Fantasy Footballers - Fantasy Football Podcast - The TRUTH: Top 10 Fantasy WRs + Big Love - Fantasy Football Podcast for 2/1

Episode Date: February 1, 2024

The TRUTH is scary sometimes… On today’s fantasy football podcast, a close look at the top 10 wide receivers from the 2023 season! Which final stat lines are the most deceiving? Consistency scores, boom/bust percentages, and tons more! Plus, find out how Stefon Diggs had a record breaking season in the history of the TRUTH series! Manage your redraft, keeper, and dynasty fantasy football teams with the #1 fantasy football podcast. -- Fantasy Football Podcast for February 1st, 2024. Connect with the show: Subscribe on YouTube Visit us on the Web Support the Show Follow on Twitter Follow on Instagram Join our Discord Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by McDonald's. Monopoly is back at McDonald's, everybody. This is an alert. It's time to get back to Mickey D's. Monopoly Double Play is back at McDonald's, and it's easy to get into the win. First, you peel on pack, and then again in the app. There are millions of prizes to be won,

including a new chance to win cash every minute in the app. Get into the game with Monopoly Double Play at McDonald's. While supplies last, one in five chances to win game piece prizes at outset, chances to win Double Play prizes based on time of code entry, and draw prizes based on number of entries in each draw. See rules in the app. Get a credit card annual fee waiver and earn C-plus points faster with the Scotiabank Ultimate Package and bank more entertainment. Learn more at scotiabank.com slash banking packages. Conditions apply. Scotiabank. You're richer than you think. Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright.

Welcome in. You didn't like it. It caught me off guard. What caught me off guard is that you've migrated from your Minnesota gear. You're wearing another baseball sweatshirt. What? Baseball stuff. It's the hometown team.

It's my Diamondbacks, Jay. That's his Diamondbacks. Baseball. Sports. it's my diamondbacks jay that's his diamondbacks baseball sports see the difference between you and i jason and and some others is that i got room to love a lot of things and you don't have as much room you you my love is too big and too strong to be spread out and weakened and diluted across all these sports you don't have enough love We both have the same amount of love. I just pour mine into something, and you're like, you get a little love, and you get a little love. Little love. Okay.

All right. That's why I'm going to start calling you little love. Little love. I don't love football. I'm big love. Huh. Wasn't that an HBO show? Yeah, it was.

It was. Polygamy. Yeah. Yeah, with Paxton. Yeah. Shoot. Big love. Well, that's who you are now, Jay.

All right. Yeah. I mean, but the irony of that is that I'm the polygamist in this situation because I like all sports. I'm married to all of them. And you just have one. You're monogamous. Big love. With football.

With football. Yeah. Well, thanks foramous. Bigler. With football. Yeah, well, thanks for listening. Goodbye. Welcome in one and all, Judge Giamatti in the house. How you doing? Excellent. Thanks for asking. That's good. We've got Papa Josh. Hello. Still not

the League of Record champion. And then Al Borland hiding over there in the corner. That's me. We've got a truth episode for you today. At least I think we do, right? We do. We're talking truth of quarter wide receivers. Wide receivers.

This is part one of the wide receivers from the 2023 season. And there are some real fascinating things. I feel like going through the data, I learned quite a bunch. So I hope you do as well. Jason does put together some uh some of the numbers back behind these episodes and he does this next to me in our office and you know it's going to be a good show when you hear him just out of nowhere like he's plugged in like he's got ear pods in and stuff and he's working but then you hear him just go oh or or he'll just be like what so i mean i i'll tease here stefan diggs

stefan diggs has uh you reacted the largest gap between first half and second half of all time in our data even more than that one adam feeling here you remember that that feeling me yeah so we'll get into it. Truth of the wide receiver position today, 10 days away from the big game, as they call it. The big game preparation, I think, is what you mean. Which the UDK will be available in 10 days for pre-sale, which means immediate access to the Dynasty Pass,

where our team is hard at work preparing the rookie class overviews and our rookie rankings, and there's a lot to go over. Yeah, absolutely. They are crushing. We are starting our journey as well with these prospects. So if you play Dynasty, or even if you don't play Dynasty, this is still really good information to get ahead of the crowd in. But, I mean, if you love Dynasty,

the UDK Plus gives you that. The Dynasty Pass has three versions, so to speak. One that comes out immediately, and then there's another update after the Combine, and then a final update after the NFL Draft a final update after the NFL draft because so many things changed throughout then.

But it is jam-packed full of content. If you're looking for some fun football research stuff, it's going to be available very soon. And we do have a – speaking of the rookie class, there was an overview episode of the Dynasty podcast that Mike and Kyle and uh bets were on this week so you can check that out the fantasy footballers dynasty podcast is a separate uh podcast runs all year long and focuses on dynasty the rookie class dynasty startups all of that

good stuff i'm sure they're going to tell me i have a perfect team with Raheem Mostert and Mike Evans and Keenan Allen. Yeah. Just. It's on its way up. Yeah. I mean, think of the discounts that your team will be getting with their ARP cards. Are there any jobs out there where, like, your peak performance is right before you retire? Like, if you just think of any job out there in the world.

Oh, that's an interesting thing. Where, like, you're the best of the best of the best at the very, very, very, very end. And then you say goodbye. Is there any jobs where you get better progressively every year? Man, I feel like it's got to be.

It would still be in the sports realm. There are some fighters who get better and better and better and then it's over. Really? It just ends? Yeah. Then they just get knocked out.

Is that like a teacher? Does a teacher get progressively better at teaching because they pile up the years? To a point. Until they get grouchy? Yeah. You say you can go too far as a teacher. Yeah. You get old person grouchy.

Which it happens to the best of us. Yeah. Even the best teachers will one day just hate kids you think the producers children these children the deuces you think they'll get better and better and better and better until we fire i'm waiting for the first better yeah just one step take one step forward guys if we fire them when we think they've reached their peak we could kind of yeah fulfill this prophecy I'll make a note. Well, you're not going to have to

because they will refuse to step forward and progress. Right, guys? Well, Al Borland says, bad news, I'm at my peak right now. Oh, yeah, that is bad news. Okay, well. Bad news for you. We'll talk to you later.

You can find the show on X at the FFBallers. Follow me at Andy Holloway at Jason FFL. You can find Jason there. And Mike is at FFHitman. You can watch the show on YouTube, youtube.com slash dfantasyfootballers. Subscribe, click the bell over there, and subscribe wherever you're listening to podcasts, or click that follow button.

They want it to be follow now. Really? It's follow on Spotify They want it to be follow now. Really? It's follow on Spotify and it's follow on Apple. Subscribing, that is old. Yeah. That is old magazine stuff. All right. Unless you're on YouTube.

Then it's totally crazy. Yeah, you're right. You're right. Uncle Cracker is stoked. This is where we're supposed to know the reference it's fine this that joke's not for you that joke's for somebody else you're gonna get like 10 youtube comments i hate it when you do this all right quick question of the day before we turn the page into uh some nfl news and then the top 10 wide receivers the truth of that position there was a player we kind of didn't discuss at running back

because he didn't show up in the first two uh first two episodes of the truth uh it was uh not the year that he had in 2022 but i want to bring it up here as our quick question of the day nor the year he had before that or before that. It's Josh Jacobs. What is the truth about Josh Jacobs, his 2023 season? He basically produced half the fantasy football point output that he did in his record-breaking 2022 year. He did miss time, right? He missed the final four weeks. Correct.

I think during that absence, because every week it was like, Josh Jacobs might play this week. But it started to feel... Yeah, he was like day-to-day for a month. It started to feel more like Josh Jacobs might want to go into the offseason where he's a free agent healthy. Yes.

But this was a player that held out, eventually got into camp. What's your thoughts on the season for Fat Thor? So the season was brutal. I think that the truth is that he is more of the player of those, like his first three years, and that 2022 was just magic. It happens. Sometimes a player hits a true heater and everything meshes,

whatever the play calling was, the offensive line, everything was just the mojo was at maximum. So I don't think it's done for Josh Jacobs, but.57 fantasy points per opportunity, that's the lowest of his career. And for last year, that's 47th of 50 qualifying running backs, also known as just slightly better than Javante, Madison, and A.J. Dillon. I mean, like when you throw those names out talking about last year, people want to vomit, and that's kind of what we felt from Josh Jacobs here.

So I think he still has some left in the tank, but when 2022 happened and you were like, this is it, Josh Jacobs has ascended and become this running back, I think the truth is just he's a very good running back, but maybe that elite season, that was the top. I'd take a more positive view on Josh Jacobs. From last year? From this past year, yeah. Here's my encouraging case for Josh Jacobs.

You went through a year where you were late to camp. Your head coach got fired. You had a different quarterback. You had a different commitment to the run. You had a different production on the offensive line. Obviously, the efficiency numbers stand alone are terrible. However, when you got a new head

coach who they now hired, Antonio Pierce is their full-time head coach. Loves Josh Jacobs. The team loves him. Jacobs wants to be back for this coach. His opportunity pace over the final five full games where he was healthy was almost 400 opportunities and 350 carries. But how was he doing in those?

He finished his RB 10, 2, 20, 35, and 7. Okay. So his output... What were in those... So those are the Pierce games? Those were the Pierce games from... Well, that was week 8 through 12. I don't remember the week he took over.

Okay. But this was when they showed a renewed commitment to the run. And, you know, the reception totals weren't where they were last year. That helped them a lot. I do wonder if he goes back. I'd be very worried about him departing. But if he went back to Las Vegas with Antonio Pierce, I think he would be somebody I'd be looking to add as a

value running back. Do you not have concerns for the breakout of Zemir White over the final month? That's where I'm... Not really, because the money that they'd have to pay him to bring him back would be a commitment. A commitment to him, but still would be, I mean, I don't know how you put the genie back after Zemir White comes in those last four games and is, I mean, like he was tremendous for them. It feels like if they believe what you're saying, like if in the locker room the Zemir White production translated the way it is to you, then they won't bring Jacobs back, right? Why would you do that? You're not going to pay a bunch of money. If you believe in Zemir White, then they won't bring Jacobs back. Right?

Why would you do that? You're not going to pay a bunch of money. If you believe in Zemir, why? Just use him as your running back. He may not find a very open and welcome market for him, so he could go back to the Raiders at just a discount. Oh. Yeah.

He's taking money. 25 years old. He's going to take the money, and I'm guessing it will be with the Raiders, the way that Antonio Pierce has discussed these two. And this is after Zemir White's good performances. He was asked about – he was flat out asked the question of, like, does Zemir's incredible production, while Josh Jacobs has been out,

turn this into more of a committee? And he basically said, we're so thankful for what he's done, but like Josh Jacobs is our dude. So if that's the way it was in the locker room, then amidst that happening, if they sign and bring back Josh Jacobs, I do think he's going to be a value. I think there's going to be a lot of people scared, a lot of people that don't want them because of the efficiency numbers. But at the same time, when he went down to injury, he was actually the running back 11 on the season to that point he only had six touchdowns on the season the you know the previous couple years was 12 9 so i i i think he'll be a value next year i think and i can even go higher i can go higher i think he'll be a super value he was you know he could join that

he could be but it would be a matter of he would he'd have to get that volume i feel like yeah he would and but that's been kind of um you'd love to see the targets go back up i mean the previous two years 64 targets 53 receptions obviously missed a little bit of time maybe they would have been pretty close but does does Brooks believe in him? That's what matters for next year. Yeah. Because Brooks called the 2022 breakout, which the reason that was such a valuable pick

is because people doubted him. Like going into 2022, it was like, you know, Josh Jacobs, ho-hum, never over 200 fantasy points. So Brooks, Jacobs re-signs with the Raiders. Is he good? Oh, he's good. All right. Okay.

All right. Science. Do you guys remember week two? Because I did not remember this. That he finished the game 73% of the snaps. So he played. He finished the game with nine carries for negative two yards. Oh, yeah.

On the ground. He had 50 receiving yards, so for negative two yards on the ground. He had 50 receiving yards, so it was not a collapse for fantasy. That's funny. That game by itself accounted for.2 of his yards per carry on the year that it dropped it. But he's so young. He's still young and versatile. So we'll see.

Some NFL news. I'm going to just breeze through this uh real quick no need for the drop we'll just jump in but head coaches we've got new ones and we have uh this is a mike mcdonald thing mike mcdonald i don't know he's the ravens dc right and he was he was was and now the six-year deal with se Seattle to become their new head coach. And I can't hear the name Michael McDonald without thinking of the singer. And that will just be an enjoyable thing. For you.

That happens inside my brain every time. So a new head coach for Seattle? Because. Because Ben Johnson was not going to be their head coach, nor was he going to be the head coach of the Washington Commanders. He goes back to Detroit, as does Bobby Slow slowick the offensive coordinator for the texans is such good news for it's so helpful for us yes we will be smarter because we will know what to expect for these two teams and ben johnson look i have thought a lot about this i i think he made

the right call on many levels. On one level, I just respect anybody that is, you know, obviously the underpinnings of the NFL coaching world is a progression. Like you just want to progress, progress, progress, progress, progress, and then get your opportunity to be a head coach. And he may not get that opportunity by passing year, right? Obviously, if they struggle next year year the window could close for him however the jobs this year i think they're better next year i don't think that going i know washington has high draft capital but if you take that one nuanced piece out of the equation like it's that's a tough franchise to win with okay they've gone

through a lot of coaches i know they have a new ownership, whatever. Next year could be, you know, we're always going to be looking at Kansas City and whether Andy Reid leaves. Dallas is going to be always a one season away from firing their head coach. Dallas could be a landing spot for them next year. There's talk in Philadelphia, you know, if they struggle again, they've already fired and hired all the other coaches except for the head coach. Philadelphia could be on the board next year. There's talk in Philadelphia. If they struggle again, they've already fired and hired all the other coaches except for the head coach. Philadelphia could be

on the board next year. There are opportunities that to me seem like, you know what? Ben Johnson, two solid years with the Lions, if he wants to go get that job. But this is great for Goff. This is great for Amon Ra. Sam

Laporta for sophomore slump? I don't think so. It's so fantastic for fantasy football. And I'm for it. The leak that came out, whatever it was, a month or so, a month or two ago, we're hearing Ben Johnson wants, I think it was like $15 million a year. $150 million. It was an amount of money that it's like, no one's going to pay that.

And maybe teams around the league said, we're not going to pay that. But that's beautiful for Ben Johnson. He's like, okay, either you give me generational wealth and I come and try and be a head coach, or I go back to this team that was one half away from the Super Bowl. That's a good life. And then I'll do it next year. Yeah, and he more than likely will still be a hot candidate next year.

Maybe Jared Goff and company, they fall on their faces next year, but that seems unlikely. Yeah. And Bobby Sloak going back to the Texans is great too. Oh, that one makes me- Continuity for a young quarterback in that offense. That one makes me even happier because when you only, like I believe in Stroud, I think that he would have been good with or without Sloak, but the Detroit Lions offense is, you know, it's already established. There's enough veterans there with Montgomery and Goff. And I think if they lost Johnson, they would have been okay.

They would have been fine. But I would have been more fearful for the Texans offense with all the youth there when you have a change at coordinator. So that one makes me thrilled. Yeah, and he'll have opportunities if he succeeds again next year as well in the... Spoiler alert. He's going to. C.J. Stroud's awesome. Yeah. So and then

let's not bury the reaction everybody really wants. I think 18 minutes, 40 seconds into the show, I think most people have waited for right here, right now. We've got a new offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and his name is Arthur Smith. What?

The people are happy? That's crazy. I'm happy. I'm with the people. The reactions on Twitter, they've been electric because it is so polarizing and not just everyone dunking on arthur smith i've seen everything from the steelers will be like i will be a full fate of every steelers player this is going to be a disaster to people who are like, Najee Harris is back, baby. He's going to get fed the ball. And so it's funny to see one person here,

but the opinions can be so split on them. But it's great for the show. I'm a little surprised Pittsburgh went this direction, but Arthur Smith did have success in Tennessee as the OC. Arthur Smith had success in Atlanta. What Arthur Smith did not have was the support of fantasy managers because they drafted Bijan and did not turn him into a workhorse. That's why we hated him. He didn't have the support of the ownership of the team

because he drafted Bijan and then didn't use him properly. Sure. No, I get that. But my point is they ran the ball well as a team. So well with players that didn't make sense. Who was the Caleb Huntley? Mm-hmm. Caleb Huntley showed great. I mean, you had Tyler Algier.

The system is perfect for Pittsburgh. Break the Atlanta rookie record the year prior. So, you know, it was super frustrating. And maybe you're going to see some of that. Thankfully, people aren't madly in love with Najee the way they are with Bijan, so we're going to already forgive a committee here. But I do think he's going to be very good for their running game. And obviously, he had Derrick Henry before, and he had Bijan.

But he's, I think, he's not the worst offensive mind. He's really not. He's just frustrating from a personnel standpoint. But I think in Pittsburgh, that's going to be just fine. I agree. And I think I've already seen the free Jalen Warren tweets. And, you know, I think that'll be the popular candidate next year. But I'm just going to say it.

Uh-oh. I think for the first time in my life. Oh, he's in on Najee. You might find me on the other side of the Najee argument based on draft position next year, which, look, you guys may think I'm just a hater, but I only hate him as a player and a person. Oh, okay, okay. You can't. What?

How dare you? No, I'm just kidding. Najee's awesome. Najee's a great person. Yeah. And a good player in the right system and situation. The truth is I have not liked where people drafted him, nor what they think his ceiling can be.

But when you are put into a system like this, the production he had at the end of the year, yeah, I mean, his ADP last year was the RB9. I'm not signing up for that. That's a cancel the subscription situation for me. But all right, we'll take a quick break and we'll come back with some truth. All right. Well, we are done talking about head coaching changes,

although we will have a coaching changes episode breaking all the implications down well beyond Arthur Smith later on this offseason. Right now it's time for the truth of the wide receiver position. You want answers? I think I'm entitled. You want answers? I want the truth. You can't handle the truth. Well, can we handle the truth of some of these wideouts and what in the world is going to happen with them

in the 2024 redraft season? Let's talk about some trends. We've been doing this at every position. Looking at trends of the wide receivers since back in 2018, at trends of the wide receivers since back in 2018, the value of the wide receiver target has actually gone down

over the last few years. The zone defenses you're seeing out there are forcing a bunch of... Banish them. Pull a baseball. Oh yeah, no more... Your defense is working too well. No more defensive shift.

We need to change the rules. I'm still waiting for them to just pull a 10 on defense is all that's allowed. Yeah, baby. Let's pull somebody off. But, look, this has resulted in more short area targets for the wide receiver position. 11% of the targets were behind the line of scrimmage. It's the highest since 2018. You'd think that Cliff Kingsbury was in charge of doing that.

Maybe that's why he's getting a lot of interviews lately. It's because... It's so hot right now. They're just like, man, why throw it forward when you can throw it backwards? Short of the sticks? How about short of the line of scrimmage? Yeah, I mean, this is true, but it's part of the... You know, anything behind the line of scrimmage

is technically a run for the wide receiver position. And you're seeing more wide receivers using the run. scrimmage is technically a run for the wide receiver position, and you're seeing more wide receivers using the run. Not if it's a forward pass. Yeah, you could still have a forward pass behind the line of scrimmage. Correct. I'm sorry. I meant behind. Yes, I meant lateral. Anything that's backwards.

Yes, yes, of course. Sorry. Not the line of scrimmage, but backwards in direction. But there's more wide receiver rushing attempts than we've seen in a really long time. More end rounds. Teams are putting more wide receivers in motion. You're seeing more innovative stuff with, I mean,

every time you watch Tyreek Hill on the Miami offense. Well, it's the defenses are now more than ever scheming to stop the big play. Like that seems to be at the top of the defensive assignment is stop the huge plays, which, I mean, it's smart. Obviously, we've seen, you know, saw the scoring and things going down. If you stop the big plays, you're more likely

to have an accident and have to punt. And, yeah, Kyle put together a list of the top six teams of percentage of motion at the snap Miami is ridiculous. 68% of plays, is that right? But it's, you know, very funny. So, number one, Miami. Let's see. Great offense. The Rams. That's a great know, very funny. So number one, Miami. Let's see. Great offense.

The Rams. That's a great offense. 49ers. Oh, that's a great offense. The Green Bay Packers. Well, that's a great offense. And the Detroit Lions. Oh, Baltimore Ravens.

Hey, weird. Weird. Well, and look at who's dead last in the entire league and who just got fired. Yeah, the Philadelphia Eagles. 10.9% of plays, and they just brought in a new offensive coordinator. Followed by the Browns, Cardinals, and Commanders. So let's get some motion going on in there. We did have some very high-end fantasy seasons

at the tippy top of the position, though. Kyle took a look at every top 12 wide receiver over the last five years. So that's 60 different wide receivers, and you had four this season that would finish in the top 12 of that group. So you had just some massive performances. In points per game. That's right. I mean, you had elite seasons from CeeDee Lamb, Tyreek Hill, Amon Ra, Keenan Allen.

In terms of points per game, obviously Allen missed time later in the season, but you had some wide receivers that were going off and leading to championship game appearances and championships. Man, halfway through the season, could you imagine that Tyreek Hill, even missing a game, doesn't finish as the number one? Yeah. CeeDee was so good. Yeah, and I really love him. Big love. All right, let's dig in because we're going to start with CeeDee Lamb.

Great games at the wide receiver position. We're categorizing 20-plus points. Good games, 12.5 points. Bust games, fewer than seven and a half. CeeDee Lamb came in at number one. He was number two in consistency. First half was number six in consistency. Second half was number one overall.

He only busted in 6% of games. He was good in 82%. So again, 82% of the time, 12.5 or more fantasy points. And 41% of the time, it was great. That number's insane. I mean, pretty much from the bye week. They came out of the bye week, and they were like, we're going to just throw you the ball.

The offense changed. More than everybody in football because he ended up with 135 receptions. And we'll just let the chips fall with CeeDee Lamb as the centerpiece. Yeah, the offensive scheme of the Cowboys 100% changed after the bye week. And they went with a – CeeDee Lamb is the focal point of this. There is the narrative. I don't know if we have ever confirmed it, but the talk of CeeDee Lamb over the bye week,

having a meeting with Coach McCarthy and kind of saying, like, get me the ball. Because while he was still pretty consistent fantasy-wise over the first half, some of the games after the bye week leak into that, but the way that the season started for CeeDee Lamb was really hot and cold. And if you drafted Lamb, you remember. It was not all roses. You had week three, he was the wide receiver, 43 against Arizona. But it was also very strange because the Cardinals won the game

and the Cowboys just got shellacked. Next week, he's pretty good against New England. And then the Cowboys against San Francisco, it's a disaster for CeeDee Lamb. And then the offense changed. The question for me about CeeDee Lamb for you guys is, was this a true – was this like the level up for CeeDee Lamb, or was this just he's great, he's an elite player, but this was something special, or we're now putting him at a different level?

This is who he is. He is one of the, you know, absolutely one of the five best wide receivers in the NFL. He's going to be treated as such. He's going to be used like it. Their offense was great doing this, and he's just unstoppable. I mean, there's certain guys, you know, like, you know, you're never going to go away from Justin Jefferson if you have a coordinator change. And in my opinion, CeeDee Lamb looked unstoppable. You just keep throwing him the ball, it just keeps working. He's open. If he's not open, he still catches it. He's just so good. And from that point, from that bye week forward, he was not, he was the number one wide receiver, obviously, but he was a huge gap ahead of number two. He scored 23.9 half PPR points per game during that stretch.

The second best was 17.4. He was humongously ahead of the field. What I loved about CeeDee Lamb and the fact that, look, you keep your head coach, right? That's a big deal. If you wanted to question the variables, they're going to have the same quarterback. They're going to have the same head coach.

And it really, really worked. And they move him around. If you watch the games. Yeah, they do. They move him all the time. Like there is no scheming. I guess Tyreek is in that category of like you can't really scheme yourself out of having to deal with Tyreek. Butd lamb moves all over the formation he comes out of the

slot they they you know put him in the backfield sometimes like his he's just too integral into this offense that i agree with jason i think he has fully leveled up i mean this was a season of seasons too like that 2021 cooper cup year that's the only one that is at that 135 you know reception total 12 touchdowns i mean that superstar wide receivers are going to have some variability in touchdowns from year to year so it's not going to shock me if cd lam has nine next year or eight or you know wherever the case may be but the the volume will always be there. Third in deep perceptions, third in intermediate, first in short. Do you have,

dynasty-wise, for the last couple years, it's been the big two. It's been Justin Jefferson and Jamar Chase. Is CeeDee Lamb there, or is it those two guys, then CeeDee Lamb, and then we have a third tier? No, he's there for me. Okay. I'm comfortable with him there, yeah.

Like, I mean, if you just muse for a second. Of like, having Jamar Chase and CeeDee Lamb on one dynasty team? You want to imagine what that would be like? Why'd you do that, Andy? Why'd you walk into that trap? Yeah!

And CeeDee Lamb should be on my dynasty team. No, no, he's good. He's where he belongs. With the chain. You never paid me for talking him into the trade, by the way. Yeah, well, I had my fingers crossed. You know, where was I going there? Oh, sorry.

I was going with how you were going to draft those three. That's what I, in a redraft league, how are you going to look at those three players and are you taking Jefferson Chase ahead of Lamb and are all three of us doing that? Wow. I think in a redraft, I'm Jefferson, Lamb, Chase. I would as well, except in a redraft, I might have Tyreek above Chase as well.

Yeah, no, I agree with that. Just here in January 31st, looking at next year. Jefferson still has a quarterback issue that needs to be solved. Speaking of Tyreek Hill, he was the most consistent wide receiver in all of fantasy football. He's number two in fantasy

finish. His first half of the year, he was number one most consistent. Second half of the year, he was number one most consistent. Second half of the year, he was number two most consistent. Zero bus games. Zero. Other than injury games, we don't count. 75% good. 56% great.

He won weeks regularly, especially looking from week five to 13. I mean, it is hard to do what he did. He was very similar to his teammate, Raheem Mostert, who had one of the best seasons, one of the most helpful fantasy seasons we've seen him forever, but ruined. The only downtime was in the playoffs where he missed week one of the playoffs and then didn't really go his normal self in the championship round. So, you know, it felt like it tailed off at the end, but it really didn't.

It was just an injury that he played through and was still good. He deserves to be, until he retires, he deserves to be at the tip top of confidence. Yeah, and obviously at the very top of these lists, you don't need us to tell you these players were great, but when you have the opportunity to break down the numbers a little bit, see why they were great. You know, he won people fantasy championships or got them all the way there.

And he wasn't undefendable player. I mean, just destroys man coverage, destroys zone coverage. He was – we watched him all year long and just went like, oh, how's he that open? He had 21 receptions of 20 or more air yards, which is more than any that he had playing with Patrick Mahomes. And 70% of his receptions went for a first down.

He's the only player since Randy Moss where you're just like, a deep ball is going to work this game, every game. Yeah. Like, you would think that you could turn that off. Like, you could somehow turn off Tyreek Hill going deep, and you can't. I think him and Tua before the game go, okay, okay, okay. What's today? Is today a throw it

vastly underthrow it? Or you want me to vastly overthrow it? And then they just do that. And they both work. They both work. Just don't throw it to him. Throw it really far away from him in either direction. It'll slow down or speed up and get the ball. So I think we can move

on. Number three, Amon Ross St. Brown. This one's great. This was a player drafted as the wide receiver nine, ends at three. Consistency, three. First half? Three. Second half? Three.

That's consistency. That's, I mean, amazing. So finishes at three, third most consistent. Didn't matter how you split the year up. 81% good games, 31% great, 6% bust. 119 receptions for 1,515 yards. You know what? I didn't realize he was this good.

Ah, yes. 10 touchdowns, 164 targets. It's perfect. This was a heck of a year, and he has just leveled up every season like the chip on his shoulder when you have a chip on your shoulder does it get bigger over time or smaller over time most people get smaller over time but his is getting he continues to add to it like finds another jordan reason to be upset yeah 100 so he went from 90 receptions to 106 to 119. My favorite part about Amon Ross St. Brown is it's done in a completely different fashion

than Tyreek, but the consistency is there because you know how much of the first read he is in this offense, and you can't really guard what he does. It's different. Tyreek does it with speed Amin Ra does it with route running and and great hands where it's just the play is coming to you at this exact spot in this exact moment and there's just no way you could stop it so I that I don't have any fears of Amin Ra you know finding his way to some coverage that's going to stop him next year. I don't think there's any fear at all. So you've got to just be –

And he keeps Ben Johnson. Yeah, he keeps Ben Johnson. And I really love the splits where Jared Goff is a pretty streaky, hot-cold quarterback depending on if he's on the road or if he's at home. But Amon Ra against top 16 defenses, that was nine games, 16.74 points, 18.1 against bad teams, so hardly any difference. And then on the road or at home, it's less than a point difference between those two things.

So it's great to see where both CD and Tyreek, we've already sung their praises, but they definitely beat the crap out of bad teams where Amon Raw was just steady. And not the steady that we had two years ago where it was, it's good. It was steady great. Let me ask you this, though, because he finished at three. He's increased every year. He's 24 years old. He's about to get paid.

He's about to get paid. He's on a consistent offense that you understand, right? But I don't feel like if I asked, I mean, you didn't bring his name up when I brought up the top four wide receivers off the board, and to me what sticks out with Amon Ra is like, okay, this was a 10-touchdown year. He had six the year before. He had six the year before. He had five the year before that on similar reception totals.

Yeah. Are you waiting for that shoe to drop next year? Yeah, this is around his peak. I mean, not that he can't do 10 again. He probably will before the end of his career. But if you're like, who can go out there and get you 15 touchdowns, that's got to be someone with a different archetype. That's a Jefferson.

That's a Seedy could do it. Chase. Yeah, exactly. The play style and the slot machine style, it's like Keenan Allen. You don't expect Keenan Allen to go out there and get 15 touchdowns in a season. I'm going to probably pencil him in. We're going to be statting guys for the UFC. For the UDK.

We're going to be doing some work for the UFC. And I'm guessing I'll have Amon Raw right around like 7.5-8 touchdowns. That's my expectation going into a season. A first round wide receiver? Yeah, for sure.

I would imagine so. Puka Nakua comes in at four. Yes, Puka Nakua comes in at four. Now, he played the whole season, and he started real hot, real fast. So his fantasy stats end up at four, but his consistency was nine. First half, 11. First half, 11, second half,

13. Um, he's a rookie. He did literally more than anybody could expect of a rookie wide receiver ever. 105 receptions, 1,486 yards, six touchdowns,

right? Finishes at four with six touchdowns 24 great 53 good 24 bust so 24 bust is four bust games on the season it is worth noting that two of those bust games were the matthew stafford list games the game that he got hurt in in the next week when he didn't play so he was he would have been the consistency score of fifth without those games. Obviously, you still had to make your decision to play, so we have him in here. That's why he's consistency ranked nine.

I don't think I'm going to be the person this offseason. It's January, so we'll see. But I don't think I'm going to be the person just saying like – I think I'm going to be the Puka person. Oh, good. I don't think I'm going to be the Cup person. I don't think there's going to be a lot of Cup people.

I think there will. Really? I mean, Cooper Cup had a 2021 season that left you know there's tattoos out there. Forever ago. I don't know. I mean, I just see the narratives will get spun up if there's enough of an ADP gap to say,

you should just be taking this all pro that's being drafted two rounds behind Puka. But I am a believer that the Puka takeover will be solidified next year. I'm right there with you. And I don't think there's been a bigger Cooper Cup person than like this last season. You know, I'll take the L on it,

but I was I was taking Cooper Cup like crazy anytime he was anywhere he would slip in in the first round down to the fourth the fifth six I'd be taking him sometimes at the two um I believed in Matthew Stafford supporting an amazing fantasy wide receiver and uh, the injuries came for Cooper Cup. But then also, unfortunately for Cup, Puka took over. And as a true Cooper Cup believer, this is Puka's team going forward. I mean, I don't have any doubt about that. That is how I feel.

And maybe Cooper Cup puts up a Thielen-esque touchdown total. Yeah. When Jefferson was starting to take over, I just think Puka was so impressive. Most receptions by a rookie ever, most receiving yards, most first downs. That's a great comp, Andy. The Thielen situation. The Jefferson, Thielen.

That's exactly what this is. Productive. Yeah. Yeah, I agree. But I just think it's time. You know, 22 years old, the maturity he showed as a rookie, solidified offense. Yards per route run, which is a pretty strong statistic

in terms of success and future success. Rookie wide receivers who have surpassed the 2.5 yards per route run since 2014. Odell Beckham, A.J. Brown, Justin Jefferson, Puka Nakua, and Jamar Chase. I mean, that is – and then seeing the draft capital for each player is extremely funny because it's like A.J. Brown is the one who got disrespected until Puka fell into the fifth round. Yeah, it's crazy. I mean, but what tier does he belong in?

Are you looking at Puka in the future, or are you looking at A.J. Brown with a new offensive coordinator, and how do you make a decision between those guys? Like dynasty? No, just redraft. Next year, right now, if you're not knowing anything that we don't know from now, Amin Ra, Puka, and A.J. Brown. Put them in the order that you will draft them.

Oh, my goodness. Like, do you feel more confident? I mean, it's probably still Puka at the back of the list of those three for me. The thing about Puka is you get more explosive plays from Puka. Yeah. Deep. Yeah. AJ Brown.

Oh, I meant relative to Amon Ross. Oh, yeah. Sure, sure. But that's going to be a very interesting. I mean, from nowhere. Undrafted. Yeah. So, wild. And how much Puka talk will there be in relation to this large group of wide receivers coming out in the rookie class?

And expectations for, oh, you can get this? You can't. Stop. But you can. No, the articles. The next Puka. We'll probably have one. I mean, there will be.

Because we got to find him. Yeah. We got to find the next Puka. I mean, that's wild. All right, quick break. Back with some more names. Well, from the youngest to the oldest in this list, Mike Evans. Mike Evans at five.

The wide receiver, 30 off the board for fantasy players. Consistency rank of seven. First half, 13. Second half, eight. He went ho-hum, 79 for 12 55 and 13 he was awesome uh it was andy's my guy this year and where you drafted him in the seventh round is the wide receiver 30 you made the playoffs and stole you know and you got to your championship game with with mike evans he was fantastic and this was the, you know, we had talked about it early in the offseason

or late in the offseason last year, and now early in this offseason about how the kind of, similar to the Seahawks who had DK Metcalf, who was just great, but everyone was worried about the quarterback situation, and then he was awesome first year with Geno. That's what happened with Mike Evans. Now, we don't know going forward where he's going to play

and who his quarterback is going to be because right now both Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield are not under contract. 29% great, 59% good, 24% bust. Simple question for you. Does Mike Evans get drafted inside the top 15 receivers next year because i don't think he would i don't think so i would say no you know he went at wide receiver 30 obviously he proved all of the haters wrong but with the age mixed with not knowing this contract situation maybe i mean if if it's a re mean, if it's a re-roll.

If it's a re-roll, maybe he gets inside the top 15. He's the fifth 30-year-old ride receiver, 30-plus, to finish in the top five since 2008. And I'm going to tell you who the other four are for the fun of it. But Devontae Adams in 2022, Antonio Brown in 2018, Jordy Nelson in 2016, and Brandon Marshall. So, very good players. It was just a really special year for Baker and Evans in that combo.

Man. All right. You're going to be surprised at this one because he's finished between wide receiver 18 and 22, four straight years, and he had a year that finished at wide receiver six somehow. The hope of Terry McLaurin managers everywhere. DJ Moore. DJ Moore did it. Number six.

Yeah, week five helped. Honestly. Week five was two games. DJ Moore's fantasy finish only will serve to confuse people more next year because he was 13th in consistency but 19th in each half. Tons of – 24% bust games, 41% good games, 24% great. Like you said, that was at week five when he – Week five.

So just to illustrate this, our metric for whether a wide receiver had a great game, you know, you're wondering like what's a good game? A good game is over 20 points. And he had two of those in week five. Right. this. That's why the first half wide receiver 19, the second half wide receiver 19 when it comes to the consistency metric and the truth score, it was better with Justin Fields though. I will say that. He had some of his down games without him. DJ Moore will be

tough to talk me into next year because I think the likelihood, I mean, I don't know if you guys are agreeing with me, but I think it's going to be Caleb Williams. And I think they'll add I mean, I don't know if you guys are agreeing with me, but I think it's going to be Caleb Williams. I think they'll add another wide receiver for sure. I don't know if it'll be, what is it, pick eight or nine that they have?

It'll be Rome. Odunze. If you add a stud wide receiver and a new quarterback, we might just want to remember this season for DJ Moore and maybe not lean on him. It's inconsistent, but this is – we'll see where he gets drafted. But a wide receiver taken in the fifth who gave you those types of spike weeks

throughout the season, I mean, this is why you assemble a whole team. Everything's not on DJ Moore. DJ Moore will go higher than Mike Evans. That's probably accurate. It'll be interesting to see. I think he's still a solid piece of the puzzle of crafting an entire

fantasy football roster. But with Caleb Williams, if that's what happens, then that is that'll be really, really difficult. I will downgrade. You can't not. I know that Justin Fields has not been a prolific, great, world-class passer. His value comes from his legs.

But I will still downgrade DJ Moore should they draft Caleb Williams or any quarterback in replacement of Fields. Because you just don't believe in rookie quarterbacks like C.J. Stroud. C.J. Stroud is the outlier. He's the inlier. There's two of them. There's two quarterbacks. Are you going to bring up Herbert?

Herbert, yeah, of course. How did you know the name? How did you know who I was going to talk about with all the hundreds of rookie quarterbacks I could have gone with? I will say this. You're right. He's still an outlier, technically. But I like tight windows here when we analyze the quarterback position. The NFL has changed tremendously. The way that rookie quarterbacks are being trusted

to become prolific passers, to be allowed to do that stuff, that was just not a permissible opportunity for them other than the last five, six years. Did someone tell Carolina they were allowed to do it? Look, they might not be good. I'm not saying they're all good. That's Jason's point. Yeah, but here's my point.

You have to be scared. If you believe in a rookie passer, I don't know if you believe in Caleb Williams. We'll talk about that a lot over the next six months. If you believe in a rookie passer i'm not i don't know if you believe in calabasas we'll talk about that a lot over the next six months if you believe in a rookie passer it is possible for them to come out and dominate possible possible for chicago impossible because they never had anybody throw over for over like 4 000 yards ever right i think they have no 4 000 yard passers ever in fact there's something wild almost positive yeah mean, even just looking at the last five years and only first-round draft picks, you know,

Kyler didn't do anything for wide receivers his rookie year. Daniel Jones, Tua, Herbert did. Joe Burrow, I don't remember. Joe Burrow's rookie season, nothing special. Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson, Trey Lance. Like, even just in the short window, it's a bad hit rate to bet on a rookie quarterback. Yeah, but what about the good ones, though, right? The good quarterbacks did produce.

Well, I mean. There just weren't that many good ones. Is Caleb Williams good? That is what I'm asking. That's my point. No, I need you to tell me. Is Trevor Lawrence good? No.

But my point is, like, Kyler, Trevor Lawrence, Baker. You're telling me Kyler didn't do anything as a rookie? As far as supporting a wide receiver. The context is not whether they were good. Did Kyler have Hopkins as a rookie? No. I'll look that up. I don't think so.

His first season? Did we? Because if he did, then he supported him. I don't think so. Okay. Yeah. We'll just have to stack up the Strouds and the Herberts until we can get you on board. Okay.

Number seven, A.J. Brown, and we're going to talk about him and Devontae Smith together. Kyler did not have Hopkins as a recruit. That was his sophomore year? Yes. So who did he even have? I'm on it. Larry? Yeah. He probably had Larry. Yeah,ry would have been there all right um 7 and 20 aj brown davante smith very simple question here

are they both were they both disappointing aj brown was the wide receiver 5 off the board finished at 7 davante smith was the wide receiver 14 off the board finished at 20 they. Devontae Smith was the wide receiver 14 off the board, finished at 20. They both finished well below their finish in consistency. So Smith was 12. Oh, I'm sorry. So he actually finished above his fantasy finish. 12th in consistency for Devontae Smith, finished at 20.

A.J. Brown was 10th in consistency. I would say I think Smith was more disappointing of the two of them when everything is factored in. A.J. Brown is truly mysterious of finishing the year with the numbers. He had 106, almost 1,500 yards and seven touchdowns. But over the first half of the season in our metric, he was consistency rank number four, and that plummeted to 40. So, Jay, you're telling me Stephon Diggs fell more than that?

Just you wait, brother. That's a good tease. That's exciting. That's a gap. But that's the what? What happened? That's the what? It's hard to even formulate.

What happened to the Philadelphia Eagles? Was Jalen Hurts that hurt? Did defenses figure something out against A.J. Brown? Was A.J. Brown banged up? Football happened to the Eagles this year. That's exactly what happened to them. Yeah, but man. Everybody always thinks the same thing will always happen forever

and it did for the first 10 games. Up until the bye week, football happened. A.J. Brown was an incredible pick. Didn't he set the record for 130-yard games or something? Yeah, it must have been

125 yards. He did it in six games in a row. He was a monster. His pace before the bye week was 1,900 yards and 11 touchdowns. His pace after the bye week was 958 yards, 1,000 fewer yards on a season. They were both exactly 50% good games. They were both exactly 19% great games. They were both exactly 19% great games. And then the bust was the difference.

You know, A.J. Brown, 19%. Devontae Smith, 31%. So, I wouldn't really go as far as to say disappointment for A.J. Brown. But when you're the consistency level of 40 in the second half, you didn't win the championship with A.J. Brown.

Well, A.J. Brown is disappointing on the level of you go into week 10, they're bye week, and you feel locked in with what you have with A.J. Brown because he did it for essentially nine straight weeks, and you're not making appropriate moves for your fantasy football team. For him to disappear? At what point in this run are you like, oh, well, maybe something's wrong here with A.J. Brown. Weak?

Never. No, because by the time you start thinking that, he finishes 14th against San Francisco and 22nd against Dallas. And everything's okay. We're back. And then he just crashes and burns. So that is, as great as it was, that's a devastating finish. I do have a really interesting stat for you guys.

Over the last two years, when Brown and Smith played together, 24% of the time, both of them hit 13-plus fantasy points. 45% of the time, both hit 10-plus. 48% of the time, hit 10+, 48% of the time one scored less than seven. So you have like 50% chance that they both end up pretty good, like fine, 10+, or a 50% chance that one of them ends up below seven fantasy points. But also, so was it 24% you said?

24% of the time they're both good. One in four you'll get both of them to hit? Yeah. I don't like those odds. But we do have a new offensive coordinator coming in next year. Fair. You've been vigorously jotting numbers down. Was this quarterback related?

It was. You circling back? Yeah, just looking at A.J. Brown specifically and how those splits between the first half and the second half, the thing that really stood out to me is on the first half of the year, he caught 73% of his passes. That is a really good number. The second half of the year, he caught 59% of his passes. Now, sadly, 59% is closer to kind of his career average. He's been a downfield guy. I think his first year with Philly was 60%. So I don't know if that means that maybe the first half of the year was – if both halves were a little bit outlier, because I think that that's the truth.

I don't think that he's ever going to – A little too much, a little too little. He's not going to ever be that first half where he has 2,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. He's not going to be the second half where he can't crack 1,000 yards. So it's going to be in between. But if I had to lean, which one was the larger outlier? It seems like the first half where you're connecting on 73% of your, of your passes is the outlier for the type of passes A.J. Brown usually receives. And for what it's worth in that span, Jalen Hurts

was a 69% completion percentage passer and he dropped to a 61% in the second half of the year. Yeah. He struggled not just to A.J. Brown, but all the way across the board in the collapse. At eight is Keenan Allen. Keenan Allen, he's 31.8 years old. He's a fourth-round draft pick with a consistency rank of five. First half was eight.

Second half was five. He missed the end of the year, which was unfortunate because you relied on him. And let's be honest, if I had him, Mike obviously wouldn't be champion. It's very possible. But I didn't have him. Zero bust games for Keenan Allen.

31% great, which is a crazy good number for a guy his age with the archetype that he is and then 46 percent good three times as the overall number one wide receiver on the week that just seems impossible for a 31 year old almost 32 year old slot receiver to be to have that kind of week winning performance that's called peaking, Al. You can peak like Keenan Allen peaks. We still think you're going to get better.

We really do. We believe that you could take the Keenan Allen career arc. But right now. It's going to be a while. You're not there. Yeah, no, you're not. You've been a huge help, but you're not quite Keenan Allen. You're a real Quentin.

That is insulting, even for this show. Yeah. To call someone on our staff. Is that the worst thing we've ever said to anybody? It might be. I think so. And we named Brooks Paul Giamatti. But calling him Quentin? Huge potential.

Huge potential. Quentin while you're ahead. Oh. Okay. Keenan Allen. He's great. Keenan Allen. He was great last year.

Is he going to be great again? You know, it wore down. I mean, you didn't have Keenan Allen help you past week 12. So, final six weeks of the year, either injured or underperforming compared to what you were expecting. Lost his quarterback. Lost Mike Williams. lost Josh Palmer. Cuge didn't do much.

Is he a go-to receiver next year? Yeah, Keenan Allen should be a go-to receiver next year. Is Quentin Johnston still on that team? Quentin Johnston will still be on the team, yes. And personally, I expect, I think they've got the number seven pick overall. Given the age of Keenan Allen, the situation with Cuge and Mike Williams, I think I would be surprised at this point if they don't take one of the great rookie wide receivers, even though they just did, even though they spent a first rounder.

I don't know if they can. I think they're going to go back to back. I don't know if they can't. I mean, TBD, we don't know who they're going to draft. But my point is, if they bring in a really top-end, top-10 NFL rookie-wide receiver, I still believe, as a rookie, you're going to have Ian Allen as the primary first-reader. Let me give you a different name instead because I think Brock Bowers is the name. Oh, sure. A lot of people are associating with the primary first. Let me give you a different name instead because I think I think I think Brock Bowers is the name. A lot of people are

associating with the Chargers. So you bring in a pass catching tight end. Where are they drafting? I was five seven five. So they could get I've seen I've seen Bowers mock to them plenty of times. Yeah, they don't really have a tight end. Gerald Everett is not under

contract. So so he's kind of aged out. Yeah, I mean, and that'd be you know, possession type of situation there. of times yeah uh they they don't really have a tight end gerald everett is not under contract so so he's kind of aged out yeah i mean and that'd be you know possession type of situation there but um you know the shoe's gonna drop on keenan at some point but if either of you don't believe it is i would like you to please trade for him because i have him in dynasty and i am willing to give him up for i mean jason jalen wad, I know you want to get rid of him. Yeah, no, thank you. I think we got... One more year? You want to push it? Would you be happier with

Keenan Allen or Mike Evans on your roster next year? Mike Evans had the higher fantasy finish. Keenan Allen was more consistent. I would rather have Keenan Allen. Mike Evans had 13 touchdowns. Oh, that's like a low for him. No, I mean, he has several times had double-digit touchdowns.

So you'd go Keenan? Yeah. If I have to bet whether Baker is back or Baker is pumpkin, I would put my dollar bill towards pumpkin. Now, Keenan's about a year and a quarter older than Evans. So it's a fun discussion to figure out. I mean, I think it's what do you need on your roster when you're drafting those guys too

because Keenan's probably going to catch a lot more passes. Yeah, and usually where those guys are going to go in ADP, they're not going to be your wide receiver one. So I want the volume. Yeah, I guess vulnerability of drafting a powerful pass-catching option. Keenan's probably more vulnerable to a change in his total volume. Yeah, we'll see if the Harbaugh pass attempts of the past

are the ones that we end up with, really low volume. Well, Nico Collins came in at 9, just 24 years old, consistency rank of 16. Stud. Did he really finish as the wide receiver nine on the season? You betcha. And that is with what? One, two missed games?

Two missed games and he finished as the wide. I was unaware of this. I've looked at all the consistency metrics, but I didn't look at just the total fantasy finishes. Really three because he, in week 14 against the Jets, played 5% of the snaps. 40% good, 27% great, 27% bust. Amazing at home, like double the production at home.

Amazing against bad defenses. More than double the production against bottom 16 pass defenses. In fact, the biggest discrepancy in the true series history at wide receiver, Nico Collins got shut down by top 16 defenses and dominated bad ones. But I think that that's probably

very indicative of where CJ Stroud was. Sure. And what that strategy was going to be. But he was a monster. Top 10 all time yards per route run number

with a rookie quarterback. So the sky feels like the limit for a 24-year-old Nico Collins moving forward. We've had the Nico versus Tank Dell discussion, and I think, Mike, you said you kind of leaned the Nico way. A little bit. It's hard not to, ending the year the way that we did. Him and Tank will probably be in the exact same round. Would not be surprised. That sounds exactly right. Which round will probably be in like the exact same round. Would not be surprised.

That sounds exactly right. Which round will that be? Three, four. Oh, they won't get to the fourth. They won't get to the fourth. So three, third? Both of them? Both of them gone by then?

I think there's going to be a lot of debate about Niko versus Tank, and I'm not even sure which side I'm on. There's time for that. Yeah. There's time for that. Yeah, there's time for that. I mean, I find myself leaning Nico solely because of size, just weight, and hopeful durability, but it's not like he didn't miss games. No, he did, and Tank is great. 84-12, 97-8.

That was the numbers for Nico. So, you know, a little Mike Evans-esque in terms of the 80 receptions. That's about where Mike settles in. And we didn't get to see Tank Dell for five weeks, but Nico stepped right back in. Number one overall wide receiver in week 18,

which didn't help your fantasy team, but it did help his fantasy finish. That's six top 12 finishes with zero finishes between wide receiver 13 and 25. All or nothing, baby. You are not allowed to scroll down in the doc, Mike, because I'm going to tell you the 10th receiver. His name

is Stephon Dix. Okay, I haven't seen it yet. But I'm going to give you the numbers because they're just spectacular. What was the one you were surprised at? A.J. Brown's crazy bad splits. A.J. Brown was 4-40. 4-40. Okay. I'm going to paint the picture.

Okay. Stephon Diggs over the first half. Consistency rank. Go for it. Three? Two. Okay. Second best.

Second best. Unbelievably good. Wide receiver four off of the board, so you drafted him in the first half. And you got what you drafted in Stephon Diggs over the first half. I dare you to get close on the second half. Second most consistent receiver. I don't want to overguess and ruin it, but

would your guess be somewhere around 76? No, I would have gone in the 60s. Oh, man. 76? Second best to 76th best. That is... He had zero bust games during the first half, and he had...

Yeah. Oh, yeah, two for him. For sure. Oh, that sounds real bad. That's what he deserved. It was like... I just want you to pretend that you had a fantasy team that was doing well and then you had this cool opportunity to swap a wide receiver spot out

for like an ir spot because it was like you just deleted you just deleted a position basically you did worse than that i mean you were putting in in a player. Like, if you were to play straight up off the waiver wire every single week last year from week 10 on, you said, I have to play someone off the wire. I'm going to find what I think is the best option. More often than not, you would have outscored Stephon Diggs. When you look at that stretch from 10 to 18, yeah, in week 12, he had 16 fantasy points. And we're going to include week 18, which you didn't need. And wasn't that great with 12 aside from those two games,

4.9, 4.7, 4.4, 6.8, 5.4, 5.1 fantasy points wrecked your team and he was so good the first half and he's been so good for so many years that it didn't matter how many weeks he did it in a row. You just kept, you had to put him in your lineup. What do you do with the fact that look, we are fantasy players, we are stat analyzers,

we love stuff like targets per route run and target share. Stephon Diggs had a 27% target share, 28% target per route run in that span. Yeah, with Joe Brady. So he was still a focal point, the focal point of the offense. It just didn't work. I am out. I'm out.

Whatever his ADP is. You don't want to see that sweet Stefan Diggs name on your roster with the upside because I think he's going to be tantalizing people. It will be tantalizing. He is one of the quintessential players where you just have to be okay being wrong. Wait, hold on. Let me just reset you real quick. Okay.

What if I told you he had a 27% target share and 28 percent target per outrun you want him now um that that almost makes me more upset because it feels like it's broken well and they were winning games and and they and they just you know they took that oc and they said hey you're full time now you're not interim so they got far with that and i mean maybe the season starts okay for digs i'm sure he'll have his games assuming he's still a bill but uh yeah i'm i'm not gonna he did he hit the cliff fall he won't fall to like the fifth six rounds he's still gonna be a player that is probably drafted. Kyle says right now for the shout out to all the D-gens on underdog already doing basketball drafts.

Wide receiver, 15. Oh, yeah. I'm out. What if I told you the passer rating for Josh Allen on deep targets to spawn digs this year was 34? I would ask, what's the top end of the pass rating again? Not that. It's hard not to look at players.

There were players like Julio Jones and A.J. Green and DeAndre Hopkins and Devontae Adams that they hit a cliff and then you go, ah, it's Julio. Ah, it's A.J. Green. Ah, it's Hopkins. Well, guess what? The truth is it's A.J. Green. Ah, it's Hopkins. Well, guess what?

You know, the truth is. It's over. I mean, the truth is that DeAndre Hopkins can be as mad as he wants that no one wanted him. But you weren't that good. You certainly weren't. When I say that good, I mean compared to what you were. Right.

Yeah, Hopkins had his games. He was fine for the Bills, but not Diggs. He won't be Diggs again. He will never be Stephon Diggs' top 10 fantasy wide receiver. Very confident. No, I'm very confident. He will never be a top 10 fantasy wide receiver again. But he's so loud that the target share is always going to be there.

But it was. It was there. I know. That's what I'm saying. He's going to be there. But it was. It was there. I know. That's what I'm saying. It's going to be the hardest player next year. I mean, they'll have a whole offseason to iron out the kinks of the Joe Brady system. And then 27% target per run. He's still guaranteed $40 million.

They have to work him in. Well, and right now, I mean, they don't really have a lot of other options. I was going to say, Gabe Davis is not under contract. And, hoo boy. Khalil Shakir, baby. Yeah. Or Dalton Kincaid. Dalton Kincaid, yes.

Dalton Kincaid will be the biggest jump up in targets next year. So, you're in. Yeah, I'm in. Sophomores. There you go. I'll be out on Brock Bowers too this year in redraft. Don't you worry. Especially when he goes to the –

Even when the rookie Sam LaPorta is the best tight end in football. Sure, but in hindsight, no. That wasn't who people were banging the drum for. Like, oh, it's got to be Sam LaPorta. No, it was Aldon Kikade. Sam LaPorta was barely drafted. There was debate in the footies of whether he should have been a waiver wire gem or technically

his ADP was like round 15. If you could have made Jason the maddest possible this offseason, you would have taken Laporta to start and then you would have gone like the Nico Collins tank-del-wide-receiver combo and just depended on rookies. You're such an old school guy, man depended on rookies. Didn't you?

You're such an old school guy, man. I love rookies. I don't love wide receivers with rookie quarterbacks, and I don't love rookie tight ends. Okay. It seems like you like some rookies. It doesn't seem like you got big love. That's all I'm saying.

That sounds like little love. He's very focused. I pour my love into great rookie wide receivers with good quarterbacks. All right. We'll dig into the second part of the Truth Series on the wide receiver position on Tuesday. Thank you for joining us. You can check out the community, ballersdiscord.com. Go chat it up over there.

Goodbye. Bye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter at the FFBallers.