The Lineup Show - Patriots vs Seahawks Fantasy Football Previews | We Predict The 2026 NFL Awards
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
28 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Sep 9, 2026
Published
Wed, September 9, 2026
24
Player insights
21
Players mentioned
Topics
A.J. BrownDrake MayeJaxon Smith-NjigbaCarnell TateChris GodwinDavante AdamsDerrick HenryGeorge KittleJadarian PriceJahmyr GibbsJames CookJared GoffJeremiyah LoveJoe Burrow
Player analysis
Player insights
A.J. Brown
PositiveProjection17:54
The source expects A.J. Brown to have a dominant performance with Drake May, predicting he will erupt for 120 receiving yards and find the end zone twice, making him a major trade value spike candidate after Week 1.
Insight pagePositiveProjection31:50
A.J. Brown is a key fantasy asset for the Patriots, with expectations of a top-three finish; he is expected to be a primary target for Drake Maye.
Insight pageCarnell Tate
PositiveBreakout22:27
Mitch Anderson picks Carnell Tate for OROY, citing his talent, the Titans' improved offense, and Brian Daboll's history of feeding WR1s.
Insight pageChris Godwin
PositiveUsage0:18
The source is consistently betting on the over for Chris Godwin's receptions and receiving yards, indicating high confidence in his usage.
Insight pageDavante Adams
PositiveValue40:42
Despite summer narratives regarding regression, the source maintains that Davante Adams remains an obvious start as a WR2 or flex option for Week 1 unless a roster is exceptionally deep.
Insight pageDerrick Henry
PositiveProjection17:24
Mitch Anderson views Derrick Henry as a strong OPOY dark horse, citing a new offensive coordinator, a healthy Lamar Jackson, and Henry's proven track record of high touchdown production.
Insight pageDrake Maye
PositiveValue20:02
Despite a tough matchup, the source advises starting Drake Maye due to the high draft capital invested in him, noting that the Patriots being 3.5-point underdogs suggests he will be throwing the ball frequently.
Insight pageNegativeProjection33:42
Despite a tough matchup, Drake Maye is considered a must-start in fantasy due to the high draft capital invested in him.
Insight pageGeorge Kittle
NegativeInjury42:20
The source advises against starting 32-year-old George Kittle, who is returning from an Achilles tear less than eight months ago, ranking him as the TE16 and suggesting there are likely better options available.
Insight pageJadarian Price
NegativeRole20:51
The source is hesitant to trust rookie running backs in Week 1, but acknowledges that with Zach Charbonnet out, Jadarian Price is a viable RB2 start if he can replicate the role Ken Walker played against the Patriots defense in the Super Bowl.
Insight pageJahmyr Gibbs
PositiveProjection13:39
Mitch Anderson picks Jahmyr Gibbs for Offensive Player of the Year, citing the absence of David Montgomery, the easiest schedule against RBs, and the potential for 20-25 touchdowns and 2,000 all-purpose yards.
Insight pageJames Cook
PositiveBreakout19:03
Justin Mello identifies James Cook as an OPOY dark horse, noting his role in a high-powered Bills offense and the potential for increased target volume under new OC Pete Carmichael.
Insight pageJared Goff
PositiveProjection10:05
Jared Goff is identified as a dark horse MVP candidate due to the Lions' easy schedule and high-scoring offense; he is projected to lead the league in passing yards and touchdowns.
Insight pageJaxon Smith-Njigba
PositiveUsage19:57
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is considered an obvious start for fantasy lineups in the Patriots-Seahawks matchup.
Insight pagePositiveUsage32:26
Jaxon Smith-Njigba is considered a must-start fantasy option for the Patriots-Seahawks game, following his performance as a WR2 last season.
Insight pageJeremiyah Love
NegativeInjury20:52
Jeremiah Love is the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year, though his fantasy value has been tempered by a high ankle sprain; he is expected to be a bright spot on a struggling Cardinals team.
Insight pageJoe Burrow
PositiveValue6:36
Mitch Anderson views Joe Burrow as perfectly priced in fantasy drafts as a QB3 or QB4, noting that while he lacks rushing upside, his real-life stats and the Bengals' third-easiest schedule make him a strong MVP contender.
Insight pageJustin Herbert
PositiveProjection3:27
Justin Mello projects Justin Herbert as the MVP, citing the Chargers' improved offense under Mike McDaniel and the narrative that Herbert is 'next in line' for the award after other elite QBs have already won.
Insight pageKyren Williams
PositiveProjection44:15
The source predicts that Kyren Williams will score two touchdowns in the upcoming game against the 49ers.
Insight pageMakai Lemon
PositiveSleeper27:24
Justin Mello advises against trading Makai Lemon, predicting he will become a safety blanket for the Eagles' offense as the season progresses, similar to an Amon-Ra St. Brown trajectory.
Insight pageMike Evans
PositiveProjection44:07
The source predicts that Mike Evans will find the end zone twice during the Rams-49ers game.
Insight pagePuka Nacua
PositiveProjection15:16
Justin Mello highlights Puka Nacua as an OPOY candidate, noting his WR1 fantasy finish last year and the potential for increased touchdown volume in 2026.
Insight pageRomeo Doubs
PositiveUsage35:47
While some analysts suggest sitting ancillary pieces, the source argues that Romeo Doubs is a viable flex option in PPR formats, expecting the team to get him involved in the game plan.
Insight pageSam Darnold
PositiveMatchup0:22
Sam Darnold is highlighted as a favorable fantasy play for the week one opener, needing only one yard against New England to cash a PrizePicks line.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
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1:01PrizePix. Run your game. Every game day, you show up for your team.
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1:14Why wait? Welcome to the Lineup Fantasy Football Show.
1:17I'm Mitch Anderson. I'm Justin Mello. Mello, I'm back.
1:19You're back. And thank God football is back. We have football tonight.
1:23I don't have words right now. I used to pray for times like this.
1:27This is inject football into my veins. I feel like the LeBron meme.
1:31I'm smiling through it all. I can't believe this is my life.
1:34We've got some very fun stuff on the show today.
1:37We're going to talk our final predictions for awards markets, favorites for all of the different awards, as well as our dark
1:44horse candidates to win each of those offensive awards.
1:46And then we're going to wrap it up with some primetime previews, giving you the starts, sits, and bold predictions for the
1:53Patriots and Seahawks game, as well as the Australia game down under between the 49ers and Rams.
1:58But Mello, let's jump in with the most obviously prestigious award that everyone loves to talk about throughout the entire season.
2:04Give me your MVP pick. I thought about this one.
2:07I slept on it a little bit. Give me Justin Herbert.
2:10The way I've talked up this Chargers offense this year.
2:13I want Iguodala. I want Iguodala. I want Justin Herbert as my MVP.
2:17We've talked about it. Like we have said this Chargers offense with Mike McDaniel, if they can stay healthy, it's going to be an incredible offense.
2:25And Herbert obviously is going to be the biggest beneficiary of that.
2:28He has statistically and visually always been incredibly impressive, but something just always has seemed to gone wrong.
2:34Maybe not this year, though. I'm feeling good about this year for Justin Herbert and the Chargers.
2:39I think it all comes together. I think this is the best season to date that this offense and Herbert have in
2:45one of the toughest divisions in football. You look at last year, he single handedly willed this team to the playoffs.
2:51He got MVP chatter last year. Just I was like there was an MVP debate last year just with the way he did it.
2:59When you look at like truly not the best player, but the most valuable, there is an argument.
3:04It was him the way he willed them to the playoffs.
3:07I don't think he'll have to do that this year.
3:10I think he has the right environment, the right pieces around him where he can thrive and flourish and build a better case for MVP.
3:17And not that it should matter because I will be the first to tell you it should not matter at all.
3:24But, you know, it does matter when Mahomes already has an MVP and Lamar has two and Josh Allen has one.
3:30If it's a remotely close MVP race and Herbert's in that race, they'll give it to him because he hasn't had one yet.
3:37Yeah, I will say like as much as people don't want narratives to play into these awards markets like it really does.
3:43And we'll get into that a little bit when I talk about my dark horse guy, but I completely agree with you on that.
3:50I'm going to talk about another guy, though, that they might be willing to give the MVP award to.
3:56And that's Joe Burrow, who's the guy whose odds I really like the best as I look through everything.
4:01They've got the third easiest schedule in the NFL.
4:04He has the best wide receiver duo in the league, and he seems to like football again.
4:09I'm like not even kidding when I say that there seems to be a certain buzz.
4:14They keep talking about how it feels like 2021 again.
4:17So I think I don't talk about him as much as some of the other guys on our show, which is why
4:23I think like this might come as a surprise to people.
4:27But for me, it's like the cost in fantasy football.
4:30Like he's kind of going at like the quarterback three or four and he doesn't run a lot.
4:35So I kind of feel like he's perfectly priced for fantasy football.
4:38However, his stats in terms of the real life NFL lend themselves perfectly to be a guy who could win the MVP award.
4:45Last time he played 16 games in a season, he had 4,600 yards and 34 touchdowns.
4:50To me, his challenge will be winning games with this team, winning the division, the team success side of the MVP award.
4:56It's the double-edged sword of having an awful defense that provides you with the opportunity to put up otherworldly numbers.
5:02But the difficulty of having to keep pace with opposing offenses to win games.
5:07We've just seen over the past few years like you cannot win this award without winning your division.
5:12Yeah, I mean, I've talked about Justin Herbert being the guy who hasn't won yet.
5:16Burroughs seems like the true like next in line kind of guy, like elite quarterback who should get it.
5:22You're right there. The thing that has sort of like pushed me away is I've been super bullish on the Ravens here in 2026.
5:29And the Bengals defense has gotten better, I think, on paper, but still isn't there.
5:33It's going to be hard to win that division, which you probably need it to win MVP.
5:38But then again, I mean, Stafford didn't win the NFC West last year, and he still won MVP with those godly stats.
5:45And those are stats that Joe Burroughs could replicate if he can stay healthy, if the receivers can stay healthy, if the
5:51defense still sucks enough that they have to throw the ball a ton, but is good enough that they can win games.
5:58The recipe's there. Yeah, 100%. All right, give me your dark horse, Mello.
6:02My dark horse, I know you're going to love this one, Mitch.
6:05Which is Jared Goff, my long shot. Dark horse to win MVP.
6:09I think we both like this one. The Lions have one of the best offenses in football.
6:14They're likely going to be in a lot of shootouts.
6:17And unlike last year, they have an incredibly easy schedule in 2026.
6:20Last year, they went through the absolute blender. They were facing every good team in the league.
6:25This year, one of the easiest schedules in the NFL.
6:28They could very easily reclaim their spot atop the NFC North.
6:32And Goff could lead the NFL in passing yards and passing touchdowns as they do it.
6:36Last year, he was second in both those stats.
6:39He was second just last year in passing touchdowns and passing yards.
6:43I don't think it's crazy to think he could be number one this year.
6:47It is a long shot. Vegas is literally projecting it that he will be the number one in passing yards and passing touchdowns right now.
6:54There you go. He is projected to do it.
6:57They could be the number one seed in the NFC.
7:00It's totally in play. He could win MVP. Do you want to hear my dark horse candidate?
7:05Let's hear it. It's a guy by the name of Jared Goff.
7:08There we go. Something you didn't mention in there that I want to come back to as we were talking about Herbert
7:15and narratives is that Jared Goff's biggest mountain to climb to win MVP is that he's Jared Goff.
7:20And everyone finds him boring and everyone finds him a product of his weapons.
7:24It has nothing to do with his stats or anything.
7:27People will not want to give Jared Goff the award.
7:30That being said, I think it is in the range of outcomes that Jared Goff is so unbelievably good this season that
7:37people couldn't possibly deny him the award. And I think that's what makes his odds so long, but so realistic.
7:43And so I've put MVP bets on Jared Goff.
7:45I have a lot of conviction that he's going to be at the very least in the running at the end of the season.
7:52And my closing line value is going to be wild.
7:55Yeah. I mean, you know, you didn't have to convince me, but you're right about the narrative.
8:00Like people are just like, ah, Jared Goff. But the narrative can flip real quick.
8:05If he throws 49 touchdowns and they're the one seed in the NFC, people can be like, good for Jared.
8:11Like Jared deserves this. Yeah. You know, so totally in play.
8:14You want me to give you my offensive player of the year to start things off?
8:19Please do. I'm going to go with his teammate, Jameer Gibbs.
8:22And I'm sorry for the chalk to start things out, but I just think there's a chance we see this guy score
8:28like 20, 25 touchdowns and like 2000 all purpose yards.
8:31And no one's going to blink an eye. It's like the obvious stuff you've heard all summer.
8:36No David Montgomery, the single easiest schedule against running backs this season.
8:40The Lions in an obvious bounce back spot. I get that's chalk, but it's chalk for a reason.
8:45And if he's healthy, I don't think anyone's going to come even remotely close to him.
8:50Yeah. I think that is 1 billion percent in the cards.
8:53It's there's a reason we're taking him first in fantasy.
8:56There's a reason he's projected to hit all these career highs and potentially break some records along the way.
9:02I think that is probably like you said, the chalkiest pick, but for good reason, like it should be a chalky pick.
9:08Like I'm going to go in a little bit different of a direction and I'm going to go Puka Nakua with my offensive player of the year.
9:16I don't think I've talked enough on this show about how much I love Puka Nakua, probably because he goes too high in fantasy.
9:23You probably haven't talked about it enough. I haven't.
9:26I think it's truly because he's like too good that it's not cool to be like draft Puka Nakua.
9:32Everyone, of course, wants Puka Nakua. I want it on record.
9:35I love Puka Nakua. He is one of my favorite players in the entire NFL.
9:39And I personally think you could make a very strong argument.
9:43He should have one offensive player of the year last year.
9:46I think this year he very well could, though.
9:48He was the wide receiver one in fantasy on a team that had a different wide receiver lead the league and receiving touchdowns last year.
9:56That is so crazy when you take a step back and think about that for a second.
10:01Some of those touchdowns I think very easily could shift and go Puka's way in 2026.
10:06He could have a generational 2026 campaign on a team that is the Super Bowl favorites.
10:10And I think definitely should be the Super Bowl favorites.
10:13So I'm in on Puka Nakua. I don't think it's crazy at all.
10:17We just had our home league draft and Puka went second off the board.
10:21And like you see that and you're like, oh, my God, that's insane.
10:25They didn't take Bijon. And then you think about it and you're like, yeah, the upside is absolutely crazy for this guy.
10:32It wouldn't shock me at all if it wasn't Gibbs.
10:35Yeah, if I'm going to pick a wide receiver, I agree.
10:38Puka Nakua. But let me get into my dark horse, a guy that you mentioned a while back that I guess I'm
10:44just riding your coattails on this one. But Derek Henry, if I had to pick someone and I needed someone with longer
10:51odds to win the offensive player of the year, I'm going with King Henry.
10:55You talk about this a lot, but if Saquon hadn't gone nuclear in 2024 with the 2000 rushing yards, I think a
11:01lot more people will talk about how Henry had 1916 touchdowns on the ground.
11:06And even last year, he had 1616 without Lamar or at least Lamar hobbled for most of the year or out.
11:12And so I think you look at a new offensive coordinator, a new system, you get Lamar back healthy.
11:17This team should take a step back in the right direction.
11:21I think Derek Henry is in a position to smash whether he wins this award or not.
11:26No notes. You know me. I mean, I made Derek Henry my guy.
11:30I've been in all offseason. Like, I think there is a very good chance he could win offensive player of the year.
11:36My dark horse, though, I will go a different direction with a different running back and talk about James Cook of the Buffalo Bills.
11:43He has already led the NFL in touchdowns. He has already led the NFL in rushing yards.
11:48He is on one of the best offenses in football who's projected to be a very serious Super Bowl contender.
11:54All the ingredients are there for James Cook, who I think could catch more passes this year.
11:59That's really been the issue. You bring in Pete Carmichael.
12:02That's great for him. This could really be the breakout season for James Cook.
12:06I feel like we just picked each other's guys.
12:09Yeah. I took Derek and you took James Cook.
12:12I love that. I mean, obviously, I'm in on that pick, too.
12:15Let's finish it off before we get into our primetime previews with the Offensive Rookie of the Year picks.
12:21But if you haven't yet, make sure to hit that subscribe button.
12:24We've got episodes coming three times a week all season long.
12:27We are here to help you win your championship.
12:30You can ask us any questions you want in the comments.
12:33Or, as always, in the description, you can subscribe to Smash Accept with code LINEUP25 for 25% off.
12:39You'll get direct access to Mello and I for roster reviews, questions about starts and sits, and anything in between for Dynasty and redraft.
12:46But, Mello, give me your Offensive Rookie of the Year pick.
12:49I know it's boring, but I'm going Jeremiah Love.
12:52Boring. And I know it's obvious. So boring. But, I mean, he is, in my opinion, by far the most talented offensive skill player in this draft class.
13:00And I know the ankle sprain, a little bit scary.
13:03I personally moved him down in fantasy quite a bit.
13:06But for real life football, I think what he's going to put on tape by the end of the season, I have
13:12to pick him for my Offensive Rookie of the Year pick.
13:16The Cardinals suck. I know that's another problem. But Love is going to be one of their few bright spots.
13:22I think he'll have a Bijon Robinson-esque rookie year where it's, like, not a great team.
13:26But just what he puts on film and what he does statistically is so impressive that he's going to accumulate enough buzz
13:33and enough stats where you kind of got to give him Offensive Rookie of the Year.
13:38Yeah, and it's really interesting because you can actually get that price at a discount right now when you look at the
13:44awards markets because people are so afraid of the high ankle.
13:47I don't think there's anything wrong with that. I sided with Carnell Tate on this one who's my guy.
13:53And, like, look, I would feel so much safer taking Love had it not been for the high ankle sprain.
13:59But I just think between that and the offensive concerns, like, I have to side with my favorite wide receiver of this
14:05draft class who is in an offense that I expect to take a step forward with a quarterback that I like to take a step forward.
14:13Pair him with the new Offensive Coordinator in Brian Dayball, who we've seen spamming number one options over and over and over again in his career.
14:21And I think Carnell Tate, similar to what you were saying about Love, like, might not have come out the gates firing.
14:27But I think by the end of the year, he is going to be in that conversation of, like, the top 15 wide receivers.
14:34Every game day, you show up for your team.
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15:12Terms and more at AppleCard.com. Yeah, I mean, I'm a big Carnell Tate guy.
15:16I think just there's a talent gap between him and Love.
15:19But shockingly, despite being on the Titans, I think has a little bit better of a situation.
15:24I think most people have a talent gap with Jeremiah Love.
15:27Yeah. I wish there were people in this world that had a talent gap with me at literally anything.
15:33That would make me feel really good about myself.
15:35But I don't hate the Carnell Tate pick at all.
15:38I have a different receiver as my dark horse offensive rookie of the year.
15:43And if you know me at all, you know I got to take my boy DeJount Stripling.
15:48I knew it. Who I am just enamored with.
15:50He is my dark horse. With all of the injuries the 49ers perpetually endure, there is a real world where Stripling leads this team in receiving yards.
15:58And if something happens to McCaffrey, which half of America, I think, is convinced something will happen to McCaffrey, he could lead this team in scrimmage yards.
16:06That is not out of the question. I'm not saying it's likely, but it is not out of the question.
16:12He has looked the part. He has looked legit.
16:15I know he's not the frontrunner, nor should he be.
16:18But it's totally in his range of outcomes to win this award.
16:21I completely agree. And he's a guy that we've been seeing rising up in odds over the past few weeks.
16:27Melo, I had actually seen that you picked DeJount Stripling slash like I kind of assumed you were going to.
16:33Otherwise, I would have done it. So I decided I want to get spicy.
16:37I want to get really spicy with my last dark horse.
16:40And what is spicier than a lemon? You know we're certified lemon heads.
16:44So I had to go with my guy, Makai Lemon.
16:47I think all the talk has been about the hamstring and the slow start.
16:51But I have always been a believer in the talent.
16:54And once he was drafted, the target share he could assume in this offense, specifically later on in the season as he kind of carves out that role.
17:03We were comping this guy to Amin Ra like a couple of months ago.
17:07And now everybody's acting like he's just trash. And I think he's the type of guy that can be a real safety blanket for quarterbacks.
17:14And we believe we'll see an Eagles bounce back in the post Kevin Petula era.
17:19So to me, part of that bounce back involves giving Hertz a safety blanket outside of just targeting Devonta Smith on like 70% of dropbacks.
17:26I think we are going to see by the end of the season, Makai Lemon really working more heavily in.
17:32And so, yeah, no, I don't love him for the first few weeks.
17:36And I would probably leave him on your bench.
17:38But for God's sake, do not trade this guy during your fantasy football season if you drafted him.
17:44Be in for the long haul because I think you could see him having one of those charts in the offensive rookie
17:50of the year odds that just do this right at the end.
17:54Yeah, like an A.J. Brown type of rookie season or like Brandon Ayuk.
17:58And I know those guys didn't win offensive rookie of the year, but like that kind of like arc his rookie year,
18:04I think is totally in the cards. Yeah, people like to overreact.
18:08I mean, I'm probably guilty of it sometimes, but people are acting like he's never going to play an NFL down.
18:14He's been so disappointing in camp, which is just far from the truth.
18:18Like Dontavian Wicks isn't going to keep Makai Lemon off the field by week five.
18:22Like, grow up. I couldn't have put it better myself.
18:25All right, Melo, we have not done this in a while.
18:28We haven't done a real variety show like this, but let's kick it to the primetime preview.
18:33We are going to break down the first two games of the NFL season.
18:38Let's first talk about the Patriots Seahawks game kicking off tonight.
18:41Give me your initial thoughts on the game. I feel like we're hitting our stride here, Mitch.
18:46We're talking about real football now. Real football. I know who would have thought.
18:50I could cry tears of joy right now. And we're talking about the Pats and the Seahawks, the Super Bowl rematch.
18:56My heart can't take it as a Patriots fan.
18:59The inaugural game of the 2026 season being a rematch of that Super Bowl.
19:03There are some very notable roster changes, though, from a fantasy perspective.
19:07The most notable being Patriots going from Stephon Diggs to A.J.
19:10Brown. Then on the other side, you go from Ken Walker to Jadarian Price at running back for the Seahawks.
19:16I think this is going to be a much more competitive game than what we saw in the Super Bowl, just based
19:22on some of the changes to these rosters. And I also just think it'll be a fun fantasy game to kick off this season.
19:29There are multiple assets on both sides I'm really excited about.
19:33So I think this will be a really fun matchup.
19:35Yeah, that was actually the exact note I had.
19:38It's like, this is just a super fun game to start the fantasy football season.
19:43You've got two players drafted in the first two rounds.
19:46You've got JSN, who was the YRC for two last year.
19:49And then A.J. Brown that people are picking as a dark horse to finish top three.
19:53And we spent so long this summer in the saga of will A.J.B.
19:57go to New England? And then it's like, how will he be with Drake May?
20:02And then the start of camp seemed shaky. And then he was dominant.
20:06And now we finally just get to put on the pads and see a real game and see how A.J.
20:12Brown cooks with Drake May. So give me your starts for this game for fantasy football.
20:16Yeah, let's just knock out the easy ones. JSN, obviously.
20:19A.J. Brown, obviously. Drake May, matchup is tough. But obviously, the draft capital you had to spend to take Drake May, you're starting him.
20:26The trickiest and most interesting one to me is Jadarian Price.
20:30Because I generally do not trust rookie running backs week one unless they had like top 10 draft capital, which Jadarian Price
20:36was a borderline first round pick in a terrible draft class.
20:39So that makes it tough. Then you talk about heavy dose of George Helani.
20:43It's like, oh my God, are we going to have this BS Seattle backfield split again where like it's just super annoying for fantasy?
20:51But then you look at what Ken Walker did in the Super Bowl and how badly he gouged this defense.
20:56If they can use Jadarian Price in any sort of similar role, I'm not necessarily averse to starting him.
21:02Yeah, this feels like the wrong way of going about it mentally.
21:06But like, I just kind of think if you drafted Jadarian Price here and you've got these weeks without Charbonnet to have
21:12him as the starter, I'm probably putting him in my lineup and hoping you can eke out a solid RB2 finish.
21:18But like, part of me is a little bit scared of the fact that New England is probably going to prep to really stop the run here.
21:26And like you said, like, I don't normally have a lot of confidence in rookie running backs in week one when they're
21:33not an Ashton Gentry or a Jeremiah Love kind of prospect.
21:36And so I think I'd have question marks starting Jadarian Price, but it wouldn't keep him out of my lineup.
21:42Who are you actually sitting this week? Benching any ancillary pieces on either side as well.
21:47Romeo Dobbs, Rashid Chahid, the tight ends on both sides.
21:50I'm not starting any of them. I think I slightly disagree on Dobbs, especially in PPR.
21:54I think you can get away with him as a flex.
21:58I'd just be shocked to see them not try to get him involved here in week one, especially like in a matchup.
22:04The Pats are three and a half point dogs.
22:07I think we'll see Drake may throwing it up a little bit more.
22:11But for the most part, I agree. I think there's a very condensed group of guys in this game that you want to play.
22:18And the warning I'll give you that I have fallen victim to so much because I just love football and I love fantasy.
22:25Don't fall into the trap of playing guys just because you're excited to get action in game one.
22:30Yeah, because you're not going to believe this, but there will not be any point in the season where there's more football left to be played afterwards.
22:38So don't blow your load all in game one.
22:40But Melo, give your bold prediction for this game.
22:43Save the rest of the load for four days from Wednesday.
22:46Yeah, my bias. Bold prediction is the Patriots done the NFL win this game and AJ Brown erupts for 120 receiving yards.
22:53I love it. I didn't want to go with a game pick here, but I actually did go with AJ Brown.
22:59I think he's the biggest eyes on guy in this game.
23:02I'm going to say he finds the end zone twice and he becomes one of the biggest trade value spikes of week one.
23:09Maybe one of the biggest movers as people just go crazy trying to acquire him.
23:14But let's go down under Melo. Let's head to Australia and let's talk about the 49ers and Rams.
23:19Rumor has it Sean McVay is not even here yet, but give me your initial thoughts on this game.
23:25That's where my brain immediately goes. Like I cannot make up my mind for which teams travel plans are better.
23:3049ers have been in Australia for a full week trying to adjust to the time change.
23:35So they're not lethargic and suffering from jet lag.
23:38The Rams flying in literally the day before to avoid it altogether.
23:41Maybe it's 3D chess. Maybe they're going to feel like they're in the shadow realm for the entirety of the game.
23:48I have no idea. That is like the most interesting narrative of this game.
23:52But travel aside, it's another phenomenal prime time game, both as an NFL fan and a fantasy player.
23:57Talk about the fantasy assets on both sides. And this is a fun one.
24:01Yeah, all I ask is, please, can this just be a fun fantasy football environment?
24:06Like we just talked about New England, Seattle, where we're so iffy on all the pieces outside of AJB and JSN or like obviously Drake May.
24:13But we have question marks about the matchup. Then you go down under here and we got Puka, Devante, Kyron, CMC, Mike Evans, your boy Stribbling.
24:21And like even the QBs, honestly, if you want to get into that conversation, super flex.
24:26And so 48 and a half point total, I think we should get some serious fireworks in this one.
24:31Let's get off to our starts, though. And Mello, can you guess what player has shown up the most in our comments
24:38and mentions on if you should start them or not in your flex?
24:42Oh, boy. Is it Dijon Stribbling? No, actually. That is Devante Adams.
24:45Really? Which to me feels insane. But I think it comes from this narrative all summer of we should see Devante Adams regress.
24:52Yes, he'll likely regress. But what was he like the wide receiver seven?
24:56Like, yeah, of course, you're going to regress a little bit, but he is still an obvious start.
25:01I would say he's a great start as a wide receiver, too.
25:05He's definitely a great start as a flex. Yeah.
25:07As the guy who has been like yelling into the microphone or I guess whispering into the microphone so I don't hurt your ears.
25:14Like Devante Adams is going to regress. Start Devante Adams.
25:17You're still starting Devante Adams here in week one unless you are hilariously deep at wide receiver running back.
25:23And you can afford to flex other players. He's a start.
25:26All the obvious guy. I mean, pretty much you rattled them off earlier.
25:30All the obvious guys that you're you would think should start.
25:33They should. 100 percent. Onto our sits, though. I have been saying this for a while and now I'm even more confident in it.
25:40Do not start 32 year old George Kittle who tore his Achilles less than eight months ago.
25:46Of course, if you have a better option, but like we just went over our top 24 tight ends.
25:51He's at 16 for us. I just have to assume there's a better option.
25:55If there isn't, then I guess fire him up.
25:58But Dijon's dribbling is a tough one for me because if I'm being honest, you may have had to reach on him
26:04with all the late summer rookie hype this offseason.
26:07And I'm not 100 percent sure if you do have better options at your flex.
26:12But I think unless your team has a deep starting lineup with like three flexes, I'm probably waiting and seeing on him,
26:18which is conveniently usually the same approach as Kyle Shanahan.
26:21Yeah, I agree. I'm right there with you as the guy who's the biggest Dijon's dribbling guy.
26:26I'm like the leader of the Dijon's dribbling fan club.
26:29We go every Tuesdays. My wife makes lemon squares.
26:32It's a great time. I'm still not starting Dijon's dribbling.
26:35It is a wait and see thing for me.
26:37I love him, dynasty and redraft for the rest of the season, but I'm not doing this in week one.
26:43All right. Give me your final bold prediction before we get out of here.
26:47I'm going to say that Mike Evans finds the end zone not once, but twice, Mitch.
26:52That was mine. I'm not even kidding. That was mine.
26:55But for the sake of our viewers, I'm going to give you my other one, which is that Kyron Williams goes for two touchdowns as well.
27:03You could probably parlay those. You could figure something out with Mike for two and Kyron Williams for two for the Australia picks.
27:09But those were our award winners and Dark Horse Award candidates for the 2026 NFL season, along with our primetime game previews heading into our first Sunday.
27:17But Mello, before we get out of here, did we miss anything?
27:21Football. Football. We'll catch you guys next episode. Every game day, you show up for your team.
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