Free Agency Day One! Travis Etienne, Mike Evans, Isaiah Likely and More. Is Bucky Irving a Loser? (03/09 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today: Free Agency Day One Recap

Episode Date: March 9, 2026
Hosts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings

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Episode Overview

The crew dives into a whirlwind of NFL free agency news, breaking down key signings and trades impacting the 2026 fantasy football landscape. With stars like Travis Etienne, Ken Walker, Mike Evans, Isaiah Likely, and Malik Willis on the move, Adam, Dave, Jamey, and Heath assess the winners, losers, sleepers, and shakeups across positions and provide actionable, round-by-round fantasy value. The conversation stays lively and insightful, with debate over aging stars, breakout candidates, and the ever-chaotic implications for the running back, wide receiver, and tight end tiers.

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Key Headlines and Major Transactions

[01:50-07:00] Opening Reactions & Major Moves

• Wild day of signings:
  • Travis Etienne to the Saints
  • Ken Walker to the Chiefs
  • Malik Willis to the Dolphins
  • Mike Evans to the 49ers
  • Isaiah Likely to the Giants
  • Alec Pierce gets a new deal
• “It’s busy and there’s more to come. ... Start thinking about what these landing spots mean for draft value. You don’t want to wait until the day before your draft to think about this.” — Dave [02:19]

Fun Facts Segment:

• Kellen Moore’s running backs have a strong history of fantasy finishes.
• Chiefs have gone 8 seasons without a 205+ carry RB; will Ken Walker buck the trend?
• Jalen Naylor got $23 million guaranteed despite only 1,066 career yards and 11 TDs over four seasons.

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Winners and Losers Breakdown

Biggest Winners

[06:29-08:29]

• Cam Scadaboo (Giants): “They were in on Ken Walker but missed, so for today, Cam Scadaboo is a winner.” — Jamie [06:29]
• Basil Tootin (Giants): “Along the same lines” — Dave [07:00]
• Mike Evans (49ers): “Anytime a 33-year-old WR… goes to a team that can’t keep anyone healthy… we should be excited. It’s cool. I’m hopeful for him. I think it’s good for Brock Purdy, but I’m probably not going to have him ranked very high.” — Heath [07:35]

Evans vs. Godwin (and age skepticism)

• “He’ll be 33 in August. Even last year when healthy, he wasn’t quite Mike Evans.” — Heath [08:37]
• “Great receivers can be good at age 33… Jerry Rice was amazing.” — Adam [10:34]
• Evans ranked just outside Top 24 WRs by consensus.

San Francisco WR Room

• If injuries continue among Kittle/Pearsall, Evans could be a target hog, but sustainability is questioned.

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Losers

[26:05-29:12]

• Michael Pittman (Steelers): “Biggest loser today. Bad last year, slightly better in 2024, but bad each of the last two. Now he’s probably the second-best receiver on his team, not ideal. ... Double-digit round guy at this point.” — Jamie [26:28]
• Bucky Irving (Bucs): “Probably a loser. Gainwell takes passing game work, limits upside.” — Jamie [35:24], Dave/Heath agree.

Colts WR Situation Post-Pittman

• Alec Pierce gets a mega-deal, Pittman traded: “Could take a big leap...but his value depends on Daniel Jones and target share.” — Jamie [28:48]

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Fantasy Value & Draft Rounds: Notable Players

[12:38-14:11, 20:04, 29:37]

• Travis Etienne (Saints): 4th round PPR, could jump to 2nd/3rd if Kamara is cut. [12:42]
• Ken Walker (Chiefs): 2nd/3rd round PPR. [12:57]
• Malik Willis (Dolphins): Late round, but desirable upside; “Could be a top-5 fantasy QB if everything breaks right.” — Dave [41:17]
• Mike Evans (49ers): 6th/7th round range. [20:08]
• Wandale Robinson (Titans): 6th+/not far behind Evans; could be a PPR steal if target share holds. [20:18]
• Alec Pierce (Colts): 5th/6th round; borderline WR2/3 with expanded opportunity. [28:48]
• Isaiah Likely (Giants): Top 10–12 fantasy TE; favorable outlook with a chance to be 2nd in team targets. [14:34], [18:41]
• Bucky Irving (Bucs): Slides to RB16–20; “Still love the value late if he falls.” — Jamie [35:46]

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Wide Receiver Debates and Analysis

[20:18-25:00] (Robinson vs Evans vs Pierce)

• Wandale Robinson:

  • “Wide receiver one for his team because of the target share… Could easily slide inside the Top 24 PPR WRs.” — Dave [21:38]
  • Adam voices skepticism about “league-winner” potential: “He’s not ripping the ball away from DBs… Not a playmaker.” [23:31]
  • Heath sees him as a volume-dependent, safe PPR pick.

• Alec Pierce:

  • Opportunity for targets bump with Pittman gone, but high yards/catch could decrease with more volume.

• Michael Pittman:

  • Steelers are a downgrade; not a top 36 receiver now.

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Tight Ends: Isaiah Likely's Big Opportunity

[14:28-19:21]

• Isaiah Likely to Giants:
  • “Could be the #2 target-getter there.” — Dave [16:41]
  • “I’d rather take Isaiah Likely than Travis Kelce right now.” — Jamie [19:21]
  • Stats: Averaged 13.9 PPR ppg (Weeks 12–18, 2023) without Mark Andrews. [19:31]

---

Deep Dive: Running Back and QB Landing Spots

[42:47-45:58]

• Travis Etienne: Downward target trend under Kellen Moore, upside hinges on Kamara’s departure. [42:47]
• Ken Walker: Chiefs' reluctance to overwork RBs is an open question, but his value solidifies as long as health holds.
• Bucky Irving: Passing game role threatened by Gainwell’s signing, but could have goal-line upside; slides in RB rankings. [35:24-36:21]
• J.K. Dobbins / R.J. Harvey (Broncos): Dobbins' arrival caps Harvey’s upside, though Dobbins is injury-prone. [44:46]
• Cardinals RBs: Addition of Tyler Allgeier clouds Trey Benson's path; James Conner's role remains stable but crowded. [46:52]

Quarterback Carousel

[39:00-41:51]

• Malik Willis (Dolphins): Late-round flier; compared to 2025’s Justin Fields with high fantasy upside. Jamey even prefers him over Mahomes due to injury risk. [41:17]
• Tua Tagovailoa (Falcons): Not a recommended draft target, but improves Drake London and Kyle Pitts outlook. [13:41]
• Daniel Jones (Colts): Retained as bridge starter; helps stabilize Alec Pierce/Josh Downs values.

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Notable Quotes

• “Start thinking about what these landing spots mean for draft value. You don’t want to wait until the day before your draft to think about this.” — Dave [02:19]
• “Great receivers can be good at age 33.” — Adam, reflecting on Evans [10:34]
• “Could be the #2 target-getter there. ... But John Harbaugh never gave Isaiah Likely that type of work.” — Dave, on Likely [16:41]
• “I would rather take Isaiah Likely than Travis Kelce right now.” — Jamie [19:21]
• “I don’t think anybody’s arguing Wandale is about to become a top-12 WR.” — Heath [25:46]
• "Willis...could end up being a top-5 fantasy QB if everything breaks right" — Dave [41:17]
• “Pittman now double-digit round guy. There’s not a lot to love.” — Jamie [26:28]
• “Bucky has lost a little bit because of the role in the passing game, gained slightly because of the TD potential.” — Jamie [35:24]

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Quickfire: Player Stock Updates

[47:51-49:23]

• Jalen Naylor, Raiders: Overpaid but not fantasy-relevant.
• Tight Ends: Travis Kelce returns; Daniel Bellinger to Titans; Charlie Kolar to Chargers.
• Tyler Warren (Colts TE): Consideration for late-round sleepers, but rookies not prioritized now. [32:01]

Offensive Line & Defensive Notes

[51:31-53:42]

• Linderbaum (C) to Raiders: Boosts rookie QB and run game. [51:35]
• Saints add G David Edwards: Helps Etienne’s case if O-line improves.
• KC and Bills lose key DBs; Chiefs’ defense projects for more shootouts. [53:54]

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Final Thoughts and Next Steps

[56:00-end]

• More free agency shoes yet to drop—especially among QBs and WRs.
• Expect lively debate around aging stars, volume-centric WR3s, and late-round RBs as draft season heats up.
• Mock drafts and further analysis coming shortly.

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Timestamps for Major Discussions

• [01:50] – Show start & opening buzz
• [06:29] – Winners and losers segment
• [12:38] – Round-by-round draft values for top FA signings
• [14:28] – Isaiah Likely: TE1 debate
• [26:05] – Michael Pittman and Bucky Irving: Value plummets
• [35:24] – Bucky Irving vs. new Bucs RB room
• [39:12] – Malik Willis top-12 QB talk
• [42:47] – Running back landing spot analysis
• [51:35] – O-line upgrades and fantasy implications

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In Summary

The crew gives sharp, actionable reactions to a chaotic opening of NFL free agency, focusing on the fantasy fallout from player movement and coaching changes:

• RB/WR2-3 tiers see the most churn and value swings
• Veteran age, offensive lines, and offensive coordinator histories remain essential analytic angles
• Isaiah Likely emerges as a top-10 (possibly top-5) TE in the new Giants offense
• Draft season begins NOW—don’t fall behind on player situations and shifting pecking orders

Stay tuned for mock drafts and further in-depth breakdowns on FFT all free agency week!

Transcript

[Adam]

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[Adam]

This is Fantasy Football Today from CBS Sports.

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What a play.

[Jamie]

Can you believe this?

[Heath]

No, I can't.

[Dave]

It's time to dominate your fantasy league.

[Adam]

Off to the races and he stays on his feet. This is gonna go the distance.

[Heath]

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

[Adam]

Fun day to be covering fantasy football. Welcome to the show, everybody. This is fantasy Football today. We're all here. Adam, Dave, Jamie, Heath. Some of the headlines. Travis ETN to the Saints, Ken Walker to the Chiefs, Malik Willis to the Dolphins, Mike Evans to the Niners, Isaiah Likely to the Giants. And there will be more. And we will be on the air every day this week. At least, you know, until the news slows down. Who Dave? I got to catch my breath. What a day this has been.

[Dave]

It's busy and there's more to come. It's exciting. And this is part of the reason why everybody should pay attention to fantasy football year round to start thinking about the players where they're going the fits, the positives, the negatives, and you start thinking about what it means for their draft value. Who's an RB2 or maybe even an RB1 who's a wide receiver 3. Who could be a wide receiver, too. This is where you think this out. You don't want to wait until the day before your draft to think about it. You'll be behind everybody else in your league. So I'm glad that we're here and I'm glad that everybody's here watching with us.

[Adam]

Oh, Jamie, what's going on? We missed you on the Ken Walker breaking news. Anyway, how you feeling about today's events?

[Jamie]

It's exciting. You know, I think you got some, some good landing spots. Obviously Ken Walker. The Chiefs is good. Isaiah likely the Giants I think is a good spot. Hopefully Travis ETN to the Saints will be good if they make a second move. I like the fact that Alec Pierce got his deal and they also traded Michael Fitton. I think that's encouraging as well. So there's a lot of things that worked out well today.

[Adam]

Yeah, it's kind of like what we were saying Heath about the Bears Bills trade. It was good for. For everyone, basically. Yeah, it's been, I think, a pretty positive day so far, right?

[Heath]

Yes, a positive day that seems to impact the RB2, wide receiver 2 landscape and white and RB3 and wide receiver 3 landscape more than it does the top of the rankings.

[Adam]

Okay, so here are some fun facts. So Kellen Moore just signed Travis etn. Kellen Moore has been an offensive coordinator or a head coach for seven seasons. In six of those seasons, his running back, his top running back has finished no worse than 20th per game. The only exception was last year with the Saints. Three times Kellen Morris had a top 10 running back per game in PPR. Twice he's had a top five running back Ezekiel Elliott and Saquon Barkley. Fun fact from the bonus podcast we did earlier today. The Chiefs have gone eight straight seasons without a running back eclipsing 205 carries. We're going to take the over for Ken Walker. Here's a fun fact. The new Raiders wide receiver Jalen Naylor has 1066 yards and 11 touchdowns in four seasons. And now he has $23 million guaranteed.

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What?

[Jamie]

What?

[Adam]

That was the one I think he that was deciding that knocked my socks right off.

[Heath]

Blew my mind. But like the Alec Pierce contract kind of blows my mind too. Like I just think we see with these the wide receiver market is insanity. And yes, yes, the Naylor I Think Naylor's a pretty good player, but it just seems weird, which I. I guess if you were somebody that hadn't been in the fantasy football or football world for the last three months, you could probably look at Malik Willis career stats and contract and make the same observation that you did about Naylor. Like, it's a guy that's made six starts and never thrown more than 23 passes in a game, and he just got $45 million guaranteed.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Adam]

But did you know that he's. He's averaged 10.9 yards per attempt on his 89 pass attempts with Green Bay, which is. I did, by far the best mark in the NFL. That's another fun fact. And here's my last one. We'll get to winners and losers. There have been 40 tight ends with a hundred tight. With 100 targets or more over the last three seasons. Of those 40 tight ends, Isaiah likely ranks third in yards per target, third in yards per catch, sixth in explosive play rate, and he is on the New York Giants. Huzzah. Okay, biggest winner. Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead.

[Heath]

No, I just wanted to defend Jaylen Naylor because I think you can do the same thing with his stats that you did with Malik Willis's.

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Heath]

He's averaging 15 yards per catch and scored once every 10 targets.

[Jamie]

Okay.

[Heath]

In the NFL.

[Adam]

I mean, I couldn't believe that. That signing. But, hey, maybe they're on to something. Or not. Good for Jack Besh. Anywho, biggest winners. Biggest losers. Jamie, give me a winner.

[Jamie]

Cam Scatter. Boo.

[Adam]

That's where we're going. We're going with Cam Scatter.

[Jamie]

Okay.

[Adam]

The Giants were apparently in on Ken Walker, so they may still upgrade a running back, but, yeah, that's one that they're not getting.

[Heath]

They just signed a linebacker, and several teams around them that might have taken Jeremiah Love are no longer going to. So we'll see.

[Jamie]

We're just talking about today. Six weeks, but for today, Cam Scatter was a winner.

[Adam]

All right, Dave, who's a winner?

[Dave]

I'll go along those same lines and say Basil Tootin is a winner.

[Adam]

Heath, who's a winner?

[Heath]

Yeah, I mean, we'll go with a. Kind of like the both of them is a winner.

[Jamie]

Is it?

[Adam]

Is Mike Evans a winner? This. This one's pretty cool. I mean, you got hall of Fame wide receiver deciding to go to San Francisco. Wasn't a money thing, according to his agent. He just wanted a new challenge in his life. Goes to the Niners, who obviously need pass catches. We don't know what the rest of their receiving core is going to look like here. But this, this is pretty cool. Heath, is. Is Mike Evans a winner?

[Heath]

I think anytime that a 33 year old wide receiver who missed half of last year goes to a team that can't keep anyone healthy and exists some next to some sort of substation that causes injuries, we should be really excited. It's. I agree with you. It's cool. I'm hopeful for him. I think it's good for Brock Purdy. I, I'm probably not going to have him ranked very high.

[Adam]

Who do you guys like better? Chris Godwin, who I, I think is an underrated winner here coming out. You know, look, last year was really bad. He was coming off a serious injury. He's shown that in the past that sometimes just be patient with him. Get him in the right role, put him in the slot. Chris Godwin or Mike Evans? Jamie.

[Jamie]

They'll probably be close. I'm gonna go. Evan. Slightly over Godwin, but they're close. Dave.

[Dave]

Same Evans over Godwin, but neither one of them are top 24 receivers.

[Heath]

Agreed. All right.

[Adam]

What's the beef with Evans here? It's just his age.

[Heath]

Look at him.

[Dave]

He's old. He's so old.

[Heath]

When he was. Even when he was healthy last year he wasn't quite Mike Evans. He didn't. He had one game all year with more than 60 yards.

[Adam]

That's true.

[Heath]

His yards, every efficiency metric was a career low.

[Adam]

Yeah, yeah. He'll be 33 years old in August. Mike Evans now he had two injuries last year. One of them was a soft tissue injury. It was a hamstring injury in week three. The other one was a broken collarbone. I don't know. That's one of those. Oh, he's so old. He's. His. Even his collarbone is breaking like a hip.

[Jamie]

But I think the positive would be is that Ricky Pierce all can't stay healthy and George Kittle's coming off an Achilles tear and if Pierce off for whatever reason can't start the season and Mike Evans is going to be force fed targets, then you got to love the situation. But how long will that be sustainable? Because Kittle will come back at some point. Pearsall will play at some point. McCaffrey obviously is still going strong right now, but this is. Look, they're going all in with a very old roster right now.

[Dave]

You could very easily see Mike Evans get off to a super start where he's a top 12 receiver to begin the year and then injuries or somebody else stepping up in San Francisco starts to knock him down a couple of pegs, but as far as like landing spots go, like being in this type of offense where precise route running is important and being a big guy like this is who's replacing Juwan Jennings, like, I love that part of it for Mike Evans, I'm just worried about how effective he'll be. I think he's talked about it and we all know that he's, you know, got a bunch of injuries in his past. That's the soft tissue ones that worry me the most.

[Heath]

I, I also feel like there's probably another shoe to drop at wide receiver for the 49ers. They still need a guy or two and it'll be interesting to see what kind of guy that is because Pierce all's been the downfield guy, the high adot guy in San Francisco, which as we know is what Evans does. So it'd be interesting to see if they, if they go get a lower 8 out guy or if they're going to use Pierce Law in a different way.

[Adam]

Okay. And I just want to, you know, give you guys a list of wide receivers who averaged at least 13 PPR fantasy points per game at age 33 or older. No, just at age 33. Antonio Brown. Antonio Brown was coming off a season where he played seven games. He was wide receiver 39 in average draft position in his age 33 year and he was awesome. Now he only, actually he only played seven games that year. He was coming off an eight game season just like Mike Evans. He only played seven games, but he was awesome in those seven games. Terrell Owens had a monster year with 13 touchdowns at age 33. Marvin Harrison was awesome at age 33 and age 34, by the way. Owens was also great at 34 and, and solid at age 35. Chris Carter was really good for ages 33, 34 and 35. Julian Edelman had his last good season at age 33. Jimmy Smith. Jimmy Smith averaged 13 or more PPR fantasy points per game at ages 33, 34 and 35 and 36. Steve Smith was good at 33, bad at 34, bounced back with a really good year at 35 and then was amazing. Steve Smith averaged 18.7 points per game at age 36, but he only played seven games. Of course, Jerry Rice was amazing at age 33 as well. Reggie Wayne was terrible at age 33 and then great at age 34. I want to just point out great receivers can be good at age 33. They can be great at age 33. So that's just a little hope for you, for Mike Evans and beyond, by the way, even after 33. All right, so here's what I want to go through the you guys tell me if I'm missing anything here but the big headlines from today and just

[Jamie]

get your got another one. What'd we get? Tua to the Falcons.

[Adam]

Okay, we'll throw that one in there. TUA and to Atlanta. Gonna type it in there, Wanda. Gotta get Wondale. Haven't talked about him yet. Okay, so let's, let's give it a little bit of a grade for that specific player. Okay. And no, you know what? Tell me what round you're taking that specific player. Let's do that.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Adam]

Travis ETN to the Saints. What round?

[Jamie]

Round four right now.

[Dave]

And like early around four.

[Jamie]

That will change maybe by two rounds if Camaro is released.

[Adam]

And by the way, we're talking 12 team PPR here. Ken Walker to the Chiefs.

[Dave]

Two, three, three.

[Adam]

This is round. This is not excitement o meter. This is what round?

[Dave]

If well, it could be excitement on meter. On a scale of one to four,

[Adam]

if that's not what you ask Camaro were released. Who were you taking first, ETN or Walker?

[Jamie]

Walker.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Adam]

Okay. Malik Willis to Miami. Does he get drafted in a 12 team 1 quarterback league?

[Jamie]

He should.

[Adam]

Okay, Jalen Waddle. Give me a round

[Jamie]

six.

[Adam]

Five.

[Dave]

I was gonna say five. I'd be a little more optimistic.

[Adam]

It's a tough one, huh?

[Dave]

It is a tough one.

[Adam]

You like Waddle or Evans?

[Heath]

Waddle.

[Adam]

Jalen Waddle Waddle or Abuka. Okay, how about Tuatanga by Loa to the Falcons? What?

[Dave]

No, I would not draft

[Adam]

what round for Drake, London or any change for Drake Lund. He was an early round two pick in our drafts.

[Heath]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

I think this is a win for him. Yep. Yeah.

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Dave]

Yes.

[Adam]

And for Pits, they get Austin Hooper, Heath. Did that kill your buzz at all?

[Heath]

Did not. Did not kill my buzz. I think. I think we've got London at the one two turn and I. I'm the wrong person to ask about Pits because my answer is going to be around earlier than whatever Dave and Jamie establish one.

[Adam]

Okay, where are we here, Isaiah? Likely to the Giants. Is he going to be a top 12 tight end?

[Dave]

Yes.

[Adam]

Oh, okay. Isaiah. Okay. Is he top 10 tight end?

[Heath]

Yes.

[Jamie]

Yes.

[Dave]

He'll get drafted that way, but like maybe right at 10.

[Heath]

Has Adam's face frozen for anybody else.

[Jamie]

Me too. Yeah. I didn't know if it was my connection or his. Okay.

[Dave]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, he's frozen.

[Adam]

Good. Can you Hear me at least?

[Heath]

Yeah, 100%. It's been going on for at least the last five minutes.

[Dave]

This is some weird stuff, dude. What's going on over there?

[Adam]

I don't really know what to do about this. All right, I'm going to turn my camera off and see if that helps. You guys talk talk about Isaiah Likely and your expectations. Actually, why don't we take a quick break? We'll take a break and come back and talk about Isaiah Likely. Go into the New York Giants. Daniel Bellinger, by the way, one of their tight ends going to the Tennessee Titans. We'll be right back.

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[Adam]

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[Dave]

Oh good, we don't have a host.

[Adam]

You can hear me though.

[Dave]

Adam has left our livestream and it's left us to talk about Isaiah Likely. I. I looked into Likely for the site. I don't mind sharing what what I discovered and how I feel about him. And then you guys can disagree with me. Obviously I love his potential. In New York, he Could be the number two target getter there. The thing that kind of sticks in my craw a little bit is John Harbaugh had this guy on his team for four years in Baltimore and he rarely had huge games. We, we all remember the huge game he had in 2024 to start the season. It was double digit targets, nine catches, over 100 yards he scored and then he stunk the three games after and he never really, he did nothing more than like flash a couple times. So what's to lead us to believe that Isaiah likely will get a slew of targets now with the Giants when John Harbaugh didn't let him have that type of work for four years in Baltimore?

[Heath]

Theo Johnson is not Mark Andrews.

[Dave]

He's not. That's true. But Malik Neighbors is not Zay Flowers.

[Jamie]

I don't think we know what this Giants off is going to look like. I mean we haven't seen dart with Neighbors. We don't know what the draft is going to bring because Cardinal Tate could easily be their, their choice. Very true Round or another receiver at some point in the draft. That's a prominence. They're losing Wando Robinson which is a big, you know, target and, and favorite weapon for Jackson Dart. So that's another guy they have to replace. And so I think just in the grand scheme of things of what you're looking at, the fact that you're right. Dave Harbaugh obviously was the head coach of this, what we assume to be as a very talented player and we've seen flashes of him with that talent and with that potential, not necessarily allowing that to flourish to his point. Mark Andrews, pretty talented guy himself. I think just the fact that this is where he went, he followed his head coach. His head coach obviously I'm sure advocated for him to be there. There was a need essentially because Theo Johnson's a good player but this is a most likely, no pun intended, better player, you know. So the hope would be is that he gets this opportunity, gets this role guess with this new quarterback and everything sort of falls in line. So I think as long as no first round wide receiver is drafted and there is the chance for him to be second on the team in targets, you should gravitate toward him as the low end number one titan. Like when Adam was asking the question, the first name that came to mind is obviously another guy that's in the news today is Travis Kelsey who finished ninth in in points per game in PPR last season, third in total points at tight end can, can likely be better than basically 12 PPR points per game. Be in that range of, you know, 11 to 12 PPR points. I think you can. So I would rather take Isaiah Likely than Travis Kelsey right now.

[Heath]

Agreed.

[Adam]

You guys got me.

[Dave]

Yeah, we hear it.

[Jamie]

Okay. You're still frozen, though. You look like Scooby Doo.

[Adam]

I do not. I'm not frozen.

[Heath]

No, you're not, you jerk.

[Adam]

Isaiah Likely played Weeks 12 through 18 in 2023 without Mark Andrews. He averaged 13.9 PPR fantasy points in those games. And then he played the divisional round without Mark Andrews in the playoffs and he had a touchdown on three targets, two catches, 34 yards and a touchdown. So that was 11.4 fantasy points. So that's pretty good. That was with Lamar Jackson in all but one of those games. And then we have Wando, we have Mike Evans. Mike Evans. Gimme around. I froze again, didn't I? What's going on?

[Dave]

No, you're moving now.

[Adam]

All right.

[Jamie]

Whatever.

[Adam]

It is what it is. Mike Evans. What'd you say, Round six? Something like that?

[Jamie]

Seven? Six?

[Dave]

I'd say six.

[Adam]

Wandale Robinson to the Titans.

[Heath]

Same.

[Jamie]

Love the fact that he followed Dable, you know, so that's encouraging. Love the fact that the receiving core is basically non existent for the most part. There's no real, you know, significant threat for targets to keep him off the field as of now. But which one, which version of Wanda Robinson are we going to get the guy that when he's gotten opportunities to be sort of the lead guy, has taken advantage of it and done great, or is he going to sort of, you know, take some time to get his footing and be more of. I think what probably the perception of him is. So I would rather have Evans, but not far behind. Robinson will be not far behind.

[Sponsor Voice 3]

Okay.

[Dave]

I'd rather have Robinson. I'm encouraged by what we saw from him last year when he had an opportunity to play. I, I think we have to call him a wide receiver one for his team because of the target share that he had. It was huge. And I, I don't think Calvin Ridley is going to be a big factor there. I don't think any of the, the rookie now second year players in that passing game are going to be there. And I don't know if Tennessee is going to necessarily make a splash at wide receiver. Obviously if they do, that'll knock down my excitement for Robinson as well. But short area to downfield target, he can do both of those things. He proved that last year. That was the difference between Wanda Ale in 2025. And Wondale in 2024, he didn't really get those chances. Didn't have nearly as many end zone chances. Had a lot of drops in 2024 as well. He fixed that in 2025. And Cam Ward, we saw it toward the end of the year. He made some progress as a quarterback. He's really good at keeping plays alive. Robinson is really good at finding ways to get open when things break down. And there were a couple plays that benefited him with Jackson Dart and the Giants last year. I'm encouraged by Wanda in full ppr. I think he could end up being drafted outside of the top 24 and finish well inside the top 24 on a PER game basis. Assuming that this is how the Titans offense looks. And don't forget Titans defense. I know they added some players. I don't expect it to be that much better. So there's going to be a lot of high volume passing days ahead for Cam Ward and the Titans. I like the improved offense and the scheme and Robinson obviously knows it because Brian Dabel was his coach the last couple of years, if not the last four years. Pretty much the last four years. So I'm, I'm in on Robinson and I do like him better than Evans.

[Heath]

I agree.

[Adam]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Heath]

You've always hated Rondell Robinson.

[Adam]

I mean, come on, he's Wandell Robinson. He's that like he had 140 targets turned into a thousand yards and four touchdowns. Wanda Robinson has nine touchdowns in his career. He has nine touchdowns in career. Mike Evans is going to fall.

[Dave]

That's why I'm not loving him in

[Adam]

non fall into nine touchdowns if he stays healthy. Mike Evans is a far superior player. Wanda Robinson is limited. You said that he showed that he can, he can, you know, be a downfield guy. I mean they finally used him. It wasn't like he was so great with the downfield targets. Not like he's going up making contested catches. He's 5 foot 9. So basically like that. Remember that 39 had a 39 yard touchdown catch on a flea flicker against the Lions from Jameis Winston. Right. So he had a play where he was wide open for I think 34 yards against the pathetic Cowboys. With Russell Wilson in week two, when he made big plays, he was usually wide open downfield. I went back, I watched all of the deep balls to him. And I'm not saying it's such a

[Dave]

terrible thing for a wide receiver to be wide open.

[Adam]

I'm just saying he's not a playmaker. He's not ripping the ball away from defensive backs. He doesn't do a lot with Yak, which is supporting surprising because his A dot has been so low. Last year it was just low. Not so low.

[Jamie]

He's just.

[Adam]

Years ago, he just needs targets and he got 140 targets too. He was, he was last in yards per target two years in a row. He said he's just like, he's not

[Jamie]

getting 140 targets with Titans, right?

[Adam]

Yeah, he needs it.

[Heath]

So I get 130.

[Dave]

I think he, I, I would not be surprised if he got to 140 with the Titans.

[Adam]

All right, my last point on Wandale, he had 140 targets with the Giants and he averaged 13.6 PPR fantasy points per game. That made him wide receiver 17 last year. In the five years before that, that would have made him wide receiver 32. 30, 22, 24 and 31. If, if his ceiling seems to be like wide receiver 22. I basically feel like he's Christian Kirk. I'm going to take Mike Evans over Christian Kirk. Yeah, he might be better than Evans, but he does not have any league winning potential, in my opinion. What?

[Heath]

Yeah, no, there's nothing. I mean, you could have just replayed what you said like six months ago about Wanda Robinson.

[Adam]

I don't even know what I said, but I must have said was very,

[Heath]

very similar in the middle of the season.

[Dave]

And then what happened after that?

[Jamie]

Heath.

[Heath]

Oh, Wando Robinson was awesome.

[Adam]

No, he was not. By the way. I, I went, I looked.

[Dave]

I don't know what he did without neighbors last year. Like a true sample.

[Adam]

The whole year was without neighbors.

[Dave]

He was 14.2 PPR points per game. That's pretty good.

[Adam]

That is good. Yes. Out of nowhere, fourth year breakouts in the last 15 seasons. I do think Christian Kirk would qualify. Michael Crabtree would qualify. He went on and had some, some solid years. Brian Hartline, Randall Cobb. Randall Cobb, believe it or not, never really was that good. After his fourth year breakout. The best of the best was Jordy Nelson. Jordy Nelson did almost nothing for three years. And then in his fourth year, he was, he was 68 catches, 1263 yards, 15 touchdowns on 96 targets. And then he was just the man after that. But for the most part, these fourth year breakouts, like they're not. And think about it, for Alec Pierce, two guys, they're not, you know, usually able to replicate and they're not able to.

[Heath]

I don't think anybody's arguing that Wanda Robinson is about to become a top 12 wide receiver. I wouldn't even argue he's about to become a top 18 wide receiver.

[Adam]

Put it in Alec Pierce's perspective, then I would call Pierce.

[Heath]

I don't think he is either.

[Adam]

Pierce got. This is. Let's talk about this situation here with the, the Colts signing Pierce.

[Jamie]

How do you keep freezing in the same spot?

[Adam]

That's just my cut, my face, I guess. The Pierce signing with the Colts, four years, $116 million. They put the transition tag on Daniel Jones so he'll probably be their quarterback. And then they traded Michael Pittman to the Steelers who gave him a three year, $59 million deal. Is he, Jamie, is Pittman the biggest loser today?

[Jamie]

Yeah, it's pretty bad. Especially not knowing who the Steelers quarterback's going to be. You know, you can make a case maybe Bucky Irving is a bigger loser. But I think just in the case of, of Pittman, like he was bad last year, he was, you know, slightly better in 2024, but bad each of the last two seasons. And now he goes to where he's most likely the second best receiver on his team. That's not exactly the most encouraging situation. I do think Mike McCarthy being there will help the passing attack across the board no matter who the quarterback is. It seems like it's going to be Aaron Rogers once again, but we'll see. But in the case of, of Pittman, like you're talking about double digit round guy at this point, like there's just not a lot to love about the situation for him. He could still emerge as a number three fantasy receiver. But when you're looking at, at Evans and Robinson and Pierce and you know, I, I don't know, I take him over Jalen Naylor, but you know, the guys who have signed so far, you know, this is, or changed team so far at least this is a pretty bad situation for Michael Pittman's fantasy value. So I think in the case of Pierce, you know, it's, it's, it's encouraging that they give him this mega deal, you know, four years, $114 million, you know, break the bank and then they decide immediately to they were going to move on from Pittman or restructure his deal, but they immediately in the same day make the trade and get him off the team. So Pierce had four games last year with seven plus targets. In those four games he scored at least 13 PPR points in all of them. To them he was over 24 PPR points. Pittman averaged six and a half targets per game last year. Pierce is at 5.6. So you assume there's probably at least a 1 to 2 target per game bump with this move. The biggest thing though is, is Daniel Jones coming back in at 100 and which version of Daniel Jones will we get? And is Alec Pierce going to take that big leap in. In targets? Because 85 targets last year in 15 games isn't going to, I think, make him sustainable as a consistent number two wide receiver. So to me, he's a borderline guy. I think that round five to six range is probably appropriate for him. Again, looking at the moves that they made today, big contract trading Pittman, it speaks to, I think, him hopefully taking a big step forward in all of his, you know, route running, you know, expanding his tree and, and allowing him to get more opportunities. So, you know, there's a big if. But to Adam's point, you know, is he going to take that step forward of just being a deep threat two years in a row? 21 point, whatever it was. Yards per game, 20 over. 22 yards per. 22. 21 yards per catch this year. 22 yards per catch last year. Like, can he do more? Will he be able to do more? I think the, the moves today speak to that.

[Dave]

So you had Evans over Wandale, Jamie?

[Jamie]

I have Evans slightly over one. Yeah.

[Dave]

Where do you have Pierce in relation

[Jamie]

to Pierce right now? Slightly over both.

[Adam]

Okay.

[Dave]

Heath, Pierce, Robinson, Evans, I think.

[Heath]

I mean, they're all. They're close enough to where I wouldn't argue that strong for any of them at this point. They're all low end, number three wide receivers. And I had Pierce at the top, then Wondale and then Evans. I think the biggest question I have with Pittman leaving is what percentage of those targets go to Pierce versus Downs? Like, I almost think that Pittman leaving. I don't like downs as much as I like Pierce, but I think Pittman leaving might be a bigger boost for Downs than it is for Pierce and we could finally see some of his talent.

[Dave]

You think there's anything there for Tyler Warren, too? Yeah, yeah.

[Jamie]

Look, it's. It's a win for all of these guys because you're removing a guy that had 111 targets off the team and has been, you know, essentially their alpha, you know, since he's sort of emerged in year two. It's just a matter of. I agree with you, Heath. I think this is one of those things, like, we're going to get a lot of training camp stories about Alec Pierce is doing this, Alec Pierce is doing that, but Josh down is Making a lot of plays. There's always gonna be a butt attached to whatever Alec Pierce is doing. And it's going to be probably Downs, I'm sure, a little bit of Warren, I'm sure whatever else they do to fill out the receiving core. Because unless Pierce in my opinion gets like a 40 target boost, I don't know what you haven't projected for, you know, so he's got to go, I think from 85 targets to about 125, at least in the 120 range to, to be considered a number two receiver because he's not going to average this, this yards per catch. If he's getting more opportunities, everything's going to change for him. But that's why I think they, they did this. It's, it's to allow him to sort of take that next step and, and see what he can offer as that number one guy.

[Adam]

Okay. A pretty good rule of thumb is seven targets per game. The guys who emerge from the, you know, round six or later range pretty much anyone. They usually the good ones average seven targets per game, which is 119 targets per 17 games. Just to give a little love to Josh Downs, the guy just doesn't play that much. But his target per out run rate has been really good. Really good. Two straight years, at least. Good three straight years. And you know, when he's, when he has actually run 80% or more of the routes, Josh Downs has been pretty productive. For those of you watching, I do have to apologize. I'm having issues with my camera, so you're just going to be hearing from me. But you know, Downs is a guy that could, that could certainly be a sneaky winner here. As we've talked about.

[Dave]

Can I give you a stat on Downs?

[Adam]

Yeah, go ahead. And then I want to talk about DK Metcalf real quick and then I want to move on to the, to the rest.

[Dave]

I'll be quick.

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Dave]

7.6 targets per game for him in 2024 and he averaged 13.1 PPR points per game. He is a low key winner for sure.

[Adam]

Anybody considering moving Tyler Warren ahead of Loveland or, or Fannin Fanon?

[Dave]

Not yet.

[Jamie]

Not yet.

[Adam]

Okay.

[Jamie]

Wow.

[Adam]

Heath over Fannin.

[Heath]

Considering it. I, I mean, I'm, I, I think honestly, especially with like Kelsey back and likely in a seemingly good situation, I'm just moving more towards. I'm probably not going to end up drafting as much of those rookies because there's going to be guys three to four or five rounds later that I think have Similar profiles.

[Adam]

Okay, are there any other big losers that you guys want to talk about? Is Metcalf also a loser?

[Heath]

Maybe a little, but he was like, I think he's still a number three wide receiver. Like he was,

[Adam]

I think after it's such a bad season for Metcalf and I actually think he was wider. Yeah, he was wide receiver 24 per game. Unbelievable. With 12 and a half PPR fantasy points per game, which is really not that good. That's usually wide receiver 36 per game and he was 24th last year.

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Adam]

And he had trouble with, he had trouble with targets. Last year's pace for 112 targets and now he's got Michael Pittman with him.

[Jamie]

I think better McCarthy will help this, this team, he'll help this passing attack. But you're still talking about a 42 year old quarterback. You're talking about now significant competition for targets. It's just not ideal.

[Dave]

Does the pace of play change for Pittsburgh?

[Jamie]

I would guess so.

[Dave]

More up tempo slightly.

[Adam]

It's not like Rogers.

[Dave]

A little bit more. Yeah, Rogers can throw the ball a little bit more.

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

But the thing is Rogers loves to let the play clock run down. He's gonna, he's not going to change his approach with a coach who knows him, who had success with him. I mean, you know, it's not like McCarthy's coming and saying, Aaron, you know, I know, hey, listen, you're gonna do this, you know, it's, it's going to be a lot of the same things that they did at the end of their Green Bay tenure. For better or worse.

[Dave]

Okay, so then probably not a big pace of playchain.

[Jamie]

No, but I think just better overall because. Just better play caller.

[Dave]

Well, how about this? They got rid of the guy that had a ton of targets in that offense last year and now Pittman's there. Bye, bye, Kenny Gainwell. Hello, Michael Pittman. Maybe that opens up some more further downfield throws for the Steelers.

[Heath]

Well, they'll have a lot fewer tight end targets too with Arthur Smith out there and John Ogun.

[Dave]

There you go. Yeah, and Pittman's always kind of. He's kind of morphed into this role where he's more tight end than wide receiver anyway.

[Adam]

So is Bucky or Jamie. I think you kind of mentioned Bucky Irving earlier. Kenneth Gainwell going to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Is Bucky Irving a loser?

[Jamie]

Slightly. I mean, you know, there's not gonna have a big role in the passing game, you know, so I can't imagine they bring in Gainwell to not have somewhat of a role carrying the ball as well, you know, coming off the year that he just had where he was so successful. So look, it's, it, it's probably, you know, you're. If you're looking at the totality of what Bucky Irving went through last year versus what he's looking at this year, he loses the guy who was taking him off the field for goal line touches and Sean Tucker being gone. So he maybe gets that, that roll back, which will help. But now the upside of what he was as a pass catcher, I'm gonna guess, you know, Zach Robinson's still going to throw to him on first and second down, you know, given those chances. But in any uptep on situation, in any third down situation, most likely Kenneth Game was going to be on the field. So it's just one of those things where I think Bucky is lost a little bit because of the role in the passing game, gained slightly because of the touchdown potential, and hopefully the offense as a whole is, is just a little bit better. But I think just, you know, if you're, if you're giving him a category, I think I'd put him in the loser category. Just because of Ganiel's presence.

[Dave]

How far do you think he falls on the running back rank list?

[Jamie]

He won't fall far for me. I mean, at this point, if you tell me Camaro's gone, I'd rather vtn. I definitely rather have Walker. Yeah, I had, I, I might have had Bucky maybe a little bit too high, but he was like around 13 or 14 for me already, so.

[Dave]

All right, so now he's probably closer to 20 for you?

[Jamie]

No, no, probably like 16, 17.

[Heath]

That range right at 20 for me.

[Dave]

Okay. Like, I love that value because I know what, what his upside is too. And I don't think we should forget about those first four games where he was averaging, what was he at? 22 and a half touches per game, 4.8 targets per game. I don't think we can expect 4.8 and 18 PPR points per game. And that's rich. If I can get that at RB20 in my draft, I'm. I'm gonna take that chance if he's there. And that's gonna end up being round four. Ish. Maybe Round five, maybe if we're lucky.

[Jamie]

Do the, do the Cardinals have a new quarterback now?

[Dave]

Cardinals have their quarterback, Gardner Minshew.

[Adam]

We'll see. Not one you can say, oh, he's gonna start 17 games for them. That's for sure. Here's the thing about Bucky irving. He has 77 catches in two seasons in his career. Five of them have come on third down. So really he could have, he could have a nice season if he just gets the first and second down targets. Now Jamie, you mentioned the two minute drill. Eight of his catches last year alone did come in the two minute drill. So that is something that I think could gain. Well, could hurt him. Yes. I got a question for you to ponder here as we go to break. How surprised would you be if based on the rosters right now, if Jalen Warren outscored Bucky Irving? You tell me when we come back on Fantasy football today.

[Jamie]

We'll be right back.

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[Adam]

Just saying.

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[Adam]

Heath, how's the gonna surprise you with this one here? How surprised would you be if Jalen Warren, Kenneth, game one now in the Bucks outscored Bucky Irving next year in ppr?

[Heath]

I would not be surprised, Jamie.

[Adam]

How surprised? I'm not gonna do it again. How surprised would you be, Jamie, if

[Jamie]

Warren is better than Bucky Irving? Yeah, I would not be surprised, Dave.

[Dave]

I would also not be that surprised.

[Adam]

Should have done the surprise. Don't meter. It's too late now. Can't do it.

[Dave]

My face would not freeze.

[Adam]

Okay, let's. Let's pick up the scraps here. So news and notes. The Dolphins sign Malik Willis. Three years, 67 and a half million with $45 million guaranteed. Willis was sensational in the two games where he actually got extended playing time for the Green Bay Packers. Okay, you said he'd be drafted in a one quarterback league. Is he going to be in the top 12 for anybody? Malik Willis

[Jamie]

just outside.

[Heath]

I had him 13 in my first run of projections. I'd say he'll be somewhere between that and 15. Who.

[Dave]

Who are you taking? Willis over

[Adam]

golf. Would you take him over golf?

[Jamie]

I would take him over golf. I would take him over Purdy right now.

[Heath]

Baker.

[Jamie]

Baker.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Adam]

It's interesting to take him over Purdy when Purdy just got Mike Evans.

[Jamie]

Well, I mean Purdy also doesn't have everybody else along with Mike Evans, so

[Heath]

I'd still go Purdy.

[Jamie]

I if Trent Williams leaves too, forget it.

[Dave]

That's fair.

[Adam]

Okay.

[Jamie]

The.

[Dave]

I think it all comes down to if he's probably going to be the quarterback that. Remember how some of us talked about Justin Fields last year? That nobody has his kind of upside when he's on his game and you can get him in the double digit rounds and can't call a guy without a bus if he doesn't end up doing well because you're taking him with such a late round pick. I think Willis, I don't think he's the same type of player as Justin Fields. I think he can actually read a coverage, but I think that he's in that type of description for fantasy where the downside is who gives a Damn? It's round 10. You're shooting for upside anyway and he could end up being a top five quarterback in fantasy if everything breaks right.

[Jamie]

I'll tell you this much right now. I'm taking him over Patrick Mahomes? Yep.

[Sponsor Voice 1]

Oh, wow.

[Adam]

But, you know, he's. He's barely played.

[Jamie]

His knees work, as far as I know.

[Adam]

Well, Mahomes knees are going to work, you know. All right.

[Dave]

I think, I think fantasy drafts this year will be so rich in late round quarterback value.

[Jamie]

Oh. I mean, every year. Yeah.

[Dave]

But this year it feels even more. And people are going to be able to just sit back and wait and wait and they might even take two of these guys. And I think Willis will be one of the first names that they take.

[Jamie]

So.

[Dave]

No, I would not be surprised if Willis went ahead of Mahomes, as silly as that sounds.

[Adam]

No, I get it. The Ravens resigned Tyler Huntley. The Cardinals signed Garden Minshew. That just happened. Or they're going to sign Gardner Minshew. Should we react to that or should we wait and see what else they do? The Raiders released Geno Smith also. Their preference apparently is, according to multiple reports, is to not start Fernando Mendoza immediately. So we'll see. Which, by the way, they upgraded an offensive line big time.

[Jamie]

We'll get to that.

[Adam]

We'll see which veteran quarterback Raiders land with. Yeah, maybe. Washington resigned Marcus Mariota. All right. At running back, the Saints signed Travis Etn to a four year, $52 million deal. They also restructured Alvin Camara's contract. And I have to sneeze Heath. What do you think about Kellen Moore and the. The target volume for running backs, which you highlighted so appropriately last year?

[Heath]

Yeah, it was very low for the Saints last year. Historically speaking, when a new running back gets to Kellen Moore or Kellen Moore gets to them, depending on which direction the movement's happening, they see about a 20% decrease in their targets per game. That happened with all those running backs who have been good were less involved in the passing game than. Than they were before he got there. So I think that the key for me with ETN will be is Kamara gone. If. If they're just going to eat the money and they're able to get out, let him go. Then ETN is a top 18 running back who's probably taken in round three. If they're not, then he's probably around four pick.

[Dave]

I think if I got him to restructure.

[Adam]

Right.

[Jamie]

He did restructure, but they said the

[Heath]

restructure made it easier if he wasn't on the team this year.

[Sponsor Voice 3]

Right.

[Jamie]

I. I think right now they'd have to eat $3 million, if I'm not mistaken. So it's.

[Heath]

So they already ate most of it. Yeah.

[Adam]

Okay.

[Jamie]

Now, ideally you send him to a team. I mean, maybe he goes Jacksonville, you know, who knows? But you send him to a team where there's an opportunity for him to at least start. Minnesota makes a lot of sense being gone and pairing him with Jordan Mason. Trying to think anywhere else that there's like an opening besides Jacksonville.

[Adam]

Okay, that's Travis ETN going to the Saints.

[Jamie]

I thought Denver would have made some sense just, you know, reuniting him with Sean Payton. But they brought back top.

[Adam]

Yep, Ken Walker to the Chiefs. Three years, $43 million with 28.7 guaranteed. If you want to hear about that, we did a 10 to 12 minute bonus podcast earlier today that's FFT Express. You can see it in this feed. The Broncos signed J.K. dobbins. Sorry, I should absolutely mention R.J. harvey as a loser.

[Heath]

Yeah, yeah, I mean, I guess. But if the way it felt a week ago, this feels like we maybe got off easy on RJ Harvey.

[Jamie]

Like I.

[Heath]

We knew he was going to share and now he's sharing with somebody who has a hard time staying healthy. So maybe he ends up in a situation where they have to give him more of the work again.

[Dave]

Would you be shocked if it's over or if it's not over, I should say. And they add another running back on top of this?

[Heath]

No, I expect they will, but

[Dave]

maybe.

[Adam]

In the first 10 games of the season, J.K. dobbins, that's all he played was 10 games. He had 153 carries. R.J. harvey had 50. J.K. dobbins was the number 22 running back per game in non PPR, number 25 and half, number 27 in full PPR. His 17 game pace was 260 carries, 1300 yards, well 1312 and seven touchdowns. So low touchdown rate there. And only 19 catches for 63 yards, but he averaged five yards per carry. And the year before that he was the number 18 running back per game. But he did have 32 catches in 13 games. So he's capable of catching the ball more. It's just kind of. It was really weird because they, The Broncos were seventh in those 10 games. They were seventh in running back targets per game on first and second down. And yet J.K. dobbins averaged about one catch per game.

[Heath]

Was that the. The Tyler Bidet experience?

[Adam]

Maybe, maybe it was. It's almost like when he was on the field, they were just not going to throw it to him.

[Jamie]

Right.

[Adam]

So, you know, low upside guy, but definitely, definitely in play. Is he the first bro, who are you taking First. Harvey or Dobbins?

[Heath]

Harvey.

[Jamie]

Harvey.

[Adam]

Okay, what else we got at running backs? The Buck signed Kenneth Gainwell. So is gainwell a top 100 player for you?

[Jamie]

PPR? Yeah. Yeah.

[Dave]

Yep. All right.

[Adam]

The Cardinal. Oh. Oh, this is a big one too. I knew I was gonna forget some. The Cardinals, they restructured James Connor's contract, but today they signed Tyler algier to a two year deal worth $12.25 million. Dave, what's your take on the Cardinals backfield now? With Algier and Connor there, it's a

[Dave]

mess and they've reloaded. And this is the trio that they're going to go with. I think it's a clear sign that they're not ready to hand things over to Trey Benson.

[Jamie]

It's a duo.

[Dave]

What do you mean?

[Jamie]

I don't think Benson is going to be involved unless they don't think he's,

[Dave]

you know, and he might. So I think you're right. It's probably going to end up being more of a duo than a trio. We'll probably pick Conor ahead of Alger and Alger will be a late round pick. But I'm not real excited about any of these guys.

[Jamie]

Nope.

[Adam]

What a bummer. And the Texans released Joe Mixon. The Giants restructured Devin Singletary's contract. Wide receiver news, the Niner signed Mike Evans. Three year deal could be worth up to 60 million. Colts resigned Alec Pierce four years, $116 million. Any numbers here? They're just, they're just on paper. They're not necessarily real in term, you know, in terms of what's guaranteed if guy gets cut after a certain amount of years. Football contracts are weird like that. Steelers acquired Michael Pittman. It's all guaranteed.

[Jamie]

He got 60 million signing and 84 guaranteed.

[Adam]

Okay, but that's not 116 guaranteed. So Pittman is going to the Steelers. They ain't got a three year deal worth 60 million. 59 million. 4 years, 78 million dollars with 38 million guaranteed for Wanda Robinson. Jalen Naylor to the Raiders. Trailin Burks back with the Commanders. And the Falcons signed Johan Dotson and Olamide Zakias and they signed Austin Hooper. So they, they've added to their receiving room without threatening London and Kyle Pitts.

[Dave]

Basically they are loading up on players that we can't stand because they score touchdowns and we never start them.

[Jamie]

So Hooper is a little concerning just because he's got a relationship with Stefanski. Fanski's first tight end of note was Austin Hooper. And so I think of his six years there in Cleveland, two of those years, Hooper was either first or second on the team of targets.

[Dave]

Yeah, it was there six years.

[Adam]

Here's. Here's a question from the Hoff. Does Caleb Johnson get a boost with Gainwell gone?

[Jamie]

No.

[Adam]

Yes. I gotta say he's gonna at least get the opportunity to get a boost. They've never really shown that they will give Jalen Warren a. A true work, you know, lead back workload. So.

[Jamie]

But their skill sets are so different.

[Adam]

Yeah, but he could, he could get. But gain what was getting some carries like he could get the six carries or something like that. A game we got an opportunity maybe, you know.

[Jamie]

Sure, I guess he gets a boost

[Adam]

in theory from zero. You know, it's a, it's a boost. Let's see a tight end. We got Isaiah likely to the Giants three years, 40 million. Travis Kelsey back with the Chiefs. Heath, who do you like better, Kelsey or likely?

[Heath]

Likely.

[Adam]

Dave Kelsey or likely,

[Dave]

I think Kelsey. Jamie.

[Jamie]

Well, considering we answered this already, I'd say likely.

[Adam]

Tennessee signed Daniel Bellinger. The Chargers signed Baltimore. Former Baltimore tight end Charlie Kohler. Three years, 24.3 million with 17 million guaranteed. Tight ends get. Get big contracts. The Vikings adjusted T.J. hawkinson's contract. The Bucs re signed Kate Otten to a three year deal. The Falcons sign Austin Hooper. The Rams signed Tyler Higby. So he was considered. Yeah, he was considering retirement. Signed his two year $8 million deal. He played about 55% of this. Tyler Higby here played about 55% of the snaps most weeks before his week 11 injury. And then that's when Colby Parkinson snap started jumping. And in week 14, Terence Ferguson's snap started jumping. So either there are any Ray Rams tight ends that you think should be in the top 20 in the rankings?

[Heath]

Probably not.

[Jamie]

Yeah, bummer.

[Adam]

And Houston signed Dalton Schultz to a one year extension of $12.6 million. Now Dave, offensive line stuff. We got Linderbaum to the Raiders former Raven center, maybe the top player on the market. We got the Bears trading for center Garrett Bradbury after their center Drew Dallman retired. Trent Williams could be on the move. The Lions. Lions released Taylor Decker. There's, there's been other.

[Dave]

They signed Cade Mays.

[Adam]

He signed a center, Cade Maze. Yeah, former Panthers center.

[Heath]

There's been other Raiders traded for Trent Williams.

[Adam]

Oh, that'd be fun.

[Heath]

Just all of a sudden have a good line or.

[Jamie]

They signed Decker.

[Adam]

The Browns have made a couple of additions. The jets made one. All right. Anyway, Dave, anything really jump out any

[Dave]

Fantasy earth shakers from the offensive line category.

[Adam]

Yeah, yeah.

[Dave]

I mean, Linderbaum going to Las Vegas is great on two fronts. Number one, he's going to help the interior on those runs for Ashton Genti. And number two, he's gonna help Fernando Mendoza settle in and help him out with, you know, identifying coverages and, you know, you know, who's the mic and all that stuff. I think that that's huge for their rookie quarterbacks development. It's, it's a smart move by the Raiders to get him in there and to pay him what they're paying him. They had to do it to get him, but I think it's good for them.

[Adam]

All right, we'll keep an eye on this, see if any teams get significantly better or significantly worse on the offensive line like the Bills. The Bills could have lost two players on the interior of their line. They only lost one. They resigned Connor McGovern. They lost David Edwards to the Saints. And it's good for the Saint. Like the Saints have to be aggressive because that's one thing for etn. I mean, he's going to a team that had a terrible offensive line last year, but they go out and they get guard David Edwards. Four years, $61 million. The jets are really making a lot of moves. They're spending a lot of money. What did the jets do? They, they lost one of their linemen. I guess most of their, their stuff's been on defense. The jets, they traded for Minka Fitzpatrick from the Dolphins. They gave him a three year, $40 million deal. They signed an edge rusher from the Packers. They signed an edge rusher from the Bengals. They're signing a defensive tackle from the Falcons. So that's on defense. Jamie, how about Max Crosby going to Baltimore? What do you think about that?

[Jamie]

I think it's a great move by Baltimore to try to increase their pass rush and obviously give Jesse Mentor a little bit of a head start. You know, their pass rush was, was a problem last year. It seems a slight overpay for a 29 year old player, but still, you know, he's been very productive. One of the best pass rushes in the league. And now it, I saw, I saw a graphic that, you know, Joe Burrow's got a face. Miles Garrett, T.J. watt and Max Crosby six times, which isn't ideal, but he'll be okay. They actually gave him his entire starting offensive lineback for the first time since they went to the super bowl. So that's encouraging. Yeah, I mean it's, it's, it Makes the Ravens DST one of the best in in football.

[Adam]

And they gave up two first round picks for him including I think the 14th pick this year. That's right. Anything else guys? I. I don't want to read all the defensive news. He's.

[Jamie]

Go ahead.

[Heath]

No, I mean just in the opposite vein of the Ravens. The Chiefs lost their secondary.

[Adam]

They sure did.

[Heath]

Like Cook gone. Watson gone. Duffy gone.

[Jamie]

I don't know. Maybe that neat though.

[Heath]

Maybe there's more shootouts for the Chiefs this year.

[Jamie]

There's only one guy you need Spags. You're good.

[Adam]

Yeah, well.

[Dave]

And they added Tonga on the D line and in the fullback room.

[Heath]

Yeah.

[Adam]

And you know another team that lost some defensive backs was the Bills. They traded cornerback Toronto Johnson. They cut. They released safety Taylor Rap. They also released Dane Jackson, but he was. He only played three defensive snaps last year.

[Dave]

Who did they. Didn't they sign somebody? Alford? Is that who they got?

[Adam]

Man, I don't know. I must have missed it. I thought I was.

[Dave]

Not that he's like it's not earth shattering to have D. Alford as your nickel, but that's who's probably going to end up replacing Johnson.

[Heath]

I do think things got significantly easier for Justin Herbert with not seeing Crosby twice a year and the chief secondary getting so much worse. Their matchups and the Broncos defense might

[Jamie]

be a little worse. Yeah.

[Dave]

Denver, you also.

[Jamie]

If there was any concern you also are getting Mike McDaniel not putting his imprint on that team by the Alec Ingold signing because. Because he was with him in Miami Dolphins release him. He goes straight to the Chargers.

[Adam]

Chargers also signed a center, former commander's center and cowboy center. Tyler Badass should be his name. But it's biotish 3 year, $30 million deal. How about the Panthers? The Panthers with getting Jalen Phillips. I'm a big Jalen Phillips fan. For your $120 million deal, $80 million guaranteed. He's an edge rusher but he's not really get. He doesn't get put up big sack numbers. He's great against the run and he was big for the Eagles. The Eagles traded for him mid season from the Dolphins and he was really good for them. And the Bears signing Kobe Bryant from the Seahawks was big. They also signed Devin Bush, former linebacker for the Browns. All right.

[Dave]

The.

[Adam]

The Titans went nuts today. They signed a lot of guys headlined by.

[Dave]

Did you say you didn't want to go through all the defenses?

[Adam]

Well, I'm not. There's a lot more want to shortchange anything here.

[Dave]

Okay.

[Adam]

I think we're good. Good show. More to come later this week. Juan Jennings. Tyree Kill.

[Jamie]

Hell yeah.

[Adam]

Etc. A lot of still quarterback news gonna shake out.

[Dave]

Jamie. Jamie, when are we drafting?

[Jamie]

Probably next week.

[Adam]

I feel like I'm gonna get Mike Evans in every league now. Good, good.

[Heath]

He can be your Tyree Kill. We just need to figure out who your Isaiah Pacheco is.

[Adam]

No, I don't love Tony Paul. Even though I said I did. It was a big lie.

[Jamie]

A big valentine.

[Adam]

Yeah, I had one, Val. I was embarrassed. Only one Valentine. All right, later everybody. We'll talk to you tomorrow at some point on Fantasy Football. Paramount Podcasts

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