Week 13 Studs & Duds + Turkey Trauma - Fantasy Football Podcast for 12/2

Majority reaction was that the hit was one of the dirtiest hits in the history of the national football league. That was the majority reaction, Jason. Did you see the play? I saw the play. I didn't watch it with you guys live, so I don't know what your reaction was in the moment. And I don't know if I'm way out of left field. I didn't think it was that dirty. That's kind of where we got to. I mean, it was obviously a late hit, a penalty, a flag. And it's awful that it ended up, you know, concussing Trevor Lawrence. But. I know it didn't it didn't look to me like a dirty play where it was really trying to you know play a foul and injure him it was he was running full speed and there were two there were two plays in the philly game where jalen hurt slid pretty late and got hit similarly just didn't get concussed i do think the majority of the time when a player is going down like that your job is a defender even if you've committed is to try to jump over the guy

Try not to, the forearms or what got, that part to me was the egregious nature is that, yes, you had committed, yes, it was a late slide. But from the point you recognize the slide, he completed the act. That's where I felt like it was egregious to me. To me, it was Lawrence was sliding and the defender was diving at the exact same moment of, like, I don't know what you do as the defender to not complete. Well, you put your arms down. Now you're just coming in with a shoulder. or a helmet. Well, he's likely to get suspended for better or for worse. I understand the debate. It is a very, it's an almost impossible situation for these defenders because the quarterback is protected. Rightfully so. The quarterback is the product of when we have bad quarterbacks. The NFL is awful. So guess what? They get special treatment and that's fine. As they should. Yeah, yeah. This is as they should. But as you can't move forward.

with this like, well, I've kind of got this force field on me. That means you're not allowed to hit me. And Lawrence took it to the limit. Like he got as close as he could. But she's trying to get a first down. I get it. But he could have slid two yards earlier to try and protect himself. Like there were a Roger. And Aaron Rogers play happened like just after that where the defender was was barreling down on him. And Rogers like, oh, no, I'm going to, you're five yards away. I'm sliding now. Because I'm not taking a shot. So it's really, really difficult. If you're going to have the protections on the quarterback, you have to have, like, there has to be reasonable. It's also really tough because you see quarterbacks exploit it where they slow down. Yeah, and do a fake. And do a fake like they're going to and then they go. And we'll be like, that was the greatest play I've ever seen. And the defenders like, what are you? I'm not allowed to hit him. What am I supposed to do? Or like going out of bounds. We've seen that with Mahomes where he's like going out and looks like he's going to just.

go out so the defender pulls up. Don't want to have a late hit out of bounds. And then it's like, gotcha, sucker. That's what I'm saying of using your protection. And it, I mean, I don't know. It's really hard. Chargers Ladd McConkey left the fourth quarter with a knee injury. Every single time Ladd McConkey got up in this game, he looked like he was hurting. It's been all season. If you haven't watched it, like I've had Ladd as one of, you know, my guys all year. And I'm afraid after every play. I feel like he is, I don't know, he just, he needs, I want him to put on about two inches and 20 pounds. It, it reminded me yesterday of, uh, Danny Amandola. Of just like, the health meter. Yeah, every hit, you're like, oh, oh, he's running out of power, man. And he was, he was 12 targets, nine for one, 17. Like he was.

He was the dude, and he was bawling out. Eight of them in the first half, and he was outrageously good. But that is a good comp, and that is the problem about, the problem with Ladd McConkey is that he's a great player. And I know that sounds ridiculous. He's too good. But when you're 6 foot 180 and you're a great player, you know what you do? You put your body on the line for the play. He consistently goes up for contested catches. He will put his body on the line. and he's not big enough to withstand the hits like a bigger player. Got to go watch some Tyler Lockett film, dude. He really does. I mean, Tyler Lockett. Just go down. Just go down. He's made a career of longevity by get the ball. That's enough. Now, Rashad Bateman left early with a knee injury, didn't return. You saw a lot of Agalore. Now, they also asked John Harbaugh about Deontay Johnson, and he made some very...

ambiguous, very, very odd comments basically saying, I'm not in a position to comment about his availability right now. So this is something that doesn't involve the body. It involves some kind of interpersonal, like Mike, you've been singing it from the rooftops that something. Something isn't right in the locker room with Deonté Johnson on now multiple teams. And they needed him and they didn't give him snaps. The pickup is going to be likely. Isaiah likely is going to step back into a full-time role. It should Bateman be missing time, which they're on by next week. So who knows? Noah Brown left early. Commander's wide receiver. Baker Mayfield left with an ankle injury, came back and he'll probably keep playing because they're fighting for their playoffs. And he's a tough son of a gun.

Bucky Irving, if you watched him going into the locker room after the game, he was wrapped up like a mummy. He was limping, but he left it all on the field. D.K. Metcalf, he left due to apparently... Dude, what? The, the D.K. Metcalf one was so wild of me, he went down and the way that he did the, I'm trying to get up multiple times. And when you see that, you go, Oh, no. Oh, no. He's trying so hard to stand up and his body. Every time he goes to get up, his body's like, no, you can't do that. And then cut to him on the sideline. Arms around two of the staff from Seattle can barely make it in to the blue tent. About 30 seconds later, catch and passes. Like, dude, what happened? How can you be that?

hurt that you you can't even get up on your own power you can't walk on your own power two grown men are carrying you and you're like now I'm good back into the football field could be a fear of like for the player like Metcalf if he believed in that moment that he tore his ACL or something and he was you know then they go in don't touch it don't look I can't look I can't look that's what happens like DK it no we tested it's okay Oh, guy, can I go back in? Yeah, exactly. It was, dude, the sequence, because it was, it was so fast from the, the shot of him being limped off to him being back in the game. It was like 30 seconds. All right. That was today's news and notes presented by USAA Insurance. Learn more at USA.com slash insurance. This week's fantasy stud muffins. Well, the snow couldn't stop Josh Allen. He was the leading scorer.

In four-point passing leagues, he also threw a touchdown to himself. If you didn't see the play, he threw the ball to Amari Cooper. Amari Cooper pitched it back to him improvisationally. Yes. And then he caught it and ran it in for a touchdown. He had a rushing touchdown later. He had a touchdown to Mac Hollins in the game. Only quarterback to ever have a passing touchdown, rushing touchdown, and a receiving touchdown. He is the MVP frontrunner after this dominating victory, a demolishing. If you, if I may. Yeah. And then Jane Daniels Russell Wilson, Mike started the week. Hey. Caleb for the second straight week. Caleb is like fools gold because you know if you put them into your lineup. He'll disappear. Well, some people had them in their lineup against me. Thanks, Papa Josh. Oh. Oh, did he? The dino. Did he? Yeah. That was going really, really well for about three and a half quarters. Yeah. Caleb. And then Lamar in the.

The stinkiest nastiest. Oh, the garbage land can. Yes. Lamar, like, added 35% of his points to his score in the last 30 seconds of the game. In four point per passing touchdown leagues, in the final, unimportant minute of the game, he added over nine fantasy points. Yeah, he had a huge almost 40-yard rush and then a touchdown. So, you know. Other performers this week that got it done. Two on Thursday we know. Anthony Richardson. Yes, Anthony Richardson. 50%. He got 12 for, he was 12 for 24 from the, from the, in the passing game. Yeah, from the pocket. He had only eight passes. I think in the first half, but great job. Great job. Kyle Borgononi said Richardson would have three combined touchdowns, which took him to the last second of the game, but he got it done as they beat New England.

He goes into the buy, then Denver in Denver coming out of it. No, thank you. So be careful. Yeah, and then Tennessee. Top five running back scores of the week. Bucky Irving, Bijon Robinson, Najee Harris, Joe Mixin, and Rico. Hoohoo. Doudel. Irving 25 for 152 and 1. Bejohn 26 for 102. The risk with Bijon right now is a quarterback change, which always is a variable that. is terrifying, but if you look at Kirk Cousins, the last three weeks, zero touchdown passes, six interceptions, including four in this game. I mean, they lost exclusively because of Kirk Cousins in this game. The Chargers scored zero offensive touchdowns. I understand bringing it up, but man, the intestinal fortitude of a division leading team. I know they're only six and six, but they're at the top of the division right now.

making a playoff push to put a rookie in would be wild. And yet it's not, it's not an impossible thing. It would be a Tomlin ask a move. It would be saying, I can't win the title with this guy. And they probably won't do it. But imagine the team like, hey, remember when you all left at us on draft night? And now Michael Pennix is getting some snaps to get into the playoffs. It will be. I mean, that would be great. They're going on the road to Minnesota next week. Tough defense. I would enjoy it. And I don't know if we can fully gleam anything from this, but old quarterbacks versus Achilles injuries are 0 and 2 right now. That is a good point. Because Kirk is playing terrible. And Aaron Rogers is playing perhaps even worse. Like.

He really, it's hard to watch them. Josh Jacobs got it done again. James Cook with the big run last night. He's the RB 7 and fancy points per game. And the biggest problem for him is fantasy playoff week one is Detroit, in Detroit. But James Cook can catch the football and you'd hope he could get involved there. Carmen Williams got back into the end zone, two straight weeks after a drought. Brian Robinson, looking like potentially. A very important piece down the stretch with no Austin Eckler rest of season. For sure. I mean, he's he has looked good all season. He's got a nose for the end zone. But now with even more work expected his way, B-Rob should be winning people championships. Also, I mentioned him, but 13 for 94 on the ground, Chris Rodriguez. Yeah, the they liked him. They gave him carries when they needed him in the past and they did it again. Mick Nichols only got six opportunities.

And another great game for a running back who is not a running back. 14 rushing yards, but nine targets, eight for 56 and a touchdown from Devon A. Chan doing what he has done recently, which is most all of his fantasy value comes in the passing game. And that's totally cool. That's fine. We're fine with it. Jonathan Taylor, Jason, your start of the week, got it done. He had a receiving touchdown on his only target. And he's 25 or 96 on the ground and goes into the buy and then Denver, Tennessee after that. So we'll see how that pans out for Jonathan Taylor. Top five at wide receiver. Terry McLaren continues to get it done, machine like 23.3 fantasy points. Keenan, we're doing it again. We're doing it live. It's unbelievable. The first half of that game, Caleb Williams and the entire.

I don't remember the stat, but it was basically like he had five yards. I mean, it was like he did nothing in the first half. And then the second half, the Bears offense came alive. Well, the one thing to look at with these defensive matchups against Detroit down the stretch is that no team has more players put on the injured reserve than Detroit. And so from a defensive perspective, there are going to be some holes as they try to find personnel to fill in. I'm glad you're reminding me of that. That was something when I was watching. I was like, we need to remember to pound the table over this. Detroit's defense has been really, really good over the last two months. It's almost impossible for them to be good in the next week or two because they lost so many players. And you saw it in that game. It's like, oh, apparently if you lose enough players on defense. But they still won. They did still win. They did still win.

to Caleb Williams. But you're right. Yeah, I mean, it's something you got to pay attention to. Maybe that won't be as intimidating down the stretch, at least in the passing game. Mike Evans, welcome back. He finished third. Parker Washington in Jacksonville in the comeback attempt. And then. Adam feeling. What? 19.9. Fantasy points. You love to see. And he was open. He made one-handed catches. He had touchdowns. He was great. Why did they not call the catch child? Okay, because the whole world. For the first touchdown? He would have had two. Yes, the entire world knows he caught a touchdown. There was, I mean, video evidence of catching a touchdown. There was a slight, there was a slight hit the ground bobble that I don't think we got the clear angle because they didn't have a camera on the other side. Because they can't afford enough cameras. No, we can't. Which, what game was that we were watching, Andy? And I'm like, and it was a perfect sideline shot.

of the line of scrimmage. I'm like, we, they have them sometimes. So we have these. What if they had a, but we don't have them everywhere. What if they had a floating camera top down that followed the ball no matter where the ball is? Yeah. It always tracked with the ball exactly and it moved with the ball. So it's always directly above the ball because you'd always see straight down in high resolution on the lines. I think passing would cause issues there. We've got the technology. We've got, we can zoom in from satellites. Like, just put it in the roof. We can figure this out because, uh, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Russell Wilson, I stand by this are owed a, a passing touchdown because the, the lateral to not you was not a lateral. This was a forward toss. Oh, that's, I need the league to look into this. Probably not true. Um, oh, it was, it's true. But the, in soccer.

for off sides penalties or for the goal crease they have like all these 3D models and they can go they just in tennis with the lines they've got all the three they know how to do it because they know where the goal is and so in on the in the NFL they have no idea where the ball's going to be when it's near the end zone yeah never mind I won't ask for it 16 targets the price of cameras these days 16 targets for DJ Moore If this Waldron offense keeps going, DJ Moore has, he could be a non-Waldron. Or sorry, yes, if the non-Waldron offense, DJ Moore's target 7-7-16 catches, catches, though. It took him 16 targets to get to eight catches, though. That's not the greatest. But, hey, you know what? And a lot of design screens. New O.C. New O.C. And Adam Thielen eight for 99 and a touchdown. And then.

He is inevitable. Nick Westbrook-Ake-Kine. I'm telling you, he has the perfect matchup the next two weeks against Jacksonville and Cincinnati. You're saying I get him in my lineup? I'm saying people will be putting them in their lineups and it will not happen when it should. Two touchdowns for Westbrook-Ake-Kine. I believe because he's on the field for every snap. That's why I like him. You know, his run is perfectly corollary with Hopkins leaving. He's got, he has 20 catches on this season, 20 catches all season. He has eight touchdowns. I mean, he's just like, and it's over and over and over and it's every single week. So yeah, I mean, he's like, he took your, he took your doubt and he said, give me two. Yeah. Give me two touchdowns. Man.

Jaden Reed, Jamar Chase. Maybe Will Levis should target him more. Yeah, Jamar Chase has 13 receiving touchdowns. Jaden Reed scored twice. Good to see. Ladd McConkey had the big game. Nico Collins keeps it going. Eight for 119 heading into the buy. He's very good. Tight ends. Brock Bowers, 25.2 fantasy points. Talk about very good. 10 for 140. plays a soft Tampa defense next week. Johnny Smith, Mark Andrews, Pat Fryermuth. Hey, your start of the week. Somehow, some way. It's unbelievable. And Tray McBride, who now has, he's the first tied in the history of 12 receptions and back-to-back games, still has no touchdowns. Fewer receiving touchdowns than Josh Allen. Oh, man. It's ridiculous. It is truly ridiculous. And a special shout out to Mandrews.

Mark Andrews on. Oh my God. His mitts, man. His mitts. Like, we see hard catches every single week. And so it's weird because it's like it was a, it was, you're just running at the ball with both hands. Yeah. But somehow the placement of the ball with all the defenders around him. It was like elevating. It was like this is that's, there's a man in there and there's children. I mean, when, when I, when I saw that play live, I couldn't believe. Yeah. You can't throw the ball, unless it's a Hail Mary, you can't throw the ball into a crowd of 16 defenders. Yeah, it was a terrible decision. And then Andrews just goes up and goes, it was a great decision. Oh, he was, that catch was awesome. Sam LaPorte out here tempting everybody with two touchdowns on six yards. Oh, it's diabolical. Diabolical, yeah. Let's take a break. We'll talk duds. All right. Not everything was great.

Pooped in his big boy pants. Well, nobody's pooped more significantly than the Kirk Cousins, Aaron Rogers combination. Rogers, not over 200 yards, gave the game away. Like both those guys didn't just not play well. They both actively lost the game. Pick six for Rogers, four picks for cousins. After a Rogers. Missing a layup touchdown. Oh, yeah. Yeah, yeah. He is, um, he sucks. Sheesh. CJ Stroud. The biggest head scratcher. Yeah. I believe he's ranked 33rd in points per game over the last four weeks or something like that. What? He has. Some kind of outrageous stat. It's not been great. And the matchup was, I mean, we, this was the match. This is what you've been waiting for. Or he's played 13 games. How many 20 point games is he have, Jason? I'm going to guess zero. No, we got one. We got one. It was against Jacksonville the first time. It's one. It's one. His consistency is F.

How many in his last 17? 11% over 20 points. That is not playable. That is game manager. Now he, look, he's a better NFL quarterback than he is a fantasy quarterback. So they're winning games. They don't look dominant. No, he's on pace right now over a 17 game stretch to throw fewer than 20 passing touchdown. And I'm fully out now. Like this was the one with Nico back, Jacksonville matchup, giving up 300 a game, believing in him. I unbelieve. Yeah, this feels a lot like sophomore year Baker Mayfield, where it's hard to remember how much, how highly loved and drafted Baker was after his rookie breakout season. And then it felt like Fool's Gold right afterwards. Herbert, just 147 through the air, no touchdowns. This was a huge letdown against Atlanta. Gino Smith.

Just one touchdown or, yeah, one touchdown. 2431, just 200 yards against the jets. And then Brock Purdy in the snow. Yeah, that one was. Nobody's playing him. Running back duds. Yeah. Kenneth Walker. Yep. 16 for 49. Three targets for negative three yards. 61% of snaps. Charbs is on the field 45% of the time. That's fine. It's just the. The bone zone. The sharp, the sharp bone zone. Yeah. They had. Which in that, I laid out the sequence of goal line attempts. Kent Walker did get two attempts, but it was just, it's the garbage of, okay, we're so much more manly than you. We're going to run it right up the middle. Instead of you, Kent Walker is fast and agile. Give him a toss. Let him run to the edge. He will beat everybody. I think we might be, we might be missing some things on Walker. Okay, what's that? You're saying, like, injury?

No, I'm saying like effectiveness. I know we believe in Walker, but this happened last year if he doesn't have the big play. Yes, that is true. His efficiency is really, really bad. He's got one game in his last nine above four a carry, okay? Yeah, on the season he's sub four. That's one in nine games where he's above that. And it was a big play in that game. And what I see with Ken Walker is that he can give you the big play. but he strings the ball outside. He's looking to do too much with the ball a lot of the time because of his athleticism. And so because of that, he goes backwards. Can I ask a funny personal question? Bucky Irving. Yeah, Bucky Irving or Kenneth Walker? Yeah, Bucky Irving now, Bucky Irving later. Yeah, that's just ironic because this is another example of why you don't veto trades. We had a trade happen in our league earlier this year that,

The bones of it were Kinbone Walker and Bucky Irving. Yeah. And it felt so egregious and bad. There was more to the trade, but it was like, why would someone do this giant mistake? Kenneth Walker is so much more valuable than Bucky Irving. Fast forward a month. And it's like, there's no question you'd rather have Bucky Irving. Well, and I know the person that traded away Bucky Irving to get Kenneth Walker is. So unhappy right now. Yeah. With the way the season is trended. Breece Hall, another name that is underwhelming. 12 for 60, no touchdown. One fumble. No, two fumbles. Two. Breezy. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah. One in your heart. Yeah, one lost. Yeah, one lost. Okay. But he put it on the ground. Oh, you're right. Yeah. Oh, yeah. I know. Breeze. Oh, man.

Because you know how I know? Because it scores negative for fantasy. Thanks, Priest. Isaiah Pacheco back on the field just played 37% of snaps. It turned Pacheco and Hunt into useless. Yeah. V useless. Really thought Kareem would get a lot more work out there. He didn't. Seven for 15 and looked buyout. Tony Pollard, huge dud game against Washington. Aaron Jones, two fumbles in this game, one lost. Did score a touchdown late, but was. Ineffective on the ground. And a dropped touchdown pass. He was really having a terrible game until he scored the game winning touchdown. And the Gus Bus was not running. No gasoline. Six for 32 on the ground. Just half the snaps and looked bad. Chuba Hubbard fumbled. Didn't have a good game.

It was nice to see John them Brooks on the field for the first time. And actually getting some touches there. He got involved in the receiving game. He showed some wiggle. And Travis ETN, 13 for 46, did his best. Tank Biggs would be just seven for 28 and had fewer snaps. If you're, if you're trying to figure out who to start, it seems like is ETN right now. Yeah. Wide receiver letdowns, Cooper Cup, three for 17. That was. That was outrageous. I quizzed Andy on, I don't remember the exact numbers of, but at halftime, Cooper Cup was leading the Rams and receiving yards with, five? It was 10, I believe. Yeah, it was 10. It was like 1 for 10. At halftime, Matthew Stafford had 23 pass. Don't worry, they won the game, Mike. They won. Garrett Wilson, 10 targets. 10 targets. Five for 41. That's redonkers. Yeah, his last three games now have been. He should have had a touchdown.

If he had a quarterback. Devante had 12 targets. He did have a touchdown. But if you look at that, like five for 10 there, five for 12, right? Is that what the? It's been bad the last three weeks. I was trying to pull up the completion percentage for Devante Adams. He caught five of 12. Yeah. So that means they caught 10 of 22 targets? Yeah. Superstars, right? Anthony Richardson stuff. Oh, boy. There's a chance Rogers gets benched. Oh, yeah. Yeah, there is. I mean, he's not their future. I don't think he's going to be a jet next year. I mean, why would you want him to be? Is it, is it unseemly of me to request that when they do the benching, that they do it in a slightly non-traditional manner, and they tell him the wrong game time? That would be cool, but.

I think like if he shows up and the game's already over that's what I mean I just worry that he's going to know when the team is leaving you know I'm guessing he usually travels with I doubt that that's true I thought you were going to say like you know like in the old cop movies it's like you turn in your badge and your gun and it's like turning your helmet in your pads but they like do it on the sideline oh yeah that works I just want it public That's all. I want the conversation, you know, to be able to be. We have breaking news. We have breaking news. Jets, interim coach, Jeff. Ulbric told reporters today that Aaron Rogers will continue to start giving the team the best yes to win. He's our quarterback. All right. We can all. That's some Sutton stuff right there. We can all hope. I mean, because yesterday he said he was kind of unequivocal. Is that the right word? Oh, man. Amari Cooper is not getting it done.