Round 2 And Beyond

how's it going awesome? Last week we broke down the running backs that were taken after round one, which was all of them except for one guy. And this week we're gonna turn our attention to the highly touted receivers that went in the draft. Now, just this your volume receivers means we're gonna hit them all. But we're gonna hit We're gonna hit the guys that matter across the draft landscape and the fantasy landscape, who you need to know about and what they and bring to the table

for your fantasy team. That is our goal here on Fantasy Football Weekly today, and we begin first with t Higgins who got drafted by Cincinnati. Tell people about te Higgins and how you feel he fits into a crowded set of wide receivers for the Bengals. Well, it's pretty interesting too because Tee Higgins was the first pick around two and there are seven wide receivers picked in the second round of the draft, including the first two picks

of round two. So all these teams had a little while to think about this and they're like, oh man, there's wide receiver values still on the board, So te Higgins is the first one. Uh, it is suddenly an embarrassment of riches that wide receiver for the Bengals with a j Green coming back, but he's on the franchise tag. Uh, Tyler Boyd and John Ross who both might be out of contract at the end of this coming season. So Tee Higgins could be your long term wide receiver one

play in Cincinnati. If you're in a dynasty league, He's a super interesting stash because, uh, they got obviously Joe Burrow there tossing the ball, So Tee Higgins could suddenly be the wide receiver one next year. Right now, he's looking at probably wide receiver three on that depth chart, but uh, I think he definitely out muscles John Ross for playing time and he should be on the on the field for most three wide receiver sets for the Bengals this year, te Higgins has got out muscle his

opponents as well. He's six ft four, two fifteen pounds, the big catch radius and for a big man's surprising speed, he's got these long strides that eat up yards. Tee Higgins and incredibly productive the past two years with and almost identical stats the past couple of years roughly sixty catches, thousand yards, thirteen touchdowns, and that kind of productivity in

back to back years makes you feel really confident. I think he think he flat out beats out John Raw, maybe even by week one as the starter on the outside opposite A J. Green with Tyler Boyd manning the slot position. And I think you're right that a J. This may very well be a J. Green's last year and Cincinnati same could be said for Boyd and or Ross, especially Ross, and Tee Higgins could emerges that number one for what could be a decade long career potentially or

longer with Joe Burrow. And you know that's fantasy gold right there. So I agree that in dynasty leagues, in particular, Tee Higgins long term really not even that long term beginning next year. Potential is really great. And charge I made a mistake on Tyler Boyd. He is signed through the three season, but he does play the slot. So Tee Higgins from the outside is looking at wide receiver one numbers in the very near future. There it's John Ross that's gonna get pinched on this te Higgins move.

It's I think it's it's gonna be the it's gonna be the odd man out of this deal. All right, Let's go to the next player taken in the second round, and that was Michael Pittman's kid. And I'm old have had Michael Pittman on my fantasy team many times. He had a long career in the NFL. Now his son, another big bodied kid, goes to Indianapolis and all the Colts and Frank Reich have done since the draft is brag about how much they love this guy and how they want to use them this year. What do you

think about Michael Pittman's fit for the Colts? And his dad was correct me if I'm wrong, But the running back for the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is that correct? That is correct? Senior? There Um, Yeah, the path the playing time is really great for Pittman as no one is really fearing Paris Campbell at this point. Oh I am he you are I I. Paris Campbell to me is one of my favorite deep sleepers for

this kid. He At this time last year, we're all really really excited about Paris Campbell and what he could do as a sort of jack of all trades receiver for the Colts. But then he had this just torpedo this season, and I think Paris Campbell in year two is gonna be a lot like the guy who thought we were gonna get last year. So I am very high in Paris Campbell as a sneaky play. That said, still plenty of rome for Michael Pittman to get on

the field. Sure he comps similar to a Philip Rivers old teammate of Mike Williams, who in San Diego and l A was a huge red zone target for for Rivers who who likes to target both the tight end and the big bodied wide receivers in the end zone. And that's not t Y Hilton's game. That's definitely a

Michael Pittman's game. So I like him as a red zone threat and He's definitely a guy that if I'm looking at Best Ball leagues, I could see those games coming this year where he might lay a few stinkers throughout the year, But in a Best Ball league he might be one of those guys who gets a touchdown or two uh in four or five different games this year. So I kind of like that as a possible wide receiver flex starter in Best Ball leagues this year. I

do too. The concern for Michael Pittman long term is we don't know who the quarterback is next year, so that's you know, that part could be a bigger issue for him down the road. But for this season, those big body guys you mentioned it, the touchdown numbers can be there. And for Philip Rivers you mentioned Mike Williams. Remember before that Vincent Jackson, that big bodied receiver that um, many of us we waited a long time from to finally break out. He finally did, had some big seasons,

ended up leaving and then did nothing. But um, that's another big body guy that has worked with Philip Rivers in the past. Let's go to the next on the Colts. I just wanted to mention, do you think there's a chance that Andrew Luck returns to the NFL maybe after this following year, because they signed Rivers for the year. I think he might even be under contract for two. But it kind of leaves the door open for Andrew Luck to possibly come back someday. I'm not saying no,

but he's made a hundred million dollars. I just don't think. I don't know. I don't know that he has any any reason too. But you know, I don't have any uncanny insight into where what his mind state is. But he doesn't need the money. I know that, so I don't I don't think Andrew Luck is gonna come back, but man, that would be that'd be awfully nice because it's really sad how it ended there. For sure, let's

go to Jacksonville. Uh. Laviska Chanal is one of my favorite players in this draft with I think just enormous game changing upside if things can work out for him. He was incredibly productive for Colorado and maybe the most explosive playmaker in this entire draft, which is saying a lot when you've got guys like Ceedee Lamb and Henry Ruggs and Jerry Judy. He's the explosiveness is there for Laviska Chanald how do you how do you like his

the way he will fit into the Jaguars. I mean, if we went back to our earlier conversation on these day to wide receivers, I didn't really like Chanult that much because I feel like he's a little bit too gadgety for me as a as a fantasy player. He's got, you know, the shades of Percy Harvin on the upside, but he could comp out more like cor Darrel Patterson and that's the thing that kind of scares me about Chinault. But you can't deny the speed, and you can't deny

the playmaking ability. But everybody loves d J. Chark as the top wide receiver there. Outside of that, d D. Westbrook is definitely beat Herble for playing time and the Jags just let Marquise Lee go onto New England. Uh I just wanted to ask, is Justin Blackman still under contract for the Jaguars. I think he is, but uh Chenault probably figures in as the second target maybe or or or a guy who could get six touches a game something like that, and that's fantasy viable aside from

the dubious quarterbacking in Jacksonville. This is an awesome landing spot for Laviska Chenalt. He walks in with virtually no competition to beat DJ Chark is gonna Is is got deep playmaking speed. Chanlt is so strong and big bodied. He can catch over the middle of the field with with DJ Shark opening up the middle of the field for him, and I think there's a lot of good a lot of good things that can come from that. He broke forty four tackles the last two years, the

most of any receiver in this rookie class. I think he is a is a potential absolute fine for fantasy owners, and let's just hope the quarterbacking is a requisite of it in Jacksonville. I'm I'm pretty high on on Chennault, and I think there's uh I think he could be a very helpful fantasy player if if things go well. Now, he did have a variety of injuries in college, but

none of them were severe. It was just the kind that would knock you out from a game here and there, a couple of games, or you play hurt through it. That's it's definitely a soft player. Is that That's what that's what it sounds like. He's not. He's not as tough and and manly as the Mississippi mustache Gardner Minshew though, well no, but can't believe you said dubious quarterbacking they got Minshew. That's all. That's what I mean, exactly what

I mean. Uh. Then the next player taken in this loaded second round of the NFL draft, the next receiver taken, kJ Hamdler from Denver. This was Denver's just loaded on offense. All of a sudden, they went Jerry Judy and then they go with kJ Hamler. Now I'm not that high on handler, uh, Handler, and I'm I'm worried about all the drops in college. We've seen a lot of players come to the NFL with drop problems that just don't get better. Um, he's really small. I think he can

only play the slot. I think his upside is Tavon Austin at best. And that's gonna mean from a fantasy standpoint. In my eyes, he's like a best ball guy. You just you hope that you you have you've picked. You know there's gonna be four games a year where kJ Hamdler can make a difference, and you hope that you had him in your starting lineup. Well is I mean when you list off the guys in that offense right now for skill position players, it's Courtland Sutton, Jerry Judy,

Noah Fanse, Melvin Gordon, Philip Lindsay. I think all five of those guys I would rather target over kJ Hamler in the passing game. So he's He's definitely the sixth option in in a team that would only play five options at a time. But this is definitely the most exciting skill position group maybe Denver has ever had. Um Well, I don't know. I mean, if you go back, you're too young to remember the three amigos, Vance Johnson, Mark Jackson and Ricky Natil. I'm telling you those guys were good.

This was you know, there was Elway throw into those guys. Were they good or were they John Elway past catchers? I mean, this is Drew Lock if he's average at at worst, this is a really good skill position group right here. It is. It is a good skill position set for sure. And Drew Lock. I mean, what I kind of love about this is You're no, You're never gonna be able to go back and look at Drew Locks career and say they didn't give him enough help.

Absolutely not from Aaron Rodgers syndrome. Correct. Correct. The next player taken was another big body guy, Chase Claypool goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and there was some talk that they were that some teams were gonna We're gonna turn him into a tight end, but the Steelers should come out and said, no, he's gonna be a wide receiver for us. And that really tells you a little bit about the big body that Chase Claypool has got. You know, I both of us really kind of liked Claypool from

just the size and ability standpoint. Not super fast, but uh, you know, just just a huge body over the middle. But the depth chart is where it loses me in Pittsburgh because I don't really want Chase Claypool in this system. He gets to battle with Juju Smith, Schuster, Deonte Johnson and James washing And for snaps, and those are three decent wide receivers right there, with Juju being a great one. And then he's got Vance McDonald and Eric Ebron filling

the tight end spots. And Ebron was, you know, a good pass catcher in the last few years. Even Jalen Samuel's kind of fits in as one of those weird flex players who's played running back and tight end. So we need to clear some guys off of this roster for Chase Claypool to be able to play. And I don't think that I would be drafting him in redraft leagues, but I think he's a super interesting dynasty stash because once a few of these names clear off of this roster,

I think Claypool could be ah. He could be a good find. There's already rumors out there that Juju Smith Schuster is not gonna not gonna get a second contract with the Steelers, which would be at this time last year would have been unthinkable. And maybe people are overreacting to what happened last year with the likes of Duck Hodges throwing one hoppers his way. But this is a make or break year for Juju Smith Schuster, and if he doesn't pay and out, that could open the door

for Chase Claypool in a big way. When we come back, we will talk about another of the players who I do not like as much as the team that drafted him. Find out why Van Jefferson worries me. For the Los Angeles Rams. When we come back, it's Fantasy Football Weekly. I'm Paul Charchi and my co host is Matt Harrison. We're breaking down the second set of wide receivers taken in the draft. We already did a previous show on

the first round receivers. Now we're looking at this massive second round of wide receivers and a few of the guys that were taking in later rounds that we think are worth mentioning as well. We turn our attention now to Van Jefferson for the Rams. Tell people a little bit about that landing spot for Van Jefferson, and then I'll talk a little bit about why I'm not necessarily crazy about him. Well, Brandon Cooks leaves a hole in

the depth chart, so that's a nice thing. Van Jefferson factor and as the other guy along the outside with Robert Woods likely manning the other outside position and Cooper Cup in the slot. UH and Brandon Cooks, I mean up and down career in the with the Rams. Uh specifically with the concussions, but he did put up a couple of nice games, not really that many last year, but in UH, Cooks did put up some some glimmering

hope numbers. So, I mean, I guess that Jefferson's interesting from that perspective, But we didn't even preview him as one of the UH top guys going. I think he was outside of our top twelve wide receivers when we did our earlier show. So what do you like and not like about Van Jefferson? Charge? I only like one thing, and that's his ability to get some separation deep um and he's got some explosiveness to him. So I guess maybe that's two things. But there's a lot that I

don't like about Van Jefferson. Low productivity in college, he's not physical. Contact knocks him off his routes. He needs to add weight and strength, which maybe he can do. But a lot of the times when guys have to add weight and strength, we're talking about a twenty one year old. He's twenty three already, and I don't know how much more he's gonna build into that frame to try to get bigger and stronger. He's never been in

yards after catch guy. I mean, so you know, you're all those things together, and I think Van Jefferson is is going to be a high risk. Well, I think he was a high risk pick for the Rams. You will be if your fantasy team as well. And I would not pin my hopes on on him necessarily emerging out of that depth chart as being a primary factor at least no time soon. And I think his game has got to come together in a lot of ways. Let's go over to Denzel Mims, a guy that many

people thought would go at the end of the first round. Potentially, this is the speedster who goes over to the Jets where they've got a lot of opportunity to start, and Denzel Mims probably on the field opening day Week one, in the starting lineup for the Jets, Yeah, I think so. Um, he enters an offense that lost, uh, one of their top two pass catchers and Robbie Anderson, and the other one,

Jamison Crowder, plays exclusively out of the slot. Um. The other outside receivers Breshad Perriman, who has a first round pedigree but has really only shown you know, three games of fantasy viability his entire career, and they all came at the end of last season. So uh, if you believe that that was a flash in the pan, because Mike Evans and Chris Godwin were hurt at the tail end of last year. Then Denzel Mims suddenly becomes a

pretty interesting there. I really liked him. I was surprised that he lasted to the end of the second round. It would have been I think he should have gone ahead of a lot of these guys that we mentioned. I probably would have put him as the at least in the conversation and the top three wide receivers that should have been picked in the second round. But Chinn, Alton Hamler, and Claypool and Jefferson went ahead of him. So but I do like the landing spot because they

really gotta get some targets going. There's a lot of vacated targets in New York. Bris Shot Payraman is on a one year deal, and I think that's important because Payraman's deal is straight line speed. Denzel MIM's deal is straight line speed. And so while this year that when they're on the field together, um because they're so similar, I worried that defenses will play back, try to take away the speed zone deep zone coverage, and it may be that the pairman just gets a lot more balls.

But under a one year deal, I could see next year you know, Mims is the go to downfield receiver with Pairman gone, and that might be more of a twenty one play than a twenty play. Um, he was very he was he was productive, and he had lots of great plays at Baylor with an amazing combine, very productive Senior Bowl and a good Senior Bowl week of practice as well. But there's a lot of people who feel like he's also very raw and that Baylor didn't use him in a sophisticated way, asking him to run

sophisticated routes. And that made me that he's got another reason to think one will be a better year for Denzel Mims than necessarily twenty twenty. So I think that to me is more of a Dynasty pick, Matt. Yeah, I think I can. I can see that, And I'm kind of hoping that Adam Gaze has gone from New York after this year, which would probably usher in a new offensive mind there that UH can really open things

up a little bit for Sam Donald and crew. So, yeah, Mims is definitely a guy that's a stash in Dynasty's right now. Yeah, I think so too. Let's go to UH some of the players. Now, all those receivers who have talked about. They all won the second round. That's just the second round, which is crazy seven of them. Let's go to some of the other we've hand picked for other receivers that we want to talk about, uh, that we think could make a difference or at least

be notable. Let's begin with Devin DuVernay, who ends up going to the Ravens, and this is an opportunity to get some playing time because that was a very unproductive group of wide receivers last year. Yeah, outside of Hollywood Brown, it's pretty much open for business for diverne Um. All you gotta do is be about Miles Boykin and Chris Moore. I mean that doesn't sound that difficult. I feel like thirty nine year old Matt Harrison might be able to

uh muscle them out for a few targets in the office. Well, I'll mention that. Let me mention one thing about Miles Boyken and and you know, they probably won't work out for him basement. We saw a rookie year, but that guy is a crazy athlete, and we knew that it was going to be a longer runway for him to maybe acclimate to the NFL. But you know, if you're a believer in in in spark s P A r Q, he is a crazy, crazy spark specimen and people loved him coming out of the combine last year. So I'm

not totally writing off Myles Boyken quite yet, is the point. No, it's too early to write him off. He's in his second year. So uh, Daverne is interesting that they did lose some some targets with Hayden Hurst being traded to Atlanta, So uh, there's a little bit of opportunity there, and you think that they probably want to get Lamar Jackson to throw the ball just a little bit more every year of his career, maybe take a couple of hits

off of his body. So uh, I would imagine that they're going to target their wide receivers just a little bit more this year too, Yeah, I would. I would not be surprised if that ends up being the case. Now. One concern that I've got for Devon DuVernay is he's a He's a slot receiver, and they run Marquise Hollywood Brown about a third of his his his runs, his routes have come from the slot, so you know, there might be a little bit of a battle there for

a time in the slot. But um, the good news is that two thirds of of Marquise Hollywood Brown's stuff came from the outside, so DuVernay should be able to get some get some time on this excellent hands shorter and thicker than most wide receivers, which makes them tough to tackle, and the opportunity, as you mentioned, is certainly there. Matt, let's go to ourn ex receiver somebody. A lot of people are really high and it feels like every everybody always taught put this guy on their team as a

as this late potential star wide receiver. But he ended up going fairly early. And that's Brian Edwards for who goes to the Las Vegas Raiders. Tell people about that fit. Well, it's funny because the Raiders picked uh pick sixteen and pick seventeen in the third round, and they took wide receiver Lynn Bowden out of Kentucky and wide receiver Brian

Edwards out of South Carolina in back to back picks. Now, they did convert Bowden to running back, but that was there at the there in the middle part of the third round, and they've already drafted three wide receivers. What are they doing defense? They need any defense? So they're five. No, they don't need that at all. Uh, I mean Edwards could feature pretty heavily as an option besides Henry Ruggs and Tyrrell Williams. Um. I mean it's all about his health, right.

He was the guy who was dinged up for most of last year and uh if if he's healthy. Everybody seemed to think that he was late first early second round pick, but he couldn't couldn't stay on the field. So uh, Edwards is definitely an interesting guy there. Yeah, he broke his foot in February, so you're gonna have to really monitor his offseason and how that foot rehabs. For if you're thinking about Brian Edwards as a potential starter for your fantasy team in Week one, which you're

probably not. He's a rookie. Most wider workie wide receivers aren't, but somebody you'll you'll have to watch that broken foot. There's um, there's a lot to like. He's got really good ball skills. He wins a lot of contested catches. He's a bigger bodied guy, he can break some tackles. He's a finisher. There, there is a lot to like. He finished it, by the way, as South Carolina is all time leader in receiving yards Brian Edwards and um, and he makes some beautiful leaping catches that are almost

Odell Beckham like Brian Edwards. It's um, it's not who are crazy to talk about him in that in that kind of breath, I encourage you to check out that Brian Edwards highlights. Let's go to the final wide receiver for us to chat about here, Antonio Gibson, who goes

to Washington and will also be converted to a running back. Yeah, he's already on uh listed on my fantasy league as a running back already, and uh, it's really good when you're head coach who used to coach Christian McCaffrey compares you to Christian McCaffrey right off the bat, that gets on.

I'm doing a startup auction right now for a dynasty league, and in a two d dollar cap, Antonio Gibson's going for seven eight bucks, which it's it's kind of shocking to me because there's a lot of guys in front of him on that depth chart. We have Adrian Peterson, we have Darius Geissh. We have Peyton Barber who just recently signed there. I believe there's one more on Washington depth chart too, but uh, obviously they like Antonio Gibson

quite a bit. You don't get thrown around with the name Christian McCaffrey very often if you're not a half decent player. And they let Chris Thompson go, who's been their sort of designated past catcher for the past three or four years, and you know, with him gone, that really does open the past catching role, if nothing else to Antonio Gibson, who obviously has a converted wide receiver now playing running back, can catch. Two more guys they mentioned.

I thought Gibson was the last guy up, but it's not. I got two more guys who want to touch on, at least briefly. Quintess SFAs, who ends up going to the Lions. What have you got on him, Well, he's on a Wisconsin had a pretty good career there. But the interesting thing, if you're looking at a dynasty stash, Quintez Cifas will be the only wide receiver under contract for the Lions in one all of their wide receivers have their contracts come up this year. And don't forget

they traded Golden Tate a couple of years back. They could trade Marvin Owns. Kenny Golladay's coming up on a contract here too. I though I'm pat sure that they're going to resign him. They can't let him go. But quintest Cifa's is the only wide receiver that will be

under contract in season as of right now. So uh and if they do trade Marvin Jones, which that's that seems like reasonable that you would trade, you know, a veteran guy like that, cifas could could suddenly be thrust into the starting lineup and uh and and the the second half of the season, he could really get some balls there, so maybe we don't have to wait for one. But if nothing else, you figure he's he He looks like the probably probable starter next season, if not this year.

Last guy I want to mention, Tyler Johnson from Minnesota, goes to Tampa Bay. Brashade Pereman leaves a an opening for him there. Now. Johnson was a very pro ready highly productive player for Minnesota. Chose to skip the combine, which gave people a lot of concern, especially about his overall speed. But that depth chart for Tampa is kind of wide open. They got Godwin playing the slot, you

got Mike Evans outside the other outside receiver. It could easily be Tyler Johnson beating out Justin Watson or Scott Miller. It could be Tyler Johnson or sooner than later. It's no coincidence that the Minnesota Golden Gophers finished their season in Raymond James Stadium, winning a bowl game over Auburn, and both Tyler Johnson and Antonio Winfield Junior go to Tampa Bay in the draft. So obviously Bruce arians was in attendance at that game and was super impressed by

Tyler Johnson. So, uh, I think he's got a good opening there. The offense should be should be great. Uh I just wonder if there's enough targets to go around with Evans, Godwin, Gronk, O J. Howard and the running backs. Is there enough room for Tyler Johnson to be a factor this year. I don't know if there is, And uh, I know that we're from Minnesota. It's kind of a homer pick for us, but uh man, I just don't think that Tyler Johnson's gonna factor from a fantasy perspective

this year. No, uh, it'll be you won't have to worry about good quarterbacking. He'll get plenty of that from Tom Brady. But Tyler Johnson is probably the sixth most popular target for Tom Brady and Tampa Bay and that will limit his limit, his reliability and his upside for fantasy owners. Great job today, thank you, Matt. Terrific job of breaking down these players, and we've had a ton of fun looking at some of the impact players that

have come out of the draft. We'll start turning our attention in the forthcoming shows to UH Dynasty and Empire League players as well. That'll be a lot of fun. We've mostly been talking redraft since the draft and even before the draft, and we haven't spent a lot of time on that. Looking forward to getting to that. We'll start talking more and more Guillotine League information as well. That's coming up, So plenty more coming on Fantasy Football

over the forthcoming weeks. We look forward to joining you then. 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.