The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 2
Take a deep breath and freak out. Andy, Mike, and Jason have tons to discuss, starting with Monday Punday. Remember to listen to The Fantasy Footballers podcast, available wherever you listen to your podcasts.
Monday – Studs and Duds, Overreaction Hour!
News
Before kickoff, the Rams put Cooper Kupp on IR, and he is out for at least four weeks. Mike is mourning JK Dobbins, who tore his Achilles on Sunday and is done for the season. Hamstring injuries also abounded on Sunday – Diontae Johnson and Aaron Jones both went down. Greg Dulcich and Jakobi Meyers also had injuries.
Studs
Tua highlights the QB studs with 466 passing yards in an incredible game against the Chargers. Mac Jones makes an unusual appearance in the studs section and could have had an even better game if an interception had not happened. Jordan Love, sans Christian Watson, was in rhythm, Anthony Richardson had a great debut, and Deshaun Watson looks to be back. The RBs are highlighted with Aaron Jones; just keep an eye on that hamstring. Austin Ekeler and Joshua Kelley both had great games for the Chargers, and CMC is still great and played all but ten offensive snaps. Tyler Allgeier broke Bijan owners’ hearts with two TDs, and you can start both moving forward. Tony Pollard, Travis Etienne, and Kyren Williams are also studs.
Tyreek Hill starts out the WRs with the highest Week 1 fantasy points since 2019. Brandon Aiuyk had close to a perfect game for San Francisco, and it was a joy to see the return of Calvin Ridley. Pitty City has had solid renovations. A potential outlier week was had by Kendrick Bourne, and Romeo Doubs managed to snag two TDs without Christian Watson playing. Puka Nacua lit it up for Los Angeles, and rookie Zay Flowers looked fantastic. The TEs with solid games included Hunter Henry and Hayden Hurst.
Duds
There were some lousy stat lines, especially if you were a QB who got paid. Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Geno Smith, and others did not deliver. Justin Fields made people nervous with his performance, with only three pass attempts over ten yards. Dak didn’t do much, and managers should be concerned if their defense is really that good. On to the RBs – Najee didn’t look good, and D’Andre Swift was not used. Baltimore stifled Dameon Pierce, and Antonio Gibson was disappointing. Drake London and Tee Higgins gave managers goose eggs, and Jason suggests targeting Higgins in a trade. Mike Williams was a dud, missing much of the game, and DJ Moore had a bad outing, too. TE Dallas Goedert also goosed, but he should have better days. The TE position was bad in general this week.
Tuesday – Waivers and Full Stream Ahead
The world is still spinning the morning after Aaron Rodgers’ horrific injury last night. The offensive weapons for the Jets take a considerable dive, Garrett Wilson included – he will no longer be a top-five WR this year. To Jason’s delight, the silver lining was Breece Hall, even when he got caught on his long run. James Cook got most of the work on the Buffalo side, including passing targets, against a stout New York defense. Josh Allen did not look good.
News
Austin Ekeler is dealing with an ankle injury, and his practice status for the week is unknown. They are still evaluating Aaron Jones and his hamstring, so his status is TBD. Kenny Gainwell has a rib injury, and we are waiting on info on him, and they play on Thursday. Diontae Johnson is out for a few weeks due to a hamstring issue, and Evan Hull will be out due to a knee injury. Zack Moss could return this week.
Waivers
Lots of potential overreactions, so let’s sift through it all. WR drop candidates include Van Jefferson and Skyy Moore, and Mike would gladly grab Puka Nacua, Kendrick Bourne, or Romeo Doubs instead. Andy would drop Drake London for Puka. Jason’s big three are Puka, Doubs, and Jakobi Meyers, even with a potential concussion. Rashid Shaheed is a WR on the cheap you can keep your eye on, along with the classic spot start Zay Jones.
The RBs are highlighted by Kenny Gainwell, Raheem Mostert, and Tyler Allgeier. Even with Bijan getting more and more carries, Andy thinks Allgeier could be a solid choice in a bleak landscape of RBs. In the Ravens’ backfield, Jason is putting his money on Justice Hill, but Andy will not spend up on any of them. The guys would rather have Kyren Williams, and they are even okay with dropping Antonio Gibson to grab one of these RBs.
It was disgusting in the world of TEs last week – Zach Ertz had the most targets, and if Sam LaPorta is available, he could be a season-long own. You can also look at Luke Musgrave, but overall, it was a bad TE week. Defense-wise, look at Cleveland, New Orleans against a rookie QB, or Tampa Bay. The NY Giants also play the Cardinals, so they are a good option.
Full Stream Ahead
Mike is streaming Jared Goff this week, Andy likes Brock Purdy, and Jason is streaming Baker Mayfield.
Wednesday – Upside Options and Trade Strategies, TNF Preview
After a love fest over Zack Moss, the guys jump in.
Hungry For More
Jason kicks off the segment with players he believes will continue to succeed. He is hungry for more of Michael Pittman, who finally looks to be used efficiently this year. Andy is going with Puka Nacua, who had 15 targets in Week 1. Mike highlights Elijah Moore, who had a 24% target share in the rainy game on Sunday.
News
Diontae Johnson is sidelined for at least four weeks with a hamstring injury. Sigh, Allen Robinson could be an option. Kenny Gainwell has not practiced for two straight games and is trending to not play on Thursday night. Evan Hull heads to IR, and Tarik Cohen is signing with the Carolina Panthers practice squad.
Thursday Night Breakdown
Minnesota travels to Philly to take on the Eagles this week. The Vikings are big underdogs in a rematch from last year’s Week 2 matchup. The fantasy options for Minnesota did not excel last week, and Mike is disappointed. Mattison is an okay option, but the matchup is bad, and the guys hope Addison is made the full WR2. The Eagles’ defense is stout, so temper expectations for your Vikings. With the Gainwell injury, it will be hard to guess who the valuable RB is for Philly, especially if it is a blowout. D’Andre Swift is an option. Don’t be scared to play Dallas Goedert after a goose egg last week.
After discussing how to sell high – trying to sell Tua and someone else who had a good week for an upgrade at QB – the guys close out with the mailbag.
Thursday – Starts of the Week and Week 2 Breakdown
News
Kenneth Gainwell is ruled out for Thursday night, so an RB ensemble for the Eagles will take the field. Austin Ekeler missed practice, and Jason is concerned. Aaron Jones also did not practice due to his hamstring, and Brandin Cooks is dealing with a sprained MCL. Mark Andrews is unfortunately still questionable; conversely, Travis Kelce returned to practice.
Fantasy Forecast
Week 1 was down with scoring, and there are eight games this week with low over/unders. Buckle up.
Green Bay heads to Atlanta to take on the Falcons. You might be missing Aaron Jones and Christian Watson, but eyes should be on Jordan Love this week to see if he is legit. On the Atlanta side, it is the two RBs, and you have to wait and see if they throw more this week. The Raiders head east to play the Bills, and this could be a rough game. This should be a get-right game for Josh Allen. James Cook is in play, and on the other side, you are starting Josh Jacobs. You are playing Diggs, but Andy is not in on Gabe the Babe. Keep an eye on Jakobi Meyers and the concussion protocol.
The Ravens play the Bengals in the next matchup. Mike isn’t scared from last week and is putting everyone back in the fire. You can start Tee Higgins, even with his poor game last week. The RB situation in Baltimore is up in the air, and Jason is leaning toward Justice Hill in an average matchup. Seattle travels to Detroit, who had a big Thursday night win over the Chiefs. This game has one of the higher over/unders, and it will be tough for Seattle to protect Geno Smith. Start all your Lions, including TE Sam LaPorta. On the Seattle side, Kenneth Walker was the RB they got behind last week, and it should be interesting to see if this continues. Mike is okay with putting Tyler Lockett back out.
The Los Angeles Chargers play the Tennessee Titans in a must-win for the Chargers. Ryan Tannehill looked bad last week, and they must lean on Derrick Henry hard. Keep an eye on Tajae Spears moving forward. This is a good matchup for Justin Herbert, so fire up those Chargers pass catchers. If Ekeler is active, Jason is not starting Joshua Kelley.
Chicago and Tampa Bay play in a low over/under game. Justin Fields and the Bucs big two pass-catchers are an auto-start. Andy is being bold and playing DJ Moore this week, and Jason is considering Rachaad White. Cade Otton also played a lot of snaps last week, so he is a TE to monitor. The Chiefs and the Jags highlight a potentially exciting game. You play your studs, but past that, there are decisions. Jason is steering clear from the Chiefs’ WRs because you don’t know which one will hit. You can start Pacheco. For the Jags, you can take a chance on Zay Jones.
Starts of the Week
Andy is starting Justin Fields, Jahmyr Gibbs, DJ Moore, and Dalton Kincaid this week. Jason likes Trevor Lawrence, Dameon Pierce, Tee Higgins, and Luke Musgrave. Finally, Mike is starting Jared Goff, Zack Moss, Zay Jones, and Hunter Henry.
The guys finish with Boom Boom kicker, and we head into the Thursday night game.
Friday – Week 2 Matchups and Wheel of Shame, BLARF!
Thursday Night Recap
Philly had the biggest six-point blowout of the year, beating the Vikings. Even though they were beaten, many of the weapons had good games. Cousins and Hockenson had great games, and Jordan Addison had several rookie mistakes but will only get better. Alexander Mattison was the only bad start last night. Jason still thinks he is going to be reliable simply on volume. D’Andre Swift was ridiculous on the Philly side – he looked exceptional behind that strong line. You can drop Rashaad Penny.
News
Austin Ekeler did not practice again on Thursday. Both Packers Aaron Jones and Christian Watson also did not practice. Hopkins might be out, making Treylon Burks a potential sneaky start. Travis Kelce looks to play this weekend, and Puka Nacua did not practice on Thursday.
Fantasy Forcast
The guys start off today with the Colts versus the Texans in a very low over/under. Blarf. Two rookie QBs make this line as low as it is, but there are starts. Andy would be okay starting Nico Collins. Dameon Pierce is Jason’s start of the week, and Zack Moss is Mike’s start of the week. You can start Anthony Richardson and keep an eye on Josh Downs. An NFC West matchup is next, with the 49ers traveling down the coast to play the Rams. You are playing all your Niners, and there are tons of questions on the Rams’ side. Jason is leaning away from the pass-catchers and is less excited about the Los Angeles RBs against this defense.
The Giants and the Cardinals are the next game, and Andy thinks New York will fix some of their issues. Even with his calf injury, James Conner is a flex option, and Saquon should eat. Daniel Jones is startable as well. The New York Jets travel to Dallas to play the Cowboys. This is not a great matchup for Breece Hall, but you are still starting him. Garrett Wilson is a WR3 this week. Jason thinks this will be a defensive battle, but keep your eyes on Jake Ferguson.
The Commanders play the Broncos in the mile-high city in the next game. This game will be gross for fantasy – you can start your two Washington WRs, but Denver’s defense should be the best start. Sunday night brings us the Dolphins and the Patriots. The offense for Miami should be rolling, but it will be interesting to see just how good they are. Andy is staying in the fire. The only RB you should consider is Raheem Mostert. For the Pats RBs, Rhamondre is still the guy, but you will probably be frustrated at some point by Zeke. TE Hunter Henry is Mike’s start of the week.
Monday Night Football gives us a doubleheader. The first is New Orleans and Carolina. Andy is targeting Miles Sanders for the future, but this might be a rough week for him. Fire up the Saints’ defense and keep an eye on whether RB Kendre Miller is active. You start Olave and Michael Thomas, and Derek Carr is startable. Cleveland and Pittsburgh close out Week 2, and Andy is all over the Browns. He is benching most of the Steelers, with George Pickens as the lone starting possibility. Jason is starting the Muth and Amari Cooper on the Browns’ side.
After the guys reveal their Draft Kings lineups, Jason spins the Wheel of Shame, and we are off into Week 2. Good luck, FootClan!