The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 17
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! Andy, Mike, and Jason are back to help the FootClan win it all.
Tuesday – Studs and Duds, Week 17 Waivers, Amari Christmas
News
Jaylen Waddle has what looks like a high ankle sprain and also got a nice poke in the eye. You will probably have to be without him on championship weekend. Isiah Pacheco returns back to injury, and with McKinnon on IR, it might be CEH time. TJ Hockenson had a knee injury, and it does not look good. Trevor Lawrence also left with a shoulder injury, and DJ Moore exited early. QB Brock Purdy also left with a stinger last night.
Studs
Joe Flacco headlines the studs section – the QB1 this week! His matchup is worse this week, so you might have to bench him. Baker, Justin Fields, and Jordan Love are other QBs with great weeks. Breece Hall was an RB stud against Washington, and Jahmyr Gibbs had a great game in a matchup that was all him. James Conner kept doing James Conner stuff this week. Derrick Henry also had a nice bounce-back week.
Amari Cooper. That is all. George Pickens also went bananas this week, and Mike Evans is now the WR3 on the season. Calvin Ridley had an impressive second half, and Mike’s start of the week Tee Higgins was fantastic. The TEs are not a long list, but David Njoku and Evan Engram were successful.
Duds
Brock Purdy was bad, and the MVP odds have clearly shifted. Travis Etienne highlights the duds of the week, and Tony Pollard joins him. Achane had an opportunity this week for the Dolphins but did not deliver. The trust level is scary heading into Baltimore next week. Kenneth Walker could not get it done, and Devin Singletary was the victim of a bad game script.
If you survived with Stefon Diggs, then congratulations. Diontae Johnson, Drake London, and DeAndre Hopkins were also bad. For TEs, Sam LaPorta and Trey McBride left you hanging. Hopefully, you have moved on from Dalton Kincaid.
Waivers
This week you are picking up to play or block, and CEH is the number one guy, especially if Pacheco does not get through protocol. Jason would pick up and start Zamir White if Josh Jacobs is still out. Khalil Herbert has a brutal matchup against Atlanta, and Justice Hill will be on the field.
For WRs – you can look at Greg Dortch, Demarcus Robinson, or Demario Douglas. Romeo Doubs is another option, but the Minnesota matchup is tough. Double-check to see if Isaiah Likely happens to be on your waiver wire. After him, Tucker Kraft or Gerald Everett are options, and Andy likes Chig. When it comes to defenses, you are looking at the Rams, Bears, and Jags.
Streamers
Andy is streaming Nick Mullens, Jason is going with Baker, and Mike is streaming Derek Carr.
Wednesday – Championship Week Prep – Hungry for More, Underdog Tips
Hungry for More
These all have championship implications, and Mike is hungry for more from Zay Flowers. Jason wants more James Conner passing work, and Andy is hungry for more from Saquon.
News
CJ Stroud’s concussion symptoms have subsided, and he might be able to play this week, but it is a tough matchup. TJ Hockenson is out for the rest of the season with a torn MCL and ACL, and managers might not have him to start next season. Trevor Lawrence is “progressing” with an AC joint issue, and Jacoby Brissett will start this week.
Thursday Night Breakdown
This is a tough one. The New York Jets take on the Cleveland Browns. The easy decision is the Cleveland defense. You cannot throw on the Jets, so starting Flacco and Amari Cooper after their incredible performances last week is scary. David Njoku is a start. Garrett Wilson is tough to start on the Jets side, with Trevor Siemian under center.
The guys jump into the mailbag and sign off!
Thursday – Starts of the Week and Week 17 Breakdown, Title Time!
News
Russell Wilson has been benched for the remainder of the season and should be released from the Denver Broncos. Jarrett Stidham is in. Isiah Pacheco still did not practice with a concussion, and Zay Flowers has a calf issue. The guys think Keenan Allen is done for the season, and Brian Robinson was limited in practice.
Fantasy Forecast
We have a Saturday night special with Detroit taking on Dallas. You are probably starting all of your Dallas studs, and the only guy Jason is nervous about is Tony Pollard. Home games are fantastic for Dallas, and Jared Goff will have opportunities to fight back, but it is unclear whether he will deliver. The fringe options include Brandin Cooks, Jake Ferguson, and David Montgomery.
The Patriots head to Buffalo to take on the Bills next. Stefon Diggs is actually a scary start, but if you have him, you start him. Bench Kincaid and Gabe Davis. On the Pats’ side, Rhamondre is on IR, and it is Zeke and no one else. Atlanta and Chicago are the next matchup, and Jason is okay with still starting Justin Fields. Bench all your Bears RBs against a brutal Atlanta run defense. Start Bijan on the other side, and you cannot trust Drake London. The Raiders, who are on fire, battle Indianapolis in a game with playoff implications. Starting Davante Adams is still scary, but it is tough to bench him if you have him. If you can, wait to find out if Josh Jacobs plays. On the other side, you are starting Jonathan Taylor and Pitty City if he is healthy and back.
The L.A. Rams head east to take on the Giants, and they are functioning on all cylinders – start all your Rams studs. Saquon is in your lineup, even with a bad matchup. Demarcus Robinson is a desperation flex in a deep league. Darren Waller must be addressed, and the guys are okay with sliding him into their lineup. The Eagles play the Cardinals, and the Cards might be destroyed. You can play Kyler in a decent matchup, as well as James Conner. D’Andre Swift is the best at going down at the one-yard line and is a start. AJ Brown has Andy’s TD guarantee.
The Saints play the Bucs in an NFC South battle. Derek Carr is a good option, and Baker has also been on fire. You start your usual stars, but Chris Godwin can be nerve-wracking. On the New Orleans side, Chris Olave should have a big game, and Rashid Shaheed seems to be the apple of Carr’s eye.
Starts of the Week
Andy is starting Patrick Mahomes, Chuba Hubbard, Brandin Cooks, and Travis Kelce. Mike is going with Derek Carr, James Conner, DeAndre Hopkins, and Juwan Johnson. Jason is starting Brock Purdy, D’Andre Swift, Chris Olave, and Trey McBride.
Friday – Week 17 Matchups and Wheel of Shame, A Beautiful Trap
Thursday Night Recap
Well, the process doesn’t even matter anymore, apparently; last night Joe Flacco was the best QB in the NFL. Without Amari Cooper, the choice to bench Flacco was easy, but he made you regret your choice. David Njoku had a fantastic night, and the Browns were doing so great during the game that Flacco started dozing on the sideline. For the Jets, Breece Hall was a solid play.
News
Illness is going around, so be aware. Josh Jacobs has still not practiced, and Zamir White is an excellent play if he cannot go. Michael Pittman returned to full practice, and Zay Flowers has missed two days of practice. Fantasy managers should have CJ Stroud back this week.
Fantasy Forecast
San Francisco heads east to play the Commanders, and the spread is large. If you are playing against CMC, best of luck. Play all your Niners. You have some hope for the Commanders’ weapons with Jacoby Brissett under center, making Terry McLaurin a decent play this week. Carolina and Jacksonville battle next. Evan Engram is a great start based on targets, and the matchup for Travis Etienne puts him in your lineup. Andy is starting Calvin Ridley. We saw signs of life from Carolina last week, and Chuba is in your lineup. You can consider Adam Thielen as well.
Miami plays Baltimore, and the winner will be in the driver’s seat for the first seed in the AFC. Andy is a little nervous about the fantasy pieces here. Jaylen Waddle is out, and Durham Smythe could be a sneaky play in a super deep league, but he is probably just a DFS option. Running the football is tough against the Ravens, so start RBs with tempered expectations. If Flowers is out, you can start OBJ, and Likely is an excellent play for TE. You might want to pivot from Tua.
Tennessee and Houston play in a divisional matchup. Welcome back, CJ Stroud! Devin Singletary is an RB2 this week, and you are playing the Texans’ WRs in a good matchup. On the Titans side, you are playing Derrick Henry, and Will Levis has returned to practice, which is good news for DeAndre Hopkins. The next game is Pittsburgh against Seattle. Jason loves JSN this week, as Seattle is bad against the slot. George Pickens is a high-risk/high-reward start this week. Jaylen Warren has had a rough few games, and if you are deciding between him and Najee, Najee is the choice.
The Chargers are taking on the Stidham-led Denver Broncos. Austin Ekeler is an okay start, and Gerald Everett is an option with tons of Chargers banged up. The Denver defense is a good start, and you can slide Javonte Williams in there, too. The Bengals head to Arrowhead to take on the struggling Chiefs next. This looks to be a get-right game for Kansas City and their weapons. If CEH is playing, you can start him. For Cincinnati, you can chase the ceiling with Ja’Marr Chase.
Green Bay and Minnesota close out championship week. QB Jaren Hall is in for this crucial matchup. Jefferson is in, but Osborn is on your bench with Hall as the starter. For Green Bay, Aaron Jones is a start.
The guys share their DraftKings lineups, and Andy spins the Wheel of Shame. Go win a championship Footclan!