Purple Insider - a Minnesota Vikings and NFL podcast - Analyzing Adams and Cooper trades through a fantasy lens

Episode Date: October 16, 2024

Matthew Coller and Mike Schopp of The Deep End Fantasy Football podcast talk about two big trades, whether the Saints will move anyone and much more Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey everybody, welcome to another episode of Purple Insider. It is the Purple Insider Fantasy Show with Mike Shope, WGR 550, and also the Deep End Fantasy Football Podcast. And the show presented by Underdog Fantasy, the easiest place to play fantasy sports and the fastest growing app in the industry, which I have right here with me. And make sure that you sign up with the promo code purple to claim your special pick and first time deposit offer up to $1,000 in bonus cash must be 18 or older terms apply concern with your

play call one 800 gambler or visit ncp gambling.com. So Mike, we have a lot to get into with trades in the National Football League. I love that the NFL has become a trades league, but I need to share something that has become a trend on this show. It's you and I playing fantasy football and having some bad breaks. OK, so on Underdog Fantasy, I was like, you know what? I'm home. I'm watching all the games. I'm going to do a main slate draft.

It's just four teams. So your team's going to be stacked. We'm watching all the games. I'm going to do a main slate draft. It's just four teams. So your team's going to be stacked. We'll see how I do. And I picked two players that are stars on teams that scored at least 47 or more points. And I did terribly in this draft. How in the world did the Detroit lions score 47 points and Jameer Gibbs got 10 fantasy points and Mike Evans the funniest one 51 points from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baker Mayfield goes wild Mike Evans four fantasy points and I do not win my main site draft it's this is the bad beats fantasy football show really between between this and the the pickums that you've had going on i mean yeah my pick them on the show with you last week missed by one juan jennings catch so that's how it goes sometimes you gotta play enough so

you somehow can end up justifying uh it sort of works in on a couple levels like you end up justifying how much you're playing because sometimes you're winning if you just play you know a couple of hands of poker you can be the best poker player in the world and still get beat i'm certainly not the best player but there are always these kind of like suck outs that happen uh you know and maybe maybe like yours i think the one thing with gibbs gibbs has been an interesting guy to talk about this week because Detroit is rolling, and that's bad for him. You know, like Montgomery has always been like their preference, and it makes sense when it comes to playing with the lead

or red zone opportunities, and that manifested in Dallas. And you need the Lions to be, maybe it'll be this week against Minnesota. You need them to be up against it more to be able to get that PPR kind of that, that, you know, that goodness from Jameer Gibbs. I think he's a fine player. A lot of these situations are not about the player. They're just about like the game scripts and the team situations. And I think, you know, Gibbs was, I don't know where you picked him in yours, but preseason was a late first round pick very often. And I mean, a lot of those guys going in that range are really not hitting.

But if you think about Gibbs late first Montgomery in like the fifth round, sometimes, I mean, you'd want to change that if you could go back. I don't know what really happened. The Tampa game seemed like it was just completely off the rails right away. Tampa got a huge lead. There was a defensive touchdown, then New Orleans caught up and there was a punt return and then Tampa blew him out. And again, you had a game where you're not going to get, you need Godwin, but you're not going to get, you know, caught up with a wide receiver when you're up by 20, which you know. So, yeah, the Tampa one seems a little bit more random,

except for the Lattimore factor. But Detroit, if it was going to be a bad day for Dallas, that was probably likely what happened with Gibbs. The really interesting fantasy thing about that game is that Dallas never got there because they've been behind a lot in these games, like even the playoff game against Green Bay and Ferguson scores three touchdowns, you know, Prescott, the Baltimore game, Prescott gets there, you know, even when they're way behind and even that didn't happen for them this week. No, I know because my other receiver was C.D. Lamb, and that didn't work out either.

So, like you said, normally if a team's getting blown out, at least you're going to pick up some fantasy stats there. That did not happen for me either. We'll try again next time. How many rounds are those? Let's see. One, two, three, four, five. It was only six.

Six by four. So four teams. Yep. Main slate, underdog. Quarterback. Yep. Quarterback, two running backs, two receivers, and a tight end. Those are fun.

Yeah. The team stacked. It's obviously all the stars, but trying to figure out which one. I had Jaden Daniels as my quarterback, which went great. And I also didn't expect. I had Trey McBride as my tight end who did okay, but I didn't expect Arizona to just get walloped by the Green Bay Packers. They have been a weird team all year long. But just on your point about Jameer Gibbs with Detroit, as the Vikings get set to face him them this week with Flores' great defense Detroit has this great offense but from a fantasy perspective having that many weapons is hard to

pin down for Detroit and also from a real perspective for Brian Flores and facing off with this offense it's like Jamison Williams can go for you know a big bunch of yards Sam Laporta I'm in Ross St. Brown they have so many different options a gentleman catches the football on Sunday and I was like why do I not recognize this person and it was Tim Patrick right like what Tim Patrick is a Detroit Lion and they're throwing it to him I think it's a fascinating team from that standpoint is that they are so stacked on offense that you can't really just focus everything on one guy. Yeah. And for fantasy, that gets a little bit complicated.

Even St. Brown, who was a mid-first round pick, is there, you know, the question is, is there enough competition to restrain him from sort of that high upside? And I still think the answer is kind of no. Like, St. Brown did score in that game at least, or else. I mean, it wasn't much else. So you could have. But you had the blowout piece there. Laporta had one catch. I mean, luckily for his managers, it was a 52-yard touchdown.

So there is that. You know what, Matt? Like, they might have the best offensive line in the league, and they did last year too. And it just kind of all flows from there where in a game like that where they just can't seem to do anything wrong, Josh Allen has had games like this where he can just sort of fool around with targets, and Dallas didn't want to tackle anybody.

It was just a joke. So this week should be different. The NFC North has the top four point differential teams in the NFL. That is kind of insane to even be possible. Through six weeks, there's only been one division game, which was Minnesota at Green Bay. I don't think there's been another game between teams in the NFC North, and obviously that's about to change.

But what a start to the season. Even Chicago, after a couple of rough weeks, they won that opener despite doing nothing on offense. But here they are in week six, and they look promising too. It's incredible. And that's the thing we've kind of been trying to sort through on the show is if the Vikings win this one, the next group of games are just, you could run right through them. I mean, it's the Rams on Thursday night and then it's

Jacksonville, Tennessee. Well, I missed Indianapolis is in there. I mean, the Vikings have played the toughest part of their schedule. And I think that is really the difference between the teams in the NFC North, like Chicago, if you look at their schedule going forward, it's nice that they've gotten off to a 4-2 start, and I really like the way Caleb Williams looks because rookies just don't put up 350 yards, four touchdowns, things like that he's been doing the last few weeks, but they have not played anybody in comparison.

So trying to parse through that, but it is fascinating when you look at the rest of the NFC. I've been asking, I've, I've been asking, I'll get your opinion. Then we'll get to some of these trades, but who's the next best team in the NFC. That's not in the NFC North.

I mean, I don't really want to say Atlanta. Congratulations on beating the Panthers. Washington held up pretty strong against Baltimore. I mean, it's, it's a tough call outside of the NFC North. It's gotta be San Francisco. Yeah. I mean, it's a tough call outside of the NFC North. It's got to be San Francisco.

Yeah, yeah. I mean, they were teetering a little bit. That Arizona loss was maybe fluky, but it still happened. And they go to Seattle and just were the most the better team. Yeah, the Bears have already completed their AFC South schedule, and that's not the case for the other teams. And Houston is maybe the only team there that isn't bad. So I would say the Niners.

Washington is interesting, but I'd still be a little bit worried about them defensively. Even Carolina going there this week, I kind of like that spot for some of the Panthers guys. I would not say Philadelphia. You can't say Dallas. Atlanta would be my number one in that division, but I would not say them. And what the Niners did to the Seahawks made that division the Niners.

So that would be my answer. But Minnesota, maybe, well, definitely above anybody else with the lead, has the chance to win the race to that one seed, which, of course, is an incredible advantage. The stadium, the bye week, more so. And San Francisco has already lost there this year. So the Vikings are in a great spot.

Yeah, I think that the Vikings Vikings outside of the games against Detroit, which the second one is the last game of the season, so who knows where both teams stand at that point. But they're favored in this game, and I'm trying to figure out where they won't be favored again going forward unless they really hit the skids these next couple of games. Two games in four days, that could change everything if they lose both of them, but kind of also hard to see them losing both the way that they've played. games two games in four days that could change everything if they lose both of them but uh kind

of also hard to see them losing both the way that they've played um so Devante Adams is a jet Amari Cooper is a Buffalo Bill you've got to think and I know Devante Adams is always a top fantasy draft pick you've got to think he's going to set land speed records for targets in New York with the way that Aaron Rogers has been acting toward everybody. Aaron Rogers, look, I understand Mike Williams probably ran the route with the wrong details or whatever, but you don't have to go to the podium after the game and tell everybody about that. You truly, truly do not. That also, Bills and Jets was one of the worst football games I have ever witnessed in my entire existence. But Rodgers did look a little better.

What do you think of the target distribution here? Does he throw to Garrett Wilson ever again? Should Garrett Wilson just wait till next year? I mean, it just feels like this is going to be the Rodgers and Adams show the rest of the way. Yeah, I mean, that's reasonable. Wilson is just is going to be the Rogers and Adams show the rest of the way. Yeah. I mean, that that's reasonable. Wilson is just too good to be ignored. And,

you know, for their sake, I hope the jets sort of, and for anybody who's got Garrett Wilson and fantasy, of course, I hope they realize that it can't have the same ceiling. I mean, he had 23 targets against the Vikings and,

you know, he had a touchdown Monday night, you had a touchdown in that game, or maybe he did. I mean, he's, he's gotten in the end zone for the Vikings. And, you know, he had a touchdown Monday night, he had a touchdown in that game, or maybe he did. I mean, he's gotten in the end zone for the Jets. So he should still be relevant, but you know, Adams is going to be a dominant force there. And Lazard, Rodgers can't quit him. Hail Mary touchdown, a hundred yards in that game too. So I feel like he'll still be a part of it too. But Wilson is really tricky. I mean, he is somebody that you drafted late first and you want the moon in terms of production.

And even though Rodgers and he have not been really clicking, you're still getting there with him so far. But that really remains to be seen. Adams is 32. Maybe there's a season that plays out here where he's not quite dominating the targets but he's still you know playable of course in fantasy he and Rogers over the years around the goal line were incredible I mean these one yard touchdown passes that he would get just like the footwork and the timing was so good.

And it isn't a given that that'll be the same. I mean, it's a long time ago now, but it's possible. We've seen it. So, I mean, for Adams, when we were speculating about other teams he could go to, if you have him in fantasy football, I think there were better outcomes than this one because of Wilson and because of Brees Hall you know there's a lot there's a lot of talent on that offense but it's fine it was not surprising and really the tricky one is uh is Wilson and we'll see what happens to uh our guy Tyler Conklin because that that seems like certainly now and

this is usually how it is anyway but one where if you get the touchdown, you're happy, and if you don't, you're not. Yeah, sadly, I don't think Tyler Conklin's getting too much attention now after this. I wonder if you think it's going to work because I don't know. I just don't see it. The Jets have a really good defense, and firing Robert Sala may have sparked a little bit in the, you know, you just fired a coach. They should have won the game. They missed two field goals that were right there for them against Buffalo.

So it's not like the Jets have looked like a laughingstock the last couple of weeks. I think that team overall is good, but they're in a two-and-four hole,. And Rogers just, this is not the guy to drag you through. I feel like, because he's just going to blame everyone else and make it worse when things go bad. But that division is not especially scary. How do you feel like this is going to play out? Well, the first thing I would say is I don't blame the Jets for making this bet. I mean, they've already committed to the present as opposed to the future by trading for Rodgers in the first place. And so I don't think there being two and four should preclude them from this trade. So I would, you know, I could defend it.

I would defend they're making this move. It's still just, if you will, just a draft pick. We talked about the strength of schedule with Minnesota and Chicago earlier and the Bills. The Bills have played six games, four at night at the Ravens, at the Texans, at the Jets, three weeks in a row. They have a win at the Dolphins. They've got their two hardest, probably on paper, their two hardest division games already in the bank. And now they have Tennessee, Seattle, Miami, Indy coming up over the next month. They could get to eight and two.

And, you know, if they do, probably seven and three is the floor, I want to say. Probably, like, likeliest record they'll have after 10 games is seven and three. And where does that put the Jets? I mean, it's already that way, but kind of in the wildcard race. So look, I mean, for that team, they have the longest playoff drought in sports. 2010 is the last time they made it. If they get in, that's something, but it's also not what you spend all this on Rogers and Adams for. Rogers really is insufferable. Even on the first drive, they're in the red zone. He

throws a pass to Brees Hall that bounces off Hall's hands. You know, he was just a little bit late to turn. And Rogers would, I mean, the expressions on his face, he just, he can't, he can't believe how tough he's in with these players he's been surrounded with who are kind of great. I don't know. Like, that's just not a guy. If I'm, if I'm on his team, you know, I'm not a, I don't know from professional football, but just if, if he's the leader in the, in the office, I'd have a really tough time wanting to sort of do my best. It's gross to watch. I mean, I, what we were talking about with the lead up to Vikings and jets was, Hey, make sure by the end with the lead up to Vikings and Jets was, hey,

make sure by the end of the first quarter, Rogers is throwing his teammates under the bus. Like that's a team goal for the Vikings defense is that just that's what you want from him. And I just never seen someone seem so put out by having to play football for $50 million. I mean, it just seems like this is the worst experience ever to have to play football for 50 million dollars i mean it just seems like this is the worst experience ever to have to play football and as uh he was sitting oh you know and with his hand on his chin or his head on his hand or whatever at the end of the game thinking of course the memes were tremendous and the jokes were tremendous about what he was thinking but i guess what i was thinking is like yeah maybe you should have just stopped like maybe it was over when it was over and you never should have continued to try to do this because

that's how it looks when he's out there he looks old he looks exhausted he looks frustrated it's actually the same as brady was in his final year in tampa bay when he came back it's like this just this guy has just had enough i i think i I think the psychoanalysis with both cases, because I think I was thinking of Brady too. It's similar to me is they just can't not be in the spotlight. I think, I think really that's what it is. And to, to retire, I mean, Brady has found all these different ways to still annoyingly kind of be in

your life. Now, now he's a broadcaster who's not allowed to go to practices or meetings. Great. We all wanted that as football fans watching games on TV. We all want announcers to be less interesting. And we got it because Tom Brady decided he wanted to do it. And Rodgers is, I mean, every week with McAfee, just like, I don't know, I can't avoid him.

And I think that that's really subconsciously at least maybe the point is, you know, especially with Rodgers because he's got all these, you know, crazy takes on the world. Like you're going to have to listen to me. And it's easier for me to get my message out if I'm playing football. Again, I don't think that's like sort of the conscious thought path or anything, but I just don't think – I get it. I mean I feel like for guys, it's really hard to walk away, especially when you've been indulged to the levels that they have for basically their whole lives.

What I like about Brady, I wish Brady was calling Bill's jets because one of the rules of him owning the Raiders or having an ownership stake is that he can't criticize the refs. Good luck with that one. Good luck with that game. The worst refereed game probably in this decade with 30 flags. Anyway, so all offseason, you and I made snarky little comments about the bills and their receivers. You think you could get away without a number one receiver bills well we'll show you and then we kind of did uh it didn't go that well with uh the everybody snacks uh type of approach that uh now they have amari cooper it was like oh you did need a number one wide receiver amari cooper has been dealing with the worst quarterback play in the history of the National Football League recently.

I think that his quarterback will be a little more aggressive, engaged, good at football now in Buffalo, and his numbers should shoot through the roof. How do you think he adapts to playing with Josh Allen? Well, I think from the Bill standpoint, it's great. And the last couple of weeks, and I think maybe you and I have talked about it, we've certainly been talking about it all the time on WGR, I didn't think there was enough that had really gone wrong yet, at least going into the Houston game after they'd lost to Baltimore badly, that they would be willing to upend the plan.

But then Allen went 9-for-30 in Houston, and he's throwing deep outside the numbers all day. Nobody's open, never worked. Okay, well, let's see what happens on Monday night. And, I mean, this is just me thinking like I think the GM would think, is that, you know, I'd be ready to make a move, and there are going to be options. Maybe it was going to be Deontay Johnson, here's Amari Cooper, Adams, fine.

And then that game wasn't great either for their passing attack, so all right, let's go. But there's also the thought, and this is interesting to me, that maybe this was kind of the plan all along. I mean, teams are always going to vouch for what they are, what they have. And so the Bills were never going to spend the summer saying like, yeah, we really wish we had Stephon Diggs. Well, you traded Stephon Diggs.

Like they were never going to, we really wish we had traded for Brandon Ayuk. Well, I mean, teams don't do that kind of thing publicly. So I think, I mean, being with the Diggs trade to Minnesota or, you know, from getting him from Minnesota, he's been aggressive. I think this is his nature. And I don't think it's like a conspiracy or anything to think that kind of this whole time he's had this move in his pocket, whether that's Amari Cooper or someone else. How does Cooper acclimate? He's I think he's good.

I mean, there have been some kind of really negative statistics on him but from what I gather a lot of that more too much of that is quarterback related to make me think that he's just like washed or something he is 30 which was part of the argument against keeping digs around is that like he's getting to that that cliff but I feel like the the Bills absolutely are justified in making this move a third round pick next year I mean go win a championship and he should help them and in terms of fantasy football it's obviously good for Cooper the Bills receivers you're not really suffering because nobody was really that startable even Kincaid who was a first-round pick in 2023,

tight end is bereft, and you probably are starting him because nobody's burying you at that position, but it doesn't feel great. So Cooper, of course, will take a good amount of the target share away from Samuel and Hollins and guys that you weren't playing anyway. So fantasy-wise, it's a plus for him. It's a plus for Allen. And really, I don't think anybody else on the bills is too affected.

I think it's a phenomenal, phenomenal trade of all the decisions you can make. I mean, okay. I don't think the Bengals are actually going to trade T Higgins because they're going to kind of fight to the bitter end, no matter what they're and they should, because they've had some bad break losses and they might actually still be a really good team uh and what are the other options i mean davante adams was never going anywhere else but the new york jets and to do it for a third round pick and to do it now well before the trade deadline i think this is an interesting trend i almost feel like the 2021 rams combined with the league pushing the deadline back a little bit, but sort of inspired teams to say, yeah, why do we need that

third round draft pick? Like, what are we waiting for? And I really like Cooper. I've watched a couple of Browns games and never wanted to watch football ever again because of the way Deshaun Watson looks. You can't overstate this. Like, Austin Gale has been tweeting this out. I don't know if you followed any of his tweets. And Bill Barnwell did a thread on this as well. This is legitimately the worst quarterback play

from anyone who has played starting quarterback since, like, 2007. So there is nothing that Amari Cooper could do with a quarterback who won't throw the ball downfield. When he does, he's just completely inaccurate. He looks terrified back there. Like he's afraid to get hit again. And I think there's a combination of things playing into Deshaun Watson's terribleness, but it, once you go from the worst to a top two quarterback in the NFL, it just couldn't be a wider gap. Um, so my expectation is that this makes the bills offense very dangerous to have this wide receiver. He's always been a great separation receiver, which I think Josh Allen could really use. And I saw an interesting, uh, analytic stat today about, uh, quarterbacks

throwing to their first read and how quarterbacks throwing to their first read and how often they throw to their first read. Josh Allen was last. Like he is never throwing to his first read. And my guess is when he looks at his first receiver, he's like, I don't know if I trust you to be open. I think I'll kind of scramble around here. And that's what I've seen from him. Amari Cooper is a first read wide receiver.

Couple of moves, open, bang. I think he's got to get the ball a ton. Yeah, and the Bills have been facing man-to-man defense, which is new for them because teams kind of stopped doing that because Allen was going to run on them. And just that was going to be, you know, not tenable. So that could be different now too. Yeah, it opens up a lot.

The schedule gets lighter. They've got a game and a half lead they're really in a great spot considering injuries and the stress uh this this receiver point and like the schedule so far it really they've come out of it uh really nicely i would add in terms of cleveland you know what can we do and the raiders should be included in this too like bro Brock Bowers is maybe tight end one, but you have Jacoby Myers coming back. Trey Tucker was a zero last week, but he ran a lot of routes and they're going to be behind.

And this is the case with the Browns too. So don't ignore the sort of the backup plans, if you will, on those teams. That could be, I mean, it's never fun to start Jerry Judy, but he's there. I think Elijah Moore, who was a high draft pick and hasn't really hit yet. Also, um, oh, Tillman, Cedric Tillman, who was an interesting prospect also has not really made it in the league.

If they're going to rebuild, whether it's Watson or Jameis Winston, if it's Jameis Winston at some point, that's really good for these downfield pass catchers because that's all Winston's going to want to do. Njoku is the one in Cleveland who should really get more volume because Cooper is gone. So remember not to forget the teams that these traded players leave behind because they're still going to be losing, and that means they're going to be passing. And then, okay, well, somebody's going to be getting those targets, and that counts just the same in fantasy.

So before we take a look at our pick-ems for this week, which you consistently miss by this much from hitting, I wanted to talk about some of the top-performing fantasy players for this year, and some of them, I think I have some questions about whether that's going to continue or not and I was watching the New Orleans Saints well you talk about lost franchises like what are the New Orleans Saints every year since Drew Brees has not been there what are the New Orleans Saints they're playing Spencer Rattler. He's pretty far in over his head in that game. Alvin Kamara, though, is crushing it from a fantasy perspective. He's one of the highest producing players. I just don't know what to do there. Are they going to trade Alvin Kamara

when they lose the next couple of games? Are they just going to ride that out forever? Is he just going to keep being the only thing that they can really use there I'm curious about that yeah I mean that's Thursday night against Denver this week um I don't think they'll they would trade Camara I don't know the Saints are always the same they they trade up in drafts they buy themselves more cap space but there there will be a reckoning for New Orleans. And I don't know, maybe we're kind of close to that, but I can't imagine they would. I mean, Kamara is kind of the franchise. And what do you even get for an old running back anymore?

So I think it probably still goes through him. This week, they probably don't have Olave or maybe even Shahid. And welcome to Bob Means week here on Purple Insider because maybe he is wide receiver one, Jawan Johnson at tight end, Foster Moreau. I mean, it is tough. I really don't like much of this, to the Browns' point, in fantasy this week because Denver, I think their defense is too good.

But, yeah, I think I've been waiting for two years on Kendra Miller, who his coach seems to hate, but is a talented young running back in that organization. It's funny, like after two weeks, the Saints were the talk of the town and just like, is this – I was thinking about Kurt Warner's Rams. Like, is this just a team out of nowhere that's kind of new coordinator, Clint Kubiak, they're just kind of perfect and good luck? But, no, immediately after that, Philadelphia stuffed them,

and now they're kind of in disarray. I mean, everybody's hurt, Matt. The tweet yesterday on their training camp depth chart, you know, first team, like nine guys are crossed off because the offensive line is all just ruined and taste some hell like they're they're really in tough so i like i like denver in this game i just you know i i sort of am having the the flashbacks of kirk seasons with uh you know the saints where you just feel like that team can't go anywhere even if they're good they're not going anywhere. They're just going

to be middling and frustrating and Hey, maybe this is Derek Carr's year. No, it's not. It's never Derek Carr's year. It's Derek Carr's two week stretch, four week stretch. Just like, Hey, maybe Kirk could win MVP. No, he won't. He won't. He will play great in October and then not so good in November. And then that's what you got. And now, you know, they're sitting here trying to play a fifth round backup quarterback who I know that some scouting people really became obsessed with. But I think you saw in the game some of the shortcomings there. So anyway, that was interesting to me.

What did you think of? Well, this is this is a different kind of plane, but Drake May and the way that he played because I liked it. I thought he was aggressive, and that's a terrible team, but he's going to push the ball down the field, and it was kind of fun to watch. Yeah, it's about time that they gave him the ball, so to speak. And I mean, there were sacks, there were turnovers,

but I think if you're the Patriots, you want to see the talent, you want to see the upside. You're not expecting to beat Houston. It's not about that. And I think you got it. I think you saw why he's exciting, why he was picked ahead of Jaden Daniels or wasn't picked ahead of Jaden Daniels, but I thought should have was picked ahead of Jaden Daniels or wasn't picked ahead of Jaden Daniels, but I thought should have been picked ahead of Jaden Daniels. Let me just

correct that. So I think if that's your team, it's exciting. New territory for Patriots fans under the age of 50, like just ever being bad at all, but it was a good debut as a starter and in fantasy it's even more exciting and promising um dynasty is really the area where we would consider may or a super flex league like he was drafted in these rookie drafts if you're in a dynasty league carrying over year to year uh super flex where you start two quarterbacks also yes in the more popular one quarterback leagues I don't know like there still isn't maybe room for him to be a starter in that kind of format except for bi-weeks like he's a streaming option but could he outscore Patrick Mahomes in fantasy points the rest of the year yeah like Mahomes isn't doing anything fantasy wise doesn't have the weapons and May's a good runner and the team is bad they'll be losing all the time the line is bad

he'll be running he's a you know again a very good scrambler it seems so I like that I'm excited about my underdog teams that have May on them and I have a lot of those teams so I couldn't wait forever but I'm glad he got in as early as week six. And I think he showed pretty well. The only thing that I would have concern about for him is just the potential for injury. He hung onto the ball a couple of times, got smashed. Anybody who gets hit by Daniil Hunter and survives it, I am impressed. But, and he's a big guy and that's part of the whole thing when you draft big giant quarterbacks is that they could take hits and so forth.

But with that offensive line and his tendency to want to make a play to hang out of the ball a little bit longer, you do get a little concerned about that for the rest of the season. But what I like the most about his game is that he was just going to be aggressive. He wasn't checking it down, two-yard passes. He dropped back, and his receiver wasn't even checking it down two yard passes he dropped back and his receiver wasn't even that open down the sideline just said you know what i'm going for i'm going to launch this down the field and so i think he could be very entertaining and he could end up putting up a lot of points even if they are consistently losing games as one of the worst

teams in the league uh i know they're just i'm sorry matt but like there are different ways to get there and his style isn't exactly what seemingly coaches kind of want from their rookies or from their quarterbacks even anymore put him next to bo nicks but nicks gets there he's been getting there in fantasy too with short passes and runs and so um yeah like that's exciting for may and who the weapons are there really it could be somebody different all the time, but they play Jacksonville this week in London and Mahomes is in San Francisco. And I think I might start Drake May over Patrick Mahomes for real.

A hundred percent. We have an update here on Anthony Richardson. As we speak, told reporters, Shane Steichen told reporters, Anthony Richardson will likely practice in full today so it looks like he's going to be coming back uh one of the more disappointing fantasy players so far um but we'll see where that goes and he plays the vikings in a couple of weeks which might be pretty tough on him i'm thinking but i also wanted to ask you about uh the pittsburgh quarterback situation i I see our friend Andrew Filippone in

Pittsburgh is having a complete meltdown that it looks like they're benching Justin Fields for Russell Wilson. And I think if I was in his seat, I would be too. Fields has been pretty good for them. Not phenomenal, but he's played better football than I thought he did when he was with the Chicago Bears. He's not putting up huge passing stats, but they're in games and he's played better football than I thought he did when he was with the Chicago Bears. He's not putting up huge passing stats, but they're in games, and he's running really effectively, and he's completing a fair number of his passes. I thought when I saw Wilson last year, even though he beat the Vikings, it was kind of gnarly. It just was not the Russell Wilson.

Oh, what a game. What a game. Yeah, it was crazy. It was a crazy one. If Alexander Madison doesn't fumble, maybe the Vikings make the playoffs last year. But anyway, I just don't know what I'm supposed to do with this. Is this for George Pickens? What is the explanation for doing this?

I mean, even from a fantasy perspective, he's one of the top fantasy scoring players. It's just very bizarre that they're doing this. Same as ever with fields and fantasy, you know, like it still seems that we don't give enough credit to what the rushing value really is when it comes to quarterbacks. But I think this is maybe the most compelling debate or situation in the NFL

right now is what's happening there. There are four and two and that's good. Fields has, I think you probably would speak for a lot of people like better than I thought, but is it actually good though? I don't know. The schedule has been like beating the Raiders like that.

So what? I mean, it just doesn't really mean that I have to commit to the guy. And then there's the added confusion over like what Wilson is anymore. So there's really no commitment. There are so many different ways they could play this. They could sign Justin Fields right now to a three-year contract, you know, and just like, yeah, we're happy.

We're winning. What else is there? Or they could bench him. I talked to Ross Tucker yesterday on WGR. He's like, I'm not even sure I believe that the Steelers are going to play Wilson like it just sounds like maybe more you listen to Mike Tomlin it just he never makes any sense he says all kinds of words and it just doesn't ever really clarify anything for you so that's what Ross said yesterday on my show is like

I don't believe him so um you really take Justin Fields out on Sunday night football when you're four and two. It's like, it's almost like the fluty days with the bills where just maybe he's not good, but we're winning and our defense is good. And like, what else is there? It's really tough. Pickens, you mentioned him. He's the beneficiary if Wilson plays because that's got to be a more vertical scene than what the Steelers are already doing. They did try to force Pickens into the box score late in that game, even when they were way ahead against the Raiders.

And he seems like someone who might be tough to satisfy. And I feel like the Steelers made an effort to do that. But you don't change quarterbacks just to get your wide receiver from three catches to five. I wouldn't – so I don't know. I think – I'm not ready to assume Wilson is going to play. I'm not somebody who thinks Wilson is really any good anymore or that Fields has been that good.

He's been good for Fields. He's been good for fantasy. That's nothing new. No. Yeah. But I think with Fields, at least you have this playmaking element to him and the rushing element that can get you first downs where Russell Wilson's running left him many years ago. He was not any type of scrambler in Denver. I remember even one of the first games, it was, I think, national TV, Nate Hackett blew the whatever situation it was. But I remember Wilson trying to run away from somebody that he would have scrambled for 30 yards in the past and he got caught from behind you. And oh, if that guy's not scrambling, then that's a major part of his value because he doesn't just

scramble for runs. He scrambles for creating plays and creating lanes for himself to see. And Sean Payton had him as a pocket quarterback. Maybe Arthur Smith would be doing rollouts and stuff with him, but I would just rather have Justin Fields who, yeah, it is good for fields, but it's also good enough to get them in the playoffs potentially with the way that that division is going, maybe a wild card. So, yeah, I don't know. I mean, you don't have Drake May. You don't have any real answer. I just feel like at least there is some upside with Fields

if he continues to play fairly well. I think if I were the other team, I'd rather face Wilson. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. In a vacuum. I'd rather face him. I think he's just going to be easier to prepare for and take apart. Fields with that one piece, that dimension that most quarterbacks don't have, where he can just bust

one on you. I mean, he scored twice on Sunday. That's a rare trait. That's why he's starting at all. That's why he was drafted where he was drafted. And I don't think the passing piece is really ever coming for him. So I wouldn't want to advocate that the Steelers lock him up or anything like that, but they could. I mean, it's going well. It's going well enough where I think a team would sometimes do that. They're another team that's in an odd spot because they just always are perpetually 9-8,

and what do you do there when you never really have the quarterback? But the even more odd thing is it's not like they invested anything in Russell Wilson I mean that is so much more of just a flyer than it is anything else uh well let's get into these pickums a game that I'm gonna tell you the truth I'm not all that excited about the Denver Broncos and the New Orleans Saints I am kind of fascinated by uh Bo Nix being kind of he's either doing it himself or he's being treated like he is the, the, the Trent Edwards or something like this journeyman backup quarterback who is just going to check down every play and then survive. Um, but they've

won some games, new Orleans, a complete mess to rookie quarterbacks here. Let's get into your pickums and just a reminder that uh underdog fantasy pickums super fun we've been doing them every week on the show very easy to play along with us just go to underdog fantasy pick between two and eight stats of your favorite players and choose whether they'll go higher or lower you can win up to 20 times your money which mike will someday do uh and uh sign up with code purple, which by the way, I got the data on that. And thank you so much, everybody who has supported the show by signing up for underdog with the promo code purple. The numbers have been very, very good. So thank you so much for that.

And you get your first time deposit offer up to a thousand dollars in bonus cash. Again, must be 18 or older terms apply concern with your play call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit ncpgambling.org so what pickums will you miss by one touchdown or one yard or one reception for this week mike yeah last week san francisco seattle jennings it was lower than two and a half receptions and he got a third, but it was called back. I'm like, Oh,

this is my night. But then he got another third. So we, we lost on that. I did, as I've been doing most weeks, at least four picks for 10 X. So tend to win a hundred. And let's start with Bo Nix.

He's a good runner, almost like a poor man's fields, like sort of, he will run, and passing-wise, there's also really nothing happening. Look at the wide receiver depth chart for these two teams in this game. You know the NFL pretty well if you recognize more than one name. Cortland Sutton, okay, but who is V-E-L-E on Denver Bob Means is maybe wide receiver one for New Orleans so someday Marvin Mims someday 14 players will get hurt and Marvin Mims will get a target I know right that's what's gonna have to happen they they took A.T. Perry another great name off the New Orleans practice squad Denver Denver. So there's Perry as well.

I'm going, I don't know. I'm going higher five and a half rushes from Knicks. Maybe New Orleans does enough pass pressure wise where he scrambles. Also in a game script where the Saints are actually winning. I think, you know, that's what happened last week with the Denver offense when they were down to the Chargers. So there's just not much in the passing game at all. He does like to throw to the running backs, but I could see six rushes, even if it's kneel downs, that counts. So higher than five and a half rushes for Knicks. And the receiver I do want to play on Denver

because the numbers are so low is rookie Troy Franklin out of Oregon. He was with Knicks at Oregon, really kind of rough sounding start to his career training camp, kind of buried. But Denver is like one of these teams is looking for anybody. And there was some life with Franklin last week. So I'll go higher 19 and a half receiving yards in this game for Franklin. Give me a three for 20. Let's make it close. Let's make it good. So I'll go higher 19 and a half receiving yards in this game for Franklin. Give me a three for 20. Let's make it close. Let's make it good. So I think he might be starting to carve out a role in their passing game. I'm also going to play Javante Williams lower than 68 and a half total yards. I just don't see any juice there at all with Williams. They also have Audrick

Estime back from IR, McLaughlin. I mean, they've got other options at that position, and it just kind of looks like Denver's always looking for someone other than Williams. He fumbled for the second time last week, and so I feel like that's probably good logic, lower than 68.5 total yards. The rushing yard total is obviously lower, but he caught a couple of passes last week. I just, I really don't see it. So I like that. And then you can't just play one team, I think, in these.

So with Spencer Rattler, I'll go lower than the 182 and a half passing yards. Probably no Olave. Maybe we find out today. The game's tomorrow. Shahid is injured, too. Taysom Hill's been injured, too. Got a couple of decent tight ends in Johnson and, I guess, Moreau.

But Denver's defense has been really great, and I could see the nightmare scenario for New Orleans and for Rattler tomorrow. So there you go. Okay, so there's a lot of randos that I could pick from here, but I wanted to try one that was a little more relevant for my random pick. There is no way Bo Nix completes a 32-yard pass. I'm going to go with the lower from 31 1⁄2 yards for his longest completion.

How many 31 1⁄2-yard completions has he had all year? It can't be more than two or three this guy is terrified to push the ball down the field or his coach is terrified to have him push down the field or his receivers are so bad that they never get open down the field or run after the catch or whatever it might be or all of the above this one is ending six to three i thought about going with the kickers and just going higher on everything kicker related because it's just what a what a Thursday night freaking football game this is some of them have been kind of surprising I mean the total is 37 so I don't know it's in a dome um I I just like Denver because I

think they can be sort of functional and I wonder if new Orleans can even be that at this point with all of injuries and really they're playing backups at this point. So certain that defense, I think they're the story in this game and, you know, want to pick accordingly. All right. The deep end fantasy football show.

Make sure you check that out for Mike. And what a, what a fascinating week. Thank you. National football league for trades. I'm ready for more. This is really fun. So we'll of course do it again. sure you check that out for Mike and what a what a fascinating week thank you National Football League for trades I'm ready for more this is really fun so we'll of course do it again next week and it will be actually we will be doing some pick'ems for Minnesota Vikings and Raider and Rams yeah Vikings Rams so that would be really fun so we will talk then thanks so much Mike

thank you Matt