December 23, 2025 • 42 mins
Patrick Claybon, Marcas Grant, and Adam Rank recap the 49ers win over the Colts on Monday Night Football and discuss George Kittle, Jonathan Taylor, and Philip Rivers’ performances.
Then they talk “Real or Mirage,” Adam Rank shares his waiver wire pickups for the week, and the guys play fantasy secret Santa.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
Today, it's a Fantasy Line edition of the Fantasy Football Podcast.
Don Patrick Claybohn. I'll be joined by Marcus Grant and
Adam Rank. Coming up today, we recap a massive night
for all your forty nine ers on Monday Night. Football
Plus Adam Rank opens up the Waiver Wire Hot Sauce
and Marcus Grant separates the reality from mirage and we
hand out the hardware from Waiver Wire pickup of the Year.
That's all today on the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, Eyyan,
(00:33):
Welcome to NFL fantist Patrick Clay out here with Adam
Rank and Marcus Grant here kickoff Week seventeen of the
fantasy football season. Congratulations to all of you who made
it to a fantasy championship. Also, happy birthday to Jim
Harbaugh and oh Algie Crumpler. Two days to an even
bigger day. That's when people are gonna have to make
some weird starts to try to win that championship, right.
(00:54):
No love for Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. No, it's
Dave Murray.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Sorry, I got of Iron Maiden. Thanks catching the straight
one there, No I like No, Dan's to the guitarist,
not Steve Harris the bassist my bad. I'm gonna hear
him now.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
It's an easy mistake to make. I do it all
the time with two people that I've never heard of
until now.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Well, you know, speaking of making weird starts, the Indianapolis
Colts have had to make a weird start for a
couple of weeks now and going to pill Rivers playing
on Monday Night football last night.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
But he was not the star Marcus.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
He was not Christian McCaffrey, not a weird start at all.
One hundred and forty six scrimmage yards, six catches, a
pair of touchdowns gave you nearly thirty three fantasy points.
He continues to be the top scorer in all of
fantasy football, about thirty five points ahead of Josh Allen.
Had his third thirty point game of the season last night.
He scored a touchdown in eleven of fifteen games. I
could keep going on with the superlatives on pace for
(01:49):
four hundred and twenty one touches. They have built the
whole plane out of him at times there with the
forty nine ers offense. And for all the consternation about
where to pick Christian McCaffrey, he's been great for you,
and now all of a sudden, he's back in the
conversation for probably being a top three pick next year
in fantasy drafts.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, he helped get me to my finals in my
league of record. I don't know if I can play
him this week against the Bears. I will, though I
probably will not be starting. He scored over thirty Fantasy
points on Monday Night, close to three hundred passing yards
five touchdown passes. He's really the guy who makes this
offense really click. Some would say he's the Dave Murray
(02:26):
of this offense. But here's the thing. He's had the
most touchdown passes by a San Francisco forty nine Ers
quarterback since Joe Montana in Week six of nineteen ninety
and the forty nine Ers have had some really good
quarterbacks over the year, so it's quite an accomplishment by him.
He's at at least twenty six Fantasy points in back
to back games. Honestly, looking forward to this game on Sunday,
(02:47):
I expected to be high scoring between the forty nine
Ers and the Bears. Rock Purty is going to be
a solid start. See, I can be. I can be,
you know, magnanimous there. Yes, absolutely, It's the holiday season,
so why not.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
And that's how Rock Purty started game with a nice
ball to George Kittle, who had a tight end one
performance for Week sixteen started with an early touchdown catch.
He caught seven of his eight targets four hundred and
fifteen yards through the air, although there was one catch
he would have preferred not to have went down awkwardly
after a tackle from cam Byam tried to play after that.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
But it was just not the same.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
After the game, he said he didn't think it was
a high ankle spring and added he would take it
one day at a time, which I guess is something
we all do because of the linear nature of tom itself.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Speaking of linear nature of time itself, Philip Rivers really
I think exceeded expectations last night. Two hundred and seventy
seven passing yards a pair of touchdowns, did have the
interception late in the ball game, but certainly I think
nobody anticipated him being this productive, especially after what we
saw last week. Definitely helped that the Niners didn't get
much pressure on him in the first half.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Pretty much me and three guys from a bus.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Stop could have been just as effective as the front
four for San Francisco in the first two quarters. Biggest
surprise in he was how much Ale Pierce was involved
four catches eighty six yards, had both of the touchdowns.
Not expecting this the next couple of weeks. This week
they were against the Jaguars. Next week they got to
go take on the Houston Texans, So I would expect
Philip Rivers going to see a lot more defenders in
(04:13):
his face, and this old man hooping at the YMCA
act probably not going to play quite as well.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Now. Alec Pearce has really enjoyed Philip Rivers being the quarterback.
Jonathan Taylor maybe not as much. He has averaged just
fifteen Fantasy points per game with Rivers as opposed to
nearly twenty four when Daniel Jones was the starting quarterback.
We said this here on a yesterday's show, expect a
sort of a mild output from him because you know,
(04:38):
again the effectiveness with Philip Rivers are running a lot
of shotgun as you see right there, really is taken
away from their rushing attack. And you know what, he
did get into the end zone, which again we said yesterday,
if he gets into the end zone. He's gonna end
up saving your week a little bit, but still something
to note moving forward, especially when they got the Texans
on the horizon.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
And so congratulations to the forty nine who have an
inside track of the number one seed over there.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
In the NFC.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
But as they celebrate, let's see loss of celebrating here
on this victory Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
You guys have sent in your tweets.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
And we're going to celebrate right along with you. When
we start with this one coming in when everybody doubted
Kenneth Walker was a third I let him in and
he cooked, Yes.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
He did, cooking the rams. How did you get that
far with Kenneth Walker? That's impressive right there. That's usually
the kind of player that's like, nah my season ended when.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah, but in the great Tom Tyler had Puka CMC
and party helping him get over two hundred points.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
What would overkill their Marcus?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I mean, you probably just needed those three guys. You
probably could have just sat everybody else considering that's what
that's one hundred points right there just between the three
of them.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, So congratulations Style, hopefully you keep it going in
the finals. This one from Durell picking up the Saints
defense against the Jets.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Clever play. You know, that was something that Marcus and
I were talking about over the last couple of weeks.
We even said for people that were on a buy
were like the Saints or who you need to pick
up during that bye week paid off with the monster
performance against the Jets on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, a lot of people getting O lave a shuck
as well. Some are Trevor Lawrence over Dart good call there,
and gave old Bucky.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Look, Trevor Lewis has been on an absolute heater back
to back games with more than thirty points and he's
been over twenty and three of his last four. Jick
Gamewell really has taken over the backfield of Pittsburgh. Look,
Jayden Warren also had a really good game this past
week as well, So I guess it was kind of
a win win for Steelers running backs.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
For Andrew went with Ashton Genty over David Montgomery. That
was a good call. That's a lot of faith like that.
That was a really tough decision. I credit you for
making that call. I know it was a tough, but
it ultimately was obviously the right call. But Ashton Genty
against the Texans and he still went with her. You
deserve you deserve the accolades there. Yeah, true, because Drew.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Probably drafted Ashton Genty, probably stuck through a lot of
Raiders pain and the firing of Chip Kelly sitting.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
There like I'm going all in. I love David Montgomery,
but I'm going all in worth it.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
So congratulations to everybody who's playing in the finals. Worth
the finals in our Fantasy Live League, and it's two
former champions going head to head. And to be honest,
the folks carrying this program uphill both ways on their
backs as producer Alex Wilko was just in our ears
and researcher Karean Falcone. This is a look at their lineups.
Pretty good, let's go through. Obviously the litups were good.
(07:23):
They're playing in the championship. What do you think, Marcus
about a bounce back game for Trey McBride over on
kareean side in her Fantasy Dynasty.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Oh, I think it's it's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
In fact, I was the one who got hammered by
Kareein in the semi finals. You know, treman Briden was
like the one guy that didn't do much for her
this week. She had a fifty point lead on me
going into Monday night and then still had CMC, so.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
That was that was great.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Look.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Last week was the worst game of.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
The season fantasy wise for Trey McBride, and a week
where the Falcons sort of made it a point to
try to take him out of the offense. But man
an absolute dream matchup against the Bengals, who have been
bad against tight ends any way you slice it. So
they may have the best incentives to try to take
Trey McBride out of it, but want to and able
to are going to be two different things for the
(08:10):
Bengals against the Arizona.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
So rank overall Wilks the Baltimore Ravens, and wilk might
need Derick Henry. Well, the Ravens actually use him this week.
I hope they use them in the second half.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Let them go wild. You know, he's been really good.
He's ataly ten fantasy points and ten consecutive games, one
hundred plus scrimmage yards in six of the last eight.
And I know that the totals right there say that
the Packers are not great. I want Saturday night that
the Bears were seemingly running at will against this team.
I think that the Ravens come in committed to running
the football. This Packers team can be beat at the
(08:43):
line of scrimmage. Remember when they traded for Micah Parsons,
they got rid of Kenny Clark, who was one of
the cogs on their defensive line. So I would think that,
you know, as long as you remember that Derrick Henry
is on your team, and I don't know how you
forget such things, you really should go with it. I
will know too. There was some Wilkes got some injuries
on his his tight end position. If I was Korean,
(09:04):
I would go out start picking up tight ends. Start
picking up them tight ends like Aj Barner on the
way to Wark, Colson Lovelin on the waiver War. Go
pick him up, go at him, start playing a little
bit of defense.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Well, Korean, who seriously only makes appearances on the show
to hoist the trophy. Yeah, I don't know that she
needs any any necessarily advice.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
That's fair, just doing pretty good. Let's sak to the
folks who were the perfect lineup here on week sixteen. Congratulations.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
If we had Trevor Lawrence CMC, you know we had
a tweeter come in at multiple of these guys includes
Kukinnakua Chris o'lave going for thirty six, a perfect lineup
score of two to seventy four point two. So let's
game out the perfect lineup for next week and get
to the ones. Who is the QB one, right?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
You know, I believe that he was the quarterback won
last week, but I'm gonna stick with Matthew Stafford, who
has been on an absolute tear forty touchdown passes this season,
most in the NFL by eight by eight nine games
for the least twenty fantasy points this season, twenty five
fantasy points in four of his last five, including three
consecutive games, and the Atlanta Falcons have allowed the six
(10:09):
most fantasy points for games to quarterbacks since Week ten,
although Jacwon Brisker to not get them. Well, if you're
looking at another quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Who could be the QB one, it's Drake May who
Krean doesn't need my advice, but you know right now
she's debating, I'm sure between Jalen Hurts and Drake May.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Just Drake May the QB three overall.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Three top five weekly fintashes going against the Jets, who
are still looking for their first interception of the season.
We've also allowed a three hundred yard passering consecutive weeks.
I feel like it's going to beat may Day at
MetLife this week.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Let's go to the running backs, and I'll go Aftimore
because Kenff Gamwell has been hovered around that spot for
a few weeks.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
This season.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
The Browns have given up a ton of points the
running backs, and so as the moral successor to Brett
Farv maybe donates his record breaking sack to Miles Garrett.
They'll get the ball out of Rogers' hands after that
very quickly. A lot of that could be Kenny g
The Browns have allowed them most receiving yards per game
to running backs since Week nine, the most points to
running backs since Week nine as well.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
And if we're looking at running backs, why not go
with Saquon Barkley, who's out at least seventy fantasy points
in three consecutive games. Got back into the accident against
the Commanders this week, Monster game, and you know what
he's going up against the Buffalo Bills, a team that
has allowed eighteen rushing touchdowns or running backs this season.
That is the most in the NFL. Let's get a
(11:27):
lot out, Marcus. Let's go poking Akua because I mean,
why wouldn't you.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
He's been fantastic all year long, especially over the last
three weeks his last three games, thirty eight targets, twenty
eight catches, five hundred and seventy three yards, and four touchdowns,
averaging over thirty six fantasy points per game. Plus not
expecting to see Devonte Adams for the Rams for the
rest of the regular season as they let him rest
and heal up.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Going against the Falcons, who've been the sixth best.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Matchup for wide receivers over the last four weeks. Matthew
Stafford on a heater. Pukakua has been his favorite target.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
J Brown, who's been the overall wide receiver three since
Week twelve. He's got twenty one points per game ten
games this season with and or more targets. He's going
up against the Bills defense that he's had three straight
fourteen point games. And if you're like, well, that's history,
look at the Bill's secondary. It's a lot of familiar
faces from back in those games, so that's might be
indicative other than also indicating the d J Brown is
(12:21):
generally good at football. Coming up, Ashton Genti picked a
great time to have his second thirty plus point performance.
But was that fantasy jackpot just a desert mirage or
a sign of league winning end of the season play.
Marcus Grant helps us separate fact from fiction next on
Fantasy Live. Oh, it's what you saw, but can it
(12:45):
really be what you truly believe? It's time for real
or mirage with Marcus Grant here to tell us what
we should believe. In back to back games with touchdowns
for z Flowers after scoring nothing in that aspect for most.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Of the season, is this real or a mirage? I
think this is real? And the reason I wanted to
bring it up.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
I know it's Week seventeen about to start, but you know,
I think we just haven't.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Given Zay Flowers enough to do.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
We haven't given him his flowers enough this year because yes,
he had the big spike game in Week one, and
it hasn't really been big time production week after week,
but it's been a steady safe floor week in and
week out. There's a reason he's been hanging around that
top twelve all season long, and now we're seeing it really.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Kind of come together late in the year.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Double digit fantasy points in eight of his last nine
twenty or more and two of his last three touchdowns
have been the biggest reason why maybe we haven't been
quite as excited about day Flowers. But whether it has
been Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley, he is getting the
majority of the targets there and it's been a really
consistent producer, and that even if it's late in the season,
I feel like we should just acknowledge that.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, there was a late season explosion from rookie running
back Ashton gent Marcus, kind of like what we were
hoping for at the start of the season. Was that
real or was it a Las Vegas rest in peace
to the building formerly Nomura?
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Yeah, I think it's more of the ladder there. But
thist like Meek Mill, I used to pray for times
like this. That's why we drafted Ashton genty where we did.
Didn't think in a million years it was going to
happen against this Houston Texans defense.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
But this is the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
They still have one of the worst, maybe the worst
offensive line in the league. You wonder whether or not
maybe the Texans were looking ahead They've got the Chargers
this week, They've got the Colts the week after. I'm
definitely not ready to write Ashton Genty off in terms
of being an NFL player and a fantasy producer, but
this sort.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Of feels like a one off. I know, they've got
the Giants this week, but.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
When you dig into it a little bit, Big Blue
has actually been pretty good against running backs, especially for
the last four to six weeks.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
So this definitely feels.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Kind of like an outlier where like, look, we had
somebody who' said they stuck with Ashton genty Congratulations to
that person. I don't know that I'd recommend it for
the rest of the year, all right.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
So more nightmare than dream for Ashton Genty on that one.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Let's go to the desert where it was Elijah Higgins
and not Trey McBride as the Cardinals te one.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Can Jacoby support both of them? Is that real or Maron? Sadly,
that is a mirage.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Much like a lot of things, when you're wandering out
there in the desert, you know, you're just kind of
hanging around there in the Sonoran Valley, and you know,
things get a little bit heated and you start to
see things in front of your eyes, like Elijah Higgins
catching seven passes for ninety one yards. He had twenty
catches for one hundred and eighty two yards and all
other games combined. I mentioned that earlier Atlanta was very
(15:27):
determined to not let Trey McBride be the one that
beats them.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I would not overthink this.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
There's still a passing game that is going to primarily
go through McBride Michael Wilson. So in case you saw
that and got any ideas about maybe trying to slide
Elijah Higgins into a lineup, I will.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Tell you don't.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Well, there are some folks who need some quarterback help.
Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans blew out the Kansas
City Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
He was the QB twelve. Was that real or Maran?
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I think it's more on the real side of things.
And you know, I've could have been solely tracking this
Titans offen look. Admittedly it has not been super special
this year, but Kim will Ward last week had a
second best Fantasy total of the season, second time with
more than fifteen points in a game. And I think
the big difference is he's protecting the football better. Weeks
one through nine, five touchdown passes and six interceptions. Since
(16:16):
the Titans by in Week ten, nine total touchdowns, including
one on the ground, just one interception. So I do
think there's a future here and very curious, especially going forward,
what the Titans do to sort of build this offense
around him. But it does seem like they've got something
with the quarterback position. He just needs some help going forward.
I'm very curious to see what Tennessee does in the offseason.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
A big it means something to the folks in Nashville.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Cam Warden's performance was real courtesy of Marcus.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Grant real mirage. Here on NFL Fantasy Live, we got.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Some quarterback news coming in from NFL networking sider Tom Pellisero.
JJ McCarthy got some more imaging that showed a fracture
in his throwing hand. Kevin O'Connell said that he's out
Thursday against the line. And so if you're in a
deeper league where JJ McCarthy was involved, or you just
need general help on the waiver war, let's get some
waiver wire hot sauce without him, right, all right, thank
(17:10):
you so much, Patrick, Chunky b.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
It is the final Waiver Wire hot Sauce of the season.
Four flavor profiles. Three of them are good. One of
them is going to be bad because I'm in my
League of Record Championship finals. I'm against my friend Frank Heatlin,
and I can't give them all. I can't give them
all the secrets. You don't get all the recipes. That's
not the way this works. We start off with the
mild but flavorful and I want to talk about Taj Spears.
(17:35):
Why we don't talk about Taj Spears enough? If only
I had a microphone and access to the production homework videos.
Every how do we say that? Why do people do
we don't talk like we have the microphones. It's on us,
We're the onus of why we don't talk about these
players enough? But Taja Spears leads the team in reception
since week six. That is a long time. With cam
(17:57):
Ward playing as well as he's done, He's at least
ten touches and two out of his last three games,
the eighth most receiving yards by a running back since
week six? Why is he still available on the way
for Wire? Go out and get him right now here
we go to your big gonna come back. It's not
gonna come back, all right. Sorry, watch out for that
wall there. All right, let's get a little spicy. Let's
get spicy. Last week, Patrick Claybond said, go and pick
(18:19):
up Parker Washington and play him against the Denver Broncos.
You didn't listen. Now you start rolling up like, oh
we still have some of that Parker Wak. No, you don't.
You might not be able to get Parker. We might
be sold out of Parker Washington.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Now.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Part of it might have been the defensive matchups. Patrick's
retained was kind of shadowing Brian Thomas Junior there the
other day. But there's still gonna be opportunities for Parker
Washington in a great matchup against Indianapolis. He is the
wide receiver twenty three since Week nine, which makes him
solidly in the wide receiver two category. He has more
(18:51):
Fantasy points over that timeframe than Jamar Chase, Justin, Jefferson,
Devata Smith, Lad mccauckey seventh plus touches in ave of
his last eight games. So if you're sitting there hurting
for a wide receiver, why not Parker Washington. Nope, they're drifting,
They're drifting. Chucky bight. Three alarm, three alarm. We just
heard the words the news about JJ McCarthy. If you
(19:13):
are looking for a quarterback, Tyler Shuck is a player
that you should be considering. Over the last couple of weeks,
He's not only established himself is potentially the future quarterback
of the New Orleans Saints. He has been a reliable
fantasy option for you. I've been using him in a
super flex league where I'm going to the championship game.
He's had at least seventeen Fantasy points in four consecutive contents,
(19:35):
the fifth most rushing yards amongst quarterbacks since weeks. Well,
I see you put the backdown. Listen, you're making me
nervous with the bat over there. I'm like, I want
to get the information out, chucky be because this is
somebody that I actually really like. The Titans have been
very generous, supposed to go right here we go, Oh my,
go skip one here, I'll give you. I'll get hey,
get back there, get back there. I've given you too much. Run.
(19:58):
This is now just kidding. Let's gonna held the oblo eldabo.
It is gonna be raheem Sanders. Listen, there are some
injuries in the Cleveland Browns backfield. We don't want to
go back and look at that video, but we did
notice in the second half when they had an opportunity
to go to one of those two running back, Sanders
led the way with over fifty percent of the Snapchare
(20:18):
Williams had less than fifty percent, and we don't know
what's going to be going on with Dylan Samson too.
So this is an emergency break in case of break glass.
In case of emergency, the l Diablo Raheem Sanders. The
NFL Plus keep the NFL in reach.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Stream live local and prime time games on mobile during
the regular and postseason NFL Network, including one more exclusive
live game the season, live game audio, and more with
NFL Plus, bringium, get more football with NFL Red Zone
game replays and NFL Pro. Sign up today at plus
dot nfl dot com. Slash Network terms and conditions apply.
You can also use NFL Plus to get Nick gen stuts,
(20:54):
like our resource team does to fund the cardio King
of the Week, and in Week sixteen it's John Mitchi
the Third.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
He ran eleven yards around the Super Dome field and.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Got five targets from Brady to cook and turned all
of that running into one catch for four yards. Not
super helpful in fantasy football, but at least John, you
got your cardio in Matgie does not make our board
of the most you know, all fastidious cardio enthusiast, so
(21:23):
he sent us romodonsays two thousand yards running with zero
Fantasy points will make him the cardio king of the season.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
I don't think anybody's catching that. Seventeen. I had a
JML tess to Mary Dka and Exavier and Laguett with.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
That summon hand out our second Fantasy award of the season. Today,
we're giving out the fake hardware to the waiver Wire Pickup.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Of the Year.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
We've got a few nominees in here to make the
first nomination our very own Cynthia Friedla.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
My nominee for Fantasy Lives Waiver Wire Pickup of the
Year award is Harold fannin junior from the Cleveland Browns.
When I'm looking at his season and everything that he's done,
would anyone have imagined that the Browns would lead the
league in passing ours by a rookie, rushing ours by rookie,
and receptions by a rookie will it end that way
in Week eighteen?
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Who knows?
Speaker 4 (22:10):
However, Harold Finner, junior husband a very huge.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Part of what's going on for the Cleveland Browns. Why will?
Speaker 4 (22:17):
He has great chemistry with both of the rookies that
were playing. He sees the end zone and ultimately, this
is a guy who they're building on. And by the way,
he picked up right where he left off in college,
also in Snowy, Ohio and just keeps it going. So
I expect him to be a very high draft pick
next season.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
All right, our first nominee, thank you, Cynthia hero fan
of junior Marcus. Who would you like to nominate?
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Well, I'm gonna go with Darren Waller. We'll keep the
tight end theme going. It was literally a wallapalooza this
year for fantasy managers who took the chance. And I
will admit I didn't expect much out of Darren Waller
when he joined the Dolphins before the season, but was
a great streaming option at a really thin position despite
having played just a handful of games. Fifth among tight
ends in touchdown receptions, top twelve in PPR points per game,
(23:03):
and regardless of who the quarterback has been, I mean,
we saw Quinn viewers come in last week and immediately
Pepper eighty three with targets. He's a huge red zone
opportunity guy. So Darren Waller really helping folks out at
a position they really needed it.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Pick up Mike McDaniel's tight end next season, whomever that
might be. And also what about Jacobe Brissette, who's been
a top twelve quarterback in nine consecutive starts this season.
You know, when he replaced Kyler Murray, You're like, all right,
we'll give this a run, and then all of a sudden,
he became a player that you started weekend and week out.
(23:35):
Was he great this past week?
Speaker 5 (23:37):
He was not.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
He almost cost me in that League of Record semi final,
and thankfully my team was so good we made it through.
But I still loved Jacoby Presett.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yes, and why wouldn't you? What about a guy who
plays in the division with the Arizona Cardinals. It's a
guy who might be the twenty twenty five most valuable
player in the NFL, A guy who a lot of
people didn't start last week because of a bad matchup.
Maybe it was going to rain, no match. Stafford finishes
the QB one. He said nine games of twenty or
more Fantasy points in this season, the most among quarterbacks.
(24:07):
So that would be my nominee for waiver Wire pickup
of the season. So we posted those on social media
website Twitter dot com. The people have answered and the
winner for waiver wire pick Up of the Year is, Hey,
it's Matthew Stafford's not fair?
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Why is it so good? Okay? Yeah, that's why he
had to have been drafted.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Well, a lot of people did not draft him, and
so those people realize once they got.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Him, my way, guys, changing mind to CMC, then.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Okay, it available league, of course not we got the
load to play in that league.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Forere Matthew Stafford's going undrafted. Yeah, a lot of people did.
Which is the one? The Fantasy Rookie of the Year
is going to be up tomorrow. Vote Follow us.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
At NFL Fantasy on social media website. I'm Brady in
that one Twitter. Coming up, we're playing a game of
Fantasy White Elephant break out the eggnog and Santa Hats.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
We're gonna see.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Which flex starts that we've been able to gift each other.
That's coming up next on Fantasy Live. Back here on
NFL Fantasy Live. This week's set your lineups early four
days the Championship Action Christmas.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Day unwrapped all day football with.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
The NFL Holiday Games featuring the Cowboys and Commanders, then
the Lions and Vikings on Netflix, a primetime showdown on
Prime Video as le Broncos visit the Chiefs. Then on Saturday,
it's a doubleheader of NFL Action that starts right here
on NFL Network the Texans and Chargers at SOFI Stadium
live at four point thirty Eastern on NFL Network.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
And streaming on NFL Plus time for a holiday tradition.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Here on NFL Fantasy lof Fantasy White Elephant Marcus Renk
and I, as well as researcher Kendall Murski.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Over there on the other side of the studio. He's
really here. He's a person. I promise you, we're all
in the same place. We're all having a high thumb
person pass off as a real dude in exchange. Flex
starts in week seventeen.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
We're gonna, well, instead of me going over the rules,
why don't we put the rules up a graphical representation.
We all have one secret FLEX gift each one of
us will open the gifts one at a time. You
can either choose a new gift or steal one that
has already been open. And it's the most important.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Rule of White Elephant. Each gift can only be stolen twice.
Got it? So you get all the games? Yeah? I
got it all right? So Kendall, why don't you open
your gift? All right?
Speaker 5 (26:32):
I am excited because last year I feel like we
got a little spiteful with our gifts.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Okay, okay, this isn't too bad. I don't mind this.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
The matchup is a little top against Denver, but I
mean it's still Travis Kelce like sneakily this guy is
still tight end two on the year. I gotta imagine
with a backup quarterback, you're gonna go to the trusted
vet for your easy targets, easy completion.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
So I don't mind it.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
I'm still curious to see what the field is going
to open for their presence, and maybe I'll open the
door for a steal. But that all depends on how
spiteful we got.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
With our gifts. Yeah, I feel like our gifts are
in severe water. Can I say that that was mine?
I ought a good one listen. I was going to
say I was going to spoil somebody's Christmas gift, But
now nobody in my family is getting at Travis kelcey Jersey.
Oh but she doesn't watched it advance notice. Maybe maybe
(27:29):
he's the Christmas Day Show. Maybe I don't watch it
Christmas Eve, and guarantee all right, not watching, I will
not be stealing Travis kelce I may end up with
him through Hey, look at that. We got Michael Carter.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
And you're trying to sort out this running back situation
for the Arizona Cardinals and Michael Carter.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
I think a worthwhile start.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
There are, of course some options that I would side with,
but you know, the RB forty nine on the season
not necessarily indicative of what Michael Carter the opportunity is
for him right now. I know the Cardinals are throwing
the ball a lot. They didn't necessarily throw the ball well,
but we're in week seventeen, folks. You just gotta get
you gotta get somebody with some opportunity. I think Michael
(28:11):
Carter has a good one. I guess the Bengals defense
that has been generous.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
I shall say, you know, I low key sort of
want to steal it because it's against the Cincinnati Bengals.
But it's a dome team going on the road, and
I haven't paid attention to the weather report yet and
I can't move. I can't imagine it's gonna I'm gonna
roll that. I'm gonna, Oh, Michael Carter.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
I spent a lot of time, like going through the
discount shelves to get Michael Carter me, come on.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
I should have done it. Why did I not? Ja,
Corey Kraft? Thanks. This is where like there's always gotta
be one person that's like, yeah, this was This was
a fun gift from like six years ago. Somebody brought
a snuggie like I remember when those were popular. Similarly,
I remember when Big Bill was like the running back Douagure.
For the command, we had to go back to games
(28:59):
against the which was like in October to find video
the Chargers. This is how deep we have to go
into the well to find to Corey, you guys, I
don't know, like, don't do this in your own white
Elephant gift exchanges, he had like seventeen points two weeks.
What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Like that was my gift I provided Bill Merritt into
the circumstance and I'm over here getting blasted.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
So this has shent me this. Well, we'll see, Mark,
I'm open. Please gift for you, please, it's Kyle Munda
who that's a gift. You're welcome, You're welcome. I think,
thank you. Actually, I am grateful for.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
This, this gift of Kyle Manungai because look, even though
the Niners did a good job clamping down on Jonathan
Taylor on Monday night, they have not been particularly great
against the run. The front four tends to get pushed around. Uh,
so you know, we know the Bears have been running
the ball effectively. Also, you know I haven't checked the
actual report, but I know that the weather in the
Bay Area this weekend gonna be pretty nasty. Lot of
(30:02):
rain expected in the forecast. It might not be the
best conditions.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
And to throw the football around a whole lot.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
So no, I'm very pleased with mi Kyle manung guys.
So I'm thankful to the person who brought this all.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Right, Well, now, our Kendall, because you started this without
the steel opportunity you get a chance to steal, would
you like any of these fine football players?
Speaker 5 (30:23):
I am actually going to steal Michael Carter.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
It's funny. I was in this position last year.
Speaker 5 (30:28):
I was given a tight end Kyle Pitts last year
week that he was going to be playing with Michael
Pennix for his first time.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
It's very similar situation with Travis Kelcey this year.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
I want Michael Carter, better matchup, better situation going with
Michael Carter steel.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
All right, so he did have one bit of thievery.
Would you like to exchange Travis Kelcey for Bill Merritt? Yeah,
on on, it's time now for my five. Then today
I've got my five. Guys.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
We're disappointments in twenty twenty five that I expect to
go to bounce back for twenty twenty six. Let's get
started at number five with Bryce Hall. Yeah, it was
bad for him in New York this year.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
The overall usage, his snapshare, his touches pretty similar to
last season.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Two big differences.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Fewer touchdowns but touchdowns are a fickle beast, and fewer
targets that's more.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Of a coaching issue.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
Just fifty one targets he's on pace four this year
compared to seventy six last year ninety five and twenty
twenty three, he set to hit free agency, so either
the just pay him and figure out how to use him,
or somebody else probably will. At number four, it's Terry McLaurin,
who will probably end up as another cautionary tale about
wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Holdouts, but it's not really that simple.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Injuries prevented his Washington offense from looking as expected this year.
McLaurin and Jayden Daniels played just three games together all season.
A full healthy offseason for quarterback and wide receiver will
help make Terry scary again. At number three, it is
Lad McConkey. Now, early in the season, Justin Herbert was
exploring other options. Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston were getting involved
(32:03):
heavily early on, but since Week seven McConkie is back
to a twenty four percent target share. Plus you have
to ask will Keenan Allen be back in LA next year. McConkie,
either way, figures to be a big target hog for
Justin Herbert in twenty twenty six. At number two, it's
Lamar Jackson. Sunday's game was sort of Lamar's season in microcosm.
(32:24):
He was starting to look like himself, be productive, run
the football, then slowed down by another injury. Look at
this point, lamar rest up, get healthy for twenty twenty six,
and without a doubt, he will again be one of
the top three quarterbacks off the Fantasy board, and at
number one, it's Justin Jefferson.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Look for the Vikings. Step one, figure out your quarterback situation.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Step two, drop a few more Justin Jefferson type plays.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Step three. Profit. Jefferson is way too talented not to
be a.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Top fantasy wide receiver in the future. Even in a
down year, He's on track for one thousand yards. Now's
the question of get him back up to where we're
used to seeing it. Plus you're probably gonna draft this
count on him next year. And those are my five
bounced back players for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
And now it's Fantasy Updates with Patrick Claibon and Adam Rank.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Yes, Hey, everybody, welcome to Fantasy Update. I'm Patrick Claibon
and I'm Adam Rank, and we are borrowing a little
tradition from a fame to Lorden Michael's program. We have
written some fantasy news stories with a little bit of
extra fantasy mirth, and we're going to read them on
camera for the very first time. And Rick, I'm sure
we've been very.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Nice to each other. Oh, I'm sure of it. I
am absolutely sure. I'll leave off here. Believers in the
theory that paying running backs leads to a fall off
in production are reporting in as sad and sorry this
week now that James Cook is leading the NFL in rushing.
There are reports of gallons of deer beings filled My
(33:53):
people in the fetal position carawling, I'm sorry, James into
the condensation underneath their already sad and oddly flavored fermented
barley beverage. In their honor, I would like to issue
an apology on my own to the people of Ariesota.
Food is not only moone colliente, but it is exceedingly favorful.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
I'll throwing MacManus of you. Look at that holiday cheer
one to the people in Arizona. Why did I agree
to this.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Breaking news coming into the NFL Fantasy Live. It turns
out that Harold fannin junior was the tight end one
of this rookie class. After leading all college football in
receptions and yards as tight end for the first time
in the history of the game. He really came in,
He really came out of nowhere to shock dynasty managers
(34:48):
after having over fifteen hundred yards and ten touchdowns. Turns
out those numbers were real, much like the twenty twenty
championship of the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Dodgers.
Speaker 6 (35:02):
One day, I hope to support a winning team in
my hometown. I witnessed it.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
It was a full season, by the way, all right,
so full season will I will take my opportunity to
get to yours.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
The Jaguars won their six game in a row Sunday,
keeping their hopes alive for the number one seed in
the AFC. I know a lot of you think they
beat the Denver Broncos because of coach Liam Cohen, that
he's unlocked something inside of Trevor Lawrence. Sources tell us
the real reason that the Jacks won is because they
were disrespected by our NFL network analysts in their weekly picks.
(35:40):
I have it on good authority from a source whose
name rhymes with Maurice Stone's Crew that the jack Wars
planned home visiting some of those great Denver Craft brewies
until they became ultramotivated by our predictions.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
So while I would love to live, you love to.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Give Liam and Lawrence credit. Here it was all about
a Holmes predictions.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Finally, you understand they were going to mail it in.
Try extra hard? All right, why don't you go? Oh
it's me Uh. Fantasy researchers in Los Angeles this week
made a shocking discovery that just might change the way
we evaluate players in the future. After looking at the
numbers for several weeks, a team noticed that the theory
(36:25):
known as the rookie wall was actually just regression in
a funny hat. Turns out, fantasy results are born from
extensive numbers of variables. The team also planned to issue
a statement regarding the NBC sitcom Friends, but it seems
they always pray. So forth, they moved to Wow, They
(36:47):
moved to Arizona. Open a talk real. Oh this is
this me? A oh God, some news coming out of
the inside of your head regarding you. Yes, you the
person listening to me right now this second. You're planning
to fade Christian McCaffrey again next year to predictable results.
He will continue to be one of the highest scoring
(37:09):
players of all time. You will continue to say that
eventually you will be correct. The one thing I don't
know is how many seasons you're planning to repeat this
until maybe eight, like the eight season of Friends, when
writers had stolen all they could out of from living
single and had Joey date Rachel. But at least the
(37:30):
face CMC of TV shows would get an invite to
his wedding. I'm sure the whole.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Cast'll be like, well, the whole cast stoling for chrysalaccaffre.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
All right, So I will go with some more of
your news.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Earlier today, Fantasy or analysts and my favorite bald Adam
Reck predicted Saint Kawan Barkley would be the RB one
in week seventeen. Reach for comment about the methodology of
his study, Adam clarified that this was not, in fact
because of the Bill's porous run defense, but because of
the momentum the Eagles have after beating the Washington Commanders
this past weekend. And boy is that good news, because
(38:08):
there is nothing I believe in as a bigger indicator
of success than momentum.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Seeing got it? You understand momentum? By the way, Oh
a special shout out. I want to let everybody no
time from time and you know last week a couple
of students came in. We recognize Meil. We're pleased to announced.
This is wild. I can't believe that he's stopping in.
Josh Allen's father is stopping into the show today. Hey,
mister Josh, thank you, thanks for stopping. I hope you
(38:35):
enjoy the show today. Patrick, I think you got to
read here. Yeah, well, it's good to have you here, sir,
thank you for joining us. Speaking of the bills, has
there been a worse performance in fantasy playoff history than
Josh Allen last week? What did he confuse the fantasy
playoffs with the actual NFL playoffs that he always loses in?
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Is he really just desperate to get back home to Fireball, California?
Speaker 2 (38:59):
It's a real play. His dad is right there. I
can't believe you would say that in front of Josh
Allen's dad like that. That is so rude. We got
to get many visitors here and then you already take
off on his son. Well, heuns again. I'm sorry, you know,
I was sorry, mister Allen. That was rude, but I
didn't know that was coming. All right.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Well, on Sunday, the Detroit Lions lost a heartbreaker to
the Pittsburgh Steelers with an offensive pass interference penalty wiping
off a last second touchdown that would have won the
game for Detroit. While the Lions were not mathematically eliminated,
analytics experts Cynthia Freeland revealed the team has just a
seven percent chance of making the playoffs, needed to win
on the road in Minnesota and in Chicago to stay alive.
(39:40):
Other analysts believe that number is actually too high, as
quarterback Jared Goff has been revealed to be an indoor cat.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Meow no, sorry, I can make that mew sound more realistic.
Let me try and get please do no overar like this? Ah?
Speaker 5 (40:01):
No?
Speaker 2 (40:02):
I like me? How more YEA for Fantasy over. I'm
Patrick and I'm Adam Ray.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Before we go, let's get some letters to Santa, because
you guys need answers and we're gonna provide them for
Sata's very excited there. Charlotte wants to know what quarterbacks
should I play for the championship? JJ McCarthy, Well, we
know it's thought that one, so it's basically Herbert Moore
Stroud right.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
Why was Santa so happy there? Why is he writing
himself a letter? I'm gonna go with Justin Herbert. I
know the matchup is not ideal, but I would still
feel better go I'm with Justin Herbert than c. J. Strout.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
All right, let's go to our next one, coming from
a medically tweeting title game choice, Burrow or Stafford?
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Where does he go? Marcus? I think you go with
Stafford in this one? Look we all not we all?
Speaker 3 (40:51):
I faded him last week against the Seahawks. He played great.
I think he likes it up against the Foxes.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Now, do they need to win?
Speaker 3 (40:56):
But also beating Atlanta helps the Rams get a better
draft pick next year.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Yes, and I believe that's nuancedly, how about this one
from mister documentary, please help with my flex Michael Wilson,
Swift or Manungai. I actually lean DeAndre Swift here, one
of the more explosive runners since the Bye. I think
that you go with DeAndre Swift. And our last one
coming from Diamond Joe eliminated from my leaks. I just
(41:21):
wanted to ask Larry if he thinks Julio, thanks Julio
Jones joke.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
That is really nice.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
I love that the fact that you guys interact with
this show in that capacity absolutely warms my heart this
holiday season. It's my last show of Fantasy Live for
this season. Who knows about the future, ano is the
present and the fact that I got to do this
show with these people, Marcus Grant and Adam Rank bringing
me into this family.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Everybody upstairs. That wasn't Josh Allen's dad, It was top
clok in my ear.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Love this show, Love you guys, Thanks for watching NFL
he love this guy. Thanks for tuning into the Fantasy
Live edition of the Fantasy Football Pod. Yes, Marcus Florio
and l Q will be back in your feed tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Wow mhm
Today, it's a Fantasy Line edition of the Fantasy Football Podcast.
Don Patrick Claybohn. I'll be joined by Marcus Grant and
Adam Rank. Coming up today, we recap a massive night
for all your forty nine ers on Monday Night. Football
Plus Adam Rank opens up the Waiver Wire Hot Sauce
and Marcus Grant separates the reality from mirage and we
hand out the hardware from Waiver Wire pickup of the Year.
That's all today on the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, Eyyan,
(00:33):
Welcome to NFL fantist Patrick Clay out here with Adam
Rank and Marcus Grant here kickoff Week seventeen of the
fantasy football season. Congratulations to all of you who made
it to a fantasy championship. Also, happy birthday to Jim
Harbaugh and oh Algie Crumpler. Two days to an even
bigger day. That's when people are gonna have to make
some weird starts to try to win that championship, right.
(00:54):
No love for Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. No, it's
Dave Murray.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Sorry, I got of Iron Maiden. Thanks catching the straight
one there, No I like No, Dan's to the guitarist,
not Steve Harris the bassist my bad. I'm gonna hear
him now.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
It's an easy mistake to make. I do it all
the time with two people that I've never heard of
until now.
Speaker 1 (01:15):
Well, you know, speaking of making weird starts, the Indianapolis
Colts have had to make a weird start for a
couple of weeks now and going to pill Rivers playing
on Monday Night football last night.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
But he was not the star Marcus.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
He was not Christian McCaffrey, not a weird start at all.
One hundred and forty six scrimmage yards, six catches, a
pair of touchdowns gave you nearly thirty three fantasy points.
He continues to be the top scorer in all of
fantasy football, about thirty five points ahead of Josh Allen.
Had his third thirty point game of the season last night.
He scored a touchdown in eleven of fifteen games. I
could keep going on with the superlatives on pace for
(01:49):
four hundred and twenty one touches. They have built the
whole plane out of him at times there with the
forty nine ers offense. And for all the consternation about
where to pick Christian McCaffrey, he's been great for you,
and now all of a sudden, he's back in the
conversation for probably being a top three pick next year
in fantasy drafts.
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yeah, he helped get me to my finals in my
league of record. I don't know if I can play
him this week against the Bears. I will, though I
probably will not be starting. He scored over thirty Fantasy
points on Monday Night, close to three hundred passing yards
five touchdown passes. He's really the guy who makes this
offense really click. Some would say he's the Dave Murray
(02:26):
of this offense. But here's the thing. He's had the
most touchdown passes by a San Francisco forty nine Ers
quarterback since Joe Montana in Week six of nineteen ninety
and the forty nine Ers have had some really good
quarterbacks over the year, so it's quite an accomplishment by him.
He's at at least twenty six Fantasy points in back
to back games. Honestly, looking forward to this game on Sunday,
(02:47):
I expected to be high scoring between the forty nine
Ers and the Bears. Rock Purty is going to be
a solid start. See, I can be. I can be,
you know, magnanimous there. Yes, absolutely, It's the holiday season,
so why not.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
And that's how Rock Purty started game with a nice
ball to George Kittle, who had a tight end one
performance for Week sixteen started with an early touchdown catch.
He caught seven of his eight targets four hundred and
fifteen yards through the air, although there was one catch
he would have preferred not to have went down awkwardly
after a tackle from cam Byam tried to play after that.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
But it was just not the same.
Speaker 1 (03:20):
After the game, he said he didn't think it was
a high ankle spring and added he would take it
one day at a time, which I guess is something
we all do because of the linear nature of tom itself.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Speaking of linear nature of time itself, Philip Rivers really
I think exceeded expectations last night. Two hundred and seventy
seven passing yards a pair of touchdowns, did have the
interception late in the ball game, but certainly I think
nobody anticipated him being this productive, especially after what we
saw last week. Definitely helped that the Niners didn't get
much pressure on him in the first half.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
Pretty much me and three guys from a bus.
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Stop could have been just as effective as the front
four for San Francisco in the first two quarters. Biggest
surprise in he was how much Ale Pierce was involved
four catches eighty six yards, had both of the touchdowns.
Not expecting this the next couple of weeks. This week
they were against the Jaguars. Next week they got to
go take on the Houston Texans, So I would expect
Philip Rivers going to see a lot more defenders in
(04:13):
his face, and this old man hooping at the YMCA
act probably not going to play quite as well.
Speaker 2 (04:18):
Now. Alec Pearce has really enjoyed Philip Rivers being the quarterback.
Jonathan Taylor maybe not as much. He has averaged just
fifteen Fantasy points per game with Rivers as opposed to
nearly twenty four when Daniel Jones was the starting quarterback.
We said this here on a yesterday's show, expect a
sort of a mild output from him because you know,
(04:38):
again the effectiveness with Philip Rivers are running a lot
of shotgun as you see right there, really is taken
away from their rushing attack. And you know what, he
did get into the end zone, which again we said yesterday,
if he gets into the end zone. He's gonna end
up saving your week a little bit, but still something
to note moving forward, especially when they got the Texans
on the horizon.
Speaker 1 (04:58):
And so congratulations to the forty nine who have an
inside track of the number one seed over there.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
In the NFC.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
But as they celebrate, let's see loss of celebrating here
on this victory Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
You guys have sent in your tweets.
Speaker 1 (05:11):
And we're going to celebrate right along with you. When
we start with this one coming in when everybody doubted
Kenneth Walker was a third I let him in and
he cooked, Yes.
Speaker 2 (05:21):
He did, cooking the rams. How did you get that
far with Kenneth Walker? That's impressive right there. That's usually
the kind of player that's like, nah my season ended when.
Speaker 1 (05:30):
Yeah, but in the great Tom Tyler had Puka CMC
and party helping him get over two hundred points.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
What would overkill their Marcus?
Speaker 3 (05:38):
I mean, you probably just needed those three guys. You
probably could have just sat everybody else considering that's what
that's one hundred points right there just between the three
of them.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
Yeah, So congratulations Style, hopefully you keep it going in
the finals. This one from Durell picking up the Saints
defense against the Jets.
Speaker 2 (05:52):
Clever play. You know, that was something that Marcus and
I were talking about over the last couple of weeks.
We even said for people that were on a buy
were like the Saints or who you need to pick
up during that bye week paid off with the monster
performance against the Jets on Sunday.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, a lot of people getting O lave a shuck
as well. Some are Trevor Lawrence over Dart good call there,
and gave old Bucky.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Look, Trevor Lewis has been on an absolute heater back
to back games with more than thirty points and he's
been over twenty and three of his last four. Jick
Gamewell really has taken over the backfield of Pittsburgh. Look,
Jayden Warren also had a really good game this past
week as well, So I guess it was kind of
a win win for Steelers running backs.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
For Andrew went with Ashton Genty over David Montgomery. That
was a good call. That's a lot of faith like that.
That was a really tough decision. I credit you for
making that call. I know it was a tough, but
it ultimately was obviously the right call. But Ashton Genty
against the Texans and he still went with her. You
deserve you deserve the accolades there. Yeah, true, because Drew.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
Probably drafted Ashton Genty, probably stuck through a lot of
Raiders pain and the firing of Chip Kelly sitting.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
There like I'm going all in. I love David Montgomery,
but I'm going all in worth it.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
So congratulations to everybody who's playing in the finals. Worth
the finals in our Fantasy Live League, and it's two
former champions going head to head. And to be honest,
the folks carrying this program uphill both ways on their
backs as producer Alex Wilko was just in our ears
and researcher Karean Falcone. This is a look at their lineups.
Pretty good, let's go through. Obviously the litups were good.
(07:23):
They're playing in the championship. What do you think, Marcus
about a bounce back game for Trey McBride over on
kareean side in her Fantasy Dynasty.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Oh, I think it's it's pretty good.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
In fact, I was the one who got hammered by
Kareein in the semi finals. You know, treman Briden was
like the one guy that didn't do much for her
this week. She had a fifty point lead on me
going into Monday night and then still had CMC, so.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
That was that was great.
Speaker 3 (07:47):
Look.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
Last week was the worst game of.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
The season fantasy wise for Trey McBride, and a week
where the Falcons sort of made it a point to
try to take him out of the offense. But man
an absolute dream matchup against the Bengals, who have been
bad against tight ends any way you slice it. So
they may have the best incentives to try to take
Trey McBride out of it, but want to and able
to are going to be two different things for the
(08:10):
Bengals against the Arizona.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
So rank overall Wilks the Baltimore Ravens, and wilk might
need Derick Henry. Well, the Ravens actually use him this week.
I hope they use them in the second half.
Speaker 2 (08:21):
Let them go wild. You know, he's been really good.
He's ataly ten fantasy points and ten consecutive games, one
hundred plus scrimmage yards in six of the last eight.
And I know that the totals right there say that
the Packers are not great. I want Saturday night that
the Bears were seemingly running at will against this team.
I think that the Ravens come in committed to running
the football. This Packers team can be beat at the
(08:43):
line of scrimmage. Remember when they traded for Micah Parsons,
they got rid of Kenny Clark, who was one of
the cogs on their defensive line. So I would think that,
you know, as long as you remember that Derrick Henry
is on your team, and I don't know how you
forget such things, you really should go with it. I
will know too. There was some Wilkes got some injuries
on his his tight end position. If I was Korean,
(09:04):
I would go out start picking up tight ends. Start
picking up them tight ends like Aj Barner on the
way to Wark, Colson Lovelin on the waiver War. Go
pick him up, go at him, start playing a little
bit of defense.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
Well, Korean, who seriously only makes appearances on the show
to hoist the trophy. Yeah, I don't know that she
needs any any necessarily advice.
Speaker 2 (09:23):
That's fair, just doing pretty good. Let's sak to the
folks who were the perfect lineup here on week sixteen. Congratulations.
Speaker 1 (09:30):
If we had Trevor Lawrence CMC, you know we had
a tweeter come in at multiple of these guys includes
Kukinnakua Chris o'lave going for thirty six, a perfect lineup
score of two to seventy four point two. So let's
game out the perfect lineup for next week and get
to the ones. Who is the QB one, right?
Speaker 2 (09:47):
You know, I believe that he was the quarterback won
last week, but I'm gonna stick with Matthew Stafford, who
has been on an absolute tear forty touchdown passes this season,
most in the NFL by eight by eight nine games
for the least twenty fantasy points this season, twenty five
fantasy points in four of his last five, including three
consecutive games, and the Atlanta Falcons have allowed the six
(10:09):
most fantasy points for games to quarterbacks since Week ten,
although Jacwon Brisker to not get them. Well, if you're
looking at another quarterback.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Who could be the QB one, it's Drake May who
Krean doesn't need my advice, but you know right now
she's debating, I'm sure between Jalen Hurts and Drake May.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
Just Drake May the QB three overall.
Speaker 3 (10:27):
Three top five weekly fintashes going against the Jets, who
are still looking for their first interception of the season.
We've also allowed a three hundred yard passering consecutive weeks.
I feel like it's going to beat may Day at
MetLife this week.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Let's go to the running backs, and I'll go Aftimore
because Kenff Gamwell has been hovered around that spot for
a few weeks.
Speaker 2 (10:45):
This season.
Speaker 1 (10:46):
The Browns have given up a ton of points the
running backs, and so as the moral successor to Brett
Farv maybe donates his record breaking sack to Miles Garrett.
They'll get the ball out of Rogers' hands after that
very quickly. A lot of that could be Kenny g
The Browns have allowed them most receiving yards per game
to running backs since Week nine, the most points to
running backs since Week nine as well.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
And if we're looking at running backs, why not go
with Saquon Barkley, who's out at least seventy fantasy points
in three consecutive games. Got back into the accident against
the Commanders this week, Monster game, and you know what
he's going up against the Buffalo Bills, a team that
has allowed eighteen rushing touchdowns or running backs this season.
That is the most in the NFL. Let's get a
(11:27):
lot out, Marcus. Let's go poking Akua because I mean,
why wouldn't you.
Speaker 3 (11:31):
He's been fantastic all year long, especially over the last
three weeks his last three games, thirty eight targets, twenty
eight catches, five hundred and seventy three yards, and four touchdowns,
averaging over thirty six fantasy points per game. Plus not
expecting to see Devonte Adams for the Rams for the
rest of the regular season as they let him rest
and heal up.
Speaker 2 (11:50):
Going against the Falcons, who've been the sixth best.
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Matchup for wide receivers over the last four weeks. Matthew
Stafford on a heater. Pukakua has been his favorite target.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
J Brown, who's been the overall wide receiver three since
Week twelve. He's got twenty one points per game ten
games this season with and or more targets. He's going
up against the Bills defense that he's had three straight
fourteen point games. And if you're like, well, that's history,
look at the Bill's secondary. It's a lot of familiar
faces from back in those games, so that's might be
indicative other than also indicating the d J Brown is
(12:21):
generally good at football. Coming up, Ashton Genti picked a
great time to have his second thirty plus point performance.
But was that fantasy jackpot just a desert mirage or
a sign of league winning end of the season play.
Marcus Grant helps us separate fact from fiction next on
Fantasy Live. Oh, it's what you saw, but can it
(12:45):
really be what you truly believe? It's time for real
or mirage with Marcus Grant here to tell us what
we should believe. In back to back games with touchdowns
for z Flowers after scoring nothing in that aspect for most.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Of the season, is this real or a mirage? I
think this is real? And the reason I wanted to
bring it up.
Speaker 3 (13:03):
I know it's Week seventeen about to start, but you know,
I think we just haven't.
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Given Zay Flowers enough to do.
Speaker 3 (13:09):
We haven't given him his flowers enough this year because yes,
he had the big spike game in Week one, and
it hasn't really been big time production week after week,
but it's been a steady safe floor week in and
week out. There's a reason he's been hanging around that
top twelve all season long, and now we're seeing it really.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Kind of come together late in the year.
Speaker 3 (13:27):
Double digit fantasy points in eight of his last nine
twenty or more and two of his last three touchdowns
have been the biggest reason why maybe we haven't been
quite as excited about day Flowers. But whether it has
been Lamar Jackson or Tyler Huntley, he is getting the
majority of the targets there and it's been a really
consistent producer, and that even if it's late in the season,
I feel like we should just acknowledge that.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
Yeah, there was a late season explosion from rookie running
back Ashton gent Marcus, kind of like what we were
hoping for at the start of the season. Was that
real or was it a Las Vegas rest in peace
to the building formerly Nomura?
Speaker 2 (14:01):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Yeah, I think it's more of the ladder there. But
thist like Meek Mill, I used to pray for times
like this. That's why we drafted Ashton genty where we did.
Didn't think in a million years it was going to
happen against this Houston Texans defense.
Speaker 2 (14:14):
But this is the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (14:15):
They still have one of the worst, maybe the worst
offensive line in the league. You wonder whether or not
maybe the Texans were looking ahead They've got the Chargers
this week, They've got the Colts the week after. I'm
definitely not ready to write Ashton Genty off in terms
of being an NFL player and a fantasy producer, but
this sort.
Speaker 2 (14:33):
Of feels like a one off. I know, they've got
the Giants this week, but.
Speaker 3 (14:36):
When you dig into it a little bit, Big Blue
has actually been pretty good against running backs, especially for
the last four to six weeks.
Speaker 2 (14:42):
So this definitely feels.
Speaker 3 (14:43):
Kind of like an outlier where like, look, we had
somebody who' said they stuck with Ashton genty Congratulations to
that person. I don't know that I'd recommend it for
the rest of the year, all right.
Speaker 2 (14:52):
So more nightmare than dream for Ashton Genty on that one.
Speaker 1 (14:55):
Let's go to the desert where it was Elijah Higgins
and not Trey McBride as the Cardinals te one.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Can Jacoby support both of them? Is that real or Maron? Sadly,
that is a mirage.
Speaker 3 (15:06):
Much like a lot of things, when you're wandering out
there in the desert, you know, you're just kind of
hanging around there in the Sonoran Valley, and you know,
things get a little bit heated and you start to
see things in front of your eyes, like Elijah Higgins
catching seven passes for ninety one yards. He had twenty
catches for one hundred and eighty two yards and all
other games combined. I mentioned that earlier Atlanta was very
(15:27):
determined to not let Trey McBride be the one that
beats them.
Speaker 2 (15:32):
I would not overthink this.
Speaker 3 (15:33):
There's still a passing game that is going to primarily
go through McBride Michael Wilson. So in case you saw
that and got any ideas about maybe trying to slide
Elijah Higgins into a lineup, I will.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Tell you don't.
Speaker 1 (15:45):
Well, there are some folks who need some quarterback help.
Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans blew out the Kansas
City Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
He was the QB twelve. Was that real or Maran?
Speaker 3 (15:55):
I think it's more on the real side of things.
And you know, I've could have been solely tracking this
Titans offen look. Admittedly it has not been super special
this year, but Kim will Ward last week had a
second best Fantasy total of the season, second time with
more than fifteen points in a game. And I think
the big difference is he's protecting the football better. Weeks
one through nine, five touchdown passes and six interceptions. Since
(16:16):
the Titans by in Week ten, nine total touchdowns, including
one on the ground, just one interception. So I do
think there's a future here and very curious, especially going forward,
what the Titans do to sort of build this offense
around him. But it does seem like they've got something
with the quarterback position. He just needs some help going forward.
I'm very curious to see what Tennessee does in the offseason.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
A big it means something to the folks in Nashville.
Speaker 1 (16:41):
Cam Warden's performance was real courtesy of Marcus.
Speaker 2 (16:44):
Grant real mirage. Here on NFL Fantasy Live, we got.
Speaker 1 (16:47):
Some quarterback news coming in from NFL networking sider Tom Pellisero.
JJ McCarthy got some more imaging that showed a fracture
in his throwing hand. Kevin O'Connell said that he's out
Thursday against the line. And so if you're in a
deeper league where JJ McCarthy was involved, or you just
need general help on the waiver war, let's get some
waiver wire hot sauce without him, right, all right, thank
(17:10):
you so much, Patrick, Chunky b.
Speaker 2 (17:11):
It is the final Waiver Wire hot Sauce of the season.
Four flavor profiles. Three of them are good. One of
them is going to be bad because I'm in my
League of Record Championship finals. I'm against my friend Frank Heatlin,
and I can't give them all. I can't give them
all the secrets. You don't get all the recipes. That's
not the way this works. We start off with the
mild but flavorful and I want to talk about Taj Spears.
(17:35):
Why we don't talk about Taj Spears enough? If only
I had a microphone and access to the production homework videos.
Every how do we say that? Why do people do
we don't talk like we have the microphones. It's on us,
We're the onus of why we don't talk about these
players enough? But Taja Spears leads the team in reception
since week six. That is a long time. With cam
(17:57):
Ward playing as well as he's done, He's at least
ten touches and two out of his last three games,
the eighth most receiving yards by a running back since
week six? Why is he still available on the way
for Wire? Go out and get him right now here
we go to your big gonna come back. It's not
gonna come back, all right. Sorry, watch out for that
wall there. All right, let's get a little spicy. Let's
get spicy. Last week, Patrick Claybond said, go and pick
(18:19):
up Parker Washington and play him against the Denver Broncos.
You didn't listen. Now you start rolling up like, oh
we still have some of that Parker Wak. No, you don't.
You might not be able to get Parker. We might
be sold out of Parker Washington.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
Now.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
Part of it might have been the defensive matchups. Patrick's
retained was kind of shadowing Brian Thomas Junior there the
other day. But there's still gonna be opportunities for Parker
Washington in a great matchup against Indianapolis. He is the
wide receiver twenty three since Week nine, which makes him
solidly in the wide receiver two category. He has more
(18:51):
Fantasy points over that timeframe than Jamar Chase, Justin, Jefferson,
Devata Smith, Lad mccauckey seventh plus touches in ave of
his last eight games. So if you're sitting there hurting
for a wide receiver, why not Parker Washington. Nope, they're drifting,
They're drifting. Chucky bight. Three alarm, three alarm. We just
heard the words the news about JJ McCarthy. If you
(19:13):
are looking for a quarterback, Tyler Shuck is a player
that you should be considering. Over the last couple of weeks,
He's not only established himself is potentially the future quarterback
of the New Orleans Saints. He has been a reliable
fantasy option for you. I've been using him in a
super flex league where I'm going to the championship game.
He's had at least seventeen Fantasy points in four consecutive contents,
(19:35):
the fifth most rushing yards amongst quarterbacks since weeks. Well,
I see you put the backdown. Listen, you're making me
nervous with the bat over there. I'm like, I want
to get the information out, chucky be because this is
somebody that I actually really like. The Titans have been
very generous, supposed to go right here we go, Oh my,
go skip one here, I'll give you. I'll get hey,
get back there, get back there. I've given you too much. Run.
(19:58):
This is now just kidding. Let's gonna held the oblo eldabo.
It is gonna be raheem Sanders. Listen, there are some
injuries in the Cleveland Browns backfield. We don't want to
go back and look at that video, but we did
notice in the second half when they had an opportunity
to go to one of those two running back, Sanders
led the way with over fifty percent of the Snapchare
(20:18):
Williams had less than fifty percent, and we don't know
what's going to be going on with Dylan Samson too.
So this is an emergency break in case of break glass.
In case of emergency, the l Diablo Raheem Sanders. The
NFL Plus keep the NFL in reach.
Speaker 1 (20:33):
Stream live local and prime time games on mobile during
the regular and postseason NFL Network, including one more exclusive
live game the season, live game audio, and more with
NFL Plus, bringium, get more football with NFL Red Zone
game replays and NFL Pro. Sign up today at plus
dot nfl dot com. Slash Network terms and conditions apply.
You can also use NFL Plus to get Nick gen stuts,
(20:54):
like our resource team does to fund the cardio King
of the Week, and in Week sixteen it's John Mitchi
the Third.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
He ran eleven yards around the Super Dome field and.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
Got five targets from Brady to cook and turned all
of that running into one catch for four yards. Not
super helpful in fantasy football, but at least John, you
got your cardio in Matgie does not make our board
of the most you know, all fastidious cardio enthusiast, so
(21:23):
he sent us romodonsays two thousand yards running with zero
Fantasy points will make him the cardio king of the season.
Speaker 2 (21:30):
I don't think anybody's catching that. Seventeen. I had a
JML tess to Mary Dka and Exavier and Laguett with.
Speaker 1 (21:36):
That summon hand out our second Fantasy award of the season. Today,
we're giving out the fake hardware to the waiver Wire Pickup.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
Of the Year.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
We've got a few nominees in here to make the
first nomination our very own Cynthia Friedla.
Speaker 4 (21:48):
My nominee for Fantasy Lives Waiver Wire Pickup of the
Year award is Harold fannin junior from the Cleveland Browns.
When I'm looking at his season and everything that he's done,
would anyone have imagined that the Browns would lead the
league in passing ours by a rookie, rushing ours by rookie,
and receptions by a rookie will it end that way
in Week eighteen?
Speaker 2 (22:09):
Who knows?
Speaker 4 (22:10):
However, Harold Finner, junior husband a very huge.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
Part of what's going on for the Cleveland Browns. Why will?
Speaker 4 (22:17):
He has great chemistry with both of the rookies that
were playing. He sees the end zone and ultimately, this
is a guy who they're building on. And by the way,
he picked up right where he left off in college,
also in Snowy, Ohio and just keeps it going. So
I expect him to be a very high draft pick
next season.
Speaker 2 (22:34):
All right, our first nominee, thank you, Cynthia hero fan
of junior Marcus. Who would you like to nominate?
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Well, I'm gonna go with Darren Waller. We'll keep the
tight end theme going. It was literally a wallapalooza this
year for fantasy managers who took the chance. And I
will admit I didn't expect much out of Darren Waller
when he joined the Dolphins before the season, but was
a great streaming option at a really thin position despite
having played just a handful of games. Fifth among tight
ends in touchdown receptions, top twelve in PPR points per game,
(23:03):
and regardless of who the quarterback has been, I mean,
we saw Quinn viewers come in last week and immediately
Pepper eighty three with targets. He's a huge red zone
opportunity guy. So Darren Waller really helping folks out at
a position they really needed it.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
Pick up Mike McDaniel's tight end next season, whomever that
might be. And also what about Jacobe Brissette, who's been
a top twelve quarterback in nine consecutive starts this season.
You know, when he replaced Kyler Murray, You're like, all right,
we'll give this a run, and then all of a sudden,
he became a player that you started weekend and week out.
(23:35):
Was he great this past week?
Speaker 5 (23:37):
He was not.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
He almost cost me in that League of Record semi final,
and thankfully my team was so good we made it through.
But I still loved Jacoby Presett.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Yes, and why wouldn't you? What about a guy who
plays in the division with the Arizona Cardinals. It's a
guy who might be the twenty twenty five most valuable
player in the NFL, A guy who a lot of
people didn't start last week because of a bad matchup.
Maybe it was going to rain, no match. Stafford finishes
the QB one. He said nine games of twenty or
more Fantasy points in this season, the most among quarterbacks.
(24:07):
So that would be my nominee for waiver Wire pickup
of the season. So we posted those on social media
website Twitter dot com. The people have answered and the
winner for waiver wire pick Up of the Year is, Hey,
it's Matthew Stafford's not fair?
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Why is it so good? Okay? Yeah, that's why he
had to have been drafted.
Speaker 1 (24:31):
Well, a lot of people did not draft him, and
so those people realize once they got.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Him, my way, guys, changing mind to CMC, then.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
Okay, it available league, of course not we got the
load to play in that league.
Speaker 2 (24:47):
Forere Matthew Stafford's going undrafted. Yeah, a lot of people did.
Which is the one? The Fantasy Rookie of the Year
is going to be up tomorrow. Vote Follow us.
Speaker 1 (24:57):
At NFL Fantasy on social media website. I'm Brady in
that one Twitter. Coming up, we're playing a game of
Fantasy White Elephant break out the eggnog and Santa Hats.
Speaker 2 (25:06):
We're gonna see.
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Which flex starts that we've been able to gift each other.
That's coming up next on Fantasy Live. Back here on
NFL Fantasy Live. This week's set your lineups early four
days the Championship Action Christmas.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
Day unwrapped all day football with.
Speaker 1 (25:21):
The NFL Holiday Games featuring the Cowboys and Commanders, then
the Lions and Vikings on Netflix, a primetime showdown on
Prime Video as le Broncos visit the Chiefs. Then on Saturday,
it's a doubleheader of NFL Action that starts right here
on NFL Network the Texans and Chargers at SOFI Stadium
live at four point thirty Eastern on NFL Network.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
And streaming on NFL Plus time for a holiday tradition.
Speaker 1 (25:44):
Here on NFL Fantasy lof Fantasy White Elephant Marcus Renk
and I, as well as researcher Kendall Murski.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
Over there on the other side of the studio. He's
really here. He's a person. I promise you, we're all
in the same place. We're all having a high thumb
person pass off as a real dude in exchange. Flex
starts in week seventeen.
Speaker 1 (26:03):
We're gonna, well, instead of me going over the rules,
why don't we put the rules up a graphical representation.
We all have one secret FLEX gift each one of
us will open the gifts one at a time. You
can either choose a new gift or steal one that
has already been open. And it's the most important.
Speaker 2 (26:21):
Rule of White Elephant. Each gift can only be stolen twice.
Got it? So you get all the games? Yeah? I
got it all right? So Kendall, why don't you open
your gift? All right?
Speaker 5 (26:32):
I am excited because last year I feel like we
got a little spiteful with our gifts.
Speaker 2 (26:37):
Okay, okay, this isn't too bad. I don't mind this.
Speaker 5 (26:41):
The matchup is a little top against Denver, but I
mean it's still Travis Kelce like sneakily this guy is
still tight end two on the year. I gotta imagine
with a backup quarterback, you're gonna go to the trusted
vet for your easy targets, easy completion.
Speaker 2 (26:57):
So I don't mind it.
Speaker 5 (26:58):
I'm still curious to see what the field is going
to open for their presence, and maybe I'll open the
door for a steal. But that all depends on how
spiteful we got.
Speaker 2 (27:07):
With our gifts. Yeah, I feel like our gifts are
in severe water. Can I say that that was mine?
I ought a good one listen. I was going to
say I was going to spoil somebody's Christmas gift, But
now nobody in my family is getting at Travis kelcey Jersey.
Oh but she doesn't watched it advance notice. Maybe maybe
(27:29):
he's the Christmas Day Show. Maybe I don't watch it
Christmas Eve, and guarantee all right, not watching, I will
not be stealing Travis kelce I may end up with
him through Hey, look at that. We got Michael Carter.
Speaker 1 (27:42):
And you're trying to sort out this running back situation
for the Arizona Cardinals and Michael Carter.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
I think a worthwhile start.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
There are, of course some options that I would side with,
but you know, the RB forty nine on the season
not necessarily indicative of what Michael Carter the opportunity is
for him right now. I know the Cardinals are throwing
the ball a lot. They didn't necessarily throw the ball well,
but we're in week seventeen, folks. You just gotta get
you gotta get somebody with some opportunity. I think Michael
(28:11):
Carter has a good one. I guess the Bengals defense
that has been generous.
Speaker 2 (28:15):
I shall say, you know, I low key sort of
want to steal it because it's against the Cincinnati Bengals.
But it's a dome team going on the road, and
I haven't paid attention to the weather report yet and
I can't move. I can't imagine it's gonna I'm gonna
roll that. I'm gonna, Oh, Michael Carter.
Speaker 3 (28:33):
I spent a lot of time, like going through the
discount shelves to get Michael Carter me, come on.
Speaker 2 (28:37):
I should have done it. Why did I not? Ja,
Corey Kraft? Thanks. This is where like there's always gotta
be one person that's like, yeah, this was This was
a fun gift from like six years ago. Somebody brought
a snuggie like I remember when those were popular. Similarly,
I remember when Big Bill was like the running back Douagure.
For the command, we had to go back to games
(28:59):
against the which was like in October to find video
the Chargers. This is how deep we have to go
into the well to find to Corey, you guys, I
don't know, like, don't do this in your own white
Elephant gift exchanges, he had like seventeen points two weeks.
What are we doing?
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Like that was my gift I provided Bill Merritt into
the circumstance and I'm over here getting blasted.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
So this has shent me this. Well, we'll see, Mark,
I'm open. Please gift for you, please, it's Kyle Munda
who that's a gift. You're welcome, You're welcome. I think,
thank you. Actually, I am grateful for.
Speaker 3 (29:38):
This, this gift of Kyle Manungai because look, even though
the Niners did a good job clamping down on Jonathan
Taylor on Monday night, they have not been particularly great
against the run. The front four tends to get pushed around. Uh,
so you know, we know the Bears have been running
the ball effectively. Also, you know I haven't checked the
actual report, but I know that the weather in the
Bay Area this weekend gonna be pretty nasty. Lot of
(30:02):
rain expected in the forecast. It might not be the
best conditions.
Speaker 2 (30:06):
And to throw the football around a whole lot.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
So no, I'm very pleased with mi Kyle manung guys.
So I'm thankful to the person who brought this all.
Speaker 1 (30:15):
Right, Well, now, our Kendall, because you started this without
the steel opportunity you get a chance to steal, would
you like any of these fine football players?
Speaker 5 (30:23):
I am actually going to steal Michael Carter.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
It's funny. I was in this position last year.
Speaker 5 (30:28):
I was given a tight end Kyle Pitts last year
week that he was going to be playing with Michael
Pennix for his first time.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
It's very similar situation with Travis Kelcey this year.
Speaker 5 (30:37):
I want Michael Carter, better matchup, better situation going with
Michael Carter steel.
Speaker 2 (30:43):
All right, so he did have one bit of thievery.
Would you like to exchange Travis Kelcey for Bill Merritt? Yeah,
on on, it's time now for my five. Then today
I've got my five. Guys.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
We're disappointments in twenty twenty five that I expect to
go to bounce back for twenty twenty six. Let's get
started at number five with Bryce Hall. Yeah, it was
bad for him in New York this year.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
But here's the thing.
Speaker 3 (31:09):
The overall usage, his snapshare, his touches pretty similar to
last season.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
Two big differences.
Speaker 3 (31:14):
Fewer touchdowns but touchdowns are a fickle beast, and fewer
targets that's more.
Speaker 2 (31:18):
Of a coaching issue.
Speaker 3 (31:20):
Just fifty one targets he's on pace four this year
compared to seventy six last year ninety five and twenty
twenty three, he set to hit free agency, so either
the just pay him and figure out how to use him,
or somebody else probably will. At number four, it's Terry McLaurin,
who will probably end up as another cautionary tale about
wide receiver.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Holdouts, but it's not really that simple.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
Injuries prevented his Washington offense from looking as expected this year.
McLaurin and Jayden Daniels played just three games together all season.
A full healthy offseason for quarterback and wide receiver will
help make Terry scary again. At number three, it is
Lad McConkey. Now, early in the season, Justin Herbert was
exploring other options. Keenan Allen, Quentin Johnston were getting involved
(32:03):
heavily early on, but since Week seven McConkie is back
to a twenty four percent target share. Plus you have
to ask will Keenan Allen be back in LA next year. McConkie,
either way, figures to be a big target hog for
Justin Herbert in twenty twenty six. At number two, it's
Lamar Jackson. Sunday's game was sort of Lamar's season in microcosm.
(32:24):
He was starting to look like himself, be productive, run
the football, then slowed down by another injury. Look at
this point, lamar rest up, get healthy for twenty twenty six,
and without a doubt, he will again be one of
the top three quarterbacks off the Fantasy board, and at
number one, it's Justin Jefferson.
Speaker 2 (32:42):
Look for the Vikings. Step one, figure out your quarterback situation.
Speaker 3 (32:45):
Step two, drop a few more Justin Jefferson type plays.
Speaker 2 (32:49):
Step three. Profit. Jefferson is way too talented not to
be a.
Speaker 3 (32:54):
Top fantasy wide receiver in the future. Even in a
down year, He's on track for one thousand yards. Now's
the question of get him back up to where we're
used to seeing it. Plus you're probably gonna draft this
count on him next year. And those are my five
bounced back players for twenty twenty six.
Speaker 2 (33:09):
And now it's Fantasy Updates with Patrick Claibon and Adam Rank.
Speaker 1 (33:15):
Yes, Hey, everybody, welcome to Fantasy Update. I'm Patrick Claibon
and I'm Adam Rank, and we are borrowing a little
tradition from a fame to Lorden Michael's program. We have
written some fantasy news stories with a little bit of
extra fantasy mirth, and we're going to read them on
camera for the very first time. And Rick, I'm sure
we've been very.
Speaker 2 (33:33):
Nice to each other. Oh, I'm sure of it. I
am absolutely sure. I'll leave off here. Believers in the
theory that paying running backs leads to a fall off
in production are reporting in as sad and sorry this
week now that James Cook is leading the NFL in rushing.
There are reports of gallons of deer beings filled My
(33:53):
people in the fetal position carawling, I'm sorry, James into
the condensation underneath their already sad and oddly flavored fermented
barley beverage. In their honor, I would like to issue
an apology on my own to the people of Ariesota.
Food is not only moone colliente, but it is exceedingly favorful.
Speaker 1 (34:19):
I'll throwing MacManus of you. Look at that holiday cheer
one to the people in Arizona. Why did I agree
to this.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
Breaking news coming into the NFL Fantasy Live. It turns
out that Harold fannin junior was the tight end one
of this rookie class. After leading all college football in
receptions and yards as tight end for the first time
in the history of the game. He really came in,
He really came out of nowhere to shock dynasty managers
(34:48):
after having over fifteen hundred yards and ten touchdowns. Turns
out those numbers were real, much like the twenty twenty
championship of the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Dodgers.
Speaker 6 (35:02):
One day, I hope to support a winning team in
my hometown. I witnessed it.
Speaker 2 (35:13):
It was a full season, by the way, all right,
so full season will I will take my opportunity to
get to yours.
Speaker 1 (35:19):
The Jaguars won their six game in a row Sunday,
keeping their hopes alive for the number one seed in
the AFC. I know a lot of you think they
beat the Denver Broncos because of coach Liam Cohen, that
he's unlocked something inside of Trevor Lawrence. Sources tell us
the real reason that the Jacks won is because they
were disrespected by our NFL network analysts in their weekly picks.
(35:40):
I have it on good authority from a source whose
name rhymes with Maurice Stone's Crew that the jack Wars
planned home visiting some of those great Denver Craft brewies
until they became ultramotivated by our predictions.
Speaker 2 (35:55):
So while I would love to live, you love to.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
Give Liam and Lawrence credit. Here it was all about
a Holmes predictions.
Speaker 2 (36:03):
Finally, you understand they were going to mail it in.
Try extra hard? All right, why don't you go? Oh
it's me Uh. Fantasy researchers in Los Angeles this week
made a shocking discovery that just might change the way
we evaluate players in the future. After looking at the
numbers for several weeks, a team noticed that the theory
(36:25):
known as the rookie wall was actually just regression in
a funny hat. Turns out, fantasy results are born from
extensive numbers of variables. The team also planned to issue
a statement regarding the NBC sitcom Friends, but it seems
they always pray. So forth, they moved to Wow, They
(36:47):
moved to Arizona. Open a talk real. Oh this is
this me? A oh God, some news coming out of
the inside of your head regarding you. Yes, you the
person listening to me right now this second. You're planning
to fade Christian McCaffrey again next year to predictable results.
He will continue to be one of the highest scoring
(37:09):
players of all time. You will continue to say that
eventually you will be correct. The one thing I don't
know is how many seasons you're planning to repeat this
until maybe eight, like the eight season of Friends, when
writers had stolen all they could out of from living
single and had Joey date Rachel. But at least the
(37:30):
face CMC of TV shows would get an invite to
his wedding. I'm sure the whole.
Speaker 1 (37:38):
Cast'll be like, well, the whole cast stoling for chrysalaccaffre.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
All right, So I will go with some more of
your news.
Speaker 1 (37:45):
Earlier today, Fantasy or analysts and my favorite bald Adam
Reck predicted Saint Kawan Barkley would be the RB one
in week seventeen. Reach for comment about the methodology of
his study, Adam clarified that this was not, in fact
because of the Bill's porous run defense, but because of
the momentum the Eagles have after beating the Washington Commanders
this past weekend. And boy is that good news, because
(38:08):
there is nothing I believe in as a bigger indicator
of success than momentum.
Speaker 2 (38:14):
Seeing got it? You understand momentum? By the way, Oh
a special shout out. I want to let everybody no
time from time and you know last week a couple
of students came in. We recognize Meil. We're pleased to announced.
This is wild. I can't believe that he's stopping in.
Josh Allen's father is stopping into the show today. Hey,
mister Josh, thank you, thanks for stopping. I hope you
(38:35):
enjoy the show today. Patrick, I think you got to
read here. Yeah, well, it's good to have you here, sir,
thank you for joining us. Speaking of the bills, has
there been a worse performance in fantasy playoff history than
Josh Allen last week? What did he confuse the fantasy
playoffs with the actual NFL playoffs that he always loses in?
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Is he really just desperate to get back home to Fireball, California?
Speaker 2 (38:59):
It's a real play. His dad is right there. I
can't believe you would say that in front of Josh
Allen's dad like that. That is so rude. We got
to get many visitors here and then you already take
off on his son. Well, heuns again. I'm sorry, you know,
I was sorry, mister Allen. That was rude, but I
didn't know that was coming. All right.
Speaker 1 (39:19):
Well, on Sunday, the Detroit Lions lost a heartbreaker to
the Pittsburgh Steelers with an offensive pass interference penalty wiping
off a last second touchdown that would have won the
game for Detroit. While the Lions were not mathematically eliminated,
analytics experts Cynthia Freeland revealed the team has just a
seven percent chance of making the playoffs, needed to win
on the road in Minnesota and in Chicago to stay alive.
(39:40):
Other analysts believe that number is actually too high, as
quarterback Jared Goff has been revealed to be an indoor cat.
Speaker 2 (39:47):
Meow no, sorry, I can make that mew sound more realistic.
Let me try and get please do no overar like this? Ah?
Speaker 5 (40:01):
No?
Speaker 2 (40:02):
I like me? How more YEA for Fantasy over. I'm
Patrick and I'm Adam Ray.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Before we go, let's get some letters to Santa, because
you guys need answers and we're gonna provide them for
Sata's very excited there. Charlotte wants to know what quarterbacks
should I play for the championship? JJ McCarthy, Well, we
know it's thought that one, so it's basically Herbert Moore
Stroud right.
Speaker 2 (40:26):
Why was Santa so happy there? Why is he writing
himself a letter? I'm gonna go with Justin Herbert. I
know the matchup is not ideal, but I would still
feel better go I'm with Justin Herbert than c. J. Strout.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
All right, let's go to our next one, coming from
a medically tweeting title game choice, Burrow or Stafford?
Speaker 2 (40:46):
Where does he go? Marcus? I think you go with
Stafford in this one? Look we all not we all?
Speaker 3 (40:51):
I faded him last week against the Seahawks. He played great.
I think he likes it up against the Foxes.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
Now, do they need to win?
Speaker 3 (40:56):
But also beating Atlanta helps the Rams get a better
draft pick next year.
Speaker 1 (41:00):
Yes, and I believe that's nuancedly, how about this one
from mister documentary, please help with my flex Michael Wilson,
Swift or Manungai. I actually lean DeAndre Swift here, one
of the more explosive runners since the Bye. I think
that you go with DeAndre Swift. And our last one
coming from Diamond Joe eliminated from my leaks. I just
(41:21):
wanted to ask Larry if he thinks Julio, thanks Julio
Jones joke.
Speaker 2 (41:28):
That is really nice.
Speaker 1 (41:30):
I love that the fact that you guys interact with
this show in that capacity absolutely warms my heart this
holiday season. It's my last show of Fantasy Live for
this season. Who knows about the future, ano is the
present and the fact that I got to do this
show with these people, Marcus Grant and Adam Rank bringing
me into this family.
Speaker 2 (41:47):
Everybody upstairs. That wasn't Josh Allen's dad, It was top
clok in my ear.
Speaker 1 (41:53):
Love this show, Love you guys, Thanks for watching NFL
he love this guy. Thanks for tuning into the Fantasy
Live edition of the Fantasy Football Pod. Yes, Marcus Florio
and l Q will be back in your feed tomorrow.
Speaker 2 (42:04):
Wow mhm
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