Earful of Fantasy Episode #5

On this episode, Liam and I make our late night programming debut with a string of lively conversations about Dalvin Cook, the Texans Week 5 offensive explosion and the Giants' collection of corpses. Listen below, subscribe at your favorite podcast provider and tune in next Wednesday for another round of fantasy football talk.




Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-know-youre-a-winner-when-eof105/id1478573845?i=1000452995329
Earful of Dirt: https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/you-know-youre-winner-when-eof105.html

Week 5 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Deshaun Watson (Texans) 
If you were waiting for Watson to wake up after 3 straight mediocre performances, boy oh boy did your wish come true. Watson looked like a man possessed all day on Sunday as he shredded the Falcons defense for 426 YDS and 5 TD's through the air while adding another 47 YDS on the ground. He'll look to start building a hot streak versus a beatable Chiefs D in Week 6.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Ryan (Falcons), Russell Wilson (Seahawks), Dak Prescott (Cowboys)

LVP: Baker Mayfield (Browns) 
The nightmarish sophomore campaign of Mayfield continued with a primetime meltdown (100 YDS/0 TD/2 INT/FUM REC) against an aggressive 49ers defense that continues to impress. Mayfield has easily been the biggest letdown at QB thus far and with an absolutely brutal upcoming schedule that includes a visit from the Seahawks this week and a trip to Foxboro to face the Patriots on the 27th, it seems unlikely that he'll be able to turn things around anytime soon.

Dishonorable Mentions: Carson Wentz (Eagles), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Phillip Rivers (Chargers)

Running Back

MVP: Aaron Jones (Packers) 
Continuing this week 5 theme of "Where the Hell Did This Come From?": Jones put together a career-best performance after posting less than 60 scrimmage YDS and a per carry average of under 2 YDS in the prior 2 games. The 3rd-year back massacred an unsuspecting Cowboys defense for 183 scrimmage YDS (107 rushing, 75 receiving) and 4 TD"s on 26 touches in a huge road win for the Packers. While his TD output (8 in 5 games, just 1 shy of what he got in 12 games last year) has been superb, his fantasy owners will hope this monster performance signals the start of more consistent play on the whole. 

Honorable Mentions: Christian McCaffery (Panthers), Josh Jacobs (Raiders), Matt Brieda (49ers)

LVP: Melvin Gordon (Chargers) 
In his 1st game action of 2019 after ending a 2 month holdout, Gordon proved it's going to be a little bit before he's ready to significantly contribute to the Chargers offense again. He mustered just 38 YDS (31 rushing, 7 receiving) on 16 touches against a Broncos defense that had allowed the 5th  most fantasy points to running backs prior to this game. He'll be a very risky start in Week 6 versus a below average Steelers run defense.

Dishonorable Mentions: Damien Williams (Chiefs), LeSean McCoy (Chiefs), Jaylen Samuels (Steelers)

Wide Receiver 

MVP: Will Fuller (Texans) 
If you were fortunate enough to plug Fuller into your starting lineup this past weekend, you were rewarded beyond your wildest dreams. The Texans deep threat put together the type of superhuman outing (217 YDS and 3 TD's on 14 receptions) that almost feels inconvieable considering his somewhat limited role in the offense. Obviously he's not going to receive that type of ridiculous volume on a weekly basis, but he should remain in the WR2 mix as long as Kenny Stills is sidelined.

Honorable Mentions: Michael Thomas (Saints), Amari Cooper (Cowboys), D.J. Chark (Jaguars)

LVP: Mike Evans (Buccaneers) 
In tragic news, Evans has gone into hiding again. The Bucs top wideout was last seen entering the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans last Sunday afternoon and hasn't been heard from since. Hopefully he'll reemerge when his team travels to London to face the Panthers this Sunday.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Keenan Allen (Chargers), Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns), Julio Jones (Falcons)

Tight End

MVP: George Kittle (49ers) 
TE proved to be the lone (relatively) quiet position in an otherwise monstrous week for fantasy football, but that didn't stop Kittle from finally putting up solid numbers. The 2018 All-Pro led the 49ers in receiving (6 REC/70 YDS), found the endzone for the 1st time this season and got an 18 YD rush in a comical blowout win over the Browns last night. As disappointing as Kittle's output has been for a guy who was picked in the top 20-30 overall in fantasy drafts, there's a very real chance that a return to the dominant form he displayed last season will come sooner than later.

Honorable Mentions: Zach Ertz (Eagles), Jared Cook (Saints), Will Dissly (Seahawks)

LVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
It's officially time to start getting concerned about Olsen's role in the Panthers offense with Kyle Allen under center. For the 2nd consecutive week, Olsen was a complete non-factor (0 receptions on just 2 targets) in a contest against the Jaguars where Allen only threw for 181 YDS. A Bucs defense that he carved up for 110 YDS back in Week 2 could be just what Olsen needs to get right.

Dishonorable Mentions: O.J. Howard (Buccaneers), Delanie Walker (Titans), Darren Waller (Raiders)

Defense/Special Teams

MVP: Eagles 
The Eagles REALLY took advantage of being the last team (for now) to face off against a Luke Falk-led offense. Falk and the Jets high-flying offense overseen by virtuoso coach Adam Gase registered just 6 points while surrendering 10 sacks, 2 INT, a FUM REC and a pair of scores to a defense that hadn't exactly been lighting up the fantasy world (3 sacks, 5 takeaways, 0 TD, 24+ points allowed in Weeks 1-4) prior to this explosion. Expect just a smidge of a dropoff when they face a more competent Vikings offense in Week 6. 

Honorable Mentions: 49ers, Patriots, Chargers

LVP: Bears 
The Bears spent this week becoming the latest stars of "When Revenge Games Go Wrong". Khalil Mack and co. got steamrolled by Jon F'n Gruden's offense, allowing 24 points and sacking Derek Carr 0 times. A pair of fumble recoveries were the only silver linings to be found on this embarrassing trip to London. Even with the league's most brutal schedule awaiting them after the bye, this group is too damn talented to write off in the long-term.  

Dishonorable Mentions: Jaguars, Ravens, Browns

2019 NFL Power Rankings: Week 6

()=previous ranking

1.(1) New England Patriots (5-0) Week 6 opponent: New York Giants
2.(3) New Orleans Saints (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Jacksonville Jaguars
3.(2) Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Houston Texans
4.(7) Green Bay Packers (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Detroit Lions
5.(6) Seattle Seahawks (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Cleveland Browns
6.(13) San Francisco 49ers (4-0) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Rams
7.(9) Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Minnesota Vikings
8.(4) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) Week 6 opponent: San Francisco 49ers
9.(5) Dallas Cowboys (3-2) Week 6 opponent: New York Jets
10.(10) Houston Texans (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Kansas City Chiefs
11.(14) Buffalo Bills (4-1) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
12.(11) Baltimore Ravens (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Cincinnati Bengals
13.(8) Chicago Bears (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
14.(15) Carolina Panthers (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15.(22) Indianapolis Colts (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
16.(16) Detroit Lions (2-1-1) Week 6 opponent: Green Bay Packers
17.(20) Minnesota Vikings (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Philadelphia Eagles
18.(24) Oakland Raiders (3-2) Week 6 opponent: Bye Week
19.(18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Carolina Panthers
20.(12) Los Angeles Chargers (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Pittsburgh Steelers
21.(17) Tennessee Titans (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Denver Broncos
22.(21) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New Orleans Saints
23.(19) Cleveland Browns (2-3) Week 6 opponent: Seattle Seahawks
24.(23) New York Giants (2-3) Week 6 opponent: New England Patriots
25.(25) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Los Angeles Chargers
26.(26) Atlanta Falcons (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Arizona Cardinals
27.(27) Denver Broncos (1-4) Week 6 opponent: Tennessee Titans
28.(28) Arizona Cardinals (1-3-1) Week 6 opponent: Atlanta Falcons
29.(29) New York Jets (0-4) Week 6 opponent: Dallas Cowboys
30.(30) Cincinnati Bengals (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Baltimore Ravens
31.(31) Washington Redskins (0-5) Week 6 opponent: Miami Dolphins
32.(32) Miami Dolphins (0-4) Week 6 opponent: Washington Redskins

The Best and Worst of Clive Owen

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Gemini Man” star Clive Owen.

Films starring Clive Owen that I've seen:
The Bourne Identity
King Arthur
Sin City
The Pink Panther
Inside Man
Children of Men
Shoot 'Em Up
The International
Killer Elite 
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Best Performance: Shoot 'Em Up (2007)
Fresh off the acclaim of a string of prestige projects including Closer, Inside Man and Children of Men, Owen decided to go hang out in the gutter and take the lead role in a truly insane action movie called Shoot 'Em Up. This surprise detour proved to be a move of pure genius. Seeing an actor who had made a name for himself in serious fare fearlessly jump into an over-the-top demented world where cartoonish violence and morbid humor reign supreme is the type of unexpectedly brilliant transformation that is worthy of endless praise in my eyes.

Worst Performance: King Arthur (2004)
Like every other actor (Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd, Joel Edgerton, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Winstone) involved in this misguided remake, Owen succumbs to the dreary tone of the script-making Arthur a staggeringly dull protagonist that's hard to buy as a fearless warrior of destiny.

Best Film: Sin City (2005)
Outside of Pulp Fiction, no movie has ever blown me away to the extent that Sin City did. Robert Rodriguez's noir crime saga is a masterclass in visuals, acting and atmosphere that brought the feel of a comic book to the big screen in a way that no other film had before or has since.

Worst Film: King Arthur (2004)
For as many issues as I had with the most recent King Arthur adaptation (2017's Legend of the Sword), Antoine Fuqua's 2004 version is a far worse product. While the action scenes are pretty competent, this take on the iconic folk tale is inorganically gritty to the point where it becomes tedious and joyless to watch.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Zombieland: Double Tap” star Zoey Deutch. 

Earful of Fantasy Episode #4

On this episode, Liam and I discuss quarter season storylines, the status of the Al Davis eternal flame and pump up Jacoby Brissett more than any other fantasy football podcast ever has. There's also a great sequence where I pause for an extraordinary amount of time because I jumbled up my notes and had to sort out my picks. Listen below, subscribe at whatever podcast provider you fancy and tune in on Wednesday at 7:30 EST on our Facebook page if you want to hear this auditory magic live.


Earful of Dirt site:https://www.earfulofdirt.com/2019/10/in-search-of-orange-eof104.html
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/in-search-of-orange-eof104/id1478573845?i=1000452105037

The Best and Worst of Joaquin Phoenix

“The Best and Worst of” series chronicles the career highlights and lowlights of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week, I take a look at the filmography of “Joker” star Joaquin Phoenix.

Films starring Joaquin Phoenix that I've seen:
Clay Pigeons
Gladiator 
Signs
The Village 
Ladder 49
Hotel Rwanda
Walk the Line
We Own the Night
Her
Irrational Man
You Were Never Really Here
Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot
The Sisters Brothers

Best Performance: Her (2013)
Phoenix is a fascinating actor because of his ability to alternate between subtlety and showboating with ease. Although there are many of his performances from both camps that left me speechless, his quiet yet commanding turn in Her stands above the rest. He plays a lonely recent divorcee who develops a romantic relationship with his phone's operating system (Scarlett Johannsson) with a level of raw emotional transparency that allows the character's road back from heartbreak to be incredibly authentic and moving.        

Worst Performance: Signs (2002)
The only thing notable about Phoenix's flat performance in Signs is that he was directly involved in the beautifully stupid moment where M. Night Shyamalan lost his edge as a filmmaker. I can't look at a baseball bat, hear the phrase "swing away" or even think about a minor league baseball team without visualizing Phoenix frantically knocking over glasses of water to destroy the aliens that had invaded his brother's (Mel Gibson) farmhouse. Hopefully when Phoenix dies, that will be the scene they play during his Oscars "In Memoriam" slot.

Best Film: Gladiator (2000) 
Since I'm viewing it through a purely nostalgic lens (I haven't watched it in over a decade), I'll stop short of saying Gladiator is an all time favorite of mine. However, don't mistake my refusal to make that declaration as a sign that I don't love this movie. Ridley Scott's historical revenge drama is an epic, rousing piece of blockbuster excess that features electric acting from its gifted cast (Russell Crowe, Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Honsou) and some of the best battle scenes ever put on film. 

Worst Film: The Village (2004)
Signs may have signaled the start of M. Night Shyamalan's downturn, but The Village marked the moment where he went fully off-the-rails. This period psychological thriller is so riddled with terrible acting and absurd plot twists that made it impossible for me to take whatever message about coping with trauma he was trying to convey seriously.

Thank you for reading this week's edition of “The Best and Worst of”. The next victim of my praise and ire will be “Gemini Man" star Clive Owen. 

Week 4 Fantasy Football Winners and Losers: 2019 Edition

Quarterback
MVP: Jameis Winston (Buccaneers) 
While the notoriously erratic signalcaller was due for an explosion after a so-so start to 2019, I don't think too many people expected a contest against the defending NFC champs to be the game where Winston finally went off. Outside of a late pick 6 to Marcus Peters, Winston was terrific against the Rams-throwing for 385 YDS and 4 TD in an impressive road win for the Bucs. Ol' Crab Legs will likely come back to earth in Week 5 when he goes against a Saints defense that has been sensational in non-garbage time situations over the past 2 weeks.
Honorable Mentions: Lamar Jackson (Ravens), Aaron Rodgers (Packers), Jared Goff (Rams)

LVP: Dak Prescott (Cowboys)
For the 1st time under new OC Kellen Moore, Prescott appeared mortal. The Saints took away the deep passing lanes and forced Prescott to revert to the checkdown-heavy attack that had defined this offense under former offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, which generated predictably lackluster results (223 YDS/0 TD/1 INT). Prescott could make it back-to-back duds this week when he goes up against a tough Packers secondary that's held all 4 quarterbacks they've played so far to 230 YDS or less.
Dishonorable Mentions: Deshaun Watson (Texans), Tom Brady (Patriots), Russell Wilson (Seahawks)

Running Back
MVP: Nick Chubb (Browns) 
The Browns offense finally turned a corner against the Ravens this week and Chubb deserves a lot of the credit for their long-awaited breakthrough. Chubb's monster performance (183 scrimmage YDS, 3 rushing TDS on 23 touches) made this group much more balanced and allowed 2nd year quarterback Baker Mayfield to play with a level of ease that he hadn't displayed in the prior 3 games. If Chubb can keep this level of play up, he'll ascend to the weekly RB1 ranks very quickly.
Honorable Mentions: Jordan Howard (Eagles), Leonard Fournette (Jaguars), Austin Ekeler (Chargers)

LVP: Marlon Mack (Colts)
A combination of game script and merely average production on the carries he did receive (11 for 39 YDS) made Mack a non-factor during an unexpected blowout home loss against the Raiders. Mack will look to break the up-and-down cycle he's been stuck in all season this week against a Chiefs D that currently ranks 31st against the run.
Dishonorable Mentions: Adrian Peterson (Redskins), Philip Lindsay (Broncos), Joe Mixon (Bengals)

Wide Receiver 
MVP: Chris Godwin (Buccaneers) 
The hip ailment that kept Godwin out of practice for most of last week clearly wasn't too serious. He ended up serving as the catalyst for the Bucs staggering offensive performance against a previously vaunted Rams defense, registering a mammoth 12 receptions for 172 YDS and 2 TD's. Godwin will look to keep rolling against a talented, but beatable Saints secondary on Sunday afternoon.
Honorable Mentions: Kenny Golladay (Lions), Courtland Sutton (Broncos), Davante Adams (Packers)

LVP: Odell Beckham Jr. (Browns)
On a day where the Browns offense came alive, OBJ was left out of the fun. Beckham Jr., who reeled in just 2 catches for 20 yards, was pretty much completely shutdown by the Ravens top corner Marlon Humphery while teammates Jarvis Landry (8 REC/167 YDS) and Ricky Seals-Jones (3 REC/82 YDS/1 TD) put together career-best performances. The chemistry with Baker Mayfield hasn't really been there so far, but OBJ remains too dynamic to not be considered a top 5-10 fantasy WR moving forward.
Dishonorable Mentions: Adam Thielen (Vikings), JuJu Smith-Schuster (Steelers), Tyler Boyd (Bengals)

Tight End
MVP: Austin Hooper (Falcons)
Hooper easily led the way in receiving (9 REC/130 YDS) on a mostly miserable afternoon for the reeling Falcons against the Titans. A Texans D that has done a terrific job slowing down TE's thus far (2nd least fantasy points allowed) awaits Hooper next.
Honorable Mentions: Jimmy Graham (Packers), Will Dissly (Seahawks), Eric Ebron (Colts)

LVP: Greg Olsen (Panthers)
Olsen fell back to earth in a major way against the Texans after back-to-back dominant performances. The veteran tight end mustered just 2 catches for 5 YDS on a day where Kyle Allen was in sync with no one outside of Christian McCaffery. He'll remain a TE1 option for a Week 5 showdown with the potentially Jalen Ramsey-less Jaguars.
Dishonorable Mentions: Delanie Walker (Titans), Vernon Davis (Redskins), O.J. Howard (Buccaneers)

Defense/Special Teams
MVP: Patriots 
After a week away, the Patriots have returned to their MVP throne in Week 4. Comically sloppy QB play, a key blocked punt/return TD and just good old fashioned aggressiveness helped the Pats D put together another sensational showing (5 sacks/4 INT) that powered them to a 16-10 victory in a tight defensive struggle against the Bills. While they've certainly benefited from kicking off the season playing 4 of the league's most inept offenses, the Patriots defense is a tough, deep group with no serious weaknesses that has an excellent chance of being the top fantasy defense all season long.
Honorable Mentions: Steelers, Bears, Seahawks

LVP: Ravens
Something is wrong with the Ravens defense right now. A week after allowing 33 points to the Chiefs, they managed to be even worse against the Browns-giving up 40 points while doing next to nothing (1 sack, 1 INT) to offset the damage done by their inability to keep Freddie Kitchens' crew from scoring. They'll look to put this cold streak behind them when they square off against the ultraconservative Mason Rudolph-led Steelers in Week 5.
Dishonorable Mentions: Packers, Jaguars, Vikings