Fantasy Football Podcast 2015 - Week 13 Matchups, Hail Mary Fallout, Mailbag

A tracheotomy? No, it's slipping my mind completely. It's escaping me. It's whatever Jason has. All right, let's go ahead and talk. No, you don't smoke. Emphysema. That's what I was looking for. Nailed it. All right. What else do we need to talk about from this game? I was looking at prop bets, so tell me, did you talk about Stevie Johnson already? No, not yet.

Okay. Stevie Johnson is my sit of the week in this game. We've talked about it. How many touchdowns has the Broncos defense given up to the wide receiver position? One on the year. So. Okay, well, let me ask you this. If this is your almost upset of the week and we know that the Chargers cannot score on the ground, how are they scoring if Stevie Johns, if you don't like Stevie Johnson this week? I like Antonio Gates.

I like field goals. I like Danny Woodhead. I like Melvin Gordon to maybe get in the end zone. I like defensive scores. I'm talking 24 to 20 something in that range. That's fair. I just was curious. 1816, something weird. All right. If we want to move on? Yes, please. All right. Chiefs go to Oakland and take on the Raiders.

Do you start Derek Carr in this game? Man, so the Chief's defense, the last three weeks, they've given up, they're averaging 83 yards, allowed on the ground, 217 passing yards, and only 1.6 touchdowns per week. Those are, those are not numbers that you want to see at all if you're the Derek Car owner going into this week. However, Justin Houston, as we have talked about, is a defense-changing player.

I don't expect the Kansas City Chiefs to just fold with him out of the lineup. He's not been declared out, but he's very likely to be out. But, I mean, he was out last week. He was out for part of the game last week, and they gave up three touchdowns through the air to Tyra Taylor, and their defense played much worse. The situation for the Chiefs does change tremendously if Houston does not play. That said, I would still play Carr regardless of...

of Houston being in or out of the lineup. I know the defensive numbers are staggering looking at the last three weeks, but Derek Carr has been great. And if he can get protection, which they have a pretty good pass blocking unit in Oakland, the secondary of the chiefs can be exploited if you can get time. And with Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree running the routes, I still believe in Derek Carr this week.

Drew Breeze. Who would you start? Drew Breeze at home against Carolina. Derek Carr at home against Kansas City. I would play Derek Carr. I think he's got better weapons right now. With Sneed injured, I'm not. I lean car. You have the biggest gap in your rankings where Carr is that far ahead of Drew Breeze. You have Breeze very low. So good job. I got them back to back. You do? How about that? Yeah. So, okay, let's go ahead and talk about the...

the running back position and the ever-changing Latavius Murray situation where I think owners feel a level of confidence in Murray that he is the running back, but not a level of confidence that he is going to give you something special. We have him at, we have him at 24 as a consensus ranking this week against the chief's front that puts him at the running back two, very back end. You still starred him.

unless you have somehow you have better options at this point, which it's possible with all the waiver wire presents that have been given out over the holiday season, which I would start one of those guys like a Buck Allen, David Johnson, Thomas Rawls. I'm going to start all those guys over Latavius Murray this week. But if you got to play him, you got to play him.

Yeah, one of the nice things about playing Latavius Murray is even when he's not playing well, he only had 28 yards two weeks ago. They come back this last week and against a decent run D. They gave him the ball 22 times on the ground. But how many yards did he get? Well, 59. I'm not saying he, that's what I'm saying. He's not running well. Give me 22 carries any day. It's the opportunity to.

to get there. And he also catches, you know, he's had some games. He normally gets one reception of game, but he's had games with seven and with five and with three. So he can get involved in the passing game too. So while I don't like his upside, he's not a sexy RB1 type. He is, I think, okay to play here. All right. I'm going to give you some numbers. Three weeks ago, 3.2 points. Last week, four point four, or two weeks ago, 4.4, last week, 28.5. Who am I?

You are a Mari Cooper. No. Just kidding. Oh, you're the third wide receiver on the Raiders. I can't think of his name. No. No? I am Jeremy Macklin. Oh. I'm Jeremy Macklin. Now, there's a little bit of fade on him, right? But look at the matchups, okay? You had at Denver, right? That's rough. At Denver. Nobody's catching passes there right now. At San Diego.

That's a very good matchup. Well, and it depends on your perspective because Sandio's giving up 130-something on the ground every single game on a very conservative offense where you didn't need to do it. You know, they dominated them defensively in that game and they dominated them on the ground in that game. I believe San Diego gave up 11 for 93 to wear in that game. Last week, Kansas City's defense was scored on a little bit and they had to air it out a little bit.

Macklin was nine for 160 and a touchdown. My point is, is if Justin Houston's off the field and we're talking about Carr as a potential okay start, you're thinking they're going to put up a few points on Kansas City at home. Yeah. So I think Macklin is, I decide with him being closer to last week's production than two weeks ago. I actually have Macklin ranked higher than you in your face with your dirty cake. Okay.

Good. Good. Yeah. I like Macklin this week. Shows that you're able to put our deep personal differences aside and rank based unbiasedly. I mean, just so much respect. Yeah. You know, Macklin, you bring up... By the way, I'm going to buy you a jersey of his. We're getting it today. You bring up a really, really good point with his matchups because, you know, I hadn't looked deep into each matchup. I do know that he had the 4.4 and the 3.2. And then, you know, a couple weeks before that...

He only caught three balls and then a couple weeks before that only three balls. But every single one of those matchups were actually difficult matchups. So I think I've got him ranked like super low, wide receiver three or four. And I need to change that because he is a safe play here to get four catches and he has upside in this matchup. Yeah. Yeah. I think he's somebody that I'd be really okay starting this week. Now the question is, would you start him over an Amari Cooper?

No. Not Cooper. Where do we have Cooper? We have Cooper higher. Yeah, by a couple spots. So I have, I like Cooper this week. I like Crabtree as a two back in two. We need to move on because we have four more matchups to get through. Wow, okay. The Panthers go to New Orleans, take on the Saints. We've talked a little bit about this game on and off all week anyways.

We talked about Breeze just now. You're not sitting down Cam Newton in a matchup against a team that I think they only put 10 guys out on D. I think that's been the issue. They put 10 out. That's the problem. Yep. It was Rob Ryan's strategy. Right now the Saints are giving up 2.7 passing touchdowns again. That's a bold move, cotton. They're terrible on the, you know, they're terrible in the past game. They're one spot better in the run game. So they're...

That's good. Double A. That's good. We know what the Saints defense is. We know what the Panthers' offense is. The Panthers' offense has been prolific. So where does the scoring come from is what you want to know? Greg Olson. Well, that's, is that wishful thinking? It is both wishful thinking and realistic thinking. Because he's playing me this week. Yes. I, I. Well, Greg Olson is the number one tied in now with Rob Grancowski. Yeah.

Right. I mean, as far as who you'd want to play, I agree. That's who you'd want to play. But against the pass to the quarterback, the 32nd against the run, 31st. Against tight end, they are the worst team in the league. Really? Yep. They are the worst. I did not realize that changed. Hey, tell me this. Who's the great tight-in for Houston? Who is that? I can't remember his name. But Houston's tight-in last week. Talk about Garrett Graham? Ryan Griffin.

Oh, Ryan Griffin. Six for 92 and a touchdown. The week before, two touchdowns, the week before three touchdowns. This is not through the air. This is just to the tight end. So that means in the last, you know, three games, they get up six touchdowns. Jordan Reed, Rule 86 dropped some bombs on. So there will be blood, scores. There will be scores in this game, and they're going to come on the Carolina side. It is a divisional matchup, but...

I am not expecting the Saints to be in it in the end of this game. The Panthers defense is really the reason why. They are on fire. That'd be the best way to put it. Stay in the flames with the Panthers defense. Do not fear. No. Do not fear. There could be garbage time points. We've seen that a couple times this year. Andrew Luck had a bunch of them. Teams have come back on Carolina. Not lately, though. Luke Keekly, defensive player of the year, I mean, defensive player of the week last week. Two pick sixes for the Panthers defense. And...

You know, the way that J.J. Watt was hitting Drew Brees last week. Yeah. You know, the offensive line is not going to hold up in New Orleans. So that brings up the point. Who can you start in New Orleans? Mark Ingram, he's out there. You have to start him. Just because of the catches. What about Mr. Cooks? What about Brandon Cooks? I would prefer to sit him down if I could.

I completely agree. He doesn't strike me as a guy like a Julio that I'm going to play against Josh Norman. Who can outsize Josh Norman. Exactly. Absolutely. So, all right, we're not going to linger here. You're starting those guys. I'm going to tell you right now, if you're in a deep league, 16 team league, or you're starting three running backs, I think Tolberg could get in the end zone in this game. Real quick, the only question I have because I've had it a lot from people. You have to start. Those are boils. They're boils. They're not blisters. I thought they were boiders. No. You don't.

Pick a Carolina wide receiver. Do you throw a dart, man? Devin Funches. You'd take Devin Funches over again? Yeah. Over again, Jr.? Yeah. Funches, I'd probably go again, Jr. Mike, tie break it. Cottiery? All right, great. Now, Funches is playing for other teams this week, too, though, right? Always, every week. Remember that? That's a throwback. I know. All right, the Eagles get to play the Patriots in Foxborough. I'm sorry.

That's an apology? Yeah, that's an apology for Eagles. Do that a little bit better, would you? Eagles fans, I'm sorry that you have to play the New England Patriots this week. We've seen many, many touchdowns put up on your secondary over the last couple weeks, including a five burger from Matthew Stafford. And James Winston. Not a good, not a good thing. Now, hide your milk money.

Philadelphia. Hide the kids. Yeah. Because everybody throwing touchdowns. So the wishful thinking Philadelphia Eagles fans says, hey, the weapons in New England, they're not there. We're going to come in. They don't need to be. We're going to upset them. No more Chris Harper. I have breaking news, guys. I'm playing slot for the New England Patriots this week. Put me in your fantasy lineup because I'm getting at least three touchdowns. The beard. The beard is in. All right. So.

What is there to say about this game? We expect Sam Bradford to be back and to play in this game. Is that correct? Yes, that is correct. That's the latest we've heard. Not projecting great things from him. No. So the real relevance here is the DeMarco Murray owner who's very discouraged and frustrated. The Patriots defense has been...

giving up more yards and touchdowns to the running back in successive weeks. That being said, Jason brought up the great point before the show. Last week, they lost Tante High Tower in the middle of the game. That certainly didn't help when trying to stop C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman and that Kubiak offense. So this week, they're expecting to have High Tower back. DeMarco Murray looks like he's a guy running the wrong direction mentally and physically. I'm not very confident about DeMarco Murray.

How about you guys? No, I'm not confident. I'm still going to start him just because of a volume-based thing. Like we just said about Latavius Murray, give me those carries, give me that opportunity. Yeah, he's still a borderline, I mean, he's still one, two? Yeah, edge of one. Edge of one. That's where I haven't. But, you know, he's, I would rather have him than Latavius Murray. I think that's a great point, just because he has more touchdown potential than Latavius Murray does. Especially with Ryan Matthews still dealing with his concussion.