Top 10 Quarterbacks + Bold Takes, Hype Train

Summary

Fantasy Footballers Podcast Summary

Episode: Top 10 Quarterbacks + Bold Takes, Hype Train
Release Date: August 15, 2018
Hosts: Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, Mike "The Fantasy Hitman" Wright

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1. Introduction & Announcements

The episode kicks off with Andy Holloway promoting the Ultimate Draft Kit, highlighting its up-to-date projections and comprehensive features essential for draft day. Shortly after, the trio engages in light banter about their live show in Phoenix on August 24th, emphasizing a time change from 7 PM to 6 PM for extended meet-and-greet opportunities.

Notable Quote:

• Andy Holloway [02:20]: "Hashtag Stinky Brooks. Oh, that's going to be fun today."

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2. News & Updates

The hosts delve into the latest NFL news, addressing injuries and team updates that could impact fantasy drafts.

• Philip Dorsett's Injury: Initially reported as a possible serious injury, it was later confirmed that he only suffered a broken finger and will require surgery, sidelining him for 3-4 weeks. This injury elevates Chris Carson's prospects as Seattle's primary running back.

  Notable Quote:

  • Andy Holloway [11:09]: "Rashad Penny, rookie first-round running back for the Seattle Seahawks, is now dealing with surgery on a broken finger out three to four weeks."

• Nick Vanette's Performance: Despite previous doubts, Vanette has shown promise in preseason games, suggesting he could be a valuable late-round pickup if he continues to receive opportunities.

  Notable Quote:

  • Jason Moore [09:29]: "I think it was at Dixon and I didn't think Vanette even had the talent to do it. But I mean, just in that one game I went, oh, they're using him a lot."

• Carolina Panthers' Kristen Michael: The discussion centers around Kristen Michael's resurgence as a reliable running back option amidst injuries to other Panthers backs, making him a potential value pick in deeper leagues.

  Notable Quote:

  • Andy Holloway [18:39]: "If you draft tomorrow... you need to look, there's going to be a point in your draft where he presents a huge value."

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3. Top 10 Quarterbacks

The heart of the episode focuses on the hosts' consensus rankings of the top 10 quarterbacks for the upcoming fantasy season. Each host provides insights and justifications for their rankings, offering valuable perspectives for fantasy managers.

1. Aaron Rodgers

   • Discussion: Acknowledged as the premier quarterback, Rodgers consistently delivers high fantasy points. Despite losing Jordy Nelson, his performance remains elite.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Jason Moore [31:58]: "Aaron Rodgers will score more points than anybody."

2. Russell Wilson

   • Discussion: Praised for his rushing ability and consistent performance, Wilson remains a top-tier fantasy quarterback. Concerns arise if key receivers like Doug Baldwin are injured.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Mike Wright [33:28]: "I like Russell Wilson. He's a stud. He's a rushing quarterback."

3. Cam Newton

   • Discussion: Recognized for his rushing prowess and potential high fantasy upside, Newton is viewed as a valuable late-round quarterback pick.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Andy Holloway [40:33]: "The combination of upside and draft position. He's basically an 8th round pick."

4. Tom Brady

   • Discussion: While Brady remains a reliable option, his higher draft cost compared to his performance raises questions about his value relative to other quarterbacks.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Jason Moore [44:15]: "I like Tom Brady, but what Andy brought up the fifth round, that's where."

5. Drew Brees

   • Discussion: Brees is seen as a rebound candidate with potential for a strong season, though concerns about defensive changes and offensive consistency persist.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Andy Holloway [46:06]: "I believe in the rebound of Drew Brees."

6. Matthew Stafford

   • Discussion: Stafford is commended for his consistent 4,000+ passing yards and favorable early-season schedule, making him a solid late-round quarterback choice.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Jason Moore [53:05]: "If you're drafting right now, Andrew Luck is actually a value. I probably have him too low at 13."

7. Andrew Luck

   • Discussion: Despite injury concerns, Luck's return offers high upside given his offensive weapons and previous fantasy success.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Mike Wright [55:12]: "He's going to rise in 80."

8. Kirk Cousins

   • Discussion: With a strong supporting cast in Minnesota, Cousins is positioned for success, though questions remain about his consistency and reliance on offensive schemes.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Andy Holloway [56:12]: "Kirk Cousins just has everything laid out for him."

9. Ben Roethlisberger

   • Discussion: Roethlisberger is viewed as a dependable quarterback with a solid offensive lineup, though his ranking varies among the hosts.
   • Notable Quote:
     • Jason Moore [58:22]: "He's usually a top five projected type of guy."

10. Deshaun Watson & Carson Wentz

    • Discussion: Both quarterbacks have high potential but also carry risks due to recent injuries and inconsistent performances. Their rankings reflect their dual nature as high-reward, high-risk picks.
    • Notable Quote:
      • Mike Wright [61:08]: "With Carson Wentz and DeSean Watson, you don't know for sure how they're going to run this year."

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4. Bold Takes & Predictions

The hosts share their boldly predicted outcomes for the season, offering unconventional insights that could give listeners an edge in their leagues.

• Upcoming Rankings Fluctuations: Andy hints at a potential ranking shift, suggesting future rankings may see significant changes.

  Notable Quote:

  • Andy Holloway [59:55]: "Move on to another player you might know."

• Player Draft Strategies: The trio discusses strategic drafting, such as whether to lock in certain players early or wait for potential value picks in later rounds.

  Notable Quote:

  • Jason Moore [14:04]: "Sony Michelle went in the ninth round. So pay attention to the value of Sony Michelle."

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5. Hype Train: Player Spotlights

The "Hype Train" segment highlights specific players garnering attention in preseason, evaluating their fantasy potential based on recent performances and team dynamics.

• John Brown (Ravens): Viewed as a potentially strong WR option if he maintains health, despite past injury concerns.

  Notable Quote:

  • Andy Holloway [16:32]: "He is a great player. If he's healthy, if he's John Brown of old, he's a great wide receiver."

• D.D. Westbrook (Jaguars): The discussion revolves around his preseason performance and the potential for increased targets, though some skepticism remains.

  Notable Quote:

  • Mike Wright [22:52]: "I buy the hype a little bit. It's tough because Marquis Lee was paid over everyone else."

• Marquis Goodwin (Saints): Despite a crowded receiving corps, Goodwin is considered a high-value target due to his established role and offensive scheme.

  Notable Quote:

  • Andy Holloway [23:39]: "Marquis Goodwin could end up being the number one wide receiver on this team."

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6. Draft Tips & Strategy

The hosts offer actionable advice for fantasy managers, focusing on maximizing value through informed drafting and strategic player selections.

• Running Backs Focus: Emphasizing the volatility and injury risks associated with running backs, the hosts suggest targeting reliable options and leveraging value picks like Rashad Penny and Chris Carson in the later rounds.

  Notable Quote:

  • Andy Holloway [14:04]: "This injury... Chris Carson starts week one as the primary ball carrier."

• Quarterback Selection: Advocating for a balanced approach, the hosts recommend targeting top-tier quarterbacks early while also considering late-round value options to optimize draft efficiency.

  Notable Quote:

  • Jason Moore [29:53]: "We subscribe in almost all cases to a late-round quarterback philosophy."

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7. Promotions & Community Engagement

The episode concludes with sponsors and community engagement reminders, encouraging listeners to utilize tools like NFL Game Pass and participate in FanDuel contests to enhance their fantasy experience.

• NFL Game Pass: Promoted as a resource for watching out-of-market preseason games and reviewing player performances to make informed decisions.

  Notable Quote:

  • Mike Wright [25:57]: "The NFL Game Pass is how we watch all the action this preseason."

• FanDuel Contests: Highlighted as an opportunity for both casual and serious players to engage in various contests, with current promotions offering bonuses for new sign-ups.

  Notable Quote:

  • Jason Moore [26:57]: "FanDuel is ready for more ways to play, more ways to challenge your friends, and most importantly, more ways to win."

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8. Conclusion

The hosts wrap up the episode by reiterating the importance of their quarterback rankings and encouraging listeners to stay tuned for more insights and sleeper picks in future episodes.

Notable Quote:

• Andy Holloway [65:40]: "Come back for some more quarterback talk tomorrow. Maybe some more names that you'll be paying attention to late in drafts."

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Key Takeaways:

• Top Quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson dominate the early ranks, with Cam Newton and Tom Brady following as high-value picks.
• Injury Impacts: Player injuries, such as Rashad Penny's broken finger, significantly influence draft strategies and player valuations.
• Value Picks: Identifying late-round quarterbacks like Matthew Stafford and Andrew Luck can provide substantial fantasy benefits.
• Hype Train Highlights: Players like John Brown and Marquis Goodwin are poised to offer strong preseason and regular-season performances if they maintain health and team roles.
• Strategic Drafting: Balancing early picks of top players with later-round value selections is crucial for a competitive fantasy roster.

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For more detailed analysis and ongoing fantasy football strategies, join the Fantasy Footballers community and follow them on Twitter.

Transcript

[Andy Holloway]

Hey, breaking news yesterday about Rashad Penny. A little broken finger action. Oh, it hurts. But you know what? We've updated the Ultimate Draft Kit. Already updated Chris Carson, Rashad Penny projections, updated blurbs. That's what's unique about the Ultimate Draft Kit at ultimate draft kit.com not only do you get all of the features that you need for draft day, like printable tiered cheat sheets, but you get updated information. It's not an old busted magazine that you picked off the shelf and you learned about players that don't even play on that team anymore. From mid June, it's up to date to almost a minute. Every little bit of news that comes out, we update the Ultimate Draft Kit so you're ready for your draft day, whether it's tomorrow, next week or the week after. 100 plus player profile videos, all of our stat projections for each and every team, and like I mentioned, the tiered breakdowns, which you can browse in the Ultimate Draft Kit and you get them on the printable tiered cheat sheets. Check it out@ultimate draftkit.com.

[Jason Moore]

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

[Andy Holloway]

I just started on the wrong level to begin with, so it seemed best to just depart from all normalcy. Welcome in.

[Mike Wright]

Well, you did it.

[Andy Holloway]

I did.

[Jason Moore]

Congrats.

[Andy Holloway]

It just. It didn't even come out at the volume level I wanted to begin with.

[Mike Wright]

Reminded me a little bit of the Andy Holloway show after the show intro. Oh, classic throwback for the book line. Who knows? For some time it's a.

[Andy Holloway]

It's a hard knocks life, Mike. That's what's tough.

[Mike Wright]

That's what Jay Z would say.

[Andy Holloway]

Welcome into the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Andy, Mike and Jason, we're here. We've got a great show for you. Brooks is here running things in the.

[Mike Wright]

He's out.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, yeah, he's got a hat on, which means he didn't shower.

[Mike Wright]

We got. We got Stinky Brooks up in the office.

[Andy Holloway]

Hashtag Stinky Brooks. Oh, that's going to be Fun today. Top 10 quarterbacks on the show. Great. Quick question. I'm so excited. I want to get a quick announcement out of the way. Our live show in Phoenix on August 24th, which you can get tickets for at BallersLive.com has had a time change. Where the doors are at six, the show is at seven.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

But yeah, the show's so cool. I got my tickets already. I thought it was 7 and 8.

[Andy Holloway]

No, we wanted an extra hour. To spend with the Foot Clan and we were going to get kicked out too soon. So we wanted some meet and greet time and we've made that arrangement. So just, if you have a ticket, I'm talking to you out there in Phoenix.

[Mike Wright]

Or the surrounding area.

[Andy Holloway]

Or the surrounding area. Yeah. The show's at seven now. So what else is going on? I released my 32 shamelessly bold predictions article. I believe that was yesterday morning. No sooner did Philip Dorsett go down and practice.

[Mike Wright]

He's fine.

[Andy Holloway]

I know he's fine. I'm a little paranoid. You guys watch Hard Knocks?

[Jason Moore]

I did.

[Mike Wright]

Yes, you're darn right I did.

[Jason Moore]

How'd you feel about it, Andy?

[Andy Holloway]

I. I love Hard Knocks. I love the Browns. I've been very vocal about my tie rod support and my Hugh Jackson support.

[Jason Moore]

You have a signed photo right over your shoulder.

[Andy Holloway]

I may or may not have a signed Hugh Jackson photo that I bought at a very small cost.

[Mike Wright]

We all make mistakes.

[Andy Holloway]

But here's my problem with Hard Knocks this year is instead of enjoying it and the content that's being produced and getting the inside look at Jarvis Landry and company. I live in fear. I live in fear that Hugh Jackson is going to do or say something so stupid that I have to walk in here and listen to you to rail on him now. I think I avoided that yesterday.

[Jason Moore]

I think you avoided it yesterday, just not last week. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

There was no major faux pause from Hugh Jackson this week.

[Jason Moore]

Congrats. One week, one out of 50.

[Andy Holloway]

He even had a very quotable, you know, unmotivated talent. Does nothing. You know, that was a pretty.

[Jason Moore]

I like that.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah. And Hugh Jackson has. I think he's got a place in the NFL. I really do.

[Andy Holloway]

You just don't think it's not a head coach.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

Maybe it's only as a head coach. Maybe he is just too high level, you know, too overarching. Here's you think he needs to be. I mean, Todd Haley, he's dominating on that.

[Jason Moore]

Todd Haley.

[Mike Wright]

Here's my shamelessly bold prediction. By the end of the year, Todd Haley will be the head coach of the Cleveland Browns.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, I literally said that on a guest podcast I was on yesterday. Oh, did you? Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Do you think Todd Haley accepts that position because he thinks that's the most likely path to a head coaching job again?

[Mike Wright]

I think it ran through his head. I mean, he's not a dumb guy. That had to have crossed your mind going, okay, where if I want to be a head coach again, is there a path for that to happen? In Cleveland it is. I will throw out the part now. I can't remember. The name of the guy he was making fun of was like Carl.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh yeah. Just his name being Carl. He's like this little baby comes out and you just name it Carl or.

[Mike Wright]

Whatever the name was. It was just, it was Carl. It's so funny.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, quick question of the day. 32 shamelessly bold predictions. You can check that out at the fantasy footballers.com Brooks put this in which bold prediction in the article has the best chance of coming true?

[Mike Wright]

Wink, wink.

[Andy Holloway]

No, I did. I had no idea until I sat down here.

[Mike Wright]

Hey guys, which one of my predictions do you think is going to come true?

[Jason Moore]

No, I like it. This is a fun article. Every year. Last year had a lot of things that were right, a lot of things that were wrong. Of course, when you go bold, they're bold. But my, my favorite one from this list that I think has fantasy relevance, I think it will come true. Is your bold prediction that Latavius Murray will score eight times. I think that when they get down around the goal line, Latavius Murray will be used. That is a good offense and you know they're going to be in good game scripts where they're going to be running the ball. So I think Latavius Murray is currently being a little bit underdrafted, undervalued right now because his role could and should expand over last season. That's the one I would go with.

[Mike Wright]

I'm going with the one about Sammy biscuits Mr. Sam Bradford, quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals that when he starts he will not finish outside of the top 15. We have our as a whole, our bold predictions. In fact, that's the show we are doing Live in Phoenix. Ballerslive.com if you want to come to the show. A bold prediction of mine may or may not involve Mr. Sam Bradford. May or may not. You'll have to show up if you want to find out.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm guessing it will. I would love to answer the Tyrod Taylor. You know, I believe he'll play as the starter for the full season and finish as a top 12 fantasy quarterback. That's my favorite. That's my favorite bold prediction. It's not the most likely correct. My most likely choice is that AJ Green will finish as a top five wide receiver. I think that is bold because he hasn't done it since 2013. It's 2018 now, so he hasn't had a top five finish since 2013. But I believe that he is the same AJ Green and I think, you know, last season he finished 11 and everybody thought he was a bust and they had, they ran the least amount of offensive plays in football. So the opportunity for AJ Green to put up another top five season is there.

[Mike Wright]

Agreed.

[Andy Holloway]

I think it can happen and I think you're going to get a value. Where is he? 208 right now? Something like that.

[Mike Wright]

Correct. It looks like he is the eighth wide receiver off the board.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, let's get into the news.

[Jason Moore]

News and notes from around the league.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, Big Ben is in the concussion protocol.

[Jason Moore]

Yes. He took a tumble, hit his noggin and is in protocol. It's, it's just good practice for the NFL. I don't, I don't think there's anything to read in too much here outside of possible extension of the Madden cover curse for Antonio Brown.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, that's where we're going. Hard hitting analysis.

[Jason Moore]

All I know is there's three injuries now.

[Mike Wright]

Goblins and witches. Madden curses.

[Andy Holloway]

His entire, his entire phrasing was that he took a tumble and hit his noggins. So I'm not surprised it went into the Madden curse at the end. Quincy and Noonwa returned to practice after he had suffered a thumb injury. Pete Carroll says it's still a bit before Ted tight end Ed Dixon is able to return.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Are you paying attention to Nick Vanette right now?

[Mike Wright]

You're darn right I'm paying attention.

[Jason Moore]

You have to.

[Andy Holloway]

Nick Vanette is the tight end that is currently working with the starters in Seattle. They do not have a lot of pass catching options. And Russell Wilson's pretty good.

[Jason Moore]

If you watched, you know, the first preseason game for the Seahawks when the starters were out there, Russell Wilson was looking for Vanette. I mean, it changed my opinion. You know, I had been fully opposed to Nick Vanette being anything possibly relevant this fantasy season. I think it was at Dixon and I didn't think Vanette even had the talent to do it. But I mean, just in that one game I went, oh, they're using him a lot. He's out there, he's getting the opportunity. So he should just be on the radar right now.

[Mike Wright]

And I read there was an update on Nick Vanette who has some kind of a back issue, a herniated disc thing that he's dealt with his kind of his entire life. And they've changed up his training regimen, changed up his stretching and how he's working on things. I know that's a fluff piece of training camp. I feel the best I've ever felt. But for a guy who was kind of seen as a little bit of a disappointment so far in his career to now be impressing. Maybe that's part of it.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Philip Dorsett went down. I mentioned it earlier in practice. However, later reports have confirmed that he avoided serious injury. Is that correct, Mike?

[Mike Wright]

That is correct. As far as we know right now, he. He did go back to practice, caught some passes standing still and says he's okay. And we do need to remit. I know. We started the show with it.

[Andy Holloway]

No, no, no.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, oh, yeah, yeah. I got you.

[Jason Moore]

Breaking news.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm in control. I know what's going on, Mike? Well, things take.

[Mike Wright]

Maybe.

[Andy Holloway]

This came out late yesterday. Some breaking news.

[Jason Moore]

Some breaking news.

[Andy Holloway]

Literally a broken finger. Rashad Penny, rookie first round running back for the Seattle Seahawks, is now dealing with surgery on a broken finger out three to four weeks. You do have some debate over the timetable, depending on who's reporting on Twitter. Some believe he will miss the start of the season. Some believe he will be back in time for the start of the season. In either event, I don't think he's getting the reps that you would hope for to start the season.

[Mike Wright]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

And this means Chris Carson shall rise from the ADP ashes.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Oh, of course.

[Mike Wright]

Chris Carson is now the starting running back for Seattle. I believe that Rashad Penny will actually become a value now in drafts. Not that he wasn't already heading that way with all the Chris Carson hype of Penny's not going to be the starter, but we're to the point now where Penny will drop at least two rounds or so in the adp. You're going to be able to grab him. What, Jay, do you think seventh round?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he's seventh round already right now in the sixth round. And that news broke last night. So, I mean, this is a guy that will be going in the seventh, eighth round, and at that point, I'll take him. This injury is. Look, you never want to have a broken finger and have to have surgery, but we have, you know, there's history of people who've had this surgery, been back in three weeks to full production. Some reports were saying if the, you know, if, if it was important, games going on right now, he could play. I don't like it. I don't like a rookie missing training camp. And definitely without a shadow of a doubt, Chris Carson starts week one as the primary ball carrier. Where whereas before this, I thought, hey, by week one, it'll be 50, 50 or even 60, 40 in favor of shot Penny. But I mean, I loved Rashad Penny coming into the NFL draft. He was my second favorite ahead of Kerryon Johnson behind Saquon. And I have not drafted him at all this year because his value is way too much in the third, fourth round.

[Andy Holloway]

I believe that you're right. I believe that there will be a window, though for Rashad Penny's value to be the most extreme. It will be probably in the next week or two. If you're drafting in that time period before you get positive post surgery news about him returning, potentially being active in week one. That's your window.

[Jason Moore]

I agree.

[Mike Wright]

And I want to throw this out. This, this is not part of our news, but I think it's relevant. I did a live basketball draft and it was. It's a 10 teamer. So the round. There is a little bit of deflation here. But Sony Michelle went in the ninth round. So pay attention to the value of Sony Michelle. He should not be taken off your draft board. You just, you need to look, there's going to be a point in your draft where he presents a huge value of the possible starting money back.

[Andy Holloway]

Would you go Carson and Penny in the seventh and eighth rounds and lock up the backfield in Seattle? Because it's very likely I would do that.

[Mike Wright]

I would not.

[Jason Moore]

I would not either.

[Andy Holloway]

So you would rather have Penny and Duke Johnson than you would Penny and Chris Carson?

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Wow. I would not at all.

[Jason Moore]

I would. I guess I wouldn't necessarily see it as I have to take two running backs there. So, you know, a seventh round wide receiver looks really good. You know, I don't think Chris Carson holds onto the job. But I see the argument for what you're saying, Andy, is if you, if you believe that there will be production there to go around. I mean, I don't think any of us look at the Seattle line, the Seattle offense and say, I want that running game and that's why I don't.

[Mike Wright]

Want to lock up both of.

[Andy Holloway]

But if you pass on running back early and you've got a guaranteed starter with upside, it's a thought.

[Jason Moore]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

It's a thought to me at that. Late in the draft, now that they're both potentially eighth, ninth round, good values.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I really need just a little a tweak. Just a little tweak of something. A little bone like a hamstring or Carry On Johnson, something that's just going.

[Andy Holloway]

To look, don't ask for that.

[Jason Moore]

What are you doing down in the seventh now? Come on, man. Are you bad public? I need some bad Publicity.

[Mike Wright]

You just said you hope that Kerryon Johnson, one of your favorite running backs, gets a bone bruise.

[Jason Moore]

Just a little one, Just a baby.

[Andy Holloway]

Two weeks ago I brought this up with him. I said, jason wants some PED allegations or something against Kerrion. And he's like, no, I would never think that.

[Mike Wright]

I just want him to get up.

[Jason Moore]

He's rising up the ranks too much.

[Andy Holloway]

He's very specific. He feels like a bone bruise is just enough pain to drop his ADP without hurting his long term prognosis.

[Jason Moore]

I don't want a hamstring issue here.

[Andy Holloway]

Those are real wearing mercy. All right, let's jump into the hype train. A lot of news lately about wide receiver John Brown of the Baltimore Ravens, a standout in camp. John Brown, we've, we've known him around here in Arizona for a long time. He is a great player. He dealt with major injury recurrence, sickle cell trait, issues of that nature that eventually ran him out of town. They didn't feel like they could reinvest in him in here in Arizona. But if he's healthy, if he's John Brown of old, he's a great wide receiver. He was a player that put up, you know, 20 targets a game.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, he had 1,000 yards, seven touchdowns. And that was in his, I believe, his sophomore season. He was my, my guy two years ago because, I mean, he is a very, very good football player. The issue, like you said, Andy, it's all been health related. Now his sickle cell trait has not gone away. So the, you know, the worries of possible injury exist. But I mean, if all the reports are great, you talk about a great best ball pairing to have the strong arm of Joe Flacco, hopefully with the heat of Lamar Jackson kind of pushing him to make throws down the field. I think John Brown could be a very pleasant surprise.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't think you need to qualify it in best ball. I think John Brown has a better season than Michael Crabtree.

[Mike Wright]

Oh, is that in your article?

[Andy Holloway]

It is because that's hot. I know people really like Michael Crabtree. I don't. I think John Brown will have a better season as long as Joe Flacco's under center. So Kristen, Michael. Kristen, Michael. What a world is still in the news. Received plenty of work with the first team offense in Indianapolis. Mike, there are many out there that don't even understand why you call him the woke one.

[Mike Wright]

Because he had an awakening in Seattle. Look, the haters are going to forget when Christian Michael was a running back one for half of the year because they say he's done nothing.

[Jason Moore]

False.

[Mike Wright]

He was a running back one.

[Andy Holloway]

This matters, doesn't it, that he's running with the first team offense.

[Jason Moore]

It's.

[Mike Wright]

It's a running bit on the show of how I tried to support Kristen Michael early on in his career. But yes, this 100% matters. If Marlon Mack is in trouble with his hamstring injury and Robert Turban is going to miss four weeks, the guys that Kristen Michael have to hold off are Nahim Hines, who is not a featured back.

[Andy Holloway]

No, he's not big enough.

[Mike Wright]

And Jordan Wilkins, who was a late round draft pick. Wilkins is a fine running back.

[Andy Holloway]

Less experience.

[Mike Wright]

He has a long way to go to become the starting running back for a professional NFL team.

[Andy Holloway]

If you draft tomorrow. Mike, are you drafting Kristen Michael?

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, man.

[Andy Holloway]

Are you drafting him over Jordan Wilkins?

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

Based on how things have trended, first preseason game.

[Jason Moore]

You have to. I completely agree. I struggle to acknowledge that.

[Andy Holloway]

What a world. Mike's verified and Kristen Michaels relevant.

[Jason Moore]

There is no doubt that Kristen Michael must be a Leo because August 1st through August 22nd is Kristen Michael time. I mean, every August. This is when Kristen Michael.

[Mike Wright]

Now we're in astrology.

[Jason Moore]

Is the Zodiac this guy? I'm just saying. Has there ever been. By the way.

[Andy Holloway]

I'm just saying is not an appropriate retort to all of our condemnation of your analysis. I'm just saying, hey, look, I went to Sedona.

[Mike Wright]

I was in the Cyclones. I had my gems.

[Jason Moore]

It's not quality analysis here. It's pointing out that every single August is the only time Kristen Michael is truly relevant.

[Andy Holloway]

Saw his face in the sweat lodge.

[Jason Moore]

Through the steam. I saw he was awake.

[Mike Wright]

I had a piece of toast. I put the butter on.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, my goodness. All right, here's some Jaguars hype. Train news. Corey Grant, we've seen him be electric running back, undersized kind of third down guy, but they say maybe he'll be used a lot more. Wow, that is. That's really bad.

[Jason Moore]

This is what. This is what. When I read it, it was like, oh, he's got to be used more. And then quote, maybe a lot more.

[Mike Wright]

The best part was where I read about it was Nathaniel Hackett, offensive coordinator. It was he won't he. I'm paraphrasing here, but essentially was he won't be dumb enough to not use Corey Grant again.

[Andy Holloway]

Right.

[Mike Wright]

Keyword again. Corey Grant was. Was an electric player last year and you still didn't get him on the field. We want him on the field.

[Andy Holloway]

He's A He's not going to be fantasy start worthy.

[Mike Wright]

Exactly.

[Jason Moore]

He's going to take over to the Chris Ivory's gone, but he's not going.

[Andy Holloway]

To take Chris Ivory's job.

[Jason Moore]

I'll bet he does.

[Andy Holloway]

That makes no sense to me. Chris Ivory is a first and second down, take a playoff bruiser. Corey Grant's a third down undersized scat back.

[Mike Wright]

Chris Ivory caught a lot of passes.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah, that's not how Chris Ivory was used.

[Andy Holloway]

TJ Yeldin's got that role, in my opinion.

[Mike Wright]

My, my point here is Corey Grant. I don't believe he will become fantasy relevant unless you're in a really, really deep league. But he could become more of a thorn in the in third down work for Fournette than people want to buy into.

[Andy Holloway]

I believe that wholeheartedly. We've talked a lot about the opportunity that exists from what did you call these situations, Mike, on our live show?

[Mike Wright]

I believe they're gross.

[Andy Holloway]

Gross situations and how there's value that emerges. The Jags wide receiver core is one of those gross situations where you didn't know if it's going to be Moncrief or Cole or Westbrook or Lee or, you know, or even DJ Shark, right. Who thus far has been said is the most impressive receiver at camp. And yet Dee Dee Westbrook has been a standout at camp. I do think because we saw Dee Dee with the high draft capital last year, the good performance in preseason Week one. His upside. He's the one I take the shot on now.

[Mike Wright]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

It's do you buy the hype on DD Westbrook?

[Mike Wright]

I buy the hype a little bit. It's it's tough because Marquis Lee was paid. He was chosen over Allen Robinson to come back and be the leader of their wide receiver core. But Dede Westbrook is an excellent wide receiver and is going to get a lot of targets. He's not he won't be utilized as the field stretcher. When you have Moncrief when you have Keelan Cole, that would be not an appropriate use of DD Westbrook skill set. He last year he missed a lot of the season start with a with a leg injury, came back and was getting a whole bunch of targets immediately. So I don't mind taking the shot on dd.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, one more bit of news. Jason, do you agree with that, by the way, do you buy the hype on D.D. westbrook?

[Jason Moore]

I do. I think D.D. westbrook and Keelan Cole are the two wide receivers I care about from the.

[Andy Holloway]

Jags, Marquis Goodwin Is quote clearly Jimmy Garoppolo's favorite target. And I buy the hype on Marquis Goodwin, who last year was Marquis great win.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

You want to know why? It's because when the last time we had Kyle Shanahan involved in a hike train in Atlanta, it was all about how he's always focused on a favorite receiver. It was Pierre Garcon in Washington. It was all the upside of Julio Jones in Atlanta. If Marquis Gooden is that player and it's not Pierre Garcon because who. What are the other options? It's Goodwin or Garcon. Right.

[Mike Wright]

And George Kittle. There's just. There are many. I know that's the narrative for Kyle.

[Andy Holloway]

Shanahan, but why can't we apply it here if we've applied it every other time?

[Mike Wright]

Well, we. We don't. We mentioned how those guys. How there are times when there's a standout on the team like Andre Johnson and Julio Jones and they command a huge target.

[Andy Holloway]

Chairman and Pierre Garcon in Washington.

[Mike Wright]

Right. But there are plenty of of instances in Kyle Shanahan's career where that just. It doesn't happen. It's not an every year guaranteed type of thing. But I buy the hype on Marquis great when being a better player than the public has believed he is. San Francisco rewarded him with a decent contract and it won't shock me if he is the number one. I still like Pierre Garcon a good deal, but Marquis Goodwin could end up being the number one wide receiver on this team.

[Andy Holloway]

Marquis Goodwin is being drafted. Wow. That's what I was about to bring up. Wow. Is it that 608?

[Mike Wright]

Apparently people are buying.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh my goodness. He's being drafted two rounds ahead of Pierre Garcon.

[Jason Moore]

He's being drafted one spot ahead of Sammy Watkins.

[Andy Holloway]

Well, I don't buy that. That's the most shocking ADP that I seen in the last month. Yeah, I mean, I expected to maybe not find him.

[Jason Moore]

It is a.

[Andy Holloway]

And thought everyone was back in on.

[Jason Moore]

Garcon despite the fact that, you know, the Kyle Shanahan. It is actually a little bit of a crowded receiving core. With Gar. With Garcon, with Goodwin, with Kittle, with Dante Pettis and Trent Taylor.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, Taylor and McKinnon. Yeah, he's got to catch some passes too.

[Andy Holloway]

Kind of feels like Goodwin is the McKinnon of the wide receiver world. They believe in him to the degree of paying him more than everybody else believed in him, which is like McKinnon. He came through last year and he's an athletic free.

[Mike Wright]

But when again when he came through, he was, he was the passing game. Yeah, like Garcon was out. George Kittle was dealing with injuries. Carlos Hyde is not an elite pass catching running back. So Goodwin, when he was put as the only guy, was the man. Let's see if he can do it though when there's other targets around. Before we jump into our top 10 quarterbacks want to tell you about the NFL Game Pass. We all have it.

[Jason Moore]

Heck yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Our writers have the NFL Game Pass. This is where you go and you get every out of market preseason game live. The top rookies, the comeback players, new players on new teams. It all happens live with the NFL Game Pass. We're digging in with this thing nearly every single day. This is how we go back and we watch the games. People frequently ask how do you review the film NFL Game Pass. That's how you get it done. So make sure you watch all the action this preseason. With the NFL Game Pass, will Baker Mayfield win the starting quarterback job? Maybe.

[Andy Holloway]

Nope.

[Jason Moore]

Maybe.

[Mike Wright]

Maybe Eventually. How will Jordy Nelson fit on the Raiders offense? Can Kirk Cousins take the Vikings to the next level? Best of all, you can kick off the 2018 NFL season with a seven day free trial of NFL Game Pass. Sign up [e-mail] fantasy footballers. That's NFL.com fantasy footballers game on.

[Jason Moore]

And we know it's been a long off season without football. But FanDuel, they've been out there getting in the best shape of their Life means that FanDuel is ready for more. And football is almost here. More ways to play, more ways to challenge your friends, and most importantly, more ways to win. If you are a casual fan, if you're wanting to get into FanDuel, you haven't played yet. They have contests of all kinds just for casual fans too. In particular a beat the score contest where all you got to do is beat the score. And everyone who hits that score, if you finish in the money, you split an equal share of the cash. They also have things where you can now play with your friends because as fanduel says, the only thing better than winning cash is winning your friends cash. And that is, that is factually accurate. Best of all, FanDuel is doing their part to make preseason bearable with preseason fantasy contests running up to week one of the NFL. So right now you can get a $10 bonus when you make your first deposit on FanDuel Check. Just go to FanDuel.com Footballers that's FanDuel.com Footballers Age and State Restrictions do apply.

[Andy Holloway]

You guys realize this. I just, I just thought about this. Saquon Barkley, is he playing this week?

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Andy Holloway]

No. What about the second running back off the board?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, you talking about the rookies.

[Andy Holloway]

So Barkley, Sony, Michelle, Rashad, Penny, Darius, Geist, the first four running backs off the board. Literally the thing I look forward to watching in the preseason the most, you.

[Jason Moore]

Know who is playing.

[Mike Wright]

Carry on Johnson.

[Jason Moore]

Carry on Johnson.

[Andy Holloway]

All the focus is on Kerryon and Royce Freeman. And as far as I'm concerned, watch out, guys. Those two need to keep their head on a swivel because these rookie running backs are banged up.

[Mike Wright]

It's the running back position. This is what happens. And this, this way, this is the reason that people go zero running back because of injuries, because later round running backs can appreciate in value while late round wide receivers rarely do that.

[Andy Holloway]

Strong point. Let's get into the main event.

[Jason Moore]

Quarterbacks.

[Andy Holloway]

This is why you just take a quarterback with all your picks, Mike.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, yeah, certainly you want to go early round, you know, the first pick, take your quarterback.

[Andy Holloway]

So if you've been a part of this show, you know, we subscribe in almost all cases to a late round quarterback philosophy, that the quarterback position is one that the majority of leagues, you only start one quarterback. And so it's a single position. It's not running back where you start two or wide receivers. And so we generally prescribe that. Now if you're in a two quarterback league, changes the equation, right? You got to start just as many quarterbacks, you got to compete and fight for, you know, multiple quarterbacks on your roster with all the other league mates. I say all this because we're sitting here talking about the top 10 quarterbacks. And in a lot of cases, if you subscribe to that philosophy, you might not get these guys right.

[Jason Moore]

So if by choice.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, by choice. But what I would pay attention to is, look, this is our top 10 consensus quarterback rankings. The names that you see here, a lot of them actually fall in that later round quarterback category. And that's how we have them projected to finish, as you know, in that, in this top 10 range. So pay attention to those names and why we believe in them because they will be potential values for you later in the draft. And look, if we have, if we have extra time, maybe we throw a sleeper out there at the end of today's show. So let's kick it off with a name that you might know.

[Jason Moore]

Number one, Aaron Rodgers.

[Andy Holloway]

Aaron Rodgers.

[Jason Moore]

Next.

[Mike Wright]

I like to talk about Aaron Rodgers. It's like I've gone down Madison Avenue and I'm just doing some window shopping. I'm looking in, going, man, look at that real expensive, cool leather jacket you're not gonna have never ever have. It looks cool. I would love to have it, but I'm not paying up. I'm going down to Ross.

[Andy Holloway]

Do people, people wear that jacket all the way to the title game though?

[Jason Moore]

No.

[Mike Wright]

They walk, they think they're cool, they think they're hot stuff. And then they, and then they go, oh, wait, I paid $600 for this jacket. Mistakes were made.

[Andy Holloway]

Good.

[Jason Moore]

That's why I don't have any pants on.

[Andy Holloway]

Could have had a whole outfit, I.

[Jason Moore]

Could have bought pants. But now I don't get pants. I just get this jacket and I'm still cold. Why are the place after me pants? Yeah. Look, Aaron Rodgers is great.

[Andy Holloway]

Just remember you drafted quarterback early. You are a pants fool.

[Jason Moore]

Exactly. Running backs equal pants. Wide receivers equal shirts.

[Mike Wright]

That's why they're always trying to sell you watches when they open the jackets.

[Jason Moore]

I don't get it, but okay.

[Andy Holloway]

This person in particular should not open the jacket.

[Mike Wright]

Those are the people I'm talking about.

[Andy Holloway]

I don't want to see anything beneath the jacket if that's all you're wearing.

[Jason Moore]

All right, so back to Aaron Rodgers. He is fantastic. There's no debate there. Since 2011, he has averaged a 16 game pace of 30.

[Mike Wright]

Volt got shut down.

[Jason Moore]

Yes, yes.

[Mike Wright]

Voice of public opinion.

[Andy Holloway]

But Jason, he scores more points than anybody.

[Jason Moore]

That is true. That is 100% true. Aaron Rodgers will score more points than most people in the league for two reasons. One, he's the best quarterback and two, he's a quarterback. All the quarterbacks are going to score more than most of the players in your league. Russell Wilson, I mean, you look at Matt Ryan, Matt Ryan last year scored more points than most of the players in your league and he was the umpteenth, you know, finishing quarterback. The quarterback position is valuable across the board. The difference between Aaron Rodgers and the 12th best quarterback is much less than the difference between your first running back or your first wide receiver and your 36th running back or wide receiver when you're starting two or three of these at the position, he's great. But I will say this, he's going to be the first quarterback off the board. He has lost his number one target in Jordy Nelson. I think he'll overcome that, obviously because he's Aaron Rodgers.

[Mike Wright]

Reggie Wayne, he's lost his number one target many times in his career. And I know Jordy Nelson was a stabilizing force at the wide receiver position for Aaron Rodgers.

[Andy Holloway]

But full season.

[Mike Wright]

Jordy did not make Aaron Rodgers.

[Andy Holloway]

Full seasons of Aaron Rodgers.

[Mike Wright]

This is his Fantasy finish since 2008.

[Andy Holloway]

Since 2008. 21-212-171.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Jason Moore]

Man, that.

[Andy Holloway]

Can we move on now?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Number two.

[Mike Wright]

Number two on our consensus rankings, it's Russell Wilson.

[Andy Holloway]

Russell Wilson.

[Mike Wright]

And I will say this. I probably won't have Russell Wilson on many rosters, if any at all. But the first thing I want to call out to Russell Wilson, since his career began, has finished as a quarterback one every single year, including two top three finishes, and last year as the number one quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

That's six years.

[Mike Wright]

Look at the average draft cost of Russell Wilson. The beginning of the sixth round or the back of the third round for Aaron Rodgers. A. Russell Wilson's a stud. He's a rushing quarterback. He gets the. The lift, gets the boost because it's only 10 yards per point on the ground, as opposed to one for every 25 passing yards. And he's got Doug Baldwin. He's got Nick Vanette. The new. The new hotness coming in. Nick Vanette. Russell Wilson's a great player. He gets it done every single year. I don't know if there's much else to really talk about. He had 34 passing touchdowns last year, most among quarterbacks in the NFL.

[Andy Holloway]

Why don't you handicap his percentage chance of finishing number one overall again for a second consecutive year? Because I actually have it pretty high.

[Mike Wright]

I would say I'm going to give it about 30%, which I think is high.

[Andy Holloway]

I think it's a 50, 50 shot. Just because, look, if anything, this team has turned into a more offensively dependent team.

[Mike Wright]

They want to run. But does that just mean that Russell Wilson ends up running more?

[Jason Moore]

The nice thing is Russell Wilson is being drafted as the fourth quarterback off the board. So you're drafting a guy who, I mean, look, he could finish eighth, you know, he could finish behind fourth, but you're not drafting him at his ceiling. And when you get him in the sixth round versus Aaron Rodgers in the third round, you at least get shorts. You know what I mean? Like, you got the jacket, but you got shorts on because you were able to use your third round pick on a running back or a wide receiver and your fourth and your fifth round pick.

[Andy Holloway]

What about this? Brooks had a good question. If Doug Baldwin is out, let's say we find out he's going to miss some time. How much do you downgrade Russell Wilson, production wise do you believe, I mean genuinely we would apply this philosophy to anybody with a top tier wide receiver, right? Big Ben is not going to be as good without A.B. julio. He's gone. Matt Ryan doesn't put up the same number.

[Jason Moore]

It would be significant to me. I still would have him as a quarterback one but it would near the end I would, I would assume he would be my quarterback. 10, 11, 12. He's going to get it done on the ground and find other weapons. But when you lose Jimmy Graham and you lose Doug Baldwin, if you were to lose both of those pieces, you can't have him repeating as the number one quarter.

[Mike Wright]

I'll say this though. 2014 Doug Baldwin, 825 yards and three touchdowns. Russell Wilson quarterback three on the year he finds other guys. He will get it done.

[Andy Holloway]

He was the number one quarterback last year and he didn't have 4,000 yards passing.

[Jason Moore]

That's a stupid when the stupidity of.

[Andy Holloway]

Rushing quarterbacks, it just shows that. That may be true, Jay, but it is what it is. And at this point if the defense takes a step back, if the division's difficult and they find themselves in deficits and Russell Wilson runs around and chucks the ball deep to a healthy Tyler Lock in company it's probably going to be another good year for Russell Wilson. And going at 603.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, it's a case. I probably won't have him but I can at least accept when people say why I had to grab Russell Wilson. And by the way, that year that I mentioned of 2014 and Doug Baldwin's line, that was the leading receiver on the team. It's running, it has always been running for Russell Wilson, number three.

[Andy Holloway]

Speaking of running, Cam Newton comes in at number three on our consensus quarterback rankings. I have him at three, Jason three, Mike four. Last year he bounced back. In fact his last four years have been a bit of a yo yo. In 2014 he was the 17th best quarterback. Then he went to that super bowl.

[Mike Wright]

Number one season he was mvp.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that was a league winning type of year, especially where you acquired him. And then in 2016 he was back down to 17 and the doubt fluttered in and everyone was afraid he wouldn't run again. And then last year he was number two and this year he, he picks up a healthy Greg Olson, at least for now. DJ Moore, a rookie wide receiver with a lot of talent and ability. And then he's got the power of a pass catching running back in Christian McCaffrey and Norv Turner at the helm as the Offensive coordinator Jason Mike as.

[Mike Wright]

The resident master of the horoscope.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, goodness.

[Mike Wright]

How are things looking in the. Have you read the constellations for Cam Newton this season?

[Jason Moore]

When you talk about Carolina, you've got to go crystal ball. Obviously you are, but I've looked into the smoke of the ball and I will say this.

[Andy Holloway]

The ball smoke.

[Jason Moore]

The ball smoke. Wheels falling off the wagon here, look. Cam Newton, man has the best.

[Mike Wright]

It's bad news when the ball is smoking.

[Jason Moore]

Core of receivers that he's had in his entire career. This year, you know, Steve Smith in his peak was better, but as far.

[Andy Holloway]

As that was really his rookie year and that's it.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. And as far as a complete team with all the weapons you just laid out, you didn't even mention Devin Funches who was, you know, a wide receiver too last year.

[Mike Wright]

Scrumptious.

[Jason Moore]

Ah, welcome to the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Just joining us, Scrumptious. We did have two top 10 accuracy ranks in the draft. So we do. We gotta go. When we get a little silly. For all those new listeners that are, oh, they don't dive deep, we dive deep.

[Andy Holloway]

We're gonna need a drop that when things kind of fall off the rails for a second, I hit it and it just goes beep, beep, beep, beep.

[Mike Wright]

Beep, beep, beep, beep, beep.

[Andy Holloway]

Just so you know.

[Jason Moore]

Reminder.

[Andy Holloway]

Just a reminder. They actually were very accurate in their predictions.

[Jason Moore]

Moving on. So anyways, but with the fact that you've got five out of seven years for Cam Newton where he has finished in the top five at quarterback, we're not talking like, oh, he's okay. He is one of the elites most years other than those two outlier 17, you know, finishes, both of which he didn't play 16 games. I would say that the chance for Cam to finish top five this year is extremely high. And he's being drafted as the seventh quarterback off the board. So here is where we start getting to what I believe is actually good value in your draft. If you're afraid of. I don't draft quarterback before round 10. Like I mean right up tier base. So it could happen. But usually that's, that's when it matters. Andy is petting our Cam Newton McFarland here, you know, but I love him due to the rushing capability, the wide receiver weapons, the draft cost. This appears to be a very good outlook for Cam Newton.

[Andy Holloway]

I love him so much. The combination of upside and draft position. He's basically an 8th round pick. And he didn't just run last year. His 754 rushing yards were the most for a quarterback since Russell Wilson put up 859 back in 2014. It is what you get with Cam. At least right now he's 28 years old. He's going to do it at least for a couple more years on the ground. I'm just a really, really big fan of the value. If you told me Cam Newton was being drafted exactly where Russell Wilson is. Look, we all have Wilson ranked higher. It wouldn't be a discussion. I wouldn't be as excited. It's about as a fantasy.

[Jason Moore]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

I wanted.

[Andy Holloway]

I was going to ask you as a fantasy commissioner, it's not just excitement about the player. It's excitement about what he represents in the fantasy landscape. And this year, he still represents value.

[Jason Moore]

With Cam Newton, you're getting like, I would take it.

[Andy Holloway]

I would just draft a quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

You're getting very affordable. Maybe cheap pants. Jeans.

[Andy Holloway]

No, with the tracksuit. Full tracksuit.

[Jason Moore]

All right.

[Andy Holloway]

Foundation.

[Jason Moore]

I don't know if that's better here.

[Andy Holloway]

The difference, though, what's a onesie? Is he a onesie?

[Mike Wright]

Oh, like a singlets. A romper.

[Andy Holloway]

A romper. That's where I was going.

[Mike Wright]

Well, we're downgrading, so it's about a round difference in draft price for from Russell Wilson to Cam Newton. Even though he finished as the number two quarterback, he harmed your team 50% of the time. I know he comes through with these league winning. I should weak winning types of performances, but Russell Wilson was far more consistent.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, does he harm your team with a 17 finish or an 18 finish? Yes, 100%.

[Jason Moore]

If you are finishing as the 17th or 18th quarterback in a week, that's a harm.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah, I would agree.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay. Russell did it five times. Cam did it six times.

[Mike Wright]

So that's a lot more.

[Andy Holloway]

That's one more.

[Jason Moore]

It's one more.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah. Not a lot. I wouldn't go live.

[Mike Wright]

I heard you.

[Andy Holloway]

5 and 6 and I heard you wrong. Cam was 13, 17, 18, 15, 17, 22 in those weeks. Russell Wilson had a 24 or 23. Yeah, I mean, I'd take Russell Wilson over, but for the round value, I would actually see, like if I could go 801 Cam Newton and he's my, you know, eighth player. Oh, my goodness.

[Mike Wright]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, my goodness. All right, let's move. Let's move on to another player you might know. Number four, Tom Brady. Tom Brady is funny because he's our consensus 4, but he's not ranked higher than 6 than any individual ranking. It's the combination of you know, you're going to see the picks, the quarterback rankings. After Tom Brady, you're going to see more and more variation in where we have guys. Because I have Brady at 8. Jason, you got him at 7. Mike, you have him at 6.

[Mike Wright]

Yep.

[Andy Holloway]

He let, I believe he led the league in what, receiving yards last year?

[Jason Moore]

Not receiving, passing, passing yards.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes, we're good. Yeah, that's what I meant. 4,577 yards, 32 touchdowns, only eight interceptions. You know, you're going to get efficiency with Tom Brady.

[Mike Wright]

26 passing touchdowns in the red zone, the most among quarterbacks.

[Andy Holloway]

I mean, it was a really solid year for Tom Brady over the, you know, the past, what, seven, eight years, he's really been a top five quarterback. I mean, that's what you expect from Tom Brady. But there's been a lot of turnover at the pass catching area in New England. He's getting older. Do you think he belongs at this number four spot? I mean, I don't see any situation where I have him. Because he's going in the fifth round.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean, look, if he finishes as the number one quarterback, no one's going to be surprised. He's Tom Brady, he puts up great numbers. But you do have to weigh in the risk of, you know, I said this even last year and he had a great year, but when you are 40, 41 years old, you deal with injuries differently. And he didn't get injured last year. That's great. But we saw this with Peyton Manning and this was coming off of a world beating. Peyton Manning, it wasn't like Peyton had lost a step. It was once he got that injury late in his career when he was getting near 40, it was hard to recover from. I know that you're the plant man, Tom, and your body is primed and all the vegetables are keeping you healthy.

[Mike Wright]

It's 80% chlorophyll, right?

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. That's why his numbers are so green. Oh, they're green. Means go. He's great. But there are risks. You do have losses. You know, he lost Julian Edelman for the first four games. He lost Brandon Cooks. You know, Philip Dorsett got injured. I mean, we don't even.

[Mike Wright]

He still got Gronk. That's all he needs.

[Jason Moore]

He's got Gronk, he's got Hogan, he's getting Edelman back. I, I like Tom Brady, but what Andy brought up the fifth round, that's where.

[Mike Wright]

No, thank you.

[Jason Moore]

I mean, you just look at the other wide receivers and running backs available in the fifth round. Versus the running backs and wide receivers you're going to get in the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th round and then compare the two quarterbacks you would get. I'm fine letting someone else draft taking Tom Brady.

[Mike Wright]

You're going. You're going down the bunny hill at the ski lodge. Yes, it's fine. You're going to be safe, but you're just. You paid a lot to not have much fun.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay, Number five, Drew Brees hotly debated. Drew Brees.

[Mike Wright]

Nonsense. In here.

[Andy Holloway]

Number five on our consensus rankings.

[Jason Moore]

Too high.

[Andy Holloway]

He's 10 for me, nine for Jason and number two for Mike. So this is your show, Mike. You can write it. If you are in the ultimate draft kit, we have some a report in there called the consistency charts and we show you how a player has finished each and every week of the previous season. We have them in there for 2016, 2017, Drew Brees last year. So if you finish in the top 12 at the position as a quarterback, you're green, right? You got a green week, Mike. Jason just said green means go. If you finish in that next tier of quarterbacks, the tier in which Mike said hurts your team.

[Jason Moore]

Right.

[Andy Holloway]

And absolutely yellow. Drew Brees is looking all mustardy.

[Jason Moore]

He's a corn on the cob.

[Andy Holloway]

He is. He's got four weeks last year where he was a QB one. That's it.

[Jason Moore]

Four out of 16 every other week last year he was a quarterback two. And quarterback twos are not good enough. Mustard is gross to help you in a single quarterback league. First of all, mustard is great, but.

[Andy Holloway]

Not in this case.

[Jason Moore]

Not in this case. No. He crushed you last year. He still finished as a quarterback one because he never had those weeks where he was, you know, the 30th quarterback. He was always at least quarterback two.

[Andy Holloway]

25% of the time he was a QB one.

[Jason Moore]

And you know, we saw this for several years in a row with Philip Rivers in the past where he was consistent enough to where he wasn't the worst. And at the end of the year, his rankings would be good. He'd be the quarterback 11 or 12. But he killed you if you actually played him through the season. He just didn't have enough upside. I think that that's what you're going. I think Drew Brees bounces back, has a better year than last year. But if you're. I will, I will say that half of his games he will not be a quarterback one. At the end of the year, will he be a quarterback one?

[Andy Holloway]

Sure.

[Jason Moore]

But half of his games he's going to hurt you on a weekly basis because he's not going to need to throw for three touchdowns at 300 yards. He can, but he won't need to. And so he won't be called to do that.

[Mike Wright]

I mean, half, almost. There's like what, two, two quarterbacks last year that were over 50%. So if that, I mean, that's the standard you're holding him to, I'm saying that that's not even a realistic expectation.

[Jason Moore]

I'm saying that that is the best case scenario for him. I'm not saying that's worst case. I'm saying the best that he does is that eight of his games are, are going to be those games where you go, okay, he didn't crush you, but he didn't help you win this week.

[Andy Holloway]

In fantasy football, Mike, I'm a toss it to you. But here's what you do know about 2 Breeze. He's very, very likely you're going to. He's going to play 16 games because he's been doing that for the last eight years. More than that. So you're going to get him for every game. You're also going to get a quarterback of an offense that should finish in the top 10, at least in the league.

[Jason Moore]

Yes.

[Andy Holloway]

So these are two things you know about him. His three year average right now is 42% of the time. He's a top 12 quarterback. I believe in the rebound of Drew Brees. I do not believe that he's the number two overall quarterback. Mike, if you believe he's the number two overall quarterback with that 612 draft position, is Drew Brees going to be on some of your teams?

[Mike Wright]

It's possible.

[Andy Holloway]

If he drops into the seventh round, do you think Drew Brees will be your quarterback?

[Mike Wright]

Not likely.

[Andy Holloway]

Okay.

[Mike Wright]

Because of just of the replacement value and how I treat the drafts, there's still going to be players that I want in that six and seventh round. Over the past five years, the Saints pass to rush touchdown ratio is over 2 to 1. In fact, sometimes well over 2 to 1. Last year you had an anomalous drop from 2016's 2.3 passing touchdowns to one rushing touchdown to a 1 to 1 ratio. Drew Brees was coming off of three years of leading the league in passing yards. Yes, the numbers were down. I can't argue against Drew Brees being bad for fantasy. The facts are facts of what happened last year. But I can call it anomalous with the very, very strong and very long history of what Drew Brees has done. And under Sean Payton in New Orleans, he has weapons. Michael Thomas is an elite wide receiver. 1. I've talked at length about how the deep completions, the deep touchdowns, it just didn't come for Drew Brees and that, that's the touchdowns, not the deep completions because he's one of the deep, best deep passers in the league. His, his touchdown rate over his career is 5.3%. This past year it was 4.3%. We talk about, if you're in on Marcus Mariota's positive regression, how can you not be in on Drew Brees having a positive regression?

[Jason Moore]

It's really simple. It's really, really simple. You're talking about a five year period where there was a monstrous change from having one of the worst defenses in the league. Like literally you played against the Saints every time there was a possible matchup in fantasy because you knew that there was going to be so many points scored to all of a sudden one of the best defenses of the league on one year change. That's what changes everything for me in the equation.

[Andy Holloway]

Isn't the counterpoint to that though, that when he's had a great defense in the past, they were one of the best offenses and he put up some of the best fancy numbers.

[Jason Moore]

That's a great, that is a much younger, much younger 2010. That's eight years ago.

[Mike Wright]

Okay, 2013 they had a top five defense and giving up points and yards and he was quarterback two on the year that I don't buy the defense argument at all.

[Jason Moore]

That's the cool thing about fantasy football. We get to find out he has.

[Mike Wright]

No Mark Ingram for the first four weeks. The work that has gone for Mark Ingram, it's not all going to Alvin Camara. They're going to have to lean on the passing game more in those first four weeks.

[Jason Moore]

Number six. All right.

[Andy Holloway]

Maybe the biggest surprise of our consensus rankings so far, Matthew Stafford comes in at number six. I am at four. Jason, you've got him at six, Mike at 11. And so, you know, in some ways I guess this is my Drew Brees pick of this top group.

[Mike Wright]

Sure.

[Andy Holloway]

He's just a player I believe in last year. Number seven the year before, number seven the year before, number nine. He is a reliable 4,000 plus yard passer with opportunity. I think to improve on that slightly, probably going to get around the same amount seven years in a row with 4,200 yards or more. He's got a really nice schedule to begin the year. I really like Matthew Stafford as a late round quarterback option. If you Beyond Cam Newton's value, it's Matthew Stafford for me because he's basically an end of the ninth round, early 10th round pick in most drafts, oftentimes ignored. Oftentimes. You know, you don't get the highlight reel type of stuff from Matthew Stafford all the time. But at the end of the day you're very, very comfortable with the fantasy production for Matthew Stafford in your lineup.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

So that's, that's all it is. It's a comfort level with Matthew Stafford and last year 29 touchdowns, only 10 interceptions. He's just a good quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

He is a good quarterback. Six of the last seven years he's been a quarterback one. So you know what you're getting. His weapons you could argue have been improved another year with Marvin Jones, Kenny Golladay coming into his route to Kenny G. So smooth. And then one of the other things I look at when I'm drafting a quarterback late in the 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th round, I look at the opening schedule and the opening schedule is fantastic for Matthew Stafford. Starting with the jets, the Niners, the Patriots and Dallas. There's no matchups there that I would go. I need to sit up.

[Mike Wright]

The Pats?

[Jason Moore]

No, not at all.

[Mike Wright]

They were, they were dominant the second half of last year.

[Jason Moore]

Second half of last year they were good. I think they've got a decent defense. But the one thing I know is.

[Andy Holloway]

They'Re also not in New England for that matchup start the year. So that made me more in Detroit.

[Jason Moore]

And whenever you have two great quarterbacks going against each other, there's always a home Stafford against. Brady says put up points.

[Mike Wright]

Sure, I agree. I'll just, I'll be real quick. Even though I have Matthew Stafford 11, I love him this year. Back of the ninth. So even in your home leagues maybe you're getting Stafford in the double digit range and he's a. Not a super late but a later quarterback who could just be in your, be your starting quarterback for the entire year.

[Jason Moore]

Number seven.

[Andy Holloway]

All right. Number seven is Andrew Luck. I have him at five, Mike has him at five, Jason at 13. I think I know the analogy for Andrew Luck here and this is, you know, if you know a friend and you've invested money with him in the past and you, you get paid out each and every time. It's kind of a just take my money, just take my money and do something with it with, with Andrew Locke. I think Mike and I are both probably of the opinion that it's if he's going to be the starting quarterback with one of the best receivers in the game on a team that can't play defense. Then then I'm in. I'm in on Andrew Luck and right now he's the 8th round pick. I don't know if I'm going to own him on. I don't know if he's going to be on any of my teams because I could probably take Cam Newton.

[Mike Wright]

He's going to rise in 80.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, that's what I mean. Like that means Newton will be my guy.

[Jason Moore]

Over the last month he's gone from the 10th round to. To the 8th round and then in the arrow is still going another preseason game. If you're drafting right now, Andrew Luck is actually a value. I probably have him too low at 13. I'm leaving him there to ensure that he gets through a couple more preseason games. Doesn't have any setbacks physically. But the value is there today. Now in another month when drafts are happening at the end of August if He's in the sixth round. Yeah, I'm not grabbing him.

[Andy Holloway]

2016, the last time you played he was the fourth best fantasy quarterback you.

[Mike Wright]

Can three of the past four years when he's played 15 or more games. So pretty close to a whole season.

[Andy Holloway]

Any of his full seasons. Nine, four, two. Four.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. Top.

[Mike Wright]

But I'm saying three of the last four. Top five.

[Andy Holloway]

Yes.

[Mike Wright]

He's, he's a, he's a great quarterback. And right now I'm with Jason. The value is there right now, but I would have some concerns in over the next couple of weeks of him just rising too high.

[Andy Holloway]

Number eight, Captain Kirk. Kirk Cousins coming in at number eight. I have him at seven. He was one of the players actually moved up a little bit recently in the ultimate draft. Kit Jason at 8, Mike at 8. We all pretty much agree on the upside of Kirk Cousins. Incredible weapons in Minnesota, great pass catching weapon out of the backfield. And Dalvin Cook, two of the best wide receivers in football. Some ancillary pieces that I think are really valuable there in Kyle Rudolph and the other wide receivers in that wide receiver room. Kirk Cousins just has everything laid out for him. And then thus far in preseason he's.

[Mike Wright]

Looked great since becoming a starting quarterback in the NFL. So that's three seasons of Kirk Cousins. He's finished quarterback eight, quarterback five, quarterback six. Now we know that his head coach, Coach Gruden in Washington has a system that is, it's very friendly for fantasy quarterbacks. We've seen him have success in a few different places including with Andy Dalton, who Andy Dalton has turned into rubbish for fantasy purposes since Gruden left. We will now get to see is Kirk Cousins a product of that system or is Kirk Cousins actually a good quarterback? I am on the side that Kirk Cousins is actually a very good quarterback.

[Jason Moore]

He's a good quarterback.

[Mike Wright]

He's set up for success.

[Jason Moore]

He's got the best weapons he's ever had. If, you know, if, if there's any downside here, it's the fact that, similar to the Drew Brees argument from my standpoint, I think that they won't ask him, you know, does he have the capability to throw for 5,000 yards? Yes. Would he ever in a million years need to or be asked to on this with this type of defense? No.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, let's move on to number nine, a player that I think fits. You know, if Mike has Drew Brees up higher than the average and I have Matthew Stafford up higher than the average, this seems to be Mike's guy. Or, I'm sorry, Jason's guy, Big Ben Roethlisberger. I have him at 12. Jason, you got him at five.

[Jason Moore]

I do have him at five. And here's. Here's the simple and honest.

[Andy Holloway]

He has done that once, but.

[Jason Moore]

He has done it once. But if you look at his games played, the simple and honest truth is he's usually a top five projected type of guy. If you were to play 16, the big shock here isn't that I have him at 5. It's that I've statted him out for 16 games. Right now he's already.

[Andy Holloway]

He's been ducked.

[Jason Moore]

Right, Exactly. He had his noggin bonked, as we have established. So I will say this. I like where he is right now for draft season. Assuming, you know, he's fine from this concussion. Right. His early season schedule is good for the first three weeks. I believe that the offense is going to be absolutely electric in Pittsburgh with JuJu, with James Washington, Antonio Brown, Le'Veon Bell, the defense taking a step back after losing Shazier. I think Ben Roethlisberger will be great. Now at the end of the season, does he finish at number five? Only if he plays 16 and he very well. Might not even as simple as just being satisfied in week 17, which is the common practice if they've locked up a playoff spot for Mike Tomlin.

[Mike Wright]

I'll say the the year that Big Ben did finish number five, that was Martavis Bryant's big touchdown season that's in. Since that time, Pittsburgh hasn't had a wide receiver too, like juju Smith, Schuster So I don't hate the ranking of number five. I think it's. It's aggressive. I think number seven, where I've got him, is just perfect.

[Jason Moore]

He was.

[Andy Holloway]

You think your rankings are. My ranking is pretty good, huh?

[Mike Wright]

It's the best.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, let's make some headlines here.

[Jason Moore]

Number 10.

[Andy Holloway]

I think this is where people are. I can see the YouTube and the Twitter comments and question marks and all those things, because up to this point, you're still listening, going, where is Carson Wentz? Where is Deshaun Watson? Maybe that's the bigger one.

[Mike Wright]

Tune in tomorrow.

[Andy Holloway]

Nope, tune in right now. We haven't tied consensus number 10 for each guy, which is interesting because there are parallels between them. High efficiency.

[Mike Wright]

A lot of parallels.

[Andy Holloway]

High hype. High.

[Mike Wright]

High hopes. High hopes, as Jeremy, our friend Jeremy would say.

[Andy Holloway]

Now, Jason still has the Sean Watson at 4, and I still have Carson Wentz at 6. So we buy into the, I guess the long term high upside value of both of those players, but based on our consensus rankings, they come in tight at 10th. What do we want to talk about here? I mean, Carson Wentz. There was news yesterday that during an interview, he said himself it's going to be close when asked about his availability to even play in Week one. And if you are the Philadelphia Eagles, you're taking no chances with your franchise quarterback. You're putting Nick Foles, the Super bowl mvp, in the game for the first couple weeks.

[Mike Wright]

I think if I were coming off of an ACL tear or some kind of major injury at the quarterback position, this is what I would say every single time to the media, I would just be getting it out there. It's gonna be close. It's gonna be close because then either way, you come back week one, you're a superhero because you've miraculously recovered, and two, you're putting teams, maybe you're getting them off their game. The defenses of. Okay, well, we got a plan for Foles. We got a plan for Carson Wentz. So I think that's the. That's the move that I would go.

[Andy Holloway]

With as opposed to the Andrew Luck of last year move.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

He's definitely going to be ready.

[Mike Wright]

Yes.

[Jason Moore]

Yeah. I mean, for me, with these two guys, all the parallels, you have two knee injuries, one that was worse for Carson Wentz than for Watson later in the year, and a worse injury. But they both bring fantasy value with their legs. So we don't know for sure how they're going to run this year, whether they'll be hesitant at all. To put it on the ground as often as they did last season. That's one issue. But the biggest issue between both of these guys. Look, I've got DeSean Watson as my number four quarterback. I think he's going to rush enough to matter because that's what fantasy football quarterbacks, you know, give him such a big bonus. But he is the quarterback to taken off the board right now ahead of everyone we just talked about, other than Aaron Rodgers. That's insane. We've seen him for how many games, five, six games that he is actually, I think started five, played in six or started six, played in seven. I mean it's too small of a sample size with a guy coming off of an ACL to say I'm going to take him number two. You are hoping that you get that few, that three week stretch where he lit the world on fire with every touchdown pass to Will Fuller.

[Andy Holloway]

Even if that efficiency comes down. The counterpoint for DeSean Watson staying in that top three, is that the rushing pace. If he's healthy, you're in the seven hundreds. I mean he ran for 269 yards on 36 carries in six games.

[Jason Moore]

So if he becomes the quarterback for where I have him ranked, he will not provide value on being drafted as the quarterback too. That's my point.

[Andy Holloway]

He has a better, he has a worse offensive line than Carson Wentz has. He has a better outside weapon in Deshaun Watt and DeAndre Hopkins, maybe two better weapons and Will Fuller and DeAndre Hopkins. And he's also been removed from the injury a little bit more than Carson Wentz. So it's interesting when you look at both players, I think we expect them to be very good professional fantasy contributors for a very long time. It's just regression.

[Mike Wright]

Yeah.

[Andy Holloway]

Last year, last year he threw it.

[Mike Wright]

He threw a touchdown every six and a half passes. That's, that's impossible.

[Andy Holloway]

We're just reiterating that point. Yeah.

[Mike Wright]

Because that's, that's the big point for me, for Deshaun Watts, for both of them. Wentz and DeSean Watson, league average is right in the middle of the 4% of for a touchdown rate. Deshaun Watson over 9, Carson Wentz over 7%. This historically, when guys do that, they regress. But will he, will Watson be able to do off on the ground to counter that? Throwing a touchdown every six and a.

[Jason Moore]

Half passes, that's pretty good.

[Andy Holloway]

Yeah, it's pretty nice. Last year Carson Wentz was the top 12 quarterback. 76% of his starts, 71% for Deshaun Watson. So they were both elite league winners last year. Carson Wentz with as many top five finishes as Brady Rivers in golf combined. By the way, people doing the golf yesterday, Mike.

[Jason Moore]

Oh, you got to do it to the left.

[Mike Wright]

Do it to the right.

[Andy Holloway]

Oh, my God.

[Jason Moore]

All right. Hey, don't forget, after a long off season, FanDuel's ready. More ways to play, and most importantly, more ways to win. If you're not a fantasy expert, they have all kinds of contests just for casual fans, like beat the score, play with your friends, because the only thing better than winning cash is winning your friends cash. And they also have preseason fantasy contests going right now. So sign [e-mail] footballers and get a $10 bonus when you make your first deposit. Age and state restrictions apply.

[Andy Holloway]

All right, that does it for today's episode of the show. Come back for some more quarterback talk tomorrow. Maybe some more names that you'll be paying attention to late in drafts will bring you some quarterback sleepers.

[Mike Wright]

Check out draft.comballers for all of your best ball needs.

[Jason Moore]

Goodbye. Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter the FFballers.