The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 16
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Monday – Week 15 Studs and Duds, Revenge of the Smith
After a raging Bijan minute, Andy, Mike, and Jason get sophisticated.
News
Ja’Marr Chase suffered an AC joint sprain in his right shoulder, and be prepared to be without him. Michael Pittman had a brutal hit on Sunday and is in concussion protocol. Zack Moss injured his right wrist and didn’t return, Trevor Lawrence is in concussion protocol, and Hollywood Brown left with a heel injury. It is reported that Will Levis has an ankle sprain, and Jalen Hurts has been downgraded to questionable with an illness.
Studs
If you had Jared Goff, you were thrilled this week – he is the QB9 on the year. Baker Mayfield was excellent, as well as Brock Purdy. It wasn’t a great week for QBs. CMC highlights the RBs, but what else is new? James Cook was a hot knife through butter and was unstoppable against Dallas, and Jahmyr Gibbs continued his dominance. Ty Chandler looked great as he filled in for Mattison, and Kyren Williams had another great game. Devin Singletary ran the Houston backfield, and Raheem Mostert is unstoppable.
Jaylen Waddle was incredible, with Tyreek Hill on the bench. Deebo was a real man with two TDs. Jordan Addison was surprisingly good with Nick Mullens, and Terry McLaurin bounced back from his big cardio week. Cooper Kupp, Chris Godwin, and Noah Brown had big weeks. Sam LaPorta is an incredible TE and is currently the TE1 on the season. David Njoku had 14 more targets on Sunday and continues to have a good schedule through the playoffs. Hunter Henry had another great game this week but left with a knee injury. Team TMcB continues to shine, and Tucker Kraft scored.
Duds
Things went sideways quickly for Dak on Sunday. Sam Howell was replaced, and you are done with that experiment. Move on. Justin Fields has a bad game, but you are playing him next week against Arizona. Kyler cannot get it done with this offense. There were some big names with RBs who had bad games, especially Derrick Henry. Also Bijan, Saquon, Etienne, and more. The guys aren’t super concerned and are going back to the well with these guys.
There is panic in the streets for Stefon Diggs, and Purdy missed Brandon Aiyuk a couple of times. Puka was not the Ram to start, and DJ Moore had a down game. Garrett Wilson had a fart game, and both Drake London and Adam Thielen were bad. It was a catastrophe for Zay Flowers and OBJ in Baltimore. With the TEs, there were a couple of gooses, and Kelce and Kittle also did not deliver. Taysom Hill also did nothing, coming back from injury.
Good luck tonight!
Tuesday – Week 16 Waivers and QB Streamers and Nasty Boys
Monday Night Recap
Seattle knocked off the Eagles last night, and Kenneth Walker looked incredible. Jalen Hurts was sniffly but still scored twice on the ground. The receiving game was not helpful for fantasy, and D’Andre Swift was fine. Sadly, Will Dissly did not score.
News
Ja’Marr Chase will likely miss some time, which changes your Bengal player options. CJ Stroud remains in concussion protocol, and Isiah Pacheco looks to be good to go this week. Keaton Mitchell has a torn ACL and Taylor Heinicke will be the starting QB of the Atlanta Falcons. Chris Olave is still not practicing.
Waivers
Ty Chandler is the main guy to grab if he is available on your waivers. Justice Hill is more available, but they are playing the Niners this week, so be aware. Andy likes Zamir White. The Colts’ backfield should also be looked at with the Jonathan Taylor injury, and you still need to be aware of the Washington Commanders‘ backfield.
The WRs are up next, and Jason likes Noah Brown, especially if Stroud returns this week. Curtis Samuel and Dontayvion Wicks are possible pickups as well. Another nasty boy, Parker Washington, has a great matchup this week, and you can grab Demario Douglas or DeVante Parker in a pinch.
Hunter Henry is a good TE pickup but monitor the injury. Tucker Kraft could be a go as well. There are a lot of good defense options this week – Chicago, Denver, or Cincinnati against the Steelers. Green Bay also plays Carolina. Seattle and Indianapolis are sneaky pickups.
Streamers
Mike is streaming Baker Mayfield this week, Jason is going with the aged Joe Flacco, and Andy is streaming Geno Smith if he is back and available.
The guys close out the show with a mailbag segment.
Wednesday – Start/Sit Courage, Hungry For More, Andy vs. Josh!
Hungry for More
Mike starts us off! He is hungry for more from Ken Walker after last week’s great performance. Andy is going with Ty Chandler, and Jason is hungry for more from Hunter Henry.
News
CJ Stroud is likely to miss this week against the Browns. Keenan Allen did not practice on Tuesday, and Ja’Marr Chase could miss two games. Trevor Lawrence is still in concussion protocol, and you continue to have two beat-up RBs in Indianapolis.
Thursday Night Breakdown
The New Orleans Saints take on the Los Angeles Rams this week. Carr should get Olave back this week, and Andy thinks it could be a fairly good game. Kamara has been a double-digit machine, and he is a good start. You are starting most of the big names here, hoping for a shoot-out. Andy thinks that if anyone busts, it would be Puka. The guys are OK starting Stafford.
The guys dig into the mailbag and sign off.
Thursday – Stars of the Week and Week 16 Breakdown, Full Tilt!
It is semi-final week, and the guys are ready to rumble.
News
Jonathan Taylor was listed as a full practice, and Moss was not practicing. Keenan Allen has not practiced and probably will not play. Keep an eye on Tyreek Hill and his availability, and Trevor Lawrence is still in the concussion protocol. The Saints should have Chris Olave back this week in a great matchup.
Fantasy Forecast
The Bengals take on the Steelers in the first Saturday game. Jake Browning has been surprisingly great and is still in consideration. Mason Rudolph is expected to start, and Andy would like to avoid playing either of the Steelers’ RBs. Browning will not have Ja’Marr Chase, so it is scarier to stream him. The guys are leaning away from Tyler Boyd. The resurgent Buffalo Bills take on the blarf Los Angeles Chargers – James Cook is a great start, and you are still starting Diggs. Do not play Gabe Davis. On the Chargers’ side, the only guy you are considering is Austin Ekeler.
The Sunday matchups start off with Indianapolis and Atlanta. Taylor Heinicke is taking over for the Falcons, and Bijan cannot score when he isn’t playing the snaps. The guys are still going back to him, and they are also OK with Drake London. On the Indy side, JT should be back and might be the entire backfield. Monitor Michael Pittman, and the Colts’ defense is in play.
The Seahawks take on the Titans in the next matchup. There is full confidence in Kenneth Walker, and the guys think you can play all the Seattle WRs with Geno on the field. For Tennessee, Andy still has some confidence in Hopkins in a good matchup. You are starting Derrick Henry. Detroit plays Minnesota in a huge NFC North battle, and you are starting JJ and even Jordan Addison with a backup QB. TJ Hockenson is a go, and Ty Chandler is an option. On the other side, you can consider Jared Goff, but it could be scary. You start Amon-Ra as well as Sam LaPorta.
Washington heads to New York to take on the Jets. Zach Wilson is in concussion protocol, and if it is Trevor Siemian this week, Andy is downgrading Garrett Wilson. It is even nerve-wracking to start Breece Hall. Brian Robinson will probably miss another game for Washington, but that doesn’t necessarily make Antonio Gibson a starting option. Try to find a better option than Terry McLaurin. Green Bay and Carolina are next, and this is a low over/under. You might have to say, start Chuba and move on. The Carolina defense is underrated, and the only must-start for the Packers is Aaron Jones.
Starts of the Week
Andy is starting Joe Flacco, Raheem Mostert/De’Von Achane, Stefon Diggs, and David Njoku. Jason goes with Justin Fields, Bijan Robinson/Breece Hall, Amari Cooper, and Evan Engram. Finally, Mike is starting Baker Mayfield, Zeke, Tee Higgins, and Isaiah Likely.
The guys finish with Boom Boom Kicker, and it is off to the second round of the playoffs!
Friday – Week 16 Matchups and Wheel of Shame, Bah Humbug!
Thursday Night
Breaking news: Puka did not bust last night, and Kyren Williams was a machine against a horrible run defense. Sean McVay is good at his job. Alvin Kamara let Andy and many other fantasy managers down but concentrate on winning the war, not the battle. Cooper Kupp wasn’t great, but he did drop two TD opportunities, and Chris Olave also left some fantasy points on the table.
News
Keenan Allen was ruled out, Kenneth Walker had two DNPs in a row, and Mike is a little concerned. Geno Smith is going to play, and the guys do not expect Brian Robinson to return this week. Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman both practiced in full.
Fantasy Forecast
Cleveland and Houston start us off in a game that has playoff implications. It should be the Case Keenum show, and Jason is excited. You are leaning on Devin Singletary’s opportunities, and he is a relatively safe play. Nico Collins coming back from an injury is a scary start. On the other side, you are excited about David Njoku and Amari Cooper. Flacco is a streaming option. Jacksonville and Tampa Bay battle in a battle of Florida. It looks like Trevor Lawrence will sit, which leads to many questions. You are starting Etienne, but it is a bad matchup. For the Bucs, Rachaad White is an auto start, along with Mike Evans. You are not necessarily chasing the Chris Godwin performance from last week.
The Cardinals head east to take on the Chicago Bears. Justin Fields could have a field day, and Andy is very nervous. DJ Moore is a go, and you could also start a Bears RB. The Chicago defense could also have a great game. Kyler has not been great as of late, and he has very few good weapons available. McBride is your only start there. Dallas and Miami are the next matchup. You are playing all your core guys, but Andy is worried about Brandin Cooks.
Sunday night brings us the Broncos and Patriots in a potential snow game. Zeke is a go as you chase opportunities. If Hunter Henry is active, you can start him in this good matchup. On the other side, you might be able to start Javonte, but the guys suggest you look elsewhere. Courtland Sutton might struggle.
The Christmas football slate starts us out with the Raiders and Chiefs. Rashee Rice is now an auto-start. Isiah Pacheco is back and should slide right back into your lineup. On the Vegas side, if Josh Jacobs is back, you start him. Make sure Zamir White is on your bench, and you are still starting Davante Adams. The Giants play the Eagles in an NFC battle. Saquon is the big question against a tough matchup, and Andy wants to avoid Darren Waller. D’Andre Swift has not been remarkable, but you probably need to start him. Monitor DeVonta Smith and his health. The holiday week ends with a huge game – Baltimore and San Francisco. Both teams have been on fire, and you are starting all your studs.
The guys share their DraftKings lineups, Andy spins the Wheel of Shame, and we head into the holidays!