Wow, Hey everybody, It's Thursday, December nineteenth, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Show, where we're down with Costco hot Dogs too man, your man, MG Marcus Grand joined by Michael f.
Florio.
Here we are. It is week sixteen. I don't know about you.
Like we've talked about how fast this season is going, it feels like things have ground to a halt this week?
Is it just me?
Uh yeah, a little bit? Like for me, I feel like every week.
Is just like you blink and it's like, oh man, it's Thursday already, Like where did the week go?
But yeah, I don't I get. You know what it is.
It's the holidays and stuff so on top of because you know it every day in season, every Monday.
Is the same, every Tuesday is the same.
But now you add in outside factors like holidays still for Disney on ice yea, and there you go.
That's right.
Yeah, Well, everybody else is sitting down watching the doubleheader of the NFL. I will be watching costume characters skate around at Staple Center in downtown Los Angeles, because you know, family and holidays and that's it's not all bad for sure for sure. Anyway, we got our Week sixteen calls, Florio and I will do a club dub or red Flags and the Snorlas. But let's start with a couple
of quick fantasy headlines. News out of San Francisco where it hits just keep on coming for the forty nine ers. They cannot keep a healthy running back for anything. It looks like Isaac Garrindo unlikely to play this week against the Miami Dolphins, that is the Sunday night football game this week. We talked about this earlier in the week, Florio.
It was a game that, on paper when they scheduled it they released the schedule, looked like it was going to be a huge game with two teams you figured would be certainly competing for a playoff spot, maybe even for their division titles, and staid they are both six and eight, so likely, Isaac Garndo, how confident would you be to put Patrick Taylor in a lineup this week?
Not insanely confident, but like I have a league where I was texting you about it today. I lost David Montgomery U and then my other flex option was Amari Cooper, who gave a zero last week. So like, I am going back and forth, like do I want to plug in Patrick Taylor over Amari Cooper because I'm playing a miror.
Of Doula as my RB two. That's where we're at this week. I'm like, Okay, I have more confidence in a mirror of Doula that I'm starting him.
But to me, this kind of is exactly what we broke down last week when we thought it would Isaac Grenda would not be playing like Patrick Taylor. I expect to get the first opportunity probably lead this backfield because he's been there so long and all of that, but it could easily be a hot hand approach and end up being one of the other backs that just looks better and gets more of the work. So there's definitely
risk there. The reward, though, is like he could POTENTI the the RB one on a Kyle Shanahan run system in a good matchup.
I mean, that's sort of what we hope for, right.
The whole reason we even bring the names up is because Kyle Shanahan, I guess, even going back to his dad, Mike Shanahan, they used to just be able to plug in running backs and find success.
So maybe that's sort of the hope.
But you know, who knows if it's Taylor, maybe israel A Bani Honda slides in there some kind of way, you know. Plus also the fact that the Niner offense has just not been as explosive this year for any number of reasons, even to the point that they're talking about Trent Williams might not play again this season. So that's a big loss on the offensive line for this team. So definitely a calculated risk. I think, certainly I would be more inclined to play him in a daily lineup.
I'm not.
I don't know that I can plug him into like a fantasy playoff lineup and hope for the best. I would definitely think i'd look elsewhere besides Patrick Taylor and San Francisco. Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Michael Pinnocks junior, we talked about him being elevated to the starting job for the Atlanta Falcons. But a fun fact, he was waiting at Costco for a hot dog when he got the news that he was starting Florida. I don't know if you've ever talked about this on air. We've talked about this,
just you know, amongst ourselves. We are all fans of the Costco hot dog here on this show?
Huge fan?
I mean you get a not only is it like a hot dog, it's like a legit jumbo hot dog. Like if you got that at a baseball stadium that things costing you like fourteen dollars.
You get it with a soda for a dollar fifty a.
Look, I'm not I'm not too proud to say I haven't had a Costco hot dog in a couple of slices of Costco pizza for dinner here and there, like when you're going shopping at Costco, which, look, I need to prepare myself mentally to do so.
That's like the reward for you.
After Absolutely no, the Costco hot dog is a legit one of the great bargains in American life, one of the great values in American life. There are two things that make Costco great gas and hot dogs. I guess the hot dogs give you gas, not that kind of gas anyway, it's a whole thing. But the Michael Pinnix NFL quarterbacks, they're just like us. They love Costco hot dogs as well too.
Do you think he got recognized at Costco?
Probably not. I would imagine like Michael Pintix. But that's the thing about NFL players that they're generally pretty anonymous, Like because they wear a helmet, you don't necessarily know what they look like. And you certainly wouldn't think that the starting quarterback first round pick for the Atlanta Falcons would be kicking it at Costco waiting for a hot dog, you know. So, I'm sure he was able to eat his hot dog relative peace, but maybe not anymore if he plays well coming up this week.
He said he wasn't hungry once he got that call. I'm like, dude, eat the hot dog.
Yeah, he pays your round fifty, Like finish the dog man, like go go, not get out for sure. Anyway, let's get to some of our calls for week sixteen. We'll start with Club dub, the non quarterback, who's going to be the top scorer this week?
And the winner is.
I like your answer better than mine, but I'm gonna go with Mike Evans here because we keep talking about it, Marcus, like they have. We've reached the time of the year where incentives matter, and I don't think there's a team with more incentive than trying to get Mike Evans to one thousand yards. Like, look, he's undoubtedly the greatest Bucks receiver in their history. I think he's up there for best player in Bucks history. And this streak means a lot to him and to the team and all of that,
and it is a great matchup. The Cowboys have allowed the most passing year since week eleven. Baker Mayfield is playing extremely well. I said yesterday, I don't think he should win it, but I think he should get some MVP like down ballot votes for how well he has played this year. And I think it's going like the matchup and the volume is going to translate to another big, big day for Mike Evans like it did last week.
And look two fifty one, he might get over half of that just this week alone.
I mean, that's the thing is that the matchup is really really good for Evans. I think, you know, we talked about this earlier one. I think they all want to get him the the thousand yards. It's such a cool stat that he's going to try and continue the streak four but also because it just helps them get closer to winning the NFC South Right, get the ball to your best player and hopefully that provides dividends, So I think there are multiple reasons to try and feed Mike Evans this week.
Mike Evans Hall of Famer. Right, Like, there's an internet debate and I'm like, why are.
We doing this? Web Like why? How?
I don't understand how Now Mike Evans the Hall of Famer, Like between the stats and the fact that in his era he is one of the most dominant players. Like everything about him says hall of Famer without a doubt.
Mix a playoffs, yearly, super Bowl.
Champion, like all of that.
Yeah, he's in. He checks all the boxes for me. This week, James Connor checks all the boxes. And I went back and forth whether I was gonna do Connor or Bejon Robinson because I think he also has a chance to be the top scorer this week. But I landed on Connor because he's been consistently good for the Cardinals all season long again continues to be one of those guys that just I think underrated year after year. Right now he's the RB ten. He's very much in
line for another thousand yards season this year. But on top of it, the matchup has been fantastic because the Panthers have been terrible against running backs all season long, and in a year where Kyler Murray has been just kind of he's been more Kyler Mehry. I think you can look for James Connor to handle a heavy workload if things go as you expecloth here'sday. The Panthers have
been aside from last week, they've been very competitive. So I don't know the game script really comes into play here, but I can see a scenario where late in the game, maybe the Cardinals are trying to just grind it out a little bit, and you see more James Connor. But even over the course the first three quarters, I think he gets a whole lot of action and I.
Think he has a huge, huge game this week.
Meanwhile, on the flip side, somebody who is maybe a little bit sketchy this week, who's somebody that's a red flag.
For you, an entire team and they wear red the Kansas City Chiefs because this story.
Look me and you.
Were joking a lot about it this week, Like this is what Patrick Mahome does late in the year. He gets hurt, he hurts this ankle and then he ends up wanting to play. But now we're going back and forth if they're gonna let him play or not, So that adds risk. Add into the fact that he's already been taking quarterback hits at the highest rate of his career in the last three games, and now he's gonna
be hobbled up struggling to run. Pacheco and Hunt are splitting the work so much that it's hard for either one of them to be productive in fantasy because we haven't seen the bursts from Pacheco back yet and Kareem Hunt doesn't have that in his game anymore. DeAndre Hopkins like kind of needs a touchdown to get thirteen Fantasy points, so I don't think the juice has really worth the squeeze there. Kelsey is the big one, but he hasn't
been putting up great numbers as of late. And when they're in the red zone, the touchdown passes team to go to Noah Gray. The short design stuff is going to Xavier Worthy. Now it's crazy. I could make an argument that Xavier.
Word is the chief player that I feel best about this week.
That is kind of a wild statement. I mean it, I mean it just is because he's been so inconsistent. But I think to your point, I mean Noah Gray leads Kansas City with receiving touchdowns. Travis Kelcey has just two, Gray has five. It's just been a weird, upside down year for the Chiefs offense, and they're kind of scary to deal with right now, not in a good way, in the bad fantasy way.
They're scary to deal with.
But apparently we're gonna have to deal with the Chiefs, which is why I don't love Joe Mixon this week. I don't really love Joe Mixon for the rest of the year, which is sort of a tough thing to say about a guy who really has outperformed expectations this season, but the schedule down the stretch has not been good to him.
Last week was not particularly good.
In fact, two of the last three weeks have not been particularly good for Joe Mixon. You sort of look at what's coming next. He's got the Chiefs this week, Next week is the Ravens. Then after that, if you are still whatever for whatever reason, playing on a fantasy daily or would have you, in Week eighteen, it's the Tennessee Titans, all three of them with above average run defenses in an offense that really has.
Not lived up to expectations this year.
So for all the great things Joe Mixon has done for your fantasy roster, I get it if you got to play him, but it's not very exciting for him. This week, it's time to drive your line up, presented by the all new hybrid Toyota camer looking at the Snorrelax.
Who is your sleeper for Week sixteen?
I said earlier that I have confidence in a mir Abdullah, So I'm going with him here because last week he played more snaps in Alexander Madison after Sincere McCormick was hurt. He had seven targets, scored nineteen fantasy points, and if you go back to the game before Sincere McCormick really started to take over, he had seventeen Fantasy points in that one. Because he catches a lot of passes and it's kind of a cheat code there.
They also like tend to use him in the red zone a bit more.
So. Yeah, I look, the floor isn't all that safe, but I do think there's an upside there because of the matchup. The Jack's third most Fantasy points all out to running backs, top five in catches, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns, So I'm playing him over Alexander Madison despite the fact that all fantasy apps have Madison projected for more points.
I think the upside is way higher with that Duela this week. Yeah.
I mean, look, we just have been trying to shoehorn a Raiders running back and I think we're all still a little bit sad that it won't be sincere McCormick. But Ameerdula certainly has a great opportunity. And just to think, you know, it only took ten seasons or whatever. Way back in twenty fifteen when he first was drafted, we were all like, mere Dula is gonna be the next big thing in fantasy now. But maybe this week it
actually kind of comes together for him. One of my favorite sleepers this week is ty J Spears, in part because Tony Pollard is a little bit banged up, missed a couple of practices this week and not sure what his status is going to be. The Other part of it is the matchup. I mean, the Indianapolis Colts have been a really soft spot for opposing running backs all
season long. I don't think that's going to change this week, and were they likely changing quarterback, you know, with with Mason Rudolph looking like he's gonna get the start, you know, I don't know that they want Mason Rudolph to stand back there and throw the ball a bunch of times. It means they could lean on the running game a little bit more. Also means maybe some short throws to Spears just to get him out in space and see what he can do.
But either way, the matchup is good.
I think the potential volume is going to be there this week for tij Spears, even if Pollard is healthy. Who knows how many opportunities he gets playing on a bad ankle this week. So I do like Taij Spears as kind of a sleeper this week. That was Drive Your Lineup presented by the all new hybrid Toyota Camri. Whatever your vibe, it's a camera vibe. Learn more at
Toyota dot com slash Camri. We know the Saturday games are there, is there is there one that you are looking forward to more than the other for this week.
I ran through my fantasy matchups and I'm like, I don't think I have anyone in Thursday or Saturday's games that I'm starting. So I was like, I'm gonna be wat I have. Actually in the Dynasty League where we're facing each other, I have Lamar Jackson.
So that was a lie, but that's the only one.
Like every like tonight, I have so many starts and sits in tonight's game in the article, but I'm looking at my teams and I'm like, yeah, I don't have these players. So I'm versed in Courtland in the league, I'm versing a couple of people.
But to me, those are sometimes the more fun.
Games because I get to just sit there and hate and root against other players.
So I'll be just as invested, but for a different reason. How about you.
Yeah, I don't know.
I have this thing in my head and maybe it doesn't work in the regular season. Maybe it has to be a postseason thing where and you and I and Patrick Claybam were talking about this. This Chiefs run started when they had that ridiculous come back in the playoffs against the Houston Texans. I ended up rolling the Texans. That was when Deshaun Watson was the quarterback and Bill O'Brien was the head coach. How amazing would it be
for this to come full circle? And it's the Texans that would come and beat the Chiefs and put an end to this dynasty run that they're putting together right now. But again, I guess, I guess it has to be more of a playoff thing than a regular season thing.
But who knows, maybe we get a sneak preview in the regular season.
Look, I'm not saying it's gonna happen, but selfishly, if anyone ends this Chiefs dynasty, I feel like it has to be the Bills.
I mean it would be fitting because they are like, that's the dragon that they have not slayed yet, is the Kansas City Chiefs.
I'll take the Bills advancing in any way I could get it, But like it would be awful to see like the Steelers beat the Chiefs or.
Something like that. Like it wouldn't be it would be anti climatic.
Yeah, No, I mean I think the Bills would be a good candidate because we already know, like the Bengals can do that. The Bengals are already like that's the one team. If you're the Chiefs, you're thrilled to the Bengals on the outside of the playoff chase right now because that has been their kryptonite in this run.
The only way they could really do it is if, like I think the realistic way is Denver loses out and they win it out and they get in. But like, I want no parts of seeing the Bengals in the playoffs if I'm one of the AFC teams.
Yeah, no, you're right, absolutely, And I know it's not what you want. But honestly, somehow bo Nick's taking out Patrick Mahomes in the playoffs would be common.
That would that would be that would be very funny.
If it can't be the Bills, I want it to be the worst possible team in the AFC.
Buriously, a bon Nicks somehow getting it done would be would be comedy.
For shit. It will never be the Chargers, we know that.
No, they would just charge their way out of the playoffs. That's what they would do.
Imagine if like the Colts sneak in and they're the ones that do it.
Anthony Richardson flexing in the end zone, like running over running over Chris Jones to score a touchdown and then flexing in the end zone, that'd be amazing.
Probably not gonna happen.
Chiefs fans have turned this podcast off five minutes ago.
Well, the rest of you can probably turn it off right now, because that'll do it for this edition of the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. They happy, save and healthy, do good, and live well. I enjoy Thursday Ight football, everybody. We will talk to you again tomorrow.