9 MUST - Draft Running Backs | Fantasy Focus 🏈

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fantasy Focus Football – "9 MUST - Draft Running Backs"

Episode Information

• Title: Fantasy Focus Football – 9 MUST Draft Running Backs | Fantasy Focus 🏈
• Hosts: Field Yates, Daniel Dopp, Mike Clay, Stephania Bell
• Release Date: August 15, 2025
• Description: ESPN Fantasy Football experts provide daily strategy, previews, injury reports, and debates to help listeners dominate their leagues.

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1. Introduction and Show Highlights [00:51 - 03:10]

The episode kicks off with a brief introduction from Daniel Dopp (00:51) welcoming listeners to "Fantasy Focus Football" alongside co-hosts Field Yates and Mike Clay. Field Yates highlights the significance of the episode, emphasizing the importance of drafting running backs this season. Mike Clay and Daniel Dopp engage in light-hearted banter before delving into the main topics.

2. Sponsorship and Announcements [02:24 - 04:18]

The hosts acknowledge their sponsor, Trophy Smack, praising their draft boards and trophies awarded to winners. Daniel Dopp shares a promo code FOCUS10 for listeners to receive a discount. Additionally, they promote the ESPN Fantasy Football Ultimate Draft Weekend in the Bahamas, detailing exclusive events and celebrity guest appearances, including NFL stars like Todd Gurley, Golden Tate, and Kyle Rudolph.

3. Breaking News: Quinn Judkins and Rasheed Rice [04:18 - 17:43]

Quinn Judkins’ Situation [04:24 - 10:35]

Field Yates and Mike Clay discuss the latest news regarding Quinn Judkins, a third-round running back prospect facing potential suspension due to off-field issues. Field Yates states, “He is the only member of the 2025 draft class to not sign his deal” (05:00). The team is evaluating Judkins' fantasy value, considering his potential contribution if he stays healthy and fits into his team's offense.

Mike Clay provides a nuanced view, mentioning that while Judkins has high potential, his current ranking has dropped due to uncertainties surrounding his situation. He notes, “I fully expect Jerome Ford to get the start in week one and maybe get 15 carries and three or four targets and Judkins maybe gets a couple touches or is a healthy scratch” (07:20).

Rasheed Rice’s Suspension [11:07 - 17:43]

The conversation shifts to Rasheed Rice, who has announced he will face a suspension commencing after the first four weeks of the season. Field Yates explains, “He’s guaranteed to play the first four weeks of the season” (11:20), but will miss six subsequent games. This mid-season suspension poses a significant risk for fantasy owners, as it coincides with critical parts of the fantasy season.

Mike Clay emphasizes the strategic disadvantage, stating, “having a potential suspension in the middle of the year versus the beginning of the year is bad, bad, bad” (13:12). They discuss the impact on team dynamics and trading leverage during the suspension period.

4. Must Draft Running Backs Segment [20:22 - 44:49]

The core of the episode revolves around identifying the top 9 must-draft running backs for the 2025 fantasy football season. The hosts each present their picks with detailed analysis.

Field Yates’ Top Picks [21:14 - 26:52]

1. RJ Harvey (Denver Broncos)

   • Quote: “If you told me he was the number one running back in his own offense, I think it's a higher value player than Tony Pollard...” (23:44)
   • Analysis: Harvey is praised for his pedigree and the Broncos’ strong offensive line. Despite signing J.K. Dobbins, Harvey is viewed as having a clear path to becoming the lead back, offering high upside.

2. James Conner (Arizona Cardinals)

   • Quote: “I have him ranked. I think he's like perfect world...” (07:37)
   • Analysis: Conner is lauded for his durability and consistent performance since joining the Cardinals. With an average of 14.5 carries per game, he is seen as a reliable RB2 with potential to ascend further.

3. Bucky Irving (Atlanta Falcons)

   • Quote: “This is another one where, like, having the presence of a second back is actually a good thing for the player...” (43:37)
   • Analysis: Irving is highlighted for his versatility and big-play ability. Despite potential offensive challenges, his role as a dual-threat runner and receiver makes him a valuable asset.

Mike Clay’s Top Picks [25:09 - 36:43]

1. James Conner (Arizona Cardinals)

   • Echoes Field’s selection, emphasizing Conner’s consistent performance and health.

2. Jaden Blue (Dallas Cowboys)

   • Quote: “He is like sick with the ball in his hands...” (35:09)
   • Analysis: Blue is compared to Alvin Kamara for his elusive running style and pass-catching capabilities. Despite some reliability concerns, his high ceiling makes him a compelling late-round pick.

3. Tyrone Tracy Jr. (New England Patriots)

   • Quote: “Like them?” (46:00)
   • Analysis: Tracy Jr. is appreciated for his role in the improving Patriots offense, with expectations of increased carries and targets contributing to his RB2 potential.

Daniel Dopp’s Top Picks [28:05 - 40:31]

1. Chase Brown (Cincinnati Bengals)

   • Quote: “I have him as my running back nine consensus is running back ten. I'm all in.” (28:05)
   • Analysis: Brown is touted for his role in a top-tier offense, likened to Austin Ekeler for his dynamic involvement in both rushing and receiving. His reliability and usage make him a top-tier pick.

2. DeAndre Swift (Chicago Bears)

   • Quote: “It is not definitely like a guarantee where you're going to get that production...” (38:11)
   • Analysis: Swift’s multifaceted role as a rusher and receiver in the Bears’ offense offers a safe floor with significant upside if his performance stabilizes under his current coaching staff.

3. Jordan Mason (Green Bay Packers)

   • Quote: “But I don't want him…I just like him as one of my favorite insurance backs in the NFL.” (46:02)
   • Analysis: Mason is considered a solid late-round flyer with potential to contribute as an RB3 or flex option, especially in contingency scenarios where the main back may be injured.

5. Potential Busts and Value Risks [44:49 - 62:22]

The hosts discuss running backs who may underperform or lose value during the season.

Field Yates: Ramondre Stevenson (New England Patriots) [59:18 - 62:17]

• Quote: “Ramandre Stevenson is being drafted right now like a guy who's going to eventually lose value.” (61:24)
• Analysis: Stevenson is identified as a running back with high volatility, potentially losing value by mid-season due to competition and offensive inefficiencies.

Mike Clay: Isaiah Pacheco (Kansas City Chiefs) [56:25 - 62:38]

• Quote: “He’s a borderline draftable and 12 teamers because there's a lot of running backs in that area that fit that mold.” (60:32)
• Analysis: Pacheco is viewed as a mid-tier pick with concerns about his post-suspension performance and competition within the Chiefs’ backfield.

6. Listener Engagement and Interactive Segment [65:00 - 65:00]

Towards the end, the hosts encourage listener participation, inviting them to share their must-draft running back picks and engage with the show’s chat features. They emphasize staying updated with the latest news and prepare for upcoming mock drafts.

7. Conclusion and Final Remarks [64:30 - End]

The episode wraps up with light-hearted conversation about upcoming activities and plans, teasing future episodes and mock drafts. The hosts remind listeners to follow along for continuous updates and analysis throughout the fantasy football season.

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Notable Quotes:

• Field Yates (05:00): “He is the only member of the 2025 draft class to not sign his deal.”
• Mike Clay (07:20): “I fully expect Jerome Ford to get the start in week one and maybe get 15 carries and three or four targets and Judkins maybe gets a couple touches or is a healthy scratch.”
• Daniel Dopp (28:05): “I'm all in” regarding Chase Brown.
• Field Yates (43:37): “Having the presence of a second back is actually a good thing for the player.”

Timestamp Key:

• [MM:SS] indicates the time in the podcast where the quote or discussion occurs.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of "Fantasy Focus Football" provides in-depth analysis and strategic insights into drafting running backs for the upcoming fantasy season. The hosts cover key players, their potential impacts, risks, and offer actionable advice for fantasy managers. Whether you’re a seasoned veteran or new to fantasy football, this episode equips you with the knowledge to make informed drafting decisions.

Transcript

[Field Yates]

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 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. Available now wherever you get your podcasts.

[Daniel Dopp]

What's good, friends? Welcome into Fantasy Focus Football alongside Field Jates and the incomparable Mike Clay. The man, the engine, the power behind the entire ESPN fantasy game. My name is Daniel Dopp. Really excited to be able to be here with you guys.

[Mike Clay]

Oh, that's it?

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

I thought there's gonna be more to that, like a.

[Daniel Dopp]

But no, there's no suck. Why would I do that?

[Field Yates]

I have a. I have a take. This is random and it's one of those things that only people that are in this room would notice. You get more calls at like 9:59am than anybody else.

[Daniel Dopp]

Why does that happen?

[Field Yates]

Are you getting a call right now?

[Daniel Dopp]

I feel like I'm channeling my inner Matthew Barry to make sure I get a call on the show again.

[Mike Clay]

Messages too. Should we just take a break?

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, yeah. We're going to take a quick commercial break.

[Field Yates]

Big show today, huh? Big show. Must draft, running backs.

[Mike Clay]

Must news.

[Field Yates]

We have some news that we're going to dive into, including kind of a reset after what we heard yesterday during the mock draft about Rasheed Rice. I like to think about it and get some fresh perspective from Mike as well. But I'm with you guys. I'm pumped. I can't believe that football is now 20 days away. I know, I know.

[Mike Clay]

That's wild. I was listening to the show yesterday, but I started it a little late, so I was behind. And you guys were talking about Rasheed Rice, but I had already seen the news.

[Field Yates]

Right.

[Mike Clay]

And then you were like, well, he might miss a few games to open the season. And I was like, I doesn't know what he's talking about. Trust him.

[Field Yates]

Like, he doesn't know that long to realize that.

[Mike Clay]

What kind of insider. See, he doesn't even know.

[Field Yates]

Not an insider.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, no, it's coming 20 minutes from now.

[Field Yates]

I'm an outsider. That's fantasy football tape.

[Mike Clay]

But it was fun to watch a live because I saw you on the phone and they were talking about something else and you just couldn't wait. And then. And you knew Daniel Kept talking and talking and talking. And you were sitting there with their phone and then he asked you a question. You were like, yeah, yeah, that's fine. But we have some breaking news.

[Field Yates]

Like, I know our first breaking news of the season during the show. It really was, you know, shefty's good for probably, you know, a dozen to 15 stories like that throughout the course of the year. So we got one checked off and many more to go. But yeah, before we do, must draft.

[Daniel Dopp]

How many. How many days away did you say we are from football season?

[Field Yates]

20 from the Eagles and Cowboys.

[Daniel Dopp]

20 from the Eagles and Cowboys. That means that you guys also need to be ready for everything with your draft season. And I want to give a quick shout out to our friends over at trophy Smack because they set us up every single year. They have some of the best stuff to be able to give out to your league mates, whether it's good prizes or bad prizes.

[Field Yates]

Bad prizes is a bad thing to have in your league. That's my hot take.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yes. But they offer you everything. Trophy Smack is absolutely unbelievable. Super excited to be able to do this again with them this year. Head on over to trophy smack.com and use the promo code FOCUS10 for 10% off of your order over there.

[Mike Clay]

And we're not just saying that. I actually have the sticker. Their sticker draft board ready to go for next week, next weekend for. Or actually Sunday for my neighborhood draft.

[Field Yates]

So Nice.

[Mike Clay]

Ready to go. Yeah. Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

We got a draft board coming into the studio as well, Mike. So it's going to be a ton of fun being able to do that. Yeah. You're not. They. I guess maybe you thought you were special, but those, they give those draft boards to basically anyone.

[Field Yates]

See, they actually sent me a trophy because I won. I won the league. The leagues last year, so they gave me a trophy.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah. You walked in with like four belts during the marathon. I feel like most of those were trophy smack belts as it was.

[Mike Clay]

One of them was one that they. Okay, yeah.

[Field Yates]

Here's a courtesy belt.

[Mike Clay]

Some were earned. One was Red zone.

[Daniel Dopp]

One was Red Zone.

[Mike Clay]

An old flex league. Jake Shout Outs Jake Seeley. One was our friends at Rotowire who we love. Yeah. From them. And then one was Trophy Smack. Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

You know who else we love other than Trophy smack is our friends over at Baja Mar. Yeah.

[Field Yates]

Nice segue.

[Daniel Dopp]

ESPN Fantasy Football Ultimate Draft Weekend is back for year two. From August 21st through the 24th in the Bahamas. Enjoy an oceanfront stay at the luxurious Bahamar Resort and exclusive events like our One of a kind beach combine. Mingle with celebrity guests and NFL players throughout the weekend, including Todd Gurley, Golden Tate, and Kyle Rudolph. Then get insights from your favorite ESPN fantasy football experts before you draft your squad at our epic live draft party. It's going to be a ton of fun. We cannot wait to be able to do that.

[Field Yates]

So go check your last chance to buy, right? I mean, probably is like five days away. Yeah. Hopeful. See many of you there. I have heard some very encouraging numbers. We are way up compared to last year. So if you want to come party, do so with all of us. Plus Fanya, Liz and Laura Rutledge will be there. As you mentioned, the NFL alumni we've got, you know, and there's always a few surprises there. And the incredible staff of the Baja Mar and the BDG group, which does an absolutely top flight job of. So, yeah, we are great people.

[Daniel Dopp]

Love all those guys. All right, we got a little bit of news that we are going to dive into an opening drive, I guess you could say. We got two pieces of news. You already mentioned the Rishi Rice. We'll talk about that in just a minute. But I want to start with the Quinshon Judkin news.

[Field Yates]

Yeah, let's.

[Daniel Dopp]

Obviously, really serious situation has been announced that he will not be facing charges from a situation that stemmed earlier this offseason. Very serious. Something that we don't want to make light of. However, we are a fantasy football podcast. We want to try and compartmentalize a little bit of conversation. Now that we know he's going to be playing football, we got to kind of take a dive into what his fantasy value may be. So when you heard this news field, like, was there anything particular that came to your head where you're like, like it. You know, we still have a lot of uncertainty right now. He's still not with the team.

[Mike Clay]

Right.

[Field Yates]

So the NFL is going to review the incident because they do that with every legal matter. Okay. He has not yet signed his rookie contract. He is the only member of the 2025 draft class to not sign his deal. I'm assuming that'll be done in a matter of days. Probably. If not today, maybe by the time this podcast is up. For those that are listening to it, Quinn, Sean Judkins may be under contract. I had no reaction because I had no idea where this was going to go. Yeah, right. This happened just what really days or weeks before training camp. And it's something that, you know, we were just following along with the news reports, didn't have A lot of information ourselves on it. Let's just dive into the pro player profile here. We can talk about the situation and then we can try to give our best assessment of the fantasy value. Judkins was the third running back taken in this year's draft class, right? A super deep like potentially historic draft class. He was a third one taken of course in the first round we had Ashton Genty and then Omarion Hampton. But Judkins was the third running back taken just ahead of his college teammate for one year, Travion Henderson. Judkins began his college career at Ole Miss, played there for a couple of seasons, went to Ohio State. At Ohio State in this Chip Kelly offense they basically last year were like neither one of you will be overtaxed. Think of it like remember when Zeke and Tony Pollard were super dynamic in the same year where it was like Zeke did all the between the tackles dirty work and then Tony Pollard get to bounce him outside running opportunities and some of the receiving work. Judkins was like what Zeke was doing that at that time for the Dallas Cowboys. Really good between the tackles, runner, super powerful third and one third and goal. Like he's the guy that's going to get the ball. He's got passing game like legit passing game skill set though like he is a very, very well rounded running back. He showed that at Ole Miss. He had back to back 14 touchdown seasons. I say all this high pedigree prospect and the Browns backfield absent Quincean Judkins, pretty thin, right? Like you'd been identifying Jerome Ford as a nice late round sleeper but just.

[Mike Clay]

For like early season value which I stand by for the moment.

[Field Yates]

Jerome Ford is not a big bar for Quinte John Judgins to clear. So on paper Mike, this would seem to be a very talented player going to a situation where he's got a legit pathway to playing time. The next question is how much value is there in that playing time and what could be a very bad offense.

[Mike Clay]

I'm with you. He was my favorite value at running back throughout. You know, up until this situation that escalated obviously we moved him way down the rankings and now he's missed a lot of off season as well. So even if he signs today and get gets back at camp, it's going to, there's going to be a little bit of a ramp up for him. I do, I have him ranked. Put it this way, I've already adjusted everything. The projections have changed, the rankings have changed within the game, the profiles have changed, you name it, he's lower than he was before this happened. And the reason is I think that he will at some point and it might be week four, might be week six. I think he'll take over clear leadership of that backfield. That's why you spend a second round pick on a running back. But I think it's going to be a slow start and I think we have to consider that here as well. I fully expect Jerome Ford to get the start in week one and maybe get 15 carries and three or four targets and Judkins maybe gets a couple touches or is a healthy scratch. Who knows. So I have him ranked. I think he's like perfect world. He's maybe the first guy on your bench, you know, like your starters are filled and then you're. He's in that kind of Caleb Johnson sort of territory where probably going to be a slow start. You're not going to want him in your lineup week one, but maybe a few weeks in he starts to ramp up and becomes a fantasy starter. So without question, I think he'll be an RB2 at some point this season, but it's going to take a little time. So for now he's in that Caleb Johnson, Joe Mixon sort of J.K. dobbins sort of territory of it's a little bit of a lottery ticket at the position. But unlike a lot of those guys I just mentioned, I think there's a. A pretty high ceiling once he gets going.

[Field Yates]

Can I give you a random comp?

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

And this is not going to inspire confidence. So just hear me out as I work my way through it. Bad offenses can still lead to like useful fantasy running backs. Remember when there were like some good moments from a Mondre Stevenson last year where it's like this offense is bad but he's carrying the ball like 20 times. It might have like three or four targets in a game.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

It wasn't like Ramon Dre ended up being like this, this difference maker in fantasy. As a matter of fact, he was rather disappointing for the most part last year. But I could see on a bad Cleveland offense you're like Judkins is getting 18 carries and four targets a game. He's a more talented player than Ramondre is like that. I just, I'm using that from last year only to remind people that just because it's a bad offense, it doesn't mean that you are guaranteed to be walking into a stuck in the mud situation for fantasy.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

Mike, what did you say that you had. You moved him in the rankings. You had him Originally we were way down the rankings in the like wider running back, you know, 30 to 40 range. Whereas he moved. Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

Close to the 20 range now closer to the 30 range right now because we have to, we have to account for the fact that it's probably going to be a slow start and it might be a while. We don't, we don't know for sure. I mean he literally is still not signed. He is not practiced with the team. So it's going to end the season is how many days away?

[Daniel Dopp]

20 days away.

[Mike Clay]

20 days away. So we're getting close.

[Field Yates]

That makes you know like 23 from the first Sunday of the season but basically three weeks for Quinn shot Judkins to get.

[Daniel Dopp]

And you had already, you kind of said this when field was, was, you know, setting the table for us. But you still are buying Jerome Ford as a potential early, early season guy. But his draft value has got to take a little bit especially.

[Mike Clay]

Sure.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

I think especially like 10 team leagues not as appealing because even that if you're in a 10 team league, you probably don't know five anyway. But in a 12 team league, yeah, you might say, all right, I can get Drum for now even cheaper now he's going to go, he's going to go back to being a late pick and you might be able to start him in your flex in the 12 team league for a couple of weeks.

[Field Yates]

And he could be the first player you cut from your roster last season just fine.

[Mike Clay]

No doubt about it.

[Field Yates]

Yeah. Yep. Other piece of news, Daniel, that you and I got to yesterday on the show, but we want to sort of get Mike's kind of want to.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah. Toss it over to Mike.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

Found out that Rashi. Sorry, Rasheed Rice.

[Field Yates]

We have to decide on that. We're in agreement. Rasheed, right.

[Mike Clay]

Rashee, I think. Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right. Another. Another quarter into the Bajan. Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

You got me the other day like you were saying. And then I was like. Then I said, then you said it now. Now I don't know what, what I'm saying.

[Field Yates]

Patrick Mahomes like stop it, stop it.

[Daniel Dopp]

Rasheed Rice, obviously we found out he is going to be able to play sounds like the first four weeks of the season because his hearing will not happen until September 30th.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

So he's guaranteed to play the, guaranteed.

[Daniel Dopp]

To play the first four games of the season. We are expecting a six game suspension. So that would mean weeks five, six, seven, eight, nine and then their buy is actually in week 10.

[Field Yates]

And I flubbed on yesterday, I was saying 12, not 10, which there's a, I think there's like actual, there's, that makes a legitimate difference. I think it only makes things worse in this case.

[Daniel Dopp]

So then would he also miss week 11 because it's a game suspension, not games, not weeks.

[Field Yates]

So, yeah, we've been using 6 as the baseline, Mike, but certainly you can offer whatever insight you may have about potential other length. But we think six is, you know, probably right, give or take a game.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I would say in that vicinity. I talked to Drew Davenport, who does a great job on, on social media as an attorney and, and has a good track record with estimating the length of suspensions. And he, you know, he qualified this by saying that this is a very complicated situation, a very hard one to predict, but his best guess is the 4 to 5 range, but certainly understands it could be as high as 6 for sure. So I projected it when I updated everything yesterday. I put it at 4 after talking to him, but then I think he was leaning a little bit more toward the 5 range. And yeah, I mean, it makes him, it makes them tricky to, I, I feel like 4 versus 6 is somewhat, is kind of substantial to me. I mean, that's the difference between like this season, four games, I have him ranked 23rd. If it's six, maybe it's 33. You know, like you're, then you start to get down to the odin and Tet McMillan territory. But if it's only four, and if it's four, he comes back before the buy. I, you know, I, I, I think that matters. So for now, I have him at 23. Maybe I'll put them down like a couple spots lower. But, you know, it is what it is. I mean, that's, that's going to be tough to lose him for five games in the middle of the season.

[Field Yates]

Couple more reasons that we did not dive into that I think are worth stating now about why the potential midseason suspension is precipitously worse than in the beginning of the season's suspension is one bye week starting week five.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, right.

[Field Yates]

So if you have Rasheed Rice and you lose him to suspension starting in week five, and I don't know who has the week five buys, but if it's the whatever, if it's the Jaguars and you also have Brian Thomas Jr. Well, then all of a sudden you're down two starting wide receivers, whereas weeks one to four, you're not going to have a player on a buy on top of that. As the season rolls on, you know what happens? Guys get Injured. So like you are already going to be naturally thinner as we get to the middle of the year. You're one injury away from being compromised. So it's bad to have this potentially in the middle of the season as opposed to potentially at the beginning of the season on top of that. And I was getting into this yesterday, Mike, is just, you have at the beginning of the year more of a leash. Hey, if you start oh and two, you're not dead in the woods. Right. You might end up finding a way to get to two and two and the next thing you know, you win five straight games. If Rasheed Rice gets suspended week five and you're one in three without and you had Rasheed Rice on your roster and you're trying to then trade away Rashid Rice, who's going to miss potentially five or four or five games. Like your, your leverage is so low. Yes. So no matter what, no matter how you spend it, I think having a potential suspension in the middle of the year versus the beginning of the year is bad, bad, bad. I'm going to probably net out somewhere in between what you decided. You said wide receiver 23 to wide receiver 33. He'll probably be a little bit behind wide receiver 25.

[Mike Clay]

For me, I think that's fair. And the one thing I want to point out too is that we're kind of operating with the assumption that he's going to be like a Fringe Wide Receiver 1 When he comes back. You know, he's done that for nine games in the NFL and he's been out for quite a while. We don't know that for sure. What if he comes back and they are. Travis Kelsey gets going and the offense isn't as good as we thought. And Hollywood Brown really does have a, a role here. And Xavier Worthy, he's first round pick, they're going to keep featuring him like they did last year and suddenly oh and Taekwond Thornton's gonna get three targets a game and scored some touchdowns. Like I mean he's getting. I, I mean I've moved him into the projections. Cause he's gonna make that team most likely.

[Field Yates]

You know, James gonna have a role.

[Mike Clay]

What if for she rakes as a wide receiver three this season when he comes back, then you're spending wide receiver two capital on a guy that's a wide receiver three and being suspended for like four to six games, you know. So I think you, you have to consider that all of all of these variables when, when determining where to draft him. And that's why I Said if it is six games, like, I mean, would anybody, would anyone be shocked if Tedro McMillan is wide receiver 9 this year? Of course not. I mean, he was an early surprise.

[Field Yates]

Not shocked. Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

I mean, Brian Thomas was third last year in Jacksonville. I mean, McMillan was drafted there to be a superstar. And there's a.

[Field Yates]

Certainly plenty of that idea.

[Mike Clay]

Plenty of plenty of rookie wide receivers. I mean, we've. You've made this argument for Travis Hunter. It applies to Millen too. Yeah, the guy's a, and you know, a five star prospect, if you will, at wide receiver.

[Field Yates]

Good call.

[Mike Clay]

You know, so. And he's going in the, you know, sixth round. I have him 33rd of my ranks. I mean, you can make the case for him easily over Rice and he's not facing suspension.

[Field Yates]

Last thing for me is we've given you some of the words of caution on Rashi Rice. Kind of the downside scenario.

[Mike Clay]

Right.

[Field Yates]

Which is A, he gets to spend it, which isn't a guarantee, but it certainly seems likely. B, that it's like six games where there's also a scenario where he gets suspended and it's three games which would not be as punitive. On top of that, the other side of this is, hey, like if you are somebody that drafts Rashee Rice, you have him for the first four weeks and you start four. No. And you hold the tide until he comes back. That's a massive, massive upside play compared to pretty much any other wide receiver that you're going to be drafting right there based off what we know of those players. So he is a super duper high upside pick just with massive, massive risk because there's a chance that you miss him for the bulk of the impactful part of the fantasy regulars.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah. The meat of the regular fantasy season. As we find out more information, if we do get more before the September 30th timeline, we will give you guys an update. Sounds like the NFL, I think that's going to be. They got a lot of stuff going on there. They got to figure out.

[Field Yates]

I think we're kind of until September 30th. We're going to be in the hurry up and wait mode on Rasheed Rice and we're going to just expect that something takes place.

[Daniel Dopp]

Get ready to be fluid with your roster, man.

[Field Yates]

I know. I said like we don't know like it's. The chances of him not being suspended are like 1%. Like he, this like he was charged with something, pled guilty. Like this is all like right out of the playbook of like you're going to get suspended. It's just a matter of how long.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, and we, we feel pretty confident. When you draft him, you should expect four to six games.

[Field Yates]

Say that with the fair way of describing it.

[Daniel Dopp]

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[Field Yates]

That'S.

[Daniel Dopp]

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[Field Yates]

Ish.

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[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

In 2025.

[Field Yates]

So once again we did it. We all submitted names blindly. We don't know who each other picked. It's possible that we had some crossovers, but we submitted five and we ended up getting assigned three.

[Daniel Dopp]

Three apiece.

[Mike Clay]

So we like this. We like this segment. We need a name for it.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, we need a. Yeah.

[Field Yates]

Three companies. Third and Blind Mice.

[Mike Clay]

I was just going to say that. I swear. I cannot believe Three Blind Mice when you said we submit them blindly. I was just about to say that's. That could be the name.

[Field Yates]

Three Blind Mice.

[Mike Clay]

That could be the segment name. That's pretty present. I had a couple random suggestions, things to do with the word three number three.

[Daniel Dopp]

Or change it to three blind mics.

[Field Yates]

Yes, even better.

[Mike Clay]

But then what about you guys?

[Daniel Dopp]

Well, we can just.

[Mike Clay]

You guys do it too.

[Daniel Dopp]

We can just change our range.

[Mike Clay]

That's just because I'm the blind one and you.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right, let's dive into these running backs field. I'm going to start with you as we usually do. Give me your first must draft running back at 2025.

[Field Yates]

Okay. So I'm going to read these as they are listed on our rundown. This would not. This is not like my absolute number one pick. As a matter of fact, mine's the last player I talk about is my number one must draft.

[Daniel Dopp]

Are you giving us all of them or are you giving us one right now?

[Field Yates]

Go around a circle here. So number one for me, RJ Harvey, Broncos second round pick out of ucf. Here's the reason why the conceit of this is, I think, important. So everybody knows that RJ Harvey has had the roller coaster ride of his ADP this off season, right? He gets drafted in the second round to a pretty thin backfield. A guy so far so great. Yep, Sean Payton immediately started talking very kindly about him, right? Which he's definitely more prone to that than most head coaches. But the Sean Payton praise didn't hurt. I loved the player coming out of college. I've said this on this show previously, and this was one of the players where I was on a little bit of an island during the pre draft process in terms of how bullish I was on him compared to consensus NFL draft Rankings. So the Broncos saw it comparably to how I did. I thought this was a clear top five running back in this. Awesome. Awesome.

[Mike Clay]

If he stinks, then coming for him. Yeah.

[Field Yates]

Oh God, yeah. Blame me. That's right. Blame me on this and then blame Mike on Jamar Chase. You know I took that one well, huh?

[Mike Clay]

Oh my God. Yeah. I did not expect that. I thought it was just an interesting nugget and I thought I explained through it well, which is to say we still like him a lot and still everyone was like, the problem is you.

[Field Yates]

Gave the Internet too much credit to like actually watch the video.

[Mike Clay]

Well, I just put out an NFL piece today ranking every unit and every team and you can. I immediately muted that conversation. Yeah. Ready for us. Anyway, I'm sorry to interrupt. Good.

[Field Yates]

So RJ Harvey, pedigree player, talented player, goes to a really good spot. Then in like June, The Broncos signed J.K. dobbins, who is a good player. Right. J.K. is just a rocky solid running back. And the ADP for R.J. harvey has dropped. Here's why he's a must draft running back for me is this is relative to where he is going and if, and it's not a guarantee, but if these players were to be the clear cut running back in their own offense. Your gut instinct is which of these guys you think has the highest ceiling factoring in offensive line situation and the player skill set. I'm just going to list five that are being drafted right around the same spot. Tony Pollard, Brian Robinson, Caleb Johnson, Tyrone Tracy, R.J. harvey. If those guys get the job, sort of. I don't, I'm not saying exclusively to themselves but like if this guy steps in and has a clear cut running back one in his own offense role, is there one of those guys that you're like, I think the upside of this player surpasses the rest?

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I think I would agree with Harvey because of the scheme with Sean Payton. I agree with you.

[Field Yates]

Number one offensive line last year in run block and pass win rate was the Denver line. The Denver line, the Denver Detroit Lions. Denver Broncos is who I was trying to say. I would argue. My argument is that like if you told me he was the number one running back in his own offense, I think it's a higher value player than Tony Pollard or Caleb Johnson or Tyrone Tracy or Brian Robinson. Robinson might have the best argument because I do like the player a lot and I think that there is just massive touchdown upside there because Jaden Daniels is that dude. That being said, I just. When you're drafting at these spots and you're thinking about the upside. I'm not saying the downside doesn't exist for RJ Harvey, but I do like the potential value you could get, like, if he becomes the guy. And J.K. dobbins has been a massive injury risk throughout his career. I think he'd feel really good about R.J. harvey.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I wish. I. I almost wish the chatter was kind of the opposite on Dobbins and Harvey, though, where, like, Harvey was getting more passing down work. Because now it's like the past blocking is going to J.K. dobbins, and Harvey's maybe the lead back and early down back. So I want to make sure that he's going to out target J.K. dobbins to be out in the field when they're throwing the football. I still have it. I have their targets close now, but I do have Harvey a little ahead and ahead in carries as well. So I'm fine with this. I mean, I have Harvey at 25. So about where he's going.

[Field Yates]

ADP was what, an endorsement there?

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. I mean, I like him. Yeah. Up next. All right, first on my list is James Connor.

[Field Yates]

All right. On my list.

[Daniel Dopp]

I'm fine with that.

[Mike Clay]

You're fine with that. Okay. Well, you should be ecstatic about it.

[Field Yates]

I'm guessing RJ Harvey.

[Daniel Dopp]

RJ Harvey was not on my list.

[Field Yates]

No, James Connor made my mind.

[Mike Clay]

He did.

[Field Yates]

Yes, he did.

[Mike Clay]

Oh, yeah. I like him a lot. The floor James Conner has given us has been incredible. And I know that he's been knocked for health because he doesn't usually make it through the season, but it hasn't really mattered because when he's played, he's been so good. At least 220 touches, 10, 80 yards, and eight touchdowns in four consecutive seasons. Again, that surprises me. Career highs last year in touches and yards. The receiving floor helps a lot. Three or at least three targets, two catches in 12 straight games to finish last season is the highest catch rate among running backs since he was drafted.

[Field Yates]

83.1%.

[Mike Clay]

83%, that's right. And point one. I didn't round it because I'm not the stack guy here, but of course, field would remember that.

[Daniel Dopp]

So, yeah, smile on your face when you said point one. I don't. I just. I wish everyone could have seen it.

[Mike Clay]

I round down because I'm cool.

[Daniel Dopp]

Is that what it is?

[Field Yates]

They eat and they round decimals like nerds.

[Mike Clay]

I round. I round down anyway, top 20 fantasy running by four years running. Top 15 all four of those seasons. So he has been awesome. I know he's 30 now, which usually I'm out on, but much like Alvin Camaragon in the fourth round last year, I think that he's fallen to a place where I'm comfortable taking him.

[Field Yates]

I mean, really, since he got to the Cardinals, he's been very, very healthy.

[Daniel Dopp]

Unbelievable.

[Field Yates]

Super durable, super consistent. 14.5 carries per game since signing with Arizona. He's awesome. He's just a. And I am not. I think all of us are dubious that it's going to be the Trey Benson and James Conner show. I think this would be James Conner with like more appearances from Trey Benson than last year. But not demonstrable.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

So I wanted to ask a question around that. Do you think that given the fact that a lot of people, when they hear the name James Conner. Right. Just fantasy football's emotional. They hear a guy that, oh, he's probably going to miss a couple games a year.

[Field Yates]

I think the tide's turned on him.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

And based on what you've just described, it feels that way. So my question is, even though we've heard the team talk about Trey Benson, is he someone that you would target in like a 12 team league as a potential like back end insurance running back?

[Field Yates]

Yeah, I would, I would have him.

[Daniel Dopp]

There's enough value there to think about it.

[Field Yates]

I believe in the player I like. I thought I had a late second round grade. He ended up going in the third last year in a bad running back class, but he's legit. Okay. There are some growing pains last year, but the, the buzz about him playing more, I'm not sure I buy but I am putting some stock into like the feeling around the organization that he is more comfortable this season. Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

Maybe like a Tank Bigsby type this year, you know, where he makes a leap in year two as more of a role. But the problem is, whereas Travis ETN had that huge workload and fell off last year, I don't expect that from James. Yeah, yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

With you on that one. All right. My first must draft running back. You guys, you gotta. This is for the brand. You know what I mean? I got to talk about Chase Brown. How can I not talk about Chase Brown?

[Mike Clay]

I'm just surprised you can save him for less. But yeah, okay.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, listen, I feel like his ADP has started to rise a little bit. We've been talking about him here on Fantasy Focus a bunch and so I would like to either take credit or say let's not get too out of control with this because I don't want him to get too high. However, I love Chase Brown. I've been comparing him all off season to Austin Eckler. He is my Austin Eckler light when I watch his game. He became the starter in week nine. I've been saying this for weeks. Once he became the starter, running back two in targets, running back two in catches. He was running back three in goal to go rush attempts and running back four in fantasy points per game. He did everything in that offense once he became the main running back and now he's got Samaj P Ryan and Taj Brooks behind him. Neither one of them give me significant pause. If the team is worried about someone of his stature and body size being able to take a full workload. They didn't really address it with their actions in a major way. So I'm fully back in on Chase Brown. I think he's going to be in a top five offense again like I've been saying. So I have him as my running back nine consensus is running back ten. I'm all in.

[Field Yates]

I think there are probably two things that could make this not look like a great call cause I, I, I largely agree with it. One thing would just be he is a smaller back and like the rigors of a full season for him might hit a little bit different than a Derrick Henry or Bajan or somebody who's got great size two is we need Samaj P. Ryan to not be too much of a thing. But Samaj P. Ryan is like old faithful for this team. Remember like Giovanni Bernard cueing my Stephen Che voice. Giovanni Bernard nailed it. He like he was always the guy that not I guess for the Bengals too but like for the Bucks. Just like quarterbacks always trusted him because he was good in pass pro and like you know did his job on third down situations. There's probably some of that with Samaji Pierre and there's a reason why they brought him back. Yeah but yeah I still think Chase Brown's going to have a massive any.

[Daniel Dopp]

Concerns with Taj Brooks. I mean can you on his oh.

[Field Yates]

Really I liked him. He was he's a he's a sort of a this like wide bodied but like short statured running back out of Texas Tech who just had crazy production just like a pinball human pinball in the backfield like to play not like a super dynamic athlete but a good runner for sure has good, good quickness and like definitely can handle a lot of carries but you know six round pick. Not super concerned there.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right Phil, give Us, your second.

[Field Yates]

One, my next one. And probably not a surprise. We've talked about him a lot recently.

[Mike Clay]

But Trivian Henderson, he's on my list.

[Field Yates]

And he's probably going to end up like, I mean we saw him on the marathon mock draft, go 40th overall.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

So like there's a chance that Henderson, like the value will have jumped the shark on Henderson by the time we get to the heat of draft season. But you know, again, just like this is instant offense for a team that is desperate for playmakers, Trayvon Henderson is exactly what the Patriots need right now. Besides Stefan Diggs, there's no Patriots wide receiver that I'm like absolutely certain will have value in a 10 team league. Because I think there's a chance that like the best weapons in this offense might be one, Stefan Diggs and two, Trevion Henderson. Like Ramondre Stevenson having a role, I've actually come around to this. It's maybe like a good thing for Henderson. Not a huge role, but a role like let him be the thunder to Henderson's lightning. And I don't know, man, I said this, I'm going to use some of the similar logic that I have used with Travis Hunter in Jacksonville where like when you're trying to get your quarterback to reach his peak, you want to make sure you're giving him all the resources around him. This Patriots team wants to see Drake May take a big leap and I've, we all have confidence that can happen. The best way to do that is to give him pieces around Drake May and Henderson is just, he is, he's like, you put him in the microwave and next thing you know it's like 50 yards. Like he is a superb, superb athlete.

[Daniel Dopp]

His ADP over the last seven days at ESPN fantasy has riven 12 spots. So a full round.

[Field Yates]

That's gigantic.

[Daniel Dopp]

Based on what we've seen. Yeah.

[Field Yates]

And continue to go up.

[Daniel Dopp]

And you mentioned this with Roder Stevenson. I'll say this quickly, Mike, and then I'll let you jump in. I don't want to compare everything to Lions, but if you told me that Ramon Ray Stevens can be that guy, kind of like that David Montgomery where it's like I'm going to pound the defense, I'm going to wear them down and then you can let Travan Henderson's skill set be like, all right, now that you guys are tired, I'm going to come in here and you do what I do best. Like that's ideally if we could have Ramon Ray Stevenson in that kind of A role. It'd be perfect for him.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. And this offense could potentially be really good. I mean I'm starting to get some, some feelings like I need to make sure I get more Drake May a little more there. Really could.

[Field Yates]

It could happen.

[Mike Clay]

Like he can make such a big leap this year.

[Daniel Dopp]

Drake May has risen 12.9 spots over the last seven days in ESPN ADP him.

[Field Yates]

He's like stupid talent.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, that's. That's what I mean. And my point being this could be a really good offense. If Drake May's a real deal, they could score a lot of touchdowns and it's going to bet. And Henderson will be a big part of that.

[Field Yates]

So big time Carp before the horse energy here. But like Drake May, I think amongst the young quarterbacks in the NFL has the best chance to develop into like dollar store Josh Allen in the next couple of years.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, right.

[Field Yates]

Like, yeah, just maybe more than that gigantic quarterback. Yeah, that's probably, that's probably not fair enough. Like junior, you know, whatever. Junior Josh Allen. Right. Like gigantic cannon of an arm. Has some like serious, like there's a. And this is sometimes for Josh early in his career it was. Wasn't the best thing. And I think for, for Drake it's maybe we're maybe going through that phase too big time. Like make something happen energy on the field sometimes. Right. Like there was in that. That preseason game. Like Drake May could have just taken a sack, which sometimes sacks are good for quarterbacks. And instead he tried to like throw the ball to the sideline and just like the ball fell out of his hand. But that can be good for fantasy eventually. Right. Like some of those YOLO plays that turn into big scrambles for the quarterback.

[Daniel Dopp]

Didn't you tell me that? Am I making this up or was Drake May the quarterback that had zero designed rushes last year?

[Field Yates]

Yeah, coaching negligence really got in the way of Drake May.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, we should definitely see an elevation of that.

[Field Yates]

Yeah. Yeah. That's my pick. How about you?

[Mike Clay]

I like it. My pick is Jaden Blue. I've talked about quite a bit.

[Field Yates]

Was not on my list.

[Mike Clay]

Got to take that. Got to take that late flyer on Jaden Blue. You know, we look at these backfields that are essential can go either direction. A starter that doesn't really move the needle. I, you know, I compared him during the marathon to, you know, could he be this year's Tyrone Tracy Jr. Tracy was a fifth rounder last year. We looked at that depth chart and said there's a opportunity here. Devin Singletary is the Lead back. Perhaps he can, you know, show his skills as a young player and take control. And he did exactly that same thing in Dallas. Javante Williams. It's been a couple of years now of inefficiency. Miles Sanders lost his job to Chuba Hubbard in Carolina, was cut loose. Now he's on Dallas. Jayden Blue, at some point should get an opportunity, at least some touches to show what he can do. And if he's the most explosive back, I think he could take control. This is a guy that was a very effective rusher, which I think kind of flies under the radar for him. 5th best yards after contact in this class during his collegiate tenure. And as you know, this is a terrific running back class. 42 catches last season, which is a high number for a running back in one season. Ran a 4, 3 8. He's a little undersized and had some fumble issues. But again, I've talked about this before. £196. These days where you're utilizing multiple backs, it's not as big of a deal. You can still do. You get 15 touches, be efficient and be a fantasy starter.

[Daniel Dopp]

So thank you for saying 196 pounds is not that big of a deal. That makes me feel a lot better about myself. I appreciate it.

[Mike Clay]

Our dad bought me exactly, you know, for a podcaster, but big dude for a podcast. Yeah, that's exactly right.

[Field Yates]

Bold take. Hot take here. Based off of my evaluation of Jaden Blue in the draft, he. I feel like the range for him is actually like, there's not that many things I think can happen when Jaden Blue this year. I think he's either a league winner or it's like a healthy scratch for the Cowboys a lot of weeks. Because you're right. Like, your eval was money. No surprise there. Mike does a ton of great work on the draft, too. He is. He glides in the open field. The first time I watched Jaden Blue, this is going to sound bombastic, but the first time I watched him, he reminded me of Alvin Camara. He is just sick with the ball in his hands and he's one of those guys that, like, he's moving fast but doesn't look like he is efforting that much. Camara had an opening kickoff return his rookie season against the Buccaneers. And you're just watching him and you're like, dude, start running. And then you're like, wait, why is he getting further and further away from the coverage team? He's like 20 yards ahead of everybody else. Jada Blue has some of that to his game. He's a great pass catcher. You met. You mentioned the reason he went in the fifth round. Is there like real reliability question marks here, both as ball security. That's a problem. And then just like are you going to know exactly where you're going to be and what you got to do on every single play? Brian Schottenhaber talked about this recently, by the way. He was like not going to lie. It was a bit of a slow start for Jaden to get up to speed on some of the details and he said he's come a long way in a short period of time since then. But that's why I think that the range is either he's the cowboy starting running back and he's awesome or Javante Williams is getting you three yards and a cloud of dust. But at least he's doing the right thing every single play. And so I love that. I think the pick's great though. I mean what you're getting him in what the.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, 12, 13, 14th. Yeah, he's been at range. So yeah, late deck. Yeah. It could be a.

[Daniel Dopp]

This is starter seems like an obvious thing to say field. But like, don't most of the like rookies in the NFL go through the thing that Brian Schottenheimer just said? Like the idea we've gotten so enamored with these guys that can just come in and do it right away. But the truth is most of these guys, like it still takes a minute. You're rookies in the NFL for a reason.

[Field Yates]

It makes you appreciate some of the guys that don't go through that.

[Daniel Dopp]

Right.

[Field Yates]

I mean Daniels, anomaly, Brock Bowers, anomaly. Even guys that don't have like crazy super productive rookie seasons, they just have like solid seasons fit into that category. But yeah, I mean this is like there are some growing pains. Like I mentioned a couple days ago when Mike was on the show, like, I think Luther Burden is going to have some growing pains.

[Daniel Dopp]

Right.

[Field Yates]

Like I've been reading about a lama day is a case. I was just going to say, you know why? Because you know who's more talented, you know who's going to do the right thing on every single play.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yep.

[Field Yates]

Who's your next pick, Daniel?

[Daniel Dopp]

Well, speaking of the Chicago Bears, I'm going to go with DeAndre Swift.

[Mike Clay]

I like him. I believe he was on my list.

[Daniel Dopp]

My running back 21. He is a consensus running back 20. Did you know that he has finished as a top 20 running back in total fantasy points for five straight seasons?

[Field Yates]

I have a take on this.

[Daniel Dopp]

Okay. Bring it.

[Field Yates]

Don't you feel like with DeAndre Swift, like, the concept of him has always been this guy who could just be ridiculously elite. And we saw that one year with Philly where he was top five in the NFL and rushing. And so it makes you feel like a little cold when at the end of the year you're like, DeAndre, like he never wins you the championship level.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Field Yates]

But he actually has carried more value than people have given him credit for. I think it's because there are a lot of expectations.

[Daniel Dopp]

We've seen his skill set utilized in so many different ways, as when he was with the Detroit Lions his second year in the season. He had 62 receptions for almost 500 yards. And so we watched him be this unbelievable pass catching back with Detroit. And then you watched him go to the Eagles. Right. Eagles have an incredible offensive line. You watched him be a really good running back as just a rusher.

[Field Yates]

Right.

[Daniel Dopp]

He did much better there than he did as a pass catcher. Obviously, the Eagles don't throw the ball a lot, so it's like I've seen him do well in all of these different skill sets. Now the question is that he has Ben Johnson as his head coach and offensive coordinator. Does it feel like he's going to be able to be that guy or the play caller? I shouldn't say, O.C. is he going to be able to be that guy that finally all gets put together? Right. I think that when I look at DeAndre Swift with where he's being drafted, he's been a top 20. And on a per game basis, I think his lowest season was running back 23. Right. Now you're getting around running back 21.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

So I think you're basically getting him at a fairly safe floor. But if you said to me that there was upside that you were banking on in this offense, this would be one of the years where I would bank on that upside for DeAndre Swift. It is not definitely like a guarantee where you're going to get that production, but there's a lot of things that are all in line that if they work out, we could finally see the culmination of Swift's entire game coming together.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

You mentioned he was top 20 last year and he only scored six touchdowns. I mean, he played in every game. He was 10th in carries, 14th in target. So doing it as a rusher and a pass catcher, to your point that he can do both of Those things, but 3.8 yards per carry, that was actually a career low. So that can go up especially if the offense is better and Caleb Williams second season with Ben Johnson there and you would expect the touchdown total to go up as well which is how I have it projected. And by the way he entered the league Young. He's 26 so he's not, you know, we're not talking about another like 30 year old running back here. He probably has a couple good years left and I don't know if you just mentioned this. I apologize if I just spaced on that part. I was thinking about numbers or something but not much competition for coaches there.

[Daniel Dopp]

With no, I have it written down but I didn't, I didn't think you.

[Mike Clay]

Said it so I didn't hear him in guy I Nope, nope, I didn't hear that word so.

[Daniel Dopp]

And I do want to say this too like the first three years of his career he, I don't want to say he got known as like getting hurt or being injury prone but he definitely missed a handful of games with the Lions the last two years played 16 games with the Eagles and 17 games with the Bears.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

So it feels like he's been on the field more. Roshan Johnson doesn't really move the needle for me. Should Kyle Manangai move the needle more for me?

[Field Yates]

I think the Kyle Manungai would be one of those rookies that we were talking about who like does exactly what you expect him to do. I'm not sure there's going to be like a statistical profile that matters this year but like he's kind of an RB coach, a running backs coach's dream. Has zero fumbles in college, steady and pass pro. If he's supposed to run through the B gap, he runs to the B gap. He's not worried about like trying to turn like what could be a two yard gain into a 50 yard gain. He's like I will take a four yard gain. So he's going to be.

[Daniel Dopp]

Coaches love that.

[Field Yates]

And by the way, who is the Bears running backs coach now? Eric B. Enemy. Eric B. Enemy is absolutely enamored with the details in a good way. Right. Like he wants the absolute best out of his running backs in every single snap. If you don't hold up your end of the bargain you're going to hear from Eric B. Enemy. So I do think it's important know that Manangai may have a role but I don't think it's going to be like a prolific role that has fantasy value. Absent DeAndre Swift can hurt.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right Phil, give us your third one.

[Field Yates]

Last one for me is Bucky Irving. Bucky Irving, who, Of course, you're going to have to get him round two at probably maybe the latest.

[Daniel Dopp]

Truthfully, near my Chase Brown pick.

[Field Yates]

Yep. So There were just three players in the entire NFL last year who had at least 100 rushing attempts while averaging five or more yards per carry and 30 or more receptions while averaging eight plus yards per catch. Those three players, by the way, happen to have over 200 carries each, but they were Bucky Irving, Saquon Barkley, and Jamer Gibbs. So excellent company for Bucky Irving to keep. This is a guy who is just. He's a big play waiting to happen, right. Both as a runner and as a receiver. He had 47 catches last year. This offense is going to be explosive once again. The defense will be better, but I still think the offense is going to have to play in a decent number of shootouts this upcoming year. Plus, you get six games in a division where no defense scares me.

[Daniel Dopp]

Correct.

[Field Yates]

Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans do not scare me one bit defensively. To the point that, like, it's just like, there are some tough roads to hoe in other divisions. Yeah, right. Like, Lions have a pretty tough schedule in that division. There are some games where you're just like, damn, like, really, like, imagine like, if Baltimore puts it together defensively this year. Cleveland has lots of defensive talent. Like, Joe Burrow's gonna have six tough games a year in his own division. Right. And I'm not, not downgrading Joe. I'm just saying, like, you know, there are times during the season where we're sitting there and you're like, oh, how did, like, Joe Burrow, like, come in at, like, wide a quarterback nine this week? And it's like, oh, he draws the Steelers, who are awesome defensively and have given him fits in the past. So anyways, I just love the player. The common theme for my three picks is young guys, all guys going into either the rookie or second seasons here. Big, big fan of Bucky Irvin. I think the passing game role could expand a little bit this year. Rashad White will play, but this is another one where, like, having the presence of a second back is actually a good thing for the player because it takes a little bit of the load off of Bucky that keeps him fresher throughout the course of the year. He's also a tough son of a gun. This guy played through a back injury late last season, did Bucky Irving. And like, I remember it'd be like, Wednesday practice, nothing. Thursday practice, nothing. Friday practice. Like, he would take one rep and then Sunday he'd ball out for like 100 yards and a touchdown. So I'm a big fan.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I like it. I think Mike of the past might have been like, he's 192 pounds. But something, you know, we have to evolve our analysis and the, you know, the game keeps changing and we've seen exceptions, you know, sometimes there are exceptions to the role. Devon Hin was one last year. But you know, in the past we've had Chris Johnson, Austin Eckler, Ray Rice, Warwick Dunn, Jamal Charles, Philip Lindsay, Steve Slayton, Ahmad Bradshaw. Like some of you.

[Daniel Dopp]

Lindsay.

[Mike Clay]

Right. Like some of these guys can, can get away with being a little under £200 and be fantasy relevant for a long period of time because they are exceptions to the rule. And once they're established, they seem to, to hang on and get it, get it done. By the way, I, I wanted to roll back cause I couldn't remember who said it and I wanted to look it up. But you were talking about like, what was, what did you just say about like you'll get, you'll get three yards. If you want three yards, you'll get three.

[Daniel Dopp]

You were talking about Kyle Manga.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, it was Leroy Horde. Remember that quote he said he was a short yardage back. He said, if you need one yard, I'll get you three yards. If you need five yards, I'll get you three. One of my favorite all time NFL quotes. Oh man, three yards every time. That's all you get.

[Field Yates]

That reminds me of one of the greatest stat lines of all time. Didn't like Jerome Bettis. Six carries for like negative one yards and three touchdowns.

[Mike Clay]

Three touchdowns.

[Field Yates]

Yeah.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I love those stats. They're my favorite.

[Field Yates]

All right.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right, Mike, give us one more.

[Field Yates]

For each one of you guys.

[Mike Clay]

Last one for me it is Tyrone Tracy Jr. Favorite value targets all off season long. His ADP probably going up a little bit because Cam Scatter is injured right now. But I think he had a good chance to be the 1A at the very minimum all off season long. We saw 11 full games last year. He, he took lead back duties in week five, but then played 11 games with Devin Singletary playing somewhat of a role. Played 67% of the snapshot, 13.2 carries and three and a half targets per game. Got to 65 yards in nine of those 11 games. Was RB23, which wasn't great fantasy wise. I mean you're talking about an RB2, a fringe RB2, but I mean that offense was really bad last year and we expect it to be better this year with, with the ability to run more. I think the defense is actually a top 10 defense on paper and obviously a better quarterback play with Russell Wilson or Jackson Dart under center. So yeah, I like, I like Tracy. Where he's going in drafts is appealing. You know, seventh round or so. Could be a weekly starter. Yeah. Like them?

[Daniel Dopp]

I like them based on the adp with where you're getting because you're not having to spend an early round pick on them. Right. Like that's, that's where a lot of the value comes in. I like that as well.

[Mike Clay]

All right, be a RB2 this year.

[Daniel Dopp]

I got another guy that's a little bit lower on down the list. I need you to hear me out here. But I would have Jordan Mason as my third running back. My running back 34, consensus running back 40 came out super strong to start the season last year it was RB4 30 through the first four weeks of the season. Then he banged up his shoulder in week six and then his shoulder got rebanged up again in week eight and then he ended up missing the rest of the season in once week 13 came around and he ended up being put on IR with a high ankle sprain. He's a hammer though. He's 511, 233. I think that in this offense, especially with what you saw Aaron Jones do last year, most carries of his career, most goal line carries of his career, I think a lot of that is going to go to Jordan Mason. I do want to say this. He's not going to be a pass catcher. Right. Like that's Aaron Jones role in this offense and we know that. I think that if I'm being honest, he's probably a touchdown dependent RB3 or flex play for you during bye weeks when you're needing to be able to feel someone in your lineup. Hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on. But I also believe he's one of the better insurance running backs in the NFL because if anything happens to Aaron Jones, I believe he will be ranked as a top 20 back, top 20 running back with ease in this Kevin O' Connell offense. So I think I'm being more realistic than I am optimistic. But the point is with where you're getting him, I do believe there will be some seasons where he will or some seasons, some weeks in which he will get the start this year. So he is one of those insurance backs that I just like targeting later on in drafts. But I don't want him. I'm not trying to. I think Liz had said maybe top 20. I don't want to go that far. I just like him as one of my favorite insurance backs in the NFL.

[Field Yates]

Question for you. You mentioned how you think they're going to be some weeks where he has value. Are those going to be weeks that we anticipated or you think, you think this is more of like, Aaron Jones is healthy, good to go, but you know, third drive, Jordan Mason rips off a big run and Kevin o' Connell is like, keep that guy in.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's a great question.

[Field Yates]

Okay. The way that you respond to that makes me think it's more along the lines of like, we don't. We're not going to really know.

[Daniel Dopp]

I'm not going to know. But I think I would bank on the idea that there will probably be a week or two where I feel like Jordan Mason gets the start the same way that I feel like Zach Charbonnet. Every year gets like one or two weeks, whereas, you know, Ken Walker is going to miss a game or two. Like there's a reason though why I'm talking about him as like a late round guy, not someone you're investing in. Early round draft.

[Mike Clay]

I don't know. I want to like him, but I feel like he has roadblocks to being even a good insurance back. And the, and the two main things are lack of receiving, even if he starts. Is Ty Chandler out there in passing situations?

[Daniel Dopp]

Do they, let's hope not.

[Mike Clay]

Claim. Do they trade a conditional seventh for Devin Singletary? Like they address that position, you know, add another back to that backfield. And the other thing is this offense, like I've talked about this Kevin O', Connell, three straight years, they've scored 80% of their touchdowns through the air. Yeah. I mean, that's why Aaron Jones didn't even score that many touchdowns last year. Like, is there going to be room for Jordan Mason even if he gets goal line work? Does he score five touchdowns this year? And as he has 14 career catches and he's 26 years old, like I don't know that he's going to make up for with receiving. So I, I actually would disagree with you that he's a top insurance back. I think if you were to erase all the elite, the number one backs and rank everyone else, I think you're gonna end up with him like maybe 15th or something because he's a good rusher. He's an effective rusher, albeit on 250 career touches.

[Daniel Dopp]

But worried about touchdown opportunities.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, touchdown opportunity and receiving. I think could be detriments to him. So I'm not, I'm not. I just feel like the ceiling for him is not there compared to these other running back flyers like Algier and even Jalen Wright and Braylon Allen and like, like Drake, Benson, Charbonnet, like I think all those guys would be ahead of him.

[Daniel Dopp]

I appreciate this positive discourse, Mike. I appreciate that.

[Mike Clay]

I'm being nice about it.

[Daniel Dopp]

I know you are.

[Field Yates]

He thinks the answer was fine.

[Daniel Dopp]

Yeah, the answer, you know what was fine?

[Mike Clay]

Where he's being drafted is fine.

[Daniel Dopp]

He doesn't even want to say fine.

[Mike Clay]

Well, you look at the other guys I just listed, they're all going after him. Like you could take Algier and Wright like four rounds later than where Mason's gone. I just think, I don't know, maybe if your argument is like, I think it's Aaron Jones at 30, I think he lost it. He's going to lose work this year. He's going to miss time. So that's why I want Mason, because then if that, if that's it, if it's a fade Aaron Jones argument, then fine, that's a different conversation.

[Daniel Dopp]

I don't mind fading Aaron Jones, but I, I don't feel like, I don't feel comfortable taking to the step where I say I think a guy is going to miss games because he's just going to get injured. I don't feel like I can prognostic.

[Mike Clay]

You can, you can apply that to.

[Daniel Dopp]

Basically anyone in the NFL, right? Every running back. So I would love to know in chat, do you guys have a must draft running back in our YouTube chat that you want to be able to grab so far this year? Throw in the chat. We would love to know who you guys want to be able to grab. All right, we're going to switch over to field ESPN Fantasy football is more.

[Field Yates]

Than just a game.

[Daniel Dopp]

It's thousands of stories in the making.

[Field Yates]

Like that one league that hasn't missed a draft since the 20th century. Or the one that decides their draft order by competing in a legit athletic combine.

[Daniel Dopp]

Or the league where if you come.

[Field Yates]

In last, you have to sit in a closet and assemble a 300 piece puzzle in the dark. Yeah, that stuff really actually happened. The football may be fantasy, but the stories are 100% real. So download the ESPN fantasy app, sign up and start your story today. Insights with IBM WatsonX.

[Daniel Dopp]

This isn't just another ESPN fantasy football season.

[Field Yates]

It's your shot at greatness. With a refreshed design.

[Daniel Dopp]

The ESPN Fantasy app is sharper than ever.

[Field Yates]

So you can draft like a pro and dominate your league. And introducing Gridiron Gauntlet, a new game.

[Daniel Dopp]

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[Field Yates]

Crowned the number one fantasy football player of 2025. One app, one shot, one champion. Download the ESPN Fantasy app and sign.

[Daniel Dopp]

Up to play ESPN Fantasy Football today in the blanks.

[Field Yates]

Hey, yo.

[Daniel Dopp]

We got a couple of questions here that we're going to ask Field Gates. Mike, you and I can weigh in as well once we're done, but Field, we're going to start with this one. The late round running back who will win fantasy leagues is.

[Field Yates]

Let me start by saying this. If it's a late round running back who has a perfect profile, he shouldn't be going late rounds, right? So like, if you hear my answer and you're like, yeah, but this, that.

[Daniel Dopp]

And the other, that's why he's going the late round.

[Mike Clay]

This is like a bold take segment.

[Field Yates]

Brayan Allen. Mike just mentioned his name. Now, the hype train has certainly, you know, left the station for Braylon Allen so far this preseason for the Jets. I think Braylon Allen is a little bit geared to look great in preseason when it's, it's pads and there are some live reps. But preseason tends to lend itself really well to guys who are super fast or guys that are super gigantic. And Braylon Allen is gigantic, that much is for sure. He was the youngest player in the draft. I remember like 17 year old Braylon Allen posted a picture on his commitment to Wisconsin and I was like, I've never seen someone that large in my entire life. But a lot of hype surrounding Braylon Allen so far this season. He was a fourth round pick last year and that was like going into the 2023 college football season. Leading into the 2024 NFL Draft, a lot of people present, company included, that there was a chance that Allen could be like a second round pick if things broke well for him. He does have some ability in the passing game as well. But most importantly, it's like we just have no idea what's going on with Breece hall right now. The jets seem to be talking up his passing game value, which is legit. He is a very capable pass catcher despite a lot of drops last season from Breeze Hall. But is that, are they saying that? Because they're also insinuating his running game role is going to go down. If Braylon Allen leads the jets in rushing attempts this year with 220, obviously Justin Fields is going to run the football a good amount as well. Then him going at least on ESPN ADP for free, 166.5 to me is too good to ignore. That's.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's literally free in drafts.

[Mike Clay]

Can I give you a name? Because I'd like to get your scouting.

[Field Yates]

Blue is a good one though.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, Jaden Blue I didn't go with because we just talked about him. But I want to get your scouting report on this guy because he didn't get any hype really during the draft process that I saw Jaquori Crosby Merritt in Washington. This is a deep flyer. I guarantee people watching this right now. If you're like in a dynasty or keeper league, you already did your rookie draft. I bet you he's on some waiver wires still out there. But he's getting some hype.

[Field Yates]

He is, he is getting some hype. He is the reason why he wasn't talked about a ton during the pre draft process. He had this very weird final college experience, final year of college experience. He ended up in Arizona and as you guys know, like everybody transfers in college football now. But he transferred on multiple occasions. He was at Arkansas State and then New Mexico and then ended up at Arizona. Plays the first game or one of the first games last season for Arizona and looks good and then is ruled ineligible for the rest of the season. But it was one of those where like he was continuing to fight to become eligible all year. It was kind of a bizarre case within the college football world. He actually got invited to the Shrine bowl game like a day before the game itself and they like, you know, gave him a helmet, gave him a jersey and then he was, I think like one of the team offensive MVPs. He rushed for like 100 yards. It is all natural for this guy, like just big, physically imposing athlete. Give him the football and just like tell him to run and he'll find good things. I think there's some questions at least there were some questions to me about like the instincts and just like the understanding of how to be patient when you're feeling facing elite defensive fronts which you'll see at the NFL level. But you're right, that drum beats been loud during the preseason looked pretty good. In their first preseason game. They play of course Monday Night Football ESPN this week. So there's something there for sure. Talented player.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I think he's not a guy you're going to start probably early in the season. But Ryan Robinson Jr. Was one of the few running backs that missed a lot of time last year. He was just in and out, in and out. Austin Eckler is now, you know, he's. He's going to be an impact player I think for summer most of this season. But he's getting a little older. So it's. Washington's backfield is a good offense. Obviously there's an opportunity there but it could be one of those where it's there for the taking if those guys aren't really moving the needle and maybe he's the guy that at some point this season takes control. So he was. He's like a last round rookie draft flyer. Yeah. And could be one of those sneaky guys that in a deeper like you.

[Daniel Dopp]

Probably don't even need to use a draft pick on him.

[Mike Clay]

No.

[Daniel Dopp]

You can scrap him off a way.

[Mike Clay]

He'S borderline draftable and 12 teamers because there's a lot of running backs in that area that fit that mold. But we're looking for a, a guy really no one's talking about. I mean you're hearing it and if you're watching Washington camp, you're hearing it, you're starting to hear the name a little bit. But I think he's kind of a name just to put on the watch list. We have that watch list feature. Put him on the watch list and, and certainly in deeper dynasty leagues he should be on your roster.

[Field Yates]

Nice call by Mike there as well.

[Daniel Dopp]

My late round running back who will win leagues is Jaden Blue but we've already talked about him a bunch. If he can put his skill set together. I'm not. There's not a lot of people in that backfield. All right, Phil Jates, the running back will.

[Mike Clay]

Who.

[Daniel Dopp]

Who will have the biggest bounce back this season?

[Field Yates]

Isaiah Pacheco.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's who I had as well.

[Field Yates]

Who I was on my list of must draft running backs just to make the cut. Pacheco. I don't know man. He was going as a second round pick last year, maybe even a late first round pick in some leagues and he had 40 opportunities between rushes and receptions in the first two games. He got hurt either late in the second game or maybe he finished the second game of last season and they found out after the fact that he had that leg injury and it basically cost him the most meaningful part of last year. He comes back not the same player. Clearly still dealing with that leg injury after the fact. But the Chiefs don't have somebody that is going to like obviously take away Isaiah Pacheco's role this year. They drafted in the seventh round. Smith, who we've seen, we've heard some flashes of from the Chiefs training camp. But it's also kind of cooled down in recent weeks. They did signed Elijah Mitchell. There's a deep cut there. Former 49er, former six round pick, I believe it was. But I think Isaiah Pacheco going into a contract year is well positioned to have a solid season and he's going like 26amongst running backs right now.

[Daniel Dopp]

One of the things that I saw Andy Reid talk about, and I'm curious if you feel anything about this, but he broke his fibula last year.

[Mike Clay]

Right.

[Daniel Dopp]

And so as a part of that, it sounded like he kind of leaned up a bit rather than playing at like a bigger playing weight. He lost quite a bit of weight and when he came back, it's tough to quantify this, but in that angry running style, he just didn't have the same zhuzh that he, to borrow a word from Liz Loza, that he did when he was, you know, fully healthy. And the idea of like I hadn't practiced, I lost a little bit that muscle mass sounds like Andy Reid has said he's kind of gained that back and it'll help him be able to participate quite a bit better this year.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, that was tricky when he came back. I mean it wasn't just like he came back for three games. He was back for a big chunk of the rest of the season and he averaged 8.8 touches. Just fantasy points. And that's why I think we're all a little like there's some riskier like just where he's going. It's not going to make or break. I agree with you. I think it's totally fine. I've drafted him plenty. But there is in the back of my mind, like why for half the season, like that's, that's uncommon lead backs. I mean there was a, what was it, 32 games where he was averaging 14 and a half fantasy points per game. There's a long stretch where he was there clearly back. He misses half the season, he comes back and then never established himself again. I mean he was. Kareem Hunt wasn't playing well and he was at behind him.

[Field Yates]

So I just think that's rare. Just was not like. I just think that's the kind of.

[Mike Clay]

Thing I'm willing to accept that.

[Field Yates]

Yeah, it's hard to get back on track without giving your body like a real prolonged rest between reps. That's the.

[Daniel Dopp]

The epitome of Stefania saying there's a big difference between return to play and return to performance. He definitely returned.

[Mike Clay]

Running backs usually Come back and take back control within a game or two. And he did not do that.

[Daniel Dopp]

He did not.

[Mike Clay]

I'll just throw a couple obvious names. Ken Walker and of course Christian McCaffrey. Worth a mention. Yeah, yeah.

[Field Yates]

Low hanging fruit.

[Mike Clay]

Don't need a lot of analysis there, but.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right, the running back who'll be the biggest bust in fantasy football field.

[Field Yates]

Yates want to make sure that every camera is on me right now. So we clip this off, we blast it, send it to One Jets Drive, put this on their YouTube channel, one of their behind the scenes documentaries. But it's pretty solid. I talked about, I mean, it kind of dovetails with my pick of Braylon Allen again. Breece hall might be the jets lead back this year, but it certainly feels like far from a guarantee. And he's being drafted not just as a starting running back, but ahead of other guys who are clearly going to be starting running backs for their team. So there's just a lot of volatility with Breeze. I'm a huge fan of the player. I think he is awesome and super talented. If he makes it to free agency next year, he'll be one of the most intriguing names to hit the open market. But the jets seem intent on playing not just Breeze hall, but also Braylon Allen. Isaiah Davis, their famous pick last year is going to have a role too. So relative to some of the, like the other running backs that are being drafted around Breeze Hall, Kenneth Walker iii, who Mike mentioned, Alvin Camara, like it'd be surprising those guys were. Were really challenged at all for meaningful playing time. Breeze hall might be a 40% playtime player this year.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, I'm very worried about him. I cannot agree more. I'm out on. Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

As we've talked about, he's got on his RB20 mike. You've moved him quite a ways down that list. Tail end rbt.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. Travan Henderson's ahead of him now for me. And. And it didn't help seeing Isaiah Davis. Mixon.

[Field Yates]

Yeah. Like that guy too in the draft, right?

[Mike Clay]

Yeah. And that's what, that's what they started doing late last season. So it's not like this is new. I mean this is a new regime and they're still going to do what the previous regime was doing late last season. There's clearly a potential for, I don't want to say a full on three man rotation. It might be like Tampa Bay where it's like two main guys, but you have like annoying Sean Tucker games where you have an annoying Isaiah Davis game. Like I Think it might look a little bit like that. So I would agree with Breece. I think we should mention Joe Mixon, although his.

[Field Yates]

I almost picked him, but that's just.

[Mike Clay]

He's way down in our ranks now. We moved him down. He's an obvious potential bus because of the injury. But the difference between mixing and Breece is that Breece is still going very early in drafts. In the third round of 12 teamers, mixing is plummeting.

[Daniel Dopp]

All right, the last one here, Phil Jates, the running back who will lose the most fantasy value by week eight this year.

[Field Yates]

I think we've kind of already hinted at this one. Ramandre Stevenson would be my answer here. Just because I think there's a chance that it's like week Monday after week one and we're like, Dude, Ramon Dr. Stevenson had 17 carries and Trayvon Henderson had eight on Sunday. What are you guys talking about? This guy is the Patriots running back. You want to know? I've used this comp before. It could be like the Bucks last year, right? Rashad White early in the season looked kind of like Rashad White from 2023. Eventually, you know, the Bucky Irving show began and once it did, it was glorious and Rashad White was no longer usable in fantasy. So Ramondre Stevenson is being drafted right now like a guy who's going to eventually lose value. But I just want to state that my other pick and I think we could do like a 20 minute segment on this team because it's so, so complicated. My other guy that I almost mentioned, but he's being drafted so late that I felt like it wasn't sincere enough of a guess of an answer. Travis etn, man.

[Mike Clay]

No idea what's gonna happen. Yeah, you're right.

[Daniel Dopp]

Doesn't feel great.

[Mike Clay]

Very fascinating. Team all around for sure.

[Field Yates]

Yeah, I mean he could be, he could be a lead back like he played the. The starter snaps with Trevor Lawrence in their first preseason game and if he does, he's, he's a capable guy. He's very talented. He, he was the 21st overall pick in the draft. Is he even going to be on the team midway through the season? I've got all kinds of questions about etn.

[Daniel Dopp]

I felt like coming into the season last year we talked about major regression for ETN because it was just volume that he got the year before, was it not? I mean, that was, that was a big part of it. So I do want to say this field, you have Ramond Ray Stevenson as the running back you think will lose the most value by week 8, our chat has Travion Henderson as their must draft running back. They want to leave drafts. Okay.

[Field Yates]

So kind of aligns. Well nice.

[Mike Clay]

Can I give you a really.

[Field Yates]

Give me that.

[Mike Clay]

Give us a couple. I have a kind of a bold one that you guys are going to like for the this Jamar Chase. How about this one? And I'm saying this because I think he will be very good at the beginning of the season, but I think he's going to have more competition a month into the season. Jalen Warren. I think Jalen Warren will be a hot commodity early in the season. We're probably going to rank him as an RB2. He'll get more carries than we're used to and I'll have the passing game work. But I think at some point Caleb Johnson going to get an opportunity. I just don't know if Jalen Warren, the way he's been utilized is going to be a feature back for a full season. And you drafted Caleb Johnson and he is a, you know, I don't know how where you were on him, but you know, third round grade. I know it's been a slow start, but I think at some point if he starts making plays suddenly he's going to take over that early down role and I think it's going to move Warren down as the touches go down. So. And you know what? I could be wrong because maybe Warren can do it. He remember Najee Harris is the only lead back that hasn't missed a game the last four seasons. So Warren hasn't had many opportunities to be that guy. But I just think that's something to think about if you're buying into the hype because Warren's ADP is going up too. People are jumping in on him. At some point you might see more Caleb Johnson.

[Daniel Dopp]

I'm basically done trying to figure out what Arthur Smith is going to do with our players and fans.

[Mike Clay]

Darnell Washington, I'm just over it. Week two, they re signed Cordero Patterson.

[Field Yates]

Yes.

[Daniel Dopp]

And then I don't want that. My player, for what it's worth, is Aaron Jones leading into my Jordan Mason as well.

[Mike Clay]

Yeah, fair enough.

[Daniel Dopp]

So, all right, that's going to do it for us today. Thanks for hanging out with us guys.

[Field Yates]

This is great. Yeah. Yeah.

[Daniel Dopp]

So no, you're not. Not yet. We got a mock draft Monday coming up next week, so make sure you come back and hang out with us. Are you really going on vacation in.

[Mike Clay]

New York City right now?

[Daniel Dopp]

Oh my gosh. Look at this guy. I'll be there jet setting around the world. All right.

[Field Yates]

Picking up kids and do they have.

[Daniel Dopp]

Golden Margs in New York City or.

[Mike Clay]

Find marks.

[Daniel Dopp]

You will find margs.

[Mike Clay]

We're going to salt. Get salt air, Margaret of salt air. No foamy salt on top of the margarita.

[Daniel Dopp]

Wow.

[Mike Clay]

Our favorite places to go.

[Field Yates]

I'm so proud of you, man. You've become like such a sophisticated lad, you know that?

[Daniel Dopp]

You really have.

[Mike Clay]

That's. That's.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's not you.

[Mike Clay]

That's not you. That's a. That's a girlfriend raising. Raising my profile.

[Daniel Dopp]

That's exactly what it is. All right, well, if you got good Marks recommendations in New York City, send him on over to Mike Clay, NFL. He'll be in the city tonight. That's gonna do it for us. Guys, thank you so much for hanging out with us the entire week. We cannot wait to see you next week. Come back on Monday for a mock draft project. We're gonna keep on going. Mock drafts. Don't forget to love each other. Be kind to yourself and have a fun weekend. See ya.