NFC West Breakdown, Jerick McKinnon, Annoying Situations

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary

Episode: NFC West Breakdown, Jerick McKinnon, Annoying Situations
Release Date: July 24, 2018
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
Guest: Jerick McKinnon

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1. Introduction to the Show

The Fantasy Footballers kicked off the episode by outlining their agenda: a comprehensive breakdown of the NFC West, updates on key players like Jerick McKinnon, and a discussion on "Annoying Situations" that could impact the 2018 fantasy football season.

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2. Annoying Situations

Quick Question of the Day:
The hosts shared players or situations they anticipate being frustrating to discuss throughout the season.

• Jason Moore:
  "For me, it's going to be Jon Gruden all season long. We're going to be talking about either he's the worst or the best" (05:07).

• Andy Holloway:
  "I'm going to be annoyed trying to figure out what players I can stream in Dallas. It's going to change every week this season" (06:07).

• Mike Wright:
  Expressed frustration over the tendency to sell stud players too quickly after a couple of bad performances.

Discussion Highlights:

• The overreaction to coaching changes and player performances, particularly with Jon Gruden and Le'Veon Bell.
• Challenges in managing streaming options for teams like Dallas and Jacksonville, where player reliability is questionable.

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3. News and Updates

David Johnson:

• Andy Holloway:
  "David Johnson did not hold out of training camp. Reported to training camp" (09:19).

• Discussion:
  Positive signs as Johnson appears ready to play, alleviating earlier concerns about his commitment.

Andrew Luck:

• Andy Holloway:
  "A report came out that he will not be limited in training camp" (10:17).

• Discussion:
  GM Chris Ballard confirmed Luck’s readiness, though some skepticism remains about Luck’s consistency and health.

Josh Gordon:

• Andy Holloway:
  "Josh Gordon had been placed on the non-football illness list by the Browns" (12:19).

• Discussion:
  NFL's handling of Gordon was criticized for lacking transparency. Gordon himself stated he is doing well mentally and physically, taking proactive steps to avoid past setbacks.

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4. NFC West Breakdown

Los Angeles Rams

• Andy Holloway:
  "The Rams woke up from a long slumber with a 478 point score, number one in the league" (17:26).

• Discussion:

  • Sean McVay's Leadership:
    McVay credited for the Rams' resurgence.
  • Fantasy Impact:
    Jared Goff remains a central figure with additions like Brandon Cooks expected to bolster the offense. Debate on whether Cooks or Robert Woods offers better fantasy value.
  • Defensive Upgrades:
    Rams' defense expected to perform well, translating to better fantasy production for running backs like Todd Gurley.

Seattle Seahawks

• Andy Holloway:
  "The Seahawks have lost key defensive players like Richard Sherman and Cam Chancellor" (26:21).

• Discussion:

  • Offensive Strategy:
    Hiring Brian Schottenheimer signals a run-first approach, which may conflict with the team’s current offensive line struggles.
  • Key Players:
    Russell Wilson remains a top fantasy quarterback, with Doug Baldwin highlighted as a crucial wide receiver. Concerns over Brandon Marshall’s role and potential red zone contributions.
  • Fantasy Outlook:
    Wilson and Baldwin remain strong fantasy assets, but offensive line issues could limit overall production.

Arizona Cardinals

• Andy Holloway:
  "David Johnson returns to the Arizona Cardinals this season after an injury" (35:00).

• Discussion:

  • Quarterback Uncertainty:
    Sam Bradford's health and performance are pivotal, with backups Ryan Fitzpatrick and Mike Glennon as potential contributors.
  • Wide Receiver Depth:
    Larry Fitzgerald remains a cornerstone with Christian Kirk emerging as a high-upside asset.
  • Fantasy Implications:
    David Johnson paired with Fitzgerald offers sneaky upside, though offensive line concerns persist.

San Francisco 49ers

• Andy Holloway:
  "The 49ers finished last season at 6-10 but showed promise with Jimmy Garoppolo" (35:00).

• Discussion:

  • Jerick McKinnon’s Role:
    Newly signed to enhance the running game, McKinnon is expected to be a significant fantasy asset.
  • Quarterback Dynamics:
    Garoppolo’s performance remains under scrutiny, with his high draft cost weighed against his potential for yardage without consistent touchdowns.
  • Wide Receiver Outlook:
    Trent Taylor and Pierre Garcon discussed as key receivers, with cautious optimism on their fantasy contributions.

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5. Interview with Jerick McKinnon

Jerick McKinnon joins the podcast to discuss his move to the San Francisco 49ers and his role in the fantasy football landscape.

• Jason Moore:
  "Jerick McKinnon, the Fantasy Footballers are very high. We are very bullish on you this year" (50:26).

• Jerick McKinnon’s Responses:

  • Commitment to Performance:
    "Just don't draft me. And don't be mad when you lose and I'm on somebody else's team."

  • Decision to Join the 49ers:
    Emphasized the fit within Kyle Shanahan’s system and the opportunity to showcase his multi-tool skill set.

  • Strength and Conditioning:
    Discussed his training regimen and physical preparation, highlighting his bench press performance at the combine as a testament to his dedication.

• Jason Moore:
  "Congratulations on the contract. Nobody improved their draft stock in fantasy more than you did" (51:03).

• Andy Holloway:
  Reflected humorously on McKinnon’s impressive physical strength during the interview (54:46).

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6. Fantasy Football Insights and Predictions

• Rams:
  Despite their offensive line success, there's skepticism about sustaining last year’s high scoring. Expect regression without a star quarterback.

• Seahawks:
  Russell Wilson remains a solid pick, but offensive line and defensive changes could cap overall fantasy value. Doug Baldwin is highlighted as a must-start receiver.

• Cardinals:
  Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson offer reliable fantasy options, with Christian Kirk as a high-upside sleeper. Tight end Ricky Seals-Jones suggested as a potential breakout candidate.

• 49ers:
  Jerick McKinnon is projected as a top-12 running back if healthy. Jimmy Garoppolo is a risky high-cost quarterback option, with alternatives like Ryan Fitzpatrick and Mike Glennon discussed.

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7. Closing Remarks

The hosts reiterated their excitement for upcoming live shows in Philadelphia, New York, and Phoenix, encouraging listeners to attend for exclusive fantasy football insights and community engagement.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jason Moore on Jon Gruden's Impact:
  "He's either going to be the worst or the best." (05:07)

• Andy Holloway on Streaming Players in Dallas:
  "Reliability of Dallas pass-catching options is something that I'm not looking forward to dealing with." (06:07)

• Jerick McKinnon on Joining the 49ers:
  "I just can't ask for a better situation." (51:09)

• Andy Holloway on Josh Gordon’s Status:
  "The NFL could care less about the perception of Josh Gordon. Nothing. They do not care one bit." (13:40)

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Conclusion

This episode of the Fantasy Footballers provided an in-depth analysis of the NFC West, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each team from a fantasy perspective. The discussion on "Annoying Situations" offered valuable insights into potential challenges fantasy managers might face during the season. The interview with Jerick McKinnon added an exclusive viewpoint, enhancing the overall value of the episode for listeners aiming to optimize their fantasy football strategies.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, before we get today's show going, I want to remind you to head over to ultimate draftkit.com people ask what separates the Ultimate Draft Kit from any other pre draft tool to get you ready for the 2018 season? Let me tell you, not only does it have the things you come to expect from a tool like this, a printable cheat sheet and sortable rankings, all the different scoring systems. But what makes it different is it's filled with tools that you can't get anywhere else. 100 plus video profiles, consistency charts back for 2018. So you can look at which players delivered week in and week out versus those that were up and down. Risk ratings, a top 200 list. All of our blurbs for every single player dynasty rankings are here for 2018. Not to mention Yahoo's Matt Harmon delivers his reception. Perception content, sleepers, breakouts, busts. The list goes on. This is our pride and joy. You got to check it out at ultimate draft kit.com.

[Jason Moore]

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

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome in. Excited to be here, Andy, Mike and Jason, the Fantasy Footballers Podcast back once more. Oh, can you smell that? August is almost here.

[Mike Wright]

I smell training camp. Oh, smells like sweat.

[Andy Holloway]

Smells like sweat.

[Jason Moore]

And grass does not smell good. This is bad news.

[Mike Wright]

No, it doesn't.

[Andy Holloway]

We will. Well, we've got a jam packed show today breaking down the NFC West. Got Jerick McKinnon joining the program as well. And we'll talk about the Josh Gordon news that broke this morning.

[Mike Wright]

May or may not be news. We will.

[Andy Holloway]

Nobody wants any sentence to start with. We'll talk about the Josh Gordon.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

If there was no Josh Gordon ever again. No, it would be too soon.

[Jason Moore]

I feel like, you know, some of the division rivals might want to hear that sentence.

[Mike Wright]

Fair point.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. From the Owen 16 Brown. A lot of concern there. There's a big threat, big threat going on.

[Jason Moore]

The Steelers are worried.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I believe, I believe in Hugh. NFC west on the show. Like I said, a reminder, check out ultimate draft kit.com by the way, we'll be in Philadelphia and New York for two live shows this week. Back to back, the 26th and the 27th.

[Jason Moore]

We are. Look, those shows are going to be awesome. We are discussing the 2018 biggest fantasy storylines of the year, Philly. And then in New York, we are going to be talking about our fire and ice players. So you're not going to want to miss those shows even if you can't make it to New York Those are coming up on the podcast. If you can make it to Philly or New York, you could see it live.

[Mike Wright]

Perhaps a song of fire.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, ice and fire.

[Mike Wright]

Don't get yourself a ballad of ice and fire.

[Andy Holloway]

Ballerslive.com for tickets will also be in Phoenix August 24th. That'll be our final live show of this off season, so you can join us out there. I believe we'll be talking about some bold predictions in that show. Most likely.

[Mike Wright]

I boldly predict that's what we will be talking about.

[Andy Holloway]

And one last point I wanted to bring up before we get into the quick question. I just wanted to remind people that if you want to practice drafting and get a grade from any of us, you can go to draft the Fantasy footballers dot com. There is a draft simulator you can draft. You can get a grade. You can share it with us on Twitter. We can talk. It'll be fun.

[Jason Moore]

People have been really loving those. I mean, the amount of Twitter posts of.

[Andy Holloway]

Just like, I've been told, I'm the Simon Cowell of the group, the hardest to please.

[Mike Wright]

I just, apparently I just tell people to draft better when they want. Mike, what's the low grade? And I said draft better.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. So everything that we update with our rankings is how you get a grade. So our rankings are updated every day, and then you get a grade based off our current rankings. So quick question of the day. Name a player or situation that you'll be annoyed to talk about throughout the 2018 season. Guys, we're going to five days a week here in August. That's a lot of shows. What's going to annoy you about this season? What is your prediction there?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, for me, it's going to be. It's going to be Jon Gruden. All season long. We're going to be talking about, like, the overreaction will be there from everyone every week. He's either going to be the worst or the best. There's no, like, he's just a coach doing, you know, a job. And sometimes he gets things right and sometimes he gets things wrong. It's either going to be, you know, look, you want to talk about fire and ice, that's going to be Jon Gruden's tale this year is he's the worst or the best. And I'm going to. I think it's going to annoy me because already those narratives are just like, let's just. Let's just watch the Raiders and see what we have.

[Andy Holloway]

He's a big personality. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, the Worst.

[Andy Holloway]

There's going to be a lot of attention on him.

[Mike Wright]

I'm on, man. I've changed my tune. I'm just so. I'm so ready for this ride with Jon Gruden. I think it's going to be.

[Jason Moore]

This is the. This is what you're wanting the most.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Look, Oakland fans, fans, I'm sorry what you're about to go through, but me.

[Andy Holloway]

Personally, I think he's gonna be a mess.

[Jason Moore]

This is what I'm talking about.

[Andy Holloway]

I actually don't. You want to know why I don't? Is because we.

[Mike Wright]

Because you love old people.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, sure. That doesn't help.

[Mike Wright]

You love old players.

[Andy Holloway]

I love. I think he's smart. I think he's a smart guy and I think he gets it right more often than not.

[Mike Wright]

I think he is smart guys.

[Andy Holloway]

I think he has a motor that you need as a head coach in terms of getting motor mouth. Motor mouth as well.

[Mike Wright]

Micro machine man got his job.

[Andy Holloway]

I think he has a foundational quarterback that is good enough to win with. And I think that all those pieces put together mean that. We'll see.

[Jason Moore]

I would agree with everything said about Jon Gruden there, but the worst part about John Gruden and the thing that's going to get in his way is Greg Olson. If he had hired a legit.

[Andy Holloway]

Who's that again?

[Jason Moore]

Greg Olson. I don't want him confused with the great hall of Fame level tight end.

[Mike Wright]

You know what he's hired Scapegoat Greg. Scapegoat Olson.

[Andy Holloway]

You gotta line up a couple. No wonder Schottenheimer. Oh, look at Pete Carroll. He's setting it up.

[Jason Moore]

No, of course you want to talk about smart.

[Mike Wright]

Pete Carroll is setting it up. He's currently. He's loading his lifeboat right now. All the food supplies from the ship are on the lifeboat.

[Andy Holloway]

Here's what I'm going to be annoyed to talk about. I'm going to be annoyed trying to figure out what players I can stream in Dallas. It's going to change every week this season. It's going to be Hearns or Terrence Williams or Michael Gallup or Cole Beasley or Blake Jarwin or Tavon Austin. I don't want to figure that out. Every out every week because it's going to be. It's Zeke show plus one player is probably going to give you a startable fantasy week. And I don't think even if you like Hearns. Jason, I do. And I'm speaking only to you.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. According to average draft position, you are correct.

[Andy Holloway]

Even if you like him, I don't think you're going to get it from him every week. So reliability of Dallas pass catching options is something that I'm not looking forward to dealing with because I think we're going to be rolling the dice more often than not.

[Mike Wright]

I think you can say the same thing about Jacksonville. Hopefully someone from both of those situations, at least for fantasy players, is able to step up.

[Andy Holloway]

The I think in Jacksonville at least you have unknown to a degree. I mean, I guess Gallup is unknown, so never mind.

[Mike Wright]

My the thing I want to bring up is the it's very specific, but it's the overreaction to the stud players who tank at the first week and possibly the second because my, my timeline will be just absolutely full of of people saying in the I drafted him in the first round and he's given me two bad games. I'm trade, I'm selling, I'm out.

[Andy Holloway]

There was two. Either last year or the year before, we were very opposed to Matt Forte in the beginning or in the off season and he came out and had two incredible games that start the season that didn't look and it did not feel good. Well, it changed over the course of the season.

[Mike Wright]

My point is simply it's when it's your stud and you drafted him in the first or the second even you might have gotten. We not you, but all of us. We could have gotten that player wrong. But you got to give them more than two weeks. You can't just. You can't spend that draft equity and then sell them for 50 cents on the dollar.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's not everybody's so amped and they're just ready.

[Jason Moore]

People were selling left Bell after week one last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, we did.

[Jason Moore]

Whoops.

[Mike Wright]

We got a lot of. A lot of. I can trade cream hunt right now for Le'Veon Bell. And we said after week one.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, yes, you had to.

[Andy Holloway]

It's hard to do though.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it is.

[Jason Moore]

When you have the fire news and notes from around the league.

[Andy Holloway]

Sorry, Mike.

[Mike Wright]

Apparently we're done talking about that.

[Andy Holloway]

I took your pause as a period on the end of the sentence.

[Mike Wright]

No, that's just how I speak.

[Andy Holloway]

Sorry. Sorry.

[Mike Wright]

Very choppy.

[Andy Holloway]

Let's talk about some news. David Johnson did not hold out of training camp. Reported to training camp.

[Mike Wright]

Excellent.

[Andy Holloway]

Currently suspended GM Steve Keim has said that he is looking forward to rewarding David Johnson. So maybe a sign of good faith by David Johnson. Maybe they've made some progress on an extension. Either way, it's Good news for David Johnson owner.

[Mike Wright]

Certainly there was the rumors because he had his no show or whatever it was for some OTAs or they didn't show up to OTAs and people started to get a little concerned. Is he going to show up for training camp? And we're good. David Johnson's here, he's ready to play.

[Jason Moore]

If you look at the contract situation, there was no chance he's missing training camp because he's, he is not a filthy rich man coming in from his contract. The, you know, he's still on the rookie contract. He wasn't a first round top half guy. He's going to miss a lot of money if he misses training camp. So that's why he missed the OTAs. It was like, oh, okay, I could miss this one and I'll be there for training camp.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm sure it hurt him to miss that.

[Jason Moore]

Oh yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Knowing him and his personality, that was like the he's good peoples needed the spoonful of sugar to make the medicine go down. From his agent who said, look, you have to do this to send a message. He probably wanted to be there. Let's talk about Andrew Luck. A report came out that he will not be limited in training camp.

[Mike Wright]

GM well, he won't be.

[Jason Moore]

He won't be limited. No limitations. But we're not going to have him throw every day. I feel like that is a limitation. Right? Is that not limiting him Technically?

[Mike Wright]

You're probably correct. But Chris Ballard has said Andrew Luck will be good to go for the start of training camp.

[Andy Holloway]

This we're talking about real footballs, NFL size footballs, hopefully.

[Mike Wright]

Hopefully. But this is fantastic because last year it was, they said all of this and then all of a sudden he's not ready for training camp and then he's not ready to start the year.

[Andy Holloway]

Which one of you two gentlemen has him ranked more in line with that? You were going to adjust it later on with his health?

[Jason Moore]

That would be me.

[Andy Holloway]

Have you done that?

[Jason Moore]

I have not adjusted it yet. I've said from the get go that I will not adjust him based on news, based on good news, based on anything other than watching him, watching him play. So I've been, you know, previously my line in the sand was preseason. I want to watch him in a preseason game and playing. But if he is a full active participant in training camp and, you know, full scrimmages, then, then I'll probably start to adjust him. But I am waiting for preseason if they hold him out of preseason. Still scared.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, the big news this morning I, well, I had a dentist appointment very early in the morning and I'm not sure what was more painful, having my tooth drilled or getting a text from somebody in our league. And the first bit of news I had was, oh, Josh Gordon. That's the text that came through. Yes, because people didn't know what was happening. All they knew was that Josh Gordon had been placed on the non football illness list by the Browns. Was not at the beginning of training camp. And we know that with Josh Gordon you tend to get afraid.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's. It's a well earned reputation at this point, unfortunately. And then the gasoline to the fire was. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said there's no timetable, will address the matter at the appropriate time.

[Jason Moore]

Which it just sounds menacing.

[Mike Wright]

Here's the thing, Brian McCarthy. If you know what is going on with Josh Gordon and you know the history of Josh Gordon, you got to use, you got to ease up on the language because of saying something will address it at the appropriate time.

[Andy Holloway]

The NFL could care less about the perception of Josh Gordon. Nothing. They do not care one bit.

[Mike Wright]

Clearly should.

[Andy Holloway]

The attitude is you bring those consequences from a PR perspective onto yourself by the decisions you've made. We don't care. We're going to do what we do now.

[Mike Wright]

That's ridiculous because you have, you have the potential, potential redemption case in Josh. The NFL should be nurturing.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, no, you're right.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, but then, but then even in that case, in that situation, that can then backfire on you after you build the narrative. Here's the news that fantasy owners want to hear though. Josh Gordon came out on his Twitter, spoke to this issue, said he is doing great both physically and mentally. This is part of his work. And according to a source from Adam Schefter, one of his sources, he said that Josh Gordon did not have any slip ups, no failed tests. His leave is a proactive defensive gesture to get extra counseling and to try to ensure this does not have any of the setbacks that have marked his past. Those who know him say he has worked his booty off.

[Mike Wright]

Good for you, Gordon.

[Jason Moore]

Different words. Good for you. That's what Adam Schefter's reporting. I'm not worried as a fantasy owner, if anything that this could give more.

[Mike Wright]

You buying the dip?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Look, I'm anti Josh Gordon from a fantasy football 2018 perspective, but I am pro Josh Gordon as a man and I believe that he is doing the right thing right now. You know, if I'm a fantasy dynasty owner, I am happy. If anything, you know, that he is taking such active steps.

[Andy Holloway]

I know that there is so much more involved with the person and him being on the right path regardless of fantasy outcome. But there's a part of me that's like, if we don't get to see that man in that shape play on an NFL field, there's something wrong. Yeah, like you just want to see what can happen. Let's go ahead and let's jump into.

[Mike Wright]

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[Andy Holloway]

Your boy to a game this year.

[Mike Wright]

I am 100% of taking my boy. I'm taking to his first Cardinal game. We are going to go to the Cardinals and the Broncos. He may be rooting for the Broncos. It makes me a little bit sad, but it doesn't matter because we're getting there. And I know I'm getting a good value on the tickets because I use the SeatGeek app. It's easy, everything's color coded. They do the shopping for you, then they let you know, is this a good deal? Green means go and that's where I go. I buy me some green tickets. I get the good deals. Right now our listeners can get $20 off their first SeatGeek purchase. Just download the SeatGeek app, enter the promo code Footballers today. That's promo code footballers for 20 bucks off your first SeatGeek purchase. Grab that app right now.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And hey, Foot clan. We want to make sure, you know, from time to time we do a big giveaway. It's completely free. This is us trying to give back. Check out footclangiveaway.com we're giving away a signed Keenan Allen jersey, a signed Stefon Diggs jersey, assigned Deandre Hopkins mini helmet. You can go enter for free and check it [e-mail] we really appreciate you guys. And go get your stuff. Let's get divisional.

[Andy Holloway]

Alright? If you missed the show from Saturday, you've missed the AFC West. We talked to Melvin.

[Mike Wright]

It's gone.

[Jason Moore]

We took it down.

[Andy Holloway]

You can still listen no guys, really, we left it up this time. You can still listen. We talked through the AFC west, talked to Melvin Gordon on the show today. We are in the NFC West, a division in which the Los Angeles Rams awoke from a long and dreary slumber to the tune of 478 point score which I believe was number one in the league.

[Mike Wright]

It was.

[Andy Holloway]

And they were 11 and five won the division. And absolutely. I don't know, did it speak more to Sean McVay or more to the lack of talent in Jeff Fisher which. That sounded like a sneeze.

[Mike Wright]

You have, you have to credit Sean McVeigh.

[Jason Moore]

100. 100%. Yes. I mean you, if you score first, it's a credit to who is there? It's, it's McVeigh. But don't you think there's a little bit of like karma build up for the years of Jeff Fisher dragging you down 112.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's like a slingshot power that goes the other direction. Like the freedom. The chains fell off exactly 112 points.

[Mike Wright]

Breaker of Chains above the Seahawks who.

[Andy Holloway]

Were second in the division and yet they gave up three fewer points than the Seahawks. They were absolutely great last year.

[Mike Wright]

Dominant.

[Andy Holloway]

Jared Goff was a competent to good starting quarterback in fantasy he was streamable. He was startable. Last year they were led by Todd Gurley. We all know this story. You were led by Todd Gurley. If you want a title. A lot of your teams had Todd Gurley on it because he was dominant during weeks 15 and 16 of the regular season and your fantasy playoffs. So what are we expecting from the Rams this year? They have let go of Sammy Watkins. They let him go sign a big time deal with the Chiefs. Watkins was a player that while he scored, wasn't heavily involved in the offense. He had more of an impact from Robert woods and Cooper cup on a week to week basis. Certainly tied Gurley in the passing game. So this year they add Brandon Cooks, they sign him to the big time deal. They're the defending champs of the division and now we're talking fantasy impact. Is this a team because they've added other pieces on defense especially.

[Mike Wright]

That's the big upgrade for them.

[Andy Holloway]

How does that translate for our fantasy prognostication here? Their defense should be great. On paper it's great. We've been down that road before with Philadelphia a few years back where it didn't translate to production. But look, on paper they're the favorites.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean they are the favorites in the division for sure. I would Say this. Anytime that you have a team that is the number one scoring team that does not have a super hall of Famer, a Peyton Manning type guy leading the charge, there is, at the very least, there is statistical and historical data to say regression could come. Right. I mean, if it doesn't come, you're saying that this is going to be the number one offense two years in a row led by Jared Goff, and I would bet against that. That's not saying that they're going to be a bad offense by any means, you know, but. But it is saying that. I don't think you can bank on what we saw last year from Jared Goff. A lot of his touchdowns were, you know, outside breakaway touchdowns that weren't. Weren't him just targeting the right guy in the end zone. Todd Gurley, with six, you know, receiving touchdowns taken to the house.

[Andy Holloway]

Yards per game, they were eighth. Passing yards per game, they were 10th. So from a overall yardage perspective, they were simply efficient in scoring.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

In all, in all capacities. To add to your point.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, and that's the thing. So I, you know, is Todd Gurley worth that number one pick? Number two pick? Absolutely. Do I think he's putting up 20 touchdowns again this season? No, I do not. I think that there will be scoring aggression, especially. Look, the defense is going to be.

[Andy Holloway]

Better, but that can help a running back.

[Jason Moore]

That can help a running back, but it means that the team can slow the clock down, have fewer plays, doesn't need to score as much as a whole. And for fantasy purposes, that just means more doubtful to finish, you know, near the number one spot in the league and score.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I think I buy some of that. I don't think Sean McVeigh is the kind of guy who's going to sit back. Yeah, I think that's the kind of offense he runs. So I don't expect him to. To say, okay, we picked up Nadama, Kung, sue and other defensive weapons, so we're just going to sit back here, not try to score. They put up points for a reason last year. Much like the Falcons in what you talked about last year. Regression is a. Is in the cards for them. So I understand all of that. Brandon Cooks, Differing opinions in this office about Brandon Cooks. I'm a big Brandon Cooks fan. I know we've adjusted him a little bit, but if you had to put your money on one of these three guys, Cooks woods cup leading the way, fantasy points. Who do you want on your roster?

[Mike Wright]

If I have to put my money on it, then I'M going to go with Brandon Cooks, the guy that they have paid to be their wide receiver one, but, but Cooper Cup, I talked about him back on our early sleeper show. He's one of my favorite of that later round type of wide receiver he was. I mean, he's a big slot player and you take Sammy Watkins out of the equation. Sammy Watkins was a red zone nightmare for teams and Brandon Cook simply is not that player. Does it that part of his game all of a sudden elevate now that he's playing with Jared Goff? It's, that would be a very interesting turn of events. So there's a lot of, a lot of touchdowns that could go Cooper Cup's way. He's very interesting to me. The addition of Brandon Cooks sinks the ship a little bit for Robert woods, unfortunately, who had his own little, you know, somewhat of a breakout this past season. But Jason, for Jared Goff you talked about, yes, he had a lot of line of scrimmage beyond behind the line of scrimmage type of touchdowns. But now you had Brandon Cooks who gives you those big plays. Do you feel like that's a positive movement for Jared Goffers? That because of what he was able to accomplish last year? Is this just a wash?

[Jason Moore]

No, I think it's a, it's definitely a positive thing for Jared Goff. I'm not expecting Jared Goff to fall off and be, you know, the 26 back, Beth's tight end. But right now he's being, I wouldn't.

[Andy Holloway]

Expect him to play tight end at.

[Jason Moore]

All this year back.

[Andy Holloway]

But you actually have him at 24. You have him at 21. Mike's at 13. I'm at 14.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And I. Oh, I got him at 13.

[Andy Holloway]

You do.

[Jason Moore]

There you go. He's being drafted.

[Andy Holloway]

You've got him ahead of Matt Ryan.

[Jason Moore]

Oftentimes he is being drafted ahead of even that. I've seen him as Basically a top 10 Jimmy G type guy. I do think Cooks helps golf, but if you look at, you know, okay, Cooks will maybe get more yards for golf than Watkins did, but Watkins was that red.

[Andy Holloway]

You could have made the same argument for Watkins as a deep threat that you and he didn't do it.

[Jason Moore]

Sure. But I'm saying that the touchdowns also go away for going from Watkins. Andy, to speak to your question, if I had to bet my house on who's the most productive fantasy option, I would also bet on Cooks as their big money guy. However, we're very bold here. He is not, but he is not the guy that I would be drafting. I do not like his draft price going in the fourth round of a team where if at the end of the year, Cooper cup leads the way or Robert woods leads the way, or Cooks leads the way, none of us are going to be surprised. So in that situation, I'm taking Robert woods, the guy who's going in the ninth round, who was actually the most valuable guy last year for a stretch before he got injured on this team, who now is not going to face number one coverage. Cooks is getting the number one coverage. You've got Patrick Peterson, you've got, you know, good guys in the division. So, yeah, I like Robert woods the best from a draft cost.

[Mike Wright]

My only play here for the Los Angeles rams to Sean McVeigh is Gerald Everett, tight end. He's on your team. Mount Everett.

[Andy Holloway]

Please.

[Mike Wright]

Get him going. He is an absolute monster. If you start game scripting for him, I think he will dominate one final point.

[Andy Holloway]

Their. Their offensive line last year was ranked. Is it tenth?

[Mike Wright]

What? The end of season.

[Andy Holloway]

Season in ranked six. Was six. Sorry. Yeah. That's another one of those foundational things for a guy like Gurley. We've seen it in Dallas with Zeke. When you're. When your offensive line is ranked highly, you have a better chance of repeating that kind of success.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Out of the backfield.

[Jason Moore]

Seahawks.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, let's talk about the Seattle Seahawks. I don't think there's a ton of excitement that I've garnered from their fan base over the course of this offseason. The defense has been blown up. Richard Sherman is gone. Cam Chancellor has retired. Extensive rumors about. His name's escaping me. It's their safety.

[Mike Wright]

It's escaping me now, too, that you put me on the pot.

[Jason Moore]

Earl.

[Andy Holloway]

Earl Thomas. Thank you.

[Jason Moore]

And I also traded in my head.

[Mike Wright]

I'm like, Dallas, his name is definitely not Earl Watson.

[Jason Moore]

No, but we got there.

[Mike Wright]

We did it. Teamwork.

[Andy Holloway]

Earl Thomas, potential Dallas connection there. So the defense is struggling. You've lost some weapons on offense. Paul Richardson, Jimmy Graham are gone.

[Jason Moore]

Michael Bennett as well. Traded.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, yeah. Michael Bennett traded away to the Philadelphia Eagles. Last year, The Seahawks were 9 and 7. They've brought in Brian Schottenheimer as the offensive coordinator.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I think we need that.

[Andy Holloway]

Is that the official?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that. Oh, welcome to the team. Brian Schottenheimer, run that ball.

[Andy Holloway]

So we. We have a lot of things that we can talk about with Seattle. One thing we know is that Russell Wilson, when he plays quarterback, is a fantasy force. He was again last year. You also have to say, okay, how does he become that force? It's with the weapons that he has on the outside. Doug Baldwin. I've seen Evan Silva specifically has Doug Baldwin having a monstrous year. Very possible. Tyler Lockett, Dron Brown, Brandon Marshall. The only other pass catching options outside. No more Jimmy Graham in the red zone. They spent a high pick on Rashad Penny. They still have Chris Carson in the backfield. Where do you want to break down this roster?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I mean, they are shifting to a run first team. This is the big off season hype. It's seen by what they've done. You follow the money. They drafted a first round running back in Rashad Penny. They hired Brian Schottenheimer, notorious for being a I run the ball guy. He's a Rex Ryan.

[Andy Holloway]

No matter what you do, I'm running.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean you.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm running, running, running.

[Jason Moore]

That's not his normal voice, but if you watch some of the videos of him in the locker room, it's ridiculous. All he cares about is I'm going to run the ball. And when they stack the box against the run, we're going to run it and we're going to run it. And then when they know that it's a running down, I want to run it through them. It's kind of like this is how he's going to motivate his players to just be hardcore and smash mouth. But it doesn't work in today's NFL and it certainly doesn't work with one of the worst offensive lines in the league. So while I have an absolute love affair with Rashad Penny's talent from college, this offensive line, it's going to be difficult to run the ball when the other team knows you want to run. You don't have a good offensive line. And then the Chris Carson, Rashad Penny situation, I'm. I'm cooling a little bit on just the Seahawks run game.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Yeah. And as am I. And I think people need to understand right now the expectation is that Chris Carson is going to begin camp as the running back one. Rashad Penny has to make strides by way of pass protection scheme, all of those elements. It's probably going to be a timeshare on a team that Pro Football Focus has ranked the 30th best offensive line in football after finishing 27th last year.

[Mike Wright]

Say 30th best when it's 30.

[Andy Holloway]

Is that what I said?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, 30.

[Jason Moore]

That is correct. I know it's 30th best, but it's 30 out of 32 now.

[Andy Holloway]

Brooks, I know you believe Brandon Marshall is a top 10 guy this year. Why is that?

[Jason Moore]

Good question.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm struggling to remember why I think that. Now Brandon Marshall, does he have any opportunity here?

[Jason Moore]

He's done. We haven't seen anything good from Brandon Marshall in several years. He's coming off of multiple injuries. I just will be shocked if. I will be blown away if he becomes a normal, regular fantasy asset. I'll put that on record.

[Mike Wright]

I completely agree.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I don't disagree.

[Mike Wright]

But the potential of the. One of the big questions for the Seahawks, who's replacing Jimmy Graham? Who's replacing all those touchdowns? If Brandon Marshall morphed into the stats, I mean, you know, like mighty Morphin style of taking Jimmy Graham's stats from last year. He's got to make the team first. But just say that that's actually in the realm of possibilities. Very, very low percentage. But we're trying to cover all angles here.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, Tyler Lockett's not going to be that. He's not going to be that role. They added Ed Dixon at the tight end position. If I had to pick between Dixon and Vanette, it'd be Dixon by a long shot. If I have to roll out a tight end for me, and it's still.

[Jason Moore]

Vanette, oh my gosh, I don't even know how you can possibly think it's Vanette. Vanette is a slow plotting low end tight end pick that they've never said. I mean, it's Ed Dixon by.

[Mike Wright]

He was a third round pick.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. To the shock of everyone.

[Mike Wright]

To the team that took him like as in they, they wrote it in. They went, oh, crap, it's the third round.

[Andy Holloway]

Now. I think that there are some that. I mean, this has been very negatively focused this entire coverage of the Seahawks where they were in 9 and 17.

[Mike Wright]

Let's get to Doug Baldwin then.

[Andy Holloway]

And yeah, we love Doug Baldwin. We love Russell Wilson. I think we believe in, in their opportunity. There is a world where this defense, because it takes a step back. This is not the legion of boom anymore. More opportunity, more opportunity for Russell Wilson to, to potentially lead the NFL From a fantasy production standpoint. Yes, I can see that happening. If you are forced. Look, it's one thing to say you want to get back to your running ways. You don't have Marshawn lynch anymore. You have a terrible offensive line and you have at this time with Penny and Carson. You don't have the force that you used to have. Maybe you're going to get it, but if you're losing games, you can't Run. We saw this with Cleveland. Hugh Jackson said, oh boy, we're just going to run, run, run, run, run until you're down three scores in the third quarter. So does Russell Wilson have a sneaky opportunity to be one of those? Not just a top three quarterback, but a league winning quarterback? We saw that from Brady many years ago. We saw that from Peyton Manning many years ago. There are quarterbacks that put up numbers so significant. And with his ground ability, could he win your league? Is there a world where you see that happening?

[Mike Wright]

Yes, I do. There is a world where that could possibly happen. If he gives you another 500 yards on the ground and he leads the league in touchdowns and they keep doing where last year it was. Russell Wilson just started playing the game of 500 where everyone would streak down the field play after play after play and eventually they would hit, which was part of the success for him. He's a stud. He's a stud fantasy quarterback. I want to go get to Doug Baldwin, who I talked about Brandon Marshall taking the Jimmy Graham stats. Where I'm actually projecting those is Doug Baldwin. When Doug Baldwin was dominant for that second half of the year stretch, that's because Jimmy Graham was doing nothing. Right. Was that if. Now am I remembering right? Was that the year that Jimmy Graham got hurt and for missing the second.

[Jason Moore]

Half of the year? Yeah, because it was multiple years. I believe one, his breakout came before Jimmy Graham was on the team the second half. He was. You know, my timeline over the last several years. Doug Baldwin is up in the league leaders in touchdowns. He has a great rapport both in and out of the red zone with Russell Wilson.

[Mike Wright]

No, I was very correct. It was 2015. That's when Jimmy Graham played 11 games for the Seahawks and that's when Doug Baldwin went full ham and had his 14 touchdowns. So I've, I'm with Evan, I'm with Silver, that Doug Baldwin needs to be respected for fantasy football this year.

[Jason Moore]

And if, if Russell Wilson does end up as one of those league winners, then you will necessarily have some kind of breakout from either Tyler Lockett or Jaron Brown.

[Andy Holloway]

14Th round. Lockett, Brown, Marshall.

[Jason Moore]

I'm taking Tyler Lockett. I agree. I'm going to take the guy that's, that's been in the system that we've seen, albeit in short, healthy bursts, perform well last year.

[Andy Holloway]

Is that how you would define it? That's exactly how do you feel like he has performed well? In short, are you defining that in terms of fantasy production?

[Mike Wright]

Yes, he's. When he, when he get. When he's going. He is an incredible player.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, let's move on, Cardinals.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Andy Holloway]

The Cardinals were 8 and 8 last year. A lot of turnover in this offense. Carson Palmer retired. Bruce Arians is gone. Steve Wilkes took over. Mike McCoy is the new offensive coordinator. You have Bradford and Rosen at the quarterback position.

[Mike Wright]

Hey, don't forget about Mike Glennon.

[Andy Holloway]

You have Bradford and Rosen at quarterback.

[Mike Wright]

Key additions.

[Andy Holloway]

And then David Johnson returns to the Arizona Cardinals this season after the injury that knocked out all of last year. And it's the Larry Fitzgerald show at the wide receiver course. So I think the big questions around this offense is who's going to be playing quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals this season? Who outside of Larry Fitzgerald is going to offer you any value? This could be very similar to Dallas, where you don't really know who to buy into on a week to week basis because Chad Williams, J.J. nelson, Christian Kirk and Bryce Butler, our options there. And then you have some sneaky sleeper options. Ricky Seals, Jones at tight end. Where are you guys putting your focus when you watch the Cardinals this year? It's a difficult division. They have one of the harder schedules in football. I don't think we're expecting them to be a playoff team.

[Jason Moore]

But now Vegas has them projected for the lowest win total tied with the Browns. Because you have a new scheme on both sides of the ball along with a new quarterback. It. I think it could end up being rough sledding as far as where I'm looking watching, definitely in camp and in preseason, it is the number two wide receiver. There could be value there. And if Chad Williams steps forward, I think that would be the best case scenario because, you know, he has the skill set like JJ Nelson is who I've got right now, slotted in as the number two guy and we know his upside, which is not much. So I think if, if a Bryce Butler or a Chad Williams could take over that role, you know, then I think they could outperform J.J. nelson and of course, Christian Kirk.

[Andy Holloway]

Let me illustrate something here. Mike, who's the number two to you?

[Mike Wright]

Chad Williams.

[Andy Holloway]

Jason, who's the number two to you?

[Jason Moore]

J.J. nelson right now.

[Andy Holloway]

And I think it's Bryce Butler.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly.

[Mike Wright]

That's not good.

[Andy Holloway]

So that's. And none of those good for fantasy.

[Jason Moore]

Let's take the number one, Larry, as you say.

[Andy Holloway]

And none of those is the highest upside of all, which is Christian Kirk. Right, Christian Kirk, drafted to be a kind of a PPR guy in this offense, a big play guy in this offense. But not yet, right?

[Jason Moore]

Not yet. He is so, you know, in college he was so predominantly in the slot. When I, when I spoke to him at the nffc, I asked him where does he think he is best? You know, where does he perform best? Was it inside or outside? And he started that by saying inside and then quickly was like and outside. But he knows he is a slot guy. He's learning from the best. I love his prospects long term with Rosen Dynasty league. Love it. This year Larry is manning that slot and the slot is going to be valuable because first of all, if Sam Bradford could stay healthy. Sam Bradford loves the short slot passes. He is, you know, his accuracy in that area is, you know, possibly the best in football. Right, Exactly. I mean, he, I believe he got the record a couple of years ago.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he had the most accurate season before Drew Brees took it back last year.

[Jason Moore]

Right. So, I mean, that's why Larry Fitzgerald is locked in as, you know, a perfect option. I will say this.

[Andy Holloway]

What about Gary Fitzgerald?

[Jason Moore]

If injuries happen to everyone, you know, over the course of life in football and Larry is old, if something were to happen to Larry, hate to speak it. Christian Kirk would be a super valuable slot guy and take over that number one role.

[Andy Holloway]

This is a bad offensive line. Last season they ended 31st in the league.

[Jason Moore]

31St best.

[Andy Holloway]

They're projected to be 27th best, as we say.

[Mike Wright]

Well, they added.

[Andy Holloway]

And the thing is, David Johnson didn't have to battle all last year with that situation. They did add pieces, but. But right now, at least Pro Football Focus doesn't see that translating into a highly ranked offensive line. The attraction for David Johnson is past catching and volume. He's gonna, he is the offense, right. He. He is. Him and Larry right now look like the offense. And while Sam Bradford, we can joke as much as we want about, you know, or make light of the fact he's never healthy for fantasy purposes. If he's on the field and David Johnson's on the field, Larry Fitzgerald's on the field. There is some sneaky upside to this offense while those three stay on the grass 100% fair. Any other points you guys want to mention about the Cardinals?

[Mike Wright]

Just real quick on Ricky Seals Jones. This is. He is, I think, a pretty in vogue sleeper pick at the tight end position and for good reason. I mean, an athletic monster.

[Andy Holloway]

Former wide receiver.

[Mike Wright]

Right? Former. He should have an opportunity here. With Jermaine Gresham getting hurt right at the end of last year, I don't think that we expect him to be ready for, at least for sure, for training Camp. So conceals Jones build a case. They. They were talking him up earlier. So he's a guy that later on, if you punt at the tight end position, flash with some huge big plays this past season, I think he's worth taking the shot on.

[Jason Moore]

49Ers.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, guys. The 49ers were 6 and 10 last season, but it didn't feel that way because of all the hope that Jimmy G brought this roster finishing the year the way he did. Jimmy Garoppolo now takes the reins. Free agent acquisition Jerick McKinnon at the running back position. You drafted Dante Pettis, what, second round, Right. And you have some opportunity here. A lot of upside here. Still a difficult division. Right? You're playing a division that should have at least stalwarts on the defensive side in the Rams. And the Cardinals defense will be upper half. And Seattle may very well be there too. They have some pieces. I know that we talk about the big names leaving, but they do have some pieces. So does Jimmy Garoppolo continue in the vein that he finished last season? Getting Pierre Garcon back, having a weapon like McKinnon out of the backfield? Where do you see this hype going with Jimmy G? Because I can see it leaving people a little bit disappointed.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, I certainly can see him being disappointed. But that's. I mean, that's more of a case of the actual draft cost. I mean, people we love as fantasy players to latch on to the final quarter of the NFL season. And when people make a big impression like Jimmy Garoppolo did, which he was very impressive, to be fair to Jimmy G, very handsome, came in to this team that was doing nothing and won a whole bunch of games. It didn't translate to dominant fantasy success. But that's simply because the touchdowns were not coming. The yardage was there. And for that amount of yardage, the touchdowns, they're. They're going to follow. But you're paying so much for him.

[Andy Holloway]

And like right now, where's his current average draft position?

[Mike Wright]

Mike, right now he's. It doesn't sound very high if you say, oh, he's going in the ninth round. But then you have to take a.

[Andy Holloway]

Look who's around him. Who are you choosing him over?

[Mike Wright]

You are choosing him over Stafford, Ryan, currently Andrew Luck, Philip Rivers, Roethlisberger.

[Jason Moore]

I don't have. I don't have a huge problem.

[Andy Holloway]

I wouldn't take him over any of those players.

[Jason Moore]

I don't have a huge problem with people taking him over those players in the sense that, you know, you know what Stafford is, you know what Rivers are. They're, they're, they're, they're quality players. I like both of them. I would take them personally, but with Garoppolo, when you're taking that shot in the ninth round, the unknown, the unknown of him saying, hey, maybe he comes in and it does light the world on Fire year two in a Kyle Shanahan system, or you're, you know, 1.5 right in that system. That's when Matt Ryan took that huge step forward. If you look at his 16 game pace, he was almost on pace for 5,000 yards, 4,934 yards, 19 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, which was not a good, I mean, very bad, pretty bad ratio. Yeah, ratio. But you also had injuries and you didn't have a lot of weapons. You didn't have Pierre Garcon. You know, Marquise Goodwin became your number one target and he's really a field stretching, you know, he's not a guy that can be the number one target. I love Dante Pettis being added to this team. Vegas. Surprised. Surprisingly, I was really surprised to see that their win total opened up. Do you guys know what their win total opened up?

[Mike Wright]

I do not.

[Jason Moore]

Take a guess.

[Andy Holloway]

Seven.

[Jason Moore]

Okay, that's a good guess.

[Mike Wright]

Seven, nine.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, I was like, wow. So, you know, part of that is because of the public, you know, the 5 and O, Jimmy G and trying to fight against that. But part of that might be belief in Garoppolo, who I think reports came out today about how him and Brady hated each other and he believed he was better than Brady. And so, you know, we'll see. But I don't have a problem taking the shot, the swing to say, hey, if this guy is like a top three type, great.

[Andy Holloway]

Otherwise, stream the position before we talk to him. Let's talk about him. Let's talk about Jerick McKinnon.

[Mike Wright]

Let's talk about him.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, this Jerick McKinnon is that, is that spark freak, right? 99th percentile in the bench press at the running back position. He, he burst off the charts when it came to his combine numbers and all the promise that he had. His best comparable player is Ladanian Tomlinson. The multi tool skill set. And obviously, obviously, Kyle Shanahan said. I didn't hear what you just said.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I thought you were done. I was just going to say I am bought in. I'm. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm bought in on.

[Mike Wright]

I feel like you were hesitant. I've watched over the Course of the off season you slowly come around. I didn't realize that we have reached the point where it's a full. This is a Jason stamp of approval.

[Andy Holloway]

Maybe more than that.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean smooch of a.

[Andy Holloway]

Sounds like a my guy candidate to.

[Jason Moore]

Me is certainly in the my guy what Realm. I know a lot of fantasy analysts, they look at where he's being drafted and, and they say he's risky because he hasn't done it and he's being drafted.

[Andy Holloway]

He may not hold up a second.

[Jason Moore]

And that's the big issue is whether or not he'll hold up. Right. But if you look at what his competition is, what his talent physically is, what his team and Kyle Shanahan's system is. I mean Steve Slayton, you guys remember Steve Slayton?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And his 1659 all purpose yards. This guy who was I think 59209 same size as Devonta Freeman who is obviously great. That's a Kyle Shanahan system. I mean Roy. Hello. Hello, Roy. Hello. In his rookie year had over 1000 all purpose yards for that system. And I believe Jerick McKinnon, if he's.

[Andy Holloway]

Healthy, you don't see a way he doesn't deliver.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly. If he's healthy, he's going to deliver. He's going to be, you know, a top 12 running back in my opinion. Now the health is partly an issue, but he hasn't, he's not an injury prone guy. And if you look at those spark freak scores, he's.

[Andy Holloway]

He's on unbelievable.

[Jason Moore]

His body is built.

[Mike Wright]

They're exciting. Those numbers are exciting. It's the targets from Kyle Shanahan system that are exciting for me.

[Andy Holloway]

Is this a better team Today with Jericho McKinnon than Carlos Hyde?

[Mike Wright]

Yes, because he fits the scheme better. Before we move on, I want to at least talk about the wide receivers for a little bit. I like Pierre Garcon quite a lot this season. We mentioned Marquis good when he, he flashed. He had some big games when he.

[Andy Holloway]

Was played well played above.

[Mike Wright]

He was rewarded with a big above what we contract. I want. People do not sleep on Pierre Garcon. He was on pace for 1,000 yards.

[Andy Holloway]

He, he just doesn't score. That's the problem with Pierre Garcon. He never scores.

[Mike Wright]

And we, we don't have any proof of concept of him playing with the handsome one. So I get that there's some people are concerned about it and the, the name, the final name I want to throw out here.

[Andy Holloway]

When's the last time Mike mentioned Jimmy Garoppolo without how handsome he is.

[Jason Moore]

It's never happened.

[Andy Holloway]

Has it ever? Have you ever said Jimmy G? Jimmy G by itself?

[Mike Wright]

Have you looked at him? Handsome fella. Here's the thing. Here's the name I want to remind people about because I'm with Jason. The Dante Pettis is intriguing. However, Trent Taylor is their slot wide receiver. You can roll your head all you want, Jason. Trent Taylor.

[Jason Moore]

What's his career high game in yards?

[Andy Holloway]

Probably like 60 yards.

[Jason Moore]

Career high. I doubt it.

[Mike Wright]

Six for 92. Okay, you can shut your mouth, all right. Trent Taylor is a good player.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. He's flash. He's better than Beasley.

[Mike Wright]

Yes. And Pettis. At this point, Pettis would have to take his job. Pierre Garcon is not the slot player. It is Trent Taylor. And over the second half of the season, he did have a couple big. Big is not the right word. A couple usable fantasy weeks. So just. Just pay attention to how rapport is being talked about by beat reporters. If the name Trent Taylor comes up.

[Andy Holloway]

Garcon should SAP the value of Trent Taylor. Well, he could.

[Jason Moore]

I'm so upset because I'm looking at his game logs and he does. He's got that 6 for 92 game. But then his next highest on the season was 47 yards. So you win some, you lose some. But George Kittle is a name that.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, yes.

[Jason Moore]

We have not. We have not shared a lot of love for Kittle on this show.

[Andy Holloway]

I feel like you. You guys started there. I don't. I don't buy into Kittle whatsoever.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I don't buy in much. But the one place that I do buy in is the fact that you brought it up. Pierre Garcon. He does not score touchdowns. Marquis Goodwin is not a red zone type of touchdown score. Trent Taylor is not the red zone. You know, when he gets down in that red zone. And this is part of why I like Jerick McKinnon. But I feel like Kittle is the best red zone threat for this team. And so it is a name.

[Andy Holloway]

As is Garrett. Garrett Selleck as well. I will make a water bet, Mike, with you right now. That Kittle versus Selleck. No. That Kittle doesn't finish in the top 15.

[Mike Wright]

In the top 15.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

I'll take it.

[Jason Moore]

Water bet.

[Andy Holloway]

I feel like it has been so long and there are so many new listeners that I need to explain what a waterbed is.

[Mike Wright]

Nope. Just let it be.

[Jason Moore]

Let it ride.

[Andy Holloway]

When we make water bets, it's simple. I win them.

[Jason Moore]

That's what it is.

[Andy Holloway]

And then When I win them, Mike has to spin the wheel on the Wheel of Water app and then I get to pour water on him in one of a variety of ways. We made this app three years ago.

[Jason Moore]

It's completely free.

[Andy Holloway]

You can get [e-mail] and please send us pictures of you watering your friends this year. It brings us a lot of joy during the season. All right, without further ado, let's stay in San Francisco. Let's talk to Jerick McKinnon.

[Jason Moore]

You talking to me? Okay, so Jerick McKinnon, the fantasy footballers are very high. We are, we are very bullish on you this year. We are fully bought in that you are going to be a great fantasy running back this season. There are some people out there that believe that your frame is maybe not going to be able to hold up with a huge workload. What would you say to those idiots?

[D]

Just don't draft me.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, me.

[D]

And don't be mad when you lose and I'm on somebody else team.

[Jason Moore]

That is, that is sage advice. First of all, congratulations on the contract. Nobody improved their draft stock in fantasy more than you did. And, and you improved your, your situation. Great. I mean, congrats on that huge contract. When you were talking earlier about the proof was in the pudding when, when different teams were interested and that you looked at the coaching staff and thought that the fit was there. Can you talk us through that? Like, what were you and your team looking at to make the decision to go to San Francisco?

[D]

For me, you know, free agency, what I do, what I bring to the table, I'm pretty sure all the teams that were interested in me were going to find a way to utilize me the same way within their scheme. But for me, like I said, when I'm in proof, in the pudding. Coach Shanahan, you know, when he was in Washington, you know, Alfred Morris had that great season in Atlanta. Tevin Coleman, Devontae. I came out with Devontae and I seen, you know, how he flourished in the system and I mean, the facts was right there. You know, Devontae's been how many Pro Bowls since he's been in the league. He got a big contract. So, you know, that itself was enough for me. And just looking at the yardage and you know, how he used and what he was able to do with him and stuff like that. And then of course having, you know, coach Bobby Turner on the staff as well, a lot of wisdom. He coached a lot of great running backs. Terrell Davis hall of Famer So everything was just Right. And, you know, everything worked out on the business end of the deal. I'm grateful for that. But, you know, most importantly, I'm grateful for the opportunity that it was presented. And, you know, I just can't ask for a better situation.

[Jason Moore]

That's awesome. Now, the opportunity that is presented. Were they talking to you about workload, about volume, about, you know, being, you know, the main primary guy? Was that part of that opportunity discussed?

[D]

I mean, I wasn't really doing any talking. I was. My agent. You know, you're not allowed to talk to them, so I was just kind of getting feedback through my agent. But, you know, when somebody throw you an offer or a deal for that much, it's obvious what, you know, their intentions are. So, you know, I didn't need to hear it. You know, it was already there with that. So.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's exactly what we say. We say follow the money. The team speaks with the money. If they're giving you that, they believe in you the way that. The way that we believe in you. So that's awesome. Here's a really important question. How in the world did you put up 32 reps on the bench press at the combine? That's unbelievable. What is your secret to being is so strong?

[D]

That was strong.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean, it's just crazy.

[D]

I mean, I just, you know, I love the weight room. You know, I'm a small guy, but, you know, I like to play bigger than my stature says I am on paper. So, you know, I spend a lot of time in the weight room, you know, physically building my body because I don't like to shy away from contact and, you know, none of that. So, you know, when it's time to kick off, you know, you're gonna get 100% of Jerick McKinnon. So, you know, for me, you know, being in the weight room and building my body is key because, you know, every week, you know, I'm running into, you know, brick wall, play after play after play, and, you know, I'm having fun doing this. So. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Awesome. Awesome. Well, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate it, and good luck to you this season.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, Jason, did you enjoy talking to Jerick McKinnon? Did you feel intimidated by the biceps? That's the real question.

[Jason Moore]

Look, he said it. The boy's strong, and I really enjoyed being with him, not just in that interview, but the rest of the conference and some of the stuff that he was talking about, I think that he is going to. Maybe. We'll see. We're still a little ways away from the my guys, but he is absolutely in consideration.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, that'll do it. For today's episode of the podcast, make sure you check out ballerslive.com if you want a chance to grab tickets to Philadelphia and New York this week. Those shows are coming up. They're a couple days away, Thursday and Friday. If you're anywhere in the vicinity, we don't want you to be filled with regret. Oh, no regrets. It's like the waiver pickup. You didn't spare the fab on. Don't make that mistake. Come and see us. We're going to hang out after the show as long as humanly possible.

[Jason Moore]

You don't want the Minneapolis Rugrats either of. Oh, no. This show sold out.

[Andy Holloway]

And for what it's worth, all of you out there in Philadelphia, this tour hasn't been kind to you because we've gone through Minneapolis and Dallas.

[Jason Moore]

They're not big fans.

[Andy Holloway]

They're not big fans. So you got to represent out there in Philly. So check out draft.comballers as well.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Best ball. That's right.

[Mike Wright]

And we will see you on Thursday.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, sir.

[Jason Moore]

Goodbye. 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.