Kyler Murray to the Vikings! What it Means for Every Vikings Pass Catcher (03/13 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today: Kyler Murray to the Vikings! What it Means for Every Vikings Pass Catcher (03/13/2026)

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Adam Azer is joined by analysts Dave Richard and Jamie Eisenberg as they break down the seismic move of Kyler Murray joining the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year “prove it” deal. The focus is on the fantasy football implications for all key Vikings pass catchers—Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, and T.J. Hockenson—and how Kyler’s skillset meshes with Minnesota’s offense. The team discusses expectations, potential, and strategy, sharing stats and their signature banter throughout.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

Kyler Murray’s Move to Minnesota

• Initial Reactions ([01:08])
  • The group acknowledges the move was expected after offseason dominoes fell.
  • Jamie Eisenberg: “You hope that he gets this Minnesota offense going in the right direction. You hope that Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, T.J. Hockenson can be starting caliber fantasy options again. Certainly Justin Jefferson being an elite one.” ([02:10])
• Historical Perspective ([03:09])
  • Jamie highlights prior Vikings QBs (e.g., Brett Favre, Sam Darnold) who have had strong “rebound” seasons with the team.
  • Encouragement to take a “glass half full” approach.

Fantasy Outlook for Vikings Pass Catchers

Justin Jefferson

• Projection & Draft Value ([03:32], [05:49], [14:06])
  • Jefferson is a “locked-in top-10 fantasy wide receiver.”
  • “We’re just going to hit the Delete button on 2025 and Jamie used the word hope. I think that’s probably the best word. Hope that Kyler Murray can reclaim his downfield passing.” — Dave Richard ([05:49])
  • Discussion centers around Jefferson as a round two pick, revealing a bit of apprehension: “If we’re saying Justin Jefferson in the second round, that’s fair to say.” ([14:06])
• Volume vs. Touchdowns
  • Dave points out: “He would need a ton of touchdowns to get back to top three range… We haven’t known Kyler to be that guy as a thrower.” ([14:06])
  • Jamie brings optimism, referencing the 2020 Kyler-DeAndre Hopkins connection as the fantasy ceiling for Jefferson ([15:01])

Jordan Addison

• Projection with Previous QBs vs. Murray ([03:37])
  • Addison maintained solid production with Carson Wentz: “Jordan Addison averaged 16 PPR fantasy points per game. He was on pace for 89 catches, 1,313 yards, nine touchdowns on 128 targets.” — Adam Azer ([04:37])
  • Both analysts slot Addison as a mid-round, borderline WR3 with upside.

T.J. Hockenson

• Borderline TE1 Status ([06:17])
  • Dave: “Hockenson is back in the conversation as a borderline top-12 tight end.” ([06:17])
  • Jamie wonders about health: “Is he ever going to get back to his pre-ACL form? Like it’s been almost 2 years of him struggling.” ([21:53])

Kyler Murray’s Fantasy Value

• Historical Consistency and Rushing Baseline ([07:54], [08:08], [17:49])
  • Kyler has finished as a top-12 QB per game in five straight seasons before last year.
  • “He’s above Malik Willis… I like him better than Malik Willis simply because we’ve seen him do it before.” — Dave Richard ([06:17])
  • Adam notes: “He’s usually on pace for about 20, 23 at most touchdowns or he’s not, he hasn’t been a big touchdown thrower.” ([13:02])
• Concerns about Fit & Deep Passing ([09:03])
  • Kyler has struggled with deep-ball accuracy post-ACL injury.
  • “Where he’s been efficient is on short throws… To me, he’s a terrible fit for this offense. But maybe he can just be better… but that hasn’t really been his thing.” — Adam Azer ([09:03])
• Upside and Projections
  • Jamie: “If Kyler Murray can get back to being the type of passer he was when he had DeAndre Hopkins, then seriously… you could be looking at a top-five league winning quarterback.” ([17:16])
  • Dave cautions: “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to hype him up as like a possible top five quarterback. Things would have to go really right for Minnesota.” ([18:05])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Move’s Value
  • “I love the move. Absolutely love the move… they probably view this as if this guy is anything close to what he can be—in Kevin O’Connell’s offense with these weapons—this is the best weapons he’s ever had.” — Jamie Eisenberg ([11:36])
• Adam’s Concerns
  • “He’s a terrible fit for this offense. But maybe he can just be better… but that hasn’t really been his thing.” — Adam Azer ([09:03])
• Hope as the Watchword
  • The analysts frequently center the discussion on “hope”—for Murray’s rebound, Jefferson’s upside, and the team’s overall potential.
• On Jefferson’s Draft Slot
  • “If you tell me that Jefferson is at worst a 14 point per game guy, I could live with that in round two. I wouldn’t love it, but I could live with it.” — Jamie Eisenberg ([15:01])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:08] Main topic intro: Kyler Murray to the Vikings
• [02:10] Jamie's instant reaction and historical context
• [03:32] Discussion of Addison/Jefferson production with previous QBs
• [05:49] Draft value for Vikings skill players
• [06:17] Hockenson as a TE1 and Kyler’s QB range
• [09:03] Deep dive: Kyler's fit in the Minnesota offense
• [14:06] Debate: Can Jefferson be a top fantasy WR in 2026?
• [17:16] Assessing Kyler Murray’s true upside
• [18:05] Realistic expectations for fantasy ranking
• [19:54] “This player or that player” rapid-fire segment (comps)
• [21:53] Hawkinson's recovery concern
• [22:25] Brief impact on Aaron Jones/Jordan Mason
• [24:37] Vikings defense, run game, and offensive environment

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Rapid-Fire Player Comparisons (Selected ‘This or That’ Debates, [19:54] onward)

• Justin Jefferson or Malik Nabers?
  • Dave: "Nabers." Jamie: "As of now, Jefferson."
• Justin Jefferson or Drake London?
  • Both: "London."
• Kyler Murray or Brock Purdy?
  • Both: "Purdy."
• Jordan Addison or Mike Evans?
  • Both: "Evans by a lot."
• Addison or Romeo Doubs (NE)?
  • Jamie: "Addison." Dave: "I think I'll end up with Doubs higher."
• Addison or Josh Downs?
  • Both: "Addison slightly higher," but value in waiting for Downs.

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Running Back Situation

• Impact on Aaron Jones and Jordan Mason ([22:25]–[24:08])
  • Jamie: “I didn't really think it changes their fantasy outlook very much… Aaron Jones—just a flex option at best. Mason, not far behind. If there’s one clear-cut guy, I’d agree, but right now it's a timeshare.”
  • Dave: “Mason was awesome when Jones was out those five games… but you need one to not be there for the other to be successful.”
  • Both agree Kyler’s presence might slightly boost efficiency, but only if one RB leads the backfield.

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Defensive Context & Schedule

• Team Defense Angle ([24:37])
  • Adam and Jamie debate whether the defense’s quality affects offensive opportunity.
  • Jamie: “Flores’ system works… so I think he’ll find a way to still make this defense a very solid unit.”

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Audience Poll: Kyler’s Expected Fantasy Output ([27:52])

• YouTube poll: “If Kyler starts every game for the Vikings next season, what will his fantasy points per game be (6-pt passing TD)?”
  • Under 19.5: 51%
  • 19.5 or higher: 45%
  • 'See results': 3%

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Conclusion

This episode is a deep dive into the fantasy fallout from Kyler Murray’s arrival in Minnesota. The hosts strike a balance between guarded optimism (“hope”) and acknowledgment of risk and fit concerns. Jefferson remains a WR1, but round two is the new consensus due to uncertainty about touchdowns and overall offensive fit. Addison is viewed as a strong mid-round target. T.J. Hockenson is a late-round streamer with upside but some health worry. Kyler’s fantasy stock rises, and his rushing floor makes him draftable everywhere, but projecting him as a league-winner requires optimism he hasn’t delivered since 2020-2021.

As Jamie sums up:

“If Kyler Murray can get back to being the type of passer he was when he had DeAndre Hopkins… you could be looking at a top-five league winning quarterback. I don’t think I’m exaggerating here.” ([17:16])

But for now, hope is the operative word for all.

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For the full back-and-forth player comps, statistical nitty-gritty, and fun, the episode is a must-listen for serious fantasy footballers prepping for their 2026 drafts.

Transcript

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[Adam Azer]

Off to the races and he stays on his feet.

[Dave Richard]

This is gonna go the distance.

[Adam Azer]

Now here's some combination of Adam, Dave, Jamie and Heath. Kyler Murray with the Minnesota Vikings one year. Prove it. Deal. Can he rebound? He was a top 12 quarterback per game five straight seasons. Even coming off a torn ACL a few years ago. Five straight seasons as a top 12 quarterback per game in four point and six point point for passing touchdown leagues before last year. Kyler's season last year was kind of like Justin Jefferson's season last year, just much worse than what we usually expect. So we're hoping for a big rebound here. Adam Azer, Dave Richard and Jamie Eisenberg on Friday the 13th. Is anybody scared of this?

[Dave Richard]

I didn't even. I didn't even realize it was Friday the 13th.

[Adam Azer]

Right? Love Friday the 13th. There will be a marathon of bad movies on tonight. We know that, Jamie. You know, what's your. What's your instant reaction to. Well, not so instant. What's your reaction though to last night's news of Kyler going to the Vikings?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I mean, we obviously expected it, you know, once the sort of dominoes fell into place. So it wasn't so much a shocking move, I think just the fact that you kind of hope would be the best word. You hope that he's back to being a starting fantasy quarterback. You hope that he gets this Minnesota offense going in the right direction. You hope that Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, TJ Hawkinson can be starting caliber fantasy options again. Certainly Justin Jefferson being An elite one. It's just. You have to see it, you know, And I think it was Kevin Seifert of ESPN tweeted out or post on X, whatever we phrase it at this point. There's been 10, seven times I think a quarterback has had rebound season or of some sort to a high degree with the Vikings that have been on their second team in their history. I'm probably butchering whatever he sent out,

[Dave Richard]

but no, no, I'm. I'm following along. And if I'm following along, then everybody else can.

[Adam Azer]

I agreed.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Adam Azer]

On everything.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

So, like, this has happened before, you know, it. It. Brett Favre and Sam Darnold and, you know, those are the two that come to mind, at least for me. But there's. There's. There's. There's a lot to like about what this is. There it is. So seven. Seven different quarterbacks. It's. It's encouraging. It's. It's really encouraging. There you go, Thomas. He got the answer.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Yeah, I. I think you just kind of go into it with glass half full. At least that's how I'm approaching it, you know, number two quarterback for Kyler with a chance to be a number one guy. Jefferson worth taking in round two. Addison, you know, borderline number three receiver with a chance to be great. Those. Those two guys in particular. The thing that's encouraging for me is those two guys were basically who they were with Carson Wentz, Jefferson, a little bit below Addison played three games with Wentz and was over 15 PBR points in all three. So if they can do that with Wentz, you hope that they can do that with Kyler. And for Kyler and Jefferson in particular, the one year where DeAndre Hopkins was amazing with Kyler. The first year they were together, he was 28 years old. Jefferson's gonna be 27, like. And it was. It was a pretty impressive season, you know, so I'm. I'm going to be encouraged.

[Adam Azer]

Jamie, I have four games of Addison and Wentz. Is that right? You said three. Just want to make sure because he averaged 16 points per game in. Well, I thought four games with Wentz.

[Dave Richard]

Week's four.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Three.

[Dave Richard]

Okay.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I must have read it wrong.

[Adam Azer]

That's okay. But either way, you're right. He averaged. He. Jordan Addison averaged 16 PPR fantasy points per game. He was on pace for 89 catches, 101,313 yards, nine touchdowns on 128 targets. Even if you remove this fluky play where he had an 81 yard catch against the Steelers who left him wide open, he still would have averaged 13.7 PPR fantasy points per game with Wentz. Jefferson didn't score any touchdowns in those five games with Carson Wentz, but he was on pace for like 1600 yards or something like that. You know, big number, maybe more like 15, but. But big numbers other than the touchdowns. And then even Hawkinson at least was on pace for 99 targets in those games. He, you know, didn't do much with them, but he was usable. So, Dave, we were talking earlier this week that you said that's what gave you hope that Kevin oconnell's offense was still humming with those with Carson Wentz those five games. Now before you get to that, let's just put out. You know, Jamie said round two for Jefferson, you know, mid. Mid round pick for Addison. Sorry for misquoting you, whatever. But you give me your take on when we'll talk about the. You can tell me Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason if you want. But. But basically anyone you want to tell me on the Vikings when they're going to. When they should be taken.

[Dave Richard]

Let's separate the running backs for the sake of this conversation. So I don't talk too much and we don't confuse everybody too much. But Jefferson's locked in as a top 12, top 10 fantasy wide receiver. We're just going to hit the Delete button on 2025 and Jamie used the word hope. I think that's probably the best word. Hope that Kyler Murray can reclaim his downfield passing. That's really been the thing that's gone south for him since he tore his acl.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

It's weird.

[Dave Richard]

You'd think that after he tore his ACL it would be his rushing numbers that would turn south, it was his downfield throws. They've really gotten a lot worse. They started to perk up last year, but for the most part they've gotten worse. I think that can come back and I think that that's going to be more about o', Connell, the pass protection and. And the lack of a strong run game in Minnesota. At least I expect a lack of a strong run game for the Vikings. Jefferson's awesome. Kyler's going to know to throw it his way. Top 12 Type of Wide receiver. Addison, that mid round type of like borderline number three wide receiver absolutely fits in there. Hawkinson is back in the conversation as a borderline top 12 tight end. Probably one of those guys. I say it about so many players that are in this late round convo. Who do they play in week one. Do you like the matchup in week one? And if so, draft them. If not, let somebody else draft them and then when they drop them, you can pick them up, use them as a high end, type of a streamer. And Kyler, he's. He's above Malik Willis. Remember, Malik Willis is going to be my red line at qb. I like him better than Malik Willis simply because we've seen him do it before. He's got a better situation. He should throw a lot. And he's been in offenses where he's thrown a lot previously. I would expect that to continue there. I, I don't know if I can fit him top 12. He might be top 13 and he could be one of those quarterbacks where as long as I'm not going to pair him with a veteran that's coming back from an injury or, or somebody else that's got like crazy high upside. Like, I don't know if I love the idea of drafting Murray and Willis, but I don't hate the idea of drafting Purdy and then Murray or Murray and then Goth one of those combos. I think that can work for fantasy managers who want to wait on QB.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah, as I mentioned, top 12 five years in a row. And in the last three seasons since coming back from a torn ACL Kyler, Murray has been on pace for 518, 572 and 588 yards rushing.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

So the average is just about 37 yards rushing per game in his career.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah, pretty good. I think. I think we should expect over. Well, that's the thing is. I don't know. What, I don't know. I find it very difficult to. To project him in this offense. I. Like I, I said to you guys off the air, I don't necessarily think he's a good fit for this offense because of the things you said, Dave. Over the last three seasons, he's got the fifth lowest yards per attempt on deep balls, the sixth lowest yards per attempt on passes of 10 or more air yards. So deep balls is 20 or more. 10 or more. He still stinks there. And who is he ahead of? It's guys who really haven't played that much. He's ahead of Caleb Williams, Cam Ward, Spencer Rattler, Mac Jones and Bryce Young in terms of yards per attempt on pass attempts of 10 or more air yards. Where he's been efficient is on short throws. The Vikings, like Jordan Addison, has been top five in average route depth all three of his seasons. Justin Jefferson's pretty high up there.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Too.

[Adam Azer]

Jefferson's a dot is usually around 10, 11 yards. It's not really that crazy. Addison's is closer to 12, 13. But to me, he's. He's a terrible fit for this offense. But maybe he can just be better. As you were saying, maybe he can be better at throwing the ball downfield, but that hasn't really been his thing. And also, the Vikings haven't been throwing the ball as much lately. Their defense last two years have been. Has been pretty damn good. Fifth and seventh and points per game allowed. The past attempts have gone down. They're not throwing the ball, you know, just. In just Justin Jefferson's tenure, they've ranked 27th when he was a rookie, then 11th, seventh and fourth in his next three years, then 18th, then 28th in pass attempts.

[Dave Richard]

So I have a whole. There's a reason for that. Last year.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah, last year they were 30th place.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I think you got to sort of separate how we approach this because, like, you're right, this is not the ideal fit for what I'm sure Kevin o' Connell wants to do from a money perspective. And I take a chance on perspective like, this is the perfect fit, because you know, what you have. You know, what your backup plan is right now, as ugly as it may be, this is the guy you drafted in 2024. McCarthy. Right. So that's your backup plan. And so they probably view this as if this guy is anything close to what he can be in Kevin o' Connell's offense with these weapons. I mean, this is the best weapons he's ever had. You know, he's had good guys at times. You know, they've never sort of aligned where, you know, like Marvin Harrison, what he could become with what Trey McBride is right now, or, you know, DeAndre Hopkins, as he was getting toward the tail end of his tenure there with what McBride, you know, was in his, you know, first year and a half. You know, those type of things just never really in place. And so you're saying, okay, I get this guy for 1.3 million. The Cardinals are playing, paying his salary, He's a former number one overall pick. He can hopefully acclimate to the system there, and these weapons elevate him. And if it doesn't work, okay, you. You turn back to McCarthy and maybe McCarthy, the motivation and, you know, a year full of. Are you off season? Full of being healthy and realizing, like, you know, his career may not be what it was or expected to be because of how it's. It started, and then there might be another thing that we don't know that they're still thinking because Cousins is still out there. A guy that's played in the system before and may not be able to get a job, you know, and that might be okay. We'll see how this looks in the off season. If we have to make a desperation call, they might go out and get, get a Kirk cousin still, you know, So I love the move.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Absolutely love the move. I agree with you. It's not like, hey, they went out and found the guy for this team, but that's why they're getting him at such a discount.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Adam Azer]

All right, let's take a quick break and we'll finish up our thoughts on that and also just a couple of running back updates as well. We'll be right back on Fantasy football today.

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This episode is brought to you by Athletic Brewing Co. No matter how you do game day, on the couch, in the crowd, or manning the snack table, Athletic Brewing fits right in with a full lineup of non alcoholic beer styles you can enjoy. Bold flavors all game long. No hangovers, no buzz, no subbing out for water in the second half. Stock the fridge for tip off with a variety of non alcoholic craft styles available at your local grocery store or online at athleticbrewing.com near Beer Fit for all times Just to go back to, you know, the fit with Kyler Murray, I think it's easy to be excited about Kyler Murray. You know, in O Connell's been there four years, Kirk Cousins was eighth per game in 2022. Cousins was fifth per game in 2023. He only played eight games, but he tore it up. And then Sam Darnold was eighth per game in 2025 4. And then of course you had last year's debacle. It's great for Kyler. I guess I was just, I don't know how to necessarily feel about the receivers because I'm excited for them. But you know, Kyler, he, he's usually on pace for about 20, 23 at most touchdowns or he's not, he hasn't been a big touchdown thrower. He runs the ball obviously. So I, I just thought it was difficult from a projection standpoint. So I, I don't know Dave. I thought maybe easiest to get excited about Kyler. Not sure about how to feel about the wide receivers. I agree with what you guys said but one thing you did say, both of you was Justin Jefferson in the second round, which is. Is not necessarily just forgetting about last year because we just forgot about last year. He'd be in the top five. So you're telling me both of you a little bit of apprehension. I think if you're saying Justin Jefferson in the second round, that's fair to say.

[Dave Richard]

But it for me I'm expecting him to see a good target volume. We saw him get 10 targets per game with with Carson Wentz and that led to good fantasy production. It wasn't Jetta's typical numbers as far as fantasy goes, but even if he gets to nine targets per game, he should be able to get over that 15 ppr point per game mark and maybe even touch 16 or 17. He would need a ton of touchdowns to get back to top three range. I think you said it best, Adam. We haven't known Kyler to be that guy as a thrower. It would be a little startling if he went and threw for 30 or 35 touchdowns this year. Is it possible? Sure, Kevin O' Connell can maybe coax that out of him, but it's not necessarily the type of thing that you want to bet on. You don't want to put that much upside into your selection of Justin Jefferson. So you take them somewhere between the 9th receiver off the board and the 11th wide receiver off the board.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I'm a little higher than that. I think I'm seventh. The the thing that I'm hoping for and again it's Hope is that 2020 season with DeAndre Hopkins for Murray. Hopkins had 160 targets. He had 116 receptions. He had 1400 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged over 17 PPR points per game. Jefferson's worst season prior to last year was his rookie season. 17.1 PPR points per game. I think that's realistic for a guy that was in that 16 to 17 point per game range with Wentz in those games. And again you're talking about what talent level does Jefferson have And we saw him even in that small sample size. Remember he was coming back from a hamstring injury that 2023 season when Cousins missed the final half of the year. It was what's his name? The pastronaut is escaped Josh Stubbs and it was Nick Foles and not Nick Foles, Nick Mullins, you know, it was, it was a hodgepodge of quarterbacks and Jefferson was still very good. Yeah. And so I'm hoping, again, keep using that word. I'm hoping that what Jefferson did last year was just a byproduct of everything being miserable, McCarthy not being healthy or potentially not good. And now you have a guy that's at least for one season elevated a pretty elite receiver that was still in his prime. And if you look at the next two years for Hopkins, he played 10 games and nine games in 2021 and 2022. He was at 16 points per game in one of those seasons and 14 and a half in the other. Like, I think that's the floor for him. So if you tell me that Jefferson is at worst a 14 point per game guy, I could live with that in round two. I wouldn't love it, but I could live with it because, you know, there'll be some spike games in there and he's too good not to probably be better than what that was for, for Hopkins. But if you're telling me two years of DeAndre Hopkins with Kyler Murray was over 16 points per game, that's a second round pick and that's a borderline top five wide receiver.

[Adam Azer]

One of the problems with metrics, man, is they just don't tell you why sometimes. And I think the question of why has Kyler Murray struggled so much throwing the ball downfield over the last three seasons? Is it because he hasn't had DeAndre Hopkins, you know, and they haven't been able to replace that with the appropriate player? Or is it because he is worse since the knee injury? I don't know if he can bounce

[Jamie Eisenberg]

eight touchdowns out of Marvin Harrison in his rookie season too. Like, that's not something to overlook.

[Adam Azer]

He did, but I also got like three out of Trey McBride that year. Right, so. And then, yeah, right. And then McBride obviously took off with Jacoby Brissette, throwing 41 times per game with Jacoby Brissette, but still, it was much better production for McBride. So, yeah, I mean, if Kyler Murray can get back to being the type of passer he was when he had DeAndre Hopkins, then seriously, you could. And he's rushing for over 500 yards for Minnesota, you could be looking at a top five league winning quarterback. I don't think I'm exaggerating here.

[Dave Richard]

Right.

[Adam Azer]

I mean, the upside, if he can, if he can play better, sure.

[Dave Richard]

But we've about that year after year after year. And Adam, you keep bringing up this stat about him being top 12 at quarterback and like, what is it, five,

[Adam Azer]

five straight years before last year per game.

[Dave Richard]

Okay, all right, so in three of those years he didn't even touch 22 points per game. And then now are we, should we expect him to get to 22 points per game now? Because if we are, then I've got him ranked too low. But he shouldn't be a top 12 quarterback. And then his, his upside. When's the last time kyler even had 25 points per game? I think it was 2020. I think it was the year with Hopkins and so counting on that to happen. I don't think anybody's going to draft him with that type of expectation. So, yeah, he's got that type of upside. That's why he's going to get drafted in every single league. And if you're somebody that had Kyler before and you're going, oh man, keep him away from me, I know that he stinks. I, I think it's worth reconsidering just because of the new offense that he's in. He'll be asked to push the ball downfield. If it doesn't work out, then he'll just keep throwing it short. Either way, it's going to work out for Jefferson. It won't work out for Addison as much. But that's why you're taking Addison with a mid round pick. I, I think that there's, there's room for him to be good. I don't know if we're gonna, I don't know if it's a good idea to hype him up as like a possible top five quarterback. Things would have to go really right for Minnesota for that to happen.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Okay, but nobody's drafting him like that.

[Dave Richard]

No, I hope not.

[Adam Azer]

No, no, no. I just wanted. He has had two elite seasons in his career. 2020 and 2021. Kyler Murray, he's also had, you know, he's also.

[Dave Richard]

He was 23.9 in 2021. Let's not.

[Adam Azer]

I got him at 24.8.

[Dave Richard]

I've got him lower either way.

[Adam Azer]

That's not E. 24.8 is pretty, is pretty close. I mean, it's not 27, which he was in 2020, but it's pretty damn good. All right, let's do a this Minnesota Viking or this other player exercise here. Justin Jefferson or Malik? Neighbors.

[Dave Richard]

Neighbors.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

As of now, Jefferson.

[Adam Azer]

As of now, Justin Jefferson or Drake? London.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

London.

[Dave Richard]

Agreed.

[Adam Azer]

Kyler Murray or. Yeah, Brock Purdy.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Purdy. Right now?

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Adam Azer]

Kyler Murray or. We said Malik. Well, you can say it again. Malik Willis.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Willis for me.

[Dave Richard]

I'll take Kyler.

[Adam Azer]

Oh, okay. Okay. I guess maybe Dave only said that. Kyler Murray or Patrick Mahomes for now.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Kyler.

[Adam Azer]

You keep saying for now. What needs to change?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Mahomes Knee injury.

[Adam Azer]

It would be worse than like his recovery would be slower.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Okay.

[Adam Azer]

All right, how about Jordan Addison or Mike Evans?

[Dave Richard]

Evans.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Evans by a lot.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah. All right, let's move down a little bit. Jordan Addison or. Looking at our most recent draft, Romeo Dobbs with the Patriots now.

[Dave Richard]

I think I'll end up with Dobbs higher. Don't quote me on it. I'm still working on that.

[Adam Azer]

If Brandon Iuk goes to the commanders. Addison or Ayuk?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Addison.

[Dave Richard]

I would probably rather take the chance on iuk, but again, don't quote me on it.

[Adam Azer]

Addison or Josh Downs.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

That was kind of the range I had for both of them, but I have Addison slightly higher.

[Dave Richard]

I'd rather, I, I think I would rank Addison ahead of Downs, but I kind of feel like waiting the extra round or three to get downs, get downs, get downs, get downs.

[Adam Azer]

Now I gotta go watch Pulp Fiction and TJ Hawkinson. Who do we talk about? Jigo conquo

[Dave Richard]

I'll take Hawk.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Okay.

[Adam Azer]

I'm not gonna waste, I'm not gonna do a lot of Hawkinson stuff.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

The thing that worries me about Hawkinson is is he ever going to get back to his pre ACL form? Like it's been almost 2 years of him struggling.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah. Like what was his.

[Dave Richard]

He took a pay cut to stay right. Yeah.

[Adam Azer]

His target per route run rate was something wildly low. 14 target share, 15.9% target per hour run rate. It's, that's really low. All right, couple of running back notes here. Oh, does Jamie, you want to talk about how this might affect Aaron Jones, Jordan Mason, Kyler Murray?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I, I, in the story I wrote about Kyler, I, I didn't really think it changes their fantasy outlook very much. You know, I mean, you're probably going to lose some receptions, but I don't think anybody's looking at these two guys and saying they're gonna win me my league because of their reception totals. So, you know, you have a 31, soon to be 32 year old Aaron Jones. I think he's just a flex option at best. Mason, not far behind him is one of the high end handcuffs that's certainly going to play a lot. I saw one Minnesota writer Suggest that should be Mason on first and second down and Jones on passing downs. Just stop with the timeshare already. Like it's. That didn't work. So, you know, Kyler is not going to be great for these guys. But I don't think anybody's looking at these guys as great fantasy options right now.

[Dave Richard]

Could their rushing efficiency perk up a little bit because of Kyler's threat to run, defense is having to adjust for that.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

If there was one clear cut, this is the guy and I could trust this guy, then I would agree with you. But again, Jones missed five games last year. He was injured the year before and played through it. Like at his age, if his rushing efficiency improves dramatically, you know, does he go from, you know, nine point per game guy that he was last year to a 15 point per game guy? No. Maybe he gets to 11. You know, he had 11 game, 11 points per game. And I think it was five of the 12 games that he played last year. Like it just wasn't great. And Mason was awesome. When Jones was out those five games, he averaged over 13 PPR points per game. But like you need one to not be there for the other, I think to be successful.

[Dave Richard]

I agree. And Mason, that was weighted down by the one big game he had. I think it was against Cincinnati. He went berserk in that game.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

This is really had one bad game though in those five. Like he was.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, he was okay in a couple of games. You're right.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Week 18, he had 14 carries for 94 yards, didn't score no catches. He's never going to do much in the past. Right. So like he'll run well, but he just won't.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, maybe a little bit better in those, in those classic non PPR formats. This helps me. This encourages me a little bit for the passing game for Minnesota. Just it. Because this looks like what the Vikings run game is going to be. We can talk about Jacksonville and they might add another guy along the way. I don't think Minnesota is going to make any big splash at running back. And this is going to be what they go with. And that encourages me for, you know, just adds a little bit more on top for Kyler, for Jefferson, for Addison, for Hawkinson.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah, I hope their defense gets a little worse. Honestly, they've lost players, not necessarily great players, but they've lost players in free agency. And it would be a benefit to everyone on offense if the Vikings defense would just, you know, stop being so damn good.

[Dave Richard]

Remember, some pretty good players, man, like their, their D line is a question mark now.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah, but I feel like those guys were more just like Renard. Well, no, not Grenard, but Jonathan Allen

[Dave Richard]

and, and that's a pretty big, you

[Adam Azer]

know, who's the other guy?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I'm. I'm generally of the philosophy of Jimmy's and Joe's over X's and O's. You know, players are certainly more important than system, but you get some systems that just absolutely work. Yeah, and Flores's system works. Robert Sala's system works. Steve Spagnolo system works. Like, you know, these guys are elite defensive coordinators for a reason. Vic Fangio system works, you know, so I think Flores is clearly going to miss those guys, but he'll find a way to still make this defense a, a very solid unit. So I don't know if that's the, the thing you want to bank on for Minnesota's offense being better as the defense being worse.

[Dave Richard]

Sure, that's fair. Are you drafting the Vikings dst?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Probably not, but they'll. They'll be in the mix of, you know, who they're playing week one and, and what know their schedule is like.

[Adam Azer]

All right, guys, a couple of running back notes. Emmanuel Wilson to Seattle, Amari D. Mercado to Kansas City. Dave, do either of these matter?

[Dave Richard]

Wilson might end up mattering.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Who's.

[Dave Richard]

What's that running back room look like right now? I'm sure that that's not a finished group, but Charbonnet just had the surgery. Holani isn't anything special. Maybe there's a pathway for Emmanuel Wilson to be a streaming running back in the early portion of the year. D. Mercado. I'm afraid of him being the next Charbonnet and he gets in the way of Kenneth Walker and that would suck.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Chardonnay is looking very good right now. Like, if he can get back early in the season.

[Dave Richard]

Miracle recovery, please.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I, I mean, that, that would be fantastic. But, you know, even just the. Okay, yeah, he'll be ready mid October. He'll be, you know, our guy to close the season. Like, this could be a league winning type of player. If this is what this backfield does look like, you know, we were talking about, you know, Holani and, and Wilson as the, the two guys, you know, they're, they're clearly going cheap at that position. So unless it's a prominent rookie of some sort, then he's in a great situation.

[Adam Azer]

Wait, what is your worryometer on Amari Di Mercado being Zach Charbonnet and taking.

[Dave Richard]

Oh, it's low.

[Adam Azer]

It's like a 0.5 for me.

[Dave Richard]

No, it's got to be a little bit higher than that. When's the last time we saw Kansas City throw all of their running back work on one guy? And they just signed Jim Mercado.

[Adam Azer]

But not at the go. I don't know that they would use him at the goal line.

[Dave Richard]

I don't. Listen, I. I doubt it. So that's why. Yeah. Yeah. Like, it's like a maximum of three. I was gonna say two.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I'd be more concerned if they bring back Kareem Hunt.

[Dave Richard]

That's.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah. All right, we gotta. Finally.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

We also have one more running back note. Oh, NFL Network.

[Adam Azer]

What do we got?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

We have a name change.

[Adam Azer]

A name change.

[Dave Richard]

A name change. I know about the. The logo change in Tennessee.

[Adam Azer]

He's going by Richard Dave from now on. Everybody.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

He's going by Kenny Gainwell now.

[Adam Azer]

Kenny Gainwell.

[Dave Richard]

Kenny. Kenny Gainwell. Okay.

[Adam Azer]

All right. We have a YouTube poll to end the show. If Kyler starts every game for the Vikings next season, what will his fantasy points per game be? We always use six point per passing touchdown, by the way. 19.5 or higher.

[Dave Richard]

Yes.

[Adam Azer]

Under 19.5 or see results. And I voted for 19.5 or higher, and I am losing. Under 19.5 is 51%.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

45% that number once in his career.

[Dave Richard]

This is last year.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Yep.

[Adam Azer]

Yeah. 45% say 19.5 or higher. And 3% chickened out and said see results.

[Dave Richard]

Want to hear a sense that could make a lot of people nervous? What if Drew Petzing was the reason? This is a question. I sentence. What if Drew Petzing was the reason that Kyler stunk it up?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

It's certainly possible.

[Adam Azer]

Certainly possible he's now the Lions offensive coordinator.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Or it could just be a name only and Campbell's still calling place.

[Dave Richard]

That'd be cool. But you break out that menu.

[Adam Azer]

You of all people, Jamie cannot say name only about Drew Petzick. All right, we're out of here, Everybody. That was 27 minutes on Kyler, basically. I love it, but so many moving parts there. Okay, we'll. We'll talk to you later. Don't know when, but later on Fantasy football today. If we don't talk to you till Monday, have an awesome weekend. See ya. Paramount podcast

[Dave Richard]

Shot clocks, big shots, upsets, aces.

[Adam Azer]

TGL playoffs are here. First Atlanta drives, starts their repeat run against Los Angeles Golf Club. Then Rory's Boston Common golf and Tigers,

[Dave Richard]

Jupiter Lynx face off in their playoff debuts. Who will advance? Keep up its playoffs.

[Adam Azer]

Tune in Tuesday, March 17, at 6:30pm

[Dave Richard]

and 9pm only on ESPN and the ESPN app.