The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 12
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Monday – Studs and Duds, Wilson Woes, Monday Punday
Welcome to the holiday week! After a Zach Wilson rant, Andy, Mike, and Jason get sophisticated with Sunday Punday.
News
It turned out Justin Jefferson had a mild case of turf toe on Sunday, and Justin Fields hurt his non-throwing shoulder in his game. Jason mentioned his hamstring also seemed bad, and hopefully, it is nothing major. Kyle Pitts might have an MCL injury, and you might not have to decide whether or not to start him. Concussions afflicted Matthew Stafford and Joe Mixon, and sadly Wan’Dale Robinson tore his ACL and his season is over. Mike Williams looked to re-injure his ankle in the first quarter; Josh Palmer continued to fill in admirably. Kyler Murray is likely out tonight, and Colt McCoy should get the nod.
Studs
Joe Burrow starts us off in the stud muffin category with a fantastic game. Mahomes looked great as usual, and Jacoby Brissett has the opportunity for one more studly performance before the Deshaun Watson return. Daniel Jones eclipsed his standard passing numbers, and Jalen Hurts got it done with his legs. The Cowboys RBs were both studs on Sunday, with Zeke and Pollard both scoring twice. Jamaal Williams now leads the NFL in TDs, getting into the endzone three times. David Montgomery, Josh Jacobs, and Najee Harris all had great games.
Davante Adams had a complete game in the first half, and Carr only had eyes for him. Amari Cooper proved that neutral territory gives forth a solid fantasy game. Tee Higgins looked great for Cincinnati, and Josh Palmer was successful and could continue to be with the potential Mike Williams loss. George Pickens was a stud as well. Travis Kelce is great at football and is a cheat code for TEs. In regards to slightly more normal TEs, Juwan Johnson is continuing to get it done, the Muth was Luth, and Dawson Knox was a good start.
Duds
Josh Allen looked human this Sunday after a rough week travel-wise for the Bills. Russell Wilson sucks, and that is all. Lamar Jackson has had six of the seven last weeks with 20 or fewer fantasy points, and the Ravens’ offense needs more playmakers for him. Kirk Cousins clearly had a rough plane ride home after a bludgeoning from Dallas. RB-wise, Saquon failed in what was supposed to be a great matchup. Dameon Pierce is apparently matchup-proof, and Nick Chubb was disappointing. D’Onta Foreman did not play the Atlanta Falcons, so he clearly did not deliver. WRs that were unsuccessful include Adam Thielen, AJ Brown, and CeeDee Lamb. DJ Moore had another bad game. Dalton Schultz was not needed in the game on Sunday and had a rough fantasy outing. Cole Kmet, Greg Dulcich, and David Njoku were also duds.
Good luck on Monday Night Football!
Tuesday – Waivers, Fantasy Timebomb, Full Stream Ahead
Monday Night Recap
Great game for the Niners in Mexico last night, with almost every offensive player scoring for them. CMC had seven carries and was unguardable; big game for Deebo, and Aiuyk and Kittle both scored twice. Jimmy G. finished with four TDs against the Cards. The Cards had a rough go – Connor did score, and Dortch stepped up after a Rondale Moore injury.
News
The Falcons put Kyle Pitts on the IR due to his MCL injury, and his season is over. In Broncos RB news, Melvin Gordon was waived, Chase Edmonds will miss a few weeks, and Latavius Murray is the only RB left standing. No one is completely sure what is happening with Justin Fields, from day to day to season-ending. Joe Mixon and Matthew Stafford are both in concussion protocol, and Robert Saleh wisely could not commit to Zach Wilson moving forward.
Welcome to the Fold
Double-check if Christian Watson and Josh Palmer happen to be on your waiver wire, and if they are, they must be rostered. Moving a little deeper, you should be looking at Parris Campbell, DPJ, and Darius Slayton. Demarcus Robinson is also a target, being Lamar’s only other option besides Mark Andrews. Jason also is a Treylon Burks believer, and Mike reminds us that Greg Dortch will get the targets if Rondale Moore is sidelined. Stashes include Jameson Williams and OBJ.
There are options at RB this week. Players to check on include Rachaad White, Kenyan Drake, and Elijah Mitchell. Although these guys might not be available, the following might be. Samaje Perine is the big name here, then Latavius Murray, and Jerick McKinnon. Jason prefers Murray for the rest of the season. Cam Akers could be suitable for a spot start, but it would be hard to watch. With TEs, check if David Njoku or Dawson Knox is out there. Greg D. will have his chances, despite Russell Wilson, and rookie Trey McBride might have some success in Arizona. Jason is spot-starting Foster Moreau, and Taysom Hill – much to Mike’s chagrin – should be the number one pickup.
Pick up the Chiefs’ defense, who could be playing a third-string QB in Los Angeles. The Miami Dolphins also have a great matchup. Check out the waiver wire rankings on the website for more details on who you should pick up!
Streamers
Andy is streaming QB Geno Smith this week, Mike likes handsome Jimmy G., and Jason is streaming Taylor Heinicke.
Wednesday – MEGALODON, Week 12 Matchups
News
Sam Darnold will be starting against the Denver Broncos this week for Carolina, and it seems that the less poisonous poison will still kill you. Conversely, Zach Wilson has been benched. The LA Rams waived Darrell Henderson, and they are now left with two RBs. Chase Edmonds has landed on IR, and Carson Wentz is designated to return.
Never Not Working
Today the guys want to dig into targets per route run and how impactful it is when looking at fantasy players—comparing Christian Kirk and Chris Olave to illustrate. Kirk’s TPRR is almost 21% (above 20% is solid), and Olave’s is nearly 26%, but context is crucial. Kirk has run 363 routes compared to 307 for Olave, and their ADOT also differs. Looking at the data together gives you a bigger and better picture of a fantasy player – make sure you gather as much info as possible. Check out AJ Passman’s article about targets per route run if you want to dig in a little more.
Fantasy Faceoff
After the yearly distribution of their Turkey Day awards, the guys jump into matchups. We start with Buffalo at Detroit first up on Thanksgiving. The guys believe we will see a vintage Stallion experience this week from Josh Allen. Devin Singletary could go either way, depending on whether a blowout happens. On the Lions’ side, it is scary to start Swift, but you hope that Jamaal Williams finds the endzone again. The New York Giants head to Dallas to take on the Cowboys, where dem boys are big favorites. The last man standing, Darius Slayton, could be a flex option, and you can fire up all your Cowboys. New England versus Minnesota closes out the holiday. You can throw out last week for the Vikings, but the Pats’ defense is solid, so Minnesota could have another rough day. Jason is starting Rhamondre and Jakobi Meyers and calling it a day for New England. TJ Hockenson is in an excellent spot for Minnesota this week.
Tampa Bay heads to Cleveland for the next game. You are always starting Nick Chubb, but shy away from Kareem Hunt as usual. Amari Cooper playing at home is good to go. On The Bucs’ side, Tom Brady and Rachaad White are starts of the week. Next up, the Bengals play the Titans in a low over/under. These are the top two teams in the red zone, and this could be a competitive game. Treylon Burks is a questionable start for Andy – keep an eye on how involved he is in the offense. Joey B. and his pass-catchers have a great matchup, and if Mixon is out, you can consider Samaje Perine.
Houston heads west to play Miami in what could be a blowout. Start all your Dolphins, and on the Texans’ side, you can go back to Dameon Pierce, even after a rough showing. Brandin Cooks and Nico Collins are dart throws. The Chicago Bears head to New York to take on the Mike White-led Jets. White brings a little hope to Michael Carter and Garrett Wilson, and Tyler Conklin could be a stretch to start. The Bears’ side is simple – if Fields starts, you play him, and you start Montgomery. Cole Kmet is a TE option. The Atlanta Falcons play the Washington Commanders, and both teams are in the mix for the wildcard spot. The Washington defense is ascending, but you can still play Mike’s start of the week, Terry McLaurin. Gibby and Brian Robinson are still startable as well. On the Atlanta side, Cordarrelle Patterson is still good to go.
The basement-dwelling Denver Broncos are playing the Carolina Panthers in the lowest over/under in a long time. Jason says Courtland Sutton is still a playable asset, but you should bench all the Panthers against this defense. Baltimore and Jacksonville are our next matchup, and Lamar has had a subpar last few weeks. Mike expects a bounce-back game from Lamar this week, but toss the RB room aside. For Jacksonville – you start Etienne and Kirk. A battle of the west takes place between the Chargers and the Cardinals. Andy reminds us that moving forward, you start everyone against Arizona. It is still a good matchup for James Conner, who will keep trying.
The Raiders play the Seahawks in Andy’s almost upset of the week. You are starting Jacobs and Adams, and Foster Moreau is streamable for Las Vegas. Seattle returns from the bye with sweet, sweet Kenneth Walker to Mike’s delight, and be prepared for him to have a big game. The beat-up LA Rams take on the Kansas City Chiefs, who are huge favorites. The Chiefs’ defense should eat with a third-stream QB starting for the Rams, and Tyler Higbee is the only player on the Los Angeles side that you can even consider starting. Play your Kansas City studs, and Pacheco is an option. If Ju-Ju returns, he could be started.
The New Orleans Saints fly west to Levi to play the Niners. The guys are still starting Chris Olave, even against this tough defense. You can start all your San Francisco offensive studs but temper expectations against a stout defense. The Packers play the Eagles in an NFC battle, and you are playing all your Philly guys. Aaron Jones is a start, and you have options with Christian Watson and Allen Lazard. The Steelers and the Jeff Saturday-led Colts close out the week on Monday night. You start Najee and get Luth with the Muth, and George Pickens could be debated. On the other side, JT and Pitty City are a go, and Andy says you can still support the Awful Tower.
Starts of the Week
Andy is starting Geno Smith, both Jeff Wilson and Raheem Mostert, Pitty City, and Dawson Knox. This week, Mike likes Lamar Jackson, Rachaad White, Terry McLaurin, and Foster Moreau in a great matchup. Finally, Jason is starting Tom Brady, Latavius Murray, Garrett Wilson, and Dalton Schultz.
The guys end the big show with the Wheel of Shame and reveal their DraftKings lineups. Have an incredible holiday weekend FootClan!