WEBVTT - And Then There Were Four 0:00:00.320 --> 0:00:04.040 Welcome to Fantasy Football Weekly, a production of I Heart Radio. 0:00:06.120 --> 0:00:09.480 Time now for Fantasy Football Weekly from I Heart Radio, 0:00:09.760 --> 0:00:14.200 your weekly source for the nation's best fantasy football advice, speculation, 0:00:14.320 --> 0:00:17.880 and whatever stupid stuff they decided to drop into the show. Now, 0:00:17.920 --> 0:00:24.680 here's your host. And then there were four four teams 0:00:24.760 --> 0:00:27.480 left super Bowl looming. It's the a f C and 0:00:27.600 --> 0:00:30.319 NFC championship weeks. I am Paul Tcharchi and my co 0:00:30.400 --> 0:00:33.480 host Brian Johnson once again for these playoff games. Hi, Brian, 0:00:33.560 --> 0:00:36.520 what's going on charge? Good to talk to you. I 0:00:36.520 --> 0:00:39.400 I think some of us would have picked these four teams, 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:43.640 but not necessarily most people. Uh yeah, most of us 0:00:43.680 --> 0:00:46.960 weren't picking the Niners. But yeah, I just I just 0:00:46.960 --> 0:00:49.000 sort of gave him a chance when I said the 0:00:49.040 --> 0:00:52.680 Giants went in eight nine years ago, is massive underdogs 0:00:52.680 --> 0:00:55.480 and upset the number one seed Packers and anything could happen, 0:00:55.520 --> 0:00:58.800 and anything did happen. Yeah, it was that was a 0:00:58.880 --> 0:01:02.360 that was a shocking outcome. Honestly, I was really stunned 0:01:02.480 --> 0:01:06.520 for about twenty four hours after that game that, given 0:01:06.560 --> 0:01:09.760 the offensive performance of the forty Niners that they won 0:01:09.840 --> 0:01:12.319 that game. Yeah, I mean in Green Bay marched right 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:20.360 down the field. First it looked so cool. It's uh, 0:01:20.440 --> 0:01:25.200 it was the best weekend of football ever. I'm concerned. 0:01:25.360 --> 0:01:28.120 And now we've got two games that are going to 0:01:28.200 --> 0:01:30.200 struggle to live up to that just by default, but 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:33.880 it should be good games. Anyway. I got forty Niners 0:01:33.880 --> 0:01:36.600 wrong last week. I said, I thought that Brian, that 0:01:36.640 --> 0:01:38.880 they had just they might just be wrung out that 0:01:38.959 --> 0:01:41.720 they have done so many road games. Then it was 0:01:41.840 --> 0:01:44.200 six of eight on the road. Now there's seven of 0:01:44.319 --> 0:01:46.680 nine on the road, and that you know, they've been 0:01:46.720 --> 0:01:50.960 basically playing playoff games since Christmas for Pete's sake, and 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:53.440 you know, here we are February looming, and I was 0:01:53.480 --> 0:01:55.080 worried they had run out of gas. I was wrong 0:01:55.120 --> 0:01:57.360 about that. We'll talk about forty Niners rams in just 0:01:57.400 --> 0:02:00.560 a minute, but let's start with the a f C 0:02:01.040 --> 0:02:05.600 side as your team. You know, you jumped on the 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:09.360 you jumped on the Bengals band way. It was pre 0:02:09.520 --> 0:02:11.760 Borrow band way. That's saying something. I did a lot 0:02:11.760 --> 0:02:14.040 of flags for that. You did, you did it well 0:02:14.120 --> 0:02:17.880 not I think was still black. People said I was insane, 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:20.720 like you're gonna pick a team, dude, four And I 0:02:20.760 --> 0:02:22.840 was like, you can't get any worse than They're only 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:24.920 going up where they were at that point. Al Right, 0:02:24.960 --> 0:02:27.960 nobody will accuse you of being a bandwagon jumper at 0:02:28.000 --> 0:02:31.880 that time. So Bengals travel to the Chiefs this I 0:02:31.919 --> 0:02:33.800 would not be surprised if either team won. The spreads 0:02:33.800 --> 0:02:36.359 like three and a half. So it's it's seven, it's seven, 0:02:36.639 --> 0:02:39.680 which is shocking, is it really? Yeah? Bengals are seven. 0:02:39.720 --> 0:02:41.480 Bengals in the points all the way. I'd like a 0:02:41.560 --> 0:02:44.239 money line, especially considering these teams played in Week seventeen. 0:02:44.440 --> 0:02:48.480 Granted it was in Cincinnati. The Bengals won that game one, 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:52.840 so we'll reference that game for sure. Over under fifty 0:02:52.840 --> 0:02:55.679 four and a half points, high scoring game. Funny things, 0:02:55.840 --> 0:02:59.120 Both defenses are pretty good. Bengals defense is better than 0:02:59.160 --> 0:03:02.080 people think. What's pretty good too is the weather forty 0:03:02.080 --> 0:03:04.919 three degrees and clear minimum wins. Can't ask for anything 0:03:04.919 --> 0:03:07.680 better this time a year in Kansas City. Should be 0:03:07.800 --> 0:03:10.359 uh again, should be high scoring games, should be fun 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:12.880 for fantasy purposes. Um, we'll start with the running game 0:03:12.919 --> 0:03:16.480 though with the Bengals and Joe Mixing. Initially, I was like, 0:03:16.520 --> 0:03:18.080 I'm gonna give Mixing and a and this one. It's 0:03:18.080 --> 0:03:19.799 a shootout, right, But I'm just gonna give him a 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:21.200 b here. He did not have a good game on 0:03:21.240 --> 0:03:23.919 the ground against the Chiefs in that week's seventeen game, 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:27.880 twelve carries for forty six scoreless yards. Casey has been 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:30.080 good against the run this year. They've only surrendered seven 0:03:30.160 --> 0:03:33.200 rushing touchdowns and running backs in the regular season. That's great, 0:03:33.440 --> 0:03:36.600 really great. Uh. They held Nagi Davis and Devin's Singletary 0:03:36.640 --> 0:03:39.160 in the playoffs to combine fifty five yards on twenty 0:03:39.160 --> 0:03:42.200 two carries. Singletary did run for a touchdown last week, 0:03:42.480 --> 0:03:45.120 but it's more about the receiving angle for mixing in 0:03:45.160 --> 0:03:47.400 this one. He's been very active in the passing game 0:03:48.000 --> 0:03:51.440 as of late, total twenty six targets over his last four. 0:03:51.920 --> 0:03:54.280 In that week seventeen game, he had seven catches for 0:03:54.280 --> 0:03:57.040 forty yards. The Chiefs have allowed the fourth most catches 0:03:57.240 --> 0:04:00.040 and third most receiving arts running backs like that the 0:04:00.160 --> 0:04:03.680 regular season, So a hundred plus combo yards should be 0:04:03.720 --> 0:04:07.400 in the cards. But I would not be shocked if 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:10.120 if he has more receiving yards than rushing yards in 0:04:10.160 --> 0:04:12.400 this game. So if that reason just to be for him, 0:04:12.880 --> 0:04:16.200 Jamar Chase though he gets an A because he was 0:04:16.240 --> 0:04:21.159 a league winner. Levin catches two hundred and sixty six 0:04:21.279 --> 0:04:24.600 yards and three touchdowns. Now, okay, here the contrary and 0:04:24.839 --> 0:04:28.440 point up for that would be Chiefs go into this 0:04:28.480 --> 0:04:33.280 week of prep and the clear mandate is we're not 0:04:33.360 --> 0:04:36.840 going to let Jamaar Chase beat us again. Yeah, and 0:04:37.080 --> 0:04:41.040 they do whatever it takes to take away Chase. Meanwhile, Higgins, 0:04:41.240 --> 0:04:43.800 Boyd and others might have an opportunity to feast if 0:04:43.839 --> 0:04:46.280 that's how the Chiefs choose to attack this. Yeah, the 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:49.040 Chiefs have surrendered the fifth most wide receiver touchdowns in 0:04:49.080 --> 0:04:52.080 the regular season. Six wide receiver touchdowns surrendered in the 0:04:52.080 --> 0:04:56.200 playoffs so far, six six two by the Steelers and 0:04:56.200 --> 0:04:59.479 in four by Gabe Davis alone. And that's the angle there, 0:05:00.080 --> 0:05:03.440 uh for te Higgins, if you're trying to be contrarian DFS, 0:05:03.520 --> 0:05:06.360 Chase is gonna be the chalkiest wide receiver. He's He's 0:05:06.440 --> 0:05:10.480 less expensive on no sites than Um Cooper, Cup, Deebo Samuel. 0:05:10.920 --> 0:05:12.719 Then as Jamaar Chase. Everyone's gonna look at the weeks 0:05:12.720 --> 0:05:16.000 seventeen game. But with bodes well for te Higgins, let's 0:05:16.040 --> 0:05:18.120 jump to him. I'll give him a b even though 0:05:18.960 --> 0:05:21.800 I like him more in this game. Is the Chiefs 0:05:21.800 --> 0:05:25.360 held Stefon Diggs to three catches for seven yards last week, 0:05:25.800 --> 0:05:29.839 and Jamaar Chase is the Stefan Biggs of the Bengals, 0:05:29.960 --> 0:05:33.680 right And uh, the just mentioned Gabe Davis two yards 0:05:33.680 --> 0:05:37.360 and four touchdowns. He's the number two receiver for the Bengals, 0:05:37.360 --> 0:05:40.240 So uh, I'm sorry for the Bills. Higgins the number 0:05:40.240 --> 0:05:43.640 two for the Bengals, just three catches sixty two yards 0:05:43.760 --> 0:05:45.760 in the week seventeen game, did not score. It was 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:48.600 all about Chase, of course, but uh, I like Higgins 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:50.960 just as much as Chase. And if if you're only 0:05:50.960 --> 0:05:54.640 picking one Bengals receiver pairing with Joe Burrow or not 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:56.960 in DFS, if you want to be contrarian, you go 0:05:57.000 --> 0:05:58.960 with Tee Higgins. I think he has the chance to 0:05:58.960 --> 0:06:02.400 outproduce Jamaar Chase in this game. Um, the safest play 0:06:02.480 --> 0:06:05.039 might be Tyler Boyd just to see for him. Though 0:06:05.120 --> 0:06:07.560 four catches thirty six yards in a touchdown in the 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:12.120 week seventeen game, he did not score last week against Tennessee, 0:06:12.160 --> 0:06:14.560 but he had touchdowns in each of the four games prior. 0:06:15.160 --> 0:06:18.440 Cole Beasley Isaiah Mackenzie combined for seven catches on nine 0:06:18.480 --> 0:06:21.400 targets against the Chiefs last week, so slot receivers have 0:06:21.440 --> 0:06:24.120 been active against them. So I like Boyd here and 0:06:25.080 --> 0:06:26.920 going back to DFS one more time. If you're doing 0:06:26.960 --> 0:06:32.360 a big stack with Bengals Burrow, Higgins, Boyd, that's how 0:06:32.400 --> 0:06:37.520 you deferrange your differentiate yourself in bigger tournaments. Uh. And lastly, 0:06:37.760 --> 0:06:39.360 when it comes to the past catchers, we gotta talk 0:06:39.440 --> 0:06:42.360 c j Uzomo is having a great great playoffs just 0:06:42.400 --> 0:06:46.440 four catches thirty two scoreless yards in Week seventeen. Opposing 0:06:46.480 --> 0:06:49.440 tight ends have averaged five catches and fifty fifty two 0:06:49.520 --> 0:06:52.520 yards per game in the regular season against Kansas City, 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:55.720 which is pretty good, but they've totaled just six touchdowns. Uh. 0:06:55.839 --> 0:06:58.880 Dawson Knox had a meager two catches for nine scoreless 0:06:58.960 --> 0:07:02.120 yards against Kansas City in a in a high scoring affair, 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:04.840 so it doesn't look like a great matchup for Suzy, 0:07:05.320 --> 0:07:07.760 but neither was Tennessee last week on paper, and he 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:10.920 had a great game for his standards, so certainly a 0:07:11.000 --> 0:07:12.960 viable play this week, So a see for him and 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:17.640 Joe Burrow a easy. We had four touchdowns four six 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:21.040 yards in Week seventeen, got a slew weapons. You gotta 0:07:21.080 --> 0:07:23.960 love Burrow in this one. It feels like those Chiefs 0:07:23.960 --> 0:07:28.600 cornerbacks that have been that overperformed for a long stretch 0:07:28.760 --> 0:07:31.600 of the regular season. It's kind of coming to roost 0:07:31.640 --> 0:07:33.960 now and you know they kind of are who they 0:07:33.960 --> 0:07:37.160 are and to some degree, you know, Mike Hughes uh 0:07:37.960 --> 0:07:44.600 uh assurdavious Award. You know those Hues especially is a 0:07:44.640 --> 0:07:48.560 meager talent awards banged up. I wonder if there's uh, 0:07:48.680 --> 0:07:51.400 I feel like those guys are exploitable at cornerback and 0:07:51.400 --> 0:07:56.600 should mention Honey Badger Tyrone Matthew in concussion protocol right safety, 0:07:56.600 --> 0:07:58.360 but he should he should play in this game, so 0:07:58.880 --> 0:08:02.080 that would be a huge Forenzamaica. But he's trending, he's 0:08:02.080 --> 0:08:04.520 trending towards playing. I expect him to play all right 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:06.600 over the over the chief side. We'll start with the 0:08:06.680 --> 0:08:09.680 running backs. Darryl Williams got all the work in that 0:08:09.720 --> 0:08:12.720 week seventeen games and he's dead to us now. Yeah 0:08:12.800 --> 0:08:15.640 he might he's uh, he's kind of had setbacks this 0:08:15.680 --> 0:08:17.440 week in practice. Not like it really would have mattered 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:19.280 anyway if he was active. Or not, he'd be up 0:08:19.320 --> 0:08:21.880 third in that pecking order. But Williams had a hundred 0:08:21.920 --> 0:08:24.400 and seven combo yards and two rushing touchdowns in that game. 0:08:24.440 --> 0:08:26.440 So but he got almost all the work in that game. 0:08:26.480 --> 0:08:29.280 And this feels like we're going to have two different 0:08:29.280 --> 0:08:32.280 guys to get a lot of it's Jerick McKinnon and 0:08:32.320 --> 0:08:36.040 Clyde Edwards Hilaire gonna give him both the CE. McKinnon 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:39.600 had ten carries for twenty four scoreless yards against Buffalo 0:08:39.760 --> 0:08:42.719 last week. He did catch five passes for fifty four 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:45.600 yards on seven targets. C E. H was far more 0:08:45.600 --> 0:08:49.400 effective rushing last week, sixty carries on just seven sixty 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:54.160 yards on seven carries. So I guess we see with 0:08:54.200 --> 0:08:56.720 more rush attempts in this game. Uh, it's really more 0:08:56.720 --> 0:08:59.880 about the receiving angle with Jet here. The Bengals have 0:09:00.000 --> 0:09:01.920 allowed the fifth most catches to running backs in the 0:09:01.960 --> 0:09:05.480 regular season, So I like beginning with the c UM 0:09:05.559 --> 0:09:08.840 and again c H gets a C two mentioned the 0:09:08.960 --> 0:09:12.960 seven carries for sixty yards last week. Josh Jacobs had 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:15.680 eighty three yards on just thirteen carries in the wild 0:09:15.720 --> 0:09:19.240 card round against the Bengals. Derrick Henry Deante Foreman combined 0:09:19.240 --> 0:09:21.800 for twenty four carries, a hundred yards and a touchdown 0:09:22.040 --> 0:09:25.000 against the Bengals last week. Uh, since he was without 0:09:25.040 --> 0:09:29.240 defensive tackles Josh Tupo and Mike Daniels last week. Both 0:09:29.240 --> 0:09:31.079 have been practicing this week they should play. That will 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:33.520 help a little bit there, but both both. You gotta 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.160 like both the running backs for the Chief's offense, of course, 0:09:36.240 --> 0:09:41.880 And speaking of liking, nay loving someone, Travis Kelsey, Hey, 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:45.520 can I give him an A plus? It's off season plus? Well, no, 0:09:45.640 --> 0:09:48.040 you will know what what you can give him is 0:09:48.200 --> 0:09:51.839 the fantasy Fonzie a year. I should have given him that. 0:09:51.920 --> 0:09:55.560 And you know I love my my revenge spite angles. 0:09:55.840 --> 0:10:00.600 Travis Kelsey born in Ohio, went to University of Cincinnati. 0:10:00.960 --> 0:10:03.520 There's a Cincinnati universe. I think his University of Cincinnati. 0:10:03.800 --> 0:10:08.320 The Bengals chose to draft Tyler Eifert over Tyler Kelsey 0:10:08.400 --> 0:10:10.560 way back in and there was like four other teams 0:10:10.600 --> 0:10:12.839 that drafted the tight end over Travis Kelsey. They're probably 0:10:12.840 --> 0:10:15.760 still kicking themselves over that. So love Kelsey this week. 0:10:15.760 --> 0:10:18.760 He was somewhat quiet by his standards in that week's 0:10:18.720 --> 0:10:21.480 seventeen game five catches twenty five yards. He did score 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:23.960 a touchdown, but a great match up here. The Bengals 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.280 were top five in the most catches, yards and touchdown 0:10:26.320 --> 0:10:29.600 surrendered to tight ends in the regular season. Last week, 0:10:29.640 --> 0:10:33.400 Tennessee's tight ends did nothing. But that's pretty understandable, uh, 0:10:33.400 --> 0:10:36.080 since he did yield twelve targets to be very comparable 0:10:36.160 --> 0:10:39.400 Darren Waller. In the wild card round he caught seven. Uh. 0:10:39.440 --> 0:10:42.040 Foster Moreau also saw three targets in that game, so 0:10:42.240 --> 0:10:45.280 tight ends very active against the Bengals. Kelsey is my 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:48.440 pick for the highest scoring skill position player on this 0:10:48.480 --> 0:10:51.520 slate by far. I don't think I could fade him 0:10:51.840 --> 0:10:55.280 under any circumstances. Really, I will quickly throw out Noah 0:10:55.360 --> 0:10:58.840 Gray as a punt option in DFS. Dirt cheap would 0:10:58.880 --> 0:11:01.760 be a differentiator. If he volters a touchdown. He has 0:11:01.760 --> 0:11:04.000 seen the field in a couple of targets here in there. 0:11:04.160 --> 0:11:08.400 It would be a dirty, dirty touchdown, but you never know. Okay, 0:11:08.440 --> 0:11:10.840 over to Tyreek Hill and the rest of the wide receivers. 0:11:10.880 --> 0:11:13.920 Hill gets an A as well, despite just six catches 0:11:13.960 --> 0:11:17.040 for forty scoreless yards in Week seventeen. In the Week 0:11:17.120 --> 0:11:20.880 seventeen game, I expect a better performance on Sunday. Posing 0:11:20.880 --> 0:11:23.520 wide receivers in the regular season didn't put up great 0:11:23.559 --> 0:11:27.640 numbers against the Bengals, collectively, averaging thirteen catches, one fifty 0:11:27.679 --> 0:11:30.160 six yards and zero point nine touchdowns, less than the 0:11:30.240 --> 0:11:33.880 touchdown per game, but Cincinnati has a surrendered a touchdown 0:11:33.960 --> 0:11:36.719 to the position in sixth straight, including one to A. J. 0:11:36.880 --> 0:11:39.600 Brown last week, who also had a hundred forty two yards. 0:11:39.960 --> 0:11:42.640 Tennessee Whiteouts combined for two hundred and seven yards in 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:45.560 that game. Uh. The week prior, Las Vegas wide receivers 0:11:45.600 --> 0:11:49.199 total seventeen catches on six yards in a touchdown. So 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:53.439 easy a for Tyree Hill and over to Byron Pringle 0:11:53.800 --> 0:11:58.280 and Nicole Hardman. Uh. We like Pringle Moore on this show. 0:11:58.320 --> 0:12:02.160 I'm giving both the c uh Pringle the stronger. See. 0:12:02.480 --> 0:12:06.079 In Week seventeen, Pringle had three and my guy, I'm 0:12:06.080 --> 0:12:08.280 I'm big, I'm I'm big into the Pringle. Yeah, he 0:12:08.480 --> 0:12:11.200 had three catches thirty five yards, didn't score. Hardman one 0:12:11.240 --> 0:12:14.000 catch fifty three yards didn't score. Neither did much. But 0:12:14.160 --> 0:12:17.000 over the last three games, Pringle has seen seven targets 0:12:17.280 --> 0:12:19.680 and all at least seven targets in all three, he's 0:12:19.720 --> 0:12:22.120 pulling away from the pack a little bit. Like I 0:12:22.200 --> 0:12:25.720 keep interrupting, No, no no worries. Uh, twenty two targets over 0:12:25.760 --> 0:12:28.800 that three game span. Hardman has sixteen targets over that 0:12:28.840 --> 0:12:32.200 same span, but just five total over his last two games. 0:12:32.320 --> 0:12:36.920 Like you said, Pringle has has separated himself from Hardman's 0:12:36.920 --> 0:12:38.840 And you know, I think that I think that one 0:12:38.880 --> 0:12:42.000 of the reasons you saw Josh Gordon get demoted to 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:46.160 the practice squad is because springs Pringle's snap count and 0:12:46.160 --> 0:12:49.560 effectiveness has gotten so high that there's just there's no place, 0:12:49.600 --> 0:12:52.360 there's no plays left for Josh Gordon on the field anymore. 0:12:52.880 --> 0:12:55.480 And and DeMarcus Robinson is still ahead of Josh Gordon. 0:12:55.559 --> 0:12:58.040 I'll throw him his name out there quickly. He he 0:12:58.120 --> 0:12:59.760 does get a bench created, but he has another punt 0:12:59.760 --> 0:13:02.720 play option in DFS, he's gonna be on the field. 0:13:02.760 --> 0:13:05.200 And in this what should be a high scoring affair 0:13:05.280 --> 0:13:08.000 can pay the same amount basically for Pringle in a 0:13:08.120 --> 0:13:14.160 DFS world, right, and you know a little more than 0:13:14.320 --> 0:13:16.880 like it's a grand twelve hundred or something like that. 0:13:16.880 --> 0:13:19.440 It's enough of a difference. But uh not not loving 0:13:19.480 --> 0:13:22.440 DeMarcus Robinson to llege obviously, and but in last and 0:13:22.600 --> 0:13:26.280 certainly not least, Patrick Mahomes gets an a just two 0:13:27.520 --> 0:13:30.559 passing yards two touchdowns. In the week's seventeen game, we 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:33.839 mentioned that Williams, Darryl Williams had two rushing touchdowns. Uh, 0:13:33.960 --> 0:13:37.800 Mahomes had twenty five rushing yards in that game. Josh 0:13:37.800 --> 0:13:40.360 Allen had I don't know a good amount of rushing 0:13:40.400 --> 0:13:43.640 yards as the Bengals last week, and he had about 0:13:43.920 --> 0:13:47.920 I mean against the Chief he had I think sixty 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:51.040 if memory serves. And the Bengals that allow the sixth 0:13:51.040 --> 0:13:53.680 most passing yards of this season. Not not They're a 0:13:53.720 --> 0:13:58.199 good defense, not great. Mahomes is a great quarterback. Should 0:13:58.240 --> 0:14:01.760 be a great game. But who go Bengals, Go Bengals. 0:14:02.000 --> 0:14:03.600 We'll take a break. When we come back, we'll break 0:14:03.600 --> 0:14:07.240 down forty nine at Rams Fantasy Football Weekly Styles. Stay tuned, 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:24.320 Welcome back Fantasy Football Weekly. Forty Niners take on the Rams, 0:14:24.480 --> 0:14:27.440 and obviously, these teams met twice in the regular season. 0:14:28.360 --> 0:14:30.840 You would think, since the Rams are favored in this game, 0:14:30.840 --> 0:14:34.000 that they would have won any of those two, but no, 0:14:34.320 --> 0:14:37.400 those are forty Niners victories. And you mentioned how that 0:14:37.440 --> 0:14:41.120 the Forts have been somewhat road Warriors. Uh, they have. 0:14:41.840 --> 0:14:46.080 This is trending. Despite the Rams efforts to suppress ticket sales, 0:14:46.920 --> 0:14:52.400 it's still it's gonna be more in this game. It's 0:14:52.400 --> 0:14:55.960 gonna be at least and they're real fans too. The 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:58.600 Rams fans are gonna be like extras from like the 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:02.080 paramount set or something like the It's not as bad 0:15:02.120 --> 0:15:04.480 as when the Chargers play it so far, right, I 0:15:04.480 --> 0:15:09.040 mean that's like the Rams because they moved to l 0:15:09.080 --> 0:15:11.600 A and immediately went to the Super Bowl, have gotten 0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:14.760 a legitimate fan base. So I still think it's going 0:15:14.760 --> 0:15:16.600 to be I think it will be more Rams fans 0:15:16.600 --> 0:15:19.360 than Niners fans, but there will be plenty of They 0:15:19.400 --> 0:15:22.800 Area money that's bought their way into so far one 0:15:22.840 --> 0:15:25.800 way or another. Um. Rams lost both of the games, 0:15:25.840 --> 0:15:28.800 including the Niners win an in game and Week eighteen, 0:15:30.200 --> 0:15:32.880 we want to watch the status of the ankle injury 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:36.560 to elite left tackle Trent Williams. That is a big 0:15:36.760 --> 0:15:39.640 X factor in this game, so something you want to 0:15:39.680 --> 0:15:42.920 watch there as well. Let's start with the Let's start 0:15:42.960 --> 0:15:44.880 with the running game. Elijah Mitchell just gets a C 0:15:45.040 --> 0:15:48.200 grade for me. Uh. He had the thirteen carries last week, 0:15:48.200 --> 0:15:50.400 which was way way way down for me. Probably rolled 0:15:50.400 --> 0:15:53.120 into that averaging twice as many, but that Packer bad 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:55.240 weather game, Niners offense couldn't get in and go in 0:15:55.320 --> 0:15:58.800 lots of punts. Um, you know. Even factoring in that 0:15:58.880 --> 0:16:01.480 thirteen carry game the last six games, he's still averaging 0:16:01.520 --> 0:16:04.240 twenty three carries per game, which I do like. In 0:16:04.280 --> 0:16:06.680 the two meetings with the Rams this year, Elijah Mitchell 0:16:06.720 --> 0:16:10.560 carried the ball forty eight times, both of them wins. 0:16:10.800 --> 0:16:12.920 One of them was a lopsided wins, so they gave 0:16:13.000 --> 0:16:16.200 Mitchell lots of carries, but he wasn't efficient. The average 0:16:16.240 --> 0:16:17.840 just three and a half yards per carry. That was 0:16:17.880 --> 0:16:21.840 a full yard under his season average. Against the Rams, 0:16:22.240 --> 0:16:26.720 there's a good run defense. He seemed declining rushing averages 0:16:27.320 --> 0:16:30.440 in four straight games, down to just three yards per 0:16:30.520 --> 0:16:34.040 carry last week, Brian, and with that knee injury, I 0:16:34.200 --> 0:16:37.440 just feel like Elijah Mitchell, just the efficiency and the 0:16:37.440 --> 0:16:41.600 effectiveness just doesn't feel like it's there right now. And 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:43.920 then add in he's never played this much football in 0:16:44.200 --> 0:16:47.000 one year either, well not even close. Yeah. Adding Deebo 0:16:47.040 --> 0:16:51.120 Samuel with back to back ten carry games, and my 0:16:51.520 --> 0:16:53.840 sky high confidence for Mitchell that I had had at 0:16:53.840 --> 0:16:55.600 the end of the season and even in the first 0:16:55.640 --> 0:16:58.720 couple of games of the playoffs. Uh, it's chiseled away 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:01.080 a little bit. And so I am nervous about Mitchell. 0:17:01.120 --> 0:17:03.080 I like his chances of scoring. L A is allowed 0:17:03.080 --> 0:17:05.679 to touchdown per game over the last nine games. Uh. 0:17:05.720 --> 0:17:07.720 And Jeff Wilson may very well not play. He did 0:17:07.720 --> 0:17:10.920 not practice on Wednesday or Thursday. Not sure about Friday yet. 0:17:11.400 --> 0:17:14.560 Um so well, Um, I've got the sea Grantam Mitchell. 0:17:14.560 --> 0:17:15.800 I think he finds the end zone here, but I 0:17:15.800 --> 0:17:17.520 wouldn't be surprised for you. Peters out in like the 0:17:17.560 --> 0:17:20.280 fifty yard range, sixty yard range. Yeah. Leonard Fournette had 0:17:20.320 --> 0:17:22.960 a great game behind a battered old line for the Books, 0:17:23.000 --> 0:17:25.320 and he was dinged up himself. Had a good game 0:17:25.359 --> 0:17:27.920 against the Rams last week. If Trent Williams comes back, 0:17:28.040 --> 0:17:31.280 we'll we'll knock Elijah Mitchell up to a B grade, 0:17:31.280 --> 0:17:33.159 But he sits at a C right now with with 0:17:33.359 --> 0:17:37.160 not knowing what Trent Williams status is. Um I mentioned 0:17:37.359 --> 0:17:39.120 there's really no other running backs to mention, but we'll 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:41.240 use that as our transition to Deebo Samuel, who I 0:17:41.280 --> 0:17:43.719 mentioned had the ten carries and back to back games 0:17:44.080 --> 0:17:47.840 just frankly looks fresher as a running back than Mitchell does. 0:17:48.240 --> 0:17:50.600 The knee injury, all the carries, everything else from Mitchell 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:53.439 Um and I think it was very telling at the 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:57.520 end of last week's game, Brian, when the Niners had 0:17:57.920 --> 0:18:00.359 had to get a first down to Salt Way the 0:18:00.400 --> 0:18:04.960 Packers on their own field and arctic conditions, they ran 0:18:05.119 --> 0:18:08.280 the ball with their wide receiver, Deebo Samuel. He's got 0:18:08.280 --> 0:18:10.240 to touch the ball at least twenty times in this 0:18:10.280 --> 0:18:13.159 game for them to have a chance. Well, not not carries, 0:18:13.200 --> 0:18:18.840 I'm talking catches, and still if they're gonna win, I 0:18:18.920 --> 0:18:20.639 mean I'd love it. Don't get me wrong, but that 0:18:20.720 --> 0:18:23.880 is a lot of touches for Deebo Samuel Um monster 0:18:24.000 --> 0:18:27.400 games for Deebo and both meetings with Los Angeles three 0:18:27.440 --> 0:18:30.800 touchdowns spread against across the two games. Hundred and forty 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:34.080 total yards, hundred thirty three total yards. A grade for 0:18:34.200 --> 0:18:38.080 Deebo Samuel in this one. Brandon Aok gets a B grade. 0:18:38.200 --> 0:18:40.560 He had a huge game in the Week sixteen, sorry, 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:43.200 the Week eighteen game against the Rams with the Rams 0:18:43.200 --> 0:18:45.880 trying to finally, you know, stop Samuel and do anything 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:48.879 they can to stop Samuel. There's gonna be opportunities for 0:18:48.920 --> 0:18:51.840 ayou can in better coverage. In the two games against 0:18:51.880 --> 0:18:56.880 the Rams has seen only Jalen Ramsey for one pass attempt. 0:18:57.160 --> 0:19:01.119 They really use Ramsey on Deebo Samuel. So he's doing 0:19:01.119 --> 0:19:04.120 a very good job. I like I you can this 0:19:04.160 --> 0:19:06.800 one be great for him. He's gonna get softer coverage 0:19:06.800 --> 0:19:12.720 against David Long and Darius Williams. Darius Williams looked awful 0:19:13.440 --> 0:19:16.879 when the Bucks were coming, like there was a sixth 0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:21.520 straight plays and then he couldn't make Yeah, he bad. 0:19:21.880 --> 0:19:23.720 So that's why I like you. I think I think 0:19:23.720 --> 0:19:25.639 it's a nice I think it's a nice sneaky play here. 0:19:25.680 --> 0:19:28.640 Sticking with the receivers, I want to talk about Juan Jennings. 0:19:28.760 --> 0:19:31.160 Last week I told you I liked Jennings because slot 0:19:31.160 --> 0:19:34.520 receivers had some success against the Bucks. He only ended 0:19:34.560 --> 0:19:37.040 up with like two catches for ten yards, but he 0:19:37.119 --> 0:19:39.679 did have a drop. He had he had one drop 0:19:39.760 --> 0:19:41.840 and then another near miss that would have put him 0:19:41.840 --> 0:19:44.720 closer to forty yards. Anyway, he scored twice against the 0:19:44.760 --> 0:19:47.520 Niners in the Week eight team matchup from inside the 0:19:47.560 --> 0:19:51.040 five yard line. Jennings has as many catches as the 0:19:51.080 --> 0:19:54.199 rest of the team combined this year from inside the 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:57.359 five yard line. So if you're looking for a cheap 0:19:57.640 --> 0:20:01.360 touchdown in DFS, John Jennings is a possibility. I will 0:20:01.400 --> 0:20:03.240 mention Mohammed san who is going to return from his 0:20:03.280 --> 0:20:05.480 knee injury in this game and could take a little 0:20:05.520 --> 0:20:07.200 the slot work, but I really don't think so, because 0:20:07.280 --> 0:20:09.240 Jenny has been better. I keep forgetting that he's on 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:11.200 the team. I know well, he hasn't played since Week nine, 0:20:11.240 --> 0:20:14.280 so that's a good Travis Benjamin on the fort too, 0:20:15.720 --> 0:20:19.320 I think mostly in a special team's role, but yes, 0:20:19.680 --> 0:20:21.680 let's go to the tight end position of George Kittle. 0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:25.680 Rams are solid tight end defense. Only two tight ends 0:20:25.720 --> 0:20:28.879 had six receptions against the Rams all year. It was 0:20:28.920 --> 0:20:32.280 Mark Andrews and t J. Hockenson. Neither one of him scored. 0:20:32.480 --> 0:20:35.880 They had eighty nine yards for Andrews just forty eight 0:20:35.920 --> 0:20:39.280 yards on the six receptions for t J. Hockenson. Last week, 0:20:39.320 --> 0:20:46.000 Tom Brady targeted Gronk eleven times, only four completions. There's 0:20:46.000 --> 0:20:48.399 a good tight end defense. No tight end has scored 0:20:48.400 --> 0:20:51.960 against the Rams since Week ten, but in Week ten 0:20:52.760 --> 0:20:54.800 it was George George Kittle, Yeah, he got it. I 0:20:54.800 --> 0:20:57.040 think he has a long running good history against the 0:20:57.119 --> 0:20:59.400 Rams for whatever reason. I have the numbers in front 0:20:59.440 --> 0:21:01.480 of me, but only had ten yards in the week 0:21:01.480 --> 0:21:03.679 A team meeting. Though also I'll mention that did not 0:21:03.760 --> 0:21:07.440 score in that meeting. Um before last week, and Kittle 0:21:07.480 --> 0:21:08.920 had kind of a little of a breakout game, he 0:21:08.960 --> 0:21:10.679 was by far it was the only receiver do anything 0:21:10.720 --> 0:21:13.200 against the Packers last week. He had been held under 0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:18.000 twenty nine yards in four straight games. They've been badly 0:21:18.200 --> 0:21:21.600 under use it, under utilizing George Kittle. Prior to last week, 0:21:21.800 --> 0:21:24.560 he had like one of the worst drops you would 0:21:24.560 --> 0:21:28.000