Fantasy Football Today – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Players We Keep Drafting, ADP on Other Sites, Travis Hunter Projection
Date: August 28, 2025
Hosts/Analysts: Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings

Overview

This episode dives deep into the players the FFT crew can't stop drafting, how Average Draft Position (ADP) values shift across different fantasy platforms, and offers new context on rookies—most notably Travis Hunter's expected usage. The hosts share data-driven insights, personal draft habits, and practical tips for both casual and obsessive fantasy managers as draft weekend approaches.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Travis Hunter's Projected Role (01:21 – 04:19)

• News Drop: Pete Prisco reports Travis Hunter, touted as a dynamic rookie, will play primarily as a starting cornerback, with hopes for "55 to 60 catches" on offense.
  • Adam: “From what he is hearing, Travis Hunter is going to be primarily more on defense than offense, gonna be a starting cornerback…they’re hoping for 55 to 60 catches from Travis Hunter this year.” [02:12]
  • Jamey: Moved Hunter down in WR rankings behind Golden and Odunze—he’s now a late round 6 pick. Emphasizes the impact on other Jaguars WRs, boosting Brian Thomas Jr.’s outlook.
  • Heath: Compares to rookie seasons of top WRs (e.g., Marvin Harrison Jr. had 62 catches in his rookie year).

2. Draft Values & ADP Variations Across Platforms (04:42 – 12:21)

• The analysts remind listeners not to be a slave to ADP—”Every draft is different.”
  • Jamie: “If there’s a player you want, screw average draft position and take the player that you want.” [07:51]
• Discusses differences in player value:
  • Ricky Pearsall and Tetairoa McMillan have surged in expert drafts, going much higher than their Yahoo/ESPN ADP.
  • Heath: Points out the “expert bubble”—some players go in rounds 5–7 with analysts, but remain bargain picks in most public leagues.

3. Strategies for Drafting: Go Get Your Guys (07:51 – 11:46)

• Don’t look back with regret for missing the players you’re high on, even if it means reaching above ADP.
  • Dave: “You have to take the player that you want. You don’t want to look back and say, ‘I missed on my guy.’” [09:26]
  • The team each admits to “reach” drafting their favorite sleepers (e.g., Dave with Keon Coleman, Heath with DeAndre Swift, Jamie with Braylon Allen).
• Draft flexibility: Especially important in large or competitive leagues, and when confronted with ADP ‘runs’ on trending players.

4. Diversifying Your Fantasy Portfolio (11:46 – 15:05)

• If you play in multiple leagues, don’t overexpose yourself to one player, even studs like Christian McCaffrey.
  • Heath: “You don’t want to draft Christian McCaffrey over Saquon Barkley five times exactly...just setting yourself up for an absolutely miserable season.” [12:21]
• The group debates whether to diversify or lean into conviction, especially for expensive or single “main” leagues.

5. Draftathon Takeaways and Rookie Buzz (10:58 – 15:53)

• Buzzy Players: Ricky Pearsall, Tetairoa McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, and Matthew Golden all earn praise—most can be draft-day bargains based on platform-specific ADP.
  • Adam: “I still think we’re getting very good values on Tetairoa McMillan and Ricky Pearsall and Emeka Egbuka.” [05:42]
• Rookie RB Updates: Pete Prisco expresses concerns about some rookies’ (RJ Harvey, Basil Tootin) pass protection skills.

6. Valuable Draft Tool: Real-Time Fantasy Pros ADP (10:57, 18:52)

• Recommendation: Use Fantasy Pros’ “Real-Time ADP” to track live draft trends and uncover value picks as expert ADP sometimes diverges from public platforms.

7. ADP Goldmines on Yahoo and ESPN (17:12 – 20:13; 57:41 – 64:19)

• Players offering huge value due to suppressed ADPs:
  • Cortland Sutton and RJ Harvey lagging by ~7+ WR/RB spots vs. CBS consensus.
  • Ricky Pearsall, Emeka Egbuka, Tetairoa McMillan available ~WR35-37 tier on ESPN/Yahoo.
  • Running backs like Chase Brown, Kyron Williams, Omarion Hampton, Tony Pollard all present as value picks.
  • QB: Kyler Murray is a notable value at QB12 on Yahoo.
• Drafting strategy tip: On these platforms, you can often wait an extra round or two for the same guys you’d need to chase earlier on CBS/analyst boards.

8. Format-Specific Draft Advice (25:17 – 26:17)

• Rashee Rice: More valuable in shallow, 2-WR leagues with deeper benches (easy to stash for six-game suspension).
  • Heath: “He's more valuable in full PPR…If you have a shallower league, 2 WR, he's more valuable because it's easier to replace him…” [25:17]
• Always check your league’s roster/bench size and starting requirements when planning risk-reward rookie or suspended player selections.

9. Personal “Most Drafted Players” – Hosts’ Go-To Picks (34:44 – 41:26)

• Heath’s big shares: Dak Prescott, Justin Fields, Ken Walker, DeAndre Swift, Devon Achane, Luther Burden, Cooper Kupp, Brock Bowers.

• Dave: Big on Jared Goff as a late QB, Devon Achane, Alvin Kamara, Jaguars RBs (Bigsby, Etienne, Tootin), Jameson Williams (as early as late round 4), Ricky Pearsall, Tyler Warren and Tucker Kraft (late-round TEs).

• Jamey: Loads up on Justin Fields, Drake Maye; RB’s McCaffrey, Travion Henderson, RJ Harvey, Jalen Warren, Braylon Allen; WR’s CeeDee Lamb, Courtland Sutton, DK Metcalf, Egbuka, Matthew Golden; TE: David Njoku, Tucker Kraft.

  • Memorable moment: Adam describes Dave as “the late-round tight end whisperer” for correctly calling previous breakout TEs. [39:44]

10. Draft Structure & Running Back Approach (43:47 – 48:45)

• Jamie outlines “modified hero RB” strategy: Prefer leaving round 5 with at least 2 RBs, even if it means RBs 4/5 instead of earlier.
  • “When you get into those middle to late rounds, the only thing you should be looking for is upside.” [47:29]
• The group debates pairing upside backups vs. volume-based ‘safe’ picks in the RB3/4/5 range.

11. Roster Construction – End-of-Bench Advice (66:33 – 67:26)

• Heath: If you have enough WR depth mid-draft, use late picks on high-upside RB stashes, not more WR4/5 types.
  • “That's what you want your last four picks to be is those types of [handcuff running back] guys.” [66:33]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If there's a player you want, screw average draft position and take the player that you want." — Jamey [07:51]
• "You have to...take the player that I’ve ranked the highest. So, yeah, if Garrett Wilson and Pearsall are there together and it’s round five...then I’m picking between those two guys." — Dave [07:16]
• "Don't look back with regret for missing the players you’re high on, even if it means reaching above ADP." — Dave [09:26]
• “If you play in multiple leagues...don't be afraid to mix it up. Don't be afraid to diversify.” — Heath [12:51]
• “You have to be flexible in your draft. You never go in with just one specific strategy.” — Dave [48:44]
• "When you get into those middle to late rounds, the only thing you should be looking for is upside." — Jamie [47:29]

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Travis Hunter news and rankings adjustment: [01:21 – 04:19]
• Rookie WR comparables & value: [04:02 – 04:42]
• Draft habits around buzzy late picks: [05:43 – 06:41]
• Debate on reaching vs. following ADP: [07:51 – 10:58]
• Draft flexibility & strategy for value vs. conviction: [11:46 – 15:05]
• Pete Prisco’s rookie notes & other takeaways: [15:05 – 15:55]
• Real-Time ADP as a tool: [10:57, 18:52]
• ADP values on Yahoo/ESPN: [57:41 – 64:19]
• Personal most-drafted players for each host: [34:44 – 41:26]
• Hero RB/mod RB builds and RB tiers: [43:47 – 48:45]
• Handcuff/bench strategy and listener mailbag: [66:33 – 67:26]

Takeaways for Fantasy Drafts

• Know your league’s scoring and starting requirements: They impact how risky you can be.
• Don’t worry about “reaching” for your guys—ADP tells you what’s typical, not what will win your league.
• Use Real-Time ADP tools to spot genuine public league values, especially when “expert buzz” overinflates certain players.
• Diversify if you draft many teams, but don’t hedge away from top players if you’re most confident in them.
• Use end-of-draft picks on high-upside RBs, not WR5s.
• Stay flexible—a draft rarely goes as planned, and that’s okay!

Closing Note

With draft weekend coming, the FFT crew provides a blend of encouragement, actionable strategy, and savvy reminders to help you build rosters you love—no matter your platform, draft spot, or league size.