December 16, 2025 • 47 mins
It's Fox Sports Radio's official fantasy football podcast! Dan Beyer and Mike Harmon open the show with their thoughts and reactions following the Steelers' big win over the Dolphins on Monday Night Football. Then they move into the rest of Week 15, highlighting the studs and duds from each matchup, along with some other broader takeaways. They also discuss Philip Rivers' return, debating just how effective he can be for Indy for the remainder of the season. Finally, Mike shares his top waiver wire adds of the week as we charge on through the fantasy playoffs!
Hosts: Mike Harmon, Dan Beyer
Producer: Ian Roddy
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You want experience during your football season, well buckle up.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Sweet cheeks.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
What we've got all the experience in the world.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
This is I.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
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 3 (00:22):
To starts and sits.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flex sod. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
That's Week fifteen for you. He's Mike comment, I'm Dan Byer.
That is Ian Roddy, our executive producer. You can hit
Mike up at Swollen dome't find me at Dan Byer
on box, and you can find Ian at Ian Roddy
underscore with what was a crazy week ends up with
a bit of a clunker on Monday Night football. But
I gotta say, if it's the first week of your
playoffs or in some cases even the final week to
(00:56):
a week of your regular season, Mike, Week fifteen, you
went out with the bang or in with the bang
because there were a lot of points scored on Sunday,
a lot of.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Points, a lot of chaos, a lot of hand ringing,
and crying and throwing of things, gnashing of teeth as
it were, because some of our big, seemingly impenetrable forces,
well got defeated. Right, I'm looking at it and it
keeps staring me in the face. The Joe Burrow shutout
game where he seemed disinterested and I get all the
(01:28):
and we talked about it on the Friday Pod, talking
about all of the the comments that he made on Wednesday,
whatever it's like, but he still battled his ass back
to get back on the field. So in between the
white lines, I'm still gonna get an effort, right right. No,
I didn't. No, I didn't. I got nothing. So he
was top five on the rankings. He gave me nothing.
(01:48):
But we had the Superhero Cape come out for Josh Allen. Hey,
we're gonna spot you twenty one. Get everybody excited. Okay,
now we start our comeback. We get the chaos there.
Trevor Lawrence, We've talked about him a lot, right, he
was in the hot places. He's a guy over the
last five weeks. But I'm looking at the schedule, I'm like,
do I trust him against a good opponent? I don't know,
(02:10):
And that I think is the summary statement of NFL
twenty twenty five. And I'm not ashamed to admit it
as we sit here and we've done this, you and
I dan for a number of years and been doing
fantasy stuff going all the way back to Yahoo administrating
games since nineteen ninety nine. I don't know I've ever
been to this deep into a season, fantasy and regular season,
(02:32):
to where the ups and downs and roller coasters of
things have been so erratic. Right once again, Jamiir Gibbs,
we joked about it. Three touchdowns zero, three touchdowns zero?
Guess what first week ear playoffs? Ta da, there's another
zero for you.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
So just chaos, yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
And the zero all the Bengals is just crazy to
me because there were so many efforts that went off
in Week fifteen and for Jamar Chase, like at some
point Joe Burrow's gonna throw him a touchdown pass right,
like it's going to come from Joe Burrow. And so
in these games that Joe Burrow has been back, I've
been waiting. I've been waiting. I'll even just give up
(03:12):
my report card now. I had Ravens Bengals is the
points of palooza. I don't know if I thought it
was going to be another overtime affair like we saw
in twenty twenty four, and Derreck Henry is running on
the sidelines, But I mean Jamar Chase had one hundred
and thirty two yards. But again to have the goose egg,
just you need touchdowns. I mean Trevor Lawrence in our
longtime league, again a standard league, but it doesn't necessarily
(03:34):
matter with the quarterback position had our season high for
points this week forty seven point one in our league
with his six total touchdown effort. So it's crazy to
think of the highs and lows with the players that
you got with so much on the line this week,
And unfortunately for Ian it came against his Jets. But
(03:54):
maybe I should say fortunately because the Jets lost again
and made another move by firing Steve Wilks. But if
Trevor Lawrence and Travis etn are going to carry you
to fantasy stardom, it's gonna be a heck of a
story for the next ten or twenty years. I'll tell
you that much.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
No, it's it right.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
We always look for heroes to emerge down the stretch,
and from some they can always find regardless of the
decal on the side of the helmet. We've always argued
here in fantasy land, and then you just look for
trends and guys getting a bigger share, teams that are
shutting things down. Right with Washington Jaden Daniels, I don't
(04:28):
think he should have ever come back against Minnesota, But
that's just me. I argued it, and we talked about
it when he was coming back here on the pod.
But you know, it's just these final three weeks and
for the playoff run, a lot of trepidation looking ahead
to the schedule for Week sixteen as we start to
go through things. We've got those huge injuries that marked
(04:52):
Week fifteen as well, Right, I mean, be remiss not
that you're suddenly expecting a barrage from Patrick Mahomes in
the final twenty second, but for fantasy purposes, he's been
pretty solid all year. He's off the board. DeVante Adams
had eleven points, he leaves. I know Ian and I
were talking a little about that. That was one of
his playoff matchups, and certainly in Guillotine I had him
(05:15):
and it's like, all right, is that going to come
back to cost me? Fortunately, as the day wore out,
I didn't have to worry about it, but you know,
you check that box. What it means for the Packers.
Does that bode well for the offense that they're going
to need to fire up the cannons with Jordan Love
against the Bears and down the stretch because of Michael
(05:37):
Parson's injury. I mean, it's just a bunch of things,
you know, running backs leaving early and the like. So yeah,
just a lot of handwringing coming out of this. Hopefully
you survived in advance. That's really where we're at in
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Well, I think when we look at the Mahomes injury
and we look at the Chiefs, so let's just start
from that aspect, the fantasy ramification of that injury are
actually minimal. I mean, if you have Patrick Mahomes, it's
a big deal, and if you have Rashie Rice, it's
probably a big deal. But other than that, for what
(06:12):
Travis Kelsey has or hasn't done, for the running backs
that have or haven't been in the lineup, I mean,
there was a while when it was Kareem Hunt's world.
We were just you know, paying rent, we were just
living in it, but when you look at what they
may lose because of it, Yeah, you know, like it's
Rashee Rice hasn't been as great as he was that
(06:35):
early stretch. The targets were there for sure, But yeah,
it's interesting to see the Mahomes injury become. It's so
enormous just for the entire league, but fantasy wise, it
kind of falls in line with everything that's been with
the Chiefs this twenty twenty five season.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Yeah, it's funny because you have a matchup this week.
They're on the road at Tennessee. Still three and a
half point favorites with minshew Mania running wild folk hero
thirty seven and a half is the total, Just to
kind of throw that out there, but it might have
been a spot where, because of other injuries and inconsistencies,
you're like, all right, I'll push in that. Patrick Mahomes
(07:10):
comes up with a superhuman effort. But now that they're
eliminated from the playoffs, obviously he gets hurt. But to
your point, yeah, I mean, Travis Kelcey overall, the numbers
look good relatively speaking, but has he found pay dirt
for you regularly? No, man, that's Trey McBride and Jacoby
Brissett's world that we're renting in, which is just again
(07:34):
still an oddity. But yeah, with the Chiefs, there was
nobody you were trusting anymore, unless you're talking traditional leagues
where you still have the flex play maybe a second flex,
and then you start looking for an act of desperation
as much as anything.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
He was getting targets. Kelsey was, but it's it was
so touchdown dependent and if you're a PPR league, maybe
different situation. But even against the Texans when they were
just you know, know, manhandled, he had the one catch
for eight yards, and so yeah, that was that was
an issue. It's funny with Rashie Rice because guys, this
is the trade that I've been harping on myself all
(08:10):
year long on how awful of a trade it was.
The pendulum is now swinging a little bit back my way,
not because I've got any value, but because the trade
is effectively going to be worthless because Ashton Genti stinks.
Mike just mentioned Devonte Adams being in Jersey's probably not
going to play Thursday night against Seattle, and I had
Rashie Rice in that deal for Cheuba Hubbard, romondre Stevenson
(08:34):
and Justin Jefferson, Well, Justin Jefferson now is in his
own head for whatever went out in Dallas on Sunday
night did not look good. And Chewba Hubbard is there
and Ramondre Stevenson is watching Traveon Henderson run up and
down the field and score fifty and sixty and seventy
yard touchdown.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
He saw the favorite for offensive Rookie of the year.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
By the way. That's that's crazy. Tyler Schuck maybe should
be a getting some of the considering what the Saints
have done. But Henderson has just been a game changer,
which is kind of made Stevenson not useless because they
have used him in a certain way in the way
that we have talked about. But yeah, that trade that
I keep on hamper and you know that I was
(09:18):
so frustrating because it was so mad at the time.
Now maybe maybe a little swinging back my way with
with those pieces not being as effective as they want
to see.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I'm glad you're getting back to there.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
It's like, because what we talked about, it was like, yeah,
give give it time, blooded jest state and let's see again,
it's the NFL season. I mean we do the week
to week react and you keep waiting for breakouts that
never come to Justin Jefferson and whatever else. But yeah,
it's you did fine, Dan, It's it'll It'll be okay.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I was. I was able to get Trevion Henderson in
a separate deal, so that helped mitigate the disaster when
Romandre was hurt.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
But can you understand can you understand why Henderson didn't
see the ball more the second half? I'll hang up
and listen for your answer.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I'm telling us what we talked to mid season. Again.
They just they don't want to run him into the ground,
but when he's running away from everybody, it's it's it's
difficult to uh to understand the uh, the Justin Jefferson thing,
though I don't know if it's a real thing, but
I've been waiting for that breakout. I've been waiting for that.
Oh okay, even if it's just for one game, right right,
(10:26):
just for for one opportunity where we then overreact and say,
look it's back or there's Justin Jefferson. He had the
touchdown that was called back on the penalty, and then
a couple of times where I mean the ball hits
her hands and you're Justin Jefferson, like, you've got to
catch that football. And when JJ McCarthy isn't as accurate
as he maybe should be, when he's throwing balls that
(10:50):
are in the neighborhood, you got to catch the football.
And it looked more like a Justin Jefferson problem more
than anything else that a JJ McCarthy problem on Sunday night.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Well, and that's the thing is that McCarthy the last
couple of weeks, for all of the incoming that he'd
had leading up to we go back two weeks, right,
they put up what sixty five, sixty six points or
whatever it is over the last couple of weeks. I mean, yes,
he's not hyper accurate, but it's in a target in
a window, and you're seeing enough target. It's only only
(11:21):
four in the win over Washington. Okay, that game gets
away and it doesn't matter, but just two of eight
for twenty two yards against the Dallas defense. The opportunity,
like you said once call back, but also hitting him
in the hands when we start getting into drops and
the psychology of this all when you know you've only
got so many opportunities and McCarthy's been great getting the
(11:44):
ball to Oliver and Hockinson and spreading it around the
back's getting involved. But yeah, when your opportunities are going
to be that few, I mean, I thought Justin Jefferson
was the guy that needed those pressure situations, wanted those,
and it's been anything bought at this point.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
It's funny because the Vikings scored thirty four points in
again that we all watched, and no one benefited from fantasy.
Now that's true. Thanks, Yeah, because Aaron Jones and Jordan
Mason didn't get the touchdown runs. It was McCarthy and
c j Ham. Jalen Naylor catches. Jalen Naylor catches the
two touchdown passes. Jordan Addison leads in receiving the two
(12:25):
catches for sixty six yards. So yeah, let's hear in
a super flex league and we're playing JJ McCarthy, you
were probably skunked, even though the Vikings put thirty four
up on.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
The Yeah, Justin Jefferson one touchdown since week one, man
eight hundred and thirty two receiving yards, most of which
happened before they left London.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I felt that he was benchable. The last couple of
weeks and then like this would have been an opportunity
to put him back in. But you have eight targets
and two catches and for twenty two yards. Yeah, it's
not going to make you want to put him back
in the lineup, especially now when we're you know, smack
dab in the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Yeah. I had him as one of my plays for
the week. So yeah, beat it, Jefferson.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Not gonna lie, guys.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Even eight hundred and thirty yards or whatever you said, Dan,
that even feels a little high for what he's been
this Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Yeah, those two weeks against Pittsburgh and Cleveland that accounted
for about two hundred and fifty of them. Seventy five
against Cincinnati, eighty one against Atlanta. That's a four game stretch,
and then he had Philadelphia where he had seventy nine,
charger seventy four, so it's like a five game streak
that accounts for eighty percent of it.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
It's just because, like you know, in theory, he's just
one really big game away from actually still hitting a
thousand yards on the season.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
That's the surprising part to me.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
But I'll say this, if I'm the Vikings, and after this,
we can take a time out. But I'm curious in
your guys theory. They're out of the playoffs, and maybe
I'm saying this as someone who has justin Jefferson, he's
getting twenty targets every game, Like they have to figure
out that connection. And if you can't figure it out
(14:03):
in these three meaningless games that you have the rest
of the season, then you've got to really figure out
something in the offseason on what you're going to do.
But if they can show any sort of rapport or
some way to break out of a funk or figure
something out to carry over to next season, like these
three games are the opportunity to do it. So I know,
(14:23):
they threw it to him eight times against the Cowboys
and he only caught two. But you're out of the playoffs.
There's bigger fish to fry down the road, So I
would I would just continue to chuck the football at him.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
I would agree.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Yeah, last double digit target count came at the beginning
of November against Baltimore. Otherwise, I mean, what are we
looking at nine to six, six, four and eight. So yeah,
I mean feed him the ball and make him feel
like he's still loved and if nothing else you'd try
to establish a timing and rapport to your point, Dan, Yeah,
(14:55):
I agree.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
I wonder if Jefferson sees JSNS just ninety percent target
Sharon is missing Sam Darnold, Oh, I'm sure got to be.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Or he wants to go wherever Joe Burrow goes.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Yeah, like, hey, Ian, you hear that. Maybe the Jets, Right,
there's even some Burrow to Minnesota rumors that were popping
up with those those probably started by Viking fans themselves.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
That's not bad.
Speaker 5 (15:18):
I'll die on the hill. It's just not gonna happen.
But it's to talk about.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Oh man, we can we can do that another off
season episodes. Oh yeah, hey, I'll tell you what Joe
Burrow's performance right now after the zero point effort, as
we started the show with, maybe not the value we
would have thought. Just kidding, just a short term deal,
all right, We're going to take a time out. We'll
have the rest of our Week fifteen reactions plus our
report cards, and Mike's got a waiver wire look ahead
(15:44):
to Week sixteen coming up later on in the show.
It's all next year and I want your flex some
big matchups ahead four Week sixteen, but They look a
lot different from what happened in Week fifteen. The other
enormous injury. We talked about Patrick Mahomes earlier. The other
enormous injury actually happened on the defensive side of things
for the green Bay Packers. But that's going to have
(16:06):
fantasy implications. Heck, Mike, it may have had implications in
Denver on Sunday, Micah Parson's done for the year with
that torn ACL. Broncos beat the Packers in that contest. Now,
Green Bay's got a short week against your Bears, who
looked pretty healthy and feeding against the down trodden Brown squad.
But when you look at the Parsons absence, what it
(16:27):
did for the Broncos and bo Nicks, and what it
could mean in Week sixteen, Yeah, the Packers are in
quite a spot.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Yeah, all of a sudden, the road opened up a
little bit. We've talked about Super Bowl odds. You've got
your Seahawks, Dan and the Rams still atop the NFC.
But the Packers, now that just becomes this giant question
mark next to what the ceiling can be. As good
as Jordan Love has been in spots and he's getting
all his receivers back they seem to avoid while you
(16:56):
lose Parsons on the offensive side.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
They avoided the big hit because it's.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Looked like maybe there was something more significant for Christian Watson.
It's not the case, but either way, you've got your
full compliment of receivers there, and it looked like Jacobs
is running well. Right, it's still moving well. They catch
in the back of the end zone was fantastic. But
for Denver it's become interesting because bo Nick suddenly you
look over the last couple of weeks, one of your
(17:22):
leaders in the clubhouse at the quarterback position, for some
of his efforts and the ability to spread the ball around.
And obviously the pass rush is not the same without
Parsons there, but over the course of the game, you've
been lighting it up, and you know, over these these
recent weeks it's become a little bit more consistent. I
(17:44):
would have thought they'd have more in the run game
and that Harvey would step up in Dobbin's apps absence,
but we haven't seen that.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Necessarily. It's been more on the arm of.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Nicks and the defense hasn't been as nails, So we
thought they've been great situationally, but they've had to get
into higher scoring games. Go back to that Giants game
and a few others in between getting to this game
in week fifteen. I mean, this far exceeded the point
total I think anybody anticipated, right, Yeah, we talk about expectations.
(18:17):
This was not one that we thought would be playing
into the thirties.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
No, we also thought that Josh Jacobs was going to
be limited with his knee injury. And while I guess
maybe in a way he was because he only had
twelve carries, it didn't look like he was limited and
making that catch in the end zone or running away
from Broncos defenders. And if he didn't have this sore
knee issue, I would think, Wow, this is really an
(18:43):
opportunity for an uptick for him on the defensive, you know,
with a Parsons injury, Like if your defense now is
going to need some help from the offense, then it
really benefits someone like Josh Jacobs. But I'm not even
sure if that's the case. You mentioned Watson's injury with
what's going on with the passing game, and now you
got a short week week of about the schedule the
(19:05):
whole time. I mean you have a short week on
a team that you played two weeks ago. Yeah, like
like like this is this is crazy and this is absurd.
But it's like why why are we scheduling like this?
But how crazy is it that this Packers team is
now so completely different than the one that the Bears,
you know, saw fourteen days or thirteen days before they
(19:28):
play again. It's just crazy?
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Yeah, Packers that early look, they were still one and
a half point favorites on the road and this one
forty six and a half to total.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
It'll obviously be cold.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Night game, big prime time kind of extravaganza. But you know,
for the Bears, this last week is the outlier in
terms of team's ability to move the ball. Cleveland was
just terrible in every way, shape and form. The one
thing I will give Shadoor Sanders credit, which I it
(20:00):
got glossed over for folks that didn't see the game
of having a touchdown pass literally ripped from a guy's gut.
You don't see that every day, and he handled it
brilliantly in the postgame pressers, So give him absolute credit
for that. But outside of I mean, that was the throw.
The rest of the day scattershot and the Bears defense
(20:21):
held serve they'll eventually get fully healthy. They got some
more reinforcements to the back seven coming. But for the
week ahead, for Jordan Love and company, assuming Jacobs can move,
I mean they move the ball. They give up twenty
six points a game for a reason. It's just a
matter of are you going to give them the turnover?
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Right?
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Another three from Sanders takes them to thirty for the year,
which is just absurd and obscene and things we don't
see with that regularity. But for the Packers, I got
to assume the offense can still churn now defensively, if
Caleb Williams gets to sit back a little bit, you know,
the arm strength is there. DJ Moore back into into
(21:02):
prominence this week.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
They're hopeful.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Roma Dunes say he was cleared and then he wasn't.
You were with us Sunday morning, Dan, that was kind
of interesting.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Hey he's cleared. Next half hour, No he's not.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Okay, it's active, Yeah, yeah, it was gonna be. Yeah,
good to go, let's roll with Rome. That didn't happen.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
Yeah, and Burns banged up a little bit. But Colston
Lovelin's been one of the most consistent tight end options. Actually,
the Bears leading receivers since I think it's week six,
so they'll move the ball.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
This one is interesting.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Forty six and a half is what two or three
points higher than when they met just two weeks ago. Well,
I hate the Sandwich games more than like I can
complain about a lot of the scheduling stuff. I hate this,
particularly at the end of the season where you're not
nearly to where that all twenty two started.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Yes, yeah, Tampa and Carolina playing for the first time
in Week sixteen as well a weird matchup. The craziest
part about it is the Packers and Bears will play
on Saturday, and it's not even the best matchup that
has already taken place that week. Like the Rams, Seahawks
has so many ramifications now fantasy wise, I don't know
(22:17):
on how things are going to translate. Considering the last
time these two teams played, Seattle had their way with
it statistically except in the turnover department where Sam Darnold
turned it over four times. But you've got a Rams
team coming in again with the DeVante Adams injury that
we mentioned earlier, but their running game, I mean Karen
Williams is getting some blake, Quorum's getting into the end zone.
(22:40):
Pooka had a big game. The tight ends have been
so much part of the conversation over the last couple
of weeks, whether it be Kolby Parkinson or even the
rookie Terrence Ferguson. But there's a lot of options for
the Rams. But the Seahawks did kind of put them
in place. And the Seahawks have an injury of their
own with their love tackle Charles cross So, and we
know what happens, and Sam Donald gets pressure. But it
(23:01):
should be a dandy on Thursday.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
Night, forty four and a half the total rams and
narrow one and a half point favorite. If we're going
to talk about this game, we have to hit the
rewind button to what you saw. Dan, You're a broadcast professional.
I've known you a very long time. How many times
do they have to dump you? Watching that GameZone Rang.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
You felt on an island because everybody was cheering for
Philip Rivers. I wanted to cheer for Philip Rivers. I
just couldn't not in those instances. And to see the
Seahawks stall, to be able to not cash in, and
I give the Colts a lot of credit. Give the
Colts defense a lot of credit.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, fifty rushing yards, yeah wow.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah. The Seahawks have really do have an issue with
the with the running game. It's it's almost just there
to do it. Like when Zach Charbonnay is just running
in straight into a pile and getting five yards maximum
because he had a long of eight. Like, they're just
they're just doing it to do it. They're not doing
(24:02):
it because it helps them. They're doing it to do it.
But you know, they get out of there with a
win and JSN with a couple of big plays. Nobody
got into the end zone because of the six field goals.
But you'd have to think that that changes on Thursday night.
And yeah, I don't expect at one point this season, guys,
I thought you were going to see, Okay, here's Kenneth
(24:23):
Walker's opportunity. That was about two or three games ago,
and now that just hasn't happened. They haven't been able
to really ever get it going. I don't know why.
I know that there's the theory on they passed to
kind of set up the run, but again, it's just
there's no point in the running game so Scharbona and
(24:44):
Kenneth Walker had stinkers against the Colts in a game
that they probably really could have used those guys to
break out, but it just didn't happen. And I think
it's going to happen for them.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
I just don't get why they don't try something else,
because it's not anything new them having issues in the
run game. And everyone can see, and we've talked about
this plenty just how much more explosive Kenneth Walker is
than Zach Scharbiney. And this isn't just me talking as
a Kenneth Walker owner. It just really feels like it's
a momentum killer when you take one of these guys
out to give the other their snaps just for the
(25:14):
sake of giving them their snaps, like, try to actually
put the best product on the field.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I don't know how you can get into a rhythm,
and I don't know if they want to get into
a rhythm with the running game. That's the crazy thing,
because they're so dependent on Donald in the passing game.
And yeah, it's just it's very, very frustrating for fantasy
owners and there's really no reason, like we're hoping for
a breakout for Justin Jefferson. There's nothing there to make
(25:43):
you think that Kenneth Walker is going to break out,
except when you see him. He does have the talent.
There's just not going to be the opportunities. There's not
going to be the three touchdown game that he had
against the Lions a couple of years ago. The game
has had a couple of them in his career in
those days just are over in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Yeah, because you know in the red zone you've got
all the threat of passing. But obviously Charbone has been
coming into Vulture that when those opportunities present. For Week
sixteen Fantasy Pros, early results both are you're looking at
flex plays only in the thirties and late thirties for Charbone.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Yeah, there's he doesn't get enough of an opportunity. And
I mean he's not even he's not even active in
the passing game either. It's just there to to run
and run. He literally is.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
He just is there to take carries away from Kenneth Walker.
He's like it just feels like Charbone's only role there
is to just stop Kenneth Walker from getting momentum.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Oh not so fast, buddy. That's that's Sharmon.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
There's just yeah, there's not a lot. There's not a
lot of value. There's really and outside of now Jason
Myers in the great da that he that he had,
But I mean, you're not playing anybody. You're not playing
Rashid Shaheed, who's got involved into the offense a little
bit more. You could see an effort for them and
trying to get him the foot ball. Cooper Cup had
a better game against the Colts than he's had in
the past, but it's still it's just basically, does Jackson
(27:06):
Smith and Jigbub have a huge game and does he
get you into the end zone? And that's where sam
Donold's value is going to be as well.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah, we look over the last couple of weeks, the
tight end position being the cesspool that it is, you
at least have some opportunity from Barner.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Yeah, what it amounts to that's a whole other thing.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Right, we haven't seen a touchdown since what week five,
But when you're talking about getting four to six or
targets are more, you're at least invested a bit as
opposed to most teams where it's a roll of the
dice as to which of their three tight ends actually
get deployed in a given week.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
What about Philip rivers performance, What was your takeaway, Mike
from that?
Speaker 4 (27:48):
Well, I was shocked that they didn't conjure up some
blitzes to just beat the hell out of him, which is.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
One the moon balls.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
Like, he wasn't a guy with the greatest of arms
in those final throws in Indianapolis before. Right, that's five
years ago, so it's not like he's gonna suddenly come
out and have a cannon for an arm. But in
the end, he did what they asked him to do, right,
it's make plays. He was thirty yards under is over
undertotal that we talked about on Friday that you know,
(28:25):
crime me a river Parlay failed miserably, but he gave
him the best position they and they did. The Colts
actually did what I thought the Seahawks would do in
that while Jonathan Taylor wasn't running him up, they ground
down the clock. Right, twenty five carries eighty seven yards.
That's a lot of time of possession, so you make
(28:48):
you shorten the game and keep your team in it.
And for Philip Rivers, yeah, I mean there's no zip now. Fortunately,
this next week, He's got San Francisco, they've got no
pass rush, so there's actually I don't know what they
can scheme up. But we saw Aaron Rodgers on Monday night,
right the bookend game against Miami. His average area yards
(29:10):
except for maybe like three throws, had to be about
two yards. A lot of quick screen passes, good blocks
on the edges by the wide outs and tight ends
to get out there, and a lot of yak. Like
at one point Friarmuth had three catches and I think
it was thirty five yards of his forty five were yak.
That's how short the pass game was. So if they
can scheme something up like that, then then maybe you
(29:32):
can make a little Hey, but are you starting any
of these guys? Hell no, even Tyler Warrens a giant
question mark.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Yeah yeah, I mean you're of the receivers. This is
the crazy thing about it. If Josh Downs recognizes the
play in the pass from Philip Rivers, he ends up
having a two score game. There was the one where
he looked back and didn't realize that the football was
already thrown. That is that's the veteran Philip Rivers like
(30:03):
he knew where to put the football and Downs wasn't
ready for it because no quarterback had thrown him the
football at that point. And I think that that's not
a whose fault was it, But if there was fault
to be given, it was probably Downs to not be
ready for the football as he kind of gave the hey,
throw it up for me, and the ball was already released,
it was already in the air. He could add a
(30:24):
two touchdown day and the Colts maybe end up winning
that game. I think it's going to get better in
Week sixteen on that Monday night game. I don't I'm
right there with you that I wouldn't play any of
those other guys. But if you are in a tight
end situation and you have Tyler Warren, like there could
be a spot where Tyler Warren throws a touchdown, you know,
like just to try to do something different and try
(30:47):
to figure it out. You're indoors, you're not dealing with it,
and just a completely different defense that you're now facing
as opposed to what Seattle had in San Francisco. They
just started the personnel that Seattle has and there's no
Fred Warner and no Nick Bosa, so you don't have
to worry about those guys. But I do think that
there's going to be an uptick for the Colts, but
not enough to warrant playing a guy unless you absolutely
(31:10):
have to in Tyler Warren, like you're not saying, well,
I'm loading up Alec Peers in this one. Yeah, that's
just not what you're doing.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
Well, especially since he feasts on balls eighteen to twenty
five yards down here. That anyway, I look, it's better
than Dylan Gabriel, but it's but it's not exactly a
running gun situation like I always talk about. And I
love it in all these sports. The longer that we
can get these guys hanging around or coming back or whatever.
(31:37):
And Phillip's speech after the game was fantastic, you know,
talking about fear and battling and and you know adversity
and challenges and all, which is which is great, right,
we need we need some positivity.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
But you know, is it perfect?
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Like the folks that wanted to kill it, it's like,
all right, you get someone.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
To give you a hug.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
If this is something that really infuriates you, look around
the league. Look at how desperate teams get when their
starter goes down. Quarterbacks is very, very very rare commodity.
And you know, saying well they should have just grabbed
someone off a practice squad. It's like, did they know
Shane Steichen his terminology and how this works. Like you
(32:20):
mentioned that, you know communication issue and you know that
comes with timing and that comes with a few more practices.
But there's a lot of young quarterbacks that aren't making
that throw right. There's a lot of a lot of
the instincts and everything that you know, the mind doesn't
go from you. It's just a matter of can you
get the body to do it a few times and
(32:41):
with some more reps to your point, an opportunity against
the forty nine ers. But you know that in our
in our business, like I known, if it bleeds, it
leads in negativity cells. But this was outside of you know,
if you're a Seahawks fan, this this is this was
great for the league and positivity. I had people that
haven't watched football in years that were like, I gotta
(33:03):
see this.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
It made me ugly. I may I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
I even put up the graphic, which do we see
more Duke stop this fight or the kids yell and
stop stop. He's already dead from the Simpsons. Instead, we
got none of that, and we actually had him in
a position where he could have won a game.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
So look, it's Christmas time for crying out loud. It's
what a Hallmark story's all about.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Yeah, almost at fairy Tale ending, it's just a little
bit too much time left on the clock. It's kind
of our look at Week fifteen. There'll be more Philip
Rivers conversation as well, coming up later on in the week.
At the end of the week, Michael Levs rankings, and
of course we have our midweek episode. But coming up
next it's report card time. How do we do? And
plus if you are in the playoffs and still alive, congratulations.
(33:49):
Who are the guys you need to pick up for
week sixteen? We'll tell you next tier on. I want
your flex all right, Mike Scott is waiver Wire. We'll
get to that at the end, but it's report card time.
Start with Ian how would we do that? Mike? Our
executive producer, Ian Roddy at Ian Roddy underscore, how did
the streaming defense has worked? For Week fifteen?
Speaker 5 (34:08):
A mixed bag this week, guys, I guess let's start
with the worst The worst of the three was the
Niners San Francisco forty nine ers defense zero fantasy points,
so was straight up goose egg for you. I'm glad
they didn't lose you any points, but they allowed twenty
four points on the day, zero sacks and zero turnovers
on cam Ward.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
So who would have thunk it? I Tony Pollard over
one hundreds like co would have like, what are we doing?
Speaker 5 (34:31):
Yeah, just a real you know. Credits to the Titans though,
and credit to cam Ward because I did. I did
preface the Niners defense there by saying that cam Ward,
I do think there's talent there and he's been improving
steadily over the year. I didn't think it was going
to be, you know, one of his first games where
he literally just didn't have a turnover or have a
sack at all, but credit to him. Next, the Dallas
(34:52):
Cowboys only got you one fantasy point on the week,
so another just just negative out in there. They allowed
thirty four points on the day, but they did salvage
you with an interception, so if not for that, it
would have been negative against JJ McCarthy and the Vikings
there just again did not see that performance coming from
their opponent, but hey, credit to the Vikings, credit to
(35:13):
JJ McCarthy. But the best one was the Bears by far.
They got you eighteen fantasy points if you'd listen to
me on that one. Only allowed three points on the
day to shade her Sanders. They picked them off three times,
sacked them five times. So just a real dominant outing
for the Chicago Chicago Bears defense. And then, if you remember,
I did suggest one more if it was out there,
(35:33):
the Jaguars defense playing against the Jets. They also picked
off Brady Cook, the undrafted rookie, three times. I think
they finished with eleven Fantasy points on the day. So again,
probably wouldn't have been out there in your league, but
if you did manage to scoop them up, they got
you a solid outing.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Yeah. I ended up working out forty on that end.
And yeah, sometimes the forty nine ers one is shocking,
Like I know that the personnel isn't there, but maybe
the Titans are just getting better or maybe making you
know how growth. We'll find out this. Mike alluded to
their matchup with the Chiefs coming up in week sixteen.
All right, my report card, don't worry Ian, it couldn't
(36:08):
get worse than my points of Palooza. I gave you
Ravens Bengals, and the Bengals were skunked, so twenty four
points total. Nobody got in the end zone obviously for Cincinnati.
So that was an awful pick, especially considering the amount
of points we saw in other games. You mentioned Jacksonville.
They put up forty eight in that record ceter. We
know what happened with the Bills and Patriots in their
(36:29):
contest Hecta, Texans put up forty in that game. Like
it was just points everywhere except in the Points of Palooza.
The good news is I did hit on these survivors,
nothing out of the ordinary. It was a forty nine
ers in Bears pick. But the reason I thought that
those teams were available were because maybe people weren't believing
in the Bears during their mid season streak, and maybe
(36:51):
it wasn't just a streak. Maybe it's just they're that good.
We'll find out over these next couple of weeks. But
the Bears beating the Browns and the Niners beating the
Titans were easy picks, but at least they were w's
and better than my points of Palooza. Mike, how did
you fare in your report card?
Speaker 3 (37:06):
All right, let's go.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
We talked about already number two on the quarterback list
with Joe Burrow. He finished twenty seventh. How he was lower?
Speaker 3 (37:14):
I don't know the.
Speaker 4 (37:16):
Other five for the quarterback position, they all finished thirteenth
or better. Josh Allen I had him third, He finished
sixth with hot plays, Trevor Lawrence far and away obviously.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
CJ. Stroud was eighth. Very good.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Sam Darnold killed me at twenty six. Sorry sorry, Dan,
I must have jinxed him.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Just do it this week, that's all.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
I'll do it again.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
Brissette twelfth, which cool bo Nicks was a cold sore
so he killed me. Mahomes cold sore and Dak twenty
two and twenty three respectively, So all good there. And
JJ McCarthy was a ninja, so victory's there.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Two.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
I ended up with a decent fantasy night when it
was all said and done, so he was on the
ninja list even if it was ugly. And I don't
know if you guys knew this, the over under was
forty two and a half. And yeah, so that second
touchdown to Waller where suddenly they were playing with some
urgency actually had consequence.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Running forty three, didn't it? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (38:16):
And then at forty three exactly, wow, yeah, crazy.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Well, Troy Aikman was stunned by it. He could not
stop talking about it. He goes, why, he goes, this
is one of the most puzzling endings I've ever seen
in the NFL, because this team was huddling up, taking
forever on the play clock. Now they're calling timeouts and
trying to run a hurry up defense, their hurry up
offense when there's two minutes left. He called it out
(38:42):
for how strange it was from the Dolphins.
Speaker 4 (38:44):
Yeah. And then Mike McDaniel got in front of the
podium and we've talked about our love of that guy.
There were a couple of answers that have now been
clipped off on the Internet that will live forever because
I don't I defy you to figure out what the
hell he's actually trying to tell you as he's answering
questions about down distance, et cetera. All right, going to
the running back position real quick. McCaffrey finished as an
(39:07):
RB one. Eh Chan was non existent for much of
the game. Gibbs finished thirty first who referenced it in
the first segment of the on again, Off again, so
that screwge a Etn finished second, so we'll take that,
and then Derrek Henry had one hundred yards. Problem is
he didn't do anything else, so you got your ten
points and that's it. So if it gives him a
(39:28):
twenty fifth place finish. Hot Plays Barkley hits, Chase Brown, middling,
Rodriguez ended up being a late scratch, and then the
Cold soars Well, James Cook maybe look like an idiot, thanks,
Buddy Taylor was nineteenth, bris All forty fourth, so wins there.
Woody Marx were still waiting to make sure he gets
(39:48):
his six points off of the designed tri curation.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Mike did finally show we're going to tie it into
it on our next episode later in the week, but
there was controversy and it did ultimately end up cashing.
Speaker 4 (40:04):
In Boom okay. Tracey finished his top five. He was
on the Ninja list, and then Judkins didn't show up.
Wide Receivers Real Quick. Four of the top five finished
top seven, including i'man Ross Saint Brown as the number one.
The Hot plays failed me miserably, except for Jameson Williams,
who's been fantastic, and then the cold Sores they all sucked,
(40:26):
So I win there. Mconkey, DeVante Smith, and Stefan Diggs.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
I mean, I love them, but they were terrible this week.
Speaker 4 (40:33):
And then all three of the Ninjas were middling at
best when you talk about Wan Dale, Zay Flowers, and
Jacoby Myers. So I will take one last victory lap
because George Pickens was invisible three for three out of
six for thirty three yards.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Yeah, that was a tough one to watch as well.
For those that have George Pickens, we'll see if he
bounces back. It's been an on and off again Teeter
Totters sometimes with he and Cebee Lamb, but they've got
the Chargers coming to down on Sunday and early kickoff
as well. I like Dallas at one o'clock eastern, just
like I liked seeing the Chiefs and Chargers playing a
(41:08):
big game at Arrowhead that isn't under the lights or
later on in the day like that sun shines there
like no other place like it truly does. That's when
when the sun is shining at Arrowhead, for whatever reason,
it just looks different than everywhere else and it actually
puts me in a good mood, like it really does.
And so seeing them play that game, I know the
(41:29):
Chiefs fans weren't happy with the outcome and obviously with
the loss of Patrick Mahomes, but they need to play
more one o'clock Eastern time games because they just play
too many in the primetime spots because they're in their
in their dynasty or maybe that's coming to an end
now and we'll see more of it. But I loved
seeing it in the week fifteen.
Speaker 4 (41:45):
Well in Dallas, what do you think it's worth to
the over under on receiving totals for guys losing balls
in light?
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Clocks have changed, you know, so and now it's a one.
As you said, they were not they're not used to
this kickoff time necessarily. Yeah, we'll have to see if
it's coming down and around that time. Nice. The design
of that stadium still and Jerry refusing to put up
any curtains or shade just ridiculous using it as an
advantage like his team can play through it. You're never there,
(42:17):
you're not playing in the stadium or practicing. All right,
that's for another day, Mike, who your waiver wire pickups
four week sixteen.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
Well, we talk about that Kansas City Tennessee matchup. Tennessee's
playing better, so you know you hang a star on up.
But Gardner Minshew gets to go back and try to
charm America one more time. You look at Tennessee still
giving up twenty one or more fantasy points five six
weeks in a row at this point, so you have
an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
Tyler.
Speaker 4 (42:42):
Shuck's been fantastic. He also makes plays with his legs.
He's got the Jets. They fired their defensive coordinator. Maybe
they rally around. I don't think so. Ian's just shaking
his head, no, staring me down Dan as I say that.
But Shuck's been fantastic. We talked about him a bunch.
Bryce Young going up against Tampa Bay. We've watched that
secondary struggle Carolina with a huge fail. You know, you
(43:07):
have the penalty that puts them in field goal positions.
So New Orleans is able to finish that win, but
still battling in the South, so a big deal. As
you said, Sandwich games here six weeks sixteen and eighteen,
stupid but fun for us as football fans. How about
Captain Kirk going against Arizona's defense as well, So maybe
a little bit of love there.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
As we look at.
Speaker 4 (43:28):
The quarterbacks wide running backs, real quick estimate, looks like
he might get some run there. In New Orleans, Michael
Carter is the guy. Our guy Znovan also known as
Bam Knight left with an injury. Carter's been pretty good
in that number two spot and when he's had to
step up. Also active in the passing game. So you
get a little bit of love there as well. And
(43:51):
then Sean Tucker going back to that Tampa game. Even
as much as we've seen Bucky Irving, we've got Tucker
with the goal line potential. Do you trust a vulture
in a playoff scenario? No, but in a dollar league
I might go down that road. So you look at
a little bit of love. Wide receivers Matthew Golden with
(44:12):
the potential that you know Christian Watson's unavailable, might be
worth a look see there. Jaden Reed also still available
in a lot of leagues. Ad Ni Mitchell, he's active
and we want we watched with Brady Cook. He's not
going to be shy about throwing the ball around. And
we'll we'll presume that they're giving up some points to
shuck in company, So maybe maybe we get a little
(44:35):
bit of scoring in that one. It's only forty and
a half. I'll take the over, so a little bit
of love there, and I think, you know, when we
get down to the rest of the list, we talk
about Loveland, we could talk about some of those other
tight ends like we did with Barner a little bit earlier,
as you're trying to go down and find some love.
Parkinson has been a bigger part of the Rams offense. Now.
(44:57):
They've done a lot with having three tight ends out
there as blockers to help that run game get started.
But maybe some opportunity and then Gadsden has been dropped
in a lot of leagues because, you know, production he
had that four week span where he was dominant and
that's come off, and obviously Herbert's hand is compromised. But
here's an opportunity against you know, our old friend the
(45:19):
Dallas defense.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
There they are are waiver wire pickups four week sixteen,
and just to look at ahead and how things lay
out in week fifteen. In the late window that I
do with Kerry Rhodes on Fox Sports Radio, we had
Packers Broncos, we had Seahawks going up against Philip Rivers
and the Colts, and we had that Lions Rams game.
In fact, Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady are calling Lions
(45:43):
Rams and Jim Nansen Tony Romo are calling Packers Broncos.
So very rarely do you have the top teams going
head to head against each other in that same window.
But that's what we ended up having on Sunday in
Week sixteen. Boys at a different different story. My goodness,
(46:07):
Raiders Texans is one twenty five Eastern Pittsburgh Detroit is
your marquee game. The best game of the window is
gonna be a one oh five kickoff. That's Jacksonville at Denver.
Then you have the Falcons and Cardinals. Yeah, that's gonna
be a bit of a rough go. That's why Thursday
and Saturday are so good for the fantasy week.
Speaker 3 (46:25):
Well, we get to celebrate Jacoby Brissett some more.
Speaker 4 (46:27):
And how many times can they tell you how great
the Houston defense is and CJ. Stroud Nico Collins Right, well,
it'll be a love fest for them.
Speaker 1 (46:36):
Yeah, turn off the TV, listen to us. That's that's
m right. Yes.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
On the iHeartRadio app wherever you go.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
Man. We always think you guys for listening to us
every single week, even Matt, who I told to play
Christian Watson instead of Jay Flowers this past weekend, I said,
Zay's never getting into the end zone touchdown Ravens Jay Flowers.
That's the story of my life. Hopefully we can bounce
back better in week sixteen. Sonna be back with a
MIDWEK episode and then Mike cloves rankings at the end
(47:02):
of the week so far, Mike Carmen and Ian Roddy,
I'm Dan Byer. We hope you stayed alive in the
postseason and we'll talk to you next time here. And
I want your flex
Ladies and gentlemen.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You want experience during your football season, well buckle up.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Sweet cheeks.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
What we've got all the experience in the world.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
This is I.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
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 3 (00:22):
To starts and sits.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flex sod. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
That's Week fifteen for you. He's Mike comment, I'm Dan Byer.
That is Ian Roddy, our executive producer. You can hit
Mike up at Swollen dome't find me at Dan Byer
on box, and you can find Ian at Ian Roddy
underscore with what was a crazy week ends up with
a bit of a clunker on Monday Night football. But
I gotta say, if it's the first week of your
playoffs or in some cases even the final week to
(00:56):
a week of your regular season, Mike, Week fifteen, you
went out with the bang or in with the bang
because there were a lot of points scored on Sunday,
a lot of.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
Points, a lot of chaos, a lot of hand ringing,
and crying and throwing of things, gnashing of teeth as
it were, because some of our big, seemingly impenetrable forces,
well got defeated. Right, I'm looking at it and it
keeps staring me in the face. The Joe Burrow shutout
game where he seemed disinterested and I get all the
(01:28):
and we talked about it on the Friday Pod, talking
about all of the the comments that he made on Wednesday,
whatever it's like, but he still battled his ass back
to get back on the field. So in between the
white lines, I'm still gonna get an effort, right right. No,
I didn't. No, I didn't. I got nothing. So he
was top five on the rankings. He gave me nothing.
(01:48):
But we had the Superhero Cape come out for Josh Allen. Hey,
we're gonna spot you twenty one. Get everybody excited. Okay,
now we start our comeback. We get the chaos there.
Trevor Lawrence, We've talked about him a lot, right, he
was in the hot places. He's a guy over the
last five weeks. But I'm looking at the schedule, I'm like,
do I trust him against a good opponent? I don't know,
(02:10):
And that I think is the summary statement of NFL
twenty twenty five. And I'm not ashamed to admit it
as we sit here and we've done this, you and
I dan for a number of years and been doing
fantasy stuff going all the way back to Yahoo administrating
games since nineteen ninety nine. I don't know I've ever
been to this deep into a season, fantasy and regular season,
(02:32):
to where the ups and downs and roller coasters of
things have been so erratic. Right once again, Jamiir Gibbs,
we joked about it. Three touchdowns zero, three touchdowns zero?
Guess what first week ear playoffs? Ta da, there's another
zero for you.
Speaker 3 (02:47):
So just chaos, yeah, it is.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
And the zero all the Bengals is just crazy to
me because there were so many efforts that went off
in Week fifteen and for Jamar Chase, like at some
point Joe Burrow's gonna throw him a touchdown pass right,
like it's going to come from Joe Burrow. And so
in these games that Joe Burrow has been back, I've
been waiting. I've been waiting. I'll even just give up
(03:12):
my report card now. I had Ravens Bengals is the
points of palooza. I don't know if I thought it
was going to be another overtime affair like we saw
in twenty twenty four, and Derreck Henry is running on
the sidelines, But I mean Jamar Chase had one hundred
and thirty two yards. But again to have the goose egg,
just you need touchdowns. I mean Trevor Lawrence in our
longtime league, again a standard league, but it doesn't necessarily
(03:34):
matter with the quarterback position had our season high for
points this week forty seven point one in our league
with his six total touchdown effort. So it's crazy to
think of the highs and lows with the players that
you got with so much on the line this week,
And unfortunately for Ian it came against his Jets. But
(03:54):
maybe I should say fortunately because the Jets lost again
and made another move by firing Steve Wilks. But if
Trevor Lawrence and Travis etn are going to carry you
to fantasy stardom, it's gonna be a heck of a
story for the next ten or twenty years. I'll tell
you that much.
Speaker 3 (04:07):
No, it's it right.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
We always look for heroes to emerge down the stretch,
and from some they can always find regardless of the
decal on the side of the helmet. We've always argued
here in fantasy land, and then you just look for
trends and guys getting a bigger share, teams that are
shutting things down. Right with Washington Jaden Daniels, I don't
(04:28):
think he should have ever come back against Minnesota, But
that's just me. I argued it, and we talked about
it when he was coming back here on the pod.
But you know, it's just these final three weeks and
for the playoff run, a lot of trepidation looking ahead
to the schedule for Week sixteen as we start to
go through things. We've got those huge injuries that marked
(04:52):
Week fifteen as well, Right, I mean, be remiss not
that you're suddenly expecting a barrage from Patrick Mahomes in
the final twenty second, but for fantasy purposes, he's been
pretty solid all year. He's off the board. DeVante Adams
had eleven points, he leaves. I know Ian and I
were talking a little about that. That was one of
his playoff matchups, and certainly in Guillotine I had him
(05:15):
and it's like, all right, is that going to come
back to cost me? Fortunately, as the day wore out,
I didn't have to worry about it, but you know,
you check that box. What it means for the Packers.
Does that bode well for the offense that they're going
to need to fire up the cannons with Jordan Love
against the Bears and down the stretch because of Michael
(05:37):
Parson's injury. I mean, it's just a bunch of things,
you know, running backs leaving early and the like. So yeah,
just a lot of handwringing coming out of this. Hopefully
you survived in advance. That's really where we're at in
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
Well, I think when we look at the Mahomes injury
and we look at the Chiefs, so let's just start
from that aspect, the fantasy ramification of that injury are
actually minimal. I mean, if you have Patrick Mahomes, it's
a big deal, and if you have Rashie Rice, it's
probably a big deal. But other than that, for what
(06:12):
Travis Kelsey has or hasn't done, for the running backs
that have or haven't been in the lineup, I mean,
there was a while when it was Kareem Hunt's world.
We were just you know, paying rent, we were just
living in it, but when you look at what they
may lose because of it, Yeah, you know, like it's
Rashee Rice hasn't been as great as he was that
(06:35):
early stretch. The targets were there for sure, But yeah,
it's interesting to see the Mahomes injury become. It's so
enormous just for the entire league, but fantasy wise, it
kind of falls in line with everything that's been with
the Chiefs this twenty twenty five season.
Speaker 4 (06:50):
Yeah, it's funny because you have a matchup this week.
They're on the road at Tennessee. Still three and a
half point favorites with minshew Mania running wild folk hero
thirty seven and a half is the total, Just to
kind of throw that out there, but it might have
been a spot where, because of other injuries and inconsistencies,
you're like, all right, I'll push in that. Patrick Mahomes
(07:10):
comes up with a superhuman effort. But now that they're
eliminated from the playoffs, obviously he gets hurt. But to
your point, yeah, I mean, Travis Kelcey overall, the numbers
look good relatively speaking, but has he found pay dirt
for you regularly? No, man, that's Trey McBride and Jacoby
Brissett's world that we're renting in, which is just again
(07:34):
still an oddity. But yeah, with the Chiefs, there was
nobody you were trusting anymore, unless you're talking traditional leagues
where you still have the flex play maybe a second flex,
and then you start looking for an act of desperation
as much as anything.
Speaker 1 (07:50):
He was getting targets. Kelsey was, but it's it was
so touchdown dependent and if you're a PPR league, maybe
different situation. But even against the Texans when they were
just you know, know, manhandled, he had the one catch
for eight yards, and so yeah, that was that was
an issue. It's funny with Rashie Rice because guys, this
is the trade that I've been harping on myself all
(08:10):
year long on how awful of a trade it was.
The pendulum is now swinging a little bit back my way,
not because I've got any value, but because the trade
is effectively going to be worthless because Ashton Genti stinks.
Mike just mentioned Devonte Adams being in Jersey's probably not
going to play Thursday night against Seattle, and I had
Rashie Rice in that deal for Cheuba Hubbard, romondre Stevenson
(08:34):
and Justin Jefferson, Well, Justin Jefferson now is in his
own head for whatever went out in Dallas on Sunday
night did not look good. And Chewba Hubbard is there
and Ramondre Stevenson is watching Traveon Henderson run up and
down the field and score fifty and sixty and seventy
yard touchdown.
Speaker 3 (08:54):
He saw the favorite for offensive Rookie of the year.
Speaker 1 (08:56):
By the way. That's that's crazy. Tyler Schuck maybe should
be a getting some of the considering what the Saints
have done. But Henderson has just been a game changer,
which is kind of made Stevenson not useless because they
have used him in a certain way in the way
that we have talked about. But yeah, that trade that
I keep on hamper and you know that I was
(09:18):
so frustrating because it was so mad at the time.
Now maybe maybe a little swinging back my way with
with those pieces not being as effective as they want
to see.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I'm glad you're getting back to there.
Speaker 4 (09:27):
It's like, because what we talked about, it was like, yeah,
give give it time, blooded jest state and let's see again,
it's the NFL season. I mean we do the week
to week react and you keep waiting for breakouts that
never come to Justin Jefferson and whatever else. But yeah,
it's you did fine, Dan, It's it'll It'll be okay.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I was. I was able to get Trevion Henderson in
a separate deal, so that helped mitigate the disaster when
Romandre was hurt.
Speaker 4 (09:57):
But can you understand can you understand why Henderson didn't
see the ball more the second half? I'll hang up
and listen for your answer.
Speaker 1 (10:03):
I'm telling us what we talked to mid season. Again.
They just they don't want to run him into the ground,
but when he's running away from everybody, it's it's it's
difficult to uh to understand the uh, the Justin Jefferson thing,
though I don't know if it's a real thing, but
I've been waiting for that breakout. I've been waiting for that.
Oh okay, even if it's just for one game, right right,
(10:26):
just for for one opportunity where we then overreact and say,
look it's back or there's Justin Jefferson. He had the
touchdown that was called back on the penalty, and then
a couple of times where I mean the ball hits
her hands and you're Justin Jefferson, like, you've got to
catch that football. And when JJ McCarthy isn't as accurate
as he maybe should be, when he's throwing balls that
(10:50):
are in the neighborhood, you got to catch the football.
And it looked more like a Justin Jefferson problem more
than anything else that a JJ McCarthy problem on Sunday night.
Speaker 4 (10:58):
Well, and that's the thing is that McCarthy the last
couple of weeks, for all of the incoming that he'd
had leading up to we go back two weeks, right,
they put up what sixty five, sixty six points or
whatever it is over the last couple of weeks. I mean, yes,
he's not hyper accurate, but it's in a target in
a window, and you're seeing enough target. It's only only
(11:21):
four in the win over Washington. Okay, that game gets
away and it doesn't matter, but just two of eight
for twenty two yards against the Dallas defense. The opportunity,
like you said once call back, but also hitting him
in the hands when we start getting into drops and
the psychology of this all when you know you've only
got so many opportunities and McCarthy's been great getting the
(11:44):
ball to Oliver and Hockinson and spreading it around the
back's getting involved. But yeah, when your opportunities are going
to be that few, I mean, I thought Justin Jefferson
was the guy that needed those pressure situations, wanted those,
and it's been anything bought at this point.
Speaker 1 (12:02):
It's funny because the Vikings scored thirty four points in
again that we all watched, and no one benefited from fantasy.
Now that's true. Thanks, Yeah, because Aaron Jones and Jordan
Mason didn't get the touchdown runs. It was McCarthy and
c j Ham. Jalen Naylor catches. Jalen Naylor catches the
two touchdown passes. Jordan Addison leads in receiving the two
(12:25):
catches for sixty six yards. So yeah, let's hear in
a super flex league and we're playing JJ McCarthy, you
were probably skunked, even though the Vikings put thirty four
up on.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
The Yeah, Justin Jefferson one touchdown since week one, man
eight hundred and thirty two receiving yards, most of which
happened before they left London.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I felt that he was benchable. The last couple of
weeks and then like this would have been an opportunity
to put him back in. But you have eight targets
and two catches and for twenty two yards. Yeah, it's
not going to make you want to put him back
in the lineup, especially now when we're you know, smack
dab in the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (13:02):
Yeah. I had him as one of my plays for
the week. So yeah, beat it, Jefferson.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Not gonna lie, guys.
Speaker 5 (13:08):
Even eight hundred and thirty yards or whatever you said, Dan,
that even feels a little high for what he's been
this Yeah.
Speaker 4 (13:14):
Yeah, those two weeks against Pittsburgh and Cleveland that accounted
for about two hundred and fifty of them. Seventy five
against Cincinnati, eighty one against Atlanta. That's a four game stretch,
and then he had Philadelphia where he had seventy nine,
charger seventy four, so it's like a five game streak
that accounts for eighty percent of it.
Speaker 5 (13:34):
It's just because, like you know, in theory, he's just
one really big game away from actually still hitting a
thousand yards on the season.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
That's the surprising part to me.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
But I'll say this, if I'm the Vikings, and after this,
we can take a time out. But I'm curious in
your guys theory. They're out of the playoffs, and maybe
I'm saying this as someone who has justin Jefferson, he's
getting twenty targets every game, Like they have to figure
out that connection. And if you can't figure it out
(14:03):
in these three meaningless games that you have the rest
of the season, then you've got to really figure out
something in the offseason on what you're going to do.
But if they can show any sort of rapport or
some way to break out of a funk or figure
something out to carry over to next season, like these
three games are the opportunity to do it. So I know,
(14:23):
they threw it to him eight times against the Cowboys
and he only caught two. But you're out of the playoffs.
There's bigger fish to fry down the road, So I
would I would just continue to chuck the football at him.
Speaker 3 (14:34):
I would agree.
Speaker 4 (14:35):
Yeah, last double digit target count came at the beginning
of November against Baltimore. Otherwise, I mean, what are we
looking at nine to six, six, four and eight. So yeah,
I mean feed him the ball and make him feel
like he's still loved and if nothing else you'd try
to establish a timing and rapport to your point, Dan, Yeah,
(14:55):
I agree.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
I wonder if Jefferson sees JSNS just ninety percent target
Sharon is missing Sam Darnold, Oh, I'm sure got to be.
Speaker 3 (15:04):
Or he wants to go wherever Joe Burrow goes.
Speaker 1 (15:06):
Yeah, like, hey, Ian, you hear that. Maybe the Jets, Right,
there's even some Burrow to Minnesota rumors that were popping
up with those those probably started by Viking fans themselves.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
That's not bad.
Speaker 5 (15:18):
I'll die on the hill. It's just not gonna happen.
But it's to talk about.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Oh man, we can we can do that another off
season episodes. Oh yeah, hey, I'll tell you what Joe
Burrow's performance right now after the zero point effort, as
we started the show with, maybe not the value we
would have thought. Just kidding, just a short term deal,
all right, We're going to take a time out. We'll
have the rest of our Week fifteen reactions plus our
report cards, and Mike's got a waiver wire look ahead
(15:44):
to Week sixteen coming up later on in the show.
It's all next year and I want your flex some
big matchups ahead four Week sixteen, but They look a
lot different from what happened in Week fifteen. The other
enormous injury. We talked about Patrick Mahomes earlier. The other
enormous injury actually happened on the defensive side of things
for the green Bay Packers. But that's going to have
(16:06):
fantasy implications. Heck, Mike, it may have had implications in
Denver on Sunday, Micah Parson's done for the year with
that torn ACL. Broncos beat the Packers in that contest. Now,
Green Bay's got a short week against your Bears, who
looked pretty healthy and feeding against the down trodden Brown squad.
But when you look at the Parsons absence, what it
(16:27):
did for the Broncos and bo Nicks, and what it
could mean in Week sixteen, Yeah, the Packers are in
quite a spot.
Speaker 4 (16:33):
Yeah, all of a sudden, the road opened up a
little bit. We've talked about Super Bowl odds. You've got
your Seahawks, Dan and the Rams still atop the NFC.
But the Packers, now that just becomes this giant question
mark next to what the ceiling can be. As good
as Jordan Love has been in spots and he's getting
all his receivers back they seem to avoid while you
(16:56):
lose Parsons on the offensive side.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
They avoided the big hit because it's.
Speaker 4 (17:00):
Looked like maybe there was something more significant for Christian Watson.
It's not the case, but either way, you've got your
full compliment of receivers there, and it looked like Jacobs
is running well. Right, it's still moving well. They catch
in the back of the end zone was fantastic. But
for Denver it's become interesting because bo Nick suddenly you
look over the last couple of weeks, one of your
(17:22):
leaders in the clubhouse at the quarterback position, for some
of his efforts and the ability to spread the ball around.
And obviously the pass rush is not the same without
Parsons there, but over the course of the game, you've
been lighting it up, and you know, over these these
recent weeks it's become a little bit more consistent. I
(17:44):
would have thought they'd have more in the run game
and that Harvey would step up in Dobbin's apps absence,
but we haven't seen that.
Speaker 3 (17:51):
Necessarily. It's been more on the arm of.
Speaker 4 (17:53):
Nicks and the defense hasn't been as nails, So we
thought they've been great situationally, but they've had to get
into higher scoring games. Go back to that Giants game
and a few others in between getting to this game
in week fifteen. I mean, this far exceeded the point
total I think anybody anticipated, right, Yeah, we talk about expectations.
(18:17):
This was not one that we thought would be playing
into the thirties.
Speaker 1 (18:20):
No, we also thought that Josh Jacobs was going to
be limited with his knee injury. And while I guess
maybe in a way he was because he only had
twelve carries, it didn't look like he was limited and
making that catch in the end zone or running away
from Broncos defenders. And if he didn't have this sore
knee issue, I would think, Wow, this is really an
(18:43):
opportunity for an uptick for him on the defensive, you know,
with a Parsons injury, Like if your defense now is
going to need some help from the offense, then it
really benefits someone like Josh Jacobs. But I'm not even
sure if that's the case. You mentioned Watson's injury with
what's going on with the passing game, and now you
got a short week week of about the schedule the
(19:05):
whole time. I mean you have a short week on
a team that you played two weeks ago. Yeah, like
like like this is this is crazy and this is absurd.
But it's like why why are we scheduling like this?
But how crazy is it that this Packers team is
now so completely different than the one that the Bears,
you know, saw fourteen days or thirteen days before they
(19:28):
play again. It's just crazy?
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Yeah, Packers that early look, they were still one and
a half point favorites on the road and this one
forty six and a half to total.
Speaker 3 (19:37):
It'll obviously be cold.
Speaker 4 (19:39):
Night game, big prime time kind of extravaganza. But you know,
for the Bears, this last week is the outlier in
terms of team's ability to move the ball. Cleveland was
just terrible in every way, shape and form. The one
thing I will give Shadoor Sanders credit, which I it
(20:00):
got glossed over for folks that didn't see the game
of having a touchdown pass literally ripped from a guy's gut.
You don't see that every day, and he handled it
brilliantly in the postgame pressers, So give him absolute credit
for that. But outside of I mean, that was the throw.
The rest of the day scattershot and the Bears defense
(20:21):
held serve they'll eventually get fully healthy. They got some
more reinforcements to the back seven coming. But for the
week ahead, for Jordan Love and company, assuming Jacobs can move,
I mean they move the ball. They give up twenty
six points a game for a reason. It's just a
matter of are you going to give them the turnover?
Speaker 1 (20:39):
Right?
Speaker 4 (20:39):
Another three from Sanders takes them to thirty for the year,
which is just absurd and obscene and things we don't
see with that regularity. But for the Packers, I got
to assume the offense can still churn now defensively, if
Caleb Williams gets to sit back a little bit, you know,
the arm strength is there. DJ Moore back into into
(21:02):
prominence this week.
Speaker 3 (21:03):
They're hopeful.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
Roma Dunes say he was cleared and then he wasn't.
You were with us Sunday morning, Dan, that was kind
of interesting.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Hey he's cleared. Next half hour, No he's not.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
Okay, it's active, Yeah, yeah, it was gonna be. Yeah,
good to go, let's roll with Rome. That didn't happen.
Speaker 4 (21:21):
Yeah, and Burns banged up a little bit. But Colston
Lovelin's been one of the most consistent tight end options. Actually,
the Bears leading receivers since I think it's week six,
so they'll move the ball.
Speaker 3 (21:31):
This one is interesting.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
Forty six and a half is what two or three
points higher than when they met just two weeks ago. Well,
I hate the Sandwich games more than like I can
complain about a lot of the scheduling stuff. I hate this,
particularly at the end of the season where you're not
nearly to where that all twenty two started.
Speaker 1 (21:52):
Yes, yeah, Tampa and Carolina playing for the first time
in Week sixteen as well a weird matchup. The craziest
part about it is the Packers and Bears will play
on Saturday, and it's not even the best matchup that
has already taken place that week. Like the Rams, Seahawks
has so many ramifications now fantasy wise, I don't know
(22:17):
on how things are going to translate. Considering the last
time these two teams played, Seattle had their way with
it statistically except in the turnover department where Sam Darnold
turned it over four times. But you've got a Rams
team coming in again with the DeVante Adams injury that
we mentioned earlier, but their running game, I mean Karen
Williams is getting some blake, Quorum's getting into the end zone.
(22:40):
Pooka had a big game. The tight ends have been
so much part of the conversation over the last couple
of weeks, whether it be Kolby Parkinson or even the
rookie Terrence Ferguson. But there's a lot of options for
the Rams. But the Seahawks did kind of put them
in place. And the Seahawks have an injury of their
own with their love tackle Charles cross So, and we
know what happens, and Sam Donald gets pressure. But it
(23:01):
should be a dandy on Thursday.
Speaker 4 (23:03):
Night, forty four and a half the total rams and
narrow one and a half point favorite. If we're going
to talk about this game, we have to hit the
rewind button to what you saw. Dan, You're a broadcast professional.
I've known you a very long time. How many times
do they have to dump you? Watching that GameZone Rang.
Speaker 1 (23:22):
You felt on an island because everybody was cheering for
Philip Rivers. I wanted to cheer for Philip Rivers. I
just couldn't not in those instances. And to see the
Seahawks stall, to be able to not cash in, and
I give the Colts a lot of credit. Give the
Colts defense a lot of credit.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, fifty rushing yards, yeah wow.
Speaker 1 (23:41):
Yeah. The Seahawks have really do have an issue with
the with the running game. It's it's almost just there
to do it. Like when Zach Charbonnay is just running
in straight into a pile and getting five yards maximum
because he had a long of eight. Like, they're just
they're just doing it to do it. They're not doing
(24:02):
it because it helps them. They're doing it to do it.
But you know, they get out of there with a
win and JSN with a couple of big plays. Nobody
got into the end zone because of the six field goals.
But you'd have to think that that changes on Thursday night.
And yeah, I don't expect at one point this season, guys,
I thought you were going to see, Okay, here's Kenneth
(24:23):
Walker's opportunity. That was about two or three games ago,
and now that just hasn't happened. They haven't been able
to really ever get it going. I don't know why.
I know that there's the theory on they passed to
kind of set up the run, but again, it's just
there's no point in the running game so Scharbona and
(24:44):
Kenneth Walker had stinkers against the Colts in a game
that they probably really could have used those guys to
break out, but it just didn't happen. And I think
it's going to happen for them.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
I just don't get why they don't try something else,
because it's not anything new them having issues in the
run game. And everyone can see, and we've talked about
this plenty just how much more explosive Kenneth Walker is
than Zach Scharbiney. And this isn't just me talking as
a Kenneth Walker owner. It just really feels like it's
a momentum killer when you take one of these guys
out to give the other their snaps just for the
(25:14):
sake of giving them their snaps, like, try to actually
put the best product on the field.
Speaker 1 (25:19):
I don't know how you can get into a rhythm,
and I don't know if they want to get into
a rhythm with the running game. That's the crazy thing,
because they're so dependent on Donald in the passing game.
And yeah, it's just it's very, very frustrating for fantasy
owners and there's really no reason, like we're hoping for
a breakout for Justin Jefferson. There's nothing there to make
(25:43):
you think that Kenneth Walker is going to break out,
except when you see him. He does have the talent.
There's just not going to be the opportunities. There's not
going to be the three touchdown game that he had
against the Lions a couple of years ago. The game
has had a couple of them in his career in
those days just are over in Seattle.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
Yeah, because you know in the red zone you've got
all the threat of passing. But obviously Charbone has been
coming into Vulture that when those opportunities present. For Week
sixteen Fantasy Pros, early results both are you're looking at
flex plays only in the thirties and late thirties for Charbone.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Yeah, there's he doesn't get enough of an opportunity. And
I mean he's not even he's not even active in
the passing game either. It's just there to to run
and run. He literally is.
Speaker 5 (26:32):
He just is there to take carries away from Kenneth Walker.
He's like it just feels like Charbone's only role there
is to just stop Kenneth Walker from getting momentum.
Speaker 3 (26:41):
Oh not so fast, buddy. That's that's Sharmon.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
There's just yeah, there's not a lot. There's not a
lot of value. There's really and outside of now Jason
Myers in the great da that he that he had,
But I mean, you're not playing anybody. You're not playing
Rashid Shaheed, who's got involved into the offense a little
bit more. You could see an effort for them and
trying to get him the foot ball. Cooper Cup had
a better game against the Colts than he's had in
the past, but it's still it's just basically, does Jackson
(27:06):
Smith and Jigbub have a huge game and does he
get you into the end zone? And that's where sam
Donold's value is going to be as well.
Speaker 4 (27:13):
Yeah, we look over the last couple of weeks, the
tight end position being the cesspool that it is, you
at least have some opportunity from Barner.
Speaker 3 (27:21):
Yeah, what it amounts to that's a whole other thing.
Speaker 4 (27:25):
Right, we haven't seen a touchdown since what week five,
But when you're talking about getting four to six or
targets are more, you're at least invested a bit as
opposed to most teams where it's a roll of the
dice as to which of their three tight ends actually
get deployed in a given week.
Speaker 1 (27:43):
What about Philip rivers performance, What was your takeaway, Mike
from that?
Speaker 4 (27:48):
Well, I was shocked that they didn't conjure up some
blitzes to just beat the hell out of him, which is.
Speaker 3 (27:55):
One the moon balls.
Speaker 4 (27:59):
Like, he wasn't a guy with the greatest of arms
in those final throws in Indianapolis before. Right, that's five
years ago, so it's not like he's gonna suddenly come
out and have a cannon for an arm. But in
the end, he did what they asked him to do, right,
it's make plays. He was thirty yards under is over
undertotal that we talked about on Friday that you know,
(28:25):
crime me a river Parlay failed miserably, but he gave
him the best position they and they did. The Colts
actually did what I thought the Seahawks would do in
that while Jonathan Taylor wasn't running him up, they ground
down the clock. Right, twenty five carries eighty seven yards.
That's a lot of time of possession, so you make
(28:48):
you shorten the game and keep your team in it.
And for Philip Rivers, yeah, I mean there's no zip now. Fortunately,
this next week, He's got San Francisco, they've got no
pass rush, so there's actually I don't know what they
can scheme up. But we saw Aaron Rodgers on Monday night,
right the bookend game against Miami. His average area yards
(29:10):
except for maybe like three throws, had to be about
two yards. A lot of quick screen passes, good blocks
on the edges by the wide outs and tight ends
to get out there, and a lot of yak. Like
at one point Friarmuth had three catches and I think
it was thirty five yards of his forty five were yak.
That's how short the pass game was. So if they
can scheme something up like that, then then maybe you
(29:32):
can make a little Hey, but are you starting any
of these guys? Hell no, even Tyler Warrens a giant
question mark.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Yeah yeah, I mean you're of the receivers. This is
the crazy thing about it. If Josh Downs recognizes the
play in the pass from Philip Rivers, he ends up
having a two score game. There was the one where
he looked back and didn't realize that the football was
already thrown. That is that's the veteran Philip Rivers like
(30:03):
he knew where to put the football and Downs wasn't
ready for it because no quarterback had thrown him the
football at that point. And I think that that's not
a whose fault was it, But if there was fault
to be given, it was probably Downs to not be
ready for the football as he kind of gave the hey,
throw it up for me, and the ball was already released,
it was already in the air. He could add a
(30:24):
two touchdown day and the Colts maybe end up winning
that game. I think it's going to get better in
Week sixteen on that Monday night game. I don't I'm
right there with you that I wouldn't play any of
those other guys. But if you are in a tight
end situation and you have Tyler Warren, like there could
be a spot where Tyler Warren throws a touchdown, you know,
like just to try to do something different and try
(30:47):
to figure it out. You're indoors, you're not dealing with it,
and just a completely different defense that you're now facing
as opposed to what Seattle had in San Francisco. They
just started the personnel that Seattle has and there's no
Fred Warner and no Nick Bosa, so you don't have
to worry about those guys. But I do think that
there's going to be an uptick for the Colts, but
not enough to warrant playing a guy unless you absolutely
(31:10):
have to in Tyler Warren, like you're not saying, well,
I'm loading up Alec Peers in this one. Yeah, that's
just not what you're doing.
Speaker 4 (31:15):
Well, especially since he feasts on balls eighteen to twenty
five yards down here. That anyway, I look, it's better
than Dylan Gabriel, but it's but it's not exactly a
running gun situation like I always talk about. And I
love it in all these sports. The longer that we
can get these guys hanging around or coming back or whatever.
(31:37):
And Phillip's speech after the game was fantastic, you know,
talking about fear and battling and and you know adversity
and challenges and all, which is which is great, right,
we need we need some positivity.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
But you know, is it perfect?
Speaker 4 (31:53):
Like the folks that wanted to kill it, it's like,
all right, you get someone.
Speaker 3 (31:57):
To give you a hug.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
Yeah, right.
Speaker 4 (31:59):
If this is something that really infuriates you, look around
the league. Look at how desperate teams get when their
starter goes down. Quarterbacks is very, very very rare commodity.
And you know, saying well they should have just grabbed
someone off a practice squad. It's like, did they know
Shane Steichen his terminology and how this works. Like you
(32:20):
mentioned that, you know communication issue and you know that
comes with timing and that comes with a few more practices.
But there's a lot of young quarterbacks that aren't making
that throw right. There's a lot of a lot of
the instincts and everything that you know, the mind doesn't
go from you. It's just a matter of can you
get the body to do it a few times and
(32:41):
with some more reps to your point, an opportunity against
the forty nine ers. But you know that in our
in our business, like I known, if it bleeds, it
leads in negativity cells. But this was outside of you know,
if you're a Seahawks fan, this this is this was
great for the league and positivity. I had people that
haven't watched football in years that were like, I gotta
(33:03):
see this.
Speaker 3 (33:04):
It made me ugly. I may I don't know.
Speaker 4 (33:07):
I even put up the graphic, which do we see
more Duke stop this fight or the kids yell and
stop stop. He's already dead from the Simpsons. Instead, we
got none of that, and we actually had him in
a position where he could have won a game.
Speaker 3 (33:19):
So look, it's Christmas time for crying out loud. It's
what a Hallmark story's all about.
Speaker 1 (33:26):
Yeah, almost at fairy Tale ending, it's just a little
bit too much time left on the clock. It's kind
of our look at Week fifteen. There'll be more Philip
Rivers conversation as well, coming up later on in the week.
At the end of the week, Michael Levs rankings, and
of course we have our midweek episode. But coming up
next it's report card time. How do we do? And
plus if you are in the playoffs and still alive, congratulations.
(33:49):
Who are the guys you need to pick up for
week sixteen? We'll tell you next tier on. I want
your flex all right, Mike Scott is waiver Wire. We'll
get to that at the end, but it's report card time.
Start with Ian how would we do that? Mike? Our
executive producer, Ian Roddy at Ian Roddy underscore, how did
the streaming defense has worked? For Week fifteen?
Speaker 5 (34:08):
A mixed bag this week, guys, I guess let's start
with the worst The worst of the three was the
Niners San Francisco forty nine ers defense zero fantasy points,
so was straight up goose egg for you. I'm glad
they didn't lose you any points, but they allowed twenty
four points on the day, zero sacks and zero turnovers
on cam Ward.
Speaker 1 (34:25):
So who would have thunk it? I Tony Pollard over
one hundreds like co would have like, what are we doing?
Speaker 5 (34:31):
Yeah, just a real you know. Credits to the Titans though,
and credit to cam Ward because I did. I did
preface the Niners defense there by saying that cam Ward,
I do think there's talent there and he's been improving
steadily over the year. I didn't think it was going
to be, you know, one of his first games where
he literally just didn't have a turnover or have a
sack at all, but credit to him. Next, the Dallas
(34:52):
Cowboys only got you one fantasy point on the week,
so another just just negative out in there. They allowed
thirty four points on the day, but they did salvage
you with an interception, so if not for that, it
would have been negative against JJ McCarthy and the Vikings
there just again did not see that performance coming from
their opponent, but hey, credit to the Vikings, credit to
(35:13):
JJ McCarthy. But the best one was the Bears by far.
They got you eighteen fantasy points if you'd listen to
me on that one. Only allowed three points on the
day to shade her Sanders. They picked them off three times,
sacked them five times. So just a real dominant outing
for the Chicago Chicago Bears defense. And then, if you remember,
I did suggest one more if it was out there,
(35:33):
the Jaguars defense playing against the Jets. They also picked
off Brady Cook, the undrafted rookie, three times. I think
they finished with eleven Fantasy points on the day. So again,
probably wouldn't have been out there in your league, but
if you did manage to scoop them up, they got
you a solid outing.
Speaker 1 (35:47):
Yeah. I ended up working out forty on that end.
And yeah, sometimes the forty nine ers one is shocking,
Like I know that the personnel isn't there, but maybe
the Titans are just getting better or maybe making you
know how growth. We'll find out this. Mike alluded to
their matchup with the Chiefs coming up in week sixteen.
All right, my report card, don't worry Ian, it couldn't
(36:08):
get worse than my points of Palooza. I gave you
Ravens Bengals, and the Bengals were skunked, so twenty four
points total. Nobody got in the end zone obviously for Cincinnati.
So that was an awful pick, especially considering the amount
of points we saw in other games. You mentioned Jacksonville.
They put up forty eight in that record ceter. We
know what happened with the Bills and Patriots in their
(36:29):
contest Hecta, Texans put up forty in that game. Like
it was just points everywhere except in the Points of Palooza.
The good news is I did hit on these survivors,
nothing out of the ordinary. It was a forty nine
ers in Bears pick. But the reason I thought that
those teams were available were because maybe people weren't believing
in the Bears during their mid season streak, and maybe
(36:51):
it wasn't just a streak. Maybe it's just they're that good.
We'll find out over these next couple of weeks. But
the Bears beating the Browns and the Niners beating the
Titans were easy picks, but at least they were w's
and better than my points of Palooza. Mike, how did
you fare in your report card?
Speaker 3 (37:06):
All right, let's go.
Speaker 4 (37:06):
We talked about already number two on the quarterback list
with Joe Burrow. He finished twenty seventh. How he was lower?
Speaker 3 (37:14):
I don't know the.
Speaker 4 (37:16):
Other five for the quarterback position, they all finished thirteenth
or better. Josh Allen I had him third, He finished
sixth with hot plays, Trevor Lawrence far and away obviously.
Speaker 3 (37:26):
CJ. Stroud was eighth. Very good.
Speaker 4 (37:30):
Sam Darnold killed me at twenty six. Sorry sorry, Dan,
I must have jinxed him.
Speaker 1 (37:37):
Just do it this week, that's all.
Speaker 3 (37:38):
I'll do it again.
Speaker 4 (37:40):
Brissette twelfth, which cool bo Nicks was a cold sore
so he killed me. Mahomes cold sore and Dak twenty
two and twenty three respectively, So all good there. And
JJ McCarthy was a ninja, so victory's there.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
Two.
Speaker 4 (37:55):
I ended up with a decent fantasy night when it
was all said and done, so he was on the
ninja list even if it was ugly. And I don't
know if you guys knew this, the over under was
forty two and a half. And yeah, so that second
touchdown to Waller where suddenly they were playing with some
urgency actually had consequence.
Speaker 3 (38:14):
Running forty three, didn't it? Yeah?
Speaker 5 (38:16):
And then at forty three exactly, wow, yeah, crazy.
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Well, Troy Aikman was stunned by it. He could not
stop talking about it. He goes, why, he goes, this
is one of the most puzzling endings I've ever seen
in the NFL, because this team was huddling up, taking
forever on the play clock. Now they're calling timeouts and
trying to run a hurry up defense, their hurry up
offense when there's two minutes left. He called it out
(38:42):
for how strange it was from the Dolphins.
Speaker 4 (38:44):
Yeah. And then Mike McDaniel got in front of the
podium and we've talked about our love of that guy.
There were a couple of answers that have now been
clipped off on the Internet that will live forever because
I don't I defy you to figure out what the
hell he's actually trying to tell you as he's answering
questions about down distance, et cetera. All right, going to
the running back position real quick. McCaffrey finished as an
(39:07):
RB one. Eh Chan was non existent for much of
the game. Gibbs finished thirty first who referenced it in
the first segment of the on again, Off again, so
that screwge a Etn finished second, so we'll take that,
and then Derrek Henry had one hundred yards. Problem is
he didn't do anything else, so you got your ten
points and that's it. So if it gives him a
(39:28):
twenty fifth place finish. Hot Plays Barkley hits, Chase Brown, middling,
Rodriguez ended up being a late scratch, and then the
Cold soars Well, James Cook maybe look like an idiot, thanks,
Buddy Taylor was nineteenth, bris All forty fourth, so wins there.
Woody Marx were still waiting to make sure he gets
(39:48):
his six points off of the designed tri curation.
Speaker 1 (39:53):
Mike did finally show we're going to tie it into
it on our next episode later in the week, but
there was controversy and it did ultimately end up cashing.
Speaker 4 (40:04):
In Boom okay. Tracey finished his top five. He was
on the Ninja list, and then Judkins didn't show up.
Wide Receivers Real Quick. Four of the top five finished
top seven, including i'man Ross Saint Brown as the number one.
The Hot plays failed me miserably, except for Jameson Williams,
who's been fantastic, and then the cold Sores they all sucked,
(40:26):
So I win there. Mconkey, DeVante Smith, and Stefan Diggs.
Speaker 3 (40:30):
I mean, I love them, but they were terrible this week.
Speaker 4 (40:33):
And then all three of the Ninjas were middling at
best when you talk about Wan Dale, Zay Flowers, and
Jacoby Myers. So I will take one last victory lap
because George Pickens was invisible three for three out of
six for thirty three yards.
Speaker 1 (40:48):
Yeah, that was a tough one to watch as well.
For those that have George Pickens, we'll see if he
bounces back. It's been an on and off again Teeter
Totters sometimes with he and Cebee Lamb, but they've got
the Chargers coming to down on Sunday and early kickoff
as well. I like Dallas at one o'clock eastern, just
like I liked seeing the Chiefs and Chargers playing a
(41:08):
big game at Arrowhead that isn't under the lights or
later on in the day like that sun shines there
like no other place like it truly does. That's when
when the sun is shining at Arrowhead, for whatever reason,
it just looks different than everywhere else and it actually
puts me in a good mood, like it really does.
And so seeing them play that game, I know the
(41:29):
Chiefs fans weren't happy with the outcome and obviously with
the loss of Patrick Mahomes, but they need to play
more one o'clock Eastern time games because they just play
too many in the primetime spots because they're in their
in their dynasty or maybe that's coming to an end
now and we'll see more of it. But I loved
seeing it in the week fifteen.
Speaker 4 (41:45):
Well in Dallas, what do you think it's worth to
the over under on receiving totals for guys losing balls
in light?
Speaker 1 (41:55):
Clocks have changed, you know, so and now it's a one.
As you said, they were not they're not used to
this kickoff time necessarily. Yeah, we'll have to see if
it's coming down and around that time. Nice. The design
of that stadium still and Jerry refusing to put up
any curtains or shade just ridiculous using it as an
advantage like his team can play through it. You're never there,
(42:17):
you're not playing in the stadium or practicing. All right,
that's for another day, Mike, who your waiver wire pickups
four week sixteen.
Speaker 4 (42:24):
Well, we talk about that Kansas City Tennessee matchup. Tennessee's
playing better, so you know you hang a star on up.
But Gardner Minshew gets to go back and try to
charm America one more time. You look at Tennessee still
giving up twenty one or more fantasy points five six
weeks in a row at this point, so you have
an opportunity.
Speaker 3 (42:42):
Tyler.
Speaker 4 (42:42):
Shuck's been fantastic. He also makes plays with his legs.
He's got the Jets. They fired their defensive coordinator. Maybe
they rally around. I don't think so. Ian's just shaking
his head, no, staring me down Dan as I say that.
But Shuck's been fantastic. We talked about him a bunch.
Bryce Young going up against Tampa Bay. We've watched that
secondary struggle Carolina with a huge fail. You know, you
(43:07):
have the penalty that puts them in field goal positions.
So New Orleans is able to finish that win, but
still battling in the South, so a big deal. As
you said, Sandwich games here six weeks sixteen and eighteen,
stupid but fun for us as football fans. How about
Captain Kirk going against Arizona's defense as well, So maybe
a little bit of love there.
Speaker 3 (43:27):
As we look at.
Speaker 4 (43:28):
The quarterbacks wide running backs, real quick estimate, looks like
he might get some run there. In New Orleans, Michael
Carter is the guy. Our guy Znovan also known as
Bam Knight left with an injury. Carter's been pretty good
in that number two spot and when he's had to
step up. Also active in the passing game. So you
get a little bit of love there as well. And
(43:51):
then Sean Tucker going back to that Tampa game. Even
as much as we've seen Bucky Irving, we've got Tucker
with the goal line potential. Do you trust a vulture
in a playoff scenario? No, but in a dollar league
I might go down that road. So you look at
a little bit of love. Wide receivers Matthew Golden with
(44:12):
the potential that you know Christian Watson's unavailable, might be
worth a look see there. Jaden Reed also still available
in a lot of leagues. Ad Ni Mitchell, he's active
and we want we watched with Brady Cook. He's not
going to be shy about throwing the ball around. And
we'll we'll presume that they're giving up some points to
shuck in company, So maybe maybe we get a little
(44:35):
bit of scoring in that one. It's only forty and
a half. I'll take the over, so a little bit
of love there, and I think, you know, when we
get down to the rest of the list, we talk
about Loveland, we could talk about some of those other
tight ends like we did with Barner a little bit earlier,
as you're trying to go down and find some love.
Parkinson has been a bigger part of the Rams offense. Now.
(44:57):
They've done a lot with having three tight ends out
there as blockers to help that run game get started.
But maybe some opportunity and then Gadsden has been dropped
in a lot of leagues because, you know, production he
had that four week span where he was dominant and
that's come off, and obviously Herbert's hand is compromised. But
here's an opportunity against you know, our old friend the
(45:19):
Dallas defense.
Speaker 1 (45:21):
There they are are waiver wire pickups four week sixteen,
and just to look at ahead and how things lay
out in week fifteen. In the late window that I
do with Kerry Rhodes on Fox Sports Radio, we had
Packers Broncos, we had Seahawks going up against Philip Rivers
and the Colts, and we had that Lions Rams game.
In fact, Kevin Burkhart and Tom Brady are calling Lions
(45:43):
Rams and Jim Nansen Tony Romo are calling Packers Broncos.
So very rarely do you have the top teams going
head to head against each other in that same window.
But that's what we ended up having on Sunday in
Week sixteen. Boys at a different different story. My goodness,
(46:07):
Raiders Texans is one twenty five Eastern Pittsburgh Detroit is
your marquee game. The best game of the window is
gonna be a one oh five kickoff. That's Jacksonville at Denver.
Then you have the Falcons and Cardinals. Yeah, that's gonna
be a bit of a rough go. That's why Thursday
and Saturday are so good for the fantasy week.
Speaker 3 (46:25):
Well, we get to celebrate Jacoby Brissett some more.
Speaker 4 (46:27):
And how many times can they tell you how great
the Houston defense is and CJ. Stroud Nico Collins Right, well,
it'll be a love fest for them.
Speaker 1 (46:36):
Yeah, turn off the TV, listen to us. That's that's
m right. Yes.
Speaker 3 (46:39):
On the iHeartRadio app wherever you go.
Speaker 1 (46:41):
Man. We always think you guys for listening to us
every single week, even Matt, who I told to play
Christian Watson instead of Jay Flowers this past weekend, I said,
Zay's never getting into the end zone touchdown Ravens Jay Flowers.
That's the story of my life. Hopefully we can bounce
back better in week sixteen. Sonna be back with a
MIDWEK episode and then Mike cloves rankings at the end
(47:02):
of the week so far, Mike Carmen and Ian Roddy,
I'm Dan Byer. We hope you stayed alive in the
postseason and we'll talk to you next time here. And
I want your flex
Host
Mike Harmon
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