Starts of the Week + Week 8 Breakdown, Middle School Memories

From years ago from this ridiculous podcast, Paul Perkins is up off the practice squad. Implications for Ty Johnson if Paul Perkins is the biggest threat to his workload. Yeah, I mean, there isn't really a big threat to the workload. Trey Carson and Paul Perkins and J.D. McKissick Smooches. I mean, you're, you know, Smooches is probably going to take that that.

you know, the third down pass catching role, although Ty Johnson was involved in the past catching game as well last week after Carion went down. But, I mean, we'll talk about Ty Johnson a little bit later. The matchup is phenomenal this week. And speaking of Smooch's, J.D. McKissick. If you missed out on the Ty Johnson lotto this week. And you got a spot on that bench. I think McKissick is worth the stash just to see how things shake out. He is.

a great pass catcher. Patrick Mahomes. He's been drinking those Sequin Barclay vitamins, apparently, because he got in a limited practice. He has not been ruled out. Who knows what's going to happen with Mahomes this Sunday? Raiders Tyrell Williams. He returned to practice. That's great news for him. Also great news, Jason. Oh! The Lazard King has, there's been an upheaval.

Right. Another revolution has taken place in the land of the reptiles. The lizard king is out. The lizard king. He's back, baby. Sammy Watkins, full participant in Wednesday's practice. So you got to expect that he's going to play. Yes, I think he's going to play. The question is, what do you expect him to do playing with Matt Moore as quarterback? Do you expect much? I will start him. Would you start him or Emmanuel Sanders?

You know what I mean? It's like one of those. There's a new situation here. At least with Sammy, it's the same system. I, man, but then Emmanuel Sanders is more talented. Sure. I'm going to go Sammy in that situation. Sterling Shepard, wide receiver for the Giants. He is likely out yet again with his concussion. Thursday night football updates. Adam Thielen, you, you, you snookered us. You liar said I'm going to play. Now, he's out.

It's being reported that Adrian Peterson is expected to suit up. I would not be playing Adrian Peterson if I had him for fantasy. Super revenge game. It's the super revenge game, but busted up ankle versus the Vikings. No thank you. Chris Thompson, the other running back for Washington. He is out. Reminder on tomorrow's show, we will play the game of in or out, projecting if we think guys are actually going to play. And if you want concrete.

proof of who is in and out. We have the Foot Clan Game Day alerts available for those who help support this independent podcast. Join thefoot.com. It's just one of the many perks you get. If you're not a part of the community, yesterday you missed a sensational footcast, an extra show just for the Foot Clan. Jason and I had an excellent time. I was finally, after a thousand combined shows, I was able to sit in front of the port. I'm the captain now. Yeah.

engage. So if you want to check that out, join thefoot.com. And do not forget Sunday live, I will be taking questions tilting, breaking down news one hour before kickoff this Sunday. Let's get into the matchups. Fantasy forecast. Reminder, Dallas and Baltimore are on the buy. So don't try and play those guys because you'll get zeros. Seahawks 5 and 2, Falcons 1 and 6, a 51 point over under.

The Seahawks are almost a touchdown favorite. We'll see if the news of Matt Ryan in or out can sway that line or not. But Russell Wilson, he has been fantastic for fantasy purposes. The Falcons are not good on defense. They're allowing the second most passing yards per game. Russell Wilson is in. Matt Ryan. How are you feeling about Matt Ryan, Jason? I know that he...

burned a lot of people. It may be similar to the Jared Goff play of a couple weeks ago where he was in your lineup. He really hurt you. You can sort of take the free pass with the injury where he left the game. However, he was stinky till then. But Mitchell Trebisky last week, just a absolute garbage dumpster of stench. And then like a...

Good garbage, man. He relished in that time and put up a good fantasy game. Matt Ryan could have saved his day. We don't know. But he's got the bum ankle. Is he going to, one, do you think he'll play? Two, if he plays, are you going to use him for fantasy purposes against the Seahawks? Dan Quinn said he's expecting him to play, so I think that he will. Dan Quinn is very much playing for his job going into the buy week. If Matt Ryan does not play, they have no chance of winning the game. So I think Matt Ryan gets out there. If he does.

play, I am fine putting him in my lineup. I realize he's not at 100%. But if you look at the last month, the Seahawks have given up a top 12 quarterback finish to everybody. And that includes Baker Mayfield. That includes a Jared Goff game. So, yeah, I think this is a high scoring matchup here because the Falcons can't stop anybody. And the Seahawks defense is not the same as it's been in years past. I would certainly start him if I, if I,

could. He's playing. Chris Carson, nearly 24 opportunities per game. He's locked and loaded in there with Rashad Penny getting, quote, this is just the way things have worked out, also known as you're not as good as Chris Carson. Get off the field. Devonta Freeman. He has had 90 plus yards in three games. The three other games were not so great, including being ejected this past week.

You don't like Freeman, Jason. It's been very noted on this show. But can you play him as a running back two this week? Sure. I mean, you can. He's been okay. He really has. Other than when he was ejected, he was the running back 18, the running back 16, the running back 3. And then he was ejected last week. No idea what he would have done. You know.

Yeah, you can play him. This is a game that's at home. And I think, like I said, they're playing for Dan Quinn's job. I think that the Falcons are going to go out there and give their best. If they quit, then it's like, they, right, they don't like this dude. We know what's going to happen. At the wide receiver position, this matchup is interesting because it's more about the secondary options. Julio Jones is in. Tyler Lockett is in.

Calvin Ridley upgraded situation, dare I say, a very upgraded situation with the trade of Muhammad Sanoo to the Patriots. He's had six plus targets every game except for week three. That workload should go up even more. And then on the other side of the ball, D.K. Metcalf is licking his Hulk chops. He's licking his whole chops. Hulk.

Oh, Hulk. Because he's a Hulk of a man. Sure he is. I've seen him. And when the Hulk refers to his chops, he does it in the third person. Oh, I did not know that. Now you know. I'm happy to bring that knowledge to you. D.K. Metcalf is in a great spot. Falcons 28 against fantasy wide receivers giving up 35 points a game to the position. I love D.K. Metcalf.

I really like Calvin Ridley. Where are you on those two guys? So I think both are good plays. You know, D.K. Metcalf is a red zone monster and a deep threat that is perfect for the Falcons defense. Like, you know, if he's going to end up this year with five or six bomb touchdowns and you had to guess which games they came, this would be the game where you'd be like, okay, I think this could happen. So that's his M.O. And that is the...

the faultiness of the Falcons defense. So yes, I'm good there. On the Calvin Ridley side, man, if Matt Ryan plays, which I expect him to play based on what Dan Quinn is saying, I think he's a really, really good start. You know, everything I just said about giving up quarterback ones, you know, that's the passing game. That's going to some of these wide receivers. And Calvin Ridley has had a bizarre snap.

Right. Like his snap counts, underutilized. Which should be in the 90s. You know, you just brought up. He's had six or more targets in all but one game. But that's coming on like, listen to his snap counts over the last few games. 76, 75, 64, 58, 65% of snaps. What is he doing? Get him out there more. And now he's going to have to be out there more because Mohammed Sanoos gone. So yeah, if Matt Ryan plays, Calvin Ridley should have a nice.

beginning of the rest of his career because I think this is oh like Calvin Ridley is beginning of the rest Calvin Ridley is going to be a great player yes just he's going to be a very fantasy relevant player for the next five or six or seven years and it starts now Austin Hooper is in a smash situation here any interest in either of the Seattle tight ends

It's a decent matchup against the Falcons defense, but hard to trust Luke Wilson, who plays about half the snaps and Jacob Hollister. So I'm going to answer the question for you. It's no. We are not interested. But fun facts, Seattle has the fourth most passing plays of 20 or more yards. Atlanta's defense, they've given up the fourth most passing plays of 20 or more yards. That's exactly what we're talking about with DK Metcalf as a good option. Cardinals.

Three, three, and one, the very 500 Cardinals are traveling to take on the Saints. The Saints are six and one. They are having an excellent season. We have a 48 point over under. The Saints are favored by nine and a half. Kyler Murray has been great for fantasy purposes, had just a little turd this past week because of the Chase Edmunds explosion. Are you going to trust Kyler Murray to be a QB1 on the road against the Saints?

It's tough because whenever I look at my rankings, you know, he ends up a little bit higher. The matchup on paper is good. Kyler has been great. He's got the rushing baseline. All those things are true. But if you really look, you know, some of the top 12. Right now, the Saints have only given up three top 12 performances. Two of those were on the road. Only one was at home. That was week one. That was Deshaun Watson.

You know, the other games that they've had at home, Dak Prescott, that was one of his bad games. You know, it's like this is, this is, I think Kyler's first experience really being in this type of environment. Very hostile. This might be the loudest stadium, if not it's certainly in the top three that he's ever played in in his career. Can you start Kyler? Absolutely. But the range, I don't think his baseline is as high as it usually is. Kyler or Josh Allen?

Josh Allen. Kyler or Kurt Cousins tonight? Kyler. All right. Teddy Bridgewater, are you considering streaming him against this Cardinals defense? Yeah, it's certainly something that you could entertain. If Drew Breeze was, if Drew Breeze is active, you know, that's a guy that, I mean, check your waivers. He might have been forcibly dropped. Sure. Or if you've been holding on to him, I would, I would start Drew Breeze.

I would not start, Teddy, I realize the matchup is unbelievably juicy, but where the Cardinals are beat, I mean, Patrick Peterson is back. So when you look at like, oh, the Cardinals are always getting beat, well, they were always getting beat without Patrick Peterson. If Patrick Peterson's on Michael Thomas, and then it's like, well, they'll get beat at tight end. Okay, Josh Hill, is he good? Maybe. Maybe Josh Hill beats the Cardinals, but my point is, like, the matchup isn't that great for Teddy Bridgewater. If it's Drew Breeze,

Michael Thomas is going to have a fine game. Also, if it's Drew Brees, Ted Ginn is in play for me. Ted Ginn in home with Drew Brees is always flex-worthy. At the running back position, Alvin Camara, if he plays, you play him. If he does not play, you play Latavius Murray. But can you play?

Latavius Murray, if Camara is active. Yeah, I think you can. If Camara is active, I think they're going to have a pretty even split here. And Latavius Murray has had two. Okay, so you think that the injury will factor into the workload of Camara this week. Yeah, I don't think they're going to come back and be like, okay, Camerra, you get 18 carries, Latavius, you get four. I think it's going to be a much more even split, and this is a defense. I think that's going to be the game plan, especially if it is Teddy Bridgewater, is going to be to beat the Cardinals on the ground.

Their offensive line is better than the Cardinals' defensive line. They'll succeed there. And I would start, I mean, he's not a must start if Camara is active, but he's a flex-worthy player. So I would be willing to start Latavius Murray. Larry Fitzgerald has had five or more receptions every game, except for this past week. New Orleans giving up the third most points to the slot. Is Larry in for you? And if he is, is he two or is he three?