Week 5 Matchups + Tuesday Night Football, Dr. Mike - Fantasy Football Podcast for 10/9

The hardest part about Metcalf Lockett is knowing, like, it feels weird to constantly want to put them both in my top five due to the matchups on the week. Yeah. And it's like, you know that both probably won't, but they have both hit. I mean, that's just hard to do, but they've been outstanding. Metcalf has impressed me tremendously this year. But these are two defenses that should afford a lot of fantasy points. The Broncos at one and three, at the Patriots now on.

Monday night the Patriots are eight point favorites. It's a 48 and a half point over under. We don't expect Cam Newton. It was pushed to Monday. So it gives a little bit more realistic opportunity for Cam to make it back. But we don't know. If Brian Hoyer walks out there and he's about 6'6 with the name Hoyer on the back and starts running a lot, I'm going to have some questions. I hope that if Cam sneaks out there.

In a Hoyer jersey, he has to wear the Hoyer jersey, and it's just real small on him. He's just nips out? Yeah, it's just a teeny, teeny jersey. The fact that there is a spread on this game, and we don't know who the starting quarterback is for the Patriots, this is, oh, that is, like, that is so embarrassing for the Denver Broncos. You know the Monstars and Space Gym before they get big? That's Brian Hoyer before, and then it's Camden afterwards.

But yeah, this is a game where the Broncos, they've struggled all year long with the offensive side of the ball. We don't know if Drew Locke's going to be the quarterback. I mean, you've got quarterback questions on both sides here. Is it Brett Rippin? Do we get some Driscoll mixed in with his plans? But Melvin Gordon, he's been in every week starter, right? Do you feel differently about him this week because the Patriots defense is...

So stout or do you... This is David Montgomery's situation where you're starting Melvin Gordon, the matchup stinks, and now you get Philip Lindsay back in here to siphon off some snaps and some of those opportunities. So Gordon is, he has to be in play, but you need to adjust your hopes and your dreams for Melvin Gordon. Yeah, the Patriots take away your best option, right? I mean, and the Broncos only have two.

options. It's Melvin Gordon and Jerry Judy. If Gilmore is on Jerry Judy. No, no. You are discounting what Tim Patrick has done far too greatly. I promise you that that's not who the Patriots are trying to lock down. I'm just saying if Gilmore is on Judy and then they focus on Melvin Gordon, I just don't. Don't we have no Gilmore this week? I mean, isn't that the. Is Gilmore out? Yeah. Stefan Gilmore is the COVID. Oh.

Yeah. Pete, yeah. Oh, heck yeah. All right. Well, that's great as I'm playing Jerry Judy. Yeah, I mean, Judy and Patrick last week, six for 113 and a touchdown, more targets. Judy had the one big play. But if I'm heads up against those two, I don't really see much of a difference between choosing one of those players in this game. Mike? I'm with you. So right now, Jerry Judy is, we got 15 receptions for 234 yards.

Tim Patrick is 16 receptions for 209 yards. Yeah, we've been here before Tim Patrick, too. Yeah. Tim Patrick is a fine player. He needs a more spicy name. This is the same situation that happened. It's the two first names, man. Yeah. What do we change? Smash Jackson? That was a better name. Paul Perkins. Yeah. But Tim Patrick is not as exciting as Jerry Judy, the alliteration. The youthfulness. That's a hot name. The more than I think about it, you know, look, last week was the Jets.

You know, it's like, oh, you know, you had some players show up. I don't think I want to start any Bronco in this game. Yeah, it kind of sounded like we wanted to start a Bronco, didn't it? It did. It sounded like, oh, Tim Patrick's been good. You know, oh, with Gilmore gone, Jerry Judy. I don't want, I don't want to start a Bronco. And Noah Fant is probably going to miss the game as well. Noah Fant's going to miss the game. So Melvin Gordon, that's it. Yeah. Find a pivot.

On his side or on the Broncos side. Yeah, we have Judy at 31 right now in consensus ranking. So that's kind of outside of, I mean, it's bottom of the wide receiver three. So that lends itself to what you're saying, Jason. Judy would maybe be the shot then because you go for the big play with Jerry Judy over hoping for a foundational game from Patrick like the Jets game. What do you do at the running back position for the Patriots? I am willing to play Damien Harris.

Sony Michelle will not be playing because he was placed on IR. So this will be game two. So Michelle is out at least a couple more weeks. 17 for 100 against Kansas City with the combination of Brian Hoyer and Jared Stidham as his quarterback. Damien Harris is a good player and he's going to get opportunity. Yes, James White is going to be in there, siphoning off the targets.

Damien Harris is the Sony Michelle role. I feel better about Harris without Cam Newton than with him. Okay. In terms of starting him in this game. Being able to get a touchdown on the goal line? No, without Cam Newton. That's what I'm saying. Oh, no, it has nothing to do with really just the goal. It just has to do with what I saw on the field last week. This was a team that didn't trust Jared Stidham or Ryan Horter throw the football. They made mistakes. They threw interceptions. Both of them did. And so they force fed the ball to Damien Harris. 17 carries. That is not.

generally what you see from a single back inside of this offense. Even Sony and Michelle's great game the week before, it was like, what, nine carries or something like that. So maybe you could do it either way. The Broncos have been really stout against opposing running backs, only 14 fantasy points given up on the year on average per game to opposing fantasy running backs. So that is a little bit of hesitation. But Harris impressed me on film. I thought it looked good. Faster, bigger than Sony, both of those things. Yeah, so.

Then on the passing options, I'm not playing to keel-Hare. It's not happening. Julian Edelman is interesting. Our writers were highlighting this, and as soon as they started talking about it, it's like, oh, yeah. If you watched Julian Edelman playing last week, he was actively trying not to get hit. Now, not that wide receivers are looking for contact all the time, but he was.

intentionally, as soon as a defender was in his space, he was going down, Peyton Manning style. So it's what is what's actually going on here with Julian Edelman? Well, it's a good question. It's really hard to be dependent on Edelman with the quarterback situation to begin with. It's also important to remember Edelman is older. And we've seen consecutive years, not this year, but the previous few years where Larry Fitzgerald comes out on fire to begin a season.

as an older wide receiver and things start to slow down. I'm not saying that's going to happen, but it's a possibility with an older wide receiver where you start to see some slippage. He was limited. He's listed as limited with a knee problem. The hard part for Patriots players and Julian Edelman is you know he's there. He's always on the injury report because they always put their players on the injury report. So you never really know, is he actually hurt?

He just kind of dinged up and they're putting him on there. Anyways, Julian Edelman is a tough start this week despite Broncos giving up. I'm trying to avoid him. Yeah, I don't want to play anybody other than maybe Damien Harris and Cam Newton if he's active. Yeah. And that's from both sides of the ball. Yeah, that's fair. The Los Angeles Chargers at one and three take on the two and two Norland Saints in New Orleans, presumably in Norlands, assuming they don't have to move the game to the hurricane.

The Saints are seven and a half point favorites. It's a 51 point over under. Drew Breeze is Jason's start of the week, and you said that was kind of regardless of the Michael Thomas situation, the Jared Cook situation. Yeah, the Chargers defense is just decimated with injuries. And I think that the Saints have enough weapons, even if it's just a bunch of dump-offs to Alvin Camara, Drew Breeze gets all those points. It was announced this week. I don't know if we mentioned it, but Justin Herbert.

has been announced as the rest of season starter just based on his performances so far. Tyrod relegated to the bench when he's healthy. He's had three starts against Kansas City, Carolina, and Tampa Bay. He's averaged 35 passing attempts in those games for an average of 25 completions, 310 yards, 1.7 touchdowns. Very impressive debut for Herbert. Yes. Let me ask you this, though. Not taking anything away from his potential.

but not having Austin Echler on the field. What impact is that going to have on his upside? I think it's, it probably does take a hit, but in the waiver show, we were highlighting Justin Jackson, who Justin Jackson can come through and give you at least, you know, some of the production that Austin Echler put out on the field. They're not the same player. Echler is a much better player than Justin Jackson. But I think between him and Joshua Kelly,

I think that this team in this office could still get moving. Justin Herbert, he has kind of gone into that mantra. I should throw to my best player all the time. It's sweet strategy. And Keenan Allen's targets have skyrocketed since we had the Tyrod Taylor experience week one. So Keenan Allen, very confident in playing him. Mike Williams is not likely to play. He did not practice on Thursday. But with Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry,

I think that this offense continues to move. And I think there will be enough. And we disagree on this, but I think that Herbert is fine if you are looking to stream a quarterback. All right. Jason, if you had to start Kelly or Jackson, who do you start? If I had to start, I would start Joshua Kelly. I think he'll get more volume.

than Justin Jackson. And I don't love this matchup. I'm not looking, you know, one of the most popular starts sick questions out there is Joshua Kelly or Justin Jefferson. I would go Justin Jefferson easily. But Joshua Kelly over Justin Jackson within this backfield is how I would rank them. Michael Thomas misses this game. Mike mentioned they have a buy coming up. He could, yeah, they could put him on the sideline again. Is Treyquan Smith a dart throw here? Yes. Okay.

get them at 42 on the week. Kind of like a dart throw, you know, where you're like, but you've got to close one of your eyes, so your, your depth reception is a little bit off. I always close both eyes. When you're playing darts? Yeah. It's led to some pretty impressive performances. Sounds like it's led to some pretty impressive lawsuits. Yes, that is accurate. Jared Cook, if he's active, do you play him? Yeah, I mean, I think you play him in the Titan landscape. If you've got Jared Cook, you should have him in there.

Chargers are pretty bad against opposing tight-in so far this year. I would be pretty surprised of cook plays. Okay. All right, let's get to Tuesdaynight Football.com here. Buffalo Bills. Go to Tuesday Night Football.com. Yeah, they are a sponsor. Great website. They're a huge sponsor of the show. The Buffalo Bills at 4-0 take on the 3-0, Tennessee Titans, we hope. The Bills are eight-point favorites on the road in this one. It's a 49 point over under.

I would expect the Buffalo Bills to be favored in this game regardless. I do wonder if that line is so large in part because of a depleted Titans team due to the COVID situation. Yeah, both sides of the ball, offense and defense are very hurt from the COVID-I-R list for the Tennessee Titans. You have no Humphreys. You have no Corey Davis on the offensive side, and they're missing several pieces on the defensive side.

It's going to be difficult for the Titans to really compete. Now, let me ask you this, Andy. You had originally Ryan Tannahill in as your start of the week. The matchup is perfect for the bills, high scoring game. Does the loss of Adam Humphreys and Corey Davis, does that scare you now of saying, well, there's not enough weapons to throw the ball to? Not really if you have AJ Brown back. If AJ Brown's there, Johnny Smith, and then you combine that with...

who I think has been kind of impressive this year as an option, Khalif Ramon, Raymond, I don't know how he pronounced his last name, but he's had some deep catches this past week or two weeks ago. I'm not that worried about Tanna Hill as long as he has Brown. If Brown's off the field and you're losing your top two, three passing options, you have to kind of downgrade his expectation. And I don't think there's anybody that can start Ryan Tannahill this week because you don't know if this game's going to happen. I mean, you just, you can't sit here and wait for Tana Hill.

against the bills. Sure. On Tuesday night football.com. Josh Allen, you're playing him. Devin Singletary. Yeah. So how do you break down the running back situation? Zach Moss got a couple practices in last week. Ended up being inactive. He's limited again. I don't know if we have the full of, we won't have full information. I doubt on Zach Moss heading into Tuesday night football.com.

Jason, are you playing Devon Singletary then with any type of confidence? Because if Zach Moss is out, huge opportunities. You know, 18 opportunities a game right now is what Singletary is getting that. That gets inflated the past couple weeks. Where are you at? Yeah, only if before Sunday they rule Zach Moss out, which I don't think we're going to know. I think it's going to be nebulous by the time you need to make the decision. So I'm going to act as if Devon Singletary has Zach Moss there.