Week 3 Studs & Duds + Free Willy - Fantasy Football Podcast for 9/27

team dominators at the running back position, and two of them are injured. Christian McCaffrey went down, Dalvin Cook missed the game. So that's really unfortunate. Man, they are so special when they're out there, though. I mean, it shows you both where the NFL is going with the split backfield and also how valuable having those guys win healthy. Maybe this is the opportunity to go trade for them. So will it stick with Kreme Hunt?

I mean, it will stick the fact that you can get this on a weekly basis with Kareem Hunt. What I'm saying is, this upside exists, and that's why you draft Kareem Hunt. You know that he will be behind Nick Chubb in terms of snaps, but he's an incredibly talented running back who gets featured a lot in the passing game. So.

Yeah, he's a running back two with upside each and every single week. Yeah, I mean, if you look at last year, what will stick is what we have already seen, not always the running back one, but last year, eight of the 16 games, he was the top 24 back, someone that you could play, someone you could flex. Half of his games, he was outside the top 24. So so far this year, he was the running back 13 week one, and the running back won this week. But.

42 in between. So he's a flex option with high upside. And well, Clyde did have a good game this week, but for those that wonder why they don't use him exactly like Cream Hunt, go watch Cream Hunt play football. Yeah. And you see some tackle breaking that is. You can't take him down. Yeah, I mean, it's kind of like, there really isn't anybody parallel to him on tackle breaking. No, there really isn't. There, you know, Derek Henry can run over guys and run away from guys. But when you're just talking about Defender has his arms around you, okay, go.

It's like a wrestling match that Kareem Hunt, I think if you gave me a hundred chances, like Kareem Hunt stand there. I get five seconds to tackle you. He's just standing. I don't think I could get him down. James Robinson, 15 for 88 against Arizona, had a touchdown and had a lot of dump off target, six for 46, did fumble, has Cincinnati, Tennessee, and Miami. Will it stick, James Robinson? These are the flashes that you needed to see.

from James Robinson. So if you were, if you weathered that storm, I would say better things are ahead. But granted, the Arizona defense, while they dismantled the Titans and Derek Henry in week one, this is now back-to-back weeks of Dalvin Cook was, it felt like Dalvin Cook got eight yards every single time he touched the ball against Arizona. And James Robinson very effective.

The run-stopping ability of Arizona is very questionable. His fantasy finish won't necessarily stick because he's not going to get a touchdown every week on the Jags. But the usage is what matters. 65% of the running back attempts, 100% of the running back targets going off of week two where he had a stranglehold. He's the guy there. James Robinson or David Montgomery rest of the season. David Montgomery.

Peyton Barber had a career day, 111 rushing yards, career high. She's the RB3 on the week. Peyton Barber is the RB3 on the week against Miami. I hope you tuned into this. Jason has got his hand on his face like he's just. It's just what a world. I disagreed with Mike on the live stream. If you tune into Sunday live and I know Mike you asked for the tapes to be scrubbed, but they have not been scrubbed. It is still out there.

You said, you think. I whispered. Yeah, you whispered. I heard it. I think Peyton Barper's a good play this week. And, uh, you're right. Oh, Gruden. Uh, Naji Harris, 14 for 40 on the ground. That's gross. Making the third consecutive disgusting ground game performance for Naji in the offensive. So why is he talked about the studs? But, uh, wouldn't you know that Nazi Harris had 19 targets? What? 19. You could. That's.

So many. You could absolutely project an uptick and targets for Najee as soon as Deontay was ruled out. No question. And then the perfect storm hit because Juju suffered an unfortunate injury and was knocked out early in this game. Where do the short targets go? And they all went to Najee Harris. He's the number one our running back in full PBR this week. Is he?

Yeah, because he had, I mean, you have 14 catches and 102 receiving here. Okay. 14 receptions. Now, this speaks two things out loud. It says this is excellent for Najee Harris, and this is the worst sign and signal you could ever have for an offense. Yes. One that has three elite wide receivers. Yeah, I know they're banged up right now. But, I mean, this way, backstep, three step, five step drop, Naji Harris.

while you look uncomfortable. That's what Big Ben did this week. So impressive. DeAndre Swift right now, I believe, is the running back three in fantasy. Oh, overall? Overall over three weeks. Really? Maybe in half or full. 7 for 60 through the air, 14 for 47 and a touchdown on the ground. Still split with Williams. This was the most snaps that Jay Willie has seen on the season. It was almost a full 50-50 split here.

I was going to mention it when you were talking about Corrine Hunt, but knew we would talk Swift anyways. This is a Cleveland situation where both of these running backs are startable. Swift is clearly the guy and is the much better play. Can I caveat it a bit, though? Sure. This was a competitive game. Close game. We talked last week. A lot of Swift is, you know, the second half and all those dumpoffs. If the game script for Detroit goes the wrong direction, which.

I mean, if you look at the schedule Chicago next week, that'll probably be a competitive game based on what happened this week. Cincinnati in a couple weeks should be competitive. I think in a neutral game script, these guys are 50-50 partners. I would agree. 50-50 partners, but 50-50 of a team that really does want to, you know, establish the run and the talent of Swift is just outlandishly high. He is worthy. He's electric. Boogie-woogie. And also, I just want to, the last thing I'll say on this backfield is I would love for Jay Willie to

to stick as a name. Yeah. Honestly, all I've been thinking about is once Mike said Jay Willie. Yeah. I saw him on Sunday morning on the couch just screaming free Willie! Oh yeah. Free Willie! Every time he gets a touchdown or a touch. And this is referencing Jamal Williams running back to the Detroit Lions. Yeah, I don't know if Jay Willie we've ever heard that before. No. But we won't be the last time. Alexander Madison, I owe an apology. You know, he had the perception had been.

a letdown. And I think that came from, people were drafting him every single year. Yes. And then when he had his opportunities, he was either hurt or like, you know, he had one underwhelming game coming in for an injured Delvin Cook. But there's nothing you can say negative about 26 for 112, six for 59 in the passing game. He was great. He was a great pivot if you had him. And unfortunately, I didn't. However, I did pivot to Peyton Barber in a league. And that was great.

Other honorable mentions at running back, I know we've got to get through these, but Echler, Camera, Sequin, Sequin looked good. 85% of the snaps, second most among running backs. He was not efficient in the running game, but when you get that many snaps and seven targets, you're going to be fine. Well, he should do the nausea. He should be a benefit or the beneficiary of now Slayton injured and Shepard injured. Barkley will be part of the passing game. Derek Henry, 28.

carries again. It continues. Didn't get in the end zone. Still was fine for your team. And, oh, boy, I am looking forward to the New York Jets and the Jacksonville Jaguars for Eric Henry in the next two weeks. James, I think, oh, go. No, no, no, no. I was going to say that one name we need to bring up before we leave is Clyde Edwards Allaire because it was a great game. It was a great game. He looked good. I kept watching plays. It was like, oh.

Where's this guy been like breaking tackles, having speed, 17 for 100 on the ground, got a receiving touchdown. Oh, boy. That was so nice. Yeah, that's helpful. And a fumble. And another fumble back to back weeks. Very encouraging if you watch the game to watch how he did it. Did your spirits brighten up with Clyde and Iuke both getting into the angel? Oh, yeah. It felt much better to know like these, these aren't bad players. If two weeks that happen poorly happened in week eight and nine, they're just, you know,

glanced aside. When it's one and two, man, it gets scary. But also scary is the next three weeks for Clyde, Philadelphia has been tough against the run. We'll see how they do against Dallas tonight. Buffalo's been shutting everybody down. And Washington is a good defense. And I think we'll get it, you know, the ship righted on defense by three weeks from now. So let it worry. Yeah, it's just like if you want to try to capitalize.

On Clyde having a good game, 100 yard, gets in the end zone, maybe you kick the tires. Antonio Gibson against Buffalo, 12 for 31 on the ground. So they've been stopping people there. Had the one catch. Lucky for fantasy players, it went for 73 and a touchdown. Yeah, wow. It was awesome. Coach Rivera and the Washington staff. Did you see that play? Did you see that? Would you like more?

Of that? Are you making the pitch? Throw Antonio Gibson the freaking ball. Well, to be fair, they threw him another ball on a wide open little slant for the end zone and he dropped. Everybody has drops, but not everybody can take a 73-yard screen pass to the house. I mean, I agree with you. You watch him run away, and it's like, oh, they're not catching him. It was awesome. The speed that a man of his size.

can get up to is ridiculous. He, uh, he also, they did try. I mean, they heard you a little bit yelling from home. They did try later in the game. It was tipped on another screen pass. So maybe they're, maybe they're going to go, go to the tape as my, as we'd say, and, and work more of this into it. I don't understand genuinely. This is just like a call to all 32 teams. If you have an elite player, like Alvin Kamerick, Christian McCavry, Dalvin Cook, any of these prolific running backs.

and you don't call five design screenplays where you let the defensive line come through and you try to get them in space. I'm talking to you, Tennessee, with Derek Henry. Amen, brother. If you don't, look, I'm even willing to throw Clyde in there. Absolutely. And if you don't do that, you're stupid. Chubb? Get them out. Get them out there. Nick Chubb. All right. Coordinators.

Uh, wide receiver studs. Mike Williams, nine targets, seven for one, 22 and two and still uninjured. He's absolutely boom, Shakalaka on fire. One fewer target than Keenan Allen on the season. Second most target, second most receiving yards, second most receptions. Oh, that's in football. Yeah, that's why I was saying I think Keenan might be the one beat. The target, the target split at least through three weeks is so close. Let me make you uncomfortable. Would you trade Keenan Allen for Mike Williams?

Oh, my gosh. I would absolutely not do that. And I totally understand the rationale behind doing it. Mike Williams is the wide receiver too. He's dominating. He's the touchdown guy. Feels a little bit like buying some game stop at the tippy top. Right. I mean, I think... After everybody else got in. There's two things that can be true at the same time. That Mike Williams is fully legitimate and is a dude worth having in fantasy. He's going to dominate.

And he's not. He's a dude worth having. And he's not going to be what he has happened to be for these three weeks. Like those two things can both be true. And we'll talk about this next week. My thing to remember from last year of these dominating first four week wide receivers to trade them at their tippy top. I'm still, I'm still.

I still believe it. You know, the Tyler Lockett and Mike Williams and some of these guys that are just on fire because they will fetch you a million pounds of gold and they're not going to do this every single week for 16 weeks. It just doesn't happen. You take a player like Mike Williams, you combine them with another player on your bench or a position of weakness for your opponent and you go trade for Justin Jefferson.

Or you go trade for a top five guaranteed pick is what I would do. I'm just having deja vu of the Chris Godwin Mike Evans year. And I remember us being here week three going, man, you know, the jokes. Has Chris Godwin the number one on the team now? And he was. He was the number two wide receiver that year. Right. But if you remember.

the second half of that year, if you just look at the, like he finished the year at number two. Mike Williams will finish the year maybe ahead of Keenan Allen because he's already got a huge lead and a gap there. But the second half of that year, this is my point is like, if he finishes, if Cooper Cup finishes the wide receiver one, that doesn't necessarily mean that from that trading him was a bad idea. Right, because from week four now on.