A.J. Brown or Puka Nacua? Kareem Hunt or Kyren Williams? James Conner or Chuba Hubbard? These are three of the four choices our staff will make in this week's Roundtable version of "Would You Rather..."
Welcome to Week 12 of the 2024 Footballguys Roundtable. Our intrepid panel of fantasy pundits discusses and debates four topics every week. We split the conversation into separate features.
This week's roundtable features these four topics:
- Rebound or Regroup? Declining Performers
- Tommy DeVito's Potential
- Performers on the Rise? Or False Alarm?
- Would You Rather... (see below)
Let's roll.
Would You Rather...
Matt Waldman: Pick two of these choices to explore from this list.
- Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Brian Thomas Jr.?
- A.J. Brown or Puka Nacua?
- Kareem Hunt or Kyren Williams?
- James Conner or Chuba Hubbard?
Explain yourselves...
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine or Brian Thomas Jr.?
Andy Hicks: Nick Westbrook-Ikhine has 15 catches on the season. Thomas has 42. The Jaguars receiver has 5 touchdowns and is on track to break 1000 yards in his rookie season.
The only thing the Titans receiver has in his favor is that he has five touchdowns as well -- on 15 receptions. That's an impossible strike rate to continue and 98-yard touchdowns don’t come around often and if this matchup is even close I would be surprised. Thomas by a large margin.
Waldman: I love your confidence. I hope you're confident in Mac Jones figuring things out. Thomas had 4 catches for 34 yards in Weeks 9 and 10 before earning 5 for 82 in Week 11 against the Lions.
Jones wasn't responsible for the Week 9 disaster, but I'd say gaining 59 percent of your quarterback's total passing yardage is also an impossible strike rate.
Hicks: I'll roll with the rookie, who is still likely the top option. Westbrook-Ikhine is not that in Tennessee.
Waldman: Agree.
Weisse: While I'm willing to chase touchdowns at running back, I'm not bought in on Nick Westbrook-Ikhine. He has been excellent since taking over for DeAndre Hopkins, thanks to those five touchdowns in six games. Neither he nor the Titan's offense is good enough to support that consistently.
Rookie Brian Thomas Jr. is fighting an injury. I'm sure this Week 12 bye feels like a much-needed port in the storm. Coming back in Week 13, he should feel better and see much more consistent volume than Westbrook-Ikhine.
Plus, he might get Trevor Lawrence back. A return to his top-10 form from Weeks 1 to 5 is not out of the question.
Sam Wagman: Brian Thomas Jr., despite the quarterback change, seems to finally be healthy from his rib injury. I would rather have him over Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for the rest of the season due to his terrific schedule.
Thomas gets the Texans, Titans (who have been susceptible to deep plays), Jets, and Raiders. These matchups should keep the Jaguars throwing and their star WR racking up the fantasy points.
A.J. Brown or Puka Nacua
Hicks: I think A.J. Brown is a better receiver than Puka Nacua, despite the Rams guy being a good young player. Brown is more polished and the bull receiver on his team.
The thing that settles it on the side of Brown is the tough schedule Nacua has over his next five games. Four of them are against top-10 pass defenses. Brown only gets one of those in his remaining seven matchups and several tasty ones, starting with the Rams and Ravens over the next two weeks.
Jeff Haseley: Give me Puka Nacua here. He will have a more consistent overall game with high reception totals week to week than A.J. Brown.
Jeff Bell: Puka Nacua over A.J. Brown for me as well. The Eagles have been able to employ a game plan that limits pass attempts and relies on Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts rushing ability.
Meanwhile, the Rams have topped 44 pass attempts in two of their last three games and have hit 290+ passing yards in 3 straight. The Eagles have just one game over 34 pass attempts -- a 38-attempt game in Week 3.
Hurts threw for 311 that game, the only game over 278 yards. Over the last seven games, Hurts has averaged 23 pass attempts and 204 yards.
Fantasy football is based on statistical accumulation. Nauca is eating from a much larger pie.