And now move the sticks with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.
All right, football world is Bucky Brooks, and I am here.
With our fantasy expert, Marcus Brant, and we are going to do kind of a crossover pod where we're going to talk a little real, little fantasy, put it all together and help you get ready for your fantasy football season. So mark his last time we were on the show, we talked about quarterbacks. We talked about running backs and wide receivers. But today I want to talk about some different positions. We want to talk about the tight ends.
We want to have a brief discussion about kickers, and they want to put together a team, an ultimate team that people could get excited about. But when we last chatted, we were talking about tight ends because we end up talking about Sam Laporter.
But I want to talk about the tight end position. One.
Are tight ends undervalued in the fantasy football world?
I don't think so.
I think, if anything, we love tight ends, there just aren't enough of them to go around in a league right now. I mean, I think we're in a point where the position is deeper than it has been in a long time. But even then, you know, you're still looking at maybe six or seven guys that you feel very confident you can count on. Then there's another you know, five or six guys that you know our hit or missed depending on the week. And then there's a whole
bunch of guys who are just question marks. You just don't know what you're gonna get. But you know that's better than it had been because for a while you look at tight end and it was Travis Kelce, Mark Andrews, George Kittle, and then if you didn't get one of those guys, you were sort of out of luck. So now we at least have a deeper roster of guys that we can go to and at least feel you can feel pretty confident that you've got a steady quality contributor most weeks.
Yeah, that's really important.
And as more teams, and we'll see this bear up with the trends, as more teams go to twelve personnel packages, one back, two tight ends, you can see more tight ends have opportunities. We know about the Raiders and what they're doing with two tight ends. We've heard about what the Buffalo Bills want to do with don kin Kid and Dawson knock and so as we're looking at this kind of evolution of the tight end position, who are some of the tight ends that you're really vibing with?
Well, I love to make sure I get myself a good one early. But like Trey McBride has been really popular down in Arizona. He's the guy who basically made zach Ertz expendable in the desert.
There.
You mentioned Dalton Kincaid, who I mean, you know Bucky he destroyed USC on multiple occasions. And so at that point I was just like, well, this is a guy I guess I'm drafted in fantasy and here's this is a lightning rod.
But like you know, I'm still in on Kyle Pitts.
And at some point at this point, you have sort of planted your flag on how you feel about Kyle Pitts. Either you were in like I'm in, or you just decided that, you know what, He's burned me too many times and I can't I can't do it. But this is for me. If it doesn't happen this year with Pitts,
it's never gonna happen. You know, they got the quarterback upgrade in Kirk Cousins He's apparently healthy after maybe not being healthy the last year or so, and last year year everybody was frustrated with the way Arthur Smith decided to use him.
That's not going to be an issue anymore.
So everything that we would have wanted for Kyle Pitts is coming together. So I am totally back in. I can't say i'm back ends. I never really left. So I'm still in on Kyle Pitts, drafting him, especially if I can get him, you know, in the sixth, seventh round where he's going right now.
Yeah, No, kal Pius is a guy that everyone has been waiting on.
I feel like there's been a love affair with him because so many of us feel for the hype.
So many of us have talked about him.
When he came in, we thought he was going to be one of the tight ends that could potentially revolutionize a position, and we have blamed Arthur Smith for his lack of production. And now you have Zach Robinson coming in, they have Kirk Cousins. They can throw it all over the yard. Michael Pennix as it backstop. They should have every opportunity to throw it all over the yard and get it done. So now here's where I need your help, because there are a couple of we talked about twelve
personnel teams with two tight ends. Both tight ends are good, So we know in Baltimore Isaiah Likely and Mark Andrews that's an intriguing one, Dgkin Kid and Dawson Knox. But I'm really worried about Tucker Craft and Luke Muskgrave in Green Bay. For a team that doesn't have a true number one receiver, the tight ends kind of act as that number receiver, number one receiver on sometimes what I make of it to pick between one of those guys.
I tend to lean toward Luke Muskgrave, but I you know, I'm not necessarily steady on that because of Tucker Craft, and I feel that way about the wide receivers too in green But I mean everything about that Packer offense. It's one of those things where having all these options in real football is great because it makes you hard to know you can't focus on one guy. In fantasy it is the worst because you can't focus on one guy, you know. So everything about the Packer offense makes me
nervous in terms of fantasy. So my answer to the Packer offense has just been draft Jordan Love right, because you don't have to worry about which recei catching the ball, which tight end is catching the ball. You get all of that with the quarterback throwing the football. You get all those touchdowns, you get all those yards. But it really is a roll of the dice if you were going to draft a Packer skill position player, and that includes Tucker Craft and Luke Muskrave.
Yeah, look, it's a tough one.
It's a tough decision to make when you're trying to figure out those guys and some of the other tandems that we've talked about. But one thing that isn't tough is if you have an opportunity to get Travis Kelce.
You have to go with the swifty, don't you swift?
Right?
Yeah, yeah, yeah, you're still drafting Travis Kelce. It's you know, this is the first year in a long time, maybe since you know, the last days of Gronk, that we aren't talking about Travis Kelce as the number one tied end because you know, Sam Laporta has surpassed him there. But Travis Kelce still brings a ton to the game. I mean look, last year, we call it a quote unquote down year for Travis kelce and he was still
the number two tight end in fantasy. Now they have more options, they have more things for people to pay attention to, because last year the story was, well, you know, who are the Chiefs wide receivers. They don't have any wide receivers to make plays. They go out to get Hollywood Brown, They drafted av Are Worthy. I mean, Rashi Rice showed us some things near the end of last season. So now all of a sudden, you do have these other options in the passing game, which means you can't
completely focus your defense on Travis Kelcey. So, yeah, he's maybe not, you know, the same guy that he was a few years ago, but Travis Kelcey is still among the elite tight ends, both in real football and in fantasy. Yeah.
So one of the guys that kind of popped up and was really productive after Joe Flacco arrive was David and Joku. What I do with David and Joku now that Deshaun Watson's going to be back as a starting quarterback and in Dorsey has taken over as to play caller.
Yeah, I mean, so last year what we saw out of him with Joe Flacco was kind of what we were hoping for for all these years, right, I mean, just a big athletic tight end. It never really seemed to come together. Finally, Joe flat I figured out how to unlock it. And so part of me thinks, Okay, maybe the Browns saw something and they will figure out how to get him. The football part of me worries though, because you know, Deshaun Watson has not been very good,
you know, since he's since he's joined Cleveland. So I'm sort of tempering the expectations. I think the fact that it's it's built in that you know right now in Djokuh's like a ninth round pick, it sort of sort of mitigates a lot of the risk there. But I'm willing to believe that what we saw at the end
of last season was actually the start of things. And look, I mean, this is what we're coming up on year eight now for in Joko, I think it is it's not unprecedented that you get a guy deep into his career has a breakout because last year Evan Ingram was sort of that guy, right, Evan Ingram had been that guy that a lot of us had kind of written off and all of a sudden he has a career
year in Jacksonville. So you know, who's to say that David and Joku can't do something similar this year in Cleveland.
Yeah, speaking of Evan Ingram, what are your thoughts on Evin Ingram in this offense down in Jacksonville? Like they kind of believe is more Kevin Ridley Walks, They bring in Gabe Davis, They had a young player in Brian Thomas Jr. But Thinkram is kind of the number one. He and Kris and Kirk share the marquis. What do you think by Evan Ingram's prospects?
Yeah?
I think so.
What I love about Evan Ingram is that he had a ton of targets last year. What I didn't love about Evan Ingram is that the average depth of target wasn't very very deep. I mean he averaged eight yards per catch, So I mean they were basically extended handoffs
is what they were giving him. I always say this with when I have a whether it's a receiver or a tight end in fantasy, you don't love it when your guy catches the ball and the blue line of scrimmage line is still on the screen and that was kind of Evan Ingram a little bit last year, so that that kind of worries me a little bit, but I think the volume sort of keeps him afloat now.
Also, I think one thing to keep in mind is that a lot of that.
Came because they had injuries, right, I mean, because Christian Kirk was banged up for a while. Calvin Ridley, you know, was not one hundred percent a lot of times. So that is something that sort of keep in mind that you know, will he get those same targets if everybody's healthy. But I do think he and Trevor Lawrence found something that works together, and I think he's going to get the ball a lot and that's going to kind of keep him afloat.
Yeah, it certainly we'll keep him afloat and that uh finds a way to get it done. And speaking of getting it done, one of the I would say the hidden gyms in fantasy football is the kicker position. I know, it's one of those things that you talk about like how important it is. It used to be a throwaway position, but now it's important. Giving your philosophy on kickers and why it is a more important piece of the championship polls when it comes to building a fantasy team.
Yeah, I mean I think, look, I think it's it's overlooked.
I mean, I think, you know, some people get frustrated because there is admittedly a little bit of randomness involved in kickers, right because you know, basically, if they're coming out to if a team's coming out to kick a field goal, generally it's because the offense has stalled, you know. I mean, obviously you have those late game situations that's different.
But so there's a little bit of randomness to it.
But when you have a guy who has a big leg and can kick from deep, you know, then it means something. I mean, there's a reason Justin Tucker has been a star in this league for a long time. There's a reason we talk about you know, Evan Munny McPherson in Cincinnati because these guys potentially are game changers.
And so I tend to be of two minds.
I want, I will you know, first off, whoever, it is always wait till late you're talking about one of your last couple of picks in the draft, before you're getting your kicker.
First of all.
But if you want to go for those elite guys, you go get one of those those elite guys. I mean last year Brandon Aubrey looked great in Dallas. I mean, you can always go You can't go wrong with Justin Tucker, Harrison Butcher, those kind of guys on offenses that you know are going to move the ball and always be in scoring position. But if you can't get one of those elite guys, I will tell you that maybe don't
draft a kicker. Spend that last pick on his other skill position guy, because what's gonna happen is I mean, you're probably gonna you may cut that guy in week one, but spend it on a last spend it on a skill position guy that maybe's kind of a deep sleeper.
You'll get to week one, You'll look at your say, okay, maybe this last round guy, look, maybe he worked himself into a role and I can give him a shot and I can cut somebody else, or if it doesn't work out, sit that guy back to the waiver wire. Finds yourself a kicker for that first week, and they kind of move from there. But I don't think you can overlook kickers I'll also say there are a lot more leagues that are starting to factor in kickers a
little bit. You know, I'm in a big charity tournament that the scott Fish Bowl, where they've kind of worked it out where your kicker can maybe be a little bit more valuable than say a late round running back or wide receiver, especially a guy who kicks from deep. So check your scoring system because you may be able to find a hidden advantage in there if you can get some kicker points.
Yeah, kicker points are very, very valuable.
And if you can find those offenses that struggle but are just good enough to get the ball to the thirty five girl life, when you have a long distance kicker, it is a big win. We'll be back right after the break. Let's talk about some of the rookies. Who are some of the rookies that you're high on.
Well, I think all three of those those top wide receivers right when you're talking about uh you know, obviously Marvin Harrison junior uh Is is maybe the big name off the board there, but you know, Malik Neighbors is one that we're certainly interested in. You know, Romo Dunes, I think I think he's got a little bit of a tougher path just because he's got you know, DJ Moore and Keenan Allen there in Chicago, so he's gonna have to share some targets a little bit more. But
the talent is certainly, uh, you know, undeniable. And you mentioned Brian Thomas in Jacksonville. I think he's another one there. So the why the rookie wide receivers I think are are really really intriguing this year. You know, I mentioned on the last show Jonathan Brooks that a guy a guy I love because I just love what what Carolina is doing to try and support Bryce Young this year.
So I do like him a deeper name.
Thought at running back Ray Davis in Buffalo because the Bills, I mean, they they like James Cook, but I don't think they want to make James Cook a workhorse, and I think they would like to use more as kind of a pass catching back and use Ray Davis as more of the hammer.
So I think he could be the guy.
I won't say he's the goal lineback because that's going to be Josh Allen and so he can't do it anymore, but I do think he's going to get some opportunities there.
So Ray Davis is a name that I have been drafting late in drafts.
And also put Blake Koram in that bucket too with the Rams because I don't think I don't think Sean McVay wants to use one workhorse back. He did it last year and it worked well with Kien Williams, but I don't think they would prefer to do that, And so I think Blake Korm is going to have a really nice role, and if he has a really good training camp, maybe that role is bigger than we think it's.
Going to be.
Yeah, I love that tandem and I love what the Rams are doing when it comes to bringing two backs that have similar traits and just grinding it out and being able to really throw complimentary passes to the outside. So Blake Korm was one of my favorites in the draft, and I love how Karen Wait does continue development. It'll be interesting to see how they deploy both of these guys when it comes to.
The Ricky Wideouse.
There's been a lot of conversation about Marvin Harrison Junior being the number one and everyone's excited about him. But outside Marvin Harrison Junior for the first ass Catchers that you're really high on.
Look, I'm starting to come around on Elite Neighbors.
My my hesitation with Eliite Neighbors was more about the quarterback situation with the Giants, you know, whether it's going to be Daniel Jones or Drew Locke. That sort of made me a little bit nervous. But I'm starting to just believe that he's going to be the number one guy and he's going to get a lot of targets there. So I'm in on him. I've been big on Lad McConkie. I just I think he's going to be a good fit in that Chargers offense. You know we mentioned last show.
I think, you know, they're going to throw the ball maybe more than we originally anticipated there with the Chargers, and I think Lad McConkie is going to be a guy who gets some opportunities. So I've been drafting him a lot I have. You know, look, my good friend and wide receiver whisperer Matt Harmon, has has told me that I should start to buy into Kean Coleman a little bit more in Buffalo as well. So I when
when Matt speaks. I tend to listen to him, so I'm I'm trying to get my mind right and draft a little bit more key on Coleman this offseason too.
Yeah, Keith Coleman is is a good one to watch. I would say Jermaine Burton is another one. He is someone that is kind of stepping in that role and maybe they're grooming him to replace uh maybe Higgins as the wide receiver to once they have to make decisions.
On who to pay.
The final young guy that I would say I'm I'm kind of buzzing on is keeping out on Brian Thomas Junior in Jacksonville. And the only reason I say keep an eye on him is he is the vertical stretch guy that they've been lacking. His last year, LSU has seven touchdowns, so he might be the red zone weapon that sneak in and give you fantasy points just being a touchdown score because that's what he does.
He score touchdowns.
Yeah, now I'm with you on that too.
He's another guy that I like, And I'm glad you mentioned Jermain Burton because that one slipped my mind. But he's one. I mean, look, you know the buck. I know he had some ball field issues and that's what it would push him down to the draft. But people were talking about him as a Day one talent. So the talent is there, you know, and you put him in there with Jamar Chase and t Higgins and get Joe Burrow quarterback.
Absolutely love, love, love what he could potentially do.
Yeah, so now let's put together this this ultimate team. Like if we're thinking about like just putting together an a fantasy team, if you had your brothers and you can wait with the perfect fantasy team, give mean a list of names that you put on.
It, all right, I mean, look, so I'm gonna go obviously the first round. You're talking about going Chalky. I still love Christian McCaffrey at the top of drafts, right, I mean just there are very few people who can do what he can do. And so I'm i if I got the number one pick, I'm drafting McCaffrey pretty much all day. I'm gonna come back around and sometime in the second round, if I can get Brandon Ayyuk kind of in a later part of the second round,
I want to do that. I look, all his potential unhappiness with San Francisco aside, he is the receiver in that offense.
I look, I know what he's saying.
I just know that when he's on the field, him and brought perty work well together, and they are they feature him in that offense.
Uh. And that's all I care like.
I don't care about you know, his feelings right now, I just care about his production, that's what.
So.
That's uh So I like him there in the second round. If I'm going third round, then I'm probably looking at I'd probably look at a DJ Moore, maybe DeVonta Smith if he's still there, although he probably wouldn't be. But uh, a DJ Moore in that spot I think is great as a second wide receiver because he's the one guy that I think.
It's a lot of work, you know, I think I think.
Romo Dunza and Keenan Allen may sort of eat off each other's plates, but I think DJ Moore is a guy that you can certainly believe in.
Uh.
In the third round, now, fourth round, I might be looking at a tight end. If Sam Laporta is still there, I would make that move. But otherwise I'm looking at maybe a a Travis Kelcey or possibly a Trey McBride, depending on how the board falls, but I want to try to get my tight end in that fourth round. So that point, I got a running back, I got two receivers, I've got a tied end. Now in the fifth round it's sort of up for grabs. I like
Jayden Reid. I know I talked about the Packer offense being somewhat frustrating, but if there's a guy that I can count on, I do think it's Jayden Reid in that offense. And again at that point, he's my third wide receiver, so I don't need him to be great every single week.
There.
So then round six, I think we're going back to the running back spot. And at that point, actually know what No. In the sixth round, I can look in a lot of times CJ. Stroud is there, so I can take c J.
Stroud.
I can get my quarterback out of the way.
At that point, feel really really good about my quarterback spot. Then in round seven it depends, I might go with a David Montgomery there get my second running back, because I do like his opportunity. I mean, him and jamieer Gibbs worked really well together last year, so I can get David Montgomery in the seventh round. In the eighth round, I'll probably back it up with another running back and get Jalen Warren, who I really like in Pittsburgh because
he's gonna catch the football. Yeah, so I'll get Jaalen Warden in the eighth round, and then from here on out, I'm sort of going some kind of combination of best available. So, like, you know, Raheem Moster might be available in round nine. Maybe in round ten, Uh, you know, I like a Khalil Shakir or Brian Robinson. Actually two good picks, yeah, two good picks.
You know.
So then you know, round eleven, we're talking about who are we looking at here? Maybe I would go Jacobe Myers, uh, Brandon Cooks maybe, uh in a spot like that. But I think at that point you're starting to look best available. So some of the guys I like a little bit later. Let's see Johan Dotson. Yes, I like a little bit later. I'm I'm really intrigued by the Washington offense this year.
You know, what what is Cliff gonna do with Jayden Daniels with uh, you know, he's got Terry mcclaur and he's got Johan Dotson, so I like him late, willing to take shot somewhere in the late rounds on Marshaun Lloyd in Green Bay. This might be you know, this might be my cardinal and gold colored glasses talking to a.
Bit little bit squad. I get it.
Yeah, But Marshawn Lloyd there behind behind Josh Jacobs in Green Bay. Jermaine Burton we talked about. He's another guy that I'll try to get in the late rounds and then you know, you're at the end. I'm sort of I'm not dart throwing, but I'm taking young guys with upside near the end of the draft. So I mentioned, you know, Jermaine Burton. Ray Davis is coming late in drafts. I'm not totally out on wan Dale Robinson yet in New York.
We'll see what happens there.
Maybe a Marvin mims uh In in Denver, something like that.
Marvins is a good one just because of the pecking order in the Broncos offense.
MARVIVI and Mimes earned his way. Look, let's be honest.
He bumped out Jerry Judy, So I would think that Sean Payton has big clams from Marvin ma'ams like marcaus, this is always so fun, man, Like the Fantasy football space is such an intriguing one. You and the crew do a great job of keeping everyone updated. Let's plug the podcast. I know you guys haven't ramped it up fully, but where can they find our concept?
Yeah, we're starting to ramp up, just like everybody else's training camp for all of us. But yeah, the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. We're doing it for a couple of times a week, so you can find that wherever you download podcasts. And the summer, we started doing a fun live stream on YouTube called the Fantasy cheat Sheet that we pop on for about half an hour on Thursdays and we talked some fantasy, we talked some non fantasy,
We talk movies, pop culture, the whole thing. And then it's a chance for us to interact too, because we get people in the chat answer asking us questions. We get to sort of interact with those folks there. So every Thursday streaming on YouTube is the Fantasy cheat Sheet.
Okay, well, I gotta go intore. I got to hear some of that pop culture references you guys are talking about. I love getting a little more in my fantasy. If I can get fantasy plus, I'm all about it and we are all about it on the mood to sticks. Thanks so much for coming on Mark. It's been great guys. This is the lad Podcast for the week moved to six.
Will come back the.
Following week, will come back next Monday. Have all kinds of new content for you. Until then, stay locked. We'll talk to you soon. Thanks for doing that for me to stay