Wow, Hey everybody, It's Monday.
October seventh, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Show. It's me and your man, MG Marcus Grant, joined by Michael f Florio and Lakwan Jones, and we are all victims of stupid losses. This week, we collectively would owen three with our NFL teams. All three were losses that I'm sure we're gonna sit back and kick ourselves.
Not that we're kicking ourselves. We had nothing to do with it.
But look back, you look as missed opportunities I think for our respective teams. Florida, I know you have long been on the Sean McDermott has to go train. H Lakwana, you're not on the Sean McVay has to go train, are you?
Oh?
Absolutely not? And Sean we trust forever. Hopefully he could stick around for another ten years.
All right, I don't know that I'm I'm definitely not on the fire Kyle Shanahan train.
But sometimes he makes it really hard. I'll just it's just it's.
Really frustrating sometimes watching a Kyle Shanahan coach team. Anyway, We'll trying to get to some other things that are less stupid. Over the course of this show have our biggest takeaways from week five. We have our waiver wire look and guys that maybe we're cool as now. After some struggles to start the season, they came around and
maybe things are okay. But first let's get started with some fantasy headlines, and just one headline at the moment, and that is in Cleveland, where after the Browns lost to the Washington Commanders, Kevin's the fantasy stepped to the microphone and said.
We are not changing qbs.
In my head it was Leonardo DiCaprio from The Wolf of Wall Street. I'm not bleeping leaving sort of the way I took this one. But Florio, I mean, look, we all looked at this past week and we said, if there was ever a week for Deshaun Watson and the passing game to get going, it was against this Commander's secondary. He was fifteen of twenty eight for one five they'd have the one touchdown, but it was a disaster if you watched it.
I mean, at this point.
If this continues on this way, can we consistently trust any Brown's pass catchers With Watson at quarterback, the.
Only one I think you can is Amari Cooper. And even with Amari Cooper, you know how it's going to look. It's going to be very boomer busts. Like yesterday ten points. I was disappointed because of the matchup, but you look at the usage. It's still off the charts, ten targets. He's still every week one of the top five wide receivers in air yards. So I get it. I know people are probably like annoyed hearing this, but the big weeks are going to come and the usage is too good.
I think, like I have Amari Cooper on a lot of teams and there's maybe one where I feel confident in my other options to get away from him, and most of them I'm like, I have to roll the dice on him. But this is a crazy stat from yesterday. Jamis Winston threw one pass. He converted more third downs than to Watson, Like Deshaun Winson has this Brown's offense up there with some of the worst offenses in NFL history.
And we were joking in text yesterday Kevin Stefanski like hates his life right now, like he does not want to continue starting Deshaun Watson. I guarantee you that. But they are into deep contract wise with him, so they're just going to sacrifice this season, I guess.
I mean, I'm looking lakwan at the upcoming schedule. So next week they're on the road at Philadelphia, and maybe we trust them there. But after that, you know, they they've got the Bengals, who might be a decent matchup, but then they have the Ravens, the Chargers, the Saints, the Steelers, the Broncos, the Steelers again, the Chiefs.
We're running out of places to start a Mariy Cooper, aren't we.
Yeah, it's looking like real nasty work here over there in Cleveland. It's more so you're looking at all the pieces around them, like you have damn Nijokubec, you have Jerry Judy, who's a secondary weapon to Mario Cooper, and we're still getting this finished product. I will give him a little bit of slack, being that the old line is not healthy when you have both tackles that are
your starters that are out with injuries. But still no excuse, man, when you have the talent as Amari Cooper and Jerry Judy, Like you really can't trust these guys moving forward with this schedule looking real wicked, you know, with the upcoming weeks. So me for fantasy, I'm staying away unless it's David n Djoko because the tight end fantasy streets are starting to get better as the weeks can go on. Thankfully he's back, so it gives him a nice end zone
target that he can possibly find the end zone. But I'm screaming for Jameis Winston.
Man.
I don't know about you guys, but I need me some Winston to eat some w's on camera again, for him to be front and center, Like we need some Winston in our life right now.
I mean, the fantasy streets are clamoring for Jameis Winston, but it appears that the Browns are not ready to make that move. It's going to be And by the way, I love the way that you're like, hey, I want David and Joku, not because you think he's going to play well or that the matchups are good, but you're like, he tight ends terrible, So let's just one more guy in there in the next literally desperate.
Desperate for anybody that can play football, and that's a tight end.
Yeah, that's that's where we are.
So yeah, go ahead was the one thing that goes under the raidar I think with this Browns team is like Jerome Ford should be one week of trust, but now they're using three running backs as well, Like it's a.
Nice and Nick Chubb is on the horizon too, so that's something keep in mind as well. All Right, So while the Browns are out here playing fantasy Arthur Fleck, let's take a look at some of the week's top scores heading into Monday Night football. Kirk Cousins thirty four point three to six points. That was the first thing we saw from a week five, and so far it is held up.
Tank Bigsby, we got to talk about that in just a little bit.
Nearly twenty six points for him, one hundred and one rushing yards, two touchdowns, Also twenty eight receiving yards. Jamar Chase doing Jamar Chase things, and he's always good for it. Seems like one forty point game a season. Tim Jets is a buck ninety three and two tuddies. Tucker Kraft, who a lot of us were promoting as a sleeper
tied end this week. He went all four catches, eighty eight yards, two touchdowns, nearly twenty five points for him, Para Kickers got to sixteen, Young Waykup and Chase McLoughlin, and three different defenses with sixteen points, the Broncos, the Giants, and the Vikings. So that's a look at the general state of the fantasy hero dem for U Lakwan, anybody in particular you want to shout out this week.
I got to give a huge shout out to Trace Sermon because losing my one and two running backs in first round and second round with one on by with Jamir Gibbs and then Jonathan Taylor with the ankle injury and fresh off the wire, this guy comes in and
puts up eighteen Fantasy points. Now, that might not have been the prettiest production day out of him ten carries thirty eight yards on the ground and the TV, but it's more so having the career high and six targets and six catches what really helped this points get to where it was with eighteen. So it's like big shout
out to him because I was absolutely terrified. I'm pretty sure other fantasy managers were having him in starting lineups because he hasn't had the best history, you know, in the NFL.
Bouncing from team the team.
So for him to come in, show up and show out fresh off the wire, helping me possibly get this dumb shout out.
You know, Monday Nights football. Hopefully don't come.
Back, but listen, Trey Sermon, big shout out man, because the running backs right now, they're falling each and every week with injuries. So you know, shout out to him man again of showing up and showing out.
Yeah, you got to love when the sleeper running backs step up and take advantage of a good matchup. It's one thing to have a good matchup, it's another thing to actually take advantage of it.
And he did that this week.
So it's it's funny that Floriela, a guy named Kraft hangs out with cheeseheads. Almost seems like it was like it was destined to be.
Huh.
Yeah. And what I love about this is to Laqwan's point from earlier, like tight end is pretty bad right now. So to get someone like Tucker Craft who two big games in a row, and what stands out to me even more than the fact that he had eighty eight yards and two touchdowns and went was the tight end one on the week with nearly twenty five fantasy points. Is that five targets. He was third on the Packers in targets, and that was something people were questioning coming
into this game. I know Romeo Dobbs was out. Things seem a little weird with him right now. Christian Watson is clearly banged up. So I don't see how if you have Tucker Kraft right now, how you could be like, oh, this was just a flash in the pan, Like maybe, but given the state of tight end, given the offense and the quarterback that he is tied to, and the way that he has been performing, I think you have to feel pretty good about Tucker Kraft and I would keep riding the hot hand moving forward.
Yeah, I don't think this is a flash in the pan.
You sort of looked at the metrics between he and Luke Musgrave, and I know Muskrave's banged up, but when they were both healthy on the field together, it was Kraft that was getting a lot of the opportunities in the passing game. He looks like the clear tight end one in Green Bay, and he showed it this past week. Yeah, he looked good for sure for me. It's from Andre Stevenson and I know the chatter during the week was Antonio Gibson getting the start because Stevenson was putting the
ball on the ground. Even he admitted, look, I've dropped the ball four times, this is going to happen. I still just believe that overall, Stevenson was the better running back in New England and that is what showed on Sunday against the Dolphins. Now, minds you, the Patriots offense is still a mess and it's hard to count on anybody consistently there. But the snaps were split pretty much evenly. I think Gibson had won more than Stevenson did and
that was it. But Stevenson had more touches twelve carries eighty nine yards and a touchdown, also four catches for three yards, but still getting the opportunities there In that offense, Antonio Gibson had been explosive, had been more of a big play guy, but it also felt like that was going to be very volatile. So hopefully this sort of writes the ship in New England. We get back to
Stevenson as the lead running back for the Patriots. Very interesting to see what happens at quarterback in the near future. If we get Drake May if they stay with Jacoby Brissett, but at least for now, still holding on to the fact that ramondre Stevenson is RB one for New England. Oh yeah, those are our fantasy heros. Let's not into some bigger things. Kind of a macro. Look at week five and de la Quo. What was one of the things you took away from what you saw?
Tank Bixby is here, man, He's finally arrived and it was good to see him actually show up and show out with his opportunities and put up big fantasy points. I mean, in the last three games you have seen his workload increase from snaps, from rushes, from total touches and routes in general, where he's been taking advantage of all these opportunities they've been given him. You know, Travis atn is banged up with a shoulder injury, but you just love to see with the proper matchup he's taken
the opportunity. Look at him go to the house with this. He even pointed back at the guy like he is on a full confidence run. And I think this is what the coaching staff have been trying to get out of him. They've been trying to build on his confidence and try to get him more opportunities because we all knew the talent was there and this is where he's thriving at and they can stack the box against him all day one. He averaged fifteen point six yards per
carry in stack box his last game. So we're looking at a guy that could be a potential threat to give this offense a spark on the run game because Traves atn with him banged up, he has not been getting it done as an efficient running.
Back out of that backfield.
He's more so the guy that they could rely on out of the backfield with the pass catching. So love the matchup that he has coming up as well against the Bears next week where they allowed ninety plus scrimming sharts to notable starting running backs. So far this season, you have Tony Poler who put up eighteen fantasy points, Jonathan Taylor with twenty six, Kyrom Williams with twenty and
then Chuba Hubber My guy was seventeen point five. So the matchup is there for him to go up again, to show up and show out with these opportunities.
Yeah, looking like you're making a strong case for most improved Player in the NFL this year. Look looking at this year versus last year. Man, uh, you Floria got one where I'm sure this hits a little bit close to home for you.
Yeah, it's I think there might be calls for concern with Josh Allen. And when I say that, I put some of the blame on Josh Allen, but not more, because yes, he did not play great yesterday. I will admit that he missed some throws. Particularly he had Dalton Kinkaid with a step in the middle of the field downfield and he just underthrew it. I know that's one
he wishes he could have back. But I more concerning than that is I am afraid that the book might be out on how to guard this Bill's offense because I know Khalil Shakir was out yesterday and he is someone that I've pounded the table for. You've seen the kink throw right there by the way, but yeah, I was pounding the tables and stuff for k for Shakir. If your offense looks completely broken without Khalil Shakir, that is a problem. And what the Texans did yesterday they
sold out. They brought pressure, which made Josh Allen have to make very quick decisions. He was running for his life most of the time. Even his crazy plays where he runs to the sideline and he's a downfield was not working because no one was able to create any sort of separation. The Bills need a wide receiver desperately. It is clearly not working. Their rebuilt olon cannot have the pressure that was being thrown at them. And you look at Josh Allen's season right now, two games over
thirty fantasy points, three under fifteen. It's two of them in single digits. It's very boom or bust right now. He's still running, but we knew he wasn't going to have fifteen rushing touchdowns like he did last season. And right now, the Bill's passing attack looks kind of broken. And I don't know where that like. We all want Don Kinkaid on the field more. He's getting blown up every time they try to throw a screen because he can't block. I don't know where the answers come from
right now. This is both as a fan of the Bills and of Josh Allen, and as someone who ranked Josh Allen very highly in Fantasy coming into this year. I've defended him for a very long time. This is the most worried I've ever been about this offense.
Yeah, I mean it's one of the things sort of like Kansas City.
The quarterback, you know, is good, the situation has some question marks around it, and we have to sort of adjust in fantasy, speaking of quarterbacks that are sort of a question mark. I know Anthony Richardson is the qv one in Indianapolis. I know that there's not really a quarter competition, But are we sure we don't want Anthony Richardson to maybe just chill for a little bit longer
and get Joe Flacco some more opportunities. I mean, we look at this passing game and the way it is kicked off the last couple of weeks with Flacco under center. Alec Pierce right now is a top fifteen wide receiver in Fantasy, in part because of what Joe Flacco is doing. Michael Pittman has had back to back double digit games, didn't have a ton of yards yesterday, but did get in the end zone. Josh Downs, who's now back in healthy's starting to get into the mix a little bit more.
Anthony Richardson a supreme talent, who I think is still developing, but also a guy who really is struggling with the passing game and is bringing down the rest of the pass catchers in that Indianapolis offense. So I know when he's healthy, he's going to be back in there as the starter. But man, if we could just get a little bit more Joe Flacco, I think we'd feel a lot better about our shares of the Indianapolis passing game.
All Right, we will dive into the waiver wire also figure out if maybe we're cool with some guys who struggled the first month of the season.
That's next on the NFL Fantasy Football.
Show Live from London, Tremor Lawrence and the Jags take on Caleb Williams and the Bears on NFL Network, Rise, Shine and watch Sunday, October thirteenth at nine thirty am Eastern only on NFL Network and NFL Plus. Subscription required for NFL Plus. Let's take a look at this week's waiver wire options. Florio, Who should we be targeting on free agency in Week six?
Your boy Caleb Williams, who continues who looked for the best he's looked all year. I would say yesterday Gino Smith continues to come through even without throwing a bunch
of touchdowns. He ran for over seventy yards. Kirk Cousins, I know he's on a bye, but you saw what he did on Thursday, Tank Bigsby, who Lawan spoke up, Tyrone, Tracy Junior who played really well without Singletary, Alexander Madison just because of volume, Trace Sermon and case Jonathan Taylor is out again next week, Jalen Wright who got a lot of volume, and then Roshawan Johnson for the Bears. Some pass catchers, please pick up Darnell Mooney already. Alan
Lazard continues to be a thing for the Jets. Wandell Robinson needs to be picked up as well. Josh Downs, Jordan Winnington, Alec Pearson to too at well. A couple of colts and rams there and then. It is a good week for tight ends if you need one off
the waiver wire. Tucker Craft is obviously a must add, with Tyler Conklin in a good matchup next week against the Bills, and then Zach Ertz, who continues to just be a safe, steady floor option at a position that doesn't really have a whole lot of that.
Yeah, you know, I like zach Ertz earlier in the season.
I think at some point he kind of fades out, but right now he seems like he's a very viable option.
But let's get to.
Caleb Williams because he is going to be playing in London. Really starting to come together. I mean, lakwan, I just a little peek behind the curtain. I'm putting together my list of sleepers for the week. Caleb is top of the list. Are we starting to buy in to the number one overall pick a little more now?
Yeah?
Because he's taken advantage of the matchups as well. You know, you build off of the Rams game, you build off of our bad secondary, but you go into last week and go in there and go out there and ball out. I mean the last two weeks he's averaging seventeen and
a half Fantasy points. This is something where he can build off of and going with the Jags, this is a layup matchup for him in my opinion, based on how he's playing, and if they get that run game going how they didn't last game, they will be able to get Caleb in to play action, be able to air it out and giving him time this old line is trying their best to protect him, but he's getting the ball out fast and I swear he's probably the best in the game to keep the plays alive. Look
at here, he's just scanning left and right. Being able to have that time and make a decision, it's going to be very important for him. So he's a hot pickup off the waiver. Wife, you're looking for a quarterback right now.
Yeah, it's just amazing. When they give him time, he makes plays. Kind of weird how that happens. Also, by the way, have a rushing touchdown called back exactly.
What I was just about to say, Like the completely different. Even better if.
That's the confidence you're building, the confidence and this is the matchups he needs.
One hundred percent.
Meanwhile, Josh downs you mentioned him Florio as well. I know I talked about Joe Flacco at quarterback and what this means. I like, Josh Stamzon just seems you know, obviously he was hurt at the start of the year, but now it looks like he's in a role that we can feel comfortable with him.
Now.
Yeah, twelve targets, nine catches, sixty nine yards. The only thing is it's what you were saying earlier, Marcus, This is what Joe Flacco, who we know can get the ball, go through his progressions quickly, get the ball to the open guy. Stuff like that. When it's Anthony Richardson and
his accuracy issues. I like, if it's Anthony Richardson next week against the Titans, I'm already planning on writing Pittman and Downs as sits for that week because it's easy to get sucked into what they've done with Joe Flacco. But it's all going to change when when Anthony Richardson comes back. Do you guys still think though, like what Downs has done, you could just trust him no matter who the quarterback is or No.
I want to say yes, but I I can't really say yes right now.
I just you know, no, I'm wrong.
When Richeson comes back, if I've got Downs, I'm probably plugging him into a lineup, but I'm also sweating it out if that's what happens.
So you guys Jackson reaction at the exact same time, that was perfect.
Yeah, I called that the march Simpson, Yeah, I don't know.
So basically we're saying we're not one hundred percent cool with the Colts passing game.
But we have some guys that.
Maybe we are cool with now, so it's gotta hit you guys on each one of these a little bit. I mean, Garrett Wilson finally had a Garrett Wilson type game against the Minnesota Vikings and a loss. All it took Lakwan was twenty two targets for him to get thirteen catches, buckle one a touchdown.
But are we cool with Garrett Wilson now?
Uh No, I'm still not cool.
I love that again, twenty two targets, but at the end of the day, it needs to be consistent because we know Aaron Rodgers is still going to target Allen Thizard in areas that matter the most. You look at this touchdown, Garrett Wilson got loose on the linebacker. Any other time you have Alan Lazard being his first read looking at in that red zone area. So this game, I feel like it was an outlier being that you
know they needed to get something going. This was a dire need that they need to get back in the game and score. So therefore, I'm not too sure we can get these wide receiver one consistent weeks out of Garrett Wilson because there's times where Aaron Rodgers just straight up ignores Garrett Wilson. I don't know what that's about. I don't know what's going on there. But again, this is part of the Jersey short storyline. We're just going to figure out at the end of the season.
Like, yeah, other offenses draw place, get their guys away from their best player, away from the defensive attention hackets like a, we want you to take the attention so we could get the other Like, it doesn't make sense to me. I think he's a cell high right now.
I'm trying to figure out which characters are with Who's Ron Whosam, Who's Paul Ready who?
Like, it's crazy over there now what's going on? But I guess we'll figure it out.
Stay tuned as we figure it out.
A little bit later on UH Florida, DeAndre Swift back to back good games for him. He goes for seventy three and a touchdown on the ground, another forty seven receiving.
Are we cool now?
Yeah? Yeah, I think we are. I know the first two weeks we're pretty bad, but the last two have been awesome. And the thing is the volume. That's what I care about, and that's what you should care about. For fantasy twenty one carries and then he's getting highly I know, only two targets, he'll say, but forty seven passing yards. Let's not forget that last week in Week four, he led them in carries, rushing yards, targets, catches, and
receiving yards. So this sort of volume that he is getting, he was one of two or three running backs this week to touch the ball, to have twenty carries or more. So that sort of volume I just don't think you can ignore. I don't think he's going to put up twenty fantasy points every week because of the Bears O line. There'll be some down games, but if Caleb is starting to feel comfortable and that passing game is starting to get going, it's only going to help create more running
lanes and open stuff up for DeAndre Swift. And what I love, they rewarded him with a touchdown because he went the entire drive on one of their drives, got them down to the half yard had a touchdown called back, then got down to the half yard line. Then they brought in Roshan the second time. They were like, all right, so if you've earned this one and he got the goal on carry, and if he's getting even some of those, I think he becomes a running back that you can just start each week.
That's nice to see that he's back.
You know, I didn't know what to think of the Bears running game, but the feers like DeAndre Swift has sort of solidified himself still like Roshawn Johnson though to get some opportunities there.
They played him like they paid him.
Yeah, exactly for me. With the Ravens side ends, I don't know if I'm cool with the Baltimore Ravens tight ends because yeah, three of them performed yesterday, but in varying degrees, right, I mean, it was Isaiah Likely who had the most Fantasy points, it was Charlie Koehler who had the most receiving yards. Mark Andrews had his best Fantasy game of the year. Even that was just nine
and a half points. It's still too spread out. There's still too many options there, and it's still very inconsistent when they get them the ball. Jackson with three forty eight four touchdowns is nice. You can't count on that every single week, So I want to believe I'm still starting Mark Andrews because I mean, what else am I gonna do? But I don't know if I'm cool now exactly where the Ravens died in.
Uh yeah, likely at three thirteen.
Yards that's it. But he had two touchdowns. Nasty nasty work. So now let's talk about one of our favorite moments from the past week. The Vikings Defense has been on a pretty good run when it comes to celebrations.
And they had another one in London over.
The weekend after picking off Aaron Rodgers to do the celebration.
From the Parent Trap Fellas. Your thoughts on this celebration. I love this.
I mean, like it's so random at that, Like who watched this movie recently? It's the Butler and Lizzlie Lohan doing the handshake. Like I forgot all about this movie even existing.
I've never seen the movie. So when I saw the celebration, I was like, that's cool. They must have practiced this week. But then I had no idea where it was from or anything like that. But cool moment for them. I mean, they're having a lot of fun and they should be right now.
Yeah, I can remember. I don't know if it was Byron Murphy or someone else.
Was saying, like, yeah, it's one of my favorite movies, and I watched it the week before since it takes place in London, so I knew we were going to London. I watched it ahead of time, and it just, in a moment of inspiration, struck them that that's what they should do as their celebration.
Wait wait, wait wait wait, So that wasn't pre planned, like they just thought of it.
I mean they played it during the week, they knew they were going to London.
The movie takes place in London, so they're like, all right, let's put this together in case we make a place.
So shout out to them.
I was like, if they knew how to do the whole thing on the fay, would.
Yeah, that would have been Selly of the year, Selly of the year hands down if they just did it like on the fly for sure. So all right, So that's a good way to love. That's a good thing to love. It's a good way to finish out this show. Appreciate you hanging out with us.
That is it. We are done.
We love you hanging out with the NFL Fantasy Football show. You know the drill Tell two friends to tell two friends rate review, and remember you know you're an adult and you get excited to just go home, be safe, to take care of yourselves, and we will talk to you tomorrow.
M