The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Highlights: Week 1
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Tuesday- BOLD Predictions + Celebrity Player Comps: LIVE in Phoenix
After a much-needed Labor Day off to prepare for the marathon that is the NFL season, why not start with a hometown live show? Andy, Mike, and Jason are in front of the raucous Phoenix crowd, and after a quick question, the guys jump right in.
News
Sean McVay has let the public know that both Cam Akers and Darrel Henderson are good to go. Cam Akers is still falling in drafts, currently going in the fourth round, with Henderson being drafted in the 11th. Moving East, Russell Gage is on track to play in week one, and Andy questions whether the shine is gone from Gage. Jason reminds us that players who miss most of training camp often do not succeed as well as we want them to. The hype train finishes the news segment, with the Titans reporting that they have a significant role in mind for WR Treylon Burks. Mike believes that with the tools that he has, he could become special.
Welcome to the Fold
Since we are not yet on to the waiver shows, we are looking post draft. After the draft, there are several players you move to the IR spots to open up usable roster spots. This segment focuses on who you are looking to add to your team prior to the start of the season. Mike likes Jameson Williams, who you could also still stash on the IR. Jason brings up Jordan Mason, an undrafted rookie RB for the San Francisco 49ers. With Shanahan’s history of RB roulette and the fact that 49ers runners are made of glass, a pickup of Mason could be a fantastic preemptive move. Andy ends with WR Nico Collins, who could be a great complimentary piece to Brandin Cooks and deserves to be kept an eye on.
Bold Predictions
Next, the guys reveal their bold predictions for the 2022 fantasy season.
- Tom Brady finally does not have it anymore – Andy’s first bold take is scary, and it might be the beginning of the end for Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Junior. It is hard to say anything negative about the man, but he will not play forever, and against all odds, Andy thinks he might start to come back to Earth this year. We do not have any comps of a QB this age. The Bucs had the second easiest schedule last year, and despite that, we saw signs of mortality, especially on the road. The Bucs’ offensive line is in disarray, and if Brady does not throw 40 TDs, he could start to fall apart.
- Chris Olave will be the Saints WR1 at the end of the year – Somewhere, Kyle is smiling. Mike’s bold prediction starts by reminding us how much the Saints gave up to get Chris Olave. With Michael Thomas still returning from injury and Jarvis Landry being the other option, Olave is set up with a great situation. Jameis Winston and the Saints have looked great in pre-season, and they have nowhere to go but up.
- Every Dallas Cowboys player will finish behind their ADP this year – Amid a chorus of confused boos, Jason spills his first bold prediction. Although this seems outlandish, this already happened last year. Prescott should be ok, but not elite, and is low on tools, especially at the beginning of the season. Jason feels that even if Zeke stays healthy this season, with a worse offensive line, do not expect the moon from him. The loss of left tackle Tyron Smith cannot be understated.
- Kyle Pitts ends up the TE1 – Andy’s final bold prediction starts with him reminding us how massive and fast Pitts is. The only rookies in NFL history that had 1,000 receiving yards and averaged 15 yards per reception as 21-year-olds were Randy Moss, Mike Evans, Justin Jefferson, and Ja’Marr Chase. Pitts joined that list last season, and he is a special player. The TDs will come.
- Jahan Dotson finishes with as many top 15 weeks as Terry McLaurin – McLaurin is currently going as the WR14 in the fourth round, while Dotson is going as WR57 in the back of the 13th Dotson was a first-round draft pick for the Commanders, even before they signed Terry McLaurin to his big contract. We all know how boom/bust McLaurin was last season, and now they add Carson Wentz, who seems to be loving Dotson in camp.
- Travis Kelce is not a top 3 TE – Jason thinks Kelce is a bad bet at his ADP this season, and if he does not return on his value for your team, you will be disappointed. He turns 33 in October, and since 2000 there have been zero age 33 TE finishes in the top three. In addition, it’s a new offense in Kansas City with a new cast of characters, and we cannot bank on the exact same amount of usage this year.
The guys end the show with a live mailbag, and we are so close to football!
Wednesday- Ride or Die + Super Bowl Picks, TNF Preview
One sleep away from football time! After previewing the rest of the week, the guys jump right in with a new segment. Check out the recap on Andy, Mike, and Jason’s Ride or Dies.
News
The Bills extend Dawson Knox with a four-year deal, and he will be one of the top highest-paid TEs in the league and Mike reminds us he is an important part of the Buffalo offense. The Jets are starting Joe Flacco against his former team, the Baltimore Ravens. This makes this game slightly more interesting, but feel free to still start your Ravens defense. Mike LaFleur says he is hopeful Christian Watson will play on Sunday but was non-committal with Mike’s my guy Allen Lazard. Giants WR Sterling Shepard plans to play week one, so we have another player trying to return from an Achilles injury. Isaiah McKenzie should be good to go, Zach Ertz is day-to-day, and Van Jefferson is not ready to play.
Thursday Night Preview
The Buffalo Bills travel west to take on the Los Angeles Rams, coming into town as the favorite. Sean McVay has a fantastic record in week one games, and the Bills will have to slow down Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson if they stand a chance. If you drafted Josh Allen, you are starting him, but Jason does not plan on starting Matt Stafford. RB-wise, Devin Singletary seems like the guy, but the Bills went hard after pass-catching backs in the off-season. You are starting your WR1s, but if you dig deeper, you still should start Gabe Davis and Allen Robinson. Jason prefers Robinson if you had to choose one, whereas Mike goes Davis.
Mailbag
We start with the guy’s super bowl picks – Andy picks the Bills defeating the Rams, Jason picks the Bills over the Packers, and Mike goes with the Broncos beating the Saints. We move on to Michael Thomas and whether you can trust him in week one. The guys want to see evidence of Thomas starting to bounce back after his hamstring injury. Next, is Amari Cooper underrated in a dynasty league? At the end of this year, he will be the WR1 for Deshaun Watson, so he could be a good asset at least by next season. After a question about Julio over Rondale Moore as a late-round flier, one positing whether DJ Chark will be good this year, the guys end with a few start or sit questions.
Thursday- Starts of the Week + Week 1 Breakdown, It’s Football Time
It’s finally here – it’s football time!!
Never Not Working
The much-touted segment from last season returns. The guys are starting with some week one thresholds to consider, which might help to reduce initial panic. Firstly, RBs that see fewer than 13 carries in week one tend not to return big production for the season, so keep your eyes open for those opportunities. For WRs, over the past five years, only 10% finishing in the top 24 had fewer than five targets in week one. Five is the magic number here. Next, over 85% of TEs that finished in the top eight ran at least 23 routes in the first week.
Julio Aguilar/Getty Images
News
Unfortunately, groinindex.com has seen some recent activity. In practice, George Kittle suffered a groin injury, and Chase Edmonds was also limited. Diontae Johnson was limited with a shoulder injury and will do whatever he can to play on Sunday. Chris Godwin was not at practice today, which is slightly unusual since he practiced yesterday. Miles Sanders and Christian Watson both practiced, and Allen Lazard did not.
Fantasy Forecast
First up, the Saints take on the Falcons in Atlanta in a low over/under. Marcus Mariota makes his Falcons debut, but you should shy away. RB-wise, you are starting Kamara and considering Cordarrelle Patterson. If Drake London does play, you may want to leave him on the bench, as rookie WRs often have a slow start. The same can be said for Chris Olave, even though he has a better matchup. The 49ers head east to play the Bears in a sophomore QB battle. You are starting David Montgomery even with a tough matchup, and you want to start Trey Lance and see if he can take the reins. Wait and see on Justin Fields. When it comes to the San Francisco RB room, keep an eye out to see who Shanahan falls in love with this year. On the Chicago side, Mooney and Kmet are great options. Next up is the Steelers/Bengals matchup, with Cincinnati fresh off that Super Bowl loss. Andy believes that Pittsburgh will have problems keeping up with the Bengals, and therefore Joe Burrow and his weapons are great starts. Start Najee, and the Muth is a sneaky start on the Pittsburgh side.
Philadelphia heads to Detroit to play the Hard Knocks Lions. Detroit was bad against the RBs last season, but with the Eagles’ RB stew, it is hard to pick what player will get the most opportunities. Better options exist to start. For Detroit, you are starting Swift, Hockenson, and St. Brown. Every other Lion is a wait-and-see. The Patriots head south to visit the Dolphins in this AFC East matchup. Even with all the negativity surrounding the Patriots pre-season, this game could still be a challenge for Miami. Mike reminds us that the main story here will be Tyreek Hill versus Bill Belichick, as the Pats are great at taking away a team’s first option. It does not seem safe to start a Patriot RB. With Chase Edmonds and his groin issue, it is tough to pull the trigger on him.
The Baltimore Ravens play the NY Jets with Joe Flacco under center. Wheels up on Lamar Jackson, you are checking out Rashod Bateman to see what he is, and you are starting Mark Andrews. Elijah Moore, Garret Wilson, Breece Hall, and others are available on the other side. Solid starts seem to be Moore, Breece Lightening could go either way, and Jason waits with bated breath. Jacksonville takes on the Washington Commanders in Washington. The Jags come in with good vibes, Travis Etienne makes his debut, and big-money Christian Kirk will be on the field. Jason tells us that this game has a plethora of pivot options to look at, as well as Trevor Lawrence, who could be solid at least in a two-QB league. Etienne is a good flex play. You are starting Antonio Gibson and (gulp) Terry McLaurin. Make sure to stash Johan Dotson.
Starts of the Week
In week one, Jason is starting Travis Etienne, Revenge Russell Wilson, Hollywood Brown, and Gerald Everett. Mike is back in love with Antonio Gibson and is also starting Lamar Jackson, Elijah Moore, and Irv Smith Jr. Finally, Andy is going with Melvontae, Joey B, AJ Brown, and Cole Kmet.
The episode ends with the return of the award-winning Boom Boom Kicker Segment.
Friday- Week 1 Matchups + GOAT Talk, Wheel of Shame
Thursday Night Recap
It’s FootClan Friday, and there is much to react to from last night’s game. The Bills pummeled the Rams 31-10, and Josh Allen is very good at football. He had a great night passing and was also the Bills leading rusher. Diggs and Davis were great for fantasy, and McKenzie and Crowder did still have opportunities. Dawson Knox did very little, and Devin Singletary looked great whenever he had the ball. On the Rams’ side, the offense was bad. The only player you would have been happy starting was Cooper Kupp. Cam Akers was non-existent, and rookie Kyren Williams got hurt early on. Darrell Henderson is looking like the starter and Jason is significantly worried about the Rams offensive line. The elephant in the room was the Allen Robinson fantasy line – Robinson was on the field for almost every offensive snap, and it was his first game with Matthew Stafford, so there is hope. However, he only had two targets, so the fear is palpable. Jason thinks brighter days are ahead.
News
Ken Walker did not practice and is unlikely to play on Monday night. Chris Godwin will be a game-time decision, Allen Lazard did not practice, and Michael Thomas looks like he will play. In Arizona, Rondale Moore has a hamstring injury, and Zack Ertz might suit up. George Kittle is unlikely to play, so check out Njoku or Irv Smith on the waiver wire if you need a TE. Remember the injury blitz podcast with Matthew Betz is back today, so be sure to check that out to keep up with which players are in or out.
Fantasy Forecast
First up today is Cleveland at Carolina in the Baker revenge game. Pretty straightforward here, you play the starting RBs, and DJ Moore is in there. David Njoku is fine to start, and Kareem Hunt could be a flex, but steer clear of Amari Cooper. The Colts take on the Texans, and we shall witness the Dameon Pierce experience for the first time against a Colts defense that is great against the run. Jason prefers a wait and see approach. You play Brandin Cooks, you are clearly visiting Pitty City, and Jonathan Taylor is obvious. The New York Giants are playing the Titans in Tennessee, and it is also fairly straightforward. You start Saquon and Derrick Henry, but the WR choices are few and far between. Kadarius Toney is a possible start on the Giants side and Robert Woods on the Titans side.
Green Bay heads to Minnesota for a big NFC North battle. We could see fireworks here, and there are many fantasy options. For Minnesota, you have Cook, Jefferson, Thielen, and Mike’s start of the week, Irv Smith. On the other side of the ball, we will see how frequently AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones will be on the field together – both are in play. Lazard will likely sit, so throw your darts accordingly. Kansas City goes West to play the Cardinals in what should be a fun game with a big over/under. Andy thinks this will be a shootout – you are starting Kyler, Conner, and Hollywood, but you won’t know who else might have a big day. Arizona was not great against the WRs, but it is hard to land on which Kansas City pass-catcher to place your hopes on. Jason is going with Ju-Ju. Mahomes and Kelce were drafted to be great.
The Las Vegas Raiders come to Sofi to take on the Los Angeles Chargers. Jason wants every relevant player here – Herbert, Ekeler, Williams, and Allen. Gerald Everett could be a good option as well. On the Raiders side, the confidence for Josh Jacobs is not high, and the RB room is muddy, but the talent is there. We get to see Davante Adams in a Raiders uniform, and we hope that Darren Waller is healthy and functioning well. On Sunday night, the Tampa Bay Bucs play the Dallas Cowboys, and there are questions on both sides of the ball. Chris Godwin will likely miss this game, and Julio Jones is new to the offense, so you do not know precisely what you will see. That being said, you drafted Brady to start him, as well as Fournette and Mike Evans. Zeke might survive on volume alone for Dallas, so you are starting him. The Denver Broncos travel to Seattle to close out week one to battle the Seahawks. You can call it the Russell Wilson revenge game, but Andy calls it his almost upset of the week. You are starting all your highly touted Broncos. Seattle-wise, Rashad Penny is an option, DK Metcalf is startable, and in a pinch Tyler Lockett. Just remember who is throwing Metcalf and Lockett the ball.
Andy closes out the day with a Wheel of Shame spin. Good luck FootClan!