Unsolved Mysteries + TNF Preview, Trade Decisions - Fantasy Football Podcast for 9/23
The Footballers dug into three 'unsolved mysteries' — whether Bryce Young has leveled up in Carolina's suddenly pass-heavy offense, whether Javonte Williams' slow start is really about him or Dallas' offensive line, and whether Mike McDaniel's Chargers offense is fixable — before previewing Falcons-Packers Thursday Night Football and running a mailbag on Mahomes, Shough vs. Burrow, and Javonte vs. Jeremiah Love. Injury news dominated the front half, headlined by Jaxson Dart's season-ending knee surgery and the Michael Penix Jr./Tua QB situation in Atlanta.
The Footballers dig into a two-week-old season where early data is starting to look like real signal rather than noise: a Panthers offense that's changed its entire identity, a Chargers offense collapsing under injuries, and a Chiefs attack that suddenly looks dangerous again because of one new running back. The through-line is that early-season overreactions can still be correct reactions if the underlying scheme or personnel shift is real, and the hosts spend the show sorting out which "mysteries" are actually already solved.
The arguments
Bryce Young's improvement is tied to a real philosophical shift in Carolina, not just soft matchups. Andy and Mike point to the Panthers playing at 23 seconds per snap (fastest in the league) and sitting number one in neutral-game pass rate, arguing Dave Canales has stopped trying to run the ball into competence and is letting Young throw with Darren Waller now supplying a red-zone target alongside Tet McMillan and Jalen Coker. Jason pushes back with the 2024 track record — Young torched Atlanta for 448 yards last year and then fell off a cliff for five straight weeks — landing on a much lower ceiling (QB20) than Andy's QB10.
Javonte Williams' slow start is a line problem, not a talent or role problem. The crew cites him ranking 42nd of 43 backs in first downs and posting 2.96 yards per carry, but notes Dallas' offensive line is dead last in yards before contact and Tyler Smith isn't projected back until Week 5. Their conclusion: he's a buy-low candidate in the next week or two, not a cut, even with tough Ravens and Texans matchups looming.
The Chargers' offensive collapse is being blamed on both scheme and personnel, and the hosts can't fully agree. Andy defends Mike McDaniel's track record (his Dolphins tenure, the Tyreek Hill peak years) and points to Ladd McConkey's injury as the real culprit; Jason counters with the raw numbers — 30th in EPA per play, 31st in turnover differential — as evidence the offense simply isn't performing regardless of excuses. They agree the schedule ahead (starting at Buffalo) offers no relief and expect the Bills to cover a surprisingly modest 7-point line.
Patrick Mahomes' resurgence is being credited to Ken Walker, not to Mahomes running more. Jason argues the mere threat of Walker forces defenses to respect the run and stay honest on play-action, unlocking easy touchdown designs even without a marquee receiver on the roster. Andy remains skeptical enough to answer flat "no" on whether Mahomes is fully back, while Jason ranks him as low as QB5 for the rest of the season — a split the hosts leave unresolved.
Drake London and Bijan Robinson should be treated as must-starts now that Michael Penix is back under center, using last year's Penix stretch (London on pace for 180 targets, Bijan on pace for 100+) as the evidence base, despite Atlanta running zero red-zone plays through two games.
Tucker Kraft's role, not the Packers' backfield mess, is the real Green Bay storyline, with his snap share jumping to 98% after four linemen went down; Caleb Johnson is the back the hosts want more involved after flashing explosiveness on limited touches over Marshawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks.
What it means for your roster
- Start Bryce Young with confidence against Cleveland; the Panthers' pace and pass-rate shift look sustainable, not matchup-dependent.
- Hold Javonte Williams through the Ravens/Texans stretch and target him as a buy-low once Tyler Smith returns in Week 5 rather than benching him now.
- In dynasty or keeper formats, prefer Jeremiah Love over Javonte Williams rest-of-season and shop Javonte in trades — expect the offer to get rejected.
- Fade Chargers players and stream defenses against Los Angeles; the offensive-line/receiver injuries plus scheme inefficiency make this a low-confidence unit going forward.
- Start Tucker Kraft as a top tight end play given his 98% snap share; keep Packers running backs (Lloyd, Brooks, Johnson) off your bench-to-start radar for now, but monitor Caleb Johnson's touches.
- Start Drake London and Bijan Robinson every week Penix is under center regardless of Atlanta's red-zone drought; consider buying Mahomes now given the Ken Walker-driven offensive unlock, even amid disagreement on his final ranking.
“Bryce Young's defense is not very good.” — Fantasy Footballers - Fantasy Football Podcast
Players in this episode
↑ Was on pace for 100+ targets in games with Penix at QB last season, reinforcing confidence in the Falcons passing offense's fantasy value now.
→ Faces a tough Pittsburgh defense this week (was QB18 last time out vs. them); hosts controversially leaned Shough over him for this week only, while preferring Burrow long-term.
↑ In a would-you-rather, hosts unanimously preferred Love over Javonte Williams rest-of-season, calling it an easy talent-over-opportunity call and a good buy target via trade.
↑ His tackle-breaking ability forces defenses to respect play-action, opening up easy touchdown throws for Mahomes even without a true alpha receiver.
↑ With Penix back at QB, hosts called him a must-start, citing a prior 180-target pace with Penix under center.
↓ Averaging under 3 YPC, ranked 42nd of 43 backs in first downs; hosts blame Dallas' league-worst yards-before-contact O-line and floated him as a buy-low once Tyler Smith returns from IR.
↓ Chargers' offense looked fine before he got hurt; his absence is central to why LA's passing attack has stalled.
↑ Cited as part of a strong receiving trio (with Coker and Waller) fueling Bryce Young's improved play.
↑ Looked dramatically improved without Matt Nagy's scheme, with creative goal-line design and three total TDs across two weeks; one host called him a top-5 QB again while the other stayed at 8-9.
↓ Reports confirmed damage to the PCL, MCL and meniscus; he is expected to have season-ending knee surgery.
↑ Snap share jumped from ~50% to 98%; hosts expect Green Bay to start scheming plays for him given the lack of a true possession receiver.
↑ With Carolina's offense trending up and Malik Davis/Brooks-type competition thinning, hosts said they'd trade Javonte Williams for Hubbard given the chance.
↑ Dominating start/sit tool queries after back-to-back strong outings; hosts leaned him over Joe Burrow this week due to a plus home matchup vs. the Raiders.
↑ His health called 'crucial' to unlocking Carolina's passing attack alongside McMillan.
↑ Threw for 8.9 YPA over the last two weeks with three TDs in back-to-back games; hosts debated whether Carolina's new fast-paced, pass-heavy identity is legitimately unlocking him, projecting him as a low-end QB1.
↑ Confirmed starting Thursday night vs. Green Bay with Tua Tagovailoa as backup; hosts noted Drake London and Bijan Robinson posted huge target shares with Penix last year.
↓ Cleared to play but will be Thursday's backup behind Penix, not the starter.
↑ Seen as a valuable red-zone option for Bryce Young even though he's not the Waller of old.
→ Hosts expect a tamer version of 'chaotic' Winston under Harbaugh's run-first, protect-the-ball approach, but not a fully neutered game manager either — a solid Dynasty bye-week fill-in.
↓ Entered concussion protocol after the game; hosts said they'd bench all Bears pass-catchers given the QB uncertainty into a Monday night game vs. the Eagles.