Fantasy Football Podcast 2016 - Starts of the Week, Week 17 Matchups, Boom-Boom!

You know, a deep, a deep dart throw. We have Jonathan Stewart at 22 this week, just ahead of Dionne Lewis, just behind Isaiah Crowell at Tampa. Tampa has something to play for, albeit, you know, a slim chance. They still had a very successful year. They've definitely grown as a team. They should be contending in that division for years to come, assuming James Winston continues to progress. Cam Newton, lowest completion percentage of his career by over 5%.

It's been one of those years. When you look at Cam Newton, you see last year, a little outlier above. You see this year an outlier below. You see the previous four years. He's a 60% passer. He's not going to throw 35 touchdowns. I do think he bounces back from this year, next year. What does a bounce back look like? A bounce back is more towards his career average of probably low 20s touchdowns through the air.

five or six, seven on the ground, still a very good fantasy quarterback in the right matchup. The thing about Cam Newton is this was the year, I feel like more than any, where he really got beat up. And he took a lot of shots, a lot of shots to the head. Yep. And every running quarterback eventually stops running. Yep. They all do. McNair, Donovan McNabb. They stopped running after a while.

And they're not that good. Does Cam Newton have the skills to be a strong fantasy quarterback if you eliminate the running? Most of the running. Let's say he runs only 30% of what you're used to. I mean, he's a borderline not startable unless you're in two quarterback. Yeah, he's not a good pocket passer. So the question is whether he'll run next year or not. You know, I think he's still young. And I think.

When the season matters and it's fresh, he'll be the normal cam next is my expectation. And I guess you could argue that the running enables it. But last year he was a good pocket pastor. He was a good pocket pastor last year. 35 touchdowns, 60 plus percent completion percentage. So you have seen a whole year. That's what's so weird about Cam Newton is last year, I remember, we were waiting for the shoe to drop. Yeah.

And for him to return to the mean all last year and the entire year, all the way into the Super Bowl, I mean, they had a magical year without Kelvin Benjamin. And, well, the shoe dropped in the Super Bowl. Ah, yeah, but I mean, everybody's shoe drops with Von Miller. I mean, it's not, we're not talking about. He's the shoe stealer. Yeah, there are no shoes. Go look at his closet. The cobbler filled. The cobbler. Not the peach cobbler. Don't get that confused with Pete Carroll.

Texans and Titans. I would also just throw up Brandon Myers. We already talked about Brandon Myers. Welcome to the conversation, Jason. Yeah. How are you doing this morning, Jay? I want to talk about the Texans and Titans doing lately. Texans and Titans, good idea. 40 point over under Titans, three point favorites. There is no motivation for the Texans in this game. They are clenched and locked at the number four spot.

I'm holding back my desires to poop on their playoff chances for the sake of the Texans fans out there. But it's going to be tough. This is the Savage versus the Castle. Oh, Matt Castle. The Castle roll. This is. He bakes interceptions into that casserole every week. Look, Matt Castle, I love the Texans defense. Let's put it that way. This is a rough game because the Titans are playing for nothing.

and that you have to downgrade everything because it's Matt Castle. But what do they do with DeMarco Murray and Derek Henry? Murray, we just talked about was he number two on snaps? Yes. He's a bit older. He's been awesome. He's been fantastic this year. He's going to be 29 next year. But another year older? Probably still 60, 40 in this game, DeMarco. Well, that's one, is it 6040 or is that the normal?

70 or higher 60s for tomorrow. Yeah, I think you see Henry get some more work. Who I don't have confidence in, I've seen Richard Matthews fairly high on some consensus rankings, and I've moved him way down. I have no confidence in him not having a rapport with Castle. Castle can't get the ball to anybody on the outside. You never know. When a new quarterback comes in, you never know who it's going to be. So when you got a guy like Richard Matthews, I completely agree with you. You can't trust him. Maybe that's the guy he targets. Well, and the Texans are second.

against the pass in terms of yardage. I mean, I dumped him. I dumped him outside a wide receiver three. I do not like him. Don't blame you. Delaney Walker is a must start, however, because he's a, he's a, he's a, he's a, the underneath guy. He'll be a friend of Castle and he's just, you're not going to sit Delaney Walker. He's your guy. On the other side of the ball, you know, we were burned. We were burned last week by the hopes of, of Savage targeting Hopkins. Alfred Blue. Alfred Blue, Jason just said it.

You want to talk Brandon Myers? Yeah, let me tell you a little bit about Brandon Myers. No, Alfred Blue is the main player that I look at this game and I say he has the potential. This is not, I can't imagine this being a high scoring game between Savage and Castle. Two decent defenses with two bad quarterbacks means low scoring, which means you're going to be able to continue to run the ball. The Texans this year and really for the last.

three years in the entire Bill O'Brien era have given the running back a ton of work. We saw Alfred Blue last week be pretty productive, even the week before. He looked fresh. His legs are a little bit fresher. I don't imagine that Lamar Miller plays because why would you play Lamar Miller? You're locked into the playoffs. You're going to want him and need him there. So I think Alfred Blue is a quality play. I think I have him as an RB2 this week. Yeah.

All right, let's talk about the Jaguars and the Colts 47 point over under. This game is interesting to me. And where do you gentlemen have the Bort? Blake Bortles. I am actually talking about Blake Bortles later on in the show. Yes, you are. I like it. All right. We have them as a top 10 consensus quarterback. He's my streamer this week. Yeah, I like the Jacksonville.

passing offense this week. That means you like Allen Robinson. Yeah. I mean, some of that has to do with you're taking on the Colts. 24th against the past, 23rd against the run. They're just, their secondary is very exploitable. Blake Bortles had, I mean, maybe it wasn't the most production of his, of the season for him. You only had one touchdown last week. But he actually looked like a competent quarterback. My favorite blurb of the week.

was when asked about Alan Robinson's success after having a whole entire year of trash, they said, well, we moved him around. Like something you could have thought of 15 weeks ago. You made, uh, you did some coaching coaching. You did some different play calling and you moved them around. And that, you know, obviously is at the same time that Gus Bradley's gone. So, so the thing that other offenses do with their elite wide receiver, you, you thought maybe you would jump on board with that.

And it worked out. So I expect that to continue. Doug Morone, I mean, this is a guy who has head coaching dreams. He's been a head coach before. He's playing for something, right? Yeah. He's playing for maybe an opportunity to stay on as Jacksonville's head coach. Maybe to get higher. Have another opportunity. Yes. So they are playing for something. Maybe not standings in playoffs, but they're playing for the coach. On the other side, you're starting Andrew Luck. Do you like Frank Gore this week?

Do you worry that, you know, his workload is going to be diminished in this game? I think they'll play in the about the normal amount. Yeah, so I'm not concerned about him. T. Y. Hilton, Dante Moncrief? I don't even know if Moncrief's going to play. If he does, he'll score if he doesn't know. If he does, expect 30 yards and a touchdown from Dante Moncrief. I like T.Y. Hilton. I know that the Jaguars, their passing defense is solid. Third against the third in allowing yardage. Jalen Ramsey.

He's good. He's good. He's good. But, I mean, Hilton moves all over the place, like a good elite wide receiver does, often goes in the slot. And he's just a division killer. So I'm not afraid of starting Hilton. Yeah, I think both of those guys are good. Real quick to go back to the Jacksonville side of the ball. I thought he was going back to Brandon Myers. Look, Brandon Myers is amazing. No, Chris Ivory is. Yes, give me Chris Ivory. I think he is. Let's do it. He's borderline of must start this week.

You're taking on, you know, the Colts 23rd ranked run defense. You're the only guy in town, really, because Gerard Robinson, you know, he'll probably be out there, but he's been banged up. T.J. Yeldon's gone to IR. And Chris Ivory's had productive games. He had 60-plus yards receiving last week. I think Chris Ivory, I've got him as an RB2 this week, and I think he's a solid play. We have to remember, week 17 is a weird beast. Our good...

Twitter buddy Scott Barrett tweeted out a great tweet about last year's week 17. Last year's week 17, here's the top five running backs. Rashad Jennings, DeWan Harris, Tim Hightower, Ronnie Hillman, and Jonathan Grimes. I mean, those were guys that's like a hodgepodge of the backups that are in in week 17. Just the backups to the backups. Yeah, exactly. And that's Chris Ibrahim. Jonathan Grimes?

Number five. Quick question. Andrew Luck has been sacked one time every how many pass a 10? Oh, seven? I'm going to go 12. 12.8. Yes. Very good. Patriots, dolphins, motivation for both of these teams. It looks like the Patriots can get that number one spot, lock it down, or the dolphins can. You need to lock it up. Look, I mean.

The dolphins may have more motivation than any team in football this week. Yeah. Because if you get the number five seed, you play at Houston. If you get the sixth seed, you play at Pittsburgh. One of those things is not like the other. One of those things is not like the other. Big Ben or Tom Savage? Yeah. Yeah. So I expect the dolphins to come out motivated. I expect that to not matter very much.

Uh, because they are, are they, they're nine and a half point dogs at home? Is that right? Yeah, that's right. New England's, New England's 10 point favorites at Miami. I think I would. And I, I think, I think I'd take the over. You'd take the over? I think I'd take the dolphins to cover here. Well, can you lean on J. Ajai for your week 17 championship? Oh, you don't have a choice. That's the hope. He's my RB 20.

which is definitely a guy that you're playing. He went beast mode last week. It hurt the shoulder. There were questions about whether he'd be out there, but he's practicing in full, so he is a go, and I think you're going to have to rely on him, have to lean on him. I've got a bet with Brooks. Right now, J. Jhajai is RB 11. I bet that he would not finish top 12. The last two weeks, New England has given up three points in each of the last two games. Their defense has been...

outstanding. It has to stop Matt Moore. That's why I take, I think that's why the lines where it's up. I think it's more about that defense and Matt more than it is about anything else. I just don't have confidence. Don't have confidence there. Yeah, don't blame you. Legerick Blunt, a spectacular play. Once again, the Dolphins run defense ranks near the bottom of the league. So he's a, you fire him up. The only thing that can stop, Legerick,

want to get Dionne Lewis, all those carries getting him ready for the playoffs. What are you laughing at? Well, I was scrolling down my rankings here, right? And I'm looking at Dionne Lewis because I know I had moved him up. I actually have Dionne Lewis a couple spots behind Blunt this week. I think it's a good week for Dionne Lewis. I noticed I have an interesting character sitting in at the number one spot in my running back rankings. Your top running back of the week. The number one running back according to my very now inaccurate.

weekly rankings. It appears to be Terrence West. Very nice. Apparently, Terrence West is somehow my number one. I'm going into the rankings now to figure out just how many touchdowns I gave him this week. That was a typo. Oh, we've got him for six. We've got him down for six. Pushed the wrong button there. No, no. It was supposed to be zero point six touchdowns. And we went with six solid. So Terrence West count them.

Tomato Tomato. Lock him in for six touchdowns this week in a banner performance to lock down. And the best performance in the history of the world. The Hall of Fame. You took Kenneth Dixon earlier. So he's going to go nuts. Yeah. Yeah. It's going to be a good game for West. Go West, young man. Now, do you worry about the Patriots? Because if they get a lead, if Vegas is seeing them with a giant lead, I feel like if they get that. Leeds come from points. Points come from fantasy points. I'm cool with it.

I mean, do you think Garrett Blunt's going to be out there at the very end of the game? I do. Do you worry about those guys getting pulled, is my question. Well, if the lead's big enough, they'll get pulled, but I'm not worried about it from a start standpoint. The only guy. Not as much as I'm worried about your start of the week of running back. Tom Brady. You could get. Oh, yeah. Oh, Tom Brady could get pulled. Wait, what? Oh, my goodness. Yeah, I just saw it. That'll be a debate. Tom Brady. I couldn't. Tom Brady.