Fantasy Football 2017 - Starts of the Week, Week 8 Matchups, Andy’s Happy/Sad Game

You're playing the Patriots whose best pass defense without a doubt is fog. That is their best pass defense. Last week, I think it actually affected the passing game because while you could see low on the field, when you're throwing the ball deep, it's got to go up. And, you know, it's easier to miss that ball. I think they, you know, I think that affected both quarterbacks. Maybe sign fog to an extension. Yes. If you're the Patriots, this week.

You're talking about a defense that has given up no less on the entire season than 21 fantasy points to the quarterback. That's the lowest they've given up. So if it's a bad game, a game that's disappointing, you know, you're still happy with it. Two times they've given up over 40 points. And Philip Rivers can get the job done. I think this is a high-scoring game. I'm firing him up. Any chance Mike Williams breaks out in this game? No. Okay. All right.

But I will say this, shipping off Don Trawl. Inman is a great sign for what they think they have in Williams. Absolutely. All right. Why don't you come right back with your running back? Yeah. My running back start of the week. What? Are you surprised? You hadn't seen it? No, I had not seen it. My running back start of the week this week is La Garrett Blunt. Fire him up. Got no problem with that. Here's the deal. San Francisco. Yeah, that's fair.

San Francisco's run defense has been so bad, and not just this year, but we're going back to last year from the 2016 season to now. They are giving up, on average, a top six running back. If you just take whoever plays against them, they are a great start week and week out. And to be honest, Garrett Blunts looked great. Not last week.

Last week, he didn't look as good as he's looked on the season, but he was playing a defense that's far better than San Francisco. He's also the time-killing type of back there. And this is a game where at home, huge favorites, you take that home favorite. Touchdown opportunity. I like Garrett Blunt. If he's on your roster, he should start. You're expecting the Eagles to have plenty of time to kill? Yes. Just reading books. Yeah. Hanging out. I'm going with.

Mike's motivational moment here, ladies and gentlemen, it was a smashing success for Mara Cooper. So I got you motivated Amari. I, yeah, we got Amari Cooper going. This guy has 23 plus carries the past three weeks in a row. Go J. Ajai is what I'm saying. And I like him a lot. Since week three, Baltimore is giving up 154 rushing yards per week. So I love a Jai tonight.

I think this is the breakout game, not necessarily for the future. So I should say a breakout game for this week. JJ. All right. I'm going with Joe Mixing against Indianapolis. We talked about this a little bit. I believe the next three games could really reset the season, not just for him, but for Cincinnati's offense. Indianapolis, listen to this. They've given up 170 yards and two touchdowns the last two weeks. That's 170 plus rushing yards and two touchdowns.

to the running back position each of the last two weeks. Joe, get it done, Joe. That's what I got to say. I'll jump back in here then with my wide receiver start of the week to Marius Thomas. The chiefs are allowing the most fantasy points to wide receivers. They're giving up 13 receptions per week the past three weeks to the wide receiver position. Yes, I know that Casey Hayward got to Marius Thomas last week. Shut him down. He did have the 80-yard offensive pass interference that.

Got wiped out, unfortunately, but we're just two weeks removed from him dominating the Giants 10 plus 10 receptions, 100 yards. I love Demarius Thomas this week. The only thing that would stop Demarius Thomas is if the offensive line cannot hold up against the Chiefs, which certainly is a danger, but I love DeMaris Thomas this week. Yeah, I like DeMaris Thomas this week, but when you say the only thing that could stop him is something that probably will happen.

That's a little bit more scary. My start of the week at the wide receiver position is Kelvin Benjamin. You've got a really bad performance last week by the entire Carolina offense and the question of is this Cam? Is this what's to be expected? And then we were looking for going, you know, look, we, by we I mean Mike and I don't believe that Cam Newton is a great quarterback.

but he has been able to get the job done for fantasy. And when we looked at the upcoming schedule, it's very nice. And it starts with Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay's defense against the wide receivers have been the second worst in the league as far as giving up points to the position. I mean, I think that there's a very low odds that Calvin Benjamin.

has a poor game this week against this defense that's so beatable. And there are, you know, the odds that he has that poor game are lower than the odds that he has a monstrous game. So if I'm, you know, Kelvin is usually right now on most rosters a guy that is a weekly decision. You're saying, do I start at him or do I not? And whenever a guy comes off a bad performance, you lean towards no.

And I'm saying lean the other direction. Kelvin should be fine this week. I'm going to grab myself a piece of the San Francisco game on the Philly side. And that's Nelson Aguilar. Look, Nelson Aguilar is the 10th ranked fantasy wide receiver. And I'm going to stay in the touchdown flames, three straight weeks with a touchdown, five of his seven weeks with a touchdown, earning the trust of Carson Wince, four or more receptions each the last three weeks. Look, he's surpassing Alshan Jeffrey right now.

in terms of notoriety and fantasy performance. So look, I don't think he's a world beater, but if you have the quarterback who's throwing the most touchdowns in the league and you have his eye like Nelson Aguilar does right now, I think you start him up, especially in a home matchup against the San Francisco 49ers. So I'm going to make Nelson Aguilar my start of the week. It's nice to see a player that I believe in him coming out of college. I certainly...

felt like he rewrote that narrative into being a bust, but he's coming alive. And my tight-in start of the week is the old man himself. Jason Witten, look, eight receptions, four receptions last week, had a touchdown. Washington's just atrocious against the tight-in position. And in my opinion, you know, Mike, you make the joke all the time. You say, Colt Beasley is the best wide receiver in Dallas.

Look, there's one wide receiver that can play in Dallas, and his name's Des Bryant. I don't think Colby's Lee's anything special. I don't think Terrence is special. I don't think Bryce Butler is special. I think Jason Whitten is the second best pass catcher on that offense. And I'm going to take him and his lack of athleticism. I'm going to roll him out against Washington. Because I like the fact that Washington's going to score on Dallas, too. I think this game is going to be an open. This is the DAC game. This is a DAC performance. So give me Jason Whitten. Give me a piece of it.

Every week is a DAC game. It has become that way. I'm all about that DAC life. Isn't it nice to see Dak Prescott and Carson Wins, the new superstars of the NFL? Yes. When you have some of these older guys that, you know, aren't going to be there forever. You can see the next generation. Yeah. I love it. My tight-in start of the week is pretty much a streaming option. But it's a guy that he should be on your waiver wire. And I have confidence in him.

That's the Tomb Raider himself, Tyler Croft. I'm doubling up on my bangles here. I said I like the matchup. You do. And the Colts are giving up the ninth most points to the tight end position. And we have found the other Tyler. Yeah. Eifert's gone. So they bring in Tyler Croft. He's got three touchdowns in the last three weeks. The matchup is juicy. So if you're looking at your tight end going, I don't, I don't know if I want to play Zach Miller this week.

Then stream away with Tyler Croft. In our league of record, I am playing Tyler Croft in my lineup this week. So it is, I think it's worthy advice. My start of the week at tight-in is Kyle Rudolph. We talked about it earlier. Cleveland is one of the worst teams against the tight-in. Second worst. Yes, they are the second worst. And if you look at, you know, I really like looking at trends that have continued.

from 2016. We're far enough in now where if a team was terrible against the position last year for the whole year, and now halfway through this year, they're still that bad. It's not going to change the second half of this year. And that's what you've got in San Francisco against running backs. That's what you've got in Cleveland against the tight ends. And so, you know, you've got a guy who in this bad landscape of tight ends,

his last four games he's had over five receptions over at least 40 yards those aren't terrific numbers but if you've got the volume coming up against a horrifically bad defense against tight ends i think you could start kyle rudolph plug him in he should have a good game and a great chance for a touchdown i was pretty tempted to make him my start of the week so um i like it i like the opportunity for him there all right that is it for the show the starts of the week we'll get the rest of the

Yeah, man. You're missing. Oh, you're right. Come on now. Sorry. Goodness. The most important part comes at the end. Jason Moore's Ironclad. Locked and loaded. 100% guaranteed boom, boom, kicker of the week. Harrison, Butker. I love it. You love it because he's your kicker. I love it because he's my kicker. There you go. It's got a great name. Yeah, for a kicker.

It's like you're the word. His name is Butker? His last name is Butchicker? Yeah. His last name is Buck Kicker. Harrison Buck Kicker. He's been kicking butt. That's pretty much just Harrison Ford. He's a butt kicker, too. I'm pretty sure Bucker's been the number one kicker since he took over for Carrow Santos. The last three weeks, I know for sure that he has been. There you go. You know, you've done the research. Yeah, because I thought it was Justin Tucker. It's not. Harrison Butker's been back. Harrison Butker's been back. Harrison butt kicker. Just to be sure.

Bucker over Tucker. Oh, over the last three weeks, yes. Yeah, but I'm just saying you're this week, your boom boom kicker, it's Bucker over Tucker. Yeah, Bucker over Tucker. All right. That's the kind of analysis we bring you here on the fantasy footballers. It's incredible. The rest of the matchups tomorrow, definitely check out draft. We talked about it earlier. Draft.com slash ballers. Play along with us. Have a good one, everybody. Goodbye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast.

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