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Adam Azer
What'S up and welcome to Fantasy Football today presented by BetMGM, the sportsbook. Born in Vegas, Adam Azer here with a couple of guys that I haven't forgotten about, Dave, Richard and Jamie Eisenberg. Now today we're we're talking about forgotten football players, players that throughout the off season we just haven't spoken about enough. Maybe we've taken them for granted and that was wrong. So we're sorry. Derrick Henry, Tony Pollard, James Connor, we're going to talk about you on today's show. Hello, Dave and Jamie have a random average draft position question before we get into the big topics today. Dave, I'll throw it to you first. Just looking at some ADP on fantasy Pros. Aman Ross St. Brown has the seventh highest ADP. None of you guys have him higher than 12th. That would be you, Jamie and Heath. Why are the people wrong about Alman Ross St. Brown taking them too early?
Dave Richard
I think they're used to a Monroe St. Brown being a reliable, high volume, high Touchdown fantasy receiver. And he could still be that. I still like him as a top 12 type of fantasy pick, but seventh overall just seems a little bit too soon given the other talent, particularly at running back that we'll see going in the middle of drafts.
Adam Azer
And Jamie, you just had the flex draft over the weekend, which was you and a bunch of industry cool people, analysts. That was too cool to show up, by the way. But how did the draft go and why didn't you ask for my advice before it started?
Jamie Eisenberg
Well, because I knew you would steer me in the wrong direction. But the draft went well. It's always a fun experience when you're drafting with, you know, 11 of the best people in the industry. And it's a, it's a great, you know, thing that Jake Sealy of the Athletic does to bring in some of the best analysts from what we do doing well. You know, Mara St. Brown actually went in round two. I had the. He went right in front of me. One pick in front of me. So I had the sixth pick. It started with CD Lamb and almost had a Monroe St. Brown around two, but ended up with AJ Brown. So not, not bad.
Adam Azer
Oh, man, that would have been a much better pick if you got an Amanra St. Brown, but, yeah, you couldn't control it. That's pretty interesting that he went in the middle of round two. You don't usually see him going that late. All right. Anyway, we got some training camp notes before we get into the forgotten players. We're getting enough stories, enough reporters talking about what's going on to kind of take a look at some winners and losers. So I'm going to ask you, would you rather have player A or player B? This is sort of based on what's been going on in training camp. So the first one is, would you rather have James Cook, who is holding in, did not practice on Sunday because he wants a new contract, or Omarion Hampton? Jamie, who's so far got this clear path to being RB1 for the Chargers. But. But of course, Naji Harris, his return does loom. Would you rather have James Cook or Omarion Hampton?
Jamie Eisenberg
Yeah, and Cook did not practice on Monday either, so who knows how long this is going to linger. So I'd rather have Amarian Hampton at this point. Hold ins, hold outs. They make me nervous. We've seen the track record over the last two years. You go back to 20, 23. Two running backs that had contract situations. Jonathan Taylor and James. Why am I blanking? Packers running back Josh Jacobs. Yes, I. I wanted to Say Brandon Jacobs for a second. Both those guys dealing with contract situations. In 2023, Taylor had his second worst season of his career. Jacobs had the worst season of his career. This is not a great situation for James Cook, who saw everything except his touchdowns go down and his touchdowns spiked in such a tremendous way that it's hard for him to replicate that type of production. They're very similar in terms of their profiles because I don't think the receptions are going to be the thing that carries them. I think it's going to be a lot of what they do on the ground. And at this point, I'm willing to trust Omarion Hampton in his role with the Chargers, especially with Najee Harrison with the eye situation, more so than I am James Cook right now. So I will take Hampton over Cook.
Adam Azer
And Dave Richard. I.
Dave Richard
It's. It's kind of a tbd. For now, I do have Cook ahead of Amar and Hampton. This is the first week of August. By the time we get to the third week of August, if James Cook is still sitting out, easy call to put Hampton ahead of Cook. But if Naji Harris comes back and starts to get a couple of weeks worth of practice, I'm a little scared that the Chargers are, are going to give him just enough work to hamper Omari and Hampton. I like both these guys. I think they're both worth taking in the first three rounds. But for now, give me Cook at the beginning of round three, Hampton at the end of round three.
Adam Azer
And honestly, I still think it's just too early to be drafting. I know a lot of you agree, but just you don't have to draft right now. Just wait. Get as much information as you possibly can. This is coming from someone who took R.J. harvey in a dynasty rookie draft before J.K. dobbins signed. So a little bit bitter about that, but I mean, it still lowers his value. You gotta say it lowers his value. He would have been a much better pick if before J.K. dobbins.
Jamie Eisenberg
Yes, but you're not looking at just 2025, you're looking at the rest of his career. That's the point.
Adam Azer
2025 matters. 2025 absolutely matters.
Jamie Eisenberg
You know, not for your crappy team. You're good.
Adam Azer
Well, there's someone else who owns my first round pick, so, you know, I was trying to make a good pick for him. Anyway, let's get back to the Jaguars here and this training camp battle. Tank Bigsby vs. Travis ETN Bigsby. Dave continues to run with the ones, and ETN may be playing more of a pass catching role. But who would you rather have right now, Tank Bigsby or Travis etn?
Dave Richard
I know this sounds crazy, but I think it should be Bigsby. But it's not by much and I think that these are both mid round types of running backs. But Bigsby getting a lot of work with the first team offense. And we know from last year, Adam, his efficiency metrics as a runner blew away Travis etn. I mean ETN was beat up a little bit, so that's part of the problem. But Bigsby really showed out last year why he belongs in the National Football League after a dud rookie season. Bigsby also probably the best candidate to work in short yardage and goal line. I just don't want to overrate either of these running backs because I think it's going to end up being a committee all year. And frankly I think the Jaguars offense will be a lot more pass friendly this year, which isn't great for either of these runners.
Jamie Eisenberg
They like Basil Tutin a lot. I think we're gonna see Travis ETN a lot. I think Dave said it best. You don't want to reach for any of these guys. But right now if you are drafting a Jaguars running back first, it should be Tank Bigsby coming off the board.
Adam Azer
All right, one guy that's on Jamie's flex team was Joe Mixon. And Jamie, you can tell us where you drafted him, which got great value on him. So Mixon latest report is that he, he's recovering well from his foot slash ankle injuries and might be ready for week one. Meanwhile, Caleb Johnson's having a good camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers. So Jamie and then Dave, who would you rather have, Caleb Johnson or Joe Mixon?
Jamie Eisenberg
I'd rather have Caleb Johnson now and that probably will be the case just because mixing still makes me nervous knowing that he is a little bit older coming off a very successful season. But the Texans offensive line could be worse. I think it could be a tough season for Houston if they can't obviously block and we'll see how much. Mixon continues to dominate touches, seventh in terms of touches per game last year. But now they add Nick Chubb, they draft Woody Marks. We could see those guys maybe take a few touches away from Mixing so it just lowers his value a little bit. But in terms of Johnson, the biggest concern right now is can he pass protect because if he can't do that, they have two guys that they trust in, Jalen Warren. And I know this is going to make people sound a little disgusted, but Kenneth Gainwell, you know one of the two, two of the better past protecting running backs last year are on the Steelers roster. So we know protecting Aaron Rodgers is obviously critical for a guy of his age. So I think we could see a lot of Jalen Warren and not as much Caleb Johnson as we like. And keep in mind Arthur Smith, offense coordinator, they drafted Bijan Robinson once upon a time and played Tyler Algier a little bit too much for our liking as well. So I still like Johnson better than Mixing, especially while Mixing's banged up. Ask me again when Mixing's back on the field, but I don't know if that will be in week one. So for now I will take Johnson over Mixon and I drafted Mixing in round eight just because the value was too good in that league.
Dave Richard
I basically co sign everything that Jamie said. I like Johnson over Mixon as well, but if Mixing comes back in late August like he did last training camp, then he could be all systems go and worth goodness. We're maybe a top 50 pick much less round eight is really round eight. That's amazing. And that's the kind of thing if there's a takeaway here, it's that when players are in the news for negative reasons, their ADP slides and that's absolutely what's happening for Joe Mixon. It dips. That's the term that we use. Adam, you should buy the dip on Joe Mixon. If he's falling to Round eight, we know what he's capable of doing. It's a long football season, might stink to begin the year, but you'll be happy you've got a player of that caliber and a good Houston offense later on in the season.
Adam Azer
Khalil Shakir injured for the Buffalo Bills High ankle sprains. Call him week to week right now as we still have a month before the season starts. But Dave, who would you rather have, Khalil Shakir or second year receiver Keon Coleman who's apparently having a very good camp for the Bills?
Dave Richard
Yeah, and I've got Khalil Shakir by a nose over Keon Coleman in my rankings and I don't know if I can even justify it because Khalil Shakira we view as a high floor wide receiver, a guy that might get you 12 PPR points per game. It'll be even worse than that in non ppr and we've seen so many players just fall off because of a high ankle sprain. If that's his injury, that's what they're reporting. I I'm nervous about Khalil Shakir all season. So let's do it. Let's put Keon Coleman ahead of Khalil Shakir. I love what I've seen out of Bill's camp there. There are plays where he's mossing defensive backs on Buffalo. By the way, that's a good defense and even getting held and he's making one handed catches in the end zone. Could easily end up being Josh Allen's number one guy, especially since he now has a leg up for the next four weeks. Five weeks on Khalil Shakir being the top target there.
Jamie Eisenberg
Coleman, I'll still take Shakir, but I think it comes down to your roster build because now we're going to see Shakir fall to a range where Keon Coleman's probably been getting drafted. So if you're looking for the most upside, I think that does favor Coleman. What we saw from him last year, the two games prior to the wrist injury he suffered against the Dolphins, he was finally starting to look like things were clicking for him. Then he comes back from the wrist injury and he was really not playing at the same level. Who knows how hurt he was. I think there's so many moving parts for this Bill's offense. Dalton Kincaid, who was terrible last year dealing through playing through two knee injuries, has the knee soreness but he's back at practice. He could easily be the top target for this Bill's offense. Josh Palmer, somebody that they're really high on. You talk about positive reports for Keon Coleman, they're even better for Josh Palmer at this point. And Elijah Moore is somebody I think that we always say, okay, kind of overlook, but somebody that I think could make some plays and did make some plays for the Browns last year could step into that. Khalil Shakir row. So I think it's one of these offenses, these passing games and now the running back situation where just draft Josh Allen. If you really want a piece of the Bills offense, that's the guy you go get. But Coleman, I think again, if you're looking for the upside play, it's easily to go with him. Shakir I still think has the safer floor. I'll still take Shakira over Coleman right now though, if you're just talking about rankings.
Adam Azer
Yeah. Allen last year talked about how the goal was really to spread the ball around. So I don't know if he's ever going to target someone enough to be super consistent in fantasy. But you know, he's obviously got 35 touchdown potential and you definitely want Pieces of the Bills offense. All right, last one. Caleb Williams not having a great camp. Things aren't going so well there. Would you rather have Jamie Drake May or Caleb Williams?
Jamie Eisenberg
Yeah, I made this switch a couple weeks ago. I think Drake May is in a better spot right now. You know, coming off a strong rookie season by comparison to Caleb Williams. They obviously both got a lot of changes this off season that I think will benefit them. For May offense coordinator improvement with Josh McDaniels weapons across the board with Stefan Diggs, Kyle Williams, Travion Henderson. All these guys have been very strong in training camp so far and May showed the ability to run the ball. Would have been on pace if you take his 10 healthy games and you azer stat the crap out of this one. Would have been on pace for 630 rushing yards which would have been third among quarterbacks behind Lamar Jackson and Jayne Daniels. Caleb Williams has such a huge ceiling. Hopefully he lives up to the billing and starts to perform like the number one overall pick and obviously got a lot of upgrades this offseason as well as we're all aware of. I just think Drake May is in a better spot right now. His camp has been better. His rookie season was better. I'll take the guy who's going to run a little bit more. Give me Drake May all day.
Dave Richard
It's May easily. The only thing in Caleb Williams advantage is the talent at receiving core that Chicago has and he hasn't been able to really take advantage of that in training camp. But you go back to last year and it's a different offense. Jamie mentioned this completion rate in May's favor. Yards per attempt. Drake May's favorite touchdown rate, Drake May's favor. And we know that Drake May will run more than Caleb Williams. This one's easy. Drake May over Caleb easy.
Adam Azer
Okay. It's easy. All right. All right. Well look, they.
Jamie Eisenberg
The bet the better question is what would the Bears do right now if they had the choice of making this decision a year ago?
Dave Richard
They'd take Jaden Daniels.
Adam Azer
Listen, Caleb Williams can still make some some jaw dropping plays. He's got an incredible arm talent but hopefully he can put it together and make it happen.
Dave Richard
So can Drake May by the way.
Adam Azer
Yeah, but not like Caleb. I, I, I don't think it's a stretch, honestly. No, I don't think, I think Caleb Williams.
Jamie Eisenberg
I do.
Adam Azer
You ready for this? You sitting? Are you sitting down? Dave?
Dave Richard
Hold on. Yes.
Adam Azer
Okay. Caleb Williams might have the best arm in football. Oh. And with that we're going to break. When we come back Jamie's players to remember for 2025. We'll be right back.
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Adam Azer
All right, welcome back, everybody. We're talking about players that you need to remember, players that we haven't talked about enough. That's the point of this segment here. Obviously, Derrick Henry you're going to see on this list for Jamie. We know who Derrick Henry is. Not a late round pick, but we just sort of have taken him for granted a little bit throughout the off season. And obviously when we, if you listen to our podcast, when we get into the running backs on Tuesday and Wednesday, we'll talk a lot about Derrick Henry. But he's just a guy that sits there in early round two or late round one. And it's kind of late ADP for someone who's been a top four running back per game in five of the last six seasons. But it's understandable because he's obviously up there in age. So let's take a look at Jamie's players to remember six players that we haven't focused on enough. Derrick Henry would be the headliner here. We've also got Josh Jacobs, Travion Henderson, Tetarola McMillan, Cooper cup and Jacoby Myers. Take it away, Jamie.
Jamie Eisenberg
Yeah, McMillan. It feels like we spoke a little bit about on our podcast on, on Monday. So he, I guess there's a little bit more recency from, from what he's been doing in camp. But in terms of the first two running backs, I feel like they kind of get sort of overlooked when we have these conversations because like you mentioned, Henry late round one, early round two. Think about the guys that are going in that same range depending on average draft position. This is where McCaffrey comes into the conversation and obviously needs to be talked about a lot. Ashton Genting his rookie season, Devon Hn coming off an amazing year with Tua Tango by Loa last year and how good can he be if Tua stays healthy for a full season? So Henry kind of gets lost in the shelf a little bit, especially when you start to compare him to the wide receivers in that mix. He's sort of one of These easy guys. Similar to what you were saying about Amanra St. Brown, just a consistent, strong producer that's going to be in the top five mix that I think a lot of people when they draft him, they're like, oh, okay, I'll just settle for Derrick Henry, I'll settle for Amanra St. Brown. And then by the end of the season you're like, wow, I'm thrilled I got this guy. I've obviously been very anti Henry the last couple of seasons as he's gotten older and he just keeps giving the stiff arm to Father Time just because he's been so successful. So it's hard to doubt him at this point. I think if you do take him at the 1, 2 turn, you get him early in round two. I don't think he'll be a round one pick and PPR half and non's a different conversation. You just got to be thrilled with Derrick Henry. And then when it comes to Josh Jacobs, he's in a similar conversation because we get to that back end of round two, middle to the back end of round two and really it's kind of similar to Jonathan Taylor, but it's Chase Brown, it's Bucky Irving, it's still Kyron Williams. It's all these guys that you know, have a lot of reasons to be discussed. Jacobs is in another great spot and now, oh by the way, Marshawn Lloyd, who may be taking some carries away from him, hurt once again dealing with a groin injury for the Packers. So the depth start behind him in Green Bay is just easy to say. Josh Jacobs, a strong pick in round two, could have another successful season where he's 1500 total yards chance for 10 plus touchdowns, will be around 40 plus receptions. Just an easy round two pick that could be in that top 10, potentially top five conversation. Just a safe round two pick that has still so much upside. Trevon Henderson is going to be a fun one to see how this all plays out. Ramandre Stevenson said today at Patriots practice that you better be ready to run with him because he's so fast and he's starting to make a lot of highlights. Could be the next James White type of player for Josh McDaniels, but just a great pass catcher that could do a little bit more in the run game and I think for all three of the receivers. McMillan obviously is going to have a lot of hype based on his role for the Panthers, but Cooper cup, who knows? We haven't heard really anything from a negative standpoint so far. Maybe what we saw at the beginning of last season sort of replicates itself at least early in the season for Seattle and he could be the go to guy for Sam Darnold. And then I think just when you look at the situation when it comes to Jacoby Myers, we're focusing on Genti, we're focusing on Brock Bowers, understandably. So Myers is really going to stand out I think compared to the rookies at least early in the season when it comes to Jack Besh and Thornton and still be a go to guy for Geno Smith who may throw the ball a little bit more than we expect. So Myers is a great late round target to just sort of be similar to what Dave said about Khalil Shakir. A good floor play for your fantasy.
Dave Richard
Team and last year Jacoby Myers 14.5 PPR points per game and you might say to yourself, you know what, I don't know if the Raiders are going to throw it as much and you'd be right because Ashton Genti's there and it's a completely different coaching staff. But even the year before 13.8 PPR points per game, that's pretty good. And I think that he's absolutely the type of receiver no one's talking about him, but you can put him on your bench or even use him as a wide receiver. 3 and I think that you'll be okay with him. I think as long as Cooper cup is healthy, I think you can say the exact same thing about him. There was a stretch as recently as 2024 when Cooper cup was getting plenty of targets and putting up huge fantasy numbers. It was with the Rams, it wasn't with the Seahawks. But the offense in Seattle is going to look a lot like the offense in la and I think Cooper cup will end up playing slot most of the time for the Seattle Seahawks. And I think in the case of of Travion Henderson, I'm worried about reaching for him because the talent is undeniable. I think he could eventually become a three down back. His size is a little bit underwhelming and so I wonder if there's going to be a long process that plays out in the backfield in New England where Ramadre Stevenson just plays too much and he takes away too many carries and maybe even short yardage carries from Travion Henderson. What I'd like to see is Henderson and Stevenson split running downs, work to begin the season and then oh, as soon as Ramadre Stevenson fumbles the ball away, Trayvon takes off. I like Trayvon in The round five, six turn. I'm worried, Adam, that Trayvon Henderson will get picked before then because somebody else in my leagues will be much more excited about him.
Adam Azer
Yeah, well, he's got, let's say, two kind of older guys, James Conner and David Montgomery. You could pick them. Or Travion Henderson. Dave, which direction do you go?
Dave Richard
Connor for sure. And I think I've got Montgomery ranked ahead of Henderson as well. But it's close in ppr. It's not close in half and non ppr.
Adam Azer
Yeah, Henderson is really interesting because I do want pieces of this rookie running back class. It was hyped as one of the best running back classes in a really long time. And, you know, it's just. It is a steep price to pay for RJ Harvey, Travion Henderson, Caleb Johnson. Judkins was in this mix. He isn't anymore. But yeah, that one's interesting. Guys. I never draft Jacoby Myers. And on fantasy pros, Jacoby Myers is going about 90th, 94th overall. And I think it's interesting. The guy going right after him is Khalil Shakir. And I view them sort of similarly. Maybe high floor, but I'm gonna say maybe high floor for Jacoby Myers. I would say probably definitely high floor for Khalil Shakir, but maybe for Jacoby Myers. He has been a top 30 wide receiver in full PPR per game three straight years, so that can't be lost on us. But he's never finished higher than 24th per game. I don't, I don't see much of a ceiling, so I don't know, I'm probably passing over him and then taking shots on. On the Keon Coleman's of the world, I think, I think Christian Kirk is a better version of Jacoby Myers that you can get maybe two or three rounds later. So I'm glad we are bringing him up. But Jamie, I just, I. I don't think I've drafted Myers once and I don't plan on it, really.
Jamie Eisenberg
That's fine. And I don't think what you said is. Is so egregious outside of the Christian Kirk comment, because I think Kirk said one season above 13 PPR points per game where Jacoby Myers. You just said. I said three in a row. So Kirk's career arc, I don't think necessarily will get to the point where Jacoby Myers is right now. And when you talk about first or second team on the first or second on the team in targets, on their own team, in targets, I think Jacoby Myers is going to live there again. We'll see how much Besh or Thornton step up in their rookie seasons. We know Bowers should lead the Raiders and targets if things go based on what we saw in 2024 and how his career arc should profile. I just think Myers is getting a little bit overlooked too much for what he should continue to do for the Raiders and that guy for Geno Smith. So I don't, I don't mind you taking shots or I don't mind anybody taking shots on some of those high upside plays, but I do think Myers sort of gets overlooked in terms of where he can finish. So in terms of upside, you tell me. I'm getting the 30th best wide receiver as the 40th, 45th guy off the board. I'll take that all day.
Dave Richard
And Shakir last year, 12.2 PPR points per game. That's the best he's ever done. That was with two healthy ankles, by the way. That's worse than each of the last three seasons for Jacoby Myers. Easy call to take Myers over Shakir.
Adam Azer
I guess. Christian Kirk, by the way has had a 12.8 points per game season at a 12.9 points per game season. So the technicality, Jamie gets it there. All right guys, Dave's got some players he wants you to remember, including James Connor and David Montgomery we just briefly spoke about and I'll ask him to compare those guys to other rookies and like RJ Harvey and Caleb Johnson. I will talk about that after this break. On Fantasy Football today, ready to level up?
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Adam Azer
We are back on fantasy football today. Well, we're talking about players to remember takes to remember. Maybe we should not remember the take I gave at the end of the A block. Just, you know, just maybe. I think, you know, honestly I think it could end up being a very good take. I said Caleb Williams has the best arm in the NFL. We're gonna have to wait and see. But yeah, I was just watching some highlights and he threw a 75 yard touchdown pass in college and one of the commenters agrees with me that he has a great arm. So that seems fairly official to me. Anyway, we welcome you back, Dave. Let's take a look at the list of players that you think we haven't spoken enough about. And I agree with you on Jalen Hurts. Right? He's at the top of your list. Jalen hurts only through 18 touchdown passes in 15 games. He. He. What'd you say?
Dave Richard
Oh, I didn't say anything. I'm ready to jump in, though.
Adam Azer
I.
Dave Richard
You might be daydreaming about Caleb Williams at this point. I have literally no idea what's going on at your end of the camera. So what do you say? I just talk about Jalen Hurts for a minute and the fact that he's going off the board as QB5 tells me that there's an advantage that a fantasy manager can create for himself or herself by taking Jalen hurts. He had 24.8 fantasy points per game last year. Don't forget about this from week one all the way through till week 15. Week 16. Suffered a concussion, didn't finish the regular season one. We saw how he played in the playoffs and namely the Super Bowl. The guy can sling it and we know that he can run it. Huge upside for this quarterback and I think if you're drafting him with modest expectations, 2324 fantasy points per game, that's pretty good. And he's got upside for more. Jamie and I both have a little bit of reservations about Saquon Barkley and how effective he'll be in his year coming off of 400 plus carries. I think Jalen Hurts shouldn't be forgotten about on draft day. I think that he's absolutely a guy to target. I think you'd say the same thing about Mahomes as quarterbacks after round three to kind of keep your radar up for because I think that's great value especially compared to other quarterbacks.
Adam Azer
All right, you also have James Connor, Chuba Hubbard, David Montgomery, Tony Pollard. So four running backs on your list and Debo Samuel at wide receiver. He's got a running back too. But James Connor, Chuba Hub Montgomery and Tony Pollard. Oh boy. Another report about Taj Spears getting a bigger role. I'm nervous about Pollard, but of those four, how many of them are you excited about this year? Connor, Chubard, Montgomery and Pollard.
Dave Richard
I'm definitely excited about Connor. I'm excited about Hubbard. I love what we saw from Chuba last year and Connor, really ever since he stepped foot in Arizona, he's Been outstanding. I'm skeptical about David Montgomery and I think Tony Pollard can be okay. You know, we're getting these reports about Taj Spears and I love Ty Spears, don't get it wrong. But I do think that Tony Pollard is still going to be the one A back in what should be an improved Tennessee offense with a good offensive line. He averaged 12 and a half fantasy points per game. That's no good. But in 11 games where Pollard had at least 15 touches last year, 14.8 PPR points per game and you're able to get him in that round six type of range. I think that's good value for Tony Pollard who could be a low end number two starting running back for your fantasy team. Let's keep talking good about James Conner. I know he's turning 30 years old this year, but you know what, here's what he's done ever since he's been in Arizona. It's four years. At least 15 PPR points per game. At least 11 non PPR points per game. This dude's good and I know that he's always a risk to miss some playing time. It's a real easy solution. You draft James Connor. I don't mind taking him in round four. You might find him in round five. That's an an insane value. And then you can draft Trey Benson. Yeah, they're talking about CO RB1s in Arizona. I don't buy it for a second. I think Trey Benson more of a handcuff than a 1B running back in the desert in Chuba Hubbard. He proved himself last year. 16.1 PPR points per game in Carolina. That's another team with an improved offense, an offensive line. That's good. I don't care that they added Rico Dowdle. That doesn't shake me at all. I think Chuba Hubbard's right in that same range as James Conner. And that brings us to Montgomery who averaged almost 16 PPR points per game last year. But I feel like the writing is on the wall in Detroit right now. Where they want to get the ball in in Jameer Gibbs hands more. Jameson Williams hands more. They've got a lot of explosive young talent and David Montgomery just. He's the older back in this offense. The older player in. He's 28 years old. He could still score double digit touchdowns. I'm worried about the carries, I'm worried about the catches. I'm worried about that volume for David Montgomery. I wouldn't draft him unless it felt like a value. And to me that value comes in late round five. Last but not least, Debo. He's worth talking about because Terry McLaurin is holding out and he's on a new team, but he should be used in the same way that he was on his old team and that's a change of pace to their run game. Not saying that he's going to get a lot of carries like he did once upon a time in San Francisco. He should get a lot of short area targets, take some pressure off of the other pass catchers there, make plays after the catch. That takes pressure off of Jaden Daniels, by the way, and his yak ability. Adam, that's only going to help Jaden Daniels yardage numbers and it's going to help Debo Samuel stay relevant again. Somebody that I want to draft at value. I'm thinking round seven in full PPR for Debo.
Adam Azer
All right, Jamie, your reaction to Dave's list of players that we need to talk more about?
Jamie Eisenberg
I think in terms of Conor, it's interesting what he said about Benson. So we'll see if they do try to take a little bit of work off his plate. We know Kyler Murray is going to run a little bit more. We'll see how that much impacts Conor, but I think round five is the perfect spot for him. I wouldn't take him before that. I think Chuba Hubbard's a good pick in round four. Looking at the competition, we'll see if maybe they give a few opportunities. Remember last year, Miles Sanders was the second guy. He kind of struggled when he got those chances. We'll see if they give a few of those chances to Rico Dow. And don't forget about Trevor Etn, who could be a factor in the passing game based on what he did in college. So could take a few receptions off of Hopper, but I think that's minimal just based on what these two guys can potentially do. Pollard and Montgomery make me a little bit nervous and I just drafted Pollard in the flex league because of the way that running backs were coming off the board. Half PPR versus full PPR I think does benefit him. Of those 11 games that Dave referenced, Taije Spears missed five of those. So if he does get hurt again and we see him off the field, then that's certainly a benefit to Pollard's numbers, understandably. So Pop when there was no Spears, I typically tend if I'm drafting the Titans running backs to let somebody else take Tony Pollard and I settle for Tyza Spears is the way that my roster build was in a league with a bunch of analysts it felt like the right time to take Pollard. I tried to get both of those guys. Spears didn't go far after him. So I think Pollard's a good settle for running back. I think you want him more as a flex or if you're doing Hero RB or 0 RB build. He fits more in that type of format which is the way that I built my team with the hero RB roster. I think in case of Montgomery, double digit touchdowns should be there for him because of how this offense operates. But he's missed time each of the last two seasons. That's when we've hear Jameer Gibbs numbers absolutely go astronomical. And if they are going to use both guys on the field at the same time, I think that's really going to hurt David Montgomery's reception totals. Because Adam, you point this, you bring this up a lot, how Montgomery was doing a better job catching the ball early in the season compared to Jameer Gibbs. And that was a little bit of a strange surprise for us. But I think Gibbs can get from that 52 receptor toll to maybe north of 60. I think that comes at the expense of David Montgomery. So we're looking at probably 20 plus receptions for him at best. And so Montgomery I I tend to take Trevion Henderson just to tie in a couple guys. We talked about Trevion Henderson before Montgomery in full ppr. I think you make a case for RJ Harvey over Montgomery as well. Just given about the given the potential for those two rookies in the passing game.
Adam Azer
Coming up next on Fantasy Football Today, our Players to Remember theme continues with some Name that player. I'll give some clues. We'll see if Dave and Jamie can get it. We'll be right back. As a young adult, finding the right path to your future can feel overwhelming. It starts with Europe United's tuition free job training program, Career Pathways. If you're without a bachelor's degree but have a high school diploma or ged, you can get skills first training to succeed in the industries you're passionate about. All while earning a weekly educational stipend to offset basic expenses. From there, you'll have access to internships and hands on experiences with Fortune 500 companies. And with Europe United's job placement services and personalized coaching and mentorship, you can put your knowledge, skills and most importantly, confidence into practice. Apply to Europe United today and take the first step toward achieving the career you want. Visit yearup.org to learn more. So how well do Dave and Jamie know these players? We are about to find out. You know I wish we were playing who has more because that's America's like 13th favorite fantasy football game show. This is 14th. This is right behind it. Name that player. Here we go, first player. Let's bring it up. All right, some clues. I'll give you guys some clues. You just know wrong answers don't matter. I have been top 12 at my position two straight seasons. All right. In my first 11 games of the season, I was number 16 at my position. Not good. Not good. But in my last six games, I averaged 15.4-PPR fantasy points per game. I was on pace for 99 catches, 1094 yards, nine touchdowns on 130 targets. I had a 72.3% catch rate, which amazingly was only 20th best among tight ends. There you go. He's a tight end and I have 17 touchdown catches in 33 career games.
Dave Richard
Dave. Yes, Dave, is this, is this Mark Andrews?
Adam Azer
No, no, it's been top 12 two straight seasons.
Jamie Eisenberg
Sam Laporta.
Adam Azer
It is Sam Laporta. Dave, horrible guests. Just. No, no, just kidding. Now the porter. But look like Andrews. Laporta is going to have to get some touchdowns, right? But he's been pretty reliable there. Sam Laporta, you know, maybe a fifth or sixth round pick in most leagues, in most 12 team leagues. And Jamie, you got it right. So how are you feeling about Sam Laporta?
Jamie Eisenberg
I think he's in the top five mix. I don't think you want to take him over the top three guys, which I think are pretty well locked in with McBride, Bowers, Bowers, McBride, whatever order you want to put them in. And George Kittle, then he's in that next group when it comes to Travis Kelsey and T.J. hawkinson and David Najoku and you know, maybe you want to throw Evan Ingram up there, maybe even Mark Andrews. Now with the Isaiah likely news, I think Laporta is going to build off what he did at the end of last season and I think the biggest concern would be a, are they going to need him to block because of some of the offensive line changes. So that maybe throws him off a little bit from his route running. We could obviously see Dave alluded to this before. Jameson Williams taking a significant step forward and that really impacts Laporta, which I think is what happened in the beginning part of last season over the course of the year. But I think he's just kind of one of those guys that you kind of know what you're getting. He's going to be touchdown dependent. He's to going a guy that Jared Goff's going to rely on. And as we saw when they needed to throw the ball a little bit more, when they needed to be a little bit more offensive toward the end of the season because of all those defensive injuries, which may be happening again, we could see laporta still be a huge factor. So a very good settle for elite level tight end, if that makes sense. So you don't want to reach for him on drafted like we were doing a year ago, making a mistake. I think if you get to that round five range, end of round five, beginning round six certainly falls later than that. It's an easy auto pick. But don't take him in the first four rounds. Back into round five is the start of the sweet spot for him.
Adam Azer
Okay, Jamie gets the first one. Let's go to our second one. Many people say I have the strongest arm in the NF. No, just kidding there. Since entering the NFL, I am sixth in yards per carry. I am on my third team in three seasons. I averaged 5.2 yards per carry last season, but only 3.8 yards per carry after week two. I had a career high 32 catches in 2024. I can't believe you guys don't get to me. I was like, man, J.K. dobbins, there it is. I have suffered a torn ACL and torn Achilles. Oh yeah, the thing, this thing that stands out, Jamie wins. Actually next one's worth triple the points, so don't worry about it. The thing that really stands out to me is that J.K. dobbins got off to this incredible start last year and he really wasn't good for the rest of the season and of course he suffered a mid season injury. But Dave, should we be looking at that? Because the first two games were, you know, 22.9 fantasy points, 20.1 fantasy points. He had three carries of 43 or more yards and then he kind of struggled after that. Does that matter or do you just kind of look at the whole body of work for JK Dobbins and say this guy's been a really good running back and he's still only 26 years old.
Dave Richard
Yeah, but you have to add the asterisk, which is when healthy. And the poor guy has suffered so many injuries that have robbed him of his natural talent that now he finds himself in a part time role in Denver. I think there would be some. It would take a calamity. RJ Harvey would have to struggle or miss playing time for J.K. dobbins to become a feature back for The Broncos. And until that happens, I think we should feel good about J.K. dobbins being a part time player, playing on passing downs, being a pass protector for Bo Nicks. And he can still give us some decent fantasy production in that role, just not necessarily be the guy who averaged almost 15 PPR points per game last season, almost 16 in his first 10 games. I think it's a different situation for him. And. And while it might not mean great things for his fantasy numbers, it should mean good things for his career because he'll take on less work in Denver.
Adam Azer
So why should I not be drafting Dobbins ahead of RJ Harvey? I mean, it's like this. I always mentioned at this time last year, Jamie, Gus Edwards was going ahead of J.K. dobbins. Dobbins is a very accomplished running back and I'm not for the record not taking him ahead of RJ Harvey, but I don't have to strain to see how he could be better than him. You know, he's the primary running downs back. Maybe he's the goal line guy, he can catch the ball a little bit. And they've got the best offensive line in football, by the way, according to some. So, Jamie, why. Why is it so easy to take Harvey ahead of Dobbins?
Jamie Eisenberg
I think there's upside. You know, again, despite the fact that Dobbins had this amazing season, you, you said it. You know, he missed time again last year and clearly there was a reason he was still on the market. Maybe it was his contract and they were and he was asking for too much money and nobody wanted to sign him. Or maybe he's just smart to go to the Chargers last year where there was a clear path to success based on the backfield. And here going to a team that know that, where he knows he's playing behind a great offensive line in a great system that is going to use two running backs. Remember, he signed after the draft, so he knew RJ Harvey was going to be there. I think it's just one of those situations where you want to take maybe both of these guys. You know, Dave talked about this with the Cardinals guys. Like, it's kind of easy to take both Broncos running backs because Harvey goes in that round five, round six range. Dobbins is still basically free on draft day at this point, you know, going almost near round 10. So you can get both of these guys, see how it plays itself out. And maybe when Dobbins, you know, just follows the career path, does get hurt at some point, then Harvey's numbers Take off a similar to what happened to Jameer Gibbs when David Montgomery missed his time. So I'd rather have Harvey as well. But it's easy to put Dobbins on your bench to see what happens.
Adam Azer
All right, so it's Jamie 2 nothing. This one's worth triple the points. Let's see who's going to win. Name that player. Last one. Since entering the NFL, I rank 13th among wide receivers in yards per route run. Last season, the leading receiver on My team had 548 yards. I have. Yeah, I have 10 touchdown catches in 39 career games. Another OI. I gained 80 or more yards in four of my last five healthy games in 2024. How about that? And I have played with six different quarterbacks in three seasons. And I might play with three different quarterbacks, if not more.
Dave Richard
Oh, Cedric Tillman.
Adam Azer
No. Another team with a horrible quarterback situation. Another team where they wouldn't be surprised the leading receiver if they throw for five. Chris Olave. Jamie with the sweep.
Dave Richard
Wow.
Adam Azer
Jamie, let me read to you the leaders in yards per route run since Olave entered the league. Look at this list. Puka nakua, Tyreek Hill, A.J. brown, Justin Jefferson, Nico Collins, Rashi Rice, C.D. lamb, Brian Thomas Jr. Amanra St. Brown, Lad McConkey, Brandon Ayuk, Jalen Waddle, Chris Olave. I still feel like there's a good football player there, JB I just don't know if we're gonna see it. What do you think?
Jamie Eisenberg
I said this to you before. You know, last year we got Chris Godwin and everybody was sort of writing him off and just was one of the best values on draft day. And Olave feels like he could be that guy. But there are so many things that have to break right. I just think it's just so hard to bank on Olave becoming that type of player. He's a good late number three wide receiver. He's part of the blob 20 to 40 like we talk about a lot. But he's toward the end of that. I don't want to trust Chris Olave as a starter unless it's a stacked roster. And he's my third receiver in a three receiver league where I already have a flex is probably a running back. I just think if you can take him with the chance of him hitting, you're in great, great spot. The concussions also are a big concern. You know, he suffered so many concussions. I think it's five documented ones. Who knows how many others? So bad quarterback injury history. There's a lot to like. There's also a lot to fear.
Dave Richard
I would be worried about. Oh, sorry.
H
Adam.
Adam Azer
Yeah, Dave, Give me a, give me.
Dave Richard
No, I just, I, I'm, I'm worried about him staying on the field. And this is another receiver who's just placated by. Or not placated, but plagued rather by. By bad quarterback play throughout the entire course of his career. I, I wonder if he's going to follow the same trajectory. McLaurin, which is year after year of ugly numbers and then he's finally linked with a good quarterback and he pops. I don't think that's happening this year. This isn't a guy to go after with one of your first 70 picks.
Adam Azer
Yeah, but he's going 81st, so I think that's okay. And honestly, I think Chris Olave has the best arm in the NFL. We're going to take a break, but when we come back, we love hearing from our audience. We love hearing from you. So we asked you for your questions on X and we're going to read them when we come back.
G
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Dave Richard
Foreign.
Adam Azer
Let'S see what's on your mind. This is from Walter W. Rogers Jr. That is a tongue twister there. 10 team PPR. He's keeping Brian Thomas Jr. In the 14th round. Nice work. Okay, he's got the 10th pick. Dave, who should he go with the with the back to back picks at the end of the first round, who should he target?
Dave Richard
I mean I have no idea who else is being kept in his league, but I would look for another wide receiver and a running back. With those two picks. You've already got the stud and BTD J. Back it up with hopefully a top 10 wide receiver after that and maybe a top 10 running back.
Adam Azer
All right, let's go to our next question here from. Oh, he's pretty good. Will Hunting.
Dave Richard
He's good.
Adam Azer
Yeah. Justin fields in the 12th round, Gibbs in the second round or T. Higgins in the sixth round. Jamie.
Jamie Eisenberg
I'd only keep Justin Fields if it's a super flex or two quarterback league gives in round two is, is pretty fantastic. T. Higgins is a third round pick at this point. So the value for basically both those guys, if you're looking at it, Gibbs could be a top three overall pick. So I would go with Gibbs and how do you like them? Apples.
Adam Azer
There's no way. There's no way this is his real name, right? We got to find out. We got to find out. We'll write us back. All right, next question is from there. It is from Riley Foster. There's no way this is his real name or her real name. What are some of your favorite best ball picks and just general advice on drafting. I'm going to throw it to you, Jamie, since you are probably doing three best ball drafts right now.
Jamie Eisenberg
You said something earlier on our podcast this morning about, you know, not drafting early and Dave sort of countered that with the Joe Mixon news about falling, you know, players falling. I think when you do these drafts early, like you get great values on injured players. So I tend to look for some of like the cheaper stack options. So like a Calvin Ridley Cam Ward build is something that I do. A lot of the Browns stacks are easy to do. You want to find a way to get late quarterbacks that can sort of stack up with some high end wide receivers like Flacco and Jerry Judy for example, Bo Nixon and Cortland Sutton is a. Is one of the stacks I tend to fall into. A lot, A lot of people are going to go for some of the, the, the, the high end quarterbacks and try and get the receivers. I try to go the opposite route and try and find some of the better values of quarterbacks. So getting a CD Lamb, George Pickens, Dak Prescott stack is something I do a lot of as well.
Adam Azer
All right, next up, Nigel needs advice on a dynasty trade titan Premium Jefferson and a 26 mid round round two pick. Rice Addison and a mid round first pick in 2026. Which side do you prefer, Dave, real quick.
Dave Richard
I prefer the Jefferson side because it's Justin Jefferson and I think he's going to be very good for a long time.
Adam Azer
All right, last one. Let's get the Ben tweet up here. There it is. How many more seasons of softball will you play? And the answer indefinitely. Yes, Ben is on my team and Ben knows. I told Ben I broke the news to him that I think I'm retiring from softball. I am the worst player on the worst team in the league and I cost our team the game, single handedly, lost our team the game in the playoffs and ended. So I don't think I can show my face again. And I hate being so bad.
Jamie Eisenberg
No.
Adam Azer
Yeah, sorry. Awful. Yeah. Made an error, cost us a run. We lost two. Nothing grounded out as the game winning run with two outs in the seventh inning. Oh, good at it. So I'm not gonna do it. And I'm not good at making football predictions either, so I'm done with that. So you know what? Someone else will be hosting on Wednesday. We'll talk to you then. Hey, listen to the fantasy football today for Dave and Jamie. I'm Adam. Thanks so much for watching and listening. We'll talk to you on Wednesday, 1pm Eastern. Maybe I'll make a surprise appearance. See ya.
Dave Richard
Guys.
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Fantasy Football Today: Episode Summary Release Date: August 5, 2025
In this episode of Fantasy Football Today, hosted by Adam Aizer alongside analysts Dave Richard and Jamie Eisenberg, the team dives deep into overlooked players who could be game-changers in the 2025 fantasy football season. The primary focus revolves around identifying 12 Forgotten Stars that fantasy managers should keep on their radar, including notable names like Meyers, Kupp, Hurts, Pollard, and more.
Adam kicks off the discussion by highlighting the importance of recognizing players who may not be in the spotlight but have the potential to deliver substantial fantasy points. The conversation underscores the significance of evaluating players beyond their current ADP (Average Draft Position) to unearth hidden gems.
Notable Quote:
"We've taken some players for granted this offseason, but they deserve more recognition for their consistent performance and potential upside." — Adam Aizer [14:21]
The analysts delve into the latest training camp updates to assess which players might excel or falter in the upcoming season. They engage in a comparative analysis, often posing "Would you rather have Player A or Player B?" scenarios to evaluate depth charts and player performance prospects.
James Cook vs. Omarion Hampton
Jamie Eisenberg emphasizes the uncertainty surrounding James Cook due to his current holdout, opting for Omarion Hampton as the more reliable choice.
"Holdouts make me nervous. Omarion Hampton offers a clearer path as RB1 for the Chargers." — Jamie Eisenberg [05:17]
Dave Richard adds that Cook remains a preferred option unless his holdout extends, at which point Hampton becomes the favorable pick.
Tank Bigsby vs. Travis Etienne
Dave Richard slightly favors Tank Bigsby for his involvement in the Jaguars' offense, though he acknowledges both are mid-round assets.
"Bigsby showed why he belongs in the NFL after a dud rookie season. Prefer him slightly over Etienne for now." — Dave Richard [06:51]
The team discusses optimal drafting strategies, emphasizing patience and avoiding early drafts without sufficient information. They debate the value of players like Joe Mixon and Caleb Johnson, weighing their injury histories and offensive line improvements.
Joe Mixon vs. Caleb Johnson
Jamie Eisenberg prefers Caleb Johnson due to concerns about Mixon's age and potential for reduced touches with Houston's offensive upgrades.
"I'd rather have Caleb Johnson now. Mixon's value diminishes slightly with the addition of Nick Chubb." — Jamie Eisenberg [08:09]
Dave Richard concurs, highlighting Mixon's potential resurgence if he returns healthy but still leans towards Johnson for immediate reliability.
In this segment, Jamie Eisenberg outlines six players who have been overlooked but possess the talent to significantly impact fantasy leagues:
Notable Quote:
"Derrick Henry might be taken in late round one or early round two, but he's a top five mix that offers immense reliability throughout the season." — Jamie Eisenberg [16:20]
The podcast features an engaging "Name That Player" game where listeners are given clues to identify specific fantasy players. This segment adds an interactive and fun element, testing the analysts' and listeners' knowledge.
Example Challenge:
"Since entering the NFL, I rank 13th among wide receivers in yards per route run. Last season, my leading receiver had 548 yards. I have 10 touchdown catches in 39 career games and have played with six different quarterbacks in three seasons."
Correct Answer: Chris Olave
Listeners' questions are addressed, providing personalized advice on draft strategies and potential trades. The analysts offer insights on best practices, such as focusing on value picks and strategic stacking to maximize team performance.
Trade Example:
Nigel's Trade Dilemma: Choosing between Titans' premium Jefferson and a mid-round pick versus Rice Addison and a first-round pick in 2026.
"I prefer the Jefferson side because Justin Jefferson will be excellent for a long time." — Dave Richard [46:48]
The episode wraps up with a recap of key takeaways, encouraging fantasy managers to consider the discussed forgotten stars and adjust their strategies accordingly. Adam hints at upcoming segments and engages with the audience through interactive elements, ensuring listeners are well-equipped to dominate their fantasy leagues in 2025.
Final Notable Quote:
"Players in the news for negative reasons see their ADP dip. It's a prime opportunity to buy the dip on players like Joe Mixon who have the talent to bounce back." — Dave Richard [09:58]
Stay tuned for more expert insights and strategies to elevate your fantasy football game. Don’t miss the upcoming segments where Jamie and Dave continue to spotlight underrated talents and offer invaluable advice for the season ahead.