Fantasy Football Podcast 2016 - Sleepers, Fantasy News, Mailbag

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary Episode: Fantasy Football Podcast 2016 - Sleepers, Fantasy News, Mailbag
Release Date: June 21, 2016

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Introduction and Welcome

The episode kicks off with the familiar banter of the expert trio—Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright—reaffirming their enthusiasm to bring listeners insightful fantasy football analysis.

[01:00] Andy Holloway: "Oh, it is so good to be back."
[01:02] Mike Wright: "It's good to be back, America."

Recent Events: FSTA Conference in New York City

Andy shares his recent experience at the Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) Conference in New York City, highlighting the networking opportunities and discussions with industry professionals.

[04:28] Jason Moore: "It's great to actually put a face to these Twitter avatar people."

The hosts emphasize the value of connecting with like-minded fantasy football enthusiasts and the benefits of attending such conferences for staying updated with industry trends.

Sleepers Segment: Identifying Hidden Gems for the Upcoming Season

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to uncovering sleeper picks—players undervalued in drafts but poised to deliver substantial fantasy points.

1. Kamar Aiken (Baltimore Ravens)

Jason advocates for Kamar Aiken, citing his physical attributes and potential role in the Ravens' offense, especially with Rashad Perryman's uncertain health.

[24:20] Jason Moore: "Kamar Aiken in the 13th round is a guy that I will be able to start in my lineups on a regular basis this coming year."

2. Bilal Powell (New York Jets) vs. Matt Forte

A debate unfolds around Bilal Powell being an 11th-round pick offering solid PPR (Points Per Reception) value compared to Matt Forte, who is seen as a higher-risk, slightly higher-reward option if available in earlier rounds.

[26:01] Andy Holloway: "If you have Matt Forte available to you in the fifth round, Mike Wright, would you take Matt Forte in the fifth round or Bilal Powell in the 11th round?"

3. Ryan Tannehill (Quarterback Sleeper)

Jason introduces Ryan Tannehill as a post-hype sleeper, believing his potential undervaluation due to previous underperformance can translate into a fantasy asset.

[31:13] Jason Moore: "We jump off of people too quick at the quarterback position and we leave them for dead."

4. Tavon Austin (St. Louis Rams)

Andy highlights Tavon Austin's dual-threat capabilities as both a receiver and rusher, making him a valuable late-round pick with significant upside.

[34:08] Andy Holloway: "He set career highs in all of the major categories last year... he's a weapon in an offense."

5. Marvin Jones (Detroit Lions) vs. Golden Tate

Jason discusses Marvin Jones as a cost-effective ninth-round option with potential, especially considering the new offensive schemes under Lions coach Jim Bob Cooter.

[41:21] Jason Moore: "Marvin Jones is a great sleeper candidate... he can get it done."

6. Rashard Matthews (Tennessee Titans)

Mike pitches Rashard Matthews as a reliable WR3 with consistent target volume, positioning him as a valuable pick close to the 15th round.

[46:27] Mike Wright: "Rashard Matthews is the guy for Tennessee."

News and Notes: Navigating Coach Speak and Player Updates

1. Coach Speak and Jared Aberdaris

The hosts dissect the often misleading “coach speak” in media reports, using Jared Aberdaris as an example of mixed signals regarding player trust and roster status.

[06:33] Andy Holloway: "Coaches know how to talk up their players... get clicks on their articles by having a headline that is not really what the article says."

2. Rashad Perryman’s Injury Update

Andy and Jason discuss Rashad Perryman’s injury status, emphasizing the uncertainty around his health and its impact on the Ravens' wide receiver depth chart.

[09:09] Mike Wright: "They don't expect it to heal on its own before camp unless we do something."

3. Seahawks Offense and Russell Wilson

The conversation shifts to the Seattle Seahawks' offensive outlook, with a focus on Russell Wilson's central role and the addition of Tyler Lockett, positioning them as a top fantasy offense.

[13:37] Mike Wright: "The fact that he is aware of it... is a big deal because that was one of the biggest fantasy questions of the offseason."

4. Colts’ Josh Ferguson

Mike introduces Josh Ferguson, an undrafted free agent with potential to earn a significant role in the Colts' backfield alongside Frank Gore.

[15:14] Andy Holloway: "I like Ferguson's signal."

5. Austin Safarian Jenkins Apology

Jason critiques Austin Safarian Jenkins' behavior, ultimately deciding against considering him as a reliable fantasy option.

[16:31] Jason Moore: "ASJ to me seems like, you know, a knucklehead that is not going to be a guy I want to put my trust in."

Mailbag: Listener Questions and Host Insights

1. Wide Receiver Rankings: DeAndre Hopkins vs. Mike Evans

A listener from Delaware questions the ranking of DeAndre Hopkins behind Mike Evans, prompting a detailed discussion on efficiency, team offense, and media portrayal.

[49:16] Mike Wright: "DeAndre Hopkins is a consistent, elite and always healthy performer entering the prime."

Jason defends the ranking by highlighting the Ravens' shift to a more defensively oriented team and Hopkins' performance fluctuations.

[51:15] Jason Moore: "DeAndre Hopkins is still a wide receiver, but his ranking is influenced by team dynamics and defensive focus."

2. Targeting Defenses and Kickers in Drafts

Another listener inquires about the optimal timing for drafting defenses and kickers, leading the hosts to advise against early picks due to high variability in yearly performance.

[55:03] Andy Holloway: "Is it worth going earlier in the draft for a Denver defense or something? No, no."

Mike and Jason suggest focusing on offensive strength when selecting kickers, emphasizing the importance of team performance.

[56:19] Jason Moore: "I look and I say, who's the best offense? That's the main thing."

Conclusion and Promotions

The episode wraps up with the hosts encouraging listeners to engage with their community via jointhefoot.com, subscribe on iTunes, and follow them on social media. They tease upcoming episodes and express their commitment to helping listeners win their fantasy leagues.

[58:13] Jason Moore: "Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast."

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Notable Quotes:

• Andy Holloway on Sleeper Value:
  "[25:34] Andy Holloway: 'I think Tavon Austin belongs on people's sleepers list as long as he's being drafted where he's being drafted.'"

• Jason Moore on Ryan Tannehill:
  "[31:13] Jason Moore: 'We jump off of people too quick at the quarterback position and we leave them for dead.'"

• Mike Wright on Josh Ferguson:
  "[15:14] Mike Wright: 'So start paying attention to Josh Ferguson right now.'"

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and strategic advice presented in the episode, providing valuable information for both seasoned fantasy football players and newcomers alike.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Foreign.

[Jason Moore]

Terrible things during my watch, but none more horrifying than a wasted second round draft pick.

[Andy Holloway]

That's why I always use my Fantasy.

[Jason Moore]

Footballer's ultimate draft kit to guide me through the cold. Though my friends and family league keeps getting smaller and smaller, my fantasy team is just getting stronger and stronger. Join me at www.ultimatedraftkick.com and prepare yourself to fight the good fight.

[Andy Holloway]

Winter is coming, but so is my.

[Jason Moore]

Hashtag foot clan title.

[Andy Holloway]

I guess I do know something after all.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, it is so good to be back.

[Mike Wright]

It's good to be back, America.

[Andy Holloway]

It is good to be back. The Fantasy Footballers Podcast a fresh edition for this Tuesday, June 21st.

[Mike Wright]

Let's double check the date. Do we got that right?

[Andy Holloway]

We got it right.

[Mike Wright]

All right.

[Andy Holloway]

This show is getting out a little bit later. I just, just got back in from New York.

[Jason Moore]

New York City.

[Andy Holloway]

That's right. Conquered that town.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man.

[Andy Holloway]

Took care of business. Conquered New York.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. I left happy. You could pass that bill for us.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I went, I went there and took care of the DFS problems. Jason and Mike left a little early, but I stayed around to make sure things got done because that's what I do.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you're the finisher.

[Andy Holloway]

But I was eager to get home to this 120 degree Arizona heat.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man, it is nasty.

[Andy Holloway]

I really was, though. I was happy. Get, get out here to the, to the dry heat, get indoors and you're fine.

[Mike Wright]

I love that. It's called an excessive heat warning. Like, right, it's hot outside, but today, you know what?

[Andy Holloway]

Excessive.

[Mike Wright]

It's excessive.

[Andy Holloway]

It's more a message to the earth. Yeah, you're being excessive right now. We should find them. We should find Mother Nature. But I'm happy to be back. And we're happy to be back on the show today. We've got a slight sleepers edition of the Fantasy Footballers podcast.

[Mike Wright]

June sleepers.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, June sleepers. Which is, which is great. We have, we have a number of sleepers in the ultimate draft kit and we've got a bunch more on the show today that we're going to bring to light. I've got a guy I'm really excited about. Everybody loves sleepers. I mean, that's the truth.

[Jason Moore]

Those are a lot of times how you end up winning leagues or staying in a league after your star goes down is because. Oh, thank goodness I got that late flyer. Also, do you guys, do you guys know that football is coming? Really, really Soon.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

I was watching Red Zone.

[Andy Holloway]

You're the one that always keeps up on that. That way we know.

[Jason Moore]

I was watching Red Zone replay and realizing, like, now that the NBA finals, which amazing. Are over, it's football season. I'm like, I'm in my head, I'm hearing all the, like, football drop noises from, you know, Sunday morning. Oh, I'm.

[Andy Holloway]

You seem excited.

[Jason Moore]

I'm super excited for football.

[Andy Holloway]

As am I. As am I. It's going to be great. We've got. I mean, people are going to be drafting here in hopefully as late as possible, but we're not that far from August. I mean, we have a dynasty league draft. We're trying to figure out the dates on right now. Yep. And several other things. And if you need. If you need a good league, check out foot clanleagues.com youm can get in there if you're a jointhefoot.com member. There are a lot of great leagues on there with great people. The people of the Foot Clan are just incredible. So I do want to give an update to everybody who has voted for us in the Podcast Awards. A lot of people are asking when. Well, two things. They're asking when we're giving away all the actual goodies that we promised everybody. And that'll happen today? Yes, that'll happen today. So stay tuned on Twitter, we're gonna post a big thread with all the winners and send out a bunch of good things to all of you out there. And then they're asking when the actual awards are being announced. And we won't know until they're announced who wins. And that will be tentatively on the 26th of this month.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

So we're not very far away from that. We'll find out if we got it done, which I'm optimistic. I think we did.

[Mike Wright]

We'll find out if I can survive.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, Mike. Mike might go into a cave if. If we don't take it home.

[Jason Moore]

Andy and I will hold down the.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, we'll be all right. So what else is going on? We got the sleeper show today. We got some news and notes. We all just got back from fsta, the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Conference in New York City, which was good. Got to talk to a lot of the industry people, the people from the Fantasy Sports Network, which we're also on, and it was a good time. You guys have any thoughts on New York City?

[Mike Wright]

New York is a very interesting place. So much different than where we are. But it's like you said, it's great to get to Go hang out with people who are cut from the same clothes, so to speak. And they. They're all obsessed in. And there are these people. I would say the most interesting thing is when you start associating a human being with their Twitter avatar. Like, we ran into Matt Kelly, the Fantasy Mansion on Twitter, but. And he's got this kind of iconic thing where it's a. It's a green monster, he's got a martini, and that. That has become what he looks like to me.

[Andy Holloway]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

And then you're a human.

[Mike Wright]

So he came up to us, he's like, oh, hey, guys, I know Matt Kelly. I'm like, you sit there for the three months, forever. You're like, wait, what?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Oh.

[Mike Wright]

And then you realize who it is. And it's great to actually put a face to these Twitter avatar people.

[Andy Holloway]

Absolutely. New York is. There's 10 million people on every street. I mean, that's what I learned about it. So, hey, you want to follow us, do so on Twitter. Heffballers. Always tweeting a lot of good fantasy football information. All the latest from the show. We're also on YouTube. In fact, we have a show after the show about that insanely good Game of Thrones episode that I managed to avoid any spoilers from because my wife and I watched it last night when I got back. So that was a great episode. We'll talk about that. Like I said, we're on the Fantasy Sports network on Facebook and you can check us out on the web atthe fantasy footballers.com. so without further ado, let's go ahead and get into the news.

[Jason Moore]

News and notes from around the league.

[Andy Holloway]

I want to welcome everybody to the golden hour of Coach speak.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, it is upon us.

[Andy Holloway]

It is going to continue from now until the beginning of the season because coaches know how to talk up their players and beat writers from local teams know how to talk up their players.

[Jason Moore]

And they also know how to get clicks on their articles by having a headline that is not really what the article says.

[Andy Holloway]

Let's give an example. Let's give the Jared Aberdaris example.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

So Jared Aberdares, wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers. Go ahead.

[Jason Moore]

I like Jared Aberdeiras a lot. And there were two different Jared Aberdares examples here, one of which I saw this article headline saying that Jeff Janis is earning the trust, has earned the trust of Aaron Rodgers. And so I'm like, oh, man, this is bad news, because for me, I believe in Amber Darius because I don't believe that Janice has his Trust. And so I read the article and it was talking about last year after he caught like that super long bomb.

[Andy Holloway]

That in the Cardinals playoff game.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, Aaron Rodgers said good job today. That is literally what the article said. But the headline was that earning the trust Aaron Rodgers. And then with Jared Aberdares, there was a report came out that said Jared Abraderas is, you know, he's not even on the 53 man roster that I think the ESPN guy put out. And I'm like, what? No way. I believe in him. Maybe I'm just an idiot. Which, you know, to be fair, I am. And so I googled for some more information on this and immediately result that comes up. That was from two hours before was Mike McCarthy saying how Abrader Darris is essentially the star of training camp this year and that he was running excellent rounds. He was exceptional and exemplary. Those were his two words used. So look, just be careful of the news. And with that said, let's get into the news.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Well, I will say this. We're going to do a couple of different shows with our top 10 tricks and tips for the upcoming season. And so we will get into, I guess reading through all of the madness that comes with the coach speaking the different articles. So let's talk about Rashad Perryman.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Because somebody has to.

[Mike Wright]

Well, when we were, we had to pre record because of the New York trip. And then of course, two episodes. Of course, all this Perryman news happens of Perryman Terraces acl, he's out for the season.

[Andy Holloway]

It was good that we pre recorded because we let all the chips fall then.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

And then Adam Schefter, who broke the news about the ACL comes back. Oh, breaking news. It's not, it's not a torn acl. He just needs some kind of stem cell magic injection. And then all his knee will be fine. So it's.

[Andy Holloway]

Give us a fantasy context there. What can we be thinking about here with Perryman's.

[Jason Moore]

I can give you some lack of a career so far, medical context and not a doctor. But the reality is he has a problem with his knee. They thought it was torn. They got a second opinion. And then they say, no, this can heal without surgery. Well, great. But then you go in and you do a stem cell treatment which says, look, this thing is not healing on its own and we don't expect it to heal on its own before camp unless we do something. That's why they did something to me with a guy that had, you know, the MCL last, the whole year last year and the weird problems with his health, I don't trust. Personally, I don't trust Paramount at all for this upcoming year. And I really like the talent. I liked him coming out of college a lot. He was, you know, a good target for me early last year, but I don't trust it at all. And so Perriman might play this year, might have problems. I think him and Mike Wallace just eat into each other and I'm not really loving either. Personally.

[Andy Holloway]

I think what people have to realize with all the news about Perryman is that there's still a long way to go from semi healthy to fantasy value. Like you still, even if he's healthy, he still has to have the right role in the offense. And it's not like there's been a plethora of Ravens wide receivers over the years that have given you that kind of a value you have. I mean, Steve Smith was the first one to kind of recently to break onto the scene and give you week to week value in that offense, but Bolden was okay. Yeah, there you go. And Anquan Bolden is the opposite health wise of Rashad Perryman's current situation. And you have other guys in the mix now. I mean, you read about Dennis Pitta right now who they said right as of today that he looks like Dennis Pitta and he should have a value.

[Mike Wright]

He always looks like Dennis. Well, in the mirror.

[Andy Holloway]

Not on the field, though. I mean, he hasn't been there. So I think there are so many question marks with that offense. But we're going to talk. I'll tease this. We're going to talk about one of the pieces of that offense in our sleeper segment today.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And there were a lot of people who, who noted our water bet on the last show in which you repeatedly said that is be nanas.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

When I said Kenneth Dixon would outperform Justin for set, which I think more people agreed with you that I was bananas.

[Jason Moore]

But.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, but that's okay because really all things.

[Mike Wright]

That was the sentiment.

[Jason Moore]

No, I don't, I don't know. I'm just giving people.

[Andy Holloway]

There was some sentiment out there that agreed with Jason.

[Jason Moore]

Did you see my.

[Mike Wright]

That's great.

[Jason Moore]

My tweet about Justin for set snap percentage? No, he was.

[Andy Holloway]

I was, I was busy for the 10 game.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's right. You were flying across the country for the 10 games that just Forset played in last year. He was on the field 66 points.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't care.

[Jason Moore]

That's ahead of Adrian Peterson, Frank Gore. I mean, that's he was the guy.

[Andy Holloway]

How. What was? Kenneth Dixon.

[Jason Moore]

He was.

[Andy Holloway]

What was Kenneth Dixon snap percentage last year?

[Jason Moore]

0%.

[Mike Wright]

Exactly.

[Andy Holloway]

Exactly. He wasn't on the team.

[Jason Moore]

No, but my point, really good. But when he went out.

[Andy Holloway]

What?

[Jason Moore]

I can't think of the name of the back.

[Andy Holloway]

Allen.

[Jason Moore]

Buck Allen.

[Andy Holloway]

There's many there. There are Justin. Four set.

[Jason Moore]

And so what happened when Buck Allen had 67% of the snap percentage? They don't have.

[Andy Holloway]

They didn't have anybody else.

[Jason Moore]

You just named a bunch of guys. Tally.

[Andy Holloway]

Not Farrow, Terrence Wells.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

Tally Farrow was injured. Four set, broke his arm. So yes, the snap percentage of Buck Allen was very high.

[Jason Moore]

Well, when they were all healthy, four set was high. And I love watermelon.

[Andy Holloway]

You will eat the bananas at the end of the year.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, it's going to be a banana in the face.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, well, let's talk about Pete Carroll and this Seahawks offense that everybody wants to know about. I. He came out, he said that the offense will resemble the form in the second half of last year. Again, coach, speak to me because you're saying we're going to resemble the good part of the year. I mean, you want to succeed in your offense. And last year, you know, they didn't have Marshawn lynch. They won't have him this year. So yeah, they're going to put more into Russell Wilson's hands. To me, I'm so high on Russell Wilson. We have been you. Jason's been kind of the flag waiver at the front of that parade, but we all have him rated high. I might move him up even more.

[Mike Wright]

I think I am too.

[Andy Holloway]

And I love him. I love Tyler Lockett. I've made. Mike and I have made no qualms about our love for Tyler Lockett as a well rounded receiver. He's somebody who is dynamic. He's somebody who if the targets are there, I think will surprise people. And right now, Tyler Lockett is going in the seventh round, the back of it. 7:11. Baldwin is 410. I take Lockett every day right now.

[Mike Wright]

The what I think the important part of this news information is just that he's even acknowledging it, that he is saying, yeah, it was. It went really well for us and we want to try and model after that. So the fact that he is aware of it, you know, he's talking to the public about it, I personally think is a big deal because that was one of the biggest fantasy questions of the offseason. Who are the Seahawks now? Are they going to try and go back with Rawls and turn Rawls into Lynch and just ride that again? Or are they going to let Russell Wilson ball out like he did the second half? So Seahawks offense rising, Rising. To me, they'll.

[Andy Holloway]

We'll probably do a show on the offenses that we like this season because a lot of. A lot of the sleeper or value or those type of guys come from, you know, putting yourself in the position to draft guys in a good offense in fantasy football. And so we'll probably do a show about that. Seattle's definitely at the top of that list. They just have so many dynamic players. Russell Wilson is. Is a force. So let's go ahead and talk about the Colts for a second. You know, we know Frank Gore is in the backfield. Let's talk about undrafted free agent Josh Ferguson.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. And I just want him to. I want this name on the radar.

[Andy Holloway]

Appear on the radar. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. So Foot Clan, if you have not.

[Andy Holloway]

Heard of Josh Ferguson, that was more sonar.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, yeah, that worked.

[Andy Holloway]

I like. That was Ferguson's signal.

[Mike Wright]

So start paying attention to Josh Ferguson right now. Robert Turbin is the backup for Frank Gore, and we know that Frank Gore is an iron man, but look, they. The Colts are reportedly, they like him. He was undrafted, but they were thinking about drafting him as early as the fourth round. They just liked other guys a little bit more. So this is a name to monitor where if, if Frank, even if Frank Gore doesn't go down, Josh Ferguson could earn a roll in this offense.

[Andy Holloway]

If you look last. Last year and the other Josh. The square shaped Josh Robinson. Robinson. What you did see from the Colts was a willingness to give some third downs away to another back because they didn't want Gore to be worn down. That could happen again. So this is put them on the radar, sonar, whatever you want to call it.

[Mike Wright]

Well, and we've seen the Colts have two competent fantasy backs where Bradshaw was the passing guy and he was scoring touchdowns and boatloads and just Ferguson's very interesting to me.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, Jason, you should take this next bit of news.

[Jason Moore]

The next bit of news is it's.

[Mike Wright]

Not really new news, so let's. Let's clarify.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it's older, but Austin Safarian Jenkins, he issued an apology for getting kicked out of practice and then arguing with Bucks fans on Twitter. I was high on ASJ just from a talent standpoint, but I will say this. I'm not high on ASJ anymore. And this situation is actually one that I believe warrants that because you have a coach kicking him out of practice, you have an Alternative option there. It's not like they have to have A.S.J. and then what? His response was like, you kick a guy out of practice, that's to see, like, look, you got to step this up or you're not a part of this team. And then he goes on a baby rampage and shows that he does not have baby ram daddy on his shoulders. And that's just. I look, when I draft, there's a couple of other things I like. I like good offenses, I like good play callers. I like smart players. Like, that's one of those things I prefer. And ASJ to me seems like, you know, a knucklehead that is not going to be a guy I want to put my trust in.

[Andy Holloway]

The thing is you overlook knucklehead. Knuckleheadedness when you aren't putting up like three catches a week.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean there's just so many red flags. I'd rather. I mean there's so many guys. I'd take Dennis Pitta probably, you know, over. Well, maybe not.

[Jason Moore]

Probably not him.

[Andy Holloway]

But the point is like there's just other options.

[Jason Moore]

There's so many guys. I mean, you're telling me you wouldn't take Dwayne Allen right over him.

[Mike Wright]

So Cameron Brait is on notice just as very, very deep right now.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Though the sloner has to be very quiet. But that's the. That would be the name to pay attention to if something goes even more south with Safari and Jenkins.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, Coach Speak alert. The Florida Times Union expects the Jaguars to start Chris Ivory over T.J. yelden.

[Jason Moore]

I didn't understand why this was news because I thought that was the assumption.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Along.

[Andy Holloway]

I think it didn't scare me off of Yelden as one of my kind of. What do I have him classified in our draft kit as a sleeper?

[Jason Moore]

I believe he is in as a sleeper or a value.

[Mike Wright]

Value.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I think I have mint as a value. I mean, by the way, sleepers are all values.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Just in case you're curious, we label them differently. The reason we call them sleepers is we're pretty much classifying these as guys that go outside the ninth round and beyond in drafts. But if you get a sleeper that works out, that is a value as well. Let's talk about the big salad.

[Mike Wright]

He's back. We did it, America.

[Jason Moore]

You can never fill up on too much salad.

[Mike Wright]

No, he's back for seconds. There are reports that Mike Davis, fourth round pick last year, the running back who was not, not very good and he might not make the 53. And I was. Evan Silva tweeted out, look out for Sean Drone again. This is fantastic. I love it. I love it. And it's. Look, I am one of the biggest Carlos Hyde supporters this year.

[Andy Holloway]

He doesn't catch the ball.

[Mike Wright]

No, he's.

[Andy Holloway]

He really doesn't.

[Mike Wright]

He's never been in that role as the pass catcher. And just for my own personal pride, to see Sean Drone rise again from the salad bar.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Would be delightful.

[Andy Holloway]

Gabbert and him had a rapport on those. Check down. Yeah. I mean, he averaged 4.3.

[Mike Wright]

That's called fear.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Takes the ball.

[Andy Holloway]

It's an overstatement to say rapport, but they. How about this? They played together.

[Mike Wright]

They did. And Jerome was getting.

[Andy Holloway]

And he was affected.

[Mike Wright]

Bunches.

[Andy Holloway]

He was affected.

[Jason Moore]

Well, spoiler alert. We will not have any sleepers from the San Francisco 49ers on this episode. No, but we will get into some awesome sleepers. Sleepers that are going to win your league for you if some of these guys pan out. Before we do that, we want to take a second and thank our awesome sponsor, Pristine Auction. You've heard us talk about them before. They are the best and only place to get sports memorabilia signed. Awesome stuff. It's not just sports. They have like movie posters and all sorts of things. So if you've got gifts you want to give, if you want to decorate your man cave or your woman cave, you want to get things looking really, really nice and have some cool stuff, you won't believe how cheap some of the stuff you could snag on there can be. And here's the thing, it's free and quick to register. Free to bid. You only pay when you win. So I would say get on Pristine Auction. That's P R I S T I n e auction.com Register for free. Bid on stuff that's cheap. And if you don't get it, you don't spend anything and win some things at a great value. Make sure when you sign up that you said that you heard about them from the fantasy footballers and go there and win some stuff.

[Mike Wright]

Right now, we also want to remind our listeners about SeatGeek. Look, SeatGeek is the place to get your tickets for sporting events, for concerts. The app is tremendously easy to use. And look, SeatGeek, they do all the price comparison for you. They search multiple ticket sites around the world and they ensure that you're getting the best possible deal. They save you the time. They save you the money. They want you to get the most bang for Your buck. And that's why every ticket on SeatGeek, they give it a grade, they give it a value. They let you know, are you paying fair price? Are you getting a steal on that ticket? SeatGeek wants you to know about it and this is what we need you to do. Foot Clan, you can get a $20 rebate. A $20 rebate off of their first. Off of your first SeatGeek purchase. This is what you do. You Download the free SeatGeek app, you go to the settings tab, you click add a promo code and you know what code you got to use. You got to use foot ballers and they will send you 20 bucks after you made your first purchase. Download the free SeatGeek app today, use promo code FOOTBALLERS and save 20 bucks and save even more on your on your ticket purchases.

[Andy Holloway]

Alright, let's go ahead and get into some of these sleepers.

[Jason Moore]

You are getting sleepy. Sleepy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, we had to pull that one out of the archives. That's an archive drop right there. I got my Les Miserables tickets off of Sea Geek.

[Mike Wright]

Yep, there you go.

[Andy Holloway]

You can get all the theater stuff off there too. All right, let's go.

[Mike Wright]

Where are we gonna start here?

[Andy Holloway]

Well, look, aforementioned Baltimore Ravens offense seems like a good place to start.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, good, because this makes me so very.

[Jason Moore]

That was an appropriate drop for how awesome this guy is.

[Mike Wright]

That was superhero music.

[Andy Holloway]

That was the story time with Jason drop.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, well, I'll take over and I'll take over and I'll give you a little bit of story time on my sleeper. A sleeper that I will admit. Mike was on board of first and when he was, I was not. I think back on our election show, he liked them and I thought, no, not in. And since then I've studied a little bit more of his film. I've seen some more things break his way and I'm talking about Kamar Aiken. Look, this guy is actually really good. The thing is is he didn't have a great college production, comes in undrafted, bounces around from team to team. But he has the physical tools, his comps, his measurables are actually in the same area of like a DeAndre Hopkins. He's 162 with 4 5. Now, I'm not saying he is Deandre Hopkins by any means, but he has the physical tools to get it done. So what if things break his way? Well, here's what's breaking his way. Rashad Perryman seems like he's going to be a health risk that is not going to come in and be the Number one for Baltimore, the way that people might have hoped coming in. And yet he will be playing and kind of taking some of that value away from Mike Wallace. There's also news saying that Steve Smith.

[Andy Holloway]

It's going to be a tough road for Smith.

[Jason Moore]

It's going to be a tough road back. He talks about how he's not where he thought he would be now. And he admitted he just wants to get to, you know, a certain number of historical receptions.

[Mike Wright]

He just wants. He wants a thousand.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he wants a thousand receptions. And that's what he's playing for, which is, you know, he's pushing his body to do something that he's not going to be really great at. That leaves a wide open hole for Kamar Akin. And the reality is we don't have to guess with him of whether he can do it. You think, well, you know, what do you hope for when you draft a guy late? You hope for a guy that can be plugged in as a starter after the bye week. Last year when things broke his way the whole second half of the season, he was the 16th best wide receiver. He was the wide receiver. 16. That is phenomenal for a guy that is being drafted right now in the 13th round. He has a rapport already with Joe Flacco. He's got the opportunity, the skill. And I want guys in a Mark Tressman offense, especially pass catching guys, pass catching, running backs and wide receivers. Give me Kamar aiken in the 13th round and I've got a guy that I will be able to start in my lineups on a regular basis this coming year. And he's borderline free.

[Andy Holloway]

He was. I had him late last year and he was very comfortable as a 2, 3 option last year. Where you felt you were going to have this baseline of production from Aiken just in total reception numbers.

[Jason Moore]

If you're in a PPR3 wide receiver league, I mean, Kamar Aiken is gold at the end of your draft, he's going to separate you.

[Andy Holloway]

13Th round is ridiculous.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. It's absurd.

[Mike Wright]

That makes me so very happy that.

[Andy Holloway]

His name is being brought up.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And it's the world I think is coming around on Mr. Kamarikin. So I love that the name that I want to bring up is a running back for the New York Jets. You think what, Matt Forte can't be a sleeper because he cannot. You know who can be a sleeper? Bilal Powell. America. Get it together. Bilal Powell is being drafted. And you know what? I went specifically for PPR. He's being drafted in the 11th round of PPR. And here's what Bilal Powell did last year. He had nine games where he was actually fully healthy. In those nine games, he averaged 54.5% of the snapshot. So more than half of the time Bilal Powell was on the field and he was doing work. He was getting. He was averaging seven targets a game, almost 10 PPR points a game. A running back. A running back you can draft right now in the 11th round was averaging 10 points a game. That is absolutely ridiculous. Those, those are running back two numbers that you would that people gladly spend a fifth or sixth round pick on. You can get them in the 11th.

[Andy Holloway]

I, I have my hesitations here and I'd like you to overcome them.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, let me hear it.

[Andy Holloway]

Last year. No, I agree. Here's the thing that I like about him. They paid him. They trust him. Two questions for you. One, they didn't have somebody like Matt Forte last year who was a. Not just a decent pass catching back, an elite pass catching running back. So speak to the Forte competition and speak to the importance of it being Fitzpatrick for Powell to have success. Or do you not believe that the quarterback position matters? In that I don't think the quarterback.

[Mike Wright]

Position matters too much. And what I would say to the Forte is a. Here's the reminder. The contract that Matt Forte got is almost identical to the contract that Bilal Powell got. So it's financially speaking, the jets have said, Powell, you're, you're basically as important as Matt Forte. Now will Powell get that 54.5% of snapshot? Maybe not. Maybe it goes down because like you said, Chris Ivory is not a pass catcher and that was Powell's role. But Powell is very familiar with the system. He is. When it comes down to like a two minute drill where you're just, you're soaking up these, these points. You're getting three dump offs in a matter of a couple plays. I think that's Bilal Powell's job. And I just, I don't see a situation where Forte completely usurps and passes Powell for passing down plays.

[Andy Holloway]

One more question there then. Matt Forte right now is going in the third round, which I think we all, we all think is too high. Yes, Powell's going in the 11th, but let's pretend for a minute that Forte is available to you in the fifth round. Mike Wright, would you take Matt Forte in the fifth round or Bilal Pal in the 11th round? Which would you prefer? And I'll ask the same question to Jason. I'd like to get his thoughts in the fifth round.

[Mike Wright]

I could be interested actually in both. If you're talking I can get him in the fifth.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

And then Powell in the 11th. I might just lock up the New York jets backfield and call it a day. But if it's just the one to one, I would still take Powell in that situation.

[Jason Moore]

For me, I like Forte in the fifth. You know, we are a little bit lower on him than the masses.

[Mike Wright]

It's just not going to happen.

[Jason Moore]

And I would be willing to take him in the fifth, but the reality is it depends on who's on the board. You know, there are some guys I would probably take Forte over most of the guys going in the fifth, but I do like a lot of guys currently going in the fifth. You know, your Ryan Matthews, Jonathan Stewart's. But I would probably take.

[Andy Holloway]

Are you on board with the Powell argument or are you. I'm reserving a little bit of my.

[Jason Moore]

Here's what. Here's how I feel about Powell as a sleeper excitement. I feel like the guys that are going in the draft around that 11 +@ running back are not as good an option as Powell. Usually they're guys that are complete handcuffed that can't score unless the guy in front of them gets injured or they're, you know, a rookie you're hoping for or something like that. I think Powell is a guy that can go out there if you're in a PPR league like Mike was talking about and he can get you points. He can be in a flex in a. In a pinch. I mean, the other guys, you know, would you rather have him or James Starks or Jericho Kinnon?

[Andy Holloway]

No, I'd rather have Powell over any of those options.

[Jason Moore]

Right. In a redraft. Yeah, Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, I look at Powell, I'd rather have Charles Sims than blah Powell.

[Mike Wright]

Charles Sims is going to go in the eighth.

[Jason Moore]

Right. And that's the difference.

[Andy Holloway]

He's kind of the type of guy. Exactly. I look at them in the same even maybe what Sean Drone is going to be. Yeah, maybe he's more of a little salad. I don't know. We'll see which guy goes first. Let me. Let me circle back here, Jason. I want to talk about one of the guys on your list. Here's something that happens in fantasy football. Certain players let you down and certain players let you down and leave a stench upon fantasy their roster spot. And Ryan Tannehill left a stench upon every roster that Mike had him on. So he's in this list for you. And you put Ryan Tannehill as a sleeper this year. And I want to know why I.

[Jason Moore]

Did I put Ryan Tannehill in here. It felt a little gross to do because of what you're saying. But there's a lot of times, you know, you hear the phrase a post hype sleeper. And what that is is that's a guy who gets hyped up, who doesn't perform to that hype. But then the next year, there was a reason for the hype originally, it didn't work out. And the next year he provides a value. That's what Ryan Tannehill is. And let me just give you a couple examples of why he does have the skills and the capability to be a fantasy player. First of all, in 2014, he was the quarterback eight in fantasy. So he was a QB one already. And this is a guy. I mean, where. Look up where Ryan Tannehill is being drafted because I'm pretty sure it's very late, but he has already thrown two seasons of over 4,000 yards last year, which was super disappointing. He threw 4,200 yards and only 12 picks. The problem was he just had lower touchdowns. Well, Adam Gaze is coming in. Who was a guy who got the most out of Jay Cutler? He was the guy that was the offensive coordinator for the 50, you know, touchdown Peyton Manning season. He gets touchdowns through the air.

[Mike Wright]

He gets touchdowns.

[Jason Moore]

I believe in it. And you also have to keep in mind, like Tannehill was a late convert to the quarterback position. He's only had four years. And if you look back at these quarterbacks that we know are so great, I mean, they're the best, right? Breeze, Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Carson Palmer, these stalwarts, none of those guys, not one of those guys I just mentioned got 4,000 yards before they were 27 years old. Brady was 28. And in the case of Brady and Roethlisberger and Drew Brees, it took six seasons for them to actually get to 4,000 yards. My point is not that Ryan Tannehill is going to be one of these hall of Fame level quarterbacks, but the point is we jump off of people too quick at the quarterback position and we leave them for dead. I think with Gaze coming in with Devonte Parker there with Jarvis Landry, they drafted Tunsil on the offensive line. They drafted Laurenta Carew.

[Mike Wright]

They've.

[Jason Moore]

They're wanting him to succeed. The weapons are there, the scheme is there, where he's being drafted.

[Mike Wright]

He presents a big value, which is the 13th round.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, and that, that's the thing, right? Like, if he doesn't succeed in this situation.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he won't be on my sleepers next year.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he won't be on the sleeper. I want to talk about. And so that, that's an interesting perspective on Tannehill. I want to bring up a guy that I'm really, really growing on and make the case to you guys. This is the only sleeper I have on our list. That was my, my special pick on today's show, and that's Tavon Austin. Tavon Austin right Now is a 10th round pick. Okay. So he qualifies in that sleeper category and I'm really rising on him. And I know that, you know, you look back last year at St. Louis and they probably were in contention for some of the worst quarterback play you could have seen.

[Jason Moore]

What?

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

And so as a superstar, as opposed to the hesitations that you would have with a rookie quarterback coming into the fold like you would if, let's say Paxton lynch starts in Denver and you start questioning the production of those receivers, you're not facing that situation in St. Louis because the bar is set so low that, you know, Jason could probably get over it. Now that's a low bar. Thank you.

[Mike Wright]

As long as you can step over it.

[Andy Holloway]

But let's talk about Tavon Austin. Let's just talk about the numbers to start with. He set career highs in all of the major categories last year. We're talking about reception totals, yards as a receiver, definitely career highs in rushing attempts. He went 52 attempts on the ground, 52 through the air. And so when you are the kind of broad overview perspective at the wide receiver position, you're not seeing Austin. Right. You don't see that because you don't see the rushing totals when you're just glancing at these lists. But what Austin excites in me is this idea where he's breaking. He's 25 years old. He's a 25 year old player and he brings to the table something that you don't generally see outside of a little bit of Randall Cobb over the last few years. Percy Harvin was the last one to do it in a meaningful way. But he has this baseline that he's providing you with these rushing attempts. He had, I believe, almost half his games last year. He had four or more rushing attempts. This wasn't just like, okay, he gets one, he gets two. They're using him in that capacity to where he is rushing the ball every single game. He was actually somebody who per target was Third in the league in averaging the most fantasy points per target. He's dangerous after the catch. He's somebody who they use in a lot of different ways. And yes, you can. You know, of all the coach speak that I'd love to avoid in the entire universe.

[Jason Moore]

Jeff.

[Andy Holloway]

Jeff Fisher's the one. John Fox is also. Yes, you know, I'd like to avoid Jeff Fisher, but I think what you saw last year is the maturing of a player who is plain and simply a weapon in an offense. He was, I think, somebody who ended the year surprising Everybody as the 23rd wide receiver. I think when I looked at his actual game logs, I would have been happy starting Tavon Austin in half his games last year. And for somebody going in the 10th round with that kind of youth and upside, I don't know, I started to get a little bit excited about it. I think what Gurley brings to the offense affords opportunity for Tavon Austin. And so if I had somebody late in the draft, you know, you talk about Kamar Akin. He's not Kamar Akin. He doesn't give you this like, kind of PPR baseline, but he gives you an upside and he gives you this dual threat that I'm kind of excited about. So I think Tavon Austin belongs on people's sleepers list as long as he's being drafted where he's being drafted.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And the rushing matters because with him, I mean, they use him as a. As a decoy sometimes and as a weapon sometimes. He had four rushing touchdowns.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

For fantasy, four touchdowns is huge. Huge. How many touchdowns did Mike Wallace have all year?

[Mike Wright]

I have no idea.

[Jason Moore]

Is it zero? Well, Mike Wallace. I'm sorry, Mike Evans.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, Mike Evans had two, I believe.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

It's like, why Mike Wallace?

[Andy Holloway]

Well, and my point about the quarterback was just that if they improve at all on the offensive side of the ball and are down in the red zone a little bit more, those opportunities are going to be there. Outside of Gurley getting the ball, Austin's the next best weapon on that team. So I just like him from a value perspective. He's a little uncomfortable to start on your team because you don't you like that cozy feeling, right? The Julian Edelman cozy.

[Jason Moore]

There's something.

[Andy Holloway]

But Austin has upside.

[Jason Moore]

There's something much more comfortable about starting a player in a powerful offense.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

Because you don't worry that the team's only going to put up, you know, nine points and not have a lot of production, whereas Tavon Austin you do. But that's why he Presents a value here. You're getting a guy who finished as a wide receiver two last year in the 11th round.

[Andy Holloway]

I just don't think we've seen the best of him either because of the age. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

All I could think about was a Julian Edelman shaped like drink cozy Koozie. Yeah, Just keeping my drinks safe and cold.

[Andy Holloway]

I would love a Julian Edelman Koozie if you have one. Since got great hands. He's got great hands.

[Mike Wright]

All right, so I'm going to go back to the quarterback position with a guy, Ryan Tannehill. While he gave me about 50 lashes on the Ryan, Matt Ryan, he did this to me as well. He was a guy who I was very, very high on going into the season with the K shy that that Kyle Shanahan offense, which has produced some very strong quarterback play. We saw the benefits for Julio Jones as he went. His yardage was just out of control. But here's the deal for Matt Ryan where, like, people are very down on him. Oh, he had a bad year. Did he. Did he really have a bad year? Because this is what he did. Fifth in attempts, third in completions, seventh in completion percentage, fifth in yards. Those are. Those are absolutely astounding quarterback numbers. Here was the problem. 19th in touchdowns. That is an epic failure right there. What I propose to you, Foot Clan, is I think that Matt Ryan, the second year in the system, can improve that. There's already talk of the Falcons saying, we kind of messed up. We need to take more deep shots with Julio Jones. And I think Julio Jones owners would strongly agree with that statement. Let him go make a play. Let him score some touchdowns. So I just think that Matt Ryan can really improve. And you know what is, I think is funny about Matt Ryan and you have Blake Bortles who has become this fantasy hero. Matt Ryan was better than Blake Bortles in every possible passing category except for touchdowns. Now we expect some regression from Blake Bortles in the touchdown department. And I expect an improvement for Matt ryan last year, 21 touchdowns. The previous five years he had averaged 28.6.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

So you just give him around his average. And Matt Ryan all of a sudden is a tremendous value. He's a low end quarterback, one which I think he can do. So I just. It's. Don't jump off of Matt Ryan just yet.

[Andy Holloway]

I think the most impressive thing of that argument is the, the discussion about the Bortles numbers compared to Ryan. Here's the only thing I will say that I want to see happen in, in Atlanta is That when Ryan was more efficient in the red zone, it was like it was Tony Gonzalez and it was Roddy White and Julio Jones. It was. I want to see who that number two weapon is going to be in the red zone. I know you've got Devonta Freeman, it's probably who offers value, but Mohamed Sanu.

[Jason Moore]

Is a big bodied guy that I think red zone helps.

[Andy Holloway]

That's the thing. You have to have somebody else that's going to give him that target because Jones is going to be double and triple covered in the red zone and probably still get his. But last year there were games, I mean, multiple games in a row where Julio didn't score and Matt Ryan felt the impact of that. And so for me, all those things for a bounce back in the touchdown areas are there. I think they will go up. It's going to be that second and third weapon that make them go up even further.

[Jason Moore]

To me, yeah, I like Matt Ryan more than Ryan Tannehill as a sleeper. I, you know, 21 touchdowns for Matt Ryan is the outlier. He has a lot of years of 27, 20.

[Andy Holloway]

So we like the Ryan this year. There's a Ryan Tannehill, Matt Ryan, Ryan Matthews.

[Jason Moore]

All right, well, here is my next sleeper. It is Marvin Ryan Jones. Oh, Marvin Ryan Jones.

[Andy Holloway]

I've heard of him.

[Jason Moore]

Actually, I have a water bet with a listener between Marvin Jones and Golden Tate. I took Golden Tate because I'm very high on him. I think he's going to get near 100 receptions and be better than Marvin Jones.

[Andy Holloway]

Who's going to throw him the ball?

[Jason Moore]

Matthew Stafford.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

I believe Matthew, there's no time for.

[Mike Wright]

Your Matt Stafford love right now.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, all right. Sorry. I was curious who the quarterback was he. Here's why these awesome seasons.

[Jason Moore]

Marvin Jones is a great sleeper candidate because while you have to pay up for golden tape.

[Andy Holloway]

Can't believe he's a sleeper. That's what's amazing.

[Jason Moore]

Well, the sleeper, we said sleeper is, you know, ninth and later. And I think Marvin Jones isn't really flying under the radar the way that you normally think of as a sleeper. Maybe.

[Andy Holloway]

No, but he kind of is. That's what amazes me.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he's going in the ninth round and we just heard, you know, from the Lions camp about how they're redoing the offense. Right. Jim Bob Cooter came in, he took over and he kept things similar but simplified it last year in the second half of the season. Now he's coming in, there's whole new play calls, whole new Play schemes, everything is different. We've heard that from the Lions camp that nothing is the same. And so that gives an advantage to Marvin Jones over Golden Tate as far as it doesn't necessarily mean he's the better option, but it takes away the advantage that Golden Tate had in knowing the system. Now he's still got the rapport with Matthew Stafford built, but Matthew Stafford today, today came out and said that without Calvin, the ball's going to get spread around more. He's not going to necessarily lock in on one guy. Golden Tate might not be that guy. So there is, there is a world here where Marvin Jones finishes as their number one. I think it's more of a 1A, 1B. Still like golden Tate better. But if you're telling me I have to pick one of those two guys and it's going to cost either a fourth rounder or a ninth rounder, I'm going to go with Marvin Jones because he doesn't cost me much and he has nearly the same upside. And don't forget. So in 2013, Marvin Jones had a 10 touchdown season in the NFL. I'm just saying, like, this is a player who can get it done.

[Andy Holloway]

No Pop Warner.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I'm not, I'm not talking college here. This is. And then he was injured in 2014.

[Andy Holloway]

Not talking practice, missed one game.

[Mike Wright]

How did he do an arena.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, what were his arena killed 26 touchdowns.

[Andy Holloway]

I believe that for the Arizona Rattlers in one game.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. You know, and then he was injured for all of 2014, came back, had a good year last year. So he is capable. He has value. He's got the role and the opportunity when those things all line up, you know, I don't see much better values than him for where he's being drafted.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm surprised he hasn't risen more. As long as he's there, he's. He's definitely value. We got time for one more sleeper before we get into the mailbag.

[Mike Wright]

That's good news because I have one more guy, though, that I want to talk about.

[Andy Holloway]

Fortunate.

[Mike Wright]

And that is. We brought up Ryan Tannehill. I want to bring up a guy who earned a contract catching balls from Ryan Tannehill. And that is.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

That is Rashard Matthews. Rashard Matthews was, I'd say for the fantasy purposes, was a bit of an unknown. We didn't want to trust him.

[Andy Holloway]

No, we didn't.

[Mike Wright]

But I didn't want to through the first nine games. He was pretty solid. 57 targets in the first nine games. That's that's just over six targets a game. In that time he had four touchdowns. Tennessee gave him not a out of control big contract but they paid him. They paid him to come in and be a starting wide receiver for that team. And just this is similar to the Tavon Austin talk of, of getting a pass catcher from a non prolific passing offense. I would put it to you, I think Rashard Matthews is the best wide receiver on that team right now. I mean the people love the, the intrigue and the possibilities that Dorial Green Beckham presents. He was drafted in the second round. He's got the physical makeup of Calvin Johnson. Well, there's. Look, there's reports coming out that they have Tarjay Sharpe passing him on the depth chart because they want it. They want to get something out of Green Beckham. A player in the NFL who needs to be passed by a rookie on the depth chart to motivate him is a gigantic red flag. Now Green Beckham didn't get to play a ton last year and I don't know if that's because he simply didn't work his way on the field or if that was Ken Wisenhunt who doesn't really like playing rookies. Either way, there's just like I said, there's red flags all over the place for Green Beckham who's getting drafted way higher. Rashard Matthews is essentially free.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's 15, almost 15th round.

[Mike Wright]

He's free in drafts right now. I don't expect him to set the world on fire at all. But for him to give you consistent, you know, wide receiver three, maybe dip into low end wide receiver two numbers on any given week. I think Rashard Matthews is the guy for Tennessee.

[Jason Moore]

I will say this, I think that and this is probably contrarian to everybody's DGB love but I think Rashad Matthews is their best wide receiver. But I don't really love him as a sleeper. The shade you threw on DGB can also be thrown a bit on Rashad Matthews in the sense that the reason I.

[Andy Holloway]

What is being the best in Tennessee.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly. You've got Rashad Matthews, you've got Kendall Wright, you've got dgb, you've got, you've got Delaney Walker and you don't have. I don't expect to be one of the top 10 passing volume teams. You know, I expect them to be.

[Andy Holloway]

If they're not, probably not top 20.

[Jason Moore]

Right. And so, you know, if they're a bottom 10 passing team splitting targets four ways, it's going to take some injuries or Something to happen to have one of those guys really pop off. But he is free, he is talented. Maybe he develops a rapport, but I. I'm lukewarm on that.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. All right. There are. We have several more sleepers on the Ultimate Draft kit. You can check that out on ultimate draftkit.com and we'll be talking more about sleepers all off season as well. Let's go ahead. And we like to answer listener questions. That's, you know, why we do this show is you bring your questions from your team, your league, your format, you bring them to us and we give you our thoughts and hopefully help you win those titles.

[Jason Moore]

Mailbag.

[Mike Wright]

Mailbag.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

You know, when Matt Harmon was in here, the biggest shock to his system because we had him in studio was my insight that. Nope, not your insight.

[Jason Moore]

Not at all.

[Andy Holloway]

That's a shock to us. Each and every time that occurs, it's the fact that you live sing the mailbag drop. People think this is recorded? Apparently.

[Mike Wright]

I would never do it any other way.

[Jason Moore]

Well, of course they think it's recorded. It sounds identical every time. It is really impressive.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, it is.

[Mike Wright]

That's my wheelhouse, baby.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. So there you go. If you have a question, you can go to the website, the fantasy footballers.com. you can also send us voicemail questions 302464, TFFB and in fact, we have a live stream coming up here in a week on jointhefoot.com as well, where we answer a lot of questions. So if you want to get involved, head over to jointhefoot.com, check that out. First question comes in from Alec in Delaware and this is essentially an explain yourself question.

[Mike Wright]

What are you doing here, Alec?

[Andy Holloway]

Because he's calling us out and. Well, I think we got an answer. All right. Hey, guys, I was just looking through your standard wide receiver rankings on the website and I almost choked on my drink, which is hard to do when I saw the elite stud. Who is it?

[Mike Wright]

New cop.

[Andy Holloway]

I just want to know who elite studs are. So it's. It's new.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, yeah. DeAndre Hopkins.

[Andy Holloway]

So DeAndre Hopkins, who went very high on some of the expert drafts we saw at fsda, we have them ranked behind quote clowns.

[Mike Wright]

This is not our verbiage. This is Delaware.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Ranked behind clowns like Evans and Jeffrey D. Hop, is a consistent, elite and always healthy performer entering the prime, his prime, and that has consistently performed with dumpster fire quarterback play. How is he ranked ninth in your consensus wide receiver rankings? Please explain. Love your show. Oh, now he's nice. Makes the work commute more enjoyable.

[Mike Wright]

I love D hop music.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I would love to take this one on. Look, to have a guy 9th is not to be throwing some serious shade on him. We think he's a wide receiver.

[Andy Holloway]

He's bold to have Evans ahead of him.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, so I will concede that.

[Andy Holloway]

Jeffrey. Not. I don't think, I think you can make a strong argument there. I think the average expert has Evans.

[Jason Moore]

Behind certain Evans, you know, in standard leagues. And in standard leagues, that's where DeAndre Hopkins doesn't have the extreme value from all of his targets and receptions. But the reality is, look, Hopkins is great, but we saw two tails last year between the Texans as a team. You saw them have the worst defense in the league to start the year and oh my goodness, was DeAndre Hopkins on fire. And then to finish the year, you saw them with like the best defense in the league. And you have to keep in mind that affects your offense. I expect Houston to come through this year with a great defense again. And in those final weeks, you know, from, from week 12 to 17, DeAndre Hopkins in the standard league was the 22nd ranked wide receiver. That kind of shocked me when I, when I looked that up. Now, I'm not saying DeAndre Hopkins is 22nd. I'm just saying to say that he's, you know, it's a travesty or a sham.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

And we say, you know, he's number nine in standard. Look, that's just how I see it.

[Andy Holloway]

Playing out our PPR rankings. He's six in our half point rankings. It's just we have Jeffrey and Evans being more efficient with touchdowns.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And we have an article coming out. We're launching a huge article section on the site soon. And if you want more information, there's actually a great series by Kyle Borgnoni. He's a great writer, does some film work for Pro Football Focus. He's going to be writing and he did this whole series on target regression and has a highlight piece on the regression candidate of DeAndre Hopkins. Again, we're not saying we don't love him. We're just saying, you know, you got to look at emotionally.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. You were asked to explain the logic behind the ranking and that when you look at the second half of the season, the logic behind the ranking is there. The team became a defensive oriented team that actually performed up to their value as a defense. They don't want to be a prolific, you know, throw the ball in every down type of offense. They had to because they were down by 5,000 points every game in the beginning of the year.

[Mike Wright]

And I'll just throw this out. The year one under Bill O'Brien, they ranked first in rushing attempts. Last year they ranked fifth. So for a team that runs the ball that much, and if you don't have an elite level quarterback, it's hard to sustain, you know, like top five wide receiver numbers in that kind of a system if you don't have a. A Rogers or a Tom Brady throwing you the ball. All right, the Brock Lobster.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, let's. The Brock.

[Mike Wright]

Someone on Twitter sent me that name and I said, that's incredible.

[Andy Holloway]

Brock. Oh, I saw Lobster. I saw a picture of the Brock.

[Mike Wright]

Lobster as one who. I don't have many impersonations in my repertoire that I bust out, but I will frequently go B52s.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm gonna change the subject.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you.

[Andy Holloway]

Just, just saying you did a Australian accent on the Patriot mailbag show that I thought was quite good. Thank you. I was very impressed. Not because you began with a good accent, but because you sustained it.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, I was really impressed.

[Andy Holloway]

It was very impressive as well.

[Mike Wright]

Thank you, fellas. Thank you. I was. I practiced.

[Andy Holloway]

So well done. You go home and you practice good.

[Mike Wright]

That's my offset.

[Andy Holloway]

B52s in that they're like, hey, Mike.

[Mike Wright]

You gonna research for the. For those show notes? I'm like, yeah, sure, after I practice my Australian accent.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, good job. I am a Tom in Syracuse. I am a believer in drafting a quarterback in later rounds, but I have seen steals with Rodgers and Newton falling to the fifth and sixth at that point, it is very hard to pass them up. I would normally wait for a Roma or eli in round 11 or 10. Would you pass on Rodgers and Newton at this value or take one and make tight end a later priority? His league specifically is a four point per touchdown passing league. I would not pass on Aaron Rodgers. No way in. Or Newton.

[Jason Moore]

I would pass on Newton in the fifth. I still think Newton is going to be good, but I don't expect him to. I mean, his efficiency last year was outrageous, mind blowing.

[Andy Holloway]

You know that they have four point league. His rushing is so valuable that I think both of them would be steals in the fifth.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I think he's going to be okay. I would just rather grab. I mean, I just brought up all the fifth round running backs that I really like. I would rather grab one of them and you know, have a Drew Brees.

[Andy Holloway]

You draft Matt Forte in the fifth round over Cam Newton?

[Jason Moore]

Yes, for sure. Because I Agree in a fourth like that, I'm fine with. But if Aaron Rodgers is in the fifth, I'm going to grab him every time.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I will, too.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, Bruner in Switzerland.

[Mike Wright]

Bonjour.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, guys. Great fan of the show and proud owner of a hashtag Foot Clan title.

[Mike Wright]

All right.

[Andy Holloway]

I wanted to ask you this in preparation of the coming draft. At what point in the draft do you target defenses and kickers? Is it worth going. Is it worth it to go earlier in the draft for a Denver defense or something? No, no. Turnover on defenses year to year is pretty high in terms of who performs well. Good example would be everybody and their mother drafted the Houston Texans early last year as a top notch defense. And you probably dropped them by week three or four.

[Jason Moore]

Definitely dropped them.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

They were huge negative numbers.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. The people that they benefited were the people that signed him off of waivers in week seven. You know, the other example is if you don't draft, for example, Goskowski, how do you pick a kicker that you want to stream?

[Mike Wright]

Sure. I'll just say we. I'm fine. Maybe go reaching around early if you want for Goskowski, that's. That's fine with me, but I would not go any earlier than that. As far as my kicker strategy of who do I want? It depends on your scoring format. If you get the bonus points for the longer field goal kicks, successful field goal kicks. I like a guy like a Justin Tucker who can boot it from 50. Other than that, I try to get a guy who plays predominantly either for, you know, a good offense or indoors. I just. I still buy into that. An indoor kicker will be better.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I definitely look for good offenses. That's what matters to me. I look and I say, who's the best offense? And sometimes people are like, well, then they're going to score and you only get an extra point. But the best offenses, I mean, look at Guskowski, right? I mean, he's on the Patriots. They're a great offense. You want a guy that's going to be on a team that's moving the ball, giving them opportunities, that's the main thing.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, I'm going to. I'm going to wrap the show now. That's it for today's show, the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Make sure you subscribe on itunes. Leave us reviews on itunes. That helps the show a lot. We've got a show coming Thursday in July. We'll have three a week, guys. We'll be up to three a week. Everybody's excited about that. So I am as well. There's so much to talk about. If you want an extra episode a week right now, you can go to jointhefoot.com and take part in our fantasy football community. More than 1200 of you are already on there enjoying the benefits of that Foot Clan membership. So hop on to jointhefoot.com send us your feedback. We are a fan first podcast. This show exists because of you and everything that you bring to the table. We try to be active on social media, we try to be active on your emails and everything else and get back to as many people as possible. We want you to win your league. There's genuinely nothing more rewarding for us as a show than to see all the Foot Clan titles coming in. That's the goal this year. That's why we do this. We want you to enjoy the league that you're in. We want you to enjoy your league mates and have fun with them and we want you to win your league and lord it over them for the entirety of the year.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I will Clan Tiger and jump.

[Mike Wright]

On the YouTube for the show after the show.

[Andy Holloway]

That's what we're going to get into right now.

[Jason Moore]

So excited to talk about it.

[Mike Wright]

We'll be talking Game of Thrones episode nine.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. And so that is it for today. Thank you very much for joining us. Check out the ultimate draft kit as well if you want more sleepers like today and come back on Thursday for a brand new show. So if you won, glad to be back.

[Mike Wright]

And if you won, anything from the good luck or congratulations, not good luck, I blew it.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter the FFballers.