Fantasy Football 2017 - Starts of the Week, Week 4 Matchups, Muscle Hamster

Austin Deucer over there. Sweeping the nation. Terrible. Just terrible. Sometimes it just doesn't work. Rams, Cowboys, like I said, six and a half point favorites are the Cowboys, 47.5 point over under. Look, Jared Goff, thus far, he's leading the league in a ton of categories or near the top. Let's put it that way. Basically, if you find a category, this is a true statement. If you find a category that Tom Brady is leading,

nearby is Jared Goff thus far. Passer rating, yards per completion. Taking shots down the field, that's Jared Goff. Yeah, I mean, there's, is this a golf mirage? Of quarterbacks who have started the first three games, Jared Goff is the only quarterback that I'm seeing over 10 yards per attempt. He's got five touchdowns, one interception on the year, but he's also played a really.

you know, powder puff type of schedule. You're talking about he played the Colts week one, San Francisco this past week. The toughest defense he played was Washington, which is not. They gave him a hard time. Yeah. So what do we expect from him in this game? Because the Cowboys are definitely not an operational on defense. You have a good, you have a good offensive line. If you look at the numbers, golf is having an opportunity behind that offensive line.

And if you can control Lawrence Tim, I just said Lawrence Timmons. Who's a player of the week? Cowboy fan. Come on, Brooks. Give me the last name that I'm forgetting. Demarcus Lawrence. There you go. Wow, yeah. I just flipped his name. DeMarcus. Yeah. If you can contain him on the outside, defensive player of the week, then I think golf will have an opportunity in this game. Watkins was limited in practice. Is Watkins?

It's only been one game. You're talking two really bad games, one monster game. Are you auto-starting Sammy Watkins if he's cleared? I'm going to say yes, and this is why. One, the clearance is happening because he played on Thursday, and he's already limited in practice. So I'm very confident that he'll be active in this game. We'll obviously give you more information tomorrow based on his practice today. The targets last week, it wasn't like those were through the roof. He had seven targets. He caught six of them. That's where the two touchdowns came from.

But I'm going to say yes, because this was a player that is acclimating to a brand new system with a brand new quarterback and easing his way in. And because they have scored as many points as they have and because Sean McVeigh knows things that Jeff Fisher never has known, which is the old get the ball to your better player strategy. It's one of the top new strategies sweeping the nation. This is one that the Bill Laser of the Cincinnati Bengals employed last week. He gave it to his best players and then they started winning.

I am confident enough to play Sammy Watkins. I love you. Or you're just saying in your flex? No, that's what's going on in my brain right now. I'm trying to think of flex versus two situations, decisions. I'd play him over Crabtree against Denver. What about Cooper? I'd play him over Cooper against Denver. Yeah, what do you guys think about Watkins this week? And moving forward, can he ascend in this offense that's putting up points?

Yeah, he's got the talent. I mean, in the offseason, he would have probably been one of my three my guys if he stayed in Buffalo where he was, you know, leading the target share. Because his talent is as good as anyone in the league. And he's shown that. The question to me has always been the target share in this offense. He's, you know, they're still going to throw to Cooper Cup. They're still going to throw to Robert Woods. Sometimes they will. But it does appear that.

a rapport is developing, and he is their best player. So I think you can start Sammy Watkins. You just don't want to have an expectation of last week, you know, two of his six passes were a touchdown, and that's just not going to be on the regular. So I would put him as a flex option. I'd play him over both of those Oakland receivers going up to Denver. Yeah, it's a strong point about the target share. If you look through three games, he's only getting 16% of his team's targets. You compare that to a guy like, it's very low, you know.

Like Sammy Watkins from last year. Yeah, or LaShaul McCoy this year, 25% of his team's targets, even as the running back position. I think this is the get right game for Ezekiel Elliott. The Rams have allowed the most rushing. He was still pretty solid last week, but you're saying like the... Here's what I mean. Right now, he's near the bottom in terms of touchdowns per attempt, right? I just talked about what I think is 1 in 10 right now for Devonta Freeman. When he rushes the ball, he's scoring.

Zika L8 hasn't been scoring. And this is a game where the Rams have allowed the six most, or I'm sorry, the most rushing touchdown, six total this year. Zika L.A. got it going in the back half of the game. They're at home. The equation here seems to be, look, let's beat the Rams on the ground. They're the 29th best team against the rush. You saw Carlos Hyde have success. I think this is the game that validates Ezekiela as that top tier, top echelon guy you wanted on your fantasy roster.

I think he's going to have a monster game. I like the three big players a lot from Dallas this week. I love Dak. I love Zeke and I love Des Bryant. And I think that they are going to have. Why don't you marry them? I would if I could, but you can't marry three people, dummy. Yeah, thanks. So I'm starting all three of those guys with full confidence. The question is Jason Witten. I mean, you saw two huge games.

And then poof, poof, like an old man. No, that's the legal requirement for tight ends this year for fantasy football. Is two and then one off? If you've had a couple good games, they come to you and they, you know, they snip off a finger and they say you don't get. Sorry, son, this is your time. This is your time. We knew that wasn't sustainable. There's a couple things you've learned about Jason Witten. If the Cowboys are losing, Jason Witten will rack up targets. And...

Jason Whitten doesn't score a lot of touchdowns. Those are the two things that have persisted throughout his career. So we knew that the touchdown totals weren't going to stay there. I don't think we saw the targets going down to where they were against Arizona. But he's a middle of the road guy. He's a startable tight end. Yeah, especially in PPR leagues where kind of like what you're saying, might not get the touchdown, but you could end up with eight receptions and have a fine outing out of the tight end. It really comes down to Jared Goff whether he's able to move the ball on Dallas.

Because if he can score, then Jason Wynn will be, we'll be needed. Let me put it this way. I'm taking the over. Oh, the 47.5.5 point over. And, you know what? I'm going to go beyond that. Oh, what? No. Oh, sorry, Brooks. Andy's almost upset of the week. What is Mr. Rams over here? He's all about that life. Have you ever seen Aaron Donald play football? He's very good.

He's really good. Son of bum. No, no, no. Yeah, he's not the son of bum. Their defense hasn't been son of bum worthy, but just get ready. Just get ready for the almost subset of the week. The Titans, take on the Texans in a Titans, Texans battle. The Texans are one and a half point underdogs at home, 44 point over under. I am curious.

Who did you start on the Tennessee side outside of DeMarco Murray? Marcus Mariotta. And we will talk about that in a minute. Oh, my. I am confident in Marietta this week. Wow. That only means one thing. He's your boom, boom kicker of the week. Yeah, he's a good kicker. The way you're picking positions lately wouldn't surprise me. He's a running back. Jason, we need a wide receiver. Yeah, but I'll give you the running back. Ryan suck up. Ryan suck up. All right.

By the way, Ryan Suck up, special teams player of the week. Oh, Marcus Mariotta. Okay, Jason likes him. He's going to talk about him in this start of the week. Eric Decker, we talked about him being cutworthy. You're stuck with the pass catchers right now in Tennessee. You can't pick one that will necessarily perform for you. That's a problem. Blaney Walker, he's obviously a start at the tight-in position. And I think we can move on to the Texans because I have some questions for you. So, Deshaun? I was going to say, Richard Matthews, two of the three weeks has been.

Very solid. 70 yards, week one, 87 and a score last week. He stole my Eric Decker dreams. So would you flex him? I'm okay with it. 21st rank wide receiver through three weeks. I mean, that's a solid enough argument, especially with Corey Davis being ruled out. Eric Decker, you're not high on anymore. So maybe you're high on Matthews. I like Ryan Matthews. Richard. Richard Matthews always have. But I'm not as down on Decker as you two seem to be.

I'm not down on Decker. I just think that at this point, you can cut him. I've been fading Decker since the trade. Yeah, you have. I'm not going to be rising on him anytime soon. Deshaun Watson, is he startable in this game against the Titans? The Titans right now, I think we expected their defense to be a little better than they have been. I mean, 26 against the past, 16th against the run. They've allowed 2.3 times.

touchdown passes per game, which is second worst in the NFL. Watson impressed me last week. What do we think? I wouldn't. I know it was a great game against the Patriots, but it's hard to get the visions of him being absolutely shut down by the Bengals out of you. I know fantasy-wise, he was fine because he ripped off a 50-yard touchdown run. But I'm still. 300 yards last week? I still don't have Watson.

Confidence. Eight for 41 on the ground last week? The way that I see it. The way that I see it is he's probably a streamable option because he runs. And if what I think is going to happen in this game, I would take the over in this game. If that happens, then he has to be streamworthy. If you're taking the over, that's what I'm saying. Watson's probably he would be streamworthy. But I don't yet have the confidence.

to actually put him in my lineup because he is still a rookie. His college tape showed some flaws. You know, we see a lot of times when rookie quarterbacks come out, once there's a game, two games of tape on them, it's a little bit easier to play to what their strengths are. You know, okay, this is his tendency a little bit more. So I would still hold off doing it, but I wouldn't be surprised if he ended up with a decent game.

I mean, he's using that. I've got a perfect water bet for you, Jason, because I have enough confidence in Deshawn Watson this week to water bet you. Versus Mariota? Versus Mario da. Oh, sign me up. Water bet. I'm expecting tough sledding for Tennessee in this game against Houston. So we're in opposition over your start of the week. I think this game being in Houston, I think you're going to, it's going to be a fun water bet. Deshaun Watson and Marcus Marietta. All right, we need to move down the line here.

to a game that doesn't have a line. The Lions at the Vikings still undetermined what the quarterback situation is going to be from Minnesota. Matthew Stafford has been good so far. Amir Abdullah, he's been mediocre. Gets the carries, hasn't broken anything off, hasn't scored. Not sure that's going to change this week. In fact, the Vikings are so good against the run, I would be hesitant to start Amir Abdullah if I had any other option. I don't blame you. I don't blame you.

Really like Golden Tate. The Vikings have not been good against the pass. And Eric Ebron, what do you think about Ebron so far? He looks like Eric Ebron. Yeah. It's been unfortunate. I'm disappointed. The one thing I would say for Eric Ebron is his home road splits are better on the road.

I don't know if maybe because he's been, you know, such a bust in the expectations of Detroit fans. He gets in his head at home. He had those drops last week. He just, he does not play that good at home. And the Vikings have given up two touchdowns so far on the year to tight end. So Eric Ebron, nobody's excited to play him right now. But I don't think this is a terrible matchup, as bad as it is for the running backs.

for Detroit because Minnesota's run D is fantastic, especially in Minnesota. What about the other side of the ball? I wanted to say if you're, I know that the Vikings numbers are bad. Overall, when you say 27th allowing yards, I'm not playing Marvin Jones at all. Xavier Rhodes shuts down number one wide receivers. I mean, you had week one, Michael Thomas. Antonio Brown was held to a.

a line that you don't expect from him and Evan's last week. But is Marvin Jones the number one that will be covered? I mean, I'm just saying. That's what I'm saying. I would not play Marvin Jones. No, he's asking whether that's really where Jones is going to end up. You know, like Patrick Peterson ended up on Golden Tate. Right. In Arizona. I see what you mean. Yeah, I don't expect. If Tate is going to stay inside, I don't expect Broads to follow him there. Okay. And the other side of the ball, who do we expect to start in Minnesota? I'm playing everyone.

Well, I guess I mean at the quarterback position. Oh, I expect Case Keenum to play. Okay. I expect it to play. And because it's a home game. And I'm not buying in. I know Andy feels, Andy likes the Lions defense because they have been making plays. It's hard to argue against what they have done. But I think that at home, Case Keenum is good enough to get things done because of Stefan Diggs, because of Adam Thielen, even Kyle Rudolph, which it wasn't a great game. He's still one of those, you know.