The Fantasy Footballers Podcast Recap – Week 3
Monday – Week 2 Studs & Duds and Emotional Reaction, Injuries Suck
There is a lot of emotion in the building after Sunday, and Andy, Mike, and Jason have much to say about it all. Remember to listen to The Fantasy Footballers podcast, available wherever you listen to your podcasts.
This week did a great job reinforcing the central point from last week – do not overact. Once the guys get sophisticated, they jump in.
Ready to Roll
We are two weeks in and have seen some drastic changes in offenses. Some offensive coordinators have done some great things, including Klint Kubiak in New Orleans. Jason is now full-blown rooting for the Saints. Liam Coen in Tampa and Ryan Grubb in Seattle are also coordinators who have given managers something to root for. All three have increased pre-snap motion and play action. Rashid Shaheed, Chris Godwin, and JSN all looked incredible this week.
News
It’s a bloodbath. CMC headed to IR, AJ Brown was ruled out for Monday Night Football, and Evan Engram was a last-minute inactive after hurting his hamstring in warmups. Isiah Pacheco suffered a fractured fibula and will land on IR – Carson Steele and Samaje Perine will be the next men up. Cooper Kupp left the game Sunday with an ankle issue, which is brutal for Stafford and the Rams. Joe Mixon was injured on a play with a brutal hip-drop tackle and Amon-Ra got hurt, but looks to be ok.
Studs
Welcome back, Kyler Murray, who had a perfect passer rating on Sunday. This shows the potential of the Arizona offense. Derek Carr is once again an efficiency master (?), apparently. Baker is currently the QB1 in fantasy, and we are living in the upside down. At RB, it was Christmas all over again for Alvin Kamara. James Cook and De’Von Achane excelled on Thursday night, and both Jets RBs looked solid. Jason suggests selling J.K. Dobbins if you can.
Davante Adams came on late in the game to end as a stud. Mike is never going back to the pants store for Marv, and Malik Nabers had 18 targets. He is a super stud. Buy low target DK Metcalf returned, and Nico Collins was doing Nico things Sunday night. To Andy’s delight, Calvin Ridley went off, and Quentin Johnston had two TDs. Rashid Shaheed and Zay Flowers also performed. There were a few fantastic TE performances, but George Kittle, Brock Bowers, and Trey McBride had great weeks. Mike Gesicki and Hunter Henry will also be waiver wire targets.
Duds
We did not get any TDs from Josh Allen, but this is because he didn’t need to do much. Jared Goff had a rough outing, and the Green Bay Packers took care of the Colts and Anthony Richardson. Mahomes lands in the duds this week, but he might be a buy-low opportunity. TBD. The guys are not worried about Dak, and even though the Texans won, Stroud was not great for fantasy. On to the RB duds – Rachaad White is the highlight here. D’Andre Swift was bad, and the team might be better handing the ball off to Khalil Herbert. Zack Moss and Chase Brown did not help your fantasy team this week, but they have good matchups against Washington next week.
WR duds include Ja’Marr Chase (not worried), Garrett Wilson (worried), Mike Evans (not worried), DJ Moore (worried), and George Pickens (not worried). Travis Kelce, Sam LaPorta, and Mark Andrews had subpar games for the TEs, but the studs should even out. Mike also believes Dalton Kincaid will bounce back. Enjoy the Monday night game!
Tuesday – Week 3 Waivers and Full Stream Ahead, Jason Survives!
Monday Night Recap
After Jason’s rollercoaster of emotions, the guys review the Monday game. It was a big night for Jalen Hurts on the ground, and both stud RBs from each team were solid. WR Darnell Mooney looks to be startable, and Drake London got to enjoy catching a game-winning TD. Kirk Cousins looked better than last week.
News
A.J. Brown will now miss a couple of weeks, and conversely, Joe Mixon’s injury does not look to be long-term or serious. Bryce Young was benched, and Andy approves the move. Deebo has a surprise injury and will miss several games due to a calf issue. The Kupp is now half full, as he could go on IR. Isiah Pacheco has a fractured fibula and will miss significant time – the backfield in KC is rough. Evan Engram is week to week with a hamstring issue, and Mike Tomlin will start Justin Fields again this week.
Waiver Wire
Starting with the RBs, the guys discuss the option in the Chiefs’ backfield. You are looking at Carson Steele and Samaje Perine, and Jason prefers the latter. If Kareem Hunt is signed, Jason says he trumps them both. If you want to save your waiver priority, consider Rico Dowdle, Ty Chandler, or D’Onta Foreman. Braelon Allen has now become an important pickup for Breece Hall owners, and Cameron lives another day and becomes an option in Houston. The guys are all right dropping Blake Corum and Chase Brown if you need points this week.
Make sure Rashid Shaheed is on a roster, but past that, Jason is not obsessed with any of the other WRs available. The Rams’ WRs are worth a look – Demarcus Robinson, Ty Johnson, then Jordan Whittington. Andy reminds us to pay attention to Andrei Iosivas, and Jauan Jennings has a great matchup. You can stash Jalen Tolbert and Mike Williams, and check if Khalil Shakir is available.
Addressing the TEs, Jason doesn’t see any long-term solutions but is okay with picking up Mike Gesicki this week in a promising matchup. Mike will ride with Hunter Henry, and Andy does not want to ignore Jonnu Smith and his seven targets. Defenses to go after include Las Vegas, Green Bay, Tennessee, and Indianapolis.
Full Stream Ahead
Jason is streaming Derek Carr this week, Andy is going with Gardner Minshew, and Mike is starting Justin Fields.
Wednesday – Unsolved Mysteries & TNK Preview, Alligator Man
Hungry for More
Andy is hungry for more this week from Derek Carr and the New Orleans offense – only Aaron Rodgers has seen fewer pressures through two weeks. Saints alive! Jason is not going back to the pants store and wants to see more from Marvin Harrison Jr. Finally, Mike is hungry for more from the Titans’ Tony Pollard.
News
Justin Herbert will be on the injury report, and keep an eye on him when it comes to game time. MarShawn Lloyd has been placed on IR, and Skylar Thompson will be starting for Tua for a long time. David Njoku is unlikely to play this week.
Unsolved Mysteries
After two weeks, the guys tackle the biggest mysteries concerning fantasy managers. The first mystery pertains to QBs – will they come back to form or get better? Jason mentions that a piece of this equation is the abundance of poor-performing rookie QBs and their pass-catchers. Currently, the middling-level RBs are better plays than the middling-level WRs. If your starting QB is bad, chances are your opponent’s is too.
The next mystery is Sam Darnold. Is he actually good? Having Justin Jefferson obviously has given him a better baseline than other teams he has been on, and he is one of only two QBs with more than two TD passes so far this season. The Minnesota defense is clicking, so Darnold might not have to play lights out, but the guys think the Vikings’ system works great for him. That being said, Jason believes this will not last forever. The team plays Houston this week, and if Darnold can hold his own in this game, it could mean something.
The most talked about unsolved mystery so far this season surrounds the “elite” TEs and their lack of production. There are freakouts around almost all of the top six TEs that were taken in fantasy drafts, and Andy thinks that Brock Bowers may end up being the TE1 of the year. TEs, in general, have not been getting red zone targets this year – only three TEs have a TD inside the 10-yard line. Sam LaPorta and Travis Kelce may have been underperforming the most, leaving fantasy managers pondering if they need to pivot.
Thursday Night Breakdown
New England takes on the Jets in a very low over/under this week. Teams have successfully run on the Jets, so Rhamondre could have a good day. Obviously, you are also starting Breece Hall, and if you have to start a pass-catcher from New England, Hunter Henry is your guy. For New York, you are obviously starting Garrett Wilson, but past that, it is no one else.
The guys remind you to check what players have been dropped in your league. Look for stupid!
Thursday – Starts of the Week & Week 3 Breakdown
The guys jump into the news after reminding the FootClan, on the heels of Mike’s injury-ridden team, to never give up.
News
Cooper Kupp has been officially diagnosed with a high ankle sprain and will be spending some time in a cast, but will not immediately go on IR. Nico Collins, CeeDee Lamb, and DK Metcalf didn’t practice on Wednesday, but the guys are not concerned. Jordan Love returned to practice and has a chance of playing this week, but Andy is doubtful. Kenneth Walker has yet to return to practice, and Raheem Mostert could return soon.
Starts of the Week
Andy is starting Joe Burrow on Monday night, along with Tony Pollard, Chris Olave, and Brock Bowers. Jason is sending in the Carr, starting Zack Moss, Calvin Ridley, and Mark Andrews. Finally, Mike is putting on his steel underpants and is starting Geno Smith, Zamir White, Jameson Williams, and George Kittle.
Fantasy Forecast
The New York Giants and Cleveland Browns start us off. The Cleveland defense is going to have its way with Daniel Jones, and on the other hand, Jason is okay with starting Deshaun Watson. Against the strong defense, Devin Singletary might have a tough go. One of the Browns’ RBs should be good, but it is a gamble on which one. Malik Nabers is an auto start, and Andy is starting Amari Cooper. The Packers take on the Titans in the next matchup. Malik Willis should still get the start, and if that is the case, you are only starting Josh Jacobs. You can consider the WRs if Jordan Love is back. On the other side, Pollard and Ridley are starts of the week. Take a look at Emanuel Wilson for an insurance RB.
The Bears head to Indianapolis to play the Colts. The Chicago defense is legit, so you should be concerned with Anthony Richardson – it is feast or famine. Josh Downs looks to be returning this week, which should help Richardson, but it does not make him a guarantee. Andy doesn’t think you can start any WR in Indy, but you are going with JT in your lineup. On the Bears’ side, Jason thinks D.J. Moore is the only pass-catcher to start. Battle of the undefeated is next with Houston versus Minnesota, and Houston’s strong defense should be a test for the Vikings. You are starting Justin Jefferson for Minnesota, and for Houston, be aware that Joe Mixon is on injury watch. Tank Dell is a buy-low candidate.
Philly heads down south to play New Orleans next. If the Saints win this, it will add to their legitimacy. You are starting your Philly studs, and in a pinch, you could start Dallas Goedert (in Jason’s eyes). On the Saints’ side, Rashid Shaheed remains a deep threat and Olave is Andy’s start of the week. The undefeated Chargers play the undefeated Steelers in a very low over/under. There will be a lot of running and Justins in this game, and it will probably be quite boring. You can start Dobbins, and Gus Edwards is still an option. The WRs are much more questionable, and the guys are leaning away.
Friday – Week 3 Matchups & Wheel of Shame!
Thursday Night Recap
It was a lopsided affair, and Andy poses the question of whether this is a sell-high opportunity for Garrett Wilson. Andy says he would not, believing that Wilson can truly be that alpha. Rodgers was a great stream if you started him, but it was atrocious on the New England side. Rhamondre was a disaster from the get-go. The other story in this game is Braelon Allen, who is starting to truly split time with Breece Hall, which might take a potential RB1 season off the table for Hall.
News
Texans RBs Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce still did not practice on Thursday, and if both guys miss, Cam Akers might be a start in a pinch. Nico Collins was limited, and Jordan Love practiced in pads, which is good news for Green Bay. Justin Herbert was limited, and Michael Pittman Jr. was not practicing. Tee Higgins returned to practice, and there is a chance for him to play on Monday.
Fantasy Forecast
Denver takes on Tampa Bay this week to start us off. Even though managers have been starting Baker, there might be better starting options out there. You are starting Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and Rachaad White is up in the air. Javonte can be started for Denver. Carolina plays Las Vegas, and Andy Dalton will take over for the Panthers. Andy is not starting any Panthers players, but Jason thinks Chuba could be plugged into your lineup. Zamir White should be a great start for the Raiders.
Miami flies across the country to play Seattle. Geno Smith is Mike’s start of the week, and you can put JSN and Metcalf in your lineup. Charbs could get a good amount of play through the air. On the Miami side, Skylar Thompson is starting, and because of that, you can bench Jaylen Waddle and temper your expectations for Tyreek. Achane is in. The 0-2 Ravens head to Dallas to play the Cowboys, and Vegas does not like what they have seen from the Dallas defense so far. Jason expects a get-right game for Mark Andrews, and Zay Flowers can be in there. Keep an eye on Tolbert and Cooks to see how that plays out. You don’t have to force a Dallas RB into your lineup.
The Niners travel down the coast to take on the injury-ridden Rams in the next matchup. San Francisco isn’t much better, but you are starting Kittle if he plays. Jordan Mason should be a great start, and for Los Angeles, Demarcus Robinson is your best pass-catching option. Detroit and Arizona play next in a high over/under game. You cannot run on the Lions, and the Arizona pass-catchers will be great starts. You can play James Conner, but be patient. Managers cannot be happy with Jared Goff so far, but the process is correct and he is a good play this week. Jameson Williams is Andy’s start of the week.
Sunday night brings up the Chiefs and Falcons in Andy’s almost upset. Bijan is an every-week start. The Chiefs’ defense might concentrate on Drake London, making Darnell Mooney a possible spot start, and have fun starting Kyle Pitts. On the other side, Rashee Rice and Kelce are in your lineup, and Carson Steele can be plugged in.
We get two Monday night games – Jacksonville and Buffalo are up first. The Bills’ defense is looking fantastic, and Andy doesn’t love the idea of starting any Jag with complete confidence – Travis Etienne would be your only guy. This is not a great week for Brian Thomas Jr. On the other side, Mike is using Khalil Shakir and James Cook, and this week will tell us a lot about Dalton Kincaid. The Commanders versus the Bengals close out the week. Joe Burrow is Andy’s start of the week, and Zack Moss can be in your lineup. You are starting Brian Robinson for the Commanders and Austin Ekeler in a pinch.
After Fantasy Faceoff, with Jason spinning the Wheel of Shame, the guys log off. Good luck this week!