Week 17 Matchups + Championship Choices, Weather Worries? - Fantasy Football Podcast for 12/27

So Bijan should get plenty of, of action. And that's really where people have beaten the commanders is more on the ground versus through the air. Did you, did you guys see, uh, maybe you, maybe you read this. Did you see this crazy stat? This is the first ever regular season matchup in week 15 or later between two rookie quarterbacks where both teams are over 500. That is impossible. It is a wild stat. I genuinely thought the wild stat was going to be the fact that their head coach. Where's a hat has, uh, gone backwards hat in 12 or 15 games.

Is that? Oh my gosh. Cause Kyle of course knows that Dan Quinn, 12 or 15 games with backwards hat, which I think we all admit he looks kind of silly, right? He does look, he looks so stupid with the backwards hats. It's like he's trying to look young. Can you try that for a second? From silly to stupid. Can you try the backwards hat, Jay? Let me see. Let me see if your takes are different. I don't know. They're a lot cooler and edgier. You feel kind of cool? That's for sure. I'm so much younger now, man. Right, guys? Yeah.

Hello, kids. Brian Robinson, what are you doing? Oh, man. Jason had a backwards hat streak a few years ago, according to Kyle. Yeah. You were rocking the backwards hat? I did, yeah. Was this a little bit of the crisis? Oh, probably. For sure. That's been running a couple years strong. Oh, it's going forever. Yeah. I plan on it. It will be an end-of-life crisis, too. I'm hoping that the end of my life will just keep extending, thanks to AI and whatnot. Stay in the mid? So I'll just constantly be in my midlife. Brian? Until our new overlords take us down.

Oh, the robots? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Of course. But they'll know the weather. Brian Robinson Jr. Or Jerome Ford? Oh, man. I think I'm going to go B-Rob. I'll go Robinson. B-Rob had a very bad game last week, obviously. Lost the two fumbles. It was against the Philadelphia Eagles, who are so tough. But even just a week prior, he had 21 carries, three receptions. He was the running back 24. The game previous, he was a top 10 running back. I think B-Rob is a player that is fine to start. We did get updated news here. Malik Neighbors, Tyron Tracy both will practice on Friday.

Hopefully they play on Sunday. I mean, that's a lot better than a game time decision, Mr. Neighbors. How do you feel about Drake London? With Michael Pennix, who, you know. Michael Pennix looked good. I don't know how he'll play in the rain, and that concerns me more. 200 yards, no touchdowns. Yeah, that concerns me a little bit more. He had eight targets, caught 63% of them. Yeah, I don't view him really much differently than when Cousins was there. Mooney was 5 for 82 last week. He's a flex play? Yep, yep. All right. Zach Ertz probably off the table for you after a 1 for 12 coming off the concussion?

I wouldn't do it. All right, we will. And the matchup is tough. The Falcons are stronger against tight ends. Oh, fun fact for you. Chris Godwin still has 30 more receiving yards than Kyle Pitts. I did see that. We'll take a break. We'll hit the Monday Night Football game so Al can think about it even more. Detroit, San Francisco, Monday Night Football, the final game of Championship Week. And, yes, we have some players that matter. Detroit, three-and-a-half point road favorites. The over-under is a beautiful, spectacular 50.5, which is the exact total I expect from Jameer Gibbs in this game. 50.5.

Clear skies, good weather. This is the way to finish the championship week. Fun fact. The 49ers are 25th against running backs on the year. 28th over the last six weeks. What position does Gibbs play? Jameer Gibbs is indeed a running back. So, um, hmm. Owl, how are you feeling about this matchup? I just need to go into it up 45. Okay. There you go. So, uh, Detroit favored, highly motivated. They are the number one seed. If they win and Minnesota loses to Green Bay, which Minnesota is now 1.0, they can lock up the number one. Oh, man. I really hope that doesn't happen.

Is it locked? Yeah, because they play each other next week. They play each other next week. But I think the, the cover, uh, division schedule. Yeah. The Lions have it. I think that is right. So, I want that week 18 Lions-Vikings matchup to be for the bye. So, I guess I'm rooting for the Vikings this week. Um, both teams, we know it. The Lions, the 49ers, ravaged by injuries. Detroit has 22 players on IR. That's number one. San Francisco, 15 players. We do expect Isaac Garindo back out on the field. That's a good thing, right? Yeah, that's definitely a good thing.

And while usually, usually you worry about you just can't run on the Lions because of those injuries, the last few weeks, people have been running pretty well against them. Brock Purdy and Jared Goff, are they both in play this week? I got Purdy as my start of the week. I think they, yeah, I think they both are. Jared Goff gets the, like the, the, the 49ers have been strong against fantasy quarterbacks. Second on the year, seventh over the past six weeks. Uh, but not having David Montgomery there, I think puts Goff a little bit more, uh, higher probability of having a good game.

If you were staring down Debo versus Juwan Jennings and you're trying not to be too reactionary, um, the receiving yards line is significantly higher for Jennings. Yeah. Is that who you'd go with? That, that is who I would go with. And, and you're, you're bringing up the exact reason why Debo's receiving lines at 48 and a half versus Juwan Jennings at 64 and a half. And while last week you had Debo very involved in the running game, um, with a handful of carries game and seven for 96 through the year. Yeah. But the, the, the additional, uh, work in the running game, I feel like put him maybe where I would start him over Jennings, but that was without Garendo.

What if Garendo's out? Yes. Would it flip it? Yes, it would. That if Garendo does not play, then I'd go Debo. Huge game last week from Jamison Williams, Amon Ross, St. Brown, Gibbs and Goff all in play. Uh, just so you know, Mike, you said you wanted more fun facts. Sam Laporta. I do. He's been the tight end five over the last seven weeks played. Okay. Uh, and some, you know, they have needed him more. They've utilized him more. His last four weeks tied in eight, 11, one, and five. He has scored three touchdowns in the last four weeks. And I think in the last three weeks, seven targets, 10 targets, seven targets.

That's the more, that's the most important thing to me. Cause you, you had some stretches earlier this year where he had good games, but it was because just happened to have touchdowns and it wasn't really involved. The, the involvement over the last little bit, the loss of David Montgomery, meaning I think they really need to rely on Jared Goff, the passing game a little bit more like Chig or Laporta. I'm going Laporta. Just so you know, uh, before Montgomery went out, average opportunities per game for Jameer Gibbs was 16.8. First game without Montgomery, he received 28 opportunities. Holy moly. 28 opportunities.

It probably won't matter, but I hope it does. I hope, I mean, I, if it's 40 point lead, I'm still going to have a glimmer. Oh, you'll have some hope. You'll, you'll, you'll have a glimmer. Yeah. And, and, and you should. If it gets to 50, I'm not going to have a glimmer. Yes, you will. But maybe, but I did, I did watch for inspiration this morning, all six Alvin Kamara Christmas touchdowns. I watched them all. Were they, were they good? They were great. Guys, it was like one, two, three, four, five, six. And didn't they pull, like, they were, they could have had seven.

They could have had seven, but they, I think it was Taysom, yeah. Yeah. He, and that game stayed competitive. That's why I want to see. Took it away from him. The 49ers go out here and make this game competitive. It's why I like the defensive injuries for Detroit for the sake of the fantasy output. And, um, we do have an injury update. Jalen Waddell trending towards questionable tag. And Mike McDaniel says he's optimistic he can play. Wow. Oh. Which would delete Malik Washington from desperation. Yes. It deletes him. I also think there, there's been a handful of people I've seen questions where Johnny Smith

has been kind of the answer for the, um, a flex option as a second tight end. And depending on who your option is, that might have an effect on Johnny. All right. We're into the face-off. Fantasy face-off presented by draft Kings. Well, it was a close one last week. The Devon H hand play gave Jason hope in one of his matchups, but it gave me the victory. 157. Jason, 155. Mike at 116. My, uh, my, my Theraflu lineup did not come through. No, it didn't. And that's why this button has to get pushed. Wheel of shame.

All right. Spin the wheel. We have, I saw a fire me up, an ice man, uh, looney tunes. Where, what is it? That's really small. Where's the idiot. Oh, okay. Where's the idiot. Found him. Okay. I think we're going to be able to find him. Yeah. Uh, for those listening. Oh, stretch it out over the. Yeah. You got to stretch it out over the noggin. Yeah. Oh, that's tough. This is going to be a where's jacket. A where's Waldo. Yeah. I take, uh, I take issue with you guys insinuating that Waldo is an idiot. Um, or it's more. It is if you were him.

Yeah. Waldo is a man of the world. Yeah. This is. As are you. I mean, you've been lots of places. Yeah. So. Including the bottom of this shame. Oh, that looks great. Where's Waldo. Oh, this looks really good. Yeah. You've been working out. Well, let's start the lineup as you, uh, as you up found him, found the idiot. No, no, no. Hold on. Need the glasses. Oh, there he is. There's the. Now I am. Because of the glasses. People with glasses look like idiots. Yeah. Oh, wait. Huh? What? Nothing. All right. Hey, listen, let's let, uh, let's let Waldo kick it off here.

Who's your quarterback? Is Waldo like trying not to be found? I got to think so. Because if he was trying to be found, he should just change it to something that everyone else isn't wearing. Wearing candy cane striped hat and shirt is not the way to be incognito. And you don't blend into a crowd that way. Let's not overanalyze this, Mike. Let's just get you your lineup. All right. Am I first? Yeah. Uh, quarterback Jordan Love at 6,200 against Minnesota. Uh, I have quarterback Jordan. I'm sorry. Papa Josh says, uh, stripes add 50 pounds. Yeah. It's definitely not the sweatshirt.

Oh, cause horizontal. Yeah. It's horizontal. Stripes definitely do make you look larger, but when you put them on over your jacket, over your shirt. All right. Sorry. Who's your quarterback? Jordan Love as is mine. 6,200. You both went that way. I actually, um, I went to a at 5,800 saved a few bucks. Very important game for Miami. Enjoy that weather. Um, that's what I'm going to go with. Well, he throws the ball five yards. He don't care. Run through the air. At the running back position, uh, Johnny Taylor against the New York giants at 7,900. And then Jason's forever superstar start of the week.

Brees Hall against the Buffalo bills at 6,300. I have Jonathan Taylor as well. It's 7,900. And I paid up for Saquon Barkley at 8,600. I have Jonathan Taylor as well. So we all have him at 7,900. I went Bucky Irving and, uh, he's my start of the week. It's the Carolina game. I mean, 6,700 for Irving seemed like a, a slam down. Mike, your three wide outs. Uh, I got old man, Adam feeling at 5,700 going up against Jalen McMillan. McMillan. Who's only 4,600. So hoping that that game can actually do something. Then I saved some cash here. We're going with Don Tavian Wicks.

That is my stack. He's only 3,900. And it looks like Christian Watson may or may not play. I have Don Tavian Wicks and Jalen McMillan as well. You're right. Uh, yeah, so I've got, I've, I've got those guys and then Jaden Reed at 5,900. So I'm stacking twice with my dude. Uh, I'm, I'm doing a double stack as well. Uh, I've, I've locked it in. I didn't have time to pivot after the waddle news at the end. So I've got Tyree kill at 6,900 and Malik Washington at just 4,000. I also have McMillan. Okay. At a tight end. I imagine this is a pure wash.

I have Okonkwo. He is 3,600. It's same. Yeah. Okay. Uh, then Jason, I also have Saquon Barkley at 8,600. Uh, so I mean, I, I paid up. We're going heavy on the running backs. Very similar lineups again. Heavy on the running backs this week. And then I have the Miami dolphins against whoever the Cleveland Browns put out there for quarterback. That's a very nice defense. I have Bucky Irving in my flex at 6,700 and the Raiders against the rat tail at 2,600. I have the Raiders as well. And then my flex is a guy named Devon H. I have Devon H.

And Tyree kill Malik Washington. Holy Lord. Okay. On my super duper stack. Yeah. You know, I mean, dolphins can swim. So that weather's not a problem. No. Good. Good point. That was fantasy forecast presented by DraftKings Sportsbook. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app right now. Use the code ballers. That's the code ballers. And take advantage of special daily promotions. Only on DraftKings. The crown is yours. We got an update. One more update. Another one. Probably going to have more even after the show's over. We do have an injury blitz podcast available to those who follow the show over at jointhefoot.com. Matthew Batts comments on all the injury reports.

But very, very unlikely. Jalen Hurts plays. Press conference this morning. Nick Sirianni said it's very unlikely that he can make it into that game. So that's it. That's it. I found him. Found him right there. There he is. It's because I'm wearing a red and white striped shirt. Yeah. It's pretty easy to find you. Out of the three of us, I found you the easiest. And I'm looking very large. And in charge. Yeah. It's bulk season, Mike. All right. Sunday Live. Some ensemble. Might be just Mike. It might be Mike and myself. We'll see. Who knows? Sunday Live at BallersLive.com for championship week.

And we'll keep you updated over on Twitter at the FF Ballers. Maybe it's a good opportunity to tell you. You can follow the Almost Champion over there at Producer Borland, right? That is correct. And he'll be tweeting slash sweating into Twitter. Something like that. Yes. I'll keep you guys updated. Keep your blood pressure down. I got no control over that. Don't consume any external foods and drinks that might inflate what your body's already going to try to do to itself. Appreciate the tip. You said doo-doo. All right. Goodbye. Goodbye, everybody. Get us out of here. This is the Fantasy Footballers.

And good luck in your championships. Bring it home. Goodbye. 4-5-4-6-7-3-6-9. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org. Please play responsibly. On behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas, 21 and over, age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. One plus promotion per day. Promotion, sport, eligibility, and requirements vary. Ends December 31st, 2024. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see sportsbook.draftkings.com slash promos. We'll see you next time. Thank you.