Week 17 Waivers + Christmas Football Preview! - Fantasy Football Podcast for 12/24

Ho, ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas! Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright. Oh, welcome in! Hey! It's Christmas time! Wee! Welcome in one and all! And we're at work! You know, it is championship week. Yeah. Gotta be here.

And the NFL's like, can't play football on Wednesday. Mr. Goodell, it's Christmas. Hmm. Seems like a good day for football. Seems like a great day. There's a deal with Netflix to be made? Oh, look at Deucers Alley. Oh, man. Oh, we got the hate blockers on. Look at the... Is that Christmas drip? Man. Yeah, no, you look good. You look like a guy who's... It's his first time. And Papa Josh remains monochromatic. Yeah. Yeah, I mean... We give... You know what's great? The guy on the left over there, if you're watching on YouTube, that's who I beat in last year's playoffs

to win a championship. Ah, yeah. And then the guy sitting next to him... This is both sides of the betrayal, by the way. Yes. So, like, last year, Papa Josh got his comeuppance, got his butt whooped, I got a trophy. This year, Al, who's been denying his involvement in that, you know... Is about to win a championship. Somewhere, somehow... I mean, I guess the truth is about to be seen, right? Yeah. You know, ball don't lie. So, this is one of those situations where we're going to find out if Jeremy was really the problem and a villain in this, or if what he's been saying,

all he did is click accept, and... Can the ball hold a year-long grudge? Oh, yeah. And I feel like last year, Al was a little jealous of the... You know, all the attention Papa Josh got, and then Josh got smashed. So, we can do that for you. Nah, that's all right, man. Congrats on the dub. You know what? Yeah, I'm not playing that game with you. I'm going to beat you. That's the game. The game is, I'm going to play players. Is that because he beat you to it yesterday? You tried to do it. Yeah, you tried to do it.

You tried to do it. You're doing a double back. Never double back. Welcome in to a jam-packed Christmas Eve edition of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Thank you for listening on Spotify, on Apple, for your reviews over there. We appreciate them. They help the show out. And for subscribing on YouTube, youtube.com slash the fantasy footballers. We will have a... Is this the final Sunday live this week? This is the final Sunday live. Probably another ultra triple tilt edition. Yeah, that is the hope. And look, week 18ers, we do our best to let you know, like, hey, remember, fix your league. Don't have championship week

on the final week of the NFL season. But we do remain here all week long. Like, next week we will be here. Well, we'll have... New Year's Day. New Year's will be off. So it'll be a very similar schedule to this week. But there will not be a Sunday live next week. And we really make no bones about it. It's the worst week for us to do. Oh, week 18. Gosh, I hate week 18 so much. For you, but much in the way that, like, a parent has to... Go to a recorder concert? Yeah. Yeah, that's what it is. Like, you show up.

We love you. We're going to support you. What you're doing is stupid. But we'll be here for you for your recorder concert in week 18. Join the foot.com is the community. Get access to the premium Discord and the ultimate dashboard and the bonus episodes of the show. So when we drop down to two a week, you get an extra episode over there at jointhefoot.com. I'm not going to spend forever on Monday night. It was 34 to nothing. There was a peewee football team that showed up in Rambo. You've already overdone it. Yeah, I feel like we've talked about that game too much.

Mike said it perfect before the show when he was talking about the game. Said it was just a waste of time for everybody. Yes. So... Everybody. Every player, every coach, every fan. There were crews that had to record that game. People paid to be there. Exactly. What a waste of time. There was zero redeemable qualities on the New Orleans side of the football in any capacity. The biggest headline there, and it's adjusted in our waiver rankings with Kendra Miller's involvement, minimal success, minimal opportunities for success, minimal, and Jordan Mims got the second half. Jacobs did enough in one half. Jaden Reed, 76 yards.

Injury once again to Christian Watson. Dude. It's impossible for that dude to stay healthy. That man is fragile. Him and Rashad Bateman, they've pulled all of their braces and wraps, and they just share them on a week-to-week basis. Take what you need. He needs to play in a warm weather environment. Maybe it's just too cold. Like a Miami? Tightens it up like a rubber band. Oh, okay. You know what I mean? That's an interesting theory. Let's talk Difference Makers. Welcome to Difference Makers, presented by I'm Sped Food. We do have waivers on the show today. We also have previews for the two Christmas Day games

and the Thursday night football games, so it will be a busy one, although our waivers will be quick. It will be brief. It will be the big names. It will be only the players that you can actually start in your championship matchup if they're available for you. That's right. So Difference Makers, though, I wanted to take a few moments and just walk through a little bit of the fantasy football NFL context for team motivation, playoff scenarios, and what's on the line. Jason and I in the studio yesterday, we took quite a bit of time just kind of walking through the

if this, then that scenarios for these teams. the headline at the very tippy top is that most of the playoff teams are still highly motivated. Seeding with the single bye keeps them quite motivated. That's been a nice change. It has. I think that's made for better late season football, having one bye to play for. What is more interesting to me is that the disparity in the AFC and NFC where in the AFC, there aren't any teams recently eliminated. The bad teams in the AFC have been bad for a while, have been eliminated for a while, and so you have a group of basically five teams,

really, that are sort of playing for their lives and their playoff lives. The Chargers in Denver are trying to hold on to those final two spots, highly motivated. The Chargers are bringing back J.K. Dobbins, and there's a reason to force him back onto the field. You're trying to hang on to your spot, and Indianapolis, Miami, and Cincinnati are hoping some things go south for those teams because they need a couple of losses. They're shockingly still not eliminated. I feel like every week the last month has been like, okay, this team's about to be eliminated, but they've won the games that they needed to win,

which means they're all very much playing for their lives. And since he's playing Denver this week, they have control over part of that story. It's a must win for both of them, but really, Cincinnati, after the way the season started and the way that y'all have fought back for our fantasy football teams. Yeah. Staying motivated. Thank you. Yeah, and one more week, please. Jamar Chase, let's keep it going. So in the AFC, that's the scenario. The other thing I wanted to touch on, it's part of the game today, Houston-Baltimore. Very, very unlikely that Houston can slip into the three seed

because what happens here is the division winner for the North, the Steelers or the Ravens, is very, very likely to be that three seed. There is a scenario where that happens. because Houston plays Baltimore this week, so that is going to even their records up if Houston won. Pittsburgh can very easily lose their last two games, Kansas City, Cincinnati, and then Baltimore, I believe, has the tiebreaker over Houston. So they would need, I think they'd need Baltimore to lose against Cleveland in the last week of the season. that's the issue is that they're playing Cleveland. So unless they are resting their players or something,

you just expect them to be able to walk over the current version of the Cleveland Browns. I do think it's too early, though, for Houston to not believe that that's possible. I don't think Houston at home on Christmas against Baltimore is going to lay down in any capacity. So that's the AFC and the NFC. What kind of is more troublesome, I think? You know, you have those teams that really, really, really care. They're trying to hang on. Atlanta, the Rams, and Washington trying to hang on to playoff spots. Tampa and Seattle fighting for their lives. Tampa trying to win the division.

That's their path into the playoffs. Seattle, same thing. But there were three teams last week that were eliminated with the games. That didn't happen in the AFC. Arizona eliminated last week. San Francisco eliminated. Dallas now eliminated. So you start to look at scenarios with James Conner, who we'll talk about in the news. Will he play? Will he not? What's the pride factor there? San Francisco, Isaac Garindo could be back. He's not really, I don't think they're like, oh gosh, we've got to hold him off for next year. So if he's available, I think he plays. And then Dallas with CD's arm and shoulder situation.

CD came out and said, I mean, he basically said, look, the fans pay to see the best wide receiver in the game play football. Yeah. Which I loved it. Joe Bryant, great friend of the show. We love you, Joe. He had a wonderful tweet saying that kind of attitude would not fly in the NBA. Yeah. Because they like to take their time off in the NBA. Yeah. Risk management. So that's kind of the scenarios on both sides. A lot of motivated teams. Some question marks around the freshly eliminated teams in the NFC. But it's nice. You want this. And the one buy helps.

And, you know, the fact that you play your championship game a week before week 18, very important. Yeah. I mean, this is, there's been years in the past where even the week prior to the final week of the season, championship week, there's been like, oh no. Yes. A handful of important players are really not going to suit up because of motivation. This year, it feels pretty darn good. I mean, I think even those names you mentioned, Connor, CD, Garendo, I think if they're able to play, they play this week. So that's great. Yeah. And I just like how it's worked out in the North with the battle,

like Cincinnati's in it, but then Baltimore, like you're talking about the difference between a home game and the 50, this battle with Pittsburgh. So there's a lot on the line, like Zay Flowers, the shoulder and Wednesday game, he's got to be out there that, you know, they have too many injuries. And so I'm very excited about that. Motivation factor is very high. And in the NFC, if you want to talk very similar, you have the lions and the Vikings who play each other in the final week of the season. And assuming that they both win this week, which right now I think they're favored.

That means that one of these two teams would be a 14 win fifth seed on the road. It's a tragedy on the road to start the playoffs. While the other, whoever wins that game is not only not playing in the first week, but they're at home the entire playoffs. Insane. And the NFC South might send a sub 10, sub 10 win team into the playoffs. And, uh, it wasn't it last year that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers barely made the playoffs and then won, so, and then won a home game in the playoffs. So, um, all right, that was difference makers presented by I'm's pet food.

When you choose I'm's, you can see a difference in your pet with your own eyes, healthy energy in five days, healthy digestion in 10 days and healthy skin and coat in just 25 days, feed I'm's and see a visible difference. News and notes from around the league presented by USAA insurance. Well, a lot of you out there, um, James Connor was a key cog in your semifinal victory, although he was injured and he missed the last quarter and a half. My dear sister going for her repeat championship lost by five points. Oh, lost Connor and face Brandon Aubrey. So lost to a 21 point kicker.

Didn't she also have Jalen hurts? She also had Jalen hurts. Oh man, that's brutal. Multiple scenarios to barely lose the game. Connor would have at least scored another 10 to 15 points in that game. 21 point kicker. I, that's why I told her, I go, this is why we don't have them. This is why we don't have kickers out of your league. Uh, here's what Jonathan Gannon had to say about James Connor's availability this week. No, um, we'll see how it goes throughout the week. You know what I mean? I know he wants to play. Uh, so we'll do what's best for him first and then what's best for the team.

So with James Connor, like I have, here, let me do this. Okay. Mike, are the Cardinals going to make the playoffs? We're good. What? No, we'll do whatever's best for the Dean. No, sorry. We hate you. I'm told we're a mathematically eliminated here. Here's the thing is that the decision on Connor is, uh, it's kind of multifaceted because you have three games that happen before the weekend. And there's a lot of flex players in those games, right? Where you might be on the, the edge. Is it a Xavier worthy? Right. Um, there's tough decisions to make there with James Connor.

If you can wait through the weekend, cause you have a better, better pivot, you know, that that's a path you can take. Connor has been really, really good this year. If you do not have a path based on this news, if there's not a clear one, you'd need to go to the waivers, get someone that, you know, you could pivot into. Um, would you just bench Connor on Wednesday and start someone in, in that, in that game? It's really tough. it's a Rams matchup, right? Um, that's a plus matchup for Connor. It's a Saturday night game. So you do get it a day before Sunday.

If you have Sunday pivot options, um, it's a divisional game. So you talk about, yes, the Cardinals were eliminated, but you know what they'd love to do? Keep the Rams out of the playoffs. Um, Connor is coming off of a 21, 29 and 26 point game. Like, I don't know if people really, this is a top 10 running back. So I think in most scenarios, you want to get that guy into your lineup. If he says he's going to be active, it's Tuesday. We got Christmas. We got practices. You need to stay glued to that. The Rams over the last three weeks are the 31st,

most difficult matchup against running. So the last three weeks, they played the Buffalo bills. the easiest team to run. Is that what you're saying? No, no, no. I'm saying the most. Oh, they've been, they've been staunch. Yes. Because the jets, they gave up nine points to the jets. They gave up six points to the San Francisco 49ers in the middle there. They're not in the middle, but right before that, the Buffalo bills, that was the shootout. That was the 44 to 42. And right before that, the saints scored 14 points. Like the Rams are, I'd lately, it's hard to know who the Rams are.

are. Cause, cause the, yes, the last three games, the 49ers jets offense is like, that's, those are not no, you're right. Scoring offenses. They're it. It's weird. Yeah. They were softer. The first five weeks of the year, they were terrible, but you're right. They have kind of like, what is your answer to the question? Like, are you, are you trying to play? I presume because they play on Saturday, that most players have a pivot option. You have a handful of, it's not like when you're playing on Sunday night and you've got to have someone in the Monday night. But Xavier worthy,

bring the name up. I mean, he's played pretty good. Are you playing him on Christmas? I think. Are you playing Zay Flowers over him on Christmas? As of now, if we don't get any more information and hopefully, man, that's tomorrow. We're not going to know if James Conner is going to go. I, I think if I only, if I didn't have a later pivot, I would put in a Xavier worthy over James Conner, just because you, you have to, you have to have those points. Now you've got a perfect situation. I've, I would personally play Xavier worthy over Jalen McMillan.

You have those two players, but Jalen McMillan is a good enough, not, not that big enough a gap where I would absolutely wait on Conner. If I could. Yeah. I like McMillan more this week anyways. Sure. Yeah. But I'm just saying like, if you've got two similar options, go ahead and wait. If you don't, and, and you don't have a good option left on Sunday, then I would throw in my Christmas player. Do you have any other thoughts on that? Mike? I mean, I'm in agreement. Um, okay. All right. We have a chargers opening up the 21 day window for J K Dobbins.

From what I have. I mean, we don't know for sure. This does not mean he's going to play, but from everything I've been able to, uh, read, uh, beat reporters that, uh, you know, I've seen talking about it. The expectation I believe is that he's going to play this week. So this is important. We'll talk about it more in waivers as far as where he ranks. If he's, you know, been dropped. Uh, but they need them. This is a very important must win game. Yeah. man, the, the running back waivers are difficult with the, uh, the way that the flow charts are set up right now.