Fantasy Football Saturday Mailbag for Week 5 (Fantasy Football)
Good morning, FootClan, and welcome to Week 5 of The Fantasy Footballers’ Saturday Morning Mailbag! It is the weekend, and as always, I am here to pick a few questions from The Fantasy Footballers’ Discord server and tackle some hot topics that didn’t quite make it into that week’s edition of The Footcast. The Ballers’ Discord is home to the biggest and best online fantasy football community in the world, and it’s your go-to place to talk about all things fantasy football. Head over today and join thousands of members across dozens of dedicated channels for start/sit questions, trade advice, and waiver wire insights, plus exclusive areas available only to FootClan members.
Bonjour FootClan, or should that be Guten Tag from me! On a week where we see another International Series game being held in foggy London town, I find myself in Germany, an extra hour ahead of my usual time zone and the prospect of staying up even later to watch the Sunday Night Primetime game. As bad as I may feel come Monday morning after only three hours sleep, I am sure I will be on top of the world compared to Cowboys fans after a humbling defeat at Jerryworld to Tampa Bay rookie and Jason Moore favorite Jalon Daniels…woof! In a week where Will Shipley was the big waiver-wire pick-up, no doubt fantasy managers who spent a good chunk of their FAAB budget on the de facto lead back for the Eagles were crushed to hear Head Coach Nick Sirianni let slip that the team already had a starting NFL RB on their practice squad. We have got a lot of hot talking points to get through, but surprisingly Dameon Pierce won’t be one of them…let’s dive right in!
Question #1 – Trade Talk (Pre-Hernia Puka Package Postulation)
Sup Ballers! The Puka Nacua manager in my league offered him to me for Bhayshul Tuten and Michael Wilson. It’s a 14-team PPR. What are your thoughts? I’m worried about the pre-hernia – ItsJFish
Answer: Yeesh, imagine being offered this at the start of the season; I would have probably broken my phone smashing that “ACCEPT” button so fast…yet here we are, a mere four weeks in, and I legitimately think I would be declining this one.
Don’t hear what I’m not saying – Puka Nacua is an elite-tier WR…when he is fully healthy, and this year that has been for the grand total of about one and a half games. Through four weeks, the Rams’ publicity-hungry fourth-year wideout – and last year’s overall WR1 for fantasy – is the WR39…which is not too bad for a guy who has only been on the field for 40% of the team’s offensive snaps, and although he is averaging a whopping 16.6 FPPG when suiting up, the fear of a repeat injury is enough to put me off, especially in a 14-team league where depth is so hard to come by.
Nacua missed LA’s victory at SoFi over the New York Giants in Week 2, and the defeat on the road to the Denver Broncos seven days later with what was officially classified as a “groin injury”… #NotADoctor, but reading the professional opinions of those who are, all wasn’t exactly as it seemed for the controversial 25-year-old. Following last Sunday’s 24-20 victory over the toothless Philadelphia Eagles (an outing that saw Puka haul in 127 yards and a score on 13 opportunities), Rams’ Head Coach Sean McVay let slip that his star wideout was dealing with what the medical staff was calling a “pre-hernia”…nope, I had never heard that term either. Essentially, it is a weakening of the muscular wall in the groin area that prevents internal tissues from popping through and becoming an actual hernia. While I am unsure whether this would qualify Puka for an appearance on GroinIndex.com, I do know it’s a potential issue I don’t want to deal with for the rest of the year from my WR1.
Had the trade been for a pair of lesser players, I would have maybe considered pulling the trigger – but both Bhayshul Tuten and Michael Wilson are adhering to strict NBA JAM rules, with Wilson posting back-to-back top-20 finishes, and Tuten – whilst maybe not yet one fire…is certainly smoldering and ready to burst into flames. Wilson appears to have recaptured the form that saw him finish as the WR2 between weeks 11 and 18 last season (ironically, Puka was the only one ahead of him), with the Jaguars sophomore back hitting 74% of team rushing attempts in week 4…firmly leaving C-ROD (Chris Rodriguez) in his dust. There’s a real chance you have two players on your roster that could both finish inside the top-15 at their respective positions come the end of the fantasy season – and as much as I love Puka’s upside, I’d be sticking with the double act that I can rely on to post solid numbers in two roster spots each week, and not just one.
Question #2 – Trade Talk (Horse Boy vs Bronco Edition)
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Would you trade away Trevor Lawrence for Bo Nix and Jordan Mason? – Martin Van Jefferson
Answer: You know how sometimes you get a feeling that a trade just feels bad? This is one of those times, but should it be? I am 100% on Team Mason, and once he’s fit and healthy again after the thumb injury that landed him on the IR (yes, a thumb injury)…I reckon he reclaims that lead RB role for the 4-0 Vikings pretty quickly. Updates on the former 49er’s ailment have been few and far between, but for me, in this instance – no news is good news, and Mason should return to action following Minnesota’s Week 6 bye – and oh boy does that schedule get tasty for the men in purple coming off a week of rest.
If you are an Ultimate FootClan Member (and if you are not…why aren’t you?) then you are no doubt familiar with the very useful Strength of Schedule tool we have over there – without a doubt one of my favorite features of the Ultimate Dashboard. From Weeks 7 through 11, Minnesota gets to face five consecutive run defenses which all rank in the bottom third against fantasy RBs – with a three-game stretch against the Buffalo Bills (28th), the Green Bay Packers (32nd) and the San Francisco 49ers (27th). Let’s not over-egg the pudding; these defensive units may give up a fair amount of points to opposing RBs…but this will be a trio of incredibly tough matchups for the Vikes, with the Bills and 49ers starting the season strong, and despite currently sitting at 2-2, heading to Lambeau in mid-November for a divisional clash will not be easy.
It is easy to wax lyrical about Mason and what could be, but he will not see the field for at least another three weeks, so let’s look at the QBs that are a part of this potential deal, shall we? I really want to body Bo Nix and his current status as the QB20 for fantasy…but the Broncos’ schedule has been rough, to say the least. In their opening four weeks, they have faced the Chiefs and the 49ers on the road (games they have lost), as well as the Rams and the Jags at Mile High (games they have won)…so on the face of it, sitting at 2-2 isn’t too shabby for Bo and Co all things considered. However, this offense is struggling, and that is not just down to the caliber of opponent they are facing early on in the schedule. Averaging just 18.5 points per game, there isn’t exactly a plethora of opportunities for Nix to be fantasy relevant – and with a run game that is almost non-existent (only the Packers, Bengals, and Texans have fewer yards on the ground) – opposing defenses appear to have Nix’s number so far this year, with the back-to-back QB7 over the last two seasons averaging just 14.3 FPPG.
Horse Boy Trevor Lawrence hasn’t fared much better, with the former 1.01 pick also sitting outside the top-12 at the position, currently as the QB14 through the opening four weeks…but things feel much rosier in Northern Florida than they do in Colorado, with the Jags averaging almost four TDs a week as they sit 3-1 and atop the AFC South. While both QBs may be failing to set the heather alight, T-Law is not only on a much more fantasy-friendly offense, but also one that has a sea of green in their upcoming matchups until the Week 10 clash with the Titans in Tennessee (this passing D isn’t good; it’s just that teams can run all over them). If you really believe that Nix is turning a corner and you are in desperate need of RB depth…sure, make the trade – but if you can hang fire for 2-3 weeks, Lawrence’s value should skyrocket, turning this Horse Boy into a Horse Man!
Question #3 – Season-long Strategy (He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not)
Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
Yo Yo Yo Ballers! I’m spooked on Jeremiyah Love after his interview last weekend. Is he a trade-away candidate? If so, would you try and trade him for George Pickens plus something? – Rrwhpppb
Answer: It’s quite the coincidence that your username is Rrwhpppb… because that is pretty much the exact noise that came out of my mouth watching that interview as a Jeremiyah Love manager in my League of Record.
To say it has been an interesting start to the career of the explosive rookie drafted with the third overall pick would be an understatement. Scoring less than 10 minutes into his professional debut, it seemed as if Love would instantly be living up to the pre-season hype and hefty draft capital that had been placed on him by the fantasy community…but almost as soon as Arizona’s new #4 found the end zone…Tyler Allgeier decided to play the villain and out-touched Love on his debut, 17 carries to 11. Ok, maybe we are just letting the newbie find his feet; we don’t want to throw him into the deep end too early…right? Well, kinda. Love saw a whopping 91% of the rushing work in the Cardinals’ Week 3 defeat in Santa Clara, and it felt like this was it: 21 carries for 90 yards, plus five targets, all caught, for another 19 yards and a score…breakout time! And then we crashed back to earth with another split backfield, regressing to 64% of the carries and only a single target – what made matters worse was the post-defeat comments that look set to haunt the dreams of Love managers as we enter a pivotal week 5 matchup against a very generous Detroit Lions defense;
“I’m honest with my coaches. Like, they asked me – Can you go out there and do this, do this, and that?’ And I’d be like, ‘I feel pretty good, but I think Tyler can, or Bam [Knight] can do – can exert themselves a little bit more”
Good grief.
This sounds like a young player who is either wise beyond his years, realizing he has a long career ahead of him and wants to look after his body…or a naive rookie who perhaps isn’t quite ready to face the expectations placed upon him by his lofty draft pick; either way, it doesn’t bode well for his short-term fantasy outlook as an RB1/2 for your roster. So…what do we do with him?
For me, he is a hold – if you have drafted him as your main RB, you simply can’t bench him. He has not been anywhere near as bad as Omarion Hampton, and there is no way I’m sitting him – so Love is still locked and loaded in my starting lineup, even if expectations (for now) are tempered. However, if you are put off by his recent comments and are desperate to trade him away…just what could you be looking at in return? I would have said, up until Thursday night, George Pickens plus a little piece would have been ideal…but with George going nuclear in Dallas’ shock defeat at home to the Bucs, there is no way the Pickens manager will be signing off on that one; same goes for Bucky Irving. If you’ve got your heart set on a WR, you may be able to tempt the Justin Jefferson manager with the promise of Love actually playing these next two games, with JJ set to miss another week through injury before the Vikings hit their bye in Week 6. If that fails, look at Parker Washington after a very disappointing Week 4 performance against the Bengals, or maybe even Tetairoa McMillan with the Panthers resting this weekend.
As I said, I am holding Love as I believe in the long-term value and his upside in the playoffs…but you have to get there first, and if you don’t think that is going to happen with the rookie, go get the best deal you can.
It’s time for Rapid Round…
Do you think Tyreek Hill would be a stud or a dud if he signs for the Chiefs? – Diffle
Answer: My heart says stud…and so does my head! Sure, the Cheetah might have suffered a devastating knee and ligament injury last season and blew out 32 candles on his last birthday cake, but did you see that video of him running routes on the beach?!? It seems inevitable that Hill is going to find a team sooner rather than later, and all signs point to a reunion in Kansas City. With Tyquan Thornton set to miss time, it seems a perfect fit. If you’ve got a bench spot to burn, he’s definitely worth the add.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Howdy Ballers! I’ve been holding A.J. Brown and Jordyn Tyson all season with only one IR slot. Should I keep holding them both? – natedawg205
Answer: This feels like a classic BOAT question, but on this occasion, you get two boats! We know what A.J. Brown is, a consensus top-8 draft pick at the WR position who (when healthy) should serve as the clear #1 pass-catcher for Drake Maye on a team that made the Super Bowl less than 10 months ago. Tyson, on the other hand, comes with hype and draft capital…but hasn’t played a single snap as an NFL professional, so until we see it, all we can do is speculate whether we get a Puka Nacua rookie year or Laquon Treadwell. All signs point to Tyson being electric, and I, for one, cannot wait to see him get on the field as soon as possible. As for holding one or both…you have kept them this long for a reason; stay the course and reap the benefits in the coming weeks. Sail on!
Hey Ballers! What is the history of “I’m never going back to the pants store”? I’ve been a listener for a few years and don’t remember you explaining it – Matt the Commish
Answer: Thank you for asking this, Matt, for no other reason than it gives me an excuse to post this masterpiece at the hands of Mike ‘The Hitman’ Wright.
I wrote this little tune about the draft, MHJ, the cardinals, and my pants. Please enjoy: pic.twitter.com/Iqfv7BpRes
— Mike Wright (@FFHitman) April 12, 2024
Dak Prescott or Joe Burrow rest-of-season? – Tizzy
Answer: If I had tackled this on Thursday morning, I probably would have said Dak given the early season successes of the Cowboys…but after CeeDee Lamb left the game with a quad injury and Dallas fell to an embarrassing defeat at the hands of Jalon Daniels (not Jayden Daniels) and the 0-4 Buccaneers, I’m not so sure. It is a rare case of two QBs who both have an elite WR duo at their disposal, but given the dents to both their lead WRs and their egos, I am moving off the Cowboys. It’s Burrow for me.
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Should we be selling D’Andre Swift after his next good game? – LEEROY JUNKINS!
Answer: Sir, this is a Wendy’s D’Andre Swift stan article series. Swift will continue to be a fringe RB1 moving forward, especially with Kyle Monangai set to miss time with a thumb injury and a case of turf toe. All hail King Swift!
That’s it for this week, FootClan. Good luck in Week 5!