What We Learned SO FAR from Offseason Mock Drafts (5/29 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fantasy Football Today – "What We Learned SO FAR from Offseason Mock Drafts" (Released May 31, 2025)

Hosted by Adam Aizer with analysts Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings, and more, Fantasy Football Today delves into strategies and insights to help listeners dominate their fantasy leagues. In the episode titled "What We Learned SO FAR from Offseason Mock Drafts," the team explores the latest trends and lessons from recent mock drafts, providing valuable advice for the upcoming fantasy football season.

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1. Opening Remarks and Setting the Stage (00:30 – 01:17)

Jamie: The episode kicks off with Jamie highlighting the abundance of mock drafts conducted during the offseason. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the trends emerging from these drafts to strategize effectively for real drafts. Jamie makes a playful reference to "The Office," engaging Chris in a lighthearted conversation about their TV watching habits before transitioning into the main topic.

Notable Quote:

Jamie (00:30): "Good mock draft here at Fantasy Football today and we've done a lot of them so far this offseason. What have we learned?"

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2. Running Backs vs. Wide Receivers: Depth and Value (01:25 – 04:24)

Chris: Chris begins by analyzing the movement of top-tier wide receivers, noting their rapid depletion in mock drafts. He contrasts this with the running back position, which remains deep and offers substantial value even in the middle rounds. Chris points out that securing quality running backs in rounds 7 to 10 can provide excellent flex options without compromising the overall strength of your roster.

Jamie: Jamie corroborates Chris’s observations by reflecting on the changing dynamics of the NFL draft class. He notes that the current offseason has produced a strong running back cohort, enhancing the position’s depth and reliability. Jamie contrasts this with the previous year’s focus on wide receivers, which, while fruitful, presented different strategic considerations.

Notable Quotes:

Chris (01:25): "The running back pool is still relatively deep once we get to the middle of the draft."

Jamie (02:39): "This year, with it being the opposite, it just feels like those rookie running backs have made the position even deeper..."

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3. Quarterback Position: An Abundance of Options (05:36 – 09:03)

Jamie: Shifting focus to quarterbacks, Jamie emphasizes the depth of the position this year, making it feasible to wait and select a quarterback in later rounds without sacrificing team performance. He suggests that the abundance of reliable quarterbacks allows managers to prioritize other positions early in the draft.

Chris: Chris highlights five quarterbacks he is particularly interested in drafting: Dak Prescott, Caleb Williams, Justin Fields, Drake May, and Trevor Lawrence. He discusses the potential of Trevor Lawrence, especially with Jacksonville’s offensive improvements, signaling a possible breakout season. Chris also touches on the trickle-down effect on other players and the overall versatile strategies available due to the depth at quarterback.

Notable Quotes:

Jamie (05:36): "As we do these mock drafts just you don't have to wait and wait for a quarterback, but it's certainly a viable option."

Chris (05:50): "Dak Prescott, Caleb Williams, Justin Fields, Drake May and Trevor Lawrence. These are going to be five quarterbacks that I want to have a lot of shares of."

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4. Tight End Insights: Balancing Value and Potential (09:07 – 12:45)

Jamie: The conversation transitions to the tight end position, with Jamie expressing uncertainty about whether to prioritize top-tier tight ends like George Kittle early or opt for high-potential options like Travis McBride or Evan Ingram in later rounds. He contemplates the balance between securing reliable performance and leveraging the depth of the position to find undervalued picks.

Chris: Chris delves deeper into tight end strategies, discussing the scarcity of elite options early in drafts and the potential of emerging players. He underscores the importance of flexibility, suggesting that managers can benefit from drafting dependable tight ends in the early rounds while also scouting for breakout candidates in subsequent rounds.

Notable Quotes:

Jamie (10:40): "What's a better value McBride or Bowers in round two or George Kittle in round what?"

Chris (11:24): "There's such a deep pool of potential options here. That they're not all going to hit."

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5. Player Highlights and Strategic Recommendations (08:06 – 12:45)

Chris and Jamie: The analysts discuss specific players across different positions, highlighting their potential and how they fit into various draft strategies. They mention Ramandre Stevenson, Jalen Warren, Rashad White, and others, emphasizing the importance of targeting players who offer both reliability and upside without necessitating early-round picks.

Notable Quotes:

Chris (08:06): "Ramandre Stevenson and Travion Henderson, from Rashad White... there's still a lot of great scenarios here."

Jamie (12:32): "He's not old. He's at an age where he can still produce at a high level..."

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6. Conclusion and Final Thoughts (12:46 – 13:29)

Jamie and Chris wrap up the discussion by reiterating the importance of understanding positional depths and leveraging mock draft insights to inform real draft strategies. They emphasize flexibility, patience, and the value of waiting on certain positions like quarterback and tight end to maximize overall team strength.

Notable Quote:

Jamie (12:46): "No one ever does on the 49ers. But they're always in terms of yards per target. They're always bonkers."

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Key Takeaways:

1. Wide Receiver Depth: Top-tier wide receivers are being drafted quickly, so securing them early is crucial. However, the running back position remains deep, allowing for flexibility in mid to late rounds.

2. Strong Running Back Class: The current offseason has bolstered the running back position with promising rookies, making it a viable strategy to focus on this position for consistent performance.

3. Quarterback Abundance: The quarterback position is exceptionally deep this year, providing ample options to wait on drafting a quarterback without sacrificing team competitiveness.

4. Tight End Strategy: Balancing early picks of elite tight ends with the opportunity to find high-potential players in later rounds can optimize team performance and depth.

5. Player-Specific Insights: Targeting players like Ramandre Stevenson, Travion Henderson, and Trevor Lawrence can provide significant value and potential breakout performances.

6. Flexibility and Patience: Adopting a flexible draft strategy and being patient with certain positions can lead to a well-rounded and competitive fantasy team.

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This episode of Fantasy Football Today offers comprehensive insights into offseason mock drafts, providing listeners with actionable strategies to enhance their draft performance. By understanding positional depths and leveraging player-specific strengths, fantasy managers can build strong and resilient teams poised for success in the upcoming season.

Transcript

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[Jamie]

Good mock draft here at Fantasy Football today and we've done a lot of them so far this offseason. What have we learned? What did you learn? That's an Office reference right now on FFT Express. Very good office reference by the way. Jamie's never seen the Office.

[Chris]

Nope. Not. Not. Not in full.

[Jamie]

Okay.

[Chris]

Seen episodes, like parts of it.

[Jamie]

Gift. You know when you meet those people who have never seen Game of Thrones and you say, wow, the minute that you decide to finally watch, you're just going to enjoy life in a way you didn't even know you could enjoy before. That's like what you have with the Office at some point.

[Chris]

Let's, let's make a deal. You'll watch the Sopranos this summer and I'll watch the Office.

[Jamie]

Yeah, that's fine with me. I mean that seems like a win.

[Chris]

Win.

[Jamie]

Okay, speaking of winning, how are we going to win our fantasy drafts? What have you learned from our off season mocks?

[Chris]

I guess I'll start with. The biggest thing that stands out to me is that how quickly the top tier wide receivers go and how the running back pool is still relatively deep once we get to the middle of the draft. And I find myself doing this a lot in our drafts and having to sort of remind myself that this may be the norm once we get to August and start doing, you know, some drafts for real or the mock drafts ramp up in that like you can get to the middle of, you know, rounds 7, 8, 9, 10 in that range and still get some really good flex options at running back. And if you don't love like I like to come out of my first like seven rounds, seven, eight rounds with four receivers that I can start three receiver league and a flex and have no issues. And I find myself like, oh, I don't really love my, my fourth receiver at that point. Now you don't have to draft like that if you don't want to, but once we get to like those, those that range of receivers it's like, do I really want Cedric Tillman here? Like, like, I don't want to do that until like round 10 plus. And that's like the range of guys, at least in my rankings, that I'm then sort of reaching for. So I find that you can get better value at running back in the middle rounds and you can at receiver.

[Jamie]

Right now, I think it's going hand in hand with that. Is all we heard going into the NFL draft was this is the great running back class, a great running back class, not a great wide receiver class. And last year we heard basically the exact opposite, right? It was a great wide receiver class and a pretty bad running back class played out that way. I mean, yeah, you had Bucky Irving, but it played out that way for the most part. And, and the wide receivers were really good. And those are guys that you wanted to. That you wanted to draft. In retrospect, this year, with it being the opposite, it just feels like those rookie running backs have made. Have made the position even deeper and even better to get potential starters in round five, maybe. And they didn't really hurt running backs that we were super excited about drafting, which it's just everything was a win win and makes the running back position so much.

[Chris]

Even those guys that you say we didn't hurt, the ones that we were excited about drafting, like, I still, you can get good production and great value from Ramandre Stevenson in tandem with Travion Henderson, from Rashad White. This is not a rookie, but Rashad White, who's getting really pushed down and still going to have, I think, enough of a role that can help you. Jalen Warren, who's, you know, I think, still going to have a very prominent role in Pittsburgh. Like, there's still a lot of great scenarios here for some of these guys that got, quote, unquote, ruined by these rookies. Even Naji Harris potentially could still be a very, you know, prominent factor for the Chargers. So it's, it's again, allowed this range of running backs to still be good potential flex options or good reserves. Whereas, you know, how quickly, how soon do you want to take, for example, Trey Harris or Jack Besh or some of these other rookie wide receivers that have potential, but you may have to reach for them a little bit sooner than you want to.

[Jamie]

All right, quick break and we'll talk about another position that's very deep after this.

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[Jamie]

You got to talk about quarterback. I mean, as we do these mock drafts just you don't have to wait and wait for a quarterback, but it's certainly a viable option. It is every year. But this year feels even deeper than than most years.

[Chris]

There's, I think, I don't want to limit it to a certain number, but there's like four or five guys that stand out to me that I'm going to draft a lot of and potentially two. And you know, I don't love to draft two quarterbacks, but I think it makes sense with this range. So Dak Prescott, Caleb Williams, Justin Fields, Drake May and Trevor Lawrence. These are going to be five quarterbacks that I want to have a lot of shares of. And I didn't bring this up. You kind of, you know, jumped ahead quickly. But we were talking about Baker Mayfield and his regression and I was going to say one thing that I love about the Baker Mayfield conversation and how well he performed last year is how excited I am about Trevor Lawrence this year. And so that offense is now in Jacksonville, where they added a really significant piece in Travis Hunter. They have one of the more dynamic receivers that we saw coming off of last year in Brian Thomas. And we know Trevor Lawrence has struggled. Well, this may be the opportunity for Trevor Lawrence to take a step forward. And I also think there's going to be, excuse me, a trickle down effect to two players when we could transition tight after this. But transition down to two players is Diami Brown and Bren Strange because they're really thin group if you think about it. You know those two guys at the top I think are going to be really good. But can Brown make some plays similar to what maybe we saw some flashes with Jalen McMillan last year in, in Tampa and, and K Dot and I know a lot of it was injury related for those guys. But you know, if this is a more multifaceted, you know, sort of offense and it's not just the two receivers at the top, which I think that's going to be the case. But I just don't know. But I think you want to get maybe later on flyers on some of these guys, you know. So if you are looking at a second tight end in a deeper league, if you are looking at a really deep draft, you know, Strange and Diamond Brown could have some, some big options. But just in terms of the quarterback, like it's always deep. We, we know this. Yeah, you, you're going to get the guys at the top, hopefully perform the way that they should. But you know, once you get past, you know, in the group we talked about Baker Mayfield, Bo Nix, Mahomes Mayfield next, you know, 6, 7, 8. Like I think the guys that I mentioned, you know Caleb Williams and, and May and Lawrence and Dak and throwing Brock Purdy and still Jared Goff and it's just there's so many, so many potential ways you can build your, your team and still get great quarterback play and.

[Jamie]

Right. And you know, the way you talked about Ramandre Stevenson and Jalen Warren and Rashad White is how I feel about a guy like two as hung up.

[Chris]

Yep.

[Jamie]

Who may not even get drafted. Like I'm looking at this draft we did recently and in May. So I don't know when people are listening to this but it's probably still May. But just a few weeks ago, maybe two weeks ago he didn't get drafted in a six point per passing touchdown league. He's a guy that two years ago led the NFL in passing yards. So they're at Stafford. Like if Stafford has Devonte Adams is good. Stafford's gonna be worth using just J.J. mcCarthy. Yeah.

[Chris]

You know Smith, you know they're going to, they're, they're in situations where you could see a lot of production. Look, Sam Darnold, if he's still as good as he was, who knows? You know, I mean I don't, I don't buy it. But it's just so deep the position Michael Pennix. Look, last time we saw his offense, did you know. I know a lot of it wasn't him, but did you know that in his three starts they averaged the Falcons 32 points per game?

[Jamie]

Wow. Wow, that's awesome.

[Chris]

Explosive Bryce Young was to close the season and just got a first round talent.

[Jamie]

So last thing here is what have you learned about tight end so far?

[Chris]

This is such a, an interesting position because you know the first two guys are going to go in probably the, the first 30 overall picks, let's just say, you know, so by the time we get to the middle of round three, you're not going to see Brock Bowers and Trey McBride. When do you pull a trigger on George Kittle? I think that's, you know, he's sort of in that mix of still great wide receivers and some really good running backs. So how early do you want to go for him? When do you want to buy back into Sam Laporta? You know, he's been. Dave and I did express last week I believe and you weren't you, you couldn't do it so. Or maybe two weeks ago and it was who are we drafting a lot of? And I, I tend to draft a lot of Sam Laporta in these early drafts just because of where he's been falling. It's really after you get past like laporta, Najoku, Kelsey, that, that group of tight ends like who, who do you trust and when do you want to, you know, take a chance on those guys? So Colston Loveland and Tyler Warren and Tucker Kraft and I still think Dalton Kincaid, you know, has some bounce back potential. Johnny Smith, you know, where does he, you know, sort of come into play so great or late? The, the, the, the phrase that we've sort of, you know, adapted adopted here and, and I think made popular because they use it at fancy pros now too. Really, they, I mean at least when we come on, they, they mention it and it just makes so much sense. Like if you can't get one of the top tier guys, there's such a deep pool of, of potential options here.

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Chris]

That they're not all going to hit. Clearly. But do you know that Kyle Pitts in the first six weeks of the season was averaging 10 PBR points per game?

[Jamie]

Yeah. Well, he had a four game stretch where he was awesome.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

But it just doesn't really do it for me.

[Chris]

I don't disagree with you at all. But you know, contract year and maybe panics leans on him a little bit more. You know, there are things that you could see with a lot of different players in this position. Like think about some of the younger tight ends, not just the. The two rookies. Like Gunner Helm could be the guy in. In Tennessee. Terrace Ferguson could be the guy in for the Rams. Obviously Mason Taylor could be the guy for the Jets. Like there's a lot of different paths. Evan Ingram, still, I think it'd be really good Every. Every first team, every. Sorry. Every stop he's made the first year, including his rookie season with the Giants has been good.

[Jamie]

I've. I actually really like drafting Evan Ingram. It's one of my favorite later round picks. I'm having a hard time deciding my big question with tight end is what's a better value McBride or Bowers in round two or George Kittle in round what? I mean if it's five, it's probably Kittle. If it's four, it's probably the other two. That's kind of where I'm at. If I'm going.

[Chris]

You want a three round difference?

[Jamie]

Yeah. Right. You do. You want it. But I did. I do remember drafting Kittle in round four and one draft and not hating it. He's got a. He was number one per game last year.

[Chris]

And you. I don't know how you feel about this. Would not shock me at all if he's won again. Like just, you know, we're putting a lot on Juwan Jennings and Ricky Piersall and an injured Brandon Ayuk when George Kell has been so good.

[Jamie]

And I know he's not gonna have as many targets as Mcbriden Bowers, but the. No one ever does on the 49ers. But they're always. In terms of yards per target. They're always bonkers. Right. They're so good. They're the most efficient team. So it is just like he, he's not old. He's. You know, he feels like he's kind of old, but he's not. He's at an age where he can still produce at a high level and he was the number one tight end in fantasy last year. On a per game basis.

[Chris]

Can you, can you make a case? It's probably not the best case because of where he gets drafted, but is he the most underrated player in fantasy?

[Jamie]

Yeah.

[Chris]

In the conversation.

[Jamie]

It's a great.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

Oh, this feels like a show topic.

[Chris]

It does.

[Jamie]

It really does.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Jamie]

You know, it's just. I think people feel like he's old because an injury from.

[Chris]

I think a lot of people think he's injured.

[Jamie]

Yeah. I you like, very possibly going to start the year on pup. Deebo traded. And we're not loving George Kittle. It's because he's older than McBride and Bowers, I think, you know, and, yes, injury prone. Okay. All right, Jamie, thank you very much, and we'll talk to you next week. Have a great weekend, everybody. This is FFT Express. See you soon.

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