Fantasy Football Today - 12/04 BONUS: Conner is OUT! So, What Now? (Fantasy Football Podcast)

Episode Date: December 4, 2018

Jaylen Samuels is a big priority now, but is he ahead of Jeff Wilson? And is he a Top 5 TE this week? We'll review the latest on the PIT backfield and more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This is Fantasy Football Today from CBS Sports. Here we go! Email us at fantasyfootball at cbsi.com. Here we go! It's time to dominate your fantasy league. Let's go! Now, here's some combination of Adam, Dave, Jamie, and Heath. Bonus episode, people.

We've got to help you out. It's week 14 and we've got a big entry to talk about. James Conner has been ruled out for this week's game with a sprained ankle. See, we knew it wasn't a leg contusion. It's a sprained ankle. And guys, what do you think? Could this be a multi-week absence

for Conner? Would you like to amend your stupid statement from earlier today? No, it's stupid in retrospect. Yes, I would like to amend. This is actually now an awesome waiver wire week. Jalen Samuels. When he said it was bad, he meant like, it's bad. Yeah, you know it's

bad. Yeah, exactly. Alright, so you think this could be a multi-week absence for James Conner? We have no idea, but he's missing this week, and anytime I play it's just as likely, I think, as it is for Matt Breida. Right.

Mike Tomlin did not qualify it as a high ankle sprain. He said it was just an ankle sprain. This is the same guy who said it was a leg contusion two days ago. Who's a bigger priority now, Wilson or Samuels? Samuels. Go're not going to agree.

Oh, okay. Well, go ahead. Everybody give an answer. I said Samuels. I'm going to say Wilson. Todd Gurley. Jalen Samuels. Are they light years ahead of Justin Jackson at this point?

Not for Dave. I would not say light years, of Justin Jackson at this point? Not for Dave. I would not say light years, but they are ahead. But Dave thinks Jackson's number two. I think we ranked them on the show today. I ranked them Wilson, Samuels, Jackson. And Dave? I went with Samuels, Jackson, Wilson.

And I went with the law firm of Samuels, Wilson, Jackson. And I went with Samuel L. Jackson, which is definitely the best choice. So Jalen Samuels against Oakland. Now, what do we think about Stephen Ridley's role here? I gave this stat on the podcast earlier today on the first Waiver Wire show. But the Raiders, you know, Ware was okay. Ware had 10 fantasy points at non-PPR, 11 in PPR, but he scored a touchdown, and they had allowed 86 or more rushing yards to a running back

in five games before last week. They're terrible. 5.1 yards per game. They've given up a touchdown or 100 total yards to a running back in six straight games. Yeah, they're terrible. Is Samuels clearly the guy over Ridley in your mind? He's the guy to add. Yeah.

So just the way I changed the priority order from what the original list was, I have it. Samuels one, Wilson two, Jackson three, and then I put actually Ridley fourth. Okay. So ahead of Rashad Penny, ahead of LeGarrette Blount, ahead of Naheem Hines, any of these other guys because of the uncertainty. In Week 10, when Conor went down, Samuels played 17 snaps, Ridley played 10. Ridley got 8 carries, Samuels got 5.

Samuels got 4 targets, Ridley got 1. But can we be real about something? The Steelers haven't been exactly a bastion for running over the last month anyway. It's been a lot of Roethlisberger throwing. We haven't seen Conner getting a lot of carries over that span. What do you think is going to happen without James

Conner in that back? To be fair though, the Panthers game, he probably would have had close to 20 carries. They gave Ridley eight. I think he had nine in that game, right? If I'm not mistaken? For the concussion? Yes. That's it?

Okay, yeah, yeah. He left with an injury there. A concussion? Yeah. So he probably would have had close to 20. You just gave him Ridley's carries. And then they played Denver, right? And they played somebody else than Denver.

Jacksonville. Jacksonville, tough run defense. Denver, tough run defense. Denver, tough run defense. Well, another thing is, these games, Jacksonville, Denver, and the Chargers games have all been really close. The Carolina game was the blowout. But you would think in a close game, especially with holding a lead at the end,

they should have run the ball more against the Chargers because that kind of killed them. Time of possession killed them. And I don't think they're just going to walk into Oakland and blow out the Steelers. Not after Oakland. The Raiders. It would be very tough. I'm sorry.

Yes. Blow out the Raiders after the Raiders hung with the Chiefs last week. But we can get into that. There's a different defense on the other side of the field. The fact is you've got to pick them up. The Chiefs have no defense. The Steelers have a bunch of defense. And a lot of people are emailing us saying Jalen Samuels is tight end eligible in my league.

So where are you ranking him among tight ends, guys? Number five. Should be right around there. Top five. Samuels should definitely be involved in the passing game. You know, that's his role. Connor is obviously very involved in the passing game when he's healthy. So that's a bonus.

And you said ahead of Gronk? Yep. Jalen Samuels' specialties are catching the ball and scoring touchdowns. I have him, and I don't know if you guys think this is too high or too low. I've got Ridley projected for 13 carries, Samuels for 10, Samuels for five targets, and a touchdown. I'm going to say you're low on the targets. I think five catches is where he shows up minimum.

All right, anything else? Tom else talked him up today too when in the same press conference that he announced that connor was out he uh he was he heaped praise on jaylen and didn't do so with ridley chris towers had a very good uh very chris towers ask tweets about jaylen samuels 13 carries is the most carries he's had in a game since high school. That's interesting. Well, regardless of what happens, you've got to pick these guys up. And now you have another really good waiver wire opportunity, and you don't have that many people competing for them. So good luck to you. Anything else to add on this topic, guys?

No. I don't think so. What's your priority, Adam? My priority right now is my sleeping child, which is why I'm sorry. How much fab will you spend on him? All of it, obviously. All of what you had before or all of what you

have now? All of what he's going to earn because the child is an infant. My priority is Jalen Samuels. I think I'm a little afraid of the Denver matchup for Wilson. I think Samuels or Ridley, one of them will score.

I think Samuels in PPR is pretty safe to be flex-worthy. And he's somebody that I want to keep away from my opponent. The Raiders are so bad. He could have a really good game. Yeah. So that's, that's my priority.

Now I'm much more excited about the waiver wire. Good job. Sorry for being distracted, everybody. I hope this was a helpful bonus episode. Thank you to Dave, Jamie and Heath for doing another show today. And good luck. Get the waiver wiring. No, no, no, no, no, no.