Top RB'S to Draft in middle rounds, NFL Injuries with Dr. A

Don too yea. This is the Fantasy best Friends Forever here on the Fantasy Sports Radio and work alongside Frankie Stample. I am Greg sauceman. Frankie. What's going on that much? Greggy? I'm excited for the Jets night. J et S see how long Sam Donald is in there? Getting more indications that he might be the week one starter, so that is very fun. Um. Just excited overall for some football tonight. But the more important question, Greg, how was your kickball

playoffs last night? So last night we were playing a crap team. No, don't tell me we won sixteen to one. That was not that was never the issue. Here's the issue. You know. I'm being honest, and I've saved this. I don't want anybody else talk about it on the air because I wanted to do it with you. Frank, Okay, can I take a guess before you were bored because you're blowing No. I never, I've never, even absolutely not. I know we're playing this terrible team, and I know

I got it. My mentality always is, you gotta play my ass off, no matter what way to win the game. Right. So I'm leading off bottom of the first I butt it down the first baseline. First basement was creeping in. He grabs it like I am dead to rights obviously, but I know he's gonna try to peg me because whatever, So I try to like run outside the base fine, and instead of pegging me, he doesn't want to throw it. So he's a big man and I jump and he collides with me and I go down hard. Whatever. I'm

a gamer. Adrenaline is adrenaline is rolling, it's rocking. I'm fine, flipped upside down. I did, but I felt this massive bruise on my um like left hip ish area, maybe a little bit more thigh. I guess I think this is gonna be painful. And then walking after the game, adrenaline is like going down like fine, no big deal. And then when I got home and like showered like immobile. I so last night, I'm moving pretty good. Today I am in so much pain. When I got here, I

went behind the bar. I got a whole thing of ice and put it like in my shorts and sat with it. Before you got here. Yeah, I was like, so, I normally start sleeping on my left side, and I rolled over to the middle and then in the right. It was too much pain. Just lay on my left side, like I can't do it because I can't teach my shorts off to show you the bruise. I'm not going to do that. I mean, we're best friends. I want

to do it during a break. We could. I mean, you could do it on the air if you want. I'm not going to it is is large. Yeah, it hurts. Did you get the old rub down from Judy after the game. She's got to help you out, right, She said, do you want advil? It's it? Yeah. She didn't break out the baby oil or nothing. Nothing. I mean, we could bring the baby oil from here. The problem was I was talking to about this this morning because it's not like a muscle crap, and it's just literally a bruise.

Even if you're in a massage, they're just gonna rub it. Right, it's gonna hurt worse. Like I just touched on some bank or something, right, that to be good, But that's a muscle thing. Also, it's like a bruise thing, bruise just there. Nothing you can do. I and Adeville exactly. So I iced it this morning. I mean, you still should have got to should have got a little rub down, but I shouldn't have done is done. I was dead

to rights. Like what am I just take the out move and go back to the I don't do that. Make it fun? Greg, Come on, like you said, you're a gamer, bro, So I did. It's the next two times out no buds blood Budsen obviously got on bass, and then because we were up like eleven nothing or eleven one or whatever, I kicked it as far as I could to the center field wall or a double. I mean, next game, next playoff games, next Wedesi. Nice.

I'm excited for you, Greggy. We did get it right in for something that might be able to help you, all right, please, Pineapple and cherry Juice works as an anti inflammatory. According to Elizabeth Miranda, all right, we could ask Dr A what you should do when he comes on leader in the show. Alright, alright, I appreciate it. All right. So on the show today, we wanted to come to the top twenty four running backs. Yesterday we got through the top fifteen, right, we got through the

top fifteen or top fifteen, my top fifteen. We've got through my top fifteen. And then one guy in here um named Jack McKinnon, and one guy a little bit later on for you today, we're gonna I'm not gonn a cap on it. Uh. We called it middle round running backs. So that's where they're going. All the guys I named for me, our guys, you're taking the first three rounds. I know it's not necessarily the case for you, but these are the next crew of guys or guys

were very very comfortable with taking the middle rounds. Tomorrow on the show, I assume we'll still be talking running backs, and those are me your late round flyers. Guys like take a shot on we should do a segment where we like rank the handcuffs, like Deep Hank do that tomorrow. Chase Edmunds both Scarboro guys like that. By the way, I love Boscar brow Um. But we've got tomorrow today. There's a lot of middle round running back to get to. We have dr A coming on in about ten minutes,

so let's get right into it. And with that we lead off with the stat of the Dead. Yes, sir Gregy, and I mentioned to you downstairs. It has to do with DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry the Tennessee Titans backfield, and that is de Marco Murray scored nineteen total touchdowns with the Titans over the past two seasons, sixteen of those in from seven yards out or less. Additionally, Derrick Henry has had fourteen or more carries five times in his career. He scored a touchdown in every single one

of those games. So for DeMarco mur scoring sixteen of his nineteen touchdowns from seven yards out, it seems like a large probability of those will be going to Derrick Henry, or at least that's what we expect for him to get the ball inside the tin, maybe inside the five yard line this season. That's that's correct, So I'm excited about his touch on upside this year. I am too, and that's one of the reasons I like Derrick Henry a lot. I'm you know, Derrick Henry. I like Derrick

Henry more than Alex Collins. I think, and you hate, I know that, that's fine, But I really like Derrick Henry this year. Yeah, I have Derrick Henry in that next year after Alex Collins. I just have Collins like entrenched in the third round. But I think once you get into that fourth or maybe even if you miss out on some of these guys in the third round, or if you want to veer away from a Lashawn McCoy for reasons we will obviously mentioned, I have Derrick

Henry as my RB eighteen and half PPR. I think, you know, once DeMarco Murray got cut, everyone was so gung ho about Derrick Henry. I think, you know, we were pushing them all the way up the draft board. Now I think it's gone a little bit too far the other way for him to be going in. Uh you know, maybe like the middle of the fourth round. But I think once you get to that three four swing, if you miss out on Alex Collins, uh no, probably not.

But before the rookies and guys like that I think that's a nice spot for Derrick Henry to really slot himself. I agree. I think Derrick Henry is a really fine r V tail. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. He's not the high quality guy. But like where you're going, um, where you're going fine, I don't. I don't think he

has immense overall upside. But I looked at the past two years in terms of carries for the Tennessee Titans running backs, in four hundred and three carries between DeMarco and Derrick Henry. Last year three hundred and sixty carries between the both of those guys. So I mentioned that stat that whenever Derrick Henry gets fourteen carries a game, he has scored a touchdown. If you just project fourteen carries per game over sixteen games, that's two hundred and

twenty four carries. I think Derrick Henry could be in that two hundred and thirty two hundred and forty carry range. That leaves about you from like a hundred hundred and forty carries for Deann Lewis plus whatever he does in the past game, whether it's like forty fifty receptions. I think that's a fine workload and a fine time split for Derrick Henry and Deann Lewis. I think that's a fair projection. I think, you know, like eleven hundred total

yards and anywhere from like eight nine touchdowns. I think that's fair for Derrick Henry, like nine fifty rushing and like maybe a hundred fifty receiving. I think that's a very fine projection. I don't think he has immense overall upside, but for the touchdowns overall, especially in standard and half PPR, I like him in that range full point for you, eighteen eighteen, so he number eighteen. For me, he is number seventeen, which makes sense because he's one spot ahead

of Alex cons How dare you when numbers? He's right, who's six? Who's the guy who is six? Who is the one guy in between? Here? Want to know Sean McCoy And that's how we ended the show yesterday, and that's exactly where he wanted to pick up today. So what do you have mcquar right? And now I know

you don't. You're not gonna draft him. But you know, something Jake always said is the way that he makes his rankings is where he thinks running backs can actually finish, and you're projecting with basically everything that we know right now. When you project players and rank them, it's assuming that they're gonna play sixteen games. But I think those are

two different definitions, right, projections and rankings. Like I'm ranking this for me and if you want to buy it, that's fine, but like I'm not what's your what's your ven I'm not using this as a projection model. I'm not trying to do that. I'm really not. I not where you think players can finish this here? Oh well, yes, it just goes based on like where you want to draft, yes, and I try to do a combination. So that's more

what it is. It's it's the order that I want to draft these guys, and like that's Here's obviously the most important thing of that because there's so many guys that are like, all right, I'll take either guy. I'm fine with it, especially in an auction, but for the most part, like it's just the order of guys that I want, Like I like Marshawn lynch and and Rex Burke had a lot, both of them I have next to each other just because just one spot I had a birkehad. Do I want him that much more? No,

I mean it's close for me. So that's kind of where I am. Before yesterday's show, I had the Sean McCoy ranked as my sixteenth ranks running back right in the same range that you have, the same exact spot. I dropped him to twenty nine after the show, or at some point between yesterday and sad Um because I'm not gonna be the ones that gets him, and I know that, and I'm uncomfortable with that if it gets to this point, this price point, fine it won't, but

I am just definitely concerned. Not that he's gonna be suspended yet, but it gets so bad that the details of this case gets so bad. He's placed in the Commissioner exemple list with Adrian Peters, and Adrian Peterson was not arrested for anything at the time, right like he had these problems that comes out, he goes on the Commissioner example list. That was it. He's on that list for the rest of the year. That's what scares me

the most about McCoy. And I know people like Jake for instance, are grabbing at McCoy and every value he has stay with Wentz to stay with um alshon Jeffrey with Jake mco is one of these guys. There's too much risk there, and I get the reward, right, the rewards you're getting a second round guy in the fourth, I get that, or the third. I'd rather someone else take that risk because I feel like you're just waiting

for another shoe to drop. And this isn't like Ezekiel Elliott, where there's that there's that like definite timeline, like all right, you may lose him for six games, Max, that's it. You don't know when it's coming, but it's gonna be six games at some point. If he ends up on that commissioner list, he could definitely not play this year, correct, And that's what scares me so much that I can't pull that trigger. So that risk is not worth the

reward for me. Yeah, So the way that I'm ranking it is that I think, if you were to play sixteen games, this is a fine range for him to be in just based on volume. And I mentioned yesterday that last year, UH Frank Gore had two and sixty one carries, and just based on that volume, he finished RB nineteen. So you just see based on volume what

your floor can actually be. I mean, even without the Commissioner's list and and this ongoing investigation that we have with la shaw McCoy, there were concerns already right like he lost three quality offensive lineman and Corty Glenn, Eric would Richie incognito. L shaw McCoy is thirty years old. He has over hundred career touches, so we know that with running backs these things can like you could fall off the fall off a cliff fast. So I mean

there's questions about the offense. If Josh Allen is the quarterback a J mccaren, how many scoring opportunities is he gonna get? So we had all these concerns already. Um. The reason why I still have him ranked in this range is because if you just if you're expecting him to play, I think his floor is you're gonna get at least two fifty carries and probably forty plus perceptions. That's why I still have ranking this range. In terms

of drafting him. I don't have him on a single team yet, and I don't I don't know if it's gonna end up happening either, just for the reasons that you that you said, Greg like, I don't know if that risk of him not playing is worth the reward of getting a you know what, if everything works out, he could be like maybe like the their twelve, Yeah, definitely, absolutely is that risk worth it? And I say, now I'm with you. Now. The other guy that you have

to talk about in this range is mark Ingram. Right, mark Ingram suspended for four games to start the season. But we know what it is. It's four games to start the year and that's it. You're done, got it? Cool? Problem with mark Ingram was a problem you're gonna have go into this season. There's Alvin Kamara too, and what role does mark Ingram play. No one remembers this or talks about this now, but mark Ingram was really awesome

last year, like, really really awesome last year. The other side of that is, you know, if you're a mark Ingram owner or a mark Ingram supporter that Sean Payton and mark Ingram have a love hate relationship. There's times where he's just glued to the bench and you're just like, what the f There's a lot going on mark Ingram.

But the reward could be great, Like, but the other side of that, the risk there is he comes back from his four game suspension, and Sean Payton's an idiot or a dick, and it's like, you know what, we're gonna stay with Jonathan Williams here instead, we're you know, marketing or we don't need you, and like that he's crazy. If that's the case, you'd have to imagine they trade him. They would have to. Yes, I agree, I agree with Washington maybe so and I agree with that. So all

that being said, will you have mark Ingram rank? Because this is one I had actually lower originally, Um, but I moved him up since yesterday because I was like, you know what, I like more mark Ingram more than some of these guys. I'd be happier with him than some of these guys. So I actually moved him up.

Where where do you have him? I have him RB, it's the cut off, it's you know, he's look, we all know that if he wasn't suspended, he'd probably be going, you know in this early third round range, which Joe Mason and guys like that's not earlier, man, not earlier. You know that group that we spoke about yesterday in the second round that included DeVante Freeman, Jordan Howard, Christian McCaffrey,

Joe Mixon. I think he would probably be in that in that two three turn range, but I probably like him better than I probably have him ranked my fourteenth ranked running back. UM to me, I had a McKinnon certainly, and I had him mixing for me as well. He would he would be if he wasn't suspending my ran

running back, and I think that's fair. But you know, he drops ten spots because look, four games is a big deal, especially you know a lot of fantasy football leagues you play maybe twelve thirteen regular season games, so you're missing about a third of the season from mark ingram. And then you know that unexpected UM Saints coaching staff where we don't really know what's going to happen once

he returns. I am in the camp. I believe that once he returns, maybe he doesn't get the full workload that he did last year, But I still do think that he's going to be a big part of this offense, not only on the ground. Remember he's been catching the ball more and more of the past couple of seasons

as well. I think something that we should talk about and could this show it makes sense is which running backs does it make sense to draft with Mark going to if you're gonna take him, because I think that there's a lot of guys who makes sense in this range.

And I know you don't like Lamar Miller, but if Deonta Foreman starts to year on the publist and we get the first, you know, six games where Lamar Miller is the loan back there really and he's getting between fifteen and seventeen touches a game, I think that makes sense where you know, if you have a late fourth, you go Lamar Miller and Mark Ingram in the four, in the fifth, and then you just kind of play

Miller until Ingram comes back. Another guy who comes to mind is Rex Burkin with the New England Patriots, because look, I don't think the Patriots are going to put Sony Michelle on the field as a starting running back or give him a significant role until he understands the offense, understands past protection. We've seen that year in a year out with Belichick and his staff. They're not gonna put a rookie or a running back nevertheless, in a position

unless they know what they're doing. Some other names that come to mind Chris Carson, right, Rashan Penny out for maybe the first week or two with his hand injury, with his finger injury, Chris Carson is gonna be the guy to start the year with Rashant Penny first round, Pettigree comes back, he may get that role. By the time that he gets that role, you have mark Ingram back, and the guys at CBS un the CBS podcast, we're

gonna gim all the credit. Like they came up with the idea of Frank told me right after the show yesterday, and I'm like, that's brilliant. And that's pairing of mark Ingram with a Jamal Williams because Jamal Williams is the starting running back in Green Bay for the first two weeks. You know that then our and Jones comes back, but you're already halfway through ingram suspension. Then I think that's

a brilliant maneuver. Carson, Williams, Birkhead, It all makes sense, Frankie, we'll talk more about those kind of guys where you should draft them on the other side. But first players like we're shot Penny, Darius guys, they're all hurt. Our injury expert Dry talks about those guys with us coming up next, from the NFL to the NBA. Daily Rhodo dot Com is the place to win millions in Daily Fantasy.

You can get the best DFS NFL coverage all season long for a price of one, or dominate the entire Daily Fantasy Sports realm with the Elite package a month. If you use the promo code f n t s Y, you get ten percent off your Daily Rodo package. Go to Daily Rodo dot com, pick your NFL Elite Package, enter promo code f n t s Y, and you'll be on your way to becoming the next Daily Rhodo millionaire. Welcome back the Fantasy best Friends Forever Fantasy Sports Radio Network.

Frankie stand full, I'm Grang Sauceman. And when it's a running back heavy show. Of course it has been for most of the week and will continue through the end of the week. But where we begin now used to talk about running backs and talking about quarterbacks and wide receivers and more. Because it's time for that part of the week. Our injury expert, doctor Inside Injuries, joins us. Right now it's going on, doc, Hey guys, how are you guys doing? I would do it pretty well. Uh,

I gotta be honest with you. Though I'm hurt, and I I don't think I'm hurt, like seriously, but I had a very bad collision in kickball last night and I have a massive bruise on my right left thigh into the buttocks region. Um, do you know how long that would take the heal? So? Did you inco incur this injury while kicking the ball? It was a collision, It was a collision. It was a collision, yeah, okay, yeah, okay. Was it an astrotur for a dirt or dirt? Okay,

it's about a week. You'll recover in a week. That makes sense. It sounds about right. I also have like this thing that might be a ward growing on the bottom of my foot. It's very painful. What's going on? I think? Um? Unfortunately I'm not a specialist on a warts um, but I can refer you to the right specialist if you'd like. I actually have. I am at a point with my vediatrist next week or two weeks, so I think you know that. I was on the phone with you now, so I thought maybe we could

talk about it. But nobody cares about me, doc. They care about these players, in particular the guy we just talked about, and that was Rashad Penny. Now Penny had surgery or is having surgery. I leave it on his middle finger, and there is the expectation that he should be back for opening day. And then of course it leaks out, well maybe not weak one and maybe not weak two. What's the real deal on this injury with

Rashot Penny? Alright, so um October two? Uh so, so, first of all, when you have a finger fracture and you um, you have to have surgery, that means that the fracture fragments are a little bit more they're not lined up. Um, you know, they have to be sort of lined up to heal in sort of the right way. So right then and there, you know that the the you know, healing time for the fracture is going to take a little longer, you know, So three to four

weeks is very optimistic. I mean, yeah, he could come back and three to four weeks with a cast or splint on, but you know, it's hard to carry the football, you know, with a cast on your hand. Right, and so um October two, our optimal recovery time is seven weeks. Um. You know, obviously if it does hell and hell completely, it should be just as good as you right before

when the season was going to start. If he tries to come back early and and it it it sort of worsens the fracture, it prevents healing, then you could be taught about ten, twelve, fourteen weeks if he kind of worsens it by coming back to early. So that's something you guys fantasy players have to take a look at. October two is sort of like the day we're talking about. Um, we we don't think that he should return bye week

one alright. So also essentially Frankie Rashan Patty is probably gonna be back sooner than that because they're gonna rush him most likely, I would think. But October two is when Dr A and the guy's inside injuries want him to return. That makes me very very hesitant, and it really makes me like my Chris Carson more Ingram idea from a moment ago. But damn, really tough news when

it comes to a penny. Yeah, that's exactly what I was gonna say, is you know you bringing up Chris Carson as a player to pair with Mark Ingram makes even more sense. And I don't know if you saw this report yesterday, Greg, but from Ian Rabbitport, he actually said that the Seahawks view Chris Carson as their bell

cow running back. Now we don't believe that, but maybe they meant it for like the first couple of weeks, the first month of the Sea reason, while Rashad Penny is getting right, this whole Seahawks running back situation has

become a complete disaster. I mean, even going back to them drafting Penny in the first place, Like this team has so many holes, they go out and draft a running back and then throughout prison preseason talk up a running back who they took the year prior in the seventh round over the guy they just took in the first round. So it just really doesn't make a lot of sense. And there's a lot, you know, really upside down.

I've dropped shot Penny all the way down to RB thirty. Yeah, I have think that kind of makes sense with everything that we're hearing right now, I have, and I feel

like I need to move down even farther. Honestly, I think I think also you guys should add one thing about him, is that guy running backs the finger fractures when they first come back onto the field, their HPF does not escalate as fast as you wanted to the main reason why is they're also a fumble risk point because of um, you know, their hesitancy on getting hit right at the ball level. So it takes a few weeks for them to get used to that as well.

So that's something to consider. Even if you do take him, um, you know, don't expect him to come right back right away, and uh you know, he may have a higher fumble rate than you know, other running backs. That's a great point. That's a really really great point. Doc, drop for shot Penny in your rankings. Now continuing on Doc with the running back Sonny Michelle has been out for a while New England. We were just talking about him and why

Rex birkeheads potentially a good pair with mark Ingram. How close is Sonny Michelle returned to returning to New England. Okay, so I have to give our team some kudos here because when remember when they reported last week when Sonny Michelle just getting some knee procedure, some something happened. We immediately talked about this like it's a clean Remember we had. We had this discussion and totally it was a clean up procedure, likely with debris and you know, with loose bodies, right,

remember all of that stuff. Well, that's exactly what he had basically. And so the thing is is he's so young and he had to already have this procedure, this type of procedure. Usually he's reserved for a seven eight year veteran that's been in the league that's developed us to our r arthritis with loose pot So that is a that is sort of a uh, sort of a small thing of signs, signs, you know, sort of things

to come, a small sign for things to come. And so you know, Sony Michelle, great talent, love the kid, but you know, uh, it's really really going to be difficult for him in terms of of this of this need. Throughout this initial season. He's at twenty two percent injury risk because of this. So you know, I don't know where you guys have him on your RB, but I think he's you know, thirty plus at this point. For me to answer your question, Doc, I have Sonny Michelle

very low. I'm with you, Yeah, that is very low. I have him still at RB thirty six, just because I look, they drafted him this early, so he has the pedigree and I think at some point he will have a significant role with the Patriots, and we saw last year that can be a league winner with guys like Dean Lewis what he did down the stretch for

the New England Patriots. So I mean, I think that's more so something to pay attendant to in dynasty, right, Greg, Like, if you have a rookie yne to see draft, what Doctor is talking about is, you know, a procedure like this is usually done on a veteran who's seven or eight years into his career. Sony Michelle's having that done before he even takes an NFL snatch. It's kind of scary. It's entially if you're going into a rookie dynasty draft. So I think that's something to keep in mind. Doc.

I wanted to ask you about one Jerick McKinnon, who I think I've just kind of escalated to become the Jerick McKinnon hater ultimately. Um And look, he went to have an m r I on his knee last week. We saw when he left practice and it m r I revealed that he has just a muscle strain. So ultimately, what does that mean for fantasy football? Is that something that can learn with him for the entirety of the season. When is he going to be healthy? What he got

on Jack McKinnon. Yeah, so, uh, first of all, um, you know, it looks like it's a grade one calf injury. So yeah, and so good news is is that, um, it's not a tear. It's not a grade two, so that would really really set him back. It's a grade one, um, And you know, so that that's good. That's a good news now out the um. You know, he just he missed just one game in a four year NFL career, you know, so that's really really good historical data for

us from Jerick McKinnon standpoint. So here's here's sort of the short and skinny of it. He's got. He's an elevated injury risk right now. Not surprising because calf injuries to running backs, you know, it's just they need time to recover. August one is when we're looking at him to be completely healed from this injury, and if he doesn't have any setbacks, he will be back at low injury risk and back up to above average at least

and probably hitting peaks. So just way two weeks and you know, some people may take him at RB even lower, even higher than fifteen if you know that that's where we're looking at. I think the the the key thing is is that he doesn't have a setback in the next two weeks and then he should be really back to low and peak health to start the season. So that's pretty comforting for me. Who does that. Jerry McKinnon ranks right around that number fifteen spot. Uh doc um.

I think he's I think he's great, and I think the fact that he's going to be healthy and through the frank he only missed one game despite the slight frame, he as he's gonna be fine and he's gonna be a bell cow ish in this offense. I love Jeric McKinnon. That would maybe feel a whole lot better as it should. That is good news for you. I still just I don't buy. I don't know if he'll be able to be that workhorse that we all expect to be. Maybe for PPR purposes, can he plus can he catch sixty

plus passes this year? Yeah, that's probably possible. But I just feel like guys like Matt Breda maybe even like a Joe Williams. They're talking up Jeremy McNichols now too. I think there's a chance all of these guys kind of get worked in the season. It could end up being a frustrating situation. Um. That's those are just part of the reasons why. That's the that's the thing with HPF. Also, that's so he could be playing in the game, but

he also has to be productive to win Fantasy points. Right, So the stat by just playing in a game is not good enough. Um, you know obviously, it's you have to have. That's why the HPF is there. Is if he's in the game, will he be affected and effective?

And so, um will this injury impact that? And so Um, what we're saying is is that he may not get to peek right away, but above average with his talent and the fact that he'll be at low injury risk will give him our data was saying that it will give him enough sort of prowess to be up there like an RB fIF team. All right, so let me get over, Um, let me get over to your giants who had a running back injury of their own. His sequon Barkley tweaked his hamstring, that's what they're calling it.

He had an m R. I uh, they keep going it this week. He's been in a uniform all week in practice, but he hasn't really done all that much. He said today, if it was a playoff game, he hopes he would be out there. It wasn't exactly like I would definitely play. It was yeah, I hope. So, so you know, I don't know exactly what that means. I'm assuming it's a grade one hamstring strain. But what are you hearing and seeing when it comes to Sequon Barkley. Yeah,

it's a it's a grade one hamstring rain. Um, so it's not a soft tissue. Um, it's a grade one so it's a two week recovery and he should be fine August twenty one. Now here's the here's the thing. Um our algorithm is saying that just because of this little tweak, it's not really impacting his injury risk category. It's staying low. So that's good. Now he's moved into below average, but that will escalate back to peak health

without any setbacks. So starting if he doesn't have any setbacks or any other injuries, grade one should resolve, and then by August, the twenty one last week of August, he should be back to low in peak health. So right now, if if this is the only injury and he's your UM, and he's obviously your RB five, then you know you'll be okay. Yeah, so that that makes me very very comfortable. Let's where he is by RB five, right,

so he's right, he's right there. Um, that's awesome that you would say called Markley and mrs week's preseason game probably this next week's preseason game, which is fine, and then I'll have two weeks of practice for real for the openers. So that is absolutely perfect when it comes

to Sae Kwon Barkley. But in the Flex League Draft, rank I jumped on two Indianapolis Colts running backs, neither of which were named Marlon Mack because I thought those injuries sounded kind of serious when it came to Marlon Mack. And plus everybody hates Marlon Mack anyway. So dr A, how serious is he injured Marlin Mac? Yeah? So it's a Grade one hamstring injuries. Can it's it's it's a manageable. The team called it a man's ble hampsting. Strain. It

is a managed ble hampsting strange. So we're congruent there. No game has been shipped there, um, but so here. But here's the issue. Before this injury occurred, we had him already at elevated injury risk and at PEAKEL. So he was one of these elevated high risk, not high risk high reward, but elevated risk, high reward type of guys. Now he's at elevated injury risk and he's dropped to below average at because of all of his other histories.

And you know, he had he missed the entire rookie season with a torn labor and I don't know if you guys remember that, um, but you know that's a big thing for an algorithmic standpoint, And so he won't get back up to peacalf. He'll be at elevated injury risk and likely above average maybe below like kind of teetering on that border of HPF. So that's dropped in our minds that he would go from an RB thirty four to above forty five. A right there you go.

Not exactly what you like to hear on Marlon Mack. Yeah, Um, you know, I'm not really the Marlin Marlon Mack guy at all. And you know, some people shot you some looks when you ended up with Jordan Wilkins and Niheem Hinz. But I do think it will be I think it won't be long before those guys end up as z running back tandem in Indianapolis. Dr. I wanted to ask you about obviously two very important Steelers to their offense, Big Ben and Antonio Brown. Big Ben, we know is

dealing with a concussion. He left practice the other day. We're not going to see him this week. I don't know how long he's going to be out. Um, So let's start with Big Ben and then Antonio Brown, who is dealing with this quad injury. Who it's kind of like what's flown under the radar throughout the preseason, but you know, I mean it's still something that we should monitor considering. You know, he is the consensus number one wide receiver off the board. So what do you have

on Big Ben in Antonio Brown? What are the severities for each of them? Yeah, so I think the world stopped in Pittsburgh when these two injuries got released. You know. Uh so the Ben Roethlisberger, you know, the guy is a workhorse. I mean, he just gets injured all the time, but somehow finds a way to play and somewhat be productive. However, you know, years catch up to you, so that we

call him the house of cards analysis. So basically, you know he was at low end peak, but we said that if he had any type of injury before the season started, that house of cards falls basically because he's had He's got so many injuries in the past, and so he's at high injury risk at seven now and below average at HPF and he's just gonna be not

getting anywhere near to low and peak anymore. And so he in our mind, you got to drop him because he will not he this this is a sign of things to come this year for Ben Roethlisberger, is what our algorithm is saying. So, I mean, this is I think this is his fourth concussion or fifth concussion. I'm not sure he's had. He's had a ton of them. But his healthy to recovery date is August and he will be coming back with a high injury risk category.

That's scary. Yeah, I Mean, the one thing I do take away from that is that you know his healthy to return data is August twenty year, so obviously that's before the season. So if we can just get him out there before the season. Look, I'm not sure how many preseason reps he actually needs. I think I've kind of come around as like the high guy on Big Bend, just based on the weapons that he has there in

the offense surrounding him. So I haven't dropped him yet, but if we get more news coming out that closer to the season, uh, you know, there's more risk involved with him, I understand. And plus, like Dr A said, I mean, the guy has been banged up throughout the entirety of his career. I just think when he's on the field, he's going to perform like a top twelve quarter. That's the key when he's on the field, right, Yeah,

that's the key. So if you take high, if you take of what sixteen games, So, I mean, we we're thinking and our algorithm is predicting that he's going to miss at least a third of the games this year. Alright, one last question for you, doc um Antonio Brown, Right, yeah, Jerry Brown, why don't give us that? Yeah, that's fine. Grade one quad hip strain um three weeks optimal recovery time. Okay, so August August four is when he'll be back foresee any issues. It's a minor strain, so he should be

back to UM. You know, he was at a baseline of elevated injury risk at eight. So just f y I, you know, don't be surprised if he does get injured this season, even though he's a workhorse and likely the best ride receiver in the league right now when he's on the field. Alright, Doc, we we appreciate the time,

and we had a lot more players. I wanted to get to UM but quickly in one sentence, essentially the other San Francisco guys George Kittle, I know when people are high own and you were really like that Brita here, Frank Um, what's going on in that Brita and George Kittle? Yeah? Great? Two shoulder injury for Brita. Um. You know it puts him to twenty injury risk. UM coming back. He'll be healthy to return on August twenty one, but he'll stay

in elevated injury risk. George Kittle grade one. He had a minor separated yet I don't think I don't think it was a separated shoulder, so he'll be back. He's only a fourteen percent elevated injury risk. He'll be back down to low and peep. All right, there you go, George Kittle should be okay. Matt Brina after that, dr a wealth of knowledge information. As always, this has been awesome. Thank you so much. Man. Alright, man, have a good weekend. We'll talk to you next week. We'll do it again

next week when we come back. More middle round running backs? Where do you draft him? Frank Snable, Gregg Sauce when we let you know, it's your fantasy best friends forever on the Fantasy Sports Radio Network. Did you know that you can listen to this show live on the award winning Fancies Parts Radio Network. Listen on the I Heart Radio app to tune in radio app, or download the Fancy Sports Radio Network app. The Fancy Sports Radio Network is the only totally free seven three sixty five fancy

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four three six eight seven nine. Defency Sports Radio Network, You're free, Fantacy Source twenty four hours a day, Back with You, Fantasy Sports Network, Fantasy Best Friends Forever, Fancy Sports Net Network. Um so, what's in these middle round running backs for you? Let's get through the Pimping Partners show? What a remind you? We were looking at the iTunes rankings during the break. We got the one star reviews. We can serve more than one star. I'm not saying

asked me five star. I appreciate if it was, but like one star, it might have been a few shows where we tried like la la la la la. You think so maybe the week I m'd be Michael Florio to Yeah, we're gonna have to sabotage. Yeah. Anyway, is there well one star reviews on their little two stars? That hurts like it hurts us, hurts of the brand for Rocky. In turn, can you go right like like our show, please rank us five stars. Everyone's phone around you and just give us a five star review on

iTunes or anything higher than one star. Yeah, I mean like four stars. Fine, come on, man, we're here. We're trying to help you out, man, please please. Also, we do a whiteboard series tonight. Is that Is that on the schedule? Uh? Three three, three? Yeah? I did eight yesterday. Our quest for ten I saw, No, I'm gonna do three today, ten tomorrow, and then the top twelve picks are done. That's awesome. The three today, a little bit more we do indeed three today, tend tomorrow that the

last one. And we all got a playlist for you so you can know exactly who to pick and when. Frank's stable whiteboard series and you can watch that for free on YouTube. If you want Frank's rankings, you have to subscribe the Road to Experts Exclusive Edge package that is available right now using the promo code Frank the Tank. Frank the Tank, use that you tempercent off when you check out. Let you go to the phone lines before we continue, Frank four four eight, four, three six seven nine.

Let you go to Matt in p A. What's going on? Matt? Do we have Matt Matteius? Are you there? Yes, I'm here? Oh, what's going on? Man? Hey? I just want to ask Frank a quick questions. Sure, I'll shut my mike off. Where where do I draft Royce Freeman? Like Cowston? I know is his rise is kind of the meteoric lately. So I'm just I'm just wondering, you know. So I think I'm gonna interrupt immediately. Um, I think it's an awesome but no, of course not. Um. I think it's

an awesome question. And I think it's the right question because we mentioned a lot of running backs in that area. For me, at least, um we mentioned Derrick Henry, we mentioned Alex Collins. Will get into those more in a second, And I think Royce Freeman right now is almost like the last rookie running back left standing in that area. Darius Guys is in the area. He tours a c L shot of Penny's in the area. He dislocated and broke his finger. Ronald Jones is in the area and

he was brutal week one of the preseason. The one left standing right there, Yeah, carry on. Johnson's obviously rookie, He's in the mix. A little bit later. For me, the one really left standing is Royce Freeman. Because the only guy is standing in his ways DeVante book or not. I don't know what you think about DeVante Booker, but I know you like Royce Freeman a lot. Royce Freeman is very high in my ranking, is probably too high. What do you think about is Freeman and where is

he ranked? Where should he be drafted? I'm interested to see where you have Royce Freeman ranked, because I kind of feel like I have him too high too. But I've moved them all the up to our RB seventeen. Yeah, so I have his RB sixteen, I haven't I actually have them right before Derrick Henry and Alice Collins. I think I want to just swap that and have Henry at sixteen, Collins at seventeen, maybe Freeman at eighteen. But it makes sense they're all right there. I think Freeman.

I think Freeman and Derrick Henry are very close. And I think that's a good it's a good name to talk about two because we're talking about middle round running backs. I think you know he has been rising up draft boards too. To answer your question, I think the fourth round, right like, once you get the end of the fourth round, I think I think he's firmly entrenched in the fourth round.

I'm in a best ball draft right now, Greg, where I started to take Kawon Barkley, I think it's picked five or six, and then I got Um, I got Keenan Allen, Mike Evans in the third. If Royce Freeman is there for me in the middle of the fourth, I'm gonna take him as my RB two. I just think there's not much competition there. You mentioned DeVante Booker. I don't think this coaching staff, um, I don't think

they like Devontae Booker all that much. They went out and they purposely drafted Royce Freeman in the third round of this year's draft, and he was a beast in college man over fifty sid career rushing yards, sixty touchdowns on the ground. Don't forget this, seventy nine receptions in his four year career at Oregon. Right, So this guy, you know, while he's two thirty, he's a little bit more bulky. He can actually catch the ball out of the backfield. So DeVante Booker could have his role on

this team. Maybe you know, he'll get a series here. They're a change of pace, you know, whenever Royce Freeman wants to take a break. But Freeman looked very good. In that first preseason game, four carries thirty eight yards a twenty three yard touchdown where he just kind of scampered into the end zone and outran everybody. UM. I like his combination of being able to break tackles with his big, bulky frame catch passes out of the backfield. I think he has an opportunity here Greg to be

a workhorse running back for the Denver Broncos. And that's why I moved him up that I agree with you, and that's why I have him now number night, number eight team rather um after that switch, UM, I feel the same way did he. But the question I have to ask is are we basically too much on one preseason game? And I realized it was the only thing we really have to judge of Royce Freeman on. But we kind of hate Ronald Jones now and we love Royce Freeman and a lot of that is really just

based on practice reports and one preseason game. If Ronald Jones goes off tomorrow or Saturday, whenever they play, this whole narrative changes and Royce Freeman is gives you Ronald Jones name numbers, everything changes, And are we basing too much off of that. That might be true, but I just think you look at the opportunity here too, and between Tampa Bay and Denver, it's two completely different situations because everything we're hearing out of Tampa Bay right now,

it's kind of similar to Seattle. They're talking to Peyton Barber as they're starting running back there. Denver, you're not really hearing that with Devontae Booker. All we're hearing out of Denver Broncos camp right now is good reports on Royce Freeman and the fact that he can be a workhorse running back and that he has that ability, and not just from coaches, you know, we're hearing this from beat reporters as well. Um, So it's just a different situation.

Hayton bar Her, you know, consistently they're talking about him being the starter, and what I worry about, especially with any rookie running back, it's past protection. And they're talking about how Ronald Jones is really struggling in past protection, and not only that, he's struggling catching the ball out of the backfield. Now, I don't completely hate Ronald Jones because if you look at that first preseason game, he still scored a touchdown, It's not like Peyton Barbera was

amazing in that first game either. So I don't hate Ronald Jones. Maybe you knock him down a little bit, uh more so into like that sixth round range. Um. But I think where Royce Freeman is being drafted compared to Ronald Jones is warranted, and I don't think we're putting too much it since just one preseason game. Greg, I want to go to the phone lines and a lot of you are waiting at age four four, age four, three seven nine because you were Buddy Stepen and mass Chauss. Steve.

Do we have Steve Stevie? He's gone alright up next Ryan from tab what's up? Ryan? Hey? How you guys doing what d Yeah? Of course, Hey. So I have a bit of a dilemma here. Uh. I have the first pick in a twelve man standard league, and the hardest part really is that, uh, you know, second round and third round pick back to back there spot And typically I've been doing a couple of mock drafts here and there, and I'm always ending up with these kind of set of uh wide receivers and running backs that

I can choose from. You got mixing McCoy evans, Hilton, uh Fits, Digs, um, those kind of guys. Um, who would you pair and why? I mean, that's where I'm kind of kind of at right now, and I don't know what to do, so I think, obviously so I hate it. But the answer, listen, the answer to the question is by watching fras whiteboard series of who do

I pick with the number one pick? This literally hazards this question, right, Yeah, And I think in a twelve man standard league, obviously you're gonna start one of the Barley or Levian Bella. I would say girly in that situation. I think the answer for me is if one of those round two running backs fall to you that we've been talking about, DeVante Freeman, Jordan Howard, and you mentioned Joe Mixon, who you're getting in mock drafts, if one of those guys fault, you definitely take one of those.

Because as we've seen Greg firsthand in standard leagues, we did a non PPR draft last weekend and running backs just flew off the board. Greg had to take Marshaw Lynch in the fourth round. I took Alex Collins in the third round. It just seems like in those non PPR drafts, running backs just fly off the board. So if you're on that turn at pick one and you don't take your RB two, there's no guarantee. There's no saying who's gonna come back in that four or five swing.

If you knew that you could get like mark Ingraman, another one of these running backs we've been talking about. I don't mind that strategy at the four or five turn, but personally, if one of Joe Mixon or one of those other round two running backs manages to slip to you, you take Joe Mixon and you pair him with in my opinion, Mike Evans, because I think he has the most touchdown upside of any of the wide receivers going

in that range. Greg, Yeah, I I tend to agree with you when it comes to the number one pick. I want to continue on phones A, four, three, six, eight, seven, nine. Michael in Texas, You're up next? What's up? Michael? What's up? Guys have to throw a couple of running back names that you late round values and wanted to know what you thought. So, uh, I mean before I go into that, Kenneth Dixon's making his debut, uh this Monday, in the

preseason game. So I wanted to know what that y'all think about that and how that would affect Alex Collins as well. I wanted to know you'all take on c. J. Anderson, But Tavis Murray and the last name on my list, well, yeah, those two all right, I'll take him briefly, and I'm gonna let Frankie going to Kenneth Dixon and Aleix cons c J. Anderson played that fourth quarter of the Carolina Panthers preseason game, the fourth quarter, and that was it.

The first preseason game, and c J. Anderson, despite the contract, he's playing with the third stringers. I have no interest in c. J. Anderson. When it comes to Lottavias Murray. He's a handcuff. Is Dalvin Cook. I mean, you draft Dalvin Cook, you draft Lottavius Murray. He's one of those guys. Frank we talked about tomorrow with the Vost Scarboroughs of the world, the Chase Edmonds of the world. Let Tavias Ury's very much on the list. Last year he proved

ever capable. I'm good with Latavius Murray as a handcuff. Then you get to Baltimore and every year they have a different running back that steps up from Buck Allen, Ken Dixon to last year, Alex Collins. You're the guy, the high guy. On Alex Collins, you will leave in this dude wholeheartedly. I have a been of trepidation because there's a lot of names in that vicinity that could overtake him, and you're gonna feel left out. What do you make of Kenneth Dixon and how does it affect

Alex Collins. Yeah, so, originally the team drafted Kenneth Dixon to kind of be this next workhorse running back. I think they viewed him as a dual threat, a guy who can run the ball and catch the ball. If you look at what he did in college, he was able to do both of those things very successfully. The problem is he hasn't been able to stay healthy and Alex Collins to me, in my in my opinion, he

would have to suck. He would have to drastically underperform for Kenneth Dixon to have standalone value this season, or he would have to get hurt. Uh. Last year, you look at what Alex Collins did in a second half of the season, he really proved that he can be a workhorse running back. I think it was after week ten he averaged nineteen touches per game. In my opinion, that's right in that workhorse range. So they proved how

much they like him. I think that Um. I think Buck Allen is the pass catching running back on this team, so maybe Alex Alex Collins more so the first and second down back and the goal line back, and then Buck Allen is the receiving back. I think at this point Kenneth Dixon is no more than a backup a handcuff. Again, something would have to go seriously wrong with Alex Collins,

whether it's under performance or injury. For kennetht Disons who have value this season, and just um talking about Lettavius Murray, I agree with you wholeheartedly. I think he's one of the best handcuffs to grab, especially with Dalvin Cook coming off the torn a c l But not only that. I've read the stats yesterday about how many rushing attempts there were on this team on the Vikings last year.

I think Otavius Murray can still have some standalone value, whether it's like eight to ten touches per game, but

if something were to happen, to Dalvin Cook. He is easily a top fifteen run back if if Dalvin Cook is not in one, absolutely absolutely Now it's it's amazing to me, Like you love Alex Collins, but you hate j g I, And j GI is going for me where I have him ranked just a few spots after Alex Collins to be exact two or three um at Alex Collins seventeen and I just moved for his freemant, So I have j g I ranked as my number twenty running back. You don't like j j I at all,

you own him nowhere. Now I like him for this reason. Last year he was arguably the first round pick, right like he was a guy that maybe as we got later closer to August, you were taking at the beginning of the second round. And he struggled a bit early in Miami, gets traded a Philly midway through the year, and everyone screamed Duck Beaters and Duck Peters more the fact days like Garrett Blood's gone, Wendell Smallwood, either he's amazing or he's a roster bottle. I really don't know

which one. You have players like Darren Sproul still there. Corey Clement and I get it. It's a lot of names and that's what we just described with Alex Collins too, But JGI is the one quote big back there. I think it's his contract year and they traded for him for a reason. Put people people point out that dog that Doug Peterson doesn't care about running the ball. He doesn't care about running running back in particular, it's interchangeable

to him. With the Philadelphia Eagles last year had the third most rushing yards and olive football. They do rush the football, and I think this year they have a primary ball carrier, and I think it's j j I. I know we can talk all we want about the bone on n bone on bon bone condition of his knee. It's held up in the NFL now the one negative stack, one negative stat Rather, if you look at the Eagles offense um in the rushing attack in particular, they only

had nine touchdowns last year. The t two teams ahead of them that I wore rushing yards, the Jags and the Cowboys, well at eighteen. The two teams below them, the Panthers and the Saints, had fifteen and twenty three. That's an anomaly in me, a thing that number goes up. We said Carson Wentz, he's gonna have that many touchdowns passing, but a regression is gonna come. I think positive regression comes for the Philadelphia Eagles rushing attack. I think j

j I gets more touchdowns. I think he's very possibly. There AREV one and I think what's all sudden down will be a solid RV two. I like JGI. Yeah, so you're gonna have to hope that he gets more touchdowns this year, Greg, because he only had two total touchdounds last night. So positive TOUCHDOWND regression is obviously coming for JGI. The truth of the matter is there hasn't been a really lead or workhorse running back under Doug

Peterson with the Philadelphia Eagles UM. In tween, Ryan Matthews led this team with a hundred and fifty five carries. Last year, Legarrett Blunt led this team with a hundred and seventy three carries. Now you can argue that JGI is the most talented of that bunch. I don't think we can really dispute that. But just going on the history that we have with Doug Peterson, uh, it's been a very frustrating situation for fantasy and for what it's worth.

Once j J I was traded to the Eagles last year, he had just two carries inside the ten yard line for the rest of the season, Horey Clement had four. That's very telling to me. Like Corey and we know that about Doug Peter and is that once you get down near the red zone the goal line, like he changes running backs up, he puts in new rotations. I remember a couple of years ago we have that ringame Ken John Barnard touchdown come in. Corey Clement has popped

in here and there. And don't forget, Darren Sprowls is back, and this team loves Darren Sprowls. So I don't know that he'll have a much bigger role than maybe like a third down just pass catching running back role. But I don't think Corey Clement is just nothing. And I think Corey Clement will have a role for at least, you know, eight to ten touches per game, and then for whatever it's worth after you know, he'll have his ten touches, Darren Sparrowls will have his whatever it is,

maybe six to eight. The rest is gonna be j G. The question is what's left there, Greg, Like, what do you actually what do you predict? Fourteen to six team touches game? It's gonna be inconsistent. Maybe he's a best ball running back. I think there are weeks where you know he'll be over twenty touches. There might be some games where he's under ten touches. I just don't really want that as my RB two. Gregg, where are you who?

Where is he ranked in your rankings? With all that being said, you have RB twenty, have RB twenty one, Like, who's who's running back to? None of these guys are like you don't feel good about any of these guys? Who's twenty? Jerk and Kinnon? I don't like those guys? And then like Lamar Miller's twenty two and I don't like him. I actually do like Marshawn Lynch, So I am Marshall Lyne. Yeah, you know what, I'm just gonna

move him up because I clearly like him. Right, And then the other name I have him in the mix here with Marshawn Lynch and j J I in the same range, it is Kenyan Drake And I think that's a really tough one. Also because you read all these positive reports about Frank Gore and it's annoying. And I don't think that Frank Gore is glued to the bench like people think like one A and and one B. Right, because Adam Gage in an asshole. That was the whole thing,

and that's still the thing. What do we do? Where do you draft Kenyan Drake? I would take him in the fourth round. I would take him ahead of j J. I. I think again there could be some inconsistencies here for Kenyan Drake. But one of the first shows that we did when we started talking about fantasy football this year, Greg is guys that you want to be exposed too. And one of the reason why I said Kenyan Drake is you just look at the metrics that he that

he had last year. They just proved that he was a great running back. Four point three guards after contact per attempt, He was a workhorse after Week thirteen, helped a lot of teams win fantasy championships. The biggest problem is that he's on the Miami Dolphins with Adam Gates, who I don't think he knows what he's doing. Great show today, we have a lot more to cover tomorrow. It'll be fun. We appreciate you watch. I want to thank Dry for joining us. For Frankie stand for, my

name was Grex Sausman. Thank you so much for watching the VFS. We'll do it again tomorrow, we hope,