Bold Predictions + Spicy Takes, BILL CROSKEY! - Fantasy Football Podcast for 8/26

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary

Episode: "Bold Predictions + Spicy Takes, BILL CROSKEY!" – August 26, 2025

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Main Theme & Purpose

This high-energy episode features Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright dishing out their boldest and spiciest fantasy football predictions for the 2025 NFL season. The trio also discusses undrafted gems who could make a big impact, breaks down the latest NFL news—including trades, injuries, and cuts—and shares plenty of humor and banter. This is a must-listen for fantasy managers looking to get an edge with daring outlooks and actionable advice going into their drafts.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Undrafted Gems to Stash (07:33–14:43)

The team returns to highlight undrafted or late-round fantasy footballers with league-winning potential:

• Dylan Sampson, RB, Browns (Mike, 08:01)

  • Rookie with an impressive college résumé, including SEC Player of the Year.
  • Started over Jerome Ford in the final preseason game—potential for a big workload, especially with unsettled competition and a tough opening schedule.
  • Quote: “There’s a chance he’s the starter… Starting running backs at this point of the draft are very difficult to find.” – Mike Wright (08:24)

• Rashod Bateman, WR, Ravens (Andy, 09:24)

  • Recently extended but being drafted around WR60.
  • Scored nine TDs last year; could benefit from Lamar Jackson’s upside and is a strong spot-flex candidate.
  • Quote: “We’re kind of worn out with Rashod Bateman...but he represents a great weekly spot start as needed.” – Andy Holloway (09:50)

• Theo Johnson, TE, Giants (Jason, 11:41)

  • Athletic freak (9.99 RAS out of 10); flashed as a rookie, potentially ascending with Greg Dulcich now cut.
  • Could become the #2 target in NYG’s offense.
  • Quote: “He is a beast...If you’re in deeper leagues or tight end premium, he’s certainly one I’m targeting.” – Jason Moore (13:27)

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2. News & Notes (14:43–23:13)

Major NFL Updates:

• Amari Cooper signs with Raiders (15:04)

  • One-year deal; impacts the Raiders WR depth chart with Jacoby Myers requesting a trade.
  • The crew is monitoring for clarity before making WR rank changes.

• Kenny Pickett traded to Raiders (16:46)

  • Impacts the Browns' QB depth chart, with Joe Flacco’s job temporarily safer.

• Injury and Roster News

  • Tyjae Spears (Titans) on IR, opening value for Tony Pollard (17:32).
  • Najee Harris NFI status unclear, leaning toward a cautious approach (17:51).
  • Joe Mixon (Texans) placed on reserve/NFI list, casting doubt on his 2025 season (18:17).
  • Multiple notable cuts including Deontay Johnson, Cam Akers, Malachi Corley, Phil Mafa on IR (20:41–21:48).

• Running Back Landscape

  • With injuries and depth chart shifts, opportunities are highlighted for Javonte Williams (Cowboys), Miles Sanders, and sleepers like Jaden Blue.

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3. Ridiculously Bold Predictions (23:17–47:13)

Each host delivers two huge, non-consensus predictions for 2025, explained in detail:

Jason’s First Bold Prediction (23:45)

• Falcons Win Division on the Backs of Fantasy Superstars
  • Bijan Robinson: RB1 overall.
  • Drake London: Top 5 WR.
  • Kyle Pitts: Top 10 TE.
  • Michael Penix: Top 15 QB.
  • Believes Penix’s playstyle and schedule will propel Atlanta from underdogs to a playoff berth.
  • Quote: “Four players are going to be very good and the Falcons are going to be good. And that is pretty bold considering they haven’t been over .500 since 2017.” – Jason Moore (24:17)

Andy’s First Bold Prediction (27:58)

• Puka Nacua Records 12+ 100-Yard Games—An NFL Record
  • Hinges on Stafford’s health for 17 games; only achieved by players on Stafford-led teams previously.
  • If the Rams manage Stafford, Puka could be fantasy’s WR1.
  • Quote: “Puka has every chance at being the number one overall wide receiver.” – Andy Holloway (29:06)

Mike’s First Bold Prediction (30:12)

• Austin Ekeler Finishes RB18 or Better
  • Despite age/narrative, workload and pass-catching keep him in RB2+ territory in Washington’s potent offense.
  • Quote: “I think Austin Ekeler still has a lot to give to this team. He will be the pass catcher. How much does he get used near the goal line? That’ll be the difference.” – Mike Wright (33:05)

Jason’s Second Bold Prediction (34:28)

• Three Backup RBs Win Championships: Will Shipley (Eagles), Sean Tucker (Buccaneers), Trey Benson (Cardinals)
  • Anticipates regression to the mean after a historically healthy RB year; each backup is talented and in injury-prone/backfield-shakeup situations.
  • Quote: “Those are the three most talented backs that could win championships at the end of the year with pathways in front of them. It happens every year.” – Jason Moore (39:56)

Andy’s Second Bold Prediction (40:14)

• Three WRs Outside Top-50 ADP Land Top-25: Keon Coleman (Bills), Deontay Thornton Jr. (Raiders), Josh Downs (Colts)
  • Predicts surprise breakouts and WR1 status for each within their offense.
  • Quote: “You’re going to see breakouts from all three of them. So that’s my bold prediction.” – Andy Holloway (43:06)

Mike’s Second Bold Prediction (43:27)

• J.J. McCarthy (Vikings) Outperforms Brock Purdy & Caleb Williams; Finishes as a Top-12 QB
  • Youngest Week 1 starter, mobile, and benefits from Kevin O’Connell’s pass-happy system and strong supporting cast.
  • Quote: “J.J. McCarthy is going to surprise and he is being…not drafted. But I think he is going to shine and surprise and outscore a lot of quarterbacks drafted in front of him.” – Mike Wright (46:03)

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4. Mailbag Q&A Highlights (48:04–54:00)

• Should I Break Up a RB/WR Stack If It’s Not Ideal? (JSN + Ken Walker)

  • The crew advises against trading away a player for less value just to “fix” a stack; be patient and target fair value in trades (48:39).

• Malik Nabers vs. Nico Collins (Full PPR)?

  • All three lean Nico due to Malik’s injury issues and Nico’s rising stock (50:10).

• Kate Otten as a TE Solution (if Godwin is out)?

  • Otten has upside in the short-term with injuries to WRs, but lack of consistency and other options limit long-term appeal (52:01).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If it’s piscy, it just means we can’t handle it.” – Jason Moore, on the crew’s spice level for predictions (02:30)
• “We have undrafted gems that we’re going to talk about today. Bringing that back one more time before the season begins.” – Andy Holloway (02:50)
• “That's Geno Smith’s Metcalfe.” – Andy Holloway, on Deontay Thornton’s upside (42:17)
• “If Mike’s right here, McCarthy will not be showing up on the streaming show in the second half of the year because…it’ll be like, ‘Oh yeah. You can’t stream him. He’s rostered.’” – Jason Moore (47:13)
• Fun running joke regarding Bill Croskey going viral, and whether or not the jokes were “at his expense” (04:00–05:39).
• Playful debates over what’s "bold" or "Piscy" (more or less spicy) with predictions (32:05, 34:28).

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Undrafted Gems – 07:33–14:43
• News & Notes – 14:43–23:13
• Bold Predictions – 23:17–47:13
• Mailbag Q&A – 48:04–54:00

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Tone & Style

• Energetic, irreverent, banter-filled: The trio keep things light and hilarious, frequently ribbing each other; yet deliver sharp, researched takes.
• Actionable analysis for fantasy footballers: Advice is focused specifically on practical draft/waiver strategy and upside-chasing.

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For Listeners Who Missed the Show

This episode is a must-listen for those seeking edge-case winners and last-round league-winners. The hosts break away from consensus, encourage listeners to think outside the box, and provide plenty of insight into late fantasy picks who could swing titles, along with entertaining chemistry and robust news analysis for the preseason’s crucial final weeks.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

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[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

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[Andy Holloway]

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[Jason Moore]

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[Mike Wright]

And now we turn to the world of sports.

[Jason Moore]

The football season is upon us and that means it's time to get ready for your fantasy football drafts.

[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

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[Andy Holloway]

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[Jason Moore]

Don't even think about entering a fantasy football draft without it. Don't be a Square head to ultimatedraftkit.com today the fantasy footballer studio is sponsored by Walmart. Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, welcome in. Oh, it's gonna be a fun episode today. Bold predictions.

[Jason Moore]

Are we getting Pisces?

[Andy Holloway]

Jason Moore is here. Took the the ass off of spicy.

[Jason Moore]

That's how we do it.

[Andy Holloway]

Our house Mike Fantasy Hitman available.

[Mike Wright]

Is it super spicy then?

[Jason Moore]

If it's Pisces, it just means we can't handle it. More babies, you know what I mean? Like, oh, this is Pisces.

[Mike Wright]

What's that level?

[Jason Moore]

It's. It's pretty low. Yeah, I mean we are not spicy eaters in my household. So if it's got a little chili flake in it. Spicy.

[Andy Holloway]

You split the chili flake among you.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, exactly.

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome in one and all. Great Episode 2 Bold predictions from each of us for the upcoming fantasy football season. They are bold, they are not consensus opinions. We will stand alone on a lot of these and they Will be a lot of fun. We have undrafted gems that we're going to talk about today. Bringing that back one more time before the season begins. I guess two more times before the season begins, because the season begins next Thursday. And we'll. We'll see how Dallas and Philadelphia look on Thursday Night Football. We have news to talk about. It's cut day. Right. There's a lot of players getting cut. Greg Dulcich. Shout out to Greg D. Thought you played really well this preseason, I believe.

[Jason Moore]

Was he the leader in touchdowns in the preseason?

[Mike Wright]

Palacero told me he was, so that's what I believe.

[Andy Holloway]

Did he? Okay, he's on the take. We had a fun event last night, as you know. Maybe you don't, but we've had a few fun little moments with Bill Crosby.

[Jason Moore]

Bill Krosky. Did you know he could sneeze with his eyes open?

[Andy Holloway]

No, I didn't know that.

[Mike Wright]

Jason, thank you.

[Andy Holloway]

And I just. A little passing tweet last night. Just throwing it out there when you're bored. Sometimes you just. You just tweet about Bill Crosky because it's a thing you do. And I think I said, when he was born, he drove his mom home from the hospital.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's a good one.

[Andy Holloway]

And Bill Crosky himself, Jacoby Crosby Merritt, found the tweet and confirmed it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he did confirm it, and it went wild in just over an hour. It was like 1.1 million views, and then poof.

[Andy Holloway]

And then he deleted it. And I don't know what kind of attention he was getting. I thought it was all positive.

[Jason Moore]

Should have been.

[Andy Holloway]

And I just want to come out here right now and say, Bill Crosky, sir, sir, this was not a joke at your expense. You are the king of the joke.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

This is legend status in the fantasy football community.

[Jason Moore]

So you're Bill Krosky. You're Bill Cross. You can parallel park a trade. I mean, come on, Bill. To Bill Crosky.

[Andy Holloway]

To Bill Krosky.

[Mike Wright]

For him. I mean, his Twitter account right now he's at 10.8 thousand followers. It had to be very strange.

[Andy Holloway]

So this is your. You're thinking of what happened with Mr. Krosky.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. He retweets your comment, and then just the world.

[Jason Moore]

He probably doesn't want to accidentally get in trouble for something he didn't realize he did. It's smart. It's actually a. It's a veteran move to be like, I should probably undo this thing. Going wild to be Ol Karovsky. Okay. It's wise.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

But so that was, you know, that.

[Andy Holloway]

Was the festivities last night.

[Mike Wright]

He could have just DM'd have been like, what's this all about? What is happening?

[Andy Holloway]

Why is everybody telling me what I can do? But it was. It was a good time. We have a reminder here at the top before we jump into our first segment.

[Jason Moore]

The Megalobol drafts are happening this weekend, people. If you want to play with us in the Megalobol, go sign [e-mail] it's for all of our Foot Clan members. You go to megaloball.com pick one of your draft day times. That's starting this weekend. Runs all the way up to the day before kickoff. Two drafts a day. Tons of leagues. There should be about 20,000 people in it. Whoever wins the league, as someone joined our listener, we're starting up our listener league right now.

[Andy Holloway]

Yep. And.

[Jason Moore]

And last year's winner got in there. This year's winner could be you. And you'll be in next year's listener league. And you will get an Ultimate Draft Kit for life.

[Andy Holloway]

And the Ultimate Draft Kit, if you're drafting this week, this weekend into the all the way up to kickoff for the NFL season. The Ultimate Draft Kit available right now. A portion of all Ultimate Draft Kit sales go to our partner this year, the Koenig Childhood Cancer Foundation. You can learn more about that atultimatedraftkit.com and we're excited to partner with them this year. We have emailed all the listener league winners. They are all inside. Are they all inside of the new league like all the.

[Jason Moore]

All the submission winners are?

[Andy Holloway]

So they've all responded. We don't have any.

[Jason Moore]

Correct.

[Andy Holloway]

Because sometimes people out there, they might root for somebody not to reply.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, for sure. Well, there are still, I believe, a giveaway winner that is not in. Oh, so maybe, maybe one more slot is open.

[Andy Holloway]

We'll find out. All right, let's get into it.

[Mike Wright]

Foreign.

[Jason Moore]

Presented by Walmart.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, Last week we brought up three names we still feel good about. Mason Taylor, Marvin Mims, and Cedric Tillman. I think we do. Right. Nothing's changed there. Those were the three names last week. But it's a new week, so we need three new names. Undrafted players that we think could make a big impact that you could stash on the end of your bench or pay attention to in week one. I'll toss it over to Mike because I love this name.

[Mike Wright]

I'll go with a quick one here. Hey, it's another rookie. But this is a rookie running back who is not much attention is being paid to him outside of the dynasty circles. Dylan Sampson, rookie running back of the Cleveland Browns. He was a fourth round pick 58200. He rushed for 22 touchdowns in the SEC and one SEC player of the year at Tennessee. 37 receptions his last two years. And this is a situation with the Browns of just. There's a chance he's the starter. You know, he, he started over Jerome Ford in the final preseason game. That doesn't confirm anything. It's just. It's a note to pay attention to that this is. It's a possibility. The opening schedule for the Browns is extremely tough. However, starting running backs at this point of the draft are. They're very difficult to find. And Dylan Sampson is there and he has receiving in his profile.

[Andy Holloway]

He's got a lot more juice than Jerome Ford.

[Mike Wright]

Jerome Ford who is in front of him. Who. I think Jerome Ford is a good player but he. They are there constantly trying to replace him and he just keeps popping up as like, hey, I'm still here.

[Andy Holloway]

And then yeah, he almost wasn't on this team.

[Mike Wright]

And then he starts for the team but they keep trying to replace him. So while the Judkins situation is trying to get figured out, Dylan Sampson might be in for a big workload.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm going to go with a player that received a three year extension and has been rewarded in the fantasy world with nothing. Not being drafted. The wide receiver 60 off the board. It's Rashad Bateman of the Baltimore Ravens. We have a team that we have tremendous confidence in their offense. We love what Lamar brings to the table. He's a 40 plus touchdown potential player. He scored. Rashad Bateman scored nine times last year. He was the big beneficiary in the wide receiver room and he's just not paid attention to at all. We're like, we're like kind of worn out with Rashad Bateman. He represents a great weekly spot start as needed. If you score nine times in a season and you have Lamar as your quarterback, like Zay Flowers is not a touchdown guy. And so Rashad Bateman is big plays. What if he becomes a little bit more consistent? Obviously the team has plans for him. They sign him to this extension. He's kind of finding his way on this roster. You could see good things from Rashad Bateman and he's just not paid attention.

[Mike Wright]

Bateman was a top 24 player in 35% of his games. That is the same percentage as Zay Flowers.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, wow. Yeah. Six different games.

[Mike Wright]

I think like the career path of Bateman is, it's interesting. I mean he was a first round.

[Jason Moore]

Pick which is why we, I think this is, I think his career path is why nobody wants him now.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, like he was a first rounder. People were excited about the player. Not necessarily excited about when he landed in Baltimore because at that time it was like, can we, you know, we have just the one year of Lamar having an outlier touchdown season. But things have changed and he got hurt in year one, in year two he was the dude like it started off he was in before the game where he got hurt. He was over a 20% target share in that time. And then he's just, he's had to make his way back and slowly just keeps hanging on the team getting more money, getting another extension. So I think like there's a chance, you know, last year he was at a 16% target share with what, what's happening with Mark Andrews and I know Isaiah likely that like we're all hyped to see can he break out. If he doesn't, Rashad Bateman at 20% target share is not crazy to me. And if he's there then he's going to make noise.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I agree. The name I'm going to bring up from drafted gyms is a guy that I starting to get a little bit hot and bottled.

[Andy Holloway]

You mentioned him early this morning. Right away we talked about Greg Dulcich getting cut.

[Jason Moore]

It's a player you might not know, you might not have heard of. It's Theo Johnson, tight end, good name. Tight end, second year tight end for the Giants. This dude is an athletic monster. We're not talking like, I mean everybody's athletic but there has to be someone who is the most athletic that is nearer where Theo Johnson is.

[Andy Holloway]

His RAS is true in this office. Go on.

[Jason Moore]

His ras score is 9.99 out of 10. That's basically his overall athletic profile. He is a beast. And if you look at what he did last year as a rookie, rookie tight ends, okay, yeah, you got Sam Laporta who came through and you got Brock Bowers. But it is very normal and common with every other non. You know, other than those two names I mentioned, basically every other great tight end in history hasn't really come on his rookie season but he actually, he did stuff, he was starting to make waves, like wasn't really involved the first month of the season got better and better and better. In fact, his last eight games he was on pace for like 650 yards as a rookie which would have been a top 10 number last year already. And then he had a season ending injury in week 13, but before that he had the 8th most total routes and routes per game at the tight end position, 27 and a half. So he is on the field, he is being used. We just saw Greg Dulcich tear up preseason in this system and then they cut him. Why? Because they got Theo Johnson. They got the guy they want on the field who's going to be a monster. And then you look at the depth chart and you're like, okay, Malik neighbors, 82% market share, but that leaves 18% for the rest of the team. And so I, you know, I think that his opportunity to be the number two target in this offense is legit and he has the athletic profile which is what you look for in tight ends to actually have a breakout season. So this is, again, it's an undrafted gym. You're not even taking him with your last pick. But I'm telling you, if you see something in week one, if he's on the field making a player two, or if you're in deeper leagues where you know, tight end premium, deeper leagues where you are going to draft multiple tight ends, he's certainly one I'm targeting.

[Andy Holloway]

There has been some concern about Theo Johnson with undisclosed injury stuff at the end of camp. I, I take the Greg Dulcich cut situation as a, as kind of like a way to rest easier on that because he had missed a little bit of time. But heading into the season, with how Greg Dulcich played in the preseason and them cutting him, I feel much more comfortable and maybe that makes him even sneakier. All right, that was Undrafted gyms presented by Walmart. Who knew you could get what you needed in as fast as an hour? Get free Delivery on your First Express Delivery Order with the code Express Valid for First Express Delivery Order $50 minimum, subject to availability restrictions apply.

[Jason Moore]

News and notes from around the league presented by Progressive Insurance.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Boy, do we. Oh, let's see. Archives. Archives. Let's go into.

[Jason Moore]

Let's hang.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, here we go. He's back.

[Mike Wright]

Mari Cooper.

[Andy Holloway]

Not just back, you know, in general, back to a team he's played for. The Raiders are signing Amari Cooper on a one year deal worth $3.5 million. He didn't really look like he had a lot left last year in Buffalo. Never.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, he did not.

[Andy Holloway]

Never got into a groove there and was a league winner two years before.

[Jason Moore]

Well, he was a league winner last year when you got to trade him for Jamar Chase. Oh, just Kidding. You didn't win. You lost to the championship.

[Mike Wright]

Anyways.

[Jason Moore]

Continue.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, I won.

[Jason Moore]

You won. The trade.

[Andy Holloway]

So Kobe Myers has requested a trade. The depth chart there in Las Vegas with the trade request from Jacoby Myers mixed with Amari Cooper signing is interesting. You know, Deontay Thornton Jr. Is a huge upside candidate this year. The number one on that team. You have Trey Tucker, who's been playing 100% of snaps. Jack Besh is there.

[Mike Wright]

Did you guys make substantial movements with this with trade requests with the combo of the Cooper signing and the trade?

[Jason Moore]

I did not. So what I. What I. The approach that I personally took, I put Amari Cooper there where I expect him to be. I didn't actually adjust the other wide receivers because I do think there's a chance Jacoby Myers should go or could get traded. So right now, I just, like the stats don't all add up the way I usually prefer them to do for a team because I think there could be more movements coming.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. The team, at least for their part, said that they're not trading him and not considering trading him. But I. If he's on. It's a money thing, just so you know. It's not. It's not performance. It's a money thing. He wants to be paid more money. It's just like John Jennings situation.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And he's looking also very murky.

[Mike Wright]

He's looking around the league at all these guys getting their last second deals. He's like, wait a minute, this is working. I need to get in on this.

[Andy Holloway]

Kenny Pickett's traded yet again. The fourth time, I think Kenny Pickett is now a member of the Raiders. So the Browns and their four quarterbacks, they're down to three. Aiden o' Connell got hurt, so they traded for Kenny Pickett. And now the, you know, Joe Flacco and Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders.

[Mike Wright]

I feel like it. Joe Flacco's job is a little safer now.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah. I like this for everybody. Okay.

[Mike Wright]

I wasn't sure if you guys felt like that.

[Jason Moore]

No, this is great. I think it does keep Joe Flacco's job safer. He's got a pre. Schedule. Although, that being said, the team is expected to lose a lot of games. You got the rookies behind them, but I think that Jerry, Judy, David Najoku. I was more scared of Kenny Pickett coming in than I was of them trying to throw these two rookies in the mix.

[Andy Holloway]

Taj Spears, IR high ankle sprain. He'll miss the first four weeks. Tony Pollard, don't forget him in your draft.

[Jason Moore]

I moved him up. He's actually at a spot now. Pollard is where I expect to be drafting him. He's ahead of where his ADP will land in drafts this weekend.

[Andy Holloway]

We did have another report. We're going back and forth Daniel Popper believing Najee Harris will begin on the NFI list.

[Jason Moore]

So if you I'll say this if there's two different reports, one saying oh I believe he'll be ready week one and one saying I believe he'll be on the non football injury list. I'm going to put my dollar on the one that is not, you know, not playing because he has not participated in any kind of full contact yet. But I have no inside information.

[Andy Holloway]

The Texans announced Joe Nixon will begin the season on the reserve NFI list which is a four week minimum. Demico Ryan's came out and had kind of a little bit of a, you know a message that made me concerned about the season long availability of mixing. He said they have a very deep running back room, lots of players that can provide a ton of depth and guys who can quote get us through the season.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. So this list can be it's minimum four game maximum 18. So you know you just I now.

[Andy Holloway]

My team was depleted picks wise. In our league of record we have three keepers. I was the lucky one with Joe Mixon as a keeper. Really thrilled with that decision right now. I let him go yesterday for a 6th round pick. Pretty much right with the news to.

[Jason Moore]

Be fair that is not just a six round pick. We keep three keepers that are not draft costs. So yeah basically it's a ninth round pick and I in a super flex league yesterday drafted him in the 11th round before this.

[Mike Wright]

How do you feel about that?

[Jason Moore]

Pretty bad.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

Pretty bad. I don't, you know I think I could have got him probably in the 14th.

[Mike Wright]

The vibes of the off season are terrible. We have no true insight like what is wrong. They're just like oh he's got a problem with his foot and the fact that there are whispers and rumors which look there is rumors but it's like he may not play this year.

[Andy Holloway]

He's had I believe and someone out there can correct me, Kyle Betts if you're listening I believe in the past he's had a less frank situation and that could be related to I don't remember something going on. I believe I saw that again I.

[Mike Wright]

Could be wrong to his right foot and at least this is the. This is Google AI 2020.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. So I think there's been a foot injury before and it's a really complicated rehab right now and we just don't know what's going on. So you know, in my situation, I'd rather just have the pick and move on. Jalen Wright not expected for week one. Phil Mafa on IR for the Cowboys and some cuts. Deontay Johnson was also a cut from the Browns. Dude, what he. I knew he was. He was looking that way because he kept playing in these preseason games. You know he was out there every single game. He gone for good, I think.

[Jason Moore]

Does he find another like oh no. He finds another practice squad desperate for what he can do. But if I'm a general manager, I got to go. No way.

[Andy Holloway]

Indulge.

[Jason Moore]

No way.

[Andy Holloway]

Certain levels of crazy proportional to talent. Once the talent is not worth the crazy, you're gone.

[Jason Moore]

The Browns released.

[Andy Holloway]

The Browns released.

[Mike Wright]

We got tagged on a joke here. So this is a shout out to Joshua Cho and it says last season I told you. Deontay Johnson is an elite separator. He has now separated from the Steelers, the Panthers, the Texas, the Ravens and the Browns.

[Andy Holloway]

I forgot.

[Mike Wright]

That is a good joke.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I forgot that he was on a couple of those teams. That's. You're done. What else? Otto Gaston May is gone. He has been cut. We said Cam Eggers, Malachi Corley. That one's kind of sad to me. First touchdown fumbled it into the end.

[Mike Wright]

Zone third round last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And so estimate was last year as well.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, did the Seahawks cut Damian Martinez?

[Mike Wright]

They did.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, well that's great. Make a little dynasty league adjustment.

[Jason Moore]

That sounds like you just picked him up going back to the Phil Mafa being placed on IR with the soldier injury.

[Mike Wright]

Soldier soldier.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. With the shoulder injury. Jaden Blue, their other rookie, this is the Dallas Cowboys rookie tandem is also injured. So I do think, I mean I know it's gross, but the Javante Miles Sanders, it's cleared up a little bit for Javante to get a workload heading into the season in double digit rounds. I think I'm sadly pull the trigger.

[Mike Wright]

Also sleeper Phil Moff was on the ir. If we could go ahead and make that adjustment.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, is that related to anything you're doing right now?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, trying to make moves here.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

This was announced yesterday.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, yeah, that's. That's too late.

[Jason Moore]

What about me?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, what.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh wait. Did you want to mention that Adam Thielen and the Vikings are now talking. They're continuing to talk.

[Jason Moore]

I going back to nap. Yeah. Just last piece of news okay.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. Thanks.

[Jason Moore]

We.

[Andy Holloway]

We are. We've got a lot going on. That was news and notes sponsored by Progressive Insurance quote [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and third party insurer not available in all states or situations. Coverage subject to policy terms, limits and conditions. Taking a break. Back with the bold predictions. All right, I'm really excited about this. It's a fun episode. Every year. It is time.

[Jason Moore]

Ridiculously bold predictions.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, we just had a simultaneous sip from the mugs.

[Mike Wright]

Simul sip.

[Andy Holloway]

A simul sip. That's why you watch on YouTube moments like that. All right, two bold predictions from each of us. Does somebody want to go first? Do you want me to go first? You tell me.

[Jason Moore]

I'll hop in. I'll hop in. My bold prediction. So bold. Number one for the 2025 season, the Atlanta Falcons win the division.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, boy.

[Jason Moore]

On the back stop of full stop.

[Mike Wright]

That's why we're already too hot.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. On the back of number one running back Bijan Robinson. Top five wide receiver Drake London, Top ten tight end Kyle Pitts.

[Mike Wright]

You didn't have to do that.

[Jason Moore]

And top 15 quarterback Michael Penix balling out. This is really number one.

[Andy Holloway]

Number five, number 10, number 15.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, exactly. Basically four players are going to be very good and the Falcons are going to be good. And that is pretty bold considering this is a team that has not been over.500 since 2017. That's not great. They are not projected as a favorite in any of the weeks until week eight.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, boy.

[Jason Moore]

So it's.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm looking at that.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Underdog. Underdog. Underdog. Underdog by however.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, I know it sounds pretty bold. I think they could start the season four and oh, this all comes down to Michael Penix. Michael Penix is a year two quarterback. I mean, this, this isn't a surprise, right? Like NFL teams go as their quarterback goes and when Patrick Mahomes took over in year two, it was like, oh, we didn't know he was. That Michael Pinnix has a chance to go and be really, really special. If you look, if you look at.

[Mike Wright]

Pinnocks, could be Mahomes.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, he has a chance. But no, if you look at what he did in his three games, I don't think people realize how good the Falcons offense was. Well, I know he scored 32 points per game the Falcons did in his three starts. That was more than the 24.6 points they scored per game when Kirk Cousins was not injured the first nine weeks. Obviously the middle of the season was really bad. With Kirk, that's why they made the transition. But this was a team that was six in total yards per game for a first year play caller last year. And a dying, injured veteran quarterback moving into a rookie quarterback. If Michael Penix has it, if Michael Pennix comes, this is a winnable division. This is a team with enough offensive firepower to be really, really special. And the way Michael Penix plays is actually very conducive to a high upside outcome. It's kind of, it's on both sides. That's why this is a bold prediction because he plays in a way where he gets the ball out quick but also throws it very deep, kind of boom bust. And he has the opportunity here to really explode. You know, in his three starts, 67 offensive plays per game, that was fifth in the NFL, 32 points per game, that was sixth in the NFL during those times. And his, you know, the way he plays, I think they're going to let him rip the ball. I think they're going to go out there, put the ball in his hands and say this is your team with this division. I know it sounds bad when you don't have, you're not favored to win going into week eight, but these aren't terribly hard matchups. You know, start at home against Tampa Bay, you're going to win the division, you got to start there, you got to get that win in week one, which it's a two and a half point spread, not a big deal. But their actual schedule coming up according to Warren Sharp, is the fourth easiest schedule on the season. We try to look at teams who have the avenue to take a giant massive leap forward because every year there are several teams that go from, you know, scoring 12 to 17 more touchdowns the next season and it's usually on the back of a quarterback. And here we are going not from a veteran to a rookie, but from a veteran to a second year quarterback. And I love that situation when you've got an easy schedule, a lot of elite weapons and I do think Kyle Pitts is going to be better than we think. Drake London is that dude and Bijon will allow him to thrive in the passing game. You know, they're going to have to stack the box. They're going to have to worry about Bichon and the dump off. So I'm calling for Atlanta Falcons to be in the playoffs this year and help in fantasy way more than you think.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, I like it, it's, it's bold. But there are huge fantasy upside players on that roster. Is there a More bold prediction than this one. Matthew Stafford stays healthy for 17 games and Puka becomes the first player in NFL history with 12 or more 100 yard games in a single season. So it's a little different. This is not a stat that's very common, but it is very exciting when a player gets there. Calvin Johnson had did it 11 times in 2012. Michael Irvin has done it 11 times. Cooper cup in 2021. He did it 11 times with Matthew Stafford. With Matthew Stafford. And then we've seen Puka in his rookie year. He did it nine times last year.

[Mike Wright]

Of the wide receivers you just listed.

[Andy Holloway]

Are Matthew Stafford wide receivers. That's it. You got it. And last year he did not play a full season. He played in 10 total games, five of them 100 yard games, two of them 98 and 97. So he was right there. And I, you know, it doesn't. Maybe it needs repeating because we've been spending like the last month really worried about Matthew Stafford and so maybe that's made people less and less excited about Puka. But his 17 game pace last year was 173 targets, 128 receptions for 1623 yards. He is coming into his prime. Every bit of hesitation comes from Matthew Stafford's health. But if you want to make a bold prediction and a bold bet, bet that the Rams managed it the way they needed to manage it this off season and that Matthew Stafford wouldn't be playing unless he thought he could play. And if he plays, Puka has every chance at being the number one overall wide receiver. So my bold prediction, 12 times this year he goes over 100 yards in a game.

[Jason Moore]

That's not the bold prediction. The bold prediction is the beginning is Stafford plays 17. I mean, if Stafford plays 17, then.

[Mike Wright]

There are other parts. Easy.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I know the fact that those.

[Andy Holloway]

Other three players, three of the five that have gotten to nine or more, are Stafford receivers. Yeah. So there you go. Mike, what you got for us?

[Mike Wright]

I know we're all excited about, we're all excited for the seventh round rookie. It's fun. It's a great story. It's inspiring. I want to see what happens. However, for fantasy football purposes, I am going to go the other direction and I am going to say Austin Eckler is a top 20 fantasy running back this year. Last year before the injury, Austin eckler was the RB 25 and a half point scoring format. And it's what do we need here for Austin Eckler to, you know, hit this bold prediction and go into the top 20. Well, the stickiest stats for running backs, opportunities, targets, and especially first reads and then first read targets and then carries inside the five. We talk. Andy talked about it on our YouTube special, just the tips. Last year when Brian Robinson was out 15 opportunities a game, and in those three games, week six, nine and 10, he was running back 16 in one of them and he was the running back six. Like he was electric people. The season kind of gets washed out for Austin Eckler because we had already, as the fantasy community, we'd already moved on from him last year, and then he ends up missing a bunch of time because he ended up injury or injured. But like, he averaged over three targets per game last year. 1.84 yards per route run. That's the fourth highest among all running backs. You know, that's just behind where Jameer Gibbs was last year in terms of first read targets. He was right there with Camara, Achan, Breece Hall, Aaron Jones. Like, he's. He's with the best of the best when it comes to that percentage.

[Andy Holloway]

So what's the ball prediction?

[Mike Wright]

Is the line of 20, the line that Austin Eckler. Austin Eckler ends up in the top 20.

[Andy Holloway]

You want to make it Pisces? You could go 18.

[Mike Wright]

Why? What's.

[Jason Moore]

It's spicier. Fine. It's higher.

[Mike Wright]

Fine. Where do you want me to stop?

[Andy Holloway]

I don't.

[Jason Moore]

I would like you to stop at 15.

[Andy Holloway]

There's bold predictions and there's Pisces ones.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

That's all I'm saying.

[Mike Wright]

Fine. It's for me to drop the S and get to.

[Andy Holloway]

How do you drop the S?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, right now it's spicy.

[Mike Wright]

18.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. That's a little pisy there.

[Mike Wright]

We. Look, we have talked about Washington and the backfield all year long. I have. I had accepted that Brian Robinson was a potential draft day value because you need to have a piece of this backfield. You don't know for sure who it's going to be, but you know they're going to score so many points and they're late round. I never loved Brian Robinson as a prospect or a player, but now he's gone.

[Andy Holloway]

I saw he was a keeper in our league of records. Somebody had Brian Robinson as a keeper. Who? Brian Robinson. In the off season, it began. He was a value for us.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Because he was productive in the solvents and we love the offense. And then now that he's gone, he's been mostly deleted.

[Mike Wright]

And I get it. The excitement for Bill is. It's fun. But I think that Austin Eckler still has a lot to give to this team. He will be the pass catcher. How much does he get used near the goal line? That'll be the difference. Last year, Brian Robinson had 13 carries inside the five and Echler last year, five carries inside the five turned into three rushing touchdowns compared to four on those 13 carries that Brian Robinson had. Echler has always been very good at being a goal line running back. So I think that if, if he can sneak some of those out plus the targets, it's going to be a fantasy value.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's. There's no one that works harder in the NFL than Austin Eckler. And it does seem like when he landed in Washington, it was like, okay, this is where you go to maybe.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it was over.

[Andy Holloway]

You go to just be this bit part before you fade into nothingness. And then he's put in the work, was hyper productive on the touches he got and now has it right in front of him. Even when the world is all about.

[Mike Wright]

Bill Karofsky, it's like the. The Jaden Daniels effect somehow has not. Didn't it like when it was going to be Brian Robinson and Eckler, that didn't transfer over to them, even though it should. And now it's all on Bill. But I think that Austin Eckler is the guy that you want to draft for fantasy.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, Jason, why don't you give us your second bold prediction for 2025.

[Jason Moore]

All right, y' all not gonna like it. And when I'm saying y', all, I'm saying.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, then why are you even saying?

[Jason Moore]

Everyone listening. Look, sometimes things happen in fantasy we do not enjoy. And by sometimes, I mean every single year.

[Mike Wright]

The people hate it, Jason.

[Andy Holloway]

And you haven't even seen. Maybe I haven't seen your second one yet.

[Jason Moore]

Will Shipley, Sean Tucker and Trey Benson all win championships for people in 2025. They will win championships for people in 2025.

[Andy Holloway]

Insurance agents back up running back Will.

[Jason Moore]

Shipley, backup running back Sean Tucker, and backup running back Trey Benson.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, all three of them are going to win.

[Jason Moore]

All three of them are going to win titles.

[Andy Holloway]

Wait a minute. Hold on a minute.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, that means what it means.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, that's.

[Jason Moore]

Sorry. Not sorry. Look, last year was an outlier year for running backs league wide in terms of health. It was really an outrageously healthy year. Only three running backs in the top 24 ADP missed more than three games to injury. That just doesn't happen in the last decade. Only 2017 had a healthier season in terms of percentage of games played. This was a very healthy year for running backs. Now, we're not projecting injuries and yes, you are. What we're doing is we're playing the odds.

[Mike Wright]

No, you're playing specifically projecting three.

[Andy Holloway]

Don't you tell. Don't gaslight me.

[Mike Wright]

Specific injuries.

[Jason Moore]

I'm saying I'm not projecting specifics.

[Andy Holloway]

But Will Shipley.

[Jason Moore]

Will Shipley and Sean Tucker specifically will win your leagues. Let me, let me make the case.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't hear Tyler's name.

[Jason Moore]

No, because Bichon's indestructible this year. Bold prediction.

[Mike Wright]

I didn't hear Brian Robinson.

[Jason Moore]

I'll tell you. I'll tell you a real spicy bold prediction. Bijan plays all 17. Okay. I'm never dropping that ass. That's not even, that's not even like remotely surprising. But the injury prone label is one that we obviously shy away from. But we're playing a game and the odds say that we were very fortunate in 2025. If we're playing the averages, we know that there's going to be injuries to some premier backs. And if I'm looking at the situations that say, where might those more realistically happen?

[Andy Holloway]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

How about an aged running back, an elder statesman who's coming off 417 carries with a deep run into the playoffs. Okay. I hope Saquon breaks the all time record. But if I'm going to try to predict which ones might do it. Okay. Sakewon has some red flags that could say he misses some time this year. James Conner, another older running back who has pretty much never played a full season. Okay. He could miss time. And then you've got Sean Tucker who has two different running backs ahead of him. So this isn't like, oh, I see the case. But you got an undersized Bucky and you've got a currently hobbled and injured Rashad White. If either one of the. He's got twice as good odds because if either one go down, he can be relevant. But here's why I picked Will Shipley, Sean Tucker and Trey Benson. We could see the path of their presumed starters missing time this year. It's not as hard as like Tyler Algier and a young big bodied back in Bijon. But the reason I picked those three is because they are talented. Not every backup will matter if the starter goes down. So these are three guys I'm targeting in fantasy drafts as my insurance. Will Shipley. Get out of here with the AJ Dillon stuff. Will Shipley's a good back. He was a premier Pass catching back. This offensive line can make DeAndre Swift matter. So you know, this is a guy who, you know, Will Shipley, he was just under 13% of the reception share at Clemson. That is elite stuff. He was the number one high school recruit going into that year. Sean Tucker was supposed to be. You might not remember or you know, if you're a more. Well, I know we know. But if you're a casual fan coming in this time of year and you don't know who Sean Tucker was when he was drafted, he was supposed to be. He was not drafted because of a congenital heart defect.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

He, he. On his combine situation, they found a congenital heart defect that took him off the NFL team boards. He was supposed to be a highly drafted player. Well, you know what, he's playing football and so he is a talented running back who has two different paths to relevance. And then Trey Benson, he was my last year was a down year for running backs. He wouldn't have been my favorite in most years, but he was my favorite running back coming out.

[Andy Holloway]

What kind of heart defect was it Congenital. Okay.

[Jason Moore]

What did I say? I never know what I said.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm just really making sure.

[Jason Moore]

No, you're good, you're good.

[Andy Holloway]

Good.

[Mike Wright]

We got the deucers are being sophomoric in the back.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, they just wanted to make. Ah.

[Jason Moore]

They were worried it was congenitals.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. Okay.

[Jason Moore]

Something a little closer there. All right. Well, he had a problem with an organ. You know what I mean? So anyways, his heart defect is the reason talking. That's. Yeah, it started to slip.

[Andy Holloway]

I was just teasing you really went on the nose just like this. Predictions on the nose of three guys that you're predicting. So the prediction is he's not predicting. Connor are injured.

[Jason Moore]

What I am saying is that those are the three most talented backs that could win championships at the end of the year with pathways in front of him. It happens every year that are easier to see coming.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. No, it happens every year. You have players that nobody drafted, nobody thought about. They win you titles, they have opportunities, the teams are run heavy. It makes sense. I hope. Hope these guys, you know, the other guys stay healthy, but it makes sense.

[Mike Wright]

Jason doesn't.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, we're going to take a break. Got two more bold predictions coming up. All right, my second bold prediction. This one is. It's spicy. These three wide receivers outside the top 50, 50 in ADP will finish in the top 25 in fantasy. So three completely not paid attention to outside the top 50 by consensus players. Number one, Keon Coleman, wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills, the second year breakout. It is coming. The opportunity is there. The quarterback, the offense, the testimony of his teammates.

[Mike Wright]

I don't mind this one.

[Andy Holloway]

Keon Coleman is the number 50 wide receiver off the board. He is the first of the three names. Number two, Deontay Thornton, this one, junior. He will be the very obvious number one wide receiver for the Raiders. Immediately.

[Mike Wright]

Amari Cooper's there, man.

[Andy Holloway]

Immediately. He is number 64 off the board. Rookie wide receiver, physical freak. 6520543, 40 and done nothing. I mean, you talk about Isaac Tesla in the preseason.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Thornton continues to give you the same type of plays on a regular basis. Nobody's getting behind defense.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, but is he hitting the worm?

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know about the worm.

[Jason Moore]

It was a good worm.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know.

[Jason Moore]

Good worm. I looked it up.

[Andy Holloway]

Good worm, you know, and the worm.

[Jason Moore]

Into the worm into the landing. Yeah. Where he just ran after doing a worm. How can you do that?

[Andy Holloway]

It was a pretty powerful worm. Yeah, it's a strong move, but, yeah, you got Bowers and they got Jacoby. Wants to trade Tucker's. Tucker. Right. And Besh is not really making an impact. Cooper is.

[Jason Moore]

Is.

[Andy Holloway]

Don't.

[Mike Wright]

Don't talk.

[Andy Holloway]

Cooper is elderly. And so Deontay Thornton, I think within two or three weeks of the season, you'll be like, oh, that's his Metcalf.

[Mike Wright]

Wow.

[Andy Holloway]

That's Geno Smith's Metcalfe. And then the third name, that's Pisces 54. On the ESPN ADP, Josh Downs of the Indianapolis Colts. I love me some Tyler Warren. I think Tyler Warren is going to be a dominator. But Josh Downs, it will be very obvious who their number one is going to be. All three of these players, they are going to be difference makers. They're going to be the number one in their wide receiver room. Okay. And you're going to see breakouts from all three of them. So that's my bold prediction. Josh Downs, the usage already suggests he's their number one. 26% target share. That's barely below Jamar Chase. Let's not forget about Josh Downs. Just because we're worried about the quarterbacks and who was going to start. You got the better quarterback. Starting doesn't mean he's a good quarterback. You got the better of the two. Keon Coleman, Deontay Thornton, Jr. Josh Downs, all three of them outside the top 50. And ADP, all three will slip inside the top 25.

[Mike Wright]

All right, are we on to me? Do we need to take a break. Are we good?

[Andy Holloway]

No, no, we just did that.

[Jason Moore]

We just need to take a breath.

[Mike Wright]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

Maybe drink some milk.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, because it's too.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, because it's too.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, okay. Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

What do you got?

[Mike Wright]

I am going to go with a quarterback who will be the youngest starting quarterback in Week 1. He has never taken a regular season snap. He will outscore Brock Purdy. He will outscore Caleb Williams.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

And he will finish as a top 12 fantasy quarterback. I am talking about J.J. mcCarthy of the Minnesota Vikings, who was just 22 and a half years old.

[Andy Holloway]

My new card collection will like that.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, well, we're all going to enjoy it. Here's what happens at the Minnesota vikings with Kevin O' Connell at the helm in 2022, Kirk Cousins was the QB7. Next year, weeks one through eight, Kirk Cousins was the QB4, he goes down to the Achilles injury. Then what do we have? Oh, Nick Mullins, a player that people listening to the show, a lot of them are probably going, who? Well, in three or four starts, he was a top 12 fantasy quarterback. Josh Dobbs, when he got 80% of the snaps, he was a top 12 in two of those five games. And then of course, the masterpiece of last year, Sam Darnold not brought in to be the start. He was brought in to be the backup. Well, I guess he was brought in to be the starter. And then they drafted JJ McCarthy and then McCarthy goes down to a meniscus injury in the preseason and Sam Darnold is forced to be the guy. There is panic in the streets. How can Sam Darnold, the Ghostbuster, possibly be good for fantasy, be good for the Minnesota Vikings? And he was the QB8 in totality. The quarterback position over the last three years for the Minnesota Vikings have the eighth most total fantasy points because through three seasons, Kevin O' Connell in pass rate over expectation, sixth, sixth and third. Kevin O' Connell likes to chuck the ball and J.J. mcCarthy, per my projection of scouting, is going to be a great quarterback. They improved the offensive line, got a lineman in round one, made some big free agent acquisitions. And on top of that, J.J. mcCarthy runs just a little bit more than you actually realize. His pat, his last two years as a starter in Michigan, 300 yards on the ground and five touchdowns. 200 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Like this isn't. We're not talking. He's going to go out and he's going to be, you know, rushing for 5, 600 yards, but he can give you 2 to 300 like this is part of his game. So I think that J.J. mcCarthy is going to surprise and he is being. Look, he's never played a snap, so people are a little bit concerned and they're not drafting him. But I think he is going to shine and surprise and outscore a lot of quarterbacks drafted in front of him.

[Andy Holloway]

I heard Aaron Rodgers level intelligence this week about J.J. mcCarthy.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, no.

[Jason Moore]

Does that change your opinion, Mike?

[Andy Holloway]

Not exactly the angle I was going.

[Mike Wright]

Can we go if we, if we.

[Andy Holloway]

Keep it in football homes level. You want to do that, Jason?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, that sounds pretty good.

[Andy Holloway]

No, I mean tactician, mentally ready to be a quarterback will probably have some growing pains.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

But he's got a head coach that it puts you in the best position to avoid your weaknesses. And that is a bold and spicy take because it means that he should be played in fantasy often. That's what that means because we want to translate these into something relevant for what you're doing out there with Echler. It's obvious for McCarthy, if you're a top 12 quarterback, if you're outscoring Brock Purdy, Caleb Williams, I mean, that means that there are probably a bunch of other names on that list. Probably Justin Herbert on your list, you know, tua, a bunch of other players. That means you're starting him. That means he's showing up on our stream of the week episodes. That means that you're getting to the point where like last year you finally believed in Darnold after a certain point and then Darnold became a streamer.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. If Mike's right here, McCarthy will not be showing up on the streaming show in the second half of the year because it'll be like, correct. Oh, yeah. You can't stream him. He's rostered.

[Mike Wright]

So what I'm saying about McCarthy is when you see it, if you look, it's a bold prediction, but if you see it early and you need quarterback help, go get him.

[Jason Moore]

You're saying pay up. Yeah. He comes out week one, puts on, you know, scores 22 fantasy points. Are you saying, like, if you've got a quarterback, you're going to add him to your roster?

[Mike Wright]

Most likely, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

So. So you, you think that this is very positive for the, you know, the Hawkinson, the Jefferson, the Addison. Sure. All the Suns, all the Sons. Yeah. All right. There you go. There's our bold predictions episode. Did you guys, you want to jump in, do a couple mailbag?

[Mike Wright]

Let's go.

[Jason Moore]

Mailbag. It's spicy.

[Andy Holloway]

If you've got a question, you go to the website the fantasy footballers.com. click the submit a question button or dial our voicemail hotline 302464, TFFB. This question comes from Jackson in Atlanta, Georgia. Just making sure Jackson wasn't the location.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I hear you.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, ballers, big fan of the show. Post draft, I realized I drafted JSN and Ken Walker. JSN is my wide receiver too. I hope you realized it during the draft. If I'm honest with you.

[Jason Moore]

After the.

[Mike Wright]

Draft I got to the end, I got him and two of my first four picks were.

[Andy Holloway]

He said. Considering I have Jaden Daniels as my quarterback, is it worth trading JSN for McLaurin straight up?

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

To complete that stack and then separate, obviously the running back wide receiver stack.

[Mike Wright]

I would not do that.

[Jason Moore]

No, I think that you don't want to overdo getting out of it. Like, would I have drafted those two guys together? Probably not. But then if you ship one off for 75 cents on the dollar, you're only compounding your mistakes. Two mistakes, you know, don't fix the problem. So if, if there is a worthy. I mean, honestly, Ken Walker is who you probably want to trade, get the value. Wait a couple games into the season when he's been on the field and it's like, oh, wow, look how good he is.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And then trade and trade him and.

[Mike Wright]

Then just live with your regrets as you lose the league. But that's okay.

[Jason Moore]

Or alternatively, or you trade JSN and you're happy, get value for an awesome looking running back who then doesn't play football as he doesn't.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, okay. Teddy writes in on X full ppr. Malik or Nico?

[Mike Wright]

How is Charbonnet not in your bold predictions. You're going to, you're going to throw Saquon Barkley under the bus.

[Jason Moore]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

It's not bold to say that Ken Walker is going to be out.

[Jason Moore]

That's fair. Yeah, that's fair.

[Andy Holloway]

Mike said.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's bold to say that he's going to be good.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, you're bold, Mike. You're bold. Malik or Nico? Teddy wants to know which one would you go with in a full ppr?

[Mike Wright]

Wait, what were the Malik or Nico?

[Andy Holloway]

Maliko or Nico?

[Jason Moore]

Maliko. Yeah, I'll go Maliko. You know, it's. It's tough in the full ppr. Neighbors is going to have so many targets, so many receptions. It leans me a little bit towards that direction. But the fact that Malik has been banged up so much this off season with separate different injuries. I know Nico's missed games but right now, when I've been push comes to shove and I've been in drafts, I am taking Nico ahead of Malik because of the current issues Malik's dealing with.

[Mike Wright]

I would take Nico.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Where are you, Andy?

[Andy Holloway]

I'd take Nico. I'd be on the Nico side. X question from Norbert Norby. Wasn't there some video game called Norbert or something like.

[Mike Wright]

It was an Eddie Murphy movie.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, maybe that's what I'm thinking of.

[Jason Moore]

Norbit. No, no, there was a cubit.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, that is.

[Mike Wright]

That's Q Bert. Norbit is the Eddie Murphy movie.

[Jason Moore]

All right. We got there.

[Mike Wright]

Goodness.

[Jason Moore]

That's what's in the back of our mind.

[Mike Wright]

You see your swine everywhere.

[Jason Moore]

Your mind remembers the old things because.

[Mike Wright]

That'S all that's in there, man. It's just useless garbage.

[Jason Moore]

Pop culture, ours has slight whispers of those memories, like there's something there.

[Andy Holloway]

I knew there was a Q Bert somewhere.

[Mike Wright]

But you had Norbit. You had it.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, you're right. Okay, now I got to find his question again. What's your opinion on Kate Otten this year? If Godwin's out, which it seems like he will be for a bit, Igbuka will get work. But that still leaves a lot of open targets for Otten, which is proved itself true last year when God would run out. And, you know, if you kind of substitute McMillan and Egg Buka, Right. If you don't take the egg Buca's the next the second coming. And you just put him into a category of, hey, producers like McMillan did. Obviously, that means would have production.

[Mike Wright]

The. I think you would have to have Evans or a book of missing time for K. Don like Kate on good player, very capable when they call upon him. But they just. We've seen at least I believe, long enough of his career that they. They want to use him in other ways.

[Jason Moore]

I've got the perfect example for you. Chris Godwin goes down in week seven, week eight, Oton comes out 10 targets, nine receptions, 81 yards, two touchdowns. Unbelievable. The next week, second week after swish.

[Mike Wright]

You don't.

[Jason Moore]

Don't look at me. Okay. The next week when. When Godwin was also missing, obviously, he was missing the rest. Eleven targets, eight receptions, a touchdown.

[Andy Holloway]

Awesome.

[Jason Moore]

Awesome. But then he pretty much.

[Mike Wright]

How'd it feel?

[Jason Moore]

Then it was Jalen McMillan that they got more involved. They got the rookie more involved and other wide receiver options. And that was really. Otten didn't keep doing that the rest of the season.

[Mike Wright]

Right after McMillan stepped up.

[Jason Moore]

Right, Exactly. And so Then it was like 5 receptions, 4, 1, 3 the rest of the way. He wasn't that special. So I agree if an injury happens, one more, but if Igbuka is stepping up into that role, Otten will be involved, but I don't think he'll be a sensational, you know, every week start.

[Andy Holloway]

I do think he's somebody that you can. You can plug and play, though, while one of those receivers is missing and get it. You definitely have an opportunity at a touchdown with a quarterback that threw as many as he did. I mean, to me, there's still an opportunity there. Consistency might not be there, but he showed that he was capable of upper echelon production, which I didn't know he was until last year. All right, coming up.

[Mike Wright]

Also capable of getting exploded like what Kate Otten hits. Yeah, they're just.

[Andy Holloway]

He would be hit really hard. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

All the time, man.

[Andy Holloway]

He has a lot of tape on his hands.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Because he knows what's about to happen.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. They've all been broken many times. Fantasy Time Machine episodes coming up. Fantasy MVP show this week. Our final mock draft episode, which should be a lot of fun, coming up as well. So get in the megaloball. Megaloball.com as we close things out today. If you need the draft kit, it's ultimate draft kit.com we'd love to have you along for the ride this year. Head over to YouTube. You can watch the show. Subscribe over there. Just released a new clips channel as well. You can check that out. YouTube.com the fantasy footballers Goodbye.

[Jason Moore]

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.