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Wednesday, September 1st. Mike Wright, Jason Moore, Andy Holloway, the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Yet another episode, Al Borland, Judge Giamati in the house. We are into September.
The NFL is so close. Real games on the horizon, September 9th kickoff. Today's the Fantasy MVP show. So very hyped for today's episode.
Really dealing with a personal crisis at this moment where What you got going? Thank you. Thank you. You guys are good listeners.
It's something I've been really staring down for a few months. And I don't know what to do. Oh, we're here to help me. Yeah.
What's up? I don't know if I need to make a switch from large to extra large on the TV. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
Been there, my man. I don't know what to do. Are you an extra large now, Mike? No, no.
Look, I've been. I've traversed that line several times back and forth. I've gone large. I've gone Excel.
I've gone back to large, back to Excel. I've been sitting pretty in large right now. And you've been dealing with this little battle all by yourself? Yeah.
I suffer in silence, thank you very much. Wow. I don't tell the foot clan about how I'm a big fat guy. I just don't know what to do.
I'm pretty tall. And so the Excel, I'm tempted by the length. Oh, yeah. Very nice.
The large is just showing off a little too much of what's disproportionate about my upper half. But you're worried that the Excel is going to be a little too too big. Yeah. Well, I totally understand that struggle.
The answer, just to be here for you, OK, is go with the Excel for comfort. Then work on filling that sucker out as quick as possible. Oh, OK. Then it's not too baggy.
You're living a comfy life. Everything's good. Join me someday at that two Excel. You're saying, make the jump to Excel, but then just commit to it.
That's right. That's right. If you do something, do it right. I thought maybe tightening up so that the large bit better was the solution.
That is an option. I think that's my solution. My solution is fill it out, brother. OK.
All right. Well, that sounds easier. I will enjoy. It's way easier.
I will enjoy that route. A couple of announcements before we get into the buy-sell news and the fantasy MVP picks, which our fantasy MVP picks last year were three smash hits. And we'll talk about that later. Pretty good.
Well, look, they're not always that way. No, of course not. And so I'm going to get as much run from those as I can. Big announcement.
We mentioned it earlier. But today it's Wednesday. And so that means our debut on Spotify Green Room this afternoon. Very excited.
A brand new live show every Wednesday. All you have to do is grab the Spotify Green Room app. It's completely free. You can join us live every Wednesday at 3 PM Pacific, 6 PM Eastern time all season long.
Green Room is a separate app. It's not Spotify. Then Spotify. Just so like for clarification out there, I totally get it.
Spotify Green Room. It's a separate app. Yeah. And so download the Spotify Green Room app.
Follow fantasy footballers. And then you'll be notified when we're live. Our first show today. No, this is not in lieu of a Wednesday podcast.
If you're listening to this, you know that. But I've seen that out there. People are like, oh, are you not doing a Wednesday podcast? No, this is just a live event.
We've been on Sirius XM Live once a week over the past couple of years. This year we're doing it on Spotify Green Room. And we're going to talk news. We're going to take calls and questions.
And it's going to be a good time. And it'll just be a fun way to head into the new week each and every week. Yep. You can still get in the Megalable at Megalable.com.
If you want to take part in that, we're up over 11,000 entries into the Megalable. And if you're drafting this week, then you can check out the Ultimate Draft, get it. Ultimate Draft, get.com. Buy yourself presented by pristine auction.
Buy yourself second year wide receiver Jerry Judy leading the Broncos in receiving yards. Last year he managed to do so with 856 in his rookie year. No, Courtland Sutton last season. And so right now he's going in the back of the sixth round.
Sutton is the top of the seventh. They're basically neck and neck. Buy yourself Broncos leading receiver in terms of yards being Jerry Judy. I love this being on today's episode because my original fantasy MVP pick was in fact Jerry Judy.
Oh, OK. Now I pivoted off of that because I think he does well. No, no, it's not partial credit if he does well. It's saying I believe in Jerry Judy.
I do think that he leaves this team in yards. He was an outstanding prospect coming out. And he looked really good on the field last year. Like you watch him run routes.
He was open and he couldn't catch 50% of his passes. I mean 50% would be really, really bad. And that would have been better than what he did. However, he had the largest uncatchable rate in all the football time with AJ Green.
So it was like a lot of it was not his fault. Teddy Bridgewater making the change. I think is going to be good for specifically his style of ball. I think he gets the most targets.
I think he actually catches them this year and takes that sophomore leap forward. So while I was not as confident in Judy as I was my MVP pick, in part because Portland Sutton, which I'm sure you two guys are about to bring up, I do want the opportunity to say I think Jerry Judy takes a big step forward this year and leads them as their wide receiver one. I so you're buying. I am buying.
I'm selling. OK. One of the bold predictions in yesterday's article that I released on the website was that KJ Hamler, who I love and then Noah Fant. I think you're going to be disappointed with all the receiving options in Denver.
But even if you're disappointed, who leads the court? Court in Sutton leads them in yardage. Yeah. So it'll be close, but I'm going to go with Sutton.
When it comes to the Broncos, this entire offseason, I've been uncomfortably sitting directly on offense and that's never comfortable. Like if I'm comfortable because one leg is on each side. That's it's up there. Yeah.
It's it's invading my privacy. Yeah. And I sometimes I lean one way, sometimes I lean the other. Like I'm with you with Jerry Judy.
I think it's going to be a great player. But Courtland Sutton, a year, a year off in football is like five years off in any other sport. You completely forget how good this player was. And Courtland Sutton had a true breakout season just a couple of years ago and then unfortunately had an ACL tear.
So you just I get tugged back and forth. I have them 30 yards apart, but I have Jerry Judy slightly ahead. So I'm going to pick a side and I will buy Jerry Judy leads the team and receiving yards today. You know what this offense reminds you.
Tomorrow, you know what this offense reminds me of quite a bit and it'll make a complete sense. And it's the reason he's not my MVP pick, even though I think he's going to take a step forward and lead in yardage. Last year, Robbie Anderson, DJ Moore, Curtis Samuel, Mike Davis, they all had so much talent and yardage, but it was the touchdowns. It just never came.
It was those guys were like, if they could only score touchdowns on a good rate, and that's going to be the fantasy issue with this team. I agree with you, Andy, that it's possible that this team disappoints a little bit in totality. I think it's going to be because it's touch sounds because Teddy B can move an offense between the 20s, but inside the red zone, I don't know that that's really where he can thrive. So you might see more of the Melvin Gordon show as far as being able to punch in touch down.
Yeah, I would say when we we've talked about Carolina so much and what Teddy B did there, but all three of their wide receivers were kind of not great for fantasy. I mean, that's the truth. They were all good, not great. They were all not what you did.
More certainly wasn't what you expected. Like you said, it's touchdowns. Robbie Anderson after a strong start was difficult every single week. And the courtesy of came on late, but you were like 10 games in.
You were like, I don't know if I can really start him. So it's definitely possible. Judy has the talent, but I liked what I saw from Sutton in the last preseason game, gave me some hope. And like you said, Mike, like Cooper Cup coming off of the ACL immediately, right, you know, the coach called ballers get a $10 credit news and notes from around the league presented my sleeper.
Oh boy, I'm going to try to handle this news as elegantly as possible because there's a lot of it. Michael Thomas on the pup out for the first six weeks, including the by there is hope, though, like the optimism into Orleans is that Thomas will be ready to go week seven. So this isn't he's on the pop and then I wins are going to come back. They're targeting that week seven.
The font that Freeman was released from the same. So he's not on the roster. Terry Cohen's on the pub. So it'll be David opportunity and Damien Williams.
Seguan Barkley, uncertain for week one, have an ingrown uncertain for week one. No decision has been made until they make it next week. So hesitancy around. Seguan.
Yeah, I mean, I would, if you're in a league, you've got an IR slot. Um, if you could throw one of your players there and pick up another stash fly or even drop a defense, grabbing the ball. To book is not the worst idea right now. He could be a week one starter.
Um, if Seguan does not play, DJ, Chuck Marvin Jones expected to be ready for week one, big news here, Irv Smith swerving around this season. Underwind surgery to repair his meniscus. That's a four to five month recovery timeline. A sign Chris heard in yesterday, uh, or rather acquired him for a six round pick, which is a decent investment for a player that has done very little at the NFL level.
It was a six four swap. Okay. But once again, you have a player with the opportunity. Oh, so they gave up a four.
Yeah. Yeah. I mean, that's even, I mean, they gave up a four, got a six back, but that's a pretty big amount of capital that says, Irv's not going to be available. And they need someone and as much fun as it is to conk when Tyler Conklin gets the ball, it's not a super fun.
That's not enough for that offense. Um, and when the trade happened yesterday, this made all of us in the office kind of go, how bad is the Irv Smith injury? Actually, if they're willing to go out and grab him, her name is someone that at the very least in a dynasty league should be picked up in roster right now. Uh, big season from Herndon on the way.
No, I don't laugh at it because he has post Adam Gays and there is still that chance. Okay. Everything post Adam Gays is all right. I mean, what's great about this year is we have a lot of players.
We get to watch and see if we get to test that. Well, Chris Herndon preceded Adam Gays. Yes. As well.
So when you're talking about like the rookie year where he was one of very few tight ends who actually surpassed five on receiving yards, that's right. John Brown has been released. Raiders wide receiver. He asked for his release.
Uh, he wasn't happy with his position on the depth chart. He wasn't going to start. So there you go. That does say that, uh, with Agilor gone and now John Brown out of the way, Brian Edward has a brand, Edward has a chance.
Oh, okay. All right. We've upgraded to chance, but here's what I'll, here's what I'll say about why I love Brian Edwards is the last round pick. I have on Arta League of Records.
I took Terris Marshall and I took Brian Edwards. Terris Marshall. I fully expect I have to hold on to him. He's one of those players and you bring this up all the time.
You're about drafting a guy who you can make a decision on week one and cut him and move on. That's Brian Edwards. He's not a rookie. Like he's not going to slowly get worked in after two weeks or something.
The way that Justin Jefferson was last year, Brian Edwards comes out week one, gets eight or nine targets as involved, looks like a fantasy option or see you later. You're off my roster. Yep. So that's, that's good for last pick and truthfully, the most proven receiver on that team is under info.
Yes. Yes. Just for a lot of sea. Lots of productivity in his past compared to both rugs and Edwards.
So I'm just saying in a full PPR league, you could glance his direction, especially with the question marks around Waller's health entering the year, which he's fine now, but you never know if those things can linger or he could get re-injure. Right. All right. What are you going for the cuts?
Xavier Jones was waived, suffered an ankle injury, which was a by the Rams in a Achilles injury. So Sonny Michelle and Daryl Henderson is going to be, I mean, they're going to be the starters. Yep. And Wayne Gohman gone.
49ers. 49ers. That's fantastic. Cory, my name is like five.
Savages go running back to the only one in the half. So dodge that ball. Darwin Thompson released by the Chiefs, Jordan Howard released by the Eagles, Travis Fulghum released by the Eagles. Oh, Fulghum got caught.
Yeah. So the KQT who actually was okay at the end of last year and thought he would get a shot with the Randall Cobb. No, he's going to get a shot at the waiver wire. Jason Moore Jr.
was cut by the charges. No, I'm hoping to get back on the practice squad. So or maybe someone picks me up and I assume I'll clear waivers. And then Des Fitzpatrick, a fourth round wide receiver picked by the Titans that had some promise in dynasty leagues was cut.
They traded up for him. They traded the 126, 166 and 232 for the 109. And that was that was this year. Yes.
That was they literally took their 126 or 166 and they're 232 and they just cut him from the roster. Well, it reminds me of Lindeauen Jr. With with the Raiders. They traded up to get him and then they let him go.
I thought they traded him to Miami. For nothing. It's for dirt. Yeah.
And then Anthony McFarland running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers could be placed on IR might be the short term IR, but that is worth mentioning. Tyron Johnson from the Chargers was cut. So third round pick Joshua Palmer. You got Josh.
Very interesting. Yes. Joshua Palmer is not a player I'm drafting because I don't just I don't know. I don't see a world where Palmer comes in week one.
You're like, holy crap, it's Joshua Palmer. But third round pick that's that is excellent draft capital for a player. He didn't have huge college production, but he has a the opportunity as there now. Austin Echler was on the show and he brought up the name of Josh Palmer.
So he's someone to just move that thought to the back of your brain. I think he is a guy that you're willing to draft. Yeah. I think he could be one of those week one stars that you didn't see coming.
I'm more interested in him than I'm interested in Brian Edwards right now. So if he if he Mike Williams can't stay healthy and even when he was healthy last year, you had big games from Tyron Johnson, big games from Jalen Geithin. So Josh Palmer is very intriguing because they're going to throw the football and Keanu has a specific type of role in this offense. Sure.
So I am more intrigued than you and more intriguing than you. As a person just more intriguing in general, especially after that opening story. Right. Yeah.
People were very into that. I'm just so sorry that you had to bear that burden yourself when you were going through it. Hey, I accept your apology. Yeah.
I've I've I've bare that burden twice. So I can't wait for the back. You've got next level now. Is your burden more of a was it a ping pong burden or?
Oh, no, no, just power through. It was a power through burden one this one direction and it's up. All right. That was today's news and notes brought to you as always by sleeper.
They listen to feedback. That's one of the things we love about them, the sleeper platform. Go download the app. Get off of the old fantasy platforms.
Make the switch. Sleeper is number one in Dynasty leagues already. Um, we have our listener league tonight. Where are we drafting?
We are drafting on sleeper. Got our best ball league about to start on sleeper, the Megalable lawn sleeper. So all right. We're going to jump into our top 10 fantasy MVPs.
We have a number of guests sharing their fantasy MVP picks on the show today. And then the three of us will reveal our selections. So excited about that last year. Mike went with Antonio Gibson.
I had Kyla Murray and Jason at AJ Brown on the fantasy MVP episode. So I'm excited to talk about today's computer approved. The computer approves those picks this year. So excited to get into that momentarily.
We want to thank today's sponsor supporting the show, uh, DraftKings. Look, football is right around the corner. You can get in on the action with DraftKings Sportsbook and official sports betting partner of the NFL with the NFL returning DraftKings is giving new customers $200 in free bets instantly when you bet $1 or more on any football game. So listen up.
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Into the MVP picks. The power has remained on today. We had our first ever blackout at the studio. This is the 11 hundred and third episode of the show.
We've never had that happen in about 20 minutes into the episode. The power just. How whole building that was very startling. And you know that like that sound in all the movie trailers were goes, boom.
That's that's what happened. We were in the dark. I was scared. We needed the night light that you promised them, Donald.
But we so far so good today. I can handle that every eleven hundred episodes. All right. So we will get it started with our friend and fantasy football analyst from Yahoo Fantasy, Liz Loza with her MVP pick.
So you want my fantasy MVP for 2021? Wow. It should come as no surprise. I'm going with my boy, Austin Echler of the Los Angeles Chargers.
I know people want to come at me about the potential durability concerns, but I happen to have the inside track and knowing that he is going to stay healthy. And besides all that, his God given talent, his skill set was created for optimal fantasy output, his illusivity as a rusher with a two creative over 24 percent last year. By the way, helps keep him efficient in 2020. He managed a YPC of 4.6.
And then what about his prowess as a receiver with that amazing catch rate above 83 percent. He checks all the boxes. Here's another one. He's being paired with Joel Lombardi coming over from New Orleans.
Now there is a past catching running back in New Orleans that's done pretty well for fantasy managers Lombardi, Echler, Herbert equals lit. Oh man. That is an impassioned argument. The only question I have because I am very pro Echler.
Yes. The only question I have is how do you have the inside track to know he's going to be healthy all year. Well, that's a psychic and impressive work. But I was between two people originally for my MVP.
One of them was Austin Echler. I like the pick. I think that the floor is extraordinarily high for Austin Echler. He has as high a floor as anyone out there.
I do worry a little bit about a ceiling having him on really kind of like he insinuated he's not made for goal line work. He insinuated that coaches believe he's not right. But he's playing with the coaches. I want to be like a coach who think this they're wrong.
And he was just like, yes, I'm guys I'm made for it. Like, no, yes you are. But yeah, I love Echler for fantasy. In our League of Record draft, which is a keeper league.
So there are a lot of players that are already gone. The debate for the number one, number two, number three pick. It came down to Nick Chub, Austin Echler and Najee Harris. Um, I don't see any reason why Echler in a half point or full point lead can't outperform those other two guys.
Sure. He has top five potential in my mind. He could certainly be a fantasy MVP. He's being drafted kind of into the first round early second round with some hesitancy.
So if the reception totals are Philip Rivers, ask, which they were when he came back last year, the possibilities are endless for him. He just got to just needs to stay healthy. Yeah, this MVP list is it's tough. I mean, these are some heavy hitters.
There's a lot of second round picks in this list. So you're going to have to hear the arguments and take your MVP. All right. Let's turn to the good friend of the show.
Hey, good friend of the show and a finalist for CBS sports, Jamie Eisenberg. Jamie Eisenberg here from CBS Sports, the fantasy MVP for the 2021 campaign will be the offense running back. Miles Gaskin, remember the joke Brian Flores played on us in the first preseason game when he made Malcolm Brown, the starter and everybody panicked with a joke on you because it drove down the price of maybe the best running back in fantasy. Last year, if you take the 10 games that Miles Gaskin appeared in, take those numbers over 16 games because we all love the extrapolation game.
But if you do that, you ask him what if I had over 800 rushing yards, over 600 receiving yards and would have been in the same category as only one running back to do that, which is Alvin Kamara. I don't know about you, but I hear running back being associated in the same stratosphere as Alvin Kamara. I'm going to buy in. I don't think Malcolm Brown or Savannah are going to take Miles Gaskin off the field to the set that's going to ruin him.
I actually think he's going to have a tremendous season. We had a very good offensive line with what could be a better quarterback situation if two of our low it takes the next step. We know Gaskin's going to catch up all the back though. He's going to be successful running the ball.
He's going to be the best running back in fantasy. So by in the fourth round, you'd be thrilled if you get him in the fifth round. But I love Miles Gaskin this season. He is my fantasy MVP.
Well, those were bold words. That's spicy. And for Mr. Jamie Eisenberg, I don't think that's what he's insinuating.
He said he's the best running back in fantasy. You say from best. I heard them multiple times. I think it was a little hyperbolic.
I mean, obviously we I love Jamie. We disagree on Gaskin if you've listened to this show. And when I say we I mean myself and Jamie, I know I'm I'm more down on Gaskin than you two gentlemen are. Gaskin was absolutely fantastic in the games played last year.
Different offensive coordinator. Not so sure about the offensive line. I think that they did bring Malcolm Brown in to get some work. What did you think about the what Jamie was talking about?
The preseason usage because he's right. Like I freaked out after that first preseason game because all it wasn't that. Malcolm Brown was just the guy. It was no, Miles Gaskin was still there and being worked in, but Malcolm Brown was getting the majority of the work and then that completely got brushed to the side and then it was the Miles Gaskin show.
Yeah, I mean, I think I think the pendulum swing too far the other way in that next preseason game because it wasn't really entirely the Miles Gaskin show. It was it was a three player rotation. I certainly always have believed that Gaskin is going to be the leader of the rotation, but I don't think it'll be the same level of market share this year. I I'm in on Miles at this point.
I don't know if he can be the number one or number two guy, but is top 10 possible. Yes. Oh, without question. Yeah.
Yeah. He's he just does too much for this team. He's involved in too many plays seems to have a nose for the end zone. Jamie brought up some of those into your stats and you look at this.
Malcolm Brown lives to kind of torture you from a perspective of like, OK, they use them here. They use them there, but in the end, the gap of talent between Miles Gaskin and Malcolm Brown is immense and the team is smart enough to use Gaskin the majority of the time and he can score from 10, 15 yards out. He can score in the screen game. He can put up reception told us that should be top 10 in the lead.
I think if they use him as an every down guy, he's 200 pounds. Like there's nobody in the NFL that can actually do that. That's the issue is small. It's an effort to do that.
Austin Echler is the example. He's like two or five. That's exactly how I see the two of them is he's there. Austin Echler.
And the way they used him, I am I've actively I have a trade off route just now that got turned down for Miles Gaskin from this morning. I will say I have mostly been in on Miles Gaskin, but after our League of Record draft forced my hand into a zero running back approach and I had to take Malcolm Brown at the end of the draft. I'm out. I'm all in a Malcolm Brown, baby.
All right. Let's turn to our friend and analyst on NFL Network's NFL fantasy live Marcus Green. What's up, everybody? It's your man, M.G.
Marcus Grant from NFL Media. And when it comes to the fantasy MVP in 2021, I know a lot of people are going to say somebody like Patrick Mahomes or running back like Christian McCaffrey or Dalvin Cook, but I'm going to go a little bit outside the box and I'm going to give you Antonio Gibson in part because it's going to be the production he gives you on top of where you get him in draft. You're talking about a guy who's coming off the board somewhere in the second round, who has potential to easily be a top 10, maybe even a top eight running back. You can buy that production with the fantasy value you're going to get.
He's going to have a lot of people get into the playoffs, maybe even when championships and at the end of the year, we're going to be talking about Antonio Gibson as your fantasy MVP. You certainly could be. You definitely could be Gibson is the kind of player that I think is you can be right about him having a limited workload or not a limited workload, limited production for like Nick Chubwood do for like two or three quarters. And then all of a sudden it's two places.
It's a screen pass. It's one breakaway run like you love explosive ability in a player in Gibson possesses that in a way that a lot of other guys don't in a way that I don't think Clyde does. So do you buy into the potential Gibson season? Oh, you know that you know that I knew last year he was incredible.
And last year he was a two down running back. I mean, there are guys that like Nick Chub, they can slip into the top. And I know we, you know, yes, I want my running backs to be pass catchers and Gibson was that the volume wasn't what you had hoped for Antonio Gibson in the in the passing game. But you've seen the proof of concept that even if the workload doesn't all the sudden shift to Antonio Gibson is in on third down all the time, he can still pay off at his ADP, but worked into that worked in a Tony Gibson is what if he does start taking third the third down role by the halfway point of the season, then though, like nothing will stop Antonio Gibson at that point for fantasy.
Yeah, I think he's the kind of player who can have, you know, not even the like top 10 in the league type of targets, but still do a lot with the target. So it's invaluable. Yeah, I mean, he's one of those players where you have to decide the projection, whether you're confident that his workload is going to go up and his involvement is going to go up or you're not, I'm very confident in Antonio Gibson. I don't have any worries about drafting him where he's being drafted at all.
All right. It's time to turn to Adam left. Go congrats, Adam, by the way, on the NBA on TNT Tuesdays this past year. Let's hear from out.
Fellows loved ones. Audiences of all ages. Adam left go is in the building. Please give me your deferential treatment and bow.
Thank you all hop aboard the Gus bus. Branson, I'm recording this after JK Dobbins injury and I hope he feels better. But in the meantime, I have been on the Gus bus for years. Every time he touches the ball, he goes eight or nine yards.
The offensive line solid, loved, they added sight, learned, and villain away on the right side. The fact that Jawa James could be coming back at the end of the year. This offensive line with Lamar Jackson could be dynamic. I'm all aboard the Gus bus as the fantasy footballers MVP.
Oh, delicious. I forgot he had the delicious in there. The wheels on the Gus go round around, Mike. I you are you are into the Gus.
I am very into Gus Edwards, especially at his ADP. He he is such an incredible sensational player that like he has had to earn his way up from the ground. Maybe that's part of what I like about Gus is the story of, you know, the undrafted manages to get on the Ravens. It is so good that they have to keep figuring out ways to get them on the field, even when they go out and they have high price free agents like Mark Ingram, where they have high draft, capital picks like J.K.
Doppins, Gus Edwards is still getting on the field. And now he is the guy. Like I believe that said, which will be the main running back for this team. I don't see anyone out there in free agency who can compete.
The backup is a fellow undrafted free agent. Just remember a couple years ago, the Ravens rushing attack was record shattering. And yes, a lot of that is Lamar Jackson, but a lot of that is also the running back. So you could his upside for rushing touchdowns is so immense.
And you're getting him in that fourth or fifth round right now. I think that's what I hear the objection regarding Gus the most is, oh, the touchdowns are all going to get siphoned by Lamar. Not all of them. They score so many touchdowns.
Yes. He had six on the ground last year splitting in a committee on 144 Kerry. So I want to bring that up because I do think he's an eight to 10 touchdown potential player. I made a gamble move.
I'm going for a repeat in our dynasty league. I prefer Gus slightly to James Robinson. So I made the move. I traded James Robinson to get him.
Jason, where do you fit in the MVP pick up Gus Edwards? I do think Gus Edwards could easily be an MVP pick. He's not someone that I like necessarily more than James Robinson. It depends on where he's going.
And 80 P is kind of out the window with Gus Edwards in some of your leagues that are drafting right now. He's going to fall. He's, I mean, this was a guy I was targeting prior to the JK Dobbins injury because he was already involved. They gave him a two year, 10 million deal.
So they paid him before the JK Dobbins injury. I really like Gus Edwards. I just wish that he caught passes and that's it's not going to happen. But Ravens running back.
Don't really do that. Last year, two rushing touchdowns for Mark Ingram, nine for JK Dobbins. Like those are up for grabs. Those are all rushing touchdowns that Lamar did not score.
I do like the coaches comments recently just basically saying, look, this is going to be. He's our guy. This is our dude. He fits the system.
It's unfortunate what happened to JK. It seems very similar to Damien Harris to me, a guy who's going to have a lot of potential to show a lot of touchdowns, have a ton of yards, be a quality back, but not catch the ball. And it's just a matter of. Much better rushing.
In time where those. Yes, for sure. Higher touchdown. Odds.
All right. Uh, Adam Rank. What's up, everybody? It's me, Adam Rank.
You might know me from such shows as Good Morning Football Weekend NFL. Now NFL's total access. And of course NFL, fantasy live and my MVP pick for this season is going to be Trey Lance. Two reasons Houston Texans.
We don't know when Trey Lance is going to be the starting quarterback for the 49ers, but I do know this Texans defense is going to be one of the worst in the NFL. Not as are the 49ers play in the championship weekend. So whatever you do, make sure you are leaving your draft with Trey Lance. He will be the MVP.
Oh, brother. It's called the championship week preseason. Not only did he hit us with one of the biggest two toots of all of his accolades at the beginning, but my goodness, calling your MVP because of a championship week match up. We know your season hasn't started.
He's one of your my guys. He's 100% right. Andy, have you changed any opinions based on what happened with the last preseason game, the rotation finger? And any of that as tempered expectations are still hot bothered for Trey Lance.
I think it's all about, you know, I would probably pull that lineup from the championship week. I mean, that's a nice cherry on top for Trey Lance, but the back half of the year is what I'm looking for with him. Like our draft analyzer really doesn't account for a Trey Lance situation. If I'm honest, you shouldn't really have a couple of quarterbacks on your roster, but Trey Lance is one of the players that you should make sure that, you know, your league doesn't have and you do.
And then over the back half of the year, there's the potential, the potential so great that he could be a league winning player, all Robert Griffin from years ago, where the risk is worth the reward. And, you know, I don't know if it'll be week one, two, three, but back half it really should be a lot of Trey Lance. So I'm in, I'm down with it. And the price, it's wonderful.
So let's turn to Danny Calle who covers the NFL and fantasy for the Ringer in Spotify. What's up, Ellis? This is Danny Kelly from the Ringer Fantasy Football Show and my fantasy MVP this year is none other than Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. Stafford is one of my favorite middle-year on quarterback targets.
And I think he could open up this Rams passing offense to levels we haven't really seen since 2018. But this isn't just about Stafford. Rams head coach Shawn MacVay hosted the Ringer's Flying Coach podcast this summer. It was my impression listening in that he is extremely excited for a guy like Stafford to run this office.
After seeing a few of his peers and former proteges like Kyle Shanahan, Matt Lefler, get a bunch of love over the last few seasons, I think McVay is going to be really wrapped up to remind everyone that he is still the league's preeminent offensive genius. In other words, I think he's going to throw a lot, especially after losing Cam Makers. That brings me to Robert Woodson Cooper Cup, both of whom bring that magical combination of a high floor and a high ceiling. Woods is probably going to get his 130 targets again this year, but with Stafford under center, he could dramatically increase his efficiency and touch down upside in 2021.
Every game just to be step online. That's where Cup, I've got three words for you, positive touch down regression, or 10 touchdowns in 2019, and finished as wide as you were four in PBR, then catches three touchdowns last year and finished as wide as you were 26. Now, I know that touchdowns are pretty random and unpredictable, but I think with Stafford throwing passes, I bet the Cup outpaces his touch down so from last year by a good amount. Bottom line, I think the Rams are going to move the ball.
They're going to score a lot of points. Stafford is going to unlock the entire playbook, activate every concept, every play, and everyone in that offense. All right, Jason, what do you think? So I brought this up about a month ago where every now and then I look back on the previous season and think, how did we miss X?
It's just so obvious and nobody saw coming. And this is one of those words like, OK, Sean McVey is maybe the best offensive mind in football and he goes out and gets a handpicked quarterback for his system. It could just work. I mean, I don't have him projected, but if he goes out and throws for 5,040 and just lights the world on fire in the Rams' offensive, unbelievable, I won't be shocked.
I don't have him ranked there, but I am the highest of the three of us. I have him as the quarterback team, so I'm happy grabbing him as a late round target. Yes, Stafford has been difficult to gauge where he can go for fantasy because he provides nothing on the ground. But what I like from from Danny's bit there is him talking about him talking with coach McVey and like I like that narrative.
That McVey is ready to take them. And that's what I'm talking about of fantasy football. We get analytics, you get into spreadsheets and you can get you can get too far removed sometimes from the human aspect. Like I put myself in the position of being Sean McVey where you were that guy and then all of a sudden the NFL and the public are looking at other coaches thinking that they're better than you.
I am a crazy competitive person. And if I heard those words as an NFL coach and I was able to turn my offense around, I would devastate everyone in my path. I would run up the scores, Bill Belichick style after all the spy gate stuff. Belichick was like, you want to see what I can do?
If I unleash my offense, I score 50 points a game. That's what I do. So that I think that's a very interesting, different take that hasn't really been explored on this show. I would agree.
And I would just say this, my hesitancy around that situation. I think it really does come down to can Stafford really stay healthy for a whole season? Like you could have all the greatest plans in the world. But if you're starting quarterback is he doesn't have to be off the field hurt.
But if he's banged up, if he's limited, if he's always on the injury report, some of these things, the back from Matthew Stafford in years past have just traded a hesitancy to where, I mean, you're right, Jacob. You're one of those things where like, well, duh, why wouldn't this team Higbee and Woods and Cup and Jefferson and like they'll use two to. Sean Watson. That's just on Jackson.
Yeah. He's there. He's making plays in camp for and getting ready for week one, his one week. But no, you're right.
It'll be an interesting storyline where we may look back with regret if we don't have a piece of that offense. All right. Let's turn to our very own Kyle the Borgogin. Kyle Borgagnoni himself from our fantasy footballer's DFS podcast, our editor in chief over here on the website with his fantasy MVP pick.
Greetings, Foot Clan. It's your editor in chief, Kyle Borgagnoni, AKA the Borgogin. Listen, I don't want you cool cats and kittens to be handed the bits this year. So my 2021 fantasy MVP, I'm going to give you a hearty meaty portion of kiddle.
Yes, George Krieger Kittle is my fantasy MVP. And this doesn't sound maybe like a wild stance given that he's drafted among that elite tier, but I want to let you know how all in I am and you should be in 2021. Kittle can supplant Travis Kelsey and claim his throne as the Titan one in fantasy. We forget how good he was last year despite poor quarterback play.
He had a 24% target share and he finished first among all Titans in yards per out run. He's going that early to middle third round and that discount you get from Kelsey affords the opportunity to grab a stud at running back and wide receiver and opens up the rest of your draft. Over the last three years, Kittle has averaged more yards per game than Stefan Diggs and the same yards per target as Tyree Kittle. And once Trey Lance takes the reins, whoo, just log out and enjoy a hashtag for the clank title.
Okay. A plus audio quality D plus jokes. Oh, what's I give it a C plot? But it started and it's stronger than the kittle and bits beginning.
But I look, it's all. You know, in comparison to George Kittle's potential. Yeah, there was a Carol Baskin joke in there. The reality here is George Kittle is easily forgotten because he was injured last year because there's been a lot of talk about Brandon Iuke, Deebo Samuel, a new rookie coming in.
There's a lot of reasons to doubt George Kittle. I mean, genuinely, I often doubt him myself. And I think if he had played a full 16 and just dominated the way he usually dominates every every game last year, we'd probably be talking about, are we sure we want to go Travis Kelsey here? So we'll have to see how the target market share divides up when everybody's healthy, but then everybody probably won't be healthy.
It's the Niners and his talent is undeniable. His physical ability, you know, it's similar to Travis Kelsey. There's certain guys on the field that you cannot do anything about. He is absolutely one of them.
And unfortunately, he does miss a game or two every year, it seems like with that kind of violent running style. He just he just goes for it. All right, let's turn it over to Mike. The fantasy hit me on it's time for our MVP picks.
Want to thank everybody that contributed theirs, which was awesome. Liz Jamie, Marcus, Adam, Adam, Danny, and the Borgo going. I guess we will also give our generation to all right. My fantasy MVP, rookie running back, Najee Harris.
I have been madly in love with him all offseason and that that passion still burns bright. Look at the player coming out of college. Yet at Alabama playing in the toughest conference in N C W in the NCAA, almost 1900 yards, 30 touchdowns. He added past catching 43 receptions at the running back position, which is absurd.
That's extremely high number in the college game. And he landed in the perfect place with first round draft capital. He goes to Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Look at the workload that these players have received.
Levy on Bell, D'Angelo Williams, James Connor, whoever the guy is for Mike Tomlin, they get work over the past five years. We've seen the RB one for Pittsburgh average, 83% of the carries. And a 16% target share. That is essentially you are combining Derek Henry's workload on the ground and Austin Equus workload through the air into one person.
And on top of that, Najee Harris is a super talented dude to take all of that work and just explode for fantasy football. Over the last decade, first round rookie running backs that were drafted in the top three rounds. They've all beat their ADP except for Clyde Edwards, a layer history is on the side of of Najee Harris analytics are on the side of Najee Harris. The film study is on the side of Najee Harris.
Everything is there for him to be a dominant fantasy player. Can I get two more things that I think are on the side of? As long as, oh, yes. No, they're on their side.
I will not hear counterpoints at this time. No, there are no counterpoints. If there were counterpoints for a rookie, it would normally be based on a couple of things. It would be maybe size, right?
Like Najee's got the size to be a true workhorse. And then you would go, OK, age and acclimation time. He's older for a rookie running back. There is a part of, you know, the closest thing you get to the NFL in college is playing at Alabama.
Yes. And in the SEC and then you combine that with the age, what we've already seen from a trust perspective, from the coaching staff, like they drafted him to hand the job to him. So I can see it. All right, I'll go ahead and jump in with my fantasy football MVP for 2021.
It's Rahim the dream most dirt 49ers running back. Look, good vibes heading into the season. I want to just deliver to season to system. I'm warning.
Yeah. Well, after a certain amount of years, like if you're not on primetime, you lose your nickname. You don't lose it. You just share it.
So Rahim the dream is taking it for at least this episode. Look, the vibes heading into the season are great for this rushing attack, the read option potential with Trey Lance. If you look at the final preseason game, they ran for 242 yards and four touchdowns. You already know Shanahan can do that and you're going to unlock another cheat code.
I brought it up with the read option with Trey Lance. All 10 plays on their first drive. Rahim Mostar was the only running back out there. He is the guy.
And when you listen to the coaching staff talk, his speed to the edge is the secret weapon. Nobody else has it in football and it's essential to what they're doing in the back field. Let's remember what Rahim mostar can do for fantasy. He didn't start a single game in 2019 and had five RB one weeks, including an RB eight run during weeks 12 through 17 last year, marred by injury, but he started out and did exactly what I'm talking about.
RB six and RB 15 in the game that he ended and left with the MCL injury. He still averaged 85 total yards per game for them last year. McKinnon is gone. This is going to be Rahim Mostar and Trey Sermon.
And when the office is doing what it's supposed to do, it's going to be Rahim. We were bringing it up in the office the other day and I was like, is he really the fastest player in football? And yeah, he pretty much is the fastest player in the game. Eight point seven percent of his runs have gone for 15 plus yards.