Fantasy Football - Starts of the Week + Week 15 Breakdown, Coach Jokes - Podcast for 12/11

to the fantasy footballers podcast with your host, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright. Oh, welcome in. My ears are bleeding. Good. Welcome into the show, the fantasy footballers podcast. It's time, baby. The playoffs begin. Let the big dog eat. I just clean his nose. I just feel the, the Batman Joker. And here we go. You know, it's like playoffs are here, everything. You, you, you, you live or die now. Yes. Yeah, yeah. If you guys, he dies. Are you going fishing? Are you getting a trophy? Yeah, you already driving, Jay. I am thrilled that in our league of record, he's got a mapped out. Yeah. In our league of record, I am thrilled that, um,

My bags. My team. My opponent's team. I'm ready to go. No players tonight. So like I've delayed my flight to the fishing well. I'm, I'm, you know. The fishing well. Yeah. That's, that's where I go fishing in a well. It's much easier. Thursday, he throws the fish in the well. And then he just catches them. You know, you've heard of fish in a barrel. You've heard of fish in a well. Golly. Thursday, December 11th. Welcome in one and all. We'll get into the matchups today. We do have a Thursday night football game. And it should be pretty exciting. A lot of decisions to be made. The Mike Evans being back out there. Does that lift Baker-Mayfield back to where he belongs? Does the Mecca Abuka get it going? Bucky Irving, he's back, and he has a big role to play. Like you said, you don't have anybody playing? I got Bucky playing tonight in our listener league first round matchup. So it'll be an exciting one. Bejan out there as well. I've...

tried to think about whether the Tampa defense is good enough to play tonight. Kind of gone back and forth on that. But lots going on. The fantasy footballers.com is the website, all the weekly rankings, the StartSit Tool, all the articles, Ultimate Dashboard. We see all the posts and the tweets on Twitter. We do try to answer a lot of them every week. All three of us, we will not get to all of them. And I apologize, but we do have the rankings on the site and the StartSit tool. And ways to answer those questions to where you can blame us and not yourself. Not me. Without us replying. Don't blame me. But. Playing those guys. And a reminder that we're here all year long, even after the playoffs. If you want a bonus episode of the show, you can do that. Join thefoot.com. Support the podcast. We are an independent podcast. We always have been. I imagine we always will be. Yeah, most likely. Most likely. Yeah. So.

There you go. Let's talk some news. News and notes from around the league. Presented by progressive insurance. Updates for tonight. Mike Evans, Jaylen McMillan, both activated off of IR, both questionable for tonight. Evans is the one we have the most, I guess, news and information and momentum. McMillan is irrelevant. Nobody's going to be playing McMillan. But Mike Evans should be active tonight. I do think they will have them on a pitch count. Thankfully, it wasn't a lower body injury. So this is like his cardio should. B-O. Wasn't it? I thought it was both. Well, he had the collarbone. I think he did both at the exact thing. Oh, no, no, it was the concussion. Yeah. Oh, is that what it was? Yeah. Okay. So, so. Lower body's been just perfect. Cardio should be there, but the, the grizzler, you know, last week was saying that they're going to bring him along a little bit slowly. Now he's the type of player that can go out there and have a 46-yard touchdown and one catch, have a good game. I've got him in my 30s. My wide receiver, like,

Well, yeah, and he's such a veteran that if he tells you what he wants to do, they may listen. Yeah, but he was just back from his hamstring injury when he got the collarbone. He did have the long term of hamstring injury. He is prone to that. He only needs to average 215 yards per game. We know what that means. To hit his thousand. Yeah, they'll feed him, right? I mean, one of these games he's going for 300. Oh, Kyle Pitts officially questionable. He'll play. They've been kind of managing his snaps. Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said C.D. Lamb has two more hurdles to clear in the NFL's concussion protocol. I don't like hearing that, but I do like seeing him at practice, which he was. It's all been very positive. Yeah, I mean, everything, everything. You think C.D. Lamb can't handle a hurdle or two. I just want one hurdle. I want like, hey, he's got the final hurdle. He's not, if they say that. He's not, you know, Mason Taylor. You can get up over a hurdle. Woody Marks, Nick Chubb, did not practice on Wednesday. Uh-oh.

I am more concerned for Chubb to miss. I think Woody Marks will be okay. I think this is a managing of a man who got, what, like 26? 26 carries, and they're going to be heading into the weekend, which I'm projecting Chubb to be out. They're like, whoof, Woody Marks is going to have to touch the ball a lot. But you do pay attention. That was the Chubb injury, so we'll see what they do second up behind Woody Marks. Marvin Harrison Jr. did not practice on Wednesday. He just doesn't seem like a guy that wants to play right now. That's what it seems like. I mean, have you heard John Gannon talk? Oh, man. I don't want to play for that guy. Yeah. Do it. Number two. There he is. Yeah. There he is. Again, Andy. Number two. Got him. Now we can fire him. Alvin Camara did not practice on Wednesday. Devin Neal was limited.

Pat Bryant did not practice. And he's probably not playing. Benjamin Albright said he's expected to be sidelined. That's a bummer. Yeah, he was out on the field. He's making his rookie progression to where it's like, hey, now we've got a good full-time starter and then gets hurt. We had Jaden Daniels ruled out yesterday. It'll be Marcus Mariotta. We did have positive news on T. Higgins, limited in the concussion protocol. Mind blowing. How, like, what? When you get a concussion and then you come back, and then you hit your head and go in the blue medical tent for a concussion and then you come back and you hit your head another one you're basically ruled out with a concussion that's usually where you shelve a guy for a while but he is practicing so i i can't imagine if he's yeah i look i'm not a i'm not a neuroscientist okay what yeah i know i know a lot of people think i am thought you were yeah i know that's i've got to say it but um

I feel like it's dumb and, like, you know, malpractice to put a guy who keeps having his head hurt back on the field that quickly. I'm a, you want to get out there for your team. I get it. He talked about that as well, trying to be the soldier and everything. But when your team can go from a 1% chance to make the playoffs to a 3% chance. With a win. With a win. and your brain is kind of beat up. And important. Your brain? Oh, yeah. I'm, again, not a neuroscientist. You're breaking news all over the place. But I really do think it's one of the important pieces of the human body. Did you attend any med school? A little bit. Okay, I could tell. That was news and note sponsored by Progressive Insurance. Quote today at progressive.com progressive casualty insurance company affiliates and third party insurers. Not available in all states or situations. Coverage subject to policy terms, limits and conditions.

Oh me, oh my, it's playoff starts of the week. Starts of the week. No pressure, guys, just the playoffs. Yeah. So, Mike, why don't you go ahead and lead us off? My start of the week at the quarterback position, I'm going with Jackson Dart against the Washington Manders. I love it. Only Josh Allen is averaging a higher fantasy points per drop back this season. So it's not just getting it done on the ground, which Jackson Dart. at home averaging 43 rushing yards per game. I would say that is the most questionable thing about Dart is he didn't have a designed run. The last time we saw him, he got exploded on the sideline. Will they run him as much? That's the question. But even if that's like the bonus, that's the icing. Because I think that that Dart can get it done just as a pocket passer. Washington dead last in yards per pass attempt allowed and they are 30th.

and schedule-adjusted fantasy points to the quarterback position. A little sidebar. Do you like Darius Slayton or Wondale by extension? Oh, yes. Oh, yes. The, I, Theo. Yes, I'm, I'm into the Giants this week. I came to put Jackson Dart in as the playoff start of the week, and he was already in under Mike. So I agree that I can't imagine not wanting to play him. No, man, you got to stay out just in case it goes bad. Yeah, no, I, um. I love that start. I'm playing Jackson Dard over Baker in, I believe, listener league. Lamar Jackson is going to be my start of the week for the fantasy playoffs. Oh, man. I get it. I'm not going to tell you I'm not a little nervous about saying the name out loud, which seems impossible, especially against a 31st ranked passing defense that gives fantasy points up just the most benevolent defense.

that you've ever come across. Lamar was in the top 10 last week. He had his most rushing yards since week four. This is the third highest of the year. This is the most must-win game for Baltimore. I think you can have confidence playing him. I do. He's my quarterback three on the week. If I had him, I'm absolutely playing him. My start of the week in the playoffs. In for Gars. Jared Gough, look, this is revenge at the core. He's going back to Los Angeles. playing against the Rams. This game has a 55 and a half point over under. The Rams are very difficult. I know. Mike's, Mike started or Jason's start of the week has got all the drops. The Rams are very difficult to run. And I, and I hope that is very true this week for Jemir Gibbs. He's been going three touchdowns, no touchdowns, three touchdowns, no touchdowns. Look, I need the people need Jemir Gibbs. Half the people need Jemir Gibbs to be bad. So I'm with that half.

Okay, but my point is, against the Rams, it is difficult to run on. And against the Rams, opponents are averaging 36 pass attempts per game. In 29 games as a lion, where Goff hits 36 pass attempt threshold, he averages basically 300 yards and two touchdowns a game. The over, under, there's going to be so many points scored here. So I would be okay playing Jared Goff. Is that because of this guy? I just wanted to show the lights. We fixed it. Yay. If you saw it on the YouTube. And Andy, you're not so angry looking today. Oh, the red light is gone. You really chilled out. Yeah. Yeah. Didn't Hulk out. And Al, an owl is back. Coincidence? No. No. It's the reason. I'm running back. Just reminds me of filming spitballers yesterday. Oh my goodness gracious. Did you hear about that? I did. Yeah. Matt, let me know. Yeah. The fill in Papa Josh. Just forgot.

how the games are playing. He was totally unprepared with the answers to the whole game. We played a game. Teacher showed up without the answers to the quiz. It's like, okay, now what's the answer. Is that right? I don't know. Just tell me what the answer is. All right. Running back Monday to the spitballers pod. Yeah, there you go. My running back started the week. We mentioned it because he didn't practice today or yesterday. I think he goes if he doesn't play, I won't play him. However, if he, if he's active, Woody Marks against Arizona. The running back 14 last week in Arrowhead, 29 opportunities. He will be the focal point of the offense. And Arizona is just getting crushed by the running back position. I mean, the recent one, of course, of the Corum and Kyron Williams combination, but it's not just those two guys. They've been getting destroyed at the running back position all year long. 27th and schedule adjusted points. And the Texans are nine and a half point home favorites.

Love a starting running back in that condition. So you want Woody Marks and I was like, yeah, I want a guy that didn't practice on Wednesday either. Yeah, yeah. But I think it's Chris Rodriguez this week. I am in. You know, again, he didn't practice Wednesday. He did the same thing last week. I hope he's fine. If he's not fine, don't play him. But he's taking on the Giants. You're talking about trying to find somebody you have confidence in. He has scored four rushing touchdown since week seven. He is the preferred running back. It is a good matchup. The Giants are almost dead last. In all the major metrics against running backs, rushing guards allowed per game. He runs hard. And I think, you know, he's got more touchdowns than James Cooker, Bejohn Robinson since week seven. I think Chris Rodriguez is an actual real option this week. Agreed. What was it? Two or three years ago, who was the...

Who's the backup running back for Washington? Jared Patterson? Jared Patterson. Yeah. Who won people fantasy championships, and it was a hard thing to say out loud. Oh, yeah. He was in our line. Yeah, he was. I was. I think Chris Rodriguez will have a role this year. Yeah. Or this playoffs. Yeah, for the playoffs. Sometimes you need someone who can go nuclear. That's what I'm hoping for and calling here for from Travis E.TN. He is the running back 11 on the season. He's averaging 18 and a half. opportunities per game, and he's quietly been a top 12 back five of the last six weeks since Jacksonville's by week. Baychild-Tooten last week, 3% of the snaps, two carries. So this is a matchup against the Jets rush defense that's 30th in rushing yards allowed. They're 28th and rushing touchdowns allowed, 28th that schedule adjusted fantasy points allowed. The matchup is perfect. They are huge favorites, 12.5 point home favorites.

And when Jacksonville wins the game, on average right now, ETN's basically 15 fantasy points a game. So I think you're going to need a massive week in your playoffs, and I believe you get one this week from ETN. My wide receiver start of the week is a Mecca Egbuka, aka a Mika Egbegbu. I don't have the drop if you want it. Emika Egbegbu. I don't know if that drops been good for him. It has been brutal. The last month, outside of the top 40 each of the last four weeks. Did he curse him? Perhaps. But I will uncurse him for everyone here. We're back, baby. Atlanta, their past defense since week nine, or week eight, I'm sorry, against wide receivers, dead last. The targets are still there. You can't be as talented as Buka is getting nine eight, eight, and nine targets.

and not have a situation where it finally clicks and happens. I think Mike Evans being back is a good thing for Ibuka. You can't, like, he doesn't have to carry the pressure of being the number one guy for the entirety of the game. And I think that he's good enough. I think that the numbers and the target share plus the matchup. It's, I get, I understand the fear. A third is starting out, your fantasy playoffs on Thursday night with Amika Egg Begboo, but I would do it. Fear is a good word to summarize all three of our starts of the week at wide receiver. I mean, I'm going D.K. Metcalf on Monday night football. You're starting on Thursday night football. I'm going Monday night football. Some pepto. You might have your entire season on the line. Takes on Miami. You love the target share last week. Too important to this offense. Miami's past defense is allowing the highest completion percentage in the NFL. I think you're going to have a nice.

follow-up performance from D.K. McAf, I want to give people confidence to make that decision. Yeah, to complete the trifecta of scary wide receiver starts the week. Oh, man. I'm picking someone who has four receptions and 15 yards combined in his last two games. And he might be the best wide receiver in the National Football League. It is Justin Jefferson. So difficult to choose to start a guy who has been so irrelevant with nine at quarterback. But if you want help in making that decision, you're looking at him and say, can I start him? I'm telling you you can. The Dallas Cowboys defense, if not now, win. Okay, there are 32nd in passing yards allowed. So that last week. Never is an answer. 30 second in schedule adjusted fantasy points allowed to wide receiver. It is the worst matchup for the best wide receiver in football. He can break tackles. He can, he's going to have a decent game this week.

and I am giving you the permission to put it all on me. So if he... What was the tackle breaking about? I'm saying that the Cowboys are such a bad defense that we just got to get the ball in Justice Jefferson's hands. And he can make things happen on the field against the poorest defense. So this is permission. Justin Jefferson has a bad week. You lose your playoffs. That's Jason Moore's fault. It's the right time to do it. So we had this conversation yesterday. And I'm just, I was just having fun with it. No, it's terrifying. I completely believe in Jefferson this one. That phrase, if not now, when. And never. Never for the rest of the year. That one is terrifying. It is terrifying. I mean, McCarthy looked better last week. Yes, he did. Three touchdowns. They all went to tie-ins. Do you want to do like a little bit of a like a solo cam guarantee just so that the audience knows who?

I guess he said it's on him no I know but I just want something clippable I don't think I all right here's that's not Justin Jefferson should be started in your playoffs and if he has a bad game it's my fault not yours thank you you're welcome what it would it can't be like JJ McCarthy's fault did I get the solo camera real quick on Justin Jefferson if he has a good game I would also like a little bit of credit Thank you. Go to me. Yeah, that's what I was saying. Give me the light. Don't do it. All right. We got our bases covered. We got all the social media clips needed. I think I'm taking a bad. I am with you that like matchups. Matchups do matter so much. And the Dallas Cowboys matchup has has given us just, just delectable goodies all season long. It better work.

better out that's me talking to like the vikings it better freaking work all right all right my tight end start of the week yeah let's do it i'm stacking with jackson there's a there's a lot of fun options at at uh tight end this week but theo johnson i'm stacking him with perhaps his best buddy jackson dart we're getting some you know whispers out of new york that we can we may have a bromance go oh what you like scatabuga dropped that quick Well, Scataboo can't play right now. I know. Also, you can have a sad guy. You can have a couple, couple of bros, man. Yeah. You can bro down. Well, I mean, it, they, it was four, four and six, you know? Now it's just eight, four and six. Right. The numbers were close enough where they can just change it. Five top ten performances six or since week five. He's on pace for 89 targets, 600 yards and seven touchdowns. That's the part we like is the seven touchdowns. And that puts.

Theo Johnson in a position to be in a list of names that you want to be associated with, with Kittle, Kraft, Brock Bowers. I like Theo Johnson this week. I like him long term as well. Also, Washington is 31st and scheduled adjusted points to the tight end position. They're not as bad as the Cincinnati Bengals, but over the last two weeks, they have been. Yeah, I, look, I kind of, I locked in Dalton Kincaid is when I started the week at tight end. I vacillated a little bit. thought about throwing Isaiah likely in there, who I love this week. So he's honorable mention. But I'm staying with Dalton Kincaid. The Dawson Knox news that he's not practicing. Dalton Kincaid right back into the lineup, right back into the end zone last week. He is. He is. I have been on record this week. I think that the Buffalo Bills are going to crush the New England Patriots. I think that's what happens this week. And I think after this week, everybody will be with me.

with the level of confidence that I have that the Buffalo Bills will be the AFC champions this year. That's saying a lot of things into a microphone. It is. But it's what I believe, and this is a team in the Patriots, that not only do I think Buffalo will succeed and that Dalton Kincaid is the top option, let's throw in the fact that they're bottom five against tight ends. They don't see the tight end position well at all. 27th in receptions allowed to opposing tight ends. Kincaid is that important. He's that talented. They don't have the other pass catchers they need. And Josh Allen is going to be the one that they put in control in this game. So I like Kincaid. Dalton Kincaid barely plays. And he's done it all year long. All year long. He barely plays. And yet when he's on the field, when he's on the field, if you're a defense, I don't know how you're like, oh, guys, Kincaid's on the field. Double cover him. Well, I think, I think the thing is, is he's off the field so much you forget.

You're like, oh, they just, they let their guard down. Yeah. And then they sneak them on the field. Yeah. And then they don't guard. This is next level coaching. I do. I want to follow up on this. I think Dawson Knox is fine. Okay. So I think he will still get his snaps. It doesn't change anything for, but I wanted to look in to see if there's anything follow up. I think it might be just personal reasons that he was out. Okay. My start of the week. Mark Moneybag Andrews. Uh-oh. Money bag? They fit all that money in one bag? That's a huge bag. That's a huge bag. They call me money bag. Yeah. Look, the snap route participation, it's still Mark Andrews. Last week, 79% of the routes Mark Andrews was on. They are playing the Cincinnati Bengals, which has given us glory. I think you could start Isaiah likely as well. Isaiah likely had 96 yards against

the Bengals a couple weeks ago, he is that tight-in two that we talked about, we talked about yesterday, like the tight-in two for their respective teams, Dawson Knox last week against the Bengals, has good games. But I hope you didn't hear what we weren't saying, which is the Titan one is even better. The Titan one is still dominating. The Titan won for teams against Cincinnati, if you added their yards up, they would be seventh most in the league. Not like at tight end, just behind. Jackson Smith and Jigba, Pooka, Pickens, Chase, Ammon Ra and Trey McBride. And then it would be whoever is tied in one against the Bengals. So Mark Andrews should be started. There's your start of the weeks. Starts of the week. Money bag. You got me. Where do S's go? Let's take a break. We'll jump into the forecast. All right.

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You guys remember in Dodgeball when he's offering LaFleur the money? And he's like, you might be like you've never seen it. And because he opens the case. You're like, oh, that's not very much. It's actually looks really small for that amount of money. Oh, my goodness. I don't know if you've ever seen $100,000. Here we go. Fantasy Forecast, presented by prize picks. Let's start with a cold one. Cleveland, 3 and 10, taking on the Chicago Bears at 9 and 4. Big game for the Bears. If they win, their odds of making the playoffs 71%. If they lose this game under 50%, this might be one of the coldest games in the history of Soldier Field. What? Yeah, 10 degrees. The game time temperature, that would be the fourth coldest ever. I mean, how cold was that one Kansas City game where they're like, where people got,

Ross Friday. They're like, oh, guys, you better take care of yourself here. Stay safe, everyone. It's, um, you know what? You know what's all the rage I hear is the, uh, domes? Well, no, it's the clothes with all the heating mechanisms inside of it and the batteries. Oh, like a battery power. The vests with the heating vests and stuff. That game was negative four with a wind chill of negative 27 in Kansas City. So this is warm. Compared to that one. Yeah, no complaints. Guess what? Since the week five by the Bears rank number one in yards per game. It's because they're running the ball like crazy. Yeah, 175 rushing yards per game. You know, we'll see what happens in this one for their defense and whether they can step up. I mean, a shocking stat to combo with that since the by week in week nine for the Cleveland Browns, they are the third best matchup for running backs.

Like you can run against them. The last six weeks, they're averaging 20, 28 points given up. It wasn't just Pollard, but it's like the Jets, Baltimore, Vegas, you know, McCaffrey, I think below expectation, but that's because McCaffrey's expectations is astronomical for him to hit every single week. And then Tony Pollard, both Swift and Kyle Minangai are in play for me. Well, I agree with that. The Browns. Conversely, number one against wide receivers, they give up 13 fantasy points total to wide receivers. So that kind of makes you ask questions about Caleb and, you know, the other pass catchers. I would prefer not to play Caleb this week. Does that go for pretty much anybody that runs a route for that team? Colson Loveland, DJ Moore, Luther Burden. No, I'm still okay with them because what's your replacement look like? I think you can find a replacement in single quarterback.

I think you can find a better option than Caleb this week. I feel like this week. Like Mario, like Mario, like Mario, I agree with that, but I think that the same is true at tight end. There's a lot of good tight end matchups. Okay, that's fair. Isaiah likely, Theo Johnson. The guy on the other side? Yes, Fanon. Oh, yeah. Yeah, I play Fanon for sure. I don't, I don't think I'm starting really any pass catcher for the bears. I haven't seen, I think Harold Fanon's been in the most questions I've seen on Twitter. Because people want to know, do you play him over Tyler Warren in that game in Seattle? I would. Do you play him over Mark Andrews? Do you play him over Colson Loveland? Loveland for sure. Andrews is tough because he might just catch three passes for two touchdowns. His ceiling is so high. But Fanon, I like Fanon a lot. He's right now in my ranks, number two. He's going to see a massive target share. Shoulder, if the offense is going to function at all, it will be because of Fanon. And they're.