Fantasy Football Podcast 2017 - The Fantasy Court with Judge Giamatti

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast 2017 - The Fantasy Court with Judge Giamatti: A Detailed Summary

Release Date: July 4, 2017
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
Special Guest: Jay Grizz

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Introduction

In this episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast, the hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright delve deep into fantasy football strategies and player evaluations. The standout feature of this episode is the innovative segment titled "The Fantasy Court with Judge Giamatti," where the hosts playfully litigate their differing opinions on player rankings under the humorous oversight of their mock judge, Judge Giamatti.

The Fantasy Court with Judge Giamatti

[14:00 - 37:49]
The core of the episode revolves around the Fantasy Court segment, where Jason and Mike present cases against each other's player rankings. Judge Giamatti presides over these debates, offering rulings that add both entertainment and insight into the complexities of fantasy football decision-making.

1. Case 1: Rob Kelly's Ranking

   • Plaintiff: Andy Holloway
   • Defendant: Jason Moore
   • Issue: Jason is accused of concealing evidence supporting his high ranking of Rob Kelly.
   • Arguments:
     • Andy: Argues that Rob Kelly's performance waned in the latter half of the season, citing a drop from 4.78 to 3.33 yards per carry.
     • Jason: Defends Kelly by emphasizing his strong first eight weeks, including 10 rushing touchdowns, and counters by questioning the impact of the defenses faced during Kelly's lower-performing games.
   • Ruling: Judge Giamatti rules in favor of the defendant, Jason Moore, supporting his higher ranking of Rob Kelly.

2. Case 2: Keenan Allen's Ranking

   • Plaintiff: Jason Moore
   • Defendant: Andy Holloway
   • Issue: Andy is charged with defamation for undervaluing Keenan Allen as an injury-prone wide receiver.
   • Arguments:
     • Jason: Highlights Allen's resilience, mentioning his recovery from a lacerated kidney and torn ACL, and argues for his potential to achieve 100 receptions in the upcoming season.
     • Andy: Critiques Allen's production over the years and emphasizes the risk associated with drafting a player who hasn't played a full game in two years.
   • Ruling: Judge Giamatti sides with the defendants, rejecting Andy's low ranking of Keenan Allen.

3. Case 3: Dak Prescott's Ranking

   • Plaintiff: Andy Holloway
   • Defendant: Jason Moore
   • Issue: Jason is accused of "felony fantasy entrapment" for overrating Dak Prescott at the 7th quarterback spot, alongside a minor charge of public intoxication.
   • Arguments:
     • Andy: Questions the sustainability of Prescott's performance given the Cowboys' run-first offense and his challenging playoff schedule.
     • Jason: Emphasizes Prescott's impressive rookie season, his matured rapport with teammates, and historical trends where successful rookie quarterbacks continue to excel.
   • Ruling: Judge Giamatti rules in favor of the plaintiff, Andy Holloway, deeming Prescott's ranking too high.

4. Case 4: David Njoku's Ranking

   • Plaintiff: Jason Moore
   • Defendant: Andy Holloway
   • Issue: Andy is charged with aiding and abetting rookie overhype and creating unrealistic expectations for David Njoku.
   • Arguments:
     • Jason: Criticizes Njoku's potential based on past rookie tight end performances and the support system around him, arguing that current team dynamics do not favor Njoku's fantasy production.
     • Andy: Defends Njoku by highlighting Cleveland's offensive changes, Njoku's talent, and the opportunity for significant fantasy production.
   • Ruling: Judge Giamatti rules in favor of the plaintiff, Jason Moore, dismissing the high expectations placed on David Njoku.

Notable Quotes:

• Jason Moore on Rob Kelly's performance:
  "His 16 game pace from the time that he was the starter... he would have had 10, 68 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns... That's ahead." [17:00]

• Mike Wright defending Dak Prescott:
  "Dak Prescott just recorded the third best rookie quarterback season of the past decade..." [28:01]

Mailbag Q&A

[37:15 - 46:49]
Following the intense Fantasy Court proceedings, the hosts shift gears to address listener questions, providing personalized advice and further showcasing their expertise.

1. Drafting Multiple Players from the Same Team

   • Listener Question: "Thoughts on drafting multiple players from the same team?"
   • Discussion Points:
     • Jason: Emphasizes roster makeup and the balance between high-powered teams versus maximizing upside with handcuffs.
     • Mike: Agrees, highlighting scenarios where drafting multiple players from the same team can be beneficial, especially when team dynamics support sustained production.
   • Notable Insight: Drafting multiple players from a high-performing team can amplify scoring potential but might limit upside if both players can't perform simultaneously.

2. Choosing Between Running Backs

   • Listener Question: "In a 12-team standard league, would you keep Evans for a second-round pick, Shady for a third, or Crowell for an eighth?"
   • Discussion Points:
     • Jason: Advocates for valuing running backs highly due to their significant impact, suggesting that securing quality running backs early can provide a competitive edge.
     • Mike: Aligns with Jason's reasoning, expressing preference for reliable running backs over lower-ranked options.
   • Notable Insight: Prioritizing running backs in early rounds can offer stability and higher point ceilings in standard leagues.

3. Drafting Shady over Zeke Elliott in PPR Leagues

   • Listener Question: "Is it crazy to draft Shady over Zeke Elliott or over Antonio Brown/Julio in a PPR league?"
   • Discussion Points:
     • Jason: Generally advises taking Antonio Brown over Shady in PPR formats but acknowledges the nuances based on individual league dynamics and player health.
     • Mike: Highlights the risks associated with Shady's age and injury history, suggesting that while not crazy, it's essential to weigh the potential upside against his durability.
   • Notable Insight: In PPR leagues, balancing reception potential with reliability is crucial; elite receivers like Antonio Brown may offer a safer floor compared to players with injury concerns.

Sponsor Highlights and Giveaways

Throughout the episode, the hosts mention their sponsors, Play Draft, and Pristine Auction, promoting mock drafts, best ball formats, and autograph memorabilia giveaways. They encourage listeners to engage with these platforms for enhanced fantasy football experiences and chances to win exclusive items.

Notable Promotions:

• Play Draft:
  "If you have not played on Play Draft, you are missing just... you're taking fun out of your life for no good reason." [12:14]
  Link: playdraft.com/ballers

• Pristine Auction:
  "They are just the absolute best. Everything's authentic, really good company." [21:21]
  Link: pristineauction.com

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with a comprehensive recap of the Fantasy Court proceedings, acknowledgments to sponsors, and encouragement for listeners to participate in upcoming segments and giveaways. The hosts maintain their engaging and informative style, ensuring that listeners gain valuable insights while being thoroughly entertained.

Final Thoughts:

• Jason Moore:
  "You cannot draft Jarvis Landry, Michael Crabtree, Brandon Marshall, Julian Edelman, all at the same draft day value." [25:27]

• Mike Wright:
  "It’s not necessarily get super locked into the order of these guys... you just need to go with your gut on that." [44:43]

Listeners are encouraged to join the Fantasy Footballers community at jointhefoot.com and follow them on Twitter @theFFballers for more updates and fantasy football wisdom.

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This episode masterfully blends humor, competition, and expert analysis, offering both seasoned fantasy managers and newcomers valuable perspectives to enhance their game strategies.

Transcript

[Jason Moore]

Hey, Foot Clan wanted to wish you a happy 4th of July wherever you are. And make sure you celebrate by getting the ultimate draft kit@ultimate draftkit.com to dominate your fantasy league this year. I mean, everything that we do full time in our research and our stats, we put it all in there. So check it out. Ultimate Draft Kit.com.

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast coming to you from the Play Draft Studios with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Mike Wright]

Welcome in. Happy 4th of July. It is Independence Day.

[Jason Moore]

It's gonna be a good show.

[Mike Wright]

So many reasons why it's gonna be a good show. Now, you might be listening to this on your commute.

[Jason Moore]

You don't even realize when it's gonna.

[Mike Wright]

Be on July 5th. But we are thankful you're here and tuning into the Fantasy Footballers. Andy Holloway is here. That is me.

[Jason Moore]

Jason Moore. I'm here. That's me.

[Mike Wright]

And then Mike. Well, Mike isn't here. So Jay Grizz is back yet again. Seems like he was just here the other day.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Rumors in the bushes are that Jay Grizz is going to be with us this week, so make sure you follow him at jgrizffl.

[Mike Wright]

That is true.

[Jason Moore]

Mike is.

[Mike Wright]

He doesn't contribute a lot. He chooses his words carefully.

[Jason Moore]

That's true. But they're always accurate and he always favors Chicago.

[Mike Wright]

We have. Yes, we have an absolutely great episode of the show today. We are entering the fantasy courtroom today with Judge Giamatti.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, Judge Giamatti.

[Mike Wright]

So Brooks himself, or as we call him, Paul Giamatti, going to be basically bringing down the gavel, ruling on some courtroom battles today between Jason Moore and myself. We are both the plaintiffs on two different cases.

[Jason Moore]

We took a. We took a look at our rankings and said, hey, you're wrong here. I've got a case against you, and vice versa. And then we're going to have to. We're going to have to see who Judge Giamatti believes is more correct. Are you ready for this?

[Mike Wright]

Are you ready for this, Brooks?

[Judge Giamatti]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Judge Giamatti]

I think it's going to get heated.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. It's going to be very, very fun. So super excited about that. I do want to remind everybody out there, voting just opened up on the 2017 Podcast Awards.

[Jason Moore]

What?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. So if you are a fan of the show and want to do us a favor, you only got to do it once this year. Last year, you could nominate every day.

[Jason Moore]

That is so nice, because last year it just got annoying and, you know.

[Mike Wright]

We felt bad, but we didn't stop asking.

[Jason Moore]

Goodness Gracious. The Foot Clan came through. I mean, we. We call that, you know, Foot Clan assemble horn. And they. They came day after day after day. We thank you for your votes last year. If you want to vote this year, Foot Clan, Vote.com.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, we make it easy. Go to FootClanVote.com and what you do there is you just register to nominate. And you can nominate us for the best sports and recreation podcast and for the People's Choice award. Once you nominate, you do it one time. They send you an email, and you have to click that link in your email to validate your vote, and then you're done. And you've done your part to help out the Fantasy footballers podcast, and we sincerely appreciate that. And I'll tell you exactly how we appreciate that. Foot clangiveaway.com we are giving away a signed Ty Hilton jersey. A signed Tyreek Hill jersey.

[Jason Moore]

Very nice.

[Mike Wright]

A signed Tevin Coleman jersey.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, get out of here.

[Mike Wright]

And get this. Your very own one of a kind. Well, not quite your very own Jay Grizz. We will ship you a Jay Grizz directly to your house.

[Jason Moore]

Jay Grizz in your home. How do you feel about that, Mr. Grizz?

[Mike Wright]

Very excited. He wants to be there. So. And we are three shows a week now. So we will be here today. It's Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday will be a third show of the week. So congrats to all of you fantasy fanatics out there. We're going to be here all week long. All right, quick question of the day. I really like this one. And Brooks put this in here. So credit to Mr. Giamatti, who's a player that you wish could break free if. And claim independence from their current team. Nice tie in there. I didn't even catch that when I read it the first time.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, this is a good Independence Day question.

[Mike Wright]

For instance, Brooks had an example. He said, as a Laquan Treadwell Dynasty owner, he wishes that he was on a different offense. Right. You have a lot of wide receivers there, and Michael Floyd's still staying around feeling. And Diggs. And so maybe Treadwell's upside is capped. So who's a player you'd like to see break free for me to cry freedom?

[Jason Moore]

The guy that I wish.

[Mike Wright]

Mel Gibson.

[Jason Moore]

The guy that I wish was. Was. Was freed and given the ability to, I don't know, play in the NFL is Derek Henry, because he's a guy I really like. I watched the film and I think this. This is a good NFL running back, just like he was in College. I feel like it's the equivalent as if, you know, if Leonard Fournette came out this year and was drafted by the Buffalo Bills and it would be like, oh, oh, wait, so he's behind Shady. You know, it's just like, okay, well when is he going to get his chance? That's what's happening with demarco Murray. I want to see him go to the, go to the Colts or go to the Green, you know, the Packers. There we go. Because I think he would be a, you know, a top five, top ten type of back.

[Mike Wright]

You want to see Derek Henry set free?

[Jason Moore]

You want. And I don't get to draft him. I don't get to because I'm not going to draft. What is, you know, his value this year is more as a handcuff. He can have some weekly plays, but his value will really be if DeMarco Murray goes down. I'm not going to wait for that. I'm not going to draft him in the sixth round. So I don't get to, I don't get any DeMarco Murray shares.

[Mike Wright]

And you're sad about that?

[Jason Moore]

I am. I like him.

[Mike Wright]

I'm going to go with. Go ahead. Brooks.

[Judge Giamatti]

You said DeMarco Murray. You meant Derek Henry just now.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. He doesn't get any shares of Derek Henry. Yeah. All right. Allen Robinson's who I'm going to go with and it may seem strange, but because he had such a big year two years ago. But I think Alan Robinson needs to be set free from the shackles of Blake Bortles and what I think you mix Blake Bortles and the bad mechanics and the tough year with. I just think if the year doesn't start off well for Alan Robinson, he could be in trouble. And if this team moves to, if they are proficient on defense and they slow the game down, if it is going to be a run heavy offense with Leonard Fournette and if they throw the ball, you know, you have a healthy Alan Hearns, Marquise Lee. I just really worry about Alan Robinson because I think from a pure talent standpoint he could be a consistent top 10 type of player. I think he has those pure skills. He flashes them all the time. But I just don't have the kind of confidence in Blake Bortles and eternal garbage time in Jacksonville. And so I do worry that Alan Robinson would, you know, he needs to be set free to certainly to roam with a better quarterback. That's my honest opinion.

[Jason Moore]

So I would throw out DeAndre Hopkins right there with oh yeah. And Tevin Coleman, you know, matching my Derek Henry.

[Mike Wright]

Tevin who?

[Jason Moore]

Tevin Cole, man.

[Mike Wright]

All right, here, let's get into the news.

[Andy Holloway]

News and notes from around the league.

[Mike Wright]

Be sure to follow us on twitter @the ff ballers if you want all the latest news and information, including links to that giveaway and the things we do around here in the studio. All right, let's go ahead and jump into the news. This was interesting today. Adam Schefter said he would be, quote, hesitant to draft Ezekiel Elliott in fantasy leagues because of uncertainty about the NFL's ongoing investigation. He said he has spoken to some people who have given him a sense that some form of discipline could happen. You know, that is enough for me to just solidify him as the third option in the running backs, off the board at least. I mean, I know he was kind of cemented there. I was listening to some more countdowns and it seems like David Johnson is just taking a stranglehold of that top position where I didn't feel like a month and a half ago he had that firm grasp on it. Now it seems like people are trending that way. But, you know, you were grimacing.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man.

[Mike Wright]

Legal trouble is no fun.

[Jason Moore]

No. And here's the thing that I don't like about this because Schefter is not one to usually just start blind rumors, but here's the thing that I really don't like is the fact that this has been a whisper that will not go away. And over time, it keeps coming back. You heard about it two or three months ago that maybe there would be an issue there. And obviously his behavior at the, the Mardi Gras area showed, you know, he.

[Mike Wright]

Maybe some judgment issues in the, in the moment.

[Jason Moore]

And then, you know, two months ago when you thought it was over and you hadn't heard anything, it was like, oh, they're still looking into this. And now for this to be coming out, still is like there has to be a little bit of truth behind the scenes. That's not saying he will get suspended, but there, you know, it's not coming back for no reason. And if I'm on the clock at the pick three, I'm probably taking Antonio Brown if I have to draft today.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Jason Moore]

Because of, you know, that's a risk of losing, you know, a chunk of the season.

[Mike Wright]

All right, the Eagles have waived Dorio Green. Beckman. So.

[Jason Moore]

Sorry.

[Mike Wright]

Are you still going to talk about how good he was in high school?

[Jason Moore]

No, I am not. I don't think I really ever have.

[Mike Wright]

All right, the Eagles can Avoid paying Ryan Matthews an injury settlement of 1.15 million by waiting until he's medically cleared to release him. And so is this why he's still on the Eagles roster?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, that makes complete sense. What, what was really weird was the other day when Darren Sprouls was asked about, you know, the running back core, he's like, Yeah, I think LeGarrett Blunt and Ryan Matthews are going to be splitting the, the early down work. And it's like, wait, Ryan Matthews is probably not going to be on the team. This makes, this report makes a lot more sense to me. I don't expect him to be there day one.

[Mike Wright]

All right. The tight end situation in Baltimore is continuously changing. It seems Darren Walker suspended for a year, violating substance abuse policy. Max Williams could be a candidate to start the year on the pup, which maybe makes Ben Watson owners excited. However, I've heard rumors about Gary Barnage maybe arriving in Baltimore. We know he being Joe Flacco enjoys targeting the tight end position. If Gary Barnage was to land there. Is this a hands off because of Ben Watson or how do you view? I think if they tight end situation there possible streamer mid season. What is that?

[Jason Moore]

I think Gary Barnage could actually make some noise if he went to Baltimore because we've seen him, you know, he has the ability as a, as a receiver to do what Joe Flacco uses offensively. And right now Ben Watson is not healthy. And so if they're going out, I realize they've got, you know, the problems with Max Williams and Darren Waller, but if they go out and sign Gary Barnage, I think it might be an indication that they're a little worried that Ben Watson might not be back to full strength. And if that's the case, I, you know, to be true, I would hands off, but I would be ready to pick up Gary Barnage in a second if he came out week one and showed that he was the starter.

[Mike Wright]

Is he worth a cursory ad in dynasty leagues as a free agent?

[Jason Moore]

Possibly. I've been doing some best ball drafts on Play Draft shout out to our new studio sponsor. Play Draft.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I wanted to mention that.

[Jason Moore]

And at the 18th pick, you know, 18th round, everything's combed over. There's garbage out there. I've been, I've been itching to just pull the Gary Barnage trigger.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And see what happens because he could, he, you know, if he doesn't go here, he could land anywhere.

[Mike Wright]

You know, he likes a good comb over Paul Giamatti.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, What a profound.

[Mike Wright]

We do want to thank Play Draft for sponsoring the studio. These guys are great. We visited them out in New York at fsta. Been friends with the owner there for a long time. If you have not played on Play draft, you are missing just. You're taking fun out of your life for no good reason.

[Jason Moore]

Not only fun, it's just.

[Mike Wright]

It's just fun.

[Jason Moore]

But you get better at fantasy football because you get to. It's basically like doing a legit mock draft because it's. It's, you know, it's paid.

[Mike Wright]

And they. They reached out. They're developed. They developed the best ball product. So if you're familiar with the MFL10 type of format, there is a best ball format over at Play Draft. We absolutely love it. And we gave feedback on this thing and they just released it. You go to playdraft.com ballers to check it out. It's super fun. So we're going to be doing a ton of these best ball drafts and just inviting in members of the foot clan to draft with us, like on a weekly basis.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I think I've entered like 200 different play drafts.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's just ridiculously fun. So definitely check them out. And thanks so much to Play Draft for supporting the show.

[Jason Moore]

But before we get started with our judge Giamatti, incredible segment. I just want to take one second and on this Independence day, give some love to Brooks. I just think you're looking fine today. You're handsome, and you're the best worker I've ever seen. And I think the people need to know how great a man you are. And I am honored to be the co owner in our league of record with you. All right, let's start this segment.

[Mike Wright]

All right, I was actually going to thank Pristine auction for a second here before we get in.

[Jason Moore]

Sure. But you know Brooks, but that was a good transition.

[Mike Wright]

So let's just start it and we'll get. We'll talk about Pristine a little bit later.

[Andy Holloway]

The fantasy court with judge Giamatti.

[Jason Moore]

Plaintiff Andy Holloway is charging Jason Moore with concealing evidence in his love for Rob Kelly.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, it's true, your honor. Your honor, I contend that the defendant, Jason More, is once again concealing evidence. And in this case, it's about Rob Kelly and his prospects for the 2017 fantasy football season. Not that I'm surprised, your honor, because I've seen this type of thing in court before. And we call them one season wonders, and they are occasionally overdrafted due to the concealing of key evidence as Jason is Prone to do. Can I call your attention to the precedent set in the case of Zach Stacy in 2013? Just under a thousand yards, seven touchdowns from Zach Stacy of the Rams. And it led people just like it's leading them to believe in Rob Kelly that Zach Stacy was their leading runner. But instead, what did the Rams do? The Rams went out and they drafted Tre Mason and Zach Stacy was slowly pulled out of the rotation. I see the same thing happening here in Washington. All right, And I'll tell you why I'm going to reveal some of this evidence. First of all, I think this is why the Redskins drafted a top talent in Samaj P. Ryan. We saw the Redskins last year with Matt Jones. He was the number one for a time, for a short while. But instead they go, they draft Samaj P. Ryan. And I don't think they'd do that if they believe that Rob Kelly was a long term solution. But here's the evidence, okay, here's the concealed evidence that is not reflected in Jason's ranking of Rob Kelly, which is about 20 spots higher than mine from weeks one through seven. Rob Kelly, I'll give you credit, you were amazing. 4.78 per carry for weeks one through seven.

[Jason Moore]

Well, his first seven starts, which after that. Please, I apologize.

[Mike Wright]

Silence yourself.

[Jason Moore]

I object.

[Mike Wright]

Weeks one through seven. However, from weeks nine through 14, which were the majority of the weeks in which he had high carry counts, that yard per carry plummeted to, your honor, 3.33 yards a carry or Joyk Bell range, as my opponent once upon a time contended. So 3.3 a carry is why Samaj P. Ryan was drafted. The undrafted Rob Kelly is unfortunately going to end up a cautionary tale of a first and second down runner who offers you nothing in the passing game and has his quantity based production cut into by a talented rookie and Samaj P. Ryan. And so I ask your honor to please cease this needless deception brought about by the defendant for the benefit of our listeners.

[Jason Moore]

Your honor, is it my turn to talk now? Talk some reason, defend yourself to this court. All right, first of all, we've got to start with the quality of the argument. I mean, Rob Kelly didn't get his first start until week eight of the season. So already we can put some question marks into our mind as far as how this data we just heard, is it true, Is it not true? In fact, the first seven weeks he only got 14 carries combined. Wasn't even active in the first three games for the actual Washington Redskins. Those first few weeks when he got his Start over the next few games, he was not just good, he was great. His 16 game pace from the time that he was the starter, which I mean, you can extrapolate, you know, sometimes you go, well, you can't just take a guy's second half of the year or his first half of the year and extrapolate it. But in every single game he was actually the starter, which was, you know, a half a season. I think that that is fair to do. Over that time, he would have had 10, 68 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns with a nose for the end zone and would have finished as the RB13 through that time period. Now that's ahead. During that same time period of running backs Jay Ajayi, Frank Gore, Todd Gurley, Isaiah Crowell, Carlos Hyde, Lamar Miller, Ty Montgomery, Spencer Ware and many others that maybe you haven't even heard of. Much has been made of his yards per carry over the second half of the season, as Andy said. And really when they talk about that, it's the second half of his season. So the last quarter of the season, the second half of when he was playing. And I get that when you look at it as a whole, it sounds really bad.

[Mike Wright]

Objection.

[Jason Moore]

Weeks eight through 14, here's what happened during those weeks. During those weeks, he had two games that were really bad. You know, just like every player has crapped the bed bad. You're talking nine carries for eight yards. Well, yeah, that's, you know, first. That was against a great defense. The two best defenses they played during that time were his two, you know, bad games. And they came in that stretch. So I'm not going to go ahead and say, well, that just means he was breaking down and bad over that time. So I think his yards per carry were just fine. But a lot has been made about Samaje P. Ryan, as you said. Well, Samaj Pirine is a back that they passed on for the first three rounds. They could have drafted him in third. They said no, he was the ninth running back taken. This is not a high draft capital they had to take. In fact, he only went five picks ahead of Tariq Cohen, who no one is worried about, you know, encroaching in on Jordan Hill or Jordan Howard. So I don't think Samaja in the end, I think Rob Kelly's a good back. He's proven he can get it done. It doesn't make sense to replace him the way that they replaced Matt Jones. That one made sense. Everyone knew he was a bad back. Analysts, fans, everyone knew he's super inefficient and not good. I believe Matt Rob Kelly keeps the job and he is my bud. Fr4l Fat Rob for life.

[Mike Wright]

All right, what's the verdict over there?

[Judge Giamatti]

Judge Giamatti rules in favor of the defendant.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. I have no doubt you would do that. You like Rob Kelly just looking better.

[Jason Moore]

And better over there.

[Mike Wright]

All right, all right. First case in the books. Before we move on, I do want to thank Pristine Auction for supporting this podc. That's where we got the three autograph jerseys we're giving away. They're the absolute king of the autograph memorabilia. Not just for football, but for every sport, for music, for all sorts of different things. You can find an autographed Mike Tyson gloves over there. I remember seeing those on there. Our Stephen Diggs jersey on the back of our wall right here comes from Pristine Auction. They are just the absolute best. Everything's authentic, really good company. And so we want to recommend them to you. Check them out. Pristineauction.com p r I s t I n e auction.com so I've lost the first one.

[Jason Moore]

The first.

[Mike Wright]

See, I realized they needed a closing. We needed like a closing moment in time, but we'll give you that one.

[Jason Moore]

Who's next? Plaintiff Jason Moore is charging defendant Andy Holloway with defamation of character and conspiracy to paint Keenan Allen as an old busted. Has been. That's right, your honor, I charge Andy Holloway with a defamation of character because he does not remember who Kenan Allen really is. He sees someone who hasn't played in two years. I grant you that I cannot argue that he has not played because he was injured. So of course he gets this label. He's injury prone. But if you look a little deeper, the injuries that he has sustained were more fluky. Right? You have an ACL knee injury, which happens to all sorts of great players who come back over and over, especially when it happens when they are young. Think about your players who get the ACL done in college and come back great. Well, the thing is with Kenan Allen is you think, well, he's been absent the last two years. You don't realize he's still only 25 years old. He lost the season to a lacerated kidney. That's a fluky, weird accident. Now he's back at OTAs, running full speed routes. He's looking great to be a full participant in training camp. This is a guy who has a great quarterback, legitimate potential for 100 receptions, and the incoming rookie that everyone was so scared of, like, ooh, what does this do to Keenan Allen, well, he's. He's injured now, and that's going to set a rookie back pretty far. So I say to you, Andy Holloway, you have Keenan Allen far too low in your rankings as the wide receiver.

[Mike Wright]

I do have 32. I do have him at 32, your honor. And Jason has him at an unfathomable 15 in the rankings. And I just want to say this. You can accuse me of defamation of character, but he has defamed his own character. You can call it luck, you can call it bad luck, you can call it lacerated kidney, then a torn acl. But the prosecutor here wants me to hand the keys of my fantasy kingdom to my coveted wide receiver. Two spot. To a player that hasn't played a full game since 2014, that's three years. To a player that, while we all can agree and I can openly say is quite talented. He's never had an 80 reception season. He scored just four touchdowns his sophomore year, and he has to prove to me now that he's healthy. I love the player that we briefly saw in 2015 and the pace and the presence, but I can't give them the benefit of the doubt anymore because too many variables have changed. Melvin Gordon, Hunter Henry, Mike Williams, Travis Benjamin, Tyrell Williams. What do they have in common? They all weren't on the team the last time he played a full game. And I have him, quite reasonably, I think, your honor, a wide receiver, three with wide receiver, two upside on a team with an aging quarterback and potentially changing offensive philosophy to some degree now that they have a actual running back and their quarterback did lead the league in interceptions. And so, for me, it's as simple as risk, reward. And I cannot and will not allow myself to be lured by the past production and hopes when I could draft Jarvis Landry, Michael Crabtree, Brandon Marshall, Julian Edelman, all at the same draft day value. I cannot and I won't, Judge Giamatti. And your honor shouldn't either. All right.

[Judge Giamatti]

All right. I've heard both sides.

[Mike Wright]

All right.

[Judge Giamatti]

Judge Giamatti rules in favor of the defendants.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Judge Giamatti]

Andy Holloway.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I knew that one was coming. I will be honest with the foot clan, because what we're actually here, you know. Look, we want to be entertaining, but the truth is, we want to give you good info. I wrote down middle, mid, everything. I put Keenan too high down, arrow. I can't draft Keenan at 15. I. Okay.

[Mike Wright]

Neither can J. Grizz.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, thanks. So it's unanimous. I will agree with that.

[Mike Wright]

However.

[Jason Moore]

All right, next one.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, this next One's going to be my toughest case, but we'll see here.

[Jason Moore]

Plaintiff Andy Holloway is charging Jason Moore with felony entrapment of fantasy owners with his current ranking of Dak Prescott, as well as a minor count of public intoxication.

[Mike Wright]

All right, let's get into this one. It's true. I am charging you, Jason.

[Jason Moore]

Where is the public intoxication come from?

[Mike Wright]

Well, we'll get to that. Your honor, I hereby present my case against Jason Moore, and I'm accusing of him of what I call felony fantasy entrapment, ranking Dak Prescott at number seven, and by doing so giving me reason to question if a minor charge of public intoxication is necessary in this case, because I can't find another reason why he would do that. How have we come to the point, my friend, that we are simply willing to bestow fantasy greatness upon a player after one admittedly somewhat impressive season from Dak Prescott on a season in which his efficiency was nearly Nick Foles esque with only four interceptions? Yes, I admit he seems to be a great player. I mean, that is the argument. You only throw four picks, you're a great player. But he still resides on a run first offense, your honor. And it seems that that caps his weak winning upside. Ended last year. 22, 26, 7, 9, 32. And at least initially, based on our strength of schedule reports, he's going to face the sixth most difficult slate for fantasy quarterbacks. And I'm going to argue the most difficult slate for the first four games according to our strength of schedule. He has the hardest schedule to start the year for a fantasy quarterback. Too much risk, not enough reward for Dak. Not when I can get Rivers or Stafford or Dalton or even Taylor behind him in drafts. No, thank you. I will not be entrapped by Dak.

[Jason Moore]

Your honor.

[Mike Wright]

Prescott.

[Jason Moore]

Your honor, clearly the prosecution here is trying to blind you and change the argument here that maybe he's not the guy to draft at his average draft position. I will see that argument and recognize that that is not what we are here for. Because would I draft him at the seventh spot? You know, the seventh quarterback off the board? I'd be happy to do that if other quarterbacks were falling. But in essence, at the end of the year, I believe Dak Prescott will be the seventh best quarterback. And here's why. Dak Prescott just recorded the third best rookie quarterback season of the past decade, trailing just behind Cam Newton. Here's the three guys that he was just ahead of did better than in their rookie year. Andrew Luck, Jameis Winston, and Russell Wilson. Now, had you drafted either of those guys, any of those in their sophomore year, you would have been very happy. They all three topped 300 fantasy points and scored at least 95% what they did the year prior, if not more. So you've got a history here of when a rookie quarterback comes out and is great. They are great. They will continue to be great. But I look deeper and look at the team themselves and say, well, maybe things have changed for him. Maybe he doesn't have a great wide receiver. Oh, wait, no. Actually, that's gotten better. Because unlike an unhealthy Des Bryant early last year, he has not only, as Mike would say, his number one wide receiver in Cole Beasley, but a great wide receiver in Dak Prescott. Their offensive line is still great. Even if it's not as good as last year. It's better than almost every offensive line in the league. You have a great running game to take pressure off of Dak Prescott. You have another year under his belt. I see no reason to think that Dak Prescott would not be able to repeat what he did last year as he matures and grows and develops rapport with these guys as seen in the last decade by top rookie quarterback finishers. And if you want a guy who is consistent, just look at how consistent Dak Prescott was last year. How many guys finished outside the top 15 less than Dak Prescott at the quarterback position last year. Let me read you the list. It's Aaron Rodgers, Matt Ryan. Done. That's it then. Dak Prescott. So I think, your honor, he belongs there. Go Cowboys.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, first of all, your honor, I know that you are a Cowboys fan, and before you rule, might I submit a plea agreement?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, all right.

[Mike Wright]

Before you rule, I'll allow it. Jason, you have him as the quarterback? Seven. I have him at 13. Are you willing to, you know, take a QB 10?

[Jason Moore]

Man, this is tough. Because the reality is I'm pretty sure I'm going to win this case had you given me a more reasonable request. Like.

[Mike Wright]

Like qb, you know, just back you up a couple.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

What is your ruling there, Judge Giamatti?

[Judge Giamatti]

Judge Giamatti rules in favor of the plaintiff.

[Mike Wright]

Really?

[Jason Moore]

I should have taken the deal.

[Mike Wright]

Wow. He didn't take the plea and I came out on top. Do you want to expand on your ruling at all there, Judge Giamatti? Are you content?

[Judge Giamatti]

A very small factor was that during the defendant's case, he referred to DEZ Bryant as Dak Prescott. So.

[Jason Moore]

Darn it. English.

[Mike Wright]

All right, One more guy.

[Jason Moore]

The plaintiff Jason Moore is charging defendant Andy Holloway with the crimes of aiding and abetting rookie overhype as well as a misdemeanor child abuse in creating too high of expectations for a mere 20 year old tight end, David Njoku.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, goodness, goodness. All right, you're going to come at me with David Njoku.

[Jason Moore]

Your honor, I am here to assist the youth, the young man named David Njoku. I am a big fan. I think this guy is very talented guy. But if we look over the past decade, rookie tight ends have been mostly meaningless. Okay, the fifth best rookie tight end season was Jermaine Graham, who had 52 receptions, 474 yards and four touchdowns, which was good for the tight end 21. Now Judge Giamatti, Andy Holloway might point out to you that those four players above Jermaine Gresham have finished in the top 12 at tight end. But I ask you to be reasonable and look deeper. Two of those tight ends had Tom Brady as their quarterback in the same amazing year. All four together have averaged seven and a half touchdowns, including last year Hunter Henry, who caught eight touchdowns from a world renowned tight end, touchdown thrower, Philip Rivers. I believe Antonio Gates is the all time touchdown leader because of those touchdowns coming from Philip Rivers. Now ladies and gentlemen of the jury, if there was one, I think we can all agree that there is no way Cody Kessler and the Sean Kaiser and Brock Osweiler and Kevin Hogan can support the rare rookie tight end one. In fact, for my closing argument, I'll leave you with this. Last year, Hunter Henry, a great example of a rookie tight end cracking the top 12, caught a whopping 24% of Philip Rivers touchdowns. Well, that's just great. That's a really impressive number. That's what it took to be a tight end one. Well, let's, let's go ahead and give that incredible number to David and Joku and let's use Andy Holloway's rankings to find out how many touchdowns Cody Kessler is going to throw this year. 14. And if Njoku caught 24% of all of his touchdowns, he'd finish with 3.39 touchdowns, a number that is less than Jermaine Gresham's tight end 21 rookie season. I rest my case, your honor, there's.

[Mike Wright]

Some misdirection going on here, especially referring to my rankings, assuming I believed that Cody Kessler would play the entire season and only have 14 touchdowns. But back to my argument, your honor, perhaps Mr. Moore comes from a more modern age, but in my day. In my day, you know, Grandpa Andy's day, there was something called learning on the job and it wasn't defined as child abuse. Nor, I submit, is a 6 4, 247 pound tight end allowed to be called a child.

[Jason Moore]

I apologize, David.

[Mike Wright]

I may just countersuit for ageism because you have them at 26 in your rankings while I have them at number 10. Look, the Browns immediately, and I know this is going to be a tough case for you, Judge Giamani. They immediately jettisoned their existing starting tight end, David and Joku gets to take over from the get go. This is not Tampa Bay where O.J. howard and Cameron Brait are sharing snaps. This is not New York where Evan Ingram has to fight Brandon Marshall and Odell Beckham Jr. And Sterling Shepherd. This is Cleveland where their best pass catcher now plays for the Redskins. And Corey Coleman is never healthy. Let me give you. Let me submit to you. We talked about him earlier. Gary Barnage, the opposite. The actual dictionary definition of the opposite of an athletic freak who once caught a test round pass with his butt and broke out at an old age. Had 79 receptions and 55 receptions in the past two years, including nine TDs in 2015 in Cleveland. What do we look for, your honor, when we want a tight end? Do we want talent? Check. Do we want opportunity? Check. Let me just close with this. Last year, to finish at number nine at the tight end position, Jordan Reed had to have 66 receptions for 686 yards and six touchdowns. Cameron Brait finished seventh with 57 receptions for 660 yards and eight touchdowns. I project in Joku with an extremely optimistic, yet completely reasonable 59 receptions for 665 yards and seven touchdowns, which is right in between those two stat lines and would put him at number 10 overall in 2017. I shall aid and abed only in the case that it benefits my defendant and does not infringe upon the law, which my defendant clearly has not and will not do. Your honor, it is unreasonable to rule against me in this case. So it's up to you.

[Judge Giamatti]

Judge Giamatti rules in favor of the plaintiff.

[Mike Wright]

Stay away from me, G. We're even.

[Jason Moore]

Still looking good.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that's exhausting. Yeah, that was exhaustive work. Why don't we jump into the mailbag?

[Jason Moore]

Let's do that. Who's doing the mailbag drive?

[Judge Giamatti]

Jay Grizz.

[Jason Moore]

Jay Grizz.

[Mike Wright]

I want to thank Judge Giamatti for participating, although he ruled twice incorrectly.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I completely agree.

[Mike Wright]

I guess we should. I guess we should look back at that. So the final verdict there, I think.

[Jason Moore]

You ruled correctly on Keenan Allen.

[Mike Wright]

So he ruled in favor of Rob Kelly. Correct.

[Jason Moore]

Correct.

[Mike Wright]

He ruled in favor of keeping Keenan Allen lower.

[Jason Moore]

Correct.

[Mike Wright]

He ruled in favor of Dak Prescott being a little too high at QB7.

[Jason Moore]

Correct.

[Mike Wright]

And in other words, you are guilty of entrapment, sir.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man.

[Mike Wright]

And then David and Joku, he did not buy into my hype and I understand that he's shaking his head. So. All right, let's go ahead and get into the mailbag and let's live the let's leave this one up to Jay Gris.

[Andy Holloway]

Mailbag.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, that was good. Good job.

[Mike Wright]

It's nice to have a fill in, isn't it? That isn't us. All right, if you have a question for the Fantasy Footballers podcast, you want to submit it to the show, go to the website, the fantasy footballers.com Mouse over the More button, click Submit a question and send it into the show. Or if you are so inclined, dial our voicemail hotline. [phone], TFFB.

[Jason Moore]

Say that again.

[Mike Wright]

302464, TFFB. We're actually going to start with a voicemail question.

[Jay Grizz]

Hey, footballers, I was wondering your thoughts on drafting multiple players from the same team. I've done some mocks and ended up with both Jordy and Devonta or Cooper and Marshawn lynch, which I don't really like. On the other hand, when I draft both Keenan Allen and Tyrell Williams, I kind of like that because it's almost like a handcuff. So yeah, let me know your thoughts and love the show. Shout out to Jay Grizz.

[Mike Wright]

Shout out to Jay Grizz. I have thoughts on this. I mean, both of the examples he gave me, I'm okay with. I like those offenses and I like the fact that, you know, in the Jordy and Devonte Adams case, you have the best quarterback in football throwing to both of those players and it's more than sustainable to me. In terms of Cooper and Lynch, you have a really good offense and you're splitting positions. So I don't mind that either. In terms of the Keenan Tyrell situation, I don't mind that either because Tyrell Williams, his average draft position is ridiculously low. So you actually can protect yourself in that regard. But I think when it what is your general thought on on those situations?

[Jason Moore]

This question just comes down to roster makeup and what type of a team you want to have. If you want to have a higher powered team, then you don't want to draft multiple people from the same. Because think about, you know, even in the case of Jordy and Devonte, great players they definitely could sustain, but you know for a fact that they both can't catch a touchdown on the same play. If you want to maximize, you know, swing for the fences, then you want to grab guys from different teams and go that route. Similar roster construction. When you come to the Keenan Allen and Tyrell Williams, because what you're doing there is you're drafting guys that maybe you feel like it's a little bit safer for you down the road should something happen, but you're capping the actual upside of drafting a guy who doesn't need something to happen to succeed. If I were to go and get Pierre Garcon instead of Tyrell Williams, well, now I got two guys that I can just play every week versus having to wait. Maybe if Keenan Allen, you know, does what. What I argued apparently falsely here on this episode in favor of, then Tyrone Williams will hurt.

[Mike Wright]

So I think that's a great.

[Jason Moore]

Tend to not want guys on the same team. If there's an equal alternative, I think.

[Mike Wright]

That'S really fair because you can. There's two sides. Like you said, you box yourself in to the fact that, you know, you cannot have a game in which both players necessary, you know, two touchdowns each. It's long odds. So if you're down in a matchup and you're starting two from the same team, you cap maybe your upside. But you know that Rogers will throw three every game, right? So, all right, let's move on. Evans, Shady. Question from Sean in Boston. He says, hola, amigos.

[Jason Moore]

Hola.

[Mike Wright]

No, it's bonjour.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, bonjour.

[Mike Wright]

In a 12 team standard league, would you keep Evans for a second round pick, Shady for a three or Crowell for an eight. So Evans for a two, Shady for three or it's between the running crow for an eight.

[Jason Moore]

For me, it is between the running backs. The reason why is I just think the value of both those guys is incredible. I mean, if you're grabbing, you always have to keep in mind who you're sacrificing when you give up that draft pick. So, you know, second round, you're sacrificing. If you want Mike Evans, you're giving up a Jordy Nelson or a Michael Thomas or Ty Hilton. In the second round, I've got Jordy Nelson above Michael, above Mike Evans. In the third round, if I take, you know, Shady, you're giving up, giving up a Crowell.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, maybe Christian McCaffrey, Joe Mixon.

[Jason Moore]

Yep. Lamar Miller.

[Mike Wright]

I'd rather have Mixon and Crow than I would just Shady.

[Jason Moore]

So Shady and whoever you would get in the eighth, which would not be anywhere near, I would take.

[Mike Wright]

That's my direction too. I'm very high on. If you look at my rankings, you might think I'm high as well, but I have Isaiah Crowell very high in the rankings, the running back rankings. I have met like, I don't know, inside the top 10.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I do not really love Crowell where he's being drafted right now in the third round, but if I can get Crowell in the eighth and still have that third round pick to grab a Lamar Miller or someone else that might fall there, then I would rather have that combination as well.

[Mike Wright]

Shady is at 107. Yeah, 107.

[Jason Moore]

I've seen him very. I mean, I would say the majority of drafts I've done that are real. Four money drafts now when the seventh pick comes up and the top three wide receivers are gone, top three running backs, he's.

[Mike Wright]

You don't see Evans, go ahead.

[Jason Moore]

I don't remember the last real draft I've done where it wasn't Shady.

[Mike Wright]

All right, transition question here. Demetrius in Sister Lakes, Michigan, is it crazy to draft Shady over Zeke? Perfect question for today. After the news about Ezekiel Elliott, Adam Schefter has some hesitation about the potential legal ramifications of the NFL's investigation. So in a PPR league, a full PPR, is it crazy to take Shady over leak over Zeke or over Antonio Brown or Julio? I think it is crazy to take him over Antonio Brown in a ppr.

[Jason Moore]

Well, if you're taking him over Antonio Brown in a ppr, then you're probably also taking. I mean, Zeke is usually going ahead of Antonio Brown. So then you're. You're still taking him ahead of Antonio Brown. If you take him ahead of Zeke, I would agree with you on that. I would go Antonio Brown. But if, if I'm on the clock and both those guys are there in a PPR with the news that came out, I don't think it's crazy, but I would still take Zeke.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And it kind of like there's not risks with Shady. Sure.

[Mike Wright]

And yeah, there is. There's definitely risks. He's, he's older. He's had a, you know, giant workload, 3,000 plus touches between his time, you know, as a rookie all the way until now, and then, you know, dealt with hamstring and knee injuries, played through injuries. That's something that always happens. And you know, he ended the year so strongly, everybody's happy about it. Now this is why you can't necessarily get super locked into the order of these guys.

[Jason Moore]

Right?

[Mike Wright]

I mean, it's not like there's a guarantee that there, there's a what, what percentage chance that Shady finishes better than Zeke?

[Jason Moore]

I would say, I mean, 38%.

[Mike Wright]

Right. So, I mean, if you feel strong, strongly about them and they're, they're so close in the rankings, you just need to go with your gut on that. And if, you know, in a PPR league with the amount of passes that Shady catches, no Mike Gillislee, if you feel confident in his health, why not?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, go for it. Who cares what other people say if that's the guy you want?

[Mike Wright]

You know, someone wrote in the other day, it was funny. They were using the ultimate draft kit and they were doing mock drafts and they wrote in concerned. They said, should I. I'm kind of concerned I'm getting bad grades. They said, I'm getting bad draft grades. They thought it might be a reflection on the fact that the ultimate draft kit was like outdated or something was wrong. And I had to explain to this person that bought the draft kit, I said, look, it's very simple. If you want the best grade, you draft the players, close your eyes in the order that they're listed in front of you and they will, you'll always get the highest grade possible that way because they're grading you based on the default.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, exactly. I, you know, usually when I do a mock draft on any software that gives me a grade, I'm usually like a C. Sure.

[Mike Wright]

Right about in the middle.

[Jason Moore]

I'm pretty confident in my fantasy football ability to be better than a C average, which did.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, that wasn't the case when you were in school, but in your fantasy wise, no doubt. So. All right, that is it for today's show. Thanks for tuning in. Hope you had a wonderful holiday. Whether that was today, you're tuning in on the 4th of July or yesterday. Maybe you're heading back to work. Thanks for supporting the show. Thanks for voting for us over at the podcast awards Again, the URL for that is footclanvote.com thanks to Judge Giamatti for stepping up and thanks to play draft.

[Jason Moore]

Make sure you go to playdraft.com/ballers. Ballers.

[Mike Wright]

Try it out.

[Jason Moore]

You're going to love it. You're going to have fun with it. You can win some cash.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, we'll be post. We'll do a little best ball segment on Thursday show and we'll invite you to a league with us. And you can, I don't know, the first 11 people in there can, can draft along with us. So check it out. Playdough.comballers that is it for today. Take care, everybody. We'll be back on Thursday. Jay Grizz will be back, and we'll get into a number of things. Maybe the top 20 players from our top 200 list.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, that sounds fun.

[Andy Holloway]

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