Week 3 Fantasy Football News: Major Injuries, Waiver Stashes & Start/Sit Decisions (Ep. 2216)
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
49 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Sep 25, 2026
Published
Fri, September 25, 2026
25
Player insights
21
Players mentioned
Topics
Aaron JonesCase KeenumJonah ColemanJonathon BrooksAlec PierceBlake CorumBrandon AiyukChuba HubbardD'Andre SwiftDK MetcalfJameis WinstonJavonte WilliamsJonathan TaylorJordan Mason
Player analysis
Player insights
Aaron Jones
NegativeInjury1:45
Aaron Jones is dealing with a knee injury that has put his availability for Week 3 in serious doubt. The source notes that while initial reports were positive, his history of injuries and age make this a significant concern, and they have canceled trade acquisition attempts for him.
Insight pagePositiveValue55:54
The source values Aaron Jones highly, stating they would prefer him and Coker over Bigsby and Stevenson by a country mile, noting that Jones may have just had his best game of the season.
Insight pageAlec Pierce
NegativeInjury58:51
Alec Pierce is officially on IR. The source notes his absence is detrimental to the Colts' offense, specifically impacting Jonathan Taylor's efficiency, as Pierce was the team's primary deep threat.
Insight pageBlake Corum
PositiveValue35:52
The source identifies Blake Corum as the player who should have been drafted over Jonathan Brooks and Marshawn Lloyd, noting that Corum is actually good and has proven his ability in the NFL.
Insight pageBrandon Aiyuk
NegativeInjury43:49
The source notes that Brandon Aiyuk is not currently an option for the 49ers, citing comments from head coach Kyle Shanahan.
Insight pageCase Keenum
NegativeProjection40:53
The source expresses significant concern regarding Case Keenum's fantasy ceiling as a potential starter for the Bears, noting that his presence would likely lead to offensive struggles and frequent three-and-outs.
Insight pageNegativeProjection67:07
The source views Case Keenum as a significant downgrade for the Bears, noting that his ceiling is very low and there is a reason he remains a backup quarterback.
Insight pageChuba Hubbard
PositiveUsage34:14
Chuba Hubbard is looking awesome and the Panthers' offense is running well with him as the lead back. With Jonathan Brooks on IR, Hubbard is the clear beneficiary, though the source notes he has historically broken down late in seasons.
Insight pageD'Andre Swift
PositiveUsage43:34
Despite concerns about the Bears' quarterback situation, the source advises against sitting D'Andre Swift, projecting he will receive a high volume of touches given the team's historical success running the ball against Philadelphia.
Insight pageDK Metcalf
NegativeBust57:26
The source is fading DK Metcalf, describing his recent play as abysmal and labeling him one of the most overrated-looking players in the NFL. They prefer starting 80 Mitchell over him.
Insight pageJameis Winston
NegativeRole19:06
Jameis Winston is taking over as the Giants' starter. The source expresses concern that the coaching staff may try to 'hide' him by running the ball, which would limit the fantasy ceilings of Malik Neighbors and other pass-catchers, though there is a path where he 'lets it rip'.
Insight pageJavonte Williams
NegativeUsage50:08
The source advises holding Denver Broncos running backs, including Javonte Williams, as they need to prove their health, but acknowledges the situation is frustrating.
Insight pageJonah Coleman
NegativeInjury34:01
Jonah Coleman is dealing with an ankle injury, which is concerning for his short-term outlook. While the source still considers him a stash, they note his yards after contact were poor in Week 2 and his history of playing through injuries at Washington led to decreased speed and performance.
Insight pageNegativeInjury34:06
Jonah Coleman is banged up following recent positive buzz, adding to the list of running back injuries the source is tracking.
Insight pageJonathan Taylor
NegativeUsage60:48
Jonathan Taylor is expected to continue getting his touches as an elite running back, but the source notes his efficiency will likely suffer due to the lack of deep threats like Alec Pierce on the field.
Insight pageJonathon Brooks
NegativeInjury33:54
Jonathan Brooks is headed to IR and is expected to miss at least six weeks, with the source suggesting it could be a lost season. The source expresses regret for drafting him, noting his history of injury issues was apparent, and advises that in shallower leagues without IR spots, he should be dropped.
Insight pageNegativeInjury34:01
Jonathan Brooks is headed to IR and is expected to be out for six weeks. This continues the trend of significant running back injuries early in the season.
Insight pageJordan Mason
PositiveValue10:33
Despite being on IR with a thumb injury, Jordan Mason remains the long-term play for the backfield. The source suggests he is a 'buy' on the dirt cheap because his injury is not structural (like an MCL) and he could return to a lead role quickly.
Insight pageJosh Downs
NegativeUsage59:17
Josh Downs is highlighted for his high separation score and target volume, but the source worries the Colts' offense will struggle to move the ball without other threats, potentially limiting Downs to a low-ceiling, high-reception role.
Insight pageKyle Monangai
PositiveBreakout45:11
The source highlights Kyle Monangai as a potential breakout candidate, referencing his strong performance against the Eagles last year where he rushed for over 125 yards.
Insight pageKyler Murray
NegativeProjection6:56
Kyler Murray faces a difficult Week 3 matchup against a Todd Bowles defense that sells out to stop the run. With the Vikings' backfield depleted, Murray will likely need to rely on his legs and an increased passing volume to succeed, though his recent concussion history adds risk.
Insight pageMarvin Harrison Jr.
NegativeDepth Chart65:10
The source discusses the possibility of Marvin Harrison Jr. being traded to the Colts to fill the Alec Pierce role, though they express skepticism about the feasibility due to the Cardinals' likely high asking price.
Insight pageQuinshon Judkins
PositiveProjection51:46
The source is very high on Quinshon Judkins for the upcoming week, projecting him to smash his rushing prop against a weak Carolina rush defense. They rank him six spots higher than ECR and recommend betting the over on his rushing yards and attempts.
Insight pageTyreek Hill
NegativeProjection42:37
The source is not optimistic about Tyreek Hill returning to fantasy relevance this year, suggesting he is likely not a viable asset for the current season.
Insight pageTyson Bagent
NegativeInjury67:07
Tyson Bagent is currently in concussion protocol, which the source views as a significant downgrade for the Bears' offense, as it forces Case Keenum into the starting role.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00This is an iHeart Podcast. Guaranteed Human. on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.
0:06you guys can come and hang out with us, interact with us, we're here to talk.
0:10but these are the five big stories that we're going to be covering midweek before we get into our week three predictions.
0:17and that's what we got in store. Andrew Erickson, every waking moment is a new injury.
0:21it is, we do this, we do this song and dance, we're like, oh look, it's not injury year, it is an injury year.
0:28it's always like this. Week three is getting pretty brutal.
0:31we're going to jump into the stories here in a second, but are you okay?
0:36that's what i need. are you doing okay? are you injured?
0:39i'm feeling pretty good, to be honest. feel healthy, alive, in week three, feeling good.
0:43not as good as a lot of these NFL players, but it's a brutal sport, man.
0:48and you can never be too careful when it comes to guys that come back into the games and they're nicked up
0:55and they say right after the game, oh, i'm fine, i feel good.
0:58that adrenaline is pumping and they wake up the next day and they're like, oh no, i don't feel nearly as good
1:05as i felt like 12 hours ago. so yeah, yeah, the aaron jones thing obviously is the top headline in terms of
1:11what just happened in terms of breaking news. but i don't want to say i'm like totally surprised that he's on the
1:18injury report to the extent obviously we didn't know.
1:20but i mean he was visibly frustrated last week after he got banged up and although the reporting was initially positive, he is an older running back.
1:28he's dealt with injuries in the past. so yeah, dj dallas to montclaiborne.
1:32buckle up. those are going to be the questions that's number one.
1:36that's we're going to jump into. but if you guys do want to interact with us, you're welcome to.
1:41um, we cover fantasies. we can talk fantasy. we can talk real nfl.
1:45this is the chance and the opportunity to hang with us.
1:48but jumping into the headlines, not into that one is the aaron jones news.
1:52that is like the newest piece so new that when we did the running back ranks episode, we did not really have
1:59any feel for what this was going on, but he is dealing with a knee injury.
2:03that knee injury is to the level where they are now questioning if he's going to be able to play.
2:09and i got to point out to you. sometimes we have coach speak and obviously, you know, there's great coach speak indexes
2:16and stuff, but the level of coaches talking to about a player not being able to play and then them not playing it's high so far this season.
2:24so there's a good correlation and they were talking in the press conference as you mentioned about dj dallas and Damon Claiborne.
2:30so talking those guys up, risen those guys up a little bit.
2:34if aaron jones is out, it's going to be a really weird dynamic, probably with like a DJ Dallas running, you know, third downs, maybe some early stuff.
2:42and like if you were caring from a fantasy perspective, i kind of think claiborne would be the guy i care about.
2:49but what's your make of this situation? is this going to be an opportunity for claiborne to kind of prove what he's
2:55all about for a lot of people? so i think when you look at this situation, it reminds me a little bit
3:01of two years ago when the chargers running backs were all getting banged up and the decision was between hassan haskins and kamani vidal, right?
3:09where vidal had kind of washed out during his rookie season had not done a ton.
3:13and then haskins was like the trusted veteran player, right?
3:16the coaches love him, he's a grinder, he's good in pass pro, etc.
3:20but even if that guy, in this case, dj dallas, ends up seeing the majority of work or snaps or touches, his upside is probably pretty capped, right?
3:28we kind of know who dj dallas is, right?
3:31he's a journeyman running back, good at pass protection, third downs, like you kind of alluded to.
3:36whereas damon claiborne, to make the family guy reference, could be a boat, right?
3:40you never know, he could be anything, he could be a boat, he could be terrible, we don't know.
3:46but he is the upside play here by far, even if he flames out, at least we'll know right away, okay, yeah,
3:52this is not going to work for him, they're just going to roll dj dallas because of pass pro.
3:58the matchup itself is brutal for running backs in terms of the tampa bay buccaneers, todd bowles, the one thing that he
4:04does defensively is try to stop the run. and if you're kevin o'connell and you're already down to now your third and
4:11fourth string running back, don't you just lean into the passing game like a little bit more?
4:16kyler murray's going to be making his second start obviously getting knocked out of week one, but.
4:21how unideal is this for kyler murray to step into a situation after getting some mashed and then now you've got no
4:27running game and like if you're, you already had no running game really, but now you have no running game.
4:33I mean he's going to have to do it with his legs, those tiny little legs, and then he's going to have
4:39to do it slinging the ball like from a fantasy perspective, it's kind of fun, but it doesn't seem ideal for a
4:46dude that just got hit off of his first run and dealt with a concussion.
4:50Yeah, interested to see what kyler does with his legs, whether he's more hesitant.
4:54I mean, I believe when he got concussed, it was, it was on a scramble.
4:59I thought it was, I thought it was on a scramble, right?
5:02I'm pretty sure that chat help us out here just to make sure to double check, but maybe just go through the passing game, right?
5:10Feature your best players, Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, Hawkinson, with the running backs down here.
5:14I think that it's very viable to believe that O'Connell is just going to throw the ball more, especially when you look
5:20at what Todd Bowles is going to allow them to do.
5:24Todd Bowles always sells out to sell the run.
5:26How do you attack this Buccaneers defense? It's through the air.
5:29You have Kyler Murray. All right, time to put up or shut up, right?
5:34You want to get paid next year by some team, by the Vikings, somebody else?
5:38Kyler Murray has to deliver in the spot. I mean, dude, Deshaun Watson just had his best game in like the past five years against this defense.
5:46So if Kyler Murray can't get it done, that's, that's more about Kyler, I think, than anything else.
5:51So obviously the running back injury to Jones, I feel bad for the guy because he's such a gamer.
5:57The team leaned on him so heavily, the most carries he's ever had is Minnesota Viking.
6:01And that's the reason why, because he does get banged up.
6:05And in hindsight, I'm sure the Vikings coaching staff is like, yeah, we probably shouldn't have given him that many carries last week.
6:11So, so that's a great point. That was what I want to ask you.
6:15Do you think, so let's just say like, let's go to the scenario that Aaron Jones is just out and it's Claiborne and DJ Dallas.
6:23But the next week Jones is like, Hey, I'm good to go.
6:26We're going to get a, do you think we've now seen the last of heavy carries for Aaron Jones because of what happened?
6:33So my point would be because Jordan Mason's on the IR, is this an opportunity where a guy like Damon Claiborne can
6:39finally prove himself for a multi-week standpoint? Because I don't know if the team, like you're alluding to, can feel comfortable giving him 20 plus touches.
6:47They want it. They probably want to go back to like the, you know, 12 to 13 touches.
6:52So they got to find that somewhere else. DJ Dallas is fun and all.
6:56But Claiborne would be the big play option. Do you think we are, do you think legitimately we are going to have
7:03a viable Claiborne moving forward or it's just going to be a mess?
7:07I think the play long-term is still Jordan Mason, right?
7:10I think all the buzz this off season was Jordan Mason is going to be the main ball carrier in his backfield.
7:16And of course he gets banged up. Remember it's a thumb injury.
7:20It's not like this guy has a busted up knee or MCL or any of these types of injuries.
7:25Like he's just sitting with, I mean, he's probably like, dude, I'm like fully healthy, ready to go.
7:30It's just, I can't, I can't hold into the ball because my thumb is messed up.
7:35Let's just catch that stuff. Give it some, some sticky on it and just like go.
7:40Cause I believe that last week, Trey Hendrickson, the pass rusher for the Ravens, he played with a broken finger and it's
7:46just like, well, you're a pass rusher. They, they do the club thing and you're ready to go.
7:52But like certain positions, you just, oh, you're on IR.
7:55Like if you're, if you're a defensive player, you break your thumb.
7:58It's like too bad. Like you're playing dude. Like we're going to wrap it up.
8:02And can you just put the ball in the other hand?
8:06Like just like, maybe it's just super uncomfortable and club out.
8:09And maybe they're like, I mean, if demon Clayborne and DJ Dallas lay a bunch of turds this week, it may, maybe like try to get Jordan Mason.
8:17Maybe they make a true. I know, didn't they also add the drone Ford as well?
8:22He's on their practice squad. So he's another guy that again is a serviceable running back in terms of catching passes out of the backfield and pass protection.
8:30So he probably will also play a factor in here, but in terms of explosive upside, Timon Clayborne can definitely add that
8:36type of element that you're not going to get from someone like DJ Dallas, who is more of the going to eat
8:43your vegetables type of running back where he's out there going to play the snaps.
8:47You need to special teams, et cetera. I was like, Hogan, take your vitamins.
8:51Dude, how bad ass would it be just running back with a big club and just clubbing defenders over the side of the head?
8:58What running back do you think would play with like a...
9:02Derek Coyne. Why am I even asking this question?
9:04You didn't even have to ask. Cam Scadaboo. Oh, yeah.
9:07Cam Scadaboo would play with two broken hands. He'd be like, dude, I don't care.
9:12He would be willing to be rolled in a wheelchair across the line and he would just, he's the juggernaut.
9:17I'm the juggernaut. And just slam. Is there, okay.
9:20So those are the two obvious ones. You didn't even need to say it.
9:24Can you think of a third? Who's a third running?
9:27Is there one other running back that would play with a clubbed hand?
9:31It's got to be like a bruiser. It's got to be a bruiser.
9:35Oh, well, I was thinking Pacheco. Isaiah Pacheco would be one of those dudes with like, his feet never stop.
9:41I mean, that's his issue. That's why he's on injured reserve again.
9:44Yeah, because, oh my God, he just runs like a psychopath.
9:47Yeah. Oh, Sal said if Nick Chubb was still available.
9:50Yeah, I could see that. Do you think? Do you think Andre would be better at not fumbling if he had a club for hands?
9:58Mm-hmm. I'm saying like that would be work he just have to keep it maybe if he just kept it in one
10:04hand and just focus on that and kept it away because like that ball just flies out it's ridiculous but that's a
10:11piece of news to pay attention to this might be big with Aaron Jones coming out there's other big news we're going
10:17to be talking about in a second and definitely willing to chat with you guys like Mr.
10:22E was saying I was in the midst of sending out trades for Aaron Jones heard the news and quickly canceled those
10:28yeah get your Aaron Jones trade fours out you do not want to be buying right now maybe a buy for Jordan
10:35Mason actually this might be one of those opportunities you can buy him on the absolute dirt cheap but we will be
10:41love to interact with more of you guys and we've got more stories coming up but this is an opportunity we talk
10:48about giveaways and I've said one of the greatest giveaway opportunities is on this channel because you can win a Todd Gurley
10:54autograph Rams jersey and all you've got to do is subscribe to the tailgate YouTube channel right now we are closing in
11:01on 2000 let's get it there and then just drop a comment below if you sub and comment that's it nothing else
11:07you got to do we'll be announcing a winner on the channel so make sure to turn on notifications so you're here
11:14for all new videos and you can claim your prize one of the best opportunities to win and it is a pretty
11:20awesome one get us over that 2k marker win a jersey and have some fun here on the tailgate uh story number
11:26two big one Jackson Dart Jackson Dart we knew he was hurt we were all became lip readers from the four to
11:33six weeks and then it was like hey there might be some good news well uh we found out today Jackson Dart
11:39is going to have season ending surgery according to Ian Rapoport and I think Mike Ruffalo reported it so it is Jameis
11:46Winston another brutal blow for the Giants over the last couple years here losing all their players and uh I don't know
11:52what what does your make of it when we kind of talk through that it all seems to run through Jameis Winston
11:59because if Winston can get back to like you know the crazy gunslinger like he likes to target main guys so that
12:05could be good for neighbors but you just got all these pieces that are floating out there and they just lost their
12:12quarterback and they look so unprepared for him to come in that was what we couldn't get over on the rank show
12:18just wildly unprepared him or the team or whatever I don't know if he just thought he was going to just be
12:24a sound bite and holding the clipboard all season but he looks so wildly unprepared this year your reactions to Jackson Dart's
12:31season ending injury and the Giants chances to be competitive robbed of something really special to see between Jackson Dart and Malik
12:37Neighbors who have barely they played one full game together one one and that was week one that was the only game
12:44in Malik Neighbors you could argue wasn't even 100% so it's gut-wrenching for Giants fans to see your franchise quarterback go down
12:50to a season ending knee injury and the fact that it seemed like it was going to be okay he reports were
12:57that he wanted to go back in the game and then hardball on the sidelines like four to six weeks like the
13:03mouth readers are trying to figure out what's going on and it's just it's just absolutely brutal I thought that the Giants
13:10looked so well in week one Jackson Dart was in such command of that offense and maybe that's why they look so
13:16bad with James Winston because James Winston ain't getting any reps because it's all about Jackson Dart and him being the commander
13:22of this ship so it's all about does this offense now let James Winston do his thing and help evaluate the rest
13:29of the roster a lot of young players on this team I always thought the Giants were going to be a play
13:35for 2027 that's what I said on a lot of the offseason previews of the New York Giants and after week one
13:42I felt really dumb because it looked like no this team has arrived this team is ready to go yeah and just
13:48I was so impressed by what I saw but now it's okay well we gotta wait for 2027 I do think it's
13:55encouraging that we are seeing quarterbacks a lot of these players in general just make comebacks from these season ending injuries so
14:01I don't think that the chapter or the book the story on Jackson Dart in the NFL is over in any way
14:08shape or form I think that he can definitely make a strong comeback he's a young player very exciting but as for
14:142026 I am in very I guess I'm not really sure how I feel about Greg Roman and Matt Nagy and Callahan
14:21this boomer coaching staff that I was not high on entering the season are they going to be willing to let James
14:27Winston cook or is it now we got to reel him in we got to run the football like that's what I'm
14:33that's like what I'm scared about the most because I don't know what is going to be the solution here because clearly
14:40whatever they did on Monday night they can't do that again because that was downright atrocious but that's also the thing that
14:46you worry about if that is what is more of the norm then they will try to run the ball and then
14:53that's where you're facing this discussion of like Malik Neighbors is going to be this unrealized talent and we can't get the
14:59Isaiah Likely that we thought we were going to get and if teams are stacking the box and Cam Scadaboo is going
15:06to be average and that that's the worry like there is two huge paths one of those paths is oh my gosh
15:12everybody's cooking because James Winston's going ballistic and they're throwing the ball and look you know they're like the Cardinals of last
15:19year where it's like number one pass offense and you're getting volume and all this type of stuff or they're an epic
15:25disaster because they don't know what to do and they can't do anything and they're trying to hide James Winston all year
15:31and that's what I'm concerned about and I don't know the answer probably until we see this coming week where you've had
15:38a full week of installing Winston in you know I guess as a first team or everything yeah I'm very curious to
15:44see what this offense does look like under Winston because it just can't it can't be the same thing that they did
15:51on on Monday night because they're totally unprepared not ready to go whatsoever Scadaboo was like the only guy that was making
15:57plays even you know and he's going to try to keep this not going to motivate as high as again he's screaming
16:04at guys on the sideline trying to get people going he's going to be the heartbeat of this offense and I mean
16:10there's a scenario where he and James Winston can kind of embrace each other and making really they're eating W's they're doing
16:17all this thing so I I mean the Giants I think they're going to be competitive still I still think they have
16:23a lot of talent on defense they have a young defensive unit and two the fact that Dart is out and the
16:29Giants probably lost any chance of making the playoffs I know after last week's game or week one I was like man
16:36I've been on the wrong team to be worst to first in the division after being high in the Titans and that
16:42looking like a bad pick after now now I've moved all that to the Saints now they're the team that's going to
16:49go from worst to first into their division so that's the second year quarterback train that I'm going to be riding because
16:55right now Tyler Shuck and the Saints they're cooking chat GPT can do more than answer questions it can help you get
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17:40get started at chat GPT.com by selecting work mode available on plus and pro plans the new NFL season is here and
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19:30NFL Pro on the iHeartRadio app Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast can you can you do a w without
19:36any movement can you just like without help go to a w no like without I don't want to do this I
19:43don't want to do this that was what I was going to do next is I know people that I was like
19:49can you do can you spock it but can you do both spock both I don't spock both yeah oh spock both
19:56you're struggling no but yeah okay now w both I got to think about it okay that's okay you think about it
20:02let's see it eat a w we not you got to cross like across them oh I can't do this oh you
20:09can't you can't dub no dubs for Erickson sorry no here my fingers that look like a mess yeah high fingers big
20:15big ass hands Jesus all right we're going to go to the third topic in a second but I want to remind
20:22everybody we're going to get to see some fantasy questions that are come in here we will definitely drop that here in
20:28a second totally down for it so hold tight we need a super chat that jumped in we'll answer a few of
20:34these questions want to at least get through one more of these topics before we do Jonathan Brooks headed to the IR
20:41also going to throw this out there that there just is another running back one Jonah Coleman is also banged up after
20:47all the positive talk but the Jonathan Brooks thing is the big major focus more running backs that are banged up from
20:54Aaron Jones to Jordan Brooks we kind of had this as an expectation he's going to be out six weeks this is
21:00a time for Chuba to hurt and you got the whole Broncos that are banged up just some thoughts do you think
21:07Jonathan Brooks is a lost cause in 2026 I think so I don't I don't I don't know what else to say
21:13and it's what we got wrong we all got it wrong like what wait it was in front of our face the
21:20whole time it was right there it was like oh hey look this is a guy that can never stay healthy and
21:26he's injured and we were just like yeah okay push that aside it was in our it was it was in front
21:33of us the whole time and we got too excited we got way too excited and poof this is of course of
21:39course this was gonna happen Eric's of course he was gonna go on to the IR how where could we have possibly
21:45taken some odds on Jonathan Brooks going to the IR please oh man in hindsight too and I almost remember this in
21:52real time doing drafts and seeing Jonathan Brooks on the board Marshawn Lloyd on the board you know who actually was the
21:58pick we should have been making 10 times out of 10 was Blake Corum that should have been the pick oh well
22:05Chuba Hubbard but what I'm saying like Blake Corum was never recognized as the play there because he never had the green
22:11light to becoming the starting running back for his team but yeah the thing is he's actually good and he's actually proven
22:18in the NFL that he did last year that he was good and Brooks and Lloyd to an extent they were they
22:24were projections right and sometimes projections hit and you feel good about it but sometimes they don't and with Brooks it's just
22:31injury after injury and it seems like it's always one step forward but then two steps back with Brooks and yeah it's
22:37gut-wrenching and when he got that preseason injury towards the end of draft season it's kind of like in the back of
22:43my mind it's like oh man like could this be bad but like at that point like all the sleeper lists had
22:50already been published like the breakouts the league winners it's like he's already but also you had like Chuba Chuba was like
22:56kind of banged up and the coaching staff started to turn to brother like Brooks looks really electric and we're like okay
23:03let's go and then it was just like all of a sudden the season started and it was like oh Brooks a
23:09little bit banged up Chuba's now healthy by the way and then it just steamrolled and here we are going into week
23:16three with Chuba looking awesome the offense running and Jonathan Brooks back on the IR and he'll be gone longer than the
23:22IR's then six weeks they're saying at least so yeah I'm with you I think this is a lost season I'd have
23:29for Jonathan Brooks I'd love to I would love to be wrong about this too especially because like I have Jonathan Brooks
23:35but in shallower fantasy leagues like if you don't have an IR spot he's gone like you're dropping him and I don't
23:41think the expectation should be high for when he returns right unless something happens with Chuba Hubbard we've seen him break down
23:48at the end of seasons before I'm kind of curious to see what else the Carolina Panthers do at their running back
23:54I know they have AJ Dillon as the primary backup now they do have the other Travis or not Travis Trevor ETN
24:01slash HN however he hasn't changed his name like I really I really want him to become a thing this year because
24:07that is going to put Travis ETN or HN really under under fire because like well you didn't change your last name
24:14but your brother oh that's a good point but we need him to commit to ETN though we need him to be
24:20like I don't want I am the king I want to be ETN yes we want like brothers fighting and it's like
24:27completely different I completely agree with you here I don't know I mean we're gonna do we're gonna get head to head
24:33matchups dude they're the Panthers play the Saints twice and if Travis going head to head against Trevor one of them is
24:40I'm Travis HN my brother Travis or dude I can't the fact that they both start with the same name your brain
24:46is breaking Travis HN and then you have HN and then I think Devon and that like pause the Dolphins play the
24:52Saints it's uh that's gonna be brutal for the broadcast HN go imagine listening to that game on the radio and be
24:59like who has the ball yeah exactly you're trying to wonder and hand off to HN and you're like which team which
25:05one then they'll have like a generic name tackle Smith with the tackle be like what's happening what team are we doing
25:12that so yeah expectation Jonathan Brooks to the IR pretty brutal blow here I will take a few questions in just a
25:18second but I need to tell you guys about this new prediction market called Polymarket it's a stock exchange for sports buying
25:25in and selling out on your terms when your team goes down to 20% you can buy in and sell it off
25:31at 40% when they come back to double your money they're so confident you'll never go back to the other guys they're
25:38giving you a free 50 on your first trade when you deposit just 10 bucks so download the Polymarket app today and
25:44use code FPPOD when you sign up that's FPPOD to get 50 free after you trade just 10 bucks all right some
25:50fantasy questions some people it doesn't have to be fantasy related here on the tailgate by the way uh how do you
25:57guys feel about stashing Tyreek was uh Copeland with a super chat in here I just don't feel like Tyreek I know
26:03Tyreek has been sharing videos and stuff like that and I've seen some of the Twitter doctors talking positive maybe he comes
26:10back in like week 10 or 12 I just don't feel super optimistic about it it's probably a playoff team that does
26:16it but I'm not a if you're asking from like a fantasy standpoint I just don't think Tyreek is for this year
26:23that's I would agree and it reminds me talking about receivers that may or may not play this year you saw the
26:29thing with Shanahan when they asked if oh my god is Brandon Ayuk an option he's like no yeah because they're talking
26:36about wide receivers he's like yeah it's a really big blow to DeMarcus Robinson by the way the Niners picked up Brandon
26:42Cooks they didn't even work him out by the way classic 49ers thing like just pick him up and don't even worry
26:48about it it's like severely overweight they're like he's probably good to go he's like called him at a you know I
26:55called him at a uh a subway and he's just sitting there we need to have this conversation very quick so oh
27:01and I posted this I think on x on Sunday night or Monday night the subway nachos dude who you haven't seen
27:08the commercial for the subway nachos chat oh no they're what are the like are they actual nachos they're nachos that you
27:14can buy at subway that are the selling point is they're drizzled in hot honey and it's a thing that sounds awful
27:21dude who is it like tortilla chips and like cheese and tomato and it's like normal but then instead of cheese it's
27:27hot I think it's a combination but the overarching point is it's nachos at subway this isn't taco bell oh okay yeah
27:34no thank you because I was like where are we going with this yeah they they've also subway's got the footlong pretzel
27:40and they've got like that yeah I don't the cookie thing and I'm with you I'm totally with you on why are
27:47we doing that it's not just from subway who I mean I don't I'm not I am thinking about making that though
27:53the punishment of whoever loses the tailgate fantasy league is you have to eat subway nachos eating oh that would be do
27:59you think they're bad do you want to eat them add I don't want to eat them but it's I don't think
28:06it's like getting sushi at a convenience store you know going to circle k and getting sushi at the airport what's worse
28:12dude you can't do that at the airport I had some deep thoughts about because I don't travel a lot but like
28:19when we have our trips and stuff like that and like I think about like oh I actually don't like to eat
28:25before because I don't I'm not a I'm not a bathroom uh airport airplane guy I'm not going to get up and
28:32go to the bathroom under any circumstance no especially specifically on the plane specifically on the plane I will not get up
28:38and then airports a little bit dicey as well and it's like you get one bad piece of food what are you
28:45talking about you you might they might arrest you for having sushi on there for what happens in the the cockpit I
28:51and no thank you that's a hundred percent but I don't know sushi or I'll say sushi at subway oh my god
28:57not just at subway seems like a 2027 problem they won't stop sushi at subway it's weird all the hype on jota
29:04coleman and now it seems he's dealing with the ankle injury still a stash yeah that popped up today that he's got
29:10this ankle injury and dobbins is up I still think he's a stash because my long-term bet was that it's not it
29:17wasn't about now it was about a couple weeks from now but I'm not gonna lie that it it doesn't feel good
29:23with the harvey stuff and everything like that are you wavering at all I am a little bit I did point this
29:30out on the rank show that his yards after contact numbers were not that good in week one so just or excuse
29:36me in week two so just something to point out and he played through injuries last year at washington and that's why
29:43he fell in the draft because he did not play well through his injuries and he was a lot slower because of
29:49that so we'll see hopefully this is a nothing burger kind of like the ashen genti ankle injury that was like basically
29:55literally nothing so we'll see if you practiced in full this week I think that you're less concerned I think you I
30:02mean if you picked him up you're not just you could drop him right and yeah I had to hold yeah you
30:08got to see how it plays out and if he doesn't play it sucks that you had to waste your waiver on
30:15him but dobbins needs to prove he's healthy harvey needs to prove that he's healthy so you got to hold these denver
30:21broncos running backs because I mean or else plug your nose when you're doing it like you're ordering the subway nachos subway
30:28nachos and jonah coleman you're just like all right let's just roll I bet they smell good I bet they actually smell
30:34good you know what I'm a big I'm a big bread smell guy like I like the the fresh smell of like
30:41a sourdough or something like bread is dope like warm new bread is dope right now bread is dope that's my new
30:47hat uh daniel said need help ppr got offered craft in london for dj more godwin and juwan johnson I own the
30:53more side yeah he gets london he essentially gives up godwin and more to get london and then he gets craft for
31:00juwan johnson so easy good move good easy peasy this one is a really good question too between jutkins and tootin this
31:06week who should I go with a bogman I were just talking about this I mean I know you were talking about
31:13this well I'm full on this is too this is jutkins week this is the jutkins week if carolina's rush defense is
31:19one of the worst I think out there and this is an opportunity for them to get going again regardless of the
31:26line so I am team I have jutkins six spots higher than ecr ecr and fantasy pros is 25 and I think
31:32I've met 19 yeah I think it's judkins week as well I've been two and oh on judkins props on judkins sits
31:39on the social for fantasy pros and this week he's going to be smashing the over on his rushing prop because it's
31:45probably going to be not nearly as high because it's been dog crap dude this is so this is our new rollover
31:52just what do you do with judkins every week you're two and oh this is a player that I'm hot like there
31:58are players that I can't get good reads on but judkins have a good read on him and he's going to smash
32:04this week you better you're you're going to be a pain in the you already stole the rashad white prop don't you
32:11dare steal a judge no I'm doing it it's if I'm all right I'm just listening dude like the car just fills
32:17up as the week I do the sheet I'm gonna give I'm gonna give you the sheet with a judge yeah I
32:24want to see what the rushing yard prop is if it's under like okay so if they're gonna I wonder if it's
32:30posted yet I would say so based on it's probably around if I had to guess I think 55 54.5 is my
32:37guess I guess and then I'll see if I can find it because it's Carolina it's not available they may push it
32:43up a little bit I would say it can't be higher than 60 that's the max I would put it at and
32:50I'd still take the over yeah 59.5 sounds right all right so but that's what I'm gonna guess okay you ready I
32:56I do have it 56.5 so you were right on you're right on it yeah so we're taking me yeah that's an
33:02easy over yeah projection is only 59.4 but I don't care I don't care about you can't read into what he did
33:09the first two weeks he had no shot oh I gotta I got a better bet for I call this my dibs
33:15dibs on this one check this out this is crazy rush attempt he's at 12 and a half yeah that one's a
33:22smash he's at 12 he's at 12 the last two weeks in 12 and a half are you kidding me I'm smashing
33:28all right you take the attention I'll take the yards we'll be handholding all the way we'll be handholding all the way
33:35to the bank with our money maybe we could just do an entire bp prop show of all jutkins bets it'll just
33:41be like receptions receiving yards rushing yards rush attempts touchdowns first touchdown yeah exactly we'll just figure out what we can do
33:48with it all right let's burn through these last ones and we got two quick story we'll just do quick hitters at
33:54the end so we don't go too long here Landon uh Aaron Jones and Coker for Bigsby and Stevenson I know that
34:00Aaron Jones I want Aaron Jones and Coker just by like a country mile regardless of the injury because I like Coker
34:07yeah I think Coker is like the best part of this deal here and I don't think people want Aaron Jones on
34:13there I don't even know if you get this deal done anyway because I don't think it's Aaron Jones trade I wonder
34:20if he means Daniel Jones because he says like not much running back depth but I need a new quarterback I don't
34:26know that's why he's trying to get shook so I mean oh I didn't need a quarterback okay look I mean someone
34:33will take Aaron Jones off your hands like Aaron Jones may have just had the best game of his season last week
34:39probably most carries for sure Tom said start burden 80 Mitchell Gadsden or DK Metcalf at flex 14 team I'm pretty sure
34:46my rankings are gonna say Metcalf but like my heart says 80 Mitchell I mean this is one of these questions where
34:52it's like someone will ask you am I crazy for starting player x over player y and you're like no because I
34:59watched Metcalf play last week and it was abysmal and the Steelers offense is abysmal and 80 Mitchell's playing at course I'm
35:05not backing DK Metcalf until he looks like a viable receiver he's I'm just not I'm pretty sure he's like the one
35:11of the most overrated looking players like the fifth highest paid wide receiver in the NFL it's crazy yeah I'm I'm not
35:18doing that I so I'll go 80 Mitchell on that he had 12 targets last week he's going to get more targets
35:24all right last two stories uh we'll just do kind of quick hitters here number four Alec Pierce officially goes to the
35:31IR I think that was kind of speculated on interesting Steichen was defending how the team handled him coming back as well
35:37I thought that was an interesting wrinkle ESPN did a a kind of fun thing on it I'm gonna put I don't
35:44know there's much to go with I think this is detrimental to all my stupid Colts takes like good lord you can't
35:50lose all these guys I'm gonna put this in a different angle do we could talk about how awesome Josh Downs is
35:57number one separation score in football he's getting targets do you think this is going to hurt the offense in a really
36:03negative way for guys like Josh Downs and them not be able to move the ball because they don't have they don't
36:09have Michael Pittman anymore they can't really spread the ball you're not gonna put Keenan Allen doing 30 yard goes so like
36:16I'm worried that they are playing in a very short field and I think this is going to be a bad run
36:22and their Colts and their defense is one of the worst Colts might they might lose like five or six straight at
36:29this point fading the Colts feel good about that from the offseason of my AFC South teams that I liked and disliked
36:35thanks for the reminder but I also you know I told people to draft Jonathan Brooks so here we are I would
36:42say with Pierce and I haven't looked at the splits so far this season but I know Rich Rebar talked about in
36:48his week one preview about how Jonathan Taylor averages significantly less yardage when Alec Pierce is off the field versus on the
36:55field and that's because he is a legitimate threat to take the ball downfield and now when you replace him with guys
37:01like Laquan Treadwell and Darius Slayton the force of an actual threat on the outside to take the top off the defense
37:07especially with the quarterback that's not pushing the ball downfield nearly as much coming off a torn Achilles well the Texans know
37:14who they got to stop every defense in the NFL knows what they got to do and Jonathan Taylor again he's gonna
37:20get his he always does because he's an elite running back but it does just make it that much tougher for this
37:27Colts offense to operate at a high level like we saw when everybody was healthy last year and Al Pierce was fully
37:33ready to go taking the top off of the defenses so excited for Josh Downs obviously to see a lot of targets
37:40Tyler Warren's gonna eat JT still gonna get his but I think that the fact that Shane Steichen was getting defensive about
37:46this I think that just goes to show a head coach on the hot seat right like oh yeah that's kind of
37:53where he's at where he's feeling it we definitely know the GM for the Colts is feeling it because he was also
37:59probably in the camp of we did this the right way I think that Ballard is most likely gone first before Steichen
38:06because Steichen's in a weird situation too where we all know he's like a really good offensive mind I would say that
38:12even ahead of someone like a Mike McDaniel or something along those lines so if he were to get canned Shane Steichen
38:18would be one of the first coaches that would get hired by another team so but with the Colts like they haven't
38:25gone over the hump and I know it's not his fault it took him forever to figure out the quarterback position then
38:31when Daniel Jones finally hit he got hurt but unfortunately this is a business of winning and we don't win and you
38:38make excuses and you start oh and two and like if they start oh and three man someone's gonna get someone's gotta
38:44get fired like yep it's not good it just it's tumbles and it rolls and I will tell you on the Josh
38:51Downs thing I'm a little worried he's gonna become Wandel where it's just gonna be like seven catches for 60 yards and
38:57stuff like that you can work in full PPR and stuff like that but I'm very worried about this offense and this
39:04could be one of the heads that roll if they can't figure it out they're gonna have to make a move and
39:10I don't know what that looks like a Bogman has been kind of screaming about Marvin Harrison this would be like if
39:16Pierce is gonna miss some time maybe a guy like Marv if you can get him at a decent cost I mean
39:23Marv doesn't seem to want to try but I mean get him back to his team his father's team he's a deep
39:29play guy like get him yeah like I think Colts fans would support it I think there'd be a lot of support
39:36around it the Cardinals are looking at moving it he's a guy that could spread the field they could play the Alec
39:42Pierce role they would be a really good fit but they got to make that splash well the issue too is they
39:49don't have draft picks because of the again not even I don't I don't think that I mean the Cardinals obviously won
39:55a first-round pick from Marvin Harrison Jr. of course but I don't know if anyone's gonna pay that just based on what
40:02we've seen from him so far in the NFL and another player that has been rumored to be traded Brian Thomas Jr.
40:08the Jaguars obviously wouldn't trade him to a division team yeah well we'll see maybe Marvin could be on the move a
40:14final thing we'll just as a quick hitter Bears are going into Monday Night Football and they do not know who their
40:21quarterback is going to be I love that graphic who are the Bears I don't know these Bears Case Keenum is running
40:27with the ones because Baygent is currently dealing with a concussion protocol so the question is is this team wildly more competitive
40:34if Baygent can clear protocol or the Bears in for a bad time on Monday I mean the Bears could be in
40:40for a bad time even if Kay Williams was starting in this game because the Eagles defense is legit one of the
40:47best defenses in the NFL still so ideally you'd like to have Baygent out there I think that he's pretty good especially
40:53among backup quarterbacks and now you're going down to Case Keenum where I just think that the ceiling is so low with
41:00someone like him where yeah he can run the offense he's a veteran he's been around the block so this isn't going
41:06to be something like brand new it's different from like Cooper Rush experience or Jack Strand or something along those lines but
41:13there's a reason why no one has been trying to get Case Keenum off the Bears right because like he's like he's
41:19probably not again like that's something you have to like contextualize with these back quarterbacks when you say oh like James he's
41:25not that bad like he's not that bad okay if he wasn't that bad then he wouldn't be a backup like he
41:32would probably be starting somewhere else for all these teams that need quarterbacks so I think you have to take the downgrade
41:38very considerably when it comes to who's going to start for Chicago it's the Monday night game I believe so we're going
41:45to be going to the wire you know Ben Johnson's probably going to be like oh I don't know who our quarterback
41:51is like I mean he'll tell who's practicing but he's going to try to the gamesmanship thing to not try to give
41:58the Eagles an end but Vic Fangio's defense is going to be fired up and this game could potentially be a slog
42:04because I mean actually I don't even I mean the Bears defense is horrible so it's horrible I don't know it's a
42:11slog it's just like the Eagles might just do what they want you know this could look like this could be like
42:17what the Niners did against the Dolphins but the Bears not doing what the Dolphins did the Dolphins just kept running it
42:23and what they each had like two drives or the Niners had two total drives in the first half but every single
42:30drive the Niners had they were competing that might be the Eagles in this they might just run it with Saquon bring
42:36in Tank Bigsby here's a little play action to Devante and then they just keep scoring and the Bears I'm worried about
42:43three and outs with Case Keenow the Bears have been a fun story but it hasn't been fun watching Loveland it hasn't
42:49been fun watching Burden and I will say the one thing the Bears could again if the Bears are going to win
42:56this game with Case Keenow it's because Ben Johnson's run game just takes over because I do think that there are there
43:02are opportunities because the Bears are playing at home right this game is a home game for them I guess I mean
43:09I mean that matters I think that playing a soldier no it does matter I'm just Case Keenow's quarterback but if they
43:15are running the football effectively like they did in week one against Carolina obviously the defenses are different but Philadelphia has shown
43:21in the past that they've been able to be run on before especially if you get a good scheme going so I
43:28think that's probably the Bears path to success that's why I don't think that you should just like outright sit someone like
43:34DeAndre Swift for example like I still think he's gonna get a ton of volume in this game and they've had success
43:41before running the football I believe last year when they faced the Eagles they ran the ball pretty effectively I'll have to
43:47double check the stats I know that they played last year it was not the Black Friday game that they played last
43:54year I remember them playing around the holidays between the Bears and Eagles I'll have to double check but yeah they gotta
44:00run the football or else they're screwed this cannot be right I am looking is the line Chicago's a favorite you must
44:07be yeah no it's can't be it it has an update what did you know what the current line is like Eagles
44:13minus I think it's like five and a half or six and a half well it's because Kayla can play still I
44:19think yeah we'll see uh but bottom line they don't Bears don't know who's gonna be the quarterback neither do we Monday
44:26could be ugly or maybe you know there'll be some late minute excitement we didn't get the you know Puka last second
44:32activation but yeah maybe we'll see something different all right uh there you go friends those are the five okay this uh
44:39Eagles four and a half okay Eagles four and a half and I need to I need to see this game I
44:45need to to check exactly what happened to the because the Bears played the Eagles last year I'm checking right now oh
44:52yeah so they played they played at Philly last year they won 24 to 15 they did play on Black Friday because
44:58the game according to pro football reference was played this was a Friday at three o'clock Black Friday and in the box
45:05score blended up live this is great radio yep 24 to 15 they won DeAndre Swift scored three yard rushing touchdown Kyle
45:11Minunga scored a four yard rushing touchdown AJ Brown had two touchdowns rip and yeah oh no Minunga and Swift both rushed
45:18for over 125 yards so the Bears at the link ran all over the Eagles defense so that's the path to success
45:24and that's probably why the line is what it is because you have to put respect on Ben Johnson's run game okay
45:30well I mean I'm sure the Eagles aren't going to put eight in the box every single play and say if you're
45:37going to beat us you're going to be you're going to have Case Keenum beat us because we got a secondary that
45:43we're comfortable with but we'll see we'll see some Mononga breakouts in the chat as well all right that is going to
45:50do it for this episode of the tailgate live thank you guys so much for hanging out with us if you guys
45:56listen on a weekly basis you know from any perspective we'd love for you to hang out live I know we got
46:03some great produced videos that we do early in the week we've got Eric's and myself and Fitzy they're gonna be recording
46:09on Thursday but we would love for you guys to hang out with us if you're listening in some other capacity so
46:16do that youtube.com slash tailgate nfl come and watch us live we do this 5 p.m eastern on Wednesdays Erickson and I
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46:28out on all the other things and liking the stream that's a big important one get us over that 2k mark or
46:35get yourself an opportunity to win that Todd Gurley jersey if you guys are looking for more action here on the tailgate
46:41well guess what after tomorrow's game the fantasy dude is going to be giving you all his biggest takeaways and it's going
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46:54Sal behind the ones and twos behind the scenes there thank you to all you guys that hung out with us that's
47:01Andrew Erickson I'm Welsh we got to get into the game pop up the tailgate we out of here this Friday it's
47:07just you and me boy two soldiers bonded for life 58 miles no one's coming for us when anyone else would quit
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