Chat with Matthew Berry

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Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:01 PM)
What's up everyone? So... ho-hum weekend, right. Nothing much to discuss here... but I guess we will give it a go. As always, all subjects answered.
Matthew (Houston)
Fellow Matthew, I hear rumors of LJ going to Cincy, what's your take?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:03 PM)
Yeah, that's what our Michael Smith is reporting. My take is he is still not very good and if I was handcuffing Benson, I'd still rather have B Scott over LJ. Interesting situation to watch, but he'll be in the Mendoza section tomorrow, not as a pick-up
TB (The D)
Has Housh established himself as a must-start from here on out? Or was this one of his many fluky (sp?) weekends?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:07 PM)
Very few players in the NFL are "must starts" regardless of match-up and he's not one of them. That said, it was good to see and I believe his future performance - esp when you look at SEA's upcoming schedule - is closer to what we should expect. And no, I'm not worried about Burleson. One of those things...
JT (Orlando)
LT for R white.... fair trade?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:07 PM)
Yeah
Aaron (Elkhart, IN)
Everyone is talking about how "smart" it was for MJD to drop at the one (or for Del Rio to order it).....personally I say it's dumb. It's one thing to take a knee with the lead, but anything can happen on a kick...bad snap, block, shank, who knows.....you take the lead when it's there for the taking, period. Thoughts?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:08 PM)
Nate agrees with you - we discussed on podcast this morning. I actually say it was smart to an extent. Felt they should have tried FG with more time remaining in case of that - so they could fall on it, call time out and try again.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:08 PM)
That said... MJD was doing what his coaches told him and I love that he ackowledged his fantasy owners...he gets it.
Joe (Pittsfield, MA)
Who are you taking with the number 1 waiver priority? Snelling or Forcett? Also, does Betts have value going forward?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:12 PM)
Great question. I'd probably say Snelling right now. Waiting to get more info on Turner's injury... But that team will run more effectively and in the red zone more than SEA will. Really really like Forsett... if you check my TMR pickup column from way earlier in the year, you'll see I talk about that a decent amount and really like him. Both are great grabs this week... but I feel Snelling has slightly more upside based on team than Forsett. PPR leagues it's Forsett though.
Brian (TX)
Im going to start celebrating my Fantasy football victories just like the Titans owner celebrates his.
Marques Colston (New Orleans)
Can my owners trust me coming playoff time?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:14 PM)
Yeah, it was just a weird game... I'm not worried about it.
David (L.A.)
Just to follow up on Snelling and Forsett - do you like both better than Ryan Moats for the rest of the season?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:15 PM)
Yes.
Chris Johnson (Tennessee)
Admit it, I'm now the #1 RB in fantasy football.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:17 PM)
No doubt. Look, I got crap in the pre-season for ranking you as high as I did.... The knock on you was always that Big Fat LenDale White would vulture scores. That's not happening anymore ...
Greg (Chicago)
Mr.Berry, what's your take with McCoy in phily. A viable RB2 or flex until westy gets back?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:18 PM)
Def a decent #2.... And this is BW's 2nd concussion in 3 weeks. I think he's done for the forseeable future. That's pure opinion based on nothing but yeah, I like McCoy as a top 20 RB the rest of the way as long as Westbrook is out.
Dan (Ann Arbor)
Following up on that...someone dropped McCoy prior to this week with Westbrook back in. But now that he's out again and maybe for a while, is McCoy a better grab than some of the other injury fill-ins this week (Forsett, Snelling, etc.)?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:19 PM)
It all depends on how long Turner, Westbrook, etc are out. But if all were out for the same amount of time... I'd rank them McCoy, Snelling, Forsett.
Jerious Norwood (HOTLanta)
Hey, what about me?!!!
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:20 PM)
What about you? You're hurt.
Dan (Winter Haven, FL)
I know Jamaal Charles ran against Oakland, but what do you see for him in the future? He did get a majority of the work.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:22 PM)
I do like him, but it'll be entirely match-up based. Like, I'm not touching him next week against vs PIT...
bryan (houston)
who is the best WR2/3 from here on out: D. Henderson, M. Floyd or Hester (assuming Cutler continues to suck)?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:22 PM)
Hester
Mack (TX)
Would you trade Forte for B. Jacobs?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:23 PM)
No, I'd rather have Forte. CHI has a favorable pass d schedule the rest of the way and he's a big part of the pass game.
Garrett (Austin, TX)
When you get your ESPN picture taken (like the one at the top of this chat), do they hold up a toy or doll to get you to smile like they do with kids? You have a "I'm mildly intrigued by that elmo doll" look on your face in that picture.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:27 PM)
Hah... Nothing of the sort. It's such an uncomfortable process, sitting there trying to get a picture for the site. Like, hey, look inviting. And non threating. And smile. Not too much! I don't know. I take horribgle pictures - always have - they did the best the could with what little I gave them to work with, I am sure.
Mike W (Chicago)
Will the Dolphins run the wildcat with Ronnie Brown out on Thurs or will they pound it up the middle 20+ times with Ricky Williams like they did against TB? And is Ricky good for 100 and a TD vs Carolina?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:28 PM)
Ricky is a great start this Thursday vs. CAR... Ronnie very unlikely to play at this point.
Matt (DC)
What do you think about Buckhalter. I am considering dropping him for Forsett
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:29 PM)
Feel he's a decent flex in a 12 team league type RB when match-up is good... Have no issue with dropping him for Forsett and would make the same move.
Dave (Villanova)
Miles Austin is killing me. Where does he go from here?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:32 PM)
Stop it. A guy you grabbed off waivers five weeks ago CAN'T kill you. He had one bad game. Just like Colston, V Jackson and Burleson did yesterday, among others. Yes, his production has dropped but considering how high it was, it HAD to. No one would be able to sustain that kind of level... he'll be fine, esp since it turns out Roy Williams isn't dead as was widely reported.
Joe (Austin)
What's the equivalent of what MJD did for a girl to do to a guy on a date?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:35 PM)
Inviting him up to their apartment to meet their pet dog... and then actually just introducing them to the dog and then saying, "ok, I have to walk him, good night!" This exact scenario may or may not have happened to me.
Andrew (Springfield)
What's up with Megatron? Was yesterday the best we should expect (from your #1 WR - and, yes, I know he was injured)?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:36 PM)
No, it looked like he was finally healthy and they targeted him a lot. Next week at home against CLE on a short week should be a much better indication of what you should do...
Andy (Phoenix, AZ)
Why does the ESPN Fantasy staff keep recommending Marion Barber as a high-end RB2 when he's this terrible? Since missing week 3, he's averaged 45 yards and .3 touchdowns. I'm glad I didn't listen to you morons this weekend.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:39 PM)
Well, I'm not sure exactly what you are referring to... He was on my "Hate" list this week and I agree with you... he has not been good. The projections are done by by one person and that person is not myself or any of our rankers. What we rank is completely independent of the porjections.... that way, you have many options to chose from or can just go with a composite...
Matthew (DC)
@Andy --- Another satisfied customer!!! VOTE AT PODCASTAWARDS.COM
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:40 PM)
Haha... yes, we were nominated for 2 awards... feel free to vote.
Bernard Scott (Cincinatti, OH)
If Ced B. is out for any considerable amount of time, am I a better pickup than Snelling or Forsett?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:45 PM)
Don't think Benson will be and we won't know if he is until after waivers run... but no, I don't think so. So much of it depends on the severity of all the injuries and we just don't know yet.... Stephania will have everything for tomorrow's podcast...
Michelle (Dallas)
By the way, you should either get a toupe or shave your head. That little patch of hair on top of your head looks rediculous!
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:46 PM)
One of the few times I'm happy one of my chatters is faking being a woman.
Mike (Indy)
Commish question....An owner in my league offered Reggie Wayne for Turner before this weekend. Offer wasn't accepted until after Turner was hurt, and now the owner getting Turner obviously wants it overturned. What's your take on these situations??
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:50 PM)
That the guy offering Wayne should have pulled it back. And the guy getting Wayne is a jerk for doing that in the first place. If I was commish, I'd reverse the trade and then kick out the guy who accepted after Turner was out next year.Sure, it's leagal, but it's a jerk move and everyone knows it. Who wants to play with guys like that? FF is supposed to be fun.
King (College Station, TX)
Matt, since KC "Tiffany Amber Theisened" LJ where will he go? Don't really care, but I think "Tiffany Amber Theinened" should be the new go to for "cut for being a d-bag".
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:52 PM)
He is going to Cincy and I disagree. It should be "Shannen Doherty'ed"
Rod (NYC)
Matthew, that's why all pending trades should ALWAYS be taken down at the start of games Sunday. Resubmit it after the games if you're worried about injury. I see nothing wrong with what the new Wayne owner did.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (3:57 PM)
I hear you and I am sure there are a lot of folks who would agree with you. But I always err on the side of the human element, esp in leagues where there is a commish and I'm assuming everyone in the league knows each other. It's like not leaving a tip at a restuarant. You're not required to - you only have to pay the bill you are presented. Legally, you have no obligation to give a tip. But it's still a jerk thing to do.
Dustin (Atlanta)
What's your thoughts on the "first come first serve" system for picking up players? Our league only uses waiver priority for players that were dropped by other teams. The free agents are up for grabs. We have a savyy manager in our league that picked up Forsett, Snelling, and Scott all within 15 minutes yesterday. My league says it's unfair and wants the pick-up rules changed.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:00 PM)
I hate leagues like that, frankly for exactly that reason. Not everyone has the time to be online all the time... I'm in a league with some of my followers on Twitter and I accidentally set up OUR league like that (my fault for hitting the wrong button) and I HATE it. You tend to lose interest in the league if you're not one of the guys who is always online. All that said... you should do what I am doing in this league: Suck it up and deal with it until the end of the season. You can't change rules mid-stream. Address the waiver system next year, but you have to keep rules as is until a season is over.
Name ends with i (Big City)
Actual woman here. I agree with shaving the little patch. Buzz the entire head super short. That way when it grows back it feels like velvet.Michelle outed himself as a not-woman with the toupe comment, though. No woman is interested in a guy with one of those...
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:01 PM)
Thanks for the suggestion. I'm sure I will do nothing but glad to hear actual women are in this chat.
Pete (Detroit)
I don't want Rod in my league....
Nole (Bend, OR)
You often talk about your love life and other personal nonsense on the podcast. And we also know that Pod is married and has children (that he neglects in favor of Madden). But what about Nate? Married, kids, girlfriend, etc?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:02 PM)
That's by design. Nate is not just a comedy goalie with me but about his own life as well. He prefers not to discuss his personal life or, ahem, his sisters, so we repsect that....
Steve (Newark)
Would you rank Beanie ahead of Snelling/Forsett?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:03 PM)
No, I would not. Like him a lot - and even more after this weekend, but hightower still there and it's still a pass first team.
J.B. (Dunmore, PA)
I think the guy who accepted that Wayne for Turner trade is a real Shannen Doherty.
Your Boss (Bristol)
Why is your five things I learned about week 10 not up yet?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:04 PM)
It's up now - I tape them Sun night before the late game - when it gets posted I have no control over.
A Lawyer Who Plays FF (New York, NY)
Total BS re: Wayne - Turner. This is textbook contracts 101: no meeting of the minds - trade proposed was for healthy two players.
Lee (NY, NY)
JaMarcus Russell's accuracy > Matthew Berry's speed in answering chat questions.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:06 PM)
Yeah, the chat engine has this thing called "auto-update" which, if turned on, keeps pushing in all the new questions. Probale is that when it's updating you can't type. So I turned it off and am mmanually getting new questions... hopefully a little quicker.
Jay (TN)
YOU SUCK. AT LEAST LEARN TO TYPE AT A DECENT PACE HOW DID YOU GET SUCH AN EASY JOB SINCE YOU HAVE NO DISCERNABLE TALENT
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:07 PM)
Another satisfied customer.
RB challenged (the backfield)
Is Westbrook droppable at this point??
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:08 PM)
Depending on league size and who else is available, yes, he is. My guess is he's domne for a while...
Mack (Villanova)
Any thoughts on Brandon Gibson of the Rams? Can pick up him or Lee Evans.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:08 PM)
Rather Evans there. Bit of a fluke game where the entire NO secondary was hurt or out...
dh (nyc)
please provide a ruling - owners are threatening cutting players loose in protest! in response to the following trade:CJ, Housh, Olsen for Colston, VD, Maroney (prior to LAST weekend's games)an owner gave up and traded way MJD in the following:MJD, SydRice for Kevin Walter, Ocho, Kevin SmithIs the second trade overturnable? I agree trades should stand, but that is absurd and most owners are threatening to quit if it stands. Thoughts?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:13 PM)
The first trade is fine. The second trade is not a good one but not overturnable. The only way a trade should be overturned is if there is collusion or some sort of injury like the Turner example from before... While I don't like the deal, you can defend it as a little more WR depth, And Walter's expected increase in production from OD's injury... As long as both owners made the trade feeling they were imporving their team, it's fine. You can't legislate coaching.
Kevin (Stamford, CT)
follow up on dustin's question, we have an owner who waits till 3 am on tuesday's till players unlock so he can get FA's. now the commish got all pissed and changed the rules to waivers, isnt it a little ridiculous to change the rules in week 10 of a season?
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:14 PM)
Yes - it's BS. We got a "3am" guy like that in my Twitter league. Hate him. But that's the rules. Can't change mid-stream.
BOB (Billings, MT)
Do you ever to get to enjoy just watching a game anymore, or are you completely stat-obsessed? I was just thinking about how different last nights game wouldve been if I didn't have a half dozen fantasy studs to worry about.
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:16 PM)
Well, being stat obsessed IS how I enjoy a game... so not sure I'm the right person to ask. It definitely effects how I watch a game, yes. But I DO watch Redskin games very differently than any other football team game as I care passionately about them as a fan...
Dan (Pittsburgh)
I know I can't expect LT to do what he did this week consistently, but is he worthy of a flex position the rest of the year, or should I try and trade him? I have Beanie Wells, Dwayne Bowe, Ladell Betts, and Roy Williams on the bench that could take his flex spot. (non-ppr)
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:17 PM)
LT has a great sked the next 3 games... depends what you can get for him. But I'd wait until after next week - he should have a good game vs DEN - and his value will be higher. He's a decent flex, yes...
Matthew Berry - The Talented Mr. Roto (4:17 PM)
Ok gang. I'm almost 20 min over... gotta run. Thanks for stopping by!
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