FLOORPLAY! Which Players Have the Safest Floors? (05/28 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today: FLOORPLAY! Which Players Have the Safest Floors? (05/28 Fantasy Football Podcast) Release Date: May 28, 2025

In this episode of Fantasy Football Today by CBS Sports, host Adam Aizer and analysts Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, and Heath Cummings delve deep into identifying players with the safest floors for the upcoming fantasy football season. The discussion is structured around evaluating various player trios, assessing their reliability, and addressing listener questions to provide comprehensive insights for fantasy managers aiming to enhance their rosters.

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1. News and Notes ([03:12])

The episode kicks off with a segment on recent developments in the NFL:

• James Cook missed the first day of OTAs for the Buffalo Bills due to a contract holdout, raising concerns about his availability and potential impact.
• Joey Bosa, a recent addition to the Bills, is sidelined until training camp with a calf injury, affecting the team's defensive dynamics.
• Reports from Chad Graff of The Athletic suggest that Stefan Diggs could be ready to play by Week 4, pending his recovery progress.

Jamey Eisenberg comments on James Cook's situation:
"I mean, he's 31 years old, coming off the ACL, and still getting used to new teams. I’m kind of operating as he’s going to be an older receiver but ready for week one and probably still the best receiver on his team." ([04:05])

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2. Safest Floors Analysis ([05:11])

The core of the episode revolves around assessing which players offer the most consistent fantasy points with minimal risk of underperformance.

a. Trio 1: Tyreek Hill, Lad McConkey, Jackson Smith, and Jigba ([06:06])

• Heath Cummings identifies Lad McConkey as having the safest floor:
  "Not Tyreek Hill. I was really prepared to talk about how I didn't like his floor. No, I think the safest floor is probably Lad McConkey for me." ([06:06])

• Jamey Eisenberg concurs with Heath's assessment:
  "I would go with McConkey as well. I agree with Heath. I don't think Tyreek has the safest floor of these guys as things are currently standing for their respective teams." ([06:26])

• Adam Aizer counters by highlighting Tyreek Hill's potential bounce-back after a wrist injury:
  "Tyreek Hill is safer than you think, fellas. And he's going to be one of my favorite picks, by the way, if I can get him in the third round." ([08:00])

The discussion underscores the balance between Tyreek Hill's high upside and concerns about his recent injury and performance variability.

b. Trio 2: Breeze Hall, Ken Walker, and RJ Harvey ([19:26])

• Dave Richard favors Jackson Smith as the safest floor among the three:
  "I just think he's the safest of the three." ([19:00])

• Heath Cummings and Jamey Eisenberg offer differing views, with Heath leaning towards Ken Walker for his consistent touches, whereas Jamey spots potential in Breeze Hall based on his receiving capabilities.

• Dave Richard ultimately selects RJ Harvey as the safest option, citing his role as the target leader for the Browns:
  "He and Najoku are going to be the staples of that passing game, obviously, and they're going to be the ones that see the most targets." ([34:49])

c. Trio 3: Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Jonathan Taylor ([25:33])

• Jamie Eisenberg advocates for Trey McBride, emphasizing his consistent target volume and role as the primary tight end:
  "I have McBride ranked ahead of Bowers based on what I think is going to happen for him. So give me a McBride of this trip." ([26:19])

• Heath Cummings and Dave Richard support McBride, noting his locked-in role and safe PPR (points per reception) potential.

• Dave Richard warns against overreaching for Brock Bowers, despite his high ceiling:
  "I just can't look at Brock Bowers and say, yeah, he's going to get nine targets per game again." ([30:12])

d. Trio 4: Devonte Smith, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Judy ([32:23])

• Heath Cummings expresses skepticism about the safety of all three players but leans towards Jerry Judy as the most reliable:
  "I think it's Smith, but I don't think it's particularly close." ([32:52])

• Dave Richard supports Jerry Judy, highlighting his role as a target leader and potential for consistent week-to-week production:
  "Jerry Judy, to me, is probably the one who can deliver safe production week in and week out." ([35:41])

• Jamie Eisenberg agrees with Dave, citing Devonte Smith as a solid option despite concerns about offensive dynamics:
  "In terms of floor, I think it's Smith. And I don't think it's particularly close." ([33:58])

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3. Listener Emails and Questions ([40:36])

The hosts engage with listener submissions, addressing various fantasy football strategies and concerns:

• Email from Kevin discusses the concept of not drafting players too close to their ceiling, prompting a discussion on balancing ADP (Average Draft Position) with floor reliability.

  Dave Richard elaborates:
  "It's basically a game of value and you're looking for players that have outperformed their ADP. And if you see somebody that you think can outperform where you're getting them in the draft, you're probably not drafting them too close to their ceiling." ([41:08])

• Email from Davin features a playful critique of Cam Scatter Boo, leading to a humorous exchange about player perceptions versus actual performance.

• Email from Chris in Portland, Oregon requests more content on best ball strategies, which Jamie Eisenberg addresses by sharing her experiences with best ball drafts and strategies:
  "Drafting stacks of players is really the only format. I think you really want to go heavy with stacks." ([50:30])

• Email from Mike Sanda in Warwick, Rhode Island discusses terminology clarity around ADP, with the hosts agreeing that using "earlier" and "later" is more intuitive than "higher" or "lower":
  "Earlier and later does make more sense." ([56:19])

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4. Concluding Remarks ([58:32])

As the episode wraps up, the hosts provide final thoughts and tease upcoming content:

• Adam Aizer reflects on the dynamic nature of fantasy football, emphasizing the importance of staying informed and adaptable.

• Heath Cummings and Jamie Eisenberg encourage listeners to engage with the podcast community and participate in ongoing discussions.

• The episode concludes with a nod to the upcoming season and the hosts' commitment to delivering valuable insights to help fantasy managers succeed.

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Notable Quotes:

• Heath Cummings on Lad McConkey's safety:
  "I think the safest floor is probably Lad McConkey for me." ([06:06])

• Adam Aizer on Tyreek Hill's potential:
  "Tyreek Hill is safer than you think, fellas." ([08:00])

• Dave Richard on avoiding overreaching for Brock Bowers:
  "I just can't look at Brock Bowers and say, yeah, he's going to get nine targets per game again." ([30:12])

• Jamie Eisenberg on best ball strategies:
  "Drafting stacks of players is really the only format. I think you really want to go heavy with stacks." ([50:30])

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Key Takeaways:

• Safest Floors: Identifying players with consistent performance and minimal risk of underperformance is crucial for building a reliable fantasy roster. Lad McConkey, Trey McBride, and Jerry Judy emerged as top picks across their respective groups for having the safest floors.

• Balancing ADP and Ceiling: Managers should carefully balance a player's ADP with their potential ceiling to avoid investing too heavily in players who may not sustain their peak performance.

• Best Ball Strategies: Emphasizing player stacks and strategic drafting can enhance best ball team performance, allowing managers to maximize their scoring potential each week.

• Adaptability: Staying updated with player news, injuries, and team dynamics is essential for making informed decisions throughout the fantasy season.

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This episode of Fantasy Football Today offers a thorough analysis of player reliability, strategic drafting techniques, and community engagement, providing listeners with actionable insights to dominate their fantasy leagues.

Transcript

[Adam Azar]

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[Heath Cummings]

This is Fantasy Football Today from CBS Sports.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

What a play.

[Adam Azar]

Can you believe this?

[Dave Richard]

No, I can't.

[Heath Cummings]

It's time to your fantasy league.

[Adam Azar]

This is gonna go the distance.

[Heath Cummings]

Now here's some combination of Adam, Dave, Jamie and Heath.

[Adam Azar]

All right, yesterday we talked about players groups of three and who had the highest ceiling, the most upside in those groups today? Who has the safest floor, saying I'm on the clock. I just don't wanna pick a terrible player here. I don't wanna have a bust on my hands here. So who's got the safety, safest floor? We've got four groups of three players and we have your emails today at fantasy football cbsi.com and it feels like it's been a week since I have talked to Heath Cummings, welcome back to the show. Heath, it has been a week since I've talked to you. I think. What's up?

[Heath Cummings]

Yeah, yeah, it's a little under the weather on Thursday, I think. Or maybe it was Wednesday and I wasn't on Thursday's show, but then went and coached some basketball in Orlando. But I'm back. Did fft Dynasty yesterday. Ready to talk about floors?

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. And I was disappointed because when you sent the text message to all of us, it said you weren't feeling well. I was about to type feel better and then Dave put it like a second before me and then it looked like I was just piggybacking on Dave, but I genuinely meant feel better, Heath. So I hope you are feeling better.

[Heath Cummings]

I am feeling. I mean, yeah, I don't. I'm at the age now where I never get to 100%, but I'm feeling better.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, good. All right, we got some news and notes. Jamie's here as well. Dave will hop on shortly and we've got the safest floors and then your emails. So let's start with the news and notes. James Cook missed the first day of OTAs for the Bills and yeah, we are hoping no holdout for him. Holdouts are bad and, you know, he's not, you know, may not seem till training camp, but he needs a new con. He wants a new contract. So James Cook missed the first day of OTAs for the Bills and also Joey Bosa, who they brought in this offseason. He is out until training camp with a calf injury. Pass rusher now for Buffalo. Chad Graff of the Athletic thinks that Stefan Diggs could be ready by week four. Jamie, your take on the New England pass catchers right now.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I. I mean, at this point, I'm kind of expecting to be ready for week one. The fact that he's practicing in OTAs with no knee brace, that's a pretty good sign. So, look, I understand being optimistic or cautiously optimistic with him, you know, 31 years old, coming off the ACL TE, still getting used to new teams. So, you know, how much do you want to make sure that he's up to speed with everything that they're doing, but I'm. I'm kind of operating as, you know, he's going to be an older receiver coming off an injury, but ready for week one and probably still going to be the best receiver on his team. So a low end, number three, high end, number four receiver.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. And Kirk Cousins missed the first day of OTAs, and that's not really a Surprise. We'll see where he ends up. Probably Atlanta. Heath, what's coming up on FFT Dynasty this week?

[Heath Cummings]

I've got Jacob Gibbs coming back on Friday and we're going to talk about some of our rankings discrepancies regarding the rookies.

[Adam Azar]

He.

[Heath Cummings]

He's got his rankings list out. I've got my rankings list out. I think we both updated them since that early May ranking and we're gonna talk about some guys that he likes more than I do and guys that I like more than he does and see if we can convince each other.

[Adam Azar]

Very cool. Looking forward to it. Check out FFT Dynasty the episodes, most of them drop in the FFT feed, but if you want a separate feed, Fantasy Football Day Dynasty, just look it up. You'll find it. All right, first trio of players. The guys made fun of me for putting Tyree Kill in the notes again. He's the only player that appeared on yesterday's show. That will also be discussed on today's show. But I'm going to put Tyreek hill in there. 31 year old Tyreek Hill with two up and coming players. Lad McConkey in his second year, Jackson Smith and Jigba in his third year. Who has this is safest floor. The safest floor. If you want a little peek behind the curtain, forget it. Forget it. But I kind of screwed over Thomas this morning. So if you see any discrepancies in the graphics is my fault. Lab McConkey, Jackson Smith and Jigba. Tyree kill. Who has the safest floor? Heath Cummings. What do you think?

[Heath Cummings]

Not Tyreek Hill. I was really prepared to talk about how I didn't like his floor. No, I think the safest floor is probably lad McConkey for me.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. Lab McConkey, JSN Tyree kill adamantly. He says it's not Tyreek Hill who has the safest floor. Jamie, what do you think?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I would go with McConkey as well. I agree with Heath. I don't think Tyreek has the safest floor of these guys as things are currently standing for their respective teams.

[Adam Azar]

Why McConkey over JSN? Do you know how much I struggle with McConkey over JSN? I think about it. Yeah. I'm gonna go ahead and say it. I think about it in the shower. And Jerry Jones once talked about that. You do some really good thinking in the shower. Remember he was talking about that, I think with like one of the contracts. I don't remember who it was. And it's true, you know, you're sitting there alone with your thoughts. And I've heard people say that before.

[Heath Cummings]

And I mostly just think about washing and rinsing and getting out. I don't spend that much time in the shower.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I do. I. It's like when you have little kids. I mean, it's the only time you're that's quiet for you. You know, it's just. Just leave me alone. I'm in the shower. So I think about fantasy football and lab a Conkey vs. JSN. Really, I struggle with it, but this is just the floor. Well, first of all, I guess who do you guys have ranked higher, McConkey or JSN?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

McConkey by one spot. But to me they're very similar in their profiles.

[Adam Azar]

And what do you think about in the shout? No. Why did you guys pick McConkey with a safer floor than JSN?

[Heath Cummings]

I mean, go ahead. I'm more worried about Cooper cup than I am Trey Harris. I'm a lot more worried about Sam Darnold than I am Justin Herbert.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

There's changes for JSN. There's really not much different for LAD. McConkey.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, okay. McConkey was the number 19 wide receiver per game with only 82 catches, only 112 targets in 16 games. He was so good with those targets, though. In his last 10 games, though, McConkey was the number 11 wide receiver per game on pace four, 1500 yards on 124 targets. All right, so let me make the case for Tyreek hill. He was 30 last year. I think we've established at this point elite wide receivers. Like 30 is not old. Right. So I just cannot look at Tyreek Hills last year, last season and be like, he's washed up. He was washed up last year. Doesn't make any sense for him to be basically the best wide receiver in football at age 28 and age 29 and then be 33rd per game in PPR. And he played a full 17 games and didn't even reach a thousand yards. There's something else there. And he obviously had a preseason wrist injury bothered him all year. He is the best receiver in this trio. He might still be the best receiver in the NFL. It might sound crazy, but he's right up there. Tyree Kill is safer than you think, fellas. And he's going to be one of my favorite picks, by the way, if I can get him in the third round. So my case for him is that everything we saw last year was just the wrist injury. He's about to bounce back.

[Heath Cummings]

Well, the offense completely changed because of his wrist injury. Yeah, I don't. It's hard for me to say that when he still played every single game and they threw him the 120 balls.

[Adam Azar]

Like.

[Heath Cummings]

I know we've seen good veteran wide receivers at 31 for sure. I wonder how many of them have been healthy in air quotes because he played the entire season. I've played the entire season at age 30 and seen their receiving yards drop 800 yards and then still be elite at 31.

[Adam Azar]

I did find a few wide receivers. This was not an easy exercise to do. Right. But I found a few wide receivers who struggled late in their career and then bounced back. Reggie Wayne, Heinz Ward, Randy Moss come to mind. And they did that at even later than 31. So Reggie Wayne had his. Actually, Reggie Wins, a great example, but he wasn't nearly as bad as Tyreek Hill. But he went from wide receiver 5 per game at age 29 to 14 per game at age 30 back to wide receiver 5 per game at age 31. Heinz Ward was kind of bad. It looked like from age 29, 30 and 31. He didn't. He just wasn't so great. And then he went over a thousand yards. He had great years at age 32 and 33. Randy Moss, wide receiver 14 at age 31 and then wide receiver 2 at age 32. So those are just a few examples of guys who had bounced back years. Tyreek Hill would have more to bounce back from, but I would. This is my last stat on Tyreek Hill. In 11 games with Tua, he was on pace for 134 targets. Now, that's a far cry from what he did the previous two years, which was probably, I'm guessing, around 180 targets off the top of my head. But he was. He had 100.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

He was 170 and 172. So I think it was a 171 average. I'm not mistaken.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, so 10 a game. So 134 targets was his pace with Tua in 11 games last year. That's more than what McConkey had. Guessing that's more than what JSN had. I don't know if you have that in front of you. He had. Oh, he had 137 targets in 17 games. So if they all got the same amount of targets, who do you think you'd rank highest? JSN, Hill or McConkey?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

The same amount of targets?

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, let's say they were all getting the same amount of targets. Okay. So you really don't expect Tyreek Hill to go back to being elite per target.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I'm, I'm still hopeful because of what we saw the first two years in Miami, the first two years that you or the two years you discussed, and I don't think he's, he's completely washed up. I agree with that sentiment. But to Heat's point, you know, the, the offense did change. I don't think it changed because of Tyreek Still's wrist injury. I think it changed because of Tua and the concern of the offensive line and making sure that he's going to be, you know, upright and safe. And, you know, coming off here, we missed six games, you know, due to not just the concussion but also the hip injury. I don't see them going back to necessarily a more, a less rhythm, you know, on schedule type of offense. I think that's really what the goal is, to get the ball of his hands quickly, and that's not going to be the Tyreek, Tyreek Hill's benefit from an upside play. And so, you know, to sort of marry the two shows that we've done this week. I think in terms of upside, you know, if you want to put him in the same category as the other two receivers we discussed yesterday. So probably has more upside than all four of those guys. But in terms of the floor, I, I think just looking at it like we've seen what the floor is and it's ugly. And, you know, you can't guarantee at this point, you know, two of the last three years, two has been hurt. Can't guarantee that he's going to go back to being that guy, you know, who, who knows how much of the wrist injury still bothering me, still having off season, you know, procedures done, you know, hopefully he's passed it, but still could be a lingering issue. And for the Most part, yes, 32 is, is kind of the fall off age. But, you know, Heath has brought this up, that once these guys start to get a little older and they start to show you that things are going wrong, it's hard to reverse the trend and say that they get back to being elite level or getting to elite level production. So I think drafting him in round three still makes some sense because the upsides there, drafting around two is a little bit concerning. Your, your, your statement yesterday is still very valid. I think between him and Christian McCaffrey, they're the two most fascinating, you know, people to discuss this year because of what the upside still can be for them. But we also may Be seeing the, the end of the run for both of those elite level producers. And it might have been the case for Tyree Kill. Not necessarily just completely injury related last year.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I just want to bring this up because you talk about Tua getting the ball out. We keep saying the Dolphins offense changed and I think what you guys are referring to is lower a dot more passes to the running backs and the tight end, specifically H.N. and Johnny Smith. Right. So this is where Tua has ranked among qualified quarterbacks in time to throw. You know, like how long they're holding the ball before they throw. In the last three seasons when he's had Tyreek Hill, he's been third to last. He's been dead last and he's been dead last. He always gets the ball out quickly. He can still throw the ball to his wide receivers and get the ball out quickly. He just has to take more shots downfield. But we talked about that story going into the year where the Dolphins wanted to be less reliant on the explosive play and they wanted to control the ball a little bit more, keep their defense off the field and they dinked and dunked. My opinion, it's just an opinion. It's just a guess is that Tyree Kill just wasn't healthy and that was part of the reason why they didn't throw to him as much. If you want to buy into that theory, then you know Tyree could have a huge bounce back season. Yeah, go ahead.

[Heath Cummings]

I just think if you want to bet on an old wide receiver like Mike Evans and Devonte Adams are probably going to go after Tyree Kill.

[Adam Azar]

He's so much better than them.

[Heath Cummings]

Both of them scored 17 fantasy points per game last year.

[Adam Azar]

Tyreek hill scored over 22 straight years before.

[Heath Cummings]

Okay, I understand that. I think Devonte Adams probably did. It's a 20 point season as well or two. Yeah, but we saw like, like Stefan Diggs was better per game than him. Cooper cup was two points better per game than Tyree Kill.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I know he's horrible. You just have to buy the injury excuse. I get it if you don't. I totally. I don't think you're out of line. I don't think you're wrong.

[Heath Cummings]

Yeah, well, you can, you can buy the injury excuse and give him 20 increase in what he did last year and he's still not as good as most of those guys.

[Adam Azar]

Why do I have to stop at 20? All right, this is now gonna get Dave's opinion on this. Dave, who has the safest floor lab, McConkey, Jackson, Smith and Jigba or Tyreek Hill. Why don't you tell us and say your first words of the show after this commercial break on fft. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. From streaming to shopping, prime helps you get more out of your passions. So whether you're a fan of true crime or prefer a nail biting novel from time to time, with services like Prime Video, Amazon Music and fast free delivery, prime makes it easy to get more out of whatever you're into or getting into. Visit Amazon.comprime to learn more. Ryan Reynolds here from Int Mobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Month plan equivalent to 15 per month required Intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees, extra fee, full [e-mail] Dave.

[Adam Azar]

You are on the show. Who's got the we'll just, just give us a quick answer here and we'll move on to our next topic. Who has the safest floor? McConkey, JSN or Tyreek?

[Dave Richard]

Well, first of all, I just want to say I do my best thinking in the car, not the shower. I'm gonna say JSN has the safest floor. I think he's got the best shot to replicate the target volume that we saw last year. And I know I heard you guys talk about Lad Makaki and how nothing's really changed for him. Something has changed very much for him and that's the offense in LA adding Omarion Habton, adding Najee Harris. This is a team that's going to run the ball more. And so one of the reasons why I kind of took a step back from Justin Herbert being a top 10 fantasy quarterback in 2025 is because I think they're going to be able to run the ball a lot more often than they did after the start of last season. And that means target volume is going to go down. And I looked it up last year. McConkey on the season seven targets per game. That's fine if you just take the games where The Chargers had 20 or more running back runs. There were eight of them. McConkey averaged six and a half targets per game, still had 16 PPR points per game, scored a lot of touchdowns. That's pretty cool. But in the nine games where the Chargers had 19 or fewer running back runs, it's 8.2 targets per game. He only had two touchdowns. That's weird. 16.4 PPR points per game. I, I think that JSN can still settle in at around eight targets per game. He's not as explosive as McConkey. I would still rather draft McConkey, but we're talking safe as floor in full PPR. I think Jackson, Smith and Jigba's got it because I don't think he'll be affect. We've already seen him affected by the run game in Seattle and he's still averaging good numbers there. So I, I just think he's the safest of the three.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. By the way, it was Jerry Jones was thinking about bringing DEZ Bryant back. He was thinking about that in the shower, so. And he admitted to doing his best thinking in the shower, so give it a try everybody. Okay, next up, who has the safest floor? Breeze Hall, Ken Walker or RJ Harvey? Breeze Hall, Ken Walker or RJ Harvey?

[Dave Richard]

Who you ask?

[Adam Azar]

Dave. It's make up for lost time.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, sure. I'll stick in Seattle and say Walker we there. There's a very consistent track record of him when he does get work. He has a good fantasy average. He gets a lot of carries. The, the exception being obviously if the way he ended last year, he averaged 3.1 yards per carry. And I want to say like his last nine games, something like that, it might be a little less than that, but it was gross. He was gross last year, except he called more passes. That was cool. But we've seen his rushing, his attempts per game go down just a little bit each year. His rushing average took a nosedive. I think he can bounce back a little bit and still see around 15 to 17 touches per game. And I, I just, I feel safest with him compared to Harvey who wasn't really like, he wasn't big on our radar leading up in the draft process and then all of a sudden he lands in Denver and we all lose our minds over RJ Harvey. There's no guarantee that he's going to be great. I love the opportunity for him, but I'd still rather have Kenneth Walker and then Bree Hall. Dude, I, I looked up how running backs did with Justin Fields over Fields career and the numbers aren't good. Bree Hall's better than any running back that Fields has ever worked with. I know the jets are going to use multiple running backs anyway. Plus, we've already talked about how Justin Fields will take carries on his own. He'll score on his own. I'm starting to get even more. I was never, like, excited about Breeze Hall. I'm getting even more nervous about Breeze hall at this point after going back and looking at the track record of running backs with Justin Fields.

[Adam Azar]

Justin Fields. I was. I was trying to explain the stat to Jamie on the phone, and I struggled, but here we go. We'll do it on the air. So I looked at Justin Fields in his career when he's been on the field. Justin Fields, touchdowns plus running back touchdowns. So you most like a lot of David Montgomery and Ashi Harris, Khalil Herbert. Justin Fields had something like 43% of the total touchdowns that he or the running back scored. That is a lot. Does that make sense, that statistics.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I crushed it when you told me on the phone.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, that was a dress rehearsal. All right, Jamie, you're up. Who's got the safest floor? Breeze Hall, Ken Walker or Harvey? Dave says Walker. What do you say?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Yeah, I agree. I. I think you just look at Walker's situation. You know, he's. He probably has the toughest competition of this group. You know, so Zach Charbonnet has, you know, proved himself to be a very good number two running back. Most of his damage is done when Walker's not there. So factor that in. But, you know, Harvey should dominate his backfield if things go right. I still think Breeze hall is the best running back for the jets, despite what Aaron Glenn's planning to do, or at least what he said he's going to do. But you look at what he's done when healthy, and that's hard to overlook. And so his production is, you know, pretty, pretty strong. Last year, you know, proved himself to be maybe a better receiver than people thought coming into the NFL, because that was kind of the knock on him coming out of Michigan State, even though I think it was a little bit of a overblown situation. But look, Harvey's got to prove himself still. You know, as Dave said, you know, he wasn't one of the more touted rookies coming into the draft process, but certainly somebody that, you know, we were kind of waiting to see where he would end up. And as Dave alluded to, he ended up in a great spot. And Breece Hall's, you know, track record so far has been great. You know, even prior to Devonte Adams joining the jets last year was doing everything we were hoping he was going to do and then just things tailed off and then I just don't understand their process. But Walker is my favorite of this group to draft, and I think he's the safest. I think he has the highest ceiling and the safest floor of this trip.

[Heath Cummings]

Yeah. And I, I don't think you draft any of these three running. I mean, I don't draft a lot of players after round one. Really worried too much about their floor. But I don't think you draft any of these three running backs based on floor. You're. You're basing that you're drafting them based on the upside. And there's big, big upside. I thought there was a good comment in the chat. Be more said. Harvey doesn't have a floor. And the Sean Payton selection, the, the shot, the Alvin Camara comparisons, like, that's really exciting. But it's all about ceiling. I looked this morning at running backs drafted since 22,000 between pick 50 and pick 70. Harvey was the 60th pick between pick 50 and pick 70. There have been 45 running backs drafted since 2000. Six of them have averaged 10 fantasy points per game.

[Dave Richard]

Oh, it's gross.

[Heath Cummings]

One of them averaged 15.

[Dave Richard]

Can I bring up one quick thing about that? Do you think that running backs are viewed the same way, let's say in the last four. Four drafts compared to the drafts prior to the last four drafts?

[Heath Cummings]

Maybe not. But three of them were drafted that high in the last four drafts. James Cook, who scored 84 fantasy points for the season. Zach Charbonnet, who scored 73, and Trey Benson, who scored 41.

[Dave Richard]

And all three of them were drafted into timeshares where we kind of heath. You know, I remember how we felt about Charbonnet going to Seattle in the moment it happened. We, we both thought they were nuts. But this is a different situation with Harvey. We. I don't think he's going there to split a third and a third and a third with Jaleel McLaughlin and Audrey estimate unless he absolutely sucks at camp. And then, yeah, that's gonna happen. You're wasting your pick. But I, I think he's talented. I just, I'm not ready to say that he's going to be this slam dunk rookie. He's nowhere near Genty and Hampton as far as I'm concerned.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Who are the six that were good.

[Heath Cummings]

Foreign it up right now? Nope. I already closed it out, so I'll have to look that back up my.

[Dave Richard]

Go to your history.

[Adam Azar]

Sorry. Are you guys. You guys rank it. You're up on the clock, you're going Walker, overhaul, and then Harvey. Is that how you rank it? Walker, Hall, Harvey.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

That's how I currently. Harvey may go ahead of hall by the time we get to camp.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. All right, let's go to our next trio here. Who has the most? The safest floor is the safest floor here. Now it's two tight ends and a running back, and they're all being drafted in round two in our drafts. So it's Trey McBride. That's, for the most part. I actually, full disclosure, McBride went in the third round of our most recent draft. I think the. Heath, that was a great pick. Trey McBride. Brock. Brock Bowers, Jonathan Taylor. I know it's kind of a weird Trio, but Trey McBride, Brock Bowers, Jonathan Taylor. Who has the safest Florida floor of these three? Jamie, why don't you start?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

That's a tough one. I'm gonna say McBride. You know, if the. If the touchdowns can ever increase, he's going to be the number one tight end. And the target opportunity has been there for basically the last two years. The. Everything, really, aside from the touchdowns, have been there the last two years. I'm hoping for a better year from Marvin Harrison Jr. But I still think, again, like we talked about yesterday, he's going to be the. The number one target getter on this team. I don't want to say that a running back is probably safer than two guys like this at their position. So as good as Taylor has been, he's also been somewhat injury prone in the last three years. And I have McBride ranked ahead of Bowers based on what I think is going to happen for him. So give me a McBride of this trip.

[Adam Azar]

Heath, who's the safest here? Bowers, McBride or Jonathan Taylor?

[Heath Cummings]

I. I'd probably say McBride too. I think all three of these guys have fantastic floors. I don't see very much risk at all for them. Like, even If Bowers and McBride lose 20 targets from last year, they're very likely to score 15 fantasy points per game. And Taylor, we worry about the receptions with Anthony Richardson, but he's averaged more than 20 rush attempts per game in the games he's played with Anthony Richardson. And he's always been an efficient rusher. So I. I don't really see a downside for these guys, but I'll go with McBride as the highest four, I think.

[Adam Azar]

I do think Taylor averaged about one target per game with Richardson. That's like start one and a half.

[Heath Cummings]

Yeah, that. That's bad. But if you're going to run for 1500 yards. You've still got a pretty good floor. And I think if he plays 17 games with Anthony Richardson, he's going to run for 1500 yards.

[Adam Azar]

Dave, who's got the safest floor, Bowers, McBride or Taylor?

[Dave Richard]

I'll take McBride. I think he's. He's. And that's in PPR. I think if we turn this conversation to half PPR or not PPR, I might lean toward Taylor, but I think McBride's just the safest overall. I think his role is absolutely locked in. I think he's still going to see 8.5 plus targets per game. That's really rare for a tight end to get anywhere. I think he's earned it in Arizona. He's. His touchdown production is nowhere to go but up. And he's just. He stands out as, like, a really safe, quality PPR pick. I worry a little bit about Bowers suffering from the same thing that McConkey could suffer from. Raiders drafted Ash and Genti. And not only can Genty suck up all the carries, he's a pass catcher, too. Jack Besh deserves some credit for being added to that receiving cord. Jacoby Myers is still there. Is Bowers going to get 8.7 targets per game again? I. I worry a little bit about that number coming down and I really worry about it coming down to like seven. And we're drafting him neck and neck with McBride. So. I love Bowers. I especially loved him last year. I took him a ton. But this year, I don't know if I'm going to take him at all unless I can get him, like, at a really good value. That's like late round three, and I don't think he's going to last that long.

[Heath Cummings]

Never.

[Adam Azar]

Interesting. Does anybody think that anyone in this trio. McBride, Bowers, Jonathan Taylor has a low floor, could be a bust.

[Dave Richard]

I think there's potential for Bowers. I hate to say it. I'm not gonna. I'm not good out of my top.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, he's so good, dude. Like, he's so good.

[Dave Richard]

I know it. I absolutely know it. But last year's Raiders offense didn't have anybody else besides Myers and Bowers. The talent is amazing. They're changing. This year. It's going to be different. And so I don't want to. I certainly don't want to reach for Brock Bowers. I'll leave it at that. If I get him at a. I'll. I'll amend what I said before. If I can get him at a fair Value. I'll take them because I want to.

[Heath Cummings]

Be a draft I'm not in.

[Adam Azar]

Well, I got a question for you, Dave, because I. You do say that a lot and I know what you mean, but can you explain what you mean by I don't want to reach for him, I want him at a fair value because some people might be going, well, yeah, obviously. But I guess there are guys that you're willing to reach for. But what do you mean by there's.

[Dave Richard]

Going to be a guy in every draft this year in home leagues that reaches for Brock Bowers? There's going to be a guy that reaches at least one for McBride too. We want these guys. They're difference makers at tight end. We're looking for the next Travis Kelsey. So I get it, but I just, I can't look at Brock Bowers and say, yeah, he's going to get nine targets per game again. He's going to have 15.5 PPR points per game again. I, I can't say those same things about him. Like I said about McBride, I think McBride is a lot safer in that regard. If I, if I'm expecting one of those two to repeat what they've done, it's McBride because I don't think his offense is. His offense hasn't changed at all. There's literally nothing different with the Cardinals offense as far as skill position players go. The Raiders added a big piece in Genti and they, you know, saying Jack Bash is a big addition is a lie. It's not that big of an addition, but it's another set of hands and he was pretty good last year at tcu.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, they also added Geno Smith. Right now they are going to be more run heavy.

[Dave Richard]

Good for the run game.

[Adam Azar]

Last year they had the like the fourth most pass attempts in football or something like that. So they are going to definitely be more run heavy. I brought this up, you know, and. And the last two tight ends who had these great rookie seasons, they disappointed us. Kyle Pitts, I would consider it a great rookie season. It wasn't great for fantasy, but he, at the time, he set the rookie record for yards. He only had two touchdowns, I think. And then La Porta, they both took a step back. But yeah, it's kind of interesting sides of this discussion. All right, I like it. Good debate. Let's go to our next one here. Let's go to our last one. Which trio, which player in this trio has the safest floor? Three wide receivers that might start going off the board around late round four Maybe. Maybe Devonte Smith, Calvin Ridley, and Jerry Judy. Who has the safest floor? Heath, you can start. Devonte Smith, Calvin Ridley, or Jerry Judy?

[Heath Cummings]

There's not a safest floor on the screen. I'm not sure there's a floor on the screen if. If I'm gonna go with Jerry Judy. But I don't. I don't. I don't even know how. Like, you almost just have to argue against the other two guys as having even lower floors, because I don't think that there's anybody on this screen that's guaranteed to score 11 PPR fantasy points per game.

[Adam Azar]

Devonte Smith, Calvin Ridley, Jerry Judy. I'll give you. I mean, the number on that I have on Devonte Smith is that 20, 28 games over the last three years with Dallas Goddard, he has averaged about 13 points per game.

[Heath Cummings]

So last year it was nine.

[Adam Azar]

Last year. Last year they didn't. They barely threw. I mean, you could really argue that Barkley just killed devonte Smith last year. And they did win the super. Yeah. Did they? Yeah, they did win the Super. Yeah. So 28 regular season games with both AJ Brown and Dallas Goddard. 13.1 PPR fantasy points per game, which isn't that good. That. That's. That's Devonte Smith. That would have made him wide receiver 31 per game last year. You take out two games, by the way, with Gardner Minshew, and it goes down to 12 PPR fantasy points per game because he had big games, huge games with Gardner minshew, and. And 12 PBR fantasy points per game would have been wide receiver 39 per game in 2024. All right, so Heath is saying that Jerry Judy has the safest floor out of Smith, Ridley and Judy. Jamie, what say you?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I would say Smith, you know, just based on the numbers you just gave. And obviously there's, you know, he said it best. There's. There's flaws with all three of these guys. Just given the. The circumstances, you know, Judy could easily have Dylan Gabriel as his quarterback for the majority of the season, which would be terrifying. Ridley may not benefit from a Cam Ward bump and may still be, you know, struggling with a young quarterback who can't, you know, process things in the NFL. I don't think that'll be the case like Will Levis, but you never know. But Smith, at least you know what you're getting. And I. I do think he'll be closer to the 13 than he will the nine in terms of his production. So in terms of floor, I think it's Smith And I don't think it's particularly close.

[Adam Azar]

Oh, wow. Okay, so devonte Smith for Jamie. Jerry, Judy for Heath. Dave, who's got safest floor?

[Dave Richard]

I think it's Judy. I don't feel good saying it. It's based on him being the target leader for the Browns. And even if the targets aren't great targets, he should still catch a lot of them. And I. I think he deserves credit for last year. Adam. He made a bunch of plays after the catch. He made a bunch of plays, period. And so Judy, to me, is probably the one who. He and Najoku are going to be like the staples of that passing game, obviously, and they're going to be the ones that see the most targets. Judy will work a little further downfield, and he's the one that I think can deliver safe production week in and week out. Whereas with devonte, the deal is simple. Like once somebody's missing from Goddard or A.J. brown. Yeah, he flies out off the track and he's awesome. But you got to wait for that to happen.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I'm surprised, Dave, at your answer, just given the fact that two guys that we've talked about already, you brought up the run game being better for their teams.

[Dave Richard]

Sure, I get what you're saying. Fair point. I don't. I don't know if Judkins impact on the Browns is going to be the same as Hampton plus Naji in LA and Genti in Las Vegas. What happened?

[Heath Cummings]

You think Naji's an upgrade over Dobbins?

[Dave Richard]

He's going to play. He's available, so. And Dobbins might be there. Remember, they've. They tendered him. So Dobbins could end up being there. He might overtake Najee on the depth chart. So then it's Hampton and Dobbins. That's still. That's still a great running back room. It's a better running back room in LA than it is in Cleveland.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Oh, I don't. I don't. I don't disagree with that, but I think the Browns running back room this year is dramatically better than it was a year ago.

[Dave Richard]

Oh, I. I think you're right.

[Adam Azar]

I'm not really. I'm not really feeling great about drafting these guys. Devonte Smith, Calvin. Really? And Jerry. Judy.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Well, Judy is the upside play, and that's not close. Like, if he's with, hopefully Joe Flacco. I mean, look, he could be great with any of the quarterbacks, you know, based on what we saw, you know, last year, obviously Jameis is a difference maker for. For A lot of wide receivers based on his track record. But look, Judy, to you know, Dave's point, I know Heath would agree that he's going to get funnel targets. That's awesome. You know, you can counter with. Okay, the first three games of no Amari Cooper, Cedric Tillman was, was pretty, you know, special as well, but that's just the, the best sample size of his career is three games. So Judy, you know, you talked about this. Adam, I don't remember which show it was, but you know what he did a couple times in Denver when it started to show flashes despite poor quarterback play has that potential if he could stay healthy. So upside versus floor, it's, it's a totally different conversation. I think Judy could be, you know, top 15 wide receiver, maybe even top 10. We saw those, those stretch of games last year and, and really may not be far behind. Look, if Cam Ward is that much of a upgrade over Will Levis and you know, Ridley is going to also get funnel targets. Look at this receiving court. It's awful. So. But to me, the floor is, is Smith. The, the ceiling favors the other two.

[Adam Azar]

Okay, let's take a break and we got your emails when we come back. So your emails at fantasy football cbsi.com if you have any. Oh, I didn't put any Apple podcast questions and I try to get some Apple podcast questions in on tomorrow's show.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

But we were talking about Tyree Kill tomorrow.

[Adam Azar]

You know what, I'm just.

[Dave Richard]

Maybe I'll write the players still have a busted wrist.

[Adam Azar]

You know, it's not. I've only talked about him two shows in a row. And here's the thing about Tyreek Hill. Not only is he, you know, do I find to be the most interesting player in fantasy this year because he obviously has this huge upside or he's shown it. I think he has still has it. Maybe you guys don't. But if he gets back on track, it's going to have a domino effect on other players that we're going to invest in. Probably not hn, but. But maybe like fewer catches, I would say. But definitely it would hurt John who Smith and it would keep Jalen Waddle from breaking out and it could catapult Tua into close to must start conversation. So I think he, I think he is so interesting. Not just for him, but for what he would do to the rest of the Dolphins offense, which is an offense that I think you want a piece of.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I know what we can do for tomorrow's show.

[Adam Azar]

Okay.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

For Tyreeko players who Disparage other players.

[Adam Azar]

You mean not. You mean like, hold them back?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Well, no. You heard what he said about Travis Hunter, right?

[Adam Azar]

Oh, no, no, no, I didn't.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Oh, we'll save that for tomorrow.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. The other reason why I want to draft Tyreek Hills, he's just such a good guy. I just want him on my team. All right, let's take a break on fantasy football today and when we come back, we'll read your emails. We'll be right back.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

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[Adam Azar]

Go to your happy price price line.

[Dave Richard]

I found a kid who swings a golf club like a dream.

[Adam Azar]

I'd like to try to qualify him.

[Heath Cummings]

For the US Amateurs coming to Apple.

[Adam Azar]

TV plus what's your name? I'm not into older guys, but I'm flattered.

[Heath Cummings]

A new comedy series. Stick.

[Dave Richard]

I don't want to go on this trip.

[Adam Azar]

Your mouth's saying one thing, but those.

[Dave Richard]

Eyes are saying something else.

[Heath Cummings]

From the home of Ted Lasso, you.

[Adam Azar]

See your shot at redemption.

[Heath Cummings]

This is is your mulligan, Owen Wilson.

[Adam Azar]

This game takes in it.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Thanks.

[Adam Azar]

The game's finally giving me something back.

[Heath Cummings]

Stick.

[Adam Azar]

You know, Arnold Palmer iced tea, lemonade. Mix it.

[Heath Cummings]

I'm missing a nap for this. Streaming June 4th on Apple TV Plus.

[Adam Azar]

This email is from Kevin. Dave seems to have taken a liking to warn people against drafting players too close to their ceiling. Obviously, there are limitations to any rule. Unless Dave refuses to draft any player at 100:1 on principle. Which of course he doesn't. But what is the actionable element of this advice? Who are some high capital players who aren't being drafted too close to their ceiling? And how does that differ from just being at the end of a tier in adp? Dave, you want to talk about that when you say, yeah, don't draft someone too close to their ceiling.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, I mean, but obviously someone's got to go 101 and it's the player that you think is going to be. I always try and take somebody when I'm picking first. Someone who could be Top five overall. And like Jamar Chase or Bijan Robinson could absolutely be top five overall. That's why I think they belong there. If you're in the Barkley camp, you think he can be good again, 23 points per game. Good. Then yeah, you're taking him top five or top pick overall, no questions asked. I, I look, it's basically a game of value and you're looking for players that have outperformed their adp. And if you see somebody that you think can outperform where you're getting them in the draft, you're probably not drafting them too close to their ceiling. But sometimes hype will drive up a player's value. How about this as an example? We've talked about Ashton Genty a lot. We've raced to put him in the first round. Obviously he's never played it down in the NFL. He is a man, he is a brick house. He is ready to go into the league, should be able to do a lot of the things that he did in college and then some, but he hasn't done it yet. He's not on a great team. I don't know if the Raiders are even going to be top 15 in points per game this year. Are we taking him too close to the ceiling if he's a first round pick?

[Adam Azar]

I mean, I don't, I think if you take him in the top five, probably once you get past a certain group of players, you know, then, then you could argue that for anyone. Right, Right.

[Dave Richard]

But I admit six, I'm, I think it's a mistake. I think that's too close to the ceiling.

[Adam Azar]

But who's, but who has a better case to be six? Right. That's the problem. Right. So now you have to find someone who you're not drafting at their ceiling. If you put them six, who would that be for? You?

[Dave Richard]

CD Lamb.

[Adam Azar]

Oh, yeah. Okay.

[Dave Richard]

Okay. Jameer Gibbs.

[Adam Azar]

Someone. Here's an example. We get out of the first round, someone in our draft drafted Jameson Williams in the third round in a PPR league and he might have a great year. It's really hard to see him finishing as a top 12 receiver in a, in a PPR league. So even if you like him, that's just drafting someone at their ceiling. Devonte. Dave. You know, I'd have to say, I don't know that this was a bad pick because it's just wide receivers were flying off the board. But you took Devonte Adams, 35th overall.

[Dave Richard]

Not close to a ceiling. No, we've seen him finish as a Top. Obviously the top receiver in fantasy before, but that's a long time ago. Where did he finish on a per game basis last year?

[Adam Azar]

Probably around this.

[Heath Cummings]

I've got him wide receiver 11.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, I've got him at 10. And I don't, I, I don't want to draft him as the 10th receiver off the board. I. But I can't rule out that he finishes between 10th and 15th among receivers on a PPR per game basis in the Rams offense playing in the slot. Red zone threat still moving. Well, Stafford's healthy. Like I, I'm. I know Devonte breaks the rule as far as age goes, but I still think he's got it. And he was fourth at his position in targets per game last year. I don't think that falls off a cliff.

[Adam Azar]

He was.

[Dave Richard]

I don't think he pulled Robinson where Alan Robinson went to the Rams and it took me one game to go. Oh, no, this is, this isn't going to work. I think Adams is going to be worth that round three pick, but I think a lot of people are going to get him in round four because people are worried about him falling off the age cliff.

[Adam Azar]

Okay. Yeah, he was. You took him as wide receiver 16. He was wide receiver 12 last year.

[Dave Richard]

Right.

[Adam Azar]

Being wide receiver 12, being wide receiver 12 with the fourth most targets at the position is. It isn't the most encouraging thing, but. Okay, so you don't agree with me there, but. All right, hopefully we've answered that question and we'll go on to our next one. And this is from Davin. Davin has a very derogatory nickname for Cam Scatter Boo. He's calling him Cam Scatter Poo. And Jamie Davin says, how come all the fantasy analysts love this guy? All I see in here is Cam Scatter Poo this, Scatter Poo that. Why the disconnect between fantasy and real NFL teams?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I guess the disconnect would be what, where he was drafted?

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, I think so. Usually round four picks do not. They do almost nothing as rookies. And so this is what he's talking about.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I guess so. I guess the, the question would be probably better served for somebody who has got to be ranked ahead of Tracy. I don't know if any of us do. There's an easy path to him having success, though, because, you know, Tracy did some good things last year on a bad Giants team. I think he's got a chance to be better with the Giants being a better team this year, especially better quarterback play. But it's not like he's an established collegiate star, an established rook coming off an established rookie season. You know, he, he's, you know, could just be a guy and, and Scatter Boo may be just a better guy, you know, so I don't think he's an elite talent. I don't think he's got the chance to be an elite fantasy running back but he certainly has a chance to be in that, you know, top 30, 24ish range of a number two running back if he's better than Tracy and gets that volume. So I'm not over excited about Cam Scatter Boo by any stretch, but I do think there's an opportunity for him to be drafted as a hopefully fourth running back on your team and you know, could eventually work into your starting rotation if he ends up being the starting guy for the Giants.

[Heath Cummings]

I think a lot of it also has to do with the fact that so many people came into this draft thinking this could be an historically great running back class. And so there are more running backs that got drafted later that we are excited about. And there were some pretty good, maybe even great Fantasy performances from 4th round Rookie running backs last year as Bucky Irving. Last year Bucky Irving was, was a fourth rounder. Isaac Grindo had a good little run for a few games. A lot of people were excited about Ray Davis coming into last year who was a fourth round pick and had a much better running back in front of him.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. All right. Thank you Davin. Be be nice to scam Cat. Cam Scatter didn't do anything to you, so chill there. This is from one of our oldest fans, Joe. Where's he from? Dave?

[Dave Richard]

He's one of our oldest fans. He's from the Tolatine center in Olympia Fields, Illinois. That's an old folks home, you know people. Yeah. I'm not drafting anybody in their 80s or their 90s in fantasy this year.

[Adam Azar]

I don't know why I'm reading these.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

You said you like Devonte Adams.

[Adam Azar]

That's true.

[Dave Richard]

He's not in his 80s.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Jamie 32 NFL years.

[Adam Azar]

Johnny Airport by the way we just comment in the chat says I stand corrected on my round four rookie running back take. No, I don't. Most rookie running backs drafted on day three do nothing. Most rookie running backs drafted honestly in round two, round three, round three or later do very little. And round two or later it usually takes at least a few weeks. I don't know if I should read this email but we might as well.

[Heath Cummings]

I definitely don't think you should.

[Adam Azar]

Well, I'm not gonna read the name that he put, but Joe, I like this because Joe who says, dear Terry Benjamin.

[Heath Cummings]

Oh, he said something good about you after the inappropriate comment. Yeah, okay, I see.

[Adam Azar]

Terry Benjamin, Garth and Noah. Does anybody get that? Terry Benjamin, Garth, and Noah. So that would be Wayne's World. He. Yeah, so he says. I've been listening to the podcast as long as I can remember, and Adam relentlessly drops absolute dimes of movie quotes, well timed and often missed. I think I'm batting a thousand on catching them all, and they usually have me rolling. For God's sakes, just give me the damn number. So if he says, if equating some of your favorite movies to players, who and what would you choose? My favorite movie ever is Dumb and Dumber, and I'd equate this to my continual drafting of Kyle Pitts. So I didn't really get. I don't know how to equate a movie to a player, but I did want to read this email because I needed it a little bit. I needed the ego boost.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

So you would equate Tyree Kill to Dirty Dancing?

[Adam Azar]

Oldie, but goodie. Underrated. And, you know, maybe I'd equate it to, like, Footloose because it had, like, a revival. You know, there was a remake. So I don't know if you guys have any movies you'd like to equate to football players. If I can think about that.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I like Dirty Dancing.

[Adam Azar]

1.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Jamar Chase is the best receiver in football. So Jerry Maguire would be that.

[Adam Azar]

The best love story? Yeah, I get it. And you love Jabar Chase. All right, if you think about anything.

[Heath Cummings]

Email has already served its purpose. You got to say that somebody said something nice about you in an email.

[Adam Azar]

Thank you. I needed it. All right, this is from Chris in Portland, Oregon. With the explosion of best ball over the last few years, I'm wondering if we can get more content about best ball, especially at this time of year when it's predominantly best ball and dynasty drafts going on and. Secondary question. I'll come back to the secondary question. Why don't we read best ball or Heath, why don't you give us some best ball advice?

[Heath Cummings]

Well, I. I'm pretty much covering. Like you said, it's all best ball and dynasty drafts this time of year, and I'm. I'm pretty much stake my claim on the dynasty side of that equation. So I've. I took a pretty big step back from the best ball that I used to do. I think. I think Jamie might be our best ball.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Draft or no, I've done two already and it was funny. I did one the night before. This is on Underdog. I did one the night before the George Pickens trademark. And I did a. I drafted CD Lamb in round one. So I did a cowboy stack and got Dak relatively late. I did. And just part of this draft, like a brown stack as well. You could do that so cheap, you know, because if, if you're going to buy into Flacco, he's like the two that I've done so far, I've gotten Flacco late. And both these drafts I've done with Nijoku and. And Judy shares. And the reason I bring that up is, you know, that's just an easy way to try and, you know, maximize your success is getting, you know, these stacks of players is really the only format. I think you really want to go heavy with stacks. And there's so many creative ways to do it now, you know, with, with how these, you know, quarterbacks are performing. So you don't have to necessarily invest in, you know, the, the early quarterbacks. The, the taking the quarterbacks early. But we could certainly spend more time about it when.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

You know, if you want to plan this out. But yes, there's, there should be more best ball contact content that we discuss here as well.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. And did I tell you guys my, my best ball story about how I prematurely claimed victory last year?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

No.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, we were talking. It was, it was week 18. It was like Tuesday of week 18 and fantasy championship had just wrapped up and we were talking, oh, how'd we do this and that. And I was like, oh, yeah. I was like, won this league. Yeah. And I was like, yeah. And I won the, the 14 team best ball flex league. With all these industry experts, that league went through week 18. But I wanted anyway. But it was close. It was close, but I prematurely claimed victory on that. But that was really stupid of me. All right, the second question was, outside of the top 100 picks, which running back, in a best case scenario, could you see pushing for a top 12 finish? Wow.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

With injury or without injury?

[Adam Azar]

I guess you could give one of each.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I'll give you one without injury, but a guy missing Ray Davis.

[Adam Azar]

Oh, with the holdout.

[Dave Richard]

Yep.

[Heath Cummings]

Top 100 picks.

[Adam Azar]

That's.

[Heath Cummings]

That's a lot of picks, man.

[Dave Richard]

Jaden.

[Adam Azar]

It would have to be Jaden Blue, not injury. It's the only thing I could think of. Where's Javante at if he's in the top 100?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Well, especially after yesterday. Dave Drew Drove his price up the rough.

[Adam Azar]

No, he went in round eight in our latest pick. I'll. I can look at the consensus rankings but I think he's. I think he's like a 90th ish.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Guerindo, Mason, Tootin, Davis.

[Heath Cummings]

Mason's a good one if he's that late. I think Tootin's past Bigsby already and may pass ETN soon.

[Adam Azar]

So Javante. I'm sorry, Heath Javante is 114th in the consensus rankings right now. I was just looking at archers.

[Heath Cummings]

There's the answer.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah. All right.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

There's a lot. You know it. This position's gotten so much depth to it this year. It may not be great depth. We'll find out how the season goes on. But you know, with this draft class and pushing some of these guys down like they're still going to be great value for and it's not in this range. But Ramondre may still end up being valuable. Rashad White may still up being valuable. Naji Harris may still have being valid. Like these guys all got pushed down because of the draft picks and or you know, you know, players that have passed them on the depth chart. But they're still going to have some, some pretty prominent roles and may surprise us. Unfortunately, if we're investing all J.K. dobbins.

[Dave Richard]

Has to do is sign somewhere decent.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah.

[Dave Richard]

And he might do half a year. Must start production. Chubb too. He's got to be right. You've got to see that first.

[Adam Azar]

Anybody want to study this from Johnny again? Anybody want to start up a league that uses Acer stats for scoring? Each week you get to cherry pick your stats to give yourself the best possible score.

[Dave Richard]

Everybody wins.

[Adam Azar]

That's awesome. All right. Thomas from Rhode Island. Dear Herschel, Russell, DeShawn, Trent and Ricky.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Herschel, Russell, Deshaun, Trent and Ricky, they're all bad trades.

[Adam Azar]

So we got the Ricky Williams Saints trade. There's the Trent Richards Trent Richardson trade.

[Dave Richard]

You're right.

[Adam Azar]

What are Russell and what's Russell?

[Dave Richard]

The Bravo Seattle. The Denver.

[Adam Azar]

Oh oh, that Russell. I was thinking running backs or whatever in the Sean Watson obviously. Okay. 10 team PPR super flex dynasty league. We start three receivers and two flexes. I traded away a 2026 mid second round pick and Khalil Shakir for JJ McCarthy again it's super flex dynasty. And then I drafted Sam Howell with my in the 2025 draft. I guess. Yeah. To protect McCarthy. What do you think about this?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

A plus.

[Heath Cummings]

Love it.

[Adam Azar]

Cool.

[Dave Richard]

Agreed.

[Adam Azar]

This is from Andrew. Where's he from?

[Dave Richard]

Boston Mass.

[Adam Azar]

10 teams, 6 point per passing Touchdown League PPR 2 wide receivers 2 flex. Should I keep Jaden Daniels or Chuba Hubbard as my last round pick?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

How many teams?

[Adam Azar]

10.

[Dave Richard]

10 teams.

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Daniels.

[Dave Richard]

I agree.

[Heath Cummings]

Yeah, I think so.

[Adam Azar]

I've got.

[Heath Cummings]

I've got Chuba ahead, but in 12 team. But in 10, I'd take Daniels.

[Dave Richard]

Yeah, if you can keep Daniels for a late pick forever or just even if it goes up by a round or two each year, as long as there's no, like, strict time limit. Easy answer, Daniels.

[Adam Azar]

All right, this is from Mike Sanda in Warwick, Rhode Island. Oh, we're getting into some semantics here. Subject adp. Should we use higher and lower or earlier and later when discussing so he was saying that the only way to be clear is to use. I think he was saying to use earlier or later. Do you think it gets confusing if you say someone has a higher or lower adp?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

No, but earlier or later does make more sense.

[Adam Azar]

So if I said to you, Jamie, player A has a higher ADP than player B, which one is being drafted first?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

Player A.

[Adam Azar]

So a higher ADP means a lower number, right?

[Jamie Eisenberg]

I would have said, I don't think it's confusing for people who have obviously discussed this for a long time. But to his point, earlier and later, it does make more sense.

[Dave Richard]

Have we been using higher and lower?

[Adam Azar]

I think. Well, I was saying. I responded. This was a thread on Twitter. I responded to it and I did say that we do use risers and fallers. And that feels very obvious to me. Like it's if your ADP is rising, that means you're going earlier in drafts. But then I thought about. I was like, well, maybe we should just keep using earlier and later. Heath, I feel like you have a lot to say about this. I see the look on your face.

[Heath Cummings]

I have said.

[Adam Azar]

Could be a little confusing. I'm confused right now.

[Heath Cummings]

I was not confused before the hour was read.

[Adam Azar]

Yeah, right. We'll think about it. The shower. It's a good point. Okay, I have. I. If I haven't recommended your friends and neighbors yet on the show, I strongly recommend it. You've got two, three days to catch up or two days to catch up before the season finale. It's terrific and I'll leave you with that. Thanks, guys. We'll talk to you tomorrow on Fantasy Football Today. See you. Paramount Park. College football Summer is no time to.

[Dave Richard]

Slouch because we are taking you to.

[Adam Azar]

School on the COVID 3 podcast, part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network. It's time for our annual Summer School series as we take time to break down some of your favorite teams with experts and insiders who know these depth.

[Dave Richard]

Charts from top to bottom.

[Adam Azar]

But Summer School is just extra credit because you can join myself, Chip Patterson.

[Dave Richard]

Along with Tom Fenelli, Danny Canell and.

[Adam Azar]

Bud Elliott three times a week as we go through position, additional drafts, player rankings and more. Download and follow the COVID 3 podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere podcasts are found.