Joining us now is one of our good friends on the show. He's the owner and editor in chief at Fantasy Points. You ought to follow them all the times and subscribe to all of their work. It's the great Joe Dolan. Welcome back, Joe. How you doing?
You're all right, guys, How are y'all?
We are fantastic. We are excited. The football's around the corner. We can't wait too uh. Look, and in the month of July, we're actually going to watch a football game together, the Hall of Fame Game. Can you believe it? Are you excited to watch five minutes of it and fall asleep? Because I am. I can't wait not watching.
The Hall of Fame game, Guys, I can't do it now. I will tell you we have ciccos at Fantasy Points who actually play preseason fantasy football, and we do cover it. I am not one of those siccos. I cannot get myself to do it.
You do it.
The only thing I hope for during the preseason is that people don't get hurt. That's really all.
Yeah, this is why you'll you won't see a person on that field come Hall of Fame weekend. That truly matters at the top of the heap there, but we'll be watching no matter what happens. At least I will be all right, Joe, Let's get into it here. I want to talk first of all about the Falcons. I know this Netflix series is out Quarterback. I have not watched it yet, But get back to the Kirk Cousins discussion.
Obviously he's on the hook for twenty seven and a half million, but I want to talk about Michael PENNOCKX and what he was able to do in those last three games. Have you seen enough? Because I think a lot of folks around the NFL assume that they've got their guy, they're on their way. Have you seen enough from Pinnicks or do you need to see a little more in those three games where he had three touchdowns, three picks, mixed results, but certainly had some promise on those throws.
Mean, look, the thing about Pennix was you think of a small sample size like that, and you always need to see more, guys. I don't think I don't think I'm breaking any news to you. You know, just a couple of years ago, based on his rookie season, it looked like Mac Jones is going to be a really good start quarterback in the league. Maybe not a star, but certainly a functional quality starting quarterback. So ruling Michael Pennix on those just few games that he had would
be just complete malpractice. Now, the thing about Pennix was we charted him Fantasy points data as being generally inaccurate. However, he also made some really impressive throws, So you want to know how much do you weigh that? Right? And honestly, I feel like there's kind of a debate going on in football media at large right now, is are we in ways overrating guys who do aesthetically pleasing things the way that the position's supposed to be played quote unquote
visa the guys who surely get results. And I would say Penix, based on what I saw from him last year in a very small sample size, is a guy who made some oh my goodness Wolph rose and interspersed that with a lot of well, I'm not too sure about that, but there's no way I can draw on entire conclusion about Michael Pennix. He's a player who for fantasy is getting drafted as a number two quarterback. He's
got a couple of really good wide receivers. If you look at production, guys, I know Michael Pennis had a connection with Drake London, which is why Drake London's going really early for fantasy. But if you look at if you look at the production, you'd be shocked to see how close Darnell Mooney was to Drake London last year. So they have a couple of good receivers, and they have for my money, one of the two or three best running backs in the NFL. This is a team
that should score points this year. But and Michael Pennocks I think has a good situation. He did some good things. He didn't look lost, but there are certainly things for him to improve upon, and the Falcons are making the right decision. Clearly was going with him as a starter.
Let's shift over to Carolina Division. I have well, obviously it's a team that's near and near to a lot of the hearts of our listeners. And I've covered this team for many many years through thick and thin, a lot of thin lately. Let's talk about their skill group. I mean this is I saw Bill Barnwell had an article today at ESPN where he had them ranked thirty first among receiver group, and look, I think a lot
of that's based on projection. They added, uh, you know McMillan from Arizona, who I think highly of, but again we don't know yet. And then they've got Feelan who's on the plus side of thirty five. His average separation screw I would imagine is not too hot based on your metrics. But then they got guys like Jalen Coker, Legett and others that are in the fold, Hunter Renfro, They've added. What to make of that group? As Bryce Young inners year three?
There, Joe, I think it's got a lot more potential than maybe you might think, because I think Xavier league get would be the first person to tell you that he needed to catch a few more passes than he did last year. But we saw some we saw some
positive things with him. We saw Bryce Young develop a relatively positive relationship with Jalen Cocher right now, who obviously, from from a fantasy football perspective, is uried right now, but certainly to be somebody that Bryce Young could could continue to develop a relationship with tet Tyroe McMillan we had as the number one receiver in the draft, clus
I don't think that's gonna surprise anybody. I know there were some out there, and this is a very popular comparison, so I'm not I'm not gonna say I'm coming up with something unique, but a lot out there who actually compared him favorably to Drake London. And honestly, I know some people, including some on our staff, who liked him better than Drake London coming out. So I think there's an opportunity for tet Tyroea McMillan to really do some good things. A guy I'm interested to see this year
is Jatavian Sanders. I want to see if Jatavian Sanders can take a step forward because he has a lot of ability, and sometimes it takes these tight ends a number of years to really come into their own. I know we've seen it in recent years with obviously Brock Bauers and Sam Laporta, even the last couple of years, rookies coming in and making immediate impacts at that position. But those guys were first round draft picks. Sam Laporta was an early second round draft pick. Jatavian Sanders was
a later draft pick than that. So he's got some ability and I think the Panthers are doing the right thing. I don't think there's a hierarchy here. I think Adam Zealen is going to start, by the way, just because of the veteran And you mentioned his average separation score. I was stammering a little bit because I wanted to look that up while we were on the air. We do have a metric at Fantasy Points called average separation score. It does have a cheeky and I unintended.
The shirts today voks, but figure it out.
An one hundred or more routes run. Last year those there were two hundred and sixty five of them we charted. Adam Feeling was actually thirty second in average seven. Wow. Wow, he could still separate an elite level that's top ten percent in leak. As a matter of fact, let me
let me give you a comparison. He was right behind Koukaakua, he was tied with Tyreek Hill, and he was ahead of these four names, all of whom are going really early in fantasy football drafts, Courtland Sutton, Marvin Harrison, Garrett Wilson, and Calvin Ridley. Yeah, so Adam Feeling is still a master separator.
Good ass, right, there average separation score. I did Fantasy points. Done's got a question for it.
Adam Feeling would be the first to tell you that it's not all athleticism. It's no how No, he still knows how to get open. So I think they're going to They're going to let him prove he can't play until they put somebody on the field over here.
And he's still got just amazing ability to make these acrobatic catches. I mean, he saw it last year with Bryce in some of those games where there were near miss is against great teams. Stealen was the guy that that had the trust of the quarterback. We'll see what happens. What's going on ahead.
I want to talk about a little bit about the you know, you mentioned the reference to Piladelphi Eagles a little bit earlier. I think the Eagles are actually number one on Bill Barnwell Blitz today. But we talked about philad Up Eagles, and we know what an impressive season they had and obviously the rookie defensive backs Queen and Mitchell Cooper de Jean were a big reason for that. There is documented video guys out there of Cooper de Jean being asked Hey, when did you feel like you
were an NFL player? And he said, essentially, I'm paraphraking. He's like, yeah, when Adam Steel and ate me.
For lunch, Yes, exactly, I remember this.
Yeah, And he's the only don't look at the rookie season Cooper degene had was incredible, you know, he was. He's already one of the best slot forigners in the NFL. But he he is on videos say yeah, Adam Feelin kicked my ass and and that goes to show you what Celing can still do.
Yeah, no doubt about it.
Joe uh speaking of, you know, being buried from a fantasy, fantasy perspective, Let's talk Arthur Smith's tight ends.
Is he going to use them?
He's got nineteen of them, We talked, we had a question of the day if you can clone eleven guys, I think Arthur Smith's trying to have eleven tight ends out on the field.
Throw you never utilized a single one anywhere but past catching.
What do you make of the the the Minca Jonu Smith trade, the Jayleen Ramsey trade, and how do you feel about Arthur Smith collecting these tight ends?
Is he gonna utilize them? This year because he's got Aaron Rodgers.
You know there is there is a time a couple of years ago when the John new Smith's file thing was go down in Atlanta and the Bjohn Robinson Tyler all to your brainless split of warkload, when I would go out of my way to drive to ups for other than go to I was not enriching the Smith's family any more. But like I have to give Arthur Smith some credit. He was onto something about John new Smith used to be Kyle Pitt's. Yeah, because last year it was evident Johnny Smith was a better football player.
And the thing is with with Pittsburgh, Number one, you expect Pittsburgh to be a little run heavier. But how much influence is Aaron Rodgers gonna have you? The fact that they traded for John new Smith suggests Arthur Smith has significant influence here. But Aaron Rodgers is not going to go out there and run the same offense Desmond Ritter ran two years ago. It's just not going to
happen because that's Aaron Rodgers. Now. Aaron Rodgers might at the stage of his career say I want to bolster my Hall of Fame resume if I managed to drag the Steelers team to the super Bowl. It's gonna be one of the great stories ever. And he might decide, you know what I'm gonna I'm just gonna capitulate a little bit to my coaches. I think there's an opportunity here for john new Smith to be second on this team in targets behind obviously DK Meck get healthy, he's
going to leave the team in targets. But it was the rare trade where we lost two fantasy viable sets because Johnny Smith was getting drafted as a top ten tight end for fantasy and Pat fryar Muth was getting drafted as like a top fifteen or sixteen tight end for fantasy. Those ADPs have just completely plummeted because nobody knows a what the split's going to be, b how much they're even going to throw the football in general. So it becomes john and Smith is a really good
football player. He was excellent for fantasy last year. And Arthur Smith I've shown the ability to use him. But Ryan Mout's a different kind of player. Friar Muth is, you know, more of your traditional inline. You know, we compared Colston Loveland to Tyler Warren throughout the pre draft process when it was you know, maybe the Panthers were
considering one of those two guys. The Briar Muth was much more of the Tyler Warren type of tight end get in there helped the run game, may be a red zone option, while John new Smith is somebody who's scheme things up for Unfortunately, I'm not sure there's going to be enough volume here for either one of these guys to be anything more than kind of like a
bench asset for for fantasy football. So it was a trade when it happened that nobody in the fantasy industry likes just because we know what Arthur Smith likes to do. He likes to prove that he's smarter than everybody else. And sometimes he calls a nifty play. Other times you're like, why is Tyler Alger in there? When Dejon Robinson is running.
All over the beam tossed to nage.
Darnell Washington's there by the way, Guys like he's a talented guy. Does he become somebody who gets used? It's from a fantasy football perspective, this is one I want to follow throughout training camp. Guys, I want to follow the reports. That's what I'm going to do, because look, they're going to use john new Smith right now. If I had to wager, I think Johnny Smith's second on
this team in targets. I just don't know if that second on this team in targets is good enough to sustain fantasy and production.
So what happens We're talking to Joe Dolan here Fantasy points dot Com. By the way, what happens with TJ.
Watt?
I know you tweeted out a couple of days ago, might not be the best idea to give him a Miles Garrett type of deal. Where are they at do you think? And where do they land on that? Where would you land on that?
Well? I wonder if they're thought between a rock and a hard place right now, I said, I don't think a Mile Garrett type extension would age well for t J. Watt, But I think they're going to give it to him anyway. And idea like he watscott leverage right now? Right he's over thirty, he is some of his advanced mettrics like his his win rate isn't nearly as high as some of the elite guys, like he's more of a he
gets his sacks, but he finishes. But let's just say he finishes a higher percentage of the plays he wins that he wins plays like he's more of a sacker than a disruptor. He's not out there constantly wreaking havoct but when he does, he finishes the play. That's why I'm a little bit concerned about his production metrics. But look, they brought in Aaron Rodgers, they traded for Johnny Smith, they traded for DK Metcalf. This is not a team that's going to be like, oh, you know what we're
building for the future here, man, we got t TJ. Watt. While I can you know they trade Look, I think I actually I think they came ahead in the trade because I think at this point, Jalen Ramsey's better football player than MIKEA fits faster. They also traded a younger player in MIKEA. Fitzpatrick for Jalen Ramsey, who's older than Everything suggests here that they've kind of backed themselves into a wall with TJ. Watt. TJ. Watt sees that, and
I think EJ. Fott is going to become one of the highest aed defensive players in football, and I think it'll get done before the season.
And then there's Trey Hendrickson over in Cincinnati. We're also, uh, they went ahead just as a reinforcement, I guess, to draft Shamar Stewart. He decides this is pretty cool. Why this is pretty cool? I'm not reporting either. I don't like this contract, crap, your throw it at me. But Hendrickson on the plus side of thirty obviously thirty one, now I believe you'd be paying him on production, not future projection. And that's the problem with what Hendrickson wants.
He wants Miles Garrett money. That to me, that's as much of a red flag because he's had great production in a very short window the past couple of years. But you never get faster and you never get better the older you get, especially at that age. I'd be worried if they gave him big money, and I don't know.
If they will, But guys, you cannot possibly you could get anybody from anywhere who might not have never even heard of the Cincinnati Bengals on this program in my spot, and they would be just as good at projecting what the Cincinnati Bengals are going to do. Money wise, because I cannot tell you they don't have their first round pick in camp. And look, I know what's going on with the second round picks. I know obviously the language in those contracts means virtually none of them are signed.
But Stuart I believe he is the only first rounder who hasn't signed. He doesn't look anywhere close to signing. And then they've done guys. I don't know. I just don't know. And you know, Joe Burrow wants them to pay everybody. Joe Burrow doesn't have an owner like Jeffrey Laurie in Philadelphia who is willing to pay these dead pack years to help keep a great team together. If they signed Trey Henderson tomorrow, I wouldn't be shocked. If
they traded them tomorrow, I wouldn't be shocked. Cincinnati is just one of those teams that the ownership is such a wild card that it's hard to even talk about from that regard.
Finally, Joe Dolan Fantasy points dot Com is our guest here. I think the most intriguing team right now, and again this can change from week to week based on a lot of factors, but the Vikings are fascinating. They are stacked across the board on both sides of the ball. They've improved that offensive line in the interior where it was a mess last year. But the quarterback situation we know is a huge question mark because we have not seen this young quarterback J. M. McCarthy play a single
snap in the regular season. What do you make of that situation? What are your expectations for that team? Could it be that they could I don't want to say bring Kirk Cousins back at trade deadline time, but what if they come out of the gate at four and five or five and five? Are they going to stay the course with him? Because they're in a win now mode with that roster.
Go tell you fantasy football fact first. J. J. McCarthy is my most drafted quarterback right now in fantasy football because look at what we have seen from the Kevin O'Connell offense major Kirk Cousins a couple of years ago. I remember on Christmas Eve when Kirk Cousins was injured, sitting here in my office watching I was on serious sext time at the time, watching the Minnesota Vikings play on Christmas Eve with Nick Mullins at quarterback. No, this
guy is throwing hot air balloons into the air. I mean it is just they are going up and they're coming down and into defense fifty yards and played one of the worst games I saw all year. So and then we saw Sam Donald last year come in orlay that into a hundred million dollar contract. Funny, there's some funny money involved there, but still one hundred million dollar contract.
And we knew Sam Donald stunk, right. I know he had a couple of moments with the Panthers, but as has happened with Sam Donald faltered, well, we don't know JJ McCarthy stinks. What if he doesn't. When I'm drafting a quarterback like that, who's getting drafted at like quarterback sixteen or seventeen, you want to start asking yourself, what if something good happens? And something good has always happened with Kevin O'Connell quarterback, and he has the addict of mobility.
We also have them projected to be one of the past heaviest teams in the NFL. We have we have j McCarthy in the top five and projected pass attempts this year. So I'm going to be bullish on him. What if he is good and if he is. Look, they won thirteen games last year with Sam Donald. Yeah, all right, now there is some again talking about funny money. There was some funny money going on there and that got exposed. But there is a lot of talent on
this offense and the coaching staff that I truly believe in. Moreover, JJ McCarthy is more mobile than Sam Donald. He is going to be one of my most drafted quarterbacks. I think his mobility opens up something in this offense that neither Sam Donald nor especially Kirk Cousins could provide it. I think we might see Kevin O'Connell get into his bag a little bit this year.
Well to see how it goes. Joe Dolan Fantasy Points dot Com let us know, tease it all out for us. Where can we find the work as we ramp up to the start of the regular season, My friend, you can.
Find my work on Fantasy points dot com. But this week, sorry guys, that allergy you've been getting to me a little bit more good. You can find me on Serious XM Fantasy Sports Radio, which is Serious XM eighty seven. That's the only time you should tune away from this station. That's way when you Listen to SERIX eighty seven from seven to eight am Monday through Man.
We'll be doing that. He's allergic to Arthur Smith talk. That's what it is. It's it's not a bad case. Gets some clarton for that bad case of Arthur Smith.
I you got there.
We'll see it. Joe, What can Brown do for you?
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