
Fantasy Football Podcast for August 26, 2015. Jason, Andy and Mike talk all about some late round fliers, steals, sleepers and guys you should keep your fantasy football eyes on as we head into 2015. If you've already drafted, check out their Ultimate Dr
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Andy Holloway
Hey, Foot Clan. Before we start today's show, we want to remind you that it is brought to you by Handsome Fancy fellas. Make that beard so shiny and smell so good. Even the mailman says, whoa, that's a.
Jason Moore
That's a great beard.
Andy Holloway
Go to handsomefancy.com use promo code ballers for 15% off.
Jason Moore
Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wr.
Mike Wright
Even the mailman.
Andy Holloway
What a day.
Mike Wright
Even the mailman says, whoa. Welcome to the show. This is the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. I am Andy Holloway, joined as always by Jason Moore.
Jason Moore
Howdy. Hello.
Mike Wright
And Mike the fantasy Hitman. Right.
Andy Holloway
Sometimes you want to. You want to punch technology in the face. Foot Clan.
Mike Wright
It's been a rough morning.
Andy Holloway
We're getting there, though. We're getting there.
Mike Wright
If I told you we started recording this show an hour ago and we're starting over, that would. That would validate the technology problems. We had some issues with a cable that was difficult to identify.
Andy Holloway
I think we're good.
Mike Wright
It made these little technology burps happen.
Jason Moore
Digital toots.
Mike Wright
Every time Mike had a point, it would digitally burp.
Jason Moore
That's pretty much what it sounds like.
Mike Wright
Yeah. Talk about frustrating. But welcome to the show. We're back. We think we got it all fixed and if we don't, you won't have heard this part because we'll have started over again.
Andy Holloway
That is true.
Mike Wright
I'm getting a weird, like, Inception time, so. Yeah, it sounded just like the Inception sound. We are the Fantasy Footballers. Welcome to the show. We have a good one for you today. We have some news and notes from around the NFL. Fantasy news. We have some sleepers, flyers, late round guys. We want you to pay attention to guys that you can get at basically for free if you take them with the last pick of your draft or the last few picks of your draft. And guys to pay attention to in week one and two to see if they have watching the wire, if they got some gusto, like a hawk. We're also going to do some mailbag. We're going to do some listener question and answer at the end of the show. So stay tuned. We got a good one for you. If you want to follow the show on Twitter, you can do at you can do. So Heffballers can follow Mike Fhitman, follow jasonasonffl. You can follow me at Andy Holloway. You can also Visit our website, thefantasyfootballers.com youm can find us on Facebook and you can find us on itunes. Subscribe on there. We're also on a number of Android devices and blimps.
Andy Holloway
Blimps in the sky.
Mike Wright
That order is still going through. We don't have, we don't have the blimp. The blimp hasn't come in yet. Quick question for today. Quick fantasy question for the day. What can we expect from Matthew Stone Stafford this season? Because I have him at number nine, Jason has him at number 12 and Mike, you have him all the way down at number 48.
Andy Holloway
Yes, that is facts.
Mike Wright
No, Mike has him at 18. But that's, that's a big disparity. So tell me why you have him there, why you have a guy like Tannehill so much higher.
Andy Holloway
So for Stafford, just the, his elite fantasy production was so closely tied to high volume of throwing. I mean he, he had a season where he threw the ball over 700 times when he was actually really fantasy, considered fantasy elite. And he was ahead of year where he threw 40 touchdowns. But since then everything fantasy wise has come way, way down. He's become a better NFL quarterback managing his interceptions. But the team is just not designed anymore for those high volume Stafford games you got. The running game has improved. Choo Choo, Amir Abdullah and Joy Bell might rumble for a couple yards here and there, but it's in Tannehill has improved every year where Stafford's numbers have declined.
Mike Wright
So fantasy owners need to be realistic with Matt Stafford. They can't just look back three or four years on a 41 touchdown season Calvin Johnson and say he's going to do it again.
Jason Moore
Yeah, he followed up his 41 touchdown season by playing in all 16 games, throwing for a career high number in attempts and landing 20 touchdowns.
Mike Wright
The next season.
Jason Moore
The next season he is literally other than the 41 touchdown season, he has not once in his career thrown for 30 touchdowns.
Mike Wright
Yeah, but Jason, the next season's the season where Calvin had like, like seven or eight times he was dragged down on the one yard line, give him.
Jason Moore
Those seven or eight touchdowns and he's still not at 30, has not had 30 touchdowns.
Mike Wright
You know, we all have me and Jason back in our QB1.
Jason Moore
He has a QB1, he's on a high power offense. He is a decent NFL quarterback, but he's inconsistent. And also if you have him and he's rocking in the season come December or just beforehand, get rid of him. Trade him. Find value because he is notoriously fantasy.
Mike Wright
Yes, you don't want him under the mistletoe.
Jason Moore
That is very true.
Andy Holloway
He has made me very sad during the holiday season a few Times.
Mike Wright
Yeah, that's true. So let's get into some news and notes from around the league.
Jason Moore
News and notes from around the league.
Mike Wright
All right, let's talk some news and notes. Not a ton has happened, but Michael Vick.
Jason Moore
Let's get.
Andy Holloway
Oh, I thought we were gonna get gross.
Mike Wright
Oh, yeah. Rex Grossman. Let's get gross. Rex Grossman has signed. Guys, I know we've been waiting forever for this. This was kind of the headline news above, like the AP signing and resigning. Rex Grossman has found a home, which means he can find a home on your fantasy team in the first round.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, you. Yeah, you could be the proud, proud owner of Rex Grossman.
Jason Moore
Well, if you have one of the top first round picks.
Mike Wright
He is not what I. What's beyond a sleeper? What's like a snoozer? Is he a comatose? Comatose, yeah. Okay, so Rex Grossman, that's not big news. He did sign. And so we talked about him now and made fun of him, and now I feel bad. Not really. All right. Michael Vick has signed with the Steelers to a one year contract. Michael Vick's career is over for the most part.
Jason Moore
No, it's back.
Andy Holloway
He's back up.
Mike Wright
He worked out for Mike Tomlin. If I'm Mike Tomlin and I need a backup, I'm fine with Michael Vick and I'm gonna.
Andy Holloway
This is gonna sound crazy, but completely honest. If Big Ben goes down and Vick is running the Steelers offense, I don't know, man. There could be some value there.
Mike Wright
Well, I'd rather have a guy like Vick if I have a need for a backup to, you know, at least he's shown he can do something special with the ball. He can run around a little bit. I mean, that's what you want from.
Jason Moore
You think he still can run around a little bit?
Mike Wright
Yeah, he can run around. He did last year.
Jason Moore
Yog.
Mike Wright
The difference is now he runs around a little bit and throws the ball at about a 53% accuracy rating instead of like a 63 from five years ago. So. All right. Broncos have signed offensive guard Evan Mathis to a one year contract. This doesn't hurt the running game.
Jason Moore
No, it helps the running game. And it helps Peyton Manning, too, because they had a very patchwork offensive line there. That was one of the things starting to scare me about the Broncos. So I think bringing in Evan Mathis, who's a highly rated guard, especially in the run game, great for the Broncos. Great signing for him as well. How much money was that for?
Andy Holloway
Anybody know I have not seen because.
Jason Moore
I assume it's less than what he was demanding a raise from from the Eagles when he got cut.
Mike Wright
Play a year, improve it kind of contract.
Andy Holloway
This is a aging guy winning a Super Bowl.
Mike Wright
Yeah. That's all it is. So he signed.
Andy Holloway
Trying to do.
Mike Wright
Signed on the cheap. You should effort that, figure that out. All right. This is news that excites me. We've talked about them a little bit already. This is the morning poor Jordy Nelson news. Ty Montgomery has been operating as the third wide receiver in packers camp. Now they line up three wide a lot. This is big news. I mean we all had. Here's a good way to look at it. What did we think of Devonte Adams from a value perspective before the Jordy injury?
Jason Moore
Yeah, he was the third in line on one of the best, if not the best offense in the league. And if anything happened in front of him, he would be super fantasy relevant. If nothing happens in front of him, he should improve on his rookie year, which would be good. So Ty Montgomery is rolling right into that role.
Mike Wright
Well, and Ty Montgomery is a rookie.
Jason Moore
Yeah. I'm saying he's rolling into the role that Devonte Adams had last year and coming in so.
Andy Holloway
And he could. And James Jones did very well.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
As in that position.
Mike Wright
Yeah. And obviously Montgomery is a different player, but he just like Adams and how we saw Adams week to week value certain matchup value injuries ahead of him, like Jason said. So this is kind of something to monitor, see if Montgomery stays in that role, how he performs in week three.
Andy Holloway
I had the Evan Mathis update.
Mike Wright
Oh, what is it?
Andy Holloway
He was. He was trying to get 5.5 and he got a base of 2.5.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Jason Moore
Didn't he have like 3.8 with the Eagles or something like that and wanted a raise and then it got cut and couldn't even get what he had anyways, so. Last point on on time Montgomery. Montgomery. Is that Jeff Janis? You know, the fantasy draft knit community is someone that has really liked Jeff Janis because of his stats. You know, he's got a lot there in Jeff Janis and Ty Montgomery as a rookie has supplanted him. That means something. That means he's showing good things in camp and is impressing. So I think Ty Montgomery, not only is he in the news and notes, but he could be on the sleeper list.
Mike Wright
No, you're right about that. And I will be watching closely in week three, preseason week three about Ty Montgomery.
Andy Holloway
I'll be watching from very far away.
Mike Wright
That's Too bad. All right. Out of Washington, Jordan Reed has declared himself 100% and he is also the only tight end on the roster.
Andy Holloway
What is true, but what is the equivalent. 100% of Jordan Reed is the equivalent of a normal player.
Mike Wright
Somebody that's, you know, like not been injured, you're saying. So is that like 70%, 70% of Antonio Gates?
Jason Moore
Jordan Reed is a good player when he's healthy. It's just a matter of whether or not he can be on the field. And if you're in any PPR format, that's another sleeper look there that you can get.
Mike Wright
Well, here's the deal. Here's the honest truth. We've seen the offensive line in Washington and it needs a lot of help.
Jason Moore
I haven't found him.
Mike Wright
I pulled. I've pulled. Pierre Gar. Yeah, you haven't found them. I pulled Pierre Garcon down my rankings a little bit. He was too high for me. And a good outlet for a very quickly closing pocket is a tight end. And we've seen Reed be productive. So if he can stay healthy, he would be a steal because you're going to get him super late, so. All right. Before we get into our list of sleepers, Flyers late round guys that we want to highlight, I want to remind everybody about the new product we just released on the fantasy footballers.com it is our ultimate draft report.
Andy Holloway
Ultimate?
Mike Wright
Yeah. We released this yesterday and have had tons of people interested in it. Basically, it is a draft report. You send us a screenshot of the team that you drafted or a list of your players. And what we do is we go through and we look at your strengths, weaknesses, we give you some overall thoughts in your team and then we give you an in season action plan is what we're calling it. Basically, we give you some ideas about what you can do to strengthen your team and have a good season. Because, Jason, you've been talking about this forever. You don't just win your league in the draft. In fact, you never do. You set the foundation for your team, right?
Jason Moore
Absolutely.
Mike Wright
You got to build the house.
Jason Moore
Yeah. So, I mean, really, truly after the draft, that's when the season begins. And so keep listening. A lot of players stop listening after the draft. And those are the guys that don't actually win championships because they're not getting good matchup waiver advice. But this is the beginning of that. You look at your team and you get a game plan for. I need to focus more on running backs or more on wide receivers or whatever going forward.
Mike Wright
And you get A grade, that's the most important. We look at your team and we grade your team.
Jason Moore
Get that stamp.
Mike Wright
Everybody gets a B minus. No, that's not true. But seriously. All right, James White. James White's on our sleeper list.
Andy Holloway
You starting with James?
Mike Wright
Yeah. Jimmy, let's talk about James White. I mean, is this just pie in the sky hopes? Are we just appropriating Shane Vereen value to somebody in New England and just saying they're gonna do it? So it's James White.
Andy Holloway
That's.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Well, that's how I see it. Right.
Andy Holloway
That's how I see it. I'm not huge on James White. I think I completely agree that the argument makes sense. You know, the past catching back has been very productive in the last few years for New England and that. That guy is gone. Vereen is gone. So the best man up should replace at least some of that value.
Jason Moore
Here's one of the things about James White that even sleepers I prefer over James White. James White has an advantage in the sense that starting game one and game two and game three, he very much. I think it's probable, it's definitely not guaranteed, but I think it's probable that he is in the role of the pass catching back from day one and that's his job. You don't have to wait for an injury in front of him and you can, you know, you can grab him off of waivers or get him with your last pick in most leagues. My personal favorite sleeper is a guy who does need that. I love me some major pain, some Cameron Artist pain. I've been touting this guy since right after the draft. He is such a good nickname. Major Payne.
Andy Holloway
I feel like you've been touting him like you were like in the birthing room.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Of Major Payne saying thank you.
Jason Moore
Nobody was talking about him. I started talking about. But he.
Mike Wright
I thought you were stupid.
Jason Moore
Well, that's just a personal. Nothing to do with Cameron Artist Payne. But Cameron Artist Payne is a really good. If you know his story and his.
Mike Wright
Back football life on this guy because people might not know.
Jason Moore
Yes, Cameron Artis Payne is a rookie running back at Carolina panthers behind the Mr. Glass, Mr. Glass himself, Jonathan Stewart. And here's the thing, here's one thing I do want to point out. So if J. Stu goes down, Carolina has said they can see Artis Payne as a three down back. He started preseason in third on his depth chart. He has moved in the second game to second and I think he had, he had like I don't. I don't know his exact stats, but he had.
Mike Wright
He's had a very good camp, a.
Jason Moore
Very good preseason game. I think he busted off a 33 yard run. And we have to remember that Carolina, while we're all expecting. Oh, J. Stu is going to get the complete workload. You know, we've wanted that for years, even when we thought D'Angelo Williams was kind of falling off or got, you know, he was a little bit injured. And they have always frustrated us by splitting that up. So who's to say that they don't like Cameron R's pain and say, hey, you're a talented back. Get in there. So I really like him into the round, into the draft, grab him because he could, he could be a fantasy league winner.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, we. I don't always recommend handcuffs. It's always about the situation.
Mike Wright
When I do, I recommend Cameron.
Jason Moore
It'S.
Andy Holloway
Always about the talent and the opportunity that that player will get. If I have Jonathan Stewart, I'm going to make an attempt.
Mike Wright
You better have.
Andy Holloway
I'm going to get pain on my teams.
Mike Wright
And you'll be able to. Right now, you'll be able to.
Andy Holloway
So the guy I want to talk about.
Mike Wright
Wait, wait, hold on. I wanted to bring just final thought on Cameron Artist paint. I'd rather have artist Payne on my team than Niall Davis. I'd rather have Cameron Artist Payne on my team then. Oh, the name just slipped out of my brain. So Nile Davis, James Starks. I'd rather have him on my team over James Starks as a handcuff.
Jason Moore
There's only one handcuff I would rather have on my team than artist Payne. Anybody? Anybody gonna guess it?
Andy Holloway
No.
Jason Moore
Ryan Matthews.
Mike Wright
Oh, yeah, no doubt. But it's hard to think of him as a handcuff.
Jason Moore
Yeah. Because that's gonna cost you a much higher.
Mike Wright
He's like a handcuff. Plus.
Jason Moore
Yes.
Mike Wright
Plus plus all right, now I'll let you proceed.
Andy Holloway
Thank you. So the guy I want to talk about, Stevie Johnson. Stevie Johnson in Buffalo had three years of over a thousand yards.
Mike Wright
The wild route runner.
Andy Holloway
That's what we hear.
Mike Wright
Well, that's what I see.
Andy Holloway
He's unorthodox and neat. In San Francisco, he was. He was not used properly, but he only had two drops. He dropped two passes. Colin Kaepernick had 102 quarterback rating when targeting Stevie Johnson. So it's kind of strange that they didn't want to get him more involved. So he was, he was highly productive when used. He's now in San Diego. Tremendous opportunity. Antonio Gates has been Suspended for four games. They need. There's production that needs to be filled. And Stevie Johnson, he can play anywhere. He can play the outside, he could play, play in the slot. So there's just.
Mike Wright
And how many touchdowns has royal caught over two years?
Jason Moore
15 touchdowns in the last two years that have gone away because Eddie Royal's gone. So that, I mean that, that's a void that needs to be filled. And while Woodhead will catch most all of them, some of them will. Will need to go somewhere else.
Mike Wright
How many catches will a Woodhead catch?
Andy Holloway
Very nice.
Mike Wright
Thank you. Thank you, everybody. All right, Stevie Johnson or Eddie Royal.
Andy Holloway
Who'D you rather have that? Royal, because he's a two. He's like, I know exactly what Royal is.
Mike Wright
Johnson's a great name. He's going after the 10th round right now. And Rivers has said he loves him in camp. He's seeing Keenan Allen and him as a. Essentially the same guy on the field in terms of what they can do, the type of versatility they offer. So he should definitely be considered.
Andy Holloway
And Keenan had some nasty drops.
Jason Moore
I was literally just going to joke that the upside of Stevie Johnson is that he can catch the ball.
Mike Wright
So where they're going right now, Stevie Johnson or Keenan Allen?
Jason Moore
Oh, that's good. The better value has to be Stevie Johnson over Keenan Allen. Right. Is Keenan going?
Andy Holloway
I see, I see Keenan's upside as being a higher up a. As a higher wide receiver too. I think that's his upside to me. While Stevie Johnson's upside is a low end wide receiver to a guy that you're getting in the 10th round.
Jason Moore
Yeah, but Keenan Allen's going in the fourth round.
Mike Wright
Good value too.
Jason Moore
Do you think that's good value?
Mike Wright
I think it's okay.
Jason Moore
I guess I'm lower on Keenan than everybody.
Mike Wright
All right. So my number one sleeper that I have to bring up is a guy that's basically free right now, which is crazy to me. So Andre Williams of the New York Giants is going right now in the 13th round. The very back end of it. To me that's, that's a travesty because they drafted him to be this plodding two down goal line guy. He's on a team that, you know, we've been touting Doug Martin, we've been touting Chris Ivory. Not because. No, no, no. Not because that, not because they're all world. But because of where they're being drafted and the value. Hey, if you have a 1, 2 down running back, that's a starter in the NFL, that's a premium position. Okay. That is a scarce position. That's why we say draft running backs early. And so we like Ivory, we like Martin late. So why is Andre Williams not in that conversation? Because he was drafted to be that guy. He's going basically not even being drafted right now. And Rashad Jennings does not have the kind of career that says, oh, he's locked in as a starter. I mean, they drafted Andre Williams to come in and compete. Now he's going to get the goal line on a team much better offensively than the jets or Buccaneers in my opinion. So Andre Williams, to me it leaps off the page as a large man that can run the ball into the end zone.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
And why he's going so late is because he was, he was pretty disappointing last year. He got a lot of work, but then that was. The point is, even though he was disappointing, they still gave him a high volume of carries. So I think they still believe in him.
Mike Wright
And don't fumble, Andre. Oh goodness, that's just a troublesome thing. You fumble on New York's. I mean, David Wilson, man, he was like a three year doghouse.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, yeah, don't fumble.
Mike Wright
That's kind of the rule of thumb for all running backs. I mean, who, who fumbled this past week that got benched?
Andy Holloway
Jeremy Hill.
Mike Wright
Yeah, that's trouble.
Jason Moore
So, all right, my next guy that I'll bring up then and add to the, to the conversation is Cody Latimer. Cody Latimer is sometimes forgotten because in the incredible rookie wide receiver draft class last year he was on a John Fox offense. And John Fox, while he'll draft the.
Mike Wright
Rookie wide receiver, wasn't he banged up to start the year too?
Jason Moore
He was a little bit, yeah. And so that took him out of camp, took him out of stuff. And then you had Emmanuel Sanders because Cody Latimer is playing for the Denver Broncos. He was a rookie last year, really, really highly touted player coming out of college. He was one of the guys that, you know, at the beginning of the year you were talking about the, you know, he's better than Kelvin Benjamin. Maybe he's. And he was playing for Peyton Manning, but this offseason he worked with Peyton Manning all the time. And as of right now, Emmanuel Sanders has a hamstring injury. I don't expect that to stay around, but you know how those work. So you've also got a shifted offense now. John Fox is gone. Kubiak uses probably more wide receivers, doesn't go as many two wide receiver sets. So I think Cody Latimer is Going to be on the field more. He's got Peyton Manning more. He is a super talented guy. So I think. And he's going in the 13th round.
Mike Wright
And he was a second round pick in the NFL and he was also a guy that Kubiak came out and said he expects a big jump from. So where he's going value, Mike?
Andy Holloway
Oh, yeah, absolutely. The potential is there. These are third receivers in high powered offenses. Are these are guys to monitor and watch at the end of your draft.
Mike Wright
Yeah. No Julius Thomas in the mix there anymore.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
Right.
Jason Moore
And one thing we're saying that's important that you understand in sleepers, this isn't saying these are guys who you need to reach for and that you need to grab early, but just because we said so. Yeah. It's that these are the guys when they get to you and it's that late and they're staring at the board, pick these guys instead of the other guys that are, that are, you know, in the 13th round.
Mike Wright
So let's talk about two more guys in this kind of category of sleeper flyer late round guys that we want to discuss and bring up to people's attention before we get into the mailbag. So Mike, do you have anybody you want to talk about? I mean, I have three or four names that you can bring up.
Andy Holloway
The name that's standing out for me right now is Brandon Coleman who is going in the 12th round. He's an undrafted guy. He still hasn't shown very much in preseason.
Mike Wright
He did have an end zone target.
Andy Holloway
Yes. But I'm saying he hasn't. He hasn't come up with anything really tangible for the viewers to see. Well, but we're hearing great things about him in camp and the only guy in front of him as of now is Marquis Colston. And so an older guy standing in your way of a high powered offense for Brandon Coleman you can draft in the 12th round.
Mike Wright
Right now there's without there in three wide.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I was going to say he's not even standing in front of him because the guy that had been in front of him, Nick Tune, has been supplanted by him in camp. So I think Coleman. Yeah, he's going to be out there in 3 wide already.
Andy Holloway
So with him, with Jimmy Graham gone, Kenny stills gone, just two.
Mike Wright
How many targets is that?
Andy Holloway
220 targets.
Mike Wright
Wow, that's. Yeah, that. I mean that's significant and we all believe, I mean most of us believe in Drew Brees.
Jason Moore
Also, a question about Brandon. Question about Brandon Coleman or maybe wide receivers. I Might be ignorant. Is 6 foot 6, is that a good thing or is that a. Is that a bad.
Andy Holloway
When you're a wide receiver.
Jason Moore
When you're A wide receiver, 6, 6, is that like average?
Andy Holloway
That's pretty good.
Mike Wright
That's pretty good because that's what, you.
Andy Holloway
Know what, that's what.
Mike Wright
Brandon Coleman is bad. If you're a plumber, though.
Jason Moore
That's true. Because you got to bend over cabinet.
Andy Holloway
It's also bad if you're like a center in the NBA.
Mike Wright
If you're a center, you're right.
Jason Moore
That's true. So. But the point is Brandon Coleman is you are welcome. I mean that's just so great for red zone targets.
Mike Wright
All right, another guy worth mentioning briefly and we can throw some names out. I mean, Leonard Hankerson in Atlanta is worth a quick mention because Roddy's banged up in head. Roddy's banged up. There's no Harry Douglas anymore. Devin Hester's in the fold. But I mean Hankerson comes from a Shanahan system, so he's worth mentioning because Shanahan's in Atlanta.
Jason Moore
Now if you're in a 2QB league, Tyrod Taylor I think is someone to watch. I'm just throwing that out there just.
Mike Wright
Because of the running.
Jason Moore
Yeah, yeah.
Mike Wright
Okay. All right. I'm just saying the chief stands alone on that one. Let's see, we've got Jacob, Tammy. You know, one thing I've said about Atlanta passing offense is that toy Lolo was targeted a ton. He was the least efficient targeted tight end last year and he, you know, we had Tony Gonzalez get targeted a ton. So if Tammy's capable, he could surprise here and there.
Andy Holloway
He could.
Mike Wright
Philip Dorsett is another name that jumps off the page. As you know, people think it's going to take him a year, but in Indianapolis I think it might not. I think he's that good. So anybody else before we move on.
Andy Holloway
The one guy that I will talk about, I know you two are not on him. Roy, hello.
Mike Wright
Hello.
Andy Holloway
Hello.
Jason Moore
Just glad you brought him up so I could say.
Mike Wright
And injured guys on new teams, they're super good. Yeah, well, no, it's fine.
Andy Holloway
It's fine to discuss and why I'm saying this is because I'm not, I'm not 100% sold on Latavius Murray. Not yet. My, my confidence in. In him is growing. But Roy Hulu was brought in. Yeah, it was, it was the Raiders. They do spend some more money. But Hulu got a decent contract to come in and be a passing downs guy. So there's just there's a potential opportunity for that.
Mike Wright
He got paid.
Jason Moore
Yeah. Yeah, it's possible. And I think we would be making a mistake if we didn't just whisper Fred Jackson.
Mike Wright
Well, you don't give him too much.
Andy Holloway
The deal is you got to whisper that name because Fred Jack. If you say Fred Jackson three times in front of the mirror, he takes out your kneecap.
Jason Moore
Yeah. All the running backs dead.
Andy Holloway
The real fancy reaper, Fred Jack.
Mike Wright
Injuries in the backfield on a team that will run the ball a ton.
Jason Moore
Can he make it four years in a row being underdrafted?
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Andy Holloway
You know what he. I bet he does is he pretends he's like, oh, I'm kind of injured. And then he just rests through training camp and he slowly, like, puts his cat burglar, takes everybody out.
Mike Wright
He's really a good player. He's just a great player. And if that team had more guys around him that were like him, they'd win more games.
Jason Moore
And he's a good guy, too. So it's kind of shameful of us to be talking about him as. I love Fred taking on kneecaps. I do, too. I've really enjoyed Fred Jackson. There's a lot of mistakes, you know, that people make. People make mistakes constantly by looking at age, but not factoring in other things like workload and. Yeah. In fact, we're going to be recording today a podcast all about mistakes, a special exclusive podcast. So if you're part of our fandom, the Foot Clan out there, there's a website you can go to jointhefoot.com you can actually become an official Foot Clan member. And we are going to put up a top 10 fantasy mistakes podcast that is just going to be exclusive for that. So go check that out@jointhefoot.com that'll be pretty cool.
Mike Wright
I agree.
Jason Moore
Mailbag.
Andy Holloway
Mailbag.
Mike Wright
All right, let's get into some listener questions. Let's try to help the people out.
Andy Holloway
Okay.
Mike Wright
Are you okay with that?
Andy Holloway
It was just. It was a very. The listener question. You sounded like a turtle.
Mike Wright
Is that what I sound like?
Andy Holloway
You sound like a turtle sometimes, man.
Mike Wright
Like a ninja turtle.
Jason Moore
Hey. All right.
Mike Wright
I don't even know where to go. All right. Submit a question on the website, the fantasy footballers.com. we try to answer a few on the show. We try to answer them via email on Twitter and we do that on Patreon as well.
Jason Moore
Yep.
Mike Wright
So you can also call us. Leave us a voicemail question. 302464tffb we're going to go ahead and answer a couple voicemail questions right now.
Listener
Hey, guys, this is Zach from Des Moines. I just want to let you know that you guys are doing a fantastic job and definitely the number one podcast on the air. Also, I want to let you guys know that if I win my league by listening to your advice, I will get a Split Clan tattoo. Any size, any place, you guys, any size. My question is, I have Zach Ertz that I drafted and I want to know if it's too soon to drop him and pick up maybe Delaney Walker. I know urge is questionable and they're not sure how long he's gonna be out, and Delaney Walker is the best available option. I want to lock him up before someone else does, so let me know what you guys think. Thanks.
Mike Wright
Thoughts on that?
Andy Holloway
We gotta talk about tattoo. It's like the Superman size right on the chest.
Mike Wright
Wow. Yeah.
Jason Moore
I like it. I like it. Yeah. We're gonna have to craft where tattoos should go.
Andy Holloway
My goodness.
Jason Moore
The official rules on our tattooing. But as far as the question, I would not drop Ertz yet and get Delaney Walker. I do like Delaney Walker. I think he's a valuable play and is undervalued, but I cannot possibly, especially with my personal rankings, believe that Delaney Walker is the only good tight end on the waivers. I feel like when I look at waivers, even when, you know, 15, 16 tight ends are taken, which is crazy, there should be 12 in a 12 team league. You know, even in that sense, I think there's four or five guys that are worth playing in week one. So I like Ertz a lot better. I wouldn't drop him. I would hold on. And if it comes, you know, week one, that he's not going to play, then sure, swap him out. And if, if at that point Delaney Walker has been picked up, which I don't expect to happen, write us in. Maybe we'll help you out. Maybe, Maybe.
Mike Wright
Well, I. The only thing I'd say is the question might be, what do you really need from your tight end? Because if you don't need upside, maybe you lock in the other guy because Ertz represents upside to me and.
Andy Holloway
And downside of not playing.
Mike Wright
Right. Right. So, all right, let's go ahead and answer another question.
Listener
Hey, guys, I have a keeper question. I can either keep Bob Gronkowski in the fourth round or Antonio Brown in the second round. It's a 10 team PPR league. I have no idea where I'll be picking until draft day. What would you do?
Mike Wright
So do you guys hear that? Gronkowski in the fourth or Antonio Brown in the second round? Gronk.
Jason Moore
Yeah, Gronk for sure. Keep your first three picks and get Gronk and as a 10 team and I think Gronk has added value in a 10.
Mike Wright
Both guys to me are back half first round guys, so why not take the value of the fourth? Okay, let's go ahead and answer this question. Nate in Illinois. Illinois? Did I say Illinois?
Jason Moore
Yeah, he might be in Chicago.
Mike Wright
Oh, all right. Nate in Illinois. I have the number one pick in a 10 person snake draft I'm thinking of taking. Was that. Did you just do a snake?
Andy Holloway
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Oh, okay. A snake. A snake draft. I am thinking of taking Andrew Luck with the number one pick. What are your thoughts on drafting on draft strategy for those first five picks? Would it be crazy to load up and take the quarterback with the first. Take a quarterback with one of his first three picks.
Jason Moore
One of your first three picks, I don't think is crazy. Taking Andrew Lucky with the first pick I think is crazy. I don't, I don't think it's valuable there. Andrew Luck, specifically, I mean, I think he's phenomenal. But we have to remember he's only been a fantasy phenom for one season, you know, so I expect him to be. This year I've got him as the number two quarterback. But when you've got that number one spot, you have an option to get a running back stud that other people don't have the option to get. And that is what separates those first like two or three picks. So I would absolutely take a running crazy.
Andy Holloway
No, but it is. It's not how I would play it.
Mike Wright
Okay, I tend to agree. Let's do another voicemail question.
Listener
Hey guys, it's Tom from Chicago. I picked you guys up this year and deleted every podcast after I'd say about your second episode. You guys are awesome. I have a quick question. 10 team half point PPR. I got my keeper and Mark Ingram in the 14th with Nelson and Benjamin out. If I'm picking in the later half of the first round, should I go receivers, receiver and probably maybe target like Jonathan Stewart, Frank Gore and you know, guys like that. Maybe in the third and fourth round. Let me know what you think. All right, Take it easy.
Mike Wright
So that's a good question.
Andy Holloway
What was his name?
Jason Moore
Tom, I think.
Andy Holloway
But from, from Illinois.
Mike Wright
Yeah, sorry about that. Sometimes I just read real fast and they put an S. There's an S at the end of the word. Illinois.
Jason Moore
Silly.
Mike Wright
Right? And so sometimes, I'm sorry, like Arkansas. So this question Here he has like Arkansas. It's a tin team, half PPR. He has Ingram in the 14th.
Andy Holloway
That's fantastic.
Mike Wright
Yeah. So his question is, does he go receiver, receiver? And his thought process is, you know, if I can get J. Stu and what was the other guy? Gore. Wait, Jonathan Stewart and somebody else. My thought is I've seen this work. We did a bunch of draft reports yesterday and I've seen this work out. Well, he has a keeper running back, so if he can get super top end wide receiver talent with those first two and still get Jonathan Stewart and another running back with those third and four, I'm okay with it. Yeah, I mean, I saw you shaking your head. I understand it, but.
Jason Moore
Well, the truth is the reason I shake my head and this is one of the mistakes we'll probably go over on our other podcast. But when you get that plan and you say, I know I'm going receiver, receiver, well, you know, you don't know who's going to be there at 10. So that's where I shake my head is like, what if it just so happens that CJ Anderson is not liked in your league and he drops to 10, would you not rather have a stud receiver with CJ Anderson and Mark Ingram? And so I don't think I have any problem with that strategy. I would presume that that might be the best thing there. I'm just saying don't, don't lock yourself into something that could be a mistake just because you think it's a good idea a week before a draft.
Andy Holloway
Yes.
Mike Wright
Be.
Andy Holloway
Be water, my friend. Flow with the draft.
Mike Wright
Fair enough. All right, Brett. And Milwaukee.
Andy Holloway
Milwaukee.
Mike Wright
Sweet. I didn't mess that one up. What are your thoughts about drafting two starters from the same NFL team? Example being Lacy, Cobb, Rogers or Desen Randall. With some picks in the draft, players from the same team line up perfectly. It happened to me many times in mocks and I'm curious if you think I should pass on this situation or take these guys.
Jason Moore
It's pretty simple. You take them when they're on high power offenses and you don't take them when they are on bad offenses. I believe. I mean, that's a simple rule of thumb. And of course it depends on what pick you're getting, different guys and what value you're giving up. But generally, if you're on the Broncos, the Colts, the Packers, Eagles. The Eagles, I got no problem just grabbing pieces from that team.
Mike Wright
Yeah, but if you're on a low powered offense and you're talking DeAndre Hopkins, Arian Foster, do you change your opinion?
Jason Moore
Well, now that you can get him in the 10th round or wherever he's going.
Mike Wright
That's different, I guess.
Jason Moore
Yeah, it's a little different. You know, that's where I say if you. It just depends on what you're giving up. There's very few opportunities.
Mike Wright
Steve Smith.
Jason Moore
Even then you're getting Steve Smith so late. I mean, what is a team that is really bad that you're going to pay two?
Mike Wright
Well, that's not really the question though.
Andy Holloway
It's just Evans and Jackson.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I wouldn't want both of those guys. Yeah, I wouldn't want Doug Martin and Vincent Jackson.
Mike Wright
Yeah, no doubt. Because then you're just going to get killed on weeks when they don't produce. And that's kind of the philosophy I would take too. So we agree on that. Jeremy in San Diego.
Andy Holloway
Perfect.
Mike Wright
Thank you.
Jason Moore
Well done.
Mike Wright
I took four set in round three and Gore in round five. My backups are Joseph Randall, Amir Abdullah, Chris Ivory and Duke. The Duke Johnson. Are you slow clapping them, giving him a slap? He didn't draft any other positions. He has only running back. No, that's not true. Should I be looking for a better option at RB1 or roll the dice now? Obviously he got some wide receivers. He has Julio, DEZ and Cooks. Wow. I wish I knew how many people were in this league. But either way, well done. So no, I don't think you need any better options at RV1 with that depth. But you could go after it.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Because you have. You could combine a couple of these running backs or you could combine a running back with one of your wide receivers and go get an ap, a Love Bell, a Lacy Charles and just solidify that front position.
Jason Moore
Yeah. Never stop improving your team. But. But do not. I think the real thing to stress here for Jeremy is do not go and get a bad trade value because you think you need and are desperate for a top end running back. You're really not with this team and this roster and this depth. Use the depth to take advantage of someone in a trade. Not to get taken advantage of to get that top guy.
Andy Holloway
I think Jeremy's in a league with.
Mike Wright
Like his pets and they drafted poorly.
Andy Holloway
Yeah. And you, you really did some. Some raking of the coals of your. Your parrot.
Mike Wright
Well, think about the guys that drop those is these guys drop.
Jason Moore
Yeah.
Mike Wright
Because they're not big names anymore. You know, four sets, not a big name. And Gore is. Has been for people.
Jason Moore
I'll say this week, three with this team. I am not going to want to make the starting lineup decisions because you've got Chris Ivory, you've got Joseph Randall Abdullah, Goran Forset.
Mike Wright
You have depth there to actually trade and get a twofer.
Jason Moore
Yeah. Oh, we love two for trades here. We really do.
Mike Wright
And we love two for Orioles.
Andy Holloway
Oh, my goodness. Double Star twofer.com.
Mike Wright
No, that doesn't exist. All right.
Jason Moore
Not yet.
Mike Wright
Yeah, let's stick with jointhefoot.com and keep those URLs to a minimum. So, guys, quick question for you to end the show here. Is there a. Is there a name or two that you're super excited to see in week three? This is kind of the preseason. Week three is known as the dress rehearsal. You know, most guys, starters don't play week four for the sake of injury. So week three. Is there somebody that you want to see really, really badly to see if they've got it? I mean, is it. Is it a Duke Johnson? Who is it?
Jason Moore
For me, it's TJ Yeldin because we haven't seen what he's done. Denard Robinson looked great. TJ Yeldin is supposed to get the workload, which I'm not totally buying, but that preseason game is going to be really important for him. How good is he? How does he look in that offense? So that's the guy I'm going to be paying attention to, the only one. I'm just going to ignore everyone else.
Andy Holloway
The guy that I'm going to watch very closely is LeGarrett blunt because he has. He's not looked the greatest. He suspended week one and his counterpart in Jonas Gray has looked okay. So there could be a job slipping.
Mike Wright
Down the board a little bit. Yeah, I think that situation could end up as a nasty committee, too. It could, but, yeah, that's a good guy to watch. I think the rookies jump out to me. I mean, Melvin Gordon, seeing what he can do between the tackles in Game 3 would be something I'd pay attention to. I'm watching the backfields in. In Dallas to see what happens. You know, Randall made it out on the field in week two. Surprisingly, yes.
Andy Holloway
Yeah, he did.
Mike Wright
McFadden didn't look. I mean, he didn't look good.
Jason Moore
Look like the last couple of years.
Mike Wright
He looked good. So seeing what happens there, some of those competition type situations, I think are. Are what I'm looking to. Anything else? Anything else you're paying attention to in the preseason?
Jason Moore
You know, mostly camp battles and also tight end usage. I love watching how tight ends are used, so.
Mike Wright
Fair enough. Fair enough. All right. Thanks for listening today. We'll be back here tomorrow. We've got. We got this video going up on YouTube after we record it, so check out that channel. Subscribe there and follow us on twitter, effballers and jointhefoot.com.
Jason Moore
Goodbye. 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 at theffballers.
Fantasy Football Podcast 2015 - Sleepers, Fliers, Late-Round Steals
Fantasy Footballers - Fantasy Football Podcast
Release Date: August 26, 2015
The Fantasy Footballers kicked off their August 26, 2015 episode with some light-hearted banter and minor technical issues. Hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright joked about their participation to the mailman's admiration for Andy's beard, setting a casual and engaging tone for the episode.
Mike Wright humorously recounted, “[...] if I told you we started recording this show an hour ago and we're starting over, that would validate the technology problems” (00:56). Despite initial glitches caused by a mysterious cable issue, the team confirmed that the technical problems were resolved, ensuring a smooth continuation of the podcast.
The hosts outlined the episode's agenda, focusing on NFL news, fantasy football updates, and strategies for identifying sleepers, fliers, and late-round steals. They emphasized the importance of leveraging these under-the-radar players to gain a competitive edge in fantasy leagues.
Andy Holloway previewed the content: “We have some news and notes from around the NFL. Fantasy news. We have some sleepers, flyers, late-round guys. [...]” (01:33). The trio also introduced their new product, the Ultimate Draft Report, aimed at providing personalized draft analysis and in-season strategies for fantasy football enthusiasts.
The discussion began with a debate on Matthew Stafford's potential performance in the 2015 season. The discrepancy in rankings among the hosts highlighted differing perspectives on his reliability and fantasy value.
Andy Holloway argued, “His elite fantasy production was so closely tied to high volume of throwing. [...] the team is just not designed anymore for those high volume Stafford games you got” (03:05). Conversely, Jason Moore pointed out Stafford's consistency issues, noting, “... he has not once in his career thrown for 30 touchdowns” (04:21).
Mike Wright stressed caution: “...they can't just look back three or four years on a 41 touchdown season Calvin Johnson and say he's going to do it again” (04:05). The consensus leaned towards being realistic with Stafford's expectations, acknowledging his potential but highlighting the team's evolving dynamics that might limit his fantasy upside.
The hosts delved into recent NFL news affecting fantasy football strategies:
Rex Grossman's Signing: Jason Moore humorously downplayed the significance, suggesting Grossman was “not a sleeper” and more of a “snoozer” (05:37). Despite the jest, the signing was acknowledged as a minor update for fantasy owners.
Michael Vick with the Steelers: The return of Michael Vick generated mixed sentiments. Andy Holloway speculated, “If Big Ben goes down and Vick is running the Steelers offense, I don't know, man. There could be some value there” (06:16). Mike Wright appreciated Vick's versatility but pointed out, “He does run around a little bit and throws the ball at about a 53% accuracy rating instead of like a 63 from five years ago” (06:34).
Evan Mathis Joins the Broncos: The acquisition of Evan Mathis was seen as a boost for the Broncos' offensive line, potentially enhancing the running game. Jason Moore highlighted, “This doesn't hurt the running game. And it helps Peyton Manning, too...” (06:52).
Jordy Nelson and Ty Montgomery: With Jordy Nelson sidelined, rookie Ty Montgomery was spotlighted as a potential valuable asset. Jason Moore remarked, “He could be on the sleeper list” (09:10), emphasizing Montgomery's readiness to step up in a high-powered offense.
Jordan Reed Declares 100% Fitness: Andy Holloway interpreted Jordan Reed's statement as being “the equivalent of a normal player,” suggesting he could be a late-round steal in PPR formats if he remains healthy (09:28).
Ultimate Draft Report Promotion: The hosts promoted their new Ultimate Draft Report, a personalized draft analysis tool designed to assess team strengths and weaknesses. Jason Moore underscored its importance: “You don't just win your league in the draft. [...] After the draft, that's when the season begins” (11:05).
The core of the episode revolved around identifying undervalued players who could offer significant fantasy returns:
James White (New England Patriots)
Mike Wright posed critical questions about White's potential, comparing him to former Patriots star Shane Vereen: “Is this just pie in the sky hopes?” (11:40).
Jason Moore advocated for White's role as a dependable pass-catching back from day one, making him a viable late-round pick.
Cameron Artis-Payne (Carolina Panthers)
Jason Moore passionately recommended Artis-Payne, highlighting his preseason performance and potential to become a three-down back: “Cameron Artis Payne is [...] a talented back. Get in there” (13:21).
Mike Wright echoed the sentiment, favoring him over other handcuffs like Nil Davis and James Starks.
Stevie Johnson (San Diego Chargers)
Mike Wright lauded Johnson's versatility and potential increased role due to Antonio Gates' suspension: “He was highly productive when used. He's now in San Diego. Tremendous opportunity” (15:21).
Jason Moore emphasized Johnson's ability to fill voids left by injuries, making him a valuable late-round target.
Andre Williams (New York Giants)
Mike Wright expressed surprise at Williams being available in the 13th round, underscoring his potential as a goal-line back on a robust offensive team: “Andre Williams [...] that can run the ball into the end zone” (18:52).
Concerns about fumbles were noted, but Williams' opportunity was seen as a significant upside.
Cody Latimer (Denver Broncos)
Jason Moore pointed to Latimer's improved relationship with Peyton Manning and his evolving role in the offense: “Cody Latimer is playing for the Denver Broncos. [...] super talented guy” (19:07).
The consensus was that Latimer's draft value was ripe for late-round acquisition.
Brandon Coleman (Undrafted Player)
Mike Wright and Jason Moore discussed Coleman’s potential role behind Marquis Colston, emphasizing his readiness to emerge as a three-wide receiver setup: “Brandon Coleman is going to be out there in 3 wide already” (22:25).
Leonard Hankerson (Atlanta Falcons)
With Roddy White injured, Leonard Hankerson was highlighted as a potential breakout candidate, especially within Mike Shanahan's system: “Roddy's banged up. [...], Leonard Hankerson [...] comes from a Shanahan system” (23:23).
Roy Hulud (Oakland Raiders)
Andy Holloway and Jason Moore touched upon Hulud's signing as a passing downs specialist, presenting an opportunity for fantasy managers to capitalize on his role: “Roy Hulu [...] a passing downs guy” (24:07).
Fred Jackson (Free Agent)
Jason Moore and Mike Wright delved into Jackson's consistent performance despite being under the radar, cautioning opponents to avoid dropping top-tier running backs: “Fred Jackson, the real fancy reaper [...]” (24:28).
The hosts addressed several listener inquiries, offering personalized advice:
Dropping Zach Ertz for Delaney Walker
Mike Wright and Jason Moore recommended holding onto Zach Ertz, citing the abundance of quality tight ends available even in deep leagues. They discouraged dropping a potentially higher-upside player for limited alternatives:
"I would not drop Ertz yet and get Delaney Walker. I do like Delaney Walker. I think he's a valuable play and is undervalued, but I cannot possibly [...] believe that Delaney Walker is the only good tight end on the waivers." (27:02)
Keeper Decision: Gronkowski vs. Antonio Brown
In a 10-team PPR league, Jason Moore firmly advocated for keeping Rob Gronkowski over Antonio Brown due to Gronk's elite performance and positional scarcity:
"Yeah, Gronk for sure. Keep your first three picks and get Gronk" (29:22).
Draft Strategy: Running Backs vs. Quarterbacks
A listener queried the wisdom of drafting a quarterback like Andrew Luck with the first pick versus securing a stud running back. Jason Moore advised prioritizing a running back early to capitalize on positional scarcity:
"I would absolutely take a running crazy." (30:04).
Picking Receivers vs. Running Backs in Late Rounds
Andy Holloway and Jason Moore discussed the flexibility of targeting receivers like CJ Anderson if they fall to desirable spots, rather than rigidly adhering to a receiver-receiver strategy:
"Don't lock yourself into something that could be a mistake just because you think it's a good idea a week before a draft." (32:45).
Drafting Multiple Starters from the Same NFL Team
Jason Moore provided a straightforward rule: select multiple players from the same team if they are in high-powered offenses, cautioning against stacking in low-performing teams to avoid inconsistent production:
"You take them when they're on high power offenses and you don't take them when they are on bad offenses." (33:54).
As the episode drew to a close, the hosts shared their excitement for upcoming preseason performances, highlighting players like TJ Yeldin, LeGarrett Blount, and Melvin Gordon as key figures to watch in week three. They emphasized the importance of monitoring preseason games to gauge player readiness and potential breakout candidates.
Jason Moore encapsulated the episode's essence by stressing the continuous nature of fantasy football strategy:
“Never stop improving your team. [...]” (35:39).
The Fantasy Footballers concluded by inviting listeners to engage further through their website, social media channels, and promotional offerings, reinforcing their commitment to providing top-tier fantasy football insights.
Note: Timestamps are indicative and correspond to the sections discussed within the podcast transcript.