Fantasy Football Podcast 2016 - The Fantasy MVP Episode w/Expert Picks

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast 2016 – The Fantasy MVP Episode with Expert Picks
Release Date: August 11, 2016

The Fantasy Footballers delivered an engaging and comprehensive episode titled "Fantasy Football Podcast 2016 - The Fantasy MVP Episode w/Expert Picks." Hosted by Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright, the trio navigates through an array of expert opinions to identify the top Fantasy MVP candidates for the 2016 NFL season. This detailed summary captures the essence of their discussions, key insights, and the final MVP selections, enriched with notable quotes and organized into clear sections for easy navigation.

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Introduction and Setting the Stage

The episode opens with the hosts expressing their enthusiasm for dissecting the Fantasy MVP topic. They emphasize the importance of trust in fantasy draft strategies and set a lively tone for the episode.

• Andy Holloway [00:05]: "My fantasy draft, it's an important job. I need someone I can trust."
• Jason Moore [02:01]: "We have the fantasy MVP picks not only from us, but from, I believe, nine or 10 other experts."

Community Engagement and Draft Strategies

Early in the episode, the hosts address a listener question regarding draft strategies when another player steals a desired pick.

• Listener Question [03:23]: "What do you do when the person picking in front of you steals your pick?"
• Andy Holloway [03:50]: "You have to tell them. Make them feel good about your pick and ensure everyone knows you think it was a good pick."
• Jason Moore [04:14]: "Make sure you have multiple people, more people than you have picks in front of you that you like."

This segment underscores the strategic importance of maintaining flexibility and composure during drafts to maximize team potential.

NFL News Impacting Fantasy Football

The hosts briefly touch upon significant NFL updates that bear on fantasy decisions, such as player injuries and team dynamics.

• Mike Wright [05:50]: "Chiefs camp optimistic Jamal Charles will be ready for week one."
• Andy Holloway [07:24]: "Jimmy Graham is available week one, but there are concerns about his recovery from a serious knee injury."

These updates provide timely information that listeners can use to adjust their draft strategies accordingly.

Sponsored Segment: Pristine Auction’s Ken Stabler Collection

A promotional segment highlights a special Ken Stabler career collection available on PristineAuction.com, featuring rare memorabilia like a game-worn helmet.

• Jason Moore [08:37]: "This helmet is from the collection. It's unbelievable."
• Andy Holloway [09:54]: "There are not a lot of these left in the world because they're so valuable."

This section serves as a bridge before transitioning into the main content of MVP picks.

Expert Fantasy MVP Picks

The core of the episode features contributions from various fantasy football experts, each presenting their MVP candidate along with detailed reasoning.

1. Adam Azer (CBS Sports, Fantasy Football Today)

• MVP Pick: Andrew Luck (Quarterback)
• Reasoning: Azer believes Luck is poised for a monster season, expecting a high volume of touchdown passes.
• Notable Quote [11:27]: "Andrew Luck is my fantasy mvp. I think he's going to have a monster year."

Host Discussion:

• Mike Wright [12:53]: Criticizes the risk of depending on Luck's potential outlier performance.
• Andy Holloway [13:05]: Acknowledges Luck's consistency but cautions against expecting another 40-touchdown season.

2. Brandon Marion Lee (Pro Football Focus, Bleacher Report Radio)

• MVP Pick: Devontae Freeman (Running Back)
• Reasoning: Freeman offers high value as a late-round pick with potential comparable to Matt Forte, bolstered by an improved offensive line.
• Notable Quote [15:37]: "Consider him the new Matt Forte. He is a great hard worker."

Host Discussion:

• Andy Holloway [16:32]: Emphasizes Freeman's projected top 10 value despite past performance concerns.
• Jason Moore [15:22]: Supports Freeman's efficiency and workload.

3. Jake Seeley (RotoExperts.com, Fantasy Sports Network)

• MVP Pick: CJ Anderson (Running Back)
• Reasoning: Anderson is expected to emerge as a top-tier running back, offering significant value in the third or fourth draft rounds.
• Notable Quote [17:56]: "CJ Anderson will be your fantasy MVP. Top 10 running back. Lock it in."

Host Discussion:

• Mike Wright [18:31]: Questions Anderson’s efficiency based on past performance.
• Andy Holloway [19:18]: Mentions consistency and workload improvements.

4. Matt Harmon (NFL.com)

• MVP Pick: Bruce Ellington (Wide Receiver, 49ers)
• Reasoning: Ellington is viewed as a late-round sleeper with high ceiling potential in Chip Kelly's offense.
• Notable Quote [20:09]: "Bruce Ellington has the safest floor, but also a pretty high ceiling."

Host Discussion:

• Mike Wright [22:58]: Debates the impact of quarterback stability on Ellington's performance.
• Andy Holloway [22:33]: Considers coaching and offensive system factors.

5. Chris Harris (Harris Football)

• MVP Pick: Adrian Peterson (Running Back) / Steve Smith (Wide Receiver, if Healthy)
• Reasoning: Harris values Peterson’s consistent performance and views Steve Smith as a potential returnee with high upside.
• Notable Quote [23:24]: "Adrian Peterson... nothing in his film to indicate a slowdown."

Host Discussion:

• Andy Holloway [25:38]: Expresses skepticism about Steve Smith’s injury recovery.
• Mike Wright [25:13]: Defends the potential value if Smith returns healthy.

6. JJ Zacharysson (Number Fire, FanDuel)

• MVP Pick: Marvin Jones (Wide Receiver, Lions)
• Reasoning: Jones is expected to benefit from high target volume in a pass-heavy Detroit offense.
• Notable Quote [26:06]: "Marvin Jones is certainly a huge value at wide receiver."

Host Discussion:

• Jason Moore [26:43]: Highlights Jones’ rapport with quarterback Matthew Stafford.
• Andy Holloway [27:56]: Emphasizes Jones' target share and opportunity.

7. Pat Mayo

• MVP Pick: Antonio Gates (Tight End)
• Reasoning: Gates offers a high return for a mid-to-late round pick, providing reliability at the tight end position.
• Notable Quote [30:16]: "Antonio Gates is going way too late. Make sure to get him on your team."

Host Discussion:

• Mike Wright [30:17]: Strongly supports Gates’ consistent performance and strategic value.
• Andy Holloway [31:49]: Adds that Gates benefits from an improved offensive line and system.

8. Nando Defino (Fantasy Sports Network)

• MVP Pick: Robert Griffin III / Terrell Pryor (Dual Picks)
• Reasoning: Defino oscillates between RG3’s potential resurgence and Pryor’s emerging role as a reliable receiver.
• Notable Quote [32:09]: "Terrell Pryor is going to catch a ton of passes, is going to be an important weapon in this offense."

Host Discussion:

• Andy Holloway [33:27]: Supports Pryor over RG3 due to inconsistent past performances.
• Mike Wright [33:10]: Considers RG3’s history but acknowledges Pryor’s potential.

9. John Paulson (404.com)

• MVP Pick: Dwayne Allen (Tight End, Colts)
• Reasoning: Allen is projected to thrive in a tight end-friendly offense with ample target opportunities.
• Notable Quote [36:48]: "Dwayne Allen’s role is set up nicely for a big year in Indianapolis."

Host Discussion:

• Mike Wright [38:05]: Agrees with Paulson’s analysis, citing offensive line improvements.
• Andy Holloway [38:42]: Emphasizes Allen’s target share and favorable system.

Hosts’ Fantasy MVP Picks

After evaluating the expert insights, the hosts present their own Fantasy MVP selections, each backed by thorough analysis and personal conviction.

Mike Wright’s Pick: Mark Ingram (Running Back, Saints)

• Reasoning: Wright highlights Ingram’s consistent workload, high yards after contact, and solid scoring potential, making him a valuable third-round pick.
• Notable Quote [40:59]: "Mark Ingram... almost 800 yards on the ground, six touchdowns."

Jason Moore’s Pick: Latavius Murray (Running Back, Raiders)

• Reasoning: Moore values Murray’s durability, projected workload, and potential to secure a top-tier running back position at a mid-round cost.
• Notable Quote [43:22]: "Latavius Murray is going to be a guaranteed RB1 this year."

Andy Holloway’s Pick: Lamar Miller (Running Back, Colts)

• Reasoning: Holloway trusts Miller’s enhanced workload and offensive line improvements, anticipating significant fantasy output.
• Notable Quote [41:02]: "Lamar Miller... he averages 18 plus carries a game."

Host Debate:

• Andy and Jason engage in a friendly debate, weighing the merits of their picks against each other’s choices, ultimately standing by their respective selections.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with the hosts reinforcing their MVP choices and encouraging listeners to utilize provided resources for their fantasy drafts.

• Andy Holloway [45:53]: "I will take mine as the Fantasy MVP. My guy is Lamar Miller."
• Jason Moore [50:47]: Summarizes his support for Latavius Murray despite playful ribbing from co-hosts.
• Mike Wright [40:48]: Reinforces the reliability of Mark Ingram as his top pick.

Final Remarks [50:44]:
The hosts thank the contributing experts and listeners, promoting their Ultimate Draft Kit and fantasy community at jointhefoot.com. They also give a nod to their sponsors and tease future episodes, leaving listeners equipped with valuable insights to dominate their fantasy leagues in the upcoming NFL season.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Andy Holloway [04:18]: "Whenever you're coming up towards the clock, make sure you have multiple people, more people than you have picks in front of you that you like."
• Jason Moore [11:27]: "Andrew Luck is my fantasy mvp. I think he's going to have a monster year."
• Brandon Marion Lee [15:37]: "Consider him the new Matt Forte. He is a great hard worker."
• Pat Mayo [30:16]: "Antonio Gates is going way too late. Make sure to get him on your team."
• Jake Seeley [17:56]: "CJ Anderson will be your fantasy MVP. Top 10 running back. Lock it in."
• Latavius Murray [43:22]: "Latavius Murray is going to be a workhorse back. Guaranteed RB1."
• Mark Ingram [40:59]: "He gave you almost 800 yards on the ground, six touchdowns."

Final Insights

This episode stands out for its comprehensive analysis, incorporating diverse expert opinions and fostering engaging discussions among the hosts. Listeners gain multifaceted perspectives on potential MVP candidates, enriched by strategic advice and real-time NFL updates. Whether you're a seasoned fantasy player or a newcomer, this episode equips you with the knowledge to make informed decisions and elevate your fantasy football game for the 2016 season.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

There's some indecisiveness in the air, but I promise you, I don't take this lightly. My fantasy draft, it's an important job. I need someone I can trust and.

[Jason Moore]

The Fantasy footballers are my number one guys.

[Andy Holloway]

Their ultimate draft kit is the everything I need to get ready for my drafts. Don't dance with the devil in a pale moonlight. Jump on over to www.ultima draftkit.com. without it, you just might be a dead. Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, coming to you from the fantasyjocks.com studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Mike Wright]

Ah, we're back.

[Jason Moore]

Big show.

[Andy Holloway]

It's gonna be huge.

[Jason Moore]

It's huge. Those are awful, awful impressions. What? As opposed to this show, which is gonna be great.

[Andy Holloway]

I was.

[Mike Wright]

Before we jump in, I was gonna say, I think I've learned, like, one thing from these. We're getting these, you know our celebrity friends, Jack Nicholson.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, sure, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Appreciate that.

[Jason Moore]

And Jack, I just call him Jack.

[Mike Wright]

And Liam, my good friend Liam. Like, they're basically inferring if you don't get the ultimate draft kit, you might die.

[Andy Holloway]

Right?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, they're very intense. Theme method. That's a method to the madness. Welcome to the show. Thursday, August 11, the fantasy MVP episode, the one episode you absolutely don't want to miss, along with all of our other episodes.

[Mike Wright]

If you're listening, then you're not going.

[Jason Moore]

To miss it, but especially this one. So welcome to the show. Andy, Mike and Jason, back again, the fantasy footballers. We are very excited about this episode. We have the fantasy MVP picks not only from us, but from, I believe, nine or 10 other experts. We got Jake Seeley, we got Pat Mayo, Chris Harris, John Paulson. We have Brandon, Marion Lee, Adam Azer.

[Mike Wright]

Lots of people.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Matt harmon. Matt Harmon, J.J. zacharison. So we're going to break down all of their MVP picks for 2016 and they give us their arguments as well. So this is going to be a lot of fun. Very excited to get into that. Want to remind everybody about jointhefoot.com our fantasy community. If you want to get into a [e-mail] head over there. Definitely. Follow us on Twitter ffballers if you're watching us on YouTube, because you can do that. You can go subscribe on YouTube. You'll see we have a Ken Stabler rookie year helmet.

[Mike Wright]

It is. It's unbelievable.

[Jason Moore]

Studio today. So you have to go on there and take a look and we'll talk about that in a little bit. But it is Very impressive. And I don't think I'd want to wear it and play right now.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

Because it looks a little beat up.

[Mike Wright]

That thing has seen some action.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. That's a game worn. And game worn. I should have game worn helmet.

[Jason Moore]

I should have worn it for the combine. I could have ran the 40 in that thing. Maybe I would have. Well, I almost.

[Andy Holloway]

No spoilers.

[Jason Moore]

No spoilers. All right. You'll get to see it.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

Hey, quick question of the day. I like this one. This one comes in from Alid Chima on Twitter. What do you do when the person picking in front of you steals your pick? Do you stay quiet about it in the draft or do you let them know?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, you got to let them know. You got to tell them. You got to make them feel good about your pick and make sure everyone else knows that you think it was a good pick because you're super smart.

[Jason Moore]

That's what you do.

[Mike Wright]

That's actually what I do. I am very boisterous and very loud when someone snakes my pick. And that's the reason why, because it's a dual ego pump at the same time where the person in front of you, oh, you're so smart. But you know who else is smart? Me.

[Jason Moore]

But it's a way of like, kind of making yourself feel a little better that you missed out on him, right?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Like, ah, I was going to get him. And he's so close to getting him.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. And that way, if the guy goes off later, you know, you get partial credit, Right? Exactly. You get credit. But I will say this. This is an important thing. In drafts, when a guy takes a guy or gal takes the player ahead of you that you wanted. And so often players go on tilt. Then you only had one guy you really wanted, and that person gets picked. And so you go, what do I do now? You're scrambling. A solid piece of advice for everyone out there. Whenever you're coming up towards the clock, make sure you have multiple people, more people than you have picks in front of you that you like. And what's going to happen is inevitably through the draft, you're going to get to a spot where it's like, okay, you're four picks away and there's truly only one guy that you really like a lot. You just think that guy's a cut above. The second you realize that and you're a couple picks away, get rid of that guy from your mind. Draft him. He's been drafted. Now what do you do with the rest of your draft? Because if He. If he comes around and he's still on the board, well, then great. You're super happy. You already knew what to do. But if you don't do that, then you're going to be ill prepared when you're on the clock and nobody wants that.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you don't go until. But also, you need to go full Mike Tyson and let the person know that you're probably going to eat their children.

[Jason Moore]

Whoa, whoa. That is Mike Tyson and Mike Wright, apparently. All right, let's get into the news.

[Andy Holloway]

News and notes from around the league.

[Jason Moore]

All right, I don't have. I don't have a ton of fantasy news for you, but we do have reports out of Chiefs camp that they're optimistic Jamal Charles will be ready for week one. I guess that's good. Yeah, he's a top pick.

[Mike Wright]

That's good because that's what I'm counting on.

[Jason Moore]

Jimmy Graham is off the pup. Mike. Hey, your favorite tight end.

[Mike Wright]

Good for you, Jimmy.

[Andy Holloway]

It is incredible. I think that he is available week one. But that being said, he's talking about.

[Jason Moore]

The rapport with Wilson now and being open and part of the offense.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm going to go on record.

[Jason Moore]

You're moving them up, Jason?

[Andy Holloway]

Nope. Well, no, I will say this. Yes, I am moving him up because I believe the stats I gave him was like 25 yards and a catch or something.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, that's pretty.

[Andy Holloway]

I will move him up. I'm guessing that he's going to finish for me in my rankings, probably about tight end 20 or so if that high. And the reason is this, is that last year when he was healthy, when things were going great, he was. I think he, at that point when he went down to injury, was the ninth or 10th tight end in fantasy. He wasn't very consistent or reliable. Now he's coming back off of one of the most difficult injuries for players to come back off of. Not. I mean, people come back off of knee injuries. But this is different. This is not the same type. And so let's say he gets back and he plays 16 games. First, congratulations, Jimmy. That is incredible. But second, there's just no way he's better than he was last year. Right. I mean, it's not rookie of the league where they're going in and you know, fixing up that knee and all of a sudden Rookie of the year. Oh, yeah, Rookie of the year.

[Mike Wright]

Great with funky butt loving.

[Jason Moore]

I could still write a story that says, you know, Jimmy Graham gets more time with Russell Wilson. The offense is different than it was when Jimmy Graham started last year at the beginning of the season.

[Andy Holloway]

That would be found in the library in the fiction section.

[Mike Wright]

It wasn't.

[Jason Moore]

I'm just saying.

[Andy Holloway]

You can write that story.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

It wasn't going well when his kneecaps had never moved from their stationary position.

[Jason Moore]

All right, you guys don't like Jimmy Graham. Neither do I. I don't like Jimmy Graham.

[Mike Wright]

I don't dislike Jimmy Graham. I. I loved him in New Orleans. I just. I dislike Jimmy Graham in that system.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, that's fair. And I think he's being drafted now in. In that kind of a mindset, don't you think?

[Andy Holloway]

And he's only going to go up. I mean, with news that he's off the pup, all of a sudden, people are going to be. They're going to be taking him as the 10th tight end off the board thing, and they got a steals.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Give me.

[Andy Holloway]

Unless they listen to the fantasy football.

[Jason Moore]

Give me Antonio Gates. Yes, give me Antonio Gates. All right, so what else do we got? We have Stevie Johnson. This stinks because I like Stevie Johnson. He had surgery yesterday and was told he will miss the entire season. So goodbye. Well, I guess speaking of Antonio Gates, I don't really think losing Stevie gives that much more to Gates. It's just another weapon that he doesn't have. So.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I mean, Stevie is considered a, you know, a slot guy.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

And you know what they do with Antonio Gates from time to time. Put him in the slot.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. So. All right. We are going to get into the fantasy mvp, the meat and potatoes of this show. I think I just heard an alert go off. But before we do that, I want to tell you about our good friends Pristine Auction. This is a very special day right now because they have a Ken Stabler career collection. And this over 450 pieces from his career collection on pristineauction.com right now. It ends on Sunday. You've seen Jason wearing his championship belt, of course, but what we have in the studio right now is far more impressive. Times a million.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I was going to say we.

[Jason Moore]

Have the Hickok belt. This was the official belt awarded to ken Stadler in 1976. This is the solid gold belt. There's 26 diamonds in it. You have to.

[Mike Wright]

It is official.

[Jason Moore]

Go look at this on YouTube. Go look at [e-mail] this is one of the amazing pieces.

[Andy Holloway]

There are not a lot of these left in the world because when. When people got this, it's worth so much money to literally just melt it down and use the Jewels. I mean, that's just not a joke that usually these were melted down and just straight up, you know, used for cash because they're that valuable.

[Jason Moore]

It's incredible. It's incredible. And they. This, this helmet that we have here too is from the collection.

[Mike Wright]

The helmet is un. I can almost taste. I can almost taste the turf in the dirt just looking at this thing.

[Jason Moore]

No, that's residue from the combine. Oh, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

But they, and they also have.

[Andy Holloway]

They.

[Mike Wright]

Maybe you're thinking, well, I don't got the deepest of pockets. This isn't for me. They got, they got things from all about ken's career.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

450 different lots.

[Mike Wright]

So definitely go check, Go check it out. If you, if you want to get in on it, sign up for a free account. Make sure you let them know when you're signing up that the fantasy footballers have sent you.

[Andy Holloway]

You have to look at that stuff.

[Mike Wright]

So. Pristineauction.com P R I S T I N E auction.com all right, let's get.

[Jason Moore]

Into the fantasy MVP.

[Andy Holloway]

Who's your fantasy MVP?

[Jason Moore]

That's a great question.

[Mike Wright]

We're looking for the best around.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I like that. Nice. Nice riff, Mike. Let's get right into it. What we did is we asked some of the experts from the industry to contribute their fantasy football MVP for 2016. We're going to kick it off right at the top. We're going to hear from Adam Azer from CBS Sports in the Fantasy Football Today podcast. Adam Azer here from the CBS Sports Fantasy Football Today podcast. I feel like kind of a wimp for taking a quarterback as my fantasy mvp, especially a big name quarterback, but I guess I'm just a wimp. Andrew Luck is my fantasy mvp. I think he's going to have a monster year. Luck was the number one quarterback in fantasy in 2014. He didn't forget how to play.

[Mike Wright]

He got hurt.

[Jason Moore]

The team had a bad year, but Luck is healthy and I love the receivers this year. And more importantly, I hate the running back. They're going to throw a ton of touchdowns this year. I think Frank Gore is washed up so big. Big season from Andrew Luck.

[Andy Holloway]

He's going in the fourth round in 12 team leagues. The value is not amazing on draft.

[Jason Moore]

Day because quarterbacks are going later this year. But I think he produces like he did two years ago. The fact that he's going right around where Russell Wilson is going just doesn't make sense to me. He's going to throw the ball over a hundred more times than Russell Wilson. He's going to throw a lot more touchdowns. He still runs a good amount. If you're in four point for passing touchdown leagues, Andrew Luck is my mvp. You get that kind of production in the fourth round, you're winning your fantasy league. All right, what do you guys think? Andrew Luck is the fantasy MVP pick from Adam Azerbai.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I will, I will say this. If you get the 2014 Andrew Luck in the fourth round, you, yeah, you will win your fantasy, your championship. That's why people like Andrew luck because in 2014, that's right around where they were getting him in the fourth or the fifth and then he went absolutely be nanas. It's still too rich for my blood. Because when you're taking him in the fourth, you are essentially saying, that's the season that I'm going to get. When you're, you're counting on the 40 touchdowns, the 4,000 yards from Andrew Locke and so to count on another one of those just monster outlier career type years, I'm not going to do it with my fourth.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, it's hard, it's hard to know whether or not that was an outlier year. You know, we point out the fact that, you know, he, he had like 23 touchdowns, rookie or 23 touchdowns the next year, then 40.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

And then we came into this last year where it was like, oh, well, clearly Andrew Luck is, he has taken that step forward. He was, he was drafted to be a 40 touchdown type of quarterback. And so but then last year he got injured so we don't know for sure that it was an outlier. Sure, I lean towards that. It was probably a slight outlier. I don't expect him to go for 40 plus touchdowns this year. But I agree if he did, where you're getting him in the draft this year as opposed to last year is mvp, you know, potential.

[Mike Wright]

I love his weapons.

[Jason Moore]

So I agree. I'm going to say it right now. I'll officially side with Azer. I think Frank Gore is washed up. Really, I do, I do think Frank Gore is washed up. I think they have to find another weapon there. He'll still be used, but I don't, I don't think he's going to give.

[Mike Wright]

You so kind of my Philip Rivers defense of they're going to have no choice but to.

[Jason Moore]

It is much more comforting to draft a guy like Breeze or Luck who will have volume in attempts in the passing game than it is to say Russell Wilson, you're going to go and you're going to be efficient with your touchdown throws. Like he was last year. That's the scary part about putting Wilson up high.

[Mike Wright]

But 42 attempts per game?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's what he averaged. All right, let's move on. Hello, Foot clan. This is Brandon Marianne Lee of Pro Football Focus, Bleacher Report radio and her fantasy football, which is also on SiriusXM on the fantasy Channel.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

I don't understand life right now because no one is into devonte Freeman. It makes zero sense to me. The guy was 33rd in targets among running backs, just behind Danny Woodhead and Theo Riddick. By the way, he had 92 targets. That's right, 92. The next guy, 75. Now, he is fourth in carries last year as well. So even if he loses some carries, he's still probably going to be in the top 10. He had 265 last year. But more important than that, it's going to be more productive. They added Alex Mack to that offensive line and supposedly at practice he's been killing it since he got there. So I am all about him. Consider him the new Matt Forte. And Matt Forte just was amazing for fantasy owners. So I'm not quite sure why we're not all grabbing a hold of this guy. He is a great hard worker.

[Andy Holloway]

Everybody loves him.

[Jason Moore]

He's someone that is always there early and late. He's even good in past protection. There are zero reasons to not believe in this guy. The running backs drop way off. Go for devontae Freeman. You will not regret it. I'm starting this one.

[Mike Wright]

I say it sounds like Andy's defense.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you. Thank you. That's exactly what I was going to say. They love him. He's a hard worker. What you say about Tevin Coleman and oh, he's going to be worked in in the minds of Atlanta. They do not see some inefficient rushing games at the end of the year. They see a superstar go to slot wide receiver with the ability to perform out of the backfield. I'm telling you, devonte Freeman, I completely buy into this argument. I love hearing the news about Mack. I hadn't seen that news. He is another piece of that offensive line. I love it all.

[Mike Wright]

You have forgotten that Mack was there.

[Jason Moore]

No, I knew Mack was there. I didn't hear that Mack was killing it.

[Mike Wright]

Alex Mack is.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's what he does.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he's tremendous.

[Jason Moore]

But I'm just saying you add that component to the argument. I just really. I agree with that. I think that the values there for him. My fantasy MVP has similar arguments to why I like him. But the value for Freeman is there. So I'll back off and let you.

[Andy Holloway]

Guys tear him down if Freeman does even near what he did last year. Right. I mean, I don't think anybody expects him to replicate that because there were some of those crazy games where everything fell in perfect order for him. But if he gets near that and doesn't regress too much, he's going to be a gigantic value right now. Because, you know, he's not the first running back taken. He's not the second running back taken. He's like the eighth or ninth running back taken off the board right now.

[Jason Moore]

Beautiful. In half point and full point leagues. That is beautiful.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. You're looking for value in fantasy football when you draft. So he's there. And I agree with almost everything Brandon Marion Lee is saying about Freeman. And the argument against him is pretty much Mike's argument that he stinks.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. So save your breath, Mike. We're going to save. You get to speak on the next guy here. This is Jake Seeley from RotoExperts.com and the Fantasy Sports Network. And for your 2016 fantasy MVP, that is, well, me. How else are you gonna win? Let's talk. That's what you really want to know. And I could throw out a bunch of them for you. I could throw out Sammy Coates and Jaylen Strong and Travis Benjamin and Michael Floyd and Duke Johnson and Giovanni Bernard, who I think has a better year than Jeremy Hill. But if you want one specific player, hey, hit the repeat button from last year, guys. It's coming again. You know, I haven't backed off. CJ Anderson will be your fantasy MVP. Not only will he be an RB1.

[Andy Holloway]

Like we hoped and believed he would.

[Jason Moore]

Be last year, but he will be a top 10 running back. And you're getting him in the third round, likely fourth in PPR leagues. Don't lose the faith. This is the year. C.J. anderson, your fantasy MVP, huge value, top 10 running back. Lock it in.

[Mike Wright]

This. This quote here is so perfect. Jake Seeley is all around everything of the. Of the excellent shameless self promotion.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, the.

[Mike Wright]

And you know how we talked about.

[Jason Moore]

I'm not drafting him of.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I'll get into why I love CJ Anderson. I'm just tearing down Jake.

[Jason Moore]

No, I was talking about Jake Seeley.

[Andy Holloway]

We love Jake.

[Jason Moore]

See, I'm just giving him a hard time.

[Andy Holloway]

I love.

[Mike Wright]

I love the hedging. He's like, I could give you all these names just in case they're the fantasy mvp, but look, I'm all in on CJ Anderson as well. You're getting him in the back of the third. The guy, the last nine games, once the ankle was finally healthy, he was rushing at 5.9 yards a carry.

[Andy Holloway]

That's absurd.

[Mike Wright]

He was a monster. And you think, well, maybe that's just the season. Look at the playoff record. He had an excellent, excellent playoff run, and that's against the top teams in the league. He rushed for more than 10 yards on 21 of his 152 carries.

[Jason Moore]

What if I want to arbitrarily not believe in him?

[Andy Holloway]

Is this a, is this a burn me once?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, that's, that's all it is to me.

[Andy Holloway]

Shame on you.

[Mike Wright]

Shame on me, probably. And that's, that's what it is.

[Jason Moore]

I think that it's also the beginning of the season. And you said it was injury. Yes, but it's seared in my brain that when I watched him. Look, we're not talking Monte Ball levels, but we're talking, like, I just, I didn't see anything special in the beginning of the year and I realized the numbers are there. So I'm not, I'm not saying you're wrong. I'm just saying, like, somehow those two things are seared in where I'm just, I have a little bit of a lost confidence. I like devonte Booker. I don't. That's, that's my hesitancy. But I understand that you and Jake are on the same page.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And I can get it. But I'm telling you, the first half of the season was the, was the bad ankle and there was, there's plenty of watching him in the second half where you go, oh, yeah, there's CJ Anderson.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, CJ Anderson is going to be drafting right near Andy's mvp. So we'll, we'll see.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's move on. Matt Harmon is contributing his fantasy MVP for 2016.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, guys, this is Matt Harmon from NFL.com and my fantasy football MVP this year is 49ers receiver Bruce Ellington. I think he, of all the potential late round players, has the safest floor, but also a pretty high ceiling. He's a guy that I think will get a ton of targets in the slot in Chip Kelly's offense. We saw Jordan Matthews be productive there.

[Jason Moore]

And if you watch some of the.

[Andy Holloway]

Game film and look at his reception perception from a brief standpoint in his first few years, you see that this is a player that's ready to break out. He's the ultimate drumbeat candidate from the off season and building steady momentum. I like him to be a super late round sleeper, a guy that you can start several weeks and that you're.

[Jason Moore]

Going to be happy that you drafted.

[Andy Holloway]

He's my MVP this season.

[Jason Moore]

All right, That's. I mean, that's bold. It's always nice if you can just arbitrarily grab somebody's MVP candidate with your last pick in the draft.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, this isn't, I mean, there's different types of MVPs in fantasy football. You got the guy that finishes as the number one running back or the number one wide receiver, but then you have those guys that you took late in your draft and don't you know it, by the end of the year he was. Don't you know it, don't you know by the end of the year, he.

[Jason Moore]

He'S from that town in Wisconsin we had on the show yesterday.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Aga, Nonga, Wagaboka.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Nailed it.

[Jason Moore]

Nailed it.

[Andy Holloway]

No, the, the, you know those players that you grab at the end of the draft that end up being a startable, you know, that wide receiver, two or a float week in, week out, all of a sudden it gives your entire roster flexibility for trades through the year. It buys you victories. And so Harmon is giving us a gold nugget in our drafts.

[Jason Moore]

Mike, I mean, let me ask you this. Do you buy in? I mean, you've got a guy who hasn't scored a touchdown since 2014. He's got like 19 total catches in his career. All the potential in the world at 24 years old in the Chip Kelly offense. But do. Let me just ask you plainly, do you agree with that?

[Mike Wright]

I can buy in. Part of it I'll agree is, or I will concede is that Matt Harmon knows wide receivers. He breaks these down. I believe in his reception perception method. And when he talks about a guy beating coverage, eventually, if a player is very successful beating coverage, he's going to get the ball. And then you toss in the success of Jordan Matthews in the slot for Chip Kelly last year and the high volume of passing. The plays are going to be there. The offense will be there. Even if they have a terrible defense. Great. They have to throw the ball even more.

[Andy Holloway]

Does the quarterback situation.

[Jason Moore]

That's exactly what I was going to ask. If it's Kaepernick or it's. It's Gabbert. Does it matter to you?

[Mike Wright]

It does not matter to me.

[Andy Holloway]

It matters to me. I feel like Gabbert will be able to get him the ball better than.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I would say I prefer it to be Gabbard, but I think that even Kaepernick can get it done.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Bruce Ellington a. I think he's going in the 14th round so if you want to take a shot on him backed by Matt Harmon himself. Yeah, you can do that. So here's. Let's move on to Chris Harris.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey guys, this is Chris Harris from Harris Football. I guess fantasy MVP can mean a few different things. Like the guy who actually winds up scoring the most relative points above replacement level. I think in a standard league I would predict that's Adrian Peterson. I saw nothing in his film to indicate a slowdown last year. I'm willing to buy one more year in a PPR league. I probably say Antonio Brown, but then there's the value part of the equation. The sort of the biggest bang for your draft buck. I'll take a wild swing on another old guy, Steve Smith. No clue if he can come back from a double torn Achilles but if he's the same guy he will come at a huge discount and was still mighty good before he got hurt last year. Thanks guys.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Steve Smith, didn't he just come off the pup, did he?

[Mike Wright]

I had not seen that news. You can, you can verify that real quick.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I might be wrong.

[Mike Wright]

So and Harris is. He's. He's not fibbing here. Between week one and eight when Steve Smith had a working Achilles, he was the wide receiver 11. Here's old man Smith just putting up wide receiver one numbers. Again. The. The problem for me is of is not Steve Smith at all. It's just where you have to take him. You can, it's. It's very late but you're in the back of the 10th round. But this is right around guys like Willie Snead, Camar Aiken, Sammy Coates, guys that I, I think have huge upside in taking a flyer there and they all have functional Achilles. I look for in.

[Andy Holloway]

I think everyone would agree that if Steve Smith comes back healthy he is more valuable than those three guys you named is. Do you believe he can go back healthy?

[Jason Moore]

So the report he's not off the pup. John Harbaugh came out and said he is expected to be ready by week one. That is the report. So he'll be off the pup, expected to be ready by week one. I'm sure he'll be eased into playing. You know on coming back from the double rupture again, another low. I think it's a low cost flyer if you believe he's going to be back if the News starts trending in the right direction before then you're in good shape.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's like if Steve Smith is healthy, then he will be a monster value.

[Andy Holloway]

You got two, I mean he mentioned two people, two old people that were performing at a high level last year. And I really like his pick of Adrian Peterson. He's my number one running back this year in standard and in half point ppr. But with Steve Smith, the way he went out at 37 with a double ruptured Achilles, I'm not buying Steve Smith this year.

[Jason Moore]

All right, who's the next guy on our list?

[Mike Wright]

So the next guy. Good friend we have. We have spent many moments the late round QBM sale with JJ Zacharysson, editor in chief of Number Fire and host of Live Stream.

[Andy Holloway]

Sometimes the editor in chief of FanDuel.

[Jason Moore]

That's right. That's right. So let's, let's hear from JJ and his MVP. He's not necessarily the MVP of fantasy football, but he's a huge, huge value pick and that's Marvin Jones.

[Andy Holloway]

Players over the last three years with with better touchdowns per target rates than Marvin Jones include Rob Gronkowski, Tyler Reifert, Alan Robinson, DEZ Bryant and Julius Thomas. That's it. Those are the only players who have been better red zone threats on a per target basis. Golden Tate's not a traditional red zone threat as he scored six times last year with four of those coming on design plays from one or two yards out.

[Jason Moore]

Detroit's been one of the most pass.

[Andy Holloway]

Heavy teams with non injury prone Matthew Stafford under center, which should easily allow Jones to see well, well over 100 targets. So you have volume, you have opportunity.

[Jason Moore]

To be a deep and intermediate threat.

[Andy Holloway]

Without Calvin Johnson and you have opportunity to be a huge red zone threat. He may not be the MVP of fantasy football, but Marvin Jones is certainly.

[Jason Moore]

A huge huge bargain at wide receiver. 40. All right, well I buy in. I mean two days ago I moved Marvin Jones up in my rankings. I moved him from the mid-60s receptions to up near 80, right under 80. If Eric Ebron has prolonged problems with his ankle, I like him even more. Marvin Jones is being that red red zone threat with no Calvin Johnson going in the ninth round. Give me Marvin Jones over a lot of different guys going ahead of him in camp.

[Andy Holloway]

He received 50% of the targets the other day when from Stafford in their scrimmage against another team. That, that's a huge volume. So you know that they're developing the trust right now. I think this is a great, you know, this is why we do shows like this, right is we want to take. We haven't talked a whole lot about Marvin Jones recently. And this is another, you know, golden nugget where you can say, hey, here's another guy that presents a great value who could be good when you get in the. Could be great, could be great. And he's in that portion of the draft where it's like, ah, it's not, not a bunch of guys I just absolutely love around him.

[Jason Moore]

We brought it up earlier in the off season. Detroit, they had a very successful end of the season, but they are implementing a new system. The Jim Bob Cooter offense was not fully implemented as he took over midseason. Now it's a new offense. You don't have that built in system that Golden Tate and Matthew Stafford were working on together. You do have the rapport between them. But. But Tate is not a prototypical number one. Everybody knows that. He's a yards after catch guy. He's got great hands, he finds a way to get open when you need a big play. But Marvin Jones has at least some shoes to step into there of Calvin Johnson and Matthew Stafford has the arm strength to get the ball to him downfield and Jones can make big plays. So I love the value of Marvin Jones almost more than I do the player.

[Mike Wright]

Hey, that's fair. We talk about it. Sometimes an opportunity is greater than the player as a whole.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's go ahead. Let's go to Pat Mayo. Now when people think about the fantasy mvp, they're thinking about the highest score at whatever position. So let's say someone I love like Mike Evans, he could be the number one receiver this year. He's going to see all of his team's targets. He should positively regress from the three touchdowns he scored last season. And if Jameis takes another step, he's going to be fine. But people are taking Mike Evans in the first 15 picks. I mean he's going to be the fantasy MVP. Maybe he's your second round pick, turns out to be your first round pick. That's not the ultimate value that you want. Now obviously I don't know what's going to happen on the waiver wire all season long. There's going to be a great pickup and that person will probably be the fantasy mvp. But in drafts right now Antonio Gates is going way too late. He's going in the 11th, 12th, 13th round and what he affords you is the luxury to wait on tight end. So guys are taking Gronk and Jordan Reed and Even Delaney Walker, Ladarius Green and Kobe Fleener in all the middle rounds. What you can do is continue to build your core of receivers and running backs, pad that depth and make sure that you can have some impact guys at those positions. Because Antonio Gates, he's going to be fine and he's going to be a top five tight end. So make sure to get him on your team. Oh, yeah, yeah. I mean, I buy into that. I tried to move over the part where Pat Mayo said he positively regressed, which we had given Jason such a hard time about. The fact that you can't say positive regression.

[Mike Wright]

I stand by it.

[Andy Holloway]

You sure can.

[Mike Wright]

You sure can.

[Jason Moore]

He's got his positive regression crew now with Pat Mayo involved. Look, I said this, I brought this up on the Chris Harris show this morning when we were talking about Antonio Gates. If you look, I think I compared him to Tim Duncan. Right. People wanted to stop believing in the spurs and Tim Duncan. You're too old. You're too old. Just look at the numbers and look at the impact and look at the rapport between him and Rivers. The last 27 games played by Rob Gronkowski, Gronkowski has 21 touchdowns. The last 27 games played by Antonio Gates, he has 17. Now, that's not Gronk, but Gronk's going in the first or second and Gates is going in the middle of the 11th round. So I buy in completely. He's going to solidify teams. He's going to give you big weeks. I mean, what's not to like about Antonio gates in the 11th round?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I've been pushing, pushing old man Gates all off season. Love him.

[Jason Moore]

On. No, you have. You had him highest ranked on a per game basis.

[Mike Wright]

He was averaging five receptions a game. That puts him third for, for the tight end position. You know, he can get it done. We talked a little bit about the Stevie Johnson, the loss for San Diego where I think that. I think that bumps up in Tony Gates not a huge amount, but I think that that certainly gives him a little bit more targets, maybe some more time in the slot where he has been dominant, especially for scoring touchdowns. I just, I see no reason why, if you're, especially if you're going to wait at least a little bit on, on your tight end, wait for Antonio Gates in the middle of the 11th round is absolutely ludicrous to me.

[Jason Moore]

Anything to add, Jason?

[Mike Wright]

Positive regression.

[Andy Holloway]

Positive regression. No, we love Gates. He's a fantasy footballer favorite this year.

[Jason Moore]

Absolutely. So let's go ahead and go to another fantasy Sports Network colleague.

[Mike Wright]

I'm gonna prep everyone for this.

[Jason Moore]

What is it? It's a hot take.

[Mike Wright]

Put. Put on your flame retardant outfits. Buckle up because our good friend Nando's about to bring the fire.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Nando Defino from the Fantasy Sports Network. Bring in the fire. Hello, everybody. It's your old friend Nando Defino from the Fantasy Sports Network.

[Andy Holloway]

Yay.

[Jason Moore]

I got a Fantasy mvp. His name is Robert Griffin iii.

[Mike Wright]

And now this is like the fifth.

[Jason Moore]

Time I've recorded this and I'm almost talking myself into. Terrell Pryor is my fantasy mvp. So I actually, I would like to lobby for co fantasy MVPs. I think we'll let you know. Robert Brown III is going to have.

[Andy Holloway]

Corey Coleman, who I like. I don't want to overhype him, but I like him.

[Jason Moore]

He's gonna have Gary Barnage, who's nice and steady. He's going to have Duke Johnson catching 60 passes and he's going to have Terrell Pryor. And I think the two were tied together. The performance of Terrell Pryor made it. And let's try it.

[Andy Holloway]

I haven't brought up Josh Gordon yet.

[Jason Moore]

Who'S going to be back in Week 5, most likely, but Terrell Pryor, I think is going to catch a ton of passes, is going to be an important weapon in this offense. He can catch 800 yards, maybe six or seven touchdowns. We've seen quarterbacks turn into wide receivers before with a lot of success. I don't know why everyone's counting out Terrell Pryor. He. He was hurt. I don't think it was really an athletic issue. So that's my guy.

[Mike Wright]

RG3 and Terrell Pryor, my guys.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you for listening. I love you all.

[Andy Holloway]

Bye.

[Jason Moore]

They are all yours, Nando. They're your guys. You can pump up the Browns. What do you guys think?

[Andy Holloway]

I was on Terrell Pryor.

[Mike Wright]

You certainly were.

[Andy Holloway]

I've been on him since way long ago. I got flack from Andy over here even. Even a couple weeks ago.

[Mike Wright]

You are a brother in arms now. Are you backing down?

[Andy Holloway]

No, I'm not backing down. I still like Terrell Pryor. But if he's going to say that the Fantasy MVP is RG3, man, that's tough. That's tough. There is a world in which that happens. If RG3's knee is healthy and he is a running quarterback and he leads the league in rushing yards.

[Jason Moore]

If he leads the league in rushing yards, he's out by week four. Can't do that.

[Andy Holloway]

That's the, that's kind of the paradox of the way that he needs to play in order to perform for fantasy is a way that will not continue to hold up. And so there is a problem there. I can get behind Terrell Pryor because when Robert Griffin III goes out in week four, Josh McCown's going to bomb him. Some great passes, but I don't like.

[Jason Moore]

Him some great passes.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't like the combo with RG3. I hope, I hope I'm wrong here just because I think it would be exciting for the league to have RG3 relevant again. Just don't think it's going to happen.

[Mike Wright]

Why I can buy into this for Robert Griffin is the success that we have seen on what I would say, you know, back Griffin's rookie year, I wouldn't really consider that a great offense. What he was put into and he was producing. He. I think he was the reason that the offense was so great and he's free. If you want to take late round quarterback to the. Take it to the limit with Robert Griffin the third and he pans out for you. The rest of your team will be so loaded with depth that you, your team could be an absolute juggernaut. I mean, you could even sustain multiple injuries and still survive if you wait until Robert Griffin, who will probably sustain multiple injuries himself.

[Jason Moore]

What year is it?

[Mike Wright]

2006, 2016.

[Jason Moore]

What year is it? Robert Griffin got you excited about his play in 2012? Yeah, Robert Griffin III. I'm going to be the voice of reason here. I don't think there's any chance of Robert Griffin III is your fantasy mvp. Not only is does he have to do something he hasn't been able to do, he's been cut from the Redskins that they don't believe he can do. He's got to do it at a destination that just seems plagued with inefficient offense. With the problems of Josh Gordon with a rookie wide receiver, with a change in the whole, you know, coaching staff. Again, no way. I mean, give me 31 other quarterbacks. I mean everyone you can say if they pan out, you have lots of depth. I'm just not going to buy into the RG3. I'm happy to say Terrell Pryor is going to give you value because he's running with the twos now. He's always been an athletic.

[Andy Holloway]

He's running as.

[Jason Moore]

Sorry, I'm sorry. He's running as the number two with the ones. He's always been an athletic freak. He has great speed and the transition to wide receiver. Look, if he's, if he's there on the depth chart, fine. I'm not going to buy into Robert Griffith in third.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's our.

[Jason Moore]

You can't make me.

[Andy Holloway]

He's our consensus 27 quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, and that's too high. All right.

[Mike Wright]

27 is higher than 31 or 32.

[Jason Moore]

Consensus. Yeah, you guys are pulling them up.

[Andy Holloway]

You have him at 29.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Thank goodness. All right. Hey, we're going to give you our fantasy MVPs in just a minute. We're going to finish this out with 4 for 4 is John Paulson maybe.

[Andy Holloway]

Hi, it's Jon Paulson for 404.com I'm here to announce my fantasy MVP. I'm not sure he's going to be an MVP, but I'm always on the lookout for tight end value.

[Mike Wright]

2013, it was Jordan Cameron who emerged.

[Andy Holloway]

From the later rounds to post top five top six numbers. 2014 Travis Kelce.

[Mike Wright]

2015 Tyler Ifert was going in the.

[Andy Holloway]

Ninth or tenth round. This year I think it's Dwayne Allen's turn.

[Mike Wright]

With Kobe Fleener out of the way.

[Andy Holloway]

Allen has a tight end position to.

[Mike Wright]

Himself there in Indianapolis.

[Andy Holloway]

It's a tight end friendly offense under Rob Jaczynski. They've accounted for 21% of the targets, 20% of the yards and 31% of.

[Mike Wright]

The touchdowns over the last three years.

[Andy Holloway]

The tight end position.

[Mike Wright]

So I think that Allen will have.

[Andy Holloway]

A big role, especially in the red zone where he could catch double digit touchdowns. Jadczynski was there with Jordan Cameron's breakout year in 2013. He also coached Greg Olson, his best season to date prior to that at Carolina and he before that even in Cleveland. He was there for Kellen Winslow's Pro bowl season in 2007 when he had 82 catches for 1100 yards. So things are really setting up for nicely for Allen. He just needs to stay healthy. He's a little bit injury prone so I always back him up if I can. With Zach Miller out of Chicago who came on real strong down the stretch with Martellis Bennett sideline. So that's my fantasy mvp.

[Mike Wright]

I love it.

[Jason Moore]

You love it?

[Mike Wright]

I love it. I think that the Paulson has made a very strong argument to me with the numbers, especially referencing what Shudzinski has done for the tight end position. Dwayne Allen scored eight touchdowns in 2014 on very limited work. I don't see, I don't see a world where Dwayne Allen becomes, you know, a Huge yardage type of a guy. But if he's Tyler Ifert from last year in the 60s and he's getting you double digit touchdowns, I see that as a, as a probable thing that could happen for Dwayne Allen.

[Andy Holloway]

He's certainly a value. We've talked on this before, but it is absolute lunacy that Dwayne Allen last year, when Kobe Fleener was there was being drafted ahead of where Dwayne Allen is being drafted this year. Now that Dwayne Allen is the guy and is the only tight end target in town for a tight end heavy team, you know, his value in the draft is there and where he's going, I really like, I would be happy to take him without question.

[Jason Moore]

There's a reason why that's happening though. That's not happening. Just.

[Andy Holloway]

It's happening because Andrew Luck was injured half the year last year and we have this recency bias that says, I mean, I've said it. The Colts are all being undervalued. That's the reason Andrew Luck is being drafted behind where he was drafted last year. That's the reason Ty Hilton is being drafted behind where he was drafted last year. It's because the Colts stunk last year.

[Jason Moore]

I'll buy into part of that. That's not the only reason. He hasn't played 16 games since 2012. That's fair. He is injury prone and he did play 13 and score one touchdown last year. So there, there's a reason why, I mean he did not perform on the draft value last year. And yes, you can attribute 100% if you want to Andrew Locke being out.

[Mike Wright]

And that's fine.

[Jason Moore]

And you can. That's fine. I'm just saying there is a reason if you stack up injury prone season on injury prone season, eventually somebody like Mike will stop drafting Aaron Foster, which is ridiculous.

[Mike Wright]

I was just going to say Arian Foster.

[Jason Moore]

I just. Yeah, but his.

[Andy Holloway]

He beat you to it, Mike. Yeah, he did.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Preemptive strike.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

Hey, first, before we give you our fantasy MVPs, I want to thank every single one of those experts that contributed their fantasy MVP pick. We are going to post all their Twitter information where you can find them. We're going to put out an article with the fantasy mvp all these names so you can reference it on our website, the fantasy footballers.com but a special thanks to every single one of the experts that contributed. We really appreciate you taking the time to send us over your picks. Now it's time to get into it. We're going to give you our fantasy MVPs for 2016. Who wants to start?

[Andy Holloway]

Mike?

[Mike Wright]

I guess I do.

[Jason Moore]

I guess Mike wants to start. All right.

[Mike Wright]

This is a player who I have. I have loved. My love for him has grown and like, he was in fact my fantasy MVP back when we did our election special.

[Jason Moore]

Is there a poster of him above your bed?

[Mike Wright]

Not yet. It's in the mail. It's in the mail. And I don't say that because it's. Oh, I've had this take forever. Because we like to stay water and change our takes with new information. The funniest part about Mark Ingram, my fantasy mvp, is he's going even later than when I talked about him in March. He's going at the top of the third round. Between weeks one and 13, he was the running back four. He was a top four fantasy running back because in 12 games, he gave you almost 800 yards on the ground, six touchdowns. And it was the targets that changed everything for Mark Ingram's fantasy output. 60 targets turned into 50 catches, which, by the way, he had 464 yards after the catch in the limited were in the 12 games, which put him seventh for running backs. So that's pretty dominant. 484 yards after contact. That puts him 14th the last three years. He's just. He's been a very, very solid runner. He's on one of the best offenses in the entire league. And I think in the third value or third round, he's. He's now a value pick to me. I love starting my drafts going wide receiver. Wide receiver. If I think I can get Mark Ingram at the top of the third, that's very fair.

[Jason Moore]

That's very fair. Let me. Let's do this a little differently. Give me one reason why he isn't your mvp. Like, he could end up not being your mvp.

[Mike Wright]

Injury.

[Jason Moore]

Just injury.

[Mike Wright]

Just injury.

[Jason Moore]

So you're not worried about anything with workload?

[Mike Wright]

Nope.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. All right. That's great. When I went to Universal Studios with my wife this past summer for our anniversary, I went in that Walking Dead experience. They just added where you enter. And then, like, I guess I didn't really realize, like, I thought this was going to be a tour of, like, a set.

[Mike Wright]

And he thought he was going to the bathroom. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And so instead I'm drawn into this experience of zombies leaping out at me. I don't know where to go.

[Andy Holloway]

You are in the Walking Dead.

[Jason Moore]

It's so dark that I don't know which door is the right door. And I'm going to be Killed. I liken that experience to me picking my fantasy MVP right here ringing indoors. It as scary for me to do it. But look, at the end of the day, look, that. That should speak to the confidence, not against it. Because even though it was very scary for me to do as I was writing this down.

[Mike Wright]

You did it anyways.

[Jason Moore]

I did it anyways because I really believe it. I really believe it. My. My fantasy MVP for 2016 is Latavius Murray.

[Andy Holloway]

I love it.

[Jason Moore]

It's Latavius Murray. Latavius Murray is going at the 11th pick of the third round. 311.

[Mike Wright]

Mmm. That's. He was a beautiful disaster last year.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, well, no, he was not. But this is not about last year.

[Andy Holloway]

That was a. That was a three.

[Jason Moore]

That was a 311 reference. What? No, but he wasn't a disaster. A beautiful disaster. I don't know. Maybe that does describe him. But look, I'm not making this argument about last year when he had 266 carries over a thousand yards and six touchdowns. I'm not making it about last year when he had 616 yards after the catch was. Was fifth best in the league. I'm making it about this year. He is extremely durable. He played every game last year. He's going to do it again this year. Every report out of camp says that Latavius Murray is cruising through as that. As that RB one. And there is I guess the fear of DeAndre Washington, the fact that that Latavius Murray didn't give you the flash last year that you hoped for. It's driven his draft value down. If Latavius Murray was a second round pick right now, he's not my fantasy mvp. He's basically a fourth round pick. He's almost going in the fourth round. And now you go and you give him pro football focuses. Second best offensive line, a team that wants to run the ball. A guy who dominated when he was put in a position to run against less than eight in the box with Derek Carr and Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree and that, you know, when he was running against dime formation, he was the best in the league. I just like what Latavius Murray gives you as a literally a workhorse back. And so you talk about how you like your draft setting up with Mark ingram in the third round as your first. Look, give me Latavius as my RB2. I think he's a guaranteed RB1 this year. I really do. I think at the end of the year when the numbers pan out, he's going to be in that top 12. And so to me, at the value level, he's my fantasy mvp.

[Mike Wright]

Murray has me all mixed up.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. All right, all right.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm just happy to see you.

[Jason Moore]

The color of my energy. All right.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm just happy to see you.

[Jason Moore]

I know, I know.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, welcome.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I know. You're like Latavius Murray. Jason.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, so my fantasy mvp. I'm going to go ahead and start and say that both of your guys present better draft day values than my guy because my guy's going to have to pretty much cost you your first round pick.

[Mike Wright]

That sounds like an admission of ours are better.

[Andy Holloway]

No, incorrect. I'm actually thinking.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, no, I heard that.

[Andy Holloway]

I will go.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you, Jason.

[Andy Holloway]

And guarantee that my guy finishes ahead of your guy and he's at the exact same position. So I'm going to take mine as the. As the fantasy mvp. My guy is Lamar Miller, and the reason I wanted to make him my fantasy mvp.

[Jason Moore]

Well, because he's on your roster.

[Andy Holloway]

There are many, actually, that is part of the reason. Not because he's on my roster, but because I have made the personal decision. I had Mark Ingram on my team, Mike's fantasy mvp, and I had Lamar Miller. I had to choose who am I going to keep. I kept Lamar Miller because I believe it. And so, yeah, it's not because he's on my team that I'm doing this, but it is because I believe and I'm doing. You know, you put your money where your mouth is. And so let me give you a couple of reasons why I am confident in. I'm not confident in a lot of the starters. I'm not confident in Todd Gurley on. Especially after watching that first Hard Knocks. Goodness gracious.

[Jason Moore]

That didn't, by the way, that I thought he looked great.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, no, no, no. Todd Gurley looked great. I agree. Todd Gurley is amazing. I just think the Rams are a mess. And if we're not a Rams fan.

[Jason Moore]

Please don't watch the show after the show from yesterday. Jason may have been slightly hyperbolic, although some Rams fans have said quite accurate.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. So, all right, let me get back to Lamar Miller. Lamar Miller, last year in PPR was the number five running back. And the knock on Lamar Miller has always been not on him, but that he doesn't get the ball. He doesn't have the opportunity. And so there are questions. Right. Does he really want that? There were reports that he turned down more money elsewhere to go to Houston. Why would he do that? I watched an interview last night about Lamar Miller when he was asked that question and he said it's because of how Houston uses the running back. He is, you know, sometimes guys get paid and you go, oh, now I worry he's not going to. His whole motivation of going there was because he wanted to do something special on the field and help his team win. He has right now 12 games in his career where he has more than 15 carries. Because sometimes you go, okay, look at Andre Ellington a couple years ago, great, efficient runner and he's going to get more volume. So when he gets more volume, he's just going to be fantastic. But that didn't work out. Sometimes guys can't handle volume. And that might be your fear with Lamar Miller is he gets the volume and he's not going to do it.

[Jason Moore]

You know, that's my fear.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, let me, let me dissuade that fear. Lamar Miller, you are right, has 45 games where he has under 15 carries. In fact, in those games he's averaged 8.9 carries. That's been the knock. But he also has 12 games where he has over 15 carries. In those games he averages 18 plus carries a game. And in those games he has been phenomenal. He's averaged 15 fantasy points a game in those games, which last year would have made him the number three running back at that workload. That being said, his workload should be much higher than that.

[Jason Moore]

Do you run out of breath talking.

[Mike Wright]

About Lamar Miller running out of saliva too?

[Andy Holloway]

His workload should be higher than that. We're talking if he gets the same level of carries that Alfred Blue got, his carries will be higher, but he's going to get in between Alfred Blue and Arian Foster and then just keep in mind a couple of these things. Last year and in his career he's been playing twice a year against the New England Patriots, against the Buffalo Bills, against the jets and their great run defense now, now he's got two games a year where he's playing against the Indianapolis Colts run defense, the Jacksonville Jaguars defense, the Tennessee Titans run defense. You darn right. And so look, I believe that Lamar Miller is safe this year, but I also think his ceiling is through the roof. And so I'm a little afraid of some of these first round running backs. I don't like a lot of the first round running backs. I am confident with Lamar Miller. He is my fantasy.

[Jason Moore]

He got way more time than we got. Mike.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I was going to say.

[Jason Moore]

And his volume was progressively increasing.

[Mike Wright]

I feel like the loud volume and the length of speaking has coerced me.

[Jason Moore]

No, I love just the Kia.

[Mike Wright]

I love, I love Jason's points here. Lamar Miller is, is a guy who I am rising on even more.

[Jason Moore]

All right, all right.

[Andy Holloway]

150 more plays than the Dolphins last year.

[Jason Moore]

I have no question that he'll get more. I just want to know if he'll be efficient with it. He's never had over 200 carries. I like that he's durable. I don't think he's ever missed a game due to injury. There's, there's a lot of. Look, he's a great pick. The value part of it. We'll see if he's the number one. He's a value still where you're drafting him well, and that's if he's the number one two guy.

[Andy Holloway]

I concede he's not the best value because you got to take a first round pick. But for me, I'm risk averse. I feel like he's safe.

[Jason Moore]

I love it. And you still get the upside built in. So that does it for the Fantasy MVP episode. Thank you for tuning in. We had a lot of fun putting this one together for you. Make sure that you check out our ultimate draft kit as you get ready for these drafts coming up. It's a great way to see all of our projections and see a bunch of player profiles. We have a ton of things we're adding to that and so you can check that out@ultimate draftkit.com Again, thanks to all the extra. Yeah, keep the joker away. It's best for your health to go check the Ultimate Draft. Get out.

[Andy Holloway]

Don't forget to check out this Ken Stabler collection.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. On pristine auction.com and as always, we want to thank our studio sponsor, Fantasy Jocks. If you need a draft board, trophies, rings, those things, check them out. Fantasyjocks.com use the promo code BALLERS. Thanks for tuning in and we'll be back tomorrow. Peace.

[Mike Wright]

Goodbye.

[Andy Holloway]

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 at theffballers.