Fantasy Valentines + 2018 RB Rookie Review

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary Episode: Fantasy Valentines + 2018 RB Rookie Review
Release Date: February 14, 2019

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I. Introduction and Valentine's Day Banter

The hosts kick off the episode with playful banter surrounding Valentine's Day. They humorously discuss last-minute gift shopping, debating between options like Target and Walgreens, and joke about the significance of their chosen "Fantasy Valentines."

• Jason Moore [01:13]: "It's Valentine's Day."
• Mike Wright [02:01]: "Honey, this is the only coffee maker they have at Walgreens. Congratulations. Happy Valentine's Day."

II. Fantasy Valentines

The segment focuses on selecting top fantasy football players as Valentines, highlighting players who have made significant impacts or have high potential in the upcoming season.

A. Nick Chubb

• Jason Moore [04:57]: "Nick Chubb, a player that needs a little bit of love... He had the highest elusive rating in the NFL for any player over 60 carries."

Nick Chubb is lauded for his performance despite not having an obvious path to a high number of carries. His ability to avoid tackles and consistent performance make him a valuable fantasy asset.

• Mike Wright [04:47]: "Even some of those lower carry guys that might have broken some big plays, broken tackles, he had more avoided tackles than Saquon."

B. Jarvis Landry

• Andy Holloway [06:36]: "I'm going with Jarvis Landry."

Jarvis Landry is praised for his high target volume and consistent role in the offense, making him undervalued in drafts.

• Jason Moore [07:38]: "He's just making so much money, too."

C. JuJu Smith-Schuster

• Mike Wright [08:10]: "He is good enough in the NFL to be a primary target. So I am all about JuJu Smith-Schuster, your valentine is in the mail."

JuJu Smith-Schuster is highlighted for his consistent target volume and potential boost in performance with changes in team dynamics, especially with Antonio Brown's situation.

• Jason Moore [08:31]: "If I were to send him a message on slide into his DMs on Twitter, is he going to corroborate this relationship?"

III. News and Notes

A. Joe Flacco Trade to Denver Broncos

The hosts discuss the Baltimore Ravens' decision to trade Joe Flacco to the Denver Broncos, analyzing the implications for both teams.

• Jason Moore [11:45]: "The Ravens have agreed in principle to trade Joe Flacco to what? The Denver Broncos."
• Mike Wright [12:14]: "If you look at their career stats, it's unbelievable... Joe Flacco set to be a Denver Bronco."

They debate the rationale behind the trade, questioning the Broncos' move to acquire a veteran quarterback and its impact on their Super Bowl odds.

• Jason Moore [13:01]: "The Broncos moved from 100 to 1 odds to win the Super Bowl to 125 to 1."

B. Antonio Brown's Trade Request

Antonio Brown's public request to be traded from the Pittsburgh Steelers is a hot topic, with the hosts speculating on his future.

• Mike Wright [18:53]: "Antonio Brown has officially asked to be traded. He went on his Twitter and basically said goodbye."
• Jason Moore [19:36]: "The Steelers were right because they... he's not going back there."

They discuss the challenges Pittsburgh faces in accommodating Brown's trade desires without incurring significant dead cap space.

• Andy Holloway [20:16]: "You're talking 20 plus million dollars just of dead cap for the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade him away."

IV. 2018 Rookie Review: Running Backs

The hosts provide an in-depth analysis of the 2018 rookie running back class, evaluating their performances and potential for the upcoming season.

A. Saquon Barkley

• Mike Wright [25:02]: "Saquon Barkley should be in the conversation for the number one overall pick next year."

Saquon Barkley's dominance, especially against lower-ranked teams, and his consistency make him a cornerstone for fantasy teams.

• Jason Moore [25:48]: "He was basically perfect for his rookie season. He probably won't be lower than fourth. He's in tier one."

B. Rashad Penny

• Jason Moore [27:07]: "Rashad Penny, 419 yards rushing on only 85 carries... didn't live up to expectations."

Despite a challenging rookie year plagued by injuries and limited opportunities, Rashad Penny shows flashes of potential that could make him a valuable asset if given more playing time.

• Andy Holloway [28:17]: "I believe Rashad Penny will be great. I just don't know that the opportunity will come."

C. Ronald Jones

• Andy Holloway [37:12]: "It's going to be tough for Ronald Jones... he couldn't beat out Peyton Barber last year."

Ronald Jones faces questions about his fit under new coaching and his ability to secure a consistent role in the offense.

• Mike Wright [38:30]: "I would rather have Rashad Penny than Sony Michelle. Like, without a doubt."

D. Kerryon Johnson

• Jason Moore [40:37]: "Kerryon Johnson's a guy that I tried to get in every dynasty situation I'm in."

Kerryon Johnson is seen as a rising talent who showed promise despite inconsistent usage during his rookie season. The Lions' offensive strategy under new coaching could unlock his potential.

• Andy Holloway [41:03]: "Carry on Johnson... wherever he's drafted, I'm taking him higher than that."

E. Darius Gallies

• Andy Holloway [44:13]: "He is clearly the best running back there. They want to run the ball and he can."

Darius Gallies emerges as a potential breakout candidate if the Colts stabilize their quarterback situation and optimize their offensive scheme.

• Jason Moore [46:43]: "You believe in the future of Philip Lindsay? He is 5.4 yards per carry."

V. Pristine Deal of the Day

The hosts highlight a noteworthy deal from PristineAuction.com, emphasizing the value of a Saquon Barkley signed Giants jersey acquired for $88—a steal considering Barkley's talent.

• Andy Holloway [55:17]: "Fans are scooping up Barkley jerseys for Rashad Penny's."

VI. Conclusion

Wrapping up the episode, the hosts remind listeners to engage with their community platforms and take advantage of special offers from sponsors like HelloFresh and Fantasy Champs.

• Jason Moore [10:15]: "Find us on YouTube... Instagram.com fantasy footballers, Twitter @theffballers."

They extend their well-wishes for Valentine's Day and encourage listeners to join their fantasy football community for continued insights and updates.

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Notable Quotes:

• Jason Moore [04:58]: "I'm willing to fall out of love with Nick Chubb if Kareem Hunt gets a four game suspension."
• Mike Wright [07:38]: "I'm going to give him a bridge. You can pull that fedora off in a couple weeks."
• Andy Holloway [20:33]: "They wanted to run the ball, and he can. So I'm, I believe in Philip Lindsay."

This episode offers a blend of insightful analysis and entertaining commentary, providing valuable information for fantasy football enthusiasts looking to optimize their teams for the upcoming season.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, Foot Clan Today show is brought to you by us.

[Jason Moore]

All right?

[Andy Holloway]

Us and our other podcast, look, the Fantasy Footballers.

[Mike Wright]

Twice a week.

[Andy Holloway]

It's not enough for all of you out there. We know you're thirsty for more.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man.

[Andy Holloway]

Check out the Spitballers Podcast, your weekly dose of family friendly nonsense where, look, it goes completely off the track, off the rails. It's unstoppable, it's really fun, and it drops every single Monday. So check that out. Spitballers Podcast, foreign.

[Mike Wright]

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

[Jason Moore]

Welcome in. Welcome in, indeed.

[Andy Holloway]

All I can think now is before the show, when you drop, put your socks in my drawer.

[Jason Moore]

They'll be waiting for you. Thursday, February 14th.

[Mike Wright]

It's Valentine's Day.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, crap.

[Jason Moore]

Whoops.

[Mike Wright]

I'll be right back. Need to stop by the local Target, the Walgreens, and pick up a Walgreens.

[Andy Holloway]

Come on.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, wait. Target Valentine is fine.

[Mike Wright]

It's a lot better. Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Than a Walgreens rushed Valentine's.

[Jason Moore]

It's all the same product. You just pay a little more at Walgreens. It's a little closer to your home.

[Andy Holloway]

I think we could run a poll by the spouses.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Where do you want your gift from? Target.

[Jason Moore]

What, you think Walgreens candy tastes worse than Target candy?

[Mike Wright]

You're getting candy from Walmart.

[Jason Moore]

What are you getting? What are you getting?

[Andy Holloway]

A clock.

[Jason Moore]

A clock? Are you really?

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know.

[Mike Wright]

Look, our Keurig machine broke.

[Jason Moore]

Look how much time you've spent with me.

[Mike Wright]

Honey, this is the only coffee maker they have at Walgreens. Congratulations. Happy Valentine's Day.

[Jason Moore]

What's a Hoover Wash? Welcome in. We have our fantasy football Valentine's on the show today. Last year, Mike looked these up because I didn't remember our 2018 Valentine's. Devonte Adams. That was mine. Very surprising to me because I generally just disrespect that man.

[Andy Holloway]

There was a time where you believed.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, well, there was a time when he didn't perform up to. Up to snuff.

[Mike Wright]

But in fairness, it was not this last year where he was your fantasy valentine.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And then, Jason, you had Tyreek Hill.

[Mike Wright]

I feel good about it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Mike. Mark. Ingrid.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that one.

[Jason Moore]

Free suspension.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

[Jason Moore]

It's all right.

[Andy Holloway]

Didn't know about the juice yet.

[Jason Moore]

He's looking for some cash money this offseason.

[Andy Holloway]

Aren't we all?

[Jason Moore]

Aren't we all? Right, so quick question of the day. We also have the Rookie review, running backs and tight ends on the show today. That'll be exciting to talk about because it'll include my fantasy valentine, a guy that needs a little bit of love. Ever since the Kareem Hunt signing in Cleveland, my fantasy valentine is none other than Nick Chubb. Nick Chubb, a player that, you know, we said it on the last show, people get a little confused when there's not the clear path to infinite carries for all time for a player like Nick Chubb. But look, this is the first player with three touchdown runs of 40 plus in a single season since AP did it back in 2015. His rushing grade from Pro Football Focus. I was going to say it only trailed Melvin Gordon. And this is not a player that had 50 carries. He had 192 carries. Oh, and by the way, he had the highest elusive rating in the NFL for any player over 60 carries. So even some of those lower carry guys that might have broken some big plays, broken tackles, he had more avoided tackles than Saquon. Okay, Saquon had almost, you know what, 100 more carries than Nick Chubb did. So this is not a player that, you know, surprised on a certain week and then disappeared. He's a very good running back.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he was great. And all the Kareem Hunt news right now has people afraid, we said this on the last episode, that that's just going to make Chubb a better value in drafts. You're going to get off to a great start. And I don't think if he helps you out to start the year, I don't think they're just going to be like, okay, sorry, Chubb, move out the way. You've been great. But, you know, we've got this other guy on a small contract, so.

[Jason Moore]

Look, relationships in fantasy football, in life are fickle sometimes. I'm willing to fall out of love with Nick Chubb if Kareem Hunt gets a four game suspension.

[Andy Holloway]

But are you willing?

[Jason Moore]

That's not going to happen.

[Andy Holloway]

Run by the Walgreens when you're in a hurry to grab something for Nick Chubb.

[Jason Moore]

Well, no, I'm making my Valentine now. You know what's funny is I'll take it back later.

[Mike Wright]

What's really funny is give me some of them chocolates. I saw the other two fantasy Valentine's in here, but I didn't see whose was whose. I just assumed that Mike, you were bringing up Nick Chubb.

[Jason Moore]

Well, he's always been my guy. Mike has always hated him, right?

[Mike Wright]

Yes, but because Mike's always loved Chubb and Then I saw the other guy who's like Andy's guy. You guys. Are you guys going.

[Jason Moore]

We're going steady.

[Mike Wright]

Double date on Valentine's.

[Andy Holloway]

We peed in the same fountain.

[Jason Moore]

That expression for our camaraderie again.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, I got you.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, thank you.

[Mike Wright]

Reference. Yeah. That you, like, swapped bodies. Because you.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know the name of it, but it was. It was Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. All I ever think about is crossing streams from Ghostbusters.

[Mike Wright]

All I ever think about.

[Jason Moore]

Which really does not go well with the pee in the same fountain analogy.

[Mike Wright]

I just think about the Sun Devil Stadium.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, the stories.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, where you had to pee in a trough.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

That was real life back in the unbelievable.

[Jason Moore]

Look, back in the 70s, it didn't matter if you were staring another man in the face.

[Mike Wright]

I wasn't born in the 70s. This was in my lifetime.

[Andy Holloway]

It mattered. It always matters.

[Jason Moore]

Here's what you hoped back then when they had the trough urinals, that you.

[Mike Wright]

Didn'T have to go to the bathroom, that you were.

[Jason Moore]

You sure hoped you were staring him in the face.

[Mike Wright]

All right, Mike, that's the hope. Who is your fantasy balance?

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, wow. I'm going with Jarvis Landry.

[Jason Moore]

It was surprising for me to see that, and I want to hear why.

[Mike Wright]

It's.

[Andy Holloway]

It's just all there for me. And I've talked about Jarvis over this offseason that it's. It's hard to fully buy into him considering, you know, the opportunities were there. When I say that he is the only wide receiver to have 130 or more targets and not be a wide receiver one, I mean, he was wide receiver 19. With that amount of opportunity, with Baker growing, a second year player gets to have the continuous situation of Freddy Kitchen's offense. I think that Jarvis Landry is going to be undervalued for drafts.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. I mean, he very well might be because I, you know, I don't look at Jarvis Landry and think, that's someone I really, really want on my team. Which will obviously mean that I'll draft him a little bit later.

[Jason Moore]

He's just making so much money, too.

[Mike Wright]

I finally figured out what I'm getting my wife.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

For Valentine's Day. I've just thought about it right now. You know how you can name a star?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

You can. You can name a star online, buy a star and name it. And usually you name it your wife's name and you give it to her or your girlfriend or your significant other, and I'm gonna give her A star named juju. I'm a call these star people up. I'm gonna name it juju. And then I'm gonna say, this is.

[Jason Moore]

Your gift here, honey Valentine. Here's a star named juju.

[Mike Wright]

But my look, my valentine, I've got to go with the heart. And I have had a full love affair with juju. Smith Schuster on the field, off the field for two years. He's incredible.

[Jason Moore]

If I were to send him a message on slide into his DMs on Twitter, is he going to corroborate this relationship?

[Mike Wright]

Dude, juju, hit me up. We will go on a. We'll go get some froyo.

[Jason Moore]

Now he has a great time. Now he has to hit you up.

[Mike Wright]

I'll hit juju up. But the point is, you know, everybody that listens to this show knows, look, a star is born. Two years ago, I loved what I saw on the field from juju. He was exploding. And now Antonio Brown. I don't expect him to be a part of the Steelers franchise. I still don't think he'll be back. 90% that he's gone.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

Some people out there are saying, you know, well, look, juju, that, that, that means he's going to be on the outside, he's going to be in a different role. He's going to have the number one coverage. He's not going to have Antonio Brown taking defenders away. And I get that argument, but come on, look at the amount of targets. Look at the volume that will be there for him. And we have a granted small sample, but juju has played three games without Antonio Brown where he was the guy. And he averages five more fantasy points a game. More targets, more receptions, more yards, more touchdowns on average in those games without Antonio Brown. This isn't rocket science. If you're a great wide receiver, you want to be the primary target. He is good enough in the NFL to be a primary target. So I am all about juju. Smith Schuster, your valentine is in the mail.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I mean, for your purposes, for fantasy purposes, you might as well send that star certificate to Big Ben. He's the one who needs to solidify juju as his valentine.

[Mike Wright]

I'll name a ton of stars after juju. This is juju One juju too.

[Jason Moore]

All right, well, those were our Fantasy Valentine's for 2019. As of Valentine's Day, early, early reserve.

[Andy Holloway]

The right to change.

[Jason Moore]

Find us on YouTube. YouTube.com the fantasy footballer. Subscribe. Click the bell. It'll let you know if we do a special live stream or something like that. Instagram.com fantasy footballers, Twitter @the ff ballers. You can also subscribe. We appreciate it, oh, so much. Yes. Apple podcasts ad free on Stitcher Premium. And the community of listeners for this show, the Foot Clan. You can find [e-mail] you guys want to get into the news? Yes.

[Mike Wright]

News and notes from around the league, presented by Sleeper.

[Jason Moore]

Now I understand, Mike. Now I understand what you were saying before the show. We got some different headphones on today.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And we put them on. I'm like, man, this just sounds the same. But Mike over there with his hot riffs on the guitar, there's no low end. There's just not enough low end coming through. Mike, I feel like everything that you've worked for, we don't get to appreciate. I mean, the listeners, do they hear it?

[Mike Wright]

It makes me feel like Mike's doing a worse John.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Way to go, Mike.

[Mike Wright]

Really let it go.

[Jason Moore]

I can't even appreciate it.

[Andy Holloway]

I apologize.

[Mike Wright]

It's my fault. I'm sorry, guys. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Thank you.

[Mike Wright]

Right, Brooks.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Yeah, that's fair. All right. The Ravens have agreed in principle to trade Joe Flacco to what? The Denver Broncos.

[Mike Wright]

What?

[Jason Moore]

The deal cannot be announced formally until the new league year, which opens on March 13, but Joe Flacco set to be a Denver Bronco. We have witnessed the buzz, the reports, the thoughts, the feedback from fans of the Broncos and Joe Flacco and the Case Keenum truthers out there like, Jason, where are we now?

[Mike Wright]

I think what happened is they saw Case Keenum not pushing the ball down the field. They saw his height, and they thought if we could just get him a little taller, we could succeed. And so they traded for case keenum plus 5 inches, which is Joe Flacco. If you look at their career stats, it's unbelievable. You're talking about the same yards, yards per attempt, completion percentage, passer rating. Almost everything across the board is. Is the same, with the sole exception of 5 extra inches on Joe Flacco.

[Jason Moore]

He's taller.

[Mike Wright]

He is taller.

[Jason Moore]

The Broncos moved from 100 to 1 odds to win the Super bowl to 125 to 1. So Vegas did not look at Joe.

[Andy Holloway]

Flacco as bodied Flacco.

[Jason Moore]

And. Yeah, I mean, just kind of a little. A little bit bewildering of a trade. They got $28 million locked up in the quarterback position now and no future. Right. The Ravens saw fit to move on from Flacco as their future. The Vikings saw fit to move on from Case Keenum for Their future. And then they all gathered in Denver. I think under the illusion of we have a defense, we just need somebody to Peyton Manning us to another Super Bowl. And maybe that's the case. I mean their defense has been good.

[Andy Holloway]

They're hoping that Joe Flacco will. Peyton Manning.

[Jason Moore]

Well, old Peyton Manning the last year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. I mean they, they genuinely are sitting here going, look, it worked to bring in the vet who had experience. This is a Super bowl mvp.

[Jason Moore]

Well, Joe Flacco, you know, he did this before. He is a Super bowl champion.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. Here's what I'm wondering though, Jay. They exchanged a 2019 fourth round pick for Joe Flacco.

[Mike Wright]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

What would you have had to trade for 5 like 5 inch lifts for the shoes of Case Keenum? I doubt you have to give up a fourth.

[Mike Wright]

Much, much cheaper. No, this is a great deal for go down to sa Ravens fan.

[Jason Moore]

Well, those will be mismatched.

[Mike Wright]

You, you opened up enough cap room to be able to sign a significant free agent on any side of the. Like Mark Ingram maybe. Man, I hope that's not true. But. But yes.

[Andy Holloway]

You wouldn't take Mark Ingram as a Baltimore Raven.

[Mike Wright]

He would lose the bet. I believe Mark Ingram is going to be back with the Saints and yeah, I believe we have a water bet on that.

[Andy Holloway]

So if Ingram was on my dynasty team, I would be hoping he went to Baltimore.

[Mike Wright]

Sure. With big money. Absolutely. Get him the rock. But you know, it's good for Baltimore. They get out of that. They get out of the worry of, you know, if Lamar Jackson's having a bad game or a bad stretch that. Oh, do you bring in Joe Flacco and all of that. They open up cap and they improve their fourth round pick. It's a home run. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

The Broncos had two fourth rounders. They had one from the demarious Thomas trade. Demarius Thomas, by the way, just released.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Had the torn Achilles with Houston. Ultimately didn't work out in Houston.

[Andy Holloway]

It's going to be.

[Jason Moore]

He's done.

[Andy Holloway]

It's going to be a long road back.

[Mike Wright]

And now I believe that they are looking to shop Case Keenum around. Yeah. So teams can. If you are general manager, you can go to ebay.com d broncos and that's how they're going to decide.

[Andy Holloway]

They couldn't even get Denver Broncos.

[Jason Moore]

No, it was taken. Someone claimed it.

[Andy Holloway]

So I'm looking at on Spotrek here because I wanted to see what Joe Flacco was owed. I'm going to have to do some digging into this because at Least the way that SPO track has this, because they have the trade on here that he's going to be a Denver Bronco. He's going to make 18 and a half million, which for. If you have a legit starting quarterback, that's not bad at all. That would not be bad. But they're saying he would now have zero dead cap after this season. So I don't know if Baltimore still had to absorb some of that into their, into their overall salary cap. Because if, if the Broncos. If the Broncos can in fact test out Joe Flacco this year like they, they still have an early enough pick that they could draft a quarterback this year, have him sit behind Flacco, who he's at least somewhat of an upgrade over Case Keenum. But if you can get rid of him next year for no consequences.

[Jason Moore]

Let's make this simple on everybody, okay? The Broncos in Case Keenum and a second round pick to Arizona for Josh Rosen. Cardinals draft Kyler Murray.

[Andy Holloway]

No.

[Jason Moore]

And they have Keenum to back him up.

[Mike Wright]

No. Come on.

[Jason Moore]

I don't want Rosen.

[Andy Holloway]

No. I don't want him. But let's, let's talk bigger, bigger picture here. What does this do for Cortland Sutton? Daeshun Hamilton is. Do you, Andy, do you like this for those two guys?

[Jason Moore]

Initially, I did. Initially. Because what I'm doing is I'm projecting a lot of what Joe Flacco was on. What Joe Flacco is.

[Andy Holloway]

He's doing.

[Jason Moore]

Flacco's been. Yeah, Joe Flacco's been dealing with hip injuries, right? Torn ACL a couple years ago. He can't move in the pocket if they don't protect him. It's not. He's not going to get the ball downfield any different than Case Keenan will. And when you look at the career yards per attempt, yards per completion. Look, Joe Flacco has always been known for having a good deep ball. But you got to protect him. You got to do a lot to make Joe Flacco good. So do I think it raises the potential of Cortland Sutton? I think a hair, 5%, 10%.

[Andy Holloway]

Like a Jason Moore hair.

[Jason Moore]

Well, no, I said 5%.

[Mike Wright]

10% should be like a 1 to 4%.

[Andy Holloway]

Speaking of that, ladies and gentlemen. Oh, yeah, if you, Andy, mentioned subscribing to the YouTube channel, you're going to want to do that because of the overwhelming.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, there was a petition. I mean, this is a very political cause of mine.

[Andy Holloway]

And the petition was an overwhelming success for Fedora Week for Jason Moore. So that is. The fedora has landed. Yeah. You'll look.

[Jason Moore]

Fedora.

[Mike Wright]

I apologize to everybody. I. You know, usually I apologize.

[Andy Holloway]

I did.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, come on. Where's the rim shot on that?

[Jason Moore]

Here's the thing, Jason. You're growing your hair back out.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

I'm trying to give you the bridge. The bridge to growing your hair back out. You can pull that fedora off in a couple weeks. And I've got hair, and you've got hair.

[Mike Wright]

But I'm not gonna wear it for.

[Andy Holloway]

A couple weeks until we start another.

[Jason Moore]

You're wearing for two weeks.

[Mike Wright]

I'm wearing it for two shows. One week. Because you're obligated by fans on YouTube. Burn it.

[Jason Moore]

All right. You can do that.

[Mike Wright]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

But I think you're going to like it.

[Mike Wright]

Speaking of trades and dead cap. Antonio Brown.

[Jason Moore]

Antonio Brown.

[Mike Wright]

Antonio Brown has officially asked to be traded. He went on his Twitter and basically said goodbye.

[Andy Holloway]

He did a full Oprah.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he's.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, he's living the secret right now. He just.

[Mike Wright]

If he believes it, he put it.

[Andy Holloway]

Out into the universe that says I'm moving on. And he has neither been cut nor traded by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

[Mike Wright]

You know, the Vegas odds are out for. You can actually. Because you can bet on anything. You can bet on where he is going to land. And I believe the Steelers, I give them 10% chance that he's back there. But according to the Vegas odds, they were the second highest odds to land Antonio Brown next year to have him.

[Jason Moore]

The Steelers were right because they. Man, yeah, he's not going back there. He's not going back.

[Andy Holloway]

We'll see.

[Jason Moore]

Because I don't know how you can placate a guy like that at this point in time and not risk. The thing is, is that the reports at the end of the season before the Bengals game is that something changed. I mean, nobody could reach him. Nobody could talk to him. Like, it was not. It was off the grid different. And so I don't think they can risk that in this window they have with Big Ben. So I think he's moved.

[Andy Holloway]

But I want to agree. But he's got a lot working against him. Or I guess Pittsburgh does. You have now he had a. Was guilty of a reckless driving. It's got a couple things that are out there in the ethos.

[Jason Moore]

Hanging out that mustache is not helping. Can any of you two. Can anybody. Brooks, can you handle that blonde mustache? No, look, I can't handle it.

[Andy Holloway]

It's definitely a bold fashioned statement. That's what I can say about that. And on top of that, you're talking 20 plus million dollars just of dead cap for the Pittsburgh Steelers to trade him away. So it's. I agree that I think he will be moved, but it's not. It's not going to be as easy as him tweeting out that I'm not on the team anymore.

[Jason Moore]

All right, that is it for the news and notes. Do you hate ads on your fantasy app? So do we download the best free Fantasy app on iOS and Android? Get the sleeper app today. And before we get into the rookie review. Okay, before we get into the running backs and the tight ends, I want to tell you about HelloFresh. All right. Support for today's show comes from HelloFresh. Make conquering the kitchen in 2019 a reality with deliciously simple recipes from HelloFresh. Look, I just turned my sister on to hellofresh and she loves it. The recipe.

[Andy Holloway]

Hello.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, so fresh, so fresh. Look, easy to follow six step pictured recipes. Honestly, this is true. She's 10 years younger than I am.

[Andy Holloway]

She's 20, so she needs the pictures.

[Jason Moore]

She's 24. No, what I'm saying is she doesn't have experience cooking. She has found it to be a super enjoyable part of her day. She gets home, all the pre measured ingredients are there, she follows it. And she said every single one she's had is great. Absolutely awesome. We've done it twice a week for a long time. That's why I recommended it to her. And all the meals take 30 minutes maximum, so they make it easy. Take advantage of HelloFresh's special offer for 2019. Get $80 off your first month by going to hellofresh.com footballers80 and enter the promo code Footballers80. That's hellofresh.com Footballers80 and enter promo code Footballers80 to take advantage of HelloFresh's special offer For 2019 and get $80 off your first month. I really should have told her to use that code. Oh, come on.

[Andy Holloway]

You got to support the show.

[Jason Moore]

I know.

[Mike Wright]

Hey, well, Foot glan, you can use the code [e-mail] to save 10% if you want trophies, rings, draft boards, if you do a live draft with your buddies coming up. Awesome fantasy jerseys. All your swag should come from fantasychamps.com it is fantastic. And we have a deal. Right now, you know we've got the ultimate draft kit. We already know you're going to get it because it helps you win in your league. And right now, not only do you get $10 like a $10 gift card to shop ballers. You want to get a shirt, get the new get bodied shirt, but you're also getting a $10 gift card for fantasychamps fantasychamps.com so you can save a little bit of money there. Check them out.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Fantasy Champs.com rookie review.

[Jason Moore]

All right, back into the rookie review. Our dive through the 2018 rookies, how they performed, we go through based on their spot in the NFL draft and kind of break down the truth of these fantasy rookies. Just covered the quarterbacks and wide receivers on the Tuesday show, so if you missed it, get back over there. Get over there. Listen up. All right, running backs today. Let's go ahead and dive in here. Saquon Barkley, I've heard of him, is pretty good. We did talk about him on the Truth episode, so we'll keep it brief. The running back truth episode, just because he finished so high. He was the number two running back with the number four consistency ranking, but he never busted. He was absolutely dominant, especially against bottom 16 teams. He was elusive. He had the highest percentage of breakaway runs in the NFL this year, led the league. Running backs in scrimmage yards, third most all time for a rookie. What is there to add to Saquon Barkley? You know, there were rumors today, mind you, bold prediction, Jay Glazer, rumors about Odell Beckham Jr. Leaving that team via trade. But is Saquon the backbone of this team for the next several years instead of Odell Beckham Jr. Yeah, I mean.

[Mike Wright]

I think Saquon is the center of their offense. That's what they, that's what they want. They drafted him to be that. And that doesn't take away from Odell Beckham. But Saquon is, he's another level. I mean, I was watching some film on the Giants this last week and every time that he broke away, I'm like, man, I just forget how different he is as a human. He's just, he's bigger, but he's also faster at the same time. And he's the very rare running back where, you know, running backs, unlike a wide receiver, you usually, you get your fantasy points as the game goes on. You know, the first quarter, the second quarter, you're, you know, if you've got a good game or not. But there were several games where it's like, okay, looks like he's having a bad game and he could bust off an 80 yard run, you know, regardless of the, whether they're down or up or, you know, any situation. So Saquon Barkley should be in the conversation for the number one overall pick next year. He probably won't be number one on adp, but I can't see him being lower than fourth. He's, he's in the tier one.

[Jason Moore]

By the way, to lay of the land this year versus last year, the number of games for rookies with 100 plus yards from scrimmage, there were 40 total this year. That was five fewer than the 2017 rookie running back class. So we're talking about total yards from scrimmage. That includes the pass catchers and the like. Saquon did it 13 times. Philip Lindsey was second. He did it six times. Chubb and Sony Michelle both did it five times.

[Mike Wright]

This was not as good, and we knew this from years prior, that the 2017 running back class was very special. Hunt, Christian McCaffrey, Fournette Camara, Mixon, Cohen, Dalvin, Cook. That was a special class. I think this one actually surprised me. You know, I didn't think they would be as good as they were, but.

[Jason Moore]

You had disappointments like Royce Freeman, you had disappointments like, you know, took Chubb a while to get going. You know, surprises. Philip Lindsay, Gus Edwards. So those things happen. But carry on, got banged up. And those are the guys we're talking about right now. So let's talk about Rashad Penny, because how do you, you know, you can look at the numbers. Rashad Penny, 419 yards rushing on only 85 carries, only 12 targets on the season. Obviously didn't live up to expectations.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Jason Moore]

However, 4.9 a carry when he was in the game. And how do you feel about him? Because he's a fir. He was a first round pick. And we came in here last year and we said, well, the draft capital invested on Rashad Penny and Sonny Michelle, it means X, Y and Z. Well, what do we, how do we feel about Rashad Penny moving forward? Because I, I don't know how to feel.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it felt bad. Felt real bad having a first round pick. It's hard to know did he really lose his job because he came into training camp, got banged up, he had the, was the finger problem, A broken finger. And then Chris Carson, who was what, like a fifth to last pick in the NFL draft two years ago, he managed to hold on to the job. He held Rashad Penny off. So it certainly felt bad. But on the field he was, he was okay. So if, if the opportunity comes, I believe Rashad Penny will be great. I just don't know that the opportunity will come. The opportunity you were expecting for a first round running back.

[Mike Wright]

What I'm really looking for in 2019 is what happens with Mike Davis because Chris Carson is the starter.

[Andy Holloway]

I think Mike Davis is gone.

[Mike Wright]

He's an unrestricted free agent.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, he's gone.

[Mike Wright]

Then he, I mean, exactly. He might not be there, but if he leaves, I think Rashad Penny is going to be a value in the draft because he was talented when he got the ball. He just didn't get that many opportunities. He didn't get 100 carries as you say.

[Jason Moore]

Will he get 200 carries next year?

[Mike Wright]

No, I don't think he'll get 200 carries.

[Jason Moore]

I mean if you look, if you look at what Mike Davis abandoned, you'd have to give them all to Rashad Penny. But Penny was banged up. He played 14 games. He didn't have great opportunity early.

[Andy Holloway]

What was interesting for Davis was they turned him into their past catching back because you had the smooches. J.D. mcKissick was hurt the entire year and can't even remember the other guy. CJ Prosai CJ Pro size.

[Jason Moore]

Now they have an endless supply of 3rd down injured running backs.

[Andy Holloway]

But Mike Davis turned into that guy. You have a game with seven receptions, a game with eight receptions. When they needed to go to a pass catching running back, they went to Mike Davis. And of the two, Chris Carson and Rashad Penny. Penny skill set at catching the ball is vastly superior.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. And I think Rashad Penny can be that pass catching.

[Jason Moore]

Well, they trusted Mike Davis in pass protection. That was the thing.

[Mike Wright]

Right. And you saw some of the rookie issues of. He was not involved early his the beginning of the year. His pace was the first half of the year. He was on pace for about 80 carries. Where he finished the second half of the year he would have been on pace for 115. That's not fantasy gold, but clearly it shows that he was getting more involved in the offense, getting a little bit more trust, you know, in his camp when it comes to pass protection, things like that. So if Mike Davis is gone, I do think Rashad Penny will be a value next year.

[Andy Holloway]

You get penny 150 carries and 30 a little bit over 30 receptions. Of course that's not a running back one, but that's a guy that, that was going to be valuable for your team.

[Jason Moore]

I don't really see how he doesn't get 200 carries next year. I really don't. Yeah, I mean this is a team that ran the football more than anybody in the NFL except for Baltimore. And Baltimore had the built in plays drawn up for the quarterback. So they rushed the ball percentage wise more than anybody. 52% of the time. 534 carries last year. 534.

[Andy Holloway]

That's a lot.

[Jason Moore]

So with what they, you know, maybe it sounds a little bit like a broken record, but with the draft capital and the fact he earned some reps towards the end of the season, I feel pretty good about him being a potential steal.

[Mike Wright]

You cannot write him off. Like, you know, you had the running backs that supremely disappointed. Ronald Jones. Supremely disappointed. Rashad Penny. Supremely disappointed. But at least, at least that, you know, Penny looked good when he got the ball.

[Andy Holloway]

Do you want to go out and trade for Penny in a dynasty league?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Yeah. If I can get him for pennies. Oh, yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Nailed it.

[Jason Moore]

It's fair. All right, let's move on.

[Mike Wright]

Leave. You've met my fitness consigliere, Michelle.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Sony, Michelle. Sonny. Michelle, look, I saw him on a late night show. Did you guys see that interview?

[Andy Holloway]

No, what show?

[Jason Moore]

He was on with Fallon. Was it.

[Andy Holloway]

Was this after the Super Bowl?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, it was after the super bowl. But he was talking about the party after the super bowl and how crazy it was, but how like Tom Brady and his family had this like completely separate section from everybody else.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, with veggie trays and Sonny.

[Jason Moore]

Michelle just felt like a fan. Just like everybody else at the party of Tom Brady. Just taking pictures of Tom Brady, super bowl champion. Sony, Michelle. Look, first round pick talked about him in the Truth episode as well. So we'll be brief, but most carries for any New England rookie running back in the last 20 years.

[Mike Wright]

Pretty good stat average.

[Jason Moore]

The third most yards per carry ever of New England rookie running backs. And was still difficult to decide how, when and why to play him on your fantasy roster. Because of all of the schematic and roster moves that New England makes.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, you've got pros and cons here, right? The way he finished the year, and I'm speaking in the playoffs, right when the, when the Patriots needed him, they relied on him. He averaged over 100 yards and two touchdowns in the playoffs. That's great. That's a guy that you can rely on. But I'm worried it pushes his average draft price so high that you're going to grab a guy that can still be just completely schemed out next year because of Bill Belichick. He's talented.

[Jason Moore]

Out. I don't know about out.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, if you go into one of these weird games where it happened.

[Andy Holloway]

Plenty of times at the end of.

[Jason Moore]

The season, if I had to have a backup Valentine, you know, like, I hand that first one out, she rejects it. I got to find my backup. Sony Michelle would have been it.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

And part of it is what you said about the playoffs and the way he performed and what they want him to be able to do and the fact that, you know, he took some pretty big steps as a rookie despite the injuries. Mike, weigh in on Sony before we move on to Nick.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm with Jason. Well, I'm not with Jason.

[Jason Moore]

That's not in the fedora.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no, not with the fedora. But I love Sony Michelle and I truly believe he has the past catching skill set. But Bill Belichick did not want to use him that way. And it's looking at the end of the year, that's where things are weird because that's when Rex Burkhead was back. That's when everyone was there. And week 12, fantastic. Over 20 fantasy points. A monster game in championship weekend as well. But in between those, you very disappointing for a player who's likely to. I agree with Jason that he will get the playoff bump. Sony. Over or under a. The middle of actually the top of the third round. Over or under?

[Jason Moore]

I think middle of the third.

[Andy Holloway]

So you'll take the under?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

As far as where I think he'll go or where I would draft.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no. Where you think he will go. Adp.

[Mike Wright]

I think he'll be at the top of the third. So if I had to pick an over under, I would go over. I would not draft him there at all.

[Jason Moore]

I would take him there. I don't think there's going to be the overreaction you think there is. The impact last year made by the running backs on that team. It was James White owners. The James White owners. Remember what they got from him. He won leagues for most people. He's the most valuable draft pick in fantasy.

[Mike Wright]

When we went through the truth of the running back episode and we saw the value of targets, the value of the receiving skills, yes, you believe he has the receiving, but they don't use him like that.

[Andy Holloway]

It doesn't matter.

[Mike Wright]

I don't think he has it. And they. I mean, he had 11 targets, right. Like on the year. That's worthless.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I agree with that. And yet LeGarrett Blunt has had a monster fantasy season in New England, not catching the football at all. So they're a unique team. To me, like, I wouldn't make that argument for Sonny Michelle everywhere, but to me, they're unique because he can score three touchdowns. Because that's how they, you know.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

So it'll be interesting. Nick Chubb, I already talked about him. He was the third pick of the second round by the Browns. He was the ninth most consistent running back in football, and he only had 16 rushes in weeks one through six. And still off. A monster year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

For the consistency rank, we did not include those. Just a reminder.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

The first six weeks, 18.5 fantasy points per game from Weeks 9 through 16, which puts him at RB6 in that span. You guys talk about Nick Chubb if you want to. Otherwise we can move on. I mean, we've made the case for him.

[Andy Holloway]

He's going to be a stud. The. But where do you think he will go? Because I think he'll be like a. Top of the second round. He's going to be the consolation running back for the.

[Jason Moore]

Do you like him in the top of the second round?

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know if I do.

[Jason Moore]

I don't know if I like him at the top of the second round, I think. But I would take it. Would you take him over Sony. And I think I would take him over 100%.

[Mike Wright]

Take him over Sonny.

[Jason Moore]

So middle of the second, I think that that's good value on Nick Chubb, but it's kind of moot to kind of theorize where he's going when you don't have the Kareem Hunt suspension that has come down.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

Because that'll define everything. Ronald Jones, the sixth pick of the second round. Hot stats. Ready. He registered more tackles. Yes. That would be tackles.

[Mike Wright]

But he's a.

[Jason Moore]

He's a running back.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. But he tackles one time, more tackles in the last four games than total yards. This was rough.

[Andy Holloway]

That's mean.

[Jason Moore]

You know how you're writing a story, right? And you know, you mess up so many times and the paper's got all that eraser mark on it, and then you just crumple the page up and just throw it and then start over. That's what we're going to try to do or what he's going to try to do with his rookie season.

[Andy Holloway]

It. It's going to be tough for Ronald Jones. Bruce Arians. I'm not sure that there was a worse hire for the status of Ronald Jones, because things that Bruce Arians wants in his running back, number one, it's pass protection. And then he also wants his running back to be able to catch the ball. And Ronald Jones struggles mightily with both of those things, which is why he couldn't get. He could not beat out Peyton Barber last year. So with Arians coming in, look, maybe there could be growth for Ronald Jones. So I'm not going to. He's not a.

[Jason Moore]

Or maybe he's just kick and punt returner. I mean, that's the word. Those are the range of outcomes. Right?

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

He could be useless.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, 100% useless. He's one of those guys where I'll be surprised if late in next year's draft I take a flyer on him. I would bet I don't draft him. And you know, with my last positional pick next year, unless something comes around where Arian says he is the guy. But you got to keep in mind he wasn't even part of the team that drafted him. Why is he going to come in and be like, okay, now the guy that got 23 carries last year didn't do much with it?

[Jason Moore]

Well, you're going to. Here's the counterpoint if you want to make a point for Ronald Jones. I don't think any of us are under the illusion that Peyton Barber is special. Now, he may be reliable, but I don't think any of us think he's special. I think Ronald Jones has some qualities that could earn him a role in the offense based on training camp. I mean, he was a high second round pick. There is more institutional investment in him than there is at the head coach position, but it still matters. So if he can flash, we're talking about him moving from a nothing, a very nice defender with the one tackle.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

But from nothing into. Into something. Now, do I want to draft him? No, I don't want to draft him. No.

[Andy Holloway]

The counterpoint to the special versus reliable David Johnson was a special running back. It took multiple injuries in front of David Johnson his rookie season to get him on the field because he kept making mistakes and Arians wasn't willing to put up with the mistakes to get those potential special plays. So if Ronald Jones can't improve in those two areas, it's gonna be very difficult for him to get playing time.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he's going. He's going to have to.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, he's got an opportunity because Peyton Barber is a restricted free agent. We'll see if Tampa Bay brings Barber back. I'm guessing that they're going to grab a running back in the draft.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, they could grab one in the draft. They could also make a splash in free agency.

[Andy Holloway]

They might make a play on Lev, who knows?

[Jason Moore]

They could. Or even a guy like Isaiah Crowell, who was announced likely to Be released from the Jets. All right, let's move on to a slightly rosier story. Kerryon Johnson, the 11th pick of the second round by the Detroit Lions. He was straight it up to get him consistency. Rank of 19, played 10 games, 118 carries, 641 and 3. Just a taste, right? The appetizer was brought out. Jason took, took a couple bites and then reached in for another and they took it away. It was gone.

[Mike Wright]

I don't like.

[Andy Holloway]

Are you done with this, sir, as you're trying to eat?

[Jason Moore]

The bus boy cleared it way too soon.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I was in the restroom, but half the plate was. Yeah, you gotta wait till I give you permission. Carry on Johnson. It was so frustrating watching him be the clear, unquestionable best running back on that team every single play and then continuing, especially the beginning of the year, to watch Legara Blunt get the start la. Garrett Blunt get the work. Theo, come in on. I mean, it was like they couldn't find a way to get carry on on. It reminded me a lot of David Johnson's rookie season where every time he came on, something special happened. He broke a long play, he got a touchdown, and then they kept not utilizing him. But I said this from. From last season. Kerryon Johnson's a guy that I tried to get in every dynasty situation I'm in. And he was for 2019. Kerryon Johnson will have a fantastic 2019 LeGarrett. Blunt will be gone. They will. I mean, carry on. Johnson to me is wherever he's drafted. I'm taking him higher than that, wherever his average draft position is because I believe.

[Andy Holloway]

I bet he's. I'll let you set. Where do you think he's going to go?

[Jason Moore]

Probably top of the fourth. That's right. Middle of the third round.

[Andy Holloway]

Back a third, top of fourth.

[Jason Moore]

He'll probably be middle of the third by that point because you better hope.

[Andy Holloway]

His preseason's not very strong.

[Jason Moore]

He just. He's just going to be named the starter.

[Mike Wright]

I would rather have.

[Jason Moore]

Once he's named the starter, you could. He could go in the second round.

[Mike Wright]

I would rather have carry on Johnson than Sony Michelle. Like, without a doubt. That's hot.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, that's. I think that that's not what I would do, but I understand it because the pass catching is going to be there and he's a special player. 5.43 yards per carry, best by a rookie since DeMarco Murray. Very special player. Less convinced that Matt Patricia has things figured out in Detroit. And I do worry that there is at least a percentage chance we're sitting here next year talk making the same appetizer analogy because you see these tastes of fantasy glory. Look in his games played, even the good ones this year, even through week seven through 11 being the RB11, never had a great game all year. Never had a game that finished in that top upper echelon category. I think his offense limits him. I think you guys limits him.

[Mike Wright]

Do you guys remember Darrell Bevel?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

You ever heard of him? Former Seahawks.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. That's why we said. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Offensive coordinator who is very much like current Seahawks offensive coordinator who just wants to run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run your boat.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, Jason.

[Mike Wright]

I mean I think the amount of Patricia is coming in. They got rid of Jim Bob Cooter. They brought in Darryl Bevel. That's very similar to what Seattle did last year where they are saying that's a good sign with their actions. We want to be a run first defensive minded team. That's not what the Lions have been in any way, shape or form over the last decade.

[Jason Moore]

That why they got rid of Golden Tate? They wanted to force. Force the issue.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, apparently. And so I look, I, I'm going to be very bullish on carry on. This is.

[Jason Moore]

That's a fair point. Darrell Bevel, if you can get into that, if they're a top 10 running team, it'll make all the difference in the world. Darius Geist, the 27th pick of the second round flashed in the preseason and.

[Mike Wright]

Well, didn't have a good.

[Jason Moore]

Here we are. Not a good year, Jason.

[Mike Wright]

Not a good year for him or for dynasty. Owners of Darius guys, as he got torn acl. What is that first preseason game first.

[Jason Moore]

Or did you say he got torn acl?

[Mike Wright]

I think so.

[Andy Holloway]

He got that.

[Mike Wright]

He got. Got.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, Darius guys. Mike make the case for a strong sophomore season for this young man with all the potential in the world and well, a difficult situation because we don't even know the quarterback in Washington.

[Andy Holloway]

Right. Well, the talent is there but the offensive scheme. You look at what Adrian Peterson was able to do. It was not consistent at all. But Adrian Peterson over a thousand rushing yards. Darius Guy is a much, much better running back at this point of his career than Adrian Peterson. And they'll figure, they'll figure the quarterback out enough that they'll get the vast majority of what Alex Smith brought to that team. In my opinion, there's. There's a couple guys out there who can come in and be game managers and be what What. What Gruden wants for that team, and it's going to fall on Darius, guys. Now, there are rumors the Bush, the Bushes are whispering about Adrian Peterson coming back to Washington. That would put a potential wrinkle in my plans for Darius, guys. So that's the thing that I'm watching.

[Jason Moore]

The most, a wrinkle in your guys.

[Andy Holloway]

No one wants a wrinkle in the guys.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's talk about a couple of Broncos. Royce Freeman, the seventh pick of the third round, and his worst nightmare. Philip Lindsey, undrafted by the Broncos. We brought him up on the Truth episode. Why? Because he was the 12th overall fantasy running back. And here we have a great conundrum for fantasy owners who's going to be taking the handoffs from Joe Flacco. Joe. Cool.

[Andy Holloway]

It's Philip Lindsay. Until I've heard otherwise.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, the more that I've really considered this, Andy. And, you know, we don't need to share the details because it was a.

[Jason Moore]

Terrible offer, but I know exactly what you're about to talk about.

[Mike Wright]

But I definitely. As soon as our platform was.

[Andy Holloway]

No, the details must be shared because we reactivated our league.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

I peeked over, and first of all, Jason was so happy. He's like, oh, I'm getting back in the league. I see out of the corner of my eye, someone's trying to make a transaction. All I can read, I'm too far away. I can't see, but I see the bold font up top that says trade. And I went, oh, my.

[Mike Wright]

The first action. Why don't you.

[Jason Moore]

Before you send the offer, why don't you tell him what my reply was?

[Mike Wright]

I believe it was something along the lines of. Got any more in your junk drawer?

[Andy Holloway]

What are you trading, rubber bands?

[Mike Wright]

I want. Look, I wanted to drink some water because a lot of people don't think Philip Lindsay is going to. You know, you've got a different coaching staff, a different quarterback. You've got Philip Lindsay with a broken bone. Right now he's undrafted.

[Andy Holloway]

Those people are not Andy.

[Mike Wright]

I know, I know, but I wanted to see where he was at. The first thing I did was try to trade for Philip Lindsey. I believe he will be the guy. He's probably the better runner, so I.

[Andy Holloway]

You're not getting away from this. What you offered.

[Mike Wright]

Well, he. We were at lunch today, and Andy said he was interested in Mark Andrews, right? So I offered Mark Andrews, tight end. And who else did I offer?

[Jason Moore]

Wendell Smallwood.

[Mike Wright]

Wendell Smallwood.

[Jason Moore]

Frank Gore.

[Andy Holloway]

And Frank Gore. Oh, I think I'm gonna be Sick.

[Jason Moore]

And he also asked for. He also asked for Robert Foster back with Philip Lindsay.

[Mike Wright]

What's funny is I was, I was gonna start with a really good fair trade. Yeah, you were. No, I was, I was gonna throw Pettis and some other stuff in there and actually look at an honest trade. But then I thought I would just. It was really a clown. There was never one second where I thought, yeah, it would be accepted.

[Jason Moore]

Well, that's why I said, got any more junk in your junk drawer? So Philip Lindsay, you believe in him?

[Mike Wright]

I do.

[Jason Moore]

You believe in the future of Philip Lindsay? He is 5.4 yards of carry.

[Mike Wright]

He's too good.

[Jason Moore]

Impressive.

[Mike Wright]

He was great through the entire season. And look, he went over the coaching staff last year in training camp.

[Jason Moore]

He showed that he won over John Elway too.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he was the best. He was the best running back. And he's going to win over the new regime. He's going to win over everybody again because he is clearly the best running back there. They want to run the ball and he can. So I'm, I believe in Philip Lindsay. I don't see any reason in the world that he would be relegated to a backup behind Royce Freeman when he's the better runner.

[Jason Moore]

Now, Royce Freeman had 130 carries. Lindsay had 192. Much more efficient with them. But he's a, he's a little guy, he's a small guy. Royce Freeman, can he earn this job? Can he earn a big enough role?

[Andy Holloway]

It's going to be tough.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, we do at least know adjusted expectations then.

[Andy Holloway]

Although we were, we mentioned at the top of this, you know, rookies with 100 plus yards from scrimmage. I was baffled to see Royce Freeman was actually on that list. And I forgot, I mean, that was the final week of the season when Philip Lindsay was out and it was Royce Freeman, boom, catching some passes. He had 60 rushing yards, 40 receiving yards. So we, that's what there is to know about Royce Freeman. If he gets the opportunity, I believe he will be successful.

[Mike Wright]

Completely agree.

[Andy Holloway]

The opportunity will not come easy though for Royce Freeman.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's talk about some more interesting names. Maybe heading into next year a couple of Indianapolis Colts, another team that could make a splash at the running back position. But Naim Hines, Jordan Wilkins, fourth and fifth round picks. Marlon Mack didn't play through the first, the majority of the first six weeks. I think he was in their week two.

[Andy Holloway]

Marlon Mack was almost my Valentine.

[Jason Moore]

Was he?

[Andy Holloway]

I'm so mad.

[Mike Wright]

I would have been so angry at you.

[Andy Holloway]

I am so Mad.

[Jason Moore]

He's as good as Casey Keenum is bad. So Jason gets credit. He can make up for any kingdom love he ever had with the fact he was dead on. Right. With Marlon Mack.

[Andy Holloway]

Mac's going to be awesome.

[Jason Moore]

I think he is too. So what does that mean about Nae Mines and Jordan Wilkins that you need an injury probably for them to be relevant.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I love that Naim. What Naim Hines or Jordan Wilkins mean? They represent the security of Marlon Mack because they're young and they're good enough to where the Colts aren't going out and getting a running back. You know, the Colts are always brand, you know, oh, they're going to get left belt. That would be so out of character and out of. No, there's no need for that. They have holes on that team that they need to fill. Why would they spend money to fill the role they don't need with the. With those three running backs. Yeah, I love Marlon Mack.

[Jason Moore]

They would be a better destination for Antonio Brown than Le'Veon Bell.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, that would agree.

[Jason Moore]

That would be the go for the gold, and I do mean gold mustache of Antonio Brown.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm thinking about it.

[Jason Moore]

Each of you, let's each pick out one more running back from the rookie crop. So here are some players to consider. Kalen Bellaj, Jalen Samuels, Josh Adams, Gus Edwards.

[Mike Wright]

That's the guy that I would bring up. I am a big believer in the Gus Bus. Gus Edwards was fantastic. Now because he was undrafted, there's not a lot of capital into him similar to what we saw with Alex Collins. If they go out and sign Mark Ingram, goodbye. Gus is dead to me for fantasy, but I could see them holding Pat with what they have or maybe adding, you know, some other veteran. They're basically adding Kenneth Dixon to the team already. I think they have enough running backs there to where coming up this season they could. They could look at other. At other needs and if they do with Lamar Jackson, Gus Edwards is the type of runner. I mean, you saw that shift. It was. It wasn't close to around when Lamar Jackson took over. It was the week when Lamar Jackson took over. That was when the Gus Bus was filled up and put on the field and he looked great. He fits that offense. So if they don't add a running back of any major value, I'm going to be in on Gus Buss.

[Jason Moore]

I'm not sweet.

[Mike Wright]

Who would you like from that team? Assuming that the running back core is the same as it is now, would you think Alex?

[Jason Moore]

I'm not assuming that I'm not assuming.

[Mike Wright]

No, I know that I said I wouldn't be in on Gus Edwards of Mark Ingram shows up. I'm saying if they do keep the.

[Jason Moore]

Current core, I think that your bus has only a few stops on the trip and none of them are in elite categories. I don't think Gus can give you be scored twice on the season on the ground. I don't think he can give you enough. I mean, I think he had every opportunity last year and he was fine. He was definitely fine.

[Mike Wright]

So just so you know what fine is okay? He's. He's. He got his first start in week 10. And so for the rest of the season, week 11.

[Andy Holloway]

So game 10.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, game. Game 10. So the rest of the season, his pace, which was, I believe seven games was on pace for 279 carries, 1495 yards and five touchdowns.

[Jason Moore]

He was RB14 in that run and.

[Mike Wright]

That would get the touchdowns, which is surprising given his body.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, you could be right. But you're speaking to me like I'm hearing Alex Collins's name coming out of your mouth.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, no, I get that and it's a worthy thing to bring up because Alex Collins had very similar stuff.

[Jason Moore]

I just worry about him falling out of favor. That's my biggest concern. I don't think he's a bad player. I don't think he's a great player. So you could be right. That's the beauty of it.

[Mike Wright]

You could be crazy.

[Jason Moore]

The name I guess I'd bring up would be Caleb Bellagio.

[Andy Holloway]

The Bellagio would be the name I'd bring up.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Fourth round pick from by the Miami Dolphins. It'll be interesting to see what happens in Miami this offseason. Balaj at least has these and ability to have make an impact on the offense. We'll see if this team can figure out how to use the running backs. That's what it comes down to.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And we'll see if no more Mr. B. Hole. Is Frank Gore currently in the hyperbaric chamber? Just.

[Jason Moore]

Well, do I need to make that. Take that trade, Mike, I mean, oh, I had the chance of picking him up. You probably could have gotten Gore, Gore.

[Mike Wright]

And Smallwood and you're hurting. You're hurting. I can't believe you.

[Andy Holloway]

There was, there was a part of you that clicked all those guys into the trade.

[Mike Wright]

No, this was just on slack.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, I was looking at the rosters on that page, but no, I was. Because here's, here's the truth. I had guys in my R that I had to move. And I'm like, I'm not moving them for this. Like, this isn't a real trade. So I just slacked them.

[Jason Moore]

All right, well, that is it for today's episode of the show. Well, almost. Almost the end. Pristine deal of the day. Oh, this is a nice one. Ties in very well. Well done, Brooks. Today's pristine deal of the day. Saquon Barkley signed Giants jersey. What? Yesterday, a listener picked it up for $88.

[Andy Holloway]

I told you guys. I told you people are. They're distracted by Patrick Mahomes and Julian Edelman. And meanwhile, fans are scooping up Barkley jerseys for. For Rashad Pennies.

[Jason Moore]

No, man. And here's the thing. We give you one pristine deal of the day. There are hundreds that go every day. This is not something that lasts a week. There are hundreds of daily auctions. Pristineauction.com let them know the fantasy footballers sent you. Have a wonderful, wonderful Valentine's Day.

[Andy Holloway]

Wonderful Valentine's Day. A wonderful weekend. We will see you next week on Tuesday.

[Jason Moore]

Goodbye.

[Andy Holloway]

Goodbye.

[Mike Wright]

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.