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Seth Wilcock
We're balling on a budget. That's right, it's our favorite 2025 fantasy football value Picks welcome into Fantasy Pros. I'm your host Seth Wilcock and today I'm joined by both Pat Fitzmaurice and Derrick Brown. In this video, we'll help you make the most of your draft capital this season with four players who are going way too low in drafts. And before we jump in traffic, just want to shout out everyone who's watching on the Fancy Pros YouTube channel or listening on the podcast feed. Thank you so much for hanging out with us. As always, the easiest free way to support us. Give this video a thumbs up if you enjoy this type of content. Also, make sure you subscribe if you're new. We got a lot of content coming for you in season and a whole lot more in between now and then. And let's pop the top off with Fitz's favorite or second favorite value pick for 2025. What do you have for us, my friend?
Pat Fitzmaurice
My second favorite value pick for 2025 Seth is Teteroa McMillan, the rookie wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers. His ECR is wide receiver 2859 overall. I have him at wide receiver 2146 overall.
Derrick Brown
Wow.
Pat Fitzmaurice
I think McMillan is being undervalued because people are always hesitant to invest too aggressively in rookies who have blank NFL resumes. And in this case there's probably also some baked in hesitation to trust Bryce Young, even though he was playing quite well by the end of the 202024 season. I just I hope our viewers and listeners will take advantage of the malaise toward Ted Aroma McMillan like he is a truly outstanding prospect. He was drafted eighth overall and averaged 108.8 yards per game over his final two college seasons. He's an advanced route runner. And oh by the way, Tedeau McMillan is 6 foot 5. There is some touchdown upside there. The Panthers other receivers are Adam Thielen, who's about to turn 35 Xavier Leggette, who was pretty awful as a rookie, and Jalen Coker, who like Debro I'm actually pretty fond of. But let's face it, I mean Coker is an undrafted former free agent from Holy Cross. Useful supporting cast member, not someone who's going to siphon a lot of targets away from soon to be leading man Tetaroa McMillan. Carolina just doesn't have much pass catching firepower at tight end either. Panthers are probably going to have one of the worst defenses in the league this season, and if Carolina is trying to keep up with high scoring opponents, they're going to have to be passing the ball at a higher than average rate. I think it's very possible Teoa McMillan finishes top 10 in targets as a rookie and if that happens, we're going to look back in utter astonishment at his ECR of wide receiver 28th Man.
Seth Wilcock
I'm completely in with you and I just got sniped trying to pick Tedro McMillan in Scott Fishbowl here in the past week. So still a little bit bitter. And dbro, I know as a prospect you like Tet quite a Do you still like him? With the question marks that surround this Carolina Panthers offense under Dave Canales, I.
Derrick Brown
I, I'm emphatically nodding my head the entire time. Fitzy is just walking us through this because I cannot agree more with him. I've got Tedro McMillan as wide receiver 1738. Wow. Like I just wow. He's a wide receiver too man. He's through and through. And I think for everything Fitzy lays out, this is a case of people, Tedro and McMillan getting too much shade. People just wanting to shade that wide receiver class as a whole and people talking at both sides of their mouth saying okay well he's too slow to be a top 10 pick but then he is. And then saying well but we want to comp into Drake London but oh he's not that good but but he is. And the part about the offense that I really want to illuminate here, that gives the upside for Ted outside of the the pathway for him to be the un like unquestioned wide receiver. One alpha in this offense is also that Carolina last year it's really going under the radar guys. They were 4th in red zone passing rate, 12th in passing rate inside of the 10 yard line. If this offense takes another step, if Bryce Young can be the guy he was in weeks 12 through 18. Tedro McMillan, I've already bet the over for his receiving touchdowns at betting pros. Right now he he has double digit touchdown upside in his range of outcomes. Unquestionably.
Seth Wilcock
Wow. Okay. A couple names I just want to throw out. Would you rather hear for you, Pat and D Bro, Tyree Kill or Tetaroa?
Pat Fitzmaurice
Ted, It's Tyree Kill for me.
Seth Wilcock
I'm taking Terry McLaren.
Derrick Brown
That's really close. I think I have them.
Pat Fitzmaurice
I've got McLaren ranked higher.
Derrick Brown
I think I have them back to back. Yeah. I mean, I've got. I've got Ted at 17 and McLaurin at 18. Some of the holdout hold in stuff could sway that like right now in a vacuum. I'll take Ted.
Seth Wilcock
DJ Moore.
Derrick Brown
Oh, it's easy, Ted. Not even close.
Pat Fitzmaurice
I do have McMillan ranked higher.
Seth Wilcock
Okay. All right, Dbro, you're heading to Nashville for your second favorite value. What are you seeing value wise down there on Broadway?
Derrick Brown
Tony Pollard. He's standing on Broadway and he's saying, come on, love me, love me. Why do you not love me? He was a top 24 running back last year and everything about his situation improved. And yet right now he's 66 overall. He's the RB26NCR. He's my 52nd overall player. I have him at RB19. And so yes, I'm ext. I'm expecting him to take a step forward. He is the guy like one of the guys you can get in those middle rounds where it's just. It's talent and it's also volume. So he's the perfect RB2 for regardless of however you're building your teams or flex play this guy. Everything around him got better. They made additions to the offensive line. We know the coaching for that offensive line is going to be good in Tennessee. Cam Ward hopefully is directing a better offense. And I know people are like, oh, what about Taj Spears, dude? Pollard proved last year again that he can be a workhorse. He can be a bell cow. He was ninth in snap share, opportunity share and weighted opportunities. And I know people say, well, that if Spears is more is healthier, does that come down? Pollard's the unquestioned leader of this backfield. Maybe a snapshare goes from like 75% to 70%. Sit in the high 60s, he's still going to be the leader as far as when they get into the red zone. And as far as volume, again, RB22 and fantasy points per game. Last year he was. He was top 20 and both explosive run rate and sixth in yards after contact per attempt. So that per touch efficiency is back for Tony Pollard. He was the RB15 and expected fantasy points per game. So because of bad quarterback play, everything just flaming out around him. He didn't even produce to the level that he should have last year because of all those circumstances surrounding him. Dude, that comes back this year. I mean Tony Pollard could be a top 15 running back based off of volume and an improved situation. So you telling me I get them at RB3 price tags? That is a crazy value.
Seth Wilcock
I'm also back in on Tony P here and like you, you kind of mentioned 9th most weighted opportunities, not the most efficient running back, but at the Same time still 15th in explosive rating as well. And in addition to that, he saw a light front on only 54.2% of his carries. That's 37th among running backs. I think. You you, yeah, you insert Cam Ward, you insert at least a a better group of supplemental pass catchers on the outside as well. I think that should help. Fitz, are you also in on Tony Pollard? You hand holding with deep RO and.
Pat Fitzmaurice
I I'm a little more lukewarm okay Pollard than you guys are. He averaged 5.1 yards per carry and 6.3 yards per target over his first four NFL seasons. Over the last two, 4.1 per carry, only 4.4 yards per target. He just, he hasn't looked like the same guy he was in Dallas early in his career. And I actually do like Tajie Spears. I know Spears was kind of a non factor last year, but I'm giving him a mulligan in a season where he had two concussions, an ankle issue, a hamstring issue. Like Spears was really electric in his first year and Real quietly caught 52 passes as a rookie in 2023. And now Brian Callahan is talking about wanting Spears to get more involved and maybe even having this be like a shared backfield. So not quite as warm on Tony Pollard, but not totally out on him either.
Seth Wilcock
Before we keep it moving, I wanted to tell everyone about the fancy Pros Draft Assistant Draft Assistant helps you spot values like this alive. It connects directly to your draft and provides both real time pick suggestions and estimations on which players might and might not make it back to your next pick. Draft Assistant fully integrates your customized cheat sheets and suggests picks based on your rankings and team build. ADP and other factors dominate your draft in real time. Without the guesswork with draft assistantancyprose.com assistant or always on the Fantasy Pros Fantasy Football Draft wizard app. Let's keep the picks coming with Fitz's favorite value in all the land for 2025 taking us back to the quarterback position. Who you got man?
Pat Fitzmaurice
It's Drake May whose ECR is QB16 108th overall. I have Drake May QB8, 89th overall. I think he's this year's Jaden Daniels.
Derrick Brown
Wow May.
Pat Fitzmaurice
Drake May started 12 games as a rookie. He left one game in the second quarter with a concussion and in meaningless week 18 he played three snaps before he got pulled. In the other 10 starts Drake May average 17.4 fantasy points per game which would have ranked QB13among quarterbacks who made more than one start. Now if we exclude that week 18 game when May was pulled after one series he averaged, I think it was 37.2 rushing yards per second and that projects to like 632 rushing yards over a full season. But I would contend that we just saw the tip of the iceberg with regard to Drake Mays rushing potential. Nearly all of that rushing yardage came on scrambles. There were very few design runs. Alex Van Pelt, the Patriots OC last year said he limited the design runs for May to protect him. Now Josh Daniels is running the Patriots offense. A few months ago Nate Tice of Yahoo went back and looked at the design runs that McDaniels drew up for then 31 year old Cam Newton when Cam was starting for the Patriots in 2020 and there were a lot of them and they were effective. Newton ran for 12 touchdowns.
Seth Wilcock
Wow.
Pat Fitzmaurice
Drake May had two touchdown runs last year but when he was playing his college ball at North Carolina made 16 touchdown runs and 26 starts. And as a sophomore May had 698 rushing yards in 14 games. And college QBs get sack yardage deducted from their rushing total. May lost about 200 yards in sacks that year so he was really closer to like 900 rushing yards in 14 games. And as for the passing end of things, made a bad offensive line and a bad group of wide receivers last year and still managed to complete 66.6% of his passage and average a respectable 6.7 yards per attempt. So now the Patriots have shored up the offensive line and the receiver core still not great but Stefan Diggs and rookie Kyle Williams should help. Things like May should not be going behind Justin Herbert who's stuck in a run heavy offense. May should not be going behind Dak Prescott and Jared Goff who had no rushing value and I would contend that May should be going ahead of Justin Fields because he's in Fields class as a runner and Drake May is a better passer than Justin Fields is. Yeah, so I have may ranked QB8. I really do believe he's going to be a top 10 quarterback this season if he stays healthy. And I'm trying to get May at around quarterback 13 basically after everyone in my 12 team league is drafted a starter. And I'm sort of using Justin Fields as an alarm clock for Drake May when Fields gets picked, I want to take Drake May in the next round or two.
Seth Wilcock
I think that's so smart and like if I don't get one of those big five quarterbacks this season and the way drafts have been going, I likely will not be and likely have to punt the position. And if that's the case, those are my two targets is Justin Fields and it's Drake May. As you mentioned, he did only take 30% of the snaps in Week 8 before leaving with that concussion. But since taking over the starting job in week six, QB 12 overall, QB 14 points per game. That's the floor in my opinion. And with the improved offensive line, better pass catchers as well, plus a capable coaching staff, I'm in on Drake May as well. Derek, are you also high on the Patriots signal caller?
Derrick Brown
Yeah man, like I moved them up in my ranks. I'm not nearly as high as Fitzy, but like you know, so I love Fitzy saying it with his chest. I think there's a definitive chance that that May is a top 12 quarterback this year. I mean just in our projections on the site to Fitzy's point, May is 8th in rushing yards in our projections and 10th. Okay, attempts. So and again like for everybody, contextualize projections. A lot of those are median outcomes. Like you're not going to see projection sets that are putting out like the high end outcome. So like correct. If he bests this, he's going to be. He could be top five in both of those metrics this year. So especially looking at the context of the offense around him. So Drake May could easily be a top 12 quarterback. I love the call.
Seth Wilcock
Derrick Brown, round us out with your favorite value who's already making waves at Cowboys training camp as we speak.
Derrick Brown
Dude, it's George Pickens. He is inappropriately priced. I mean he's 71st overall in ECR. Wide receiver 32. I feel like these rankings are living in yesteryear. I have George Pickens as a top 20 wide receiver. He's my wide receiver 16.
Seth Wilcock
Wow.
Derrick Brown
I people could be surprised to hear that. But you're telling me on a Dallas Cowboys offense that we know is going to be top 10 in passing attempts, where's the ball going outside of CD Lamb and Jake Ferguson and George Pickens, it is a consolidated target share. You saw last year with Pickens in weeks one through 13 before he picked up the hamstring he was producing as a top 24 wide receiver. He was 18th in separation. He was 8th in yards per route run, 25th in route win rate. Again he goes from the Pittsburgh freaking Steelers. Seth, you know this pain well that threw the ball fourth lowest rate. They had the fourth fewest passing attempts last year. He's going to the Dallas Cowboys. With freaking Cooper Rush playing half of the season. They were third in passing attempts. And we don't think that George Pickens can be a top 24 wide receiver. That's not where he's ranked. We're living in yesteryear. He's going to go up the ranks in the process like as we get training camp, clips, all that kind of stuff. He's a wide receiver too. I'll say that with my chest. He's going to be a wide receiver too with the volume that he's going to see. And if you don't believe any of the other stuff that I've said in this money talks. He's in a contract year.
Seth Wilcock
Sure.
Derrick Brown
So Pickens wants to get paid. Jerry Jones I'm not a Jerry Jones believer and I'm not going to talk well about Jerry Jones and probably any other show, but Jerry Jones has dealt with diva wide receivers pretty well throughout the entirety in Dallas. We can point back to DEZ Bryant, Terrell Owens and a whole other slew of guys. George Pickens, if he keeps his head on straight with the passing volume and the talent that he has. He's a wide receiver two this year and he's being drafted and ranked as a wide receiver 3. It's wrong. He's an awesome value.
Seth Wilcock
Fitz, where do you have GP ranked?
Pat Fitzmaurice
I'm in line with ADP and ECR. I've got him at wide receiver 32. But I also know I'm too low and I need to move him ahead of a couple of guys I have ahead of him right now like Zay Flowers. For one thing. I would much rather have Pickens or rather have Pickens. I know people are going to be scared off by CD Lamb hogging targets in Dallas. Debro lays out the case for that not being the thing. We should look at the higher passing volume for Dallas and the fact that Dallas's defense might not be very good this year. My force Dak Prescott to be real pass heavy. So yeah, like plus maybe some lesser matchups or lesser cornerbacks that Pickens is going to be facing now that he's the number two. And you know, defenses throw a lot of attention at Lamb, so I like.
Derrick Brown
The call and we we're not discussing them here, but does anybody think, considering the constitution of that running back room, that they're going to be run heavy? No.
Pat Fitzmaurice
Yeah, exactly. Yeah.
Seth Wilcock
All right, well, that's going to do it for us today on Fantasy Pros. We hope we helped you stretch that dollar. Thanks so much for watching. As always. The Best Free Way to Support Us Give this video a thumbs up if you enjoy this type of content and make sure you're subscribing to the channel if you're new. Also, let us know down in the comments below your favorite values. We want to hear from you. For Pat Fitzmaurice and Derrick Brown, I'm Seth Wilcock. Take care, y'.
Derrick Brown
All.
Seth Wilcock
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 podcasts@fantasypros.com review or on Spotify. Follow us on X Instagram and TikTok at fantasypros and subscribe to our YouTube channel at YouTube.com fantasy pros.
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Podcast Summary: FantasyPros - The BEST Fantasy Football Value Picks of 2025 (Ep. 1628)
Release Date: July 26, 2025
Introduction
In Episode 1628 of The Herd with Colin Cowherd, hosted by Seth Wilcock of FantasyPros, listeners are treated to an in-depth analysis of the top fantasy football value picks for the 2025 season. Joined by seasoned experts Pat Fitzmaurice and Derrick Brown, the discussion centers on identifying players who are poised to deliver exceptional performance relative to their draft positions. The trio delves into four standout players they believe are significantly undervalued, providing listeners with strategic insights to maximize their draft capital.
1. Teteroa McMillan: A Rookie to Watch
Timestamp: [01:23]
Pat Fitzmaurice kicks off the discussion by highlighting his second favorite value pick for the 2025 season: Teteroa McMillan, the rookie wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers. Despite McMillan's impressive college stats—averaging 108.8 yards per game over his final two seasons—his Expert Consensus Rankings (ECR) place him at wide receiver 28th overall. Fitzmaurice argues that McMillan is being overlooked due to his rookie status and skepticism surrounding quarterback Bryce Young's potential impact.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"I think it's very possible Tetaroa McMillan finishes top 10 in targets as a rookie and if that happens, we're going to look back in utter astonishment at his ECR of wide receiver 28th overall." — Pat Fitzmaurice [03:13]
2. Derrick Brown on Teteroa McMillan
Timestamp: [03:13]
Derrick Brown expresses strong support for Fitzmaurice's assessment, assigning McMillan an impressive wide receiver ranking of 17th overall. Brown emphasizes that McMillan has been unfairly shaded due to general hesitancy towards rookies and compares him favorably to established players like Deebo Samuel.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"This is a truly outstanding prospect... I think it's a case of people, Tedro and McMillan getting too much shade." — Derrick Brown [03:32]
3. Tony Pollard: Value Back in Nashville
Timestamp: [05:41]
Turning to running backs, Derrick Brown introduces his second favorite value pick: Tony Pollard of the Tennessee Titans. Previously ranked RB26 in ECR, Pollard is considered by Brown as RB19, citing his improved situation and potential for increased volume.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"Tony Pollard could be a top 15 running back based off of volume and an improved situation. So you telling me I get them at RB3 price tags? That is a crazy value." — Derrick Brown [07:39]
Pat Fitzmaurice's Take: Fitzmaurice remains lukewarm on Pollard, citing declining performance metrics over his first four NFL seasons. He prefers Taj Spears, acknowledging Pollard's potential but highlighting concerns over his recent form and the effectiveness of the Tennessee offense.
4. Drake May: Emerging Quarterback Star
Timestamp: [09:49]
Pat Fitzmaurice presents his top value pick for 2025: Drake May, the quarterback for the New England Patriots. Despite a shaky start to his rookie season, May has shown promising signs, especially with his rushing capabilities.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"I have May ranked QB8. I really do believe he's going to be a top 10 quarterback this season if he stays healthy. And I'm trying to get May at around quarterback 13 basically after everyone in my 12 team league is drafted a starter." — Pat Fitzmaurice [12:42]
Derrick Brown's Perspective: Brown supports Fitzmaurice’s optimistic outlook, moving May higher in his rankings and recognizing the potential for May to break into the top 12 quarterbacks. He emphasizes May’s dual-threat nature and the contextual improvements within the Patriots' offense.
Notable Quote:
"Drake May could easily be a top 12 quarterback. I love the call." — Derrick Brown [13:22]
5. George Pickens: Overlooked Wide Receiver in Dallas
Timestamp: [14:08]
Derrick Brown concludes the value picks by spotlighting George Pickens, a wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys. Despite being ranked 71st in ECR, Brown positions Pickens as a top 20 wide receiver, citing his emerging role and the Dallas offense's high passing volume.
Key Points:
Notable Quote:
"He's going to be a wide receiver 2 this year and he's being drafted and ranked as a wide receiver 3. It's wrong. He's an awesome value." — Derrick Brown [15:39]
Pat Fitzmaurice's Input: While Fitzmaurice aligns with the improved offensive environment supporting Pickens, he acknowledges his own rankings might undervalue the receiver and suggests prioritizing Pickens over others like Zay Flowers.
Conclusion
The episode wraps up with Seth Wilcock encouraging listeners to engage with the content by liking, subscribing, and sharing their favorite value picks. The expert insights provided by Pat Fitzmaurice and Derrick Brown offer valuable strategies for fantasy football enthusiasts aiming to optimize their drafts by targeting undervalued players with high potential upside. By focusing on players like Teteroa McMillan, Tony Pollard, Drake May, and George Pickens, fantasy managers can gain a competitive edge in the 2025 season.
Closing Remarks:
"For Pat Fitzmaurice and Derrick Brown, I'm Seth Wilcock. Take care, y'all." — Seth Wilcock [17:07]
Highlighted Quotes:
This comprehensive analysis equips fantasy football players with the knowledge to identify and capitalize on undervalued talent, setting the stage for a successful 2025 fantasy season.