The Herd with Colin Cowherd (FantasyPros Extra Point): "Expert League Draft Breakdown, Keeper Discussions, and Chat Q&A"

Episode 1656 | August 17, 2025
Hosts: Chris Welsh & Andrew Erickson

Episode Overview

This action-packed episode is a live Discord recording of FantasyPros’ Extra Point, with Chris Welsh and Andrew Erickson leading a community-driven breakdown of expert fantasy football drafts, the latest on keeper discussions, running back news, and an extended Q&A with listeners. The show is all about preparing for the upcoming fantasy season, sharing deep insights on strategy, and crowd-sourcing draft dilemmas—just as real league drafts get underway.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Expert League Draft Breakdown

[02:40 - 12:10]

• Welsh breaks down his FLEX League draft, a 14-team half-PPR industry league. Key takeaways:

  • Roster Construction:
    • QBs: Justin Fields, Dak Prescott
    • RBs: Breece Hall, RJ Harvey, Brian Robinson, Garendo Giddens, Nick Chubb
    • WRs: Justin Jefferson, Travis Hunter, Jaxon Smith-Njigba (JSN), Emeka Egbuka, Jalen Coker
    • WR/TE Flex: Jake Ferguson
  • Welsh notes: “I really wanted Jameer Gibbs bad. Did not happen.” [04:08]
  • On team’s dynasty/upsides flavor: “It’s a little dynasty-ish with Harvey, Hunter, and Egbuka, but it’s also upside in the industry league with some other core players. Like, it’s okay. I’m not in love with the team.” [07:17]

• Erickson’s feedback:

  • Contextualizes the difficulty of 14-team leagues: “It’s always like, wow, this team sucks. But then you have to step back—there’s going to be holes, because it’s a 14-team league.” [06:12]
  • On punting TE: “If you don’t have to have one on your team, just don’t draft one and just do the other positions.” [07:47]

• Draft software tip:

  • Welsh lauds the Draft Wizard dashboard: “Even after your draft is done, you can check out analytics on your team, waivers, the trade stuff, and get insights up the wazoo.” [09:30]

• Draft oddities:

  • Notable picks: Jalen Waddle went in Round 2 (by Joe Dolan), prompting discussion on strategic overreaches.
    • “Dolan did. He had the number one overall pick and he took Waddle with the last pick in the second round.” [11:38]
  • Industry rumors fuel speculation: “Tyreek Hill trade to the Chiefs already drawn up—Jaylen Waddle to the moon.” [11:51]

2. Listener Keeper & Running Back Questions

[13:10 - 29:54]

A. Judkins/Sampson/Ford Conundrum

• Live Q&A on Browns RB situation given Judkins' legal uncertainty.
• Erickson: “If Judkins is coming back sooner rather than later, that definitely throws some cold water on Sampson… the Browns offense, I’m not exactly sure there will be a league-winning RB emerging if it’s a bottom-10 scoring unit… I wouldn’t rule Sampson out completely, but the fact that Ford is still involved makes it less clear.” [13:51]
• Draft position analysis for Judkins, Sampson, and Ford in Welsh’s league: Judkins = late 6th, Ford = late 10th, Sampson = 11th round (160s overall). [17:01-17:43]
• Consensus: Sampson is once again a value for late drafts, especially with Cleveland’s RB room in flux.

B. Keeper Dilemma: Rashi Rice or Mike Evans?

[20:27 - 26:52]

• Listener is choosing between keeping Rashi Rice (7th round cost) or Mike Evans (3rd) in a 10-man Superflex, TE premium league.
• Erickson: “The Rice price is palatable… If he’s healthy and playing for a certain amount of weeks, he should be able to return that… Evans is the safer pick. I would just embrace the risk with Rice personally just for round seven, but if you want to lock in the points, Evans is the pick.” [21:51]
• Welsh: “You’re inheriting a team. Goff and Kittle aren’t the best keepers; you might be in a rebuilding year, so having Rice for cheap as a long-term keeper makes sense.” [23:12]
• Discussion on Rice’s likely suspension and his long-term keeper appeal; expectation is 2026 could be his breakout.
  • “I do think 2026 will be the year where Rice actually does live up to all of the hype.” – Erickson [24:15]

3. Dynasty and Redraft Trade Analysis

[34:01-37:17]

• Caller considers a blockbuster dynasty deal:

  • TRADE: Ja’Marr Chase, Hockenson, 2027 first
  • GET: Brock Bowers, Drake London, Garrett Wilson

• Welsh: “It’s a very fair trade… you’re getting WRs that could easily be top-5 and the best TE in there, which is a huge upgrade.” [37:17]

• Erickson: “I think that’s enough…Bowers could be the TE1 for the next 10 years… you know Garrett Wilson is good… you could see the London/Penix connection take off.” [36:43]

4. Drafting/Ranking Top RBs: Fading Saquon?

[38:26 - 46:35]

• Discord user asks why, despite general skepticism, Saquon Barkley is still a consensus top-3 RB and where Erickson would draft him.
• Erickson: “I’d take him at the back of the first round, but he’s never going to be there… I have him as RB5. I’d take him over Malik Nabers.” [39:52, 41:21]
• Welsh: Clarifies positional ranking: “So 11 or 12 is truly the spot where you are comfortable taking Saquon?” [41:40]
• Follow-up: Concerns that Christian McCaffrey could be this year’s cautionary veteran RB pick.
  • “With him it’s always tied to injury. So I guess the answer’s gotta be yes. If he’s not hurt, he could be this year’s Saquon.” – Welsh [43:07]

5. Rookie RB Class and Draft Strategy

[43:30 - 48:50]

• Erickson pivots to the 2025 rookie class:
  • “Last year, veteran RBs smashed because the rookie class was poor. This year’s class is better, and I think that’s going to be the story of the season.” [45:27]
  • “If I’m projecting out, I think the RB1 next year could be Ashton Jeanty, Gibbs, or Bijan—not Barkley or McCaffrey.” [45:43]
• Deep dive on undervalued/upside veterans like Kenneth Walker in new, run-heavy systems.
  • “This is the first time Ken Walker is playing in a run-first offense that wants to feature him.” [47:04]

6. Lightning Round: Rookie Rankings & Start/Sit/Draft Questions

[50:46 - 56:55]

• Judkins rookie ranking: Erickson sees him likely back at “the end of the tier” after RBs like Hampton, Henderson, Harvey, “probably in that Burden/Higgins tier.” [51:08]
• Ashton Jeanty or Achane as a hero RB in full PPR? Both are “good options,” but lean Achane. [52:06]
• Puka Nacua vs. other top talents: “I believe in the talent… yes, the Stafford thing is concerning, but Jimmy Garoppolo is competent enough to get the ball to Puka.” – Erickson [52:49]
• Breakfast burrito sauce tangent: Salsa, not cheese, is the consensus.
• If Tyreek Hill returns to the Chiefs, what happens to Xavier Worthy?: “It would just make it a fantasy mess, to be honest.” – Erickson [54:33]
• Tet McMillan draft round expectations: Target late Round 4 in 12-teamers; expect his value to rise quickly. “I think he’s gonna be consensus top 20 by week two.” [55:46]

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• “If you don’t have to have [a tight end] on your team, just don’t draft one and just do the other positions.”
  — Andrew Erickson, [07:47]
• “Dolan did. He had the number one overall pick and he took Waddle with the last pick in the second round.”
  — Chris Welsh, [11:38]
• “I would embrace the risk with Rice personally just for round seven.… Upside wins championships and Rice has a ton of upside, especially for a round seven keeper.”
  — Andrew Erickson, [21:51]
• “I do think 2026 will be the year where Rice actually does kind of live up to all of the hype, per se.”
  — Andrew Erickson, [24:15]
• “Can McCaffrey be it [this year’s Barkley]? Absolutely… If McCaffrey’s healthy, absolutely can be. But his cost is rising more than Barclays is.”
  — Chris Welsh, [46:35]
• “This rookie running back class is going to be the story of this season.”
  — Andrew Erickson, [45:27]
• “I'm a menace on defense... that's where I get a lot of stuff done.”
  — Chris Welsh on playing Madden, [33:10]

Notable Timestamps

• 02:40: FLEX League Draft breakdown and construction discussion
• 09:30: Draft Wizard/draft tools tips post-draft
• 13:10: Listener Q&A begins — keeping Sampson/Judkins, Browns’ RB mess
• 20:27: Keeper dilemma: Rashi Rice vs. Mike Evans in value context
• 24:15: Rice suspension/keeper long-term outlook
• 34:01: Blockbuster dynasty trade—Chase for Bowers & youth
• 38:26: Advanced RB strategy—Should you still take Barkley or McCaffrey high?
• 43:30: The rookie RB class vs. the veteran RB fade
• 50:46: Lightning round (Judkins’ rookie ranking, Puka, Jeanty v. Achane, sauce debate, McMillan value)
• 55:46: Tet McMillan round expectation and breakout talk

Tone & Community Vibe

• Language/Tone: Conversational, humorous, occasionally irreverent, always candid and loaded with first-hand strategy insights.
• Listener engagement: Strong theme of communal learning, live Q&A, and Discord chat interplay.
• Pacing: Fast-moving, strongly content-driven, with virtually no filler or off-topic drift during content sections.

Conclusion

This episode is a masterclass in timely draft preparation and nuanced strategy for both redraft and dynasty fantasy football leagues, especially as the NFL season approaches. Welsh and Erickson combine elite, applied analytical takes with interactive listener problem-solving, making the episode a can't-miss primer for serious fantasy players facing draft-day dilemmas.

For next-level preparation, recap their takeaways on RB volatility, rookie upside, and draft tool wizardry, and be ready to zig when the industry zags—whether it’s on Saquon Barkley, Rashi Rice, or Tet McMillan.