Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary
Episode: Footie Award Winners + Early Hot Takes for 2026!
Date: January 13, 2026
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
Episode Overview
This annual Footie Awards episode celebrates the standout performances, biggest disappointments, and most entertaining moments of the 2025 fantasy football season. The trio not only reveals the crowd-sourced winners across a host of categories but also throws out some way-too-early hot takes for the 2026 season. Expect the usual blend of expert analysis, strong opinions, playful banter, and shoutouts to show lore and running jokes.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Setting the Table: The Footies & Playoff Recap (01:38–06:03)
- The vibe is celebratory: “It is the official footy awards episode. We’ll be dishing out some awards.” (Andy, 01:38)
- Recaps the wildness of recent NFL playoff games and laments the stress level (or lack thereof) of being a Cardinals fan.
- Touches on the emotional rollercoaster for certain fandoms—especially Packers and Bears fans—with lots of sympathy for their own producer, Al Borland.
2. Hot Takes for 2026 Season (06:03–12:09)
- Mike’s Spicy Take: "Justin Herbert wins MVP next year, throws for 4,540 plus touchdowns... Justin Herbert’s going to be a monster next year." (Mike, 06:17)
- They debate Herbert’s ceiling, possible offensive improvements, and compare his career arc to Stafford’s. Jason is skeptical, pushing back against “Herbert people” always forecasting a breakout.
- Andy’s Local Lens: Predicts that Michael Wilson, not Marvin Harrison, will lead the Cardinals receivers: "The pressure to buy into Marvin Harrison will be strong again... but I think Michael Wilson proved what kind of receiver he really is." (Andy, 10:04)
- Jason’s Stack of Destiny: "I think that Jackson Dart–the Jackson Dart Malik Neighbors stack will be the league-winning stack of next year." (Jason, 11:07)
3. Playoff Game Breakdowns & Fantasy Repercussions (13:01–34:29)
Rams vs. Panthers & Free Agency Talk
- Discuss the Panthers’ surprising competitiveness and Rico Dowdle’s free agency dreams.
- “He wants to be somewhere where he gets the majority of the work.” (Andy, 14:24)
- The panel is mostly skeptical he’ll be a bellcow, but Jason thinks he could find a starting job for a needy team.
Packers vs. Bears
- Marvel at the Bears’ never-say-die, comeback narrative: “The Bears ran zero offensive plays while in the lead and they won two thirds of the games. Wild.” (Mike, 16:42)
- Dramatic moments like the Caleb Williams fourth-down conversion are discussed, illustrating the tension and absurdity of the game.
Other Games: Quick Hits
- Talks up Colston Loveland’s playoff dominance as a tight end for the Bears.
- Ruminates on the challenge of identifying fantasy-relevant pass-catchers on the Bears, focusing on Loveland’s immense usage.
- The group speculates on the impact of weather and home field in upcoming games.
Bills vs. Jaguars
- A big focus on injuries—Gabe Davis’s knee, Josh Palmer to IR—and how that forces Buffalo to get creative with pass-catchers.
- “Brandon Cooks with the huge catch.” (Jason, 24:44)
- Laments Jacksonville’s playoff exit, noting Parker Washington’s unexpected breakout.
49ers vs. Eagles
- George Kittle’s Achilles injury signals a possible end of an era.
- “That’s the end of George Kittle as a very important fantasy asset. It will probably never happen again.” (Mike, 28:20)
- Eagles’ dysfunction, coaching rifts, and looming changes highlighted.
4. NFL News & Coaching Carousel (34:30–36:26)
- Rundown of firings, rumored new hires, and coaching speculation (McDaniel, Stefanski, Harbaugh, etc).
- Talks about Green Bay’s LaFleur likely staying despite playoff collapse.
- Humorous defeatism about the Cardinals ever landing a premium coach: “No great coach would ever be like... We’re not on Stefanski’s list. We’re not on Harbaugh’s list.” (Mike, 34:49)
The 2025 Footie Awards (35:35–48:04 and 49:28–End)
Show Format & Voting
- All awards are voted on by the Foot Clan (listener community).
- Each category’s winner and runner-up discussed, often with reflection on the narrative arcs, surprises, and fantasy significance.
Highlighted Award Winners & Memorable Moments
- Performance of the Year: Derrick Henry, Week 17 (45.5 fantasy points). “The YETI scores 45 and a half fantasy points.” (Mike, 37:22)
- Fantasy Reapers (Worst Injury Impact): Malik Neighbors (70% of the vote).
- Poopiest Pants Award: Justin Jefferson (52%) — “Not your poop, Justin! Take those pants off, that is not someone...” (Mike, 40:20)
- Waiver Wire Wonder: Michael Wilson (54%), “Michael Wilson was the best waiver wire pickup this year.”
- Quarterback of the Year: Drake May (52%), runner-up Matthew Stafford.
- Running Back of the Year: Christian McCaffrey (63%), Bijan Robinson far behind.
- Wide Receiver of the Year: JSN (62%) over Puka Nacua (29%).
- Tight End of the Year: Trey McBride (90%) — “Most receptions ever for a tight end.”
- Rookie of the Year: Travion Henderson (21%), with a very tight spread among rookies.
- Breakout Player of the Year: Drake May (42%).
- Steal of the Draft: JSN (23%)
- Comeback Player: Chris Olave (29%) narrowly over Javonte Williams.
New and Fun Awards
- Bummer of the Year: Brian Thomas Jr.—"He can win if I suck so much, if I bum everyone..." (Mike, 58:35)
- Meow Man of the Year: Mason Taylor, for impressively underwhelming performance.
- Nickname of the Year: “Bill Crosky” (Jaquori Krosky-Merritt): "Bill Crosky ran away with it.” (Mike, 61:38)
- Show Moment of the Year: Bill Crosky jokes (53%): “He could kill two stones with one bird.” (Mike, 63:03)
Panelist Banter & Quotes
- On hot takes: "It's a hot take. It's not a cold take." (Andy, 08:53)
- On Michael Wilson vs Marvin Harrison: "He just has to be the best wide receiver in Arizona. Fantasy wise." (Andy, 10:10)
- On Bears playoff magic: "It's the exact opposite of what you're used to from the Bears. They just keep winning these games from behind." (Mike, 18:16)
- On Eagles fallout: "They want to load everyone into the cannon and fire them into the sun." (Jason, 30:27)
- On Cardinals coaching prospects: "We’re on the guy that's never had the chance... you got to go there and turn that around if you want a job." (Andy/Mike, 35:08)
- On fandom & Foot Clan engagement: "People that stick around stuck around because they were champs." (Jason, 38:13)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|---------------------| | Footie Awards Introduction | 01:38 | | Hot Takes for 2026 | 06:03 – 12:09 | | Playoff Recap & Fantasy Impact | 13:01 – 34:29 | | NFL News & Coaching Carousel | 34:30 – 36:26 | | Start of Footie Awards | 35:35 | | Performance, Injury, Bust, Waiver Wire | 36:26 – 44:37 | | Position Awards (QB, RB, WR, TE) | 44:37 – 47:50 | | Rookie, Breakout, Steal, Comeback | 49:28 – 55:14 | | Championship Playoff Heroes | 55:35 – 57:21 | | Fun Awards (Bummer, Meow Man, Nickname) | 57:24 – 63:03 | | Moment of the Year & Wrap | 63:01 – End |
Notable Quotes & Moments (w/ Attribution & Timestamp)
- “Justin Herbert wins MVP next year, throws for 4,540 plus touchdowns... Justin Herbert's going to be a monster next year.” — Mike (06:17)
- “The pressure to buy into Marvin Harrison will be strong again... What I’m saying right now is I think Michael Wilson proved what kind of receiver he really is.” — Andy (10:04)
- “The Bears ran zero offensive plays while in the lead and they won two thirds of the games. Wild.” — Mike (16:42)
- “That’s the end of George Kittle as a very important fantasy asset. It will probably never happen again.” — Mike (28:20)
- “He wants to be somewhere where he gets the majority of the work.” (Rico Dowdle) — Andy (14:24)
- On losing as a Cardinals fan: “We’re not on Stefanski’s list. We’re not on Harbaugh’s list.” — Mike (34:49)
- Award banter: "Not your poop, Justin! Take those pants off, that is not someone..." — Mike (40:20)
- "Bill Crosky ran away with it." — Mike (61:38)
- "He could kill two stones with one bird." — Mike (63:03)
Overall Vibe & Takeaways
The episode is one-part celebration, one-part cautionary tale, and all parts full of community spirit and inside jokes. Listeners get practical fantasy insight, but also perspective on the highs, lows, unpredictabilities, and hysterics that define every season. The group puts their stamp on 2025’s storylines while gleefully roasting winners, losers, and themselves.
Highly Recommended for:
- Anyone looking to relive key moments of the 2025 fantasy season
- Foot Clan diehards who want to catch up on Footie show lore
- Listeners prepping (mentally and emotionally) for the next season’s madness!
Footie Awards. Hurts, heals, celebrates — with style.