Starts of the Week + Week 15 Breakdown, Notoriety of Toughness

So, you know, this is, do you want to trust Cortland Sutton in a bad matchup with Drew LockBast? On the road? On the road? In the toughest place to play in the National Football League? I don't want to. But, but in those matches or in that list where the chiefs were the worst, where are the chargers? Where are the chargers in that list? Yeah, because weren't you, I remember you going through this. We were talking about this yesterday. You said they were.

Either second worst or third words. You're saying because Sutton had a nice game against the Chargers. Yeah, he did. Drew Lock threw two touchdowns against the Chargers in his debut. Yeah, it's trust. It's how much do you trust him and what would you pivot to? Would you play Debo Samuel? The number 31. Thank you. The next worst. Yeah. So last week, Sutton in a game that Drew Locke exploded, he didn't do much. Correct. Would you play Debo Samuel against Atlanta over Cortland Sutton?

Those guys are neck and neck in the rankings. Or Michael Gallup against the Rams. Is that where you would be willing to pivot? I have both Debo and Michael Gallup ahead of Cortland Sutton right now in my rankings. Yeah, I think I'd be willing to go to those guys. Do you like Philip Lindsay then against that Chief's defense that gives up 26.8 points per game to the running back position? Every week we like Philip Lindsay. Philip Lindsay is the best, worst fantasy running back this year. 100% well set.

He looks awesome on film. He is great. He's the running back 13 on the season, but I don't know that you've ever played Phil Lindsay. I think he had, off the top of my head, he had one burst game. But other than that, you're not, you're not very pleased. You've never been playing him every week. You've never been less happy with the running back 13. I mean, the last four weeks, even last week you got to touch on was the running back 17. That was great.

The three weeks prior to that, all that he played well in and looked good in. He was the running back 37, 27, 2732. Yeah, touchdowns are the problem. And then last week we had one called back, finally got in to save his week. But it's far from a guarantee anymore. The matchup is good. He's at least at the running back 13. Sorry, he's safe. I think you play him in this match. I do, too. You've got a guaranteed workload, a talented player, a plus matchup.

He is a guy that should be in most rosters, but I think what is going to happen this week is what's happened more often than not, which is a very limited ceiling. He's just a guy that's going to plug one of your roster spots, give you solid production, 12, 13, 14 points, and that's it. Yeah, Denver has allowed the six most fantasy points to the quarterback position over the last four weeks.

Gets Patrick Mahomes in this one. I don't think the recipe to beat the Chiefs for Denver is going to be Drew Locke versus Patrick Mahomes. It's going to be on the ground. That should be the opportunity. Slow the game down, the Marlon Mac approach. What about the running backs on the chief side of the ball? Damien Williams returned to practice. If he's active, do you look at him and no one else, or do you just stay away from all the Chiefs running backs against a Broncos defense that is 12th in the league against fantasy running back? I'm staying away.

Yeah, I'm staying away as well. The Denver Broncos are 12th on the season. The last 10 weeks, they are the 27th best matchup. So they're very difficult to run on. Okay. What about Tyree Kill? What's your temperature on Tyree Kill right now after last week? It's like a Mari Cooper. You just play them. Yep. You want those big games. You have to have them in your lineup every single week. Anybody else at the wide receiver position for the chiefs that you're looking at?

Not Sammy. Not Sammy. One of my favorite phrases. I'm going to get it. My first tattoo. Not Sammy? It's going to say not Sammy. Never Sammy. No. There's just going to be a boot stepping on a lizard. That situation we had earlier in the year where it was you could play every single wide receiver for the Chiefs, Nicole Hardman, to Marcus Robinson. Those days seem like they were years ago. And it's because now it's you play Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelsey and that's it.

Yes, Travis Kelsey has been great. Noah Fant, there was some upside in this matchup. The Chief's defense, 27th in the league, giving up 11.5 points per game to the tight end. Fant has shown multiple games of, you know, big playability. But then you have this wrinkle now where he was sidelined on Wednesday's practice with a foot injury. X-rays are negative. He says he's good.

Is that enough for you to roll him out there? No, the foot injury gives me pause. I mean, this is a player that has been really on the cusp of whether or not I'm willing to put him in my lineup. He's had a couple big games more often than not. He's not been good for fantasy. He was starting to get to where it's like, okay, you know what? I think I'm going to put him in. In my dynasty matchup this week, I've got Jack Doyle in my lineup and no fan on the bench. And I was considering putting Fant in. And now this foot injury goes, you know, maybe.

Maybe I just stick with Doyle. Limited upside there, but more guaranteed work. All right. We're going to pause before we move on to the Buccaneers and Lions to thank today's sponsor. And it's a good one. It's a delicious one. Omaha Steaks, the holiday gift that America has loved for like 100 plus years.

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Buccaneers at 6 and 7 take on the 3-9-1 Lions, two teams going in the opposite direction right now. Lions are allowing the second most passing yards in football. The Buccaneers just lost Mike Evans and have some questions around James Winston. And let's bring the people into our own struggles here because we have...

a very important matchup in NFL League one. Some say the most important matchup in history. In history. We have the opportunity now in the semifinals to defeat Adam Stank. Oh, get bodyed. And sorry, sorry, Adam Rank, a wonderful friend of the show. He is a good friend. Except for right now. This enemy of a hate his guts for the week. And we have this opportunity to go up against him. James Winston has been an absolute monster as our quarterback.

And he's had Mike Evans this whole year. And you already have the variable. Okay, no Mike Evans. Well, we were fine. We're going to play James Winston. No big deal. He didn't have Evans for most of the game last week. He was fine. He does his James Winston thing, which is run around a lot and throw touchdowns. Throw it to everyone on the field. Everybody and everyone gets a ball. Yeah. The Oprah of the quarterback position. Very nice. You get a ball. And you get a ball. That's right. Generous. But now.

reports. He's wearing a cast on his right hand. He's got a slight fracture. He's gotten a second opinion. He's okay. They're six and seven. They are not out of playoff contention officially, but probably are, but not, you know, new first season for Bruce Ariens. Yeah. Opportunity here, three straight wins. A matchup to die for against the lion's defense that is just friendly. So what do you do?

James Winston early this week was my start of the week. I had him in the dock. He was the guy that I was going with, and I pulled him because of several factors, but it is dicey. There are, you know, the outcome where he just does what he's done every single game. He's been a top 10 quarterback pretty much every single game except for one where they blew the team out, didn't need to throw the ball at all.

And so you keep rolling with him, even after he lost Mike Evans. I mean, Mike Evans' goose is some games. It doesn't matter. James is fine. So there is that side of it. The other side is, okay, you've got an injury that, yes, he was able to play through in the game, but the adrenaline is going. Is he going to be able to act? He's not practicing right now. And if you're not practicing because of it, and you're wearing a cast, and, you know, so that side is the potential of basically not having him. But let's just say he's active.

Then there's the worry of, well, his one bad game came in a blowout, right? Where they were just able to beat him easily, run the ball on them, and they didn't need James to do much. This looks like one of those matchups because on the other side of the ball, Marvin Jones goes to IR, where Jermaine Curse and Marvin Hall already reside, the depth chart for the Detroit Lions wide receivers. Kenny Goliday.

Danny and Dola. Okay. Then you have Chris Lacey. You guys know Chris. Of course. Of course, yeah. Totally. Then you guys are better than me. Oh, that's it. There's not even another, there's not even another practice squad guy who's been brought up yet. That is it. Where's your kick the tires for Antonio Brown speech? I think they don't have anything to play for. Yeah. Here's what I will say. The game's at home in Detroit.

It's only a three-point gap. Vegas has it as a Buccaneers, three-point favorites, 46.5 point over under. So in that situation, you're looking at it, you know, at least Vegas doesn't have it as an extreme blowout. This line opened with the Bucks favored by four, and it's gone in the lion's direction, which I... That's James Winston injury. That's what that is. So as far as I'm concerned, I'm playing James Winston if he's active.

Yeah, that's where I lead. They've already said he's not going to re-injure himself at least through the normal motion. Now he could get hit on the hand. I am preparing. Whatever my secondary option, I would pick them up right now. I'm not waiting until Sunday morning. We've picked up Brian Fitzpatrick, right? We have. And so I'm waiting for more news to come through. I'm sure this will be a delightful question for you guys on Sunday live. Yeah, the number three starts a question right now is Ryan Tannenhill or James Winston. Oh, Tannenhill.

That one's easier for me to pivot away. Yeah, I will say that as well. Is that just pure risk aversion? No, that's because I love Ryan Tannehill this week. But James Swenson versus Detroit is a better matchup. Sure. But if you take the hand out of it, it's a better matchup, right? Yes. Yeah, but there are factors in there. There are other factors, you know, whether the Lions can keep up with them.