Fantasy Football Today - FFT Express - Vikings activate RB Aaron Jones from IR + Beat the Waiver Wire! (10/23 Fantasy Football Podcast)
Episode Date: October 23, 2025Adam Aizer and Dave Richard go position by position to highlight the BEST fantasy football stash players you need to grab BEFORE waivers run. Don’t wait until everyone else is fighting for them — ...stash these guys now! Plus, we discuss the Vikings officially activating RB Aaron Jones from IR! 0:00 Intro 0:15 Aaron Jones expected to play 1:55 Waiver Headliner 2:50 Quarterbacks 5:10 Running Backs 6:30 Wide Receivers 7:55 Tight Ends 9:45 Defenses Fantasy Football Today is available for free on the Audacy app as well as Apple Podcasts, Spotify and wherever else you listen to podcasts Watch FFT on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/fantasyfootballtoday Shop our store: shop.cbssports.com/fantasy SUBSCRIBE to FFT Dynasty on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fantasy-football-today-dynasty/id1696679179 FOLLOW FFT Dynasty on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2aHlmMJw1m8FareKybdNfG?si=8487e2f9611b4438&nd=1 SUBSCRIBE to FFT DFS on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fantasy-football-today-dfs/id1579415837 FOLLOW FFT DFS on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5zU7pBvGK3KPhfb69Q1hNr?si=1c5030a3b1a64be2 Follow our FFT team on Twitter: @FFToday, @AdamAizer, @JameyEisenberg, @daverichard, @heathcummingssr Follow the brand new FFT TikTok account: https://www.tiktok.com/@fftoday 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
Transcript
Discussion (0)
Got four teams on by next week.
Let's beat the Waver Wire right now on FFT Express.
All right.
All right.
Welcome back.
Very cringe.
Very cringe.
Dave is cringing.
Sorry.
Listen,
before we get into beat the Waver Wire,
we got Thursday night football.
And we have Aaron Jones expect.
No, no, no, no, no.
Aaron Jones expected to play.
Get it out.
Aaron Jones.
What does it mean for him?
What does it mean for Jordan Mason?
that's what you're about to ask, or should we talk about Irondi Gadsden some more?
Look, I think the whole concept of Thursday night football stinks for players
because they just played on Sunday, now they've got to turn around.
And here's Aaron Jones with fresh legs.
And so to me, it would make sense that the Vikings use him and use those fresh legs.
We don't know how healthy he is, but the fact that he's been sidelined for so long
encourages me that he could be certainly used in passing down situations
and maybe get a little run on top of it.
So I don't think it's particularly great for Jordan Mason.
Mason kind of becomes a touchdown dependent running back in week number eight.
But there aren't a lot of running backs that we want to start.
So by default, Mason's still a number two fantasy running back.
Aaron Jones probably right behind them.
Both of these guys probably in the neighborhood of like RB 20 to 26 for fantasy managers.
It doesn't mean that they're going to go off.
It's the chargers.
Their run defense runs hot and cold.
But I do think that Aaron Jones will have a slight advantage,
because he hasn't played in a while
and his legs are fresh
compared to everybody else on the field.
Okay, and let's not forget.
The chargers are allowing 6.5 yards per carry
to running backs in their last three games.
They've given up 29 or more points
to three straight running backs.
We expect them to improve,
but this has been, as of late, a great matchup.
Right, some pretty great running backs
that they've gone up against.
Well, Jacori Kroski, Merritt, yeah.
He's the best one.
And Devon, A. Chan, and Jonathan Taylor,
but still, it's bad.
All right, who's the headliner for beating the waiver?
How about a running back that's not even playing in week number eight?
It's bam, bam night.
Week nine, taking on the Dallas Cowboys, is available in about half of CBS Sports
leagues, and I suspect that more people will drop him going into the buy.
But if you see him on your waiver wire, pick him up, love the matchup for him against the Dallas Cowboys.
And the main reason why it's him instead of somebody that you could use in week eight or
week nine is because there are a lot of wide receivers that are decent stashes none that are
great stashes there are some tight ends that are some pretty good stashes none that are amazing
so because there's some good depth that wide receiver and tight end and especially for those
people that are just absolutely scrambling for starters in week number eight we've got names
you don't have to worry about them but they're not the best name that you could stash going into week
nine all right well you want to start with quarterbacks or dsts i'll follow your lead
Let's go to DS quarterbacks.
Let's go to quarterbacks.
Okay.
Not a lot of quarterbacks are available overall, so a lot of the players I'm going to give you are available in around like 25 to 33% of fantasy leagues, hoping that one of these guys will be there for you.
You can use Joe Flacco or Aaron Rogers in week eight, potentially in week nine in the case of Aaron Rogers against Indianapolis.
Brock Purdy could be back this week, but he's already rostered in too many leagues.
Sam Darnold, his number is rising because people are cutting.
him. He's got Washington in
week nine. They've allowed a bunch of fantasy points to
opposing quarterbacks. And then the one that is
probably widely available,
man, he hasn't looked great, but Trevor
Lawrence, he's available in about half of
CBS Sports Leagues. He takes on the Raiders
and their defense just has not been able
to get it together. I suspect that they won't be able
to get it together. Trevor Lawrence might be
okay as a bi-week replacement in week
nine. So if you've got one of the quarterbacks
that are on by in week nine, it's Baker Mayfield,
it's Jalen Hertz, it's
Dylan Gabriel. It's Justin
Her at Justin Fields. Just kidding on those last two.
Then you can go and get Trevor Lawrence now,
stash him for the week, let him play in week nine,
and then you can cut his butt as soon as week nine's over and go back to your main
starter. Okay. Looking at Sam Darnold's schedule, because he does
feel like a guy that's played so well this year,
not necessarily for fantasy, just in IRL.
Sure. You know, he doesn't have the best schedule.
Washington is a good matchup. Arizona's eighth against
quarterbacks. The Rams are six. The Titans are 10th. The Vikings are
seventh the falcons are second so those are his next six matchups i don't know that all of those
teams are actually that good against quarterbacks but a lot of it is pass attempts and he may not
need to throw that much against the cardinals against the titans uh the falcons are legitimately good
the rams are legitimately good so it's he's not someone that i'm dying to stash even though he's
playing at a very high level no it's a one week stash type of a deal and it's just like
trevor lawrence it's the whichever one you like better of the two i'll probably have
darnell ranked ahead of lawrence if they're available on your way or where come saturday night
add them then whoever you're dropping you might be able to get back on tuesday depending what happens
on sunday and then you just carry them through the week you start them in week nine and then
they're off your team as soon as week nine's over let's take a break we'll come back and we'll talk
about the rest of the beat the waiver wire players after this with amex platinum access to
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Okay, let's go to running back.
Zonovan Knight. Anyone else?
There are some other names. Kyle Menongai is still
out there in about a third of CBS Sports Leagues.
Tijey Spears, Blake Corum
in Week 9 gets New Orleans, so maybe he gets
a little extra run. And we always get accused
of, oh, those guys, they're
already rostered in my leagues. Well,
here's some guys that might not be. Isaiah Davis,
76% available
at Cincinnati in week number 8, and then the
Jets are on by before the trade deadline.
So if they do trade Brees Hall, Isaiah Davis is going to be the next guy up for them.
It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to stash a player who could become maybe an RB2.
I mean, I know the Jets' offense really isn't anything to write home about, but I'd say
Davis is a pretty decent prospect.
A couple more running backs that are stash only.
Bachel Tootin is starting to get cut across the board.
Jags are on by this week.
So his number is rising, just like Trevor Lawrence available in about half of CBS Sports
leagues.
He's got Vegas in week nine.
Ali Gordon, we heard the Dolphins talk about how they wanted to get him a little bit more involved.
He's available in 65% of the leagues.
He would not be available in any leagues if Devon A. Chan were to miss some time.
He would be the lead running back for the Miami Dolphins.
A couple of other running backs, Prashard Smith, and then a gross one, Jerome Ford.
That's for the desperate fantasy managers who just need some running backs that have a pulse might get around 10 touches in the game.
Smith, obviously better than Ford, but those are the two on that list.
You like any wide receivers?
I've got too many wide receivers, and I know that people are desperate for wide receivers for week eight,
so I'm only going to focus on wide receivers that you can use now.
These are not stashed wide receivers.
I will give you the name of one stash wide receiver who you've been talking about for a couple of weeks.
I'll do that after I go through this list.
But you're desperate for a wide receiver in week eight.
This is week eight only for Darnel Mooney, Marvin Mims, Troy Franklin,
Josh Reynolds.
This list is suddenly getting really gross.
Xavier Liggett and Sterling Shepard.
In the case of Reynolds, he's available in pretty much every league.
All of these wide receivers are available in at least half of CBS Sports
leagues.
And I think that Mooney especially has the chance to have a good game in week number eight.
Okay.
And who is the staff?
The stash is Darius Slaten, who I know that you're excited to talk about.
I wouldn't use him in week eight, but week nine against the 49ers,
if that nine are secondary is still banged up.
We know their pass rush is going to be banged up.
could be a really good game for Slayton.
He's available in 80% of leagues.
Okay.
Yeah, I think Christian Kirk's a decent stash to 29% right.
You know what?
You're kind of tired of talking about it.
I think Jalen Knoll is in a bad.
He's a better stash at this point than Christian Kirk.
Maybe.
And he's out there in like 90% of leagues.
I just don't know if I had the guts to start Jalen Knoll this week,
because I don't really know what to expect.
I'd have to be pretty desperate.
And then next week, same exact thing against Denver.
Tight ends.
Okay, David Nujoku is going to be the top name here.
He's available in 41% of leagues.
It looks like he's got a chance to play against New England, and then he's on by.
He's also a trade candidate.
So David Nujoku could see some real upside moving forward.
Other tight ends for week eight only, Kate Otten, Evan Ingram, Mason Taylor.
Am I really going back to him?
You know, I do apologize to somebody for recommending Mason Taylor two weeks in a row.
They were so upset about it, but he does play against Cincinnati in week number eight.
A deep play for week eight and usable for week nine.
This might actually be my favorite.
it, non-running back to add and possibly start this week at him.
It's Dalton Schultz, 69% available for the Texans.
This is the player that I think C.J. Stroud is going to lean on the most in this
passing game. He's got the most time spent with him.
They are on the same page.
I don't think it's necessarily going to go off for like 16 PPR points, but I think he'll
be okay this week, okay next week.
And so if you're streaming tight ends, Dalton Schultz is a name to look at.
Do you care at all about the Bears' tight ends against the Bengals next week as a stash?
It would be Colson Loveland because Cole is on the injury report this week.
I can't recommend adding him when I don't know if he's going to play.
I know Loveland will play.
He did have some timing issues with Caleb Williams when I went back and watched the Bears' offense this week.
So I just don't know what to expect.
I don't know if he'll see a huge target volume.
maybe I'd be more encouraged if something bad were to have happened
where DJ Moore makes mistakes,
Luther Burden makes mistakes.
But otherwise,
I think if you're starting Loveland,
it's kind of like as a streaming,
what the heck type play.
And I think we can do better than that
when it comes to week nine.
All right.
Go ahead and I'm going to say stash the Rams DST.
They're on a buy this week.
They're now 61% roster.
They're good.
And they get the Saints next week at home.
Saints have really struggled on the road.
Any other DSTs you want to stash?
You can stash the Seahaw.
DST and the Lions DST,
but I agree with you that the Rams DST
and that match against New Orleans is pretty good.
One last thing, if you're desperate for a
DST in week number eight,
these aren't necessarily stashes for beyond
week eight, but the bucks, the bills,
and yes, the Bengals, they're playing the Jets.
It's the only reason those three
DSTs might help you pull off a dub
in week eight. Yeah, I mean,
look, we got Cleveland and
Philadelphia on a buy next week. Your Dave's talking about
week eight, but for week nine, Cleveland, Philadelphia,
on a buy. The bills and the chiefs are
facing each other. You're not going to want a DST there.
You're not, yeah, Denver, you're good. Houston against Denver, you're probably good there.
But there is going to be a need. So I think really the Rams look like a great stash if you've got
the rod. It's tough to stash guys this week because you're already like dealing with all these
by weeks. You picked up all these players that have to start. But if you can stash the Rams
DST, I think that'd be pretty cool. All right, party on. We will talk to you next. We'll
you tomorrow. Tomorrow on fantasy football today with
starter sit for the NFC home games and a recap
of Thursday night football. See you later
everyone.