6 Quarterbacks That Will OUTPERFORM Their ADP | Fantasy Focus 🏈

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fantasy Focus Football – "6 Quarterbacks That Will OUTPERFORM Their ADP"

Episode Details:

• Title: 6 Quarterbacks That Will OUTPERFORM Their ADP | Fantasy Focus 🏈
• Hosts: Field Yates, Stephania Bell, Mike Clay, Liz Loza
• Release Date: August 7, 2025

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1. Introduction and Upcoming Events

The episode kicks off with the hosts engaging in their characteristic banter, lightening the mood before delving into the main topic. Liz Loza announces their upcoming live show:

Liz Loza [01:07]: "We're headed to New York City tonight to do a show live at the Gramercy Theater. Guys, if you aren't able to attend, don't worry because you'll be able to catch the show tomorrow morning on our YouTube channel and on ESPN2 at 2:00pm Eastern."

2. ESPN Fantasy Football Ultimate Draft Weekend in the Bahamas

Field Yates transitions the conversation to the much-anticipated ESPN Fantasy Football Ultimate Draft Weekend:

Field Yates [03:58]: "We're going to have an unforgettable experience in the Bahamas because the ESPN Fantasy Football Ultimate Draft weekend is back for year two."

Highlights of the event include:

• Dates: August 21st to 24th
• Location: Luxurious Bahama resort
• Activities:
  • Beach combine with NFL players like Kyle Rudolph, Gault, Golden Tate, and Todd Gurley.
  • Exclusive events and live draft sessions.
• Host Presence: Liz Loza will be present at the event, offering fans a chance to interact with fantasy experts and NFL players.

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3. Main Topic: Six Quarterbacks to Outperform Their ADP

The core of the episode focuses on identifying six quarterbacks poised to exceed their Average Draft Position (ADP) in the upcoming fantasy football season. The hosts aim to provide listeners with strategic insights to gain an edge in their drafts.

3.1. J.J. McCarthy – Minnesota Vikings

Mike Clay introduces J.J. McCarthy as a top pick:

Mike Clay [06:18]: "J.J. McCarthy in Minnesota... his supporting cast is outstanding here with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, G.J. Hawkins, the offensive line is solid..."

Key Points:

• Injury Recovery: McCarthy missed the previous season due to injury but is returning as a promising first-round pick.
• Supporting Cast: Strong receiving options and a solid offensive line.
• Athleticism: McCarthy is highlighted as an above-average athlete for an NFL quarterback, with the potential for rushing touchdowns contributing to his fantasy value.

Field Yates adds:

Field Yates [08:09]: "He is an above average athlete relative to where quarterbacks have been throughout the league... if we have Aaron Jones last year, you probably found yourself wondering why he wasn't scoring touchdowns."

3.2. Drake May – New England Patriots

Field Yates advocates for Drake May:

Field Yates [10:06]: "I'm believing in the dad strength. Him and Brock Purdy, you have my attention."

Key Points:

• Offensive Upgrade: Significant improvements in the Patriots' coaching staff and offensive strategy.
• Supporting Cast Enhancements: Addition of Stefan Diggs and Kyle Williams boosts the receiving game.
• Rushing Potential: May's ability to run adds a valuable dimension to his fantasy performance.

Liz Loza raises concerns about inconsistencies:

Liz Loza [13:27]: "I'm a little bit worried about the weaponry... expecting Kyle Williams to be able to carry that receiving load."

3.3. Kyler Murray – Arizona Cardinals

Liz Loza emphasizes Kyler Murray's potential:

Liz Loza [15:25]: "Kyler can do it this year, and his ADP... because recency bias is a hell of a drug is really depressed."

Key Points:

• Rushing Ability: Murray's dynamic running can significantly boost his fantasy points.
• Team Upgrades: Presence of key wide receivers like Marvin Harrison Jr. who can enhance his passing game.
• Consistency: Despite fluctuating performance, his dual-threat capability ensures a high floor.

Mike Clay concurs:

Mike Clay [16:04]: "As long as he's healthy and doing that, and he had career highs in most passing categories last year... I'm with you."

3.4. Justin Herbert – Los Angeles Chargers

Mike Clay discusses Justin Herbert’s underrated status:

Mike Clay [18:38]: "Justin Herbert… going in the 10th round... Caleb Williams, Dak Prescott are guys I have ranked just below him."

Key Points:

• Offensive Stability: Enhanced offensive line and return of key receivers like Keenan Allen.
• Rushing Contribution: Herbert has shown effective runs, especially in the second half of the previous season.
• Consistency: Herbert’s ability to produce steady fantasy points makes him a reliable QB2 with upside.

Liz Loza adds:

Liz Loza [22:41]: "Trevor Lawrence is I think the QB17... his floor is QB13, he should certainly outperform his current draft position."

3.5. Bo Nix – Denver Broncos

Field Yates champions Bo Nix’s potential:

Field Yates [21:18]: "I am very bullish and optimistic on Bo. The 2024 draft class quarterbacks might ruin some things for teams going forward."

Key Points:

• Rushing Upside: Nix has demonstrated explosive running ability, which can translate into significant fantasy points.
• Team Dynamics: Strong offensive line and a revamped coaching staff under Sean Payton.
• Development: With five years of college experience, Nix is expected to elevate his playmaking abilities.

Mike Clay supports:

Mike Clay [22:34]: "He's going to get your starts done... steady improvement is expected."

3.6. Trevor Lawrence – Jacksonville Jaguars

Liz Loza reflects on Trevor Lawrence’s trajectory:

Liz Loza [26:12]: "Trevor Lawrence... QB13 range. His floor is QB13 and he should certainly outperform what he is being drafted at currently."

Key Points:

• Team Upgrades: Addition of receivers like Brian Thomas Jr. and Travis Hunter enhances his passing game.
• Coaching Improvements: New offensive coordinator strategies aim to unlock Lawrence’s potential.
• Fantasy Reliability: With a solid floor and potential for higher outputs based on offensive performance, Lawrence is poised to exceed his ADP.

Mike Clay notes his hesitancy but acknowledges potential:

Mike Clay [26:42]: "He is the quarterback in my projections other than maybe J.J. McCarthy that kind of projects higher than I'm comfortable with."

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4. Draft Strategy and Considerations

The hosts discuss overall draft strategies, emphasizing the importance of patience with quarterbacks and targeting upside rather than immediate high rankings. They highlight the cyclical nature of quarterback performances and the potential for breakout seasons among the discussed QBs.

Field Yates summarizes:

Field Yates [33:46]: "If you're going to be patient, there are some very intriguing upside plays."

Mike Clay adds:

Mike Clay [38:39]: "Follow the board. Sometimes I don't take one of the big four because we're like, you're great at that."

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5. Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode wraps up with the hosts reiterating their confidence in the six quarterbacks discussed, encouraging listeners to consider these QBs as valuable picks who can provide significant returns on their draft investments. They also remind listeners to attend the upcoming draft weekend and stay engaged through their YouTube channel and ESPN2 broadcast.

Liz Loza [66:42]: "Remember NYC and the Bahamas. Those are two places that you would like to be with us. Always check out the YouTube channel. Can you tell the subscribe the YouTube channel."

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Notable Quotes

• Field Yates [08:09]: "They were this elite, elite defensive team where they were able to play a style that actually kind of looks like what we think Jim Harbaugh would like to play in his perfect football world."

• Mike Clay [26:42]: "He is the quarterback in my projections other than maybe J.J. McCarthy that kind of projects higher than I'm comfortable with."

• Liz Loza [33:11]: "I'm the highest in the consensus rankings. I have Bo Nix's number eight as QB eight. So to me, yes, those two guys are at the top."

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Key Takeaways

• Undervalued QBs: J.J. McCarthy, Drake May, Kyler Murray, Justin Herbert, Bo Nix, and Trevor Lawrence present significant fantasy value.
• Supporting Cast Importance: A strong offensive lineup and receiving corps can elevate a quarterback’s fantasy performance.
• Rushing Contribution: Dual-threat quarterbacks can offer a higher floor and ceiling in fantasy points.
• Draft Timing: Patience and targeting upside QBs can yield substantial returns without overextending early picks.
• Event Participation: Engaging in ESPN’s Ultimate Draft Weekend offers additional insights and opportunities for fantasy enthusiasts.

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For a deeper dive into each quarterback and ongoing fantasy strategies, tune into the full episode of Fantasy Focus Football on ESPN's platforms.

Transcript

[Liz Loza]

Are you feeling more fulfilled now that.

[Field Yates]

You'Re back to work on August 15th? No, I need a vacation. See the movie that critics are saying is an awesome look at that crowd.

[Mike Clay]

Pleasing, fist pumping all out brawl of a film. You're right about that. They're coming after our family.

[Field Yates]

Go fix this. Oh, my. Nobody 2, rated R. Holding in theaters August 15th.

[Mike Clay]

You're in the whole 6. 010.

[Field Yates]

Focus Fantasy.

[Mike Clay]

Fantasy Focus.

[Liz Loza]

Hello and welcome to Fantasy Focus Football. I'm Liz Loza, not Daniel Dopp, and I am here with Field Yates. I thought you were gonna give me a high five.

[Field Yates]

I'll give you one of those too.

[Liz Loza]

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[Field Yates]

I was just trying to say we are not worthy. I was actually bowing down to Liz.

[Mike Clay]

Sweet.

[Liz Loza]

Very 90s ref. I appreciate it. And Mr. Mike Clay. Great to see you gentlemen, both of you, this fine morning. We are currently in Bristol, but we won't be for the rest of the day.

[Field Yates]

Hey, yo, where we headed?

[Liz Loza]

We're headed to New York City tonight to do a show live at the Gramercy Theater. Guys, if you aren't able to attend, don't worry because you'll be able to catch the show tomorrow morning on our YouTube channel and on ESPN2 at 2:00pm Eastern. Gentlemen, are. Are you guys excited for tonight? Are you excited for today? Where are we at? Let's live in the present, let's not live in the future.

[Mike Clay]

Oh, I'm excited for all things.

[Liz Loza]

All the things.

[Field Yates]

You know, Mike is excited. Do you know how you know Mike is excited?

[Liz Loza]

How do we know?

[Field Yates]

Because he got a fresh haircut yesterday.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, you know, you don't just show.

[Field Yates]

Up to New York City, the trendiest city on the east coast, perhaps only second LA in the entire country. Look at that, some old scruffy haircut. You gotta look cool and sharp and high and tight. And Mike Clay delivered.

[Mike Clay]

This is perfect timing because Liz is here. So I obviously appreciate your opinion on appearance and feel with the best hair on campus right now for sure. So I got a haircut yesterday and when I was done, I was like, I think he kind of like messed up a little bit. I was like, I don't know what's going. It's like really thick right here and I have to like push it in. Like if I just go what I normally do, I mean, it's giving a.

[Liz Loza]

Little Sugar Ray, but in the best way possible.

[Mike Clay]

And when he got done, I was like, what happened here? I feel like it felt like. And he had to like fix it a little bit. So I need your opinion. Is it. Can I, like, live with this through the marathon for a while? Is it okay, look, listen.

[Field Yates]

You look.

[Mike Clay]

I have to go get it fixed.

[Field Yates]

Razor sharp, no pun intended. 30 seconds on this, then we're talking. We're talking, by the way, we're talking quarterbacks today that can smash their 80. A lot of good names, some deep sleepers as well.

[Mike Clay]

We'll bring it to the top. Love that topic.

[Field Yates]

One of the most important relationships in a man's life is with his barber. That needs to be said. It needs to be repeated. Liz kind of gave me a quizzical look right there. Do you disagree?

[Liz Loza]

Well, I don't have a barber, but I will say that when I sit in the hair chair, my therapist.

[Field Yates]

I just gave it away. Your therapist?

[Liz Loza]

The hairdresser is a bit like a.

[Field Yates]

So there are not a ton of things that me and say most of my guy friends have. Like, my wife gets her nails done. She gets her hair done. Hair done. She likes, you know, she likes to get a massage every once in a while. I don't really have those things right. Like, my wife's a great pelotoner and tennis player. Like, I get, like, 30 minutes in that chair where I get to turn my brain off. And usually with my barber, Tommy, who's the man, which I don't see him that much anymore, clearly. We just talk football and hang out or talk sports in life. Right. It's a precious moment. And by the way, that haircut, that fresh haircut, feeling second to none. So it's an important relationship. Sounds like you maybe tried somebody different yesterday.

[Mike Clay]

No, I've had this guy before. He's a great guy, but we mostly talked about the jets and football the whole time. And I don't know if he's a little distracted or whatever, but, you know, he usually does a good job. I just don't know what happened yesterday. Okay, well, anyways, very important relationship about the 2024 Jets.

[Field Yates]

Mike is telling us why it's a very important relationship. And everybody out there in the YouTube comments right now is probably agreeing with this. Bahamas. Something's happening. The Bahamas.

[Mike Clay]

Soon.

[Liz Loza]

Something is. I mean, we're talking about unforgettable experiences. You in the barber chair. Well, we're going to have an unforgettable experience in the Bahamas because the ESPN Fantasy Football Ultimate Draft weekend is back for year two. But it's going to be better this year because I will actually be there from August 21st to the 24th. Enjoy an oceanfront stay at the luxurious Bahama resort and exclusive events like our one of a kind beach combine with which field is very well acquainted. You will be able to mingle with celebrity guests and NFL players that include Kyle Rudolph Gault, Golden Tate and Todd Gurley. Then you can get insights from your favorite ESPN fantasy football experts before drafting your squad at our epic live draft.

[Mike Clay]

You know how big and awesome this place is. There's an image of it on the screen if you're watching. And there's a whole side of it that I didn't even get to last year. Like the water park side. I wasn't even over there.

[Liz Loza]

There's a water park.

[Field Yates]

Yeah, there's like 20 water parks.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I didn't even make it there. It's. My kids are going to.

[Field Yates]

My kids are going home.

[Liz Loza]

That's great for you. Feel that.

[Mike Clay]

Must be fun.

[Liz Loza]

I'm not going to be hanging out with your kids because mine are not coming.

[Mike Clay]

Me neither. I'm going solo.

[Liz Loza]

Mike, you and I are going to go on one of those dual tubes down the water slide. That's going to be a photo op.

[Mike Clay]

And we'll be sitting Marg's by the pool.

[Field Yates]

Yeah, I'm noticing a theme here in Mike's life. When in doubt, sipping Marg was like. Yeah, I was having breakfast with a friend recently. Got a great margarita. Dude, you had breakfast at 8:45?

[Liz Loza]

Yeah. A margarita for breakfast. Gold Flex.

[Mike Clay]

I mean, he's exaggerating, but not by much. Not by much. I mean, at the pool in Miami, maybe it was like 10 or 11, you know, 11am you can get started. Exactly. Look, I'm not sorry, okay? We're about to grind for 24 to 23 straight weeks here.

[Liz Loza]

Thank you.

[Field Yates]

So I'm taking week five off.

[Mike Clay]

All right, Bye. Week. I'm not actually fields by week.

[Liz Loza]

Bank the time. And you guys should bank the time in the Bahamas before the grind of the season hits you as well. Speaking of the grind of the season, let's get into it. We want to talk about quarterbacks we believe will outperform their adp. We each have two. I don't know who you guys have selected. You don't know who I have selected.

[Field Yates]

We like this new format here. We submit them blind and a longer list. And then our great producer Christina sends back and says, hey, of your list here, your guys that made the cut, because it's possible that some of the other guys that we picked were picked by one of the two of you. So coming out with six names in total. Five or six Names in total. It's gonna be a lot of fun.

[Mike Clay]

Okay, Mike, I'm first.

[Liz Loza]

I'm going to have you start.

[Mike Clay]

Wow. All right, no pressure here. All right. The first guy on my list is a guy that's probably going to be under a lot of pressure for his first season. First de facto season as a starter in the NFL. J.J. mcCarthy in Minnesota, obviously he's going, you know, missed all of last year with the injury, but he was a first round pick, came into the league very young, but he's going to step now in as a starter here in Minnesota. And the reason I like him, I mean it's two pronged and it's nothing that's going to shock anyone. Part one is the supporting cast is outstanding here with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison After Week 3, G.J. hawkinson the offensive line is solid. Two backs they like a lot. So we and like this supporting cast has been in place for a couple of years and it's led to good production from their quarterbacks. Sam Darnold and Kirk cousins combined for three straight top 12 fantasy seasons over the last three years. And those just happen to be the three seasons coming. Kevin O' Connell was calling the offense up in Minnesota. All three offenses were pass heavy. All three offenses scored at least 80% of their touchdowns through the air, which is notable. And why, if you had Aaron Jones last year, you probably found yourself wondering why he wasn't scoring touchdowns. So. And also I think, and maybe I can ask you this because obviously you really started to dive into the draft last year.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

The question with McCarthy from a fantasy perspective is how much is he going to run? You know, and I think he can do that a little bit, but I wonder what the extent of that is.

[Liz Loza]

And is he going to be hesitant coming off of the knee injury?

[Mike Clay]

Well, that's the other part of it. Is he actually good? Is. Is it? I don't know if that matters a lot. There's some questions offense but I want to know if he could run.

[Field Yates]

By the way, he is going quarterback 17 right now in terms of ADP on ESPN. He can run. I tell people about this often in college evaluations it's that sometimes you have to be careful assuming that a player can't do something because you didn't see it that much when J.J. mcCarthy during his last season at Michigan didn't really have to run the football much or throw the football all that much because Blake Corum had 23 rushing touchdowns. They were the best offensive line in college football by a mile.

[Liz Loza]

They.

[Field Yates]

They were this elite, elite defensive team where they were able to play a style that actually kind of looks like what we think Jim Harbaugh would like to play in his perfect football world. But JJ's a good athlete, definitely a good athlete in the limited sample size of runs that we saw and scrambles that we saw. Absolutely functional, like above average athlete from where you think of quarterbacks in the NFL historically, we're in this weird time right now. Or like Joe Burrow is probably what, like 15th best, 17th, 20th best athlete amongst quarterbacks. Joe Burrow is a legit mover. Like back in the day, Joe Burrow would be this quarterback we'd be talking about as like really functioning well outside of the pocket. He's nimble compared to the likes of Tom Brady and Philip Rivers and Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, who did most of their damage inside the pocket and without really moving all that much outside of the pocket. But I think that JJ McCarthy is an above average athlete relative to where quarterbacks have been throughout the course of the league. Definitely a good enough one to pick up. You know, if we're talking about 200 yards and two rushing touchdowns, that's enough to give him a boost. He doesn't need 500 yards to get you the boost that Mike is potentially banking on this season. He was on my list as well, by the way.

[Mike Clay]

All right.

[Liz Loza]

I love a LaGrange, Illinois native, by the way.

[Field Yates]

I do wonder JJ is about to become a dad. Is it possible that like post becoming a dad he gets a whole lot better? Like could it be a second half exploding candidate?

[Mike Clay]

I don't know.

[Field Yates]

I.

[Mike Clay]

This is a weird comp to make, but something I always notice in nascar, I feel like the driver drivers when they usually come in are like super aggressive and they're getting in trouble from. For hitting people out of the way and they're starting fights and they're getting in trouble with the media and then they have a kid and then they go.

[Liz Loza]

That's the Fernando Alonzo Formula 1. Once you have a kid, you drive.

[Mike Clay]

A little more carefully all the time.

[Liz Loza]

To worry about it. On the, on the football field though.

[Field Yates]

JJ was the big meditator though. He meditates before every game on the field, so he apparently finds Zen better than most people do. Yeah, I'm believing in the dad strength. Him and Brock Purdy, you have my attention.

[Liz Loza]

It's worked beautifully for both of you.

[Mike Clay]

Whatever gets his fantasy points, like, I'm on board with. I'm invested in J.J. mcCarthy Field.

[Liz Loza]

Who do you think is going to smash their adp.

[Field Yates]

I'll be honest with you, I'm surprised this quarterback currently is going later than J.J. mcCarthy on ESPN.com Drake May is going to quarterback 19 right now basically for free.

[Liz Loza]

I want to hear you talk about this because I have some questions. I had a feeling this guy might be on your list.

[Field Yates]

56 overall right now and I get it. It's August 7th ADP. There are certainly windows for him to move up. Drake May started 10 games last season. He was a top 10 quarterback in three of those 10 games, which is not a dominant number by any means. But let's talk about this. This was a completely non functional offense. The Patriots offense was a disaster pretty much in every way, shape and form. Besides Drake May last year he was the only part of that offense that was like relatively passable. The Patriots also did something last year that I will use this stat a few more times until the regular season begins and then I'll drop it. But it will make no sense to me until the end of time. The Patriots did not use Drake May as a design runner once until week 16.

[Mike Clay]

Week 16 and he still ran pretty well.

[Field Yates]

Yeah, he averaged 7.8 yards per carry because it was all scrambles, terrible offensive lines. Maybe the scrambles go down a little bit. But there's been some suggestions out of New England that Drake May could be utilized as a design runner. He's not a good athlete. He's not a great athlete. He's an elite athlete. Right? Like I think the the Josh Allen comps are sort of unfair to everybody because Josh Allen's the NFL's reigning MVP. But there are some shades of shades of Josh Allen, this huge physical runner and everything around him is better. It's a dramatic, and let me emphasize, dramatic coaching upgrade. I mean about as big as I can recall in a long time from the staff last year to the staff this year. Even if the Patriots wide receiver group is not totally certain, just having Stefan Diggs gives them a massive boost. There's been some solid reviews in their third round pick Kyle Williams, who I liked a lot coming out of Washington State. Matt Collins is no means a star. He's a functional NFL wide receiver. The Patriots running game should be better. There just should be more trips to the red zone. It was as bad as it could possibly be. I think there's real upside here. I think that JJ maybe has a steadier week to week floor. But if you told me one of these two guys at the end of the season somehow gets his way to like quarterback eight. I think Drake May has a higher chance of getting there. Yeah, I think, obviously.

[Mike Clay]

But I think the difference for me because I have them projected pretty similarly numbers wise is like the scheme. Right. So Mike Frable always run heavy and I'm worried about this being his first full season as a starter. Drake May.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

Do they. Are they very conservative offensively?

[Field Yates]

That's a little bit of a it. So we'll see whether it's. And McDaniels, I would not say comes with the mantra of wanting to be run at.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah, but that was what, third or fourth stint?

[Field Yates]

I think this is stint seven.

[Mike Clay]

New England, maybe. Yeah, yeah. It's a lot. But by the way, he was on my list. I mean, he was 15th last year in points per game in that situation and 17th in QBR. So he played well. And now it's year two.

[Liz Loza]

I'm a little bit worried about the weaponry, if I'm being honest. I hear, I hear this. That's, you know, I'm a little bit worried about Stefan Diggs staying healthy throughout the season and that becoming a bit of a crutch and then if he doesn't, expecting Kyle Williams, who has a disparate skill set in comparison to Diggs, to be able to carry that receiving load.

[Field Yates]

I also think, though that, like, for all the nice things that we might say about, potentially say about some of the young pieces in the Patriots offense and Stefan Diggs, ultimately the way this happens is if Josh. If Drake May is a runner.

[Liz Loza]

Yep.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. Oh, that's huge.

[Field Yates]

I mean, if they just say, hey, we're going to utilize you. Allah. I don't know. I'm trying to think of a good recent young quarterback who was actually tactically used as a runner. Maybe Jaden Daniels last year. Right. It wasn't that they Gave Jaden Daniels 10 Design runs a game, but over the course of the season he picks up 120 runs and they do a good job keeping him out of harm's way as well. Like, to me, that's the pathway for Drake May to completely explode and become a quarterback that next year is going in the first eight or ten.

[Liz Loza]

Interesting. That is a really high ceiling and you are selling it very well and buying a little bit more.

[Field Yates]

I.

[Liz Loza]

We talked about rushing. This next guy that I is on my list is someone who has underwhelmed as a passer year and year. Again, I hate a burnt take. I find them boring. So just because a player bit you last year doesn't mean he's destined to do the Same thing. Things can change. We can be optimistic. But there is no doubt that Kyler Murray has underwhelmed and disappointed as a passer. Last year I thought he would improve. Still a completion percentage under 69%. But it was those legs that continued to buoy his fantasy stock. 29% in fact of his fantasy points came via the ground. He was the QB4 in rushing yards. He now has. And again, I mean I feel like I might. I feel like maybe I'm not learning the lesson but I'm not ready to. Because there is another healthy season under his belt. We're hoping that he and Marvin Harrison Jr. Have more chemistry, that they are able to evolve. There's a lot of talk this offseason about his rushing and becoming a greater point of emphasis for the entire offense. They have the best strength of scheduled which Mike Clay projected. I think he's the QB2 in overall strength of schedule and he's available in the 10th round. So we're talking about top eight potential. I think that Kyler Murray can do it this year and his adp, because recency bias is a hell of a drug is really depressed.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. What's interesting about Kyler Murray is that it does feel like he's underwhelmed. Right. Like it just feels like he's not getting there. Not getting there. But talk about a high floor. He finished 12th in points per game last season. So in a 12 team league he's a starter, a back end. But that was the worst of his career though. But that was the worst finish on a points per game basis of his career. It shows you the value of his rushing ability and you can see on the screen I have him projected for almost 600 yards and five touchdowns again. So as long as he's healthy and doing that. And by the way, he had career highs, I believe in most passing categories last year as well. And that was with Marvin Harrison Jr. Not doing a lot and you would expect more from him in year two. So I'm with you. I think that's a big deal. Good call.

[Field Yates]

Can we brag on Mike Clay for a second? Great pick by Liz. Do you guys remember this? And it's worth reminding the people of maybe once a season, maybe once a month, who knows, maybe once a show if I'm feeling up to it. I remember Mike dropped Kyler's rookie season and was it like the Cardinals website.

[Mike Clay]

Picked it up and was like, no, it was Matthew. Matthew. Our friend Matthew Berry read the projection to him for the fantasy show in person and Kyler was sitting next to him, and he was not happy.

[Field Yates]

And then. And then finish the story. You were literally within, like, a yard of his rush.

[Mike Clay]

Might have been the best projection of my entire life. It was like passing, rushing. Everything was, like, right on the number. Yeah.

[Field Yates]

Absolute animal over here, Mike Clay.

[Mike Clay]

Thanks, man. Let's not talk about anyone else, but stop.

[Liz Loza]

Well, why don't you talk about somebody else? Another player.

[Mike Clay]

All right. Yes. I said it's good stuff. So.

[Field Yates]

God, it's like, so smooth. You are, like. We're going to start calling you Liz Butterfly. Liz Butterloza.

[Mike Clay]

Liz Butterlosa. Is that really the nickname?

[Liz Loza]

I don't know if that's a good one, actually.

[Field Yates]

I don't know.

[Mike Clay]

Like, I was thinking about it, and.

[Field Yates]

I was like, you know, if it was Mike or Daniel, I would just give him whatever nickname I feel like. And then I was like, I owe some grace to Liz.

[Mike Clay]

So. Yeah. You've given me 27 nicknames.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

I can't wait for you guys to call me Butter tonight in front of a live audience in New York City.

[Field Yates]

I will not do Butters from South Park.

[Mike Clay]

I like you, Liz. I will not do that, too, Mike.

[Field Yates]

I like you, too, Butter.

[Liz Loza]

I said it.

[Mike Clay]

Not feeding Butter. Don't be.

[Field Yates]

Do you have a favorite nickname? I mean, just, you know what? Workshop that. Like.

[Liz Loza]

Well, you guys talked about aim, instant messaging.

[Field Yates]

Come on now, reveal.

[Liz Loza]

Princess Lizzie 85.

[Field Yates]

Princess Lizzie 85.

[Mike Clay]

All right. I like it.

[Field Yates]

I like it, too.

[Liz Loza]

That was it.

[Mike Clay]

I like that. It's a good. You were the.

[Field Yates]

Did you go by Lizzie as a kid?

[Liz Loza]

Yeah, I still. I just got back home from Chicago and I was. I'm Lizzie. Ever. Auntie Lizzie. My mom calls me Lizzie.

[Field Yates]

Yeah, that's the. It's always. Always a little, like, it's. I don't know. It's unsettling when you meet someone at a certain chapter of your life and then you meet people from a prior chapter of their life. I play in a league with a bunch of guys from the state of Michigan, the great state of Michigan, and, like, half the league is buddies that Daniel brought in, and they all call him Dan. And I'm like, wow. They're like, yeah, Dan.

[Mike Clay]

I've never called him Dan or Danny or anything.

[Field Yates]

Never. And so they'll all be like, yeah, Dan, nice pick. Or, like, enjoyed watching the show, Dan. Mike wasn't very good, but, Dan, you were great. And it's like, that checks out. Excuse me.

[Liz Loza]

What about you? Do you have one from home, from childhood?

[Field Yates]

My name's so unique that really everybody calls me Fieldy. A lot of Fieldy. Like my. A lot of family members will call me Fieldy, but mostly Field.

[Mike Clay]

Oh, really? Well, actually, I just. Oh, yeah, we're actually going to add a sound to the end instead of shortening. It makes no sense. All right. Should we talk about Justin Herbert? Sure.

[Field Yates]

Mikey.

[Mike Clay]

Justy. Justy Herbert.

[Liz Loza]

Herbie.

[Mike Clay]

Sure, Herbie. That's a good one, Hermo. Right. This is why I don't do nicknames. Yeah. So look, Justin Herbert, last year we, going into the season we talked about concerns about the scheme. Right. Would it be conservative and run heavy? And they actually leaned a little toward the pass. So it wasn't as bad as we thought, but it was slow moving, a conservative offense. He was no better than ninth at quarterback and attempts yards passing touchdowns, carries and rushing yards. So again, we didn't quite get that ceiling out of him that we were hoping for. He's now finished just outside the top 10 in points per game three consecutive seasons. So it's becoming a little bit of a trend. However, we did see progress in the second half.

[Field Yates]

Yes, we did.

[Mike Clay]

Weeks one through seven, he was 24th in fantasy points per game. Then they started throwing the ball a little bit more. The offense was more effective. He was 10th the rest of the way.

[Field Yates]

Yep.

[Mike Clay]

Now you bring back Keenan Allen. You have lad McConkey in year two, you draft Trey Harris in the second round. You have Omarion Hampton out of the backfield which had helped the offense. You have maybe the best tackle duo in the NFL, certainly in the afc. So I think this all sets up for a step forward for Justin Herbert. So I think he's just a little bit underrated. I have him going in the 10th round around, you know, Caleb Williams, Dak Prescott are guys I have ranked just below him. Jared Goff's going ahead of him.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

Which I don't. I don't understand that one. So I moved him up one spot with Allen getting there and I think that he's a guy that I feel more secure with as like a back end QB1 this season. And he can run the ball when he wants to. We've seen that in the past.

[Field Yates]

Yep, we sure have. He is an effective runner. And by the way, they used him a little bit as a runner last year on the goal line, which you think with a team that at the apex of its season last year had J.K. dobbins running really well and Gus Edwards, say whatever you want about him. He's usually a pretty good goal line. Finisher. I'll never forget the NFL season to go when he had 13 rushing touchdowns. But Herbert got a little bit of work as a runner. He was not on my list, but he was sort of considered for me as well. My other pick and a prominent theme so far has been 2024 quarterbacks, draft class quarterbacks, J.J. mcCarthy, Drake May. For me, I'm going back to the well boninks. Yeah, I talked about this yesterday. We were doing our overvalued players and my take on Patrick Mahomes is not that I'm down on Mahomes potential this year. It's more that you could get Mahomes at the top of round six or Bo Nicks at the top of round nine. Right now his current ADP amongst quarterbacks is quarterback eight, which is not that far away from where I have him ranked. I think part of what we do during the preseason is we use prior years as data points to suggest what it might look like going forward. But you have to of course account for new things and development. Some of that applies to both. Well, not as much JJ McCarthy, but definitely to Drake May.

[Mike Clay]

Right.

[Field Yates]

Like part of it is just like Drake May is going to be better at football this year than he was last year. Bo Nicks is going to be a lot better at football this year than he was last year. And he was pretty damn good for fantasy purposes. From weeks five through 18 he had five top eight finishes. All the buzz coming out of Broncos training camp, including from his own head coach Sean Payton, has been that he has looked excellent. This is a player who had five years of college experience, so it wasn't a major surprise that he came in last year and looked pretty steady out of the gates. But importantly for our purposes, 98 rushing attempts last year from Bo Nix. I don't think they'll work too hard to design runs for Bo, but he has it in his bag that if he breaks the pocket, he could easily run for 350 or 400 yards in a given season. That gives a big boost to his upside. I think nick screams top 10 quarterback. This top eight quarterback this year I've got him as quarterback six.

[Liz Loza]

That's, that's pretty high. I mean I, I think you're contextualizing it perfectly because if we are expecting him to improve, we are expecting his passing efficiency to get better. In fact, in the double digit weeks of the season, I would say when he started to connect with Marvin Mims more, his passing yardage increased on an average of over 60 yards per week. His rushing scores all came at the top of the season because he wasn't scrambling as much. He wasn't. As that frenetic energy that he had throughout his college career seemed to be harnessed. I mean, I think that's a fair thing to say.

[Mike Clay]

I love it.

[Field Yates]

No, I completely agree. I love it. I think back to the Auburn days especially where it was like what do they call those whirly gigs? Barnwell always post them on Sundays. Like the next gen stats dots. Yeah. Some of the old Bonick's college dot plays would have been incredible.

[Liz Loza]

And so I think that that will come. That is all going to come together and he'll become more of an efficient passer. But he has the rushing upside. It's not that he is a rushing quarterback though. And I think that that needs to be contextualized because I think people look at this full season stats and they're like, oh, what, four rushing touchdowns last year? I believe something like this.

[Mike Clay]

He had a bunch. I mean his rushing was. He was fifth in carries among quarterbacks. It was a lot.

[Liz Loza]

And it did seem to dissipate as his. As he became more comfortable in the pocket.

[Mike Clay]

I think a great example of a rookie quarterback Impro the year went on. Cause he only had five passing touchdowns in his first seven games. Average 5.7 yards per attempt, which was really bad. And we were like, can this guy throw the ball? Well, right. 7.4 yards per attempt from that point on his final 10 games. And in those 10 games, 24 passing touchdowns, which is an enormous number. Over 10 games. He was probably top three, top five in that category.

[Liz Loza]

Just got Cortland Sutton paid. He's a nice possession target. Evan Ingram comes in as a short yardage safety valve. All of the pieces are there for him to make a leap.

[Field Yates]

So I love that getting it done. He actually accounted for more touchdowns last year than Jaden Daniels, which Jaden obviously so many other things that make him a much more valuable fantasy player. But the point is that like what we saw last year from Bo Nix was the real deal then. I think it only gets better now. I am very bullish and optimistic on Bo. The 2024 draft class of quarterbacks might ruin some things for teams going forward.

[Mike Clay]

Right.

[Field Yates]

Cause things tend to be cyclical in the world of sports, especially in football. That 2021 draft class led by Trevor Lawrence, all the hype and maybe there are five guys who could become franchise players. They all go in the first 15 picks and then it was a frankly disappointing class. Right. I mean Trevor Lawrence is the most promising and he's still a question mark. Right. And what ends up happening, people are like, yeah, you know, you don't want to force the issue at quarterback. Now at 2024, when some people felt like both the Falcons and the Broncos forced the issue at quarterback with Michael Penix Jr. And Bo Nix, they're sitting there saying to themselves like if you love someone, you better take him. And not for nothing, but this quarterback class in 2026 looks pretty intriguing. Take a listen to first draft if you like draft stuff.

[Liz Loza]

Beautiful plug worthwhile.

[Field Yates]

I was inspired by you. You've been doing a great job with your transitions that I wanted to plug.

[Liz Loza]

Well, here's another one you mentioned Trevor Lawrence. I'm going to end on Trevor Lawrence. I was thinking as you were talking about Bo Nicks, how we're expecting him to make this leap and we have expected for quite a few seasons now for Trevor Lawrence to make that similar leap and fulfill the generational talent prophecy that scouts made when he was coming out of Clemson. Hasn't happened. Yeah, but that being said, he has been on average the the with the exception of last year because his season was upended with the shoulder injury. The QB13 in fantasy points per game. I think that that's the floor for Trevor Lawrence. That's what we can expect from him. QB13 range. But was interesting about last year is that he was the QB2 in air yards per attempt which I would like to connect to the addition of Brian Thomas Jr. And so we know that Brian Thomas Jr. Is there and even though you know he averaged the same 7.2 yards per attempt, the potential for more was there with a weapon like Brian Thomas Jr. You add Travis Hunter, you add Brenton Strange, who we may or may not talk a little bit about not adding, but we we unleash him a little bit more.

[Field Yates]

I like Brenton Strange. We might talk about him on the record. I'm on the record.

[Liz Loza]

Let's just.

[Field Yates]

Okay.

[Mike Clay]

Okay. Sweet.

[Liz Loza]

Love it. Might talk about him a little bit later. And then of course I'm bearing the lead here because Liam Cohen comes in another offensive core. Well the head coach but like another play caller for Trevor Lawrence obviously coming off of Baker Mayfield's career season hoping that that will help to unlock the potential that we were hoping to see from Trevor Lawrence. So I think you know, Trevor Lawrence is I think the QB17 or something off the board and if we know that his floor is QB13, he should certainly outperform what he is being drafted at currently.

[Mike Clay]

I Almost included him on mine. Yeah he, he's tricky for me. He's the quarterback in my projections other than maybe J.J. mcCarthy that kind of projects higher than I'm comfortable with which is right around. Where is he?

[Liz Loza]

Why aren't you comfortable with it?

[Mike Clay]

He is 16th in my projections but I'm a little lower because yeah it hasn't had a top 10 yet and then you have guys ahead of him like Jordan Love, JJ McCarthy I to a Stafford Stroud I think you can make a case above them. But even like Drake May, Justin Fields, I mean if you include like Caleb Herbert, Prescott Fields May I put love in there. If you want Jared goff that's already 18 quarterbacks right there.

[Field Yates]

It's a good quarterback class that's.

[Liz Loza]

You don't feel comfortable with it because it's stale now. We're tired of the style and I.

[Mike Clay]

Just don't know if he has a ceiling. These like a Drake May has for example. I don't know if he's going to get there. He hasn't been a top 10 yet guy yet. Something has to change a little bit. He can run a little bit. He's just, he's kind of leveled off to be this guy that's like a QB2 like like almost like Kirk Cousins was for so long like just a or Philip Rivers the second half of his career just like okay he's a fine QB too but I'm never going to get, he's never going to give me an edge if I start him. He's a bi week villain so that's, that's why I'm hesitant to draft him.

[Field Yates]

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[Mike Clay]

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[Field Yates]

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[Mike Clay]

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[Field Yates]

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[Mike Clay]

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[Field Yates]

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[Mike Clay]

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[Field Yates]

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[Mike Clay]

I just want to aim for more sealants.

[Field Yates]

So can I ask a question then to you Mike and to you Liz? Of the six quarterbacks we've now tossed out, Yes, I made this point in the first week of the show. I guess this is only week two, so I should be able to recall that it was last week about how when I'm doing my rankings, one way to think about them is I'm ranking them as who has the best chance to finish as the number one scoring player in his position right. For the course of the season. So I'm just using this as a name like Jacoby Myers, I think, has a very, very low chance of finishing his wide receiver one this season, but he's still steady enough. He's going to crack that like wide receiver three four radar. Right? I'm looking for upside is basically what I'm constantly targeting in my drafts and in my rankings of the six that We've named if off the top of your head, I'll put you on the clock here. First. Mike, how would you rank them in terms of best chance to finish as a. Let's call top five quarterback, which is going to be very hard to do because we really think the first four, our elite elites, call it top seven if you want.

[Mike Clay]

I know. Okay.

[Field Yates]

J.J. mcCarthy.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

Drake May, Kyler Murray. You went back to Justin Herbert. I went back to Bonix. And then Liz finished up with.

[Mike Clay]

Okay, so number one score, I think. I think with this combination of passing and rushing, I think it really could be Bonix. Honestly, just because we have like Kyler hasn't done that yet. Okay, we haven't. He's going year two. Like maybe he got leap forward. Yep. I think that Drake Mayo would probably put second. So. Good. Both of your guys, I see what you're doing here. They're riskier, though. They are riskier than Kyler. So it depends what you're looking for.

[Field Yates]

The conceit is not who's riskier. The conceit is at the end of the year, who would you be most surprised finishing as like the seventh best quarterback?

[Mike Clay]

I understand that philosophy. I think you have to walk the line a little bit. You know, there's Jacoby Myers is a perfectly valuable receiver, is probably being undervalued. He was the top 25 guy last year. He can get his wide receiver three this year. But anyway, to finish your thought so Nixon May, I think I would put Kyler third, Herbert fourth. And then who was it I put? Maybe I put McCarthy over Lawrence Herbert. And Herbert. Yeah, then Lawrence.

[Field Yates]

Okay, Liz, any disagreement or any players that you think you'd have a lot higher or lower.

[Liz Loza]

So I've been very loud about Kyler Murray since the start of the off season. So I have ranked him because I cannot stand when people. When people megaphone their opinions but do not have their rankings aligned with those thoughts. So I have Kyler Murray ranked seventh. I'm the highest in the consensus rankings.

[Mike Clay]

I'm on nine for the record, I.

[Liz Loza]

Have Bo Nick's number eight as QB eight. So to me, yes, those two guys are at the top. And then I would have Drake May in the third position. And then I agree with the rest of your list, but I feel like I have to stand. I have to stand on business here and prop up Kyler Murray. I do think he.

[Mike Clay]

I don't think that's unreasonable. I think they're all pretty close at the top there.

[Field Yates]

Yeah, no, I think I just was Just trying to give people an idea that, like, if you're going to kind of go, maybe if you're going to wait on quarterback, all of these guys are going to be available. For those that do wait, maybe Knicks is the exception going in the top of the ninth round right now, as opposed to where JJ is going in the 14th. And I had Kyler's probably somewhere around Bo. But the point is that, like, you're not using one of your first six or seven picks on a quarterback. You're willing to be patient. There are some very intriguing upside plays. Any names that you had on your list that did not make the cut for the show?

[Liz Loza]

Not surprisingly, I had both Caleb Williams and Justin Fields.

[Field Yates]

I mean, two logical candidates for sure. Caleb makes me more nervous than Justin because we haven't seen it before, but Justin makes me overall more nervous than Caleb. I don't know, man. The vibes are just. You got to be really careful.

[Liz Loza]

Is it the toe shield, although?

[Field Yates]

No, it's just the jets vibes. It sounds like the offense has just been terrible and they were.

[Mike Clay]

But the vibes were positive last year, so who knows? The jets are the Jets.

[Liz Loza]

I will, I just will submit for Justin Fields that He was the QB10 in both 2022 and 2023 as the Bears starter.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

So again, we're talking last year, the.

[Mike Clay]

Six games he played.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah, you. You mentioned that on Tuesday's show, so I think that that's fair. And Caleb Williams, I. It is hard for me to divorce my fandom and also all of the candles that I lit in manifest and trying to manifest a Jaden Daniels pick to Chicago and then being right about that, at least last year, how it didn't go my way.

[Mike Clay]

Not over yet, though.

[Field Yates]

Listen, Liz, there was a time where I waited an entire season for a freaking Deontay Johnson touchdown and I got zero of them. So I hear you on the manifesting things. Candles don't work. I don't know what you mean.

[Liz Loza]

They do work.

[Field Yates]

They do work. They work not for manifesting things in fantasy football.

[Mike Clay]

I will say this. I think that after this season, and this isn't always the case, but I think after this season we'll know. On Caleb, like everyone, he's got Ben.

[Liz Loza]

Johnson, he's got an offensive line, he's got all of these weapons.

[Mike Clay]

The skill guys are great. I mean, let me.

[Field Yates]

Let me phrase my stance on that and I think you guys will probably agree. I don't think we'll know what the final version of Caleb Williams is, but we'll know whether he's a North Star or he's right.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, right. He'll either show he's the superstar or they're going to.

[Field Yates]

No, I think he's on the path to superstardom or, hey, is he Trevor Lawrence esque.

[Liz Loza]

Is the ascent. Is he on the rocket ship or is he, you know, coasting at a neutral?

[Mike Clay]

And it's tricky because, like, for example, Bryce Young's already two years in and we're still not sure because he picked it up after year and a half of poor play.

[Field Yates]

1/2 of a good.

[Mike Clay]

So maybe he's there vibes in camp.

[Liz Loza]

Though, Ben Johnson brings the aura as the kids are saying, I'm feeling great. I just like Justin Fields and I've been a long time Justin Fields apologist. And I feel like had he an offensive coordinator that didn't, you know, try to make him into Andy Dalton, perhaps he wouldn't have been so broken in the way that he has been.

[Field Yates]

Fields will be good for a handful of games this year. I have no doubt about that. There's just way too much rushing upside.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. The problem is we're talking about all the. There's just so many guys.

[Liz Loza]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

It's like they're, you know, you talk about this all the time. Tears. Like it's just tears. There's so many.

[Liz Loza]

Let's end this conversation then, because I'd like to know, outside of those top four, you have to draft one of those four guys within rounds two and three, basically. If you don't want to do that. Well, I will. Let me ask you, actually, are you trying to grab. I would say for me, Jalen hurts because he's Mr. Reliable and that offense is mostly returning with the exception of Makai Becton. Right. So we can. To me, that's the safest status quo.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

It's funny is you're asking which of.

[Liz Loza]

Those four is there or are you going to. Are you not wanting to have a quarterback in the third? And because there is such.

[Mike Clay]

I want one of the big four.

[Liz Loza]

You do want one of the big four.

[Field Yates]

I'm targeting okay with. To me it's like six in one hand, a half dozen in the other because I have more options I like after that. But it was funny. I posted my. And I'm. I promise you guys, I'm trying to be better about like the comments on. On Twitter. Just like ignoring. But I posted my top 100 rankings, which are live on ESPN.com if you're interested in reading them. It helps you see not just Positionally, but of course, running back versus wide receiver in round one. Wide receiver versus tight end around four. And my quarterbacks, it was like Lamar Jackson was something like 27, and Josh Allen was quarterback four at like 32. So it's like they're five total spots apart.

[Mike Clay]

So you hate Josh Allen.

[Field Yates]

Exactly.

[Liz Loza]

The people get after you.

[Field Yates]

Wow, Josh Allen at quarterback four. Like, what's up your, you know. You know what? This morning.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. With Lamar outscoring by like 80 points last year or something like that.

[Liz Loza]

Don't give them your energy. You decide who gets your energy.

[Mike Clay]

You know what?

[Field Yates]

I was. Yeah, you're right. You're absolutely right, Liz. Well said by you. Last time I checked the comments for a while. But my, So I, I, I am not married to one strategy or the other because I do like some values. I talked about Bo Nicks, I talked about. I, I like Brock Purdy this year. Like, I'm in on one of these guys hitting with a flyer. The other thing that I think needs to be accounted for is that we play in a lot of leagues. If I played in just one league, I would have a pretty concrete strategy. Like, I would feel strongly about having one of those elite quarterbacks. We play in so many leagues. That part of me is like, well, if I just like, load up on all the quarterbacks in every league and like, you know, two out of those four, one of them gets hurt or two out of those four gets hurt. Like, there are so many variables.

[Liz Loza]

Diversifying your portfolio.

[Field Yates]

Exactly what we are doing here.

[Mike Clay]

Follow the board. Sometimes I don't take one of the big four because we're like, you're great at that.

[Liz Loza]

You're very disciplined about that.

[Mike Clay]

You have to be. You have to be more disciplined.

[Field Yates]

What else is new, Right?

[Mike Clay]

That's the only thing I do right.

[Liz Loza]

Well, guys, let's put this quarterback conversation to bed and discuss.

[Field Yates]

Wait, can I throw my other names?

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, we're not.

[Liz Loza]

Oh, sure. I'm sorry.

[Field Yates]

J.J. mcCarthy. Mike Mitten mentioned him, so I would have had J.J. on my list as well. Dak Prescott, current QB on my list, too, in the 12th round. I know this is kind of kooky, but the last two full seasons that Dak played, he had eight top seven finishes. In 2023, he had 10 top 11 finishes in 2021. The way that Dak will mash in fantasy is by throwing for a ton of yards and throwing for a ton of of touchdowns. He has CD Lam, he has George Pickens. The defense looks absolutely terrible right now, especially with Micah Parsons not part of the equation. They're going to need Dak to throw a lot. Other option is Jordan Love, who's all over the board. He's going quarterback 16 right now. All over the board. But two seasons ago he had 50 rushing attempts. He had five games with three or more passing touchdowns. He had five top nine finishes in his final eight games. So we've seen upside from Jordan Love. We just saw last year that, you know that things can. There's a. He has a good ceiling with also like a pretty pedestrian floor.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I. He's on my list as well. He's one of the more interesting wild cards at quarterback is he could finish top five or he could be like C.J. stroud last year and just be like QB18. One of the better real reasons.

[Field Yates]

Fantasy quarterback.

[Mike Clay]

Yes, a very, very good quarterback. I think he was fifth in QBR7. Excellent second half of the season. They scored almost all of their touchdowns on the ground. I was just hammering Josh Jacobs in parlays. Touchdown parlays every week as he scored every week. That was a problem. Barely had passing touchdowns in the second half and he wasn't running. But remember, he missed time. He wasn't fully healthy. Literally today. Today there's a report that he wants to run the ball more this year, which gives me a little bit more. Even more optimism. You want to hear that doesn't always come to fruition. But hearing that you want to. You don't want to hear a quarterback. I think actually Drake May said this like I'm going to try to cut down on rushing. I think he meant scrambling a little bit, but you want to hear them. I'm going to run more for fantasy. If Love does that, he can get back into the Cuban.

[Liz Loza]

I don't think it's impossible. Also given the state of the backfield. I mean, Josh Jacobs coming off of 300 plus carries and Marshawn Lloyd can't stay healthy. So you might have to.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. And my other guy was Cam Ward, who I think we might talk about shortly. So I'll leave.

[Field Yates]

All right.

[Liz Loza]

Do you want to start there actually?

[Mike Clay]

Well, he's not. He's not on my list. I just happened to.

[Liz Loza]

Oh, you keep somebody else's on my list?

[Mike Clay]

Well, I was in someone else. Listen, the rules.

[Liz Loza]

Deep, deep sleeper. So this is not, you know, Isaiah Pacheco value. This is.

[Field Yates]

He has a good value.

[Liz Loza]

He has a great.

[Field Yates]

I probably misunderstood the assignment a little bit because I went. I went quarterback still. Oh, that being said, I'll still give quarterback. So it's quarterback day for me. So just understand that the vortex that I guess like that the, the. I was looking at this with a quarterback construct, not the all across the board. Because they have 1,000 deep sleepers and we'll get into a sleeper show later for sure. Cam Ward.

[Liz Loza]

Okay.

[Field Yates]

Don't have a ton of confidence here.

[Liz Loza]

Cameron Ward.

[Field Yates]

Cameron Ward. And Mike correct me on that too. I have gone back and checked the tape and talked to some people close to the matter and they say that Cam is cool being Cam.

[Mike Clay]

Okay, that's good to know.

[Field Yates]

Yep.

[Liz Loza]

I thought it was very thoughtful of you. Yeah, well, I mentioned that.

[Mike Clay]

Well, I just, you know, that was an official NFL release. So I was like, all right, maybe we should at least like on the graphics in the game he'll be. But like, yeah, it's fine.

[Field Yates]

But like Patrick Mahomes mother expressed his pleasure over him being called Pat. So no one calls him pat anymore. Pedro McMillan's.

[Mike Clay]

Yep. We try our best to be respectful of that kind of stuff.

[Field Yates]

So I think Cam and I'll, I'll, I'll go with Cameron right now. I think he's okay with Cam or Cameron, but I will continue to vet that one out here. But if he is going to become a quarterback deep sleeper, it is through one way. It is. And we've said this a lot today. Will the Titans let him run?

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

He is a capable running quarterback. Now don't go to espn.com right now and check his rushing stats because in college, and this is a weird rule, I'm not sure why it exists, quarterbacks sack yardage is deducted from the rushing totals.

[Liz Loza]

Okay.

[Field Yates]

I have no idea why. I don't know why. If you take a seven yard sack, a quarterback now has a one yard run. Excuse me, a one rushing attempt for negative seven yards. It's dumb, it's archaic. But I say that only because if you go look at Cam Ward's rushing numbers and you're like, he's not a runner. Yeah. They did not run him much because of the fact that he was so busy slicing teams up for like 350 yards and three touchdowns a game last year.

[Liz Loza]

But is that at Miami specifically or like. Because over the course of his college career.

[Field Yates]

I would say over the course of his college career and, and he had 17 rushing touchdowns over his last three seasons. Like there is rushing upside here with Cam Ward. The weapons are very young. I would say right now very average at best. The offensive line will see. I have a little bit of optimism there. Bill Callahan, one of the great offensive line coaches ever. They have spent this offseason to improve it, but still not a group that I have seen dominate. I would just say this and maybe this is more of a real life NFL commentary than it is a fantasy football commentary because you can be special and also not be great for fantasy There might be some special in Kimword.

[Liz Loza]

On WhatsApp, no one can see or hear your personal messages. Whether it's a voice call message or sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this. So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat or trading those late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast, your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone the Jack.

[Mike Clay]

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[Liz Loza]

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[Mike Clay]

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[Field Yates]

Lowe's knows when you're looking for reliability. The right brand makes all the difference. And now Lowes is the exclusive home improvement retailer for the Whirlpool water treatment line including their Wi Fi softener under sink filtration system and more.

[Liz Loza]

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[Field Yates]

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[Liz Loza]

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[Field Yates]

Very impressed by the demeanor of this young man. Has a maturity that extends way beyond 23 year old maturity in general. So like the player, they're going to have to unleash him as a runner. Not totally certain they will, but if they do, there is a pathway to hovering around that, you know, mid tier QB2 rating.

[Mike Clay]

This is the kind of the late flyer like you take. Like you would have Bonix last year and again and Bonix have one of the top five best fantasy seasons ever for rookie quarterbacks. You don't want to put that on ward, but sometimes with a late flyer you say I don't know. Like I don't know this guy might be a QB one or he might be a bust, but this is where you take those sort of flyers. Because if he is special in the real deal and runs the Ball. And by the way, Callahan, their play caller was very pass heavy in Cincinnati. Now he had Joe Burrow, but that's his background. So maybe they start throw the ball a little bit more, which would help him. And by the way, when. Whenever you see me post rushing stats for quarterbacks from college, I always strip out the. The sack stuff.

[Field Yates]

I'm just saying that, like somebody goes to E prospect.

[Mike Clay]

I'm just saying like. So if you read our capsules or whatever, maybe you have accounted for it. I pull the sack stuff out. So I look at like, you know, I look at yards per carry, whatever. I'll look at design runs. I'll look at scramble rate, which is always interesting to see how guys. How much these guys scramble. But what's interesting about Ward is he averaged over 9 yards per carry last season on non. If you take sacks out, nine yard, it was best in this class. I mean, you're right. When he, when he chooses to run, it's been very effective.

[Liz Loza]

I appreciate that you're mentioning the facts versus feelings portion of his demeanor because I.

[Field Yates]

Let's go.

[Mike Clay]

You guys are plugging great today. Nice. What a fly plug.

[Liz Loza]

Well, the ascent over the barber colleges, the treating it like a business, and also, frankly, getting up. I, you know, was raised by a single mom, so I very much appreciated him saying, if I can get up at 3 or 4 in the morning and go to a job that I love after watching my father wake up at the same time every morning, go to a job he did not love, then I can do it with alacrity. I don't think he used the word alacrity. Nonetheless, I don't even know what that means.

[Field Yates]

I was gonna say Liz. Alacrity, for all I know, could mean the color blue or it could mean happy efficiency.

[Liz Loza]

Happy. Delighted efficiency.

[Field Yates]

You know, it's been a while since we had one of those Ivy Leaguers on the show because Stefania has been gone since last week. So my dumb brain is just like heat. Go fast, very strong.

[Liz Loza]

No, that is not at all. You're here for your lexicon learning, regardless of the day. Which one? Lexicon?

[Mike Clay]

No, we need. We need a word of the day.

[Field Yates]

From fast, Big, strong.

[Mike Clay]

Just bring a word that could be a show.

[Liz Loza]

I'll think of one for two word.

[Mike Clay]

Of the day and then apply it to football.

[Liz Loza]

But yes, I appreciate that you're mentioning that because that is the special. Special cannot always, with all due respect, Mike, be quantified in numbers.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, no, you're right.

[Liz Loza]

Totally a beautiful piece of it, Mike. Why don't you go next?

[Mike Clay]

Oh, yeah. All right. So I did a show to keep going on the quarterback theme here. Now we've time. Right.

[Field Yates]

Because you can actually read directions and email.

[Mike Clay]

I can, yeah. So my first one is a running back. I'm gonna go with Jerome Ford. I think we, you know, his ADP is still. It's, it's working its way up, bro.

[Liz Loza]

Taking that pay cut though. I mean, he took a pay cut to stay in Cleveland and now like.

[Mike Clay]

The situation has changed now. You're right. Yeah. Hopefully he has some bonuses in there as part of that.

[Field Yates]

Maybe he does have incentives.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. So I don't think we. You know, obviously Cleveland did not view him as a clear feature back because they spent a second and a fourth round picking a running back. But sometimes you don't have a choice but to put the guy back in there. And they've had to do that several times during the Nick Chubb era. And it's gone pretty well with. In six games without Nick Chubb last year, he averaged 78 yards and 14 fantasy points per game. Solid. But remember in 2023 he was 16th in fantasy points at running back, now 25th on a points per game basis. But we're still talking about a starter here. Had nine touchdowns and 1100 yards during that season. Last year he averaged almost five and a half yards per carry. He could catch the ball a little bit, he can run it well. And he might be forced to handle 15 carries in three, four targets a game. And you're getting him in the late round. So I think right now, you know who he reminds me of this time last year is Chuba Hubbard.

[Liz Loza]

Okay.

[Mike Clay]

Same kind of thing. It was just like no one was really buying into that. Jonathan Brooks was there and he was going to come back at some, at some point. And would Miles Sanders play more? A little bit more. And he was remembered. Hubbard was just free. Like you could just take him in the double digit rounds every single time. Jerome Ford kind of feels like that guy this year. Year.

[Liz Loza]

Good example to have a college player who maybe didn't do something in college, but did excel at the pro level. Chuba Hubbard, I'm talking about in terms of his pass catching.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Liz Loza]

Um, but Jerome ford averaged exactly 2.6 receptions per game in back to back seasons. And if we're expecting his tote total to go up, then certainly volume remains king. And that's a great deep sleeper.

[Field Yates]

I'm so jealous of Liz's vocabulary total. I don't know, I just feel like that's a way cooler way than saying, like, yeah, if his carries stay the same.

[Mike Clay]

If you gotta read, we gotta get you a thesaurus. What's a thesaurus?

[Liz Loza]

You know what a thesaurus is. Stop it. Can we talk about Emeka Ebuka? Because he is on my list.

[Field Yates]

Yes. However did I say it right? I'm giving you all this credit. Mecca.

[Liz Loza]

Ameca Abuka.

[Field Yates]

What?

[Mike Clay]

That was g. Silence.

[Field Yates]

Liz was just reminding us that, like, everybody has their limitations.

[Liz Loza]

Thank you.

[Field Yates]

They're hard to find. For Liz.

[Mike Clay]

Yes. A humble occasion. Right? He's been talking to you up the whole show. You gotta. We gotta bring you down a notch.

[Liz Loza]

Okay, that's fine.

[Mike Clay]

We all need that.

[Liz Loza]

I am here for it. That and potentially my nickname being Butter. We're good. We're good for the first half of the show.

[Mike Clay]

The second half of the day, only. Nice stuff. Now feel.

[Field Yates]

Say it again, Liz. Butter Loza.

[Liz Loza]

No, the other one.

[Field Yates]

Ameca Butter again.

[Mike Clay]

Butter. And Buka.

[Liz Loza]

He emerged as the primary slot option at Ohio State.

[Field Yates]

He left the program with the most catches in Ohio State history.

[Liz Loza]

Singing.

[Field Yates]

Are they any good there? Wide receiver wise McLaren. Marvin Harrison Jr. Jackson Smith. Wilson. Jackson Smith.

[Liz Loza]

And J. Comp similarly, too. So just if people want to kind of get an idea. Also, the thing about him that I love so much and field again, you are the expert here was his route savvy, his polish, his technique. He appears to have brought that perfectionist mindset, if you will, to Tampa Bay.

[Field Yates]

You don't need me for this.

[Liz Loza]

God wins. All right. If Chris God wins week one, availability is in question, then a booker should fill that role. I believe he's more versatile than Jalen McMillan, so I'm not worried about even were Godwin to come back, him getting. I mean, I think he'll fall down the depth chart a little bit, but he won't be off the field. I think McMillan will be the. The odd man out in that situation. Working opposite Mike Evans, probably not a problem. You know, Baker Mayfield as your quarterback, certainly good as well. So I think he has some really deep sleeper appeal. I think he. I mean, he's one who could, based on the question marks surrounding Godwin's health, could really smash that adp.

[Field Yates]

I think it's. I agree with Ameca and having all the goods in a very, very good offense to contribute until Chris Godwin returns. I think people have tried to look at the Ameca Abuka and the pick as like a reflection of something with Jalen McMillan or reflection of something long term with Chris Goblin. I think what they were just basically doing. Is that like Mike Evans might. He's year to year right now. Right. He is very much in the, you know, the twilight of his career. Even though he says he's still going to go for a thousand yards this upcoming season. And then like if he's gone a year from now, you're going to need three wide receivers and a very three wide receiver, heavy offense. A book. I agree with that. Like it could. He could be one of those guys that like has a quick fade. Because if Chris Godwin does return early on in the season, then it is going to clearly run through Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. We saw last year there really wasn't a ton of room for things three wide outs in that Bucks offense to consistently perform. But he's going for. You said free, right? I like free.

[Liz Loza]

Yes.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

Basically I have him 10th round, which is fine. He is. I get this question a lot and it is what's the difference between projections and rankings? And he is one of the excellent examples for the season of, of an answer for that question. Because if you're assuming, let's just assume Chris Godwin misses four games. That's still most of the season he's playing. You're assuming Mike Evans is there for the whole season. You're assuming Jaylen McMillan has a role. You're assuming 10% will say the targets goes to Kate otten. You're assuming 15 to 20% goes to the running backs which would essentially low for a running back room. How, how, how do you project There it is for like big numbers like a wide receiver three season. You can't do it. You need something else to happen. But you know, if that, if that thing happens, Mike Evans goes down, Chris Godwin's out long term that he can be a wide receiver two or three as that raw talent. So that's the answer. That's why you take flyers on guys like that, even if they don't project super high.

[Liz Loza]

Who are you taking another flyer on?

[Mike Clay]

Another flyer for me is Colson Loveland. I think we have not.

[Field Yates]

Now you are just tugging at Liz's heartstrings.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, yeah. See you don't like this.

[Field Yates]

He's a bear.

[Liz Loza]

I know, I know. I want to hear it. I'm caring. I'm stealing myself.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, she's enjoying this.

[Liz Loza]

It might melt like some butter based on what he said.

[Mike Clay]

All right, all right. So look, the last two years, the number one scoring fantasy tight end was of course a rookie. So we're seeing a little bit of a Change to the utilization of this position. One of those guys, the first one, the guy that started it all, Sam laporta, his play caller was Ben Johnson, who is now, of course, the play caller in Chicago. Now, I know that's kind of seems like. Okay, just because it happened twice doesn't mean it's going to happen again. But look, this guy was the 10th overall pick of the draft for a reason. He's going to be a big part of the Chicago offense. I know Cole Comet's there, but remember, they did not want to target him last season at all. They were trying to face him out of the passing game most of last season. There's a lot of good wide receivers here as well. But if we expect this offense to take a leap forward and Loveland gets a 15, 17, 18% target share, which is not an enormous number, especially for a guy that was drafted where he was, he's going to be a back end, fringe tight end one.

[Field Yates]

And again, I tell you, what you're describing right now is if Colston Loveland can be what Mark Andrews was last year, you're in business. Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

And I mean, I hope.

[Field Yates]

Excellent red zone weapon.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I hope the target shares a little higher and we don't have to bank on the touchdowns every single week.

[Field Yates]

We said 15, 16, 17%. Like, that's. To me, it's. If he gets that number that's around a six of the targets and he's awesome in the red zone and maybe gets lucky with some of the touchdowns, then yeah, it's totally possible.

[Mike Clay]

But if you look at the guy and this is rolling back to something you said earlier, but like, where he's going, it's after Tucker Kraft, after Jake Ferguson, right around Dallas Goddard, Dalton Kincaid a little before Kyle Pitts and under Henry, like, who's most likely to be a top five tight end from that group? It's a guy we haven't necessarily seen yet, but that has that elite ability.

[Liz Loza]

Upside of the unknown tight end.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I mean, he's. I mean, I would take him over Dallas Goddard every single time and there.

[Liz Loza]

He goes over Tyler Warren.

[Mike Clay]

Yes. I think. Yeah, I'm a little bit more nervous there about that offense. If it's really low volume that I don't have Warren terribly far below, but I think there's just a lot more passing upside in Chicago.

[Liz Loza]

All right.

[Mike Clay]

And he was picked before.

[Field Yates]

I get one more.

[Liz Loza]

It was. Yes, you do.

[Field Yates]

Okay, my last pick here is Michael Penix Jr. So again, I was going quarterbacks only. And this one is a Stretch. Right. He needs to be the next version of Joe Burrow or I mean Joe discount Joe Burrow or perhaps there's another quarterback who I was thinking of. Oh, Dak Prescott type player. Right. Passing attempts have to be way up like super high for Michael Penix Jr. But in three starts last year he had 100 passing attempts. 33 and a half. Which if you look at the top of the leaderboard last year for quarterbacks it was right around like 35 a game for I believe Joe Burrow. So the volume is going to be high. Can he crack the top eight or 10 in passing attempts this season? If he does and he goes thermonuclear with his past yards and pass touchdowns, it's possible. He has a great, great offensive cast support supporting him. Right. Like it's a really good offensive line. Obviously very, very talented with a ton of high investments in the pass catchers as well. This kid's got some it factor to him as well. Like Michael Pennix Jr. Can sling that thing. That is for sure. It was an aggressive offense last year and pushing the football down the field that led to poor accuracy on the whole for Michael Penix Jr. Simply speaking in terms of completion percentage, if this offense advances and it attacks one more layers than just down the field he could get into a groove and throw for 4,000 plus passing yards and 30 plus passing touchdowns.

[Mike Clay]

This is one I disagree with. I mean I think that he'll, he can make a leap and be a good NFL starting quarterback. I don't think he's going to be a fantasy starter. He had 11 rushing yards last year and seven carries in those games. That's, that's tough.

[Liz Loza]

They're talking about 105 attempt samples.

[Mike Clay]

I mean you're like, we're like, we're like Joe Borrow might have 250 and that's like low. Like he might have 112. Like I don't know. Like I, I'm definitely really nervous. I have him with 187 and three touchdowns and maybe that's optimistic. He. It's just, it's, it's like C.J. shroud last year. I feel like you, like you said he. It has to be huge passing numbers and kind of surprising to us. They ran the ball a lot last year. They were run heavy offense. They need to really. So that needs to change. That needs to change. Yeah. And, and he needs to run the ball a lot more. I think it's a lot to ask with all of these other options. We've talked About. I think it's going to be a stretch for him to get into that top 15 even.

[Field Yates]

Who's the passing game coordinator right now for the Atlanta Falcons?

[Mike Clay]

The passing game coordinator? I don't know. Zach Robinson's the O.C. but who's the T.J. yates? Okay, good last name.

[Field Yates]

We're not actually related. People have thought that for a long time. But I do know this. You hear very, very, very, very positive reviews about T.J. yates. And when he's an NFL head coach, one day you better believe that I will be claiming that we are at least cousins, if not brothers. Just want to throw that. I'm playing my flag on this right now.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. Like my. My cousin is the Eagles special. Clay. Yeah. Yes. Yeah.

[Field Yates]

Yes. They look remarkably similar to Mike and Michael Clay. I just think, you know, I believe in the staff down there in Atlanta on offense and yeah, it's deep sleepers. Hello quarterbacks.

[Mike Clay]

Fantasy. I believe in him as a player. It's just fantasy. I think it's gonna be tough.

[Liz Loza]

I'm gonna round things out with another tight end. I teased it a little earlier. Brenton Strange is the player. He averaged about five targets per game when Evan Ingram was sidelined last year. Now both Ingram and Christian Kirk have left. That opens up 111 angel number targets for Brenton Strange. You know, he flashed a little after the catch. Obviously not the producer. He shared the field at Penn State with Tyler Warren for. For a little bit of time.

[Field Yates]

It is worth noting the Johnson prior to that.

[Liz Loza]

That's it in the Giants in New York. Kate Otten under Liam Cohen logged 59 receptions last year. So there is some opportunity for Strange. I actually think, you know, if you don't want to deal with the position because of its volatility and you don't feel like drafting one of those top tier guys and just forgo the whole thing. You can grab Strange and your very last pick and just know that you're going to stream. But I do think that he will return on some value.

[Mike Clay]

I am going to disagree with this one too.

[Field Yates]

I'm not buying Strange Fields with me or I am.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I know we have him in my dynasty team. Yeah. I'm just not. I can't do it. He. Last year he. Half the season Evan Ingram was out. He was the starting tight end. He had one good game. He was under 12 and a half points in all but one game. And the one good game he had was, I believe not with Trevor Lawrence. Right. He was out for that one. If I'm not Mistaken. It was. Oh yeah. Week 15 with Mac Jones was that huge game he had. I don't know. I don't think he's going to see enough to get to that next level. And also, well.

[Liz Loza]

Cause you're. The vacated targets are not being. You're counting for Trevor. Travis Hunter.

[Mike Clay]

That's right. They're Travis. Travis Hunter. That offense on top of Brian Thomas who are all buying is like a top. You know, top 10 receiver.

[Liz Loza]

Travis Hunter's projection is going to be. Because he's such a unique.

[Mike Clay]

I mean, I put him in your top hundred. You put him. You moved you pretty high. You said top 25 yesterday.

[Field Yates]

Probably like 53 or something. Something like that. Overall, I'd have to go look at it. I honestly. Listen, Mike, I've been too busy grinding the tape on Michael Penix Jr. To worry about where players rank in my top 100.

[Mike Clay]

I posted this morning it was like a thread of like the like famous songs. It was like the first time they played it and there was like 20 people in the room and it was an awesome thread. I loved it so much. I was just kind of scrolling through and I don't bury that. I actually posted that on Social. Yeah. Because I, you know, which I rarely do. And people are just like, get back to grinding table. No one wants to hear about this. Comments like, well, Mike, a lot of people.

[Field Yates]

You brought it up. I am going to take this a step further. Who was the very first band in that thread?

[Mike Clay]

Oh, God, I don't even remember my favorite. What?

[Field Yates]

Mgmt.

[Mike Clay]

Oh, that's right. That's mgmt. Maggie Rogers was in there, which was cool.

[Field Yates]

MGMT smells like Team Spirit was there. Anyway, time to pretend MGMT is a band. MGMT is a band from.

[Liz Loza]

Is that Machine Gun from.

[Mike Clay]

From Boom Boom Boom.

[Field Yates]

I'm doing a terrible job.

[Mike Clay]

I say close your eyes.

[Field Yates]

You know.

[Mike Clay]

You know what?

[Field Yates]

I gotta be careful. We can't sing too much because we might get a violation.

[Mike Clay]

Seconds, right?

[Field Yates]

It's a fake roll, I think MGMT from Wesleyan University. Thank you very much.

[Mike Clay]

Was that clip from Wesleyan?

[Field Yates]

It was like 15ft from my freshman dorm.

[Mike Clay]

No, it was not.

[Field Yates]

I mean, that wasn't there at the.

[Mike Clay]

Time, but I thought I saw you in the background, but I didn't even think of it.

[Liz Loza]

All right, we are going to our director Brian's like.

[Field Yates]

All right, so here we go. Hard pivot to Mel back here.

[Liz Loza]

Okay. How do we feel about DK as your wide receiver? One in fantasy as a pick. I assume they mean DK Metcalf.

[Mike Clay]

Well, how about this?

[Liz Loza]

I don't.

[Mike Clay]

I'll come out. I'll come out fireman stat right away. He's never finished higher than 10th and he's finished higher than 20th once. So there's your answer. I mean, I, I don't.

[Field Yates]

You on. Right.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

So, because there's a roster construction. We talked about this yesterday. I think it was, Was it Terry McLaurin, Mike Evans? There was somebody, a Garrett Wilson, maybe there was somebody ranked right around where DK is. Where you could say to yourself, like, if DK Metcalf is your wide receiver one, it's perhaps because you landed right. I'm just making this up. You went Jameer Gibbs and Chase Brown with their first two picks.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. Metcalf's going in the fourth round, so he could.

[Field Yates]

Hey, you want Jameer Gibbs, Chase Brown, Brock Bowers?

[Mike Clay]

Yes.

[Field Yates]

Then of course I'm cool with it.

[Mike Clay]

Right.

[Field Yates]

Like, I wouldn't want to wait much longer than where DK Metcalf is going off the board to address wide receiver DK Metcalf. I do not envision as like, I'm not prioritizing him early because I'm afraid of missing out on him. But if I have loaded up at running back slash, wide receiver slash, maybe even one of those first five quarterbacks, then I'm okay if DK ends up as my top ranked wide receiver going into the year.

[Liz Loza]

You have Mike Evans and DK Metcalf ranked back to back. That's 19 and 20. There you go.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I think, I think if you take Metcalf, you're like, you know, just think about your week to week putting these guys in your lineup. You're going to think, okay, I'm going to get seven, eight, nine targets. He's going to score a touchdown, probably half the games. Aaron Rodgers offense will be high volume. We know that. It's fine. But he's probably not going to get over the top and be a wide receiver one. So you're drafting a guy you know is probably going to be a wide receiver 2. At worst, maybe a wide receiver 3. But if you're, if the question being asked is like, essentially, is he a guy that has wide receiver one upside? Probably not. I think he's more of a Marva too.

[Field Yates]

By the way, Daniel's watching right now. Love you, bud. See, in like, I don't know, five hours, not even three hours. Thank you for checking this out. He's mostly watching for Liz, but he's.

[Mike Clay]

Watching for any he. His crappy band about bands. Yes, yes.

[Field Yates]

And he was like, I knew that about mgmt. So at least one of you guys is cultured.

[Liz Loza]

Can we have the next question before we go on another? All right, this is from Kuma. Who would you. Who would you draft? Kyron Williams or Chase Brown? Mike, I actually want to start with you because you are pretty high on Chase Brown. I just wrote about him as well. He's one of my favorite drum beat players. There does seem to be a nice.

[Mike Clay]

There's a drum beat actually. Daniel's probably furious now because he was like I was. I was highest on him first this offseason. He pointed out yesterday this is a close call. I have Kyron one spot ahead of Chase. Brandon's very close. I understand going with Brown just because he's in the offense and he has very little competition. He doesn't have to touch workload of Kyron Williams so he's the guy on the rise. But Kyron, even with a ton of touches the last couple of years, he got paid. He's going to be the feature back in a great spot and he just scores every game in the 4 o' clock window. And that Sean McVeigh offense, I love having him on all my teams because you know he's going to score touchdowns. So give me Kyron Williams. But it is very close.

[Field Yates]

Kyron Williams higher floor. Chase Brown higher ceiling.

[Liz Loza]

Love it. We all have him back to back those two players back to back with Brown slightly so close.

[Mike Clay]

It's such a close call. No wrong answer there.

[Liz Loza]

All right, one more. Would Taylor be overhyped if Anthony starts as the QB for the Colts? John, it will. Would Jonathan Taylor be overhyped if. And if Anthony Richardson starts as the quarterback for the.

[Field Yates]

I think it's sort of baked in here. I also say this is that Anthony Richardson, even if he does start the season as the starter, it does not guarantee he is the starter for very long. So I am accounting for it. But it's not. I'm not going to drop Jonathan Taylor much lower than like RB8 or 9.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, really quick. 20 carries per game and 1.3 targets per game with Richardson last year at seven touchdowns with Joe Flacco 24 carries per game, so four more per game but 3.8 targets per game. More targets. So the overall touches and fantasy output was actually not that much different depending on who the quarterback was last year.

[Liz Loza]

For any idea if his efficiency changed between QBs?

[Mike Clay]

I don't think it was substantial in terms of like yards per carry or anything like that. But I was kind of surprised to see that his output fantasy wise was similar. Regardless of the quarterback. I'm more I the targets. That's going to hurt if he gets one to two targets per game with Richardson. I don't like that. But to your point, I think we're going to see Daniel Jones a bit this year.

[Field Yates]

Catches last season did Jonathan Taylor.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. And very more of that was when Flaco was in there.

[Field Yates]

Not Flaco.

[Liz Loza]

Thank you. Well, that is going to be the show for this lovely. What day is it?

[Mike Clay]

Thursday.

[Liz Loza]

Fantasy Focused Football. Thank you so much for joining us. Remember NYC and the Bahamas. Those are two places that you would like to be with us. Always check out the YouTube channel. Can you tell the subscribe the YouTube channel.

[Field Yates]

Subscribe NFL and ESPN YouTube channel. See you. You've seen the headlines, heard the debates. The three point ball has created a monotonous rhythm to the game. Has the three pointer ruined basketball? And how did we get here? The rise of the three point shot can be partially traced to an extension eccentric Kansas genius named Martin Manley, whose story didn't turn out quite the way he imagined. I decided I wanted to have one of the most organized goodbyes in history. 30 for 30 podcast presents Chasing Basketball Heaven.

[Mike Clay]

Available now wherever you get your podcasts.