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- [00:00]
A
How does PwC take your company to the leading edge? We bring the sharpest minds in tech to your team so you can bring the ideas that will transform your business. We are passionate about your industry so you can walk into any room with every advantage. We're with you every step of the way so you can know you're headed in the right direction. At PwC, we build for what's next so you can get there. Now let's get started@pwc.com US LeadingEdge. Hey, I'm Liz Loza and this is Facts versus Feelings. You're Amuse bouche to your fantasy Focus Main course. We are bringing more fantasy, more facts, more feelings, and of course, more fun. And now that I have your attention, today's fact is that being prepared is as important as staying present. It's producer Quentin. Welcome back to the show. Q.
- [00:55]
B
Thank you for having me on. Obviously, today, preparedness. Gotta be honest, I don't know if your bears were very prepared last Sunday, to be honest with you.
- [01:03]
A
Wow. You do not talk to me that way when I'm in Los Angeles, but now in an actual room with you, you'll take shots.
- [01:09]
B
Well, it might be riskier now that you're in a room with me, actually.
- [01:11]
A
Because, you know, do not think I'm fast enough.
- [01:14]
B
No, I think you're definitely fast enough. Let's not experiment. Maybe I'll. Maybe I'll take a step back there to compliment you instead. You come very prepared. You've been doing a lot of shows since you've been out here, so.
- [01:24]
A
I have been. See, that's what I like. I like also like when our viewers subscribe to the video and also leave us a voicemail. What's that number? Q. Because I don't have it ready.
- [01:33]
B
Oh, my gosh. You're gonna put me on the spot this time. I'm not gonna get my pants cocked last time. Yes. 914-348-1893. And, Liz, when do we check that voicemail?
- [01:44]
A
Mondays.
- [01:45]
B
Sweet.
- [01:46]
A
Hit the disclaimer.
- [01:48]
C
Fantasy football is a game of anxious luck and irrational confidence. Proceed with caution, trust your gut, and remember, side effects of listening to this podcast may include spontaneous victory dances, mild trash talking, and a belief that your sleeper pick is better than everyone else's. Take the facts of fantasy football seriously, but consult your feelings before making any lineup changes.
- [02:02]
B
All right, Liz. Obviously, preparedness is the theme. We got to talk about a guy staying present while staying present. A guy that needs to be prepared and present as he makes his start against the 49ers Tyrone Tracy what do you got there?
- [02:14]
A
I think Tyrone Tracy, as we discussed on the Tuesday edition of the Fantasy Focus podcast, is going to end up being one of the most valuable waiver wire ads this season. He is presently as of this morning and our recording 78% rostered in ESPN fantasy league. So good for you. Good for all of you who went ahead and set those waiver claims. Obviously he is set to replace unfortunately Cam Scatter Boo, who is dealing with quite the ankle injury and expects to be out for the rest of the season. It's weird right? Because like Tyrone Tracy is a converted wide receiver. His skill set is so different than Scatter Booze and yet the volume figures to be there for Tracy and that's why we want to add him. In fact, Mike Clay has Tracy projected to touch the ball 19 times in Week 9. Here's a fun fact. In six games last season when Tracy managed 19 or more touches, he averaged over 17 fantasy points per game and over 100 scrimmage yards for contest. Obviously the offense is different this year with Jackson Dart under center, but Dart has thrown to the position with more regularity than I think people are realizing and the Giants offense is pretty proving to be capable. I also think the matchup works up works out well as the 49ers have allowed the 4th most receptions again, Tracy a converted wide receiver to opposing opposing running backs. I think Tracy is firmly locked into RB2 territory, not just for week nine, but probably for the entirety of the season.
- [03:40]
B
Well, you definitely have the stats to back up RB2 territory for sure. I don't know if he's going to replicate the same magic that we got.
- [03:46]
A
From Scatter Boo, but there were vibes there for sure.
- [03:48]
B
There are some vibes there for sure. Speaking of vibes, Jordan Addison got his groove back. He was prepared while he was gone and now he's present with the Vikings. Now that he's here, what do you got for Jordan?
- [03:58]
A
I mean, he started the season hot, right? In week four. He has over his last four games in every single outing either cleared 100 receiving yards or found the end zone. He and Justin Jefferson are maybe the second or first most elite duo in the NFL. They are in fact the only pairing averaging the more than 75 receiving yards per game. George Pickens and C.D. lamb being the other. That's really incredible, but here's the asterisk that people might not want to hear. But again, I want to prepare you for what's coming. That all happened with Carson Wentz under center. Remember Addison did not play a single snap and has not even shared the field yet with J.J. mcCarthy, who is expected to be the Viking starter moving forward with wentz now on IR when Justin Jefferson started the season with McCarthy. Underwhelming, really underwhelming. And so I don't think we can expect Addison to continue to produce the way he had been over the last four weeks. Also, this matchup at Detroit looks good. On paper, it looks like the. The Lions have been generous, but that Detroit Lions defense is getting healthier, especially coming off the buy. So I think it might be a little bit trickier than managers are anticipating. And that is why I think you have to consider. Consider Addison like a high end flex, certainly a high upside flex, but more in the wide receiver 30 range, at least for week nine.
- [05:21]
B
All right, let's move down to Chicagoland.
- [05:24]
A
Were you gonna say something bad again?
- [05:26]
C
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.
- [05:28]
B
I gotta get out of the doghouse. We're gonna say something positive. I'm gonna be prepared and present and not get damaged today.
- [05:34]
A
Okay.
- [05:34]
B
All right, let's talk about your boy, Colston Loveland. What are you seeing there?
- [05:38]
A
I love that you're like, we're gonna talk about something positive. A player with a ton of buzz that did not produce what he was expected to at the top of the season. But that's okay. It's okay. I know the Ben Johnson's offense obviously took a minute to figure itself out. It's still a work in progress. And Loveland dealt with a hip injury early. But I think that this. I think that the tides are turning in a positive way because Loveland has been more involved over this past two games. He managed a snapshare of 67%, and then in week eight, that number drop jumped to an 80% snap share. Interestingly, he's taking a significant amount of those snaps and as a wide receiver both in the slot and out wide. So we love that versatility, particularly for fantasy purposes. Now, his week eight numbers were by no means incredible, right? He caught three of five balls for, I think, 38 receiving yards. That's nothing. But those were season highs, and I do expect that number to continue to mount up right now. Luther Burden III in the concussion protocol. Also, Cole Comet, the team's other tight end, dealing with a back injury. And as we all know, ain't nobody ever used to have a bad back, so I expect it to continue to be a problem. Finally, and I'm bearing the lead a little bit here. The matchup is fantastic. Because the Bengals have allowed the most fantasy points to opposing tight ends, they have additionally allowed eight receiving scores to tight ends over the last four weeks. This game is projected to be close with a spread of just two and a half. It also projects to be high scoring with an over under a 51 and a half. That should be a ton of opportunities for Loveland. I think right now he is the tight end to watch and could be one of the best streams of the week.
- [07:15]
B
We'll see. Liz. This might be a very ticked off Bengals team because of the way they played against the Jets.
- [07:21]
A
I'm scared.
- [07:21]
B
You're scared? Yeah, I'm scared. You should be, probably, to be honest.
- [07:26]
D
This is Kevin Clark for Manscaped. Fellas, it's time to step up your grooming game. All right? I do this show three times a week. Every single time, I have to take grooming very, very seriously. Look back in the archives, guys. Look back and see the awful mustache I was trying to trot out last spring. I hate it. The other day I recirculated an interview with Drake May. I wanted to CGI it. I wanted to CGI the mustache out. I wanted to AI it. I couldn't. The mustache was there. And now I've got a nice little stubble, perfect length. Gonna have this for the rest of my life. Okay? Very, very, very important. It's a part of confidence. It's a part of looking good. It's a part of being on TV. Manscape just leveled up with the Lawnmower 5 and the Chairman plus two powerhouses built for unmatched precision, comfort and control. Whether you're cleaning up a four night out, preparing for a big meeting, or getting ready for game day, Manscaped has the tools that to help you look and feel your absolute best. These aren't your old school clippers. They're engineered for modern men who take pride in their daily routine. So upgrade your grooming gear and experience a difference. And now you can find Manscaped products at your local Walmart.
- [08:43]
E
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- [09:45]
C
This is a safe place. It's a place where we can feel free sharing our feelings.
- [09:51]
A
Now let's get comfortable on the couch and dive into some fantasy therapy, a safe space for all of your fantasy questions.
- [09:59]
B
First up, we've got a voicemail from one of our listeners, Colin hi Liz.
- [10:04]
C
My name is Colin, longtime listener and.
- [10:06]
D
My question is Xavier Worthy still a wide receiver too? Thanks. Oh wow.
- [10:14]
A
So the short answer to this is no. And since Rasheed Rice's return, Worthy is barely the Chiefs wide receiver too. Um, I know that there was a lot of hope at the beginning of the season before he hurt his shoulder that he could really produce, but the truth is he has only had one game over 15 fantasy points. And that was all the way back in week four. Since Rice's return, Worthy has barely produced. He has in fact yet to clear 5 catches and or 55 receiving yards. Now, there is an expected shootout at Orchard park, so you would think that maybe the volume would be bigger. But the truth is the Bills are easier to beat on the ground than they are through the air. So when you're using Worthy, you're basically relying on a touchdown. And fun fact or not so fun fact, the Bills have only allowed six receiving scores to opposing wide receivers. As such, I have Worthy ranked just outside of my top 30 fantasy players at the position. But thank you for calling, Colin, and thank you for being a longtime listener.
- [11:13]
B
All right, Liz, this next question. The Oregon fan in me is quite excited for this. Okay, Berserk's second for life wants to know is Troy Franklin suddenly becoming a thing? His chemistry with Bo Nix is certainly no outlier.
- [11:25]
A
I appreciate the observation and in fact I think since week two, Troy Franklin has been trying to become a thing. You know, that quelled for a little bit, but he has now drawn at least eight targets in back to back weeks and he's found the end zone in both of those outings. So yeah, he's definitely on the quote thing radar. The only problem this particular weekend is his matchup against Houston. The Texans have allowed the fourth fewest fantasy points to opposing wide receivers. In fact, in Week 8, none of the 49ers wide receivers topped 55 receiving yards facing these Texans. So I would, you know, maybe temper expectations this week. But good news, in Week 10, the Broncos get the Raiders and I do expect Franklin to bounce back beautifully in that outing. For what it's worth, Franklin, and this works with our theme, is still rostered in under 50% of ESPN fantasy league. So if you want to look ahead and stay prepared, maybe stash him now for that Week 10 outing against Vegas.
- [12:30]
B
Well, I'm quite hopeful that he continues to be a thing because I was one of the lucky few that got a Buymageddon dart throw on Troy Franklin.
- [12:36]
A
Great for you. Good job.
- [12:37]
B
Exactly. The fandom bias pays off. Speaking of which, let's go to Daniel 9755 Miller okay, what do you think of Christian Watson's return?
- [12:48]
A
Um, I think it was wonderful to see a player we believe to be explosive look healthy on the field. Look recovered from the ACL injury that he obviously sustained. He converted all four of his looks. So we like the efficiency, especially from Watson who has maybe had some drop issues in his past. But he converted all four of those looks for 85 yards. Here's the problem. This offense as we all know is so frustrating because the the target trees are not particularly narrow. LaFleur loves this, you know, everybody can eat same as Buffalo sort of idea. And it's going to be hard for Watson to hold on to fantasy relevant volume on a week to week consistent basis. Also this particular week The packers are 13 and a half point favorites against Carolina. So I don't imagine, I mean this is a Josh Jacobs game, right? This is not a Christian Watson game. As such. I have him, I believe, ranked outside of my top 45 wide receivers.
- [13:48]
B
Well, speaking of the everybody eats mindset in the Packers, I hope you eat with this next question.
- [13:53]
A
Okay.
- [13:54]
B
Irvin Tim wants to know what's the Halloween costume this week.
- [13:59]
A
I don't really know if I want to share that. If I would, I would like to maybe be a surprise. So in the past I was the Pink Power Ranger. Two years ago that went over well. Interestingly. DMs were interesting on that one. I was a kitty cat last year and this year I think I might just honestly I have a T shirt that says Little Ray of Black and I might just wear that with jeans and carry around a Stanley full of.
- [14:28]
B
Oh, look at you. The nice little touch there.
- [14:32]
A
Well, it's either that or tequila and soda. But like, I don't know what movie.
- [14:35]
B
I think, I think is definitely the vibe in that one on my end, though.
- [14:38]
A
Yeah. Tell me about you.
- [14:39]
B
We're gonna break out the Napoleon Dynamite outfit. We got the wig, the vote for Pedro shirt, and the fake glasses.
- [14:45]
A
Man, I would so vote for Pedro. These days.
- [14:51]
E
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- [15:23]
A
Joining us today is a creator who has carved out quite the role for himself in the sports world. You probably know him as benchmark warmer brand on social. He's also the voice behind the brand coverage podcast. He's one of the funniest sports creators online. Please welcome to the show. Brandon Carney here in Connecticut.
- [15:42]
C
Yes, Here in Connecticut.
- [15:43]
A
We are here in Connecticut.
- [15:44]
C
Yes. Thank you very much for having me.
- [15:45]
A
Absolutely. Thanks so much for coming. So you have this bit called straight to jail and you're putting different tight ends in jail, Correct? I am a bit of a, some might say tight end whisperer myself. So we're gonna play a game inspired by our mutual affection or frustration with the tight end position. Okay. So basically I'm gonna give you a name. You're going to give me an immediate verdict. It's gonna go rapid fire and then you're gonna tell us if that person or thing or concept is going straight to jail.
- [16:16]
C
I love it.
- [16:17]
B
Let's do it.
- [16:20]
A
Let's begin. Chuba Hubbard, straight to jail. Justin Fields.
- [16:26]
C
Straight to jail.
- [16:27]
A
Holding cell.
- [16:28]
C
Straight. Yeah, we can do holding cell. He's not in the best situation. His owners likes to slander him, but I still, I want to root for him. He's just not. He's just not that good. I don't know.
- [16:37]
A
Chip Kelly.
- [16:40]
C
I'll allow it for now. He seems to have gotten better about using Ashton Genti. So I'll let him. I'll let him slide.
- [16:44]
A
Oh, you're an Astin Genti. Stan.
- [16:45]
C
Huge. Me too. Huge. Aston Genti.
- [16:47]
A
Okay. Ashton Genti or Saquon Barkley. Forget the jail thing for a second.
- [16:50]
C
Ashton Genti.
- [16:51]
A
Girl, we're going to be friends. All right, next. People who still believe in Kyle Pitts.
- [16:56]
C
Straight to jail. Under the jail.
- [16:58]
A
Working at the jail.
- [17:00]
C
No, they don't deserve to. They don't deserve to be employed under the jail.
- [17:03]
D
Wow.
- [17:03]
C
Under it.
- [17:04]
A
That is buried in the jail. That is rough. All right, Labubus.
- [17:09]
C
Don't get it. Straight to jail. Weird little gremlin things. I don't like it.
- [17:13]
A
You don't want to put one on the, like, back of your backpack, on your zip code?
- [17:16]
C
Oh, absolutely not.
- [17:17]
A
You don't seem like a big accessorizer to me. If I.
- [17:20]
C
No, not particularly. I got. I mean, I got a little necklace. That's about all I got. I don't do. I don't do a whole lot more than that.
- [17:25]
A
Brian Thomas Jr. Straight to jail.
- [17:27]
C
My second round pick. I've never been more angry at a player other than Kyle Pitts.
- [17:31]
A
Okay, I love that you don't mince words about it. The Lou Jewel thieves.
- [17:36]
C
Now they get to slide. That's a really funny crime. I don't know.
- [17:38]
A
They don't even get to slide. Like, where are we making the statue? Where are we erecting it? Where are we putting the statue of those thieves in the flipping loop?
- [17:45]
C
We need more of this type of, you know, crime in the headlines, not the, like, actual, like, violent stuff that seems to be, you know, taking a little too much of the headline. This is like. This is like, funny heist movie kind of stuff. Like, I like it.
- [17:55]
A
It's even. I mean, they smashed and grabbed the Louvre like it was a damn Lululemon.
- [17:59]
C
I didn't even know that was possible in 2025. I had no idea you could do.
- [18:02]
B
Why?
- [18:03]
A
You and I don't have, like, art pieces in our homes illegally, so, you know, we definitely don't. Just for everybody watching, don't check. Trayvon Henderson.
- [18:12]
C
Straight to jail. My third round pick. So it's not a great year for me.
- [18:17]
A
What about your fantasy team? Where's that going?
- [18:19]
C
Not great. However, straight to jail. Listen, straight to jail. Not. Yeah, not great. Well, we can expand on that after, but it's not. It's not the best.
- [18:26]
A
AI TikTok videos.
- [18:28]
C
Straight to jail.
- [18:29]
A
Same.
- [18:30]
C
So weird. So weird. Just be. Be creative. Like, just make your own videos. We don't need to do this. I don't know.
- [18:36]
A
Using AI as a tool for said TikTok video.
- [18:38]
C
That's fine. That's fine. I think it's. That's getting better. And people got to learn how to leverage it. But, like, just doing AI stuff.
- [18:45]
A
Like straight to jail.
- [18:46]
C
Yeah, straight to jail.
- [18:47]
A
Last one. Six, seven. I should go straight to jail after doing that.
- [18:53]
C
I'm gonna go straight to jail just to avoid that topic.
- [18:57]
A
What about 41?
- [18:58]
C
I don't even know what that is. 41.
- [19:00]
A
Are you in Group 7?
- [19:02]
B
What.
- [19:03]
C
What is happening?
- [19:04]
A
I'm going straight to jail. Just put me in jail.
- [19:06]
C
What's happening?
- [19:06]
A
I don't think I'd do well in jail. If I'm being honest.
- [19:08]
C
I don't think I would either. It would not be good. Not.
- [19:10]
A
We should not go straight to jail. All right, we are not going to jail. But that was fantastic. Thank you for playing along. I have to know, Bran, like, how did this whole creator world start for you? Yeah, tell us your story.
- [19:22]
C
Yeah, it was kind of crazy. So, I mean, I. I'll start back in. Like, when I was going into college, I wanted to be a sports reporter. I wanted to do on camera stuff. So I did that while I was in college.
- [19:31]
A
Where'd you go?
- [19:31]
C
UConn. So shout out. Go Huskies. So out of college, I, you know, it's hard to get an on camera job. So I got a job at a news station as a producer. Then I got a job doing production for three years. And then I wanted to do on camera stuff again. Covid hit. They kind of just kept us employed, but we didn't have a lot to do and we were obviously at home while that was all playing out. So I started experimenting with TikTok and posting videos. Cause I just missed it so much and it kind of just started snowballing from there. Stuff started doing well. I kept doing it in my free time, even when espn, you know, brought us all back to work eventually.
- [20:02]
A
Oh, you worked here?
- [20:03]
C
I did. I worked here. I really enjoyed it. But yeah, I just kind of kept building it and building it and then got to a point where, you know, stuff was doing well enough, consistently enough that I was able to do it it full time. And now I've been doing it full time for three years.
- [20:15]
A
Okay. So I am interested by this because my path seems similar to yours. I though, started with a blog and like us bloggers walked so you tiktokers could run.
- [20:25]
C
Absolutely. I blogged too. Back in the high school days, I was still getting my feet blocked.
- [20:29]
A
You don't need to. Wow. Shots fired. Now I'm triggered. I was not in high school when I was blogging. Regardless, I was in college anyway, so when you say full time, because I understand this trajectory and how things Just start to build momentum, and all of a sudden you're being asked to go on people's podcasts and your content is being shared, and you're like, my goodness, there's a snowballing and you're excited, but, like, there is also this interesting place where you're watching it all build, but it hasn't built in a way that it is sustainable financially, if I'm being honest. So, like, how. What was that tipping point for you?
- [21:03]
C
Yeah, I think the tipping point was probably I started working with another media company that I was doing some videos for, you know, for both their profile.
- [21:13]
A
Like a freelance situation?
- [21:14]
C
Yeah, yeah, a little. So they were, you know, they were paying me month to month, but there was no commitment, anything like that. And the money was decent enough that I was like, if I can get this every month, you know, I will be able to just do this full time on top of trying to make money from TikTok and Instagram. And honestly, that landscape is ever changing as well with how much they pay you, even if you're.
- [21:33]
A
And that's like, branded content, correct?
- [21:35]
C
Okay, well, not just branded content. Like my. My original stuff as well. Like, they'll pay you, like, by the views that you get just to keep people on the platform. So, like, TikTok will pay people directly whether it's you're promoting an ad or not or anything like that. So, you know, that stuff is always, ever changing, even if my stuff gets the same views, because these platforms just like to decide to change how they want to pay people, and so it's always fluctuating. But I had that, like, stable amount from the other company I was working with, and so that kind of gave me the inkling I could probably do it full time. And then they dropped me, like, unceremoniously, kind of, and I was in a panic. But I'm lucky enough that the reason I made the jump was that my girlfriend at the time, now fiance, was like, thank you very much. She was like, look, make the leap. Try it. I'm working. You can, you know, move in with me and, like, if it all goes to hell, you'll be able to get a job somewhere else. Like, you know, leave espn. It's okay.
- [22:27]
A
Like, bet on yourself.
- [22:28]
C
Yeah. And they'll either, you know, ESPN will either take you back or you can get a job at NFL Network or whatever. It may be like, you have the resume to be able to do something like that, if that happens.
- [22:38]
A
So did you give yourself, like, a time frame?
- [22:41]
C
Not really, no. I was doing Deadline? No, I was doing well enough view wise. Like, truthfully, it was a calculated sort of decision where, like, I was pretty sure I was gonna be okay. I just didn't know how. So, yeah, when that company dropped me and like, I saw kind of the. My income just go away other than the little bit I was making from the views themselves, I freaked out a little bit and then. And it just kind of. I just kept posting. I just kept posting. And I have wonderful managers as well that helped me find wonderful partnerships that, you know, pay me well enough to. Pay me well enough to, like, make it a living. And now it's way better than I could have ever imagined it to be. So there were, there were like brief scary moments. But I always credit my fiance Lexi for giving me that like, security blanket at the beginning just to kind of quiet the paranoid voice in my head of, like, it's not gonna work out. You're not gonna be able to do it, like, no matter how much evidence I have to the cont.
- [23:35]
A
And you're paying the mortgage with your content creation capital.
- [23:38]
C
Correct.
- [23:39]
A
Damn, Bran, you're living the dream.
- [23:41]
C
It's way different than I would have ever expected when I was walking these halls back in the day. It's crazy.
- [23:48]
A
Awesome. So what advice do you have for other potential content creators, maybe in the sports world, specifically? Because it is definitely a different animal.
- [23:56]
C
Yeah, definitely. I think the biggest thing that helped me and what helped my stuff take off was just thinking of what niche I could kind of fill in the space that wasn't being filled or what I could do. You know, I wouldn't say this to the people that are doing it, but, like, what I think I could do better than people who are already doing it. And so kind of one of the ways I broke in was like doing fantasy football skit videos. Like, the Bus Synonymous series is the first series I ever really started doing. And to me, at the time that I created it, I was like, I'm playing fantasy football. I know we all get annoyed when our players do poorly. How can I turn that into content? Because TikTok was doing well, but nobody was really doing anything on that in that vein. And so I was like, people would love to commiserate about their players who are doing poorly. So I'm gonna yell at them. I'm playing every character of all the players who busted, but like, I'm gonna yell at them and then I know that that's gonna generate comments of, oh, yeah, this guy did that for me. Or why didn't you Include this guy that busted. For me, I think you just have to think. Think like a viewer will help because then you can kind of figure out what you can make that will resonate with people.
- [25:00]
A
Was it always fantasy that you wanted to go into or just sports in general?
- [25:03]
C
It was just sports in general. Fantasy was probably my biggest in just to the football world, like.
- [25:10]
A
And was that. Did you specifically choose fantasy because of the niche. The niche space it takes up?
- [25:17]
C
Yeah, at the time I did. And so I evolved it after that to like, just doing general NFL skits, which is, I think predominantly what I do now. I still do bust Anonymous, but I still. I do more of, I think just the general NFL storyline content. Now. Fantasy got me into it just because I loved it so much and because again, there I saw that gap in the space, and then once I built up my name through that niche, then I have the freedom to do whatever I want and people will be seeing it and be like, oh, this guy's actually pretty good at it, even though other people were doing it too.
- [25:44]
A
So you play fantasy then?
- [25:45]
C
Yes.
- [25:46]
A
And you said your team is Urichi.
- [25:49]
C
Which team? Do I have to talk? Do I have to talk about the one I care about the most?
- [25:53]
A
Because if so, it's that. Okay, this is busted.
- [25:57]
C
All right.
- [25:57]
D
All right.
- [25:57]
A
But not so anonymous.
- [25:58]
C
Cards on the table here. Drafted Brian Thomas Jr. Second round. Drafted Treveon Henderson, third round. Fell into the hype train. Despite all of that, I managed my team well enough around those MisSteps to be 4th in my league in points scored.
- [26:12]
A
Points scored.
- [26:13]
C
I understand.
- [26:14]
A
No, I understand who's losing loves to.
- [26:17]
C
Point to, which is why I love to point to it right now, because I can over. Like, this league has been around for 15 years. It's with all of my best friends from high school and all that. Yeah. So we all know each other very well. Like, the trade market rips every year because we just all love talking to each other and there's so many every year. But yeah, so it's a fantastic league. And I can honestly say in the first 14 or 15, this might be year 16. I don't know. Every year up until now, for better or for worse, my record always reflected how good my team was. This year it doesn't. So I'm just like. I just like. I know everyone else in my league has dealt with this more than once. Probably I haven't. So I'm like, I'm trying, man. Like, my team's good.
- [26:55]
A
Isn't it amazing how even when you lose in Fantasy. It can still be fun. Yeah, it's still fun, obviously.
- [27:00]
C
No, it's still fun.
- [27:00]
A
But the camaraderie. There is something very unique about fantasy that I don't want to stop playing, even when I know I'm out of it.
- [27:07]
C
Oh, I'm here to spoil everyone's day now. I am here. And we also. One of our. One of our buddies in our league shout out to Brett. He. He keeps a spreadsheet of a bunch of stats throughout the entirety of the league that's existed. So, like, points scored, records throughout the year. So we just say when we get, like, pseudo eliminated from playoff contention, we're playing for the spreadsheet. We're playing to tack up those wins and commitment. I love it. Yeah, I still got something to play for.
- [27:30]
A
Do you have a favorite start for week nine, specifically?
- [27:35]
C
Yeah. So favorite start for week nine is a guy that I loved coming into the year, and it just, I'm gonna say, took a while to materialize. I'm hoping it's materialized by now. It's Travis Hunter. He was a guy I absolutely loved. I was like, look, the Jags gave up all of this capital to go get him.
- [27:51]
A
And yet you drafted Brian Thomas Jr.
- [27:53]
C
I did.
- [27:55]
A
I won't say no.
- [27:55]
C
No, it's. It's. I. I deserve it. Listen, I understand. And I was like, they're. They're gonna use him like crazy. Like, all this worry about him being a db, I just didn't really care. And that didn't go well for the first half of the season. And then I think we kind of saw the dam start to break against the Rams, Then they head into the bye. I just think it's only up from here facing the Raiders this week. Like, I just love the spot. I'm starting him in my league over a couple. Couple of other, like, viable options. I just think this is going to be the Travis Hunter that we thought. I thought we were getting to start the year.
- [28:26]
A
I love it. Actually. I highlighted Travis Hunter as one of my players in my Facts vs. Feelings column, which published today, but this will publish tomorrow. So you didn't even know that. So, yeah, I love a little validation. Not to end things on a negative note, but who is your most confident sit for week nine?
- [28:44]
C
Most confident sit. It's tough because, like, I don't want to give a big name and try to be hot takey about it, so I'm just going to give a guy that's, like, on the radar. I'm going to say C.J. stroud up against the Broncos. I'm not. I don't want to start a quarterback against the Broncos ever, especially one with that paper mache offensive line. I'm all good on that. So even though he's put together, you know, a couple of decent weeks here now, even without Nico Collins last week, hopefully going to get him back. But like, that does not sway me to want to start him. Even in, you know, dealing with bye weeks and stuff like that. I'd be going a different direction.
- [29:13]
A
I also don't want to start a quarterback against the Houston Texans defense.
- [29:17]
C
100%.
- [29:18]
A
That's going to be a defensive battle.
- [29:19]
C
Absolutely.
- [29:20]
A
All right, so any final words either on fantasy? Give me a hot take maybe for the season.
- [29:25]
C
Hot take for the season. Travion Henderson, RB1 season is not over. That's my hot take. It's not over. And it may be next season. But he's coming. Trayvon Henderson's coming.
- [29:39]
A
Trayveon Henderson will continue to inspire, feels, facts and plenty of content for both of us. 100%. Thank you so much for coming. Do you want to tell everyone where they can find your work, the podcast and the and the videos?
- [29:51]
C
Yeah, you can find the videos Entschwarmer Brand on basically every relevant social media. Sorry, I'm not on MySpace or Tumblr but you know TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, all those I'm on there. Even Twitter. So Benchwarmer Brand on those and then the brand Coverage podcast is on all audio platforms and also streams live on my YouTube channel benchwarmer brand every Tuesday.
- [30:10]
A
At 10am thanks so much Brent. Congratulations on everything. It's an awesome story and you seem to be an awesome guy and also Lexi is awesomely lucky.
- [30:18]
C
Agree. Thank you.
- [30:25]
A
Last call. Today we learned that is the mature alternative to tequila and soda that bloggers walked so that tiktokers could run and make loads more money. And that looking ahead doesn't necessarily mean getting in your head. We don't need to rush to the finish line because believe it or not, we are gonna miss this before we realize it. Big thanks to Benchwarmer Brand for joining the show and playing along. And to producer Quentin AKA Q for the Culture. Be sure to check out my week nine edition of Facts versus Feelings, the column which is currently live on the dot com. And remember you can leave us a voicemail. That number I am prepared with. It is 914-348-1893. Until next time. May your facts be solid, your feelings be right, and your bus be someone else's problem.
- [31:26]
B
Liz watch me while I do this so you know when you go back to la. Slide to the left, slide to the right. One hop this time.
- [31:34]
A
All right. It is so weird to talk to you and not look at you.
- [31:36]
B
I know. Same. That was crazy. Okay, we need to just. Let's just. Blah, blah. Unique New York. New. Unique New York. Chairs and tables. Tables and chairs. I love lamp. Okay, here we go.
- [31:50]
A
Slide to the left, slide to the right. One hop this time. Oh, there it is. Okay, slide to the left, slide to the right. One hop this time.
- [31:58]
B
There we go.