Hello everybody, Welcome into the Fantasy Pros Football Podcast. I'm Ryan Warmley, joined by Derek Brown and Pat fitz Morris. We are talking fantasy takeaways from the NFC East today. We were doing a series for every division. Today's episode is the NFC East, led by this season the Philadelphia Eagles fourteen and three, the two seed in the NFC playoffs fits What was your fantasy takeaway for watching the Eagles this season?
The DeVante Smith is one of the most underappreciated fantasy performers in the league. Smith did have the lowest yardage total of his four year career this year, eight hundred and thirty three yards, after going for more than a thousand yards in both twenty twenty two and twenty twenty three. But Smith did miss four games this year and still
managed to score a career high eight touchdowns. He was playing in the run heaviest offense in the league, the Eagles through the pall and only forty four point three percent of their offensive snaps this year, and he was sharing targets with aj Brown and yet, like Smith always stands out, he's averaging one point nine three yards per rout run in nine point one yards per target for his career, both really good numbers. He was in nine
point four yards per target this season. I think he's one of the five or ten best route runners in the league. And I know the run heaviness of the Eagles offense seems like this intractable problem for Devonte Smith, like it's going to be that way forever more. But one of the big reasons the Eagles were able to be so run heavy, well, two big reasons. One, sai Quon Barkley was so awesome and stayed healthy all year.
Number two, the Eagles defense turned into one of the NFL's best this year, so there were not a lot of shootout game scripts. Everything was very run friendly for Philadelphia this season. Both of those things might repeat next year, or they might not. I mean, circumstances are always changing
in the NFL. Like the Eagles maybe get a spade out injuries on the defensive side of the ball next year, and all of a sudden they're playing in more shootouts, the pass rate goes up, and AJ Brown and Davante Smith are putting up bigger numbers. So I want to bet on the talent of Davante Smith in twenty twenty five and sort of, I don't know, turn the volume down on the circumstances that made the Eagles so run heavy this year and maybe muted the passing volume for them.
What's your take on this debro in terms of because you had talked about in one of our other division previews or excuse me, takeaways about a willingness to draft you know, both t Higgins and Jamar Chase and not be afraid of getting two guys in the same offense. You can sort of have the same conversation with Philly and we kind of mentioned that in that conversation, maybe a slightly lesser version of this since he one, but aj Brown and DeVante Smith same idea, I.
Mean, same idea and same practicality.
Man.
I mean DeVonta Smith has shown us who he is and that's a continual proven top twenty wide receivers, wide receiver and fantasy like will we look over his last three seasons guys, different coordinators, different situations. DeVonta Smith wide receiver, fifteen, wide receiver, twenty wide receiver fourteen and fantasy points per game. We know who Dvante Smith is. That's a proven wide receiver two and if anything ever happens to the passing
volume in Philly. He I mean, look, aj Brown and him could both be wide receiver ones in a fantasy season. And I'm old enough to remember boys when Davante Smith entered the NFL and everybody said he might be too skinny.
So where are you actually ranking him?
Then?
Deepro for next year?
I mean again, he'll be a top twenty to twenty four wide receiver locked in. Done easy.
Sorry, did you say it fits where you were going to rank him next year?
Yeah, I think I've got him like around wide receiver twenty six or so, but I think he's going to be lower than that for some people. I think a lot of folks might have him in the thirties.
He'll be a wide receiver three in most ranks.
I think this is mainly a redract episode.
But I'm just curious on the Dynasty side, what you guys do with somebody like Smith who is so locked into being, you know, second fiddle in the passing game. But he's so good and it's a good offense. So in Dynasty, how do you approach somebody like Smith?
Fits.
Yeah, he's a target. I mean, he's a guy I would like to have and don't have on enough of my dynasty teams right now.
Yep, just proven production. Yeah, it's proven production. Like this is if you were looking at like a rebuilding and I don't want to go too far down down the well with this, but like if you're rebuilding and you have like a top high end wide receiver, this is the move kind of move you go make, Like you say, Okay, I've got Molik Neighbors, I want a first maybe another little plus and DeVante Smith. You can have a neighbors and I'll enjoy the extra equity because I know I'm
going to get a proven wide receiver. Two, you're in and you're out, and he's still I think has wide receiver. One upside if the passing rate ever goes up slightly for the Eagles.
And by the way, one of the reasons I didn't have him on more dynasty teams is that I did think he was too skinny coming into the league and didn't get him in rookie drafts because of it. Ouch big mistake.
Yeah, let's look at the Commanders second place in the division. Obviously they are in the playoffs as well as a sixth seed. Debro what was your fantasy takeaway for the Commanders.
Zach Ertz is a mortal. He's a vampire. I don't know, like he's got superhuman blood in him. Like tight end ten in fantasy points per game. I mean, how many times he got to do this? Like if he's back in Washington next year, I mean, you know, lrip all my Ben Sennate takes, but like zach Ertz probably gonna do it again. I mean, the guy was twelfth in targetshare, top twenty and first downs per route run. And that's not even breaking open the can of like separation metrics.
This dude was top three in both separation and route rent win rate. Excuse mean can't talk apparently win rate behind only Mark Andrews last year. It's insane, Like, if he's back in Washington, we should be ranking him. I'm not going to say he's a top twelve guy for next year, but top fifteen.
Fit's how stunned were you on a scale of one to ten, that Deebro didn't take this opportunity to talk about Jayde Daniels.
That is a little bit of a shocker. I think we were going to get a zach Ertz take.
As as high on Jane Daniels as you have been since day one.
To not take this people take it. You don't to take a victor.
I thought he was going to be skating a victory lap with the Stanley Cup here, but we're not seeing it.
Surprisingly, I almost would have I don't have to do it if I said, y'all to talk about it instead of me.
I wanted to take a victory.
My bold prediction that I kept bringing up on all of our preseason shows was about Terry McLaurin, and that you know, panned out really megive silly as well.
So it's just funny to look at the and Brian Robinson.
I had a lot of places, and he largely was very very effective for me. So Ertz was like the one guy that, like, I didn't really pay much attention to. I know he had a good season obviously, but was kind of, you know, behind those other big names. But I mean, yeah, it was a very surprising to me. Strong season from him. Fits What was your you know,
takeaway from watching Ertz? And I mean at his age, I know de were kind of framed this says, zach Ertz is immortal, but like, are you gonna be ranking him aggressively next season.
Well it's not just at his age, but like at his age and having come back from a major injury like that. That's kind of the thing and the reason I think people were just you know, writing him off entirely for fantasy. Yeah, I mean, it was fun to watch the chemistry developed between Jade and Daniels and zach Ertz. And I feel like zach Ertz has become even more so than Terry McLaurin the guy Jade and Daniels leans on in like, you know, anywhere from third and four
to like third and eight. He is looking for zach Ertz to move the chains. And I have a couple of buddies who are in business with zach Ertz away from football. Shout out to pt and Dan, who I know are both friends of the show, and they've mentioned how like extremely serious Ertz takes his training and his fitness. And you know, his wife is a former pro soccer player, so like she's probably used to elite athletic training and everything.
I don't know.
Obviously, Ertz is very serious about extending his career, and I wouldn't be surprised if he squeezed out another productive year or two.
Dero, do you have any just quick thoughts and celebratory ramblings about some of the other players in this offense.
I mean, dude, it's it was a good year. All I could say is if you bet all the future props on a lot of commanders Terry McLaurin overs over on his receiving touchdowns, over on their wind total, it's been a very nice new year so far for you.
Can I ask U debro one thing and you two worm, how are we feeling about Brian Robinson Junior right now? Because I know we were both very much in on him coming into the season, but there was a slowdown towards the end of the year. And I know, like I actually benched him and like my playoff run in one league after he had really helped me out during the regular season. But like it almost seemed like Chris Roderiguez looked a little better down the stretch.
I I will say this, I'm I'm worried about it. For me. It's it's it's the how he declined down the stretch, and I think that could have been I mean, how many times do we see him on the injury report. Guys, like he was on there off there, on there off there, and it wasn't just like one thing continually dogging him. It was like, Oh, it's it's a knee, it's a hammy,
it's it's all these different things. I will say I'll probably probably be back in on him next year in twenty twenty five, only because I again, I don't think that he had a big enough season where he's gonna get a lot of respect in drafts and the other thing. And I know I'm gonna throw some bro science out there, but it does hold up. He's in a contract year.
Tell me he's not gonna do every single thing that he can to get himself in shape, stay on the field, be productive as all get out, because I mean we're talking about he's gonna be. He's not like a super super young running back. So like twenty twenty five, he'll be twenty six years old, Like this is probably his last NFL contract.
I want to see what they do in terms of building out this backfield. I mean, Eckler another year older. Like if he goes into next season as just the very clear and obvious workhorse, then I will probably be back in on him. It is worth noting that, like even when he was really and he was great return on investment from where you got him on draft today, but a lot of that came in the form of
a really high floor. He If you look even at the start of the season and half PPR scoring running back twelve seventeen twenty two ten fourteen, twenty thirty four, that's in the first eight weeks, and you missed one of those games with the injury, that's like not a lot of high There was no twenty point games in his entire season in half ppr score. His best game of the entire year was eighteen point eight points at Arizona.
Now that's still you're really happy to have.
That, especially considering where you drafted him and that fact that he was likely not your RB one. But he didn't have these huge blow up games. And then when the floor goes away later in the year and he has some real duds in there, that is, it starts to get a little stinky, and it starts to make me less interested in being aggressive on him next year. But it will largely depend for me on the situation, because we know the situation is good in terms of
the offense. As long as Jane Daniels is there, the running lanes will be there. It's going to depend a lot about who his backfield made is. As far as how much I want to invest in him.
Yeah, agreed.
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And turn on notifications now. All right, Fitz, what was your fantasy takeaway for the Dallas Cowboys who went seven to ten.
This year that unrestricted free agent to be Rico Dowdell should at least be in some team's backfield rotation this coming season twenty twenty five, So Donnell finished with one seventy nine rushing yards, even though the Cowboys didn't really commit to him right away. Andy did miss a game at mid season, but Donell ran for more than one hundred yards, and four of his last six games in the regular season average four point six yards per carry.
Had a rushing success rates according to Pro Football Reference of fifty three point six percent everything over fifty percent is pretty darn good. The run blocking for Dallas, it's not special anymore. It's not like it was when Ezekiel Elliott was in his heyday. I think the Cowboys ranked like eleventh in the run blocking metric adjusted lineyards and PFF graded them eighteenth in run blocking.
So it was adequate.
And for Downell to put out the kind of numbers he did behind just sort of an adequate offensive line, pretty impressive. I'm not saying anyone's gonna be signing him to be a workhorse, Probably not happening, but he would be a really nice, complimentary piece in a two headed backfield.
What do you think about ranking Rico Daddell Debro for next season.
It's all going to depend on where he goes and what that looks like. Probably, I mean, as it stands right now, hitting into the offseason an RB three. Depending on where he goes. I mean, there are a few teams like the Raiders could need to could use a
running back. What happens at the Chargers backfield? I keep going back to the Steelers, but all of their guys are free agents, so we know that Daubtel is not going to command a high, you know, a hefty contract or probably you know, anything over maybe two years, maybe it's three, and the guaranteed falls off after the first of the second year. So I mean there's there's landing spots where Rico Dawdle makes some sense.
Would you rather, if you were forced to pick one or the other in a dynasty format, be buying Rico Dada right now or selling him selling?
It's definitely selling. I mean, there's too much uncertainty with running backs, especially with their landing spots. And this isn't even talking about we have it. We have an upcoming in NFL draft class, and from what everything I've heard, I have not dove into it all the way. Pretty decent running back class upcoming too so very good.
Yes, good at the top and deep.
So not good for Rico. If you're Rico, you want to sign immediately, you.
Want to sign fast.
Well, Rico's still gonna have a job there. They're going to call this running back rookie class the retirement party because they are getting going to involuntarily retire. A lot of veteran running backs.
Can't hold.
Would you buy or sell Dawdle in dinas No, I mean, like I'm not buying Rico Dowdle is just not like winning Dynasty stretch.
It costs a lot to be fair when I you know, pose that question, I'm not saying still two first round picks for.
Twenty five third or Rico Dawdle give me the third.
Yeah, I think I'd rather have the third. I mean, it's just it's found money. If you had Rico Dowdell on your roster this year, and that's the way you look at it, and you're just kind of hold to see where he lands and see if he gets a significant role. But that's the thing, Like it's a roll downgrade. If I knew Rico Dowdell was like coming back to the Cowboys and they weren't making any significant additions in
the backfield. Yes, absolutely, I'll take him over a third round pick, but that's not going to be the case. He's going to be a complimentary piece.
Mike mccarthiel's in Chicago and Rico goes to split the backfill with DeAndre Swift.
Let's go boy.
As a Packers fan, you'd love that, PITSI.
Are you gonna promise me? Mike McCarthy to the Bears Deebro, I'll take that is interviewing.
Can't roll it out.
Man'll like, I'll give up my twenty twenty six first to make Michael Knarthy the head coach to the Bears. All right, last team the three and fourteen New York Giants, who are now possibly out of range of one of these quarterbacks. It kind of depends on maybe they're in range of a trade up. Maybe you know, one of Tennessee or Cleveland says we just don't like the the craft this year and we want to take Travis Hunter
or whoever we think the best player is. So we'll see what happens with New York, but as of right now, looks like they might be on the outside looking in of a rookie quarterback, but within range of a trade. Deebro, what was your takeaway from watching this team this year?
Oh Man them Malik Neighbors was one of the best values in draft season. We talked about him religiously in spite of the bad white quarterback play, and it didn't matter. He was wide receiver sixth and fantasy points per game. If he gets a decent quarterback, not even amazing league average, he's a He has top three upside in twenty twenty five, Like amongst eighty five qualifying route wide receivers, let's do his first in target share, seventh and receiving yards per game.
He was top twenty yards per route run, all the numbers. I mean, the efficiency stuff goes up if he gets even leak average quarterback play this year. So it's just its wheels up from Lak Neighbors. Man.
I feel, like I said a bunch of times in July and August that because especially early on, like I was getting Gighbors in the fourth round in a lot of drafts, and I've I consistently said, you know, assuming health, like I will guarantee he is going higher than the fourth round is next year.
This this is a low you will ever be able to draft Molik Neighbors.
And I think that has panned out even with the abysmal quarterback situation to put out the season he did as a rookie in that offensive environment. I mean, he doesn't need even a top ten quarterback to take another leap. If it's even again, if you get QB nineteen like.
This is a step forward. I think you can see from Neighbors fits.
You know, when you watch Neighbors obviously, like I think you would agree with us that he's, you know, somewhat QB proof for fantasy just from the target chair alone and that offense. Is there a particular quarterback that you are hoping gets paired there? Are you hoping this is a team that goes after Donald? Are you hoping this is a team that trades up to get Sanders or cam Ward? What are you hoping to see his situation look like next year?
I think Donald would be the greatest help for him, probably, Man. I don't know who else offers any sort of glimmer of hope whatsoever. Let me ask you guys for next year, Brian Thomas Junior or Malik Neighbors.
This is such a cop out the quarterback. The answer, the answer to me is if Neighbors gets a good quarterback Neighbors, and if he doesn't Thomas.
Yeah, that's where I'm at. If you give Sammy Darnold to the Giants, you get Okay, let's assume we get top twenty quarterback play out of cam Ward and Sugar Sanders. We're just making assumptions here. Yeah, I'm taking Neighbors.
Yeah, that's how I feel too. Neighbors is quarterback proof enough that he should go around the round one, round two turn regardless of who his quarterback is.
And what's he gonna be for you.
At wide receivers, He's obviously not gonna be ranked oud like Chase or Jefferson those guys, but like not not at a puka, He's wide shiver six, I've.
Got I think I've got Thomas at six, Nico Collins at seven, Neighbors at eight. Off the top of my head, yeah, I.
Think, I think a really good conversation like getting away from the young guys, and I'm just gonna say, look, the old man's gonna do it again. I think Mike Evans versus Malik Neighbors is a very good conversation for next year.
I will definitely take Neighbors of that head to head. But like I have certainly been wrong. Everybody who's ever bet against Mike Evans has been wrong, so that could easily not not going down. Is there I mean, let's say, besides Darnold because he's probably the obvious one, Like would
you prefer Sanders versus Ward to get drafted? There is there another free I mean there's not really like are agents made a picture of like if Aaron Rodgers leaves the Jets, but like that wouldn't even be appealing, like Kirk, like who are the Yeah, Kirk.
Yeah, no thanks.
I mean, I don't know. I don't think they would sign justin Fields. I don't see something like that happening.
I mean if they don't get if they don't get one of those two quarterbacks, Like let's say they don't get a trade up, and.
Just like I'm going through teams in my head.
On what are they gonna do? I mean, you can't go into the next season without adding somebody. But who do you even add?
Right?
I don't know.
I mean I'm going back and forth like who are you gonna add? Like do you trade like I don't think you trade for? Or I don't eve think New Orleans is getting rid of Derek Carr but like even him, or do you sign Like Okay, here here's a possibility and I have to go look at his contract? Is Andy Dalton a free agent? Because I mean, we're scraping.
The barrel here.
There's nothing worse than being in quarterback purgatory. We're having your favorite team being quarterback purgatory.
It's don't you think the Giants are so happy they won all those games the end of the season.
Just just why, just literally, like I can't even if it's not Donald and it's not one of those two guys in the draft, Like I don't know, I can't even come up with a name, Like I don't know who it would be.
Is Josh Dobbs going to be a free agent or is his com.
Into the season with Dobbs as you're starting, I don't do.
I mean, well, they let Daniel.
I mean, it's it's a very very precarious situation for them. I mean, maybe they reach on QB three free scenario, maybe they take Milroe or I don't know, reach on someone. I know you don't like it if it's I'm taking him down. I'm just saying like like they're like they might reach on QB, Like I don't like the smart thing would probably be to just say if they pick third and the two quarterbacks are off the board, would
be to go in a different direction. But again, like I just don't know who you even could have, Like Daniel Jones might be the best option.
Okay, how about this. Let's live in the world. Let's live in the world where Russell Wilson doesn't go back back to Pittsburgh, I'd be in on neighbors. I think it's fine.
I agree. I don't know if I see that happening, but I would agree with that. Oh No, I don't.
I think I think Pittsburgh's goofy enough to bring Russ back on.
Like a three year deal. I mean maybe maybe fields. We talked about fields to the Jets, maybe fields to the Giants. I just don't know.
I don't know.
That's a mess right Well, on that uncertainty, we'll wrap up the NFC East. Please be sure to check out all of our divisional takeaway episodes.
We're doing a whole series of them for Fits and Debro. I'm Ryan Warmley. Thanks again for tuning in and we'll see you next time.
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