Week 2 Mailbag Q&A! Start/Sit, Waivers & Trade Questions Answered (09/19 Fantasy Football Podcast)
This Week 2 mailbag episode of Fantasy Football Today tackled a flood of start/sit and trade questions from chat and email, with heavy focus on receiver injuries (A.J. Brown, DJ Moore, Nico Collins, Zay Flowers) and how to navigate depleted rosters. The hosts also debated buy-low/sell-high trade value on players like Brock Bowers, Rashee Rice, Malik Nabors and Omarion Hampton, closing with several Fantasy Cops league-dispute rulings.
This episode is a rapid-fire mailbag covering start/sit dilemmas, trade evaluations, and a stack of Fantasy Cops rules disputes, with hosts Adam, Dave, Jamie, and Dan responding to YouTube chat, emails, and Apple Podcasts questions. The recurring thread is skepticism toward week-one overreactions — on both the Chargers offense and the Chiefs' passing-game usage — paired with a willingness to buy talent through injury-driven trade windows.
The arguments
Hold AJ Brown even in a rough start. A manager 0-2 with AJ Brown and DJ Moore was offered DK Metcalf and Carnell Tate. Both Adam and the group rejected it outright, arguing you have to get back a player you can actually start now, and advised waiting to find a desperate 2-0 (or eventually 3-0) team rather than accepting a lateral, uncertain package.
The Chargers' week-one struggles are the most overreacted result in fantasy so far. Adam argued the offense was never really stopped — it was self-inflicted mistakes and a McConkie injury, not defensive dominance, that made the game look bad, and Hampton flashed well before the injury. The group used this to justify rejecting a trade sending away Ken Walker/Achane/Hampton for David Montgomery and Deebo Samuel, and floated that losing McConkie could actually boost Hampton's workload.
Garrett Wilson is systematically overrated by the fantasy community, according to Adam. He pointed out Wilson has been a top-12 receiver through the first six games in each of the past two seasons before fading (due to a Davante Adams trade and an injury), arguing the ranking is built on hope more than sustained production. Dave pushed back, saying the Jets' offense looked genuinely competent on tape against Tennessee — better O-line, a fluid rhythm, Geno Smith playing well with time — and that Wilson's target share shouldn't erode much even with Sadiq/Mitchell/Cooper additions.
Dalton Kincaid may be a legitimate difference-maker while Kareem Hunt-Rice's role is trending in the wrong direction. The hosts cited a Jacob-sourced stat that Kincaid has 225 receiving yards through two games, second-most for any tight end since 2000, and noted only Puka and JSN had a better yards-per-route last season among 200-plus route players. Conversely, they flagged concern about Rice's route depth and target depth shrinking, with Heath (per a referenced panic-meter discussion) less worried than Adam and Dave, who called Rice a potential candidate for biggest fantasy bust.
Bowers/Vele for Wilson/Fannin is a no-brainer accept despite injury risk. The whole crew agreed they'd click accept immediately on this trade, acknowledging Bowers' injury could linger all season but arguing the upside outweighs it, and that Wilson lacks the same league-winning ceiling.
Mahomes versus Dart split the room. Adam leaned Mahomes, citing a bad Colts defense and concern about the Giants' offensive line (especially if Aaron Donald plays) creating a mismatch. Dave and others preferred Dart, pointing to a possible negative game script for the Rams offense and Dart's rushing floor, plus a strong track record last season outside of two bad games.
What it means for your roster
- Do not trade AJ Brown for a Metcalf/Tate package or similar; hold and shop him to a desperate winless team instead.
- Buy or hold Chargers running backs, especially Hampton — the offense's week-one struggles were framed as overblown, and reduced target competition from McConkie's absence could boost his role.
- Prioritize Dalton Kincaid in trade talks or start/sit — the hosts view his early workload as legitimately elite, not a fluke.
- Treat Kareem Hunt-Rice's role as shaky; don't rely on last year's usage projecting forward, and consider selling if a buyer still values him at ADP.
- Start Judkins over Dobbins, Kalief Raymond, and Malik Collins in PPR flex spots — more upside was the deciding factor.
- Accept Bowers/Vele-for-Wilson/Fannin-type offers if presented in your league; the hosts view Bowers' ceiling as worth the injury risk over Wilson's more capped outcome.
“I'd probably go Love, but it's close between him and Lloyd and Judkins.” — Adam
Players in this episode
↑ Hosts argued the Chargers' Week 1 struggles were overreacted to and that Hampton looked good on tape, making him a buy-low, especially with McConkey out.
↑ Preferred over Lloyd and Judkins due to tape looking good and highest upside, despite a game-script-dependent role.
↑ Hosts unanimously rejected trading him (plus Mike Washington) for DK Metcalf and Carnell Tate, calling it insufficient value.
↑ Hosts said they'd immediately accept a trade for Bowers and Devin Vele over Garrett Wilson and Harold Fannin despite lingering injury concerns, citing league-winning upside.
↑ Hosts believe he could soon be ranked inside the top 12 WRs given his role and near-two-touchdown performance in his return.
↑ Part of a trade offer (with Jadarian Price) for Chase Brown that hosts deemed fair, calling Olave a stud being bought low.
↓ Hosts expressed real concern about his route depth and target usage, with one host calling him a potential candidate for biggest bust in fantasy this year.
→ Hosts disagreed — one host called him overrated relative to production the last two years due to injuries/competition, while another sees more upside given the Jets' improved offensive line and Geno Smith's play.
↑ Favored by Adam over Dart this week given a bad Colts defense and concerns about the Giants' offensive line/pass rush matchup.
↑ Called an easy start over Jaden Daniels this week by most of the hosts.
→ Split opinion for Week 2 start over Mahomes — some like the chasing-points scenario and his rushing floor against the Rams.
↑ Preferred start over Dobbins, Kalif Raymond and Malik Nabors due to more upside.
↑ Hosts loved his matchup this week and refused to sit him in a tough four-way decision.
↑ Favored as a touchdown-scoring upside play over Higgins/Amon-Ra-type options this week given the Bills' dominant form.
↑ Cited a stat showing 225 receiving yards through two games (2nd-most among TEs since 2000) and strong yards-per-route-run, making him a buy in a trade for Colston Loveland.
↓ Hosts said they would bench him in flex/start-sit spots, showing little confidence in his role.
↑ Favored over Marshawn Lloyd if McConkey is out, especially in PPR.
↑ Preferred over Wicks/Black in flex if Alec Pierce is out, though Pierce is expected back.
→ Hosts are encouraged by his target volume but caution it's too early to rank him over Higgins, Smith, or Burden; view him as a good long-term stash.
↑ Flagged as one of the favorite flyer plays if Zay Flowers sits, noting Lamar Jackson praised him this week.