
The Fantasy Footballers are back in full force! The free agent news continues with Todd Gurley & Melvin Gordon on new teams! Where will they land in fantasy football rankings and drafts? Plus, an interesting Buy or Sell topic featuring 2019 rushing leader
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Andy Holloway
What's going on? Foot Clan. It's good to be back and want to remind everybody about jointhefoot.com that's where the thousands and thousands of supporters of this show are hanging out. The official Foot Clan. We're giving them an extra episode every single week just for helping support this show. So if you want a bunch of cool stuff, including that extra show, and honestly, we all need that extra show, that extra content in these times, head over to jointhefoot.com.
Jason Moore
Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.
Mike Wright
I'm back, baby.
Al Borland
There he is. There he is.
Mike Wright
Oh, my goodness. I'll be honest, it feels, feels great to be back. Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike the fantasy Hitman. Right? Al Borland standing by. Judge Giamatti standing by.
Al Borland
I'll be honest, it feels terrible to be back. This is the worst.
Mike Wright
Well, I mean, in some ways, but this is a strange time for all of us and I'm so excited to be back on the show. We've got a great episode of the podcast today. We have some more free agency to talk about to break down the implications. Lots of things I want to get your guys thoughts on. I'm just happy to be here. It's such a strange time, but this feels comfortable. This feels like home.
Andy Holloway
Well, because you're literally at home.
Mike Wright
Oh, that's why. That's why I feel. I was wondering why that was.
Al Borland
I feel like I'm just extra. I feel like I'm right in my bedroom.
Mike Wright
That is. That is true. And I'm excited to be with the Foot Clan. I'm excited here, Tuesday, March 24, to be with you all at this very unprecedented time in our country, in this world where things that are normal, there aren't a lot of them right now. So I hope that we can be some of your normal for as long as it takes to get back to normal everywhere else.
Al Borland
This is the first time I've ever been referred to as normal and I thank you.
Mike Wright
You're welcome. You're welcome. Twitter at the FF Ballers, Mike mentioned it. Our community, JoinTheFoot.com over there on Patreon, we've got the extra episode every week. The website's the fantasy footballers.com and football is one of the few things that is still going on right now.
Andy Holloway
Strangely enough, all of sports are shut down, but there's plenty of football to talk about. What a world.
Mike Wright
Yeah. So I mean, we've got buy, sell today. We got the free agent breakdowns. We'll get into Some mailbag if we have time for that as well. Be sure to check us out. Support us over on Apple Podcasts. Subscribe Listen. We're ad free on Stitcher Premium. We're on Spotify. Wherever you listen to podcasts, we're going to be with you and excited. We were able to put up a Spitballers episode yesterday. Oh yeah, my voice is getting better each and every day. I appreciate all the kind words from people as I've been out and I'm just excited to get back into spend some time talking fantasy football with all of you. Let's do some buy, Sell.
Jason Moore
Buy or sell. Presented by Pristine Auction.
Mike Wright
How you doing, Brooks? I know you're. I know you're out there somewhere doing great. That's good.
Al Borland
All right.
Mike Wright
That is a calming voice in difficult times. Judge Giamatti is doing fine, everybody.
Andy Holloway
Andy hasn't been on the show for a while. Doing great. Thank you, Brooke.
Mike Wright
That's okay. I like his steadying hand. Here's the buy sell that I have for you guys. I love this question because I read it a few minutes ago. I'm really not sure where I stand, so I'm going to let you guys inform me. Buy or sell? Derek Henry or Nick Chubb will have at least 1400 rushing yards again in 2020. So those were the only two running backs last year that had more than 1400 rushing yards, both returning to the same teams that they accomplished that on. But what are you doing? Are you buying? Are you buying or selling? Henry or Chubb? Not both, but one at least next year, over 1400 yards.
Al Borland
I'll weigh in here. I am buying Derek Henry repeating over 1400 rushing yards. That hasn't been done as far as a player repeating Back to back 1400 rushing yards for the last 13 years. Last player to do it was Ladanian Tomlinson. So this is not an easy feat. And I'm sure we're going to talk because, Mike, I know you're a big Nick Chubb fan. I'm sure you're going to bring up the Jack Conklin signing from the Titans, great right tackle from the Titans going to the Browns. And that does have an effect. But the reason I'm going to buy it, I've talked a lot about Derek Henry as a, as an outlier. When you look at the analytics crowd and you say, well, this is how much people get and this is where they return to means. And look, he's bigger and he's stronger and he's faster than most people his size and it Actually makes it difficult to tackle him as seen by bigger than people.
Mike Wright
His actual size. That's incredible. I'm saying all running his size are smaller than him. Amazing.
Al Borland
I believe that is true. Look at how he fits in the past alternative. That's right, that's right. No, but he is an outlier to that if you look as well. So you're losing Jack Conklin. And that does make a difference in the sense that, you know, I looked up the splits to the left tackle to the right, tackles, 108 carries to the left, including the playoffs last year, 127 to the right. And he did average almost a yard more per rush to the right. So losing Jack Conklin matters. But the biggest changes last year were actually getting Taylor Lawan back. He was suspended the first four games as the left tackle and then obvious the big one, Ryan Tannehill coming in. And if you look at those two changes, you're talking about the first four weeks, the first six weeks of the season, Derek Henry was not as good as the end. And so there's this narrative that says, well, players get tired. The NFL defenders are easier to beat up when you're a big bodied back. But I think it was the fact that the offense got way better with Taylor Lawan and with Ryan Tannehill. With Ryan Tannehill, he was almost on pace for 2,000 rushing yards. Even if you take just from week five, when Taylor Lawan got back, he was on pace for over 1700 rushing yards. And you know, look, he finished with over 1400 last year in 15 games. So I'm buying it. I think Derek Henry will finish with more than 1400 rushing yards this season.
Mike Wright
Now you, you mentioned the addition of Jack Conklin, which is big. Last year The Titans ranked 8th overall according to Pro Football Focus. The Browns are 23rd overall. Where do you weigh in, Mike?
Andy Holloway
It's, it's tough to really buy either of these guys hitting that mark again. They were, both of them joined just a handful of people to hit the, that rushing yardage mark on the attempts that they were actually given. So both of them were extremely efficient. And that stuff, it just bounces around from year to year. I think that the addition of Conklin is a massive, massive thing for the Cleveland Browns. On top of that, now you have, you have the coaching changes coming in. Will, will new head coach Kevin Stefanski continue to institute what he was doing up in Minnesota? I mean, at this point we just kind of have to assume that he will, which that'll be A very heavy run or a very run heavy approach. We know that Nick Chubb's numbers did go down once Kareem Hunt was back from his suspension. He dropped, you know, essentially 15 rushing yards per game. Where when Kareem Hunt was around and on that pace of 86 yards a game, I mean, that's just under 1400. I think they both can get there, but I will just. I have to sell because I think that the. For them to hit that. That 1400 threshold is. You got to have a lot of.
Mike Wright
It's a lofty goal.
Andy Holloway
Yes.
Mike Wright
Yeah, it's a lofty goal. And if you told me buy or sell both players over 1200, I'd be buying that. I think they'll be over 1200, and I actually think the Browns will be as good, if not better a running team overall next year than they were this past year. It's just a very high bar at 1400 yards. I think I will sell both of these players. I think you're going to see some expansion in the passing game in Tennessee with Tannehill returning. The. The maturity of A.J. brown and company around, and that's just such a huge mark. If I had to pick one, I guess I'd pick Henry because of what we've seen, but I go ahead and sell it. All right, that was buy or sell From Pristine Auction, pristineauction.com Be sure to use the registration code Ballers ballers. To get $10 back, get a credit on your first sports memorabilia purchase. Let's talk some news.
Jason Moore
News and notes from around the league.
Mike Wright
All right, guys. Oh, it's a sad day. Oh, the NFL draft never gets to make its debut in Las Vegas.
Andy Holloway
No boats.
Mike Wright
No boats. No. I mean, it seems like it's just yesterday, Bellagio, we were talking about the potential for players to fall into the water, and now it just seems like obviously that doesn't matter at all. So this thing can get. Get done without all the fanfare and the crowds in Las Vegas, but it's not going to happen. The NFL officially reported that it's not going to happen.
Al Borland
If you want this to be taken as good news, you say it like how I received it, which is the draft in Las Vegas has been canceled. And then you just say, it's just the Vegas part that's canceled. Draft is still on time. And then it's like, oh, this is great news. Because I was like, oh, no, it was canceled. Draft is happening on schedule. Which is so good for fantasy because, you know, we talk about all the time for Dynasty for our own rankings in the Ultimate Draft Kit. We don't really start diving in until after the draft because it changes so much when it comes to stating players out. Now we'll have the time that we usually have before the ultimate draft kit, before Dynasty drafts and those type of things to make sure that all the information is accurate and up to date. So glad that the NFL draft is happening as scheduled, just not where it was.
Andy Holloway
It might be more interesting. Like what I've read is they're going to be a whole bunch of, you know, looking into the war room because that's really the only footage that'll be around. And that stuff's always really interesting to me. Like I want to see the owner reacting. I want to see how the coaches are handling everything. Like, that's fun. If we can get actual shots of, you know, like, oh, we got a replay, we got to go back because. And then showing like a coach reacting to the player that they wanted getting picked right before them. I mean, that would be incredible television.
Mike Wright
Are you asking for the XFL to take over the production of the next six months since they got nothing else to do?
Andy Holloway
The XFL did a lot of things right and one of those things was access. And we want. The people want access in the NFL draft.
Mike Wright
Yeah, you're not wrong. It will be very interesting to see. I'm glad we have that content. I'm glad that we're fortunate enough as fans of this sport to have the opportunity to still follow along with everything that's going on according to the normal league year. As it stands right now. Here's some more news for you. The Eagles have acquired cornerback Darius Slay from the Lions in exchange for a 20, 20 third and fifth round draft pick. What was your reaction to this move? As a, you know, well respected corner, one of the weaknesses for Philadelphia, you know, they pick him up and he's in that division now, you know, I.
Al Borland
He wanted out and so that's, you know, he kind of forced his way. But from the lion standpoint, this is just such a dumb, dumb.
Andy Holloway
How did he ride out of town, Jason?
Al Borland
What's that?
Andy Holloway
How did he ride out of town?
Al Borland
No, no, on a sleigh. On a sleigh. Okay.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Al Borland
I mean, it's like, all right, he wrote a sleigh, that's fine. It just wasn't. I mean, I don't know who's at fault there. I think we share blame.
Mike Wright
Is that joke better in quarantine or out?
Al Borland
I think out. I think if we were together that'd be better. But the reality is, you know, if they, you know, Slay had the one year on his contract, if they play him out, then they get a third round pick for him. Compensatory, plus his services. Now they're basically getting a fifth rounder. From the Eagles standpoint, they desperately needed a playmaker in their secondary. Did they overpay him? Sure. But every time you sign someone new, they're always overpaid and then the market resets and yada yada. I know that he has great numbers against Mari Cooper, so, Mike, you'll be thrilled.
Andy Holloway
That's what I was going to bring up. Warren Sharp on Twitter at Sharp Football. He did point out and highlight just how well Darius Slay has. Just that well, Darius Slay has performed against Amari Cooper. I mean, he essentially just shuts him down. So that'll be a really fun matchup that we get to watch twice a year.
Mike Wright
Well, and really, you know, whenever you see those numbers with high profile cornerbacks and what they do against high profile wide receivers, sometimes it's shutting them down, sometimes it's a team rotating the offense away from them. It doesn't really matter because it jacks up your fantasy production if you own Amari Cooper and now he's got Darius Slay in the division twice a year. So that is the kind of fantasy implication of this move.
Al Borland
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Andy Holloway
I love it.
Al Borland
As far as something that can really take the soreness and tension out of your muscles during a workout, I mean, there's a reason why 250 professional sports teams worldwide and they use these. We've.
Mike Wright
Yeah, you see them on the sidelines.
Al Borland
Yeah. I mean, these theraguns are really amazing. And we didn't know until, you know, firsthand. You know, I'm out there playing pickleball and I got some weight on these little legs. And so it's like those legs are screaming at me, going like, I can't. Please stop, Please. And then I, I mean, you two could attest. I Bring my theragun Every single time we play. You do and on the side I'm, I'm blasting those things out. You don't even realize how sore you.
Mike Wright
Didn'T even play last time. You just theragunned the whole time. I don't know why you did that.
Al Borland
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Jason Moore
Free Agent Frenzy.
Mike Wright
I didn't get to participate in the last free agency frenzy episode of this show and so I am very excited to talk about some of these moves that we haven't talked about yet that you guys did not talk about on the last episode. So let's start with Todd Gurley. Let's start with Todd Gurley. The Rams released Todd Gurley and then, you know, by the time your face went back to normal after the release, he signed a one year, five million dollar contract with the Atlanta Falcons. What was your initial reaction? I think I tweeted what we always say on this show, mamas, don't let your boys grow up to be running backs. Because look at this off season with Todd Gurley, David Johnson, you know, Devonta Freeman, all of these big money contracts to running backs and you know the dynasty owners that thought you had something everlasting, which by the way, you never do at running back, especially at any position really, but certainly at running back. Here's Gurley released the key cog in this offense. How did you react?
Andy Holloway
Well, my first thought was Ellie, Atlanta, it's a pretty decent landing spot and we've seen success out of the fantasy running back there, Devonta Freeman. I mean it's been a couple years since it's happened, but at least it's a high powered offense. And if you look at what Todd Gurley did last year, salvaging his fantasy fantasy year, it was all touchdowns. Like that's how he got it done and he got him by the boatload. But now, so now he's in Atlanta Falcon, Dan Quinn, his Falcons. As long as Dan Quinn has been the coach. The Falcons have always been in top 10 in offensive yards. We know Quinn's a defensive guy, but he's, he's surrounding him. Smell self, smell. He's surrounding himself.
Mike Wright
He's surrounding himself with some serious.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, he's got smart people around him. Matt Ryan is a very good quarterback. Unfortunately, the last two years, these are numbers that we don't want to hear for Todd Gurley. 29th in rushing attempts last year, two years ago, 30th in rushing attempts. They had some good years, like I said back in 16 and 17 when it was Devonta Freeman was great. And then it was the Freeman, Tevin Coleman combo. Their offensive line. Now granted, they had a bunch of injuries, so it's, it's hard to.
Mike Wright
They always do though, Mike. They're going to have them again. Yeah, it's built into Atlanta somehow.
Andy Holloway
That's an excellent point.
Mike Wright
But I mean break it down though. RB1, RB2. I mean, what do you think, Mike? What do you think, Jay?
Andy Holloway
I would say that Todd Gurley, I would put him. I think he can still be a running back. One like a lower end too.
Al Borland
Yeah, I've got him probably sneaking into that 12 spot. I would rather have him than David Johnson. You know, if you're talking about two players that have changed teams, one of the things that really gets lost here on Todd Gurley because the degenerative knee, the utilization of CJ Anderson two years ago and the fact that when they came out this last year it was all managed workload is the fact that he was healthy and he was, he played. And then all of a sudden the last seven games of the season when they were like, oh man, we're not going to make the playoffs, we got to make. They used him like crazy. He was, you know, averaging almost 17 touches per game over that stretch. And during that stretch he was the running back nine. Yeah, Mike, you're right, it was a lot in touchdowns that salvaged it. But I think the thing that, that really salvaged was the fact that they weren't using him in the passing game at all. I mean it was ridiculous. Todd Gurley, this guy who's like one of the best pass catching running backs out there for the previous two seasons, all of a sudden is like, yeah, we're not going to do that anymore. And that's why I think Atlanta is good for Todd Gurley, at least on a, on a short scale, not necessarily for dynasty long term value. But I think that Matt Ryan will throw the ball a lot to Todd Gurley and That's going to up his fantasy value. We've seen Kyle, our editor, the Borgogan talk about vacated targets going to the running back position and you've got, you know, Austin Hooper gone, Devonta Freeman gone. I think Todd Gurley comes into a lot of receiving work for.
Mike Wright
You can have, you can have a situation where it is the smartest move for the Rams to move on the financial ramifications and what they've committed to and then all the questions that they have to undergo during the year and still have Gurley be a productive fantasy asset in Atlanta. And there were a lot of worst destinations that he could have ended up in. Without question now, Denver, I guess. Yeah, we will talk about Melvin Gordon momentarily. But I want to, I don't want to forget the other side of this equation with Darrell Henderson and with the Rams running game. And where do you sit when you look at somebody like Gurley in next year's fantasy draft versus a guy like Darrell Henderson, somebody with elite college production, somebody that was, yes, you know, a year too early on the hype, but going to have an opportunity. But Malcolm Brown's there. What do you think?
Andy Holloway
For Henderson, it's, it's tough. I've. I honestly have off the top of my head, I have no idea where people are going to feel about him for his adp. But going back and just looking down, looking at his rookie year, he did have two games, week seven, week eight, back to back games where he had 11 carries in both of those games. But what was the cohesive piece there? It was that Malcolm Brown was gone, he was injured and as soon as Malcolm Brown returned, Darrell Henderson was shut down again. So it's very, very disappointing to see a player with his draft capital for a team that needed to fill other, other positions on the team. Instead, they went with Henderson. The fact that he could not get on the field is highly.
Mike Wright
Find yourself concerned with that. You don't, you don't just chalk it up to. I don't really being in the backfield and the rookie, you know, being a rookie, learning the offense. I mean, you and I both know what we saw in film from Henderson coming into last year and the explosive difference between him and Brown. I just, it's kind of like Gore.
Andy Holloway
That's what I mean.
Mike Wright
It's Gore versus Singletary last year. To me, it's like eventually Singletary earns.
Andy Holloway
The opportunity he did and Singletary won out. By the end of the year, Singletary was the starting running back over Frank Gore. That didn't happen with Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown is, is still on the team. Like if you look, it's very, very disconcerting to me that Henderson could not get on the field.
Al Borland
I agree with Mike here. Malcolm Brown last year was the forgotten man who everybody was saying out of Los Angeles, look, this guy's still, he's the backup, he's the number two guy. And then he was the number two guy and then he got injured and then once he was back, he was the number two guy. So could Darrell Henderson take over? Yeah, he could, but I don't just, I don't just give that to him. In fact, I would expect them to spend a decent. I think they'll use high draft capital value on a running back and go get a replacement for Gurley that's a rookie, rather than give the ball to Darrell Henderson as the next lead back. That's my.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I think having it given to him isn't going to happen. You're not wrong there. I do think he will earn that. I think he will earn that opportunity based on, you know, they made the investment in him, in his, in his history. But you're right, Mike. I mean, we haven't seen it on the field yet. So it's just a, you know, you have to put your faith and belief in the player and the talent, not the evidence yet.
Andy Holloway
And it could be just another year of everyone drafting Darrell Henderson and we're telling the Foot Clan, Malcolm, scoop up Malcolm Brown late because he'll probably start.
Mike Wright
Or Darryl Henderson, which do you prefer?
Al Borland
Darnell Anderson.
Mike Wright
Yes.
Al Borland
It's his time to shine. What about John Kelly? I mean, if you're in a dynasty league. Oh, what, What? I'm just saying, in a dynasty league.
Mike Wright
Of course you're going to say John Kelly, he is still on the team. Is he really?
Al Borland
Yes. I mean, look, I love the college football team.
Mike Wright
I know you like him because I.
Al Borland
Remember you talking about him and Darrell, but I mean, but that's kind of the point, right? Like he had great college tape, great college production. It didn't matter. It didn't matter because he wasn't used by the team and I wanted him to be used. We might.
Mike Wright
Look, he was a lower draft capital pick though, too, and we were definitely not in consensus about John Kelly, I'll tell you that.
Al Borland
Sure. The draft capital, I think, is the big differentiator there because Kelly was, I think, a sixth rounder.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Mike Wright
All right. Melvin Gordon, two year deal, $16 million heads to the Broncos, kind of a head scratcher to me. You look at the situation with an undrafted yet highly talented player in Philip Lindsay in Denver. And it can't help but remind you of Austin Eckler, a very highly talented undrafted player in Los Angeles. And here's Melvin Gordon coming in to ruin the undrafted party. Gordon goes to Denver. It's not the money I expected him to get on the open market, certainly.
Andy Holloway
Not the money he expected he would get.
Mike Wright
No, no, it's not. It's all about revenge now, Mike. It's all about revenge when the money doesn't add up.
Al Borland
Well, if you heard he had an offer from another team for more money, took less money so that he could play in division, now nobody knows who that team is. And the only team that was even rumored was the Bills who came out and said, we didn't make an offer. So.
Mike Wright
But that's what that technically mean. Like when, when the Chargers made him an offer like a year and a half ago.
Al Borland
Right.
Mike Wright
That was for a lot of money, way more that he decided to wait.
Andy Holloway
It's so brutal. And so if you want to start, start talking about the actual implications. I mean, it was, it was a bad year for Melvin Gordon because he was, you know, two years ago, he was an absolute fantasy superstar. He only played in 12 games that year. And we had the whole situation at the end of the year. He's like, I let my fantasy, my fantasy people down. I'm going to make it up to you. And then we saw the drop and it's like, man, this is a bad year. Except he went back to the efficiency of Melvin Gordon. And then it turns out that two years ago, he just had this outlier season where he was playing fantastic. And then he went right back down to his. The baseline of his entire career. And so it's, what does he have? What is he actually going to bring to the Denver Broncos? And what's. What, what's the opportunity here? Is Royce Freeman just completely vanquished from the earth? I would guess, yes. But it wouldn't shock me at all if all of a sudden now Denver is a three running back system. No one on that team has any fantasy value that you can possibly count on. Unless one of these players misses time.
Mike Wright
Put put them in order, then, I mean, you are going Gordon Lindsay, right?
Andy Holloway
Yes, Gordon Gordon. Gordon Lindsay.
Al Borland
Yes. Yeah, Gordon Lindsey Freeman. I mean, you with a stink face.
Mike Wright
When you take either one of them.
Al Borland
Yes, I think so. Because we don't know for sure for Melvin Gordon to have the fantasy value that his name is going to dictate his draft. You know, he's going to be highly drafted player because he's a long time top five, top six fantasy back and he signed a big contract and yada yada. But in order for him to have that, he needs to be the true workhorse back. And while Pat Strurmer has a history of using a workhorse back, you know, when he's got Saquon Barkley or something, he has a long history and he uses whatever talent he has on the team. Philip Lindsay is a talented player. I don't think anybody out there watches Philip Lindsay and says, well, that dude sucks. And so I think he'll get on the field and that will hurt both. I think it's at least a two back timeshare here and Melvin Gordon's probably going to be overdrafted based on his name, but I still think he will be a relevant fantasy owner, a fantasy player just because of volume.
Mike Wright
I'm very concerned with Lindsay's any of the past catching numbers that we got from him before disintegrating and that representing a real deterioration of his fantasy value.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I was going to speak to that. Where you had the Drew Locke effect, it wasn't. I mean Phil Lindsay wasn't setting the world on fire with targets by any stretch. But if once Drew Locke took over and Drew Locke is the quarterback of this team, he was seeing about two targets a game, that is, that is not going to get it done. That's like, that's giving you no PPR bump at all. And Melvin Gordon needs those receptions. I'm with you, Jason, that yes, Gordon will be a usable fantasy running back because it's tough, it's tough in the streets to find a running back that is not in a timeshare. My fear is simply how involved is Royce Freeman because if he is involved at all, like so last year he saw about 37% of the running back attempts. If Freeman's involved, then all three of these guys, it's going to be just a detriment. You're me banging your head against the wall every single time you have to start one.
Mike Wright
Yeah, yeah. I tend to agree. Do you have anything to add, Jay? Or do you want to move on to maybe your favorite signing of the calendar year so far?
Al Borland
Let's move. Let's move on.
Mike Wright
All right, it's time for the Vance Dance to take on a new challenger. Steelers have signed tight in Eric ebron to a two year, $12 million contract. I have a note here in the show, Doc, added by Judge Giamatti, which is very hard for me to read because I'm distracted also by a picture of Big Ben dressed up as a gnome. Oh, wait, that's just Big Ben. And it says how hype is Jason. How hype is Jason? With Eric Ebron to Pittsburgh, it seems like a great opportunity for some touchdowns.
Al Borland
Yeah, I mean, Jason is hype. Jason is hype. But I would say hype is Jason is hype. How hype is Jason? Jason is hype. Look, Eric Ebron, he's, he's still a very young, you know, he's always 22.
Mike Wright
That's how old Eric Ebron is.
Al Borland
But the thing is, is for his age at the tight end position, there are only a handful of people who have as many passing yards and receiving, touch receiving yards, receiving touchdowns as Eric Ebron does. Now he comes to a team that really needs another pass catcher. Assuming that Big Ben can get back to where he left off. You know, he's pretty much every year having a 16 game pace of nearly 5,000 yards. Granted that was with Antonio Brown, but obviously he can sling it around. You had Vance Dance restructure his contract this season, this offseason, take a little bit less money. Yeah. You want to stick around on the team, you're going to restructure and then.
Mike Wright
All of a sudden called the McKinnon.
Al Borland
And they go sign Eric Ebron. So I think that that says, you know, we always talk about watch the money, watch those transactions versus what the fluff is being said. The money says that Eric Ebron is going to be their main receiving tight end. So the opportunity will be there. But I, you know, it's like I kind of joke about my love for Ebron because it's not, it's not true. Like I don't, I don't sit here and think like he is the greatest. You know, I talk about carry on Johnson. Right. I think Kerryon Johnson is genuinely one of the best running backs in football. I genuinely believe that. I don't think Eric Ebron is one of the best tight ends in football. I do think for fantasy he will be relevant. I mean he's had double digit touchdown seasons before and if, if Big Ben's throwing the ball, he'll be a weekly streaming. As far as in the right matchup.
Mike Wright
I mean it was clear that it didn't add up for Vance last year. I mean that's like the best summary of the season. It didn't work out. You had the offensive coordinator coming out and like you had those conversations about hey, he's not going to get more Snaps, you know, like there's something that wasn't adding up, you know, and we see this at tight end, you. You are grasping at straws. At tight end, you are hoping for the Trey Burtons of the world, you know, in years past. And Vance Dance was one of those situations too. I'm in on Ebron as a, you know, somebody that's going to make. Make a contribution to fantasy teams more often than he doesn't.
Al Borland
Do you realize, like the Bears, they really wanted a pass catching tight end and so they went out and they signed Jimmy Graham for I think two years, 14 million. And they didn't like, would you rather have. And then. And then like a week later, Eric ebron signs for two years, 12 million.
Mike Wright
Jimmy Graham has that from, you know, that special spell that when he meets people in person, he still looks like he's very young. Yeah, like the lady in what's the show. I'm thinking about what I do not know. Red Woman and Game of Thrones. Thank you. The Red Woman. Yes. All right, sorry.
Andy Holloway
So he has like a quarantine brain.
Mike Wright
He's got an amulet he wears to these meetings and I should wear it to the games.
Al Borland
I thought he just showed up with Drew Brees film and was like, look at me, look at me.
Mike Wright
Back then he had somebody going like with some CGI and put a different jersey on his Saints film. No. I don't know why he keeps tricking people into being that valuable. You could. I would rather have Eric Ebron than Jimmy.
Andy Holloway
Yes, yes, absolutely. I think I'm not on. I'm not in for Ebron. I think it'll just be. And like when you're going with the late tight ends, I want the guy who's at least going to be on the field sustainably and with van, because Vance McDonald's on the team, he's going to be there, he's going to help the team. He's not going to help your fantasy team. And I feel like that's what will be the same news for Ebron.
Mike Wright
I just, I'm getting ready to hear all of the reminders of Heath Miller and Big Ben and what the offseason used to be like. And yeah, that was me last year season was like with Heath. Heath Miller. All right, Emmanuel Sanders, big signing goes to the 49ers. Two years, six or, I'm sorry, from the 49ers now to the Saints. Two years, $16 million. This is my favorite signing of the off season.
Al Borland
Really.
Mike Wright
It's just a perfect fit. So it's a perfect fit for Breeze, not necessarily for Sanders.
Andy Holloway
Okay. That's every week.
Mike Wright
But in terms of a player team fit, I love it.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I think it's, it's massive for, for Breeze. If you look at what the, what the team was dealing with last year, I mean, you got Michael Thomas, of course, who's the undisputed number one fantasy wide receiver right now. You had Camara and you have, you have Jared Kuke. Jared, I mean, that was it. I mean, if you're talking about what other wide receivers of notes, no one emerged for this team. And Emmanuel Sanders can still absolutely get done. He will, he'll, he'll flash. He'll have, you know, two or three games where he'll just put up insane fantasy production and people go out and they'll throw, grab him from the waiver wire and then he won't do anything and he'll be tossed right back to the waiver wire. But in terms of Drew Brees, who had, I mean, one of his best statistical seasons ever last year, it's pretty exciting that maybe, maybe Brees can keep it up and still be a high level fantasy quarterback.
Mike Wright
Is this any cold water for Michael Thomas?
Al Borland
That's the question I was just going to bring up. You know, I don't think anybody is worried about Michael Thomas. You're not out there saying, oh, no, Emmanuel Sanders showed up. Now he's not going to be the one. But I do think if you're talking about not going to be the number one wide receiver in fantasy, then that makes a little bit of sense because you know, his market share, you basically see every play. It's just, where's Michael Thomas? Let me throw him the ball every single play. And when you've got a really good quality route runner on the other side in Emmanuel Sanders, it's going to be better for the Saints to utilize him. And I think that, you know, that'll take a little bit of the target market share away from Michael Thomas. But you're still talking about definitely a top five wide receiver, but I don't know that he'll be my number one wide receiver.
Mike Wright
Mike, is Sanders a top 36 guy in this situation?
Andy Holloway
He might be one of those players that he finishes inside the top 36, but you're not going to be getting consistent wide receiver, three numbers for him.
Mike Wright
Okay. We also have Brian Hoyer signing a contract.
Jason Moore
Mediocre signing of the week.
Al Borland
Can I ask a quick question on this?
Mike Wright
Go ahead.
Al Borland
Who has Brian Hoyer in our dynasty league?
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I went and I saw you spent 11 bucks for the back.
Mike Wright
Did you just flex on Brian Hoyer? It pays to learn the offenses of various teams when you're a backup quarterback because then they just, you know, as soon as they move away from their starter, you've got, you get to come in and make your one year contract money.
Al Borland
Well, we talked about this with Jarrett Stidham. The fact that he might be this, he might actually be the starter. I think he will be solely because if OTAs are shortened, you just don't have time to institute a new playbook to a new quarterback. Quite the same because of the coronavirus. And so what do they do? They go out and get a backup who has been in this system and knows it. And Hoyer, you know Hoyer and his agent, they came out, he was offered, I forget the contract, but it was, it was detailed. He turned down more money so that he could have the chance to start. That's what he was promised, that he can have the chance to compete for the starting role. That's why he took that job. And so I don't know that Jared Stidham is going to win. I think Brian, I would put the odds at Brian Hoyer being the week one starter right now.
Mike Wright
All right, let's get into some mailbag.
Jason Moore
Mailbag.
Mike Wright
All right. I didn't mention Nelson Aguilar, by the way. I wanted to save it. We had the mailbag was so flooded with Aguilar related questions that people want to know.
Al Borland
I think that they, I mean there's. I believe I have created a theory that they have signed Nelson Aguilar to ensure they can get Marcus Mario on the field. Because the worst that Aguilar does, the worst Eric Carr looks and then it's like, okay, well we gotta, we gotta bring in Mariota.
Mike Wright
It just seems like overthinking it a little bit. It's a lot.
Al Borland
Yeah.
Mike Wright
You should just probably just play Mariota if you want to do that. Why sign Nelson Aguilar? He seems to benefit from this situation a lot.
Al Borland
They did pay Mario to quite a bit as a backup, fully guaranteeing that first year. So he's definitely going to be pushing Carr for this year.
Mike Wright
But Mario's not. No, he's no good. That's also true.
Al Borland
I would agree with that.
Mike Wright
And I'm sorry to say it because I loved him coming out and it seemed like he was heading that direction. You remember when he was just insanely efficient in the red zone and that team was winning games. What happened?
Al Borland
Dude, he was throwing touchdowns to himself. It Was awesome.
Mike Wright
That was back when he was good and Tannehill stunk. Now Tannehill's good and he stinks.
Al Borland
What?
Mike Wright
All right.
Andy Holloway
That's what Tennessee hopes.
Mike Wright
All right, we're in the mailbag. If you have a question, go to the website thefantasyfootballers.com click the submit a question button. You can also dial our voicemail hotline, 302464, TFFB. We want to help you out. We got a James Conner question from somebody named James in Sacramento. Wow. All right. Hi, guys. I love the show. What does a dynasty owner do with James Conner? We started last year and, well, he was pretty much a bust. Does he come back to form? Does he have any trade value? This is an important question. Dynasty owners with James Conner are shaking in their boots.
Al Borland
I don't know that he has much trade value. I mean, you might be able to trade for James Conner because I just don't think you're going to get much from an owner. I think you have to hold on and hopefully that he's the guy. We saw two things last year from James Conner. One, he was still pretty good when he was out there, and obviously the offense stunk without Big Ben, so there's optimism here. Reason to believe that with the good offense, you can pretty much delete all the performances. Right, Juju? And you know, everybody that was a Steeler, you can say, well, that wasn't their fault. They didn't have a quarterback. But the other thing we saw was like, this guy cannot stay on the field. And it wasn't as simple as, like, oh, he tore an acl. This is just every single game, he hurts his shoulder, he hurts his hip. I don't know. He just. He. He left. You know, how many games did he finally come back from missing a week or two and then play a quarter and leave the game? So I'm not sure you did have the.
Mike Wright
The team didn't give him a free pass either in the off season. You know, the way that, like, a fantasy owner wants to look at that situation and say, maybe you can just throw it out. At least the team publicly came out and said, look, that's not what we expected from James Conner.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I would. I would jump in and say his trade value is not very high. If I have James Conner, I would probably just hang on to him because I agree with Jason. When. When James Conner was on the field, he was productive. He was by far the best running back on that team. It wouldn't be surprising to have the band get back together and have Mike Tomlin continue to do what he does, which is he prefers to rely on one running back. At least that's what we have seen in a pretty historical career so far. So I would hold Connor and just hope that he stays healthy because if he had stayed healthy last year, I think he would have been just fine for fantasy. Maybe not great, but at least let.
Al Borland
Me ask you this, Mike. Let's say they don't draft another running back or go out and sign someone. They roll with Benny Snell and James Conner and hope that Big Ben fixes that. You were very bullish on James Connor coming into this season. Based on watching him get injured left, right and center. Do you now like as a drafter come this season, he is the main guy. Are you going to be bullish again? Is or does the risk kind of turn you out?
Andy Holloway
I will be very bullish for his production, but you can't ignore the health risks that he that he showed last year. So I mean which will it will price into his average draft position accordingly. We'll see where that is. But if you're saying like James Conner is going in the like the fourth round or so, then I'd be pretty bullish on taking the shot.
Mike Wright
There'll be a team I really want to see if they spend any money in the off season at the running back position. One of those guys that is out there could end up on in that backfield just because they didn't have reliability beyond Conor last year. I'll be very curious to see if that happens. All right, this next question comes in from James in Florida. Apparently we only accept questions from people named James. It's just kind of part of what our show is about. So to all the James is out there, congrats. All right, who is your favorite of the three Giants wide receivers going into the season? This is a great question. I mean Darius Slayton, Sterling Shepard, Golden Tate, half point PPR league. How on earth do you make this decision as a fantasy owner?
Al Borland
I think you make this decision by looking at your team needs. Right. I mean both. I think all of these guys are going to be later drafted players. So did you take wide receivers early? Did you take solid guys where you know the only way that a guy's going to crack your roster here is if he blows up and does something special. To me, that would be Darius Slayton. You know, I would take that risk that he looked great. He was a rookie this year. He had some major breakout games and I think it's possible he becomes, you know, a legit number one wide receiver. Now, is that probable? Probably not, which is why he's going to be later in drafts. But if you, you know, we're very running back heavy, and you just need more of a sure thing, but you're, you know, just a plug, a wide receiver hole, I would say that that's Shepard to me, and I don't know where Tate is.
Andy Holloway
Really.
Mike Wright
My answer is not Tate. That's my only answer.
Al Borland
No, I'm with Andy. I'm with Andy.
Mike Wright
My only answer is not Tate because I know that what Jason described about Slayton's potential breakout or Shepard being healthy and consistent, like, both of those look like upside to me. Tate is on the back half of his career, and those other guys are there, so I feel like not Tate is my only answer. Why do you like him more, Mike?
Andy Holloway
I mean, he's. Now he'll be on the second year of a very large contract that the team gave to him, and. And he was actually pretty good. I mean, I'm looking through the game log right now, and if his first game back was really bad, but then 100 yards, 80 yards, 85 yards, 95 yards a couple of games after that, finished the season the second to last week with 96 yards. Like Golden, Tate wasn't bad by any stretch. If you throw out the first game when he was back, he was averaging almost eight targets a game, nearly five receptions and 60.
Mike Wright
Were those shepherd free?
Al Borland
That one.
Andy Holloway
Off the top of my head, I can't remember which game missed.
Mike Wright
I'm just worried about upside. Like, if I'm. If I'm like a pick later on a wide receiver, that's. I think Tate will be involved. But like, I'm talking, you know, what is he going to have? Maybe four receptions, five receptions. I'm. I'm unsure about that offense in general.
Andy Holloway
That's fair. I mean, it's. It's tough because I think that Daniel Jones will provide. I think Daniel Jones will provide fantasy value for someone. Maybe it ends up becoming Slayton who emerges. But for now, if, like, I'm choosing right now because James is making me choose right now, I'll take the guy who had a pretty decent year and is still getting paid a lot of. He's being paid to be the guy.
Mike Wright
All right, Jason, you have to pick one.
Al Borland
If I have to pick one, I'm going to go with Darius Slayton. I really liked what I saw. Rookie with the rookie quarterback. I think those two young men are going to grow together.
Mike Wright
All right, And I'll go with the big money of Sterling Shepard, who got paid as well, so that way we can each answer different.
Al Borland
You're welcome, James.
Mike Wright
To support our. James is out there.
Al Borland
All right, James from Twitter.
Mike Wright
No, this one, actually, it's Michael. He has a question. He says, what is the best Doritos flavor? This is an important question. All right, you're quarantined. You're. You're probably in a position where you're within arm's reach of some Doritos right now.
Andy Holloway
I have been eating a lot of Doritos. This is not a joke.
Al Borland
Hashtag, not a sponsor.
Andy Holloway
No. Yeah, they are not a sponsor. I would gladly sponsor Doritos, but I'm plain. I'm boring when it comes to Doritos, but the nacho cheese is my favorite.
Al Borland
Nacho cheese is the best, but I really like the spicy nacho cheese. You know, give it just. The nacho cheese has got a little kick because I'm not a huge. Why is that.
Mike Wright
Why is that considered plain? I mean, isn't it, like.
Andy Holloway
Because that's the default. That and cool range.
Mike Wright
Nacho cheese is right. Those are the two, right?
Al Borland
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Those just. Because they're the default flavors.
Al Borland
If you just say Doritos. If you just say Doritos, I think. I think everyone, really.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Al Borland
That's your default thought.
Mike Wright
And Al Borland. Al Borland. I see him sending a note. He says Cool Ranch.
Al Borland
Well, Cool Ranch. I'm not saying that you might not prefer Cool Ranch. I'm just saying if you think of Doritos in general, you don't think of the orange bag. Yeah. I mean, you don't see the nacho bag.
Mike Wright
I just think. I think of them as equals, as Cool Ranch and nacho cheese. You just choose each one. They're equals.
Andy Holloway
I'm with you there, Andy. They're in a tier one by themselves.
Mike Wright
Both of them.
Al Borland
Yes.
Mike Wright
Thank you, Brooks.
Al Borland
Yes. But if someone says Brooks. If someone were to just say, you know, here's. Here's a Here or have a nacho here. Here's a Dorito. What do you expect them to hand you? They're only handing you one. Chip. What do. Okay, okay. I'm expecting the nacho cheese. Yeah.
Mike Wright
Oh, come on, Brooks.
Al Borland
He's an honest guy.
Mike Wright
I would have to say. What flavor is this? I don't have a default. We need to pull the audience. This is something I need to know if I'm out there. All right, let's go here. Twitter. This one comes in from the sweet engineer. He Says had a dynasty offer just pop up. DK Metcalf and Josh Jacobs for Saquon Barkley. So what do you do there with Jacobs? Not. I mean, he's got so much potential. Metcalf has potential.
Al Borland
I mean, that, that is a very. I think it's a very fair trade. And I would prefer the Saquon side, I think, because look, the longevity is going to be with Metcalf over either of these two running backs. And so depth wise, which is important for Dynasty, that's on the DK Metcalf, Josh Jacobs side. But winning championships, it takes star players. It takes players who basically score. You know, like having two players in one position. And maybe Josh Jacobs gets there. They're talking about upping his passing work. But Saquon is there. He has been there. And so if you got the chance to get Saquon, I think I would do. I would take that. What about you two? Barkley?
Mike Wright
I agree. I agree. It's Barkley. Like you said, Jacobs could get there. Saquon is there. Take a break. Yeah, yeah, it probably is. All right. Jed in Syracuse says, hey, ballers, should I keep Galladay in the fifth or A.J. brown in the 13th round?
Andy Holloway
Come on, man.
Mike Wright
That's the round disparity is too large.
Andy Holloway
Like, I think it is a fair question to say who finishes higher next year, Kenny Golladay or A.J. brown? Like, that's to me. As would be a very spirited debate for fantasy finish, but for the third.
Mike Wright
Does this change your opinion at all, Mike?
Andy Holloway
Oh, look, it's so smooth. It's so, so smooth. Kenny G. Kenny G was the wide receiver six last year. Like he's. Kenny Golladay broke out and it's, it's real. I mean, he's an excellent player. Assuming that Matt Stafford is back to health, Kenny Golladay, I. I would project him to be a top 12 wide receiver.
Mike Wright
Maybe this isn't as easy as we think it is. I think it's easy because of what you're saying.
Al Borland
Because.
Mike Wright
No, because Matthew Stafford back, Kenny Galladay finished that high. You have a fifth rounder. I mean, if you substituted Michael Thomas in the fifth or A.J. brown in the 13th, what's your answer?
Andy Holloway
Michael Thomas.
Al Borland
Michael Thomas.
Mike Wright
Okay, so it's not, you know, it's not just that. The fact that Brown is basically free here. No, I just, I'm curious.
Al Borland
Yeah, it's not. But I mean, you know, the fifth round is still. There's still valuable pieces. You're going to get there. Starters, not flyers for your team. And you know, I think in the 13th round you're taking flyers. And if A.J. brown out produces Gollady next year, nobody's going to be surprised. Nobody's shocked. You know, like I would take Golladay over A.J. brown if these guys were both in the fifth or even maybe a fifth, sixth. Okay. You know, I lean towards Golladay, but if you're telling me I get a free fifth rounder to pick and add to A.J. brown, I would rather have that than Golladay plus a 13th rounder. All right.
Mike Wright
I tried. I tried to make it harder. I played some sweet jazz, but it didn't do.
Andy Holloway
So smooth, smooth jazz.
Mike Wright
Yeah. All right. That is going to do it for us, the Fantasy Footballers here on this fine Tuesday. Hope you enjoyed the show. You can find us on YouTube. YouTube.com the fantasy footballers and make sure you subscribe. Click the bell mike. While I was sick this past week, I really enjoyed watching you make a drop. It gave me a new respect for you as a person.
Andy Holloway
I appreciate you.
Mike Wright
I thought that you were just.
Al Borland
That's amazing because it gave me so much less respect. I was just like, that took him five minutes and he's got a sweet drop. It looks easy.
Mike Wright
I just assumed he came home and then just downloaded them. I didn't realize that he actually played the guitar. I had no idea.
Andy Holloway
That's true. There's actual proof up there on the YouTube now that I do it.
Al Borland
It was really cool.
Mike Wright
It was a lot of fun. So make sure you check that out on the YouTube as well on Twitter @TheFF Ballers. And we will be back with you Thursday. It's been a lot of fun. I'm glad. We're glad we're back at it as a three pack.
Andy Holloway
That is correct. Everyone stay safe out there. If you can stay home, please do that. Be kind to everyone. 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 ffballers.
Fantasy Footballers Podcast: FA Breakdowns + Buy/Sell, Andy Returns!
Episode Release Date: March 24, 2020
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
The episode kicks off with Andy Holloway rejoining the Fantasy Footballers team after a hiatus. He warmly welcomes listeners back, emphasizing the vibrant community at jointhefoot.com, where dedicated fans can access exclusive content and an extra episode each week.
Andy Holloway [00:00]:
"It's good to be back... head over to jointhefoot.com."
Mike Wright expresses his excitement about returning to the show, highlighting the comfort and sense of normalcy it brings during unprecedented times.
Mike Wright [01:16]:
"I just need that extra content in these times... this feels like home."
The hosts delve into a critical buy/sell decision for fantasy managers: Should you buy or sell Derek Henry or Nick Chubb based on their potential to exceed 1,400 rushing yards in the 2020 season?
Mike Wright [04:35]:
"Are you buying or selling Henry or Chubb? Not both, but one at least next year, over 1400 yards."
Al Borland [04:35]:
"I'll weigh in here. I am buying Derek Henry repeating over 1400 rushing yards... this hasn't been done as far as a player repeating back-to-back 1400 rushing yards for the last 13 years."
Al argues in favor of Henry, citing his unique physical attributes and consistent performance improvements, despite the Browns' acquisition of right tackle Jack Conklin, which could influence Chubb's performance.
Al Borland [07:11]:
"Derek Henry will finish with more than 1400 rushing yards this season."
Conversely, Andy expresses skepticism about both players reaching the 1,400-yard mark, suggesting that while achieving 1,200 yards might be feasible, the 1,400 threshold sets a high bar.
Andy Holloway [08:44]:
"I have to sell because... hitting that 1400 threshold is a very high bar."
Mike concurs, favoring Henry but ultimately deciding to sell due to the lofty goal posed by the 1,400-yard benchmark.
Mike Wright [08:44]:
"If you told me buy or sell both players over 1200, I'd be buying that. But I will sell both of these players... It's a lofty goal."
The hosts discuss the disappointing news that the NFL Draft will no longer take place in Las Vegas as initially planned. While the draft itself proceeds on schedule, the event loses its Vegas flair, affecting the usual fanfare and on-site festivities.
Mike Wright [09:41]:
"The NFL officially reported that it's not going to happen [in Las Vegas]."
Andy Holloway [10:15]:
"Draft is still on time. Which is so good for fantasy... glad the NFL draft is happening as scheduled, just not where it was."
Al Borland highlights the silver lining for fantasy players, as the draft's continuity allows for timely adjustments in rankings and strategies.
Al Borland [10:15]:
"Glad that the NFL draft is happening as scheduled, just not where it was."
Andy speculates on the potential content shifts, suggesting more focus on team war rooms and managerial reactions, enhancing the behind-the-scenes appeal.
Andy Holloway [11:06]:
"I want to see the owner reacting... incredible television."
The Philadelphia Eagles' acquisition of cornerback Darius Slay from the Detroit Lions becomes a focal point. The trade involves the Eagles sending a 2020 third and fifth-round draft pick in exchange for Slay, a move aimed at bolstering their secondary.
Jason Moore [12:00]:
"He wants out... it's such a dumb move for the Lions."
Al Borland [12:33]:
"From the Eagles standpoint, this is just such a dumb, dumb [trade]."
Al criticizes the Lions for undervaluing Slay, while Andy acknowledges Slay's capability to shut down top receivers, like Amari Cooper, which can influence fantasy matchups.
Andy Holloway [13:00]:
"Darius Slay... he essentially just shuts him down. That'll be a really fun matchup for fantasy."
Mike Wright points out the fantasy implications, noting that while Slay might limit Cooper's production, it could benefit owners who have Cooper on their rosters.
Mike Wright [14:17]:
"It jacks up your fantasy production if you own Amari Cooper and now he's got Darius Slay in the division twice a year."
The hosts analyze significant free agency moves, discussing their potential impact on fantasy football.
Mike Wright [16:08]:
"Todd Gurley released by Rams, signed a one-year, five-million-dollar contract with the Falcons."
Andy expresses optimism about Gurley's new environment under coach Dan Quinn, anticipating increased receiving opportunities that could boost his fantasy value despite previous underutilization.
Andy Holloway [17:10]:
"Atlanta is a pretty decent landing spot... he can still be a running back, one like a lower end too."
Al Borland supports Gurley's move, emphasizing his potential as a reliable fantasy asset if he secures a workhorse role without being heavily used in the passing game.
Al Borland [18:43]:
"Melvin Gordon... you don't think you're going to get much from an owner... he's going to be highly drafted because he's a top fantasy back."
Mike Wright discusses Melvin Gordon's surprising signing with the Broncos, raising concerns about his fantasy reliability amidst Denver's existing backfield competition.
Mike Wright [24:34]:
"Melvin Gordon's probably going to be overdrafted based on his name, but I still think he will be a relevant fantasy owner thanks to volume."
Al Borland fears that Gordon's presence alongside Philip Lindsay and Royce Freeman could dilute his fantasy value, making it challenging for fantasy owners to rely on him consistently.
Al Borland [26:56]:
"If Royce Freeman is involved, then all three of these guys, it's going to be just a detriment."
The Steelers' acquisition of tight end Eric Ebron is analyzed for its fantasy implications. While Ebron brings consistency, questions remain about his long-term impact compared to previous Steelers’ tight ends.
Mike Wright [29:12]:
"Eric Ebron... could be a weekly streaming option in the right matchup."
Al Borland notes that Ebron's signing indicates Pittsburgh's investment in a primary receiving tight end, potentially increasing his fantasy upside.
Al Borland [30:38]:
"Eric Ebron... is going to be their main receiving tight end. So the opportunity will be there."
Andy remains cautious, suggesting Ebron may have sporadic fantasy value but not the consistency desired for high-tier tight ends.
Andy Holloway [33:05]:
"But in terms of a player team fit, I love it... Emmanuel Sanders can still absolutely get done."
The hosts address fan-submitted questions, providing personalized advice and insights.
A Sacramento listener inquires about James Conner's prospects after a disappointing first season.
Al Borland [39:31]:
"His trade value is not very high. I think you have to hold on and hopefully that he's the guy."
Andy recommends retaining Conner, noting his past productivity when healthy and the Steelers' potential reliance on him as a primary back.
Andy Holloway [41:23]:
"If I have James Conner, I would probably just hang on to him and hope that he stays healthy."
James from Florida seeks advice on choosing between the Giants' wide receivers.
Al Borland [43:44]:
"I would take Darius Slayton. He looked great as a rookie and has potential to grow with the new quarterback."
Mike Wright [43:50]:
"My only answer is not Tate because what Jason described about Slayton's potential breakout or Shepard being healthy and consistent."
The consensus leans towards Darius Slayton for his upward trajectory and potential in a developing offense.
A lighter question from Michael about the best Doritos flavor sparks a playful debate.
Andy Holloway [46:27]:
"Nacho cheese is my favorite."
Al Borland [46:34]:
"I really like the spicy nacho cheese. It's got a little kick."
The hosts agree that Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch are top contenders among fans.
A listener suggests a trade involving DK Metcalf and Josh Jacobs for Saquon Barkley, debating the merits of such a swap.
Al Borland [48:11]:
"I would prefer the Saquon side because his longevity and status as a star player are more valuable."
Mike Wright [48:52]:
"I agree. It's Barkley. You have depth with Metcalf and Jacobs, but winning championships requires star players like Barkley."
The hosts favor acquiring Saquon Barkley for his elite production potential over the combination of Metcalf and Jacobs.
Jed from Syracuse asks whether to keep Kenny Golladay in the 5th or A.J. Brown in the 13th round.
Andy Holloway [49:31]:
"Kenny Golladay broke out... projection to be a top 12 wide receiver."
Mike Wright [50:15]:
"If A.J. Brown out produces Golladay next year, nobody's going to be surprised."
The recommendation leans towards retaining Golladay for his higher floor and potential as a top-tier receiver.
The episode wraps up with the hosts encouraging listeners to engage via YouTube and Twitter, securing their community's connection. Mike shares personal anecdotes, enhancing the camaraderie among the hosts.
Mike Wright [51:39]:
"Make sure you check that out on YouTube as well on Twitter @TheFFBallers."
Andy urges everyone to stay safe and extend kindness, while Jason reminds fans to join the community at jointhefoot.com.
Andy Holloway [52:03]:
"Be kind to everyone. Goodbye."
Buy/Sell Decision: Selling Derek Henry and Nick Chubb based on the challenging 1,400-yard goal, with moderate optimism for lower yardage thresholds.
NFL Draft Update: Las Vegas event canceled but draft proceeds normally, maintaining important deadlines for fantasy managers.
Major Free Agency Moves: Todd Gurley to Falcons offers potential resurgence, Melvin Gordon’s move to Broncos introduces uncertainty, and Eric Ebron's acquisition by Steelers adds depth but questions consistency.
Listener Insights: Retaining James Conner and Kenny Golladay is advisable, while embracing Saquon Barkley over a Metcalf-Jacobs duo could bolster championship aspirations in dynasty leagues.
This comprehensive episode provides valuable analysis and actionable insights for fantasy football enthusiasts, ensuring they remain well-informed and competitive as the season approaches.