Hello everybody, Welcome into the Fantasy Pros Football Podcast. I'm Ryan Warmley, joined by Derek Brown and Pat Fitzporis Fellas. We are talking about fantasy takeaways for the NFC West. We have done a series of divisional takeaways throughout the league. Today we were talking about the NFC West and we're going to start with the Rams, who won the division on a tiebreaker. They went ten and seven fits. What was your biggest fantasy takeaway for the Rams this season?
This is a simple one and I'm just gonna pander to my buddy deebro here. Puka Nkua is just a superstar, absolute superstar, and a slam dunk first rounder in fantasy dress probably middle of the first round. So in eleven games this year, Pooka didn't quite get to a thousand yards, but was really close. Seventy nine catches for nine hundred and ninety yards and three touchdowns. He averaged seven point
two catches and ninety yards a game. For his career, he has averaged nine point three yards per target, which is phenomenal and it just all shows up when you watch him. Like seeing Puka Nakua play is to believe in him. He's just so good at getting open, Like I can't remember him dropping a pass. I'm sure it's happened, but like I have not seen Puka drop a pass sure handed and does damage after the catch, Like this
guy is so good. I think he is just right there, with maybe a little bit behind Jamar Chase, justin Jefferson, Ceedee Lamb, but he is right there man, Like he is my wide receiver for and I don't think there's much separation between those top guys and Puka.
On a scale of one to ten fits. What is the concern level about the fact that he had some injury troubles in college? He played seventeen games last season, but was kind of often looked banged up and leaving games in the middle coming back in and then obviously had like a stretch of several weeks where he missed this year due to injury. I'm not saying it's a large concern, but just on that scale, how much of a concern is it for you?
Pretty mild, just because like we've seen him take a lot of punishment and bounce up, Like, I'm not too worried about it. I don't think there's an undue risk it's not like I hate to say, Christian Watson level risk with him, so like it's concerning, but like not
hugely concerning. And one other thing I want to add, I mean he Puka basically single handedly retired Cooper Cup in the back half of the twenty twenty four regular season, like Cooper Cup disappeared from that offense because like it was such plus ev to throw to Pooka Nikua that like Stafford stopped looking at Cup.
So same question scale of one to ten level of concern. The fact that Matthew Stafford now another year older, you're going in the next season. It seemed like there have been, you know, rumors of him considering retirement in the past. Obviously, Sean McVay does level of confidence in any offense that he's running. But is the fact that the Rams are another year closer to leasing their quarterback does that change how you evaluate Pooka.
A Matthew Stafford retirement would probably force me to That would further separate Pooka from the Tier one receivers above him and move him closer to the next group.
Debro. Obviously, everybody knows your love for pookin Akua. Any thoughts on kind of some of the concerns I posed, even if we don't feel really strongly about them, or just anything else you want to you want us to clear the paint and let you talk about pokin A Cua for a minute.
I mean, d I feel good about Stafford because he's still slinging it. He still looks really good. I think this is honestly probably the healthiest season we've seen from
Matthew Stafford over the last few years. And so considering that if this was another year where we're talking about Matthew Stafford walks out of the season and he's mangled and they don't make the playoffs, and outside of Stafford, the rest of this roster is young, so they can go four to five this team some more and his contract, like, I think we get two more years of Matthew Stafford. I don't think he's going anywhere, or Sean McBain is
going anywhere this offseason. So you know, we don't know what happens even next year, much less even the next two to three years for a lot of different players. So right now as we sit right now recording this, I'm fine with Stafford, fine with Pooka. The last cherry on top of this beautiful cake that I'm going to give is amongst all wide receivers with at least fifty targets last year, the number one player in yards per route run and Fantasy points per route run is Pooka Nakua.
Wow, Well to put a bow on this, where would you draft him next year? Not what round? Obviously his first round, but like, is he the fourth pick in your mind? Is he the seventh pick in your mind? Deebro? Where are you taking him?
He can go as high as top three. I think that you're looking at what he did over this last year. He should be in that conversation with Jefferson and Chase. He won't be, but look at what he did. Look at the metrics we all just talked about, look at his production. It's the same case as all of those wide receivers. He should be in that conversation. He won't be, but he should be.
So Fitz, if let's say Puka's wide receiver three in your rankings, just you know, for the sake of argument, is that the fifth pick for you? Or are you putting Saquon and Bijon ahead of him? Is that the third pick for you? Where does he fall.
I'd take him sixth overall and I've got him wide receiver four, but behind Chase Jefferson and Lamb Okay, so and I'd probably take Saquon and Bejeon ahead of him.
But that's it. Okay, let's go to the Seahawks. They also went ten and seven this year, did not make the playoffs. Deebro, what was your biggest fantasy takeaway for Seattle.
Jackson Smith and Jigbo is the wide receiver one for the Seattle Seahawks present and future, And again he was a highly debated player. I'm going to go back to it. I know I've said this in other episodes. Just have faith in sophomore breakouts for talented wide receivers that give
us a glimpse of this in their rookie season. Now, was this a harder chance or harder case or did you have to go a little bit deeper into the metrics we talked about back in draft season to see it for Jackson Smith and Chig but considering Shane Waldron's BS, Yes, but was it still there? Absolutely? And JSM proved that there was a reason he was a first round draft pick in the NFL draft, and we should believe in him.
Wide receiver twenty over fantasy points per game of the entirety of the season, Wide receiver sixteen a week to eleven on and you're looking at a guy he checked all the boxes after the true ascension in the back half of the season. I mean, he was top twelve in every efficiency metric you pull up. He was drawing
a twenty five percent target share. DK Metcalf looks like like not he's on the downturn, but he definitely he took a step back and Jsen is going to be their wide receiver one moving forward.
So as of when we're recording this, we know that the Seahawks are moving on from Ryan Grubb. We don't know who the new offensive coordinator is going to be. So for ud Bro, considering that we saw JSN have a really, really disappointing season under Shane Waldron, is he somebody who is not offensive coordinator proof and it's going to really matter who they hire in that role or
do you think Waldron is kind of an outlier? He was also a rookie still learning the league, and you're not worried about whoever it is they bring on now I'm not.
Worried at all because the difference between the Shane Waldron mess and every other offensive coordinator. Shane Waldon not only did we because here's here's other context we have to talk about really quickly with his rookie season. Also the risk injury, so that's stalled the ramp up. Also a player that dealt with the injuries, so it stalled the
ramp up for him in that rookie season. And I don't know any other offensive coordinator in the NFL at this point, considering what JASN has done in his sophomore season, that would try, try, try, try, like Shane Waldron try to do and shove him back into trying to turn js into freaking Malachai Corley. I don't see any offensive coordinator trying to do that in his third season. I'm
not worried about it. Put him in a traditional wide receiver role, which he's shown he's really good at and he's gonna be fine.
Fits. What do you think about JSN for next season?
Yeah? I do like it much better now that he's not getting like average depth of targets of two point nine yards or whatever like it was. Hey, Hey there you go yet No, this was a very convincing breakout, and you know, we were justified to be excited about receiver who had a sixteen hundred yard season while sharing a field with Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson in Ohio State,
like it eventually happened. Like the only thing I'd pushed back on is that maybe, you know, I'm not quite ready to write off DK Metcalf, And if JSN and DK Metcalf both play seventeen games next year, I think there's a non zero chance that DK maybe outdoes JSN in touchdowns and yardage. I don't think he's going to out do him in receptions though, no matter what.
Like.
But the good thing is they have complimentary skill sets, so they can both thrive and have good seasons. I'm still pretty high on DK, but I do have Jackson Smith and jig But ranked ahead of him for next year. I'm just, you know, not quite ready to you know, throw a retirement party for DK Metcalf yet. But yes, the Jackson Smith in jig But twenty twenty four season was marvelous.
What round should he be drafted in?
Boy in a league where you're starting three receivers, I think he probably warrants consideration late in the second.
Second or early third. Yeah, I have him.
Two two three turn is a good spot.
I got him as like my twenty first overall player right now.
So okay. But by the way, because I've asked him, asked some questions like kind of seemingly pushing back on both Puka and JS. And I love both of these guys. I'm just trying to set you guys up to, you know, address concerns that people might have. I'm like super on board with you on both of them. I love Puka and I love JAS. I loved Json so much as a prospect coming out, and I did not care about the downrookie season. I was like all over him.
Uh.
Anyways, I think he's an absolute stuf. Honestly, we have got a special offer for all of you. Unlock a month of Betting Pros Premium for free. Download the Betting Pros app today and use promo code FP free to start betting smarter, not harder. Betting Pros Premium gives you exclusive access us to cutting edge tools that take your betting game to the next level. Our Same Game Parlay tool creates winning parlays with ease. Our prop bet analyzer
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Yeah, Marvin Harrison Junior was misused in his rookie year and it's still going to be a terrific wide receiver. Deebro I talked to the Worm about this earlier. But have you seen the crazy similarity between the rookie numbers of Marvin Harrison.
Yeah?
Yeah, Credit to Jared Smola of Draft Sharks who point this out on Twitter. As a rookie for the Colts in nineteen ninety six, Marvin Harrison Senior had sixty four catches, eight hundred and thirty six yards, eight touchdowns. Marvin Harrison Junior's rookie year numbers sixty two catches, eight hundred and eighty five yards, eight touchdowns within two catches of each other, within about fifty yards of each other, and the same number of touchdowns. So, you know what, Marvin Harrison Senior
turned out to have a pretty good career. So maybe we should not be writing off Junior just yet. Like, I don't know if this was Smola's intense when he tweeted this out, but yeah, this is a good reminder, do not fade Marvin Harrison Junior in And I don't know that there are many people writing him off, but you know, I do think there are people who believe that he won't be a star, And I think stardom
is still in the range of outcomes here. But please, Drew Petzig and the Cardinals stop using him like he's Gabe Davis. Like Harrison's average depth of Yeah, Harrison's average depth of target this season was thirteen point five yards, and at one point that number was up over fourteen just a few weeks ago, like they were using him
as this vertical receiver for sake of comparison. Jamar Chase's average depth of target this year eight point seven yards, Justin Jefferson ten point nine yards, Ceedee Lamb seven point six yards, although it's been higher other years in his career, up around nine or ten. Their play callers understand the benefit of getting these star receivers some easy completions and letting them try to work their magic after the catch. The short routes also set up cornerbacks, you know, and
make the deeper routes more effective. You can't play ten yards off a receiver on every play if he's going to be used on the occasional hitches, bubble screens, what have you. So in twenty twenty five, I hope the Cardinals resolved to make Marvin Harrison more of a high volume receiver and help him reach his ceiling, rather than just designated Harrison as the downfield guy and Trey McBride is the short area receiver. Like use these guys in interchangeably,
like mix it up a little bit. And you know, I'm very optimistic. Trey McBride's average depth of target this year six point one yards.
So, uh, do you have faiths that they're going to use Marvin Harrison Junior more smartly next year? Though? Or is it just.
They have to man? I mean, like it's just you have to adopt some easy completions like if Drew Petsig's self evaluates in the off season, I think he'll realize that deepro.
Dude, I think. So I'll say this, pets Ing, the the luster that was on him after the first year in Arizona, I think fell off a ton. For me, I looked a him and I looked at him as like an ascending play caller, and we could talk about, Okay, the personnel that they had outside of McBride and Harrison Junior is not great, Like Michael Wilson's probably not a guy you want to be starting in your starting lineup every single week. Greg dortsch, Zay Jones, all these guys.
So I think this comes back to they have to take a hard look in the mirror and say, Okay, sure, Trey McBride, high volume guy, can separate underneath short and intermediate, use him up the seam. That doesn't mean that Marvin Harrison Junior is the guy you have running clear outs and the deep guy. Like, to me, that's a total mischaracterization of his skill set and what he can do. Can he get deep? Sure? Is that the role you want him playing in running clearouts and running deep patterns
the entire time. No, and for everybody that has Barvin Harrison Junior in dynasty and is worried about him, I'm going to give you some numbers here that is going to make you feel a ton better about him. Because he can't change the role that he has in the offense. He cannot throw the ball to himself. Kyler Murray also had a terrible season. He struggled. He was a roller coaster himself. Marvin Harrison Junior can do anything outside of that.
What he can affect is how well he's separating and how well he's winning the routes that he is tasked with. In that route tree. Amongst one hundred and thirteen qualifying wide receivers in his rookie season, Marvin Harrison Junior ranked thirty second in separation and twenty first in route win rate. He is good. They need to put him in a
high volume role. They need to go add two guys this offseason, not one, but two that can legitimately stretch the field, whether that's in the draft or free agency or both, and allow the volume guys in this offense to be Harrison Junior and McBride and stop doing stupid nonsense.
Put a number to it. Where is he going to be ranked for you in twenty twenty five.
I'm gonna rank him as a wide receiver three. I think that's where he's gonna go in drafts, and I'm going to draft him everywhere.
He was an early second round pick last year, fits the same question where you're ranking him this year.
Yeah, the the second round was complicated in twenty twenty four drafts. It looks better in twenty twenty five, but he's not going to go that high. Yeah, I agree with Dee bro. I think he's right now. I've got him ranked as like I think I've got him as a high end wide receiver three, and I think he's going to be drafted as a mid range wide receiver three like that would.
Put him What round fits he? Like you're thinking I'm kind of fifth? Yeah, that's about where I'm at. I think he goes in the fourth or fifth round, depending on you know what kind of offseason steam we get probably the fifth round yea in.
Early If he's ranked by ECR in like mid wide receiver three range, let's say I am unequivocally going to be above consensus on him, not by a crazy amount. I'm not going to take him in the second round or anything, but I will be very above consensus if.
He I mean as badly as people got burned. Do you think he's gonna be ranked higher than it?
No, No, I'm not saying you're wrong about that. Guess I'm just saying no, No, I agree, that's aggreate.
We already on this show, we've already spoken of one Ohio State receiver who had a disappointing rookie season and rebounded big time in year two. So maybe it's gonna happen.
That is a wonderful call.
I'm almost always willing if there is a prospect I really believe in, and of course Marvin Harrison Junior, you know, falls under that umbrella. I am always willing to give a second year. I might not be willing to give a third year, I mean injury aside, but I am willing to chalk up a quote unquote bad rookie season, which, by the way, like you mentioned, fits still had eight hundred yards and seven touchdowns or whatever, it was like eight like a touch Yeah, Like that's not a bad
rookie season. It's just bad relative to the insane hype, and I am very willing to give him another go.
Let's just go back to the narrative. Let's go back to the to the phrasing. I keep bringing it up and best in talents and sophomore and wide receivers like I will have.
To be if he is in the fifth round, I will draft him in every fifth round of every draft I am participating, and I can promise you that debro Speaking of rookie receivers, what was your fantasy takeaway for the San Francisco forty nine ers who went six and eleven shockingly last year.
I will be conducting the Ricky Pearsall hype train for twenty twenty five. I'm here to tell you it's gonna happen. Everything that happened with Pearsol, with injuries and all the off field stuff set him back immensely. And I understand this looks like, Okay, it's a crowded depth chart right now. I do not see a way where Deebo Samuel is on this roster in twenty twenty five. And I understand people are going to look at the contract and they're gonna say he's got thirty one million in dead cap
they're not cutting him. He is also a free agency He a free agent after twenty twenty five. There are a lot of teams that need wide receiver help they can engineer as sign and trade. He is going to be off this roster considering they have to pay Rock Party. They also just gave a contract to Brandon Aiyuk. Drafting Ricky Piersoll was a move for twenty twenty five if they didn't trade Deebo last year. And he's coming off
a disappointing season, I don't see him coming back. And it is full steam ahead on the Ricky Pearsol hype train. And I think we saw the beginnings of this over the final two weeks of the regular season. Boys, you're talking about Ricky Pearsol in week seventeen and eighteen, and I get all the small sample faders are gonna come at me and say, it's two games. It was a wonderful two games for a player that was wide receiver
seven and wide receiver fourteen in weekly scoring. He earned earned with Juan Jennings and George Kittle still playing beside him, because it wasn't like the entire offense collapsed and it was just Ricky p getting targets. He earned a twenty one points seven percent target chare a thirty point four percent first read chair. Ricky p is going to be the truth in twenty twenty five and people need to invest in him.
Where are you drafting him? Where?
I mean, is he going to go any higher? Even if Deebo Samuel is gone? Where do we think he's going to go? Round seven? Ish? I'm guessing just off the top of my head, that sounds about right, like assuming Debo is gone round six, round seven.
Maybe even later, maybe even later.
I was all that actually later, all that action.
You were you were going to hear the phrase too many mouths to feed in association with Ricky pearsaw quite a bit this offseason. And you know that's one of my least favorite phrases in fantasy football.
Targets are earned people. It is a reflection of talent and just did it?
You don't like the phrase fits? But do you like how it applies to this player? Not the too many mouths? But do you do you like Ricky piersall the same way Debro does? I do?
I mean, I like the way he asserted himself in the last couple of weeks and and how the athleticism was on full display down the stretch for the forty nine ers. So and I agree with Debro that they're not going to go into next season with all of Brandon Ayuk, Deebo, Samuel Juwan, Jennings and Ricky pearsall like someone is Someone's going to be on the move, no
question about it. And Deebo is the logical candidate since they just gave Ayuk the big extension and he's coming off any like, no one's trading for that contract off a major injury. So Debo is the guy who's gonna He's going somewhere, There's no question bout it.
And jaw Jnings also is back for twenty twenty five, So you're running back in a passing attack that has pearsall, Kittle, Jennings and CMC out of the backfield.
But but Chris Conley is a free agent. I don't think they're going to re.
Up with uh earning Chris Conley.
Yeah, but yeah, I mean, I I like Debro's call here. I'm going to be a key parasol too, And no, feel pretty good about my dynasty shares of it.
Where are you ranking him for next Ye're not in dynasas.
I mean, like tentatively a placeholder ranking. I think I've got him somewhere in like the late forties. Yeah, you know, I agree with de Bro. It's like a seventh or eight eighth round value for him probably right now.
Yeah, I mean I'll be ahead of consensus with the assumption, say deebo is off, I think he's going to be ranked somewhere in that wide receiver three category, and I want to make sure I'm ahead of consensus.
All right, we'll wrap up there. Thanks everybody for checking out the Fantasy takeaways for the NFC West, and thank you for checking out all of our divisional takeaways Hopefully, if you haven't seen them all yet, you check them out on YouTube or Spotify or wherever it is that you get your podcasts. For Debro and Fits, I'm Ryan warmly thanks everybody for tuning in, and we'll see again next time. Thanks for listening to the Fantasy Pros Fantasy
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