Fantasy Football Podcast 2016 - Willie Snead, NFC South, Foster News

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary
Episode: Fantasy Football Podcast 2016 - Willie Snead, NFC South, Foster News
Release Date: July 19, 2016

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Introduction

In this engaging episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright delve deep into the intricacies of the NFL's NFC South division, providing astute analysis, strong opinions, and matchup-winning advice tailored for fantasy football enthusiasts. The episode is particularly notable for featuring a special guest, Willie Snead of the New Orleans Saints, who shares his insights and experiences from the field.

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NFC South Divisional Preview

The hosts kick off the discussion with a thorough examination of the NFC South, which includes the New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They explore the strengths, weaknesses, and key players of each team, offering listeners a comprehensive overview to aid in their fantasy football preparations.

Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton stands out as a focal point in the Panthers' offense. The hosts debate his consistency and potential for another stellar season. Andy Holloway remarks, “Cam Newton is somebody who I think it's very easy for fantasy football owners to react in two ways... the truth lies in the middle” (22:45). Mike Wright echoes this sentiment, emphasizing that "it doesn't make him a top pick for me. But what are your guys thoughts on Cam Newton?" (21:48).

The running back situation is another hot topic. Jonathan Stewart's performance is scrutinized, particularly his red zone efficiency. Mike Wright highlights, “Since 2010, Jonathan Stewart has scored on one of his 82 red zone rushes from outside the five. That's 1.2%” (26:19), raising concerns about his reliability in critical situations.

New Orleans Saints

With the departure of Jimmy Graham, the Saints are reshaping their receiving corps. The introduction of Michael Thomas and Brandon Coleman aims to fill the void left by Marques Colston. The hosts are optimistic about Drew Brees and his new receiving targets, predicting a potent offense ready to produce high fantasy points.

Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan's performance is under the microscope, especially after a down year in touchdowns. Andy Holloway asserts, “Matt Ryan is very, very, very undervalued right now” (52:21), predicting a bounce-back season as the offensive coordinator develops better rapport with the quarterback and receivers. The running back duo of Devontae Freeman and Tevin Coleman is also analyzed, with Mike Wright stating, “If I'm drafting anybody from this, the Miami backfield, I would only draft Foster if he became what I saw as a great value” (09:49), highlighting the complexities in evaluating running back performance.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers' offense, led by Jameis Winston and Mike Evans, is scrutinized for potential pitfalls and opportunities. Jason Moore discusses the adjustments under new head coach Dirk Koetter, expressing both optimism and caution about the team's performance in a challenging division.

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Breaking NFL News

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to discussing Tom Brady's four-game suspension. Mike Wright informs listeners, “if Tom Brady is done. I think Tom Brady knows that there's nothing” (13:33), indicating that Brady will fulfill his suspension, affecting his team's schedule and fantasy projections. The hosts analyze the fantasy implications, particularly concerning Rob Gronkowski’s potential decline in early-season performance without Brady.

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Willie Snead Interview

A highlight of the episode is the in-depth interview with Willie Snead, the New Orleans Saints' wide receiver. Willie shares his journey, reflecting on completing his degree and striving to enhance his explosive capabilities on the field. Key takeaways from the interview include:

• Offseason Developments: Willie discusses finishing his degree in sports management and his focus on increasing his explosiveness and agility. “This year, once I get the ball in my hand, I want to be more explosive and just, you know, see the change of speed in my game” (32:13).

• Undrafted Struggles and Success: Willie recounts the challenges of going undrafted and his perseverance to earn a spot on the Saints' practice squad, eventually securing a place on the 53-man roster. “I had to fight. I had to prove myself... I just had to stay faithful and, you know, count my blessings and take advantage of the opportunities that came my way” (33:25).

• Goals and Team Dynamics: He outlines his personal goals for the season, including surpassing the 1,000-yard mark and increasing his touchdown count. Willie emphasizes the collaborative effort of the Saints' receiving unit to compensate for the departure of Marques Colston. “Without him being there, the defense is more, you know, time studying on cooks and me... it's the type of backfield I like avoiding” (38:48).

Willie Snead's insights provide invaluable perspective for fantasy owners, particularly regarding the Saints' receiving targets and offensive strategies.

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Fantasy Implications and Player Analysis

The hosts offer comprehensive analysis on various players affecting fantasy football outcomes:

• Jay Ajayi vs. Arian Foster: The signing of Arian Foster by the Dolphins is scrutinized for its impact on Jay Ajayi's workload. Mike Wright posits, “Foster's coming off a very, very severe injury... he's going to become more of a value this year and you're probably looking at drafting a Jay in” (06:09).

• Devontae Freeman: The unpredictability of Freeman's performance is debated, with Jason Moore cautioning against overreaction to his previous season's highs. “If you see a healthy, dynamic C.J. Spiller in the preseason, that's going to have a... earthquake shake up effect on average draft position” (46:35).

• Matt Ryan: Underappreciated by the fantasy community, Matt Ryan is expected to return to his previous touchdown numbers. Andy Holloway forecasts, “I think he'll throw 28 touchdowns this year, which would bump him up drastically” (52:21), highlighting Ryan's potential resurgence.

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Upcoming Episodes and Community Engagement

The podcast wraps up by teasing future episodes, including an upcoming Thursday show featuring Todd Gurley, and encourages listeners to engage with their community through jointhefoot.com and social media platforms.

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Notable Quotes

• Andy Holloway: “Matt Ryan is very, very, very undervalued right now” (52:21).

• Jason Moore: “I think we can wait, you know, if you can wait to make this decision, there's a lot more information that will be coming your way” (11:47).

• Willie Snead: “I just want to get a thousand [yards] this year a lot sooner” (36:23).

• Mike Wright: “He threw a little too many on the interceptions, so if he can cut that down...” (54:23).

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Conclusion

This episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast provides a wealth of information for fantasy football participants, blending expert analysis with firsthand insights from Willie Snead. Whether you're strategizing for upcoming drafts or seeking to refine your in-season management, the detailed discussions and breakdowns of key players and team dynamics are invaluable resources for gaining a competitive edge in your fantasy leagues.

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For more in-depth analysis and future episodes, visit jointhefoot.com and follow the Fantasy Footballers on Twitter @theFFBallers.

Transcript

[Willie Snead]

Hey, this is Willie Sneed with the New Orleans Saints and you're listening to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast.

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast coming to you from the fantasyjocks.com studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, it is. It is mediocre to be back.

[Mike Wright]

Surprising.

[Jason Moore]

Part one is, is because I just got back from a wonderful vacation with my wife celebrating our anniversary and, you know, that was fun. And part two is you were bouncing in your seat like some kind of.

[Mike Wright]

He was on the hydraulics.

[Jason Moore]

Weirdo.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I was adjusting my height and apparently these chairs are supercharged. Can launch me to the ceiling.

[Jason Moore]

Did you lose some weight?

[Andy Holloway]

I must have. Clearly. No.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to the podcast. Andy, Mike and Jason back again for the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. It is Tuesday, July 19th. It's a very exciting week.

[Mike Wright]

Big things are happening.

[Jason Moore]

I think you heard at the top of the show already, Willie Snead is here. Willie Snead is joining us on the program today.

[Mike Wright]

Wait, that's Top Gun.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, okay. The need for Sneed. It took me a second too. It kind of sounded like you were going Law and Order for a second, which I would have. That would be a totally different story. That would have meant we had Martavis Bryant on the show again.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, no.

[Andy Holloway]

I see what you did there.

[Jason Moore]

Hey, but get this. So Willie Sneeds on the show today. We're going NFC South. We're talking NFC south on the show today. Divisional previews and lots of news. And lots of news. Guess what we're doing on Thursday?

[Mike Wright]

Well, you can let the people know.

[Jason Moore]

I think we should.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Todd Gurley on the show.

[Mike Wright]

Todd Gurley.

[Jason Moore]

Maybe you've heard of him.

[Andy Holloway]

I've heard of him.

[Jason Moore]

Todd Gurley on the show. We will be doing AFC South Division on Thursday, but we'll be talking to Todd Gurley as well, getting his thoughts on becoming Johnson. His big trade from the St. Louis Rams to the Los Angeles Rams, which was really the game breaking story of the big trade. So we'll also get his thoughts on David Johnson and whether or not Todd thinks he is the number one or, you know, as David said, he's the number one. I think this is a bubbling feud. So we'll see. We'll talk to Todd Gurley on Thursday. It's going to be an exciting week. Fantasy football is just taking off right now. We have so many people jumping into listener leagues or not listener league, sorry, Foot clan leagues. We have people entering for the listener league. And I mentioned on the last show, if you want to Send your entry for the Listener League. Here is the address you need to send it to Listener league@fantasy footballers.com. got it?

[Mike Wright]

Yep, I heard it.

[Jason Moore]

Got it. All right. We have a bunch of entries already, so including one person who emailed the entries and said, how do I enter?

[Andy Holloway]

Ooh.

[Jason Moore]

And then I.

[Mike Wright]

That's a bold move.

[Jason Moore]

That's a bold move. So you're in so much. So many things to talk about today. The quick question of the day comes from Twitter @tjtime16 and everybody else and everybody in the world, what does the science signing of Arian Foster due to Jay Ajayi?

[Mike Wright]

No, it's too soon for that.

[Jason Moore]

No, we. I had a bunch of Dolphins fans reach out and say, please don't talk about Arian Foster doing well, Andy. We need him this year. I. I will say this. The question that I've been asked the most is, do you love him now in Miami? No, I don't. So if you want him to stay healthy, that bodes well. Sure. I don't love him. The question is, what does the signing of Foster do to Jay Ajayi specifically and where do they go in the draft? I had a comparison I brought up in the studio yesterday to the guys that I am holding on to. I think this situation reminds me a lot of when Stephen Jackson, the veteran, joined the Falcons and you had Jaquiz Rogers and you had the rookie Devontae Freeman coming in. I think it's comparable because Arian Foster is over the hill. He's coming off an injury, but he's a leader like Stephen Jackson was. You have Ji Jai, who is a lot like kind of the default incumbent that you're not sure they want, which is what it was with Jacquiz. And then you have Kenyon Drake and you had. You had Devonta Freeman in Atlanta. I say all that to say I think the situation just stinks for everybody. I think if you're a Jay Ajayi owner, if you drafted him in a dynasty league, if you were looking forward to high workloads this season, I don't think you're going to see it. I think it's very funny that basically Aaron Foster was traded for Lamar Miller, you know, between the two teams, and I think, you know, Foster's coming off a very, very severe injury. Mike. Yeah, we talked a lot about this.

[Mike Wright]

Sure. We have a little bit of differing opinions. All the research I've done talking about specifically running backs who have ruptured their Achilles, they never returned to form so far. Look, medicine's changing every day. Maybe he can. But the way I see this is actually more of an indictment on Kenyon Drake. I think that the Dolphins feel like maybe he's not ready to be that passing downs guy. So they're going to have Aaron Foster for a year. I think Ajayi is still going to be the early down runner. And that Aaron Foster, like you said, he's spectacular in the passing game. And that's. If you look at the quotes from Foster, that's what he's talking about right now is talking about himself in the passing game. And for him to come back from that injury, I think that he can be. He can still be functional in that role. He was always a great pass protector last year though. I mean the him carrying the ball was not great. Very small sample size, only four games, but 2.6 yards per carry. That's not Aaron Foster. Like you combine that with his age, a ruptured Achilles. I think that they're okay with Ajayi being the main the primary ball carrier on the ground. But it wouldn't surprise me if Foster is kind of their third down guy.

[Andy Holloway]

So if that's true Mike, then what do you see for Jay Ajayi going forward? Fantasy wise, what do you think his output will be? If you think unlike Andy, you think he's going to.

[Jason Moore]

Is he a flex?

[Mike Wright]

To me he's. To me he's a lower end too.

[Andy Holloway]

So where do you draft him?

[Mike Wright]

I actually, I think that he'll become more of a value this year and you're probably looking at drafting a jai in. I'm very excited to see what his ADP does but to me he's now like a seventh round guy. Maybe back of the sixth.

[Andy Holloway]

Let me give you some seventh round guys real quick. I want to see if you would Jay Ajayi or that guy? Jay Ajayi or Duke Johnson?

[Mike Wright]

Probably Duke.

[Andy Holloway]

I would definitely go Duke, Jay Ajayi or Danny Woodhead.

[Jason Moore]

It's ironic because you're if he's right about the passing game, you're comparing him.

[Mike Wright]

With passing game back scoring system is.

[Jason Moore]

Like Matt Jones or ji. You're taking Matt Jones.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, how about Justin Forsett? He's in the seventh.

[Mike Wright]

I would still take four set because of how I view him.

[Jason Moore]

It's funny that we argued yesterday because you said we disagree. I don't think we disagree almost at all. Like almost everything you said I completely agree with. The only thing that I contended was the fact that the Achilles arguments don't mean a lot to Me because I'm not expecting or thinking Arian Foster needs to be back to form to impact the fantasy output of that team or his own. I do think that they will give a Jay the chance. I think those guys will share the load quite a bit. I think it's going to come down to a couple of variables that we frankly don't know and I'm not going to pretend to know, which is can Ajay get it done right on first and second down. Can Arian Foster get it done in this recovery and being an effective piece of the puzzle he said, I believe one of his quotes was he's happy he's on the ship.

[Mike Wright]

Right, with Adam Gase.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, the ship with Adam Gase, with these other running backs. I just think it's one of those things that he doesn't have to be back to form. Stephen Jackson was never back to form in Atlanta. He was a shadow of his old self. But he's a good leader and he'll get his time on the field because. And then you have the other issue, which is hopefully Adam Gase fixes this. But Lamar Miller Bailey got the ball last year, so if there's not enough running touches to go around now, you're splitting them up. You know, it's just kind of something that doesn't make me feel excited about the Dolphins backfield and I think I've already.

[Mike Wright]

I also took a really deep dive looking at the snap percentage when Adam Gates has been the play caller. He had the two years in Denver and then in Chicago. The numbers speak for themselves. Adam Gase loves a workhorse back. You had no Shamarino in Denver. Even Monte Ball, remember that guy, Monte Ball, he tried to make him a thing. He stinks. He did. He does. He did. He continues to stink. However, the year when Monte Ball was the starter for those first three games, he was getting 80% of the snaps before they moved on. So they gave him every opportunity. You look at Chicago, Matt Forte was, was extremely high in. He was up in the 80s until the injury and then they knew they had to kind of balance him out with Langford towards the end of the year. But so to me, my target, I would go after Ajayi. If I'm drafting anybody from this, the Miami backfield, I would only draft Foster if he became what I saw as a great value where I'm not putting any risk into him. I would rather have a Jayee and hope that Adam Gates continues his track record of saying I want to workhorse back.

[Jason Moore]

I will, I will Agree with the fact that Johnny might end up a value because people overreact to Aaron Foster's name. Before we go on to the rest of the news, I do want Jason's take on this. I want. How do you see a breaking down.

[Mike Wright]

I think that the Foot clan is said enough.

[Andy Holloway]

Let's get the.

[Mike Wright]

We don't. We don't want Jason's.

[Andy Holloway]

The.

[Jason Moore]

Right now, hold on. Jason's take must include his.

[Mike Wright]

Jason's take. Former include Kenyon Drake.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. His former love of Kenyan Drake. So go ahead.

[Andy Holloway]

Kenyan Drake. I still do love the talent, but he's got a hamstring injury right now. I believe that's like his eighth hamstring injury in the last few years.

[Jason Moore]

That's a good number.

[Andy Holloway]

They're not relying. Yeah, they're not going to rely on him. They moved on. I think he's who's hurt the most here because like Mike said, Arian Foster, just such a good pass catching back, such a good pass blocker. I mean, he is going to take over that role for me as a fantasy football analyst. I am going to be avoiding this backfield because this is the type of situation where even when it comes to finding good value, like, oh, man, okay, so now this guy's slipping to the. To the eighth, to the ninth. I don't enjoy having these type of players on my team where I'm not sure every single week. It's like he's going to do a little. He's going to. He's going to get some work. Do I play that? I don't think. Here's what I don't think is going to happen, and I could be wrong on this. I don't think we're going to come out week one and have the answer. I don't think week one's going to come and you're going to be like, oh, okay, so Arian's the guy or Jay Ajai is the guy and this guy's in a. I think it's going to be one of those situations where week to week you're going to see some different stuff. You're not going to be able to rely on it. You're not going to be able to predict going into the week. You can get lucky with some of these starts. That's the type of backfield I like avoiding.

[Jason Moore]

I was going to say, I think we can wait, you know, if you can wait to make this decision, there's a lot more, a lot of information that will be coming your way.

[Andy Holloway]

Foster will get injured in Training.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly. The clarity will come when the reaper strikes. No. 8 hamstring injuries is what I'm projecting for you during our combine, by the way. Eight separate hamstring injuries. So before we jump into the rest of the news, I want to remind everybody, make sure you connect with us on jointhefoot.com we are a fully independent year round fantasy football podcast, bringing it week in and week out. Connect with us on jointhefoot.com it's our community. You can get extra episodes. You can join leagues with foot clan members, which means that they're very good leagues with engaged, fun players. Not like Ernie from accounting who decided leave Ernie alone to bail out after we a lot. Ernie needs to move on.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, Ernie, if you're listening, stop it. I picture it.

[Jason Moore]

I picture Ernie like Jerry from Parks and Recreation. Like nobody really wants to be in a league with him, but he's like totally available for a league if you want him.

[Andy Holloway]

Get out of here, Larry.

[Jason Moore]

We're also on YouTube. Follow us on Twitter @the FF Ballers and check out the website, the fantasy footballers.com we'll be doing a Saturday show again this week, a mailbag episode. So get your questions in at the fantasy footballers.com so let's go ahead and jump into the rest of the news.

[Andy Holloway]

News and notes from around the league.

[Jason Moore]

So I got breaking news here that says Tom Brady. That's what the news says. So somebody elaborate on what you wanted to talk about here.

[Mike Wright]

So for Tom Brady, I just wanted to. We haven't kind of clarified what had happened. We had recorded our Saturday show right before all the news broke about Tom Brady accepting his. His four game suspension. We had assumed he would be suspended, but it's now official. If you had not heard that Tom Brady will accept his four game suspension.

[Jason Moore]

I hate to bring some confusion to the mix, but didn't the NFLPA say they may pursue a Supreme Court appeal on his behalf?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, but Tom Brady is done. I think Tom Brady knows that there's nothing.

[Jason Moore]

So the first. So Buffalo, Arizona and the other two opponents on New England schedule can now revamp.

[Mike Wright]

They all partied.

[Jason Moore]

It was a big group celebration together. They invited each other. Okay, so we know the situation now. He seems to have accepted it. It's unlikely the NFLPA will win that even if they pursued it. So Brady's likely out.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Fantasy implications.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's what I was gonna say. Jason, how does that break. Break down for you? Fantasy implications.

[Andy Holloway]

You know who it scares me of the most? And I think this will surprise you guys. But it's actually Rob Gronkowski. I think Rob's going to be okay in those first four weeks. I don't think he's going to be detrimental to your team and be, and be a gross option. But he is not going to pay off on a first round value where you are bypassing a stud wide receiver or a stud running back. In my opinion, worthy of take. I mean we always talk about like when we normally do our mock drafts or real drafts. I don't usually get Gronk in the first because I'm not willing to make that trade. That's with, that's with Tom Brady for 16 games. If I have to start the entire quarter of my beginning of a fantasy season, you know, because playoffs start earlier in fantasy. I'm losing a lot in those first four weeks and I don't want to climb and claw back, you know, late. I'm going to try to draft players that are going to propel me into the postseason as opposed to, hey, you know, maybe I'll be good if I get there.

[Jason Moore]

Well, you don't think it's overstating the detriment that he would be to your team or is your point more just that the value isn't there anymore for Gronk in the first?

[Andy Holloway]

That's exactly the point.

[Jason Moore]

That makes sense. And I worry about Garoppolo specifically on the goal line identifying the mismatches, putting Gronkowski in a position to get touchdowns. I'm not worried about the catches. I think the catches will be there for Gronkowski. The targets are limited across the board and Garoppolo can get that done. But I'm with you. I think that the high end production is limited in those first four games. I don't think any of us really wanted to take Gronk in the first as it was now this pretty much doesn't put him on our roster right now.

[Andy Holloway]

Gronk, because of this news, falls to the middle of the second and the guys that I'm choosing to take him over are not as elite as that first round, then I'm okay with that.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's talk about, we already talked about Foster to the Dolphins. Let's talk about the, just the mess at running back the Bills in Buffalo. I don't know if this is, this reminded me of the like trailblazers from the Rasheed Wallace days.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, what is going on?

[Jason Moore]

You've got, you've got Carlos Williams who is now suspended four games for violating the league substance abuse pile.

[Mike Wright]

He's Also violated the dad bod.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he's got £25 on him. And then Jonathan Williams, also the rookie running back behind Lashawn McCoy, who was not suspended for his bar brawl. He's got a DUI now. Jonathan Williams has a DUI. They think he won't face suspension in 2016, but there's eye rolls going on in Buffalo. And there's even been talk about Reggie Bush getting an offer from that team, so they have some depth. This is a mess.

[Andy Holloway]

Gilly, say with me. Gilly. No, no, no. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, I think you're right that Gillisley is right now the direct backup, but no, thank you.

[Jason Moore]

You know how this hurtsaw McCoy right now looks great.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes. And we've been. I think as a group, we've been pretty high. We've mocked them. I know for me, he's one of those in consideration for my guy. So I was upset when all this happened because I'm thinking, please don't push.

[Mike Wright]

His value will be gone.

[Andy Holloway]

Because I was high before this news.

[Jason Moore]

You're always high.

[Mike Wright]

That was Carlos Williams.

[Jason Moore]

That was Carlos Williams.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. So it is good news, though, for Shady. And I think if you go back and look at his last year's numbers, he has not lost.

[Jason Moore]

Fantasy football is so ridiculous because, I mean, the sentence that just came out of our mouths. This is so great for Shady that his teammates are like DUI and buffoons. Fantasy fantasy football.

[Andy Holloway]

Now, can I bring up one point that I've been hearing from fans out of Buffalo, and it's more for our dynasty friends, and it's actually a slightly different take, but I will say this. The love for Rex Ryan is gone. People there are pissed with him, not enjoying him. If the Bills don't come out because they're saying, like, he can't, he will be gone.

[Jason Moore]

He will be gone.

[Andy Holloway]

And I just want to throw this out for our dynasty friends. And I've already been trying to make offers to grab him in our dynasty league. Spoiler alert. I have to say this, but Sammy Watkins is a player where if he was on a team that had volume in the passing game, you'd go, oh, he's a top five wide receiver. The problem with Watkins is he's not. But next year, when Rex Ryan leaves, normally head coaches in the NFL, they like to do a 180. When they fire a coach, they want to go and get that.

[Jason Moore]

They'll bring in some spread guy from college that wants to throw the ball.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, exactly.

[Mike Wright]

Or they'll hire Chip Kelly after he's removed from San Francisco.

[Andy Holloway]

So just.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, good perspective. They're kind of a crazy situation in the running backs in Buffalo. All right, let's talk about this report from the Chicago Tribune. Rich Campbell talking about the Bears planning to use a committee approach at running back. Is this foxy?

[Mike Wright]

I like what you did. It's just another. Another update, another, you know, pin in the cap of Langford. Man. If Chicago is not going to give us the clear view of will it be Langford, will it be a committee then drafting Jeremy Lankford in the fourth round? There's. It's carrying a high amount of risk. And look, John Fox before. Before Denver, when he had Adam Gase. John Fox has used multiple running backs in his coaching career, so this wouldn't be an outlandish thing to see it happen.

[Jason Moore]

All right, we're going to move on to the. To talking to Willie Snead here in a second. I'll move the other news that we have here, which isn't really much, to the Thursday show.

[Mike Wright]

How dare you.

[Jason Moore]

I know, but we're. We're up against the clock here. We want to make sure we can talk to the wide receiver of the New Orleans Saints, Willie Snead. Hey, before.

[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

Gotta go get your Willy sneed jersey over there.

[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

What's the last thing you got, Mike?

[Mike Wright]

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[Andy Holloway]

What?

[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

Gotta get it.

[Mike Wright]

I gotta get that. They have. They even. They have a Ken Stabler. You guys remember hall of fame, Oakland Raiders, Ken Stabler? They have this huge collection of his stuff going on right now. So check out pristine auction. You only pay for what you win when you bid. So go sign up a free account. Let them know the fantasy footballer sent you pristineauction.com. that's P R. I S T I N E auction.com.

[Andy Holloway]

Let'S get divisional.

[Jason Moore]

I really, I really like that drop.

[Mike Wright]

Thank you.

[Andy Holloway]

I think it's my favorite.

[Jason Moore]

That one is. That one's up there for me. So we're talking NFC south today. We're talking through the Panthers, the Saints, the Falcons, the Buccaneers. I want to, I want to talk about the Panthers first.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

And then, and then we'll get to Willie Snead and the Saints. The Panthers deserve to be talked about first. They had a monster, monster season. Cam Newton, I saw a poll the other day. They were asking people who they wanted at quarterback for the next 10 years and Cam Newton was on top for.

[Andy Holloway]

Of course he was.

[Jason Moore]

You know, there was a lot of luck consideration. He was on top for a couple. Cam Newton was just. Because of what Cam Newton does to opposing defenses, game plans, he forces them to change them immensely. He's obviously got the athleticism, the cannon arm. Cam Newton is somebody who I think, I think it's very easy for fantasy football owners to react in two ways. One way is that he's going to do this again. He's the best. Let's just draft him really early. Some people do that. The other way is to cast great doubt on his career season and swing the pendulum the other direction. Avoid him at all cost, predict great regression. I personally believe the truth lies in the middle, maybe even more to the side that he'll repeat what he's going to do. That doesn't make him a top pick for me. But what are your guys thoughts on Cam Newton? Because I don't really think we talked much about him.

[Mike Wright]

I completely agree with your assessment. I think it's right in the middle. I'm not going to overpay. But if somehow Newton becomes a value to me in the fifth or the sixth round, I will take him. But here's the thing about Cam Newton, like you mentioned, the career season, 35 passing touchdowns. Look, the running is there. I think it's clear that this point now the running is here to stay. So the yardage and you're gonna get, you know, six to 10 touchdowns on the ground, but 35. Last year, his career best before that point was 24. We saw that. We have seen this story very recently. It was called Andrew Luck 23, 23, 40.

[Jason Moore]

And then it was called Matthew Stafford over 40.

[Mike Wright]

Then look, guys have these years where they. Everything goes right. And I know people are thinking, hey, Kelvin Benjamin's back. Kelvin Benjamin, the number one wide receiver for the Panthers. But to expect a season like he had last year, his career year. Look, I think that's probably, maybe it's too soon to say that, but I think that will be the best year statistically of Cam Newton's career because everything went right for him.

[Jason Moore]

Jason, let me ask you this or did you want to say something about Cam first?

[Andy Holloway]

No, we talk about, I will say this on Cam. We talk about, oh, he had, he had 35 passing touchdowns. It's 11 more than his career height. But he also had 10 on the ground. And you say, yeah, he's going to get his six to 10. Well, those are very different numbers. Six touchdowns and 10 touchdowns. I mean, you're talking about 45 total touchdowns he had last year. I personally don't think he's going to come near 40. I think he's going to be at the 37, 38 range, which is great. Which is great. That's still a good quarterback, but that is nowhere near where he finished last year. You want to know where I got Cam Newton last year? On my team, off the waiver wise.

[Jason Moore]

And you won the league with him.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, I did.

[Jason Moore]

But the point is, you just said that out loud. That hurt me so much.

[Andy Holloway]

The point is, I think we have just gone rocket ship with who Cam is for fantasy. He's good. He's a top six quarterback. Could. I think I've got him ranked as my number three quarterback. But I am. I don't have as much confidence or trust in him as I do in Drew Brees, who's done it forever, or Aaron Rodgers or.

[Jason Moore]

You remember when Michael Vick was the number one pick in fantasy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I do.

[Mike Wright]

That brings me to just my closing point.

[Jason Moore]

I just wish we could embrace one of these guys and say they're going to be that forever, but they never are. I know.

[Mike Wright]

My closing point was the number one quarterback going in next year is always the guy who finished first last year. So be careful.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Number two in the league in rushing last year, 142 yards game. Really impressive is Cam's fantasy season. Despite being only 24th in the league in total yards per game. This was a team that blew people out that could run the ball in the second half. You know, after the exclamation points were added through the air. I'm curious about their passing game and the running game. I think Jonathan Stewart is slightly undervalued. I think the passing game is interesting to me because he performed so well last year. So many touchdowns with Greg Olson and Ginn and Corey Brown. Now you really have Devin Funches who barely made an appearance at times last year, even snap count wise. And then you got Kelvin Benjamin returning. Is this a more difficult passing game to project or do you guys see some, some things that you feel like you know about?

[Andy Holloway]

Ironically, after throwing shade on Cam, I expect them to pass the ball a little bit more this year as far as attempts go than they did last year. You've got obviously the loss of their superstar, you know, cornerback Josh Norman on defense. They, they led. They were their game script last year. The, the amount of time that they were behind was so little. I mean, it was late in the season before they like didn't have a lead in a game. It was unbelievable how much they were ahead. And so that says they're able to keep running the ball. I still think they're a good team. Their defense is still good and they're going to be able to run, but they're not going to be able to have the same split that they had last year on running versus passing. So that bodes well, I think, for, for Kelvin Benjamin. People considering, you know, who is Kelvin Benjamin, you know, you've got a rookie who puts up a lot of touchdowns and 1,000 yards. That's incredible. Then he's gone. Last year comes back. The possible outcomes for Calvin Benjamin are very wide.

[Mike Wright]

To me, in the Kelvin Benjamin production, that was the opposite game script. The Panthers were not a strong team. They were frequently trailing. Kelvin Benjamin that season was among the leaders of scoring fantasy points in the fourth quarter because he was. If you thought Jordan Matthews was the trash man last year, try and jog that memory to what Kelvin Benjamin was two years ago.

[Jason Moore]

I think that this discussion about the Panthers really illustrates what we try to do on this show, which is bring the information to light so that you can make a decision based on that information. Because all of these are really good points. I don't think that it's important to make a definite conclusion today about Kelvin Benjamin. Unless you're drafting today and then you have to do that. Basically you have to do on the information that you have. But I mean, I, I don't feel confident about Kelvin Benjamin. I don't, I don't want to react too far the other way. I think that Cam Newton likes to throw to who's open. And I think a lot of players seem to get open on that on that team, you know, because of the fact that Cam Newton causes the linebackers to pinch up and causes the mismatches. One of the reasons why they, some of the analysts like him more than Anybody else over the next 10 years. Any other things you want to mention on the Panthers before we move on to.

[Mike Wright]

I wanted to talk Jonathan Stewart just real quick and get some thoughts on Jonathan Stewart. Our boy TJ Hernandez tweeted out this look I've talked about. Hernandez is tweeting out these awesome stats, but here's one about Jonathan Stewart. Since 2010, Jonathan Stewart has scored on one of his 82 red zone rushes from outside the five. That's 1.2%. If you want context for that, that's worst among active backs. So if Jonathan Stewart is in the red zone but not inside the five, he's not scoring. So. And a lot of that has to do with Cam Newton vulturing his touchdowns and that, that ceiling that we talk about for Jonathan Stewart, you know, where he always just feels capped because of that touchdown production. There, there's the number for you. What? How do you not think that?

[Jason Moore]

I don't think that number is very important.

[Andy Holloway]

I think that number, what it says to me is that he's getting an absurd amount of opportunities. He has not yet been capitalizing on them. But if you look last year in the games that he played, he, I think in a 10 game stretch where he played, he scored six touchdowns. That's great. I want that from all of my running back. I want that for my first round running backs. That's, that's, that's high level production. And if he was doing that while missing out on 81 of 82 attempts, you know, between the 5 and 20, great, maybe some of those go in. So I think that, I think it's interesting.

[Jason Moore]

I just don't think it's a player defining stat. I mean, you have a guy who, he did score on the ground last year. He had, what was it, eight consecutive weeks of 20 plus carries.

[Mike Wright]

He carries are there.

[Jason Moore]

I will and I agree he's capped. He's capped because he's not going to do, he's not going to make a lot of breakaways. You know, he had I think a 44 yard run last year, but he isn't a breakaway guy. He's a very tried and true workhorse type of guy, but he's on a good offense that is willing to give it to him at the goal line. And so I think he's undervalued at the moment. So we're going to jump into the New Orleans Saints and discuss Drew Brees and his receiving mate there, Willie Snead. We're going to invite him in on the show right now.

[Andy Holloway]

You talking to me?

[Mike Wright]

The fantasy footballers are extremely excited to bring in our next guest, a breakout wide receiver from last year. We are talking to the Willie Snead from the New Orleans Saints. How are you doing today, my friend?

[Willie Snead]

I'm doing great, man. Thanks for having me on.

[Mike Wright]

We loved you last year. You were. As for fantasy football, you were a waiver wire star because the breakout was real. You were a big fan favorite around the show, especially with your name. I'm sure you've heard the need for Snead before.

[Willie Snead]

Yeah, definitely. A couple, few times.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Because it's awesome.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Mike had the need for Snead all year long.

[Mike Wright]

I certainly did. So how's the offseason been going, man? What have. What have you been up to?

[Willie Snead]

Well, offseason is going pretty good for me. I went back and finished my school and finished up my degree, and then I just been training mostly and just trying to, you know, get ready for the upcoming season.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, congratulations on the degree. That is. That is spectacular. What did you. What'd you major in?

[Willie Snead]

I measured in sports management. Went back to Ball State to finish up.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that's. That's fantastic. So it. Has there been anything in particular for. In your workouts you're. You're working on, you know, like, you think, oh, I want to get faster, more agile. What. What is it that you want to evolve?

[Willie Snead]

I think I just want to become a more explosive player. You know, I was. I think I was a good possession receiver last. You know, I made all the right reads and made the plays when I need. They came to me. But I think this year, once I get the ball in my hand, I want to be more explosive and just, you know, see the change of speed in my game.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, right on. So those yards after the catch and those are huge. Those are huge. So you have a fascinating career arc to me. You had a few just dominant years at Ball State, the college you were talking about. I mean, in a season, your final season, over 100 receptions, over 1500 yards and 15 touchdowns. Those are staggering numbers. Unfortunately, you went up undrafted. Like, what was that experience like?

[Willie Snead]

I mean, you know, it was just a tough time for me and my family. You know, I was. I thought I was going to get good enough to get drafted and, you know, I just had to dig my way out of a hole. You know, I just had to, you know, fight. I had to prove myself. You know, it didn't work for me at the Browns, but, you know, I just had to keep, stay faithful and, you know, make sure. That I count my blessings and take advantage of the opportunities that came my way.

[Mike Wright]

Sure. And so you spent a little time with the Browns, the Panthers, before the Saints picked you up for the practice squad. That, that time in between when you're, you know, you're trying to stay, you get the fitness up, the training up, when you're just waiting for the phone call and you finally get it from the Saints for the practice squad. What is, what does that phone call look like?

[Willie Snead]

Man, it's just, it's just, like I said, another opportunity. And I was really excited because my agent gave me, you know, some hopeful news and all I had to do was go in there and give a good workout and, you know, when I got there, you know, I just felt good, I gave my best and, you know, they ended up taking me. So, you know, it's just an amazing feeling and just to be back in the building somewhere working, you know, it's just an amazing feeling getting off the couch like that.

[Mike Wright]

Sure. And then you got some even better news shortly thereafter when you ended up, you have a very solid camp, a great preseason, you end up on the 53 man roster. What do you remember about that day? Did you get the news in person? Did you get a phone call that was kind of like your draft day? I imagine it was, it was, it.

[Willie Snead]

Was a very special day for me. You know, I was just quiet the whole day. You know, 3:00 was coming and, you know, I got a phone call from, you know, Coach Payton. He told me that, you know, I made the 53 man roster. I had a heck of a cam, and, you know, he just wanted me to see, see me take my game to a whole nother level. And, you know, he was just going to count on me that year and he just gave me the opportunity that I've always wanted, man, and I just ran with it, you know, whenever the ball came my way, I just made the plays and, you know, I was just very thankful at that time.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I think the Saints saw something in you because truly it's there and good for them. Have they, have they expressed anything about you long term? Have you been talking about. Because I believe, you know, you've got one year left this year. Have they talked about plans for you?

[Willie Snead]

I mean, I really haven't spoken to Coach Payton or any of the guys upstairs about it. You know, I'm just coming in every day, you know, with a game plan to get better and just help this team get to where we want to be, which is ultimately the Super Bowl. So, you know, right now, that's what. That's what my focus is on. And, you know, whenever that time comes where they want to talk about contracts and all that good stuff, then I'll be ready. But until then, you know, I'm going to just take it day by day, you know, business, like.

[Mike Wright]

Sure, sure. And we get it. We love the team first mentality. And you came in with a very strong first season. 984 yards. And like I said, we get the team mentality. But you got to tell me the truth here, Willie. 16 yards short of a thousand yards. I mean, that's got to eat you up.

[Willie Snead]

It does, man. That's the motivation. You know, I just took that into off season. I was like, man, I thought about it. It's like 16 yards. It's like a slant, you know, that's anything but. You know, I just had to use that as motivation to juice and, you know, I just want to get a thousand this year a lot sooner, you know, just keep making those goals and keep pushing myself to the limit.

[Andy Holloway]

So what. What are your goals, then? Your. Your personal goals for this year? What would. What would you say they are?

[Willie Snead]

You know, I just want to. You know, I definitely want to get a thousand yards this year. You know, it's possible. I think this year I think I can, you know, I will get more than a thousand. I definitely want to get my touchdowns up, and I just want to, you know, help our wins. You know, I want to get those wins up, you know, be a team player and just be more effective than I was last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Have you been working with Drew Brees at all in the off season? Has anybody been working out with Drew Brees to kind of build that rapport?

[Willie Snead]

Yeah, you know, all of us have. We're a young group of receivers, and, you know, we actually just got back from San Diego, you know, working out there for a week, and we got a lot of good work in, and I feel like this unit is a lot closer, and I think the time together is really going to pay off.

[Andy Holloway]

For us who all went there to San Diego.

[Willie Snead]

I mean, pretty much the whole receiving group, you know, CJ Filler, you know, Brandon Cooks, Brandon Coleman, Michael Thomas. You know, a lot of guys, you know, that are dedicated, you know, they were there with Drew, and we have some other guys from different teams coming on and working out with us as well.

[Andy Holloway]

Very cool. Very cool. How's Michael Thomas looking so far?

[Willie Snead]

He's looking good, man. He's looking good. He's taking it Day by day, he likes to learn, you know, he wants to learn how to do it the right way and you know, we're just, we're really impressed with how much he's grown as a player. So, you know, we're just expecting him to get better each and every week.

[Andy Holloway]

Was Kobe Fleener there? Have you, have you been able to work out with Kobe Fleener yet?

[Willie Snead]

Yeah, he was there. Yeah, Kobe was there. He was actually working out. And Kobe looks good, man. You know, I'm really happy for him and I'm excited to see what he does this year.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, with us. Us too. I think, I think your team as a whole, really the fantasy footballers we are. We're really looking forward to seeing what you guys do this year. Now, this coming year, you lose Marcus Colston, I mean that was, you know, the Saints all time leading receiver. How is that going to hit you guys, losing such an integral part of that offense?

[Willie Snead]

I mean, like you said, Colson was a big impact of our offense and you know, after 10 years of giving his greatness, you know, we just got to try to fill the gap as much as we can. You know, he was one of the Saints greats and you know, as a unit we just have to come together and we have to work just as hard because you know, without him being there, that's good. Defense is more, you know, time studying on cooks and me and although this year. So we all have to be good and we all have to pick up the slack.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Who do you think will assume that type of role that he's leaving the hole on? Who's. Who's going to fill that slot?

[Willie Snead]

I think, you know, Michael Thomas, like we said, you know, he's going to have to sell that role. He's going to have to play soon. And Brandon Coleman has been doing really good for us too. You know, he's a big body, six'six you know, he can make plays. So you know he's going to get a lot more opportunities this year and he's gonna show what he can do as well.

[Mike Wright]

So. Last year there was an emergence for Mark Ingram that honestly I don't know that anyone saw coming. We you guys had the big signing of C.J. spiller, a an absolutely dynamic pass catcher. It didn't work out last season and Mark Ingram actually took over that role as the pass catching running back. Did you guys have any idea that he had that kind of juice or that that was going to happen?

[Willie Snead]

I mean, I just think he's been working on speed a lot More, and he wants to be more of that elusive back and, you know, that can catch the ball and show that he can do some stuff, you know, after the catch. But I never limited Mark. You know, he was labeled as a big bruiser, but I think he's trained to be more of an agile back and be able to be more versatile.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that's. It was spectacular. So is there anyone. Is there anyone on the Saints that, like I talked about with the public, we didn't see that coming from Ingram. Is there somebody on your offense that we just. We don't see it coming. But you're, you know about it. You're thinking, yeah, look out for this guy.

[Willie Snead]

I think CJ Spiller is really going to make a bounce back. He's been trained really hard. He was out there in Cali with us, and he's been getting more healthy each and every time I see him. So, you know, I've been working out with him, I've been talking with him. So, you know, I'm excited to see what CJ does and, you know, see what he can do this year.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that's. That's extremely interesting. So you had mentioned, you mentioned the degree you finished up, the college from Ball State. Congratulations again. Have you given. I know it's a long ways away. You're focused on the football, but what is the future? What does your future look like using that degree? What do you have any kind of like, grand scheme plans?

[Willie Snead]

You know, I might want to be, you know, a coach someday. You know, I really want to be involved with, you know, developing kids and, you know, just being a coach and developing myself. You know, I want to spend time with my family and, you know, there's no. There's no plan right now. I think I just want to, you know, keep growing as a person. But I know the ultimate goal is, you know, to have a beautiful family and just, you know, try to raise my kids to be the best that they can be.

[Mike Wright]

Those are great goals, my friend. We're all dads over here, so we. Those are spectacular things to think about. Where can our listeners find you on Twitter?

[Willie Snead]

My Twitter account is willysneed4g.

[Mike Wright]

What's the 4G for?

[Willie Snead]

It's like, you know, it's always fast, you know, so, you know, trying to get that speed up, you know, I'm talking about.

[Andy Holloway]

I love it.

[Mike Wright]

Hey, Willie Sneed. Thank you so much for joining us, my friend.

[Willie Snead]

Thanks for having me on, guys. I really appreciate it.

[Mike Wright]

All right, big shout out, Willie Sneed. That Was a tremendous moment to get him on the show. If you followed us last year, you knew that we loved him. I personally had the need for Snead all year.

[Jason Moore]

I like any guy who has to fight and tooth and claw to put himself in the position to succeed. And he had to do that. I mean, coming out of college, putting himself in the position to not only get the call up, so to speak, but also earn the trust of Drew Brees over the course of the season. You know, there's still risk with those type of players. Sure, you see them burn bright, but, I mean, you had guys like Victor Cruz who did the same thing. Undrafted.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Scouts, scouts miss from time to time. They also miss on the guys at the top.

[Jason Moore]

Arian Foster.

[Mike Wright]

Sure. Kamar Aiken, Cricket. So let's start at the top. Let's start at Drew Brees. I think Drew Brees is our consensus fantasy football quarterback, man crush this year.

[Jason Moore]

If there was a consensus my guy and we haven't done our my guy episode yet, I think he would be one of our consensus my guys.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, all three of us are believing in basically the Saints offense this year. Last year, coming into the year, right, they lost Jimmy Graham. Colston was a year older. Breeze was a year older. You know, things were going bad. Well, now Colston has been replaced by Michael Thomas, who, you know, Willie Snead is saying he's looking good. You've also got Brandon Coleman, who Willie Snead says is looking good. So those two guys are thrust into that role. You got Kobe Fleener coming to the Saints, which is hopefully going to make up for, you know, what Ben Watson was able to do. He's younger, he's faster, he's, I think, just as good a pass catcher as Ben Watson. So the offense itself should be able to really chug. And if you look at last year, the Saints offense, the second half of the year was pretty darn good. Yeah, the Saints offense, the first half of the year, especially passing the ball, was not. So they were trying to figure out who are we with the loss of Jimmy Graham. And they figured it out and they brought in pieces this year, that match, what we saw the second half of last year. So that. That's why we like Drew Brees.

[Mike Wright]

They were trying to figure it out. Drew Brees also was. Was dealing with that shoulder injury and.

[Jason Moore]

These two guys all the way to the first in the league and. Right.

[Mike Wright]

So these two guys get brought up a lot of. For me on Twitter, you know, Ben Roethlisberger versus Drew Brees and Right now in current fantasy football calculator average draft position Ben Roethlisberger is being, he's taken the head of Drew Brees and we bring this number up all the time. Big Ben has thrown 32 over 30 touchdowns twice in his career. And that's the number was 32. How many times has Drew Brees been 32 or more? Oh, just every year. The last eight years.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

That's reach it. Well, that's just ridiculous. He's been over 4,032 plus touchdowns including several years of over 5,000 yards. If Drew Brees had been healthy all year, he would have been over 5,000 again this year. And yet he still slips past guys like Ben Roethlisberger.

[Jason Moore]

People think Drew Brees is too old. I'm just saying that's the perspective.

[Andy Holloway]

Sean Payton said it best a couple weeks ago when he said, you know, when he was going back and watching, he didn't see one single snap on the season where he felt like Drew Brees had actually lost anything, lost a step at all.

[Jason Moore]

Is Brandon Cooks an elite fantasy wide receiver?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that's I think to me, easy question. I think Cooks and then the, the running back situation that Snead brought up, I think those are the biggest questions to me for the, for the Saints and Brandon Cooks. I don't know if, if Brandon Cooks, the player is an elite wide receiver, maybe can he can get there. But 5,000 yards and over 30 touchdowns has to go somewhere.

[Jason Moore]

All right, last Saints question. Is there a sleeper on this team?

[Mike Wright]

Apparently it's CJ Spiller, according to Willie Snead. Because Willie Snead, look Mark Ingram, why he exploded, why I love him this year is because I'm, I was buying into Mark Ingram being the pass catcher. Personally, I still do. However, if you see a healthy, dynamic C.J. spiller in the preseason, that's going to have a, an earthquake shake up effect of average draft position. Because if Mark Ingram is not getting 50 receptions, then he's, he's not a top five running back.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's talk about the Atlanta Falcons. The offense that you know, loses Roddy White and whatever remained of him last year.

[Mike Wright]

Did they lose him this year or did they lose him last year?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, the fantasy headliners, Obviously Julio Jones, 135 receptions last year, didn't get into the end zone as much as he can and should, yet still dominated the fantasy landscape. He's joined by Muhammad Sanu this season. And one of my kind of deeper sleepers is Justin Hardy. I think Hardy coming into Year number two in that offense. Sanu is just a guy to me. It doesn't mean he won't be productive. I just don't think Sanu is exceptional and I think that the ball is going to get spread around there and I don't really believe that the tight end position is going to see high volume in Atlanta. So I think you should pay attention to Justin Hardy. I think he's going to be flex worthy on certain weeks. So who do you want to talk about here? This is an offense that kind of was up and down last season. I think we've brought to light the fact that Ryan wasn't really that bad.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I would say Matt Ryan and Devonte Freeman are the two places where I would like to focus. So I'll start, I'll start it with devonte Freeman. My stance on Devonte Freeman has been well known that he is not, not necessarily my favorite player. But look, and what do I see moving forward into next year? There's a lot of talk of Tevin Coleman getting a bunch more work and I think that's going to be true. I still think that Freeman is the running back to own in Atlanta. But do not forget Tevin Coleman outplayed Freeman and opened the season as the starter. I think he had 20 carries or so in the first or second game. The rib injury plus Devontae Freeman explosion led to Freeman being the starter. Now after that three or four game stretch for Freeman where he was a monster, he was just, he was bad as far as running the ball, was a dynamic pass catcher. But as a between the tackles runner, Freeman was not getting it done. That's why I think that where Coleman.

[Jason Moore]

Will be brought in, I tend to not overreact to Freeman's second half as much as I think. Well, I don't want to say that you're overreacting. I tend not to react as heavily as you do with how we finished the season. I think, you know, you have a natural regression. Some of those numbers, we all said it at week 10, they're unsustainable. Nobody's ever done this in the history of the league. But now you have a guy who can do it sometimes not. What I mean is. No, there aren't very many players in fantasy that can dominate to the level that Devontae Freeman did, the potential to do it right. You're not going to have that from Jonathan Stewart ever. You're not going to have a week where he catches that many passes, puts that many touchdowns together in a string. And so the Potential for him to do that. I think Matt Ryan leaned on him a lot in the passing game. You didn't have Roddy White. You didn't have success at the two position. They leaned on Freeman. I think they can lean on Freeman. I think Tevin Coleman will get work. I still like Devontae Freeman. I just don't like him for the.

[Mike Wright]

And it's all about the current draft position. Right now in. I'm looking at standard at least. So in standard leagues, Devontae Freeman is going right in the middle of the second. Guys going behind him. Eddie Lacy, Doug Martin, Mark Ingram, Thomas Rawls and LaShawn McCoy. That'd be really hard for me to take Freeman over, really, any of those guys. I think I would take him ahead of Doc Martin and maybe Rawls. We'll see how that shakes out. But, you know, Lacy, Ingram and McCoy. I'm taking those guys instead of Freeman. I don't know about you guys right now.

[Jason Moore]

He's our consensus 11. Jason has him the lowest at number 12 overall. Mike has him at 11. I have him at 8. Which kind of backs up, I guess, my thoughts on him there. Did you have any thoughts you wanted to add about Freeman, Jason, about Freeman?

[Andy Holloway]

You know, the reality is Morgan Freeman, though. Oh, in a world. What? That's not Morgan. That was terrible.

[Jason Moore]

That wasn't Morgan Freeman.

[Andy Holloway]

That was the movie announcer.

[Jason Moore]

I remember Andy Dufresne.

[Andy Holloway]

There you go. All right. So you're the Morgan Freeman.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, Andy Dufresne. Devonta Freeman.

[Mike Wright]

In a world where Jason can't do.

[Jason Moore]

A reference, it's great to see personally.

[Andy Holloway]

With Devonta Freeman, I just see a lot of risk. You named guys like Eddie Lacy, you could say. I mean, it's weird, right, Because Devonta Freeman finishes the number one running back. When's the last time that a number one finisher at running back the following year was like, you know, middle second round pick. That's crazy.

[Jason Moore]

Never. Because never before has there been a Mike. Right. To impact the draft position of a player.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

So severely.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you're welcome.

[Andy Holloway]

But there is risk there, I think where I have him as 12, he's still an RB one. I expect him to finish there. When I was looking and really diving into, like the Atlanta writers, they believe in him. I don't think there's any reason to not believe in him. He was good for your team. But who I want to talk about for the Falcons is Matt Ryan, personally.

[Jason Moore]

Well, before you do that, I want to make sure. Mike, will you do me a favor? Will you make a promise to the listeners that if Devontae Freeman ends up the number one running back for a second consecutive year, you will wear his jersey for the entire year on the show.

[Mike Wright]

Not an entire year, but I'll spoil a month.

[Jason Moore]

A month of Devonta Freeman jersey.

[Mike Wright]

I'll give you a month.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

I'll give you a month.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't think Mike's very afraid of that, though.

[Jason Moore]

Apparently he was. He hesitated.

[Mike Wright]

Because a year is. That's just ludicrous.

[Andy Holloway]

He's got a style and a fashion to uphold.

[Jason Moore]

It's called being wrong about Devonta Freeman.

[Andy Holloway]

You just have to get, like 20 different pristine, auction signed jerseys of Devonta Freeman. Wear different ones every day.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Talk about Matt Ryan. Talk about Alex. Matt coming in to protect him. What do you think about Matt Ryan? Is he.

[Andy Holloway]

Matt Ryan is very, very, very undervalued right now. One of the things that we see in the NFL over the last decade is offensive coordinators come in, and a lot of times the offense takes a step back in year one and then in year two. The quarterback and the wide receivers, especially when it's. When it's, you know, really a better one. Look at McAdoo. Right when McAdoo went to New York, oh, man, it was terrible. Eli's throwing no touchdowns, tons of interceptions, but as soon as it started clicking for them, you've seen that with a lot of different offensive coordinators. Last year, we were so high on Kyle Shanahan talking about how he's going to really help Julio, which. Which he did, and help the passing game, the whole offense. But I think we were one year off. And we haven't been talking about the fact that this is now that luxury year two for the quarterback and wide receivers in a Kyle Shanahan offense. Put it this way, the years prior to last year, Matt Ryan averaged 28.6 touchdowns per year. And that's not just a few years. That's six years. Six years. And it was almost always right around that 28. And last year he threw 21 touchdowns. It just seems weird, but I think you had a brand new, you know, offensive coordinator coming in. One extra year of rapport, I expect him to just, you know, I'm not predicting that he's going to come out and throw 35 touchdowns, but if he doesn't throw 28, I'm going to be surprised. I think he'll throw 28 touchdowns this year, which would bump him up drastically because he had the yards, he. He had the attempts. Everything else was There.

[Jason Moore]

Is Julio still your number one?

[Andy Holloway]

Julio?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, no. It was Beckham.

[Andy Holloway]

It was Beckham. But Julio is my number two in all formats.

[Jason Moore]

There you go.

[Mike Wright]

And I'll finish Matt Ryan with this third incomplete, finish him third in completions, sixth incompletion percentage, fifth in yards. I mean, those are great numbers. He threw a little too many on the interceptions, so if he can cut.

[Jason Moore]

That down, I think about half of those were in the red zone. It was. That's.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

You saw him make plays last year that were Jay Cutler eye roll esque, where you just. Sometimes people don't want to mess with Jay Cutler because they. It's so emotional. You're just. What are you doing? That's what he. That's what he did.

[Mike Wright]

And look, I think. I think like Jason said, second year in the offense, those interceptions come down, the touchdowns go up a little bit. And we're not predicting on Matt Ryan, a top five guy, but he's being very overlooked and undervalued right now.

[Jason Moore]

All right, we're going to talk about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers right now. I'm going to be honest with you guys. I think if there's a place that. Where we could miss as a show and we try not to miss. We have a lot of foot clan titles last year. We're trying to. Trying not to miss for you. If we miss in Tampa, we miss big. If this team is not successful. Because I think, you know, Mike. Mike is a big Winston guy.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

We all really like Mike Evans. I like Doug Martin. So we're saying a lot of positive things about this offense and the potential with dirt cutter there now as the head coach, you know, is this a mirage, a perception mirage, because this team is in a difficult division with New Orleans, with Carolina, with Atlanta that we just talked about tough divisional games, not a great team last year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

So I don't know that New Orleans would be a tough. That seems. I mean, from a. From winning the game, sure. But from a. Being able to score.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. Yeah, those games were great last year. They were. They were shootouts.

[Mike Wright]

It. To me, it was the.

[Jason Moore]

Jason's the biggest on Austin Severing Jenkins, by the way. I just want to throw that out there.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I'm the highest.

[Jason Moore]

If you were to tweet him about Austin Severian Jenkins and how much he loves him.

[Andy Holloway]

Not going to happen this time. I think I've got Austin Safari and Jenkins at like 24.

[Jason Moore]

No, I know, I know.

[Mike Wright]

I took him off the list. I basically should look Jameis Winston, it was A rough, it was a rough opening half for Jameis Winston. Everybody remembers week one, the Mario to Winston debacle of James Winston.

[Andy Holloway]

Funny.

[Mike Wright]

Well, I think his first pass was an interception. He had four turnovers or something in that game. And look, it was rough. I completely agree with this. But if you look at his numbers over the course of the season, there was a noticeable statistical bump up in the second half of the year. You bring in Dirk Cotter, I think a more offensive minded guy than Lovey Smith, and they want him there to keep the Jameis Winston development going. Plus you had Mike Evans, who was an absolute target vacuum among the league leaders in yards. Why? What are you shaking your head about?

[Jason Moore]

Well, the picture of a vacuum, maybe like with like bad suction. Right? Yeah, I was just saying he sucks up the targets, but then they, they bounced off a lot last year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he is. The drops were whatever, but. And I'm fine with the drops.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly, exactly.

[Mike Wright]

I'm fine. The drops are going to happen. But he was, he was among the league leaders in targets. But when you're number one, it only has. What do you have? Three. Three touchdowns.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, three total touchdowns.

[Mike Wright]

When your wide receiver one only has three total touchdowns, that's going to reflect in your, your quarterback ranking and your quarterback stats. I think that's the anomaly. I think that he'll be closer to what Evans will be closer to what he was his rookie year, which is a huge bump for Jameis Winston.

[Jason Moore]

So just to play devil's advocate, for the sake of argument here, no one's going to complain or assume that Bridgewater and his total touchdowns to his one are going to naturally change or it's an anomaly. Could this offense be just leaning upon Doug Martin like they did last year? Is this a running offense? I mean, they paid Doug Martin. They, Doug Martin carried the load last season. Charles Sims is there. We all like Charles Sims. Why? Why the natural inclination that it's all going to change?

[Mike Wright]

No, I'm not saying everything is going to change. I'm just saying that the team as a whole will improve. Their offense will be better.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I think there will be change a little bit in that. You're going from a Lovey Smith team, right? Lovey Smith was defense, run the ball, one of those, you know, classic ground and pound. Have a great defense, win a championship that way. And now you've got Dirt Cutter coming in and you know, this actually scares me, but Dirt Cutter is saying, we're going to start opening it up for Jameis. I'm like, nah, let's just keep it close, keep it, keep it safe, keep it tight, just tighten it up. But he wants to open it up. That to me says, look, we're not going to be the same kind of ground and pound defensive minded team, which of course dirt cutter never has been. I don't think he's a great head coach. We've talked about that before. Sometimes good offensive coordinators make lousy head coaches.

[Jason Moore]

Mark Trustman.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, Trustman, that's a good one.

[Jason Moore]

If they get the reality though is if you're going to open. Yeah, Wizen Hunt too. If you're going to open the offense up, great. But you don't just say it and it happens. You have to have an offensive line that protects Jameis Winston to allow him to do that. He will be mistake prone if he's under pressure like he was last year. They gave up 109 quarterback hits on Winston last season. They, they need to improve in that regard.

[Andy Holloway]

Part of that was Winston, man, he.

[Mike Wright]

Holds the ball for 109 quarterback hits. They, they only allowed 27 sacks which was fourth best in the league. So the line is doing.

[Jason Moore]

Sounds like a Ben Roethlisberger situation.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

So. All right, that's it for our divisional rundown. Thank you to Willie Snead for joining us on the show today. Good insight from him and we appreciate him coming on the show.

[Mike Wright]

It's real quick. So if there's any, if there's a sleeper, which we've kind of been doing this, is there a sleeper from the Buccaneers that you like?

[Jason Moore]

Charles Sims, Vincent Jackson and for me.

[Mike Wright]

I would say Kenny Bell, assuming that he makes the team.

[Jason Moore]

Vincent Jackson is, he could go Steve, he could go Steve Smith on. On us all.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm gonna spit my lacroix. I'm mid drink as I hear my go. Assuming he makes the team.

[Mike Wright]

That's wow, great sleeper mike.

[Jason Moore]

Vincent Jackson, like I said, I think you can do what Steve Smith did which was, you know, give you a couple weeks to start the season and then keep them going because I don't.

[Mike Wright]

Know if Jackson has the anger that Steve Smith has.

[Andy Holloway]

No one has the anger.

[Jason Moore]

I don't know. I'm just throwing it out there. So like I said Thursday, tune in Todd Gurley on the show. Another divisional rundown. Lots of news and information. Make sure you join us. Subscribe on itunes. Subscribe wherever you happen to be listening. We're on iheartradio now.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Which is pretty cool. So if you are an iHeartRadio fan, you can find us there I'm pretty sure we're everywhere you can be as a podcast.

[Andy Holloway]

If we're not, let us know.

[Jason Moore]

We're kind of like an infection, you know, we just kind of go wherever herpes are forever. I wouldn't compare us to herpes.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And yet you did. Thank you for that, Jason.

[Mike Wright]

It's out there. Good.

[Jason Moore]

It's out there. It's out there. Now stay tuned for the show after the show on YouTube. There's no. There's no real herpes follow up. So other than medication, what have you done? Well, we'll talk to you later.

[Mike Wright]

All right. Goodbye.

[Andy Holloway]

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