Starts of the Week + Week 5 Games, Smooshed! - Fantasy Football Podcast for 10/8

you don't flick them all the time and kill them i do too that's a lie with flies with flies that's the number one way with flies i can't slap a fly you said it was a mosquito oh i can only slap a fly what yeah i can never slap a fly you must have it's too slow you can flick a fly oh i've seen it but what about the skeeter you flicked at me why do you want it to eat me i hope it's not me dead when it's on you i don't think you killed that first of all you missed i did i know for a fact i know i saw second of all i'm not sure it was a mosquito oh i know it was okay yeah

That's why you didn't smash it. Josh, you are, Josh is thinking you can't flick the fly. Yes, you can. Oh, I, you approach very slowly. You have fast flick flies all the time. You're locked and load it. I can't fly fastly. Absolutely. Yes. Papa Josh doesn't believe you. It's true. Yeah. I can do the monkey bars too. No. Okay. You can't do that. I was backing you, man. Yeah. I was supporting you. I can't flick a fly. Mike has seen me flick a fly. Yes. Uh.

Well, I can't tie. Cincinnati Bengals, two and two. Miami's 0 and four, Cincy minus six and a half on the road over under 42 and a half. It's a nice implied point total of just under 25 for the Bengals. Miami is leading the way every week on lowest implied point totals. They have one passing touchdown in four weeks. So, yeah, again, I already apologized last week. Nothing is working. And now A. Chan's gone. It's been really, really bad. A. Chan's gone in the running game got way better somehow.

Yeah, I mean, it was really good for Ollie Gordon last week. It was. Nine for a hundred and one. He is the one that looks like a three down back. But the pass catching, it was like two targets intentionally to start the game, never got another one. You know, Jaylon Wright, don't worry about it. And the wide receiver room, you have injured rookies. Caleb Douglas won't play. Chris Bell is banged up with a knee. You got Malik Washington, who is he's safe. PPR Shakir for seven, eight points. He is safe for that.

And so I look, Ollie Gordon against Cincinnati. Cincinnati's defense is much, much improved and musty, very musty as well. But they're 11th against running backs. I think Ollie Gordon, if he was in your lineup last week, you're probably playing them again. It's funny how we look at a reason to bench him. It's funny how we look at Cincinnati's defense. They are playing so much better than they were last year that I just look at them as like elite, oh no, it's Cincinnati. Watch out. They're not.

the defense target, but they're really just now, like an average NFL defense. They can present problems, but they're not some complete shutdown defense. I think Ollie Gordon is, he should earn more work. What he has done the last two weeks on the field, if they come out and they do this 50-50 split again, I think it's silly. Yeah, we got a hot one here. Ollie Gordon or Braylon Allen for the New York Jets, which Braylin Allen got, it wasn't, we didn't really get.

Fantasy points because the Jets ran about two plays. But Braylon Allen was a full workhorse in that game. I would go Ollie. I think I would go Ollie as well. It's not like the Jets aren't trying to have few players. They're playing so slow. I just am fearful. If you're not. Hampton against the Broncos or Ali Gordon. I'm sorry, Jason. That's disgusting. I knew it was. I'm going to stick. Oh, gosh. I will go Hampton. Yeah.

We're waiting on news from Jamar Chase going through concussion protocol. T. Higgins did not practice with a groin injury. My policy on the Bengals this week. I had some people text me asking me the same thing. I'm playing Dante Myers no matter what if both those guys are out. If both of them are out, he has a must start to me. I don't think so personally. I don't think he's a must start. He is talented. He's explosive. I don't think he's 10 targets because you're going to, first of all, you.

the tight end does very well against the dolphins. The dolphins don't do enough to where you continue passing. So you basically, in most of these games, it feels like you get a quarter and a half, maybe a whole half that you're really throwing the ball. I mean, how do they, if you don't have Chase and Higgins, you've got to do something to take the lead. I have enough confidence in Dante Myers, who once Chase came out, got nine targets last week. I get what you're saying. Yeah, the dolphins. They have to get ahead.

Somehow, and I think Myers will play a big role. Yeah, but if Gassiki gets a touchdown or Chase Brown gets a touchdown, then the wide receiver core is, honestly, I think you might be being bailed out here because, like, T. Higgins, obviously you're going to start in all games. It's probably not going to, like if he was active, it's probably not great. Right now, the Dolphins.

adjusted fantasy points, they are dead last. They're the worst matchup for wide receivers, not because they shut people down because you don't need them. No, you might be right there. You're making me second guess the level of conviction. I do think if they're both out, you can play him, but maybe there's more risk than I originally thought. Yeah, it's more of a matchup thing to me. Dante Myers is very explosive and an exciting guy to plug in a lineup if those other two guys are gone. And I'm certainly not saying he can't do something.

really special and great. You can start him, but I just don't, I'm worried they're not going to need wide receivers in this game because the dolphins are not good. So speaking of that, you have Mike Gassicki in seven games without T. Higgins since 2024 averages 49 receiving yards per game. It's a, it's a decent matchup. Mike Gassiki has always, or almost always come through when T is out. Are you?

Throwing him in? Yeah, I think so. I think Gassiki deserves a start. I mean, I wouldn't throw him in over really good options, but if you're talking about the tier of like, okay, we don't know what we have in Kenyon Sadiq, yeah, I would throw Gassiki in over him. Do you guys know the most points Miami scored in any single game this year? Was it last week against Minnesota? 20? No. They only scored 10. Oh, what am I thinking of? Am I wrong about that?

I thought the Vikings barely won. It was 10 to 15. Oh, I added it. I gave them both an extra 10. How about the week before against Kansas City? How many points did they score? Three. 10. 10. Okay. What about San Francisco? 10. No, it's 13. No, come on. What about the Raiders? 13. So they have not surpassed 13. So to Jason's point, your first point was that, hey, this Bengals defense isn't actually special. It's just more middle of the pack now.

So maybe at home they can find a way to 14 points. But, yeah, they're, I mean, they haven't implied points. Against the middle of the pack. Oh, maybe they can find a way to 14 points for the first time this season. And you're, look, you're not doing it, but we got to call it or I'm going to call it out just because it's fun. The Bengals over and over, they get killed by the tight end position. Greg Dulcich, if you are a very desperate person, maybe it's more like a DFS situation.

But it's like he should get, he should get five or more targets. Las Vegas, the Raiders, three and one. My Raiders, taking on the two and two New England Patriots in New England. Their favorite three and a half points. Overrunners, 45 and a half. This is, this is like, one of the things that happened this offseason with the Raiders that we were in love with was the acquisition of Tyler Linderbom. Dude, it, it's so easy.

Fix your offensive line and everything looks great. Kurt Cousins is not fleet of foot and yet is pressured the second least among any quarterback in football. When you let a veteran quarterback stand back there and pick you apart, this is why he's leading the league in touchdown passes. I mean, it hasn't worked in the running game in terms of efficiency, but it's worked, in my opinion. Ginty has been viable every single week. The efficiency, the big plays, maybe that's Mike Washington's game, but Ginty's been the...

running back 5, 26, 20, and 15. He's RB 10 on the year, and he's never had fewer than 15 rush attempts in a game. Eight targets for Genti last week. Eight. He's on pace right now for 102 targets. So he has a do everything back that frees up, you know, your offensive line to play action and use these tight ends in Michael Mayer and Brock Bowers and Ian Thomas. It's just been an impressive offensive product put out there by Kubiak.

which is what we hope for, but we said, do you have the personnel to do it? Right. And I don't even know if the answer to that is really yes on offense, and yet he's still doing it. No, they're getting it all done even without Jack Bish available. Incredible work. Incredible work. You thought it couldn't be done. When he went down, I was like, it's over. On the Dynasty show this week, we actually had a really fun kind of informative segment where we were drafting NFL play callers, current active NFL play callers, and Kubiak, I believe he was.

fourth. We're very, very bullish on his designs, his systems, obviously last year with the Seahawks, but it goes back many years. And what he's getting out of this offense right now is fantastic. And I love the consolidation. I mean, the fact that you know you want to start Brock Bowers and you're not afraid. Gentie, even if he's inefficient, you're going to start him. And then you can be done. I will say just real quick, Jalen Naylor got a concussion last week.

Trey Tucker did have eight targets. And there is... It's not bad. And on Wednesday's... Trey Tucker, Dante Myers. Trey Tucker. Hold on. Part of the Wednesday's practice report, three Patriots cornerbacks were absent, including Christian Gonzalez. Oh, fantastic. So Trey Tucker's very interesting. Yeah, if you make sure you're following the news. I think Tucker's interesting regardless, but if Gonzalez especially is out, then all right.

You think New England handles this game or no? They're at home, their favorite. Drake May got his mojo back. Romeo Dobbs had a couple touchdowns. You're the Raiders guy. What do you think? How do your Raiders fare here in New England? I feel like I think New England's going to win the game. Yeah, I want to see. Before Drake May is. Did New England start last year with a loss to the Raiders? They did. That was the Raiders only win.

Yeah, I don't know. I don't have the conviction this week that New England's going to lose this game. I like what I saw on defense last week. Maybe if those corners are out, you've got a problem, but I don't think they're all going to be out and, you know. I feel like this is a real pickum game. So like if I'm picking the line because New England is three and a half, I'll be on the Raiders side. I'll take the field goal. But I expect it to be pretty close. That being said, that those close games are usually really good for fantasy. You know, as the game goes into the fourth quarter and, you know,

They took the lead. Now we've got to get the lead and you get a lot of passing volume. That's the opportunity we have here. Yeah, the overrunner's not terrible. What about the running back situation for New England? Remandre was limited on Wednesday, not a full out, according to the report I have. Travian Henderson, it's been, you know, one hit and a lot of miss. But if he's alone, then you play him. Then you got to go with Trevo. If he gets all the volume.

He will get too explosive plays. I mean, you saw last year when Ramandre was injured, and they brought in Jamal Williams for a workout. That's not, I mean, it could just be coincidence on timing, but the Ramandre Stevenson knee injury could rule him out this week. The last two weeks, he hasn't had the big play. Eight for 23, 14 for 42 on the ground. We'll see what happens this week if Ramandre is limited.

Would you play, if Ramadre is active, are you benching Trevo? Are you flexing it? I play him over Damian Pierce. Yes. Okay. That shouldn't really be our bench. I'm just saying that the- If you've seen my dynasty team, you understand why is in my lineup? There's a bar. Are you playing Mike Washington Jr.? Or Damian Pierce, Mike? Because that's the actual decision. I probably play Washington. Oh, gosh. One of those guys can house it from 50. Yeah. The thing that I, the thing that I love, like so last.

year there were three games that remandre missed and in those games you had a game with five targets and a game with six targets for travi on henderson i don't know why they don't throw him the ball as it is currently enough i mean they really use remandre as they're passing back far more but that's what excites me about the opportunities that henderson would receive if remandre's gone matt collins left the game with a non-contact injury this past week calf

Calf, pay attention to it. Romeo Dobbs. Maybe we're starting to figure things out with Drake May, nine targets. He gets deep shots. He did score twice. The matchup against the Raiders, they've been holding wide receivers under their expectation. So I don't love that. But if Matt Collins is out, Romeo Dobbs is pretty much a top 24 must play. Agreed. The Minnesota Vikings in their miraculous four-and-o start, despite not scoring touchdowns in two other four games.

Take on the New Orleans Saints who are one and three. The game's in New Orleans. Minnesota favored by one and a half. The overrunner is just 42 and a half. So this one's tough because there's just a lot of players that you've been very confident in. Yeah. You know, Tyler Shuck, obviously, Devon Vele has been a worthy play. Juan Johnson's the tight in three on the year. And obviously Olave, who he didn't practice on Wednesday, which.

might alarm you because he left early on Monday night. But you got to remember it's a short week for them. A rest day is what they've come out and vehemently said. This is not about the knee because they knew those questions would be there. They said it's a rest day. But if there's another non-knee rest day on Thursday, I will be worried about the knee. Exactly. Elave is going to be started no matter what if he's active. He's too good. The matchup sucks. Everything could go bad.