TSF Round Table Week 5
Another week is in the books and it’s time for everyone’s favorite weekly round table discussion. This week we brought in some of TSF’s favorite content producers to answer the burning questions about week 5. Make sure to check out their links at the bottom and stop by and give them a like and a follow. Let’s get it on!
broncoswire.usatoday.com/
Javonte Williams is likely done for the season. Melvin Gordon should get an opportunity to take over this Broncos backfield. Where do you have Gordon ranked the rest of the way?
Josh Bandy - 4th and Flex - Melvin Gordon the man, the myth, the legend has had an interesting year. With Javonte out for the season with an Injury, I'm not expecting too much out of him. Together they were a great 1,2 Punch, but as the lead back I fear he won't be very effective. Did you know that in 7 years Melvin Gordon has only gone over 1000 yards 1 time, with the Chargers in 2017. The opportunity will be there for him, so it will all be in his hands (Like the ball that we pray he can learn to hold onto). As a Melvin Gordon stasher I'm rooting for him to be the man on my fantasy team, but with the Broncos bringing in Latavius Murray, it's not looking promising. My theory, is they will bring in Murray to again have RBs working in tandem, because that's how their offense is designed. I think the time to start him is now before they deploy this double-headed RB committee that they hope to rise from the ashes of Javonte's torn ACL.
Elio Lorenzo - Average Joes Sports Talk Podcast- Gordon has not performed all that hot through four games this year. He has ball security issues with 4 fumbles so far. I see him ranking around RB20 for the rest of the season. I think Mike Boone will have an increase in workload which will eat into Gordon's snaps.
Eric - Patriot Sports Radio- I'm avoiding Melvin Gordon rest of the season unless the situation is dire and I need a living human running back in a pinch. I think the name will look good on your bench, but you'll never want to start him. I'd rather use that roster spot to stash potential like a D'Ernest Johnson or Isaiah Pacheco than carry Melvin Gordon around. He is more of a liability than an asset at this point. If I'm ranking Gordon, he's in the mid-40s near the Mattison/McKissic range.
Commissioner Cooper - TSS Fantasy - I would rank him as a flex play until they can give this offense some type of identity. They need to build trust in him and until they do we can’t have any trust in him
Chris Payne - Armchair Athletics- He is an automatic RB1 on the depth chart, and it is great not to have him in a dedicated timeshare anymore, but it's not like you're not going to slide the guy in front of players like Ekeler, Barkley, or Chubb lol.
Gordon is a serious back with serious talent, who also sits outside the Top 40 RBs. Even Williams was outside the Top 30 and Gordon isn't likely to be the only back in the Denver backfield. Also consider that with the arrival of Wilson's passing talent, the two only have 468 all-purpose yards combined. Barkley and Chubb both have just short of that on the ground alone, 9 of the Top 15 are over 300 on the ground, let alone "all-purpose". The point is, that Denver's days of providing Fantasy players with a dominant run threat seem to be a thing of the past. It doesn't help any when you are dropping the ball off literally once every contest either. You can be sure he will be under a watchful eye.
Denver and Gordon III have a decent schedule coming up with Ind (#13) LAC (#29), NYJ (#18), and Jac (#26) before the BYE, providing Gordon III with an opportunity to prove he deserves the role, but even at his best, mid to lower tier is about where he should sit. A great 3rd back for a league of 12 or more, but if you're in a 10-person league, there may be some better options.
cbssports.com
Jonathan Taylor was the consensus top pick off of draft boards this season. How concerned should fantasy owners be about his production and newly sustained ankle injury?
Josh Bandy - 4th and Flex- Coming into the 2022 season, I believed that we would see regression out of Jonathan Taylor. His 1 Touchdown through the first 4 games is a call for concern. This will be the first game he’s missed since high school and the “iron man” streak he was on certainly shows his toughness. Fantasy owners should rejoice in the fact that he will do anything to get back on that field, and be the bell cow we all know he can be. Hold steady on Jonathan Taylor, his rookie year he didn't start getting really going till the last stretch of games of the season. Last thing I'll say, is that Derrick Henry first overall pick, doesn't look so silly now.
Elio Lorenzo - Average Joes Sports Talk Podcast- Through 4 games, it is well expected that you will not get the Jonathan Taylor production from last year. I think Taylor will land around the Top 5-10 RB on a weekly basis for the remaining of the year with a couple of RB 1 performances. However only if he is 100% healthy and with a full workload. If the ankle becomes a factor, it will limit his workload while playing on it hurt.
Eric - Patriot Sports Radio- Taylor was our pick at 1.01 in The Trenches, and I'd be very concerned if he hadn't been RIPPED FROM OUR TEAM am I yelling? Sorry. Look, ankles and knees and hamstrings don't usually get better as you play more football on them. Not to mention the toe, that's its own stand-alone injury. I'd be a 7 of 10 on the freak-out scale.
Commissioner Cooper - TSS Fantasy-Trouble overall but not because of the injury. This offense has had its struggles and it’s because the offensive line isn’t good. Matt Ryan isn’t scaring anyone either. He’s a candidate for a big ADP bust,.
Chris Payne - Armchair Athletics- Unfortunately this is one I kind of saw coming. I got a lot of attention back in late July on The Armchair Athletics FB page when I said "Taylor will not finish as a Top 3 RB!". With a new QB who is fighting to solidify his legacy, and a young Michael Pittman waiting to break out, you could already see JT's regression chapter being written. The offensive line could be doing more, and the defense is looking to make sure JT never gets a real rest chance to re-gas during the game.
Over the last decade, only 1 consensus #1 RB, Gurley in 2017-18, has actually gone wire-to-wire and that was only in Standard scoring leagues. In fact, over the last decade, only four Top 3 RBs have even made the Top 3 the following year:
Forte 2013 & 14 (PPR only)
Bell, 16 & 17 (PPR only)
Gurley, 17 & 18 (STD only)
CMC, 18 & 19 (Only player to do it in both STD & PPR),
and of all the Consensus #1s in the last decade: only 2 Gurley (2018) & A.P. (2015) finished in the Top 3. 3 "#1s" finished outside the Top 50 (although technically 2 of those were CMC). The numbers tell us that JT already had the odds stacked against him, and now he will have to deal with a lingering ankle injury.
nbcsports.com
We've seen several rookie breakouts this season including Drake London, Chris Olave, Jahan Dotson, and Dameon Pierce. Who do you think is the next rookie to emerge as a potential every-week fantasy starter?
Josh Bandy - 4th and Flex- 1 + 1 = 2 right? So Aaron Rodgers plus Romeo Doubs should equal amazing fantasy production. It seems to make perfect sense. Romeo Doubs is going to be the next great rookie sensation in the NFL, and I have been saying this since Green Bay drafted him in the 4th round 132nd overall. I really like this kid, he seems ready for the big leagues. I have always had a knack for calling out big-time WRs, and Romeo Doubs is that next thing. If you can, Grab him immediately, then sit back and watch the fireworks
Elio Lorenzo - Average Joes Sports Talk Podcast- Atlanta Falcons RB Tyler Allgier. He is a bit on the small size at 5'11, however, he is built like a brick house at 220lbs. He has the downhill running style type of running back with decent speed. Now that Cordarrelle Paterson was placed in IR, it opens the door for Allgier to become Atlanta's RB1. Last week against a decent run defense of the Browns, Allgier averaged 8.4 yards per carry for a total of 84 yards. My man is poised to lead the Falcon's backfield moving forward.
Eric - Patriot Sports Radio-- First of all, how dare you not have Romeo Dawgs on the shortlist. Second of all, it's Romeo Doubs, Green Bay Packers WR. This kid wears the same number as Jordy and he was drafted in the 4th just like Adams, so you do the math. He's got the "it" factor that a playmaker has. Early in camp, Rodgers was remarking on how many "wow plays" Doubs was making, and now he's proven it in games.
This team needs somebody to step up and play opposite Lazard, and to me, it looks like the more available Romeo Doubs. If it is, you could be looking at double-digit touchdowns with a comma in the yardage off the wire.
Commissioner Cooper - TSS Fantasy- George Pickens certainly had chemistry with Pickett already which is a big plus when it comes to targets. These guys have been playing on the B squad together so they have a feel for each other. He has the potential to be a flex play if he finds his groove in this system.
Chris Payne - Armchair Athletics- With the injury to Patterson, I can see some people looking to Atlanta's Allgier, and the Picket-to-Pickens phrase has Fantasy owners salivating, but I think the name missing from your question has to be Romeo Doubs.
Doubs' 19/24 gives him an unheard-of reception rate of 79%!! (Yes you read that right). Of the other 3 WRs listed, the next closest is Olave with 58%. That is a HUGE gap in production and this isn't even a case where the percentages are skewed by the difference in quantity comparisons. And while Doubs may show as WR 37 on a Fantasy points sheet… compared to London's 40+pts, Olave's 39+pts, and London's 37+pts, Doubs is only 10 pts back give or take in a Standard scoring league. PPR widens the gap oh-so-little with Olave having 60+pts to Doubs 48+ but that 79% catch rate is certainly going to get the attention of a multi-time MVP trying to prove he can do it one more time.
Then let's look at Doubs' YAC and "Air Yards". Olave's 673 Air Yards more than doubles both Dotson's (334) and London's (334) with Doubs coming in at a mere 160. Not a great supporting stat line until you factor in the Yards After the Catch (YAC). Doubs has a ridiculous 125 YAC (London 84, Olave 43, Dotson 22) which is good enough for 20th in the entire NFL! It also illustrates the difference between Olave and Doubs' situations.
While Olave is making catches downfield using his absurdly smooth route running, Doubs is simply outplaying the coverage through his natural ability to accelerate and allude would-be tacklers in the open field. Yet another skill that is sure to catch the attention of his HOF QB and the Green Bay coaching staff. Doubs may be the "next rookie to emerge" after those other 3, but don't be surprised to see his name at the top of the list the next time you ask this question.
usatoday.com
The Philadelphia Eagles were the lone team to enter week 4 undefeated and withstood a furious start by the Jaguars. When do you think the Eagles will suffer their first loss?
Josh Bandy - 4th and Flex- The Eagles have a great schedule. They’ve also put a lot of work into this team. Their most impressive piece is Jalen Hurts. Hurts has been working on his game all Summer long, and it shows. He looks more accurate, he's making better decisions with the football, and even his footwork looks better. As far as the first loss of the season goes, I think the streak ends here in week 5. I don't believe the level that they are currently playing is sustainable. Remember last season when the Cardinals went 8-0 then gassed out in the last half of the season before getting embarrassed in the 1st round of the playoffs. As improved as the Eagles have been, I question if they’re built to last.
Elio Lorenzo - Average Joes Sports Talk Podcast- The Eagle’s schedule is so soft this year that it is tailored for a 13-4 record. I see them losing their first game in two weeks when they play the Cowboys or the Packers on 11/27.
Eric - Patriot Sports Radio--There will be snow on the ground when the Philadelphia Eagles lose their first game this season. I would say Houston is a sleepy spot, but it's a prime-time game. I think the Eagles lose to the Colts on November 12, possibly looking past the Colts and ahead to Green Bay the following week. If they head into Indy undefeated, the media will already be talking about Rodgers coming to Philly. It would be hard to get up for the below 500 Colts in that spot.
Commissioner Cooper - TSS Fantasy-It’s possible the Cardinals or the Cowboys pose the most immediate threat… if not they have an easy stretch up till Week 12 and the Packers… The Eagles are a good overall team and they were my pick to play the Packers in the NFC Championship
Chris Payne - Armchair Athletics- The easy answer is simply; when they lose focus on doing the things that have kept them successful so far.
For the time being, both the players and the coaching staff simplest only know the roles of each individual player but are in agreement about them. The entire team is on board with the idea that progression #1 when throwing is AJ Brown, and when running, it is Jalen Hurts. You don't see the RBs and other WRs whining about not getting enough looks or opportunities to score. Hurts has the team and the coaches are more than willing to let it all play out for the moment.
As soon as the status quo changes though, and unfortunately history supports the idea that it will, that is when you will see this team begin to fracture. Whether spurred on by the media, the dream of signing the next big contract, or an overreaction to the team on the other side, the only team standing in the way of the Eagle's win streak right now…is the Eagles.
agiledrop.com
How can we find more of your content to indulge in?
Josh Bandy - 4th and Flex- My name is "Bandy" and I'm the Producer, Writer, and Co-Host of the "4th and Flex Fantasy Football Podcast" you can Subscribe to our YouTube channel to get more information, and tips to help you win fantasy football championships. You can also find us on Apple Music, Spotify, Google podcast, and anywhere you listen to your Podcasts, you can also follow us on Twitter @4thandflexpod
Always a pleasure to talk fantasy football! Come Flex with us, and bring some fun to your fantasy season. With Top waiver wire pickups, starts, and sits advice, plus a whole lot more!
Elio Lorenzo - Average Joes Sports Talk Podcast- Twitter @joes_talk Go to my link tree to find my podcast on all the most popular platforms for your listening pleasure
https://linktr.ee/Average_Joe_Sports
Eric - Patriot Sports Radio- You can find Patriot Sports Radio and Plus Money Golf wherever you find podcasts. We also do live streams: Football Super Podcast every Saturday morning at 8:30 EST, Wake & Rake every Sunday morning at 8:30 CST, and our NFL Recap Show on Monday nights. All of these aside from Wake & Rake is available in podcast form.
For all things, Patriot Sports, come over to patriotsportsnow.com and join our community!
Commissioner Cooper - TSS Fantasy- The fantasy show of the people! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXw5Nwy7dCA-WiWoKpsY9qw
Chris Payne - Armchair Athletics- Readers out there can contact us with their weekly questions on Facebook and the web at TheArmchairAthletics.com, catch the live show on Yards After the Catch every Tuesday at 830pm est, and of course Subscribe to our YouTube channel at "The Armchair Athletics!" where they can see the most insane Fantasy Football reality show ever created, "The Trenches!" 12 Teams, 1 winner, $5000…every week, and you can attest Jordan, this competition is unlike anything anyone has EVER seen!!