Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry
Episode: 10 Lists of 10 for the 2025 Season
Date: August 29, 2025
Host: Matthew Berry (with Jay Croucher, Lawrence Jackson, Trista Crick, Producer Steven)
Episode Overview
This episode revolves around Matthew Berry’s highly anticipated “10 Lists of 10” column for the 2025 fantasy football season. The crew breaks down Berry’s key storylines, sleeper picks, “chicken” (nervous) players, and classic unsexy value picks that could swing leagues. Lively banter, insider nuggets, and fantasy wisdom abound, making this not just a list show, but an essential primer before Week 1.
Main Segments & Highlights
1. 10 Lists of 10: Setting the Table
Matthew introduces his annual “10 Lists of 10” feature—available on NBC Sports and Rotoworld—covering every position, storylines, and even best fantasy team names. The premise: dig deeper than just rankings to identify trends, traps, and league-winning value.
2. Top Preseason Fantasy Storylines
(03:20–23:44)
a. Commanders’ Backfield – Jaquory Croskey-Merritt Hype
- Berry: “There may not be any hotter player in fantasy football this year during the preseason than Jaquory Crosky-Merritt.” (04:24)
- Commanders trade away Brian Robinson; Austin Ekeler gets passing and third-down work, but Crosky-Merritt (“JCM”) seen as the best pure runner and goal-line back in DC.
- Lawrence: “He provides something to that offense that they desperately needed...some burst and some speed.” (05:01)
- Consensus: JCM is the flex/third running back to target, especially as hype matches projected opportunity.
b. Packers WR Depth Chart – Matthew Golden Ascends
- Jay: “Matthew Golden I think is the most talented guy in that room. They seem to have a rapport. There's a reason why they spent first round draft capital on Golden.” (06:42)
- Jaden Reed’s slow start, Romeo Doubs’ inconsistency, Christian Watson coming off injury: all factors making rookie Golden the likely WR1.
c. Colts Pass Catchers – Tyler Warren the Real Deal
- Lawrence: “Brock Bowers, Trey McBride and George Kittle are the only guys I like ahead of Tyler Warren. That's how much I like him.” (08:29)
- Tyler Warren expected to be top 10 fantasy TE and most productive Colts pass catcher, regardless of who’s at QB.
d. Bucs Rookie WR – Emeka Egbuka Immediate Impact
- Berry: “Everything I'm hearing out of Tampa Bay is...they love with a capital L this kid.” (10:53)
- Chris Godwin’s early absence and Egbuka’s pro-readiness make him a strong target.
- Jay: “Mayfield is…a borderline top 10 QB. Egbuka will benefit from the volume.” (11:33)
e. Giants QB Situation – Jackson Dart as a Fantasy Stash
- Jay: “If Russ gets benched—and that schedule is brutal—Jackson Dart’s first start will be instantly fantasy relevant.” (13:06)
- Dart’s running ability and early rapport with Malik Nabers make him a strong midseason stash.
f. Patriots Backfield Turnover – Travion Henderson’s Path
- Lawrence: “By the end of the season, we're talking about a guy you could be RB2. Houses his very first kick return in preseason—that explosiveness they've been missing.” (14:20)
- Stevenson starts, but Henderson likely overtakes fast.
g. Texans Backfield – Joe Mixon as a Red Flag
- Berry: “Bad vibes all summer…it’s been bad vibes to start the season.” (15:34)
- Injury concerns mean Berry is avoiding Mixon entirely, recommending Nick Chubb and tracking preseason roles.
h. Dolphins RB Handcuff – Ollie Gordon’s Opportunity
- Jay: “Achan stays healthy, it's his show, but if not, Ollie Gordon steps in and that’s the role you want.” (17:55)
- Jeff Wilson and Hasty signings don’t threaten Gordon’s upside.
i. Jaguars WR/Weapons – Travis Hunter’s Expanded Offensive Role
- Lawrence: “Travis Hunter as my WR3? I’d feel great about that.” (19:45)
- Berry: “We’ll look back a year from now and say, ‘I can’t believe we were that low on Travis Hunter.’” (21:17)
j. Lions Passing Game – Jameson Williams’ Breakout?
- Berry: “Jameson Williams having an awesome camp—that was the first name Goff brought up.” (21:40)
- Expecting an expanded vertical role; Williams could out-target Laporta.
3. 10 “Unsexy” Players Who’ll Help You Win
(24:04–28:54)
- James Conner, Mike Evans, Tony Pollard, Dak Prescott, Calvin Ridley, Alvin Kamara, Courtland Sutton, DeAndre Swift, Evan Engram, Jonnu Smith.
- Berry: “These guys are snoozy, but all they do is produce and outproduce ADP…James Conner is the poster child for this list, year in, year out.” (24:08)
- Jay: “Pollard…two years ago, first round pick talent—he’s grown as a pass blocker, Spears on IR, Pollard gets a ton of work.” (25:55)
- Calvin Ridley with Cam Ward gets a “90-100 catch” projection from Lawrence.
- Mike Evans remains undervalued as injuries have clarified the Bucs target tree.
4. 10 “Chicken” (Nervous) Players for 2025 Drafts
(32:01–46:25)
Berry lists players he’s fading at cost—admitting they’re good players, just “make him nervous.”
- Highlighted “chicken” picks:
- Breece Hall: Goal-line and target concerns with Braylon Allen and Fields in the mix. (33:01)
- Puka Nacua: Durability and Stafford’s health worries. (34:22)
- Kenneth Walker: Charbonnet’s emergence and OC uncertainty. (35:39)
- Saquon Barkley: Massive workload last year, loses goal-line touches, not as pass-game involved. (37:14)
- Jay: “If you don’t have the pass game usage, and you don’t have the goal line carries, you need to hit home runs to live up to this ADP.” (38:19)
- Brock Bowers: New coaching/new personnel, unsustainably high ADP for a tight end. (40:09)
- Caleb Johnson: Pass protection concerns for Pittsburgh’s rookie RB (42:29)
- Jerry Jeudy: Only produced with Jameis; uncertain with new QBs. (43:10)
- James Cook: Touchdown regression, low passing usage. (43:55)
- DK Metcalf (now in Pittsburgh): Arthur Smith offenses are a fantasy wasteland. (44:30)
- Berry: “I haven't seen an Arthur Smith offense in fantasy football that I didn't hate...” (45:05)
- RJ Harvey: Camp pass pro issues, Dobbins as competition, prefer Dobbins at cost. (45:47)
5. Late-Round Targets: Running Backs and Pass Catchers
(46:28–50:42)
Late RB targets:
- Zach Charbonnet, Bashal Tootin (“may not be immediate but size/speed and regime-change backfield”), Braylon Allen, Ali Gordon, Kyle Monangai (“Dave Montgomery role for the Bears”), Sean Tucker, Will Shipley, Keaton Mitchell, Kenneth Gainwell, Jaden Blue.
Late Pass Catchers:
- Keaton Mitchell, Josh Downs (“when he has a QB, he’s really good”), Rashid Shaheed, Chris Godwin (great value if he returns anywhere weeks 2–5), Marvin Mims, Keenan Allen, Cedric Tillman, Jalen Coker, Brenton Strange, Mason Taylor (“could be TE8 for the Jets, Fields has a history with Cole Kmet”), Theo Johnson.
6. Fun Segment: Top Fantasy Team Names
(50:42–52:24) Some creative year-defining names from listeners:
- Penix Envy
- Catalina Wine Mixing
- Did We Just Become Best Friends?
- Chuck Around and Find Out
- Post Neighbors Drip
- Irritable Bower Syndrome
- Bed Bath and Bijan
- Finding Nico
- Owner of a Lonely Dart
Berry: “Go check out 10 lists of 10 at rotoworld.com, nbcsports.com—we have more names and lists.”
7. NFC West Odds/Bets
(55:18–56:29)
- Jay: “Cardinals +425—I think they're sneakily a top 10 defense...offensive upside.”
- Lawrence & Berry: “Give me the 49ers—too talented, too experienced, and likely healthier.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Jaquory Croskey-Merritt (JCM):
- Berry: "There may not be any hotter player in fantasy football this year during the preseason than Jaquory Crosky-Merritt." (04:24)
-
On James Conner:
- Berry: "All he does is make me look smart. He's never been less than running back 15 on a points per game basis since he's been in Arizona." (24:08)
-
On Chicken Players:
- Berry: "The vibes are off. These are my chicken players that... make me a little nervous. I just don't have a lot of shares of them because they make me nervous." (32:38)
-
On DK Metcalf and Arthur Smith:
- Berry: "I've never seen an Arthur Smith offense in fantasy football that I didn't hate. I just, I hate them all." (45:05)
-
On Travis Hunter:
- Berry: "We're going to look back a year from now and be like, 'I can't believe the fantasy football industry... was that insanely low on Travis Hunter.'" (21:17)
Key Timestamps
- 03:20 – Start of Lists of 10 discussion; Commanders backfield
- 05:30 – Packers receiver pecking order
- 08:18 – Tyler Warren’s upside for Colts
- 11:33 – Bucs’ Emeka Egbuka hype
- 13:06 – Giants QB situation and schedule
- 14:20 – Patriots RB Travion Henderson
- 15:34 – Texans RB situation; Joe Mixon
- 17:55 – Dolphins RB handcuff (Ollie Gordon)
- 19:39 – Travis Hunter’s offensive usage and value
- 21:40 – Jameson Williams’ expected breakout
- 24:04 – Top 10 “unsexy” value picks
- 32:01 – “Chicken”/nervous player discussion starts
- 46:28 – Late round RBs (names and profiles)
- 49:01 – Late round pass catcher targets
- 50:51 – Fun: Top fantasy team names
- 55:18 – NFC West pick segment (Cardinals, Niners)
Episode Takeaways
- Matthew Berry’s “10 Lists of 10” is a season-starting staple, packed with actionable draft advice, player takes, and entertainment.
- Commanders RB JCM, Packers’ Matthew Golden, Colts TE Tyler Warren, and Bucs WR Emeka Egbuka are preseason buzz picks with clear fantasy upside.
- Unsexy players—like James Conner and Mike Evans—are often ignored but can be league-winning value.
- “Chicken” players at ADP include Breece Hall, Puka Nacua, Kenneth Walker, and Saquon Barkley—great talents who carry more risk than drafters appreciate.
- Late-round rookie RBs and young pass catchers provide league-winning upside—know their roles and watch the training camp hype.
- Jameson Williams and Travis Hunter stand out as potential year-two and rookie breakouts at their positions.
- Make your draft fun—Berry’s crowd-sourced team names are must-browse for viral potential.
For those prepping drafts or looking for an edge on the 2025 fantasy season, this episode offers a dense, highly entertaining rundown of key names, deep sleepers, values, and warning signs—for the casual player and diehard alike.