Wow, everybody, It's Wednesday, October thirtieth, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Show, where we've accepted the idea of the family costume. Your man, MG. Marcus Grant, joyed by Michael Florio and Lakwan Jones. I know Halloween is here. Any what have you figured out your costume for this year? Yeah?
I went to a party on Saturday and we went costume shopping on Saturday morning. Bad decision, don't do that, So me and my wife ended up going as I was a red solo.
Cup and she was a pongball. Okay, all right, all right, Lakwan, any ideas of what you are dressing up as?
If anything, I'm doing a deep cut where you know, I'm a man eating shark, but I'm gonna go find like a basically like a swimming diving gear and b Samuel Jackson from Deep Blue Sea when he get seen by the track.
That is a deep cut. But I look forward to seeing photos. Does that go with your family or is this just like you're yes, No, I.
Went rogue because they were no costumes left, so I kind of was on your God.
As for me, I'll be wearing a onesie. I'm going to be Tigger. We're doing a whole winning the pood things, so I'm gonna be in a big tiger outfit.
It looks warm.
That's the best thing I got to say about it. So anyway, we got a lot to do on the show today. We're gonna preview the week nine Slate also give you some fantasy hot takes, as we always do, but let's start with some fantasy headlines. There was a lot of movement happening earlier in the week. The trades continue around the NFL, the Carolina Panthers moving on from Deontay Johnson. They just get him in the offseason. Now they ship him over to Baltimore and basically a pick
swap between the Panthers and the Ravens. So, I mean, look, Florida, we all love Deontay Johnson. He's like your favorite fantasy analysts, favorite wide receiver. He is now in Baltimore. What does this mean for Johnson and the Ravens offense. It means good.
Things for Lamar Jackson, who gets another weapon at his disposal.
He could continue to spread.
The ball around.
I don't love it for the individual pass catchers though, because Jay Flowers and Rashan Bateman were already there and there's talks that they might remain the top two options.
Who knows.
I think if you trade for Deontay Johnson, you have plans of getting him involved there, but then there's two tight ends. This puts Look, this is the now on the coffin for Isaiah Likely's fantasy value. I would say, but like Mark Andrews, now becomes a lot.
More touchdown dependent.
I think you could still start him. Flowers and Zaiya and Deontay Johnson, I think are probably in that wide receiver three or flex range until we see otherwise. Because I do believe that Deontay Johnson, who gets open at a very high rate, is going to see targets. I don't think they're gonna get him just to make him a backup option or.
Something like, Oh, Isaiah Likely, we'll always have week one. On the other side of things, Lakwan, what does this mean for the Carolina Panthers offense.
Well, they do lose, you know, an Alfa wide receiver out of their offense, but they still have some young talent over. I mean, you guys, Xavier really get and then you have Jalen Coker, who's been buzzing on anasty streets you know, the last twenty four hours. But the only problem is that this is not a great offense that the proline Panthers have put together. I mean, I'm really worried about, you know, going out there and being bullish on the Jalen Koker, who's still you know, is
trying to find his way into these offense. But he did look good with Bryce Young connecting with him, and we did get news that Bryce Young it's going to be starting this week, so hopefully they can build some chemistry there. But it's going to always worry me of having any of these guys in my starting lineups. You know, with Bryce Sjung at quarterback, just based on there's not really much touchdown upside. There's not much upside in the
passing offense. And then you know you have Chuba Hubber, who's a productive running back and be able to get the things done, but we have not seen him shine with Bryce Young back there at the starting quarterback position.
Went back and watched a lot of that game last week for the Panthers against the Broncos, and man, it's just they're struggling to get guys open. Some of it obviously has to do with the defense they were playing, but man, you's just just not a lot of open receivers in that passing game for Bryce Young. Speaking of quarterbacks who have been having their struggles, Anthony Richardson now going to the bench for the Indianapolis Colts. Joe Flacco
named the starter for the foreseeable future. Look, Florio, I don't know for starting Joe Flacco, but we're super excited about the Colts wide receivers start them all, right, Like even Alec Pierce at this point, not Alex Oh.
Yeah, Alec Pierce still remains just very boom or bust. I think Josh Downs is the biggest winner here. I think Michael Piman Junior is a win. You know, Michael Piman Junior has played three games with Joe Flacco, double digit Fantasy points in all three, even though one of them a lot of the production came from Anthony Richardson
before he got hurt. In five full games with Anthony Richardson, single digits in every single one of those games, I think Flaco is a better fit for the style of offense they are trying to play the you know, like be accurate and we'll pick up yardage short and slowly move our way down the field, which is not what Anthony Richardson is built for.
I have a lot of thoughts on the benching of Anthony Richardson, but that is for a different time. Yeah, it's for a different time and a different show. I know. The internet was a buzz with thoughts on how this benching was going to other issues in the AFC south over to Houston Stefan Diggs when they torn ACL he is going to be at for the remainder of the twenty twenty fourth season, LaQuan. It has not been a great fantasy year for CJ. Stroud. Now he's gonna be
without Stefan Diggs for the rest of the year. He's with me without Nico Collins for at least one more week. How much are you downgrading Stroud now? A lot?
Now? Man, losing Diggs was like the nail and the call for me for CJ. Stroud to have upside every single week. I mean, look, you lost Joe Mixon early in the season. He comes back, it's great that he's back. Then you lose Nico Collins and now you lose Stefon Diggs. I don't know if all that weight can be put on Tank Dell to make CJ. Stroud back to that
fantasy QB one that we know he can be. It's just that too many nicks and dings to this offense where I don't think that he's going to go out there and light it up like we know he can. I mean, honestly, losing Stefan Diggs was heartbreaking for me because man wide, receivers are dropping like flies. But you're taking a hit at c J. Stroud when he's most likely your best quarterback on your roster right now.
Yeah, I mean, look, one of the things with CJ. Stroud is air yards. He was a big air yards guy. Last year. He was taking shots downfield, averaging about two fewer air yards per attempt this year versus last year. Now he's lost the two guys, at least temporarily, the two guys who were the top targets. I mean about fifty percent of the targets were funneled through Collins and Diggs. Now we know no Digs the remainder of the season.
I mean, I think he's a good player, but there's only so much he can do with the guys that he's going to be left to work with for the next future. Let's get to our Week nine previews. Two teams on by the Steelers and forty nine Ers get the week off. So definitely some pieces, especially wide receiver tight end, missing for a lot of fantasy managers this week. But we'll start with Thursday night preview. We mentioned CJ. Stroud the Texans heading to Metlive Stadium to take on
the Jets. You can see that eight to fifteen pm Eastern on Amazon Prime Florio. Look, it has not been great for the Jets offense. They went out and they added DeVante Adams, still hasn't really improved. Do you still believe in the combination of Adams and Garrett Wilson.
Yeah, because they're so uber talented. But and I spoke about this on Fantasy Live a bit as well. I really love it for Garrett Wilson because we are now seeing him play in a role that I think is great for fantasy purposes, because like, just look at what the Patriots in the two games against them. In the first game, eighty three percent of his snaps Christian Gonzalez was just shadowing him. This past week when they played two snaps, he was on him. So we are seeing
DeVante take away that defensive attention. It is allowing Garrett Wilson to move out wide and in the slot, and I think it is going to lead maybe not as much volume, but a lot more efficiency and just better fantasy results than we were getting early in the season. And DeVante, look, I think you have to practice patients here, right. I know he knows the quarterback, but it is a new offense, it is a.
New team all of that.
The more games that they get to play together, the more I think we will see him look like Davante Adams.
I just have this feeling and this is just as no stats vibes that this is gonna be a Devonte Adams game that you know, last week he had Aaron Rodgers out here talking to you know, like, I don't know, channeling bane like I've been in the darkness, You've just adopted it or whatever. This just feels like a game where he just tries to force feed Devonte like fifteen targets and then if they win, he's gonna say something snarky after the game. I have no actual war and
dark I have no stats to back this up. It's just a feeling I have about the Jets this week. Uh Lakwhan Rams at the Seahawks. A big game for both these teams. Everybody in the NFC West sitting on four losses right now, so it's still incredibly wide open. But the Rams look like they're getting hot at the right time. I'm gonna ask you about running backs though, which of the two kws do you want this week? Kyron Williams or Kenneth Walker. Try to be Try to
be objective, please, sir. I will not We're going man. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. This dude only knows the end zone. Man.
Eight touchdowns so far this season. I understand that.
You know.
kW. On the other side, Kenneth Walker has been productive, but they cannot figure out if they want to run the ball or throw the ball. It's back and forth, man. But I love watching this Seahawks offense fall apart. It's like watching a very good show for the first time, Like the Office. Their sniff snap, snip, snap, back and forth. They want to run the ball or not if they
want to use him. So therefore, I'm going to go with what's been consistent in this run game, and it's been Kien Williams finding the end zone being involved, sprinkled in the passing game as well, and this Rams offense is near good health. We are the most dangerous team out the West, and we already know how Matthew Stafford is going to go out there and put them in the end zone as well.
I think you said you're watching a good TV show. I thought you could say one that fell apart, so I thought you're gonna talk like, you know, Dexter was great at the start and by the end we're all like, Okay, that's no.
It's like I love watching them fall apart. It's like watching your favorite, you know, TV show.
Got it all right, entertaining, all right, I see, I see, I see how you're going there? All right? Lions at the Packers. The other big divisional matchup, this one in the NFC North. Looking more and more like Jordan Love's not going to be available for this one. It was Malik Willis taking the QB one snaps on Wednesday. So Florio, can you start a Packers receiver without Jordan Love on the field.
I don't think so, not ideally, at least maybe if you're in a pinch or something like that, which the timing couldn't be worse, because this is a fantastic matchup for the Packers. Receivers lines struggle against slot receivers. That's where Jayden Reid operates. They play a lot of man Romeo Dobbs has been their man coverage beater this year,
but Malik Willison is two. He started three games, well, two starts, one touchdown, passing each one hundred and twenty two yards and one two hundred and two in the other. There's four wide receivers and a tight end vying for targets, so just not enough production to go around. And I can't tell you with any sort of confidence like this is the guy they're going to go to if you have to start him. Reid is my favorite, followed by Dobbs this week, but yeah, I don't love them.
Yeah. I was trying to try to figure out how to make Romeo Dobbs a sleeper and put him in the column this week, and I just I can't. I couldn't really figure out a good argument for it because there's just so much inconsistency there, especially if it's not Jordan Love one. It's hard enough with Jordan Love on the field to figure it out. Without Jordan Love, it feels nearly impossible to try to decipher Dolphins at the Bills. I should have let Florio talk about this one st
that you talk about the Rams. In fact, you know what, I'm just gonna switch it up and I'm gonna change this anyway. So Dolphins at the Bills, Florio, you have said repeatedly on this show that how the secondary is the strongest part of this Bill's defense. It's hard to throw on them. Two is back. We were super excited about what that means, but it didn't really mean a lot for Jalen Wattle. How much do you need to see something from Waddle this week? If you want to keep starting him.
I think you really need to see something out of him. And then when they played in Week two, and remember I know two, that's the game where Tua got hurt, but that happened late in the game, he had four targets, four catches, forty one yards, and you look at his game log. Week one was lovely one hundred and nine yards five catches. All that he is fewer than fifty yards in every game since week one. He has two games three games all year with more than five targets.
Like Wattle is not a mustard option. He is far from that. In fact, I think he's more like a wide receiver three flex. We know the upside that he brings every week. That is what's keeping him in play, because nothing he has done from week two on would make you want to start this guy.
In this matchup. And I keep saying we like the idea of Tua in fantasy more than the reality of Tua, and I think you're starting to see that spread itself around Tyreek Hill. We're still okay with Jalen Wattle needs to actually, I think, perform before we can start to trust him again.
All right, ben Roe benchro.
There it is Cowboys at Falcons, Lakwan, Can we actually keep starting Dak Prescott at this point?
No, I wouldn't be looking to start him this week if I can get away from my wood And it's honestly looking at this whole offense as a hole for the Cowboys. They don't really have a run game to support this offense. To take the pressure off for Dak to go out there and try to play hero ball. I mean Honestly, this Falcons defense, they haven't been really you know, allowing much fantasy points to the quarterbacks. To
his position. Only Hurts and Bakers were able to put up twenty plus fantasy points, and a lot of that was supported by having a strong run game. This Cowboys offense is ranked dead last when it comes to rushing yards per game. They're not on the positive side of having a productive offense. And this Falcons defense they pretty scary, you know, every other week. But I feel like this may be the game that you want to sit Dak Prescott just based on the lack of production of this Cowboys offense.
I mean, here's the Cowboys offense right now. It's short run to Dalvin Crookerrico dawdle uh, throw a CD Lamb, throw to CD Lamb, maybe convert the first down or not, and then punt. I mean that's pretty much it's it's throw a CD Lamb, throw to Cede Lamb, maybe throw to someone else. But that's kind of the whole Cowboy offense. Time to talk about some sleepers for the week, LQ. Who you got.
I'm going to Denver with de von Vley. He's a huge sleeper for me this week just based on the Ravens defense, they allowed the highest pass EPA to wide receivers line up in the slot, and that's primarily where Veyle plays. And look, their Ravens defense are allowing a lot of completion percentage tds and yards per tenth when it comes to wide receivers in the slot. And look, he's come along as bo Nicks' most reliable target, I
mean Josh Reynolds on IR now. So he steps up as a guy that could potentially play a huge role in this game because we know we could pass. On the Ravens defense, they have allowed the most completions of twenty plus yards as well, and he's creating a lot of separation in the high rate and bo Nick's completing eighty percent of his passes towards him, So he's giving off huge sleeper vibes this week.
All right, So dvn vele, I get to know that name. When we said a whole lot this year, who's your sleeper this week? Florio, I like.
Bo Knicks, who I'm not sure if he even I'm sorry, that's the next question I like get in this one.
Who is a sleeper?
And I know we touched on the Panthers a little bit, but no Deontay Johnson there anymore. Someone is going to have to catch the ball, and I think they're for round wide receiver is one that not only is their best pass catcher and who should step up, but I believe the Panthers have incentive to try to prioritize and get him the ball as much as possible.
So while he is not someone that I think you need.
To like plug into your lineups with confidence or anything like that, he is someone that I want on my roster because he brings upside the rest of the way.
And look, I always.
Love watching a young quarterback and wide receiver kind of build chemistry together. I'm hopeful that that could happen in Carolina with Bryce Young and leeget.
I certainly hope. So I also kind of like Jalen Cocher as a deep sleeper this week for the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, on the other side of things, I like Derek Carr with some sleeper vibes this week. He is expected to be back for the New Orleans Saints after missing a couple of weeks with an oblique injury. Couldn't come at a better time for the Saints. They have been struggling offensively since those first two weeks of the year. They have had ten points or fewer in back to back games.
They've had fewer than fourteen points several times over the last six weeks or so. Look the card not necessarily a guy who's going to light it up in terms of overall passing yardage, but should be able to get in the end zone a few times against a Carolina defense that started bad has been bad all year long. These teams played earlier in the season, and Carr had over twenty fantasy points in that one through three touchdowns. I think he can do something similar again this week.
All Right, we still have a few more games to get through, plus some hot starts and some hot takes as well. That's coming up after the break. Here on the NFL Fantasy Football Show, it's time to see who will deliver. Presented by Uber Eats. These are the guys that we think are going to eat this weekend and who you like this week Lakwan.
The aras pointe enough for lad McConkey Man. I love the adjustments that the charges made out of the buy because honestly, the pass increase game. The game has been wonderful. Man. They went from the first four games of averaging twenty two pass attens for a game. Coming out of the buy, they're up to thirty five pass at ten per game, which is making lab McConkey be a valuable wide receiver one in this offense. Man. He's been a top five wide receiver in Fantasy and points per game with fifteen
points per game. And the Browns right now they're allowing the top five defensive points to points per game to wide receivers. To wide receivers line up outside and in the slot, there was a lot of mismatch opportunities for Lad McConkie this week against his Brown defense.
Do love Lad McConkie and great to see him getting that post by rookie bump that you see for a lot of players. So, Floria, you sort of let slip who you're going with hot starts this year. About to explain yourself at this point it.
Is bow Nicks and like, look, I'll copy from you and rank sign me up as a bowl leiaver here because what he does with his legs one separates him from a lot of other quarterbacks and fantasies. He is four rushing touchdowns this season, five games with at least twenty five or more rushing touchdowns, which is a three hundred passing yards right there.
He also has some.
Games with like over sixty rush so the ceiling is very high. Coming off his best game as a passer with two hundred and eighty four yards and three touchdowns. Now he gets the Ravens, who have allowed the most passing yards and touchdowns, third most fantasy points per game to quarterbacks. I would play him over a number of big name quarterbacks this week, like Jared Goff being one of them.
Bo Nicks one more passing touchdown than Jaden Daniels has so far this season. Yeah, I mean one less Hell Mary, though one less Heill Mary. That's true, That's absolutely fair for me. I'm gonna go with Josh Downs. And we like Josh Downs anyway. He's sort of been the Colts receiver you could count on regardless of who's that quarterback. But now we get a quarterback upgrade with Joe Flacco taking over for Anthony Richardson, and so that's even more
reason to be excited about Josh Downs. We have seen a heavy target share for him over the last few weeks, and the routes he tends to run sixty percent of his routes are within ten yards of the line of scrimmage. It is those short and intermediate routes that have really killed the Vikings this year. I mean, Brian Flores's defense has done a great job of putting pressure on quarterbacks. They're also giving up a lot of yards and catches
to wide receivers. And this feels like with Joe Flacco standing back there and throwing darts that Josh Downs is ready to really take off. Look, I know we like Michael Pittman, Floria said, pretty much everybody except Alec Pierce, the Josh Downs. I think a name it should be in a lot of lineups coming up this week, that was Who Will Deliver, presented by Uber Eats, where you can get the best deals on game day food all season long, the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL.
Order.
Now back to some more games on the Week nine slate Broncos at the Ravens. And so you heard Florio talk about bo Knicks as a start for you, Lakwan, what has to happen for you to put Bo Nicks in a lineup this week.
I just love everything. Since he's gone back and forth with Sean Payton, he's been playing great ball at eighteen fantasy points per game. But a lot of success has come from that old line being one of the best in the NFL. I mean, there's been a couple of games where they've had some clean sheets of where he's not getting sacked and he's able to moon walk out of that pocket and there's rushing upside there. So more
so you're looking at this Ravens defense. They don't have a lot of pressures their bottom of the table, so I don't really have any worries of bout Nicks getting off of his game. I expecting to keep playing good football, keep getting the get down in the pocket and getting some fantasy points for a lot of fantasy managers this week.
Clean sheets bottom of the table that they're not playing this game at Old Trafford. Okay, let's let's calm down a little bit there, all right it, Yes, I caught them all Lauria about Sunday Night Football, Colts and the Vikings. We've talked about Anthony Richardson, We've talked about Josh Downs, those look at the other side of things, Florio. TJ. Hawkinson trying to get back and play. He missed, He's missed all of this season after recovering from an ACL tear.
Was close last week, couldn't quite get on the field. If TJ. Hawkinson plays, Are you confident enough to start him this week? Uh? Me, personally no.
But before I go into Hawkinson that you mentioned Josh downs. His quote was that he was asked if he played with Richardson again. He said, at the end of the day, Joe's like forty years old.
Made me cry. TJ.
Hockinson, I wouldn't because he's only literally yesterday Tuesday, the twenty ninth was nine months removed from when he had the ACL surgery, and we always hear that nine months is the mark where players can really start letting loose and be and like getting back to it again. So I'm always questioning, like, is it going to be Russ Is he gonna be on a snapcount? Will it take him a little bit of time to get fully reacclimated.
It's a new quarterback. All of that, You've gone eight weeks without him already.
What's one more like?
My approach with this is to practice patience, but I know we are not on the same page.
I'm like, Yolo, let's go. I've been waiting all day for Sunday night. We're starting to start TJ Hockinson this week. I didn't look. I think everything you said actually has some merit to it. I just feel like, yeah, like, let's get him in there. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to go. That's it Monday. I Football Bucks at the Chiefs, Lakwi. Can you finally start Patrick Mahomes yes? Weekend.
Man, this is gonna be a blow up game for Patrick Mahomes. I mean, honestly, having the support from DeAndre Hopkins is gonna help as well. But quarterbacks this season have been having fantasy uh career season highs against his Bucks defense. I mean, you look at Kirk Cousins blow up game, Lamar Jackson, Jayden Daniels all season high fantasy performance from these guys, and I think Patrick Mahomes fits that bill to be one of those guys this week to go up there and put up some points.
Yeah, we didn't really see much from DeAndre Hopkins last week, but Mahomes still did enough to put up his first nineteen point fantasy game in a while, so he's it seems like things are happening. Things are coming around. The matchup is really good for Mahomes this week, so we can get excited about it. I have a lot. Look, I have a roster with Gino Smith and Mahomes. I've been riding Gino. I'm gonna make the switch this week. I have the same situation that I'm doing the same thing.
You out there, you go. We will have more of the nine previews on Fantasy Extra on NFL Plus. We'll be sure to check that out. It's time to drive your lineup, presented by the all new hybrid Toyota Camry. Time for hot takes. M kwan get spicy on us, will you?
Oh, we're going hot man. I'm going to Jacksonville Duvall for Parker Washington having a top fifteen wide receiver performance in his second career start, because he's going to be fitting the bill, fitting the part ins a plug and play slot wide receiver. With Christian Kirk basically shut down for the season, the Eagles man there allow on the most eighth most Fantasy points per game t to wide receivers, and they've have allowed eight touchdowns to the slot wide
receiver position. So I'm going to go out there and put in Parker Washington to have a big blow up game this season.
That is red hot, top fifteen finishes, red yes, less, all right, Florio, get spicy, my. I mean that's a hard one. I mean that's the topper.
Really, But I think Calvin Ridley runs wild this week and in the second half of this season, starting with this week against the New England Patriots. You saw what he did last week, but don't overlook the fact that in the two games prior to that he had eight and nine targets. So eight nine to fifteen targets in his last three games combined.
The Patriots are in.
The top ten and fantasy points per game allowed to wide receivers. They've allowed the third most yards on deep passes, and we know really could win downfields. But it's not just this week I'm excited for. He has the best wide receiver schedule the rest of the season, with games against the Vikings, the Commanders twice I'm sorry once, the Jaguars twice, the Bengals, the Colts. Like he could make up for his slow first half with a huge second half.
I said is the first quarter targets. He got them, and he prospered, complaining and he got it, got it right for me. We talked about Patrick Mahomes finally being a start. I'm telling you that Patrick Mahomes this week's gonna have his first twenty point fantasy game since last Thanksgiving. It's been that long for him. I mentioned the nineteen points he had last week against the Raiders. Now has maybe an even better matchup against the Bucks secondary that
has been torched all seas long. Maybe this is the week we see DeAndre Hopkins fully integrated. You talk about post buy rookie bumps. They're figuring out how to get Xavia Worthy more involved in this offense as well. Patrick Mahomes, he's playing good football, it just hasn't translated into good fantasy football. I think this is the week you see it finally look more like the Patrick Mahomes you probably spent an early round pick on. So there it is.
That was Drive your Lineup, presented by the all new hybrid Toyota Camra. Whatever your vibe, it's a camera vibe. Learn more at Toyota dot com slash Camri. I meantime, for us, that is it. We are done. Do you know the drill? Tell two friends to tell two friends. Rake review and remember all the candy corn that was ever made was made in nineteen eleven. Be safe to take care of yourselves and enjoy Halloween everybody, and we will talk to you again tomorrow. I don't