PANIC ROOM + Buy/Sell, Melvin Returns?

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Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright. Oh, welcome in. Welcome into the show Wednesday, September 25th. The Fantasy Footballers podcast, back with you. You know, they say that sometimes there's, you know, panic in the streets, and today we've got like a panic room episode, and we've got...

by your cell. But there seems to be optimism in the streets as the show begins because of Melvin Gordon News. There is. But we can't move on before you comparing the phrase panic in the streets to a panic room. I think we have two very different situations going on here. What is panic in the streets? That's when there is a mob running crazy. Well, okay. And then the panic room is where I go. You don't think there's a bunch of James Connor owners out in the streets right now running

To and fro. So perhaps what should have been panicking the streets. Because the panic room is more like a safe place. I think people deal with their issues differently. Some people lock up and go to the panic room and say, I don't want to deal with this. Some people go nuts. They're just rioting. Through the streets. You know, stealing TVs out of the windows. James Carter made me do this.

Some people deal with their panic through just bull's-based theft. Ball theft. Just riot in the streets. Some people break the law to deal with their stress. Well, welcome in. We also have the Thursday night preview on today's episode of the show. I encourage you to check us out on Instagram. Instagram.com slash fantasy footballers. We're on YouTube. We're on Twitter. We appreciate all the subscriptions, reviews on Apple Podcasts. We're ad-free on Stitcher Premium.

and the community, as I said at the top of the show, join thefoot.com and come be a part of this independent podcast. Supporting the show, getting a bunch of perks. It's really fun. All right. Before we talk about Melvin Gordon, it is Wednesday, the Wednesday episode of the show, which means buy or sell, presented by pristine auction.

All right, we have a week four NFC South edition of Buy or Sell. Devonta Freeman takes on Tennessee this week. Buy or sell 10 plus fantasy points. Last week he had 11. So we did it, Devanta. Sort of. I mean, look, the usage was way up. However, Edo Smith suffered a concussion in that game, and we saw Devonta Freeman snaps rise to over.

90% when the previous week he had played on just 62%. So is that a good or bad thing that he produced 11 fantasy points on 92% of snaps? That is a bad thing. I mean, you would assume that if Devonta Freeman, he was efficient, right? He was over like five and a half to carry. He was 16 for 88. He had four targets again and three receptions. However, on those three receptions, he only managed seven.

receiving yards. Now, that was a good defense against the, I think the Colts are a pretty good defense. But this week, Tennessee is also a very good defense. When Edo Smith got knocked out, it wasn't midway through. Edo Smith played less than 5% of the snaps. So this became the DeMont of Freeman show. I think if Edo Smith isn't out of the concussion protocol, you're going to have another backup step up into the role. And so I would say, I'm taking the under.

on Devons Freeman. I'll take the over because it's a low line. I mean, I'll take the 11 points. I think he can put that up. Atlanta, you know, we just looked at a chart that Kyle, our editor-in-chief produced this morning. I don't know if you two gentlemen looked at it. Amazing. It's the difference between 2018 and 2019 percentage of past plays on an offense and also shows the difference. For example, Minnesota, minus 25%.

That's the difference. Last year they passed 64% of the time through three games. They're passing 38% of the time. That is insane. However, Atlanta is actually up 5% through three games. 65% of the time last year, which is already a lot. They're at 70% this year throwing the ball. So you've said this before. DeManta Freeman needs to be involved in the passing game to have the right kind of value. He's not being used enough, and they're not running the ball very much. It's four targets a game is.

It's nothing to sneeze at. We were hoping for more for Freeman, but the offense is still high-powered. Matt Ryan is averaging basically three passing touchdowns a game. The line at 11 points, it's Freeman get a rushing touchdown finally. And it's certainly possible that the matchup is not great, but I will buy. I will buy that line because it's just, that's 40 yards in a touchdown. Buy yourself, Calvin Ridley with the down week. Bye.

I buy that he had a down week. Back to six plus targets. Do you think he gets back to six plus targets? Only one target last week. Jason enjoyed the Monday Punday contribution of Ridley Squaw. Ridley Squat. I do think he gets back to him. I will be on the course of the season. The clear number two wide receiver here. I think six targets is a reasonable outcome for him. And yeah, I think he gets back on the horse. I'm going to sell it.

I'm going to sell it. Yeah. Mike, you bought it? I did. Greg Olson against Houston, six catches and 60 yards. Are you buying or selling six and 60? If you look at the target numbers through three games at the tight-in position, Greg Olson outpacing George Kittle. So six catches six, 60 yards. He is old man strengthened all over the place. He's been pretty solid at least the past two weeks. But the line is six for 60.

which he has hit the past two weeks. I'm going to buy it. Man, you'll keep it going. I think he's a wonderful, you know, option for Kyle Allen in the passing game. I am going to sell. I think that while Kyle Allen did great, it was against Arizona, who is notoriously bad against tight ends so far on the season. Every single week, the tight end has crushed them, and now they're going up against Houston.

who's only given up 4.8 fantasy points per game in the first three weeks to the tight-in position. So I will say not this week, Greg. Yeah, that's a really good line to set there. I'm going to sell. I think he'll be very close, but I'm going to sell. James Winston, at least two passing touchdowns against the Rams. Weeks one and two. He only had one. Obviously last week. He had three, all to the big tall guy, Mike Evans. So. What a great nickname.

That's what I used to say that all the time about Cardinals quarterbacks. Like if you just throw it to the big long-haired guy. Yes. You know, Larry Fitzgerald, you're going to do better for yourself. But Winston figured it out, right? Threw the ball up to Mike Evans and it ended up in three passing touchdowns. Do you think he'll get two this week? I'll buy two. I think you can do two. Why not? It's such a tough. It's just two. It's such a tough thing because.

I don't know what to make of the Rams defense so far this year, but they seem really good. I don't know how much was Baker and the Browns or their office of lied being just really bad or how much was the Rams defense. But I think I'm going to sell, even though this seems like, okay, the Rams are going to score, the Buccaneers are going to come back and have to throw a lot. They just haven't been beaten through the air so far.

All right, that was by yourself from pristine auction. Pristineauction.com. Use the code ballers and you can get access to a $5 discount on your first sports memorabilia purchase. Today on the wall, we've got Devante Adams signed jersey up on the wall. I like it, Brooks. I like the confidence push. Well, the shot in the arm worked for Mike Evans last week. Yes, it did. So maybe you're welcome America for Devante Adams this week. Let's get into the news. News and notes from around the league presented by sleeper.

All right, the morning started with Adam Schaefter talking about Melvin Gordon's holdout and that it could soon be coming to an end. No final decisions had been made. But per league sources, he may be returning to the team soon. He had planned on October. It might be moving up. And then Ian Rappaport tweeted out that he basically retweeted another tweet saying that it could end as soon as Thursday. So this could be- Why not today? This just keeps escalating rapidly.

Because we all want control in our lives, Mike. And so we set arbitrary dates so that we control things. That's what Melvin's doing. Melvin's control has worked perfectly. The good news, according to his Instagram, is that he has been working out on a treadmill with his helmet on. So he should be ready to go, right? Hey, to his credit, now that we have this kind of like a real helmet, here on our set, we all put it on. I've never taken a snap in my life.

Holy crap, a helmet is super heavy. My weak, frail neck could barely keep it up. This is why we've always said we want them to run the 40 with a helmet on. Yes. And pads. But, you know, like they do in football. It makes so much sense. And I would love to see the disparity.

Have everybody run the 40, just like you normally do. Oh, that's good. Then have everybody run it in pads and see if the same people are on top. If they are all in the exact same order, you don't need to do this any more years. Yeah, just a one-year trial. We'll see how it goes. Like Dalvin Cook, you would be like slow without pads, fast with pads by comparison to the people around them. Yeah. So I do want to break down what this looks like for Austin Echler if Melvin Gordon comes back. Because maybe it's not, you know, even if it's this week.

You know, Rappaport said he's not expected to play even if he showed up tomorrow. Right. Yes. So the earliest he'd play would be like October 6 against the Broncos. So Echlor should be the guy that you want to start this week. And we've said Justin Jackson could be a start as well, or at least a flex play. But when Gordon comes back, you know, this news is out there now. You don't get to go cash in on Echler anymore. And so what are the options for fantasy owners?

I looked at Echler last year. He finished the year at 27 at the position. So outside of the RB2 range. He had one finish last year inside the top 10. It was week one. I'll say the week one, he went ham. Yeah. Yeah, he was ninth that week. And then he had six other finishes last season as an RB1 or RB2. And they were fringe RB1s. They were like 10, 10. And then other RB2 finishes. So for me, when I look at what this looks like with Gordon coming back, I think Ock.

Austin Eckler's value is probably RB2 until Gordon reestablishes over a couple of weeks, and then he's, you know, he's an RB3 for me with RB2 upside. What do you guys think? I completely agree with that assessment. He is a weekly type of a flex play once, we're assuming that Melvin Gordon is handed that job pretty quickly, but with his skill set and the way that they use running backs on there, he can hit a big play.

on a on a weekly, near-weekly basis. So he becomes a flex play and you're, you are correct, Andy. Like, let's say you have Austin Eckler right now because this is all still, we're in the land of rumors and whispers from the bushes. We don't know for sure that Melvin Gordon is coming back as soon as tomorrow. Maybe he doesn't even come back next week. I remember playing this game last year with Levion Bell where these very respected.