Wow, Wow, Hey everybody, It's Monday, December sixteenth, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Show where we're starting to believe in curses again. It's me and your man, MG Marcus Grand joined by Michael L. Florio and Lakwan Jones.
Fellas.
It is Week fifteen, heading into Week sixteen, we still got a couple more games.
We have two Monday night.
Games here to end the week fifteen. How are you guys looking in the fantasy playoffs?
Florio I said, last week, I only had three teams that made it. One has already clinched to move on to next week. Two are looking very good as long as things don't go awrye tonight. But Nicolette's team had a great week and just ran into a buzzsaw. So I was pretty upset with that.
Yeah, sometimes you can't. You can't do anything about that. Look on how you're faring right now.
Well, my home league, and I really really care about what my homies back home in Jersey. Thank god I had a first round by because I put up eighty three points this week. Because some huge letdowns with some of my running backs and other options that I hadn't started line us, but thank you God for the first round bye, because my friends were in the group chat all clown to me saying that I'm next round.
Yeah, I'm with you, likex I have a league where I have a bye, And thankfully that was so because some guys disappointed, have a few guys that would be playing tonight. It doesn't really matter, but generally a disappointing week for sure. So anyway, we try to survive in advance and see how things go from there. We've got plenty to talk about on this show. Of course, we have our fantasy heroes. We will have our Waiver Wire look as well. But let's get started with the fantasy
headlines because there are some big ones coming along. The biggest dropping earlier on Monday morning before we did this show, that is that David Montgomery suffered a torn mcl in Detroit's lost to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. He is out certainly for the remainder of the fantasy season, and it looks like he has done for the rest of
detroit season, however much longer that lasts. So I guess the first thing to ask Floreo is next up on the depth chart, right, we know Jameior Gibbs is gonna get some work, but Greig Reynolds, SIONI, Vaki, either one of those guys worth rostering.
Now I think I'm gonna go grab Craig Reynolds of the two, but this is just kind of speculation. If the coachings and Dan Campbell, what I love about him is he's pretty straightforward. So if he comes out and is like, hey, Baki's gonna be the guy that we like more, then I would change my attitude. But right now I'm looking at it like he is a handful of carries in his NFL career, whereas Craig Reynolds has
been with this Lions team for years now. But I ideally I don't want to have to start either one of them, Like it's gonna be a lot of Jamiir Gibbs and yeah, hopefully you have another running back or something that you could plug into David Montgomery's place, because either one of these guys could give you single digit fantasy.
Yeah.
I mean, I feel like at this point, Reynolds or Vaki, whoever it is, it's pretty much just a handcuff. So Lakwan I guess this means Jamie Gibbs is gonna be on a lot of championship rosters this year.
Yeah to the moon, man. I mean, honestly, just watch his game, man, it can still his bills. Like, I just want to highlight the one run he had outside the tackle tackles where you just see him hit that second gear, Like his get off speed is incredible. And now that he most likely will see more touches, more of the workload, Like I can only imagine what fantasy managers just kind of just looking at their playoff teams like, oh, yeah, we're going to the ship.
I mean, you gotta believe it, right, because he's going to absorb so many of those opportunities. It's just it's hard to see him not being super productive the remainder of the season.
The next two they're outdoor games the next two, so we might get even more running then we outdoor.
Derek Goof not so much. Not so much.
Speaking of quarterbacks, though, Patrick Mahomes left Kansas City's game against Cleveland with an ankle injury.
Now it's being called right now a mild high ankle spraining.
He is considered weak to week. The good news for the Chiefs is that X rays were negative. Carson Wentz came in and finished that game on Sunday, Lakwan still with no word at this point about what Mahomes' status is going to be. And keep in mind, the Chiefs do play on Saturday, so it's one less day for Mahomes to try to get ready. If it is Carson Wentz, does this change anything? Can you feel good or bad about the Kansas City pass catchers and who might you like them?
Well, first of all, this man must have rods in his ankles because we all saw the replay.
Because how is.
This a mild high?
Like my ankles were literally broke just watching it for him, Like, I don't see how you know how he goes out there and play the way that looked. But honestly, if it is Carson Wentz, I am a little bit more cautious with the emergence of Exavier Worthy obviously getting more involved in finding the end zone. I mean, DeAndre Hopkins, he seems like you would be the safest floor if you do look at all the pass cat for the
wide receiver aspect. But Travis Kelcey and No Gray, you know they bring in security blanket tools for Carson Wentz. He's played a ton of football, you know, and like he even had a short stand with the Rams where he played our last final game. He didn't look terrible.
He actually went out there and got to win. So I'm looking at this more so that, you know, if Patrick Mahomes is going to get shut down, you know, for these next couple of games, because they've got a lot of games that are back to back in the next you know, ten days. It looks really really crazy for the short weeks. But other than that, you really have to just look at DeAndre Hopkins as a pass catcher, the wide receiver, as the safest guy in this offense.
Yeah, I mean what's wild is that they play on Saturday, then they turn around they have to play on Wednesday the next week because they are part of the Christmas Day double header. So a lot of work in not a lot of time for the Kansas City Chiefs, and certainly that will probably have an impact on whether or not they want to get Patrick Mahomes back out on the field. You know, part of it might be Florio. The Bills are breathing down their neck for that one seed.
So I think for the Chiefs. It really is a question of how badly do you want that one seed, because if they feel like they need that to beat Buffalo.
Then maybe they see we see them rushing Mahomes back out there.
Yeah, Like their schedule the next couple of weeks is also kind of tough, like they get the Texans, the Steelers, and then the Broncos. Not like it's easy defenses or anything along those lines. But in his last three games, Mahomes has taken at least eleven QB hits in all of them. I think it was three times in his first one hundred and twenty five games he had taken
eleven or more QB hits. So not only is that ankle an issue and the bills and all that bringing down his neck, but like they were struggling to not let Mahomes take a beating when he was healthy, and now he's going to be hobbled. So that is is definitely a big storyline for these final two weeks in Fantasy.
Yeah, all three in those teams that he plays are top seven in QB pressures, so he's going to have to be mobile in those games.
Yeah, which sounds like we might be seeing the wins Wagon rolling out there at least as at least one of those two upcoming games. For other quarterback news, Geno Smith left the game on Sunday Night against the Packers with a knee injury. Now, as of us doing this show, Smith is going to have tests done. There was no official outlook on whether or not he was gonna miss time. But Sam Howe came in finished did not look great.
I mean, Florida, which which pass catchers can we can we trust if it is indeed Sam Howell for the foreseeable future.
JSN, and I think that's it. Like DK, I think is very boom or bust one like we saw like Terry McLaurin last year really struggled to get going downfields with Sam Howe. But also I like the eyeball just quickly ran through play by play After Sam Howe came in, and I don't believe he targeted DK metcalf once. It felt like every one of his passes was going to
either Zach Sharbonning or JSN. And to me, those are gonna be the two that I want to start, like the running back and JSN, and I get it some people might not be able to get away from DK
such a big name. The upside he brings stuff like that, but ideally, like, this is a time of year where I think you need to wipe the names kind of away and look at like, if this guy isn't producing and now like he has a quarterback that they don't have chemistry with, can't really get the most out of him, I think it's okay to try to get away.
Yeah, I mean, it's just it's not a great situation there with Sam Howe. I mean, we saw there was a stretch last year when he was fantasy relevant, and you know, we love Terry McLaurin with Sam Howe, but over the long term, it feels really dicey to try to trust him, especially this time of year with your fantasy playoffs on the line. So eve an eye out
on Gino Smith's situation. Of course, obviously Patrick mahomes as well, and unfortunately looks like David Montgomery has done for the rest of the fantasy season.
So that was all bad. Let's get to something that was all good.
Let's take a look at some of the week's top scorers for are still two games left to go, but Josh Allen did it again. Forty one point two fantasy points for him, a pair of passing touchdowns, a pair of rushing touchdowns in that game over against the Lions. James Connor having a big day against the Paid It's thirty point eight points for him with two rushing touchdowns on the ground. Davonte Adams went nuclear nine jetches for a buck ninety eight two touchdowns, forty two point eight
points for Devonte Adams. John news Smith, Oh, we'll dive into that later nine for forty eight touchdown nineteen point eight for him. Chase McLaughlin four made field goals for Pats that was sixteen points. And the Broncos defense taking advantage of Anthony Richardson and the Colts two sacks, five takeaways, a touchdown.
Twenty two fantasy points for them. So those were some.
Of the top level heroes. Lakwan, did you have an individual hero from this week?
Dunt de da da Chase Brown? I want no.
More start and sick questions about Chase Brown, like it's a lock, it's his backfield. He's seeing crazy amount of workload. I mean, look, the dude hasn't played under seventy five percent of the snap since Week nine and since week nine, he's actually second behind Saquon Barkley in scrimmin Chars. This dude is a candidate for a lead winner just based on the usage he's getting. This is like Joe Mick and vintage workload that we're seeing behind this Bengals old line.
He's going out there tearing it up in between the tackles and consistent in the passing game as well. So he definitely saved a lot of fantasy managers, you know, first round playoffs if you're dealing with guys that let you down earlier this.
Week Cooper Cuff.
But overall, looking at Chase Brown Man, you just gotta love that he put the cape on this week, and I think he's going to put it on for the next two games as well.
Chase brown not just a Bengals running back, but also a description of what the opposing defenses do over too.
To you, Florium, who is your Fantasy hero for week fifteen?
It's James Connor. And I know we're not on Fantasy Live, but I am going to take a humble brag here because outside of Josh Allen, who is the most obvious start, every one of those top scorers was in start sit as a start last week, so I'm definitely taking a little humble brag on that. But I think James Connor is just extremely underrated right now. He gave you thirty one Fantasy points. Was the RB one on the He
is the RB ten on this season right now. And game script doesn't matter because when they fall behind, he gets used in the passing game. When they have a lead, he's the one that they used to grind out the clock and all. Like, he was my guy all summer, all year, and we kept saying, like, Okay, you know he's gonna miss like four or five games, but when he plays, he's gonna be an RB one. Guess what, He's an RB one And he hasn't missed a like
a single game. I was gonna say, a snap, maybe he's came out for like a snapper team.
You're there.
But then he gets the Panthers next week and the Rams the week after that. James Connor is going to be on a lot of championship rosters this year.
James Connor continues to just be underrated in drafts and then a year after year just proves how good he actually is gonna be Like a fourth round pick next year, and everybody'd be like, man, I should have drafted James Connor.
We're gonna We're gonna do this again.
Mine.
It's almost a humble brag, not quiet, but lak Neighbors, because my bold prediction last week was that he would get you one hundred yards in a touchdown.
He got you eighty two yards and a touchdown. First twenty point game he has had since Week three.
Which coincidentally was the last time he scored a touchdown before Sunday.
But it was nice to see him.
Getting involved again, and it didn't really matter who the quarterback was. Obviously, we saw Tommy DeVito go out with an injury. Tim Boyle stepped in and was throwing passes to Molakue Neighbors, So it just was sort of a reinforcement. The target shair had been there the whole time. It's just that the production hadn't quite matched, especially because he wasn't scoring touchdowns next couple of weeks. Schedule's not bad.
They're at Atlanta next week. They follow up with a home game against Indianapolis, so there are some other good matchups there and as long as the target share stays consistent from E league neighbors. I think he can finish the season strong and maybe we just remind us that, Look, he's a good player in a less than great situation, but still finding ways to be productive when and where he can.
Top ten WAD receiver I mean very well could be on the year, and he's got two less games than every other wide receiver in the top ten.
Yeah, so I mean he's having it. I think he's having a good year.
We just have really high expectations for him, and that's kind of what the problem has been many Meanwhile.
Let's get to our big takeaways from week fifteen. What did you learn? LQ?
Yeah, I can't trust Naji Harris no more, like he's not touching the starting lineups. I mean, honestly, like this is the time where we need to buckle down and be like, all right, can we trust this guy? I don't even think the Steelers can trust him. I mean, look, the deal was sealed after this fumble right here. Look,
I even called him the b Roll. That's crazy, Like I just don't understand, like how you have a guy like Naji Harris, Like he is built and framed like a workhorse, but We're not getting that type of production. And it doesn't help with George Pickens out of the lineup deal with a hamstring injury. The offense just completely fell off the cliff. I mean, weeks one through thirteen they were averaging three hundred and forty four yards per game.
The last two games two fifteen, the run game suffered as well, in these last two games, only eighty eight rushing yards per game. And then you add Jalen Warn to that mix. I cannot trust Naji in these next two games going against top three rushing defenses people. So no, he has to be completely faded and look for some of these other guys that you could plug and play. Look, I'm to the point now, my one league, I dropped him.
I dropped him straight up. I was like, I'm not going to be dealing with distress, getting my hair a little bit more gray, or dealing with Najie Harris in the playoffs.
Were soon enough, That's true.
The worst start is that fumble.
That fumble didn't even get credited to him. That frumbled went to It went to Russell because of the way the way scoring works. Because Russell was the last person to possess the ball, and so because Najee dropped an easy toss, sadly that goes to Russell Wilson and not Najie Harris.
Uh Florida. What have you learned from Week fifteen.
That the Chiefs, despite being thirteen and one and the number one team in the NFL right now, they might not have a player that you can trust in fantasy football. And like Mahomes, look, he's hurt. Now Mahomes has gone back. There was that stretch in the middle of the year where we were like, Okay, maybe Mahomes is figuring it, he's breaking out. Nope, he's just as touchdown dependent. He's just as much of a low floor play. Like a floor play. There's really no upside as of late with Mahomes.
Then Isaiah Pacheco comes back, but now they are mixing in him and Kareem Hunt literally down the middle, and neither like Pacheco doesn't have that burst back yet, Hunt never had it at this point this season. So like they're both giving you single digits pretty much each week. DeAndre Hopkins needs a touchdown to get to like thirteen
fantasy points. Travis Kelce look again another one, like Mahomes had a really good stretch in the middle of the season, but go look at his recent games, it's single digits like every week. I understand because of the name and then all of that that you probably got to play him at tight end, but like, realistically, if you covered up the name, not that great. Xavier Worthy brings a lot of upside, but the floor isn't all that high.
So like, there is not a single Chiefs player that I'm like, I cannot wait to start this guy in fantasy. A lot of the time it's like, I gotta start this guy and hope he catches a.
Touchdown, yeah, which is a wild thing to say one about the Chiefs, but also a by a team that's thirteen and one and looks like the one seed in the AFC, depending on how things shake out the rest of the season. For me, when a poor one out for Alvin Kamara, like I know, he scored a touchdown on Sunday and that sort of helped boost his numbers a little bit, but the overall production has been disappointing
for the last few weeks. Now without Derek Carr in the lineup, it gets even worse because Jake Hayter was not throwing the ball his way. We saw Spencer Ratler take over late in that game, and he's still not getting a lot of targets. On top of it, with a new interim head coach, Darren Rizzy there at the helm, Andre Miller is starting to get more work, so you're
seeing fewer opportunities for Alvin Kamara now. So I think you're at a place where you are touchdown dependent, which is never a thing we really had to worry about because not only was Kamara running effectively in the past, he was getting enough targets and making enough catches to sort of make up for it.
So this is not.
Where you hoped you would be with a guy though having a really good season, but there's so little left in this offense that now, if I'm an opposing defensive coordinator, I am game planning to take Kamara away and force the other guys to try to beat you, which generally speaking, they probably won't be able to.
So tough go. If you've got Alvin Kamara on your roster, We're gonna take a quick, weak come back.
We'll dive into the waiver wire and some moments we love as well. That's coming up next on the NFL Fantasy Football Show. Let's take a look at this week's waiver wire options.
Florio let us know what's up.
Yeah, look, you shouldn't be trying to just pick up any quarterback right now, but if you are streaming, Jamis Winston gets the Bengals next week, Cooper Rush gets the Bucks in both we know, especially Cooper Rush playing a little bit better as of late. Jerome Ford is a big pickup because Nick Chubb broke his foot. Kendre Miller
for all of the reasons Marcus said earlier. With Alvin Kamara plus kamara groin tweak in this last one, you gotta wonder if, like, at some point, are they just like it's not worth it with him, Tajy Spears, Kenneth Gainwell, Ty Johnson, because again you want backup running backs right now, especially those guys all got a lot of opportunity in Week fifteen, and then some pass catchers. Jalen McMillan balld
out this past week, so did Rashan Bateman. I mean the Giant secondary are still trying to tackle him twin. Johnston continues, Look either as the yips or he's gonna catch a touchdown. You figured out which one is to go, Jim Patrick getting more involved, and then some tight ends.
Brent Strange had twelve targets yesterday, like do not overlook that, and then Stone Smart and Chigakonko who also had a I think he was ten targets for a conco Like that's volume that you shouldn't just completely ignore, especially with the change of quarterback in Tennessee.
Yeah, absolutely so a lot of guys out there that are worthwhile these last couple of weeks. But Lakwan talk to me about Jayleen McMillan, who, you know, we thought maybe there was room for him. You know, obviously they had Chris Godwin at the start of the year, Mike Evans. So it's saying in a while, but it feels like he's starting to come into his own.
Yeah, he's plugging play right now in too, Chris Godwin's role in rp K Dodden. I mean, honestly, the functionality of the offense just looks a lot better. And you saw them put up big points against this Chargers defense, and a lot of that has to do with Jayalen McMillan and how he's been playing these last couple of games. And for Fantasy. In the last three games, he's been averaging fifteen Fantasy points per game, and oddly enough, he's
still out there on the waiver wire. People go pick him up and have some depth there and have a guy that's seen by him and he's producing with his opportunities.
Yeah. Look, I had him in a couple of leagus.
I was a couple of leagus where I was just thin and I was forced to throw him into lineups. But the last two weeks it sort of worked out. So I'd like to tell people that I wasn't wrong about Jayalen McMillan.
It was just early. That's sort of it. Just early. That's it, just early. That's all all right.
Time forty weekly John new Smith update because it's become my favorite thing that he'll go like a long stretch of the game and not do anything, and all of a sudden, the hammer comes out of nowhere. This week, not a ton of yards, just forty eight yards, but nine catches and a touchdown, nineteen point eight fantasy points. You saw on our board heading in the Monday Night Football. He is the top Titan score of the week. We're
the season. He is tight in four one hundred and seventy nine point nine fantasy points, and as you pointed out, Florio, he's a lot closer to tight end two than he is to tight end six. Have you just come to terms with have you? Have you made peace with this, Lakwan? Because it's happening.
It's happening.
It's one hundred percent happening. And I just love on Sundays. You know, in the first half it was quiet for him. I'm like, all right, this might be a human game, like not have to turn up game. But he loves to wait for the suspense because when my phone is going crazy, I'm like, John new Dis scored. I know if I have to watch the game, I'm making lunch out. Yeah yep, yep, yeah he scored. And I just know that everybody's going to let me know that my hair
needs to be blonde. Like we have people in the NFO fantasy comments on Instagram like, oh.
Yeah, your hair is supposed to be blonde. It's not bling.
Why I have in two week seventeen people relax, it will be blonde.
Man, he's got He's got a touchdown and nineteen or more fantasy points in four of it.
His last five games, and so I was just too early. What we say, I was just too early on Johnny that's all. Man.
I can only imagine your phone because when he scored yesterday, I got numerous texts like, your friend is gonna have to die his hair blonde.
Oh man, this is this.
I love that this has taken on a life of its own, and this has become a whole thing. So, uh, you know, look just a comfortable Maybe we maybe we you know, out of a videotape you dye in your hair.
We make this a social media clip. It's gonna be a whole thing.
We got to get a hairstyle like someone in studio. I want to be there while it's getting died.
Need we need to actually talk to the folks in the in the hair and makeup department and see if maybe one of them is willing to help us out with this. Yeah, I think that'd be great. Let's let's make this happen. That's gonna be a thing that we definitely loved. Now, let's talk about one of our favorite
moments from the past week. Look, I know a big thing this season has been Tom Brady in the broadcast booth and everybody critiquing him on a week two week basis, but sometimes with the players he played against, just want to have a little fun on Tom's behalf, or maybe at Tom's expense. And so Brandon Graham got to do
a little bit of that this past week. In case you were a little bit confused, that was Brandon Graham recreating the strip sack that he had against Tom Brady when the Eagles beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Certainly a classic moment in Philadelphia sports history, a classic moment in NFL history. And I'm gonna be honest, like some of us are Tom. You know, we're haters, We are jealous, and we drink hater aide. And so to watch, you know, somebody recreate a Tom Brady failure, you know we we.
Sort of secretly enjoy that. I guess not so secretly, right, since we just doned up to it.
Yeah, look, I I give Brady credit because, like I watched that video like five times and I had to ask you guys, like what is going on right away? Like, oh yeah, I truly didn't get it. But but then he always pretends like he's on the losing end of stuff, and it's like, no, Tom Brady, you are the You have more Super Bowls than any franchise. You beat everyone. Stop pretending like you did it.
I mean, look, man, he's just what do you want.
He's a He's a small town kid who was drafted in the sixth round and had to struggle to make it and you know, just was that was tough.
It was tough being Tom Brady. And like strawberries.
He says, he's never happened one. So you're one of You have that over Tom Brady. Now, Laquon, you have had a strawberry where he is?
He claims to have not, But I can say I shared something. I shared something with the Goat.
Despite despite living in a town that is very near another town that has a very famous strawberry festival. So whatever, Look, we still got a couple more games left in the week. Should be interesting. Was that we got the Bears and the Vikings. We also have the Falcons and the Raiders. Maybe we get the Desmond Ridder revenge game. Who knows, but into meantime, that is it. We are done. We appreciate you hanging out with the NFL Fantasy Football show.
You know the drill Tell two friends to tell two friends rate review and remember always go to other people's funerals, otherwise they won't come to yours. Be safe, take care of yourselves, enjoy them. To night football everybody, and we will talk to you tomorrow