
The Fantasy Footballers are back with a new episode! On today's fantasy football podcast, lots of important questions answered and training camp injuries to report. Plus, does Theo Riddick signing with the Raiders have a big fantasy football impact on Jos
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David Attenborough
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Jason Moore
Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.
Mike Wright
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome to the podcast, the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. If you are nasty, I am your host with the most, of course, for today, Mike the Fantasy Hitman Wright. Welcome into the podcast. This is quite possibly the strangest recording of this show that we have ever had. As you have noticed, I am hosting, which means that Andy Holloway, our fearless captain, is out for the day. His wife came down with some migraine stuff and at these times, kids are at home, that means homeschooling needs to be done. So Andy is Papa bear at home right now. Jason, on the other hand, he had to take care of another family member's kids. So we are being as cautious as we can with everything that's going on. So he's at home. So I'm at home. I'm at the table all by myself in the studio. Jason Moore, welcome to the show. Welcome to the weirdness.
Jason Moore
You know, it's been weird even from my side, but I did not really make the connection that you are literally at the Fantasy Footballers Studio set table by yourself for the first time ever that one person has sat there for a main show. I'm glad I'm not you, but at least you've got, you've got the, you got Brooks, you've got Jeremy, you got, you got the producers extraordinaire.
Mike Wright
Look, I've got the support over here that I need, so Everything will be 100 on this episode. I'm just letting it everyone know that I'm freaking out and it's really, really bizarre. You heard our great friend of the show, David Attenborough, great friend of the show, letting everybody know about the Ultimate Draft Kit. This thing is getting updated. Look, you're going to be drafting soon, like a beast. Ultimate draft kit.com and do not forget, a dollar from every UDK goes to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Jason, we're going to get right into the quick question. Over the weekend there was a signing and this signing went to the Las Vegas Raiders pass catching specialist at the running back position. Theo Riddick was signed by the Raiders. It gave me great joy because I was able to launch directly into a full troll campaign against Andy, who had just made Josh Jacobs his my guy. Which a lot of the reason for being in all in Josh Jacobs is that his pass catching should go up. So but we need to talk about this. It's very easy to say I'm going to ignore Theo Riddick completely. He has no impact. But here's the thing. This is just another signing. This isn't the first. So on this team. So you they already had Josh Jacobs. They drafted Lynn Bowden Jr. Who was a converted wide receiver, which to me says that guy's got decent hands for a running back. They resigned Jalen Richard, if you don't remember this, they had already added Devonta Booker who who has been used as a pass catching specialist. They add Theo Riddick. Jason, are you shook at all? Do you have any trembling going on for Josh Jacobs?
Jason Moore
I am not shook. I am not.
Mike Wright
You're not rattled.
Jason Moore
And the reality is this, what you just described says that they definitely want to. In my opinion, I believe they want to get their running back more involved in the passing game. They're bringing in passing down backs. Now the question is if that's true, who is it? Is it Josh Jacobs or is it this hodgepodge of third down specialists? And that is obviously to be determined. But you know, if I had to bet, if you said hey, here's a Benjamin, it's yours, you can double it or lose it. You've got to bet on does Theo Riddick make the roster for week one? I probably bet against it. I mean maybe I but it's close. My point is this is just a signing that worries people from pass catching side. Josh Jacobs is a better pass catching back than whoever is on the roster. I mean Theo Riddick's been great, but he's 29 years old. We haven't seen him since 2018 and when we did see him, he seems like he had lost step then.
Mike Wright
So my, my take on it is I don't think you can completely ignore the fact that the Raiders have added a bunch of depth now for past catching running backs. Not all of these guys are going to make the team. They won't all be on the roster when, when the kickoff actually happens. I don't know who will be. I do. Side more on that. Josh Jacobs should be drafted where you were drafting him. It's not changing that for me. But you got to pay attention. Pay attention and camp.
Jason Moore
Yeah. We can't forget though, you know, you talk about, okay, they ad Lynn Bowden Jr. But you know, he's a rookie. They bring in Theo Riddick who hasn't done anything in the last couple of years, but they also lost DeAndre Washington who was a 40 target back last.
Mike Wright
Right.
Jason Moore
So it's not, it's not just last year plus a bunch of running backs minus nobody. So, you know, if we're, if we're talking about the Theo Riddicks, we got to talk about the DeAndre Washington side.
Mike Wright
Sure. You can follow the show on Twitter @ the FF Ballers. You can follow Jason there at Jason FFL. I am at FF Hitman. Andy is at Andy Holloway. Instagram, our personals are exactly the same, but over on Instagram, it's instagram.com fantasy footballers. And on the YouTube, if you want to watch the weirdness that is taking place right now while Jason quite ironically drinks out of his weirdo mug because this is the life we're living in YouTube.com the fantasy footballers. Please subscribe. Over there. Click the bell. We got a lot of news and notes, so let's get into it.
Jason Moore
News and notes from around the league.
Mike Wright
All right, it's training camp time, which means that most of this news will not be of the positive nature because it's going to be injury related. But we will do our best to maintain a cheery disposition and figure out what to do with this information.
Jason Moore
Yeah, you should really give every note here as just real great news.
Mike Wright
I'm not pretending it's good.
Jason Moore
I just, I don't want but a cheery disposition. And guess what, guess What. Lions rookie DeAndre Swift suffered a leg injury at Thursday's practice. Oh, man, that's a cheery disposition.
Mike Wright
Oh, the Lions running back situation is very bizarre. There was, you know, the note that Kerryon Johnson, when he came back, he was wearing the knee brace. We have since been updated on that information and it's Kerryon Johnson is making the decision to play in the brace now, which to me is like this is perfectly fine. We've seen players decide I have to wear a brace. You have players who, who say I need to get out of this thing immediately. It's, it's hampering me. But if Kerryon Johnson actually feels more secure and in his knee with the knee brace on, I think it's a positive thing.
Jason Moore
When that first report came out, I had already known at that I did not know that he needed to come out and re clarify but I, when I first saw that he was in the brace, it was somewhat common knowledge that he is choosing to wear the brace. He's not injured. He's choosing to wear the brace and will continue to wear the brace. That's just how he wants to be. And I don't know that that's great news from a mental standpoint that a player feels more comfortable wearing the brace than without. But it is great news in the sense that he's not injured. He's not wearing a brace because of an injury. He's, I mean he's wearing it right. Former injury, but not because of a current injury. And we have seen that before.
Mike Wright
Dallas Goddard Eagles tight end, second backup tight end, starting tight end. Who knows what Dallas Goddard these days. He suffered a hairline fracture in one of his thumbs so you'll have to monitor that situation. The Eagles pass catching options keep ping ponging all over where it was reported Greg Ward is the current target leader. Then the Jalen Rager hype was jumping on the back of a dragon yet again. Jay, do you have, have you made any movements to the Eagles pass catchers?
Jason Moore
I have been rising on before this news, I've been rising on Zach Ertz just realizing that every year he's undervalued and every year we say, well it's got to take this, that or the other for him to have that many targets again. And every year it, this, that or the other happens. He's the new depth chart assassin, you know, oh, dejects, goes down. Oh, Alshon's not ready now. Now Dallas Goddard has a, you know, we don't know if he's going to have surgery. I don't. I think he's going to be able to avoid it. But yeah, I mean I do. I am more confident as we approach draft season in taking Zach Ertz right next to mark.
Mike Wright
All right, 49ers rookie wide receiver, rookie wide receiver.
Jason Moore
It's a tough one.
Mike Wright
Brandon Iuk Hayukin left practice early suffering an apparent hamstring injury. The tone when this came through was not positive. It was showing great concern for the rookie who was. It sounded like he was taking over camp. He was establishing himself as the man for the 49ers. They're already dealing with a, with an injury to last year's breakout rookie Debo Samuel. The depth chart for the wide receiver position is now wide open. If Ayuk is going to miss time, my take on this is Kendrick Bourne is a player who is not named very frequently for fantasy purposes, but he is the one to watch at the wide receiver position. Of course George Kittle is the man in San Francisco, but if you're looking for now we're a late round chance from the San Francisco wide receivers. To me It's Kendrick Bourne. J.D. are you in on that at all or is it just I'm not going to draft anybody from there.
Jason Moore
I'm not really in on that. I don't know if it's, I'm not drafting anybody. You know, if I'm late in a draft and I'm looking for some kind of ppr, reliable depth, I do think Trent Taylor is someone that can be involved. But I mean we joked about this on Slack, but if the world of 2020 continues, we could see Dante Pettis be the surprise guy. So because there's Pettis and Bourne and Trent Taylor, I'm pretty much not looking for any of them. And don't forget, I know this is another crazy name to throw out there, but they did also sign Jordan Reed and I think it would have taken a loss of a few receiving options for him to actually get put into the scheme. But they have lost a few receiving options. So this is George Kittle and bust to me.
Mike Wright
I like the Jordan Reed take. Rams head coach Sean, of course, of course you do.
Jason Moore
Oh, did you say something good about Jordan Reed? I'm in. That's on Brand Mike.
Mike Wright
Look, he's good man. When he's on the field, he's good. Rule 86 out of the Rams running back Darrell Henderson suffered a mild hamstring injury. The team hopes to have him back for week one. But this is, this is interesting because it gives Cam Acres just that more, much more opportunity to establish himself as the number one running back in this offense. I believe we all were on the side leaning that Akers would take over the job after they spent a day to pick on him. Are you, what are your, what are the birds telling you, Jason? Are you looking at Acres? Did you move them up a couple spots? Malcolm Brown, he has been getting some play with the ones as well. Do you have any clarity on the Rams backfield?
Jason Moore
Well, first, Malcolm Brown is so incredibly disrespected by fantasy. I mean he's undraft. You can go to like 25 round leagues. He's undrafted which Makes no sense because he will touch the ball, he will be in the offense. But I get it. We're looking for the upside. We're looking for the league winner or at least the weekly starter. And this is great news for Cam Acres. You know, sometimes it takes an injury ahead of you to give confidence for fantasy purposes that you are going to as a rookie get first team reps and get in, you know, through training camp. That's what happened for Clyde Edwards Allaire to vault so high. And if Cam Akers is now soaking up first team reps and getting that experience, it just means that if he were to take over as the main guy in this backfield, it could happen much earlier. In fact, if Henderson isn't ready for week one, you could see something big that doesn't go away. So we're all big fans of Cam Acres talent. He was after Clyde Edwards Allaire. He was actually the higher running back for my rookies ahead of Jonathan Taylor when I initially made my rankings. And this I think could put him back in that spot.
Mike Wright
Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams has been diagnosed with a shoulder sprain. He is considered week to week. This is actually positive news because when the injury initially happened, there was great concern that his collarbone would be broken. The reports are that it is intact. So we'll see what happens with Mike Williams. Does this change anything for you, Jay, for early season, does Keenan Allen get more targets? Are you more comfortable going in on Hunter Henry as one of the mid to later mid to late round tight end picks?
Jason Moore
I mean, look, if Mike Williams is not there week one, this is going to mean more targets for Keenan Allen and Hunter Henry. I'm not changing my draft strategy though, outside of saying I'm no longer drafting Mike Williams because there's a very realistic chance he's not there week one. And I'm not going to draft a Mike Williams that I can't even find out week one, if he breaks out, unless it's a best ball league, he's off my board. But I'm not adjusting the other two, even though they could have a small bump for a week or two.
Mike Wright
Some good news here. Andy Reed, head coach for the Kansas City Chiefs, he has confirmed that Tyree Kill will return to practice in a few days. Sammy Watkins, the Lizard King himself, he also turned to practice from the groin injury. And Nick Chubb, running back for the Cleveland Browns. He has cleared the concussion protocol. He will return to practice. Melvin Gordon also returned to practice. So look, Jay, we found it. We're on a stretch here. But then we got to bring this one up. Colts tight end Jack Doyle, he has been sidelined with a neck injury. We'll see about that. I have been. I have been.
Jason Moore
You. You know it.
Mike Wright
I have been 1000% out on the possibility of Trey Burton like a dummy making any kind of noise for this offense. But through a matter of happenstance, Trey Burton has been taking the reps with the ones because the, the Colts, they did just reactivate Mo Ali Cox AKA Gigantor from the active PUP list. But Trey Burton might be a thing.
Jason Moore
He very.
Mike Wright
He might be a thing. I don't know.
Jason Moore
He could be a top 10 tight end. I mean.
Mike Wright
Oh no.
Jason Moore
Because it takes. Because it takes something. If he ends up with six touchdowns he could have that. But I do think he's going to be utilized in that pass catching role. He's been with Frank Reich before. He is healthy. I mean that's the thing is it was like well he wasn't even healthy when he signed and so he's injured. He's just a backup guy that's not going to be used. He's washed. None of that makes sense. He's actually a healthy human being playing football for this team, running with ones. He has a history with the head coach. The, you know all the Jack Doyle love because of Philip Rivers also applies to Trey Burton. I still have Jack Doyle head. I haven't, I haven't changed anything in my rankings based on this current Jack Doyle injury but I still have Jack Doyle and Trey Burton only four spots away from each other in my rankings and I think most people are 20 spots apart.
Mike Wright
That is ridiculous. There is a little bit of hype here for running back Washington running back Bryce Love. Look, you know that I'm an ant.
Jason Moore
How does that make you.
Mike Wright
I'm an Antonio Gibson truther but I am also a fair journalistic reporter bringing you the news. Head coach Ron Rivera gushing that Bryce Love can be an every down back. I will say I was following Washington's the beat reporters out of Washington of talking about practice today. I didn't see anything about Bryce Love in there. They were talking about Antonio Gibson's running with the ones or getting sharing time with the ones. He's not the only guy there talking about JD McKissick and Antonio Gibson on the field at the exact same time for Washington. So look, it's wild. You can take your shot here. Who you think is going to break out from Washington? I think it's. I do believe it is a smart decision for fantasy to Grab one of these players. It's going to be Antonio Gibson for me. I don't mind at all if you want to take the chance on Bryce Love. Bryce Love is the draft. The draft cost is much, much lower on Bryce Love. Jay, do you have a inkling which way you're going if you're, if you're taking one of the guys from Washington?
Jason Moore
Yeah. I do completely agree with you that it is worth taking someone here if you're looking for a home run pick. I believe the chances are still on the Antonio Gibson side to actually succeed. That's the guy that this regime drafted and that's the guy who, when you, when you're not talking about coach speak, but what happened during training camp as far as beat reporters saying this guy did X, Y or Z, you keep hearing about Gibson busting off touchdown runs in camp. I haven't heard anybody saying Bryce Love has just been electric. But the coaches saying he could. I mean, I will, I will say this on the beat reporter side. Bryce Love is, you know, often running ahead of Gibson. So I have no problem if someone wants to take a shot very late. It cost you nothing. Bryce Love is pretty much undrafted right now. You know, that's, that's fine. Here's who I'm not taking. I'm not taking the presumed starter. I'm not drafting Adrian Peterson, who I think if we had to put odds on who has the most fantasy points at the end of the year from this group, the highest odds is Adrian Peterson. But that doesn't really matter for fantasy. If you know, if it's a guy that is every week the running back 18, 19 and by the end of the season ends up with a good total, but didn't really help you on a week to week basis. So I would avoid, personally I would avoid Adrian Peterson. But if you want a plotting guy who's going to get a lot of touches, then he's your man.
Mike Wright
He might. I mean, that remains to be seen of the way that Rivera and Scott Turner have ran an offense in recent history. That we'll see how many carries Adrian Peterson can actually get if they're throwing the ball way more. But like we said, nebulous situation. But that's where you want to take your chances because that's where a breakout running back can come from. Before we get into the mailbag, this episode of the Fantasy Footballers is brought to you by Head and Shoulders and Walmart. When guys are confident, they don't settle for anything less than 100. Jason, I'm talking to you, my friend. I know.
Jason Moore
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Mike Wright
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Jason Moore
I'm not about that 99 life look.
Mike Wright
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Jason Moore
Yeah, I'm all about that. Taking it to 100. Life with head and Shoulders. Absolutely. Here's the thing. Footclan. If you are in the market for a home security company, you probably know the deal that most of them trap you with. High prices and stupid contracts, bad customer service. Simplisafe is who we use. We use them before they were a sponsor. They've sponsored us for a long time. They're a supporter of the show. But here's the most important part. They're actually just a really great home security company. They have everything you need to protect your home. No drawbacks of the traditional home security. All the sensors, cameras, everything to blanket your rooms, your windows, your doors, tailored specifically for your home. They monitor day and night, ready to send police, fire, medical, whatever if there's an emergency. They've got you covered and you could set it up yourself in under an hour. You just peel and stick the sensors. It's basically the modern day version of home security, not your grandfather's old busted version.
Mike Wright
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Jason Moore
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Mike Wright
Mailbag. Time. Jason, are you ready for the mailbag?
Jason Moore
I've never been more ready.
Mike Wright
Little, little call and response there. I like it. All right, let's get into a voicemail.
Jason Moore
What's going on? Fancy footballers. I'm a big fan. Seven overall pick, full PPR, Devonte Adams or Derek Henry. Appreciate you.
Mike Wright
All right. Oh, 107 full PPR. Do you take the. The look, the outlier Derek Henry, the man who gets it done for fantasy purposes without a huge pass catching resume, or do you lean in to point every time devonte Adams catches the ball? Because it's going to be a lot this season. Jay, you're on the clock, 107ppr. Who are you drafting?
Jason Moore
See, I know who I'm drafting, but I feel bad about it. I think that that's strange.
Mike Wright
You shouldn't feel bad about your first round pick.
Jason Moore
Well, I feel bad about my answer to this question. I don't feel bad about my first round selection. My point is in a full ppr, devonte Adams, I mean he could, he could very like the absurd, rare, you know, almost never happened before type of 200 targets, right. In a season that kind of an outlandish number that would be fantasy gold isn't good enough. That would be whatever they were mining on Pandora in Avatar. That's the substance that 200 targets brings.
Mike Wright
But the reality is people remember Avatar.
Jason Moore
Well, yeah, I mean, I know there's.
Mike Wright
Like a thousand sequels coming out, but people remember Avatar.
Jason Moore
Well, apparently.
Mike Wright
I mean, you could have gone with like vibranium and then I would have been all over it, but instead you're like, I don't know what they're mining in Avatar.
Jason Moore
Okay, so it's a little bit old reference, but just wait a couple years. And when, when all of the Avatar movies come back out, you'd be like, that reference is hot. Even though I don't remember the name of the mineral. Anyways, my point is, Adams is great, but I've talked about this a lot. I really love the wide receivers that are available in the third, fourth, fifth, sixth round. And I hate the running backs there. And I believe that Derek Henry is phenomenal. He's worthy of a top pick. He, you know, sure, Maybe he needs 18 total touchdowns to be a star, but he very well could have 18 plus total touchdowns. So I'm going to take the running back there if it's my team. But I do feel like the safest pick is devonte Adams. Where do you. If you're in a full PPR and you're on the clock and those are the two players you're choosing between, which way do you go?
Mike Wright
I believe I'm going with. If those are the two players I'm choosing between, I do believe that I'm going to go with Devonte Adams because in PPR he is elite. He, he's, he's top tier for me and I'm going to get a, I'm still going to get a great running back on the, on the way back. Who he may not be in the class of Derek Henry, but I believe that the point separation of starting with Devonte Adams is where I would actually go. We have an update just Jason. Oh, it was in fact called Unobtainium. I forgot how stupid the name I did remember.
Jason Moore
I will say this. What I remembered about it was that it was a really stupid name. It's unobtainable.
Mike Wright
Mr. Cameron, this mineral is, it's unobtainable. What should we call it? Yes, exactly.
Jason Moore
What? Unobtainium. It says how difficult it is to collect this mineral backstory with, with no exposition.
Mike Wright
Look, you know that the value is set immediately. This is not zinc. What's zinc worth? I don't know. Unobtanium. Holy crap, that's valuable. All right, moving on. This question is from Instagram, from Piano Paul. Would you trade Camara for Clyde Edwards Allaire and a half point dynasty Saints running back Camara, Brand new rookie Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards a lair. Who would you rather have?
Jason Moore
Well, my answer changed with the last word because I'm, you know, I've been in drafts. I'm taking Alvin Camara ahead of Clyde Edwards Allaire, but not in a dynasty. Okay, if this is a dynasty league where you can, I mean if in a redraft you can make the argument that you can take or that you should take Clyde Edwards Allaire over Alvin Camara, I don't think you should. I'm taking Camara. But the argument at least exists. The floor and the ceiling are very similar for both of these players. I trust what Camara has already shown in the NFL and I trust his touchdown prowess. But now if you're talking about, okay, Alvin Camara is going to be a free agent here. Where's, where's he playing? Is he playing for the Saints? Is Breeze there? Is he changing teams? Is he, do they have to bring someone else in? I mean, I don't know. But here's what I do know. Clyde Edwards Allaire is on the best offense for the next, I'm going to say 10 years because that's how long Pat Mahomes is under contract and that doesn't mean Clyde Edwards a lair is going to be great for 10 years.
Mike Wright
Clyde Edwards, he was a first round pick. So you're talking the at five years is the expectation from the team.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I'm certainly getting Clyde Edwards. Clyde Edwards a layer for sure.
Mike Wright
All right. Off of Instagram. Keeper league. This is from Hunter Saffle. Keeper league Jason. Kyler Murray in the 13th or DJ Chark Shark Wing Duck in the seventh. So tremendous, tremendous value on Kyler Murray. Or I'm also on DJ Chark, but.
Jason Moore
Kyler Murray we are. And everyone should know Foot Clan. We have a big lineup of shows this week. We're going to be talking breakouts, busts, value sleepers, all those really fun to talk about players. And in the breakouts, these are two guys that could be discussed. Kyler Murray, DJ Chark, they're awesome. I think Kyler Murray does break out, but DJ Chark in the seventh, that's not a huge value on him. It's, you know, it's around maybe by the time draft season comes, if we've pushed his value up higher, maybe it's two rounds of value, not near what the value is on Kyler Murray. But I'm still going to take the wide receiver over the quarterback.
Mike Wright
All right.
Jason Moore
Because I can replace Kyler. Are you doing the same or are you taking the immense value on Kyler?
Mike Wright
That is rough. My belief in Kyler Murray, I even projected as my number three quarterback. All the signs are there for. For him to take the next step. It is. That is very difficult to pass in.
Jason Moore
The last two years fantasy, you know, if you've gotten the late round superstar quarterback, it's been awesome. Yeah.
Mike Wright
Which is.
Jason Moore
And you can't do that with Kyler because he's not a late round quarter.
Mike Wright
So I was going to say this is the bizarre scenario where you actually can draft Kyler Murray, where people were able to draft Lamar Jackson last year. Man, I'm probably still going to stick with DJ Chart. You're going up.
Jason Moore
No, I am switching. And we talked ourselves to the reality that you could take the chance on Kyler if you want DJ Chark instead of getting him for the sixth draft, draft him in the, in the seventh, draft him in the sixth, pull the trigger a little early if you really want him. You can't. Even though you can find plenty of other quarterbacks in the 13th round that are fine for your team, you can't really find a quarterback in that range that has the probability of the massive step forward. I mean, you could hope that if you're taking Matthew Stafford, he does what he did the first half of last year. But I mean, we've seen Matthew Stafford for many, many, many years and he's never had a season that was just 16 games of the first half of last year. I don't know why we would think that would happen in, you know, whatever this is. Year seven, year eight.
Mike Wright
Next question is off of the website. Jason, the guy that you are obsessed with, Miles Sanders, PPR running back Rusty, wants to know I can keep either Miles Sanders or Aaron Jones. Now you've talked about being risk adverse with Miles Sanders simply because the other running backs in that range are fantastic and we're not sure what's going on with the Miles Sanders injury. I don't, I don't have any updates. Perhaps you have an update on Miles, but you've tempered on Aaron Jones. So which guy are you going to keep?
Jason Moore
Yeah, I haven't seen an update. I don't think we'll get an update until he's back out there. We just know he's week to week and nobody seems concerned. You've brought up. They're not making any transactions. The team really truly does not seem concerned. I would, I would. A red flag would go up if they go and sign another running back right now, which they have not done. This is an easy Miles Sanders pick to me. While I do love Aaron Jones's talent, he's a tier below. So I'm not, you know, if, if I'm looking at Miles Sanders or Kenyon Drake, two guys that I love that are going near each other in a draft, I'm going to go with Drake. But there are too many worries with Aaron Jones on the touchdown regression on AJ Dillon, AKA AJ Villain. That. Thank you. That concerned me. So I'm taking Miles Sanders here.
Mike Wright
I'm taking Miles Sanders, I think.
Jason Moore
Because.
Mike Wright
I'm, I don't know what to do with Aaron Jones. I was so confident for so long and then the glutes in the hamstrings, in the quads, they're infecting me, Jason, and I don't know what to do about it.
Jason Moore
Yeah, I mean, here's the thing. The Green Bay packers offense could sputter just in general. I mean, we saw the worries when Devonte Adams went down.
Mike Wright
But Aaron Jones is good. He's so good.
Jason Moore
Yes, Aaron Jones is good. But if the offense as a whole is average and they're not scoring just as a team, as many touchdowns as they were before and the five yard in goal line opportunities go to villain, then it's, you know, it's going to be. Because Andy brought this up on a, on a recent show. I think maybe it was our live event On Friday. The fact that Heron Jones was, you know, a top three running back last year and had the, was it 18, 19 touchdowns. It was unbelievable. And with all of that he had so many bus games that hurt you in fantasy.
Mike Wright
Sure.
Jason Moore
He had complete disappearing acts that you don't usually see from a top six fantasy running back. Now if you dial some of that other stuff back but you still have the volatility. I want a guy in Miles Sanders who has the chance to get 320 touches and just be consistent in his bad weeks. For my fantasy roster, they're fine. He caught four balls, point, point, point, point and you know, had enough yards. He just was men. He's, you know, the running back 16 on his versus running back 50 on his down week.
Mike Wright
I checked with the computer because I couldn't do it myself and you are correct. We're going with miles Sanders from YouTube. Brian wants to know how do you guys feel about running back Chris Thompson? I think he has a chance to return some solid fantasy value in Jacksonville, especially as the team passing downs back. Jay, what's your temperature check on Chris Thompson right now?
Jason Moore
Chris Thompson is a, is a wonderful super late last round pick, especially not especially only in PPR or half PPR leagues. He has never been able to stay healthy but when he's been out there, he has been a valuable fantasy asset. You know, a lot's been made about how much Leonard Fournette caught the ball last year or I guess better to be said how much he was targeted. Sure.
Mike Wright
Well, he got it. He got the ball.
Jason Moore
Yeah, but he was so inefficient with his receiving work. But the point is that the Jaguars and Gardner Minshew threw the ball to the running back. So they're, I mean that's going to happen this year. They're not going to abandon that. They're going to keep throwing the ball and checking it down. Now maybe it's all Leonard Fournette again, but maybe Jay Gruden who brought over his favorite pass catching back is going to, I don't know, use the guy he brought over. So it's who is super efficient at that.
Mike Wright
Yes, Chris Thompson is an incredible pass catching running back. Jason, over his time in Washington since, you know, his third year, that's when he actually really started to play. Since then he has averaged oh, 55 targets even with all those games missed 55 targets. Yes. I agree with Jason that I think that Chris Thompson is an excellent late round PPR running back. And if he is the to me, I know it's wild. But he is the biggest pause for Leonard drafting Leonard Fournette early because Leonard Fournette needs those targets. Man needs the opportunity. All right, this next question is from ella off of YouTube. Who is more likely to finish as a top 10 quarterback, Drew Locke or Joe Burrow?
Jason Moore
Oh, this is interesting. Man, What a, what a. What a fascinating question. So I'm glad this question was brought up. If you follow me on Twitter, you might have seen me talk about this this weekend. Not sure if you're aware my studio together.
Mike Wright
I believe I know what you're talking about. Of I was calling you out on Jerry Judy in the office of you saying I you believe in Jerry Judy, you fully believe in the talent. And I have no problem with that take at all. And you're just, you feel like he is going to be excellent in the NFL. And I said, okay, well, let's do this algebra here. Jerry Judy, if you believe that he is going to be great in the NFL, add that to Cortland Sutton, who is great in the NFL. He is. He broke out last year. A plus B. Now, now, now. It's not just a quarterback sustaining one excellent fantasy wide receiver. He is sustaining to giving him some intrinsic value. What are the, what are the results from your Drew Lock deep dive?
Jason Moore
Yeah, so I went this weekend and I watched the film because I'll be honest, I didn't really remember, you know, that it was the end of the season. He played only five games and we're watching all these games at once. And so I don't feel like I had a winner.
Mike Wright
Jason, that's what he was.
Jason Moore
Yes. Four and one. I'm aware of that ties the franchise record for most wins by a rookie quarterback.
Mike Wright
I didn't know that.
Jason Moore
John Elway, I did not know that as well until I was watching the film and the commentators were talking about it. But I was impressed. I was impressed by Drew Locke. Not in a way that I said, what a star, but definitely in a way where I said this guy's capable of getting great weapons the ball. He is absolutely. He's got it. He's got a rocket arm. He's not afraid to go for, you know, the go for a really big play and he's mobile. He can get out of the pocket. Now to circle back to the original question, though, about him versus Joe Burrow and who is more likely to finish As a top 10 quarterback, I see Drew Locke as someone who is still going to be a little bit leashed. He will be utilized to get his great Weapons, the ball. I think he'll succeed there. You know, I've got him over 4,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. That's a solid season. But to get to be top 10, you have to dominate. You have to truly go out there and have a ton of rushing yards or a ton of touchdowns. And if I had to pick one, the film on Joe Burrow. They both have. Both of these quarterbacks have great weapons, but the rushing ability, while Drew Locke does have some. I think people really severely underestimate how much Joe Burrow ran the ball in college, how much was designed, how much he picked up on each run. His rushing ability is even better than Drew Locke's. So I'm going to take Joe Burrow as far as who has the higher ceiling for a true breakout. Even. Even in his rookie season.
Mike Wright
I would take. Goodness gracious, I will take. I'll take Drew Locke here. A.J. green. Not practicing again. Still not practicing.
Jason Moore
And when you say again, Mike, are you saying, like this year as well as last year?
Mike Wright
Just pour it on board on the old man. Ridiculous.
Jason Moore
I hope you're listening, Andy.
Mike Wright
Very important question from Jared on the website. Would you be able to accept any of your kids becoming fans of a football team not named the Arizona Cardinals?
Jason Moore
Well, yes and no. I. Look, I mean, we dealt with this this last year. My youngest, Isaac, for some reason said he is a 49ers fan. And some reason, it's probably because they went to the super bowl. And you know, you get a lot of publicity.
Mike Wright
49Ers.
Jason Moore
And so what I've. What I have concluded, what I've told my children is, look, they. They do not have to love the Arizona Cardinals. That's that. They're their own man. They're going to grow up and they're going to make their own choices. I'll try to guide them to good decisions, but ultimately they're going to have to now as being a Cardinal fan.
Mike Wright
A good decision.
Jason Moore
Exactly. I'm going to. I want to teach them how to make good decisions, but they can come up with the answers in their life. So I told them they can. They don't have to be a Cardinals fan. They could be a fan of anybody. Not in the NFC West.
Mike Wright
Yeah.
Jason Moore
But I will not stand for them to pick the Niners or the Seahawks or the Rams. That's just illegal.
Mike Wright
Yeah, it's out of bounds. I've dealt with it as well. My boy who's into football, he picked up on the. He was a big Broncos fan for a while.
Jason Moore
Oh, what a Great. What a great conference that is.
Mike Wright
Yes. I mean, I allowed it to happen. We're getting him there. I think we are getting him there. But unfortunately he loves Lamar Jackson. Like he's all in on Lamar Jackson, which it's not unfortunate to be in on him, but he's now a massive Ravens fan.
Jason Moore
So hey, that's great. You got to have a, you got to have a fan in each conference. The issue with our children being Arizona Cardinals fans and why that, why both of us have the experience of them picking other teams is because they're young and the last few years Arizona Cardinals have just fair. Hard to root for.
Mike Wright
Fair, fair, fair. Just a couple more questions before we wrap up the show from YouTube. Yo, yo, yo, yo.
Jason Moore
Oh yo yo yo.
Mike Wright
Trade cut. Alexander Madison, Tony Pollard, Boston Scott. Now let's go. I think this is an interesting place to jump in with this information because I wasn't sure how to take it. Adam Schefter said if, and this is just him speaking personally, if Dalvin Cook doesn't have a contract before the season starts, a new contract extension, Schefterist is saying he will have hesitation to draft him in fantasy football. Schefter is a big fantasy football player. He's also a big time big wig reporter getting all the news. Do you. Does this, does this. Go ahead, Jay.
Jason Moore
This is based on the new cba. There were all the reports that Dalvin Cook was going to hold out, that he was not.
Mike Wright
He said it's not true.
Jason Moore
Well, sure, but there were a lot of people around him, near him, saying that he was going to hold out. Now he didn't. But then the CBA makes it to where you can't really hold out a camp or you're going to lose so much money that it's not worth. I mean, the only reason you're holding out is to get more money. So if now it guarantees you less money, you don't do that. But the change here, and I do think we will see this, I don't think it's going to come from Dalvin Cook, but I do think we will see a player in the future as the, as players are adapting to this new cba, the power goes back to the player as soon as the season kicks off. So they could be there for camp and then hold out from the actual games just like they used to be able to hold out. And I think that is what Schefter is basing his fear on is that the power goes back to the player as soon as the ball is kicked. If they want to hold out, that's when they'll do it. And so he has worry because he'll have the ability to do it then. But Dalvin Cook has been talking about week one.
Mike Wright
Levy on Bell talked about it too, sure.
Jason Moore
But Le'Veon Bell was not talking about.
Mike Wright
It while he was in camp. In camp.
Jason Moore
So that's, that's a wide difference to me. Le'Veon Bell was, you know, saying all the things he could to get his contract. Dalvin, they've broken off contract negotiations. Dalvin is still there, still saying he's focused on week one. So back to the question. Madison, Tony, Boston Scott, Tony Pollard keep trade cut. So you've got two guys here that presumably are not going to do much without an injury to the starter in Alexander Madison. With Alvin Cook and Tony Pollard behind Ezekiel Elliott. Boston Scott seems like a low upside but high floor PPR guy who will be involved in the offense no matter what. But I'm going to cut him. Sorry, Boston, I think your low upside. I would rather have Madison or Pollard. And I think you've got to go Madison due to not just the contract issue but also the injury history of Dalvin Cook and the higher probability that Madison has to start games over Tony Pollard. So I'm going to trade Pollard.
Mike Wright
I see. I see it the exact same way. Alexander Madison is the long term hold here. You just. We don't know. We don't know if Dalvin Cook is going to be back or not. But if Dalvin Cook moves onto a different team, Alexander Madison will be the starter for the Minnesota Vikings. And we'll. It'll be fun to talk about him next off season. All right, Jay, we're going to get you out of here on this one. This is a. This is brutal. This is absolutely brutal for me here because this is off of YouTube. We have a half point PPR question. Terry McLaurin or DJ Chark. Greetings from Brazil.
Jason Moore
Wow. I see why that's brutal for you.
Mike Wright
These are. These are my guys.
Jason Moore
My guys. All right. DJ Chark or Terry McClaurin. You could argue I have stained quarterback. Okay, well, let me tell you who you should draft between those two guys is DJ Chark. We've seen a little bit more on the NFL field from shark than Tara McLaurin. I believe that the Jaguars will score more points than the Washington football team. I think Gardner Minshew is a better quarterback, at least for fantasy purposes, than Dwayne Haskins. And we saw Chark be a top 10 wide receiver before his injury last season. He's coming into year three. I mean, look, obviously we all like both of these players but I'm going to take chark ahead of McLaurin.
Mike Wright
I don't know man. Get them both. That's my, my recommendation is they are both excellent candidates for massive breakouts this year. Want to thank Pristine auction. You look pristine auction.com that's where we get all our sports memorabilia and got a feature. Look, they have, they have things for everybody. For every budget you want to get a Blake Jarwin Jersey for like 20 bucks.
Jason Moore
I did it.
Mike Wright
It was awesome. But they also have elite item auctions. Talking like a signed Marshawn lynch throwback on field helmet, a an Aaron Rodgers signed Packers full size helmet. They have, they got everything that you want. They have legit, legit stuff over there. Pristineoxer.com use the registration code ballers and you are going to get a $10 credit off your first purse. It's Jason. We made it. Barely. We made it through the weirdness. We can celebrate that we did it. We will see you tomorrow Foot Clan. Like Jason said, sleepers, breakouts, busts values. We're getting into the nitty gritty, everybody. The drafts are coming. Ultimate DraftKit.com do not forget about it. We'll see you tomorrow. Goodbye.
Jason Moore
Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on joining join the Foot.com and follow us on Twitter the FFballers.
Mike Wright
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Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary: "Important Questions + Injuries, Rookies, and Unobtanium" (August 24, 2020)
Welcome to a comprehensive summary of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast episode released on August 24, 2020. Hosted by the expert trio—Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright—this episode delves into critical fantasy football questions, player injuries, rookie performances, and valuable insights to aid in your drafting strategy.
Mike Wright opens the episode solo, stepping in as the primary host due to Andy Holloway and Jason Moore attending to family obligations. This marks a unique recording moment, emphasizing the adaptability and camaraderie of the Fantasy Footballers team.
[01:19] Mike Wright: "This is quite possibly the strangest recording of this show that we have ever had."
Jason Moore acknowledges the change, highlighting the support system behind the scenes that ensures the show's quality remains intact despite the unusual setup.
[02:21] Jason Moore: "I'm glad I'm not you, but at least you've got Brooks, Jeremy, the producers extraordinaire."
The hosts delve into the Raiders' recent signing of running back Theo Riddick, analyzing its potential impact on the team's dynamic and Josh Jacobs' role.
[03:21] Mike Wright: "The Raiders have added depth for pass-catching running backs, but Josh Jacobs remains a solid draft pick."
Jason Moore remains unfazed, emphasizing Jacobs' superiority as a pass-catcher over Riddick, who is considered a third-down specialist with uncertain roster prospects.
[04:38] Jason Moore: "Josh Jacobs is a better pass-catching back than whoever is on the roster."
The podcast provides updates on various players' health statuses and rookie performances, crucial for fantasy managers to adjust their strategies accordingly.
Detroit Lions' DeAndre Swift: Suffers a leg injury during practice.
[07:47] Jason Moore: "Lions rookie DeAndre Swift suffered a leg injury at Thursday's practice."
Dallas Goedert (Eagles): Reports of a hairline thumb fracture require monitoring, affecting tight end depth.
[09:22] Mike Wright: "Dallas Goedert suffered a hairline fracture in one of his thumbs."
49ers' Brandon Aiyuk: Leaves practice early with a hamstring injury, raising concerns about the wide receiver depth chart.
[10:34] Mike Wright: "Brandon Aiyuk left practice early suffering an apparent hamstring injury."
Rams' Darrell Henderson: Diagnosed with a mild hamstring injury, potentially paving the way for Cam Akers to take a more prominent role.
[13:39] Mike Wright: "Darrell Henderson suffered a mild hamstring injury."
Chargers' Mike Williams: Shoulder sprain updates suggest a week-to-week prognosis, influencing target distributions.
[14:48] Mike Wright: "Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams has been diagnosed with a shoulder sprain."
Chiefs' Tyreek Hill and Browns' Nick Chubb: Both players are cleared to return to practice, offering positive news for their upcoming seasons.
[15:49] Mike Wright: "Tyreek Hill and Nick Chubb have been cleared to return to practice."
Discussion centers on rookie performances and team strategies influencing fantasy outcomes, such as the Rams' handling of wide receivers and the Chiefs' offensive plans.
[12:43] Jason Moore: "He has been with Frank Reich before. He is healthy and playing for this team."
The heart of the episode features a series of listener-submitted questions, providing personalized advice and strategic recommendations.
A listener at the seven overall pick in a full PPR league asks whether to draft wide receiver Devonte Adams or running back Derek Henry.
[24:06] Jason Moore: "Adams is great, but I would take Derek Henry if it's my team."
Mike Wright leans towards Adams for his elite PPR capabilities, emphasizing his consistent target volume.
[26:54] Mike Wright: "I'm going with Devonte Adams because in PPR he is elite."
In a dynasty context, the choice is between established running back Alvin Kamara and rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire.
[28:26] Jason Moore: "In a dynasty league, I'm taking Clyde Edwards-Helaire."
Mike Wright concurs, valuing Clyde's potential in a high-powered offense.
A keeper league dilemma presents Kyler Murray in the 13th round versus DJ Chark in the seventh.
[30:08] Jason Moore: "I am switching and taking Chark ahead of McClaurin."
Mike Wright advocates for Murray, projecting him as a breakout quarterback despite the higher draft round.
[30:53] Mike Wright: "Kyler Murray... is very difficult to pass on."
Choosing between Miles Sanders and Aaron Jones for flexibility and injury risk management.
[32:26] Mike Wright: "I'm taking Miles Sanders."
Jason Moore supports Sanders for his consistent touch volume and lower volatility compared to Jones.
[33:56] Jason Moore: "I'm taking Miles Sanders here."
Evaluating which quarterback is more likely to finish in the top 10: Drew Lock or Joe Burrow.
[37:53] Jason Moore: "I'm going to take Joe Burrow as far as who has the higher ceiling for a true breakout."
Mike Wright opts for Lock, citing his explosiveness and potential for a high-performing season.
[41:12] Mike Wright: "I'll take Drew Lock here."
The hosts offer in-depth analysis of various players, discussing their potential fantasy impact based on current performances and team dynamics.
Jason Moore recommends Chris Thompson as a valuable late-round PPR pick, highlighting his efficiency and role in an offense that leverages passing backs.
[36:00] Jason Moore: "Chris Thompson is a wonderful super late last round pick, especially in PPR leagues."
The discussion touches on quarterbacks' historical performances and their projected growth, influencing their draft strategies.
[39:13] Jason Moore: "He has a rocket arm and is mobile. He can get out of the pocket."
Throughout the episode, the Fantasy Footballers emphasize the importance of staying informed about player statuses, leveraging depth charts, and making informed decisions based on injuries and team strategies.
Draft Focus: Prioritize pass-catching running backs and elite wide receivers in PPR formats.
Injury Monitoring: Keep a close eye on injury reports to adjust your lineup and draft strategy accordingly.
Late-Round Value: Target efficient players like Chris Thompson and consider high-upside quarterbacks early due to their scarcity.
Dynasty and Keeper Leagues: Balance current performance with future potential, favoring young talent in stable offensive environments.
[04:38] Jason Moore: "Josh Jacobs is a better pass-catching back than whoever is on the roster."
[14:48] Mike Wright: "Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams has been diagnosed with a shoulder sprain."
[24:54] Mike Wright: "I'm taking Miles Sanders, I think."
[26:54] Mike Wright: "Devonte Adams is elite in PPR."
[33:56] Jason Moore: "I'm taking Miles Sanders here."
[37:53] Jason Moore: "I'm going to take Joe Burrow as far as who has the higher ceiling for a true breakout."
This episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast offers valuable insights into player evaluations, injury impacts, and strategic draft decisions. Whether you're a seasoned manager or new to fantasy football, the expert analysis provided by Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright equips you with the knowledge to enhance your team's performance and navigate the complexities of the fantasy season effectively.
For further engagement and detailed discussions, consider joining the Fantasy Footballers community at join.thefoot.com and following them on Twitter @the_ffballers.