Hello, everybody. Welcome into the Fantasy Pros Football Podcast. I'm Ryan Warmley, joined on this Friday morning by Pat fitz Morris and by Derek Brown Fellas.
We are into week four.
We had Thursday Night Football last night. Milak Neighbors tweeting earlier today that he seems to be okay, obviously suffers a concussion. Not what you want to see from a guy who is unsurprisingly really taking the league by storm. Ceedee Lamb having a good game. Not much else going on throughout that way. Deever, any takeaways from Thursday Night Football this week.
Well, we're talking about a little bit of Dynasty stuff before we turn on the mics. You remember when it was controversial to call him Lak Neighbors the wide receiver one of this class. I remember that kind of crazy. Huh. He's straight baller and he's one of the best wide receivers in the NFL already.
He looks amazing. I think he like, where would you recommit Dynasty? I guess that's a good question.
I'm actually updating my Dynasty ranks right now, and I've got him. I want to say I have him top five amongst what. Yeah, I've got him wide receiver five right now, right behind Jefferson, Ceedy Lamb, Chase and Amana Sam Brown.
I feel like the first three you can't even really have a conversation.
Yeah.
Maybe maybe by the end of the season it'll be different, But the first three, I think Chase, you know, Jefferson, Lamb in some order is kind of non negotiable.
I think four is where you can start at least.
Right Yeah, agreed, I.
Think we can. We can negotiate with Chase and neighbors. I think I'm willing to engage in that negotiation. I think that's a close call.
Well fits And if everybody listening, are going to be doing a Dynasty show next week on Tuesday, We're actually gonna be going live on Discord stages and we're going to be doing half. That's going to be a show of the two of us kind of updating on trade values in Dynasty, and the half is going to be actually taking your question. So if you want to discuss that and actually pose that question to us and talk it out on that stage, just be sure to check
that out. I believe that's at five pm Eastern next Tuesday. We're going to be trying doing that at the start of every month in season. But yeah, I mean, Neighbors sure looks darn good, and well, I might disagree that there's a conversation at three. I don't think you're totally insane for saying that he's looked awesome.
Lamb.
Of course seven yard seven catches give me ninety eight yards and a touchdowns that he was good as well if it's any other takeaways from that one last night.
So Daniel Jones is at least functional. And I know Daniel Jones gets a lot of grief, but like when they're really bad quarterback situations in the NFL, like what we're seeing with the Dolphins post to what we saw out of the Panthers before they made the quarterback change from Bryce ing Andy Dalton, Like you just want a quarterback.
I know Daniel Jones is not taking the Giants to the Promised Land.
But.
He at least can keep Malik Neighbors a valuable fantasy asset. Devin Singletary rough game last night, but he's been a valuable asset. Even Wandel Robinson is giving us fantasy value this year. So at least respect that Daniel Jones is a functional driver of an offense if not the quarterback we hoped he'd be coming out of Duke.
Yeah, the target breakdown of this game is ridiculous, by the way, like Milik Naghbor's fifteen targets, Wydell Robinson fourteen he had eleven catches and seventy one yards. Dero, what did you think watching him?
I mean, we talked about him on the Waiver War Show. I'll put him inside of my top five ads of the week, and I mean it just really you look at the target totals and it's like spoty outlier twelve four eight, fourteen, Like he's getting a ton of work in this offense. He is the clear wide receiver two
and just a PPR machine. Any weeks. If he keeps getting this type of volume, any weeks he gets a touchdown, he's going to be a top twenty four wide receiver and we probably should be ranking him if this continues as a consistent wide receiver three weekly. Boys, like, am I wrong with that?
What do you think fits?
No?
I mean it's just very little touchdown potential, very little big play potential. But he is a PPR asset without question, So I mean he's probably going to be more like a fringey wide receiver three for me in the rankings most weeks if we're ranking in half PPR. But like there is a steadiness there that people are going to appreciate if they have them, if they have Wandell on their rosters when the bye week's hit starting in week five.
By the way, I can't remember the exact numbers. I'm trying to find them on Twitter right now, and I can't recall the tweet I saw last night, but it was something I believe. The threshold was thirty catches, three hundred yards and three touchdowns. Neighbors is the only rookie
receiver to do that in his first few games. Ever, like there are other people like Puka had more receptions than he did, and other receivers have had more touchdowns, but to do all three catches, yards and touchdowns again, I think those are the thresholds. Thirty three hundred and three Neighbors is the only one. So just to kind of put a poll on that, dude is awesome. Like I said, this is our Friday show, We're gonna be
running through our biggest questions of the weekend slate. Quick reminder for everyone that all of our Week four consensus rankings and tiers can be found at fantasypros dot com Slash Rankings. Also a reminder, if you're juggling multiple Fantasy football teams and feeling overwhelmed, Fantasy Pros will help you simplify things. With Fantasy Pro's multi League Assistant, you can see the latest news, notes, and rankings for every single player across all your teams. It's all in one spot,
making your path to victory clearer and easier. Dive in and let us help you dominate all your leagues with a multi league assistant at fantasypros dot com, slash my playbook or on the Fantasy Football My Playbook app. Before we jump into the first question, let's check in with Colin Coward and talk about it is Fantasy Over Under picks for Week four time now for the Week four
Over Under Challenge. As always, this segment is presented by DraftKings and also as always, I am joined by Colin Coward to talk through some of our favorite.
Player picks for this week's slate.
By the way, while we did take a slight step back last week, Colin is still hitting well above fifty percent on the season, so far with these picks. I also have to shout out my coworker and Fantasy Pro's analyst Andrew Erickson, who, out of thousands of participants, is number one on the leaderboard through three weeks with a ridiculous twenty four and five record on his tacks. Colin and I are going to do our best to catch up to Ericson and that ridiculous record. Absolutely had to
shout him out in his hot streak. As a reminder, everybody listening can play along with our over under challenge and try to beat not only Colin and Ericson, but win some cool prizes as well by heading to fantasypros dot com Slash Challenge. All right, Colin, let's start, as always with the quarterbacks, and we'll start with Jalen Hurts at Tampa Bay. Over twenty fantasy points per game on DraftKings so far this season. That's second best amongst fantasy quarterbacks.
He's going up against the twenty eighth ranked defense on DraftKings in Tampa Bay. But there's also question marks surrounding the health of Hurtz's pass catchers. Do you think he can have another big week in Week four?
I don't he's missing Devonte Smith and aj Brown at least they're not practicing. This is also a team that has high end tight ends in Sakuon Barkley. I tend to think this is a game. They're a bit beat up. They want to go to the ground, eat the clock, keep it conservative, pull out a win. This is what good teams do when they're banged up. San Francisco the same thing. You want to get it. San Francisco had a game and lost it. You want to get in,
get out. No special teams blunders. I think they control the ball on the ground. That's my takeaway on that.
The other quarterback I want to highlight is Kyler Murray going up against Washington. Kyler is just under twenty fantasy points per game on DraftKings this season, number four amongst the rankings. This Washington pass defense is porous. It has been shredded all season long. Are you expecting a big game from Kyler? Although his tight end also has some question marks as well with the concussion.
Yeah, McBride's great. I think he goes off Washington on a short week. They can do all the tricks they want With Dan Quinn. This is a personnel issue. On the back end. I wouldn't be surprised if they're in the playoff hunt. If they don't make a move at the trade deadline. They need some real help back there. And I mean Detroit's a better team ball controlled Kyler, So as numbers come down, that's not what we're looking
at here. Washington can be an explosive team. They won't control the ball, lots of possessions Kyler, He'll have a very big Sunday.
Let's actually stick with this game as we move into the wide receivers because Marvin Harrison Junior is also in this week's challenge, so kind of along those same lines, going against that same very terrible pass defense. He's averaging twenty four point seven fantasy points per game at home this season, which is where he is facing this Commander's defense. Do you think he has an explosive game?
I absolutely do. Again, often rookie players are better in comfort. A quarterback with time to throw, a wide receiver playing at home, a weaker secondary. I think he's a matchup issue that can be somewhat slowed against better secondaries. He's gonna eat. I think he's gonna have a big, big performance.
When thinking about Harrison having a big performance. Are you worried that without McBride, if McBride is out do the concussion protocol, that Harrison just gets all the defensive attention.
No, because I think they have an excellent run game. I also think Kyler Murray presents certain problems where you have to put a spy on him, which changes your personnel. And also Arizona's done a pretty good job this year. Just scheme up Harrison. Harrison's not a burner, He's not an over the top guy. There's so much Cover two stuff now nobody's getting the cheap stuff. So I just think this is an offense that's flexible, that moves, that rolls out, and that allows receivers like Harrison to get
more time as Kyler Murray evades a rush. So I think Kyler and Harrison have a big Sunday.
The other receiver that I wanted to highlight Jamar Chase going up against the Panthers. He of course, just faced this Washington defense in Week three in that very exciting Monday night game. He had thirty two point eight Fantasy points on DraftKings in that game, just seventeen and a half on the season. Kind of a fringe top ten
fantasy receiver so far. Do you think that Week three breakout was more about this terrible Commander's defense that we keep shredding, or was it Chase kind of fully shaken off that Russ from missing most of August and now he's kind of all the way back to being this elite receiver.
Yeah, the latter. I think Jamar has a good Sunday. I also think when a team is struggling, you go to your stars. Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase are their stars. They have one elite pass rusher. But Cincinnati is going to have to win in shootouts. This is a team that's going to have to score twenty seven points to win, and so I would bet offensive players for Cincinnati all season long. Burrow was remarkable. Now Jaden Daniels because his team won and because he's a rookie, stole a lot
of the headlines. But I think when teams are in crisis, they go to their straints offensively, and I think Jamar Chase and Joe Burrow are going to continue to put up big numbers.
Yeah.
Might not have thought this one was going to be a shootout until we saw Andy Dalton a week ago, and that offense obviously looking extremely different and much better without Bryce Young, So that one could end up being especially if you know, get that revenge game narrative from Dalton, that could definitely end up being a shootout. Like I think you're correct most Bengals games will be this season.
Let's look at a running back Jordan Mason against New England eighteen point eight fantasy points per game on DraftKings this season, just ten point eight last week against the Rams. He is a top ten fantasy running back on the season. What do you expect that of Mason against the Patriot this week in a game where San Francisco is very heavily favored.
Yeah, I again, you're heavily favored off a disappointing loss. You're missing multiple skill players. So New England's a team that can bring some pressure. I think this is the classic. We got to get our confidence back, but we have limited offensive players. They don't want to put brock Perty in the crosshairs right like he is keeping them alive, like he and Jennings are the offense. So you know, I think what's going to happen is a team like
New England girod Mayo and the Belichick book. They're going to take Jennings out because right now Brandon Nyuk's not doing much. So my take is the run game will be extensive. You're a favorite again, shorten the game or beat up. Let's get out of here is a big favorite. Not waste any time, Let's not get too cute. I do think they'll roll the coverage over somewhat on Ayuk, but often on Jennings. And I think Mason provides good a good Sunday.
Obviously it's often matchup, you know, related, But with Christian McCaffrey going to Germany and you're dealing with this now looking like an even more prolonged absence, do you think Jordan Mason will continue to provide production throughout the year, really even beyond just this week.
Yeah.
So I think San Francisco I said this at the end of last season. I thought they peaked. I think they're old, brittle and expensive, and I don't think this is Syrian serious enough to keep Christian McCaffrey out to Thanksgiving. But I wonder if you look at McCaffrey in Carolina after two big heavy usage seasons, season three, he got hurt. He's had massive volume carries and touches the last two
years and he's hurt. I think San Francisco looks at this there's only two teams in the league where at Super Bowl winner Bust Kansas City and San Francisco getting to the NFC Championship. They have done that. So they are looking at McCaffrey as Thanksgiving on player, and I think at this point with this franchise, that's appropriate. So I think there Mason is a real player. This is
not just stopgap. He's going to be a significant offensive outputter and I think even when McCaffrey comes back, they'll slowly move him into the offense. I think this was going to be a tough year for Christian physically, and I think they're going to be very patient.
Let's wrap up with a tight end here. Kyle Pitts against the Saints just eight point two fantasy points per game this season on DraftKings. That is good enough to be ranked tenth amongk tight ends because it's been a very poor season for a tight ends across the league. He also did manage to snag a fifty yard catch last week against the Chiefs.
That helps you in.
Your same game parlay on DraftKings Colin Ken Pitts help us out again this week against the Saints.
No, Atlanta's offensive line is beat up. Pitts is not a blocker, so I think when Atlanta's offensive line is healthy and they feel like Kirk has protection, they can let him loose. But right now they'll probably use sets to give max protect to Kirk Cousins. And so my take is Kirk Cousins until this offensive line gets healthy, Kyle Pitts will not get a ton of production. He's not really a blocker. He's kind of a finesse tight
end who you could play outside. I thought he would become a better blocker, but you know the Saints, most teams that play Kirk Cousins are going to have a game plan put heat on him. That was hard to do. When Atlanta's O line was healthy, it's one of the top five O lines in the sport. Now it's banged up, it's not elite. So I think people are going to go after Kirk Cousins, forcing Atlanta to use blocking tight ends. So I don't think Pitts will be as productive.
Remember to head to fantasypros dot Com. Slash challenge to play along all season long. Colin, We're gunning for that twenty four and five record Ericson's got thanks again for joining.
Thanks guys.
All right, let's start off with Bengals at Panthers, an interesting surprising revenge game. Here we have to talk about Andy Dalton and what we saw out of Week three four eight time. He was the only quarterback in football to have a three hundred yard and three touchdown passing game this season. That was matched by other quarterbacks later
in the Week three slate. But was this Andy Dalton explosion a flash in the pan or is this something close to the new normal for the Panthers as long as Bryce Young is benched?
Dee Bra start with you.
I mean, it's the improvement of the offense is not an anomaly. The question is how high are we gonna see Andy Dalton doing what he did last week on a weekly basis? Probably not, I mean, considering especially their upcoming schedule. They got Chicago Atlanta, some good defenses there, then they get Washington, so maybe a bounce back game there.
But can he keep it rolling versus the Bengals? Maybe so, I mean, their past defense hasn't been tested as much like their bottom five against passing team's face and you look at all the other metrics like twelveth highest yards per attempt given up, seventh highest passer rating given up. Can Dalton do it this week? Yes? But can he do it consistently going forward in the weeks to come? We shall see.
This week though, that Bengals defense not good at all. We just saw absolutely shredded.
Cam Taylor Britt probably needs to walk away from Mike's this week just.
Saying maybe I fits what do you think?
But both for this week where I think we're all kind of in agreement that it's in an appetizing matchup versus kind of the rest of the season for Dalton.
Yeah, so we're not expecting four hundred and thirty seven yards of offense every week like we got against the Raiders last week.
But yeah, there it is.
As Debro was mentioning the matchup thing, and this week going against a Bengal defense that has maybe like one really good player with Trey Hendrickson. I think the Bengals are twenty fourth overall in DVA on defense. So yeah, I mean injured power here with Andy Dalton and what I was talking about earlier with Daniel Jones. We just want like functionality out of the offenses that don't have definitive answers at quarterback, and we're getting functionality now from
the Panthers. Deontay Johnson has gone from completely unplayable with Bryce Young to a must start. Chuba Hubbard, who was actually doing okay with Bryce Young, is now kind of an appealing RB two play. So I don't know if the fantasy value is going to extend to anyone beyond that, but at least those two guys are very viable now.
With Dalton a quarterback, the other name I wanted to bring up, and this is obviously more of a rest of season view than Week four because he's not playing before, but Deebro Jonathan Brooks, does this make you more interested in him for when he's back on the field. I mean, Shoba Hubbard is somebody that we're ranking inside the top twenty an expert consensus rankings right now, or at least for this particular matchup, So he is looking good. It's
not like maybe the spot has been vacated. But just if the offense is getting better as a whole, does that make Brooks more appealing.
Oh absolutely. I mean you go from an offense that wasn't functional at all, can't move the ball and the quarterback looks lost to oh yep, functional quarterback play, and it raises It's a tie that raises all boats. So Jonathan Brooks R Like, right now is the time you need to be trying to trade for him, before we get all the stuff about him ramping up and he's gonna play, and he's gonna be back in week five, week six, and he's a full go week seven, week eight,
things like that. This is the time right now you need to be sending out offers and trying to get him on your team.
I'm gonna I'm gonna push back on the Jonathan Brooks thing a little deep.
Bro.
I just I don't think people should be looking at him as a potential savior. I think that's a big mistake.
Like the Panthers, Juba keeps the role.
The Panthers, I don't know if he keeps the role, but he's going to keep a roll. The Panthers have no incentive to give Jonathan Brooks a workhorse role coming off a major knee injury in a season where they are not harboring any sort of playoff aspirations, Like it's just completely illogical. So I think they're going to work him in slowly. I think it's going to be like probably at its peak, maybe he gets to sixty forty. I think it probably looks more like fifty to fifty.
The other thing along this line, two, Debro is like you did just kind of highlight why it's not the easiest schedule, you know, kind of the rest of the way after this week, and we don't get the benefit of him this week, So maybe that kind of plays in your mind as well. I think he's somebody worth acquiring, But maybe it's a good point by Fits to at least not view him as like, oh, he's just going to step in and become a league winner and save
your roster. But I think you're right, Debra, about this is the time if you want to acquire him, This is the time to go by before the whispers of oh he's going to be back, you know any day now, like start to kind of get louder.
But if he gets and I guess I'll push back to Vizier. If he gets the sixty percent role, is he not an RB two on a weekly basis and he gets the red zone role.
Yeah, I mean, but it's it's an if that he gets to sixty. I don't think that's a given. There is no incentive to give him more than fifteen touches a game.
I don't And even.
That, why you would play Schuba Hubbard, who is gone on this office team afterwards? Like outside of playing Jonathan Brooks if he's ready to go.
Health wise, because they are really short on blue chip assets, and why are they going to risk his health in a lost season.
But if he's healthy, if he's good to go, then why are you not going to play him? Like that's the only thing.
I mean, he's gonna be good to go, but he is coming off a major knee surgery. Like I don't know, it's just it doesn't seem like they are going to immediately start giving him twenty touches. I'm just thinking that's kind of a leap of faith people are making. I mean, I know one user on Discord just ask me whether he should trade Christian McCaffrey for Jonathan Brooks.
Oh, well, I agree with you there, Like that's that's too much.
Yeah, And I mean, like why would you, right McCaffrey is a definitive answer, even if he has kind of a slow ramp up upon his return. Eventually, like for the most important games of the season, he is going to be a guy you want in your lineup, and Jonathan Brooks is a great unknown, And I just think the ceiling is maybe less not quite as high as some people think it might be.
Yeah, I don't I don't disagree, Like I don't think he gets like bell cow usage down the stretch, but like sixty sixty of the work, Yeah, I could see that.
I actually don't think that's as crazy of a question post to you. If itit's I wouldn't do it, Like I'd prefer the McCaffrey side, But I like, I just don't want to have any McCaffrey.
I'm like very nervous, sick.
I understand.
Yeah, you're right, I understand, And you know, having McCaffrey it's just kind of a headache on your roster right now. But still the potential upside versus like we're talking about two guys who aren't playing right now, and are you're hoping for value down the road. I would much rather bet on value out of Christian McCaffrey down the road than the totally unproven coming off a major knee injury Jonathan Brooks.
Let's go away to frame it. Let's go to question number two here, Vikings at Packers. My question here.
Almost regardless of whether or not Jordan Loves back started, let's say even if he is, which in you know, a vacuum is ideal scenario for the Packers.
How much do we trust this.
Green Bay offense going up against a Brian floor has led Vikings defense that has shut down some pretty good offenses so far this season.
Fits, I'll start with you here.
Yeah, I'm dialing down expectations. I think for the green Bay passing game, I bet the under on passing yards for Jordan Lave at two forty one point five. So yeah, I just I think that Matt Lafleora will want to run the ball to keep Jordan Love from being overexposed
to a very dangerous Vikings pass rush. Since Brian Flora is the Minnesota defensive coronarty, he brings pressure from unexpected places like you never know who's coming in the pass rush when you're going up against Minnesota, and that's a tough situation for a quarterback who might have compromised mobility coming off this knee injury. So I think Josh Jacobs
is a really good bet for fantasy this week. But I'm kind of tep it on all the other Packers except maybe Jaden Reid, who, in seventeen regular season games with Jordan Love has twelve touchdowns.
Do you think fits and as of right now, correct me if I'm wrong. I haven't seen like any kind of official like he's definitely going to be back or definitely going to be out this week. Do you, like, as a Packers fan, do you want him to play this week? On the one hand, it's like, Okay, you're going up against a division rival that's three and zero. It's an important game early in this season. On the other hand, given the way this defense plays, I almost
wouldn't want my compromised franchise quarterback. I just give him another week and if we lose, we lose. But like, let's not risk him getting blitzed to death and getting hurt even worse. I mean, do you think that they're going to like, what would you do? I guess see, would you bring him back given the defense they're facing?
Yeah, I mean, if I boy, Like, that's hard question to answer not knowing what his medical status is. You know, I'd obviously want all that information, But right now my stance is basically that, yes, I'm hoping Jordan Love plays, but I will not be totally disappointed if it's Malik Willis.
Deber, what are you doing with this offense?
Again, regardless of whether or not Jordan Love is playing, considering the defense they're going up against, Well, I.
Just tailed Pat and bet the under on passing arts of the You know how much that tells you, But I think it's a sharp bet. But looking at I mean, I'm just gonna echo a lot with Pat said one. I do think Jordan Love starts this week. I think he was close to playing, but I never actually thought he was going to play last week, as much as the media tried to push that, I think I thought it was smoking mirrors. I think he does play. I
think he's probably functional enough to play. And Lafloor, I mean, if you could scheme things around Malik Willis would barely know in the playbook because he was barely on the team long enough to digest the playbook, then I think there shouldn't be a problem scheming stuff up for Jordan Love get the ball out of his hands, real quiet, real fast, and you know, lean on the running game, and I'll echo with FITZI said, like, if if I got to pick any Packers wide receiver to believe in,
it's going to be Jayden Reid. And a lot of this comes to the coverage matchup. Minnesota has the highest too high rate in the NFL. You look at last year, because green Bay hasn't faced a lot of too high this year, the lowest rate in the NFL so far, So you got to look back to more of last year to get any kind of sample size. But I mean, Jayden Reid was their guy against too high twenty five percent target per route run rates second in yards per route run and Byron Murphy has been a turnstile in
the slot. So I think if you're looking at coverage matchup, you're looking at corner matchup and things like that as well. As we could see more of the pop pass stuff, more of the reverses, more of the Jade Red doing the you know, Dary Belt, Deebo Samuel kind of stuff this week to take some of the volume away from Jacob's and make things a little bit easier for Jordan Love.
Dairy Bell tiboh, I love that to you, bro, It's fantastic.
Yeah, yeah, you know, I'm trying to be sensitive for those that are lactose in tolerant out there, but you know, still think it fits.
By the way, Jordan Love.
So if you go to we have actually this brand new tool we dropped this week with Fantasy Pros called the are They Playing Tool? And it uses some AI and is some kind of past data to kind of put it together an all encompassing estimate on guys and whether or not they're gonna have a chance to play. It gets more accurate throughout the week as we get
more and more practice data. So as we sit here on Friday morning, through all the Thursday practice information, Jordan Love, according to this new tool, is being given an eighty percent chance to play this week. So that is that is actually even higher than I expected to see it. So it seems like there's a reasonable chance to expect he might be back out there, even if still somewhat limited. So that will be nice just to see him back on the field for sure. Let's go to a question three.
Jaguars at Texans are there any concerns for Houston or do we expect a major get right game at home against this terrible Jacksonville team.
De bro I think it's c J's Stroud week. I mean when Ethan, our beautiful graphic artist designer wonderful man, reached out to me and said, who do you want to be the poster person for the prime of this week, and I was like, it's got to be c J. Stroud. It's gonna be c J. Stroud or Nico Collins. I think is the get right game. And speaking of I mean when talking about that too, Tank Dell based off of our are they playing tool twenty one percent chance to play? He's dealing with a rib issue and stuff
like that, so I don't think he suits up. But again, I don't think that it matters that much Stefan Diggs, Nico Collins. As long as Nico is good to go, then Stroud has all the weapons he needs to tear apart this Jaguars secondary, which has been bad. And the thing about the Houston offensive line, they've been allowing a lot of pressure. Jacksonville's six lower some pressure. So CJ.
Stroud's gonna get clean pockets and then he's gonna be able to tear apart a secondary that is bottom ten in passing yards allowed per game, yards per attempt and cpoe. So welcome to c J. Stroud Week. People, It's gonna be pretty deebra.
Are you interested in anybody in the Texas backfield in this one? I mean mixing you know, mispractice Wednesday and Thursday. If we're expecting get a big game from the offense. Is there anybody else that you're interested in? Or it's only the passing game you want to be invested in?
This This has been a pass final defense. Jacksonville might be bad at a lot of things offense, pass defense, you know, all the really important things, but they are good at stopping the run. So I'm not very high on cam Akers. I don't think know Joe Mixon or Damian Pierce play. I think you're probably gonna see a lot considering I think they are going to go pass heavy. I think you're gonna see a lot of Daria Gumbwale or the people that are playing cam Akers want to
see this week. So now I mean count me out of both the running.
Backs, Fitz, what do you expect out of the Texans this weekend. And the one thing I will mention for the Jags defensively is they got absolutely.
The blow doors blown off them in week three.
Of Course, the first two weeks they didn't give up more than twenty points in a game, so it's not like they're get there dropping. You know, teams are dropping thirty five points on them right and left.
Now.
One of those is against de Seaan Watson, who's quite bad. The other one was against the Dolphins when Toua was still healthy. So I'm not saying that I believe in this Jag Steve, but just trying to play Devil's advocate a bit, like how much of this is just an MVP level? Josh Allen torched them in primetime and like, now we're just assuming they're so terrible, even though the first couple of weeks they weren't that atrocious.
What do you think fits all?
Right?
First of all, Debro mentioned Ethan, one of the unsung heroes here at Fantasy Pearls. Gotta gotta send a birthday shout out to Ethan Yesthan today. Yeah, so Ethan's awesome. Yeah, so I hear what you're saying, Worm, But still just this is a past defense you want to attack, and I think, as Debro said, maybe you're not that excited about starting cam Akers against this pass funnel Jags defense.
But it does look like a great bounce back spot for c J. Stroud and the fact that this target tree has now been pruned because it looks like Tank Dell is not going to play with wrist and ribs injuries, so that means the targets are really going to be concentrated toward Nico Collins and Stefan Diggs, and it looks like a smash spot for both of those guys I've got. I think Nico Collins rank like wide receiver six this week and Digs, I think I've gotten my top twenty.
Yeah, I agree, And I want to note here Tua did rip him up for three thirty eight and nine point one yards per attempt in Week one, and if because he's probably out there on a few waiver wires right now, if you are hurting at tight end, this could give a small bump to Dalton Schultz. Like I'm not saying that I'm going to rank him as a top twelve guy, but if you are struggling and he's out on the waiver war, and you're like, I've got a lot of bad options, Like maybe I'm still holding
onto hope for Isaiah Likely. Probably you probably need to be starting to Dalton Schultzo.
I actually think this could be a decent Isaiah Likely week. We'll get to that later in the show. Actually, we talked about that a bit on the Thursday show with Eric. I prefer Andrews. Actually, oh, it's not well, we'll get to it later. What I was going to say is you said, if you're struggling at tight end, I promise people listening are struggling at tight end.
I guarantee it.
Yes, everybody, all right?
Next question Broncos at Jets. I'm curious what you guys make of the Broncos defense in general in terms of what it means for fantasy going against it. Is this a defense to be feared to the point of affecting weekly rankings for opposing players, Like, obviously we're not going to be sitting Bresol or Garrett Wilson, although Garrett Wilson
going up against Patrick Sutan is like super unappeeling. But is there anybody else really on either side of this matchup even worth playing given the defenses that we have here.
Fits, I'm not really worried about running backs going against the Denver defense. I think their run defense has been like perfectly average so far. The Broncos have allowed the fewest passing yards through three weeks, and they're giving up just five point seven yards per past attempt. But then again, it's not like they have faced a murderer's row of
quarterbacks so far. Gino Smith justin Field's Baker Mayfield. So eh, I think the only thing we really have to worry about with our fantasy matchups, as you mentioned Patrick Curtan and like he does shadow. But Deebro, you would know this better than I. Do you look at the coverages carefully when you're doing the primer? Does does Certan follow guys into the slot?
Ooh, good question, FITZI.
Yeah, I mean I feel like he's shadowing the outside guys, but I feel like Wilson's probably going to get some slot snaps. And I don't know if Certain has been traveling with outside receivers who occasionally line up in the.
Sea, he's been following guys like so, I was gonna bring that point up. I mean, he has followed guys up to ninety five percent of routes, so I think so right now, he's got eleven slot snaps on the season, so specifically, like I mean up to seven and week two, so I think he will particularly follow guys and you saw that last week. I think it's a good point, Fitzy Garrett Wilson almost went fifty to fifty like as far as outside versus lot usage, So it is a
really good point to bring up. So I think they'll be able to get Garrett off of him some. But I think you're still gonna see Sir Tan on him at least fifty to maybe sixty to seventy percent of his routes. I mean, Stan has been so good there. There is only a three pack of like shadow corners in the NFL that I am so worried about on a weekly basis. It's Sir Tan, It's Joey Porter Junior,
and it's Christian Gonzalveez. That are the only guys that are truly shadowing and really making a difference right now. So yeah, I mean, just to give Sartin a little bit more shine here. He followed metcalf Evans and George Pickens on seventy one to ninety five percent of the routes. None, none of those guys got over thirty receiving yards in his primary coverage. So he is, he's a dude. So where Garrett Wilson, then I'm going to be bumping him down. I mean, right now, I've got him at still kind
of going through ranks. I've got him at wide receiver twenty, so somewhere in that low end wide receiver two tier. Like I think he could still get like, you know, somewhere in the forty to fifty receiving yard range and get a touchdown and save his day as like a wide receiver two. But I'm nothing. I have no higher hopes than that fits.
It looks like you've got him ranked quite a bit higher.
I do.
I've got him wide receiver nine, and maybe I need to bump that down a little. But it's just Wilson is really good himself. Like, I don't want to totally fade guys, because good receivers can win those matchups against really t cornerbacks. And Aaron Rodgers is a dude who can fit a ball through a portal like he is, so pinpoints, you know, you don't need a lot of cushion for Aaron Rodgers to be able to threat a
throw into Garrett Wilson. So I don't want to totally fade him, Like I'm not benching Garrett Wilson for Darnell Mooney.
Yeah, I mean that's that's fair.
But so I guess on the other side, are we now more interested in Alan Lazard or Tyler Concklin because we think Wilson might be neutralized to a degree?
Am I oh, sorry, s d Bro Like, I know we're gonna have a hard time interesting me and Alan Laizard.
I mean I am, I mean he keeps producing guys. I mean, if Garrett's not getting the target volume, Mike Williams is healthier but still not drawing at a lot of targets here. I mean, I know nobody wants to hear it. Alan Mazard wide receiver eighteen and fantasy points per game. Right now, he's tied for the team lead with five. I have red zone targets like it's a thing. Alm Mazart is. So I think that you're gonna if
you see certain on Wilson a lot. That means that Alm Mazart is going to be matched up with Riley Moss a lot who is allowed a seventy five percent catch rate one twelve passer rating in his coverage. Good matchup so as well as Denver runs a lot of single high U so far this year, Alan Mazard versus single high as yards per route run had been at two point one. So it's good numbers across the board. Man, So I've got interest in al Mazart is like a flex play as well as Brayleen Allen. I mean, Denver
can't stop anybody on the ground. We're talking about a defense that's allowed that bottom twelve and explosive run rate allowed and yards are to contact per attempt, and Brayleen Allen is Look, the Braileen Allen we saw in college versus the Braillen Allen we're seeing in the NFL, I think are very different in the sense that the problem that I have with Braileen Allen as a prospect was
not the size, was not the physicality. It was the fact that he ran like he thought he was a five to nine, one to ninety back where he could jute guys or No, you are giant, you are massive, you are mutant. You need to run dudes over, You need to get downhill and be physical, and that's what we're seeing in the NFL, and Breyman Allen on a per touch basis is top five in both yards of the contact p attempt and miss tackles force per attempt.
So while in a game that like we're talking about other guys being playable, I think Lazard is in that equation. I think Wilson is fine as a wide receiver. Two. I also think this is a game where the Jets to just are not gonna have to throw the ball a ton because Denver is not that good. The Jets defense is that good, and if they smother them. This is a game where we're talking about Bramon Allen as
an RB three. He could walk away this week as an RB two if he gets like late game runs, salting the clock away and we see them managing Breeze Hall's touches in the fourth quarter.
Imagine if he went to Dallas, Like, I just how you're exciting, that would be. I loved fitz Noses from the Dynasty Shop. I love Branlon Allen actually as a prospect. The only reason I came off of him in fantasy is the landing spot.
It's just because I was so high on Breese Hall.
I was like, there's just no way if he went anywhere else, I was all over him, you know, just as a in a weaker running back class.
I loved Braylon Allen, So I can.
You imagine what he would be doing, like even if he was on the Chargers, like the two headed monster of him and.
Dobbins, anywhere other than when anywhere other than the Jets, the Falcons, the Niners, the place with like the elite, elite guys anywhere else, Like, I just would have been so over the moon for him. So I'm happy to see he's doing well.
Though.
Let's go to Saints at Falcons divisional matchup here. Uh, the very so far unstoppable Saints offense was finally stopped in Week three against Philadelphia. Will they look more like that team against the Falcons here in week four or more like the team that Domini and was unstoppable in weeks one and two.
Fits they were never going to be able to keep up that sort of pace for an entire season. Derek Carr is pretty well established in fantasy. Is a mid range to low end QB two now in a good system with a good play caller and a good supporting cast, and I think Clint Kubiak system is a good one.
Maybe Derek Carr.
Can be a high end to mid range QB two and this offense can be solidly above average. But here's the thing. The usage tree for the Saints is skinny. It does not have a lot of branches. It's Alvin Kamara, It's Chris Olave, It's Rashid Shahed, and those guys are going to account for a huge percentage of the yardage and touchdowns on this team. I think all three of those guys, including Shahed, can be powerful engines for fantasy teams.
Debro, you are a residence Saints guy. You know what do you think about the diff prince we saw in week three compared to weeks one and two for this offense.
Man, I really didn't see them getting just stomped like they did last week. I didn't give enough credence, I guess to the Philadelphia Eagles pass rush because to be honest, we hadn't seen it to that point. But my worry for Derek Carr is the superpowers that have kind of made him just crush in Week one Week two, Land has been pretty good versus it. I mean, we're talking about a defense that look, Derek Carr, it's been all play action. The problem is that Lanta has been really
good as far as defending play action. I mean, right now, they have faced the most play action passing attempts in the NFL right now, and they're holding offenses to the eighth lowest play action yards per attempt and zero play action touchdowns as well as offensive lines banged up. Now Eric McCoy hurt. The offensive line, the rest of it
is not playing amazing. There's only so much you can do with that as far as scheme, and Atlanta's secondary has been playing pretty good outside of Ajhil being up and down and pulling his best Marshawn Lattimore impression. I think this really comes down to the Saints wide receivers are going to need to separate and do it quickly, and car is going to need to get the ball out of his hands. With the way that the status
of this offensive line. If they can't do that, if Atlanta can press them at the line and jam them up both Shaheed and o Lobby and they can't get open early in their routes and get the ball out of Car's hands. I think right now I'm the media and I'm looking at right now is it's probably a shade in between what we saw last week and week one. In week two, so Car looks okay but not great. I think the floors is low here though.
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All right, guys, next question here, Steelers at Colts. On a scale from one to ten, what is our concern level for Anthony Richardson and the Colts passing game, both for this very scary matchup going up against Pittsburgh and also kind of looking head to the rest of the season deepro for.
This week an eight for the rest of the season, probably like a six, five and a half six, like I think Anthony Richardson. The thing about it is we always knew there were going to be ebbs and flows. He's still a guy that needed more starts. And I'm old enough to remember because it happen, guys, and I know that we were We're so quick and the recency
bias is real. We all remember what happened in Week one, right, We all remember Anthony Richardson torching what we think is a strong Houston secondary and defense a week one, right, Okay, So it's not like we've seen three straight games of Anthony Richardson just looking bad. And it's also not all been his fault. Eighth most drops amongst his wide receivers this year, So I don't think granthy richards Anthony Richardson
has played great over the last two weeks. I am very worried about him in this matchup, But again, where are we going to be ranking Anthony Richardson next week when he plays the fricking Jacksonville Jaguars guys. So while I'm worried about him this week, I'm not pressing the panic, the the insanity, the the I need to trade him away, bench him, cut him, whatever type of stuff. We're still gonna get rushing equity out of him, and that that's
always been the secrets. So I think Shane Stycken is also like we still consider him one of the best coordinators in the freaking NFL, and I think they're going to get this figured out in long haul.
Can we really say he torched the Texans DV He completed nine passes in week one?
What was his yards per attempt? I all watch the immaculate throw that probably is going to end up on the highlight reel of the best throws in the NFL for the entire It was an amazing throw.
And obviously I'm not gonna playing about the total fantasy output. He had a rushing touchdown in that game too, but it's hard to look at it at a guy who went nine for nineteen and just framing it as he torched that secondary, I guess feels extreme to me. Fits I mean, am I wrong here?
Not wrong?
But eleven point two yards per attempt?
But okay, But I'm like, fundamentally on the side of deebro here, and I mean Debro's at six or eight or whatever for his level of concern, I am a two point five. I want to err on the side of patience with a quarterback who has the sort of rushing potential that Anthony Richardson has and deep mention it like, do we still still think Shane Steiken is a high
quality offensive architect? I do, like I still have faith in Stikeen, And just as a reminder, I'm going to mention a stat that I mentioned like ad nauseum in the offseason about Anthony Richardson. How last year Josh Allen led all fantasy quarterbacks in all quarterbacks in fantasy scoring, and Anthony Richardson still averaged nineteen point four percent more points per snap than Josh Allen did last year. And granted that was a limited sample size for Richardson, who
really only started and finished two games. But in those two games, he averaged better than twenty five fantasy points the game and finished quarterback four and quarterback two in those two weeks. So, yes, Richardson has been pretty bad as a passer this season. Completion percentage is forty nine point three percent, and yes, he has an NFL high six interceptions, some of which have been so ill advised
they would make Will Levis blush. But at the same time, Richardson is averaging eight yards per attempt, like he hits on big plays. That's sixth in the NFL among quarterbacks right now.
He is ahead of.
Lamar Jackson, Jalen Hurts, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers in yardage per attempt. It shows that he can at least make big plays in the passing game. And we know what Richardson is capable of as a runner. So I am begging people who are ready to pull the ripcord on Anthony Richardson, like, do not get rid of him.
It's three games, guys, and they just got Josh Down's back. It's three games. Like, people need to quit freaking out as much as they're doing right now.
So with this question, I did also mention the passing offense in general, So I am in full agreement in terms of, like Anthony Richardson as a fantasy asset, the rushing alone, like it almost doesn't matter what else is going on with the arm because of the rushing.
Upside he gives you.
As far as the passing offense in general, though, if a guy's version of torching a defense is nine completions, and I'd kind of been tongue in cheek about that, but can we be confidently starting like Michael Pittman Junior and Josh Downs. I mean, Alec Pierce obviously is among the league leaders in fantasy points so far the season with a couple of big plays. But deever, what are you doing with the pass catchers in this game?
I mean, I'm I'm muting all of them. I just talked about Joey Porter Junior being awesome. Michael Pittman's going to see him for most of the game, so good luck there. Josh Downs in his first game back, people want to talk about his first read, cheer and stuff like that. Let's not get to twist to people. He had a one point eight a dot. Okay, it was all. It was like forty percent of his targets were designed targets.
So let's not good out get a crazy out there and be like, oh, Josh Downs is the win receiver one in this offense, Like come on. So, I mean again, the Pittsburgh Steelers pass defense is one of the best in the NFL right now, and I don't see that changing as long as they stay healthy. So I'm very, very concerned, like I would be benching or sending most of these guys like they're all wide receiver low in like Pittman right now. I've got him at I gotta
look at where I got him normal ranks. I probably got him as a wide receiver three right now. Yeah, I mean right on the borderline like wide receiver thirty seven, and I think that's where he should be because again we talk about passing volume, but also Joey Porter Junr. So I don't want to start any of these Colts pass catchers.
This week fits just quickly on the pass catcher same.
I mean, Pittman is Pittman is playable most weeks, but I kind of want to avoid it if I can. This week against the tough matchup with Porter.
Let's get into some of the later slate matchups for Sunday question number seven, Commanders at Cardinals. Both of these offenses are humming and have been for a lot of the season. Which players in this game have the best chance to lead their respective positions in fantasy scoring this week?
You can talk Kyler and Jaden at quarterback.
You can talk you know, Brian Robinson and James Connor running back if you want. You can talk Marvin Harrison junior Terry McLaurin. Which of these guys you think is the best chance to lead their positions in scoring this week?
Fits well, let's see, I've got Kyler rank QB one this week and Jade rank QB four, So Kyler with a pretty good chance.
I actually, I actually didn't know you had a ranked well when I put this together, that's great.
Yeah, I mean Marvin Harrison Junior with no Trey McBride, likely because of a concussion. Marvin has only had one game this season with double digit targets. He had eleven last week against the Lions. I would love to see him have a Melik Neighbors game with thirteen or fourteen targets and just see what kind of numbers he could put up against this Washington Commander's defense. That's just to
welcome Matt for wide receivers. And even though Eckler is out with a concussion which leaves Ryan Robinson Junior as potentially a workhorse running back this week, I'm still gonna go with James Connor having the better chance to absolutely go nuts against Washington. The Commanders have given up a league high seven hundred and ninety one rushing yards in a league high nine rushing touchdowns to running backs this season.
Dee Bro, what do you think, obviously you've been the jay and Daniels guy, do you think he can finish TV one this week? Or are you more leaning towards the Kyler and kind of a you know, Cardinals side, just given how porous that Commander's defense is.
Yeah, I mean I think Jayden can walk away with a better game than even Kyler this week. And this is not me shaning Kyler. I like Kyler. The matchup speaks for itself, fits he laid it out perfectly. But James Connor, like the matchup is fantastic. I think that if there's a game where you can lean on the running back, you can lean on your ground game, and yes, Kyler is going to be a part of that. I think James Connor has a fantastic chance to be the
RB one overall this week. I don't it's crazy. I mean, Washington's been terrible at stopping the run. He's getting all the work in the backfield. Trade Benson has not looked good or really been much of a factor to this point. But if it's not James Connor, then y'all, I'll throw more hot water on Jane Daniels man. He looked fantastic. This is a coming out party. Arizona has not been tested. They have faced the second lowest passing attempts this season.
Make no mistake, people, their secondary is not good. When Sean Murphy bunting is one of your best corners, you've got a problem. Jane Daniels we just saw what the differents to Cincinnati. I think the encore is coming right now. As long as Arizona and we think they're going to they push back and push the Commanders in this game, I think we're just gonna see another miraculous performance from Jane Daniels.
I mentioned when talking about DraftKings that this is the highest total of the week. It started at fifty and a half. I think it went down to fifty. I'm gonna pull up to see if it's changed it all this morning. What's the case for them going under? Because I just feel like this is like, I mean, I know, I know, it's kind of a sucker's bet. You speak, oh, highest total of the week, it's it's that for a reason.
It's going to be fun to bet the over. But like the way these offenses look and the way the defenses are, I just don't see how this game isn't played in the fifties, Devroch.
You think anyway, pay some play that's the only way. Like neither one of these offenses are running really fast. So the only way that this game doesn't hit the over, it's not because the defenses. It's just because of overall play volume. That's that's the only way. But I think you're looking at like fine, like if they don't hit, you know, hit the over on on forty nine and a half or fifty and a half, depending on where you're getting the line at, it's going to be really close.
You don't need to run that many plays when you when you score every possession like the Commanders have for two weeks in a row.
True.
True, Yeah, you can find this at forty nine and a half some place to fifty a half some places we prefer DraftKings Sportsbook where it's right at fifty fits.
What do you think about that total?
Yeah, I mean the only case for the under I guess is that what the average NFL game has produced, like forty and a half points this season. So I mean this would have to be a really souped up offensive battle for this to go over, and like it's you never know, you get just one like six and a half minute drive that results in a turnover at the other team's ten yard line, and all of a sudden you're over, like just crumbles away.
I do think that this, and this is not specifically this game. I do think we are now into the time of the year where we have seen enough of the shaking off the rust of players not playing in preseason anymore. Like this kind of week three, week four range is where I think typically in this era of players not playing in August, that we start to see offenses really kind of become a little more fully fleshed out fully formed. So maybe that takes place in this game.
Maybe it doesn't, But I do think that the early games being pretty low total scoring in general, I think we're hopefully kind of getting out of that at this point.
We'll see how it ends up playing out.
Maybe worm the under is already one to oh in week four.
Yeah, maybe it's a good point, all right. Question number eight Chiefs at Chargers. Is Zavier Worthy a must bench for the time being? He said, two catches for seventeen yards in back to back weeks, the same stat line both of those weeks. Has not scored a touchdown since Week one, just eleven total targets on the season. It's one of those things where you would hate to sit him, and then he blows up for another two touchdown game.
And so maybe that's, you know, setting your lineup out of fear more than out of you know, being unemotional and making the right decision based on what he's done.
But Debro, what are you doing with Worthy?
Because I mean, I am starting him in the onely guy I have him, man, I kind of don't have a choice in that league, though, But if you have a choice at all, are you looking elsewhere?
I think it depends. It comes down to what your options are. I don't think he's a much bench player, but right now, like I've got him at wide receiver thirty five in my ranks, I would start him over Brian Thomas Junior, Michael Pittman, Jalen Wattle, Calvin Ridley, lab McConkey, a lot of different guys. So I mean, I think he's still in that wide receiver three type of area code and it really kind of comes down to matchups and we know what else you got on your roster.
Like so, I mean, I think because the other thing we need to talk about the Chargers too. They could be without a few of their defensive pieces this week. I mean, Derwin James already out, Bosa might not play. Justin Herbert, we don't even know if he's gonna play or not. So you know, again, this could be a sneaky, get right game for the Chiefs offense.
Fits.
What do you think about Worthy? I mean, he's one blown coverage not happening away from having been totally unplayable from the pass catching. At least he did have the rushing touchdown, but as a pass catcher, that blown coverage is the only reason he's been playable so far in his young career.
Yeah, so I'm I'm with Deebro as far as the ranking. I've got him down in the Michael Pittman zone of low end, wide receiver three, high and wide receiver four. The debate I was having is Deebro mentioned two of the guys, the two Jaguars, Kirk and Brian Thomas Junior. I think Worthy is right with those guys. I think whether you play him is kind of It depends a lot on context, not only what your other options are, but what your game situation is. Like Worthy is more so.
Strength loves certainty and weakness loves risk. If you are a heavy underdog in your game, Worthy might be the guy who can land the sort of haymakers you need to beat a heavily favored opponent, Whereas if you are going up against some injury riddle team that you are favored to beat by like fifteen points, I'd probably want to go with a safer like Darnell Mooney type of option Overworthy, just because I mean, Worthy hasn't had more than four targets in any game so far this season.
And by the way, I'm like, I totally got served on this whole Kansas City offense. I thought with Hollywood Brown, who obviously you know isn't going to work out because he's not going to play, and Xavier Worthy, they would restore sort of a vertical element to this Kansas City offense. Hasn't happened. Patrick Mahomes is averaging five point two intended
air yards per target according to Pro Football Reference. Earlier in his career he was averaging eight or nine intended air yards per pass attempt.
He's down a five point two. This is.
Like Cliff Kingsbury has taken over Andy Reid's body. But like I mean, it's the way the Chiefs are sort of being forced to play. They're saying they're playing too high against Casey and saying, Okay, you know, dink and dunk your way downfield, and that's exactly what they're doing. So you can always get that big catch and run play from Xavier Worthy that's in play for sure. Wide range of outcomes here. I think it totally depends on what your situation is.
Yeah, to the other point that I want to bring up about this matchup and why I think that we could see more Mahomes in the passing game this week. It doesn't need to get lost in the sauce. The Chargers run defense has been top shelf, so they don't have the options much less anybody in that backfield that's talented enough to overcome a tough matchup. They're gonna have to throw the ball this week. If they want to move the ball, they're going to have to throw the ball and have success there.
They might be throwing it.
Short Man Patrick Mahomes has topped twenty fantasy points once in his last twelve regular season game, so painful, and in those last twelve regular season games under sixteen fantasy points seven times.
Geez wild. Yeah, I was.
I was with you, especially in the preseason fits like I was all in on Mahomes, like bouncing back as an elite fantasy option this season.
I thought it was going to be a bunch.
Of rushing quarterbacks, but Mahomes kind of the one non rusher in that group, you know, at the top of the ranking, and.
Kelsey looks like he's running running in peanut butter.
Yeah, I was.
I was very much fading Kelsey this draft. A lot of it was because I was just assuming they were going to intentionally save him for uh, you know, for January. He also just doesn't look very good. I mean, it's it's a long season. Maybe he is just kind of, you know, internally saving himself for January. And you know, we know that the three pet is all this team really cares about. But but yeah, it's it's not been what I expected to be through the first three weeks.
Let's go to Sunday Night football, Bill's at Ravens. Maybe the game of the week looks looks like a really fun one. Two awesome quarterbacks. Josh Allen like pretty clearly I think would be the MVP if we were voting right now, obviously still still early in the year. Going up against the defending reigning MVP, I am going to
bring up the tight ends. I don't know why Debro called me a homer, because both Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely are ranked in the top ten coring to our expert consensus rankings for this week, and I'm curious.
I'll start with you, de Broke, since.
You're shaking your head, do you think that one of them can take advantage of this matchup? And you know, the Bills defense somewhat banged up a bit in areas that maybe Andrews and likely could take advantage of. You know, the Ravens typically play well at home in prime time. Is it smart to be ranking either of these guys or both theoretically like they are in ecr as top ten options this week.
I mean, I've got Mark Andrews a tight end ten, But it's more of the fact that there's nobody else to put above.
Him that's the problem there.
I mean, really, that's it's the state of the position, man, Like nobody is good and everybody's hurt. Sam Laporta, George Kittle, if both of them were playing, Mark Andrews probably wouldn't be a tight end one this week, you know. So that's really the state of the tight end position more than and it's having any kind of faith. And I'm sorry when Todd Monkin comes out and he's like, I didn't know Mark Andrews was not on the field last week.
I hate quotes like that out of coaches where they're like, well, you know, we would like to get this guy more snaps or I'm not aware of that. Bro. You make the decisions. You make the decisions about who goes out there and who plays and the STAPs they play and how things go. You're telling me you don't come on, come on. So no, I don't have a lot of
faith in either one of them. Man, I'm like Mark Andrew's like, we're still talking about a Bill's defense that has allowed the fifth lowest yards per reception to the tight end position and they face the third most tight end targets because teams are like, we don't want to go against those corners. M m m m m mmm. So I just I look at the Baltimore offense. It's all over the map. I think Todd Mounkin is flailing as a play caller, Like looking at what they've done
every single week makes no sense. Anybody that like, while Lamar like walked away from the Kansas City Chiefs game and likely did with good stat lines, it was basically dump it off, broke and play Lamar, go make magic. We don't know what we're gonna do. And then they play Dallas and it was like, well, we're gonna run the ball with Derick Henry. And then towards the end of the game, we're like they take their foot off the gas, are like, well, I guess we're gonna keep
running ball. We don't know what else we're gonna do, or we're gonna short throw short screens to say Flowers. I just don't think Todd Mounkin has a lot of really good answers about what to do with the offense. And a lot of this comes back to we were
worried about the offensive line coming into the season. I think this offensive line has gone from a problem to like it could be the absolute iceberg for the Titanic of this offense, to where it's they're trying to find ways to overcome the offensive line to make the offense functional with the way that the offensive line is playing. And I just don't see any way where I get Mark Andrews and they need to pass block and they
got heavy sets and all this kind of stuff. Any iteration where you take arguably your best pass catcher and you take him out of the equation about how you plan to function as an offense is not smart in any way, shape, form, or fashion. So I don't know why Baltimore is favored in this game. I've already Betuffalo. I think Buffalo stomps them this week.
So I think you're wrong with them stopping them. I do think Buffalo wins. I don't think the Ravens should be.
How do you think Baltimore moves the ball outside of running the ball with Derrick Henry.
Well, I think that will be effective.
But that's it, right, Like what else are they going to do?
Like, I think that Andrews in it likely can do well against I mean, who of the Bronx. You mentioned that the Bronx have done a good job of like limiting tight ends. They face the Jaguars without Evan Ingram, they face the Dolphins, like, I know they faced Tree McBride in Week one, but like, it's not like they've been going up against a murderer's row of tight ends. And I think you're overreacting a bit to the play
calling for the first three weeks. We've talked a lot on the show about how I'm a very strong believer that.
Trey McBride week won thirty receiving yards.
Yeah, no, that that one was good.
But the but the other two who were the tight ends they were going up against, that scare you, I.
Know, But Buffalo has also been historically a really good or a terrible matchupal I should say for tight ends.
I think the Raves will be able to move the in this game.
Again, I agree that Bills are the Bills are the better team, and I think the Bills should be favored. I said it in an early week episode. I was confused why the Ravens this game outside of just the whole at home in prime time and they're usually good there. But that's narrative driven, that's not based on on the way the teams look right now. So I agree with you in that sense. I've said before. I don't think you should you can take anything away from what the
Ravens do against the Chiefs. They always play them differently, whether like they shouldn't do that. I don't think they should loaded their minds. They always do. And then and then they didn't need to do anything against the Cowboys like I like, they were fine to keep running the ball. The reason the Cowboys came back in that game was because of a fluky on sidekick recovery and because the defense didn't do a good enough job of shutting them down,
Like I don't. I don't blame the offense for that one. And then the Raiders game and fits I'll toss to you now. We talked about this on the Thursday Show. That was the one game where Andrews, I mean he didn't catch a touchdown. If he did, he that looks like a pretty good day relative to the tight end landscape this season. It's not some big blow up game.
But you know the other two games besides that Raiders game, our game where Lamar threw the ball fifteen times because he didn't really need to throw anymore, and then the Chiefs, which they always played differently. So what do you think about the tight ends in this matchup?
Yeah?
And by the way, I am betting the Ravens worm, do you really think that John Harbaugh Ravens are going to lay two complete eggs at home back to back. I kind of a hard time seeing. And I think they're going to be breathing fire after the way they played against the Raiders the last.
I just think Josh Allen is breathing fire.
All yeah. Yeah. So Baltimore pass defense has also been sneaky bad open the season.
So out of these two, like, I kind of don't want to play Isaiah Likely, who in the two games since that Week one explosion has had three catches for thirty yards on four targets.
Like he's just we're back to where we were.
It seems like where as long as Mark Andrews was on the field, you couldn't play Isaiah likely. But the weird thing is that it's hard to play Mark Andrews either. I do have him tight end eight, and I'm not totally ready to wave the white flag on him.
I don't know what's up with him. Is it health.
I mean, he had the offseason tightrope surgery that slowed down Tony Pollard early last season. He was in a car crash in August that causing caused him to miss practices in training camp, only twenty one snaps last week. But you know, John Harbaugh said it was because they were using this heavy personnel package with Patrick Riccard and Charlie Kohler at tight end. I don't know if it's health related, if it's just that, you know, small sample size three games. He did have a decent game in
Week two where he had like what four catches. I'm just not ready to throw in the towel. I'm concerned for sure, and I've got Mark Andrews on a few teams, but I'm not ready to give it up or start like Zach Ertz in place of Mark Andrews.
I will say here, I don't think it's a Mark Andrews problem. I don't. If you look at just his separation scores and his route win rate amongst forty two qualifying tight ends, he has a better separation score, he's first, he has a better separation score than Trey McBride, and he's fourth in win rate. So I don't think this is a Mark Andrews problem. I think this is a Todd Monkin problem.
I think I would put more of the blame for any offensive struggles so far this season. And by the way, I think the Ravens are still like number one offense in DVOA so far, which I was shocked by. I don't know how that's calculated, but I saw Aaron Shots tweeting about that earlier this week. The offensive line to me, is a much bigger concern than Todd Mounkin. Yeah, and
it actually I actually think looked better against Dallas. It's easy to look better against Dallas, to be fair, I think they look better against Dallas than they did in the first two weeks, and I think, like Roger Rosegarten, will get better throughout the season. Andrew Vorhies might miss this game on the left side, you know, left guard, So that's going to be a tough one against Buffalo. But but yeah, to me, like the offensive line is the larger concern.
Do you think Lenderbaum plays this week? Because that's all he was on the injury report too.
Yeah, the way they've talked, doesn't They don't seem to be worried about him not playing. He was limited in practic He went from did not practice on Wednesday to limited on Thursday. I suppose as possible, you never know, but from what I have seen and heard, it doesn't seem like they're It seems like Vorhees is the only one that is a major threat to miss on the offense.
And he Vorhees has in practice all week. So yeah, yeah, I agree.
So I think he probably misses. I think you probably see Patrick McCarry skewed over. Maybe Josh Jones comes off the bench. I'm not sure what they're gonna do. So the offensive line, again, we don't need to put any more time into this one. But that's to me, the larger concern. Let's go to Seahawks at Lions. Wrap things up here. Question number ten. We saw down weeks last Sunday for both Jamison Williams and Jackson Smith and Jigba.
Which of these receivers young, exciting guys who you know, we have a degree of belief in both of them from what we've seen so far the season, and we liked about him as prospects. Which of those two do we think that has the best chance of bouncing back in this particular matchup on Monday Night football fits.
I'll go with JSN just because of the Lions have a pass funnel defense much better against the run than they are against the pass. Good chance Seattle is pass heavy this week, they're underdogs, and they're already a little
pass heavier than league average. With Jamison Williams, I worry that well, One that the Seahawks have a really nice collection of cornerbacks, and two, sometimes there are weeks where Ben Johnson just decides he wants to run the ball down an opponent's throat, And we saw the Lions play that kind of game last week against the Cardinals. And when Ben Johnson calls a game like that, maybe aman Ross Saint Brown can survive it and put up good numbers. But I don't know if Jamison Williams can Debra.
Yeah. I mean I still think if you got Jamo, you're starting him this week. That's why I put him as a no brainer, because you know, it's one game when we saw him drop to three targets. I don't think it, you know, consistently happens. So if you got him, you're playing him. But I'm with FITZI here. I think JSN has the better game this week quietly Detroit. While yes, I agree with FITZI. They have an elite run defense. They were elite last year, the elite this year. They've
quietly been a slot funnel. They've i mean, passing attacks have been targeting the slot religiously against them. They faced the second most slot targets so far this year, and they've given up the third most receiving yards to opposing slot wide receiver. So JSN has been up and down, up and down. I mean it's it's been like no targets, you're a focal point of the offense, back to no targets. Don't know why Seattle's doing that, but I think we get the the the bounce back game from JSN this week.
Where are you ranking them?
Question? Worm? I have got js and Jamison Williams is at wide receiver twenty four and I've got JSN at wide receiver twenty three.
Oh so back to back. I didn't realize that. Yeah, Fits, where did you bet?
You?
Where you have them ranked?
Yeah?
I've got to put my money where my mouth is because right now I've got jsunranked behind Jamison Williams.
I need to change that.
Okay, all right, we'll get out of the show on that one. Thank you everybody for tuning. Best of luck in your Week four matchups. It's uh, you know, we're past the overreaction season. We're past the okay, we're just kind of getting back into it. This is the season, so we're getting into it. Bye week start next week, which is wild to consider. So for Debro and Fits, I'm Ryan Warmley. Thank you everybody for tuning in. We'll see again next week. Thanks for listening to the Fantasy
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