Fake Teams fantasy football mailbag: Is Rob Gronkowski worth the start?

Welcome to the Fake Teams fantasy football mailbag! If you want to send in your questions for next week’s mailbag, here are the ways to join:

• tweet @petemrogers or @Faketeams using #FTFFmailbag
• email at ftffmailbag@gmail.com
• leave your question in the comments!

Onto the mailbag:

Q: Who should I grab on the waiver wire as a future fill-in at QB for Mahomes’ bye in week 12 and potentially as injury insurance: B Mayfield, J Flacco, or C Keemun? Wentz or CMC in my Superflex this week, 0.5 PPR?

— @AndetheEngineer

Are these questions from separate leagues? Because if they aren’t, then I think you have your answer for who you should fill Mahomes bye with. It’s Carson Wentz. He’s much better than any of the options you gave. If these are different leagues or you just really want to roster three quarterbacks because, hey why not, the pick is Joe Flacco as much as I hate myself for writing that. The Ravens play the Raiders at home in Week 12. Unless things magically change for the Raiders now that they’ve traded away their two young stars and the locker room hates their starting quarterback, I have a feeling Flacco will walk all over that defense.

As for your superflex, start Wentz. The Panthers and McCaffrey are playing the Ravens this week and that defense is LEEEEEGIT!

Q: PPR Marvin Jones or Cobb? Also R Wilson or Winston?

— Rob T.

Since it’s PPR, I’m picking Cobb. Jones has been all but phased out of the Lions’ offense and I’d expect Detroit to continue to ride the hot legs of Kerryon Johnson at home. We know Cobb can rack up the targets and I’m fully expecting this Rams v Packers game to be a shootout and that could comfortably give Cobb 7 catches for 80 yards. I’ll take that.

As for quarterback, go with Winston. Wilson has been lackluster this season while Winston has been a solid fantasy start in his games this season. He also has the better matchup as the Bengals pass defense is allowing the fourth most passing yards and fifth most fantasy points to opposing QBs per game.

Q: PPR: Brees or Cousins?

— Mike M.

I like this question. Which side of the Vikings v Saints game do you go with? WHO WILL BE BETTER?????

The answer is Cousins.

Both will have great games and I really don’t think you can go wrong with either but the Saints’ pass defense has been awful so far this season—currently giving up 25+ fantasy points fantasy points to opposing quarterbacks, second most in the league. Plus, the Saints have been really good at stopping the run and the Vikings can’t run the ball. So gameplan is Cousins throws the ball 60 times and goes for 500 yards and four touchdowns in a shootout.

Again, can’t go wrong picking either.

Q: Is Gronk worth starting over a healthy CJ [Uzomah]?

— @Feslenraster

OOOOOF now there’s a quandry. I just said on the RB1 podcast that you should trade Gronk because I think the Patriots are going to be careful with him rest of the year given his back issues. Since this offense has been humming without Gronk, I could see the team bubble wrapping Gronk until the last few weeks of the season and the postseason which is all past the playoffs of fantasy football and thus are worthless.

That being said, no player loves playing against a team more than Gronk loves playing against the Bills. In his career, Gronk averages five catches, 80 yards and touchdown against the Bills. AVERAGES. Gronk has 12 touchdowns against the Bills in his career. The next closest teams are the Dolphins, Jets and Steelers with eight. If there was a game for Gronk to get back on track, it’s this one.

BUUUUUUUUUUT no defense is allowing for fantasy points to tight ends than the Buccaneers who just happen to be facing CJ Uzomah and the Bengals this week.

Gut call: go with Gronk. It’s a lot easier to shake of a poor Gronk performance than to watch him go off on your bench.

Q: In baseball, only 8 of the 30 total teams make the playoffs (compared to 16/30 in the NBA and NHL and 12/32 in the NFL), which is a tight 27% playoff rate. Which 27% of all Pixar movies (5-6 of the 20 total movies) would make your Pixar playoffs??

— Will G.

Wow Will coming in hot with the stats and sports references. Clearly this dude goes to World Series games.

My six movies to make the Pixar playoffs (with seeding):

(6) Toy Story 3 - I went back and forth between Coco and Toy Story 3 but I can’t get over my own childhood and the ending of that movie. GOOD LAWD THE TEARS! (Though to be honest, Coco also had me crying.)

(5) Monsters Inc - A classic. Just rewatched it recently and it holds up 10/10. Love the premise and the characters.

(4) Up - The BEST opening minutes to any movie ever. The only thing that comes close to me is the beginning scene to Inglourious Basterds.

(3) The Incredibles - I LOVE this movie. I love the family dynamics, I love the Edna Mode, I love superheros and I freaking LOVE the music! Underrated score.

(2) Toy Story 2 - Original Buzz is one of the greatest characters in the Pixar universe.

(1) Toy Story - Like it would be anything else.