
Fantasy Football Podcast for July 13, 2015. The Fantasy Footballers look at the NFC East teams, the fantasy football relevant moves, changes, and offseason upheavel. Listen as they break down the Cowboys, Redskins, Eagles, and Giants. Will Dez suit up
Loading summary
Unknown Speaker
Foreign.
Andy Holloway
To the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.
Mike Wright
It is Tuesday, July 14, and we are back again, everybody. Hey, this is the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, fresh off of a bonus episode Saturday edition, which I'm still sore, I'm still healing. Is that from being hit?
Jason Moore
No, my. My throat.
Mike Wright
Oh, okay. Cuz you also. We had a bit of a.
Jason Moore
Yes. Yeah.
Mike Wright
Accident around the studio here.
Andy Holloway
World came down on you pretty hard.
Mike Wright
Part of the studio fell onto Mike.
Andy Holloway
While I was texting and.
Mike Wright
Yeah, it wasn't your best moment, Jason.
Andy Holloway
I was playing on my phone mid show after it had gone off and called, and then the world fell down on Mike and I wasn't there to save you. I'm sorry, Hitman.
Mike Wright
Everything's going to be all right. We have a good show for you today. We've got our last divisional breakdown, the NFC East. We're covering them today, looking at all the fantasy implications of the moves during the off season. And so these have been really good. People seem to have liked all the divisional breakdowns. So if you haven't heard some of the other divisions, you can go back and listen to those on itunes. Got some news and notes to talk about today. So some fresh stuff. Big deadline tomorrow, right?
Andy Holloway
Yeah, tomorrow's big day.
Mike Wright
Yes, yes. And I've got a quick question for you guys.
Andy Holloway
Oh, A.J.
Mike Wright
Green can finish as high as number one.
Jason Moore
Number one. Yeah.
Mike Wright
Okay.
Andy Holloway
I mean, if you're saying can finish as high, I think that there's about, I don't know, 10 guys somewhere around there that could thick. You can make the case. Could finish as number one.
Mike Wright
Yeah, we. I got an email from somebody who was kind of making the case for A.J. green saying why, why do you like Calvin or Julio or these guys? Why wouldn't Green have just as good of a chance?
Jason Moore
He does.
Mike Wright
He's got. And that's. That's kind of my point too, is I. That's how I see him too. He could finish number one easily. I mean, you have certain guys like Stafford and Calvin, you know, Ryan and Julio, that have a rapport that they built up over the years. And as much as you can say in the negative sense about the Red Rocket, him and Green have a rapport.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, well. And that's all you do, right? It's. It's amount of. How much evidence do you have to make the case for one of those guys? And so I, you know, there is more evidence for other guys than A.J. green, but there's enough where A.J. green could be there.
Jason Moore
I just there's plenty. He's been a top three guy.
Mike Wright
Absolutely. Multiple times.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Back to back years. I think if you throw last year out.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, he's healthy now, you know, had the football.
Mike Wright
Oh, he's awesome. Yeah. I just thought I'd bring it up in case you guys had a different opinion, but no, it didn't. Sounds like we're all the same.
Jason Moore
What's was. Was interesting is over the off season, there was. I don't know how many times I saw people trying to trade AJ Green away for Brandon Cooks.
Mike Wright
What?
Jason Moore
Tons of times. Just this particular trade.
Mike Wright
I saw it all over Twitter. Recency bias, which isn't even there for that situation. Yeah, yeah. If you want to get a hold of us, you can do so on twitter @the ffballers. You can check out our brand new YouTube channel. I encourage everybody who is submitting questions for the show to head over to YouTube. Search for the fantasy footballers. Subscribe to our channel on YouTube. We answer a lot of listener questions actually on video on YouTube as well. If they don't make it on the.
Jason Moore
Show, we're busting our buns over there, people.
Mike Wright
That's right. Our buns be busted. And you can go to the website, the fantasy footballers.com.
Andy Holloway
Best website around.
Mike Wright
It's true. I checked and there's a submit a question button in the corner. And we've actually done a good job of refining this process because, you know, as the summer months go on, we happen to be getting a lot more questions and so we have to be as efficient as we can getting those in. So the best way to get ahold of us is to head over to the website, the fancyfootballers.com click on the submit a question button, send it in and your question. We try to get back to every question.
Jason Moore
Right now we're doing our best.
Mike Wright
Yeah, we're doing our best. So anything else going on? You want to read a review?
Jason Moore
Yeah, let's do that.
Andy Holloway
Do it. Review a source. Rex, this one comes in from Dane. Dane jur 73.
Jason Moore
I thought you were gonna go with Gurr.
Andy Holloway
Dane Gurr 73. Watch out. Title is New Foot Clan member.
Jason Moore
Oh, yeah.
Andy Holloway
Yes.
Jason Moore
Says.
Andy Holloway
I've listened to a lot of podcasts and this is my favorite three things matter on fantasy football podcasts. Excellent content mixed with a little humor and perfect sound quality. Fantasy footballers have it all. And if I may say so, danger. That is literally, it was like you were. You have been in our room and in our conversations during meetings. Those are the three things we try to Focus on.
Jason Moore
That's our motto.
Andy Holloway
Yep.
Mike Wright
Doesn't matter how good the content you've got if you can't hear it or it sounds like you're in a wind tunnel with someone driving a Ford across your mind.
Andy Holloway
It doesn't matter how funny you are. If your content's going to help you lose a league. We try to do it all here.
Mike Wright
We do. Thanks for that review. Appreciate all. You notice how many toot toots you're getting into the show now we're going to have to mute him.
Jason Moore
Mute, Mute, Yeah.
Mike Wright
Thank you for the review. We do appreciate that every review on itunes, stitcher, anywhere you're listening does a lot for the show. So we really do appreciate that. Shout out to all the foot clan members that have contributed in that way. We really appreciate it. Yeah. Let's go ahead and get into some news.
Andy Holloway
News and notes from around the league.
Mike Wright
Well, well, well, here we are. It is almost Wednesday and we got a deadline.
Jason Moore
Yeah, it's. It's ballers in real life.
Mike Wright
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You guys been watching that at all?
Andy Holloway
I have.
Mike Wright
Yeah. I've seen it too.
Jason Moore
This. This reminds me of a scenario that would be in the show.
Mike Wright
Well, Des Bryant. Yeah, it's the back and forth with Des. It looked like we were right on the cusp of a deal, a long term deal with him, what, a week ago? In fact, I think you even put a teaser in the show notes and then instead of deleting it, you actually strike through it like you wanted to make the point that this was close and didn't happen. And Des has basically come out and not basically, he did come out and say, read the tweet.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Jason Moore
Says this is a tweet from DEZ Bryant. As much as I love football on my beautiful babies, I apologize, cowboy nation, but I will not be there if no deal. And he punctuated by saying, hashtag fact.
Mike Wright
Should we be worried?
Jason Moore
Yeah. I don't know, man.
Mike Wright
Because this Jackson, once upon a time burned a lot of fantasy owners by sitting out up until the 10th, 11th game of the season.
Andy Holloway
I believe him. I really do. I think if there's no deal tomorrow, I mean, obviously we don't know. This could just be a game of poker. And you know he's bluffing, but the person who would call his bluff is Jerry Jones.
Jason Moore
And the person who would hold out is.
Andy Holloway
And so if you just look at, like, attitudes and personalities and direction, it's pointing. If there isn't a deal done by tomorrow.
Mike Wright
Perfect storm.
Andy Holloway
I moved as. Wait, I move him to the bottom of all my top guys right now.
Jason Moore
He's.
Mike Wright
Until further information, start seeing camps change.
Andy Holloway
If, if you have to draft during that time, if you're doing, you know, an MFL 10 or, you know, whatever you're doing, I'd be a little worried.
Mike Wright
Mike.
Jason Moore
I agree. I have a little bit of concern. I'm not gonna. I'm not going to panic move. I'm not gonna sell DEZ or, or I'm not gonna really move him down. But it, there's concern there in my.
Mike Wright
Heart for Des Brian so hard to imagine going. I mean, that changes and that's not why. No, I know, but this is why he holds out, right? It's like he knows how valuable he is. Imagine that offense. What changes? Where does Terrence Williams go on your rankings? Where does Cole Beasley go in your rankings? How does that entire. Tony Romo. I mean, you're already. I mean, Des and DeMarco. I was just going to say, trying to figure something out.
Andy Holloway
13 rushing touchdowns from DeMarco Murray gone. If DEs were 14.
Mike Wright
14. Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Mike Wright
So, I mean, 27 of romos.
Andy Holloway
What?
Mike Wright
30. How many did he have?
Andy Holloway
33, five, six. Something like 37 for the team. I don't think he was.
Mike Wright
I mean, that's just a astronomical percentage. Yeah, gone.
Andy Holloway
That'd be crazy. So if there is no deal, maybe next week we can talk about what the repercussions would be for Dallas, but too early to tell yet.
Mike Wright
Demarys Thomas is also unlikely to get an extension by the deadline. However, demarius is playing nice. No tweets from demarius.
Jason Moore
He's just not saying anything.
Andy Holloway
Well, he has said earlier. He said earlier he'll play on it. He's just not going to play until he has to. So.
Jason Moore
And I think, I think he's doing the. It's. It's the risky thing, but to me it's the smarter thing for him is to gamble, bet it all. Get one more great season with Peyton Manning, then go cash out, get maximum money from wherever you want to go and not be stuck with the rebuilding at the quarterback position in Denver.
Mike Wright
Let me ask real quick, fantasy wise, Demarys Thomas has basically put up identical numbers over the last three seasons. Last year was actually higher than the years before and the years before were almost the same. Double digit touchdowns, 1100 plus yards. Is this the season that. Is this just same old, same old Demarious Thomas or do you see any reason to believe he could step back this year?
Andy Holloway
No, I see no reason to step back you have him as a great.
Mike Wright
Even with a different offensive, even with.
Andy Holloway
A different coordinator, offensive coordinator, because you lose. Julius Thomas, one of the red zone targets, the biggest beneficiary from that going to be dt. He's clearly the number one target. You know, you can say Emmanuel Sanders, who knows? But does or demarious Thomas is going to be demarious Thomas this year for sure.
Mike Wright
All right. Out of Eagles camp, Mark Sanchez has led a group of workouts in San Diego. This is news.
Jason Moore
Well, I put it in there because it. It's important to me who the Eagles quarterback is. I don't know about you guys, but I'm going to give an interesting stat later on. But Mark Sanchez is doing everything that he possibly can to hold on to that starting position. He has an uphill battle after they traded Nick Foles and a pick to get Sam Bradford. But Bradford's still not healthy. We don't know what's happening with his recovery. It's seeming to take longer than it should. And Sanchez was very, very fantasy relevant last year.
Mike Wright
And that's really the gist of this whole thing at the quarterback position. The quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles will put up fantasy numbers.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Mike Wright
That's the end of the story. Right. No matter who that is. They were such a good offense last year. We're going to talk about them a lot more in our divisional section today. Last report here is. It's an interesting one. Tampa Bay reports are that Austin Safari and Jenkins was virtually uncoverable during OTAs and minicamps. He's a 6 5, 262 tight end. We've heard a lot about his potential. Can you.
Andy Holloway
Can you imagine, like, you come in.
Mike Wright
That large would be awesome.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. Just looking down on everyone in.
Mike Wright
That's what I think of every time I watch Dwayne Johnson on ballers. I'm like, I can't imagine like every suit they make him, every like, shirt he's wearing looks like it's about to explode off of his body.
Jason Moore
Because his body is about to explode.
Mike Wright
Like, is it always kind of getting.
Jason Moore
He is massive.
Mike Wright
He accidentally flexes.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, there's a lot of.
Mike Wright
But anyway, so what are we gonna say? Can you imagine?
Andy Holloway
No, I was just saying, can you imagine coming in, you're the number one draft pick into the NFL and you have three six foot five monsters to.
Mike Wright
Throw the ball to when you're used to throwing interceptions or not having those targets at Florida State. Yeah, that doesn't hurt.
Andy Holloway
Mike Evans, Vincent Jackson and Austin Safari and Jenkins, those are just. I mean, you got. I've been thinking of this team as the twin towers. It's like the triple. Yeah, it really is. It's crazy.
Mike Wright
And they have a new. His first name is escaping Me Bell. Kenny Bell, their slot receiver. They draft him in the fifth round. He's another weapon they're adding to the mix there. We talked a little bit about Doug Martin last week. I don't know.
Andy Holloway
Well.
Mike Wright
And they're turning over a new leaf.
Jason Moore
And the important thing for Safari and Jenkins is Dirk Cutters there.
Mike Wright
Yep.
Jason Moore
And dirt cutter is. Has some history of success using a tight end with a one Tony Gonzalez. He did. Okay.
Andy Holloway
So on that note, Jameis Winston throwing to those guys. I remind you of our. I've got him in our water bat. And I've had a lot of questions this week. Like a ton of questions from people saying, what is a water bat?
Jason Moore
Like, everyone has been going to talk about it.
Andy Holloway
What is that? Because we haven't. We haven't actually explained it. Mostly because it's off season. We don't pay them out. But basically what a water bet is, we have a. We have created the wheel of water and there are a bunch of different punishments on this. Whether it's taking a cup of water, say in the crotch or matrix style, we get to dodge it or it's a gigantic up all sorts of things. And when we lose a bet, we spin the wheel of water and we get to pay the price.
Jason Moore
You get humiliated.
Andy Holloway
Yes, we get humiliated. We'll film these and put them up.
Mike Wright
I already have one.
Andy Holloway
I have one that I need to pay out. So we need to put that up this week.
Mike Wright
That's right. You bet Larry Fitzgerald would not resign with the Cardinals.
Andy Holloway
That's right. I didn't think it was going to happen. It was way early.
Mike Wright
So yeah, those will be fun. You'll see the payouts of those. It all kind of started before we were doing fancy football stuff.
Andy Holloway
Yep.
Mike Wright
Becca.
Andy Holloway
Back in the day.
Mike Wright
Back in the day. So speaking of ballers.
Jason Moore
Oh, hey.
Mike Wright
Hey. I like what you did. Fantasy football season is coming quickly and with it, daily fantasy sports are almost here. If you have not played FanDuel.com youm are missing out. Yeah, you are missing out on a ton of fun. The weekend is crazy when you are in some of these daily fantasy sports leagues and you'd got a big chance to win money on there because some of these 50, 50 tournaments, they're super fun. If you are going to play daily fantasy sports, make sure you sign up on FanDuel.com. and use the promo code Ballers. Now, we had that before the HBO show. Okay.
Andy Holloway
Yes, we did.
Jason Moore
We sue.
Andy Holloway
No. Yes. Yes, we can. Give me. Like they care. They use the Miami Dolphins logos without permission. Yeah.
Mike Wright
Use the code Ballers. You'll get a match on your deposits up to $200 and you'll be set up. Your account will be set up for the fantasy season coming up. And if you want to get your, you know, toe in the water, you can play some fantasy baseball. Do that. But make sure you hop in there. Now use the promo code Ballers. You'll get the maximum amount of match that you can do. And we always remind you about fantasydraftwizard.com that's where we do all of our mock drafting. We've done all our live mock draft shows using fantasydraftwizard.com and you can actually get to that link on our website, too. On the side panel, there's a start, a mock draft. You can do it. It's free. Go on there. Run through your mock.
Andy Holloway
So best way to get better at fantasy football in the offseason mock drafts.
Mike Wright
That's true. Here we go.
Andy Holloway
Let's get divisional.
Jason Moore
The last time we get that drop.
Mike Wright
I might draft the Rock this year.
Jason Moore
Just because he was available.
Mike Wright
My last pick. Yeah, he'd come in, he'd catch some touchdowns off the line. Come on now. All right, let's talk New York Giants. We are in the NFC east and that is the first team we're going to go over today in our divisional section. The Giants are an interesting squad to talk about fantasy wise because you have a lot of guys that could be relevant. You have a lot of guys that will be relevant. And we need to kind of figure out who, who and how. So the giants were the 10th best offense, believe it or not, last year in terms of yards per game. They were the seventh best passing offense. I think I read earlier today, I don't have it in the, in the doc here that they were, I think, 12th or 15th in fantasy points. So kind of middle of the road in terms of fantasy production. They were the 13th best scoring offense and they added Shane Vereen at running back and they added Eric Flowers, who luckily they did. Yeah, yeah. Offensive tackle because they lost Will Betty, their offensive tackle, who's very good. Who's very good. So he was a top 12 guy last year, but they brought in Eric Flowers and everything I've read about Flowers, everything I've seen on Flowers indicates he's going to translate well to the professional game. And so let's talk a little bit about this offense. Eli Manning at the helm yet again, believe it or not, had a better season than you know, some people thought his career might be trending to the bench high interception totals. Had a really good year last year. Odell Beckham Jr. Burst onto the scene. He's at the top of a lot of draft boards. Jay.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I mean he, I just forget like he was awesome. I mean he missed the first four games last year and finished as the number three. And preparing for this, I was looking up his stats and just when you go game by game you're like this is ridiculous. How did he do that? Just catching. 15, 15, 13, 21 catches, not targets to one targets would be ridiculous. 21 catches, 21 catches, that's ridiculous.
Mike Wright
21.
Andy Holloway
Wait, then he get.
Jason Moore
Was that the. No, that had to be target.
Mike Wright
That's like a Brandon Marshall old record. But, but yeah, he burst on and when you watch the games he was on a different level than other receivers.
Jason Moore
He's really, he's a really amazing athlete. And not just athlete, but football player. We all know the catch, the three finger snickerdoodle out of the air, whatever it was was just. I like that name was insane. My concerns with ODB are of course the hamstrings and I'm not sure that the, the target pace that he was on is fully sustainable, especially if Victor Cruz comes back.
Mike Wright
Which. Yeah.
Jason Moore
And so when, when Beckham really went on his tear was the final four games and he was getting just insane amounts of targets.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, those were the targets.
Jason Moore
I was named the 21.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Jason Moore
But he was also playing in against bottom half defenses. So it was kind of a perfect storm of opportunity and matchup and he, he took full advantage of it. So you have to give credit for there. But I have concern with, with people ready to crown him as the best receiver in fantasy football. I'm not ready to do that with a 12 game sample.
Mike Wright
Jason, you pointed out an interesting stat. Hopefully I'm not stealing your thunder here, but that Eli actually threw more touchdowns in the first half of the season than the second half and he actually threw more interceptions in the second half of the season than the first half.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I was not expecting that before.
Mike Wright
Looking and I, you know that there are a lot of variables in that equation. The defenses they play, the fact that their defense was so bad that Eli's hurling the ball around, maybe forcing the ball to Odell Beckham Jr. A little too much because of Cruz's injury. But if you've been watching any of the video from Giants camp. Victor Cruz looks pretty good to me now, what that translates to. Right. But I mean, when a guy that's coming off of that injury is running full speed and planting and cutting, it does lend. It makes me believe that he's not going to be on the PUP list. And if he's not on the PUP list, maybe he's not a fantasy contributor the way we would have expected from Cruz, which I don't think he will. Does any of us think he's not at all Cruz? Yeah, he's not going to be anything like he was, partly because of his injury, partly because of Beckham and partly because Randall has really elevated his game. Ruben Randall. But Cruz could be back and that's just another guy. I mean, Eli likes Cruz. Cruz has a game underneath in that offense. I mean, what are your thoughts on. Would you draft Cruz right now?
Jason Moore
I haven't. I'm not drafting him right now. I'm going to let it play out or like you got to pick your guys on whatever. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. I've just. We saw firsthand Ryan Williams go down with the exact same injury and his entire career was derailed. And that's what Victor Cruz is. He's a shifty, small guy. So I have great concerns about it. I think it'll be very interesting if Cruz does come back. What do the Giants do? Who's on the outside when they're in too wide?
Andy Holloway
Is it.
Jason Moore
Is it Beckham and Cruz? Because then you have a guy who's 6ft tall and a guy who's 5 11.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Jason Moore
Can you really be that successful with two small guys like that on your outside receivers?
Andy Holloway
I think you can be, but I don't think you can be when one of them is coming off of the injuries, coming off of.
Mike Wright
I think Cruz is. He's going to be in the slot.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, probably the question that I have when Cruz comes back, because I like Randall a lot. There's a lot of reason to think Randle has. He's got room to improve. His catch Percentage was only 55% and I think, you know, coming into his fourth year more familiar with the new system and the routes he's running, I think that catch percentage can easily go up to 59, 60% and his targets could increase. But if Victor Cruz comes back and plays, you know, the majority of the season, even if he's not fantasy relevant himself, do you guys think that that will take away from any target growth that Ruben Randle could have had.
Jason Moore
It's very possible. But I like Ruben a lot. As one of the late guys. You can get 127 targets.
Mike Wright
I guess that's the question. Are you, are you drafting Randall Cruz?
Jason Moore
I am.
Andy Holloway
Oh, nobody, nobody should draft Victor Cruz over Ruben Randall.
Jason Moore
That's probably.
Andy Holloway
That would be my advice. I would say if you're out there and you're in a draft and you want one of those two guys, go with Ruben Randall and. But he's got a much better chance of producing.
Jason Moore
People have been very disappointed with Ruben Randall's progression as a professional. What's interesting, I think I've mentioned how young he is before, but a crazy point about Ruben Randall. Reuben Randall just turned 24. Okay.
Mike Wright
That is Odell Beckham is going to.
Jason Moore
Turn 23 this year.
Mike Wright
Yeah, that's super young. And you have Randall as your 27th wide receiver right now.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I like him.
Mike Wright
That's just outside of wide receiver two range.
Jason Moore
I like him a lot. For the targets are he had nine games of nine plus targets. What you're going to have to deal with with Ruben Randle is some absolute crappers, stinkers. He's going, he's going to poop the bed at least a couple times this year and you're going to have to deal with it. But then he's going to have amazing games. It's very messy, but the final two games, I mean he was over 120 yards. He closed the season with a bang.
Mike Wright
So Mike, you obviously believe a lot in the Giants offense. You have Eli number five. You've got Randall very high. Talk about the running backs.
Jason Moore
Oh man. So the running backs, that is a messy situation. You have Rashad Jennings coming back, Andre Williams and Shane Varino. So there's the three headed monster and whose role is what where? Rashad Jennings through the first three weeks or so, he was great for fantasy. He wasn't a great rushing running back, but he was getting enough passes and putting enough yards to be very fantasy relevant. So if he loses third down work to Shane Vereen, Rashad Jennings is going to be in trouble. And that's on top of him getting hurt this year because that's going to happen too.
Mike Wright
It's hard. It's hard to know because Jason, I think we're talking about this Jennings hat. I mean if Jennings comes in and plays like Jennings can play, he can be a solid fantasy contributor and a steal in the later rounds of your draft. But there's just so many question marks.
Andy Holloway
You know, the fact that he averaged 3.8 yards of carry and Andre Williams averaged 3.3 yards and their left tackle went down. You know them moving the ball on the ground I am not really very confident in. So the only back that I'm really looking at here would be Shane Marine. I think Shane Marine has the chance in the McAdoo system to be high. I think the problem is he's not going to have enough volume. But if I'm wrong on that, if the volume comes, he's got the talent to do it.
Mike Wright
So is that a value player? Would you actually draft Vereen above Jennings? Because I would not.
Andy Holloway
That would be a value play.
Mike Wright
Okay, so you're saying the value on Vereen's value on a draft?
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Jason Moore
Just real quick on Eli because we kind of brushed over him. He had the highest pass attempts of his career. Very important for fantasies volume. Along with the highest pass attempts, he had the highest completion percentage of his career. Eli had a very good year. People like Andy said people had completely written him off but he came back in. The Ben McAdoo system changed everything. It took him a while.
Mike Wright
It did not look good.
Jason Moore
No. At the beginning it took him a while to settle in. So that's why I have him so high. I'm very confident in the second season that this particular offensive scheme fits what Eli needs to do with his career right now.
Mike Wright
Final question on Eli. Where would you draft him? What's the highest you would take him in a draft? Because I had this question on the video and I said. Did you say eighth?
Jason Moore
Eighth round.
Mike Wright
That's what I said too. Yeah. His, his average opposition right now is the middle of the ninth.
Jason Moore
That's, that's where I would want him. I prefer the ninth.
Mike Wright
Okay. I think it's going to keep creeping up though. I think that's happening right now. I've seen it in some MFL10s. He's flying off earlier than guys I would expect him to go behind. We got to talk Eagles now. Philadelphia, the team that has a nice stable of running backs in place.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Bringing in DeMarco Murray, bringing in Ryan Matthews. I'm curious your guys thoughts as when we get to them about their pass catching abilities and how that affects Darren Sproul's role in that offense. They were a number five overall offense last year in terms of yards per game pretty much, you know, top 10 across the board. They brought in Sam Bradford obviously Foles is gone. They drafted Nelson Aguilar, a guy I really liked out of USC in the first round at the wide receiver Position as they lost Jeremy Macklin. So a lot of turnover. LaShawn McCoy's gone. Are we just hanging our hat on Chip Kelly here?
Jason Moore
Absolutely I am.
Mike Wright
Because if this exact situation happened on another offense somewhere else, we might say, ah, we gotta wait and see.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I'm not waiting and seeing at all. I got this stat from. From Matthew Berry. Shout out to Mr. Roto. Since 2013, when Chip Kelly took over, here's the. Here's the quarterbacks who have outscored the Eagles quarterback. As we know, there have been injuries and things, but if you combine the Eagles quarterback to be one person, three quarterbacks have.
Mike Wright
Randall Cunningham. That's his name.
Jason Moore
Sure, Randall Cunningham. Here's the guys who have scored more than the Eagles quarterbacks Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Andrew Luck. That's it. And Sam Bradford, we're forgetting about. Sam Bradford in 2013 was a quarterback. He only played seven games. In seven games with the Rams, with nobody, there was a quarterback 14 times. I am all over Sam Bradford, assuming he's healthy coming into the season.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, that's. That's why you care so much about Sanchez, right?
Jason Moore
Exactly.
Mike Wright
Because the Eagles quarterback is worth drafting.
Andy Holloway
It's definitely something to watch. And of course that's going to change who receives the targets from them. You know, different quarterbacks have different score with different receivers.
Mike Wright
Let me bring this up here. There's a lot of people that play best ball leagues, MFL tens, those type of things. Are you saying a good strategy might be to just take Sanchez and Bradford?
Jason Moore
Yeah, that's not bad.
Mike Wright
As your last two picks of the draft or something?
Andy Holloway
No, no, I would say. No, I would do it. I wouldn't do it because if you're.
Mike Wright
Going to lock up a.
Andy Holloway
It would take two roster spots to lock up one single position.
Mike Wright
Yeah, that's true. But you're guaranteeing a.
Andy Holloway
You're guaranteeing one of those quarterbacks, but.
Mike Wright
You'Re still trading another team.
Andy Holloway
Multiple quarterbacks in an msr.
Mike Wright
I don't know. It was an interesting thought.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I mean, I can see. I don't have a problem with that. I just wouldn't do it myself.
Mike Wright
So let's try to get our heads around the core, the wide receiver position a little bit. Jordan Matthews had, I believe about 80, 85 catches last year. 869 touchdowns, eight touchdowns. I had him.
Jason Moore
He had 85. Catch or. No, that's Macklin. Sorry.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Jason Moore
He only had 67 catches.
Mike Wright
67 catches. 800 and 872 yards, eight touchdowns. There you go. So he was in that, you know, he came in as a rookie, he made his mark. He was definitely the second best fantasy receiver on that team. Macklin is out the door. Mike has made a point over the last, you know, few months about the fact that Kelly produces a wide receiver one. Generally, yeah.
Jason Moore
Got career years from DJax and then the following year, Macklin.
Mike Wright
Now, the only thing I'm going to say to that, because both of those guys are work in the league longer. Okay.
Jason Moore
That's fair.
Mike Wright
Jordan Matthews was. And if you ask Chip Kelly what his offense is, it is a running offense. It is predicated on the run and the short pass. And so the offense dictates where the ball goes. So sometimes it's Nelson Aguilar, sometimes it's going to be Jordan Matthews, it's going to be Ertz, it's going to be Sprouls, it's going to be Matthews or Murray out of the backfield. So for me, because of how long Matthews has been in the league and because I don't believe that he's necessarily. I'm the only one in this group that doesn't believe he's a wide receiver one. Guaranteed. Oh, I don't.
Jason Moore
Jason doesn't.
Mike Wright
I'm.
Andy Holloway
I've got him in wide receiver two.
Mike Wright
So I guess my point is I want, I want to keep in mind maybe Aguilar's value should be higher and Matthews should be lower because the offense predicates where the ball goes. A lot of quick screen passes and it's a running offense. So I think you will get stinkers even out of guys like Matthews in this offense.
Andy Holloway
I agree that whoever's taking the ball long is going to have the good value based on this offense. Right. The run sets up the pass, you bring the defense in, you go over the top. And that's where Jeremy Macklin lived. That's where desean Jackson lived and that's where Nelson Aguilar could live or maybe Jordan Matthews. We'll see. But what we do know is that Jordan or Josh Huff for sure, or Zach Ertz. So we got to keep our eye on it. But what we do know that helps us is that Jordan Matthews is an incredibly good wide receiver. His hands were among the best last year. Talking Odell Beckham best. His ranking on Pro Football Focus was, I think it was like, it was definitely top 10 last year among the.
Jason Moore
Rookie receivers from reception perception. His success against coverage was, I think, second or third best.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. So he's super talented and he's got the opportunity this year we'll see what role they put him in. But I do like him a lot. I think that there's a very high, high, high floor, and then there's also high potential upside. So that's where I like drafting a guy like that.
Jason Moore
He only played 65% of the snaps, by the way.
Mike Wright
Yeah, he had a great year. He had a great year because that offense is dynamic. Eight touchdowns as a rookie. That's great. Zach Ertz is a guy getting a lot of buzz this offseason. Brent Selec.
Jason Moore
You don't like the buzz or you.
Andy Holloway
Don'T like the buzz? I love Ertz.
Mike Wright
Is it just easy?
Andy Holloway
I mean, it was just so easy. He was like going in the 10th and then the 9th and then the 8th, and now he's going in the 7th.
Jason Moore
You knew that was my coming.
Andy Holloway
I know, but when he was in the 10th, that was my guy that I was like, this is my target this year. And I was planning to get Zach Ertz in my drafts. And now I'm like, well, now in the seventh, I think he's worth it, but I'd rather have a running back or wide receiver there personally. So I'm just upset by that. But I do think if you're the type of player that wants a good tight end and you just have to have one, Zach Ertz is absolutely worth seventh.
Mike Wright
Gotta have that tight end, Mike. Yeah. Ertz. Thoughts?
Jason Moore
I like Ertz a lot. His upside is we don't even know how high he can go right now. He had almost 60 catches, 700 yards, playing, 50% of the snaps. Everything for Zach Ertz is, can he block? Did he. Did he improve his physicality enough over the off season where he's going to get on the field? If he gets on the field in the 70 percentile of snaps, then he can easily hit 900 to 1,000 yards, which for a tight end, that's exactly what you want.
Mike Wright
He has to be able to do that. I worry that he's going to be somebody that you know right away whether you made a right decision on, because if they're good, though, they're a running offense. And if he cannot produce, you can blow smoke all off season about being able to block. If you don't block in the first two games on a running offense for DeMarco Murray. Yeah, you might be crying about Zach Ertz, but I'm not predicting that. I'm just saying he seems like a guy. That's not a guarantee. You know, Jason Whitten is going to be on the Field. You know, Jason Watton is going to be on the field. Well, you guys want to talk about the running backs real quick?
Andy Holloway
Yeah, yeah, yeah, man.
Mike Wright
A lot of fantasy implications for all of the Eagles players because of the offense that they're on. And so let's talk about the question I brought up earlier. Murray and Matthews can both catch the ball. Is this the year Sprols takes a step back?
Andy Holloway
No, it makes no difference on Sprols because they cannot catch the ball any better than Lashawn McCoy could. Lashawn McCoy can catch the ball just as well.
Mike Wright
That's just one guy, though. Now they got two guys.
Andy Holloway
Well, but they're not. I mean, how often are DeMarco Murray and, and Ryan Matthews gonna be on the field at the same time?
Mike Wright
That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about Matthews will take third down, snaps away from Sprolls. That's what I'm talking about. Because he can catch the ball and pass.
Andy Holloway
My point is, I think that they're going to use Darren Sprolls in the same way they used him, and they're going to mix. I don't see it taking away from him, but I do when it comes to Ryan Matthews. That's the running back that I want the most on this team.
Jason Moore
Oh, I want.
Mike Wright
You got to keep talking then.
Andy Holloway
Well, from a, From a value of where you get him. So DeMarco Murray, I think, is actually a good value in the second right now. But to get Ryan Matthews in the ninth behind a guy who, granted, he played 16 games last year, but the reason that DeMarco Murray wasn't super highly drafted going into last year is why? Because he's notoriously injured and now he's got the money, he got paid the contract. And I think that there's a good chance that with that workload behind him, the reason that not everybody came running after him is because of that. So you got Ryan Matthews behind him. And if by chance DeMarco Murray goes down, Ryan Matthews is a top five back. He's not just a. He's not just a good back. He's in a great offense, as, you know, the, the, as the Hulk there. So where. I mean, I don't see other players in the ninth that have that kind of potential. You know that when you're drafting running backs in the ninth, I mean, who's. What backup are you going to get that could do that?
Jason Moore
You're not. And what do DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews have in common?
Andy Holloway
Well, they're both injury prone.
Jason Moore
They've both played one full season.
Mike Wright
Well, it's always hard with a guy like Matthews because I don't disagree with the opportunity. But here's your situation. Sometimes when you spend. What round did you say?
Andy Holloway
Ninth.
Mike Wright
So if you spend a nine, ninth round pick on Ryan Matthews and the first three games of the season, he gets eight carries, six carries, seven carries, he produces nothing on the fantasy. Are you going to keep that roster spot for him all year long? If you're not a DeMarco orner? Well, you'd rather spend the 9th round pick on Isaiah Crowell or you know, somebody that has higher potential outside injury.
Andy Holloway
Well, so here are the guys going around him that you could do that with. Right. So behind him, tell me if you'd prefer Bishop Sankey or Charles Sims or Darren Sprols.
Mike Wright
I would take a chance on a Bishop Sankey over Ryan Matthews.
Andy Holloway
You would, you would draft?
Mike Wright
I wouldn't draft. I wouldn't draft Sproules over Matthews.
Andy Holloway
Probably, yeah, I would not take Sankey over Matthews. But I get the point, right? I mean, you got the starter who's, you know, going to get the first crack.
Mike Wright
All right, let's go ahead and talk about Washington. That's a good discussion on Philly. I'm sure there's much more to say and we will say it as we kind of go through rankings and talk through these guys and see how camp looks. But the Redskins are a team with players.
Jason Moore
They.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, well said.
Jason Moore
They are a professional football team.
Mike Wright
Yeah. And actually these numbers surprised me, Mike.
Jason Moore
They surprised me when I was putting them in.
Mike Wright
You put them in here, right?
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Mike Wright
The 11th best passing offense in terms of yards per game. The 13th best offense.
Jason Moore
You are not remembering Captain, Captain Kirk, how dominant he was for his stretch.
Mike Wright
That was a short stretch.
Jason Moore
It was a short stretch, but I.
Mike Wright
Will never forget the car crash that was that Thursday night football game.
Jason Moore
Yeah, neither will I.
Mike Wright
You were starting in that week, weren't you? So they do have. Kirk Cousins is still on the roster. RG3 is slotted to take that first quarterback spot. And you know, camp reports, all that good stuff they like to say. I mean, so far so good for The Jay Gruden RG3 rapport this offseason saying that Griffin has made some strides under their new quarterbacks coach. They've added an offensive tackle in the first round. They added Matt Jones, the running back in the third round. They did add a wide receiver, Jameson Crowder in the fourth and they added a guard in the fourth. So they're doing some things to kind of solidify that offensive line. Roy hello is gone. And so that's an important point because we do want to talk about Matt Jones in that third down roll opportunity. Alfred Morris has yet to. This is just breaking news for you. He's yet to find his hands. So he doesn't catch the ball.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Mike Wright
And then you've got Garcon, you got desean Jackson and Andre Roberts. So let's talk a little bit. Is there something that jumps out that you want to talk about the Redskins?
Andy Holloway
Yeah, I want to talk about Alfred Morris because I know, Mike, you've. You've been high on him. And so I kind of want to debate. I want to. I want to know what I'm missing because I see a trend that doesn't point very well on him. Alfred Morris, he receives the lion's share of carries. Right. So Roy hello only got 40 carries last year. That was pretty much it. And then Alfred Morris got 265. So. But if you look at his, you know, his yards per carry, you always talk about this with quarterbacks. Where are they trending or other players comes into the league, rookie year, 4.8 yards carry, then 4.6 last year, 4.1 down, down, down. And then they draft free agent next year. Yeah. And he's free agent. So, you know. Why are you not scared about Alfred Morris?
Jason Moore
Well, I am. I've actually moved him down. All right. I still like him though, because, yeah, he's trending down. He still had 265 carries for over a thousand. He still had an over 4 yards per carry average. And his success is partially tied to Robert Griffin and Robert Griffin's ability to run. Will, is RG3 healthy enough now to get back to doing what he did last year? 7 games without Robert Griffin is what Alfred Morris had to play nine points per game. The nine games that Robert Griffin played, 13.
Andy Holloway
Well, I'll say this.
Mike Wright
Is it the run option.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense. I will say this, though. If we are banking on the success of RG3 for the success of Alfred Morris, I'm going to sell because I don't think RG3 is going to play 16 games, you know, for whatever reason, not just injury, but just being pulled. I don't. I'm not going to put my eggs in that basket.
Jason Moore
I agree with that. And that's why he's not an RB1. But I still think he's. He's a solid RB2.
Andy Holloway
Solid definitely makes the value and he's.
Jason Moore
His Numbers will never be spectacular. He's just, he shouldn't let you down.
Mike Wright
See the modern day Cedric Benson. Yeah, that's on the way there. At least that's fair. You know where, you know, he goes out there, he gives you two downs, he gets in the end zone. He's a good player. It's just a matter of.
Jason Moore
And what, what is interesting to me is all this, all the Matt Jones talk, right?
Mike Wright
That's mostly just been me.
Jason Moore
No, no, it's not just you, but the Matt Jones. He's going to be the third down guy. He's going to be the pass catching back.
Mike Wright
He will.
Jason Moore
Last year Alfred Morris caught 17 passes Matt Jones in his college career, his three year college career, 19 receptions.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, that's what's really weird is that.
Jason Moore
Doesn'T make any sense.
Mike Wright
Well, a guy doesn't have to catch the ball a lot in college to be able to catch the ball necessarily.
Andy Holloway
True. But you'd like to see, I mean when he comes.
Mike Wright
Okay. Some guys do, some guys don't. I mean for a guy coming or.
Jason Moore
A guy coming into the league or the. Oh, check mark, that guy's a third down back. He's ready for that. You would want some more production in that area.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I can't say I wouldn't want it but I do know that I think a lot of the third down back check mark stuff has happened after he ended up in camp and after he ended up in OTAs and they watched him play.
Andy Holloway
It was after Roy Helou walked the.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I have to.
Jason Moore
Don't, don't forget about Silas Red for a third down roll.
Mike Wright
I'm.
Jason Moore
Matt Jones does not really worry me for Alfred Morris. It's just Washington.
Mike Wright
I think Matt Jones is, he's a guy that I would target in dynasty leagues. If Morris walks next year. Yes, they like Matt Jones. That's three, three down potential. All right, let's talk about the passing game for a second. We don't have a lot of time to linger on it, but RG3, Pierre Garcon, Desean Jackson, if this is a team that went out and was the 13th best offense per yards per game and then they have Jay Gruden, he likes to throw the ball. If RG3 is healthy, is he going to surprise people in the fantasy community?
Jason Moore
If he's healthy, yeah.
Mike Wright
Okay, so let's, let's presume, let's do a little suspend reality and RG3 is now going to be healthy for next year.
Jason Moore
Okay.
Mike Wright
Okay. So give me the passing game perspective on Robert Griffin III, Pierre Garcon and DeSean Jackson last year. DeSean Jackson here was the disparity between him and Garcon. Jackson into 22. Garcon ended up 53. Yeah, I mean, people are low, low, low on Garcon. There are some changes to the offense happening this year that people need to be aware of in terms of where they're lining up and they need to remember that Garcon has been a big time performer in years past when he's been healthy. But what's going to happen here?
Jason Moore
I think the ceiling on Robert Griffin's passing is similar to his first. His first two years he was right around 13, 3200 yards. You add Drew a man, add Jake Rudin in there, he's going to get a bump. He'll go up to maybe 3,500. What would be fantastic is if you can get 3,504 to 500 rushing yards, then Robert Griffin is going to be a great fantasy quarterback. I just. That's very difficult with.
Mike Wright
It's kind of Colin Kaepernick.
Andy Holloway
Right.
Jason Moore
But the way that Griffin's. Jason alluded to it, the way his contract is set up, if Griffin gets hurt, his contract next year is guaranteed. So if Jay Gruden puts Griffin out and is not liking what he's getting from the quarterback, he's going to pull him out because he's not going to risk that.
Andy Holloway
And also they're probably not going to try to run him as much. And you know, because when, when he ran, he got injured and so I just don't. I mean, I know we're just. I forgot we're suspending reality. Well, started talking realistic.
Jason Moore
He got hurt when he would scramble.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Jason Moore
If they would design the run, he would not get hit as much.
Andy Holloway
I think that Pierre Garcon is more involved. You alluded to that, Andy saying that.
Mike Wright
You know, do they balance out a little bit is the question. 22 to 53 last year.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, exactly. I think that Desean Jackson stays where he is. I think Desean Jackson is that. And granted he had more yards per carry or yards per catch. And so, you know, maybe that was a little high. But you look. I think we looked this up and it was like three years in a row. He pretty much finished identical. So I think that is what it is. But it's a guy that's not always good for your fantasy team because you got to deal with the great weeks, you got to deal with the dud weeks. But I think Pierre Garcon takes A bump up and I like his value this year.
Mike Wright
All right, we got to move on to the Cowboys. America's team. Nice. Nice. Whoa. Keep it going.
Jason Moore
The whole thing.
Mike Wright
They're going to need a whole lot of that if they losing to Marco Murray and does Bryant. So we talked about Dez's situation earlier. They were a great offense last year. I mean, seventh in the league in terms of yards per game and the second best rushing offense. And I don't think they're going. This is one of the reasons I like Joseph Randall right now is they're not going to go away from a running game that was successful for them unless they really have to. And they certainly aren't going to do it if they're missing Des for a few games. So Joseph Randall, I mean, okay. He and Darren McFadden and Dunbar are the only three backs in that offense.
Jason Moore
Right.
Mike Wright
Break it down.
Jason Moore
I want. I messaged you guys this, that I have growing, growing affection for Lance Dunbar because of passing downs.
Mike Wright
Did his mother and family call you?
Jason Moore
They did because I actually screened the call though. I didn't want to be influenced by the Dunbar family. This is my personal opinion.
Mike Wright
You sound like me two years ago. I think the day Dunbar done he just. He could get cut.
Jason Moore
Dude, he got the tar. He's not gonna get cut.
Mike Wright
I said he could.
Jason Moore
What, and go with two backs of no Darren McBoo.
Andy Holloway
Boo.
Mike Wright
They have other backs. They got. Still got Ryan Williams there.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Jason Moore
He's going to be the guy who gets cut. My guy.
Mike Wright
Ryan, I was going to say you've said some things about the backs before.
Jason Moore
But moving on to Lance Dunbar, the targets did not go. The passing downs where Murray caught a ton of passes last year. That's got to go somewhere. And I don't think it goes to Joseph Randall. Joseph Randall got five targets last year. Lance Dunbar got 22 and 22 targets. When we saw how much work DeMarco Murray was getting. That's not bad.
Andy Holloway
That.
Jason Moore
That speaks to me that that's going to be the guy who will handle the passing downs.
Mike Wright
It's an interesting thought. I can't get there, but I can pay attention.
Andy Holloway
I can get there, but I'm curious what that would really mean. I don't think this is enough value even in a piece.
Mike Wright
Does that mean like what Roy hello is worth last year?
Andy Holloway
Yeah, that's how I would see what you're saying.
Jason Moore
It's. It's not tremendous, but I just. I'm still not. Randall has moved up my rankings just by de facto Because I think he's going to. He's going to be the starting guy. But we don't know who he is. Yeah, he had a 6.7 yard per carry average last year. The year before that, with almost identical carries, he was 3.0. We don't know who Randle is. And there was an interesting stat.
Mike Wright
We know who Devontae Freeman is.
Andy Holloway
Yes.
Mike Wright
Unbelievable.
Andy Holloway
Yes.
Mike Wright
Unbelievable.
Jason Moore
Defonte Freeman stinks.
Mike Wright
Oh, my gosh.
Jason Moore
And what, Joseph? What? You want to crown Joseph Randle?
Mike Wright
I didn't want to crown him. I'm just saying if limited carries is a disqualifier for Randall and it's a qualifier for Devontae Freeman, on your view of him, it's kind of hypocritical.
Jason Moore
But you're qualif. You're qualifying. You're doing the opposite of me.
Mike Wright
No, I'm just saying. I'm not saying Randall. I'm saying I think he's a good enough talent to perform and he's got the role.
Jason Moore
And then the interesting stat I was alluding to is on first and second down last year, Randall had a two yard per carry average.
Mike Wright
All eight times he did that.
Jason Moore
That.
Andy Holloway
That matters.
Mike Wright
Okay, so the running game. Will we agree that whoever's running it is going to have some production and some fantasy value?
Andy Holloway
Yes.
Mike Wright
Is Darren McFadden a byproduct or. I mean, is he a forgotten man now?
Jason Moore
Yes, and he will remain forgotten.
Mike Wright
Well, I guess we can't linger on there forever. Let's talk about a steal at the tight end position.
Andy Holloway
Oh, yeah, for sure. Jason Whitten is. He is an Ironman and his stats should bounce back up from last year because last year he was so dedicated to run. And I think that the team is going to still run the ball a lot, but not at the same. They're just not going to be able to run the ball at the same clip that they were with DeMarco Murray, which just means more third downs, more Jason Whitten time. And he was good last year. He's been good for the last seven, eight years. He's being drafted like he's retired. So I love it.
Jason Moore
And don't forget, Scott Linehan is still there. This is the guy in Detroit while he was running things, they were top six in pass attempts every year he was there and twice at number one for most attempts in the league. He likes to throw well.
Mike Wright
If the offense can't move the ball without DeMarco Murray, they're throwing. Romo has thrown before. We all know these. This happens he throws a few extra picks, but he can be really productive for fantasy. Anything else about Dallas you guys wanted to discuss right now?
Jason Moore
No, I agree with Jason. I like Jason Winton very much.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, we'll talk about Dallas a lot post Wednesday.
Mike Wright
I was embarrassed because I was in an MFL 10 and I was.
Jason Moore
You're gonna share this?
Mike Wright
Well, no, no, no, no. This was. No, I'm not sharing that.
Andy Holloway
Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Jason Moore
We could still be talking about the same thing.
Mike Wright
No, I was just gonna say this is Witten related because I think it was the last pick, you know, 20 man roster and I had to draft a tight end. Well, it couldn't have been last pick. It had to been a three or four from the end. But Whitten's ADP was so far down, I missed him. Like I missed him on the list. I drafted like, wow, Virgil Green or something all over Jason Whitney. He went like two picks after. I'm like, what? I totally didn't even see him on the ball.
Jason Moore
You fell for the board.
Mike Wright
I did fall for the board.
Andy Holloway
So easy.
Mike Wright
You know, you get that draft alert on your phone and you're like, I really want to make my pick right now when I should sit down.
Jason Moore
But that's a good thing for the Foot Clan to remember. Don't fall for the board. Have yours ready to go so you know who's where, where they're supposed to go. And you don't start falling in love with these names on a screen in front of you.
Andy Holloway
Bring your own draft software.
Mike Wright
Someone has to be an example. All right, let's take a few minutes and answer some listener questions.
Andy Holloway
Mailbag. Mailbag.
Mike Wright
Well, if you have a question of your own, you can go to the website thefantasyfootballers.com, click on the submit a question button in the upper right hand corner of the screen and submit your question to the show. And we will answer it. We answer them on YouTube. We answer them right here in the mailbag section. You can also call us 302-464-TFFB if you want to leave us a voicemail question. This first one comes in from a Foot Clan supporter, Casey Jones of the Foot Clan from Farmdale, Ohio. He says, hey, guys, love your stuff. Just found the podcast a few months ago. I draft 11th in a 12 man league, assuming Lynch, Lacey, Bell, Foster, Peterson, Charles and a couple whiteouts are gone. Basically he's saying, who would you target at 11 and 14 if you pass on? He says, if I pass on running backs, there I am Screwed on running backs, two wide receivers. Gronk Rogers, thanks in advance. Keep up the great work. Standard league. And I think you should listen to yourself a little bit here in the sense that if you pass on running backs in both those spots, you might be screwed on running back.
Jason Moore
There was a name I didn't hear.
Andy Holloway
Oh.
Jason Moore
Yeah, yeah.
Mike Wright
I didn't hear any Foster's name. Oh, I did see Foster.
Jason Moore
Jeremy Hill get on the train. That guy's going to be a beast.
Andy Holloway
Jeremy Hill is especially good here because it's a standard league, so I think that you could get him there. I also think it's possible that C.J. anderson drops there. If you could get C.J. anderson 11, Hill at 14. Man, would I love that. Going in to a league.
Jason Moore
Be spectacular.
Mike Wright
Yeah. And thank you, Casey, for supporting the show. We've got some Foot Clan decals we're sending out now too for people who are supporting the show on the site. Hey, now, the Foot Clan just dropping some information that might be important to the listener. All right, this next one comes in a another Foot Clan supporter, George from Pakistan. That's a long ways away.
Andy Holloway
That is not close.
Mike Wright
Oh, I thought you were saying I wasn't close to like pronouncing it right.
Andy Holloway
No, no, no, you said it right. It is Pakistan.
Mike Wright
He says, yes, I'm really in Pakistan. He's a US Contractor. He listens as much as he can. He loves the show and he actually has other people he's told it, told other people about.
Jason Moore
Good on you, George. We appreciate it.
Andy Holloway
We are growing huge in Pakistan, Spreading through Pakistan.
Mike Wright
He's in a 12 man league, full point PPR. He picks number six. He can keep two of the following and he loses the previous drafted. What is that? Previous drafted in round?
Jason Moore
Yes.
Mike Wright
Okay, so he can keep two of the following. Jamal Charles for a first, A.J. green for a second, Julio Jones for a third, Rob Gronkowski for a fourth, Justin Forset for the 15th. Which two do you recommend keeping for the upcoming season? He's leaning Gronk for set for sets.
Andy Holloway
A no brainer. Right. I mean, to get in the 15th round a good running back for free. I think to me it is that way. And so then you're dealing with either Gronk in the fourth or Julio Jones in the third.
Mike Wright
Third.
Andy Holloway
Those guys are my. Basically my number one wide receiver, my number one tight end.
Mike Wright
In that case.
Andy Holloway
In that case, you go with the one with the better value.
Mike Wright
Yeah. I tried as hard as I could to convince myself to say Julio Jones.
Jason Moore
But I can't I'm going to go.
Mike Wright
I'm going to go four set grunt me as well.
Jason Moore
And just a personal note for the Foot Clan. I just traded for Justin for set in our main league and I made.
Andy Holloway
These two guys move it along.
Jason Moore
Very upset.
Andy Holloway
Yes. She's a dumb deal.
Mike Wright
Yes, you did.
Andy Holloway
So are you. Are you. Are you also Gronk and Forset?
Jason Moore
Yeah. Fourth round.
Unknown Speaker
Hey guys. My first time calling in. I'm a recent listener to the show. I've been listening for about a few weeks now. Just got done the AFC show. Love the Josh Huff shout out earlier. But my question is, I feel like I am the only person I talk to who is huge on Mike Wallace this year. I really think that he's going to do well in Minnesota. I'm a big Teddy Bridgewater fan, like the way he delivers the ball downfield and I really think Mike Wallace has a bit of upside this year. What are your guys thoughts on that?
Mike Wright
I'll be honest, I've kind of been ignoring Mike Wallace a little bit because I'm not sure what to make of him on that offense yet. Because I like what I saw from Charles Johnson. But Mike Wallace nor have Turner offense ascending Teddy Bridgewater. I mean, are we missing something with him?
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Jason Moore
Oh yeah.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. I think. I think we are. I really do. I think that Mike Wallace, for some reason he's become, I think because of his own kind of prima donna antics.
Jason Moore
Of years past and the contract.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. And the contract stuff and things like that, we've kind of lost sight of the fact that he is a good wide receiver and he is a fast wide receiver. He is a fast wide receiver who can catch balls. And last year for the first time was really showing that he's quality in the red zone, which is very important. You go to a team with Adrian Peterson on it and with Teddy Bridgewater, I think that the value there is legit. Right.
Mike Wright
I mean where he was 86 for about 860 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. So he made his fantasy money in the end zone.
Andy Holloway
He's going behind Charles Johnson and that.
Jason Moore
Is where he should go. To me, I think Charles Johnson is the premier. That's the question for the offense. I think he's playing the right position for the North Turner offense.
Mike Wright
I don't think Wallace can put up more yards than he did last year in Minnesota.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Jason Moore
And I'm not completely off of Wallace. I just don't like him for the going with the team change. I like Teddy Bridgewater a lot as well. But his numbers were inflated by red zone touchdowns and they got. If he stays healthy, they got the red zone reindeer up there. So where Miami didn't really have ton of options.
Mike Wright
That's Kyle Rudolph for those.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Yeah, I'm sure.
Andy Holloway
You think they use them at all in the. In the running game, Percy Harmon style?
Jason Moore
No.
Andy Holloway
Okay.
Mike Wright
Yeah, probably not. All right, let's go to another voicemail. Question.
Andy Holloway
Okay.
Unknown Speaker
Tony Meatball. Just kidding. It's not. He's hilarious. Hey, guys, I've been listening to the show for a little bit now. Just a new listener, but really love this stuff. And I had a question about converting a redraft league into a keeper league. I'm just curious what your general rules would be as far as the prices for the keepers, as far as like maybe rounds or dollars, depending on if it's not a redraft, an auction or not. And yeah, just curious what your thoughts are on converting that into a keeper league. Thanks.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. We've done this ourselves many times and given this advice many times. There's a couple rules to follow. One is do it a year out. So make sure that you don't just do that before a draft and say, okay, we're going to do this. Pick the guys you had last year, because last year you didn't draft them in a keeper league. So come this year. That would be my first piece of advice. If you're going to abandon that and.
Mike Wright
You'Re like, oh, well, if everybody agrees to do it now, sure, yeah.
Andy Holloway
If everybody's away, then that's fine. And then, you know, what have you done?
Jason Moore
If I. If it's an auction for me, I'm gonna find their average value. If you're in 100 or 200, figure out what the average is. And then I'm gonna subtract maybe 15%. Okay, so you're. Because I don't. I don't like keepers to overpower. You know what I mean? Where I don't want the one guy to have four. Four players. He has two RB1s and he just. He's set up for massive success every single year. You need to have restrictions on. On possible position or for the payment of the player.
Mike Wright
Yeah. And I was gonna say I'd apply the same rule to maybe the round situation. If you're coming into a keeper league, maybe use a list, whatever list you want to use. Espn, Yahoo, whatever you're playing in, use that and maybe back it off a round or two.
Jason Moore
Yeah. For that season, just reward people for drafting well and.
Mike Wright
Exactly.
Jason Moore
With a little Bit.
Andy Holloway
You can also scale. You can also scale up the positions. So if you plan on it being a three keeper league, keep one guy this year.
Mike Wright
Yep.
Andy Holloway
You know what I mean? Or two or three give you the.
Mike Wright
Opportunity to draft most of your guys in light of that keeper situation. That's smart. Well, that about does it for our mailbag section. I don't know why. I know I began with an F.
Andy Holloway
The Foot Clan Mailbag Clan. LA listeners. Well, Foot Clan listeners, you know the drill. Go to fantasydraftwizard.com do your mock drafts there. It is completely free. It is a super fast, very easy tool. You pick your position, you pick your type of league, you picked what you want to draft against. And you can do a mock draft in minutes. You can send us, you know, screenshot on Twitter or send it to our email. And we like giving you advice and feedback. You'll be shocked how much a difference that makes. And there's actually tools on there. If you actually have like leagues where you want to keep guys there, you can do certain types of mock drafts on there, you can't do elsewhere. And so we just like recommending it.
Jason Moore
And Daily fantasy is coming. It is coming extremely soon. Get that account ready on FanDuel.com.com Josh McCown. Josh.comb so FanDuel.com use the code BALLERS. It helps you out. It helps us out. We all win, we all hold hands and we play daily together.
Mike Wright
Have you been to brashadperryman.com.
Jason Moore
We need to make the Brashad Perryman comb. It's like two.
Mike Wright
No, no, it's. Back off. I was just throwing. I was throwing a quick dart. I don't want us lingering.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Hey, if you want to follow us on Twitter, it's at the FF Ballers. Don't forget to check out the website. You can submit your questions on there. You can go ahead and check out some of our most recent articles. And we also got a listener league.
Jason Moore
So we haven't talked about it in a while.
Mike Wright
No, we haven't. And so if you want to be in the listener league, we have what, six of 12 spots filled right now?
Jason Moore
I believe so because we just added. We have breaking news. You want to hit the button?
Andy Holloway
Breaking news.
Jason Moore
A spot has been filled. Our good friend, the fantasy shogun, Craig.
Mike Wright
That's the best name.
Andy Holloway
Okinawa, Japan.
Jason Moore
He's in Okinawa right now. And he, he sent us this beautiful, beautiful traditional Japanese arch. And it's holding this laser engraved of our logo. And you would see it right now. But I Forgot. I forgot it at home.
Mike Wright
Yeah, it'll be here next. Next show, so you can check it out on YouTube.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Welcome to the league.
Jason Moore
But it is just fantastic. And so that speaks to. We're human beings.
Mike Wright
We can be bribed.
Jason Moore
That was not a bribe. That was a gift.
Mike Wright
Oh, okay.
Jason Moore
You're looking at it all wrong.
Mike Wright
But we're human beings.
Jason Moore
We are human beings because we can accept a gift. And the guy's the fantasy shogun, man. He's in the league.
Mike Wright
Hey, I love it if you. Yeah. If you want to be in the league, you can bribe us.
Jason Moore
We've already said that we'll accept.
Mike Wright
Hey, actually Thousand dollars. The precedent we've set is be creative.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Please, please, let me beg you right now. And effort.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Effort. And creative. Don't. Here's two rules for this. You will not get in the league if you send us an email and it says, if I do this, will you let me in the league? We're not gonna email you back and say, yeah, go do it. We're gonna let people in the league that have already done something impressive. Some of the things. We've gotten our videos from people. But be creative. You can email us league entries, mail atthe fantasy footballers.com youm know, that's. That's kind of the rules I have for that. And don't send me your. Your fantasy football resume, please, because don't screenshot your Yahoo. Trophy case.
Jason Moore
And that's just because this league is for fun.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Jason Moore
Like, we're not trying to make a.
Mike Wright
We're gonna play too.
Jason Moore
But I mean, yes, it's competitive, but I'm saying we're not trying to assemble the most hardcore winningest players of all.
Andy Holloway
Time and we want to beat you. Yeah.
Mike Wright
Unless your trophy case is empty on Yahoo. Don't, don't apply. So that about does it for today's show, though, guys. Hey, do not miss. I'm telling you right now, do not miss Thursday show.
Andy Holloway
Oh, yeah.
Mike Wright
I'm not gonna tell you why. We're gonna announce that. We'll show you why. Don't miss it.
Andy Holloway
Big reason.
Jason Moore
Goodbye. Goodbye. Got double up.
Andy Holloway
Thank you for listening to another edition of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Don't forget to visit us on the web at www.thefantasyfootballers.com and follow us on Twitter @the ffballers.
Fantasy Football Podcast 2015 - NFC East Breakdown, News, Mailbag
Release Date: July 14, 2015
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
The episode kicks off with the hosts exchanging light-hearted banter about a recent accident in the studio where part of the set collapsed onto Mike Wright, leaving him sore from the previous Saturday bonus episode. Despite the mishap, Mike assures listeners of a robust show ahead, focusing on the final divisional breakdown of the NFC East, alongside fresh news, notes, and listener questions.
Mike Wright [00:16]: "We have a good show for you today. We've got our last divisional breakdown, the NFC East."
The Giants are portrayed as a middle-of-the-road fantasy team, having finished the previous season as the 10th best offense in yards per game and 13th in fantasy points. Key additions like Shane Vereen and Eric Flowers bolster their offensive line after losing standout offensive tackle Will Berry.
Key Discussion Points:
Eli Manning's Performance: Contrary to some beliefs, Eli Manning had a productive season, improving his pass attempts and completion percentage, which bodes well for his fantasy value.
Jason Moore [24:05]: "He had the highest pass attempts of his career. Along with the highest pass attempts, he had the highest completion percentage of his career."
Odell Beckham Jr.'s Breakout: ODB's explosive performance, despite missing the first four games, made him a top draft pick. Concerns remain about his sustainability and the potential return of Victor Cruz impacting his targets.
Jason Moore [17:30]: "I have concerns with, with people ready to crown him as the best receiver in fantasy football. I'm not ready to do that with a 12 game sample."
Ruben Randall vs. Victor Cruz: The uncertainty surrounding Cruz's health and role leads to a preference for drafting Ruben Randall, a young and high-potential receiver.
Andy Holloway [21:22]: "Nobody should draft Victor Cruz over Ruben Randall. Go with Ruben Randall."
The Eagles' offense remains a focal point, with significant additions like DeMarco Murray and Ryan Matthews aiming to enhance their run game. The quarterback situation remains uncertain with Mark Sanchez leading workouts amidst Sam Bradford's recovery delays.
Key Discussion Points:
Sam Bradford's Status: Bradford's lingering injury casts doubt over the Eagles' quarterback stability, making Mark Sanchez a potentially valuable fantasy asset if he secures the starting role.
Jason Moore [26:21]: "If Packet Bradford gets hurt, his contract next year is guaranteed. So Jay Gruden is going to pull him out."
Wide Receiver Dynamics: With Nelson Agholor, Jordan Matthews, and Zach Ertz, the Eagles possess a versatile receiving corps. Ertz, although undervalued initially, is highlighted as a potential tight end steal due to his consistent performance and role expansion.
Jason Moore [30:36]: "Zach Ertz is absolutely worth seventh."
Running Backs Conundrum: The trio of DeMarco Murray, Ryan Matthews, and Shane Vereen presents a complex situation. While Murray offers solid value, the uncertainty surrounding Matthews' role and potential injuries makes Vereen an appealing draft target for his high floor and upside.
Andy Holloway [34:01]: "I would do it. I wouldn't do it because if you're going to spend that Ninth round pick on Ryan Matthews..."
The Redskins are analyzed as a team in transition, having acquired quarterback Robert Griffin III (RG3) and focusing on strengthening their offensive line with first-round picks like Matt Jones. Alfred Morris, despite declining performance metrics, remains a solid RB2 contender due to his workload and role in a run-centric offense.
Key Discussion Points:
Alfred Morris's Value: Despite a decreasing trend in yards per carry, Morris remains a dependable RB2, especially if RG3 returns to form and maintains his rushing influence.
Jason Moore [38:33]: "He's a solid RB2. His Numbers will never be spectacular. He shouldn't let you down."
Run-Option Offensive Scheme: The offensive strategy emphasizes the run, making Morris and potential backups like Matt Jones valuable for their versatility in rushing and pass-catching roles.
Andy Holloway [46:43]: "Whoever's running it is going to have some production and some fantasy value."
Quarterback Impact: RG3's health and effectiveness are crucial. If healthy, he could be a surprise fantasy quarterback, but concerns about his durability and the offensive focus post-scramble losses are noted.
Mike Wright [42:07]: "If RG3 is healthy, he's going to surprise people in the fantasy community."
The Cowboys' offense, centered around DeMarco Murray and complemented by Darren McFadden and Lance Dunbar, is examined for its fantasy potential. Jason Whittem is highlighted as a tight end undervalued in drafts.
Key Discussion Points:
Running Back Trio: Murray remains a solid RB1, while McFadden's inconsistent performance relegates him to a byproduct role. Lance Dunbar emerges as a key player for pass-catching duties.
Jason Moore [44:16]: "Matt Jones is going to be the third down guy. He's going to be the pass-catching back."
Tight End Steal: Jason Whitten is praised as a reliable tight end option, undervalued in drafts but essential for consistent fantasy points.
Andy Holloway [47:01]: "Jason Whitten is an Ironman and his stats should bounce back up from last year."
The hosts discuss recent developments affecting fantasy football, including potential holdouts and player contracts. Notably, DEZ Bryant's holdout and the implications of his absence on the Cowboys' offense are scrutinized.
Jason Moore [07:00]: "If there isn't a deal done by tomorrow, it could change things and you might have to worry."
1. Draft Strategy for a 12-Man League:
Question: Casey Jones from Farmdale, Ohio, asks for draft targets at the 11th and 14th picks, considering key players are likely off the board.
Response: The hosts recommend targeting Jeremy Hill or C.J. Anderson as valuable running backs, emphasizing the importance of not passing on RBs to avoid being "screwed" in standard leagues.
Andy Holloway [50:34]: "Jeremy Hill is especially good here because it's a standard league."
2. Keeper League Conversion:
Question: A new listener inquires about transitioning from a redraft to a keeper league, seeking advice on keeper pricing and rules.
Response: The hosts advise implementing keeper rules at least a year out to ensure fairness and suggest scaling keeper allowances based on league size and format. They emphasize balancing keeper value to prevent monopolizing strong positions.
Jason Moore [56:27]: "I'm going to subtract maybe 15%... Some restrictions on positions or payment of the player."
3. Mike Wallace in Minnesota:
Question: George from Pakistan, a US contractor, expresses interest in drafting Mike Wallace for his potential in Minnesota's offense.
Response: The hosts acknowledge Wallace's talent but express reservations about his integration into the new system, favoring receivers like Charles Johnson for more reliable fantasy output.
Andy Holloway [53:56]: "Mike Wallace has become... a good wide receiver and he is a fast wide receiver who can catch balls."
The hosts encourage listeners to engage with their resources, including their YouTube channel, Twitter handle (@the_ffballers), and website (www.thefantasyfootballers.com). They highlight tools like fantasydraftwizard.com for mock drafts and promote their listener leagues, emphasizing the importance of preparation and strategic drafting.
Mike Wright [58:41]: "Check out our most recent articles. We also got a listener league."
The episode concludes with a teaser for the upcoming Thursday show, leaving listeners eager for more insights and announcements.
Andy Holloway [61:29]: "Don't forget to visit us on the web at www.thefantasyfootballers.com and follow us on Twitter @the_ffballers."
Notable Quotes:
Mike Wright [00:16]: "We've got our last divisional breakdown, the NFC East. We're covering them today, looking at all the fantasy implications of the moves during the offseason."
Jason Moore [02:01]: "There's plenty. He's been a top three guy."
Andy Holloway [21:22]: "Nobody should draft Victor Cruz over Ruben Randall. Go with Ruben Randall."
Jason Moore [38:33]: "He's a solid RB2. His Numbers will never be spectacular. He shouldn't let you down."
Mike Wright [58:41]: "Check out our most recent articles. We also got a listener league."
This comprehensive summary encapsulates the episode's discussions, providing nuanced insights into the NFC East's fantasy implications, player evaluations, and strategic advice for listeners navigating their fantasy football drafts and leagues.