Quack To The Future

today are Matt Harrison and Brian Johnson. Hello, guys, what's up? At what point do we apologize to Mitch Rubisky about his Thursday night performance? Do we? We don't have to apologize. Yeah, we didn't call bad. You're coming. It sounds like a happy trombone ski right there. What I what I'm really disappointed in is I've got this great, horrible trombone solo and I've only been able to use it one time because Mitch has been good. Come on, Mitch, I bring

back this version of Mitch Robisky. He's got the vikings coming up. That's gonna be uh um. I think he's got chiefs and actors next week. Now we're here this year. We are here this year at Yeah, we're kind of always here. That's right, um, as always. We're gonna break down every game, well not the Thursday game that already happened, but I got a good feeling Mitch Robisky is gonna

have a good game. We're gonna give you letter grades on every player, will give you our rationale for every grade, so you can decide whether or not you're on board with us. A few minutes from now, we're gonna give you nine guys upon whom you can take a chance. Many are available on the waiver wire. A little later on, we'll have three tough questions answered for you, and we'll run through all of the matchups. Get you ready for the playoffs. Guys, what I what I always love is Okay,

it's the playoffs that means this really counts. I need you to give your very best possible. Yeah, we were given the crap analysis are I feel like you were trying the rest of the year. Yeah, but now I really love getting that on Twitter. You really need this one. It's the playoffs. Gotta do better. Uh, let's jump. Let's jump right into the matchups. Our first matchup is with Brian Cincinnati taking on Cleveland. Cincinnati is your adopted squad.

For Joe Mixon, it's been He's slowly gotten better over the course of the year too. Now to this point he's got my highest ranking of the entire season in this matchup. What do you think about Joe Mixon this week? Yeah, speaking of doing better, Joe Mixon has scored in four of his last six games, but not an ideal spot to stay hot this week. Over their last five games, Cleveland is holding opposing backs under one Combo yards per game and they've allowed just three total touchdowns over those

five games to running backs. But you have to play mixing on volume. Malone's We'll give him a B here. Also gonna give Tyler Boyd b borderline A slot. Receivers James Washington and Alan Herns have scored against the Browns over the last two weeks, and Tyler Boyd has scored in his last two games against the Browns. So boom, let's make it an A for my boy, Tyler Boyd, A J Green, John Ross, Auden Tate. Let's talk about

these guys. Green won't play John Ross might. I think he's going to get at least sometime in this game. Tate definitely will, But I'm not starting any of these guys. That Browns have allowed just one boundary receiver to score over their last six games, and that was Courtland Sutton. The cordon or duo of Greedy Williams and Denzil Award is legit. So they're all on the bench. Boyd is

the only wide receiver I'm playing. Tyler Eifert two touchdowns the last time he faced the Browns on December eleven. I was just gonna gas. Okay, he's been that long since he's seen the Browns. He's on the bench. He's dead to us. Andy Dalton on you give him a see multiple touchdown passes and six of his last seven games against the Browns. If Marcus Mariotta, Jared Goff, Brandon Allen,

who's Jared Goff on the road? I believe Brandon Allen and Ryan Fitzpatrick can throw multiple touchdown passes against Cleveland this season. I think Dalton has a chance to over to the Cleveland side. Nick chob can give hi An a. The last running back to score through land or error against the Browns was mark Ingram in Week ten, so they've been kind of tough against the run since then. They've blanked the likes of Josh Jacobs, Benny Snell, and

Levy on Bill. But opposing backs are still leading, are still averaging a hundred combo yards per game, so Chubb gets an A and Kareem Hunt will get a B. Opposing backs are averaging five plus catches against Cincinnati over the last three weeks, and during that span Hunt has caught thirteen passes while Nick Chubb has just four catches, So easy hunt for B for hunch, maybe an A MPPR.

Even I'm gonna haven't mentioned the wide receivers now, and the first one I'm gonna talk about his Jarvis Landry while he's the leading receiver sixty five catches, nine nineteen yards, five touchdowns for Landry, seven eight oh five and two for Beckham. Brutal uh. Cincinnati is the only team in the NFL with an opponent passing play percentage under fifty though that doesn't bode well for either of these guys or the passing game. Landry has been red hot, garnering

ten plus targets and five of his last six. He's moved around quite a bit, but should still run primarily out of from the slot world see Darky's Dennard who has allowed just ten of eighteen passing for ninety yards and no touchdown. So he's good. I think he's truly a slot corner and whenever they try to play him elsewhere it doesn't work out. But in the slot, den Art is very good. Agreed and uh so this is a better matchup for Odell Beckham um probably one of

the better matchups of the season four him. But again the volume is a concern, but opposing wide receivers are averaging under seventeen targets per game against the Bengals, not a lot of volume, but Robby Anderson had seven catches for a hundred and one yards last week. Beckham can do the same, one would think. David and Joku not activated yet, so we're not going to talk about him much. But he still has Arizona next week, so he's worth Mosterick and pick him up now for that Arizona matchup

next week. You know you got a figure for those that are still allowed to make waiver moves. He'll be a hot waiver wire guy next week. So if you wanted Joku for free, effectively, go pick him up now. I should. I didn't mention though I gave a B to both Landry and Beckham and Baker. Mayfield also gets a B two eighty four and three and two fifty eight and four in the two games. Again since the last season. This is the first meeting, by the way,

very late for a divisional the first divisional matchup. But again, how much will the Browns need to pass in this one? The Bengals understandably limited Sam Donald the combo of Duck Hodges, Mason Rudolph and Derek cart in recent weeks, but they're still ranked thirty one against the past by football outsiders. Baker should do fine, but his ceilings a little caps here, just to be all right, Uh, Matt, let's move over to San Francisco taking on the Saints, as are two

good defensive teams. And let's start with the forty Niners side of this one where he mostarred splashed big time last week. We're gonna talk about him in depth a little later. What do you think of where he mostred in the rest of the running game for the forty Niners in this matchup? So I was gonna say this is a really good reality game, but a pretty bad fantasy game for the most part. Here Um, I got all the running backs on the bench because it's Shannahannigans

all over again. Touch leaders in the backfield over the last five weeks have been Brita, Brita, Coleman, Coleman, Mostart, and now Jeff Wilson is back involved again to most Are huge day last week was the only back in that span the topped eighty rushing yards for the Niners. No back has topped eighty three yards in the Saints all year, and they've only allowed one rushing score to running back in the last seven games. So they're all on the bench. Um, I don't really like much in

the passing game either. I'm giving Jimmy Garoppolo a bench grade. Garoppolo has put up three big games this year. They were two against the Cardinals and one against Cincinnati. In his other nine games on the season, he's averaging two hundred six yards and one point one touchdowns per game. So unless you had the number one overall pick last year or the number one overall pick this year, he's not doing We're very well against right, Yeah, so we

should call him Jimmy three pretty much three good games. Uh. The Saints have allowed multiple scores to each of the last four quarterbacks they faced, and two of those four of top three yards. But I still don't think Jimmy g is getting it done. George Kittle, I am giving an A grade. Two Kittles topped eighty five yards or scored in five of his last seven and the Saints have given up four relevant fantasy days to tight ends in the last four weeks. So Kidles just an auto start.

Emmanuel Sanders gets to see Deebo Samuels on the bench. Sanders led the team in targets and catches last week, but that was only six and four, respectively. He seems to be over the rib injury, but he's not over Marshawn Lattimore, who he should draw shadow coverage from this week. On the Saint side, Michael Thomas easy a. I am giving an A grade to Alvin Kamara as well. And there's there's okay, I'm gonna I'm gonna get right into all the shade that needs to be thrown here alright. Um,

he hasn't topped a hundred rushing yards all year. He's scored only twice, both in one game. Yes, on the positive side, running back has topped eighty total yards on the Niners, and six of the last seven weeks that'll be Kamara, and Kamara has seen reception totals of eight, ten, nine, and four in the last four weeks. Those are huge reception totals, and in PPR leagues, he's still just an

auto start. I think he's an a start. Nobody in the in the playoffs right now is thinking about benching Alvin m Nobody's got Alan Camara in the playoffs because they're all out. Maybe, um, did you good job, Drew Brees. I'm only giving a C grade two. Over the last eleven games, the Niners are only allowing a hundred and forty three passing yards and under a touchdown per game to opposing quarterbacks. The only quarterbacks who have burned the Niners over the last two months were the mobile Lamar

Jackson and the mobile Kyler Murray twice. Drew Brees mobility might be improved if he played with one of those hover around electric wheelchairs. I think that that might help him. Jared Cook, also on the bench, the Niners have been awesome against the tight end this year. Only two tight ends of top thirty two yards against them all year, and they've only allowed three scores to the position. Um, why can't um? Why can't Drew Brees be on what

was the palm? The mall cop? Paul Blart mark mall cop? Yes, why can't he be on a segway? He could? I mean, are there specific rules in the NFL that state that you can't ride motorized vehicles? That's right? Show me in the in the rule book for the NFL where it says just been a sega. It just has to match the uniform. That's all they care about. Yeah, my kids are really good at those hoverboard things. Yeah, Breese might might do well in those. I think I'd break my back.

Ravens taking on the Bills Another that we've You know, we're starting out with a lot of low scoring, tough defense, really good reality games this week that aren't gonna lend you a lot of fantasy points. And this is Baltimore. Buffalo is a great reality game, and there aren't that many fantasy points to be had. So we're gonna do go through the charade with Lamar Jackson where I'm gonna tell you all the reasons he should have a bad game. Then you're gonna start him anyway, are we gonna do that.

I'm gonna give him an a grade anyway. We have we don't have the time for this. Here are the reasons you should bench Lamar Jackson outright, and we'll never bench Lamar Jackson outright. The Bills ranked fourth and passing yards allowed, second in passing touchdowns allowed um. They are allowed the third fewest quarterback rushing yards, just eight rushing yards per game. Two of the past twenty seven quarterbacks

of face Buffalo have scored a rushing touchdown. And I'm giving him an a grade anyway, because the rules just don't apply to Lamar Jackson right now. Uh, staying staying with the Ravens and maybe even the passing game. The only the only member the passing game that you can start here is Mark Andrews. It is a tough matchup though The Bills have allowed the second fewest receptions, yards and touchdowns to tight end basically the top tight end defense,

and they basically are the top tight end defense. And Andrews only gets a be because he's been that good no no tight end his top sixty yards against the Bills, and only one tight end his top fifty yards, and that was John hu Smith. Who did it on one flukey long catch. So it's a brutal matchup and Mark Andrews probably deserves more like a C grade here, but he's been so good for much of the year, I'm giving him a B. Anyway, it sounds like you're gonna

play the players that got you there. Oh yeah, I hate that. Then Marquis Hollywood Brown averaging a pedestrian thirty six yards per game over the last six weeks. See, you need him to score, So Willie score? Answer no, because he's gonna get shadowed by trade Abous White, who is not allowed to touch down all season, so he's

out to Where does that leave us? Mark Ingram? Over the last three games, the Bills are allowing fewer than fourteen rushing attempts, the fewest for only fifty seven rushing yards, fourth fewest. Last week, it was only the second time since Week four that mark Ingram did not have one rushing yards or a touchdown, and that was against a tough forty Niners defense. This is also a tough draw here, but mark Ingram usually gets it done, so he gets a B grade. Overall. It's it's tough if if Lamar

Jackson is going to have a flop game. This is the one, but you're still starting. Let's go to the Buffalo side. We've only got a couple of starting grades here, beginning with a C grade on Josh Allen. Over the past month, the Ravens are giving up ten and a half points per game. That's it. Only Patrick Mahomes has topped one touchdown against the Ravens, and while Josh allen rushing prowess is always a wild card, the Ravens have stymied other good rushers this year, like Kyler Murray and

Deshaun Watson. The Ravens have allowed the third fewest quarterback rushing yards as well, So it's all it all, It's all bad for Josh Allen. The only other starting grade I've got is Devin Singletary. The Ravens defense much more vulnerable on the ground than through the air. Aside from shutting down Todd Gurley two weeks ago, the Ravens have allowed one hundred rushing yards or a touchdown to running back in each of their last four games, and Devin

Singletary averaging eighteen touches since he's supplanted Frank Gore. So I think, but just between all the usage and the fact he can't pass on the Ravens, Singletary has got a reasonable chance at a good game here. We're not going to start John Brown in a brutal match of revenge. It is a revet. You're right, Revenge Stock. I forgot about their revenge dock. Thank you. Revenge Duck is back um. Over the last two weeks, he's averaging just thirty three

yards on less than three catches per game. That's John Brown. But the important thing to know is since the Ravens got Jimmy Smith back from injury and traded for Marcus Peters and have had those two in the same backfield, basically nobody passes for anything. And that's the case there. Yes, I was thinking, just Lamar Jackson, you're toiling over starting him. Most people who own him probably have a bye, which is the silver line, which is absolutely great because they

need that. By this week. They might like it's danger takes it. It could be. I mean, I just I really think if there's one game where Lamar Lamar Jackson has the backgame is up and I'm stilliving him an a because he's just agreed, agreed. I'm just saying a lot of owners. Will they have a vibe most likely

everything charge available for you at fanball dot Com. By going to fanball dot com slash chart, you get instant access to my free weekly rankings, my free one dollar weekly contest, super Flex salary cap contests, are podcasts, and much more. Again fanball dot Com slash Chart. Coming up next a segment we like to call take each hants on Me. Nine players who you would not normally start, but you can this week find out who they are when we come back to Fantasy Football Weekly Weekly Returns.

It's called take a chance on Me. Nine players not normally in your starting lineup, many of whom are available on the waiver wire. My co host and I are going to provide three quarterbacks, to running backs, and three receivers we believe are unusually startable this week, beginning with Brian Johnson in the quarterback position. Who you got all right? We heard the revenge duck. Now I need the duck duck. The distinction very slept between those ducks, Devlin Duck Hodges

At Arizona, this is quite simple. Arizona has surrendered the most passing touchdowns in the league with thirty one. They've surrendered three plus passing yunds in five straight games. Duck has turned the tables on the Hunters because he's got the gun. He's got a cannon, and the Cardinals have allowed sixty pass plays of twenty plus yards. Zero Ducks greater than Cardinals. I think if a real Duck and a real Cardinal got in a fight, oh, I take the Duck, I take the Cardinal. They are mean. That

is a mean, mean bird. You should see the blue jays in my backyard. The Cardinal. Yeah, there mean to the jerks of the avion world, for sure, they are. You want to want to hear about another jerk? Sam Donald was a jerk last week against Since he really was. But he's the quarterback against the Dolphins, and that's basically it. The Dolphins have been the slump buster uh for every quarterback.

Multiple scores for each of the following fantasy studs, and I used that in print their quotation marks uh, Phil Rivers, Case Keenum Mason, Rudolph Baker, Mayfield, even let Carson Wentz get back in the positive. Last week, Donald's coming off a bad game against the lowly Bengals and the prior to games against Washington and Oakland. He was averaging over three hundred yards and three scores per game. I think Donald's probably on that again this week three three calling

it all right. I'm now I'm wondering what are slump buster sound should be. I really hope Donald makes out all right this weekend. I think it's gonna Ryan Fitzpatrick goes up against the Jets in that same game, and you know what this is, It's time for the revenge duck as Rand Fitzpatrick takes on the Jets. He faced the Jets in week nine two eight yards and three touchdowns for Mighty Stu Beard. Volume will be Fitzpatrick's friend. Since Week six, opponents are throwing thirty eight passes per

game against New York. They're a great run defense. At Miami can't run at all, and they are a terrible past defense. And Stu Beard's the best thing going. When Fitzpatrick throws thirty eight or more passes, he averages three one yards. Big game coming for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Let's go to the take a chance, I mean running backs, Brian. I'm staying with the Steelers and going Jalen Samuel's at the same Arizona Cardinals of course, James Conner has been

ruled out. Yes, Benny Snill will start, but Samuels will assume all of the third down work and could be in line for an expanded role if Pittsburgh somehow manages to fall behind, which isn't all that unrealistic. Um Arizona has been been a good matchup for pass catching backs as of late, outside of the Rams runners, who are rarely targeted. The Cardinals yielded catch totals of thirteen and twelve to the back fields of San Francisco and Tampa Bay in their last two games prior to the l

A game. And then there's more receiving angles here. Juju looking kind of dicey. He's out, He's ruled out. Okay, my bad Vance McDonald's. Janlen Samuels might be a better tight end than Vance McDonald is. And we all know how tight ends do against the Arizona Cardinals. So changing Jylen Samuel's position, all right, don't get let Yahoo know, because they'll make anybody a tight end, or they did last year. They've done it several times. Uh, Matt, you

take a chance to mere running back. I planted my flag in one of the Buccaneers running backs, and so I'm trying to decipher this one. So hear me out. Ronald Jones is still the starter, but Peyton Barber shows up and kills you ever so often like he did last week. But the Bucks have essentially split the backfield in games where it's close or where they're leading the line in this game is Bucks by three show, which should be one of those games. So what backs have

had the most success against against the Colts in recent weeks. Yes, it's Derrick Henry, It's Carlos Hyde, alright, it's Leonard four net bigger back, It's Trey Edmonds. All four of them have the same thing in common there two pounds or more. Ronald Jones is two hundred pounds. Peyton Barber. There we go. If it's gonna be a close game, we're looking at both of these guys in the twelve to fifteen carry arrange. But Barber is gonna have the success. Okay, I like it,

calling you shot um. I tweeted this earlier. I think last Sunday. There are approximately forty million Americans and Canadians who play fantasy football. I'm glad you kept the Canadians in there. Well, they count a boot. They There isn't one person who has successfully started either Peyton Barber in all the right weeks and benched him in all the right weeks, or Ronald Jones started him in all the right weeks. Nobody's broken it down like I just did.

Right there. No, that's gonna be the angle right there, might take a chance to be running back has not scored a rushing touchdown in two years. That's Davanta Freeman. It's come to this. It was the the playoff game before the Minneapolis miracle. I think you're right, Um. The Panthers are the opponent this week. They've allowed a rushing score in eight straight games. They've given up nineteen running

back touchdowns this year. Caroline has given up at least one hundred fifty two combo yards to their opponents in five of the last six games. What was the one game in the last six in which they did not give up one hundred fifty two yards? It was the Falcons Brian Hill and Brian Hill. Watch Brian Hill get three touchdowns. That I thought about that. I'm like, well, I should just go Brian Hill right now. But Freeman should get the majority of the work here is pedestrian.

As he's been, he should get the majority of the work in a great matchup, Let's go to the receivers. Who's he to take a chance of me? Receiver, Brian, I'm staying in the desert in Arizona, but I'm going to the other sideline with Larry Fitzgerald. I can't move using letterally Fitzgerald as it take a chance and receiver for a while. He has provided he say four as of late with catch totals of eight, five and six. But there is potential for a ceiling here, especially if

Arizona is playing from behind slot wish. Slot wide receivers have faredwell against Pittsburgh in the last three Landry Jarvis Landry at six or seventy six, Tyler Boyd five for one oh one in a touchdown, and then it was Jarvis Landry uh again or it was going you know back in time had four for forty three and one. Even Miami's Alan Hearns and Albert Wilson both scored from the slot against Pittsburgh not long ago. So let's gool Larry fits all right, I got a double bonus. Take

a chance to me, wide receiver, here. But first I gotta ask you a question. Which one of these names does not belong here? Zach Pascal, Marcus Johnson, Donovan Reiners or Ashton duel in Um. All of them don't belong in the NFL. Three of them are coldswide receivers that received a target last week. The fourth is a kid from my son's soccer team. Okay, great Pascal is the obvious play with t Y Hilton officially out, but Marcus

Johnson becomes interesting. He had six targets four receptions in fifty five yards last week, and this week he gets Tampa. The Bucks have allowed the most receptions and yards to wide receivers in the second most touchdowns in the league, with nineteen on the season through twelve games. Marcus Johnson is even in play in a deep league. I think we have to be very deep. But yes, bucket yours secondary has been strangely competent the last couple of weeks,

but I don't trust it alright. Our final take a chance of me player is a tight end. Not only is he a tight end, he is the tight end in that he has He's the highest scoring fantasy tight end over the last six weeks. And he's available in half of the league's That's Kyle Rudolph. Since Adam Feeland's injury, he has scored six touchdowns in six games. When he faced to troyd in Week seven, this week's opponent, five catches,

fifty eight yards and a touchdown for Kyle Rudolph. Since that Rudolph touchdown in Week seven, the Lions have surrendered four more tight end touchdowns, including touchdowns to the likes of Foster Moreau, Ben Bronicker and Jasper horse Stead. If those guys can score on the Lions, why not Kyle Rudolph available in half of leagues? Those are solid NFC North splits splits right there, Brown and Jesper what's his stead? Yesper Harstead. Um, let's go to work. In one or

maybe even two matchups into this segment. Denver taking on the Houston Texans and Brian Drew Lock got his first start last week, looked quasi competent. What do you think about him this week against an inconsistent Houston Texans secondary. Well, first off, this is the battle of teams who paid Brock Oswiler to play football. That's a good point, but the Texans lost that one. By a wide margin by Start Cleveland. Like, huh picked up the tab because it's

been a while. The official name on this show is brick Oss Wilder, so let's keep that straight my bed anyway. Uh, you mentioned Drew Lock. I got him on the bench, just rookie making his first road start. It's a it's it's better than neutral matchup. But let's see what we got here. Uh, let's go to his top receiver. Obviously, Courton and Sutton can give him a B. He's an automatic A with an a proven competent quarterback. Hopefully Drew Lock can prove to be that at some point. Because

Courtlon Sutton is let. Houston has allowed the fifth most wide receiver touchdowns on the season, but just two over the last four games. That's said, they haven't faced anyone quite like Sutton, so a safe B for Courtland here. I wanted to get kind of cute with Tim Patrick, but just again, with Drew Lock making his first start on the road, I'm gonna put him on the bench

as well. As Noah Fant was out targeted by Jeff Human last week, and Fant can't block supposedly, and Drew Drew Locks probably need some blockers in this game, so he's on the bench. Houston has only allowed three tight end touchdowns all season. By the way, air Ebron, Darren Waller,

Mark Andrews Fant isn't quite in that company just yet. Uh. Philip Lindsay, though does get a starting grade with a B, was actually out snapped by Royce Freeman last week, with Lindsay still had two x the touches, so I'm not too worried about that. And the Texans have been getting touched up by opposing backs recently over the last three weeks. Uh. They're allowing a hundred and thirty plus combo yards in every game to opposing running backs and six total touchdowns

to the position during that span. So a safe B for Philip Lindsay here Over to the Houston side, and uh to the running backs Carlos Hide and Duke Johnson, this situation got pretty messy last week. I'm gonna give both a sea here. Duke outtouched Tide fourteen to eleven total ninety yards in a touchdown. Hide had twenty two meaningless scoreless yards. So gross Hide looks tired to me. And then he does this a lot where he wears

down Duke looks like he's got the fresher legs right now. Yeah, I might change my mind when I'm done with this analysis here because outside of a monster game by Leo four Nett in Week four against the Broncos, Denver had been shutting down opposing running backs all season, but they've kind of packed it in the last couple of games. Last week Black Backs, that's the Chargers running backs total the hundred seventy seven yards and uh, I get it.

And Buffalo Backs had a hundred seventy nine combo yards of the week before no touchdowns there. So I'm gonna give both a sea here because Houston should dominate time of position. Um DeAndre Hopkins though another brutal draw after getting Stephon Gilmore last week. Gets Chris Harris, but he's DeAndre Hopkins. He can't go below a season on your bench. He still gotta start him. Well. Fuller going to give him a sea borderline b Denver has allowed seven wide

receiver touchdowns over the last six games. Kind of shocking. Fuller should be free from Harris uh shadow coverage, but per usual Fullers a boom or bust option. Uh, he will see a lot of Isaac Yam. Yes, the corner who has a career one of the six quarterback rating in his coverage. So a safe sea for will Fuller. Hey, Will Fuller, how about holding on in the ball? Yeah, how about catching a pass? That would be nice, that

would help as well. And Darren Fells he's on the bench three or less, three less targets and four straight games. He's irrelevant yet again. And Deshaun Watson, you give him a b here. Denver has allowed multiple passing touchdowns and three straight games. These these teams actually met in November of last year and Watson had two thirteen and two passing and thirty eight rushing yards. Probably a safe floor

for him here. That does sound about right. Um Matt Indianapolis taking on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers already talked about several players from this game. Marlon Mack is going to be back in this one. Now, what we're not clear about is he's got the hand in We're not clear you know, just this mean he goes right back to being a workhorse or are they going to keep rotating guys that I think that makes us a little bit murky. It was a broken hand, so that the concern is

ball security and pass catching both. Yeah, so um, we're probably looking at Marlon Mack who gets maybe half the touches, and then we're gonna get Jordan Wilkins and Jonathan Williams. Wilkins replaced Williams last week who was benched. So I have all of these guys on the bench and this one um Tampa has allowed the fewest rushing yards in the league to the position and only five total touchdowns on the season, and with how murky this backfield looks

this week, they're all on the bench. Jacoby Bursett, I'm giving a B grade to. The only quarterbacks that have not thrown multiple touchdown passes against the Bucks in the last ten weeks are Matt Ryan, who was replaced by Matt shab because the Falcons were up by a ton and the Jags quarterbacks Gardner Minshew and Nick Foles last week. And Minshew had one forty seven and one and a half of play, so you know, play that out. He's

got about um. So Brissett's definitely in. Jack Doyle gets an A grade to Only the Cardinals have allowed more touchdowns to the tight end position, and we've seen this in the past. When one of those two tight ends goes out, the other one takes all the numbers, and you combine those two tight ends into a super tight end and they're good. By the way, t Y Hilton is out, Zach Pascal and Marcus Johnson where my code.

Take a chance on me wide receivers. Pascal's probably like a solid A A minus is B plus ish grade. I'm in on that. I picked him up. I'm starting him in a playoff game, yes, right, Um, I talked about the running backs for the Bucks, and take a chance on me. We don't need to. I don't think I'm starting Ronald Jones or Daria Ogun Boala. Peyton Barber just kind of gets a see. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin each get A grades. Evans is third in the league in targets inside the ten, but hasn't scored in

four straight so some positive regression is due. And from the perimeter, both DJ Chark and DeAndre Hopkins each scored twice against the Colts in the last three weeks. Colts slot corner Kenny Moore is out for this game, so Godwin will be running it back up and a made up name from Charge Roland Milligan. Roland Milligan was burned by former undrafted free agent and also made up name Cliff Raymond for a forty yard score last week. Jamis Winston gets a B grade, mostly because I like his

wide receiver so much. But no quarterback has topped three yards in the last six games against the Colts, and no quarterback has thrown for more than two touchdown passes since Week three against this team. But I just gave a grades to the wide receiver, so I got to give at least a B to Winston and a desperation D grade to O. J. Howard if you've got no

one else. Howard had five catches on six targets last week, was on the field for seventy of the plays, and the Colts have allowed the ninth most receptions to the tight end position, So if you're really, really in a pinch, it's it's a deep play for sure. Did you know fan ball has day fantasy auctions actions? Yes, you do. You love auctioning in the preseason, You'll love auctioning for this weekend's games. Fanball auctions are fast paced, their frantic.

They're real time as you bid on four players simultaneously. Against your opponents. Go to fanball dot Com click on the auctions tab. Coming up next on Fantasy Football Weekly, we will break down more matchups, including the Detroit Lions taking on the Minnesota Vikings, David Blow making a second ever start. What can you do with Marvin Jones and Kenny Golladay. We'll tell you when we come back to

Fantasy Football Weekly. You're listening to Fantasy Football Weekly. I am Paul Giargie and my co host Matt Harrison and Brian Johnson from fanball dot Com. You can hear us over the here on many stations around the country, and this show is also a podcast available every Friday and all major podcasting platforms, including the number one destination for a podcast, the I Heart Radio app de Troy. It takes on the Minnesota Vikings. This one's uh. This one's

a little bit thorny with a fair number of moving parts. Here. The quarterback for the Lions, as you probably saw on Thanksgiving, David Blow. Now his wide receivers have strongly positive matchups, so I'm not ruling out a decent game from him, despite being a second start rookie going up against Mike Zimmer, which doesn't on the face of it sound very promising, but I wouldn't be surprised if Kenny Golladay and Marvin

Jones at decent games here. So I've got I'm giving a C grade to David blow Zimmer has faced four backup quarterbacks this year. None have topped one touchdown pass, but they've all beat him two of them. Two of them have beaten the Vikings. Marvin Jones doesn't have any history against the Vicings. Oh it certainly did not score four times in the earlier matchup with the Vikings, and I think he's got I think he's got eight touchdowns in his last four against the Vikings. I believe yikes uh.

He will see both Trey Waynes and Xavier Rhodes. Marvin Jones will um and they're both strong matchups. Based on his history this year, Jones we most more oftensee Xavier Rhodes, though, who is allowed over one hundred yards in his coverage and back to back weeks and was benched for a while last week. So Marvin Jones gets to be great. He was better when he was Xavier Rhodes and now that he's ex Xavier Rhoades, he used to be Xavier Roads.

He's an ex Xavier Rhodes. You're right, he has an ex Xavier h Kenny golladays for him also be great. His his rookie quarterback hit him for a seventy five yard bomb in the second play of the game on Thanksgiving, but he still hasn't had more than four catches in a game in a month, which makes him very boom or bust. Over the last four games, Minnesota has allowed over two hundred yards per game to opposing receivers, including

allowing four receivers to top the century mark. So Gala Day is still in play here and he could do well again. I've got him with a B grade. Let's go to the running game where both Scarborough will get the start again and he's gotten nearly all the carries since he took over three weeks ago, but he gives you nothing through the air, So keep that in mind if you're a PPR league. I know the Vikings just got hammered by the Seahawks Runners, but that has been

an aberration. Minnesota hasn't allowed running back to top seventy six yards in their five home games, and only Andy Janovic has scored a rushing touchdown in Minnesota this year. I don't even know who Andy Janovich is. A one

yard gold line plunge for Andy Janovich fullback Broncos. Let's go to the Minnesota side where Kirk Cousins gets a straight up A. Even without we believe Adam Theeland, who is unlikely to play, Cousins is thrown multiple touchdowns in four straight games and seven of the past eight games, most of them without Adam clan In that mix of games was his Week seven performance against Detroit, in which he threw for three hundred thirty eight yards and four touchdowns.

Every opposing quarterback except Dwayne Haskins, who does not count since Week seven, has blown up against the Lions, averaging three seventeen yards and three and a half touchdown passes. It's a great opportunity for Kirk Cousins, and that means I must like his receivers, and I do. That includes Kyle Rudolph, who is might take a chance of a receiver as I mentioned earlier, and he gets a B grade. Stephen Diggs gets a B grade. It's for Diggs. It's

been all or nothing in these games. Without feeling in three of the past four games, Diggs has had fifty yards or less receiving, and then in the other one he went four five catches, hundred twenty one yards and a touchdown. Fortunately, Diggs faces a familiar opponent in the Allions, who he pasted for seven catches a hundred forty two

yards in the Week seven matchup. To try to struggle in pass coverage over the last three games, giving up two hundred thirty five yards per game to receivers, the second most over the last three weeks out of any team. So I do think dig shakes free here. He will get almost certainly shadow coverage from Darius Slay, But Darius Slay just isn't a shutdown cornerback anymore. He's good, but he's not a shut automatic, shutdown cornerback, and he's an

ex Darius Slay Exterius Slay. I like it um now if you wanted to get really cute, and at this stage of the year, you don't need to because you're probably in the playoffs. But maybe the worst slot cornerback in the league is Justin Coleman, who has given up the most yards in coverage of any cornerback. He's their slock cornerback. You could try Olabes Johnson. I do think the Vikings that will move Steph Diggs into the slot to try to abuse Coleman with Digs in that matchup.

Let's go to the running backs. Dalvin Cook one percent will play. He's got the shoulder injury but isn't even on the injury report for the weekend. Cook smoked Detroit in the week seven meeting for one d forty two yards and two touchdowns. But since then they got Mike Daniels back, and since getting their defensive tackle back, they have not allowed more than seventy five yards to a back.

Cook has scored touchdowns in ten different games and Detroit is allowed five running back touchdowns in its last four weeks, many of them by the air, and Cook has become a big part of the passing game. Now there's a chance here that with the shoulder injury, Cook gets less work, and if he gets less work, that brings Alexander Madison in the conversation, I think he's startable with a C grade here because we don't know for sure how much work that Cook gets. And then also there's this the

Vikings are thirteen point favorites. There's a chance they just get up by a lot. Could be a blowout. It could be a blowout. They could end up that. It could end up just resting Cook at some point and it turns into a Madison game in the fourth quarter. So I do have a C grade at Alexander Madison. Let's go to our next matchup, that is Tennessee taking on the Oakland Raiders. Well, Derrick Henry is the easy part of this equation, right. I think the real question

is what does he leave? What? How many leftover points are there for the passing game? Easy for Henry. I just want to mention really quick, he's playing out his rookie con tracked right now. So talk about motivation going into the fantasy play unrestricted free agent after this year. Yep, he's looking to get paid and he's doing a good job of that. Future Tampa Bay buccaneer possibly. Um. I do not like a lot of the past catchers for the Titans. Shockingly, UM, let's start with A J. Brown

and Corey Davis. Davis is on the bench. Uh. First off, let me say opposing wide receivers are seeing less than eight team targets per game against the Raiders. Those are not numbers for opposing receivers and in that, in that, I mean, and if you're the Tennessee Titans, why pass? Yeah, you're right, I mean you've got Derrick Henry an unhealthy numbers are Davis's target total over the target totals over the last five games. It's gone from seven to six

to five to three to two. Just drop him. He's worthless. He's probably dropbab Dynasty leagues at this point. Yeah, I will give A J. Brown a celough despite the low target total by opposing wide receivers. Oakland is one of eight teams that have allowed more than two thousand yards and at least twelve touchdowns to wide receivers. This here, so see for A J. Brown the number one receiver on that team. Adam Humphrey's not going to play. I believe I wasn't really gonna mention him anyway. He's been

a huge disappointment, huge John new Smith. I have him on the bench, even with Delaney Walker on I R. Anthony Firkser might actually be the tight end to start, but you want to avoid this situation entirely. They're both on the bench. I will give Ryan Tannehill as see um even though it should be a Monster Henry game. Oakland has allowed multiple multiple touchdown passes and seven of their last nine games. The only quarterbacks who failed to do so where Ryan Finley and of course Patrick Mahomes.

He did total to touchdown, so he didn't run one in so see it for Tannehill. But Tannehill has had multiple touchdowns and everyone his starts. Yeah, you know, the problem is he's doing it on eighteen passes, nineteen passes, twenty passes. The low volume just caps Tannehill's upside because they just running Derrick Henry so well, and the low volume and the writings on the wall for that in this matchup for sure, um over to the Raiders who

are underdogs at home. By the way, Josh Jacobs, if you're gonna if you're gonna break the show every time and alert listeners every time the Raiders are home underdogs. It wasn't that. That wasn't the case, at least for a few weeks when people thought the Raiders were good. Right, they had met Trick, they were the sixth seed in the playoffs and up until for a hot minute. But anyway, Josh Jacobs has a shoulder injury. He is a game time decision at this point in appeared it's a broken shoulder.

It's fractured. So DeAndre Washington go out and scoop him up. I was gonna give Jacobs a B if he plays. I'll give Washington a B. I suppose if Jacob sits. Over the last four games, Tennessee has allowed a hundred and forty eight combo yards and one and a half touchdowns per game to running backs, and Jacobs does way better at home. By the way, even though Oakland is a underdog. So just you got a monitor, Josh Jacobs, he must handcuff DeAndre Washington must add Washington in all

leagues at this point. Really, who has been added a long time ago thanks to this show is Darren Waller. I should say drafted, not added. Waller is averaging over seventy yards per game over the last three weeks, and during that same span, both Travis Kelsey and Jack Doyle top seventy receiving yards and scored a touchdown against the Titans. Waller can do the same. Tyroll Williams, I was gonna bench him if it Dorry Jackson plays. But Dorri Jackson

is going to miss this game. So despite not topping six targets in six straight games, Tyroll Williams, I'll give him a see, but you know what, he's really a great boomer bus Are you like a high ceiling play on fanball? In DFS, I would go out chase Tyroll Williams in a few lineups. But despite starting Tyroll Williams Derek Carr bench, come on, come on, it just hasn't

come together. Car was eminently startable through the middle of the season and but just it's all, it's all feels like it's fallen apart and you need easier matchups At this stage, I think, yeah, there's um a couple of wet time for one more matchup to work in Miami Dolphins taking on the New York Jets. Matt we already talked about this as a revenge game for Stu Beer. What do you think of the other members of the

passing game and especially DeVante Parker. I think very highly of DeVante Parker because as far as Fitzpatrick's targets go, Parker has seventy seven targets for Stu Beard this year. No other wide receiver has more than thirty three, and he's seen double digit targets in four straight. In fact, since Preston Williams knee injury, Parker's top five in the NFL and targets receiving yards and air yards. So over

the last five weeks. Uh, he gets the Jets defense that's allowed eight wide receiver touchdowns and that's the second most in the league over that span. A grade for Parker. Mike get Sicki gets a B grade. Gisicky has had six or seven targets in each of the last five weeks. In each of the last five games, a tight end has topped forty yards or scored versus the Jets. That includes Gisicky's six in Week nine. Um, we're not starting the running game though Patrick Laird is on the bench.

He's a fourth string running back going against a team that hasn't allowed a runner to top forty four yards since Week eight, So we're not thinking about that in a playoff matchup. On the other side, the running back situation is a little tricky because Levy on Bell is a game time decision with an illness. I bet he goes, but you plan for Bellow Powell in his absence because if Bell doesn't go, Powell will be grade, but I

think I think Bells will be grade to um. The Fins have had the most rushing attempts against them this year, as opponents are averaging twenty seven rushing attempts per game. That's a huge number. Bell put up a hundred and twenty one total yards in the first meeting on twenty five touches. Sam Donald was might take a chance and the quarterback means I like his wide receiver's Jamison Crowder. I'm giving an A grade to Robby Anderson. I'm giving

a b um. No team has allowed more touchdowns to the wide receiver position than the Dolphins twenty one so far this year. The Dolphins have allowed nine touchdowns on nine slot targets this year, and Crowder's running from the slide um and I like Anderson because outside speedsters have burned the Fins over the last few weeks. John Brown, O'Dell and Alshon Jeffrey each had huge games against the Dolphins. And then Ryan Griffin. I'm even given a B two.

He's had another seven targets last week. He faces a Dolphins team that's allowed the sixth most yards to the tight end position, So Griffin is available in a pinch. Yeah, I think he is too, and I'm i gotta start with one of my playoff leagues. I'm starting Ryan Griffin. I think there's an opportunity here coming up. Next, we've answered three tough questions. You get to play a lot, try to go three and oh. We've crafted three absolute mind benders for you to try to play along with.

It won't be easy to try to go three and oh. Three tough questions on Fantasy Football Weekly. Next, it's Fantasy Football Weekly. I am pul Charchie in my co host and for this segment, panel of experts are Brian Johnson and Matt Harrison. Let's uh dig into three tough questions, guys. Traditionally we like to begin on a tough question. Number one. In redraft leagues, should owner who are in the consolation bracket be allowed to make waiver wire moves? Brian, I'll

make this short and sweets. If there's anything on the line that you can win, I don't care. If it's a red balloon, then the answer is yes. If there's a punishment for the last place team, then the answer is yes. But otherwise no, I get like, yes, everyone should have a chance to play out the season. But just play out the season with the players you got and let the big boys play for the prize. But if there's anything on the line, yes, at all. But if there's not, no, just just sit it out and

make best with what you got. So wait, but there is there's a consolation bracket, So there is a problem. It doesn't matter if there's a consolation brackets. Elation bracket is the questions and your answer is yeah, I'm gonna assume there's a prize at the end of this braacket. Doesn't have to be a monetary prize. Why I can't it just be I know I won. Well, that's worthless in my opinion, that's worthless if there's no if there's nothing, if there's no picks, if there's if there's no, it's

gonna brag about winning the consolation brack it. Come on, if that's if you're going to brag about that. But if there's a I brag about that before I brag about a red balloon. But you get the red balloon. I was I was gonna say penny instead of adonai. Okay, penny. No, So no is your answer. If there's no monetary value, No, so yes is the answer. If one one cent or more of value, then yes yes. If there's not, then no, Yes, Matt, my answer is similar, but I'll try to do it

more eloquently. By default, that will happen. If there's a prideful Toilet Bowl trophy or anything on the line, you got to allow them to play, especially if it's a dinostair keeper league. For sure, you need to allow people to pick up. If you believe the flip side, and you do not believe people should be able to pick up any players once they're out of the top bracket in your playoff league. There should not be a consolation bracket in your playoff league at all. They should not

be playing. You should just give him those weeks off and say, go play on fanball and play some dfs and win some money in the Crushed Church Championship. Um. So yeah, that's that's that's how I see it. Yeah, you you nailed the exact right. That is exactly the right answer. If if I if you're trying to crown a champion and you don't want some two win owner mucking up the waiver wire because he's trying to not get that Toilet Bowl trophy that actually looks like the

toilet lid or whatever. They're trying to not get that thing and they don't want to hold it for a year or whatever, you know whatever that loser penalty is that they've got that. Don't have the consolation bracket at all. Don't have a loser penalty. But this question, there is a consolation bracket. What do you here there is? So the point is, if there is a consolation bracket, then people are playing for something. It doesn't have to be a money It can pride counts. They're spun up by

the fall. You know what we say. We always say this in face football, it's not about the money. If I were to ask you, tell me about tell me about your fantasy football championships. You'll go, oh, well, two thousand two, I had this team, and I went I started this he's and nine and oh and then I had this tough loss and I had marsh On Lynch and he powered me to blah blah blah. It's never well, I won four two bucks. It's not about the money

that should be tell. The point being, if owners have something anything to play for, they get to make waiver wire moves tough question number two. For the rest of the year, San Francisco running back where he most start will be an RB one and r B two, A flex or a bench player. Matt, you know this one caused some severe damage to my pennial gland. Yeah, I did. I can see, I can see it leaking out right now.

I mean that helps me regulate my body's internal clock, circadian rhythms, and it helps me secrete melatonin, and it has some role in my sexual development, secreting two different ways. Yeah, so that's that's all bad. Um. Most it's of bench grade, as is the whole Niners run game, because you can't figure out who the lead back is in any given week. As I mentioned before in the matchup, three different runners have led the team and touches in the last five weeks.

Brita gets dinged up a lot, but he also placed through it quite often. Tevin Coleman has been bad for a couple of weeks, but before that he was a pretty solid RB two. If you can tell me that both of those guys won't play at all for the rest of the year, I'd give most dire an r B two, But as is, he's a bench player. Bench Okay, Yeah, this week it's a brutal matchup at New Orleans Atlanta. Next week at home, that's a good matchup, and then the Rams in week sixteen. That's almost a blocker for

running backs. As Matt said, uh no, Loane running back really has popped off as a bell cow all season. On four occasions a San Francisco back has topped fifteen carries. Tevin Coleman did it in weeks five, six, and seven, and then Rashima raheam moster did it last week when we had nineteen carries and Coleman only at five. If Matt Brita wasn't coming back, I might be changing my answer. But yeah, now Bree is gonna come back and muck

this all up again. And Brita is the best running back on the team skill wise in my opinion, and when he's healthy, he will be the back. So I got most of on the bench too, all right, So most of its averaging six yards per carry six back to back seven yard per carry games coming into this. He just ravaged an excellent Baltimore defense. Tevin Coleman is not even a factor in this conversation anymore. If you've

been paying attention. You've noticed diminishing snap count in four straight weeks and then ultimately benched in the second half of last week's game. Tevin Coleman is just not very good. He's not even a factor. So then that only really leaves us with Matt Brita to sweat. Now, Brita is good and maybe even the best back in the backfield, like Brian just said, but does it even matter because we all know what's gonna happen to Matt Breed to the moment he gets more than five or six touches

in a game, he's dead. Most of the work is gonna go to wheheem Mostred by default pre dead. San Francisco, as a reminder, has the most rushing touchdowns in the league. They've got They lead the NFL in running back rushing yards total yards by their running backs. It's San Francisco as the lead back in a quality offense where he Mostred is going to be an RB two the rest of the way. Shanahanigans, man, oh yeah, it's I'm not saying there won't be your rotation. There will be some.

Moster is the kind of player that you start and lose a fantasy playoff week because of or win or or really really lose. Tough question number three, assuming Michael Thomas is sitting at top pretty much everybody's cheat sheets at the wide receiver position next August. Who will be wide receiver too? M Brian, who you got? I was so close to saying Mike Evans. He and Randy Moss the only two players in NFL history with a thousand yard seasons in the first six seasons in the NFL.

He's like a lock wide receiver ten guy. That being said, I want my first round wide receiver, in my top wide receiver to be the alpha receiver on that team. And Chris Godwin kind of MUCKs up that situation for Mike Evans, who doesn't have any competition at the wide receiver position on this the way, is this answer about who it's honor? Who it is? I was saying almost as Mike Evans, And now I'm gonna get to Davante Adams is my wide receiver to He has no Chris

Godwin type threat on his team. Quite the opposite situation in Green Bay. And yeah, he only has three touchdowns on the year. They have come in the last two games. He had sort of a slow start, but he had tough matchups at Chicago and he didn't score until Week ten. Well, he missed five games as well. I'm gonna assume he's

healthy all of next season. He's seen double digit targets in every game since his return, at least six catches in every game, couple hundred yard games, and three touchdowns over his last two He'll be just fine going to next year. Rogers has enough gas in the tank. Davante Adams is my number two wide receiver alright, Matt, I'm going to bat for Amari Cooper again, who I predicted in our bold Predictions segment at the beginning of the year would finish as the number one wide receiver overall.

It's a kind of peacock. He's not going to finish number one overall. It's gonna be close, but he's he's number He's not. He's number three in most formats right now. Um, the how Boys have to move on from Jason Garrett, right, I imagine they bring in an offensive mind to help steer their young investments, as Dac and Cooper will both either sign big deals this offseason or get hit with the franchise and transition tags, Cooper's top ten and targets, yards, receptions,

and receiving touchdowns. He's only twenty five years old. He's playing for one of the most talented offensive collections in the league, with a good offensive line Zeke Dack and Michael Gallup on the other side. Who's a beta receiver, not the alpha, but he's a good beta, right, he doesn't he doesn't have the Godwin problem. You're absolutely right about that. So I like I like Mary Cooper quite a bit. That is the correct answer. Mary Cooper is going to be the I think will be the consensus

number two next week or next year. Remember, he's he's been this good this year playing on half a leg. He's limping noticeably on every single play. That's been this way since the preseason when he had the bad foot. And Cooper is not too old. I don't have to worry about the age drop off or the the or the can necessarily the camp hounding injuries of like a Julio Jones and it's finishing his fifth year and he's that's crazy, isn't it. Yeah, he came out so early.

Marie Cooper is going to be wide receiver number two next year. Nicely done. Man. When you lose Jason Garrett, you lose your precious garbage time though, so don't uh. Let's let's work in one more matchup, and I believe we are on the Carolina Panthers taking on the Atlanta Falcons. It's Carolina good run defense. Caroline is not a good run defense. Christian McCaffrey's an obvious and this one, let's talk about the passing game. Kyle Allen gets a C grade.

I don't think the change it head coach really affects Kyle Allen much because Norv Turner and his son Scott Turner were responsible for developing Alan. They're still in the sidelines and there they were the play callers before they're gonna be the play callers now. Alan played his worst game of the year against these same Falcons three weeks ago, which does worry me. Frankly. The Falcon secondary improved dramatically over their Week nine by when they used Raheem Morris

as their new secondary coach. Not only have they crushed Kyle Allen, but they stymy Drew Brees twice since then. So just to see grade on Kyle Allen here and it's in part because I still want to be able to use DJ Moore. Over the past five games, d J Moore's average seven catches for a hundred three yards and has found paidired three times over those five games.

Atlanta's defense has improved a lot, as I just mentioned, But why Do's are still succeeding Over the last five games, Atlanta's allowed three one yard receivers and four receiver touchdowns, and receivers are still getting a little something done here. So I've got a a middling sea on Kyle Allen, a straight up be on DJ Moore. Curtis samuel Is on the bench is a low volume, touchdown dependent receiver in a difficult, seemingly difficult matchup. Let's go to the

Atlanta side. Hold on one minute. Yes, you're burying the lead. Caroline is not going to get the ball in this game because of all the onside kicks the Atlanta is gonna just complete. They're never kicking off ever again, not have to There is that um I mentioned, And take a chance on me about how the Carolina the run defense is just awful. Carolina Jacksonville are your two terrible run defenses. DeVonta Freeman was might take a chance on me running back. It's a lot thornier for the quarterbacks

in the passing game. Let's talk about Matt Ryan. Normally, I cautioned fantasy owners about relying on a quarterback against the Panthers because Carolina's got the worst run defense and in in league, so they don't even bother to throw. But the Falcons and DeVonta Freeman have been so inept that it's not a guarantee. He probably isn't gonna go like full blown workhorse on this, so I still think Matt

Ryan could end up with a decent game here. Um Matt Ryan has scored at least one touchdown against Atlanta in eight straight matchups, and you'll likely score here too, But I wouldn't be surprised we were just one touchdown like he threw against Carolina three weeks ago. So I've just got a C grade on Matt Ryan. Julio Jones.

In his last nine meetings with the division riseing rival rival Panthers, Jones has had at least sixty yards and or a touchdown, but he hasn't very been explosive games, and he always seems to draw Um Bradbury, which has been a tougher matchup for him. The Panthers defense has fallen a part of the last four weeks, allowing a hundred seventy four passing yards per game to receivers, including one hundred yard performance in three of the last four. If Julio Jones were healthy, I'd give him an A,

but instead he just gets a B grade here. And that brings us to Calvin Ridley, who crushed Carolina for eight catches, one forty three yards, and a touchdown three weeks ago. Meanwhile, the Panthers secondary has been in a free fall over the last four weeks, as I mentioned, and well, you know, Julio goes so Ridley probably is going to see cornerback Dante Jackson, who's just an above average quarterback. But that was the same guy that he beat for the for his big game three weeks ago.

So Calvin Ridley a B grade. Austin Hooper is coming back, I'll remind I'll remind listeners, Austin Hooper was the number one scoring tight end when he suffered his knee injury. He was a top ten wide receiver time nine, So he goes right back into being viable. Here is a B grade assuming he's going to get a full complement of plays, which I think he will. He missed the first meeting due to his knee injury, should return here.

Caroline is allowing nearly sixty yards per game to tight ends over the last three weeks, and Fantasy relevant tight ends have fared well against the Panthers. Big games to Jared Cook, George Kittle, even Cameron Brat o J. Howard combined for a good game. So we'll give it B grade to Austin Hooper. All right. Every week, did you know you can play the Crush Charch Championship for free

at fanball dot com. When you assemble a better salary cap team than mine, you get a shot at this week's prize pool of one thousand dollars free to play one thousand dollar tournament. But more importantly, beating me is the only way you get an entry to our weeks seventeen Championship, where you'll battle me for the ten thousand dollar prize pool. Again. Fanball dot com slash and chart is where you go for that. When we come back,

the Pittsburgh Steelers take on the Arizona Cardinals. Benny Snell looking to get the majority already of the carries for the Steelers. Can you trust him in a playoff game? We'll tell you when we come back to Fantasy Football Weekly Fantasy Football Weekly Returns Playoffs style. We're diving back into the matchups, helping you win your playoff matchup. Some of you got a bye week and you're just coasting

right now. You're just listening, going, ha, I don't have to sweat any of this stuff before we get into that though. Did you know you can play super flex salary cap at fanball dot com If you love starting two quarterbacks and or four tight ends four tight ends? Go to fanball dot Com Player salary Cap super Flex d f S. Let's dive back into the matchups. Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Arizona Cardinals. Brian Benny Snell will get the vast majority of carries against Arizona. What do

you think of this opportunity for him? With James Conner out? Yeah, a very safe b for Benny Snell. Over their last five games, Arizona has allowed a hundred seventy two combo yards and one point two touchdowns per game to opposing

running backs. But the receiving yards from those combo yards most should go to Jalen Samuels might take a chance of me running back, and you know what, he'll probably see a few added targets because Juju Smith Schuster has been ruled out, and you know Deante Johnson's I'll mention James Washington in a minute. Outside of Juju and James Washington, I'm not sold on any Pittsburgh wide receiver, but James

Washington definitely get to be here. With Juju out, Washington will man the slot where he will avoid Pat Pete. Patrick Peterson, who is still the best cornerback for what it's worth, still a shell of his former self, but uh, it's just an all around great matchup for wide receivers.

Though Arizona has surrendered the third most catches and third most yards to the wide receiver wide receiver position on the season, and over the last four weeks, Arizona has surrendered the third most yards to wide receivers and the only played three games over the last four week They've had their boy. So I will give Deonte Johnson a dart throat see in this one, but he's more of a flyer in daily on fanball dot com. If he

asked me, I wouldn't trust him and redraft Um. What you can trust is the opposing tight end against the Arizona Cardinals. Basically, any tight end that faces Arizona is an automatic a start. That said, Vance McDonald just gets a B four targets across Ducks two starts at quarterback. So I'm a little worried about Vans McDonald, but he's a safe. He thinks Jalen Samuel's gonna steal all this touch And there's Nick Finnett, to who Pro Football Reference

has him dubbed his baby gronk for some reason. They need to scrub that from their site. The Arizona has surrendered the second most catches and the most yards and the most touchdowns to tight end, So safe b for Vance McDonald. Duck Hodges might take a chance on the

quarterback for very obvious reasons. Over to the Arizona side, Kenyan Drake the softest of seas for Kenyon here, nine two combo yards is the high water or mark for an opposing running back against the Steelers this year, who have also just allowed to running back touchdowns over their

last nine games. Drake is strictly a volume play. We're not going to talk about David Johnson, will briefly mentioned Christian Kirk another very soft Sea has been running the majority of his routes from the right side, where he'll see a lot of the rejuvenated Joe Iron Hayden, who was allowing just a catch rate in his coverage on the season. He's doing He's looking great. Larry Fitzgerald, though, was a much better matchup in the slot. Slot receivers

have been doing well. That's why he was might take a chance on me wide receiver. And lastly, Kyler Murray I got on the bench in one quarterback leagues. I will start him in super flex though, but Murray's probably still banged up in a very tough matchup. Pittsburgh ranks fourth against the past by football Outsiders. They are third in sack rate, and let's just put it this way. The Steelers held la Mark Jackson to a hundred sixty

one passing yards and one passing touchdown. L Jackson did have seventy rushing yards, but it took him fourteen carries to get there. Murray only has fifteen combined carries over his last three games. So bench for Kyler Murray go with ste Beard or I think I think you can find so I do I'd rather have done or a lot of other quarterbacks. And now you mentioned that the Steelers defense being so good, and it it really is.

And for all the talk about Mike Tomlin is a Coach of the Year candidate, which is legitimate talk, most of it focuses on what how he's been able to win despite his quarterback people are talking and running back. You lost Levi on bell To that was a season ago. Um, I think the more I think it's the defense, it's it's the defense. Well, now we're really going over the lost Franco Harris too, So it's the defense that I think. Overcame Franco Harris and that was tough. It was a

tough loss. Jack Ham, Jack Lambert, Me and Joe Green. Really very impressive work by Mike Domblin. Uh, the defense has been very impressive. The Chargers take on the Jacksonville Jaguars, Matt and the Chargers running backs have a great opportunity against what is turning into one of the two worst

run defenses in the NFL and the jack Jaguars. Well, yes, Brian said before, it's uh lack versus the lack backs and its lack versus Jack and Jack Without Jack Jack, Myles Jack Jack is out, no Jack for Jack for the lack backs. Um. The Jags have allowed six point one yards per carry over the last four games and seven rushing touchdowns to the running backs in that span. They and and as I mentioned, they lost Miles Jack

to i R this week. Eckler still deserves starts in PPR leagues, as he's had thirteen touches in each of his last two weeks and has had at least eighty yards or a score in eleven of twelve games this year. Keenan Allen, I'm giving a B grade two hasn't top seventy one yards since Week three, and that's bad, but he's had at least eleven targets and four of his last six games, and double digit targets is pretty bankable. And Jacksonville is just a middle of the pack past

defense and their best corners are on the outside. Hunter Henry gets a B grade as well. Sixty nine nice yards or scored in five of his last seven games, and he's slotted in most lineups. Don't worry about the crappy game yet. Against the Broncos last week that was that was nothing. Philip Rivers is on the bench, though the upside seems to be gone. Hasn't topped two touchdown passes since Week one, only one yard game in his

last five. Similarly, the Jags haven't allowed a three hundred yard passers since Week four and only two quarterbacks of top two touchdown passes. The upside here is two fifty and two and that's the upside. Do you buy into the Tyrod Taylor talk that that Rivers is at risk of a potential in game benching. I think the organization respects him too much um for them to bench him at all the season. The season's lost for the for

the Chargers. I think that they let him play it out the rest of the year, and I think Philip Rivers retires at the end of the season, calling you shot hip. Leonard Fournett gets a B grade, averaging over seven receptions per game in the last five weeks. What's more shocking that Leonard four Nett has not missed any time or even shown up on an injury report this year, or that he's turned into a receiving superstar this year.

How about this, He trails only Christian mccau free and running back targets any trails only the off fore mentioned Austin Ekeler and Christian McCaffrey in running back receptions unbelievable. He's like Matt Qorte. Now, if he were scoring any touchdowns, it would be a whole different deal. He'd be dominating fantasy leagues. But he's not scoring. He's going to be a super interesting guy to forecast next year. Um The Chargers have allowed the eighth most receptions and the sixth

most receiving touchdowns to opposing backs this season. That's why he's getting a B grade even though he's only scored three times this year. Gardner Minshew is on the bench, and you know how I feel about Senior Stash, but even I can't play him in this game. Over the last nine games, the Chargers are averaging only a hundred and ninety four passing yards allowed per game and just

over one touchdown per game. That doesn't get better with a healthy Derwin James and Casey Hayward in the defensive backfield. That's why DJ Chark is only getting a C for me. D D. Westbrooks getting kind of a desperation see chart. Will probably match up with Hayward, who's only allowed two D fifty eight yards in coverage all year according to Pro Football Focus, on only twenty catches. Chargers past defense is pretty good, but they're a bit susceptible to the

slot wide receivers, so Westbrook is in play. Slot corner Desmond King has allowed eight six of the passes thrown in his coverage to be completed. That makes d D Westbrook sort of viable here, It is sort of viable. You mentioned the next year's ranking for Leonard four Net. Let me just tell you somebody that bugs me about fantasy experts this last offseason for with four Net, all the fans, you guys like what, he's never healthy. I can't, I can't put him in my top ten. He's never

healthy anymore. And you know it's he's he's just too it's just too much risk. Now everybody's gonna overreact to that. Now this year, it's all gonna be Now won't even matter anymore. We won't even be talking about that storyline that narratives will be dead one year later. Because so many people, even just just regular drafters, not even fantasy experts, so many drafters. All they can do is replay last year.

It's just so, what's what's the amount of time that you need in order to get a good sample size? Is it? Is it like three years? I don't Well, no, there is. How about this, there's no such things sample size? How about that there's no viable sample size in the NFL because by the time sounds like the title of this podcast podcast, it could be by the time you've established your true viable sample size, you're now aging out to the point that you've become old and you're not

as good and the sample size isn't true anymore. It seems like we've breached the space time continuum. Here. Where's our time machines effect? It's right here. And if you're curious about what it would sound like if there was a duck on the time machine, it would be like that. I can't blame. At the same time, it's really weird. Two together, Quick to the future. Good job, Brian Redskins take on the Packers, be grades for the running back

acts for the Redskins. Adrian Peterson. Uh, you know, let's start with Darius because I think that's the bigger story. He had the sixty yard run last week, scored a couple of touchdowns, which is great and I think we called that on the show if I may Peacock for a moment. However, he did his damage last week on nineteen snaps. That's it. This is still Adrian Peterson's backfield, who is only one hundred forty two yards away for

moving into fifth place all time in rushing yards. He led the Redskins backs in plays and carries last week, finished with ninety nine yards and a touchdown last week, and he goes up against the Packers defense that ranks twenty five in rushing yards in yards per carry allowed. Three straight lead runners have topped one total yards against the Packers, and Adrian Peterson still the lead runner there, but Darius Guys also gets a be because he's been dynamic.

The Packers have given up big games to multiple running backs several times this year, and there is still a scenario out there where Geist is the lead back that maybe this is the game that Bill Callahan changes everything up and they give the ball to Darius Guys. Now, the hope is that the Green Bay Packers don't stake a big lead and then the running game evaporates because you get nothing out of the passing game. Needless to say, you're not starting any part of the Washington passing game

in the playoffs. They've been shut out. Dwayne Haskins have been shut out in every game but one, so we're not touching any part of that. Let's go to the Green Bay side of this equation, starting with Aaron Rodgers, who gets a B grade. Aaron Rodgers this year has been a boom or bust fantasy quarterback. In his four boom games, he ranks as quarterback number one. In his other eight games, he ranks his quarterback thirty seven matt how many teams are in the NFL, not thirty seven two.

So in his other eight games, Aaron Rodgers is worse than there are numbers of starting quarterbacks in the NFL, like worse than Jeff Driskell. Yes, a him against Washington feels feels like a boom, but it's actually potentially a sneaky bust. Since early October, the average passing game against the Redskins two hundred twenty seven yards and one point two touchdowns. Those are very modest numbers. Five of the past seven quarterbacks to face the Redskins have thrown zero

or one touchdown that's it. I love a sneaky bust B. It's a sneaky bust B grade on Aaron Rodgers. Davante Adams, though, gets an A. Over the last three games, Adams has been able to weather the ups and downs of Aaron Rodgers to produce either one yards or a touchdown. And over the last seven games, Washington secondary has allowed just one receiver to top just seventy six yards, which is

very impressive. However, they have given up multiple receiver scores in two of the past three games, and I think Adams will find the end zone here. He's been very hot on the touchdown department in the last couple of games. Speaking of receivers, I've got a C grade on Alan Lazard, who runs half his plays on the easy side of the field against rookie Jimmy Morland, who has taken over

for the sense bench to Josh and Norman. By the way, Josh Dormans still making like nineteen million dollars this year, unbelievable. In his two games as a starter, Jimmy Moreland has allowed nine of eleven passes to be completed, making Lazard and all or nothing shot. If you need that kind of player in your in your lineup, and let's go to the running game where Aaron Jones has been a

total disaster. So if you think back, like a month ago, he has that epic game against the Chiefs where he ends up skilled with like a hundred receiving yards and just mowing down Chiefs on the ground and through the air, and we're like, finally they've learned how to use Aaron Jones and unlock the talent of Aaron Jones. Since then, total tail spin for Aaron Jones. Three of his last four games have produced fewer than forty total yards. That's terrible.

And he has not scored in a month. He hasn't carried the ball more than thirteen times in seven straight games. And the Redskins are sneaky good against the run. They just held Christian McCaffrey in check, they having allowed one hundred yard rusher all season. I have a C grade on Aaron Jones, and frankly it ought to be it ought to be a bench But I just said, IM an inherent believer in jones talent and think he could

emerge at any game. There's a bunch of people who are very angry at their radio or podcast device right now, going, Oh, Aaron Darren Jones is one of the guys who got me here. I don't did he, but did he get you there? In the last month, he got you some wins early in the season, he did. There's gonna be better options for you to play than Aaron Jones. One

of them is on his own team. That's Jamal Williams, who was out gained Aaron Jones one hundred forty seven to sixty nine in combo yards the last two weeks. That is a doubling rough doubling of combo yards. He's also averaged five targets over the last seven games. The Redskins have given up some big receiving days to runners including Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey and Devin Singletary and

Brandon Bolden James White. Um So, I think we're I think we're looking at a pretty good receiving game from Jamal Williams, who gets a B grade here and a C grade in non PPR leagues. Jamal Williams is the second best receiver outright on that team outside Davante Adams. I think that's true. It's to nobody else, it's not Gerontoo, Allison, Marquees, Valdez scant Links, not him, Jimmy Graham. I don't know, God, that guy disappeared, remember when he was wouldn't it be

cool relevant like week one? I mean, not as Minnesota guys, but wouldn't it be cool if the Packers signed Antonio Brown right now? I don't think they can. I think I think the you know, the guys who are not rostered. Deadline is already passed. I don't get off the plane and get right back on anyway, no kidding. Our final set of matchups are coming up next, including Seattle taking on the L. A. Rams. What do you do with Chris Carson and Rashad Penny? We'll tell you when we

come back to Fantasy Football Weekly. Welcome back to Fantasy Football Weekly. Final set of matchups coming including the Sunday Night, the Monday Night games, and then Chiefs and the Patriots coming up. But let's begin with the Seattle Seahawks traveling to the L. A. Rams Brian Last week on Monday Night, we saw both Rashad Penny and Chris Carson carve up a really good Vikings run defense. They face another good

run defense here. What should our What should the people in Seattle listening to us on kJ R think about Rashad Penny and Chris Carson in this one? Before I get to them real quick, these teams didn't meet already in week five, so all reference to that points in that game two meetings last year sixty seven and sixty four points these teams get together, so game stack, game

stack might be right. So in the week five meeting, um, Chris Carson definitely led the way over a Shot Penny, but they did combine for thirty six touches and a hundred and fifty plus combo yards. But the Rams run defense has showed up a lot, and as we all know now, it's essentially a fifty fifty time split between Carson and Penny. And Carson supposedly let Penny score the touchdown last week. I don't know how much like like that. He's like taking me out so ra shot can go. Yeah,

there was there was some of that. It was Carson subbed himself out. Okay. So over the last four weeks, though, opposing running backs are averaging thirty plus opportunities against the Rams. That's rushes and targets, but they're not doing anything with them. During that same four game stretch, the Rams are allowing less than three and a half yards per carry and twenty nine receiving yards per game to opposing running backs.

So I gotta see on both Carson and Penny, and Carson had like three more three four more touches, and Penny last week, I get him the slight edge if I had to choose one, but it's not a good look for either this week. What wasn't a good look was Tyler Lockett last week, nowhere to go but up right after zero catches. I heard from a guy on Twitter in a guillotine league. He needed zero points seven

points from Tyler Lockett on Monday Night. One catch there's actually he really needed was one catch for even negative three yards would have been a win. One catch for negative three yards would have been a win for him. And he's in a bad beat. That's a bad beats, a very bad beat. Actually, he could go nowhere sick in that one. And he's been sick for three weeks a shin injury. He's banged up. He actually had negative

eight rushing yards in the first meeting. So if he he didn't catch and he passes, he would end up doing worse. But he had four catches for fifty one yards any touchdown in the first meeting. Jalen Ramsey was not on the Rams. Then Ramsey might shadow lock It in the slot, which would not bode well for lock It. They're saying there's a potential for that. Lockett has scored in three straight games against the Rams. But just to see for him here, because I think Ramsey gives him

the shadow treatment, and Lockett's looking banged up. He's not looking as good as he was earlier in the year. So call him Decalf Metcalf. You know Decalf Metcalf is Well, yeah, that's the bad version, the uncalfeated vision. Okay, that's also a booger. Mcc was calling him on Monday Night Football. But what is he trying to? Yeah, okay, I think so. I think you never know, you never know. But anyway, um, I'm gonna give him a be assuming that Ramsey shadows

lock It. But if Ramsey shadows Metcalf, Metcalf's in trouble. Metcalf has been a very reliable option as of late, averaging five catches, sixty yards and half a touchdown over his last six games. But not an ideal spot outside of the four wide receiver touchdown surrender to the Ravens kind of an anomaly. The Ravens have conceded just one wide receiver touchdown over their last six games, and only one opposing wide receiver has topped one hundred yards all year.

That was Chris Godwin. So you know what I'm just going to be for Decalf, dk Metcalf as well. Uh. He gets a c as long as as well as Tyler Lockett, and so does Jacob Hollister. The Rams have not allowed tight end touchdown since Week seven, and since then only one tight end as topped forty five yards.

For what it's worth, will disially in. Luke Wilson combined for five catches for nine yards when these teams met back in Week five, so it is worth a fair amount, so Hauser probably c Plus, I know you won't let me do that, but I just did it. Uh. And Russell Wilson in a to and four passing with thirty two rushing yards in the first meeting, totaled seven passing

touchdowns against the Rams and two games last season. The main concern is Jalen Ramsey, of course, since his acquisition, non Lamar Jackson quarterbacks have averaged only two thirty yards and one touchdown since the Ramsey trade. Wilson is probably a little more Lamar than Non though, but a littlettle more Lamar than none. Now over the Rams side and Todd Gurley two rushing touchdowns in the first game kind of a shocker. Just fifty one yards on fifteen carries.

That would be believable. Sadly, in Curly's previous three games against Seattle, though, dating back to last year, dominated eight total touchdowns. So he has ten touchdowns in his last four games against the Seahawks. But of course he was a different player back then. Malcolm Brown wasn't vulturing touchdowns. Seattle has the only allowed one running back touchdown over the last three games, and Nick Chubb is the only loan running back who is able to top sixty nine

yards rushing. That is not nice. So just a C for Todd Gurley. I will give Cooper Cup a very solid B. Nine catches, a hundred and seventeen yards and a touchdown in the first game. Here is two games against Seattle last year. He had six for nine and one in the first meeting, but left with the concussion. Second game, he had five for thirty nine, tore his A c L mid game, so he was going off in those games where he got hurt. So B for Cup,

B for Robert Woods. Uh just five for forty eight in the first meeting, but as thirty eight targets over his last three games, he will see Shaquille Griffin a lot to Seattle's top corner. So soft be for Woods, I gotta be inch on Brandon Cooks one nine in the first meeting, just four catches on six targets and two games since returning. Actually a plus match up against Trey Flowers, who could be burned deep. But I don't trust Jared Goff's accuracy. Tyler Higbee Jerald Everett. There's two

scenarios here. Everett plays, Everett sits. If every plays, I'll give him a see Ben Higby, Okay, if every six Higby gets a B. Over the last two weeks, opposing tight ends are averaging thirteen catches ninety four yards of one whole touchdown against Seattle. When these teams met in Week five, Higby and Gerald Edward combined for ten catches a hundred eighty three yards. He's that was all general, Gerald Everard. That was a huge Gerald Everard game. That's right,

So if you plays that really MUCKs the situation up. Though, then Jared Goff real quick a C three and one in the first game, top three hundred yards in both meetings last season. He's at home. I'll give him a sea whatever. Alright, let's go to the Giants taking on the Eagles. Matt Eli Manning at the helm of the Giant. Yeah, this one's Monday Night. He looks to get at least one more start in his long and storied career because Daniel Jones is in a walking boot this week and

he's unlikely to go. Before Ryan Fitzpatrick's explosion against the Eagles last week, they had kind of figured out how to play past defense, and the prior five weeks they had held opposing quarterbacks two d eighty nine yards per game in less than a touchdown. And it wasn't some bad quarterbacks, it was Doc. It was Josh Allen, Tom Brady and Russell Wilson and that girl. Some good pastors there, yep. So I'm still giving Eli a bench grade though, because

he's Eli Manning. Um Golden Tates supposedly on track to play on Monday Night Football, which just muddies the waters for Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepherd. They're all on the bench. Davante Parker is the only wide receiver to top sixty one yards in the last five games against the Eagles, and Eli's yards per attempt is a terrible six point two yards and his passes of over twenty yards is only seven point nine percent, which is a full point

worse than Marcus Mariota. For what it's worth, Shepherd was Eli's favorite target in Week one six for forty two, but that's probably the ceiling there. Evan Engram is trending in the right direction to play. He's getting a B grade because the theme of this is Eli doesn't throw a very fair down field, which bodes well for Ingraham, who saw twenty two targets in Eli's two starts that included eleven for one sixteen and one in Week one six for forty eight and Week two, so it's a

decent floor. And Sea Kwan gets a B grade as well. Um The Eagles have allowed the tenth most receptions to the running back position and they haven't faced Sa Kwan or the Giants this year. But se Kwon did face them last year. He had one forty one and two scores in the first game to nine and a score in the second game. That's numbers seem unreal for the stake Kwon Barkley We've had this year. It does, but

he's still You're still firing up sa konof. But it's a tough it's a tough matchup for him that maybe it's not as tough. I think it's tough. On the other side, Miles Sanders gets a B grade. Jordan Howard still limited with the shoulder injury, and if he does suit up, I suppose that dropped Sanders to a C H. The Giants have given up three huge games to backs this year, Dalvin Cook, Zeke Elliott and Chase Edmonds, but

have been pretty good mostly outside of that. Sanders had a career high twenty two touches last week and top tw hundred total yards and scored. J G. I doesn't scare anybody. He's not even in the in the in the mentionable station, Carson Wentz, I'm giving a B grade. Three of the last five quarterbacks to face the Giants have thrown for at least three touchdown passes in the other two were too bisky. And and Sam Donald each had over two thirty one sing score and both of

them added a rushing score. And Wentz is uh, he's got the ability to do a rushing score here. Uh, this is a good matchup. I'm in on Wentz, I'm in on Alshon Jeffrey two, He's an A grade. It looks like Nelson Aguar may miss this game with a knee injury, which only frees up more targets for al Shan. Last week he returned from an injury in a big way,

sixteen targets, nine receptions, one seven and one. Finally, the tight end, Zach Ertz gets an A. Dallas Goddard gets a B. The Giants have been good against the tight end this year, but they faced no one at all. The best tight end they faced all year is either Kyle Rudolph or Jason Witten. They faced nobody. Arts is averaging ten and a half targets per game over the last four. Godard's averaging seven targets per game over the

last three. Fire them both up. Alright, deal, and our final game is Kansas City taking on the New England Patriots and For Patrick Mahomes, it's it was barely an A grade and it really vastly between A and B for a long time here. I gave him the A because I think he's completely healed from his ankle and his knee injuries, and the mobility unlocks a lot of

his passing upside. But it's still tons of caution here against the Patriots defense that is not locked down other quality passers like Ben Roethlisberger in Week one, Dak Prescott, Carson Wentz, Lamar Jackson. Those guys passed for an average of two hundred sixteen yards and zero point five touchdowns, so there's no guarantees. But it's still Patrick Mahomes and nobody be surprised to do for three and three, including me, so he still gets an A grade. Travis Kelsey obviously

a grade. Over half of the Patriots passing touchdowns allowed have gone to tight ends. Travis Kelsey definitely in play here again. Tyreek Hill sums to a B because he's gonna draw Stephan Gilmore, who is arguably the league's best cornerback and frankly a defensive m VP candidate. For Stephan Gilmore, is there a defensive end of here just defensive player of the year. I think it's just defensive player of

the year. Gilmore almost always shadows and Tyreek Hills the obvious guy to shadow here, so it's and he's averaging a scoreless thirty four yards per game in his coverage, so it's a brutal matchup for Tyreek Hill. Then we go to the running game. It's gonna be a two man backfield in Kansas City between Darwin Thompson and Leshawn McCoy. The two Williamses have been ruled out of this game. Last week we got our first long look at Darwin Thompson and to me, he passed the eye test and

looked far more electric than Leshawn McCoy. The Patriots, though, are not an ideal matchup, but the run defense has been un characteristically wobbly of late. Over the last five games, they have allowed one hundred thirty nine total yards per game to opposing runners. So if we call that one in thirty nine seventy for Darwin Thompson seventy for Lashawn McCoy, if it isn't even split, they both get basically see

grades here. Somebody gets a touchdown out of this thing, and it's not necessarily Leshawn McCoy, by the way, he has scored him back to back games, so he probably would get a goal line opportunity. But I'll mention the Patriots have given up one rushing touchdown all years, so there probably isn't a goal line opportunity to be had here at all. Can go more? A little more love? Real quick? Yeah? How much more love do you need than its averaging a scoreless thirty four yards per game

in his coverage recent in the last month. About the last month, Odell Beckham, Mariti Cooper DeAndre Hopkins. If you combined for ten catches Tyreek Hills an amazing player, you're gonna you have to be careful here. All right, let's go to the New England side. We begin with the running game with Sony Walkman, Kansas City allowing the seventh most carries for the second most yards and five point one yards per carry. Fire up, Sony Walkman. Put the batteries,

the double A batteries and you're Sony Walkman. You are. And by the way, back then it took like six double A batteries to work your cassette player. I really liked the auto reverse on the Sony Walkman that would start playing the other side of the table flip. You wouldn't have to flip it right, it flipped itself. He crushed Kansas City in the two games last year as well. He gets a B grade. James White gets a B grade because this is this is the fascinating thing about

James White this year. In the games in which they're trailing, he's been fantastic, So I think he's got an opportunity here. He averages a hundred thirty one yards and one and a half touchdowns, and games that they're trailing, he gets a B grade. Tom Brady has thrown zero or one touchdown in five of seven games. Kansas City has allowed zero or one touchdown in eight of their games this year, So I think you're just getting zero or one touchdown against a good, a good past defense from Tom Brady,

and he just gets a C grade. And the only receiver you dare start is Julian Edelman, who's now commanded double digit targets in a career high seven straight games and is averaging eighty three yards on eight catches per game with three scores in that span. He remains startable

with a B grade. If you love this show, please go to fanball dot com slash chart and check out my free player rankings, my free one dollar weekly contest, are auctions and podcasts, and a lot more and many thanks to everybody who takes the time to rank and review the show on your podcasting platform of choice. Talk to you for Round two of the playoffs next week, Everybody, Bye Bye. Fantasy Football Weekly is a production of I

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