FFT Express - 5 Must-Draft Rookies We're Targeting! Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson & More! (07/22 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today – Episode Summary: "FFT Express - 5 Must-Draft Rookies We're Targeting! Emeka Egbuka, TreVeyon Henderson & More!"

Release Date: July 23, 2025

In this engaging episode of Fantasy Football Today, hosted by Adam Aizer alongside analysts Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings, and the rest of the CBS Sports Fantasy Football crew, the team delves into their top five rookie targets for the upcoming fantasy football season. Balancing favorite picks with their current Average Draft Positions (ADP), the panel offers valuable insights to help listeners dominate their leagues. Below is a detailed summary capturing the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

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1. Travis Hunter – A Promising Wide Receiver

(Timestamp: 00:24 – 01:48)

Chris begins the discussion by highlighting Travis Hunter as a late 5th pick in Full PPR leagues. He emphasizes Hunter's impressive performance at Colorado, noting his "huge numbers" and "high catch rate." Chris predicts that Hunter will secure significant target volume in Jacksonville, serving primarily as a short to intermediate target.

Notable Quote:

Chris: "A lot of hype around Travis Hunter, but I still think he's going to come through as a borderline wide receiver too, that you can draft in that round five, round six range and feel pretty good about." (00:24)

Adam engages in a light-hearted exchange about selecting between Travis Hunter and other receivers, ultimately leaning towards favoring Hunter over alternatives like Devonte Smith and Cortland Sutton, provided that key players like Dallas Goedert remain healthy.

2. Travion Henderson – The Versatile Running Back

(Timestamp: 01:52 – 03:08)

Travion Henderson is discussed as a balanced asset in Full PPR formats, with an ADP around the 5th to 6th turn. Chris anticipates Henderson won't immediately become the feature back for New England but expects his role to expand mid-season. His ability to catch passes is highlighted as a significant advantage, potentially yielding close to 14 PPR points per game.

Notable Quote:

Chris: "I think he's going to catch a ton of passes. I think that that's a strength that he brings into the National Football League." (01:52)

Adam contemplates whether to draft Henderson over veterans like DeAndre Swift and David Montgomery, with Chris slightly favoring Montgomery but ultimately maintaining Henderson's value.

3. Mecca Buka – The Sleeper Wide Receiver

(Timestamp: 03:15 – 05:24)

Moving further down the ADP chart, Mecca Buka is presented as a high-upside option with an ADP over the 90th to 100th percentile. Chris praises Buka's precise route-running and potential immediate impact as Tampa's slot receiver. He underscores the uncertainty surrounding Chris Godwin's performance, positioning Buka as a reliable contingency plan.

Notable Quote:

Chris: "A precise route runner who can line up anywhere and make an impact on the field." (03:15)

Adam expresses caution, suggesting that while Buka has the potential to be a steal, there's also a risk of him underperforming. The discussion concludes that Buka remains an exciting prospect with "tons of contingency upside."

4. Tyler Warren & Colson Loveland – Rookie Tight Ends with Upside

(Timestamp: 16:18 – 18:30)

Chris combines his analysis of rookie tight ends Tyler Warren and Colson Loveland, both drafted around the 115th to 117th positions. He favors Warren for his potential to lead the Colts in receiving categories and his role as a short-area target capable of gaining yards after the catch. Loveland is described as a finesse receiver who can excel in seam routes but faces stiff competition within Chicago's offense.

Notable Quote:

Chris: "I think Tyler Warren isn't there to necessarily work the seam all the time. I think he's going to be a short area target who can bounce off defenders and add yards after the catch." (16:18)

Adam raises the consideration of value, debating whether to select rookie tight ends over more established options like David Njoku. Chris advocates for selecting Njoku due to his consistent performance and adaptability within different quarterback systems, asserting that Njoku "deserves to be drafted as better than a player that goes at 90th overall." (18:23)

5. David Njoku – The Reliable Tight End Option

(Timestamp: 18:30 – 19:25)

David Njoku is highlighted as a dependable tight end who has consistently proven his worth over the past two years, especially when playing alongside quarterbacks other than Deshaun Watson. Chris credits Njoku's proficiency in shorter routes, making him less susceptible to quarterback inconsistencies and maintaining his fantasy value even in less-than-ideal offensive scenarios.

Notable Quote:

Chris: "I think Najoku could still be okay with Pickett or Dylan Gabriel or Shoulder Sanders." (18:50)

Adam concurs, appreciating Njoku's reliability and recommending him as a better value pick compared to the rookie tight ends discussed earlier.

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Conclusion

The Fantasy Football Today team provides a comprehensive analysis of five must-draft rookies, balancing ADP with projected performance and team dynamics. Travis Hunter and Travion Henderson emerge as top picks for their dual-threat capabilities, while Mecca Buka offers a high-upside sleeper option. In the tight end category, Tyler Warren and David Njoku present compelling choices, each with unique strengths catering to different fantasy strategies.

Final Takeaway: For fantasy managers aiming to gain an edge in their leagues, targeting these rookies in their respective ADP ranges can offer significant value and upside, potentially leading to championship-winning teams.

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This summary aims to encapsulate the key discussions and expert insights from the "FFT Express" segment of the Fantasy Football Today podcast, providing listeners and fantasy enthusiasts with actionable strategies and player evaluations.

Transcript

[Adam]

We love rookies who are Dave's favorite rookies at their current values. We'll tell you right now on FFT Express. All right. So yeah, it'd be easy to say these are our favorite rookies, but we're going to look at it with ADP in mind as well. And it's July 22nd. ADP is going to change a lot. But what'd you come up with?

[Dave]

You want to go 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 here?

[Chris]

No, I'm gonna go in order of ADP and I'm gonna pass on. I'm not saying I'm gonna pass on drafting Ashton Gentian, Omarion, Hampton, but those guys, I think the consensus is going to be very, very high on those two. So I'm skipping them. We're not even going to talk about them. But we are going to talk about Travis Hunter, who's going as a late 5 pick in full PPR. I'm on board with that. I think he's absolutely going to get good target volume. More of a short and intermediate target for Jacksonville. What he did at Colorado after the catch was absolutely amazing. Huge numbers, high catch rate. Gonna get a lot of passes going his way and he's going to try and catch well. He will have some games. Adam, you will get to make your Pokemon joke. Eight targets, eight catches, good numbers to go along with it. A lot of hype around Travis Hunter, but I still think he's going to come through as a borderline wide receiver too, that you can draft in that round five, round six range and feel pretty good about.

[Adam]

All right, I'll give you some Travis Hunter ors. Travis Hunter or Devonte Smith.

[Chris]

I'm gonna go Hunter over Smith.

[Adam]

Okay. Let's just hope Dallas got her, doesn't get hurt. Then we're gonna might regret that.

[Chris]

We would regret that. Yeah.

[Adam]

Travis Hunter or Cortland Sutton.

[Chris]

Of course, if Brian Thomas Jr. Were to get hurt. Yeah, we'd rather have Travis Hunter. We can play that game that way. Who's the name you gave?

[Adam]

It doesn't matter. Corland, Sutton.

[Chris]

Corland? Why does that not matter? I do like Sutton more than Hunter.

[Adam]

Yeah. Okay. How about next rookie on the list, Travion Henderson?

[Chris]

His ADP on fantasy pros. I believe it's right around the 5, 6 turn. I think in full PPR he'll be worth that. And I. I don't expect him to be the feature back for New England at least. Certainly not to start the year. Maybe he morphs into that role around mid season, but I do think he's going to catch a ton of passes. I think that that's a strength that he brings into the National Football League. We'll see how many carries he can take away from Ramadre Stevenson. Wouldn't surprise me if by Halloween he was getting more playing time and more carries. Will he work the goal line ahead of Ramondre Stevenson? That's something that I'm nervous about. He didn't do a ton of that in college, but I think he's a very talented running back and in full PPR. I think he can get you close to 14 PPR points per game and he'll have some weeks where he just absolutely busts out. Kind of in the mold of a no Sean Moreno type of running back. And that type of player is who did very well with Josh McDaniels in Denver. It was no Sean who did well with Josh McDaniels in Denver. I'm thinking that McDaniels is going to try and make that the ceiling for Travion Henderson. Just won't rush there to do it. I would take Travion Henderson with a top 65ish pick.

[Adam]

Henderson or Deandre Swift?

[Chris]

Henderson for me.

[Adam]

Henderson or David Montgomery?

[Chris]

It's going to be close, but I'm going to lean Montgomery as of now.

[Adam]

Okay, let's get number three on your list.

[Chris]

We're going way down in ADP now. These next three players all have an ADP of over 90th, maybe even 100th where you look. We talked about a Mecca Buka on the main show. I'm not going to get into it much more now, but precise route runner can line up anywhere and make an impact on the field. Could be the slot guy for Tampa right away in Week one. We don't know when Chris Godwin is going to be back to his old self. I think that matters more than whatever you want to say about Mike Evans and him getting old. But he's going to be the guy that ends up stepping into an even larger opportunity. If Godwin isn't ready to go, if Godwin is limited, if Godwin or Evans misses time during the season and I think a book is just an NFL ready route, running good hands type of receiver that can help fantasy managers and his ADP is it's a dream at this point.

[Adam]

Push back on that a little. I don't think it's a dream. I think it's appropriate. 117th I don't know. I don't really feel like I'm getting a steal there for a guy who.

[Chris]

Could end up being a steal.

[Adam]

No, he could end up being a steal, absolutely. But I. But I also think he could end up being a bust. I think he could be droppable, which is probably the case. No, no. Look, I don't. I don't think that. Let's say, maybe. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think Michael Pittman could end up being a steal. I don't. People might disagree with me on this, but I don't really think Brandon IU could end up being a steal.

[Chris]

Nope.

[Adam]

And those are the guys that are going right around Abuka. So if you want to just look at upside, maybe a Buka has it. And rookie wide receivers often outperform their ADP. But I mentioned JSN on the other show that we did. He had 93 targets as a rookie behind Metcalf and Lockett. I. I could see that reality for a buka and 93 targets is going to be a guy who's on and off the waiver wire.

[Chris]

I think you're probably right. And if that comes to pass, that means that whoever drafts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should be very happy with what they get out of him this year.

[Adam]

Okay. Buka is a really exciting player, though.

[Chris]

Yeah, he's very exciting. And just tons of contingency upside.

[Adam]

Right? Right. Because it's not like one of. There are ways that don't necessarily involve a guy leaving with an injury or whatever for him to step up. Okay. Let's take a break and we got two more rookies that Dave likes at their ADPs after this. Back on FFT Express. All right, we've got so far, Travis Hunter, Travion Henderson, A Mecca Buka. Who's next?

[Chris]

I'm going to combine the last two, Adam, because they're both tight ends and you already know who they are. If I'm combining two rookie tight ends based on adp, it's Tyler Warren, who's going according to Fantasy Pros at 115.2, and Colson Loveland with the Bears who's going 117.7. So they're both in that round 10 range. I do like Warren better. I think he's going to see more targets. I think there's a chance he leads the Colts in all the receiving categories this year. I think he is that good. Slash. I think the Colts wide receivers just aren't that good. But I. I see the talent in both of them and they're both different. Loveland to me is much more of a. Of A finesse receiver. He can win on the seam downfield. It's just a matter of target crunch for him because he's sharing with DJ Moore, Roma Dunes A, Luther Burden, DeAndre Swift. Chicago's offense still kind of a question mark. I think it's an upgrade obviously with Ben Johnson and his play calling and play designs, but Caleb Williams does have to come through. We don't know if that's something that we can just absolutely guarantee. The quarterback situation in Indianapolis is even worse. But I think Tyler Warren isn't there to necessarily work the seam all the time. I think he's going to be a short area target who can bounce off defenders and add yards after the catch. And that's something that I think the Colts have kind of been missing in their offense. Certainly in the red zone when they want to throw, not necessarily when they're inside the three, but more when they're from like call it the five yard line all the way back to the 20. They need somebody who can win regularly in the red zone. I think Warren can do that for them. And these are both guys that have tons of upside and low adp. Just like a buka where if, if they end up not working out for you. All right, it sucks, but it's a round 10 pick or maybe their ADP goes up and it's a round nine pick and you can find another tight end off the waiver wire or you can draft one of these tight ends with a veteran tight end. Have two tight ends on your team to start the year and hope that one of the two tight ends ends up being good for your fantasy team. I can't tell you how many teams I've drafted with Tucker Kraft and Tyler Warren. Those two guys seem to be my guys who, when I don't get a good value on one of the, you know, top seven or eight tight ends at the beginning of my draft.

[Adam]

What is better value? David Najoku in round nine or let's call him eight, nine turn or those these rookies in round ten?

[Chris]

I'll take Nijoku because we've seen it from him literally anytime over the last two years when he's been on the field with a quarterback not named desean Watson. He's been money and I mean we talked about this on the main show. Like what could it look like in Cleveland if they begin the year with Kenny Pickett as their starting quarterback or Dylan Gabriel as their starting quarterback? You can. They're on Shadur Sanders as well. I think that's going to be worse for the wide receivers, but not so much for Najoku because his role in that offense isn't to run downfield all the time. He's running a lot of shorter routes. Those are easier throws for any quarterback to make. And so I think Najoku could still be okay with Pickett or Dylan Gabriel or Shoulder Sanders. Of course, with Joe Flacco, I think he'd be best off. I think the receivers would be too in Cleveland. Just as an aside, but I think Najoku at this point he's, he's earned, he's won us over in fantasy and deserves to be drafted as better than a player that goes at 90th overall.

[Adam]

Okay, thank you very much to Dave Richard. This is FFT Express and we'll talk to you tomorrow with another episode. See you later.

[Unknown]

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[Adam]

We love rookies. Who are Dave's favorite rookies at their current values? We'll tell you right now on FFT Express. All right, so yeah, it'd be easy to say is our favorite rookies, but we're going to look at it with.

[Dave]

ADP in mind as well. And it's July 22nd.

[Adam]

ADP is going to change a lot, but what you come up with, you.

[Dave]

Want to go 54321 here?

[Chris]

No, I'm going to go in order of ADP and I'm going to pass on. I'm not saying I'm going to pass on drafting Ash and Genti and Omarion Hampton, but those are two guys. I think the consensus is going to be very, very high on those two. So I'm skipping them. We're not even going to talk about them, but we are going to talk about Travis Hunter who's going as a late 5 pick in full PPR. I'm on board with that. I think he's absolutely going to get good target volume. More of a short and intermediate target for Jacksonville. But what he did at Colorado after the catch was absolutely amazing. Huge numbers, high catch rate, going to get a lot of passes going his way and he's going to try and catch well. He Will have some games. Adam, you will get to make your Pokemon joke. Eight targets, eight catches, good numbers to go along with it. A lot of hype around Travis Hunter, but I still think he's going to come through as a borderline wide receiver too that you can draft in that round five, round six range and feel pretty good about.

[Adam]

All right, I'll give you some Travis Hunter ors. Travis Hunter or Devonte Smith.

[Chris]

I'm gonna go Hunter over Smith.

[Adam]

Okay. Let's just hope Dallas got her doesn't get hurt. Then we're might regret that.

[Chris]

We would regret that. Yeah.

[Adam]

Travis Hunter or Cortland Sutton.

[Chris]

Of course, if Brian Thomas Jr. Were to get hurt. Yeah, we'd rather have Travis Hunter. We can play that game that way. Who's the name you gave?

[Adam]

It doesn't matter. Corland, Sutton, Coralance.

[Chris]

Why does that not matter? I do like Sutton more than Hunter.

[Adam]

Yeah. Okay. How about next rookie on the list, Travion Henderson?

[Chris]

His ADP on fantasy pros. I believe it's right around the 56 turn. I think in full PPR he'll be worth that. And I. I don't expect him to be the feature back for New England at least. Certainly not to start the year. Maybe he morphs into that role around mid season, but I do think he's going to catch a ton of passes. I think that that's a strength that he brings into the National Football League. We'll see how many carries he can take away from Ramadre Stevenson. Wouldn't surprise me if by Halloween he was getting more playing time and more carries. Will he work the goal line ahead of Ramondre Stevenson? That's something that I'm nervous about. He didn't do a ton of that in college, but I think he's a very talented running back and in full PPR I think he can get you close to 14 PPR points per game. And they'll have some weeks where he just absolutely busts out. Kind of in the mold of a no Sean Moreno type of running back. And that type of player is who did very well with Josh McDaniels in Denver. It was no Sean who did well with Josh McDaniels in Denver. I'm thinking that McDaniels is going to try and make that the ceiling for Travion Henderson. Just won't rush there to do it. I would take Travion Henderson with the top 65ish pick.

[Adam]

Henderson or Deandre Swift? Henderson for me, Henderson or David Montgomery?

[Chris]

It's going to be close but I'm going to lean Montgomery as of now.

[Adam]

Okay, let's get number three on your list.

[Chris]

We're going way down in ADP now. These next three players all have an ADP of over 90th, maybe even 100th where you look. We talked about a Mecca Buka on the main show. I'm not going to get into it much more now, but precise route runner can line up anywhere and make an impact on the field. Could be the slot guy for Tampa right away in Week one. We don't know when Chris Godwin is going to be back to his old self. I think that matters more than whatever you want to say about Mike Evans and him getting old. But he's going to be the guy that ends up stepping into an even larger opportunity if Godwin isn't ready to go, if Godwin is limited, if Godwin or Evans misses time during the season. And I think a book is just an NFL ready route, running, good hands type of receiver that can help fantasy managers. And his ADP is. It's a dream at this point.

[Adam]

Push back on that a little. I don't think it's a dream. I think it's appropriate. 117th.

[Chris]

I don't know.

[Adam]

I don't really feel like I'm getting a steal there.

[Chris]

For a guy who could end up being a steal.

[Adam]

No, he could end up being a steal, absolutely. But I. But I also think he could end up being a bust. I think he could be droppable, which is probably the case. No, no. Look, I don't. I don't think that, let's say, maybe. Correct me if I'm wrong, I don't think Michael Pittman could end up being a steal. I don't. People might disagree with me on this, but I don't really think Brandon IU could end up being a steal.

[Chris]

Nope.

[Adam]

And those are the guys that are going right around Abuka. So if you want to just look at upside, maybe a Buka has it. And rookie wide receivers often outperform their ad. But I mentioned JSN on the other show that we did. He had 93 targets as a rookie behind Metcalf and Lockett. I. I could see that reality for Abuka. And 93 targets is going to be a guy who's on and off the waiver wire.

[Chris]

I think you're probably right. And if that comes to pass, that means that whoever drafts Mike Evans and Chris Godwin should be very happy with what they get out of him this year.

[Adam]

Okay. Buka is a really exciting player, though.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Chris]

It's very exciting and it just tons of contingency upside.

[Adam]

Right, right. Because it's not like one of there are ways that don't necessarily involve a guy leaving with an injury or whatever for him to step up. Okay, let's take a break and we got two more rookies that Dave likes at their ADPs after this.

[Dave]

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[Adam]

Visit yearup.org to learn more back on FFT Express. All right, we've got so far Travis Hunter, Travion Henderson, Ameca Buka. Who's next?

[Chris]

I'm going to combine the last two Adam because they're both tight ends and you already know who they are. If I'm combining two rookie tight ends based on adp, it's Tyler Warren who's going according to Fantasy Pros at 115.2 and Colson Loveland with the Bears who's going 117.7. So they're both in that round 10 range. I do like Warren better. I think he's going to see more targets. I think there's a chance he leads the Colts in all the receiving categories this year. I think he is that good slash. I think the Colts wide receivers just aren't that good. But I, I see the talent in both of them and they're both different. Loveland to me is much more of a of a finesse receiver. He can win on the seam downfield. It's just a matter of target crunch for him because he's sharing with DJ Moore, Roma Dunes a Luther Burden, DeAndre Swift. Chicago's offense still kind of a question mark. I think it's an upgrade obviously with Ben Johnson and his play calling and play designs, but Caleb Williams does have to come through. We don't know if that's something that we can just absolutely guarantee. The quarterback situation in Indianapolis is even worse, but I think Tyler Warren isn't there to necessarily work the seam all the time. I think he's going to be a short area target who can bounce off defenders and add yards after the catch. And that's something that I think the Colts have kind of been missing in their offense. Certainly in the red zone when they want to throw, not necessarily when they're inside the three, but more when they're from, like call it the five yard line all the way back to the 20. They need somebody who can win regularly in the red zone. I think Warren can do that for them. And these are both guys that have tons of upside and low adp, just like a buka where if, if they end up not working out for you. All right, it sucks. But it's a round 10 pick or maybe their ADP goes up and it's a round nine pick and you can find another tight end off the waiver wire or you can draft one of these tight ends with a veteran tight end. Have two tight ends on your team to start the year and hope that one of the two tight ends ends up being good for your fantasy team. I can't tell you how many teams I've drafted with Tucker Kraft and Tyler Warren. Those two guys seem to be my guys. When I don't get a good value on one of the, you know, top seven or eight tight ends at the beginning of my draft, what is better value?

[Adam]

David Najoku in round nine, or let's call him eight, nine turn or those. These rookies in round 10?

[Chris]

I'll take Najoku because we've seen it from him literally anytime over the last two years when he's been on the field with a quarterback not named desean Watson. He's been money and I mean, we talked about this on the main show. Like, what could it look like in Cleveland if they begin the year with Kenny Pickett as their starting quarterback or Dylan Gabriel as their starting quarterback?

[Adam]

You can.

[Chris]

They're on Shadur Sanders as well. I think that's going to be worse for the wide receivers, but not so much for Najoku because his role in that offense isn't to run downfield all the time. He's running a lot of shorter routes. Those are easier throws for any quarterback to make. And so I think Najoku could still be okay with Pickett or Dylan Gabriel or Shoulder Sanders. Of course, with Joe Flacco, I think he'd be best off. I think the receivers would be too in Cleveland, just as an aside, but I think Najoku at this point. He's he's earned. He's won us over in fantasy and deserves to be drafted as better than a player that goes at 90th overall.

[Adam]

Okay, thank you very much to Dave Richard. This is FFT Express and we'll talk to you tomorrow with another episode. See you later.

[Dave]

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