Stay ConnectedGet the award-winning strategies, insight and analysis you need to win your league, every week. The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast has you covered with the analysis of Jake Ciely, Brandon Funston, Chris Welsh, Nando Di Fino and Chris Vaccaro.
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On this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast, Michael Beller and Brandon Funston play a little game of Does This Matter?
Bill O'Brien got fired. D.K. Metcalf ranks 33rd in targets per game. Zach Ertz has fewer than 20 yards in two of four games. Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been entirely dependent on volume this season. Does any of that matter? The guys answer those four questions, and six more.
Follow Beller on Twitter: @MBeller
Follow Brandon on Twitter: @BrandonFunston
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Week 5 is shaping up to be the lightest waiver wire week of the season, but there's still a whole lot to discuss coming out of Week 4. Michael Beller, Jake Ciely and Brandon Funston get into the injuries to Nick Chubb and Austin Ekeler, Sean McVay's backfield shenanigans, Kirk Cousins vs. Baker Mayfield, the abundance of intriguing receivers available on the waiver wire, and more on this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast.
Follow Beller on Twitter: @MBeller
Follow Jake on Twitter: @allinkid
Follow Brandon on Twitter: @BrandonFunston
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The weekend has arrived, bringing with it 14 more Week 4 games. On this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast, Michael Beller and Derek VanRiper break down the Week 4 DFS slate. They discuss how a flat pricing week creates to a diversity of team-building options...but still find themselves targeting some expensive backs.
Later, Beller and Vic Tafur run through every game, highlighting their favorite picks against the spread (begins at 29:33). Are the Bears a good bet in Nick Foles' first start with the team? Can the Saints and Cardinals bounce back? Who finally gets their first win when the Texans and Vikings get together? We have opinions on that, and a whole lot more.
Follow Beller on Twitter: @MBeller
Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
Follow Vic on Twitter: @VicTafur
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Three weeks of the NFL season are behind us, and if your fantasy league is like many others, it's likely trade discussions are starting to pick up steam. Nando Di Fino, Jake Ciely and Eric Moody discuss some of the most interesting potential trade targets, including Joe Mixon, Odell Beckham and Allen Robinson, on this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast.
Rundown
1:38 Best practices for Steelers-Titans
4:26 Trade buzz and questions
5:58 Joe Mixon's trade prospects
14:42 Odell Beckham's place in the trade market
23:57 A surprising dearth of Allen Robinson trades
30:26 Buying low on David Johnson?
35:12 Ranking the trade targets we've discussed
36:54 Where is A.J. Brown in all of this?
41:28 A.J Green's trade value
47:05 Cole Beasley and Hunter Renfrow
51:11 Mike Davis, Darrell Henderson and Devonta Freeman
Follow Nando on Twitter: @nandodifino
Follow Eric on Twitter: @EricNMoody
Follow Jake on Twitter: @allinkid
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Week 4 is here, which means we are about to be one-third of the way through a typical fantasy football regular season. Michael Beller, Jake Ciely and Brandon Funston discuss more than 50 players in a Week 4 rankings context to help you get your lineups right on this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast.
Rundown
3:08 Do we still trust Drew Brees?
6:35 A quick Titans-Steelers update
8:51 Recalibrating expectations for Matthew Stafford?
11:17 Difference of opinion on Joe Burrow
13:56 A rebound week for Gardner Minshew
18:05 Not seeing eye to eye on Cam Newton
20:51 QB lightning round
23:40 Is Myles Gaskin locked in as an RB2?
26:07 Tempering expectations for Rex Burkhead
28:37 Is Philadelphia's offense a problem for Miles Sanders?
31:49 What does a Mike Davis trade look like?
34:44 Where does Carlos Hyde fit into the RB picture?
38:39 Is this a sell-high moment for Darrell Henderson?
41:48 RB lightning round
44:19 Cognitive dissonance on Julian Edelman
46:05 Can Allen Lazard be a consistent fantasy starter?
48:31 No love for Justin Jefferson
51:15 Auto-starting all Dallas receivers
53:18 Is it over for A.J. Green?
57:19 WR lightning round
59:25 How aggressive would you be in a Chris Godwin trade?
61:41 D.J. Chark is back at practice!
62:06 A little tight end talk
Follow Beller on Twitter: @MBeller
Follow Jake on Twitter: @allinkid
Follow Brandon on Twitter: @BrandonFunston
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It wasn't even a month ago when Jordan Howard and Matt Breida were forming a sneaky fun backfield in Miami, Cam Akers was poised to take ownership of the Rams' backfield, and Saquon Barkley was challenging Christian McCaffrey for alpha status in the fantasy football world. Now, Myles Gaskin is in control of Miami's backfield, Darrell Henderson looks like a breakout star, and Devonta Freeman and Dion Lewis have replaced the injured Barkley. Nando Di Fino and Emory Hunt dive into all the backfield changes across the league on this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast.
Rundown
3:30 Chicago's backfield after Tarik Cohen's injury
8:26 Myles Gaskin takes over in Miami
10:20 Sizing up the Rams' backfield when everyone is healthy
15:01 Why Emory has to watch all 60 minutes
17:20 Nando's and Emory's obligatory Dwayne Haskins segment
28:15 A matter of time before Devonta Freeman takes over?
32:41 What's up with the turf at the Meadowlands?
33:50 Making sense of the Lions' backfield
36:13 Potential practice squad gems
39:24 Who's the Chargers' starting QB when Tyrod Taylor is healthy
Follow Nando on Twitter: @nandodifino
Follow Emory on Twitter: @FBallGameplan
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Week 3 was thankfully a relatively quiet one on the injury front, but there are still a handful of standout players to target on the waiver wire. From Rex Burkhead and Myles Gaskin, to Justin Jefferson and Brandon Aiyuk, Michael Beller, Jake Ciely and Brandon Funston break down the Week 4 wire on this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast.
Rundown
1:46 Russell Wilson's greatness
4:58 Rex Burkhead and the Patriots' backfield
7:52 Myles Gaskin takes over in Miami
10:18 Jeff Wilson on the radar
12:20 Seattle's backfield after Chris Carson's mild ankle injury
15:13 Cordarrelle Patterson's role with Tarik Cohen (torn ACL) out
17:50 Detroit's annoying backfield
21:12 Any interest in La'Mical Perine?
25:24 Justin Jefferson breaks out
27:59 Brandon Aiyuk takes advantage
32:10 Can Allen Lazard keep it up when Davante Adams returns?
35:00 A Nick Foles bump for Anthony Miller?
38:58 Enough targets in Tampa to make Scotty Miller interesting?
41:15 K.J. Hamler and Tim Patrick
43:55 Buying into Andy Isabella's two-TD game?
45:57 Hunter Renfrow's opportunity in Vegas
49:08 Buffalo's WR depth chart if John Brown (calf) misses time
50:55 Tee Higgins shows up
53:55 Ignore Philadelphia's receivers
56:02 Blowing past the tight end position
58:59 Quarterbacks to stream in Week 4
61:02 Defenses to stream in Week 4
Follow Beller on Twitter: @MBeller
Follow Jake on Twitter: @allinkid
Follow Brandon on Twitter: @BrandonFunston
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There are a few monster totals on the board in Week 3 (55.5 in Lions-Cardinals and Cowboys-Seahawks), and that always makes for interesting DFS and gambling weeks. Michael Beller and Derek VanRiper break down the DFS slate, then Beller welcomes on Vic Tafur to discuss their favorite picks against the spread, on this hybrid episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast and The Athletic Football Show.
Rundown
1:20 Games to target for DFS in Week 3
3:47 Quarterback targets in Week 3
7:55 No shortage of ways to attack the running back position
15:17 Stars and scrubs at wide receiver
24:14 Finding bargains at tight end
26:14 No obvious options at defense
29:47 Week 3 picks against the spread
30:18 Week 2 audit
31:57 Patriots (-6.5) vs. Raiders
33:23 Bills (-2.5) vs. Rams
34:30 Steelers (-4) vs. Texans
36:41 49ers (-4) at Giants
38:51 Titans (-2.5) at Vikings
40:26 Browns (-7) vs. Washington
42:14 Eagles (-4.5) vs. Bengals
44:24 Falcons (-3) vs. Bears
46:10 Colts (-11.5) vs. Jets
47:18 Chargers (-6.5) vs. Panthers
49:03 Cardinals (-5.5) vs. Lions
51:08 Buccaneers (-6) at Broncos
53:02 Seahawks (-5) vs. Cowboys
54:37 Saints (-3) vs. Packers
55:38 Ravens (-3.5) vs. Chiefs
56:58 Recapping our Week 3 picks
58:01 Week 3 survivor picks
Follow Beller on Twitter: @MBeller
Follow DVR on Twitter: @DerekVanRiper
Follow Vic on Twitter: @VicTafur
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The third week of the NFL season is upon us, and as we start to figure out some situations, other questions arise. Is Jacksonville's new starting running back, James Robinson, better than their old one, Leonard Fournette? Did people just waste a whole bunch of FAB money on Nyheim Hines? Can Jerry Jeudy be a WR3 for the rest of the year? Nando Di Fino poses the questions, and Jake Ciely and Eric Moody answer them, on this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast.
Rundown
2:48 Today's topics
4:28 Fill in the blanks on James Robinson
8:11 James Robinson vs. Leonard Fournette
10:28 What happened to Matt Breida?
14:05 Reason to believe in Brandon Aiyuk?
17:23 Nyheim Hines vs. Jordan Howard
20:10 Cutting your FAB losses
22:09 Emmanuel Sanders vs. Sony Michel
31:21 Is Jerry Jeudy a top-36 WR this week?
32:27 Is Jerry Jeudy at top-36 WR for the season?
33:06 A K.J. Hamler tangent
37:33 Is Russell Gage a top-50 WR this season?
39:18 Will A.J. Green top 850 receiving yards?
40:12 Will Devonta Freeman hit 1,100 total yards?
40:55 Mike Davis vs. Jeff Driskel in PPR Superflex leagues
Follow Nando on Twitter: @nandodifino
Follow Moody on Twitter: @EricNMoody
Follow Jake on Twitter: @allinkid
Get a subscription to The Athletic for $1/month at theathletic.com/fantasyfootballpod
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Week 3 has arrived, and with it a new batch of rankings questions. What's your concern level on Drew Brees, Carson Wentz and Tom Brady? Are all of this week's waiver-wire RB darlings must-starts? Is CeeDee Lamb going to be in the top two on the Cowboys in targets? Has any tight end made the "if-you've-got-him-you-start-him" leap? Michael Beller, Jake Ciely and Brandon Funston answer those questions, and more, all while discussing the Week 3 prospects for more than 50 players or so on this episode of The Athletic Fantasy Football Podcast.
Rundown
1:26 The Consensus Start-Every-Week QBs
4:48 Concern Level for Drew Brees?
8:04 Concern Level for Carson Wentz?
10:39 Concern Level for Tom Brady?
13:35 A Regular QB Starter You'd Sit This Week
14:30 A Fringe QB You'd Start This Week
17:28 Are We Auto-Starting the New Starting RBs?
19:49 Can Darrell Henderson Run Away with the Rams' Job?
22:07 Has Leonard Fournette Taken Over Tampa Bay's Backfield?
24:31 Is James Robinson Locked Into RB2 Territory?
26:39 The Mess in Baltimore
29:06 Antonio Gibson Expectations
31:19 A Regular Starting RB You'd Bench This Week
32:47 A Fringe RB You'd Start This Week
35:12 Players to BUY HIGH or SELL LOW
38:00 Is CeeDee Lamb a Must-Start Receiver?
41:03 Jerry Jeudy's Standing for the Rest of the Season
44:00 Tre'Quan Smith's Role for the Saints
46:47 Forcing Robby Anderson and Corey Davis Into Lineups This Week?
52:39 A Regular Starting WR You'd Bench This Week
54:20 A Fringe WR You'd Start This Week
56:08 Have Any Tight Ends Made the Leap This Year?
57:05 Noah Fant vs. Dallas Goedert
59:22 A Fringe TE You'd Start This Week
Follow Beller on Twitter: @MBeller
Follow Jake on Twitter: @allinkid
Follow Brandon on Twitter: @BrandonFunston
Get a subscription to The Athletic for $1/month at theathletic.com/fantasyfootballpod
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