Podcast Summary: The Audible – "13 High Upside Players We Need to Draft in Fantasy Football"

Podcast: The Audible
Hosts: Footballguys (Evan Silva, Brandon Thorne, Sigmund Bloom)
Date: August 14, 2025
Main Theme:
Expert fantasy football analysts dive deep on which high-upside players they are targeting in drafts this season—emphasizing cost, opportunity, scheme, and how to make stand-out, league-winning picks. The episode features bold opinions, back-and-forth banter, and real-time debate about draft philosophy, ADP, and positional value.

Key Players & Insights

Ricky Pearsall: A Favorite High-Upside Target

(01:05 – 04:07)

• Brandon Thorne: "Ricky Pearsall is still in a very affordable ADP price range. I love taking Ricky Pearsall."
  • Raved about Pearsall’s rise in ADP but believes he’ll outperform current draft cost, now ranking him 63rd overall.
  • Noted his elite ability to beat man coverage (citing Matt Harmon's Reception Perception), as well as his inspiring comeback from a gunshot wound.
  • Relationship issues and injuries with Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings “parting the seas” for Pearsall’s opportunity.
  • SF offense described as “super high efficiency” under Kyle Shanahan no matter the situation.
  • "I think that Ricky Pearsall is going to be a big part of the 49ers getting back [to success]."
• Evan Silva: Compared Pearsall to Terry McLaurin in terms of upside and predicted a 13-1400 yard season as realistic:
  • “We should not let our imagination limit what Ricky Pearsall [can do]. 13, 1400 yards…is not outlandish at all.”

George Kittle: Set for a Big Year?

(04:07 – 08:46)

• Evan Silva: “I'm excited to draft George Kittle in the fourth round.”

• Brandon Thorne:

  • “He's an auto-click in the fourth round.”
  • Acknowledged Kittle’s age (approaching 32) but emphasized elite production and durability.
  • “He led all tight ends in yards per route run last year.”
  • Projected a target bump with more targets available: “If we can get George Kittle into the 6, 7, 8 target per game range—look out.”
  • Ranks Kittle above Trey McBride and considers him an efficiency beast.

• Memorable Moment: (08:46)
  Thorne: Recounts sending a reel of Kittle as a dominant blocker to Doug Gottlieb, disproving critics with “face-melting” clips.

Christian McCaffrey: First-Round Discussion

(09:14 – 12:28)

• Evan Silva:

  • "In the first round, you have to take a stand...Christian McCaffrey, I think, embodies that more than anybody."
  • Notes that “no news is good news” regarding CMC’s health and usage.

• Brandon Thorne:

  • Cautions about mileage and age (turning 30 this season), and his disappointing previous fantasy postseason.
  • "I have him at number 11 overall. So I never, ever get Christian McCaffrey and it scares me."
  • Believes others in the top-10 are less risky but concedes CMC has “Hall of Fame level talent.”

Rams Uncertainty: Puka Nacua & Davante Adams

(13:52 – 18:31)

• Matthew Stafford’s Injury: Serious concerns as he repeatedly misses return targets; this affects the outlook for Rams WRs.
• Nacua:
  • Thorne: “I do think Jimmy Garoppolo would be good enough [for Nacua], but we want Stafford for Davante Adams, no questions asked.”
  • Nacua praised as a potential “psychopath” (in a good way): “The secondary...was doing good against everyone except Puka Nakua because he's a psychopath." (16:55)
  • Anecdote: At BYU, doubts about work ethic yet his talent has proven undeniable.
• Davante Adams: More risk, needing Stafford back to reach ceiling.

RB Tier Sorting: Bijan, Gibbs, Barkley

(19:49 – 24:40)

• Discussion:
  • How to rank Bijan Robinson, Jameer Gibbs, Saquon Barkley.
  • Thorne:
    • “Jameer Gibbs is like way better than David Montgomery.”
    • Points out Detroit’s tougher schedule means more Gibbs and less blowouts.
    • “I actually have Jameer Gibbs first overall right now.”
    • Aging concerns for Barkley (five years older than Gibbs/Bijan), massive touch count.
  • Evan Silva: “When we have to split hairs between these top three, the two are on the upside of their career…Barkley is at the peak, not in decline.”

Other Noteworthy Picks and Positions

Breece Hall: Cooling ADP, Looming Threat

(26:32 – 28:38)

• Thorne: Breece’s situational issues—risk of being out-carried by Braylon Allen, uncertain role in a run-heavy offense with limited pass attempts.
  • “There's a chance he could get out-carried by Braylon Allen…This is just not adding up to me on paper with Breece Hall.”

Omarion Hampton: Breakout Rookie

(29:10 – 32:23)

• Given Najee Harris’ lengthy injury, “Hampton’s an auto-click in the third round.”
• Highly productive in college, versatile, faces minimal competition for touches.
  • “It’s adding up like…offensive rookie of the year type season for Omarion Hampton.”

Rookie RBs Rising: R.J. Harvey & TreVeyon Henderson

(34:09 – 36:24)

• Harvey: Question if first-team reps mean anything (J.K. Dobbins reportedly missed start due to misplaced helmet). Take reports with skepticism.
• Henderson: Electric preseason, but still has to contend with Rhamondre Stevenson in a split backfield.

Seattle Backfield: Walker vs. Charbonnet

(38:59 – 40:15)

• Thorne: Health remains the central concern for Kenneth Walker.
  • “When he's healthy, he's the main back…like a 65 to 70 [percent] share over Zach Charbonnet. But he's not healthy.”
• Offensive environment downgraded; cautious optimism for either RB only at the right draft price.

Draft Philosophy & Tactics

Stand on Your Guys

(12:28)

• Silva: “We've come full circle back to…who do you believe in? Who do you want to be on your team? …Not [about] tricks and shortcuts.”

The Importance of the Second-Year Leap

(34:09, 36:24)

• Hosts emphasize that sophomore players—often overlooked—could deliver career jumps and league-winning seasons.

Late RB Flyers (“Seventh Round Running Back Love”)

(40:15 – 41:00)

• “One of them is going to do it…how many of them?” Names like Damien Martinez, Jacory Crosby Merit discussed as worth reaching for earlier than ADP in deep drafts.

Quarterback Draft Strategy

Favorite QB Targets

(42:14 – 45:33)

• Thorne: Justin Fields (mobile upside, could finish as top 5); Dak Prescott climbing as he projects 5000+ yards and Dallas’s offense “flows through CeeDee Lamb.”
• Silva: “Finding myself taking a lot of Jalen Hurts…Eagles are going to pass more this year. It’s just math.”

Tyreek Hill & Dolphins – Red Flags

(45:33 – 50:05)

• Both Silva and Thorne are out on Tyreek.

  • Declining metrics (lowest yards per route run), age (31), off-field concerns and locker room tension.
  • Silva: “When it comes right down to it…who do I want on my team? I don’t want Tyreek Hill on my team.”
  • Thorne: “I can’t click it.”

• Memorable Line: (49:56)
  "Tyreek Hill has acted kind of crazy on social media and I just, I don’t know where his head is at. And I don’t know if he’s going to be a member of the Dolphins by the end of the season."

Closing: Off-Topic – The Soul of Baseball

(52:29 – End)

• The last 10+ minutes are a heartfelt, funny detour about baseball’s meaning, childhood dreams, fatherhood, and family.
  • Brandon Thorne: Season ticket holder for the Cubs, takes his daughter to games—she's 15–2 attending, called a “good luck charm.”
    • “They treat her like a little queen…she’s going to know that for the rest of her life.”
  • Evan Silva: Deeply nostalgic about baseball, Pittsburgh Pirates, family traditions, and how these mirror football fandom.

Notable Quotes

• Evan Silva (regarding draft philosophy, 12:28):
  “Who do you want to be on your team?... We've come full circle back to…not tricks and shortcuts.”
• Brandon Thorne (on rookie RB Omarion Hampton, 31:04):
  “I think it’s adding up like…offensive rookie of the year type season for Omarion Hampton.”
• Silva on Tyreek Hill, (48:42):
  “When it comes right down to it…who do I want on my team? I don’t want Tyreek Hill on my team.”
• Thorne (regarding Cubs & baseball, 58:29):
  “They treat her like a little queen…she’s going to know that for the rest of her life because that’s what we do.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:05: Ricky Pearsall as a top upside draft pick
• 06:06: George Kittle as a fourth-round steal
• 09:14: What to do with Christian McCaffrey
• 13:52: Rams uncertainty—Nacua & Adams value
• 19:49: Ranking Bijan, Gibbs, Barkley
• 26:32: Breece Hall’s fantasy risks
• 29:10: Omarion Hampton, rookie RB upside
• 34:09: RJ Harvey and Travion Henderson rookie watch
• 38:59: Kenneth Walker’s injury and Seattle RBs
• 42:14: Favorite QB values: Fields, Prescott, Hurts
• 45:33: Red flags on Tyreek Hill, why to avoid
• 52:29: Baseball, family, and life beyond fantasy football

Episode Takeaways

• The hosts are united in their love for upside toward late 3rd/4th round talents (Pearsall, Kittle, Hampton, Nacua) and are skeptical about declining veterans and problematic situations (Tyreek Hill, Breece Hall).
• They advocate focusing less on consensus ADP and more on your conviction—“your guys”—especially early in the draft.
• Late rounds are for swinging big on rookie/sleeper running backs and certain sophomore leaps.
• The spirit and fun of fantasy football is as much about the community, stories, and traditions—as shown when the episode closes on the love of baseball and family, reinforcing the joys beyond the draft room.

Summary prepared for fantasy football managers: Want to win your league? Draft for upside, know where you stand, make bold calls, and pick players you genuinely believe in. Avoid the aging stars with mounting risk, and don’t overlook the fun or the feelings—whether it’s building your team, being with family, or cheering for those long-shot heroes.