10/12 MON (6:46amET)
Today:
-- Week 5 Game Reports
-- New style of reporting for a Monday
-- Two Scouts Talking YouTube Video (breaks for the weekend + Monday, back at it on Tu-W-Thu-Fri this week). Shooting 3-4 videos a week for release throughout this week.
This past week/s:
Dohnte Meyers: https://youtu.be/EEIw3IGX_zQ
Darius Cooper: https://youtu.be/1wj2pa_VEd8
Keon Coleman: https://youtu.be/yne4bYOpCG8
Will Shipley: https://youtu.be/I_IX9x2QxLc
Tre Harris: https://youtu.be/t5sBsrte-oI
Kenyon Sadiq: https://youtu.be/flBWVXhOcFs
Ollie v. Braelon: https://youtu.be/9tsBBLYSIB8
Oronde Gadsden: https://youtu.be/zpqx5v_M-dQ
--------------------------
NEW DISCORD NOTIFICATION SYSTEM/INVITE: FFM Discord Notification System
*This is not a chat room. It is a one-way channel for FFM notifications about newly posted items and critical breaking news.
== NEWS & NOTES & Xs ==
-- Change to the MON-TUE reporting/workflow...
I'm making an executive decision regarding the executive reporting we used to do on Mondays, which we split into Monday and Tuesday this year. I'll lay out the "what" first, followed by the "why."
WHAT’S CHANGING:
I am turning Monday into a dedicated research day focused on the most critical takeaways from Sunday’s action—specifically targeting what matters most for Tuesday night waivers.
On Mondays, my sole focus will be researching key players and situations, reporting my findings throughout the day as I uncover them. I'm not writing a massive report on each player; I'll keep each update to a tight paragraph or two, expanding only when warranted.
I am eliminating the "Three Things" game-by-game summary from the Monday report. It was a nice recap, but in evaluating my Monday/Tuesday workflow, writing 5,000 words summarizing every Sunday game was causing me to miss the week's biggest opportunities. For fantasy purposes, we don't need broad game recaps; we need actionable intelligence: emerging opportunities, developing red flags, trade targets (buy-low/sell-high), and waiver targets.
So, the "Three Things" format is done. Instead, Monday becomes a rolling research feed: gathering urgent intel and pushing out concise updates in batches of one, two, or three throughout the day. The "Three Things" breakdown took up so much bandwidth that I was missing breaking news, trade chatter, and phone calls/texts from sources. Cutting those game recaps is the cleanest way to reclaim that time.
We are testing this new research-day format and live notes system starting today.
This Monday research will feed directly into Tuesday’s work: the "Five Players" breakdown (waivers, trades, IDP, etc.). That piece remains in place—potentially expanded—and will publish on Tuesday fueled by the deep dive started on Monday. With so many injuries every Sunday and concrete medical updates rarely surfacing until Tuesday, it makes far more sense to finalize the player recommendations when we have complete information ahead of Tuesday night waivers. Trying to force it out Monday, only to have the landscape shift hours later, had become counterproductive.
WHY WE ARE CHANGING:
First, spending hours on game summaries left me playing catch-up on the deep research and player breakdowns. I was spending more energy on administrative formatting and editing than on actual analysis. Attacking the research upfront on Monday sets up a significantly sharper executive report on Tuesday before waivers run.
Second, I simply cannot keep working 15+ hour days, seven days a week. Trying to manage serious medical issues while working around the clock—dictating notes while driving to appointments, taking calls and text on the road (while driving), typing in waiting rooms—it has to stop. It has made me a distracted driver, left me completely unprepared for medical appointments, and then I barely process what doctors tell me because my head is still buried in Sunday's tape and upcoming deadlines.
My recovery and medications require real rest, not four to five hours of broken sleep. I've cut sleep, stopped exercising, haven't set foot in the gym since before the preseason, and the steroid side effects/weight gain are catching up with me. I've jammed my schedule trying to be a superhero and uncover every hidden football gem, but running with zero margin creates a constant ripple effect: one delay or appointment throws off the entire day/week, leading to rushed work and degraded quality. The idea that I can "outwork it and catch up tomorrow" isn't working—it just makes the back half of the week an unmanageable sprint to Sunday.
I am resetting this schedule to be more effective, protect the quality of the work, and stop grinding myself into the ground. We’ll see how this test run goes today/this week. (The Falcons almost gave me an aneurysm last night anyway, so the NFL is the real culprit here.)
OK, back to real/fake football...
-- The trade...
Texans get: Marvin Harrison Jr. 2027 7th-round pick
Cardinals get: 2027 2nd-round pick 2027 6th-round pick
The Texans will regret this trade. It’s a nice haul for Arizona, who might turn this into a top 5 or top 10 2nd-round pick to pair with their own high 2nd-rounder, based on where Houston is heading.
Houston thinking they are just a wide receiver away for C.J. Stroud is laughable. If they had plowed all those resources and scouting into the offensive line talent and depth, they wouldn’t be in this offensive mess. C.J. Stroud needs protection, not a WR4/5 talent. I say this with a completely straight face: Jared Wayne is a better wide receiver than Marv.
This deal will take targets away from Nico Collins for a stretch. C.J. Stroud is totally invested in making this MHJ deal work. If the Texans miss the playoffs and Marv doesn’t produce, the GM is likely gone and C.J. Stroud won't be back. To some degree, C.J. Stroud just staked his future payday in Houston on MHJ—and that’s a terrible bet.
Nothing changes in Arizona other than Kendrick Bourne seeing a few extra targets.
This trade gets massive attention for obvious reasons, but in reality, it carries very little positive on-field impact for 2026. MHJ was doing next to nothing in Arizona, so he won’t be missed there. "Moping Marv" won't make a positive difference in Houston, either; if anything, he’ll have a negative impact while the Texans burn opportunity trying to justify him, just like Arizona did during his first two seasons.
When I initially said Marv wasn't the best receiver in that 2024 draft class, it raised eyebrows. A few others agreed that Malik Nabers was better—that's surface-level scouting that was easy (to me).
Then I took it further and stated that MHJ wasn't even a top-5 wideout in that class, and people called it insane. Nobody wanted to hear it.
When I followed that up by saying I wasn't even sure Marv belonged in the top 10 of that draft group, everything else I said was tossed straight into the "you're crazy, we're not listening to you" bucket.
Well...
My current rankings of the top 10 WR prospects TODAY from the 2024 NFL Draft:
1) Malik Nabers
2) Ladd McConkey
3) Rome Odunze
4) Jalen Coker (UDFA)
5) Devaughn Vele
6) Jalen McMillan
7) Malik Washington
8) Keon Coleman
9) Brian Thomas
10) Roman Wilson
--------------------
11) Xavier Worthy
12) Ryan Flournoy
13) Adonai Mitchell
14) Marvin Harrison
That’s what the Texans just gave up a 2nd-round draft pick for. Someone needs to be fired after this plays out.
https://x.com/BillyM_91/status/2109423549379416180?s=20
== INJURY CENTER/WARD ==
-- Judkins: https://x.com/RotoWireNFL/status/2109387813682581786
-- NFL totals: https://x.com/avl_mike/status/2109312691856887960
-- Never change NFL: https://x.com/MySportsUpdate/status/2109390371214053721?s=20
-- London injury late?: https://x.com/DrJesseMorse/status/2109493970569179229?s=20
-- Injuries in Week 5 (per Dr. Morse):
Justin Herbert - L (high) ankle
TreVeyon Henderson - R ankle sprain
Quinshon Judkins - R ankle/foot (boot)
David Montgomery - groin
Will Shipley - foot
Jaxon Smith Njigba - R lateral ankle
Deebo Samuel - R hamstring strain
KC Concepcion - concussion
Roman Wilson - wrist
Tre Harris - hamstring strain
Isaiah Likely - unknown
Kenyon Sadiq - concussion
TJ Hockenson - concussion
== Interesting STAT Center ==
-- Games with 300+ passing yards and 3+ passing touchdowns since 2024:
-Patrick Mahomes (2)
-Josh Allen (2)
-Jameis Winston (3)
-- Wins after trailing in the last 8:00
Tyler Huntley - 4
Joe Burrow - 1
-- Justin Herbert in the 4th quarter this season:
-26/47 (55% completion)
-287 yards (6.1 YPA)
-0 TD
-4 INT
-11 sacks
-38.2 passer rating (you get a 39.6 passer rating if you just spike the ball every play)
-- @PFF: Jared Goff is UNCONSCIOUS this season
1,485 Pass Yards (most in NFL)
12 Pass TD (t-2nd in NFL)
0 INT (t-fewest in NFL)
-- It’s not Herbert’s fault: Justin Herbert Total TD/Turnover rate by recent season
2023 23/8
2024 25/5
2025 28/15
2026 5/9
-- Jaylen Warren is the first player in 40 years to record an 80-yard TD catch and a 50-yard TD run in the same game (Herschel Walker).
-- Most receiving touchdowns this season:
-Jaxon Smith-Njigba (6)
-Amon-Ra St. Brown (5)
-George Kittle (4)
-CeeDee Lamb (4)
-Christian Watson (4)
-DARIUS COOPER (4)
-- Entering today, the New York Giants were 0-230 since 1970 when trailing by 14+ points in the final 8 minutes of regulation.
They're now 0-230-1.
-- Games where both teams kicked a FG in the final 10 seconds of the 4th quarter
1970 to 2026 Week 2: ZERO
2026 Week 3-5: TWO
-- Aaron Rodgers has thrown 3+ passing TDs in 3 straight games for the first time since December of 2021.
-- “National Running Back Day”
Chase Brown got outplayed by Samaje Perine against Miami.
Kimani Vidal outplayed Omarion Hampton and Keaton Mitchell
Seth McGowan, CJ Donaldson, Dylan Laube, Corey Kiner, George Holani, and Pierre Strong outscored Jeremiyah Love
RC vs. Ross Coffee bets (through Wk5):
More targets this season...
27 = Raymond (RC)
16 = D. Swift (Ross)
== QUOTES & QUOTABLES ==
-- Parker Washington on his one-handed touchdown catch: “Just making that play and being the guy that your team leans on in a big time moment, that was special for me.” https://x.com/ActionSportsJax/status/2109369682839126484?s=20
-- Here we go, our next ‘tank for....’ player...we’ll hear/see this all the next 3 months: https://x.com/jae_h3rbo/status/2109425775321534923
-- Jim Harbaugh: https://x.com/alexinsdorf99/status/2109426730708733954
-- Ben Johnson moves to 2-7 against NFC North opponents
-- Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh on message to the team at 0-5: "Yeah, I don't know what that message is.”
-- QB C.J. Stroud on Marvin Harrison Jr: “Dynamic playmaker, somebody who runs great routes. Can catch really any ball. … I loved him in college. He’s probably the hardest worker I’ve ever been around in my life.”
-- Luther Burden concerns: https://x.com/FFStalder/status/2109408625949278292?s=20
Your moment of Zen for this day...
-- The #1 pick race: https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/2109425120486056267
-- Loveland: https://x.com/BookitWithTrent/status/2109364372178890804?s=20
-- Justin... https://x.com/barstoolsports/status/2109423473281937754?s=20
----------------------------------------------------------
*How to sign up for our monthly or annual access: https://ffmetrics.com/total-football-advisor/total-football-advisor
*Draft Guide season access $24.99: https://ffmetrics.com/draft-guide/draft-guide
*How to get the free FFM App and FAQs on how to use: https://ffmetrics.com/5663-how-to-get-the-free-ffm-app
*Our Betting Subscription offering (including private Discord chat access): https://ffmetrics.com/betting/betting
=====================
