The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 1
We are finally back! Welcome to real NFL football this week – Andy, Mike, and Jason are here to get us ready. Remember to listen to The Fantasy Footballers podcast, available wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Tuesday – “What If” Players and Fantasy Fears
Waiver Wire
The guys are looking at some undrafted gems to start us out going into Week 1. Jason starts with RB Samaje Perine who has now signed with the Chiefs. The Jerick McKinnon role is vacant in Kansas City, and Perine (a solid pass-catcher) can fill it. Rookie RB MarShawn Lloyd from the Green Bay Packers is another player to address since every year it seems that at least two rookie RBs find a way to sneak into the top 24. Mike tells us to pay attention to Will Levis and Caleb Williams for QBs and Taysom Hill and Greg Dulcich for TEs. Michael Wilson and Greg Dortch could also surprise in Arizona.
News
Ja’Marr Chase is still not practicing, and it is OK to pass on him in drafts if you are nervous. Conversely, Trent Williams looks to return to San Francisco on time to play in Week 1. Mark Andrews is off the injury report, and CEH will miss at least the first four weeks of the season as he was placed on the NFI list. Ricky Pearsall is recovering from a gunshot wound and is extremely lucky to come out of this with no massive injuries.
Mailbag
The guys have tons of questions heading into Week 1. They talk about not necessarily diversifying draft picks, believing in Christian Kirk in Jacksonville, and Jason’s biggest fear being C.J. Stroud not succeeding. A keeper league question is poised, and then there is debate over Trey Benson and Chuba Hubbard. Holding onto a true insurance RB is tough, so the guys expect to see Benson on the waiver wire at some point unless James Conner goes down. They discuss the path for Drake London to be a WR1 – it is a solid path with Kirk Cousins under center. After a few more questions, the guys sign off.
Two more days ‘till football!
Wednesday – Week 1 Hype & TNF Breakdown, Starts/Sits
Hungry for More
Heading into Week 1, Andy is hungry for more from Brandon Aiyuk, who is finally settled back in San Francisco. Is the man really worth the money – is he truly a WR1? Andy has been resistant, but he is ready to see it. Jason wants to see more from rookie Luke McCaffrey, especially with the departure of Jahan Dotson. McCaffrey was listed as a starter on the recently released depth chart, and Jason is ready to see what he has. Finally, Mike is hungry for more from Tee Higgins, who hopefully has lots of leftovers to offer. Higgins has been a great value at ADP, and now, with the uncertainty in the Ja’Marr Chase situation, Higgins could have a great opportunity.
News
Ja’Marr Chase is now trending towards not playing in Week 1 – he is not willing to take snaps without a deal. Kyle Pitts is dealing with a hamstring injury and apparently has been for a while. MarShawn Lloyd did not practice, but the guys are not concerned that he is falling behind on his recovery. Josh Jacobs will get all the carries. The guys went bananas with Blake Corum announced as the primary kick returner for the Rams.
Thursday Night Breakdown
The Baltimore Ravens head to Kansas City to take on the Chiefs to kick off the season on Thursday. Both teams have lost critical defensive pieces, so there should be more offense than when we saw these teams face off last year in the playoffs. You are obviously starting both of these QBs, and Jason is confident in both of them. It could be a tough matchup for Isiah Pacheco but don’t get discouraged. Xavier Worthy is the biggest start/sit question here, and if you want to call your shot, throw him in your lineup. Mike isn’t forcing him in. Keep an eye on Samaje Perine as well as Isaiah Likely.
The guys close out with some mailbag, and football time is around the corner.
Thursday – Starts of the Week & It’s Football Time
IT’S FOOTBALL TIME!
News
Ja’Marr Chase participated in Wednesday’s practice, so there is cautious optimism. Justin Jefferson and Brock Bowers also look to be ready to go, and HC Kevin O’Connell is hopeful Jordan Addison is able to play this week. Jason is keeping him out of his lineup this week.
Starts of the Week
Andy is starting Kyler Murray on the road against Buffalo, the Miami backfield, Stefon Diggs, and Dalton Kincaid. Jason is starting Tua to start the season, James Cook, Malik Nabers, and Evan Engram. Mike is going with Jared Goff, Javonte Williams, and Christian Watson, and put on your steel underpants for Zach Ertz.
Fantasy Forecast
The guys start out with the Friday night matchup of Green Bay and Philly in Brazil. Bonjour! There are lots of fantasy options here, with Jordan Love being an especially great play. Josh Jacobs stands alone and is a great start, and fantasy managers will also find worth in the receiving game. Monitor Romeo Doubs and his injury. It is pretty easy on the Eagles’ side – Andy is excited to see how the team uses its new pieces. Pittsburgh at Atlanta is next, and the revenge of Arthur Smith begins. Bijan and the other studs are a go for Atlanta, but the guys would prefer to feel it out with Jaylen Warren on the other side. George Pickens is startable.
Arizona heads East to play Buffalo, and Andy is a fan of this potential game script. The Cardinals’ dodgy defense will allow a shootout, but it is tough to decide which Bill to buy into. Ray Davis could be a deep league option. It is James Conner’s backfield in Arizona, and this game is Andy’s almost upset of the week. New-look franchises Tennessee and Chicago play next. You can start both RBs on the Titans’ side – they look to split the carries pretty evenly. Pay attention to Keenan Allen and a heel injury that has popped up recently. Andy even likes Rome Odunze in this game and is excited about Calvin Ridley on the Tennessee side.
In a less exciting game, New England plays Cincinnati. Andy does not know how the Patriots consistently move the ball in this matchup. Rhamondre is the most reliable offensive piece for the Patriots, and he can be started. On the other side of the football, we are still waiting to see if Joe Burrow will have Ja’Marr Chase. Tee Higgins is a go, and it will be interesting to see if it is Zack Moss or Chase Brown.
Houston at Indianapolis closes us out. Anthony Richardson will finally get to show us what he’s got, but you have to call your shot if you are starting him. You are starting C.J. Stroud, as well as his pass catchers. Joe Mixon is also a must-start, and Jason is actually OK starting all of the offensive pieces on the Houston side. The only WR the guys are starting on the Indy side is Pitty City.
Friday – Week 1 Matchups & Mark Andrews Panic Alarm?
Thursday Night Recap
Fantasy-wise, we saw some great stuff, such as the significant usage of Rashee Rice, but managers were let down by Travis Kelce on the Kansas City side. Andy feels like some of Rice’s production will come at the expense of Kelce and vice versa. The headline of the game was Mark Andrews struggling and Isaiah Likely taking over, which made Mike very angry. Andy is telling us not to panic, and Jason thinks this situation could be similar to the Patriots’ Hernandez and Gronk. The big takeaway from this game on every front is not to overreact to the good and bad.
News
We do have football tonight, and MarShawn Lloyd and Emanuel Wilson are questionable, meaning it will be the Josh Jacobs show. To add insult to injury for Mike, after taking Tee Higgins for the third year in a row, an injury report came out saying Higgins did not practice with a hamstring injury. Russell Wilson has calf tightness, and we might see Justin Fields for Week 1. CMC is expected to play, even with a calf and Achilles (!) issue, and Antonio Gibson is also on the injury report.
Fantasy Forecast
The battle of Florida starts us out with Jacksonville traveling to Miami. Tua is Jason’s start of the week, and you are starting the Dolphins’ backfield and their star WRs. On the other side of the football, Travis Etienne will get pretty much all of the work, and they will need him to have a big game. Evan Engram looks to be a core part of this offense in the middle of the field, and he can slide into your lineup. Jason is OK starting Trevor Lawrence. Carolina and New Orleans are next up, and Jason is rooting hard for the Panthers. Chuba Hubbard is a good spot start, and it will be interesting to see how the team uses Xavier Legette. On the other side, you are starting Chris Olave and you should keep your eyes on Rashid Shaheed.
The Vikings head to New York to play the Giants, and Andy has some closet optimism for Minnesota. Jordan Addison is on the bubble for starting as he is still recovering from an injury. The Giants’ Devin Singletary is a suitable volume start, and everyone wants to see how Malik Nabers does. Denver plays Seattle in a low over/under, and Bo Nix will make his debut. The Seahawks could be a decent streaming defense, but Jason thinks this might be a boring game. Javonte could have a game. Play Kenneth Bone Zone Walker.
Las Vegas heads to Southern California to play the Chargers, and the guys are confident starting Zamir White. Brock Bowers is a possible start, but Jason thinks better options exist. If you want to get nasty, Andy suggests Tre Tucker. We finally get to see what the system is like in Baltimore West and how high T it will be. You might want to wait and see before you start any Chargers. Dallas plays Cleveland in another low over/under game. We will see how Deshaun Watson has recovered and Jerome Ford is the RB for the Browns to start the season. Mike is not forcing Rico Dowdle into his lineup, and the guys are not married to starting Dak in a tough matchup.
Washington flies south to play Tampa Bay, and rookie Jayden Daniels gets to start against a Bucs defense that struggled against QBs last year. You can start Zach Ertz in deep leagues and keep your eyes on Luke McCaffrey. On the other side of the ball, Rachaad White is a go. Sunday night football brings us Los Angeles and Detroit, and Jared Goff is Mike’s start of the week. You are starting all your studs here, and you can consider Jameson Williams. Keep your eyes on Colby Parkinson. The New York Jets and the San Francisco 49ers close out Week 1. These are two great defenses here, and we might not see a huge offensive outing, so hope for the best but expect someone to disappoint you. You are starting all of your big guns, but make sure CMC is in your flex position in case you need to pivot if he doesn’t get on the field.
Good luck in Week 1, FootClan!