November 7, 2023 • 39 mins
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It's Fox Sports Radio's Official Fantasy Football Podcast! Mike Harmon and Ryan Burschinger react to Week 9 in fantasy football, where Josh Dobbs brings comfort to owners of Vikings receivers, Arthur Smith continues to bring anger to Bijan Robinson owners, and Jonathan Taylor brings an end to Zack Moss owners. The guys discuss the impact of Ja'Marr Chase's injury and examine where CJ Stroud now ranks among fantasy QBs. Plus, Harmon gives his waiver wire adds for Week 10!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies, you want experience during your football season, well, buckle up.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Sweet cheeks.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
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.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flexide. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Ah. Yeah, Week nine is in the books already, we
are on the well, we're coming down the stretch already
in terms of the fantasy regular season. Well command another
edition of I Watch Reflex Mike Harmon alongside Ryan Berginger
Dan Bayer with us as always as we get into
the week heading into week ten, but the two of
us will take you through some of the big storylines
(00:58):
that emerge as we get out out of Week nine.
And I don't think there's anything bigger than the idea
of a guy getting zero snaps in a practice Ryan
and being able to go and practices cadence, hear my voice,
hear my voice on the sideline with an offensive line
and then coming in and accounting for three touchdowns in
(01:19):
relief of an injured starter, and that's Josh Dobbs of
the Minnesota Vikings. Last week on the podcast we did
to start the week predictive of the trade deadline, I
thought he was the best options of all of the
I mean there were like fifteen quarterback What about him?
What about him? It's like, how about a guy that
actually just goes in plays? And Josh Dobbs is that guy.
(01:40):
Remember they couldn't get his jersey, Yeah he had to
for now he's got to do that again.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
I mean, man, as a Packer fan watching this like
knowing that it's the Vikings, it doesn't affect me whatsoever.
I am loving the Josh Dobbs story this season is
it is truly fun to watch knowing that he started
the season as a journeyman who the Cardinals just kind
of needed somebody to play quarterback at the start of
the season and they picked up Josh Dobbs and and
(02:08):
he was actually pretty good to start the season, and
he looked like even a legitimate fantasy option at times.
And then you would you would called it last week
that the Vikings were a great landing spot for him.
That uh the way that uh, I'm drying a blank
on their head. Coach did well.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Kevin O'Connell of the Vikings.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Yeah, the Cardinals, Uh oh, car Jonathan.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Like where are you? Where are you taking me? Old one?
New one? Yeah? Where he demotioned to third which made
no sense. Yes, talks positively of him after the game,
and then comes back Monday because we watched the tape.
We all watched the tape.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
It ain't him as as you correctly called. He was
just straight up telling the media like he's he's going
to be traded, and he he goes to the Vikings,
has no time whatsoever to pick up their offense. You
have videos of him, yeah, teaching the offensive lineman like
what he's what a snap counts it? Like, what his
cadence is. That's that's incredible, And the fact that he
came in and won that game. It's He just also
(03:16):
seems like a guy who's fun to root for, Like
he seems like a good dude and who's who's been
working hard at it for quite a few years in
the NFL. To see him come through this way is
really fun to watch. I think it's the best story
in the league this season, and from a fantasy perspective,
it is also rather rather, what's again I am drawing
(03:40):
blanks on it's comforting. The word I'm looking for is comforting.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well in a strange year for the quarterback. Yes, right,
I've had I've had some good success in the predictive
and rankings and whatever. But what we've seen with DeVito
gonna take over for the Giants, right, Tobby DeVito next?
Because Daniel Jones gets hurt again. What a terrible story too,
because he battled back neck injury where there was some
questions of whether he was going to come back at all,
(04:04):
fights his way back on the field, barely gets his
beak wet, and he's now done for the year and
probably going to be thrown out of New York when
it's all said done. Be a high priced backup and
see where his career continues. But with DeVito, that I mean,
that's ten rookies, right. As much as we're talking about
(04:24):
the rookie class to come, we got ten guys that
have been pressed into service in twenty twenty three. Look
at Dovs's stats though four games this season with multiple
touchdown passes, four rushing touchdowns overall, and six games with
at least forty rushing yards like that's the one that
you're circling, right, there's your bonus four to five points.
(04:48):
And you know, we were talking about a little bit
Monday night in between the you know, trying to console
Jason Smith. You were working with us Jason Smith Show
and with me seven to eleven if it go on
Fox Sports Radio each night, and talking about Josh Dobbs.
And that's one of the little secret things for him
is the rushing yards and particularly how pedestrian. And I'm
(05:11):
being nice there. The run game has been for Minnesota.
And look, we got plenty of guys we can call it,
Austin Eckler and Tony Pollard and certainly Alexander Madison. Here's
your opportunity. They let down the Cook go. I'm surprised
Dalvin Cook didn't come back into Minnesota Union too. Right.
It used to work, maybe it could work again, But
(05:32):
Madison's been a disaster. Cam Akers shows up. He's now
got an acl again. I don't know what's real, what's
imagined in terms of the whispers you heard about him
with the rams to this point, whatever, But anytime, I mean,
you don't wish any of that on anybody. Man in
terms of where they're at and trying to make their living.
But Ty Chandler, a guy we've talked about for a
(05:54):
couple of weeks. He's stashable, but until he actually performs,
he ain't getting anywhere near starting lineup. So Josh Dobbs
becomes a de facto Hey, I hope for forty yards
out of him. So there's a balance. But the bigger issue, right,
and we've talked about it from a guillotine perspective of
the victories of picking up Justin Jefferson Right, what was
(06:15):
it seventy nine? You pay seventy seven? Right, because I
bid sixty nine, because I'm a smart ass. Look, sometimes
you take the cheap joke like everybody else. But all
of a sudden he's back in play because they're in
the number seven seed in the NFC. You got Hockinson,
you got Addison. The kJ Osborne injury did not look good.
(06:37):
So we haven't seen As we record this late on
Monday night heading into Tuesday morning, East Coast, we don't
have a definitive word as to what his status is
near and long term. But you've got an offense that
can make some noise. You got a schedule that has
some spots for you to make some noise. Even if
you look at fantasy playoff weeks, there are opportunities because
(06:59):
they're divisional, which I think is the dopiest thing ever.
But when you're playing the Lions defense, we've seen this
rated at times. When you're playing the Packers defense, sorry
they have not. I mean, yeah, they beat up on
Brett Rippen, but they've been beatable. Right, take advantage of
the schedule and look at the Chargers what they did
to Zach Wilson. That was a twenty nine point performance.
(07:21):
And I'll tell you what. I had a fantasy matchup
to where I needed like one of those ridiculous efforts, huh.
But for one step out of bounds at the end
on that return, that was a touchdown that would have
been put me over the top and given me a victory,
sending me to seven and two. Instead, it's a six
and three team. That's fine. I was going up against
the guy that's right up top with me, and it
(07:43):
was the most improbable because dk Metcalf. The guys that
we complained about a couple of weeks ago all factor
in on that squad. But for Dobbs opportunity is there,
but it probably means if you're Justin Jefferson, maybe it
was towards Operation shut down a week or two ago.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Now, all of a sudden, it's like, wait a minute,
there's still stuff to play for. And this guy didn't
even know the playbook.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Yeah that's or their names for great right now he's
learning out.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
They look like players in the n C two A
football games. To him, they're just you know, running back
number twenty four. Yeah, no, I think that's where you
if you were a Justin Jefferson owner, you've been on
such a weird wave of emotions since Kirk Cousins went down,
because suddenly you're like, well, I mean, dang, is he
(08:33):
not even gonna come back now? Is this team gonna
even be able to compete? Are we gonna have to
watch Jaron Hall try to throw to Justin Jefferson. Now, suddenly,
this this situation feels like a spot where Justin Jefferson's
gonna be rather reinvigorated coming back in healthy onto that team,
and Dobbs is gonna feed him and Jordan Addison as well.
(08:55):
Where Addison it looked like suddenly his his value had
dropped a ton now with even once Jefferson comes back,
if Osbourne is out for a bit, and it's the
fact that, yeah, you should feel comfortable with Dobbs throwing
these guys the ball because he's definitely a better option
than a handful of quarterbacks across the league right now.
So that's you can definitely feel pretty good once again
(09:18):
about having receiving options from the Vikings in fantasy.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Eighty percent availability heading into the waiver period for Week
ten of your National Football League season. All right, on
the other side of that game, yes, is another one.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
We did the hate and love kind of thing a
couple of weeks ago. Who's helping your team, who's tearing
you asunder and driving you insane? And obviously when we
look at the Atlanta Falcons, look, I long jennisoned Kyle
Pitts to the waiver wire in one of the leagues.
I got tired of weight and I had some injury
issues and just said, okay, I need able bodied elsewhere.
(09:56):
And well, maybe that's a mistake because the guy one
of my other tight ends is now well done for
the season. But in Atlanta, John news Smith taking up
some of his touches, but We're all still waiting to
see what exactly Bijon Robinson is going to be because
at this point, it's the My mom used to have
(10:18):
a phrase when we'd buyer maybe maybe some nice stuff,
you know, the nice clothing thing for a birthday or Christmas,
or you'd buy something that you thought was a cool
gadget for the kitchen, and her phraseology was always save
it for good. At this point, what the hell is
Arthur Smith saving Bijon Robinson for another game with just
(10:40):
eleven carries eleven eleven. Everybody remembers the game against Tampa
Bay where he was basically a bystander, but thirteen fourteen,
So outside of week two against your Packers, when he
went for nineteen for one twenty four, you're looking at
fourteen or fewer carries per week. Did go over a
(11:00):
hundred yards against Jacksonville in a twenty three seven loss.
Passing game targets are still there, nine targets over the
last two weeks, totaling one catch for eight yards or
two yeah, two catches for eight yard. Sorry, but his
lack of inclusion in the offense and showcasing is one
(11:22):
of the most maddening things because if you look at
adp what was he top five? Yeah, in virtually every
letting much.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Yeah, looking back at this last game too, you have
Tyler Algier had more touches than Bijon. You had that
weird drive where the Falcons got down to first and
goal from the one and then started with a false start,
so they moved back to the six. So then they
pass it to John new Smith, then they try a
rushing attempt with John new Smith, and then they try
(11:52):
a rush with Tyler Algier. So in that drive ended
in a field goal. They did not score a touchdown there.
Not only is Bijon not getting a touch in these
goal to go situations, they're literally handing the ball off
to John hu Smith instead. Because I believe the phrase
is if you if you have John hu Smith on
your team, you try to find ways to get him
(12:13):
the ball.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Damn it.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
You know what they did New England was they set
up to direct deposit for big checks. I didn't really
see to get him the ball very often.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah, yeah, And I look, I get that John who
did eventually have that big sixty yard catch and run
in the game. But and and John who's been fine,
I'm not trying to knock John who Smith as a player. Here,
I'm trying to knock the fact that Arthur Smith apparently
is enamored by him and doesn't seem to want to
give the ball to anyone else, including the man that
(12:46):
their team spent a insanely high draft pick on, and
the fact that they're still handing the ball off to
Tyler Algier Moore. Again, Algier is a fine running back,
but everything points to Bijon being a very strong and
probably being the best running back on this team. All
conventional wisdom seems to indicate that everything, except for his
(13:08):
actual usage on the field, seems to indicate that.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Well. I mean, we saw the video game Remember Andy's Room,
and it was the greatest jump step ever.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
So I don't know, I don't understand. I don't Maybe
now that Arthur Smith has shaved his mustache, then maybe
now he'll start to come to his senses. I'm not sure,
but yeah, he seems to get some sort of sick
satisfaction from making fantasy managers angry. And I can see
where you would enjoy doing that if you played in
(13:39):
the league, but you shouldn't be doing that at a
detriment to your own actual team.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
So good for you, Arthur. Give Beijond the damn ball.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Now, let's let's jump to positivity, shall we. We've done
some negativity. We'll get into some of the injuries after
the break, but let's get one more story in because
one of the feel good stories I think for the
year is the success and dominance in many, many spaces
of CJ. Stroud. Now I did not like seeing him
(14:11):
in a couple of leagues against me. This particular week.
I had this strange week where I had two teams
I faced, had Stroud Kate Otten and the Raiders defense
playing against me. Talk about a base of points. The
other guys didn't even have to show up, yeah, to
beat my beat me down in those But when we
(14:32):
look at Stroud this last week, I mean just operational
efficiency at its finest. Your offensive line starting to get together.
We talked about Tank Dell a long time ago. This
week we got Dalton Schultz back in the mix, one
of my all time favorites, a guy I really thought
was gonna be a big factor for him all year
and maybe the second half. He blows up in the
(14:54):
tight end position, certainly has openings at the top of
the heap for some performances, but for seventy yards five touchdowns.
I started Lamar Jackson in the leagues that I had CJ.
Stroud as backup as you would strong matchup, and it's
it's just like the Chargers Jets game on Monday night.
If you see the final score, like I got a
(15:16):
couple of touchdowns in a big game from Justin Herbert. No,
I didn't you see the score for the Ravens game.
I got a big game from Lamar Jackson. No I
got fifteen points. I got help by the fact that
he had some rushing yards. But you look at Stroud
at this point and you've had three games of three
hundred plus a three eighty four back against Indianapolis Week two.
(15:39):
Now you got this massive four to seventy game against
the Buccaneers. And even with the offensive line having the
component parts, I mean, they haven't played their starting five
together at all. He's only absorbed eighteen sacks. The kid
gets the ball out and he finds his targets. He's
(16:00):
operating at a sixty two percent completion rate. Ryan fine,
dirt it whatever. But the fact that you just keep
seeing zeros in the turnover column just amazing. Right, he's
at fourteen and one thus far. And this is a
guy that I dare say, with Nico Collins, with Schultz,
with Tank Dell, you got a guy that's gonna win
you some fantasy titles. And he's probably still on your
(16:22):
bench because you haven't felt compelled to trust it. Right
because against Carolina that was the one clunker in the mix.
Completes two thirds of his pass has been only one
hundred and forty yards, zero touchdowns, did have a rushing touchdown,
but otherwise you're looking at five multi touchdown games, including
(16:45):
this five spot that he puts up here, only shut
out twice from the passing touchdown column, that perhaps people
will be more willing to push him forward, I think,
Or is it just do you still look at as
a still a rookie because I look, I played the
(17:07):
defensive thing, right, we talked about it, and you were
working with us when we're talking with Smith even looking
long term with Aaron Rodgers or whatever else. Of all, right,
if there's a guy that might be viable, I'd rather
re rod on my bench. And I can kick myself
in the ass for not activating a guy, because I'll
beat myself that way as opposed to I didn't have
(17:27):
the guts to pick somebody up and watch him beat
me on the other side. And I think with CJ. Stroud,
that's gonna happen with a bunch of folks. But we're
I think I'm starting to get to the point where
maybe I'd step out on that ledge a little bit.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
He's this is a It was an incredible game to
watch because everything about Stroud's situation kind of is building
in this way. Where as fantasy players we look at
it and think, all right, there should be great opportunity here.
Defense isn't good, so they're gonna be playing from behind
a lot. Their run game is non existent because Damian
(18:05):
Pierce has been a non factor, and then he's hurt,
and so Devin Singletary is also a non factor. So
they just have to throw constantly. But the factor there
is then Stroud has to be effective and throwing, and
as you're pointing out, he's been very, very good at that.
He's not turning the ball over, he's spreading the ball
out incredibly.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Well.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
You had those five touchdowns to four different guys. Tank
Dell had too, but otherwise Nico Collins, Noah Brown and
Dalton Schultz all got one. So he's he clearly like
he's he's he's being very effective and he's distributing the
ball incredibly well. And yeah, as you're saying, you would
kind of have to start to move him up those rankings.
(18:48):
But then you're starting to play matchups because as you mentioned,
like for example, Justin Herbert at not a good week
this week, and this isn't the first time this has
happened to him. Of course, the Jets have a good
pass defense, but looking at matchups next week, C J.
Stroud goes to Cincinnati against the Bengals and Justin Herbert
(19:09):
has the Lions at home. You probably lean Herbert on
the matchup there because the Lions secondary isn't good. But
that also is a game where the Texans are gonna
throw a lot and I mean, granted that's they're all
gonna be like that for them probably, but especially with
the Bengals, you figure the Bengals should should take care
of them pretty well. Stroud's gonna have to throw the
(19:29):
ball a lot, so he's starting to another one here
Niners Jaguars, So looking at Trevor Lawrence against the Niners,
the Niners you've been able to throw against pretty well,
so that's probably still a good matchup there. But this
is kind of the echelon that CJ. Stroud's moving into
where you look at these matchups with with guys like
(19:50):
Herbert and and and Lawrence who were drafted as your
QB one very strongly, and these are probably teams with
that have Stroud on their bench. Yeah, so yeah, I
think that you do start to play the matchups. It's
going to be very tempting, coming off of this gigantic
performance to just go with Stroud, but you know he'll
(20:13):
still have growing pains here and there. But I mean
it's obviously it's a great problem to have now if
you've got Stroud and another starting quarterback. So I think
that you still have to kind of be a little
level headed play matchups and understand that it is going
to be pretty matchup dependent with what you can and
(20:35):
can't do with these guys. But you will have to
really consider starting Stroud over bigger names like that.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Ryan Burschegar with me, Mike Carman, I watch Flax. You
already know that you tuned in at Ryan Burschegar where
you find him on Twitter. The swing Shift podcast as
we get into the hot stove and the debates of
where do you spend your money in free agency? Perhaps
it's just shameless begging with He and Bo Benson for
show Heyo Tani to become a Dodger. Find me over
(21:05):
at Swollen Dome, where I rant on everything and anything sports,
pop culture, music related. We have some fun there now.
Coming up next, we'll talk about a couple of injuries
that loom large in the fantasy universe, creating opportunities for
other players and their respective teams, and on the waiver wire.
That's coming up next in just a minute, Hey, welcome
(21:28):
back in I Watch Flex here getting ready for Week
ten of your National Football League. Right now, we're taking
a look back at some of the big news and
notes coming out of the Week nine action, including a
couple of injuries. Mike Harmon, Ryan Berschinger with you here.
In bersch I look at a couple of names that
(21:48):
really stand tall, top options at their respective positions, and
one is huge because well, let's face it, a couple
of times this season, cloak of invisibility has found its
way on to Jamar Chase. He was smallish in the
Sunday Night win against the Bills, but back injury right,
(22:12):
applying all sorts of apparatuses, apparati to try apparatuses to
try to stimulate the back, get rid of some of
the paint. Took a nasty hit and fall on the
lower back and finished with just forty or four point
one points forty one receiving yards on the night, and
(22:33):
then obviously add your points per reception a couple of
what was at four for forty one, but also has
had three other games this season, and remember Joe Burrow
being injured at the start of the season limited some
of that, but we had finally had at least a
couple of double digit games, including that breakout Week five
(22:53):
for Chase now potentially on the shelf. We'll get official
word as the week goes on. But all of a sudden,
Tyler Boyd, who's out there in over forty percent of
fantasy leagues. You saw him pick up a bunch of
targets against the Bills. Looks like he's ready for prime time.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Now, yeah, that's definitely where you keep your eye on
the likes of Tyler Boyd. If Chase misses action, you're
able to definitely upgrade t Higgins He finished with eight
for one ten in that game. And this is why
you kind of stick with t Higgins. I know it's
it's been it's been tough goings for him. All three
of those guys, man, it has been a roller coaster.
(23:32):
Now you add Irv Smith Junior, you add the other
tight ends, it's it's a it's a little bit of
a strange scenario. Pick your poison and ride the lightning
with Joe.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
Burrow and it was nice to see as well.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Joe Mixon did up five catches in this game to
go with his rushing touchdowns. So I expect Mixon to
have a pretty strong second half of the season. And
if they are missing Jamar Chase, they've got to rely
on him more and that includes working him into the
past and we didn't see Travion Williams really cut into
his workload as much, which in the past you would
(24:06):
have seen p Ryan step in and get a decent
amount of work. Yeah, Travion Williams had three rushes, So
mixing seems like a bell cow back on a very
good offense on a team that's going to be contending.
So I would expect pure volume is gonna give him
great numbers through the second half here.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Well, we certainly see them on the come. Right, You've
got the Ravens separating themselves a little bit from the
pack in the AFC. And as I joked about Jason
lockanfora who joins us on our show, Smith and I
you know, he works out of Baltimore, DC area, And
it's like, look the object in the rear view mirror
(24:47):
maybe closer than it appears, i e. The Bengals are coming,
that defense is playing well, and obviously the Chase injury
certainly is something we have to be alert too. But
to your point, I mean, and if you can pick
up in the passing game, because another guy that was
disappointing to start the year, and also probably I mean,
look from a draft perspective, he went high ish for
(25:12):
running backs just by default. Yeah, but not with any
great expectation, right, he redid his contract to come back
and whatever else. So it's like, all right, do we
like you, do we love you?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Do?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
We just play the percentages based on the fact that
running backs don't have any negotiating power unless you're Jonathan Taylor.
Because Jim Mersey decided he loved you all right, the
other big injury comes out of what was one of
the games of the week, and really a crazy sequence
towards the end. But Dallas Goddar comes away, he's got
a fractured arm. It's all like, okay, that escalated quickly,
(25:49):
but now he's gonna head to i R. He's gonna
miss some time. And so we start going down the
depth chart trying to find out, you know, how this goes.
I keep waiting for the Eagles to revert to the
old form of running the football with five different guys.
Obviously Boston Scott hasn't been available, but just thinking that
(26:10):
that identity would show back up. Instead, it's been the
AJ Brown Show each and every week. Devantae Smith getting
back in the good graces of the world this week.
But when we look at the way this squad is
moving forward, and from a fantasy perspective, at the tight
end position you're looking at Goddard was only tight end
(26:32):
nine through nine weeks, lower than would have expected. I mean,
you've got the breakout of Laporta and obviously Cole Comet
a couple of huge games skewing those totals. I mean,
your most effective tight end the last few weeks has
actually been Taysom Hill.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Yeah, you know, in.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Terms of the topsy turvy tight end position. So you know,
Dalton Schultz pops up again, going back to the planet
Houston a little bit. But this is a huge blow
for that offense in terms of what Goddard means running
down the seam and keeping safeties honest and giving both
(27:12):
Brown and DeVante Smith some free run. So suddenly that
bogs down a little bit. Not to mention the fact
that Jalen Hurts. Let's grab him while we're here. Yeah,
how bad's that knee?
Speaker 4 (27:23):
Right right?
Speaker 2 (27:24):
And he was asked a question about it, he got
up and walked away from the podium. Yes, so yeah,
I mean, they obviously have a bye week in week ten.
Couldn't come at a better time. But still, you know,
the eyebrow has to be raised for the second half.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yeah, that seemed to be pretty underdiscussed, was the fact
that it hurts might be a little more banged up
than they're letting on. But looking at last year when
Dallas Goddard missed a good amount of time, that was
the period where DeVante Smith really took off for them.
That was during the second half of the season where
he was winning people fantasy championships because of his games
(27:59):
were coming up on strong at the end of the
season and into the fantasy playoffs. He had four out
of five weeks near the end of the season. There
he had over one hundred receiving yards. He had multiple
touchdowns across those games, and in most of those games
Goddard was still out. Goddard came back around Christmas last year,
and Devonte Smith still had a great game on Christmas
(28:23):
when Goddard came back. But in the games leading up
to that, in Goddard's absence, we saw DeVonta Smith's numbers rise.
So I know that it's He's been a bit up
and down this season thus far. He scored this past week,
he put up good numbers there. I would feel pretty
strongly about Davonte Smith in Dallas Goddard's absence.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
All right, let's go to one more storyline before we
get to our waiver wire pickups for the week, and
that's in Indianapolis, where we referenced the contracted Jonathan Taylor
before and well, I'm any happy returns unless you're a
Zach Moss owner. Heading into Week nine, Ryan, he was
(29:05):
the number three leading rusher in the National Football League
with a couple of monster efforts against Baltimore and against Tennessee.
Now seven carries twenty six yards against Carolina and relegated
more or less to Hey, you just had a long run,
I'll come in and spell you for a snap, or yeah,
(29:30):
just waving pomp poms on the sideline. Unfortunately, is what
it looks like for Zach Moss.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Now. You know, credits to Zach Moss. He ran very well,
made the most of his opportunity. Man, he really did,
and nobody thought he was going to be any good.
So a credit to him for coming through and being
a not only like a productive member, but like a
(29:54):
pretty darn good running back through the first part of
this season. But yeah, I just felt inevitable.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Uh. The they were.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Easing Taylor back in because you know, he missed time
because of his injury and there was all the contract stuff.
But once they heavily invested in him, you got to
feel like at some point Jim Mersey himself was saying,
all right, it's it's time to unleash Jonathan Taylor now
because quite frankly, we're paying him to be that person.
So uh and and that was just a matter of time.
(30:24):
So Taylor's a great play obviously for the remainder of
the season. Uh, Zach Moss is gonna start going on
to your bench, but he should still be rostered because yeah, yeah, no, you.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Got you always got to have your insurance card.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
And if because if Taylor misses any time at all,
he's an easy start and Zach Moss's so uh yeah,
you've definitely got to still roster him. And like maybe
in matchup dependence, if if they're playing some really rough
rush defenses and and you're desperate, he's he still can
provide some some flex possibility.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
All right, I have a little fun at the running
back position before we get to waiver wire. Yes, all right,
I'm looking at a grid that's got the PPR rankings
Fantasy point totals through week nine. B John Robinson we
talked about before, just behind the other Robinson, Brian Robinson.
They are twelfth and thirteenth respectively. So B John Robinson
(31:21):
still just on the outside. That's where the running back
position is. Yeah, that's what that's what the point I'm
trying to make your Birch is that he's still thirteenth
amongst PPR. Get this all right? You know who number
one is?
Speaker 4 (31:37):
It's Christian McCaffrey number two.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Because there's another I'm gonna get to a point, yeah,
pretty fast here.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
The two would be.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Well, I'll I'll just give to you. You got moster?
Oh okay, yeah, three is etn. You want to guess
who number four is? Another guy much maligned?
Speaker 4 (31:59):
Would that like.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Josh Jacobs?
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Oh okay, good, he's fourth.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
One PPR Wow for running. Now. He had a big
game obviously in week nine. But I guess the point
I'm trying to make is while he was never great,
he was consistently right at about a ten in PPR leagues, Right,
it wasn't you know? Basically you're I got I got
fifty fifty to sixty yards, and I got a couple
(32:28):
of receptions week after week. And then he's had a
couple of big games. He had a twenty eight point game,
he had a twenty point game, and then the last
two weeks he's put up nearly thirty eight points between
the game against the Bears and then coming back against
the Giants. Swift his fifth Mosses sixth number seven suspended
(32:53):
for three games, but Alvin Kamara is number seven amongst
your running backs. Just trying to show you the chaos.
I mean number fourteen is Kyron Williams. Hasn't played in
three weeks, so at the running back position, good luck,
top twenty still eight chan yeah, one point nine, and
then three monthster games put him at RB twenty. In
(33:16):
other words, everybody, give yourself a big hug. You're doing okay.
He's Ryan burscheground, Mike Carman. I watch your flex continues,
waiver wire pickups going into week ten coming up next.
All right, time to get into the waiver wire. The chaos,
guillotine leagues, your fantasy leagues, trying to figure out some
plays down the stretch. A lot of what we're looking at, Bursch.
(33:37):
I think you know we got a couple of wide receivers.
We've already talked about Tyler Boyd a little bit. We've
already talked about the return of Kyler Murray or Josh Dobbs.
At the quarterback position, I mean, Sam Howell is still
available in almost forty percent of leagues. Not quite sure
how Yes, there are some some turnover issues, but he's
got almost twenty five hundred passing yards and fourteen touchdowns,
(34:01):
Will Levis. We gave him his flowers, some bad throws.
He's gonna rely too much on his yoked arm every
once in a while, but he's gonna do some good
things so long as Hopkins is out there to work
with him. Russell Wilson coming out of the bye week, again,
as much as we've kind of bagged on on where
he is and I don't know how the marriage is
(34:24):
with him and Peyton still sixteen touchdowns against four interceptions
before their bye week, and then Baker Mayfield twelve against four. Well,
both of those guys sub fifty percent owned. Not monster plays.
But again we're looking at long term and with the
amount of quarterbacks that are going into the dirt and
(34:45):
i e. The injury tent, maybe maybe it's time to
add an extra quarterback on the end of your roster.
If nothing else, you're screwing over your opponents because once
they need one, they ain't there. And then Aaron Rod Rogers,
if you really want to get cheeky in long term,
based on what you saw all right, running backs really quick.
(35:07):
Keaton Mitchell's gonna be the hot guy of the week
coming out of Baltimore, paired up with Gus Edwards and
obviously the rushing exploits of Lamar Jackson. Only five percent
owned Justice Hill goes to the scrapmin Jalen Warren twenty
nine receptions on the year. PPR leagues, he's a must
(35:28):
own for me, must roster anyway, still a third of
leagues having bothered. Rashid Shaheed not you know, big speed.
He's not gonna put up massive reception counts each week,
but he's part of the offense. Rashid Rice for the chief,
seems to have the trust. Look that offense is broken,
(35:50):
but you've at least got somebody that steps forward a
little bit beyond Kelsey, and that's Rice thus far. And
then Khalil Shakir appears to be supplanting Gabe Davis as
a trusted option for Josh Allen. There's a lot of
mess there in Buffalo, but PPR leagues, I'll take the targets.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's I take it. Something I've noticed
that Khalil Herbert should be. He's back at practice, he's
been designated to return, so he's he's worth taking a look.
If he happened to hit Waivers while he was on
the ir he did in one of my leagues, I
was able to grab him, and and this week I
(36:34):
think especially pretty good matchup with the Panthers and.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Panthers Burns probably isn't going to play, at least as
with the short week. As we sit here late Monday
early Tuesday, doesn't look like he's going to be able
to go. So there's a few few extra tackles that
get missed.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
And if you're looking for an interesting deep stream at quarterback,
I know.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Let's go.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
I've I said a lot of negati of things about
Arthur Smith here, but Taylor Heineke against the Cardinals, No,
that's it.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
Pretty good.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
They've got the number one pick and they're not going
to give it up. Although I am curious, you know,
the Kyler Murray thing, as we mentioned a little bit before,
I still wouldn't take him out of bubble wrap. Right,
you've got the number I mean, I guess you still
can trade the number two or number three for a
bevy of picks. If Kyler, Murray and Gannon seems like
(37:27):
they've got nice sandbox and something going behind the scenes
that maybe they work together well and get an opportunity
for twenty four. So you take that pick and you
you know, flip it into a number of others, but
that number one is nice and juicy. It is nice
and juicy. Certainly some great return there. We talked about Tank,
(37:48):
Dell Quick, the tight end, John why Smith only twenty
eight percent.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
On Yeah, and all they do is saying he's.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Going to be a pass catcher and carry the ball
now and again going back to the said Arizona Cardinals,
Trey McBride big target count. Yeah, right, Wilson has been
banged up and you're really outside of Hollywood and Brown
haven't seen a lot. And then Kotton had his huge game.
He's got sixteen catches. Again, the tight end position being
(38:17):
what it is, you're trying to catch lightning in a bottle.
And three straight weeks nine point three, eight point seven
to twenty three are the target count has been pretty
immense these last couple of weeks. So opportunity doth knock
anybody else? Any other venting you need to do? You
survive ge a team.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
I did, So that's good. I feel really good about
that team. Now.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
So oh I don't I you know, I from my
waiver wire heroes to where we are now, still a
lot of work to do. I got a lot of
red letters next to players' naves. Moving forward, anyway, we're
gonna wrap it for this one. We'll be back throughout
the week more news and notes, obviously, all the hot plays,
Ryan Street defenses, and so much more coming up as
(39:02):
we get you ready for Week ten and I watch
your plays.
Ladies, you want experience during your football season, well, buckle up.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Sweet cheeks.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
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.
Speaker 1 (00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flexide. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Ah. Yeah, Week nine is in the books already, we
are on the well, we're coming down the stretch already
in terms of the fantasy regular season. Well command another
edition of I Watch Reflex Mike Harmon alongside Ryan Berginger
Dan Bayer with us as always as we get into
the week heading into week ten, but the two of
us will take you through some of the big storylines
(00:58):
that emerge as we get out out of Week nine.
And I don't think there's anything bigger than the idea
of a guy getting zero snaps in a practice Ryan
and being able to go and practices cadence, hear my voice,
hear my voice on the sideline with an offensive line
and then coming in and accounting for three touchdowns in
(01:19):
relief of an injured starter, and that's Josh Dobbs of
the Minnesota Vikings. Last week on the podcast we did
to start the week predictive of the trade deadline, I
thought he was the best options of all of the
I mean there were like fifteen quarterback What about him?
What about him? It's like, how about a guy that
actually just goes in plays? And Josh Dobbs is that guy.
(01:40):
Remember they couldn't get his jersey, Yeah he had to
for now he's got to do that again.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
I mean, man, as a Packer fan watching this like
knowing that it's the Vikings, it doesn't affect me whatsoever.
I am loving the Josh Dobbs story this season is
it is truly fun to watch knowing that he started
the season as a journeyman who the Cardinals just kind
of needed somebody to play quarterback at the start of
the season and they picked up Josh Dobbs and and
(02:08):
he was actually pretty good to start the season, and
he looked like even a legitimate fantasy option at times.
And then you would you would called it last week
that the Vikings were a great landing spot for him.
That uh the way that uh, I'm drying a blank
on their head. Coach did well.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
Kevin O'Connell of the Vikings.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
Yeah, the Cardinals, Uh oh, car Jonathan.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Like where are you? Where are you taking me? Old one?
New one? Yeah? Where he demotioned to third which made
no sense. Yes, talks positively of him after the game,
and then comes back Monday because we watched the tape.
We all watched the tape.
Speaker 3 (02:52):
It ain't him as as you correctly called. He was
just straight up telling the media like he's he's going
to be traded, and he he goes to the Vikings,
has no time whatsoever to pick up their offense. You
have videos of him, yeah, teaching the offensive lineman like
what he's what a snap counts it? Like, what his
cadence is. That's that's incredible, And the fact that he
came in and won that game. It's He just also
(03:16):
seems like a guy who's fun to root for, Like
he seems like a good dude and who's who's been
working hard at it for quite a few years in
the NFL. To see him come through this way is
really fun to watch. I think it's the best story
in the league this season, and from a fantasy perspective,
it is also rather rather, what's again I am drawing
(03:40):
blanks on it's comforting. The word I'm looking for is comforting.
Speaker 2 (03:43):
Well in a strange year for the quarterback. Yes, right,
I've had I've had some good success in the predictive
and rankings and whatever. But what we've seen with DeVito
gonna take over for the Giants, right, Tobby DeVito next?
Because Daniel Jones gets hurt again. What a terrible story too,
because he battled back neck injury where there was some
questions of whether he was going to come back at all,
(04:04):
fights his way back on the field, barely gets his
beak wet, and he's now done for the year and
probably going to be thrown out of New York when
it's all said done. Be a high priced backup and
see where his career continues. But with DeVito, that I mean,
that's ten rookies, right. As much as we're talking about
(04:24):
the rookie class to come, we got ten guys that
have been pressed into service in twenty twenty three. Look
at Dovs's stats though four games this season with multiple
touchdown passes, four rushing touchdowns overall, and six games with
at least forty rushing yards like that's the one that
you're circling, right, there's your bonus four to five points.
(04:48):
And you know, we were talking about a little bit
Monday night in between the you know, trying to console
Jason Smith. You were working with us Jason Smith Show
and with me seven to eleven if it go on
Fox Sports Radio each night, and talking about Josh Dobbs.
And that's one of the little secret things for him
is the rushing yards and particularly how pedestrian. And I'm
(05:11):
being nice there. The run game has been for Minnesota.
And look, we got plenty of guys we can call it,
Austin Eckler and Tony Pollard and certainly Alexander Madison. Here's
your opportunity. They let down the Cook go. I'm surprised
Dalvin Cook didn't come back into Minnesota Union too. Right.
It used to work, maybe it could work again, But
(05:32):
Madison's been a disaster. Cam Akers shows up. He's now
got an acl again. I don't know what's real, what's
imagined in terms of the whispers you heard about him
with the rams to this point, whatever, But anytime, I mean,
you don't wish any of that on anybody. Man in
terms of where they're at and trying to make their living.
But Ty Chandler, a guy we've talked about for a
(05:54):
couple of weeks. He's stashable, but until he actually performs,
he ain't getting anywhere near starting lineup. So Josh Dobbs
becomes a de facto Hey, I hope for forty yards
out of him. So there's a balance. But the bigger issue, right,
and we've talked about it from a guillotine perspective of
the victories of picking up Justin Jefferson Right, what was
(06:15):
it seventy nine? You pay seventy seven? Right, because I
bid sixty nine, because I'm a smart ass. Look, sometimes
you take the cheap joke like everybody else. But all
of a sudden he's back in play because they're in
the number seven seed in the NFC. You got Hockinson,
you got Addison. The kJ Osborne injury did not look good.
(06:37):
So we haven't seen As we record this late on
Monday night heading into Tuesday morning, East Coast, we don't
have a definitive word as to what his status is
near and long term. But you've got an offense that
can make some noise. You got a schedule that has
some spots for you to make some noise. Even if
you look at fantasy playoff weeks, there are opportunities because
(06:59):
they're divisional, which I think is the dopiest thing ever.
But when you're playing the Lions defense, we've seen this
rated at times. When you're playing the Packers defense, sorry
they have not. I mean, yeah, they beat up on
Brett Rippen, but they've been beatable. Right, take advantage of
the schedule and look at the Chargers what they did
to Zach Wilson. That was a twenty nine point performance.
(07:21):
And I'll tell you what. I had a fantasy matchup
to where I needed like one of those ridiculous efforts, huh.
But for one step out of bounds at the end
on that return, that was a touchdown that would have
been put me over the top and given me a victory,
sending me to seven and two. Instead, it's a six
and three team. That's fine. I was going up against
the guy that's right up top with me, and it
(07:43):
was the most improbable because dk Metcalf. The guys that
we complained about a couple of weeks ago all factor
in on that squad. But for Dobbs opportunity is there,
but it probably means if you're Justin Jefferson, maybe it
was towards Operation shut down a week or two ago.
Speaker 3 (08:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
Now, all of a sudden, it's like, wait a minute,
there's still stuff to play for. And this guy didn't
even know the playbook.
Speaker 4 (08:07):
Yeah that's or their names for great right now he's
learning out.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
They look like players in the n C two A
football games. To him, they're just you know, running back
number twenty four. Yeah, no, I think that's where you
if you were a Justin Jefferson owner, you've been on
such a weird wave of emotions since Kirk Cousins went down,
because suddenly you're like, well, I mean, dang, is he
(08:33):
not even gonna come back now? Is this team gonna
even be able to compete? Are we gonna have to
watch Jaron Hall try to throw to Justin Jefferson. Now, suddenly,
this this situation feels like a spot where Justin Jefferson's
gonna be rather reinvigorated coming back in healthy onto that team,
and Dobbs is gonna feed him and Jordan Addison as well.
(08:55):
Where Addison it looked like suddenly his his value had
dropped a ton now with even once Jefferson comes back,
if Osbourne is out for a bit, and it's the
fact that, yeah, you should feel comfortable with Dobbs throwing
these guys the ball because he's definitely a better option
than a handful of quarterbacks across the league right now.
So that's you can definitely feel pretty good once again
(09:18):
about having receiving options from the Vikings in fantasy.
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Eighty percent availability heading into the waiver period for Week
ten of your National Football League season. All right, on
the other side of that game, yes, is another one.
Speaker 3 (09:33):
Right.
Speaker 2 (09:33):
We did the hate and love kind of thing a
couple of weeks ago. Who's helping your team, who's tearing
you asunder and driving you insane? And obviously when we
look at the Atlanta Falcons, look, I long jennisoned Kyle
Pitts to the waiver wire in one of the leagues.
I got tired of weight and I had some injury
issues and just said, okay, I need able bodied elsewhere.
(09:56):
And well, maybe that's a mistake because the guy one
of my other tight ends is now well done for
the season. But in Atlanta, John news Smith taking up
some of his touches, but We're all still waiting to
see what exactly Bijon Robinson is going to be because
at this point, it's the My mom used to have
(10:18):
a phrase when we'd buyer maybe maybe some nice stuff,
you know, the nice clothing thing for a birthday or Christmas,
or you'd buy something that you thought was a cool
gadget for the kitchen, and her phraseology was always save
it for good. At this point, what the hell is
Arthur Smith saving Bijon Robinson for another game with just
(10:40):
eleven carries eleven eleven. Everybody remembers the game against Tampa
Bay where he was basically a bystander, but thirteen fourteen,
So outside of week two against your Packers, when he
went for nineteen for one twenty four, you're looking at
fourteen or fewer carries per week. Did go over a
(11:00):
hundred yards against Jacksonville in a twenty three seven loss.
Passing game targets are still there, nine targets over the
last two weeks, totaling one catch for eight yards or
two yeah, two catches for eight yard. Sorry, but his
lack of inclusion in the offense and showcasing is one
(11:22):
of the most maddening things because if you look at
adp what was he top five? Yeah, in virtually every
letting much.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
Yeah, looking back at this last game too, you have
Tyler Algier had more touches than Bijon. You had that
weird drive where the Falcons got down to first and
goal from the one and then started with a false start,
so they moved back to the six. So then they
pass it to John new Smith, then they try a
rushing attempt with John new Smith, and then they try
(11:52):
a rush with Tyler Algier. So in that drive ended
in a field goal. They did not score a touchdown there.
Not only is Bijon not getting a touch in these
goal to go situations, they're literally handing the ball off
to John hu Smith instead. Because I believe the phrase
is if you if you have John hu Smith on
your team, you try to find ways to get him
(12:13):
the ball.
Speaker 4 (12:14):
Damn it.
Speaker 2 (12:15):
You know what they did New England was they set
up to direct deposit for big checks. I didn't really
see to get him the ball very often.
Speaker 3 (12:24):
Yeah, yeah, And I look, I get that John who
did eventually have that big sixty yard catch and run
in the game. But and and John who's been fine,
I'm not trying to knock John who Smith as a player. Here,
I'm trying to knock the fact that Arthur Smith apparently
is enamored by him and doesn't seem to want to
give the ball to anyone else, including the man that
(12:46):
their team spent a insanely high draft pick on, and
the fact that they're still handing the ball off to
Tyler Algier Moore. Again, Algier is a fine running back,
but everything points to Bijon being a very strong and
probably being the best running back on this team. All
conventional wisdom seems to indicate that everything, except for his
(13:08):
actual usage on the field, seems to indicate that.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
Well. I mean, we saw the video game Remember Andy's Room,
and it was the greatest jump step ever.
Speaker 3 (13:18):
So I don't know, I don't understand. I don't Maybe
now that Arthur Smith has shaved his mustache, then maybe
now he'll start to come to his senses. I'm not sure,
but yeah, he seems to get some sort of sick
satisfaction from making fantasy managers angry. And I can see
where you would enjoy doing that if you played in
(13:39):
the league, but you shouldn't be doing that at a
detriment to your own actual team.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
So good for you, Arthur. Give Beijond the damn ball.
Speaker 2 (13:48):
Now, let's let's jump to positivity, shall we. We've done
some negativity. We'll get into some of the injuries after
the break, but let's get one more story in because
one of the feel good stories I think for the
year is the success and dominance in many, many spaces
of CJ. Stroud. Now I did not like seeing him
(14:11):
in a couple of leagues against me. This particular week.
I had this strange week where I had two teams
I faced, had Stroud Kate Otten and the Raiders defense
playing against me. Talk about a base of points. The
other guys didn't even have to show up, yeah, to
beat my beat me down in those But when we
(14:32):
look at Stroud this last week, I mean just operational
efficiency at its finest. Your offensive line starting to get together.
We talked about Tank Dell a long time ago. This
week we got Dalton Schultz back in the mix, one
of my all time favorites, a guy I really thought
was gonna be a big factor for him all year
and maybe the second half. He blows up in the
(14:54):
tight end position, certainly has openings at the top of
the heap for some performances, but for seventy yards five touchdowns.
I started Lamar Jackson in the leagues that I had CJ.
Stroud as backup as you would strong matchup, and it's
it's just like the Chargers Jets game on Monday night.
If you see the final score, like I got a
(15:16):
couple of touchdowns in a big game from Justin Herbert. No,
I didn't you see the score for the Ravens game.
I got a big game from Lamar Jackson. No I
got fifteen points. I got help by the fact that
he had some rushing yards. But you look at Stroud
at this point and you've had three games of three
hundred plus a three eighty four back against Indianapolis Week two.
(15:39):
Now you got this massive four to seventy game against
the Buccaneers. And even with the offensive line having the
component parts, I mean, they haven't played their starting five
together at all. He's only absorbed eighteen sacks. The kid
gets the ball out and he finds his targets. He's
(16:00):
operating at a sixty two percent completion rate. Ryan fine,
dirt it whatever. But the fact that you just keep
seeing zeros in the turnover column just amazing. Right, he's
at fourteen and one thus far. And this is a
guy that I dare say, with Nico Collins, with Schultz,
with Tank Dell, you got a guy that's gonna win
you some fantasy titles. And he's probably still on your
(16:22):
bench because you haven't felt compelled to trust it. Right
because against Carolina that was the one clunker in the mix.
Completes two thirds of his pass has been only one
hundred and forty yards, zero touchdowns, did have a rushing touchdown,
but otherwise you're looking at five multi touchdown games, including
(16:45):
this five spot that he puts up here, only shut
out twice from the passing touchdown column, that perhaps people
will be more willing to push him forward, I think,
Or is it just do you still look at as
a still a rookie because I look, I played the
(17:07):
defensive thing, right, we talked about it, and you were
working with us when we're talking with Smith even looking
long term with Aaron Rodgers or whatever else. Of all, right,
if there's a guy that might be viable, I'd rather
re rod on my bench. And I can kick myself
in the ass for not activating a guy, because I'll
beat myself that way as opposed to I didn't have
(17:27):
the guts to pick somebody up and watch him beat
me on the other side. And I think with CJ. Stroud,
that's gonna happen with a bunch of folks. But we're
I think I'm starting to get to the point where
maybe I'd step out on that ledge a little bit.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
He's this is a It was an incredible game to
watch because everything about Stroud's situation kind of is building
in this way. Where as fantasy players we look at
it and think, all right, there should be great opportunity here.
Defense isn't good, so they're gonna be playing from behind
a lot. Their run game is non existent because Damian
(18:05):
Pierce has been a non factor, and then he's hurt,
and so Devin Singletary is also a non factor. So
they just have to throw constantly. But the factor there
is then Stroud has to be effective and throwing, and
as you're pointing out, he's been very, very good at that.
He's not turning the ball over, he's spreading the ball
out incredibly.
Speaker 4 (18:24):
Well.
Speaker 3 (18:25):
You had those five touchdowns to four different guys. Tank
Dell had too, but otherwise Nico Collins, Noah Brown and
Dalton Schultz all got one. So he's he clearly like
he's he's he's being very effective and he's distributing the
ball incredibly well. And yeah, as you're saying, you would
kind of have to start to move him up those rankings.
(18:48):
But then you're starting to play matchups because as you mentioned,
like for example, Justin Herbert at not a good week
this week, and this isn't the first time this has
happened to him. Of course, the Jets have a good
pass defense, but looking at matchups next week, C J.
Stroud goes to Cincinnati against the Bengals and Justin Herbert
(19:09):
has the Lions at home. You probably lean Herbert on
the matchup there because the Lions secondary isn't good. But
that also is a game where the Texans are gonna
throw a lot and I mean, granted that's they're all
gonna be like that for them probably, but especially with
the Bengals, you figure the Bengals should should take care
of them pretty well. Stroud's gonna have to throw the
(19:29):
ball a lot, so he's starting to another one here
Niners Jaguars, So looking at Trevor Lawrence against the Niners,
the Niners you've been able to throw against pretty well,
so that's probably still a good matchup there. But this
is kind of the echelon that CJ. Stroud's moving into
where you look at these matchups with with guys like
(19:50):
Herbert and and and Lawrence who were drafted as your
QB one very strongly, and these are probably teams with
that have Stroud on their bench. Yeah, so yeah, I
think that you do start to play the matchups. It's
going to be very tempting, coming off of this gigantic
performance to just go with Stroud, but you know he'll
(20:13):
still have growing pains here and there. But I mean
it's obviously it's a great problem to have now if
you've got Stroud and another starting quarterback. So I think
that you still have to kind of be a little
level headed play matchups and understand that it is going
to be pretty matchup dependent with what you can and
(20:35):
can't do with these guys. But you will have to
really consider starting Stroud over bigger names like that.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
Ryan Burschegar with me, Mike Carman, I watch Flax. You
already know that you tuned in at Ryan Burschegar where
you find him on Twitter. The swing Shift podcast as
we get into the hot stove and the debates of
where do you spend your money in free agency? Perhaps
it's just shameless begging with He and Bo Benson for
show Heyo Tani to become a Dodger. Find me over
(21:05):
at Swollen Dome, where I rant on everything and anything sports,
pop culture, music related. We have some fun there now.
Coming up next, we'll talk about a couple of injuries
that loom large in the fantasy universe, creating opportunities for
other players and their respective teams, and on the waiver wire.
That's coming up next in just a minute, Hey, welcome
(21:28):
back in I Watch Flex here getting ready for Week
ten of your National Football League. Right now, we're taking
a look back at some of the big news and
notes coming out of the Week nine action, including a
couple of injuries. Mike Harmon, Ryan Berschinger with you here.
In bersch I look at a couple of names that
(21:48):
really stand tall, top options at their respective positions, and
one is huge because well, let's face it, a couple
of times this season, cloak of invisibility has found its
way on to Jamar Chase. He was smallish in the
Sunday Night win against the Bills, but back injury right,
(22:12):
applying all sorts of apparatuses, apparati to try apparatuses to
try to stimulate the back, get rid of some of
the paint. Took a nasty hit and fall on the
lower back and finished with just forty or four point
one points forty one receiving yards on the night, and
(22:33):
then obviously add your points per reception a couple of
what was at four for forty one, but also has
had three other games this season, and remember Joe Burrow
being injured at the start of the season limited some
of that, but we had finally had at least a
couple of double digit games, including that breakout Week five
(22:53):
for Chase now potentially on the shelf. We'll get official
word as the week goes on. But all of a sudden,
Tyler Boyd, who's out there in over forty percent of
fantasy leagues. You saw him pick up a bunch of
targets against the Bills. Looks like he's ready for prime time.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
Now, yeah, that's definitely where you keep your eye on
the likes of Tyler Boyd. If Chase misses action, you're
able to definitely upgrade t Higgins He finished with eight
for one ten in that game. And this is why
you kind of stick with t Higgins. I know it's
it's been it's been tough goings for him. All three
of those guys, man, it has been a roller coaster.
(23:32):
Now you add Irv Smith Junior, you add the other
tight ends, it's it's a it's a little bit of
a strange scenario. Pick your poison and ride the lightning
with Joe.
Speaker 4 (23:42):
Burrow and it was nice to see as well.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
Joe Mixon did up five catches in this game to
go with his rushing touchdowns. So I expect Mixon to
have a pretty strong second half of the season. And
if they are missing Jamar Chase, they've got to rely
on him more and that includes working him into the
past and we didn't see Travion Williams really cut into
his workload as much, which in the past you would
(24:06):
have seen p Ryan step in and get a decent
amount of work. Yeah, Travion Williams had three rushes, So
mixing seems like a bell cow back on a very
good offense on a team that's going to be contending.
So I would expect pure volume is gonna give him
great numbers through the second half here.
Speaker 2 (24:27):
Well, we certainly see them on the come. Right, You've
got the Ravens separating themselves a little bit from the
pack in the AFC. And as I joked about Jason
lockanfora who joins us on our show, Smith and I
you know, he works out of Baltimore, DC area, And
it's like, look the object in the rear view mirror
(24:47):
maybe closer than it appears, i e. The Bengals are coming,
that defense is playing well, and obviously the Chase injury
certainly is something we have to be alert too. But
to your point, I mean, and if you can pick
up in the passing game, because another guy that was
disappointing to start the year, and also probably I mean,
look from a draft perspective, he went high ish for
(25:12):
running backs just by default. Yeah, but not with any
great expectation, right, he redid his contract to come back
and whatever else. So it's like, all right, do we
like you, do we love you?
Speaker 1 (25:23):
Do?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
We just play the percentages based on the fact that
running backs don't have any negotiating power unless you're Jonathan Taylor.
Because Jim Mersey decided he loved you all right, the
other big injury comes out of what was one of
the games of the week, and really a crazy sequence
towards the end. But Dallas Goddar comes away, he's got
a fractured arm. It's all like, okay, that escalated quickly,
(25:49):
but now he's gonna head to i R. He's gonna
miss some time. And so we start going down the
depth chart trying to find out, you know, how this goes.
I keep waiting for the Eagles to revert to the
old form of running the football with five different guys.
Obviously Boston Scott hasn't been available, but just thinking that
(26:10):
that identity would show back up. Instead, it's been the
AJ Brown Show each and every week. Devantae Smith getting
back in the good graces of the world this week.
But when we look at the way this squad is
moving forward, and from a fantasy perspective, at the tight
end position you're looking at Goddard was only tight end
(26:32):
nine through nine weeks, lower than would have expected. I mean,
you've got the breakout of Laporta and obviously Cole Comet
a couple of huge games skewing those totals. I mean,
your most effective tight end the last few weeks has
actually been Taysom Hill.
Speaker 4 (26:49):
Yeah, you know, in.
Speaker 2 (26:51):
Terms of the topsy turvy tight end position. So you know,
Dalton Schultz pops up again, going back to the planet
Houston a little bit. But this is a huge blow
for that offense in terms of what Goddard means running
down the seam and keeping safeties honest and giving both
(27:12):
Brown and DeVante Smith some free run. So suddenly that
bogs down a little bit. Not to mention the fact
that Jalen Hurts. Let's grab him while we're here. Yeah,
how bad's that knee?
Speaker 4 (27:23):
Right right?
Speaker 2 (27:24):
And he was asked a question about it, he got
up and walked away from the podium. Yes, so yeah,
I mean, they obviously have a bye week in week ten.
Couldn't come at a better time. But still, you know,
the eyebrow has to be raised for the second half.
Speaker 3 (27:39):
Yeah, that seemed to be pretty underdiscussed, was the fact
that it hurts might be a little more banged up
than they're letting on. But looking at last year when
Dallas Goddard missed a good amount of time, that was
the period where DeVante Smith really took off for them.
That was during the second half of the season where
he was winning people fantasy championships because of his games
(27:59):
were coming up on strong at the end of the
season and into the fantasy playoffs. He had four out
of five weeks near the end of the season. There
he had over one hundred receiving yards. He had multiple
touchdowns across those games, and in most of those games
Goddard was still out. Goddard came back around Christmas last year,
and Devonte Smith still had a great game on Christmas
(28:23):
when Goddard came back. But in the games leading up
to that, in Goddard's absence, we saw DeVonta Smith's numbers rise.
So I know that it's He's been a bit up
and down this season thus far. He scored this past week,
he put up good numbers there. I would feel pretty
strongly about Davonte Smith in Dallas Goddard's absence.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
All right, let's go to one more storyline before we
get to our waiver wire pickups for the week, and
that's in Indianapolis, where we referenced the contracted Jonathan Taylor
before and well, I'm any happy returns unless you're a
Zach Moss owner. Heading into Week nine, Ryan, he was
(29:05):
the number three leading rusher in the National Football League
with a couple of monster efforts against Baltimore and against Tennessee.
Now seven carries twenty six yards against Carolina and relegated
more or less to Hey, you just had a long run,
I'll come in and spell you for a snap, or yeah,
(29:30):
just waving pomp poms on the sideline. Unfortunately, is what
it looks like for Zach Moss.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
Now. You know, credits to Zach Moss. He ran very well,
made the most of his opportunity. Man, he really did,
and nobody thought he was going to be any good.
So a credit to him for coming through and being
a not only like a productive member, but like a
(29:54):
pretty darn good running back through the first part of
this season. But yeah, I just felt inevitable.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Uh. The they were.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Easing Taylor back in because you know, he missed time
because of his injury and there was all the contract stuff.
But once they heavily invested in him, you got to
feel like at some point Jim Mersey himself was saying,
all right, it's it's time to unleash Jonathan Taylor now
because quite frankly, we're paying him to be that person.
So uh and and that was just a matter of time.
(30:24):
So Taylor's a great play obviously for the remainder of
the season. Uh, Zach Moss is gonna start going on
to your bench, but he should still be rostered because yeah, yeah, no, you.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
Got you always got to have your insurance card.
Speaker 3 (30:39):
And if because if Taylor misses any time at all,
he's an easy start and Zach Moss's so uh yeah,
you've definitely got to still roster him. And like maybe
in matchup dependence, if if they're playing some really rough
rush defenses and and you're desperate, he's he still can
provide some some flex possibility.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
All right, I have a little fun at the running
back position before we get to waiver wire. Yes, all right,
I'm looking at a grid that's got the PPR rankings
Fantasy point totals through week nine. B John Robinson we
talked about before, just behind the other Robinson, Brian Robinson.
They are twelfth and thirteenth respectively. So B John Robinson
(31:21):
still just on the outside. That's where the running back
position is. Yeah, that's what that's what the point I'm
trying to make your Birch is that he's still thirteenth
amongst PPR. Get this all right? You know who number
one is?
Speaker 4 (31:37):
It's Christian McCaffrey number two.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
Because there's another I'm gonna get to a point, yeah,
pretty fast here.
Speaker 4 (31:43):
The two would be.
Speaker 2 (31:47):
Well, I'll I'll just give to you. You got moster?
Oh okay, yeah, three is etn. You want to guess
who number four is? Another guy much maligned?
Speaker 4 (31:59):
Would that like.
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Josh Jacobs?
Speaker 4 (32:04):
Oh okay, good, he's fourth.
Speaker 2 (32:06):
One PPR Wow for running. Now. He had a big
game obviously in week nine. But I guess the point
I'm trying to make is while he was never great,
he was consistently right at about a ten in PPR leagues, Right,
it wasn't you know? Basically you're I got I got
fifty fifty to sixty yards, and I got a couple
(32:28):
of receptions week after week. And then he's had a
couple of big games. He had a twenty eight point game,
he had a twenty point game, and then the last
two weeks he's put up nearly thirty eight points between
the game against the Bears and then coming back against
the Giants. Swift his fifth Mosses sixth number seven suspended
(32:53):
for three games, but Alvin Kamara is number seven amongst
your running backs. Just trying to show you the chaos.
I mean number fourteen is Kyron Williams. Hasn't played in
three weeks, so at the running back position, good luck,
top twenty still eight chan yeah, one point nine, and
then three monthster games put him at RB twenty. In
(33:16):
other words, everybody, give yourself a big hug. You're doing okay.
He's Ryan burscheground, Mike Carman. I watch your flex continues,
waiver wire pickups going into week ten coming up next.
All right, time to get into the waiver wire. The chaos,
guillotine leagues, your fantasy leagues, trying to figure out some
plays down the stretch. A lot of what we're looking at, Bursch.
(33:37):
I think you know we got a couple of wide receivers.
We've already talked about Tyler Boyd a little bit. We've
already talked about the return of Kyler Murray or Josh Dobbs.
At the quarterback position, I mean, Sam Howell is still
available in almost forty percent of leagues. Not quite sure
how Yes, there are some some turnover issues, but he's
got almost twenty five hundred passing yards and fourteen touchdowns,
(34:01):
Will Levis. We gave him his flowers, some bad throws.
He's gonna rely too much on his yoked arm every
once in a while, but he's gonna do some good
things so long as Hopkins is out there to work
with him. Russell Wilson coming out of the bye week, again,
as much as we've kind of bagged on on where
he is and I don't know how the marriage is
(34:24):
with him and Peyton still sixteen touchdowns against four interceptions
before their bye week, and then Baker Mayfield twelve against four. Well,
both of those guys sub fifty percent owned. Not monster plays.
But again we're looking at long term and with the
amount of quarterbacks that are going into the dirt and
(34:45):
i e. The injury tent, maybe maybe it's time to
add an extra quarterback on the end of your roster.
If nothing else, you're screwing over your opponents because once
they need one, they ain't there. And then Aaron Rod Rogers,
if you really want to get cheeky in long term,
based on what you saw all right, running backs really quick.
(35:07):
Keaton Mitchell's gonna be the hot guy of the week
coming out of Baltimore, paired up with Gus Edwards and
obviously the rushing exploits of Lamar Jackson. Only five percent
owned Justice Hill goes to the scrapmin Jalen Warren twenty
nine receptions on the year. PPR leagues, he's a must
(35:28):
own for me, must roster anyway, still a third of
leagues having bothered. Rashid Shaheed not you know, big speed.
He's not gonna put up massive reception counts each week,
but he's part of the offense. Rashid Rice for the chief,
seems to have the trust. Look that offense is broken,
(35:50):
but you've at least got somebody that steps forward a
little bit beyond Kelsey, and that's Rice thus far. And
then Khalil Shakir appears to be supplanting Gabe Davis as
a trusted option for Josh Allen. There's a lot of
mess there in Buffalo, but PPR leagues, I'll take the targets.
Speaker 3 (36:13):
Yeah, yeah, that's that's I take it. Something I've noticed
that Khalil Herbert should be. He's back at practice, he's
been designated to return, so he's he's worth taking a look.
If he happened to hit Waivers while he was on
the ir he did in one of my leagues, I
was able to grab him, and and this week I
(36:34):
think especially pretty good matchup with the Panthers and.
Speaker 2 (36:38):
Panthers Burns probably isn't going to play, at least as
with the short week. As we sit here late Monday
early Tuesday, doesn't look like he's going to be able
to go. So there's a few few extra tackles that
get missed.
Speaker 3 (36:51):
And if you're looking for an interesting deep stream at quarterback,
I know.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
Let's go.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
I've I said a lot of negati of things about
Arthur Smith here, but Taylor Heineke against the Cardinals, No,
that's it.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
Pretty good.
Speaker 2 (37:06):
They've got the number one pick and they're not going
to give it up. Although I am curious, you know,
the Kyler Murray thing, as we mentioned a little bit before,
I still wouldn't take him out of bubble wrap. Right,
you've got the number I mean, I guess you still
can trade the number two or number three for a
bevy of picks. If Kyler, Murray and Gannon seems like
(37:27):
they've got nice sandbox and something going behind the scenes
that maybe they work together well and get an opportunity
for twenty four. So you take that pick and you
you know, flip it into a number of others, but
that number one is nice and juicy. It is nice
and juicy. Certainly some great return there. We talked about Tank,
(37:48):
Dell Quick, the tight end, John why Smith only twenty
eight percent.
Speaker 4 (37:52):
On Yeah, and all they do is saying he's.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
Going to be a pass catcher and carry the ball
now and again going back to the said Arizona Cardinals,
Trey McBride big target count. Yeah, right, Wilson has been
banged up and you're really outside of Hollywood and Brown
haven't seen a lot. And then Kotton had his huge game.
He's got sixteen catches. Again, the tight end position being
(38:17):
what it is, you're trying to catch lightning in a bottle.
And three straight weeks nine point three, eight point seven
to twenty three are the target count has been pretty
immense these last couple of weeks. So opportunity doth knock
anybody else? Any other venting you need to do? You
survive ge a team.
Speaker 4 (38:37):
I did, So that's good. I feel really good about
that team. Now.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
So oh I don't I you know, I from my
waiver wire heroes to where we are now, still a
lot of work to do. I got a lot of
red letters next to players' naves. Moving forward, anyway, we're
gonna wrap it for this one. We'll be back throughout
the week more news and notes, obviously, all the hot plays,
Ryan Street defenses, and so much more coming up as
(39:02):
we get you ready for Week ten and I watch
your plays.
Host
Mike Harmon
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