Justin Fields Reaction, How to Drafts from Picks 7-9 (07/24 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today – Episode: Justin Fields Reaction, How to Drafts from Picks 7-9 (07/24 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Release Date: July 24, 2025

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1. Introduction

In this episode of Fantasy Football Today, hosts Adam Aizer, analysts Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, and Heath Cummings delve into the latest NFL news affecting fantasy leagues. The discussion centers around a critical injury update for Justin Fields, strategic insights for drafting between picks 7-12, and a comparative analysis of different draft strategies employed by the hosts. The episode also features updates on key players, a trivia segment, and a special celebration for Dave Richard's birthday.

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2. Justin Fields Injury Update

The episode kicks off with breaking news regarding Justin Fields, the quarterback for the New York Jets. At approximately [02:12], Adam Aizer shares the alarming update:

Adam [02:12]: "As of right now, 10:15 in the morning on Thursday. All we know is he was carted off and he took his shoe off and let's just call it a lower extremity injury."

Dave Richard emphasizes the uncertainty surrounding the injury:

Dave [02:53]: "Just because he got carted doesn't mean anything. It's more the fact that it's a possible non-contact injury to his foot."

Jamey Eisenberg adds cautious optimism:

Jamie [04:06]: "It would depend on how much time. But I do think it's encouraging that he was able to get up and stand up and then the cart was, I think, more procedural than necessary."

The hosts discuss the potential fantasy implications, comparing Fields to Todd Taylor, with Dave highlighting:

Dave [05:07]: "Both of them have a career 7.0 yards per attempt average. Both of them to Rod's at 3.9% for touchdown rate... Fields is a higher interception rate."

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3. Draft Pick 7-12 Analysis

The core of the episode revolves around strategic drafting between picks 7-12. The hosts compare different team builds, highlighting the diversity in drafting philosophies.

a. Jamie's vs. Adam's Draft Strategies

Adam and Jamie dissect their respective draft choices, emphasizing the balance between running backs, wide receivers, and quarterbacks.

Adam reflects on his strategy:

Adam [07:56]: "So, you can do it either way if you want to gamble on the high-end talent at quarterback and running back... But much easier to do that in a two receiver league than a three receiver league."

Jamie critiques the approach of stacking certain positions early:

Jamie [28:00]: "If you want to go the tight end route. We saw Bowers go earlier in round two, second pick around two, and McBride was on the board."

The discussion includes a detailed comparison of Jamie's team (Team 7) and Adam's team (Team 8), focusing on the distribution of players across positions and the potential strengths and weaknesses of each build.

Dave [32:00]: "I think the better way to go about it is talking about the build instead of the players."

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4. NFL Player Updates Affecting Fantasy

Beyond Justin Fields, several player updates are discussed that could influence fantasy drafts:

• Malik Neighbors' Toe Injury: Concerns about potential surgery and its impact on his availability.

  Dan [15:28]: "Convince me that I should take Malik Neighbors in the first round. I just... Why am I taking him over Brian Thomas Jr.?"

  Dave [16:34]: "They're going to have to monitor it... He has upside to be the wide receiver one."

• Kyle Pitts' Recovery: Pitts is back to practicing post-foot injury.

  Adam [16:24]: "Kyle Pitts, by the way, recovered from a foot injury. He's back. He's practicing."

• Other Player Updates: Information on players like Juwan Jennings, Jacob Cowan, and Byron Matos is shared briefly, providing listeners with comprehensive insights.

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5. Trivia Segment

Adding an engaging twist, the hosts conduct a trivia round focused on NFL statistics and player performances:

• Question Example:

  Adam [11:23]: "D.J. Moore has played seven NFL seasons. In his last six seasons, what is the most amount of touchdown passes his team has thrown in DJ Moore's last six seasons?"

• Jamie showcases competitive spirit:

  Jamie [11:45]: "I would say 105. No, no, you said 105."

Despite the competitive banter, the hosts maintain a light-hearted atmosphere, enhancing listener engagement.

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6. Draft Strategy Insights

The latter part of the episode delves deeper into draft strategies, particularly focusing on how initial picks influence subsequent choices. The hosts debate the merits of prioritizing certain positions and the flexibility required in draft planning.

Dave [24:59]: "What you did in this draft is the right thing. When you're up in round three and you don't love the running backs that are there... take a quarterback because that's the safest way to go."

The conversation underscores the importance of adapting strategies based on draft position and available talent, offering listeners nuanced perspectives to optimize their fantasy teams.

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7. Birthday Celebration for Dave Richard

In a heartwarming segment, the podcast celebrates Dave Richard's birthday. The exchange showcases camaraderie among the hosts:

Adam [36:03]: "Well, what are you doing to celebrate?"

Dave [36:49]: "I am going to work early, hang out with the family. My son is preparing some steaks and grilling them..."

The hosts share anecdotes and humorous stories, including a memorable balloon arch crafted for Dave, illustrating the friendly dynamics of the team.

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8. Closing Remarks

As the episode concludes, the hosts remind listeners to check out additional resources like the Pick-by-Pick landing page on CBS Sports' website. They also tease upcoming segments and express gratitude towards their audience.

Adam [70:57]: "See all tomorrow with the mailbag on fantasy football today. And we'll have FFP express for you coming up now."

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Notable Quotes

• Adam Aizer [02:12]: "All we know is he was carted off and he took his shoe off and let's just call it a lower extremity injury."

• Dave Richard [05:07]: "It's CR. Both of them have a career 7.0 yards per attempt average."

• Jamey Eisenberg [28:00]: "If you want to go the tight end route... it just gets the best players."

• Jamie Eisenberg [11:45]: "I would say 105. No, no, you said 105."

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Conclusion

This episode of Fantasy Football Today provides an in-depth analysis of a pivotal injury, strategic drafting advice for mid-to-late picks, and updates on key NFL players influential in fantasy sports. Through engaging discussions and collaborative insights, the hosts equip listeners with the knowledge to enhance their fantasy football strategies. The episode's blend of professional analysis and personal camaraderie offers both value and entertainment, solidifying its position as an essential resource for fantasy football enthusiasts.

Transcript

[Adam]

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[Dan]

You all know I've been running an Airbnb for a while now and it's been a great way to make use of my extra space and especially when I'm traveling. And I've got some great trips coming up. First, I'm heading to Pinehurst, North Carolina for an annual golf trip with the crew. Always a blast. Then I'm swinging down to my old stomping grounds in Gainesville, Florida to catch a Gators game and slide into my favorite Mexican spot, La Tienda, for some steak tacos. What I love is that with the Airbnb Co host network, I don't have to think twice about what's happening back home. I found a local pro who handles everything, creating the listing, managing bookings, messaging guests, even being there in person if anything comes up. I get to enjoy the trip, be in the moment and know everything's running smoothly. So whether you already host like I do or you've got a space just sitting empty while you're away, this is a total game changer. Find a co [e-mail] host this is.

[Adam]

Fantasy Football Today from CBS Sports.

[Jamie]

What a play.

[Adam]

Can you believe this?

[Dave]

No, I can't. It's time to dominate your fantasy league.

[Adam]

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

[Dave]

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

[Adam]

Welcome everybody to Fantasy football today, Thursday, July 24th. And man, we already have, well, I wouldn't say big injury news. We have breaking news. We don't know the severity. We're going to talk about Justin Fields. As of right now, 10:15 in the morning on Thursday. All we know is he was carted off and he took his shoe off and let's just call it a lower extremity injury. We're gonna Recap the rest of our pick by pick series of pick 7 through 12. How to build your roster from pick 7 through 12. We got an important update on Malik Neighbors and his toe and much more. Ooh, boy. All right, guys, let's jump right into it here. What are we thinking with. With the Jet situation? Dave?

[Dave]

Richard, first of all, you've got to wait and see just how severe it is. Just because he got carded doesn't mean anything. It's more the fact that it's a possible non contact injury to his foot. It sounds like it's his foot that's trouble.

[Adam]

No, now's not the time. This is serious. We shouldn't be doing it.

[Dave]

Yeah, serious. A man might have just lost a year of his career.

[Adam]

That was my bad. I did it.

[Dave]

How inconsiderate of you.

[Adam]

Dave's birthday today. We'll sing later. Okay.

[Dave]

No one gives a damn. Everyone cares about what this means for Breece hall and Garrett Wilson. And. And as of now, I'm not moving either of those guys. But I mean it. If he's going from Justin Fields to Todd Taylor, is that really a huge drop off for Garrett Wilson? Yeah, maybe it's enough to see him move down a little bit. But Breece hall, maybe it's. It's a little bit better for him without Justin Fields bogarting as much of those carries and short yardage touchdowns. Maybe it helps them, but it's. It's already. I wasn't excited about this offense to begin with. This makes me less excited.

[Adam]

Jamie, what's your take? If Justin Fields were to miss time?

[Jamie]

It would depend on how much time. But I do think it's encouraging that he was able to get up and stand up and then the cart was, I think, more procedural than necessary. It's always good when you get reports of not just carded. You know, we, we used to get that all the time. Player was carted off. Well. Oh my God. You know, there's a little bit more context to it. Wouldn't surprise me if the jets made a move. Kirk Cousins probably would make some sense if, if, if Fields is going to have a significant injury. But I'm just gonna be patient and wait this out. So, you know, any drafts right now? I think you're still drafting them accordingly. As if Fields is the guy.

[Dave]

Wow.

[Adam]

But you're not drafting Fields right now, as if. Right.

[Jamie]

I would today. Yeah.

[Dave]

Still say okay in the same spot. Yeah, I mean, I would, I would move him down a few spots. There's a chance he doesn't play this year based on this news. Hey I'm I'm looking at the career numbers for Fields and Todd Taylor.

[Adam]

Yeah, it's like identical.

[Dave]

It's CR. Both of them have a career 7.0 yards per attempt average. Both of them to Rod's at 3.9% for touchdown rate. Fields is at 4% completion rate. They're apart by 8. 10 of a percentage point. Fields is a higher interception rate. It's really crazy how close they are. So I don't really know if there's a huge difference to run. I don't know if there's a real reason to run away from Garrett Wilson just because to Rod's the qb. I'd be surprised if they acquired Kirk Cousins unless the Falcons were paying like all of Kirk Cousins salary for this year.

[Adam]

So Taylor the comparisons. Yeah, that they are. And the completion percentage. Oh you mentioned the interception rate was what I wanted to mention. That's actually a lot better for Torod Taylor. He has a better career passer rating than fields but he's 36 next month. He also so he had three years to Rod Taylor where he was the starting quarterback for at least 14 games for Buffalo and he finished. Listen to this on a per game basis to Rod Taylor was QB 7, 9 and 19 in four point for passing touchdown leagues. QB 12, 14 and 22 in six point per passing touchdown league. So that's two really good seasons there. One year he gave us Sammy Watkins who was the number 10 wide receiver per game in PPR in 13 games. He had over a thousand yards in 13 games while leaving one game early with an injury. The other two years, you know, not good. Watkins struggled the next year. In eight games he averaged 54 yards per game. And then the year after that the two leading receivers for Buffalo. This is why Taylor had such a bad year. They their two leading receivers were Charles Clay and LaShawn McCoy. So they had awful wide receivers that year. But Taylor, you know if you were in his prime you could argue that this is really a maybe even better because he runs less and will run for fewer touchdowns than Justin Fields. But obviously you know Fields you could look at as maybe someone like Heath has mentioned, he's gotten better every year. Maybe he's an ascending player to Rod Taylor is 36 years old. But last thing on Taylor, he made four starts with the Giants two years ago. Four starts that he didn't leave with early. Four games that he started and finished. Put it that way. He scored 19.7 or more fantasy points and six point per passing touchdown leagues in three out of four. Two years before that, he did the same thing with the Texans. He scored 19.1 or more fantasy points in three or four games that he started and finished. So put him on your radar in four point for passing touchdown leagues. Put him on your radar and super flex, obviously, but he's, he might not be that bad if he can just, you know, not age, I guess. All right, so that's our analysis there. Not a huge change.

[Jamie]

By the way, who's in the front office now for the Jets?

[Adam]

Oh, the guy, what's his name?

[Dave]

I mean, he's not the general manager, but he's a consultant for that.

[Adam]

Oh, you're talking about our former colleague.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

Who did he pay a lot of money to?

[Dave]

He did pay Kirk Cousins a lot of money once upon a time. My argument is if, if you're not gonna. It seems like it's a lot to spend unless you really thought of your team as a contending team. Right now.

[Adam]

Talking about Rick Spielman, by the way. So right now, consulting for the.

[Dave]

If they're gonna, if they're gonna add $20 million or whatever it would be.

[Jamie]

What happened Once upon a time when the Vikings had a quarterback injury, they trade.

[Dave]

Oh, you're talking about the Sam Bradford deal. Yeah, yeah. They gave up a, they got a. Did they? Oh, yeah. They gave up a first rounder.

[Jamie]

They got a first round pick for Sam, Brad and I.

[Dave]

And you know what, to your point on that, I don't remember the Vikings as like a major super bowl contender.

[Jamie]

Oh, they were a contender. They were absolutely contender.

[Dave]

I, I don't know if they were like, I don't know if they were putting them up there at the top with like the other.

[Jamie]

I don't know if they were the top five team, but they were certainly a contender.

[Dan]

We were coming off the loss to the Seahawks.

[Dave]

Game.

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Adam]

So just.

[Dave]

They paid Kirk Cousins a lot of money.

[Jamie]

You know, I don't think they would. I, I'm. Listen, if they're going to make a trade for Kirk Cousins, there's going to obviously be some financials coming back from Falcons to pay it.

[Dave]

Sure.

[Adam]

Just to recap, just to recap, if to Rod Taylor was. Were to be the quarterback for the jets this year, you would do what with Garrett Wilson's ranking and what with.

[Jamie]

Breeze Hall's ranking, I wouldn't change it at all.

[Dave]

I would move Garrett Wilson down a smidge. I would move Breeze hall up a smidge.

[Adam]

Okay.

[Dave]

Do you want to ask the Question with Kirk Cousins.

[Adam]

No, let's. Okay, yeah, let's wait. I'm going to give you a quick draft a thon update here we are over $60,000 and I think we sold out our mailbag. But we do still have some FFT open spots. Let's see, we got spots in Lee Jews Ables league. Six spots left. Come on, show Alfredo Brown some love. You came on our show last week.

[Jamie]

Speaking of jets was a Doozy.

[Adam]

Yeah. Dwayne McFarland, Chip Patterson, they've got some spots open. Mike McClure, Tom Fornelli, John Breach, and I believe that is it. So go to the. Go to tinyurl.com 2025 FFT bid on anything you want. Or you can just make a donation. And we appreciate your support. We still have Mike from a town east of New Haven in control of the leaderboard with a $1,000 donation, but Poppy with $750 is now in second and we have a bunch of people who have donated $500. So I appreciate it. Vote for [e-mail] Please nominate the Fantasy Football Today in the best sports podcast category and the people's choice. If you'd like to podcast awards.com or podcast awards.com app/sign up.

[Dave]

Who's the. Who's the leader who donated a thousand?

[Adam]

So this is the guy who is writing Mike. He's writing about Drake May and Heath being too low on Drake May. Okay.

[Dave]

I think what we should do is mention him every show until someone donates more, and then whoever donates more gets a mention on the show every day.

[Adam]

He's just gonna be. He's just gonna be a member of the FFT cast.

[Dave]

That's what I'm saying. Until someone comes up with a thousand and one for St. Jude.

[Adam]

All right, let's move on to.

[Dave]

That's what we do.

[Adam]

That'd be great. I mean, I hope that works. That'd be great. Quick round of trivia. Here we go. The closest answer wins. D.J. moore has played seven NFL seasons. In his last six seasons, what is the most amount of touchdown passes his team has thrown in DJ Moore's last six seasons?

[Jamie]

20 team total of touchdown passes.

[Adam]

Correct.

[Dave]

26.

[Jamie]

It could be like if there was a special teams touchdown off a pass.

[Adam]

Yes.

[Jamie]

Okay, 26.

[Dave]

I just threw a number off the top of my head.

[Adam]

You can't say 26. The birthday boy said 26.

[Jamie]

Oh, I'm sorry. 24.

[Adam]

Jamie is right. Well, no, Jamie is closest. The answer is a pathetic 20. D.J. moore's teams have not thrown more than 20 touchdowns in the last six seasons. And it was actually last year Caleb Williams most touchdown passes since DJ Moore's rookie season when he. I think his team through 28 that year. All right. In 2021, Jamar Chase was a rookie. He ranked sixth among wide receivers in explosive play rate in his last three seasons. Out of 105 wide receivers with 100 more TAR 100 or more targets, where does Jamar Chase rank in explosive play rate over the last three years out of 105 wide receivers top five?

[Jamie]

If he's asking this, it's probably bad. I'll say 105. No, no, you said 105.

[Adam]

100. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jamie]

I'll go somewhere in the mid 50, 73rd.

[Dave]

Oh, God.

[Adam]

Is that shocking to you or what? Jamar Chase.

[Dave]

Who are the top five in that category?

[Adam]

Oh, I think I might still have that up. Okay, so the top five are Brandon Ayuk, Nico Collins, Josh Reynolds, Jalen Waddle and Lad McConkey.

[Jamie]

Josh Reynolds. Explosive play rate will go down with Torod Taylor.

[Adam]

Josh Fantasy Value creators Josh Reynolds. Because a lot of it is a dot. These guys usually have higher adot. Smart. Chase is pretty low a dot. All right, let's see. Yeah. Yeah. Wow. He was. Oh, his. He was. His explosive play rate was terrific Last year. Last one. Lamar Jackson became the full time starter in 2019. Since then, where do the Ravens rank in running back carries from the five yard line or closer?

[Dave]

Damn. First.

[Adam]

First.

[Jamie]

Tenth.

[Adam]

Jamie sweeps. It is seventh, but it's still very high. Yeah, but I didn't say. I just said closest, not closest. Without going.

[Dave]

I went over.

[Adam]

It depends how you look at it, I guess. Yeah. So the Ravens always give you a lot of goal line carries.

[Jamie]

This is more 24 was over 20.

[Adam]

Yeah, you both went over on that one. All right, bonus. Which team leads the NFL and running back carries from the 5 yard line or closer since 2019?

[Jamie]

Running back Harry.

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

So it's not Philly Detroit.

[Dave]

That's a great guess.

[Adam]

It is such a good guess. I'm not even going to let Dave guess. It is the correct answer, right? Detroit's always doing that. All right, let's get to some news and notes and then we will talk about the rest of the pick by pick. Malik Neighbors is practicing. Remember he sat out during OTAS minicamp, whatever. It was because of a toe injury that they said was lingering. They don't have to monitor it, but the quotes made me a little nervous. They said that surgery is an option at some point and that it has been discussed. So he's got this lingering toe issue that's going to have to be monitored. Convince me that I should take Malik Neighbors in the first round. I just. There's a lot of great wide receivers. Why am I taking him over? Brian Thomas Jr. For example, worst offense and a toe injury.

[Jamie]

If he's not going to have surgery and plays the entire season, he will have more targets than maybe everybody in the league.

[Dave]

Right. He. He's got upside to be the wide receiver one. He is the perfect combination of target volume, explosiveness and just unbelievable playmaking ability. There is no question that he's the number one guy on his team. He has serviceable quarterback play compared to last year especially he had. He averaged 11 targets per game last year, played only 15 games. Was a monster for fantasy. You're. You're. When you draft him, you're drafting him for the upside more than anything else. It's just the toe is now probably a bigger downside case than it was when it first came out. Remember, he was practicing during the off season with the toe. So the thing you'd have to worry about, I suppose, is the Giants are out of it late in the year or maybe he aggravates it and they say, you know what, just get it taken care of. And you don't get the full season out of Malik Neighbors.

[Jamie]

There's an update. Speaking of toes, Aaron Glenn says the toe injury for Justin Fields. No update on the severity.

[Adam]

All right, well, that's good news. I think I. I think that is.

[Dave]

Yeah. I mean, we'll see.

[Jamie]

Unless it's broken.

[Dave]

I mean, it's better than an Achilles.

[Jamie]

If it's better than Achilles, better than high ankle sprain, I would agree. Unless again, it's a, you know, broken toe. Could be turf, though.

[Adam]

Yeah. It's July 24th. Season starts on September 4th, I believe. So, you know, you could maybe if you missed a couple. Whatever. I mean, I'm just saying it's. There's time to recover unless it's really serious. Okay. Kyle Pitts, by the way, recovered from a foot injury. He's back. He's practicing. He.

[Dave]

Ken Walker practicing with the wide receivers.

[Adam]

Oh, cool. Falcons official site Ken Walker recovered from an ankle injury. He's back and apparently looking good. Mike K of the Charlotte Great. Ken Walker. Yeah.

[Dave]

Yeah.

[Adam]

Mike K of the Charlotte observer says that Bryce Young and Hunter Renfro have good chemistry. Chicago rookie wide receiver. Wide receiver Luther Burden is not yet practicing. Juwan Jennings practiced in full that's cool, but wide receiver Jacob cowing for the 49ers hurt his hamstring. Cleveland head coach Kevin Stefanski acknowledged that Jerome Ford is the starting running back right now. He also said that Cleveland wants to figure out its starting quarterback sooner rather than later. Arizona rookie defensive tackle first round pick Walter Nolan III is going to miss some time with a calf injury. One of Seattle's best defensive players, linebacker Uchena Nwosu might not be ready for Week one and defensive tackle Jonathan Hankins is on the non football injury NFI list. Dallas wants to move Kevante Turpin all over the field. They use him at running back. I think we mentioned that yesterday he was picked up in our Dynasty league. So Kevante Turpin someone if you super deep leagues and we're hoping for the best for Miami offensive lineman Byron Matos, who was airlifted to the hospital with an injury yesterday, and also cornerback Artie Burns for the Dolphins may have torn his ACL. Take a break and get into picks 7 through 12. So 1 through 6 was a little bit predictable I guess. Things get more interesting I think with 7 through 12. We'll be right back. Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile. With the price of just about everything going up, we thought we'd bring our prices down. So to help us we brought in a reverse auctioneer which is apparently a.

[Jamie]

Thing Mint Mobile Unlimited Premium Wireless 3030 better get 30 better get 202020 better.

[Adam]

Get 2020 better get 15151515 just 15 bucks month. So give it a [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for three month plan equivalent to $15 per month required new customer offer for first three months only. Speed slow after 35 gigabytes of network's.

[Jamie]

Busy taxes and fees extra.

[Adam]

See mintmobile.com on WhatsApp. No one can see or hear your personal messages.

[Jamie]

Whether it's a voice call message or.

[Adam]

Sending a password to WhatsApp, it's all just this.

[Jamie]

So whether you're sharing the streaming password in the family chat, we're trading those.

[Adam]

Late night voice messages that could basically become a podcast. Your personal messages stay between you, your friends and your family. No one else, not even us. WhatsApp message privately with everyone. So yesterday was part one of this. And by the way Jamie, can you just tell everybody how to see this story and all the results for the Pick by Pick series?

[Jamie]

I just sent it out on Twitter X whatever we're calling it these days. You retweeted it as well that there is A landing page for all 12 stories and you can see the entire mock draft in its entirety. How we usually present our mock drafts on cbsports.com so you can find them individually. Each pick each story from all six of us that did the two write ups. But if you just want one landing page with the entire draft, you can.

[Adam]

See it on cbsports.com yeah, very cool stuff and hopefully very helpful. We're going to be doing another one.

[Jamie]

And we'll be doing at least one more of these, maybe two.

[Adam]

Okay. And do I have to write the article again or can you write it for me or.

[Jamie]

Yeah, you can do all your, your similar mistakes in there that you did. I read yours. It was terrible.

[Adam]

Geez, I don't doubt it. I don't really know how to write. So anywho, let's take a look at team seven, which was Jamie's and team eight was mine. And I guess we can start there because we had very, very, very different builds. So Jamie, I talked about team one for you yesterday where your first seven picks were. Seven? Yes. Seven picks were running backs and wide receivers. And this one, first eight picks. No, wait, more than that. What do you got? First 10 picks were running backs and wide receivers. So you, you kept with that strategy there and you ended up with Evan Ingram and Bo Nix at quarterback and tight end stack. Whereas I, as we talked about this at the end of yesterday's show, Dave, I took four different positions with my first four picks. So I guess that just shows you that if you're picking in the middle, Jamie, there are different ways that you can go because, you know, McBride, maybe Bowers, but McBride is probably in play for you there in round three, you're definitely in position to look at maybe one of the three. Lamar Jackson, Josh Allen and Jane Daniels. And then in round four, Kittle Burrow Hertz could be in play for you there. So there are a lot of things you can do if you're picking in the middle.

[Jamie]

Yeah, I think it's, you know, this is why I think a lot of people like to be in the spot because you're still getting one of the top, you know, 7, 8, 10 players depending on how far your, your list goes. And then you're getting still, I think a very quality player. I knew you were taking A.J. brown. I, you know, the way the draft unfolded in round two would have been thrilled if he felt to me was thrilled that Drake London was still there. You know, then we get to those group of running backs that I think you can make a Case for Jacobs and Taylor, Irving, Chase Brown, Kyron Williams still, you know, all these guys. And then, you know, if you want to go the tight end route. We saw Bowers go earlier in round two, second pick around two, and McBride was on the board. For me, I wasn't comfortable taking him in that spot. Not that I don't like him, but I just think it's too soon. There's just so many different ways you could play it out. You know, I think it's really when you get to round three is when the fun starts. So. So it's, you know, you. You can kind of control the way that you. You have the opportunity. I think in round one, there will be. If you're seven, eight, nine, I think McCaffrey's on the board. HN will most likely be on the board. Not with our draft, but Jameer Gibbs may be on the board like he was here. Genti will be on the board. Like, you could take one of the top six or seven running backs. You should have an opportunity to take one of the top 10 wide receivers. And I think that's just a good way to start your team and then you come back. Or, I'm sorry, you could take one of the receivers in the first round too. And then again, it's just really like what, what happens in round three. So, like, you could see a situation where James Cook is there, Kyron Williams is there based on adp. So if you want to go receiver, receiver, you know, there's just so many different ways you can go.

[Dave]

And it's really easy to map out when you're picking seventh overall, that means you're also picking 18th overall. Before your draft, you can make a list of your top 18 players and you can just draft off that for the first two rounds. Maybe you get really lucky and one of those players is there in round three as well. But I think you'd rather have two top 18 picks than two top 24 picks. And that's why I think the closer I thought about this after the show yesterday, the closer I get to the end of round one, the more I like the draft slot this year because I think there is a drop off between. Honestly, I think the drop off is from like 15th overall. And then it gets worse once you get to like 22nd, 23rd. So I like picking toward the end of round one this year because of the talent that's available at the tippy top of the draft.

[Adam]

Yeah, I've thought about that a lot, and I certainly agree with what you're saying about your first two picks. But my issue is the middle of round three. I feel like every single year we feel this way, the middle of round three, it feels like there's a drop off at that point. So if I, if I have a late pick in round one, obviously it means I have a late pick in round three. And you know, I don't, I don't love having the late pick in round three. I often find that when we've done mock drafts and I've come up in the third round, I haven't loved my pick. So I'm sort of torn on where I want to draft and a lot of people get to make this decision to. I think maybe being in the middle is a really good spot this year. 5, 6, 7.

[Dave]

What you did in this draft is the right thing. When you're up in round three and you don't love the running backs that are there and you don't love the wide receivers that are there and you're not ready to take George Kittle, you, you take the quarterback because that's the safest way to go. You know it's going to be, this is presuming it's one of the top three guys. Allen Jackson, Jane Daniels, that's how I have them ranked. But when you take one of those three quarterbacks, you should feel confident that you're taking a player that's going to get you north of 25 fantasy points per week. A must starter on your team, a difference maker for your team. You're not overpaying for them and you're, you're taking advantage of people kind of passing on quarterback, waiting on quarterback and getting a player that's just, it's an, it's an easy click at that point to take one of those stud quarterbacks. Understanding that you're kind of kicking the can on the other positions and you're not like wedging in a running back or a wide receiver that you're not all in on with that pick. I love what you did by taking Allen there and being the first person to take a quarterback off the board in the back half of round three.

[Adam]

3.7. Thank you, Dave. So I think comparing my team and Jamie's team is interesting, but there's just one last thing I want to say here. So we're talking about a 12 team league. So the end of round three is the 36th pick and I actually, you know, I do think that there are a few players that if they fell there and based on adp, it's quite Realistic that they will. That I would personally would be happy. So I want to ask you guys to. Who are like three or four players that from what you've seen from ADP that you'd be happy with taking with your third and fourth picks if you were picking, let's say 10th, 11th, or 12th overall. For me, they are James Cook. Well, I'll say four guys. James Cook, Kyron Williams, Jaden Daniels and George Kittle. I feel really good about those four if I can make them my late round three or early round four picks again, James Cook, Kyron Williams, Jaden Daniels and George Kittle. Which means I clearly don't love the wide receivers there unless JSN really does make it there. I'll throw Chase in there. In there too. But I seem to like the running.

[Dave]

Backs better than JSN was there. You didn't.

[Adam]

He was. No, I had, I had the seventh pick. So I took Allen over jsn. Yeah, but I mean, if I had been picking like with the 10th, with the 11th pick, I would have taken JSN there.

[Jamie]

I think, like, so in this draft, for example, which I don't think we see that very often, is JSN and Garrett Wilson both there. Like, Dan could have started his team in a very fun way if he passed on Breece Hall. And I know he likes clearly Marvin Harrison better than JSN and Garrett Wilson, which is not the norm of what we see for most drafts. Like, he could have started Nico Collins, Amanra St. Brown, Garrett Wilson and JSN. And this is a three receiver in a flex league. Like, that's amazing.

[Adam]

Oh, I hate that.

[Jamie]

I love it.

[Adam]

I hate it. Because there are such good values at wide receiver later and you're going to skip them because you've already gotten all of your wide receivers.

[Jamie]

Those are, those are arguably four top 12 receivers. And in some places that's where. That's how they're ranked. So, like, to me, they're. They're top 15, 16. I don't know. I would have done it especially. It's just, that's like, all right, you could really make a definitive case that you like Breeze hall and Marvin Harrison better than JSN and Garrett Wilson.

[Adam]

I would go, I would go Breeze hall and jsn. But yeah, it's a look I, I get. I just. You give yourself not really that much positional flexibility in your draft when you've taken four wide receivers with your first four picks.

[Jamie]

Well, I mean, just again, to play it out, if we're, if we're gonna just go with this exercise. So if he really wanted to go 0 RB, he did it. If he had taken those four receivers and then taken Laporta and Mahomes and then I think he's behind the eight ball a little bit. But if he had taken the four receivers and not taken Laporta and Mahomes, and if it's just the way that it played itself out. So his starting running backs would be David Montgomery and Pacheco. If. If those are the two. So like those four receivers, Montgomery, Pacheco, I don't mind that.

[Adam]

No, I like that he comes back.

[Jamie]

Around and it's Tracy and ETN Jalen, Warren, Javonte Williams.

[Adam]

Like it's fine. Yeah, it's fine.

[Jamie]

I don't know.

[Adam]

I was having fun when I said I hate it, but my. The truth is I'm never going to say there's one strategy that works or does it just get the best players.

[Jamie]

400 receptions, like that's hard to pass up.

[Adam]

It's a lot.

[Dave]

Yeah, I, I do like it better with a hero RB baked in there. So if he had passed on. Let's say he passed on Mahomes and he took Jameson or Ted McMillan to be his fourth wide receiver. And I agree. Jackson Smith and Jigba over Marvin Harrison. I. I do like that a lot.

[Adam]

I just want to get back on.

[Dave]

Track with the one RB that you just go, okay, I got one. I got one stud. My weak spot is definitely going to be at RB2, but I'm loaded at wide receiver. I've got a stud tight end. I'm gonna wait on quarterback. I. I like that build a lot. I think Dan kind of loused it up a little bit by taking Mahomes, even though it's good value on Mahomes.

[Adam]

All right, so Anyway, that's the 12th pick. Let's get. Let me get back to the seventh and eighth picks here. And Dave, you tell me which team do you like better? Because we went about this completely different ways. Our first two picks were pretty similar. Jamie with the pick seven went with Gibbs and Drake London in the second round. I had pick eight. I went with McCaffrey and A.J. brown. So we go running back receiver. But Jamie takes Devonte Adams and DK Metcalf with his next two picks. This is a three receiver PPR league. And I take Josh Allen and George Kittle. So I'm going to give the starting lineups here for jamie at team 7, it's Bo Nix who was taken very late 1, 2 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. 12th round quarterbacks were insanely, insanely depressed.

[Dave]

Going around 12 in your home.

[Adam]

So great pick Bo Nicks and Evan Ingram for Jamie with Jameer Gibbs, Travion Henderson, Drake, London, Devonte Adams, DK Metcalf and Chris Godwin. Or if he's not ready, Khalil Shakir or. Or Stefan Diggs at flex. So again, it's Nick's Evan Ingram, Broncos Gibbs and Travion Henderson, London Adams, Metcalf, and then the flex is probably Chris Godwin or if he's not ready for week one, Khalil Shakir, Stefan Diggs. Running backs on the bench are Cam Scatter Boo and Isaac Arundo and Marshawn Lloyd. And yes, I will just say it now so we don't have to get back into it. I absolutely should have taken Isaac Arando was a mistake by me. So Jamie's great, you know, so that's Jamie's team. Hope this is easy for people to digest at home. I'm sorry if. You know, it's a lot of you.

[Dave]

I think the better way to go about it is talking about the build instead of the players.

[Adam]

Well, no, because we got to. All right, I have.

[Dave]

His players are superior to yours.

[Adam]

I don't know.

[Dave]

Better way to put it.

[Adam]

His players are superior. I have qb. I have. Last year, Josh Allen was QB two or three per game and tight end one per game.

[Dave]

Well, maybe not the running backs.

[Adam]

Okay. Why do we. Why do people. I feel like people always do this when they evaluate a team. The first thing they look at is the running backs and the wide receivers. I got Josh Allen and George. I got Josh Allen and George Kittle. He has Bo Nixon, Evan Ingram. Right.

[Dave]

And there's an advantage that you've got there. And he's got an advantage at wide receiver. And it's debatable if he's got an advantage at running.

[Adam]

He does not have an advantage at running back. I have.

[Dave]

Right. And if Mixon is healthy, you're gonna have an edge over him at running.

[Adam]

And my number three running back is Aaron Jones. His is Cam Scatterboo.

[Dave]

So I know there's no question. I think you probably do edge him out at running, but I don't. I wouldn't have passed on Bucky in round two if I were Jamie especially. But that's. But that's. Looking back in hindsight and seeing how his receivers stack up after round two.

[Jamie]

There was no way I was taking Bucky Irving over Drake London. And I would not advise that, yeah, I would.

[Dave]

I think Bucky could be awesome and, and Drake. Drake London's going to be great too, but I like Bucky better.

[Adam]

So the question is the hindsight of.

[Dave]

Seeing Jamie getting Adams, Metcalf Diggs I really like a lot in round eight. Godwin, if he's right, that's fine. Shakir is solid depth. Like that's a good receiving core even without Drake London. And so Jamie, we play this game all the time about wouldn't you have rather taken X over Y? Man, your running backs would crush Adam and maybe everybody else is in the league if you had taken Bucky over Drake London.

[Jamie]

Yeah, I mean obviously I like Bucky Irving. I think he's a second round pick. I think Drake London has top five upside. I don't think Bucky Irving is going to get there.

[Dave]

I think he's got top five upside.

[Adam]

I got to focus it on team.

[Dave]

Six versus more work this year.

[Adam]

Team seven versus eight. I got to focus it on that. Guys. Did. Did I did. Are my wide receivers so much worse than Jamie's that if we say we're tied at running back or maybe a slight edge to me because I have a better RB3 and I'm clearly better at quarterback and tight end. My wide receivers are A.J. brown, Jameson Williams and then Barf, Matthew Golden, Christian Kirk, Kyle Williams. Just horrible at wide receiver three. His are Drake London, Devonte Adams, DK Metcalf, Chris Godwin, Khalil Shakir and Stefan Diggs. Is that enough of an advantage? I, I personally would roll the dice with my team, but I see the argument either way. Can you, can you afford to in a three receiver league, build your team so that you're that weak at wide receiver, that good everywhere else and still be all right?

[Dave]

I, I think if you had had Diggs instead of golden, that's my personal preference. And I know that a lot of people are real squeamish on Stefan Diggs, but I think there's a real path for him to get some good numbers this year. I, I think I might have told you that your team was better. I think it's really close now that I think about it. And yeah, the one advantage Jamie's got over you is that wide receiver. And it's a huge advantage though because your second wide receiver is Jameson. He's a borderline number two wide receiver at best. And Jamie's got like potentially four number two wide receivers. 5. If Godwin pans out and those are guys that are minimum number two wide receivers, London can definitely Be a number one wide receiver. Devonte can be a borderline number one wide receiver. Is it a big enough edge? I would say in a three receiver, one flex, full PPR format. I, I think it's really close. I think it's really close.

[Adam]

Okay, so look, so then there you go. You can do it either way if you want to gamble on the high end talent at quarterback and running back. All right. And tight end rather. But as Dave mentioned at the end of yesterday's show, much easier to do that in a two receiver league than a three receiver league. So just.

[Dave]

Or in a smaller league, a ten team league, an eight team league.

[Adam]

Yeah, absolutely. So just bear that in mind.

[Dave]

I think if you had drafted a little bit. I just, I don't really love the back half of your draft picks. Like everything after Aaron Jones and kind of Aaron Jones, I don't know. There weren't any great running backs left when you took Aaron Jones. So I think I'm okay with Aaron Jones. I would have probably taken some different choices starting after the Jones pick. So that was round one, two, three, four, five, six, round eight on. I think I would have made some different choices than you had made.

[Adam]

Well, you know what, Dave, you're allowed to say something like that to me because today is your special day. Happy birthday, Dave. Richard, what are you doing to celebrate?

[Dave]

I am going to work early, hang out with the family. My son is purveying some steaks and grilling them and I will enjoy a nice dinner at home with the fam.

[Adam]

Beautiful. I love it. And I just want to apologize for.

[Dave]

Bed and then that's it. No one cares.

[Adam]

I'd like to apologize for something. Sometimes you go for something. Sometimes you go for something and you just instantly regret it. And that is how I feel about playing the happy birthday music during the Justin Fields analysis. It was really wrong. It was legitimately wrong. I should not have done it. Feel kind of sick about it for the entire. For the last 40 minutes or 30 minutes. So my apologies.

[Dave]

So you're looking for some forgiveness?

[Adam]

Doesn't have to be.

[Jamie]

I mean that might cost us the podcast awards.

[Adam]

It was pretty awful. Pretty, pretty shallow. All right.

[Dan]

All right.

[Adam]

We're gonna take a break. We'll take a break and you'll have a new host when we come back. We'll be right [e-mail]. it's not just about window treatments. It's about you. Your style, your space, your way. Whether you DIY or want the pros to handle it all, you'll have the confidence of knowing it's done right. From free expert design help to our 100% satisfaction guarantee, everything we do is made to fit your life and your windows. [e-mail], the only thing we treat better.

[Jamie]

Than windows is you.

[Adam]

Visit blinds.com now for up to 40% off site wide, plus a professional measure at no cost. Rules and restrictions apply. College football summer is no time to slouch because we are taking you to school on the COVID 3 podcast, part.

[Dave]

Of the CBS Sports Podcast Network.

[Adam]

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]

Charts from top to bottom.

[Adam]

But summer school is just extra credit because you can join myself, Chip Patterson, along with Tom Frenelli, Danny Cannell, and Bud Elliott three times a week as we go through positional drafts, player rankings, and more. Download and follow the COVID 3 podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and anywhere podcasts are found. All right, someone in the chat just said no team really stands out as Popinski here, but I like Team 9's structure the most. So let's take a look at teams 9 and 10.

[Jamie]

Why is 6 afraid of 7?

[Adam]

7? You already said 7, 8, 9 earlier. Thomas apparently crushed it with team 9. Jacob was team 10. Let's see if he was able to draft enough rookies. He stole them on the other team that he had.

[Jamie]

I think we need to hire Johnny as, like, a joke writer.

[Adam]

Oh, what did Johnny say this time? Adam, you have worse things to apologize for, starting with your selection.

[Dave]

Yeah, these aren't. These aren't jokes.

[Adam]

He's very funny.

[Jamie]

Johnny's the best.

[Adam]

All right, so Thomas. Thomas and Jacob, they. They started similarly with. For Thomas, it was Nukua Henry. For Jacob, it was Genti, Brian Thomas. So that's a good question right there. If you're picking 9, 10, 11, 12, whatever it is. Running back in round one or wide receiver in round one, does it matter?

[Jamie]

It again, I think it comes down to, like, Genti feels like there's a little bit of a cutoff. Obviously, there's the people that are gonna love Derrick Henry. And at this point, like, I'm tired of fighting that battle. So if you want to put Henry in that category too. So if you're looking at it and you're seeing and. And I'm sure, you know, Jacob probably did this exercise too. Like, you have neighbors still on the board, Colin still on the board, St. Brown's still on the board, Thomas still on the board, A.J. brown, Jake London. Like if you like that group, you're gonna say, okay, I'm gonna take the running back because I know I'm probably not going to get Genti coming back. That's the way I would have played it out. And I would guess he's probably a Bowers guy too because he's a young player. So there's, you know, the opportunity to get one of those guys and you say, okay, I'll just take whoever's left. I again, unless you really love Derrick Henry, you take the receiver. Maybe Henry's there.

[Adam]

Question for. For Thomas, if you want to hop on. So you went Puka in round one with the ninth overall pick. Tenth pick was Genti. And then we have a run of five straight non running backs, neighbors Nico, St. Brown, Bowers, Brian Thomas. And you took Derrick Henry. And I think a lot of people feel like after Derrick Henry there is a drop in tear at running back. So you have Jonathan Taylor, Bucky Irving, Josh Jacobs. Right. So if Derrick Henry had been selected and maybe Brian Thomas or Brock Bowers had fallen to you, if Derek Henry had gone after neighbors Nico and St. Brown and you were not going to take a running back there, maybe you would have. What would you have done with your second round pick after taking Puka first?

[Dan]

I wouldn't have taken Brock Bowers. I'm worried about him, so I'm not even looking at him. In round two, if Almond Raw was there, I would have taken Amon Ra or Brian Thomas, depending on which receivers would have fell. I mean, I don't know who would have, but I would have. I would have ranked it. Amon Ra, Brian Thomas, Nico, the neighbors.

[Adam]

Okay. And if you had gone receiver, Receiver is here. You went Puka and Henry. If you had gone receiver, receiver, do you think you would have taken Jaden Daniels in round three or do you think that you would have maybe gone with Ken Walker or Breeze hall or something like that? Because you did take Jaden Daniels in round three in this draft.

[Dan]

Yeah, I was going to take Allen if you didn't take him at that point. If I would have went receiver, receiver, I probably would have taken Breeze Hall. Unless Josh Allen fell there. I would have taken Josh Allen over Breeze Hall.

[Adam]

Do you have anything to say to Dave on his birthday or I'm just gonna hop off.

[Dan]

Happy birthday, Dave.

[Adam]

That's horrible.

[Dave]

Appreciate everything you do.

[Adam]

All right.

[Dave]

No, I was gonna ask. Thomas likes your team, Adam, more than Jamie's team.

[Adam]

No, we know. We're done with that.

[Dave]

We gotta move on we're done with those two.

[Adam]

Yeah, it's a good question.

[Dan]

Just real quick on that. It's because Adam was drafting every player I would have drafted. Like Adam was literally like one through. Through Aaron Jones. I probably would have taken all those players if I were in his spot, so.

[Adam]

Oh, thank you.

[Jamie]

You know, you picked out of them in a few rounds. You could have taken those players.

[Dave]

It's so easy to. To map out your second round pick when you're picking late in round one.

[Jamie]

I can't believe Adam took AJ Brown over Derek Henry.

[Adam]

No. So, all right, so quick question here. Let's say you guys went wide receiver, wide receiver instead of wide receiver, running back. Right. So instead of Puka and Henry, you had gone. Yeah, Puka and Brian Thomas. Right. Let's say would that have changed your round three pick or would you. And you had had conviction about taking Jaden Daniels or. I'm sorry if anyone's confused. Thomas with the ninth pick, took Puka Henry, Jaden Daniels. Would you have changed the Daniels pick to a running back if you had started receiver, receiver or receiver, tight end or something like that?

[Dave]

So this goes back to what I was saying earlier. If I didn't like a running back, if I didn't have that conviction for a running back or any other player at any other position, then yeah, I would have taken Jaden Daniels there. I have no problem taking quarterback in round three. This, it's almost like the time to take a quarterback is when you look at the board for running backs, receivers and tight ends and go, I hate all these guys, but I like these quarterbacks. So you take the quarterback at that point and if that's how Thomas had felt, maybe Thomas doesn't like Kenneth Walker that much or Breece hall that much, then by all means you take Jane Daniels over him and you wait for a running back in round four.

[Jamie]

I think the only thing, and I don't disagree with Dave's thought process there because that's how most drafts will most likely unfold. I just go back to something I say a lot is that, you know, you know who you're drafting with and you could have potentially. And whatever drop off you think that there is for these guys, like if, if you value Ken Walker, you value Breeze hall or you know, if you want to push maybe Amari Hampton up there now or you know, Hubbard or Camara, like you could have taken one of those guys and gotten Burrow or Hertz in round four.

[Adam]

I guess my question is, is more do your first two picks Influence your third. Or do you just take best player available?

[Jamie]

Oh, they should absolutely influence your third pick. I mean, you know, you want to take best player available, but it should be something that you're thinking of, you know, so if you think that Daniels is your best player available, that's the route you go. But, you know, again, I. I don't. I'll go back to what I said about dance team. Like, I would have taken, in my opinion, the best player available there, which would have been JSN and Garrett Wilson over Harrison and hall and gone four receivers. Not because I took two receivers. I have to take a running back or I have to take something different.

[Dave]

I think the worst thing you can do on draft day is spend a pick on. On a position that you're. You're kind of forcing yourself to take, especially if it's a player that you're not in love with.

[Jamie]

Sure.

[Dave]

And you go, oh, God, I need a running back. And you're taking, you know, a running back that you just don't believe in. It's just the worst. Because then you're going to ask yourself later on this year, why did I take this guy? I didn't even like this guy. And now he's on my fantasy team and I'm starting, and that's. That's just not how you should play fantasy anybody? It's not how.

[Jamie]

We have a Justin Fields update.

[Dave]

What is it?

[Adam]

Should I play Happy Birthday or. Probably not.

[Jamie]

He dislocated his toe.

[Dave]

Oh, yeah.

[Jamie]

No fracture. Not the big toe. Still undergoing tests, but that's the initial diagnosis. Severity is unclear. According to Ian Rapaport, it's still better.

[Dave]

Than a torn ligament.

[Adam]

Okay, good luck to Justin Fields. Hope he's back out there very soon. All right, so Jacob at Team 10.

[Dave]

Good luck to Justin Field. Jacob, baby, we hope your toe heels.

[Adam]

Oh, my gosh. All right, we. Jacob made 14 picks and seven of them were rookies. It's unbelievable. He has genti. His next four picks were veterans, but Genti McMillan, Judkins, Loveland, Jaden Higgins, Jarquez Hunter, and Jakori Crosky. Merritt as his last pick. All right, anyway, they. They did structure their teams pretty similarly, with one exception. Thomas took the quarterback in round three, and Jacob took Justin Fields in round one. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. But they both took a tight end in the same round. Round eight, he took Loveland, Thomas took Hawkinson back to back picks. But for Thomas, the team is Jaden Daniels with TJ Hawkinson and Dalton Kincaid Quick question. If you draft Hawkinson, do you think you need to. Want to. Should not. Should whatever draft a second tight end?

[Dave]

You don't need a second tight end if you want to.

[Jamie]

No.

[Adam]

Okay. Yeah, you can if you want to. Not saying it was a bad pick to take Concate, but don't have to.

[Dave]

I think it's. I think it's a little dicey to take Colson Loveland as your only tight end, though.

[Adam]

Yeah, that's what Jacob did. Jaden Daniels and Hawkinson and Kincaid a tight end. Running backs are Derek Henry and James Conner. Very young. Wide receivers are Pukinaku, Pukinakua, Mike Evans. With round four pick, Jordan Addison, Jacoby Myers, Jalen McMillan could be a good value. And Pat Bryant. And he's got Jared Goff as a backup quarterback.

[Dave]

McMillan A little insurance for Evans. I kind of prefer that in a deeper league than in this type of a. Where this isn't a deep enough league to do that. You guys only went 14 rounds, but it's, it's reasonable.

[Adam]

I should point out that this was before any Jordan Addison news. So I don't know that we were necessarily expecting a suspension when we made this pick of Jordan Addison in round six. So there's. So what do we think about this build, guys? So that's quarterback in round three, but the rest of the first seven picks were two running backs and four receivers. Then tight end.

[Jamie]

I don't love the double quarterback, double tight end strategy.

[Adam]

If I could be honest, speaking for Thomas, and I'll speak for myself, when we do these drafts, we do it without. We're not in a draft room and it's like, get to the last two rounds. Sometimes it's hard to think about who to draft. So you just take, like, names, you know, and maybe you were definitely.

[Dave]

Oh, what a brilliant way to draft.

[Adam]

No, I'm just saying we don't have a. We don't have a draft list in front of us. So maybe.

[Dave]

Don't you have a rank list? Don't you have something that you go off of when you draft?

[Adam]

Your rank list top of your head at this point. If I look at your top 200 or your top, whatever, wide receivers that are published on CBSSports.com running backs and wide receivers are all gone at this point. So he took Kincaid and Goff.

[Jamie]

That's not true.

[Adam]

Yes, they are.

[Jamie]

Well, I mean, are we being totally honest?

[Dan]

Past, like receiver 60, you don't even. You have to, like, think of who's the receiver three on this team or Whatever.

[Jamie]

You can print out the rankings, you're.

[Adam]

Going to be cutting.

[Dan]

You're going to be cutting those players anyways regardless, so it really doesn't matter.

[Adam]

I'm all about it. I. I love what you did. What's that?

[Dan]

I'm on Team Adam.

[Adam]

Yeah, it's weird. It's a good team to be at. All right, so we'll look at Jacob's team. Jacob has Justin Fields and Colston Loveland. Fields in round 10. Loveland around eight. Genty, Brian Thomas, Ken Walker. I'll do running backs. Genti and Ken Walker. With quinch on Judkins, obviously a dicey pick. Jordan Mason, Roshan Johnson, Jarquez Hunter, Jacori Crosky, Merritt. These are his last three picks, those backup running backs. So he's. He's actually got seven running. Seven running backs on his team, but Genti, Ken Walker and then a bunch of question marks. Judkins, Jordan Mason, Roshan, Jarquez Hunter, and then Crosby Merritt, wide receiver. Four of his first six picks are receivers. Brian Thomas Jr. Garrett Wilson, Zay Flowers, Ted Roa, McMillan and Jaden Higgins. Dave, how do we feel about this team?

[Dave]

I like it. I like the team. This is how I'm probably going to end up building a bunch of my teams this year. And you guys can both attest to me drafting a lot of running backs in general.

[Adam]

I.

[Dave]

Do you want to talk about, like, strategy for your. Your last couple of picks or not? Sure.

[Adam]

Yeah. I mean, that's what we're here for, I think.

[Dave]

Yeah. So what Jacob does by taking three backup running backs late is, especially when we're drafting in in mid July, which is when you guys did this draft, you're hoping that one of these three picks ends up gaining value between now and the end of week one. And so you carry these guys on your team, hopefully you're not going to necessarily need to cut one of them because you've got your team built. Most everybody's going to be healthy to start the season. And then after week one, if cross game merit is, you know, inactive and fourth string on the Commanders and Jarquez Hunter's third string on the Rams, whatever. Yeah, you're cutting those guys and you're going to find some other players off the waiver wire and maybe that comes back to bite you in the behind and maybe it doesn't. But the whole idea is you're holding these guys through week one just to see what happens when you're drafting Goff and Concade with your last two picks. Yeah, I Theoretically, I like those guys better because I know that they're going to be participating all year. I know Jared Goff is never going to be inactive unless he's hurt. Same thing for Dalton Kincaid. He doesn't stink that much and they've got plenty of upside too. But you're not cutting those guys if they have a bad week one. The only way you're cutting those guys and it would be golf that you would cut is is if you need a roster spot and you don't, you know, you don't have anybody better to cut. And so you're going to reluctantly cut one of those guys versus the running backs that you're just hoping get some value. So I like going into my season with a bench full of guys that I hope do something in week one. And if they don't do anything in week one or even week two, yeah, I'm letting them go and trying to help my team get better with somebody off the waiver wire to take their place. As for the build to begin, I like both builds. I do a lot, but I do like the, the receiver depth a little bit more for Jacob than I do for Thomas. And I guess that's just the thing that I'm going to be about this year's receiver depth especially again. 3 receiver league 1 flex league, full PPR. And not only did Jacob get that good receiver depth, he's got two running backs that I would be totally happy starting each week in Genti and Ken Walker.

[Adam]

I think it's interesting that so Thomas, just to compare the receiver depth, if you're not looking, Thomas has Puka Evans, Addison Myers, McMillan and Pat Bryant. Jacob has Brian Thomas, Garrett Wilson, Zay Flowers, Ted McMillan, Jaden Higgins.

[Dave]

But to me it's about the first four receivers, not the guys after the first four receivers.

[Adam]

Yeah, but I just think it's so interesting that Jacob has seven running backs on his team and Thomas has four.

[Dave]

Well, because his last three picks were running backs.

[Adam]

Yeah. And I don't know if those picks are better off being handcuffed running backs. And in the case of Hunter and Crosby Merritt, we don't even know if they would have a boost in value if the starter got hurt. I mean, I think Roshan clearly would or a guy like Kincaid who was had, you know, very high target per route run rate, was playing hurt and a guy like golf who was great. Go ahead, Jamie.

[Jamie]

I think it's the golf pick like if you're going to invest early in quarterback and Thomas made the investment in Jane Daniels around three. Like unless you're taking somebody who falls, that's got so much upside. Drake May is there, maybe Caleb Williams is there. And I'm not saying the last pick. But you know, something in the latter part of the draft, like to take Jared Goff. Dave said it perfectly. Like if you, if you're dropping a guy that's going to be in that 21, 22 point per game range, when Jay and Daniel's in that 27 point per game range, you're never playing golf over Daniels. Like you're just giving somebody something else because you're just sort of stuck. Now clearly he can drop Kincaid. If Kincaid sucks, he could drop Pat Bryant and I am surprised to be the first drop.

[Dave]

I'm sorry, Brian is going to be the first guy he drops.

[Jamie]

But what I'm getting at, you know, is like you, you just basically put like a roadblock on your, on your roster in Jared Goff if you're going to invest in quarterback early. Like, I just don't understand taking basically just like a fallback option at quarterback like that.

[Dave]

Right.

[Jamie]

That's the, the difference I think in what Jacob did versus Thomas did. Like Jacob took a huge swing for somebody who may be the best running back in Washington. I think that's the way Jacob's approaching it. Like you wouldn't be surprised if he's better than Brian Robinson or Austin Eckler. So it's not, forget about the player, just the theory. Like, you know, you're taking a chance on somebody that may hit big versus you're, you know what you're getting at. Jared, he's a, he's an excellent late round quarterback. But if you're going to do that, don't take Daniels early or just don't take off at all after this.

[Dan]

After today, Jacob might not even have a starting quarterback though. So I have a running quarterback that could potentially get injured. So that's why I have a, I guess that I could cut. But I mean, Jacob doesn't have a backup quarterback or in a risky tight end. I don't know, that's kind of how I could.

[Jamie]

I, I can't see the rest of the board. I don't remember how the last few rounds unfolded, but CJ Stroud is probably available.

[Adam]

Yeah, we had this conversation yesterday because Jacob's other team is exactly like this. All he has is Drake May. But there's Jordan Love, there's Tua, there's Justin Herbert. Yeah, they're all on waivers. They're all on waivers in this league. I mean I, I look at Jacob's rosters, Teams 4 and Teams 10 and I don't know, he, he, he loves to draft his guys like Colson Loveland and Drake May. If you're wrong about those guys and you're drafting them ahead of consensus, I'm not and I think he is. With Colson Loveland taking him that early in round eight, I, you know, I think you're running a little bit of a risk. So it might, I think he should have taken Dalton Kincaid. Right. Like that would have made a lot more sense to me.

[Jamie]

Yes, yeah, agree.

[Adam]

But, but actually Thomas went Kincaid one pick before Jacob.

[Jamie]

I'm surprised that neither one took Trey Harris where the Roshan and Pat Brian.

[Dave]

Well, Jacob would have been the guy to do that because Jacob loves rookies.

[Adam]

All right, let's go to Heath and dan at picks 11 and 12.

[Dave]

Just one last thing and, or we can touch on this when it comes to Heath's team because Heath also took a quarterback early and then drafted a quarterback with his last pick. This is how we can transition to Heath's team. Adam.

[Adam]

Perfect.

[Dave]

Look at me doing this. One of the reasons why you might take a quarterback with your last pick like this is because it's a good value. You're still drafting a player who's got some upside and potential to, you know, maybe start on. He might be nothing more than a bye week replacement at quarterback and that sucks. And he's definitely going to be a roster clogger if you've got a great quarterback that you took early on. But if you're trading the guy that you take with your last pick for a player that was taken several rounds before him, that, that works out for you too and that makes your team better by doing so. So there's a case to be made for taking some of these quarterbacks with your last pick and that includes Jared Goff and it includes Anthony Richardson.

[Adam]

Believe it or not, he took Anthony Richardson with his last pick. So Heath had pick 11, Dan had picked 12. Heath went with Malik Neighbors. Dan went with Nico Collins. Dan then went Amanra St. Brown. So he starts receiver receiver with Collins and St. Brown. And Heath goes Neighbors Bowers. So I think that Heath's team and Dan's team couldn't be much more different. And Heath, let's see. Heath was the last guy to take his first running back. He's waited the longest. First RB1. He is as close to a 0 RB team as, as it gets in this particular draft. He did not.

[Jamie]

There's a Lot of difference between these two teams.

[Dave]

Yeah, I kind of disagree.

[Adam]

I know, I. Well, that I disagree with. But I was too strong with my wording. But I think you're too strong with yours.

[Jamie]

Like you have two quarterbacks. You have a quarterback and tight end in the first six rounds.

[Adam]

Yeah, but he's. But Heath has QB1 and tight end one, you know.

[Jamie]

Correct. But Dan also went two receivers earlier. His receivers may be better. I would think they would be.

[Adam]

Dan has a hero rb.

[Jamie]

To me, it's almost a similar build. Forget about players. Like the build is almost identical.

[Adam]

I completely disagree. He's Heat's wide receiver. Three is Debo Samuel. And that was around seven or eight pick. Yeah, but that's around seven or eight pick. Dan got his rb, his wide receiver three in round four with the first pick of round four.

[Jamie]

And, and he's got his RB two one round ahead. I mean, I don't see the biggest difference here through the first six rounds, they're just one position off.

[Adam]

But look at the first four rounds.

[Dave]

Adam, you're right. It's. It's. It's not that extreme of a difference. Wait, so who is like not exactly the same?

[Adam]

Okay, this is the Adam, you were right clip.

[Dave]

Adam, you were right.

[Adam]

First four picks for Heath are neighbors, Bowers, Lamar, Jackson, jsn. First four picks for Dan are Nico Collins. I'm on Ron St. Brown, Breeze, Hall, Marvin Harrison. How about we focus on Heath strategy here of waiting until round five and late round five, by the way. So the second to last pick of round five to take his first running back and then he takes a second running back right after. So he goes Neighbors Bowers, Jackson, JSN and then DeAndre Swift and David Montgomery are his starting running backs. And then he took Debo Samuel and then he took Travis etn, Ramandre Stevenson and Zach Charbonnet. So five running backs within six picks. But his first four picks are neighbors. Bowers, Lamar, jsn, then Swift Montgomery, Debo etn, Ramondre Stevenson, Zach Charbonnet. Jamie, do you think he did okay there with this all close to zero RB strategy?

[Jamie]

I think he did great because he played the draft knowing how everybody's going to pick the guy that he likes a lot and that's DeAndre Swift. And so he has him as a borderline top 15 running back. And so he probably figured, okay, I could get him, you know, sooner than. Than I need to. And I think Montgomery is a pretty good value in the spot. And like, I, I obviously don't love Bowers with the second pick in round two. But if you take Bowers out there and you put, let's say Brian Thomas there and you take JSN out and you put George Kittle. So it's just looking at the philosophy. I love the philosophy of how he put this team together. You know, so he got guys that he loves and again, broader view of this. You got my QB one, you got my tight end too. He got two top 14, 15 wide receivers and two top 20 running backs. 24 running backs, you know, So I don't love the Samuel pick. Again, I don't love where he took Bowers, but again, the whole scope of it, the start of his team I think is pretty excellent.

[Adam]

Do you guys ever.

[Dave]

I don't know if you're gonna feel as good about. I, I don't think if you're watching or listening. I don't know if you're gonna feel as good about your team. If you take, if you start wide receiver, tight end, quarterback, you might not be as fortunate as Heath was. I, I feel like Heath is fortunate to have Montgomery and Swift as his running backs. There are B2s, but to do that when you're starting 0 RB, I think that that's good. And so the price he paid for going wide receiver, tight end, quarterback with his first three picks is being particularly weak at wide receiver three, particularly weak at flex and not having one of those stud running backs. But it's still a good lineup. It's going to be a volatile team. And it's, it's if, if it all hits. If Neighbors is stud, Bowers is better than expected. Lamar has another MVP year. Hell yeah, man. He's got a playoff team. But it. There's also calamity baked in if Jackson regresses, if Bowers regresses, if Neighbors isn't as amazing as he was last year, Neighbors was inconsistent last year. And if the running backs don't pan out to their ceilings. So very much a Boomer bust team.

[Adam]

Yeah, I think that I would push back a little bit on how amazing Malik Neighbors was last year. He turned 170 targets into 1204 yards and seven touchdowns. He basically what was. He was. Why we say receiver six. Overall, he's wide receiver eight per game. But 170 targets in 15 games. I feel like people are expecting 200 targets from Malik Neighbors and it's just not going to happen. I just don't think he's going to have that high of a target share again. Target per route run rate again, he.

[Dave]

Might, but I Think he might.

[Adam]

I'm. You know, forget it. It's really a tangent because he deserves to go 11th overall. So forget it. I just. It's really the waiting on rb and I don't. I don't think he did anything wrong. Unless he takes Derrick Henry in round two and then he has the anchor hero running back. But he wanted to take Bowers there. But I don't. You know, he. I don't think he should have taken a running back over lamar Jackson around 3. I don't think he should have taken any of the available running backs like Chuba Hubbard or Amari and Hampton or Camara over Jackson, Smith and Jigba in round four. So he really played the board and took the best values. And Swift and Montgomery, at worst, feels like they're going to be RB 20 to 24, you know, so good.

[Dave]

Jamie, I want to ask. I want to play to Jamie's point about something. And this is about knowing who you draft with. And most of you guys that are watching and listening, you draft with the same people pretty much year after year. Jamie, how many drafts and Adam, you two. How many drafts have you done with Dan Schneier?

[Adam]

Yeah.

[Dave]

How often does Dan take a quarterback with one of his first four picks? And he did do that in this draft with his picket. Six.

[Adam]

Oh, sorry. With the six team. Yeah. Took her.

[Dave]

Yeah. Like, would he have considered lamar at the 3, 4 turn?

[Adam]

Yes.

[Jamie]

Yes.

[Dave]

Okay. Then he did the right thing by taking Lamar over a Breeze hall or an Omarion Hampton, somebody like that in round three. Okay. Just curious. That's an example of knowing who you're drafting with.

[Adam]

All right, let's go to Dan's team.

[Dave]

Dan goes and takes something, somebody that Heath would have taken.

[Adam]

Dan takes Nico Collins and Amanra St. Brown with his first two picks, then Breece hall, then Marvin Harrison Jr. So heavy on wide receiver Nico St. Brown, Breeze hall, Marvin Harrison Jr. You heard Jamie say, let's have fun with it and take four wide receivers, take JSN instead of Breece hall and go Nico St. Brown, JSN, Marvin Harrison Jr. But he goes Nico Amon, Race Hall, Marvin Harrison Jr. Then the next two picks are super interesting. Could have taken David Montgomery, could have taken Tet. McMillan, Tetterone McMillan. I don't think he likes to be called Tet. Jordan Addison, Jameson Williams, Chris Godwin, Calvin Ridley, Cooper Cup, Jalen Waddle, Ricky Piercel, Isaiah Pacho, Caleb Johnson, George Pickett, all these guys. He takes Sam Laporta and he takes Patrick Mahomes. And in many ways it feels like those picks are going to make or break his team at the 5, 6 turn. Sam Laporta, Patrick Mahomes, Jamie. Did you like those two picks?

[Jamie]

No. And neither did Dan.

[Adam]

Oh no, no.

[Jamie]

He immediately regretted it and good.

[Adam]

It's a learning experience. What do, what do we not like about it?

[Jamie]

I just think that there's too much volatility with those two guys given what we saw last year for Laporta and the last two years from a homes. I don't want to take both those guys. And so especially if you just like look at the previous turn that he had. Also like there's a lot of volatility with hall and Harrison and so it's like there's huge upside obviously, but I think just knowing like not that he went safe with his first two picks but those are pretty safe first two picks. Nico St. Brown, like they're, they're, they should be awesome. Top five caliber wide receivers. Not a lot of downside potentially barring injury, like just feels pretty solid there. So you can maybe play with that a little bit in terms of. Okay, I could take some chances on some spots and look, Breeze hall is going to be a little polarized to some people. Obviously Harrison is as well. I just think like if you're going to commit to tight end and wide receiver, tight end and quarterback with those two spots, like I want slam dunks and I don't think those guys are slam dunks.

[Adam]

My, my question though, agree with everything you said, but are there any slam dunks that he could have taken? Who would you have taken instead of Laporta and Mahomes after starting Nico St. Brown, Breeze Hall, Marvin Harrison, who what were your next two picks have been?

[Jamie]

I would have probably taken Jameson Williams with one of those two picks just to get that third receiver and lock that up. And then if you want to take one of those other two guys, I'm fine with it. I just wouldn't have taken both.

[Adam]

Well, yeah, that would have been his fourth receiver and he already had St. Brown. So does that change the equation?

[Jamie]

Yeah, maybe so, so could been.

[Dave]

But he took Laporta. They're on the same team.

[Jamie]

They are true. He could have taken Godwin if you know this was before he was placed on the public. Could have taken Ridley, could have taken, you know, Waddle. There's lots of different routes. Pickens, you know, there's lots of receivers that were available I think that fit in that category, you know, or taking Montgomery.

[Dave]

Yeah, I wouldn't have a Problem taking Montgomery and St. Brown on the same fantasy team? Yep.

[Adam]

Not sure I'd have a problem taking St. Brown and Jameson Williams on the same fantasy team.

[Dave]

Yeah, but would you take all three? That's an interesting choice.

[Adam]

Who's the third, laporter or Montgomery?

[Dave]

Montgomery and Jameson Williams. Like, I have those two guys ranked ahead of laporta.

[Adam]

That feels a little rich. Yeah, I don't. I think he was in a tough spot, personally. I didn't think there was a. Like a layup, slam dunk pick there at what, 60 and 61. Did you. Do you feel that way, Dave? Like he goes to Laporta and Mahomes. Did you feel like there was a. There was an obvious pick he should have made instead of those two?

[Dave]

I probably would have taken a running back there. I don't think I would have taken Mahomes or. There are definitely too many other players that I would have taken. I think I probably. I'm looking at my rankings as I say this. I think my top two rated players were Montgomery and Travis Hunter. Oh, I think I would have taken those two guys. Judy would have been a consideration at that point.

[Adam]

When did Travis Hunter go?

[Jamie]

He was gone.

[Adam]

Oh, he was gone. He was gone way before that.

[Dave]

Oh, he was okay then. What do I know? Judy was too, so. I'm sorry. I was looking at the take.

[Adam]

Hey. Oh, damn it.

[Dave]

Look at you messing up the show again, Montgomery. So if Hunter's gone, then my next available would have been Jameson.

[Adam]

All right.

[Dave]

That would have been a lot of lions.

[Adam]

So how did Dan's team turn out? Patrick Mahomes and Sam Laporta. Those are his only quarterbacks and tight ends. Breeze Hall, Tyrone Tracy, Tank Bigsby, Rico Dowdle. Yikes.

[Dave]

I'm making a face like someone cut a fart.

[Jamie]

This is not a great. Montgomery will make this team a lot better if he had. Yeah, instead of Laporta or Moms.

[Adam]

Nico Collins. I'm on Ryan St. Brown, Marvin Harrison. That's the strength of the team right there. Jaden Reed, Keon Coleman, Marvin Mims, Jack Besh and DeAndre Hopkins. Maybe take a handcuff running back instead of one of those wide receivers at the end. Give yourself a chance.

[Jamie]

You could have had. Braylon Allen would have made some sense for Breeze Hall.

[Adam]

Well, that's it for today's show. Big day today. Dave, how old are you? He's telling people he's 50. In case you couldn't hurt JB. How old is Dave?

[Jamie]

How's Dave? Yeah, he's not 50.

[Adam]

I think you're 49? No, I think you're 48.

[Dave]

I was yesterday.

[Adam]

Oh, man. Thanks. Thanks for hanging out with us on your birthday, buddy. Enjoy it. Have an awesome day.

[Dave]

Sure.

[Adam]

And next year, we'll plan something big. A lot of balloons. Thank you everybody, for watching.

[Jamie]

He loves balloons.

[Dave]

Oh, yeah. Amy knows how much I love having balloons. All kinds of BS on my desk and stuff.

[Jamie]

We tell that story again, it hasn't been told in a while.

[Dave]

Go ahead and plan that. No, you're telling that story if anybody's telling.

[Jamie]

So me and one of our former co workers, Mike Friedman, who Adam loves, we made a balloon arch for Dave. Sorry, I hit the microphone. Balloon arch for Dave above his desk and printed a bunch of pictures of Dave's face and put them on the balloons and we put them all over the office. And Dave used to hate his birthday. I don't know what changed, but he used to hate his birthday. And he came in the office and he saw it and he went absolutely nuts.

[Dave]

Lost my. I can't say the words. Then you'll have to edit the show.

[Jamie]

But here I will. I'll see if you can see the picture.

[Dave]

I went eight poop. You have the picture?

[Jamie]

Of course I have the picture. I send it on your birthday every day. I send it to text chain with Mike.

[Dave]

I know you've got a. Like the best memory of anybody. I know. But the fact that you've got.

[Adam]

Oh my gosh, look at that.

[Dave]

So, like they totally, like over decorated my. This is back when we had desks. Yeah, totally. Over, over, like went crazy. You put stuff everywhere. You were just so pissed off by the way. My desk was so messy back then. It was terrible.

[Jamie]

We put pictures, pictures of Dave in his drawers. So, like, when he opened his drawers, there was his face.

[Dave]

Yeah. You really violated my personal space, Jamie.

[Adam]

Remember when we used to have desks? Yeah, back in the day. All right, see y' all see all tomorrow with the mailbag on fantasy football today. And we'll have FFP express for you coming up now. If you're watching live. See ya.

[Jamie]

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That sounds like fun.

[Adam]

Obviously, murder's not fun.