Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers podcast with your host Andy Holloway Jason Moore and Mike Wright Welcome in Thursday August 20 second Andy Mike and Jason the fantasy footballers back for another episode very excited to be with you Thank you for listening. Thank you for spending some of your day with us. We appreciate that We hope it's worth your time that you get smarter and that you enjoy your day more there's a chance There's a chance that's all true We do have a pretty fun episode today We have some news to catch you up on and we're debuting a brand new segment on the show today that I thought would be fun And we're calling it take swap. So we have written some rather concise but interesting Fantasy football takes for one another and we have not read these things I think what we've done is we've just corrected You know course for our fellow colleagues We have we see where they are just wrong And so we have done our friends across the table of service and we have written them what they should be saying instead of what they are Constantly saying so yeah, we're getting one another to put some things on record today Yeah against their will and they have to read them no matter what that's the rule Right, what's what's on these I just I'm just saying no matter what you got to read it all right okay?
Brand new take Jason. We have That would hurt that would hurt me too. I think we're safe in that yeah, yeah See you later suckers Footballers with Mike yeah, this might have been a mistake Couple of headlines as we get into the quick question just a reminder the Megalable available open right now come and join thousands of foot Clan members in the largest fantasy football tournament on the planet and that's Megalable calm every foot clan sport It gets a free entry and you can learn all the rules about the league the trades the settings the playoffs Awards every every week of the season we update a standings list and we often comment about that on the show So you'll be able to find out how you're doing in the big picture But I'm Megalable calm and the ultimate draft get available right now Go to ultimate draft get calm get all of the tools and resources you need to dominate at your draft if you want You can use the app during your drafts the mark players has drafted to set some players aside as as targets and a ton of other tools available Ultimate draft kit calm today's great question Jumping right in this one comes in over on X from trace Nolder Rights and that's a handle, you know, of course Do you guys have any tips for preventing or dealing with tilt during your fantasy draft which is a real thing? You've got a plan and the plan can go a little bit sideways Yeah, we've all been there and we all have our plans and all of our you know break glass of emergency thing and then sometimes that glass is like Oh, man, it's already been broken.
It's already been broken now. What do I do with this starter? Glass I what you do it. I shake people.
Yeah, but oftentimes when you're on tilt you shank yourself You know, I mean you're you're you're you're getting your own way of success. Okay drafting I would just say look it's backup plans or cry you either you know, it's like that's that's your plan is you it can be both You're saying that your way of avoiding tilt is yours I'm saying that if you don't have a backup plan or whatever's about to happen you will cry and tilt I got those work Like I can get back up plans don't work then you cry. Yeah, so Whenever you're a couple picks away, let's say you're four picks away and there's two guys you like Stop it. Stop it.
You're four picks away find four four players that you like or I guess then five players You like you can't do that to yourself You can still tear them we want you to draft in tears and have that successful You know, that's that's gonna also tear based drafting which we've got all of our tears in the ultimate Drop it that will help you avoid these massive mistakes because you know where the value is still left over and so you can Usually have that value there when you come back around to your next pick But really when we tilt it's because we're not giving ourselves enough options We're saying that I'll only be happy if this guy or that guy's there and you're just setting yourself up for failure Yeah, and my answer was just acceptance because if you're in that situation where everything depends on one player coming to your team And that means okay my next picks a lot of questions come in there like do I start running back wide receiver wide receiver? Do I start wide receiver running back which what do I do like that's not letting the draft come to you? That's not accepting what's in you know, what just happened and you know Adjusting to what took place in the draft that is you know really dependent on everything falling the right way Which will lead to you tilting the sooner you accept that that player was taken that you were targeting the quicker You'll be able to materialize a plan for the future just understanding that look the draft's gonna go Different than I thought it happens every year in our league of record We've been playing with these guys for 15 years, so you know Just accept and I think just really knowing who your tilt players are and look they can't be first or second round guys They like if you're tilting over players in the first of the second then what do you do get a hold of your life? You know where you're gonna be drafting and you know the range of guys that you're going to be able to get it So after that it's if you know that these are your guys Don't play stupid games because when you when you play stupid games you win stupid prizes as I tell my children and just make sure you Get those players like you might have to take a player around early But if that is your guy that you got to have take them in whatever take them in the fourth instead of the fifth or take them in the fourth Instead of the six I don't know just know who those players are because it shouldn't it should it really be too many We all have you know those those few players like I got to get that guy make sure you do it And I would also add that like you might make a mistake like you legit might panic pick somebody that happens like you get on the clock And you're like I don't know what to do and then you make the pick and then you come to your senses and you're like oh no And then you don't let that spiral no way to recover right I was just when those things happen.
Yeah, I mean and what I'm saying is like Redeem the draft if you do make that mistake try your best to just get back on the horse and make the right next pick implement Some box breathing and like right bring it all right. Yeah, yeah, or run away from the draft screaming and never come back News and notes from around the league presented my USA insurance Well Mike Tomlin said that running back jail warrants hamstring injury is not of long-term concern probably out for this week So that's that's pretty big news I did not make any extensive changes after the news of the injury because I figured week one was gonna be okay for jail Warren talking five or six carries danced around yeah I really just I think I took a little away from it, but mostly just moved his risk rating up Yeah, I don't like I don't like campstrings while we campstrings Yes while we are giving all of this news and talking about you know how a player's doing this week if they're gonna be back next week It is worth just bearing in mind and if I'll kick off is two weeks It's in two weeks from today So that is the timeline for when they say they're they're gonna be ready week one that is two weeks from out Yeah, it's a good reminder to give this week to week stuff and now we start getting the mmm Yeah, you get to that second of the week to week playing football. It's either a week or of its week to week than you're missing week one All right, which is I mean Curtis Samuel right Jailer water return to practice on Wednesday. That's good.
I recall held out as a precaution Waddle had been out of practice since August 7th with whoa undisclosed minor injury. Yeah, yeah, don't like that Don't like that. It wasn't really loud. Why you know this close?
Well, it wasn't very loud on social media I went I was like what are you talking about and then saw a couple if you post about it from like a couple days ago But this was not like I look the people in Miami were not sounding the alarm about it reporting about it all the time At least the beat reporters I follow so I do have to be like, okay I guess it was a minor injury and they're just letting him be fully healthy Dallas Goddard did not practice on Wednesday oblique injury That's been injuries have been a part of his story for a while and not that we ever ever ever want injuries But it is one of the things where when Dallas got her has gone down in the ass You just see what happens to the Montes Smith it is it is wonderful for fantasy. Yeah consolidation of targets. Yeah All right guys, I mean I almost feel like sad music belongs here, but uh, Kindred Miller Saints running back early off season hopes and dreams He may be placed on injured reserve to start the season It would rule him out for the first four games He pulled his hamstring on day one of training camp They were already changing offensive systems the Taysom Hill buzz is a running back has been building you already have my Williams there And Alan Camara is the RB one and uncle-promudgeon Dennis Allen Dennis the Minus came out and also said I know he's talented But I don't know if he can learn the system I don't know if he can pick up the system because I haven't seen him out there What so now your barrier to success is health and a coach that doesn't believe in you did sometimes Being a leader Means you you protect the people who are under your leadership and you just say like he's a really talented guy It hasn't gone the way that that we saw it going when we drafted him in the third round Really excited to get him on the field, but but you don't struggle. You don't think that easy You know what I made that up off the top of my head.
I really yeah, just now Like if a microphone was in your face just hypothetically you could come up with that Just now and I have no experience being a coach talking to me But you're also not stressed out that your job is on the line and that you don't know what you're doing like you don't have fears of those Yeah, so Dennis Allen I mean, you know, this is a great Kevin Cefanski said to Sean Watson had general arm soreness This was yesterday And so he was held out of teen drills has not made a decision on whether Watson will play in the preseason finale monitor this Yeah, but if he plays in that preseason finale, you should be encouraged and then we are two weeks away We're two NFL starts two weeks from today the whole thing about I was hoping to avoid digging in here Yeah, I know you were because you've talked about the Browns and the offense and some of their weapons But this is a this is a real problem. Deshawn Watson has been injured this whole offseason his problem last year was injury He didn't look at it was wrong. He's John Watson. I don't think you understand this he can be an accurate No matter how much practice time you get that is true.
He can be but I this is not good I mean you had a report like this on Anthony Richardson, you know a month or two ago Which was kind of the expected timeline, but we're right here. Oh, I'm not over playing it. I'm sorry general I'm soreness. I don't want to over I know you want James.
I don't want to oh man. I would love to have just for fun It's it's one of those things where last year to Sean Watson I didn't think looks good when he was on even though for fantasy I don't think anybody thought he looked good. I agree with that And so if he's still dealing with waiting for him to look good arm problems in his throwing arm Yeah, it is very difficult for me to believe he's gonna be back to the guy He was many many many years ago only thing that can make that contract worse is him never playing on it. Yeah, all right See he's gonna do his best.
I didn't know this was happening when I brought down the forming up On yesterday's show in hungry from war, but pure strong junior the Browns running back who was running ahead of him It was he was the backup suffered an apparent upper body injury I practiced on Wednesday He was placed into an ambulance. We don't have any more information as of this recording. There you go It's just wild timing and remember Deonta Foreman He had his own ambulance ride just a couple weeks ago. So hopefully peers Okay, but it's a situation to monitor because it it Andy's hungry for more is correct of if it's to roam forward in Deonta Foreman I like both of them should have some value That is today's news and notes presented as always by USA insurance learn more at usa.com slash insurance We'll take a quick break and come back with the debut of a brand new singer All right, it is it is time to jump in so what's funny over this this this second?
Yeah, I'm looking forward to I have no idea how this is gonna go. Yeah, I don't know how Brutal or intellectually honest you guys are gonna be oh well, you're gonna find out Take swap. All right. We are we're gonna start with Jason and myself.
We're swapping takes written for one another all right So Jason are you gonna read first? I know what the strategy is yeah I'll go first or second. I'll go first since it's in my hand. I have the script from mr.
Hall away Yeah, let's just hear what you've been thinking about lately. Okay. Hey everyone big shimmy here with a big time Breakdown a long time coming. It's time.
I can clean I've put up a front for far too many years It's time for the truth if there's one thing I love about fantasy football It has to be the way we score quarterback fantasy points, especially their rushing yards rush your quarterbacks are true advantage in the NFL field So why wouldn't they be in fantasy? I'm done kicking against this entirely fair and upstanding scoring setting and finally coming out in favor Of what we all know a rushing quarterback is more valuable in real life So they should be in fantasy Jalen hurts Lamar Jackson can Newton Josh Allen these guys were NFL MVP caliber players So of course they should be our fantasy MVPs fantasy quarterback scoring is as perfect as my all-black wardrobe Nothing tends to change and it's about time. We started embracing the truth instead of complaining about it like big fat babies Russian quarterbacks are here to stay and so this is this is a very final opinion on the matter not to be nullified by any Future comments on this topic. Whoa Wow.
Whoa. I'm so I'm a little surprised. I'm a lot surprised Jason Yeah, I mean this is this is a it's a big turn about face. Yeah, I mean it is a very big about face It's what apparently inside.
I've always believed Look at the the rushing touchdown scored inside the five by quarterbacks last year Jalen hurts 13 Josh Allen eight of them. Mm-hmm Very impressive performances. I mean this guy is more and more. I agree I mean a touchdown is worth a touchdown just like it is in all of the leagues I play.
Yeah, it's Well, it's points Russian six points passing it right Andy. We are right together. Yeah, we're just we're very I kind of I Tender forget about that when I get mad about the quarterback of 10 yard 10 rushing yards is a point or 20 Slice 25 passing yards is a point. I don't even factor it my anger is not influenced by no There's leagues out there where a quarterback throws a touchdown.
It's four points. So they run it in and it's six So it's the same exact touchdown. Um, here's a question It's perfect because it lets I mean obviously if you look at the greatest of the greats You're gonna you're gonna. I mean who's the greatest quarterback player right now?
It's not listening that I just said it's not my homes It's uh, yeah, I'm Newton By the way, do you think teams will adjust to the quarterback's sneak situation because we've seen so many scoring on that play that design play? That has become more prolific. There were 18 different quarterbacks that had more than two rushing touchdowns inside the five That was an NFL record. That's 18 quarterbacks that got more than two on sneaks like we talked about the tush push Kelsey leaving What happens when there's an adjustment to that?
I mean are you looking at it? It's not a sneak anymore If every if you can see a company, it's not really sneaky. Oh, I see what you're saying now just a quarterback touch Just a quarterback run. Yeah, I mean, they're gonna try to stop it of course But they've been trying to stop jail and hurts for two years and they haven't been able to all right What do you need to get off your chest?
Yeah, I've actually been thinking about something lately and fortunately Jason wrote it down for me So um here we go. I've not read this Have you ever had those great moments of clarity when you notice something about yourself that you need to change? I think I'm having one right now. Hey, hey, hey, hey, sand script.
Thank you. And then you never ever change a thing Well, that's what I Andy Holloway like to do Here's here years ago That's how I talk years ago. I talked about how I don't give enough credit to valuable wide receivers on their team But the cool thing is the cool thing is I just keep making the same state. Oh, man Yeah, after year after year always the wrong decision, but now thanks to my incredibly handsome and super funny friend in a black shirt I'm going to write that wrong good for you brother.
T Higgins is a very talented wide receiver I just haven't given him enough credit because he's a wide receiver to last season He was a second round draft pick and what has changed in his situation to make him drop so far in my rankings other than getting rid of Tyler Boyd and his 100 targets. Yes last year he was injured and Joe Barrow was injured It was a bad lost year for the Bengals, but he is really good. Oh, it's good here You say that finally Andy Joe Barrow is really good and this offense is really good and wide receiver twos for good offenses Send a crush in fantasy football and I am finally gonna realize my mistake and become a man grow some hair on my chest Oh, yeah, and draft T Higgins everywhere. Wow everywhere everywhere I everywhere that's your that's your guy now and that's my opinion that on the matter I'm happy to hear you say that since it felt like you have been off of T Higgins with dumb dumb opinions Like I so basically I admitted my mistake years ago, but then made no changes and now it's time for me to yeah You just not just admit it right you got through the first step of the problem.
Yeah, I admit you have a problem Yeah, but there's a there's a step to that you need to move on which I believe is fix it So fifth round pick right now to you Hiccup wider super 27 the trigger then both of you in ADP I am a congeau burrows two healthy seasons. He was top 15 in points per game in 2021 wide or 14 points per game 13 Or in 2022. He was wide or she ever 13 in points per game the Cincinnati offense they Since they have figured it out which was a few years ago They have been just they let it rip like they let Joe burrow be the man for this team We don't have to get mad at their coaching staff for repeatedly running like cowards It's just a good thing that despite the fact. I'm not sure why my opinion is fine.
They changed on this Yeah, I think the full man's gonna appreciate it because he's a better wide receiver than you give him in the past credit for okay Okay, well, it's time for Mike and Jason to swap takes all right all right. I've already read one So Mike I'm gonna give you yours first first okay, all right. This is I'm excited to do a kind of cathartic today. Yeah, I mean sometimes we gotta get this is long Get stuff off our chest.
All right. All right. Well, you have to get off your chest. I love stats I love a good behind the scenes metric some juicy numbers.
That's going to help me know if someone is good or not All right keep going but sometimes I will finally admit I get too caught up in the advanced metrics and can't see my nose from my face What your nose I just point that phrase it's gonna be famous someday you heard it here first I can't see my nose from my face so stupid anyway, I had a revelation Joe Nixon the player I have always thought was inefficient and not actually good and just yesterday I said would be a bust is well good at football really Joe Nixon is a really good running back I know it might I know it mind sounds crazy I mean I got read it. Yeah me saying that the running back five last year is good But he is how good did you know that Joe Nixon's the only running back who's been an RB one each of the last three years That's right the only one not Christian McCaffrey not Derek Henry Oh nor any other RB and the NFL only my dude Joe mixin yeah And now he's the bell cow back for a top ten offense again after getting a new bag of money new big bag of money What was I thinking of course Joe Nixon is going to be very good for fancy this year because Joe Nixon is very good at football According to me Mike Wright Wow, that's a big change. Yeah Rapid change a bus episode yesterday. Yeah, well, this is look sometimes it takes us saying something wrong to have to correct it I think yes, yeah bust take I'm proud of you for seeing it so quickly Let's put the ADP to the test for Joe mix James Cook my guy Joe mixin I think I think both of you are on the cook side of that one.
Yes. Yes. I mean no Alvin Camara who I feel like nobody wants to drop but everybody knows will be better than people expect or Joe mix Mike because that one's one where you're getting kind of you're dirty on both of them. Yeah, you're you're getting away with this on both of them Yeah, I will between the two of them.
I would I would take James Cook. I want I want to chase some youth upside here over Camara Well, I know Joe mixin or come on well. That's not even a question. Oh, it's come here.
No Joe mixin very good Oh, I see where genuinely taking the taking I will take out the camera I'm curious for shot why because Rashad why oh is in his own rights He is I'm doing this to me. He is I can't keep getting away with an inefficient player. Oh, I'm as good an office That he's being drafted ahead of Joe mixin. I have Rashad why are you with Rashad like he's impossible.
He is 100% impossible because it's now been multiple years of him showing the team he can be a bell cow running back and I think he's just gonna do that same thing he 100% can I Do have but I have some fears that they finally have a player on the team in Bucky Irving who can come in and Do the the superpower that Rashad white hat which is pass catching Rashad white is an efficient on the ground He's a good pass catching running back He can make things happen in that part of the game and I think that if if Bucky Irving gets started to work into that part of Part of the game like that's a huge huge downgrade for Rashad white the part about Bucky Irving can do that But literally Rashad white's the best at it and that's what kills me about like when I think of what makes a running back special In the passing game. I am drawn to the fact that he caught 91% of his targets that number is insane It that is sounds truly insane truly unrepeatable. Well, he was he was 86 percent the year before and yeah I mean, that's a great number, but that's very good But I mean 64 of 70 targets and then 86 percent the year before what you're doing is like why if you're a professional Fable team you don't change that part of it. That's just my opinion on the Bucky Irving thing like very changed the best in the league Very good at football Joe mixin has has caught more than 86% of receptions in a season two times in his career That's pretty good.
Well, it is very good for my degree But I'm saying that that's so that's a Rashad white just he might be that good at that part. Yeah I that's why I don't adapt this important But I chase admins didn't get it done like but you're in confederate role And I just think we're shot by does the same stuff and that but the concern is like maybe you just you need to get Rashad white Some some more rest so maybe maybe he keeps doing the the pass catching and they start working more guys in on the ground I don't know He just he's a very difficult running back because so much of it was just volume and He's not like a first round running back that we're locked in and I know he's gonna get everything Mike Do you feel as though Jason may have something to get off at his chest at this point It looks like it from what I can see okay. Well, let's let's explore One of my best takes here. Make sure I give you the right one.
Yeah, we're good. All right, listen up It's way too early to give up on Austin Echler He was a top eight or better running back in five of 14 games He saw over 18 opportunities per game including over five targets per week scoring 11.4 points per game That's a better mark than swift Naji Warren Gervante I really really enjoyed having him on my team last year and was so thrilled and it didn't accept my trade for him If he's got anything left in the tank Cliff Kingsbury offensive mastermind Will be the one to get the most out of him. It's like I've always said I want old veteran running backs coming off their most inefficient season and partnered with rookie mobile quarterbacks If that's not a recipe for success, I don't know what it is Wow. I thought you had been kind of out You know after last year's experience I didn't know you were like the burns the first line you just the first line is it's way too early to give up on Austin Echler and that is what my therapist has talked to me is that the scars and the burns from last season Yeah, let it go there in the past Wow and you want to you know you want to have so even though a split backfield committee for a rookie quarterback For an age veteran.
Yeah, and when you think about it only 61% of his rushing attempts gained three or fewer yards That is so that's I think of it what I saw you would word 31% of his carries went for 39. Oh, yes based on math So Austin Echler has been talked about very little on this show over the offseason Yeah, I mean he's being drafted as the running back 32 the back of the eighth round So this it's this isn't a nobody in the draft right now people are going off going after Austin Echler So Jason is in Andy where have you gotten to? Well, I mean my I think my value pick was Brian Robinson if that's anything I mean I look at Echler like a Like a reroll of Antonio Gibson from last year, which is somewhat irrelevant. I do enjoy every scene this quote from Cliff Kingsbury Yes, I have I couldn't feel the whole thing or just I'll get to the part that says I didn't study him much in free agency That's the part.
I didn't think he'd be here. You're leaving out the best part Okay, when offensive mastermind Cliff Kingsbury said I watch him like this guy's tremendous So I'm not sure what it was last year, but he hasn't lost a step. He's as quick and as fast and as strong as I've seen him This is a real quote. It was not a take swap with Cliff.
No, that is a real quote He does continue on to say I didn't study him much in free agency Here's the thing about Pass catching backs. I will say is that they don't need much to be relevant for fantasy So when you are looking at him do I want to take him in the eighth round? I probably will not do that But could he be a usable flex on certain weeks or in PPR leagues? Absolutely and his defense Echler.
It was on the ground. It was terrible. That's where it was 179 attempts three and a half yards per carry Like that is terrible. He was still eight and a half yards per catch though on 74 targets caught 51 of them So a low catch percentage for Austin Echler and you didn't get those sweet if you receiving touchdowns like you're used to getting But but like she was still making big plays if he was the free agent pick up that Washington brought in to be their guy because they didn't have anybody else We would be talking about Echler completely differently It's the fact of what Jason illustrated No, I'm surprised he's not doubting it But a mobile rookie quarterback for the committee on a team that is got a new head coach in a new offensive coordinator and a tough division All those things combined means that predictability like look if we came out Not as a surprise with six catches in week one and a touchdown and he's a free agent pick up I mean, that's not impossible especially first half of the year.
He's dealt with injuries He played through injuries We hope last year because if he didn't play through injury he has lost it We watched him go down the sideline like a full-back. So he better have been playing through injuries for us to have any hope All right, we're gonna take a quick break and then come back with some thoughts from Mike and myself All right, Mike, let's let's swap these you can give me yours. All right. I'll take this I will go I will read first All right.
Yeah, let's see what you're thinking these guys As a man known for both tradition and small talk It's about time we had a little heart to heart about something near and dear to me that is of course just tostarone It's about time we talked about it the big tea that grit iron tradition of high-t foot balls a man who likes doing things the way They've always been done playing the new that is the way it was meant to be played It's time we got back to the roots of the game. Where are my leather heads at last year Shout out last year the seven teams that ran the ball the least didn't make the Last year the seven teams that ran the ball the least didn't make a playoffs Well, seven of the top nine teams who ran at the most made the playoffs a great fine volume grit toughness the fire in your belly The pigs skin in your paws running that thing left and right and center until the cows come home Wow do it like they've always done hand that rock off and let them churn out those first downs like the forward pass doesn't exist That's the way I like it and you should too high-t football It's the way to go and it might just be the way to go and fantasy football. I like that you still call it the forward pass Yeah, yes, well, it's this new fangled invention. Where my leather heads out Well, I mean my tradition is something that we know about you.
Yeah. Oh, yeah, no doing things just because that's how we've all We've done them. That's what I say is the best medicine and that those stats that still get you I mean they're great stats of course, but those stats of well, there's team that one They ran the ball 30 something time all you got to do is if you run the ball 35 plus times you win like 90% of the games That's how statistics work. I mean that is correlation causation at its root.
Yeah, I mean you and guns Mahoney Yeah, I mean it is the interaction between the running game fantasy football and the NFL has always been very interesting to me because We've had a lot of seasons where the most effective running teams the ones that do commit to it The most is chicken or egg to agree you get up. Oh, you run the ball more is you you're up you run But for a ton of years in New Orleans Baltimore San Francisco last year like the unlike I said seven or like you said Like you said seven of the top nine teams were taught it was a maximum rushing volume Has been a recipe for success at the NFL level, but at the same time we look at efficiency. We look at passing on a goal line We like it neutral game scripts, correct, but I didn't realize you were such a It's mean are you thinking about going running back running back running back running back? Yes, we're wondering before running back people were just asking us about zero RB nice say zero anything, but RB.
Yeah Wow, that's a strong point. Is this a it's my turn. It is. Oh, there's a nice big font I like this Jane Reed Jade I wanted to say this every day Jane Reed was a product of opportunity last year Wow could have been so it's why well He's a fine ish player His numbers are unsustainable This stuff to admit he topped four receptions in only four games He massively overproduced in the touchdown department and read scored a touchdown on 13% of his touches a score every seven and a half touches Over the last decade We've seen 16 wide receivers have 10 plus touchdowns on 75 or fewer touches like read the average drop in touchdowns next year 5.4 That's a lot When both read and Christian Watson were playing together nine games in total read only managed in easily two quality fantasy games And look at those playoffs the biggest stage the most important games of the season read it question mark I combined four receptions for 35 yards over two games.
He's a part-time mediocre player surrounded by very talented players Whoa, okay, that's that's scathing review if I hadn't changed my opinion to this exact thing right here I would be upset yeah, but now you know I mean yeah, but mediocrity or a Jane Reed. I'll just put it that way Is he's he's in a crowded right back? No other you heard me quality wide receivers. Yeah, and the important thing is that some of you out there would be blaming all of the injury struggles Over the back stretch of the season, but I've come to realize that those are irrelevant.
He just sucks Oh, no, no, he's fine. Ish you say yeah? He's fine ish you weren't mean to him. I mean no, I'm sorry I meant a part-time mediocre player.
Oh, that's better. That's a random by very talented full-time players and of course by full-time players I do mean Christian Watson. Yes, so I'm always available and on the field I don't know what I think about my own thoughts You know well some of what you brought up is Something's you brought up before the truth is that he did over produce and touchdowns. It's not a sustainable pace for just about The volume that he got there is it to be fair to my own thoughts John Donson comes to mind if you wanted to find the negative case for the Reed rookie season It would be thoughts and thoughts and overproduced touchdown wise was efficient flashes a rookie believed in the talent didn't produce as a sophomore One of the reasons I didn't make Jane Reed my my guys because I knew later on I would write a scathing Yes, yeah, I mean where all of my scouting and opinions on him were kind of changed suddenly in the midst of an episode on TV And what takes what don't even wicks is obviously better, right?
I mean, I think I might think that right this He's not mediocre. No, so um, yeah I mean I guess I could be wrong and he might end up being amazing and that talent shines through in this year But we'll find out stop it as a mailbag mailbag How do we not mailbag swap? Oh, yeah, well, I mean like make the doosers do it doesn't take long to get the falcon in there Mailbag Yes, yes, yes, oh his face His face wasn't on camera vigorously shake. No, no, no, no, no don't do this and it was like the music Are you you get some credit today?
Falcon you went all in you? Embrace the mailbag swap despite I mean Jason's right he was vigorously shaking his head No, I've never seen someone sprint without moving before but that's what he was doing He was just trying to run out of this room. That was great. That was great.
Thank you Falcon You get mad props on that if you have a question for the show you go to the website the fancy footballers.com Click the submit a question button. Yeah, Falcon City Black that what just happened you can all the voicemail hotline 3024 CFC FFB and Here we go. By the way, what was your what was your thought on our first takes what episode did you? Enjoy yourself.
Yeah, yeah There's some there's some fun things to be had hopefully the audience can understand the difference and what we actually believe in and and also Hopefully maybe a thing or two there brought the light a different shade of our opinion that Maybe is a little bit more reasonable in some of them Well, probably not for Mike. He does what he's always thought he does what they always do. Yeah, I do Why are you such a big fan of TV only leagues? Because that's the only time that they score in the NFL.
Oh, okay. That's a good perfect that is the right answer All right, our first question comes in from Instagram Josh right since what is your view on Kirk Cousins? He's a quarterback. Yeah, he is I don't know if you guys saw the playlist But no playlists were Kirk Cousins was his birthday.
He got to put it out there and you know what it was a good playlist Yeah, I had no problems with it, but it's it's hard to get overly excited about Kirk Cousins Because we we just don't know if he's gonna be Truly healthy, you know, it's like let me bring a point up if this is okay just to ask the answer the question for us Kirk Cousins and Aaron Rodgers are both coming off of devastating different different legs. Yes, I'm injured both have I'm gonna say change teams Rogers got to play zero Yes, so new new offense in the situation both have Two of the best running backs in the game of football These John Robinson and we saw and both have had prolific fantasy seasons Rogers more than cousins Yeah, but both have done it in the past both have same year up and coming super star wide receivers Yeah, drink line in and Garrett Wilson. We do not bring up very often or have it I haven't heard it the fact that the Jets office could be prolific the Jets office could be incredible despite the fact that they Have all of those same attributes that Kirk Cousins has right, but it does get brought up around Atlanta You know the thought that Atlanta could just turn everything around they have a worse defense Maybe that means you think they'll throw the ball more but the situations are wildly parallel Yeah, from running back to wide receiver to injury to how you've established I just feel like nobody like has anybody whispered Aaron Rodgers name in a fantasy conversation. No it He has all those same things he there's a lot of similarities But it was just like the upside of the Falcon skill position players I just talked about darn El Muni of I think that he is still a quality wide receiver the hope its hopes and dreams I get it a Kyle Pitt still deserves hopes and dreams because of the The talent least we saw in his rookie season and over a thousand yards as a rookie tight end Nearly impossible to do but he managed to do it where the Jets like who is the sec not naming Breece all Who's the second best pass catcher for the New York Jets?
Ah? Probably Gibson until Mike Williams comes back. I'm guessing yeah I'm not really factoring Mike Williams into the the offense is kind of funny Williams and Mooney feel similar But one of them is not recovering from a DCL correct so that's that's what I'm saying Not this year. I'm not that's where I'm saying I'm not factoring Williams in as much as as moving back to back and dress I would add to that the you've got an age gap here, right 36 years old versus four years old so you're four years old coming off Of an Achilles injury and when he was 38 years old when Aaron Rodgers was not injured.
He wasn't that great his last season in Green Bay I know he lost the vante Adams, but you know 3,600 yards 26 passing touchdowns, which is very not Aaron Rodgers like So I think it's like well He's got a recover at age 40 and get back to prior to what he was when he was healthy That just seems like a tall task especially for a team that is so darn good on defense that you don't have to push the ball downfield You know enough for fantasy purposes to have even if they are one of the best teams in the league and they can you know Rodgers has never been a yard guy though. No, no, but he's been a touchdown guy And that's why I'm saying when he was 30 80 through 26 passing touchdown his career average per year points per game for Rogers It's 20 and a half cousins career points per game is 16.2 Yeah, and in the final year of Aaron Rodgers healthy it was 14.1 right? That's that's that's why you've given a lot of weight to that season for now two years because we didn't get to see Rogers on the Field last year. Yeah, it's just he's old.
Isn't that gonna be fun though? Oh, I can't wait and I missed it Genuinely, I mean, I'm always rooting for all these quarterbacks to do well But to get back to the original question of Kirk cousins if he's healthy he should be pretty darn good I mean this this is a the ram system that fits his play style I you know this he's not gonna be mobile. So he's gonna be one of those guys It's a low-end quarterback one or just a good super flex QB to type I don't come in from the ram system. There's a guy in the ram system right now named Matthew Stafford that has two prolific past yetchers Dan McVay already mm-hmm, and I look at cousins in that list I think cousins and Stafford would be the more like occasional weekly upside, but probably Probably not every week.
Probably not top 12 guys. Yeah, that's why I said you're I look at staff at the same way He's a low-end quarterback one or probably a quarterback to and super flex but you're happy. Yeah, that's right Instagram question from Mike 562. Do you believe that George Pickens can be a league winner?
No, but I'm Probably alone there no no league winner is do actually receive the moniker of league winner. He would have to finish Top five now. It can he be top five. He's being drafted as the wide receiver 29 in the back of the fifth right now The Steelers as of this recording a little bit early the Steelers and the Patriots are the only team to not name a starting quarterback Now because bonyx was named the starter for the Denver Broncos Did you guys which we should have talked about?
Yeah, well, I'm mentioning it right now The Steelers quarterback situation. That's a little strange to me I know Russ has missed a bunch of time with injury and everything out of Steelers camp has been no rust Is gonna be the guy but then you get or getting the whispers of well the quarterback competition is actually a little closer Then most people would think so where you guys have a read on that because that that affects the outcome of George Pickens in a big way as well I mean, I saw the report that you know is like they're the only two teams that have a better starter Is that really true because I feel like Tomlin from day one is that he back one is no it is true So he has come out and said that Russ is no longer the starter I just haven't I haven't seen that ever happen. They never named Russ as a starter They named him as the as the quarterback one Well, that was the phrase he was he's the quarterback one and I don't know what that means if not starter means your first up in Okay, I think it's a bad sign that he hasn't come out come out and declared that and reinforced it. I do that's where I absolutely do I think most teams have done it they haven't done it and frankly both guys look like they're not very good Well, they are the reason why I say no It's not pickens if if tomorrow CD lambs contract negotiations go sideways and there's a pickens for CD trade Yeah, pickens could be a league winner playing with Dak as the wide receiver one there But I don't see a league winner for whoever is the wide receiver one between Russ and Fields Yeah, it does seem challenging and I don't even know I honestly don't even know who I'd prefer Like Russ provided nothing to Denver's past catchers and at least fields gave you DJ More's big season, right but Fields is a problem behind center too.
So I still am blown away that Corland Sutton had ten receiving touchdowns from Russell Wilson ten double digit touchdowns and he was the wide receiver 36 Yes, he's possible it does All right This is a website question from Caroline in Huntington Beach. Hey ballers I play in a half PPR league that also awards half a point for a first down nice How do I take that into account when drafting my positional players should I be looking at full PPR rankings? Thank you It's a great question. This is a this is an interesting topic.
There are those out there that would like to kind of push us towards a point per first down format versus point for reception because You know a screen pass for zero yards is not as valuable as they pass for a first down This is interesting of the the half for the catch and another half like you complete the PPR if you actually get a first down I'm totally fine with that. Yeah, I think it's cool I mean as far as what rankings to look out I think looking at PPR rankings are fine for this But what you want to do is go just google like first downs You know last year and see which types of players and which players led the league and first downs and ranked them And just kind of sort them mentally a little bit within themselves if they're a behind the line of scrimmage type of screen game guy That's not gonna be the the same mover. I'll give you some data. Yeah, if we want it top five Receiving first down leaders so receptions that were for first down I bet it's all the high PPR guys Tyree kill.
Yeah, CD. I'm an raw. Uh-huh. AJ Brown.
Okay, Pooka N Koo. Those are the top five Those are not yeah, how far how far is the list go down that you're looking at as far as we want? Is there any who's three hundred fifty six at well Jason? Okay at what point in the order is their name where you go?
Oh God when with fifty three which was right at the same level as Nico Collins is interesting. That's yeah Yeah, they'll be in at fifty six. Yeah, um is interesting somehow they had fifty six first downs dealing to the Panthers. Oh The team Maybe interesting the Hawkins in at forty eight where it's which was the same amount is reported despite missing time Yeah, Hawkins was having a good year.
Um I'm not seeing anything. I mean forty six for Jacoby Myers who is that's a more than Drake London Roxy Rice George Kittle So that's kind of interesting. Yeah It's more of the PPR guys at the top are gonna be the first down guys because they're catching a bunch of passes and the and then the players who like Nico It's gonna it might be a little bit lower because they're they're big play guys Not surprising, you know rushing first down wise McCaffrey lap the field. Yeah, so McCaffrey and this includes quarterbacks any any rushing first Down's McCaffrey had eighty three rushing first downs and that closest was sixty eight and this is a wild one The fifth highest rushing in the NFL quarterback's included first downs She bothered wait Caroline had that That was wild right.
Yeah more than most or more than Josh down more than Montgomery. Um, that's a that's a high It is because also I mean touchdowns are essentially counted as a first down so I figured most are at twenty some of those That's what I mean that is the name that jumps out at the top 20 at the rushing for rushes interesting All right, we are going to ramp things up today. We got a mock draft episode tomorrow. We've got our live show on Saturday evening a few straggling seats remain and You can go to ballers live comm if you want to come see us live in Los Angeles on Saturday We would love to see you the place is gonna be packed.
We've got tons of special stuff in store We're giving away literally like 20 autographed jerseys that we're gonna be throwing out into the crowd in the mezzanine Yeah, which shout out to pristine auction for providing all those shout out to sleep for presenting the show Absolutely, and we're also raising money for fantasy cares. Yes with the live show as well So it's gonna be just a really good time to connect before the season and during draft season So ballers live.com for tickets get into the megalobolomengolobolomomom and we will be back with yet another episode tomorrow But we will not be doing pick swap during the mock draft Just so you know, okay. Goodbye Thank you for listening to another episode of the fantasy footballer's podcast join our fantasy football community on join the foot Dot com and follow us on Twitter at the FF ballers