The Bill Simmons Podcast - The "My Guy" Fantasy Football Draft (4th Annual!) With Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck

Episode Date: August 22, 2025

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck for their annual "My Guy" Fantasy Football Draft (1:49). Host: Bill Simmons Guests: Danny Heifetz, Danny Kelly, and Craig Horlbeck Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit⁠⁠ www.rg-help.com⁠⁠ to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Bill Simmons podcast is brought to by the Ringer podcast network where you can find these guys. It's our Ringer Fantasy Football Show crew. You can find the fantasy guide is on the ringer.com. It's sort of technically on the ringer.com. Fantasyf Football.com. It's a great product. I like it.

We're doing this Yahoo Fantasy Draft on Monday, and you're banning, are you banning last? No technology. Pencils and paper. The no technology draft. Yeah, I don't know. So you have to print out stuff? Yeah, I know.

Or buy like a magazine or something? If you can find a printer somewhere in this world. I really like, so are phones banned? Yeah. No phones. No. This was all, this was unilateral Craig. This should give you an edge.

No, no, no. No, this is great. Hyphids was in on it. Yeah. Yeah. For, phones for emergencies only. I mean, I was doing fantasy when we just had like the USA Today, like just season leaders and that would all he looked at and just, I can't wait.

So we're doing a ringer draft on Monday, and you can watch it live on the fantasy football channel that these guys have. New rewatchables is coming on Monday. We are doing Witness. It is movie number 399, which you can watch on the Ringer Movies YouTube channel as well. Coming up, we're doing the annual My Guy Fantasy Draft, 30 categories that went way too long, and insults were thrown around. Can't wait.

I would take a break, Pearl Jam, and then the draft. All right, we're taping this on a Thursday afternoon. I'm here with the ringer fantasy football guys, Danny Hyfitts, Danny Kelly, Craig Horlebeck, who's in my life with the Reward. Lachibles as well. I think, what is this? The fourth year we've done this or third? Third?

Third? At least third. At least third, maybe fourth. It's an annual tradition to my guy fantasy football draft. We have all these stupid categories. We draft different people. We try to make fun of as many people.

I found, like, let's say animosity toward fantasy football guys this year. It's a really good top 30 this year. Yeah, it's like I was going through and I'm like trying to find people I wanted to short or be against or be angry about. I just, I don't know how it's, I just felt kind of happy and blissful and liked everybody. Are you just like, becoming more forgiving in your old age?

Yeah, I didn't have a lot of grudges. There weren't, like I saw Trevor Lawrence, that made me mad. Yes. But just for the most part, I wasn't angry at a lot of people. Kyle Pitts, obviously, but that's like, that's this ground that we've tread so many times. Like, who are the angry guys to share that, I think, are triggers for people? I think the entire Miami Dolphins team, pretty frustrating group of guys. Yeah, but isn't everybody?

kind of lived with that and yeah I think through it and like everybody's kind of giving up on potentially not being disappointed by them I agree with you that there are there's not a lot of guys to hate this year and I kind of think part of that is there was just a lot of good rookies and second year guys last year that broke out

there's just like so much new talent there's so much like new stuff to get excited you can just like scroll and be like ooh that guy oh lad McConkey like you just kind of like a lot of people in the top 50 this year so but we'll see there's guys there's less like old kind of semi washed up sort of guys, like those

Keenan Allen types. You usually have a ton of those. Like, I'm not taking that guy. That guy's done. A lot of the bets from last year, like Derek Henry, is this going to work? He's washed. That worked. Seaconne Barclay, is just going to work? That worked. So a lot of like risky bets paid off. So now those aren't things that people are thinking anymore. I think

Christian McCaffrey is the guy that comes to my mind where you're like, what the hell do I do with this guy? Yeah, but that's starting into a game of chicken where people now are positioning when they talk to other people about like, I wouldn't go near it, but meanwhile, they're like I'm definitely beating for pushing him down. It's a good point that you're making because, I mean, basically, you know, happiness is just expectations minus reality.

And I think to your point, if you take away McCaffrey, all these older players are like surpassing expectations now. Like the Mike Evans types. Yeah, they just keep going. Derek Kennedy had the quietest 2,000 yards from scrimmage ever, and he's 30 years old. And like, I mean, didn't even talk about it because Sequin did what he did after like the running back narrative flipped on all these older guys performing. McCaffrey was the only guy who didn't. but then the rookie is the same thing. We heard all this hype.

There's a lot of hype, except for Marvin Harrison Jr. All the other rookies hit the mark. And so I think that those two guys have the animosity, but everyone else actually really surpassed it. So we have this word. I feel like this is an NBA thing too, where the older guys are hanging on. So you have younger guys seem like more prepped.

I guess the NBA, they're a little younger, but like you have this thing where older guys are hanging on. So you still have Mike Evans. You still have Derek Henry. You still have like guys that you, Devante Adams, who's 33, but getting like $20 million a year. But now you have like Brian Thomas and Lama Konki and all these rookies that worked out.

immediately. So the collection of good players is just bigger. Yes, exactly. But do you feel like part of it is this social media era where everybody, all the players can fire back of people and players have podcasts. And I don't know, 30 years ago, we'd just been like, fuck Caleb Williams. He sucks. I was going to bring up Caleb Williams.

Yeah, but Caleb Williams, I feel like would have been way more polarizing. Where everybody's so glass half full on everybody now. I was like, Caleb Williams, I don't know, 4,000 yards. But maybe it'll turn, maybe this would be the year. there'll be a lot of disappointments and then next year we'll be that I fucking hate that guy fucking hate this guy yeah I think we're in a weird era now though like there were literally

AI videos about players that you don't know if this like Debo Samuel there was a video that literally made Debo Samuel look fatter than he was just to get people against him in commander's practice I don't think we even know if that was AI was it not I don't know I think it was just a camera with a different lens oh I thought he

was that chunky he was that chunky people apparently were saying back on my board the problem is we're at a point where it's really difficult to find the answer to someone's like, this Photoshopps AI. And we're like, I don't even know how to check that. And like, Brock Bauer's being bald. And like someone just Photoshop that. There will just be like a video of J.J. McCarthy making some terrible pass.

And then if you read the comments, everyone's like, that's Sam Howell. From last year. Yeah, there's like these accounts that are like, you know, these bots trying to take people down. It's kind of hard online now to decipher what's going on. Yeah. One of my friends sent me this AI thing of the sad meme when I was sad at the Celtic game. and I'm sad

but then all of a sudden I get excited and start pumping my fist and I did it an AI and it fucking freaked me out Oh wow That's weird It was like happy me

But I had like big Like Al Pacino teeth in it That was the only way you knew It was fake But yeah This is gonna be the next five years Of us trying to figure out What's real

What's not real? A lot of propaganda in training camp now Oh yeah Yes That's the other The online propaganda It's just hard to know What's real and what's not

Well when we have these coaches That are really good at selling Yeah everyone's savvy now Everyone's bad at Sean Pate now that he's, like, talking up his team too much. He just compares every single player. He compares every single player. He compares.

He's like, this guy reminds me, Pat Bryant reminds you, Michael Thomas. Yeah. Arjah Harvey reminds me Alvin Cabrano. Beau Nix is like, Patrick Mawms. Tom. You can please come up with better comps, dude? It makes it way harder to figure out that nobody believes in us team, which is actually not just big for futures and betting and picking stuff, but also for fantasy.

Because, you know, you want to figure out like the, when we're going to talk about, like, we have all these categories, the. team you definitely want all the guys from the team you don't want all the guys from um but the sleeper team sometimes like tampa last year if you went out on them you had baker and you'd bucky irving and you had the receivers like you you were loaded up what were we gonna say i just think that nobody believes in his team is tough because like i forget which team coined that which team was the the 2007 giants right and so i just think that that was like sorry that was kind of dickish but no i was earlier than that i'm not giving them credit but i think that it was like uh

There's just a different era of media. But I think now, basically you're talking about adversity, and it used to be like Tom Brady would go home from practice or game and turn on ESPN. And now guys just look at their phones at their locker. So, like, they're in their mentions. So they're, it's never been easier for individual players or teams to find things that, like, you have coaches printing out tweets people, said.

So it's like weird because it's like Patrick Mahomes. Like the Chiefs just went to three Super Bowls. And they had, and Patrick Mahomes is like finding stuff. Like even Steph Curry is like at how. I feel like checking his mentions, and he's Steph Curry. So I feel like everyone's just finding adversity. I think you guys should have done that, the fantasy landscape. It's like, nobody believed in us.

Second biggest fantasy pod. People said we couldn't get here. When our name was the Danesie football podcast, nobody believed. Nobody believed because if you Googled it, it wouldn't come up. Yeah, they thought it was a typo. Now Matthew Barry's calling us. All right, let's go through this because we have a lot of stuff. to hit we added categories this year the most important category though we'll go on

we'll just go in order this way so you go and we'll everybody gets to pick and then we do the next one danny kelly goes sweet hi fits uh my one true love who is it for you in 2025 it's a little lame i don't care it's jimier gab's the running back for the lions and it's this simple it's because i think that the conversation we're just having there's just a lot of players you could take number one overall this year. And so I think that, frankly, there is an unusually high caliber of people you can get fourth.

And I know that for you, that's a booger eater draft and you prefer auctions, but like, all my, no one anymore, none of my friends want to do it anymore. So if you just get the fourth pick this year,

I've even seen the fifth pick and you end up with Jemir Gibbs. And you know, I feel like in most years, Jamir Gibbs would be going first in a lot of recent drafts. And I just think he's the best running back in the league.

If you want to do Bijun Roberts, that's cool too. But I just, I love Gibbs and that kind of guy in this, in the lion's offense and everything. going to be bad again, so he's going to get so many touches. And I just think it's such an unusual profile for a guy that's still ascending and getting better

that it's just a crazy good player to get in basically the middle of the first round. So you had him in the Ringer Fantasy Football Guide, a great product. $59 for him, number three player overall. You agree with that, Danny Kelly? Yeah. I mean, I think right in that range. I don't think I would not look at you sideways if you pick him first. Really?

What scares me about him? It's just skating where the puck's heading. It's just, he, next year, Bejohn and Gibbs will be the top two picks. Like, you just, you agree with that? Yeah. I've never had Jemir Gibbs in a fantasy season, and every year I'm jealous of the guy who does. He's just so explosive. I think, obviously, the question marks this year are,

is the lion's offense going to take a huge step back with Ben Johnson gone? And I still think they have so much talent and, I don't know, institutional knowledge, I guess, in terms of how they want to run their offense. this new guy can probably, you know, make it a pretty good, like, new guy. He doesn't know his name. Morton. John Morton. He's the offensive line and no Ben Johnson.

Sign me up. He honestly, he might as well. Penae Soule is like the new Trent Williams where his ability, he can, they can pull Penaisal as a tackle on plays that usually you have to pull a guard because he's so fast he can get there, which is just a Trent Williams thing. So as long as Penae Sules there, they're able to do things in the run game that literally other teams are not able to do. They can try things no other team can do.

That is the kind of advantage that it doesn't necessarily leave. That was a pretty boring pick because your cohort's all agreed with it and we can't even debate it. Something scares me about him from a durability standpoint. Yeah. How many, has he ever gotten, he hasn't gotten like 350 touches? Well, he's so, he's kind of like the new Alvin Camaro a little bit in the sense of just so efficient with his touches. Yeah, yeah. And he scores so many touchdowns, explosive player.

Big plays, yeah. But when David Montgomery went down at the end of the season, Javier Gibbs was just like the best player. Yeah, he had like 280 touches last year. Okay. Who do you have DK? I might have one that's a little controversial, I guess, here. I got Brock Bowers for the Raiders. I think there's a lot of people that are worried right now in Fantasyland

because of the way that the Raiders are using him in the preseason, which I know sounds silly, but this does kind of move ADPs and create a level of concern with him because he's not playing as many snaps with the starters as I think you'd want. They have Michael Mayer playing a bunch, and maybe they're not going to use him as a blocker. But I'm just like, I'm going to ignore all that. Bowers is just too good.

I mean, look at what he did as rookie. Third in receptions behind only Jamar Chase and Amman Rosson. He has elite wide receiver numbers as a rookie tight end. He has the most catches ever for rookie in any position. And this is the same guy who, like going back to his college as a true freshman at Georgia, led the Bulldogs in receiving on a team that had Ladd-McConkey, A. D. Mitchell, George Pickens, James Cook, Darnow Washington, Jermaine Burton, Arian Smith, all draft picks, like super talented group, and he was by far the best.

He's just, I think he's just a really good player. Craig and I kind of argued about him last year because there was a picture of him wearing like an auto-trader t-shirt and he just looked like a software engineer. Yeah, he looked like not athletic whatsoever. I was like, Craig, you've got to go watch. And then a photo came out of him bald, shaved. Everybody thought he had shaved his head AI, not real. Anyway, I'm just, I had him on one of my teams last year and it was glorious.

Yeah. And then when you actually watched and there's less. games in the late afternoon part of the schedule I test wise he just like jumps out of the TV like he'd make crazy catches in traffic yeah seemed just unstop originally I was kind of like and tied in in the first round I don't love it I do think I'm now starting to underrate Gino Smith being the quarterback like we did this last year with Derek Henry and the Ravens we were like oh you know what it's a different team and now it looks so obvious it's like of course the Ravens Derek

Henry on the Titans, the lowest yards before contact. The Ravens had the highest yards after contact. And it's like, of course it made sense. Sequin on the Eagles. We overthought that. I'm like, Brock Bowers going from Aidan O'Connell and Gardner Minchu and Desmond Ritter to to Gino Smith, and he did what he did last year with those three quarterbacks. I'm kind of like, man, I don't know.

Maybe this guy should just be like the sixth pick and drafts. Well, doesn't it come down to math? If he's 70 points higher than the next tight end or something crazy like that. I always think that way. I've gotten in the point with fantasy where I'm just like, can I just have one of the best QBs? Totally.

Because they all get 50 to 70 points more than every other QB. 100%. With Bowers, if he's like a wide receiver 8 at tight end, I think that makes him first round value in a booker team. Yeah. The easiest way to win your league with,

like your friends, if they're not paying a ton of attention, is to just lock an elite quarterback, lock an elite tight end like Brock Bowers, get a running backs early, and just win on receivers and running backs later in the draft. That's generally the easiest.

way to do it. I'm in on that. And I think the Gino thing is the underrated piece of it. And I underrated with, I'm, I kick drove a couple standing mock things with the Raiders as a seventh age just to see how it felt. Just to, you know, I'm in the store, putting on the jacket, kind of walking around, looking in the mirror, see, see if it feels safe. The floor associates, like, you look great in that.

Did you see Pete Carroll in his starter jacket? He looks great. Man. All the players, like, Gentie, Gino, P. Carroll, everyone just looks great as a raider. Yeah. Well, you think like... It's cool when the Raiders are good.

It's, yes. And the Raiders have not been good while we've been alive. As Craig knows, I invented the three and three out for the playoffs. Right. I'm saying that. I don't know if I invented it. But I wrote about in 2010, I was like, Craig, I invented this. I'm just taking credit for it.

You're like, sure. I was like, well, if we're going by that classic thing where, you know, four teams stay in, three teams go out. And then he was like, I invented that. I've no idea if I did. I'm taking credit for it. Anything else? P&A key neck tie, anything else? But the three and three out, the easiest thing to identify is like, did a team have

a shitty quarterback and a shitty coach. And do they now have a competent quarterback and a competent coach? They, like, fit the model for it. And then you think, like, Bowers and if Genti's good, they're going to be a bitch to play. I mean, the Raiders didn't score any touchdowns last year. That was the only thing holding Bowers back.

He had five touchdowns. And it's like, all right. If he is Gino Smith now, he's probably going to have eight to ten. I love it. What do you have for my one true love? I'm going with Drake London on the Falcons. You've always liked them.

I like Drake London. I'm big on Atlanta this year. I think Pennix is good. I think the offense is going to be one of those I think like the bucks last year this is going to be an offense that you kind of want everybody on the team I think

Drake London's not that famous he's a really cool name but he's not that famous I think he's like the cheapest guy you can get that could be the number one overall receiver and fantasy also you just look on like Fandul he's 22 to 1 to lead the league in receiving touchdowns

I think he has as good a chance as anybody when he played with Pennix last year 40% target share first in the NFL 117 yards per game first in the NFL He got 60% of the team's end zone targets last year, first in the NFL. 60. I think it's a perfect storm of like, you have the gunslinger, even if Pennix, worst case scenario to me, Penning,

Pinnis, but for fantasy, that's all right. So if you have the gun slinging Pennix, you have a year two in a system of Zach Robinson and Rahim Morris. I thought they did a good job year one. Zach Robinson comes from the McVeigh world. He's like moving Drake London around. He's moving him in the slot. They're like scheming them open.

And there's not like a true other alpha competition. I was like, darn on Moon, he's good. You have Kyle Pitts. You have Bijan Robinson. But I just think it's all going to funnel to Drake London. He's going to have like a Mike Evans 15 touchdown season, I think. I guess where I pause is you thinking Michael Pennix is definitely good. I'm not against it.

I just don't know. He just has to be a gunslinger, which I think we know he is. Also, is he going to be healthy. How many times did he get hurt in college? That was the big reason why he fell in the draft. Pennix being the new quarterback. Yeah, he's like, he's not. Everyone's just penciling him in for 4, 200 yards and 32.

And it's like, how about, he's going to play 12 games? What are you worried about? He only had four season ending injuries in college. I just, I don't know. Am I crazy, though, that, all right, their backup is Kirk Cousins who maybe has a starter wash? That's a good point. That Kirk was injured last year, but it would not be weird to think Kirk is better this

year than last year because he's a year further removed from the Achilles. I think to your point, though, I think to kind of square what you guys are saying is I don't think you're necessarily wrong. I just don't know. I'm wide open on Pennix. I don't know where it goes. He may not be good enough to get Atlanta at the, playoffs. But I think that one thing we know about

Pennix is he's going to throw deep down the field. Like Pennix frankly, in a league where everything we keep bitching about everything's like neutered, all the passing, it's like the bumper's up on the bowling lane, like no one pushes down field anymore like Mahom. Penix is ripping it. Penix is ripping pass. Like the only people last year that were

throwing the ball more than 10 yards downfield on average was Richardson who got bench and Pennix. And like that's what we liked about James. Like he's throwing so deep. And like that was him in college. He was just putting it up there for Roma Dunes. Jalen Polk, my guy, Drake May is going to be like that, too. Michael Pennix got Jalen Polk drafted by you guys in the second round.

Jalen Polk, is he going to make your team? Like that was a PENIC. Yeah, he's out for the season, right? He just got, he's out with a shoulder separation thing. My buddy Hensch texted, this is the first separation he's had since he's been a patriot. That's good. Tough one. Tough one for Polk.

So, yeah. Also, Atlanta, fourth, easiest schedule. That's huge. I was looking, a lot of shootouts. I was going through on my podcast. notes last year to remember what happened last season because you just get amnesia when they're going through the season and you forget 90 things.

Atlanta was terrible last year. Remember they should have been like three and 12 at one point? Well, Kirk. They won all these dumb games. They won that dumb, what was that week two game against Philly? Shape one dropped the ball. Yeah, but they had like five of those and we were like, how are they?

At one point they were minus 400 to win the division and they were awful. Kirk was a mess. Kirk was like that last one with Ben Rothensberger where he was like just Adele Park and Bark couldn't move. Kirk is weird because Kirk is always been this way where you think of as an average quarterback. He's actually incredibly streaky, extremely hot and cold.

And he was very hot in the beginning. He was actually getting the offense really well. Yeah. But then he, and then he was the worst quarterback. He was so bad. Couldn't throw. I have a lot of true loves this year. So I wanted to target one that I couldn't figure out in another category. I'm not just doing this because D.K. is here. Jackson, Smith, the Jigba.

Yeah. Who I had last year on one of my teams. And I thought for about seven weeks, he was, one of the five best receivers I was watching every week. He was open all the time. There was like no difference between him and I'm on Ross St. Brown. He was fucking awesome. Every third down.

It was third nine, third and ten. Danny knows. And then at the end of the year, their offense died. And I'm not sure what happened to the off. Remember they had that one, like they had the six to three game. The offensive line kind of died. The running back situation got weird. And the team just kind of cratered,

right at a point when it seemed they were going to win. There was some Metcalf stuff. I just think this year he's by far the best receiver they have. I like the Seahawks in general. And I just think he's going to have a massive year. Like I think he can be in the top six or seven for receivers.

I just think he's 90 to 100 yards a game. Steady, third downs, touchdowns. I'm in. Yeah, he's as reliable as they come in terms of route running, hands, just body control. He adds a little bit run after the catch. He does remind me, I think I comped him

to Amman Ross St. Brown coming out. He's just opened all the style. Just kind of across the middle. I remember watching the Ohio State Rose Bowl. I think it was versus Utah. I was very much on January 1st. And I remember, I think Jackson Smith and Jaybo had 350 receiving yards in that game. And I remember thinking that he was like the best college game I'd ever seen by a player.

And he's not quite that. But I think because he had a weird rookie year with Shane Waldron and everything, his actual level of talent has been. really just straight up forgotten. He basically took the Lockett spot halfway through the year. Lockett was the third receiver in that team. But we had him like in the Ringer Fantasy Football Guide right now. We have him 15th.

We have them between T. Higgins and Garrett Wilson. Yeah, at the wide receiver position. And I just think he's going to end up. Like we have Pooka 6. We have neighbors seven. We have Thomas 8. I just think he's going to be in that neighborhood when the season's over. You can kind of go both ways.

You can do like the, it's his team now. Look what he did with D.K. McHaff and Lockett. at last year. He was still great. Now you have like a better play caller, all this stuff. And then you can be like, well, you're betting on Sam Donald. This is a team that wants to run the ball. The defense is going to be awesome. Maybe they won't have to score that many points. Now there's only Jackson Smith and Jakeba out there for defenses to focus on. You can kind of go both ways. But I do lean your way where I think he's going to be a good pick. The talent. Well, plus, I hesitate to do this to DK. What if Cup is like pretty good this year? Wow.

I mean, it's going to hurt JS. I haven't thought about that. But what really happened with him on the Rams was Puka was just like a younger, better version of Cup. Right. And it was just became Cup on the team. And then it was like watching a shooting guard on an NBA team. There's just a better shooting guard.

Yeah. So I just wonder like how the, like, I even wrote him off. I was like that guy, I wouldn't want to draft him. But they're, I don't know. He's in his early 30s. I think is it, is it a rap for him? They paid for him like he's going to contribute. They gave him a good amount of money.

I think it's a huge red flag that McVeigh, or McVeigh, was like, yeah, we don't want you anymore, bye-bye, but it is a red flag. Well, here's what I'm, here's what I'll say. I think Cooper Cup is going to be on the team to play a couple roles. He's going to be their slot receiver and he goes out and he can still block his ass off and that really matters to them in terms of like the schematic advantages it brings when your receivers can block. It's like you can run so many different, so many more different plays in like 11 or 12 personnel

or whatever where the receivers are out there blocking too. It just gives you an advantage. but I also think if JSN, he's actually what I've heard is he's running around outside more and kind of like not just stuck in the slot. He could have bigger plays in his future

and they're going to do a lot of play action. That's like a huge part of their offense. Think like Rashid Chaheed and Chris Oliva with the Saints last year when they were on the field together. It's like each shots. And obviously Sam Darnold, I mean for all his flaws,

he will push the ball down the field. He's aggressive downfield thrower and he's accurate downfield. Well, and then Valdez Scantling, too, in the locket spot, just running, like, straight lines. He's just clear out routes, yeah. And are you, did you buy Horton stock? I'm buying Horton stock. I think he's going to be the number three.

Yeah, I think the Cocks are going to be good. Let's take a break. We are on a terrible pace. We're going to come back with my crazy pills guy. All right, Danny, your crazy pills guy. The guy you're looking at that you don't understand why everybody else doesn't see it the way you see it. I don't understand why T. Higgins is so low everywhere. And I'm probably part of the problem.

I don't know if I have him high enough, but I think, I think, I think we're too low on T. Higgins. Last year he was wide receiver four in points per game. He did miss like five games because of hamstring injuries I believe. But again, he averaged 15 and a half points per game. He's in the perfect environment in Cincinnati with a

pass-first team. They're very past first, pass-heavy. Joe Burrow loves to pass the ball down the field. Trust him incredibly in the red zone. They're just going to go out there in terms of fantasy, the Bengals' offense is pure sex. It's exactly what you want. They're going to play fast. They're going to push the ball down the

field, they're going to score a ton of points. Joe Burrow passes to his receivers inside the five and ten yard line a lot. They will throw a lot of passing touchdowns because he just trusts them. It's kind of like the old Aaron Rogers thing. He's like, trust him to make the calls in certain areas where they're just like audible and you got a one-on-one matchup, I'm going to throw it up to you. And T. Higgins, that's like his game. He's just so big and tall.

It's like, you know, George Pickens, but more reliable. You know why he had him 14th? Because like, played 12 games the last two years. Yeah, he gets banged up. That's the thing. is the injuries. 656 yards in 23 and 911 yards last year. He's only 10 touchdowns once.

He is like a little more theoretical than I think people realize because you catch him on the right day. You're like, oh, my God, this guy's amazing. But it is get hurt every year. The thing D.K. keeps dropping me that always blows my mind is in the games that T. Higgins and Jemar Chase both played, that T. Higgins got more targets than Jemar Chase did. They're like the best passing offense.

Yeah. Since the 19-Niners. I think he's the perfect combination of floor and ceiling at receiver for where you're getting him because he's going to give you a good floor. There's only one season he's had where he averaged less than 10 points per game and that was 9.7 so he's like that floor is solid. He's not going to kill you

and he also has the higher end upside where if you know things go similar with the Bengals offense this year as they did last year he might be a top five receiver in the NFL. I like it. Who do you got Craig? Tyree kill. Whoa. Oh my lord. I'm willing to embrace the crazy this year with Tyreeks. Wow. I don't get it.

I don't get it. Last year, Tyree Kill had 1,800 yards. Two years ago. Sorry, yeah. Now you're gaslighting us. The last, not that he just watched. 2023 at 1,800 yards. He was the number one wide receiver in fantasy.

He was 29 years old. He had one bad year where he hurt his wrist in August. Two of him missed half the season. It was a down year. He tried to quit at the end of the season. He played 17 games. And now, he started. He started 17 and a half time.

Now, so he was going literally second in drafts last. year. Second overall, out of every player is going number two. Now he's going 28. And I'm like, whatever. The dolphins are a mess. I'm willing to like buy all that. The vibes are bad. Tyreeks talking shit about Mike McDaniel. I'm getting this guy, I'm getting Tyree killed at the end of the third round. If you just, if you just believe that he's not washed, guys best picking drafts. I've just been down this road too many times in fantasy football. Four decades of experience now. Usually when it goes south, it doesn't come back with the receivers. That's fair. However.

If you really did like a Sloan conference research paper in this? This guy, Adam Hars did a study on this and like it's totally. When it craters, it's never like back the other way. But it cratered half because he had a ligament injury in his wrist in August. And Tua, his quarterback missed half the year. Well, the good thing is he's a reliable health bet this year. Again, all that's fair. It's a parlay to be like Tyreek and Tua both of two.

Listen, this is why he's your crazy pills guy. Yeah, I'm just like this guy's going 28th over all. I get Tyree killed. I think this was going to happen. We always talk about like the week one test. Yeah. Where it's like, it's Sunday at 11, 25 a.m. And Tyree Kill has two catches for 95 yards in a touchdown already.

And you're like, ah, fuck. Yeah. He's back. Because like, to your point, dude, Bill Barnwell had one of the craziest stats I've ever read about Tyre Kill's 20, 23 season, which was that. The dolphins actually had like the few, almost the fewest passes in the NFL in the second half that year. Because they were leading games, right?

Yeah, because they were winning. So they didn't throw that much in the second half. But the point was if Tyree Kill had his 4.0 yards per route run, if he had had as many routes, as Calvin Johnson did, the year he set the single receiving mark, which was 1900 yards, Tyree Kill would have had 3,000 yards at the rate he was going.

I'm kind of just like, we had one down year and the team was a mess. I don't know if he's just physically washed. I'm getting him at the end of the third round. Yeah, it's a bad pick. I'm not paying for him, but if he's sitting there staring at me in round seven. I don't disagree with what, like, it's hard to refute

what you're saying where you're like, he could be a good pick. I'm like, yeah, I don't know how I can argue against that. Mine's a little happier. My crazy pill, guys. is on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's a rookie receiver named Emeka, Ibuka. Yeah. This just happens every year, and I'm tired of,

I had Brian Thomas Jr. and the Michael Thomas, thank God, didn't have him. Brian Thomas last year, and it was great. And he just got better as the year long and was just clearly one of the 10 best guys by the end of the thing. This guy checks all the boxes for me. Like, he fell too far in the draft.

He's going to a team that he's perfect for. they've already had receiver injuries Godman's not coming back to October McMillan's out for at least half this season I bet when I was in Boston I bet and I never bet on player overrunners because I just feel like it's stupid you always want to go over

injuries his overrunner for receiving yards was 675 and I was like I'm betting this like I can't believe this should be like in the 900s I look today it's now 825 it's 50 yards and I think it should go higher

you win another week you'd probably get at 9 Dude, here's the thing. I love reading the quotes going back to Danny's guy Russell Wilson in 2012. When the teammates and coaches, when it gets to a level of rave, you just know. And it was the case with Thomas last year in Jacksonville,

that whole training camp preseason, they were like, this guy's got it. This guy's fucking special. And that's what they're saying about Ibuka. And I just feel like you have him 44th in our fantasy draft guide. He's going to be in the top 12 by the end of the year, my prediction.

Maybe I'm taking crazy pills. Bill, regarding your bet that you made, you know who had around the same yards? What was it? 675. Ray Ray McLeod had 686 yards last year. Right. Wondell Robinson had 700 yards.

675 is like 50 yards a game. You got it. Quinn Johnson had more than 700. Who do you have for your crazy pill guy? Oh, Jalen Hertz. The Eagles quarterback. Jalen Hertz, he's ranked further back than Lamar Jackson. Like, whatever platform you want to look at it.

it's generally like Josh Allen Lamar, like 24th, 25th. Jalen Hertz is like 37th on Yahoo, 38th on Sleeper. Like, that's next to Marvin Harrison Jr. Yeah. And Jalen Hertz is ranked like they banned the tush push. And they didn't. And I actually don't understand because people are caught up and like, oh, well, this is the ceiling as high as Josh Allen.

I don't care. There is a play that the NFL, the other 31 teams want to ban because it's too easy for Jalen Hertz to score a touchdown. Yeah. It is literally, like, literally without exaggeration, I think Jalen Hertz is probably in the 21st century at quarterback. The most reliable week-to-week player there's ever been. He doesn't have down weeks. He doesn't have down weeks.

Even Josh Allen has a few stinkers. He's been number one on this season. Hertz misses some games. When he plays, Jailen-Hertz is the best player in the most predictable player. The whole problem, fantasy football is hard to predict. He is the single easiest player to predict in the entire league at any position. And you're going to get it. And this is honestly, he's kind of my one true love, too, in a way.

maybe gives flame. Hertz, if you get Jalen Hertz in the fourth round, I think that is the single best pick you can make in fantasy football this year because you're going to get a guy who is going to have more 30-point weeks than single digits. Absolutely.

I think there will be those games where he's just nine for 17 for 112 yards and rushes for 50 yards and a TD and you just look at it and you're like, but then he has 27 points somehow. And you're like, it didn't even look like he had a good game. Jelan Hertz has played 50 games that matter in the last five years he was 50 rushing touchdowns yeah he he has i'm with you he's a great guy to have

yeah what i love about him and we talked i think a couple years ago we were talking about how he's the greatest fourth quarter fantasy quarterback all time because if the eagles are trailing yes and they're trying to come back in the fourth quarter he's running around a ton he's passing it you know so he is game script proof too you know because he's either going to be scoring rushing touchdowns early in the game and they're going to be like icing the game later or they're going to have to you know last six minutes of the fourth quarter, he's going to score 15 fantasy points because he's running all around and doing everything. So it's just, yeah, he's so

consistent week in and week out. It's great. I would still rather have a few other guys, but it's the fifth best guy and you're not paying that much for him. You're up with a new category. I absolutely hate myself for doing this guy.

George Pickens, but I'm in. I'm going to do it. George Pickens. Yeah, yeah. I'm buying Dallas. I think Dallas is the off-brand Bengals this year I think I need some oxygen I think DAC

and Cid and Pickens are like Burrow and Chase and Higgins They're a guy from the stands who's their starting receiver running back Whatever, Chase Brown? Who's for the Cowboys? Oh no, you're talking about Giovante Williams

Edon Blue last year Who cares? That means he'll throw it more Or Miles Sanders I do think he's dead on that they're the off-brand Bengals because they're the same team They have horrible defenses. Their offense is built around a quarterback who's doing a Peyton Manning.

Yeah, they're doing Peyton Manning cosplay with these two top receivers. Yeah, it's like, I think that could lead the league in passing. Schontheimer, let him cook. Yeah, everyone talks about the Bengals last year. Oh, how many points he scored, how electric they were. The 2023 Cowboys scored more points than the 2024 Bengals. I like it. I would never take him.

I think it's more likely he's off the team in week eight and something horrible happens. Certainly a risk. Sounds like you don't like. like it. Ever since that game when it was the last play of the game against Cleveland

and he got in the fight during the Hail Mary before the Hill Mary that's because he only cares about fantasy football I actually completely

out on picking I came away more impressed with taking that was cool my guy I wanted to shout out Keon Coleman

because I think he's going to rope me in but I don't want to pick him that's a good one he's just getting too much buzz and it feels like

ah 33 bucks and then you're like what did I do but it's definitely Travis Hunter for me I was like I'm staying away I'm not

even buy i don't even i'm not even shopping in your grocery store i'm not even getting a car pushing around i don't want to know i don't want to think about it and then i read this one thing about how leum cohen is like it's just going to be two bubble screens a game trying to bust him for 50 yards of pop and i was like

oh like what do you mean you just just bust one at any time because whoa well about to infringe i'm sorry i was really worried about the defense office defense thing. Just somebody trying to play a thousand snaps or whatever

on both sides seems inconceivable with how fucking big football players are in the NFL. Right. And he's not big. But I feel like he's going to be sitting there and I'm going to get excited about it and I'm going to hate myself for doing it. We just had a massive argument about this on our part. Bill, I need some like therapy, life advice thing. I think I was

the single biggest Travis Hunter fan in in sports media. My crazy pills thing on the draft was basically I was just like, why do we talk about the ceiling of every prospect? No one ever admits that the all these guys are probably going to have an average outcome between whatever. And the only person we won't talk about the ceiling is Travis Hunter, who won

the award for best receiver in college football, best defensive player in college football. And I'm like, what if he just does both at a great level in the NFL? Everyone's acting like it won't happen or can't happen. It's impossible. Yeah, you're like, he could be show Hey, Otani. I've been talking about this all year. I was like, yeah, he's like, O'Tonnie. What if he's just four catches for 80 yards a week and he scores

every other week and he's just doing that on the side as he's covering the other team's best receiver? Jim Thorpe. And I'm like, he could win offensive rookie, defensive rookie of the year. It could do amazing. And I'm not going to lie, I capitulated 20 minutes before you walked in the studio. I admitted to them. For six months, on our show. Non-stop, Travis Hunter is going to blow everyone's mind.

He's the best player since whoever. You give up. Today, he was like, ah, I don't know. You chickened out. I sold low. And I just, I saw him playing the preseason game. I called him pansy for it. It's a weak move.

You should have doubled down. Stick with your gun. I should have. Yeah. But I'm worried that, like, I need the strength to stay away. I'm worried that, like, the meetings is going to fall behind and stuff. And they're just going to play him at, like, It's going to be really frustrated.

It's going to be cool on the field, but, like, for your lineup, it's going to be kind of like annoying. I'm nervous. It could be cooler in real life than in fantasy. It's like, okay, he plays double the snaps. You don't get double the fantasy. The Jacks play the Bengals in week four or five, and you're like, so do I bench him because he's going to have to cover T. Higgins? And you're like, I've never asked that question before. So it will be a new experience, I guess.

Well, it's like, you never want to have the first of anything. Right. You never want, like, you don't have the first iPhone. It's like, oh, it's not going to work. 19 things are going to run. Too many bucks. The first iPad, the first, like, car that has gas and electricity. And it's like a hybrid.

And it's like, oh, it's in the shop. So maybe, maybe wait a year for Hunter. I think that's, I still, if he's sitting there, I still feel like. Oh, I get it. Who do you have high fits? I, oh, I hate myself for doing this guy. Yeah. This is the easiest categories.

Kyle Pitts. Falcons. He's back. See, he's almost honorary. Yeah, he's like, and fathered in. Best situation Kyle Pitts has ever been in, cheapest he's ever been. It's that simple. Like, he, when he, he was.

I will never do it. When he had more... He was a top... He was a fourth-round player. Pennix is going to bring him back. Marcus Mariotta was his quarterback. We ranked him in the fourth round. Michael Pennix, the last quarterback throwing 10 yards to throw is his quarterback.

He's a 14th round pick on ESPN. I mean, he's going near Hunter Henry. And I'm like, Kyle Pitts, everything we've ever said about his upside remains true. I'm just saying, yeah, like, he's been not met expectations. The problem is he's not that good. But Pennix is going to throw. Falcons. He's not like a tight end like Bowers or kiddo. He can't really block

so he's basically a wide receiver and he's not as good as the other wide receivers than the Falcons. I don't know what he is. Ray, Ray McLeod. He's a vertical receiver and I'm not even saying he's necessarily going to be ever what we thought he'd be. I'm just saying Michael Panix made Jalen Polk an early second round pick and Jalen

Pope will probably never. I'm just saying Panix made Polk. He made all these guys. D.K., who do you have? I have, and I do hate myself, for doing this. Kyler Murray for the Cardinals. Fantasy point of view, remember that rushing is

an absolute cheat code. It's a two years. Two years moved from the ACL. Did you fall for that one? Yeah. Look, he's another guy that the way that I talk myself into it is he's never,

he's a high floor, high ceiling guy. And those are the types of players I want to go after in fantasy because he's not going to fail you. The worst average he's had in points per game last year, 17 and a half.

That was last year. He's just going to, to fill the real-life team, but like the fantasy team. I don't care. I don't care. This is a, this is the He's a high-ceiling, low floor unless you're trying to win NFL games of them. I'm fine with that. And then he's a low-ceiling. It's actually probably better if they're losing because then in the fourth quarter, they're running around. I actually want him to be better.

He's, to me, he has shades of Ben Simmons to make out of him. Okay, can I talk about fantasy, though, maybe? Because that's what we're talking about here. It's important. He's the quarterback eight in the last four years, almost 19 points for game. Going back to 2020, when he ran a bunch, he averaged almost 10 points per game as a runner only. The last four years, it's been like five. And there's been a lot of talk in this training camp that he's,

it's kind of, I feel like it's a lot of these, you know, dual threat quarterbacks kind of trying, because they know long term, I need to stick in the pocket and just like pass and do that. I think Kyler's kind of at a turning point now where he's like, actually my running really makes me a lot better and I probably should embrace it more.

And there's been talk that they're working him into the design run game a little bit more in the preseason. So I'm just, if he, if he doesn't do it, That's great. He's going to be like a top 12 quarterback, probably. If he does run a bunch this year, he'll be top five.

Listen, he makes sense in this category, is also. We have the, I'm staying away from that whole team team category. And I guess the nominees are Cleveland, New Orleans, Miami, and Carolina. So, uh, I vote Cleveland. Yeah. Cleveland, Cleveland. Cleveland. I have Pittsburgh.

Fuck off. What are you talking about? You don't want anybody on the steward. You wouldn't even accept D.K. MacK. I mean, I love D.K., but no. Okay. So I had Cleveland's the obvious pick. Yeah.

I do think there's a Judy. Like, he was huge last year for them. Right? James was playing. He's James. He had huge stats. Yeah. I can't do the brand.

James literally Jerry Judy had yards per rent run, yards per game, whatever match you want to use. every game with James was more than double his career average. And then when James didn't play, it went right back. I had New Orleans written down. For sure. Wouldn't feel great about really anything involved in that team. And I had Miami written down just because that feels like that you'll actually spend money

on some of the guys in that team, it'll feel worse. I'm surprised you with Carolina. Carolina is like my sneaky, truly out of nowhere team for this year. Carolina just had a habit. Yeah. Because Chuma Hubbard was actually good last year. I like Coker. Who knows?

I'm kind of sneaky high on Carolina this year. The only other one I thought of was Pittsburgh, which I was glad you brought up. Because I don't like having D.K. McCaff on my team because he's feast or famine. You never know what's going to happen with him. I won't want any receiver. There's no way I'm running back.

No way I'm taking Rogers. I do like Friarmouth, though. I would have a Friam in a Friam with like three high-ed. He's been traded for John's Smith. I do like Friamont a little bit. All right. Next category. High fits, you're up.

Oh, no. This is a group category. It's the, our Camille Nunjani, why the fuck did you bulk up like this is actually ridiculous? What are you doing, guy? And we all have Marvin Harrison. So do your rant about Harrison. So Marvin Harrison, Jr. obviously had a disappointing rookie year.

To say the least. To say the, I still maintain that if his name had not been Marvin Harrison Jr., if it had been like Dave Harrison, son of Marvin, Malik Nampers would have gone over him. But it was hard for anyone to say Marvin Harrison, Jr. So he's drafted. and has this point of year and he comes in this year

and he's absolutely ripped he's got the huge biceps like he's added what 10 pounds of muscle which when you're an NFL elite athlete that's a lot of weight to add and I'm like you're a wide receiver why are you having big biceps

why are you getting your arms larger nobody was ever like you know what Marvin Harrison Jr. needs 10 more pounds of muscle that's what he was missing it's like why is he not getting fast I don't like like armchair psychologist

I don't like that he came into year two and was like I'm going to look better in the mirror. I don't know if the muscles he's added are necessarily the most functional. I need to get off the line better. I remember David Boston way back on Arizona.

It just got really jacked. But he had a couple years where he was like one of the eight or nine best fantasy receivers. And then he just got too big. Yeah. And it was like his career was over. It's like a desperation move. It's like getting out of a breakup and you just like get ripped. Maybe that was like he was disappointed with his rookie year and he just, he's just

like. Is that for a movie? What is that for? Why does he look like? I mean, he's my He looks for a movie Have you seen what Sashi Baron Coleman Is he like ripped now? Oh my God He's ripped with like shaved body Yeah

He looks like that would have been a good Fantasy punishment You have to wear the Borat bathing suit Oh my God I have a question Because I thought about this It's like a Mac from It's always sunny He's getting ripped

Can you think of a single time Any Skill position Where a guy got bigger Over the off season That was a good thing I'm sure it happened But I really

Honestly, can't think of one. It's way more in the other direction of older guys losing weight. Yeah. And then they get out of trying to keep your knees. Trying to think of like a tight end, maybe. LeBron has lost weight throughout his career, right? That's all older athletes have to cut muscle eventually for your joints. But you're breaking up, Matt, when you do have to get muscle.

He's young enough, like, you do have to get larger. Like, you do grow into your frame. But I just feel like, frankly, maybe, I mean, here, I am criticizing an NFL athlete, but I'm just like, I just kind of think. Too ripped. Yeah, I know. Just Cheetos. dust all over me. But I'm just kind of like, you know what?

I just think he was, he read all the comments and he was kind of embarrassed that he had a bad year. And everyone else, he was like the sixth best rookie receiver in his class. And I think he was embarrassed. So he got really ripped. Give us your, uh, your shameless homer pick. So what is this category? Do you want me to talk about? You're just one giant that you're the most. Is it like, is it like a diamond in the rough? Or is it like a best player in the team? Just a guy that is on your team that is being discussed as a fantasy guy anyway. But you're even higher and should be just because he's on your team. So, Neighbors is the obvious pick.

I will just reiterate that Malik Neighbors really was leaned on by the Giants more to start his career last year than any player ever. And the more fun pick would be Jackson Dart. Well, that's, exactly. So, Neighbors is easy. Week 6. Dart, I think you don't have to hold Dart the whole year

because he's not going to play for two months. I will say Cam Scadaboo. Cam Scadaboo, the running back. I am in love with him. He just came back to practice today. I wanted him on the past. Scadaboo is the, I freaked out when they took him in the fourth round.

And Scadaboo, you were always on him. I love Scataboo. Yes. And I think he was the only player to have like 16,800 rushing yards and 500 receiving his season since McCaffrey. And I just, frankly, he's slow and we're by, I mean, it's just overlapping stuff of, it's like a cult hero.

Yeah, it's like a white running back, which is just funny. Everyone's like, well, he's slow and he's not that athletic. I'm like, I don't care, he's very good. I am so convinced that he had, and also the funny thing about him is because he's so big, he has a total three-down skill set, which is hilarious because he's not fast. But he can block, and he's a really good receiver.

So I am really convinced that scataboo And I also think because he had this hamstring injury Zero rookie hype He would have shot up Well he basically missed all of training camp He missed a lot but like Tyrone Tracy in a weird way Even though he was receiver in college I kind of think that's the empty calorie touches

Where I actually think Scadabu could get goal on Because he's way larger and he can do passing work So transformative Giants draft Yeah Yes Oh yeah It really seemed like a special one Dude Abdul Carter is don't even get me started

He's every Giants fan of my life is just like Has to be hosed down Abdel Carter He is, when they put him over the guard, like the Cowboys do with Michael Parsons and against the bills. Unbelievable. But we knew it the whole time. That's what, like, the Joe Milton game is just so devastating. But then the Pats ended up, I'll do my shameless homer pick ahead of everybody else, the Trayvion Henderson, like.

Yeah. Oh, yeah, God. I was looking at the Jemir Gibbs rookie numbers where he was like 900 yards rushing and, I don't know, 600 yards receiving. And it felt like a lot. It felt impactful. If Henderson plays 17 games, there's no way he's not. doing better than Jeremy Gibbs' rookie season. They're just, he has this home run

receiving power that I don't even think Gibbs has. Like, I was looking at Gibbs' biggest receiving, like, explosion thing. Henderson's going to do it multiple times. And if you have kickoff returns in your draft that's tied to the players, which some drafts do, and they change these kickoff rules.

And I think he's going to be one of the biggest weapons in the league. I just think he's, it was honestly a miracle that he felt it. The Browns had 36 and took the other Ohio State running back. That's going to be And it was like a miracle. It made up for the Abdul Carter thing. No, it's karma.

It literally did. It's karma for when you guys took, the Patriots took Sony Michelle over Nick Chubb. Yeah, it was, it was, it seesawed the other way. Yeah. But so we get Will Campbell for who, he's not Abdul Carter, but he is, you know, he'll be a good left tackle for us. And then Henderson, yeah.

Who, if he had gone 12 to the Chargers, people would be like, should he be RB5? Right. They'd be just going, what's Harbaugh, can he get to 2,000 all-purpose yards? And on the pats, he's kind of buried. but he's been the story of camp that's all people talk about covering the pads I think it's every day

every day he does a 100-yard touchdown return The thing with Henderson we were just talking about it we recorded our show for the fantasy show earlier today and I was saying I think the thing with Trayvion about why I think held a larger impact rookie year

than most rookies is just I think the passing game's harder because frankly they don't want to trust at the end of the day a rookie is still an intern and like they don't want to trust a hundred million dollar quarterback like being protected

by the guy's been back by 21 years old and I think Henderson is a function of NIL because they paid him a lot of money to go back to Ohio State he wanted to win a championship And so I think, frankly, he's just, it's a new era now where people as running back, as talented as Trayvian Henderson,

would have gotten as much experience on the team. And so I think, while that might be larger, you know, it's more of tread on the tires, so to speak, for like his contract. In terms of a rookie or impact, he's just more experienced than most people this talented are entering his season. The fact that he can block like he does because they go nuts about how he blocks.

Yeah, the hardest thing for rookies to live on. So he's out there and it's like, oh, it's a passing down. He's out there. It's like, maybe it's not. Maybe it is. Or maybe they'll run and you're going to have to defend the whole field with him. He's a godsend. Like McDaniels is talking about like Varene and James White, all these dudes they had in this

spot. And he's like, this guy's like all of those dudes on steroids. He's way better than that. He's going to surpass Ramandra quickly. And I entered the season thinking that would not happen. But he's clearly, he's going to, all my friends are going to bid me up on them. And it's going to, I'm just going to like, be like, 28, 30. Who do you have for Seattle?

I'm shameless Homer about Kenneth Walker. I absolutely love that guy. I stand by this. I think he's one of the best pure runners in the league going back the last few years. I mean, he make guys miss, break tackles, you know, just obliterate angles in the open field. He's actually proven to be a pretty good pass catcher. Last year, he had 46 catches, which was 12th most among running backs. And that was only in 11 games.

Why can't he play five straight games? Well, that's the problem. It's too suplexing defenders. He's too elusive. Right. He's a red flag guy. Can't find him for the game? This is why it's, I'm shameless about it.

I'm shameless about it. He's one of those guys where if it was just like, if you just watched like silhouettes of players running, you didn't know who that was. If somebody, like, he kind of looks like Sequin Barclay in moments. Yeah, he really has. He's awesome. He had a lot of run.

He was great. Sequin with a touch of Isaiah Pacheco. Yeah, a little bit angry run to him. He has a weird running, like, he like, he runs like a crab. He runs sideways. Do you have a shameless steward's pick? To be honest, no, I don't.

You got mad of me for avoiding the Steelers? Boswell. There's nobody that I'm not. I'm like, this guy's going to crush. I mean, like, I can give you, like, a player I think is kind of under the radar. I don't, I'm not saying at all. He'll be fantasy relevant. But there are third round pick last year, Roman Wilson, the receiver out of Michigan.

I do think is good. He played five snaps last year. He's hurt all year. Five. Literally five. Rogers is talking about, he won the Natty with Michigan. He had 12 touchdowns that year. Like, he's like very gritty, dirty work blocking guy.

Apparently he's been great in camp. He's like that slot receiver that is exactly what the Steelers need. Rogers has seemed to like him. I do think there's a chance that in like a month. or two, we're like, oh, Roman Wilson. You might get some manufactured touches? That was sad. I don't have a shameless Homer pick.

I don't. But here's a guy who had five snaps last year that I'm mildly excited about. We'll take a break and then coming back with the veal chop guy. All right, this is a special category. Danny's going to lead us off. It's the my veal chop guy, the veal chop, which we argued about last year in this podcast. It's a feast or famine order. I still have yet to have a veal chop.

It's expensive. It might be great. It might be terrible. You just don't know. David Chang, we did this category last year and he was so upset that the veal chop was besmirched. He thought it was an absolutely insane take that I continue to be the worst food take person.

Did he not agree with the podcast? Dave Chang walks in and they're like, better not fuck up this wheelchop. This is like, this is like, you know, he's snobby in general of this food. It's not like he's rolling the dyes. So he thinks all veal chops are good. He can, his theory is all veal chops

bring something to take. okay um anyway who do you who do you have for your field chops definitely helps it sounds like participation show for field shops who do you have for your field shop guy Danny jamison Williams or the Lions good year last year yeah he obviously the first two years in the league was all over the place he got he was injured at first then he got suspended for gambling and then he was I think just kind of a knucklehead they didn't they didn't trust him right away so he was playing off and on but every time he gets on the field you're like this is the fastest guy in the league it never works out

Like, there's been a lot of these guys, and usually they're out of the league in, like, three years. He was right on the cusp of, like, he literally might be out of the league. That's what we had with Tyquan Thornton, who the cheats are trying to save right now. He's like, like, four-two speed. Yeah. The Chiefs was just, like, kind of your last stop on the way out. Yeah, totally, totally. Tire kick.

But, Jamo, he had over 1,000 yards last year. To me, he's just the perfect example of there will be one game where he has 200 yards and three touchdowns, and then he'll have, like, a catch the next week, and you kind of, you know, whack him all and trying to figure out when to play him. but I truly believe he's one of the most talented receivers in the NFL. It's just a matter of... He is open by five yards when he's on a deep pass. You don't even see the defender behind him. The first round three years ago.

That's one of the better fantasy questions from last year who had more receiving yards, T. Higgins or James and everyone would have said T. Higgins. I like that one. I mean, it felt like he was getting better and better as a year was going along. Who do you have for your Vilschop guy? It's got to be Devon. H.N. I was just running it back. It has to be.

He heard his cat. No, like for the most part, it was pretty good experience with him last year, right? Okay. When Tua played, he was a top two running back. He was basically Sequin. When Tua didn't play, he was irrelevant and borderline not startable. Alexander Madison had more points per game than H.N. when Tua was out. Yeah. And so it's like, I mean, he hurt his calf.

Right now, he's got a hurt calf, which is like the biggest red flag of all the time. The calf is just that's, if we did a draft of the soft issue injuries you want to see, calf is dead last. Well, especially after this NBA season. I now treat the calf injury like it's, it's like a heart attack. Yeah. It's a basic, it's like I'd rather have a heart issue. I'm like, oh my God, it's a calf injury?

Jesus. So I don't know. I don't know where I stand with A. Chan. I'm honestly, I think I'm probably going to avoid him. I was kind of into him and until the calf injury came around and now. I'm honestly, Craig on that team. Yeah, I'm out. I'm kind of out on him, too.

The way Craig nailed it and he said, A.C.N.'s a parlay. You're parlaying that Devon A. Kahn's calf is okay with Tua plays football. Good luck. I have a great buildchup guy I'm really excited about it I'm excited to talk about him with the three of you

Braylin Allen yeah wow so I had Brise Hall on both teams last year sure and he just put his poop in a doggy bag

and whipped it at me for four months vivid and every time Braylin Allen came in for him you have that sinking feeling as a fantasy football person you're 100% right The guy behind your guy comes in

and you're like, fuck, that guy's better. Yeah, he just is. I knew it in my soul. You just know, and you're so like, ah. This guy's better. He just is. He just hits the hole fire. He seems stronger.

Like, God damn it. I thought I just really got this wrong. I just think he's going to be in the jet starter and having a big season. He's like 19 years old. I don't even know. Is he still a teenager? He was the youngest drafted player ever? Yeah, he was the youngest drafted player, I think, ever.

And then, I mean, I don't know about the 30s when there was, World War, like, you know, World War I, World War II gaps or whatever. But, like, the, he had his freshman year at Wisconsin, he was 17 years old, he had, this is the meme, as people always to talk about this, but like, he had like 1,300 yards at Wisconsin in a very similar scheme. But overall, to your point, the person who's going to notice this immediately is Aaron Glenn, the coach of the Jets. Right.

He's going, I think he has kind of team he wants to have. I want to run the ball. I want to pound the ball. The case for the Jets to go 9 and 8 get a 7 seed, which I will not make. But there will be a terrible 7 seed. in the AFC. It's just where it's going to happen. But the case is Braylon out of them is actually like incredible.

The case and their line is, and the other point, the Jets have a sneaky, really good offensive line. I mean, you know, could be for sure, yeah. Unless you watch the Membo footage last weekend. Was he not good? Oh, no. It's good in theory. The Membo footage was bad.

Footage. Precings. I think he called it footage. Like Big foot. I was on a Pruder film. I'm kind of Pats fan text threat as we were exulting that we have Campbell and that Membo. And somebody was like,

like look how slow his hands are slow hands can't get his hands up fast enough it's like oh slow hands but anyway Alan that's my guy I am stubbornly I'm very stubbornly staying on Breece Hall Island and I don't feel good about it

I don't feel good about it anymore Bill as you can imagine most of the times we get mad at each other one of them is mad at me yeah the only time I've seen them like actually really angry at each other was when he besperched pretty small pretty small free small it's the only thing I've seen him do to get him

it's a weird one because He seemed like just a slam dunk. He's not. He's good. Two years ago, it seemed like he was a slam dunk, pay $50 for this guy in a fan of injury. He's never at 1,000 yards in a year. Yeah.

Who's your average less than like 14. I just can't get over the fact. H.N. literally is on par with Gibbs, Bejohn and Seekwon when Tua plays. And then literally, literally he's there with Alexander Madison and post-injury Nick Chubb when Tua doesn't play. And I can't think of a player that would be more

the spirit of this thing of boomer, Feast or Famine. Braylon Allen's in the 20s somewhere, right? 25? No, lower. Oh, way lower. Way lower. By the time, this season, what if he has a starting job?

Way lower. I mean, if he had the starting job, but I don't think he's going to, and I think he'll be low. Way lower. If Reese gets traded. You can get him for, there's a world where if you didn't have this podcast

and everyone in the league wasn't listening, you might have been in. Yeah, but I haven't won since 2007, so probably like zag against me. I'll tell you right now. You probably get him for $2. He's the running back $47. You can get him for $2.

That's where he's going in drafts. Really? Yeah. You can get him for $2. I don't think of a three. He's not even a bill shop guy. He's like a freaking appetizer. Yeah.

He's like the scallops with the bacon. Yeah. All right. D.K. I wouldn't take him even if he was a free guy, a.k. the D&D list, the list you don't want to be on. I have three guys on mine this year.

Yeah. Mine's kind of a team thing. I'm staying away from the Cowboys backfield. So, Javante... Just blind, stay away. You don't want one person to play it. I mean, I guess I would take Jaden Blue really late for a dollar or whatever,

but I just am avoiding that. I just don't have any faith that they're going to run the ball well or often, and I think they're going to be a pass-heavy team. I'm just staying away from that. What do you have, Craig? Garrett Wilson, I'm good. I don't want anybody that Justin Fields

is throwing passes too. Rogers had the third most passes in the league last year. Garrett Wilson was the wide receiver 23. Now he's getting drafted as a wider receiver 15. How he's getting better with Justin Fields throwing the ball like 18 times a game? I don't get it at all. He knows who's being double-teamed? Yeah, that's a good ball.

I like that one. I have with apologies to D.K. McHaff and Kyle Pitts. Trevor Lawrence. Really? Literally, he was one of my big guys last year. Like big year coming. He's scourge, I can tell. Yeah, he's also not good.

He's not good at football. You're not willing to wait for the Liam Cohen. I'm not willing to wait on anything. I don't think he's accurate. I think he throws hospital balls left and right. If I was Brian Thomas Jr.'s family, I'd be terrified every game. I don't think he's a smart quarterback. I think he does dumb shit, especially inside the 20-year.

Like, I forgot until I went through my notes how fucking stupid the Jaguars were last year, where they were like 0-4 and we were like, how is this team own four? I just don't think that goes away. I don't think he has it, and I think he's a complete stayaway. for zero dollars. I think the literal recent history of the NFL would suggest that I think giving up on quarterbacks who played for horrible organizations like Jacksonville is just a mistake. Like you're talking about they had to out, Liam Cohen had to oust the general, the GM of the

Jags, Trent Balky, like he was like Littlefinger, a spooten or something because that's the organization. But if you just look at, is this a Trevor Lawrence defense? Because it feels like you're making one. I am. No, it's just, Baker, I'm just saying, Baker Mayfield was salary dumped by the Carolina Panthers and he's now a $40 million a year player. You know, Smith was a backup for eight years and then went and now was like a good above average starting quarterback. Bryce Young was given up on bench by the Panthers.

And then two weeks later, outplayed C.G Stroud the rest of the season. I mean, if you just look around and around him-Roury's made the key point about, about Bryce Young yesterday in the ringer NFL show. It's like, his stats are basically the same as Anthony Richardson. Anthony Richardson is younger. Everybody's like, Bryce Young, looking good. But he looked, no. And Bryce Young has, he played two good games. Come on.

Everyone needs to settle down on Bryce Young. He almost beat the Eagles. I'm just saying that like these garbage time, like everyone was not taking them seriously because they were so terrible. I'm dubious. But you're like in Jigba for the Seahawks and it's like Sam Donald's the quarterback of the Seahawks. It's like he's been given up on by like four or five teams. I guess I'm just saying like 14 and three last year. I know, but that's my point.

The Jets gave up on him. But here's the part. Because you guys haven't, you haven't followed football for long enough because you're way younger than I am. I've watched this happen too many times. When these people get infected by being on bad teams for too many years, that's it. It's like gang green. Your leg falls off. But then how did San Darnold win 14 games last year?

Well, San Darnold, how many teams was he on? He bounced around. He had to go to the Niners and be reheated. I think the Niners is a good coach. He needs to leave Jacksonville before anything good happens for him. There's too much baggage. He needs to cut his hair. I will bed than Jags to win the Super Bowl.

When he just gets a bus cut. How many times you watch Trevor Lawrence do something stupid and then cuts him on the sideline and takes his helmet off and he's like, I just can't do it again. I just think coaching. Kevin O'Connell said last year. Doug Peterson won a Super Bowl. And then was fired with the same quarterback

because he couldn't make it happen. Liam Cohen, like, had one good year with Baker Mayfield. Everyone's like, oh, Ben Johnson, 2.0. Like, are we sure he's even going to be a good coach? And what makes this thing Jacksonville is competent anyway? They just traded their entire draft for Travis Hunter. What exact week did Trevor Lawrence failure

at lost year's season that you feel this way? How about all the weeks? Every single week. It was two and eight last year. There's plenty of hate in his heart right now, I feel like, yeah. What is his career record? Oh, it's 22 and 38. It's better than I thought, actually.

I just don't get it. The last two years, last two years, 32 touchdowns, 21 picks in a league where everybody is like 30 touchdowns, eight picks. I'm out. He's making some good points. I'm out. I'm sorry. I just feel really passionate about this. I don't get it.

It's just like the Justin Herbert thing where he sucked in the playoffs last year. And now everyone just forgot nine months later. It's like Justin Herbert, one of the eight best quarterback. the league. Is he? Because we watched him stink in the playoffs. But the through line of those is Greg Roman who's the coordinator of the charges just has never designed

a modern passing offense and like 2019 with the more than work. Is this another excuse maker for Herbert? Oh, I will defend Herbert as well. I'm just saying like we know Greg going in. Fucking Scientologists. I just, I'm not saying they're definitely going to be good. I'm just saying that I don't, a quarter, we're

at a quarter of the league. Is quarterbacked by highly drafted guys whose first organizations failed them. And it's really clear that, like, okay, some guys just needed good, better coaching or maybe 25, 26. Josh Allen is someone you forget. Josh Allen fucking sucked in his first two seasons

and then was awesome in year three. He was 10 at 6th's second season. No, he was terrible his rookie year. The Texans playoff game, Josh Allen played his second season. It was the worst game I'd ever see a quarterback. That was when he was lateraling. It's like, you know,

it must look like Justin Herbert. Yeah. You always say Herbert hasn't won the playoffs. Justin Herbert, the week 18 game versus the Raiders It said, Brandon Staley blew because they tied the game. One of the best games I've seen a quarterback play. Maybe it's not playoffs, but if they win the game, they make the playoffs and they lose. They, but they lit up, who did he let up?

The Raiders. Okay, but it was, he had fourth and 15s, two fourth and tens. They had like the janitor is their interim head coach? I think like, if you can come around on Sam Darnold now on his like ninth team on Seattle and you're like, I don't know Sam Darnock. I only came around because he did it. He went 14 and three. That's my point. But that's my point is Kevin O'Connell.

Kevin O'Connell himself was the one. And they're like, how did he do it? And people are like, oh, you did. He's like, no. Organizations more than quarterbacks fail organizations. Well, year five, Trevor Lawrence, they have one of the five worst offensive lines in the league. Right, Danny? Yeah.

Bottom five. Probably, yeah. We've already seen that when he's pressured, it gets a little dicey. I just want to wait one more year. If it doesn't work with Cohen, I would like to see. Yeah, exactly. I wish you guys a lot of luck. The Herbert one surprises me.

Which part? Well, it's like... Score 14 points against a good defense. He played the Texans or a good defense. Sam Darnal got eviscerated in the playoffs. I'm not going to defend Sam Darno. He fell apart. Or like, I don't know, Dak Prescott or something like that.

It's like, if you had Jack Prescott over Justin Herbert, what the fuck is Dak Prescott? Did everybody take a D&D list guy? I just, I just Joe Mixon, his foot's messed up. I wouldn't drive Joe McSood. Yeah, that's... Yeah, just Joe Mixon's foot. They're not being honest about it. I don't even know he's going to play.

Would you, so you guys would take pits? Yeah, because he'll be so cheap. He's the cheapest he's ever been. He's like, zero dollars for me. No, he's, I'm doing it. Oh, this is a fun. It's a group category. Are Aaron Brooks, please don't ever watch him.

Just check the box score after the game guy. It's Justin Fields. Just don't watch one snap. Literally don't watch him throw. Just tank the points. Yep. He'll be like in the 20s every game, right? Just don't watch any of the snaps.

Don't watch the footage. As the Blake Bortles was that way, Tim Tebow had that year where he had like one point before the fourth quarter and then scored an 18 every fourth. And it's a tough existence in fantasy when you have a guy like that, but you can squeeze out 20 points. Craig, who is,

this is one of our best categories from last year. That 2024 booty call isn't happening again guy. The guy who kind of late at night in the fantasy season last year, all of a sudden he was getting points for you, but you don't know if it's a real thing or not. Well, this is funny because we just had a long conversation

that he was involved in. Sam Darnold. I... Booty call guy for you? The 35 touchdowns. Natasha Hedstridge in species. I'm like, it only works there.

Nowhere else. You know? I'm like, in that movie, great. Yeah. The Kevin O'Connell system? Awesome.

Right. Now he's like, in Seattle. I'm just like, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know if I want to trust that. I don't change that category

to the Natasha Endergen's species. Yeah. It's only working once. It only works in one scenario. Like, for sure. Sam Darnallel anywhere else. Not for me.

Sam don't want his own, not for me. I was split for mine between Johnny Smith. I still don't understand that season he had last year. Yeah. That's a good one. Those are you, he'll quit on the team. How did that Chuba Hubbard thing happen where all of a sudden he was like one of like the six best running back? He had all of it.

He had all of the. Okay. So that's like, so I'm going to go Johnny Smith because. Yeah. Hubbard was like winning people leaves. Yeah. And I just wonder if that happens. It's also because it may have been a bad move if you want to say it, but they overpaid those guards.

So the Carolina has a weirdly competent offensive line And so it's a good line And Schupper, you have to be good to survive three regimes He was drafted by Matt Ruhl, really Matt Rill's wife Right, because she's like, I like this guy, let's take him. He did his game log and it's like pretty like every three four weeks He would have 150 yards. Well, he would, yeah, he was getting like 85% of the snaps for that team.

It's a good line, he's good. So I'll go John. Who do you have? John is better than I think unfortunately Terry McLaurin for Washington for like a buzzkill. But I mean, Terry McLaurin tied the most touchdowns in the history of the team. But I mean, he only had, like under 1100 yards

but now Debo's there and also every touchdown Terry had other than of course when they played the Giants everything looked like the hardest It was like a miracle Yeah it was like a miracle Also he's sneaky like 31 years old

Yeah, he's already the contract Terry's a great guy He's easy to root for But I just think where you're drafting him It's like his ceiling and a realistic Should we do an ESPN segment here? Oh yeah You gotta pay him

You gotta pay Terry McLaren You gotta pay him I actually do think they need to pay them If they want to win 10 games, they might need to pay him. Everybody had a booty call guy? I got one. Who's yours? James Cook for the Bills.

I love James Cook, actually. And I think there is a small chance that he is just in that tier of like Alvin Camaro where he's just way too, he's so efficient and he just keeps doing it every year. It shocks you every year. But last year he had 16 touchdowns rushing. The last two years before that, two and two. And if you look at his other underlying metrics, he is not a normal elite quarterback.

He was 28th in touches per game. 38th in snap rate, 24th and rush rate in terms of how many carries he was getting relative to the rest of the team. Like barely, just over half of the goal to go opportunities were his. I think it was just like lightning in a bottle. He got the most goal line carries, I think, in the NFL or inside the five yard carries in the NFL last year. I don't know if that's going to happen again.

Josh Allen's going to steal some of those. Maybe Ray Davis steal some of them. His underlying metrics just don't match the production. He would have to be one of the most efficient running backs in the NFL again in his second year. And I don't know if he can do that. And also, he wasn't really used in the passing game that much. Yeah. So I don't know.

The James Cook, he just feels like that was one. That was just a weird season. He got a new contract. Yeah. I really liked him second half of the year. I thought he was awesome. Yeah. So I don't know if that, I don't know what to think on this one.

Yeah. There's some red flags, but I could also see. him being one of the five best guys. Right. He could be like Camara. I think, like it's possible. But the metrics,

the math, it doesn't, it's not mathing. Um, all right. Next category is my look. Somebody's got to get points in that team guy. For me,

it's Calvin Ridley. Me too. Um, Calvin Ridley too. Oh, you have them too? Yeah, he's one of my favorite players this year.

Here's the thing. Cammore might be like pretty good. Yeah. That's another guy when you read the quotes and stuff. I like that he got in the fight with Jeffrey Simmons. Yeah. And they were like, Would you learn from that fight?

And he's like, Jeff's pretty strong. Yeah. Have you seen Jeff? Yeah. Well, there's also like a narrative now that's not a narrative anymore, but it seems like it's become a narrative of we're not talking about Cam Ward enough, which is really borrowed from the NBA where we don't talk about guys enough. But there's a first take right.

The guy in every single ESPN shows like, we don't talk about Austin Reeves enough. And it's like, no, we actually probably talk about him the right amount. It came more thing. He just looks like he's going to be a franchise quarterback. They have a good offensive line. Yep. And I'm not ready to think they could steal the AFC South or be out of nowhere and win nine games or anything like that.

Because they're pretty bad. And the coaching was bad last year on that team. Who fucked up more games than the Titans? It's just hard to do anything, though, with Will Levis. That was Levis a lot of the time. Yeah. Yeah, but they had some special team stuff, too. Yeah.

They were sloppy last year. They brought you a new guy. But their defense was also one of the best defenses to start the season ever. that like barely won any games. I will say that I'd love, shout out to Bill Callahan, the reverse NEPA where the son gives the dad the job. And so they have the best office line coach in the league. And I do think it's underrated how much better Cam Ward will be than Will Levis.

And then the offensive line, getting Dan Moore Jr., it's like kind of like the bandage. There's some pieces. I kickstarted it as a sleeper. I couldn't get there. Overpay amid lineman looks dumb in March. But then we actually see the team, you know, well, if it works, if it makes J.C. Latham back to right tackle. And everyone's, okay, let's actually above average offensive line.

Cam Ward with time. I mean, it's kind of like he's doing Matt Stafford arm angles with like Ben Roth. Like if he was smaller Ben Rothesberger, like I like Cam Ward a lot. He also, all he talks about is throwing to Calvin Ridley.

Yeah. And right now, Calvin Ridley is being priced like Will Levis is still the quarterback. It's basically they're just like assuming he's going to have the same year he had last year. And I don't really want to have Calvin Ridley on my team, but it seems like he's going to be the beneficiary. He's the boring player that falls like multiple rounds.

And nobody wants to take him. Also, he was in it, what was it, a gambling thing? Yeah, he missed an entire year for gambling. To me, I'm like, great. That means his legs are a year younger than his age suggests. That happened with eight rod. So we all have Ridley for that. Anybody have one other guy for that?

I had, I had Ted McMillan for the Panthers. Oh. I just think, good receiver, and you're not going to like to hear this, but I thought Bryce, you know, elevated that offense in the second half of the year, at least statistically. No, he had some moments. Yeah, statistically, I think he got his confidence back because he was like no confidence. at all. You know the scuttle butt, right? Do you know why Bryce Young was in turmoil?

Part of it. Mentally. Tyrus Max, he started dating Breschen's girlfriend. Oh, really? And we think, and then, you know, he kind of, the benching was like a rebirth of sorts. Well, it was really the Andy Dalton car accident. Yes. One of the most underrated, the most underrated football moments. Right. Who was the guy that got stabbed by the Chargers team doctor? Tyrod Taylor. Yeah. Yeah. Conspiracy. Do you think that car crash? you never know who knows Princess Diana's

gonna watch out three episode Netflix show who hit Andy Dalton oh we'll do this quick my sorry that's a little too rich for my blood guy mine's McAfrey

I'm just any price over $32 I'm just not doing the McAfre thing now I'm just we don't need to everyone you don't have to talk to me into it I'm not doing it It's just what your level of risk is.

If it works, you'll probably win. Yeah. You'll feel great week four when he has like the 230 total yards and three TDs and everyone's talking about it. He looks like he did five years ago and then the red flag pops up. I mean, we're kind of stepping on this, but you also had a category later. I'd be afraid to look on Tuesday and see the red flag guy. He's almost should be named after that.

Yeah, for sure. Yeah, honestly it should. He's unlike any other fantasy pick I can remember McCaffrey this year because we're all afraid he's going to get hurt. But every week he doesn't hurt, we're going to rank him where each week first? Yeah. Like, he's the first. One of the three best guys in the.

That's my week one test thing with McAfrius. He's going to probably have three touchdowns. You know, he's just been practicing all month. He's going to play 19 out of 20 steps. I get scared when they, it's not even just a calf injury or an Achilles injury. It has some name that I don't even know what the... You mean bilateral Achilles tendonitis? Yeah, it's like, what is that?

I don't love that it spread to the other leg. Yeah. Speaking of gay-free, it's got the rot. The one that caught the other leg. The Warren Buffett rule is the ultimate fantasy thing to me is just like, be bold whenever else is fearful, be fearful whenever one's bold. Everyone's not fearful.

He's a first rounder. That's okay, but he's the best fantasy football player since Lydani and Tomlinson period full stop. But he's literally not somebody people are fearful about it. He's going seventh. But he's the best fantasy football player since Liddaian Thompson. I think when the draft start, he's going to be in one of the three guys. He got bit up in my life.

I got him seventh, like, literally yesterday. Because he wins the league. If he's healthy in week 15, 16, 17, 17, you win the league. The argument is you're not trying to get seventh place. Yeah. If you're trying to avoid, you know, doing rage-baiting tweets that maybe don't take Christian McCaffrey, but... Matthew Barry has the rule of, like, you can't win you're drafting the first round, but maybe you can lose it. And, like, maybe I'm tempting the fantasy gods with hubris by being like that.

But you know what? This is the exception. Like, I know I sound like hyperbolic, but McCaffrey literally has the most fantasy points per game of any player. And the Niners, even last year when he came back from this injury, they were conservative with it. He played all the steps. How old is he now? He's 28?

29. I'm not doing it. His Achilles are 38, though. Bilateral. Bilateral. I'm more scared of Achilles and calves than anything. Yeah. It's like Cold War, 1960s level fear.

You could just be standing there and your Achilles just explodes. I also had Garrett Wilson for this category. Sure. But we already talked about him. Hyphets, who's your $1 quarterback guy? $1 quarterback guy? So I'm curious where you think this begins because, like, is Dak Prescott a $1 quarterback guy?

Is Drake May? No. He's probably in that 4 to 5 range, right? I think in that case, I will just say, I think there's more $1 quarterbacks than I can ever remember, and I can make a case for Stroud. You heard mine in Lawrence,

J.J. McCarthy can make a case. Stroud will be more than $1. But I'm going to have Jordan Love. I think you don't think so? He's higher than $1. You think? Okay, then I was funny. So you're just like,

like, Laving and two quarterback leagues or just one quarterback? I mean, I have Cam Ward as my $1 guy. Oh, so in that case, then I would pick Michael. You're going that deep, Michael Pennix. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, Panics. $1 is like your backup QB, you spend a dollar on,

and then he wins eight weeks for you, and you can't believe. Pennix. I think PennX is going to throw a lot. I agree. Bill, I'm getting, like, Gary Payton vibes with Cam Ward. Just talk shit and picks fights with everyone. Has no fear whatsoever. The Simmons fight was enthralling.

I read, like, eight stories about it. I was like, why did he do that? You're going into prison. You pick a fight with the biggest guy. Yeah. Dude, when he took shit with shit to her. Punch the biggest guy you can find them. Yeah.

Well, did you think about the 5 a.m. meetings? Mm-mm. He gets in there for 5 a.m. meetings, and he would bring the skill guys in, and the coaches were like, well, this will stop once preseason starts. And then the coach was like, every day, 5 a.m. The guy is for real. He's dog levels through the roof. Yeah, he checks some boxes for sleepers.

It also makes you think about, like, when you're like, oh, a rookie quarterback, how much can they come in and, like, be a leader and immediately take over. Reading what Cam Ward has done, kind of makes you think about Caleb Williams a little bit. Like, you don't hear any of that about Kevin. And again, new left tackle. J.C. Lathes is a first-run picker, right tackle. You have Peter Scronsky's a first-run pick at left guard. And then they have Kevin Zitler from the Lions and right guard.

Yeah. It's an unusually good line for a guy. Good line coach as well. I like the Cam one. I drafted him in my league. In a Superflex, I have him as my QB2. And you loved him. You loved him in the draft, right?

As a franchise guy? Yeah, I didn't. He's like not on the level of a lot. of the like first overall picks we've seen in the past that quarterback in terms of as a prospect you know older guy and half it's you talking about he's like the ultimate American, uh, all-American story

or whatever. Kim Ward is the American dream. Right. He's like a zero star guy that started at incarnate word who transferred to Washington State transferred to Miami. He went from, he went from one D1 offer to the number one pick in the draft

and the art. I know there's a lot of issues with NIL, but to me that's why we did NIL and started paying players is that's the American dream is like there are a lot of guys maybe could have been Cam Ward but couldn't transfer or whatever, couldn't put themselves through school, but he was able to make money. I can't, it's really like a, in a very corny way, a very American story. But yeah, I like him a lot. Efton Chisholm Jr. Same thing. That's right. Our new Julian Edelman. Right. You got to have one. Yeah, it always has to be a white slot. Um, D.K., who do you have for your Demard DeRosan anti-adlytics guy? New category for us.

anti-lytics. They make no sense, but he's going to put up points and you don't really understand how or why. This one I'm going, the antiletics is because the numbers and vibes and overall just feel right now for the dolphins is not good.

I'm going with Jalen Waddle. These guys hate him. There's a kind of a long-running bit. There's a long-running bit on our part. He will never be on my time. This is what I'm talking about, though, because we're all out on him, you know, here collectively. But weirdly, his stats are good.

Well, last year they weren't great, but going back throughout his career, you know, he'd average 12, 13, and 11 points per game. And, you know, if Tyreek goes off and does this thing, like, he tried to quit last year at the end of the season. Like, if he does an Antonio Brown took thing and just pieces out midway through the season, Jalen Waddle is getting 35% target rate. That's true, and I won't dispute anything he just said. I just, you look at Waddle and the type of player he is and you think he's been bust, but he's had 20 points in a game like three times in two years. It's not even fun to have him. No. No.

I'll never know because I'll never have him. I'm taking him. You like him? I'm doing it. Screw you guys. Do you have a DeMarrozen guy? This is your category. Yeah, I think James Cook, it's like, oh, he had 18 touchdowns last year.

No way he'll do that again. You know, the numbers suggest that he'll regress. I'm just like, nah, I just said that. I'm like, now he's going to do it again. I kind of. Ashley had the same thing with James Cook. He's just going to do it again. He's just going to have 18 touchdowns again.

I don't care what the numbers suggest. I have the same thing. He's going to have 16 again. I'm like, it's just going to happen. Mine is Isaiah Pacheco. Ooh. Wait, you're out or in? I think he's an anti-lytics guy

and I'll end up with like 13 touchdowns. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I love that. Because you watch him and you're like, it feels like the first four running backs on the team called in sick and they had to like grab him. Hey, we put on this jersey

and being the third and two. It looks like he's like figuring out how to run. Yeah, he just doesn't seem like he should be a starting running back or any kind of running back. Yeah. And then he's 17 for 80 with two touchdown. He's a good one.

Because he was a, like he bites people. Because he was a, Like, he was going pretty highly in drafts two years ago, or like last year, and then he broke his leg. Yeah. And so he was out most of the year. Now everybody just kind of forgot about him. Well, people were like, oh, he broke his leg last year. I don't want him because he was so bad when he came back.

I'm like, he came back last year. Right. He's recovered. Yeah, I like, I like, Bichicoe. Did you have an analytics guy? I had James Cook, too, where I'm like, generally speaking, you can count on a touchdown. I think you said, James Cook never had more than two touchdowns in a year. And then he had 16.

And that's the safest bet you can make is to have less than 16. I'm like, ah, he's going to do it again. And yet that one, that one he's going to do it again. Well, this dives into, I can't resist, even though I know I'll be afraid to look on a Tuesday and see the red flag guy. I don't know why I have him down, but I think it's because I had him in both leagues last year.

Sam Leporta. I just felt like he always has some sort of minor injury that you're just being held hostage with, no, he's going to play, he heard his shoulder, but he's okay. and he takes big hits when you watch the Lions. It always feels like he gets racked. Goff will just sort of over the middle and just get annihilated by a linebacker.

I didn't really enjoy the experience for $20 or whatever paid. It was a little tough for Sam Lapporte last year. Dude, McCaffer, we got to name this the McCaffrey War. Like, if McCaffrey pops up at the red flag, like, I can't imagine anything. I was trying to say against McCaffrey, but this has to be McCaffrey. Is there anybody else who's in this? I think Rick Hill has to be in here.

I think Malik neighbors is kind of in here. This is the secret giant sins keep to ourselves He's already has quite a bit of injuries He's like a second rounder right now He's had a toe injury since LSU He has those injuries where he's just trying to stretch out To catch the ball and gets hurt Yeah

He got knocked out in the Cowboys game When he made an amazing sideline catch And he's face at the ground I think he lost consciousness And then it doesn't say the concussion What is he like 170? Yeah well he's the back He's the toe he's a shoulder

And it's like he's all they got They're going to throw him He led the Lincoln targets last year I'm like just be careful I'm a little worried Because he's a special player They threw him 50 balls in the first month of the season, which, I mean, that's what Cooper Cup got when he won the Triple Crowns,

50 targets in the first month of the season. They was a rookie. But yeah, I'm also, I don't know if he knows to protect himself in the field to some degree. I don't know what's going on there, but he's picked up more injuries than I would like to see. He's 200 pounds, by the way. He's kind of, he's thicker than you think for a fast guy.

200 pounds? Really? Yeah. Because he wears one, so he looks slim. That's smart, smart uniform stuff. I'm going to start one. I had a repeat here. I had Kenneth Walker. always hurt it's going to be great it's going to be awesome watching him run and score a bunch of points in

first three weeks and then in week four he's like out with a oblique injury and i'm like fuck i've had him the last couple years in at least one league and it just never seems like he's healthy for more than three weeks i'm going to do it again though he's great you think he's 27 right all right you're leading us off for my 2002 cooper cup it's a year after the year guy so we named this after Cooper Cup because he had that 21 where just everything's perfect. He checks every box. It's clear

it's his career year. And then the next year you're getting bought at that price when it's like, that's never happening again. So who's that this year for you, Craig? I don't want to believe this, but I think it's the right call. Is Jaden Daniels and the commanders?

Jaden, they were the best fourth down team ever. 87% conversion rate. Jaden everybody was worried about how skinny he was he played all 17 games he did hurt his ribs but he was able to keep playing I'm kind of like man

also their schedule last year was way easier than it's going to be this year last year they played the NFC South they played the Titans the Cardinals this year they play the NFC North and the AFC West which I think are the two best divisions in football there are two easiest games are Atlanta and Miami outside of the Giants who are in the division and I'm kind of just like

you know there's a lot of things that could go wrong I feel like the roster is fantastic we don't know about the McLaurant thing Yeah Not sure about Debo The seventh round running back Who's like my name's Jacob Call me Bill

Whatever's going to Yeah They're tied end to Zach Hertz He's like 40 You know That's the other thing with Washington Is they're an old team It's like the Steelers

You think that they're old Because of Rogers but they're kind of young The Washington you think they're young Because of Jay and Daniels Washington's the oldest team in the NFL I don't want to spoil my pod with Sal But you won't be surprised to know I don't have Washington in the playoffs.

Yeah, you know. I also had Jaden Daniels. Oh. Yeah. I just, I thought everything went right. I mean, he fucking completed a Hail Mary. Yeah. I know.

They were 20 for 23 and fourth down. Like, everything went right. Missing the playoffs to me is a given. Maybe that's insulting to Washington fans, but I'm like, if you look at the quarterbacks they played, they were like atrocious all year. Yeah. It was a fantasy. And they went from the.

Half Dead Ron Rivera to Dan Quinn. They went from, I don't remember who their quarterback, Sam Howell and all the other schmucks they had the year before to Jane Daniels. Easiest schedule possible. Yeah. Like, come on. They were the classic bump team. It's not going to happen again.

The thing that I, like, reference with Jane Daniels is, I feel like here it's such a hater thing to say is like Jane Daniels is going to fall off after having an all-time rookie season. One of the most exciting and electric players in all the football. Yeah. Like, revitalize the entire franchise, like a whole new era. But I look at what happened with C.J. Stroud, too, in a year two, where people start to catch up with what you're good at and take away the things that you're really good at.

I just worry a little bit that, you know, that's going to happen here. I don't think their defense is good. I will say. They lost a lot of dudes. True. I do think there's a little bit of, like, off-season amnesia you get sometimes where you kind of start to look at, like, the narratives and the math, and you're like, well, they were pretty got on fourth down.

Oh, actually, this, no, their schedule was hard. And so you're like, you know what? I'm out on the commanders. Jane D. Daniels is going to have a regression

second year. When I watched him, I was like, this is, this guy's the fucking bad player. Week one test, you can watch him. Like, oh, yeah, this guy is unbelievable.

He was like, he was like, week three. And I was like, I trust him over anybody, maybe. He could do surgery. That would be the,

that would be the zag against this is if he's just in that Allen Mahalo. Yes, category, and that's it. Then that means he goes at least 10 and seven I kind of lean that way more, actually, to be honest,

but I think this is like, like, mathematically. It's more for Washington than him. Yeah. Like, it's just everything went right for that team last year. I mean, if you want to do sophomore slump at Shaden Daniels, but the nature of this category, like, the year after the year after, I think Sequin has to be.

Right. Sequin just had the best running back season any running backs ever had. Like, he literally just spurned his old team, went to the Eagles, which are the two home-down teams where he grew up, had the most rushing yards ever in a single season, including the playoffs, and then won the Super Bowl. And we kind of just saw that, except he lost Super Bowl with Mechanic. McCaffrey and then McCaffrey barely

played last year. It's like the history of, I mean, Sequin had the second most touches of the 21st century. Like 482 or something like that? Almost 500 touches. And the history... What was the Aaron Schatz thing? 375? It was the curse of 370. Curse of 370. That was a great one. I was really jealous of that one.

Sick one had four... I think I should have invented that one, correct? There you go. Maybe you could just say you did. You know, they invented that. Bill invented the curse of 370. Yeah, sick went out over 470. And so you look at that, you're like,

okay, so the history, you guys that that is really simple. Half of them who did it missed half the next season. So it's a coin flip. And if he doesn't, it would be great. Who's the backup running back on Philly? Will Shipley, who I laid her down. Will Shipley is the biggest sleeper in fantasy football now that everyone

knows Jacori Kroski Merritt exists. Bill. Bill. Call him Bill. Yeah, Bill Merritt. Will, you invented that one too. Will Shipley, the eagle signed A. G. Dillon, but he's kind of washed. Will Shipley actually was... Kind of like AJ Dillon. No, I'm telling him. Will Shipley's going to be the guy.

But yeah, it's some moments. I think Will Shipley, if you think Sequin's going to get hurt, Will Shipley, because Eagles starting running back by like week 11. D.K., you had a 22 Cooper Cup guy, right? I put Sequan. Okay. I just think it's like the obvious is just based on the volume. I guess you could put Derek Henry here if you want.

I'm personally not fading Derek Henry until he actually falls off. He's like the mountain from Thrones. You're going to see him die. No, it's stupid, though. You just got to take them every year. It's like Mike Evans is like that too. Yeah. Well, it's all give up.

They're just going to keep doing this until they're. I almost put Henry as my one true love for this year, but I decided to go with ours. It is awesome to have him on your team. Oh, my God. You feel invincible. It really is just great. I'm never going to die. I love them.

I don't think I'm true. Like immortal. Do we all have for the, I just want everyone on that offense. I don't care who team. Is it all Cincinnati across the board? I think you're going to hate me. I have the Niners. I have the Niners too.

The Bengals, you have to use your first three picks to get the, we have to have Chase and then you have to get Chase and then you have to get Chase and DeHiggins. So you would want Pierceall and Jennings and weight. Six weeks on I-U. I would take, well, I'm going to I-U. Kittle. Kittle, Pearson, Jennings, McAfree, I think they're all good values.

I'm confused by you have in the Bengals. I feel like you make fun of people who like spend all their money on four players, but you literally, to get Burrow, T. Higgins, Jamar Chase and Chase Brown, you'd have to spend a lot of money. I want everyone in that offense. I don't care who team.

So that means I get Burrow, Chase Brown, Higgins, or Jamar. That's like your, that's, that's a pretty penny. But I get, even if I get one of them, I'm happy. Oh, okay. Yeah, no, I mean, I'd love to have Chase Brown on my team. I wouldn't really be excited for the Gaseki.

No. You take him as a handoff. He's a handcuff. Sevis, whatever his name was. Bengals are good. I think the difference is the Niners are cheaper because you get in the caff in the first round, Ricky Pearson, John Jennings. If you want to go super duper cheap, how about can I offer you, Drake, May, Stefan Diggs, Trayvian, Henderson, and Efton Chishon Jr.

For someone here is, I will just say this about, while you're talking with the fucking Patriots, I will just say this. You guys better be better under Vrable. Because if you're not, all your shit about Herbert K. with. Drake May currently has won one game as a start. He has one win. So they better win some goddamn games. He played 10 games. And he went one and nine.

And I'm just saying, you better actually be good. Instead of defending this, I'll ask you, what do you think Gerad Mayo is doing this year for a job? It's a great question. What is he doing professionally? What is he doing? I'm going to look it up. Do you realize how bad their offensive line was last year? It was like, please don't just get

Drake May killed. And yet, Jake May has it. I think that I think they could make the playoffs. I just If they don't, it will be funny. I'm going to... I want Nate Tyson to come through a wall right now and start strangling how old. Oh, yeah. Nate Tyson knows.

Sincere, any other... So you would say Dallas, even like you would roll the dice with a running back? No, I wouldn't want the running back. DK, who's your, my year-too-ear-too-early fuck-it guy? So there's obviously a lot of... We talked to Buka. I think he would be, like, my top choice. I talked to Ed McMillan.

I went a little further down the board here. and I for some reason I'm just really excited about Colston Loveland the tight end for the Bears I just think and I really like Tyler Warren too actually the Colst tight end but I just feel like they drafted him with a very specific

role in mind his ability to do things over the middle field stretch the seams run after the catch there's teams that were looking at him I heard this from Dame Brugel teams were looking at him as a receiver before the draft some teams were kind of

evaluating him through that length he's a really big smooth huge catch radius i just think he's going to be a huge part of this offense like and obviously there's other weapons in that offense j more still there roman dunez is still there um but i just i think like four weeks down the line if he's you know top two on that team and receiving it won't be a big surprise me and like the way that caleb williams looked in this last preseason game hitting his getting getting the ball out hitting his back foot on time in rhythm and i just think that's going to be colson level and over the middle field Okay.

Yeah. I'm going to stay with the bears. I think Luther Burden, like, that's a good one too. One of the best names ever. He might just, in my head, he's just like Antonio Brown waiting to happen on the field. But I'm not convinced anybody likes DJ more.

I'm not convinced Roma Dunzee is good. And I kind of, Ben Johnson wanted Luther Burden, drafted Luther Burton. And he's already popped a few times in preseason. And if he plays in the slot, Ben Johnson's slot receivers, he had Jarvis Landry when he was in Miami

who caught like 100 passes a year. And then obviously Amon Ross St. Brown. I just think I test-wise, Luther Burton, who had a weird year, his final year in college, there was, like, injury stuff, he wasn't that good. The year before, he was, like, the best wide receiver in college football. It would have been a tough time. Was there some, like, work ethic questions with him?

Yes. Well, I think our joke during the draft show was that all the teams were looking at Luther Byrd and being like, oh, man, five-star, crazy talent, crazy speed, might be a headache. Ben Johnson, who's just dealt with James Williams for three years. It was like, oh, I'll be fine. Yeah. Give me that any day of the week.

Yeah. I just think he's awesome. He has his number 87. though, which is tough. Well, that's because they're too young to remember when receivers wore that, so they're bringing it back as they think it's new. It looks like a tight end.

D.K. mentioned my guy. Tyler Warren. Oh, I have Tyler Warren. I waffled between the two of those. All right, let's do the Tyler Warren thing. So they picked Danny Dimes as their QB, who I checked around with Giants fans. I didn't need to ask high fits

because I already knew, but I talked to a couple other Giants fans in my life. And they were just like, because I was like, to make sure the Colts as an AFC South team. It's not going to happen. Yeah, I was like, just how bad was Dimes last year? It just

sounded really bad. Like, the chasm from 22 Dimes, which wasn't exactly Joe Montana, but he was like, 15 TDs, five interceptions. He ran for 70 yards. That guy was like miles better than last year, Dimes, who lost his job to Tommy DeVito.

No one said anything nice about Daniel Jones while he was alive. Only when they cut him, and he wasn't playing every week where people like, oh, he can play. I'm a giant fan. I never heard one nice thing from anybody for four years about that guy. I mean, Richardson has to be so bad for them to be like,

they're just basically giving up on it. I just screen passes. So I picture the one thing they do have is a good offensive line, right? The Colts. It's okay. It's above average. The never running game

and there's going to be play action and throw it to Tyler Warren because they had this whole deep passing offense that he's not going to be able to execute. Because he can't throw deep. No. But you know what he can do? Throw Tyler Warren.

Yeah. It's tunnel screens. I'm in on Tyler Warren. I think he's this year's kind of discount powers. I totally agree. People think Tyler Warren can block because he has long hair. And Jeremy Schocky and George Kittle have long hair. And he can't block.

He's a receiver. He was the only player in the Power 5 conference last year in college football. They have 100 catches. Like he's a receiver. He had tied the most catches in a game of any tight end ever in the history of college football. Like he's a crazy good receiver. And again, to your point, Daniel Jones, Like, I mean, Daibled, the shoestring and bubble gum,

that giant season that made the playoffs that screwed up the whole team. Like, it was so much tight ends to guys that didn't have talent. But I totally agree. I just, the, I also thought he should have gone first as the tight end. I know you like Lovelin, but. I mean, I kind of crazy that he fell to 14. I remember looking in him for the Pats. The second when you watched him in preseason, you were like, oh.

Yeah. And the other thing, too, is that the cults are, every team has something like this or a lot of teams do where they haven't been able to fill a tight end for 10 years. Yeah. They've been platooning that forever. It's kind of like, you know, maybe, like, didn't this... It just makes sense.

I can see him in the uniform. I can see him having big games. There's also not a ton of competition. Like, there's no other real alpha. Let's speed through the rest of these because we took way too long. We'll just go rapid fire. Missionary position, we've all had them. This is getting boring.

It's not even excited to see him to line up anymore guy. For me, it's Kelsey. Oh, that's a good one. It's just like, all right. Kelsey did the thing where I had one catch for 10 yards, and there's a red flag next to them. Should I start him next? Oh, now he has seven catches for 90 again.

Just not. Is there anybody else he would have? Aaron Jones? I mean, I think he's a good player still, but he was banged up pretty much all the last year. He's getting older. There's talk about platooning him. Yep. I have Alvin Camara.

Just you're going to turn him on and watch him, and then you're going to watch Spencer Rattler, a quarterback. He's going to catch a pass on the side, you know, like a bubble screen or whatever and just gain one yard. Yeah, just be a free and out machine. He's there and never going to see him. Jared Goff does nothing for me anymore I don't want Jared Goff on my team

I don't make you feel dead inside Yeah he's just like he can't move I know he's good I felt for the preseason hype That guy I had Genty just because The hype is like No no actually you should pay 50 plus dollars for him

They're going to use him all the time And I've been I mentioned Hunter before But those two I think we didn't really talk about Genti But it just seems like he's going to have the ball at the time he wants the ball people's going to give him the ball and then the only other one I had there was Mahomes

just though the Mahomes come back better weapons there's not another Hall of Fame I'm not buying it there's not another Hall of Fame quarterback who's hype you bought maybe in the East Coast well I mean his what do you mean

maybe in uh maybe up in Pittsburgh somewhere around yeah didn't didn't buy that one Aaron Rogers any other preseason hype guys you you were I I was I couldn't remember exactly how to define this category, whether it's like I fell for

it. I think that's part of the point and some of these categories are confusing intentionally. They're all Apex Mountain. And so I put George Pickens because I have fallen for the preseason hike with Pickens and I don't know how it's going to go. I think Occam's Razor is probably he's going to be

off the team in week seven or whatever. But like, I think he could also have 1,200 yards. You haven't, none of the Rogers quotes. The teammates. I actually I have the Roger shit a bill. None of it.

I have a box on my Google. Okay. There's a lot of good stuff about him. You should, so you should do your own research. That's the problem.

I'm just saying, a lot of the young guys really like him. Good locker room guy. Sure. He's misunderstood. Yeah. Him and Tomlin, they really work.

Craig walked in one day was like, Will Howard said, can't wait to learn from him. And we were like, what the fuck do you think Will Howard's going to say? Why?

Because he's a rookie? Yeah. You were like, yeah, they said nice things about him. I'm like, well, What are they going to do?

They're going out of their way to be truly effusive. You could be like, oh, yeah, it's been great. Skyler Thompson is like, this guy is completely misunderstood, all the receivers, all the linemen. He seems like he's very well liked right now. That's all I'll say. These aren't my quotes. I'm reading them. I don't know what Plan B is for the conversation, though.

What do you mean? Like, if we just added some new person and then somebody interviewed Danny Kelly and we're like, what do you think of the new producer, Johnny? Well, I'd be like, Johnny's been great. amazing weird thoughts on the pyramids why aren't there quotes about how awesome Sam Donald is everybody loves Sam Donald all the players are talking about how great he is

why isn't there that because Sam Donald doesn't I think there has been talking about that it's almost like Sam Donald's focused on winning the season instead of just talking about who built the pyramids and whether he's not talking about that stuff right now he's famous people are interviewing him

he's not I don't really know if there has been many this is the first topic since we've done the show where like younger Craig would punch current Craig in the face. Now, this is actually honestly a little sad. Oh, stop. No, it really is. You know what's funny? Sean came on our pod and was like,

Craig, you have to have a take. You can't be apathetic about this. You can't say like, it'll probably win eight games. Because your take for a long time was like, this is their best of many bad options. So if I have to pick aside, I'm going to be like, yeah, fuck yeah, we'll win 12 games. December, Craig was like, I can't believe some team's going to talk themselves into the Rogers. I still maintain that this was the best thing they could have done in this situation this year. know what the alternative was i like when with sheel anybody brings up rogers to him and he just like he it's like this switch goes up he's like no quarterback over 42 years old has ever played more than 10

graves other than tom brady like he's just shield is the most out of anyone at the ringer i think he's 41 i love that is he going to be 42 during the season towards the end of it yes what were they going to do give sam darnell a hundred million dollars i'm good hey come on i know what should they have done I don't mean to open up the shodora can of worms, but I don't understand. Yeah, you could have had Jackson Dart. Yeah, you could have had Jackson Dart.

That actually had never occurred on. Actually, it seems really good. Yeah, you're right. Right now, that dart looks okay. Sure. Looks okay. He's hypothetical jersey. Kenny Pickett looked really good.

I like how you went from throwing dimes to throwing darts. Dude, and also use two emojis you can use because you can use the dart, but also you can use cigarettes, which are all, like, all-time emoji quarterback. Yeah. And the guy between DeVito with the thing, the Giants are corn. in the market on like the emoji quarterback. Shrager had the funniest trigger. Yeah.

Trigger monologue about Dardabout. He has it. He has it. He does. You can see it. He has it. He kind of does. He has a little bit of aura.

He's come a long way from that Gruden video where Gruden's like, show me your snap count. And he's like, cool. He just claps. That's how I felt in our old studios when we had all the podcast interns. And I met Craig. I was like, I told Fantasy. Got it.

Craig has it. He has it. I can see it. How do you start a podcast? I'm like, actually we do that. Yeah, line up the audio.

Oh, this is, I think my favorite category. My, I'd never root for an injury. I would root for one. It's Breece Hall. I want him to get hurt.

God damn it, Craig. So Braylon Allen can get the football. Let me live. Yeah. I never riped an injury, but he is one injury away guy. And we already talked about Breece Hall. Yeah.

Russell, would have mine. I pulled Hammy so he can see Dart. I know. Just saying. I had Ray Davis down here There could be a really fun seven-week Ray Davis stretch We don't want anyone getting hurt

But if James Cook has a little pulled hammy or something And Ray Davis comes in and he's just awesome Yeah I could see that one I have to just as a Pat's fan Put Ramadre Stevenson on this thing I don't think he's going to get bench I don't think he needed more touches for my guy

How do you feel about Romandre? I still feel like he's a good running back. The fumbles are just out of control. Yeah. I just can't handle the running back except fumble. Just don't fumble. Hold on the ball.

Ramantra's an X that in two years he's not even going to remember the name. He's going to be like, who was there before? Like, it's going to like slip out of his memory. You, it's, I don't know what the total number of running back fumbles, what the number is before you just completely lose confidence forever, but I'm there. He's close. Yeah. Yeah, it's like double digits in two years.

Any other injury guys? Dude. Like just lingering. You mentioned the Eagles. Well, I mentioned, we'll ship. who I do think is the most probably the player who is the biggest ratio of how much people are talking about it, which is zero to

the importance you could have in the season, which if Sequin, you know, again, second most touches in the 21st century, if Saquant gets hurt, you're like, damn, Will Shipley, is he going to be the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles? And then if you want to say, oh, maybe it's not him, it's A. I haven't heard anyone talking about A.J. Dylan for the Eagles, but even they split it. That's a crazy workload.

The only other thing I'll say is, I think Zach Charbonnet for the Seahawks. Yeah. I don't even have to wish an injury on anyone. Ken Walker's just always hurt. He's the other thing. He's the easiest person to see where if the Seahawks are good and it's what we think they'll be and they make the playoffs and the defense is awesome

they're going to run ice out and then Walker's hurt and you're like, Charbonnet. He's coming on Seahawks Island with us, Danny. I am coming on Seahawks Island but I just think basically if Charbonnet is the easiest player to envision joining that like top four group of like, oh, it's McCaffrey, Seekwan, Gibbs,

Bejohn, Zach, Charbonnet was fifth in the second half of the season with, but if Ken Walker's hurt, man, he's going to be so good in that system. He has a fun running style. He will go out of his way to truck you.

He's one of those guys who will be like, I could go there or there and be open or I could just run right through that guy in a good way and a bad way. It's the trolley problem, but he chooses more people.

It totally runs over all the children. I do have a random football question though. Like everyone's talking about Clint Kubi X, like the zone blocking, how good it is, and Grace Abel's been amazing in his zone blocking scheme.

So why don't more people do zone blocking schemes? Like, why did the Patriots do it last year? We had no fucking offensive linemen. I can answer that. So the reason... Is it super hard to figure out?

It's hard to teach detail-oriented. It's detail-oriented to teach. It's a simple system. When you understand it, players like it because they talk about feeling like a computer. Zero, one, C, hit. And so they feel like I don't have to think. I can just execute. And so you become faster.

So, one, you need an organizational commitment to it because what you end up doing is basically... I don't realize hyphids would have such a great answer for this. I was like going with a hypothetical. I'm just making it all this is amazing. You also have to have a quarterback who's willing to play under center. Yeah, so you can't have Rogers because because you have, you have to be able to do play action, turn your back to the defense. You can't have Rogers doing the Ben Rathesberger impression where everything's in shotgun.

You can't do that. So you have to be under center number one. But well, I'm just saying, you also need an organizational commitment to faster linemen. The Niners line, I think, when they started doing, and now it's more gap stuff too, but the Niners line was like the lightest line in the league. So you need a multi-year effort to draft. They've got right guys. But the whole point, though, it sounds complicated.

It's just to make cornerbacks tackle. The premise of this when they started doing this, the Broncos, Mike Shanahan, his dad, Alex Gibbs. The whole point was, well, if you're going to have all these dots and Matt, make the one-on-on-on-on with the running back, the worst tackler, that's a cornerback. So the whole point of wide zone. Or the slot cornerback of those guys. Well, that's why those guys are the most important guys in modern defense right now

are the most underrated because that's where the front side, yeah, it's like, all of modern footballs right now is about the B-Gap, which is a whole different conversation. But the point to your question about, why doesn't everyone just do it? Like, why don't you build the play into the black box? It's hard to teach. Matt, Patricia tried to teach stuff, and he's like, it's not that easy. So why can you, sorry, why can Kubiak do it?

Well, his father fucking, like, invented it. Yeah. Like Gibbs, Shanahan and Gary Kubiak. It's like I invented the three out. Right, exactly. Exactly. But yeah, so his dad, like, invented the thing. I like it, because it seems like it fucks teams up.

And Gray Zabel just seems like he's just a wrecking. Oh, my God. He's looked so good. Yeah. I think it's a lot of guard time. Like, he's replacing Quentin Nelson as the guard. He might be. He's looked incredible in the preseason.

I saw some stats. This is from Ian Hart. The Seahawks were like 30th in yards before contact for carry last year. And in the preseason, they're like fourth. The run game has really been clicking. I can't wait for Sam. I can't wait for a backbreaking pick six in the fourth in week one. And everyone's like, fuck, he's Sam to Arnold again.

Well, I think the other thing to add to what Hyford said about the zone game. And Alex Gibbs said this back in the day is like, you don't do other stuff. You just, we're a zone team. And I think some teams like to be more multiple than that. And it is a way to kind of protect your quarterback and not make them have to throw a back-breaking six, pick six or whatever. But yeah, they're going to like run zone, bootleg, throw deep. It's going to be fun. The next category is my rookie nitrous oxide guy.

I'm not even sure what that one was, but it was just so we could have Xavier Worthy. I didn't know what it was. I don't know. I just took the fast rookie. Thornton on Vegas, maybe? Oh, yeah, Deonti Thornton. Thompson. All right.

All right. All right. Thornton, who seems like he's their number one receiver. I don't really understand. He's going to be Veldiv Scantley. He's going to just stand there and run fast and he'll catch like. I like those guys. By the way, great guy to have him Madden.

Thornton? Straight line guy. Sure. Are you playing Madden again? Depends of my son. I beat him and it drives him crazy. And then he throws a tantrum, even though he's 17 now. I only play a few months to play.

I just, you never lose it once you have it. It's like riding a bike? I'm just good. Last category. I know this is good value right now, but I simply don't want to root for him, guy. It was Aaron Rogers for me last year. I don't know why anyone who would draft Aaron Rogers this year.

No, but he's not getting drafted. I'm going to put him in again. Aaron Rogers? But the other person I want to put in is Breece Hall. Hell yeah. God. Because it helps with the Brayland Allen stock. Breeze Hall really hurt my feelings last year.

Him and Trevor Lawrence just ran a tag team on me. I'm back in on but feelings hurt I'm like I'm sagging on I'm all in on Bruce he's going twice

like a conspiracy theory I know I feel like you don't even think he's that good you're just upset at how much we think he sucks correct he's your Jalen

Waddle yeah he doesn't even hit the right holes and pre-shund up course he does he's really good

he's a good player I'm with you I'm with you on Rogers I don't want Rogers we're talking about fantasy football who's drafting Aaron Rogers and fantasy no but no

the Steelers I don't just I don't just do you know why, my issue with, I don't, Metcalf, Caleb Johnson, all these guys, it's the Rothusberger Steelers again. So it's like, a good value, I don't want to reaffirm. I don't want to watch Rogers, because, like, off the field, he's annoying.

But on the field, we saw this thing with Rogers, what he's doing now. It's the old Rothesburg. He doesn't want to get hit. So everything's shotgun, and it ruins the offense. They can't run the ball because it's shot gun. Everything is worse. Why am I getting attacked right now? Doesn't want to get hit at all. All right. The name of this category... It's hard to watch. The name of

this category is, I know this is good value. So you're saying, you know the Steelers are good value. Oh, it's a good point. I don't know. Why are we talking about this? I just wanted to mention them anyway. I was like, I'm trying to make you back into complimenting the Steelers. I'm like, it's technically

says, I know this is good value. So mine is the Saints wide receivers who, in theory, are being drafted super late. Chris Olivae is good. Rashid Jehita's good. But I'm like, I just, I just, if it's Monday night football and it's like Saints Chargers and I need 20 points out of Chris Alave, and I'm watching Tyler Shuck and Spencer Rattler. I just can't do any of that.

He's a D&D guy for me, Chris Lave. He's hard to... Too many concussions. Like, at some point, it's not... It's stupid. If anyone's going to be throwing hospital balls, it's Tyler Shuck and Rattler. Jesus. All right, this is fun.

Can we do 30 categories and not mention our favorite sleepers of the year? Oh, yeah, that was our last thing. Who's your favorite sleeper? Well, I had him for Nitro Sox. I just want to mention Matthew Golden for the backers. And I'm a huge fan of him. And I think that there's overlapping reasons

why he's falling through the cracks. but frankly in a nutshell most really fast guys don't have any touch or feel like they're like Taekwon Thorntons they're track runners but Matthew Golden to me he has tempo he has feel he has really good hands a lot of these fast guys can't catch for shit you gotta be like a Deshawn Jackson

like you know he's got the center fielder I just think Matthew Golden has a lot of juice frankly but also feel but then you go to the Packers and I just think people think he's gonna be a rotational player I'm like he's gonna play for them like all the time two receiver sets three receiver sets I am he's one of my favorite players good. Who's your sleeper?

Breece Hall. Is he really your sleeper? Grow up. Grow up, Peter Pan. Breece. Count Chocula. Friesall ranked ahead of Jalen Hertz. Anyway, Ricky Pearsall, I like. I think that one makes a lot of sense.

Is he been a sleeper? I feel like he's awake and having coffee. You want me to pick someone like way, way down the list here? People think he's their number one receiver. Yeah, but he's still not even dressed highly. He's been shot in a year. Like, he's got to be healthy from that, right? That was unbelievable that he played after he got shot. He was lucky to survive.

He was shot in the checks. He was lucky to survive. I'll give you a different one. Damien Pierce, running back for the Texans. Under the category of somebody on this team has to get a thousand yards and 10 touchdowns. And he also has a thousand yard season on his resume. I thought he was really good coming out of Florida. He just wasn't a good fit for the wide zone scheme that they ran last year.

Basically just was a forgotten man. And I think now they're switching to more gap stuff, a little bit better for him. And it sounds like mixing. is not back anytime soon, so I'll throw that out there. Who's yours? I think it's Tank Biggsby, the running back on Jacksonville. Like him. Yeah, I think what Liam Cohen did for Bucky Irving in Tampa,

I think Liam Cohen could do for Tank in Jacksonville. I think he's much more similar to Bucky Irving. What Liam Cohen did to the Buck's running game last year was pretty incredible. And Buck Irving, his whole thing is yards after contact. He was the best in the league last year at it. Number two is Tank. So I kind of think they have similar profiles. I have from the College of Holy Cross,

but that's not why I'm taking him on the Carolina Panthers, Jalen Coker. Coket. You're Coket? He's great. So I was really invested in him because he was a Holy Cross guy who's actually like doing stuff. It's not like we have a lot of football players. He's good. He is good.

He loves a significantly longer career than Xavier Ligator they took in the first round. He was making big plays for them. He was open. Bryce Young trusted him. And now I think people just think it's going to be Ted McMillan's team. And I wouldn't be surprised if he had the most receiving yards on the Panthers.

That's a good one. I think the Panthers just kind of have like a nice cast of guys now. Everybody does a thing. Like I think Leggett as a number two makes way more sense. Macmillan is like your classic number one who can get a ton of targets. Coker's like the speedy guy doing it. I just think they kind of are filling out a nice. Chuba Hubbard is.

Yeah, Chuba Hubbard's good. The offensive line's not bad. Year two with Dave Canales. Yeah, and I was too harsh on Bryce because I did think he had some good moments. I just thought it was notable that Richardson is just out of football now. But they're not the same. I know they're not the same. Richard's, like, Liz Brice's arrow was pointing up by the end of the last season.

Anthony Richardson's completion percentage is lower than shots. I know, he can't compete. Yeah, I think it's just like the difference. The difference is you can, as a coach, you can trust this guy to run the offense you want to run more than, like, that's why they want to Daniel Jones. It's like, I just trust this guy to run the offense. Yeah. Not, you know, whatever. What did we call Richardson, Ed 209?

Right. From Robo Cup. Robo cup. He can't go down the stairs. You can't get in a car. He literally can't go downstairs. Brace had moments, but man, he seems so small in some of these games. That's the thing you can't, like, when you're watching all the TVs and you see the different quarterbacks and then you see him.

And he just seems. Well, that's why they got a McMillany. He's so tall I can see him. Yeah. All right. Guys, this is great. When's our big draft? Monday.

One o'clock. It's going to be on the ringer fantasy football YouTube channel. One o'clock Pacific time. It's a lot of ringer people that people are recognized. We're all going head to head. There's going to be punishments that we talked about on your podcast.

I think my favorite, what was the one I came up with, the tweet one? Rage bait. Rage bait. Go listen to that. Do you want to know what that? Go listen to that.

I had the punishment idea of one tweet each week, Tuesday at 1 o'clock. Written by everyone else. Almost like the Colin Joe's Michael Chee thing where you're writing the weekend update Joe for somebody else. And it's just like a tweet that will make people mad.

The funny thing is that it would be the worst for you because you have like five million followers. Yeah. You have the most to lose. Yeah, I do. He probably is. He didn't think it occurred him to lose until just now. Yeah, but he also enjoys tweeting rage bait stuff more.

I'm not going to finish last though. I want to ask you. Because Van Lathen's in the week. He's going to finish last. What pick do you want? We're doing Snake. There's 10 teams. What's your ideal pick?

Because we're going to do a trivia question to determine the pick. Oh, interesting. I usually like being near the back so you can get basically like three four of the top like 30 to 32 33 range i think this is a good year actually to be towards the back of the draft yeah because i don't i would i wouldn't be psyched about any of those running backs we didn't even talk about bejean but like i don't know i don't oh really but i don't want to spend sixty dollars on them in a fantasy league like uh you you're probably going to want to do that

I have to do this is great you can have it all right go on do you have anything else do I have to you don't have to do anything but I mean he's

he's like yeah he's gonna blow your fucking mind like for how good he is he's not that famous he's not that he doesn't have that Sequin like electricity where everyone wants to play him

and Madden he's like the biggest freak I've ever seen even though he is but he doesn't really have that I think it's a combo of the Falcons and then also

it's weird that he wants to be an actor but I will say Sequin himself said, like, a month ago, that the best player at making people miss the NFL is Bejong Robinson. Yeah, I mean, he's so... I'm looking at my future, and it's going to be a future of starting running backs. Trayvian Henderson,

Brayland Allen, and Kenneth Walker, some sort of running back platoon. And everyone will have a flag next to them at some point, and I'll wonder why I didn't spend more running around. A little bit of him. I am. A little bit in on him. We don't think I talk about the Broncos at all.

Yeah, that's surprising. Unfortunately, with the Broncos, like, a month ago, it was, like, cool to be like, I actually think the Broncos could be. I know. Now everybody's. I'm so, I have so much money in them, too.

It's like, and now they're the sexy contender. I can't wait for him to spend $22 bucks in Braylon Allen in this draft. And then we're going to be tweeting from his profile. This is a booger out. The Yahoo draft, though, that's the booker.

I'll just take them in like the eighth round. Yeah. Well, yeah. Right after I take no punishment in the seventh round. Yeah. Which, yeah. Yeah.

If you don't know what we're talking about, you'll have to go listen. Yeah, listen and thanks. All right. Thank you, Bill. Thanks to Gahau and Eduardo as well. And I'm going to be back on Sunday with a brand new pod.

And then episode 399 of the rewatchables, Witness. You weren't there for that one. No, I actually haven't watched it yet, but I will watch it. I think you really would have liked it. I can't believe I haven't seen it for how much I love Harrison Ford. It's like an incredible Harrison Ford movie. Anyway, Mallory, it was just the two of us. I can't imagine.

Lines were crossed. I assume. Lines were cross. Case you were wondering, they were. That's we're crossed. Good to see you guys, though. Thank you. Must be 21 plus in President's like States for Kansas

and affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 plus and President D.C. Gambling problem. Call 100 gambler or visit RG dash help.com. Call 188-78. 7777 or visit ccpg.org slash chat in Connecticut or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland hope is here visit gambling helpline m a.org or call 800 327 5050 for 24-7 support in Massachusetts or call 18778 hope and y or text hope n y in new y in new york