The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 12
We are heavy in the playoff push, and Andy, Mike, and Jason are here to break down the week that was and help the FootClan on the road to that championship.
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Monday – Week 11 Studs & Duds and Chuck Down Dominance
The guys get sophisticated as they do every Monday and jump right in.
Ready to Roll
This week, the guys discuss what prominent players are about to head into free agency. This helps with a dynasty lens but also gives an idea of who is incentivized for the playoffs. Sam Darnold and Brock Purdy start us off, and Geno Smith is also up for an extension. In the RBs, there are the Pittsburgh backfield, James Conner, and Javonte Williams, but don’t forget Mike’s man, Rico Dowdle. The most interesting name could be Jordan Mason. Tee Higgins and Amari Cooper will hit the free market, and we will see if Stefon Diggs will find a home. Trey McBride will get paid, and Cade Otton is right place, right time.
News
CeeDee Lamb was added to the injury report this weekend with a back issue. Welcome back, Tommy DeVito, as Daniel Jones heads to the bench. Darnell Mooney left the game with a hamstring issue this weekend, and Gabe Davis has a knee injury. Alexander Mattison and Zamir White are both injured, and Vegas is circling the drain.
Studs
The number one QB of the week is Jared Goff, who showed zero mercy. Joe Burrow turned it around last night, and rookie Bo Nix has settled into the league delightfully. The benching seemed to help Anthony Richardson, and Sam Darnold bounced back. Breece Hall highlighted the RBs, and both Detroit backs were incredible. Josh Jacobs got it done in the passing game, James Cook had two TDs on the ground, and Chase Brown is being used in an Ekeler-like fashion.
Amon-Ra was unreal, and Jerry Jeudy caught so many Jameis “chuck downs” on Sunday. Jauan Jennings, Mike’s start of the week, had a great outing, and Calvin Ridley had a decent day even with an illegal formation. Josh Downs and JSN got it done again. Taysom Hill, oh my. Other TEs with good weeks were Jonnu Smith, Brock Bowers, and wahoo Will Dissly.
Duds
Russell Wilson was the most disappointing start this week, but Jayden Daniels also left fantasy managers hanging. Lamar Jackson was also a bad start. Bijan highlighted bad RBs, and Jason is chalking it up to the solid Denver defense at home—the Falcons have to regroup. Jonathan Taylor was inefficient on 24 carries and the guys are worried about Tony Pollard and Travis Etienne. Kareem Hunt did not score, and the Pacheco return is looming.
Thursday night brought up a dud in Terry McLaurin. Deebo has been an outright bust this year, and Andy sees the potential end for him in San Francisco. Jaylen Waddle might be droppable. It was a struggle bus for TEs this week, with Hockenson, Andrews, and Engram all disappointing.
Good luck if you need a Monday night miracle.
Tuesday – Week 12 Waivers and Old Man Strength, Difference Makers
Monday Night Recap
It was a thrashing of the Dallas Cowboys by the Houston Texans, and Rico Dowdle was so bad he got benched. Cooper Rush had 55 pass attempts and did not look that bad, but Dallas could not finish drives. On the Houston side, Nico Collins managers lost their minds when the 77-yard TD was called back on a penalty. Joe Mixon is now the RB1 this year—welcome in old-man strength.
Difference Makers
This week, the guys are concentrating on the Chargers passing weapons—Herbert, McConkey, and QJ. There was much hullabaloo early this season, and the team has finally opened up the passing game, which will be vital heading into the fantasy playoffs. These three guys have excelled over the last five weeks, and the upcoming schedule is delightful.
News
Gabe Davis is out for the season, and Adam Thielen will return this week. Jonathon Brooks will make his debut this week. Gardner Minshew will start again this week because the team has no choice, and the RB situation in Denver seems to be the hot hand. Brock Purdy is dealing with shoulder soreness, so keep an eye on that.
Waivers
There are lots of bye weeks and only three weeks left in the regular season for fantasy! Starting with the RBs—heavily rostered are Jonathon Brooks and Jaylen Warren. Past that, Roschon Johnson is the next guy if he is available; with the change of OC, he had more involvement last week. Trey Benson was getting more opportunities before the bye week, and the Cardinals have the best schedule for RBs moving forward. Jaylen Wright is also an option, and Mike begrudgingly suggests Ameer Abdullah (or Zamir White) with the injuries in Vegas.
Check on Jeudy and QJ for WRs, and you could chase Christian Watson. The Packers have solid WR matchups for the coming weeks. Curtis Samuel was very involved in Buffalo last week and needs to be on your radar. Support your elders and check on Adam Thielen, and you could consider Wan’Dale Robinson in New York, even with Tommy Cutlets under center. You could luck into some targets with the pass-catchers in Cleveland. Temper your TE reactions to Jonnu Smith and Taysom Hill, but they are still decent options. The guys are pushing their chips in for Taysom. Hunter Henry gets targeted, and Luke Schoonmaker will see time with Jake Ferguson injured. Monitor Cole Kmet. Defenses to look at include Washington, Tampa Bay, and Denver. Andy reminds managers to consider Arizona.
Streamers
It is a tough week for streamers with all the byes, and Jason is going with Bo Nix. Andy is grabbing Justin Herbert if available, and Mike is streaming Russell Wilson.
Wednesday – Crucial Start/Sit Decisions and Hungry for More, TNF Preview
J-Grizz is holding down the fort with Mike out, but Andy and Jason are here to take on the day.
Hungry for More
Jason starts us out and is hungry for more from Anthony Richardson, who has some massive upside. Andy wants more from the wild card that is Taysom Hill.
News
As expected, Jake Ferguson does not look to play this week, and it is Schoon-time with Cooper Rush under center. There is also speculation that Aaron Rodgers might not end his career with the Jets with the departure of Joe Douglas. Time will tell.
Thursday Night Breakdown
Here comes a gross, potentially low-scoring matchup between the Steelers and Browns. We are looking at “little bit snow” and a defensive battle. You can lock in Najee and Pickens, and on the other side, Andy is alright with the Browns’ pass-catchers but reminds managers to be cautious. David Njoku is a good TE start in a rough week full of byes and injuries.
The guys jump into the mailbag and sign off.
Thursday – Starts of the Week and Week 12 Breakdown, It’s Football Time!
News
DeVonta Smith did not practice on Wednesday, so monitor his health. Josh Jacobs was limited, and Tyjae Spears should be sidelined again this week.
Starts of the Week
Andy is going with DeVonta Smith, De’Von Achane, C.J. Stroud, and Hunter Henry. Jason is starting Jauan Jennings, Brian Robinson Jr., Bo Nix (and Laser Mayfield), and putting on his titanium underpants with the Schoon-man.
Fantasy Forecast
Minnesota and Chicago start us off in Andy’s almost upset of the week. You can beat the Vikings on the ground, so you are starting Aaron Jones and hoping for a big game. D’Andre Swift has a groin issue, so Roschon Johnson could be started in a pinch in this bye-pocalypse, but temper those expectations. You can start D.J. Moore against a pass-funnel defense. Detroit heads to Indy to take on the Colts, and Andy is nervous for Anthony Richardson in this matchup. It is risky to start Josh Downs, and your only start might be Jonathan Taylor for the Colts, but even he has a bad matchup. Start all of your Detroit studs.
New England and Miami clash in the next matchup. You are starting Hunter Henry, and you hope the Patriots can keep up with the Dolphins. You can start Rhamondre Stevenson and take a random shot on Kayshon Boutte in a pinch. For Miami—it is Achane and Tyreek Hill. Jaylen Waddle should be benched. Tampa Bay, off the bye, heads to New York to play the Giants. You are starting Baker, and Cade Otton is a solid start. Jason doesn’t mind Jalen McMillan. On the other side of the ball, you can still start Malik Nabers as well as Tyrone Tracy.
Dallas and Washington play next. Start your Washington studs, and managers are patiently waiting for Jayden Daniels to return to form. We are back on the horse with Terry McLaurin, and Austin Ekeler is flex-worthy. It is CeeDee and the Schoon-man for the Commanders. The Chiefs get to play the Panthers. It is hard to start anyone for Carolina; Chuba Hubbard is really your only option. Wait and see with Jonathon Brooks. Jason would prefer to avoid starting Mahomes, and he doesn’t think Pacheco plays this week. Either way, you can start Kareem Hunt.
Enjoy the Thursday night game!
Friday – Week 12 Matchups and Tough Start/Sits, Wheel of Shame
Thursday Night Recap
Jameis Winston showed why he was so special last night in the snow game—the man has a childlike sense of wonder. The snow moved in quickly, and some good football was played. Jaylen Warren had over 10 fantasy points, and Najee was inconsistent, but neither had great outings. Conversely, Russell Wilson, Jerry Jeudy, and Nick Chubb all had solid games. Jason is in on the Cleveland pass-catchers.
News
DeVonta Smith remains sidelined, and Ladd McConkey is nursing a shoulder injury. Sam LaPorta returned to practice, and it looks like he will play again this week. CeeDee Lamb was downgraded in practice on Thursday, and managers should pay attention. Brock Purdy underwent an MRI, and his status for the game against Green Bay is up in the air.
Fantasy Forecast
Tennesee and Houston start us off. Jason is nervous about starting Tank Dell, but Nico should have a full allotment of snaps, and C.J. Stroud is Andy’s start of the week. Joe Mixon is an auto-start. Calvin Ridley should be started, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine is in the flex consideration. Denver heads to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders. Bo Nix has been looking great, and the team is on the up and up. The guys are leaning away from the Broncos’ RBs, but Courtland Sutton can be in your lineup. Brock Bowers is always in for Vegas, but it is uncertain who the RBs will be on Sunday.
The Niners and Packers have a big NFC battle, and the health of Brock Purdy is a big storyline. If Purdy plays, Jauan Jennings is in, and it is hopeful that George Kittle can play. Jordan Love has been startable at Lambeau, Josh Jacobs should be fine, and Jayden Reed can be started. Christian Watson deserves some consideration. The Cardinals head up to Seattle to play the Seahawks in a NFC West battle. There is some weather, but Jason is still okay with starting both QBs. Marv can be in, and James Conner is a great matchup. The Bone Zone is a start, and Tyler Lockett has fallen off the face of the Earth.
Sunday night brings us Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Rams. Start your Eagle studs, and with DeVonta Smith out, Dallas Goedert could be a strong start. The Eagles’ defense is strong, so even though Kyren should be started, managers should temper expectations. Stafford is a questionable start, but Puka and Kupp are in your lineup. The Har-Bowl closes out the week with the Ravens and Chargers battling. You are starting almost everyone, but be aware that it could be more defensive-minded than we think. Zay Flowers has been inconsistent, but he is in your lineup. Jason is okay with starting Mark Andrews, but you won’t be happy if you don’t get a TD.
The guys reveal their DraftKings lineup, and Andy spins the Wheel of Shame. Good luck this weekend!