AFC North Breakdown, Surprise WR1’s, Courtland Sutton

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast: AFC North Breakdown, Surprise WR1’s, Courtland Sutton

Release Date: August 2, 2018

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Introduction

In this episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast, hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright delve deep into the intricacies of the AFC North, discuss potential breakout wide receivers outside the top 10, and feature an exclusive interview with Broncos rookie wide receiver Courtland Sutton. The conversation is enriched with expert analysis, spirited debates, and actionable fantasy football advice to help listeners dominate their leagues.

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Quick Questions and Listener Interaction (00:02 - 03:40)

The episode kicks off with a lighthearted banter among the hosts, highlighting their post-workout energy and humorous exchanges about staying cool during the recording. Jason introduces the segment on quick questions, focusing on wide receivers outside the top 10 who could finish as the number one overall pick.

Notable Quote:

• Jason Moore (04:07): “What wide receiver outside of the top 10... can finish number one overall?”

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Surprise WR1 Picks: Stefan Diggs and Amari Cooper vs. Josh Gordon (04:40 - 10:39)

The hosts tackle the challenge of identifying top-tier wide receivers beyond the established top 10. Cortland Sutton advocates for Stefan Diggs of the Minnesota Vikings, praising his route-running prowess and high-ceiling game potential. He emphasizes Diggs' ability to produce monster games, essential for a WR1.

Notable Quote:

• Cortland Sutton (05:22): “Stefan Diggs can score 15, 16 touchdowns. He has that ability.”

Andy Holloway concurs but also highlights the difficulty of finding wide receivers who can consistently perform at a WR1 level outside the top 10. He proposes Amari Cooper as a viable alternative, citing his integral role in his team's offense and potential for increased targets under new quarterback Jon Gruden.

Notable Quote:

• Andy Holloway (06:27): “Amari Cooper is a top 10 NFL draft pick and he's going to step forward this year.”

Jason Moore introduces a controversial pick: Josh Gordon. He draws parallels to Randy Moss's 2013 season, arguing that Gordon possesses the physical tools to replicate such a breakout year if he can overcome his off-field issues and maintain consistency.

Notable Quote:

• Jason Moore (07:58): “Josh Gordon can outscore Randy Moss if he stays healthy and consistent.”

The discussion also touches on the skepticism surrounding Gordon's reliability, leading to a spirited debate among the hosts.

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News and Notes: Doug Baldwin and Team Updates (10:54 - 18:05)

The conversation shifts to recent NFL news affecting fantasy rosters. Jason reports on Doug Baldwin's potential preseason absence due to injury, urging fantasy managers to consider alternative wide receiver options like Tyler Lockett.

Notable Quote:

• Jason Moore (12:14): “Doug Baldwin may miss most, if not all, of the preseason.”

Further updates include the release of Jordan Matthews from the Patriots due to a hamstring injury and discussions about other wide receivers such as Kenny Britt and Philip Dorset. The hosts emphasize the importance of monitoring player health and team dynamics when making fantasy decisions.

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Divisional Breakdown: AFC North Analysis (18:05 - 58:24)

Pittsburgh Steelers

The hosts dissect the Steelers' offensive strategy, focusing on key players like Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, and the potential impact of Big Ben (Ben Roethlisberger). They debate Bell's future given his contract situation and the offensive line's health, ultimately expressing confidence in his continued high performance.

Notable Quote:

• Andy Holloway (25:37): “Le'Veon Bell is still my number one running back in half-point PPR leagues.”

Jason and Cortland discuss the wide receiver corps, highlighting Juju Smith-Schuster and James Washington. Jason critiques Juju's sustainability post-Martavis Bryant, while Cortland remains optimistic about his potential.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens are analyzed with a focus on running backs Alex Collins, Danny Woodhead, and the dynamic of Lamar Jackson's passing game. The hosts agree that Collins represents great value in drafts, citing his consistent performance and the team's improved offensive line.

Notable Quote:

• Andy Holloway (36:17): “Alex Collins is a great value. If I can draft him at his current average draft price, I'm taking him every time.”

Jason raises concerns about the Ravens' passing volume but concedes that with Todd Haley as the offensive coordinator, there is potential for increased efficiency and player utilization.

Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals' struggles from the previous season are acknowledged, with specific attention to their underperforming offense. However, the hosts express cautious optimism about improvements, especially with key additions like AJ Green and the emerging talent of Joe Mixon.

Notable Quote:

• Cortland Sutton (45:14): “AJ Green is personally responsible for the reason why a top five pick is so incredible this year.”

Discussion also covers the draft prospects and the potential impact of rookies like Mark Walton and John Ross.

Cleveland Browns

The Browns receive a detailed breakdown, focusing on the influx of new talent such as Tyrod Taylor, Nick Chubb, and Jarvis Landry. The hosts debate the future role of veterans like Duke Johnson and the impact of Todd Haley’s offensive schemes on the team's passing game.

Notable Quote:

• Jason Moore (55:11): “I think that distribution of the yards and things like that could cause issues to me, but not passing volume.”

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Courtland Sutton Interview (58:24 - 63:10)

The highlight of the episode is an exclusive interview with Courtland Sutton, a rookie wide receiver for the Denver Broncos. Sutton shares his emotional draft day experience, the support from family, and his excitement about working alongside Pro Bowl veterans Emmanuel Sanders and Demaryius Thomas.

Notable Quote:

• Courtland Sutton (60:36): “I just want to go show them that they didn't make a mistake in making that pick.”

Sutton discusses his goals for his rookie season, emphasizing his desire to contribute to the team and continuously improve through guidance from his experienced teammates.

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Conclusion and Upcoming Segments (63:10 - End)

As the episode wraps up, the hosts briefly touch on their plans for upcoming shows, including a mock draft segment where they'll draft their own teams live and engage in head-to-head comparisons. They also acknowledge listener feedback from their Reddit post, demonstrating their commitment to enhancing the show's quality based on audience input.

Notable Quote:

• Jason Moore (64:55): “Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast.”

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Key Takeaways

1. Stefan Diggs and Amari Cooper emerge as strong WR1 contenders outside the traditional top 10, each bringing unique strengths to the fantasy landscape.
2. Josh Gordon presents a high-risk, high-reward option for fantasy managers willing to gamble on his potential breakout season.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens offer valuable insights into their offensive strategies and key player performances, crucial for informed draft decisions.
4. Cincinnati Bengals' and Cleveland Browns' evolutions are critical for fantasy managers tracking upcoming season changes and player dynamics.
5. The exclusive interview with Courtland Sutton provides a fresh perspective on emerging talent in the NFL, highlighting his potential impact in both real and fantasy football.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast delivers a comprehensive analysis of the AFC North, integrates current NFL news, and offers listeners actionable advice through expert discussions and an insightful rookie interview. Whether you're a seasoned fantasy manager or new to the game, the hosts' deep dives and strategic recommendations provide valuable tools to enhance your fantasy football experience.

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For more insights and updates, join the Fantasy Footballers community at jointhefoot.com and follow them on Twitter @ffballers.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Great Scott.

[Jason Moore]

If my calculations are correct, you are listening to this before your fantasy football drafts have taken place. I have been to the future and those that followed the advice from the Fantasy Footballers Ultimate Draft kit had a spectacular season and withstood many victories. It's almost as if Biff had given each of them a copy of Gray's Sports Almanac. I'd highly recommend heading over to WWE. Www.ultimatedraftkit.com without any further delay.

[Mike Wright]

Head Scoreless Sutton, wide receiver for the Denver Broncos. And you're listening to the Fantasy Footballers.

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, coming to you from Draft.com Studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wr.

[Jason Moore]

Ah, hello. How's everybody doing?

[Cortland Sutton]

Fantastic.

[Jason Moore]

Feeling a little sweaty, Jason?

[Andy Holloway]

Dude, I am. I am worn out.

[Jason Moore]

You are warm and you are worn out. Both. Both.

[Andy Holloway]

Very true.

[Cortland Sutton]

Warmed out.

[Andy Holloway]

Warmed out. Thank you, Mike. We got there.

[Jason Moore]

We are now firmly in the regular season schedule.

[Cortland Sutton]

Five days a week, two shows in.

[Jason Moore]

No, look, we record this show very early in the morning. We want to get it up. We want to get it out. What was the. What was the phrase on yesterday's show? Zip it up, Zip it out.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Cortland Sutton]

Dave Chappelle. Zip it up and zip it out.

[Jason Moore]

So Jason and I, we. We do workout twice a week. This is the first time we've gone from workout straight into the show. How you doing, Jay?

[Andy Holloway]

Dude, I'm not going to deheat. I'm not going to cool down for the rest of this show, which just means the takes are gonna be very hot.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, maybe there is some. So, I mean, maybe a Foot Clan listener out there knows some way to cool your body down within two to three hours.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. If you or someone you know has information.

[Cortland Sutton]

It's called an ice bath.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I need. I need little ice buckets right down here behind the set.

[Jason Moore]

You are fogging up. Your glasses are fogging up.

[Cortland Sutton]

Just one. You could go one bucket of ice, but you got to keep your feet in it.

[Andy Holloway]

Perfect. Give me an ice bucket, Brooks.

[Jason Moore]

From now on, Jason plunges his bare toes into ice before every show.

[Andy Holloway]

Just the toes.

[Jason Moore]

Just the toes. All right, welcome into the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, the NFC North Breakdown. Today we have a great quick question. The Foot Clan voted on our quick question today on Twitter at the ffballers, and I'm excited for. I'm excited to hear both of your guys answer. This is an extension of one we did on the live. On the live show, we talked about running backs. Today we're going to talk about wideouts. I want to Remind you you have one week to enter the Listener league. So if you want a chance, if you want to get your entry in, if you want our eyeballs on it, email us listenerleagueantasyfootballers.com Send something that'll catch our eye. There are a few spots available for the official listener League, also known as an opportunity to lose to Jason in the championship game and become famously shamed.

[Andy Holloway]

I appreciate that. Respect that.

[Jason Moore]

I. I'm just conceding it now.

[Andy Holloway]

So very well deserved.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. You had the single worst roster I've ever seen in my life last year and you won that league.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, I did.

[Jason Moore]

So we chose, we chose wisely for the Listener league.

[Cortland Sutton]

Someone needs to get Jason a hanky. He is glistening.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, you got to take those glasses off and wipe them. You have to do an official wipe because you are just. Did you do the cold shower?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, I did cold shower.

[Cortland Sutton]

Brooks, can we get the soap opera filter put onto Jason's close up? It's just a little bit blurry. Take him out of hd.

[Jason Moore]

That's funny. Quick question, guys. Here's the question. That one out. What wide receiver outside of the top 10. So we're talking about where they're being drafted today. Okay. The top 10 wide receivers right now are Antonio Brown, Deandre Hopkins, Odell Beckham Jr. Julio Jones, Michael Thomas, Keenan Allen, Devonte Adams, AJ Green, Mike Evans, and then Doug Baldwin. Those guys, you cannot choose one of them. But what wide receiver outside of those can finish number one? Who would be the guy that you'd pick and as the best chance to finish number one overall?

[Cortland Sutton]

I really like Jason's answer personally, but because he is going to give that answer, I want him to give someone else who I think has a chance to finish as the number one guy, and that's Stefan Diggs from the Minnesota Vikings. And the reason I went with him is because there are not many wide receivers who can run routes at the level that Diggs can. This Antonio Brown separates himself in the NFL by. By having quick twitch speed and separating from covers. Just getting wide open. Stefan Diggs has 4, 4, 6 speed. Last year in 14 games, he had eight touchdowns. He also gives you those high ceiling games. That's what you need. If a guy's actually going to finish number one overall, he has to be able to come through with at least three just monster games. You're talking 150 plus yards and two touchdowns. Stefan Diggs can do that. He thrived in his new role where they moved him from the slot. They Moved him to outside. He was getting short touchdowns, getting long touchdowns. With the addition of Kirk Cousins, I think that Stefan Diggs actually has a chance to finish as the number one wide receiver.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, this question was actually a lot harder. If you go back and listen to our New York live show that we did, we had a quick question of what running back outside of the top 10 has a chance to finish as the number one. That one. I felt like there was a handful of options here. When I was. I was browsing through, I was like, man, this is really tough to actually have someone that. I think if you're going to finish number one, you have to have immense volume and talent. And those guys are usually going in the top 10. The one guy I think that has the opportunity and the talent this season is Amari Cooper. Amari Cooper has pretty much been the wide receiver, too, for his team over the last couple years. With Michael Crabtree there, they get rid of Crabtree. Jon Gruden has talked about how much he wants to center the offense around Amari Cooper. And say what you will about his down year last year, his drops, there were certainly things you saw on the field that were not good. But you can't say he's not a talented wide receiver. You know, he's a top 10 NFL draft pick. The number one wide receiver drafted in that draft class, I believe. Or Kevin White.

[Cortland Sutton]

No, Cooper went first.

[Andy Holloway]

Cooper went first. So he's hyper talented. And this is going to be his year to really step forward into that. Maybe he gets, you know, up to 150 targets and has that opportunity to finish number one.

[Jason Moore]

A talent issue with Amari Cooper or a physical ability? I mean, when you watch the highlights from that Kansas City game last season, when he catches a, you know, 20 yard en route and then turns on the jets and beats everybody the outside, it's just, can he overcome the mental hurdles of being relied upon? Can he beat the number one coverage? Can he catch the ball in important situations? And ultimately the rest crucial for a wide receiver. You would think, right? There's some talk of J.J. nelson in Arizona, like maybe being on the roster bubble because he cannot catch the ball in training camp and he's been limited to only being a deep route guy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I wouldn't limit that to training camp.

[Jason Moore]

Also his career. Yes. Here's my pick, and I'm going to make a spicy comparison that people will boo. Ooh.

[Cortland Sutton]

Wow. Oh, I'm ready.

[Jason Moore]

The pick is Josh Gordon.

[Andy Holloway]

Boo.

[Jason Moore]

That was a rustley. A rustly boo.

[Andy Holloway]

Moo.

[Cortland Sutton]

That was A cow.

[Andy Holloway]

That was a cow. I knew someone was going to pick this.

[Jason Moore]

I want to read you a stat line. Josh Gordon in 2013. 16, 46 yards, nine touchdowns, catch rate of 55%.

[Andy Holloway]

What year?

[Jason Moore]

I want to also read you another.

[Andy Holloway]

What year was that?

[Jason Moore]

That was 2013. I want to read you another stat line.

[Cortland Sutton]

So your argument against Josh Gordon is that he did it, but that was 2013.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Jason Moore]

But he's just.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm just curious what year that was.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, that was 2013. He.

[Cortland Sutton]

I heard your. I read through the tone.

[Jason Moore]

He had 87 receptions that. That year. Okay, I'm going to read you another stat line from a different player. This player had 124 targets, 69 receptions, 1,313 yards and 17 touchdowns in 1998, and he had the exact same catch percentage. And that player was Randy Moss. That's the season that gets Josh Gordon number one this year. It's not 87 receptions for 1,646 yards. It's 69 receptions. But he scores a touchdown a game. And I don't think it's impossible for Josh Gordon to store a touchdown a game. This. Bear in mind the overarching principle here is we are not picking Josh Gordon to do this. This is who can do it from a physical ability standpoint with what Tyrod Taylor is good at. If you throw the ball up to Josh Gordon and he is on this season, you could. He could score 15, 16 touchdowns. Who was Randy Moss's quarterback in 1998? I'm not certain who it was in 1998. It could have been. I don't think it was Culpepper in his first year. Was it?

[Cortland Sutton]

Yes, it was Culpepper. Right. Am I taking crazy pills over here?

[Jason Moore]

Well, it was Culpepper. I just didn't know if it was in his rookie year. Oh, okay. I can tell you that in about two seconds, thanks to the old Internet.

[Cortland Sutton]

Oh, that was Cunningham. That was Cunningham.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, there you go. Or might have been Brad Johnson. Might have been Brad Johnson. Might have been in there, too. But it's Randy Moss and that's where you're going to boo. I mean, you're comparing him to Randy Moss, but that's the season you get same catch percentage. And guess what? 18.9 yards per reception for Josh Gordon in that 2013 season, 19 yards per reception for Randy Moss. That's the type of season you get from a guy.

[Cortland Sutton]

You have to have big plays.

[Jason Moore]

Has to be big plays. Got to be Going and getting has to be touchdowns for Josh Gordon.

[Andy Holloway]

And I highly recommend going back and listening to the Philly show where we debate Josh Gordon. Mike and I do.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

If you want more information, more correct information.

[Jason Moore]

No need. Well, I think the correct information that you brought up in that show is that it's. That I'm conceding is that it's not going to be 87 receptions for Josh Gordon. All right, I already told you about the listener league. Let's get into the news.

[Andy Holloway]

News and notes from around the league.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Some news broke yesterday during the show about Josh Dachshund. We brought it up. Redskins coach Jay Gruden now says Josh Dachshund's shoulder quote checked out fine.

[Cortland Sutton]

I will take it.

[Jason Moore]

No broken collarbone.

[Cortland Sutton]

No, take it.

[Jason Moore]

A.C. joint devastation. So we'll see how soon he gets back. We felt bad. Josh Dachshund literally introduced the show yesterday, was on the show, and then bad news broke during the show about him.

[Cortland Sutton]

I'm sorry, Josh. I'm sorry.

[Jason Moore]

But now it's turning the right direction since he's not on the show today. So that's good.

[Andy Holloway]

They don't call you a fantasy reaper for nothing. Oh, I know Cortland's watching.

[Cortland Sutton]

Just.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, no.

[Cortland Sutton]

Just take. Just take the day off, man. Go to the mall.

[Jason Moore]

We have to send out a presser every time we got someone opening it up.

[Cortland Sutton]

Go get a pretzel.

[Jason Moore]

Go get a pretzel at the mall. Cortland, I would say talking to Cortland Sutton. Is he Brooks, Is he on the show today? Do we have the interview? All right, there's a Cortland Sutton interview at the end of the show today.

[Cortland Sutton]

Thanks for knowing what's going on.

[Jason Moore]

Well, here's the thing. Oh, dang it. It is in the show notes. Brooks did everything right. I can't blame Brooks. It's all on me.

[Andy Holloway]

You can still blame me.

[Jason Moore]

It's your fault.

[Andy Holloway]

Dang it, Brooks.

[Jason Moore]

But Cortland Sutton was not only a great interview, but he seems like a great guy, so, you know, excited for the opportunity for him in Denver. Let's talk about this. Adam Schefter reporting. Dun, dun, dun. Doug Baldwin may miss most, if not all, of the preseason, per Schefter. The doctors are hopeful and confident Baldwin will be ready by the time week one rolls around.

[Cortland Sutton]

I will not take that, though. I had not seen the quote. I'm hopeful that you'll be ready week one.

[Jason Moore]

Here is.

[Cortland Sutton]

I mean, this is not good.

[Jason Moore]

This is exactly what we said on the show. Yesterday, before any of this news came out, we said this was news that he's going to miss multiple weeks with.

[Andy Holloway]

Not good.

[Jason Moore]

Because look, if you're out there, why take a chance on Doug Baldwin with this news when you have other options? What if this extends into the season? What if this. He's known. Doug Baldwin is known in the NFL and in his team as pushing himself to get back faster. That can be a great thing. If he gets back faster and it's fine. If he tries to get back faster and he re injures it, this could last in the season. It is an alert for me. Yeah, it is a boy. All of a sudden, the tiebreaker on grabbing Tyler Lockett later in the draft starts to look a little bit better because who knows?

[Andy Holloway]

I was going to bring up for the quick question that if you ask this question three weeks from now, the answer would be Doug Baldwin because he'll be out of. Because he will not be in the top 10. Fair.

[Jason Moore]

I was gonna say. Yeah. Or oh, he's in the top 10 right now, right? Yeah, good point. The Patriots have released Goodbye my love wide receiver Jordan Matthews.

[Cortland Sutton]

Well, he was I hard.

[Jason Moore]

And going to be released with an injury settlement. Suffered the hamstring injury we mentioned on the show yesterday. Jordan Matthews farewell. If I had to pick one of the other wide receivers to buy into. I am making the choice to go with Kenny Britt.

[Andy Holloway]

I am making the choice to go Philip Dorset.

[Jason Moore]

I paid for Kenny Britain dynasty today.

[Cortland Sutton]

Wow.

[Jason Moore]

10 bucks.

[Cortland Sutton]

Dang it.

[Andy Holloway]

Wow.

[Cortland Sutton]

My zero dollar bid did not go through.

[Jason Moore]

Then you went in on Kenny. Yeah, I figured offseason fab, right? I mean, no, I got to go in on him. It's a.

[Cortland Sutton]

It's a great point. I just, I had the open spot because Jordan Matthews was able to slide into my IR spot and I was like, oh boy. Maybe I'll grab Kenny Brick because I already had Philip Dorset. I'm just getting all the Patriots on my dynasty team.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Well, you and I are in the middle of discussing a Sony Michelle related trade potentially potential. Did you know this?

[Andy Holloway]

I did not know. Let's let the people want to know.

[Jason Moore]

Well, the. Yeah, I mean right now I said I'm the defending champion. I lost one game to Brooks. It was very.

[Andy Holloway]

Thank you, Brooks.

[Jason Moore]

That kept me humble. Ish. And Mike has LaShawn McCoy. I have Sony Michelle and I just said, look, I'm willing to entertain in a dynasty league. A trade that involves Lashawn McCoy really for Sony Michelle. But it needs to involve.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, you really want the back to back.

[Jason Moore]

I need to get something else back, obviously. And Mike, Mike offered me a two. Not good enough for me. Not enough for me to tip over the whole dynasty. The multi year thing with Sonny, Michelle, but we're in the middle of discussions. We don't know where they're going. Anything could happen.

[Andy Holloway]

To be continued.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I'm not, you know, I'm not going to try to influence anything in that trade. Oh, well, man, we don't have the fitness consigliere drop on there. All right. Quincy and Nunois. Oh, wow. I did not see this.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah, I missed this as well.

[Jason Moore]

Suffered an undisclosed injury. Not related to the neck injury, but Todd Bowles has said Quincy and Nunois has suffered an undisclosed injury.

[Cortland Sutton]

All right, it's that time. It's training camp. We.

[Andy Holloway]

Terrell Pryor, anybody?

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah, maybe. I mean, I feel like it solidified. Excuse me. It would solidify Robbie Anderson at the top.

[Jason Moore]

So I have. I've had strong takes about Jordan Matthews and Quincy Nunois and even Josh Dockson to a degree. But I do not want to win any of my hot takes with injury or suspension. I would like to see these guys on the field fail as opposed to that.

[Cortland Sutton]

Nice.

[Jason Moore]

Jason used to be in love with this player.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Brandon Lafell was always a good value for about a three year period where nobody wanted him and he would put up points, but he's not putting up points until he has a team. He's been released. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Brandon, the fellow released by the Bengals. Does your antenna go up when it comes to the hype surrounding John Ross?

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, for all of you out there, that's the new hype train.

[Cortland Sutton]

This is on you.

[Jason Moore]

You're welcome.

[Cortland Sutton]

This is on you.

[Andy Holloway]

Posted a. Andy posted a Reddit post.

[Cortland Sutton]

It's gonna keep going.

[Andy Holloway]

It just goes forever. Andy posted a Reddit post. Just asking for feedback how we can make the show better.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, Always trying to get better.

[Andy Holloway]

We got a lot of comments about the dangers of the old hype train.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah, well, enjoy the new one. Toot, toot.

[Andy Holloway]

That's.

[Cortland Sutton]

That's not the hype train. That's the might train. Things might work out.

[Jason Moore]

I actually, I just want the people to know we're listening. And for those of you that live and work near us, train station, no more fear. And if you're afraid of that, well.

[Cortland Sutton]

If you, maybe you.

[Jason Moore]

I want to know if you're really afraid of that. I want to hear it.

[Cortland Sutton]

What if you live next to a toy train factory? Did you think of those people but.

[Jason Moore]

You'Re not in danger from a toy train. It's a toy train.

[Cortland Sutton]

I have nearly lost a toe to a toy train.

[Andy Holloway]

Why don't you tell us safe.

[Jason Moore]

We're about. We're about to talk about the AFC north and break it down fantasy wise. But before we do that, why doesn't somebody tell me about Pristine Auction?

[Cortland Sutton]

Hey, we want to thank today's sponsor, Pristine Auction. The best place, the absolute only place you need to go to check out and get some sports memorabilia. This is where we go get our hot signatures. Oh, Brooksie. Brooksie has put up the bumblebee. Antonio Brown signed jersey.

[Andy Holloway]

Jersey.

[Cortland Sutton]

Quite possibly the best jersey in the history of the NFL. Haters going to hate.

[Andy Holloway]

The hate is because they ain't us.

[Cortland Sutton]

That's absolutely true. The Bumblebee is where it's at. Check out some of it.

[Jason Moore]

Looks like they wore those jerseys at Shawshank. That's what they look like to me.

[Andy Holloway]

Prison jerseys.

[Jason Moore]

They're like, you know, they got the prison stripes.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, we got it signed by inmate number one.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I got a bumble. We went to jail.

[Cortland Sutton]

Antonio Brown a bumblebee.

[Jason Moore]

What did I say?

[Andy Holloway]

I think he said a bumblebee.

[Cortland Sutton]

But you can also get fantastic deals on Pristine Auction. They have hundreds of new things up there every single day. Like yesterday, a signed Mike Evans buccaneers jersey for 70 bucks. A signed Josh Gordon jersey for 68 bucks. A Jarvis Landry for $70. And check this out. A signed Deandre Hopkins Texans jersey for $71. The deals and the steals are always coming through at Pristine Auction. Head over there. P R I S T I n e auction.com youm make a completely free account and when you sign up, let them know that the fantasy footballer sent you.

[Jason Moore]

Also, don't forget to check out the ultimate draft kit atultimate draft kit.com. it's the absolute best value. We keep adding new stuff to it, but we never change the price. I think we're missing something there, but you can get [e-mail] we'll get you ready for the draft.

[Andy Holloway]

Let's get divisional.

[Jason Moore]

Quick announcement. We're going to continue our divisional journey, but tomorrow we're going to take a break and we're going to jump into a mock draft live on the show. Not only that, but by popular request, we're also going to each draft our own team. Sometimes we draft together in the mock draft episodes. Sometimes we draft separately. Tomorrow will be an opportunity for us to go head to head to head and you guys can vote on what team you like the most. It'll be fun. So tomorrow we'll be do a live mock draft. We'll get back into the divisional breakdowns next week and some new stuff. Today's the AFC North. Last year The Steelers were 13 and 3, the Ravens were 9 and 7. The Bengals are 7 and 9. The Cleveland Browns were 0 and 16. Nowhere to go but up. Before we collateral exists. Before we talk about the Steelers, I do want to circle back briefly to that Reddit post we I posted yesterday and I posted it with a purpose. I said, hey look, you guys listen to the show. We've been doing this, this is our fourth full season. How do we make the show better? What do you love about the show? We got some cool feedback, right? Like if you're a new listener now, sometimes we remember, you know, we think that you've all been here since January, since we're a year round show. And some people have said, look, make sure you mention the player name and position in the team a little more often because you're listening in the car and we'll be ranting about a certain player and you don't remember who we're talking about. Yeah, I was like that's great feedback.

[Andy Holloway]

Or you don't know the rookies. Well, the Sony Michelle trade that you guys were talking about.

[Cortland Sutton]

Sony Michelle, running back for the New England Patriots.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Rookie draft pick, great point. Failing already.

[Cortland Sutton]

I just want to throw this out since we were talking about a trade. He I had seen was not at practice this morning.

[Jason Moore]

It's a very opportune time to trade. Jason, Mike is teaching you how to trade.

[Cortland Sutton]

I'm just reporting that. I mean he, I think he got nicked up and he's not practicing.

[Jason Moore]

This is true. He's yours for free.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

But no, we got a lot of really good feedback like we were talking about with the hype train, the drive train. And we always, you know, we want to make the show better. We want to be receptive to feedback. We want to keep it what it is. But I just want to say thank you. I mean there's 680 comments on there from the Redditors. So I'm giving a shout out to R Fantasy Football for breaking it down, giving us good feedback. And look, we're listening. We want to make this show great. We want you to win.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

And you're going to win if you keep it here all season long. You don't win it at the draft. You set the table and then, then you eat from weeks one through 17.

[Andy Holloway]

No you do not one through 16.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

Shame on you, week 17ers.

[Jason Moore]

What do you do in week 17 after you set the table?

[Cortland Sutton]

You celebrate your championship when you clear the table.

[Andy Holloway]

Look, if you're eating, it's just dessert as a champ. Sorry, go ahead. You don't have to watch football without.

[Cortland Sutton]

Ah, get out of here. You play tfs.

[Jason Moore]

Here's a fix. Brooks, if there's ever a player that we're talking about for so long that you're like, man, these people got to know who that is. Just jump in. Just jump in with that bold, abrasive voice. All right. Okay. You got it. And if you do it too much, we'll tell you to stop. All right, let's start here.

[Andy Holloway]

Steelers.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, the Steelers. So much fire on this offense. Some offenses in the NFL you just want, you want a lot of pieces. Jason just got a juju Smith Schuster, bobblehead positioned on his desk so he can see the star that he has fallen in love with. But last year, great season, 13 and three. We know Le'Veon Bell, he's at the top. But I'm curious how we really see the wide receivers breaking down beyond Antonio Brown. Curious to see and maybe Discuss the Vance McDonald, Jesse James opportunity at the tight end position on a team that has had value with Heath Miller in the past. You know, James Washington, the rookie, we'll talk about him in terms of the off season moves. Big overview stuff. Martavis Bryant, wide receiver, traded to the Oakland Raiders, no longer a part of that offense. James Washington, wide receiver, drafted to replace him in that role. What's the headline for you when you talk about the Pittsburgh Steelers last year they were the number 4th ranked offensive line, passing yards per game, 3rd in the league, passing plays on the season, 7th in the league. Are we talking about Big Ben as that streaming value or do you want them all season long?

[Cortland Sutton]

I would, I like going in on, on Big Ben for a later round quarterback. He's, he has top five upside. Yes, we, we really haven't seen Big Ben put together an entire full season. But last year after the bye week, Big Ben in points per game was the number one fantasy quarterback. And that was for a nice long stretch. So yes, I'm very interested in drafting him because you don't have to pay that much in the draft. You're not paying, you know, Deshaun Watson, Carson Wentz, you can wait until the, wait until the second half of the draft. But the headline, you cannot skip over Antonio Brennan and Le'Veon Bell. They are, they are Absolutely. The headline. And you have Le'Veon Bell with three seasons of over 1200 rushing yards, three seasons of 94 plus targets, two of them with over 100. And that's why Le'Veon Bell is still my number one running back and half point PPR. But you got to talk about the training camp. You got to talk about is he going to be punished for the first few games, get off to a slower start. Jason, where are you on Le'Veon Bell? Is he still your number one running back or have you made adjustments and said, well, there's a little bit of risk here with the contract situation. So I'm just going to go with.

[Andy Holloway]

Todd Gurley with the contract situation. It doesn't factor in at all. To me. He held out last year and was awesome. The fact that his contract situation means that he's not going to be a Steeler next year, almost guaranteed. They couldn't come to a long term contract. They're not going to franchise him for a third time in a row. They're going to use him to the nth degree this year. I love Le'Veon Bell. The only reason I would move him down to two for me is as I monitor the health of the offensive line. I know they've had some struggles there in training camp. Then I might go, hey, if their offensive line is taking a step backwards because of injury, then I would go Todd Gurley. But I mean, you know, it's, it's all, it's all good. There's. If you want to take Antonio Brown with the first pick, that's good too. David Johnson, Zeke, they're all in that mix.

[Jason Moore]

You were talking about the first round though, this year in particular. I think we were all discussing this at lunch the other day. Just about it seems like you, there's just not a lot of misses sitting there. I mean, was that the discussion?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I think this is one of the strongest first rounds as far as the, the top end of the first round that we've had in the last, I don't know, five or six years.

[Jason Moore]

And that's one of the reasons why I've chosen to put Le'Veon Bell at that four spot in my rankings is simply because if there's, if you're splitting the difference on value, you know, Todd Gurley just got paid big money. Alvin Camara's role especially, to be fair.

[Cortland Sutton]

Le'Veon Bell is going to make very large money this season as well.

[Jason Moore]

Well, it's different though.

[Cortland Sutton]

I mean, it's a one Year. Just saying he's. He's going to make a lot of money this year.

[Jason Moore]

Well, any doubt that you had that Todd Gurley is going to be the centerpiece of that offense is waged by $60 million.

[Cortland Sutton]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

And Le'Veon Bell's coming back. And everybody, everybody that contrasts with me on this point about Le'Veon Bell has distractions. Isn't in camp. They say the same thing. They said, well, he always does this. I want to be clear. No, he doesn't. He did it once. Right. We've been through this situation one time to the degree where we were content with what happened. I don't think that that is setting the precedent for a guaranteed success throughout the year. Now, to the degree that he's number four, yeah, he's great. He's amazing. They're going to use him as much as possible. But if you talk to injury experts, none of them think it's better to have extensive rest instead of ramping your body up for the season.

[Cortland Sutton]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

And we've had them come and validate that point. So I do think that there is an inherent added injury risk to missing all of camp, to being in the doghouse of your mentally, to not being on the same page as your team. There is something. Even if it's just a slow start. Right. Let's concede he has a slow start. Three games. I'll take Gurley.

[Cortland Sutton]

It's fair.

[Andy Holloway]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

So that's where I sit on that juju Smith, Schuster, hamming it up at camp. James Washington, a player I love. Jason and I, we disagree. Maybe we can carry that. That love, hate throughout his entire career. Jason. But I love James Washington.

[Andy Holloway]

I think we can do it.

[Jason Moore]

I think we can do it.

[Andy Holloway]

I really think we can carry that.

[Jason Moore]

I guess I feel like there's a lot of disagreement with the Steelers because I really do believe in James Washington's role. We've seen Big Ben make a lot out of a little. Not that I don't think Eli Rodgers is a bad player. Don't think he's a great player. Seen him have value because of Big Ben and the passing attempts on this offense. I think James Washington is a great player.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Cortland Sutton]

But when Eli Rogers had actual value, that was when Martavis was not there. Somehow they're third in yards per game in passing, but I don't think there's enough there for a third wide receiver. James Washington has the talent to give you a couple big plays throughout the season, but you're never going to be able to trust him. Other than maybe the matchup is great. So you throw him into your dfs.

[Jason Moore]

He means more in a negative fashion to juju than he does in a positive fashion to himself. I will agree with that.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, sure. But I mean, juju was fine when Martavis Bryant was there last year. So I don't, I don't think James Washington is a step above Martavis Bryant. I don't, I don't think he takes that much away. The one thing you have to be careful of with juju is last year, his efficiency was. It was not sustainable. His touchdown rate per receptions. I mean, juju is a great player. I believe that fully, but he's not going to be the number one target. He's not going to keep the same touchdown pace that he had last year. He'll be valuable, but, you know, I don't see him, you know, I've cooled a little bit on, you know, the ability for him to crack that top 12. But all of that said, as Mike mentioned earlier, James Washington, great option. Juju Smith Schuster, great player. Antonio Brown, best in the business. Le'Veon Bell, unbelievable pass catcher. Big Ben is going to be a value this year. And you know, when you draft a guy late like that, look at the opening schedule. Cleveland is week one. If they're, if they're, you know, holding back. Love Bell. Week one. Go Big Ben. Kansas City, their secondary is gone. That's week two. Tampa Bay is week three. Their first difficult matchup is Baltimore in week four. But that's home Big Ben. So I like Big Ben as a draft pick. Love him in best ball, and I'm totally fine drafting him as my streaming candidate to start the year.

[Jason Moore]

Good news. When Martavis didn't play that one game, juju had a nice pace.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. Yes. That is very.

[Jason Moore]

Let me read this for you.

[Cortland Sutton]

Are you going to extrapolate his One.

[Jason Moore]

Game only for entertainment.

[Andy Holloway]

I love it.

[Jason Moore]

112 receptions.

[Andy Holloway]

Pretty good.

[Jason Moore]

16 touchdowns.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, very nice.

[Jason Moore]

3,088 yards, baby. So Martavis is gone. Juju is good for 3,000. That's. That's what we're saying.

[Andy Holloway]

Put in the books.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Mike, let's talk about Vance McDonald and Jesse James. You and I disagree again on this point. I know we have Vance McDonald. We do have him in as a potential sleeper at the tight end position because he is. He's far more athletic and more talented than Jesse James is.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

My concern is loyalty to Jesse James, the intangibles of Jesse James, what he does on the field outside of fantasy that will cause Vance McDonald to not get enough of a snap percentage and enough targets.

[Andy Holloway]

I would also throw in a smidge. As far as the worries on Vance McDonald of Health. He's already been banged up in camp and he's never really been healthy.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah. I will allow the concerns for health.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you, Mike.

[Cortland Sutton]

I cannot ignore them for Vance McDonald because that's what held him back this.

[Jason Moore]

This past year was you can't do the Vance dance. If you're right wearing a cast.

[Cortland Sutton]

That's, that's true.

[Andy Holloway]

It's hard to get the Vance off over that cast.

[Cortland Sutton]

He was traded very late on.

[Jason Moore]

So you don't wear Vance in the vans dance. There's no Vance.

[Andy Holloway]

It's a no. Yeah, I mean, you know when you.

[Jason Moore]

I'm just trying to figure out what the dance is because now I'm thinking you're naked when you do the dance.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I mean you might have a.

[Cortland Sutton]

Shirt, you're Donald Ducking, you're dead. But here's the thing for Vance McDonald. He was traded to the Steelers basically right before the season.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Cortland Sutton]

So you're a tight end, you're trying to learn things. And then he got banged up. He did have in the regular season, he did at the towards the end have two games over 50 yards which again 50 yards is ho hum but for a tight end. No, it's 50 yards is good. But then you have the playoff game against Jacksonville. It turned into a shootout which was in his favor, but he had 16 targets, 10 receptions for 112 yards. There are not many tight ends in the NFL who can do that ever. It just with usage and actual ability.

[Jason Moore]

You have, you have to make your case the same way I have to make mine for Corey Davis.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Cortland Sutton]

The playoffs baby.

[Andy Holloway]

Fair.

[Cortland Sutton]

But there's been a lot of, a lot of hype coming from beat reporters because Todd Haley is gone. The new offensive system, they've said it's going to feature the tight end. And before Vance McDonald got banged up in training camp, they were saying he was already getting a whole bunch of targets. You have ESPN's beat reporter Jeremy Fowler saying Vance McDonald is going to be a big part of the Steelers offense. So when it comes to completely punting the tight end position and waiting till your third to last pick, I think that Vance McDonald is one of the better options.

[Andy Holloway]

Man, I would not want to be a defensive coordinator going up against the Steelers this year.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, I would be. I'd be asking Lev Bell to release some more eps into the season and.

[Cortland Sutton]

My last point is for his contract because Vance McDonald got a pretty hefty contract when back when he was with San Francisco. And then the Steelers traded for him. They maybe they still can, but if they wanted to, they can get rid of him for zero dead cap. And he's going to make over $4 million. So that means they want him on the team. They weren't put off by what happened last year.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I think that's fair. And I think the greater point is when you join a team midseason with an offense like that, Todd Haley, you're not going to have a massive role. And then if you get banged up, it's even worse.

[Andy Holloway]

Ravens.

[Jason Moore]

All right. The Ravens at 9 and 7 last season saw the emergence of Alex Collins in that offense. He was one of the storylines of last season when you hoped. And we all going into the season were Danny Woodhead fans. Right. We knew that the role for Danny Woodhead would be big. And then Danny Woodhead was hampered by the hamstring, to be fair.

[Cortland Sutton]

The first half of the first game, the workload was fantastic for Danny Woodhead.

[Jason Moore]

Life was great.

[Cortland Sutton]

30 minutes.

[Jason Moore]

No more Mike Wallace. No more Jeremy Macklin. No more Benjamin Watson. No more Danny Woodhead.

[Cortland Sutton]

This is a brand new team.

[Jason Moore]

We've turned over the past catchers. We've got Michael Crabtree, John Brown, Willie Snead, all brand new. We've drafted Hayden Hurst and Mark Andrews at the tight end position. We've drafted another quarterback in the first round, Lamar Jackson with the 32nd pick of the first round. And suddenly the. The train is rolling for Joe Flacco and how great camp is. And you know what, what does this team really offer you? Last year, 189 yards per game. That's what they threw for. That's what Joe Flacco could produce.

[Cortland Sutton]

It's not ideal for fantasy football.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, distribute that however you want and you're not going to be happy with a single option on this team. Where do you find value in Baltimore?

[Andy Holloway]

Alex Collins?

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah, I am.

[Andy Holloway]

Look, I will completely recognize the risks. Right. He was not the guy they wanted to be the starter.

[Cortland Sutton]

The risk is in his draft is built already into his draft price.

[Andy Holloway]

Exactly right, Mike. The risk is why he's being drafted, where he's being drafted. So if that's already built in, the upside is not built in there. The upside is that he's the legitimate starter for 16 games. A guy who was great last season, you know, his yards per carry were outstanding and his strength of schedule is easier this season than it was last Season against the run. Plus the biggest worry, the biggest threat to Alex Collins is Kenneth Dixon, who has been struggling with a hamstring issue. And we talked about this, you know, we talk about this all the time. But a hamstring issue specifically is one of the things that has a tendency to keep creeping back up as the season goes along. You know, so I, I think Alex Collins is a great value. If I can draft him at his current average draft price, I'm taking him every time.

[Jason Moore]

Well, let's, let's put that to the test. Okay. Because I know he's a, he's right at the end of the third round, beginning of the fourth round, depending on your league format. He's 401 in PPR leagues right now. I think he's a couple picks higher in standard leagues. But let's put that to the test to see if that value is baked in.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

Are you taking Alex Collins ahead of. And these are the players, five players going behind him currently.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

Jj, Would you rather have Alex Collins or jj?

[Andy Holloway]

I would rather have Alex Collins. I know you guys are probably higher on Jay Ajayi.

[Cortland Sutton]

I would take Ajayi.

[Jason Moore]

Would you rather go with your boy Kenya? I love Kenya Drake, Kenyan Drake or Alex Collins.

[Andy Holloway]

And 100% would rather have Alex Collins.

[Cortland Sutton]

Collins.

[Jason Moore]

And then what about Rashad Penny, rookie running back for the Seattle Seahawks?

[Andy Holloway]

Another one of my favorites.

[Jason Moore]

But he's more risk plummeting by the.

[Andy Holloway]

Way, as it should. No, I would take Alex Collins over all of those players.

[Cortland Sutton]

I would take Collins over Penny.

[Andy Holloway]

So I mean I really do believe you've got a team that historically the Ravens, you know, in the Harbaugh era.

[Cortland Sutton]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

Their running backs as a team always produce. I mean they've, they've got, I mean Justin for set came in and was great. Their running backs are valuable if you could pick the right guy. And I think it's Alex Collins.

[Cortland Sutton]

Here's the last thing I'll say for Alex Collins is last year 15 games because this was another late addition to Baltimore. But in 15 games he had 973 rushing yards. So if he plays 16 games, he's easily, easily a thousand yard rusher last year and you can get him in the fourth round.

[Jason Moore]

Lamar Miller's going behind him.

[Cortland Sutton]

Is Lamar Miller 1,000 yard rusher?

[Jason Moore]

Based on the way I feel like the volumes looking, I mean to be a thousand yard rusher is not very difficult. Was it 60 yards a game?

[Cortland Sutton]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

But you have to keep in mind.

[Cortland Sutton]

What like eight last year?

[Andy Holloway]

You have to keep in Mind as well. It was week five before Alex Collins started to get double digit carries.

[Cortland Sutton]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. No, I'm not really trying to make a point against him. I love him. I think Alex Collins is a great value and I think they want to run the ball and I think they're going to have to run the ball. They were 11th in yards per game on the ground last season despite the turnover at the running back position. And because of Alex Collins, they just don't have the money invested in him that guarantees his role. The same way they didn't with Terrence West. Because we were talking about Terrence west last offseason.

[Andy Holloway]

Agree.

[Jason Moore]

As a value.

[Cortland Sutton]

And the other risk is Kenneth Dixon. Jason brought up though he's struggling with injuries, but Kenneth Dixon is good enough to push Alex Collins for the starting job.

[Jason Moore]

What have you guys heard about John Brown, Willie Snead, Michael Crabtree and the past catchers this offseason? Are you excited about one or the other? I'm not a Crabtree fan. I brought this up on the live show. He's a player I'm sunsetting. He's a player that I'm treating like Eric Decker or Jeremy Macklin this year. He's been traded to a team with 189 yards of passing per game. And I think he's been traded there and all of his metrics.

[Cortland Sutton]

He wasn't traded. He signed there.

[Jason Moore]

Sorry. Yes. But he's now arrived at a team that isn't a pass producing team and his major metrics all went down significantly last year. I don't like him.

[Cortland Sutton]

He's still a touchdown guy. To me. The yardage may be down from what we're used to. We're not going to hit a six.

[Jason Moore]

Round pick right now.

[Cortland Sutton]

But guys like Torrey Smith had a year of seven, a year of eight, a year of 11 touchdowns. Anquan Bolden, who at that time was considered old, considered very old.

[Jason Moore]

It's been a while.

[Cortland Sutton]

Considered sunsetting. He had seven touchdowns his first year with Baltimore.

[Jason Moore]

Are you going to be happy with seven touchdowns from Crabtree in the sixth round?

[Cortland Sutton]

In the sixth round? If you give me seven touchdowns and 600 yards, it's not going to be 600 yards. It'll be around 800. If you're saying 800 yards and 7 touchdowns from Crabtree in the 6th round, then I'm probably happy with that.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it's okay. I think John Brown also provides, you know, the early.

[Cortland Sutton]

The choo choo train, the toy train has been rolling.

[Andy Holloway]

Andy. We're going to need that hype train on John Brown because here he comes. Whoa, Todd Brown, this is. That's blazing by guys of all the.

[Jason Moore]

Players that the toy train high train.

[Cortland Sutton]

Fits where I was going to go. I really hope that John Brown is healthy. I really, really do.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I'm rooting for him. I will say this for Joe Flacco, this is the best wide receiver core he's had in since Steve Smith has left. This is the best wide receiver core he's had by a mile. So there is an opportunity for him to step his game back up and be one of those, you know, two quarterback league late draft pick steals. You know, if he can do that. Now, Lamar Jackson is electric and for fantasy because he's so such a weapon on the ground. You know, if he gets in, he's going to be a top five weekly option. So, you know, you got to keep your eyes on Lamar Jackson. And speaking of keeping your eyes on Lamar Jackson, we get to do that tonight. Tonight Lamar Jackson will probably be seen quite a bit more so than Joe Flacco because it is the hall of Fame game.

[Jason Moore]

This is the. I want to see Anthony Miller on the field. Yeah, I want to see Lamar Jackson, I want to see Hayden Hurst and I want to see Mark Andrews.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah, I was going to bring it up. The tight end position. Joe Flacco, at least in the past we've seen it with, with Dennis Pitta. Massive volume. Massive volume. Dennis Pitta, he misses. I'm not going to go there.

[Jason Moore]

No, you're not.

[Cortland Sutton]

But the tight end position, we've wanted someone to emerge. We wanted Max Williams to emerge. Didn't happen. What is your level of comfort with a rookie?

[Jason Moore]

None. Zero.

[Andy Holloway]

I would agree. I'm excited. I want to watch.

[Jason Moore]

If there was just one of them, I would. My. I would. You know, that's why I want to seed tonight and through preseason because if someone does emerge, you know, maybe I, maybe I look sideways at him in the 16th round. I mean, I just don't have a lot of excitement for that.

[Andy Holloway]

Fair Bengals.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, farewell Brandon LaFell. Let's talk Bengals 7. John Ross, 7 and 9. Last season, I guess 7 and 9 was enough to keep Marvin Lewis around. Kind of a lost year. I mean that's, that's kind of the. There are no metrics that make me excited about what happened on the field last year for the Bengals 7 to 9 with the 31st ranked rushing yards per game, the 27th ranked passing yards per game. This was a team that ran the fewest plays on offense. In the entire NFL.

[Andy Holloway]

It makes sense considering you felt that.

[Jason Moore]

Way if you owned a Bengal, you felt like they were never on the field.

[Andy Holloway]

The stats that I gave, you know, in my argument for Joe Mixon as a fire player, the fact that the Bengals only ran the ball 377 times is, you know, it's outlandish. It's crazy. Never happened in the Marvin Lewis era. And I, you know, this team is going to be improved this year offensively, getting Brandon LaFell out. I remember early in the off season reading the reports on John Ross, hearing how players and coaches were talking about him. This is well before minicamps or OTAs, just the off season work. I started sunsetting Brandon Lefell in the, you know, in my early projections. And I think getting Ross out there with AJ Green a better left tackle, which is monumentally important. If you go back and watch the film, getting the ball to Joe Mix and more. This is actually one of those sneaky offenses that I'm excited about. And I, and I don't think that there's any buzz for the Bengals. I don't think. I haven't heard anybody excited. The Bengals are like, I don't want a piece. AJ Green's getting too old. The offense is bad. The offensive line is bad.

[Jason Moore]

Tyler Ifer gets hurt.

[Andy Holloway]

Right, Exactly.

[Jason Moore]

John Ross didn't do it last year.

[Andy Holloway]

I think that these players are all representing pretty good values for where they're being drafted.

[Cortland Sutton]

AJ Green is personally for, in my opinion, personally responsible for the reason why a top five pick is so incredible this year. Because you're in the top five. That means you get your, you get one of those five running backs who we all want on our team and then AJ Green is going in the back of the second round. If you can start your draft with David Johnson and A.J.

[Jason Moore]

Green. Yeah.

[Cortland Sutton]

A.J. green has had over a thousand yards in six of his seven seasons. He has had seven or more touchdowns in five of his seven seasons. And last year he was, he was still able to get over a thousand yards even with the lowest catch percentage of his career. And I put that more on the offense and Dalton than I do put it on AJ Green.

[Jason Moore]

I have an incredible stat credit to a redditor that I noticed this. It was about A.J. green and he posted it yesterday. It compares Julio Jones and AJ Green and if you look at seven seasons, right, the seven seasons that AJ Green and Julio Jones have had and you take all of their statistics, the career yards, everything, they have averaged exactly 166.257 points. Fantasy points on the season for their careers, both players. And these are guys that came out together. They're players that. They came out of high school together. It's just crazy. They've had the exact same fantasy production, on average over seven years. I thought that was nuts.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah, that is nuts. And to Julio's credit, he has more missed games.

[Jason Moore]

A per game basis, it's a little different, but. So where's the secret value on this roster? Is it. Is it in a player like Mark Walton, running back, rookie, behind Joe Mixon and Gio Bernard?

[Cortland Sutton]

I like Mark Walton a lot, long term, but Joe Mixon is going to be given every opportunity to be the starter. And Giovanni Bernard is still there, at least for this season. I think next year the Bengals may move on from Gio Bernard and then Mark Walton becomes interesting. But Gio Bernard showed that he still had some stuff this past year. He was. He's still an excellent pass catcher. He can't be the guy, which is why they drafted Joe Mixon in the second round. So Mark Walton isn't. He's not interesting to me, but it's. It's John Ross, the draft capital. I was fully out, fully out on John Ross.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, you've changed.

[Cortland Sutton]

No, the only reason I was out on him was because Marvin Lewis hates rookies and he doesn't give them playing time.

[Jason Moore]

You're talking about last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Cortland Sutton]

It wasn't. This was not a My John Ross last year, which hopefully I was emphasizing was, this is not a. I don't like John Ross the player. It's. I don't like his situation. He's gone to a team that will not use him despite drafting him in the top 10. And then he finishes the year with negative fantasy points because Marvin Lewis punished him. And now we know that. We've heard that maybe John Ross was playing with an injury that he did not tell the team about. So all reports have John Ross as healthy. All reports have John Ross as still being the fastest man in the universe. And he's getting open and he's making plays and he's going very, very late.

[Andy Holloway]

And you have to keep in mind that if you don't remember the first two weeks of the Cincinnati Bengals year last year, oh, man, they didn't score.

[Cortland Sutton]

It was great.

[Andy Holloway]

They didn't score a touchdown for two consecutive weeks. And that's when Bill Lazer took over as the offensive coordinator. He didn't get training camp. He didn't get to install his system with. With, you know, prior with a preseason. This Is Bill Lazer's first training camp and going through installing his system. So I. Yeah, I. I like Ross. I love mixing and I'm staying away from Tyler if it's all about.

[Cortland Sutton]

What about Andy Dalton? We've talked.

[Jason Moore]

I'm not building him up this offseason again. I'm not. He burned me last.

[Andy Holloway]

I think he's a great late round pick.

[Cortland Sutton]

He. He was great when he was playing with Gruden.

[Jason Moore]

He was a great late round pick last season. That's what we said.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah, he was.

[Andy Holloway]

And he started and he wasn't two weeks horrifically bad. That was. That was a swing and a miss. A strike. What do they call that?

[Jason Moore]

A strikeout.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I know strikeout but like when you.

[Cortland Sutton]

It's like fool me once.

[Andy Holloway]

No strike out looking or something.

[Cortland Sutton]

Oh, yes.

[Jason Moore]

That's a bad reference.

[Cortland Sutton]

That's a really bad reference.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm trying to make a baseball because.

[Cortland Sutton]

You need bad sport. You need three strikes. Jason, if you get two strikes, you are still up to bat. You can still make.

[Jason Moore]

Don had about 16 strikes less.

[Cortland Sutton]

Not talking about bowling.

[Jason Moore]

No, we're not.

[Andy Holloway]

Brown.

[Jason Moore]

Speaking of 16 strikes. Oh, and 16. Hugh Jackson and company got it. Oh no, they did not get it done last season.

[Cortland Sutton]

I feel like you should. The quote should go over because you talk about 7 to 9 was good enough to keep Marvin Lewis's job. 0. 16 was good enough to keep Hugh Jackson's job.

[Jason Moore]

It's all about, you know, the momentum in the locker room, not on the field. Mike, they know what Hugh Jackson is and they brought in Todd Haley. They're going new offensive coordinator.

[Cortland Sutton]

Negative wins this year.

[Jason Moore]

One can't do it.

[Cortland Sutton]

Zero. They're going to find a way. Life finds a way.

[Jason Moore]

Oh my gosh.

[Andy Holloway]

Is that totally different team?

[Jason Moore]

Is that when we get to take.

[Andy Holloway]

The picture down behind Andy?

[Jason Moore]

Honestly, the picture only went up recently.

[Andy Holloway]

That's the.

[Jason Moore]

That wasn't up last year, was it?

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, it was.

[Jason Moore]

Not during the season.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm just wondering when can we take that down?

[Jason Moore]

You cannot take it down. You can take it down when. When he's fired. Which will be never because he's. He's a genius. Next year. All right, here's the summary of the Cleveland Browns offense.

[Andy Holloway]

We'll.

[Jason Moore]

We'll paint a rosier picture than the one that we introduced.

[Cortland Sutton]

I'm just being jocular over here because I think that the Browns are interesting.

[Jason Moore]

It's fun to. To make light. You have to those at the bottom because that's how you survive.

[Andy Holloway]

Just a totally different team. Though.

[Cortland Sutton]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

No. Isaiah Crowell. He's in New York. No. Deshaun Kaiser at quarterback. He has been traded to the Green Bay Packers. New players arriving. Rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield, the number one overall pick. Tyrod Taylor, acquired to be the starter in Cleveland at the quarterback position. Getting all the first team reps. They drafted a running back, Nick Chubb. Draft capital was not something they were missing. Victories, yes. Draft capital, no. Nick Chubb arrives. Carlos Hyde arrives. Jarvis Landry. Welcome to the team. Antonio Callaway. A lot of hype on Antonio Callaway. Wide receiver, rookie. Rookie. Look, there are a lot of new pieces on this roster.

[Cortland Sutton]

Todd Haley, offensive coordinator. I mean that's a huge addition to this team.

[Andy Holloway]

David and Joku, year two tight end.

[Jason Moore]

Year two of getting Josh Gordon back.

[Andy Holloway]

They're going 16 and old fellas.

[Jason Moore]

No, they can't because they have Corey Coleman, Jason. Well, they do, dragging them down. But let's talk realistic expectations for this offense. That's what the fantasy owners want to know. They want to know what can I expect from Duke Johnson who has been consistently a great pass catching PPR running back. Now Nick Chubb and Carlos Hyde are atop the depth chart. Duke Johnson will seriously have a role, obviously, but his role takes a hit. Does it?

[Cortland Sutton]

Yes. Jarvis Landry takes a big chunk away from Duke Johnson in my opinion. You had Duke was, I mean he was the feature pass catching running back. I think he can still be that. But they were moving him all around him. Duke Johnson was taking snaps out of the slot this past year. That's not going to happen when you have given Jarvis Landry supreme slot wide receiver, 75 and a half million dollars. That, that job, that part of your job description is now gone.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I agree. Also, I think that Jarvis Landry is going to have a hard time replicating the value he's had recently. I brought this up on the argument against Josh Gordon, but if you take a look at rookie and we're talking quality rookie quarterbacks who played all 16 games and were in the top 10 since 2000 in passing attempts and you give that average along with Tyrod's career high. There's not a lot of passing work to be done here. I don't think this team is going to be in the top 10 in passing attempts this season. And if you just give them middle of the road numbers like you know, they're 16th in passing attempts and then you break that up between Gordon, between Landry, between Duke Johnson. I, you know, I am avoiding the pass catchers for the Cleveland Browns because you don't know who it's going to be. But their price right now is not discounted. I mean Josh Gordon is being drafted as if he's the clear cut number one and he very well made the number three.

[Jason Moore]

Let me make a counterpoint on the basis of the history of Todd Haley, offensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns. Historically, Todd Haley's teams have ranked high in pass attempts. Six last year, ninth year before 16th, sixth rushing wise rushing attempts. They've been at the bottom of the league in overall rushing attempts. Even in Pittsburgh. 25, 15, 24, 16, 15. He likes to throw the ball. He's always done it in Arizona, in Kansas City, he has pass catching weapons that. How would you rank those? Just in a neutral scenario, how would you rank Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, David Njoku, Antonio Calloway, Corey Coleman?

[Andy Holloway]

I would say very.

[Jason Moore]

Is that in the top five total weapons in the league?

[Andy Holloway]

No, but it's top 10. I mean definitely top 10.

[Jason Moore]

Those are unbelievable weapons for a offensive coordinator who. This isn't. There's no doubt here. Right. Like in Oakland where we hate Greg Olson. He's not going to be calling plays right here. This is, this is like Hugh Jackson. You step back, you did your work at Owen. 16. Todd Haley is going to come into this opportunity with a chip on his shoulder against Pittsburgh and all the weapons in the world obviously wasn't a piece of acquiring Tyrod Taylor. I like Tyrod Taylor.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

I like the pass attempt and opportunity for him. So I actually I have a very contrasting take than the hate that's going Cleveland's way based on passing volume.

[Cortland Sutton]

I agree.

[Jason Moore]

I think that distribution of the yards and things like that could cause issues to me, but not passing volume. I think it's going to be different than what we saw Tyra Taylor do in Buffalo because of Todd Haley.

[Cortland Sutton]

It will be different. I agree. But the fact that Tyrod Taylor is also the rushing quarterback, instead of trying to check down, he will have lower attempts, I believe than. Than when Baker comes in.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Cortland Sutton]

But that's why I said Todd Haley is the biggest addition to this team. It changes things drastically from if Hugh Jackson & Co. Brought in Todd Haley to keep running the boring, slow everything down Hugh Jackson offense that he has talked about. That's what he wants to do for years. Then they. They've made an egregious mistake bringing in Todd Haley. But you can go back to. You want to talk about passing volume. You and you brought up the Chiefs. Dwayne Bowe had 133 targets, 72 receptions for 1100 yards and 15 touchdowns in a season under Todd Haley when he was the head coach of the Chiefs. So that's. That's what changes everything, is Todd Haley and makes these guys interesting. But I will agree with Jason. You can't draft. Even as much as I love Gordon, you can't draft him, and you can't draft Jarvis in the top five rounds, in the top four rounds. It's just. It's overpaying when there are other guys going in that same area that, you know, are solidified in their roles in an offense.

[Jason Moore]

Do you want Marvin Jones more than you want Josh Gordon, Mike?

[Cortland Sutton]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

In all scenarios?

[Cortland Sutton]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

No matter how your team's made up, Jason?

[Andy Holloway]

100%, man. That's very.

[Jason Moore]

It's very interesting. It's very interesting.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, no, there's a dynasty trade.

[Jason Moore]

No, this is very, very.

[Cortland Sutton]

This is a very. This is a 2. This is a 2v1 bet.

[Jason Moore]

Interesting.

[Andy Holloway]

Put. Yep.

[Jason Moore]

Put.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Are you. Are you in? Are you in, Mike?

[Cortland Sutton]

You're darn right I don't back down.

[Andy Holloway]

Water bet.

[Cortland Sutton]

Let me check my rankings.

[Jason Moore]

I trust the talent. I trust Todd Haley to use it correctly, and I believe Josh Gordon will outscore Marvin Jones, and that comes down to the fact that they'll probably have about the same amount of total receptions, but I think Josh Gordon will do more with them.

[Cortland Sutton]

I've got Marvin Jones four spots higher.

[Jason Moore]

I am very confident with that. All right, we've run a little long. We are going to. We're going to fit in an interview here. We had the opportunity to talk with Broncos wide receiver rookie Cortland Sutton, a player that I think may or may not have fantasy value this specific season with Demarys Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, but has a bright future ahead of him in dynasty leagues and keeper leagues. You need to be paying attention to this guy and from standing directly next to him. He is a mountain of a man, and he's going to go get it in the NFL. So let's talk to Corland. Sutton.

[Andy Holloway]

You talking to me?

[Cortland Sutton]

All right, Cortland. I want to start off because I love hearing. I'm so jealous. Guys getting drafted, your draft story. Who were you with? What was that experience like? Just the feelings of anticipation, and then you get the call. What's that all look like?

[Mike Wright]

So Thursday, I was really nervous. I didn't know what this. I was projected anywhere, first and second round, so I had no idea where I was gonna go. So I think I was really nervous Thursday. Friday, I wasn't as nervous. I was Kind of just like wherever I go, I'm gonna go there and, you know, that's gonna be my new home. And so I was with my family. I have family, friends, literally all grandparents, cousins, everybody was there. And we're sitting in a, like a little suite in a hotel, and my phone rings and I see the Colorado zip code on there and, well, it's code. And I was just like, all right.

[Jason Moore]

And.

[Mike Wright]

And so I answered it and you know, Mr. Matt was on there and he passed the phone, pass the phone over. And I got talked to, you know, everybody and. And literally my stomach was just like. It's like a feeling that you can't. You can't really recreate. You won't be able to recreate that. No touchdown? No, I don't think no game that I won. Nothing kind of compares to that feeling just because, you know, like, your life changes when that phone rings and you don't know where you're going to go. But to know that some team wants to take a chance on you and they see that potential in you, it's awesome. So I'm glad that they saw that in me and I'm ready to, you know, go show them that they didn't make a mistake and making that pick.

[Cortland Sutton]

So when you get that call, did you kind of have the thought, like, I'm going to be working with dt, I'm working with Emmanuel Sanders. Can you talk a little bit about your experience getting to learn from pros, Pros, like elite level wide receivers, man.

[Mike Wright]

It was crazy because. Because a few weeks before the draft, me and Emmanuel had actually worked out at smu and I was just talking to him about, you know, what to expect when I got to the team and, you know, what he looked for in his rookies when they first came in. And so to sit there and talk to him about that and then to see I get drafted by the Broncos, literally the first one in my head was like, I'm get to play with you, man. And then it was like, dt. And then I remembered that they got cased and I was like, dang, this is crazy. And I started looking at the rest of our class. Class once, like the day went through and then the next day went through. I was like, this is awesome. And then there's a guy who went undrafted, but I played ball with him in high school. He played. He was a center at, at tcu. And to be able to play with him as well, it's awesome. But to have Eman and ET in my room, two guys who Pro bowl guys, super bowl winning guys, guys that, you know, play the game at a high level. To have them in my room and so accessible, you know, I don't have to go, like, call and be like, hey, you know, what do y'all think about on this route? Like, I literally get to go runner route. They watch, and they'd be like, hey, I think you can do this better, or I get to watch them, and I can say, you know, why'd you do this? Instead of doing this on this route and just getting to sit there and pick their brains. You know, I'm always in there getting to talk to them and. And they're. They're not guys who act like they. They're too big to talk to us. You know, we ask questions, they're willing to. To answer them. So to have them guys like that, it's cool. It's really cool.

[Cortland Sutton]

So it. We know players. You got to tell that the team line their team first, team first. You got to have those personal goals. What is. What do you. What do you expect expecting from yourself.

[Mike Wright]

A rookie season, Honestly, Rookie season, all I want to do is just be able to come in and contribute where I can. I mean, it's. I got two guys who are proven, and I play the game at a high level, like I said. And so I can't just come in and say, oh, I'm gonna come in and beat the guy. I'm gonna come in, I'm gonna earn my stripes, and whatever way that is for me, then I'm gonna do it. You know, if it's been that third receiver, if it's been that guy who comes in whenever they need a break, if it's a guy who's on the field with them at all times, when we go 11 personnel, then I want to be that guy. But I want to make sure I'm giving myself the best opportunity to be on the field. And then when I am on the field, you know, doing I'm supposed to be doing to help the team win. That's it.

[Cortland Sutton]

All right, man. I really appreciate your time, Mr. Sutton. Good luck, man.

[Mike Wright]

Thank you.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you. All right, Mike, do you have any candid thoughts of your own after talking to Cortland that, you know, you've brought him up before as having potential value in 2018 this season.

[Cortland Sutton]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

But what do you see from him and Daeshun Hamilton and how do you project that going forward for Dynasty owners?

[Cortland Sutton]

For Dynasty owners. I love both of those guys. I think that Sutton can. He can have a role this year. He's getting very positive talk coming out of training camp, but it's going to come down to touchdowns because it won't be a volume. There will not be high volume for Cortland Sutton unless something were to happen with Demarius Thomas or Emmanuel Sanders. And I'll be surprised. Actually, we can have a quick conversation. Very quick. If something were to happen to Emmanuel Sanders, is it possible that they go to the more refined route runner of Daeshun Hamilton instead of elevating Cortland Sutton? Because Sutton and Thomas have a very similar play style, would they want to keep the offense more balanced?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I would agree with that because Sutton will already be out on the field. If you've paid attention to the Broncos camp, Sutton is on the field a lot. There was a couple days ago a full scrimmage and they were coming back to win the game. Case Keenum, and it was, I think, last opportunity and they threw. He threw a touchdown pass to the back of the end zone to Cortland Sutton. That was with Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders on the field. So Case Keenum's been looking his way and I do think Sutton has an opportunity for some relevance this season.

[Jason Moore]

All right, well, we'll be back with the mock draft show tomorrow. Friday. Friday, mock draft. Head to head to head. That'll be fun. While the latest fantasy football news notes information. Jason, have you stopped sweating yet?

[Andy Holloway]

I just stopped.

[Jason Moore]

Just. It only took another an hour.

[Andy Holloway]

Time to watch a Hall of Fame game and play best ball while you do it. Go to draft.com/ballers.

[Jason Moore]

Goodbye, everybody.

[Cortland Sutton]

See you tomorrow.

[Andy Holloway]

Goodbye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter the FFballers.