Fantasy Football Daily - Fantasy Points Podcast | Jeff Schaffer

Episode Date: May 13, 2024

Fantasy football industry pioneer and FSWA Hall of Famer "The Guru" John Hansen brings his famous blend of personality, humor, and analysis to the Fantasy Points Podcast. Join John and co-host Brian Drake for information and laughs as they tackle all the latest NFL news from a fantasy football perspective, with the sole intention of helping you score more Fantasy Points. Fantasy football is a numbers game, but where do the numbers come from?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Don't let life's challenges stand in the way of your success. Protect what you've built today. Visit canadalif.com slash business protection to learn more. Canada Life. Insurance, investments, advice. This is John Hansen, and this is the first episode of the Fantasy Points podcast. Today on the show, Jeff Schaefer, who has worked on shows like The League, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm joins the show.

and later, Brian and I get into some early fantasy football values based on ADP. Enjoy the show. And as always, you're welcome. All across the fantasy universe, welcome everybody, to the Fantasy Points podcast. I'm your host, Brian Drake, joined by the guru. That's right. Mr. John Hansen, the creator, the publisher, the founder of FantasyPoint.com. John, we've got a great new year upon us.

I'm so excited to be with you. We're going to kick things off here, day one, with a really good friend of yours from Hollywood. I'm fired up to be here. This is going to be a great show, man. How you doing? I'm doing well. It's great to be here. This is kind of like our big first podcast for the relaunch.

We're going to be a lot more attentive to these podcasts. We're going to get guests involved, celebrity types like our guests today. And also, industry type of people to chop it up, talk fantasy. some other perspectives, but I first met Jeff Schaefer way back in 2009. We can tell that story. Basically, call the office because he was interested in using the old magazine that I published on this brand new TV show that he was getting ready to make for FX called The League. And it just took off from there.

So, Jeff, we welcome you in here. What's up? Great to see you, actually physically see you. I know you and I do a lot of texting, but glad that you're our first guest here. We're starting off big as you just come off your curb your enthusiasm run. But how are you, sir? I'm great. I am very glad I'm your first guest because that means that the show has nowhere to go but up.

This is, I can already see an ascendant trajectory. But I'm thrilled to be here. It's always nice to talk to you, especially in the off season when you're not as frantic. You're not getting those little texts from me at like, 955 going, what do I do? What do I do? Guru, oh, help me guru. But yeah, happy to be here. But you know, you and I real quick, we're going to go off on a million tangents. There are some people that I help and I just can't get it right.

But for you, the karma, the synergy is good. Like we get a lot of the stuff correct when we do get those questions from you, I believe. Yes. In fact, two seasons ago, my junk, my junk ass team, just made it into the playoffs. And then I won the Shiva Bowl. Thanks to you. Like just, it was Dante Foreman. It was that year.

It was like he had those, knowing when to play him, when not to play him, like you, you played him like a Strativarius. And it got me, it got me to the Shiva. That's awesome. Well, of course, the Shiva, Brian, as you know, and all the listeners who watched the league know what that's all about. That was the big trophy to the winner of the league from the league on FX. You and your wife, Jackie, created the show. You wrote it, directed it. You pretty much very hands-on.

You did it all. So we'll get into all that. We'll get into the ties of fantasy. I'm going to start, though, with fantasy. We are fantasy here. So how long have you been playing fantasy? What year was it, if you recall? Yeah.

You know, and when did you realize the boss? all breaking opportunities and the comedy opportunities that fantasy football presented. Okay. Let's see. The year was 2002. And we started a league with my friends from high school. My friends from high school all got together in this league. And we had a trophy.

We figured out what the trophy was going to be. And that trophy was called the Shiva. And that year. I won the first year of the league. In fact, I remember it was my brother and I were in the Shiva Bowl, and I thought the league was going to just not make it after that. They were like, I can't believe these two idiots are playing in the Sheva Bowl. And I remember my brother and I were at home in Ohio,

and it was around Christmas, and I had a Monty tumor. This is like distant member, but he had a three touchdown game. I remember. And I had a moment, and I won the Sheva Bowl. First year, I won the Sheva Bowl. First year, I won the Sheva Bowl. That was amazing. The second year, we were doing a,

They would do a random, you know, pick a name, tick the numbers out of a hat to see, it was a random draft order. It wasn't based on previous years. Oh, it is now. And what I later learned was that I drew, my name came out first. I had the first overall pick in the draft,

and the guys that were doing it looked at each other and put it back in. Oh. And you know what? I still won. Wow. I won again. Yeah, that was, I won three out of the first five. of that league. It's amazing the league even survived that.

Wow. Because I was unbearable. It was so great. And of course, this league is kind of, or totally, the league in which the league in the show is kind of, let's say, loose league? This league with my high school friends has a Shiva. We have a sacco for the loser. And, you know, it's really one of those years, in between there was a year I was doing, I know actually it was that that fifth year I was doing I was doing terribly in the beginning and I just I had no chance I didn't think and I just started writing out these you know we had a big there was a big message board thing going I would just start doing it was called notes from the bathroom and I would just sort of it was jokes about things that were happening and all this and it was and it was sort of just started to roll I was sort of do that every week and somehow carmically I ended up coming back I think was that Larry Charles it was one of those years whatever the Casey some KC running back. And I ended up, I had him as a, he was a second stringer and the other guy got injured.

And anyway, it was. Jamal Charles. By the way, you're confused. Yeah, Jamal Charles with Larry Charles. Larry Charles, I worked with Larry. I don't know why it's that Larry. It was Jamal. Director, writer.

Yeah. From Seinfeld and Curban and beyond. We're going to take a quick time out. We'll be right back after this. I worked with him for so long. So they're all, it's all like a big kind of just name frap in my head. But that year. was 2005 and I was in the championship, actually in two leagues.

And my wife and I, Jackie and I were in France. We were, and we were at this, it was a Christmas Eve dinner in France, which meant it was like Sunday night, but it was Sunday day back in the States. Oh, yeah. I know this story. And I was in these two leagues. And so we're at this restaurant,

this really fancy restaurant that she had set up. And I needed to know what was happening. So I kept telling her I had to go to the bathroom. But I didn't have to go to the bathroom. I would run out into the snow. It was like in the French Alps. I was running out, standing in a snowdrift, calling at great expense.

This is before, like, easy internet, to just find out how I was doing. I couldn't affect anything. I couldn't change anything. So the third time I'm out in the snowdrift, I look up and she's standing in the doorway of the restaurant, and she just goes, this is the stupidest, saddest, funniest thing.

Like, this should be a show. Yeah. And it was her idea. And that's how the league as a show, as an idea for a show began. And, you know, it's really, it wasn't so much about all of the stuff that was happening in the league,

the machinations of the league itself. It was about all the high school stuff that was coming out. And that's what the league is really about. It's just about old friends, giving each other shit, and you can't escape these people, right? It's like a bad credit score.

You're not getting rid of them, and they're just here. And all they do, is make you want to win more and be more and more desperate to win. Yeah. Yeah. And certain stories did go in like, yes, did they pick the name out of the hat and it was Ruxon and they put it back?

You bet I put that in. Exactly. So there's definitely, there are definitely things that went back and forth. But yeah, but we, when we have our drafts, we've had our drafts out in Los Angeles. When we've had them poolside at the Beverly Hills Hilton and the Shiva and the Sacco come with, I've actually built, like I went to like a fancy art gallery. And I said, I need, what do you transfer like valuable, like sculpture in? Who makes those?

So I made these wooden cases that folk exactly for the sacco and the Shiva. So they can get shipped because they're getting shipped every year. There's delicate items here. Yeah. Valuable. This reminds me of the Christmas story. Oh, fragile. Yeah.

Fragile, exactly. This side up. So, you know, we're pool side of the Beverly Hills Hilton and the saco and the Shiva are there. And this is like when the league was on and people are going, oh, that's like the league. And my friends from house go, no, it is the league. This is the league. Wow. We started it.

Wow. And it's true. Do you think that from 2009 what you did with this show, with the Sacco, with the Shiva, with the ball busting, the message boards, having this television show in my mind took fantasy football from this kind of like weird, nerdy place where people like, I don't know, that's kind of not really a thing to. what you see today with it. It's all over television. It's not, I mean, geez, Louise, John was doing a show live during games on direct TV. I mean, do you realize the impact that this show had for growing leagues, people now seeing the impact that we got to get together. We got to do live drafts. We got to have loser last place punishments. We got to have a last place trophy. I mean, I think the league is responsible for that. And you've got to take a little, a little pat on the back for helping raise the level of fantasy football. Oh, back in time here, Jeff. I can't reach my back.

I don't know. But I will say the nice thing is like John, Matt Barry, like us, we all sort of grew up together and sort of rode this wave. I mean, when we were, Jack and I were pitching the show and people would say, I don't know, is that, do you really want to pitch such a, such a niche show? Yeah. I'm like, this is in 2008. I go, well, like 30 million people play fantasy football. I don't know how niche that is like, like, I don't know any. like priests that solve murders but there's two of those shows that seems that seems like a niche to me

and i think what we did was just um take those message boards all the fun of those message boards and show it and proved and i think the nicest thing was that there were a lot of women who said i don't follow fantasy football i never did but i watched the league and now i want to play there you go growing growing the sport ryan i love it My wife watched. I watched with her back before we even had kids. We would watch it all the time, you know. And you guys had such great comedians on that show.

And you see the level that some of these guys on now, you know, Paul Shear, you know, is John LaJoy. I love him. You know, it's Nick Crowell. I mean, how fun was it to write this show and then to produce it with these comedic minds? I mean, it had to be bananas on the set. Did you sometimes just let these guys run wild? And you kind of just, it's almost like a curb, which we'll get into is where you box them. Here's the idea and then go nuts, guys, have fun.

So the whole idea of doing the show when we were going to do it was like, there are all these younger great improvisers who, like, they're just a younger age group than Kerr. But we did it the same way as Kerb, which is we have an outline. So the stories are all there. And there's a lot of lines in the outline. But the idea is, hey, we're going to improvise these scenes. Every scene's a live rewrite.

So it's honestly, it's like a live comedy sporting event. Because you got Kroll and all these guys just. taking shots at each other and doing the stuff, and you've got to move the cameras to try and track and go, hold on, hold on, hold on, say that again. And it's a blast. It's so fun to do. I mean, we had no money. We had, like,

the crew was like bare bones. Our DP, our director of photography is holding a camera. Like, there's no other producers on set. There's no other directors. It's just us in the cast making this thing. But, yeah, and it was one of the most fun things I've ever done. 14 years ago, Jeff,

can you believe that this summer will be 14 years, me and Adam Kaplan went out to LA to do a couple of scenes and play ourselves. I've got 14 years? Do you believe that? I know. Think of the giant movie career you've had since then. It's amazing that you remember that moment when it all started.

Hey, my average IMDB score on my IMDB page is 8.6, okay? That's all I got to say. And you have... Not that anyone's ranking it. No. No. Well, while we're talking about the show, it is, I am fascinated. I know Brian is too by you and Larry, the middle finger that you're giving to the PC police.

Essentially, I'm with you guys on all of it. It's not that, I mean, I just agree with it in general. Do you think, though, that you could do the league in this current? climate or did the show was it timed out actually kind of perfectly no we could do i mean we had trouble the show was pretty extreme we had trouble with the with being with standards and practices back then yeah oh yeah they're like oh you can't say that you can't do that i mean there was one i remember they're like you cannot say the word retard and which we probably shouldn't have even but we're like okay and the whole story was just when you go when you go to chinatown a mentally challenged

Chinese person in Chinatown knows more Chinese than you do. So he can get around much easier. He can say, where's the bathroom, butter, whatever? You don't know anything. So you're at a disadvantage to this mentally challenged person. And we didn't know how to say it otherwise.

Bobby Lee doing a great job playing a mentally challenge. Oh, yeah, he was awesome. And Nick Crowell says, oh, I have something I use, fatata. So it became frittata. And that became part of the lexicon. So like, I don't mind, I don't mind having restrictions

because it makes you be creative. That's true. But like, but we never, we pretty much did almost, almost everything. They got a little queasy about having children watch adults have sex, I remember, which, whatever, fine. I mean. To be fair. To be fair.

You know, it's an acquired taste. But, but, but, but we pretty much got to everything we want to do. And Curbs the same way. I mean, the honest answer is we don't ever worry. about it. We just do it. I always joke that I know where the line is because I can look back and see it. And I can't tell you how many times like we're in a scene, especially on the league, and they're like, well, we can't do that. And I go, oh, yeah, we can. And then we're going to do this. Because what we wanted was someone, I always used to say when things are going really well,

like behind the monitors, you don't see this on TV every day. And that's what we were going for. It's just things that you would, you'd never seen before. You know what I think it is. I'm going to correlate it to Bob Grunkowski and you're going to be like what about I don't know six seven years ago gronk was they were going to trade him to the Lions I don't know if you know that story but he got wind of that and he's like what and this is before the Lions were good of course right and he's oh no whoa whoa I'm retired guys I'm retiring and then they're like oh so then no trade and then I don't know months later he shows up to OTA hey it's like George Costanza uh you know quitting his job aka Larry and from SNL

and then just showing up. And then he came back and he's like, yeah. Well, the point is, when you're a rock star and you're crushing it, you just do whatever you want, right? That's kind of what I think it is, Jeff, in some ways. I mean, to me as long as it's funny, it's all, everything is on the table. It's all execution, right? Yeah.

I mean, it's the same thing in football. It's like, you know the best plays in the world. If the players aren't doing it, it doesn't matter. And so you've got to have the horses. You got to have the players, you know, that can just, that are funny enough to pull it off. And that's what we had with the league. That's what we had on curb. And, you know, every, I miss the league.

I mean, the league every fall. It's like a, it's like a phantom limb. You're like, oh, we could have done this. Oh, that's exactly right. Yeah. I feel, I have empathy for you for that, actually, because I've had moments where I'm like, oh, that would be great on the show. So, yeah, that was actually one of my questions.

Like, anything stand out to like, oh, man, this would, I mean, now, look. I mean, yeah, I mean, I mean, as someone who grew up in Cleveland, I mean, just the simple term like Deshaudenfreude, for Deshawn Watson. Like that's just right there. And look, every time in the last few years, every time Cam Newton showed up at a presser, don't think Jackie and I and Paul Shear weren't texting each other going, Andre could have worn that.

Oh, yeah. That's the best Andre have fit in the world. And let's put this way. I have a big file of stuff that would be great league things. I mean, think about last year, two years ago, rather, with, you couldn't even read it, DeMar Hamlin, Monday night, Week 17, Bill Sincy. Everybody's got players on that, in that game, and it's canceled. How many leagues did they know who won or not?

I mean, it's crazy. I mean, take the heart attack out of it, call it a flooded field, call it whatever you want. But like, I was in that, I was in that championship. And I had, I had Josh Allen. Luckily, thanks to the guru. Didn't even need him. Oh, it didn't even need him. But don't like, like if I, if it had been closer, that's it.

Right. So that is like that when that happened, I was like, that would be, that's an, that would have been amazing, an amazing season finale. Which player character on the show, by the way, would be the most insensitive about that? Like all of them get hos, who is the worst, the most insensitive? All of them would be so insensitive. The funny thing would have been of actually Taco actually took it for and like just lost his shit. The one time I actually paid attention. More with Jeff Schaefer on the league.

And we're going to talk about Kirby, enthusiasm and probably the most fun show that's on television right now coming to a close. More with our guest Jeff Schaefer on the other side. Listen to the Fantasy Points podcast. All right, guys, we're back. John Hansen, Brian Drake, sitting here with Jeff Schaefer. You know him from creating the league. Seinfeld, Kirby, enthusiasm.

I love a couple of movies you are also given writing credits and producing Bruno and the dictator. And now I got to ask you with Sasha Baron Cohen, with Larry David, with Jerry Seinfeld, can you equate any of those guys to modern day NFL coaches or players or like, who could they be? If you put them in the, it dropped them into the NFL and you had to compare them to somebody that we would know in the NFL right now. What a good question. It's like a it's like the closer on the the comedy sports SAT. Yeah, who's Larry David in the league? I would say I would say well Larry David the first thing that comes to mind is Bill Walsh because he changed the game. There you go.

And sitcoms weren't like that before Seinfeld, you know, and he just changed how they're done. Look at the coaching tree as well. Like that's exactly. I mean, think of all the people. that have come from that, whether it's Larry Charles, Dave Mandel, and Alec Berg, my old writing partner, I mean, who've done, you know, Dave was doing VIP. Alec was doing Barry and Silicon, you know, I was doing Dave in the league, like all of these, all of these, Larry Charles was doing, you know, Borat and Bruno and the dictates. Like, all of these people and all of this stuff comes from the Jerry Larry tree. So the other thing I would say if I had to do a player for Larry, I would Let's hear this

I think I would have to say Barry Sanders because he just does what he wants and doesn't care what you think Yeah And he's ready to a lot of negative runs A lot of negative runs for Barry But then you have two negatives

And he rips off a 70 yarder And I would just say Ready to walk away at any time Like And does And then comes back But walks away Yeah I'm glad you didn't say a kicker

Because we all know How Larry feels about kickers nowadays Yeah he's on a real he's on a on a real crusade right now to remove the foot from football and i understand this point which is it's a non-football play it's like if the game were it's like if the game were tied and at the end they had a pie-eating contest on the 50 like it just it doesn't have anything to do with the other stuff so um and if you don't if you couldn't kick it would be pretty exciting i mean fourth downs become very exciting yeah they do well look we've gotten pretty much rid of kickers

and defenses in a lot of our fantasy leagues and do not miss it at all. I don't know if you've done that, Jeff, but I highly recommend it. The tricky thing with defenses, some people have defenses and some people have defense special teams. And now with the kick returns coming back,

defense special teams, I think becomes much more interesting than it has been for the last few years. So that, I'd be curious to have a defense special teams, at least this year to see how that goes, because I think there's going to be a lot of, it's new, there's going to be a lot of variance,

And yeah, yeah. We do have a guy at the website, Tom Simons, who's been working for me for literally 28 years, focusing mainly on special team. So there you go. He'll be doing the heavy lifting here. Well, we've mentioned Larry David and your work on Kirby Enthusiasm. Congratulations for an unbelievable run.

You were front and center here. I mean, I kind of always call you Larry Davis right hand, man, honestly, directing most of the episodes, writing it all. Can we ever, ever, we'll talk a few more curb items, get Larry to play fantasy football, though, because, you know, Jeff was kind enough for those who don't know to, you know,

offer me like a very small little bit role the year before the final season. And we did talk football. You know, I said on the radio, like Larry, David, didn't really care what I had to say about anything else. But when I was talking football, he was definitely hanging on my,

every word and um i don't know if you know the story but i kind of accosted him in the parking a lot on the way out and basically i'm a 50 year old man who goes by the guru and i'm trying to convince larry david uh to let me be his fantasy football consultant a consulieri which i thought is hysterical and that just seems very larry david and very signfeld like not to bar from the maestro here but uh does that happen to larry all the time that's like par for the course that something like that would happen right i mean of course you'd want larry to be you'd want Larry to be in your fantasy league because you want him on that message board. Yeah. Right. That's that's what you want. And I just I don't seem he's he loves I mean,

he loves football. And although he's right now he has a tortured relationship with the Jets. He's been he's been burned so many times. He's just having trouble hugging the stove. Like yeah, last year he was so excited. He was leaving the office. It's the Monday night game, right? Oh, what a buzz girl. And he's like, I'm going to go. I'm going to get home for the game he didn't get home before Aaron Rogers was injured. Oh man. So we ever see Larry in a role. And you tell me you're in entertainment. Could this even be possible? Remember years ago on Monday night football when they brought Dennis Miller out as this kind of experiment. You look at a guy like Larry and the comedy, the insights that he could bring. Do you think even in a preseason game or a

one off somebody like Larry could get in the booth and you know, one of these networks are looking for a shot in the arm? would he or somebody in the industry? Could that ever come back again? Or do you think networks are just like, nope, we got to have a former player. We got to have the John Madden type in there, just breaking down the X's and O's. Well, I know this could happen because last season,

I did a preseason game for the Seahawks. You did. You tell. Oh, I didn't know that. Who'd you work with? Wyman, Steve, Dave Wyman and Steve Ravel. And I get the Seahawks, Dallas preseason game. And I have not been that nervous in so long.

It was great. I got to, I think it happened, you know, friends with John and friends with Dave Pearson, their head of communications, all that stuff. And they would always say it's like, oh, that'd be fun, that'd be fun. And I think at the end of the season before, like, you want to do it? I'm like, all right, I'll do it. And I think they offered it to me so that I would just shut up about it and just see and fail. But it was so fun.

I had such a good time. I was there for the week. You know, the hardest part, it's 90, it's 90 players, right? That roster is, and that bottom part is churning. They're all playing. So learning all of that spotter. Do you have your own spotter? There's a spotter for this watching it.

You're in this tiny little booth and the spotter's there. Luckily, I had memorized. I could tell. I knew there were two 16s. I knew, like, I had just memorized. I was so scared that I was going to screw up. But stats and jokes, which was very fun. It was like, and it was easy with someone.

It was like, what did I call this? I called it the full bar offense because defense were going to get a shot of Ken Johnny Walker and then a big glass of Charbonnet. And it was just like, but it was, it was a blast. I had so much fun. So can Larry do it? Absolutely. And he'd kill. He'd kill. That's a great one. That's a great question. Yeah. And how cool is it for you to be able, and I've experienced this myself for sure, to cozy up to an organization, a helmet, a logo. that, you know, was everything to you when you're a little kid. I mean, when you're a little kid, like, I mean, you probably must have looked at Steve

Largen or, you know, somebody else like that, like just an awe. Like, how cool was that? No, I was, I lived in Tacoma in 76 when the Seahawks started, and that was my football formative years. And I just imprinted on the Seahawks. We moved to Ohio, and I stuck with the Seahawks, obviously pre-internet, pre-internet, it was like being a fan of like an obscure Japanese punk. band. It's like you're just being difficult, like the Seahawks.

You're just doing that to be, you know, unusual. Like Northeastern Ohio, but I stuck with them. And then when I was working on Seinfeld and I had some disposable income, I was like, I'm getting season tickets. So I've had season tickets to the Seahawks for for so long. But it wasn't until the league and bringing Marchon on and bringing John Schneider on that, and now I sort of became very friendly with the team. And like John is one of my really good friends.

and a lot of the guys on the team are, and it's amazing. I got to meet Mike McDonald last weekend. Wow. Nice. And he is a smart, cool cookie. I'm so excited for the team. I'm this guy, what he's done on defense, like making that Michigan defense that went to three college football playoffs.

And I mean, last year when you look at the Ravens, they were, they only blitz like 28% of the time. Like one of the lowest in the league, and they have more sacks than anybody. Because they disguise it. That's the scheme. You never know. Yeah. And I'm very excited for what they can do because the Seahawks roster is actually a pretty good roster.

Yeah. So, and for fantasy on offense, I think it's going to be, it's going to be great. I think Grub and Huff, I mean, the guys they're bringing over, it's last year they didn't, I felt like they didn't know whether they were going to be, keep with that 13 personnel because they had the three tight ends. Yeah, exactly. ASN, which means you're going to go 11 personnel. I think now they finally have, obviously it's just fan now. So now it's 11 personnel like the rest of the NFL. Let's go.

But it's going to be, I'm expecting very good things. JSN. Who said you weren't going to get NFL talk on this podcast here, folks? Come on. So sorry. So sorry. Lead in, you know. But JSN, would this be a good year for JSN?

Because I was out last year because I was correct. He did come on nicely, solidly. that just were not enough opportunities for him last year. No, no, it wasn't the opportunities. It was the kind of opportunities. They were throwing, his A-dot was so small. They were using him like as a for screen passes. And the screens were never well blocked.

Like that's not what he is. They finally started to use him as the receiver he can be in the second half of the season. And he flourished. And I think, I think there's, you're not going to see he was, I thought, very misused in the beginning of the season. And I don't think that's going to happen. Yeah. Yeah, it was a very quiet, Brian, 63 catch season, that's for sure.

Let's circle back to the league here. I'm sure people come up to you all the time and they, is there a quote? Is there a character? Is there something that constantly gets brought? There's so many things from the show when you talk about the Shiva and drades and forever unclean and whatever. Is there something that people always bring up to you that you're like, I can't escape this. Thank God I wrote it, though. Yeah.

I mean, you're right. There's a ton. I mean, from Yobagoia to vaginal hubris to frittatas, forever unclean, like Eskimo brothers. That's a good one, yeah. In terms of fantasy, you know, collusion. Rankings bitch. Rankings bitch, we use it. Rankings bitch comes up a ton.

Collusion, sadly, still a menace in many leagues. Roster bation, of course. Oh, that's my favorite. I've used that. I have stolen that a couple of times. I've just had the urge. It's public. It's in the public domain.

It's the best one. That is the best one, Brian. I once tweeted and I don't know, because it was kind of true. I was just looking over one of my rosters and it was just so good. And my wife kind of like snuck up on me behind my shoulder. And I wrote, my wife just caught me roster baiting, basically, looking at my team. I couldn't help.

Yeah, the whole. of fantasy football is to gloat. Like you just can't, you cannot help it. And I think, you know, the other stuff, the amount of, I'm very happy with the amount of team names that are out there based on the league, you know. That's true. You know, the Pete Top, Kevin Bottoms, the murder boners,

whatever it is. But the, and I'm really happy about the amount of trophies for the loser. I do think that that's one, that's one area I will take credit. I think we really pull. that to the front of people's of league consciousness. And I feel it's very important because, look, when someone wins the league, one person's happy. When someone loses the league, everybody else is happy.

Yeah, yeah. And maybe Brian, that's why we're, we have seen a little bit of an influx on these very creative measures that people need to take if they lose, like you go and sit at an Arby's half naked all day with like one of those poster board things saying I suck at fantasy, you know, like sure. That's probably what Jeff's talking about. You know, my favorite two characters, Rafi, number one, is just. No, Rafi.

I have a picture of my wife and Rafi at Sirius where I just snapped it because I thought it was hysterical. I tweeted I got 500 forever unclean responses. Oh my gosh. Him and Dirty Randy put them together. I could watch that all day. Jeff, is there ever a chance at a reboot, at a webisode, at anything with the league coming down? You say you got these ideas. You know, I know everyone's on to like, now they're huge stars.

It would cost you a fortune to get these guys back. But who knows? Well, you know, we almost, when COVID started, we almost did a little like kind of Zoom reunion kind of thing. And I remember, I remember in it, Ruxon was going to be. Ruxon kept telling his wife that he kept getting COVID. So he was in quarantine in the room above the garage just living like this shit big he is. Just, you still in quarantine? Yeah, I keep catching it, man.

Keep getting it. Damn bug. Got me again. Taco, anytime anyone called him on the phone, he go, oh, hold on. And he put on the mask. And like, what are you doing? And it's like, you've got to be safe. I'm not doing it for me.

I'm doing it for him. And it's just not understanding how. it worked at all. But it was like, it was like, oh, those were fun, like, whatever, that we never did. I mean, here's the thing. It is hard to put toothpaste back in the tube that way, but like, you never say never. Those guys are amazing and they're still amazing. And it would be really fun.

Yeah, yeah, no doubt. What about favorite guest? I mean, I'm going to go curb first, no, curb second, but the league, like, you've had a number of people. I know the answer is not me and Adam Kaplan. I got to think it's Marshawn because as I've told you, I did chop it up with Marshawn in Buffalo for 45 minutes. I know I told you a story I was introduced to him. And as a 39-year-old white guy, pasty white at the time,

I extended my hand. And what's crack a lacin' dog? I mean, it could have went, you really said that? What's that? You really said that to him? I did. Oh, my God. No, I swear to God.

The guy who actually calls the games now for the bills, his name's Chris Brown. I was talking to him. I'm like, oh, what do you think? He's like, well, you know, he's a little standoffish. I mean, if he likes you, you're in. And I'm like, well, I'm just going to be my genuine self. And this is how I normally act. Oh, what's up?

Dog, what's crack a lacking, dog? And he was like, oh, snap, you don't smoke my language. And it was good from there. But who was your favorite? I mean, he is the best. He's still, we still text with him all the time. I mean, he's had such a fun post-NFL career. Oh.

He's so fun. You know, he's just, he's just an amazing, an amazing print. And it's so funny. I had to say, J.J. Watt was incredible. Loved, loved having him and just. Very polished. What? Very polished.

And I'm sure he was a consummate pro there, right? Yeah. And he just had fun. Like, all, like, all those guys, like, we had such a good time. And, like. Ocho Cinco? By the way, that, Don't you thinko in Vegas.

He is a man. In Vegas. That was, that was, that was amazing. Because he would, afterwards, he would just be like, sitting down, like, at the, at the little machines, like, in, like, socks and like, like, he'd be workout. And then he's just shirt off, just little shorts, uh, white tube socks and flip flop kind of things. Just playing the slot, playing the slots. There he is. He's a character.

We had, we got everybody, they were so fun, uh, working with those. like being able to like have fun with the players and have them have fun with our guys was always always fun um curb you know it's a different group of it's a different group of of uh of guest cast but like i mean some of my favorites i mean Lynn Manuel Miranda Miranda coming in a few seasons ago was incredible um Tracy oman this year I mean some people like like having Vince Vaugh yeah I mean and like do seasons now like come in for like four or five episodes like it's Vince Vaughn it's crazy yeah and just so fall guy I've had Vince Vaughn on the show he's um I'm trying to think of what he grew up in like Wisconsin maybe he's a Chicago oh it's Chicago

right yeah yeah but you get all these I know it's crazy I mean look we had Bruce Springsteen this year yeah which was insane it's insane and he was he likes the shows he's like yeah let's do it That's awesome. It's just really fun. So you get these, everybody wants to come, like, everybody wanted to come play with the guys in the league. Everyone wants to come play with Larry. It's an easy, it's an easy call to make. Like, hey, can you come and do this for a little bit?

Then they go, what am I doing? And you explain. And they're nervous at first. And then it's great. Well, we could talk all day about all these guys. But I will say one thing real quick as when I was on that in that scene, it was the second of last season of curb it was the first episode with Tracy olman you know I'm working and you know I felt Jeff like I was a member of the cast for the

day I mean is that that fair to say kind of because I knew you guys even though it's technically an extra you know I mean lines you weren't an extra you spoke yeah yeah I really felt like a member of the cast and I mean I just could not stop pinching myself you know because I know Jeff Garland a little bit. I've met J.B. I've actually even also, thanks to you, met Larry, but I had not met Richard Lewis. And unfortunately, he passed away. But thank God, you got all those moments, you know, on the show forever. Because what just an amazing guy in that, like, he made me feel like I was an actor, like a real actor, like really part of it. So, but relating to the greatness here, How about Albert Brooks?

I am a massive Albert Brooks fan. I would have been beside myself and worked with Albert Brooks. No, I mean, growing up, like, listening to his stuff, watching his movie, it just, it's like, oh, my gosh, I'm actually directing Albert Brooks and Larry in scenes together. Come on. Yeah.

And just, you know, these guys that are really, just, they come, they want to be, they just, they want to do, what's funny? What's funny? And like, they're, they'll do whatever they need to do in the scene to make the scene as good as it can be. It's all you can ask for. But no, it's like, that's a dream come true, for sure.

All right, everybody, hold that thought. When we come back on the other side, more with the guru, John Hanson. Ontario, the weight is over. The gold standard of online casinos has arrived. Golden Nugget online casino is live. Bringing Vegas-style excitement and a world-class gaming experience

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Gambling problem call connects Ontario 1866 531-260-19 and over physically present in Ontario. Eligibility restrictions apply. See golden nuggett casino.com for details. Please play responsibly. We got to ask, what's next for you? The league obviously ended years ago. Now Curbs out. Where are you going next?

Well, I mean, I have some, this is the first time in a long time. I'm not in like pre-production, production, or post-production on something. Wow. Along like 2007, I think, between the league and the movies and this stuff. So, you know, I'm going to get a chance finally to do what I've always wanted to do, which is start a fantasy football website. Start a podcast. Yeah. This is also the first episode of my podcast, guys.

Oh, wow. I guess. We can give you like your individual feed. You can put it up on your show. I'm going to just vampire off you guys. No, I'm in development with HBO on a few things right now. And they're just in, they're in like, got some interesting piece of talent. And we're just pushing the rock up the hill.

And my wife, Jackie, actually has a show that she's sold to FX that she's really funny. ensemble that we're doing a rewrite of right now. So that's moving along too. So there's stuff in the works. Nothing immediate, but we're in the, this is like the writing phase right now. Wow. How old are your kids now?

They're getting, I mean, man, time flies so quickly. One just turned 10 and the other's about to turn 12. I feel like you, I see, mentally, I still feel like you have like toddlers. Yeah, I do too. Well, this has been great here chopping it up with you. We don't want to take up too much more of your time. I can't leave without asking you a fantasy football question. Oh, yeah, the floor is yours.

All right. So I want to know, I'm not going to ask you about individual players, but I'm going to ask you about teams. Teams that you think are on the rise from an offensive standpoint. Like last year, the Eagles fell flat with it. But this year, I feel like, are they going to, I feel like they should be blocked. better this year. Like, are there teams that you say, yes, I would invest, I would invest heavily

in those offenses? Well, Atlanta Falcons come to mind. I mean, Bejohn Robinson was pretty damn good last year, but it was still frustrating because of a bad environment with the coach and his ways. And boy, it's a whole new ball game here now. The O.C., Zach Robinson has not called plays before, but he's from that Shanahan tree, the McVeigh tree, and Kirkie, of course. Pitz is no longer going to drive us all insane, I think. So I think we can, I feel a lot better about Kyle Pitts, feel a lot better about Drake London. I've been a darn hell Mooney person, but much people,

much to people should grin, but he's actually pretty good. And he'll be, you know, involved. So I like that. I think Green Bay continues to ascend. I actually picked them to win the division last year. No one was doing that. I was wrong, but, you know, on the red track. Yeah.

Chicago, obviously. I mean, that's a major improvement. Look, Carolina, I mean, again, when you're in the basement, there's only one way to go. But Dave Canals, a little bit of a quarterback whisper. He's going to simplify things. They're adding a lot of weapons. I mean, it was as bad as it could. You know, yeah, like sometimes you look at like for regression, you know, like just the old

he's due or their due. It was so bad in Carolina. completely scrapped the coach. He tried to run his system without the players, and that was a horrible idea. O-Line was terrible. Everything's new. Granted, new staff,

but there's an offense that will jump right up here. Brian, do you have any team that jumps out to you? Tennessee as well, they're going to be throwing it a lot. Yeah, yeah, now.

Yeah, you know, a team that I'm on, and it was the hot team last year, and it'll make Larry happy. It's the New York Jets. I mean, if you've got now somewhat of an offensive line

in front of Aaron Rogers, and he can stay healthy for more than four plays. You actually have weapons on the outside now. Breece Hall, another year removed from the injuries, he's got a chance to be a top three running back in the NFL and fantasy football. I just think they're going to score a lot of points, and they have to score a lot of points in that division. You're going against Miami.

You're going against Buffalo twice a year. You know, still the Patriots. You know, good enough schedule. Their defense is going to be fantastic. And I think Rogers is going to be on a mission. You know, what that mission is, God only knows. But, yeah, I'm in on the Jets. this year. I think Garrett Wilson could really flirt with wide receiver one overall numbers.

Oh. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, things are. Thanks for having us on your podcast, Jeff. Yeah. No, this is great. Can I promote my website now on your pod now? I don't see why not. Yeah. Thank you so much for being here. We appreciate it. And everybody, if you're listening to this on Monday throughout the week, whenever you get a chance, why don't you go out and download, you know, one of those episodes, buy the old DVDs. Do people still buy DVDs of the league? Can you stream it? I know, I have a box set. Hey, I'm still getting residual checks 14 years later from Mar-Marsho, the league.

So yeah. Yeah, you can find it on the on Hulu. There you go. Get out there and watch a couple episodes. By the way, I have Hulu and I caught my daughter who is going to the Savannah College of Art and Design, as you and I have discussed, and she's into film. You're going to help her and give her some advice. caught her red-handed on the recently viewed watching the episode.

Ramona Neapolitana from 2010, episode 11, season two, I believe. I believe. Caught her red-handed, Jeff. Wow, amazing. No, people still watch the show. Look, the players are different, but the leagues haven't changed, and it's still really funny. Such a pleasure talking to you guys. John, we'll be chatting. Absolutely.

We'll definitely be chatting as draft season approaches. Absolutely. You know where to reach me? And I am here. I'm your fantasy football consoliery. I am concierge, whatever you need. Once again, thanks to you, my average IMDB rating is 8.6. And that's tough to be, quite frankly.

So thanks again. Stellar. All right. We'll put you on something else and get that down. Oh, no, no, no. I meant up. Up. There you go.

There you go. So much fun, you guys. All right. That was Jeff Schaefer from Kirby enthusiasm in the league. Great interview. Thanks so much for jumping on with us. John, that was fantastic.

I love the fact that we can bring on people from Hollywood and in the future, the sports field to show everybody out there that fantasy football isn't just for some nerds in the basement. This is a worldwide game everybody's playing. The Fantasy Points podcast is going to highlight that this year. Yeah, I'm excited about it. it because honestly if I'm being blatantly honest doing you know a lot of media broadcasting work over the last

20 30 years obviously serious xm direct tv comcast sports net you know podcasting has always been like a little side thing almost kind of almost annoying honestly i'd be blatantly honest with you but you know these are different times so i'm sitting here right now in my house uh i have been doing radio on serious x-m from my house for 20 years but you can't get more convenient and you know making connections with people virtually at the very least is is awesome so we i am going to start uh hitting up the old rolydex as best as i can and we should be getting some pretty damn cool guests this year from entertainment sports non football players maybe a couple of retired guys so yeah it's going to be it's going to be awesome well let's segue into what you do on a full-time

basis and that's kick ass projecting fantasy football stats folks if you don't know if you're over fantasy points.com the 2024 projections just dropped so i'm on the site right now and what we're going to do for the remainder of the show here let's just talk about some of the values some of the targets people that you've kind of highlighted through your process that we should maybe be thinking about as we're getting into the you know the dog days of summer and best ball drafts and oh by the way if you're playing on underdog, why aren't you using code fantasy PTS? It's going to get you a first time deposit that doubles and, and folks, use code fantasy PTSD PTS will give you a $5 subscription to fantasy points.com.

There is no better deal in the industry, John. I don't know how you like greenlit this, to be honest, but if I'm using code fantasy PTSD PTSD on underdog, they're going to double my first time deposit and I get a $5 subscription to fantasy points. It's insane. I'll tell a story quickly that I've told before and this is why we do things like this because way back probably well over 20 years ago my wife and I took a trip key west for you know four or five days and haven't been on many trips alone since by the way but we we started making conversation

with this guy at the bar one night and nice guy and all that turns out he's a lawyer whatever down there so he asked me what I did for living I told him And I said, oh, you know, he's in a fantasy. I'm like, oh, I'll hook you up with a subscription. He's like, oh, no, no, I'm like, dude, I'll hook you up. He's like, are you? I'm like, yeah, dude, it's fine. I'll give you a comp, you know.

Well, that guy ended up, I did comp him. He was appreciative. And I probably got $700 from him because he subscribed like the next 24 years. So we just want to get you in the door, check out the content, check it all out, get a feel for it. And you're like, yeah, this is going to be my future place to be. So we always like to start the quarterback position. It's kind of not what you need in fantasy football, but it's glamorous. That's what people want to talk about is the quarterback position, you know,

whether it's the NFL draft or free agency or you name it. So let's start right there. And your number one value on the board after doing your projections is one Jordan Love from the Green Bay Packers, ADP right now of QB9. He's going in the mid-80s. So he finished QB-5 last year. why do you have the arrow on the back of Mr. Love? Well, it's, boy, you want to talk about a nice, impressive ascension for Jordan Love.

It was really a sight to behold. It was very old school, in my opinion. It was very much like something you'd see in the 90s or the 80s and that you get a guy who, you know, sits for a long time. And, you know, that that was not that unusual back in the day. We all knew that there was some downside. I had heard some good things, though, about him from beat reporters off the record and others about how he had, like the light bulb went on finally. Because after 2021, that was not the case.

So that was when like, oh, oh, boy, this is a little scary. but I think one of the reasons they were able, not a surprise that they let Aaron Rogers out of the building because they had seen that progress from Jordan Love. You certainly hit a little bit of a rough patch there midseason, but down the stretch, this guy was absolutely elite, no question about it, very calm in the pocket. I thought he looked like Aaron Rogers a lot of the time, honestly.

Extremely talented, seemed to play really well within the timing, and the pace and the tempo of the offense. It is a good offense. Like I said, we all knew that it was a very young receiving core going into the year, like almost like criminal that they would ask a first year starter to break in basically an entirely new receiving core. And that was, you know, obviously on people's minds. But, you know, obviously he handled it all with 32 touchdown passes,

multiple touchdown passes and looks like like five of his last. or 10 of his last 11. Obviously, he carried it into the playoffs pretty well, especially that Dallas game. I mean, that's where it really kind of peaked, in my opinion. Only completed 20, only attempted 21 balls in that game. You're in Big D against, granted, a beatable defense, but also kind of be a pretty tough defense with pressure and the like.

Absolutely brilliant. 76% completion rate, 272-3, zero picks, perfect. 13 yards in attempt it was it was unbelievable so i'm not saying that this is going to totally carry over but i do believe it's completely for real he fits the profile that i like you're going to win from the pocket you're going to run when you need to and augment your fantasy production that way it's a lot healthier to not rely on your legs but to have them there is nice you know what he had four rushing touchdowns last year i don't know if we can count on four but i think think we can count on 50 attempts for, you know, 250 and two, three, four rushing touchdowns.

And I also think, given the strength of the receiving court in the debt, that I don't know how he doesn't get another 30 touchdowns if he plays 16, 17 games. Yeah, and if you're not going to run, we definitely need you to throw 30 plus touchdown. So the fact that he got those four rushing touchdowns is massive. And it leads me into the next quarterback I want to talk about, which is Patrick Mahomes, who didn't rush for any touchdowns in the regular season, which is, which is kind of odd. I think that's probably what led to his little slump, I guess we could call it, because he finished last year at QB8.

You've got him this year, John, at quarterback two overall. His ADP is quarterback four, but you'll look at the weapons now with worthy coming to town, Hollywood Brown. It's kind of insane when, you know, Patrick Mahomes is front and center in everyone's mind to say, oh, Patrick Mahomes is a value now, but he kind of is. You know what is insane? That Patrick Mahomes in Andy Reid led offense, granted without Tyree Kill, had seven yards in attempt.

That is criminal. His breakout season, he had 9.6. So he's getting two and a half more yards every time he dropped back to throw a ball. So I think that's what we're looking at here. I know defenses are keeping those two deep safeties back and all that to prevent the big play. And honestly, it started with Mahomes and Tyreek, I do believe. And they've adjusted well, but, you know, it's time to get the air yards going. And that was what the Hollywood Brown acquisition was all about.

Heck, even, you know, worthy, of course. And even the tight end they drafted here, Jared Wiley, who runs really, really well. So the infusion of speed, we'll see about Rishi Rice. Certainly if Rishi Rice is going to be suspended for four or five games, like more than three, I'd say, then, okay, maybe I had to reassess a little bit. But, you know, we're not relying on Rice to be a speed guy. Hollywood Brown, worthy, that should be enough right there. And, you know, they still have Justin Watson and some other guys here. So, you know, that's pretty much it.

we're going to get some regression positively on the ground because that has always been a part of his game. He had a touchdown in every year, basically every year. But that, I mean, he didn't have one in his first year, but he only had one start. Otherwise, the touchdown total is 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 4, 0. So we're getting 12 more points minimum, probably, you know, probably 18 more points. more points from him on the ground. So that'll help. But more importantly, more depth of receiver, more playmakers,

and it's all about explosives. And they're the opposite of explosive the last couple of years with guys like Juju Smith Schuster and all that. So that's what that thought process is. And I'm seeing it too and reacting. And I do think he's going to throw a lot more. You know, we'll see a lot more deep completions this year from Holmes. If you're playing best ball, you have to draft multiple.

of a position. In your season long league guys, if you haven't really gotten to best ball, you're playing season long, you might just draft one quarterback. So sometimes some of these lower end guys you're not thinking about. But in best ball, you've got to draft, you know, two, three, whatever, however you want to construct your team. John, I'd be remiss if I didn't mention your Minnesota Vikings and J.J. McCarthy because I know he's someone you want to target. And the offense that he walks into, day one, he's got an offensive-minded play call. our head coach, which in my mind puts him head and shoulders above some other folks because there's rookies that walk into situations and, you know, it's some defensive-minded crony head

coach and, you know, they're going to have a new playbook every year. We call those meatheads. Yeah. We call those guys meatheads, by the way, like these defensive-minded coaches, like, you know, I mean, Mike Zimmer. There's the biggest meat head out there. Oh, geez, yeah, whoopty-duty, meathead. but yeah, yeah, I'm feeling pretty good about J.J. McCarthy because, look, let's take a look at Nick Mullins.

You're like, who is Nick Mullins? Well, he was undrafted out of Southern Mississippi, and all he did, granted, he did throw to the other team eight times, which was a lot, 5% interception rate, 5% of time he threw a ball was picked. That's bad. But 67% completion rate and 8.8 yards an attempt, Nick Mullins. So, you know, I am assuming that J.J. McCarthy is, by the way, not going to be handed the job and probably not going to start for a couple of weeks. You know, that's my contention. But obviously he's going to take over at some point relatively soon because sample size Sam is the starter. And Sam Darnold, I call him that because, you know, there's always been, you know, not always, but in the past a year or two, a game. or two we're like oh wow he's he's not bad and then the sample size increases oh wait never mind he's he is bad so i think they'll uh not hand him the job but lean to him but he'll he'll relinquish it by like

week four i think to j j mccarthy and jefferson addison we do need hawkinson but by the way very good old line uh for blocking for the pass so yeah i'm i'm into it uh Aaron jones that's an upgrade in the backfield. Very good receiver, by the way, and more explosive. So, yeah, I like the situation. Not quite as good as Caleb Williams is, but also, McCarthy, it's not just the player, it's the cost. He's a lot more affordable, of course.

Caleb Williams right now is under 100 in terms of the ADP. And McCarthy is over 175. So that's part of the appeal, too. If you guys want John's full quarterback breakdown again, go over to FantasyPoint.com and sign up. check out the rankings. We'll give you a little smidge here, a little peek behind the curtain. Let's transition over to running back now. And he was your guy last year. He's your guy again this year. It's Rashad White down there in Tampa Bay. You have him projected at RB8. Currently, he's going

off the board. RB 14 on underdog around pick 53. Just seems like another screaming value. I mean, they didn't really do much in terms of competition. You have a diminutive player out of Oregon coming in their Bucky Irving that they drafted, but it looks like it's all Rashad all the time. It really is. And last year, I mean, the last thing I want to do, I've, I kind of made a little name for myself, I guess, by really having strong takes and strong backings of players way, way back, you know, and a lot of those hit because, I don't know, I was, people weren't as into it like I was I guess so you know now things have I've caught up here the last thing I want to do is have a guy who's quote unquote my guy and then over sell them over inflate them like I'm sure

people watching now are saying yeah well you do that all the time I know I do it's unavoidable I kept saying all summer that I literally tried with every fiber in my being to to depress, suppress Rashad's projection. I did. I really did. I gave him just bare minimum. And it still had him at RB20 and his ADP was RB28, which I thought that was far enough of a disparity to give people an edge.

So, you know, you don't have to go crazy with it. But yeah, obviously he crushed that. And I did the exact same thing this year. And once again, we're behind. So this is this is what it is. The guy's going to get 300 plus touches. He's proven very durable. Rashad told me last year he bulked up and you could see it.

Maybe he lost a little bit of juice, but he also told me that, you know, he worked with that in mind. You know, you want to get a little stronger and able to handle a bigger workload, but you don't want to lose juice. It was pretty good with that. I thought maybe he lost a little juice, but you notice he made it through a whole damn year. I mean, he got that crap beaten out of him. And he just came, keep coming back for more. You know, that's old school type, you know, very beloved in the building. Upgrade on the O line, by the way, with Graham Barton.

So you do have to block it up for him. They did not block it up for him at all. One of the worst in the league. Yet, where was he? As you mentioned, he still kicked ass. So I think the O line will be better. Yeah, they're going to spell him probably a little bit. bit more that's look they don't want to give them 360 carries and have them catch 70 balls so you know you

can't have every single touch in a backfield so probably chase edmonds is going to get a little bit i don't think much of bucky irving i i think he's a you know complimentary change up at best running against the light boxes there in that offense so yeah we're back we're back it's it's boring and it's seems too good to be true but you know last year was boring and it's too good to be true and he was arguably the second best value in fantasy draft last year behind probably Moster. Yeah, I mean, the guy finished at RB4. He got it done every week in the passing game. And that's what kicked ass.

You know, Baker's back there. He's dropping around, running around like a chick of his head cut off. And he's not afraid to check the ball down. You look at like I'm an Eagles fan. Everyone who listens knows that stuff. Jalen Hurts doesn't check the ball down. We'll see if they can impress that into his mind here. But with Saquan, but Baker's all about it.

He'll check it down. I mean, Jesus, the guy had 70 targets last year, John, Rashad White. So tremendous stuff. And he stayed healthy. Unlike the next player we're going to talk about, that was Jonathan Taylor. So Taylor, we know has all the talent in the world. We just need him to stay on the freaking football field. Same goes for his quarterback, Anthony Richardson.

You get these two guys together, John, running his own read behind a pretty good offensive line. I mean, Jonathan Taylor can put up massive numbers. in this offense because those linebackers when you're watching that RPO, you've got to respect Anthony Richardson. So for that split second, you've got to hold on that pump fake and that second

gives the crease that J.T. needs to get loose. Yeah, that split second too will probably open up some in-breaking opportunities for Michael Pittman too, like quick hitters. You know, the Titans used to do that with Derek Henry and AJ Brown.

You know, you get that linebacker to step down and all of a sudden now a j brown's running behind you on a shallow crosser and and taking it a long way um but yeah i probably cursed jonathan taylor two years ago when i now i said it for a couple years but before we think that this man is injury prone let's not forget that yeah he did have those problems but he was in a contract impasse there i thought he was a little bit of an outlier guy and i i said that i did a video about it i believe in on a our feed where I'm like, don't be surprised if this cat changes things a little bit. No, maybe he didn't move it that much, but, you know, he held out kind of, kind of,

but he got paid. So the point was, before these injury marred last two seasons, my man never missed a practice in his life. I'm talking Pop Warner. I'm talking high school. I'm talking college. Didn't miss a game, obviously. So he's got the DNA, I think, and great situation with everything you mentioned.

They had speed and AD Mitchell O-Line. Look how well Zach Moss did behind this O-Line. Like, Zach Moss was a freaking jag before he got to Indy. So it really is incredible how great it is to be Jonathan Taylor in this backfield in terms of opportunity with volume because they did nothing in the draft. I actually like Evan Hall, but he is a JAG. He is a day three guy, like third running back guy. So Taylor is going to get all the work he can handle in a good spot.

Not everybody's of value. Sometimes you've got to target a player at their market price. Okay. We're not getting the 99 cent value bin on every player we draft. That's just not the way it works. So when a player comes up, John, at market value, you've noted a few guys that you're willing to pull the trigger on. And one of those is Tajay Spears in Tennessee. Gone is Derek Henry.

In comes Tony Pollard. But it doesn't seem to bother you. You've around this kid last year, and you seem to think this year he can take that next step and really kind of lead us to some fantasy promise, Lannins. Man, he is just, he is so awesome. Unbelievable, dude. I really liked chopping it up with him when I did so in Indy.

I just liked what he said about just the, natural instincts that he has and you can see it you know like you know you mentioned jail and hurts earlier like one of the reasons jail and hurts is unbelievable running the rock like it's unstoppable you know like we haven't seen a guy like that do it you know running the ball normally they're like running away from you he doesn't necessarily do that you know it's his vision and the spatial awareness that it's just intuitive you he's really you're really reacting to color out there, you can't coach that. Either you have it or not.

And that's what Tajay is. He just has this intuitive feel for everything, you know, the pressure, the color, you know, everything happens so quickly to where like I'll never forget it. You know, he pretty much, as he was describing this to me, he's like, coaches tell me, ask me all the time, like, what were you thinking on this, on this place? play and he's like I can't answer anything because once the ball snap like it's all instinct and think you stink then yeah and then but then they found that they started going back to the film and every time his instinct was right he hit the right gap or you know what I mean so like he just

he just has this intangible quality uh that you know makes him spectacular I mean he's not a physical I mean, he's not the biggest guy. He tested pretty well, but I don't think it was incredible. But man, he is just so good. Contact balance, lateral agility, the ability to make a guy miss. You know, I just absolutely fell in love with this kid at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. And, you know, if you, I could not have pumped him up anymore last year. I mean, I really couldn't have.

And not like you went off or anything like that, but I feel completely. completely great about it all because anyone with the gift of sight, you know, you can just see that this dude is just appallor. I mean, he just got it. You know what I mean? And I don't know if Tony Pollard has it, by the way. Yeah, it's tough. I mean, I'm a guy who in a big time industry league at the King's Classic last year in Canton, Ohio.

I took Tony Pollard to first round at like pick 114. He did a whole lot of nothing for me. Thanks, Tony. So we'll see if he can bounce back this year. Well, we go from another guy. Real quick, real quick on Toddwood. Thanks to the fancy points of data suite, of course, which you can purchase here on the website. But among, let's see, 68 running backs with at least 68 attempts.

I'm sure you've gone through this to see how impressive he is. But let's take a look at explosive run percentage, fifth best in the league out of 68, miss tackles forced per attempt maybe not as great there but by the way their O line was awful it sucked he was still 28th out of 68 yards after contact per attempt 14th out of 68 yards before is going to be really bad but once again but still 25th so that's a rookie in a time share behind an awful O line that has been upgraded further here in the

draft. So the situation, and he's a very good receiver. I know Pollard is probably going to get the edge there, but Taj is a great receiver. So, I mean, he's going to be on the field on all three downs. I think they're going to use both guys at the same time, honestly. So what do we do normally when we have two guys who have

seemingly similar values? We go with the cheaper guy, and that's clearly Taj Spears. We got to get a good nickname for Tajay Spears. I know that's your wheelhouse John I don't know if it's you know you know the spears like a pickle he could be the the the little dill or some Britney Spears spin on that we need something we'll work on that in the off season here Taj Mahal we gotta get you the Taj you know I don't know we'll work on it yeah

yeah we'll workshop that if anybody out there's not by the way I I I chopped it up with Michael Pratt his old college quarterback and I'm just like how about that Taj Spears he's like oh forget about about it like when when other players gush i've learned when other players gush about players take note yeah players no players and one player that everybody was talking about when he switched teams is the former titan derrick henry you saw everybody come out oh my god derrick henry to the ravens now like that's just unfair we've got lamar jackson in the backfield he's like 111 pounds now if you read the news he's losing weight all off season but he's going to be handing off to this behemoth

in Derek Henry, how many touchdowns, because that's really all it comes down to with Derek Henry this year. How many touchdowns do you have projected for Derek Henry to score? And tell me he's going to score a half touchdown because that's your, you know, your claims of my family. Yeah, I love that.

Well, you know, we do project down a little bit. We're not, nobody projected CD of Lamb to catch 140 balls last year. Like everyone's projection on lamb we're like 35 to 45 off. But in 15 games, I have him with 11 touchdowns. So he's money. You know, speaking of the Fantasy Points Data Suite,

and I don't need this, but what I like to do is compare and contrast the data with my eyeballs. So it's very useful there. I think Derek Henry is, and those who follow me, no, I'm not usually not a Derek Henry guy. I think he still got something here. I think he does behind a bad old line. He was damn good out of 68 running backs with at least 50 carries.

Ninth in explosive run percentage. Mistackles force is probably bad. But oh, actually 21st. Yeah. I mean, all these data points plus my eyeball test, 11th in yards after contact, all these data points tell me that we are in fact still, we haven't converted to electric yet.

Okay. We still have gas in the 10. tank with Derek Henry. You know who else has gas in the tank? Zeke Elliott and you've got him listed as a guy who at value you'll take. You've got him listed right now is RB 32 overall. He's back to the Cowboys. I mean, this is a guy who last year went into a situation in New England. This team had no, no freaking talent on offense. None. It was Ramonre and when he's playing hokey pokey with the lineup, but they had nobody to throw a ball to ball to. And Zeke kind of showed out. And if you had Zeke on your team at the

the year maybe even in the playoffs you're plugging them in he found the fountain of youth here they've got nothing in dallas john it's a bunch of scrub there's like a five foot six like son of a coach uh on the team you got rico dowdell i mean what are we doing here with the cowboys they're they're asleep at the wheel but if zeke's there they can't throw it 800 times a cd lamb as much as they might try so you're gonna try might be the guy 100% yeah i mean i'm an agist i usually hate older boring players but i i certainly can't pass up on any opportunity whatsoever to get a great r oi and you know i thought last year zeke was going to be a problem for romandre i don't know if a lot of people had that opinion but i did because i thought he was very good in short yardage

by the way some of these guys like zeke elli like they're so damn good as short yardage they get so many short yardage carries that are designed to get three yards so the YPC didn't look all that great but also very good in pass protection and you know he did have a little bit of a fumbling issue there but yeah and it that that played out and I thought he look I gave Zique a lot of credit I've been saying this on CSXM for months even dating back to last year like he is you know we had that little rough spot there when he was 23 years old four years old, but now he's like this grizzled consummate professional who does his job and does it well. And that's exactly what it was for New England last year.

So I kind of jokingly reported for two months on Sirius XM. I have a little bit like I have no saying the matter, but I am reporting that Zeke Elliott is signed with the Cowboys. I did that like two months ago because once we got out of free agency basically, less than two maybe, I'm like, yeah, like we literally have no other option. So they're going to, that also tells us I think they're going to be a passing team because Zika is on his last legs. I'm not saying he's dynamic and everything, but he's going to get major high leverage touches

mostly goal line and targets. So I'm actually conservative. Like I had them higher than we have them here. Again, boring as hell, but winning at the end of the season, that's not boring. and I think he can help you there. We're going through John's 2024 projections over at FantasyPoints.com. We're making our way to the wide receiver position. And one of the values that jumps out is Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver George Pickens.

Now, Pickens last year played in this offense where you didn't have a quarterback. I mean, you're running out, you know, Kenny Pickett and Mason Rudolph. And he only had, John, 106 targets last year. I want to see him get that catch rate up over 60 this year, and we're going to get the touchdowns up only at five last year. But now, look, we've got professional quarterback play. We would assume with Russell Wilson and who knows if that doesn't work out Justin Fields. But gone is Deontay Johnson.

Now it's his show. We're going to run a professional offense in Pittsburgh. You've got him listed over at fantasy points at wide receiver 19. And, you know, you look at the ADP. he's going off the board at like wide receiver, it's 28. So why do you love picking so much, maybe for the things I just explained? But this just seems like an explosion waiting to happen.

Yeah, absolutely really does. And of course, Russ Wilson, as we know, what does he do well? He gets the ball downfield to athletic, big-ass receivers. I mean, you know, used to be Doug Baldwin, but obviously we've seen it with other guys, namely D.K. Metcalfe. I could see something kind of

similar to what we saw last year with Anthony Richardson peppering Michael Pittman with targets. Like I didn't think Pittman was going to be a great pick last year. And I've always been a big Pittman guy, you know, from the beginning. So I can see something very similar. So yeah, they're not going to throw it a lot. But I'm giving George, I don't have it in front of me what the target share I gave them. But it was good. It was hefty because again, I do like Roman Wilson, good dude, but there's not much else here, as you mentioned there.

And it's Russ. I mean, you know, it's just so perfect. You know, I mean, look what Cortland Sutton did. I can't stand Cortland Sutton. I never thought he was good, but I actually liked them last year. And it worked. Granted, your touchdown dependent, but it's just so perfect. I don't know how those personalities mesh because I've actually met and interviewed George Pickens.

He's bombastic, but, you know, he's passionate about it. I say that he kind of maybe he got a little close to losing it a little bit last year. He is a little volatile if you don't get him the rock here. But I think more often than not, he's just really competitive and very, very serious about being great. You know, his father is a big influence on him. So that's awesome. So, yeah, it's all happening here for it. By the way, the game developed a little bit last year.

I know it's a new coordinator with Arthur Smith. but Arthur Smith did great things with A.J. Brown working off that running game and Derek Henry, as we mentioned. So I can see some of those inbreakers, quick hitters and all that. But of course, bombs away. Scramble drill time. Oh, baby. It's all George all the time. Just talking about nobody else to throw to. Let's go down to Arizona where Marvin Harrison Jr. now resides. John, he's coming off the board at the damn near end of the first round in some underdog drafts. with the latest data that we have. He's going to be a first round pick. It seems, you know, coming into the fantasy season. Can we count on this rookie in who knows what kind of offense, you know, that no defensive-minded guy out there?

You got Kyler Murray back, healthy. He's going to start the season, full off-season program this year. They're going to be able to connect. You know, it's McBride, it's Harrison. Can he pay off this first round value? Oh, yeah. I absolutely think he can. They do have Drew Petsing running the offense and West Coast guy.

And, you know, it was good. You know, it was solid last year. The vibes were pretty darn good, all things considered. I actually had no problem, by the way, with Harrison as it related to Trey McBride. I actually like it because I think it's just healthy. You have one, a true alpha who's going to dictate coverage, command double teams that times probably help out uh tray mcbride but otherwise yeah i mean tray mcbride therefore conversely can i think assist marvin harrison as well he's going to command some attention here so i think it's um pretty

healthy yeah and he's an absolute baller um i mean i've been doing this so long this is uh you know starting to come to fruition more often where i literally was in this business when the dude's dad was a rookie and I was high on Marvin Harrison. You know what I hated that year, by the way? Kishon. Kishan. Hated Kishan. I was Terry Glenn and Marvin Harrison.

And I haven't changed because I'm a separatist. Kishon Johnson's a non-separatist. So I thought it was absurd that, by the way, that he was going to go in the first round. So yeah, I did love me some Marvin Harrison. You probably saw I'm playing at Syracuse with Donovan McNabb for those four years or three years, right? season ticket holder. I saw a lot of Marvin Harrison. He was fantastic.

And I was shocked to see that his son didn't want to come play for Syracuse and win like six games in his college career. But, you know, I think he made the right decision going to Ohio State. He's more talented. He's more talented, his son. Big dude, man, he's big. That's the kind of guy. Like when I see him in rookie drafts and I see people kind of going, yeah, I might take this guy. No, take Marvin Harrison.

Marvin Harrison is going to be a stud in the NFL. And if I could get him, I was trying everything in rookie drafts to trade up to the 101 to get my hands on him because he's going to be an impact player day one. The ADP reflects that that people are taking him in the first round. I'm in, baby. I'm all in. You know what I like real quick? You know what I like a lot about it too? I love the nepotism stuff.

I love these kids who have grown up with their fathers in the NFL and, you know, they get a taste of it, but they get great advice. They're just well equipped. Marvin Sr. was amazing in terms of the work ethic with Paid Manning. You know, the repetition, rep after rep after rep. Like there's a reason Marvin Harrison was great. You know, he had all the physical tools, you know, without maybe size. But it was the reps, the work. And I'm sure that was instilled in his son.

So I don't feel worried about Marvin Harrison Jr. Ever slacking off honestly because look at his pops. I mean, your dad's in a Hall of Fame who never seen. select off, not even close. So you better be on your best behavior if you're the kid. I would. Let's move over to a target at market value here. And this is a guy who with all the competition he's going to face for targets and the

fact that he didn't play the last, what, six games of the regular season last year or whatever, five, six games. Christian Watson of the Green Bay Packers. So I think when you get to home leagues, people start to forget about these guys. oh, he's injury prone, he doesn't play, blah, blah, blah. But you seem to think there's a buying opportunity on Watson who's just uber talented. I mean, we just got to get you on the damn field, kid, like we did in the playoffs.

Yeah, this is probably a weak example, but one thing that stands out to me a little bit is just archetype, a body. You know, last year at this time, we didn't necessarily know, like, who would be the man in Houston. like it was a little confusing because a lot of the guys that they had in the mix were interchangeable like tank dell and robert woods and john mecci and noah brown like a lot of these are inside outside guys i thought as the season was progressing oh wow nico collins yeah he's your prototypical one you know your x or whatever but you know he just stood out to me his body type

archetype like that's the guy that you got to get the ball to you know because he's so big and imposing. I mean, there's a little bit of that going on here with Watson, but, you know, more often than not, it's just, A, I think people, for all the reasons you outlined, are going to let him pass a little bit and maybe forget about him a little bit. But I just think he kind of commands the ball here in that it's all about explosive plays. And he is their most explosive receiver. They don't have a guy like that. I mean, I saw him practice for four days in person, Watson. I mean, the guy is a gazelle out there for as big as he is. So I just think, you know, he commands a ball that way.

And Jordan Love has a rocket. I mean, Jordan Love is really well equipped to get him the ball down the field. So, you know, we get past those injury issues. Yeah, he's not going to be a high volume guy. But it's pretty impressive when the guy averages 15 yards of catch. And everyone acted like he's a complete bum last year. I mean, he was it 15 yards of catch with five touchdown. So all we need is availability.

Catch rate wasn't great. But with him and Pickens, by the way, they're similar. I can live with a 58, 59% catch rate if we're averaging 18 yards of catch. Yeah, me too. Let's just get on the field and stay on the field. But in two, Brian, like, real quick, let's just look at guys, like, just physical ability. When I really scroll through, like, in terms of like a guy who hasn't done it already. When we're looking at breakout players based on their physical abilities, can they run away from NFL DBs, can they high point the ball over them, can they handle all the contested catches?

I think Christian Watson, let's exclude the rookies like Marvin Harrison, is the biggest upside of all of them. I mean, he's super talented. I mean, who else is, if everything goes well for him, who else has a better breakout potential? and more upside. I don't understand. It might be maybe not a ton of upside, but more big play potential and just just sexiness,

basically, just oozing like upside, garrificness. I love that. The guy that everybody was, you know, oozing machismo, shout out, Razor Ramon,

you know, years ago when he first came out, it seems like we're still waiting for this breakout, John, but he's going to do it this year. It's Kyle Pitts at the tight end position. So this has got to be the year right.

It's got to be the freaking year Kyle Pitts comes through with Kirkie, right? We can take them and we can know that, you know, he's going to come through for us. Please, Kyle Pitts, please come through. Well, there's a couple things that we don't know exactly about. Like last year, maybe he, I don't know, didn't work quite as hard as he could have to return from that injury because it did still seem to kind of limit him. So we'll keep an eye on that, a real close eye on that. I'll text, I'll reach out to my guy Roddy White after he spent some time there in Cam. I'll get the skinny.

We also don't know how well Zach Robinson will do as their play caller. But if those two things go well, and again, Sean McVeigh, coaching tree, Shanahan, that is the tree. That is the tree of life right now in the NFL. They all, they're all good. And most of the other guys, not from that tree, stink now in the, NFL. So I think we could take a leap of faith there because otherwise what we know is he is going from literally the worst situation from an offensive coaching perspective and quarterback to potentially

one of the best. And again, we don't know about Zach Robinson, but we do know that Kirk Cousins, I mean, it's a joke to compare Kirk Cousins' ability to get the ball to a guy like Pitts in the middle of the field to Carcass Mariota or Des Ritter. So, you know, They have a nice group of targets. It's nice. You got Bijan. It's nice and balanced. Moody will be like a lid lifter.

London's going to be all over the place. But pits should make some serious plays in the middle of the field, line them up outside. You know, there's definitely some things that can go wrong. But I would have to believe, and again, I was wrong to back them last year. But I would have to believe that the pitfalls, the downside is baked into the ADP. which remains, I don't say, dirt cheap or like a steel, but it's, I'm buying, I'm buying at 60. We'll get to a dirt cheap guy that I love in a second. But in fantasy football, it's always been the thought like, this year, it's the tight end year,

like tight ends deep. And then all of a sudden, you know, six weeks into the season, it's a total wasteland. You're starting any scrub you can find with a pulse that's going to catch three balls. last year in PPR, we had 11 tight ends, John, average over 10 points per game in a PPR. That's incredible. So one of those guys was, I lovingly call him Terd Ferguson, Jake Ferguson down in Dallas. Now, so we've got a team with a billion targets going to CD Lamb. I think Jake Ferguson's kind of going to be the second option here.

I love your call on targeting him at market. I think last year he finished his tight end 11. I think he's going to finish in the top six or seven this year. I absolutely think that that could absolutely happen. If you've heard me on Sirius, I've been pumping up Jake Ferguson from actually day one when I watched him at the senior bowl and I wasn't sexy, but I liked it.

Then I set up a little interview with him in Indy and a great dude, place fantasy, grandson of Barry. I thought that was impressive. Barry Alvarez is his grandfather. And like, no entitlement whatsoever. I mean, he was a star player at Wisconsin Barrett, Alvarez is a legend there. So I thought that was cool.

But most importantly, as we've seen here with Dak Prescott, but yeah, you know, they did lose the wide receiver of Michael Gallup. And I don't know if Tolbert is up for that. You know, Cooks, too, is a year older. And perhaps most importantly, Dak Prescott, I've said this from the beginning with Dak when I used to refer to Jason Witten as his blankie. I think when we really look at it, like we're speculating a little bit, but DAC is not a great processor. He's kind of like a see-it-and-throw-it guy.

And I think that's probably the main reason why he tends to kind of keep his eyes in the middle of the field looking for that little blankie, that security blanket, open the career with Jason Witten being just that high volume. I remember one year everyone was out on Witton. I'm like, no, man, I think he's going to get a boatload of targets. He did. And then, yeah, I was even worried about Luke Schoonmaker because, hey, we can't ignore the fact that was he a second round pick. But, yeah, he's not that great. And Ferguson has been money in the bank.

He is very smart and very reliable and athletic enough to be a difference maker with high volume. So I think that's what's forthcoming. So, yeah, I'm with you all the way on that. We talked to Jeff Schaefer earlier in the pod about teams we think that could break out. And I mentioned the New York Jets. And Tyler Conklin is the tight end for the Jets this year. And maybe people didn't even realize that. But did you guys know over the last three years, just five tight ends have seen 80 or more targets per year?

They are Travis Kelsey, George Kittle, T.J. Hawkinson, Dalton Schultz, and Tyler Conklin. It's like a handoff. doing off. Yeah. I mean, he's coming with Aaron Rogers, who's now healthy, who has made total scrubs into very viable tight ends for fantasy. I think if you're looking at, you know, a second tight end in best ball or geez, maybe even third, who knows, or a backup tight end for your season long team, whenever you start drafting those, I love putting Tyler Conklin on the list. I think he's going to have a top 10 season. And I don't want to curse it, but I mean, low key, it's, he's kind of like one of my favorite picks of the year right here.

at 180. I know that sounds absurd, but how about this consistency? Well, number one, 87 targets, even on the head, three years in a row. I mean, bravo, good for you. Like, if you get 87 targets this year, four years in a row, put them in the hall. But very consistent. 61 for 593, 58 for 552, three touchdowns, both of those years, 2021 and 22. And then, by the way, also two different teams the 2021 was Minnesota then last year 61 targets 621 10 yards of catch which was better than the first two years the last two years didn't score touchdown but uh Paul Kelly and I joke on the radio all the time because he does props on the website where like money in the bank the Tyler Conklin over two and a half catch prop absolute lock city uh every week I mean

It was, I think I was like nine and two on that for the year. But more importantly, they love him. All their people, like analytic people, as our guy, Adam Kaplan has told us. He told me this the summer 2022. He's like, oh, I talked someone with the Jets. Their analytic people love freaking Tyler Conklin. They love him. And they were right to love him.

He's done pretty well. Well, I think Aaron Rogers was loving him last year before the, you know, before we got debacle, there on Monday night football but they did not add anyone else. I was my call. I had them going Rome with Dunezay and passing on Brock Bowers because, well, because they could have used another receiver, but also because of Conklin. So he's good to go. And I don't think we can rely truly on anyone else other than Garrett Wilson.

And I think Conklin, to me, is second on a list for Aaron Rogers. Now, Mike Williams may ball out and do well, but I'm factoring in his availability problems. So when we look at it, here's what I'll say. If Aaron Rogers plays 14, 15 games and Tyler Conklin plays 14, 15 games, I guarantee it. Tyler Conklin will be a top 12 tight end in fantasy, a tight end one this year. Hot take. I love it. Put it on the board, folks.

Well, that's a great way to end it right there. What a fantastic opening show for the Fantasy Points podcast. Thanks so much again to Jeff Schaefer for joining us here on the pod. John and I'll be here throughout the summer and the NFL season. You can find me on the old Twitter machine at Drake Fantasy. John is, of course, at Fantasy underscore Guru. So folks, take a deep breath. This was a long one.

Buckle up. Fantasy football season is here, John. Thanks for hanging and banging with us. Enjoy the rest of your week here from Fantasy Points. For John, I'm Drake. We'll see you guys. Take care.