Fantasy Football Daily - Washington Commanders with Ben Standig | 2023 Franchise Focus Podcast

Episode Date: July 12, 2023

The sale of the Commanders' franchise is imminent but not yet complete. So is coach Ron Rivera in a lame-duck season while we wait for the Josh Harris era to begin in Washington? Ben Standig (@BenStandig) of @TheAthletic joins Joe Dolan (@FG_Dolan) to discuss Sam Howell, Brian Robinson, and the 2023 Washington Commanders from every fantasy football angle. Want to join a high-stakes dynasty league -- or any other high-stakes league? All new FFPC users get $25 off their first FFPC league of $35 or more, including dynasty orphans, using our affiliate link: ⁠https://myffpc.com/cms/public?affid=fantasypoints⁠ ⁠FANTASY POINTS PROJECTIONS ARE LIVE⁠ FOR ALL STANDARD AND PREMIUM SUBSCRIBERS! Interested in playing Best Ball in 2023? There's no better place than Underdog Fantasy. ⁠Use our code FANTASYPTS⁠ to sign up for a new account at Underdog, and not only will you get a 100% deposit match up to $100... but you'll get a Fantasy Points Standard subscription for only $5! ⁠https://www.fantasypoints.com/underdog --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/fantasy-points-podcast/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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from numbers to the film room, with a single goal to help you score more fantasy points. I'm your host, Joe Dullen, the Fantasy Points Podcast Network, and this is the franchise focus podcast series, the entire AFC. should be in your feed if you haven't listened already. If you have listened, I hope you've taken away some actionable bites of information. I hope the beat writers you were introduced to now end up on your Twitter feed or threads feed or whatever the dominant social media app is going to be eventually. And I hope that you've filed away some of the sleepers that everybody has been given to you.

So 16 teams down. And if you're listening to this, I'm kicking off the NFC East. We should be done with the franchise focus podcast series in just a couple of weeks. I have a bunch of them still scheduled that I haven't recorded. I have a bunch recorded that I haven't published yet. It's been an undertaking, but the AFC is done and dusted. The NFC is next. So here is the NFC East on the franchise focus podcast series.

We welcome back Ben Standig to the Franchise Focus podcast talking Washington commanders. You can follow him on Twitter at Ben Standig, not that stand dig, not Stan dig. I had to make sure my graphic guy knew that so we could get his name up here nice and nice and bright. It covers the commanders and the NFL for the athletic. Multiple radio shows. This guy's an authority on the commanders as you guys are about to learn. Ben, welcome to the podcast. It's great talking to you.

I had you on the Fantasy Feast podcast with Ross Tucker as well. So it's good to return the favor for you. Yeah, Joe, I appreciate the time as always. Thanks a lot. So the commanders are kind of, I guess you would say they're in a. a little bit of a transition. I think would it be fair to characterize Ron Rivera as being on the hot seat with the ownership transition? I don't want to call it a lame duck year, but what's kind of the vibe overall with the franchise right now? Yeah, it's not a lame duck year, but at the same

point, right, you said, we don't know what the new owner's hopes and dreams are with this team. Josh Harris, who is the current owner of the Philadelphia 76ers and the New Jersey Devils, surely has thoughts. He's not coming in this as an owner-novice, but at the same point, he's not owned an NFL team, and we don't know what he thinks. And look, the commanders are in a weird spot. It's not like the teams have been bad under Ron Rivera. They just haven't been really good. They haven't had a winning record yet, but they've been basically 500 pretty much all three years. They're going with an incredibly inexperienced quarterback in Sam Howell.

Is Sam Hal the fifth round pick they took last year? Or is he the guy who, as a sophomore in North Carolina, was viewed as a first round pick? And, you know, for a variety of reasons, his stock dropped. It is really interesting. Let's not forget Eric B. Enemy, coming in as the offensive coordinator, if you want to believe that Eric Biener is just going to bring what he did with the chiefs here, cool, but if you think that Andy Reid was the architect and the enemy was there kind of to a certain extent, I know he contributed, but you know, he wasn't leading the way. Well, then you're going to

have a view. So it is a lot of uncertainty in the air. And that's what makes it very intriguing and also, honestly, a little unsettling when I'm trying to analyze what's going to happen here. So you mentioned Sam Hal. Jacoby Preset's here. Jacoby Percette, arguably the best backup quarterback in the NFL. We saw what he didn't. He outplayed Sean Watson last year. for multiple reasons. Is there a quarterback competition here, or is this, Hal would have to fall flat on his face to lose this job? So I think there's loosely a quarterback competition. That's certainly the way Ron Rivera is framing it.

And I maintain that I think there is a world where Jacoby Brissette ends up as the week one starter. That said, it would basically have to mean that Sam Hal flubbed his opportunity in training camp. I think if you're drafting later in fantasy, the command. Manders have the joint practice for the first time under Rivera at Baltimore, mid-August. I kind of feel like that's going to be a moment in time where we really will know whether Sam Howell keeps that job because obviously you're facing a different team and all these things. Plus, they play each other in the preseason a few days later. So I think, I don't think Brissette can win the job. I think Hal could lose it.

They're going to do what they can to have that not take place. And he definitely has the more potential because he's the younger. guy and all that. So that's what their hope is. But yeah, I don't, I'm not really percent out, but Hal's going to have to stub his toes significantly, I think, in training camp for that to happen. What did you see from Sam Hal last year? Well, I mean, last year, obviously it was, you know, as much about preseason and practices as it was the one game against Dallas. But look, I think we saw that game against Dallas and at other points, what teams liked about him at in college. He's got a big arm. Like,

There are a lot of Taylor Heineckee comparisons here with Howe. They're not the biggest guy. They're both pretty mobile. They both have a lot of that grit at that position. But Howe's got a much bigger arm. He also is a little sturdier built. And even though He was mobile, he didn't really take off and be aggressive with his legs. I think Hal will be that guy.

I'm not saying he's going to turn into Lamar Jackson or anything. But I do think he's got that sort of RPO game and that mentality to go up the field. So, like, I think, you know, and again, in the arm strength as well, they also, what they've talked about, the staff has talked about is that, look, he's a young guy who's going to make mistakes, but he self-corrects himself at a pretty high level according to them. So, like, there's definitely some potential there for sure. And, you know, I think the ball will be coming out a lot hotter than it did last year. And also more accurate. Like Carson Wentz had a big arm. we just didn't always know where the ball was going.

And I think the house a more accurate thrower, but he's still going to have to go through those growing pains that almost every young quarterback does. Ron Rivera, we know his background. Eric B. Enemy, obviously, is a former running back. You come from the Chiefs, the Chiefs are throwing the ball all over the yard. They have Patrick Mahomes. The commanders are pretty deep at running back.

I mean, there's Antonio Gibson, good receiving back. Ryan Robinson's the guy I'm really interested by because, look, there's studies out there how long it takes a guy to get to 100% from an ACL. There's studies, how long a guy takes to get 100% from an Achilles. I don't know if there's any studies how long it takes the guy to get to 100% after being shot in the preseason. And I think his resilience was remarkable, but is there a reasonable expectation and do the commanders expect that Brian Robinson's going to be a better version of himself in 2023? Yeah, I think that's all right. I mean, he was looking really good.

I thought in preseason and in training camp. I mean, Antonio Gibson's fumbling concerns, though they faded away during the season, I think combined with Robinson's showcase during the summer, led him to being elevated to number one at running back before the gunshot situation. He came back after missing only the four games required for, you know, for being placed on the list that he was placed on. And I thought all at all, he was pretty good. He's decisive at the line of scrimmage.

One issue they had with Gibson is as much of a playmaker as he can be, he just did not a tech goes north-south enough for their liking when opportunities were there. Robinson did that. I think his yards per carry wasn't helped by the fact that the quarterback play was very inconsistent and their offensive line was really kind of a mess at times. I don't know that the offensive line has improved dramatically and we just discussed what Hal can do, or the questions with Hal. But I do think Robinson, to me, is a pretty intriguing guy.

combined with Gibson, who I actually think could be better served playing in this B enemy offense than he was before. So I think it could be a pretty good combo, but you're right. I'm fascinated to see what Brian Robinson does, you know, a year removed from being shot, which is obviously, like you said, there's no, it's hard to find any precedent for what he's going through. And the commander's always, this happens every year. If you get a young running back who doesn't catch a ton of passes, everybody's,

talks about, oh, we want to get them more involved in the passing game. Do you think that's like kind of blowing smoke, given that, you know, Antonio Gibson, who's a former wide receiver, or could we see Brian Robinson do more as a receiver? I think we could. You know, we're still learning what the BNME system is going to be exactly what kind of place is he going to go to. But I think one advantage is when you have multiple running backs who can run and catch, it puts the defense on their hills. You don't want Robinson in there. And then the defense realizing, oh, okay, this is a run play, right? So I think they do want to diversify that. I think the fact that J.D. McKissick was released. He's been heard the last couple years,

but there's no more hoping he's the guy, and then Gibson is sort of this hybrid. I think Gibson is now that third down, change of pace, pass catching back, but he's big enough to run. And Robinson does have some pass catching skills. So I think Gibson is going to be the main. target, but I think I do think Robinson could get more. What does more mean? I don't know how to put a numeric value on that, but I do think he should be more involved in the passing game. Fantasy players are always looking for that next sleeper at the running back position, a guy who might make an impact with some opportunity. And he was getting a little bit of buzz in OTAs. That was sixth round rookie running back Chris Rodriguez out

of Kentucky. What did you see from him in OTAs in mini camps? And is it reasonable to expect that he could potentially carve out a role here? Yeah, they definitely like him. I talked to a couple of people outside of the organization who thought he was a kind of a steal for them in the sixth round. Obviously, running back value as we know, is not what it was. And that

reflects in second contracts as well as draft status. So I think people think that he could have gone higher. He is last year when Robinson was out, their running game really suffered. And Ron Rivera later said that part of the issue was they didn't

feel they had somebody else like Robinson. that to get those tough yards to run between the tackles consistently. I think Rodriguez gives them that value. I don't know that he's a direct handcuff for Robinson because of the fact that Gibson is there. And I don't know how much of a role he's going to get because of the fact that you have those two running backs. Curtis Samuel does get some touches at times out of the backfield, or at least he did under the previous offensive coordinator, Scott Turner. But I think Rodriguez is certainly an interesting guy to watch. and it wouldn't stun me if at some point he does become,

maybe it's not a true three-headed RV committee, but it wouldn't stun me if there are stretches where he does get more involved, especially obviously if one of these two guys gets hurt. How do you think John Dotson and Terry McLaren compliment each other after what you saw last year? I like them both a lot. I mean, there are some similarities to an extent in that either one of them is the tallest guy, Dodson's a bit shorter than McClorn is about six foot.

You know, they both have a really good speed. McClorin is more the burner, but Dodson is more of the route runner. They're both, though, pretty precise with what they do, and they both have pretty good attitudes as far as, like, there's no diva situation here in this wide receiver room, which, you know, can be, you know, you may have heard that's a bit of a bit of a thing that happens in some spots. Every now and then. So, yeah, I think that, look, Dodson led the team in touchdowns last year.

I think his receptions total was rather low. But, again, one, he missed a few games because of an injury. And then two, again, the quarterback situation, not ideal here. But I think that's a pretty good combo. Obviously, Curtis Samuel is in the mix as well. But McLaurin is the X and Dodson often in the slot or being moved around. I don't think it's bad. I wish they had one of their top three receivers.

had some size for those red zone targets or things like that. But other than that, I think McClorna Dotson is a pretty nice combination. And I think they can be pretty exciting to help the young quarterback. We see when Eric B. Enemy and Andy Reid did with guys like Cadarius Tony, guys like Nicole Hardman in their time with Kansas City. Do you think it's reasonable to expect that some of those same things will be drawn up for Curtis Samuel, who's a versatile player?

I think logically, right? I mean, I do think that makes sense. I think this is where also Antonio Gibson is potentially more intriguing in this offense for those exact reasons. I thought that Gibson was such an interesting playmaker coming out of college, and they turned him, it turned him more into a traditional back, and I don't know if that's where his strengths are. And Samuel, who was a former running back earlier in his football life, you know, he could do some of those things out of the backfield. he obviously can catch passes and he gives you that sort of immediate playmaker type ability. So yeah, I do think Samuel could be interesting.

I'll also just throw in here, Diami Brown, you know, their third round pick in 2021. He's really not done much so far in the pros, but he has the ability. He has the speed. And again, this is where I am curious to see how Eric B. Enemy deploys him as, you know, one of these sort of, you know, random burners who, you know, can make plays out of nowhere. but I don't think he'll be consistent enough because of the other three receivers. But yeah, I do think Curtis Samuel should be a really fascinating watching the system along with Gibson. We fall into the trap when we get these new offensive coordinators and you want to put people into roles.

And obviously, Eric Vienemy had Travis Kelsey in Kansas City. Travis Kelsey might be the best tight end to ever play the game. But Logan Thomas, there was a point a couple of years ago when it looked like he was going to be the next great. like athlete guy to convert to tight end to become really productive and then injuries hit. He's now 32 years old, but he's still on this roster. What kind of expectations do you have for Logan Thomas in this offense? Can he get back to the 70 catch mark that he hit in 2020? It's a great question.

Yeah. So he has multiple injuries in 2021, including an ACL tear late in that season. While he did play basically all of last year, you could tell he was rather rusty. And it made me think, to be honest, that he might be a cab casually after this season. They, they know saw a guy who was rounding in the form late in the year. They still believe that he can get it done. And they were really enthusiastic with what he was able to show physically, athletically, in training camp.

Again, I think this is where the Sam Howe part of this, you know, it feels like young quarterbacks tend to gravitate towards tight ends. And Eric Bionemi has said, hey, this is very much a tight end friendly offense. And so I do think that's a possible fantasy. I mean, I guess the thing with fantasy right is, and I have not studied, this is where your world is, your world is. But like, you know, it's typically like, you know, five or six guys. And then after that it's sort of a grab bag and you're just sort of trying to figure it out. Maybe he's in the lower end of that grab bag.

But I do think that between the fact that the enemy's system and the young quarterback and him being over a year removed now from that ACL could very much put Logan Thomas back, at least as a, spot starter or, you know, WaverWire pickup at some time. But I think he could be interesting, yeah. You nailed that WaverWire pickup because his underdog best ball ADP is what is tight end 34 right now. So essentially he's not being drafted. Right. So that's a pretty low ADP, but potentially could be impactful down the line.

Now, but I've been wrapping up these podcasts by asking all of my guests, a potential low-end player on the commanders who you wouldn't be shocked if they emerges to put up some numbers in the offense this year from a fantasy perspective. Who do you have in mind for that for Washington? Yeah, I'll stay with the tight end room and go with Cole Turner. He was their fifth round pick last year out of Nevada. He's 6-6, former receiver in college who shifted to tight end later in his college days. He was one of the absolute stars of their early offseason a year ago.

They talk about catch radius a lot. I think that may have had to do with Carson Wentz's inability to throw it accurately. But, okay, they talked about catch radius a ton last year. Cole Turner represented that. The problem is he tore his hamstring really early in training camp, never fully recovered. He played 10 games, but only ended up catching two passes. We get back to the offseason program this year.

He's once again looked pretty strong. And because we just talked about Logan Thomas, I mean, it's not like Logan Thomas, whatever he's going to be, it's not like there's a high ceiling there. And the other main tight end, John Bates, is more of a blocker. I think Cole Turner, if he can get through training camp helping and continue to develop, I think he could be that sneaky, not just red zone target, but all field target for them, considering his size, his quickness.

I think he's interesting. Again, it's not somebody necessarily to draft unless things really escalate in camp in the preseason. But I do think, I think they're kind of hoping that he really becomes the next thing for them. And I think he's got a chance. File that name away in your mind palace. His name is Ben Standing. You should file his away in your mind palace as well. At Ben Standing on Twitter.

He covers the commanders in the NFL for the athletic. Does a wonderful job. Ben, thanks for joining me on the podcast. It was great to sit down and chat Washington with you. Wish I could have not got a Clemson comment for you. But Joe, I appreciate the time all the same. Yeah, for those of you listening,

I have a Clemson hat on right now. Thanks everybody for listening to this edition to the Franchise Focus podcast. We just wrapped up the NFC East and we'll be kicking off the NFC North very shortly. Thanks, everybody. Talk to you soon. Thanks for tuning in to this edition of the Fantasy Points podcast. Remember to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite platform.

And come join the roster at FantasyPoint.com.