December 30, 2022 • 35 mins
It's Fox Sports Radio's Official Fantasy Football Podcast! Dan Beyer and Mike Harmon get you ready for championship week in fantasy football! The guys deliver positional rankings, hot plays, cold sores, fantasy ninjas, start/sits, and much more. Plus, the guys explain why Thursday Night's game between the Cowboys and Titans exposed the greatest flaws with the current NFL schedule.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies, you want experience during your football season, well, buckle up,
sweet cheeks. We've got all the experience in the world.
This is I want your flex with Dan Buyer and
Mike Harman. Mike and Dan breakdown everything you need to
set your line ups from position rankings, two starts and sits.
(00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flex on. Here's Dan Buyer and Mike
Carman here. It is winning time and I want your flex.
Week seventeen of the National Football League is here. I'm
gonna be honest, I'm in a little bit of grinch mode,
even though it's post Christmas. My Carmen, Yes, not necessarily happy,
(00:47):
and I'll tell you why in the second. But first
I'm gonna tell you get Mike on Twitter at Swollen Dome.
You can find me on Twitter at Dan Fire on Fox,
trying to get you set for what is likely championship
week in many leagues. I know some leagues go to
Week eight team so I have combo weeks a lot
of different variety out there. But Mike, if you're listening
to a fantasy football podcast in week seventeen, you are
(01:08):
likely in the championship game. Well, either our championship mode
or you like our pop culture and dad joke references puns,
perhaps something you and I are, well, we we aspire
to be the greatest. I mean, if I'm gonna be
the greatest in anything in sports talk radio, it's gonna
be I We've sixty years of pop culture together. Like
nobody's business. You do puns and connecting dots of data
(01:33):
points that I sometimes see you like a beautiful mind.
When we knew these podcasts where there's stuff floating in
the air and you're just trying to figure out how
to get those things together. Like I heard a bit
and right before we're doing the podcast, you with Bucky Brooks,
and you included our guy, Iowa Sam, who is nothing
if not the guy who wants to be crowned the
(01:54):
king of all Hawkeye fans. And you did a game
taking numbers off of just results of the Orioles and
the Hawkeyes from this year and it was fascinating fun radio. Now,
I always say I'm dragged it out like he was playing,
you know, a four corner. You want to know where
basketball are. He's grinding out clock at the end of
(02:15):
the game to extended possession. But it was just kind
of funny. Uh you know that, and that's you know,
the talent that that you have, that creativity and and
hopefully folks have enjoyed the run here, because let's face it,
Week seventeen is messy. It is absolutely messy. I appreciate
the kind of words that it does help my mood
and I'm I'm a little cranky because Tony Pollard didn't
(02:38):
play Thursday night for the Dallas Cowboys against the Titans.
Derrick Henry didn't play in that game. Titans have bigger
fish to fry in Week eighteen. Cowboys in the playoffs,
still an outside chance they could win the division, but
that was not likely going to happen. So Cowboys end
up not playing Tony Pollard, resting him, and now you
(03:00):
have a couple of big pieces that are missing from
playing in a championship week. And it just adds on
Mike to the problems we talked about earlier in the
season on this podcast. The Week fourteen buys how the
NFL has played out like there's gotta be a better way,
And I think that the NFL has got to figure
out a way to make sure that fantasy football players.
(03:21):
And I know it sounds ridiculous, but that fantasy football
players aren't as effected as much because this is what
keeps people interested throughout the year. Well, and that's it.
As you get into the final month of the season.
We've talked about in a bunch you and I Win
doing shows together on Fox Sports Radio, uh low these
many years together. Is you know, you're trying to figure
out how to make all of your teams, whether it's
(03:45):
thirty in Major League Baseball, thirty two here in the
National Football League the NBA is its whole other animal,
the the NHL for people beyond base hockey fans. How
do you get the casual folks involved? And one of
the big things is that you've got viable teams and
star players in those final weeks of the season, either
(04:06):
fighting for a playoff berth in this case it's fantasy
football at gambling as, which we know and we've known forever.
Those are the two big things that get this machine
rolling and keep it moving. Right. So when you have
star players in week seventeen, not week eighteen, Week seventeen
where you're saying, you know what, you're a little banged
up in a normal circumstance, you'd say you'd play through it,
(04:29):
but you know what, we've got something to play in
Week eighteen, shut them down, right. The difference in philosophy
something I discussed a little on the Fox Sports radio
airwaves this week, right between the Raiders and what they
did with Derek Carr, which we'll get to in a minute,
and also looking at Jacksonville versus Tennessee and the way
they both approached the inevitable clash for the a f
(04:53):
C South title. Right, you've got Doug Peterson saying, hey,
this is what we do. It's the next game on
the slate. Building momentum, building a rhythm, building a culture.
We keep pushing. Now, if on Sunday, all of a
sudden they do the Peyton Manning Queen's Wave, would I
be shocked? No, No, not at all. You know what
I mean? Like they could say all they want, and
they can prep and whatever behind the bubble, they might
(05:15):
be running a whole completely secondary offense saying all right,
after the first quarter, will evaluate. Now, there's something to
trying to conquer the demon of Trevor Lawrence versus versus
love E. Smith and and and what the Houston defense
has been able to do. I get that to a degree,
but that you're not playing for that, like nobody cares
about that. It's if you can get into the playoffs.
(05:36):
I mean, if you're Doug Peterson, how chest and you
know chest out are you that you wave over at
Herbert Meyer and say, yeah, I fixed what you broke
less than a year. So yeah, there's just so many
permutations to it. And with the late bye weeks, the injuries,
like we'll start running dad on all of that and
how it affected. But but wherever you can keep your
(05:58):
your city's interested in the final final weeks of the season,
you've got to try to figure that out. And right
now we've hit another snaff who yeah, you obviously don't
want your star players injured. I completely understand that the
problem is is the meaningless games aspect. And I know,
like you and I have talked about divisional schedules and
(06:22):
how we kind of loathe the last week of the
season where it's all divisional games. Realistically, more than half
of the NFL schedule is not gonna matter in Week eighteen.
The problem becomes now when that starts leaking into Week seventeen.
And sure, you get a you get a makeup or
a change in the plus minus because Tennessee and Jacksonville's
game in Week eighteen will matter as opposed to Week seventeen.
(06:47):
There's just the point of now, what do you do?
Is there a way do you do something different with
divisional games? Like do you make do you make the
last two weeks divisional games? So where the Titans have
already clinched uh, the best division record? Do you make that?
So what's up in the air now since you're only
playing six games? But then that goes to something that
(07:08):
you and I talked about a lot is how divisional
games are spread out. And as much as the NFL
tries to make an even schedule by saying you're gonna
play this team and you're gonna play that team, it
never is even because it all changes on when you
play a team at a certain time of the year. Heck,
when they're coming off of a road game and this
and that. Like, there's just no way to make an
even schedule. So I don't know what the NFL could do,
(07:30):
but that may have to be a solution, is putting
these divisional games at the back end of the year. Yeah,
what's stuff, what stuff and something we here in the
Fantasy podcast and I know we talked about it um
here and I want you flex. But also across Fox
Sports Radio when you and I were able to do
some shows together, is when you set up the schedule
and trying to figure out where those inequalities are and
(07:53):
I get it, travel schedules, and you go into the
big algorithm. And you know we've all seen the sick
minute vignettes on every network of well, this is what
the schedulers tasked with, and this is what he needs
to do because you have to get teams in on
Thursday nights and blah blah blah. You know, the culture
were gonna stink regardless. I think we can stipulate to that.
Or they might have been better. And I would have
(08:15):
liked to see the thing right out with Frank Wright
as opposed to the disaster we've seen these final weeks.
But hey, it was a good experiment. Um. But through
the first seven weeks of the season, they had already
played five of the divisional games. You have an injury,
you know of a guy that gets hurt in camp
or in week two, your entire division slate is done
(08:38):
except for you know, week week eighteen against Houston. Really,
like that just doesn't make sense. No, it doesn't, It
really doesn't. And I know that there's a balance as
well of Okay, is it do you want to be
how your team is at the end of the year
or at the beginning of the year. It's you can't
get so finite. But to your point of they had
(08:59):
one game to play and they have to wait for
Week eight team to play it as opposed to say
this Jaguars team who now is playing thirty of their
divisional schedule in these final two weeks. That's it, right,
trying to figure out where the balance is because we're
also talking about competitive balance and you can't you know,
to some degree. I think if you had this conversation
(09:19):
and you've made this a topic that everybody in our business,
radio and television had to do, they would have been saying, wow,
those teams aren't playing for anything in week seventeen and
eighteen anyway, and like that, that's not the point, because
we know what the NFL worst. The first happens great
with with great regularity, playoff teams slough off either through injury, age,
(09:41):
free agency, etcetera. It's a league of turnover, and it's
a league where they're trying to achieve parody. So anytime,
you know, you dismiss any squad as much as we
may laugh at it, and history may repeat itself on
on a regular basis, like those those human emotions are
not supposed to factor in. It's like the old polling
(10:01):
system for college football, right, like we still have with
the committees, Like there's still a human elements and their
political and financial ties to different places, people and things.
The thing that the funny thing is number one, you
bring up committees and I've thought about this and listen,
if you're listening to this podcast, I am not going
(10:22):
off the deep end. I am not. Well, my my
point is is if you had a committee like setting
up the NFC playoff picture, are you having the Giants
and Commanders in the playoff picture? No, you're bringing in
the You're finding any way to get the Packers? Yes,
absolutely absolutely, which then, by the way, would make these
games more interesting. You know, yeah, you know to what
(10:45):
you're saying, like, yeah, like there's I thought about that,
like the you know this, Green Bay have to beat
Minnesota by thirty, you know, the style points Hey, I'm
old Bobby Bowden. Look what I did. Yes, anyway, completely
side the other thing I do want to say, and
we'll get to Mike's rankings in a sec here. But
(11:06):
I got a lot of key when I did this
show Thursday with Bucky Brooks of people saying a stupid
fantasy players, I'll dungeons and dragons, which, all right, it's
not a put down. It's whatever it is. Call us nerds,
call us whatever it doesn't doesn't odds. Are you you
all have your vices? Correct? Maybe you go fire off
(11:26):
dollar bills at the club with the strobe lights and
the all you can eat buffet that's been warmed over
for hours at a time. And it's a family show,
so we'll leave it there. But the games that these
these people are trying to protect and saying that we're nerds.
Were they watching Colts Chargers with five minutes left in
the fourth quarter on Monday night because they love football
(11:47):
or did they just go and change to another channel
or did they just go to bed if they're living
on the East Sunday night football to that game was terrible.
I mean it ended up being a great finish, but
it was unwatchable if you're not fully invested in fantasy
gambling or you and I with the trying to be
you know, completest and critical eyes as radio hosts and analysts.
(12:10):
I had a guy text me that he won his
fantasy game because he was up three and a half
points and the only guy that was uh playing against
him on Monday night was Chase McLoughlin. So he was
down three and a half, up three and a half
points and McLoughlin kicked the field goal for three points
(12:30):
and that was it. And how many times did we see,
you know, so my buddy ends up winning, But how
many times do we see the Colts on the red
zone and they score a touchdown? Guess what, it's the
extra point. If they just decided to kick the field goal,
this guy loses. So my my whole point of all this.
And I know gamblers have watched forever and fantasy football
players are kind of new to all of this. But
(12:52):
when you talk about ratings, when you talk about time watching,
realize the equity that's put in by these people, whether
it be gamblers or honesty football players. So don't pooh
pooh us when we're the ones who are sitting through
seventeen point dog games for something to be interested in,
just because maybe we're disappointed that somebody ran out of bound,
(13:12):
sorry Mike Tomlin, or somebody's not playing on Thursday Night football. Like,
there's a reason why these emotions are there. And listen,
we all know it's fantasy football. It's just a game,
and we're all football fans. We get the big picture.
But for people to dismiss the fantasy stuff and be
like whatever, there's a lot more equity into this than
most football fans have. And it's the argument we've always
(13:34):
had with ex players until they realized a how much
money it was bringing them and be it became away
to in an entree into broadcasting. Right, look at guys,
and God bless him, the undrafted free agent of all time,
Austin Ekeler, He's partnered with Yahoo already. We'll talk fantasy.
Let's go right. They recognize the equity, uh there, the
(13:57):
number of jerseys they get bought when you in somewhat
a title, the charity aspect, which you know branches out
to the larger community, communal effect. Guys that put a
percentage of their winnings and women that put a percentage
of their winnings towards the favorite charity or or homegrown
charity of the player that they thought helped them most.
I mean, there's so much else in the social currency
(14:19):
that goes to it. So those that try to dismiss it,
like it may not be your cup of tea. Uh,
at this point in two into twenty three, you're the outlier. Alright, Mike,
Let's get to the rankings. Now that we've got this
all off of our chest, let's get the actual game
stuff again. Get Mike on Twitter at Swollendome, find me
on Twitter at Dan Buyer on Fox. No Ryan Burr
(14:40):
Singer our executive producer again, because Ryan's doing other stuff
and our times just couldn't cross. So I'll give you
a survivor pick later on in the show. But Mike's
got the rankings. Let's start with the top five quarterbacks
four weeks seventeen, Mike in the National Football League season,
some of your usual suspects, and a guy that I
hope to see great growth with, and and maybe the
ten commissioner will become the head of operations for the Bears.
(15:03):
Justin fields going up against Detroit rushing yards and the
Dome fast track. Let's get it on. Justin Herbert going
up against the Rams New Year's Day so Fi Stadium.
They have already clinched a playoff Berth, But Justin Herbert
a guy. I think at this point he's getting all
his complementary pieces back on that offense. And don't tell
me there's not at least a little bit uh the hey,
(15:27):
let's let's let's put it on these guys a little bit. Yeah,
trying trying to get your your name in the sun.
And then like nationally, we talked a lot about the
Chargers here in l A and not so much Number
three Magic Mahomes going up against Denver. Uh, the chaos
of the Denver Broncos this week. Uh, you finally had
a couple of guys defend Russell Wilson. We'll get to
(15:48):
him in a minute. So you know, you got that
going on. But you've got a Kansas City team still rolling,
They still have things to play for, and Mahomes has
been steady as they go. Josh Allen, I because Monday
night football will be exciting viewing for everybody. Might be
the end of the holiday run for you. Maybe you'll
be traveling back and hopefully the travel machine has been
will work better this weekend. I know, Dan you you
(16:11):
had a lot of callers to to give their angst
out of their travel woes. Fox Sports some great stuff there. Uh.
And then finally I mentioned him earlier and I and
I hope he plays because I enjoy watching him work
and I would love to see the chess match. Uh
and see him finally vanquished. Love Smith and that Houston
d I'll take Trevor Lawrence as the top five quarterback,
(16:34):
but as always, keep an eye on reports as we
get towards game day for potential changes, injury updates, et cetera.
Because this week is gonna be weird. Yeah, you don't
want to be t Higgins by the Jacksonville Jaguars and
thinking you're guys gonna play and then him not being there.
All right, let's get to the running backs. Top five
ball carriers for Week seventeen. Giants at s Kwon Barkley
(16:54):
getting going against Indianapolis Colts, another team that we've had
a lot of fun with on talking about their coaching situation,
all the injuries and quarterback problems, etcetera. Giants still battling
and not apologizing for where they're at. I like with
Brian Dable has done uh and St. Kawa Barclay has
been fantastic. Dalvin Cook going up against Green Bay, Uh,
(17:16):
you know you can gash the middle of that field
against them, So I expect a big day out of him.
Austin Ekeler, the aforementioned going up against the Rams. Like,
you might not love the run game if you watched
a lot of Chargers football, maybe you haven't, but if
you have, they don't run the ball very well. But
he's got a hundred catches on the ear, so look
for more of that exactly. James Conner. I celebrate him.
(17:37):
I I was wrong. I did not think he would
come back with the effort that he had. Uh. And
even with all the chaos and Arizona still putting up points,
putting up yardage and dominating in and around the paint. Uh,
So give me him against Atlanta. And finally, I would like,
this is just life advice. Find someone in your life
that loves you and respects you and cares for you,
(18:00):
like Bill Belichick loves Romandre Stevenson. Yes, agreed, agreed, go down,
go down? Now he fumbled? Uh, you know they should
have blown it dead. Like in years past he might
have gone and gone and just beating him up on
the sideline like I see not a good fellas. Instead,
it's like, no, it's my guy. I love that guy,
and he's been complimentary all year long. Good opportunity here
(18:21):
against the Miami Dolphins, good opportunity and again, as you said,
the fumble problems and really didn't get anything done against
the Bengals, opportunity for the bounce back. Had the big
game against the Raiders, but the only thing that we
were talking about was his pitch. Did Jacoby Myers? And
then we know what happened. So and you know, at
least Jacobe Meyers stood up and just said, you know what,
I tried to play hero ball. Yes, yes he didn't try.
(18:43):
He didn't deflect it, didn't do it, and just said, nope, mine,
let's get to the top five wide receivers. I don't
think Jacoby Myers is here, but let's get to the
top five pass catchers for the week. No, here we go,
we got I'm on Ross st. Brown because I love
him like like my he's like my favorite player and
he's a guy that hold grudges the airing of the grievances.
He still has that list of wide receivers. Maybe he's
(19:04):
got a tattooed on him at this point. Maybe that's
what he did for the holiday jamarch is going up
against Buffalo. Expect points in that game. Number three, justin
Jefferson going up against green Bay. Little asterisk on that one,
because Packers are really interesting to me at this point
in time. Jire Alexander and company. How about a little
bit of Garrett Wilson. That's right, he and Mike White
against Sorry Dan against your Seattle Seahars. Uh so we'll
(19:28):
we'll roll him up there as well. And for number five,
you know, we we can play, uh just roll the
dice along the way. But I'm gonna go with a
price shot of Keenan Allen ten catches in Week sixteen.
Looked for him to have another big day because I
think Mike Williams and he'll be in the cold source,
but I think he's going to see a lot of
(19:49):
Jalen Ramsey. I wondered if this was the breakout for
Alan because it wasn't just four yard routes. Yeah, we
saw some stuff down field and we saw the big
play that could have been a touchdown on if he
doesn't stand a step out of bos at least close
to it. So there was I thought there would have
been a longer review of that. That seems that seemed
to go pretty fast. He was out. I don't know.
(20:09):
I I thought it was pretty clear. But okay, Yeah,
it's one of those I keep waiting for the the
white flakes of stuff to start for her, and normally
we at least get these subruder film of let's blow
it up really close just to show you. But that's fine. Man,
still ten catches. I can't I can't deride that, and
I mean they're interesting right as we go forward, not
(20:29):
to get to football again, but with potentially Slater coming
back to the old line and Joey Bosa actually in
practice and not just the guy they keeps showing on
the sidelines, it's good. Yeah, Bolts could be back there.
They are your top five wide receivers four weeks seventeen.
All right, let's get to the hot plays, the cold
sores and the ninjas. These are the guys. So at
(20:50):
least with the hot plays, guys you want to get
your lineup. But maybe didn't make Mike's top five who
are your hot plays for week seventeen, just outside and
he almost takes over for Trevor Lawrence. If I if
I'd be asked me against Sunday morning, you might Aaron Rodgers.
The door has opened. Playing a little looser. Christian Watson
will keep an eye on him for Sunday, but spreading
the ball around. Run game still sporadic at times, but
(21:14):
the dump offs uh and and the freewheeling opportunities are there.
Daniel Jones going up against Indianapolis like, I'm looking for
sixty yards and a touchdown on the ground. That's that's
my hope there. Jared Goff against Chicago. Hey, it's at home,
which means he'll he'll put up some points there. We
we know the split cam akers against the Charges. As
much as I can love the offensive side of things,
(21:34):
and the defense is starting to synch up from a
points allowed perspective, Acre should be able to chew us
up some yardage. Uh And he was a guy that
as we talked about Monday into Tuesday, the waiver wire claims,
I mean he was still available in like a half
a league, so folks are able to pick him up
with all the chaos here for Championship week, David Montgomery,
(21:55):
going back to that Bears Detroit game. Look for a
big role from him. You already meant and Tee Higgins
we'll get We'll get him in here. Uh. And then
of course Jerry Judy again, check your injury reports come
Sunday morning. But looks like he's gonna be able to go,
So let's go there. You like that positive reinforcement of
Russell Wilson that Jerry Judy had, or that sticking up
(22:15):
for his teammates, So you put him in the hot
plays thinking that Russ is gonna cook with him? Is
that what? Yeah? I I just think you can get
one or two plays on the edge. We we saw
after a rough start and all the derision of Russ
in that game against Kansas City and had started to
turn before he got hurt. Right, So you you saw
some and so then this is a game where you
(22:37):
might actually get to see some points. So Russell is
one of those guys from a ninja perspective. Uh, and
maybe maybe some love but for Judy, like this goes
back to the larger conversation we've had with Russell Wilson
all year, Like these are the first guys that have
ever stood up for him, Jerry Judy and kJ Hamler
suddenly raising their hand going hey, that's my guy. Now.
(22:57):
Part of it is they know that they're all stuck
together for as long as they're in Denver. Uh so
you know, you stand up your guy. But it is
a step forward seeing as we've had radio silence or
you know, a town hall meeting where every former Seahawks
stepped up to the microphone like it's you know, uh,
you know, we're gonna try to get a new stop sign,
or it did take him to week seventeen to do it.
(23:21):
But also the Courtland Sutton standing and stomping his feet
on the route against the Rams was not a good look.
And I and I think that's where the Brocco's wide
receivers else are like alright enough enough, so even though
you have the offices and the parking space stuff, I
don't think Courtland Sutton's look. And then what happened on
(23:42):
the sidelines, I think that's probably why we saw the
players that did step up speak when they did, Hey
we still got your back, throw me the ball. Let's
get no, no, not at all. Let's get to the
cold source the guys, you don't want your line up,
you don't want to touch. For weeks seventeen, everybody kept
waiting for some pixie dust to be sprinkled over. Cleeve
one and DeShawn Watson forget about it. Washington still playing
(24:03):
for things. I may not necessarily understand agree with their
quarterback decision making, but hey, uh, they do what they do.
It's interesting that Nick Chubb had to stand up and
you can almost hear the violence behind it. We gotta
play for each other, man, we gotta play for each
other whatever. Uh, Tom Brady, I'm torn on Dan. I'd
love your thoughts on this one against Caro. Tough matchup, right,
(24:27):
so it's like I have them on my cold sore list,
But there's just that little two percent where I'm like,
do do they actually find something this week? It's one
of the more fascinating games, but from a fantasy perspective,
I don't know whether you're going anywhere near any of it,
so that he got that going for you, even even
if you're sitting there. I mean to see what the
Panthers did, and no's the Lions, but running the football
(24:50):
could also if the Panthers get that going there may
not be as many opportunities for Brady fair enough. I
mean we're starting to see the articles already. Will Sam
Donald be the guy in twenty three? Plenty of time
to talk about that. All the Miami players, what do
we what do we do with those? I mean we're
playing them, but they're like back in ones high twos
with with Teddy two gloves out there you have to
(25:11):
play Tyreek Hill, Yes, you have to play Jalen Waddle
and then go back to the Raiders from out What
do you do with Davante Adams back in w R two?
And we shouldn't hope? Yeah, I think he's still got
a plan thinking that. Um, Jared Stidham has been there
obviously McDaniels has had him both in New England and
(25:31):
here that maybe there's there's something they can do and
if nothing else, they try to force feed him to
convince him that it could be okay if he stays
Sell sell Sen. These guys all on your cold sour list. Yeah, yeah,
they're all there with question marks next to them of
like how how bad and how low can it go?
Because certainly, look, if you're playing a week seventeen hopefully
(25:53):
uh you you really must have had one or two
other guys that were superstars, because these guys didn't get done,
particularly Adams along the way, Nag Harris going up against Baltimore. Uh,
you'll get some PPR love, but that's about it. We
already mentioned the bucks, So Leonard four net uh and
and our guys Mike Evans and company are a bit
tough u Amari Cooper going back, you know, and a disappointment,
(26:16):
a guy who probably wishes he's still had a star
on the side of his helmet. Uh. And then except
for the money that he got. Uh. And then Mike
Williams one touchdown since week seven, week seven yard games
since week five, and probably a lot of Jalen Ramsey's
still up in his grill. Those are the cold stars.
Give us a couple of ninja, some sneaky plays for
the Yeah, keep an eye. I know Jalen Hurts was
back at practice. He doesn't go though. You got Gardner
(26:39):
Minshew against New Orleans. Uh, keep an eye on that one.
Colt McCoy against Atlanta just because you know, strange bedfellows,
daily fantasy leagues, all of those fun things. Alexander Madison
a little bit against Green Bay because they are so susceptible.
H to the run game working Robinson going up against Cleveland. Uh,
and what you got going there, Christian Kirk going up,
(27:00):
It's Houston Dobbs against Minnesota. And then the one guy
I might look at as a w R three in
that Tampa Carolina game is Russell Gauge, whose target account
has been pretty high the last couple of weeks. The
efficient has efficiency has been there, and with all the
attention to the big studs on the outside, you think
maybe he finds a little bit of love as well.
(27:20):
There they are or hot plays, gold swords and ninja's
from Mike Carmen in week seventeen. All right, now it'side
for me to take the wheel, even though it's for
a short period of time. I give you one player
to start in, one player to bench. Mike. My one
reason to start, Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers
kind of falls in line to Christian Watson's situation with
Green Bay. If there is no Watson, and I know
(27:41):
you had Romeo Dobbs on your ninja list, I think
that there's more for Aaron Jones. And again the calls
to get the running backs active very very big. A J.
Dillon uh knocked out last week against the h two
weeks ago, but I'm I'm mixed. Two weeks ago, Um,
you saw Jones end up picking up some of the
(28:02):
workload there. I think it works for green Bay against
the ram So I'm saying Aaron Jones against the Vikings. Um.
I don't know how many people have came out and said,
just give the ball to their running backs. Just continue
to do that. I don't know. Dylan came back against
the Dolphins. Sometimes the weeks end up combining, but Aaron
Jones all start against green Bay basically because of the
(28:23):
Christian Watson Watson situation. I like it. I think there's
opportunity to be had. I was a guy calling for
those running backs to start the season. I also thought
that the defense was going to be good. I'm gonna
stick with the running back position on You give you
one reason to bench J. K. Dobbins against the Steelers
And I don't know how good the Steelers are. I
(28:43):
don't think that they're very good at all. And I
know the conditions last week. We're not conducive to do anything.
But the Raiders who love to run the ball and
have been able to run the ball with with Josh
Jacobs were held in check. It's a Sunday night game,
just gonna say hold off on that. So I'm gonna
say hold off on j K. Dobbins against burg. I
just like the fact that it got flexed in. Mike
Tomlin thought that was one of the greatest things ever.
(29:05):
It means we're doing something right. And the fact that
they're still alive. Like for the NFL. As much as
we were talking about the schedule and problems and back
and forth, whatever, the fact that mathematically and just spirit wise,
the Steelers and Packers are alive, that's good for football.
Can I can I give you the real reason why
I put J K. Dobbins Because I don't want anybody
to have to watch Steelers Raven That's good, that's fair.
(29:28):
That's a fair point. That would be the reason. Oh
my goodness, Sunday night football. That is tough. Yes, I
was not excited to see that. I still would rather
have seen Rams, Chargers Baker Mayfield. So like, well, there's
also another chance to sell, sell, sell the whole. Justin
Herbert right as one of the budding stars in the
(29:50):
league with Pittsburgh other than their history the recent passing
of Frank o'harris as part of that, what's there to sell?
And either saw because Lamar Jackson is not playing and
and hardball is getting shorter and shorter with his responses
at practices related to Lamar Jackson's availability. Actually on Thursday,
(30:10):
replied with I'm just coaching the guys that are here
get to that point. Yeah, it's the next level. I'm
gonna give you a survivor pick because Bursts isn't here.
My survivor picked this week, and they would probably be available.
It is the Giants and it's not. There's there's not
(30:31):
tons of options. Listen, I know that you've probably used
the Chiefs already. So you look at the Colts off
of a short week. Do I think the Colts will
come in a little bit better than they were a
week ago against the Chargers. Yes, but it's just the
point of the value of where the Giants are, So
I would put the Giants in in that scenario. Jaguars
are another popular pick. But to your point, Mike, about
(30:53):
what love Smith has been able to do and honestly
I mean to do against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars.
Honestly the tech since they're playing good football as of late,
so you know it's a home game. They meet him
earlier this year. It's the only reason I would shy away.
There's not much there. Niners. Obviously you love that spot
if to go up against Jared's did h'm if you
still had them available. But those are a couple of
(31:15):
the survivor picks that I would recommend this week. Yeah,
I was really hoping more. You know, I love meet
some Davis Mills. Alright, let's wrap this baby up. Three
point conversions. I'll quick give you mine points of palooza.
It's the most common one. It's Bears Lions. I mean,
it's the highest over under that we've had this week.
Fields is the top your rankings for a reason. St.
(31:37):
Brown is the top of your rankings for a reason.
I am in lockstep with you there. Uh, this one hurts.
This is really gonna hurt. And this you can tell
that I'm not biased. Good Night, Seattle. I think Zanovan
Night Bam Knight back for the Jets with Mike White
under center makes the Jets a better offense in that scenario,
and you could run on the Seahawks teams that have
(31:58):
been able to do so. I think you'll see the
Jets do that in the Pacific Northwest. And finally, I
just I ripped on the NFL this week on Fox
Sports Radio. We ripped on the NFL at the start
of this podcast. But thank you for giving us Bill's
Bengals on Monday night. I am in a fantasy championship game.
And I'm not talking about my fantasy team. Yeah, you
(32:20):
can do it. It's a fantasy podcast. People are kindred
spirit here. But I am in a game where I
have Josh Allen and Tee Higgins and he has Joe
Burrow and stefandig Yes. So it all comes down to
Monday night, and I'm like, that is so much fun
to see what could play out. And I know that
there are a lot of other people in that same situation.
(32:41):
So kudos to the NFL for at least getting that
right on their schedule. That's fantastic stuff, all right, Um,
Michael Taylor Swift, it's exhausting rooting for the anti hero,
But I Aaron Rodgers brings home a championship for you
with a big effort at home against Minnesota. Look, I
I'm in a guy ranting on on air and people
(33:01):
hate me for it. Uh talking about scoring defense meaning
more than yardage. But for fantasy purposes, yeah, I'll take
the yardage that Minnesota is gonna give me as well
as you know. It's not like they're great, it's just
more they're They're not last. There are other teams that
give up more points than they do. It's one of
my little um what do we call pet peeves along
(33:22):
the way, um the charger love, just trying to put
a stamp on things. Staley needs to keep momentum going. Yes,
the playoffs are great, but you still hear the whispers
and and their shadows of Sean Payton all over the place.
So part two, look for that offense to rev it up.
And third, and this might be the most important one
of them all, Dan, since it is New Year's Eve
(33:45):
into New Year's Day and we're talking about New Year's Day,
where you're gonna need to be looking for injury notes
and liners and whatever, second alarms and maybe one fewer drink,
maybe a little earlier to bed. I'm just saying, like,
if you're in a fantasy title game, you gotta be responsible.
(34:05):
Here on so many other work all season long to
just blow it because you have a hangover, didn't go
to bed bill four. Yeah, I mean unless you know
you you met the love of your life at that party.
Then you know you make another choice, right, you decide
which has more value to you. But for for all
the hours and time scouring the wire and and playing
these games, you know you gotta finish strong, which means
(34:27):
let's be smart and make sure we give ourselves more
than ten minutes before the final selection times to get
roster moves done. Perfect time to say it's been a
great year with you, Mike, So we transition to three.
That will be the next time that we talked to you.
Another programming note is after next week. Next week will
(34:48):
still be a two episode per week. Uh week after that,
once the NFL regular season ends, we go down to
one episode per week, and we'll be with you throughout
the all the way to the Super Bowl and even
the week after as we put a bowl on the season.
We'll be looking ahead to the three fantasy football season,
also looking back at the high points of the past year.
(35:08):
So those are all podcasts coming up in the near future.
But again, next week, we'll still do to UH a
week and then after that, after the regular season ends,
we'll go down to one. Yes, absolutely getting ready for
three big thanks to Ryan Burringer again. He's down here
but it's putting everything together. Get him on Twitter at
Ryan burr Singer. Get my Carmen on Twitter at Small
and Dome. I'm Dan Buyer. We'll talk to you next time.
(35:30):
Three on not want your flights
Ladies, you want experience during your football season, well, buckle up,
sweet cheeks. We've got all the experience in the world.
This is I want your flex with Dan Buyer and
Mike Harman. Mike and Dan breakdown everything you need to
set your line ups from position rankings, two starts and sits.
(00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flex on. Here's Dan Buyer and Mike
Carman here. It is winning time and I want your flex.
Week seventeen of the National Football League is here. I'm
gonna be honest, I'm in a little bit of grinch mode,
even though it's post Christmas. My Carmen, Yes, not necessarily happy,
(00:47):
and I'll tell you why in the second. But first
I'm gonna tell you get Mike on Twitter at Swollen Dome.
You can find me on Twitter at Dan Fire on Fox,
trying to get you set for what is likely championship
week in many leagues. I know some leagues go to
Week eight team so I have combo weeks a lot
of different variety out there. But Mike, if you're listening
to a fantasy football podcast in week seventeen, you are
(01:08):
likely in the championship game. Well, either our championship mode
or you like our pop culture and dad joke references puns,
perhaps something you and I are, well, we we aspire
to be the greatest. I mean, if I'm gonna be
the greatest in anything in sports talk radio, it's gonna
be I We've sixty years of pop culture together. Like
nobody's business. You do puns and connecting dots of data
(01:33):
points that I sometimes see you like a beautiful mind.
When we knew these podcasts where there's stuff floating in
the air and you're just trying to figure out how
to get those things together. Like I heard a bit
and right before we're doing the podcast, you with Bucky Brooks,
and you included our guy, Iowa Sam, who is nothing
if not the guy who wants to be crowned the
(01:54):
king of all Hawkeye fans. And you did a game
taking numbers off of just results of the Orioles and
the Hawkeyes from this year and it was fascinating fun radio. Now,
I always say I'm dragged it out like he was playing,
you know, a four corner. You want to know where
basketball are. He's grinding out clock at the end of
(02:15):
the game to extended possession. But it was just kind
of funny. Uh you know that, and that's you know,
the talent that that you have, that creativity and and
hopefully folks have enjoyed the run here, because let's face it,
Week seventeen is messy. It is absolutely messy. I appreciate
the kind of words that it does help my mood
and I'm I'm a little cranky because Tony Pollard didn't
(02:38):
play Thursday night for the Dallas Cowboys against the Titans.
Derrick Henry didn't play in that game. Titans have bigger
fish to fry in Week eighteen. Cowboys in the playoffs,
still an outside chance they could win the division, but
that was not likely going to happen. So Cowboys end
up not playing Tony Pollard, resting him, and now you
(03:00):
have a couple of big pieces that are missing from
playing in a championship week. And it just adds on
Mike to the problems we talked about earlier in the
season on this podcast. The Week fourteen buys how the
NFL has played out like there's gotta be a better way,
And I think that the NFL has got to figure
out a way to make sure that fantasy football players.
(03:21):
And I know it sounds ridiculous, but that fantasy football
players aren't as effected as much because this is what
keeps people interested throughout the year. Well, and that's it.
As you get into the final month of the season.
We've talked about in a bunch you and I Win
doing shows together on Fox Sports Radio, uh low these
many years together. Is you know, you're trying to figure
out how to make all of your teams, whether it's
(03:45):
thirty in Major League Baseball, thirty two here in the
National Football League the NBA is its whole other animal,
the the NHL for people beyond base hockey fans. How
do you get the casual folks involved? And one of
the big things is that you've got viable teams and
star players in those final weeks of the season, either
(04:06):
fighting for a playoff berth in this case it's fantasy
football at gambling as, which we know and we've known forever.
Those are the two big things that get this machine
rolling and keep it moving. Right. So when you have
star players in week seventeen, not week eighteen, Week seventeen
where you're saying, you know what, you're a little banged
up in a normal circumstance, you'd say you'd play through it,
(04:29):
but you know what, we've got something to play in
Week eighteen, shut them down, right. The difference in philosophy
something I discussed a little on the Fox Sports radio
airwaves this week, right between the Raiders and what they
did with Derek Carr, which we'll get to in a minute,
and also looking at Jacksonville versus Tennessee and the way
they both approached the inevitable clash for the a f
(04:53):
C South title. Right, you've got Doug Peterson saying, hey,
this is what we do. It's the next game on
the slate. Building momentum, building a rhythm, building a culture.
We keep pushing. Now, if on Sunday, all of a
sudden they do the Peyton Manning Queen's Wave, would I
be shocked? No, No, not at all. You know what
I mean? Like they could say all they want, and
they can prep and whatever behind the bubble, they might
(05:15):
be running a whole completely secondary offense saying all right,
after the first quarter, will evaluate. Now, there's something to
trying to conquer the demon of Trevor Lawrence versus versus
love E. Smith and and and what the Houston defense
has been able to do. I get that to a degree,
but that you're not playing for that, like nobody cares
about that. It's if you can get into the playoffs.
(05:36):
I mean, if you're Doug Peterson, how chest and you
know chest out are you that you wave over at
Herbert Meyer and say, yeah, I fixed what you broke
less than a year. So yeah, there's just so many
permutations to it. And with the late bye weeks, the injuries,
like we'll start running dad on all of that and
how it affected. But but wherever you can keep your
(05:58):
your city's interested in the final final weeks of the season,
you've got to try to figure that out. And right
now we've hit another snaff who yeah, you obviously don't
want your star players injured. I completely understand that the
problem is is the meaningless games aspect. And I know,
like you and I have talked about divisional schedules and
(06:22):
how we kind of loathe the last week of the
season where it's all divisional games. Realistically, more than half
of the NFL schedule is not gonna matter in Week eighteen.
The problem becomes now when that starts leaking into Week seventeen.
And sure, you get a you get a makeup or
a change in the plus minus because Tennessee and Jacksonville's
game in Week eighteen will matter as opposed to Week seventeen.
(06:47):
There's just the point of now, what do you do?
Is there a way do you do something different with
divisional games? Like do you make do you make the
last two weeks divisional games? So where the Titans have
already clinched uh, the best division record? Do you make that?
So what's up in the air now since you're only
playing six games? But then that goes to something that
(07:08):
you and I talked about a lot is how divisional
games are spread out. And as much as the NFL
tries to make an even schedule by saying you're gonna
play this team and you're gonna play that team, it
never is even because it all changes on when you
play a team at a certain time of the year. Heck,
when they're coming off of a road game and this
and that. Like, there's just no way to make an
even schedule. So I don't know what the NFL could do,
(07:30):
but that may have to be a solution, is putting
these divisional games at the back end of the year. Yeah,
what's stuff, what stuff and something we here in the
Fantasy podcast and I know we talked about it um
here and I want you flex. But also across Fox
Sports Radio when you and I were able to do
some shows together, is when you set up the schedule
and trying to figure out where those inequalities are and
(07:53):
I get it, travel schedules, and you go into the
big algorithm. And you know we've all seen the sick
minute vignettes on every network of well, this is what
the schedulers tasked with, and this is what he needs
to do because you have to get teams in on
Thursday nights and blah blah blah. You know, the culture
were gonna stink regardless. I think we can stipulate to that.
Or they might have been better. And I would have
(08:15):
liked to see the thing right out with Frank Wright
as opposed to the disaster we've seen these final weeks.
But hey, it was a good experiment. Um. But through
the first seven weeks of the season, they had already
played five of the divisional games. You have an injury,
you know of a guy that gets hurt in camp
or in week two, your entire division slate is done
(08:38):
except for you know, week week eighteen against Houston. Really,
like that just doesn't make sense. No, it doesn't, It
really doesn't. And I know that there's a balance as
well of Okay, is it do you want to be
how your team is at the end of the year
or at the beginning of the year. It's you can't
get so finite. But to your point of they had
(08:59):
one game to play and they have to wait for
Week eight team to play it as opposed to say
this Jaguars team who now is playing thirty of their
divisional schedule in these final two weeks. That's it, right,
trying to figure out where the balance is because we're
also talking about competitive balance and you can't you know,
to some degree. I think if you had this conversation
(09:19):
and you've made this a topic that everybody in our business,
radio and television had to do, they would have been saying, wow,
those teams aren't playing for anything in week seventeen and
eighteen anyway, and like that, that's not the point, because
we know what the NFL worst. The first happens great
with with great regularity, playoff teams slough off either through injury, age,
(09:41):
free agency, etcetera. It's a league of turnover, and it's
a league where they're trying to achieve parody. So anytime,
you know, you dismiss any squad as much as we
may laugh at it, and history may repeat itself on
on a regular basis, like those those human emotions are
not supposed to factor in. It's like the old polling
(10:01):
system for college football, right, like we still have with
the committees, Like there's still a human elements and their
political and financial ties to different places, people and things.
The thing that the funny thing is number one, you
bring up committees and I've thought about this and listen,
if you're listening to this podcast, I am not going
(10:22):
off the deep end. I am not. Well, my my
point is is if you had a committee like setting
up the NFC playoff picture, are you having the Giants
and Commanders in the playoff picture? No, you're bringing in
the You're finding any way to get the Packers? Yes,
absolutely absolutely, which then, by the way, would make these
games more interesting. You know, yeah, you know to what
(10:45):
you're saying, like, yeah, like there's I thought about that,
like the you know this, Green Bay have to beat
Minnesota by thirty, you know, the style points Hey, I'm
old Bobby Bowden. Look what I did. Yes, anyway, completely
side the other thing I do want to say, and
we'll get to Mike's rankings in a sec here. But
(11:06):
I got a lot of key when I did this
show Thursday with Bucky Brooks of people saying a stupid
fantasy players, I'll dungeons and dragons, which, all right, it's
not a put down. It's whatever it is. Call us nerds,
call us whatever it doesn't doesn't odds. Are you you
all have your vices? Correct? Maybe you go fire off
(11:26):
dollar bills at the club with the strobe lights and
the all you can eat buffet that's been warmed over
for hours at a time. And it's a family show,
so we'll leave it there. But the games that these
these people are trying to protect and saying that we're nerds.
Were they watching Colts Chargers with five minutes left in
the fourth quarter on Monday night because they love football
(11:47):
or did they just go and change to another channel
or did they just go to bed if they're living
on the East Sunday night football to that game was terrible.
I mean it ended up being a great finish, but
it was unwatchable if you're not fully invested in fantasy
gambling or you and I with the trying to be
you know, completest and critical eyes as radio hosts and analysts.
(12:10):
I had a guy text me that he won his
fantasy game because he was up three and a half
points and the only guy that was uh playing against
him on Monday night was Chase McLoughlin. So he was
down three and a half, up three and a half
points and McLoughlin kicked the field goal for three points
(12:30):
and that was it. And how many times did we see,
you know, so my buddy ends up winning, But how
many times do we see the Colts on the red
zone and they score a touchdown? Guess what, it's the
extra point. If they just decided to kick the field goal,
this guy loses. So my my whole point of all this.
And I know gamblers have watched forever and fantasy football
players are kind of new to all of this. But
(12:52):
when you talk about ratings, when you talk about time watching,
realize the equity that's put in by these people, whether
it be gamblers or honesty football players. So don't pooh
pooh us when we're the ones who are sitting through
seventeen point dog games for something to be interested in,
just because maybe we're disappointed that somebody ran out of bound,
(13:12):
sorry Mike Tomlin, or somebody's not playing on Thursday Night football. Like,
there's a reason why these emotions are there. And listen,
we all know it's fantasy football. It's just a game,
and we're all football fans. We get the big picture.
But for people to dismiss the fantasy stuff and be
like whatever, there's a lot more equity into this than
most football fans have. And it's the argument we've always
(13:34):
had with ex players until they realized a how much
money it was bringing them and be it became away
to in an entree into broadcasting. Right, look at guys,
and God bless him, the undrafted free agent of all time,
Austin Ekeler, He's partnered with Yahoo already. We'll talk fantasy.
Let's go right. They recognize the equity, uh there, the
(13:57):
number of jerseys they get bought when you in somewhat
a title, the charity aspect, which you know branches out
to the larger community, communal effect. Guys that put a
percentage of their winnings and women that put a percentage
of their winnings towards the favorite charity or or homegrown
charity of the player that they thought helped them most.
I mean, there's so much else in the social currency
(14:19):
that goes to it. So those that try to dismiss it,
like it may not be your cup of tea. Uh,
at this point in two into twenty three, you're the outlier. Alright, Mike,
Let's get to the rankings. Now that we've got this
all off of our chest, let's get the actual game
stuff again. Get Mike on Twitter at Swollendome, find me
on Twitter at Dan Buyer on Fox. No Ryan Burr
(14:40):
Singer our executive producer again, because Ryan's doing other stuff
and our times just couldn't cross. So I'll give you
a survivor pick later on in the show. But Mike's
got the rankings. Let's start with the top five quarterbacks
four weeks seventeen, Mike in the National Football League season,
some of your usual suspects, and a guy that I
hope to see great growth with, and and maybe the
ten commissioner will become the head of operations for the Bears.
(15:03):
Justin fields going up against Detroit rushing yards and the
Dome fast track. Let's get it on. Justin Herbert going
up against the Rams New Year's Day so Fi Stadium.
They have already clinched a playoff Berth, But Justin Herbert
a guy. I think at this point he's getting all
his complementary pieces back on that offense. And don't tell
me there's not at least a little bit uh the hey,
(15:27):
let's let's let's put it on these guys a little bit. Yeah,
trying trying to get your your name in the sun.
And then like nationally, we talked a lot about the
Chargers here in l A and not so much Number
three Magic Mahomes going up against Denver. Uh, the chaos
of the Denver Broncos this week. Uh, you finally had
a couple of guys defend Russell Wilson. We'll get to
(15:48):
him in a minute. So you know, you got that
going on. But you've got a Kansas City team still rolling,
They still have things to play for, and Mahomes has
been steady as they go. Josh Allen, I because Monday
night football will be exciting viewing for everybody. Might be
the end of the holiday run for you. Maybe you'll
be traveling back and hopefully the travel machine has been
will work better this weekend. I know, Dan you you
(16:11):
had a lot of callers to to give their angst
out of their travel woes. Fox Sports some great stuff there. Uh.
And then finally I mentioned him earlier and I and
I hope he plays because I enjoy watching him work
and I would love to see the chess match. Uh
and see him finally vanquished. Love Smith and that Houston
d I'll take Trevor Lawrence as the top five quarterback,
(16:34):
but as always, keep an eye on reports as we
get towards game day for potential changes, injury updates, et cetera.
Because this week is gonna be weird. Yeah, you don't
want to be t Higgins by the Jacksonville Jaguars and
thinking you're guys gonna play and then him not being there.
All right, let's get to the running backs. Top five
ball carriers for Week seventeen. Giants at s Kwon Barkley
(16:54):
getting going against Indianapolis Colts, another team that we've had
a lot of fun with on talking about their coaching situation,
all the injuries and quarterback problems, etcetera. Giants still battling
and not apologizing for where they're at. I like with
Brian Dable has done uh and St. Kawa Barclay has
been fantastic. Dalvin Cook going up against Green Bay, Uh,
(17:16):
you know you can gash the middle of that field
against them, So I expect a big day out of him.
Austin Ekeler, the aforementioned going up against the Rams. Like,
you might not love the run game if you watched
a lot of Chargers football, maybe you haven't, but if
you have, they don't run the ball very well. But
he's got a hundred catches on the ear, so look
for more of that exactly. James Conner. I celebrate him.
(17:37):
I I was wrong. I did not think he would
come back with the effort that he had. Uh. And
even with all the chaos and Arizona still putting up points,
putting up yardage and dominating in and around the paint. Uh,
So give me him against Atlanta. And finally, I would like,
this is just life advice. Find someone in your life
that loves you and respects you and cares for you,
(18:00):
like Bill Belichick loves Romandre Stevenson. Yes, agreed, agreed, go down,
go down? Now he fumbled? Uh, you know they should
have blown it dead. Like in years past he might
have gone and gone and just beating him up on
the sideline like I see not a good fellas. Instead,
it's like, no, it's my guy. I love that guy,
and he's been complimentary all year long. Good opportunity here
(18:21):
against the Miami Dolphins, good opportunity and again, as you said,
the fumble problems and really didn't get anything done against
the Bengals, opportunity for the bounce back. Had the big
game against the Raiders, but the only thing that we
were talking about was his pitch. Did Jacoby Myers? And
then we know what happened. So and you know, at
least Jacobe Meyers stood up and just said, you know what,
I tried to play hero ball. Yes, yes he didn't try.
(18:43):
He didn't deflect it, didn't do it, and just said, nope, mine,
let's get to the top five wide receivers. I don't
think Jacoby Myers is here, but let's get to the
top five pass catchers for the week. No, here we go,
we got I'm on Ross st. Brown because I love
him like like my he's like my favorite player and
he's a guy that hold grudges the airing of the grievances.
He still has that list of wide receivers. Maybe he's
(19:04):
got a tattooed on him at this point. Maybe that's
what he did for the holiday jamarch is going up
against Buffalo. Expect points in that game. Number three, justin
Jefferson going up against green Bay. Little asterisk on that one,
because Packers are really interesting to me at this point
in time. Jire Alexander and company. How about a little
bit of Garrett Wilson. That's right, he and Mike White
against Sorry Dan against your Seattle Seahars. Uh so we'll
(19:28):
we'll roll him up there as well. And for number five,
you know, we we can play, uh just roll the
dice along the way. But I'm gonna go with a
price shot of Keenan Allen ten catches in Week sixteen.
Looked for him to have another big day because I
think Mike Williams and he'll be in the cold source,
but I think he's going to see a lot of
(19:49):
Jalen Ramsey. I wondered if this was the breakout for
Alan because it wasn't just four yard routes. Yeah, we
saw some stuff down field and we saw the big
play that could have been a touchdown on if he
doesn't stand a step out of bos at least close
to it. So there was I thought there would have
been a longer review of that. That seems that seemed
to go pretty fast. He was out. I don't know.
(20:09):
I I thought it was pretty clear. But okay, Yeah,
it's one of those I keep waiting for the the
white flakes of stuff to start for her, and normally
we at least get these subruder film of let's blow
it up really close just to show you. But that's fine. Man,
still ten catches. I can't I can't deride that, and
I mean they're interesting right as we go forward, not
(20:29):
to get to football again, but with potentially Slater coming
back to the old line and Joey Bosa actually in
practice and not just the guy they keeps showing on
the sidelines, it's good. Yeah, Bolts could be back there.
They are your top five wide receivers four weeks seventeen.
All right, let's get to the hot plays, the cold
sores and the ninjas. These are the guys. So at
(20:50):
least with the hot plays, guys you want to get
your lineup. But maybe didn't make Mike's top five who
are your hot plays for week seventeen, just outside and
he almost takes over for Trevor Lawrence. If I if
I'd be asked me against Sunday morning, you might Aaron Rodgers.
The door has opened. Playing a little looser. Christian Watson
will keep an eye on him for Sunday, but spreading
the ball around. Run game still sporadic at times, but
(21:14):
the dump offs uh and and the freewheeling opportunities are there.
Daniel Jones going up against Indianapolis like, I'm looking for
sixty yards and a touchdown on the ground. That's that's
my hope there. Jared Goff against Chicago. Hey, it's at home,
which means he'll he'll put up some points there. We
we know the split cam akers against the Charges. As
much as I can love the offensive side of things,
(21:34):
and the defense is starting to synch up from a
points allowed perspective, Acre should be able to chew us
up some yardage. Uh And he was a guy that
as we talked about Monday into Tuesday, the waiver wire claims,
I mean he was still available in like a half
a league, so folks are able to pick him up
with all the chaos here for Championship week, David Montgomery,
(21:55):
going back to that Bears Detroit game. Look for a
big role from him. You already meant and Tee Higgins
we'll get We'll get him in here. Uh. And then
of course Jerry Judy again, check your injury reports come
Sunday morning. But looks like he's gonna be able to go,
So let's go there. You like that positive reinforcement of
Russell Wilson that Jerry Judy had, or that sticking up
(22:15):
for his teammates, So you put him in the hot
plays thinking that Russ is gonna cook with him? Is
that what? Yeah? I I just think you can get
one or two plays on the edge. We we saw
after a rough start and all the derision of Russ
in that game against Kansas City and had started to
turn before he got hurt. Right, So you you saw
some and so then this is a game where you
(22:37):
might actually get to see some points. So Russell is
one of those guys from a ninja perspective. Uh, and
maybe maybe some love but for Judy, like this goes
back to the larger conversation we've had with Russell Wilson
all year, Like these are the first guys that have
ever stood up for him, Jerry Judy and kJ Hamler
suddenly raising their hand going hey, that's my guy. Now.
(22:57):
Part of it is they know that they're all stuck
together for as long as they're in Denver. Uh so
you know, you stand up your guy. But it is
a step forward seeing as we've had radio silence or
you know, a town hall meeting where every former Seahawks
stepped up to the microphone like it's you know, uh,
you know, we're gonna try to get a new stop sign,
or it did take him to week seventeen to do it.
(23:21):
But also the Courtland Sutton standing and stomping his feet
on the route against the Rams was not a good look.
And I and I think that's where the Brocco's wide
receivers else are like alright enough enough, so even though
you have the offices and the parking space stuff, I
don't think Courtland Sutton's look. And then what happened on
(23:42):
the sidelines, I think that's probably why we saw the
players that did step up speak when they did, Hey
we still got your back, throw me the ball. Let's
get no, no, not at all. Let's get to the
cold source the guys, you don't want your line up,
you don't want to touch. For weeks seventeen, everybody kept
waiting for some pixie dust to be sprinkled over. Cleeve
one and DeShawn Watson forget about it. Washington still playing
(24:03):
for things. I may not necessarily understand agree with their
quarterback decision making, but hey, uh, they do what they do.
It's interesting that Nick Chubb had to stand up and
you can almost hear the violence behind it. We gotta
play for each other, man, we gotta play for each
other whatever. Uh, Tom Brady, I'm torn on Dan. I'd
love your thoughts on this one against Caro. Tough matchup, right,
(24:27):
so it's like I have them on my cold sore list,
But there's just that little two percent where I'm like,
do do they actually find something this week? It's one
of the more fascinating games, but from a fantasy perspective,
I don't know whether you're going anywhere near any of it,
so that he got that going for you, even even
if you're sitting there. I mean to see what the
Panthers did, and no's the Lions, but running the football
(24:50):
could also if the Panthers get that going there may
not be as many opportunities for Brady fair enough. I
mean we're starting to see the articles already. Will Sam
Donald be the guy in twenty three? Plenty of time
to talk about that. All the Miami players, what do
we what do we do with those? I mean we're
playing them, but they're like back in ones high twos
with with Teddy two gloves out there you have to
(25:11):
play Tyreek Hill, Yes, you have to play Jalen Waddle
and then go back to the Raiders from out What
do you do with Davante Adams back in w R two?
And we shouldn't hope? Yeah, I think he's still got
a plan thinking that. Um, Jared Stidham has been there
obviously McDaniels has had him both in New England and
(25:31):
here that maybe there's there's something they can do and
if nothing else, they try to force feed him to
convince him that it could be okay if he stays
Sell sell Sen. These guys all on your cold sour list. Yeah, yeah,
they're all there with question marks next to them of
like how how bad and how low can it go?
Because certainly, look, if you're playing a week seventeen hopefully
(25:53):
uh you you really must have had one or two
other guys that were superstars, because these guys didn't get done,
particularly Adams along the way, Nag Harris going up against Baltimore. Uh,
you'll get some PPR love, but that's about it. We
already mentioned the bucks, So Leonard four net uh and
and our guys Mike Evans and company are a bit
tough u Amari Cooper going back, you know, and a disappointment,
(26:16):
a guy who probably wishes he's still had a star
on the side of his helmet. Uh. And then except
for the money that he got. Uh. And then Mike
Williams one touchdown since week seven, week seven yard games
since week five, and probably a lot of Jalen Ramsey's
still up in his grill. Those are the cold stars.
Give us a couple of ninja, some sneaky plays for
the Yeah, keep an eye. I know Jalen Hurts was
back at practice. He doesn't go though. You got Gardner
(26:39):
Minshew against New Orleans. Uh, keep an eye on that one.
Colt McCoy against Atlanta just because you know, strange bedfellows,
daily fantasy leagues, all of those fun things. Alexander Madison
a little bit against Green Bay because they are so susceptible.
H to the run game working Robinson going up against Cleveland. Uh,
and what you got going there, Christian Kirk going up,
(27:00):
It's Houston Dobbs against Minnesota. And then the one guy
I might look at as a w R three in
that Tampa Carolina game is Russell Gauge, whose target account
has been pretty high the last couple of weeks. The
efficient has efficiency has been there, and with all the
attention to the big studs on the outside, you think
maybe he finds a little bit of love as well.
(27:20):
There they are or hot plays, gold swords and ninja's
from Mike Carmen in week seventeen. All right, now it'side
for me to take the wheel, even though it's for
a short period of time. I give you one player
to start in, one player to bench. Mike. My one
reason to start, Aaron Jones of the Green Bay Packers
kind of falls in line to Christian Watson's situation with
Green Bay. If there is no Watson, and I know
(27:41):
you had Romeo Dobbs on your ninja list, I think
that there's more for Aaron Jones. And again the calls
to get the running backs active very very big. A J.
Dillon uh knocked out last week against the h two
weeks ago, but I'm I'm mixed. Two weeks ago, Um,
you saw Jones end up picking up some of the
(28:02):
workload there. I think it works for green Bay against
the ram So I'm saying Aaron Jones against the Vikings. Um.
I don't know how many people have came out and said,
just give the ball to their running backs. Just continue
to do that. I don't know. Dylan came back against
the Dolphins. Sometimes the weeks end up combining, but Aaron
Jones all start against green Bay basically because of the
(28:23):
Christian Watson Watson situation. I like it. I think there's
opportunity to be had. I was a guy calling for
those running backs to start the season. I also thought
that the defense was going to be good. I'm gonna
stick with the running back position on You give you
one reason to bench J. K. Dobbins against the Steelers
And I don't know how good the Steelers are. I
(28:43):
don't think that they're very good at all. And I
know the conditions last week. We're not conducive to do anything.
But the Raiders who love to run the ball and
have been able to run the ball with with Josh
Jacobs were held in check. It's a Sunday night game,
just gonna say hold off on that. So I'm gonna
say hold off on j K. Dobbins against burg. I
just like the fact that it got flexed in. Mike
Tomlin thought that was one of the greatest things ever.
(29:05):
It means we're doing something right. And the fact that
they're still alive. Like for the NFL. As much as
we were talking about the schedule and problems and back
and forth, whatever, the fact that mathematically and just spirit wise,
the Steelers and Packers are alive, that's good for football.
Can I can I give you the real reason why
I put J K. Dobbins Because I don't want anybody
to have to watch Steelers Raven That's good, that's fair.
(29:28):
That's a fair point. That would be the reason. Oh
my goodness, Sunday night football. That is tough. Yes, I
was not excited to see that. I still would rather
have seen Rams, Chargers Baker Mayfield. So like, well, there's
also another chance to sell, sell, sell the whole. Justin
Herbert right as one of the budding stars in the
(29:50):
league with Pittsburgh other than their history the recent passing
of Frank o'harris as part of that, what's there to sell?
And either saw because Lamar Jackson is not playing and
and hardball is getting shorter and shorter with his responses
at practices related to Lamar Jackson's availability. Actually on Thursday,
(30:10):
replied with I'm just coaching the guys that are here
get to that point. Yeah, it's the next level. I'm
gonna give you a survivor pick because Bursts isn't here.
My survivor picked this week, and they would probably be available.
It is the Giants and it's not. There's there's not
(30:31):
tons of options. Listen, I know that you've probably used
the Chiefs already. So you look at the Colts off
of a short week. Do I think the Colts will
come in a little bit better than they were a
week ago against the Chargers. Yes, but it's just the
point of the value of where the Giants are, So
I would put the Giants in in that scenario. Jaguars
are another popular pick. But to your point, Mike, about
(30:53):
what love Smith has been able to do and honestly
I mean to do against Trevor Lawrence and the Jaguars.
Honestly the tech since they're playing good football as of late,
so you know it's a home game. They meet him
earlier this year. It's the only reason I would shy away.
There's not much there. Niners. Obviously you love that spot
if to go up against Jared's did h'm if you
still had them available. But those are a couple of
(31:15):
the survivor picks that I would recommend this week. Yeah,
I was really hoping more. You know, I love meet
some Davis Mills. Alright, let's wrap this baby up. Three
point conversions. I'll quick give you mine points of palooza.
It's the most common one. It's Bears Lions. I mean,
it's the highest over under that we've had this week.
Fields is the top your rankings for a reason. St.
(31:37):
Brown is the top of your rankings for a reason.
I am in lockstep with you there. Uh, this one hurts.
This is really gonna hurt. And this you can tell
that I'm not biased. Good Night, Seattle. I think Zanovan
Night Bam Knight back for the Jets with Mike White
under center makes the Jets a better offense in that scenario,
and you could run on the Seahawks teams that have
(31:58):
been able to do so. I think you'll see the
Jets do that in the Pacific Northwest. And finally, I
just I ripped on the NFL this week on Fox
Sports Radio. We ripped on the NFL at the start
of this podcast. But thank you for giving us Bill's
Bengals on Monday night. I am in a fantasy championship game.
And I'm not talking about my fantasy team. Yeah, you
(32:20):
can do it. It's a fantasy podcast. People are kindred
spirit here. But I am in a game where I
have Josh Allen and Tee Higgins and he has Joe
Burrow and stefandig Yes. So it all comes down to
Monday night, and I'm like, that is so much fun
to see what could play out. And I know that
there are a lot of other people in that same situation.
(32:41):
So kudos to the NFL for at least getting that
right on their schedule. That's fantastic stuff, all right, Um,
Michael Taylor Swift, it's exhausting rooting for the anti hero,
But I Aaron Rodgers brings home a championship for you
with a big effort at home against Minnesota. Look, I
I'm in a guy ranting on on air and people
(33:01):
hate me for it. Uh talking about scoring defense meaning
more than yardage. But for fantasy purposes, yeah, I'll take
the yardage that Minnesota is gonna give me as well
as you know. It's not like they're great, it's just
more they're They're not last. There are other teams that
give up more points than they do. It's one of
my little um what do we call pet peeves along
(33:22):
the way, um the charger love, just trying to put
a stamp on things. Staley needs to keep momentum going. Yes,
the playoffs are great, but you still hear the whispers
and and their shadows of Sean Payton all over the place.
So part two, look for that offense to rev it up.
And third, and this might be the most important one
of them all, Dan, since it is New Year's Eve
(33:45):
into New Year's Day and we're talking about New Year's Day,
where you're gonna need to be looking for injury notes
and liners and whatever, second alarms and maybe one fewer drink,
maybe a little earlier to bed. I'm just saying, like,
if you're in a fantasy title game, you gotta be responsible.
(34:05):
Here on so many other work all season long to
just blow it because you have a hangover, didn't go
to bed bill four. Yeah, I mean unless you know
you you met the love of your life at that party.
Then you know you make another choice, right, you decide
which has more value to you. But for for all
the hours and time scouring the wire and and playing
these games, you know you gotta finish strong, which means
(34:27):
let's be smart and make sure we give ourselves more
than ten minutes before the final selection times to get
roster moves done. Perfect time to say it's been a
great year with you, Mike, So we transition to three.
That will be the next time that we talked to you.
Another programming note is after next week. Next week will
(34:48):
still be a two episode per week. Uh week after that,
once the NFL regular season ends, we go down to
one episode per week, and we'll be with you throughout
the all the way to the Super Bowl and even
the week after as we put a bowl on the season.
We'll be looking ahead to the three fantasy football season,
also looking back at the high points of the past year.
(35:08):
So those are all podcasts coming up in the near future.
But again, next week, we'll still do to UH a
week and then after that, after the regular season ends,
we'll go down to one. Yes, absolutely getting ready for
three big thanks to Ryan Burringer again. He's down here
but it's putting everything together. Get him on Twitter at
Ryan burr Singer. Get my Carmen on Twitter at Small
and Dome. I'm Dan Buyer. We'll talk to you next time.
(35:30):
Three on not want your flights
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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