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0:43To the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright.
0:48Welcome in! Saturday edition, the Fantasy Footballers. Gentlemen, do you realize one week from today...
0:53I was just looking. When is the Hall of Fame game?
0:56Well, I was going to say August 1st is one week from today.
1:01Which is the beginning of... The beginning. The beginning of the beginning.
1:04It is the beginning of our five days a week episodes.
1:08August 6th is the Hall of Fame game. Cardinals, right?
1:11Saints. I think maybe Cardinal Saints. Cardinal Panthers. Oh, Panthers.
1:15The new look. Arizona Cardinals. The funny thing is you will probably get a lot of Carson Beck in that game.
1:22That's not that funny, though. That's more sad. I can tell you I won't watch it.
1:27Yes, you will. I don't think I've ever watched a Hall of Fame game in my life.
1:32We watched a little bit of them. Yeah, like you turn it on and you watch a throw or two and then you're like...
1:40I mean, football's football, man. Jacoby reported. Just hasn't been paid yet.
1:44His agent said that they're working on it. They agree.
1:48It's him. At least at the time of this recording, they still just agree there should be more money.
1:54But they can't agree on how much. They actually told him to check under his pillow every night at camp.
2:00And at some point, the contract fairy is going to come in.
2:04Well, you're going to wake up. There's going to be a crisp Andrew Jackson under that pillow for you.
2:11There's a lot more than that coming to rookie quarterback Fernando Mendoza, who finally signed his deal.
2:16That was news we got earlier this week. What is going on today?
2:20Our final divisional breakdown episode, the NFC West. It's the other clue that we are about to be full go.
2:27Yeah. When the divisions are done, it's time to really, really play fantasy football.
2:32The Ultimate Draft Kit available right now. If you want to head over there, check it out.
2:37The mock draft tool, now a part. UltimateDraftKit.com. The draft analyzer went live at the beginning of this month.
2:43You can get breakdowns to all of your drafts coming up and how we review them, where your strengths and weaknesses are, things like that.
2:52And if you're an Ultimate Foot Clan member, you get everything all season long.
2:56Quick question of the day says this. Any tips for how you handle training camp hype and news?
3:02I mean, I will tell you right now, we have a Slack channel.
3:06It is the longest named Slack channel that we have.
3:10It is camp-highlights-and-hype-train because we are always sharing things going on in camp.
3:14But what types of things are you looking for in that news that you care about and what do you ignore?
3:21I think the first most important thing on how to handle camp news is to assume that there's another site.
3:28Like, don't just read something and go, oh, you live your life.
3:31Yeah, sure. I mean, there's two lines of thinking.
3:34One is confirm all your biases. Yes. And anything that comes out that is what you thought, you just know that you are going to be right.
3:43But this time of year, like a perfect example, very, very recently in the last, I think, two weeks, there was reporting
3:51that David Montgomery was and that the Houston Texans viewed David Montgomery as a true three-down workhorse back and he is going to get all the workload.
3:59And within the same exact time frame, a news report came out saying that him and Woody Marks are going to split the carries.
4:07They are not both right. I promise that. I can promise that he is not a three-down workhorse and he's going to
4:15get all the work and also splits evenly with Woody Marks.
4:18Like, so if you only see one of those, you're just, you're led astray.
4:23So I think the best thing you can do is just casually read these news blurbs, think about it, and then see
4:30if you keep getting, we talk about that drumbeat, but like if you keep getting that same information over weeks and over
4:37months, yeah, like just let the little train start rolling.
4:41But it's not a bullet train. Don't get on the bullet train.
4:44Yeah, I think it is exciting whenever you get the opportunity to hear about players that you care about.
4:51I mean, it's super fun. You're also going, I mean, you could kind of pivot the question into like preseason highlights and plays and things like that.
5:00There are going to be rookies. Those are the ones that make the biggest impact a lot of times in the preseason
5:07that make a play here or a play there that gets your brain thinking about what the potential is for them.
5:14But I think I agree with you. My advice is going to be if you keep hearing the same thing over and
5:21over again from a reliable source, if you keep hearing us bring up the same type of news report from multiple sources
5:28over and over again, it can factor more into your thinking.
5:32But we're paying attention to the same stuff as you.
5:35We're looking at things that are competitive backfields or depth chart situations and how these offenses are going to line up to all personnel a lot.
5:44And who's playing the slot in. You know, that might be something we can learn, right?
5:49I mean, yes, there's a decent chance that in the preseason we get a look at a starting offense from the Chargers.
5:56And what does that look like for the very first time?
6:00It's not going to be all his. The playbook of Mike McDaniel is not going to be unveiled.
6:06No, but you are going to see some formational things.
6:09And you're going to see, oh, wow, you know, it's Njoku and it's, you know, Gadsden out there together and things like that.
6:17Or it's Charlie Kohler. Or it's Njoku and Kohler.
6:20Exactly. And then you're like, uh-oh. So those are some things you pay attention to.
6:24I have to. And then obviously confirm your biases.
6:27Yeah. I mean, that's, look, have fun. But. Which I, Mike, I do need to ask you a question after this about one of your players.
6:36Players, but go on. Okay. My two things are negative stuff is usually more real.
6:41Like, it sucks, but. Coming from the team especially.
6:44Yes, from a team or a coach or just anything you're hearing.
6:48Like, make sure you're like, oh, okay, I'm going to check this out.
6:52Because everyone's trying to hype people up. Everyone's trying to say great things about this.
6:57Beat reporters don't like to crap on their team.
7:00In fact, they usually go out of their way not to because then they can lose access to their insider stuff and the sources.
7:08Yeah, neither do coaches. Coaches are talking up everyone.
7:11Everyone in the backfield is amazing. Yeah, if a coach says something bad about a player, you need to pay attention.
7:18And then number two is, and I'm saying it into the mirror, we often like to see what's the headline.
7:24Like, the blurb. Whoever put the blurb up. They're specifically writing something that will catch your attention.
7:30That you're like, ooh, what's that all about? Sometimes you got to go in and actually read what's going on because then
7:37you find out, oh, the person who summarized this into a blurb, I'm reading the quote way different than what they just summarized it.
7:45Yeah, read the actual source that it's coming from, not just the title because oftentimes it is very at odds or it's
7:52just so hyperbolic or you didn't really understand the context.
7:56But, Foot Clan, when it comes to hype pieces, things you're excited to hear, we're going to teach you how to deal with that.
8:03Let's hit the news section. News and notes from around the league.
8:07What's the first piece of news here, Andy? Oh, I didn't know how much you were setting up there.
8:14I was just trying to go along with it.
8:17Yeah. I mean, the first piece of news that I'm seeing is that the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, Liam Cohen, I saw
8:24this interview, is expecting a big year. Oh my God, it's happening!
8:28Guys! From Bayshall Tootin. We know now. We know!
8:31It's a done deal! We already knew, Jason. I thought he was going to say that he's expecting kind of a piss poor year.
8:39Yeah. But you see, I guess he's expecting a big year from him.
8:43This is the confirm your priors stuff. Oh yeah.
8:46Mike, how does it make you feel? Because you got your priors, right?
8:50I don't hear nothing about Crod in this blurb.
8:53Well, they were asking him about Tootin. Yeah. So, obviously.
8:56So, Glenn, if you like the news, just really get fired up about it.
9:01Change of rankings. I guess one way of reading this could be they didn't say.
9:06His answer wasn't, he'll be a part of a big committee.
9:10Yes. His answer wasn't, yeah, we like him and other guys.
9:13So, I mean, he just focused in on, you know, if you read the, if you listen to the entire context of
9:20the interview, if you want the actual news story, it's not that.
9:24The expecting a big year is nothing to me.
9:27What actually mattered to me was what Liam Cohen talked about, what Bayshall Tootin doing last year, and that he came in
9:35to their system with no familiarity to their protections, no familiarity to their schemes and plans and the way they were doing
9:42things, and that he felt Bayshall Tootin basically played well, but played hesitant, so hyper-focused on getting things right.
9:48And that he thinks this year he'll be able to hit the ground running, knowing how everything works, and then lean on
9:55things like his 4-2-8 speed in the open field because he kind of was running maybe a little bit more with thoughts in your head.
10:04Well, yeah, the adage of, like, you don't want to be thinking while you're playing.
10:08You want it just to be pure muscle memory.
10:11You know exactly what's happening, so you just react instead of having to – because it's, like, tenths of a second while
10:19you're, like, oh, am I supposed to do this?
10:22Am I supposed to do this? It changes. Like, in the NFL, a tenth of a second for someone like Bayshall Tootin
10:29is – that's the difference between, like, a 15-yard play or a run for negative two.
10:34Now, I thought the news you wanted to talk about, which, look, sometimes we have a pretty easy job, like, in the grand scheme of jobs.
10:43I mean – I'm very thankful for it. Sometimes I feel like a coal miner, but go on.
10:49But, I mean, for Mike to come in – I do that on the side.
10:53For Mike to come in and, you know, lace up his shoes, step up to the microphone on a day when Ben
11:01Sennett was not named one of the top 32 tight ends according to Pro Football Focus.
11:06It's a tough day. I mean, that is – when you've got Colby Parkinson in there at 15 – We all make mistakes.
11:14When you've got Gesicki in there and Darnell Washington and Cole Komet and Theo – Theo on that list.
11:20Is Chig on that list? Chig is on that list.
11:23Oh. I mean, if you ask me if a tight end's on that list, I'm going to tell you yes, I bet.
11:30Yeah. Unless you ask me about Ben Sennett. Hmm.
11:33So, Mike – Next year. Is this a government shutdown?
11:37Senate is closed? Yeah, the budget has not been approved yet.
11:40But I am excited for any plays he makes because it will be a fantastic show.
11:45It will be fun. I – You tweeted that.
11:48Yes. So, that's why I thought I could bring it up because it's funny.
11:53Ben Sennett is – now it's just – it's a bit – It's a cult classic.
11:58And, like, I still think should a opportunity present itself, he could succeed.
12:03And he will be on the field a lot more in this new offense.
12:07It's probably Okonkwo. They gave him all that money.
12:10But it's like, Okonkwo has – he has done more than Ben Sennett.
12:14That's not the argument. But, like, he's really done not a ton either.
12:19Give me the top five. Top five tight ends?
12:22Yeah. According to PFF. Oh. Top five ranked tight ends.
12:25I'm just curious if you can name all five.
12:28George. Yep. Number one. Is Mr. Loveland in the top five?
12:32He is number five. Okay. That was going to be the hard one.
12:36Well, one of the hard ones. Who are – Laporta.
12:39Laporta. Laporta is definitely in there. Laporta's four. My dude.
12:42Because Laporta – Did you know that? I mean, this isn't a fantasy football – Laporta's a good football player.
12:49This is top tight ends. Yeah. The top ranked tight ends.
12:53The two you're missing are the two most obvious possible.
12:56So, you should be able to round this up.
12:59Trey McBride and Brock Bowers. Yes. Yes. Those are the top five.
13:03Goes Kittle McBride Bowers. Laporta Loveland. Next news story for you.
13:06Cameron Wolfe from NFL Network talking about Ted Oroa McMillan.
13:10He will play, quote, a lot more big slot this year.
13:13We like this for fantasy football a lot. Yeah.
13:16The last half a decade when you have moved these bigger players into the slot, you know, they're not slot-only players.
13:23It's not like, you know, you've got to be a Wes Welker, Julian Edelman type.
13:28But getting guys in the slot, you can make some more mismatches for these guys and use their strength and physicality.
13:35You know, you see that with plenty of other sensational players around the league.
13:40So, this is a role he did not play hardly at all in his rookie season.
13:45So, it's exciting to hear that. He's going to college.
13:48Right. Like, this is fantastic news of trying to get McMillan up near that 30% target share, which we need.
13:55Well, just out of your brains, do you think you could guess the slot percentage for another big guy, Drake London?
14:02I mean, these guys move around. I would guess...
14:05I don't think London played that much slot. I would have guessed like 18%.
14:0930%. 40%. Oh, wow. That's what I'm saying. When he was with Arthur Smith, he was 15% to 18%.
14:15Yeah, that makes sense. The Zach Robinson era, he moved up into the 40 percentile.
14:20Dude, these old curmudgeony OCs who just have no idea what they're doing.
14:25Yeah, I mean, you have these special weapons, but you're asking them to just win on the outside every play.
14:31So, does this mean Neighbors is just going to be exclusively playing the outside role when he comes back never moving into the slot?
14:39Oh, Josh, does Matt Nagy? Does Matt Nagy? I don't know.
14:43If he's moving at all, we'll be happy. But, Tett McMillan, more opportunities, added eight to 10 pounds.
14:49Zach Rosenblatt says he believes Isaiah Davis is the early favorite for the Jets' backup running job.
14:54Not necessarily Brandon Allen. Not the beefcake? He's always looked better than he played.
14:59And he's looking even better. Yeah. Joe Mixon told his former teammates on the Bengals that, quote, his career is over.
15:06Huh? According to NBC Houston's Aaron Wilson. And the fantasy footballers told you that last year.
15:11Remember I traded him? Yeah. I got the last trade in.
15:15You did. You got something for nothing. And, yeah, I mean, this is not breaking news, but I mean, I guess it's official.
15:22It's more official. It is a very curious case.
15:25Well, it seems like he got a special procedure of some sort that just literally ended his career.
15:31Yeah. Tyreek Hill, if you watched his video, it went out on X.
15:35It's a longer video. In some regards, it's like, oh, good for you.
15:40He says in the video that doctors told him he may never walk again after his last injury.
15:46He's obviously walking and running and trying to get back into shape.
15:49But he also talks about the fact he has no power in his left leg, trying to regain the power in his left leg.
15:57It was all basically, you know, like training video, getting healthy video, hype video.
16:02But I don't think the day is. I don't think tomorrow is the day we're going to find out Tyreek Hill is joining him.
16:10No, it may not happen at all this year.
16:13And then at his age, it may not happen again.
16:16It could be the end. Tyreek one leg. We got a new one.
16:20Yeah. So JK one leg, that just kind of rolls off.
16:24Tyreek one leg feels really kind of like mean.
16:27Yeah. But I'm okay with it. All right. He's 32.
16:30So if you're saying another full year of rehab, he's 33 going to make an impact on that team.
16:37And we don't know if that's the case. I mean, it could be one of the things like Malik where it takes a little bit longer this year.
16:46And he joins the Ravens six weeks into the year or something.
16:50But that's the latest we know about his injury.
16:53We'll take a break. And it's into the NFC West.
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17:40Let's get divisional. Okay, guys. Daunting. That is the best descriptor, in my opinion, for the NFC West.
17:46The defending champions reside in the NFC West. The 14 and 3 Seattle Seahawks.
17:50What a year for them. Mm-hmm. They won their final seven games and then ran all the way through the playoffs.
17:57The Los Angeles Rams. So what? The division had 39 wins?
18:01Well, yeah. The Rams were 12 and 5, just to give you the numbers.
18:05And San Francisco was 12 and 5. Whoa, whoa, whoa.
18:09No. Totality. We're just saying, what an incredible division.
18:12And you are lucky if your team is a part of it.
18:16I'm just. Oh. That's what I'm saying. Oh. It's a nice spin.
18:19To be the best, you've got to beat the best.
18:23It's like, not guilty by association, but great by association.
18:26Correct. Yes. You must be good. Oh, you're part of the NFC West.
18:30Like the Ducers feel. Yes. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Exactly.
18:33Like if it's like Rams and Seahawks and 49ers.
18:36And then the Ducers. You're part of this. Yeah.
18:39You're part of it, too. Like all three of you.
18:42You're darn right we are. You three Cardinals are in the division.
18:46You got, hey, three Ducers, three wins. That's what the Cardinals got.
18:50Happy for you guys. So 36 of the 39 wins came.
18:54From three juggernaut teams. It's wild because. 14, 12, 12, 3.
18:58Well, they, they, the Cardinals contributed significantly to those 14, 12, and 12 numbers.
19:02I will say this, too. Like we'll talk about Seattle first, but by the way, this is the second division in the
19:09last 25 years that sent three teams to the divisional round of the playoffs.
19:14And going into the year, it's looking promising. Oh, for sure.
19:18But I think the thing that gets lost on me a little bit is like Seattle won the Super Bowl.
19:24Seattle and the Rams played a big time game at the end of the year to define the winner of the division.
19:31But there's San Francisco at 12 and five. Kind of, you know, I don't know.
19:36To me, they, they took a backseat in the press category for last year with injuries and things that they dealt with.
19:44And yet they still like normally they are very extreme.
19:47They're either dominant or they disappear. The Shanahan era has always been that way.
19:52They're, they're really, really good. And when things go bad, they shut it down and get a high draft pick and lose a lot of games.
20:00Amazingly last year, things went very poorly for them on the injury front and they still won a ton of games.
20:07I mean, Christian McCaffrey staying healthy was enough. Shanahan there is great.
20:11It really is a juggernaut of a division. The only good news for those three powerhouses is they each get two free wins.
20:19Yes, they do. Yeah. And yes, they do. The Seahawks were 14 and three franchise record in wins.
20:24The projected win total before the year was seven and a half.
20:28They nearly doubled it. Six and three and one score games.
20:32Super healthy team. We know it's hard to repeat.
20:35It's hard to come off of a Super Bowl victory and deliver in the same way.
20:40But right now their projected win total is 10 and a half and they're favored in their first 10 games and 14 of 17.
20:48That is tied with the Baltimore Ravens second best odds to win the Super Bowl.
20:53Yeah. You know, one of the things I didn't remember before preparing for the show, obviously the Seahawks had a good offense and a good defense.
21:02They're the Super Bowl champions. But they were number two in points per game.
21:06That like you don't think when I think of like the most prolific scoring offenses, even last year in the NFL.
21:13I don't know that I would have from memory put the Seahawks in the top five.
21:18They're good. But that was I mean, that's why you had the number one wide receiver and JSN and, you know, a
21:26lot of great games from Darnold as as a streamer.
21:29But you look at the offense this year and there are some big changes.
21:34I mean, first of all, this was a team that won a lot by running the ball and you lost your Super Bowl MVP, Kenneth Walker.
21:42You don't have Charbonnet there. So you're relying on a on a rookie.
21:46And then you also lose Kubiak, the mastermind of this offense, who really was a mastermind.
21:52I mean, what he did last year schematically was as elite as anyone as Shanahan, as McVay.
21:57Kubis was incredible in not only his play design, but his play call throughout.
22:02And so you've got a new play caller. You've got a much weakened running game personnel wise.
22:07Could be. Should be. They were the lowest pass rate in football.
22:11So their points per game were number two, but they were the lowest pass rate to your point of like how much
22:19they leaned on like the two main running backs that they had are not going to be their backs this year to start the season.
22:27At least their new offensive coordinator's name is Brian Flurry.
22:30He did work with Sam Darnold in San Francisco in 2023, but that's a variable in play.
22:36Now, the thing that's nice about them, and I think the backbone of being favored in 14 of 17 games is the number one scoring defense.
22:44But I do think it leaves us a little bit vulnerable on the fantasy front.
22:49Darnold had 14 picks. He had six lost fumbles.
22:52He wasn't perfect. JSN, I feel like we all understand that was a very efficient season.
22:57JSN was perfect. That's the... So what do you mean when you say that?
23:02Because people need to understand how special a year it was for JSN.
23:06So he's the first player to lead the NFL in receiving yards on a bottom three pass rate team, a 73% catch
23:13rate, led the NFL in yards on deep passes.
23:16I mean, turning on the highlights on, you know, when you're watching Monday night, whatever, highlights, every week was JSN with a
23:24perfect touch pass and a wide open JSN. And it, like, it was just truly perfect.
23:29And it can't always run that hot. Yeah, I mean, there's a couple of things that can't really run that hot.
23:36One, if you are over 100 receptions, the idea that you are 15 plus yards per reception, nearly impossible.
23:42He did, which is why he led the league in receiving yardage.
23:46You can't project that to repeat. It would be very, very difficult.
23:50Not even if, if Darnold has a great year and JSN has a great year, which they should by all accounts.
23:57I mean, JSN is elite, you know, a top five wide receiver in the NFL, but the best of the best, the
24:04best of the best don't usually do that. So you would expect a regression to normal elite numbers.
24:10And then he also had double digit touchdowns, which is something that is not always the stickiest stat.
24:16So when I look at the, you know, the presumed top three guys at wide receiver by ADP, you got Chase, you got Puka and you got JSN.
24:25Obviously all three are awesome. The only one that I worry about having any regression is JSN simply because there's a team
24:32that doesn't want to pass the ball a lot.
24:35They lost their incredible offensive coordinator and everything clicked right.
24:39So if you just get a, you know, he catches a very nice 69% of his passes.
24:44Well, that's, that's going down. Sure. It's in, this is not to say he's not worth his draft price.
24:51We're just saying that in the range of outcomes, don't just expect another domination.
24:55I'll give you for an example. You could have a really good year, but be the wide receiver five or six.
25:02Jamar Chase as a rookie caught 81 passes for 18 yards a catch.
25:06Since then, 12, 12.2, 13.4, 11.3 last year. And he's awesome.
25:10Jamar Chase had a magical rookie season. And then defenses just said, we're not going to allow, we're not going to allow you to do that.
25:18And so we'll see how teams adjust against JSN.
25:21Well, and the thing is, is without the running game that they had with Charbonnet and Ken Bone, right now defenses can
25:29actually adjust for that because with this defense and running game that they had last year, I mean, that's part of what opened up JSN down the field.
25:38Yeah. I was going to say prices worth the price of admission.
25:42Yeah. I mean, the Ken Walker thing is, is funny because to start the year, we're not going to have both these
25:49guys, but Ken Walker was not a dominator week in and week out last year.
25:54That was not the storyline of Ken Walker. This was a shared backfield.
25:58Both guys struggle with efficiency at times. There's a world where like Jadarian Price can come in and be 90% of what Ken Walker was in season.
26:07If Charbonnet gets healthy, we'll see how healthy he is to start the year.
26:12But, you know, just coming back to JSN, he was also the number one most targeted player in football, 36% target share.
26:19Will that stay the same under Fleury? Probably close to it.
26:23But they also didn't have any Rashid Shaheed integration into the offense.
26:27He was a mid-season acquisition. They're going to be doing that.
26:30Torrey Horton got hurt and was out for the year.
26:33Arroyo didn't get involved. It could get spread around a little bit more.
26:38He could be at 30. I will say this.
26:41The names you just said that you're like, oh, they could get better.
26:45Those are still the only names there. I think that he will have one of, if not the highest target share in the league again this year.
26:54That is one of those where, yeah, I mean, it could go down to 30.
26:59But 30 is incredible. That's like a guaranteed wide receiver one.
27:02So the depth chart there, I mean, you could also say maybe Shaheed is more involved, but Cooper Cup is older.
27:09Well, they said they're going to involve Shaheed a lot more.
27:13I mean, that was just something in the offseason, the coaching staff.
27:17So I'd be curious to see if we can get another fantasy value out of an offense that isn't a high pass rate.
27:24That's something I'd be paying attention to. Jadarian Price.
27:27Let's talk about this running back room from a fantasy perspective.
27:31If you go and you watch the tape of them drafting this guy, I've seen two videos in the last week that
27:38I want to get your thoughts on. I know you weren't both huge Jadarian Price fans coming out of college.
27:45I was. I liked what I saw. To me, it was one of those situations where you were stuck, right?
27:51Like there was just no world where he was going to get a heavy workload when you share a backfield with Jeremiah Love.
27:59So I don't think we know what his true potential is.
28:03And I think that's why teams had him slotted in as the number two back.
28:08That being said, the draft video where they take him in the first round and they talk to him on the phone
28:15and like what their plans are for him. I thought that that was an interesting video where they're just, you know, they're very, very excited to get.
28:24But let's not underestimate what a first round pick means.
28:27That's all. You're the defending champs. You use a first round pick on the running back spot.
28:33And the second one was just an interview with, it was Ian Rappaport and another reporter I'm forgetting.
28:38But they were talking to him about workload and what he's ready for and what the team thinks he's going to be ready for.
28:46One quote that stuck out to me from Jadarian Price was, this is what I've been waiting for my whole life.
28:53Sure. And he was speaking about workload. He still said, hey, if they want me for 30, I'm good for 30.
29:00They want me for 15. I'm good for 15.
29:03But he did speak in a way that was like, hey, I'm ready to take on whatever they asked me to do.
29:10If that's to be the every down back to start the year, what could we get out of him?
29:17Because I feel like the range of outcomes is everything from rookie sensation on a team that runs the ball the most to disappointing committee back.
29:25Yeah, this is an interesting pick this year in fantasy because I think where he's going in drafts right now, I'm not a big fan of Jadarian Price.
29:34This is a player, I mean, as far as for what he, he's not bad, but he did not strike me as
29:42a first round NFL draft pick at all. He has no production profile, never had a thousand rushing yards.
29:48Granted, he was behind Jeremiah Love, so you can kind of forgive some of that.
29:53But the receiving profile is really, really tough to imagine a player who caught like five passes this year, four passes this
30:00year, not this game, to come in and be a three down back in the NFL.
30:05That's a leap that I can't really get myself to take.
30:09However, he's not that expensive. And you're right. This is a good offense that wants to run the ball that is invested in him.
30:17So could he go out there and have 1,200 yards on the ground and eight touchdowns?
30:22Yes, he could. And so I'm fine taking the shot on him for where he is right now.
30:28Now, I do think come August, he won't be where he is right now because rookies always fly up later.
30:35And there will be a point where I just like other options, other wide receivers, even other running backs that I'm willing
30:42to take a shot on more because my percentage chance of him being that breakout elite fantasy winner is probably closer to
30:49the 30 side than the 70 side. Mike, last year, Charbs, who was not sensational, was the RB24 in this timeshare.
30:56Walker was the RB22. Jadarian Price being drafted as RB27.
30:59He's going as the RB27. And in best ball right now, it's the RB26.
31:04So this isn't a situation where the markets have a gap that needs to close like we have with Devontae Smith.
31:11Truly, the biggest question is, will like it was the timeshare Mike McDonald saying, I want fresh running back.
31:17I want fresh legs out there. Cycle between them.
31:20This guy is this. This guy is this. Or was that Koops?
31:24Was that a, would the Koops see Kenneth Walker and say, you can, this is what I want you to do.
31:31So if we just, we don't have that information and you kind of got to make your, your own gut call here of what you think they'll do.
31:40But the price is, the price is perfectly fine.
31:43So best ball right now. You know, like I know you guys are, you're believers in the talent.
31:49I believe in the talent. I hate the situation though.
31:52It's like Judkins. Judkins is going just a couple running back spots above Jadarian Price.
31:57Price outscoring Judkins to me is not, like that's not wild or, or silly to think that that's going to happen.
32:04So I'm in on the situation. There's a lot, you know, if it's similar running back production to last year, that's a
32:11lot of fantasy points to go around. The favorite in the first 10, that'll be interesting to see literally if they hit the ground running with Price.
32:20The person in the way right now is George Helani.
32:23And he has his supporters, but he's an undrafted, he was an undrafted free agent.
32:28He's 26 years old. It's like, I mean, he's, he's irrelevant.
32:32He is irrelevant. He's so in the way that they spent a first round pick on a rookie running back.
32:39And that's what I mean of, of the situation says this should be no problem.
32:43Jadarian Price should, should walk in and when the, within the first few weeks, be the three down guy.
32:50Jadarian Price is, is going to have the vast majority of work before Charbonnet gets there.
32:55They just don't have, uh, I don't believe Helani is good enough.
32:59Helani played 5% of the snaps last year. Uh, 2% of the snaps in his rookie season.
33:05Emmanuel Wilson is still there as well, but, uh, he's, his name hasn't been popping up.
33:10All right. The Rams, we've got to move on last year, 12 and five.
33:14They were just four and five and one score games, which another way to say that is their five losses were by one score.
33:22They were in every game. They were dominant since McVay McVay's been there.
33:27They have hit their over in terms of their win total in all but two seasons.
33:32And he's been there since 2017. So they're just great with Sean McVay on a regular basis.
33:37They are favored in all but one game this year.
33:41They had the offseason splash of adding the incredible miles.
33:44Garrett will probably get a news blurb at some point that Aaron Donald is coming back.
33:49I believe he's going to. Do you remember this super?
33:53I cannot forget the super team, the Eagle super team.
33:56Yeah. When they added all those offseason pieces. Yeah.
33:59And they were just supposed to be unbeatable, but then they weren't.
34:03Yeah. Except. Not that the Rams can't do that.
34:06When the super team is the, is two hall of famers.
34:09Yeah. On the defensive line. Yeah. Oh, dude. You would.
34:13If you have Aaron Donald. And I don't. Who knows what Aaron Donald has left in the tank.
34:19Enough. Enough. That's where it goes. It's plenty. With Garrett.
34:22You don't have to blitz. You got to. Ever.
34:25You got to double team. Both of them. All right, guys.
34:28Let everyone else through. Just. I don't know. I don't know how you play defense against that.
34:34Yeah. So. They were the number one scoring team.
34:37Yards. Points per game. Their defense was 10th in points per game given up.
34:42That's going to most likely improve. They're going to be a force.
34:45You know, can you run as hot as their offense did last year?
34:50Again. That's one of the questions. They won't need to as much if the defense is that great.
34:56But it's Sean McVay. Like, there are certain offensive play callers.
34:59They're not going out there and laying down. They're not going out there and trying to.
35:05You know, our defense is going to win this game.
35:08We're not going to worry about it. They go out there to break records.
35:12They go out there to set the tone for the league.
35:16This was a dominant team last year. And they were number one in yards per game.
35:21And had a good defense. So. You know. I don't feel like they're as complicated of a.
35:27Of a start sit situation for people or a drafting situation.
35:31Like Puka. Like the Puka versus JSN question is fun.
35:34I mean. You get to make that decision. I like Stafford more.
35:38I like McVay more. Than Darnold and Fleury. So.
35:41I have Puka higher. Yeah. I mean. I think that Puka should be higher.
35:45You've got a lot of years of McVay's system.
35:48And a better quarterback. So. You know. To me.
35:51Puka is the. The safer player. And then the amazing thing is.
35:55Puka has always been. A dominant fantasy. The asset.
35:58Without the touchdowns coming. And he isn't the type of guy who can't get touchdowns.
36:03You know. If you look at like Zay Flowers.
36:06And. And Puka Nakua. You're like. Okay. Well those guys haven't really dominated at touchdowns.
36:11I don't think Zay is going to. Puka did last year.
36:15But like. He can do it without it. And can do it.
36:19He's got the body size style. Ability to. To really be.
36:22A goal line threat. The questions for the Rams.
36:25Are. The. Incredible. Non-stop. Lifelong. Disrespect for Kyron Williams.
36:28And. Whether or not. You're going to get more of it on this show.
36:33Oh absolutely. You're absolutely going to get more of it on this show.
36:37I know. Because Coram is coming. I mean. And he's coming for your.
36:41Your hopes and your dreams. In this whole narrative.
36:44No he's not. You're not going to talk about this anymore.
36:48After this year. No. No. You're not going to bring it up again.
36:52You're right. I won't. I won't need to. Wait.
36:55Are we live. Or is this the 2025. Blake Coram is.
36:59Is coming after Kyron. This is exactly what we heard.
37:02Because he's returning punts. This is exactly what we heard last year.
37:06He's returning punts. We heard it last year. We heard it the year before.
37:11With someone else. I don't even remember. Because whatever.
37:13I'm not saying Blake Coram is not good. He is.
37:17He's. He's. He's very talented. Will he score. Touchdowns around the goal line.
37:21And siphon some away from Kyron. Yeah. Will Kyron be a top five running back.
37:26No. Will Kyron dominate this. Offensive system. And be a running back one in fantasy.
37:31That's going to happen. It's going to happen. He's not going to be a running back one in fantasy.
37:37Oh. Put that on the board. That's a bet.
37:40That's twice. Over the. Water bet. ADP wise he's not.
37:43Yeah. Because people know. Most people. Not Jay. But most people know.
37:47Over the last six weeks of the season. Blake Coram was on pace for 1,100 yards.
37:53And 14 touchdowns. I know there's a lot to go around.
37:56Over the last what? The last six games of the season.
38:00So Kyron. During those same games. Was on pace for 1,300 yards.
38:04No. I know. I know. But. I'm not saying Coram is not good.
38:08I'm saying Kyron will be an RB1. Do you think you're going to have.
38:13One running back with 1,300 yards. And one with 1,100 yards.
38:16No. Okay. I think that. This team started to fall in love with Blake Coram.
38:21Over the back half of the year. Just because Kyron was more efficient.
38:25And productive in that time. Doesn't mean Coram isn't going to get more opportunities.
38:30And I think they'll use both of them. You can like Kyron.
38:34It's just a matter of me liking him as an RB2.
38:38You liking him as an RB1. Because. I don't know.
38:41Maybe he co-signed on a house for you or something.
38:44I don't know why he. You're that. No. It's because he signed on the contract for the Rams.
38:50Yeah. To make him their starter. And it's also just because.
38:54They know what they need. They need to share the load.
38:57To get to the Super Bowl with these guys.
39:00It's just weird man. Because. Okay. Think about it like this.
39:04These are genuine facts. Okay. One of the best offenses in the league.
39:08Led by Sean McVay. Who has always. Always. Always.
39:11Since the Todd Gurley time. Had a dominant running back for fantasy.
39:15One of the best teams and offenses in the league.
39:18Has a running back. Who they have paid a lot of money.
39:22Who the last three years. And he's under contract for several more years.
39:27The last three years. He's been a top 10 fantasy running back.
39:31He's 25 years old. Those are all. Those are only just facts.
39:35But for some reason. Blake Corham's emergence. It just makes people think.
39:39Kyron is dead. No. No. It really does. Like the conversation I've had with other.
39:43Nobody thinks he's dead. With other people. It's just acknowledging.
39:47That you could have two. Valuable fantasy running backs.
39:50In the same backfield. You could. We've had it with Monty and Gibbs before.
39:54Like that's. We've had it with Melvin Gordon. And Austin Eckler before.
39:58Like I. There aren't offenses. Like. Detroit's a good enough offense.
40:02To give you two running backs. Los Angeles is a good enough.
40:06Offense to give you two. Absolutely. I'm just saying.
40:09That it's more like Kyron's. The running back 14 to 16.
40:12Because. Corham can step up. To be. The running back 22.
40:16Last year. We had two 20. Top 24 running backs in Seattle.
40:20So that's just my. I think you're going to see a slight change.
40:24In the workload. And I think Corham's. A little more explosive.
40:28And I worry about the goal line. Being a little more shared.
40:32That's all. That's not hating Kyron. I mean. It is in your mind.
40:36Because you want me to. That he wouldn't. And couldn't be a.
40:40No. I didn't say couldn't be. I mean. Don't put the word couldn't.
40:44That's what you insinuate. When you bet he's not going to.
40:48You don't insinuate. He couldn't. I just. Non-stop hatred for Kyron Williams.
40:52The bet is. He won't be. That's the bet.
40:55Not that he's incapable of it. All I know is.
40:58Better leave. Every draft with Blake Corham. That's easy to do.
41:02Well he's going in the eighth round. That's cake.
41:05Yeah. And you. Kyron is being drafted. Where I think he'll probably finish.
41:09So that's fine. This is just. Can you acknowledge that Blake Corham.
41:13Could be valuable for fantasy? Absolutely. I said that from the beginning.
41:17Because I think you hate him. And you couldn't be.
41:20Blake Corham. Now you acknowledge your hatred for Kyron Williams.
41:23I hate him more than you. Yeah. I don't think we're that dumb.
41:28I don't think we're that dumb. This is the MVP of the league.
41:32On the best offense that you believe in. The quarterback two from last year in fantasy.
41:37So how dumb are we that he is the quarterback 11 off the board in the 10th round?
41:43Or are we just. I don't think we're that dumb.
41:46Do we all understand it? We all understand it.
41:49He had an amazing season. He could replicate it.
41:52But throwing 7.7% of your passing attempts for touchdowns is just an outlier of outliers.
41:57We talk about that specific stat every single year.
42:00His touchdown total, Jason. He threw more touchdowns last year than he did in the two previous seasons combined.
42:07Yeah. But he might do it for two years in a row.
42:10He might do it for three. With the system.
42:13It's Devontae Adams. Who's there. Yeah. I mean. He definitely could.
42:17You said it almost like it was like. If he's a part of it.
42:22But if you go back over the decade plus we've been doing this show, almost every season we come and some quarterback and they're great ones.
42:30They're never bad quarterbacks that throw for 40 touchdowns that throw for seven over 7% passing touchdown rate.
42:36And every year we're like that. That number is probably going to come back down.
42:41And every year it does. Even the people that repeat them, they repeat them every four or five seasons.
42:47They don't really put those 7.5 plus percent passing touchdown rates up in back-to-back seasons.
42:52I can't think of many examples. Well, there aren't many.
42:56But the great ones have. Including Tom Brady. I mean, Tom Brady did that 2020-2021 with Tampa Bay.
43:0140 touchdowns. 43 touchdowns. 6.6. 4,600 yards got better.
43:04I mean, we were like, oh, he can't do it.
43:08I mean, I remember the talk of Tampa Tom Brady.
43:114,600 yards and 40 touchdowns. He came back for 5,300 yards and 43 touchdowns.
43:16It just feels that way in Los Angeles. That's all I'm saying.
43:20It feels like this team is that good. It's Devontae Adams to me for everything of does he still have it?
43:26And I think fantasy. I'm moving Stafford up. We're pretty divided.
43:30I think the social dialogue on Devontae Adams was last year, the beginning of the end, a crazy low catch rate with
43:37the MVP of football, but a truly dominant touchdown rate.
43:41But low reception is not what you're hoping for.
43:44If Devontae Adams still has a lot to give, then I think Stafford could be up there in the high 30s again.
43:51What do we think about Adams? Yeah, I mean, I am coming around to him being more.
43:56It did seem at the beginning of the offseason you were out on it.
44:01Yeah, I was kind of out like on Adams and on Evans.
44:05There isn't a depth chart change here that I was expecting.
44:09Like I thought maybe we'd get some more bodies into the room to contribute.
44:13The Rams were looking. They wanted A.J. Brown for a while.
44:17I just don't know how he doesn't throw for 40 touchdowns again if Adams is on this team.
44:23And they're going to run two tight end sets and they have talented tight ends.
44:28Like the goal line offense is called Matthew Stafford.
44:31That's what I love about this team. It's very fun for fantasy if you're willing to throw around the goal line.
44:37And it's fun for fantasy. Like their highest probability touchdown is Stafford with the ball and running Puka and Devontae Adams around the goal line.
44:46And if you run 12 personnel, then your targets are consolidated to those two wide receivers.
44:51There's a tight end is going to get a big catch here or there.
44:56I mean Parkinson signed a big contract. Ferguson is coming into his zone.
45:00Higby's still there. I am. I'm in on Adams because like last year the the touchdowns is ridiculous.
45:0614 touchdowns, but it's like 24 percent of the targets, you know, he but he only caught 52 percent of them like that.
45:13Something's weird. Something is funky about those numbers. I think the touchdowns come come down, but the target share should stay right
45:21around 24 percent, maybe even up more. And then there's no way he's catching half of his passes again.
45:27One thing that talks me more into Adams statistically speaking is I believe he's one of the he still scored extremely high
45:34in terms of separation down the field. They just missed each other a lot, which is weird.
45:40That's what I'm saying. That's a concern. It's it is, but it's it's the concern of like this doesn't make sense.
45:47How happy would you be if we spent enough time on the first three teams of this division that the fourth barely got any talking time?
45:55I think we can do it. I think that sounds awesome.
45:59So this is interesting. You're talking about these touchdowns, the offense, all that.
46:03Devante Adams, you know, I think around the goal line, Kyron Williams has been their their their guy.
46:09So I was just curious what like the sports books are saying about touchdown odds for Devante Adams specifically, because.
46:15OK, you want to have us guess? I'd be so curious.
46:19Is there a number? So there there it's not it's not total touchdowns.
46:23The way that they have it right now is is the the odds to hit 10 touchdowns.
46:29And so right now the odds to hit 10 touchdowns to go over 10 touchdowns plus two to two.
46:35I was going to go on the threes. Plus one oh five.
46:39Holy Lord with barely anything. Yeah, which is so they're saying they they're saying he is the third highest odds at wide receiver to score over 10 touchdowns.
46:48So they they don't think he's completely lost it.
46:51I will say that Kyron having 10 touchdowns is minus one twenty five.
46:56So higher odds to do the double digit touchdowns.
46:59But that makes sense for a team that has such a good defense.
47:03If Adams gets 10 touchdowns, he will be a top 20 wide receiver because the yards will go up.
47:09I don't see Blake Corum on this list. I see Kyron way up there at the top by Gibbs and Henry.
47:16This is. Now we're talking. I didn't see Ben Sennett on that list.
47:20I see. Now you're with Ben Sennett over here.
47:23I see Drake may on the rushing touchdown 10 list since since my whole argument was man.
47:29This guy's scoring 10 times. No, I would know you cannot handle new.
47:33I don't know. I don't know what you're talking about.
47:36I just look at something on my own. Yeah, Kyron.
47:40I feel like here is. I'm telling you he co-signed in your house.
47:44You need his checks to keep coming. I love Kyron.
47:47Yes, you do. The human. Gino Smith, Kyron Williams.
47:50I got your list. Yeah. We'll take a break.
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48:44Those have got to be your my guys. No.
48:47Those three. I don't need them. Kyron, Laporta, Geno.
48:50You know, we have those guys where, should I make him an official my guy?
48:55I don't have to. Everyone already knows. Exactly. Everybody already associates me with Geno Smith is what Jason will say.
49:01Oh, man. The 49ers. No. Being associated with Geno Smith for Jason.
49:05Marv is your guy too. It is. Well, Marv's risk.
49:08I would say Geno Smith is no risk. You are.
49:12Yeah, nobody drafts him. Nobody uses him. It's a free bet.
49:15If Geno Smith is anything competent. Yeah. Huge win.
49:18Yeah. If he's terrible, we all like, yeah, what a funny joke that was.
49:23But the issue is he's not competent. Well, that has been my contention against you.
49:28Yes. Okay. I love the bit. I'm fine with the bit of me being in on Geno.
49:33But the reality is Geno sucks. He is so he's going to pass for so many more yards than what the Jets passed for last year.
49:42That's the only thing. Well, you love Brosmer too, right?
49:45Oh, yeah. Isn't that your other dude? Dude, he's my Brosmer.
49:49Maximus. What's the report on Brosmer? The team is still.
49:52They still believe in him. Also, if that dude went by Maximus Brosmer, I think we have a very.
49:58Maximus is underrated. Yeah. We have a very different opinion of that player.
50:03I'll bet he plays different. He also has a different facial hair situation, which would help him.
50:08What's he currently rocking? It ain't a beard. Because he'd have a big old beard.
50:13Oh, he has the not of. No, I was going to say.
50:17Maximus would have more of like a Viking beard.
50:20He'd have a big beard, yeah. Can he grow one, Mike, based on your studies?
50:25I mean, I always, you know, he has the mustache.
50:28It's not the goatee. It's not connected, but it's the mustache, the soul patch into the beard.
50:34I always call it like, it's like the Spaniard or something like that.
50:38Yeah. Well, we can work on it. Maximus. He might want to focus on the playing versus the facial hair.
50:45I don't think he focuses. He doesn't need to.
50:48So he needs to focus on the coaching. He needs to focus on the really difficult games that I would put up
50:55on the screen if I was Justin Jefferson. Maximus start doing some play designs and really being a good leader in the locker room.
51:03I call this the Trojan horse. The 49ers, 12-5 last year, 5-1-1 score games.
51:08They missed Brock Purdy for a number of weeks.
51:10Oh, they didn't miss him. Seven different weeks. Not with the Mac attack.
51:15Mac Jones. Back there selling his body for everything.
51:18Ricky Pearsall missed a bunch of weeks again. George Kittle missed a bunch of weeks again.
51:23Brandon Ayuk missed the entire George season. Oh, that's right.
51:26He got hurt right away. Yeah, he missed weeks.
51:29He got hurt in week one after he gave us a touchdown.
51:33He was Jason's my guy. Yeah. And it was still a good pick.
51:37Missed weeks two through six. Yeah, and then he came back and dominated for the rest of the season until he got injured again.
51:45Yeah, this is part of his story. And here's a little hint.
51:49And I know this from being 42. It happens more, not less, over time.
51:54That's the biggest concern. And when you come back from a major injury as well, you're compensating for that injury.
52:00Mentally, physically. You just hope George Kittle can stay healthy once he gets healthy.
52:05Well, I mean, we just talked about Joe Mixon in the news.
52:09It's like if Joe Mixon had that surgery at 22, his career is probably not over.
52:14I mean, sometimes when you're older and you get injured more and how you deal with injuries suck more because, man, it sucks being old.
52:23This is the eighth easiest schedule for the 49ers, according to Warren Sharp.
52:27I mean, they're not facing a first-place schedule despite a 12-5 record because of the tough division.
52:32They were, as they always are, really dealing with major injury issues all year long.
52:37Still put together 12 wins. A testament to Shanahan.
52:40Again, Clay Kubiak working with Shanahan on the offense.
52:43They were number one in third down conversion efficiency.
52:46Red zone offense. EPA per play on third downs.
52:49More shout-outs to Kyle Shanahan for what he does.
52:52They did throw a bunch of picks. I mean, that was one of the things I think that stood out to me
52:59about, like, the Brock Purdy range of outcomes. Let's talk about Purdy because I do agree.
53:05I see glory in the heavens for Brock Purdy.
53:08This is a player that I think could throw for 4,500 yards and a surprisingly high amount of touchdowns.
53:14It could be like 4,400-yard, 37-touchdown season for Brock Purdy.
53:17That is in the range of outcomes. I agree.
53:20But two things have been a problem for him.
53:23One potential problem is just injury because he's been injured a lot.
53:27This has been a problem for him. You know, you talk about Mac Jones playing through.
53:32It cost him the entire season in the playoff injury, and then he missed a bunch of games last year.
53:39The second part that concerns me is how they have to manage his gunslinger abilities.
53:44Because if he turns the ball over, takes sacks, is a liability, this team is too good in other areas that I
53:51think they would pull the reins in a little bit.
53:54Do you agree? I mean, in his short time, nine games, it was still a 2-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
54:00So I think you just kind of live with the interceptions.
54:04You know, three years as the main starter, I'm not counting the halfway into the rookie year, it's been 11, 12, and 10.
54:11Like, he'll throw double-digit interceptions, but he is, like, he gets it.
54:15He gets what Kyle Shanahan is wanting to do, and he's able to execute on that.
54:21I really like Brock Purdy as someone who can surprise as a late-round quarterback, even though he's not giving you stuff on the ground, really.
54:29We did have 300 rushing yards two years ago, but it's the touchdown rate.
54:33Some players just are in the system where the touchdown rate is going to stay high, and I think his will.
54:40Well, his touchdown rate is insane. We talk about these outlier seasons where someone throws for 7% of their passes to complete
54:48for touchdowns, which is really, those are the outrageous outlier years.
54:51He's done it three of his four years, which is, you know, some of that is Christian McCaffrey.
54:57You've got kind of some free passing touchdowns because you just do this little dump off, and he ends up with, you know, a handful of receiving touchdowns.
55:06So that's helpful for Brock Purdy. I do think this could be the best receiving core that he's had.
55:13That was something. Did you run out of air?
55:16No. I think he started to choke. Yeah, just getting choked up on, you know, a couple years ago when Brock Purdy was, you know, excellent.
55:24Finished as the quarterback six, you know, when you have Debo and you have IU.
55:29Because it was 4,331. But now you added Mike Evans.
55:32Okay, maybe he's old busted and it doesn't work.
55:35Or maybe he is, you know. Kevante Adams and gives you 12 goal line touchdowns.
55:40Exactly. You've got Ricky Pearsall who maybe he's healthy this year.
55:44You did spend a high pick on Dijon Stribling.
55:47I know that that was mocked by the fantasy and draft community.
55:51No, I'm told that. I don't know if you've seen what's going on lately.
55:55Oh, I've seen it. Jason. I've seen it. Several teams, including the Rams.
56:00Had them. Had Stribling down as the best wide receiver in the draft.
56:04The number one. Yeah. The number one. Not Carnell Tate.
56:07Not Mekhi Lemon. Not Jordan Tyson. Everyone had him as the number one.
56:11Yeah. Also, then, Kalen Black in the third round.
56:14A running back who didn't even go to the combine.
56:18And I don't think was on everyone's board. I mean, this is a team that has made some reaches.
56:24They do their own thing, man. They've made some reaches and they've not worked out almost ever.
56:30But I will say. That's the problem with it.
56:32Yeah. Stop reaching. If Stribling is good. Sure. And Pearsall's healthy and Mike Evans is decent, this could end up being a
56:40very good wide receiver core for Brock. That's all I'm saying.
56:43The defense of Stribling that I have seen, talked about.
56:47I know these are not. This is me reporting on what I'm reading.
56:51Is Stribling is a strong blocking wide receiver. Which we all know from Kyle Shanahan's time of your wide receivers, they need
56:58to be men out there and they need to block.
57:01This is a huge part of it. Like we had Dante Pettis.
57:05If you remember. I have no recollection of that person.
57:09Dante Pettis felt like a player who was about to break out.
57:13Yeah. Did he? I don't know. He did for a minute.
57:16He really did. I have no recollection. He wasn't a blocker.
57:20And then into the doghouse for being too soft.
57:23And it's like. Never heard of him. When Brandon Aiyuk was having his success with San Francisco, like he kind of got doghoused too.
57:31And then turns into this like just a real physical player.
57:34Sure. And then. So I'm saying that like that's the argument for Stribling while they, and they bring that up of it.
57:42Can Pearsall even be that guy? No, I mean, unfortunately you have to put a lot of ifs and coulds into San
57:49Francisco prognostication because Pearsall hasn't proven to be healthy enough.
57:52Kittle. No, Pearsall's difficult because when he's on the field.
57:55Yeah, but he had, he had games last year where I watched and I was like, that's good.
58:01And then games I watched, I was like, what's going on?
58:05Like, I don't know if he never got healthy.
58:08That's most likely the case because he didn't really see a full allotment of snaps after the first three games.
58:14You didn't even mention Christian Kirk, who is probably the second best receiver behind Mike Evans on this team.
58:21Kirk will be a really solid role player for this team.
58:24So probably not fantasy relevant, but he helps Brock.
58:27They do have to start on the road against the Rams.
58:31So if you draft the 49er, your week one may be, that's mean.
58:35Like if you want to say, the highest odds of Brock Purdy getting hurt are in week one against the Rams.
58:42But let's talk Christian McCaffrey real quick before we move on to the Cardinals.
58:47Easy. Christian McCaffrey, you know, when he's on the field, he's been a number one or number two running back.
58:53And I do mean like the number one in the organization, number two, not like a one or two.
58:59When he's off the field, he's the worst pick.
59:02I can say that because it's happened three times.
59:05You don't say that after one random season, but it is a risk.
59:10I mean, the older you get on a team that deals with injuries every single year, it is scary.
59:16I want Gibbs more than I want McCaffrey, but it's still in the back of my head every day that maybe McCaffrey
59:23will just have another number one season. He absolutely could.
59:26The way he takes care of his body. The fact that every time he's ever played a full season, he is the number one or number two back.
59:36His utilization in the passing game, his utilization on the goal line.
59:40He had 75. Why don't you defend him? I don't think they can, man.
59:44The only other player that I've seen be more indefensible when you know the ball is coming to him is Travis Kelsey, like in his prime.
59:53It was like these two guys just find empty parts of the field and you can't stop it.
59:59It's equal parts, like the obsession of taking care of yourself, your, your work ethic, all of that, but also knowledge of the game.
60:07I mean, he's always in the right spot, always makes the right cut.
60:11He does everything perfectly and they give him all of the opportunities, which is both the good and the bad.
60:17My downside case for Christian McCaffrey is based upon the fact that he had over 400 touches last year at this age at 29.
60:25It is very, very difficult for a human being to have that kind of a workload and then be healthy the following season.
60:33So if he's healthy, he's awesome. Yeah. We saw Saquon struggle.
60:36Saquon struggled. I mean, we've, we've got a long, long list of, and no one on that list is not a all time great player.
60:45When you're, if you get 400 touches, it's because you were the center of an offense and one of the best players in the NFL.
60:53The, at least so 102 of those were receptions.
60:56And it's not that you're not getting hit with it, with a reception, but you, you can protect yourself more instead of
61:03the, well, I got to go between the tackles and I'm, I'm going to get hit real bad.
61:09Top 12 picks. According to ADP right now, CMC or B.
61:13John. Are you asking? Yep. Oh, I'll take B.
61:16John. CMC or Jamar chase chase. CMC or Jonathan Taylor, Jonathan Taylor for me.
61:20I'll take him. Caffrey. JSN previous mentioned JSN or CMC.
61:24JSN. It's fine. I'm on Ross. A. Brown. I'm on raw over McCaffrey.
61:28I mean, I put on Ron CD up with that.
61:31I think they're in the elite of the elite tier.
61:34CD lamb or CMC? CD. Ooh. I'm, I'm like really worried about Christian McCaffrey.
61:39you are. This is just, I need to go to church.
61:43You get none. Yeah. One follow up question for you.
61:46If George kiddo was to miss, I know he may not, but let's say he's going to miss the first three games.
61:53That's what we find out, right? He's not on the pup, but they're probably not going to play him right away.
62:00He belongs where in the draft, three games that he doesn't play.
62:04Where does he belong in fantasy drafts? I mean, like 10th round.
62:08I think where he's going. And you take him along with another.
62:12Yeah. Where he is going. I have no problem.
62:15Like where I am right now is I feel pretty.
62:18I feel good. I feel good about him. It's not a hundred percent at this point, but I think we're trending in a strong direction.
62:26Okay. And he's, he's a man. I was just looking for like, we normally have music in the off season for a certain team.
62:34There's there's cause there's men. I mean, there's just, yeah.
62:38Oh, Oh, we're moving on. Feel so mean to Trey McBride.
62:41Arizona Cardinals, the runt of the litter. Just so unserious.
62:44Let me explain how bad it's going to be in the last 30 years.
62:49So going back to before, or the Falcon is 30, right?
62:53Are you 30 on the dot Falcon? Yeah. So going back to the birth of this fine individual, well, let's not get carried away.
63:01Going back to the birth of this individual, there has been only one other team than this year's Arizona Cardinals.
63:07That has opened the year with a wind projection under four wins.
63:11That's right. The Cardinals are joining the 2017 New York jets, which I don't remember if in 2017, we even played 17 weeks.
63:19Hold on. Maybe we're setting a new record. Also needs to be mentioned.
63:23It opened at four and a half and has been aggressively.
63:27I said, nay, it's a nice try. Never get into five wins.
63:30They are. That's incredible. They were outscored by 55 points in the fourth quarter last year.
63:36The worst in the NFL. They, they lost all their one score games almost two and eight.
63:41And that was Todd Bowles jets. The Cardinals started to and Oh last year guys.
63:46Guys. Did you know this guys? Oh, Oh, the 2017 jets won five games.
63:51They crushed it. Yeah. Yeah. We'll be all right.
63:54How was it? A 17 game season then on it.
63:57I want to know if the Cardinals are setting a new standard.
64:01I would imagine 16 games. Yeah. So the Cardinals are now the lowest.
64:05We would know when it changed, but I don't know.
64:09It is 16. It's the lowest projected win total in a 17 game season in history.
64:14And it's deserved. You look at their, you look at their schedule.
64:18I mean the Cardinals, the Cardinals are underdogs by double digits for the first three weeks of the year.
64:24They're going to get obliterated by the chargers, the Seahawks and the Niners.
64:28Then they're going to go to the giants and get obliterated.
64:32Oh crap. Then they're going to play the Detroit lions and get obliterated.
64:36They might win that. They will serve the purpose and fantasy this year.
64:41And by the way, I love that. I get to dump on this team and it's not like somebody can attack me
64:48because it's my team, but they're going to serve the one special purpose this year.
64:53It is going to be a unbelievable sign when your player is facing the Arizona Cardinals.
64:58Yes. Because here's the defensive ranks from the 2025 team, 29th in points per game, 27th in yards per game, EPA per
65:05pass, 27th pressure, percent, 28 sacks, 28. They sucked across the board and equally did terrible.
65:10Nothing to address the defense this year. I mean, the, the reason we're going to worry about us, but there's a fancy football show.
65:18Yeah. I mean, this is fantastic news because there are weapons here.
65:22There, there is, you know, the weather Marv steps up or not, whether Michael Jerry rice, Wilson is real or not.
65:29We know Trey McBride is real and we know that Jeremiah love is an absolute sensational back.
65:35He's going to be able to fight through some of what the Cardinals are on offense.
65:40You have Lafleur bringing in an offensive minded system.
65:43So the offense could be okay. Whilst the defense is the worst in the league, which provides fantasy.
65:49Yeah. We're not, I don't think we're going to get a Raiders ask type of offensive situation here.
65:55I don't think it's going to be good. I think you're going to be in a lot of desperate games that could be good for fantasy.
66:03It can be bad. You could be in situations that the game is meaningless and you know, Jacoby Brissett threw the ball to the tight end position.
66:12I think more than anybody in football last year, if he is your starter, which he will be to start the season,
66:20that is very good for Trey McBride. But as we said on our show about the AFC West and Brock Bowers, it
66:27is very likely that the Raiders go through a quarterback change at some point during the year.
66:32And it is very likely that the Cardinals do.
66:35There is, there's just no advantage for the Arizona Cardinals to like the Brissett contract crap that we're talking about.
66:42It's all about a year. It's all about being the starter this year and barring a miracle, this team will be circling
66:49the drain and you're going to try out some other players like Carson.
66:53And I'll tell you, you know, locally here, the media has nothing to talk about.
66:58Carson Beck is like one of the biggest storylines for the Cardinals this off season.
67:03So he will 100% be playing and sadly, and this is worth, you know, thinking through more than likely it's probably near the fantasy playoffs.
67:11You know, it's towards the end of the season and, and that will not be as good an offense.
67:18Presumably a rookie quarterbacks don't usually support high end wide receivers or running backs or tight ends.
67:23And then when they rarely do, they're not a third round, you know, pick.
67:28Let's tell people what to do with Jeremiah love because again, just because you were drafted to a situation we don't love
67:35doesn't mean you're not going to be important or valuable or interesting for fantasy.
67:40Again, it's in the best interest of the Cardinals to give Jeremiah love opportunities to establish himself in the league as the
67:47one kind of shining piece of this puzzle than it is to me to give snaps to James Connor in the back half of the year.
67:56So whether it's more of a committee to start the season, I do think that Jeremiah love express will get going for
68:03the vast majority of the back two thirds of this.
68:06Yeah, I agree. And where he's being drafted this year is acceptable.
68:10Ashton Gentty. Yeah. I mean, basically last year, Ashton Gentty should have been drafted where this year's Jeremiah love is being drafted.
68:17Last year, Gentty was a back of the first round pick.
68:21Too, too high team. And then he finished as a running back one, but it felt like one of the biggest bust
68:28picks in all of fantasy football, because what you paid for him was to be a superstar.
68:34And he, he really wasn't, he volumed his way towards, you know, relevance at the end of the year.
68:40You're going to have a lot of the same of that.
68:44I do think that it will be a slow start for Jeremiah love, which sucks.
68:49The team went out and they paid for Tyler Algier.
68:52Tyler Algier was just behind a veteran B. John Robinson and still vultured goal line.
68:57Uh, carries this team. Isn't going to have a whole lot of goal line opportunities.
69:02So if you take, you know, four, four of those opportunities away from love, I'm not saying, Oh, they're going to do some scoring from outside of that.
69:11Absolutely. And he will need to, uh, floor and ceiling, Mike, Jeremiah love can finish where floor and ceiling.
69:17So floor, I think if everything went terrible for Jeremiah love, his floor is still in the top 20.
69:23So I, he's at a place where I don't think he's a bad pick at all.
69:29Ceiling wise, he, over the second half, they just say, Hey, you're the guy.
69:33Let, let's, let's see what we can do here.
69:36Catch the ball. And you're going to get a bunch of targets because we're going to be losing.
69:42I think, I think the ceiling is, is still in the top 10.
69:46So it's, I, where his ADP is right now, uh, you know, I'm seeing, uh, like a running back 13 in best ball, a 13 on sleeper.
69:55And it's like, he could legitimately be your running back to there.
69:59Like they're a world exists where, where that's happening is like starting like RB RB with love is my RB two.
70:06I think is that's, that's enticing. The gente excitement last year was far, far better than what loves excitement is this year.
70:13And gente loves a better prospect. and gente ended up playing on the league's worst team.
70:19It was a bumpy ride, but the cost was around higher and there were games.
70:24I mean, you did get big games from gente.
70:27You got big games, but I would say that while both teams look like they are not good, you know, they're not
70:34going to win a ton of games and they're not great offenses.
70:38The Cardinals offense projects better, but the difference is last year.
70:41Gente went to a team that had no one else.
70:45They could hand the ball to. They, they, there was just no competition for touches and for the Cardinals, you know, they're
70:52not going to go into the off season. I remember you guys were worried about that.
70:57about what? About gente having competition. No, not, not, not, not, not near August.
71:02It was in August. The, it's not the competition.
71:05It's the, the concern that Koob's wants to have a more of a time.
71:09That's this year. That's for this year. He's saying last year, last year there was no one on their depth chart.
71:16I think there was still some conversations around. Who would we have, who would we have said?
71:22most are, was, yeah, most are the RB too.
71:25So it was, but no, they also had, uh, the dude from the year before.
71:30No, that everybody hyped up. Why? You're white. I remember conversations.
71:33I remember them because it's like the rookie might not get everything you think.
71:38This sounds like conversations you were having with a mirror.
71:41No. Yeah. Yeah. Marvin Harrison is being drafted in the seventh.
71:45Michael Wilson in the seventh. Interesting. I mean, I'll take the shot on Marvin Harrison.
71:50I, I'm fully moved to that side of like, which if I get something valuable out of this, drink, like Michael Wilson's
71:57weeks were mostly without Mar, where he was outrageous.
72:00Will it happen for Mar this year? I don't know, man.
72:04I mean, he's not being drafted like it will.
72:07That's a nice, that that's nice boost. He's going to face the same rookie quarterback problems at the second half of the year too.
72:14This is going to be one train wreck of a season for Arizona.
72:19And you're going to have to go along for the ride with Trey McBride.
72:23And now that ride will be good. Jeremiah loves ride should be all right.
72:28Yeah. And the Marv Michael Wilson one is going to be the most risk, but it's also the, not the price that you were paying in years past.
72:37Yeah. The price for the risk is already built in.
72:40I'm fine taking a shot at Marv. He had 808 as a rookie, got injured last year, and now is coming back
72:48in year three as a guy that is seen as a core piece of this team's future.
72:53And so he's, he's going to have the opportunity to step up.
72:57He certainly got in the gym before this off season points per game when active and healthy last year went down.
73:04That is not good before the injury. So it's nine games played.
73:08The pace was 990 and seven and a half.
73:11So that would have been 10.6 fantasy points per game, which is about where you're drafting.
73:16That would have been better than a pre-injury. It would have been better than his rookie season.
73:22And drafting that at wide receiver 34, that's fine.
73:25Yeah. That's fine. Are you guys drafting Michael Wilson?
73:28Like, will you take a shot on that? I've got no problem taking, you know, if I'm adding depth to my wide
73:35receiver room, taking a shot if he's in the eighth round.
73:39It's unbelievable what he was able to do. And yes, I get that Marv wasn't there, but Marv has never done anything like that.
73:46No, not even close. It's not like when Michael Wilson goes out, Marv was putting up Jerry Rice numbers.
73:53Exactly. So this is tough. So let me, let me just throw out these names because they're all sitting right next to each other.
74:01So you've got Jordan Tyson, Marvin Harrison, Makai Lemon, Michael Wilson, and Alec Pierce.
74:05They're all in the, you're not getting presumably where those guys are drafting.
74:10You're getting one of them. Alec. Yeah. I think I'll take Pierce.
74:13All right. Divisional predictions. We got to wrap this up.
74:17Rams, 49ers, Seattle, Arizona. That's how you're going. That's how I'm going.
74:21Rams, 49ers, Seattle, Arizona. I'm going Rams, Seattle, 49ers, Arizona.
74:24That's what I've got as well, which is what happened last year.
74:28Right? Oh no. Wait, did you take Rams? I do.
74:31Yeah. Rams. So the Rams would jump over Seattle in your situation.
74:35So we'll hear from the Seattle fans. Congrats on your championship, by the way.
74:40Yeah, it's pretty cool. That is something. We had one.
74:43We're going to get you in week two. You got to watch out for us.
74:48Goodbye. We're going to cover that spread. Thank you for listening to another episode of the fantasy footballers podcast.
74:54Join our fantasy football community on join the foot.com.
74:57And follow us on Twitter at the FF ballers.
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