
Loading summary
Podcast Advertiser
This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human busy morning or a slow sip latte kind of day. Whatever your morning calls for. The new Nespresso Vertuo up machine makes the perfect cup Latte Iced coffee Bold Espresso Explore a world of coffees with one button press. Enjoy effortless mornings made entirely your way with Nespresso Vertuo up new Virtuo up press to explore. Shop now at nespresso.com
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
welcome in everybody to Fantasy Pros. This is the Fantasy Football podcast. It is me, Joey P. Joe P. Zappia and today Andrew Erickson and I are going to take a look at some of our favorite NFL prospects, predict some landing spots and what it's going to mean for fantasy football in 2026 and beyond. So if you haven't already, subscribe to the channel because we will be live here for the NFL Draft yet again. Another season of will be here covering the Draft Day 1 Thursday, April 23, 7:30pm Eastern on Fancy Bro's YouTube channel. So again, subscribe to the YouTube channel. Ring the bell till it goes ding. And guess what? We'll be back Friday also 6:30pm Eastern for day two and then day three. You can catch all the deep dive stuff Saturday 700pm Eastern on the Fantasy Pros Dynasty channel. So subscribe to the Dynasty channel as well as the regular fp. And while you're at it, subscribe to the Tailgate with myself, Debro Andrew Erickson talking football. It is the most fun you could possibly have with all your clothes on. I'm telling you, hit up the tailgate NFL right now, over and subscribe. And I will be live at the draft. So there's gonna be some fun stuff on that Tailgate channel and on Fantasy Pros with myself going out there on the street talking to the people because Andrew, I feel like I'm a man of the people. I'm gonna ask people about their thoughts on picks, what they want to see happen. We'll have some fun. It's going to be a good time. If you're at the NFL draft, look for me I the handsome bald guy walking around with the camera and the microphone. So come talk to me. I want to talk to all of you at the NFL draft before I even get into some of these names on the list today too, there's been a lot of news over the weekend. Two things I want to talk about. First, the Dexter Lawrence trade. So the Bengals move their 10th overall pick, which I gotta say is a little surprising to me. Top 10 overall picks in The NFL draft are typically valued very highly. I'm not saying Dexter Lawrence isn't a great player. He is coming off a bit of a down year. But the Bengals, I feel like, continue to think they are still in win now mode, which I get because they got Joe Burrow. So what did you make of this deal from both sides of the football? What do you think the Giants pivot to a 10 potentially with these two picks in the top 10. And what do you think that the Bengals got in Dexter Lawrence?
Andrew Erickson
Well, I think it's a win, win trade for both sides because there are two teams that are kind of going in different directions. The Bengals know that, hey, we have this window right now. We have Joe Burrow playing at the peak of his powers, but this defense is a total mess. Dexter Lawrence, you drop him in, he immediately is their best defensive player. Right, right. And I think that what they did was during these mock draft exercises is they realized when we pick at 10, we may not get the impactful defensive player that we want. So we need to move this pick. They found a partner in the New York Giants who, yeah, we like Dexter Lawrence, but it's a brand new coach. I know we talked about this in the tailgate. When the news first dropped that he wanted to be traded, I was like, I don't know if Harbaugh's going to pay this guy because he just stepped in as the head coach.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
You were right.
Andrew Erickson
I don't know.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
This is why you subscribe to the tailgate, because we have this conversation and you said it, you're like, harbaugh's not paying Dexter Lawrence. This is going to take forever.
Andrew Erickson
This guy's playing hardball with Lamar Jackson. You think he's going to pay a defensive tackle? Like, no, this isn't going to happen. So. Especially coming off a down year. So I think it works for the Bengals. They get an impactful defensive player. I agree with you that the 10th overall pick is steep, but if another offensive player isn't going to help the Bengals anyway, it's like, well, we got to move this. And I think it makes the Giants in a spot where I think with one of their picks, I do think they want to get the Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles type of player. Get that linchpin defender for Haba's defense and then with that other piece, it's best player available, whether that be an offensive offensive lineman or a receiver for Jackson Dart.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I can see receiver too. Yeah, I could really see receiver.
Andrew Erickson
They're really in. We'll talk about this player, but they seem obsessed with Jordan Tyson.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Like, I think that's who it is too.
Andrew Erickson
They're very enamored with him. So I think if he's available, I think they maybe don't love him at 5, but now they're like, well, we got 10. That's where we really like to take him.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
And look for the Bengals, all of a sudden now you've got a guy who could be a captain on your defense too. That's huge leadership wise. So you know, you're. I think it's slightly an indictment of the class, which again, that's kind of been a running theme all off season. But to your point too, the Bengals get a captain, they get a guy that they can put in there right in the front. A guy's gonna put pressure, he's gonna be good against the run, he's gonna do everything you want him to do. And hopefully, you know, now that he's gonna get paid, you've got an opportunity here to make him happy doing all those things. The other bit of news, which again, it's not set in stone, but when the shifters of the world are reporting, it certainly feels like it is. Not to mention the Eagles flurry of adding the Ontavian Wicks and Hollywood Brown and all the other receivers they've been adding. It certainly points to a potential A.J. brown trade to the Patriots, apparently is where that goes. It certainly feels like Howie values next year's 20, 27 picks more. So it's not gonna happen. Now we know because of June 1st. We know that that's when the cap changes for them in terms of the hit they'll take. But let's talk about it real quick. Theoretically, what does the AJ Brown to the Patriots situation look like in terms of A.J. brown's productivity in terms of what it does for Drake May in his second full year as a starter and what it means maybe for the trickle down effect for the rest of the guys in that wide receiver room.
Andrew Erickson
Well, you have to knock down everyone else in the Patriots receiver room down substantial pegs because they're just not going to be as involved. And I know that the Patriots last year didn't really operate with a number one clear cut wide receiver. We knew that Stefan Diggs took over that role, but I mean Diggs was really good down the stretch. He had kind of talking, kind of overcame the ACL injury and when they started finally unleashing him in the offense, running more than 50% of the routes. Okay, well now we're cooking here. I don't think they're going to limit AJ Brown if they're going to trade a future first round pick to get him on their roster. It's not like Diggs, where they were able to sign him as a free agent, where they can be a little bit more, you know, precautious with his routes and his usage and snaps. Also, he's a much older player now. I know that A.J. brown has this reported, like degenerate knee injury that's going to affect him when he's a little bit older, but he's still under 30 years old. He's still super efficient, he's still great after the catch. And you know what's great? He's going to be motivated and an offense is actually going to feature him as a big piece with a guy
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
who knows how to push his buttons too. It's not like, it's not like he doesn't understand the book that is AJ Brown to make a little bit of a joke there because AJ Likes to read on the sidelines a little bit. It feels like Vrabel is the kind of guy that, you know, wouldn't be making this movie. He didn't have that kind of relationship potentially with him. I also feel like this is that window too, where you have the rookie deal for the quarterback, where you put your chips all in because this is the best time in the NFL to win. When you have a good quarterback who's young. On the rookie deal, you can spend other places, including a wide receiver. So we'll see as we get to June 1st if that deal does come to fruition. Certainly Devonta Smith will get a big bump up too. And it's also tough, too, because I think we, we always talk about the, you know, difficulty for a quarterback to have different offensive coordinators over and over again. It's four straight years of different ocs. I think the same thing can be said for the wide receivers, too. It's not the easiest thing in the world for them either. So collectively it's been rough. I know there's a Super bowl win in there, but still, there's definitely been some rough patches for AJ Brown and the Eagles. So more on that to come. Let's turn the page, though. Andrew Ericks into the NFL draft here and let's talk a little bit about Fernando Mendoza. We all know he's going to be a Raider. So let's discuss one thing that I want to get out of you more than anything. When eventually he takes over as a starter, whether it be week one, week four, week Ten, whatever it is, who do you think is the go to guy for him? Do you think it's more of a Brock Bauer situation for a guy like Fernando Mendoza or do you think it's a specific wide receiver that fits his game better in terms of fantasy?
Andrew Erickson
I'm gonna start with the second question because I think that's a little more important for fantasy and it's Brock Bowers. I think that he is just going to be fed. We saw Jackson, Smith and Jigba get fed in his Clint Kubiak offense last year in Seattle. I think Brock Bowers, again, it's not a one for one replacement because they're different types of players. But I think in terms of how are we running this passing game, it's going to go through rock bars because Joe, just look at the rest of the roster. Jalen Naylor, Trey Tucker, like there's not a lot of receivers that you're hanging your hat on. Oh, this is going to be Mendoza's guy. Now I do think it's really interesting to think about and project. Do they take Surat, his guy from Indiana in the second round if all the tackles are gone? I think that's really interesting because that's a guy that he leaned on a ton, especially down stretch in some of these bigger games. He's a big bodied guy. Again, not always getting a ton of separation but always finding ways to get open at some point and, and create enough to catch the fall, catch the ball and come down with it. So I do think Bowers is the guy but I think it's going to be a lot of running back checkdowns, tight end check down. So I think that both Bowers and Gente, I think that's going to really be the Raiders offense is those two, those two guys and everyone else kind of operating from a supporting cast standpoint. I would say from when we see him, I would say probably lean earlier rather than later. I would say like week four because I do think that they want to start Kirk Cousins but I think that a month of Kirk Cousins is going to be a month too long and I just don't think that he has it anymore. I think that when you, yeah, you can make the argument okay, he's another year or moved from the Achilles, but I just think that the zip on the ball is gone now from him. He doesn't have that anymore. And it's not like Aaron Rodgers has been so great even if he was a little bit better. Some of the numbers, advanced statistics, but I don't know, I'm just not he. Kirk Cousin would have to play very, very well to keep the job or else it's like Raiders fans, like what are we doing? Like get this guy out there to play. Like why are we waiting and wasting. Unless Kirk Cousins playing really well, I mean, I don't think he's going to hold the job for super long.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I got it. I'll tell you what, I got a hot take here. I think Fernando Mendoza is the week one starter.
Andrew Erickson
Yes.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
The more I, the more I continue to, to ponder it. At first I was like, wow, Kirk Cousins, they burned him in. They wow. They paid him money and like the
Andrew Erickson
5 year million bazillion dollar contract that is like literally like all fake money.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
It's all fake money. But I would say this. I think that you're gonna, I think that Fernanda Mendoza once again will defy expectations because I feel like that's what he does wherever he goes. Right. So this will just be another notch in the belt for him. So color me as the week one starter guy. Call it a hot take. Call it what you want. Drop your comments below. I think he's gonna be Under Center Week 1, especially if they're at home too. All right, let's talk about the next guy here on the list which is again, I think from a fancy perspective, the one we're all most excited, Jeremiah Love of Notre Dame Fighting Irish. So let's talk about where you're predicting him to go and what that looks like from a fantasy perspective.
Andrew Erickson
So my prediction, in my latest mock, I had him going to the Washington Commanders at seventh overall. I think that this is one of the better spots that he could go inside the top seven picks. I know that we're getting rumors that it could be Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, New York Giants. I think the commanders is better than all those landing spots. Personally, I think that he could get a full workload in this offense attached with Jaden Daniels, a mobile quarterback that's going to open up these wide open lanes for Jeremiah Love where he can just do so much types of damage. So I would love him to be a Washington commander. I think for his year one projection. If you just look at running backs and I do an article on this kind of every year, you can check it on fantasypros.com basically looking at the evaluation of running backs based on their draft capital. Right. I'm viewing it as pre draft. I don't know what team they're on. I don't know anything about their situation. All I know is, hey, this guy was taken inside the top 12 running backs overall. And in year one, the last guys that have fallen to this category, 78% of them has finished as top 12 running backs in year one. Now of course Ascient Genti was not one of those running backs who finished top 12. But I do think that the, you know, the stress that went through Ashen Genti managers last year, I think it's kind of suppressing Jeremiah Love's stock a little bit where it's like, oh well, all Ricky running backs are not going to necessarily be big hits. But Ashton Yeti got let down by a situation, right? He got the workload, he got the volume, he looked good. He just, the guy can only break so many tackles. Getting hit five yards behind the line.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Well, yeah, you're five get hit five yards in the backfield like he can
Andrew Erickson
only, he can only do so much. Whereas with Washington you have an elite quarterback. I think they have an above average offensive line and the talent profile is, is off the charts. I watched a little bit more Jeremiah Love today, just kind of refresh myself because it's a guy that, you know, we don't talk about, I think enough because everyone knows how good he is. He's the best running back, the best player some people think in this class. And just watching him back, it's like, yeah, this guy is really, I think
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
he's the most impactful. I think he's the most impactful fantasy asset for sure. I don't, I don't think that's, you know, up for debate. What is up for debate is how early he will go in drafts. That I think is going to be very interesting to watch. So if you had to put an early mark on it right now, in your opinion, like where would you say he is, ADP wise?
Andrew Erickson
I just don't, I, I don't think he's going to end up being a top five guy like Genti was last year because I think Genty's price and the way that things shook out I think is going to scare just the general.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Didn't we say the same thing about Clyde Edwards? A lair like, oh, that's going to scare off the gentle people. Well, it didn't, but not really.
Andrew Erickson
But it's not a clybrid server as the last running back draft in the first round since, well, would you take
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Jeremiah Love as a commander? 10th overall? 11th overall.
Andrew Erickson
No.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Okay.
Andrew Erickson
No, I mean, I think that's where
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
you're gonna have to pay for him. I have that inclination.
Andrew Erickson
So you Think he's going right back up to the Genty Price because that's not what it's like right now. I mean, you can draft in some of these best ball drafts. He's in the RB9, RB12 range.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Well, he hasn't landed running back. I think when he lands, I think the hype wagon really amps up. And then on top of that, you're talking about a very different situation. You're talking about a quarterback situation in Las Vegas last year that we knew was going to be a disaster. So I think some people still had that in mind about Genti, whereas a healthy Jaden Daniels. Right. You know, Tara McLaren, like, this is a real offense potentially here. So I, I, I think especially with some of the moves that they made, there's enough there to get really excited about Jordan Love. But I'm with you. Like the rookies are still rookies. We've seen it time and time again. Jameer Gibbs, Pean Robinson, early struggles. It just happens. It's part of the learning curve of the game. Let's talk about the learning curve of the game potentially for Carnell Tate, big time Ohio State wide receiver. So Erickson, give me the prediction spot here for him. Where you think he might land and what that means for his value this season.
Andrew Erickson
So I have him going to the New York Giants. The Giants, as we talked about earlier, have two top 10 picks. So odds are okay, you got two shots at the potential.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
They do it at five or they do it at 10. That's the question.
Andrew Erickson
I don't, I think you got to
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
do it a five for Tate. I really do.
Andrew Erickson
I really don't. It's tough, right, to try to figure out exactly how each of these teams is going to design. Okay, like we got to go for this guy. Because you think. Because I really think they want Caleb Downs or Sonny Styles, but then they think, well, Caleb Downs is a safety, so people don't value safety, so he'll probably fall instead. So we can take the wide receiver first to your point. So, yeah, it'll be interesting to see how things shake out. But either at 5 or at 10, there is a possibility that Cardinal Tate or Jordan Tyson is the pick for the New York Giants. But Cardinal Tate has been the player that has been most talked about as a top 10 lock. Now, I know that Jordan Tyson has kind of gotten some steam as it seems like he's been healthier. But in terms of the top 10 wide receivers, the ones that have been last, taking the last nine guys, it's been really strong performances from them. 56% of them have been top 24 wide receivers. 90% have been at least a top 36 wide receiver or worse or, excuse me, or better. So I think that with Carnell Tate, if he just goes top 10, regardless of his landing spot, I think he's going to turn out a Fantasy Wide Receiver 3 season, and that includes with the New York Giants, even with Malik Neighbors as the entrenched number one wide receiver. We've already seen Carnell Tate operate at a high level when he is the second banana, right? So that's not a big issue necessarily, where it's like, oh, he's not going to see as many targets like, no, this guy can win with efficiency. He can win with route running. It's why DBro has him ranked it as number one wide receiver in this class. Because I think the floor with him is so, so high. And if he lands with a quarterback like a Jackson Dart, with the opportunity that he could see to start the year where, well, Malik Neighbors is coming off of his ACL injuries, coming back a little bit slower. Oh, he's coming back slower than we thought he was going to come back. Who's getting all the reps in training camp as the number one guy? It's Carnell Tate with Jackson Dart. So I like him a lot for those reasons. I think that this is a good landing spot for him. I think Tate, the floor with him is just so, so high, and I think that's why he is mostly the consensus number one wide receiver, because I just don't see a lot of bust anywhere near his profile.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
All right, what about Makai Lemon? I know there's a lot of people there that have some varying opinions of him. I know it created a little stir with some of his. Some of his interviews at the combine, but look, I think Makai Lemons is the vibe. That's what I think. Obviously a good player, obviously a good career in college. Where is the best landing spot, in your opinion for predicting his fantasy value to really soar?
Andrew Erickson
Best landing spot, most projected landing spot. I'm just chasing the mocks here, the chalky mox, and it's basically Kyle Lemon to the Rams. Is this the one that. And honestly, like, I can get behind it, right?
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I get behind that, too. They need Devonte Adams being, what, 34,
Andrew Erickson
33 years old coming off.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I'm sorry, Devonte, I made you a year or two older than you were.
Andrew Erickson
Another season. It's like, you got to make the guess. Like, where will Makai Lemon finish higher devonte Adams age or his fantasy ranking? Will he finish higher than wide receiver 33 in 2026? Let me know in the comments because that's where my rank range for him is, between 30 and 36. Because I do think with Lemon he might end up being that rookie wide receiver. You know it's happened the last three seasons, right? And that guy Buka, Roma, Dunes, jsn, it's like a receiver's taken in the first round and they get stuck behind two veterans on an offense and we're like, okay, like how long do we have to wait for this player to break out? With Agbuka, it happened kind of right away because Godwin and Mike Evans were both injured very early on in the season. Whereas A Dunes A he was never able to climb above Keenan Allen and DJ Moore. Jsn, he was stuck behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf his rookie year. So those guys, their rookie seasons were both wide receiver 48, whereas Egbuca last year just cracked the top 20. So I think it's a pretty wide range. With Lemon. If he is on the Los Angeles Rams, I think he's going to have to buy this time and maybe he's more of a year two or year three player like we saw with JSN. But you know that one week or two weeks where Puka Nukuha is out or Devontae Adams is out, you're feeling very confident. You have McKly Lemon on your roster because they're like, all right, this guy's going to smash. Just a matter of when he will get that opportunity.
Podcast Advertiser
Are you looking for support in your weight management journey? Zepbound Tirzepatide may be able to help. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity or some adults with overweight who also have weight related medical problems to lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. Zepbound is Approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 or 15mg injection. Zepbound contains Tirzepatide and should not be used with other Tirzepatide containing prostate products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. Don't take if allergic to it or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer or if you've had multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing, pregnant, plan to be or taking birth control pills. Taking Zephone with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor, call 1-800-545-5979 or
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
visit zepbound Lilly.com Save on Family Essentials at Safeway and Albertsons this week at Safeway and Albertsons, Fresh cut cantaloupe, watermelon, pineapple or melon medley bowls 24 ounces are $5 each and wild caught lobster tails are $4.99 each. Limit eight member price plus selected sizes and varieties of Doritos, Lays, Cheetos, Sun Chips and Kettle cook chips are $1.99 each. Limit four member price. Hurry in. These deals won't last. Visit Safeway or albertsons.com for more deals and ways to save. Yeah, and look in the age of Devonte Adams and the wear and tear too. I don't know about his snap count going forward. I could see that getting eased off as the season goes on too. Trying to keep him healthy for playoff run. I could certainly see that. Now look, we're going to talk about more prospects here on the show today, including a couple sleeper guys that Andrew has targeted for everybody. So make sure you get your notepad out on your phone and your device when you're watching here. Write these names down. But in the meantime, you could also also run some drafts right now in the Dynasty Draft Simulator, so it's available right now for you. Complete a mock in just minutes. You can customize your league settings and premium subscribers to Fantasy Pros can test out trade scenarios by mocking with their traded draft picks. So prepare for all your rookie drafts and your Dynasty Startup drafts all in one spot. Dynasty Draft Simulator is here to help you dominate your rookie drafts today. Go to fantasypros.com simulator to use the Dynasty Draft Simulator. All right, next up on our list, a tight end, a little pivot point here, Kenyan Sediq, a weapon that a lot of people seal is going to make a real impact right away in 2026 and we've seen more and more tight ends. It used to be the old adage, well, you can never count on a tight end in rookie year. Well, that's not the case anymore. Last couple years has kind of broken the chain of that. Kyle Pitts was the first guy and then the rest of the Bowers group and everybody coming through the McBrides, everybody's really kind of just shown up and balled out even close in Loveland towards the end of last year. So year one Kenyan Sadiq, where do you want him to land and what could he mean for fantasy?
Andrew Erickson
I have no idea where he's going to land number one. I think that there's, there's a reason when you look at his betting odds where he's most likely to go, it's all over the place.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
There's like, he's definitely more enigmatic for. Because we've done, I don't know, countless mock drafts here. I feel like he's gone somewhere different in every single one because I think you can make a case and a lot of those teams outside the top 10 of adding a weapon like Kenya City to their offense, there's not a lot of teams that are just kind of set, you know, in that range of folks where you're like, well, because even a team like the Chiefs you could say, well, Travis Kelsey getting old, maybe Kenyan Sadiq is going to pass the torch. You can make an argument for teams like 11 all the way straight through for Kenyan Sadiq.
Andrew Erickson
He's the perfect, why not pick, right? Like how, how can you, like when you, if you're a team, you draft him. Is your fan base to be like, guys, like, why did we drop this like super young, talented upside tight end. Yeah, like what is wrong with us? Like, no, like he's one of the perfect picks where it's like, I wouldn't knock any team for taking him. So that's why it's really interesting to see which team he ends up going to because I think that that's going to affect a lot of what happens to him fantasy wise in year one. Unfortunately, that's just the way it works when it comes to tight ends. So much of it is about usage and where you are on the pecking order in terms of can you see targets in this offense? When you look at round one tight ends, on average they are pushing 80 targets per year, which is right around the tight end 15 mark. So just being drafted in round one, that should get you at least some element of volume in your respective offense. So for me I had Sadiq going To the Minnesota Vikings. That's where I had him in my first mock draft. I like the fit. In terms of schematically, where does Kevin o' Connell come from? The Rams. What are the Rams been doing the last couple of years using a lot of these heavy tight end sets. So you have Kenya Sadiq with TJ Hawkinson with the two wide receivers, Addison and Justin Jefferson. Now I don't love this for year one for Kenyon Siddiq. I really don't because where does he fall in the target pecking order? Maybe three or even four because Hawkinson is still under contract for one more year. But in year two, okay, you could see him really taking off. Maybe they don't sign Addison long term Hawkinson again on the last term of his contract. So I have Kenny CD kind of in that mid tight end two range because at this point, once you get outside the top 12 tight ends, you're just shooting for upside down. And with a guy like Sadiq Joe, I mean, I don't need to make the case or argument for like, why does this guy have upside? Like, clearly he has a ton of upside because of how athletic he is. I mean that's not even. That's being generous, right? It's like he's a freak. Like that's how athletic this guy is and the fact that he can make so many plays after the catch. I do think though, it's possible that he could have a Terence Ferguson type of year one if he was with the Minnesota bike. He's like, Ferguson really popped. Ferguson was really good at Oregon too. He was around 2 pick last year and he was stuck behind 2 Alpha wide receivers in Devonte Adams and Puka Nakua and stuck in a tight end veteran conglomerate between Colby Parkinson and Tyler Higby. And if that happens in Minnesota with guys like Josh Oliver and TJ Hawkinson, well, you could see it maybe taking a little bit of time for him to start to pop. But even last year we saw Terry Ferguson start to pop off. I mean, Canyon Siddiq, he's going to hold his dynasty value because every time he touches the ball, you're going to see a spark, you're going to see a flash. You're going to be like, yeah, we need to get this guy the ball more. Why not? It's like, hey, he's a rookie, so let's be patient.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I'd like this, honestly. If he falls all the way to the Eagles, I'd like to see him land in Philly and then just kind of remake that offense in a different light because I think it's time to look the best version of that offense is when they were feeding the ball to Saquon Barkley and run a lot of play action, right. And they were doing that stuff and, and getting rid of the ball quick. And don't let Jalen hurts. Have to overthink a lot of the looks and a lot of the reads and things of that nature. And I think that would be a good way to kind of also sell the fan base on. All right, we're moving on from A.J. brown, but you know, we're also adding a piece like Kenyan Sadiq, who we think is going to be a big part of this offense going forward for years to come, but he might not make it that far as we talked about. Like, he. It is wide open, especially in the betting market for him as well. All right, let's talk about the next wide receiver on our list here. KC Concepcion, small, twitchy, certainly can make a lot of big plays and has gone out there on a limb this past weekend, too, saying that he's the best wide receiver in this draft. And I think that's adorable that everybody thinks that they're the best. And, and I think that's good, too. It's. It's good if that's his ego and he believes that because he put the work in and he honestly thinks that good on here. So where would you put the best wide receiver in the draft according to Casey Conception, which is Casey Concepcion. So where does he land here?
Andrew Erickson
I have him going to the Carolina Panthers. So unfortunately, Concepcion, you are not the best receiver on your team in this exercise. But that doesn't mean that you can't be a productive receiver for fantasy football purposes. I think that if he were to go to the Carolina Panthers, who the GM went up there and said, hey, don't dare me to take another wide receiver in round one. I'll do it three years in a row because you got to get Xavier leg off the field, right? Like he is not. He is not helping this Panthers offense move the football. I would love a trio of conception, McMillan and Jalen Coker as a three wide receiver set. And the Panthers just basically saying, hey, we don't want to use tight end again. Carolina, another spot where Sadiq could also end up landing. I think Concepcion here would be a really good fit with what they already have with T Mac as the entrenched alpha and you could have Concepcion just absolutely eat underneath. I think he's just so good after the catch, so explosive. To your point, super twitched up and I think he would help Bryce Young kind of take another step. They got to figure out if Bryce Young is like, hey, are we going to like, extend this guy or are we going to move on from Bryce Young? I know that he's shown flashes over the last couple years again, bringing the Panthers to the playoffs last season. So I do think that Concepcion would be a good fit with Carolina, and I think that unfortunately would probably put him closer to like, wide receiver four territory. But still, round one draft capital. 45% of round one wide receivers have reached at least wide receiver four status in year one since 2013. So I think that maybe he could outproduce where the market would peg him if he does go to the Carolina Panthers.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
All right, let's go back. I know we touched on it earlier, but let's now talk about Omar Cooper Jr. And talk about landing spot for him. Let's predict it and let's say what his fantasy value will be because of it.
Andrew Erickson
New York jets, another player, team connection that the jets seem really interested in Omar Cooper, they have a coaching connection to him with some of the guys that coached at Indiana and the Jets. We know. I know they're going pass rusher with the number two overall pick. And then it's, we need another wide receiver besides Garrett Wilson on this offense because we saw him go down last year and he still led the team in receiving yards and he played in like four games. So they need to get more weapons for Geno Smith and for their quarterback in 2027, whether that be Dante Moore, whether that be Archie Manning. We all know they're going to address the quarterback position Most likely in 2027. So getting some established weapons there for their new rookie quarterback makes a lot of sense. Omar Cooper, he wants a prolative per ESPN of the most explosive player at the wide receiver position. And I tend to agree. He looks like Debo Samuel out there. I know that he's a little bit lighter than Debo, but you just find ways to get the ball in this guy's hand and he's going to make plays, he's going to generate explosive, which is so important in today's game with two high safeties. Okay, how do we generate explosives with short passing plays? Find guys like Omar Cooper, get him the ball quickly. So I think Omar Cooper yards after catch. Yeah, I think he fits really well with that, what the jets are doing.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
You know what I think too, Andrew? Just kind of piggyback your points that you're making there. I Think that the jets could use more guys from successful college programs, too, that are winners? No, I'm not being. I'm actually not being facetious this time talking about the Jets. Most of the time I am, but not this time. I think it matters. And I think that you want to start to bring in guys who can help change the culture of the New York jets because the culture, once again, needs a massive overhaul. And I think when you bring in guys from a place like, you know, like the Signetti program, right, where it's no bs, there's no excuses, you go out there, you play your tail off, and you win football games, I think that's the. That's the secret sauce there to start turning an organization into the better organization, to more of a winning culture, too. And I think it starts with getting guys like Omar Cooper Jr. And whoever else they can get from Indiana or some programs that really, you know, drive that home. All right, next guy on our list is another guy we talked about. Jordan Tyson could go to the Giants at 10. If he doesn't go there, where would another landing spot for Jordan Tyson be? That would entice you. See what I did there? Little play on words and I was off the cuff. I didn't even plan that. You're welcome, America.
Andrew Erickson
That's how you make the big bucks, Joe.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
That's why I'm going to the draft.
Andrew Erickson
Exactly.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I hope I get picked. That's all I get. I'm more of a day two guy, I think.
Andrew Erickson
N. Hey, age.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Age concerns.
Andrew Erickson
Keep your dreams alive. You never know what could happen.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Hey, if Tyler shuck into it, why can't I?
Andrew Erickson
Exactly. You never know. So Jordan Tyson crack. It's funny with Jordan Tyson, him going to the Saints is the only reason why I don't think that he's a lock to be the number 10 overall pick to the Giants because I think that makes the most sense. The Giants haven't connected him. They're sending him to the or. They've gone to the Arizona State pro day. They went to his private workout. They wind and dined with him after the private workout. La, la la. But the Saints pick an eight, and that's two spots ahead of the number 10 overall pick. And the Saints also need a wide receiver. It's Chris Olave. And then you have a bunch of Devon Vale. How committed are they to them or to that particular player? So I think Tyson fits really well. I know that Nick Underhill does a lot of great jobs covering the Saints from a beat reporter's perspective. And he thinks Jordan Tyson is one of the best fits for the New Orleans Saints, and I tend to agree. So, yeah, Tyson, it's all kind of been talked about where the injuries, right. We talked about on the tailgate show where this guy is oozing with upside. He's a target machine twitched up similar to Casey Concepcion, but a little bit awareness to his game to some points. And then obviously the injuries where he's been missing a lot of games. But as I also pointed out, he keeps coming back from these injuries somehow and we just saw it again, right? He's injured, he hurts his hamstring and then he has his private workout. So apparently he's now clear and ready to go. And I think with the Saints specifically, I think this is like a sneaky good landing spot for him because the fact that Chris Olave is there, entrenched as the number one, I think will kind of keep his price in check. But I could see a scenario where it's more of a 1A 1B situation. Recall that when Shahid was in this offense to start the year, Chris Olave and Rashidji were both seeing a ton of volume in this offense, although it was Spencer Rattler at a quarterback even with Tyler Schuck. What do we see from this Kellen Moore offense all the time up tempo, we see a ton of passing attempts. So I think you could really see both Olave and Jordan Tyson benefit to playing in this office with Tyler Schuck in his second season with Kellen Moore calling the shot. So I think whichever receiver honestly ends up with New Orleans is going to be a really good spot because I think they're going to be just like suppressed price wise enough because they're deemed as the number two wide receiver when they could actually see enough volume where it's more of a 1A 1B situation.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
With Chris Olave, two more prospects to talk about and two more sleepers. Andrew, let's start with one of the prospects, Denzel Boston. One of my favorite guys in the draft that I think is going to be a very good NFL player. So where do you want to put him, Andrew? Come on, let's go. Let's predict his landing spot.
Andrew Erickson
Well, I'm sorry to report that he's going to Cleveland Browns.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Well, Denzel, I enjoyed your college career because that was fun.
Andrew Erickson
The Cleveland Browns, I'm convinced that they're going to go tackle with their first pick and then they're going to draft whatever receiver is left from this big.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
You're probably right.
Andrew Erickson
And in this kind of scenario I did. All the other receivers are off the board at this point. So it is Denzel Boston that is picked last, unfortunately in kickball, and he's going to end up playing for the Cleveland Browns. Now, maybe that's not the worst thing in the world. I mean, it hasn't really worked out for most players that get picked by the Cleveland Browns. But I think Denzel Boston fits what Todd Monkin is looking for. He talked about in one of his press conferences this year, big size, physical ball skills. That's what he's looking for in a wide receiver. And that's a lot of what Denzel Boston does really well, what he did well at Washington. So unfortunately, this means at the end of Cedric Tillman, pour one out for Cedric Tillman. He's gonna get cut from all these dynasty rosters. Joe, I got. I meant to ask you this. Who are you least looking forward to cutting from your dynasty roster to make room for these rookies?
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Well, you know, I like Tillman. I actually don't have him on my dynasty roster, but I was a Tillman fan when they drafted him. Well, I know you're gonna be unfortunately dropping a lot of Effton Chisholm shares, especially after this.
Andrew Erickson
Oh, yeah. Brown stuff goes down is no longer hism at this.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
And Chisholm can't be hism as long as AJB wide receiver One season. Yeah. Isn't here for the season. Yeah. Gosh, for me, it's really tricky because I'm just coming off a dynasty championship. I just want to say with some of our most astute dynasty fans, like, I'm in a league with a bunch of our discord nerds and it's been a rough go there, but I finally made it to the championship and won and it's very tough. I'm. I'm gonna have to look real hard. I'm still trying to trade these draft picks away for more talent. I really don't like. I'm at 110. I don't like where I'm at. That's.
Andrew Erickson
That's bad.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I know it was bad. But also I don't have a second round pick because I moved. I had a phenomenal. I could not have had a better draft last year. My draft was Tetero, McMillan, Cam, Scatterboo, Bashell, Tutin. Like I just crushed the draft last year and I identified the guys I like. I even got common on guy in that draft. But I gotta tell you, Andrew, like, it is tough. Like it's starting to look at the age of guys like Keenan Allen, like, can I get anything for him? Or I just release him and let him go? Am I looking at dropping another tight end like Gunner Helm back even though I found him to be an interesting piece potentially, depending on how this draft goes. It's tough, man. It's tough. I know. Chisholm's the easy drop for you. I know.
Andrew Erickson
Yeah, I got. I know. I have Tyler Lockett on a Dynasty team that I've had forever and it kind of pains me that I might have to cut him.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
You have to cut him. Hey, look, I picked up Derek Carr a couple weeks ago too, just because I thought maybe he comes out of retirement and if so, in super flex, you can never have enough quarterbacks. I think we've learned that. And you know what? I still think there's a chance he shows up in training camp, but I don't want to cut him yet. That's the thing.
Andrew Erickson
I got which team,
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
man. Oh, maybe it could be whoever gets injured. I honestly thought the jets would have been in the best spot. But that's the problem is too they have to negotiate with the Saints.
Andrew Erickson
Cardinals. He's not showing up to practice.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
You know, I've heard a lot of buzz in the last 24 hours about Jeremiah Love to the Cardinals. And I'll tell you what, considering they went defense with their entire draft last year, I'm not mad at that. If they think that Love is the best player and it's going to turn them around, there's gonna give him a superstar talent and next year is their class for quarterbacks. Okay, cool. Go do it. And I know you signed Algier. I get it. Like, I know that's gonna retro. I don't care. Just do the best, get the best player.
Andrew Erickson
Why do we got to keep doing Tyler Jill so dirty like this? The guy has a great rookie year.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
They drafted John Robinson and then it's like goodwill hunting. It's not his fault. I will hug him and tell him it's not his fault and then we'll
Andrew Erickson
send him to let Tyler have his Michael Turner moment. Okay? Like sit behind a stud player and have his chance. He's leaving the Falcons. It's like the opposite of Michael Turner who went to the Falcons. Look, I. I just like how, man. I just wanted to get a chance.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
It's a great question. Drop your comments below. Who are you dropping in your dynasty leagues? I'd love to see that. Drop it in the YouTube comments. Subscribe to the YouTube channel.
Andrew Erickson
Whenever I do, whenever I do my cuts Before, I always send out the gif of the Joker from the. The Dark Knight. When he breaks the. No, he breaks the pool. Yeah, the pool stick is like, we're having tryouts. This is how I decide. I have to cut between all these guys that are on the fringe of my roster. Tryouts.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I don't want to drop a manor. I. I got him late last year, too. I got Tori Horton last year, too. I like him as a. As a talent. I'm in a really precarious scenario. I'm. Honestly, the best thing I could do is just keep trading picks into next year's draft. That's what I'd like to do.
Andrew Erickson
When in doubt, just trade it for 20.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I might even trade that 110 for a second round next year. To be honest.
Andrew Erickson
Like, guys, Howie Roseman's training for 2027 picks. Like, learn from the Masters.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Follow Howie. Whatever Howie does, he wants the Patriots
Andrew Erickson
2027 first because it's going to be higher than 31 is this year and it's way better. He's not. He's.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
No doubt they're not getting back to the super bowl next year.
Andrew Erickson
Kids, even with AJB teams that lose
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
the super bowl don't get back to the Super Bowl. Actually, the one team that did in the last 25 years, the last 25 years, only one team was the Patriots, but that was Tom Brady.
Andrew Erickson
I think we're in a situation, again, not to get off topic, but with the Patriots, that they could be better than they were last year but not win as many games.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
They could be better and still fall short in the playoffs. I mean, yeah, I still worry about Denver. I still worry about a couple. All right, everyone's sick of us talking about that. Let's get to the last running back here on the list here. Jadarian Price could go in the first round. Might not give me a landing spot. Prediction for Price. And let's talk about the fantasy value off of it.
Andrew Erickson
So I had him going to the Houston Texans. They have two. I like this in the second round. I'm not. I don't think Seattle's going to take him in the first round. I think Seattle has bigger fish to fry. I think that they.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
I think Seattle trades out of that pick. I really.
Andrew Erickson
I also agree that that's probably the most likely. They don' have that many picks anyway, so. They already have. Don't. They already don't have many picks and they're going to spend it on a running back. I. I can't see it. But we'll see what ends up happening. But Houston, that's why I like this a little bit more as a potential pick. The Texans have shown interest in Price during the process. They've had a couple meetings with him, 30 visits. So price to me, with the Houston Texans, obviously you have David Montgomery coming in as the veteran he's projected to be the Bell CO as it is right now. I think that pours some cold water on him being a three down type of running back. But I think Price coming in is a nice compliment to David Montgomery. Where Dave Montgomery is your banger running back, it kind of replicates what we saw with Detroit where you had the Sonic and Knuckles type of explosiveness with Gibbs out of the backfield as a receiver and then you had Dave Montgomery kind of the grinder back running in between the tackles being used in the red zone. I could see something similar with Jadarian Price. However, if Price goes to the Houston Texans, you know his Price is not going to be anywhere near where it's been with these other round two running backs. Think about how expensive Henderson was last year and RJ Harvey was last year. Do you think Jadarian Price is going to be around for pick if he goes to the Houston Texans? I tend to think not. I think Montgomery's established himself enough where he can hold off a pretty sizable lead in terms of where he is ranked because I do think that he should be the higher ranked guy. But I think Jerry and Price could definitely make some noise again. He carved out a role with Jeremiah Love, who many people believe is the best player in this year's draft. Well, Jerry and Price forced his way onto the field without injury because of how good he thinks that he is and he can be and how effective he can be at the next level. So great vision. I think he can carve out a role so I would probably rank him kind of in that RB3 range between 30 and 40. But obviously a lot of upside for second half the season if Montgomery gets banged up. And also too, you got to have good vision if you're gonna run behind a crappy offensive line. And that still may be the case in Houston. So Dave Montgomery, hey, it may not be super great even he's seeing a lot of volume. So that's kind of how I see Jerry Price things shaking out if he's a Houston Texan.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
All right. And we had a great conversation on the tailgate. Go watch about some running backs that have been from multiple, multiple running backs being successful in the NFL from the same backfield in college. It happens a lot more than you realize. It's pretty stunning. I mean everything from the Thurman Thomas, Barry Sanders back in the day all the way through some more recent guys too. And of course the years of the U. It was like Portis and McGahey and all these guys like it happens. Okay kids, so just don't think just because these guys shared a bathroom the price is oh that much worse necessarily than Jeremiah Love. Jeremiah Love is all world and, and price is really, really good. So just keep that in mind.
Andrew Erickson
I think my favorite example of that, not the most recent one which was the Roshan Johnson one. Roshan obviously did not fire at the NFL. I know he's had a lot of injuries. But the one that I always think about, I always think is interesting is the Alvin Camara and Jalen Hurd type of backfield deployment where Jalen Hurd was like this running back, wide receiver convert. And I don't remember which school because Camara had played multiple schools. One of the schools, the coaching staff played Jalen Hurd over Alvin Camara. And that's why I thought Jalen Hurt would be such like a. This guy played over Alvin Camara at college. Like he must be really good. Which ended up not being the case whatsoever. And it was just now these coaches are just not using their, their good players in the right way. So.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Makes sense. All right boys and girls, it's time to get to the sleepers here. Before we do that, just a shout out to a sponsor of our show, Hard Rock Bed. Today's show is brought to you by Hard Rock Bet Florida's sports book. And of course NBA action is here. It's playoff time, it's winner go home. So you can build your same game parlays and get in on the NBA action. Right now they've got lots of same game parlay built tools for you to go in there and check it out over at betting pros and use that stuff over at Hard Rock Bet. And it lets you bet live in game as well from the first bucket to the final buzzer. And if you sign up today, you could double your winnings on your first 10 bets, max of 50 bucks. That means if you would have won 100 in the first 10 bets you can win 200. That's how doubling works. And of course every day they've got new promos going on but you can't see them if you don't download the Hard Rock bet. So download it today and get the party started with Hard Rock Bet. Payball and bonus bets not a cash offer offered by the Seminole Tribe of Florida and Florida offered by Seminole Hard Rock Digital LLC and other states must be 21 plus in physically present in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee or Virginia. Play terms and conditions apply. Concerned about gambling in Florida, call 1833 PLAYWISE in Indiana. If you or someone you know is a gambling problem wants help, call 1809 with it gambling problem, call 1-800-Gambler in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia. Erickson. Let's go to some day. Two sleeper guys here. I know one of this, one of these guys that we talked about at length, you, myself and Debro on the show and we're all kind of feel excited about him and the other guy is one I don't think we haven't talked a lot about. Let's start with a guy who's maybe the Swiss Army Knife, but more of a Navy guy.
Andrew Erickson
More of a Navy guy. Eli Heidereich Running back, wide receiver, whatever slot wide receiver. I don't know. I don't know what he's gonna play at the next level but I know that he is a really fun player to draft in fantasy football. So he has been Navy's leading receiver over the last three seasons. He's improved every single year that he has been there. He set Navy's all time receiving yards record per playerprofiler.com he had a 45 target share last year. He had more receiving yards per game than Casey Concepcion who we think is a top five wide receiver in this class. They threw the ball at Navy less than 14 times per game. He averaged 72.4 receiving yards per game last season yards per outrun 3.94. That is off the charts. Last year he finished as PFF's highest rated receiver, first in yards per out run. And now you factor in what he's done as a rusher. He was second in EPA per attempt behind only Jeremiah Love. So we're mixing together all these like top end players. We're talking about going in the first round and then this guy from Navy just pops up. Now that's obviously the caveat, right? Okay, well are these numbers just real? Is this all fake because he went to Navy? Yeah, that's possible that these, these numbers could all be fake. It doesn't mean anything. But at the price of a rookie third round pick in a weak running back class, this is give me all the upside. 99th percentile. 3 cone. He had the fastest 3 cone of anybody in this Class anybody at any position. This guy is agile. AF baby. Like, come on.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Like, his tape is fun too. If you get a chance to watch his highlights and watch his tape, watch his tape. If you've never seen it, it's just fun.
Andrew Erickson
He's a fun player. And Joe, I kid you not, if Bill Belichick was still the head coach of the Patriots, he would be a second round pick to New England.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Yes. And. And they. And the Patriots not be a playoff team because of that.
Andrew Erickson
Exactly. And I wouldn't say that would be
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
a Cole Strange for and Alex, can we get. I'll never forget that. I'll never forget. I think it was the Rams, right? The Rams.
Andrew Erickson
Yeah.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
At right. Sitting there and go, oh, they took Strange. Well, I guess we wasted our time looking at him at pick 100. Yeah, that was 100.
Andrew Erickson
Yeah. Brutal.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
All right, so Heidenreich, good time. Give me one more sleeper day two that you got your eye on. Then maybe give him a landing spot too.
Andrew Erickson
Hide and write. Great time. Let's. Let's be.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Great time.
Andrew Erickson
Great time.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Where's the height and Reich landing spot of joy? Where. Where is it? Be honest.
Andrew Erickson
I mean, just somewhere with a offensive playmaker that is creative. He has to go somewhere. Where.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Yeah, see, to me it's like, oh, man, I would love to see what Mike McDaniel would do with him, but I just don't know if he fits necessarily the Chargers mold. But who knows? Maybe it's a new mold there.
Andrew Erickson
It's interesting because I don't imagine a team would just take him because for S's and G's, like, oh, like this guy did a bunch of stuff like, let's just take him. I. I would imagine that whoever takes him had some idea of, okay, we actually watched this guy. We watched him be like a slot back basically, because he was always like
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
all like a Danny Woodhead ish kind of guy. He's like that kind of mold.
Andrew Erickson
You know, Danny Woodhead is the.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Also played for the Chargers, FYI is
Andrew Erickson
the safe comp when I'm out here saying, oh, this guy's like very, very, very poor man. Cmc because their testing was like exactly the same. They're built exactly the same in terms of their weight, in terms of their height, in terms of their.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
You just can't put Navy stuff against
Andrew Erickson
the last thing you mentioned.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
He was the offense.
Andrew Erickson
He was the offense. He built the ship out of Eli Heiden Reich. So enough about him. But in third rounds of rookie drafts, if you're in the discord. We've been doing these every single day of the last couple weeks. I take him in third round every single rookie draft because I just think that once you get to a point with these rookie running back class, he's got the most upside and if he goes to a bad team, bad landing spot, you can just cut bait and move on. Didn't. It didn't translate from Navy. Oh well, I'll move on. So moving on to the other rookie sleeper here, Ted Hurst, wide receiver from Georgia State, soon to be 22 years old, 6 foot 4, 206 pounds, 27 catches of targets of 20 plus air yards over the past two seasons. That's the most in the FBS. So what I'm looking for in rookie wide receivers that can outproduce their draft capital is a lot of the times how do they make plays and damage downfield. And that has been Ted Hurst's game over the past few seasons at Georgia State. According to Sports Info Solutions, his target rate over expectation was 11.9%. That's second in the class, only behind Jordan Tyson and it's one of the highest in the past four seasons, along with guys like Puka Nakua and Rashi Rice and Troy Horton. That was the other guy too. Another guy that popped off as a late round pick. So when I'm looking for what Hurst checks off in terms of the boxes of a rookie sleeper, he checks off a ton of things. Now going back to where did he do his production? Georgia State. That's where you're going to poke holes in. Well, are these real numbers? Can he translate? We don't know that necessarily, but when he's been asked to move up in levels of competition again, he before Georgia State he was at valdoza state in 2022, 2023, but then immediately transferred to Georgia State and immediately produces in his first year with that program. And there were talks that he was going to transfer to Texas A and M like Texas AM really wanted him, ended up staying at Georgia State because he wanted to be faithful to the program. So I know DBRO is a big fan of Ted Hurst. I like his game a lot. I think that he's got the route running. I think that there is a little bit of rawness to him. I think there is room for him to develop a little bit more. But again we are chasing upside here with some of these picks and he can stand out. He's not one of these players where oh well, he can only play the slot. This guy can play all over the field, makes plays down the field, explosive, tested really well at the combine, showed out at the Senior bowl where you are facing tougher competition. So for all those reasons, I think Ted Hurst, he's another one of these players that in my rookie drafts, later in the drafts, late round second, early round third, you can't get him in a lot of these rookie discord drafts they're doing because the thirst for Hearst Joe is real.
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
There it is, there it is. Can't get better than that. Drop your comments below everybody. YouTube Channel subscribe to Fantasy Pros Stay with us for the NFL Draft, especially night one Thursday night. We will be here for all that coverage. So we want you to hang out with us for all of the drafts. Day one, day two, day three, all the times 7:30pm Eastern. Be there again. Ring that bell till it goes ding. And of course make sure you subscribe to our Dynasty channel as well for more draft coverage and the Tailgate NFL, our new channel where we just talk ball. No scripts, no nonsense. We're just hanging out and talking football. And I'm telling you right now, I think it's going to be a huge channel. I love what we're doing over there. Some of the shows we've done, we just did a top 100 board show where we just picked apart prospects and we had the best time ever. Bogman, Dbro and myself. So check out Tailgate NFL right now and subscribe to that channel also so you can enjoy all the football you could possibly handle. That'll do it for us, but the story of the game goes on. For Andrew Erickson, I'm Joey P. We will see you next time. Kids. Enjoy the NFL Draft.
Andrew Erickson
Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Podcast. If you love the show, the best free way to support us is by
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
leaving a positive review on apple podcasts@fantasypros.com
Andrew Erickson
review or on Spotify. Follow us on X Instagram and Tik Tok at Fantasy Pros and subscribe to
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
our YouTube channel at YouTube.com fantasypros.
Podcast Advertiser
Are you looking for support in your weight management journey? Zepbound Tirzepatide may be able to help. Zepbound is a prescription medicine used with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity or some adults with overweight who also have weight related medical problems to lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. Zepbound is Approved as a 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 12.5 or 15mg injection. Zepbound contains Tirzepatide and should not be used with other tirzepatide containing products or any GLP1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepound is safe and effective for use in children. Don't share needles or pens or reuse needles. Don't take if allergic to it or if you or someone in your family had medullary thyroid cancer or if you've had multiple endocrine needles syndrome type 2. Tell your doctor if you get a lump or swelling in your neck. Stop Zepbound and call your doctor if you have severe stomach pain or a serious allergic reaction. Severe side effects may include inflamed pancreas or gallbladder problems. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes before scheduled procedures with anesthesia. If you're nursing pregnant, plan to be or taking birth control pills. Taking Zepbound with a sulfonylurea or insulin may cause low blood sugar. Side effects include nausea, diarrhea and vomiting, which can cause dehydration and worsen kidney problems. Talk to your doctor, call 1-800-545-5979 or
Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
visit zepbound.lilly.com Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this rush hour ad to keep you calm, which could help your driving. And science says therapy is great for a healthy mindset, so enjoy this 14 second session on us. I think you've done everything right and absolutely nothing wrong. In fact, that hasn't gone your way. Could probably be blamed on your father not being emotionally available because his father wasn't emotionally available and so on. And now that you're calm and healing, you're probably driving better too.
Podcast Advertiser
Liberty Liberty Liberty Liberty this is an Iheart podcast. Guaranteed human.
Release Date: April 21, 2026
Host: Joey P. (Joe P. Zappia)
Guest Analyst: Andrew Erickson
This episode dives deep into 2026 NFL Draft predictions, prospect landing spots, and—most importantly—how these moves impact fantasy football strategy for the upcoming season and beyond. Joe P. and Andrew Erickson analyze big trades, rumors, top rookie prospects, potential fantasy breakouts, and overlooked sleepers. The conversation combines sharp data-based insights with FantasyPros’ trademark lively banter, arming listeners with actionable advice as rookie drafts loom.
Dexter Lawrence Trade: Bengals & Giants Impact
A.J. Brown Trade Rumors: Eagles to Patriots
Discussion on whether Mendoza will start Week 1, supplanting Kirk Cousins.
Andrew: "I would say probably lean earlier rather than later. I would say like week four...I just don't think that [Cousins] has it anymore." (08:01)
Joey: “I think Fernando Mendoza is the week one starter.” (09:58)
Top Fantasy Beneficiary:
Jeremiah Love (Notre Dame)
Jadarian Price (Notre Dame)
Carnell Tate (Ohio State)
Makai Lemon
KC Concepcion
Omar Cooper Jr.
Denzel Boston
Jordan Tyson
Eli Heidenreich (Navy)
Ted Hurst (Georgia State)
Prospect landing spots and corresponding fantasy values remain fluid but several names—Jeremiah Love, Carnell Tate, Makai Lemon, Kenyan Sadiq, Eli Heidenreich, and Ted Hurst—stand out as must-watch players, especially given their unique profiles, strong data, and team fits.
The episode balances big-picture draft strategy (dynasty trade hacks, careful vet cutting) with hard stats, offering listeners a fun, information-packed edge for the 2026 fantasy football season.
Pro Tip: Make sure to subscribe to FantasyPros on YouTube and check out their Tailgate channel for live NFL Draft reactions and further rookie coverage.