Fantasy FaceOff - Week 3
The FFL team analyzes and compares several WRs for Week 3.
Video Transcript
JASON FITZ: All right, so let's do some fantasy faceoff. You know the drill here. It's going to be either or. We'll give you Puka Nacua or this guy. So we'll start with Andy. Puka or Keenan Allen?
ANDY BEHRENS: Yeah, well, spoiler, I'm going to end up taking Puka over pretty much everybody in the field. Because I've already told you that there's only five guys that I have above him. And Keenan Allen not one of them. I think Keenan Allen's a great start this week. Again, he's in that shootout matchup that we keep talking about. Nacua, though, come on.
The target totals are crazy. This is 35 targets in two games. We've literally never seen it from a rookie. 15 targets in his first game, and then it got better in the second game. The guy is on pace for over 200 catches right now.
And he's facing a team that's in-- certainly, backs against the wall. A little bit of disarray for Cincinnati. Stafford is playing as well as any quarterback in the game, certainly throwing it as well as any quarterback in the game. So I'm going Puka here. I'm leaning on volume.
JASON FITZ: All right, Matt, what about you on Puka versus DeVonta Smith?
MATT HARMON: Oh, I'm going DeVonta Smith on this one. Look, I love what I've seen out of Puka. Co-sign everything Andy just said. I mean, he's so technically sound for a rookie receiver. And he was this way at BYU too. He could beat man coverage, and it was very impressive. And he's beating man coverage.
And you just can tell that Stafford trusts this guy. And Stafford, when he trusts somebody, dials in. But DeVonta Smith is white hot right now. And I think this matchup against the Bucs is going to be really interesting for both of these wide receivers. So yeah, give me DeVonta Smith by just a hair here.
JASON FITZ: All right, let's see if this one tempts Andy to take somebody other than Puka. Puka-- I love the fact that these are names I'm giving you now. Puka or CeeDee? I can't believe I'm saying that. Puka or CeeDee, Andy? What do you got?
ANDY BEHRENS: Wow, you're bringing out the big gun here, Puka or CeeDee Lamb. I will say that this is-- finally, we're talking about a player who's actually worthy of having his name mentioned in the same sentence as Puka Nacua. Lamb, obviously, coming off an 11-catch game, facing a defense that ranks bottom third against the pass. It's a great spot for him, I'll give you that.
I can understand how someone might mistakenly rank Lamb over Nacua, as perhaps Matt has done. It's still wrong, but I get it. Again, I think Puka is going to continue to be fed. I don't see much of a way to stop this. By the way, Puka has joined the breakfast club. Puka is now part of the Cooper Kupp, Matt Stafford breakfast club thing. He's a made guy at this point.
JASON FITZ: I love the pass-- I feel like I'm at dinner with my mom and dad when I was a kid. The passive aggressive little digs at each other here are spectacular. All right, one more. And we'll go to Matt on this one. Puka or DK? All right, we going abs or are we going Puka?
MATT HARMON: We're going Puka on this one. Look, really like DK Metcalf. Of course, he's been playing great this year. He's actually routing guys up, and he looks really technically refined. Love to see that from DK Metcalf's game. It's been kind of an evolution there.
But I don't think Seattle is going to have to do too much to beat the Carolina Panthers. I think they can rely on Kenneth walker. They can spread the ball around a little bit. I mean, my God, Andy Dalton's starting on the other side of this thing.
So in a just environment right now where Puka is absolutely eating-- and he's playing up to the production. That's the thing. People are like, oh, it's a fluke. It's a fluke. It's a fluke. No, he's playing up to this level of production right now. He looks that good as an isolated individual. He's definitely the guy I'm taking here over DK Metcalf in this one.
JASON FITZ: By the way, for all the jokes I've made, you guys have both made an important point about Puka and why I think it lasts. When you have a veteran quarterback and a smart coach that have found rhythm with a young player, and it gets hot, it takes something to turn it to not, right? As long as it stays hot-- and sure, teams are going to look at it and try and figure out how to defend him.
But the Rams have made it clear that they are comfortable with him in big situations. Stafford has made it clear he's comfortable with him in big situations. I think this shows you that you're going to see that throughout the rest of the year. Because this isn't young guy getting to know young guy. This is seasoned vet and brilliant coach figuring out how to use young guy.
Now it's up to everybody else to try and figure out how to stop it. They're a step ahead. I think the usage will continue throughout the course of the year. So good work by you guys on that, and I love to see the Puka love continue.