Fantasy Football 2017 - MEGALODON Episode – Week 12 Matchups, Starts & More!

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Footballers minimum purchase required. See site for complete details. Fantasy forecast. All right, guys, we get a preview each and every matchup. Can't wait for this entire year. I did my push-ups. Now, there are no buy weeks, so we don't even get a break. We don't even get like a couple. So we've got like maximum games to cover all together. 34 games. 34 games. Spanning 68 teams. No, let's get right into it. Is this basketball?

We're including Australian rules and Canadian teams today. Oh. Thanksgiving Day games. We're going to start right there with the Vikings and the Lions in Detroit. They always play on Thanksgiving. And they are three-point underdogs at home. I think this is a very exciting. The Lions are. The Lions are. They're the ones at home. And 44.5.5.0. Over under. Got the Case Keenom experience. The eight and two Vikings coming to town.

I think this is going to be a fun game. I think it's going to be an interesting one. What are the big headline storylines here? Would you rather play Latavis Murray or Jerich McKinnon in this matchup? The way that the Vikings defense plays against running back, which is second in the league. In this matchup, which I expect to be close, I would rather have Latavius Murray. I don't think we're going to have a situation here where the lions are going to be able to get out to an early big lead and need to use McKinnon in the passing situation. Wait, you mean?

The Vikings get out to elite. I'm saying, I'm sorry, the alliance. I got you. I got you. Yep. Forcing McKinnon to be in that past catching role. Now, he'll be utilized. I like both players. I would start both players. But I would put Latavius Murray ahead of McKinnon this week. He's just been so involved. They use him a little bit more at the goal line. McKinnon is still in there sometimes, you know, when they get inside the five. I mean, these are two really good offenses. And.

One great defense, and the Lions defense is not like the Lions of old. I mean, I worry that this game, which has so many fantasy players that we like and it looks juicy because they're all in one game, I worry that it's going to be a little bit closer, a little bit lower scoring on this short week. That's my only worry with this game. I'm going to lean the McKinnon direction.

Out of that decision. Last week, McKinnon, 58% of snaps compared to 42% for Latavius Murray. Murray's making his, hey, by getting those red zone opportunities. I'm going to go to the snap count there, but I think both are very startable in this game. Mike, what stands out to you on that Minnesota side? You confident in Diggs? A lot of people asking about him. Yeah, it's wheels up for everyone on Minnesota, honestly. I mean, Keenham, I think is a very fine stream this week. McKinnon and Murray, I think I sighed.

With Murray, but both are very startable. Adam Thielen is an elite wide receiver one. That's right, people. Adam Thielen is an elite wide receiver one. Stefan Diggs can be an elite wide receiver one. And Kyle Rudolph, below end tied in. When both Diggs and Thielen are doing their thing. Kyle Rudolph is just a little possession guy who's...

a better playing. Yeah, it's like Charles Clay is Mr. Necessary because they rely on it. He gets yards. Yeah, and Kyle Rudolph is better than Charles Clay, but he's like Mr. Not needed. Right. It's just when Diggs and Thielen are there, it's like, hey, you're good. Unnecessary though. Mr. Unnecessary? Yeah. All right, Marvin Jones, great bounce back performance last week. Xavier Roads. Probably listen to our show.

Yeah. But he has Xavier Rhodes who should play, right? Yes, Xavier Rhodes says he's going to play. So do you just cross Marvin Jones off your list? I don't cross him off the list, but you got to move him down. Is he marginalized like that stuffing that your other aunt brings to Thanksgiving? Yes. Yeah, I get close to marking him off my list because Xavier Rhodes has shut down a lot of really good players. And we, you know, Marvin Jones.

does disappear from time to time. And if you can predict when it's going to happen, it's going to be against an elite corner. So he moves down to where he's a borderline flex play to me. All right. Golden Tate is in. And like I said, I pumped the brakes on Abdullah. So in Riddick is kind of really not done much of anything this fantasy season. So it's really, I mean, you could play Stafford. Stafford and Tate.

That's really all I'm super interested in. Yeah. And this is interesting speaking to Amir Abdullah. He brought him up earlier. He's been stuffed 31.9% of the time on his rushing attempts. That's the worst stuff rate in the entire league. Looks like we were right on our stuffing. Stuff the brakes. Our computer algorithm that we built earlier this season. Oh, hold on, hold on, hold on. Oh, you're trying to figure out who could tackle Amir Abdullah? Whether or not they could. But.

Do you want to check that again? What if I had a human-sized garbage bag? Right. But it was full of feathers. Right. Could that tackle a Mirabula? Let me type that in there. Let me see. Yes. All right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So it continues. What about like, I mean, because, you know, guys get like shoestring tack. Don't overload the computer. Shoestring tag. Well, this is a simple one. Okay. It's a ground hog. What if you grabbed his shoe?

Yeah, let me see. Yeah, unfortunately. That's better. Hey, good. Hey, in all seriousness, though, this game is inside in a dome, so I don't think we'll have groundhog issues. That's a great point. Thank you. Yeah. What is like a stray cat ran on the field, though? Oh, we've seen that before. We've actually experienced that and we're going to check. Okay. Yeah, unfortunately. Leave him alone. Leave him alone. He's been pumped already. The Chargers.

Take on. You sound like the mad hatter. Let me just interject here. If you are not part of the join the foot community and did not listen to yesterday's footcast, there is Andy Holloway doing this Arnold Schwarzenegger impression that is the best thing I've heard in my entire life. Also could be described as the worst. It's so bad. We've got to get this out there. You guys are very kind to me. I feel me and Amir Abdullah are off in the corner together. The charges.

They take on the Cowboys. The Cowboys are reeling right now. They are 1.00 ducks at home. And I think the Chargers win this game. So I'm with Vegas on that one. 48 point over under, which affords a lot of fantasy value. And I'm excited to see this matchup. I'm excited to see what Melvin Gordon, Keenan Allen can do. Obviously, I brought up Keenan Allen earlier. I think he's going to be good, not great. Despite the Cowboys alone, the 24th.

Most points to the wide receiver position? Despite that, yeah. He is not... Look, I would expect... Target it over nine times a week. I know, but that's fine. I mean, you're describing like... The evidence is mounting against you. You're describing like Michael Thomas Light for his average weekly performance. He doesn't generally get in the end zone last week. A liar. Michael Thomas Light is very... Quenches the thirst. I said it's fine. Very refreshing. Michael Thomas is better than Keenan.

Agreed. And I would like a light version of him as well on my team. All right. That's fine. Look, I'm not saying to bench him. Would you rather start Keenan or Dez this week? That's an excellent question. Would you like to ever start Dez again? I would rather start Keenan Allen than Des Bryant this week. And part of the reason for that is because Sean Lee has been officially ruled out. Sean Lee is not playing on Thursday. And if you look, and that's, you know, Sean Lee is a linebacker for the Dallas Cowboys, who is.

has had an injury-riddled career. But when he is out there, their defense is good. It's actually like really good against the run and, you know, it's upgraded against the pass. And when he is out, it's just terrible. I mean, they're missing the centerpiece of their defense. And so I think Keenan Allen will be able to expose that. Melvin Gordon gets a huge bump up. I believe that in the games that Sean Lee has not played this year,

The Dallas Cowboys are averaging something like over six and a half yards per rush. Oh. To the opponents. Allow it. Yeah, yeah. What do you do, Jay? What do you do with Hunter Henry with the goose? He's one of those guys where... He's not gooseing, but he is definitely caboosen. I would rather still... Caboosin his big boy pants. So there's about seven tight-ins right now that if you've got them, you're starting them. You know, your studs and then you're Charles...

Clay is questionable. Evan Engel. Evan Eng. But he is, you know, Hunter Henry, because there's no, there's not 12 Shorefire guys. I still side with starting Hunter Henry because when he hits, he has the potential, the talent, the offense to hit large and make a difference because you got a 50% chance of any of those guys that you take a shot at.

getting you four or less points. Like, you know, just crapping on your team. And if they're all going to do that, swing for the fences, go for the upside. And Hunter Henry absolutely fits that. Start in Philip Rivers. Yes. Would you start him over DAC? If Tyron, this would be one of those. I'd probably start him over Dak. If Tyrone Smith is out, I would certainly start him over DAC. If Tyrone Smith is in, I would start DAC. Okay. Last week, you know, we saw Dak without Tyron Smith again. It was not good. Alfred Morris.

I'm going to tell you right now he's going to start of the week. I'm going to make the case for Alfred Morris. I love it. Shortly. The big thing that you've got to look at there is look what the Sean McCoy did when everybody knew he was running the ball last week against the San Diego running defense. Los Angeles. I'm sorry. It's been a while since I've done that. The Los Angeles rushing defense, look, they can get after the passer, but for whatever reason they cannot cover up the running back. So I like Alfred Morris. Jason Witton, big disappointment last week. Only one catch despite the fact that...

We thought maybe he'd be the outlet for Dak Prescott. So I'd rather play Hunter Henry than Witten, for example. Last thought here, Des Bryant, look, 5.6 yards per target, fourth worst in the league. He is not currently the player that he's been. Gotta go deep, man. They didn't have time to go deep. I mean, yeah. Don't you see, though? This is why I had my preseason hesitation. It's nothing against Des. It was all track record. It was all years of Romo. We know what you got with Des. You don't know it with Dak yet.

Look, there were some compelling cases on both sides. But right now, right here, Des Bryant is, he's a what, two-three guy? Yeah. I would say two. Yeah. Okay. The Giants. Well, we do have a mailbag question. Carrier pigeon just landed. Oh, okay. And it actually came in from Brooks just across the room. It sounds like a crow to me. I don't know where he got the bird. But he said, Philip Rivers or Matthew Stafford, because we've talked about both of them.

Yeah. And he's selfish and he's using airtime for his own. I'm going to go to home. Unbelievable. That's tough because Minnesota's defense is so good. So I'll probably go Rivers. I'm going to go Rivers. I like the home game for Stavard, but I'm going to go Rivers. All right. Thank you for that carrier. Take your bird away. Carrier crow. I didn't know they could do that. Are the Giants at 2 and 8 coming off a big win against the Chiefs? They take on the Redskins. The Redskins are at home.

And guys, I know it's crazy. No, you're not. Andy's almost upset of the week. What are you seeing here that makes you think the Giants will compete with the Redskins? I'm seeing a Giants team that actually put forth effort last week, divisional game, and a Washington team that cannot string wins together. They won last week. Or actually, they lost last week, didn't they?