Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies and gentlemen, you want experience during your football season,
will buckle.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Up, sweet cheeks.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
What's all, We've got all the experience in the world.
This is I Want your Flex with Dan Bayer and
Mike Harmon. Mike and Dan break down everything you need
to set your lineups, from position rankings.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
To starts and sits. The guys help you make those
hard decisions. And now let's get your flex.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Ond. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
A happy New Year to you and a happy birthday
to Ian. Roddy it is I want your Flex. He's
Mike Harmon. I'm Dan Byer. Ian is celebrating his birthday
today on the second day of January and twenty twenty six,
So Mike and I have got you covered for the
next couple of minutes to talk about Week eighteen from
the National Football League.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, hopefully they didn't. Nobody forgot his birthday, right, because
that happens in those early January and late December things.
It kind of gets lost in the holidays. So a
gift to him, hopefully another big streaming defense, maybe a
fantasy title, but certainly for us, one more slew of
games to try to parse through and throw some darts at.
Speaker 3 (01:11):
So I am a January sixteenth birthday, and my birthday
is far enough away from Christmas where people wouldn't double
up gifts. But I think the January second one is
one where that's borderline because it's close to New Year's
I'm wondering what the exact day is in January where
you're far enough away from Christmas that people don't double
(01:32):
up and just say that your Christmas gift is also
your Birthday gift.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
Yeah, it's tough. My brother celebrates a birthday on the
second as well, so unfortunately, also things get caught in
that holiday postest delivery. I probably should have just ordered
something from insert would be sponsor here to make sure
it got there on time.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Well, let's waste no more time. Ian have a happy birthday.
We can't wait to get you back on the pod
where we'll be asking him these pressing questions. But there
are pressing questions for Week eighteen, not really who to start,
who not to start. It's almost like who's gonna play,
who's not gonna play. Mike Carton's gonna take his best
stab at the Week eighteen rankings. Some games don't mean anything.
(02:15):
Some mean little, some mean a lot. Mike, Let's get
into your top five quarterbacks for Week eighteen.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Gamble, gamble, gamble. Let's go Drake May going up against Miami.
They still have some things to play for twenty plus
four straight games, ten twenty plus games over the course
of the year, second overall, going against Miami. They're giving
up over the last four weeks two hundred and fifty
and two touchdowns. They have picked off opposing quarterbacks at
a pretty good rate of late, but looking for me
(02:40):
to make that one extra play with his legs. Speaking
of making players with your legs, how about Trevor Lawrence
going up against Tennessee. Over the last four weeks. He's
QB one with fourteen total touchdowns, four of those on
the ground, and Tennessee's second most generous during this period,
giving up a full twenty two per game eight total
touchdowns against pass or so on opportunity here, Lamar Jackson.
(03:03):
He's adamant that all is right with the world and
he wants to get after it. Winner take all game
against Pittsburgh in the primetime spot. So I'm good with it,
except a little nervous. Only one game over sixteen point
six the last seven appearances that he's made Pittsburgh middling defensively.
Look for an opportunity here. How about Brock Purdy going
up against Seattle six to one. You'll hear all the
(03:25):
records as they get ready for Saturday Nights Affairs. Three
straight Monster games over the course of the year, averaging
nearly twenty three Fantasy points per game, second only to
Josh Allen Seattle ninth best. So not gonna be an
easy sledding. But we've seen this offense humming of late.
And then I was going to the flip a coin
route because am I gonna see Joe Milton? I don't
(03:46):
think I will. So Dak Prescott gets the nod going
up against the Giants. He's seventh on the year at
twenty points per game, eleven with at least nineteen Giants,
fourth best against quarterbacks over the last four But this
becomes the innovation. What do you got? What are you
playing for? How does this all roll out? So I'm
gonna take Dak Prescott in that five spot, and I.
Speaker 3 (04:06):
Have to over under for that one as well, at
forty nine and a half for the Cowboys and Giants,
And I know at some point we'll get to to
an episode where we are naming MVPs. But your point
about Trevor Lawrence not NFL MVP's fantasy MVPs. Trevor Lawrence
still a lot of good down the stretch for fantasy owners.
Speaker 2 (04:24):
This year for the Jaguars just absolutely amazing when you
consider also Dan No, Brian Thomas for much of the year,
and Travis Hunter was an enigma before he got hurt. Yeah,
so yeah, you know, all of this is Jacoby Myers
came over and Trade Strange missed a bunch of time,
all of these things, etn if you go through his
(04:44):
fantasy logs and we'll talk about him in earnest in
a minute, but you know, he's been inconsistent in what
they've been able to do over the course of the year.
But there's Trevor Lawrence all the way up towards a
top four fantasy finish for the year.
Speaker 3 (04:57):
All right, let's get to the running backs. The top
five tailbacks for week homostet fifteen, Week eighteen. I wish
we're in week fifteen, Week eighteen, Michael, you got.
Speaker 2 (05:06):
I'd like a couple of rewinds from week fifteen before
I got eliminated in those winner take all games. But
here we are CMC going up against Seattle. It's all
about consistency here. Two games under fifteen points all year,
averaging over twenty two points per game against Seattle, no slouches,
and this might be the game to watch over the
course of the week. Seattle the slight favorite on the
(05:28):
road forty seven and a half though the total, so
expecting some fireworks. Derreck Henry against Pittsburgh twenty one carries
ninety four yards the first time they meant and certainly Pittsburgh,
but pretty good on the ground game. But Henry back
to back monster games. That four touchdown effort against Green
Bay will not be lost. And with Lamar Jackson back,
(05:49):
expect a little more push pull. Maybe the carries are down,
but the quality will be up. John Robinson going up
against New Orleans, I mean, what else can you say?
Twenty five were better five of his last seven games.
He's been absolutely absurd. RJ. Harvey going up against the
Chargers sixteen or more three of his last five Chargers
(06:09):
best versus the running back. But I have no idea
what kind of charges we're getting. Operations shutdown, Trey Lance
looks like he's gonna be the starter. I mean like, yeah,
there you go, add another starter for calendar year twenty
twenty five into twenty six here, and then Travis etn
the aforementioned he gets the number five spot here tenth.
(06:30):
Would you believe that even though he's ad five at
ten point two points or fewer this year, he's still
tenth at averaging fourteen and a half for a game. Yeah,
that's how disparate it is at the running back position.
Talking about consistency and just being available every week. But
you look at Tennessee, I've been pretty solid sixty five
(06:51):
to seventy rushing yards per game over the last month
and nearly a half touchdown on the ground. But looking
for him to make some plays also in the passing game,
that's where he's really made some hay. So looking for
them to take advantage of it as they try to
close out what has been a great year. They are
twelve and a half point favorites. That's the only cautionary
tale here is that you might get operations shut down
(07:12):
and more of the backups if this thing does go
to script.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
Well, you may be hearing more about that number a
little bit later on in this podcast, but before we
get to that, we got some wide receivers to talk about.
Mike your top five for week eighteen.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Some of the usual suspects, Pooka Nakoua. Ever since all
his social media flap, you look at it, he's now
half a point from overtaking JSN for the top scorer
of the year at the position. We'll hear from him
again in a minute. But nineteen point three fantasy points
per game you'll get Arizona. I mean they're on fumes.
A lot of speculation of what happens in this offseason,
(07:48):
but certainly defensively, a lot of work to be done
in that back seven. Jamar Chase finally got off the snide,
breaking that scoreless streak two touchdowns last week. He's up
around the leaders for the wide receiver position, even though
he's just been steady and consistent. Not a lot of highs.
His twenty one point five last week his best since
Week seven. Cleveland pretty good over the last four weeks,
(08:11):
fewest receiving yards allowed, just a single TD. But this
just smacks of a let's show people what could and
would have been over the course of the year. How
about Alan raw Sam Brown against the Bears. This one
because the coaches, I think, still want to have some
slap fighting. The Lions don't lay down and die. Everybody's
(08:32):
like the Bears are gonna rount it because they'll get revenge. Yeah,
because that's the way football works. Eleventh most allowed to
wide receivers over the last month. The Bears. You can
move the ball back and forth upon them, just don't
give it away in the red zone. JSN going up
against San Francisco. A little concerning trend fewer than fifteen
points three of his last five, but still he's one
(08:53):
of the top receivers as we know, as you know Dan,
San Francisco solid this last month and trending better. But
this one again, I has all the earmarks of get
your popcorn better than anything you're seeing in a theater.
And I went and saw The Stranger Things finale in
the theater, so I tell you, oh, wow, there you go.
I'm one of the dopes that went and ate a
(09:15):
lot of theater food. And then you got Nico Collins
going up against the Indianapolis packed to back duds, leaving
me a little hand ringing, but a big spot here.
Indianapolis the second most receiving yards allowed nearly two hundred
per game to wide receivers with a touchdown each of
these last four games. So but for CJ. Stroud and
him to have some success this week.
Speaker 3 (09:36):
Yeah, the JSN dilemma is it Obviously maybe hasn't been
as fruitful as it was previously. But it's hard to
think that way when you remember the Seahawks and Rams
playing the game that they did just a couple of
weeks ago, and the Seahawks I'm almost putting up a
forty burger, but yeah, there have been a couple of hiccups.
There also maybe a couple of other guys getting involved
which will allow your could allow the number one receiver
(09:57):
this week, as you said, pookin Nakua so over take
that top wide receiver spot this year.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
It's fun battle though, I mean, it's nice to see
some new names get some run right amongst the heavyweights.
You know, it begets more conversation about Seattle and Sam
Darnold and what the next generation is. We talked about
AJ Barner and some of the other weapons there in
the post DK metcalf Era you want to do fifteen
(10:23):
on DK metcalf No, me neither. But all of that
to say, it's a new world order there in Seattle
and very bright curiosity for years to come.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
I think now Week eighteen it's funky. You can always
find Mike at Swollendom. You can find me at Dan
Bayer on Fox. This is just gonna be a two
segment episode usually in the weeks leading up with the rankings.
We make it three, but we're gonna put Mike's Hot plays,
Gold Towards and Ninjas alongside my Points of Palosa and Survivor,
and it all comes up next year, a happy New Year,
and I want your flex. All right, let's get to
(10:59):
the guys that didn't make the rankings for week eighteen.
The Hot plays the Cold Sores and the Ninjas, some good,
some bad, and I got some Survivor and Points of
Paluza for you coming at the end, Mike, where your
hot plays for Week eighteen.
Speaker 2 (11:12):
Let's roll the dice on some new names and some
new characters here. We'll do it fast. Camleb Williams, who
we've seen, he's tied for eighth overall last four games.
Detroy given him about fifteen points per game. But you've
seen that Bear's passing attacks start to really work down
field a bit more so. Take Luther Burton with you.
Twenty three point eight. The breakout last week was on
(11:33):
the injury report, but all signs are that he's ready
to go. Tenth most receiving yards allowed by opposing and
passing attacks here over the last couple of weeks. CJ.
Stroud mentioned him a bit earlier. The ceilings a bit
lower than most, but he's been pretty consistent here down
the stretch, going up against Indianapolis, they give up. They've
(11:54):
been very generous, shall we say, down the stretch, Tyler
Shuck no stranger to this show. You can make an
argument for a lot of those fantasy awards. We were
talking about Dan nineteen point five fantasy points per game
over the last five Still, folks hadn't trusted him in
the late waiver wire pickups. But an opportunity here against
Atlanta in a division that's really kind of a curiosity,
(12:17):
right bo Nick's going up against the Chargers. He's tied
for eighth at nineteen fantasy points per game AM running
back position, Malik Davis probably going to get a significant
workload going up against the Giants. Three double digit efforts
in his last five games. Trevion Henderson going up against
Miami nineteen for eighty two. I know that's not overwhelming,
(12:40):
but the fact that he had nineteen touches gets you
pretty excited here going against the Miami run defense. Rico
Dawdle against Tampa, that workload split is problematic for you.
I know, his last double digit week going back to
week eleven bet a big spot here for Carolina quite obviously.
Michael Wilson going up against the Rams. Marvin Harrison, ju
(13:00):
yours were watching another injury last week. Seventeen points per
game over the last seven for Wilson, he's been fantastic.
And then Wandale Robinson, why we need targets eight or
more targets seven of his last eight games. He'll have
another big workload against Toho. That's porous.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
Dallas second here, yes, and then over under again sitting
up there, one of the highest that we've got here
in Week eighteen and coming from a game that really
doesn't matter. Maybe that tells you how the game's gonna
play out on Sunday.
Speaker 2 (13:29):
Wing it around Dan, that's all. Let's go out with
a bang, get everybody to hit their incentives and you know,
have Eberflus look really bad in his final game as
the Dallas coordinator.
Speaker 3 (13:40):
All right, let's get the cold sores in the guys
that you don't want to play this week. Heck, maybe
there's guys that are just not gonna play at all, Mike.
Let's find out who your cold soores are for week eighteen.
Speaker 2 (13:49):
Well, that becomes the big question, right you and I
before we hit the record button, Devin h Chan, he's
on the cold sore list, and I wrote it all up,
all these things, and then he's missed stick back to
back practices, Yet they insist he's going to play. If
you're playing in a Best Ball League, or however you're
operating week eighteen, you probably want another option. Even though
(14:11):
you look at New England's been pretty generous to opposing
running backs of late Burrow going up against Cleveland nineteen
or better in four of his fives. Still want to
know what happened in that game against Baltimore, But Cleveland
fifth best against quarterbacks, give it up just one hundred
and sixty four passing yards per game over the last
four weeks. The Sam Darnold is a cautionary tale. I
got him right, on the fringe of that back end
(14:32):
QB one high, QB two. You know, you look at
what we have here. There's no pass rush, so he'll
be able to operate here. But they've been stingy nonetheless,
given up fewer than two hundred passing yards per game.
But you know what I push in on that offense.
But it's one of those. All right, check your options.
Baker against Carolina. I mean you and I have talked
(14:54):
about this with Ian for weeks of I have no
idea what I'm getting from. Baker had the early season heroics,
and even with all his guys back, he's still struggled
week to week. Jonathan Taylor against Houston. His last big
game came several weeks ago, right week ten, when he
had that forty eight point performance. He's only got one game. Well,
(15:17):
he's been at fifteen or four point four or less
every game since. No, thank you, Houston.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
I've felt the wrath of it.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
So yeah, I mean, you're rolling, you're rolling, and then
it all spun out. Not to mention, you're also getting
Ridley Leonard back under seven for you there. As Philip
Rivers said all his goodbyes, Breeze Hall, maybe he'll be
mad that he didn't win the team MVP. Isaiah Williams,
a guy that actually cut off special teams and then
resigned to the practice squad, was named the Jets team MVP,
(15:46):
causing a lot of consternation in the New York, New
Jersey area. But he's he's been struggling right. We haven't
seen a big game out of him in forever and
a day. And even though Buffalo has been pretty generous
to opposing runners, this is not the spot for it.
Drake London has been non well, non factor back to
(16:08):
back weeks, five point one total points combined in his
two weeks back going up against New Orleans top ten
defense against opposing wideouts over the last month, So no
thank you. McLaurin nine point seven average, three efforts under
ten in his last four games. No thank you. DJ
Moore going up against Detroit because it's boom or bust.
(16:29):
You either have a huge game with his touchdown heroics
because you've got WR five, WR seven and then the
other three in his last five dan WR sixty four,
WR one hundred, w R one two, So no thank you.
And then the obligatory always in Justin Jefferson even though
he's talking up his quarterback and how he wants to
(16:51):
work with JJ McCarthy. The only thing I can put
here is he needs fifty three yards for one thousand,
so it could be there.
Speaker 3 (16:59):
Yeah, five point four in the standard league and whatever
you do PPR wise add on to that. I think
you'll see that against Green Bay. All right, let's get
to the Ninja's Mike the sneaky plays for the final
week of the regular season.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
Don't know that he's sneaky anymore, but Jacoby Brissett like
that team stinks, but they keep winging around. He's got
eighteen point four better eight of his ten starts, just
been fantastic. Bryce Young going up against Tampa fifteen or
better three of his last four. Again the ceilings a
bit lower, but against this Tampa secondary McMillan will be
back at full strength. Cocher, you should have some opportunity.
(17:32):
Cousins going up against New Orleans again cautionary tale but
potential here as he just goes winging it out, trying
to do that audition for next year. So you got
back to back top twelve performances out of him. Should
where Sanders going up against Cincinnati why because he's got
no conscience. Does that work for fantasy purposes? Not when
you're getting ding for all the ants. But it is
(17:54):
the Cincinnati defense, so you should have some opportunity. Ray
Davis going up against the Jets. Not sure how much
we're gonna see if James Cook here sporadic use just
forty five touches on the year, but the Jets, as
we know, couldn't cover the three of us. And you know,
pick our next our top eight listeners, right, Tyron Tracy,
go back. You owed to the over under a little
(18:16):
bit earlier. The touches are still there. I worry about Singletary,
but Dallas again no resistance. Tank biggs By going up
against Washington. Not expecting a ton from Barkley and the
starters as they get ready for the playoffs. Zay Flowers
against Pittsburgh again your touchdown dependent. How about Kevin Austen
(18:36):
four catches fifty two yards in a score last week,
Chris olave good thoughts to him. He diagnosed with blood clotts,
so he's gonna miss the finale. Fantastic year from him,
Hope for a quick recovery. But going up against the
Atlanta secondary sixth most generous here the last month, so
an opportunity there and then final Parker Washington, we try
to break through the grid there. Of the Jacksonville receiver,
(19:00):
there's twenty three point five and fifteen in his last
two opportunity as he develops a better chemistry with Trevor Lawrence.
Speaker 3 (19:08):
There they are, You're Hot, plays cold Source, and Ninja's
coming up for week eighteen, a lot at steak bonuses
can come into play. A lot going on, and the
good thing you mentioned the Ray Davis thing. The Colts
play early in, the Bills play late, So any talk
of James Cook in the rushing crown, he's going to
(19:29):
know the number. So if he gets the number, see
you later in goes Ray Davis. So even if James
Cook ends up playing, I think you're going to see
an opportunity for him to try to win that rushing
title this week.
Speaker 2 (19:41):
Nicely done. You know what I considered was just doing
a ten minute dramatic reading among the bonuses stake because
I think this might be and correct me if I'm wrong.
Maybe it's just recency biased. I think I've seen more
written up on incentives in contracts over the last week
that I remember every Yeah, like it's gotten pretty detail
down to tackles. Like one of the things of the notes.
(20:03):
One of the guys I didn't highlight. He was just
off the top five, Chase Brown because he's also ill.
But you got Swetsinger's gonna miss the game now for Cleveland.
He with his one hundred and fifty six tackles, So
all of a sudden, that opens things up a little bit.
But you know, talking about guys reaching for one thousand
yards or their reception totals, tackles, all of those things.
(20:26):
The tackle thing was the thing that stuck out because
the defensive ones are really funny. So you really hope
you're playing at home sure on the final week, because
of that extra half tackle here and there that the
home score can give you.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
Well, it's incentives definitely will play apart, and it may
give you a reason to watch eight Week eighteen, which
I've proclaimed the Times is worse than preseason football, because
at least with preseason football, you know that you've got
a whole season ahead. Now we're just entering the playoffs,
and if your team is in in the playoffs, you're like,
well great, and now I gotta wait then you know,
another eight nine months to be able to get into
(21:00):
that mode. But Week eighteen, it is what it is.
We'll deal with it as we always do on I
Want Your Flex. You know what, I'm gonna make an audible.
We are going to take a time out and then
I'll just come back with our points of loses and
our survivor picks and we'll wrap things up in our
first edition of twenty twenty six here on I Want
Your Flex, all right. He is Mike Carmen. I'm Dan
(21:23):
Byer again. A very happy birthday to our executive producer
Ian Roddy and his wish to not give streaming defenses
in week eighteen because that would be almost impossible, right,
I mean, just who knows what. So we don't have
any streaming defenses for you. Ian celebrating his birthday today.
But I do have a points of Paloosa and I
do have a survivor pick. And the reason I have
a survivor pick, Mike, because we've talked about on this podcast.
(21:45):
I made it up to week fourteen of a survivor pool.
I actually was able to chart my way to the end.
If I thought I could make it that far, I
started doing that in week week twelve, Week thirteen or so,
and then it came to bite me in Week fourteen.
My saving grace is that I wouldn't have won in
Week seventeen no matter So even though I were lost
(22:06):
in Week fourteen, the teams that I had saved in
Week seventeen ended up both losing. The teams that I
would have considered. They're actually the Packers and Lions in
those situations, so I would have been out no matter what.
That probably would have been tougher to take than just
losing in Week fourteen. But it does mean that I
did have a Week eighteen pick, and I did save
the Jaguars, and you mentioned the enormous points spread in
(22:28):
that game, still with something to play for. They also
play early, so you have Denver and New England playing
in the later window, Denver's home against the Chargers, so
you've got a situation where, yeah, there is something to
play for. It's why Travis Etn and Trevor Lawrence are
a part of Mike's top five at his positions. So
(22:50):
I like the Jaguars in this situation for a survivor pick,
not only because of the Week eighteen pick that I
had weeks ago, but also because of what could be
at stake, the points spread, all of it plays in,
and with the Patriots and Broncos playing later on, there
is still something for the Jaguars. If you didn't have
the Jaguars and you're looking for a coin flip game,
(23:12):
why not go with the Falcons. It just seems like
a very Falcons esque thing to do. For as good
as the Saints play and have played, for the Falcons
to go on a winning streak at the end of
the year, to win this game, to beat the Rams,
and then to beat their rival. I know it's a
short week, but give me Atlanta in this in a
game where there are a three and a half point favorite,
so those would be my survivor picks and my points
(23:33):
at Palooza. Isn't that same game. I think we could
have a fun one in Atlanta. I know there's no
Chris o'lave, but why not let Tyler Shook throw it around?
Why not let be Jean Robinson run up and down
the field. I could go with Dallas and the Giants
and Mike. As you pointed out, it's nearing fifty. Your
matchup with the Lions Bears and Lions could have some points,
but we'll just try to go under the radar with
(23:54):
the Saints and Falcons.
Speaker 2 (23:55):
I love it. It's a little deeper cut. We're talked
about Kirk Cousins on auditioning and trying to figure out
what's next. As Panics comes back from the injury, Tyler
Shuck trying to say, hey, I should be the guy.
So that game's got a lot of interest to it.
Taysom Hill says goodbye or something like Arion did that.
I don't know, but seven games with an over under
(24:17):
of forty point five or fewer. So we are desperate
trying to scrape the barrel. And if this was a
video podcast, and maybe for twenty twenty six, that's what
we do. We add it so we could literally have
Ian throwing darts at a board for a week. T
here's my streaming defense. It's Washington against Tanner mckeeth. No,
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
They that may happen. That may happen. All right, let's
wrap this up. Just a programming note. From here on out,
we give you one episode a week, so through the
month of January and then into February, we'll give you
a couple of posts super Bowl editions as well. We'll
do our top sixty draft as we always do, and
that then we'll put a bow on I want your Flex.
(24:57):
But just because the regular season is over doesn't mean
that our work is as will be with you throughout
the playoffs, recapping and looking at the matchups and doing
so much more so. A happy birthday to Ian Roddy
who's not here, And for Mike Harmon, I'm Dan Byer.
We always appreciate you listening and can't wait to talk
to you next time here on Iowa.
Speaker 2 (25:16):
You're Flex