Early QB Rankings Part 2, Smokin’ Happy

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary: "Early QB Rankings Part 2, Smokin’ Happy"

Release Date: April 18, 2019
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright

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Introduction

In the second part of their "Early QB Rankings" series, the Fantasy Footballers dive deep into the quarterback landscape, evaluating potential early-round picks and valuable late-round options for the upcoming fantasy season. The trio—Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright—offer their expert insights, debate rankings, and provide actionable advice to help listeners optimize their fantasy rosters.

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News and Notes

Russell Wilson’s Instagram Extension

Mike Wright kickstarts the episode by discussing the Seattle Seahawks’ signing of Russell Wilson to a four-year, $140 million extension announced via Instagram. The unconventional announcement raised eyebrows among the hosts.

• Andy Holloway [05:50]: "I have gone full Zapruder film of this."
• Jason Moore [06:24]: "Russell Wilson comes out with this Instagram post and he's just staying away from it was money o'clock."

The hosts humorously critique Wilson’s Instagram presence but acknowledge his importance to the Seahawks' offense and consequently, his fantasy value.

Jared Goff’s Season and Cooper Kupp

The trio examines Jared Goff’s inconsistent performance towards the end of the previous season and the potential impact of Cooper Kupp’s return from injury.

• Mike Wright [08:34]: "If he’s got all his weapons and Kupp’s 100%, Jared Goff is going to functionally be effective."
• Jason Moore [30:15]: "Klinsmann is similar situation for wins as he's been used to."

They discuss whether Goff deserves a higher ranking based on potential offensive improvements, considering his past performance and the addition of key receivers.

NFL Schedule Release and Draft Kit Promotion

Andy Holloway briefly promotes the Ultimate Draft Kit (UDK), emphasizing its upcoming release alongside the NFL draft and encouraging listeners to pre-order before April 28th for a chance to win exclusive prizes.

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Early Quarterback Rankings

The bulk of the episode centers around evaluating quarterbacks for early fantasy drafts. The hosts revisit their top rankings, reassess positions, and engage in lively debates about each quarterback's potential.

1. Jameis Winston

Initial Ranking Overview:

• Jason Moore [12:17]: "I am calling my shot here that I believe James has the potential to be a top five quarterback."
• Mike Wright [11:45]: "Let’s talk about Jameis Winston. Last year, in 11 games, he had 19 touchdowns and almost 3,000 yards."

Jason Moore is particularly bullish on Winston, projecting him as a late-round steal with top-five potential due to his offensive weapons and the coaching of Bruce Arians.

Pros:

• Offensive Weapons: With Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, and potential breakout OJ Howard, Winston is surrounded by talent.
• Improved Coaching: Under Bruce Arians, Winston is expected to have more grooming and offensive strategies that maximize his strengths.

Cons:

• Turnover Risk: Winston has a history of interceptions and fumbles, making him a high-risk, high-reward option.
• Inconsistent Performance: While he showed flashes, his overall season performance raises concerns about reliability.

Consensus View:

While Jason and Mike hold Winston higher, Andy agrees that drafting him in the late rounds mitigates risk while capturing upside.

• Andy Holloway [17:48]: "If you're drafting him in the double-digit rounds, the risk is minimal."

2. Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson

Josh Allen

Ranking and Performance:

• Mike Wright [15:19]: "I have him the highest. And I love him."
• Jason Moore [15:19]: Ranks Josh Allen at 15, less bullish than his co-hosts.

Pros:

• Rushing Ability: Allen's legs make him a dual-threat, capable of explosive fantasy points through both passing and rushing.
• Offensive Enhancements: The Buffalo Bills have bolstered their receiving corps, potentially increasing his passing efficiency.

Cons:

• Completion Percentage: Allen struggled with accuracy, maintaining a 53% completion rate, which is a fantasy red flag for consistency.
• Injury Concerns: Although not a primary worry, Allen's athletic playing style carries inherent injury risks.

Lamar Jackson

Ranking and Performance:

• Andy Holloway [21:27]: "He's been working on his accuracy."
• Jason Moore [26:11]: Prefers Jackson over Allen due to designed runs and offensive adjustments.

Pros:

• Designed Offense: The Baltimore Ravens have tailored their offense to leverage Jackson’s running prowess while improving his passing game.
• Consistency: Despite injury concerns, Jackson remains a top-tier quarterback when healthy, offering significant fantasy upside.

Cons:

• Fumbles: Jackson’s propensity to fumble dilutes his fantasy reliability, making turnovers a concern.
• Sustained Performance: There’s uncertainty about whether he can maintain his high rushing yardage consistently throughout the season.

Consensus View:

Mike and Andy lean towards Allen for his rushing touchdowns and potential high-scoring games, while Jason values Jackson’s evolving offense but remains cautious about his fumble rate.

• Andy Holloway [27:48]: "I like him a lot more than Jameis Winston for a lot of reasons."
• Mike Wright [27:53]: "You’re not going to get many busts from Jackson or Allen."

3. Jared Goff

Ranking and Evaluation:

• Jason Moore [29:20]: Ranks Goff at 15.
• Mike Wright [33:10]: Positions Goff at 15, emphasizing the need for a robust offensive unit to support him.

Pros:

• Touchdown Efficiency: Goff has demonstrated a strong touchdown rate, raising his fantasy ceiling.
• Offensive Weapons: With Amari Cooper and a returning Cooper Kupp, Goff’s passing game is set for improvement.

Cons:

• Inconsistent Performance: Goff’s second half of the previous season was lackluster, leading to doubts about his consistency.
• Injury Risks: Concerns about the return of key players like Cooper Kupp and their impact on his effectiveness.

Consensus View:

While solid, Goff is viewed as a dependable option rather than a breakout candidate, making him a mid-tier choice in early drafts.

• Andy Holloway [35:34]: "He threw the ball 508 times and you can look at two years ago he threw the ball 578 times, yet he only had two fewer completions this year."

4. Philip Rivers

Ranking and Evaluation:

• Mike Wright [33:31]: Places Rivers at 16, appreciating his steady production.
• Jason Moore [36:18]: Suggests Rivers might finish higher, at quarterback 12.

Pros:

• Consistency: Rivers offers a reliable output, minimizing week-to-week volatility.
• Touchdown Rate: Maintains a high touchdown rate, reinforcing his fantasy value.

Cons:

• Limited Upside: Rivers remains a steady performer without significant breakout potential, keeping him in the lower half of the rankings.
• Aging Arm: As Rivers ages, concerns about his arm strength and injury vulnerability persist.

Consensus View:

Rivers is considered a safe, steady choice but lacks the explosive potential to climb higher in rankings, positioning him as a low-risk, mid-tier quarterback.

• Andy Holloway [36:42]: "He is an activia. He is a yogurt that is going to keep you regular."

5. Dak Prescott

Ranking and Evaluation:

• Jason Moore [43:02]: Ranks Dak Prescott at 19.
• Mike Wright [43:05]: Suggests Prescott deserves a higher spot, adjusting him to 17.

Pros:

• Rushing Touchdowns: Prescott's mobility allows him to score rushing touchdowns, adding to his fantasy value.
• Offensive Weapons: The addition of star wide receivers enhances his passing game, potentially increasing his passing efficiency.

Cons:

• Early Season Struggles: Prescott's performance can be inconsistent, leading to fluctuating fantasy points.
• Replaceability: Concerns about being able to substitute him effectively if he underperforms.

Consensus View:

Prescott is undervalued due to recent performance slumps but holds significant upside given his offensive environment and supporting cast, making him a target for value picks in later rounds.

• Andy Holloway [44:25]: "He will be a top five quarterback no matter what."

6. Mitchell Trubisky

Ranking and Evaluation:

• Jason Moore [39:34]: Ranks Trubisky at 14.
• Mike Wright [38:26]: Positions him at 18, acknowledging his potential upswing.

Pros:

• Upside as a Streaming Option: Trubisky can be a valuable streamer with occasional high-scoring games.
• Offensive Adjustments: Improvements in the Chicago Bears' offense under new coaching could enhance his performance.

Cons:

• Inconsistent Production: Trubisky’s fantasy output is unpredictable, with sporadic high scores and frequent low performances.
• Limited Rushing: Unlike dual-threat quarterbacks, Trubisky relies solely on his passing game, which can limit his fantasy ceiling.

Consensus View:

Trubisky is viewed as a speculative pick, suitable for streaming slots rather than cornerstone quarterbacks, given his inconsistency and potential for breakout games.

• Andy Holloway [41:47]: "He was averaging 18 yards a game on the ground. And that’s not what you want from Mitchell Trubisky to put up these huge games."

7. Tom Brady

Ranking and Evaluation:

• Jason Moore [38:40]: Ranks Brady at 18.
• Mike Wright [43:36]: Similar ranking, reflecting a decline in fantasy enthusiasm.

Pros:

• Experience and Consistency: Brady remains a reliable fantasy option with a proven track record.
• Offensive Stability: His familiarity with the system and receivers ensures a steady output.

Cons:

• Aging and Decline: Brady’s advancing age may impact his performance and injury risk.
• Offensive Efficiency: The New England Patriots’ offense is more conservative, limiting Brady’s explosive fantasy potential.

Consensus View:

Brady is considered a safe but underwhelming fantasy option, with limited upside compared to more dynamic quarterbacks, making him a late-round pick or a backup option.

• Andy Holloway [38:48]: "He threw for one touchdown in half of his games. That is destruction to your life, Brady."

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Additional Quarterbacks Discussed

Kirk Cousins

• Mike Wright [46:07]: Places Cousins at 16.
• Jason Moore [47:02]: Views Cousins as a solid, reliable option.

Cousins is regarded as a dependable quarterback with the potential for high-scoring weeks, especially given his offensive weapons. However, his lack of explosive plays keeps him from being a top-tier fantasy option.

Philip Rivers

• Andy Holloway [35:34]: Highlights Rivers’ consistent performance.
• Mike Wright [36:03]: Emphasizes Rivers’ steady production as a fantasy asset.

Big Ben Roethlisberger

• Mike Wright [33:10]: Struggles to rank Big Ben higher due to inconsistent performance and offensive struggles.
• Jason Moore [33:31]: Acknowledges the high standards set by the hosts, making Big Ben a lower-ranked option.

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Mailbag

Listener Questions and Advisor Responses

The hosts address listener queries, offering personalized advice on quarterback selections and draft strategies.

Corbin in Colorado’s Trade Scenario

• Listener Corbin [52:10]: Considers trading George Kittle for David Njoku.
• Response: Andy and Jason advise against the trade, emphasizing Kittle’s higher fantasy value and reliability compared to Njoku’s emerging potential.

Alex in Wilmington’s Dilemma

• Listener Alex [49:10]: Debates between keeping Patrick Mahomes as a late-round pick or Travis Kelce for an earlier round.

• Response [49:18 - 50:50]: The hosts recommend Travis Kelce due to his unparalleled position scarcity and Mahomes’ high cost. They suggest valuing Kelce earlier to secure a top tight end advantage.

• Mike Wright [50:04]: "You want to take Kelce in the second round."

• Jason Moore [50:18]: "If you don’t get Mahomes, you have to grab a tight end that you’re not going to be happy with."

Anthony in Pennsylvania’s App Query

• Listener Anthony [54:07]: Asks about the release of the UDK app.
• Response [54:16]: Hosts confirm the app will launch alongside the UDK on June 1st, enhancing the draft preparation experience.

Corbin in Colorado’s Mike Evans Trade

• Listener Corbin [52:36]: Wonders if trading Mike Evans from Dallas is worthwhile.
• Response [52:38 - 53:56]: The hosts discuss the trade’s merits, ultimately suggesting keeping Mike Evans due to his immediate fantasy impact over George Kittle’s positional advantage.

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Conclusion

The Fantasy Footballers wrap up the episode by reiterating the importance of early quarterback rankings in shaping a successful fantasy season. They encourage listeners to leverage their insights when preparing for drafts and to engage with the community for ongoing advice and support.

Andy Holloway [54:38]: "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 @theffballers."

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Key Takeaways

1. Jameis Winston emerges as a high-upside, late-round quarterback option with potential top-five fantasy production, albeit with significant turnover risk.
2. Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson represent dual-threat quarterbacks with substantial rushing upside, though both exhibit concerns—Allen with accuracy and Jackson with fumbles.
3. Jared Goff and Philip Rivers offer steady, reliable fantasy options, suitable for mid-tier quarterback selections without explosive ceiling potential.
4. Dak Prescott is undervalued due to recent performance but holds promise given his offensive setup and rushing ability, making him a valuable late-round pick.
5. Mitchell Trubisky serves as a speculative streaming quarterback, capable of high-scoring weeks but plagued by inconsistency.

Listeners are advised to balance risk and upside when selecting quarterbacks, leveraging late-round picks for high-risk, high-reward options while securing reliable performers to anchor their teams.

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Note: This summary captures the essence of the podcast episode, highlighting key discussions, insights, and notable quotes to provide a comprehensive overview for those who haven't listened.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, Foot Clan. You know, you can get the UDK pre ordered for the absolute lowest price of the season, but maybe you didn't know that we're running the Ultimate Fantasy Footballers Prize Pack right now. If you Pre ordered before April 28th, you're automatically going to get entered into possibly winning one of those spots in the 2019 Listener League. Maybe you can win two customized jerseys from Fantasy Champs or get on board with a VIP tour experience. We're hitting the road again. You're going to win two tickets. You're going to get to ask a question, sit up front, hang out, shake our hands, kiss some babies, do all of that fun stuff. Head over to ultimatedraftkit.com and get yours pre ordered before April 28th as Ronald.

[Mike Wright]

Jones II Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[Andy Holloway]

And you're listening to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast coming to you from pristineauction.com studios with your host hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, Ronald, Ronald, Ronald, Ronald, Ronald.

[Andy Holloway]

That intro, it was impressing the general manager of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ronald Jones.

[Mike Wright]

Thanks for introing the show, Ronald.

[Andy Holloway]

Doing a lot of running.

[Mike Wright]

Well, today's gonna be a great episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. We already know that. Now, here's the thing. And Jason's putting his hate blockers back on.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, if this is the Ronald.

[Andy Holloway]

Jones time, I haven't seen those in quite some time.

[Mike Wright]

What I love, what I'm going, what I'm going to love the most about today is going to be all of our discussions on Jameis Winston. That will be the greatest part. And a piece of that puzzle is Bruce Arians, probably a huge piece based on Jason's rankings. And Ronald Jones plays for the very same Bruce Arians and the very same team that has said that he's the most impressive player so far.

[Jason Moore]

Fantastic.

[Mike Wright]

Now we'll see. I mean, look, I. That was in jest, right? Like, Ronald Jones had an awful, awful season. But you hope, much like head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals, Zach Miller or Zach Taylor said today about John Ross, clean slate, fresh start. You hope that Ronald Jones gets that having not been drafted by the, you know, the same regime or, you know, the same head coach. So Ronald Jones, there was some hype train news yesterday just about how he's impressing coaches. And Jason has historically been a Ronald Jones hater.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, look, I didn't think he was going to translate well to the NFL when he was one of the highest ranked rookies last year. So far, so good. But it is too early. I mean, you know, there was a time when we didn't like necessarily the early rookie and maybe even sophomore seasons from the likes of Devonta Freeman and Devonta Adams.

[Mike Wright]

If you were Devonta Freeman, this one.

[Jason Moore]

Is not named Devonta.

[Mike Wright]

Slow start.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, this is Ronald.

[Mike Wright]

We have the early quarterback ranking show today, Part two. If you can resist the urge, if you listen to us enough, this offseason will help you. But if you can resist the urge to draft one of the upper echelon quarterbacks and waste the draft pick really high in your draft, if you can resist that urge, these are the guys you're going to be deciding between. These are the guys you're going to be looking at getting value on in your fantasy draft.

[Jason Moore]

I saw a comment and this was really, this is a really common thought, really common experience. I'm sure a lot of people listening or watching on YouTube have this exact same experience. They say this year, this year I'm going to wait and I'm going to draft my quarterback late. And every single year, round six, seven, you know, it just gets a little too. There's, there's someone there that fell a little bit. And so they, they draft their quarterback in round six, round seven, because they think they're getting great value and they're like, no, this is the year. I'm not going to do that. Don't do it.

[Andy Holloway]

So here's the thing. When you're in the grocery store and you're walking down the cereal aisle, I'm.

[Mike Wright]

So scared right now.

[Andy Holloway]

To get to the back where the value is, where the bags are, you have to go past all the name brands. You got Honey Smacks, you got Froot Loops, you. You got cinnamon toast crust. They're looking you in the face and there is the exact same thing.

[Jason Moore]

This is the worst analogy you've ever given. What you're saying is draft early quarterbacks. No, you're telling the world you need an early quarterback because otherwise you're going to end up with the garbage version of Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, that's true. I get where you were going, Mike, but the truth is I don't buy those bags.

[Andy Holloway]

The truth is I don't buy the bags either, but the truth is I know what they taste like and it's exactly the same as the other cereal. But the cartoon character on the box tricks me.

[Jason Moore]

Let's leave the food takes to the fat guy.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, okay, listen, today's show, it's gonna be a doozy. James Winston, he will consume some of our time here very soon. A reminder Find us on twitter@the ff ballers. The website's the fantasy footballers.com. you heard it in the intro, but the NFL draft's a week away. And with the NFL draft comes the first access to dynasty and rookie rankings. Once the teams make their selections, our rookie rankings, they'll come out. They'll be part of the ultimate draft kit. It's part of the early release. So if you get it, you get entered into that prize pack Mike talked about, but you also get the first access to dynasty and rookie rankings. That's ultimate draft kit dot com. You want to get it before April 28th to be entered to win. Don't forget to check us out on Apple podcasts. We appreciate the reviews. Ad free on Stitcher Premium, Google Podcasts, wherever you listen. Thanks for your support. Let's talk news.

[Jason Moore]

News and notes from around the league presented by Sleeper.

[Mike Wright]

All right, the Seahawks have signed Russell Ace Wilson, Seattle, to a four year, $140 million extension which was announced very disturbingly. Disturbingly on Instagram. That would have been my quick question. How did that Instagram make you feel, Mike?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, it still makes me feel gross.

[Mike Wright]

Was it the. Was it the voice? Was it his Bill Elliot impression?

[Jason Moore]

Was it shirtless nature?

[Mike Wright]

Was it the three cheese?

[Andy Holloway]

We do not have enough time in this show to break down that minute and a half video. I have gone full Zapruder film of this.

[Mike Wright]

Are you coming out with a podcast to break down that?

[Andy Holloway]

I probably should. I could do an entire season on that video of why every everything in it is just terrible. Unless you're a Seattle Seahawks fan, then I'd be very excited.

[Jason Moore]

If you don't know what we're talking.

[Andy Holloway]

About, they know what we're talking about.

[Jason Moore]

Not everybody listening has seen or knows of Russell Wilson comes out with this Instagram post at whatever in the night or morning o'clock and he's just stay.

[Mike Wright]

Away from it was money o'clock.

[Jason Moore]

It was money o'clock.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Laying in bed shirtless with Sierra and his chains on. Stop bringing it up. We walked through it the weirdest. Like, hey, there was.

[Mike Wright]

There wasn't a care in that man's mind. No, he's good for over the next ever. Yeah, ever. It doesn't matter if he's handicapping the franchise, but whatever. Look, highest played player in football. Demarius Thomas won your deal with the Patriots. Do we care or do you need me to hit this button?

[Andy Holloway]

You care slightly because it is the Patriots. But demarius Thomas has equal chance to me of being the wide Receiver, too, on this team is an equal chance to be cut.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

This offseason.

[Mike Wright]

Eric Decker.

[Jason Moore]

But isn't that. The nice situation here is that he should be valuable if he's healthy. If he's not healthy, they're not going to play around with him. They're not going to carry him into the season. So we should have a definitive answer coming into, you know, into the season also.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, how many of these wide receivers they do we need to get excited about that? They've joined the Patriots to have them do nothing.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Bruce Ellington signed earlier in the off season. Maurice still rather have. Yeah. Maurice Harris. I'd rather have Bruce Ellington. Doug Marone, Jags head coach. This is good news for Fournette. Owners came out and said that he's not going to face any team discipline stemming from his arrest last week. That's good news.

[Jason Moore]

Doug Marone was like, we've all been there.

[Mike Wright]

No, he literally said that. I mean, Doug Marone literally said, I've been there.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Here's the thing. Doug Marone. No, we have not all been there.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Yeah. The NFL schedule will be released by the time this podcast is released. What a schedule it was.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, it's a great. Those that PrimeTime matchup, week eight.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Andy Holloway]

Unbelievable.

[Mike Wright]

So, yeah, we were recording this show slightly before the release of the NFL schedule, but that's exciting. You got the NFL schedule release. You got the NFL draft next week. You're gonna have rookie shows. You're going to have winners and losers in the draft coming up and all of it in the fantasy football context for your team. So you're ready to go. That was today's news and notes. We want to get right into the early quarterback rankings, the rest of them, and be sure to switch your dynasty league over to sleeper. Now before I hit this quarterback button. Oh. Which I am going to keep my eyes open when I hit the drops today. So they should be act you're a coward. But we got a little message from dad. Okay. Yep. And really, it's not from dad. It's from dad and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Okay, look, this message right now, it's a simple one. Maybe it's common sense. We all know what it's like to be on the road, to be in a hurry, to be listening to a podcast. I mean, a lot of you probably listening right now while you're on the road, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to let you know if you're in a hurry, you're running late, and you find yourself at A railway crossing. Please wait. Please wait for a train. If the signals are going and the train's not there yet, maybe you feel, you know, you feel tempted to sneak. Be sneaky. Here's the thing. This may seem like common sense, but every year, it's not for some people. So don't ever take that chance. Trains go faster than you think. They cannot stop, okay? They cannot stop even if the engineer hit the brakes right away. It takes a mile for the train to stop, and by that time, it's too late. So you don't know how fast it's going to be there. You don't know if they can see you, and it can't stop even if they do see you. So the result is a disaster happens every year. And we want to keep you on your toes, make sure you're smart on the road. And if the signals are on, the train is in the way. It's on the way. Remember one thing. Stop trains cannot. All right, we're moving on. Quarterbacks.

[Jason Moore]

Quarterbacks.

[Mike Wright]

All right. Last week, or, sorry, on Tuesday. Top 10. Here's a little recap. Pat Mahomes, Andrew Luck, Aaron Rodgers, Deshaun Watson, Baker Mayfield, Carson Wentz, Cam Newton, Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson and Drew Brees. That was our consensus top 10 rankings at the quarterback position. And we're going to start right here, right now. Big debate. Jameis Winston comes in at number 11. No, not because of Mike and I. Mike and I have him at 13, which, honestly, truthfully, I think is probably too high.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, really?

[Mike Wright]

But Jason has him at.

[Andy Holloway]

I think that's probably too high.

[Mike Wright]

So let's talk about Jameis Winston. Winston, last year, in 11 games, 244 attempts, or, I'm sorry, 244 completions on 378 passes, 19 touchdowns. Just under 3,000 yards, ran for almost 300 yards. And this story about Jameis Winston is all about the weapons he has in the head coach. Jason, you love him.

[Jason Moore]

I'm excited for the prospect of what he could do. I don't for a second imagine that he doesn't carry risk. I mean, he could very well by the end of the year not be.

[Mike Wright]

A quarterback, but I believe not be a quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

Like, not be the starting quarterback for a franchise. But I believe that he will have a successful year. We've talked about my love for Chris Godwin this year. Mike Evans is in his prime. We've talked up the potential breakout for OJ Howard. My also my love for Justin Watson as a sleeper. So, I mean, if all of those things right if this wide receiving core is a core that I love, this team is one that still projects to have a bad defense and a great offense. They're in a division full of great offenses. I mean, I, it would be disingenuous of me to say, well then this doesn't benefit Jameis Winston. But it's not, it's not narrative driven, which is what you guys. I think there's this, this mentality of we like the weapons and Bruce Arians is coming in. So I just love Jameis. He's going to be great. Jameis has done it. Jameis has already performed as a top guy, just not on a season. And I went and I looked and I broke down. Why? So let's just look at last year, right? He suspended the first three games, comes in relief two different times, goes out once. It was this really wacky season for dirt cutter led Tampa Bay Buccaneers because he's scrambling for his job, trying to do everything he can to find some magic potion. Overall, the Tampa, I mean, if you take James Winston plus Ryan Fitzpatrick and you just add their stats together like a normal quarterback that plays 16 games, they would have been the number two. They would have been behind Patrick Mahomes, ahead of Matt Ryan, just from those stats last year. But if you take out Fitzpatrick and you just look at the games I went through and looked at the games that Jameis played, the whole game he started, he finished whatever. There were eight of them last year. And in those eight games he averaged basically about 21 points a game in standard scoring, which was ahead of desean Watson, ahead of Andrew Luck. I mean, those are great numbers. And now he's got a good offense, a coach. Now Fitzpatrick is gone. There's no looking over your shoulder. So I am calling my shot here that I believe James has the potential to be a top five quarterback. And I'm not worried about the risk. Like early running backs, I am risk averse. If I'm wrong and the guy gets injured or the guy, you know, you know, doesn't catch the ball in the projection of those early running backs, I can't just turn around and pick one up off of waivers. But I go, I take the risk with the quarterback and say, look, Jameis could have a true breakout here. He's got the potential and I'm drafting him super late. No, people aren't excited about Jameis. He finished as the quarterback 22 last year. So I'm going to scoop him up with one of my last picks. Have the potential that he has a breakout. He's succeeded in the NFL and has a lot of things going for him. That's my argument for Jameis Winston.

[Mike Wright]

A lot of that makes sense. And obviously with him at 7 though, you're projecting that kind of a season out of him.

[Jason Moore]

Correct.

[Mike Wright]

Why he's in your rankings like that. Last year the Bucs finished with the season with the most passing yards. As a team in general, Bruce Arians has had a lot of success. What's really funny about Winston to me is that even if they hadn't played together, the comp for me with Jameis Winston would have been Ryan Fitzpatrick historically. And when you look back at after Fitzpatrick had the successful season in New York with the jets and he had Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker, I see some similarities to him coming in, Winston coming in this year. You got Godwin, you got Evans and the excitement. Now the problem with Jameis Winston and with Ryan Fitzpatrick is that there's pretty much no quarterback more prone to turnovers and mistakes than Jameis Winston. Last year he only started I think nine games and was had the fifth most interceptions in football. He has historically been a massive interception thrower, fumbler. And when you look at Bruce Arians and you want to, if you want to go to the narrative and you want to explain both sides of it. Carson Palmer had a career resurgence under Bruce Arians eventually. In his first season under Bruce arians, he threw 24 touchdowns, 22 interceptions. Under Bruce Arians, it is a situation where Arians wants you to drive the ball down the field. He wants you to be cognizant of all these different elements in the offense and he's got the weapons to do it. I have no doubt that Jameis Winston will have monster games under Bruce Arians. My biggest concern is the turnover prone nature and what could you could get. Every third game could be a classic Ryan Fitzpatrick type of game historically where fire, fire, ice, ice. If we want to stay in the Game of Thrones theme here, it's a song of ice and fire for Jameis Winston throughout his career. And he hasn't done. You made the argument he he's done it. But you also then said he's never done it on a season. He has never thrown for 30 touchdowns in his career. There is risk. There is definitely risk and I get it. He's a value, he's a shot. Everybody's going to pick some guy to take a shot on.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I would say that the risk just comes down to his draft price. If you're drafting him in the double digit rounds. I Think the risk is absolute minimal. And could there have been a transition for Jameis Winston? Because you're right, he was a turnover machine. But when he got, he got his job back week 11, and he kept it through the end of the season. He threw 13 touchdowns and four interceptions across those games. I mean, it was a good stretch.

[Jason Moore]

It was, it was on pace for 29 touchdowns at eight interceptions. Very. Not James Winston.

[Andy Holloway]

It was the best Jameis Winston that we've seen play in the NFL. But during that time, he was averaging 18 and a half points per game, which puts him on that for the season. That would have been quarterback 11.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's not that great.

[Andy Holloway]

Now, which, to the defense of that, the margin between like Matt ryan and that 18 and a half points per game, it's very, very small. So I'm not. I don't think Jason's crazy for having him.

[Mike Wright]

We've been here before, though. We had this exact same end of season projection for him last season.

[Andy Holloway]

Right. But then he was suspended for three games, so everything kind of blew up in the off season.

[Jason Moore]

It did. And so I'm sticking with what I believed two years ago. He's not suspended. He doesn't have a backup that could come in. And if you look at those, those last games where he played very well, but it was still like quarterback 11, not really smoking happy. One of the things I like about.

[Mike Wright]

Winston got to be smoking happy.

[Jason Moore]

You got to be smoking happy.

[Mike Wright]

If you're not smoking happy, you're smoking sad.

[Jason Moore]

One of the things I like about Jameis Winston is that you can figure out when to play him. You know, he, he shows up for those crazy games where it's like, oh, he's going up against a great offense and if he's playing a great defense, not so much. Like, for instance, nobody in the world last year played Jameis Winston on the road against Baltimore for that game because Baltimore was on fire. Baltimore held him to four fantasy points. That game like that was atrocious. If you take that game out where nobody's going to start him anyways, his fantasy points per game are much higher than the quarterback.

[Mike Wright]

I think people should realize we're exhausting the Jameis Winston topic in part because, look, this is going to be a shock to the system to have him at 11. I mean, Jason's ranking, our consensus ranking, puts him at 11. So it's worth looking at both sides. Now, number 12 is, well, good friend of mine, Josh Allen. Josh Stallion. I have him at 12. Jason has him at 15. Mike has him at 9. Yep. He is to me, the most interesting fantasy football quarterback there is because there are so many things to love and so many things to hate about Josh Allen. He goes deep more than anybody in football by a wide margin. He goes deep over 20% of the time. The next closest was like in the 14, 15% range. Mahomes isn't even in. He's like at number four. Josh Allen went deep that many times. But here's the thing. Worst completion percentage in football, but also third lowest pass attempt. So if he had a bad game, it was a bad game. If he had a good game, it was a good game. Not throwing the ball a ton. Pressured like crazy and still put up a monster fantasy week season. Mike, you have him the highest.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

And I love him.

[Andy Holloway]

So let me paint the picture of Josh Allen last year. So it's his rookie year. He never surpassed 245 passing yards. He had a 10 to 12 interception or touchdown to interception ratio. That's bad. Four games under 50% of passing completion. 53% on the year. But we play fantasy football and once he returned from his injuries, week 12 through 17, he was the number two quarterback putting up nearly 24 points per game. And he was only 0.2 points per game behind Deshaun Watson, who was the number one quarterback through that stretch. Because in four of six games he had 95 or more rushing yards. He had a rushing touchdown in four of six games.

[Jason Moore]

This is.

[Andy Holloway]

He is Tim Tebow.

[Mike Wright]

I like him a lot more than Jameis Winston for a. For a lot of reasons. Not only just how he finished last year, but I see so much upside in what Josh Allen is going to do now. The completion percentage, guys, I'm going to be honest with you, I will be super surprised if that improves this year.

[Andy Holloway]

And I don't think it now it'll improve from 53, but like, you know, like 54 maybe.

[Mike Wright]

We all have goals. 55 is the goal. But here's why. If you look at the worst receivers in all of football since 2016 in terms of reception percentage, we talked about Michael Thomas, 77% from Drew Brees. The two worst in all of football. Zay Jones.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that makes sense.

[Mike Wright]

Who's already on the roster? John Brown. Last year John Brown was bad. John Brown caught like 40 something percent of his passes. Last year he was. That's just his. The nature of John Brown. He gets targeted 16 yards down the field. And here's John Brown going to a place where he likes to throw the ball deep. I don't think the completion percentage is important for Josh Allen as a fantasy owner at all. Now Cole Beasley had one of the highest reception percentages in football, so maybe he helps a little bit. Nothing has to change for Josh Allen to still be great. And if it does change with the weapons, he's greater.

[Jason Moore]

So it's.

[Andy Holloway]

For me, it's. Tim Tebow is actually, he's far more Cam Newton than he is Tim Tebow to me because he's just, he's very athletic. I think I expect him to continue to run the way he did towards the, the second half of the season. It's gross. I don't like it. I don't, I don't like the fact that I'm real happy to play a quarterback who completed 53% of his passes. But here we are because this, that's the way that fantasy is scored.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. So I have him down at 15. I'm not nearly as bullish as you guys on Josh Allen. I certainly see the upside. My reason is this. Obviously Josh Allen, his fantasy production comes down to his legs, not his arm. He's not going to be throwing, you know, 350 yards a game and three touch. That's not what he does. But you know, he can, I mean over the last stretch when he was back in the game, he was. Was he the quarterback one or the quarterback two? I mean he was depending on your scoring format. Sure.

[Mike Wright]

Number 1.2 points.

[Jason Moore]

Right. I mean he was unbelievable. And that all was because of his rushing. And so I want to make a point though. He lost. You need to remember he lost all of his weapons. Like Kelvin Benjamin was his number one. They got rid of. Between injury and, you know, trades, he basically was down to who did he lose? Well, he lost. Kelvin Benjamin wasn't.

[Mike Wright]

Kelvin wasn't a part of that end of season.

[Andy Holloway]

That's what, that's what he's saying. He ran more because the passing weapons were.

[Mike Wright]

If you look at the beginning, you're saying that because he didn't have passing weapons.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

He ran.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. And now look at what they did this off season. They went and they got him every passing weapon they could. Mediocre or not, they're trying to make sure that he can throw better. Right. Look at the beginning of the year, what they wanted to do with Josh Allen. He was on pace, a 16 game pace for 413 rushing yards. That's, that's pretty good. That's really, I mean, that's nice. That's going to be top three or four in the league. But that's what they wanted out of him, to rush the last part when he was that top end quarterback. Do you know his pace? He was on pace for 1269 rushing yards because he was more of a running back than he was a quarterback, similar to Lamar Jackson. But I don't believe that's what they want out of him. If they did, I'd be like, oh, he's my quarterback. 3.

[Mike Wright]

But what they want, they were competitive as a team.

[Andy Holloway]

What they want is a rookie to figure out his way and that's the way that Josh Allen's going to have to win games. So that will be figured out quickly.

[Mike Wright]

Lamar Jackson at 13, we all have him about the same spot. 11, 12, 11. Lamar Jackson. I was disappointed because from the time he took over, I was expecting to get a great performance from him. We never really did. 15, 20, 16, 18, 16, 16, 26. Look, we know he runs the football. The story is very similar to that of Josh Allen. I mean they both were the top two runners in at the position. Number one was Lamar Jackson, number two was Josh Allen in terms of yards at the quarterback position. Both guys have to learn how to throw the football to give you sustained great performances on a week to week basis. Lamar Jackson's problem was fumbles. Why do we like or why do you like Jackson over Allen, Mike? Or I guess both of you or not Mike?

[Andy Holloway]

No, I like Alan more than Jackson.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I like Jackson more than Alan because they had designed runs for him on you know, every third play. My worry with Lamar Jackson is whether he can sustain that and not get injured. But while he is not injured, I know for sure they want him to run the ball far more than I believe Buffalo wants Josh Allen to run the ball. They've redesigned the offense for Lamar Jackson this year. So what you saw last year was a really safe quarterback. Every week you were happy with Lamar Jackson and that was with him coming in in the middle of a rookie year. You know, he was started behind Flacco. Now he's got an off season, an offense designed around him. I think he for sure takes a step forward now.

[Andy Holloway]

He's been working on his accuracy.

[Jason Moore]

That's really huge story. I mean it was a really. I was so impressed when I saw quarterback saying I want to be even better at quarterback. I was like, wow, that's really good, Lamar. But yeah, I mean the way that I see it, he was safe. He, he didn't have any big boom games, but he certainly can. I think he takes a step forward And I'm more confident in the rushing totals from Lamar Jackson. And I'm not really worried about the injuries because as soon as he's injured, whatever, I'll pivot and I'll go to a different quarterback off of waivers versus.

[Mike Wright]

You'Re not going to get many busts from Jackson or Allen.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean at all. Whenever you have rushing, we got to fix that.

[Andy Holloway]

See, I'm more. I would say I'm more confident in Lamar's rushing yard total, but I'm more confident in Josh Allen's rushing touchdowns. So that's why I like Allen a little bit more.

[Mike Wright]

It's funny though. Jake is Lamar Jackson on the basis of rushing yards, led them to the playoffs and winning a bunch of games in a row playing that style of football.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And that's.

[Mike Wright]

It was almost like it was valuable.

[Andy Holloway]

When they got in the playoffs, though.

[Mike Wright]

Well, okay, but. But I'm just saying the weeks that his fantasy points went up for running, that's what he does. Jared Goff.

[Jason Moore]

Jared.

[Mike Wright]

I saw more comments after our first quarterback show about a quote unquote disrespect of Jared Goff. It is then I think any other quarterback. Last year he finished as the QB7 32 touchdowns, 12 interceptions. He was a QB2 in total points from weeks two through 11 during the wondrous run of the Los Angeles Rams. After the buy, Goff was the QB26. Now a lot of factors in play, a lot injuries. Todd Gurley, Cooper cup knocked out.

[Andy Holloway]

He didn't even. He didn't play the full games at the end of the season.

[Mike Wright]

So maybe throw out kind of the QB 26 kind of distortion. Field had a real bad Super Bowl. We can blame Sean McVeigh. You can blame play calling Gurley. Same things. We don't know if Cooper cup is going to be back for week one. The latest report says they're hoping. But I could, I could take a nicer report than that. I would prefer to hear a better report than that. So look, Jared Goff, I've got him at 15.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

The reason he's in the show is Andy's ranking. Both Jason and I have him as a top.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, instead of being in the first show.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Yeah. I didn't like what I saw at the end of the year from Jared Goff and I wasn't. I'm not super confident in the Gurley resurgence. And without Gurley, I think golf is real bad. So I think Gurley coming back being 100% that will probably adjust my ranking on Jared Goff quite a bit. I need to know that this offense is going to run like it ran in the first eight games and not the second half of the season playoffs. So if he's got all his weapons and Gurley's 100%, Jared Goff is going to functionally be effective.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's one of those things where I am, you know, I don't, I don't love Cooper cup as much because he's coming off the injury. If he wasn't, I would, he'd be my number one Rams wide receiver. But I really like him. I love Robert Woods, I love Cooper Cup.

[Andy Holloway]

It's Brandon Cook.

[Jason Moore]

Brandon Cooks is very similar to my Jameis argument. If all of those players I believe are going to have really good seasons, then the quarterback necessarily should perform and we saw the first half of last year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he will be a, he will be an upper half quarterback no matter what. I don't know if there's a situation where a guy is safer to be in that realm. I think kind of the inverse of your Jamis argument. I don't really see Goff being a top five guy. So because of that I would rather take a shot on a Josh Allen.

[Andy Holloway]

Sure. I think, I think golf is safe though. I'm completely bought, very safe. I'm bought into the offense even if it's, if it's somebody else running the show at the running back position. I think that they will get close. Close maybe is too much, but they will get strong production from the running back to keep the offense moving. I mean Jared Goff was a stud for fantasy for over half of the season. And you can look at the numbers where I usually am like, ah, well, the touchdown, the touchdown regression has to come for this quarterback. Except the past two years Jared Goff's running back has led the league in rushing touchdowns and Goff still gets to put up.

[Mike Wright]

He did struggle without Gurley though. He struggled without the running game working at a high capacity. Like I was going to ask you both questions. It's hard if Gurley was out or limited in the playoffs, I will agree.

[Andy Holloway]

But it's hard to a be that because C.J. anderson was awesome to close out the season. Like I think that's, I think that was actually what the situation was like.

[Mike Wright]

The game against Anderson was awesome as a runner but didn't offer the kind of screen game. We talked a lot about what kind of plays Jared Goff got. Sure where he gets the Robert woods takes the underneath the mesh route to the house. Gurley gets what, three, four, five, six of those screen pass 60 yarders every year. You're not going to get that with a backup to Gurley.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I'm certainly not with CJ Anderson. As much as I love him, he's not breaking away for 60.

[Mike Wright]

So I just think it's a fluidity thing. You know how you get out there and you see the team running on all cylinders. They just didn't look that way at the end of the year. Like I said, I'll adjust that ranking. If Gurley looks, if the offense looks like cups. Healthy girlies, Healthy golf deserves more respect than 15.

[Andy Holloway]

Sure, Malcolm Brown is, I think, a little bit more capable in the past catching game than C.J. anderson.

[Jason Moore]

And I'm going to go on record and say I think McVeigh is a good coach. Yeah, he's pretty good at offense.

[Mike Wright]

And his beard is manicured.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, it is finally manicured.

[Mike Wright]

Big Ben Roethlisberger, the quarterback three from a season ago. 34 touchdowns, 16 interceptions. Quarterback three.

[Andy Holloway]

This one was rough, man.

[Mike Wright]

Hardest guy to rank.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Mike 15. Jason 16. I have him at 18. I think we all don't want to draft him and we all didn't want to rank him. Loses Antonio Brown, loses Le'Veon Bell. Not that he had him last year, but still loses him and is coming off a monster season.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, the way that I look at it is this is not just an indictment. A lot of times you see these quarterbacks, okay, I've got him ranked as my quarterback 16. That is not just solely an indictment on Big Ben. It's also an endorsement of 15 other quarterbacks. Because I said last episode and this is really important if you, if you didn't catch last episode this year more than any year in recent memory, there are more quarterbacks that are great. 21 quarterbacks on my rankings. I like, I'm fine with Big Ben, but I just like other people more. And whenever you lose Antonio Brown, I mean, he had two of the top 10 wide receivers in, I believe, real life, but definitely in fantasy. When you lose one of those, you take a step back. It's just impossible not to lose Antonio Brown and not take a step backwards.

[Mike Wright]

Big Ben's history is not at the upper echelon of the fantasy finish chart either. If you go to 2013, it was 11, 5, 21, 18, 10, 3. Tendency to get injured. I feel like, Jason, you would prefer to have ranked the quarterbacks one through 11 and then 10 guys tied at 12 for the top 12.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, exactly.

[Andy Holloway]

I still think that top 12 is in the range of outcomes for big I do too.

[Mike Wright]

I think top 12 is. But I don't think QB3 is a reasonable ceiling with that.

[Andy Holloway]

Antonio put him there.

[Mike Wright]

Philip Rivers at 16, Tom Brady at 17. Rivers kind of in the same boat, you know, in terms of where we're ranking him. Only one time last season, one game did he put up a weak winning, great performance. So it was a pretty steady season for Philip Rivers. 4300 yards, 32 touchdowns, 12 picks finished this QB11. That's steady. Tough week 16, couple of duds throughout the season, but pretty steady is there, you know, high touchdown rate last year. He this team is more Melvin Gordon's than it is Philip Rivers at this point.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, but even still, it's like Jared Goff, I think despite Melvin Gordon being there, getting a ton of rushing touchdowns. Melvin Gordon is a huge asset in the passing game. Philip Rivers is. It's. He's similar like Big Ben to where it's hard to rank because it's just the upside is right is what. But he's going to be super solid. I mean this guy, he is an activia. He is a yogurt that is going to keep you regular.

[Mike Wright]

That's fair.

[Jason Moore]

If you look at his career finished year after year after year, he's almost always a back end quarterback one literally almost always. You've got enough data to know where he's going to finish. So will he finish above my ranking of him at 17?

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he will. He'll finish at quarterback 12.

[Mike Wright]

But that doesn't mean you want to draft him.

[Jason Moore]

That doesn't mean I want to draft him because his upside, he's literally only finished at the top five at the position once and it was in 2010. That's a long time ago now. So I don't think he's got room to go up. He's just going to be steady and I want to take my shot late in the draft at a guy I think has the potential to be top.

[Mike Wright]

They're a good defense. And look, lowest total pass attempts in 10 years for Philip Rivers. So he, he remained steady regular as Mike would say.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Because of a 6.3% touchdown rate, the second highest of his career and his completion percentage.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean he threw the ball 508 times and you can look two years ago he threw the ball 578 times, yet he only had two fewer completions this year.

[Mike Wright]

So if you want some context for like the NFL schedules coming out and we're getting into the Range of like you might draft a player to stream them for a few weeks.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

That's where we're at at the quarterback position. Philip Rivers could be your last pick in the draft if he has a great early season schedule. And he could be the guy you start with or platoon Tom. And it seems like he always starts.

[Jason Moore]

Off the season hot and tails off near the end.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I felt that last year. Yeah, it's like this show tuberculosis over here. I finally got Jason. Jason's been fighting. Jason's been.

[Andy Holloway]

I told you to stay off the Oregon Trail, man.

[Jason Moore]

I know.

[Mike Wright]

He's got. Is it tuberculosis, Brooks? Have we got him tested?

[Jason Moore]

Or is it the black lung?

[Mike Wright]

Or is that typhoid?

[Andy Holloway]

Or is that the same thing?

[Jason Moore]

I don't know, but I think I got the black lung paw.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, well, the plant man can help Tom Brady. Do I have a plant man drop? I honestly don't see it, Mike. I wish I did.

[Jason Moore]

Brooks.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, crap. You got to get organic. You got to get that $35ameal organic plan, Jason, and your lungs would feel better.

[Jason Moore]

Hey, don't talk to me. You got to talk to Mike here. Mr. Ranking him at quarterback 21.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's right.

[Mike Wright]

That's fine.

[Andy Holloway]

Get out of my life fantasy Tom Brady.

[Mike Wright]

That's his way of saying, I'm done with Tom Brady as a fantasy starting quarterback.

[Andy Holloway]

You're darn right.

[Mike Wright]

No more Gronk. No more unfair advantage. No more Gronk. Cheat code.

[Jason Moore]

No, I agree. I've got him at 18. It's.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I mean, it's just not that exciting in New England. It's effective, not exciting.

[Andy Holloway]

He threw for one touchdown reviewer in half of his games. That is destruction to your life, Brady. Yes.

[Jason Moore]

If the forthcoming, you know, rise of Sony Michelle that we. I think all three definitely Andy sees coming as, you know, relying on him, especially around the goal line. Happens. That's only going to continue to hurt the touchdown upside of Tom Brady.

[Mike Wright]

The quarterback 25 from weeks eight through 13.

[Jason Moore]

Perfect.

[Mike Wright]

Will he be on any of your teams? No, not any of ours. Mitchell Trubisky at 18.

[Jason Moore]

This one surprises me and I look, I've thrown the most shade on Mitchell, obviously. Famously.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. What did he put up six touchdowns against you?

[Jason Moore]

Yes, against me. He put up six touchdowns and that was against me personally. Not in fantasy. Just like it was me on the meal. Yes. But I've got him at 14. You guys have him at 19 and 20. He. Here's an example. Like we just literally talked about a three pack of elder Statesmen that we know what we're getting in Big Ben, Philip Rivers, Tom Brady. The upside is not really there, but they're consistent versus a guy like Mitchell Trubisky.

[Mike Wright]

Who there's upside.

[Jason Moore]

The upside is there. Right. Matt Nagy, going into year two of the system, you've got a guy that, I mean, look, last year he finished as quarterback 15. But in 14 games on a per game basis, he was the quarterback 12. I think Mitchell as a football player, forget fantasy football in real life. I think Mitchell Trubisky is better this year than he was last year. Another year in the system, another year in the NFL. Remember, he only had one year as a starter in college. So you know the evolution. I would expect him to take a slight step forward and if he does, a slight step forward from the quarterback 12 on a per game basis, that's someone I'm interested in. If he falls late in drafts, he.

[Mike Wright]

Had four great games. So that'd be 25 or more fantasy points. And they kind of distort that into season number.

[Jason Moore]

Right. That is the issue.

[Mike Wright]

You know, week four, 40 fantasy points. I think that's when he famously destroyed your Soul. Yes. Week 7 31, week 10 36. So the offense is kind of built to allow for that to happen. So you're going to have that from Mitchell. So he's a good streaming candidate and there is upside to him.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, but I'm leaving him in the streaming category. Huge games, four massive games, two good games, eight bus, eight time you played him and he crushed you eight times. And what was weird was when he started the season and he was having these huge games. His first seven games he averaged 42 rushing yards a game. That's fantastic. That's the type of baseline you want from your running quarterback. The final seven games he rushed, he was averaging 18 yards a game on the ground. And that's, that's not what you want from Mitchell Trubisky to put up these huge games. I'm just, I am. When we talk, not going to draft. When we talk about Trubisky anywhere.

[Mike Wright]

Mahomes Goff. The success of the, you know the frequency at which they targeted the running back out of the backfield is this addition by subtraction with Jordan Howard where now you have a capable treat Cohen, Mike Davis combination that can give some cheap points to Mitchell Trubisky.

[Jason Moore]

That's exactly what I was going to bring up. Losing Jordan Howard helps Mitchell Trubisky's fantasy value because the dump offs will be there. They tried to get Jordan Howard involved. You look at the beginning of the season, they go into the year and they're targeting Howard, but he's not a good pass catcher. And there's a big difference between a guy who can catch a ball in stride, keep running, get yards after the little dump off catch, and a guy who has to kind of like pause, seize the day, grab the ball, get tackled.

[Mike Wright]

Does by extension that hurt Carson Wentz?

[Jason Moore]

I don't. I don't think it does. Because if you look, Mr.

[Andy Holloway]

I love Carson Wentz.

[Jason Moore]

No, but the thing is, is they've always. I feel like they' They've used a guy like that. They've had legarrett blunt there. They didn't really target Jay Ajayi, so I think they know.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, Mike.

[Jason Moore]

I think that it's very similar situation for wins as he's been used to.

[Mike Wright]

Dak Prescott comes in at number 19 on our consensus rankings. I have him at 17. Jason and Mike at 19. Last year he finished at 10.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, 19.

[Mike Wright]

It feels like disrespect. It is.

[Andy Holloway]

It's too low.

[Mike Wright]

And he's definitely played. He played much better once Amari Cooper arrived. In fact, he was a top eight quarterback in five of the eight starts with Amari Cooper. A 71% completion rate rate from week nine on. They're talking extension with both Amari and Dak, trying to make this a pairing for quite some time. So do you believe in the second half Dak? I guess not. Yeah. Or is it just liking. I feel like it's liking other guys more.

[Andy Holloway]

It is, but honestly.

[Mike Wright]

But he probably belongs higher.

[Andy Holloway]

It's way too low. I. I believe it's somewhere in the middle of the second half deck. Quarterback six is rookie year. Quarterback 11. Quarterback 10 in the dude is.

[Mike Wright]

He'll be a top five.

[Andy Holloway]

He's like three years. He's been a top 12 guy for three years because he runs, he gets rushing touchdowns. And now he has a legitimate number one wide receiver.

[Mike Wright]

Well, Mike, look, on this show, we just talked about Philip Rivers. We can adjust on the fly here. Part of this show is working through this. Philip Rivers you have. We both have Philip Rivers ahead of Dak Prescott.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, there we go. We got him up at least one spot. Dak is now QB18.

[Mike Wright]

You would rather have Dak than Philip Rivers?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. How about Big Ben?

[Mike Wright]

So would I. Yeah, that. I don't know about that. I don't know.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, the reality is, I do think because of Dax rushing is rushing touchdowns, the way they use them.

[Mike Wright]

Six Last year.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, he's. Those plays are called and there's nothing the defense can do other than sell out for Zeke. And so Dak will get those rushing touchdowns. I think he has a good year and he's probably one of the most universally undervalued guys. He is surprisingly young to be as unsexy a pick. Nobody wants him.

[Andy Holloway]

This is the Burns, man. This is the fantasy Burns of being super hyped and in for Dakota last year and then he came out in the first half of the season. Was. Was pretty bad for your fantasy team.

[Mike Wright]

It's not a coincidence that he had a 71% completion percentage and Cole Beasley nearly led the league in completion percentage at the position reception percentage. So you have to believe that Randall Cobb can do enough of a Cole Beasley impersonation to keep those numbers up and keep chains moving.

[Jason Moore]

I definitely think this is Dax. Best receiving core he's ever had. I mean, because you. When he had Dash.

[Mike Wright]

Michael Gallup developing at the end.

[Jason Moore]

Right. Michael Gallup developing. He's also got Jason Whitten back. And I don't expect Jason Whitten to be good for fantasy himself, but when it comes to.

[Mike Wright]

He's good for Dak. Keeping on the field.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, exactly. Converting another third down. That's good for Dak. I think he's got the best core he's had.

[Mike Wright]

All right. Captain Kirk comes in at number 20. That's about. That's. He's got two of the best receivers in all of football. Got a pass catching running back.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, where was he? Wasn't he drafted as like a top five guy last year or close to.

[Andy Holloway]

No, he wasn't not a top five guy.

[Mike Wright]

He was in the top 10. He was in the top 10 dot a seven maybe.

[Andy Holloway]

And I mean, rightly so. He had been since 2015. He'd been at least a quarterback. Eight or better. And to start the year, it looked good. It did. It looked very good. Especially through week eight. And then things kind of fell apart. He was just. He was a little bit inconsistent. I had Cousins in a lot of places, which Jason, to your point, would say that I got. I got him very late.

[Mike Wright]

Got a lot of Cousins.

[Andy Holloway]

I would not have drafted Cousins if I had to spend an early pick on him. It was late.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, great.

[Andy Holloway]

Kirk Cousins is still here. And it was. It was tough because he.

[Jason Moore]

You would.

[Andy Holloway]

He'd reel you in with the potential of those 30 point games, mid 20 point games, and then he'd rattle off three kind of stinkers in a row. But you knew at any moment with Stefan Diggs and Adam Thielen that he could give you a top three performance of the week.

[Jason Moore]

And you know a lot of, a lot's been made that Dalvin Cook, they want to run the ball. But Dalvin Cook's a very good receiving guy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, he is.

[Jason Moore]

So that, I mean we talk about that with Goff and others. Dalvin Cook should be able to, you know, if he's healthy and out there catching balls. That's. That goes to Kirk Cousins too.

[Mike Wright]

It's just so I guess it's peculiar to me because if you pay Kirk Cousins what they paid him and you turn him into a at least fantasy wise case keenum I just a lot of money spent in that passing game. I do think that they'll throw more and Thielen and Diggs more than we think and Thielen and Diggs affords you great games. He will probably be a streaming candidate for your opponent that you think you're happy you're playing and every once in a while you're really disappointed the way that Philip Rivers was a couple of years ago.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. When I said earlier that I've got, you know, 21 quarterbacks that I'm happy to leave the draft with right now, I believe he's my 21st quarterback. And so I'm happy if I leave in my last round pick, I grab Kirk Cousins. It's so crazy. I'm not going to go, oh man, now I've got a giant hole at quarterback. He's fine.

[Andy Holloway]

He had a 70% completion rate. He threw for 4,300 yards and 30 touchdowns. And we, and we are disparaging the man.

[Mike Wright]

Well, we have standards, Mike. We have very high standards. Very, very high. You're very, very high.

[Andy Holloway]

Demand 5K. Tell you what I demand 35 touchdowns.

[Mike Wright]

Why don't you just run for 600 yards? Better yet, 400 yards. I'll be happy with that.

[Andy Holloway]

It would be the same as throwing for 4,000 yards.

[Mike Wright]

That's right. All right. Hey, it's been a while. Let's get in the mailbag.

[Jason Moore]

Mailbag.

[Mike Wright]

Thanks.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Go to the website.

[Mike Wright]

It has been a while.

[Andy Holloway]

You gotta spice it up.

[Mike Wright]

Yep. Go to the website. Click the Submit a question button or dial or voicemail hotline [phone]-TFFB. We love helping the Foot Clan get right in the off season. Alex in Wilmington, North Carolina. Now that's to get right, not regular Mike, it's not another. Look, there's nothing wrong yogurt related There.

[Andy Holloway]

Is nothing wrong with being regular. In fact, it's healthy.

[Mike Wright]

It is. You're a total type of guy. Hey, guys. Love the show says Alex. I am trying to decide between keeping Pat Mahomes for a 9th rounder or Travis Kelsey for a 5th rounder. Feel like Mahomes is a no brainer for such a late pick, but Kelsey's in his own tier. It's a great value on both players.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And look, we're, you know, I'm.

[Mike Wright]

We can say the answer at the same time.

[Jason Moore]

I'm anti Mahomes in general, but that's because of the price you're paying for him. Both of these guys are really in their own tier, or at least they're top of their position. So to me, I know my answer.

[Andy Holloway]

I know my answer.

[Jason Moore]

And so we want to say at.

[Mike Wright]

The same time, 1, 2, 3.

[Jason Moore]

Kelsey. So Mike and I are both. Kelsey, you're Mahomes. My reason is just replaceability.

[Andy Holloway]

That's mine too.

[Jason Moore]

If you, if you don't get Mahomes, I mean, we just went through a bunch of quarterbacks that I'd be happy with. Are they Mahomes? No, but late. Replace Kelsey with a tight end that you're not going to be happy with at all. That you're just going to.

[Andy Holloway]

Is it Zach Ertz?

[Mike Wright]

Couldn't it afford you the opportunity to take Kelsey at his. At his premium draft cost and still get a great value on the situation? You want to take Kelsey in the second round.

[Andy Holloway]

But here's the thing then.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, you got Kelsey, my home stack in exchange for a second and a ninth.

[Jason Moore]

No, that's a legit Strat.

[Mike Wright]

Just a thought.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Mike Wright]

I don't think you're going to go wrong.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, both are enormous values.

[Andy Holloway]

It's just the replaceability. There's only one guy who's close to Kelsey's tear.

[Mike Wright]

All right, Corbin in Colorado, I was offered Mike Evans. Dallas it is. Corbin. Dallas. Yes. From Fifth Element.

[Andy Holloway]

Thank you.

[Mike Wright]

I was offered Mike Evans. Now you're bringing up Mia Jovovich and let me just say Mike Givens as a Mike Givens, as a Mia Jovovich fan in the past.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, no, this is this a scathing review.

[Mike Wright]

I just wasn't a fan of the new Hellboy. That's all I'm saying. The old ones, the Del Toro Hellboy.

[Jason Moore]

Those are so good.

[Mike Wright]

They got me so jacked up for this. And then I saw Mia was in it. She still looks fairly young.

[Andy Holloway]

I think that's she kicks massive, but.

[Jason Moore]

That'S all it was.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, and the thing is, is maybe she's just not. Can she not act? Am I right? Can she not act?

[Andy Holloway]

Multi Pass.

[Mike Wright]

Because Multi pass is not a long script. Big bada boom.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, I think. I think your love for the old ones and your love for Mia Jovovich is. That's what made you want to see it. You posted on our channel like, hey, I'm gonna get tickets for this movie on Saturday. I just love the first coming with me. And you were alone.

[Mike Wright]

I was not alone.

[Jason Moore]

No, thanks. I've seen.

[Mike Wright]

I wasted at least two other people's money going to that movie. But yeah, anyway, not the best actress in that film. Moving on. That came out of Corbin in Colorado.

[Andy Holloway]

Because his name is Corbin Dallas.

[Jason Moore]

He did this to himself.

[Mike Wright]

If he was in Dallas. Can you imagine Corbin, Corbin, a man. I was offered Mike Evans and I would give up George Kittle. Would you do that trade in a deep dynasty league?

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

For clarity. Oh, no, it's three running back, five wide, two tight end, two flex. Because it's five wide receiver.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, I saw the two tight end.

[Mike Wright]

I'm with Mike as well.

[Jason Moore]

No, I saw the two tight end before I saw the five wide receiver. Yeah. In a startup draft, all you have to do in these things is think, which one would you draft first?

[Mike Wright]

You know, by the way, sleeper alert. Adam Gase's first message to the Jets. He came there to dethrone the Patriots. So there you go.

[Jason Moore]

Wasn't he already in the division with the Patriots last year?

[Mike Wright]

Now that's funny. He came there to do what he came there to do before.

[Jason Moore]

What was your mission last year?

[Andy Holloway]

Not just last year.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, the last several years.

[Mike Wright]

What did he come to Miami to do? Come on, butthead. Or wait, not butthead. I'll go with butt head.

[Andy Holloway]

He's fine.

[Mike Wright]

Goes from B hole to butthead. Come on, man. Those words don't ring true. Brad in Minnesota, should I trade Travis Kelsey for David and joku in the 105 in a rookie draft?

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Mike Wright]

What about David and joku in the 101 for Travis Kelsey? I'm just probably a no.

[Andy Holloway]

Who's the one on one?

[Jason Moore]

Talk to me after the NFL draft.

[Mike Wright]

I don't even know if I can start David Njoku this year. If I knew that for sure. If I knew that for sure. The trade is more interesting. But you could be trading Travis Kelsey for no tight end, unfortunately. And Joku has all the talent. But we know how agnostic Baker is with the targets. And now Odell's there. Yeah. All right, last one. Anthony in Pennsylvania. When will the UDK app come out?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, Randy.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. It should go live when the draft kit goes live on June 1st.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. There's a companion app. It's free. It's coming along with the UDK this year. It's a tag along, but it's awesome. It's awesome.

[Andy Holloway]

Not a cookie. It's a nap.

[Mike Wright]

Pristine deal of the day. We've said this. You got to take the good jokes with the bad jokes with Mike.

[Andy Holloway]

That was a great one.

[Jason Moore]

That was pretty delicious.

[Andy Holloway]

Thank you.

[Mike Wright]

A delicious joke.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, tackle can't argue with that is great.

[Mike Wright]

All right. Pristine deal of the day. Deandre Hopkins signed Houston Texans jersey yesterday.

[Jason Moore]

Sold for $279.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Jason Moore]

179.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Jason Moore]

$79.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

That's ridiculous.

[Mike Wright]

$79. Pristine auction.com hundreds of daily auction sports memorabilia that goes well beyond football. Although they have hundreds of daily football auctions that you can check out. Pristine auction.com let them know the fantasy footballers sent you.

[Jason Moore]

I want to start seeing. We should talk to Pristine about this. I want to start seeing like DeAndre Hopkins signed Mike Evans jersey. You know what I mean? Like they.

[Mike Wright]

They sign each other's jerseys.

[Jason Moore]

No, just one.

[Andy Holloway]

One direction and you were making fun of my tag along joke.

[Mike Wright]

I wonder if there's any like, fifth element gear over there.

[Andy Holloway]

Big bada boom. See you Thursday.

[Mike Wright]

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.