Lineup Fantasy Football Show - Drake Maye & Sam Darnold Face Off in Super Bowl LX, Predictions + First Fantasy Football Mock Draft

Episode Date: January 29, 2026

We break down the biggest mismatches and storylines of Super Bowl LX between Drake Maye and the New England Patriots vs Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks! Then we do our first 2026 "way too early" mock draft of the Fantasy Football and Best Ball Summer! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It is just a week away from the Super Bowl between the Patriots and the Seahawks, and it is time for us to give you some of our favorite picks that not everybody might be thinking about. Welcome into the lineup football show. I'm Mitch Anderson. I'm Justin Mello. And make sure to drop a like and a comment down below with your Super Bowl prediction, and we are going to get right into things. All right, Mello, we already previewed the game a little bit last week, but this week we were going to talk about a few more specific things in the game,

and I want to start up mismatches. So give me some of your favorite mismatches, like things to watch going into the game this week. Yeah, I think there's, I mean, it's harder to find mismatches when you're in the Super Bowl because both teams are so good and theoretically at least should be pretty solid top to bottom. But I do think there are some mismatches to watch in this one. The Seahawks Front 7 is when I'm looking at. They should theoretically be able to dominate in the run game. They are pro football focuses number one ranked run defense. And the Patriots run game has just not been super reliable as a whole this season.

We've talked about how Good Rem André's been in the postseason, but even that hasn't been all that electric or, you know, crazy fireworks. It's been a little bit tough for the Patriots to consistently establish the run and it's a really tough matchup. So I wouldn't be surprised if the Patriots have to put this game on Drake May's shoulders pretty early on. I don't know that they'll really be able to run on the Seahawks super early. And then on the other side, I'm really curious to see if Josh McDaniels and Drake may try to pick on Josh Job a little bit. And Josh Job is a fine cornerback. He's not horrific by any means. But the Seattle defense and the secondary as a whole has been tremendous.

And he's probably the weak point of it. So I wouldn't be surprised to see the Patriots try to pick on him a little bit. I don't know what matchups they'll get. I don't know if there'll be one receiver in particular who's, frequently covered up by Joe, but I think no matter who it is, especially on the Patriots, where you don't really have like one or two superstars, it's sort of like a everyone eats kind of offense. Yeah.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them try to pick on him a little bit with whoever ends up lining across from him. Yeah, I completely agree. I also had the Seahawks pass rush ranked 10th on the season in PFF's pass rush and grade going up against his Patriots offensive line. I think that's a more common storyline that's being talked about, but if we're talking mismatches, it's got to be brought up and you hope as a Patriots fan that you see them step up a little bit more in this game.

The main one I wanted to bring up, we actually alluded to this a little bit in last episode. JSN, let me just start by saying the Patriots have not taken on an alpha wide receiver anything like this in this postseason. Honestly, for like most of the year, we're not taking on alpha wide receivers like this. The Patriots have played the ninth most amount of man coverage this season in the NFL.

JSNN boasts the NFL's top yards per route run against man coverage with 4.14. They've also been getting creative. We mentioned this last episode, moving him around the field a lot. Last year, he played 74.8% of his plays in the slot. This year, 16.1. They've got him all over the field. His motion rate increase as well. I think they're going to get really creative.

And last week, I said, hey, I don't know. I feel like we haven't been seeing them rest their game on JSN's shoulders as much. And they went to him in the got-to-have-it game. Is there a bigger got-a-have-it game than the Super Bowl? I think this offense is going to be built around finding any way possible to manufacture touches for J-S-N. Yeah, I am scared as hell as a Patriots fan. I could see them.

We talked about it last episode, too. Like, they moved them all around the field, and you talked about it. And they're slotless consistently. He's lining up everywhere. I could see Klim Kubeiak going crazy and just moving him everywhere, throwing him the ball so much, and it terrifies me as a Patriots fan.

Yeah, he stands out to me as like the like, of course, he's probably the biggest named skill position guy out there to talk about, but like there's an opportunity here for an absolute explosion game. Let's go off from mismatches and talk a little bit about trust. I'll start here. Who do you trust implicitly and who in this game

do you have a hard time trusting? I'm just going to get the hard time trusting. It's the offensive line. I mean, it keeps saying the offensive line until the game actually happens. Will Campbell has had so many issues protecting that left side of the line. And injury may have factored into that. So it's going to be really interesting going in to see if he's a little healthier, a little more comfortable two weeks of practice here to really get himself healthy.

Who I do trust, I trust Mike Vrable. And I think that if we want to go back to mismatches, this is a coaching mismatch. I don't mean that disrespectfully to Mike McDonald. I think Mike McDonald's is fantastic, but I think what Mike Vrable's done here is maybe the most impressive single season coaching job I've ever seen. And then I trust Drake May.

We've talked about the numbers haven't always been there, but when you need a big moment from Drake, I think he's shown up pretty much every time. There's literally only one game I can think of where there was a drive where we needed a play from Drake and it didn't happen and it was that Buffalo game. And there are plenty of other factors there, but like, that, I mean, there's maybe once I'm forgetting,

that's the only one that sticks in my head. And so there's quite literally almost nobody in the NFL, I would feel more comfortable with having the ball in their hands late in the game. I love Drake May, as everyone on the internet seems to, and I trust him with my life. So I will absolutely not disagree with you there. I would die for Drake May.

I would die for Drake May. I would die for his family, not even a question. I would die for Anne Michael May. Oh, Ann Michael. I would kill myself 10 times over for Ann Michael May. Imagine the cookies at the funeral, too. Yeah, I would do that for other people. Not only for Anne Michael,

I would do that for everyone at the funeral to have those delicious cookies and other assorted goods. I think I am very aligned with you in terms of the Patriots. I trust Mike Brable implicitly. The coaching staff in general, Josh McDaniels, I think, deserves a shout-out.

He gets a lot of hate here in England. I think a lot of fans hate Josh McDaniels. It's never made sense to me. Elsewhere in the league, I get it. Like, he was such a horrible head coach, both with Denver and with Las Vegas. but he has been such a phenomenal offensive coordinator. He's won multiple Super Bowls.

Sure with Tom Brady, but he's been great with Drake May. He was great with freaking Mac Jones. Mac Jones's rookie year. He's a great offensive play caller who's been here so many times. So I trust him. I agree. I also don't trust the offensive line very much,

especially the left side with the two rookies. That terrifies me. And then someone else, I'm not going to say I don't trust him. and I really don't want to say it out loud, but I will anyways, there's a little voice in the back of my head that's just telling me,

Sam Darnold might implode. He might throw three interceptions. He might be seeing ghosts again. Top 10 quarterback Sam Donald? Top 10 quarterback Sam Donald might be a facade. Now, I don't actually believe that. I'm not saying he will implode. I'm not saying he will throw three picks.

But that voice is in my head, and I know it has to be in other people's heads too. You've seen Sam Donald. worst. And that voice, like, I gave him his credit when he won. And I have consistently said, he's beat the pumpkin allegations. He's a good quarterback, maybe a top 10 quarterback. But that voice is still in my head. And I know it's in everyone's head, too. Well, I think it goes back to coaching and, like, about being able to get in these guys' heads. And, like, Rabel and this defense has put every quarterback in hell. And I know that this is their biggest matchup yet.

But, like, part of, I think, trusting the coaching is trusting the fact that, like, you might be able to believe that Sam Darnold, Pumpkins a little, just a little, doesn't look like himself, or even makes two big mistakes. He can play a nearly perfect game if the two mistakes are big enough and still lose. Yeah, it just takes a couple plays in the Super Bowl.

Tom Brady used to talk about that. There's usually one or two plays you can look at that decide the game and could be a pick, could be a pick six. I know Julian Edelman had this quote earlier this week that these games are more often lost than one. And I think that applies so perfectly here when you look at a guy like Sam Darnel. And frankly, when you look at a guy like Drake May, who's 23 years old and it's like, okay, here you go.

You're on the biggest stage. Are you going to show up and do the things you need to do to win? Or are you going to slip up when the blights are too bright? Oh, God, I'm just talking about this game. I'm getting so. I'm ready to run through a brick wall. I'm ready to run through a brick wall to wash his game. They're going to say you're bricked up.

That too. That too. All right. What's your favorite storyline from this game? A lot of great. storylines, the low-hanging fruit, Super Bowl 49 rematch, Super Bowl 49 was freaking awesome.

That's obviously a great storyline. Super Bowl 51 gets so much credit because of like the comeback, but like when you talk about like it just a dynamic, unbelievable, couldn't be scripted ending, is there any game like Super Bowl 49? No. I have that call

that intercepted at the goal line, Malcolm Butler call, just like engraved in my head. I just hear it all the time. And it was a great game even before that, like super back and forth. Incredible catch. We'd be very lucky.

Talk about a catch that everyone forgets about because he didn't win the game. Oh, yeah. Yeah. It was a Jermaine Curse. Yeah. Yeah, that game was incredible. If we get anything close to that

with this Super Bowl, we're very lucky. And another really fun storyline that's just really cool to think about is that regardless of who wins, this is a phenomenal story. This is a Cinderella story either way. only one Super Bowl winner ever, the 1999 Rams,

had worse odds to win the Super Bowl in the preseason than either. And either. Wow. So no matter who wins, it will be a Cinderella story against all odds kind of story. So that's really fun to think about. I'm being in trouble. My favorite storyline is that with how early it is in Drake May's rookie contract and with Kansas City's sort of falling apart,

Travis Kelsey retires, Patrick Mahomes, he's hurt, uh-oh, they're kind of in Capel. Is this the start of a new dynasty if the Patriots win this? Talk dirty to me, Mitch, talk dirty to me. There's a lot there. The AFC is lightning up. You can see a little shimmer of light that may be here in Foxborough, there could be another dynasty.

I don't want to say it too early. But that rookie contract is in my head. This is the time to build around these guys. And, you know, fuck, maybe this is exactly what everyone in Cincinnati was thinking when Joe Burrow went in his second season and now look at them. And they were also thinking, oh, the witch is dead. There goes Mahomes. And then he's right back the next year. So who knows. But intrusive thought here is this could maybe be the start of another dynasty. Nothing would make the majority of the NFL more upset than that. But I would be on cloud nine. I think my life would be 10 times better if that half. happen as a Patriots fan. And I'm going to let those intrusive thoughts hit my brain as well, because it's just such a beautiful thought. On that beautiful thought and beautiful note, that was

our preview for today. We will be jumping into our mega, mega preview on Thursday, really breaking down this game and giving our predictions, score predictions, bold predictions, everything. But first, for all you sickos out there, we are jumping into our first 2026 mock draft of the fantasy football season. All right, Mello, because I am such a gracious host, co-host, I've given you the first pick and we will be doing two rounds of picks, but in our case, 10 rounds of picks, drafting our fantasy teams to start out. Oh, boy, that is very exciting.

Love having the first overall pick. We're doing half-p-R, correct? Half-p-pr, good call. Half-point PPR. Okay. I think this year there's a lot of guys. worthy of the first overall pick. I think you could argue realistically three or four different players. I'm going to go with the guy I've been saying all year should stay at top of the mountain.

And I'm going to take Jamar Chase. And I think a lot of people would not right now, especially in half point PPR. I have been saying all year, Jamar Chase should still be first overall next year. Jamar Chase should still be first overall next year. And as much as I love Pooka and Akua so much with all my heart. And as much as I think Bijan Robinson is incredible. And J.S. is incredible. I have to take Jamar Chase. Because of the injuries this year to Joe Burrow

and some dysfunction with the team as a whole, Jamar was a little bit underwhelming, still phenomenal, but underwhelming compared to what we hoped for the first overall pick. If Joe Burrow stays healthy, I just don't see any scenario. Jamar doesn't have the safest four of any wide receiver with as high of a ceiling as any wide receiver.

tied to Joe Burrow, the defense should still suck. I'm all over, Jamar. I would take him first overall. I can't fully disagree with it because I do think that there were so many circumstances that you can't expect to return this season of Joe Burrow injury and even like T. Higgins being injured for parts of the year and the concussions. And so I like that pick a lot. Their schedule shouldn't be too bad.

I can't start at wide receiver to start a draft this year. I think I'm like almost all the way locked in that I'm going to start with a running back. And now we're mainly picking these picks to just pick who we think should be going where in the ADP rankings, not team construction. But I've got that stuck in my head. And so the number one overall pick in my head has to be running back. And it's Bejean Robinson. Bejohn Robinson was on, I believe, the highest percentage of winning teams in fantasy football this year. crazy statistic because he would have thought it was Christian McCaffrey or Trey McBride,

but Bejohn Robinson's phenomenal. His situation shouldn't change too, too much. We'll see what the quarterback situation looks like with Michael Pennix's health next year. But Pijon Robinson seems like an absolute smash pick to take at two. And then I will go wide receiver for my second pick. I'm going to jump over Puka Nakua, which feels crazy. I'm going to jump to our boy in the Super Bowl, Jackson Smith & Jigba. I just, I kick, God, I want to be able to watch Jackson Smith and Jigba on Sunday and be like, he's on my team.

And it sucked watching him this year. And I feel like 90% of the time I was somehow going against him when he was just going nuts. Jackson Smith and Jigba is so fun. He's so talented. He's so young and only getting better. Same thing with Pukunakua. I'm not saying that he's not. But I think there was a thing with Puganakua this year where he just plays so fast and loose and you're always worried. he's like going to get blown up. He was actually the runner up for the Jalen Waddle. He'll be out of the blue tent in a minute, Memorial Award. He was a finalist for sure.

He was a finalist. I think he was very disappointed. He didn't win. I got a call from him. He was in the blue tent at the time. But I'm going to go with JSN here at my number three pick. I can't blame you for that at all, like in the slightest. But now I'm going to take Pukukukukukua.

Now that you let me have Pooka Nakuwa, I will gladly take him. one of my favorite players in the league, you're right. I think it's actually sort of the same reason he fell later, not late, but later into the first and to the early second this past year. Like every time he gets tackled, it's like a car collision. Yes. And then he's going to the blue tent and you're just like on the edge of your seat,

seeing if he's going to come out and go back on the field or come out and go to the locker room. And I think that is sort of in people's heads. But to me, he's almost like the Christian McCaffrey of receivers where it's like, we talked about last year. If you guaranteed Chris McCaffrey played every single game, you take him first overall. But you don't know that. That's kind of like Puka for me. If you guarantee me Puka and Stafford, Stafford's a big part of this equation as well. You told me they're both going to play every single game. I would take him over even Jemar Chase. So I love Puka with all my heart. I will take him with my second pick. With my third pick, I need to take a running back now,

which at the top of my big board, luckily it is a running back anyways. And that's Jemir Gibbs. one of the most electric, talented running backs in the league. I think his usage is just going to keep going up and up to as David Montgomery gets older and they maybe face him out a little bit. Jemir Gibbs is so versatile, so explosive, and just a delight to watch. So I will be taking him fifth overall. I like it. To recap so far, five picks in Jemar Chase at number one, Bejohn at 102, Jassette at 103,

Puka at four, Jemir Gibbs at five. I'm going to do the thing that I think you're an idiot for doing last year, and I'll be the idiot this year. I'm going to fade Christian McCaffrey a little bit, because I think a lot of people would probably take him here. I'm going to go CD Lamb. I think CD Lamb is like a big post-hyped sleeper kind of guy, and I know that's usually thrown around for guys with a little less like pedigree than CD-Lam,

but I think a lot of people, us included, we had them in our big money best ball draft last year. A lot of people were really excited, and the injury happened, and the production was here and there. because of George Pickens. I just can't get away from that talent at the wide receiver position. And like, I mean, also with Chris McCaffrey,

you may as well be drafting a wide receiver. But I'm not sure we're going to see George Pickens in Dallas next year. I'm really not. And I think if that offense is completely back to CD Lamb, the volume is just going to be ungodly. Even if George Pickens is there, you're going to see a huge jump from last year. And I think you're going to see a good year as CD Lamb.

For my next pitch, I agree. I'll take Christian McCaffrey. I just wanted to make that point to be like, if I'm in a draft and I'm picking up the six, as of right now, I think I like C.D. Lamb, just a little bit more in those underdog drafts. Yeah, I agree.

I think he's somebody who could finish as the wide receiver one. And he left a bad taste in some people's mouths this year. But to get him where he's going currently, I think is very nice value. I think that's kind of my mantra this year. is not letting those bad taste in your mouth emotional decisions get in the way of just knowing a guy's really talented and probably going a little lower than he should be. Yeah, by the dip.

By the dip. All right, so you've locked in McCaffrey? I've locked in McCaffrey. All right, I was hoping you'd let me have my darling Christian McCaffrey. But since you will not be allowing me that pleasure, I am going to go back to the wide receiver well. and I'm going to take one of the safest floors in fantasy football throughout his whole career

and that's Abenraa St. Brad. Now, Abin Ra, I like him a little less than best ball, a little more in redraft home league kind of things, but I love him either way. He is so consistent, so reliable. And even though on a season finish perspective,

I don't like his upside as much as some of these other guys, on a week-to-week perspective, he can have a 30-point week any given week. So I love Amin Ra. I think we disrespected him for a lot of his career because he was such a late pick. We should definitely not be doing that. And then I'm going to go with a running back. And I'm going to go a little risky here.

And I'm actually going to go Devin a Chan. And I know there are other guys who are more on better teams, more proven year in and year out. But Devin a Chan was phenomenal this season. a little worried to see what this team's going to look like. I don't know who the quarterback's going to be. A Chan was great with Tua. I don't know if he'll be as great with the next guy. But he's too fast, explosive, and talented for me to pass up on him here.

Yeah. I'm going to get a little wild. No, I'm not going to get a little wild. I'm going to stay safe. I'll go Jonathan Taylor with my first pick. The quarterback situation bugs me, but I just think he's so talented. And I almost think they're like going to have to use him. even more this year.

I'm like, I'm staring down some of these other names on my list. And I have to go Jonathan Taylor here at the 10th pick. But I'll drop down a little bit for the 11th pick. I'm going to go with Malik Neighbors. We've talked up Jackson Dart already this winter. And Malik Neighbors was unbelievable last year before he got hurt. He's very fortunate to have gotten hurt early on in the season so that he'll be back early enough this year.

But I'm going to take my shot on Malik Neighbors. I think if you get him in like the sense. second round. You can grab Jackson Dart. I think he's the QB7 right now. That's a really, really fun stack that could be like a top five fantasy QB, top five fantasy wide receiver combination. Yeah, I love Malik neighbors going into next year's ball. I don't blame you for reaching a little bit on the current rankings. I think he'll be great. I am also going to reach down a little bit further on the current rankings for receiver. I'm absolutely in love with for next year. and that is Rishi Rice.

I'm going to caveat that with assuming he's A, healthy, which I expect him to be, and be not suspended again because it seems like there's a new And not allowed behind the wheel. Yeah. There's always something with him. I'm not endorsing Rishi Rice, the human being, but I will gladly endorse Rishie Rice, the football player.

We'll also see what happens with Mahomes. That could dictate a lot of where he should be going in drafts. But if Mahomes is good to go, if Rishie's good to go, he's going to be one of the most targeted receivers in football. I think he's a legitimate, incredible talent. So he is somebody, as of right now, I'm looking to target end drafts next year. And then I'll follow that up with a running back.

It's a guy you like a lot, Mitch, I know. I think he'll have a big year to break out, and that's Ashton Janty. I think he is going to be a very nice breakout next year if the Raiders can just get a little bit better on the offensive line and get a little bit better of quarterback play. so I'm all over, Jenty.

That just pissed me off. I was so excited. I'm so excited. I'll go a little chalkier here then, like a name way higher on my list that we've kind of like moved past, and I kind of jumped over him anyway to go for neighbors. It's like the poster child for the touchdown regression argument last year that all of us should just shut the fuck up about and draft.

James Cook. Let's just draft James Cook. Let's just do it. He dropped too far in our draft right here. The other guy I'm going to go with, I want a name drop. I'm just going to name drop. I'm eyeing Drake London,

but I think I want the positional advantage here, and I think I'm going to go Trey McBride. I did that big talk about Brock Bowers, but like, if I'm looking at truly where I'm ranking these guys, like, I think Trey McBride is too low for the advantage and gives you a tight end. I agree with that decision by you. Both James Cook and Trey McBride,

I think, are really good values where you were able to get them. I am now going to take the guy you name dropped. I'm going to take Drake London. Drake London, super talented. He's been both this season and last season, significantly better with Michael Pennix than with Kirk Cousins. Pennix should theoretically be the week one starter. So if it can stay that way, he'll be really good.

And you talked about reaching for positional value. I'm going to do the same here. This player every single year, I knew where this is going. Every year, without exception. It's like the best bet you can make in fantasy. He goes too late. He is the most late,

unrealistically late, drafted player every year, Josh Allen. I thought I was going to steal him. I thought I was going to take him with the next pick and, damn it. You could look me in the eye and say,

Mello, I'm thinking of taking Josh Allen with my late first round pick in my fantasy draft this year. And I'd say, you know what? I don't blame you. That's fine. Josh Allen has been the quarterback one or two

every year the last six years. He's been the quarterback won four of those six years. And when he's the quarterback one, it's usually by a wide gap to either the quarterback two or in some cases the quarterback three where he and one other quarterbacker their own tear. But it's the same thing every year. He's the best bet in fantasy.

Why are we not taking him earlier? I think he's a steal every single year where he's going. A man named drop again. I couldn't agree more. I would have taken him there if you didn't. I'm going to go Nico Collins here. Same reason I believe in Jaden Higgins. I think this offense gets better.

I also love watching Nico Collins play. Like, he's just so awesome. The guy I was eyeing here was Justin Jefferson. And I was going to just take him because it seems right to take Justin Jefferson the first two rounds. I think I'm going to start standing on the take that I don't think you should take Justin Jefferson the first two rounds of fantasy football next year. And so I will... I don't blame you. I will avoid that.

And I think I'm going to get a little bit weird on this final pick. I think I'm going to go with Bucky Irving. Ooh. I was not expecting that. I would have gone with Brock Bowers here. In retrospect, now that we're drafting, instead of, you know, Tray McBride, maybe I should have gone and taken Josh Allen.

But I think Bucky Irving is so talented. He got injured this year. Really weird. injury because there was like the situation with his like shoulder and the the injury like he was keeping it from the training staff and thought it would get better and it didn't so he missed so much time and another guy kind of like Brock Bowers he talked about last episode I never knew towards the end of the year he was ever really healthy you know and yeah what we saw last year I mean you had to draft Bucky Irving so high this year to get him on your team and I think you're getting

that dip from this really bizarre year I think the talent's still there I think Tampa Bay is a great team. I think I'm in a situation where I'm going to love stacking up Tampa Bay guys if I can get a Buka and Irving. So give me Bucky Irving with the 19th pick. Yeah, I probably wouldn't have done it, but I don't necessarily blame you. Also, I think Rashad White's going to be a free agent, so I wouldn't be surprised if he's not there. That could create some more opportunities. I wouldn't blame them for letting him go. Look at Sean Tucker. I'm like, Sean Tucker's the fucking future. True. Yeah, Sean Tucker every time he plays is all of a sudden Barry Sanders.

I'm going to take a running back. I'm going to take Amari and Hampton. Just kidding. I obviously would not do that after how much we've trashed on him. Although this is where he's going. No, this is where he's going in drafts. Just to illustrate, think of all the names we just said. That's where Omerion Hampton is going, right around these guys.

Absolutely not. We're like inadvertently becoming a Hampton hate podcast. But I am going to prepare myself to get hurt again. and I'm going to take Justin Jefferson. You said you were thinking about it. I don't feel good about it. I feel a little icky about it. But then I'm like,

it's maybe the best wide receiver in football. Quite possibly the best wide receiver in football. I just, yeah, straight up talent wise. How do I not take them with the 20th pick? Like, it would hurt me so badly not to, but it might hurt me later that I did. A risk I'm willing to take again. I'm ready to be hurt again.

Well, that was our first two. rounds. Pretty soon after the Super Bowl, once Underdog lobbies open up, we'll be doing more real drafts against real people in best ball. I'm, oh my God, my bankroll this summer for best ball is going to be ungodly with this podcast. But that is it for this one. Make sure to leave a comment letting us know whose team you liked better. And then also drop a like and subscribe so that you can be notified every time we drop a brand new episode. Catch you next time.