real the Bears are if they can win in this game. I'm actually, I think I'm gonna start to be a believer in the Bears. I, I'm not currently like, a strong. I think they've done pretty well, and they've out, They've, you know, outperformed my expectations by far. Caleb, I think, is on the right track. He's getting better week in and week out. I think Ben Johnson, clearly the right coach and a very good coach, but I still think it feels like smoke and mirrors a little bit.
Craig Korobek
I, I, it kind of feels like we're gonna learn a lot about Caleb Williams.
Danny Heifetz
This is a huge game.
Craig Korobek
A lot in Lambo.
Danny Heifetz
This is a huge game.
Danny Kelly
I think the Bears have taken the. Not a little bit what the Colts were where. I think my, When I look at the Bears, I think everyone probably feels this way. My heart is happy for Chicago. The football's better when the Bears are good, but my head is like, this is probably fake. They literally have six more points than their opponents this season, and they have six more wins than losses. That doesn't make any sense. And you. I don't know. The Bears entire season is just. They've been incredible running the ball. And they have way more turnovers. Like, on defense, they forced more turnovers than ever. The team by a ton. Like, they have seven. Their turnover margin this year, 17. No other team's better than nine, so that won't continue. But they're running the ball. They've unquestionably been good. I mean, since they're buying week five the Bears, honestly, the Colts, with Jonathan Taylor the best rushing team since then. And the Bears are right there. The Bears are the most rushing yards since week five. Most rushing first down since week five. The Bears are second rushing yards per carry, second in rushing. EPA like the rushing is there. But Ben Johnson himself said this week that the passing game, they're winning despite the pat. The passing game, not because of it. And he wasn't just Caleb. He was talking about like the receivers not hitting landmarks, not running routes, all this stuff. But he was kind of saying everything's a little funky. And then he walked it back as he was kind of like, oh, I probably shouldn't have said that. But I don't know. I mean, I.
Frankly would like the Bears to be good. I think that's a fun story, but I, I think the packers might.
Embarrass is a strong word, but I think we'll put them in their place a little.
Craig Korobek
Oh, interesting. I don't know. I'm not sold on the Packers. I'm not sold on the Packers. They have basically only beaten one team this year and it's Detroit twice. And outside of that, I don't think any of their wins are particularly impressive. They've. They lost to the Panthers this year. They put up seven points against the Eagles and it's like, cool. They beat JJ McCarthy, they've beaten the Giants, they beat a shitty Steelers team. To me, I don't feel that confident. I think Love is playing the best he's played right now, but they played the Lions and he looked good. And I don't feel particularly strongly about any player on the packers offense. I think the, the talent on Chicago's offense is better than the talent on, on Green Bay's offense, I think.
Danny Heifetz
Really? Yeah, I think I would go the other way with that.
Craig Korobek
You would rather have the receivers, running backs and tight ends right now on Green Bay than Chicago?
Danny Heifetz
Well, how healthy is everybody and no one?
Craig Korobek
Well, there's no Tucker Craft on Green.
Danny Heifetz
Bay, but I'm talking about like, does Matthew golden count? Does Jaden Reed count? Both of them are getting close to coming back. I think if you add Christian Watson, Romeo Dubs, Dontavian Wicks, like, that's a pretty deep receiving core. You know, Musgrave isn't very good or has not been good to this point in his career.
Craig Korobek
But I just think.
Danny Heifetz
I think Josh Jacobs is heads and head and shoulders above the running backs for, for Chicago.
Craig Korobek
That's fair. But I think what Ben Johnson is doing with the running game with DeAndre Swift and Manangai is better than what the packers are doing right now. And I think Roma Dunes is better than every packers wide receiver. I think D.J. moore is probably better than every packers wide receiver.
Danny Heifetz
D.J.
Craig Korobek
Moore? Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
Wow.
Danny Kelly
Well, there's. But again, they're not playing like there is talent and then there's actual how they're playing right now. And Ben Johnson's literally at the podium after a win saying that even despite the wind. Not the wind, but the wind with a D, like, he's still. Like, they're not playing their potential.
Craig Korobek
I don't know. I think Ben Johnson is doing what Mike Vrabel is doing, which I think is really smart, which is like, Ben Johnson, when he's in the locker room with his guys, he seems like a guy's guy. Locker room coach, like, hyping up his players. A win is a win. Even if we were losing the whole game and we barely squeaked it out. Like, a win is a win and that's. And that's what matters. And then when he goes to the media, he walks it back a little bit. He's like, we could still improve. Like, I think even though he's saying stuff like that, it's a calculated decision to get his move, to get, like, the players to continue thinking that there's more to be done and the season's not over. So, yeah, I got. I think it's. I think that's the right move as a coach, and Vrayl does that, too.
Danny Kelly
I would like multiple things to be true. I believe in Caleb Williams as a quarterback in the NFL long term, and I think he could be better than above average. I think Ben Johnson's the right coach. Coach of the Bears and could be there for 10 years. And I also think the Bears are going to lose to the Backers this week. And I think all those things could be true because The Bears lost 10 games in a row last year, and I don't think they're the one seed, and I don't think they're in the caliber of other teams. They're not as good as. They have the same record as the Seahawks. They've outscored their opponents by six points. The Seahawks have outscored their opponents by 130. Like, they're not as good as Seattle, they're not as good as the Rams, and I don't think they're as good as the Packers. And what, it surprised.
Craig Korobek
You think they're going to get embarrassed?
Danny Kelly
Embarrassed? Well, I said it's a strong word. Maybe I shouldn't have said the word at all with that said I think there's a couple start sits in this game that are difficult. Christian Watson I think is a player you want to be playing because he's been playing well. But sometimes when it's really cold, you're kind of like, why did I start the big play receiver the But Watson I think has been too good to not play.
Danny Heifetz
These guys are all used to this by now.
Danny Kelly
The question I have for you guys is Roma dunes for the Bears who has been really bad and I think a lot of people don't want to play. But when I watch Bears games and again, I, I don't know. I don't again, Ben Johnson, maybe he's road dudes, he's the guy he's talking about. But I don't know. I feel like a dunesday's open a lot and Caleb just misses him for whatever reason. But we have a dunesday this week ranked 30th among receivers, so behind Michael Wilson and the Cardinals, behind Alec Pierce and the Colts behind Debo Samuel Washington behind Joe Colby Myers on the Jags behind DK Metcalf on the Steelers, behind Marvin Harrison of the Cardinals where he didn't practice today. But we have Roma Dunes ahead of like Khalil Shakir in the Bills ahead of Brian Thomas Jr. On the Jags, ahead of Troy Franklin on the Broncos ahead of Quint Johnson. I think that's right.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
I was gonna say it feels kind of right, like maybe he should be ahead of DK Metcalf at this point. We'll have to talk but like, but yeah, Rome is kind of entering that zone where it feels like a miracle when he gets a catch. I don't like it. I think he's a good player and I think he's ultimately going to have a good career. But right now, you know, they're just. It doesn't seem like things are clicking for him. So it's, it's frustrating.
Craig Korobek
It's funny I both, both of these teams are. Some have some of the most difficult wide receivers to figure out in fantasy. Like.
The target share is kind of like flattening for both these teams where it's like Rome and DJ Moore and Luther Burden is kind of ascending and Colson Loveland's more in the mix. Same with Green Bay. It's like this like three headed thing of Wicks and Dubs and, and Watson. The only thing with Rome I will say is I don't, I don't know if Roman's particularly healthy. He hasn't practiced all week with a foot injury he's had this for a while and since he has come back from that small injury, he's not playing as much. He's basically playing like 70% of snapshots. Beginning of the year was closer to like 85. And so I wonder if that's a factor or if it's. I don't know if it's like a regression thing and he's not playing as much, but I'm not sure he's 100% healthy either.
Danny Kelly
I.
So on one hand, part of me wants to. Part of me is thinking about suggesting people play Roma Dunes instead of just blindly benching him because he's burned you in part because if you just looked at the last six weeks or so, the expected fan it's basically how much targets, depth, everything you're getting, the air yards, the amount of just distance the balls traveled on Roman Duncan's targets is like top five in the entire league in expected yards and how many yards you would think Roma Dunes he's had and he hasn't been. And also touchdowns. I mean last week versus the Eagles he, Roman Dinsey was so wide open in the end zone for so long and then Caleb finally saw him and just bounced the ball to him because there's a lot of wind and stuff and I'm just like there's a lot of plays like that that have been left on the field where you. When I watch Roma Dunes and then I look at his game log, I'm like this is not lining up.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
But I am hesitant to recommend playing him because 114 degrees in Green Bay and who knows what the wind's going to be until realistically turn on your TV on Sunday morning. And the same way there was wind in Philadelphia, I don't know the situation is. And the other thing that keeps bothering me is I keep getting this guy's name wrong. Ozzy. How do you say Ozzy Trapillo, the left tackle for the Bears, second round tackle out of Boston College is going to be going against Micah Parsons. And I kind of just keep thinking about that of in 14 degrees or 18 degrees, whatever Micah Parsons is going to be going against Ozzie Trappolo, the second round rookie. And I'm like, I just think the Pat I don't know. So I think both a Duncan will be better rest of season than you think. But I also don't want to bank on him this week.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I think, I think you're playing Rome Watson. That might be it.
Danny Kelly
And well the running back Swift.
Yeah.
Craig Korobek
I'm only talking about Wide receiver.
Danny Heifetz
I'm seeing. I'm seeing Trapillo.
Danny Kelly
Trapillo like a pillow.
Danny Heifetz
Trapillo.
Danny Kelly
Because Parson's gonna put him to sleep.
Danny Heifetz
So pillow.
Danny Kelly
There you go. Game of the year, presented by Chime. The other. If we get to the. The other. The other big games this week, Craig. Yeah.
Craig Korobek
You have bad vibes. Bad vibes bowl what I'm calling it.
Danny Kelly
Pittsburgh Steelers instead of Icy Hot Bowl. It's the Bad Vibes ball.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. It's like, which team are we going to allow into the playoffs to get their doors blown off at bowl?
Danny Kelly
Steelers at Baltimore, babies.
Craig Korobek
Steelers at Baltimore. The. The ESPN's like, playoff percentage thing says that the winner of this game has a 75% chance of making the playoffs. There has a 25% chance. This game is massive for these two teams.
I don't know, man. Like, we could get into a lot like Lamar. Once again, Lamar was a limited participant in practice on Wednesday. He did not practice on Thursday. Greg Roman says he looks like he's gonna play. I mean, sorry, not Greg Roman. Todd Monkin says he thinks he's gonna play.
This is one of the more interesting. What do I do in fantasy games? Because I would say every single player on the Steelers, not one of them is if for sure you should start them. The Ravens, outside of Derrick Henry also, I wouldn't say for sure you should start any of these players. I mean, Lamar is very tricky.
Danny Heifetz
Right.
Craig Korobek
Right now. Lamar, we have in our rankings. Here are the guys we have above Lamar, Josh Allen, Matt Stafford, Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, Jalen Hurts, Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield and Goff. It's eight guys. I would argue if you're in a single QB league and let's say over the course of the season, some. There are some guys who weren't drafted super highly that you might have on your team, like Sam Darnold, Daniel Jones, Jordan, Love.
I don't know, man. I would. I think those guys. I think Darnold, Daniel Jones, Jordan, Love. I don't know. Maybe if Trevor Lawrence, I think, like, there is a handful of guys that I would be okay with you starting over Lamar, because I think the upside, like, the ceiling that Lamar usually offers is kind of gone. And so I'm like, if the goal is just to get to 17 fantasy points, I kind of think, like, Sam Darnold can get you that much easier against the Falcons than Lamar will against the Steelers.
Danny Kelly
I think the key insight there too is that the difference is I would. If I told you only one of Trevor Lawrence, Alarma Jackson, would run for 30 yards and score touchdown on Sunday. Yeah, yeah, I, I, I think Trevor Lawrence at this point might be more likely. I mean Bill Barnwell had a great stat espn that since Lamar's come back before he was hurt the last two years, basically Lamar was averaging 26 yards a game just on designed runs. And since he came back from injury, it's three dropped from 26 to just 6 yards a game on design runs. So at that point you're like, all right, so if you just close your eyes and I read you, I mean it's box score. But whatever. Lamar last three weeks ran for 27 yards. 11:10 and at some. And then you see him in the injury report, it's Thursday and I, I can't keep track what in, what is the injury keeping Lamar out today? I can't even keep track anymore.
Craig Korobek
It's ankle, ankle.
Danny Kelly
So we've had knee, ankle, hamstring.
Craig Korobek
Hamstring, yeah, toe.
Danny Kelly
Every week it's a new thing. And so now I keep waiting for.
And he's practicing less, not more. So I, but he's going to play. I think seasons on the line, like.
Craig Korobek
He'S going to play.
Danny Kelly
Lamar will like fight John Harbaugh. And before he does, this is the game.
Danny Heifetz
This is the ultimate who are you Fantasy personality test. You know what I mean? Like, are you someone that looks at shorter timelines and like recency and what, like what he's been doing lately? Or are you just like, his name's Lamar Jackson. I'm fucking putting him in my starting lineup. I don't care that he scored seven points three straight weeks. I think like, I, I'm generally more the latter. I'm like, it's Lamar Jackson. He'll figure it out. He's not going to have another seven point game. Right? But then also in the back of my mind, I'm very much like, like Craig where I'm just like, here's the difference. The ceiling argument is actually kind of gone. That's a really good, that's the most like convincing thing that you've said about it in terms of just like he, he doesn't have the ceiling that he usually has, so you might as well start a healthy.
Craig Korobek
I'm like, don't you think Jacoby preset could probably get you 18 points as easily as Lamar this year?
Danny Kelly
You know what's funny?
Danny Heifetz
There's multiple backers, like a top five quarterb.
Danny Kelly
Marcus Mariota, if he plays for Washington this week, I feel like it's probably more likely to get you more Points. You know what I mean?
Craig Korobek
I don't know. That's Minnesota, but.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, well, I know, but. I know, but I'm just saying, like, the Broncos were good at limiting rushing quarterbacks all year, and Mario did fine first. Then. I'm just saying the emotional truth about this decision, if you have to play Lamar, is that if you bench Lamar and you're wrong, it's your fault. But if you play Lamar and he sucks, then you get to be mad at Lamar instead of yourself, which is probably how we should discuss these things, if we're being honest. But I will. Also, we have to get to the other part of this, which is the actual real life implications here. Steelers, Ravens. Craig, you're a Steelers fan. Yeah. I don't want to be hyperbolic, but I think in the entire tenure of Mike Tomlin, which we're coming up on 20 seasons, I think the hot seat right now is the hottest it's ever been in terms of whether Mike Tomlin actually gets fired at the end of the year. I think this is the first time I ever have ever believed he might. And before we get into any of this, Raven, Steelers, anything, I just want to know right now, how do you feel about it? Mike Tomlin, if he. His tenure.
Craig Korobek
I. Oh, his tenure.
Danny Kelly
No, not. Sorry, not 20 years. Do you. Do you think Mike Tomlin should keep his job for next season? Just like.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
How do you feel about it?
Craig Korobek
No, we talked about it last week. No, I haven't. I haven't changed my opinion. I think it's time to move on. It's been a long time. He's done a great job. Sometimes things end and it's okay. And to be honest, him being on the hot seat for this game, it almost calms me. Makes me feel. Calms me or makes me feel dead inside? I'm not sure. But where, like, if they do lose and that potentially leads to a change in the. At the head coaching position and at all the court, and it. And it kind of starts a rebirth for the Steelers because they lose this game, I might not be totally upset about that. Like, if this is. If they lose 30 to 7 and it's a disaster, and it's like, Tomlins out. You know what? Maybe that's for the best.
Danny Heifetz
There's a lot riding on this game.
Danny Kelly
Steelers fans were booing Renegade, their favorite, the song they play every year for 20 years. Fans were chanting, fire Tomlins. Some guy tweeted that Tomlins is going to say, we can't eat soup with forks and sign a 2018 Pro Bowler.
Craig Korobek
That guy's getting a lot of run set.
Danny Kelly
Well, he said almost that exact quote and then he signed a 22 feeling DK. Yeah. Ben Roethlisberger said this week that Mike Tomlin might need to go, which I know Roethlisberger.
Craig Korobek
Nothing.
Danny Kelly
Yeah.
Craig Korobek
Ben will say anything to make a headline, and he's doing that all season.
Danny Kelly
He's the saddest. But James Harrison also is coming out here saying like, I never thought Mike Tomlin was. I know.
Craig Korobek
But yeah, I guess James Harrison was.
Danny Heifetz
Like, who are the beloved ex Steelers that you still like?
Craig Korobek
There are plenty of beloved Steelers still. Palomalu. I love Heath Miller. I love.
Not Antonio Brown, not Levy.
Danny Kelly
Antonio Brown's not on your list of.
Craig Korobek
Beloved Antonio Brown not on the list.
Danny Heifetz
Bryant.
Craig Korobek
Martavis Bryant. I actually thought he was kind of fun, but no, not on my list. But there's plenty of them.
Danny Kelly
Yeah. But then it's kind of funny. Martavis Bryant, in his criminal history of just having a lot of marijuana, gets lumped in with Antonio Brown. Oh, I wasn't saying off the field concerns, you know, Martavis Bryant likes to smoke pot and Antonio Brown, you know, but the. What's crazy I think about this game.
It'S. Brooke Prior had a good story. She covers these Steelers for espn and she had a good story. The Steelers entire off season on defense was entirely about the Ravens. Like, Mike, because the Ravens allowed. The Steelers allowed 300 rushing yards to the Ravens in the playoffs. Which I know I talk about this on the show all the time. I don't think it gets talked about enough. The Steelers allowed 300 rushing yards in the playoffs. And Mike Tomlinson. That's crazy. Mike Tomlin said he didn't even get through the entire locker room after that game walking until he decided what they were going to do. A defense which was just add a ton of big people. And they drafted Derek Tackle. Sorry, Derek Tackle. Derek Harmon, the defensive tackle from Oregon. And then they drafted the arrow, Jack Sawyer and they. They signed all these linebackers and edge rusher. They signed a bunch like seven different giant people between the draft and free agency for the front seven to not have anyone run for that many yards again, like the whole thing was to stop the Ravens and just the rushing attack. And the week before this game last week, the Buffalo Bills just ran for the most yards by an opponent in 50 years in the Steelers stadium. And the Bills did it without either starting tackle, which I don't know how many teams have ever ran for 240 yards without either starting Tackle now with all this Tomlin heat, I think it is very important to grade him on the curve of. If you spent your entire year thinking about how to stop the Ravens and how to not let them bully you around, and then the Ravens now are the weakest. We have seen the Ravens offense in like, I don't know, probably since Kyle Bowler was the quarterback or maybe just like late Limp Joe Flacco before he got benched. This is one of the worst moments in the history of the Ravens right now and how they're playing on offense. And if the Ravens come in and get right versus you when you had like 11 months to fix it, I do think Tomlin should go. If they lose this game, you gotta.
Danny Heifetz
You gotta eat soup with a spoon. You know.
Craig Korobek
Sometimes you just gotta put it plainly. Like that. Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah. That is a good way to, like, frame it.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. That guy, that first rounder the Steelers drafted, Derek Harmon, not going to play in this game. It doesn't look like. With that said, this is when the Steelers win games. Right now, I was gonna say, with.
Danny Kelly
That said, I want the Steelers plus five minutes.
Craig Korobek
I think this game's gonna be close. The Steelers are 3 and 2 against the Ravens again with Lamar. The last five games they've played, these games are always close and ugly. And five and a half is a lot to lay for Lamar, who's not healthy and playing terribly so. I agree.
Danny Kelly
Just like The packers are 16:1 versus the Bears in their last 17. I think the 17 times that Mike Tomlin's been talked about whether he should be fired. I'm pretty sure Mike Tomlin's like.
Real.
Danny Heifetz
Quick, we don't have to spend too much time on this because I know it's been, like, talked about ad nauseam this week, but, like, what, Craig, what do you make of this Aaron Rodgers sort of throwing his receivers under the bus story that's happened?
Craig Korobek
I think I actually. Is it. Do I think he's right or do I agree with him going public with it?
Danny Heifetz
The latter.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. Why not?
Danny Heifetz
You're taking Roger's side on this. All right.
Craig Korobek
I mean, look, the Steelers receivers are not playing well. They're not good. So sometimes you need to go public for stuff to actually, you know, make the message heard. So I'm okay with it. I mean, look, Rogers is yelling at them enough on the field, so I don't think him doing it at the presser is really any different than what those guys hear probably every single day.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, I think Rogers is yelling with the weight of, like, his entire career. And also I, we said this at the beginning of the season. Mike Tomlin literally never had a losing season under the Pittsburgh Steelers. And there's a chance that Tomlin and Aaron Rodgers's legacies will actually both be tainted. A reminder that Aaron Rod it might become part of Aaron Rodgers's legacy. No, Mike Tomlin literally never had a losing season and then they signed Rogers and then he got fired.
Danny Heifetz
If, if he says it enough, Craig, it might.
Danny Kelly
No, I'm not saying you're right. He played well at points. But if you don't think people are, you don't think like NFL memes is going to be like Mike Tomlin before and after and Rodgers. It's like no, Mike Thomas could get fired after one season with Rogers. You don't think it's going to be a running joke?
Craig Korobek
No. I think you're Stephen A. This I don't think so.
Danny Kelly
I'm not saying that's accurate. I think Rogers play well but like.
Craig Korobek
This is not, I don't think there's anything Rogers can do this year that will affect his legacy negatively more than what what happened last year with the Jets.
Danny Kelly
I think, I'm not saying that. I'm saying it will be a joke. I think Steelers fans like Tomlin, you.
Craig Korobek
Know, till Rogers, I mean, I guess stupid jokes, but I don't, I don't think in reality it would mean anything for Rogers if they go 8 and 9.
Danny Kelly
I think it'd be pretty funny.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, it might be funny.
Danny Kelly
Having said that, I kind of want the Steelers plus five and a half because the Steelers have won this exact game in this moment 10 times.
Craig Korobek
100. I agree. Fantasy wise. Very interesting once again, I mean other than Derrick Henry, do you put who, who would you. If we had to draft players you want to play in this game outside of Derrick Henry and I guess Lamar.
Danny Kelly
Jackson, the Steelers running backs, I think you can play against Warren.
Danny Heifetz
I would take Warren.
Danny Kelly
Jalen Warren would be the Henry and then Jalen Warren. Yeah, for sure.
Craig Korobek
The only problem is the, the running game with Rogers under the pistol is worse and they're a lot better under center running the ball and, and Kenneth Gainwell is now becoming like the receiving back and Jalen Warren is not catching passes as much anymore. So I, I, I maybe agree with you. I was going to say Zay Flowers.
Danny Kelly
Potentially say Flowers had negative points last week. That one.
Craig Korobek
He, he, I mean he should have had a touchdown, but.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, I know but like I just, there's something fun. You're right. But there's something emotional about the fact that you might lose because you play to go negative points.
Craig Korobek
I mean, he had like a 40 yard touchdown that I would, nine times out of 10, probably would not be.
Danny Kelly
Flowers. The up. The problem with Flowers and the Steelers, the cornerbacks are tough. But has he had 12 points since week one? I actually don't know, but I don't.
Craig Korobek
Well, he hasn't had a touchdown since week one. However, he's basically a lock for like 50 to 70 yards a game. He does. He's nine of 12 games this year he's had between 40 and 70.
Danny Kelly
That doesn't win you anything though.
Craig Korobek
No, I know, but I'm like thinking about your options here and.
Danny Kelly
Well, the real question is, would you. I mean, what, what do you do about DK Metcalf? We have Metcalf ranked.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I don't. I don't think you need to play it.
Danny Kelly
I mean, I, I don't want to go down that way.
Craig Korobek
No, I don't think you need to play. He's the wide receiver. 59 over the last five weeks.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, you can't play. You just can't play that. That's insane. The next game here is the dk. The Cincinnati Bengals are at the Buffalo Bills, which is. This is Joe Burrow versus Josh Allen, which is cool. But then Bill's Bengals Bengals is like a little less cool.
Danny Heifetz
It's kind of a fun rivalry game. This is more of a rivalry than the Bears packers at this point. I mean like actually this is a better rivalry game. However, the. The Bengals are 4 and 8, so that affects the actual gravity that this game provides, I guess. But I'm kind of excited to watch it obviously because Burrow, I thought he looked pretty healthy in his first game back. Not he wasn't perfect, but, you know, he. I was expecting a little bit of a ramp up period and he came out and played pretty well through two touchdowns. It's looking like T. Higgins may be back. He's been practicing, so that would obviously be nice to get T. Higgins and Jamar Chase on the field together.
Danny Kelly
We never talked about the nature of te. Higgins like caught a pass and was concussed while catching a pass.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I feel like we've seen that a couple times this year.
Danny Kelly
Now. Noah Gray did that for the Chiefs too. He like caught a pass and got knocked out and like caught the ball in his limp arms and the network cut away from it. No one ever talked about it, but he caught a basketball like unconscious, which was freaky.
Craig Korobek
Maybe players are going to Start training how to do that.
Danny Kelly
Yeah.
Craig Korobek
Probably beneficial for the teams.
Danny Kelly
All right. TKT Higgins is back.
Danny Heifetz
All right. Anyway, the good news is for Burrow and the Bengals is the. The Bills. Sorry. The bad news for Burrow is the Bills are very good against the past. The good news is they're not very good against the run. They're in fact quite terrible against the run. And so this could be a good day for Chase Brown. The. The Bengals or, sorry, the Bills are giving up the third most points to running backs this year. Fantasy points. So unfortunately, might not be fireworks. I'm thinking this game is very interesting because both teams are just going to run the fuck out of the ball. I think because the Bengals are very bad at defending the run. The Bills, that's been sort of like their strength this year is just pounding. Pounding the football with. With James Cook. And so, yeah, that's kind of how I look at this game. It's going to be. It's going to be billed as, you know, Burrow versus Allen, but it's just going to be a bunch of running.
Craig Korobek
It's funny because last week Joe Burrow threw the ball 46 times. I think. I think he threw the ball 37 times in the first half or something.
Danny Kelly
Around that number, which was great, I think was the most anyone's thrown in a half. Full year.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
In a long time.
Craig Korobek
And granted, maybe the Ravens are, you know, they were winning the game and the second half, they didn't need to throw as much. But I'm. Part of me thinks like the Bengals are incapable of not throwing the ball 45 times.
Danny Kelly
I agree.
Danny Heifetz
Right, that's. That's a good point. Yeah.
Danny Kelly
The Bills were beat to. The Bills were built to beat the Bengals.
Danny Heifetz
Like Bills beat Bengals.
Danny Kelly
Bills built.
Danny Heifetz
Beat Bengals.
Danny Kelly
Bills beat Bengals. Bills built to beat Bengals. It's true, though, because the Bills. The Bengals wiped the Bills off the floor in that snow game where the Bills couldn't get anything done. They couldn't run the balls. Embarrassing in the playoffs. And then ever since then, the Bills went into. We're going to have like a great between tackles running game. We're going to bully teams off the field. And the Bills were beat, built their team to beat the Chiefs and the Bengals because the Chiefs and Bengals want to throw on offense, but they can't really stop the run. So the Bills built their team to run the ball, but then also their defense is built to stop passing games like Cincinnati and Kansas City. So now Buffalo's issue is teams who can run the ball really well, but against the I think the Bills are very situated to win this because I don't think the buff Cincinnati can move it on them like they want. But I, I, I think the Bills could have the ball for 40 minutes in this game.
Danny Heifetz
Maybe the, the Bengals are basically the only team that are worse against the run are the Giants.
Danny Kelly
They ran the ball for 250 yards last week and they didn't have their starting tackles.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah. So the only other fantasy point here I would say is keep an eye on Dalton Kincaid. He's back at practice limited. They, he added a knee injury despite missing a game. I don't know what that's what's going on with that. Sometimes you're just hamstring hurts and therefore.
Craig Korobek
You'Re, sometimes you got to diversify, you know.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah, yeah.
Craig Korobek
Add something to your repertoire.
Danny Kelly
Smart.
Danny Heifetz
But basically it's like I saw this stat, I'm sorry, I apologize for, for who tweeted it. But it was basically like Trey McBride is the number one tight end in fantasy and the number two tight end fantasy is whoever's going against the Bengals. So yeah, just keep an eye on Dalton Kincaid. He'd be a good streamer slash start option if you need to tight end this week because the Bengals are just horrific against tight ends.
Danny Kelly
The next game here, another huge divisional game this week. The culture at the Jaguars. But they both have eight wins and yeah, this is, I mean the AFC south is never going to be as cool as the other divisions, but it's, it's, this is the whole division is a bunch of teams. We don't really understand how good they are, but the Colts of Jaguars are maybe the number one and number two teams in the NFL for just I don't really know how good these teams are.
Danny Heifetz
This is the, the Jags I think sit in the same category almost exactly as the Bears. The Jacks and the Bears are like identical teams this year. Like the, the play calling genius guru head coaches, quarterbacks who talent but can't really underwhelm.
Craig Korobek
They're number one picks.
Danny Heifetz
The defenses on both of these teams are absolutely living on takeaways. But that's not something that you can always rely on happening game in and game out. The Jags are fourth and takeaways, they have 20. So I think that stylistically and sort of like identity wise they're, they're kind of similar. I think the Bears are much better at running than the Jags are. In fact, the Jags last week, Good God, like ETN had 12 carries for 28 yards. Against the Titans, Tutin had 8 for 17. It was like they both averaged 2 yards carry. So, you know, I think obviously that's the one big difference. But, yeah, Jaguars and Bears, they kind of have a lot of similarities. I think the question for the Colts here, can Jonathan Taylor break through the. The Jags defense? The Jags have been really good about holding opposing offenses in the run game. They're giving up the fewest rushing yards per game this year, 82 per game. So they're kind of a pass funnel defense. And that is kind of like. My one big question is, like, how are the Colts going to fare against this run defense when Daniel Jones is hurt? He's got this broken leg. There was an interesting story this week about how his room. College roommates have this startup company that does 3D printing, and they made him like a. Like a guard thing that is, like, perfectly fitted to his leg to protect his bone. Did you guys see this story?
Danny Kelly
I did. And they said they have. They were like, how do you scan it? He's like, they have an app. You can scan it on your phone. And I was thinking about Craig's mom being like, why didn't you build that, Craig?
Danny Heifetz
Yeah, why didn't you build an app?
Craig Korobek
Damn it. So you just scan your leg and then it builds a perfect cast for you?
Danny Heifetz
I guess.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, that's that.
Craig Korobek
Okay.
Danny Heifetz
But he's. I think the thing with Daniel Jones is he's, you know, he's clearly limited. He doesn't look like he's as fast or as mobile as he normally is. And that was something that the Colts coaches, I think, admitted to. Like, he just doesn't have the lateral mobility that he typically would have. So that's a huge deal. And I think the idea would be here is to try not to put too much on his shoulders and let Jonathan Taylor carry the game.
Danny Kelly
But the shoulders is fine. The leg is the problem. But the. That's what the Skins were for. Sure. I. Do you guys feel more or less impressed by NFL medical staffs that Daniel Jones is, like, college teammates got him a leg scan app.
Danny Heifetz
And yeah, they really got.
Danny Kelly
Isn't that weird? He's using something his college buddies invented. What are the odds that Daniel Jones's college buddies are just actually the best people at this?
Danny Heifetz
Is he gonna get, like, a big new contract and then bring in the Daniel Jones, like, medical team kind of like T12?
Craig Korobek
What if this is all some giant, like, investor scam and this is Daniel Jones faking a broken leg to prop up this.
Danny Heifetz
This Spawn Con.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. This company and then sell it. And Daniel Jones is an investor. Have we considered that? These guys went now, you know, these kids went to Duke. They're smart.
Danny Heifetz
They were roommates.
Danny Kelly
It's a pretty good idea.
Danny Heifetz
Thickest thieves these three.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, she comes up with some like body scanning app, fake fakes. A. A leg injury that can't get. A broken leg that some for some reason can't get worse.
Danny Heifetz
He's still playing on it.
Craig Korobek
Sounds fishy to me.
Danny Kelly
It's pretty good.
Danny Heifetz
Who do you think is going to win?
Craig Korobek
I. I mean the funny thing about these two teams are no matter how many times the Colts lose, for some reason I still believe in them. And no matter how many times the Jags win, I still don't believe in them. Believe in them.
Danny Heifetz
They made it across the river. They forted the river, you guys. The wagon's back.
Danny Kelly
I couldn't agree more. I think the Jaguars could beat anyone, but I will never ever pick them to win again because Trevor Lawrence is capable. Never, ever, ever, ever. Like, I just. The defensive line for the Jags is good. You know, I mean Josh Hines, Allen and, and Trayvon Walker, like I know there's. He had the wrist thing. But I think they're playing well. Like they're surprisingly good. A lot of things. I made fun of them. I've made fun of them. Paying Jordan Lewis like 10 million year at Nickelback to be the oldest nickel in the league. Like he's like they're playing well on defense. But I agree, dk, I think it's a little fake. I also just still I can, I feel like I can see in the flames. Trevor Lawrence throwing an interception to Cam Bynum, the cold safety and him doing some weird rom com dance from 2003 in the end zone. And I just. Trevor Lawrence just does too much dumb for me to believe that the, the Jags are gonna win. I also think Daniel Jones. I also think the word fractures throwing us off.
Hairline fracture.
Danny Heifetz
You know, it's just a little broken.
Danny Kelly
It's a little broken.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. I also am just like I don't even know who I think is good on the Jags offense and I think a lot of guys are good on the Colts offense.
Danny Kelly
On that Note, Brian Thomas Jr. Who's back. I'm curious. I want to play the name game with Brian Thomas Jr. If your season's on the line.
Danny Heifetz
Christ.
Danny Kelly
Would you play like this is your flex spot? It's your last guy you're going to start. Would you play Brian Thomas Jr. DK or would you play Troy Franklin?
Danny Heifetz
You had to ask me about the Bronco.
Danny Kelly
Yes, I did. I did want to ask you.
Danny Heifetz
Probably Troy Franklin. That's how bad it's gotten for Brad Thomas.
Danny Kelly
Wow.
Danny Heifetz
In theory that Parker Washington is out.
Danny Kelly
Would you rather play? That's, that's the thing. Parker Washington's probably out of this game and Brian Thomas is. I do think he's healthy. I had a nice block.
Craig Korobek
Everyone.
Danny Heifetz
Brian Thomas kind of don't want to put my season on Brian Thomas. Do you know he's the wide receiver, 47 this year, right next to Hollywood Brown High. He's a behind Kon Booty. Trey Tucker. Troy Franklin. This was like a early second round pick. Okay, would you maybe late first.
Danny Kelly
Would you take Brian Thomas Jr. Or Trey Tucker versus the Broncos?
Danny Heifetz
Christ.
Danny Kelly
Sees it on the line.
Danny Heifetz
Probably Brian Thomas.
Danny Kelly
Brian Thomas Jr. Or 80 Mitchell on the jets.
Danny Heifetz
Oh, 80.
Danny Kelly
Really?
Danny Heifetz
Yeah. Craig, when was the last time Brian Thomas got fucking 12 targets?
Craig Korobek
Oh, God, no, I think I would do Brian Thomas.
Danny Heifetz
They're kind of similar players, honestly, stylistically.
Danny Kelly
I, I would play Brian Thomas. Brian Thomas or Roma Dunes A. Dk.
Danny Heifetz
Woma Dunes A. I would take Rome.
Craig Korobek
You take wom.
Danny Heifetz
Why would take wom.
Craig Korobek
Okay, I would take. I would take WOM as well.
Danny Kelly
Games in Jacksonville, not in 14 degrees in Green Bay. I think I go Brian Thomas, man.
Danny Heifetz
By the way, the last time Brian Thomas had 12 targets was week two. Well, yeah, he caught four of them.
Craig Korobek
That's not bad.
Danny Kelly
That's. That's.
Danny Heifetz
It's not. It's. No, it is bad.
Craig Korobek
Oh, that's batting.300.
Danny Heifetz
No, it's. That's bad, Craig.
Craig Korobek
I mean, that's four.
Danny Heifetz
Baseball's great in football.
Craig Korobek
It's bad.333 average is good.
Danny Kelly
New Orleans the next.
Craig Korobek
That sounds good to me.
Danny Kelly
The next game here, another divisional one, not as fun. New Orleans Saints are at Tampa Bay. I don't think there's much to say here. I mean, Alvin Kabir is probably out. I hope you're not have to play Devin Neal. I. I don't have much to say about real life or whatever. I mean, the Bucks are getting people back, but they're also. The Bucks have an easy schedule going forward, so maybe they win the nfc.
Craig Korobek
Well, there's a couple fantasy questions I want to ask. If Mike Evans is playing in this game, do you play him?
Danny Kelly
No, because I, I don't. Someone who's been out for two months and just comes back to. So, Mike, I. I think like for.
Danny Heifetz
Instance, Bucky Irving last week who said? They said they were gonna have him on a pitch count and then he played like half the game or.
Danny Kelly
But that's the problem sometimes.
Danny Heifetz
This is my problem is because I like I galaxy brained it last week and I started Sean Tucker on like three teams and he did all.
Craig Korobek
But I think that's idiot.
Danny Kelly
I know stupid.
Danny Heifetz
That's because the fucking coach said we're going to bring him along slowly and then he scored a touchdown. He played like half the game.
Danny Kelly
I think 20 touchdowns are different because a running back that comes back from injury, he looks good on the first drive. The coach might be like, fuck it, keep him playing. I think this is Omarion Hampton for the Charges this week. I think Marian Hampton, they, they're like, oh yeah, I'll put him on a pitch cow. He broke an ankle. He's a rookie. They put him in. If he looks, if he breaks off a 40 yard run in the first drive, they're gonna play him the whole game probably. But if he kind of looks slow, then like Videl looks good. They're just be like screw it, we're gonna play Fidel like more of the time receiver. I don't know, there's like chemistry, there's rhythm. Maybe it doesn't matter because Mike Evans played Baker for like four seasons. So I guess what I'm like, I.
Craig Korobek
Feel like chemistry and rhythm is the one thing they have going for them.
Danny Kelly
I know. Well, it's still rough. All right, fine. So Mike Evans, it's like a collarbone.
Danny Heifetz
He's fine.
Danny Kelly
Mike Evans who say flowers.
Craig Korobek
I'm probably starting him.
If Mike Evans is a full participant on today and tomorrow and I would probably play him over Zay Flowers to be honest.
Danny Heifetz
I think he was limited today. Craig, let me double.
Danny Kelly
I will say the difference with Mike Evans is Mike Evans is pro. Like there's been a couple seasons where Mike Evans very improbably got back to a thousand yards in a season.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, he has, I mean think he only has like four games to get to a thousand yards.
Danny Heifetz
250 a game.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, he's 100.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
Wait, we got.
Danny Heifetz
He was limited today, Craig.
Danny Kelly
So he needs 860. How many games left in the season?
Craig Korobek
Five games left.
Danny Kelly
So he needs, he needs 172 yards a game.
Craig Korobek
That's not that crazy doable.
Danny Kelly
You know what's funny? I feel like he will have 200 yards in one of the remaining games.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, yeah.
Danny Heifetz
And three touchdowns. It's just picking the right week to start him.
Craig Korobek
So you're playing. You're playing Olave and that's probably it. You're playing on the Saints. You're playing maybe Mike Evans. We're saying yes, tenderly. Yes to Mike Evans. You're playing a buka playing Bucky Irving.
Danny Kelly
Yes. Yeah. Godwin both dropped a touchdown. I don't know if he looked great, but I mean, he had two injuries this year, but yeah, it's an ugly game. Dk, your Seahawks are at the Atlanta Falcons this week.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah. And I think the talking point in Seattle this week has definitely just been like, can we get a clean game from Sam Darnold? Please, God, for the love of God, stop turning the ball over.
That's all we want.
Danny Kelly
It's not only he leads the league in turnovers.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah, he does.
Danny Kelly
Oh, well.
Craig Korobek
And did he, did he have a turnover last week?
Danny Heifetz
He did.
Craig Korobek
He fumbled.
Danny Heifetz
He fumbled twice, actually. Ah. Luckily one of one of them. This. Another Seahawk jumped on it.
Danny Kelly
He.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah, that's, that's like my main thing is obviously I just kind of want him to play a clean game. The Falcons defense has fallen a long way since it was number one in DVOA early in the year. It's now no longer number one in dvoa. They are four and eight. They've had a really weird season. They lost to. So they beat the Bills in week six, one of the weirdest games of the season. Since then, they've lost six other last seven. They lost to the jets last week. I guess that's all I really had to say. They lost to the jets last week.
Craig Korobek
And they lost their quarterback and their starting wide receiver, their best wide receiver.
Danny Heifetz
They have Kirk Cousins out there. Drake London. It's looking like he probably won't play. He did not practice today.
Craig Korobek
He's not gonna play.
Danny Kelly
He's got a pcl, injured his knee. Even Drake Lunt, for example, Mike Evans coming back. I blame him. It's a collarbone. Drake London, PCL injured his knee. I don't.
Danny Heifetz
Those are like notoriously hard to come back from.
Danny Kelly
Yes.
Craig Korobek
The question here is, are you playing our guy, Kyle Pitts?
Danny Heifetz
I think he's their number one receiver. And yet like so against the Seahawks. That's kind of tough though.
Craig Korobek
No.
Danny Kelly
Like my answer is no. And I, I, I think, I think.
Craig Korobek
The answer is no as well. I think the Seahawks, there's a chance they kick the out.
Danny Kelly
So here's the thing with Pittsburgh. I think Kyle Pitts is like all time fooling the waddle model and the idea that like projections keep saying, well, he's due for this many Targets and this many catches and. And I'm like, you know, I don't think Kyle Pitts at any point really had a great rapport with Kirk Cousins outside of one month with a crazy schedule in October last year. And I hate the guy. And honestly, I feel so strongly about this. I bet Cal Pitts will be the number one tight end in fantasy. You know what I'm saying?
Danny Heifetz
Kind of like on a hate tour.
Craig Korobek
You're trying to go analytical. Then you're like, and I hate the guy.
Danny Kelly
I hate the guy. No, honestly, this is the. If every instinct you have is wrong, the opposite must be right. Like, I think Pitts maybe you should bet you maybe you should play him because he has 11 touchdowns in five years.
Craig Korobek
Waddle Model. Five out of 12 games he's hit the water model.
Danny Heifetz
That means he's hit the how many of them Projection by the way, in.
Craig Korobek
I'm saying that's bad.
Danny Kelly
Now.
Danny Heifetz
Now 300 is bad.
Craig Korobek
Okay, that's 400 DK.
Danny Heifetz
Sorry.
Danny Kelly
We saw a game with no Drake London and no Michael Pennix or the Mooney got hurt and Pitts had like three points.
Craig Korobek
Well, last week he had 80 yards and seven catches.
Danny Heifetz
He looked good. He looked good, you guys.
Craig Korobek
But I. I don't know. They're on the road. Seattle. I just don't like it.
Danny Kelly
This is one of those.
Danny Heifetz
It's in Atlanta.
Danny Kelly
I'm not telling people not to play. I don't know if you have a better option than Pitts. I don't know if you do. But I I'll tell you that in the ringer fantasy league I have made the decision that I would rather I cut him. I added Darren Waller.
Danny Heifetz
You're like, I don't want the. I don't want the temptation.
Danny Kelly
I did that for two. Yes. That's what I did. I did that for two reasons. Darren Waller's playing the Bengals in week 16 and I want that for when I the first round by and I also decided I can live and sleep at night if I lose the ringer fantasy league because Kyle Pitts was really good. But I could never live with myself if I lose the ring of fantasy league because I trusted Kyle Pitts. Yeah, I can't go down that way. And it's an emotional decision.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I think that's right.
Danny Kelly
But he could be good this week because I hate him. So that's usually how it goes.
Other games in the early window that just suck. Washington is at the Vikings and it was this before the season. Looked like a lovely matchup between Jaden Daniels and JJ McCarthy and.
Now it's kind of just up guys.
Danny Heifetz
Jaden Daniels might play in this game.
Craig Korobek
Well, it's like it's weird. He. So he. He was a. He fully practiced on Thursday but he has not been cleared for.
Danny Heifetz
But if you're fully practicing as we learned recently that means you're with the starters.
Danny Kelly
Well, I guess that you know I never actually thought of that but I guess because quarterbacks don't take contact they don't get hits. I guess that he'll get cleared from.
Danny Heifetz
For contact on Sunday morning.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I think. I guess I kind of think he's gonna play. It's one of the trickier dilemmas. Like I like let's breeze. Let's. Let's go through like McLaren. I think you're playing regardless of who the quarterback is. Mario James, Terry.
Danny Kelly
Terry looked good versus the Broncos.
Craig Korobek
This is the first game all year. He's like Delphi.
Do you play Jaden Daniels?
Danny Heifetz
You.
Craig Korobek
You. There's. You don't like you. You've had to have you. You have other options now because Jaden's been out.
Danny Heifetz
Well, you can because super flex you do in. In one qb.
Craig Korobek
In one qb.
Danny Kelly
It depends because I mean right around Jin got hurt. You might have Jackson dart and Jackson darts on by Purdy on like there's Drake may like there's a lot of quarterbacks that are probably playing in lineups this week that you can start. So I I think look Jaden he's still gonna move and run like he's. I don't Jaden's problem.
Danny Heifetz
I know it's just kind of who he is. It's like Dart like these guys. That's what makes them good also.
Danny Kelly
But Jaden adapted to not taking hits way faster than Dart has. Dart had his window. Jaden is.
Danny Heifetz
He's still Jason injury was really fluke.
Danny Kelly
It was a freak injury. Never blamed me and I'm like it was. It was his offhand was bracing himself. You don't see that a lot but.
Craig Korobek
I. I do think that's going to affect his willingness to run and get hit. I mean like yeah, he is going to be. Yeah exactly. I mean let's name game it. Let's go through quarterbacks that you could have added once Jane Daniels went down. Would you play Jacoby Brissette or Jaden Daniels?
Danny Heifetz
Brissette.
Craig Korobek
Would you play Caleb Williams?
Danny Kelly
I'd probably.
Danny Heifetz
Probably I'd play Jaden.
Craig Korobek
Well you have Caleb ranked out of.
Danny Heifetz
Him but would you have go adjust the ranks, baby?
Danny Kelly
Yeah.
Craig Korobek
What about bonus.
Danny Kelly
You know what the difference is? And I will make this tweak. The difference is J. Sometimes we'll check the weather the morning off, but I'm like, that game is outside in Green Bay. Or sorry, it's in Green Bay. And I'm like, this isn't a dome.
Danny Heifetz
Be 17 degrees.
Craig Korobek
I agree with that high. Fitz, Would you play Darnold?
Danny Heifetz
I would play Jaden over Darnold.
Danny Kelly
Really?
Danny Heifetz
Darnold had three points last week.
Danny Kelly
Darnold has not had like Darnold, I think has had nine points. Five weeks.
Danny Heifetz
True. So not that much better.
Danny Kelly
That's a good point. Yeah. Yeah. That's the. It's not that much of a difference if you.
Danny Heifetz
He didn't even play Craig, you know.
Danny Kelly
Not that much worse than Darnold.
Danny Heifetz
I don't know.
Craig Korobek
I feel like Darnold's just going to have like a rock solid 250 yards and two touchdowns.
Danny Heifetz
Guys, I have Jaden in the rigor league. I. I need to make this call, so tell me what to do. I. I literally have d. I believe I have Darnold and Jaden. No, you don't.
Danny Kelly
I have Darnold. You don't have.
Danny Heifetz
Who's my second TV?
Craig Korobek
You have 25 leads.
Danny Kelly
That's your real life team.
Danny Heifetz
That's how this goes.
Danny Kelly
The line is blurring. But anyway, we're burying the lead here too, which is I.
Craig Korobek
The return of.
Danny Heifetz
It's g. It's Gino, not Darnold.
Craig Korobek
Okay.
Danny Kelly
No wonder I'm starting.
Craig Korobek
I've already forgotten who's on your team. I don't even know what.
Danny Kelly
No one cares about your team. So the.
Danny Heifetz
Jesus Christ, you guys are tough. Tough sub out here.
Craig Korobek
Did we help people with Jaden Daniels there? I don't know. Did we help them?
Danny Heifetz
You didn't help me.
I ultimately just made my own call.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
So thanks.
Craig Korobek
Which is what? What did you decide?
Danny Heifetz
You're playing Daniels over Gino? Yeah.
Craig Korobek
Okay.
Danny Heifetz
And also I would start him over Darnold.
Danny Kelly
Would you play Jaden or Lamar Jackson?
Danny Heifetz
Oh, geez.
Craig Korobek
God, shoot me.
Danny Heifetz
Probably Lamar.
Who's healthier?
Craig Korobek
I. I don't know. I think there's a chance you could call Jaden healthier.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah. Gripes, I think.
Danny Kelly
I mean, so funny. I. I don't know. Part of me is. Part of me is like, you know, the issue is it's his other elbow. The problem. Like, the reason it's a problem with Herbert with his hand and everything. I'm like, no, no. Seriousness. The problem is under center Jaden Daniels doesn't go under center. And you know what else? Like, oh, no. Herbert is through everything from pistol or shotgun. It's all Jaden does. And it's not his hand. High ending off's not a problem. Part of me is like, fine.
Craig Korobek
It's fine. He dislocated his elbow like 20 days ago. That's the thing.
Danny Kelly
You know what's funny?
Craig Korobek
Fine.
Danny Heifetz
Stop.
Craig Korobek
Wor.
Danny Kelly
You know what's funny? Isn't the version of Jaden Daniels that you're thinking about playing in your head, the one that kind of limped off in agony. But it's weird that they're going to clear him to play football.
Craig Korobek
Do you think?
Danny Heifetz
I don't. You think they probably shouldn't. Like, he should just not be.
Danny Kelly
Well, this is the Joe Burrow. This is Joe Burrow. Had a really good answer.
Craig Korobek
He did.
Danny Kelly
Multiple times on the press conference and then also on the field. And they were like, why are you. How would you explain. It was a good question, too.
Danny Heifetz
They were, because he's a competitor.
Craig Korobek
Well, they're like. I mean, to be honest, he's just like, I'm a football player when I'm healthy, I'm going to play football. It's my job.
Danny Kelly
He said they were. I like the way they phrased it too, which is how would you explain to your Bengals fans who think you're. You're the part of the team and next this season's over and you should play in the future. You're the future of the team and you think about the future. How would you explain to them why you're playing right now? And he was like, I get paid a lot of money to play a kids game. I should probably do that.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah.
Craig Korobek
I mean, to be honest, it's kind of obvious. Like when it's easy to say the team should bench him, they're bad. When you're actually the guy and you're healthy and this is your job and your life's work, you're like, yeah, of course, if I'm capable of playing physically, I will. I should.
Danny Kelly
I kind of just think play Jaden Daniels. I. I mean, it depends.
Danny Heifetz
It depends with the context that this is the Same organization that RG3 played for.
Danny Kelly
It isn't. It isn't. Because literally none of those people are left.
Craig Korobek
But crucially, even the name of the team is different. Okay.
Danny Heifetz
Crucial.
Craig Korobek
That's true.
Danny Kelly
The only thing left.
Craig Korobek
Okay, they're gonna have a different stadium soon.
Danny Kelly
Like the same field. This is games in Minnesota. Theseus cancel team.
Craig Korobek
So we. I, Jaden Daniels, We. We. We have I guess tweet. Tweet us and we'll tell you what.
Danny Kelly
We'll figure out. I. I gotta tell you, I didn't think he was gonna play this.
Craig Korobek
Tweet.
Danny Heifetz
Craig.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, Tweet me.
Danny Kelly
We'll update the ra. Yeah, we'll update the rankings with Jaden.
Craig Korobek
We'll add it. We do have. We do have the return of what.
Danny Kelly
We'Re burying the lead which is this.
Craig Korobek
I'm Josh.
Danny Kelly
Vikings. Okay, do it.
Craig Korobek
We have the return of nine.
Nine is back.
Danny Kelly
Great.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
Great.
Craig Korobek
He's trying to become dead. Nine is back. J.J. mcCarthy from his concussion is going to start and I will say Max Brosmer was worse than J.J. mcCarthy. So we can at least say that. And I would say that JJ McCarthy is better for Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison and everybody else in the Vikings. Then Max.
Danny Kelly
Sorry.
Craig Korobek
Max Brosmer.
Danny Kelly
Can I give one last stat, the last thing we'll ever do. Talk about Max Brosmer. Bill Barton will have this at ESPN. Max Brosmer's EPA per play last week in the 26 to nothing loss to the Seahawks, Max Brosman's EP per play was 0.8. Negative 0.8. Which is. That's almost exactly the same as Kendall Hinton when the Broncos. All the quarterbacks.
Danny Heifetz
The receiver.
Danny Kelly
The receiver had to play quarterback for the Broncos.
Craig Korobek
I mean that literally means every single play. Like the Vikings are losing real life points every play.
Danny Kelly
Every time Max Bros snapped the ball, the Vikings lost. Bas not expected.
Danny Heifetz
These are like point losses.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. Unfortunately Justin Jefferson is one of the. The trickier real life starts at dilemmas in fantasy.
His last three games with McCarthy, fantasy wise Justin Jefferson has put up 13 points.
Danny Heifetz
5 and 8 Washington as bad as I thought.
Danny Kelly
Honestly, if I put a gun to your head and I'm like if you get this wrong, I'm going to kill you. Justin Jefferson or A.D. mitchell. Who will score more fantasy points this week?
Danny Heifetz
Probably Jefferson.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
Craig. What about Troy Frank.
Craig Korobek
Drinking water.
Danny Kelly
Totally.
Craig Korobek
I would. I would do Jefferson in that situation.
Danny Kelly
I think this is the ultimate. Do you just trust talent blindly or do you pay attention to anything that's happened recently? Like crucible.
Craig Korobek
This is like.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
Because we're not gonna. Can I transparent. For those people listening, you're on your own. We're not coming to save you. No one's gonna tell you to bunch bench Justin Jefferson. I'm not gonna say it. They're not gonna say it because we're scared. We're scared. He'll do great. Can I tell you the truth? You probably fucking should, but I don't think you should. And I'm too scared to do it. You probably won't do it, but you're gonna go down because you didn't do it.
Craig Korobek
But, yeah, I think you play them. Washington has given up the fifth most points to wide receivers in fantasy. J.J. mcCarthy has targeted Justice Jefferson nine times. Twelve times. Nine times.
Danny Heifetz
Jefferson's gonna have.
Danny Kelly
How many of those were over his head?
Craig Korobek
Probably half of them. But I, I think you have to.
Danny Kelly
Did you see Kevin McCarthy or. Sorry, Kevin McCarthy, that's a former speaker of the House, Kevin O', Connell, the Vikings coach.
I was trying to think of a joke there. I couldn't think of a connection. But Kevin O' Connell went from a detailed mechanical breakdown on things JJ McCarthy should improve to being like, you know what? I think we got to get him to stop worrying about the mechanics, and he's got to just start thinking about where to put the ball.
Craig Korobek
He's gonna just feel it now. It.
Danny Kelly
Craig. DK's gonna drift off because we're talking about golf, but you know in golf, when you try to help something, like someone tries to fix their swing in the middle of the course, and then, like, it gets worse and you're like, you know what?
Craig Korobek
Just hit it.
Danny Kelly
Just hit the ball.
Craig Korobek
Do what feels right.
Danny Kelly
Ball with a stick. Just that.
Craig Korobek
So I gotta say sometimes myself, when I'm golf again, I'm like, thinking of, like, keep the elbows straight, keep the arm tight, rotate back, get your hands through. Sometimes you end up piling on so many things that the house collapses. And then I eventually just distill that down to just, like, one thing where I'm like, you know what? Just do it. Do what feels right. Sometimes that actually works.
Danny Kelly
Dick, would you play Justin Jefferson or Devonte Smith?
Danny Heifetz
Cripes.
Craig Korobek
I, I want to say, I really appreciate that you're asking. Dkl.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah. Why do I keep having fun?
Danny Kelly
I got one. We have, we have this ranking. We have this ranking. And I have a quibble to our running ranking.
Craig Korobek
Okay. I would play Justin Jefferson over Demonte Smith.
Danny Kelly
I, I got one. I want to move him down. We have Justin Jefferson over Michael Wilson for the Cardinals. There is no way I do. My life was on the line.
Craig Korobek
I have Michael Wilson ahead of him for that reason.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, I, I, we have to. I mean, Michael Wilson. Are there guys. Alec Pierce, I think you should play over Justin Jefferson. Oh, I, I don't think I would do that. If I was gonna die. I would play Alec Pierce, if you.
Craig Korobek
Were gonna die, you Play Alec Pierce over Jesse Jefferson. That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Yes, Alec Pierce had five targets. They had two the week before. They had two. He had one catch, two targets.
Danny Kelly
I don't care. Okay, I, I think you'll outdo him. Well no, he had Alec Pierce said 78 yards last week.
Craig Korobek
I said the week before that he had two targets.
Danny Heifetz
Put some money on it.
Craig Korobek
High fits. Do you want to do the. I take Justin Jefferson, you take Alex Pierce. Loser dies.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, let's do that. Let's do that. Loser dies.
Done.
Danny Heifetz
Sold.
Danny Kelly
In a heartbeat.
Danny Heifetz
Trial by combat.
Craig Korobek
Interesting choice of words there. In a heartbeat.
Danny Kelly
All right, well lock that in. Everyone just heard that so that's.
Craig Korobek
You're not playing anybody else, right? You're not playing Addison Hawkinson.
Danny Kelly
I think Addison is below the bar of he any. Anybody could score at a given week. Jordan Addison actually had a couple catches from JJ McCarthy in big spots this year. But I think Addison has been so bad recently in the that I don't think you can justify playing him. Like he's been.
Probably pound for pound one of the single worst players in fantasy over the last three weeks. Jordan Addison. Like if you played him, I don't think anyone's Harbinger. He had 36 yards 0 and 20 and 35.
Craig Korobek
He hasn't had double digit fantasy points since week five.
Danny Kelly
He's probably like. He's like there's probably very few players that you could have just played the last month that would have done less for you than Jordan Addison. Almost nobody actually.
Craig Korobek
That's wrong. He hasn't had double digit fantasy points in the last six weeks.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, watch. He's. Watch Jefferson. Watch. Jason, what do you think?
Danny Heifetz
I bet nine is going to really play well this weekend.
Craig Korobek
To be honest, there's something in my body makes me think he's gonna play part of me.
Danny Kelly
We should do a Costanza. You know why? There is probably something to. If Kevin o' Connell started talking about his mechanics a month ago publicly, he probably was talking about his mechanics for the month prior privately. Part of me does wonder if the moment JJ McCarthy stops fucking worrying about his mechanics, he'll look fine.
Craig Korobek
He's literally like he's Kevin o' Connor is telling him to think less and he did just get concussed.
Danny Kelly
That's true. So that might help slows the game down.
Craig Korobek
Right now he's just all instincts. One thing before we go though. I would say Aaron Jones, if he plays, he has a shoulder injury. If Aaron Jones plays, I think you Play him. I think he's an okay flex start.
Danny Kelly
I. I just. It's a good example of. It's not perfect, but I just doubt you have a better player.
Danny Heifetz
I agree, but you're gonna sweat every time he gets tackled the worst.
Craig Korobek
For sure, it'll be the worst day ever.
Danny Heifetz
But running backs get tackled kind of a lot.
Danny Kelly
Dude. People are going to be in their lineup. They're going to like playing Aaron Jones and Justin Jefferson. And the Vikings gonna have no completions through, like, 20 minutes. And people like, they said that it would. The game would be better for.
Craig Korobek
This is a nightmare week of fantasy.
Danny Kelly
Awful. Speaking of which, there's a bunch of buys. Titans are at the Browns this week.
Craig Korobek
My God.
Danny Kelly
Horrific. And the BRETT Titans are 1 and 11. Browns are 3 and 9. I. I wouldn't. I. Literally the only player I think you should play in fantasy in this game is Quinchon Judkins. I wouldn't play a single Titan. Wouldn't play a single Brown with my. You know, I guess if you. Deeper league the tight ends, fine. But, like, the only thing for this game is I think there's a small chance Miles Garrett just gets four sacks and sets the sack record in this game because Cam Ward's the most sacked quarterback in the NFL, and Miles Garrett already has 19. And the record is Michael Strand and TJ Water tied at 22 and a half.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
I think Miles Garrett. There's a chance he has two sacks at halftime.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. And it just like.
Danny Kelly
Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
So it's just the touching conversation that was making the rounds between Miles Garrett and George Kittle this week. I love. I actually really love when they have the guys mic'd up and they're just chatting on the field, just chit chat. George Kittle was like, I'm just happy to be here right now. You know, healthy, playing football in November. It's great. He's like. And they're just, like, so polite to each other. It's just, like, really funny. Garrett was like, can you please stop chipping me? And Kittle's like, no, I'm gonna keep doing it.
Danny Kelly
I hope you break the record, but don't do it against Brock, please.
Danny Heifetz
Right? He's like, I could tell Brock to get it. Get to give you a sack if you want.
Danny Kelly
You know what's funny? I. They actually. Did you see the. The rel. The unreleased version that leaked from that conversation? It kept going. They edited it.
Danny Heifetz
Oh, God, no.
Danny Kelly
Miles Garrett was like, what the. With Juwan Jennings. And Kittle's like, I don't know. He's a hoe though.
Craig Korobek
Sure. I want that to be known.
Danny Kelly
I want that to be known.
Craig Korobek
He's like, I'm hyped up right now. I want that to be known.
Danny Kelly
I want that to be known. Dolphins are at the jets, which is.
Danny Heifetz
Also just, just appointment television right here. The Dolphins have won four out of five games. They've beaten the Falcons, Bills, Commanders and Saints lost to the Ravens in that stretch. I don't know what to say about this game. I think Duane Hn is borderline elite level at this point. I think he doesn't have the same sort of reputation or whatever as the other top elite running backs. But the, the four guys that he's behind this year, Jonathan Taylor, Christian McCaffrey, Jameer Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, like he's, he's in that group and he's not very far behind. I think it's just a little bit smaller than the other guys maybe. Really, he's not that much smaller.
Danny Kelly
The truth is the Dolphins haven't won or been relevant in to the standings in three years. And that's the, and that's the only.
Craig Korobek
Reason he doesn't get shine for the award that I'm making up right now. The Glansburg MVP of the season. It's him. Like the fact that he's played every single game, he's been healthy the entire.
Danny Heifetz
Year, knock on wood.
Craig Korobek
And he's a top five running back on the season and has been just like amazing, especially as a receiver. Like he is quietly one of the most valuable players in fantasy that nobody talks about.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah. And the thing I would add to that is last year it felt like.
Cheap is probably too strong a word, but like his points were a little bit cheap and half pbr, PBR point in situations because you know, he was just getting spammed targets. But I would say this year he's made some incredible runs, which gives me like, it reignites my love for him because I just think last year he was kind of banged up. He didn't have that many runs. He didn't have explosive runs last year. This year he's back, man, he's like breaking tackles. He is getting, you know, he's running through the tackles and getting and getting past the first line and then just beating guys on, you know, just beating, beating second level defenders because he's so fast. He's so explosive. He's juking guys out of their socks. He just looks incredible this year. So I just wanted to make sure we talk about him a little bit because we just haven't really talked about the Dolphins other than complaining about two or waddle.
Danny Kelly
Ray the late slate here. Rams are at the Cardinals. Rams coming off the loss to Carolina. The instincts burn the tape. You know, like games at aberration in reality, Matt Stafford going 20 touchdowns without a pick who's actually their aberration. The guy who doesn't look where he's throwing all the time. But you know, sometimes that's weird. But there's nothing to talk about for fantasy like you're playing all the Rams. There's nothing to talk about this game like the Rams are going to win. I think the only thing to talk about here is just for fantasy purposes. I think the Cardinals also little Glennsberg Kobe Brissette has attempted 190 passes in the last four weeks which is crazy and so in there forever. So as a result quarterback I think another Glandsburg is Trey McBride who leads all players in catches. All players. So Trey McBride turned out to have been the only tight end that mattered in the draft for fantasy because in the beginning of the year, third of the way through the season it was like oh, Tucker Kraft but he tore his acl. Jake Ferguson but CD Lamb came back and it's. He got market corrected. Brock Bowers was hurt so he's good now but he's had like two good games. Three good games. Trey McBride has just been the only receiver playing tight end and everyone else has just been a tight end. So he's been a difference maker. And then you got Michael Wilson who I think you, if you have, you probably have to play because Michael Wilson's just like 50 points the last two weeks. And then Marvin Erson Jr. Who I was going to bring up as a question and then he didn't practice today on Thursday with his heel injury that followed up the appendicitis he had. So I, I mean Marvin Harrison didn't practice today. I don't think there's anything to talk about. I mean Michael Wilson, you start Trey McBride I mean obviously but I don't know man, if Marvin's anything less than a full participant on a Friday. The last thing I want after seeing Marvin Harrison healthy for two years. I don't really have anything interest even with all the passes Brissette throwing. I don't want to less than 100. Marvin Harrison with the heel injury. So we'll see what the, the health is.
Danny Heifetz
But yeah, he probably won't play.
Danny Kelly
No, we haven't missed a top 30 player but we'll see.
Danny Heifetz
And Trey Benson is like Maybe not going to be back this year, I was gonna say.
Danny Kelly
So that's the real thing to me. Bam Knight. Donovan Knight, the car. I think he's the starting running back for the Arizona Cardinals, and he's available like, everywhere. And the Cardinals are an inefficient running game, but doesn't matter. They're running a lot of goddamn plays and they're getting the goal line. I think Bam Knight is a starting running back. That could save your season. So if he's available, I would add him because I think he's just gonna. I don't know. If Trey Benson isn't activated by next Wednesday, Trey Benson will not come back this season per the rules of injured reserve. And I don't know if he had a setback or what, but either Trey Benson's back next week or Donovan Knights like the starter. So I would add him especially before this game, if he's available. Broncos are at the Raiders. Dk. What do you make of this? Cause the last time they played, it was 10 to 7 and the Broncos won. And we're the most demoralized winning team I've seen of any team here.
Danny Heifetz
I don't have a ton of confidence in the Raiders right now.
Danny Kelly
Really? Why not?
Danny Heifetz
Gonna be honest with you. Seems like the vibes are low. Seems like they're not a very good team. Seems like Pete Carroll has not lifted the spirits of anybody on this roster.
What do you. What. What's your question? Yeah, the Raiders suck. What's. What's your question? How am I feeling about this game?
Danny Kelly
I think.
Danny Heifetz
I think the Broncos will win.
Craig Korobek
Well, time these two teams played, it was 10 to 7. It was the worst game ever. And they're matching up again, like a month later. This is the perfect matchup. Week 14 of your fantasy season is on the line. This is the perfect matchup for Sean Payton to absolutely fuck you. Because on paper you're like, this is awesome.
Danny Heifetz
He's just licking his chops.
Craig Korobek
We're playing in Vegas against the Raiders 2 and 10 Raiders. Like, maybe I can start all of these Broncos players. And yet right now things are more muddled than they've been in months. No Broncos wide receiver has averaged double digit points over the last month. The. The player with the most targets has changed each of the last three games. It's gone from Franklin to Sutton. Beautiful, Brian.
Danny Heifetz
It's just beautiful.
Craig Korobek
I was reading Rich rebar for Sharp Football Analysis. His. His breakdown of this game and he thinks that Pat Brian is starting to play more because he's better in the run game than Troy Franklin. More physical, better. Better at run blocking. And that's why he's perhaps getting a little bit more snaps. So now that's confusing between Sutton, Franklin and Bryant. And I think the only player you probably feel confident starting right now is. Is RJ Harvey for Denver. I would still probably play Sutton and Franklin and is. Is been tricky because he's really slowed down like the last month.
Danny Heifetz
Who's. Who's the random ass Bronco? Who's going to lead the team in receiving this this week?
Craig Korobek
Probably Jaleel McLaughlin.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah, yeah, yeah, probably see that.
Craig Korobek
And then Raiders. I mean you're playing Brock, Bowers and Genti. That's it.
Danny Kelly
Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
You know, maybe, maybe Lil Jordan Humphrey.
Craig Korobek
Gent. No Genty will get you like the ugliest 16 points you've ever seen in your life because he can't run the ball. But they, they're. He's basically like off, off, off, off brand McCaffrey now where like he does get like eight targets a game.
And then. And he can't run.
Danny Kelly
So this is an ugly game.
Craig Korobek
Bizarre. Genti season.
Danny Kelly
Sunday Night Football.
Danny Heifetz
What a game this is.
Danny Kelly
This is a good game. Texas. The Houston Texans are at the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a rematch of the playoffs last year, which was a much closer than the score indicates. I think The Chiefs won 25, 13.
Craig Korobek
It was way Texans were winning that game in the fourth quarter.
Danny Kelly
It was. Yeah, it was very, very. Honestly, it kind of foreshadowed a lot of what happened this season for both teams. But the Chiefs have a 90% chance of missing the playoffs if Kansas City loses this game. And it actually feels higher than that.
Danny Heifetz
Wow.
Danny Kelly
But now Kansas City's facing Houston, who has the best defense in the AFC and Kansas City might be versus maybe the best defense in the league or at least the second best defense of the league. Kansas City might be down three of their top five offensive linemen because Josh Simmons, the left tackle, who's Kansas City's first round pick, got wrist surgery and he's on injured reserve. Kansas City's right tackle Juwan Taylor, who's the second highest paid player on the Chiefs after Patrick Mahomes has a triceps injury and Kansas City's right guard Trey Smith, who is the second highest paid guard in the NFL, sprained his ankle. So those guys, you know, Simmons is out. Juwan Taylor, Trey Smith, we'll see if they play, they'll be either not 100 or out of the game, but in. But instead of their second highest paid Player, the second highest paid guard in the entire league and their first round pick. They will have Mike Caliendo at guard, maybe Jalen Moore would be at right tackle and then Wanye Morris at left tackle. After the Chief spent the entire off season trying to avoid Wanya. Morris at left tackle might play this week. And they are going to face Will Anderson and Daniel Hunter at edge rusher for Houston who are both in the top six in the NFL in quarterback pressures. So dk, the Texans are favored or sorry, the Chiefs are favored to win this game by 3 1/2 points. Yeah, and I know this game is in Kansas City and it's really cold in Kansas City and it's like on the road and it's a loud stadium.
Danny Heifetz
You're right, right, right.
Danny Kelly
But my instinct was I kind of thought this game, I, I, I think I, with, with getting three half points, I don't know, I, I kind of just think that the Texans are going to win this game outright.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah, I liked, I like the Texans in this one. I think you laid it out really well in terms of just like the trench. The, the differences in, in strength in the trenches is really, really important in this game. And I could see, you know, the Texans, man, they're just like so tough and physical and swarming on defense. They got some guys in the secondary that are big time playmakers. Caleb Bullock has just been all over the place. Yeah, I kind of like the Texan. I, I've like over the last couple of weeks become a huge fan of the Texans. Like I actually like watching them play. For most of last year and the start of this year I was like, this team is, I can't watch this team. But when you, when you like forget about the fantasy aspect of it and just like focus on the defense, they are fun as fuck to watch, but I think their offense has been making strides as well too. So that, that's important.
Danny Kelly
Barnwell had a great note at ESPN that the Texans have really, more than any team leaned into the having six offensive linemen on the field the last five or six weeks. And they've done it somewhere, I think eight, 10 plays a game, something like that. And it has helped them not be in third and long every goddamn drive. Which is what we complained about for like three years now is it's always like C.J. stroud's never been seen a third down list than seven yards. But now that that's not a thing all the time anymore, it's been a little better. But yeah, I don't know Craig, where do you fall on this? Because, I mean, fantasy, real life feels the same to me. It's like Travis Kelsey, I mean, Rashid Rice. Obviously.
Mahomes is weird. Mahomes is also a weird quarterback for Fantasy this week. He was the number one guy last week. You can't bench him, but.
It feels like you might go down. I don't know.
Craig Korobek
You can't not play. I, I, his mom's, I believe, is the number one quarterback in fantasy this season. Like, you're, you're playing Mahomes and it's tricky because the stat you gave at the top, they have a 90% chance to miss the playoffs. If they lose this game immediately makes me go, well, then I'm just going to bet the Chiefs like it. If you look at the actual, like, information you have coming into this game, everything points me to Houston. I'm like, the offensive line of the Chiefs versus the defensive line of the Texans. Like, give me a break. Like, the Chiefs have not been playing well. Their defense hasn't been as good. They cannot run the ball, all this stuff. But I'm like, is Mahomes going to really go 6 and 7? That's like, kind of been my philosophy with the Chiefs this whole season. I'm like, is my home's really going to miss the playoffs? Are they really going to have a losing record? I don't think so. And luckily we don't have to bet on this game. We don't have to bet on every game. And I don't want to bet on this game because my, my heart, my brain is telling me to bet on Houston. My heart says bet on my homes.
Danny Kelly
Even though betting was live now live in Missouri.
Craig Korobek
That's true.
Danny Kelly
But yeah, you're pro. I guess that's a good argument also for fantasy moms is probably going to run a ton because he's going to be scrambling so much, but we'll see if they can contain him. But the Hughes. Yeah, yeah, it's fair. But it's funny though. How long are we going to do that argument, though? Like, well, the Chiefs can't go this record. And then they just.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, you're right. You're right. No, I, I, I mean, if somebody made me choose, if I had to bet the game, I would bet Houston. That's how I feel.
Danny Kelly
They need to run the ball. So I think Woody Marks is a difficult fantasy.
Danny Heifetz
He's back at practice today, which is good.
Craig Korobek
Three and a half is a lot. I was surprised. I, I think three or two and a half makes A lot more sense. Three and a half is crazy.
Danny Kelly
I think it's because of what you said. It's Chiefs in an elimination game, man.
Craig Korobek
They can lose by a touchdown. They're not. The Texans can lose by a field goal and still cover. I'm like, that's kind of nice.
Danny Kelly
Chiefs need to run the ball. Yeah. Monday Night Football, Eagles at Chargers. This is a weird game and a lot of things are. A lot of things are going on with like injuries in this game.
Craig Korobek
This game. I'm just calling it right now. This game is going to be such a disappointing Monday night product. Like, everyone is going to have so much weighing on this game and it's going to suck. It's going to be super ugly.
Danny Kelly
I.
Craig Korobek
It's going to be like an old school. Jalen hurts snooze fest. I think. I think both teams are just going to try to run the ball, throw the ball, get, get it out of Herbert's hands quickly.
Danny Kelly
Herbert has hands or hands since one of them is broken and he got.
Craig Korobek
It out of his one hand quickly. So Herbert broke his. A bone in his hand. It hit a helmet. He had surgery on Monday. There's now a plate in his hand and it looks like he's going to play. I think he's going to play. Yep. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles, obviously things aren't going great. Jalen Carter, the defensive tackle, is not playing. He had surgery on both shoulders. Which God, football.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, dude. We do just throw around surgery all the time. If I, your friend just got surgery on both shoulders one day, you would be so, like just hyphens.
Danny Heifetz
Like 5 minutes ago was like Jane Dale.
Craig Korobek
He's fine.
Danny Heifetz
Don't worry about it. Dislocated elbow. Fine, whatever.
Craig Korobek
I just kind of think that like no one's going to have a good fantasy day. I think El, Mary Hampton and Vidal, like, I think Herbert out of the pistol, handing the ball off. I don't know. I don't really trust any of that. I think the receivers. I think the only one you should start is lad McConkey. I don't trust Quentin Johnston or Keenan Allen. I don't. The Chargers have been super stingy against the past. This year, especially recently, they've been really, really good. They play like too high shell. Everything that the Chargers do is like, like limit deep shots down the field. And Jalen hurts anytime he throws the ball deep. It is like these deep shots down the sidelines. He does not throw over the middle. And the Chargers offense defense is like kind of forcing you to do that. I just think this game is going to be like, can we run the ball? Can we limit turnovers on both sides? And it's going to be like 17 to 13 is what I think.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
See that Hampton coming back, the rookie running back they took in the first round for the Chargers, and then he's. He, like, you know, had an ankle fracture and then he's coming.
Craig Korobek
It's just brutal because Vidal's probably going to split time with him. How much is either one going to play? Are they going to ride the hot hand like you said? Hi. It's. With running back, it's like, if Hampton looks good, maybe they play him a lot. If he doesn't.
Danny Kelly
I'm more conservative with injuries than most people. But to DK's point about Buck Irving, at least Bucky Irving started all last year and was great for the Buccaneers. Amirah Hampton, what did he play, like five games, six games before he broke his ankle? I'm like, he's a rookie.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
Played like six games. How much is he realistically gonna play? I have no idea. But it's Monday and that sucks. But I, like, you know, it's. And it also crazy if you have Kamani Vidal, who's had like. Like every other week, he's been good.
Craig Korobek
I just think the Chargers, it's like, with Herbert's hand, I think they're going to try to run the ball as best they can. Chicago just torched Philly on the ground, running for over 200 yards. I think Ellie's gonna try to run the ball out of the pistol so Herbert doesn't have to do that much. And when Herbert does throw, I think it's going to be like, short, quick stuff. And I'm kind of just like, this is a really ugly game. And I didn't. It's hard to trust anything going on in Philly. I mean, you're playing AJ Brown, but.
Danny Kelly
To that point, dk, I feel like if Herbert does play, I don't think they'll be under center very much because I don't think the exchange. I maybe I don't guess.
Danny Heifetz
I'm not a doctor.
Danny Kelly
I don't know if he's going to be taking the ball from under center with a plate in his hand.
Craig Korobek
It's. It's different because he's. Now he had the surgery, but after he hurt his hand last week, he took zero snaps under center. Center for the rest of the game.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, I. I think either way, I know the Eagles just allowed 280 rushing yards to the Bears, which, by the way, was Rich Rebar Sharp. The Most incredible stats, the 280 rush, 281 rushing yards to the Bears was the most a Vic Fangio coordinated defense had allowed since 2005.
Craig Korobek
Wow.
Danny Kelly
Having said that, I don't really feel that the Chargers can necessarily do that the way the Chicago did.
Craig Korobek
I would agree with that. Even if there's no Jalen Carter. I. I just.
Danny Heifetz
Just.
Craig Korobek
I don't know. I just think this game is going to be nasty and we're going to be hoping for, like, Justin Herbert versus Jalen hurts. And it's. It's going to be a letdown.
Danny Kelly
And also, I think it's a rare game where it's funny. Just. I mean, this is funny sometimes, the fantasy where you're right, a lot of people have a lot of players in this game, especially the rare one where Lad Bakonki, Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnson, and even a. Rhonda Gadsden, the tight end are all good enough and have had good enough weeks that people might put them in their flex. Yeah, but you also have a quarterback who just. Just, I mean, got surgery on his other hand, like, five days ago, and it's just going to be funny that you need them to do something against the Eagles. So, A.J. it's kind of. Yeah. Also, again, Saquon, who has under 60 yards, like nine times this year, you.
Danny Heifetz
Know, it's like if Trey Lance ends up starting.
Craig Korobek
Oh, my God.
Danny Kelly
Well, on that note, if you have Chargers in this game, you got to put them in your flex. You can't keep them in your receiver slot because you might have. You might have to bench them. Them if it turns out that Lance is playing.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I think Herbert's gonna play.
Danny Heifetz
I mean, I think. But I'm just saying, like, you know.
Craig Korobek
He'S gonna play with like a, like a stiff glove. Like, like. Yeah, like an oven mitt.
Danny Kelly
By the way, I. Sorry, wait, one last stat on this game, because I think AJ Brown hurts. Drama Eagles offensive coordinators, Kevin Patel's. His house got egged. You know, know, Jalen Hurts and A.J. brown, you know, all this stuff. And I had my rant earlier this week where I think that the short version of this whole Eagles thing, you're like, what's going on with them? It's just when Nick Sirianni hires the coordinators to run his offense, it sucks. And then they fire them and they. The Eagles fire. Hire their own coordinator and then they make the super bowl. And then Sirian is like, I made the Super Bowl I want to hire the coordinators and then they suck and that's why every other year it's like this a stat that I think really encapsulates that that I was shocked when I was I was trying to figure out how bad certain offenses were and I I like stuff rate which is just matches the eye test as a football watcher like how often does it run gain zero or negative yards and the number one teams you get the most the a quarter of the time the Raiders are number one. The that makes sense. The Browns are number two. The Eagles are third man almost one out of every four and I'm this is just running back runs too. You filtered out quarterbacks and receivers and jet sweeps running back carries almost a quarter of of the Eagles running back carries this season gained zero yards or lost yardage.
Craig Korobek
The Eagles have gone three plays and then punt the ball on A league high 31% of their possessions.
Danny Heifetz
Dude, they're leading the league in three.
Danny Kelly
And outs more than Tennessee.
Danny Heifetz
What?
Craig Korobek
That's crazy.
Danny Heifetz
That is wild.
Craig Korobek
This game's gonna stink.
Danny Heifetz
If all this after talking about all this is gonna be a barn burner. It's gonna be 54 to 51.
Craig Korobek
I hope it is.
Danny Kelly
Speaking of which, this episode is brought to you by United Airlines Flying just got easier with the United Airlines app. Get real time flight updates like a live countdown clock to boarding even if your screen's locked, as well as play by play directions through the airport with a personalized map. And if you want to make a game time decision and go home early or stay longer, there are no fees to change your flight. Get the united app@united.com app no fees to change your flight Excludes basic economy applies to flights originating in the US Fare difference may apply. This episode is brought to you by LinkedIn ads. The best B2B marketing gets wasted on the wrong people. So when you want to reach the right professionals, use LinkedIn ads. LinkedIn has grown to a network of over 1 billion professionals, including 130 million decision makers. And that's where it stands apart from other ad buys. You can target your buyers by job title, industry, company role, seniority skills, company revenue so you can stop wasting budget on the wrong audience. It's why LinkedIn Ads generates the highest B2B return on ad spend of all online ad networks. Seriously, all of them. Spend $250 in your first campaign on LinkedIn ads and get a free $250 credit for the next one. Just go to LinkedIn.com Ringer Fantasy, that is. LinkedIn.com Ringer Fantasy. Terms and conditions apply. Don't miss the movie event of a lifetime. Visionary director James Cameron presents the greatest chapter of the biggest saga of all time. Avatar, Fire and Ash, now playing in theaters. A new threat will rise in the character of Varong, who leads the ruthless Ash people. And a stunning new discovery will threaten to change the world of Avatar forever. Avatar, Fire and Ash, now playing in theaters, IMAX and 3D screens everywhere. Get tickets now. All right, we're gonna get to the Ringer 107. Today's Ringer 107 is brought to you by FanDuel. We're doing this competition against all the other podcasts here at the Ringer, picking five games a week against the spread, and we are in a very. We're kind of like the. The NFC north, where we're in first place, but it's not really impressive for anybody involved.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, we're like the Steelers us. Our show versus Versus Bill and House is like Steelers Ravens this week.
Danny Kelly
Exactly. Yeah, exactly. And I don't want to know who's who.
Craig Korobek
What is this really for? Yeah.
Danny Kelly
So, speaking of bad, Craig, I. We both sent each other some games, and I think we both picked five or six, and we didn't have any overlap, which is. The odds of that, statistically, are astonishing. What are you talking about?
Craig Korobek
I see a bunch. We both have the Steelers. We both have the Colts. We both have the Texans.
Danny Kelly
Yeah. What do you want? What do you want? You said Houston. You just made a case against Houston. You just made this passive, passionate case to not take the. The Texans.
Craig Korobek
But I said if I had to bet it, I would bet Houston.
Danny Kelly
Okay. All right. Well, what do they get? Which of these.
Danny Heifetz
To be fair, you said you don't. We don't have to buy this.
Craig Korobek
We don't have to. But if I had to. That's what I'm writing down the bets I would make.
Danny Kelly
Okay. What are the other defending High five.
Danny Heifetz
It's here, Craig. But you just said, let's not bet this game.
Craig Korobek
I said, luckily, we don't have to bet it.
Danny Kelly
Okay, so what do you want to bet? Okay.
Craig Korobek
Seattle minus seven. Steelers plus five and a half.
Danny Kelly
Well, dk, what do you think of Seattle? Give it. Winning by a touchdown.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
Six and a half right now. Did we get it locked in?
Craig Korobek
It's. That's.
Danny Heifetz
This.
Craig Korobek
It's seven. What?
Danny Kelly
The.
Craig Korobek
The numbers Bill sent us. If that's what it is.
Danny Heifetz
It's seven.
Craig Korobek
That stinks.
Danny Heifetz
I mean, I. I'm fine with that. Yeah, I like that.
Craig Korobek
I kind of want to bet the bucks minus eight and a half to beat the Saints at home and then the Colts playing the Jacks minus one and a half.
Danny Kelly
I kind of want to bet the Colts too. I. Daniel Jones has broken leg. I'm kind of like, you know what? Screw it.
Craig Korobek
At least now it's not like we don't have the. Oh, I can't believe I bet on Daniel Jones to beat Patrick Mahomes. It's like, all right, this is Trevor Lawrence versus D. Daniel Jones. Like, I'm perfectly fine betting on Daniel.
Danny Kelly
I kind of feel that way too.
Craig Korobek
All right, so we have cold Steelers commander's box. What's the fifth game? Hi, Vids. Do you want to make the case for Chicago or no? I mean for Green Bay or no.
Danny Kelly
Well, I think everything I'm saying is built into it because it's like a seven point. The packers are supposed to win by a touchdown. But I mean the case is simple. It's just the Bears.
Have been within range of that of losing a game like that like every single goddamn week. Week. Like the Bear, the Bears whole season has been by the skin of their teeth and the hair on their nuts and the. Like the Packers. You never heard that.
Danny Heifetz
I've never heard that expression.
Craig Korobek
I've only heard skin in your teeth. It feels like you. You never heard that the second half.
Danny Heifetz
I think you made that up.
Danny Kelly
You think I made. That's in an Eminem song from like 20 years ago.
Craig Korobek
Oh, really?
Danny Kelly
Cinderella Man. Oh, yeah, I guess that's ten years ago. Fifteen.
Shout out. Cinderella Man. Great song.
Craig Korobek
You know what I thought we should do for Ringer 107. That would be really funny is every week we should just take the opposite of another team. Like the other four teams in this competition. We. Because we all have a losing record, we should just take the opposite of them every week and see if we could win.
Danny Kelly
Should we do that?
Danny Heifetz
But do we don't know their bets until it's all locked.
Craig Korobek
Maybe I could finagle that.
Danny Kelly
Oh, stop.
Craig Korobek
How hilarious would it be? Stage. We just took the opposite of Bill and house for the rest of the season.
Danny Heifetz
I don't think that's great.
Danny Kelly
I'm down. That's really funny.
Craig Korobek
You want me to try to. To get those picks because I send them into somebody and I could try to see like what was like what were these guys picks and then we just discuss it.
Danny Kelly
Screw it. That'd be really. Everyone's under 500. That'd be incredible.
Danny Heifetz
Okay. But if you can't get them, these are the five bets we're taking.
Craig Korobek
Okay. All right.
Danny Kelly
I've wanted to spin a wheel and just pick five and see if the wheel would beat us. And it'll be like titans getting three. We're like, all right.
Craig Korobek
I mean spinning a wheel is essentially flipping a coin. And we have been worse than flipping a coin.
Danny Heifetz
Let the. Let the world.
Danny Kelly
Should we. If we're in position to win, can we make a pact because we're in first still if we are in position to win. Yeah, I guess. It's not week 18. It goes to Super Bowl. It's not as fun, but part of me, week 18, part of me wants to commit that with the season on the line, we will just flip a coin and just roll it.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. Or like do for the entire playoffs if we want.
Danny Kelly
Should we let my cat pick the rest of the season?
Craig Korobek
Dude. Also, the playoffs is going to be one of the hardest playoffs to bet in years. So we might as well just say.
Danny Kelly
Oh, we should do that. We just. We just do like one of. Can my pack. Can my cat pick the thing?
Craig Korobek
Yeah, why not?
Danny Kelly
Kind of like email us at ringer fantasy football gmail.com if you have an idea of how we should pick the Ringer 107 for the playoffs. I want to hear that the most random way we can do it. I like like that we'll get an octopus. He can pick the world cup or whatever. All right, so we're going with the Colts to beat the Jags. Steelers to lose by less than six for the Ravens. Washington just has to beat the Vikings or lose by one. Bucks have to beat the Saints by nine or more. And then the Seahawks have to beat the Falcons by touchdown. Today's Ringer 107 is brought to you by FanDuel. Odd subject to change. Okay, only thing I want to mention here as we leave the emails. Instagrams too. First of all, thank you to everybody where we were on their Spotify wrap. That was awesome. Yeah, it was crazy to see. Thank you. I don't know how Some people listen to 26000 minutes of us this year, but that's pretty cool.
Danny Heifetz
I also we saw so far this year. I think I've seen some.
Danny Kelly
I think so.
Danny Heifetz
I gotta 26 000. That was like 0.001 fan.
Craig Korobek
What was your guys highlight of rap? What was your listening age? What was your top artist?
Danny Kelly
It was listening age was old because I do 70. I think a lot of people are mad about this because mine was like 66 or something.
Craig Korobek
Mine was 71 and I was proud of it.
Danny Heifetz
People.
Danny Kelly
But I think people were like, why am I 70?
Craig Korobek
I don't get it.
Danny Kelly
But it's like. Well, yeah, it's like Craig's listening to the Bee Gees over here.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, I am.
Danny Kelly
Yeah. Wait, what were your. So I gotta tell you something. My raft was missed. My number one song this year was Misty Mountains because I picked my friend and his baby up from the airport. We had to drive two hours back from traffic in Newark, and I played Misty Mountains for four hours.
Craig Korobek
It's the only issue with wrapped is that if you throw your, like, you should almost be able to like turn off wrapped mode or like, like wrapped tracking. Because when you play a plague. A playlist for five hours when your friends are over or something like that, and you just like throw on some mix, it tracks all of those and factors that into your listening. It's. It's like less deliberate listening, you know.
Danny Kelly
But it shows you. Yeah. I feel like it's just a reminder.
Danny Heifetz
Eliminate the outliers.
Danny Kelly
TK what was your raft?
Danny Heifetz
I was 83 years old for my age because I listened to a lot of jazz when I'm working and making dinner. Yeah. And let's see here. I had basically my. My top artists are all basically non lyrical music that I can listen to while I'm working. Because I can't if there's lyrics in my. In the music when I'm working, I like can't focus. So it's all. It was like a half jazz and then half like lo fi beats and stuff.
Craig Korobek
Yes. I want to know.
Danny Kelly
That's really boring.
Danny Heifetz
I know.
Craig Korobek
I want to know what. When you're not cooking or working, that's the rapt. I want to know.
Danny Kelly
So, Craig, what's yours?
Craig Korobek
My artists or my songs?
Danny Kelly
Both. Well, let's do it. Let's do the artist first.
Craig Korobek
Krung Bin, the Allman Brothers, Abba, Sabrina Carpenter and Dochi.
Danny Kelly
Dochi was two for me.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. Because I listen to a lot of the new Sabrina Carpenter album. My top songs were songs by Gordon Lightfoot. Number one, Allman Brothers. Yeah. I love Gordon Lightfoot.
Danny Heifetz
What?
Craig Korobek
Sundown. Such a good song.
Danny Kelly
Gordon Life. What's your number one artist?
Craig Korobek
I would never have guessed.
Danny Heifetz
Guess that in one million years.
Craig Korobek
Yeah, dude. Gordon Lightfoot's awesome. And Sundown's a great song. What the number two is Ain't Wasted no More, Ain't Wasting Time no More by the Allman Brothers. Number three is Old man by Neil Young. Awesome. Song number four is Gentle on My Mind by Glenn Campbell. Great song. And then Cracklin Rosie by Neil Diamond.
Danny Kelly
Wow.
Danny Heifetz
Craig, you are just. You're multitudes, you know, you're just an interesting guy. You know, Gordon Lightfoot, number one song.
Craig Korobek
Don't disparage him.
Danny Heifetz
I'm not saying anything's wrong with that. I literally just would never have guessed that.
Danny Kelly
I. I actually think I could.
Danny Heifetz
You could have given me all the bands in the world. He would probably be the last.
Danny Kelly
Yeah.
Craig Korobek
Gordon Lightfoot, Really? Okay.
Danny Heifetz
No, it's not.
Danny Kelly
Nothing against Gordon Light. I confused Gordon expression.
Danny Heifetz
You've never expressed an interest in Gordon Lightfoot.
Danny Kelly
I confused Gordon Lightfoot. Gordon.
Craig Korobek
Okay.
Danny Kelly
Sometimes I. I thought Gordon Lightfoot. When you said it first, I was like from that show, that family guy.
Danny Heifetz
Always talks about the Gordon. Gordon Lightfoot did the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald song.
Craig Korobek
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Danny Heifetz
Which was all over the news lately because there was just like a anniversary for that.
Danny Kelly
Okay, now I remember, girl. Nightfoot. I apologize to everyone. Scream at me. Yeah, that song. That's become a meme.
Craig Korobek
It has. There's like hats now that say that.
Danny Kelly
That. Yeah, yeah, the gales. He's.
Danny Heifetz
He's known as Canada's bard.
So that's what it says here. That's what I read.
Danny Kelly
Is that how like Tom Brady's nickname's Tom Terrific.
Craig Korobek
Do you know the song down?
Danny Kelly
No.
Danny Heifetz
Not a wonderful song.
Danny Kelly
All right, well, I'll listen to you. We should do the rap party. The mine. Mine was honestly just a bunch of Kendrick. My number one artist was Kendrick Lamar, I think, because I listened him for months after the super bowl. And then honestly, Dochi was my number two because after Dochi was at the Grammys and gave the great speech and then I listened to a ton of Dochi and Dochi's awesome. And so actually I had denials. My top is Misty Mountains, Denials a River and then catfished by Dochi and then also not like us and TV off by Kendrick. Very first half of this.
Craig Korobek
What were your other artists outside of Dochi and Kendrick?
Danny Kelly
I had. Kendrick was 1, Dochi's 2, Flume was 3, Westside gun is 4, and Olivia Rig was 5. I do wonder how many people have Westside Gun and Olivia Rodrigo in the same top five.
Craig Korobek
Who is Westside Gun?
Danny Kelly
Westside Gun is a rapper who I love. He is from Buffalo, but I just love. He just. I don't know. He rat. He's just awesome.
Craig Korobek
Okay.
Danny Kelly
And he's just a very New York style rapper. He's very Loud and does a lot of sounds. That he's awesome.
Craig Korobek
Awesome. That's fun.
Danny Kelly
And he makes a ton of like he does a ton of albums. Like he doesn't stop making music. There's so much west side Gun, what.
Craig Korobek
Was your guys top podcast? And if it's not Bill Simmons, you're fired.
Danny Heifetz
It was ours actually. I listen back to our podcast sometimes.
Danny Kelly
It was actually the Aria Manual Gordon Lightfoot podcast.
Craig Korobek
Mine was Bill Big pick. Plain English.
Danny Heifetz
Oh yeah. Plain English was on there for me.
Danny Kelly
Yeah. Derek shouts out Derek.
Craig Korobek
He's shout out.
Danny Kelly
One, one. One day. I want to convince you guys we're gonna have Derek Thompson, one of the smartest people I've ever met on and we're gonna have him talk about nothing. We're just gonna name baseball players until someone taps.
Danny Heifetz
You had me and tell the baseball player thing.
Craig Korobek
You don't have to convince me to have Derek. I love that. I just want to.
Danny Kelly
No, I don't want him to talk about anything smart. I want to just name baseball players until we can't anymore.
Danny Heifetz
I was listening, I was listening to Derek Thompson the other day and he interviewed Ken Burns. And then I went and started watching the American Revolution. Ken Burns, his new.
Craig Korobek
Is it good or really boring or both?
Danny Heifetz
So far it's like Ken Burnsy. It's like very slow and you know, just like the way that it's visually set up, it's like very different than everything that's new now. It's like a lot of like pictures, old paintings and stuff while you have like voiceovers. So it's a little slow, but it's very interesting to me.
Danny Kelly
Dude, honestly. Ken Burns ripped the beginning of his pod with Derek Thompson's amazing. Ken Burns just his pitch on why the American Revolution is sick is. It's like the most concise 60 seconds.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
His pitch is basically. It's the most important revolution ever.
Danny Kelly
He said it's the most important event since the birth of Jesus Christ.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
And that it's an American revolution layered on top of a civil war that was also the fourth World War with the prize being North America on top. And it's like his pitch on the American Revolution, he's like basically like we've sanitized it in like this squeaky clean, polished thing. He's like. It was bloody and he was like.
Danny Heifetz
It was photographs from it. It's just all paintings, so.
Craig Korobek
Paintings.
Danny Kelly
And he's like. It was radical.
Craig Korobek
I think it's all close box.
Danny Kelly
I know it's paintings. I wanna. I'm gonna Watch it actually this weekend. 2dk. I'm gonna try, but, like, I. His.
Craig Korobek
How long is it? It's like 12 hours long.
Danny Kelly
It's long.
Danny Heifetz
But haven't you. Have you ever watched any of the Ken Burns documentaries?
Craig Korobek
I actually don't think I have.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah. Very, very in depth. He, like, explores stuff from a whole bunch of different perspectives and stuff. I think it's very interesting. It is a little bit slow.
Craig Korobek
Yeah.
Danny Heifetz
I thought the other thing that was interesting that Ken Burn said, and this is something that Derek kind of picked up on too, is that he said George Washington was arguably the richest man in America at the time and, like, was leading the troops into battle.
Danny Kelly
Lived in a tent for three years. And it's like with Jeff Valley Forge. Meanwhile, all the leaders we have now are just going to pick up at just go to Mars or just like, have created island bunkers in Hawaii.
Craig Korobek
They're building.
Danny Heifetz
They're not sure if it's good for the human race to continue.
Danny Kelly
Peter Teal is like, do you want the human race to continue?
Craig Korobek
Like, oh, well, talking about, like the Antichrist, you're like, what.
Danny Kelly
Some guy made the Tik Tok or the video of? Just like, all right, Peter, like, we got this easy layup question for you. Like you're going to nail it.
Danny Heifetz
Place to exist.
Craig Korobek
He's like, well, it depends what you mean exactly by continuing.
Danny Heifetz
Not so much.
Craig Korobek
If I can put my soul into a clanker, then yes.
So that I can live forever.
Danny Heifetz
How do you define if the people.
Craig Korobek
On Earth right now can live forever, if that's what you mean? Yes. Is essentially, I think what he's saying, right? He's like, well, if I want to live forever, so does that mean the human race continues if it's just me?
Danny Kelly
The other thing about that is so funny is that the name of Peter Till's company that is now has all these contracts is Palantir. And Palantir is literally the crystal ball that Samon has in Lord of the Rings that like.
Craig Korobek
Oh, really?
Danny Kelly
They. You like, literally like the ball that sour like Lord of the Rings. Sauron. Satan builds a bub uses. That's like, it's on their side.
Craig Korobek
By the way, I'm gonna make a pledge this Chris. This holiday season, I'm gonna watch all three Lord of the Rings movies.
Danny Kelly
Stop.
Danny Heifetz
Craig, I can send you a. I can send you a link to a. Somebody did like a whole food menu for binge watching the Lord of the Rings.
Danny Kelly
I don't think you're scaring him. You're Scaring him. You're scaring him.
Danny Heifetz
You're the one that makes bread.
Craig Korobek
What?
Danny Kelly
No, but it's. It's. That's like a super fan. You're a weird amount. Be chill. Be cool.
Craig Korobek
What do I gotta do? I have to, like, drink? Like.
Danny Heifetz
Just eat good food?
Craig Korobek
I don't get it. What's the. Is it associated with the movie or it's just like, here's.
Danny Kelly
I think it's like, you should eat. You know, like, sometimes hobbits have like.
Danny Heifetz
Seven or eight different meals a day, and it's. It's a play on that. Ah, you'd have to.
Craig Korobek
You know, I don't think I'm gonna watch the movies anymore.
Danny Kelly
No, I'm just kidding. The holidays is the perfect time for Lord of the Rings. I'm never.
Danny Heifetz
I'm never listening to any of your diatribes on bread again.
Danny Kelly
But you're. You're saying Brett, you want him to make Lord of the Rings themed.
Danny Heifetz
I thought that you'd be excited about eating good food. That's all. You're. You're looking at me like I'm crazy.
Danny Kelly
I think what we're saying is we can barely get him to watch the movie.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. You want him to cook.
Danny Heifetz
I don't actually care if you're adding.
Craig Korobek
Hobbit themed food while I watch it. I'm like, all right, let's get through the first one. Let me get to the two buildings.
Danny Heifetz
I actively don't want you to watch the movies anymore. You don't deserve them.
Danny Kelly
Okay, before you watch this three hour movie, make it make a. Maybe a hot themed bread.
Craig Korobek
Craig.
Danny Heifetz
Craig has talked to us about how he makes popcorn for like 15 minutes straight. All right. I thought he liked food. Watching movies and food, I don't think. Sorry.
Craig Korobek
Okay.
Danny Heifetz
All I was make some popcorn. How about that?
Craig Korobek
Okay. Okay. Geez. You're so upset.
I was joking that I don't want homework, culinary homework before I watch these movies. But I can do that. If it's very simple. Maybe I'll do it.
Danny Heifetz
You can do whatever you want.
Craig Korobek
That's right.
Danny Heifetz
You can. You can make any combination of foods.
Craig Korobek
Liz's family, they are giant Lord of the Rings fans. Her brothers watch them every, like, every month. So I need to do it.
Danny Kelly
Email us at ringer fantasy football gmail.com to figure out. Help us figure out how we're going to make content out of this. We got to figure this out.
Yeah. Holidays is the perfect time. It's also the only time all year where anyone has like 12 extra hours to watch the Lord of the Rings or whatever. Okay. I think that's probably all we got. I didn't even get to. We even get to talk about this raccoon that broke into the liquor store in Virginia.
Craig Korobek
We'll get.
Danny Kelly
We'll get to it Sunday. Okay. Thank you, dk. Thank you, Craig. Thank you, Carlos. Thank you, Kai. Thank you, Ronic. Thank you, Ryan. Thank you, Austin.
Thank you to everyone. Emailed us ringer, fancy football. Gmail.com. email us Lord of the Rings ideas. Email us.
Reviews of Ken Burns's documentary and review. And email us also, what was the thing we wanted?
I can't remember now.
Craig Korobek
Don't know.
Danny Kelly
Whatever that was. I asked for emails. That too. And rankings or fantasy football dot com. We will update those on Sunday. Also, we'll try to account for. Things will know suddenly like wind and rain and what. You know, whether they're gonna get snow and wind in Green Bay. And we'll try to, you know, account for all that too. Thank you, Lord.
Craig Korobek
Lord.
Danny Heifetz
Thank you, Lobby Seafrey. Lobby Seafrey. Yeah.
Danny Kelly
Love.
Danny Heifetz
How do you say that?
Craig Korobek
I believe it's Lobby. C free.
Danny Heifetz
C free.
Craig Korobek
I told DK to shout him out because I was really upset that he didn't make my raft. I love this guy.
Danny Heifetz
Oh, okay.
Craig Korobek
There's two songs. Bless the Telephone is like the most beautiful song I've ever heard in my life. And he's this British dude. He's been. He's like. He's like in his 80s now, but he's wonderful and I highly recommend him.
Danny Kelly
Lobby Seafright. That's. That's okay.
Danny Heifetz
Genre. Like a. Like jazz.
Craig Korobek
No, it's like. I don't want this to sound lame, but it's like.
A cool way to say love songs, but I can't. They're like very like slow, romantic, kind of like Nat King Cole like. But that's not right.
Danny Heifetz
But it's hard to describe music sometimes.
Danny Kelly
Yeah, you actually. There's a whole Lobby Sea Freight related menu and you can make that menu before you listen to the song.
Danny Heifetz
Sounds actually lovely. Thank you for that suggestion. I'm gonna do that.
Craig Korobek
Yeah. The other good one is crying, laughing, loving, lying is a great song.
Danny Kelly
Okay, I will.
Craig Korobek
You should.
Danny Heifetz
Cool.
Danny Kelly
It's kind of like George Kittle and Miles Garrett. Thanks for those recommendations. I really appreciate it.
Danny Heifetz
Yeah.
Danny Kelly
All right. Goodbye, everyone.
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Episode Date: December 5, 2025 | Hosts: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlbeck
Week 14 marks the last week of the fantasy football regular season. The hosts tackle start/sit decisions, break down the real-life NFL playoff implications, and debate high-stakes games—particularly for teams on the edge of the playoffs or with fantasy-relevant roster uncertainties. There's also plenty of fantasy therapy, friendly trash talk, and a look at both personal and collective Spotify Wrapped results. The episode is packed with positional guidance, deep statistical context, and emotional rants about football coaching, quarterback performance, and the existential agony of benching Justin Jefferson.
[03:32–14:29]
[14:39–27:47]
[27:50–32:02]
[32:02–39:05]
(Interspersed; main timestamps: 39:10–75:56)
For more start/sit updates and injury developments, visit fantasyfootball.theringer.com and check for late-breaking updates on Sunday.