Everything you need to know about the NFC East

Scott Fish filled in admirably for you, and it wasn't even a filling. I mean, you know you were available. We just wanted you know, he's a cost in the show. He gets to come back. You choose the film. I'm sure he did. Alright, he did, great, he did. Um, we're gonna break down the NFC East and it we'll talk through our how we see these offenses functioning for

this season. We've been doing this now, I think six straight weeks where we've broken down different different divisions and uh, the NFCUS because it gives us a chance to talk about some shaky quarterbacking on the whole. But some football teams, football teams, we're gonna talk about some and I will be breaking down football team. Because it's Stu Beird, I'm gonna take the Stupird option. So I've got Washington, You've

got the Giants. Before we jump into the Giants, let me just remind people I gave you Stu Beird though we were discussing, we were prepping for the show, and the first thing I said was you get Stu Beird. Of course, thank you. We appreciate your yes. Um, and you got stuck with the team you love to hate, the Giants. So yeah, the division champions Giants, I forgot about that. I wait, no, Washington's the division channel. They didn't matter. They both made the playoffs though, right, No,

that's right. I'm forgetting that the Giants should have won. They should have well, no one should have won that division last year anyway, Properly, that's enough reality football. We jump into the Giants. A reminder gives you Lead dot Com open for new league starting now if you've always wanted to try one available at whatever prizing level that you want to play for, and private leagues available. If you've got a bunch of friends, I want to play

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that would be. That would be awfully nice. We we filled up the scott Fish Bowls Super Chop for charity in a day, in less than a day, like five hours. I was given last Friday off day off quote unquote at that day launches and I'm not I don't have the day off. Then that was awesome. They feel really fast though, and thank you to everybody that decided to participate in that. And the fifty dollars that went to

Fantasy Cares was great. Rhodo Wire for the free subscription, outstanding trophy Smack for the amazing rings that they're producing for this and really really nice. So let's talk about the giants. Let's jump in here, and as we've done for all of our past shows on this again. We're not recapping last year. We're looking forward for how we think this offense is going to look. And let's jump into the Giants. Giants. Uh, last year offense not good thirty feet and uh thirty one in yards per game

and points per game. Um. Joe Judge makes his return as head coach his second year. He brings along UH he's had Jason Garrett into offensive mastermind. Jason Garrett uh still the offensive coordinator for the g Men. Uh. Let's start with se Kwan Barkley obviously got to start with Barkley. UH.

The big name of course on the team. Running back five really player five overall as of right now, it's either like you, unless it's a super flex league and one quarterback leagues, you're taking a a top five running back or Travis Kelsey, which, by the way, it's Travis Kels. Well now his mom says it's Kelsey, so his mom would know, so so this thing is still very ambiguous. We had the bit because my fantasy league would pronounce it Travis Kels and we used to make fun of that.

The shouty guy was the best bits. Yeah, We're like, they're so wrong. It's funny, but no, it might be right. But anyway, UH, if you're not taking Barkley, UH, you might be taking Kelsey outside of one of the other big backs. But Barkley injured Week one of last year. As everyone remembers, UH last season, people are expecting a full on bounce back. They're banking on it. At ADP five, we'll talk about him. It's a little more this segment. UH.

And if for handcuffed reasons you're interested. Davante Booker is the top backup running back, and they also have Corey Clement who came over from the Eagles, and our rookie Gary bright Well. But whoever the running back is for the Giants, the a running behind arguably the worst offensive line in the NFL. In Pro Football Focus his mind that ranked thirty seconds going into this season. UH. And this despite the fact that they have put money and

draft picks towards that line. They have tried, but the players that they've invested in have not worked out. UH. They invested a fourth, fourth overall pick in Andrew Thomas last year, UH flopped at left tackle. UH. Nate Solder, who was the starting left tackle last year, will probably move to right tackle. List here does make his return. He opted out in so that that will help. That does help a lot. But uh, outside of that, Um,

they have a converted guard playing center. This will be a second year playing center, and the other two guard spots right now wide open for competition. The line is even defined right now, so very worrisome there for the running game and not only the passing game. Daniel Jones currently quarterback one, pretty much free in terms of a starting quarterback. If you wants too high, you mean he

should be going later. You're going later than that. I mean there are guys after him, like Carson Wentz, I'd rather roll the dice on, and many you know, many others. We'll talk about him soon. Ryan Fitzpatrick going after uh, Daniel Jones. I would take fits nine out of ten times over Jones and probably Deshaun Watson. The one other time was also going after Daniel Jones. Worth the lotto play moral stands aside. Um, Jones does have a shiny new toy in wide receiver Kenny Golladay, who is the

leader of that pack. Now he's going off the board as wide receiver wide receiver twenty seven right now, which seems about right Uh, he's definitely the wide receiver you want out of this corpse. Uh corps of corps corpse might be a more pronounced that. It's actually a deep set of receiver Sterling Shepherd. The problem, I think because it's too many Sterling Shepherd, Darius Layton. You can get them. Well, then if you're drafted Darius Tony, a rookie that some

people are excited about from a redraft. Respect don't like this landing spot. He's he's dead to me there um, But yeah, giants wide receivers do not did not produce last year. Granted Golliday wasn't there, but they were bottom made and catches bottom four and yards and touchdowns at the position. I'm just kind of out on this whole whole pass game at the wide receiver, even Holiday, who in theory should immediately become the alpha. We see a lot of times even very good receivers first year on

new teams struggle. I just and there's just too many balls to go around, including Barkley, Evan Ingram, Sterling Shepherd, Tony. It's just you know, slat and there's just so many guys that need to get fed. I worry about Golliday getting appropriate usage here. I'm with you, and the Giants actually have a very good defense, you know, so I don't I don't know if they're gonna be giving up a ton of points, so I don't know how active. If they're really wanting to win games, I mean they are,

but I don't know how many they're gonna win. It's gonna be more good defense, ball control with Barkley, that's gonna be the recipe for success. And you just mentioned Evan Ingram. Let's talk about him and I might as well throw in the He is my highest upside player for the Giants right now. He has underachieved so far in his career, to say the least, just thirteen touchdowns

across four seasons. Of course, he plays all sixteen games last year for the first time in his career, scores one touchdown God, the only tight end touchdown for the Giants. But man, the Giants do utilize their tight ends a lot. They're they've been top eleven and catches for three straight years, usually a focal point of the offense. But Kyle Rodolf, is there a really good red zone end zone target? And I worry that this could be another one to

three touchdown season for Evan Ingram. But right now it tight end fourteen. I mean he's gone like tight end six five, like his a DP and now the bottom has fallen out finally maybe he puts it all together. Still a freakish athlete, he's showing flashes of brilliance. Of course he's had some some bad drops. But at tight end fourteen right now, if you're missing out on the Big three or four, however you want a group of those guys. There's top six seven potential here for Ingram.

If you can put it all together in a tight end fourteen, that's a virtually free uh, if you're looking at your starting tight end and to the riskiest player, it's pretty obvious. And he's a top five pick if he gets hurt like he did last year, year done before and the year before, and of course everyone is at risk of injury, but uh, obvious a little concerned. They don't like fully unleashed him out of the gate either.

When the season starts, you know, like people are thinking thirty touches, I'm thinking more seven team twenty worlcome back a little bit. I know he's a freak of nature. He's still very young, very much in the prime of his career. But I don't know top five pick, it's it's too risky for me. He's not he's not locked or produced. E've been taking DeVante Booker late in a lot of drafts, even if you don't have Barkley right

not right now. I don't have Barkley at any I don't have any shares of Barkley and across any of my draft. So I would almost argue, if you have Barkley not to take Booker. Booker will be serviceable. But if Barkley goes down, you're pretty much done. But if you don't know in Barkley and you get the starting the Giants, but uh that's but uh yeah, that's all. That's all we have to say for the Giants, other than I hope Gettleman Dave Gettleman finally gets fired after

this season. I think it will happen. I hope. So for Washington football team, they get competent quarterbacking for the first time in years, and this team is said to improve significantly over last year. Brian, you're gonna hear a lot of optimism. This team finished twenty fifth points last year. Twenty yards. I think they're going to be closer to

top twelve top fourteen in both of those categories. So let's start with Ryan Fitzpatrick, your new starter, although we'll mention uh Taylor Heineke looked pretty darn good at the end of last year. But Fitzpatrick goes in as the starter, and he played well last year, and his benching for to a Toungo violoa should not be viewed as a

reflection of Fitzpatrick's play. And you know, I'm gonna give you some numbers here that really I think will will help demonstrate why he's going to be very valuable here, and especially compared to recent Washington quarterbacks. You know, Fitzpatrick impressed the ball upfield. He finished eleventh in completed air yards last year, in eighth in yards per attempt. And this despite last year he had the second shortest time to throw and he still finished eighth and yards pert tempt.

I mean that guy hung tough in the pocket and delivered downfield. Last year. He ranked number one in aggressiveness, which is next next. Jen stats is calculation for a pastor's willingness to throw into tight coverage. I like that about him. He's always been this way. He'll take the periodic pick if it means that he can get the ball towards his best receivers. Fitzpatrick led the league in on target a percentage in balls thrown twenty yards or

longer last year. He was good last year, and they mentioned him anyway, the Dolphins would have made the playoffs. I'm convinced that they kept him there for sure. All we needed was one more win his He had six his sixty five completion percentage. People think that he's a very errand thrower, but he completed six of his passes. Aaron Rodgers completed sixty six, so I really think that's not accurate either. He was next gent Stats seventh ranked

quarterback in completions above expectation. So you're all that together anything, And I've got more on him later. So let's go to Let's go to his receiving targets, beginning with Terry mcterry McLaurin sitting on a breakout season. He's already really good despite the terrible quarterbacking they've had. Um, how bad was it last year? Mclauren was seventy five in catchable target rate. Last year seventy five among why receivers and catchable targets. Now with Fitzpatrick, he's going to see way

more downfield opportunities. Fitzpatrick's a dot has been the top three, sorry, top ten for three straight years, so we're gonna see McLaurin work downfield much more. I love that opportunity for him. Um. Fitzpatrick's number one wide receiver, so his top wide receiver. His averaged one hundred forty two targets per season when Fitzpatrick has started ten or more games, which he has projected to do. Here, if we put Terry McLaren on one forty two targets, he will be a top ten

wide receiver this year easily. McLaren played a whopping eight per cent of the team's plays last year, so obviously I love mclauren. Curtis Samuel gets reunited with Ron Rivera and Scott Turner, who know him very well from Carolina. He'll presumably read that jack of all trades guy that he has been for Carolina. UM, but now with the best quarterbacking of his career, and he's reunited with Terry McLaurin, who they went. Isn't that fun? Um? You know, so you know it's gonna be the same we did to

we do. Just say that Fitzpatrick loves to feed his number one and that's going to continue to be the case here. Um, but Samuel figures to be the number two receiver in this offense, and they're gonna run him some and do some other stuff with him. I think you'll get a lot of high and low stuff. Let me note this. He ran predominantly from the slot last year, but under Scott Turner in Carolina Curtis Samuel lined up

outside much more often. And I think he's going to be an outside receiver for this team because Adam Humphries is going to man the slot and he'll likely be on the field more than people realize because people in their minds still think Samuel, like last year, is gonna be predominantly slot. I don't think he is. I think he's gonna go outside much more so. Um. He Humphries

got cut from the Titans. He was two years into a four year deal, and that's you that was worrisome that they didn't decide to keep him, and he had the concussions last year. But um, you could play him in a PPR situation only and sort of pick your spots. He played with Fitzpatrick and Tampa for what it's worth, But I don't think Humphries is anything more than the last last pick of your draft kind of guy, or some of you pick up off the waiver wire. Rookie

Diemi Brown is there. He's a speedcer with deep speed, and we do have a deep armed quarterback here, so he might be somebody who could you could throw a dart at from time to time. But there's also Campsen's and Antonio Golden Gandy and Kelvin Harmon, and there's other guys. Stevens sim City. I like that it is sim City with two Sims on the team. Uh. Tight end Logan

Thomas is fascinating. So he had the improbable path as a college quarterback turned tight end turned journeyman, bouncing around from team to team to team, and then last year he's on the field for Washington's plays. And he was a pro drafted as a pro quarterback. But Cardinals, that's like the fourth quarterback. He wasn't like signed as a free Asian or anything like that. He was drafted to

play quarterback. Didn't work out and do his credit. I mean, he's managed to stay in the league and Lions gave up on him, and then now he's turned into a very good tight end. Over the final eleven games of last year, he finished with per game averages of five catches, fifty one yards and half a touchdown per game. That's pretty solid, lead the team in red zone targets. There's downside here though, because again Fitzpatrick feeds his number one

Curtis Samuel's now there, Adam Humphries now there. They dat drafted Diamie Brown. I think there's some downside on Logan Thomas. I don't think he's gonna get quite as much usage, quite as many balls, but he's he's still I still probably make sense about where he's going in most fantasy drafts. As currently as tight ends eight off the board. Yeah, he's you know, it's the big three. And then he got Hockinson, got Art and uh Kyle Pitts and then

it gets scared to that. Then it's then it starts with Logan Thomas, and I don't like him being the guy. I'm kind of avoiding that situation. But as good as he was last year, if you told me I get five catches fifty have a touchdoff from him that I'm definitely in, which is what he did in the second half last year. Let's go to the running back position. Everybody's high in Antonio Gibson at this point, including me his abilities. I think we're overlooked by many last year.

But I think given the off season of reflection, people have gone back and looked at his body of work last year and realized Antonio Gibson was really good. He was Pro Football Focus his sixth ranked running back last year. Derrick Henry led the NFL and miss tackles. Antonio Gibson

tied him in miss tackles per carry. That's pretty impressive, Pretty impressive, the team repeatedly said last as repeatedly said in the offseason, They're gonna throw to him more, as you probably remember at Tuni with Gibson's converted wide out and so that makes sense. I think he will. I think that will end up happening, and that will end up dink J. D. McKissick, whose only real value to fantasy fans is fantasy players, is as a PPR back.

I read a report today, uh from NBC Sports Edge whatever Rhodo World's called now about how he's put on muscle though, put on some weight kiss and now that he's gonna take the job from Antonio Gibson. But have given the opportunity, he might be more than he could be the full on bell cow backup for Gibsons. That could make sense. Uh, here's the real problem for Antonio Gibson. His pass blocking is awful. ProFootball Focus ranked him sixty

one at the position. There are only three qualified runners who ranked lower than Antonio Gibson, and he we need him to be on the field and third down if we want to see the past catching get better and then the receiving numbers go up. So he's got to get better than that riskiest player. His current ADPs loan Logan Thomas, who as I mentioned earlier, he's going off the board and round seven. Last year there were only

three viable targets on the whole team. This year there might be six, so I think his numbers are could potentially go down. The player with the most upside, we're back to Ryan Fitzpatrick, quarterback twenty six right now. Had Fitzpatrick been allowed to play the full season in Miami, he was on track for four thousand one d passing yards, twenty seven and a half touchdowns, thirty three thirty rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. His closest comparable quarterback Justin Herbert.

Justin Herbert's ADPs quarterback six. Ryan Fitzpatrick, who put up again was on a per game basis. Is putting the same numbers as Justin herbert Is ADP is six too cheap. Too cheap. Hopefully you will not be too cheap to consider the sponsors that you were about to hear. As we take a break, we come back, we'll talk about the Philadelphia e goals eight, an offense in a great deal of transition. We'll tell you how we feel about them in moments. Welcome back Fantasy Football Weekly. Paul Giargie

and Brian Johnson. We you, let's talk about the Eagles. There may be no more player with upside and downside then Jalen Hurts. If he can be a good enough passer to hold that job all year and continue running like he did last year, he has top five fantasy quarterback in him. But if his passing stays at the level it was last year, Brian, I can't tell you he even finishes the season as the start. Yeah, well, uh, we'll certainly talk about the upside and downside of Jalen

Hurts a little more. But like you mentioned, a lot of change going on in Philly. A new head coach, Nick Sirianni, the former offensive coordinator for the Colts. They also have a new offensive coordinator, Shane Stiken, who is the former O C for the Chargers. So a lot of changes on the sidelines for Philly. Um, we're not good in terms of yards per game in points per game last year respectively. That was a lot of Carson

Wentzlough and not Jalen Hurts of course. Uh. Well, and again that offensive line just amated by injury, and we'll talk about the line a little more as well. Uh, Philly did rank top eight in past play percentage passed the ball over of the time, very past friendly offense. UM. For Jalen Hurt's sake and his past catchers, hopefully that

remains the same. But I let's talk about the running, the running game and Miles Sanders, who's had a somewhat tortuous, tortuous tortuous in the league, especially from a fantasy perspective. Big weeks down weeks just very inconsistent, even when it just comes from his usage and touches per game. Just six h rushing touchdowns last year's zero receiving touchdowns right now, going off the board as RB eighteen, just after the

DeAndre Swifts and j K. Dobbins of the world. But I don't know if I like that spot for Sanders and Redraft. I like guys like Chris Carson David Montgomery who are going after Sanders. Uh, just from the safety Here's why I kind of like Sanders. Everybody's so down on him. A DP is really depressed, and that offensive line, when healthy is actually quite good. So I'm kind of interested in Sanders this year. The So let's talk about

the line. It's been elite for years. The Eagles have had a very good offensive line, and it fell off a lot last year because of injury and and they're they're stars are falling a little bit. Right tackle Lane Johnson and center Jason Kelse is he kels or is he kills he too? He's gotta bell. They might be past their their prime by a pinch, but they're still still very good players. Uh. They did invest a nineteen first round pick and left tackle Andre Dillard, but he

has yet to live up to expectations. They do get back the Eagles, that is right guard Brandon Brooks, who missed all of that'll help. He was Pro Football Focused hot Pro Football Focus his highest graded guard in twenty nineteen and he missed all of last year, so the line much improved they are. They are only ranks seventeenth by Pro Football Focus going into the season, but if it stays intact, it could return to its glory days and UH help boost Miles Sanders into top twelve RB territory.

But he's very much a coin flip and very much a contestant or a finalist for the highest downside. For give you another reason that I'm optimistic here. You know Doug Peterson's gone. Peterson used a maddening running back by committee that oftentimes was not reflective of who the best runners were, and Sanders is the best runner. But we

know Nick Sirianni won't do that in the Colts. That's kind of very much so it I agree it is, but it's a but it's an opportunity for it for Sanders to um to get more work than he had, and I think there's a decent chance he does here you would you would hope to think he does. And just for the sake of mentioning Boston, Scott will be the primary backup. He has filled in admirably, admirably in

the past, and they do. They did sign carry On Johnson for those wondering if he's still in the league and drafted, Uh, Kenneth Gainwell, I think in the fourth round as a he's a rookie. Uh. Tailing off the running back commy there. Uh So let's go to the passing game and Jalen Hurts the other big name in Philly. Uh inside the overall top eighty five players currently quarterback nine in most formats, going right after Aaron Rodgers, before

Tom Brady, Matthew Stafford, Ryan Tannehill, Joe Burrow. A lot of faith being put in Jalen Hurts. Uh. But like you said, he he was great last year. But but the sample was small. We'll we'll dive into Hurts just a little bit more in a second. Let's talk about his receivers really quick. And when you start with the Philly receivers, you really have to start with the tight ends and not the wide receivers. And for at the moment. As of right now, the tight ends are both Dallas

Goddard and zach Ertz. Zach Ertz is still an Eagle. Uh. The Eagles have always used their tight ends a ton, always ranking near the top of all relevant fantasy stats. Richard Rodgers and Jason Croom were catching tight ends catching touchdowns for the Philly for the Eagles last year at tight end. Uh. The real history has Sirianni comes from India where they use multiple tight ends all the time too.

You know, the recent history for the Philly tight ends has gone from all zach Ertz to kind of a fifty fifty Earth's got her platoon, but the torch is certainly getting passed to god Heart now currently tight ends seven going after all the big names, and again Ertz is there for now at tight end twenty one. I'm thank him leaving. I am too, I you know, I like taking Art's late and then I just think they're

gonna end up moving him someplace. Now, you know, where they move him may not be a desirable spot, but presumably any team that's gonna trade whatever it costs to get zach Ertz and Earth's wants to be well paid to um you know that's gonna pay him and trade the equity for him. Presumably they're going to use him. Buffalo was the primary landing spot that we've heard about. Yeah, I would love that, but anyway, we'll see what happens with Earth's. As for the wide receivers, not very exciting.

I'm gonna talk about DeVante Smith very quickly. He's the only one I'm gonna mention. I'm not gonna talk about Jalen reagor Travis Folgum. I'm not going there in drafts. Maybe they start producing in the season, I'll ad him off the waiver. Why but they're they're not draftable in my mind, not even Reager, even though he has a draftable a DP at one sixty two, people are drafting him. I would not. DeVante Smith is my highest upside player. He's a rookie wide receiver forty right now, but he's

the top wide receiver on this team. Not the top receiver. That would be Dallas Goddard. But uh, one of the most exciting wide receivers ever to play college football. Is absolutely dominated. Won the Heisman, almost won the national championship on his own. It's quite simply he's if he's the top target at wide receiver on a team that's top eight in passing play percentage, and if Jalen Hurts can keep it clicking. If you're getting Devonte Smith at wide

receiver forty, I'm not comparing to Randy Moss. People concerned, well from the Thinness factor a little bit, but you know, there are a lot of concerns with Randy Moss go into his rookie year. There are a lot of concerns with Devonte Smith. He could throw all those out the window and just be a phenom right out of the game.

And wide receiver forty, I'll roll the dice there, And unlike Jalen Waddle, Um, you know who who's going, I don't know about if team picks ahead of him, twelve picks ahead of him, you know that offense, that passing offense is largely going to go through Smith, and you know that's that's there's a certain amount of appeal to that for those that need productivity from him this year. And lastly, it was either you know, Miles Sanders or

Jalen Hurts as your riskiest player. I guess maybe Dallas Goddard could have been in the convo, But I'm going Jalen Hurts if you're taking quarterback. We've said it in previous pods. It might be the deepest that's ever been in fantasy. If you're sinking uh, you know, a top six seven round pick into Jalen Hurts. He has to pan out, and if he doesn't, yeah, you'll probably feel uh find someone on the waiveward to back him up.

But you caught it cost yourself a stud at another position if it Hurts doesn't pan out, So yeah, most risk I'm with him that um and tons of upside. Definitely, it all comes down to his passing. He just he has to be able to pass better than what we saw last year. He'll give you that rushing floor, but if his arm doesn't keep him on the field, he's not gonna be getting any rushing. That's at the end

of the day. It's a passing position and people don't like to hear that in Fantasy owners and you know, I get it, but and you're here for the rushing, but at some point your quarterback has to be able to pass. Let's go to the Dallas Cowboys. Bryant uh Dak Prescott returns to lead a high powered offense that struggled without him. As you already know from last year, in the four full games he played, he was Fantasy Football's highest scoring quarterback last year. There's a lot of

optimism for him. He uh he topped four hundred fifty passing yards in three of his four full games last year. Four fifty. Dak obviously very good passer, elite weaponry around him, a very safe fantasy selection despite coming off the ankle. I think the question is, though, on this rebuild ankle,

are they going to run him as much? I mean, much of his fantasy upside had come from these combo games where you know, he ran for forty five yards and maybe a touchdown and he threw for two eighty or three thirty and a couple of scores, and you know, in combination, those are really good Dak Prescott games. Just to unclear as to whether or not that rebuilt ankle is going to allow him to produce the same kind of rushing numbers and if Mike McCarthy will allow him

to have the same kind of rushing numbers. I'm not too worried about the ability, but yeah, they're not going to force it as much as they did in the past. I think that's true. Let's talk about the offensive line because that's much of the story with Dallas this year. Offensive line decimated by injury last year, but should return to I'm not calling the elite status because I don't think we're that level for these Cowboys anymore. But this

could be a top ten offensive line. It was only two years ago they were the number one line with a bullet that's in most people's minds. Yeah, it's an aging Uh, there's it's a somewhat aging line in spots like left tackle Tyrone Smith returns he missed almost the entire season last year. Their right tackle l Collins returns after missing oh of last year with a hip injury. Zack Martin, the right guard is elite. The left guard is Connor Williams, a solid, not splashy player. Center is

pretty big question mark. Travis Frederick had to retire, of course. Is most people know um Tyler Biadaz I believe is how you pronounce his name. He was the starter last year, he wasn't great, and he's back for this year. A wide receiver. You already know. It's a total embarrassment of ridges for the Cowboys. There are three great receivers. They each are worthy of one hundred targets. They each had

one hundred targets last year. And you know that means when you when you're spreading a hundred targets out three different guys. Some games, all right, I know, UM, some games you're gonna have guys that just don't show up in the box score as much because the other two need to get fed. And so that happens. Sometimes. Everybody believes Ceedee Lamb is going to take a big leap

in year two. I'm I'm certainly on board. In his four full games with Dak Prescott, which were his first four NFL games, by the way, So you know, weeks one through four of last year with Dak Prescott, his production there put Ceedee Lamb on pace for ninety re receptions, one thousand, four hundred yards and six touchdowns. So ninety three catches for rookie, that'd be probably it would have been an amazing season for him. Um. Then Dalton came on, Lamb season went in the crapper and you know the

story from the rest of that. Um, he's tall, he's a ranging receiver, surprising burst even though he doesn't have top end speed, tons of huge broken plays at Oklahoma. Lamb had the league's second best catch rate last year

on balls twenty yards or longer. And now he gets a far better, stronger armed quarterback in Dak Prescott ceedee lamb is um is Is has moved in the eyes of most people into the teens for his a DP Among wide receivers, Amari Cooper led the team in every meaningful statistical category last year, and I'll probably do that again this year, although it'll be much closer, he said,

career highs and red zone targets. Last year, he converted twenty seven percent of his red zone receptions into touchdowns. Cooper got seven targets from inside the five yard line, which is nuts. That is a lot for a wide receiver. Seven targets from inside the five yard line. He remains the safest of the Dallas receivers um, although all the steam for Lamb makes it close. But I still think Cooper.

If I had to pick one, I would take Cooper slightly, and I've got them ranked within like two players of each other, two receivers of each other. I'll mention this though Cooper underwent ankle surgery in January, didn't participate in the team's offseason program at all, and he is expected to be okay for the start of training camp. We'll see.

Then there's Michael Gallup third wheel. Still targeted a hundred thirteen times last year and a hundred five times the year before that, or I might have had those backwards. Actually I think it was hundred five last year. Um. He's the big body downfield guy that they throw too. It's the boom er bust stuff. When he gets when he connects on those deep balls, he's great, and he scores on those. It's great, but usually it doesn't work out. In his twelve non touchdown games last year, he averaged

three catches for forty two yards. That's that kills you. Those basically every time I used him on DraftKings it was hard pegging those four so temptingly yeah, yeah, Um, let's go to the tight ends. Blake Jarwin returns after missing the entire season with an a c L and the season opener. He he got in some like practice and O t s and mini camps, expected to be

available for training camp. He's a far He's he's the much more polished receiver of the two between him and Dalton Schultz, and I expect him to resume his number one tight end status that he had going into last year. Um. Dalton Schultz just is not a is not a special player. And the tight end position though with either guy, I think there's some danger and there's a fair amount of

steam on Blake Darwin Um coming back. But in reality, the tight end position, no matter who is your fourth or fifth in the pecking order, you're behind the three receivers behind his Sekiel Elliott, and so really at best your fourth or fifth at the time at as looking for balls from back, Darwin broke a lot of hearts. He was a trendy sleeper pick at tight end last year. And I believe you didn't even play. I think you heard him Silvan and you didn't even get like a

full game out of him. I think it was early in wee. That was brutal. Yea, all right, let's talk running back. This is going to be a really hard decision for a lot of people. There is so much steam right now, and Ezekiel Elliott going off the board right now as running back five and player five, I think it was five, or do you say somebody else was five earlier Barkley. But I guess, depending demands where you're looking, it might be four. Um, in fact, it

might be three. Well, we give it. I should, I should. I don't have in front of me McCaffrey, Cook, Kamara. Uh No, I've got him going after he's gone. I just I do have notes that he's going on Henry. I've gotten where I was looking fantasy footboll calculator. By those what I was I was using for this draft position five for either way. It was at this time last year that I was like, avoid Zeke at all costs.

I was really nervous about Zeke for a lot of reasons, and thinks I'm still somewhat concerned, although I'm a lot warmer on Zeke now than I was last year. At this time he posted career worst numbers in every Russian category. Um. But again, the offensive line was really bad last year, and it comes back healthy this year. The other thing that we should mention is, by all accounts, Zeke looks great.

And I've seen photos of Zeke. You know he's you know, he he doesn't like to wear a shirt anyway, and he does wear a shirt. It's a half shirt because he wants to show off his abs and he looks good. Zeke looks like he's taking this offseason very seriously, takes very good care of that Billy button. Always lind free, always lind free, when even when you take the offensive line struggles out of the equation. Though Zeke was not great last year, get this. Next gen stats showed this.

Zeke had zero point zero seven yards over expectation last year. Zero point zero seven yards. Ruler to route to figure out how far that is. That's not the kind of double O seven you want. No, that is not um. That tiedem was Zack Moss, and people hate Zack Moss. So that gives you a sense of where of where what the Zeke we saw last year. But obviously people fully expect the bounce back. But here's the reason I'm still worried. Tony Pollard is the more dynamic back. Paulard

deserves more touches than he's gotten. And just like when you go back, Pro Football Focus rates rates Pollard better in pretty much every metric except pass blocking. Zeke is very good. Pollard for two straight years running. Pro Football Focus thinks Pollard's the better running and just my eyes, Pollard is the more dynamic back. There's real risk, and this is why Zeke is the riskiest player at his current ADP for the Cowboys at draft position five. I

need a sure thing I do. I don't want to have this kind of I don't want to have this hanging over me. Which Zeke am I gonna get? Am I gonna get lack the lackluster version we saw last year? Am I gonna get a better one? I don't want question marks to pick five? And to me, Zeke still got question marks. I would say he and Dalvin Cook are the two top running backs that you have to handcuff.

I don't I'm not an advocate of handcuffing all stud running backs, but those two feel like the one and then you're reaching around to get that ensure you get those handcuffs, right, Yeah, I don't like it. So if Zeke is going at draft position five, how many other guys are going in that position in that range who aren't clearly the best player at their own position on their own team. I mean that's the worry, right, So

I still think there's a lot of risk there. Let's talk about the play with the most upside compared to a DP. To me, that's a MARII Cooper. He's wide receiver four teen and round four. Uh ceedee, lamb going really right in the same range right now. But Cooper has just proven to be a workhorse receiver and I love the fact that they throw to him inside the five and that's those are cheap, easy touchdowns and I love that stuff. Um, so yeah, I'm taking Amari Cooper.

Why deceiver fourteen might be a little low with Dak Prescott coming back? Who's gonna win this division? Washingtonsionavorite right now? I don't know that Vegas does. In fact, they're thirty to one to win the Super Bowl. Uh football team is no, I'm sorry, they're fifty to one to win the Super Bowl. Um, I think people don't. I think people just assume Fitzpatrick's no good when I don't. I don't see it. Cowboys are the odds one. But here's

the thing. Washington has the best defense in the division by a mile, and maybe the best defense in the league. They added William Jackson, a very good cornerback, in the off season, huge upgrade over Ronald Darby. This is is a really really good defense and we talked about all the playmakers on offense. Now all Fitzpatrick has to do get the ball into the hands of his playmakers Curtis Samuel and Terry McLaurin and Antonio Gibson and Logan Thomas

and let those guys make plays. And the Eagles plus five hundred is the worst odds. That seems like the best bed of them all though, just because in the division, because the Cowboys Washington in New York, they can implode any drop of the hat based on what happens to the front offices. Eagles plus five a Vegas. Put some money on it for him. I'm going to actually I'm gonna take Washington to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

Never bet the team to win the Super Bowl. Always just bet them to make the super Bowl because then you can hatch, just cash cash that out, and if you still love your team, roll that whole bank forward on a super Bowl bet. And if you don't love that team, keep your money or go somewhere in between. We'll talk off line, but you're gonna have to do a parlay Chargers a f C champion Justin Herbert m v P parlay formula. Oh I like that. I like

that should hop onto Well, no, no way. But it's like if you have not heard me talking, I'm not hoping. I know you're on, but mom, literally hop on that ticket with me as well that that I might do. You already have the Chargers to represent the a f C ticket, but parlay with Herbert. I mean, if they get there, of course Ekeler could everywhere. Everything's gonna play

a big role. But if they make it to the super Bowl, justin Herbert, that could be Um, he's gotta it's got to figure out a way to to be a pretty good quarterback in his own division, which is which is a challenge but possible. Don't let the team doctor bring a needle anywhere near you. I got Thanks for listening, appreciate getting to the end of the podcast. Uh. Next week we'll be back for we'll break down another division. I don't know which one yet. We've got we still

need NFC South an NFC North. Let's say the North for last, since we're in Minnesota for last. Uh, talk to you in a week, everybody, Bye bye. Fantasy Football Weekly is a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts from my Heart Radio, visit the i heart radio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.