Rankings Risers and Fallers! Where the Rookies and Veterans Ended Up! (04/28 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Fantasy Football Today Podcast Summary
Episode: Rankings Risers and Fallers! Where the Rookies and Veterans Ended Up! (04/28 Fantasy Football Podcast)
Release Date: April 28, 2025

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Introduction

In this episode of Fantasy Football Today, hosts Adam Aizer, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings, Chris, Ben, and Ethan dive deep into the latest rankings risers and fallers following the recent NFL draft. The discussion centers around how rookies and veteran players have shifted within the fantasy football landscape, offering listeners valuable insights to refine their strategies for the upcoming season.

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Rankings Updates

Dave initiates the discussion by inviting each analyst to highlight a player whose ranking has significantly shifted post-draft.

Heath starts the conversation, emphasizing the general trend of veterans falling in rankings as rookies enter the league. He specifically points out Jerry Judy, expressing optimism about his potential despite recent team decisions.

[02:03] Chris: "I am finding myself uncomfortably high on Jerry Judy. Maybe if they go to the rookie, the rookie will not be an absolute atrocious quarterback. He could be a top 12 wide receiver."

Dave responds by analyzing Judy's performance, referencing his impressive stats from the latter part of the previous season and the potential stability provided by Joe Flacco's continued presence.

[03:10] David: "Jerry Judy was on pace for 1900 yards on 168 targets... If Joe Flacco plays 16 games, Jerry Judy could be a top 12 wide receiver."

Despite not being fully sold on Flacco's long-term role, Chris maintains that Judy remains a strong candidate within the top tiers of wide receiver rankings.

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Wide Receiver Rankings

The panel discusses the Browns' receiving corps, focusing on the balance between veterans and newcomers.

Ethan raises concerns about the quarterback situation potentially impacting Jerry Judy's performance, speculating on the role of Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders.

[05:00] Ethan: "Does Joe Flacco get the long leash to play out the string here? If so, Judy could thrive; if not, we might see others take his targets."

Ben and Chris weigh in, debating whether Jerry Judy will maintain his high ranking or if players like Amari Cooper will overshadow him.

[07:52] Chris: "Jamie mentioned age, and Jerry Judy just turned 26. He's younger than Jalen Waddle. This gives him more upside."

The analysts also touch upon other receivers such as Terry McLaurin and Garrett Wilson, ultimately agreeing that the Browns' wide receiver pool offers depth but comes with some uncertainty regarding target distribution.

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Running Back Rankings

The running back position is thoroughly examined, with a focus on both rookies and established players.

Ben introduces Ashton Genti, urging caution due to potential offensive line issues and team offensive performance.

[18:01] Chris: "I've got Bijan Barkley and HN ahead of me. Genti is unlikely to make RB1-2 without significant team improvement."

Dave and Ethan debate Ashton Genti's potential, considering the Denver Broncos' offensive line strengths and Genti's role within the team.

The conversation pivots to several rookies, including Quinton Judkins, Travion Henderson, RJ Harvey, and Caleb Johnson. The panel assesses their potential impact, with differing opinions on their immediate fantasy viability.

[25:32] Dave: "Ashton Genti moves into RB4, but what could go wrong? Offensive line could falter, and the Raiders' scoring might not support high fantasy output."

Chris emphasizes the importance of Judkins and Henderson's roles, while Ben remains skeptical about their early-season performance.

[27:08] Ethan: "Hampton, Judkins, Henderson, Harvey, Caleb Johnson—all five could be drafted ahead of Tony Pollard. It’s about high upside, low-end RB2s."

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Veteran Rankings Risers and Fallers

The panel reviews veteran players who have moved up or down in the rankings, providing listeners with updated perspectives on their fantasy value.

Heath lists notable veterans, including Trevor Lawrence, who has surged to QB15, and DeAndre Swift, now positioned around RB20 due to his improved potential in Dallas.

[55:10] Dave: "Trevor Lawrence is now QB15. DeAndre Swift remains a riser, confidently drafted around RB20 despite past performance concerns."

Chris discusses Javante Williams, noting his unexpected rise due to the Cowboys' strategic moves in training camp.

[56:58] Chris: "Javante Williams could be RB36, but there's potential for him to outperform expectations as a rookie RB in Dallas."

The conversation also touches on other veterans like Tyrone Tracy and Najee Harris, debating their reliability and potential as fantasy assets.

[58:11] David: "Tyrone Tracy's ranking fluctuates between being a top back on the Giants to potentially becoming irrelevant mid-season."

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Rookie Rankings and Prospects

Dave highlights the importance of monitoring rookies' performances as they integrate into their respective teams. The analysts discuss players like Caleb Johnson and R.J. Harvey, scrutinizing their opportunities and potential impact.

[23:09] Ethan: "Caleb Johnson could lead his team in carries and catches if he secures a significant role, projecting up to 240 yards and 8 touchdowns."

Ben underscores the importance of offensive line protection for Ashton Genti, while Chris remains cautious about rookie wide receivers like RJ Harvey.

[25:32] Chris: "Harvey caught about 20 passes a year at UCF but hasn't proven himself as a primary receiver yet. His role is still uncertain."

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Tight End Rankings

The discussion briefly shifts to tight ends, with Ben and Ethan assessing their rookie options and the veterans' standings.

[51:30] Ben: "I’ve got Warren at 11 and Loveland at 15 for tight ends. Elijah Arroyo is at 23rd."

Ethan contemplates the crowded tight end market, speculating whether Loveland or Warren will emerge as stronger fantasy contributors based on their team dynamics.

[52:04] Ethan: "Loveland over Warren initially, but the crowded receiving core in Chicago might elevate Warren's value."

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Concluding Insights

As the episode wraps up, the hosts emphasize the depth of the wide receiver and running back positions, highlighting the strategic importance of rookies and the nuanced shifts among veterans. They encourage listeners to stay informed and flexible with their draft strategies to capitalize on emerging trends.

[63:16] Ethan: "Drafting from round five to eight offers great value with high-upside players. It’s crucial to balance rookies with consistent veterans to build a competitive team."

[65:06] David: "It’s going to be a mess, but embracing the chaos with informed decisions will help you dominate your fantasy league."

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Key Takeaways

• Jerry Judy emerges as a potential top-tier wide receiver despite uncertainties surrounding his quarterback situation.
• The running back pool sees significant movement with rookies like Ashton Genti and Travion Henderson entering valuable but uncertain rankings.
• Trevor Lawrence climbs to QB15, indicating a positive outlook for his fantasy contributions this season.
• *Jamie's Heath notes the depth and variability in tight end and wide receiver rankings, urging flexibility in draft strategies.
• The interplay between rookies and veterans is pivotal, requiring careful evaluation of each player's immediate and long-term fantasy value.

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Notable Quotes

• Chris (02:03): "I am finding myself uncomfortably high on Jerry Judy. Maybe if they go to the rookie, the rookie will not be an absolute atrocious quarterback. He could be a top 12 wide receiver."
• Dave (03:10): "Jerry Judy was on pace for 1900 yards on 168 targets... If Joe Flacco plays 16 games, Jerry Judy could be a top 12 wide receiver."
• Ethan (25:32): "Caleb Johnson could lead his team in carries and catches if he secures a significant role, projecting up to 240 yards and 8 touchdowns."
• David (55:10): "Trevor Lawrence is now QB15. DeAndre Swift remains a riser, confidently drafted around RB20 despite past performance concerns."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the pivotal discussions and insights shared during the podcast, equipping fantasy football enthusiasts with the knowledge needed to optimize their league strategies for the upcoming NFL season.

Transcript

[Adrian]

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[Ben]

You hear that crowd?

[Adrian]

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[Chris]

I'm just here for the games. And an absolute triumph.

[David]

Take your father's strength.

[Ethan]

His name is Maximus.

[Chris]

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[David]

Strength and honor.

[Chris]

Strength.

[David]

Phenomenal.

[Adrian]

Gladiator 2, directed by Ridley Scott. Now streaming on Paramount.

[Chris]

Rated R. This is fantasy football.

[Adrian]

Football today from CBS Sports.

[Ethan]

What a play. Can you believe this? No, I can't.

[Chris]

It's time to dominate your fantasy league.

[David]

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

[Chris]

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

[David]

Well, what's up, everybody? Welcome to fantasy football today here on Monday, April 28. What's going on, Dave, Jamie, Heath, how you feeling? With the NFL draft behind us now, Busy, busy. Yeah. The work starts.

[Ben]

Hard work is over. Bring on the hard work.

[David]

You guys been working on your rankings all weekend. I want to know, you know, let's do it right now. Give me one rankings update that you want to talk about. Could be a veteran you moved up or down. Could be a rookie that you slotted somewhere. Wow, I didn't realize I'd be so high or so low on this guy. Give me one, Heath. I'm gonna throw it to you first and throw it to you first. Give me like one interesting one you want to highlight.

[Chris]

Well, I think really the most interesting ones are probably the risers because the general rule is most veterans are going to be fallers coming out of the NFL draft because they get replaced by rookies. And that's especially true at running back this year. But I am finding myself uncomfortably high on Jerry Judy. Just a fantastic. Like I know they didn't. They drafted two quarterbacks, but they drafted them so late that I feel a little bit more hope that we're gonna get double digit games from Joe Flacco. And if we don't, they've got a pair of rookie quarterbacks. So maybe if they go to the rookie, the rookie will not be an absolute atrocious quarterback. They didn't Draft a number two wide receiver. So it's Judy and Tillman and David Ajoku clearly a top the target list. This is going to sound outlandish, but I think if Joe Flacco plays 16, 15, 16 games, Jerry Judy could be a top 12 wide receiver.

[David]

Well, let's see what he was weeks eight through 15 with Jameis Winston top three. He was third per game. Third per game. I mean, he was on pace for 1900 yards on 168 targets. I mean, that's a, that's really good per target. That's not even, that's a lot of targets, but still, 1900, 119 catches, 1900 yards, seven touchdowns on 168 targets. That was Jerry Judy's pace in that stretch. Cleveland quarterbacks were on pace for almost 5,000 yards, 29 touchdowns, and a hilarious 32 interceptions. They averaged 42 pass attempts per game and 294 passing yards per game. So that was mostly Jameis Winston there. So Flacco can maybe be like a Winston Light, but that's. So where do you have him ranked, Judy?

[Chris]

He is definitely in the teens at wide receiver. Probably gonna settle right around 16 or 17.

[Ben]

Can you get a mark? Sorry, Jim. Go ahead.

[Ethan]

Oh, do you fear the, the quarterback change at some point, though?

[Chris]

I, I, I fear it a little bit. I fear it a little less because they didn't take Sanders in round one or round two. Like the fact that they. I don't really fear Dylan Gabriel taking the job from Joe Flacco. And I, I don't really, like, I don't know why Kenny Pickett's still on the roster, but I don't know, and I don't. I'm not ready to rule out the fact that Shador Sanders could be okay as a quarterback.

[David]

So give me some names. Can you give me some names that are around him in the rankings?

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

[David]

Cool.

[Chris]

So I think Terry McLaurin.

[David]

Oh, all right, Dave. Jamie McLaurin or Judy McLaurin?

[Ethan]

I would say McLaren, but I haven't, I haven't adjusted my receiver rankings yet. That'll be today. I think, you know, Judy's got a chance to be clearly special. You know, you, you bring this up a lot, Adam. We talk about Judy in the week eight on that. Tillman missed a good chunk of that time also. And so, you know, the, the start of the Jameis Post desean run for him was Tillman. You know, those first three games, I think was three were pretty dominant, you know, so I don't view that necessarily as a huge detractor for Judy. I think they all can kind of rise up, you know, as a result of Flaco taking over because of what he did, that stretch run, those five games of 20, 23. My concern is that it's not necessarily just that. It's Dylan Gabriel and Shooter Sanders and the draft capital they spent on them and obviously Kenny Pickett being, you know, someone of just a throw in player that they had this offseason. It's the fact that Flacco's 40 and you know, does he get the, the, the, the long leash to play out the string here? Because like, if you're the Browns, like as a franchise, you almost, you want to lose, right? You want to get the chance to get your franchise quarterback next year. You know, these guys are sort of, you know, I, I think in a trial period, you know, see what Dylan Gabriel maybe can do if he gets a couple starts. See what, maybe Trader Sanders, you would hope it would be him, gets a, you know, trial period if he gets a couple starts. Like, at what point did they say, okay, Flacco went four and one for them, got them in the playoffs, like, they're not winning anything with Joe Flacco. I, I, I don't think that's a shocker, but they can hang around with Flacco and I think that's a, a, I wonder like where Andrew Barry and Kevin Stefansi come out on that. Like, you obviously don't want to lose, but you also don't want to win. You know, like they're sort of in this.

[David]

Like, no, they want to win. Come on, they want to win.

[Ethan]

Obviously they love you love that angle. Jamie, look, if, if you, if you were to say to them right now they have a legitimate chance to win the AFC north and compete for a Super bowl, they're obviously going to take that and Joe Flacco clearly gives them the best chance to do that. Nobody's going to argue that it's not going to be Picket or the rookies, but like their, their whole goal was to get as many draft pick, as much draft pick capital for 2026 as they could. They did that. Their whole goal is to get out of the DeSean Watson contract. They're doing that like this is not a team that is right now set up to compete at the highest level.

[David]

No. And when they struggle, they will go to the rookie because why not?

[Ethan]

So again, to circle back on my stupid tangent, but that, that's, that's my question is like, does Jerry Judy succeed to the level of a guy you're drafting in the teens. If Joe Flacco is starting five games.

[Ben]

All right, I don't think he'll succeed like Amari Cooper succeeded in 2023. I mean, that was bomb last year.

[Ethan]

But I still think it'll be good.

[Ben]

Pretty close to what Judy did last year. Yeah, I, I think, I, I think you try and draft Judy away from that ceiling, but still, I, I don't. I've got him as a number three receiver, but top 30 and somebody that I absolutely would love to have on my team to start the year.

[Chris]

Jamie mentioned age, and so this was just a fun thing that I realized again, I think I've had several Jerry Judy age realizations over the years, but do you know that he's closer to Drake London's age than Terry McLaurin's?

[David]

How old is he?

[Ethan]

Yeah, he's young.

[Chris]

He just turned 26. He's younger than J. Waddle.

[David]

He's younger than Jalen Waddle. Wow. All right, I'm liking this conversation. I just want to get to some more names here.

[Ethan]

Well, no, I, I'll tie it into two guys that make me nervous, which is the, the two Bucks guys, you know, with the, you know, Abuka drafting and Evans, you know, not being as great as he was when Godwin was healthy. Godwin now back and obviously Jelly McMillan doing what he did. Like, I wonder, Heath, do you like Judy better than the two Bucks guys?

[Chris]

Yes.

[Ben]

Wow.

[Ethan]

Because, like, I, I dropped. That's one thing. Yeah, you know, I, the only, the only thing that I did was Thursday and Friday so far from the draft in terms of adjusting rankings there. And like, those two guys make me nervous as hell right now. You know, Evans and Godwin, I'm still ranking them right now as number two receivers, but they move much closer to Jerry Judy than they were prior to the draft. Like, you know, it's, it's Godwin. Is he healthy? You know, does this draft pick sort of signal a sign that he's not going to be 100% early in the season? And again, as we talked about, those first seven games for Mike Evans were not what the last six or seven were when Chris Godwin wasn't there. So now you're throwing in a better Jalen McMillan, a high profile rookie and a guy who was outperforming him and is probably going to get more targets than him. Like, it's nerve wracking for those two guys, at least for me.

[Ben]

Makes me want to target Baker Mayfield because he's going to slip. You know, at best, he's QB7 coming off the board this year.

[Ethan]

He could be QB6, depending how people view Mahomes at this point.

[David]

So Evans, in the first six games of the year was number 14 overall, but number 23 per game in non. In full PPR, number 21 per game in full PPR. And Chris Godwin was the number four wide receiver per game. So I, you know, I just struggle with this one because of the injury to Godwin. I don't know what we're getting from Godwin. And if Godwin is not 100, if Godwin's not 80, then Evan's probably going to be awesome again. Do you guys. How many, all three of you, how many of these Bucks receivers, of the two of them are going to be top 24 receivers in your rankings?

[Ben]

Two.

[Ethan]

They. They both will. But again, you know, like, I had them, I think both. And you know, me with older receivers at this point, you know, he's going to be 32. With Evans, I had them both. I think, like, top 18, and I think Evans might have fallen to 18, and Godwin is barely hanging on in the top 24 right now.

[Chris]

I. I think I have them 23 and 24.

[David]

Oh, okay.

[Ben]

Okay.

[David]

Who's first?

[Ben]

I need some names then, because I. I still have them both top 20. So let me give you some names of receivers I've got behind them. You tell me if they're ahead of them in your rankings. McLaurin.

[Ethan]

Yes.

[Chris]

Ahead.

[Ben]

D.J. moore.

[Chris]

Ahead.

[Ethan]

Yeah.

[Ben]

Xavier Worthy.

[Ethan]

Yep.

[Chris]

I have them ahead of Xavier Worthy right now, but I'm really, really uncomfortable with ranking the Chiefs.

[Ben]

Garrett Wilson.

[Chris]

I have the Bucks both ahead of Garrett Wilson.

[Ben]

DK Metcalf.

[Chris]

Bucks both ahead.

[Ethan]

Bucks.

[Ben]

Marvin Harrison, Jr.

[Ethan]

I think I have it. Evans, Godwin. Harrison.

[Ben]

Marvin Mims. I'm just kidding. But it's interesting. It's interesting how you guys feel about those two, and I don't think you're wrong to feel that way, especially with Evans.

[Chris]

You have Courtland Sutton ahead of them.

[Ben]

I. I've got something behind them.

[David]

Man, these are going to be some fun debates. You know what I'm seeing now, that was interesting. So in the first six games of the year, on a per game basis, Godwin is top five. Evans is just inside the top 24 the last seven games of the year. When Evans comes back, Evans is fifth per game and McMillan is 26th per game. So it's almost exactly the same thing, just with Evans being as good as Godwin and McMillan. Yeah. You get what I'm saying you have.

[Ethan]

To, you got to hope that McMillan really just took advantage. If you're in the Evans Godwin camp, like, fully, you got to hope that McMillan just took advantage of Godwin not being there and that Abuka is, hey, you're, you're our guy in 2026. Like, that's what you got to hope for. Because if they're all four getting targets, it's going to be difficult for all of them.

[David]

Yeah. I'm just trying to think is, I mean, Jackson, Smith and Jig, but didn't really take away from Metcalf and Lockett as a rookie. Right. I'm just trying to think of like first round picks, but that was three guys. Well, yeah, I, I don't really know. Okay. I'm not gonna get in all that because it's just too much of a rabbit hole. But. All right, let's. We'll take a quick break here and just real. Before we do that. He's. What's coming up on FFT Dynasty.

[Chris]

We will be unveiling the top probably 24 or 36 tomorrow on Tuesday's show on Friday, we will have a Super Flex startup mock.

[David]

Okay, we will be right back on fantasy football today. We got to start talking about where these rookies are being drafted. There's some very encouraging words about Quinshon Judkins potential role from Andrew Berry, the GM of the Cleveland Browns. And we'll get to all of that rankings risers and fallers after this.

[Adrian]

See what's screaming free all month long during Pluto TV's April ghouls get your heart pounding with nightmare fueling classics like Insidious and Bram Stoker's Dracula. Or test your nerves with haunting hits like Urban Legend and Don't Be Afraid of the Dark. Pluto TV has hundreds of channels and thousands of terrifying movies. Movies live and on demand. Download Pluto TV on all your favorite devices and start streaming now.

[David]

Dominate your fantasy baseball league with Fantasy Baseball Today part of the CBS Sports Podcast Network. Join Scott White, Chris Towers and me, Frank Stampfel every weekday as we recap every player from every game. We'll get you the latest news, waiver wire ads and drops, trades to make prospect promotions and everything else you need to take down your league. Make sure to download and follow on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere else podcasts are found. All right, quick round of news and notes. Saints GM Mickey Loomis said that Derek Carr is the starter if he's healthy. He also said there's going to be a quarterback competition I guess he met with Tyler Schuck and Spencer Rattler, but Derek Carr is the starter if he's healthy for the Saints, according to their GM Jim Harbaugh, head coach of the Chargers. He said that he sees both Naji Harris and Omarion Hampton, the rookie they drafted in the first round, as starters. I think I feel like we expected that kind of comment and we'll see how it plays out. Head coach Shane Steichen of the Colts. He praised the rookie running back D.J. giddens ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Maybe we'll see that role for him. GM Andrew Barry of the Browns is what I was referencing before the break. He said Quinton Judkins can be a bell cow. And guys, your thoughts on this? It seemed like he was saying Dylan Sampson is a little under. He said he's undersized for how physical he is but that they he has untapped pass catching potential. So I that sounds like Sampson's going to be more of a third down kind of back and not necessarily a deterrent for, for Judkins on the early downs. Is that how you guys are seeing it? And obviously Jerome Ford's there as well.

[Ethan]

I think that makes sense. You know, I mean when you look at what these two guys profile as you know they've been so accustomed to, at least in the Kevin Stefanski era of having you know, in in essence at times two physical running backs because Kareem Hunt, it also can also fill that role when you know, Nick Chubb was there. But you know they were looking to find a Nick job replacement and, and I don't. I mean look, it'd be awesome if Judkins can do what Nick Chubb did during his prime. He was amazing. Chubb was. But Judkin certainly profiles more of that role, fitting that role than Dylan Sampson does. But that's a pretty good one two punch. You know, if Samson can come in and be sort of a speed threat, you know, change of pace guy and catch a few passes out of the backfield. It was funny because you know the, the Bucks was kind of a just a a off the top of the head conversation with we throwing it in the conversation that we just had. But like the, I was going to say like the, the rankers, rankings risers and followers for me were almost over the weekend. Judkins who I really liked going to the Browns at first and then a little bit nervous with the Samson pick and then you know, Loveland with the addition of Luther Burton knows like two rookies that went up and down right away. But yeah, I think Judkins is ended up in a really good spot.

[David]

Okay. Other news, the Panthers signed Hunter Renfro who did not play in 2024. Does this matter at all? No, no.

[Chris]

I'm sure it matters to Hunter Renfro.

[David]

Yeah, matter. It does matter. But for fantasy it does not. Dre Greenlaw, linebacker for the Denver Broncos, hoping for a bounce back season here. He has a torn quad, but the Broncos say he could be ready for training camp. They expect him to be ready for training camp. The Jaguars signed offensive end Emmanuel ogba to a one year $5 million deal. GM Howie Roseman of the Eagles said that Dallas Goddard is on the team as we is part of the team as we speak. So we will have a bonus podcast when he gets traded. If he gets traded. ESPN Patriots beat reporter Mike Reese does not think that Jalen Polk is guaranteed a role with the Patriots. He was a second round pick last year. And Washington is going back to RFK Stadium or the site of RFK Stadium. They are going to build a new stadium in Washington D.C. congratulations. All right, rookie rankings. So where's Genty?

[Chris]

He's one.

[David]

He's. Excuse me?

[Chris]

He's. He.

[David]

He's.

[Chris]

He's number one.

[David]

He's RV1.

[Chris]

You said rookie rankings.

[David]

No, no, no. Where's Genti in your running back rankings?

[Adrian]

Oh yeah.

[Ethan]

Four.

[Ben]

Four, four.

[David]

Already golfing. The disgust from Jamie there. All right, RB4 behind.

[Ethan]

I like your stupid jokes. That was bad.

[David]

I don't think I could justify him as RB1 or 2, but definitely. But why are you putting him behind Gibbs? I assume everyone has him behind Gibbs when we know Gibbs is a much different running back. When David Montgomery is healthy, I have Gibbs.

[Chris]

Five.

[David]

Okay, who's three?

[Chris]

I've got Bijan Barkley and HN ahead of me.

[David]

Okay, Dave, what's your top four?

[Ben]

Bijan, Barkley, Gibbs, Genti. And I know that there's a Montgomery issue with Gibbs. He's overcome it before and we know what he's like when Montgomery isn't there. Am I giving up a couple of points per game by taking Gibbs over Genty? Yeah, probably. But I'd, I'd rather have the running back that I know know is an amazing player and could have an even larger role, especially if the Lions are in more competitive games this year and and just gets a larger role in his third season.

[David]

All right, so I don't want to spend the whole show on Genti, but what could go wrong for Ashton Genti? Bijan was actually a, a bust as a rookie in fantasy because of Algier basically. But what do you think could hold Ashton Genti back?

[Ben]

His offensive line could be a starting point. We, we've talked about his offensive line as a, as a strength and it's not bad in Las Vegas and I expect them to be coordinated better now that Pete Carroll is there leading that ship and Chip Kelly's there and like the play design should be fantastic. But we've, I've seen a game where Gentee's offensive line could not help him and the results were bad. And if something like that were to happen most weeks, then Genti is not going to be even close to being worth a first round pick, much less a top five pick. So that's one thing that can go wrong. The other thing that can go wrong is are the Raiders going to be a team that scores a ton of points this year? Now obviously Genti is going to hopefully, fingers crossed, score more than anybody else on that team, but if that team's going to average, you know, 20 points per game, that doesn't leave a ton for Genty. It certainly makes him potentially a touchdown score every week. Of course there will be weeks where he doesn't, but it does make me worry about him compared to Lions, Eagles and yes, even the Falcons. Those are teams that should put up plenty of points from week to week.

[David]

Okay, where is Amari and Hampton? Well, who's your net? Who's your next rookie running back and where did you rank him?

[Ethan]

Hampton is in the round five range.

[Ben]

I've got him in round four in full ppr.

[Chris]

I'll take Henderson second and he'll be in the round four range.

[David]

Ooh, that's bullish. I want to get back to that, but can you tell me, are these guys top 20 running backs? Top 24? Can you tell me some of the running backs that are around them?

[Ben]

Give us some names.

[David]

So I, I talked about, you know, that the running back position right now looks kind of a little similar to last year. Last year we were talking about this trio at the end of a tier Mix and Camara, Ken Walker and I, I don't know where, you know, I don't know where those guys are, but Camara maybe is like the back of that tier again this year perhaps. And then you have Aaron Jones, James Connor, Tyrone Tracy before the draft, you know, Pacheco maybe like in the round five. Is that where you slotted these rookies in?

[Ethan]

Yes. Still have a whole mixing, mixing Camara, Walker trio ahead of them.

[David]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

[Chris]

I'm gonna have a hard time getting the other rookies into the top 20. I think that 21 through 24 is a pretty good range for them, but there's. There's 20 running backs. I don't think I can rank them.

[David]

Ahead of who are like the last three in that group. 18, 19, 20.

[Chris]

Chuba, Swift, Connor.

[David]

Very interesting group there. Very interesting group. Chuba. Because Swift, I mean, Swift was one.

[Chris]

Of the big risers. Right?

[David]

I think he'd have. But he. But look, it's the same situation he had last year in terms of backfield competition and he was pretty disappointing, I'd say. So.

[Chris]

Yeah, there's a couple. There's one thing that's. That's changed.

[David]

There's a lot that's changed.

[Ethan]

Coach in line.

[David]

Yeah. Okay, so Dave and Jamie have Hampton in that range. Heath has Henderson. Who else is in that range? Did you have a big tier of rookie running backs in that range?

[Ethan]

Harvey's in that range.

[Ben]

For me.

[David]

Judkins, Harvey and Caleb Johnson.

[Chris]

Okay.

[David]

Johnson clearly last.

[Ethan]

No, no, he is for me. I'd rather have Harvey and. Oh, no, I'm sorry. I take Johnson over Judkins right now.

[Ben]

I would too.

[David]

Did anyone give thought to putting RJ Harvey of the Denver Broncos first of this group, second rookie running back behind Ashton Genti?

[Ethan]

No.

[Ben]

Yes. I thought about it.

[Chris]

Not really, but I think it's like that's. And I. Especially in rookie drafts, but also when evaluating these guys like we knew how great and deep this running back class was, they did not necessarily go in the order that we were anticipating, except for Hampton going second. And they've got a varying degree of competition they're dealing with in year one. So I really think, like with that entire group, just reasonable people can disagree about which one you want to draft higher. They're all high upside, low end RB2s.

[David]

Why not Harvey ahead of them? Because I just feel like if you look at Judkins, I don't see a ton of catches. Could be wrong. I don't see a ton of catches. You look at Henderson, I don't see a ton of carries. At least not at first. Right. I'm very hopeful that he'll just be so much better than Ramandre Stevenson that they'll hand over the keys to the car. But it might take a little while. You look at Harvey, I see that combination of catches and, and carries. And as I mentioned on the show, by ESPN's metrics, the best offensive line in run blocking and pass Blocking last year, by PFF's metric, the best pass blocking offensive line in Denver, I think they were 11th in run blocking. So we don't have that concern for the Broncos and the history of Sean Payton, running backs with pass catching, all that, blah, blah, blah. So I, I think it's an easy case to make. I don't know that I would do it because he was never really on all the prospect rankings list. He was never viewed like Henderson and, and Judkins. But he was the next running back off the board after those two, about 22 picks after. So I think it's an easy case to make. Why Heath, you said no, I'm going to bring you into this because I haven't spoken to you about these rookies yet. I had Dave and Jamie on, on Saturday or Friday night. Tell me why you didn't consider R.J. harvey for the Broncos ahead of Judkins on the Browns, Travion Henderson on the Patriots.

[Chris]

I, like most people, thought Harvey was a tear behind Judkins, Henderson, Hampton coming into the draft. And Harvey did catch about 20 passes a year at UCF each of the last three years. But he's, and I think he's capable of playing that role. I don't think he's been so good as a pass catcher that we can just say for sure he's going to be the primary third down back in Sean Payton's offense. And so if he's not, I don't know that he has a, a certain target edge over these other rookies. Like, there's still a lot of, there's especially a lot of questions. Like he kind of threw one of the biggest wrenches into the running back rankings because he got drafted ahead of these guys and because he went to a spot that we were pretty excited about. If it had been Trevion Henderson going to the Broncos, I might project him for 60 catches as a rookie.

[David]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris]

But Harvey doesn't have that history. He could do it, but it's. I think there's still a lot of questions about how touches will be distributed amongst the Broncos running backs.

[David]

Yeah, I was kind of referring to first and second down catches. He stood still because the Broncos do that a lot. So. But, but sure, fair enough. All right, moving on. How about, let's see. How about. All right, Caleb Johnson is, is ahead of Tyrone Tracy now.

[Ethan]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Chris]

I mean, I'm, I'm currently debating whether Cam Scatter Boo should be ahead of Tyrone Tracy.

[Ben]

Yeah, they're close to my rankings.

[David]

Jamie would love to Hear Adam Sandler talk about Kev Scatterbo, I think, I think we all would. It's a great call. So who's around? Caleb Johnson.

[Chris]

Jayla Moore, quinch on Judkins, R.J. harvey and Amari.

[David]

How much separates them? How much separates them? Like, can you just tell me your. The rankings with the veteran running backs in there with these guys?

[Chris]

I think we're still finalizing those.

[Ethan]

Johnson's a high end. Flex. Yeah, you know, I, I kind of view him just kind of stepping into Naji's role with maybe a few less catches. So Naji had 260 some odd carries last year and 36 receptions. Like, I don't think he's getting 36 receptions. I also think we're seeing a more involved Jalen Warren, who in 2023 had about 40 more carries than he did in 2024. Now again, he missed a couple games there, so I think we see a split and, you know, then you got the stupid wrinkle of Corduroy Patterson because it's Arthur Smith. But I think Caleb Johnson has an opportunity here to, you know, lead them in carries, which for me, I don't know where you have it projected, Heath. It's going to be around 200 and maybe 20 catches, you know, so. 220. 225, you know, maybe 230. 240 on a, on a, you know, runaway season if things go great for him, but he's a physical runner on a team that, you know, is going to want to run the ball. The biggest question for both of these guys in terms of Steelers backfield, is the quarterback, you know, so if it's Mason Rudolph, there's not a lot of upside there. If it's Aaron Rodgers, there's a certainly higher ceiling that they can get to. Even though he's, you know, coming off a down year. But he's going to be more capable than Mason Rudolph even at his age. So that offense looks a lot better if the quarterback position improves, however they get it done. So, you know, we were talking. I forget who it was in terms of points. Oh, you're saying Genti, you know, they're score enough touchdowns. Like, I don't see the Steelers scoring a lot of touchdowns with Mason Rudolph under center.

[Ben]

I'm not sure if you see him getting a ton with Aaron Rodgers under center.

[Ethan]

I feel better about it though.

[Ben]

Yeah, of course, of course, of course. But I, I think that's the right way to look at Caleb Johnson is just plug him right into the Naji role, I would say 36 catches is close to the ceiling, but I think he's capable of being decent as a pass catcher. But you're drafting him on the hope that he can score seven, eight times over the course of the year and have a couple of big games and maybe unseat Jalen Warren from that running downs role. Because at the beginning of the year I imagine it's going to be a split, but there aren't as many. There are some exciting running backs in that flex range that we're talking about and I agree, I think he's a flex, but I, I don't know if he's going to be so good. I guess it's part of the profile that he could be that he should go ahead of a ton of these guys. Pacheco, Aaron Jones, RJ Harvey ahead of Caleb Johnson.

[Ethan]

How about the thing that worries me about Johnson and Judkins and those are the two that I struggle with is the receptions, you know, because they, you know, you're banking on them hopefully getting to a thousand rushing yards, which we know is not easy even for rookies. And you're counting on them to be, you know, as close to double digit touchdown guys as they possibly can, which again is, is a huge ask. So who can get to 8, 900 yards in their backfield with six to seven touchdowns? Like then that's. Again, I haven't settled on it yet. Right now I feel a little bit more comfortable with Johnson than I do with Judkins. But by the time I hit publish in my rankings later today, it'll probably be Judkins over Johnson. You know, just that's, those are the two that I struggle with most. Like I think Harvey's upside is a little bit better for this season. You know, just looking at his offense, that's why I like him a little bit better. So even though Heath is right, the profile going in was not as high, the expectation is not as high, but the landing spot to me is much better, you know, especially just because of the coach.

[David]

How many of these running backs? This would be five running backs. We'll, we'll move on from Genti because he's obviously an answer. So how many of the next four running backs? Hampton, Judkins, Henderson, Harvey, Caleb Johnson. So that. Yeah, so that's four judge. Sorry. Oh no. Oh, that's five with Hampton. Hampton, Judkins, Henderson, Harvey, Johnson. Okay, sorry about that. Five running backs are you drafting ahead of Tony Pollard?

[Ben]

Three.

[Ethan]

Two for sure, maybe Harvey also, but two for sure. In Hampton and Henderson.

[Chris]

I I'll probably go two but that is right in the range. Like it? Oh it's gonna be a mess.

[David]

You know I can pour a little cold water on Tony Pollard. I had not done any Tony Pollard research until this past week and I did not realize how different his splits were. I'm not sure if I mentioned this on the air or not. His splits were with Taje Spears and without Taje Spears. He played nine games with Spears with Spears averaging a normal snap count. Okay, because Spears left two games early. So yes, Azer stating this but nine games with a normal Taje Spears and Tony Pollard was on pace for 236 carries and 11.6 PPR fantasy points per game is what he averaged in the other seven games that he played. That's five without Spears and two with Spears leaving early. 328 carry pace, that's almost 100 more carries and he averaged 13.8 PPR fantasy points per game. In addition, I think this might be a little fluky but Taishe Spears was the goal line running back when they were both healthy. When both Pollard and Spears were healthy, carries from the two yard line are closer. In the nine games Spears had four and Pollard had zero. That I'm not sure carries over but that just should be worth it should be mentioned. So I kind of thought Pollard was held back. He was RB22 per game last year by the Titans being so bad they ran the fewest plays in the NFL inside the five yard line. He scored six touchdowns or five, five, five total touchdowns on over 300 touches which is horrible. But he was also so much of his production came with Tajie Spears out. So when Spears was out they simply did not use another running back. I mean very, very sparingly. So. So I think I actually can make a case for every rookie, maybe not Caleb Johnson, but the other four and obviously Genti ahead of Pollard.

[Ethan]

I think the, you know, Heat set's going to be messy, which I think from our perspective the answer is yes. Like who's better than who when it comes to our rankings. I think the draft though, like this range could be awesome. Yeah, you're getting these guys at such discounted prices for what their potential could be. You know, I mean like I'm going to be very nervous about Aaron Jones, especially after what Kevin O'Connell said in the addition of Jordan Mason. But like he's going to be in this range. That's great value. You know, Pacheco is going to be in this range and if he does bounce back, it's great value. Pollard in this range, great value, whatever. Rookies sort of trickle into this range, have the chance to be great. You know, as he just said, then you have, you know, Jalen Warren now getting pushed down, Naji Harris getting pushed down. Like, these guys are still going to be really relevant on some really good run offenses or in the usage that they'll get. Like, it's going to be fun to draft these guys, you know, so the, you know, again, zero RV hero, RB guys are going to love this because it just made this, you know, round five through eight range just so robust of some guys that could be really legitimate. I don't want to say superstars, but, you know, fantasy starters, which is great.

[David]

Okay, we gotta wrap up running backs here and we gotta get to the veterans that have moved in the rankings. Guys like Trevor Lawrence, Javante Williams, Tyrone Tracy moving down, Ramandre Stevenson moving down, Romo Dunze Maybe.

[Ethan]

Where does J.K. dobbins go?

[David]

Where does she go?

[Ethan]

Right now?

[David]

He's the one, right? Like, I don't think you're gonna get.

[Chris]

One of Chubb or Dobbins to the Bears, right?

[Ethan]

I was thinking more Dallas could be.

[Ben]

Dallas is talking like they love what they have. They already. And they have four and two of them are draft picks. They're giving away money.

[David]

I don't want to be super excited about a fifth round pick, but if the Cowboys enter training camp with Jaden Blue and. And Javante Williams, I'll be pretty excited about a fifth round pick.

[Ethan]

Oh, it's going to be the Miles Sanders show.

[David]

And Miles and I always forget about Miles Sanders. Yeah. All right, let's. Yeah, let's take a quick break. We'll wrap up running backs and then we'll get to the rest of the positions. We'll be right back.

[Chris]

This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. Not everyone is careful with your personal information, which might explain why there's a victim of identity theft every five seconds in the U.S. fortunately, there's LifeLock. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a US Based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year by visiting lifelock.com podcast terms apply.

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[David]

Now, just to finish this up, Jamie, how many other running backs do you think are going to be in your top 100 overall players? How many rookie running backs? Anybody else? You got guys like Bashel Tutin for Jacksonville, Cam, Scatter Boo, etc.

[Ethan]

I think Tootin, Scatter Boo and Blue all have the opportunity to, you know, be right on the cusp, but probably a little bit after that.

[Chris]

Yeah, I think Scatter Boo will be in my top 100. Nobody else will be that close.

[David]

Okay.

[Ethan]

At least initially. You know, training camp, right? Jacksonville, Right. Change in Dallas could change, sure.

[Ben]

Scatterboo is 100th in my PPR rankings.

[David]

What day of the week is Halloween this year? I'd really love to do an NFC home game preview so we can talk about. Scatter Boo would really be all over that episode, I would think. A lot of puns there. All right. To the wide receivers.

[Ben]

Friday, October 31st.

[David]

Oh, that's NFC home games. I hope the Giants.

[Chris]

Darn it, I'm not on Friday's shows.

[Ethan]

You can see it already. Who. Who it's gonna be? Giants, Cowboys, Game of the week. He'll fool Dave.

[Ben]

He'll have his whole song with scary organ.

[Ethan]

Dave, who do you like better this week, Scatter Boo or Tracy? In the song, he'll make me say Scott.

[David]

Loving it. All right, so game of the week, Boo. How do you rank the rookie wide receivers? Give me your top three for. For 20, 25.

[Ben]

Oh, man, I couldn't help myself. I put Hunter first. I did it. I put it over him, over McMillan. And then I gotta scroll down in my rankings to find the third guy. It's golden, but only the first two. Hunter and Tet are in my top 100.

[Chris]

Hunter Tet. Golden. Agreed.

[Ethan]

I go Hunter Tet, Besh.

[David]

Boy, that is so interesting. Why Besh over Golden?

[Ethan]

Just think the opportunity golden obviously has a. I think a better pedigree. You know, hopefully it'll be the case based on how the packers drafted, but it's such a crowded receiving room. It just scares me.

[David]

Well, then why? Why Besh over Trey Harris? To the best goes to the Raiders. Three picks after Trey Harris to the Charger. By that logic, why Besh over Harris?

[Ethan]

Well, because I think, you know, you look at what the Chargers still have and There's a guy that's going to dominate targets. I think they're going to be a very run heavy team. That's close.

[David]

They're.

[Ethan]

They're all close.

[David]

Yeah. It's a similar situation.

[Chris]

Well and, and Quinton Johnston is probably like. I know we like to make Quentin Johnston jokes but he's probably more competition than. Besh is going to have to fake face for second at wide receiver. Right?

[David]

Yeah. They have a tight end. They have Bowers. Right. So if you talk, forget about just that wide receiver. You're just talking about competition for targets. You've got, you've got Bowers, Myers, Besh, you've got McConkey, Johnston, Harris. I kind of like Harris's opportunity better there. But I could see, I mean it's debatable for sure. Am I wrong?

[Ethan]

No. They're all, they're all close. They're all in very, you know, I think competitive situations with their own rosters. So I don't know, I just like the situation for Bashino going to a team like the Raiders that you know, needs an outside threat. I think he'll, you know fit in well with what Geno Smith does and what Chip Kelly wants to run.

[David]

I don't know.

[Ethan]

I'd just like to fit.

[Ben]

Does Bash have a shot to lead that team in targets?

[Ethan]

No, no. But none of these guys do.

[Chris]

I think he has.

[David]

Absolutely does. Yeah.

[Ethan]

I guess that's fair. I'm sorry but if he leads the.

[David]

Team in targets it might, you know, 93 targets for him, 87 for Jaden Reed. I don't want to cap him at 93 targets but do you guys still.

[Ben]

Might be more than what Harrison best get.

[David]

What did you say 110? Yeah, 110 I think would be. Would be pretty greedy. I think for Golden.

[Chris]

I have a hard time with that because like you've got a coach who has not had a number one wide receiver but he also has not drafted a wide receiver in round one.

[David]

He had Devonte Adams.

[Chris]

Right. A bunch of targets.

[David]

Yeah. They haven't had a number one since. Since Devonte Adams.

[Chris]

Right.

[David]

I would point out in the rookie. In the rookie year, the first half of the. Sorry. In Christian Watson's rookie year after Devonte Adams was traded. First half of the year they still had Aaron Rodgers and Alan Lazard was very good. And then the second half of the year Christian Watson got healthy and he was very good. He was a top 12 wide receiver in that stretch. But no, you're absolutely right. He haven't had a number One wide receiver since Devonte Adams. Golden will be worth watching. We didn't mention Jaden Higgins here. We had a comment that said Kyle Williams could be better than both of them.

[Ethan]

Yep.

[David]

Yeah.

[Ben]

And that's a guy with not a lot of competition.

[David]

Patriots.

[Ethan]

You referenced the Mike Reese report. You know, they're counting pretty heavily on Stefan Diggs coming back and being, I think, that guy again, who was the. Oh, Douglas. I said could be the third guy.

[Ben]

Super Demario.

[David]

All right, so Abuka and Burden, are they top 50 wide receivers.

[Ethan]

In rookie rankings? Yes.

[Chris]

I have them. I think in the top 60, but not in the top 50.

[David]

And just in case you've all forgotten, Nabuka drafted in the first round to Tampa Bay, and Burden drafted in the second round to the Bears. So we like the players. We don't love their 2025 destinations necessarily.

[Chris]

Yeah, I, I think the Burden one's probably more interesting just because Ben Johnson's first year had DJ Moore and Roma Dunze and chose to take Luther Burden there. And so, like, we all just pretty much said, okay, Cole Comet's dead. He took Colston Loveland and Colson. Loveland's going to dominate targets.

[Ethan]

I.

[Chris]

It makes me a little bit worried about the wide receivers in Chicago. That Burden has a very special skill set. And Ben Johnson, the guy we all think is one of the most. The greatest offensive geniuses in the NFL is the guy who got him.

[David]

And, and obviously, y'all probably remember if you don't, the Bears made the most significant upgrades to their offensive line this off season of any team you'd have. Say they signed center Drew Dahlman to a three year, $42 million deal. They added Dalman, they added Joe Tuni via trade. They added Jonah Jackson via trade. And then they used their first two picks on Loveland and Burden. They're all in. Offensively, it's pretty wild. We had Harris going to the Chargers, Besh going to the Raiders. I kind of. I mean, I feel like Brian Thomas Jr and Lad McConkey were in the 100 to 1 15ish range last year in drafts. Do you think that's where Trey Harris and Besh end up?

[Ethan]

Probably a little bit later. Any later? Yeah. Harris will go before Bash.

[Ben]

As of now.

[Chris]

I. I think he probably will. I will. I will just wait for Bush.

[David]

Would you rather have Matthew Golden? Huh? Let's see who's a good. Or Jaden Reed or Matthew Golden.

[Ben]

Great read by a couple of spots.

[Chris]

I've got golden as of right now.

[Ben]

There is one good reason to draft Bash. And that's for team names. You can come up with a lot of great team names. With Jack Besh.

[David]

What if. What if I had a picture of Sean Connery and my team name was your best with a question mark?

[Chris]

That's not the one I was thinking of.

[Ben]

I was thinking more like best, better have my money. But that they. That one works too.

[David]

What were you thinking of?

[Ethan]

Eth?

[Chris]

Yeah, I was. I was on Dave's. Dave's line of thinking.

[David]

Son of a batch, your Bash. All right, well, I think I've got the creative one. Then how about Debo Samuel of the commanders or how many. How many rookie wide receivers are you taking over? Debo Samuel?

[Ben]

I think that's a great name to. To bring up in comparison to the rookie wide receivers. For me, the answer is two.

[Ethan]

None as of now.

[David]

Wait a sec. Wait, You're. You're. You're not taking McMillan or Hunter over him? Jamie or you were just.

[Ethan]

No, not as now. No.

[David]

Really?

[Ethan]

Yeah.

[Chris]

In my first run of the projections, I have Hunter two spots behind Debo. So it would also be zero like Jamie. I think the intoxicating upside of Travis Hunter probably means that I will have him ahead of Debo in the final, final April rankings.

[David]

So where is, where is Hunter then for all you guys?

[Ethan]

I actually have Debo at 36 and Hunter at 37.

[Ben]

I have Hunter at 30.

[Chris]

I have. Let's call it Hunter at 27, Debo at 28.

[David]

All right, here we go. It's going to be said now. A year ago it was said, he is the. He is the Malik neighbors of this.

[Ben]

Yeah.

[David]

It is going to take one report for Travis Hunter to become a third round pick. And we might be like, everybody's way too high on him. We're gonna be wrong.

[Chris]

But here's a difference. There's an enormous difference. Like Brian Thomas is a second round pick.

[Ben]

Yes.

[David]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Chris]

You're gonna take two jags wide receivers.

[Ethan]

What if he's playing defense?

[David]

I know, but that's the report.

[Chris]

That's the.

[David]

He's gonna be. He's gonna play most of the wide receiver snaps and sparingly at quarterback and then bam.

[Chris]

He's maybe not pretty much what they've said so far.

[David]

Yeah, I know. I think you guys are too low on him. I think you're too low.

[Chris]

I think I was trying to convince you.

[Ben]

I have ahead of Travis Hunter.

[David]

Go.

[Ben]

Okay. And remember, Travis Hunter is sharing the field with Brian Thomas Jr. And remember, Trevor Lawrence is their quarterback. We can talk to Heath about that. DK Metcalf is ahead of Travis. Travis Hunter. Devonte Smith is ahead of Travis Hunter.

[David]

Wait, what are you saying? Hold on. Time out. Time out. Heath, you said no. You're saying no. You wouldn't. What does the no mean?

[Chris]

I would not take DK Metcalf ahead of Travis Hunter.

[Ben]

Is that because of the Pittsburgh quarterback.

[Chris]

Situation right now and the fact that, like, there's a carbon copy of him on the roster and I'm not sure they're going to throw 500 passes?

[Ben]

Okay.

[David]

All right, keep going. Sorry, Dave. So who was after Metcalf?

[Ben]

Devonte Smith, Jerry, Judy Jordan, Addison, and I. Addison's going to be an easy one for Hunter to get ahead of.

[Chris]

Right.

[Ben]

And then other names that are even ahead of the guys I just said are, like, Marvin Harrison, Cortland Sutton, Garrett Wilson. Yeah, but that's it. Like, I'm skittish on Olave with the quarterback situation in New Orleans. Give me Hunter. I'm skittish on Pickens now that DK Metcalf's there. Give me Travis Hunter. Calvin Ridley has a new quarterback. Good for him. Give me Travis Hunter. The Niners wide receivers, someone's going to be great. I don't know which one. Give me Travis Hunter.

[Chris]

How spicy is this? Travis Hunter over Chris Olave?

[David]

Yeah, I've got Hunter once. Yeah, it's not that spicy, so I.

[Ethan]

Guess I'm being too conservative.

[David]

Yeah. Where. Where are you in the rank? Where is that in the rankings, Dave? That feels like 24.

[Ethan]

Ish.

[Ben]

No, that's 30th.

[David]

Oh, really?

[Ben]

He's my number 30 wide receiver, and I have him as a round six pick. So the idea that he could be this year's neighbors. You know, what it's going to take for. For that to happen? Is Brian Thomas Jr. Missing time, and if that happens, then yes.

[David]

No. Well, hold on, Travis. For him to be this year's neighbors, in terms of, you know, being top 10 receiver, maybe. I meant. I meant he'll be a huge riser in the rankings as he gains momentum.

[Ben]

And I'm gonna be hard, Adam. I don't do that when you've got Thomas there. Unless we're sinking Brian Thomas Jr. No.

[David]

I'm okay with that. They don't have Christian Kirk and they don't have Evan Ingram anymore. They could have a passing offense that is entirely concentrated on these two absolutely elite talents. I don't.

[Ethan]

We keep. Or at least we just did. We keep trying to recreate Detroit in Chicago, and you could do the same Thing in Jacksonville with Tampa Bay, I mean, you know, they have, they, they, they. And this is why I think everybody's excited about Blue is he's, he's your boy. Is the, the, the late round running back, you know, that goes there, you know, so. Or is it too. I got confused.

[Ben]

Tootin went. Jax too.

[Ethan]

Yeah, so. Too. Excuse me. Going to Jacksonville, you know, as the next Bucky Irving. You know, this could be Evans and Godwin and that would be clearly amazing if you're getting that level of production from two wide receivers. Now granted Liam Cohen only had them together for seven games as the offense coordinator, but you could see what the path to success was for both those guys. And it's clearly there's a path to success for these two guys. Now the biggest question, and this is, I'm sure what Dave was alluding to with Heath is will Trevor Lawrence be the guy to get them there? Everything we saw from Brian Thomas, and I know it's just really sarcastic, but was with Mac Jones and not with Trevor Lawrence. And so when he was with Trevor Lawrence, he wasn't doing the same type of things. Now you'll point out Adam, which I'm sure is Christian Kirk and Evan Ingram were healthy then and Thomas, you know, was, was sharing the field with some, some established veterans. But in any event, you know, Thomas has now ascended to these heights that you hope is going to carry over, which why he said he's a second round pick. You still make case he's a borderline first round pick. Will Travis Hunter get enough offensive snaps? It would be criminal if they didn't do that to him because he's I think, equally talented on both sides of the ball. But I think the, the stardom path is a little bit easier to get to on the offensive side and hopefully that's where they are going to give him the majority of playing time. To which case he will be a preseason riser and somebody that should be drafted probably inside the top 30, if not top 24 wide receivers.

[David]

Okay, rookie tight ends. Dave, how many rookie tight ends are in your top 15?

[Ben]

2.

[David]

Okay, where. Give me the rankings.

[Ben]

I've got Warren at 11 and Loveland.

[David]

At 13. Who's 15.

[Ben]

Kyle freaking hits.

[David]

Wow. All right, who's next? How. How close is the next rookie wide receiver? Tight end. Pardon me.

[Ben]

Elijah Arroyo is 23rd.

[David]

23Rd. Ooh. All right, how about Jamie Heath? Jamie, you go to you. Your rookie tight end rankings.

[Ethan]

So initially after the first round it was Loveland over Warren. I'm gonna probably switch that Just with the crowded receiving core. The receiving core getting more crowded in Chicago. But again, this is going to be one that I struggle with a lot of of who's the better fantasy option. It may just end up selling on Loveland because of the, you know, quarterback situation. But in any event, they're both 11 and 12 right now.

[David]

Okay, and then who's the next one? And how, how close to The Ferguson.

[Ethan]

Is 13, Kraft is 14, Kincaid is 15.

[David]

That would be Jake Ferguson.

[Ethan]

Jake Ferguson, yes. Not your favorite, Terrence Ferguson.

[David]

Right. That Ferguson actually was someone I was expecting to be a big loser. Jake Ferguson, that is. And it didn't happen. So he's still perhaps a fantasy relevant tight end. Heath, your tight end rankings.

[Chris]

Loveland 11, Warren 15.

[David]

Loveland 11, Warren 15.

[Chris]

And listen, Warren's pre draft pedigree is doing a lot of work to get him to tight end 15 for me as a rookie because that's it is.

[David]

An awful situation Indianapolis for him. Yeah. And you know, I, I, one thing that was so interesting because I, I really like the landing spot for Arroyo, but I wanted to talk about CD Lamb. I guess we really don't have time to talk about him. But he was someone they added, no competition. He could have 200 targets. But I was like, where did CD Lamb rank in just the Dak Prescott games? And he was wide receiver six per game, buoyed by that huge performance against San Francisco. But one guy who was ahead of him in weeks one through nine on a per game basis was Cooper Cup. And you know, I just looked at Cooper cup season because he was wide receiver four per game in weeks one through nine. He scored 32 fantasy points in week one. He scored 7.7 in week two. And then he, and he got hurt in that game. He missed more than a month. He comes back in week eight, scores 16.1. Puka's back in that game. He scores 21.4 in week nine, scored 20 or more in three of the next four games. So we're all the way to like week 12 and he's scoring 20 points almost every week. Cooper Cup. And then in his last three games combined, he had 9.3 fantasy points on nine targets. It was kind of an adventure for Cooper cup. But that'll be a topic for another day. But obviously that's relevant for Elijah Arroyo in Seattle. Maybe he's 32. I know, but he was really good last year until the last month of the season was bizarre. Maybe he gets can get off to another good start.

[Ethan]

You know what he, he Saw.

[David]

No, the cliff. Oh. I thought maybe he saw like Benjamin Button and. Well, no, that would be.

[Ethan]

That would be great.

[David]

That'd be the opposite. Yeah.

[Ethan]

Yeah.

[David]

All right, so let's talk about our veterans here who have moved in the rankings. Heath gave me a list of risers and fallers is what I want you.

[Ethan]

To only 52 minutes.

[David]

Yeah, I know, I know, I know. I think we've had good conversations about the rookies, but we'll do this quickly. Heath, you. I'll give you the name that you.

[Ethan]

Put time going through this list and.

[David]

Yeah, he's the only one. You tell me where they moved and we can get quick reaction. Trevor Lawrence.

[Chris]

He is up to QB15, which seems low for a guy that. I was really excited about what happened for him, but he was outside of my top 20 quarterbacks before the draft.

[David]

Does anyone have Lawrence higher than 15th?

[Ethan]

No.

[Ben]

And 16th for me.

[David]

Just give me like one, two names right ahead of him.

[Ben]

To a Purdy.

[David]

Perfect. Bryce Young. Heath was a riser for you.

[Chris]

Yeah, he is a. A 2 QB starter. Hooray.

[David]

Okay. All right, let's talk about DeAndre Swift. He's a running back riser for you. Where do you have him?

[Chris]

He was someone who projected inside the top 24 before the draft, but I didn't want to rank him that high because I really thought the Bears were going to do something during the draft. And now it seems like the worst case scenario for him is they go out and get a Chub or a Dobbins or something like that and he still gets to play the. A much lesser version of the Jameer Gibbs role. And so I. I think you can confidently draft DeAndre Swift right around RB20.

[Ethan]

I think my new favorite thing is when someone says something that's potentially dirty and just Dave's quick reaction to it.

[David]

I love it. Swift was RB24 last year per game and that. That was with career low. 3.8 yards per carry, six touchdowns in 17 games. He was not the goal lineback. We'll see how that shapes out this year. Javante Williams. Javante Williams. Yeah. Big. It's a little bit of a surprise for me. I would say big surprise that the Cowboys didn't draft a running back on the first two days. But yeah, go ahead, Javante.

[Chris]

Same thing I said about Swift, except it's top 36 and not top 24 like he. He projected as a top 36 back before the draft. I didn't want to rank him that high because he was so terrible in Denver, but now there's like a 45 chance he's the best running back in Dallas, maybe even higher. He. He's a probably still doesn't go till round 10 or round 9, but he is definitely someone as a 0 RB drafter that you might just happen to have an RB2 for a few weeks.

[Ben]

Just have the barf bag nearby when you draft them.

[David]

All right. Probably what we were saying about Chuba Hubbard last year, you know.

[Ben]

Not at all. Not at all.

[David]

No.

[Ben]

No.

[David]

Well, we thought Jonathan Brooks would take that job pretty quickly.

[Ben]

No. But we knew that he wasn't going to be ready at the start of the season. And so the whole idea of drafting Chuba was you'll get off to a good start with him and then see what happens.

[David]

Well, we never thought could be as good as he was though.

[Ben]

No, of course not. And I guess there's a chance that Javante could pull off the same thing.

[David]

Yeah. All right, Jerry Judy, you talked about Cedric Tillman is another rankings riser for you. Where is he again?

[Chris]

Another guy that just probably moves into the top 50 wide receivers who was not in the top 50 wide receivers and has a chance to be a.

[David]

Top 36 wide receiver and Ricky Pierce all was a riser for you. Does that extend to Juwan Jennings as well?

[Chris]

Jennings is a little bit of a boost, but I already had him in the number three wide receiver. I and I think I'm still lower on Pierce all the most. So you should probably ask these guys how high they are on him. But he definitely moves up because the 49ers did nothing.

[David]

Well, that consider that a way of asking these guys. Guys, where are you on Ricky Pearsall.

[Ethan]

Essentially Jennings in Pearsall.

[Ben]

They're close to me. Jennings is at 38. Piersol is at 40. Right in that round seven turn range.

[David]

All right, some rankings followers for Heath, Tyrone, Tracy and Naji Harris. I do not want any. I. I do not want to draft Naji Harris at all.

[Chris]

Nope.

[David]

Tracy, I don't quite feel the same way. See where he ends up but obviously Cam Scatter Boo is not Omari and Hampton. So that's the difference there. But where are you feeling? What do you think? What are you feeling here?

[Chris]

I just don't think Tyrone Tracy's Naji Harris either. And he might Chargers offense might score twice as many touchdowns as the Giants this year. So I will draft Najee Harris before Tyrone Tracy for sure. But they, they definitely were both followers. Naji was a potential fantasy starter, kind of that same swift range where we didn't want to rank him that high because of what could happen. And it did happen in Naji Harris. It didn't happen. DeAndre Swift. I think Tracy could be anything from the best running back on the Giants who finishes as a borderline number two to completely irrelevant by week six.

[David]

Just general question here. Scatterboo was around four pick. Typically not really a huge impact player. We're. What was Tracy around five.

[Chris]

Five.

[Ethan]

All right.

[David]

All that still typically not. And right. Like, and especially out of the gate. I mentioned this all the time, but rarely see a day three pick in week one come out and have a big role. You know, it just doesn't happen. Are we just kind of making an exception? And I think we should because Scatter Boo, he was the third pick of day three in a deep running back class. So is that why, you know, kind of look at him differently than most 4th round picks?

[Ethan]

I don't remember who said it, if it was Emery or Ryan, about just the short lifespan that he may have in the NFL and do the Giants, you know, see that in camp, maximize that potential, make this their one, two punch, and maybe Scatter Boo is the. The leader of the group right now. I also don't think, you know, for what it's worth, I know he's kind of always just been sort of like a steady floor type of player, but Devin Singletary probably still gets some work too.

[David]

Yeah.

[Ethan]

And. And that could be a little annoying for both these guys. So I would take Naji over Tracy personally, but it's close.

[David]

All right. Maybe I was too harsh there. I guess I kind of feel like Naji's gonna go ahead of Tracy. So in terms of draft value, I will not be drafting Najee Harris.

[Ethan]

Oh, I agree with that. Yeah.

[David]

Yeah.

[Ethan]

Like they're both gonna end up being in tandems. It's a matter of, you know, who has the better chance to lead their tandem. Tracy has the better chance to lead his tandem, I would think.

[David]

Yes, exactly what I was thinking.

[Ethan]

If, if things play out the way we want it to, you know, but again, what Naji does is, I think, frustrating for what we want to see because we saw it in Pittsburgh. I mean, you know, he doesn't get hurt. So we don't get the. Oh, the backup will eventually take over, at least so far in his career. You know, four seasons, he's played every game and he doesn't fumble. He's got three fumbles in his career. You know, so we saw what happened in Pittsburgh. You know, the, the. The more talented player Maybe, if you want to put it that way. You know, Jalen Warren was, was playing enough that it was good for him, but not to his, you know, maximum potential. I don't think that'll be the case with the Chargers because again, one year investment, you know, whatever, it's five million or it could be, you know, up to nine and a half. It should be Hampton's backfield. But even to your point, Adam, about day three running backs, you know, sometimes we don't see it with the, you know, early draft picks getting this type of workload that we, we still want to see. You know, it could take, you know, a couple weeks as well.

[David]

Absolutely. Second round picks, I make that. Oh, it's only first round picks historically that jump into a big role right out of the gate. I'm hoping differently, obviously, especially for Junkin Judkins. Let's see. Ramandre Stevenson, right? So Trayvon Henderson, second round pick. Andre Stevenson, a follower for you, was it? It wasn't even a bait for you to put Henderson ahead of him, was it, Heath?

[Ethan]

Nope.

[David]

All right, anybody, where's Stevenson compared to Najee Harris and Tyrone Tracy.

[Chris]

Just behind them? Because I don't think it's as light. Like there's a chance that I could still see Naji being the goal line back. I think Naji could be the RB2 in for the Chargers and score more touchdowns than tracy as the RV1 for the Giants. I, Stevenson might be the goal line back too, but I don't think they're gonna score as many touchdowns as the Chargers.

[Ethan]

I would take Stevenson over Tracy and Harris simply because I want to see Henderson get the work. Like will he be. He's. He's going to get, he's gonna, he should lead them in receptions in their backfield. Maybe there's a team. But yeah, to leave them in receptions. Will he get those opportunities on first and second down?

[David]

Jerome Ford is a father. That one is, is obvious. Roma Dunze. Roma Dunes, a follower for you. What about DJ Moore?

[Chris]

Just a little ding for more, but a bigger ding for Odunze.

[David]

So Odunze or Travis Hunter?

[Chris]

Hunter for sure. By a lot.

[Ben]

A lot.

[David]

Okay. Seems like wide receiver is pretty deep because you know, mentioned some good receivers there in that wide receiver 30 range. Phil Dunes is not even a top 36 wide receiver. I think it's pretty, pretty cool. Jaden Reed a loser. And Cole Comet a loser. Heath, you have something in common with the Orlando Magic. You lost to the Celtics yesterday, is that right?

[Chris]

I did not lose to the Celtics I did lose to Ray Allen who was coaching the opposing team. Their team name, oddly enough, was Ray Allen Select. So it was, it was a great experience for the boys to get to go through the handshake line and tell Ray Allen good game after his team beat us.

[Ethan]

Did they win the whole thing?

[Chris]

They won the division we were in.

[Ethan]

Yeah.

[David]

It's against Heath Cummings select that your team.

[Chris]

It was not. It was not Heathcoming. I had a. It was a funny thing. A parent came over to me after the game. I said, I don't know if you realize it, but there were so many people over on the sidelines in that game talking about, do you know who that coach is? Do you know that coaches. I said, yeah, he's coming. He works for cbs.

[David]

Yeah. Is that the fantasy football guy? Yeah.

[Ethan]

I that's probably the biggest celebrity coaching game of AAU South Florida ever.

[Chris]

I, I think that moves me to Owen 3 against former NBA players. Ray Allen didn't beat us near as bad as Raja Bell did five years ago.

[David]

I had some. Oh, and three. You said. Who's the third?

[Chris]

Sean Pearson.

[David]

Oh, I don't know.

[Chris]

Former Jayhawk from like the 80s 90s.

[David]

Oh yeah. I had some emails I was going to read, but I'm gonna save them for a show this week. If not Wednesday, it'll be Thursday. I'm sorry to demart, Ben and Matthew. You had good questions and I will get to them. We've got mock drafts. We've got rookie only dynasty stuff and we've also got just regular standard NFL or fantasy football format mock drafts that we're going to do tomorrow. We're going to talk about them on Wednesday. He'll talk about the Dynasty one time the Dynasty Podcast. So thanks everybody for watching and listening this Dennis Applied Football today. We will talk to you on Wednesday.

[Adrian]

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