FantasyPros Fantasy Football Podcast – Episode 1926

Biggest Fantasy Football Takeaways For EVERY AFC North Team

Date: January 7, 2026
Host: Ryan Wormley
Guests: Andrew Erickson, Jake Seeley
Theme: In-depth fantasy football analysis focusing on every team in the AFC North. The hosts discuss young breakouts, dynasty strategy, workload splits, position volatility, and the impact of team changes on key fantasy assets in the division.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the major fantasy football lessons from the 2025 season for the AFC North, focusing on critical player evaluations and future outlooks. The hosts examine the fantasy viability of young talents, interpret late-season surges, debate player ceilings and floors, and discuss what changing team situations mean for fantasy value moving forward.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Caleb Johnson Debate

[00:57–06:08]

• Caleb Johnson as a Dynasty "Buy Low/Free"
  • Andrew Erickson:
    • Believes Johnson’s disappointing rookie season is not a death knell; second-year RBs often become solid investments.
    • "I still think there's a path for Caleb Johnson to have a role on this offense in 2026, especially if you have a different quarterback under center and it's not Aaron Rodgers." [02:36]
    • Points out that Kenneth Gainwell, who played ahead of him, is a pending free agent, possibly opening up opportunities.
    • Draws parallels to Tank Bigsby, Blake Corum, Chase Brown—backs who surged after disappointing rookie years.
    • Sees Johnson as a strong dynasty "buy low" candidate.
  • Jake Seeley:
    • Mocks the amount Johnson’s stock has fallen – "It's like more like a buy free; I'll take him off your hands at this point…" [03:07]
    • Compares him to Tyler Allgeier, seeing his best-case as an RB3/FLEX who could become relevant if injuries occur.
    • "Even if it's buy low, as Erickson said…you're paying nothing to go get a lottery ticket essentially at this point." [04:54]

Notable Dynamics

• Both agree Johnson is worth zero-cost speculation but differ on whether his upside is inspiring or limited.
• Jake emphasizes how poor Johnson was as a rookie, but sees value as a free "lottery ticket."
• Room consensus: if Gainwell walks and Johnson’s price stays rock-bottom, there’s some upside—especially if you didn’t pay a premium to draft him.

Baltimore Ravens: Zay Flowers – Ceiling, Floor, and Volatility

[06:02–15:50]

• How Much Can You Trust Zay Flowers?
  • Jake Seeley:
    • Thinks Flowers is always volatile: "You're going to get six or seven good games and that's it. Don't let the end of the season skew you on Zay Flowers for next year."
    • Nicknames him "Zay Volatility Flowers". [07:44]
    • Notes that despite a late flurry of touchdowns, he finished with only five—the most he’s ever had.
    • Doesn’t see high TD upside given his usage and the offense. Prefers Flowers as a WR3 where you can absorb the highs and lows.
    • "Give him to me as a wide receiver two… actually, I would prefer him to be my wide receiver three…" [07:55]
  • Ryan Wormley:
    • Views Flowers as a "floor player, not a ceiling player," and questions whether his late-season surge is repeatable. [08:04]
    • Points out that unless the Ravens drastically change his red zone usage, Flowers' ceiling is capped.
  • Andrew Erickson:
    • The optimistic counterpoint: insists Flowers is great, not just good.
    • "I just want to bet on the player's talent. Like Zay Flowers…Yards per route run this season—Zay Flowers finished fourth." [09:51]
    • Argues that Tre McBride, Jackson Smith-Njigba, and Puka Nacua all broke out when their usage/coaching changed—Flowers could do the same.
    • "I'll never quit Zay Flowers." [09:36]
    • Pushes the "what if" a new playcaller or coach gives him more red zone looks; Jake jibes, "If I had wheels, I'd be a bike." [11:42]
    • Ultimately, Erickson just wants to "bet on good players."
• Key Stats:
  • Flowers finished 4th in YPRR (Yards per Route Run) among WRs.
  • Ended with 5 touchdowns and 1200 receiving yards.
  • Only 10 red zone and 5 end zone targets for the year—far below elite WRs.

Notable Quotes

• Jake: "Volatility, it’s Zay Volatility Flowers. That should be his nickname…"
• Erickson: "I’ll never quit Zay Flowers… I think he’s a great wide receiver."
• Jake, on upside: "He just at the end of the season got him as wide receiver 14 in points per game." [09:01]
• Ryan: "If you’re building the case for Zay Flowers as a ceiling… it’s through yardage and catches." [12:08]

Debate Takeaways

• Jake and Ryan are skeptical the Ravens change how Flowers is used (especially in red zone) and expect his fantasy output to stay volatile.
• Erickson thinks talent can eventually win him more opportunity and upside, especially if offensive roles shift.
• All agree on Flowers' strong after-the-catch ability; main disagreement is whether his touchdown (and thus high-end fantasy) upside can ever really show up.
• If the community overreacts to his hot finish and the cost rises, consensus is to be cautious.

Cincinnati Bengals: Chase Brown – “Sell High” or “Efficient ‘Kyren Williams’ Type?”

[18:39–24:10]

• Jake Seeley:
  • Sees Chase Brown as a “great sell high opportunity” – Bengals have consistently split backfields, even backing Samaje Perine was getting notable work at the goal line.
  • "If I knew Chase Brown was not going to be touched next year… I'd be thrilled… I just don't believe that's going to happen." [20:05]
  • Fears the Bengals sign or draft someone to muddy the backfield—turning Cincy into “the Seahawks of the AFC North.” [18:56]
• Andrew Erickson:
  • More bullish; says, even with split snaps, Brown was very productive as both a rusher and receiver.
  • Compares him to Kyren Williams—the Rams RB who thrived on efficiency and touchdowns despite not being a true bell cow.
  • "I think that Brown is going to remain really efficient as both a rusher and receiver… maybe you don't need him to be a full blown bell cow." [21:40]
  • Argues that efficient play and strong offense can keep Brown as at least a top-20 RB, even if he only gets 60% of the work.
• Room Consensus:
  • They agree Brown’s ultimate value depends on future moves (free agency/draft). He could be both a sell-high and buy-low, depending on league-market perception and offseason changes.
• Draft Price:
  • Brown is going around pick 3.04 in early mocks, which both think is about right—offering some balance between upside and risk. [24:06]

Cleveland Browns: Uncertain Situation vs. Rookie Talent

[24:10–29:27]

• Jake Seeley:
  • Initially wanted to spotlight Quinshon Judkins as a potential fantasy bell cow but is scared off by the Browns’ offensive line situation—"They have free agents at left tackle, left guard, center, right guard, right tackle." [24:37]
  • The team is in negative cap space and may also need to draft a QB, so he’s not expecting much improvement up front.
  • Fears drafting excitement (like Harold Fannin at TE or Judkins at RB) will get overhyped relative to their actual situation. "It could be like me blocking out there next year…" [25:01]
  • Will avoid Browns if Judkins’s and Fannin’s price tags get too rich.
• Andrew Erickson:
  • Sees both the OL problems and the upside—notes rookies led this team in passing, rushing, receiving, and tackles (first team since 1970 NFL merger to do so). [26:41]
  • Encouraged by how well Judkins and other young players performed despite dysfunction.
  • "If people are so tied to the...offensive line is [awful]...we can't do this...he's outside the top 20 running backs...can Judkins pay off at RB20 price tag? Probably." [28:59]
• Debate:
  • Jake’s main worry: situation is so bad Browns could be "the Raiders 2025."
  • Erickson: If community sours enough to let Judkins fall in drafts, he becomes a value due to volume. But both generally agree—elite draft costs for Browns are unwarranted.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jake Seeley, on Caleb Johnson: "It's like more like a buy free; I'll take him off your hands at this point…" [03:07]
• Jake Seeley, on Zay Flowers: "Volatility, it’s Zay Volatility Flowers. That should be his nickname…" [07:44]
• Andrew Erickson, on Zay Flowers: "I'll never quit Zay Flowers. I think he's a great wide receiver." [09:36]
• Jake Seeley, on Chase Brown: "If I knew Chase Brown was not going to be touched next year… I'd be thrilled… I just don't believe that's going to happen." [20:05]
• Andrew Erickson: "If the overwhelming consensus becomes Browns, this team sucks…where do they fall in drafts? Is Judkins now...outside the top 20 running backs? ...Can Judkins pay off at RB20 price tag? Probably." [28:59]
• Ryan Wormley, summing up the Zay Flowers debate: "If you’re building the case for Zay Flowers as a ceiling… it’s through yardage and catches." [12:08]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Steelers/Caleb Johnson: 00:57–06:08
• Ravens/Zay Flowers Debate: 06:08–15:54
• Bengals/Chase Brown: 18:39–24:10
• Browns Overview (Judkins, Fannin, OL situation): 24:10–29:27

Tone & Takeaways

• Dynamic, friendly disagreement—hosts challenge each other but back up opinions with stats and examples.
• Heavy focus on player role vs. talent—where system, usage, and coaching matter just as much as ability.
• Emphasis on dynasty/keeper formats—offers advice on how to value players whose situations and stock may shift dramatically in the offseason.
• Advice is actionable but realistic—risk factors are always considered, especially where draft costs don’t align with likely opportunity or situation.

Final Thoughts

• Steelers: Caleb Johnson is worth a free flyer in dynasty/keeper leagues.
• Ravens: Zay Flowers is talented but volatile; don’t let a hot finish fool you into overpaying.
• Bengals: Monitor Chase Brown’s off-season situation—he could be both a sell and a value depending on perception.
• Browns: Offensive line is a mess, so temper expectations for rookies even if there’s talent; let discount prices come to you.

Hosts suggest listeners check out their other division recaps for further fantasy insights.