Feel It or F--k It 5.11.26: An RSP Podcast with Bob Harris and Matt Waldman

Bob Harris rejects the notion that Antonio Williams is slot-only, arguing he can play flanker as well and could be a versatile threat in Washington. He compares Williams to a Jayden Reed/Randall Cobb archetype—a runner and contested-catch player who could start at flanker, noting it may actually be easier to play flanker in year one due to reduced pre-snap reads.

Nix underwent ankle surgery in the offseason, and there are questions about whether the healing process is progressing as initially reported. The Broncos are discussing adding an extra quarterback, which may signal concerns about Nix's recovery timeline. Bob Harris notes that not all the early reports on his ankle surgery recovery have come to pass, warranting monitoring.

Klubnik suffered ankle sprain and wrist injuries last year that impacted performance. Matt Waldman's film study shows Klubnik had a release flaw where he pushed off his front toe rather than getting deep rotation, likely due to ankle pain and taping restrictions, which reduced velocity and accuracy. Key to his dynasty value is whether velocity returns now that he is healthy; if so, he becomes more attractive as a superflex dynasty asset on a team that will need a QB.

Bob Harris rates Cam Ward as an upgrade over Jackson Dart and assesses him as a mature, dedicated professional willing to do what it takes to become very good. Reports this week show he's making progress in Brian Daboll's offense, and Harris believes he's in good hands with Daboll despite Daboll's history of being saddled with QB projects.

Bob Harris projects Carnell Tate to lead all rookies in wide receiver production this year. Tate is positioned as the main receiving option in the offense; Cam Ward likes to go downfield and Tate excels at deep routes and routes that break back to the quarterback, giving him significant usage as the primary receiver. Harris projects Tate as no worse than a low-end WR2 in fantasy this year, a floor he considers a safe bet.

Waller is positioned as one of the Chargers' top two receiving options under Mike McDaniel; the team has fully invested in him as a primary target. He showed major strides last year and is improving at the catch point, which was a concern coming out of college. Julio Jones is cited as a ceiling comparison, suggesting he can get closer to that level than market expectations.

Dallas has progressed from special teams contributor to low-end offensive contributor with good burst, tackle-breaking ability, and excellent receiving skills; he is endeared to the staff. While Emmanuel Wilson and Ken Walker III will get the bulk of early-season work while Zach Charbonnet recovers (likely not until late October), Dallas is a top waiver wire target and could factor in if either starter gets injured, especially in deep leagues.

Bob Harris argues Aller was not a strong pick at the range where the Cowboys selected him. While practice video concerns about his movement and technique work are overblown—slow movement during technique drills is normal and reflects Mike McCarthy's reprogramming of his mechanics from his previous approach, requiring deliberate repetition to internalize new technique—the underlying draft capital concern remains valid. Harris notes that every time you work on technique, you move slowly because muscle memory must absorb information gradually, similar to how elite musicians master complex skills by playing slowly first.

Wilson will be the primary RB getting the bulk of the load in Seattle's backfield while Zach Charbonnet recovers from injury, likely through late October. He will split carries with Ken Walker III but is positioned as the lead option in the early-season committee. Bob Harris identifies him as a late-round pickup target, noting he's not going as much as expected in drafts despite being a worthwhile flier.

Bob Harris sees Emanuel Wilson as a late-round pickup target, noting he's not going as much as expected in drafts despite being a worthwhile flier in ambiguous backfields where other pieces are being drafted regularly.

In a superflex dynasty trade scenario, Bob Harris prefers Fernando Mendoza over Cam Ward even when Ward is offered with ancillary pieces like Gunnar Helm added. Harris would stick with Mendoza in a build situation, noting Mendoza is mobile himself—potentially more mobile than Ward—making him the preferred asset in the trade comparison.

McCarthy's strength is spreading the ball and distributing across the offense rather than leaning on one player and running around. This distributional approach would benefit slot and secondary receivers like Jauan Jennings more than Kyler Murray's concentrated target approach. Bob Harris views McCarthy as the preferred Vikings QB option for fantasy purposes, hoping McCarthy gets it all together as the Vikings starter.

Bob Harris highlights Jamal Haynes as worth keeping an eye on because he could be as explosive as Chase Brown, is a good pass catcher, and runs hard for his explosive abilities. Harris identifies Haynes' archetype as the closest redundancy plan for Chase Brown in Cincinnati's backfield.

Patterson is being drafted responsibly by most fantasy players given the ambiguity in the Arizona backfield. Bob Harris suggests this cautious approach is appropriate, though other pieces in the backfield (like Jaylen Holani and others) remain interesting late-round targets.

Jennings signed with the Vikings but will not be the alpha receiver there (Justin Jefferson holds that role). While Jennings is not extraordinarily fast and is not a complete route runner, he is theoretically a good fit for Minnesota's offense. His best work comes when cushioned between faster receivers who draw safety attention, allowing him to dominate one-on-one matchups inside or create room for the quarterback to attack him. His production depends heavily on which QB starts: J.J. McCarthy spreads the ball and distributes across the offense rather than leaning on one player, which would benefit Jennings; Kyler Murray's Arizona pattern of concentrating targets on one player would limit Jennings to a worse version of Michael Wilson in terms of production ceiling.

Murray must prove he can graduate beyond his Arizona pattern of leaning heavily on one player and running around. If he repeats that approach in Minnesota, secondary receivers like Jauan Jennings become worse versions of Michael Wilson in terms of production ceiling. Bob Harris is not a fan of Murray's game and views his signing as a PR/ownership move rather than a long-term QB solution, though Murray is favored to win the starting job over McCarthy.

Mecole Hardman is ranked as the second rookie receiver off the board. While the argument exists that the Eagles' offensive coordinator situation and loss of A.J. Brown could create downside risk, Bob Harris dismisses this concern, stating he would still stick with Hardman (Leamon) over alternatives. The Eagles are expected to hire talent that will take advantage of what Hardman does well, and the team will be heavily invested in his success.

Bob Harris projects Quentin Johnston with a Julio Jones ceiling comp based on Mike McDaniel's assessment that Johnston possesses the qualities of Julio Jones and Andre Johnson. Johnston is expected to be used in breaking routes and occasional boundary work, similar to how Julio was deployed in Atlanta. Harris believes Johnston will get closer to that ceiling than people realize, noting he made strides last year and is rehabbing his game. The Chargers have fully invested in Johnston as one of their top two receiving options. Harris had a good grade on Johnston coming out but flagged catch-point concerns; he believes Johnston is now getting up to speed.

Bob Harris argues Thompson was misused by Mike McDaniel in Miami, who kept reserves in tight roles and became conservative with play-calling. Thompson went to Pittsburgh and played well enough in preseason to compete with Mason Rudolph, though the Steelers stuck with veteran Howard as a draft investment. Thompson's own assessment: he decided to play his game and not cramp his style like McDaniel did, showing up on tape in preseason. Harris suggests the Steelers saw enough to prefer Thompson over Anthony Fagnano (years away from backup role) and Tyler Huntley (won't embarrass but won't win big games).

Bob Harris defends Taj Boyd's fantasy potential despite limited 2024 opportunities, noting he made the team as the third running back and didn't fail to impress in the carries he received—he simply lacked sufficient opportunities to demonstrate his ability. Harris sees him as part of Cincinnati's backfield development.

Dell is not worth a late-round pick in standard leagues due to multiple serious injuries (knee dislocation, ACL tear) that will require extended recovery. His game is built on quick-twitch change-of-direction movement, and muscle memory recovery from such injuries is uncertain. Bob Harris suggests the magical season may have already passed and Dell may never regain his previous form. Only consider in super-deep leagues with taxi/quad squad spots if rebuilding and willing to take a long-shot flyer on health recovery. The Texans have already moved on with Jaylen Nowell as Dell's long-term replacement.

Bob Harris traded away Tua Tagovailoa in a superflex dynasty league to move up from pick 103 to 102, sending him to another party who has Michael Penix. Harris expresses uncertainty about what Tagovailoa is doing for his own team going forward.

Bob Harris ranks Ty Simpson pre-draft as slightly below or on par with another Texas Tech QB prospect he charted over five games. Simpson has a nice long-term landing spot to sit and learn behind a veteran player, which could elevate his ranking post-draft in dynasty leagues.

Bob Harris characterizes Huntley as a known quantity in the backup quarterback depth chart: won't embarrass the team as a starter but probably won't win big games either. This assessment places him below Skylar Thompson in the quarterback hierarchy.

Charbonnet is recovering from injury and unlikely to be a major factor until late October at the earliest, possibly not at all this season. His draft price has reasonably baked in the expectation of a backfield split, but the extended timeline means Emmanuel Wilson and Ken Walker III will handle the bulk of early-season work.