The Fantasy MVP Show + Team DEF Strategy

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary

Episode: The Fantasy MVP Show + Team DEF Strategy
Release Date: August 22, 2018
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright
Guests: Brad Evans (Yahoo Sports), Matt Harmon (Yahoo Sports), Ross Tucker (Fantasy Feast Eatin Podcast), Liz Loza (Yahoo Sports), TJ Hernandez (fourforfour.com), Ben Cummins (FF Ballers DFS Podcast), J.J. Zachariason

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Introduction and Show Overview

The episode kicks off with the hosts gearing up for an engaging session focused on identifying the top Fantasy MVP candidates for the 2018 NFL season. After a brief promotional segment for their Ultimate Draft Kit, the hosts and guests dive straight into their fantasy football strategies and player analyses.

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Team Defense (DEF) Strategy

Jason Moore and Brad Evans initiate a discussion on drafting team defenses, emphasizing the importance of targeting defenses with favorable Week 1 matchups.

• Jason Moore mentions, “[...] if you're going to pick somebody at the end of a draft. We had our listener league draft yesterday and I queued up a bunch of defenses for my final pick and it was all based on week one schedule because I'm going to play that position week to week” ([05:14]).

Brad Evans suggests the Baltimore Ravens as a strong pick due to their favorable early-season matchups against rookie quarterback Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and the Bengals with Dalton.

• He states, “They open the season at home against what we can presume will be Josh Allen. A Josh Allen led Buffalo Bills. The Baltimore Ravens defense versus a rookie in his first game” ([07:15]).

Mike Wright highlights the adaptability of streaming defenses, pointing out that relying on a single defense can be risky due to potential matchups and personnel changes.

• Mike Wright advises, “...you can stream an Indianapolis Colts defense against the right matchup and you'll have a top five weekly play” ([05:43]).

The consensus among the hosts is to avoid over-drafting team defenses due to variability and instead focus on streaming based on weekly matchups.

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Fantasy MVP Selections

The core of the episode revolves around each host and guest presenting their Fantasy MVP picks for the season, accompanied by detailed justifications.

1. Brad Evans (Yahoo Sports) - Royce Freeman, Denver Broncos

   • Reasoning: Freeman is projected as a high-value rookie with significant rushing capabilities. He’s seen as the second most valuable rookie rusher in fantasy after Ezekiel Elliott.
   • Quote: “Romance the fantasy heavens. But Freeman [...] built like a Sherman tank” ([13:09]).

2. Matt Harmon (Yahoo Sports) - Matt LaFleur, Tennessee Titans (Coach as MVP)

   • Reasoning: LaFleur is recognized for transforming the Titans’ offensive strategy, increasing the pace of play, and maximizing the team’s offensive talent.
   • Quote: “[...] team that last year ranked 28th in pace of play [...] now being taken over on the offensive coaching side by Matt LaFleur” ([16:09]).

3. Ross Tucker (Fantasy Feast Eatin Podcast) - Philadelphia Eagles Offensive Line

   • Reasoning: The Eagles' offensive line continues to be a cornerstone for their offense, especially with the addition of Jason Peters. Players like Nelson Agholor and Darren Sproles offer significant PPR value.
   • Quote: “They were already the best in the NFL a year ago and now they get my former teammate, future hall of Famer Jason Peters back at left tackle” ([30:21]).

4. Liz Loza (Yahoo Sports) - J. Crowder, Washington Redskins

   • Reasoning: Despite injuries last season, Crowder showed high touchdown conversion rates and is expected to benefit from a stronger offensive scheme and a better quarterback situation.
   • Quote: “J. Crowder is gonna rebound, and not just for a couple of games” ([34:36]).

5. TJ Hernandez (fourforfour.com) - Keenan Allen, Los Angeles Chargers

   • Reasoning: Allen is poised for a breakout season with increased target share and red zone opportunities, especially with Hunter Henry out for the season.
   • Quote: “Allen could also challenge for the lead league and targets and the overall wide receiver 1 in all scoring formats” ([38:22]).

6. Ben Cummins (FF Ballers DFS Podcast) - Tyler Lockett, Seattle Seahawks

   • Reasoning: Lockett is highlighted as a high-value WR with increased opportunities due to offseason changes in the Seahawks’ roster, including injuries to key targets.
   • Quote: “[...] 2018 is the year Tyler Lockett finally blows up” ([41:16]).

7. J.J. Zachariason (Friend of the Show) - Rex Burkhead, New England Patriots

   • Reasoning: Burkhead is seen as a versatile RB with RB1 upside, benefiting from goal-line work and a flexible role in the Patriots’ offense.
   • Quote: “Rex Burkhead was going to be my fantasy mvp” ([24:43]).

8. Mike Wright (Host) - Doug Baldwin, Seattle Seahawks

   • Reasoning: Baldwin is projected to surge due to the departure of key offensive players, increasing his targets and touchdown opportunities.
   • Quote: “[...] Doug Baldwin will be near the league lead and you can have him right now as a locked and loaded wide receiver” ([44:35]).

9. Jason Moore (Host) - Stefan Diggs, Minnesota Vikings

   • Reasoning: Diggs is lauded for his route-running precision, high success rate against man coverage, and consistent improvement, positioning him as a top-tier WR.
   • Quote: “teammates may refer to Stefan Diggs as the solution” ([51:58]).

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Injury Updates and Player News

Throughout the episode, the hosts share pertinent updates on player injuries and their fantasy implications:

• Doug Baldwin is confirmed to be ready for Week 1 after recovery from a sore knee, making him a viable fantasy asset.
• Adam Shaheen, the Bears’ tight end, is diagnosed with a sprained foot, easing previous injury concerns.
• Jordan Reed is announced to miss Week 3 and beyond due to injury, influencing draft strategies concerning Washington’s receiver options.

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Listener League Draft Insights

The hosts discuss strategies from their listener league drafts, emphasizing the importance of depth and flexibility in deep leagues (14-team formats). Brad Evans shares his approach of selecting Corey Clement and Darren Sproles later in the draft for their standalone value and potential upside.

• Brad Evans: “In that draft I took Ajayi and then around the eighth or ninth round I grabbed Corey Clement and I was incredibly happy to have two guys who have value” ([32:53]).

Mike Wright expands on the value of Darren Sproles, suggesting he’s often underdrafed and can provide significant PPR value in deeper leagues.

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Notable Quotes

• Andy Holloway: “Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to crush, humiliate and totally destroy your competition in your fantasy football draft. It's incredibly simple.” ([00:04])

• Brad Evans: “You can be a rhinoceros.” ([23:10])

• Jason Moore: “Stefan Diggs is the solution.” ([51:58])

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Conclusion and Upcoming Content

The episode wraps up with the hosts promoting upcoming shows, including a live show in Phoenix and a mock draft episode. They encourage listeners to join their fantasy football community and participate in their various contests and giveaways.

• Brad Evans: “The live shows are stupendous. They are really incredulous. Really, they are fantastic.” ([53:49])

• Jason Moore: “The season is almost here. Stay with us because we're always here.” ([54:29])

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This episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast offers a comprehensive look into the strategic considerations for the upcoming fantasy football season, with in-depth analyses of potential MVPs, defense drafting strategies, and real-time listener league insights. The engaging discussions, supported by expert opinions and notable quotes, provide valuable guidance for both novice and seasoned fantasy football enthusiasts aiming to dominate their leagues.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to crush, humiliate and totally destroy your competition in your fantasy football draft. It's incredibly simple.

[Jason Moore]

So let me just break it down.

[Andy Holloway]

Ultimate Draft Kit. The Ultimate Draft Kit from the Fantasy Footballers is hands down the best fantasy tool in existence.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, come on, it's got sleepers.

[Andy Holloway]

It'S got busts, injury updates, full projections. This thing's even got full dynasty rankings.

[Jason Moore]

Don't overthink this. It's the only wingman you'll need this year.

[Andy Holloway]

Head over to ultimate draftkin.com and grab.

[Jason Moore]

Your copy right away.

[Mike Wright]

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

[Jason Moore]

Ah, welcome in. It's gonna be a good one today.

[Brad Evans]

Judging by the pitch of that opening scream. Oh, yeah, it's gonna be great.

[Jason Moore]

I call him Tommy. Tommy Touchdown.

[Mike Wright]

What?

[Brad Evans]

Your scream.

[Jason Moore]

No, no, no, no. The intro. Our good friend. Our good friend.

[Brad Evans]

Oh, man. I mean, I'm just such good friends with him.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Brad Evans]

At this point, whatever. I call him t. T.C.

[Jason Moore]

T.C. We have a great show today, Wednesday, August 22nd. It is the fantasy MVP show.

[Brad Evans]

He does his own stunts, right?

[Jason Moore]

As do I.

[Brad Evans]

But he can't draft his own team.

[Jason Moore]

No, he needs some help.

[Mike Wright]

It's another level.

[Brad Evans]

Sorry.

[Jason Moore]

We have a number of friends joining the show today to share their fantasy MVP picks for 2018, and we've each picked our own. This is a big show because there are certain players each and every year that set themselves apart that are on the highest percentage of championship contending fantasy teams. Shout out to Jason. Last year, I believe your fantasy MVP was Kareem Hunt.

[Mike Wright]

It was. I guess. I guess that was okay.

[Jason Moore]

Only you can pridefully exhale.

[Brad Evans]

Only you can.

[Mike Wright]

Look, it's taken me a long time to develop the prideful exhale, but I've, I've. I've arrived.

[Jason Moore]

You've mastered it. So we'll share ours on the show. Today we'll share some news. Got a good quick question. I mean, the season is almost here. I think it's like 15 days away.

[Brad Evans]

You think?

[Jason Moore]

I believe 15, 14, 15. Somewhere around there.

[Brad Evans]

It depends on when you're listening.

[Mike Wright]

That is very true. It could be tomorrow at this point.

[Jason Moore]

Did you guys check out the latest Hard Knocks last night?

[Brad Evans]

You're darn right I did.

[Jason Moore]

Did you see some of that slow mo Josh Gordon running at the end? Yeah, Tell me, tell me something.

[Brad Evans]

Well, well done, hbo.

[Jason Moore]

Did he look a little bit like Pink Moose in that jog?

[Brad Evans]

He did look Elite. My favorite part of Hard Knocks was actually, it was very low key. I don't even know if people realized what happened. There's the. There's the member of the staff. They're all in. They're all in Dorsey's room.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I know.

[Brad Evans]

And they're talking about, hey, who has the most touchdown receptions from 2012 to 2017? I mean, he's getting the room hyped.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Brad Evans]

Dorsey legit. Thought it was Jarvis Landry.

[Jason Moore]

Sure.

[Brad Evans]

He thought it could be Jarvis Landry. I don't know everything that goes into being a general manager of an NFL team, but I would have to imagine it's scouting a player that you trade a buttload of picks for and then give him a huge contract. And you look at what he's done in the past.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

And you think, look, I feel like.

[Brad Evans]

You could ask any fantasy player that question.

[Jason Moore]

I knew it right away where he was going.

[Mike Wright]

Maybe.

[Brad Evans]

Maybe you don't know it's dez, but you know, it's.

[Jason Moore]

You know who it's not.

[Brad Evans]

Jarvis is great. But it was just very funny moment for me.

[Jason Moore]

In case you're not aware, that's called the endowment effect. It's a psychological effect. When you own a player in that context, when you have somebody on your team, you value them higher. So he just assumed he had traded for the player that had the most touchdowns.

[Brad Evans]

In football, we do that with our fantasy squad. So I guess I forgive him.

[Jason Moore]

I wanted to share that. That's a scientific proven fact. There's a scientist that won a Nobel Prize proving the endowment effect. And what he did was he gave five mugs to five people. And he said, how much would you sell that mug for? And they all settled in between four and five dollars. Then he asked five people, how much would you buy that mug for? And they all said, two to three dollars. Because we value what's on our team even more.

[Mike Wright]

That is all you have to do to win the prize. This is incredible.

[Brad Evans]

That was my takeaway. That was the only thing I could hear Jace or Andy saying is that I need to go win a Nobel Prize immediately.

[Jason Moore]

How do you. I mean, I don't know, Brooks. Look into that.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. All right. Bucket list. Hold on. Nobel Prize.

[Brad Evans]

By that judgment, you can knock it out next week.

[Mike Wright]

This is a summer bucket list. Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Well, goals. All right, Quick question of the day. Name a. This is important. Name a team defense that you're targeting in drafts that has a good week one, because that's how you target a defense in a draft. If you're going to pick somebody at the end of a draft. We had our listener league draft yesterday and I queued up a bunch of defenses for my final pick and it was all based on week one schedule because I'm going to play that position week to week. And it's harder in week one because you believe you know something about an offense.

[Brad Evans]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

But it doesn't always come to fruition like maybe playing, you know, San Francisco looks like a good matchup. I think they play Minnesota week one. Is that right?

[Mike Wright]

Correct.

[Jason Moore]

And that. That is a good matchup.

[Brad Evans]

But Minnesota. Yeah, for Minnesota because Minnesota is an elite defense. Andy, I'm gonna let you go first because this is the defense that I grabbed in the listener league specifically for this matchup.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I took Carolina at home against Dallas.

[Brad Evans]

Oh, yes.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean Dak Dak will probably make something happen in that game, but he might throw a few away. It'll. You know, I like the fact that Dallas is on the road in that game. Carolina is a good defense.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Last night I drafted the defense that I am targeting. I believe I was. It was like the seventh defense off the board. So it wasn't the tip top. But the New Orleans Saints are one, they're a great defense. Two, they open the season, I mean they open the season at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who don't even have their starting quarterback.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Gimme, gimme.

[Jason Moore]

That was actually my pick. I just saw you had put it in first.

[Mike Wright]

Right. And then forget just week one. I mean I look at week one a lot, but it's also really valuable when you go, okay, well do you know, do they play the Patriots week too? Because then I'm going to need a different defense. But they go from the Buccaneers. Listen to their first five games. The Buccaneers, the Browns, Falcons, Giants, Redskins. So the Falcons are not a great matchup, but that's one out of the first five that I would say are, you know, is not a plus matchup.

[Brad Evans]

Very interesting. The team I'm going to throw out, the Baltimore Ravens.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Brad Evans]

They open the season at home against what we. We can presume will be Josh Allen. A Josh Allen led Buffalo Bills. The Baltimore Ravens defense versus a rookie in his first game. I'm very interested. And week two they get to take on the Bengals who have. They did not put out their Dalton. Sunday's best.

[Jason Moore]

Dalton's still a rookie though, right? Isn't that the.

[Brad Evans]

No, he just uses that excuse.

[Jason Moore]

The confidence level.

[Mike Wright]

They will be what without Jimmy Smith though the first don't care. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

They're still a good D. Yeah, you can target those rookie games. That's a good way to go. All right, here's a question though, for you. Last year, when you look at the, because we're talking fancy MVPs, and when you look at the players that were most commonly on championship teams last year, it was Alvin Camara, it was Kareem Hunt, it was some of the big names that you already taught Gurley. Obviously the Eagles defense was actually in that top 10. We don't prioritize defense.

[Brad Evans]

Nope.

[Jason Moore]

And we don't. I don't like looking at something like, okay, the Jags are going to be a great defense, but if you draft a defense, draft the defense. To lock in a defense, that seems like a problem, right?

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, there is. There is a very large problem with people reaching for defenses because you don't want to play the waiver wire game. And look, we talk about this like when you draft a streaming quarterback, you're attempting to lock one in. When you draft this, you know, a streaming tight end, Trey Burton, you're hoping that you've got a locked and loaded week in, week out starter. But you don't want to do that with defenses because you can stream an Indianapolis Colts defense against the right matchup and you'll have a top five weekly play. Whereas you can have a great Philadelphia Eagles defense. And when they're playing the packers, you're going to want to sit them, you're.

[Jason Moore]

Going to want to pivot.

[Brad Evans]

I just want to point out I'm looking at fantasy football calculators, their historical data last year.

[Jason Moore]

Okay. The Philadelphia defense, really into that data.

[Brad Evans]

The Philadelphia defense that was on so many championship teams. The 11th defense off the board.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And that's the case every year. No, you get so much turnover at the defensive position, you got turnover in personnel on the different rosters and you don't even, I mean, remember two years ago when the Texans had a complete polar opposite first and second half of the season just based on injuries? Players go out. So no, I wouldn't reach on a defense. That was a question. Nor would I. Brooks had a follow up question there. How early would you reach on one? I wouldn't. Be sure to check out footclaim giveaway.com still giving away that autograph Deandre Hopkins jersey, a couple copies of Madden and the UDK for life. If you don't have the ultimate Draft kit, check it out@ultimate draftkit.com I believe the giveaway deadline is the kickoff of the season, which is between 0 and 15 days away. All right, I'm not gonna get into a full news segment today. I want to get into the MVP picks, but I want to mention a few things. If you got the sleeper app, you've probably already seen them.

[Mike Wright]

That was my sleeper alert.

[Jason Moore]

Very similarly nice to my inceptions alert.

[Mike Wright]

That one's more of a It's the length. That's all it is.

[Jason Moore]

It's the length of blah.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said Doug Baldwin will for sure be ready for week one against the Broncos. Rashad Penny back in pads. And Carroll says he'll be ready for week one.

[Brad Evans]

Was he winking and chewing gum at the same time?

[Jason Moore]

Well, he certainly was chewing gum. I don't know if he was winking.

[Brad Evans]

Yeah, I'm gonna need video.

[Mike Wright]

We'll talk a little bit more about Dougie B. Oh, so nothing to see here?

[Jason Moore]

Not if you call him that, we won't.

[Brad Evans]

Oh, I like it.

[Jason Moore]

Adam Shaheen, Bears tight end diagnosed with a sprained right foot. I think there was more concern when he was initially injured. It's nice to see something trend the right direction there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, as a fantasy owner, people want to make that into Trey Burton snaps, but yeah, it's good for the player, good for the person. Let's get into it.

[Mike Wright]

Who's your fantasy mvp?

[Jason Moore]

It's a big deal. Guys gotta have that mvp.

[Brad Evans]

Huge.

[Jason Moore]

Do you even know who yours is right now, Mike?

[Brad Evans]

You're darn right I do.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, I know you're on the fence between a couple players before he started the show. So let's, let's kick it off with friend of the show, Brad Evans from Yahoo.

[Matt Harmon]

Brad Evans here from Yahoo. Sports and my fantasy MVP this season is actually one of the best values on the board. A guy going in the early to mid-60s in terms of average rap position. And that is Royce Freeman of the Denver Broncos. Yes. Put the keys ignition and press pedal the metal rev that engine. The Rolls Royce is going to do some work for fantasy purposes this season. I think he's going to be the second most valuable rookie rusher in all of fantasy land because after all, say, quads, Barkley has descended from the fantasy heavens. But Freeman, a guy that posted sick numbers last season? Advanced analytics. According to Pro Football Focus last year for the Oregon ducks among all FBS running backs, number 11, elusive rating. He averaged 3.39 yards after contact per attempt as well. He's 6ft even, 235 pounds, built like a Sherman tank. Looks like he is set to be the early down back behind a much improved Denver Broncos offense. And look this offensive line last season, let's give credit where credit is due. It was number nine in run blocking efficiency according to Football Outsiders. What ailed it was pass blocking. And I think that's been rectified as well with Case Keenum there, bunch of field stretchers, including the standout rookie Cortland Sutton. I think Royce Freeman's going to have a lot of holes to run through. Mark it down. 13. 13 total yards.

[Mike Wright]

Whoa.

[Matt Harmon]

31 total catches and eight combined touchdowns. He's going to be a borderline RB1.

[Mike Wright]

I was. I was waiting for the 31 touchdowns.

[Brad Evans]

Whoa now.

[Jason Moore]

Poor Brad.

[Brad Evans]

When we're putting all of it, when we're putting this show together, it takes a few weeks to make sure that everyone gets their things on time. And Brad got his in immediately when I asked for it. And he was not expecting the fantasy hitman bump when I declared that Royce Freeman wasn't my guy because he has since skyrocketed in the past two weeks.

[Jason Moore]

So Brad said fifth or sixth round pick in that.

[Brad Evans]

No, he said. Well, because that's where he was on August 4th. Royce Freeman was available at the back of the 5th. As of today, he is going at the back of the third. So when, when this was recorded, he was a screaming value, which was also part of why I loved not. I still love Royce Freeman. But that value was so incredible. The value is not nearly as great. But I'm with. I'm with Brad. He will be the second.

[Jason Moore]

Will you spend the 10th pick of the third round, Royce Freeman?

[Brad Evans]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

He is right now sandwiched between Alex Collins and Derek Henry.

[Brad Evans]

I would still take Collins over him, but it would go Collins, Freeman, Henry.

[Mike Wright]

So you agree with adp. Exactly.

[Brad Evans]

And I agree that he will be the second best rookie running back.

[Jason Moore]

Do you think that situation in Denver is one of those ones where everybody knows what's happening in the backfield except for Devonte Booker? Like, do you think everybody. Everybody's like winking at each other as they go by and no get in there.

[Brad Evans]

Hey, hey, starter.

[Jason Moore]

Go earn that job, big man.

[Brad Evans]

First string Booker. That's what we call it.

[Jason Moore]

Very nice.

[Mike Wright]

Since early early off season. I know myself and I believe all of us have said that Royce Freeman will be the starter come week one. Devontae Booker is not good enough and the coaching staff saying, oh, Devonte is our starter and they're going to share the load. What is the chance? Because we have to be realistic here when we look at. Okay we're going to, we're going to draft a player at the back of the third. Is there a chance here that it's just true and he splits the whole load all year?

[Jason Moore]

There's a chance in my opinion that the first three or four games you have similar fantasy production from both players. That's what I believe.

[Brad Evans]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

I believe that there's a chance through the first few weeks of the season that you end up with in PPR leagues the same production.

[Brad Evans]

Yeah, I can agree with that. Whole year. No, no way. It'll be Royce Freeman, which is why I'm willing to spend up on the pick.

[Jason Moore]

All right, well that's a my guy.

[Brad Evans]

I love him.

[Jason Moore]

That Brad is on board. Let's, let's go to Matt Harmon who formerly of NFL.com now with Yahoo.

[Brad Evans]

Best friend of the shorts.

[Jason Moore]

You can find his reception perception content inside the ultimate draft kit. That means he's most assuredly going to pick a wide out, doesn't it?

[Mike Wright]

I love his pick.

[J.J. Zachariason]

Hey everyone, it's Matt Harmon, Yahoo Sports fantasy analyst, a contributor to the ultimate draft kit. Right here with the fantasy footballers using my reception perception methodology and really overall, not just a friend of the show, but the best friend of the show. And I'm here today to give you my fantasy football MVP for the 2018 season. And I'm going to go a little bit off the map with this one. Not just a player, but a coach. Matt LaFleur is my fantasy football MVP for this season and I'm gonna tell you why. You're seeing a team that last year ranked 28th in pace of play. That's a football outsider stat. They were slow, boring, a malaise offense overall. You're seeing them now being taken over on the offensive coaching side by a guy who comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree, the real Kyle Shanahan coaching tree. And last year the Rams ranked number one in pace of play. They were the fastest team in the NFL. And the 49ers, again, Kyle Shanahan, they were a top five team in pace of play. So you're seeing a young, progressive, up tempo coach take over what was a stale team that's just riddled with talent. Because of LaFleur, I have Marcus Mariota, my tier three of quarterbacks up there with guy like Drew Brees, I have Delaney Walker as a top five tight end, a guy I'm hammering in the mid rounds. You know, Corey Davis could break out. And Tawan Taylor, man, Tayuan Taylor might be the most underrated receiver in fantasy Drafts right now, a 76% contested catch conversion rate, reception perception from college. He's gone picking everywhere and it's all thanks to LaFleur.

[Jason Moore]

All right, so Malafleur, head coach of the Tennessee Titans, the pick and this fits in with yesterday's show. My breakout candidates were both Corey Davis and Tawan Taylor. Matt LaFleur is going to change things there. It's a matter of Mariota being able to evolve and execute the game plan put in place by Matt LaFleur. But I think we all agree that just the pace of play, the opportunity for more offensive plays overall, is going to produce better fantasy value in Tennessee, 100%.

[Brad Evans]

Because Marcus Mariota is, in my opinion, is a better quarterback than Jared Goff. And here's what Sean McVeigh, I mean, Harmon broke down a lot of numbers. I want to break down just something very simple. 2016, the Los Angeles Rams were 29th in offensive points in 2000. I'm sorry. In 2015. In 2016, the Rams were 32nd, as we call first, the Fisher era, 32nd best.

[Mike Wright]

The 32nd best offense in the league.

[Brad Evans]

Also known as the worst. Sean McVeigh comes in literally, literally from worst to first. That's what the offensive system did. Now can. Can Matt LaFleur replicate that replicate or come anywhere near to that success? I believe that he can because offensive scheme is so important. Coaching is far more important than fantasy players like to give it credit or believe in.

[Mike Wright]

And LaFleur's coaching tree is not just McVeigh. Sure, McVeigh. Shanahan. Two years ago I was Shanahan.

[Brad Evans]

Shanahan.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, Shanahan. Shanahan.

[Brad Evans]

Shanahan squared.

[Mike Wright]

I was livid two years ago that they did not promote Matt LaFleur from the quarterbacks coach in Atlanta when he had that, you know, Matt Ryan MVP season to the offensive coordinator and then went and got Steve Sarkeesian. And then he was obviously pissed too. He's like, okay, I'm going to take the same job over in for the Rams. And he got his opportunity. We haven't seen him call plays yet. That's the only worry. But it can't be worse than last year.

[Jason Moore]

That's why I exotic last year though, it was exotic.

[Brad Evans]

So smashy.

[Jason Moore]

So smash.

[Brad Evans]

Mail mouths were smashed.

[Mike Wright]

So mouth smashy.

[Brad Evans]

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[Mike Wright]

Yes, sir. And hey, guys, the wait is almost over. Football is here, which means it's fantasy football season and FanDuel has never been more fun or more ready to play. Look, if you are not a fantasy expert yourself, then FanDuel is clearly the best place to play. They have something for everyone in Waze games that they didn't have before. Here's some of the new things they are running a free survivor contest. A $250,000 prize. It's free to enter. You just. I mean, so enter. You have a chance of winning $250,000 of prize money and it costs you nothing. It's the biggest free Survivor contest ever. You pick one team to win each week. You can't reuse that team for the rest of the season. It locks before week one. So do not miss out. Get into that free $250,000 Survivor contest. Go to FanDuel.com Footballers that's FanDuel.com Footballers. Plus all new users get a $20 bonus when they make their first deposit. FanDuel.com Footballers all right, we've got Royce.

[Jason Moore]

Freeman, we've got Matt Lafleur, head coach of the Titans, as the first two MVP picks by our friends. And let me ask you this, Mike, do you enjoy Mr. Bob Wiley on the Hard Knocks episode last night?

[Brad Evans]

Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

Was he not the best?

[Brad Evans]

Matt Floor, O.C. just.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. Sorry, did I say head coach?

[Brad Evans]

Yes, head coach. We're all good. He was entertaining.

[Jason Moore]

This was. The offensive line coach for the Cleveland Browns, drives a Maserati.

[Brad Evans]

Yeah, the Maserati. Stretching is really what set it off.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, he's so funny, Jason. You will when you see this episode. This guy is a caricature. Yes, he is.

[Brad Evans]

Or as our friend says, a caricature.

[Jason Moore]

And he basically, like there's this clip going around Twitter right now where his belly moves with the snap count when.

[Brad Evans]

He Goes, he's a big boy.

[Mike Wright]

If you think I have not seen that gift going around.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, Bob Wiley's a big boy.

[Mike Wright]

He drives a Maserati.

[Jason Moore]

You bet he does.

[Brad Evans]

Yes. How slowly. I don't know.

[Jason Moore]

When Brad Evans talked about Royce Freeman being a Sherman tank, it just made me think of when Bob Wiley was showing video of rhinoceroses and gorillas to his offensive line players in Cleveland to show them what a low center of gravity and foundation was like.

[Mike Wright]

Just be. Just be a rhinoceros.

[Jason Moore]

It was basically just be a rhinoceros.

[Mike Wright]

That's bad coaching. I mean, can we just call. I'm not joking. That's terrible coaching.

[Brad Evans]

Well, it's. It wasn't.

[Mike Wright]

I haven't seen it. I don't have the context, his whole point.

[Brad Evans]

But if you're like, you could be.

[Mike Wright]

Better if you have the center of gravity of a rhino. Have you.

[Jason Moore]

Have you seen Carlos Hyde in that second preseason game? He looked pretty good after that rhin pep talk.

[Mike Wright]

That must have been what did it.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's. Let's move on here with another fantasy MV pick. MVP pick.

[Adam Rank]

What's up, fellas? It's your pal, J.J. zacharison. And my fantasy football MVP this year is none other than Rex Burkhead. I know he's banged up right now, but assuming he's good to go as we kick off the season, you're looking at someone who has legitimate RB1 upside in fantasy football. I think a lot of people are assuming that Sony Michelle is going to take on more of that Deion Lewis role in the Patriots offense. Or at the very least, he's going to see early down work. Well, after the Patriots decided that Mike Gillislee wasn't the answer. Last year, we saw five games where both Dion Lewis and Rex Burkhead were suited up together. In those five games, Rex Burkhead averaged more snaps per contest. And while he did see fewer attempts, he had more targets. And most importantly, he saw goal line work. In fact, during that stretch of five games, only two players in the entire NFL had more goal line attempts than Rex Burkhead did. And as a result of that, Burkhead averaged over four PPR points per game, more than Deion Lewis did. Like I said, both Burkhead and Michelle are banged up. But Burkhead's injury is apparently just a minor one. And I think that he's the New England running back that you want to target this year.

[Jason Moore]

Rex Burkitt. I'm going to be honest with you. I have the hardest time with When I'm. When push comes to shove in a draft and it's Rex Burkheadt or Sony Michelle or Chris Carson or Rashad Penny, I have a really hard time making my decision because.

[Brad Evans]

Make the right choice, man.

[Jason Moore]

What's the right choice?

[Brad Evans]

Rex Burkhead.

[Jason Moore]

How right of a choice is that?

[Brad Evans]

Very, very much so. To the point of. Rex Burkhead was going to be my fantasy mvp.

[Jason Moore]

All right, all right.

[Brad Evans]

But because JJ came in with the fire, I wanted to let him stand alone on that. You know, just have his moment in the sun. Because JJ doesn't. Doesn't ever get to do that, of course. But I love Rex Burkitt so much, I'm targeting him everywhere that I possibly can. JJ laid out the argument for him, but just when he was, when he was on his run last season, that's what. Dion Lewis taking a bunch of carries away. Rex Burkhead was a top 10 running back during his stretch. He is a great player. He's probably the most versatile running back on that New England Patriots roster. He can profile as a goal line back. As JJ pointed out how many goal line carries he's actually getting. I just think he's. He's a fabulous running back pick in the middle rounds.

[Jason Moore]

Any concern about the variance of production with the different backs involved and the way that game plans change with Bill Belichick?

[Brad Evans]

It is. It is what it is. You got to take some of those built into it. Yeah.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Last season with all the variants, with all that issue, with all the injuries. So you're talking about basically the. The worst case of having variable issues come in. People still got a lot of fantasy wins out of Rex Burkhead. They started him when it mattered and he produced.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Rex Burkhead was the pick by jj. Let's. Let's move on.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, everybody, Adam Rank here. My fantasy MVP for the coming season is Jordan freaking Howard.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Go ahead and slander him for his lack of hands. Those same hands that helped him become a fantasy stalwart in John Fox's offense. Look what Jordan was able to do under Fox's offense, which was the NFL equivalent of the fax machine, was nothing short of miraculous. Like a Michael Phelps was out there winning gold medals with a sandbag strapped around his neck. You put this absolute stud in Matt Nagy's offense and it will be like upgrading from an 8 bit Nintendo to a PS4. So hear me now. Draft him later. Jordan Howard is your fantasy MVP.

[Jason Moore]

A very emboldened Jordan Howard take from NFL.com's Adam Rank.

[Brad Evans]

Jason's. Jason's a little bit sweaty. I see the perspiration on the forehead.

[Mike Wright]

He's one of my three my guys. I believe in him and I love the analogy because the 8 bit Nintendo gaming system, it was fantastic.

[Brad Evans]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Hey, it was great and Jordan Howard's been great. But now you're going to upgrade it to the new hotter model and I think that's going to happen.

[Brad Evans]

Yeah. The interesting thing about the Nintendo is it's never as good when you go back.

[Jason Moore]

And hopefully Howard doesn't have to go back at any point in his career. Yeah, I love the pick as well. Jordan Howard was the running back I ended up with at the 12 pick in yesterday's listener league draft, a 14 team league.

[Brad Evans]

You got him with your second pick.

[Jason Moore]

I did. I'm sorry. Yes. I got him with the second pick. So early. Second round had Odell Beckham in the first came back with Jordan Howard. I'm content with that. He's got his role carved out. His production is proven. When you talk about risk rating with a player on a terrible team that ran very few offensive plays last year, he was still a productive touchdown scorer. We know the case for Jordan Howard and I buy into it and they.

[Brad Evans]

They have in Chicago, Tariq Cohen and Jordan Howard have essentially split third down work. This isn't. It becomes third down and they take Jordan Howard off the field forever. He's getting, he's going to get a lot more third down work than people, people want to think about.

[Jason Moore]

Do you think that's, you think that's. Because if you have, I mean this would be my opinion of that situation. But if you're just putting Tariq Khan out there and you don't believe in his between the tackles ability, you take some, you take some of the different play calls that you can make off the field if you never have percent if you can't draw a play to Jordan Howard, let him pick 100 yards that way.

[Mike Wright]

I've always hated like a smart coach. Yes. I've always hated when you have just because the personnel's out here, target request, you know what play we're going to run. That's, that's part of the problem with, you know, Adrian Peterson going to the Redskins. It's like when he's out there, they're, they're going to run the ball. We saw that last year when he was with Arizona. But one thing I want to point out here because we've gone back to back from, you know, the Matt LaFleur change to the Matt Nagy change for fantasy players. We focus so often on the player that we're drafting. We get so micro and it's good to know for future years. Like one of the biggest ways to draft quality players who outperform their average draft position is to base it on year over year team data. And that's what you see a lot of these analysts doing with those two teams. You, you recognize how under the average both of those teams were the Bears and the Titans last season. You are always going to end up with a draft price based on what have you done for me, which is going to be a little lower than what they now can do.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, no, you're right. And we've got another macro pick here. Ross Tucker contributing his fantasy mvp.

[Ross Tucker]

Hey, it's former NFL offensive lineman Ross Tucker of the Fantasy Feast Eatin podcast. And my MVP is, you guessed it, the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line. They were already the best in the NFL a year ago and now they get my former teammate, future hall of Famer Jason Peters back at left tackle. So what does that mean? It means there are still value picks for the Philadelphia Eagles number one, especially in PPR leagues. I like Nelson Aguilar. I don't know that Alshon Jeffrey is going to be the same guy coming off of the injury as well as getting the new contract. Nelson Aguilar is the one that's hungry. Nelson Aguilar is the one that's looked great in training camp and wants to increase his numbers to the next level so that he can get his own big contract. And believe it or not, I also like Darren Sprols as a value pick. This is his last season. He had to watch the Super Bowl. He wants to go out in a major way. So again, in a PPR league, I think Sprouls will surprise all of us. He usually does.

[Jason Moore]

Well, a lot to cover there. I cannot draft the Eagles offensive line. I've tried to click that button. It won't let me put five players on my team at the same time.

[Mike Wright]

But Mike did a good job drafting the Eagles offensive line. I certainly did last night's listener league.

[Brad Evans]

So the listener league is. Andy had said it's a 14 teamer. So this is a. With deeper benches. This is a deep league. You need to make sure your running backs are, they're good to go. And in the third round I was able to grab jai. I went, I went rb, RBRB to start this. And then we do talk about on this show. We are not proponents of drafting your Perceived handcuff in a regular league, in a 10 team and a 12 teamer. Because there's just so many variables of you don't even know if, if an injury happens to the starter, will the backup be the guy? In Philadelphia, we're, we're very confident that if something were to happen to J. AG Corey Clement would be the man. It would be Corey Clement and Darren Sprouls handling the bulk of the work. On top of that, Corey Clement has standalone value. So in that draft I took Ajayi and then around the eighth or ninth round I grabbed Corey Clement and I was incredibly happy to have two guys who have value. And I'm locking up like Ross talked about. I've locked up the Philadelphia offensive line.

[Jason Moore]

What about the Darren Sprouls discussion though? Because he's undrafted entirely. There are players that are handcuffs like Austin Eckler or Doug Martin that are being drafted, but Darren Sprolls is not being talked about. He's not being searched because of what you just said. If Ajay goes down, it's Clement and then Sprouls has value. That's the perception that there isn't standalone value to Sprols yet and we haven't talked about it.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, no, I'm glad you bring that up. There is, I mean it's. Ross Tucker said it perfectly when he ended. He usually does surprise. You know, Darren Sprouls has never been overdrafted. Right. Like nobody's like, you know, expecting huge things for Darren Sprols and then he's, he's always underdrafted unless he's been injured and when he made the decision to come back, part of that. And if you read, he wrote this really honest piece about his decision to come back, some of the records that he's chasing and whether or not coming off of injury at his age, he, he could actually perform. And reading that article and seeing how transparent and honest he was about the goods and the bads, I believe that he is ready to go for this season. And Clement, Clement is seen as this pass catching back because of what happened in the super bowl and his pass catching work. But the truth is he is not the receiving back there that is Darren Sprouls. So if you're in a full PPR league, Darren Sprols is, I mean even in a deep league, he's usually undrafted and you will be able to flex.

[Brad Evans]

Him in eight targets week one last year, four targets week two. So he will have some of his own standalone value. But it's got to be a deeper PPR league for me.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's move on.

[Liz Loza]

Hey, it's Liz Lowe's of Yahoo Sports and I'm here with the best bounce back candidate of 2018. Listen, if Brad Evans won't quit Terrell Pryor, and Matt Harmon refuses to give up on Tyler Lockett, then I will remain forever true to J. Crowder. Yes, he drove the struggle bus last year, but that's not because he's not talented. It's because he was hurt. He played through a hip injury that he suffered in the preseason that lingered and then turned into a hamstring injury which didn't really clear up until the back half of the season. In fact, over the final six weeks of 2017, Crowder turned four end zone looks into three scores. That's a pretty solid conversion rate. And it's also worth mentioning that his first score this season came in Week 12 when Chris Thompson you know where I'm going with this. The team's other short yardage weapon was out not for nothing, and Thompson still isn't 100% heading into this season, so that should benefit Crowder's opportunity share plus any report coming out of D.C. that isn't about Washington's backfield is about the budding bromance between Crowder and his new quarterback, Alex Smith. Given the overlap in their skill sets, that feels like a happily arranged fantasy marriage. Mark my words, Crowder is gonna rebound, and not just for a couple of games. Like fellow Duke product Kyrie Irving, I'm fearlessly forecasting 71 catches, 877 yards and six touchdowns for Crowder.

[Jason Moore]

I'm surprised she didn't know. It's pronounced crowd air.

[Brad Evans]

Not everyone knows that. No.

[Jason Moore]

But Jason, you ever ridden the struggle bus before?

[Mike Wright]

I have. Usually it's when I'm speaking.

[Brad Evans]

Has he ridden it?

[Mike Wright]

I'm driving the ship over here. I struggle to get the words out in the right order.

[Jason Moore]

You know, I stared down a decision in the draft yesterday 14 team the listener league one and it was deciding between going with crowd eh Order Rule 86 Jordan Reed who did I actually want to invest that kind of go to short yardage option and I went with the one that I thought had better red zone ability in Jordan Reed in that draft. However, I completely buy in to almost everything that that Liz said there because Crowder had a great second half of the season and he was so hyped in the offseason that he burned people with the bad start. So I think we forget about him and that's evident in his average draft position Right now, being drafted as the wide receiver 35 in the back of the seventh round over the last six.

[Mike Wright]

Games that she talked about, he was the wide receiver 13 and a half point scoring. In fact, over the last eight games, he was still the wide receiver 17. He really got it going the second half of the season. But I. But it is worth mentioning what you talked about in your draft last night, that Jordan Reed also played a part.

[Jason Moore]

He still exists.

[Mike Wright]

No. Yes. And also played a part with less toe bones.

[Brad Evans]

Yeah, he's got the floppy toes. But Jordan Reed will not be playing week three. It was announced. In preseason. Week three, it was announced that he will not. So the first actual game action that Reed is going to see with his new quarterback, you would be week one.

[Mike Wright]

I really assumed that you were going to say Jordan Reed will not be playing week three and beyond of the regular season.

[Jason Moore]

New news came out already. No, there's far, far greater injury risk with Jordan Reed. But I did go the upside of Jordan Reed over Crowder yesterday.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, but the point is that second half of the season when Crowder was exploded, Jordan Reed was not there.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Brad Evans]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Yep.

[Matt Harmon]

That's.

[Jason Moore]

That's good. And even her ambitious projection for him, unless you're, I mean, a full PPR league, where would that put him? Probably in the top. Probably between 18 and 24.

[Brad Evans]

With those numbers for a wide receiver you're drafting at the top of the.

[Mike Wright]

Eighth round, it would still outperform that. He's a 35th wide receiver off the board right now.

[Jason Moore]

All right, let's move on to another friend of the show, TJ.

[TJ Hernandez]

What's up, fantasy footballers? TJ Hernandez here with four for four.com and my fantasy MVP this year is Keenan Allen. If there's a player that can have a DeAndre Hopkins like 2018, it's Allen. He ranked 6 in target share last season, but was just 0.7 percentage points out of finishing second in target share. And Allen was second in the league in red zone targets, but ranked 18th in red zone touchdowns scoring just four times inside the 20. Touchdowns tend to regress to the mean and this entire Chargers offense is due for a bounce back. Philip Rivers converted his touchdowns at well below his career average inside the 20 last season. And with Hunter Henry out for the season, Allen will again be the primary red zone threat in this offense. Allen could also challenge for the lead league and targets and the overall wide receiver 1 in all scoring formats. Don't leave your fantasy drafts without Keenan Allen this year. If you want to win a championship, that's spicy.

[Jason Moore]

Well, I feel like all the arguments he's making for Keenan Allen potentially being like the top wide receiver are similar to why I believe Mike Williams will have an impact on that team because there is target share and red zone opportunity there. Keenan Allen's the most proven. He's being drafted as the wide receiver six right now. You know, I don't see why not, right? You're looking as a fantasy mvp, you're looking for a player that can end up as the number one at the position to me and Keenan can do that well.

[Brad Evans]

And especially when you're, when you're going second round, I mean you gotta, you gotta grab a player who you feel very confident is going to finish at least.

[Jason Moore]

You've never liked Keenan before, right? You've never is.

[Brad Evans]

It's fantastic as a Keenan Allen truth to see this. We've finally come back around the second half of the season when Keenan Allen was just turned into the human torch. These were his fantasy finishes. 2, 4, 4, 21 against the Chiefs. It was a bit of a bummer. 40, 30, number one. So over the second half of the season you have four top five performances and you have two performances as the number two or number one. And he was actually solid to start the season. I don't want to just completely gloss over that and say everything he did was in the second half. Keenan Allen is one of the best wide receivers in the NFL. He has a very good quarterback. I'm with TJ that Keenan Allen is a guy who is a wide receiver that I'm very happy to get in the second round.

[Jason Moore]

All right, we have one more fantasy MVP pick from a friend of the show and then we'll give you our picks. And man, I'm thinking about, I'm thinking about an audible. We might. I don't know.

[Mike Wright]

Here we go.

[Andy Holloway]

Hey guys, Ben Cummins from the FF Ballers DFS podcast here. And just like in dfs, pricing means everything to me. So give me the fantasy MVP that can be an insane value and can blow his ADP out of the water. Loved Randall Cobb last year and love him again with healthy Rogers. But I got to give you somebody fresh. And this year this player I'm going to be using to explain to my future children what a post hype sleeper is because let me ask you a few questions. Are you interested in a wide receiver that projects to see more opportunity this year, plays with one of the best quarterbacks in the league and can routinely be had in the double digit rounds? Yeah, you should be interested in that and this guy is Tyler Lockett. Not enough buzz on this guy. And I'm here to change that because so many factors working in his favor, right? Paul Richardson and Jimmy Graham gone. The Seahawks are top 10 in available targets and air yards from last season. Okay, the Seahawks want to run the ball, right? Well, their first round pick breaks a finger. They want to play good defense, right? Well, Richard Sherman, Cam Chancellor, Michael Bennett and Sheldon Richardson are all off the team. And oh yeah, Earl Thomas is refusing to play without a new deal. Okay, well, Doug Baldwin will just. We'll just soak up all the targets, right? No, because he. His health is trending in the opposite direction with a sore knee. Whereas Tyler Lockett is probably fully recovered now from his devastating end of 2016 injury. 2018 is the year Tyler Lockett finally blows up.

[Jason Moore]

All right, Tyler Lockett, that's my man.

[Brad Evans]

BC my teammate over on the Fantasy footballers DFS podcast.

[Jason Moore]

I don't like the probably at the end. He's probably recovered from that injury.

[Mike Wright]

Is the DFS podcast launching next week?

[Brad Evans]

Is it the end of August? Next week?

[Mike Wright]

It is the end of August announcements.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, look, if you play DFS. So we're talking FanDuel Draft DraftKings. If you play. There is a once a week dedicated DFS podcast that we put out. Mike is the host, Ben Cummins, who you just heard from. Chris Meaney, one of the best minds in DFS are part of that show. And so it's. It's a can't miss if you play dfs.

[Brad Evans]

Yeah. And the Tyler Lockett pick, he's on.

[Jason Moore]

My listener league team. Took him last night.

[Brad Evans]

He is. He has such a value. And Ben is right. The opportunity is there. Can Tyler Lockett finally seize that opportunity? That's what remains to be seen. But if the Seahawks have to play anything like they did last year where it was get down in games, then Russell Wilson, scramble, scramble, scramble. Yells 500 and throws the ball as far as he possibly can, then Tyler Lockett is going to be on the the positive side of those fantasy points.

[Jason Moore]

All right, it is our turn to contribute to this pot of fantasy MVPs. Jason.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

You seem like the right guy to go right now. After that Tyler Lockett take. I'll try to decide whether I want like co MVPs over here or whether I'm going to change completely.

[Mike Wright]

Can I just say something about my pick before I reveal it?

[Jason Moore]

I believe you can. You can definitely do that. Due to the microphone in front of.

[Brad Evans]

You, you are defending your pick and you have not Even made it yet.

[Mike Wright]

No, no, no. I am announcing that I love my pick. Oh. There's no defense needed. I just want people to know I love this pick. Hold on, hold on.

[Brad Evans]

Let's hope so. The guy that you are calling as your fantasy mvp, you actually love this?

[Mike Wright]

Yes, I do. All right, you ready for this? I'm glad Ben Cummins was.

[Jason Moore]

So Ben Cummins is your pick?

[Mike Wright]

Yes. Listen, the fantasy footballers DFS show he's fantastic.

[Jason Moore]

Shameless plug.

[Mike Wright]

No. Ben Cummins was so close to being right on his fantasy mvp. He realizes everything. Lining up with that Seahawks offense, that is look that they want to play D. They can't. They lost targets. They're going to have passing volume. And last year, my fantasy MVP was on the heels of an injury to Spencer where I said, you have to grab Kareem Hunt immediately in every draft. That worked out well this year. I also am picking my fantasy MVP because of injury. It is Doug Baldwin this time. It's not someone else's injury, it's his own. He has dropped in fantasy drafts to a place where you can actually tailor your draft around him. I last night in our listener league, I was upset. I built my draft around Doug Baldwin. I knew I could get him in the third third of a 14 team league and I did. I was able to stack great running backs early with Doug Baldwin. Here's why Doug Baldwin is so great. First of all, the last three seasons he's averaged a wide receiver. One in fantasy. That's a great decent. That's a great predictor of doing it again. He's averaged over 1,000 yards and averaged over 10 touchdowns. Or he's averaged 10 touchdowns. That's great. But the targets, the yards and especially the touchdowns that are now missing from the Seahawks offense. Jimmy Graham, gone. Paul Richardson, gone. Luke Wilson, gone. That's 20 touchdowns that are removed from that team. And keep in mind, a couple years ago, Doug Baldwin led the league with 14 touchdowns. This is in his arsenal to be able to do it. They lost 1,376 yards just from those three guys alone and 116 receptions. Obviously, Doug Baldwin can't take all of that. But Doug Baldwin will be well north of 1,000 yards and he will be well north of 10 touchdowns. He's going to be near the league lead and you can have him right now as a locked and loaded wide receiver. One who is not being drafted as a wide receiver one. He's the 14th wide receiver off the board because of this injury. So there's a little bit of risk there, but I am all about capitalizing on this risk. He's running sprints and practice. Pete Carroll. I know he's the hype man himself, but he's saying the right things that he's ready to go. They're not worried. And other beat reporters are saying it does not appear to be a huge issue. Take advantage draft Doug Baldwin. Dougie B. I mean, you know, Dougie.

[Jason Moore]

B. Mike, I'm going to toss it over to you.

[Brad Evans]

You knew it was coming. Foot clan. He didn't make it into my guys. Rob Gronkowski. I am all aboard. Drafting Gronk in the second half of the second round this year. I wanted to go over something real quick. And these are the average draft prices of Rob Gronkowski. A snapshot of the past few years. In 2015, he was going at the 110.

[Mike Wright]

Ew.

[Brad Evans]

Disgusting. I want nothing to do with it. The next year, the 202. The next year the 206. And this year, despite being the number one tight end last year and always the number one tight end as long as he plays more than 12 games, Rob Gronkowski on fantasy football calculator is going at the 210. That is unbelievable value for one of the most dominant position changing players in fantasy football. Rob Gronkowski. Over his past two years, in games played, he averages a top six tight end 57% of the time. That is outrageous. Advantage. He finishes number one frequently throughout the season. Last year. Last year he was the number one tight end. Three years ago in 15 games, number one. The year before that, number one.

[Mike Wright]

You could.

[Brad Evans]

Rob Gronkowski is locked in. Look at the team. Julian Edelman is going to be gone for four games. I love Chris Hogan as a wide receiver, but he's the wide receiver one on the team. He's not the number one target on the team because that is Rob Gronkowski. His value in the second is so appealing to me. Like I said, if I'm at the turn of the 1 and 2, I'm probably not going to take Gronk. But if I'm anywhere near the middle, Gronk is on my team.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I love it. Over the last few years, every time someone drafts Gronk and you look at their roster, you go, you know, I don't love this roster. And then come playoff time, you go, oh, they're. They're in the hunt.

[Brad Evans]

They got crap. They got Gronk.

[Mike Wright]

They're on the hunt because every week they're outscoring their opponent by 67 points at the tight end position. And they've been able to piece together their running backs and wide receivers off of waivers. If Gronk plays and you have them on your team, you're making the playoffs.

[Jason Moore]

All right. My Fantasy MVP for 2018 is wide receiver Stefan Diggs. His jersey is on our wall today. And when I think about a fantasy MVP and the reason I'm picking Stefan Diggs is you have to have somebody that has the ability, talent, opportunity to be a top three at the position. And I actually, I believe that Stefan Diggs has all of that. He has an edge to the way that he plays and if you break it down, it's been injury. So I'm picking Stefan Diggs to stay healthy. He has improved every year. If you look at Matt Harmon's reception perception, he charts 10 routes. Stefan Diggs was above average in production against in every route type throughout last season. His 78.7% success rate versus man coverage led every receiver in the NFL, edging out Antonio Brown. As Matt Harmon has talked about, Diggs personifies always open. And if you remember what Kirk Cousins. The problem that Jay Gruden had with Kirk Cousins is that he didn't throw guys open. He waited for them to be open. If there's something in the way, Stefan Diggs is the solution there. He is always open. He can get off of press. He is a pristine route runner. He is an elite talent in the NFL and he has that edge, like I said, that a Jarvis Landry has, right. That AN Odell Beckham Jr. Has, that Antonio Brown has on the field where you're going to go out there and nobody's going to beat you on any play. He wants to be great. He is great. And he's my fantasy MVP for 2018.

[Brad Evans]

I am also henceforth shall be referring to Stefan Diggs as the solution. Oh, just letting it be known he's.

[Jason Moore]

Going to be the go to guy for Kirk Cousins this year.

[Mike Wright]

I knew I should have made Adam Thielen one of my guys, but I love Stefan Diggs. I don't think that's a bad pick at all. And what you laid out as far as he has the potential to be a top three, he's being drafted as.

[Jason Moore]

The wide receiver 11 right now. So that's pretty hot. Yeah, but you had Keenan Allen as a, as a pick earlier. He's a wide receiver six. It's all about can you draft this guy and can they win the league for you? And I think Stefan Davis might do that for some people.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. Yeah, he might. He needs to stay on the field and he's certainly got the talent for it. Hey, just a reminder to everybody out there, if you are not a fantasy expert and you want to win some money in fantasy, then play on FanDuel. They are having a free $250,000 Survivor contest. It's the biggest free Survivor contest ever. And also true, true story. Survivor games are so much fun when you pick it once a week. Here's how it works. You pick one team to win the week. You can't reuse them again for the rest of the season. It locks before week one, so don't miss your chance to sign up. Now go get in it at [e-mail] footballers. That's fanduel.com footballers to get into that free $250,000 Survivor contest.

[Jason Moore]

All right, and just to let the Foot Clan know, we've got the bus episode and a mock draft episode coming up this week. If you're a member of our team [e-mail] there's also a foot cast, a bonus mailbag episode each and every week. The player I was on the fence about, by the way, not Stefan's my mvp.

[Brad Evans]

Right.

[Jason Moore]

But I'm looking at Trey Burton and I'm looking at that late round adp. And you bring up all the points with Gronk. I think Burton could be that difference maker on your team as well.

[Mike Wright]

Sure.

[Brad Evans]

Hey, reminder. We have a live show this Friday. If you're anywhere near the Phoenix area and you want to come out, what do we say?

[Jason Moore]

Within 2,000, 3,000 miles?

[Brad Evans]

Yeah, as long as you're within, you know, so five gas tanks.

[Jason Moore]

The idea. Motherfucker.

[Brad Evans]

Oh, Phoenix.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Brad Evans]

Come on out.

[Mike Wright]

Come see the show.

[Brad Evans]

The live shows are. They are stupendous. They are really incredulous. Really, they are fantastic. It's a really, really good time. If you've ever wanted to come out, please do. We hang out, we meet everyone, we take pictures. Jay Grizz is there, Brooks is there.

[Jason Moore]

Taking a page out of Matt Harmon's MVP talk today. It's riddled with fun. Just riddled with it.

[Brad Evans]

Ballerslive.com that's where you grab a ticket.

[Jason Moore]

All right, that is it for today's show. Check out draft.comballers if you want to play basketball this year. Thanks for tuning in, subscribing, listening. The season is almost here. Stay with us because we're always here.

[Brad Evans]

Goodbye.

[Mike Wright]

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.