QB Rankings Part Two + Cam Newton Hype, Best Ball Tips - Fantasy Football Podcast for 8/14

Summary

Podcast Summary: Fantasy Footballers - Fantasy Football Podcast Episode: QB Rankings Part Two + Cam Newton Hype, Best Ball Tips
Release Date: August 14, 2020
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
Duration: Approximately 60 minutes

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Introduction

In the August 14, 2020 episode of Fantasy Footballers - Fantasy Football Podcast, hosts Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright dive deep into the intricacies of quarterback rankings, discuss the emerging hype around Cam Newton, and provide invaluable best ball tips for fantasy football enthusiasts. The episode is rich with expert analysis, strategic insights, and engaging banter, making it a must-listen for both seasoned and novice fantasy football players.

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Quarterback Rankings Part Two

Understanding the QB Landscape

The hosts begin by addressing the sheer number of quarterbacks considered as top-tier options. Jason Moore emphasizes the volatility of quarterback performance:

"Last season, nine of the first ten quarterbacks selected in drafts finished lower than where they were drafted." [16:37]

Andy Holloway highlights the evolution of the quarterback pool:

"While there were 40 different top 12 quarterbacks last season, there's only 32 NFL teams, making the actual viable options much slimmer." [14:13]

Streaming Quarterbacks Strategy

The discussion pivots to the strategy of streaming quarterbacks—a technique where managers rotate quarterbacks based on favorable weekly matchups rather than relying on a single starter.

Mike Wright supports this approach:

"On average, the quarterback we pick to stream every week finishes around QB6 in scoring." [15:43]

Jason Moore adds that this strategy allows managers to invest early draft capital in more consistently high-performing positions, leveraging quarterbacks for their weekly potential rather than long-term reliability.

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News and Updates

Kansas City Chiefs' Contract Strategies

The Chiefs' strategic financial maneuvers are dissected, focusing on their significant cap space and high-profile signings.

Jason Moore explains:

"They began the offseason with $141 million in cap space and have managed to sign key players like Patrick Mahomes to a half-billion-dollar deal." [06:32]

Andy Holloway discusses the implications for dynasty leagues:

"Travis Kelce's extended contract secures his position for six years, making him a cornerstone for fantasy owners." [08:05]

Lamar Miller's PUP Status

The Patriots' recent developments with running back Lamar Miller are touched upon, highlighting his placement on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list and its impact on team dynamics.

Andy Holloway humorously remarks:

"Lamar Miller joined Sony Michelle on the PUP list upon signing." [09:01]

Jason Moore clarifies:

"Miller was primarily brought in as insurance for Sony Michelle's recovery, shifting the fantasy outlook towards Damien Harris." [09:38]

Cam Newton's Emergence with the Patriots

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to the burgeoning excitement around Cam Newton joining the New England Patriots.

Andy Holloway expresses optimism:

"The hype train for Cam Newton is undeniable, especially with his dominant personality and skills." [11:10]

Mike Wright shares his confidence in Newton:

"I believe Cam Newton is 100% healthy and ready to deliver top-tier fantasy performance." [44:29]

Jason Moore discusses the potential for Newton in the Patriots' system:

"Cam brings a strong rushing baseline, making him a valuable asset in four-point passing leagues." [21:54]

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Strategies and Insights

Evaluating Quarterbacks Beyond Rankings

The hosts emphasize the importance of not solely relying on rankings when drafting quarterbacks. Instead, they advocate for analyzing weekly matchups, team dynamics, and individual player potential.

Andy Holloway provides a nuanced view:

"Every quarterback can produce on a weekly basis; the key is to utilize data on matchups to maximize scoring opportunities." [17:01]

Jason Moore cautions against overvaluing certain QBs based on mere reputation:

"Tom Brady is ranked QB9, but considering his new environment in Tampa Bay, his potential is much higher." [18:40]

Best Ball Tips

The episode concludes with the hosts offering best ball strategies, focusing on drafting upside players who can deliver big plays without the need for active roster management each week.

Mike Wright shares actionable advice:

"Focus on players like Curtis Samuel and James Washington in later rounds. Their ability to explode for big plays makes them ideal for best ball formats." [56:29]

Jason Moore adds:

"Players like Rashad Perryman and McColl Hardman, despite being late-round picks, have the potential to significantly boost your best ball team's scoring." [58:16]

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Specific Quarterbacks Discussion

Tom Brady

Jason Moore is notably bullish on Brady’s potential:

"I believe in Tom Brady this year. His transition to Tampa Bay could elevate him to a top-five fantasy quarterback." [17:48]

Andy Holloway remains cautiously optimistic, noting the challenges but recognizing Brady’s enduring skill:

"You won't get a mediocre season from Tom Brady if he maintains his form. His new weapons in Tampa Bay offer substantial upside." [21:53]

Cam Newton

Cam Newton is a focal point of the episode, with the hosts debating his fantasy viability.

Mike Wright champions Newton:

"Cam Newton has always been good for fantasy, especially with his rushing touchdowns. I'm excited to see how he performs in the Patriots' system." [44:55]

Jason Moore acknowledges the potential but remains cautious about consistency:

"I like Cam in four-point passing leagues due to his rushing ability, but the Patriots' defensive changes could impact his production." [21:54]

Matt Ryan

Matt Ryan is discussed in the context of his fluctuating performance and system changes.

Jason Moore expresses a balanced view:

"I'm happy with Matt Ryan if he falls to the double-digit rounds, but I'm not reaching for him as a QB8." [34:57]

Andy Holloway examines Ryan's historical performance:

"Matt Ryan has consistently thrown for over 4,000 yards, but his touchdown and interception rates need improvement for higher fantasy rankings." [33:05]

Daniel Jones

Daniel Jones receives a mixed evaluation, with differing opinions on his breakout potential.

Mike Wright is optimistic:

"Daniel Jones has the potential to bring significant yardage and touchdowns, especially with a healthy offensive line and elite receivers." [37:00]

Andy Holloway remains skeptical:

"Despite flashes of brilliance, Daniel Jones' inconsistency and tough early-season schedule make him a risky fantasy option." [38:27]

Other Quarterbacks

The hosts briefly touch upon other quarterbacks such as Ryan Fitzpatrick, Kirk Cousins, Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield, and Teddy Bridgewater, discussing their potential to surprise or disappoint in the fantasy realm.

Jason Moore highlights Baker Mayfield as a sleeper:

"Baker Mayfield is a post-hype sleeper. If the offensive line improves and Odell Beckham stays healthy, he could bounce back significantly." [54:30]

Andy Holloway points to Joe Burrow’s promising rookie season:

"Joe Burrow could have one of the best rookie seasons for a quarterback in recent memory, thanks to his talented receiving corps." [54:01]

Mike Wright mentions Teddy Bridgewater’s potential in Carolina:

"Teddy Bridgewater could surprise by becoming a reliable streaming option in favorable matchups, especially with Matt Rhule’s coordination." [55:04]

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Best Ball Tips

Identifying Undervalued Wide Receivers

The hosts offer strategies for identifying wide receivers who can deliver big plays in best ball formats without requiring active management.

Mike Wright recommends:

"Look for late-round wide receivers like Denzel Mims and James Washington. These players have the potential to explode into significant fantasy assets when given the opportunity." [56:30]

Jason Moore emphasizes the importance of having a plan to target these players:

"Have a strategy in place for when to draft players like Rashad Perryman and James Washington. Their big-play potential can be game-changers in best ball leagues." [56:55]

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Notable Quotes

• Jason Moore on quarterback volatility:

  "Nine of the first ten quarterbacks selected in drafts finished lower than where they were drafted." [16:37]

• Mike Wright on Cam Newton’s readiness:

  "Cam Newton is 100% healthy and ready to deliver top-tier fantasy performance." [44:29]

• Andy Holloway on streaming QBs:

  "Use data on matchups to maximize scoring opportunities." [17:01]

• Jason Moore on Tom Brady’s potential:

  "I believe in Tom Brady this year. His transition to Tampa Bay could elevate him to a top-five fantasy quarterback." [17:48]

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Conclusion

The Fantasy Footballers wrap up the episode by reiterating the importance of flexibility and strategic planning in quarterback selections. With an overwhelming number of quarterbacks vying for top spots, the hosts advocate for a streaming approach to maximize weekly performance while allowing early draft capital to bolster other key positions. The emerging hype around Cam Newton is cautiously embraced, recognizing both his potential upside and the uncertainties surrounding his integration into the Patriots' system. Additionally, the best ball tips provided offer actionable strategies for managers looking to capitalize on undervalued players with big-play potential.

Listeners are encouraged to engage with the podcast community, participate in giveaways, and stay updated through various platforms to enhance their fantasy football experience.

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Notable Resources Mentioned:

• Ted Lasso on Apple TV Plus
• Best Ball Mania by Underdog Fantasy: underdogfantasy.com
• Shady Rays: shadyrays.com with promo code fantasy
• Quip: getquip.com with promo code footballers

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Stay Connected:

• Website: jointhefoot.com
• Twitter: @FFBallers
• Instagram: @fantasyfootballers
• YouTube: The Fantasy Footballer YouTube Channel

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This summary captures the essence of the Fantasy Footballers' episode, providing listeners with a comprehensive overview of the discussions, insights, and strategies shared by the hosts. Whether you're strategizing your quarterback rankings or seeking best ball advice, this episode offers a wealth of information to elevate your fantasy football game.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Foot Clan. We're all kind of looking for a bright spot right now, are we not? Mm. Well, I got one for you. There's a hilarious new series on Apple TV plus, starring Jason Sudeikis called Ted Lasso. It's about an American football coach who heads to England to take a shot at managing one of the world's most competitive professional soccer teams. It's an age old story, of course. If you like a show with big laughs and a lot of heart, then this is the one you've been looking for. Watch Ted Lasso right now on the Apple TV app. Subscription required for Apple TV plus.

[Jason Moore]

Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore and Mike Wright.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, welcome in, Rich.

[Mike Wright]

Friday time.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Hey.

[Andy Holloway]

It'S Friday.

[Mike Wright]

It's Friday time.

[Andy Holloway]

August 14th.

[Mike Wright]

As a great man once said, it's Friday time.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, okay, you're quoting yourself from a moment ago.

[Mike Wright]

I said a great man.

[Andy Holloway]

No, I heard that.

[Mike Wright]

Did I not?

[Andy Holloway]

Did I stutter? Andy, Mike and Jason, the Fantasy footballers. Back with you Friday. Oh, that means the weekend comes tomorrow, which means we get to sleep.

[Mike Wright]

Maybe.

[Andy Holloway]

I've heard good things about sleep this past week.

[Mike Wright]

I'm looking into it.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, we had a couple of shows. Well, the past two days we had the podcast in the morning and we had the footcast in the evening, and then we had the podcast at suppertime. Then we had the serious show.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

And now we've got the podcast.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, so much.

[Andy Holloway]

This is the podcast, right?

[Mike Wright]

So much football in it.

[Andy Holloway]

That's because things are ramping up. People are getting excited because football's on the way.

[Jason Moore]

As they should. I mean, I'm really. Look, we're all Suns fans here as well.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, gosh. NHL yesterday, Suns today.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean, look, as a sports fan, our team, if you're not aware, if you're not into the basketball, our great team, incredible, incredible team, was invited to get into the playoffs, went undefeated and didn't get in the playoffs. But the point that I'm making has nothing to do with that. It has to do with the unfathomable level of passion that me and my boys were watching a basketball game with. I mean, when football kicks off.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Whoa. You better not be no camera on me during these games because I went nuts last night.

[Andy Holloway]

I deleted UDK Access for all people from Portland.

[Jason Moore]

As you should. As you should.

[Andy Holloway]

Damian Lillard definitely doesn't get a udk.

[Jason Moore]

He. He had bought one. We removed access.

[Andy Holloway]

He probably has his football draft, kid. Probably.

[Jason Moore]

He's good.

[Andy Holloway]

If he wanted to he could shooting from half court, you jerk. All right, back to the show. We have quarterbacks. On today's episode, the second quarterbacks rankings episode. Some news to talk about. And as Mike said, it's Friday time.

[Jason Moore]

Put Clan Friday.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm gonna make this segment more interactive. This year we have the foot Clan Friday giveaway. And if you're a supporter of the show [e-mail] you get a, dare I say, plethora of benefits from such support.

[Mike Wright]

You dare.

[Andy Holloway]

But every Friday we give something away. And I'm going to interact with Brooks because people want to hear from Brooks more often. Maybe somebody might say that. And he's responsible for finding our sweet, sweet giveaway every Friday. And what do we have for our listeners today?

[Jason Moore]

Brooks do it in the price is right voice.

[Mike Wright]

Brooks just took a.

[Andy Holloway]

He just dumped it.

[Jason Moore]

You can do it in your voice.

[Andy Holloway]

And Amari Cooper signed mini helmet. Okay. Amari Cooper signed mini helmet. The winner is Jeff de Lotel.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, I'm sorry, Jeff, that you had to win in a Mario Cooper helmet.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, stop it. It's a wonderful, wonderful, somewhat good, somewhat bad some weeks gift. Okay? And Pristine auction supplying these sweet giveaways every week. You can use the code [e-mail] you get $10 off your first sports memorabilia item. Jeff doesn't have to pay for his. He doesn't need the coupon. It is free.

[Jason Moore]

Well, he's gonna want more. I mean, that's just true. It may be a gift for others or whatever. So use the code ballers.

[Andy Holloway]

Make sure that Mike would need it to buy something else immediately to replace.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, well, you know, it's like sometimes you take a bite of a sandwich, like, ooh, that was bad. And you need to wash it down.

[Andy Holloway]

Do you have that experience a lot? Don't you make the sandwich?

[Jason Moore]

No, no, I don't make my own food. That's the chef's job.

[Andy Holloway]

And you go to the avia.

[Mike Wright]

He brings you the food. We established I am a great man.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, my gosh, Great.

[Mike Wright]

I make great sandwiches.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, this is going to be a special one today. I did not use the main Twitter account to share my grievances from the Suns missing the playoffs last night. Surprised I did use my own account. Andy Holloway. Jason's at Jason FFL. Mike at FF Hitman. The main account, FFBallers. We keep that professional. We would never say anything about basketball on there. Instagram.com fantasy footballers. YouTube. You can watch this show YouTube.com the fantasy footballer. Subscribe. Click that Bell, because the time is now. And then if you subscribe to the podcast or to the YouTube or anywhere else, fresh content is arriving daily, sometimes a little too often, honestly. So you can find us on Apple podcasts, Spotify ad free on Stitcher Premium. So we appreciate everybody supporting the show. Let's talk some news.

[Jason Moore]

News and notes from around the league.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. The Kansas City Chiefs feeling a little bit like the Los Angeles Rams of last year where they have infinite money to sign infinite players.

[Jason Moore]

Well, they did. They did begin this offseason with $141 in cap space. And that is not an exaggeration.

[Andy Holloway]

I thought that was a joke.

[Jason Moore]

No, they had $141. Somehow they have signed 10 year deal to Patrick Mahomes. Half a billion dollar deal there.

[Andy Holloway]

Chris Jones paid.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. You can pay your stars when apparently when you win the super bowl, they slide some money under the, under the rug.

[Andy Holloway]

Take that 141, double it up at almost $300 with the cap space.

[Jason Moore]

They've been pretty clever with their future cap usage. What this means for.

[Andy Holloway]

I didn't even say who signed.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, you didn't.

[Andy Holloway]

Travis Kelsey, a four year extension on the heels of the Kittle deal. But go on.

[Jason Moore]

So he's under contract now for six years. And where this matters for fantasy is in your dynasty leagues, you might be looking at, you know, if you're a Kelsey owner, you're worried about, okay, you know, he's, he's great, he's dominant. But when do I capitalize on the talent and move him? The fact that he has more years, it really does matter. It moves the needle for me as far as confidence long term, Zach Ertz is great. Zach Ertz is a little bit younger, but he doesn't have a contract now. And when he comes up for, as far as, you know, a long term contract, when that comes up, the cap space of the team might just dictate that they've got to move on to Dallas Goddard. But we know that Kelsey will be the guy until his legs stop working well.

[Andy Holloway]

And George Kittle just signed a contract extension. And the difference, when you look at these two players in terms of who do I rank number one, who do I rank number two? It's like, you know, Kittle got the butt tap yesterday. Kelsey comes out today, gets the butt tap. Like, the difference is they're just two.

[Mike Wright]

Peas in a pod here because we had the situation where Kelsey had the record, the yardage record for a tight end and then Kittle broke it like an hour later.

[Jason Moore]

Was it that direction? I thought it was.

[Mike Wright]

I can't remember off the top.

[Jason Moore]

My memory is that Kittle.

[Mike Wright]

I can vet it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, you vet it. But one of them definitely Kittle had.

[Andy Holloway]

The broken record in the end.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, he did. Okay. Well, there you go.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, but I mean, you're right. These are two. It's nice to have these extensions for these foundational tight ends. And you know, they're the two players that you look at in fantasy drafts and you kind of, if you want to take the shot on them, you know what you're getting right outside of injury. It's kind of bonafide for both of those tight ends.

[Jason Moore]

Absolutely.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. We laughed a little bit. New England Patriots running back Lamar Miller joined Sony Michelle on the puppet.

[Mike Wright]

It was very bizarre.

[Andy Holloway]

Upon signing, I want to believe that he went, we've seen Hard Knocks, we've seen the signing room. I want to believe he went and signed it and then he was led off to the pup. Like the PUP is a physical place to go to.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

And Sonya Michelle's there.

[Jason Moore]

You go to the PUP room.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. We're going to take you right over to your regularly scheduled pup.

[Jason Moore]

I like to think he signed his contract, got up, turned around and he.

[Andy Holloway]

Probably signed it sitting like you would have.

[Jason Moore]

The reality here is that's not great news for his recovery. You know, he was brought in basically as an insurance option because of Sony Michelle's recovery. So Ben Cummins just put out an article on the fantasy footballers that was contrarian.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I was surprised about it. I checked the date on it.

[Jason Moore]

I know because it was, it was yesterday or the day before yesterday, certainly before this news. But he was, he was pulling for Damien Harris as a good late round dart throw. And then with this news.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, you got to keep your eye on him.

[Jason Moore]

Maybe he's on something.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. These two injury plagued veterans ahead of Damien Harris. It's not like Rex Burkhead is an injury plagued in his own right.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

Smoke screens for the Damien Harris late round. Like would you take him at the very, very back of a draft just to see what happens in week one?

[Mike Wright]

I would be willing to do it. Yeah, absolutely. Especially now. I mean we had the smoke of the back coach talking up Damian Harris and his ability and like some other respected minds who are, you know, NFL guys who break down film and have said Damien Harris is very good, he's probably better than Sony Michelle. I mean you get a little. The draft capital thing starts to infect your mind a bit and the fact that he couldn't get on the field last year. But yes, you need to be paying attention to training camp or if you're drafting right now. I would take the shot on Damien Harris before the ADP goes up and.

[Andy Holloway]

I'll piggyback one more story. Just the hype train, at least in my mind, is moving for Cameron Newton.

[Mike Wright]

Welcome aboard, my friend.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, it was, it's just been very positive out of New England Patriots camp. Cam is a dominant personality.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And you know, some people were talking about the fact that Ryan Pace in Chicago couldn't bring Cam Newton in.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah. Because he would be the starter.

[Andy Holloway]

He would have swallow me.

[Mike Wright]

He would have devoured Trubisky. Yes.

[Jason Moore]

All the, all the other Bears players would be like, that's my guy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. I think Jared Stidham is like, yeah, that's my guy.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Because Cam is awesome. Like, you know, he's an outlandish personality, but he's also fun and charismatic and he's smart.

[Andy Holloway]

He's a smart guy too.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

And he wins. And Bill Belichick had some comments yesterday just about him coming in and he's learning the system. But his competition is Jared.

[Jason Moore]

Did he call him like a hard working kid or something?

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, they're all kids to Bill.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, Bill's. He's a little bit old. Cam Newton has been, you know, my favorite later round guy.

[Andy Holloway]

You've taken him a few times in our mock drafts and I'm feeling more optimistic about his, his opportunity and delivering fantasy value. I mean, he's always done it. We still don't know what the running totals will be for Cam and I think it's a fair, like, caution for fantasy owners to have.

[Mike Wright]

Sounds like they have some running back problems that could be solved by a healthy Cam Newton.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Yeah. So it'll be interesting in New England. All right, let's now, let's jump back into the main event.

[Jason Moore]

Quarterbacks, the important quarterbacks. Deep voice announcer guy. Because these are, look, we talked about the best quarterbacks last episode and some of them are being drafted late, but most of them are being drafted early.

[Andy Holloway]

Now that's 1 through 10.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. A top 10 list. Yeah, it's 1 through 10. But yeah, today we're talking about the back half of the top 20 quarterbacks. And these are the guys that you're probably going to draft in your league if you, if you adhere to the late round quarterback.

[Andy Holloway]

That's probably who we're going to draft.

[Jason Moore]

Right. It's certainly, you know, I like drafting my quarterback, you know, Usually I'm in the double digit rounds and you know, you've got to find someone. Stafford could be there from the top 10 episode for sure. Probably will be. Yeah. But a lot of these players, especially the first one we're kicking off with, are still going later in some drafts and I think have high upside and.

[Andy Holloway]

Why is this so important? While there were 40 different top 12 quarterbacks last season.

[Jason Moore]

But, but Andy.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, yes.

[Jason Moore]

There's only 32 NFL teams.

[Andy Holloway]

I know. Confounding, isn't it? 40 top 12 quarterbacks. We're talking about names like A.J. mcCarron, Matt Schaub, Matt Moore, Jeff Driscoll.

[Jason Moore]

But Andy, that's an outlier season. That's the only time that's happened.

[Andy Holloway]

You're right. Voice of public opinion. Except for in 2015, there were 40. 2016, there were 40. 2017, there were 43. 2018, there were 41.

[Jason Moore]

I think I was wrong.

[Andy Holloway]

The humble voice of public opinion. You've been put in your place.

[Mike Wright]

I got to go sound like a Muppet baby.

[Jason Moore]

I feel like I started to sound like. What's the poop guy from Mr. Hank. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh my goodness. Oh, thank you, Mike.

[Mike Wright]

You're welcome.

[Andy Holloway]

Also, never again. No five consecutive years with 40 or more top 12 quarterbacks. Now, it's not going to be easy to predict the Matt Moore, Jeff Driscoll climbing into the top 12 weeks. What it means is that there are, that's a huge number. Which means that on a weekly basis and if you look at matchups, if you look at opportunity to move quarterbacks into your starting lineup, it's very, very possible to stream the position. And year after year after year, we do a stream where we each pick a quarterback to stream every week. And we've done it for years. And on average that quarterback has finished as the quarterback six. So you can use that early draft capital on positions that you start more of and you can look towards the back of the draft for quarterbacks that you know. In this case, when you're looking at your draft, you're probably, you're glancing at that early season schedule when you make a decision about a streaming quarterback. Right?

[Jason Moore]

For sure. I mean there are guys, you know, we've brought up Daniel Jones, a guy that could have a breakout year this year.

[Mike Wright]

I like him to break out, but.

[Jason Moore]

Really believe in him. But his early season schedule says he's off my draft board. Like I'm not. I don't want to start him those first couple weeks because of his schedule. And I, whoever I'm Drafting, sure, you hope. You hope. All of a sudden he has this breakout Lamar Jackson year and you start him the entirety of the year. But you assume when you draft these late round quarterbacks that you're going to start them for a couple of weeks, be watching the waiver wire and pivot to a great matchup and be streaming the position.

[Andy Holloway]

Top drafted quarterbacks last year, very disappointing. Nine of the first 10 quarterbacks selected in the 2019, in 2019 drafts finish lower than where they were drafted. So that, that's all the players that even, you know, yesterday we're talking about the top 10 and the guarantees nine out of 10, you know, finish lower.

[Mike Wright]

So you know what's wild about quarterbacks is they are very difficult to project on a season long scope. But weekly it's much easier when you have data on the matchups. And that's why guys like, like Jeff Driscoll, you go, oh, look, I get it. Maybe he's. Maybe he stinks. I don't care.

[Jason Moore]

He's.

[Mike Wright]

Because he's playing against a defense that stinks.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, and this sounds really dumb to say out loud, but all of these teams, they play four quarters and they play the same amount of snaps and if you're a bad team, you still play four quarters and you still have the opportunity to have X amount of possessions in the NFL. And that means any quarterback can come even, you know, we're talking about Tyrod Taylor and the Chargers and their offense being a question mark. Well, you still are going to have opportunities. And in today's NFL, look, every single year, 40 guys put up top 12 weeks. Tom Brady comes in at number 11. Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, of course. And his current average draft position a little bit higher than where we have him, the quarterback nine in the eighth round.

[Jason Moore]

Where you have him.

[Andy Holloway]

Where, where, where you guys have. I see, I see. Because you have him at nine.

[Jason Moore]

That's right.

[Andy Holloway]

And you'd like to brag about that.

[Jason Moore]

I believe in Tom Brady this year. I think that's right.

[Mike Wright]

I got him right on adp. We don't you want to fight about it?

[Jason Moore]

I mean, I'm excited nine, dude, for Tom Brady's nine's my sweet spot outlook. And I feel like I am higher in my heart than nine. And my point is this. We've talked about it a little bit. I don't remember which shows at this point they all run together. But Tom Brady did not leave the New England Patriots to be a game manager for a good defense with, you know, just to slightly Improve his weapons. He went to Tampa Bay, to Bruce Arians, to the one of, if not his best receiving core of all time, to a system that wants to air the ball out. And he's. He wants to flex. He wants to go there and show, I'm Tom Brady, I'm the best quarterback.

[Andy Holloway]

I want it now.

[Jason Moore]

I want it now. That's what we're going to see. That's what I believe.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, and I, I've said this on this show. You're not going to get a medium season from Tom Brady if he still has it. Now. Narrative street of hey, I'm Tom Brady, I want to come and flex. It worked for Peyton Manning in Denver for a year, 55 touchdowns. It was nice. It also didn't work. Peyton Manning, I'm going to break some news to you. He didn't want to be a game manager the year that they won the Super Bowl.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

He became one because his body said, you're a game manager now. So it's just to say that the risk with Tom Brady, it's built, the age is built into that risk. I mean, and you're not paying a high price for him. Well, you're shaking your head.

[Jason Moore]

How crazy is it that Manning won the super bowl when he was so bad? He led the league in intercept? He wasn't a. If he was a game manager, he was a terrible game manager, throwing picks left, right and center. And he won the super bowl that year. Thanks.

[Andy Holloway]

Defense just tells me that I could have done it. I could have done it. B, league flag football champ, quarterback.

[Mike Wright]

My concern with Tom Brady is the Bruce Arian system. While it reigns fantasy points down upon all of us, the first year that quarterbacks are in the system, they end up turning the ball over a lot. Now, I know we're. I'm comparing some guys to Tom Brady, which is a difficult thing to do of the pot, or probably the greatest quarterback of all time. But Andrew Luck, it was his rookie year, but Andrew Luck, that's the most interceptions that he threw. Carson Palmer, his first year with Bruce Arians, the most interceptions he'd ever thrown. Jameis Winston last year with his first time or his first year with Bruce Arians. He threw a whole bunch of picks, too. Like it's. And it's not. So it's not just one quarterback who's coming in in the first year for Bruce Arians and struggling a bit.

[Andy Holloway]

Do you think that he's bringing Tom Brady along in his system as much as Brady is bringing his system along the way they did in Denver because other than unlike Jameis Winston, who needed to follow as much as possible, Brady needs to do what he's comfortable doing. At the same time, I think there's.

[Jason Moore]

A little bit of meeting in the middle there, but from the reports out of camp, it's talking about how well Brady has been picking up this system. It really does seem like it's going to be Bruce Aryan system, but it's still Tom Brady's mind and decisions on the field. Now, to your point, Mike, I have Tom Brady with 14 interceptions, which is, you know, that's an outland that's like double what Tom Brady is used to throwing. So I do think he'll turn the ball over a little bit more in this system, but he's going to throw the ball a lot. He's going to throw two great weapons. Mike Evans, you know, Chris Goblin, he's got gronk, he's got O.J. howard. You know, there's upside here.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, there is. I don't think that Quarterback 9 is where Tom Brady can really end up. I mean, I think he can be a top five guy with these weapons. You know, we talk about. Let Russ Cook. You wonder how long Brady's been restrained by the weapons and the offensive scheme with Bill Belichick because it just worked, right? The defense and you know, he didn't have weapons like Chris Godwin, like Mike Evans in New England. Let Tom Cook.

[Jason Moore]

The last thing I'll say on top.

[Mike Wright]

You'Re just getting a salad.

[Andy Holloway]

That's true.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's true. The plant man.

[Andy Holloway]

Look what I got for you. Some roots.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. The last thing I will say is at quarterback nine, you know, I have him there. I think he can beat that. But we have brought up the risk of the age and the changing team. There is, you know, it's, it's not a safe pick. I don't, I don't look at this as, as a safe pick. It's an exciting pick.

[Mike Wright]

Sure. Well, let's talk about the schedule though.

[Andy Holloway]

I was going to say New Orleans to start the year. It's going to be fun.

[Mike Wright]

You start on the road playing against the Saints, then you get a nice matchup against the Carolina Panthers. But then you get Denver and the Chargers.

[Andy Holloway]

It doesn't bother me.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. That's not a big worry to me either. I mean, New Orleans going to score a lot of points. It's probably going to be a high scoring game. Carolina, Week two. I'm not worried about these, these matchups.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Aaron Rodgers. Yes. Aaron Rodgers. Comes in at number 12. And we'll talk about Aaron Rodgers right now in a moment.

[Mike Wright]

Ah, yes. Before we get into Aaron Rodgers, want to thank today's sponsor, Quip. Ladies and gentlemen, if you followed this podcast for any amount of time, you know that Quip loves this show and we love Quip. My entire family is outfitted with Quips. Electric toothbrushes. Is that how you would say it? I believe so because I almost went with teeth brushes, but that would.

[Andy Holloway]

That would seem right. It would be bad pronuncing.

[Mike Wright]

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[Andy Holloway]

Autopilot teeth brushes.

[Mike Wright]

Like I said, my entire family, we're outfitted with Quip.

[Andy Holloway]

Full quip.

[Mike Wright]

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[Jason Moore]

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[Andy Holloway]

I have way too many pairs that I've paid for.

[Jason Moore]

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[Andy Holloway]

All right, Aaron Rodgers, he's taken a few waves when it comes to his fantasy value over the last few years. He's the quarterback 10 off the board right now. He's ranked lower on our consensus quarterback rankings. He's 12. I've got him at 12, Jason at 14, Mike at 16. It's not been a predictable ride with Aaron Rodgers. You get the extra. Is it a chip on his shoulder? Is it a sign to where the door is? I don't know. Jordan Love being drafted was another negative mark for Aaron Rodgers this off season. But he is still Aaron Rodgers. He can still go out and give you that weak winning performance. Just not coming as often.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I have him at 16. I hate it. I hate that he is that low in my rankings. I mean, is there a part of.

[Andy Holloway]

You that believes Rogers could be a top five guy this year?

[Mike Wright]

Yes, it's still inside of me. And I don't know if that's just the goodwill that Aaron Rodgers has built up of so many years of being a dominant fantasy quarterback. I mean, you have the fact that he's since 2011, he hasn't finished outside of the top 10 when he's, when he's healthy and actually playing.

[Andy Holloway]

Including last year.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he was still number 10. He gave you four performances inside the top three, which, I mean, that's, that's weak winning stuff. And you don't have to draft him where you normally would.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, as a fantasy owner. If my opponent has Aaron Rodgers, even though he's going late in dress, I'm my butt still a little clinched that week?

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm still pretty worried about what's going to happen.

[Jason Moore]

Well, you know that he can go nuclear, have a four touchdown game. You know, he still had three weeks, four weeks last year where he was a top three quarterback.

[Mike Wright]

The problem, a great man once said.

[Andy Holloway]

That and he didn't have Devonte Adams for part of the year.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Amazingly, some of his best performances were without him.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it was weird.

[Jason Moore]

That is weird. Yeah. I'm not super in on Aaron Rodgers. I have taken him when he falls into the double digit rounds because you do have that upside. But I don't think you're going to have consistency. What we saw last year with LaFleur, I believe is what's going to happen going forward. They invested in A.J. dillon. They care much more about the running game and the defense than what we're used to seeing with Aaron Rodgers. You think, oh, I've got Aaron Rodgers. He's about to get, you know, the Russell Wilson treatment here of like. No, we're, we'll let you help us win a game when the game is on the line. But in the meantime we want to control, you know, the narrative of game script with defense and running the ball. I have a little mini game.

[Mike Wright]

A mini game?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. It's not, it's not as, it's not as big as the other ones. But this, this little mini game is called Aaron Rodgers or Jared Goff.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

The last seems very similar to the other games.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, but it's, it's many.

[Jason Moore]

Well, there's only a few here.

[Mike Wright]

It's one question, but I was thinking.

[Jason Moore]

About this and yes, it's one goal.

[Mike Wright]

Finished higher last year over the last three years.

[Jason Moore]

So that's including, you know, Aaron Rodgers. You know, he had one down year. Obviously he missed some games, but this is all per game. His completion percentage, who's higher? Goff, Aaron Rodgers, Rogers. It's golf.

[Mike Wright]

Jared Goff. Those first two years with McVeigh was, was a very high incomplete percentage.

[Jason Moore]

Yards per game. Golf or Rogers?

[Andy Holloway]

That's golf.

[Jason Moore]

That is correct. It's golf.

[Mike Wright]

Okay.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Touchdowns per game.

[Andy Holloway]

Golf.

[Jason Moore]

Really? You think golf?

[Andy Holloway]

I don't know. I'm just answering golf, Rogers.

[Jason Moore]

But it's golf.

[Mike Wright]

Okay. He shames you. You think it was golf, you dummy.

[Jason Moore]

Well, it was. Well, it was. You were right. I get you. No matter what you say.

[Mike Wright]

All right.

[Jason Moore]

But obviously golf throws a lot more passes. Aaron Rodgers has always been Mr. Efficiency. Yes. Higher touchdown.

[Andy Holloway]

This feels like a regular size game.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Higher touchdown percentage per pass. So who throws a higher percentage of his passes for touchdowns?

[Andy Holloway]

Remember, I'm playing this game beyond the mini portion.

[Jason Moore]

Sure.

[Mike Wright]

Who is?

[Jason Moore]

It's golf. I'm just saying, you know, look, Aaron.

[Andy Holloway]

That'S why he's ranked where he's ranked. I mean, he's.

[Jason Moore]

But I mean, Aaron Rodgers still allows a little bit more on the ground. Goff doesn't do much rushing the ball. So you have a little bit of a baseline there. But my point Is I think we're looking at the previous Aaron Rodgers and saying he can get back.

[Andy Holloway]

But I, it's been a while.

[Jason Moore]

Three years.

[Andy Holloway]

It's been a while.

[Jason Moore]

It's been a while.

[Andy Holloway]

Are you happy with him as your, as your locked and loaded quarterback?

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean that's, that's the question is are you drafting him to stream other quarterbacks? Are you drafting him to play him every week? I mean he was much, much more valuable against bottom 16 defenses. It was a huge gap, 9.3 fantasy points different between facing a top 16 defense and a bottom 16 defense.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, he beat up on bad defenses. But looking at the schedule, Minnesota, Detroit Saints, Falcons.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, light him up.

[Mike Wright]

So three, you have three plus matchups with Aaron Rodgers out of the first four games. So. Yes. And he's going as the quarterback 10 in ADP. I imagine he's going to be all over the place when you're in your home leagues because you'll have the people who are still completely in on Aaron Rodgers and then you'll have the contrarian leagues that are completely off of Aaron Rodgers. I, I, I'm, I'm interested, I am interested to, to draft Aaron Rodgers. If you're in a league where everyone is a late round subscribes to the late round theory and you can grab Roger's late. I'm still interested to try it out for the first few games.

[Jason Moore]

He does have a really good schedule the whole not, not just, I mean he's got the buy in week five but even after that he's got some good matchups. The first half of the year is pretty solid.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. One of the things that's interesting is yesterday on the Sirius XM show we talked about stack options. We talked about what wide receiver quarterback combos are you most likely to end up with willing to draft if you have devonte Adams. If you're in that spot where devonte Adams falls to you, you didn't get to choose to draft his quarterback. That's going to supply him all of those massive wide receiver numbers in the 10th round.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, if I had Adams I would be drafting Rogers for that stack.

[Andy Holloway]

So my stack was this quarterback right here, Matt Ryan coming in at number 13. Matt Ryan is kind of, I don't feel like we haven't talked about him almost at all. And if I end up with Julio Jones in the top of the second round, I'm looking at Matt Ryan late in drafts as well. His start to last season was unbelievable. It was a first six games. He was on a 5,300 yard pace and something like 40 touchdowns. So he has that in him. You know, we've seen it year over year. 2016, he was the number 2 overall quarterback. 2018, he was the number 2 overall Quarterback. Last year he was still in the top 12. He's finished at number 11 and he had a bad offensive line and the team struggled. But look, Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley, we expect big things from them. It's coming at as a result of Matt Ryan finding a way to get them to football.

[Mike Wright]

He did have an ankle injury that it's often like. I don't remember that Matt Ryan got hurt last year.

[Andy Holloway]

That's why Matt Schaub had a top 40 week.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, top. Top 12 week, top 40. That's not very good.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Almost every week he had a.

[Mike Wright]

He got hurt and he did miss a game. And then you saw a pretty noticeable downtick in his production. I'm not going to blame it all on the ankle because Matt Ryan does these things from time to time. But Matt Ryan has. I mean, he's had this cycle now where he keeps getting new offensive coordinators and he's not great the first year that even with Kyle Shanahan. He was not great the first year that Kyle Shanahan was there and then he burned everything to the ground. The second year Kyle Shanahan leaves, you have a new oc. He's bad then he's great again the next year. Now we have. And now we're back. We're back in that cycle where Matt Ryan still threw the fifth most passing yards in the league. He's going to throw a ton of yards. It's up to those touchdowns and interceptions and the history of Matt Ryan. Not saying I'm not playing the game of. Well, he was bad last year, so that means he's going to be good. It's. No, we have, we have an actual reason for that and it's a change of system. Maybe Matt Ryan's just not. He can't adapt to the change that quickly because it's the difference between Matt Ryan last year finishing where he, where he did, which was, you know, QB11.

[Jason Moore]

So it was in 15 games.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's fine for fantasy, but the difference between that QB11 and him being a weekly starter is like a top seven guy. It's just two to three interceptions and two to three touchdowns. If you were able to flip those numbers then Matt Ryan is great for fantasy purposes and he can easily do that. You have to pay the QB8 though. So, Jason, are you willing to Pay up a QB8 price for Matt Ryan in hopes that he can change those numbers.

[Jason Moore]

No, I'm probably not. And I do like Matt Ryan this year. Last year I was a little bit more down on him. I would be very happy with Matt Ryan, but I'm not going to take him as the eighth quarterback off the board. That's just higher than I think I've seen him going in a lot of real drafts I've been in. If he falls to value, gets near those double digit rounds, I'd be happy with him. He does have a very difficult schedule on the course of the season. Warren Sharp has him projected for the toughest schedule against opposing defenses, specifically passing defenses. So that's something at least to monitor. But everything else you're saying is true. We know he's going to throw for 4,000 plus yards, he's going to demolish that. We know he's got weapons that are safe and secure. I think he's got an upgraded hopefully, but I believe he it is still an upgraded running back from Devonta Freeman to throw the ball to. So I'm happy with Matt Ryan, but I'm not reaching for Matt Ryan.

[Andy Holloway]

14 shocker here. Probably going to have some debate. Daniel Jones ends up our consensus 14. Mike is the reason why he's got him up at 12. I know he talked about some breakout opportunities. We also talked about the atrocious early schedule for Daniel Jones. Pittsburgh, Chicago, San Francisco, the Rams. I look at Daniel Jones and I think I see him through a similar lens to Gardner Minshew. Mike is apparently a big fan of, you know, these second year breakout opportunities. I don't. I wasn't as impressed with Daniel Jones as I think Mike was and I don't think that this year is going to be an easy road for him. So I have him at 18. Mike's got him at 12. Jason Moore in the middle. How do you see this season playing out for Daniel Jones? Interesting pick last year by Dave Gettleman.

[Mike Wright]

It was.

[Andy Holloway]

But you know, he certainly flashed and did some things that, you know, rookie quarterbacks traditionally haven't been able to do. But more of them are doing more recently.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, more of them are. But he still did things that people have not done over the last 10 years. Rookie quarterbacks that have played at least 10 games and averaged over 250 passing yards. That list is Andrew Luck, Baker, Cam, Jameis, Winston, and now Daniel Jones. Like that's not a big list for over the last 10 years. He gives you enough on the ground. He was On a pace for 365 rushing yards. That's not like incredible, but that's. That Alex Smith, you know, removes a mistake or two because he gives you 25 to 35 yards on the ground. We've, we have 18 rookie quarterbacks who have thrown more than 20 touchdowns. Daniel Jones is fourth on that list. I saw ceiling games. Yes, he had a bit of a fumbling problem. He, the interceptions weren't too bad, but the fumble.

[Jason Moore]

Get the chance.

[Mike Wright]

I get it. But fumbles to me can be corrected. For quarterbacks, it's easier to correct the fumbling problem than it is to correct the interception problem, in my opinion. He's surrounded by elite speed, you know, with Slayton and Shepard and Evan Ingram, who is, who is back Saquon and. Yeah, and that's not even including Saquon Barkley. So I just, I believe that Daniel Jones has the ability and the potential. It's, it's a bit sketchier to call him the breakout, especially with that early season schedule. It could look really bad through four games. But I do believe that Daniel Jones has the ability and opportunity to bring.

[Andy Holloway]

That's the right word. And I am not a believer. Mike is a believer.

[Jason Moore]

I am not a believer. He had four outstanding games as a rookie.

[Andy Holloway]

Detroit, the jets, the Redskins, Washington football team.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, the Washington football team, the Jets, Detroit and the Buccaneers. Early in the season when their, their defense was bad and so does he have the, does he have the skill set and the weapons to go off? Yes. But outside of those games there wasn't another top half. I mean he wasn't, you know, in the top 15 the whole season. He was and he was a rookie and that's fine. But when I look at the talent, I don't, I'm not confident that I can project a leap forward. He's got a new coordinator, a new system, shortened off season, tough opening schedule. He won't be on any of my teams.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I was going to say like to the point about like accomplishing certain metrics as a rookie. That's just a tough one for me fundamentally because one a lot of rookies don't get the whole season. I'm of the impression that if you're a top pick, top three round rookie quarterback and you get to start 16 games, you're probably going to do things that most rookie quarterbacks didn't do over the last 20 years because today's NFL with the scoring, with the protection of the quarterback, with all of the weapons and the schemes, I think more quarterbacks will do that. So I don't look at that as my only benchmark for him. Not saying you do. I know that he had big games. If you started him in week eight, 10 or 16, you won. Bravo. Because I don't know how you had the guts to do it, but he, you know, was winning you weeks and has all of his weapons there. So it's just about belief and whether you believe he has the opportunity to be that guy. For me, he's a potentially streaming option.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I'd love to stream him in a really plus matchup. The weapons are there. We saw he can explode. I don't want him to be the guy certainly at the beginning of the season or in any kind of mediocre matchup.

[Andy Holloway]

Big Ben comes in at 15. What does big Ben have left? He finished as the number three overall quarterback in 2018, but he all the question marks going into last year were built around what is Big Ben without Antonio Brown? And we don't have an answer yet. And now we have to ask the question of what is Big Ben coming off an injury with that Antonio Brown? And we don't have an answer yet.

[Mike Wright]

I couldn't answer the first question. Now you're asking more.

[Jason Moore]

What do you got a third in there, huh, buddy?

[Andy Holloway]

And the truth is I'm not sure I do know this. I have one answer for you. He's better than what they had in Pittsburgh last year. Yes, I can guarantee it.

[Jason Moore]

Here's what I know that I can answer this question with. He's going in the 11th, almost 12th round, the 16th quarterback off the board, undrafted in some leagues at that price, I am 100% willing to take the risk that Big Ben is healthy. Because if he is, and you're going.

[Andy Holloway]

To find out quick in New York.

[Jason Moore]

In week one, right, I mean if.

[Mike Wright]

He is, he should crush the Giants.

[Jason Moore]

He will outperform that ADP without any problem. So I Big Ben is probably one of my most favorite late round picks this year. There are certainly worries. I mean you just laid out some great questions. We haven't seen someone come back on this timeline from this injury. This is a baseball injury, not really a football injury. Here he has it. There's not a lot of experience. The baseball timeline is longer. But he's already, he's throwing balls. He looks healthy right now in camp.

[Andy Holloway]

And this is a good defense. That's the other thing that you need to bring into the equation. Not only is there the questions about injury and Antonio Brown, this is a defense that is back to the old Steelers way where Big Ben was more of a middle tier fantasy quarterback because they, I mean they almost made the playoffs last year with the.

[Jason Moore]

The worst offense I've ever seen.

[Andy Holloway]

That's one way to put it. I mean it was bad. It was real, real bad. He does have weapons with Juju and Deontay Johnson.

[Jason Moore]

I mean outside of, outside of Josh Rosen led teams, this might be the worst team I can remember on offense.

[Andy Holloway]

Last year spot reserved for Josh Rosen led teams. That's category.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, they don't count. That's like. Well, yeah, college football teams are worse. But yeah, I mean it was. The backups to Big Ben were. It just wasn't an NFL offense. And it's.

[Andy Holloway]

Remember when you liked Josh Rosen?

[Jason Moore]

I do. I believed in him coming out of college. And I will say this, it is too bad. I will 100% admit my own faults and I say all the time I don't trust my own rookie quarterback scouting. Once they're in the NFL, I feel like I can hit. But there's so many.

[Andy Holloway]

I wouldn't take too much blame on yourself. When a player is drafted at the 10th overall spot by NFL GM.

[Jason Moore]

Well, you look at how many.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean it's okay that you believe in a guy drafted 10 overall. I'm not. I'm only saying that because I remember the hope in your heart and I remember the, the way you felt when that draft pick happened. It was different than the way I felt.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

But like you said, Josh Rosen, collegiate quarterback, moving on. Cam Newton, we talked about him at the top. I have him at 19 right now, Jason at 21, Mike at 11. This is not the spot that Cam Newton will be in my rankings if he, you know, a week from now, most likely the solidified starting role of the, of the Patriots with Cam Newton is not 19 for me. So he's kind of sitting here. He's being drafted with the same doubts that these rankings represent. Which is QB14 probably the starter. But I'm. Most people in mocks are just taking somebody else that they know is the starter. I think at this point, I mean, what Give our listeners the percentage chance that Cam Newton is the starter in New England at this point because we've done this a few times over the.

[Jason Moore]

Past few weeks, but unless he gets a new injury, I would say 100%.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, 100%.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I'm right there. So these rankings need to get adjusted a little bit. I. The upside of Cam Newton with where you're going to have to draft him is tremendous. Now let me Put it this way, Mike, because you said 100%, you're on board with Cam, Matt Ryan sitting there in the eighth round. Cam Newton sitting there in the eighth round. Both have upside. We've seen it. Who are you taking?

[Mike Wright]

I will take Cam. I will. I'll go for that. He's. We've seen the top five potential over and over, or not just potential. The realization of being a top five fantasy quarterback. I believe that Cam Newton is healthy. He was a victim of the, the off season of this new like he, he got stuck in a, in a really, really hard place. Had to take this deal from the Patriots, which I think will end up turning out into a very, very good deal for Cam Newton. Injury consultants on, on Twitter, they, they're watching Cam Newton video and saying, look, he's healthy. He is, he is good to go. You had. Now you have all these running back concerns and like I was, oh, breaking news. Don't be Cam Newton news.

[Andy Holloway]

No, this is kind of, this is kind of just me having fun because players are playing football. But ESPN said Clyde Edwards Allaire was the feature. Back on Friday's practice, we have our first actual practice, our first actual practice report of a player taking reps in a specific spot.

[Mike Wright]

We're back.

[Andy Holloway]

I know that wasn't really breaking news because we expect him to be, but you know what, expecting something and having it take place in practice, we hadn't been able to validate things.

[Mike Wright]

I like it.

[Andy Holloway]

So I apologize.

[Mike Wright]

No, no, no need to apologize.

[Jason Moore]

Self validation feels good.

[Mike Wright]

It feels great. So the question for Cam Newton is he's been a lower volume passer in terms of passing yards and he's had a couple seasons where he's just gone off and he won an MVP. But historically, you know, like mid 3,000 yards. But then you look at the Patriots system, this is, it's the same exact question of Tom Brady going down to Bruce Arian system, which, you know, who's going to conform. Cam Newton going up to the Patriots system. Does, does Cam Newton now get an elevated passing yard baseline because he's working with Bill Belichick.

[Andy Holloway]

I just think that people, they question the receiving core because they don't know who's actually going to come out on top. Julian Edelman's older, Nikhil Harry didn't show much. Mohamed Sanu didn't show much. They question that. But Cam Newton of all quarterbacks has been here before.

[Mike Wright]

Yep, we've.

[Andy Holloway]

He, he. His foundational receiver was Kelvin Benjamin for years in Carolina where he was a viable fantasy option Again, it still was Devin Funches. Yeah, these are not players that should really be. I mean, Kelvin Benjamin left Carolina and poof, yeah, he was good because of Cam, not in spite of Cam.

[Mike Wright]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

He just disappeared from the league basically. And so I just think that the ambiguity adds to the draft capital questions for the receivers and for Cam Newton in New England, by the way, when I have a bad off season, I hope my contingency plan is to become the starting quarterback for Bill Belichick.

[Mike Wright]

Fair enough.

[Andy Holloway]

Season went so bad that he's the starting quarterback for the Patriots, but the upside is tremendous for Cam Newton. And you know, there's a reason Vegas made him one of the best odds at NFL MVP when he signed. That doesn't seem like something you would make that jump immediately.

[Mike Wright]

That's pretty wild.

[Andy Holloway]

But the storyline is there. You can see it in front of your face. Bill Belichick wants to prove as much as Tom Brady that it was him.

[Jason Moore]

And to speak and compare because I'm not quite as bullish on Cam Newton. I do recognize he's always been good for fantasy. The rushing baseline, the rushing touchdowns will be there. I like him much more in four point passing leagues because he will have, you know, five, six, seven rushing touchdowns, but probably be low 20s in the passing touchdowns. But one thing that has changed since I originally started Cam Newton is the Patriots defense that, you know, we were just talking about how great the Steelers defense is and maybe that hurts Big Ben, but they lost some pieces to the opt out on their defense. Sure. And so that great, unfathomably locked down first half of the last year defense for the Patriots. That's not what Cam's going to have. He might have to.

[Andy Holloway]

And it started to fade over the back half of the year too with the more difficult matchups. You're right. You're right. He might not have. I mean, how many opt outs have they had on defense?

[Jason Moore]

Three or four. But they're big, they're big names. Hightower, Chung. Yeah, it's important pieces.

[Andy Holloway]

Ryan Tannehill comes in at 17. Kirk Cousins at 18. Jason's the lowest on Tannehill at 24.

[Mike Wright]

What happened?

[Jason Moore]

You're saying because I left last year super high on Tannehill, what happened is.

[Andy Holloway]

He'S lowered in one spot per day.

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Mike Wright]

What happened?

[Andy Holloway]

He's just liking other players, I assume.

[Jason Moore]

Part of it is liking other players.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, 23 other guys.

[Jason Moore]

But part of it. So I'm not. Look, we talk about there's 40, you know, quarterbacks that can hit top 12 this is my quarterback 24. And I'm fine with Tannehill. I think he's okay. But when I went back for in.

[Andy Holloway]

My ranks, number one on my heart, that's a classic.

[Jason Moore]

I would say 24 in my ranks, 18 in my heart, if I'm being honest. The reality is we have a, we have a very large sample of watching Tannehill play football. And last year his efficiency was fantastic. He was a superstar. He was one of the best quarterbacks the entirety of his season that he played. From week seven on, it's all the.

[Andy Holloway]

Adam Gase work he had.

[Jason Moore]

The release from Adam Gase helped players. So. Oh, mercy. The release from Adam Gaze. Well, well, well.

[Andy Holloway]

From the team.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. From. From the control. So. But the reality is I think that their red zone efficiency, AJ Brown's incredible ability to never be tackled after he catches the football.

[Mike Wright]

About that Jonu Smith hype, man, we got some today.

[Jason Moore]

I like Jonu Smith. He's high up in my rankings. I think Tannehill is good, not great. And I think for fantasy purposes, that's what you're going to get. You're going to get good, not great. And I'm fine with Tannehill, but I'm just not excited. I don't expect him to keep the level of efficiency he had last season.

[Andy Holloway]

Really sorry that I brought up Adam Gase on this show.

[Mike Wright]

Thank you.

[Andy Holloway]

Unnecessary. I. The truth is, when Ryan Tannehill was in Miami, there was off season hype multiple times because of what he was able to do with stretches in Miami as a fantasy. I mean, he finished eighth in a season.

[Mike Wright]

It wasn't out of nowhere for Ryan Tannehill. To me, we saw it's a progression before the Adam Gaze problems like Kirk. So to go to Kirk Cousins here, it. It's tough because Kirk Cousins is very, very good. He has an excellent real life quarterback. They asked him to do way less last year. Now he came through with the efficiency. You know, to Stefan Diggs, what was happening with all the, the deep touchdowns. I don't know if they'll be able to ask that little of him this year.

[Andy Holloway]

This is like, that's why he's where he is in my ranking.

[Mike Wright]

This is the hope for Kirk Cousins is that. Well, I mean, the hope for Kirk Cousins fantasy outlook, not for Minnesota Vikings fans, but their defense, it got exposed at the like the second half of last year. They just lost Griffin, who they were really hoping to bring back on the defensive line. Like their defense is going to be a problem and if it is, if it really is a problem if Coach Zimmer can't figure out how to piece it back together. Kirk Cousins is going to have to do more. And he can do more. He can be incredibly efficient. Reminds me of the Tony Romo years where, and what's funny, Tony Romo never got the respect I thought he deserved at the quarterback position either. So with Adam Thielen, I think Kirk Cousins can be a solid, you know, fringe QB1. I don't have them ranked anywhere there. I'm trying to paint the picture of what could go right for Kirk Cousins. I'm not going to draft when they.

[Andy Holloway]

When they play an offense that's going to score big, you know, against the Minnesota defense that is beat up, you can look to Kirk Cousins to get you a fantasy streaming performance, in my opinion. Agreed. We need to get into best ball. I want to read the last two. Jared Goff, Gardner, Minshew coming at 19 and 20. But then I want to throw this out on the table for you guys. Somebody ranked between 21 and 30 that you think has the chance to surprise at the quarterback position this year. And that group is Joe Burrow, Derek Carr, Baker Mayfield, Philip Rivers, Jimmy G, Sam Darnold, Teddy Bridgewater, Drew Locke. I mean these players will be started this year in certain matchups, but who do you think has the best odds of being a consistent week to week player?

[Jason Moore]

The guy that I'm most excited about from that list is Baker Mayfield. He's a post hype sleeper. If you think about last year coming in, people draft him in the fourth round, the fifth round just he had an incredible rookie season. Adds Odell Beckham and the sky's the limit. He was going to be a superstar dynasty drafts. He was, you know, a first rounder and now all of a sudden he's left for debt. And the reality is if Odell Beckham was injured and the offensive line did get worse and now they've certainly improve that there's a chance he just bounces back and actually is a good quarterback. So I'm willing to take the shot.

[Andy Holloway]

On Baker and I'm going to go Joe Burrow. I think Joe Burrow. If you ask me right now to lock Joe Burrow or Baker Mayfield into my lineup for the season, I will lock Joe Burrow in. He's got a little bit of the ignored Arizona like situation in Cincinnati where you have an up and coming high pass, volume, head Coach, Smart Guy, A.J. green, T. Higgins, Tyler Boyd, as reliable as they get. And then Joe Mixon out of the backfield they can give you value there. I think Joe Burrow is going to have one of the best, if not the best rookie season for a quarterback that we've seen in some time.

[Mike Wright]

And for surprise I would go to Teddy Bridgewater. I mean one, because it would really be shocking but just what he has set up with in Carolina with Matt Rule. I really do believe that Teddy Bridgewater can surprise. Not a top five surprise but a. Oh, I picked this guy up to stream him and all of a sudden now I'm just playing him every week.

[Andy Holloway]

What's amazing about these names as we move on, I can make a case from many more of them. I mean Philip Rivers, great opportunity. Derek Carr, great weapons, great opportunity.

[Jason Moore]

Jimmy Garoppolo. Yeah, I mean he's, he was decent. Has.

[Mike Wright]

What about the number two quarterback over the those final stretch of weeks?

[Andy Holloway]

Ryan Fitzpatrick. Ryan Fitzpatrick, man, don't hold on tightly to your Ryan Fitzpatrick pick, but it's nice when he's, when he's playing.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Best ball breakdown presented by Underdog Fantasy.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, make sure, make sure you guys check out underdogfantasy.com people have asked all off season, my DMs on Twitter. Where do I play best ball? Draft is gone. Well, the team behind draft is behind Underdog Fantasy. They just debuted this app. It will be familiar to you, you will love it. And best ball is great. And so you need to check that [e-mail] and Mike is bringing us a best ball tip too.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

And I want to remind people about the best ball mania for a chance at a million dollar in prizes.

[Andy Holloway]

This going on a million dollar even a million dollar.

[Jason Moore]

Million dollar bill. You want that million dollar bill, you gotta go.

[Andy Holloway]

Did you see how much million dollar George Kittle got?

[Jason Moore]

Oh, he got a lot of million dollar. Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

We got a few of them.

[Andy Holloway]

We're done with you. Go on.

[Mike Wright]

So look when you're in Best ball, to me the best part of this is I can draft upside players and I don't go into the, into the week and go, dang it. I knew I should have started them, I should have took them off my bench. And these are the players that make sure you have a plan to target these players. You know you want to have a strategy. Not you're not just picking off your rankings, you're using your tiered rankings. Know who your targets are going to be in these later rounds. And I want to highlight specifically a few of these guys. Curtis Samuel, I talked about Teddy Bridgewater. I Think in surprise Curtis Samuel last year had, he was among the league leaders in air yards. He just had a quarterback who could not hit him. He was getting open. He just had really bad quarterback play. Rashad Perryman, he showed.

[Jason Moore]

That's a good one.

[Mike Wright]

Look, he showed enough last year at the end with Jameis Winston when he turned into a waiver wire championship type of a player. Denzel Mims, their second round rookie for the New York Jets. Look, he's injured, he's, he's not practicing. Rashad Perryman is in. McColl Hardman, the one touch man. He is absolutely unbelievable. And the last thing I want to highlight it, James Washington, he is completely left off the radar for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's going in the 17th round or later or undrafted.

[Jason Moore]

It might be nice to have Washington on your side here.

[Mike Wright]

Thank you Jason, I appreciate that. But all the hype is juju. It's Deontay Johnson. James Washington quietly produced as well last year for the Pittsburgh Steelers. With the terrible quarterback play it's possible that Washington really did level up his.

[Andy Holloway]

Game and or at least in basketball. We'll give you three or four weeks of just, you know, Martavis like weeks.

[Jason Moore]

Well, that's what, that's what this. I mean I love this list.

[Mike Wright]

And these are all double digit round wide receivers who you don't have to pick when it's going to happen. But know that you should be targeting these players and have a plan when you're going to draft.

[Jason Moore]

How many games will McColle Hardman have a 40 yard touchdown?

[Mike Wright]

Probably three or four.

[Jason Moore]

In my mind it was four.

[Andy Holloway]

How many will James Washington have?

[Jason Moore]

No, no, my point is how many will you start him for in your redraft league? Oh, zero. How many times will you get those awesome big plays? Monster scoring in basketball? Every single time.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, I think bringing Rashad Perryman's name up right now with the Denzel Mims hamstring injury which happened today, I didn't mention in the news. But it's more significant. It's, it's got no timetable right now. You're already a rookie. Perryman is probably being undervalued everywhere because there aren't weapons in New York outside of him. I mean Jameson Crowder has his role but he's a slot receiver. And Bashad Perryman on the outside, probably just completely ignored right now.

[Jason Moore]

Wait, you're talking about the wide receiver to the last month of the season?

[Andy Holloway]

Well, yes. Sign up, sign up for underdog today. Enter the best ball mania. As Mike said, you can win $1 million or dollar in prizes by going to underdogfantasy.com no, the sky's the limit. You could turn that dollar into dollars. All right, that is it for today's episode of the show. Thank you for joining us. Enjoy your weekend. And I'm gonna. I'm gonna tell you right now, somebody might have a little live stream popping up this weekend. Just saying goodbye.

[Jason Moore]

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