Fantasy Football Podcast 2016 - The TRUTH About Fantasy RB's in 2015, Part 2

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast 2016 - The TRUTH About Fantasy RB's in 2015, Part 2 Release Date: January 21, 2016

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Introduction

In the second installment of their deep dive into fantasy running backs for the 2015 season, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright reconvene to continue dissecting the performances and futures of various RBs. Recorded amidst the bustle of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association Conference in Dallas, the hosts set the stage for an engaging analysis filled with candid opinions and strategic insights.

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Playoff Challenge Update

[03:34] Jason Moore:
"I started the first week. I've never done this before. I punted the first week. I had almost nobody... Come in this last week, I had almost everyone on two times."

Jason shares his journey in the Playoff Challenge, highlighting a rocky start followed by a significant turnaround as his team began scoring points more consistently. Andy Holloway humorously acknowledges his own struggles, mentioning a particularly low score from the Kansas City Chiefs defense.

Notable Quote:
Andy Holloway at [05:31]:
"It's a monster week... Packers losing the quarterback for the multiplier is a tough one."

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Projections for NFC and AFC Title Games

Moving beyond player analysis, the trio shifts focus to the impending NFC and AFC title games, offering their predictions and rationale.

[05:47] Mike Wright:
"I have been a Denver to the super bowl from the AFC guy... I think the Patriots are going to beat that Denver team."

Jason Moore counters with his confidence in the Carolina Panthers, emphasizing their dominance at home and the likelihood that no team can overcome them on their turf.

Notable Quote:
Jason Moore at [06:40]:
"Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Super Bowl. That would be a good game."

Andy Holloway balances both perspectives, expressing excitement over a potential Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning showdown, regardless of the surrounding dynamics.

Notable Quote:
Andy Holloway at [07:35]:
"It's Brady versus Manning. Great television. At the end of this game, it's going to come down to whether or not Peyton Manning can hang with Tom Brady."

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Running Backs Analysis

Following the title game projections, the hosts delve back into their primary focus: analyzing running backs' performances and future prospects.

Overview of Top 10 RBs

In their previous episode, they outlined the top 10 fantasy RBs based on performance metrics. This session continues with RBs ranked 11 and beyond, providing in-depth evaluations.

Analysis of RBs Ranked 11-25

1. Danny Woodhead

[09:05] Andy Holloway:
"Danny Woodhead was the number 11. Right."

Discussion Points:

• Consistent Performance: Woodhead's ability to find the end zone emphasizes his value.
• Injury and Team Strategy: After initial success, team shifts and injuries affected his fantasy reliability.
• Future Outlook: Despite last-minute drop-offs, Woodhead remains a valuable late-round pick due to his target volume.

Notable Quote:
Andy Holloway at [10:10]:
"He pooped his pants twice. So what in the world is Danny Woodhead next year?"

2. Frank Gore

[16:37] Andy Holloway:
"Frank Gore... the worst yards per carry he's ever had in his career."

Discussion Points:

• Declining Performance: Gore's drop in yards per carry raises concerns about his future output.
• Team Dynamics: The Colts' struggles without a strong offensive system further limit Gore's potential.
• Draft Consideration: While not a top-tier pick, Gore's experience keeps him relevant in mid-round drafts.

Notable Quote:
Jason Moore at [18:53]:
"Frank Gore was never utilized that way... I didn't see a guy that couldn't run well."

3. Darren McFadden

[20:47] Mike Wright:
"Darren McFadden... he's the main running back on that team with Tony Romo and Dez Bryant."

Discussion Points:

• Workload Management: McFadden emerges as a fantasy stud upon joining Dallas, capitalizing on a strong offensive line.
• Team Strategy: Dallas' offensive decisions heavily influence McFadden's fantasy value.
• Future Projections: Assuming Dallas remains stable, McFadden's role should solidify his fantasy standing.

Notable Quote:
Mike Wright at [21:14]:
"So Darren McFadden is the guy... he was the main running back... Darren McFadden would be great."

4. Jeremy Hill

[24:34] Andy Holloway:
"Jeremy Hill, the most disappointing... 223 for 794."

Discussion Points:

• Inconsistency: Hill's fluctuating performance against top-tier defenses hampers his reliability.
• Usage Patterns: Limited pass involvement and confidence lapses contribute to his underwhelming season.
• Future Potential: Despite a disappointing year, Hill's youth and situational opportunities offer upside in subsequent seasons.

Notable Quote:
Jason Moore at [25:28]:
"If Jeremy Hill was drafted where Danny Woodhead was, we'd all be singing his praises."

5. Mark Ingram

[28:32] Andy Holloway:
"Mark Ingram, 769 yards on the ground with a good average, six touchdowns."

Discussion Points:

• Versatility: Ingram's dual-threat as a runner and receiver enhances his fantasy value, especially in PPR formats.
• Team Stability: Continuity within the Saints' offense ensures Ingram remains a reliable option.
• Performance Metrics: Consistent snap counts and responsible usage underpin his steady fantasy presence.

Notable Quote:
Mike Wright at [29:47]:
"He's a guy that... he's game flow, you know, safe."

6. Jonathan Stewart

[32:25] Andy Holloway:
"Jonathan Stewart... a guy who I am rising on for next year."

Discussion Points:

• Consistency Issues: Stewart's performance ebb and flow, combined with team injuries, affects his fantasy reliability.
• Trade Decisions: Past trades and team management decisions play a role in Stewart's current status.
• Future Prospects: Healthy Stewart on a balanced offense presents opportunities for improved fantasy output.

Notable Quote:
Jason Moore at [33:27]:
"Jonathan Stewart... got back to some sort of superstardom."

7. LaShawn McCoy

[34:00] Andy Holloway:
"LaShawn McCoy was a pleasant surprise, obviously."

Discussion Points:

• Injury Concerns: McCoy's injuries have limited his consistency, making him a risk-reward pick.
• Performance Metrics: Despite setbacks, McCoy's ability to produce when healthy keeps him in consideration.
• Team Adjustments: Buffalo's offense and potential additions like Carlos Williams impact McCoy's future role.

Notable Quote:
Mike Wright at [35:45]:
"He was very consistent. He was our sixth best, most consistent running back... that's what you're looking for."

8. DeMarco Murray

[37:18] Andy Holloway:
"DeMarco Murray... Did you want DeMarco Murray on your team this year?"

Discussion Points:

• Inconsistent Usage: Murray's fluctuating performance tied to coaching changes affects his fantasy reliability.
• Team Strategy: Potential shifts in Denver's offensive philosophy may either bolster or hinder Murray's output.
• Future Outlook: With uncertainty surrounding coaching and team dynamics, Murray remains a speculative pick.

Notable Quote:
Andy Holloway at [38:11]:
"DeMarco Murray is a running back who needs to line up like Adrian Peterson... If they build the offense around him, I can't see anything."

9. Ronnie Hillman

[42:18] Jason Moore:
"Ronnie Hillman is their guy going forward."

Discussion Points:

• Role Clarity: Hillman's ability to complement C.J. Anderson creates a balanced backfield.
• Performance Metrics: High snap counts and effective run distribution bolster Hillman's fantasy profile.
• Team Dynamics: Future offensive decisions will determine Hillman's prominence and, consequently, his fantasy value.

Notable Quote:
Andy Holloway at [43:10]:
"Ronnie Hillman gets to the edge... They’re complimentary, which means you should compliment him every once in a while."

10. Rashad Jennings

[45:36] Jason Moore:
"Rashad Jennings was completely worthless this whole year."

Discussion Points:

• Underperformance: Jennings' lackluster season amidst a crowded backfield diminishes his fantasy worth.
• Team Decisions: Buffalo's overuse of running backs dilutes Jennings' opportunities to shine.
• Future Potential: Unless Buffalo alters their offensive strategy, Jennings remains a low-value pick.

Notable Quote:
Andy Holloway at [45:36]:
"Rashad Jennings was completely worthless... can't rely on them for the vast majority of the year."

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Additional Running Backs Outside Top 25

The discussion briefly touches upon RBs like Andre Williams, James Starks, and other lesser-ranked runners, highlighting the challenges in finding reliable mid to late-round picks outside the top tiers. The hosts emphasize the importance of understanding team dynamics, coaching decisions, and player consistency when evaluating these options.

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Final Thoughts on Running Backs

Concluding their analysis, the Fantasy Footballers underscore the volatile nature of the running back position, driven by factors such as injuries, team strategy shifts, and player consistency. They advocate for a balanced drafting approach, valuing both high-upside and consistent performers to mitigate risks throughout the fantasy season.

Notable Quote:
Mike Wright at [54:00]:
"Fantasy football is, can I fail less than you."

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Conclusion

In this comprehensive exploration of fantasy running backs, the Fantasy Footballers provide nuanced evaluations of each player's 2015 performance and future prospects. Their candid discussions, supported by detailed metrics and team dynamics, offer invaluable insights for fantasy managers aiming to optimize their rosters. Whether assessing the stability of Mark Ingram or the upside of Danny Woodhead, the trio equips listeners with the knowledge to make informed drafting and trading decisions.

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Join the Conversation:
Stay updated with the latest fantasy football insights and connect with the Fantasy Footballers community by visiting joinTheFoot.com and following them on Twitter at @theffballers.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Foreign.

[Jason Moore]

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

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome to the show. It is Thursday, January 21, or so they tell me.

[Mike Wright]

I've not changed clothes.

[Andy Holloway]

It has been a long four days. Now we are, we're back again where the Fantasy Footballers. We're going to get into the second half of the running backs. We broke down the truth about running backs.

[Jason Moore]

You got to know the truth on.

[Andy Holloway]

Tuesday and so we're back again. We're going to break down some more of the in between names. These are names that I love talking about because there's more projection, conjecture, all that stuff with these names. Interesting guys to reflect on. I will say this, we are recording this show early. So if some insane breaking news happens and we don't talk about it, that's why we are out of town this week. We're at the Fantasy Fantasy Sports Trade association conference.

[Mike Wright]

So if you're there. Well, I guess if you're hearing this.

[Andy Holloway]

On Thursday, it's in Dallas.

[Mike Wright]

We are still around, so that's true.

[Andy Holloway]

Maybe come find us, I guess, I.

[Jason Moore]

Don'T know, maybe we hung out last.

[Andy Holloway]

Night, just look around in Dallas.

[Mike Wright]

It was good to see you.

[Andy Holloway]

It was good to see you. So we got that going on in the show today. If you want to check out the website, you can, it's easy. The Fantasy footballers dot com. We've got lots of good information on there. You can learn about the show, listen to the show, check out all the segments, the videos and things like that. Check us out on Twitter if you want to follow the show Twitter page, it's at the FF Ballers. But you know, if there's one of us you hate and you want to follow the other two, you can follow Mike at FF Hitman if you want.

[Mike Wright]

If you want hot takes on the new Superman commercials. Yeah. Well, to follow me on Twitter.

[Andy Holloway]

There you go, Jason ffl and I'm at Andy Holloway. We were just talking about those commercials before the show. They were so weird to me. Do you bleed you?

[Mike Wright]

You will.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, the voice, the Batman voice just gets me all the time. Right?

[Jason Moore]

Swear to me.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it just, it just always kind of gets me because. And it's normally prolific actors in the role, so you, you just kind of know what they normally sound like. So it just messes with me a little bit. But the whole marketing campaign for that movie with the. The show even know what it is? I don't know what it is. It's just.

[Mike Wright]

Well, that's what they're trying to have Some mystery.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I love that if that's the case. But if it's what they've shown me so far, I'm not sure I'm into it.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's.

[Jason Moore]

It's.

[Mike Wright]

I believe in Zack Snyder, so that's.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly a great movie. And Superman wins. I don't know.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, because Jason, Superman.

[Mike Wright]

I don't know if I've talked about this on the show. I know I talked. There's been somewhere where I've talked about it. This is not football, so I'll go real quickly, but for the. I had this thought process of, like, how can Batman possibly compete with Superman?

[Jason Moore]

Thank you.

[Mike Wright]

And. But here's what you break down. Who is Batman? Batman is super wealthy, has futuristic technology and is very smart. And those three things. Who is that? Oh, that's Lex Luthor, the Superman arch nemesis. So if. If Lex Luthor can keep up, then Batman probably can, too, in this world of craziness.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, we'll see. We'll see if the buzz.

[Mike Wright]

Batman hot takes.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Quick question of the day. I want to break down our projections, our predictions for this week. And Jason, you did want to mention some playoff challenge stuff too, didn't you?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, yeah, Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

I wanted to see how you guys were doing in the playoff challenge. I started the first week. I've never done this before. I punted the first week. I had almost nobody. I think I had two players. I was like, almost dead last in our 3,000. I think I was in the 29 hundreds because I scored no points that first week. Coming in this last week, I had almost everyone on two times. So let's see here right now, I.

[Andy Holloway]

Think, who's your high score this past week?

[Jason Moore]

This high. High score this last week was Carson Palmer had 42 points, got the two times, and I had Michael Floyd. Unfortunately, I did not have Michael Floyd on the times two because he was my Antonio Brown replacement. Thanks, Vontez. Perfect.

[Andy Holloway]

I made the mistake of changing Michael Floyd out from our Tavius Bryant moments before the game, which Bryant was fine. He had 19 points. But I would have had Floyd rolling the next week. And my high score was C.J. anderson. And he rolls into next week at three times.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

But I had a terrible week. My team is terrible, and I'm going to lose.

[Mike Wright]

Yep. I also had Floyd. I didn't even remember. I plugged him in.

[Andy Holloway]

Listen to the hot score that the Kansas City Chiefs defense got me on. 2 times 0. I got 2 times. 2 times 0.

[Jason Moore]

Way to update that roster. That's.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I wasn't going to update it. I got him on two times.

[Jason Moore]

I got 22 points from the Denver Broncos. All right, well and I got I get three times coming.

[Andy Holloway]

Well why don't I give a should give a shout out to the leader of the group of who's over 3500. It is Tin Kin 00T N K I N 00 who this past week had Aaron Rodgers, Eddie Lacy, Jonathan Stewart who had and these were all on two times. Randall Cobb, Larry Fitzgerald, Rob Gronkowski, Mason Crosby and Green Bay Packers. So that is a monster week. I think losing they're losing about five.

[Mike Wright]

Packers losing the quarterback for the multiplier is a that's a tough one.

[Andy Holloway]

So. All right, projections for our predictions more so for this week's NFC and AFC title games. Guys, who's going to win these games?

[Mike Wright]

I have been a Denver to the super bowl from the AFC guy. New information got to go with the Patriots. Denver does not look like their offense can get it done. And if the if the you're changing.

[Andy Holloway]

From Broncos Seattle, you're not going with Seattle anymore.

[Mike Wright]

I am also pulling Seattle. But I say like I have Denver. So like I could just say I'm sticking with my pick but I think that the Patriots are going to beat that Denver team.

[Andy Holloway]

There you go.

[Mike Wright]

And nfc. Sorry, I'm going with the Cardinals. Hashtag sorry, not sorry.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, Jason, you had the Patriots and the Panthers before the playoffs begin.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, they're still alive and I'm going to stick with them. As much as it pains me to pick Carolina, trust me, I know. But the truth is I don't think, I don't think any team is going to beat Carolina in Carolina. They're too good.

[Mike Wright]

They're good.

[Andy Holloway]

And what about second half Carolina though? Could they get the second half team to play in the first half?

[Jason Moore]

Then they could definitely win.

[Andy Holloway]

That'd be sweet.

[Jason Moore]

And I don't see the Patriots slowing down. I'm actually really, if that happens, I will be heartbroken for a little while that the Cardinals didn't get there. However, I'd be really excited to watch that. Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Super Bowl. That would be a good game.

[Andy Holloway]

So before the playoffs began, I had the Broncos and Cardinals in the super bowl. So both are still alive and I'm going to go ahead and take both this week. I think that New England, they, they're great. If this game was at home, I wouldn't even think about it. The fact it's in Denver, the fact that the Denver defense can make opportunistic plays. You know, I'm going to give him a shot. It's going to have to be. And it's just amazing that we get to watch Brady and Manning again. It's just an incredible thing. I don't care what the dynamics are of how these guys play. We get to play it. You get to watch them again.

[Jason Moore]

It is still Brady Manning. I'm with you in name. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is Brady versus Manning. Great television. And at the end of this game, it's going to come down to whether or not Peyton Manning, the Peyton Manning can hang with Tom Brady. It's still going to be that kind of drama. It's going to be grimy.

[Andy Holloway]

So I will say that I know how to beat Carolina, so I'm going to give Bruce Arians a call.

[Jason Moore]

Great.

[Andy Holloway]

I know how to beat him. You stop. You stop the run on first down. That is what I believe. I believe if you stop the run. They struggled without Jonathan Stewart and they struggled in the second half when they couldn't run the ball. I think you have to stop the run. That's my prediction.

[Mike Wright]

Jonathan Stewart tweaked his foot.

[Andy Holloway]

I noticed him limping off. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

So.

[Andy Holloway]

So for. Not that I'm excited about that. As a Cardinal fan, I would. I just want a straight up victory. All right, let's. Let's move on to. Let's get back into the running backs.

[Jason Moore]

Let's do it. You want answers?

[Mike Wright]

I think I'm entitled.

[Jason Moore]

You want answers?

[Andy Holloway]

I want the truth. You can't handle the trut. All right. On Tuesday, we got into the top 10 guys. Devontae Freeman, Adrian Peterson, Doug Martin, D Will, Todd Gurley, Lamar Miller, David Johnson, Chris Ivory, Matt14, Latavius Murray. So those were the top 10 finishers. And you can go back and listen to that show if you want to hear us break down what we think about them for next year. But we're going to move on now and we're going to get through as many as we can.

[Mike Wright]

I'm very excited and we're going to.

[Andy Holloway]

Talk right off the bat for number 11, Mighty Mouse himself, Danny Woodhead. Danny Woodhead was the number 11. Right.

[Jason Moore]

I got a question for you in Standard.

[Andy Holloway]

Say what?

[Jason Moore]

Say what in Standard. No, don't change it.

[Mike Wright]

I already knew what it was. I just wanted to confirm.

[Jason Moore]

What is he in ppr, like four or something?

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

If I remember right, he was number.

[Jason Moore]

Three according to fantasydata.com number three, Dan. Danny Woodhead was the third best run here's who he was better than Doug Martin, Lamar Miller, D'Angelo Williams, Matt Forte, Todd Gurley, David Johnson, all those guys.

[Andy Holloway]

I bet he was better than everyone but two.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, you are correct.

[Andy Holloway]

That is insane. And he's a perfect example of why I think Mike likes Bilal Pal and those type of guys, because they just find a way.

[Mike Wright]

And.

[Andy Holloway]

And you know what? When you win with Danny Woodhead, it's such a slap in the face to your opponent. They go, danny would have beat me this week.

[Mike Wright]

Again, it's. It might be tooting, but I drafted Danny Woodhead everywhere this year and I drafted him in the ninth round, eighth round. It was glorious until the middle of the season when it kind of fell apart.

[Andy Holloway]

I was gonna say it's really a tale of two seasons for Danny Woodhead.

[Mike Wright]

Three.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Really, truly a tale of one.

[Andy Holloway]

You're counting that one game as a third?

[Jason Moore]

No, he finished the last three games of the year. He was still great. Had double digits in each of those games, 35 in that one.

[Mike Wright]

Crazy Gordon went out and they had to stop their Melvin Gordon experiments.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, clearly the number for Danny Woodhead that we need to pay attention to is 107 targets. It's not 97 carries. He's averaged 3.5 a carry, only three touchdowns on the ground, but, you know, 107 targets, six touchdowns through the passing game. He was the 14th most consistent player. And when we talk about consistency, we're talking about three numbers. How many times do they finish in the top 25? He did that eight times. How many times did he finish in the top five? Twice? And then how many times did he not really give you a performance that would have been better than anybody on the waiver wire? And that was two times. So he pooped his pants twice. So what in the world is Danny Woodhead next year?

[Mike Wright]

It's a very, very good question.

[Andy Holloway]

And I will put insurance salesman as an option.

[Mike Wright]

What was Ken Wizen Hunt so disrespectful.

[Andy Holloway]

To a really good player?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, Ken Wizen Hunt was there for Danny Woodhead's two years ago. Yeah, I believe that. I believe that because with last year.

[Mike Wright]

Danny Woodhead had the broken leg. I can't recall if the year before that it was Ken Wizen Hunt, when Danny Woodhead was awesome as well. For fantasy, I believe it was. I'm going to look it up. I'll look it up, you guys.

[Jason Moore]

So here's what Danny Woodhead season was, and this is looking forward. What we've got to kind of keep in mind so he was one of our favorite sleepers for the fantasy footballers coming into the season because we knew he's a great pass catching back, the opportunity would be there. And he started off great. I mean, week after week after week, he was reliable. In the first nine weeks, there were only two games under double digits. He was utilized in the, in the team when they were healthy. But then something strange happened. They go to their bye week and when they came back from their bye week, they decided, we are not going to use Danny Woodhead in any way, shape or form the same fashion that we had been using. We are going to focus on Melvin.

[Andy Holloway]

Gordon, which makes perfect, perfect sense for.

[Mike Wright]

Real life NFL, because their bye week.

[Andy Holloway]

Was a good bye week. I mean, it was like a farewell to the playoffs and I'm going to, we're going to change the transition of the direction.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, it was a goodbye week and they were done. So they had to check out what they have in Melvin Gordon. And so for the next month, those four games following that bye, he had no weeks in double digits. In fact, three of the four weeks, he had less than five points. So he was worthless. Then Melvin Gordon gets injured, goes out, and he comes back to kind of superstardom. So he is a really hard guy to really wrap your hands around. Because on one hand, I want to say, look, they decided to go away from him. They didn't use him towards the end of the year. It took injuries to every offensive weapon to get Daniel Woodhead back on the field. But then I think, well, really, when they were not playing for, let's look at the future. And they were starting the year, he was an integral part of that game on passing downs and why wouldn't he be this next year?

[Andy Holloway]

So it's really two really good questions for you guys. Great to put this in perspective, the first one is, and I want you to think about it, don't just react, because I know he finished number 11. Would you have wanted Danny Woodhead on your team this year? That's question number one. And number two, do you want him on your team next year number one?

[Mike Wright]

Yes, because he was great for me when I used him.

[Andy Holloway]

Didn't fantasy owners then put, look, I was waiting for the shoe to drop on him. So were you. You traded him for C.J. anderson in the middle of the season. Because we were waiting for the shoe to drop. Well, so the question is, if you were an owner that counted on him, he didn't deliver when you needed him to. So that's why I asked the question.

[Mike Wright]

When I traded Woodhead. That was because I was trading for the upside of what I thought could be C.J. anderson. It wasn't necessarily that I thought Woodhead would be bad.

[Andy Holloway]

What's the upside of a guy who at that time was probably number three in the league? I mean, you gave up on Danny Woodhead.

[Mike Wright]

I didn't give up on him. I traded him for what I thought C.J. anderson would. I didn't think Danny Woodhead was a top.

[Andy Holloway]

You certainly thought he was going to drop off. Otherwise. You don't trade a guy who was top three. Right.

[Mike Wright]

I thought C.J. anderson would be better. It wasn't that I had a problem with Danny Woodhead. Do I want him on my team next year? Absolutely. He's going to be a guy you can draft super late ninth round again, and the potential is there. It may not work out next year. So I looked it up. Ken Wizen Hunt was there in 2013. That was the. That was the good.

[Andy Holloway]

Danny woodhead, he had six receiving touchdowns again that year. He had 400 something yards.

[Mike Wright]

So for that kind of potential, a guy you're drafting in the ninth round.

[Andy Holloway]

So it's val. I mean, every time it's impossible to argue the value of it. But Jason, answer those two questions.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I have to say, you know, not being reactionary and actually thinking if I was an owner, I would still have wanted him on my team. It is because of the value. Because where I got him, he was going to be 9th, 10th, even later this previous year where we drafted him. You could get him very, very late this coming year. I expect you're going to get him super late again. You know, eighth, ninth round is where you're going to get a guy who really, we know there's been his last two healthy years, he has been a RB one. So you've got to have. You've got to not sour on him too much. And honestly, it's good news for next year that he had that stretch after the buy where they were trying to see what they had in Melvin Gordon because his value is going to drop in this year's draft again.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, the next two guys on our list are Frank Gore and Darren McFadden. Now, the things that stick out to me, we'll talk about both guys. But Darren McFadden was the actual number five most consistent running back this year. Okay. He had 11 top 25 performance.

[Mike Wright]

Top five.

[Andy Holloway]

It says fifth, fifth most consistent. Darren McFadden right there.

[Mike Wright]

Consistent.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, I was 11. I thought we were 11 top 25 performances. He had one top five and he had one dud game. Now Gore was the 15th most consistent right around where he finished. I will wait to get into McFadden, but I don't know how much that speaks about McFadden and how much that speaks about, hey, the consistency level of a Dallas running back is going to be blank. It's going to be right in this zone. But Frank Gore, 260 for 967 and 6, by far the worst yards per carry he's ever had in his career. 58 targets. Another guy that's hard to analyze because of age mixed with the offense. Losing Andrew Luck. There's not a lot that I project forward Frank Gore in terms of success next year. Doesn't mean I wouldn't draft him. It just means that the guy is getting older. He showed all the signs of getting older this year. He showed injury. What you know, Pagano beat up from the feet up. You know. What are your guys thoughts on Frank Gore? This is a guy who really didn't take advantage of good matchups or anything like that.

[Mike Wright]

He finished 12, so he's a guy that I would still draft. He's not going to be banished next year. It's in the middle rounds. I'm fine taking him. The Colts will have to address the the running back position if that's bringing back Bradshaw. What was Bradshaw's injury? I don't even remember what happened this year because he gets hurt every single year.

[Jason Moore]

I thought he broke a boner.

[Mike Wright]

He probably did. But they have to do something.

[Jason Moore]

No, they don't because they have Ryan Grigson as the general manager. Still, they are bringing him back so they do not need to address the running back position.

[Mike Wright]

Coming to the Indianapolis Colts in the first round, another wide receiver.

[Andy Holloway]

No. I hear T. Rich can be signed.

[Mike Wright]

He's a free agent.

[Jason Moore]

That's true. You know, Frank Gore had a bad hand dealt to him this year. You talk about the fact that he had his worst production and I was a Frank Gore owner in our league of record the entire year. Had him pretty much from week two on and watched his games and I still saw Juice. I didn't see a guy that couldn't run well. He bursted off some good runs when he needed to. He had a couple just absurd fumbles on the goal line that were.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, that was weird.

[Jason Moore]

You take those bizarro like I'm just throwing the ball away moments out and I think our view of him turns out better than he was already an RB one. But with Andrew Luck going Out and all their quarterback woes and their offensive line woes. I don't think you could have expected more from Frank Gore this year. And so his average draft position should fall pretty dramatically. Pretty dramatically this year. He's a year older and people were scared of him already because of age. He was beat up. And so, yeah, I think he's going to fall too far. He's going to be a guy that's going to be on a lot of my teams next year, depending on what they do at running back.

[Andy Holloway]

The Colts, 24th in the league in points, 28th in yards, 22nd in passing yards, 29th in rushing yards. This was not an offense that could move the ball without Andrew Luck. And he was an army one point. Here's the difference between him and, like, Latavius Murray. Right. Because you could make similar arguments for them. Six touchdowns on the ground. It's very low for the guy who gets all the carries. The only thing that will be thrown out there, which has been thrown out there for far too long, maybe. But again, you can't not throw it out there. Every year he gets older. Yeah, he'll be 33.

[Jason Moore]

So that's.

[Andy Holloway]

And they showed from the beginning of the year, if they had the ability to use somebody else. They tried to use Josh Robinson before they cut him, but they took load off of Gore. I don't see any reason why they would with Andrew Luck coming back, give Gore more of a workload. So there will always be that.

[Jason Moore]

There will be a limited ceiling, I think, for Frank Gore, but if he drops, you know, to where he's being, you know, the 25th, 28th running back taken, I mean, I'm going to do a backflip. I'd love to have him.

[Andy Holloway]

Sure, that makes sense. So Darren McFadden. Mike, I know he's your favorite player in the league, so tell me everything about Darren McFadden.

[Mike Wright]

Darren McFadden, workload and targets. He had 53 targets. And we just. We've seen that the Dallas offensive, he.

[Andy Holloway]

Really averaged 4.6 a carry this year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he was good.

[Andy Holloway]

Wow. He really was.

[Mike Wright]

He was good. And the Dallas offensive line absolutely plays a part in that. I mean, we saw them make Joseph Randall at the beginning of the year look halfway decent. And last three games of the year.

[Andy Holloway]

For McFadden, 6.2 carry, 5.9 a carry, 7.7 a carry.

[Mike Wright]

That's ridiculous, man.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, like, he did look like he. You maintained, you know, so juice all.

[Mike Wright]

Year, let's say, moving forward, 28. Darren McFadden is the guy on. He's the main running back on that team with Tony Romo, with Dez Bryant. Dude, give me Darren McFadden.

[Andy Holloway]

Sure.

[Mike Wright]

I, we. The Dallas running back was one of the biggest topics of conversation this offseason because we just, everyone assumed that they would do something in the draft and they, they picked up Darren McFadden off the free agent scrap pile and they turned him into a fantasy stud. So you, you fix the equation of the offense. They already have a pretty decent defense. I mean, Darren McFadden would be great.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I don't see, I don't see them addressing the running back position in any major way. There's going to be. Every time you talk about a free agent running back, the question is going to be, is he going to go to Dallas? When you talk about a rookie running back, it's going to be, is Dallas going to grab him because of that offensive line and the ability? But Jerry Jones doesn't need to address the running back position because they have, they have a guy who proved, I mean, it wasn't a short stint, you know, their week, their buy was in week six. And from that buy on, he was the guy. And he only had two games under 10 fantasy points, and those were nines.

[Andy Holloway]

It's just one of those things. Jerry Jones and the word need don't often mix together. So it's one of those things where I would not be surprised, I don't necessarily disagree with you, but I would not be surprised if they took a running back high because they believe they want to. Maxim. There's a difference between being looking at the numbers. Well, you know, Darren McFadden did really well. Are we maximizing this ultra offensive line potential or not?

[Jason Moore]

Right, right. I just see the pride.

[Andy Holloway]

Derek Henry, number four, Dallas. I'm not putting that. Just throwing it out there. It could happen.

[Mike Wright]

He likes the names maybe, but Dallas, the last couple years has actually been smart. In their draft, we, the chips were all lining up for Johnny Manziel to be drafted in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys. And Jerry Jones was able to hold.

[Andy Holloway]

He said he wanted him, though.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. You know, he wanted to draft Manziel.

[Jason Moore]

He can get him this.

[Mike Wright]

But my point is that he actually, he made the right football decision and he's been making the right football decision.

[Andy Holloway]

But the right football decision might be to get the best running back you can get for that offensive line.

[Jason Moore]

I don't see Darren McFadden holding up the through another season at 29. Getting someone else in there is a good football decision, but the pride of.

[Andy Holloway]

They'Re going to be a good team next year.

[Jason Moore]

So the question.

[Andy Holloway]

Their defense was really good.

[Jason Moore]

The only analysis we can do on Darren McFadden is a hypothetical wait and see. Yeah. Yes. But if he's back as the lead guy and they've done pretty much nothing, they brought in a backup.

[Andy Holloway]

He's the perfect running back to draft. When you decide you want to go wide receiver early because he's. His consistency level was so high.

[Jason Moore]

Think you're going to be able to. He would.

[Mike Wright]

He will be.

[Andy Holloway]

Will not be a first round pick.

[Mike Wright]

No, no, no.

[Andy Holloway]

He's somebody who. You could go wide receiver early and get back in the third round.

[Mike Wright]

I would say he'll be back of a second. Top of the third to me. That's right.

[Andy Holloway]

Status quo.

[Jason Moore]

Status quo. Change. It doesn't change. I think he might be first.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

Why? I mean, he doesn't even finish. He's not even a top 12 back. He's a 13th back.

[Mike Wright]

Well, he wasn't a featured back.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, the first.

[Andy Holloway]

You can't be a first round pick.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, no. I mean, okay. Second round is probably more realistic, but I think people are going to be really high if it stays status quo.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. Jeremy hill is number 14 on the list. Oh, Jeremy Hill, you were voted. You were given a footy for the most disappointing player, the most disappointing season. The footy award winner, Jeremy Hill, 223 for 794. And that was the problem. He got the same amount of carries as last year, which by the way, we thought would go up. He only averaged 3.6 a carry. He looked like a guy who lost confidence at multiple points in the season, barely caught anything through the passing game and he was the 18th most consistent running back. But he pooped your team on several important weeks. That was the problem. Yes, look, he finished 14. That's the silver lining is, hey, he ended up here.

[Mike Wright]

11 touchdowns will do that.

[Andy Holloway]

If Jeremy Hill was drafted where Danny Woodhead was, we'd all be singing his praises. But he wasn't drafted there.

[Mike Wright]

That's very valid. I feel like I want all of my analysis of Jeremy Hill right now to simply be fart sounds with my mouth because I was that disappointed with Jeremy Hill now speaking to him. Moving forward next year, I'll probably be back on the Jeremy Hill train. You won't. At least won't have to pay up as early to draft him. If you just watching the tape, you can see that it's it's still there. The, the mojo that he had. But for a large part of the year he's doing these shimmies and these salsa dances in the backfield instead of just saying one read, I will plant and I will go like he was doing in his rookie year. You plant and go, if it's there, it's there. If it's not, it's not. And he wasn't, he was not happy with that. He was going Chris Johnson from the Titans, if you remember that. Whereas it was all or nothing for Chris Johnson. That's basically the mentality that Jeremy Hill was going with.

[Andy Holloway]

He also didn't play well against top 16 defenses. He had nine points a game against them compared to 13 against bottom teams, which makes a lot of sense. He's kind of the run out the clock guy for that team. And Gio Bernard had a good year. He had a good start to the year and really changed their perspective on who they were going to use on the year.

[Jason Moore]

Gio Bernard actually led the running backs in snaps. He had 55%. Jeremy Hill only had 43% of the snaps. Last four weeks of the season. Jeremy Hill ended up with. It's basically a complete swap. It's Jeremy Hill had 56% of the snaps and Geo had 41%. Now, we don't know how much of that is the fact that, you know, Andy Dalton was, was gone. And so they were more of a running team versus a passing team. And the. And cold weather games now became a factor. But I think we're going to see essentially a lot more of what we saw this year, next year from them where it's going to be near a 50, 50 split on carries, on at least on snaps, if not carries. And so where Jeremy Hill is going to be drafted next year, assuming it's much lower than where he was drafted this year, I'm okay.

[Andy Holloway]

There's plenty of good checkboxes by Jeremy Hill. He's young, he's on a good offense, he's on a good team. He's shown the ability to do it.

[Jason Moore]

He's the touchdown guy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it just. What it should show is, should be a cautionary tale in taking a guy's first year, projecting it forward to infinite glory and then seeing what happens. I mean, this was before the season. Is he the next Marshawn Lynch? No, not yet.

[Mike Wright]

Have we confirmed that Giovanni Bernard is still alive? No, after that.

[Jason Moore]

Well, remember he got up and was running. He ran back to the.

[Andy Holloway]

I forgot that hit was bad. All right. Mark Ingram is number 15 on the list. He's a guy who has question marks because look, he wouldn't have been 15 if he hadn't gotten hurt. So I mean, he had 12 games played. He was really good.

[Mike Wright]

12 games.

[Andy Holloway]

And number 15, sure, that's 769 yards on the ground with a good average, six touchdowns. And here's the difference maker, because we didn't expect it. You saw Spiller come into the offense, you thought, look, I love Mark Ingram next year, let me put it that way, because he had 50 catches.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

In 12 games, 50 catches.

[Jason Moore]

Mark Ingram was never utilized that way. And when you look at the snap counts as to how the team used Mark Ingram, he was on the field 70 plus percent of the time, which is incredible for Mark Ingram, a guy who, you know, they used three backs and they used three backs on the year. They used three backs even when Ingram was out there. You don't think that mark Ingram got 70 plus percent of snaps. And he did. And when he went down and Hightower came back in, it was more like 50%. It wasn't, you know, even though Hightower had a great game, they love Ingram and I was a little worried because of all the possibilities of Drew Brees having to leave because of money, Sean Payton being traded. But it looks like there's going to be continuity coming back next year. Mark Ingram looked really, really good, very reliable. And because he's catching the ball, he's game flow, you know, safe.

[Andy Holloway]

Love Mark Ingram. Love him.

[Mike Wright]

What I like about Mark Ingram, let me read you what he was averaging. So against top 16 run defenses, he was only averaging 48 yards on the ground. Against bottom, 16, 80 yards on the ground. There's a big difference right there. However, against top 16 rushing defenses, he would average 44 receiving yards as opposed to 24 receiving yards against bottom. So they didn't care. The Saints were going to get Mark Ingram the ball. He was going to give them production and he was essentially even across the board. His fantasy points are concerned because he would split the difference with receiving yards. So he's just, I like marking him a lot next year.

[Andy Holloway]

The proofs in the pudding, the fourth highest consistency ranking, despite missing those games, finishing number 15 overall. That's the number you need to pay attention to. You put them in your lineup and that's what you do. You leave him in there.

[Jason Moore]

Yep.

[Andy Holloway]

Because. And he, he still, he showed me everything we needed to see this year.

[Jason Moore]

All purpose yards. He basically got 100 yards a game. And then he was also a touchdown option so I'd rather have.

[Andy Holloway]

So let me ask you this. Mark Ingram or Doug Martin?

[Jason Moore]

Doug Martin. Because as. As an. As a number one, it depends on where you're going to have to take him. But I want high potential from my number one. For me, my number two, if I can have Mark Ingram as an rbp.

[Andy Holloway]

And those guys were back to back in consistency ranking. And there's no reason why.

[Mike Wright]

A factor of this to me is Kyrie Robinson. Kyrie Robinson was the kind of the backup for Mark Ingram until he got hurt. He had a pretty devastating leg injury and he's a free agent.

[Andy Holloway]

He won't be back.

[Mike Wright]

That's my. The question is Kyrie Robinson was a touchdown vulture. If the backup is Hightower, I don't think there'll be as much touchdown vulturing going on. I think it'll be Ingram.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know. I think they. Teams just do that. You know what I mean?

[Mike Wright]

But they were doing it frequently with Kyrie Robinson where I believe that they would roll more with. With Ingram. To me, that. That's how I see it. So if Kyrie Robinson is gone, and I have to look at that question.

[Andy Holloway]

He did Vulture 4. He vultured four touchdowns.

[Mike Wright]

If it's Mark. Mark Ingram versus Doug Martin and Robinson is gone, it's Mark Ingram for me.

[Andy Holloway]

Mark Ingram, David Johnson, assuming David Johnson is. And obviously you're locked into this decision for the rest of the offset, you don't get any options to change your mind.

[Jason Moore]

I'd probably David Johnson.

[Mike Wright]

If Chris Johnson's gone, as I suspect he would.

[Jason Moore]

I would.

[Andy Holloway]

There are a lot of leagues drafting this week for 2016.

[Mike Wright]

That's. That's tough. Those guys will be very close for me.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Number 16 is Jonathan Stewart. Stewart 17 is Lashawn McCoy. So we'll talk about him. Jonathan Stewart's a guy who I am rising on for next year. Yeah, I really am. He's a great player. He was. He was mostly healthy this year. He let you down when you needed a most, which was getting hurt during the playoffs. I think he would have played had it not been their situation in the standings. You know, that being said, he was very consistent when he was healthy. Well, I guess not that consistent. We have him at 22.

[Mike Wright]

Well, if you remember that, that's not.

[Andy Holloway]

Very far from where he.

[Mike Wright]

The beginning of the year was pretty rough.

[Andy Holloway]

Jason and I made that trade and I felt like an idiot.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah. It was a straight up trade. Frank Gore for Jonathan Stewart.

[Mike Wright]

I got Frank Gore cutting Jonathan Stewart.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Because he was disappointing at the beginning of the year.

[Jason Moore]

Well, he'd get you, you know, 40, 50, maybe 60 yards. No touchdowns. It seemed like he was never going to be used as a touchdown guy. Cam was basically the vulture there. But that was what really turned around for Jonathan Stewart. He started getting, getting in the end zone a little bit more.

[Andy Holloway]

Straight weeks of 20 or more carries. That's, you know, hello, be my running back.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you want that opportunity on a high powered offense, which the Panthers offense should be better next year. To me, they're.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no, I'm not, I'm not doubting that. What I'm saying is that he really is more of a standard league play. To me though, because Stewart is a guy who in his career used to get passing yards.

[Jason Moore]

He can, he can do it.

[Andy Holloway]

But he got 16 receptions. That's higher season. I mean, he was a 47 reception guy in 2011. They don't, they haven't used him like that in four years. So for me, he is a, a guy that I'd put in the, you know, if Ivory's back and Stewart's back, they're in the same boat for me. Both of them aren't going to catch many passes. Both of them are going to have guys that switch. I mean, Artist Payne seems like a talented enough back to take some snaps away from Stewart. I'm okay with Stewart. I like the offense.

[Mike Wright]

I like Stewart a lot.

[Andy Holloway]

He was somebody who was very consistent no matter who he played. Top 16, bottom 16. And you always like a running back. Look at Alfred Morris when he had RG3 running the read option. You love running backs with the read option because you get opportunities to break off big plays when the defense guesses wrong.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's true. LaShawn McCoy, the next guy, to me was a pleasant surprise, obviously.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, surprise me.

[Jason Moore]

No, I know you. You were very high on him. I think you pegged him very well. Obviously the injuries were a burden for fantasy owners. Very annoying. You know, every time that you thought you'd just be able to rely on him and roll through, it was like, oh, now he's, now he's out. But he still played 13 games. So it wasn't, it was just bad timing on the injuries and a little bit beat up. But he was, he was very consistent. He was our sixth best, most consistent running back, even though he was the 17th overall back and missed three games. That's what you're looking for when you have to spend a high pick to get a running back. And sometimes you didn't have to spend a super high pick for Lashawn McCoy this year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he did. He did drop. He wasn't a guy. I was super high on this show. I still, he was still a running back one for me. But it did appear the. The guy had been touching the ball over 300 times a year in, in Philadelphia. Maybe that caught up with him a little bit with the injuries this year. And the Bills offensive line was better. He. I'm with Jason. He was. I, I was very pleased to see Shady McCoy back getting. And he looked like the old Shady, so to speak where. When he was actually on the field. But he was, he was elusive, he was fast and he did his damage to the outside. It wasn't really grinded up the middle. The question for LeSean McCoy is I know he's the, the, the main guy in Buffalo next year, but you have to imagine that Carlos Williams will get. Will be involved next year and more. More so than he was this year, in my opinion.

[Andy Holloway]

And now we're getting to the point too where we talk about these running backs and you get into these names where you're like, oh wow, he finished there. Oh wow, he. And that tells you why we draft running backs high. You draft running backs high because there really are only a certain amount of guys who, you know, look, the next three names on the list are DeMarco Murray, Ronnie Hillman and Rashad Jennings. Okay. So these aren't guys that you wanted to run out there every week. Which is why when you get a guy like a Mark Ingram.

[Jason Moore]

Wow.

[Andy Holloway]

The value. The value of that is so high. So talk to me about. I mean, DeMarco Murray ended 18.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Did you want DeMarco Murray on your team this year?

[Jason Moore]

No, no.

[Mike Wright]

At the beginning of the year. Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

In a hypothetical world.

[Mike Wright]

And he started off terrible. He came back in the middle of the year and was. Was good. There was a stretch run where DeMarco Murray was very good for fantasy. It fell apart very quickly with clearly the. There was a problem between him and Chip Kelly. I don't know if it was play.

[Andy Holloway]

Call Chip on his shoulder.

[Mike Wright]

Sure. Like I don't know what the problem.

[Andy Holloway]

Was holding him down.

[Mike Wright]

But demarco Murray came out on top because Chip Kelly is gone. So what do we see for Murray next year?

[Andy Holloway]

Upside.

[Mike Wright]

You see the upside? I do because it's.

[Andy Holloway]

I see workload.

[Mike Wright]

He, he. He can't do it to the edge.

[Andy Holloway]

No, he can't.

[Mike Wright]

He can do it up the middle, but, but listen, he just doesn't have the speed to do it.

[Andy Holloway]

DeMarco Murray is a running back who needs to line up like Adrian Peterson lines up, which is like six or seven yards off the line of scrimmage. Not taking shotgun handoffs and trying to get the burst. That's what it was to me. If they're gonna build the offense around him now, which, hey, Doug Peterson, you know, coming over. If they build the offense around DeMarco Murray and he has something left in the tank, I can't see anything. I think it's a good situation for him.

[Mike Wright]

It has to be better because you.

[Andy Holloway]

Need to get a guy under center and you need to hand him the ball off and block. Outside of this Chip Kelly offense, I think he just wasn't a fit. And so now we'll find out if, if he's just done or if they build around him and there's question marks around him. There's. I'll be thinking long and hard about DeMarco Murray.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, this is, this is a guy that we need some more time in the off season to see what's happening with, you know, the, the rest of the coaching staff changes there. I mean, even going all the way into preseason, it's going to take a lot for me to be able to trust DeMarco Murray because of how many question marks are there. You still have Ryan Matthews behind him, who had a great year, surprisingly injury prone in a backup role. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And saw that come out again.

[Jason Moore]

So DeMarco Murray is a guy I'm not excited to have on my team. I don't know that the risk is worth that reward for next year. You know, there's.

[Andy Holloway]

That all depends on draft position.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

Is what you're saying. I mean, because the upside of DeMarco Murray. We've seen it.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

We saw it behind the Dallas offensive line.

[Andy Holloway]

Did you just like softly say. Yeah. When he had a career, you know, like a record breaking season. Let me go back. Let me just remind you.

[Mike Wright]

No, it wasn't that. It was just. It's now what. What have you done for me lately? And DeMarco Murray looked. Looked like a worst running back.

[Andy Holloway]

He's 27 years old. He's coming off a season that obviously he broke the bank over. But 1800 yards on the ground, he can catch the ball out of the backfield, which is something Peterson has done. Doug Peterson has done very efficiently with Jamal Charles in the formation of the offense. I just, I see a lot of.

[Mike Wright]

But there's a guy on the team who's better at doing that when he.

[Andy Holloway]

Can stay Healthy sometimes. I don't think he's better. I don't think he's.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, absolutely.

[Andy Holloway]

I do not think he is better.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. Ryan Matthews.

[Andy Holloway]

Better at what?

[Mike Wright]

At catching the ball.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't think so.

[Jason Moore]

I think. I think both.

[Andy Holloway]

This is. I mean, DeMarco Murray is a guy who's 50 plus reception type of guy in his career and done well with it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, they're both equally good at catching the ball. The best pass catcher there is, actually Darren Sprols, who. We don't know how he'll be used coming in, but what we've seen with Jamal Charles going down and kind of not knowing whether Kendrick west and where they've got good options, multiple good options, and they're using both and hurting both fantasy value. I'm not going to be able to go into next year thinking DeMarco Murray's the guy. I think it's going to be, you know, a similar thing where maybe he leads the way in splits in, you know, carries, but he's not going to be a bell cow type of player. I just don't see that happening next year.

[Andy Holloway]

Even with the $13 million cap hit.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, even though he walked the guy off of the.

[Jason Moore]

All the more reason. I don't think he walked them off. I think Chip Kelly walked himself right out of the job.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I certainly know the ownership wanted to use demarco more.

[Jason Moore]

I can be pretty confident that I will be lower on demarco Murray than you will.

[Andy Holloway]

And it sounds like I'll be much higher. Yeah. Ronnie Hillman's number 19. A guy that I'd love to hear Mike speak. See Mike, even before I could get to it. A guy that Mike won't give respect to because somehow he thinks that C.J. anderson, at 4.2 a carry, he played very well. The team thinks highly of him. You saw it on the field yesterday. He got so many more reps before CB Anderson did, and he played well.

[Jason Moore]

Yesterday's game was. When I was watching that, I was thinking, you know, I need to make a note that Ronnie Hillman is really, you know what? He's their guy going forward.

[Mike Wright]

Sure. He's. I want an apology with that.

[Andy Holloway]

I want an apology from you.

[Jason Moore]

For what?

[Andy Holloway]

For Ronnie Hillman.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

No. Did you watch the game yesterday?

[Andy Holloway]

C.J. anderson.

[Mike Wright]

Who was the better running back yesterday?

[Andy Holloway]

It's debatable.

[Mike Wright]

No, it is not. Who was the better running back yesterday?

[Andy Holloway]

He will not do it.

[Jason Moore]

No, you're not getting an apology.

[Mike Wright]

You can cut the music because I watched Yesterday.

[Andy Holloway]

That's what he says every week. That's what he says every single week about Ronnie Hillman. It's funny because other people watching the games let Ronnie Hillman play. Ronnie Hillman, who averaged 7.8 yards of carrying against the Chargers two weeks ago.

[Mike Wright]

What are you talking about? C.J. anderson was.

[Andy Holloway]

He wasn't good. He wasn't. Yeah. C.J. was better yesterday.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

He had a couple huge runs. CJ Anderson moves the pile. I get that. I'm just saying Ronnie Hillman is here for a reason. Where's C.J. anderson's name? Have you found it? Let me see. Let me look. No, we haven't read his name yet.

[Mike Wright]

No, we've not.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, he's not even in the. Okay, so we're talking about Ronnie hillman at number 19.

[Mike Wright]

Garbage. Garbage and erroneous.

[Jason Moore]

So going into next year, Andy, what do you think as far as the Hillman, C.J. anderson. Is this now an official two back system with Kubiak? Kind of. For the first time.

[Andy Holloway]

They're totally fine with that.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. So where do you value CJ Anderson played great second half of the year. I'm not. I'm not arguing with that. I think he led the league in yards for carry in the last quarter of the season. But they have a role for Ronnie Hillman. Ronnie Hillman is different. You talk about getting to the edge.

[Mike Wright]

C.J.

[Andy Holloway]

Anderson doesn't get to the edge. He doesn't. Ronnie Hillman gets to the edge. They're complimentary, which means you should compliment him every once in a while.

[Mike Wright]

I will not. I know I will not. Ronnie Hillman tell us he stinks so.

[Jason Moore]

I can draft him number one next year.

[Mike Wright]

I will not say he stinks, but I will say that C.J. anderson is better.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, well, fantasy wise, you are wrong this year, but could be right next year. He did. Ronnie Hillman played 16 games, 207 carries, had seven touchdowns, 863 on the ground. He had 35 targets, a little lower than what I would have expected from him.

[Jason Moore]

You did see a discrepancy between when he played the top teams and the bottom teams. He only averaged 6.8 fantasy points a game against the top half of the rushing D. He's a smaller guy. I do think C.J. anderson is the much better back and I wish they would use him, but I just don't think it's going to happen. It looks to me like the Broncos are completely not only fine, but they want to use both backs all game long. Splitting them up thoroughly you know, 50, 50.

[Andy Holloway]

I will say this. C.J. anderson's efficiency came with Brock Oswala under center. If they move on from Peyton Manning and they run an offense that's Kubia X style, there's a, there's still the chance that they go bell cow with CJ Anderson but he's proven to be a little bit easy to get banged up to, had some concussion issues and been off the field at times. There's the possibility watch fulfills Mike's dreams.

[Jason Moore]

Watch his weight going into camp. See I agree. See if he's lost some weight going into camp. That would be a good report.

[Andy Holloway]

Speaking of worth the weight, Rashad Jennings.

[Jason Moore]

I can't even believe his number 20 at number 20, Rashad Jennings was completely worthless this whole year. He was a worthless fantasy running back for fantasy owners. You couldn't use them, you couldn't trust them for the vast majority of the year because they had 17 running backs.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, number 21 every game. And this is where you're right, you're 100% right.

[Jason Moore]

They use too many running backs. It was a terrible decision.

[Andy Holloway]

So if he's the 20th running back off the board next year, you are happy or sad if you have him as the 20 running back off the.

[Jason Moore]

Draft line, I'm happy because I actually think Rashad Jennings is a good running back. I've always liked Rashad Jennings. He didn't get usage and once he got used he was very productive. So I was like Peter Jennings going next year. I don't, I don't believe that next year they're going to have the same type of four way split. I mean they very well could.

[Andy Holloway]

No they won't.

[Mike Wright]

Andre Williams. Okay, bold, bold.

[Andy Holloway]

Here it comes.

[Mike Wright]

Andre Williams will not be on the team next year.

[Andy Holloway]

I was hoping he drop the stinks line on him.

[Mike Wright]

Well, oh, you want the Andrew Williams stinks?

[Andy Holloway]

There it is. So watch where he lands guys.

[Mike Wright]

He just. Andre Williams has been very disappointing and I just don't see a way that they can, they can't keep using him. They just, they can't.

[Andy Holloway]

So McAdoo is the head coach. Rashad Jennings. McAdoo showed what he could. McAdoo at the end of the year and I think, you know, someone gave.

[Mike Wright]

Him a McDonald's sponsorship immediately if you give right.

[Andy Holloway]

Look, Rashad Jennings needs opportunity like any running back. You give him opportunity, he's going to do more with it. They're not a bad offense. They're great offense. When they get the ball moving. You just can't have it you can't flip a four sided coin and hope it lands up Rashad Jennings for the touchdown. I mean you have to have a situation where. And Mike said, you know, Andrew won't be back, you know, let's wait and see.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he could be. I just don't, I don't think he'll be there.

[Andy Holloway]

You don't got your jersey on order?

[Mike Wright]

No, I put it on hold.

[Andy Holloway]

Peter Jennings jersey. Giovanni Bernard was number 21. We've talked about his counterpart Jeremy Hill. So what do we say about Geo? Because he's a, he's a tough guy to own.

[Mike Wright]

He weird man. It's super.

[Andy Holloway]

You have thought he'd be better than like Woodhead the way that, yes. The way the teams did.

[Mike Wright]

Gio Bernard started the season of just. He was a fire, he was a stud, he was a fantasy stud. And then the team just went away from what they were, what they were doing with Gio Bernard. Jason, do you have an explanation? Because I certainly do not.

[Jason Moore]

I do have an explanation. I think a lot of it had to do with. Once you were getting towards the playoffs in the cold weather and Andy Dalton going down, you are forced into a more grind it down, use your defense, use your pounding running back. Wear the clock out. Make them more ugly games. That being said, they kind of, you know, it was a, it was what, what week did Andy Dalton go down?

[Andy Holloway]

It wasn't until later it was a Steeler game.

[Jason Moore]

It was week 14, week 14. So before that from week 12 and 13, in week 12 they used GIO. He had a very bad game against the Rams. And then in week 13 they essentially went away and that was before the Andy Dalton injury and they stuck, they stood that way the rest of the season and Gio was pretty much worthless the second half of the season. If you told me that Gio Bernard and Sims finished back to back, you know Charles Sims, I would be shocked. And that's what happened because Gio Bernard looked like he was on pace for a great year. I thought he was just the better back there the entire first half watching film and they chose to go away from him. Coming into this next season, I think we're going to see pretty much a 5050 split. And I'm fine with Geo being drafted about where he finished this year. If you compare him to Charles Sims you see some big discrepancies with snap percentages. Charles Sims was only on the field. He, you know, they finished very close to each other. But Charles Sims as far as snap counts was 44% of snaps and geo was 55% of snaps.

[Mike Wright]

Sims was great, man. I don't know how much people really paid attention to him because he just was not a sexy name at all. But Sims, when he was on the.

[Andy Holloway]

Field, 70 targets was great.

[Mike Wright]

But real quick for Gio Bernard, something we haven't mentioned. They need to find a new offensive coordinator in Cincinnati. Hugh Jackson is now the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. So that's a situation to monitor. I mean, you, I, you can't imagine that a guy will come in if the head coaching is still the same. He'll shake things up too much. But certainly a, an offensive coordinator will want to leave his mark. So it will be interesting to see who the hire is for the projections of Hill and Bernard.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, so speaking to Sims, you said he was very impressive. 70 targets is what jumps out to me. He's a guy who's very efficient with his carries. They put him in a position to do that. You've seen this with guys with burst. Their yard per carry numbers are very high. Unlimited carries. It's not necessarily something that would translate in a starting role. However, you know, this is a guy that finished in the top 24 overall during the year. He's in the same category as the Geos, as the Woodheads, as the complimentary back. That is efficient. Really good. A PPR value. Probably next year.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, yes, absolutely. 70 targets, man.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

That's ridiculous.

[Jason Moore]

Well, if you look at the split. So Sims was on the field 42% of the time to Doug Martin's 57. But when it comes to running the ball, Sims only ran the ball 27% of the time. He was really that pass catching back. And the thing that stands out to me is the four receiving touchdowns. To have four receiving touchdowns in that kind of limited role that I don't know, that seems, I mean, look at, you know, gio Bernard, right? Geo Bernard had zero receiving touchdowns and had about the same 66 targets. So which one is the outlier there? The four touchdowns or the zero touchdowns?

[Mike Wright]

Four is probably a little high, but two would not shock me.

[Andy Holloway]

As I said, it's probably somewhere in the middle. Sims is interesting though. He's 25, an offense that should be growing. So I like him in PPR a lot. Next two guys on the list. And we definitely want to mention some names outside the top 25 because they're names that you would have expected to be in it. But Langford and Starks are who finish out our top 24. Langford, obviously, I mean, it goes without saying maybe that with Fortes gone, Jeremy Langford becomes a prolific potential type of guy. Now, that doesn't mean, you know, he averaged 3.6 on the year. It doesn't mean he needs and deserves the hype of hype. But he's a guy who showed that he could catch the ball, who could be an NFL running back. What would you. Where would you put Langford in your early, early, early rankings? If he's. If Forte is gone, he's the guy.

[Mike Wright]

I would take him. Bottom, third.

[Andy Holloway]

Bottom. Third.

[Mike Wright]

Bottom of the third, top.

[Andy Holloway]

You will not draft Jeremy Langford. You will not even come remotely close.

[Mike Wright]

That's what I'm saying. You were asking, where would I draft him?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Was that the question?

[Andy Holloway]

It was just making the point. That is the lowest I've ever heard.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. I would see him. You know, assuming everything stays the same and Forte's gone, then I would have him as a lower end, RB1, which would put him, you know, he's not going to get past second if that's where he's being drafted.

[Andy Holloway]

Totally agree, 100%. You got, you know, obviously you have change there too, right. Adam Gaze is not there. So that offense is going to see turnover and change. You got a lot of variables. Sometimes fantasy football is about angling for the good variables, and sometimes it's about reducing them. You know, your team, you don't want a bunch of players that all have a million variables. You might want some upside guys. You might want some consistent guys.

[Mike Wright]

Fantasy football, I mean, let's. Let's break it down. Fantasy football is, can I fail less than you?

[Andy Holloway]

Sure. That's one way to look at it. Obviously, this year the answer was no, you couldn't. You failed much more.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, for our league.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, what, is the pots calling me black over here? What's going on?

[Andy Holloway]

Look, I'm paying attention to the game that you and I played in the playoffs, not the game that I played with Jason. All right. James Starks. Oh, boy, you're so fun to own.

[Mike Wright]

James Starks.

[Andy Holloway]

He is not a starting running back. I have said it so many times, it's not even funny. They gave him the chance this year. He wasn't that. He's a good second running back. Not in fantasy teams, just in real life.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I've always liked Starks. He disappointed me this year despite the fact that he finished way higher than anyone would have assumed. He disappointed me because he had an opportunity to show that he was, you know, a good enough talent to be a starting, you know, workload guy, and he failed at that. I was really surprised to see that on the year, he ended up with a higher snap percentage than Eddie Lacy. James starks finished with 46% of the snaps to Lacey's 44% of the snapshot going forward was the fact they were.

[Andy Holloway]

Back to back, by the way. 24, 25.

[Mike Wright]

Is that factored in?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Okay.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I'll just say, like, he's going to. He had more snaps because there was a game where Lacy didn't play, right?

[Jason Moore]

Well, no, it's. It's an average of their snap percentages. So for that, I mean, that would be factored in. In the sense that when he was out, Starks would have had a higher percentage that. But it's not total.

[Andy Holloway]

So more importantly, where do you put these guys in terms of next year? Because Starks finished a spot ahead, but Lacy was more consistent by our consistency metrics, I believe. Yeah, he was. He was seven spots better. You know, is it just kind of like this offense will get it figured out with Jordy Nelson and Time Montgomery and Randall Cobb and those guys back on the field?

[Mike Wright]

You're leaving out Jeff Janis. We didn't even talk about Jeff Janis.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I am.

[Jason Moore]

You're leaving him out or Abrader dares.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm leaving them out. You're right.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

One game.

[Jason Moore]

No, no. But I will say this.

[Andy Holloway]

You're so weird.

[Mike Wright]

No, no, I'm not saying that.

[Andy Holloway]

Vonte Freeman.

[Mike Wright]

No, no, no, no.

[Andy Holloway]

Limited workload means. Oh, no, you're right. I guess you're consistent because you said that meant everything, too, so never mind.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, my point was just. Will he factor in?

[Andy Holloway]

No, no.

[Jason Moore]

Well, it's nice that they have replacements, I think, for Devonte Adams, who stinks. Oh, yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

He'll be back to get.

[Jason Moore]

Get him out of there. Use Jeff Janis and Aberdaris in those roles. Get Time Montgomery, Get Jordy Nelson back.

[Andy Holloway]

I think voice of reason, by the way, Devonte Adams is better than Jeff Janis, just so you know.

[Mike Wright]

Oh.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, it's very clear on the field.

[Mike Wright]

Twitter's gonna be so mad at you.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, no, no, no, no, no.

[Mike Wright]

They will.

[Andy Holloway]

That's the truth.

[Jason Moore]

I completely agree.

[Andy Holloway]

This is a truth show.

[Jason Moore]

I do completely agree. I do actually think Abrader Darius is the better of all three, but we're not going to get into that right now. We'll have plenty of time this off season to do that.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

That being said, Eddie Lacy and the Green Bay packers will be better next year. Eddie Lacy is the guy they want to be able to use. He was. He was punished at times, Hurt at times, fat at times. I want to see him come in in good shape to camp.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Lacey doubtful.

[Mike Wright]

Lacey's conditioning coming into the preseason. I think he'll be better. I think that he's learned his lesson.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, guys, that's what I'm going.

[Jason Moore]

To choose to believe.

[Andy Holloway]

TJ Yelden, due to injury, did not finish in this top area, but he was somebody who was the 12th most consistent. I like TJ Eldon a lot more than many of these names on this list. You also have Carlos Williams, Ryan Matthews, Theo Riddick and Antonio Andrews. Those are names that have been pulled out from this. As to think about, obviously we didn't talk about Jamal Charles. Okay. Jamal Charles, kind of a good player. Just didn't play this year. Right. So talk about Arian Foster, Le'Veon Bell. We will. We will talk a lot about them. We are a year round fantasy podcast. We will be discussing all the happenings every time a guy is released. We got a lot of question marks with free agency. Arian Foster and Marshawn lynch and the Forte and Ivory and Lamar Miller. Big names. Is there anybody that you really. You just have to say something about at the running back position before I close out the show?

[Mike Wright]

I think that the consistency factor of Antonio Andrews is interesting. He was going with the metrics of how many was he? Top 25. Top 5 and then bottom sub running back 4. He was 29th as far as the consistency ranked in there. That's just more interesting to me for David Cobb because Antonio Andrews is a free agent. We'll see if he gets resigned there or what they do to address the running back position at all. Because I think the Titans can quickly become a good team. I'm not huge on their coaching decision. Going with malarkey.

[Jason Moore]

That is a bunch of malarkey. I mean it. I mean, I just can't even believe that they went that route. They had for the first time for the franchise. They had these. One of the sweetest landing spots. You got the number one pick. You got a franchise quarterback. Go out and get a coach who has a resume that says, I've won Super Bowls, I've done this because you could have got one. And now you signed your interim, say, with Tom Coughlin. Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

No, but I'm just asking you, who is the super bowl winning coach out there?

[Jason Moore]

Well, super bowl or if not super bowl, you know, some gusto. Like, honestly, I think fresh is what I want. Something Fresh. I still think Chip Kelly's a great coach. I'm sad to see him go into the NFC West. But Chip Kelly, you know, hey, reunite him or Coughlin I think is a good coach. Take someone out of retirement. I mean, there are coaches that would have wanted to go there is my point, and they never gave the opportunity.

[Andy Holloway]

But not the most inspired pick.

[Mike Wright]

Right. But the point was just that David Cobb will be an interesting middle round pick next year if he is in fact the looks like he'll be the lead running back.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, I don't want to muse on this forever, but I just want your opinion. I'll give you a few words to give it Jamal Charles. Do you believe in Jamal Charles next year?

[Jason Moore]

Yes, is my short answer. But I think that they're going to slow his workload down. They've got good options behind him.

[Mike Wright]

So would I spend a first round pick on Jamal Charles? I think so.

[Andy Holloway]

I definitely would.

[Mike Wright]

I think so.

[Jason Moore]

That's funny because I said yes. I believe in him and I would not spend a first round pick on him next year.

[Andy Holloway]

So I guess we will. We will debate that at length. I'm just wanted to see where we're starting there. I'm starting, I'm starting in a place where I fully believe we've seen a track record of them. But who knows? I mean it's not gonna be debated throughout fantasy. The fantasy kingdom. That's where we live. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

That was supposed to be an elephant, but it was not.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no. And I.

[Mike Wright]

Terrible. It just sounded like Phil Sims on the, on the broadcast.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, check us out. Support the show. JoinTheFoot.com thank you for listening. We'll be here each and every week and we'll, we'll catch you on Tuesday.

[Mike Wright]

Goodbye.

[Jason Moore]

Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot. Com and follow us on Twitter at theffballers.