Wow, Wow, everybody, It's Thursday, October seventeenth, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Show where the breakfast burrito was probably a bad choice. It's me and rand MG Marcus Grant, joined by Michael f. Florio and Lapwan Jones. I didn't well, okay, I did get the breakfast breedo. I only ate half of it because I knew eating a whole.
Thing would be a bad choice.
Yes, yes, absolutely better breakfast choices please.
You know, but a little like, okay, I gut as is there like is there a condiment of choice for burritos for you guys?
Yes?
I'm not eating burritos much these days.
What Nope, listen, come on, I'm still getting into the la culture.
Man. I just don't I get it if you're like, I'm not a big breakfast burrito guy, but just burrito in general.
Just how many times are we gonna have this show derailed by Lakwan free takes? Like?
How how does I didn't? I didn't think do.
You eat Cadz like? I love case?
I make him at home.
I mean, okay, it's just a Mexican grilled cheese sandwich. Yeah, Like why wouldn't you. Okay, I didn't really, I really didn't mean for this to happen. Let's get this is the answer. Yes, also Verde very very good. A little bit of chilula also helps as well. We're gonna go through our Week seven calls, the tops and the bottoms and everybody in between as well. But let's get started
with a few fantasy headlines. A really notable one, Molik Neighbors has returned to practice after missing the last couple of games with a concussion. Florida, you have been the biggest Melik Neighbors champion on this show. I mean, look, we all like Thelak Neighbors, but Florida you have been a next level Milik Neighbors.
Stand.
I'm guessing it's as simple as if he plays, you are starting him.
Yeah, I'm not wearing it, but I could pull a LaQuan and bring out a dope T shirt as well. Yeah, I have. Every team that I have Malik Nighbors on the last three weeks have all started the same by me pushing him into my starting lineup and hoping that I don't need to remove him, and this week I don't have to. So yeah, he's a must start option.
I really have gone by the premise that if I put my players in the lineup and then hopefully that makes them magically healthy.
It is yet to work, but I'm gonna.
Keep I do that too. I just did it with Jonathan Taylor.
Right, it's me.
It's me expressing a vote of confidence in my guys that they're gonna be ready to go for the week.
That's all it.
In Indianapolis, things not so clear. The Colts backfield dealing with some issues. Jonathan Taylor did not practice on Wednesday. There were reports on Thursday morning that he's not sure if he will practice this week, but he does say his ankle is feeling better. Mean while Trey Sermon dealing with an injury of his own Lakwan, The Colts went out and signed Savon Ahmed. U If Savon Ahmed plays, do you start him? I mean, it just seems like right now the Colt I guess we're just waiting for
Jonathan Taylor, right, is that the answer? We're just keeping our fingers cross that Jonathan Taylor can play.
Yes, absolutely, that's the answer. Just got a minor turn. They don't know if he's going to practice this week. And it's kind of frustrating because we need him out there man to get the best you know, points on our rosters, and I don't want to go and pick up another guy off the street trying to put him in my starting lineup, because I don't think that would be really productive.
You know.
And I know they got Miami and the match is probably in his favor, but I still would like to pivot to their options if I can, because we've been going for this long without Jonathan Taylor, so I'm sure people have gone out there and got their replacements.
So just stick with your replacements.
I mean, I know Jonathan Taylor come back one because he's very good at football, but also because my one of my team names is Jonathan parentheses Taylor's version, I really need him to play just so I can keep going with that team name down in Tampa. Equally, Murky with the running back situation, Todd Bowles saying that looks like he's gonna go with a three man backfield of for Shad White, Bucky Irving, and Sean Tucker, and they
are going to ride the hot hand. Florio, Please tell me if there's a scarier phrase in fantasy football, then ride the hot hand.
In that case, who do we trust if we can trust anybody.
There is no scarier words for a running back in fantasy. And it's even worse when it's three backs. Like when it's two and it's like, all right, we're gonna go with whichever one is running better that week, it's like, all right, we could still take a shot because it's a fifty to fifty chance it'll be that guy. But when it's three, you're talking about it being an absolute
nightmare for fantasy. The one I trust the most is Bucky Irving because he has been the best, like, like Marcus, you were saying this before we started recording, like he has consistently been the best one of this bunch. I know Sean Tucker had the big game last week, but week by week, Bucky's been there and he's been getting
goal on work for them. He's been getting the he's the lead guy, and when it comes to carries for them and Rashan White, what propped him up last year was volume and specifically targets, and if he's not getting that, it's gonna be real tough for him to be useful in fantasy. And Tucker is still someone that I think there's upsite there. I definitely would be willing to put him on my rosters, but I kind of want to see what this three back committee looks like before I get him in my lineup.
Yeah, it just you know, again, I think we all sort of agreed, like Rashaan White really hasn't been the guy there, Bucky Irving was pushing him for opportunities, then Sean Tucker has the blow up game last week, and now the Bucks, I guess are seems like an open audition in the backfield to see who's gonna get the majority of the opportunities.
And until we have any sort of clarity.
On things, it's gonna be really really hard to sort of figure out, you know, what's what, and just again gonna be a mess. We'll see what happens this week, and then we'll kind of make some adjustments once we get a better idea of how things are gonna go there. All right, let's get a two hour look at week seven some of our superlatives for the week.
We will start as we always do with Club Dub the guys.
We can go to the top score non quarterback edition and Lakwan, who do you like to go big in Week seven.
Oh, I'm going big in the Tennessee mosh fit that they got going on there with Tony Pollard against the Buffalo Bills.
Your muffs, Glorio, But yeah.
I think you agree.
You already know, you already know what's gonna happen. But Tony Pollard has been producing beyond expectations with this Titans oh line. They have not been the greatest O line out there, but being that, he's just been so explosive and lurioal touched this own in previous prob This is what we wanted from him last year, but we're getting it now and I'm very thankful, you know, for the shares that I do have. But this is a matchup
where I think he's gonna go big. He's always been these last couple of weeks where he's right there at that one hundred yard mark, where he's right there at that big twenty point you know, game for fantasy. So it's like, I think he gets it this week. So I'm rolling to the club with Tony Pollard.
I love Tony Pollard.
I put him in the Sleepers column this week, and I sort of debated, like, should he go in the column. Not because I didn't think he'd have a good game, because I'm like, does he really qualify as a sleeper. I don't know if he does, But I just wanted to write about him because I think he's gonna have a big game. I'm your guys, I think he's gonna have a really good game. Also, I sort of wanted to, you know, repair my bruised ego after like, you know, going not all in but going big on Will Levis
last week and him letting me down. So I'm like, I got to redeem myself. We're gonna talk about Tony Pollard Florio. I'm not disagreeing with you, but you're going with the guy who is arguably the best receiver in the NFL right now.
Yeah, I look, I don't even want Justin Jefferson this week. I want Jettis right.
Like, that's who we be.
We need the chains and the grill and all of that swag that he brings, because this is a week where he should absolutely eat And I don't think this is just a good Justin Jefferson week. Like I think this is his best game of the year so far and potentially could be the best game of his season when we look back at the end of the year, because in his last three games against the Detroit Lions, he has averaged one hundred and eighty five yards per game. He is a touchdown in two of those three games.
The Lions have been getting torched through the air this year, and now Hutchinson is out, which obviously doesn't help like a receiver per se, but it does help Sam Darnold get more time to find Justin Jefferson and locate him and stuff like that. So I think what is going to be a high scoring divisional matchup. Justin Jefferson could
go for two hundred plus in this one. I think he's going to score over twenty five Fantasy points top scorer of the week, and like I keep saying, maybe his best game of the twenty twenty four season this week.
That game's going to be really fun between the Lions and the Vikings, a big deal obviously, and what is a very competitive NFC North Division, but looking forward.
To keeping an eye on that one.
Both of those are really good answers, but the correct answer this week is Saquon Barklay going against the New York Giants in a game going against the owner who said, if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I'm going to have trouble sleeping. I would imagine that John Marra is going to be a raging insomniac after this week because Saquon is going to run all up and down the field. He's going to run the football, He's going to catch the football.
I do sort of appreciate Saquon trying to downplay it, and you know, like there's no hard feelings and in him saying that, I think the fans have forgotten about it. No, Saquon, the fans have not forgotten about it, not even a little. You haven't even played against them yet, like you, they haven't had a chance to see you in person in the Eagles colors. No, they have not forgotten about it. You were going to hear about it when you step on the field, when you touch the football. I don't
think it's going to matter. It is going to be the fuel to his fire this week. Saquon is going to have an enormous game against the Giants.
I could be so many Saquon Barkley jerseys in that stadium.
There's gonna be a lot of lot of twenty six is if I both colors. Yeah, you're probably right, both colors in that stadium coming up this week.
But he's going to have a I was a huge game.
I was in New York the day that he signed with Philly, and the first thing I did was turn on the fan, like local radio there sports talk radio, and my god, was it entertaining. So yeah, there's a lot of hard feelings in this wood.
Yeah, you're like, I don't think it's gonna be a big It's gonna be a huge deal, says and believe. All right.
So Week seven red flags the guys that we should be aware of this week, Laquand who's got you nervous?
Uh?
Jordan Love has me nervous against his Texans defense, who've been pretty good with the past. They're a top five pass defense, but they also have the highest QB pressure rate in the NFL right now, and they have the capability to get in that pocket and make him uncomfortable and make the mistakes. I'm not saying that Jordan Love is going to be a total dud this week, but I'm just being very cautious about how many leagues I'm going to be going out there to start him because
you cannot sleep on this Texans pass rush. You can't sleep on this secondary at all. So I really think that, you know, we might have to have our expectations tempered going against his Texans defense because a lot of people are out there drinking this Jordan Love, you know kool aid, that he's going to be like this big, big, top five quarterback. I'm not saying he's not, but this week we might have to pull it back, pump the brakes, and.
You know, here's the on the one side, like, I totally get that against the Texans defense. On the other side, he's been really good at throwing multiple touchdown passes in a game.
So I'm not sure where I fall on that.
I feel like, you know, it's hard to have a better option, so you're probably starting him, but you know, who knows how this thing is going to turn out this week?
Lakwan, would you play Love or golf, golf Gough, Jared goof whatever, because I know I.
Know how you feel about it. I know how you feel about Jared Go. That's a that's a big that's a big statement coming from the quand for sure.
Is hilarious.
I've ever heard that before. Who are you who are you concerned about this week?
Jared goof No, Look, I know the move to Russell Wilson could be a good one for George Pickens.
I'm not saying it can't. I am just worried about week seven for this move because, uh, like Russell Wilson got hurt in August and then it was all justin fields getting the first team reps. All season long. It's been justin fields getting the first team reps. So if these are the first like live practice reps that these two were seeing since early August, that to me seems concerning.
Plus there's always a concern of like, hey, this is Russ's first game and over in since December, Like maybe there's a little bit of Russ to shake off there with the new team, new players that he hasn't played in a game with yet, So that is concerning. But then also equally concerning is the matchup against the Jets. They are in the bottom five and fantasy points allowed to wide receivers, and they really eliminate out wide wide receivers,
which is what George Pickens does. And Pickens, while he bounces around side to side, the bulk of his work comes on the left side, which is Sauce Gardner territories. So he seems very boom or bust to me in this week plus everything, I know, all the reports are that Russell Wilson is starting this week, but like every time Mike Tomlin's been asked about it, he's been noncommittal
to both of them. So I think there's a chance Justin Fields could still start this week, and then that's kind of trending down for George Pickens as well.
Yeah, I mean I think it.
Look if it's Russ I feel better about Pickens, but you're right that Fields could start. I even saw something that they could use two quarterbacks as though they were like, you know, the Mid American Conference, Like what are we doing? Like why are we trying to start both these guys? Or play both these guys?
I mean, yeah, can we not? Please? So I'm keeping an eye on this one, you know.
I know there's a lot of consternation about the Steelers making a change when they're sitting at four and two right now, so who knows. I'm gonna go with Kyler Murray and this has not been the Kyler Murray season we thought it was going to be. I mean, he had a couple of good games early, but really it's it's quieted down since the first couple of weeks of the season, averaging less than two hundred passing yards per game. This week, they got the Chargers, and that Chargers defense
has been tough. They have allowed sixty six points all season long. Now, mind you, they've also had him by so they've had one fewer game than most of the teams out there, but still they are locking down on opponents, not giving a lot of opportunity to quarterbacks and not allowing quarterbacks to run. They held justin fields to six
rushing yards this season. I think they've given him ninety rushing yards total to quarterbacks, So that takes away potentially another big avenue for Kyler Murray to score fantasy points. I know Marvin Harrison Junior was back at practice, so that is encouraging to have him back in the offense potentially, But just I'm worried about Kyler, who has not been great, and this doesn't really feel like a week where suddenly he's about to get back on track.
For fantasy.
It's time to drive your line up. Presented by the all new hybrid Toyota Camry, So I switched the order around because it feels like we had been ending the show on a really negative note, so I tried to end it on something a little.
Bit more hopeable.
So I moved the store lax our favorite sleepers to this final portion of the show. So Lakwan, who are we sleeping on?
In Week seven?
Give me Lad McConkie man against the car and they allow a ton of production the slot wide receivers. So I'm looking forward to this matchup because honestly, we understand it's a low pass byum offense, but when they are throwing the ball, they're more likely going to Lad McConkie. He's the only one that has a twenty percent target
share on the team. And I think the Cardinals are going to have to focus on a lot more on this run game with the Chargers have because the Cardinals have been completely cooked, I'm talking crock pot cooked the entire season on the ground when it comes to the running backs. So they're going to have a lot of distractions with JK. Dobbins in that run game. And this is where I think Ladd McConkie shows up with a big game this week.
I feel like we should start like a fan club, but we can all be like lads, lads or something like that.
Dads lads.
You know, we need some sort of clever name for the Ladd mcconkee high.
He has to have these big games, he has to keep them consistent.
But we'll see.
He's got to keep playing well. But we can have lads and lads. We can get T shirts and stuff too. We can all like walk around like that's always cool, Like jerks with a T shirt that say lads lads on them.
Who's your sleeper for the week?
A guy that I know, Lakwan, likes a whole lot as well. The Mario Douglas sir look nine targets from Drake May last week. I don't think that should be ignored. And the Steeler Patriots offense looked, at least stat wise, they were putting, they were moving the ball better, they were scoring touchdowns at a higher rate than they had with Jakobe Brissett. I think Drake May injects some life
into this offense. Plus it is a fantastic matchup. The Jags have allowed the second most fantasy points to wide receivers. They struggle against slot receivers, so Douglas can make his hay there. And yeah, look he's not a mustard or anything like that, but you're gonna be watching this game, You're gonna be waking up early to throw on a little football. It's a way for you to get some exposure there. And he just feels like a safe floor,
kind of safe volume guy. This stealing though, is in play this week and a good matchup if the Patriots are in ketchup mode as well.
I like to Mario Douglas a lot this week.
I know we keep trying to make Jalen Polk a thing, and at some point I think he will.
Be a thing, but for now, it's to Mario Douglas.
I mean, he is the leading receiver there, was the leading receiver last year, leading receiver again this year. Good matchup this week against Jacksonville. I'm all in on to Mario Douglas. For me, I'm going with Andy Dalton because obviously things brightened up a lot in that Carolina offense once he took over as the starting quarterback. Good matchup this week against Washington. The Commander's defense has gotten incrementally better, but still giving up.
A whole lot of yards through the air.
Last week it was Lamar Jackson going for over three point fifty against them. I don't think Dalton gets quite to that number, but I do think he's going to be effective multiple touchdown passes in three of the four games that he's had since he became the starter in Carolina because neither defense can stop anybody. I think there's gonna be a lot of points scored in this one. It's gonna go back and forth with a lot of Dalton throwing the football.
So for sure, in two QB super flex leagues, Andy Dalton is a starter.
I think even he's a low end QB one in like fourteen team or deeper leagues, the red rifle man.
I think this is a.
Good week for him going it's going against Washington, for sure. So 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.
I feel better. We ended this on a happy note.
We started weird, started weird with lakwan and burritos, but we have a positive note, so you know, progress progress for sure, I guess so There you go. That's it for this edition of the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. They happy, safe and healthy, do good and live well. Enjoy Thursday football, everybody, and we will talk to you again tomorrow.
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