Top 10 WR Rankings + What Could Go Wrong? | Fantasy Football 2026 - Ep. 1946 — Transcript

Full transcript

1. 0:00It's time to upgrade your live draft with a draft board from Fantasy Champs.
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8. 0:30Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright.
9. 0:53Welcome in.
10. 1:00Welcome in.
11. 1:04Monday, August 10th.
12. 1:08Welcome into the Fantasy Footballers Podcast.
13. 1:10Jason Moore, Mike, the Fantasy Hitman.
14. 1:12I'm Andy Holloway.
15. 1:13And we are back.
16. 1:15The season approaches.
17. 1:16The injuries are piling up.
18. 1:20That is the official sound effect of injuries.
19. 1:26I feel personally targeted with this current round of injuries.
20. 1:32Yeah, I agree.
21. 1:33I mean, Luther Burden and...
22. 1:35Flowers.
23. 1:36Say flowers.
24. 1:37Yeah, it's...
25. 1:38What's this all about?
26. 1:39Oh, and then, you know, even...
27. 1:41I guess it's more than just injuries, I feel like, are attacking you in the moment.
28. 1:45What's that?
29. 1:45Because I feel like the news is bending on a couple situations, like against you.
30. 1:50Like the Basial Tootin.
31. 1:51Oh, no, that...
32. 1:53Yes.
33. 1:53I mean, there's a few things that feel like Mike is finally...
34. 1:56We're turning the corner on the year of Mike.
35. 1:58Yeah, the year of Mike is, you know...
36. 2:00No.
37. 2:00Was back there.
38. 2:01No?
39. 2:01The chips are still in on Tootin, guys.
40. 2:03Oh, okay.
41. 2:04Well, please bring that ADP down.
42. 2:07Is that what it is?
43. 2:08That's my hope.
44. 2:09It's a win-win for you?
45. 2:09Yeah.
46. 2:10If the news is bad, then the ADP is down.
47. 2:12We got a great show.
48. 2:14We got wide receivers today.
49. 2:15The top 10 countdown.
50. 2:16We've got injuries to catch you up on.
51. 2:18That's not so fun, but we'll do it.
52. 2:20And it should be good.
53. 2:23We have more and more camp, more and more highlights.
54. 2:26I mean, Carson Beck, there's no looking at it across the field.
55. 2:29Oh, my goodness.
56. 2:31That was pretty ballsy.
57. 2:32Yeah.
58. 2:33But if you're a Cardinal, you just do what you want.
59. 2:35Because why?
60. 2:36What's the worst?
61. 2:37It doesn't matter.
62. 2:38Nothing matters.
63. 2:39Also, you get to throw against that defense, which is...
64. 2:41You don't even have to look.
65. 2:43That's what that proves about the defense for the Cardinals.
66. 2:46I don't know why they paid Jacoby Brissett, though.
67. 2:48That's the part that's just...
68. 2:50Because we are an unserious franchise.
69. 2:52That's why.
70. 2:53Yeah.
71. 2:53I know.
72. 2:54Somebody was trying to break it down, and I go, yes, but you're applying logic to the
73. 2:57situation.
74. 2:58That's not part of the Arizona Cardinals.
75. 3:01Correct.
76. 3:02YouTube.com slash the Fantasy Footballers.
77. 3:04Make sure you subscribe.
78. 3:05Click the bell over there.
79. 3:06Make sure you are up to date on all the new videos, because Sunday Live is coming soon.
80. 3:11Mike is with you an hour before kickoff.
81. 3:14Last-minute changes and adjustments.
82. 3:17I mean, we can get the rankings.
83. 3:18Our rankings get updated all Sunday morning, right up to kickoff.
84. 3:21But there's still news and things that are decisions that you're making.
85. 3:26We'd all love to be able to lock our lineup in on Wednesday afternoon and have it be a
86. 3:31done deal.
87. 3:31That's just not how fantasy works anymore.
88. 3:32And everything is...
89. 3:34You know it.
90. 3:34There's nuance to everything in fantasy football.
91. 3:37So, you know, we talk through rankings of, like, sometimes a player is slightly ranked
92. 3:42ahead, but look at the actual situation.
93. 3:45Don't just go all blindly off of this list.
94. 3:48What does your team need?
95. 3:50And also, just the tips.
96. 3:52It is our short-form content that we've been putting out in August.
97. 3:56New episode just hit on Saturday.
98. 3:58What's that episode about?
99. 3:59Well, this week was sleepers.
100. 4:02Ten late-round sleepers talking through, you know, like, my process of how we identify
101. 4:07those situations.
102. 4:08And then, not just giving you situations, but also some names that, like, I'm going after.
103. 4:13Is Dontavian Wicks one of the ten?
104. 4:14He's not in this one.
105. 4:16He could be, though.
106. 4:16He's...
107. 4:18The drum beat is getting louder.
108. 4:20Yeah.
109. 4:20And that is exclusively on YouTube.
110. 4:22Yes.
111. 4:22Yep.
112. 4:22YouTube.com slash TheFantasyFootballers.
113. 4:25You can watch it over there.
114. 4:26What else is going on?
115. 4:28You can follow us on X at TheFFBallers.
116. 4:31The Ultimate Draft Kit available now with the new mock draft tool.
117. 4:34UltimateDraftKit.com to learn more about that.
118. 4:36Become an Ultimate member and get access to everything.
119. 4:39Let's talk some news.
120. 4:43News and notes from around the league.
121. 4:48All right.
122. 4:49Luther Burden is going to miss the entire preseason.
123. 4:53They believe he'll be back for the regular season opener.
124. 4:56It is not great news.
125. 4:58It's a groin injury.
126. 5:00Ah!
127. 5:01Thank you.
128. 5:02That was the authentic sound clip from the practice field.
129. 5:06We piped it in.
130. 5:07And me.
131. 5:08Groins have been getting wrecked the last week.
132. 5:10Groins have been getting wrecked.
133. 5:11Yeah.
134. 5:12In more ways than one.
135. 5:12And this one was a full disturbance.
136. 5:15Yeah.
137. 5:15In the force.
138. 5:16Like, I didn't even have to check Twitter.
139. 5:17I just...
140. 5:18You felt it?
141. 5:18All the hair on my body just started standing up.
142. 5:20It was like...
143. 5:21Your actual groin started hurting a little bit.
144. 5:23Yes, it did.
145. 5:23In sympathy.
146. 5:24I was like...
147. 5:25Luther!
148. 5:28Grade 2 injury Matthew Betts is talking about.
149. 5:33You just don't like to hear that at all.
150. 5:35Of course not.
151. 5:36You don't want to hear it, especially with the hype that everyone's so excited about Luther
152. 5:40Burden, what he's been doing at camp.
153. 5:42I will say that the normal timeline for a grade 2 groin strain should put him totally 100%
154. 5:50fine to start the season.
155. 5:52No dip in...
156. 5:55You know, a lot of times we talk about when you're coming off of certain injuries, it takes
157. 5:58a couple weeks to ramp up to pre-injury production.
158. 6:01The data doesn't say that on this one, so he should be good to go from week one.
159. 6:04However, there does come now a higher re-injury risk, and that would be the fear.
160. 6:10I mean, talk to me for a second of how you're thinking about, like, we got news that Alec
161. 6:14Pierce is about two weeks away from returning to practice.
162. 6:16Ironically, on the last episode of the show, I said...
163. 6:20I was saying if it's within three weeks, and then we kind of agreed, all right, within two
164. 6:24weeks it comes back to practice, I'm feeling okay.
165. 6:26Which situation are you less comfortable with?
166. 6:29Pierce is coming back maybe in two weeks, got the contract, that gives him like three weeks
167. 6:33for the season, a little less than that.
168. 6:36Or missing the rest of practice with a re-injury risk?
169. 6:38I'm definitely more, personally, I'm more concerned about Alec Pierce than I am about
170. 6:44Luther Burden.
171. 6:45Luther Burden has spent this entire off-season, the entire time, using himself in the new role.
172. 6:52He's established himself, and now he's, unfortunately, got to take some time off to rest.
173. 6:57Alec Pierce, one of the arguments I know you've made, I've been more that Josh Downs is going
174. 7:01to be the largest beneficiary...
175. 7:04Hold on, let me do the Josh Downs effect.
176. 7:05Ah!
177. 7:06Yeah, he's also got the groin injury.
178. 7:08He's got a groin injury now.
179. 7:08But, you know, who's going to be the biggest beneficiary of losing the Michael Pittman targets?
180. 7:14The issue is, Alec Pierce, if he's going to go into that different type of a role and
181. 7:19be more of a possession guy, he just didn't get to practice it, you know?
182. 7:24But if he comes back and just plays the role that he's played for this offense for the
183. 7:28last couple years, then there's no worry.
184. 7:30Like, if I'm a coach, I'm going to be like, dude, he knows his role.
185. 7:34He knows this offense.
186. 7:35Not that he can't move into other things, but obviously, that is a big deal when you
187. 7:39miss...
188. 7:40If you want to, like, really go into a different role, but you miss the entirety of the off-season,
189. 7:46training camp, pre-season, all of it...
190. 7:48Mental reps, Jay.
191. 7:49Well, my argument with Pierce has just been that he already has done a lot of that stuff.
192. 7:55So, we'll see what happens with the injury.
193. 8:00At least the team has come out and said, hey, he's going to get a ton of more targets.
194. 8:05I mean, we have an injured...
195. 8:06Right now, we have an injured Downs and an injured Pierce, a recovering from injury Daniel
196. 8:12Jones, a newly minted Jonathan Taylor, and a ready-to-go Tyler Warren.
197. 8:17That's your situation.
198. 8:19Dog.
199. 8:20We...
200. 8:21I almost forgot.
201. 8:22We have so many shows.
202. 8:23It's funny, because people text us and message us things that we've said on the show, but
203. 8:27we do hundreds and hundreds of shows, and I'm older than someone that could remember
204. 8:34everything we've ever said.
205. 8:35So, they were just reminding me that if you go back far enough, man, this was like...
206. 8:40I forgot about Katzen Dogland situation.
207. 8:43I forgot how much you dogged on the cat.
208. 8:46Well, in college, he was, like, yet to break a tackle.
209. 8:49He was not the...
210. 8:52He is the downfield disc guy.
211. 8:55Wait, are you doubling down on it?
212. 8:57I'm just saying that it was true.
213. 8:58It was like, that's not...
214. 8:59That's objective.
215. 9:01He didn't break tackles?
216. 9:02This guy.
217. 9:02No, he didn't really break tackles in college.
218. 9:05He ran away from guys, but he was not a huge tackle breaker in college.
219. 9:09Devontae Smith, Makai Lemon, remained sidelined on Saturday, not practicing.
220. 9:15There was a report this morning about, like, Makai Lemon, it's been a re-injury situation.
221. 9:21He is somebody I'd be worried about the reps on significantly.
222. 9:24I got a snake, man!
223. 9:26Oh, yeah.
224. 9:27Oh, that's right.
225. 9:28Makai the snake.
226. 9:29Because of the press conference.
227. 9:30Yeah, because of the serpentine slither.
228. 9:34I'll be honest, I was a little scared there.
229. 9:35But the report this morning, I mean, all the news on Dontavian Wicks has been very, very positive.
230. 9:42You got to remember, this is not a high, like, this is one of the lowest passing offenses in football.
231. 9:48And so, I love Dallas Goddard, and this does not hurt my love of Dallas Goddard.
232. 9:53I think he's a sneaky, near-my-guy-level, like, endorsement from me.
233. 9:58I think Dallas Goddard is a machine this year.
234. 10:01Because Eli Stowers, no news.
235. 10:03Makai Lemon, constantly hurt.
236. 10:04A.J. Brown, gone.
237. 10:06Dontavian Wicks, you can give him a bunch of press.
238. 10:08He's had it before.
239. 10:10Got to catch the football.
240. 10:11He does, and it's a low-passing.
241. 10:14But that's the thing.
242. 10:14Like, there's not a lot to go around if you're the three.
243. 10:17Yeah, for the three.
244. 10:18And that's really maybe four.
245. 10:19I mean, if Wicks, Smith, and Goddard are getting more targets than Makai Lemon,
246. 10:23I'm just saying that worries me.
247. 10:25Because you're not getting 5,000 passing yards out of Jalen Hurts.
248. 10:28I agree.
249. 10:29The thing for Goddard is he has to run hot with touchdowns, which he was at 11 last year after being 2, 3, 3, 4.
250. 10:39You know, the targets, it was 82 targets.
251. 10:42So, I mean, it's not bad.
252. 10:44No, it's not bad.
253. 10:45That was in 15 games.
254. 10:45But I was going to mention, yeah, the volume is lower, but there's always been enough for A.J. Brown and Devontae Smith for them to both be, like, top 24 guys.
255. 10:57But Wicks is undrafted.
256. 10:59If Wicks truly becomes the number two, like, he has the playmaking ability to really make some noise in fantasy.
257. 11:09The drops and everything.
258. 11:11Players drop the ball.
259. 11:13It does happen.
260. 11:15And it seemed like it happened more for Wicks.
261. 11:17And then it just becomes this self-fulfilling prophecy of, like, we see it.
262. 11:21And you're like, oh, there, he's going to drop it again.
263. 11:23There are some guys.
264. 11:24They traded for him.
265. 11:25And they gave him, like, a little bit of boost in money.
266. 11:27And he's probably starting on the outside.
267. 11:30Drops are not always a sticky thing.
268. 11:32You know, you see some superstars, Jamar Chase or CeeDee Lamb or whatever.
269. 11:36Or Evans.
270. 11:37Yeah, they go through a little stretch.
271. 11:38But there are a few guys.
272. 11:41And I can think of three.
273. 11:42Wicks.
274. 11:43Quinton Johnson.
275. 11:43Quinton Johnson and Marvin Harrison.
276. 11:45Where it's like, it's become such a thing for them that it can't not be in their head every pass.
277. 11:51Yeah.
278. 11:51The league leader in drops every year is always a superstar.
279. 11:54But CeeDee Lamb or Almanra St. Brown, it's somebody that gets 150 targets.
280. 11:58A bunch of more, yes.
281. 11:59So you're going to have more of those.
282. 12:00But I just think it's one of those obviously sneaky situations where you can have an undrafted guy.
283. 12:06Wicks should go at the end of every draft.
284. 12:08You could put him on your team and have, like, you have two injured guys.
285. 12:12Like, Devontae Smith, he does get hurt.
286. 12:14We talk about when A.J. Brown or him miss a game, Goddard benefits.
287. 12:17We know that because the data is there because they missed time.
288. 12:20I mean, Wicks was, like, you know, if you were around for fantasy football in the offseason, when Wicks got traded, I'll just speak for me personally.
289. 12:29It was like, oh, this is actually sort of interesting because you already had it combined with the locked in, you know, promise that A.J. Brown was going to be traded.
290. 12:37And it got completely derailed because Makai Lemon was drafted in the first round, which that totally makes sense.
291. 12:44But if Makai Lemon is not a factor, maybe have some more excitement for Wicks.
292. 12:49Have you guys heard one word about Hollywood Brown?
293. 12:53No.
294. 12:53He's there.
295. 12:54No.
296. 12:55I just remembered.
297. 12:57Like, I'm like, who else is there?
298. 12:58Oh, yeah.
299. 12:59Isn't Hollywood Brown there?
300. 13:00But I've heard.
301. 13:01No.
302. 13:02If you told me he retired early this offseason, I would believe you.
303. 13:05I'd be like, oh, I missed that news.
304. 13:08Josh Jacobs did not practice Thursday or Friday or Sunday with a groin injury.
305. 13:12The groin is going around.
306. 13:14Jaden Reed did not practice on Sunday, ankle injury, Matthew Golden, toe injury.
307. 13:19So the Packers taking some time off there.
308. 13:22A couple of bigger pieces of news.
309. 13:24We got news this morning that the new center for the Lions is going to miss eight to ten weeks or longer.
310. 13:30A midseason return.
311. 13:31That sucks.
312. 13:31That was an upgrade point for them.
313. 13:33They went out.
314. 13:34They spent the money.
315. 13:34And then they're going to miss it.
316. 13:36Laramie Tunzel will miss the majority of the season.
317. 13:39Torn triceps.
318. 13:40That would be the commander's left tackle.
319. 13:43And that's a big deal.
320. 13:45It's a downgrade for that offensive line, which means Jaden, which means Bill.
321. 13:50Bill.
322. 13:51Hunter Henry agreed to a two-year contract extension for $14.5 million.
323. 13:58I mean, he's the definition of a Dalton Schultz-esque solid tight end that could, if you start those guys on any given week, they could be fine.
324. 14:05Absolutely.
325. 14:06Hunter Henry's a good player.
326. 14:07Especially to start the year.
327. 14:08He always gets off to like the first two weeks of every season.
328. 14:11It does feel like he owns the first couple weeks.
329. 14:12He waited until weeks three and four.
330. 14:14Oh, was it?
331. 14:15But somewhere early in the season, he goes off every year.
332. 14:19Is there any news that I, I mean, sprained MCL for Isaiah Pacheco.
333. 14:22I missed that.
334. 14:23They think he'll be ready in week one.
335. 14:28That's all I know of right now.
336. 14:29Yeah.
337. 14:30Malik Nabors trending towards being ready for week one.
338. 14:32That was the other news coming out from ESPN's Jordan Renan.
339. 14:35How do you feel about that?
340. 14:38Oh, yeah.
341. 14:39And the quad contusion for Zay Flowers.
342. 14:41Yeah.
343. 14:41It seems, as far as Malik Nabors, every video that you watch, you go, okay, he seems ready,
344. 14:49whether he is fully cleared for, you know, every bit of contact and every route.
345. 14:53But I've also heard over the last couple weeks, you know, from boots on the ground that he's
346. 14:58looking better.
347. 14:58Like every week that goes on, he's looking more and more like himself.
348. 15:01So I think come week one, he will be on the field.
349. 15:05I think come week six, he'll be back to his normal, you know, pre-injury self.
350. 15:11Also, one other piece of news, I do believe that the quad issue with Mike Evans is in the
351. 15:17past now.
352. 15:18He was back out there.
353. 15:20Okay.
354. 15:21Did you move Luther Burden in your rankings because of the news?
355. 15:24I have not adjusted yet.
356. 15:25Okay.
357. 15:26I mean, are you going to?
358. 15:29Right now, I don't plan to.
359. 15:31I was already, let me go.
360. 15:33I can double check again.
361. 15:34But like, because of his ADP, we've just been lower on him than the ADP because it took
362. 15:41off like a rocket ship.
363. 15:43Yeah.
364. 15:43It's ironic because we have not been drafting much Luther Burden, even though we love the
365. 15:48talent and the situation because of his ADP.
366. 15:50But now with the injury, he's probably going to drop quite a bit as people are worried about
367. 15:56it.
368. 15:56And then maybe we end up with some burden.
369. 15:59I did up his risk rating in the draft.
370. 16:01I did as well.
371. 16:02Yeah.
372. 16:02And I may, I may be moved him just a touch.
373. 16:05Cause there, I mean, there's a risk now.
374. 16:07I mean, he could miss week one that, that actually is in the realm of possibility.
375. 16:11All right.
376. 16:12We'll take a break and jump into the top 10 wide receivers.
377. 16:24Wide receivers.
378. 16:25All righty.
379. 16:28We did a wide receiver episode on Friday, counting down the number 20 through number 11 in our
380. 16:34consensus rankings.
381. 16:35We're looking at the top 10 today.
382. 16:37This should be fun discussions to be had.
383. 16:40What makes a top 10 wide receiver in fantasy since 2015?
384. 16:46Someone finishing in the top 10 for fantasy, 67% of them averages nine or more targets per
385. 16:51game.
386. 16:52So you're talking cream of the crop 73% had eight or more receiving touchdowns.
387. 16:57So we should discuss these players in the context of can they reach that mark?
388. 17:01The average numbers for top 10 wide receivers, 99 receptions on 148 targets, 1300 plus yards
389. 17:07in 9.5 touchdowns.
390. 17:09So you're talking big time year.
391. 17:12Yeah.
392. 17:12I mean, yeah.
393. 17:13Top end is pulling that average.
394. 17:15Yeah.
395. 17:16And, and maybe if we have time at the end, I'd love to know a name.
396. 17:19I mean, maybe it was discussed on the last show.
397. 17:21Maybe it's somebody else outside of the top 20, but somebody that you think can get up
398. 17:25into that tier that isn't in that tier.
399. 17:28We'll go ahead and we'll start it off here.
400. 17:31Number 10.
401. 17:32Nico Collins comes in at number 10.
402. 17:35We finally found a guy.
403. 17:37Yes, there it is.
404. 17:38That I am the highest on.
405. 17:40Yeah.
406. 17:40It turns out that Mike is the highest on Nico Collins.
407. 17:44He's been the wide receiver nine, 20 and eight the last three years.
408. 17:48He has not played a complete season ever.
409. 17:51I think that's something that might be not talked about much about Rico.
410. 17:5514 games, 10 games, 15, 12, 15.
411. 18:00So, you know, when you look at what he did last year, points per game, it was a little
412. 18:04bit down 12.7 versus he's been at 14.7.
413. 18:09He's a machine.
414. 18:10He's a great player.
415. 18:11Three straight thousand yard seasons.
416. 18:14Second in yards per route run over the last three seasons.
417. 18:17We love that number.
418. 18:19Seventh in PPR points per game over the last three seasons.
419. 18:22So he, if you just look at points per game, Puka, Jamar, Amon Ross, Seedy, Tyreek and Malik
420. 18:28neighbors.
421. 18:29And then Nico Collins ahead of Jefferson, ahead of AJ Brown, ahead of Devante Adams.
422. 18:34We know he's the number one.
423. 18:36We might not like CJ Stroud a lot, but this is the team that's going to be a very good
424. 18:40threatening for the division.
425. 18:42Where are you with the, you know, I'm looking their favorite in six of their first seven
426. 18:47weeks.
427. 18:48The Buffalo matchup in week one should be fun.
428. 18:51Why doesn't he necessarily feel like drafting Jamar Chase or Jefferson?
429. 18:55Is it all related to Stroud?
430. 18:57I don't think it's all related to Stroud.
431. 18:59A lot of it is also related to volume.
432. 19:01He is, you know, the, the deep threat gets, you know, those bomb touchdowns.
433. 19:05That's great.
434. 19:05Wins you a week, but he's not a guy that's going to be up.
435. 19:08You know, we just talked about pretty much the average top 10 wide receivers, usually
436. 19:12about 150 targets.
437. 19:14He's not going to get 150 targets.
438. 19:16I don't think.
439. 19:17I mean, that's just not how he's been utilized this last year.
440. 19:20He had 120 targets.
441. 19:21Yeah.
442. 19:21He, he averaged eight targets a game and we said the threshold was nine.
443. 19:26So he's just slightly range probably.
444. 19:29Yeah.
445. 19:29I mean, last year finishes the wide receiver eight, which is like, Oh, that's great.
446. 19:33But it's ironic because we've talked a lot about how Zay flowers finishes the wide receiver
447. 19:38seven, but it was like fake.
448. 19:39Cause this year with injuries to other guys and the points per game, like he had his lowest
449. 19:43points per game this past season.
450. 19:45Nico Collins did, um, in the last couple of years.
451. 19:48So what we saw last most recently was not really exciting, really inspiring as like we
452. 19:56went into last year, believing he could be a top three wide receiver and then regressed
453. 20:01on a points per game basis.
454. 20:03Now you get, um, a couple other guys, the, the news around Jaden Higgins has been phenomenal
455. 20:08recently.
456. 20:09I don't know if people are plugged into that, but Higgins has been talked up like crazy,
457. 20:13not just by beat reporters, but also, I mean, CJ Stroud himself.
458. 20:17How about by Nico Collins?
459. 20:19Yeah.
460. 20:19That boy, a dog got all the tools in the world.
461. 20:21Going to be the face of the franchise one year.
462. 20:23Yeah.
463. 20:24So I mean, pretty good.
464. 20:24And then you get tank Dell back.
465. 20:27Um, so, I mean, maybe this just helps open things up for Nico, but to me, when I look at
466. 20:31Nico versus the other guys around him, my biggest hardship is just target volume.
467. 20:37And, um, I will say he's usually overcome it.
468. 20:40So it's not a big scare.
469. 20:42I don't, I don't look at him like a, like a bust pick.
470. 20:45He's just not my favorite archetype personally.
471. 20:48I wonder what Kyle, Kyle, if you want to look up what CJ Stroud's yardage line is set at
472. 20:52this year, that's a concern for me.
473. 20:54217 yards a game last year for CJ Stroud, a defense, a defense that is going to be built
474. 20:59to minimize Stroud's mistakes, allow David Montgomery and Woody Marks to run the football.
475. 21:05And then you'd think that Nico Collins would have been a player that has gotten to double
476. 21:09digit touchdowns with that frame.
477. 21:10He's never done it.
478. 21:12Uh, eight, seven, six, the last three years.
479. 21:14Oh no.
480. 21:15These trends continue.
481. 21:16Yeah.
482. 21:16I mean, based on how numbers work, but I think those are all, I think you guys brought up
483. 21:21the main points there.
484. 21:22And I think he's a very solid, you know, top 12 type of guy, but not going to be somebody
485. 21:29that's going to can finish at number one.
486. 21:31I don't think that's possible.
487. 21:32It's really funny because there's two like types of options you want in the receiving
488. 21:38game.
489. 21:38You want a team that is just, you know, the bangles, the Cowboys teams that are going
490. 21:42to be putting up 30 points seen as a top five NFL offense.
491. 21:46Or you want a team that's like, they're going to be down all game.
492. 21:49They've got to throw like crazy.
493. 21:51And this is neither of those.
494. 21:52This isn't going to be a top 10 offense.
495. 21:54At least it's not currently projected that way because this is such a good defense, but
496. 21:58this is a really good team.
497. 21:59They're going to be hopefully running the ball in the fourth quarter versus throwing
498. 22:02the ball.
499. 22:02So it's like this double whammy against, uh, the, the passing game for the Texans.
500. 22:07And it's at no fault of their own.
501. 22:08It's, it's a good strategy to win ball games for the Texans.
502. 22:12Yeah.
503. 22:12And you have Stroud.
504. 22:13They're going to win.
505. 22:13And well, Nico is the, the Jaden Higgins stuff.
506. 22:18I think it's interesting.
507. 22:19Higgins is a, is a, uh, he's a fun player as like, we're going into year two, uh, day
508. 22:25two.
509. 22:25I wasn't impressed on film last year by Jaden Higgins.
510. 22:28I wasn't.
511. 22:29I watched the, I watched the film and I felt like he left a lot on the table and I was
512. 22:33surprised.
513. 22:33Maybe it's Stroud that, you know, brings it down.
514. 22:35Not enough opportunities, not enough good situations.
515. 22:38The Stroud yardage line is 3599.
516. 22:403599.
517. 22:40Yeah.
518. 22:41So he's sitting right at 3,600.
519. 22:43It's the same number as Baker Mayfield.
520. 22:46Stroud or, uh, sorry.
521. 22:47Nico's the number one.
522. 22:48That's like, that's easy.
523. 22:49That's the, the argument for, for Nico Collins is he's very good.
524. 22:55He is like the last three years has been solid for fantasy.
525. 22:58This past year was, was more down than the other two.
526. 23:02And Stroud for all of his weaknesses or, you know, perceived, uh, he's just, he can't
527. 23:10get over the hump.
528. 23:11He's not gonna be able to do it.
529. 23:133,600 yards.
530. 23:14That's enough where, you know, I've, I've talked about, you know, Ted Rolla, McMillan
531. 23:18and Bryce Young.
532. 23:19It's like the reason that McMillan kind of freaks me out as the true number one on the
533. 23:23team is Bryce Young, 3,000, 3,100 yards.
534. 23:28Like that's a good season for Bryce.
535. 23:29Mm-hmm.
536. 23:30Stroud, Stroud hit 4,000 as a rookie, was 3,700 in a full year, his sophomore season.
537. 23:36Even if it didn't work out for us for fantasy football, that's 3,700 passing yards that he
538. 23:42can easily return to.
539. 23:44And Nico's the number one and is a good player.
540. 23:46His line is set at 3,600 yards right now.
541. 23:49And usually if, if you don't, if you're unaware, lines are set a little lower than what a full
542. 23:55healthy game is.
543. 23:56Right.
544. 23:56You gotta, you gotta bake in some risk.
545. 23:58Mike, number nine.
546. 24:01George Pickens comes in at number nine.
547. 24:03I've got him at eight.
548. 24:04Mike is of course the lowest.
549. 24:06Jason at 10.
550. 24:07Of course.
551. 24:08So we're right across that.
552. 24:09I mean, I, I really, really, I believe Dallas could be a very good team this year.
553. 24:18I agree.
554. 24:18They're, it's not too dissimilar to Cincinnati.
555. 24:21We've said it a million times, but they're very similar teams to all-star, all pro wide
556. 24:27outs.
557. 24:29Running games, that'll be okay.
558. 24:31Defenses that through Caleb Downs and Dexter Lawrence have both improved to the point where
559. 24:36I think competitive, you know, being competitive and winning games with that kind of an offense
560. 24:40should be there.
561. 24:41Um, you know, the story with George Pickens, number five overall last year, he was awesome.
562. 24:48Um, five weeks of 20 plus points.
563. 24:50Only Puka had more week winning performances than George Pickens.
564. 24:54You just have to have two guys on the same team finishes wide receiver ones here.
565. 24:58We've seen it before.
566. 24:59We've averaged one, one pair per year since 2015.
567. 25:04Um, you know, if I had to pick which team does it this year, which obviously I think everyone
568. 25:11would be like Bengals or Cowboys.
569. 25:13It would be the Cowboys.
570. 25:14Yeah.
571. 25:14The rankings and the ADP are pretty confident for the Cowboys.
572. 25:19What other teams are in contention there?
573. 25:21Rams did it last year.
574. 25:24Yeah.
575. 25:24Rams, um, maybe Detroit.
576. 25:28I mean, cause just Jameson, Jameson's finished as a top 10 before.
577. 25:31Yeah.
578. 25:32They'd be in there.
579. 25:32Maybe.
580. 25:33I mean, they, that was 20, 25 was Amundra and Jameson.
581. 25:35Yeah.
582. 25:36Dark horse saints.
583. 25:38Yeah.
584. 25:38Now we're talking.
585. 25:40Now we're talking.
586. 25:41Yeah.
587. 25:42Target competition with CD when CD was in, in the game.
588. 25:47Um, Pickens was at 21% target share.
589. 25:51So we don't like that number for a top 10 finish.
590. 25:53Yeah.
591. 25:5321 on his routes.
592. 25:5526% when CD was out.
593. 25:56The, the, I think it's just the looking at last year is it's very noisy of, in terms
594. 26:05of, I don't think you can cleanly gather out of just doing like the box scores.
595. 26:10Hey, you know, CD is for sure.
596. 26:13You're just by far the number one, cause you had early on in the season.
597. 26:16It was George.
598. 26:17It was just first games with the Dallas Cowboys and CD land was dominating.
599. 26:20Then he gets hurt.
600. 26:21And George completely takes over not only the Cowboys, but he takes over fantasy football.
601. 26:27And then the end of the season, they're both doing well.
602. 26:30And there was, there's a couple of low games here and there.
603. 26:33I, I think George Pickens is truly a, a, an elite, uh, budding superstar for, for the
604. 26:42NFL.
605. 26:42So, you know, I have them at 12 because I'm just, it's a, it's a little bit hedged.
606. 26:47His ADP is at 11, but I have no problem with, with him going at 11.
607. 26:52I have no problem with you.
608. 26:53Andy, you got him at eight.
609. 26:54I think that's perfectly acceptable for, for what George could do with CD on the field.
610. 27:00If you take out the, the first two games, the argument you're making is like, okay, that
611. 27:05was, that was the, the, the first time George played with CD in real games, you know, CD
612. 27:11dominated those targets.
613. 27:12It takes, takes some time.
614. 27:13Then he got injured.
615. 27:14George went off.
616. 27:15Yeah.
617. 27:15Once CD came back.
618. 27:16So week seven on the 17 game target pace, when both those guys were on the field, taking
619. 27:21out those first two games would have been 143 to 137 targets.
620. 27:25So it was not that wide of a, of a gap.
621. 27:29However, tough end of the season.
622. 27:31Yes.
623. 27:31Really tough end of the season for the last five weeks for Pickens and you, and you might,
624. 27:36you know, the last week I think they sat down and started.
625. 27:38Yeah.
626. 27:39I just want to say that the final three weeks was tough just for the Cowboys.
627. 27:43CD lamb was 8.1, 7.1, and then doesn't really play the game.
628. 27:49Number eight.
629. 27:50All right.
630. 27:51AJ Brown comes in as our number eight wide receiver.
631. 27:55That's where his ADP is right now.
632. 27:58There have been moments this off season where I've wanted to be like super all in on AJ Brown.
633. 28:04Like, like it should work.
634. 28:07That's it.
635. 28:08It should work.
636. 28:09It almost makes too much sense.
637. 28:10It almost makes, I mean.
638. 28:11It's too quiet.
639. 28:13I mean, he's, he's been a dominator last year.
640. 28:16The much bemoaned offense.
641. 28:18He's still got it done.
642. 28:19Still finished at number 10 with two games he missed.
643. 28:22It should be a very good, at least one more year, I think, for AJ Brown in New England.
644. 28:28Now there's going to be acclimation to this offense to some degree.
645. 28:32Building that rapport with Drake May.
646. 28:34Does that happen instantly?
647. 28:35We know AJ Brown is a particular kind of guy when it comes to.
648. 28:39The squeaky wheel, baby.
649. 28:41The squeaky wheel.
650. 28:41And it should be, you know, you're moving from one of the worst passing offenses in football statistically in terms of pass rate and total passing offensive statistics to one of the best in football.
651. 28:53New England was unbelievable last year.
652. 28:56You can say what you want about the schedule, but production is production.
653. 28:59And Drake May went out there and like, I mean, they were, they were just really, really good.
654. 29:04And they passed the ball a ton.
655. 29:06The case with AJ Brown is, does he still have it?
656. 29:10Like, that's the entirety for me because there's some people last year.
657. 29:14He's old man river now.
658. 29:15That looked at the film and said he, he, he looks like he lost a step and he's going to turn 30 this year.
659. 29:20So either he's not the same dude and he's lost a step.
660. 29:25And so you will be maybe disappointed with where you're drafting him and he's not, and he's not that guy.
661. 29:30If that's your argument, fine.
662. 29:33But if he's still good and keep in mind last year, he was the wide receiver 10 missing two games on a low volume offense.
663. 29:40How can he not almost project to be a top five wide receiver?
664. 29:46This is a, a dominator for fantasy for many, many years who is going from a low volume to a high volume to a team that just lost Stefan Diggs, who had a thousand yards and was basically their, their primary receiving option.
665. 30:00The, the volume of opportunity for him should be 25% more than it was last year.
666. 30:08I got two things I want to discuss and get your thought on.
667. 30:11Yeah.
668. 30:11One is you may see between building the report, Drake may and the schedule.
669. 30:17I don't know if you can have a tougher first four weeks in the NFL.
670. 30:21You go to Seattle.
671. 30:23That's really tough.
672. 30:24Then you play Pittsburgh at home.
673. 30:25Okay.
674. 30:26Then you go to Jacksonville.
675. 30:28You go to Buffalo.
676. 30:28You are underdogs in three of the first three weeks.
677. 30:31You're on the road in three of the first three weeks.
678. 30:33And you're trying to build a rapport with a quarterback against defenses that are going to be pretty good.
679. 30:38It could be a slower start is all I'm saying.
680. 30:40It concerns me.
681. 30:41Like if I week one concerns me that that first game out there and then playing against a world-class defense in the Seahawks.
682. 30:50But like the Jags are a good team and you might be the underdog.
683. 30:53The bills are a great team and you're probably the underdog.
684. 30:56But those are also good offenses where you're going to have to pass.
685. 30:59So I don't mind that personally.
686. 31:01I think that those two games, the Jags and the bills, those games will be like I want those environments.
687. 31:09Those will be huge tests though for a team that had the schedule they had last year.
688. 31:12I mean, Drake May, we saw him in the playoffs.
689. 31:14He wasn't the same guy against these top-tier teams.
690. 31:18One other thing.
691. 31:19What were you going to say?
692. 31:19I was just going to say I'm in on A.J. Brown.
693. 31:21I don't think that he's lost a step.
694. 31:24No, I don't either.
695. 31:25And if he hasn't, this should be a pretty easy and obvious successful pick.
696. 31:32There have been a handful of guys, seven in fact, that since 2017 that are wide receivers that just changed teams.
697. 31:41And how did they perform?
698. 31:42So like Brandon Cooks was the wide receiver nine, became the wide receiver 12 when he switched teams, also went to New England.
699. 31:49Amari Cooper went from wide receiver 13 to 18.
700. 31:52Beckham went from seven to 26.
701. 31:54Antonio Brown never played again.
702. 31:57I don't know why they're in the sample.
703. 31:59What is it?
704. 31:59Oh, he just, he got it.
705. 32:00That was the year he peaced out, man.
706. 32:02Yeah.
707. 32:03And if I remember right.
708. 32:05Tyree got better.
709. 32:05Like it was going well for Antonio Brown.
710. 32:08He was very good.
711. 32:09And then just took his shirt off and left football.
712. 32:12He played, it was a game.
713. 32:13Is that what?
714. 32:14Yeah.
715. 32:15One game.
716. 32:15Oh my gosh.
717. 32:17We'll move on.
718. 32:19Number seven.
719. 32:20Justin Jefferson comes in at number seven.
720. 32:22I've got him at six.
721. 32:23Mike at six.
722. 32:24Jason is at seven.
723. 32:26Justin Jefferson is 27 now, guys.
724. 32:30Yeah.
725. 32:32Not forever young.
726. 32:33It happens.
727. 32:33But still very young.
728. 32:36This is the number one all time through the first six years of the NFL in receptions and receiving yards.
729. 32:41We know the player.
730. 32:44We just want to know that he has a stable situation offensively.
731. 32:48And we now know, like we didn't know, how bad it can get.
732. 32:53It can get pretty bad.
733. 32:55I mean.
734. 32:55Sub 10 points a game.
735. 32:57We've had all time.
736. 32:59This is a really, really good thing to look at.
737. 33:02We've had all time players have down years.
738. 33:04This has happened for Larry Fitzgerald before.
739. 33:07But, you know, A.J. Green, Hopkins, Devontae Adams.
740. 33:10They've all had years where they slipped outside that top 20.
741. 33:14But, you know, they're Hall of Fame type talents.
742. 33:16When A.J. Green finished at 24, the next year he was the wide receiver seven.
743. 33:20When Hopkins finished at 30, the next year he was the wide receiver one.
744. 33:23Same team.
745. 33:24When Devontae Adams finished at 24, he was the wide receiver one the next year.
746. 33:28The best players end up coming back to form.
747. 33:31Everything about Jefferson and camp has been amazing.
748. 33:33It's just the J.J.
749. 33:35Kyler mess.
750. 33:36And maybe.
751. 33:36And it's still a mess.
752. 33:37Maybe that's affordability, though, for a player that could be number one again.
753. 33:40It's not really in the sense that most people are in on Justin Jefferson.
754. 33:45I guess if you're taking him as, you know, the wide receiver, you know, six off the board
755. 33:49and he finishes at one, then you did get, you know, a discount.
756. 33:53He could slip into the second round for a lot of leagues.
757. 33:56For a guy that finished as wide receiver 22 last year, playing every single game,
758. 34:02I mean, it was atrociously bad.
759. 34:05And now all is forgiven.
760. 34:09No one is off of Justin Jefferson.
761. 34:12But the quarterback competition right now this year has not looked great.
762. 34:17You know, the most recent reports, it goes back and forth.
763. 34:19The most recent reports I've seen are that J.J. has had more, not Justin Jefferson, but nine.
764. 34:28McCarthy has had more better practices than Kyler Murray.
765. 34:32So it's, you know, it's not impossible that Justin Jefferson comes out this next year
766. 34:40and is the wide receiver 15.
767. 34:42Because if he scores five touchdowns because these quarterbacks can't throw touchdowns,
768. 34:46that's the issue.
769. 34:47He had 10 games with McCarthy last year, five with Carson Wentz, two with Max Brosmer.
770. 34:52I do think that that's borderline impossible for him to do in this offense.
771. 34:57I think it's going to be better.
772. 34:58I mean, a second year J.J. McCarthy is better than a first year McCarthy.
773. 35:01And Kyler Murray could be the starter.
774. 35:03And that would be much, much better, I think.
775. 35:06I think that's too low for me.
776. 35:08But you think he could be a – that would be full on –
777. 35:11that would be one of the biggest Boston fantasy again.
778. 35:12That would be.
779. 35:14I mean, I get it.
780. 35:15The quarterback situation should, should be better this year.
781. 35:19I mean, I've got him as my wide receiver seven.
782. 35:22I'm not projecting him to be there.
783. 35:23But to say it's impossible, I mean, he literally just played every single game
784. 35:27and was the wide receiver 22 because of quarterback play.
785. 35:29The quarterbacks are not guaranteed to have been solved.
786. 35:32And I really do think it comes down –
787. 35:33You probably wish they had Geno Smith.
788. 35:34I wish it came down to touchdowns.
789. 35:38And, you know, that's – whether or not around the red zone –
790. 35:42So are you bypassing – so like ADP-wise, what I'm seeing right now is after Jefferson
791. 35:48is Drake London and A.J. Brown.
792. 35:51Yeah.
793. 35:51I mean, every time that I've had that decision, I've gone A.J. Brown over Justin Jefferson
794. 35:57because –
795. 35:58How far does it go?
796. 35:59Nico?
797. 35:59Nico?
798. 36:00I would not take Nico over him.
799. 36:02George?
800. 36:03George – so I'm looking at my rankings and I literally was like,
801. 36:07I think I would rather have George.
802. 36:09That's crazy.
803. 36:10It feels crazy.
804. 36:12In which case, you know –
805. 36:13It just – to me, it just – like, again, a down year versus a downward trend,
806. 36:19I think, are different things.
807. 36:21So you're not confident in Kevin O'Connell to get it fixed.
808. 36:24Because if you – I mean, to me, it's a discount on Justin Jefferson
809. 36:28if you have any confidence in Kevin O'Connell as a head coach.
810. 36:31Yeah, I mean, I –
811. 36:32You can't let that happen two years in a row.
812. 36:33And there were – again, you had three quarterbacks that started.
813. 36:35And that's why they went and got Kyler because the hope was, okay, we can –
814. 36:39if it doesn't work out for McCarthy, then we just –
815. 36:42then we have this veteran who was at least not the worst.
816. 36:46Kyler's not great.
817. 36:47He's not – he won't beat the worst.
818. 36:47What do you think they should do strategically?
819. 36:50Strategically?
820. 36:50Isn't the smarter thing for them to do to start J.J.?
821. 36:54If the camp battles are actually as close as we are hearing –
822. 36:58I'm just thinking of the transition.
823. 37:00It's a lot easier to pull J.J. for Kyler to me.
824. 37:05I just – like, team-wise, if it's close, you should be putting McCarthy out there.
825. 37:10Because he could be a future.
826. 37:11He's still young.
827. 37:12He can still get better.
828. 37:13Where it's like, Kyler Murray's not getting better.
829. 37:15No.
830. 37:16At football.
831. 37:16No.
832. 37:16He is –
833. 37:17He's regressed a lot, actually.
834. 37:19Yeah, if anything, he's only getting worse from this point moving forward.
835. 37:23But it's a mess, man.
836. 37:26Like, they – McCarthy has his supporters online.
837. 37:31It seems like the media prefers Kyler.
838. 37:35Because, look, dunking on J.J. McCarthy is pretty easy.
839. 37:39It's so fun, man.
840. 37:39And based off of what he did last year with the memes and everything, it's pretty fun.
841. 37:43So, I don't – I'm – I think I'm more on Jason's side of just, like, Jefferson's ranked high because I'm respecting the player, what he can do.
842. 37:54But the risks are – it's very high.
843. 37:58Right now –
844. 37:58You need to know what you're getting yourself into.
845. 38:00Don't just – it's not blind.
846. 38:02Everything is totally fixed.
847. 38:04Things could be status quo from last year.
848. 38:06Yeah, right now he's going right next to CeeDee Lamb.
849. 38:09Like, they're –
850. 38:10Oh, give me CeeDee Lamb.
851. 38:11That was easy.
852. 38:11Yeah, I would take CeeDee Lamb there and Ashen Jinty.
853. 38:13Like, those are the two players on each side.
854. 38:15Or if you prefer Hampton or A-Tan or –
855. 38:18It's more about cost is what you're saying because the risk is still there.
856. 38:22You don't see it removed.
857. 38:23I am comforted by the fact that the comparisons that we have with other legendary wide receivers, you are going to have odd years.
858. 38:31But to go from 30 to 1, to go from 24 to 7, you know, Adams, same situation.
859. 38:38It's comforting to me.
860. 38:39I think the talent is too good and the target share is too large.
861. 38:44But, yeah, there's risk because we don't have – I think people wanted to see this guy won the job today.
862. 38:51Like, if you knew today that one of these guys that dominated him was named the starter, would you feel different about Jefferson?
863. 38:58Yes.
864. 38:58Yes, entirely.
865. 38:59This is not a Justin Jefferson problem.
866. 39:01Correct.
867. 39:02Justin Jefferson is –
868. 39:03Right.
869. 39:05I mean, he's probably the best wide receiver.
870. 39:08Like, if I was drafting – I mean, Chase is younger, so if I was drafting as a GM, but whatever.
871. 39:13But as a prototypical wide receiver, I think Justin Jefferson's the best in football.
872. 39:17That's not an anti-Justin Jefferson take.
873. 39:19And so if you give the best wide receiver 160 targets, he should be okay.
874. 39:25But it is just quarterback worry.
875. 39:26Number six.
876. 39:26I'm sorry.
877. 39:27I thought you started.
878. 39:27It's all right.
879. 39:28I got to really just – you got to throw your hand up or something when you're done.
880. 39:33It's just a quarterback worry.
881. 39:36Okay.
882. 39:36Number six is a quarterback worry.
883. 39:37I'm going to go move him down.
884. 39:39I'm freaked out.
885. 39:39Well, it's a perfect next player to talk about, Drake London.
886. 39:45Drake London is our – I have Jefferson ahead of London.
887. 39:48As does Mike.
888. 39:51Jason, you have him flip-flopped.
889. 39:53This is where it's like I get a little bit confused about that storyline because, you know,
890. 40:00you don't have a quarterback situation here in Atlanta that you should feel confident about.
891. 40:05Some combination of Tua and Penix is not the most exciting situation in the world.
892. 40:13And so are we giving – does London have a pass because he's thrived in bad situations once versus, you know,
893. 40:23Jefferson who doesn't get a pass because we saw him struggle in a tough situation once?
894. 40:27I guess that's kind of my question.
895. 40:29Is it about target consolidation?
896. 40:32Like why is London higher here?
897. 40:35I think it is just target consolidation in the sense that you've got Jordan Addison and Hawkinson versus Kyle Pitts and Zachariah Branch or Jahan Dotson.
898. 40:47I mean, it doesn't sound too different to me.
899. 40:50Pitts is much better than Hawkinson in the target pecking order.
900. 40:52Yeah, but Addison's would be way better than those two.
901. 40:59Yeah, so I mean, I get what you're saying.
902. 41:01I think it's a very fair – and that's why Jefferson's usually going above London in drafts.
903. 41:06They both have a quarterback issue, and you've got a better player in Justin Jefferson.
904. 41:12I mean, I would, you know, have to take a strong look in the mirror to actually select Drake London over Jefferson.
905. 41:22So this is where when I'm really in that spot, feel more confident in some of the running backs there.
906. 41:27Sure.
907. 41:28As far as what they cost versus when it comes back around to the next round, the wide receivers that are there versus the running backs.
908. 41:34We've only ever had one, according to the data that Kyle's pulled here, because it's very rare to have a top 10 wide receiver in fantasy with a quarterback outside the top 30, like a late round quarterback.
909. 41:50The only one to do it, I mean, 2024 Devontae Adams it looks like, Drake London with Michael Pinnocks.
910. 42:01It's just difficult to pull off.
911. 42:03Yes, we don't –
912. 42:05And maybe Tua plays every week and we're happy with the offense.
913. 42:08That's the question is we don't 100% know what's going on with the quarterback situation.
914. 42:12The tea leaves, at least for Atlanta, seem to be stronger for me of it's going to be Tua, at least to start the year.
915. 42:21And I know Tua collapsed last year.
916. 42:26And this is not a saying.
917. 42:28Tua is a fantastic quarterback.
918. 42:32But he's – you know, Kyler, I guess, has given us some fantasy hopes in the past.
919. 42:37But it's like Tua is more recent of – he's been able to get it done.
920. 42:40Kyler is a better fantasy option than Tua.
921. 42:44So when we talk, you know, in the fantasy circles, it's like Kyler greater sign Tua.
922. 42:48But in reality, Tua has led the league, the NFL, in passing yardage before.
923. 42:53So, you know, Kyler is not a guy –
924. 42:55How much is Tua and how much is Mike McDaniel is the question.
925. 42:58Absolutely.
926. 42:58I would say, you know, 70% McDaniel, 30% Tua.
927. 43:03But passing volume, that's never been Kyler's strength.
928. 43:08Kyler is a good passer with legs that can get out of the pocket and be a dual threat guy.
929. 43:15Tua's played – he played 14 games last year.
930. 43:18He was on pace for 3,200 passing games.
931. 43:19Oh, yeah.
932. 43:20So last year was a collapse.
933. 43:21He threw 18 picks.
934. 43:22So I find myself in a position where I trust the talent of Jefferson a little bit more than Drake London.
935. 43:29And I don't think Drake London is ever brought up in any context to be a bust like Jefferson was last year.
936. 43:37But to me, the quarterback situation says it's at least in the realm of possibility.
937. 43:41No, I think it's very, very fair.
938. 43:43Let's take a break and we'll talk the top five.
939. 43:45Let's talk scenarios.
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948. 44:55All right, we're going to get into the top five.
949. 45:01And, by the way, this is our top ten wide receiver episode.
950. 45:04So we are trying – there's a built-in compliment when you announce each player already because they're ranked in our top ten.
951. 45:10So we're trying to find pathways to differentiate between – find the range of outcome for these players so that you have perspective.
952. 45:18Number five.
953. 45:19C.D. Lamb. C.D. Lamb's coming off of a down year.
954. 45:23We'll say once you get in the top five, things get a lot easier.
955. 45:27Is it easier with Lamb?
956. 45:28I mean –
957. 45:28It is for me.
958. 45:2911.7 fancy points per game last year.
959. 45:32That was a huge deal.
960. 45:33I mean, when he was number one overall, it was 19.7.
961. 45:36Then it was 14.2.
962. 45:37Now it's 11.7.
963. 45:38Some people think – maybe Mike is one of them – that Pickens is the better actual wide receiver.
964. 45:43The per-game numbers are wonky.
965. 45:47You had his injury game where he played 9% of the snaps, scored zero points.
966. 45:51And then week 18 where you didn't play the starters really and he scored 0.9 points.
967. 45:56So the per-game is not really that low.
968. 46:00That's just the easy-to-grab number.
969. 46:03If you pull those out, I'm seeing around 13.
970. 46:06Yeah.
971. 46:06So, I mean, he also had – he dealt with drops, which was weird.
972. 46:09And I don't think that we're going to say – I was frustrated, man.
973. 46:13I had CeeDee last year.
974. 46:14I was like, oh, my gosh, he left so many fantasy points on the field with those drops.
975. 46:18I don't think that's going to happen all the time.
976. 46:21And he also – you know, maybe it was George that was really siphoning the touchdowns away.
977. 46:26I mean, I loved the George-Dak match made in heaven.
978. 46:31That's why he was a my guy last year is because he was perfect for that team.
979. 46:34But the touchdowns really seemed like they were going George's way.
980. 46:37I very much believe that CeeDee Lamb is the alpha for this team.
981. 46:42But I think both these guys are going to be wide receiver ones.
982. 46:45And whoever is the better, which I definitely think is CeeDee personally, will be dominant for fantasy.
983. 46:53Mike, do you have thoughts on CeeDee or do you want me to move on?
984. 46:55No, I think he's very easy top five type of player.
985. 47:01Jason was right about you got to navigate his box score because it was – you know, the last three weeks was an absolute disaster.
986. 47:10But it's like in real football games, his low was five for 66.
987. 47:17Like, you know, he was over 100 yards, what, seven times?
988. 47:23I'm trying to count real fast.
989. 47:24CeeDee Lamb was still a dominant player.
990. 47:26It was just – it was one of those years where the injuries and –
991. 47:30The drops.
992. 47:30And things just – it got in the way.
993. 47:32But he's still in A in consistency.
994. 47:35How old is he?
995. 47:35He is 27.
996. 47:3627.
997. 47:37All these guys are 27.
998. 47:38Nico's 27.
999. 47:39Yeah, CeeDee should be fine.
1000. 47:39Jefferson's 27.
1001. 47:40CeeDee's 27.
1002. 47:41All right.
1003. 47:43Disrespectfully coming in at –
1004. 47:45Number four.
1005. 47:47Of course.
1006. 47:47I mean, there's nothing better than a receiver that has been the wide receiver 3-3-3.
1007. 47:52We're doing you all a favor.
1008. 47:54Coming in at four.
1009. 47:54I mean, isn't that just the biggest slap in the face?
1010. 47:57It is.
1011. 47:57No, no.
1012. 47:57Amun-Ra lives for doubt.
1013. 48:01He is fueled by hate and negative comments.
1014. 48:05So we're just – that's all we're doing here.
1015. 48:07Here's a wild stat about Amun-Ra.
1016. 48:10He has – he had 11 touchdowns last year.
1017. 48:16And what?
1018. 48:18Was he dragged down inside the five the most of anybody?
1019. 48:23Yeah.
1020. 48:24So, like, Ian Harditz sent this out.
1021. 48:26Led the league in most receptions where he was tackled inside the five.
1022. 48:29He had eight times.
1023. 48:31And he still scored 11 touchdowns.
1024. 48:32That's how good this offense was.
1025. 48:34So, Amun-Ra, is he the safest pick?
1026. 48:38I don't – I mean, safest, I would still say Jamar.
1027. 48:43But you've got –
1028. 48:44He's very close.
1029. 48:45Yeah, I mean, he's –
1030. 48:46To Jamar's point in safety, I mean, Burrow has been hurt a lot.
1031. 48:49Yeah, well, and Jamar.
1032. 48:51I mean, that is one of the things that you have to love about Amun-Ra.
1033. 48:55He was supposed to miss a game.
1034. 48:57Isaac Dislaut was supposed to have his moment in the sun.
1035. 49:00And Amun-Ra was like, no.
1036. 49:02In his career, 17 –
1037. 49:03My dog, I'm going to play.
1038. 49:0417 games played, 16, 16, 17, 17, and he plays through injury.
1039. 49:09And the thing is, is he plays well through injury.
1040. 49:11Some guys hobble through injury and they hurt themselves and they should take time to rest.
1041. 49:16He is tough.
1042. 49:17He is used around the red zone so much.
1043. 49:20The thing is, is he – years ago, it was like, well, I don't know that he's going to be a touchdown guy
1044. 49:24because, you know, he's a slot player.
1045. 49:27They move him everywhere.
1046. 49:29They have him as a first-free target.
1047. 49:30This is one of those offenses that you want to target the most.
1048. 49:34And if you compare – like when I think of the tip-top offenses, which I –
1049. 49:40you could put the Rams there for sure.
1050. 49:43They scored –
1051. 49:44Yes, we will.
1052. 49:45They were there.
1053. 49:46Personally, I have the three of the Bengals, the Cowboys, and the Lions.
1054. 49:53But the wide receiver two option for those teams in T. Higgins and C.D. Lamb
1055. 49:58and Jamison Williams, I feel like the target share is so much more towards the one for Amin Ra.
1056. 50:07They just – he is the possession receiver.
1057. 50:11Kind of like a real version of Rashi Rice.
1058. 50:16Like Rashi Rice is like –
1059. 50:17Like a real boy?
1060. 50:19Yeah.
1061. 50:20Rashi Rice is just the –
1062. 50:21He's the Pinocchio?
1063. 50:21The system using him right and getting him the ball all the time,
1064. 50:26and it's kind of annoying because he's not good enough to deserve that.
1065. 50:30But then Amin Ra is, and they still do it.
1066. 50:32Yeah.
1067. 50:33It's just been a crazy run.
1068. 50:35He stays healthy.
1069. 50:36He plays.
1070. 50:3717, 15, and 15-plus points per game.
1071. 50:40That's just automatic.
1072. 50:42And they're favored in – remember, they're favored in 14 of 17 games.
1073. 50:45I think the only games they're not favored in is a road game against Chicago,
1074. 50:49I think a road game against Buffalo, and those are going to be fun games anyways.
1075. 50:54I mean, they're just – they're set up for, I believe, like the best –
1076. 50:59just one of the best schedules we've seen in a long time.
1077. 51:01Yes, and target share the last three years, 30 – sorry, I'll go four.
1078. 51:0628 percent, 30 percent, 27, 31 percent.
1079. 51:09This is – this is what we're saying of he is extremely safe.
1080. 51:14He's unbelievable.
1081. 51:15And that is – yeah.
1082. 51:16He's been over 100 – not targets, receptions in four straight years.
1083. 51:21Over 1,000 yards in all of them, but up by 1,500 yards.
1084. 51:25Trip – double-digit touchdowns in three years in a row.
1085. 51:29Like, it feels – we are disrespectful to him.
1086. 51:31Yeah, I do, and I think it's a good discussion with this guy.
1087. 51:34Number three.
1088. 51:36So Jackson Smith and Jigba was unbelievable last year.
1089. 51:3917.7 fantasy points per game.
1090. 51:41Insane.
1091. 51:41Super Bowl champ.
1092. 51:431,793 receiving yards.
1093. 51:45Led the league.
1094. 51:4535 percent target share.
1095. 51:46That's insane.
1096. 51:47But we have talked at length like everything went right for JSN last year.
1097. 51:51He was not the same level of total volume as the other top-tier type of guys.
1098. 51:58He was just exceptionally, exceptionally efficient with his work.
1099. 52:02I guess the question being is, you know, everybody – I mean, CeeDee had a 17-plus point year, right?
1100. 52:12And it was a special year.
1101. 52:14Amun Ra had one, right, two years ago.
1102. 52:16He somehow finished at third still because, of course, but he was at 17.
1103. 52:19So you do have special years.
1104. 52:21Double-digit touchdowns for JSN.
1105. 52:22JSN, 1,700 yards.
1106. 52:2415 a catch.
1107. 52:25That was way higher than we'd seen before.
1108. 52:28Catch rate is 73%.
1109. 52:29I think it's a very fair discussion, the JSN versus Amun Ra question.
1110. 52:35I do, too.
1111. 52:36And I wouldn't have any issue with taking Amun Ra over JSN.
1112. 52:40I think the hope is that because JSN is so young, he's 24 years old, he's still getting better.
1113. 52:46There's no one else really to throw the ball for this team.
1114. 52:50However, this is a team that wants to play great defense, and they can.
1115. 52:55They want to run the ball, spend a first-round pick on a running back.
1116. 52:58And, you know, so it's like, how does this team win?
1117. 53:02Does this team put up 30 points as often as the Lions?
1118. 53:04No.
1119. 53:05No.
1120. 53:05And so, I mean, we're splitting hairs, but I think that we've seen enough years in a row of 110 receptions and double-digit touchdowns from Amun Ra.
1121. 53:20JSN, we've got one, and it was better.
1122. 53:22But, yeah, it's an interesting debate there.
1123. 53:26They're the same as the Lions.
1124. 53:27They're favored in 14 to 17 weeks.
1125. 53:30Look at the red zone for JSN.
1126. 53:32Target-wise, he didn't dominate his, you know, compatriots on the offense.
1127. 53:37He had 15 targets in the red zone.
1128. 53:38Barner, 13.
1129. 53:40Cooper Cup, 12.
1130. 53:41Now Rasheed Shahid gets an offseason to establish in this offense.
1131. 53:44You get back Torrey Horton.
1132. 53:45You didn't have him before.
1133. 53:48I wouldn't be just surprised to see JSN's target sure come down a little bit.
1134. 53:53Yeah.
1135. 53:55Arguing against JSN feels.
1136. 53:56Yeah, I mean, I don't want to.
1137. 53:58No, I know.
1138. 53:58Just draft him and be happy.
1139. 53:59I think that's where I'm at, but there's two other guys I would take in front of him.
1140. 54:07Yeah, that's a.
1141. 54:08Taking the over or the under on that one?
1142. 54:10I will go under.
1143. 54:11Yeah, you've got to take the under there.
1144. 54:1356% of the wide receiver targets on that offense.
1145. 54:17But he's great.
1146. 54:18Draft him.
1147. 54:18He's awesome.
1148. 54:19Number two.
1149. 54:21Jamar Chase comes in at two.
1150. 54:23Really?
1151. 54:23But Jason and Mike both have him at one.
1152. 54:26So figure that out.
1153. 54:27This is a points versus ranking situation where you.
1154. 54:31So you have.
1155. 54:32The difference in points.
1156. 54:33Yes.
1157. 54:33Yeah.
1158. 54:34The point total of the three of us combined has Puka higher because you have Puka higher
1159. 54:40than Jamar in a greater gap than Mike and I do.
1160. 54:44Yeah.
1161. 54:44And we can talk about both of them.
1162. 54:46I'll hit the button.
1163. 54:47Number one.
1164. 54:48We'll talk about Jamar and Puka in the same conversation because both are awesome.
1165. 54:52I mean, statistically, last year, both guys missed a game.
1166. 54:56Puka was at 19.4 fancy points a game and Chase was at 15.7.
1167. 55:01Chase's season before was at 20.
1168. 55:04Both of these guys are going to be pushing those numbers every single year.
1169. 55:08I just like Puka more because I think I like the volume more.
1170. 55:13But how I mean, to me, Puka is going to be like we were talking about breaking fantasy
1171. 55:20with Jameer Gibbs.
1172. 55:21It looks like Gibbs is just set up to have an incredible year.
1173. 55:24That is Puka for me.
1174. 55:26I just think that I trust McVay to get him the ball a ton.
1175. 55:32I don't.
1176. 55:33I think Higgins is probably greater sign Adams right now in the career.
1177. 55:37But splitting hairs.
1178. 55:39You guys both have Jamar Chase ahead.
1179. 55:40I don't care.
1180. 55:42Yeah, I mean, we don't care either.
1181. 55:47Both guys are awesome.
1182. 55:48We're not doing the debate show very good.
1183. 55:50Puka.
1184. 55:51You guys like him?
1185. 55:51Okay, that's cool.
1186. 55:53I don't care.
1187. 55:53I mean, I don't understand.
1188. 55:55If I was on the clock and I had to choose, the reason I would choose Chase over Puka
1189. 56:00is simply because of the offensive and defensive environments.
1190. 56:04I think that the ceiling case for the Bengals and Burrow when he is healthy is higher than
1191. 56:11the ceiling case for the Rams, especially assuming Aaron Donald is added to this team
1192. 56:17and their defense is one of the best in the league.
1193. 56:21And maybe they can win at the end of games where they don't need to throw the ball that much.
1194. 56:26But I mean, you could argue maybe Puka does something dumb legally.
1195. 56:31Yeah.
1196. 56:31Yeah.
1197. 56:31If you want to lose the risk.
1198. 56:33I mean, these guys are literally capable of pushing 200 targets.
1199. 56:36I think this year.
1200. 56:37Yeah.
1201. 56:38They're capable of pushing 200 targets.
1202. 56:40You have the MVP of football at quarterback for the Rams and you have a quarter.
1203. 56:43They were a good defense last year.
1204. 56:45And so my counterpoint to that is McVay just doesn't let up on other opposing teams.
1205. 56:50They like burning people to the ground.
1206. 56:52No, I'm with that.
1207. 56:53I think I am in agreement of Jason's case of the more likely ceiling outcome and projection
1208. 57:02for me is Jamar.
1209. 57:04But you want to take Puka?
1210. 57:06I would take both.
1211. 57:07You want to take Puka?
1212. 57:07I would take both of them if you get the chance.
1213. 57:09Yeah.
1214. 57:10I can't even argue this.
1215. 57:12No, I mean, they're both machines.
1216. 57:14I mean, all these guys are.
1217. 57:16I think if you end up with Puka, Jamar, Jason, or Gibbs, or sorry, or Amon Ra, I think that's
1218. 57:27the actual tear break to me.
1219. 57:29And no disrespect to CeeDee Lamb.
1220. 57:31I think CeeDee Lamb's awesome.
1221. 57:32But I think because CeeDee Lamb has been, I mean, he's been eight and 18 for whatever
1222. 57:39you're missing games.
1223. 57:40I know.
1224. 57:40I know.
1225. 57:41I know.
1226. 57:41But those other guys have been at 15-plus fantasy points in the last three years, and
1227. 57:45those guys, you know, the other guys haven't.
1228. 57:48Jefferson, London, those guys.
1229. 57:51So it's fun.
1230. 57:53I mean, I think we all have a few names in the wide receiver category that I think are
1231. 57:57really sneaky.
1232. 58:00Maybe outside the top 20.
1233. 58:01I know you and I were talking Carnell Tate this morning.
1234. 58:03Yeah, that was the name I was going to bring up is if you want a guy that's going to surprise
1235. 58:07and come from much lower to be a top 10 wide receiver, you're talking about a rookie superstar,
1236. 58:15and that's what they drafted him to be.
1237. 58:18We'll see on the field if Cam Ward can support that.
1238. 58:21It's been a good camp, according to reports.
1239. 58:23Yeah.
1240. 58:23I mean, the connection there, he's been the clear number one, and I think he's mispriced.
1241. 58:28Christian Watson.
1242. 58:31Yeah, I think Watson, Ladd McConkie, Abuka, and who else am I thinking about jumping up
1243. 58:40into that?
1244. 58:41A Burden.
1245. 58:42I think those are special players that are outside the top 10 that could get up in there
1246. 58:46for sure.
1247. 58:47You up for a little mailbag, Mike?
1248. 58:49Sure.
1249. 58:53Mailbag.
1250. 58:54Mailbag.
1251. 58:55If you have a question, go to the website, thefantasyfootballers.com.
1252. 59:00Click the Submit a Question button or dial our voicemail hotline, 302464-TFFB.
1253. 59:03We love helping you out.
1254. 59:05We'll answer a couple before we shut down today.
1255. 59:08Mack in Nashville has a good one here.
1256. 59:10My question is simple.
1257. 59:11How come there's not enough hype around Jadarian Price?
1258. 59:13First-round draft pick, Super Bowl winners, day one starter, going low in redrafts.
1259. 59:18Why is there such a difference between ADP of love and price?
1260. 59:22It's a great question.
1261. 59:23I think that the biggest reason is the worry of passing role.
1262. 59:28He had no production profile in college of work in the receiving game.
1263. 59:32If he doesn't have that in the NFL, it would be very difficult to be great for fantasy.
1264. 59:37But everything you laid out is great.
1265. 59:40You're a first-round talent or at least a first-round draft pick on a team that lost both of their
1266. 59:46starting running backs from last year with a good offensive line and good offense.
1267. 59:50He's on his way up ADP-wise.
1268. 59:52So if you're drafting right now, enjoy your sixth-round running back pick.
1269. 59:58As once preseason games are going on, let's say preseason game week two, if Jadarian Price
1270. 1:00:06goes out and takes the first snap, he'll jump at least to the fifth, probably the back of the fourth.
1271. 1:00:11I love the fact that almost every highlight I see is receiving work.
1272. 1:00:15His head coach came out and said he's like a wide receiver and that nobody can cover him.
1273. 1:00:21And the highlights are downfield catches for Jadarian Price.
1274. 1:00:24He is someone that could get on the Abdullah Express this preseason.
1275. 1:00:31If he has one runaway touchdown run, he's going to skyrocket two rounds.
1276. 1:00:36If you like Jadarian Price, I would hope he does nothing in this preseason.
1277. 1:00:42Yeah, if you're a believer, yeah, hope he stays low.
1278. 1:00:46Bella says, dynasty win now team.
1279. 1:00:48Would you rather have Rashi Rice or Garrett Wilson and Tyson?
1280. 1:00:51Garrett Wilson and Tyson.
1281. 1:00:52I mean, if you said Rashi Rice or Garrett Wilson in a dynasty, I would take Wilson.
1282. 1:00:57If you said Rashi Rice or Jordan Tyson in a dynasty, I would take Wilson.
1283. 1:01:01Well, let's win now.
1284. 1:01:02Yeah.
1285. 1:01:03No, I get it.
1286. 1:01:04I'd rather win now with Garrett Wilson.
1287. 1:01:05I'd rather win now with – because it's close enough in a dynasty to where –
1288. 1:01:10It's not only – it's never only win now.
1289. 1:01:13It's – I'm trying to win now.
1290. 1:01:15You can still win now with those other guys.
1291. 1:01:16Man, if you could –
1292. 1:01:18If you could pull that trade off.
1293. 1:01:20It seems wild to be able to bail out of Rice for those two guys.
1294. 1:01:26All right.
1295. 1:01:26That is going to wrap it up for today's episode of the show.
1296. 1:01:29The giveaway is still going on.
1297. 1:01:30FootClanGiveaway.com.
1298. 1:01:31If you want a B. John Robinson signed jersey, head over there.
1299. 1:01:36And, of course, the draft kit, UltimateDraftKit.com.
1300. 1:01:39We will be back.
1301. 1:01:41We've got more rankings episodes, running backs.
1302. 1:01:44Another mock draft this week.
1303. 1:01:45Ten tips and tricks to win your league also.
1304. 1:01:48Catch you later.
1305. 1:01:49Goodbye.
1306. 1:01:50Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast.
1307. 1:01:56Join our fantasy football community on JoinTheFoot.com.
1308. 1:02:00And follow us on Twitter at TheFFBallers.
1309. 1:02:03The Happy Customs.
1310. 1:02:10deuts manera.
1311. 1:02:24Yeah.
1312. 1:02:27Yeah.
1313. 1:02:27Great.
1314. 1:02:28Great.