3 Players Andrew Erickson Will NEVER DRAFT AGAIN! (Ep. 1952)

Summary

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FantasyPros – Fantasy Football Podcast

Episode: 3 Players Andrew Erickson Will NEVER DRAFT AGAIN! (Ep. 1952)
Date: February 5, 2026
Hosts: Ryan Warmley & Andrew Erickson

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Episode Overview

In this candid and thought-provoking episode, Ryan Warmley and Andrew Erickson break down the three NFL players who, in Andrew's words, he will "never, ever, ever under any circumstances draft again." The episode dives into why these household fantasy football names now come with far more risk and why smarter, forward-looking fantasy managers should pivot elsewhere—even as early as February for next season’s drafts. Not only does Andrew highlight the flaws and future downside, but he also recommends viable alternatives for each position.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Christian McCaffrey – The Case Against a Perennial First-Round Pick

[01:25 – 05:14]

• Erickson’s Stance:
  “For me, it's going to be Christian McCaffrey...I am very concerned about what he's going to do in 2026 and if I'm not going to draft him 2026, what does that mean for him in 2027 when he's going to be 31 years old?” (01:26)
• Main Arguments:
  • Heavy Usage Red Flag: McCaffrey’s workload in 2025 was sky-high—413 regular season touches, 450 if you include playoffs—the most in his career, at age 30.
  • Declining Efficiency: “We saw the rushing efficiency fall off dramatically this past season. Not nearly as efficient, didn't have nearly the same type of juice.” (01:51)
  • Historical Precedent: Compares McCaffrey to Dalvin Cook and Austin Ekeler—elite backs who quickly fell out of fantasy relevance after heavy workloads.
  • Risk of Cliff Drop: History shows only one RB in the last 13 years finished as a top-5 fantasy RB after a 400+ touch season.
  • ECR Ranking Disconnect: Despite risks, McCaffrey is RB3 in early expert consensus rankings, which Erickson finds too high.
• Erickson's Preferred Alternative:
  • James Cook: “I want guys in their prime that have a three-down skill set that play for an offense like Joe Brady that I know is going to be efficient with Josh Allen as the starting quarterback. So give me James Cook over Christian McCaffrey...” (04:06)

Notable Quote:

“If he disappoints in 2026, I’m very concerned about where he would be drafted in 2027. So for that, he's probably a guy I'm probably not going to end up drafting again.” (04:54, Andrew Erickson)

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2. Jalen Hurts – A Once-Elite QB Losing His Edge

[05:53 – 15:28]

• Erickson’s Stance:
  “My quarterback that I may not draft again, I'm definitely not drafting this year is Jalen Hurts.” (05:53)
• Main Arguments:
  • Coaching Instability: “Another year where, okay, brand new offense coordinator. What is this, the sixth or seventh year in a row?...It was crickets when it came to who wants to be the offensive coordinator for Jalen Hurts.” (05:54)
  • Scheme & Talent Concerns: Worries about new OC Sean Mannion's inexperience, possible additions to QB room to "push" Hurts, and key departures like A.J. Brown and possibly Dallas Goedert.
  • Fizzling Fantasy Production: Past two seasons—QB8 overall, QB7 in PPG, dipping below the 20 PPG threshold that fantasy managers crave.
  • No More Outlier Rushing TDs: The infamous “tush push” could be banned; without it, Hurts loses a unique fantasy weapon.
  • Draft Cost Not Justified: “Right now at QB6, I just feel like he's being propped up by those rushing touchdowns in the rushing production when...there were times this year where this Eagles offense was unwatchable.”
  • Long-Term Dynasty Lens: Hurts ranked behind Jackson Dart, Justin Herbert, and Caleb Williams in dynasty consensus; Erickson suggests, "If we're ranking those guys ahead long-term, why not just do it in redraft now?"
• Ryan’s Chime-In: Agrees strongly with avoiding that “top of tier 2” zone at QB; would prefer waiting or shooting for higher-upside, cheaper QBs.

Notable Quotes:

“He is clearly a limited quarterback. And Lane Johnson, another year older, which you hit on. Saquon Barkley, another year older. AJ Brown, who knows what's going on there?” (12:19, Ryan Warmley)
“You really want to get that 20 points per game type of threshold...Jalen Hurts just hasn't really been that guy over the last two seasons...” (14:14, Andrew Erickson)

• Alternatives Erickson Would Draft:

  • Jackson Dart, Justin Herbert, Caleb Williams
    “If we’re going to be drafting and ranking those guys ahead of them in Dynasty, why would we not do that in Redraft?” (09:09)

• Herbert Over Hurts:
  “Five games with Joe Alt, 2025. Herbert averaged 24 fantasy points. 12 games without him, 16.2.” (15:28)

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3. Brian Thomas Jr. – Wide Receiver’s Cinderella Story Looks Over

[16:23 – 21:42]

• Erickson’s Stance:
  “This one probably pains me the most...but as long as he remains attached to Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, I think it’s really hard to be overly optimistic about Brian Thomas Jr.” (16:23)
• Main Arguments:
  • Chemistry Issues: Despite opportunity, “it never seemed at any point when he was healthy and on the field that he was becoming the focal point of this passing attack.”
  • Lowered Expectations: Unlike quick chemistry with Christian Kirk, Jacoby Myers, and others, Lawrence & Thomas Jr. never clicked.
  • Scheme Concerns: Don’t fall for the “if Lawrence improves, Thomas will too” narrative—Erickson sees the chemistry gap as real and lasting.
  • Diminished Draft Value: Once a fringe first/second round pick, now slipping to WR30 (approx. 66th overall), he’s only draftable if his situation changes (e.g., gets traded).
• Ryan’s Pushback: Not a “forever-fade” for him; cost is now low enough that he’d consider some exposure.
• Erickson’s Swift Retort: “If he gets traded, that kind of changes the equation here. But as long as Trevor Lawrence is his quarterback, I am very, very concerned...” (18:17)

Notable Quotes:

“...They seemed like they were never on the same page...I get concerned about buying into that type of narrative because again, the same thing with Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. Like the guys just never seem like they saw eye to eye. And what we've seen the last two years with Trevor Lawrence where with Brian Thomas Jr. They're not really connecting. I am concerned that that's never really going to come to fruition.” (17:10, Andrew Erickson)

• Alternative Receiver:
  • Ricky Pearsall, SF 49ers
    • Cites four 85+ yard games, led 49ers in receiving yds/game, and set for WR1 role due to Ayuk likely departing and Kittle’s injury.
      “Just barring health, I think that Pearsall would be set up much better than Brian Thomas Jr. in 2026 and beyond.” (21:19)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Avoiding the ‘Middle Tier’ at QB:

  “The first thing I do every year when I'm building out not my draft rankings but my draft like plan...is I basically cross off the first couple names in tier two at quarterback. I have no interest.” (11:54, Ryan Warmley)

• On McCaffrey's Fantasy Legacy:

  “You don't have to go back that far to see players like Dalvin Cook ... two years later, they're gone, like they're not even drafted anymore ... We just see this happen with running backs very, very often.” (01:37, Andrew Erickson)

• On Dynasty Rankings Guiding Redraft:

  “If we're going to be drafting and ranking those guys ahead of them in Dynasty, why would we not do that in Redraft?” (09:10, Andrew Erickson)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:25] Christian McCaffrey – Heavy usage, historical falls from grace
• [04:05] James Cook named as prime McCaffrey alternative
• [05:53] Jalen Hurts – New OC, declining fantasy value, dynasty redraft debate
• [09:44] Tier 2 QB avoidance and further Hurts analysis
• [15:28] Justin Herbert – Value, supporting case as Hurts alternative
• [16:23] Brian Thomas Jr. – Souring on WR due to lack of chemistry with Lawrence
• [19:45] Cost versus ceiling for Thomas Jr. and slight pushback
• [21:15] Ricky Pearsall as a sleeper WR alternative
• [21:42] Hosts wrap with reflections on early fantasy planning

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Summary

This episode is a must-listen for proactive fantasy managers ready to separate from past loyalties and chase new value trends. Andrew Erickson brings strong takes—arguing for avoiding aging or misused stars like Christian McCaffrey, quarterbacks stuck in unstable offensive systems like Jalen Hurts, and pass-catchers with poor chemistry in stagnant offenses like Brian Thomas Jr. Instead, he champions younger, ascending talents—like James Cook, Justin Herbert, and Ricky Pearsall—who are set up for both immediate success and long-term value. The episode combines deep data insights, some dynasty-to-redraft logic, and a dose of recommendation pragmatism, perfect for getting ahead of the herd in your 2026 fantasy drafts.

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Transcript

[Ryan Warmley]

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[Martina Castro]

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[Ryan Warmley]

Hello everybody. Welcome to Fantasy Pros. I'm Ryan, warmly joined by Andrew Erickson. We are talking some players that Erickson is never, ever, ever under any circumstances drafting again. We are being as hyperbolic and emphatic as we can possibly be on the show here in early February. Erickson, how you doing?

[Andrew Erickson]

Doing good, coming off the Super Bowl 60 breakdown analysis. So looking forward to putting that aside. My Patriots, the Seahawks, yada yada yada. And talking about what matters really the most here and that's fantasy football here in February.

[Ryan Warmley]

So we're six months away from the height of draft season and we're already thinking about guys who are off the board where they are undraftable in our opinion. Here you've got three players for us. You're also going to give us some players that you should draft. Instead of these three players. Let's start off with a running back. Erickson, who do you have?

[Andrew Erickson]

For me, it's going to be Christian McCaffrey. So finishing last year as the RB1 was arguably the best pick that you could have made, especially in the first round of drafts in 2025. But I am very concerned about what he's going to do in 2026 and if I'm not going to draft him 2026, what does that mean for him in 2027 when he's going to be 31 years old? That's where I get concerned about is this potentially the last time we see CMC as a first round pick and someone that you do really want to draft again? You don't have to go back that far to see players like Dalvin Cook where they were top five pick. Two years later they're gone like they're not even drafted anymore because they just fell off the face of the earth. We just see this happen with running backs very, very often. Austin Eckler a couple years ago, well, he was a guy that was a top five pick, got banged up and poof, gone. Not someone that we were really interested in drafting. So it goes back to We've talked about this on some of the earlier shows here. For Fantasy Projecting to 2026, where McCaffrey led the NFL in touches. In 2025, he had 413 in the regular season with the two playoff games totaled up to 450 total touches, which I believe was the most he's ever had in his career in a single season, which is pretty bonkers for a player that's going to be 30 years old in June. So he's getting up there in age. We saw the rushing efficiency fall off dramatically this past season. Not nearly as efficient, didn't have nearly the same type of juice. Now the receiving was off the charts. That's been CMC's calling card since he entered the NFL, and it's what separated him and made him such an elite fantasy asset, if not the best asset when he is fully healthy. But I have concerns about what that will look like with all of these touches they've already kind of talked about heading in 2026. Well, McCaffrey, I'm more open to splitting a backfield because of the touches that are on my body. So they're already thinking about this. And the season just ended. So that has me concerned because the track record of players coming off these types of seasons is just not good. So Saquon Barkley was the, you know, litmus test last year. Monster season coming off a ton of touches over 400. Finished 2025 as the RB13. So he wasn't even a RB1. Last 13 years. Only one running back was a top five fantasy running back following the year where they saw at least 400 plus touches. And right now you look in ECR, he is RB3. So I, I'm not, I'm not touching him inside the top five running backs. And the player that I look at as an alternative to Christian McCaffrey that I would rather have is James Cook. Because I think James Cook at his age, following a year where he led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,621 with Joe Brady, who loves him.

[Ryan Warmley]

And Joe Brady is a huge part.

[Andrew Erickson]

Of this as, as the Bill's head coach. Like, is this where we start to see James Cook level up again? Because all James Cook does every year is the haters wrong, including myself, where there's no way he can score as many touchdowns. Well, he didn't. But then he rushed for significantly more yards. And the day and the doubters and naysayers with James Cook will say, well, worm dude doesn't catch that many passes. Well, it's not an inability from him because his earlier years in the NFL he was catching passes similar to McCaffrey. His calling card coming out of Georgia was oh, this guy's like a third down back. Like he can catch passes out of the backfield. So I think James hostage continue to build on his NFL career that he's taken off super stardom this past season leading the NFL in rushing yards again. He was RB6 in points per game, RB6 in total point score. But 26 years old. I want guys in their prime that have a three down skill set that play for an offense like Joe Brady that I know is going to be efficient with Josh Allen as the starting quarterback. So give me James cook over Christian McAffrey who at this point, like if he's, if he disappoints in 2026, I'm very concerned about where he would be be drafted in 2027. So for that he's probably a guy I'm probably not going to end up drafting again.

[Ryan Warmley]

Yeah, unless I'm taking Bijan or Gibbs. Like if in the range where Christian McCaffrey's going in early 2026 rankings, he's the sixth overall player at that spot. If I'm missing out on Bijan and Gibbs, I'm taking Puka or Chase or CD Lamb or jsn. Like I'm probably going receiver. And then if it's a little bit later in the first and he's fallen in there, like I'm, I'm looking at Cook, I'm looking at Jonathan Taylor, I might even be looking at Ash and Genti if they address the offensive line. Like going to have a new quarterback and a new play caller. So I'm totally with you here. Like I, I'm not that interested in McCaffrey and when you're not interested in him this year, given his age, not sure how interested I'll be in future years. So I think it's a great call. I have nothing to add to it. Let's go to a quarterback here.

[Andrew Erickson]

My quarterback that I may not draft again, I'm definitely not drafting this year is Jalen Hurts. And that's because it's another year where, okay, brand new offense coordinator. What is this, the sixth or seventh year in a row? Jalen Hurts has had another offensive coordinator. And this whole coaching hiring was very bizarre because despite the Eagles having all this talent, Saquon Barkley, a lot of good pieces across the offensive line, Jalen Hurts as the quarterback. It was crickets when it came to oh, who wants to be the offensive coordinator for Jalen Hurts. It seemed like nobody really wanted to be. So eventually they settled on Sean Manion, who has been with the packers over the last two seasons and he last played in the NFL as a quarterback in 2023. So he hasn't really been coaching for that long. So that does bring up some concerns about what this offense could potentially look like. Is it just more of Nick Sirianni really kind of putting his staple on what he wants Jalen Hurts to do. I've also heard some rumors that the Eagles are trying to add another quarterback to their room to kind of push Jalen Hurts. Is Sean Manion the guy that is going to push Jalen Hurts as a brand new offensive coordinator and potential play caller? I guess I'm just a little bit hesitant to buy into that. You look at Hertz over the last two seasons he's been QB8, so he has not really been a true difference making elite quarterback QB7 of points per game. But he was under 20 points per game. And the reason I bring that up is because Jalen Hurts. Now if we're getting this same version of him where he's running less and he's just being drafted at the top of that middle tier of quarterback, what do we always talk about Worm? With these onesie positions you have to stay out of the middle and right now Jalen Hurts is closer to the top of the middle, which is not an advantage whatsoever to drafting because he's going to finish closer to the guys going behind him than finishing closer to the elite players like he was two or three years ago when he was scoring 15 plus rushing touchdowns. I have concerns about Lane Johnson. Every time he gets hurt, this offense falls apart. He's getting older. A.J. brown's gone. Like when I'm doing my rankings, A.J. brown on the Eagles is not in my predictions for next year. I think that he has been so clear about I want out of this team. The team is more committed to Jalen Hurts I think at this point in time and I think that's a massive downgrade losing a superstar player like A.J. brown. Dallas Goddard's also a free agent and he's really been one of Jalen Hurts more dependable targets as an underneath option, especially when A.J. brown or DeVonta Smith has missed time. So right now at QB6, I just feel like he's being prompted up by those rushing touchdowns in the rushing production when I mean, dude, there were times this year where this Eagles offense was unwatchable from a passing game perspective and I know that he's had high highs, but the low lows have been super frustrating with Jalen Hurts. So for me, I'm looking at the board where he's going, especially to this tush push, I think is going to get, like, banned at some point. And then if you eliminate that from the equation, what is the point of drafting Jalen Hurts when I could get.

[Ryan Warmley]

I just want to quickly say, like, Jalen Hurts is strong enough that he can score on a regular QB sneak. He doesn't need the push. But again, to. To whatever small degree it matters, I agree with you. I think that's going away.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yes, I would rather have Jackson Dart. I'd rather have Justin Herbert and something that I did for this exercise too. Worm, when I was talking about, okay, these are the players I never want to draft again, and these are the players I would draft instead. You know, when you're thinking about never drafting again, you're kind of thinking not just this year, but in future years. And what does that kind of bring you to Dynasty rankings, right? You look at Jalen Hurts in the Dynasty rankings, guys that are ranked ahead of him are guys like Jackson Dar, Justin Herbert and Caleb Williams. So if we're going to be. If we're going to be drafting and ranking those guys ahead of them in Dynasty, why would we not do that in Redraft? I get it's not a perfect science for me to propose that question, but it's like, well, eventually we are going to be drafting those guys, like, consistently ahead. And to me it's like, well, I'm just gonna start now and just get ahead of it because eventually we're going to see all these quarterbacks overtake Jalen Hurts. Because that's at least what the consensus agrees. From a Dynasty lens, this show contains.

[Nav Green]

Information subject to but not limited to personal takes, rumors, not so accurate stats, and plenty more. What's up, man? It's your boy, Nav Green from the Broken Play podcast. Look, it's the end of the season. The playoffs are here. But guess what? It ain't the end of your season. You can always tune in with Broken Play podcast with Nav Green on the Black Effect Podcast Network. Another team who ain't going to the playoffs. The Chiefs. What's a wrap? It's time to rebuild. Who your MVP right now, then Drake May up there, Josh Allen up there still. Oh, my boy Matthew Stafford.

[Martina Castro]

Where did Bo Nicks at?

[Nav Green]

He ain't too far behind.

[Martina Castro]

He did all this stuff.

[Nav Green]

Talk what Matthew Stafford is doing statistically, bro.

[Andrew Erickson]

Is crazy, bro.

[Nav Green]

You know, I ain't no Josh Allen fan, but Matthew Stafford got better weapon. Caleb Williams.

[Andrew Erickson]

Hey, he should be in that conversation. In what conversation?

[Nav Green]

He should be in it. Listen to Broken Play with Nav Green from the Black Effect podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast.

[Martina Castro]

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[Ryan Warmley]

This is real. This guy's actually doing surgery and it's a miracle. I never believed that miracles were real until that point.

[Martina Castro]

But behind those adoring crowds was something much darker. One of the reasons why I never went to the police is because I saw at least five or six men with guns. Everywhere he went, that was clear to me. Like, close your mouth, don't open your mouth, don't say anything. I'm your host Martina Castro and in the podcast Two Faced John of God, we'll look back on a man who claimed he could perform miracles and got people from all around the world to believe him from exactly right and adonde Media. This is Two Faced John of God. Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Ryan Warmley]

The first thing I do every year when I'm building out not my draft rankings but my draft like plan going into a draft I care about is I basically cross off the first couple names in tier two at quarterback. I have no interest. I just, just blindly. I don't even care who it is. The guys at the top of tier 2 are not of interest to me. I want somebody in tier one or I want to wait. I mean, just look like Jalen Hurts QB6 right now early 2026 rankings. Would you rather have him at QB6 or PY at QB12, Caleb at QB13, Bo Nicks at QB15, Jordan Love at QB16. Even if you stick in tier 2 like Justin Herbert at QB8, I totally agree with. He's like the exception to my tier 2 rule because I really like Herbert. Next year with assuming the offensive line is healthy. You know, Lawrence at QB11, Prescott at QB10. These are all names I'd rather have than her QB6. The offensive coordinator thing really sticks with me that nobody wanted to. This is a team that won the super bowl like less than 12 months ago and nobody wants to coach this team. They're terrified of Sirianni getting fired. I think they think Hertz. Hertz is a good quarterback, but he is clearly A limited quarterback. And Lane Johnson, another year older, which you hit on Saquon Barkley, another year older. AJ Brown, who knows what's going on there? There are names ahead of him that I'm not that interested in either. At cost. I don't want to make it seem like he's the first guy I don't want. I'm a little nervous about Jaden Daniels and Joe Burrow at QB4 and 5 also. To me it's really like a top three and then I want to wait. But yeah, Hertz is right in the middle of that and I, again, I'm not going to push back on you on this. I think the floor is maybe a little bit higher than this conversation is giving him credit for because I do think that he would still rush for touchdowns when they're close, even without the tush bush. But I just don't think the ceiling's there. And I mean last year it was Drake may like it's been years where it's Lamar or there's always a late round quarterback with a ceiling that, that you want to be targeting. That is the, the biggest, easiest, most consistent path towards having an elite, you know, team in your league is hitting on that late round quarterback who plays like a tier one guy. That's not going to be hurts because he's not going to be late round and he's not going to play like a tier one guy. I don't think so. I like that.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah. I would say to some of the optics of his points per game and the way he scored the last couple seasons, it kind of looks a little bit like Kyler Murray, which we saw all just went off the rails. Right when you're like hovering in that kind of, not to say no man's land, but closer to that middle tier of scoring quarterbacks, you see the path, you're like, man, this guy's putting like 19 points per game, 18 points per game. Like, that's really good. But you really want to get that 20 points per game type of threshold where, okay, now my quarterback's actually making a difference and Jalen Hurts just. Just hasn't been really that guy over the last two seasons when he's been outside the top seven quarterback. So again, I didn't highlight this name specifically, but I mentioned him, Justin Herbert. Like, that's the guy I want way more than Jalen Hurts. So you have.

[Ryan Warmley]

I like Daniel.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah. You have Mike McDaniel coming in as the offensive coordinator. He made Tua. He helped him a ton. And I think that with the healthy offensive line, I think that Justin Herbert has a top five fantasy ceiling at quarterback where I don't see it as much with Hurts.

[Ryan Warmley]

I'm betting Herbert doesn't end up like by the time we get to August. I'm guessing he's not QB8. I'm guessing he's more like QB5 or 6. That's a prediction I'm going to make right now because I, I'd much rather Herbert than Jackson Dart, who's one spot ahead of him. I'd much rather him than Hurts and I'd rather wait to get him than take Jaden Daniels and Joe Burrow where they're going. Yeah, I don't hate those guys, but I just like Herbert better.

[Andrew Erickson]

I think too to just add this last point about the offensive line. Five games with Joe, all 2025. Herbert averaged 24 fantasy points. 12 games without him, 16.2.

[Ryan Warmley]

That first game, that first game against the Chiefs in, in Brazil, I remember like thinking I should put money on Herbert.

[Andrew Erickson]

We talked, we talked about it. We were like, we were like, bye Justin Herbert. This is awesome.

[Ryan Warmley]

He looked like he was stepping into the Mahomes Allen Lamar tier of just the unassailable best quarterbacks in the sport. Didn't pan out that way. Obviously. Offensive line injuries have a lot to do with that. But like it looked like. And he was moving around too. Like pairing him with McDaniel. If that offensive line can stay healthy, man, and they, they could add Tyler Linderbaum at center, they could draft a guard. Like if they get the offensive line there, I think that could be the best offensive football next year and I want a piece of it. So I like Herbert quite a bit. I'm with you there. Let's go to one more player here.

[Andrew Erickson]

Yeah, this one probably pains me the most of all the players because I felt really good about this player. His rookie year and this past season, his sophomore season was an absolute disaster. It's Brian Thomas Jr. And really I could say it comes with a caveat that assuming that he doesn't get traded, because I do think that there is a realistic outcome where he does get trade. And I think I would be openly drafting Brian Thomas Jr. If he was on a different team. But right now, as long as he remains attached to Trevor Lawrence in Jacksonville, I think it's really hard to be overly optimistic about Brian Thomas Jr. Just how we saw things play out with him in this new offense with Liam Cohen. Now I know that he was dealing with a lot of injuries last year at Times, but it never seemed at any point when he was healthy and on the field that he was becoming the focal point of this passing attack. And what we've seen with Trevor Lawrence and who he has succeeded with in the past, it's been guys like Christian Kirk, Evan Ingram, and then this past year it was Jacoby Myers who they trade for mid season. They drop right into the offense and it looks like he's been playing with Trevor Lawrence for five seasons. They immediately have chemistry. And that was never the case with Brian Thomas Jr. Where they seemed like they were never on the same page. And the same thing with Parker Washington, right, these guys that were clearly behind Brian Thomas Jr. On the depth chart, but that didn't matter because they were the ones that were producing with the current quarterback. And considering how well Trevor Lawrence played in the aggregate with Liam Cohen in his first year, I feel like there might be too much optimism that, well, if Trevor Lawrence takes another step in Liam Cohen's offense, he can bring Ryan Thomas Jr. Along for the ride. I get concerned about buying into that type of narrative because again, the same thing with Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. Like the guys just never seem like they saw eye to eye. And what we've seen the last two years with Trevor Lawrence where with Brian Thomas Jr. They're not really connecting. I am concerned that that's never really going to come to fruition. So he's someone that I am very, very hesitant to buy into and draft specifically this year. Again, if he gets traded, that kind of changes the equation here. But as long as Trevor Lawrence is his quarterback, I am very, very concerned about drafting Brian Thomas Jr.

[Ryan Warmley]

I was going to say when you, when you put this name in the sheet that this is more of a. I'm not really interested in drafting him as things stand in 2026 and less of a never drafting again because he's young, he has an elite season on his resume. Like that carries a lot of weight for me, like that he was able to reach that high, so to say never drafting again, especially as the cost goes down. I mean last year he was like what in that like 10 to 14 pick range overall and you know, not amongst receivers but like you know that that back end of the first, early second type of pick in most leagues. Now he's going as like an early sixth. I mean I'm not even looking at adp. I'm just saying early rankings, like that's the range he's kind of settled into very, very, very early on. But still that's all we have to look at right now, he's the 66th overall player. He's wide receiver 30. Like, if you're going to give me some, some kind of ceiling there, I'm. I'm probably maybe not that interested. Like you said, if, if he's, if he's going there still in August and it's paired with Trevor Lawrence and that is a concern. But that is not so. Like, that's not such a high cost to pay for me to say I will never, ever draft him again. Like, I think I will probably have some Brian Thomas Jr. In some leagues this year now. Maybe that's a range where instead I'm like, all right, let me just take Herbert there and get my quarterback in that round instead, whatever it is. Again, it's a long way away. But I can't quite go as far as never draft again, even though I am definitely, like, not that excited about him this year. Who are you taking instead?

[Andrew Erickson]

So I just want to follow up with your question. Should I have said never to draft Travis Hunter again instead, would that have been.

[Ryan Warmley]

Yeah, for me, that's not an again. That's just, I will never draft Travis Hunter.

[Andrew Erickson]

Because I was thinking about that. Because when I put Brian Thomas Jr. In the show sheet, I was like, I was thinking about. I was like, no, maybe Travis Hunter would have been a better. Because there's a chance that, I mean, if he just plays defense, then you don't have to even sweat or worry about. And the fact that he plays the slot a lot, we. We're seeing slot receivers kind of phase out a little bit with the more influx of these heavy tight end sets. So maybe Travis Hunter is actually the guy you never want to draft again. But at least for 2026, Brian Thomas Jr. Is probably going to be someone I'm not drafting to your point. Instead, a player that I actually like a lot, especially if the chips kind of fall in a certain way. How the offseason goes Ricky Piersol I get that the injuries have basically plagued him over the past two years, but when he has been healthy, I think that he has been good for the most part. He had four games this year with 85 or more receiving yards. He led the 49ers in receiving yards per game. So again, going back to the fact that he was efficient and effective when on the field, and it seemed like, yeah, he'd get hurt, he would play through injuries mid game, but the fact that he had more receiving arts per game than Kittle, than Juwan Jennings, than Christian McCaffrey, I think that is showcasing, hey, this guy has a lot of talent and it's despite him overcoming all these injuries that he's constantly dealing with. So going in a similar range to Brian Thomas Jr. He has Brock Purdy as his quarterback. Juwan Jennings is a free agent. Brandon Ayuk, he's not coming back. George Kittle, he's coming off torn Achilles. I mean, you could look up and be like, Ricky Piercey is wide receiver one on the San Francisco 49ers attached to Brock Purdy, who we've already seen him establish chemistry with. Again, just barring health, I think that Pearsall would be set up much better than Brian Thomas Jr. In 2026 and beyond. So that's someone that I'm kind of eyeing as a alternative to Brian Thomas Jr. In that sixth, seventh round range.

[Ryan Warmley]

I think that's totally fair. I have nothing to add. We went longer than we were supposed to on this, so we'll go ahead and wrap things up there. I think. A fun conversation. It's always interesting having a fantasy related question in early February because there's just so much to come the next few months. But it's fun to kind of start thinking ahead already. I wish it was August, you know, pretty much already at this point. All right, we'll wrap things up there for Erickson. I'm Ryan Warmley. Thanks everybody for tuning in. We'll see you again next time. Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Podcast. If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by leaving a positive review on apple [e-mail] review or on Spotify. Follow us on X Instagram and TikTok at fantasypros and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com fantasypros. There's nothing like my American Express Platinum Card. I love that I can earn hotel credits when I travel. I can also earn resi credits so.

[Andrew Erickson]

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[Andrew Erickson]

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[Nav Green]

On.

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[Ryan Warmley]

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