Hey everybody, It's Tuesday, October twenty second, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Show, where we notify you of our injury status to me your man MG Marcus Grant, joined by Michael f Florio and Lakwan Jones and fellas normally like to start the show. A little bit of happy chat, but not a lot of happy to start this show, so let's.
Get into it. There were two Monday night games.
You had the Chargers and the Cardinals, which was weird because it went a whole lot of scoring, wasn't necessarily the most appealing game, and it was put behind a paywall.
That's a whole different story.
The other game that most of us were able to see without much trouble or without much trouble, the Ravens and the Buccaneers. On the good side of things, you had Lamar Jackson doing Lamar Jackson things, throwing five touchdown passes. You had Derrick Henry running the ball like a madman, getting in the end zone yet again. On the other side of things, though, things not so great. Yes, Baker Mayfield did end up having a good fantasy day. The Bucks ended up losing, but bad news all around with
the Tampa Bay Wide receivers. The big one, Chris Godwin a dislocated ankle He's expected to have surgery later this week has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Then the other one, maybe not as long term, but equally serious, Mike Evans, who was trying to play despite a bad hamstring aggravated that hamstring injury and now looks like he is out until at least after the Bucks By in week twelve, so the or week eleven rather week twelve being the earliest that he is expected back
this season. So, Florida, I'm gonna start with you here. Obviously this you know you're sort of looking at next man up in the Tampa Bay Wide receiver room. I mean, my first thought was a BITVT to Jalen McMillan, but Sterling Shepherd is there as well. Which one of these guys would you rather have right now?
For fantasy?
McMillan, For me, I'm always a when it comes to like two situations like this, I'm gonna go with the young guy, the one that came with pedigree and stuff more than the guy who is kind of past his rope. But McMillan is one that I am willing to not only pick up, but to spend some fab on this week. Like in one of my leagues, I'm putting like thirteen dollar bid on him out of one hundred. I only have less than fifty left, so that is a good
chunk of it. But I'm also putting in on Shepherd and Tucker like min bids either zero or one dollar or something like that, just in case I'm wrong or something like that. There will be volume up for grabs. But even more than McMillan. I think the big winner here.
I think McMillan is the biggest wide receiver winner. But Kate Awton man like he was already getting so much volume or starting to get more and more and more volume, and then last night had ten targets and he's out there in a lot of leagues and tight end being what it is like grab kitaut in tonight when Waivers run. Yeah.
Kayatton was a guy that I sort of liked as a sleeper the last couple of weeks because he was very quietly getting a larger share of the targets in Tampa, and then we saw on Monday night him getting a whole lot of work, and you expect that's gonna go up with Evans and God went out for at least the next few weeks. That God went out for the season, Evan's out for at least the next few weeks. So ot and going to get a big part of that target share in an offense that throws the football a lot.
But Lakwan, that does lead us to the quarterback question.
There in Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield was having a fantastic season, both in real football and in fantasy football.
I mean, as of this moment, he is.
The second highest scoring player in all of fantasy behind just Lamar Jackson right now, eighteen touchdown passes, seven interceptions, and fifty nine passing yards.
He's even running the football a little bit, Lakwan.
For now, with his top two weapons gone, how much does that impact Baker Mayfield. I felt like he was getting to the point where he was kind of a set and forget an option for you now, do you have to think about it on a weekly basis?
Yeah, Like I really think this is going to be where we see Baker Mayfield play a lot of hero ball. This is gonna be where he's gonna be making those bonehead mistakes like that interception in the red zone, Like that's probably the worst area for a quarterback to turn the ball over and scoring distance. And I feel like now Baker Mayfield, without his two core weapons, he's going to try to have to make whatever work with the guys that he has in front of him to step up.
You're hoping Sterling Shepherd can step up in a way, being that they have previous chemistry in college. You're hoping Jalen mcmallon can step up and be that underneath guy that can kind of stretch the field as well at times.
And Kate Odd and he's another guy that you know, we talked about him getting more opportunities as the weeks go on, and I think this might be the Baker Mayfield that we saw last year where him and Rashad White might connect a lot these checkdowns where you know, a lot of shot away fantasy managers are probably you know, unfortunate situations happy now that he could find a lot more fantasy relevance having a season high on Monday Night with a fantasy So I really think that Baker Mayfield
does not become an option of every week, you know, we start and forget where you might have to really go out there looking on the waiver wire for Jameis Winston, you know, which sounds disgusting right now, but it is what it is. What Baker not having Mike Evans and Chris Codman, well, it's going to be really tough to go out there each week trying to think that Baker Mayfield is going to be put up the numbers that he did before.
Well, and on top of it, when you look at the upcoming schedule for Tampa Bay, it's not particularly friendly. I mean, coming up this week they've got a big matchup in the Division against the Atlanta Falcons, who defensively are better, certainly than they've been over the last few years, kind of middle of the back in past defense, but certainly not as bad as they have been in recent years.
Then they go to Kansas City to take on that Chiefs defense, which is shut down just about everybody they've run up on. Then they have to host the forty nine Ers, who, again the Niners, maybe not the same defensive team they were a couple of years ago, but still not a defense that you really want to have to fool around with. So it is just not a great run over the next three weeks. Then they have the buy in week eleven. Hopefully in week twelve you're able to get Mike Evans back when you go on
the road to the New York Giants. So just a really, really tough stretch for Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers, and now we're going to have some decisions to make when it comes to putting them putting him in our fantasy lineup. Other big story that came out earlier in the week Deebo Samuel, who suited up we heard he had an illness. He tried to go, couldn't go, ended up sitting out most of that game against Kansas City. Turns out he had pneumonia, He had fluid in his lungs, was admitted
to the hospital on Sunday. He has since been released from the hospital, but no real timeline of when he's going to get back on the field. So I mean,
I'll ask both of you this. I'll start with you, if you are looking for a niner off the waiver wire, knowing that Samuel is out for who knows how long, Knowing that Brandon Ayuk is out for the rest of the season, who would you rather have Juwan Jennings, who's expected back this week, or the rookie Ricky Piarsol, who made his debut on Sunday against Kansas City.
I mean, honestly, I will probably play it safe here. I'll put in waiver wires for both Ricky Piersoll and Jawan Jennings, even maybe Jacob Cowing. I mean, honestly, I feel like you have plenty of options here if you're looking to replace a Brandon Ayuk or Diebo if he's going to miss extended time. But honestly, I'll probably hang my hat on Ricky Pearsall. I mean, we watched his college states. The guy can make all the circus catches.
He just needs to get a little bit more adjusted if you're looking for that big swing upside where I think he could be a reliable target for Brock Berdy. But Jawan Jennings banged up. We did see earlier in the season. He did pop up, show up and show out in times. But more so, I'm going to be going with the young guy here where I think he has a lot to prove. He's been waiting to get on the field, So give me Ricky Pearsall. In this offense moving forward.
How about you Florio Jennings or Piersol Jennings.
For me, I agree with Lakwan. I'm putting in bids on all of them just in case, but the ones where I'm spending fab is on Jennings because I agree. I like Ricky Piersoll a lot. I still believe he's kind of behind the eight ball a little bit. He missed a lot of time this summer. He wasn't practicing with them, but Jennings was. And not only that, we've already seen Jennings step up when one of those two
top wide receivers have missed time this year. Even when you came back, Marcus, you kept joking like, yeah, the forty nine ers paid their wide receiver one and Brandon Aiyuk this offseason because that's how much volume was going Juwan Jennings way. So I'm willing to bet to bank on that continuing. But I'm putting my big fat bits
in on him. But I'm putting backup bids on Ricky Pearsol and then even behind him on Cowing because of what Lawan said, like if you miss out on one, you still want pieces of this offense so, and my belief is you should always put bids in because even if you're like, this guy's gonna go for way more, It's happened to me so many times where I end up just putting a just in case bait and get that guy. So put in bids for all three of them. If you need wide receivers, that's the order I would
be putting them in. But yeah, you can never go wrong with just throwing a bit in just in case.
Yeah, no, I agree. I would say that if I'm picking one.
If I had to pick one over the other, it's Juwan Jennings just because we've seen him have a big role in this offense. I said it before third in Juwan was a real thing for this forty nine ers offense, and I go back to the fact that there was a good ten minute stretch when he was he was the leading candidate to be Super Bowl MVP.
So I think the role is gonna be big for him.
I think we'll see Pearsaw develop into something good along the way, but that may take a little bit of time. So if you need help right away, I think Jennings is your guy. If you're willing to wait and sort of wait for someone to develop, then you know, take the shot at Pearsaw. But like both of you guys said, probably worth it to put bids in on both of them.
So there you go.
A rough stretch for wide receivers across the league and it's going to be a lot of tough decisions for fantasy managers going forward. So those are a couple of things that we had questions about. In the meantime, have some more big questions that we're looking at fantasy wise for week eight and beyond the first one.
Lakwan is it over for Travis et In?
Like I know he was.
Hurt and that was the reason he didn't play this past week in London, But Tank Bigsby looked so good and has looked very good over the last couple of weeks.
Like, how worried should you be if you have Travis et In?
You should be very worried. Him and Rashad White are literally in the same boat. Like it's one of those things where it's weird where you know they missed some time and then their backup show up and show out, Like I have this thing where you know I live by it. If it's a weird thing, but I say, if you take a day off where you go on vacation, might lose your job and opportunities. And that's clearly what's
happened here in Jacksonville. You know, Travis Etn on the sideline, he's looking like Michael B. Jordan, like doing his best impression our side, Like he's smiling, shaking his head like yeah, this is great, like we're getting the run game going. But he's really crying inside because Tank Bidsby, Oh my god,
he's just been playing phenomenal. Like I don't see how you go back to that, you know what I mean, Like, how do you go back to Travis Etn leading the backfield because he hasn't been efficient And I just think that, you know, Tank Bigsby just gives you that boost. He gives you that burst. There's some burst in the step and he's like one of those guys that can pull those over people like I love watching him play.
So Travis Etn handshake ice Cube from Friday getting fired on your day off? Yeah, what's happening right now with Travis Etn. I mean, look and when he comes back and he's healthy, he's going to have a role in this offense, but at this point it's hard to see it being as significant as we thought it was going to be and as it was at the beginning of the season because he's just flat out getting out played by Tank Bigsby Right now, Flouria, Do I have to keep starting Anthony Richardson?
No pie behind the curtain of this week? I have Richardson.
I haven't written it yet, but I have him as a sit in stardom sit him, And this one was hard for me because he has had a lot of success against the Houston Texans, but it's largely come on the ground rushing touchdown wise, I think he has three and two games against them, but the passing production just is not there, and I think teams have kind of figured out if you could take away his legs or at least contain his legs and you don't let him
hit those home runs downfields. This is a team that is really going to struggle to consistently move the ball because of his accuracy issues. And this past week he completed just ten passes for one hundred and twenty nine yards three straight games. Now that he has started and finished and been held to single digit Fantasy points, it's tough. I get it. Some of you invested very highly in
Anthony Richardson. You just can't get away. You might not have an option or whatever, butack, some quarterbacks have hate off the waiver wire and if you picked one up, I think it is okay now to sit Anthony Richardson until we see more signs of life.
I mean, last year a fifty nine percent completion percentage. This year it's even worse, forty eight point five percent completions for Anthony Richardson in a league where sixty percent is sort of the baseline for being a relevant, competent quarterback.
I know we love.
The guys who can run, but you have to be able to back that up with being at least a sufficient passer, and he has not hit that number. Has not hit that threshold so far this season. On top of it, he is just running less and being less effective when he runs. Just one rushing touchdown so far this season. He had four last year in four games. And I do think some of that as Jonathan Taylor being there because they did not play much together last year.
They didn't overlap at all. Taylor came back and was healthy by that time. Richardson had the shoulder issue and didn't play against for the rest of the year. So obviously having Jonathan Taylor there, it takes away from Richardson's rushing ability and he is not nearly good enough a passer to make up for it throwing the football.
Do they know each other?
I mean, I'm sure they have.
I'm sure they've been introduced at some point this season, But that's the kind of it.
When did Taylor get hurt this year? Let's check it out. So he was there the first three weeks before Richardson got hurt, and then they both got hurt in that same game. Act. So yeah, they've played three games together start and finish. Wow.
Yeah, yeah, it has not really that LaQuan. Are we here for Alexander Mattis season? Is that a thing?
Now?
Yeah?
Look, I mean the Raiders played your Rams on Sunday. You got to kind of watch it a little bit. Is Alexander Madison a thing?
When you have matchups like that, I think you kind of start thinking like there could be some here, but absolutely not. I'd want no parts of this backfield. But he is averaging twelve Fantasy points per game. But it's like I'll only put him in if I'm depleted at depth at the running back position, or I got a guy on by, like I guess I'll throw him in there. Like you're very happy that he's taken most of the red zone touches and Zamir White is just basically dust.
So I just feel like, you know, you have to really really be really down bad to have exally, oh my god, Alexander Madison, as you're starting running back going into the week, but I'm not here for.
It at all.
Samir White played fewer snaps than a mirror Abdullah on Olay.
Yeah, that's where we.
Are, right, mister Stark. I don't feel so well.
I mean right, I still go back to the offseason when you know josh Acobs left, everybody's excited he's going to be some mere White season. Alexander Madison got signed and people were like, no, whatever, it's still it's still some mere White season. He has not been good running the football, and he offers you very little as a pass catcher. It's just it's hard to really get excited about Zamir White. And maybe you're right, maybe Madison does not offer a whole lot more, but he does offer more.
You know, I think the matchup bait. Like next week it's the Chiefs don't like him, but in their matchups, right, I have him in a deep league and I've played him a few weeks already this season because he's getting targets and he's getting goal line work.
Yeah, yeah, I'm I think that's sort of the thing. Right Again, the fact that he catches the football kind of gives him at least a little bit more juice. Samir White, he doesn't catch the football and he's an inefficient runner.
It just it just doesn't work at all for him.
All Right, let's look at some mid season fantasy predictions I mentioned at the top of the show. We did some awards, we did biggest disappointment in MVP on Monday show. But let's spend things forward about some players we are curious to watch in the second half of the season. Maybe it's because we're adding them and think you're playing him late in the year. Maybe it's a dynasty situation where you're sort of looking beyond twenty twenty four and
seeing what these players have to offer. We'll talk it out right now, LQ. Who is on your radar for the next few weeks.
I am on the Drake May train right now. I just love everything that I'm seeing from him. Like I watched his game very closely these last two weeks, and like he's just phenomenal. He's literally the future for New England. Like he's given this offense a way, like a whole new identity, and like defenses need to take him serious. And like we know he can get out of the pocket when there's pressure, because we know how bad that old line is, you know, the old lines Jersey numbers
are coming screaming at his face. But he's more so just him cool, calm, collected in the pocket. Just he will climb the pocket and keep his eyes downfield. So these are little things that you're seeing from him, which is like great to know, like moving forward for Fantasy because like I said yesterday, like he's playing better than Patrick Mahomesey's last two weeks man, Like he's averaging twenty
Fantasy points right now, Like this is insane. Like he's definitely earned his spot on my especially especially with a runner, you know, like being able to get out of that pocket extended place. So I just absolutely dra loved Drake May right now.
Yeah, I think by Drake May, he's throwing the ball well. Even though they don't have necessarily a ton of talent. The Jalen Polk drops are becoming a thing right now, or just his inability to get open is kind of becoming a thing right now. But last week May or actually go I guess s say Week six, May led the Patriots in rushing. This week is past week. He was signed for the.
Team lead in rushing up.
Granted that was only eighteen yards, but the point being he will get out of the pocket and run. Is that cheek code that we'd love to have for our fantasy quarterbacks, Florida.
Who is your eye on in the second half?
A guy who literally you haven't been able to watch a single snap of so far this season, but Jonathan Brooks. I love Jonathan Brooks coming into the season, and I'm not shying away. I don't think he's gonna live up to the expectations I thought he would. I thought he'd be back already by now. I thought he'd be starting to take over this job. But I do think he could still come back and be a very fantasy relevant
type running back. Chuba Hubbard is never going to go fully away, but Chuba Hubbard was held in check this past week. Miles Sanders gets involved, so I could see it being a two headed backfield. But Brooks has explosiveness for days. He can miss people, make people miss, He can be used in the passing game. He could do it all.
Like.
That's why my expectations were him were so high. But yeah, I don't know what this Panthers offense might look like in a couple of weeks after the trade deadline. But I do know that in the second half of the year, Jonathan Brooks will be active. He will be getting reps for this team. And my hope is if he looks as good as I think he can look, he could steal more and more workaway. And I think he still has league winning upside. But Cheuba Hubbard is going to be a thorn in that side.
Yeah, and that was not a thing that we anticipated coming into the He's had a chance to be on the Late Round podcast with the great JJ Zacharyese, we kind of talked about the fact that Hubbard is a.
Free agent at the end of the year.
Brooks obviously in his rookie season, maybe they decide to pivot a little bit and start to see Brooks a little bit more. But I think it depends on whether or not Dave Canallys is sort of calling the shots on that or this is a front office thing. It's the front office thing. I think we see more Brooks if it's Dave Canalis. I think we continue to see
Hubbard because he's helping them at least be competitive. Air quotes right now, I'm going another rookie running back, and we're all going rookies year, but I'm going Tyrone Tracy, who they said that he was going to start getting more opportunities in that offense in New York.
And it showed.
Now.
Granted, the Giants got thumped by the Eagles this past week, but what you do love to see is that Tyrone Tracy led the Giants running backs in snaps thirty seven to twelve over Devin Singletary just back off injury, and look, Tracy has been very explosive. He's been great with the football in his hands, and it's good to see him getting more chances. I'm sort of like in Carolina with Brooks and Hubbard. I don't think Singletary's every ever fully
going away. I think Brian Dabell, having had that previous relationship with him in Buffalo is still going to get him involved in things. But it's hard to deny that you can get Tyrone Tracy some opportunities, especially in an offense that is looking for a spark. Daniel Jones has not been very good at the quarterbacks position, at least not consistently. Yeah, so I think you just have to see more Tyrone Tracy. I think he's earned the opportunity
for sure. Gonna take a quick break. Stick around for more of the NFL Fantasy Football Show. Back here on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, Let's get to.
Some waiver wire deep diyes. We did the waiver wire on Monday.
But if we're going a little bit deeper, LaQuan, who are we looking at?
I'm looking at Cedric Tillman Man. I liked everything I saw from him on Sunday Man twelve targets, eight catches, Like he played behind Amari Cooper really on the depth chart in that role, and it looks like he's filling
in nicely for that role. I mean, solwill Winston checked in, he made a nice twenty five yard completion and like some of the little things that Tim was doing, like not running into coverage, playing really good in the zone, just making himself available for him And like I think more so looking forward, they need somebody to step up in this offense, like one of the young guys, and he's definitely one of those players. Like I think Jerry Judy checked out, like I said on yesterday's spot, like
just the body language of it. Like we know Jerry Judy could be very explosive at times, but I really think he's just over the whole Cleveland experience. And I think Cedric Hillman could be the guy that can step up and like find some fantasy relevance on the back end of the season. So I'm looking for all the
wide receiver depth because they're dropping like flies. So if I can get a talented six ' three wide receiver that can make some of the big plays in the red zone and end zone, I'm all for it.
Man.
Yeah, No, I like him a lot. And he had twelve targets on Sunday. Seven of them came with Dorian Thompson Robinson at quarter. Esp'll see what happens. We'll see if dtr is back on the field. I know he was dealing with a finger injury this past week. That's what let Jamis get into the game. Who are you deep diving for this week?
Mike Jatavian Sanders from the tight end from the Carolina Panthers, because in his last three games he is averaging six targets per game. In his last two he has sat just around like nine point nine or double digit fantasy points in each of the last two. And uh, this is someone that I know, LaQuan you pointed out Bucky Brooks was talking a lot about him during draft season.
Just a huge target six four, two fifty, So he could be utilized in the red zone if the Panthers ever kind of get the ball in the red zone. He also could just be a yak guy for them. Plus there's a lot of rumors of like Deontay Johnson, Adam Thielen, some of these veterans potentially being available in trade, and if something like that happens, that just opens up
more volume for Sanders. So with the bar for tight end being so low and right now that look, I'm not telling you to pick him up and start him in like a ten team league, but if you play in deeper leagues, I think he is already someone that you could stream, and there's potential for him to just keep getting better. This is something that I know we kind of have discussed previously, but like with rookie tight ends, he usually takes a little bit before they get going.
So I'm very encouraged with what he's been doing these last couple of weeks and hopeful that he could build on it in the second half of the season.
Yeah, big athletic tight end on a team that's just looking for playmakers right now.
I think he's going to get more opportunities later.
In the season.
Ricky Pearsow is going to get more opportunities just because the forty nine Ers are shorthanded at wide receiver and they need all the help they can get. There was the expectation before the season started, when it looked for a little bit like the Niners might be trading Brandon Ayuk, that Pearsaw could sort of be the guy to step in there, be a good route runner and win against man coverage. Now it appears they may need him just because injuries have taken their toll on this forty nine
Er offense. We saw him finally get back on the field after being shot in a robbery attempt before the season. He got out there in Week seven against the Chiefs made his first NFL catch.
I think we're gonna see a lot more opportunities.
It could start as early as this week on Sunday Night Football against a Cowboys defense that has been beaten up and could be without a couple of pass rushers. DeMarcus Lawrence expected to be out, Marshawn Neiland expected to be out, and Micah Pearson. Michael Parsons rather very much still up in the air with his availability for Sunday Night. So if we are adding guys, we got to be
dropping guys. Lakwan, who's going back to the free agent pool? Ooh, you could say goodbye to ty Chandler Vikings backup running back to Aaron Jones. I understand the need to have the debt behind Aaron Jones, but honestly, he's toasted. He has not been great with his opportunities and they traded for cam Akers. I was very surprised to see that
he had a forty five percent roster share. I don't know why folks are still holding on to him, and it's time to say goodbye because he's just not efficient has look great with his opportunities, and like I said, cam Makers might be that backup to Aaron Jones. Yeah, I was, I think very telling when they signed or they traded for cam Akers again. Actually I thought it meant that Aaron Jones was going to be a beat up, but he actually played really well.
Lauria, who are you saying goodbye to Trey Sermon?
And I know this was He's not like a huge name, but I have a lot of teams that need running back help. Where I went like Hero running Back or zero RB or something like that, and Sermon was someone that I streamed the last couple of weeks and two
now almost three weeks ago. At this point, it was good because he got the touchdown, he had the six targets, but those running back targets for him and Goodson kind of went away when we saw the move go back to Anthony Richardson from Joe Flacco and then Goodson had more carries than him. He produced him, he got the touchdown. This past week, Sermon pretty much had almost all of his fantasy production come on one drive late in the game. So even if Jonathan Taylor, who is getting closer, if
he is out again next week. Goodson is a running back that I would trust more than Sermon right now. So it was fun. You helped me, You gave me a win in the league in one week. But it's over.
Yeah, it's probably over for him. I also think it's over for DeAndre Hopkins right now. I mean, one, we've just sort of seen the decline in Hopkins.
Over the years.
But the quarterback situation in Tennessee is such a nightmare right now. You've got on the one side Will Levis, who is very aggressive at trying to push the ball downfield, but not very accurate and prone to making horrific mistakes. When he got hurt, we saw Mason Rudolph step in, and Rudolph is not going to push the ball downfield. He's very much going to be a checkdown guy. So that does not help Hopkins in any way right now. His best game this year came in Week three against
the Packers. He went six for seventy three and a touchdown.
Only time.
He's been about fifty five receiving yards so far this season on pace right now for about forty three catches, which would by far be a career low. Really, it's hard to really count on any pass catcher in that Tennessee Titans offense, but the new compkins very much among them. At this point, there's so many other wide outs there that you can get a look at that it doesn't really make sense to be holding a space on your roster for him.
So uh, we we love you.
Know you've been great for so many years, but at this point it looks like father time has has finally gotten up to you.
So there it is all right.
That'll do it though, for this edition of the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, they happy, safe and healthy.
Do good and live well and enjoyed. Theday is everybody, and we will talk to you again tomorrow.
Wow. All the