Week 5 Fantasy Football RB & QB Rankings: Must-Starts, Risky Plays & Top Streamers (Ep. 2246)
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
1 hr 9 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Oct 7, 2026
Published
Wed, October 7, 2026
21
Player insights
18
Players mentioned
Topics
Jayden DanielsJaylen WrightOllie Gordon IIAlvin KamaraC.J. StroudChase BrownD'Andre SwiftEmanuel WilsonGeorge HolaniJacoby BrissettKeaton MitchellMarShawn LloydNico CollinsOmarion Hampton
Player analysis
Player insights
Alvin Kamara
NegativeUsage57:27
Alvin Kamara is dealing with a knee issue and is no longer the explosive runner he once was, averaging only 3.0 yards per carry. His fantasy value is heavily tied to receiving volume as a check-down option for Tyler Shuck, especially against a tough Vikings defense that blitzes frequently. He remains a start due to high-value opportunities, but his efficiency is a concern.
Insight pageC.J. Stroud
PositiveProjection63:44
Andrew Erickson and Pat Fitzmaurice view Stroud as a low-end QB1 for Week 5 against the Titans, noting that the Texans' inability to run the ball forces them to rely on Stroud's passing; Stroud has been efficient with five touchdowns and zero interceptions, and the return of Nico Collins significantly boosts his outlook.
Insight pageChase Brown
PositiveUsage3:32
Chase Brown is a high-upside play due to his 19.8 touches per game average and a significant role shift; he recorded a career-high 12 slot snaps last week, functioning more like a receiver than a traditional back. With Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins potentially out, Brown is positioned for a massive workload against a Dolphins defense that allows the third-most fantasy points to running backs.
Insight pageD'Andre Swift
NegativeUsage26:06
D'Andre Swift faces increased risk after being benched following a fumble last week. While he is unlikely to be completely removed from the rotation, his role is now more precarious, and another mistake could lead to further loss of playing time to Kyle Monungay.
Insight pageEmanuel Wilson
NegativeUsage34:01
Emmanuel Wilson has moved up to RB17 in ECR following a 21-carry, 3-catch, 39-yard, 1-TD performance against the Chargers. He commanded 76% of Seattle's running back opportunities (25 total) last week. While he is a recommended start, there is caution regarding his efficiency (2.7 YPC excluding two 15-yard runs) and potential game-script risk against the 49ers, who may force Seattle to pass more.
Insight pageGeorge Holani
PositiveUsage35:33
George Holani has seen his role diminish, receiving only one target last week compared to Emmanuel Wilson's four. He is no longer the preferred goal-line or early-down option for the Seahawks.
Insight pageJacoby Brissett
PositiveProjection52:15
Jacoby Brissett is a top-tier streaming quarterback this week against the Lions. Despite a poor performance last week, he is expected to see high passing volume (averaging 38 attempts per game) and benefits from a favorable matchup against a weak Lions defense.
Insight pageJayden Daniels
NegativeInjury59:45
Jaden Daniels is a top-12 quarterback option in his return, but there is uncertainty regarding how an elbow brace will affect his mobility and performance. While the matchup against the Giants is favorable, his reliance on scrambling may be impacted by the injury.
Insight pageNegativeProjection60:13
Andrew Erickson moved Daniels down to QB9 due to concerns about his elbow injury, the impact of wearing a brace, and a difficult matchup against a Giants defense that plays man coverage at the fifth-highest rate in the NFL; Daniels has historically struggled against man coverage, ranking fourth-lowest in yards per attempt and second-lowest in completion rate since last year.
Insight pageJaylen Wright
NegativeRole40:05
Jalen Wright is a potential flex play in a pinch, as the Dolphins' backfield remains fluid. He may see increased usage against the Bengals because the team might need to run outside to avoid Dexter Lawrence in the middle.
Insight pageNegativeUsage65:26
Jalen Wright is splitting work with Ollie Gordon. He saw significant first-half usage last week but was limited to one carry in the second half, indicating he is currently the secondary option in the Dolphins' backfield.
Insight pageKeaton Mitchell
PositiveUsage47:37
Keaton Mitchell led the Chargers' backfield in touches (15) and snaps (26) last week, showing more involvement than O'Marion Hampton and Kamani Vidal.
Insight pageMarShawn Lloyd
PositiveRole48:26
Marshawn Lloyd is the most trusted back in the Packers' backfield following injuries to Chris Brooks and fumbling issues from Caleb Johnson. He saw a season-high 55% snap rate last week and is being trusted on third downs, making him a viable flex play against the Bears.
Insight pageNico Collins
PositiveUsage64:23
Andrew Erickson emphasizes that the Texans' offense cannot function without Nico Collins, whose return last week was vital for CJ Stroud's success; the team is expected to lean heavily on the passing game through Collins against the Titans.
Insight pageOllie Gordon II
PositiveRole40:25
Ollie Gordon is expected to remain the lead back for the Dolphins, having out-snapped Jalen Wright 22 to 12 and out-touched him 11 to 5 last week. While the situation remains fluid, he is considered a viable start due to his volume and potential for big plays, such as his 53-yard run last week.
Insight pageNegativeUsage63:35
Ollie Gordon has shown fantasy production, but his role is volatile within a committee. He saw increased second-half usage last week, finishing with 85 yards and a touchdown, but he remains in a split backfield with Jalen Wright. The Dolphins' overall offensive struggles make him a difficult player to trust as a locked-in starter.
Insight pageOmarion Hampton
NegativeValue45:55
O'Marion Hampton is viewed as a 'touchdown or bust' play with a low floor. The Chargers' offense is struggling significantly, compounded by injuries to starting tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater. He was out-snapped and out-touched by Keaton Mitchell last week, making him a risky start against Denver.
Insight pageQuinshon Judkins
NegativeProjection10:05
Quinshon Judkins is a solid RB2 play, though his efficiency remains a concern as he averages roughly three yards per carry. While his receiving usage has increased—notably seven targets last week—this is expected to fluctuate. He faces a tougher road matchup against the Jets, and his career home-road splits suggest a potential dip in production compared to his recent home performances.
Insight pageTrey McBride
PositiveMatchup53:48
Trey McBride is in a 'smash spot' against the Lions, who struggle against tight ends. McBride has a 28% target share against cover three defenses, which the Lions run at a high frequency, making him a top-tier play.
Insight pageWill Shipley
PositiveUsage43:00
Will Shipley is a strong streaming candidate due to his expected high snap share and trust in pass protection. With the Eagles' offense struggling and missing key weapons, Shipley is projected to be involved as a pass-catcher out of the backfield, potentially serving as a 'check-down' option against a Jaguars defense that allows significant receiving production to running backs.
Insight pageZach Charbonnet
NegativeInjury35:06
Zach Charbonnet's return status remains uncertain for the upcoming week, though the team is proceeding as if Emmanuel Wilson will continue to handle the primary workload.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. Learn more at staples.com.
0:03It feels good to get the taste of week three out of my mouth.
0:08Yeah, everything is going well so far. Always feels good to have done waivers for the week.
0:13That's always a chore on Tuesdays, so here we are recording this on Wednesday.
0:17I feel like that major task has been put to bed, which is always nice.
0:22Yeah, that one is always a painful one, especially if you wait till last minute after all of your work and you're doing it at midnight.
0:29Yeah, maybe I was doing that this week. Yeah, possibly.
0:32Eric said, how are you doing? Doing good. Got a couple weddings coming up this weekend.
0:37My sister's getting married, one of my best friends is getting married, so a fun-filled weekend, but still got to get the ranks in.
0:45Got to help people set their fantasy lineup so that we're all good to go.
0:499.30 a.m. kickoff in London, so be ready. Make sure you have autopilot for those West Coasters out there.
0:55It can be brutal. You don't want to wake up too surprised and active.
0:59Yeah, that is a fantastic reminder after Terry McLaurin last week.
1:02I know it did get a lot of people, unfortunately, so always be good to go on that one.
1:08Before we dive into the rankings, did want to give some shout outs here to our top accuracy rankers this week.
1:15John Hesterman, another nice week. Don Hesterman with Dynasty League Football.
1:18Then we have Jagger May in second with Roto-Wire.
1:21And then Jeremy Polpillars, I am so sorry if I said your name wrong, with FT.
1:25And congratulations, guys, on the excellent rankings this week.
1:28And of course, you can find all of our expert rankings at fantasypros.com slash rankings.
1:33Let's go ahead and dive into our top 12 running backs for week five.
1:37At the top, of course, it is Jameer Gibbs, followed by B.
1:41John Robinson at two. Jonathan Taylor holding it down at three.
1:44Kyron Williams with the big jump after the massive game coming in at number four in a matchup against Buffalo.
1:50Then we've got Derek Henry, Chase Brown moving up in a good matchup, a plus matchup against Miami.
1:55Then we've got James Cook, Christian McCaffrey, Jalen Warren moving on up as well as he continues to handle the workload.
2:02We'll see how this continues to go with him moving forward.
2:05Then we've got Javante Williams coming off a strong week.
2:08Ashton Gentty and DeAndre Swift holding it down there at number 12.
2:12Let's talk about one running back in this rankings area.
2:15Let's pull out Chase Brown to discuss because he's a very interesting one because we've got a interesting week.
2:21We're still waiting on injury news to come through with these Bengals wide receivers.
2:25And of course, that meant that we saw a significant leap in receptions and he was excellent with them.
2:3111 receptions, 11 targets, 71 yards. ECR has Chase Brown at RB six.
2:35And you guys are right on point with that one.
2:38Both have him at RB six. Fitz, talk to us about Chase Brown.
2:42Yeah, it's nice that he has two pass to value.
2:45It could be running, could be catching the ball.
2:47And last week, not much going in the ground for the Bengals.
2:51Nine carries for 10 yards for Chase Brown against a tough Jacksonville run D, but he did have those 11 catches to kind of salvage his fantasy day.
2:59Chase Brown is averaging 19.8 touches a game and he's had at least 15 touches in every game so far.
3:05And yes, the Bengals offensive outlook could be diminished if they have to play without one or both of Jamar Chase and Tee Higgins.
3:13Chase has the concussion, Tee Higgins, the adductor injury.
3:15But their absence would likely mean that Chase Brown would probably get an all you can eat buffet of touches this week
3:22against the Dolphins, who are giving up the third most fantasy points per game to running backs.
3:27They've allowed seven touchdowns to running backs this season.
3:30So pretty good matchup for Chase Brown. And you figure he will be prominently involved because of the wide receiver situation.
3:36Andrew Erickson, how are you feeling about Chase Brown as well?
3:40Yeah, I think you're betting on the touchdown upside and the volume with the Bengals running back.
3:45I think the Dolphins run defense hasn't been so, so bad.
3:48Again, fourth highest stuff rate in the NFL. I talked about this last week with Aaron Jones, but he still showed when
3:55you get the volume, he had 20 carries for 94 yards against this defense, 4.7 yards per carry.
4:00Even though the Bengals can't run the football and they may not even try to run the football, it's going to be the Chase Brown show.
4:08And I think that this is an opportunity for him to really step up, you know, with those receivers banged up, they
4:15can really build the offense around Chase Brown. And I think it's really interesting when you look at the usage last week,
4:22obviously we saw the receiving pop off, but that's not just because he was catching passes out of the backfield.
4:2812 slot snaps for Chase Brown last week. That was a career high.
4:32So they are using him more as a slot receiver and not just a traditional running back.
4:37And we look at how you actually attack the Dolphins.
4:40Third worst defense against slot receivers this season. So it may not be in a very traditional way that we see a
4:46RB1 performance from Chase Brown against the Dolphins. But I think based on the receiving, based on the touchdowns, he is going
4:53to get there one way or another. I love it.
4:56Do that shift to him lining up as a receiver, you know, operating like Christian McCaffrey.
5:01There are other ways that you can go about getting it because the receiving yards have been a little scant for him,
5:08unfortunately, for the first three weeks of the season.
5:10But big boost last week and we should get a nice boost this week as well.
5:15Let's move on to our running backs 13 through 24.
5:18We've got Aaron Jones at the top, still going strong with the absence of Jordan Mason.
5:23Then we have Jeremiah Love against Detroit. That'll be an interesting one to see how that usage is with him playing through the injury.
5:30Then we have Bachel Tootin, Quinchon Judkins, Emmanuel Wilson moving on up in the rankings after the big week.
5:36Cam Skadaboo. Then we've got Kyle Monungay at 19.
5:39Braylon Allen as well stepping into the lead back role.
5:42Not massive usage last week, but did at least have a vast majority of the stats.
5:47Clear RB1. And we've got Bucky Irving, Ramondre Stevenson, Omarion Hampton.
5:50And then closing it out, moving into the top 24 is Ja'Kory Krosky.
5:54Merritt probably an indication again of how scant things are unfortunately at running back this season.
5:59Let's talk about quite a, this is like a really good range for us to key in on here.
6:05So let's pull out Quinchon Judkins first and talk about him.
6:08Coming off with a very solid game. A little extra rest this week because they played Thursday night football.
6:14Uh, ECR has him at RB 16. Fitz, you're a little bit higher at RB 14.
6:18Erickson just slightly lower at RB 18. Uh, Erickson, I'll start off with you.
6:23Um, apprehensions, uh, for Quinchon Judkins this week. Are we seeing a repeat or should we be a little bit more cautious?
6:29I still think that he's a solid RB two play.
6:32That's why I have him at RB 18. You saw him out produce and out carry Raheem Sanders last week.
6:38Sanders really didn't get involved until the second half of that Browns game against the Pittsburgh.
6:43Steelers. Judkins played 66% of the snaps, 17 carries in the big number that obviously we're excited about the most is the targets, right?
6:51Seven targets basically put up a career game in terms of the receiving usage, which was not the case in week three.
6:57And then in week two, he did have a receiving boon.
7:01So the receiving, I think is going to fluctuate a little bit with Quinchon Judkins.
7:05They do seem like they do like Raheem Sanders kind of acting in that role at times.
7:10So it's going to depend on just the specific matchup and how the game kind of flows.
7:15One thing I just want to point out with Judkins is the last two games he's been better.
7:21The Browns have also played at home. So I think that that matters significantly because when you have an offensive line like the Browns, that is shaky.
7:29And I would say still below average because it's a lot of new pieces that are starting to gel and maybe they
7:36are starting to show signs of improvement. But now you're going on the road again to play the New York Jets.
7:42He was bad the first two weeks of the season because they were against two tougher run defenses on the road.
7:48Now, not saying that the Jets are tougher on defense, obviously, from what we saw last week from them getting boat raced
7:55and truck sticked by the Chicago Bears. But the Chicago Bears kind of run basically on everybody.
8:00So no run defense is really going to look good.
8:03Still, Jets are allowing 4.3 yards per carry. That's above the league average of 4.2.
8:081.6 of those yards come before contact, which is ninth most in the NFL.
8:12They've only hit ball carriers behind line of scrimmage on 27% of the carries, which is third lowest rate in the NFL.
8:19But with Judkins, again, the whole sample size, he's averaging half a guard carry coming before contact.
8:24That is the fifth fewest despite being hit by line of scrimmage at 39% of his carries, which is below the league
8:31average or excuse me, right above the league average.
8:33He also has the third worst rushing success rate.
8:36So I don't want to just wipe away everything from Judkins.
8:39We've seen the entire season from one game where, yeah, he is looking like he's getting healthier coming off of his season ending injury from last year.
8:48So I do think that it's overall positive from what we saw on Thursday night, but still he's a player and in
8:54Browns offense that doesn't play nearly as well on the road as they do at home.
8:5968 rushing yards per game at home. That's Quintin Judkins career average on the road.
9:04It's 44 yards per game. So that's the only thing that I'm really kind of just keeping expectations in check when it
9:10comes to Judkins, because I really think that Thursday night was a much better spot.
9:15And even the week before against Carolina, whereas I think playing on the road against New York jets, maybe a little bit
9:22of a tougher spot for him overall for the offense.
9:25Yeah. I'd be curious what the home road splits are for Deshaun Watson, because again, you know, this offense ebbs and flows with him.
9:32So as long as he's pushing forward, puts the offense in a good position specifically for Quinch on Judkins.
9:38But the question is, is what are we going to see on the road against the jets?
9:43Pat for you. Um, now I know, you know, Erickson pointed out that everybody, um, you know, everybody struggles to stop that
9:49fantastic Chicago run defense, but is it matchup? That's really carrying you forward here.
9:54Yeah. I mean, it's no worse than a neutral matchup as Erickson sort of pointed out.
9:58Um, the, the bears may be skewed what the jets run defense looks like overall for the season, but I think it's at least a decent matchup.
10:07And I guess the one big drawback with Judkins, like the rushing efficiency is kind of never there on a weekly basis.
10:13Like it's, it's going to be under four yards per carry pretty much every week.
10:18But Judkins is averaging 18 and a half touches a game said 20 and 23 touches the last two weeks.
10:24Um, and Erickson said it, the 15 receptions this year, Judkins only had 26 receptions in 14 games last season.
10:30So this increased usage in the passing game kind of raises the floor and he sort of needs that passing game usage
10:37because he is averaging three yards per carry. But, um, and I agree we can't count on five or six catches every week.
10:44It might just be two or three, but that still helps the cause.
10:48And I do just feel better about the Browns offense this year.
10:51Like this is an actual grownup competence offense right now because the passing game is, is working to a degree.
10:57I don't think Deshaun Watson is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but he's been functional and he's got a
11:04really group, good group of pass catchers. So that gives Judkins a better touchdown outlook than he had last year when the offense was really struggling.
11:12So I feel pretty good about him. I think he's just outside RB one range this week.
11:17Let's talk about another running back in this range slightly after Quinshawn Judkins coming in at RB 18 and ECR.
11:23Cam Scadabo holding it down. It's been a weird season for him because it's been a weird season for the Giants, the injuries they've dealt with and whatnot.
11:32So he's not coming off of a massive game in terms of fantasy production, but the carries are there.
11:37He's had a minimum of 18 carries in three or four games this season.
11:42So ECR has got him at RB 18. You guys are sandwiched right around that.
11:46Erickson at RB 17 and Fitz at RB 19.
11:49Um, Fitz, let's, let's talk about Cam Scadabo here.
11:52What should we expect from him out of this week?
11:55It's a good question because the first couple of weeks of the season, it seemed like this Giants regime didn't really want
12:01to lean into him as a workhorse, um, which was the case last year before he got hurt.
12:07Then the last couple of weeks, it seems like they're back to workhorse usage with him.
12:12So it's just kind of hard to tell. Of course, they had pretty positive game scripts the last couple of weeks and in wins.
12:19So that probably helped Cam Scadabo's cause. I don't love the matchup this week.
12:23He goes against the commanders who have a pass funnel defense.
12:26Uh, the commanders have a lot of the fifth fewest rushing yards and sixth fewest rushing attempts this season, pretty good run defense.
12:33So that's why I'm a little below consensus on him.
12:36Yeah, that makes sense. I know, you know, looking at Jonathan Taylor last week, we, we need those touchdowns.
12:42So he's got to have those touchdowns. And I, and I wonder, we did see Najee Harris last week having an uptick there.
12:49So it gets a little bit shaky. So I think this is kind of the appropriate range for him.
12:55Erickson, how about you? Um, just slightly higher, but kind of same sentiment around Cam Scadabo.
13:00We also saw Najee Harris fumble the ball. So I think there's a scenario where he may get shadow around here and
13:06all the work goes to Cam Scadabo. The giants may mix up their RB two and make Devin Singletary active.
13:12Who's been inactive the last couple of weeks, because it seemed like they're rotating this RB two slot when all paths lead to Cam Scadabo, right?
13:20Like why are we mixing around who the RB two is when it's so clear that Scadabo is the best running back on this team.
13:28And when he's healthy, he should be the focal point of the offense alongside with Malik neighbors and Isaiah likely in the passing game.
13:35So I'm just buying the workhorse role with Cam Scadabo, acknowledging that the commanders don't have the worst run defense in the NFL.
13:42This game could go any which way, right? It's a divisional game against the commanders who are bringing back Jaden Daniels.
13:48You can see the giants have a lead. You can see the giants getting blown out.
13:53Like there are just so many different scenarios that this game could play out.
13:58But I feel confident that Scott was going to get 20 touches no matter what happens.
14:02He has 23 and 19 of the last two games, 18 and 16, the first two weeks still on the season, 19 touches per game.
14:10And comparing him to someone like a Judkins, where both kind of identified as bruiser running backs, Kim Scadabo is still 15 yards after contact per attempt.
14:18Judkins is the eighth worst in that category. So we're still getting the bulldozing Cam Scadabo who's running over defensive players.
14:25And you know, this isn't necessarily built the last for Scadabo, but for week five, I want to make sure that he's in the majority of my line.
14:33It's because of the three down skill set. He does similar to Judkins.
14:37His receiving has been kind of up and down this season.
14:40But when you have someone like James Winston, who's less off to take off and run, I do think that in a
14:47negative game script, you could see Scadabo get more involved in the passing game.
14:51Like we did see a couple of weeks ago.
14:54So that's why I have him one spot ahead of Judkins against not that.
14:58I love this giants offense way more than a Cleveland Browns offense.
15:02I think that you're probably lukewarm about either of these, but any game that James Winston is the quarterback in anything can happen.
15:09Yeah, completely agree on that one. We'll go one spot back from ECR.
15:13And it's interesting because we go from the guys and Quinshaw Judkins and Cam Scadabo who are the clear workhorse backs, high level of touches.
15:20And then we go to someone who arguably has higher upside in common guy.
15:25But the touch guarantee is completely different. Popping off last week against the New York Jets.
15:29We talked about it. 30 carries. Massive game. ECR has him at RB 19.
15:34So big move up after the big game. And you guys are kind of in the same area.
15:39Erickson, you have him at RB 19 and then fits.
15:42You've got him at RB 21. Fitz, we'll start off with you.
15:46I mean, how do we handle these? We saw that, you know, DeAndre Swift is what RB 12 and ECR.
15:52Now we've got Kyle Manunga. So that's two bears running backs in the top 20.
15:56We know they're a run heavy team. How do you handle this with Kyle Manunga specifically in terms of trusting the workload?
16:03Yeah, I. So DeAndre Swift fumbled and got benched last week.
16:06He'd also lost a goal line fumble against the Vikings in week two.
16:10And what turned out to be a 9-3 loss.
16:13So I guess Ben Johnson was kind of fed up last week and Manunga was running well and Ben Johnson just stuck with him.
16:20So I don't think DeAndre Swift is going to be dog housed this week, but maybe there's a little more risk with
16:27him than usual because another fumble probably puts him back on the bench, in which case if you're playing Kyle Manunga, you feel good about that.
16:35But look, Manunga has a thumb injury. There was a photo of his hand in his glove last week and it looked
16:42like maybe his thumb had been dislocated. But Ben Johnson has said the injury wasn't serious.
16:46Sounds like he fully expects Manunga to play this week.
16:49But Manunga had 10 carries in each of the Bears first three games.
16:53Like exactly 10 carries all three. I would bet he's closer to 10 carries than 30 this week.
16:59And Manunga doesn't really deliver a lot of value as a pass catcher, five catches for 39 yards, only five targets this year.
17:06So I think it's going to be back to sort of 1A, 1B with Swift, Manunga.
17:11But I will say the rushing outlook does look pretty good against the Packers.
17:15I mean, the Bears do lead the league in rushing yardage.
17:18They're averaging just under 200 rushing yards a game as a team.
17:22And they've got a backup quarterback, Tyson Bajan, starting in place of the injured Caleb Williams.
17:27So they're incentivized to run the ball. And the Packers just lost their best run defender, as you know, Tara.
17:33Linebacker Edger and Cooper to a torn Achilles. That's going to hurt.
17:36Like this is not the game where you want to be missing Edger and Cooper against a team that loves to run the ball.
17:44Yeah, it's such a good matchup. And it's interesting because, you know, when you look at what Bucky Irving did against them
17:50last week, it won't show, unfortunately, because that the goal line touch went to Sean Tucker.
17:55We had the receptions going to Kenneth Gamwell and a touchdown.
17:58But yeah, if you add all that up, it was a good, successful week for the Bucks running backs.
18:04So it's a good matchup. Erickson, does matchup help you feel a little bit more comfortable with this, knowing that we could
18:11get that regression back to 10 carries? I almost don't care who the Bears play, because I kind of talked about this
18:18with the Jets and their matchup going against the Bears.
18:21They can run on anybody. Give me the 85 Bears defense against this Bears offense.
18:25And I might take this. I mean, I will go that far.
18:29But you get my point here where Ben Johnson is going to run on every single defense he plays.
18:35So if they have a starting linebacker out. Great.
18:37More to the Bears in terms of what kind of production you could expect.
18:42And one thing that I thought was really noticeable about this particular game is.
18:46Kyle Monunga looked like he was kind of taking over even in the first half before Swift got soft benched.
18:52He had 12 carries in the first half. So to Fitz's point, first three weeks, 10, 10, 10 carries on the dot.
18:58First half only 12 carries for 54 yards. So he had already in that particular matchup in week four had already exceeded his normal workload.
19:06And then obviously you got the 18 carries in second half because Swift fumbled.
19:10So it really was like the perfect run out for Kyle Monunga in week four.
19:15But man, I'm thinking this might be closer to a 50 50 split, even if Swift is back in his normal role,
19:22because that's what we saw happening last week. And obviously got exacerbated a little bit because of the fumble.
19:27So Monunga too, it's so crazy, like ranking him behind guys like Judkins and Skadaboo because they have the projected workloads.
19:34When I look at Monunga, I'm like, dude, this guy's so much better than both those dudes.
19:39Like he looks so absolutely fantastic. And I didn't pull his advanced metrics where he ranks, but I guarantee it's all top five success, right?
19:46Top five explosive run. Like he's going to be number one or in the top five, top 10 and most of those
19:53rushing categories because the dude has been absolutely balling out.
19:56No nonsense runner hits the hole gets exactly guards.
19:59He needs. And I mean, it's probably just because he's wearing number 25, but it's like, is that guy Jamal Charles out there?
20:06Like, like that dude looks absolutely unstoppable. So again, if the thumb checks out, dude, I want to find ways to get
20:12him into my lineup and I'll just take, you know, whatever ends up happening with the volume.
20:18All all climbing on guy has shown is that he can be an absolute monster.
20:22You look at players this year with multiple hundred brushing our games, Ken Walker, James Cook, B.
20:27John Robinson, common on guy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You're preaching to the Kyle Monunga choir.
20:32He was in my starting lineup last week and my favorite dynasty team, possibly out of desperation.
20:37But hey, it worked out. Somebody else who worked out last week.
20:41We'll talk about Emmanuel Wilson. He has actually moved up once we decided, you know, prior to this, you know, the are the running backs.
20:48We were going to talk about Emmanuel Wilson actually moved up as we slept last night significantly.
20:53He is up to RB 17 in fantasy pros ECR, which means that because he has risen, Fitz and Erickson are just a little bit lower.
21:01Fitz has him at RB 20 Erickson at RB 21 coming off the big week.
21:06We'll still probably have to, you know, ensure that we are not getting Zach Charbonnet back this week, but it doesn't particularly
21:12look like it and what workload would he really have in a first game back.
21:17So it is the Emmanuel Wilson show in a matchup with San Francisco.
21:21Fitz, talk to us about Emmanuel Wilson. I think we can feel pretty good about the volume outlook for him after the
21:2821 carry day last week against the Chargers. Three catches for 39 yards and a touchdown on four targets.
21:33That was kind of a pleasant surprise. George Helani only one target.
21:37So unexpected for Emmanuel Wilson to play a bigger role in the passing game than Helani.
21:42But it was a very run friendly game script for the Seahawks last week.
21:46They scored the go ahead touchdown against the Chargers five minutes into the game, led the rest of the way.
21:52They were able to run the ball. I don't know if they get as run friendly a game script this week against
21:59the 49ers, who can obviously deliver a bit heavier punch than the Chargers can.
22:03But we know Wilson's going to get a big percentage of the running back touches again.
22:08So the 49ers defense also a little banged up up front.
22:11I'm not I can't quit quite get to mid range running back to which is where he is an ECR.
22:17But I think you're probably starting Emmanuel Wilson in most cases this week.
22:21Yes, Emmanuel Wilson, our former Packer coming through. This is what I thought it should have been from the jump.
22:27I'm not sure why we kept experimenting with with not to Darian Price.
22:31He deserved it. But with George Helani as a goal line back and trying to early down work, it just it wasn't it.
22:38So this is this is the direction that it should be until we get Zach Charbonnet back.
22:43Erickson, how about you? How comfortable are you feeling with this matchup this week?
22:48I feel the same way that Fitz does where I'm not trying to get out over my skis on Emmanuel Wilson because
22:54there's a game script where he could get totally nuked in terms of what Seattle does offensively.
22:59And if you look at where was he in the commanders matchup?
23:03Jaron Price got knocked out of the game pretty early.
23:06He was RB 62 on the week because it was a game where the Seahawks were trailing.
23:11It was more back and forth where they weren't just controlling it because the week before against the Cardinals Wilson had another big game.
23:18So I did feel like it was weird last week how low Wilson was ranked, even though we knew that Jaron Price was not going to play.
23:27And now I feel like maybe we're overcompensating for one.
23:30Now he's just the locked and loaded bell cow.
23:32He's going to see every single touch 25 official opportunities last week.
23:36Seventy six percent of the 33 running back opportunities from the Seattle Seahawks.
23:40So you feel good about that as an RB two.
23:43But if the 49ers jump out 10 nothing, are we going to see Wilson involved as much in the passing game?
23:49I believe he ran less routes than George Halani did.
23:52So although he was hyper targeted three or four targets, he ripped off that big reception.
23:57You obviously caught a receiving touchdown. Is that really sustainable?
24:00Again, he had two carries of 15 yards. That was 30 of his 81 yards total.
24:05The other 19 carries 51 yards. That was 2.7 yards per carry.
24:09So going back to the comparison of him and Judkins and Scadaboo versus a guy like Monunga, where Wilson's probably not going
24:15to win you the week with efficiency. Get 3.9 yards per carry along the 15 yards and he has to get the volume.
24:22And will that be as easy to attain in a more back and forth matchup against a Death Star offense like the San Francisco 49ers?
24:30So that's the only pause I'll push on in Wilson where don't go too aggressive trying to get him into your lineups.
24:37But based on the fact that we have two teams on by two running backs like Chuba Hubbard and Kenneth Walker, you're
24:43still probably going to be starting Wilson in most cases.
24:46By Monday night, the advice is in, your lineups are locked and all you can do is watch.
24:52Maybe you're protecting a one point lead. Maybe you need 12 out of your flex.
24:56Or maybe your opponent has one kicker left and now every field goal attempt feels personal.
25:01Make one part of the night perfect. Get DiGiorno pizza ready for kickoff.
25:05Then settle in, enjoy restaurant quality pizza from your own oven and stay locked into the matchup through the final snap.
25:12You don't want to step away when one target, one touchdown or one unnecessary point can decide your week.
25:17Buy DiGiorno pizza on the weekend run so you at least know Monday night dinner is covered.
25:22Rankings can guide you, waivers can save you, but once the game starts, fantasy brings the chaos.
25:28Dinner doesn't have to. It's not delivery, it's DiGiorno.
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26:48Nicotine is an addictive chemical. Yeah, I completely agree on that one.
26:52We feel comfortable with him as an RB too, but you just need to rely on the guys that have brought us
26:58here in terms of game script, team environment, and just being just a little bit cautious because this game could go another direction.
27:05We got one more running back that we're going to talk about in this area, and it is a heavily debated one.
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27:51All right, let's talk about one more running back in this area.
27:55Amari and Hampton. This is an interesting one that has been rapidly moving up ECR.
27:59And I kind of get it, but I want to hear the arguments for both you, Fitz, and Erickson because you guys
28:06are lower than consensus on this one. So Amari and Hampton, ECR right now, RB23.
28:10Erickson, you have him at RB27 and then Fitz at RB31.
28:14Erickson, what is the, well, we know the apprehension here, but talk us through the apprehension with Amari and Hampton.
28:20He plays on a bad offense that it's probably going to play without its two starting tackles.
28:25Joe all injured with the neck. Rashawn Slater is already been ruled out, I believe with a high ankle sprain.
28:31So an offense that could barely get off the ground.
28:34This is the classic guy poking the thing that's dead with the stick is it's a, it's dead.
28:39It's dead already. Like this Chargers offense has nothing left in the tank facing the Denver Broncos this week.
28:45You know, they're at home. We know there's going to be no Chargers fans at that game.
28:50So I don't understand why you can have any confidence playing or man.
28:54Yeah, he scored last week, but that's really it.
28:57He was out snapped out carried out touched by Keaton Mitchell last week.
29:01So to me, Hampton is just a classic touchdown or bust type of play.
29:05And if he scores, you're like great sick. I love it.
29:08But if he doesn't score, then he's going to be a total zero for you in your lineup for the most part.
29:15So, yeah, that's really my take on Amari and Hampton.
29:18I don't know what else there really is to add.
29:21It's yeah, I it's funny because when I checked the rankings Tuesday afternoon, I saw that I was on consensus with him.
29:28I initially had him RB 25. ECR was at RB 25.
29:31Then I thought more about it and I just decided that was too high and dropped him to RB 31.
29:37I just looked at the five or so guys, five, six guys behind him.
29:42It's a no, you know what? I would play all these guys ahead of O'Marion Hampton.
29:46Guys like Will Shipley and who else was on that?
29:49Some other situation. I think Emmanuel Wilson might have been a guy moved up ahead of him or maybe I already had Wilson there.
29:57Alvin Kamara was one. So Erickson said it. I mean, the middle of this offensive line was awful as it was last year.
30:04And now they just lost their tackles again. So the offensive line is going to be terrible for an offense that was totally dysfunctional anyway.
30:11Yeah, it's a backfield by committee. Last week it was 26 snaps for Keaton Mitchell, 25 each for O'Marion Hampton and Kamani Vidal.
30:18And Mitchell led the backfield and touches with 15.
30:21Broncos run defense hasn't been great statistically, but they face some really good running backs.
30:25Kenneth Walker, Basial Tootin, Kyron Williams, Christian McCaffrey. Chargers do actually rank ninth in rushing yardage, which is a surprise to me, but a committee backfield.
30:33And they rank ninth in rushing yardage with those two tackles.
30:37Now they don't have those guys. So I just don't want to play O'Marion Hampton this week.
30:42It is touchdown or bust, but the floor is really low if he does not get into the end zone.
30:48Yeah, I'm kind of right in between you guys and ECR for the same reason.
30:52It's a weird situation because, yes, Denver is typically a better matchup on the ground.
30:57But the problem is also is that I wonder we've got the Pat Sertan injury.
31:02So technically speaking, they might have to attack through the air, especially if they're going to be playing from behind, which I
31:08would anticipate they will be playing from behind on this one.
31:12So Denver being a better attack on the ground is because they're in these competitive games where you can't because they're playing
31:18these great teams, as you mentioned, these great running backs.
31:21It might be a little bit different of a situation with O'Marion Hampton.
31:25So that is that is a good one to keep in mind.
31:29It's a touchdown or bust situation. At least the opportunity for a touchdown still exists.
31:33He still somewhat has the goal line priority there.
31:36So there's hope on that. And so I understand why he's up in ECR, but it definitely is one of the riskier
31:43situations compared to more of our higher volume guys that you guys have ranked ahead.
31:47Has there has there ever been a more obvious first half under than the game where we're going to look up and
31:54it's going to be three to nothing because neither the Broncos can't score in the first half.
31:59They have one touchdown in the first half this season and the Chargers can't score in four quarters.
32:05Yeah. So this is a matchup before the season that we would have been excited about.
32:09Now it's going to be like watching paint dry.
32:12Who's going to this game in L.A., right? They're jaded and they're down as fans.
32:17Yeah, it's weird. And then I'm tainted because I've been watching 10,000 videos of Bo Nix failing to pass over the middle and checking down.
32:24So, yeah, it's a very interesting situation with these two teams and the areas that they're struggling in.
32:30Let's talk about Arby's 25 through 36. It is an interesting range, but it's a required range that people need because of
32:36all the injuries that we have going on. And some of our injury guys that are benefiting from increased volume fall into this range as well.
32:44So we've got David Montgomery coming in at 25.
32:47David Montgomery, please, Tennessee, can you give us something?
32:50Then we've got RJ Harvey, Tony Pollard, Oli Gordon moving on up in the rankings after showing as the RB one there
32:56in Miami and a difficult matchup as well. Then we've got Alvin Kamara now not success on the ground, but success on check downs.
33:04We'll talk about this one as well. And we've got Travion Henderson at RB 30.
33:08And then J.K. Dobbins will shiply moving on up in the rankings with the injuries to Saquon Barkley and Hank Bigsby.
33:15Then we have Tyler Algier after a strong week last week.
33:18Woody Marks at 34. Keaton Mitchell still hanging around at 35.
33:21And Blake Corum moving down a little bit after the continued dominance of Kyron Williams.
33:26Corum closing it out at RB 36. All right, we're going to pull out a few guys in this area and it's
33:32the ones that you want to know about the most.
33:35We're not messing around with the with the knowns of the J.K.
33:39Dobbins and whatnot. No, we're attacking the ones that you've recently added on waivers.
33:43They've got question marks about whether you can trust them after last week.
33:47Alvin Kamara is one we'll start off with at RB 29.
33:51And Erickson, you guys are a little split on this one a little bit, but slightly above consensus.
33:56Erickson, you are at RB 25 fits. You're at RB 28.
33:59Erickson, are you are you feeling the the love with Kamara?
34:03Let me guess it might be past volume that is pushing this one for it.
34:07Yeah, to be honest, this entire range of running backs.
34:10I really had trouble ranking because I don't like any of them and any other spots in particular, whether it's because they're
34:17in committees, but it's because they have brutal matchups, whether it's because I just don't know how good they are or how
34:24much confidence I have, how much juice they have.
34:26I mean, Kamara on that wheel route like five years ago, that dude is walking into the end zone untouched.
34:32And in this current state of Alvin Kamara, I mean, that linebacker was all over him.
34:37Like, you know, white on rice, dude. Like, like so clearly Kamara is is not in his prime anymore.
34:43And that's very apparent by, you know, the way that he looks in place, but he is getting the usage in terms
34:50of a receiver, you know, caught five of his seven targets for 35 yards.
34:54So you're not expecting him to get any type of rushing production.
34:58That was not the expectation against a good Falcons front seven.
35:01And there's no way that should be the expectation against the Minnesota Vikings who are up there with Seattle Seahawks as the best overall defense in the NFL.
35:09Like Brian Flores is just doing amazing work with that defensive unit and making life miserable for opposing offenses.
35:15I don't like the Saints offense in this spot coming off a poor performance against the Falcons on a short week.
35:22I know they're back at home, I believe. But even so, like this is a really tall task for Tyler Shuck and company.
35:29And if Kamara is not going to be ripping off big plays and he has to get there by like chugging along,
35:35it's got to be catching passes out of the backfield.
35:38And you know, you can get pass interference call.
35:41You get in the ball at the one yard line and you just cross your fingers.
35:46They don't give the ball to CJ Donaldson because that has happened at times before with short third and one and at the goal line.
35:53They didn't do that last week. So one thing to just point out is Kamara did have his knee checked out during the Monday night game.
36:01Probably gonna be in the injury report this week.
36:04He's probably not going to practice a lot this week because he's a veteran.
36:08But if he's suiting up and he's out there, I do think that he gets high value opportunities.
36:14So even if it's another lackluster rushing day, I think that he could still score a touchdown like he did two rushing touchdowns last week on Monday night.
36:22And then obviously involved in the passing game because I got to imagine that Kellen Moore is going to try to at
36:29least get Tyler Shuck to the blitz is coming, dude.
36:32You got to check them all down. You got to get rid of it or else you're going to get intercepted.
36:38So having those easy outlets like Kamara out of the backfield, I think will probably be part of the game plan this week.
36:45Yeah, has to because that offensive line is not checking out whatsoever struggling so badly.
36:50Fitz, how are you feeling about Alvin Kamara this week?
36:53I kind of see it the same way you guys do that Erickson does.
36:57Saints rank 27th in rushing yardage. Kamara is averaging three yards a carry, only averaged 3.6 yards a carry last year.
37:03Anything he gets in this game against Minnesota is probably going to have to come through the air.
37:09And maybe Kamara does get a ton of receptions against the Vikings.
37:12It's not hard to imagine Tyler Shuck throwing a bunch of quick passes to Kamara as a way of coping with all the Vikings blitzes.
37:20But you would think that running backs would catch a lot of passes against the Vikings for that reason as checkdowns against blitzes.
37:27They've only allowed 13 catches for 91 yards to running backs this year.
37:31That's the fifth fewest receptions allowed to running backs, eighth fewest receiving yards.
37:35So they have not been a great matchup for pass catching running backs.
37:39I just I think it's kind of a bleak outlook overall for Kamara.
37:43Maybe you get kind of a scammy PPR game where he has seven catches for like 30 yards.
37:48That's probably your best hope of getting like a 15 point game out of Alvin Kamara that or he falls into the end zone a couple more times.
37:57That that we hope for that he falls in a couple more times because guys in that dynasty league where I mentioned
38:03I have to start three running backs. I will be starting Kamara this week again.
38:08So hopefully that pulls through for me specifically. Let's talk about another one of those sketchy running backs that actually did pull through.
38:15There was a lot of criticism on Ollie Gordon and whether or not he would step up and be the lead back.
38:22A lot of Jalen Wright shippers, but it was Ollie Gordon that came through in a difficult matchup as well.
38:28So that was good to see. He is at RB 28 and ECR right above Alvin Kamara.
38:33And you guys are split on this one. Erickson, you are feeling Ollie Gordon at RB 24 fits just a little bit more skeptical at RB 29.
38:41Erickson, start us off with Ollie Gordon. Again, I hate all the running backs in this range.
38:46So saying I feel good about Ollie Gordon is more about the all the running backs and how I feel about them
38:53because I could easily move him down 10 spots and be like no biggie also could move him up.
38:59I think it's like the Bengals matchup that at least gives me some encouragement about him being able to potentially.
39:05I mean, he's had two good weeks for fantasy, right?
39:08Like there's no you can't take that away from Ollie Gordon.
39:11Like he's shown up when he's been given opportunities and has not been in the most sexy way.
39:16Again, he would have been a bust last week.
39:19We hadn't ripped off that one big play against the Minnesota Vikings and you have to the jail and right stands were right.
39:26Again, I write I ranked right above Gordon and when he started I was like sick.
39:31I was right and then both guys look like they were gonna be a total bust in the first half because basically
39:38none of them did anything right actually out carried Ollie Gordon in the first half.
39:42Right have four carries for 10 yards. Ollie Gordon had two carries 15 yards available so I had two targets.
39:48So they each split with four opportunities apiece. And then the second half Gordon kind of took the lead had seven of
39:55his nine carries in the second half with obviously the big run play finishing 85 yards and a touchdown.
40:01So right only had one second half carry third and two that lost three yards.
40:05So right was coming off his injury. So there is a chance that he does get more involved, but I don't know.
40:12I mean if I'm Jeff Halfley, I've seen two games of Ollie Gordon.
40:16He's like pretty did pretty decent. It's like I feel like that would be the guy that they just continue to lean
40:22on in a matchup against Cincinnati Bengals that teams can run on.
40:26So that's really it. I got and I got and I also will any pushback I will take happily because it's also the Dolphins offense.
40:34So like there's there's no like you're never going to feel secure in any way about like well, you got to fire
40:40up this Dolphins running back locked and loaded top 20 guy.
40:44So yeah. Yeah, it's it's a weird one. I mean, it's it's tough to judge the Dolphins offense has looked slightly better in Malik in Malik Willis's defense.
40:52I made the subpar 100 yards. That was that was bad, right?
40:56But there were a couple of situations where it should have come through in terms of some passes that would have had some volume.
41:03So it should have been just a little bit better.
41:06And again, we've got the Cincinnati team that we talked about before that is dealing with the injuries of their wide receiver.
41:13So will this be more of an opportunity for them to keep a slightly closer game?
41:18I don't know. We'll see. But you're right. It's just this weird range where all of these guys are continually getting pushed up here.
41:25But it's with Ollie with Ollie Gordon. How comfortable are you feeling?
41:29Not super comfortable. I mean, I do have him ranked lower than Erickson.
41:32But if you're one of the people who dropped a ton of fab money on Ollie Gordon, like I did in the
41:39Fantasy Pros Company League last week, you're probably forced to start him again, as I will be this week.
41:45And Ollie Gordon did help me to my third straight win after Tara Roberts had left me battered and bloodied with a
41:52blowout victory over me in week one. So I've won three straight now.
41:55Yeah. Ollie Gordon is probably going to be the lead guy, although I think it's still kind of a fluid situation.
42:02And like Erickson said, it was Jalen Wright who got the start last week.
42:06It's possible that this week Jalen Wright gets a little more run just because I think it's easier to run outside against
42:13the Bengals because of Dexter Lawrence in the middle.
42:15And maybe that means a little more Jalen Wright and a little less Ollie Gordon.
42:20But Gordon did wind up out snapping Jalen Wright 22 to 12 last week, out touching him 11 to 5.
42:26And yeah, Gordon had that 53 yard run on Miami's first series of the second half.
42:31It was pretty much all Ollie Gordon after that.
42:34So I think it's he's going to be at least one a if not the lead guy until it's not working.
42:40And maybe that happens right away. But yeah, I think he is the any port in a storm guy.
42:46And if you picked up Ollie Gordon, you were probably in a storm at running back and you're probably forced to start
42:52him again this week, just like you were last week.
42:55Yeah, continue to roll on if that one. But the question is, are we forced to start Will Shipley this week?
43:02Are you guys actually going to recommend it? Are we doing it?
43:05ECR has him at RB 32. You guys just slightly higher.
43:09Not a ton fits at RB 30 Erickson at RB 31.
43:12Again, it's in weird one of these weird ranges.
43:15My Clemson boy. Talk to me about him. Are you trusting him as a three down back?
43:20Or do you think that Damien Pierce is going to arise and awaken and take some of that workload?
43:26Erickson, how are you approaching Will Shipley this week?
43:29I mean, are we going to get Jayden Blue?
43:31Probably the most reliable running back that's on the Eagles roster.
43:35Is he going to get the nod in the sign up from the practice squad?
43:39I think that's the bet. Right. And we saw it play out last week where the Ollie Gordon where, okay, even if
43:46he's going to get the workload, it's a terrible matchup.
43:49He took one big play and touchdown and like, boom, he ended up paying off.
43:53So that's really the case of when you do get volume, you do have opportunities where even in terrible matchups like you
44:00have here against the Jacksonville Jaguars that what gave up 11 rushing yards last week, Chase Brown, just like absolutely brutal.
44:06And you have the offense of the Eagles that was already super dysfunctional and already super broken.
44:12And now they don't have Lane Johnson for the rest of the season after he announced his retirement and the splits of
44:18how bad this team is over the years since Lane Johnson basically has been with the Eagles.
44:23It's just this team goes from a top five offense overall to a bottom five offense and just an overall efficiency.
44:30I believe Bill Barnwell tweeted something out about just the total QBR with all their quarterbacks going back to Carson Wentz and
44:36Jalen Hurts and whoever's been under center. It just been a really bad for the offense.
44:41So that all being said, well, Shipley, maybe get you the ship this week because he's going to probably play a lot.
44:48They trust him. And I think that's a big pack factor because they trust him in pass protection, which means he's going
44:55to have opportunities to catch pass out of the backfield.
44:58Will Jalen Hurts throw to the running back? He doesn't usually, but who else would I throw on the ball to?
45:04Because they don't have Dallas Goddard. They don't have Devontae Smith, Wicks, uh, Mekhi Lemon.
45:09Is it going to be another Darius Cooper game?
45:11Maybe look when Nick Sirianni first drafted Will Shipley, he talked about how he reminded him of Danny Woodhead.
45:17So like, I just got to imagine they got to do something different in this offense.
45:22And I think maybe that's just, why don't we just throw the ball to the running back?
45:27We saw that work last week, the chase Brown, right?
45:30Chase Brown had a really productive game against this defense because you can't run on them.
45:35So that Eagles already couldn't run the ball. Anyway, they're down to the third strict running back.
45:40Let's just use Shipley out of the backfield, have him catch a bunch of passes.
45:45Jags defense second most yards and targets are two running backs this season.
45:49Now, obviously that's heavily weighed by the chase Brown eruption in the receiving game last week before that was pretty modest production,
45:55but still like giving up a handful of catches to the running backs they faced every single week.
46:01And at least Will Shipley is game script proof where if the Eagles are down by a lot, he's going to be
46:07out there catching dump off passes potentially. And if for some reason they show up and have a lead on the Jacksonville
46:14Jaguars in London, you could see we'll should be also getting some goal line opportunities.
46:19So I will say too, in his one biggest start back in week 18 of his rookie season, he had four catches
46:25for 35 yards on a 53% snap rate. So I think maybe that's like the floor you can expect from Will Shipley.
46:32If he's playing 50% plus of the snaps, whether he's splitting with Damien Pierce or Jaden blue or something along those lines.
46:39So tentatively optimistic for a guy like Will Shipley, who I actually liked a lot coming out of Clemson.
46:44He was someone I drafted a lot of when he was a rookie, just based on Saquon Barkley's injury history.
46:50Obviously it hasn't panned out, but Hey man, some never wrong just early sometimes.
46:55Yeah, exactly. Could be a future chase Brown. I don't know if I'll take it that far, but you make a great point.
47:02This is not a check down friendly team. They haven't been operating that way for years now.
47:07Um, regardless of who's been at running back since the arrival of Saquon Barkley.
47:11And even when we have, uh, you know, uh, backups come into play, but they might have to be forced to change.
47:18So it would be a test of what are they going to do?
47:22Or can they adjust their vision to best attack this defense?
47:25Uh, Pat, how are you feeling about Will Shipley this?
47:28Kind of the same way you guys are. Um, it's just, you would think that they have to get him involved as a pass catcher.
47:35Um, cause it's hard to run on the Jaguars.
47:38It's a really good run defense. Um, and I don't know if Jane blue or Damien Pierce are going to cut into
47:45the rushing load for Will Shipley, but I don't think we're counting on a lot from him on the ground.
47:51Anyway, he's probably going to have to do it as a pass catcher.
47:55And hopefully they changed the MO a little bit because they have to advance the ball somehow and they are running out of players who can do it.
48:03And so, you know, Shipley is a good athlete.
48:06He was a former high school track and lacrosse star.
48:09Um, seems like maybe some dump offs might be, uh, in, in his future this week.
48:14Let's talk about some deeper plays before we close things out because yes, sometimes with all of the injuries that are going
48:21on, you do have to go a little bit further back in ranking for some spot starts.
48:26Erickson, talk to us about Marshawn Lloyd. I trust him the most right now in this Packers backfield because Chris Brooks is
48:32injured with an ankle and Caleb Johnson fumbled again.
48:35So that's my default makes Marshawn Lloyd. The guy I feel the best about coming off a season high and snaps last week at 55%.
48:43He had 12 of the 25 opportunities for the Green Bay Packers.
48:46So right around 50%, 48%. And he's showed out a little bit more in the passing game, five targets, five catches.
48:53And over the last two games, he has six red zone opportunities.
48:56So given the matchup against Chicago bears who maybe they have turned a new leaf to return the corner and are this elite unit.
49:04I think it's more about the game scripts and teams that they've played than them being some juggernaut on defense.
49:10So I do think the Packers can at least move the football on them.
49:14Even if it's not on the ground again, going back to it's funny.
49:18It seems like every bad running back situation is facing a tough run defense, or is it a bad running back situation
49:25where it's like, all right, well, they're going to do terrible efficiency wise, but touchdowns and targets.
49:30That's how he's core fantasy points. And that's the path I see for Marshawn Lloyd.
49:34If he can carry over this type of usage from week four against the Buccaneers where he is playing more snaps and they're trusting him on third down.
49:43So that's the thing for me. That's a signal that, okay, the team is trusting him to play on third down and pass protection.
49:50Then I can at least feel like I can trust him as a flex play against the Bears.
49:55Yeah, perfect point there. Do we trust him? Not necessarily, but it's about what the team and the coaching staff trust.
50:02Pat, who is your deeper play? It's Jalen Wright.
50:05I wouldn't feel great about it, but I think you could flex him in a pinch just because I do think the
50:11Dolphins backfield is still kind of a fluid situation.
50:14And as I mentioned before, they might need to go more outside than inside against a Bengals run defense that has Dexter Lawrence clogging up the middle.
50:22Yeah, that's a very good point on that one.
50:25Guys, are you ready to play a fun game of a wide variety of streaming options this week again at quarterback fits?
50:32It's been wild at quarterback, huh? It really has been.
50:35It's been a bumpy ride. We thought Drake May was terrible until he wasn't in week four.
50:40There are some other guys who maybe have looked better than maybe they are.
50:44Maybe Tyler Shuck got exposed a little bit in week four.
50:47So, yeah, it's it's trickier. It seems like this year to do quarterback rankings every week than it has been in years past.
50:54Yeah, Erickson, I don't know about you, but I got burned on quarterback rankings last week because I, too, had been giving
51:01Drake May all kinds of excuses and finally said, you know what?
51:05Back to the rankings. Back you go. And of course, he just pulls through.
51:09So, um, quarterback rankings for you. Yeah, quarterback rankings have not been great for me.
51:13So I'm kind of blowing up my process a little bit because they just have been so atrocious in terms of where I finish accuracy wise.
51:21So I'm ready to spice things up. There we go.
51:24Spicing it up. And for sure it is going to be because I am looking at the quarterbacks that we're about to talk about.
51:32And these are the ones that you guys have big questions about.
51:35And let's talk through our top 12 here. We'll run through the list real quick.
51:40Of course, Josh Allen at top because he is Josh Allen, followed by Matt Stafford against Josh Allen this week.
51:46Buffalo. So fun matchup there. Then we've got Jared Goff strong, old and strong and a good matchup against Arizona, followed by
51:52Joe Burrow without the potential of the wide receivers there.
51:55So that'll be interesting. Dak Prescott at number five, Trevor Lawrence at sakes, then Jacoby Brissett, Drake May right back into the
52:02top 10 of rankings, followed by Brock Purdy, Jordan Love, Jane Daniels, and Tyler Shuck still holding on in a matchup against Minnesota at quarterback 12.
52:10We'll talk about him in a second. Let's start things off talking about Jacoby Brissett.
52:15Let's go positive here because it was it was not a positive end to the game, unfortunately for him against the Giants.
52:21Interceptions, turnovers, pick six. It was nasty, but we have a matchup against Detroit.
52:25It heals everything. So ECR has him at QB seven and you guys are split.
52:30Finally, we've done this whole set of rankings shows and you guys have been pretty much online and everything.
52:36But finally, we've got some split choices here. So the quarterbacks are going to be the real fun ones for us.
52:42Erickson, you are feeling Jacoby Brissett at wide receiver three fits your remaining slightly more further back, but still in at QB eight.
52:49Erickson, since you were the high man, talk to us about Jacoby Brissett.
52:53Detroit Lions at home in the dome. It's not forward field, but it's pretty close for Arizona.
52:58So Jacoby Brissett obviously coming off a lackluster performance last week, but some elements at play playing on the road against the New York Giants.
53:06This offense is just filled with playmakers and Detroit Lions defense cannot stop anybody.
53:10So I'm really buying into Jacoby Brissett having a monster game here.
53:14He's the number one streaming quarterback this week, and I think he can be a top three guy.
53:19We saw him last year put up gaudy type of numbers, even if some of it came in garbage time still counts.
53:26So if they're getting blown out by the Detroit Lions in the first half of this game, I still think there's a
53:32scenario where you see Jacoby Brissett drop back to throw 50 or 60 times in this matchup.
53:38We're excited about where's Michael Wilson in the ECR ranks top 10 receiver.
53:42Trey McBride, has there ever been a more smash spot for the best tight end, arguably in the NFL than against the Detroit Lions?
53:49So how does Trey McBride become the tight end one?
53:52How does Michael Wilson become a top 10 fantasy wide receiver and Jacoby Brissett also not be in that conversation as like a top five guy?
54:00So one of these rankings has to be wrong.
54:02And I think that Jacoby Brissett needs to be ranked higher because specifically just looking at Trey McBride.
54:08I don't know how the Lions are going to stop this guy.
54:12If he's going to catch multiple touchdowns in this game, you look at the Lions this year.
54:17They have played cover three on 41% of their passing plays.
54:20That's fifth highest in the NFL. McBride 28% target share against cover three, the fourth highest among all tight ends, especially after
54:27Mike Bride got chewed out by that ref. Dude, guys out for blood in this matchup against the Detroit Lions.
54:33He's going to have a monster game. And if he has a monster game, Michael Wilson has a monster game.
54:39Then by default, unless Jacoby Brissett gets hurt and it's Carson Beck or someone else in there, Garter Minshew's in there.
54:45I think that Jacoby Brissett's going to have a monster game.
54:49Yes, completely agree on that one. The Trey McBride and his suspended ref.
54:52We're entering a new era here of punishment for the refs.
54:56Vince, you're slightly lower, but I mean, still top 10.
54:59So, yeah, I mean, just talk to us about why we're looking at Jacoby Brissett as a streaming option this week.
55:05Because the Lions are giving up 28.4 fantasy points per game to quarterbacks and Jacoby Brissett is averaging 38 pass attempts a game.
55:12It's kind of right back into that same high volume situation he was in last year.
55:17So, but the efficiency for Brissett has not been great.
55:20Right. And I'm a little concerned that now he's going to have to play without Paris Johnson, his left tackle, tore his
55:27biceps out for the season, really good blindside protector.
55:29Does that make an already somewhat inefficient Arizona passing game, you know, maybe make it a little more inefficient?
55:35So the matchup couldn't be better, but I don't know that the Cardinals offensive line is going to be able to keep
55:42Jacoby Brissett clean for this entire game. So I think you're probably starting him.
55:46I know I picked him up in a league to stream him this week.
55:50Erickson, you would start Jacoby Brissett over Joe Burrell without his receivers?
55:54Yep. Yeah. I've seen too many times better teams go down to Miami and lay a turd and lay an absolute egg.
56:01I've seen a league before, especially. So I think that Jacoby just, he feels really safe.
56:05It feels weird to say that about a Cardinals quarterback, but if he's going to throw 45 times against the Lions defense, I want to bet on that.
56:14Yeah. I, I 100% that looking at the burrow thing, it's kind of like I'm torn because as we were looking at
56:21what Drake may, it's like, okay, we don't want to punish our superstars too much, but also it's not the past friendliest environment.
56:28Because this could be just a heavy lean on the ground game situation and it's not going to take much to beat Miami.
56:35So we've seen a lot of just mediocre ish performances against Miami, despite the defense not being awesome.
56:40So that was a good little discussion point there.
56:43I like that. Um, we're going to go on to one more of the streaming quarterbacks who went into super trust territory
56:49last week and then let us down a little bit.
56:52But to be fair, the volume was still there.
56:55It's Tyler Shuck coming in at QB 12 and you guys are lower.
56:59You're not feeling the Tyler Shuck love. Tyler Shuck nation is going to be disappointed in both of you.
57:05Fitz, you've got him at QB 15 Erickson at QB 24.
57:08Oh man, I know the matchup is bad, but Erickson, no, no love for Tyler Shuck anymore.
57:13No, not against Brian Torres in this defense. Fewest points per game allowed to quarterbacks 11.5.
57:18So I don't care how many times Tyler Shuck drops back to throw.
57:22Like I think that he's really going to struggle in this particular matchup coming off a short week.
57:28I also don't know if he's going to have any lingering effects from that hand thing that he was dealing with on Monday night football.
57:35He was getting a lot of work on his hand.
57:38Either he like banged it up or I think Kellen Moore said after the game that it was swollen.
57:44So that's something that I'm also kind of trying to keep in the back of my mind.
57:49A lobby got a little bit banged up towards the end of that game as well.
57:54I just think that this is going to be a slap of reality in the face of the Saints offense that without
58:01their starting tackle, you saw the pass protection really break down against the Atlanta Falcons.
58:05So I just think that this is a week where Tyler Shuck, you don't drop them because of the volume is so
58:12good leads the NFL in passing attempts, but this is not the week to play Tyler Shuck.
58:17Oh, it hurts as a founding member of team Tyler Shuck nation, but you are convincing me not to be too overzealous on this one.
58:25That's just go ahead and continue to add on to that.
58:28Yeah. Someone on Twitter and I wish I could remember who it was to give them proper credit, but they had a
58:35good line about the Monday night game against the Falcons, sort of showing people how the sausage is made with Tyler Shuck,
58:41meaning it's not always as pretty as the numbers would suggest.
58:45And I worry that it's not going to be pretty this week against the Vikings, who, as Erickson mentioned, have allowed 11.5
58:51fantasy points per game to quarterbacks, fewest in the league.
58:54And yeah, I don't know if Chris Olave is going to be okay.
58:58Hopefully he is because he getting hurt in garbage time, be a bad look for the saints.
59:03Yeah. I just, there are better times to lean into Tyler Shuck.
59:07He even last year, like his very first start was against the Rams and that was the only team he faced all season.
59:14Well, over his run as the starter over the second half of the same season, that was the only team he faced
59:21that was top 10 in DVOA against the pass.
59:23And he kind of struggled in that game and didn't have any touchdown passes.
59:28Granted his first NFL start then against a bunch of softer defenses, the rest of the way, Tyler Shuck was surprisingly good.
59:34So I think he might be a little matchup sensitive and this is not the matchup you want.
59:40Bad matchup. Indeed. Let's talk to somebody else who doesn't have a bad matchup, but is returning from injury.
59:45We've got Jaden Daniels all the way up at QB 11 this week.
59:49You guys are feeling good about it. Erickson a little bit more optimistic in his return.
59:54You've got him at QB seven fits your on par at QB 11 with ECR.
59:59We have only seen one full game from Jaden Daniels this season, but he's back.
60:03We'll have to see if we get Terry McLaurin back, but regardless, he's a top 12 option this week.
60:09Erickson, how good are you feeling about Jane Daniels in this return?
60:13So I actually updated my rankings moving down to QB nine.
60:16So closer to where ECR has him. I think I was a little bit more bullish on him just going back to
60:23scrambling and running around and doing his thing. But is that a guarantee when he's coming off another injury to his elbow?
60:29He's going to be playing with the brace for the first time.
60:33How does that affect how he plays and operates this offense?
60:36Now the Giants defense, I'm not necessarily looking at as this juggernaut.
60:40You can't, you can throw on these guys. You can run on these guys.
60:44And even though the Giants have some talent at the pass rusher, they're actually 31st in pressure rate this season.
60:50So the compromise offensive line for the commanders, Jane Daniels is making a lot of plays with his legs.
60:56The one thing that does point to me direction of maybe being a little bit less excited.
61:01So the Giants man coverage, 34% of their plays.
61:04That's the fifth highest rate of any team in the NFL.
61:07Ninth lowest yards per drop back allowed. 54% completion rate.
61:1010th lowest when in man coverage. And Jane Daniels has been buns against man coverage dating back to last year.
61:165.4 yards per attempt. Fourth lowest among quarterbacks. Completed just 46% of his passes.
61:21Second lowest completion rate over that span against man coverage.
61:24So I think that I kind of want to wait and see a little bit with Jane Daniels to see if he's still running around in mobile.
61:32And I guess I'm willing to miss a week of Jane Daniels looking good and looking clean versus starting him being like, he's not running at all.
61:40He's a statue back there. He's getting smashed by a Giants defensive line that, you know, maybe does put a little bit
61:47more pressure because they have some talent. I can say commanders office.
61:50I'm lying that I don't necessarily love. So I don't know.
61:54What about you? Like, I'm not really sure exactly how I feel about Jane Daniels.
61:58I'm I get I want to just put him right back at the top because like elite quarterback.
62:04He's back from his injury. Good to go. But obviously you're lower on him than I am fit.
62:09So you're also kind of pressing a little bit of the pause button.
62:13Yeah, just. I want to think he's going to be the same dangerous dual run pass threats that he usually is.
62:19I mean, he's played basically a game and a half this year and has 100 rushing yards already.
62:25But yeah, what does it look like? Hopefully the elbow injury isn't going to curtail his willingness to run because that provides so much of Jaden Daniels value.
62:33But like you said, it might not be the best passing game matchup, even though I don't think all that much of the Giants secondary.
62:41But they do have some guys who can get over them after the quarterback, even without Brian Burns.
62:46So, yeah, I'm kind of on the fence here.
62:49But to me, he's still in low end QB one territory.
62:52And if you had him, he was probably your starter.
62:55Maybe you picked up some streamer. Well, I guess you had to to to play for him.
63:01I can't imagine that you would be starting any of the streamers you might have picked up over Jaden Daniels this week about what about percent.
63:09Oh, percent. Yes, just he would be the exception.
63:11Yeah, just because the matchup is so exquisite. I agree.
63:14I think that's actually the ideal scenario. You have Daniels and you get to pick up percent, play him, give you a
63:21week to see Daniels, hope that he looks the part and then you can dump percent next week or do something along those lines.
63:28Yeah. But like some of the other guys you might have picked up, it could have been like Kirk Cousins.
63:34Yeah, no, I agree. You're still starting Daniels over guys like that.
63:38I agree with that as well. Yeah. Let's talk about another streaming option, someone who is not in the top 12.
63:44But I was happy to see both of your rankings because this was one of my recommended streaming options if you could get him.
63:52And I was surprised that QB 18 for CJ Stroud was a little bit lower than I would have expected.
63:58Erickson, you've got him at QB 11 fits at QB 15.
64:01I think he's a fine mid range QB two floor with a higher upside given the matchup Tennessee.
64:06So, yeah, Erickson, you're a little higher. Talk to us about Jacoby Stroud.
64:10I mean, sorry, CJ Stroud. Yeah, CJ Stroud getting we were Jacoby pilled on the show because he's gonna have a monster game.
64:17CJ Stroud coming off his best game easily of the season and one of the best games of his career.
64:23Now up against the Dallas Cowboys defense, maybe not saying much, but getting Nicole Collins matters so much for this passing game.
64:30Like in this offense in general, because they can't function without Nico Collins in the lineup.
64:35I like how they're using Jalen Noll more guys.
64:38I mean how it's so obvious to just get this guy on the field and how much juice he has to offer to this passing game.
64:45So when the Texans actually put their best players on the field, go figure.
64:50They are able to move the football and score 30 points per game against the Tennessee Titans.
64:55I think this is another matchup where CJ Stroud can find success, not afraid of this Titans defense.
65:00And I think that they're a team that you'd rather pick on through the air than on the ground.
65:06The Texans can't run the football anyway, whether it's Montgomery, whether it's Woody Marks.
65:10It doesn't matter. Just put the ball in CJ Stroud's hands.
65:14Let him throw it. They don't have guys that can stick with Nico Collins.
65:18Jalen Noll starting to have a little breakout here.
65:21They have Dalton Schultz underneath as a tight end option.
65:24Stroud has gone over 300 yards in two of his four games this season.
65:28Kind of quietly, five touchdowns with no picks. So I think that CJ Stroud is in an interesting situation where, yeah, flying
65:35under the radar, took advantage of Dallas last week.
65:37And I think it makes sense for the Texans to be like, hey, we're on four.
65:42We got to get going here at some point.
65:45Let's get our quarterback going in a matchup that he can win.
65:49So I think that he's a low end fantasy QB one this week.
65:52Yeah, perhaps people think they'll try to get the run game back on track, but they can't afford to try.
65:59They need to go to the best option. And the best option is through the air to Nico Collins.
66:04Fitz, how are you feeling about CJ Stroud this week?
66:07Pretty good. Like Erickson, I do think he's an interesting possibility for starting this week.
66:12CJ Stroud is sixth in pass attempts and sixth in passing yardage.
66:15And that is without having had Nico Collins for a good chunk of this season so far.
66:21And Nico looked amazing when he came back last week.
66:24So, yeah, and Erickson said it, Houston cannot run the ball again.
66:27So I think they're going to be imbalanced offensively and they're going to skew towards the pass.
66:32And so far it's worked out for CJ Stroud.
66:35I think he's a good play this week. Well, that wraps things up for this show.
66:40So before we head out, make sure that you like the video if you're watching on YouTube and that you are subscribed
66:47to the Fantasy Pros YouTube channel and the podcast so that you don't miss out on any of the fantasy content and tools as well.
66:54For Pat Fitzmaurice and Andrew Erickson, I'm Tara Roberts.
66:57Thank you for tuning in and we will see you next time.
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