Fantasy Football 2017 - Week 13 Matchups, In-or-Out, Hairy Friday

that monster game coming where he's going to finish the week up in the top 15. I just don't think that's going to happen. No, I see him right around 15. So I don't think we're very different on our prediction. I think maybe you think I like him more than I do. But look, he was great last week. That's what it comes down to. I would. No Robert Woods. They expect Robert Woods back in week 15. Yeah, and no shocker here. But this is a great game for Todd Gurley, the running back, especially Todd Gurley through the air. I think he's going to get it done. You're going to.

play pretty much all of those options. I wouldn't play Sammy Watkins. No. You know, Patrick Peterson has done a great job on the wide receiver ones. Adrian Peterson on the other side of the ball. At home, they'll feed him. Yeah, they will feed him at home. He's looked much better at home. And on the season, the Rams are the 31st worst team. 31st worst. 31st best, right? Yeah, they're the 31st best. Just 31st.

Ginst? Is that what you're going for? Because they're bad. Yes. There you go. They just haven't been able to shut down. They haven't been able to shut down the running back. So I do think you can play Adrian Peterson in this game. And that's coming from a guy who has not always believed in AP. I think he is a matchup, home road, and rest. You've got to take a lot of things into consideration. But those things point to a good week from AP this week. Ricky Seals, Joan.

Take a shot with Seals Jones. Would you play him over a guy like Tyler Croft? Man, that's a good one. I don't think I would. I don't think I would play him over Tyler Croft this week. I want one more week. I have picked Seals Jones up where I can, and he's a one more week hold before I line him up. The Giants take on the Raiders in Oakland. If you want the inverse of the Carolina, New Orleans defensive battle that we're kind of looking at.

despite the 48 point over under, the Giants and Raiders, well, they suck. They just can't play defense. And it doesn't matter if you look on the year or in the last six weeks, they both. It's all green. It's all bad. Against every position, both teams are outside the top 15 in terms of giving up more fantasy points. It's amazing the amount of points that the Giants are giving up to the wide receiver position right now. And then the Raiders are like, hey.

Hold my beer. Watch this. And Janoris Jenkins is out. You know, so that's even better news for, I know, Seth Roberts, another great sneaky play this week because if Amari Cooper doesn't play. Which we don't expect him to. And Michael Crabtree is suspended. Someone's going to get those targets. Now, if it's Quarreal Patterson, which, you know, our man Ben Cummins believes there, or Johnny Holton.

I mean, that's the one downside of Seth Roberts. He's not locked and loaded to be the guy. He's just a bet. Right. There will be a guy. Yes, that's for sure. One of those three guys will have a great fantasy game. This is why on DFS, I was saying, you might want to construct some lineups, like three different lineups, plug each one of those guys in because someone there is going to have a really nice game. It's a good point. And March on Lynch is going to be the biggest benefactor of limited pass catching options. They used them a ton last week, more than we've seen them used all year.

And he's going to have an opportunity against this Giants defense. It's just not that good. He's at home in Oakland. I really like Marshall. Love Marchon Lynch this week. He is a great play. If you've got him on your roster, he's usually one of those guys you're considering every week. Do I bench? Do I play? This is an absolute play week. Now on the other side of the ball, if I was Gino Smith, this is the defense I would want to come in against. Yeah, soft landing spot. Yeah. So can you stream Gino? Better feathers.

A bed of feathers. Gino has a nice baseline because he's a rushing quarterback. I mean, we've seen, you know, when Jacoby Brissette first got his start, he was terrible. I mean, awful when it comes to throwing the ball and knowing the scheme and, you know, having the rapport with the wide receivers. But he was still okay for fantasy because he was rushing the ball. Yeah. Look, I think people may, they may want to be fully hands off on the Giants, but that may cost you.

If you don't take a shot here... It's a great matchup for Sterling Shepard. Yeah, I think Shepard and Ingram, while I don't have the knowledge, like you're taking a guess here as opposed to a track record that you had with Eli. But look, Eli wasn't moving the ball very well. I mean, it's not like... We don't know who Gino's going to love to throw to, but guess what? You throw it to your best players. And Evan Ingram, second-most targets at the tight-in position, fifth on the year at the tight-in position. You can't sit him. No. You've got to play him against Oakland. And then...

The same thing. Sterling Shepard, by far the best wide receiver they have. Yeah, I mean, the thing is sometimes the backup doesn't come in, it comes in, it doesn't throw to that wide receiver one. But this is the case where you have one guy who can separate and get open on almost every play, and then you have, I don't know, three other guys that you are going, if you throw towards them, it's, well, I guess maybe Oakland will say, you know.

They can get separation this week, but I do think Sterling Shepard has a good week this week. His health is under control right now. Just to reemphasize that with a younger quarterback, a quarterback coming into his first start with the Giants, you're talking about read progression. If you're the number one wide receiver and you're the first read, you know.

Generally, you're not going to have these younger quarterbacks be able to walk through that progression as well. So if the shot is there and he has separation, Shepard Ingram, I think they'll be okay. Let's talk about a much more exciting matchup. Yeah, the one thing I will say before we move on, and I know we said it yesterday because it was your start of the week, but Jared Cook is another great option. I think he's as close to a must start tight end as there is this week. Yep, absolutely. The Eagles, 10 and 1. They head to Seattle to take on the Seahawks.

I was listening to the radio yesterday. I believe the Seahawks have four of their next five games. They are technically underdogs. So this is going to be pushed, comes to shove for the Seahawks without Sherman, Chancellor in that defense. Seven and four right now, they're five and a half point underdogs at home. When's the last time the Seahawks have been five and a half point underdogs at home? I don't know when that's been. I'm going to guess a hundred years. Yeah, I'll take the over on that guess. It's fascinating. I mean, this is,

Two of the best NFC teams, forget fantasy for a second. This is a game that the entire NFL and the entire world of NFL fans are going to be watching, salivating, saying this could be the NFC championship game between the Seahawks and the Eagles. The Eagles have been the best offense and the best defense.

over the last few weeks. And when you get that combination, 10 and 1. It's, yeah, you're 10 and 1. You're pretty good. Over the last six weeks, the Eagles, this is one of the reasons I really like Jimmy Graham in this matchup. The Eagles, they're the second best against quarterbacks, the first best against running backs, and the second best against wide receivers. That's pretty good. But they're 15th against tight-in. The ball has to go somewhere, and I think Jimmy Graham is the only somewhat safe option.

play Doug Baldwin, right? Yeah, you are, but I love the Jimmy Graham take too because, yeah, you're definitely playing Baldwin. But I love the Graham take because not only can they not run the ball, like Seattle cannot run the ball, but then the Eagles don't allow running the ball. So you mix those two things together. If they get around the goal in, which they will, they're at home, it's going to be a Jimmy Graham opportunity every single time. That's what we've seen all year long. He's their running game inside the five. So I love Jimmy Graham. I'm with you on that. He's your start of the week, right? Yep.

Okay, and then. Maybe. Honorary. Honorary. It's a goose. Oh, yeah, I got the goose is my start of the week. That's fine. Jimmy Graham's an auto start. That's why you didn't do start a week. Exactly. Doug Baldwin, you're playing. We talked to about the running backs already. I would avoid all of them. We just said why. Russell Wilson's an auto start. If you're not going to avoid one and you had to play one, it would be Jady McKissick for me. Okay. On the other side of the ball, there's not a lot to talk about. Carson wins. You know, Carson wins you're starting him.

The Seahawks defense is. But Andy. Yeah. Voice of public opinion. Carson Wins is going to Seattle. They're really, really, really good against quarterbacks. They're pretty good. Sunday night game. They'll probably be all amped up. But against wide receivers, they're 20th in the league. Tight-ins. 20th. He's got Zach Gertz to throw to. Quarterbacks, they're middle of the pack this year. Over the last six weeks, certainly. And Carson Wins is, yeah, that was the last six weeks. But Carson Wins is great. The question people need to ask is, can I start any of the running backs?

On one hand, the Eagles, they've averaged 180 yards rushing per game. So somebody's going to be great. Or several. However, the Seahawks, eighth against the run. And then Jay Ajai, no confidence. And no fantasy owner has confidence in him right now. So is it, how do you rank Blunt Ajai Clement before we move on? Blunt Ajai Clement, I would rank exactly like that. Blunt Ajai Clement. But my, you know, Clement has been the one.

that looks the best. When I watch the games, I think he looks the best, but they traded for Ajai, and Ajai has not looked bad. Nobody's looked bad. I mean, this Eagles offensive line, they're opening it up. So I think you can start any one of those three guys, but I don't expect them to, you know, I feel like all three are going to finish at like that.

you know, running back 25 to 30 range where they're not going to completely crap your team, but they're not going to help you win if you're going up against a really tough opponent. All right. Let's talk about the Monday night matchup. The Steelers and the Bengals, 43.5 point over and under in Cincinnati. The Bengals need this game in order to stay in the playoff picture. The Steelers obviously on fire at 9 and 2. Big Ben, two straight. Huge games. Now, I pumped the brakes on Big Ben because over the last two years,

Not only when he plays Cincinnati, his numbers come down, but when he plays Cincinnati in Cincinnati, they become pretty bad. Now, he's probably going to be able to get some things done. That generally happens with Lev Bell, Antonio Brown, Juju Smith-Schuster, going to be back. However, the Bengals, pretty good against the wide receiver position, okay against the quarterback, at home. Do you agree with that take? Are you tempering expectations for Big Ben?

Or are you starting him as an automatic top 12 guy? No, I'm not starting him as an automatic top 12 guy. You know, Big Ben's home road splits are notorious and he's had those stretches where you have those monster back-to-back touchdown games and then he disappears. The fact that he's in division in a game that, you know, Vegas is saying is not going to be a shootout.

on the road. And the road games are, you know, look, that's Levy on Bell's territory. Levy on Bell is great on the road. They run the ball. And if you look at what the Bengals defense has been doing lately, over the last six weeks, they're top 10 against wide receivers. And they're 27th against running back. So I think they have given up so many games to a running back one or two over the last few weeks. I think over the last six weeks, they've given up eight.

RB one or two performances. So the Bengals, who you view as a stout run, that's kind of gone away a little bit. So Levi-on-Bell, obviously you are going to start him. But because he succeeds, if he succeeds, I think that takes away a little bit from Big Bin. Now, Juju is practicing in full, should be back. He is a star in the making. I keep saying that. Juju or Fungis?

I would go funches. Okay, just make it sure. He's the number one option on his team versus Juju's still, he's never going to be the number one while Antonio Brown is there. Is Jesse James a sneaky snart in this game? The Bengals can't cover the tight in. Yeah, I mean, Jesse James is one of those guys who at the end of the week you'll be happy because he'll have two for eight and a touchdown. So I don't really like starting those type of guys. Andy Dalton, Joe Mixon. Look, Joe Mixing, second most rushing attempts in the NFL since week nine.

65 attempts. I've been saying it all week. Despite the Steelers being a stout run defense, Joe Mixon's volume dictates you have to start him. Last week, played the Browns. Browns were a stout run D, but had a feeling about him. He went out there and performed. I think you've got to start him, and they need to lean on him at home in this game. And it's going to be in the passing game, too. So Joe Mixon, I think you can start him. He's a must start for me, AJ Green, obviously. Otherwise, I'm probably avoiding...

Dalton, I'm probably not taking the dice roll on Croft myself. You have any other thoughts on that? You know, the only other thought I would have, you know, I'm not quite as confident on mixing. I mean, you're, you should still start them because of volume, but the, the Steelers have been really good against the run all year. And then over the last week, Jamal Williams last week. Jamal Williams had a good game. Yeah, a lot of that came in the passing game. Do you think? Never mind. I was going to throw out Brandon Lafell, but.

No. Let's move on. Let's move on. Let's talk about something else. So, by the way, crazy stat. The Steelers have run the ball the second lowest amount of time since week nine, 35%. That's crazy when you have a great runner. Yeah, it's because they don't use anyone else. You think, oh, they hand the ball off all the time. No, just to one guy. But still, that don't let anybody else touch. That's crazy. It is. That's crazy. All right, look, this weekend, I mentioned it before. Jason and I?