Mock Draft REVIEW and Training Camp Mailbag! (07/24 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Jamie Eisenberg drafted AJ Brown early in his mock draft alongside Christian McCaffrey with the 10th pick, indicating elite-tier confidence.

Jamie Eisenberg took AJ Brown in round two of his mock draft. Eisenberg notes that Brown and Zay Flowers averaged the same fantasy points per game last year, and he expresses comfort with the Brown selection (saying "I love your start"), indicating confidence in the round two placement.

Jamie Eisenberg argues AJ Brown is underranked at wide receiver 11 despite being a top-two option. He highlights a six-game stretch (weeks 9–16) where Brown averaged over 19 PPR points per game, demonstrating his ceiling. Eisenberg credits Drake Maye's upgrade over Stefan Diggs' previous quarterback situation as night-and-day improvement, positioning Brown to compete for a top-five wide receiver finish this season.

Alec Pierce is compared to Christian Watson as potentially having a similar career path, though neither is expected to reach the elite production level of Lamar Jackson.

Jamie Eisenberg uses Alec Pierce as an example of a receiver who can underperform expectations, illustrating the risk of early receiver investment and the need for late-round upside to compensate.

Amon-Ra St. Brown is positioned as an attainable wide receiver in rounds three and four near the turn, available at ADP ranges where quality receivers are still available; Jamie Eisenberg groups him with Treylon Burks and Stefon Diggs as receivers in the 30-48 ADP range worth targeting.

Jamie Eisenberg cites Antonio Williams as an example of a late-round receiver who can emerge unexpectedly and overcome earlier receiver misses, supporting a strategy of waiting on receiver depth and hoping for waiver-wire or late-round breakouts.

Breece Hall was the highest-ranked player on Jamie Eisenberg's rankings available in round four of the mock draft; Jamie faced a decision to take Hall or a second wide receiver, ultimately deciding that going running back-running back in a three-wide-receiver league probably should have meant taking a second wide receiver in round four, though Jamie was fine with how the draft worked out overall.

Jamie Eisenberg took Breece Hall earlier in his mock draft rather than Lamar Jackson, indicating preference for Hall's value at his draft position over early quarterback selection.

Jamie Eisenberg previously took Breece Hall early in a draft, which burned him because other receivers like Burden, Neighbors, McLaurin, Adams, and Evans remained available, suggesting he may have reached on Hall when better value was available at receiver.

Brian Thomas Jr. is cited as an example of a late-round wide receiver breakout success, similar to Michael Wilson last year, demonstrating that late-round receiver hits can occur and provide league-winning value.

Brock Bowers was selected in the third round of a 12-team, three-wide-receiver, full-PPR mock draft, part of a stack with Puka Nakua (round 1), Jeremiah Love (round 2), Cam Scadaboo (round 4), and Terry McLaurin (round 5).

Jamie Eisenberg uses Christian McCaffrey as an example of a premium round-one pick that anchors a successful draft strategy; the strategy involves taking McCaffrey in round one, then Brees Hall in round four, and building around that foundation with flexible positioning decisions.

Jamie Eisenberg drafted Christian McCaffrey with the 10th pick in his mock draft, indicating confidence in his elite tier status and early-round value.

McCaffrey is projected to go sooner than his mock draft placement based on ADP trends; Jamie Eisenberg suggests switching McCaffrey and James Cook in the mock to better reflect actual draft market expectations.

Jamie Eisenberg uses Christian Watson as an example of a receiver with breakout potential in round five, projecting 15-16 points per game as a potential breakout season candidate in mock drafts.

The panel considers taking Christian Watson over Lamar Jackson to be 'insanity' and 'absolutely insane,' unless you have high conviction on securing a top-tier quarterback like Joe Burrow, Drake Maye, or Jaden Daniels in the next round.

Christian Watson has zero seasons of elite production compared to Lamar Jackson's two; Jamie Eisenberg views Watson as better than other receivers in the same range (Marvin Harrison, Brian Thomas Jr., Jamison Williams) but not at the level of Jackson, and prefers Watson over late-round receiver lottery tickets due to the difficulty of identifying breakout late-round receivers versus established role players.

Jamie Eisenberg expresses that he likes Christian Watson quite a bit, though he doesn't see how Watson could go ahead of Lamar Jackson in draft order. The discussion frames Watson as a special player at his position with the potential to be amazing if he hits, but Eisenberg's preference for Jackson suggests Watson carries more uncertainty relative to his draft position.

Chuba Hubbard was expected to start the year as the lead guy for the Panthers with Jonathan Brooks worked in gradually; however, Jonathan Brooks taking first-team reps with no limitations in training camp raised questions about the backfield hierarchy, though the speaker indicated nothing had fundamentally changed in the evaluation.

Chuba Hubbard fell in ADP during a mock draft and was taken 82nd overall; the speaker noted that despite uncertainty around the backfield, the player felt compelled to take him at that price point given the lack of other options at the position.

Kupp's production as Stafford's WR1 in Los Angeles has been elite but inconsistent. In 2021, he was WR1 overall; in 2022, he was WR24 per game in a 9-game season; in 2023, he was WR24 per game including a game where he played only 27% of snaps and scored 2 fantasy points; in 2024, he was WR23 per game with another early exit. This volatility reflects both injury and role fluctuation despite his elite ceiling.

Devante Adams is cited as a receiver who could still be available later in the draft compared to taking Lamar Jackson early; Jamie Eisenberg argues that taking Jackson early is justified because you cannot reliably find equivalent value at receiver in later rounds.

DeVante Adams is cited as an obvious hit from the 30-48 ADP range in prior years; Jamie Eisenberg uses him as a historical example of successful receivers drafted in this range.

Adams's ADP aligns with the historical mean outcome for Stafford's WR2 in Los Angeles. Over Stafford's five seasons with the Rams, the WR2 finished 24th or better per game in four of five seasons, which matches Adams's current draft positioning. This suggests his ADP is appropriately calibrated to his expected role and production ceiling in the Rams offense.

Jamie Eisenberg believes the industry is too high on Achane despite his 11th overall ranking. Over 25 games with Tua the last two years, Achane averaged 21.5 PPR points per game; without Tua (8 games), he averaged 10.5 PPR points per game—a glaring drop. Eisenberg projects Miami's 4.5 win total will correlate to fewer touchdowns and points scored. Additionally, Malik Willis ranks last in target rate to running backs over the last two years, and stacked boxes will likely focus on stopping the run given Miami's receiving core, limiting Achane's upside despite his talent.

Jamie Eisenberg identifies DeVonta Smith as a wide receiver he would automatically pick if available at the end of round three or beginning of round four, indicating strong conviction in Smith at that price point. Eisenberg notes that Smith is likely to be available at that range based on ADP, making him a target in that tier.

Jamie Eisenberg identifies Drake May as a quarterback he couldn't pass up in mock drafts, suggesting early quarterback selection can work if the quarterback is elite enough to dominate scoring and reduce the need to win at receiver.

Drake Maye is cited as a breakout quarterback option in fantasy last year; the panel notes that many analysts, including those on the show, correctly predicted Maye would be the breakout quarterback in fantasy, suggesting he offers value if available later.

Drake Maye was the breakout quarterback in fantasy last year, averaging 24 fantasy points per game; however, this production level is still below elite quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson who could average 30 points per game.

Fernando Mendoza signed his rookie contract, making Ty Simpson of the Rams the only unsigned first-round pick, indicating Mendoza's status is resolved.

Shonka groups Garrett Wilson with Jalen Waddle, Devante Smith, and Buka Christian Watson as comparable ADP-range receivers in the 3–4 turn area that he'd pass up to take Nabors.

Jamie Eisenberg drafted Garrett Wilson in round four of his mock team but expresses lack of conviction in the pick. Eisenberg groups Wilson among wide receivers he sees as carrying significant risk in the round three to four range, alongside Zay Flowers, Mike McConkie, Ted Rodgers McMillan, Jalen Waddle, and Luther Burden, indicating uncertainty about the round four placement.

Garrett Wilson finished as wide receiver 15 per game last year, though he was top-12 in his healthy games; the Jets offense ranked 29th overall and struggled when he was on the field. Jamie Eisenberg uses this as evidence that there is no consistent profile for which receivers will succeed from the 30-48 ADP range, regardless of offense quality.

Jamie Eisenberg cites Jalen Coker as an example of a late-round receiver who can emerge unexpectedly and overcome earlier receiver misses, supporting a strategy of waiting on receiver depth and hoping for waiver-wire or late-round breakouts.

James Cook is not expected to go as high as his mock draft placement; Jamie Eisenberg suggests swapping him with Christian McCaffrey to better align with actual ADP.

Jamison Williams was in consideration in the same draft range as Christian Watson and other receivers, with Jamie Eisenberg viewing Watson as slightly better than Williams but not significantly so.

Jamie Eisenberg mentions Javante Williams as a running back option in the round three to four range but expresses that he likes him without loving him, placing Williams in a tier of running backs (alongside Travis H and Brees Hall) that he views as acceptable but not preferred.

Dan mentions taking Jaden Daniels earlier in leagues as part of testing early quarterback strategies; he found that while early stud quarterbacks improve competitive chances (top-six team), they don't maximize the chance of being the best team in the league.

Jaden Daniels is mentioned as a quarterback option the panel loves, suggesting he could justify passing on early-round quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson if you have conviction on securing Daniels later.

Shonka mentions Jalen Waddle as a comparable ADP-range receiver (alongside Devante Smith, Buka Christian Watson, and Garrett Wilson) that he'd be passing up to take Nabors in the 3–4 turn area, implying Waddle is in the same draft tier as Nabors.

Jamie Eisenberg groups Jalen Waddle among wide receivers he sees as carrying significant risk in the round three to four range, alongside Zay Flowers, Garrett Wilson, Mike McConkie, Ted Rodgers McMillan, and Luther Burden, indicating lack of conviction in Waddle at that draft position.

Jaylen Waddle is mentioned as part of the group of receivers available in the 30-48 ADP range in rounds three and four, positioned as an attainable target for teams that secure two quality receivers early.

Jeremiah Love was selected in the second round of a 12-team, three-wide-receiver, full-PPR mock draft, part of a stack with Puka Nakua (round 1), Brock Bowers (round 3), Cam Scadaboo (round 4), and Terry McLaurin (round 5).

Joe Burrow is cited as a top-tier quarterback option that could justify passing on Lamar Jackson early if you have conviction on securing Burrow in the next round.

Jamie Eisenberg selected Jonathan Taylor seventh overall and followed with Ken Walker in the second round to test a running-back-heavy start in a three-wide-receiver league; Jamie was thrilled with the first three picks (Taylor, Walker, and Emeka Abuka) and noted the strategy worked out well.

Jonathan Brooks took first-team reps in Panthers training camp with no reported limitations, which was described as more encouraging for his role despite speculation that Chuba Hubbard would start the year as the lead guy.

Shonka references Jordy Nelson as a historical comparison for Nabors' pre-injury reception perception charting, suggesting Nabors' early production was on par with elite receivers like Nelson, implying similar upside if healthy.

Josh Allen was the only quarterback taken off the board in the mock draft discussed, with no other quarterbacks selected early, suggesting quarterbacks were being left on the board and not prioritized in the early rounds.

Jamie Eisenberg notes that Josh Allen hadn't come off the board yet in his mock draft, suggesting Allen was still available late. Eisenberg indicates that if a league is drafting three quarterbacks in the first 30 picks, then taking a quarterback early might be justified, but otherwise he sees limited value in early quarterback selection.

Josh Jacobs was selected four picks after Jeremiah Love in a 12-team, three-wide-receiver, full-PPR mock draft; the context suggests he was available in the mid-second round.

Keenan Allen finished as wide receiver three per game three years ago on the 20th-best offense; Jamie Eisenberg uses this as evidence that there is no consistent profile for which receivers will succeed from the 30-48 ADP range, regardless of offense quality.

Jamie Eisenberg ranks Kyler Murray "obnoxiously and almost irresponsibly high" in his rankings, primarily based on the Vikings' easy schedule and Kevin O'Connell's recent comments about wanting to get back to being a pass-first offense, which Eisenberg views as "really important" for Murray's fantasy value.

Dan ranks Kyler Murray 'obnoxiously and almost irresponsibly high' in his rankings, primarily based on Minnesota's easy schedule and recent comments from Kevin O'Connell. The ranking reflects confidence in Murray's upside if he wins and keeps the starting job, positioning him as a strong late-round quarterback pairing option.

Jamie Eisenberg notes that Kyron Williams was off the board in his mock draft by the end of round three, indicating the running back was selected before that point. Eisenberg states he doesn't see a running back he loves in the round three to four range after Williams is gone, suggesting Williams was taken earlier than that tier.

Ladd McConkey is compared favorably to Garrett Wilson based on offense quality; Jamie Eisenberg notes the Chargers offense is expected to be significantly better than the Jets offense, suggesting McConkey has a better situation despite similar ADP positioning.

Jamie Eisenberg passed on Lamar Jackson in favor of Breece Hall, suggesting he views early quarterback selection as poor value relative to running back options at that draft stage.

Lamar Jackson has two seasons of super incredible elite production and could average 30 fantasy points per game, making him an outlier at the quarterback position; Jamie Eisenberg argues he is the best pick on the board from a positional scoring advantage perspective and justifies taking him early over wide receivers like Mike Evans or Devante Adams.

Jamie Eisenberg believes Lamar Jackson has the most upside at the quarterback position this season, though he would take Josh Allen ahead of him. Eisenberg notes Jackson scored 33+ fantasy points in four of his first five games last season (in six-point passing TD leagues), including one game after missing a month with lower body injuries. While Eisenberg won't project Jackson to average 30 points per game—calling that "an insane season"—he views Jackson's ceiling as the highest among all quarterbacks.

Dan notes that Lamar Jackson is available around pick six and can score massive points, but advocates waiting on quarterback to build depth at running back and receiver first, then constructing a competitive quarterback duo via late-round pairing strategy rather than investing early capital in a single elite quarterback.

Jamie Eisenberg groups Luther Burden among wide receivers he sees as carrying significant risk in the round three to four range, alongside Zay Flowers, Garrett Wilson, Mike McConkie, Ted Rodgers McMillan, and Jalen Waddle, indicating lack of conviction in Burden at that draft position.

Expected to avoid the PUP list and could play in week one after tearing his ACL and meniscus; historical precedent for stud wide receivers recovering from ACL injuries is encouraging—Jordy Nelson was WR2 the next year, Keenan Allen was WR3, Chris Godwin was WR18 overall (WR17 per game) after tearing ACL and MCL, and Cooper Cup was WR4 the next year after tearing his ACL in week 10.

Jamie Eisenberg is not drafting him close to his current ADP of wide receiver 14 on Fantasy Pros; would only draft him in round four if still available, suggesting significant overvaluation at current market price.

Jamie Eisenberg won't draft Nabors at his current ADP of WR14 on Fantasy Pros; earliest he'd take him is round four. Despite encouraging injury recovery news, Eisenberg cites the Giants offense's limitations and Nabors' expected ramp-up period as reasons to wait. He projects Nabors could be a top-10 WR and league winner in the final 5–6 games but suggests trading for him mid-season when he's struggling rather than drafting early.

Dan Shonka ranks Nabors at WR15, ahead of Eisenberg's round-four threshold. Shonka cites Matt Harmon's reception perception charting showing Nabors' pre-injury production (3–4 games) was on par with elite receivers like Jordy Nelson, suggesting if healthy he could be a WR1 and one of the best receivers in fantasy. Shonka is willing to take the discount and bake in downside risk given the upside ceiling.

Malik Nabers finished as wide receiver eight per game two years ago on the 31st-ranked offense; Jamie Eisenberg uses this as evidence that there is no consistent profile for which receivers will succeed from the 30-48 ADP range, regardless of offense quality.

ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reported that Marvin Harrison Jr. is Arizona's number one wide receiver in theory, with Michael Wilson competing for that role, indicating some uncertainty about the depth chart hierarchy.

Marvin Harrison was in consideration in the same draft range as Christian Watson and other receivers like Brian Thomas Jr. and Jamison Williams, with Jamie Eisenberg viewing Watson as slightly better than Harrison but not significantly so.

Stafford's career with the Rams (2021–2025) shows a pattern of elite WR1 production paired with inconsistent WR2 output. In 2021, Robert Woods was WR19 per game; in 2022, Stafford played only 9 games with no secondary receiver production; in 2023, Puka Nakua was WR6 per game while Cooper Cup was WR24 per game; in 2024, Puka was WR4 per game and Cup was WR23 per game; in 2025, Puka was WR1 per game and Adams was WR9 per game. Four of five seasons saw the WR2 finish 24th or better per game, which aligns with Devante Adams's current ADP.

Michael Wilson is expected to compete for the number one wide receiver role with Marvin Harrison Jr. in Arizona, per ESPN's Josh Weinfuss reporting.

Michael Wilson last year was a league winner, exemplifying the potential for late-round wide receiver breakouts; however, the source notes it is much harder to identify these breakout late-round receivers than to identify established role players like Trevor Lawrence.

Mike Evans is cited as a receiver who could still be available later in the draft compared to taking Lamar Jackson early; Jamie Eisenberg argues that taking Jackson early is justified because you cannot reliably find equivalent value at receiver in later rounds.

Mike Evans is mentioned as part of the group of receivers available in the 30-48 ADP range in rounds three and four, positioned as an attainable target for teams that secure two quality receivers early.

Jamie Eisenberg views Patrick Mahomes at his current ADP (QB 14-16) as "the cheapest you'll look at him in his career" and states "we've never gotten my homes at this price. It's unreal." He wants to be "in on the homes this year at his ADP for sure," though he notes concerns about reduced rushing volume (which saved his fantasy value last year) and lack of new receiving weapons.

Dan advocates pairing Patrick Mahomes with Kyler Murray as a quarterback strategy, allowing drafters to stack running backs and receivers early and construct a competitive quarterback duo by playing matchups rather than reaching for a single elite signal-caller early.

Puka Nakua was selected first overall in a 12-team, three-wide-receiver, full-PPR mock draft, which was noted as quite surprising.

Nakua has emerged as Stafford's primary target in Los Angeles, posting WR6 per game in 2023, WR4 per game in 2024, and WR1 per game in 2025. This progression demonstrates consistent elevation in role and production, establishing him as the clear focal point of the Rams passing attack.

Jamie Eisenberg uses Quinton Johnson as an example of a receiver who can underperform expectations, illustrating the risk of early receiver investment and the need for late-round upside to compensate.

Saquon Barkley is ranked lower than Devon Etienne (11th overall) according to a listener's question, suggesting he may be undervalued relative to Etienne's ranking.

Terry McLaurin was selected in the fifth round of a 12-team, three-wide-receiver, full-PPR mock draft, part of a stack with Puka Nakua (round 1), Jeremiah Love (round 2), Brock Bowers (round 3), and Cam Scadaboo (round 4).

Travis Hunter is going to play both offense and defense for the Broncos this season, per head coach Liam Cohen, expanding his role and potential fantasy relevance.

Trevor Lawrence is cited as an example of an established role player whose snap count and role are known going into the season (playing 100% of snaps), making him easier to identify and project than late-round wide receiver breakout candidates.

Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter stated that he wants to get Zay Flowers the ball in as many ways as possible, saying 'The more that guy touches the ball the better we'll be,' signaling an emphasis on increasing Flowers' offensive touches and involvement.

Jamie Eisenberg drafted Zay Flowers in round three of his mock draft and notes that Flowers and AJ Brown (whom he took in round two) averaged the same amount of fantasy points per game last year. However, Eisenberg expresses slight nervousness about taking Flowers in round three, citing lack of conviction in wide receiver picks in that range and noting significant risk among receivers like Flowers, Garrett Wilson, Mike McConkie, Ted Rodgers McMillan, Jalen Waddle, and Luther Burden.

Flowers posted 1,200 receiving yards in 2024, a season in which wide receivers collectively caught fewer yards than in recent years. This production in a down year for the position demonstrates above-average efficiency and role security, suggesting his output is more sustainable than the overall WR2 landscape.