Hey everybody, It's Monday, July twenty second, twenty twenty four. Welcome him to the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. But we're not quite in the best shape of our lives.
It's been your man, MG Marcus.
Grand joined by Michael Florio and Lakwan Jones and well one Happy Monday, gentlemen. But to LQ, I know you are in the midst of sort of Good Morning Football reboot rehearsals. You were up and in the office at an ungodly hour.
How was that? It was good? It is a normal shift for me. Man.
I like getting up early, to starting on my day early and getting through it, you know. But the rehearsals are going great.
Man. I love Akbar.
Akbar Barja Biamila is great. He's back on Good Morning Football. For those of you who've been watching NFL Fantasy Live for a number of years, you might remember him from that, or you may know him from am I feel like Troy McClure in The Simpsons.
You might remember me from such self help video.
You might remember him from either NFL Fantasy Live or from American Ninja War, or he is back on Good Morning Football. Big, big personality, really fun guy, great guy to work with, so you get you get to have that that that joy for you.
For you were out balling this morning, you were Jim Jones.
I joined an LA Fitness but they have a basketball court. So all all this offseason, I've been getting getting some shots in a few times a week, and usually I go after the show, but this today we flipped the show a little bit later, so I was like, you know, I am also like Lakwan, an early riser, although I will say there's a huge difference between like being awake at six am and being at work at six am. I'm almost always awake at that time. I hate being at work at that time.
Yeah, it's those are very much two different things. Also, I love the client saying I like getting up early. I'm like, bro, you have kids, you don't have a choice.
You're right.
So that's that is also to shout out to you, Floria, because we did shift our shooting or our recording schedule around. We're doing this in the midst of the USA's Olympic warm up against Germany.
So now it's on right now.
Yeah, you're starting five Steph, Devin Booker, Drew Holliday, Lebron and embiid are are you're starting five for this.
Right now?
Like he's trying to find the TV next to his desk right now. So in the mean time while he's doing that, I will let you know what we have on the show today. We are continuing our division previews.
Today is the AFC North, which should be a really intriguing division to watch just from a football perspective, also a really intriguing division to watch my fantasy perspective, because uh, there's some changes across the division and you know, some some really intriguing teams, really intriguing pieces that we will get into. But let's start, as we normally do around
this time, with some news and rumors. I include the rumors part because we don't have any actual football going on down in Houston.
CJ.
Stroud was asked about these skill positions on the Texans offense and he said, quote, it's a five headed monster.
Which I don't know about you, Florio.
That immediately sort of made me queasy because it's again, it's great for real football. You have so many options, so many places to go with the ball. For us, that means it gets a little bit harder to peg. Who is the guy you want. So I'm gonna ask you who do you think will be the top scoring non quarterback in Houston for fantasy?
Nico Collins. I think Joe Mixon is a fine pick at running back, But Nico Collins, I don't believe is going I'm sorry, c J. Stroud. I don't believe is gonna dump off the ball nearly as much as Joe Burrow did.
He was.
He keeps his eyes down field, man, and he looks for every strike to throw the deep ball that he can. The reason I like Nico Collins so much is because I just have the most confidence in him getting the opportunities right. He can stretch the field, he could win after the catch. He could play out wide, he could play in the slot. Now I know a prime steph Diggs could do all of that, But at thirty one years old, was he potentially losing a step last year?
And I know Tank Dell has the ability to take the top of a defense and brings a high ceiling, But is he gonna be out there in two wide receiver sets. I think it's possible we could see Diggs and Dell rotate in two wide receiver sets, but I feel confident that Nico Collins will not leave the field. So to me, I think he is the right combination
you want. That he brings the upside that say, like a Tank Dell has, But I also think he brings a safe floor, which is kind of how I'm viewing Steph Diggs in the sofense.
So, I mean, lakwan, are we are we overdrafting Texans just because there are so many places to go? I know we all know what the ceiling is for each of these guys individually, but I mean with them all together, how worried are you that they're going to sort of cannibalize each other?
I am really worried, man. I think this offense will look great, you know in real life football, like Sundays will be exciting to watch the Texans and watching c J. Stroud just drive downfield. Before a fantasy aspect of things, we may be overdrafting some of these guys, like Tank Dell is going in the third round right now in best ball. I mean, we're waiting on redraft ADPs. But that still seems a little spicy for me. If we
already have CJ. Stroud saying this is a five headed monster like it's going to be a constant week to week headache that I feel like, because look, Dalton Schaltz, he actually had a bunch of targets last season, so it's like we have to account of him as well, being that he was c J. Stroud's like best friend Dordan training camp last year. So I really feel as though this offense is going to be a lot of frustration from fantasy managers. But let's just be happy that we drafted c J.
Stroud. Hopefully that's the game plan for some.
Folks, because he is the biggest winner out of this whole package where he can. Honestly, I can see him clearing thirty touchdowns and if he's still responsible with the ball like he was last year, I don't see why he can't be a top five quarterback without even having the rushing upside. I just think this is gonna be a high power offense, but gotta be realistic here. When it comes to Nico and Diggs and when it comes
to Tank Dell and their ADPs, they're fairly closed. So either way it's going to be a gamble.
I think it was interesting you mentioned Dalton Schultz cause I feel like that's the thing that we don't really talk about in this whole thing.
You know, we've talked about the Texans.
It's, you know, how do we separate Collins from Dell from Diggs, and we don't mention the fact that they have a tight end who is very capable of catching the football and being a part of the offense as well.
It's the reason that I've drafted CJ. Stroud.
I've taken some shots on Texans wide receivers, but this feels like a quintessential they're better and best ball sort of offense because that way you don't have to kind of figure out what week you're going to try to start them.
You know, and deal.
Look, there's gonna be a week where Stefan Diggs probably has you know, twenty some odd points, and there's gonna a couple weeks in there where he has like six because they didn't necessarily need him or the defense tried to take him away. They can still be successful without any one of those guys having a really really big week and any given point.
Then there's the backfield issue because Joe.
Mixon goes in there and seems to have a really nice slot, but Florida over the weekend and they, I guess officially announced it this morning.
Cam Acres is going to be a Houston Texan. Wow.
Right, like when it saw it immediately I text put in the text chain right just mostly get a reaction out of out of the Kwan and he was kind of like that.
It was basically that like, wow, I.
Mean, Florida, Can cam Akers be a thing in this Houston offense as long as Joe Mixon is healthy?
No, I don't know if Akers should be a thing on any team in the NFL anymore with all the It's the same reason I feel about JK. Dobbins, Like when you have an acl and an achilles and all of this stuff adds up. Like listen, man, at some point injuries just they take their toll and they win. And I'm fearful that we're getting to that point with Acres. But it wasn't like that this just came out of
the blue. The worked out Dean Jackson last week. They worked out a number of different running backs, which gives me hope. And I've been saying this since the NFL Draft, like they can move Damian Pierce potentially in August. There's teams like the Cowboys like the Chargers that I think would take Damian Pierce and make him an RB two if he was to get the starting opportunity on those teams with higher upside. And I just don't think he's a good fit for Bobby Slowick and this version of
the Texans offense. I think he's a great fit for an old scot old school like run between the tackles physical style of play, which is what the Chargers might do where the Cowboys could do. So that's why I'm hopeful that he gets moved. And that was my biggest takeaway from this cam Aker signing was like, maybe they do move on from Damian Pierce and I continue to draft him in like the seventeenth round of my best ball drafts.
I mean, that's a good spot to get him.
I can't say that I drafted him really anywhere, but I don't know that it was a conscious like I'm staying away from him. I just didn't draft him at all. You know where my heart is, I'm drafting Damien Piers.
Yeah, you're still a Pierce believer, right, Yeah, I can't let it go.
He's going to be on special teams and I think that's where he could be utilized more. I think he's very explosive. We know that he's a downhill runner. He's a guy that can take it to the house, like he's an angry runner, Like come on, I really feel as though he could be utilized properly. But Florio hit
hit it nail on the head. I just don't think the system fits him because remember last year in camp, he was watching CMC tapes trying to catch more passes, and I think Joe Mixon fits more into that to where I feel like, you know, Damian Piers has to be on the move.
Yeah, it was funny.
I do remember like last year the articles, the headlines about like you're trying to be more like Christian McCaffrey, and like, yeah, I think I'm at a point where I don't necessarily fall for That's the.
Thing in the world, because no offense unless you are going to get that skill set through the computer screen or something like.
Yes, it's good to watch and how this guy gets over how he.
Catches and stuff, but like Christian McCaffrey is a once in a lifetime talent.
Yeah, yeah, we gotta we gotta stop doing this, man, I mean it's it's I mean it is. It's like all the young Titans who kept coming into the league and they kept being compared to Gronk.
You know how many baby Gronks did we go to either Higby? I think T. J.
Hawkinson was one. I mean we I've been through a number of baby Gronks. Like we got to stop that, We gotta stop. Like, you know, just because you're a running back who catches the football does not make you Christian McCaffrey.
It makes you a running back who catches the football. Like that's it, Like that's all that is.
I'm looking at the Texans stats from last year and rough math in my head right now, it looks like all of their running backs combined had like around sixty targets.
That's not a lot. No, No, they were not. They were not very involved in the passing game last year.
And I think that's a CJ. Roud thing, not a Devin Singletary Damian Pierce thing.
Well, you've got so many targets all over the field, you know, even when things sort of break down, you can find somebody to get the ball to. So unless it is particularly schemed up that way, I just don't see it happening. I mean, I'm looking at this what Devin Singletary had thirty eight targets and that was that was your leader among running backs, Like, h yeah, that's he.
Prettyroud keeps his eyes as downfield as he possibly can.
Like, yeah, it's just it's pretty bleak for that part of the game there.
Meanwhile, in New York, Darren Waller, who is recently retired, said he believes Daniel Jones can return to his form in twenty twenty said, quote, that's definitely still in him. So a simple, simple question for you, Laqwan hype train or smoke screen on Daniel Jones bouncing back to where he was a couple.
Of years ago.
Smoke screen, what are we doing here? I don't, I don't. I don't really see Daniel Jones even tapping back anywhere near twenty twenty two, because we had to remember the first five games he started the season was very very bad. And like not even just the interceptions, because half of them weren't his fault. There were pop off of defenders. But I just think overall that just the passing production, the ability to go downfield. It's the weapons around him.
I know, you add Molik Neighbors, But you just lost two of the biggest pieces that you had already set last season. So in honesty, this offense took a step back even further, even adding the two guards that they got to help out that old line because Daniel Jones is getting smacked. But when you look at the two guards they added, they both allowed six QB hits last season, which was more than any of the Giants starter on the line. So it's not like they actually fixed the issue.
They just kind of put a band aid, A used band aid on the.
Situation to where band aid.
So it's like nothing really has gotten better out of his team other than you added Malik Neighbors. But I feel like you lose Saquon Barkley used Darren Waller two security blankets that day, and Jones were lied on a lot. Everybody knows to cover Milik Neighbors. So that's not going to be something that I'm looking forward to in twenty twenty four. H Hype Traininger Smoke Screen Floria.
I disagree.
I think. Look, I'm not telling you to go out and draft Daniel Jones as your starting quarterback. He's barely being drafted as a QB two in leagues, But I do think a lot of us are forgetting what Daniel won. I still trust Brian Dable. I know last year it crashed out and everything, but Brian day later in the season, when he got Darren Waller back healthy, and when he got some of his other pieces, when Saquan was going,
like with Tommy DeVito and Tyrod Taylor. I mean, like remember they took the Eagles to the brink on Christmas Day or whatever it was. So I believe in Brian Dable as a play caller. I think we're forgetting how much of a runner Daniel Jones was two years ago. Now that Nie could put that into question. But Darren Waller, as much as I loved him last year, and I don't know if anyone was higher on Darren Waller than
I was swinging a miss. He was so in and out of the lineup and banged up and stuff that I do believe there is a chance Milik Neighbors could. I love Molik Neighbors as a talent. I think he could come in and have an effect like Justin Jefferson did on that Vikings offense, like Jamar Chase did on the Bengals, like Jayalen Watt, Like we've seen it before where these rookie wide receivers come in and where like Jared Goff of the Moan Ross Saint Brown is a
good example. Like they take average quarterbacks and all of a sudden turn them into quarterbacks that look very viable and useful at an NFL level. And Daniel Jones is the best wide receiver he's thrown to. Is what Darius Slayton, Wandel Robinson broken down last year of his career, Darren Waller, so like I think Malik Neighbors could be better than anyone he's ever thrown to and really revitalized this offense and now expectations like if Jones finish his top fifteen,
it's a really good year for him. But I'm not ready to leave Daniel Jones like like leave him for dead and say that there's no absolutely no shot he could get back to looking fantasy viable.
Can I give you a end of career Golden Tate as maybe the best receivers all of those out of the.
Wall I'm.
I'm not I'm not trying to sit here and say that, you know, late career Golden Tate is what we expect from Elie Neighbors.
I'm just trying to I was.
Like going through trying to figure out who was the best receiver that he's starting. It's it's bad and yeah that that might be it there. I do think there's something about the rushing upside. Right, he ran for seven hundred yards. He also had seven rushing touchdowns, which that number feels hard for.
Him to do. Yeah, so I think that's the thing sort of working against him.
I don't know that he gets seven touchdowns and you know, he's got to get back to you know, his rookie year he had twenty four touchdown passes. He's got to get back to something closer to that if he's not going to give you the rushing upside. So I would say it's possible. I am not banking on it, but where he's getting drafted, you know, it's worth a dart throw, right, It's worth a dart throw. That's that's about. That's all I have to say about that. Into the go ahead.
Yeah, oh, let's just say Darren Waller real quick, Caitlin Clark was cooking Kelsey Plumb at the at the you.
Know, sometimes he taking shots. Sometimes it's the small victories. He's going through, man victory. Sometimes it's the small victories. You gotta buy his album now, Man, I check it out, see if it's on Spotify.
Probably. Let's dive into the AFC North in a bit, take a break, come back and reset.
This thing here on the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast a FC North. It is going to be just a battle all throughout. You got four teams who are very much in contention for playoff spots. This year is gonna be interesting to see how things shake out. As always, we go through these in alphabetical orders, So we start with the Baltimore Ravens. Their top scores from last year. Lamar Jackson three hundred and thirty one Fantasy points. That was QB four worthy. Gus Edwards their top running back one
hundred and eighty seven points. He was the RB twenty five.
He is eight.
Flowers was the top wide receiver at two six point four Wide receiver thirty one, and Mark Andrews tight in fourteen one thirty five point four for him in a season that saw him battle some injuries off season. They lose Odell Beckham Junior, they lose Gus Edwards, and they lose JK. Dobbins, but they do sign El Tractorcito himself, Derrick Henry, and they draft devontees Walker later in that draft. First raven off the board right now is Za Flowers of an ADP of thirty six.
So Florio.
Rarely, I keep saying this, rarely do we actually get a thing that we as a community all where. But it happened with Derrick Henry going from Tennessee to Baltimore to play in that backfield with Lamar Jackson.
Everybody's excited. We're all like double digit touchdowns for sure. Yay.
You know how things go when everybody in the community believes in something, when we really are hoping for and we are all like in lockstep with it.
Is it possible we're too hyped about Dereck Henry right now?
Is it possible? Yes, because I believe you always have to look at things any range of possibilities. But I think it's a really small chance that he busts this year. The all like, outside of injuries, and I think you could say that about all players, like I would be shocked if Derrick Henry stayed healthy and just busted because this is the best offense he's played on in his career.
This is the best quarterback he's played on. This is gonna be the first time in his life since literally probably ever since he's ever stepped on a football field. If you don't believe me, go watch this guy's high school highlights. Every coach that he has faced in the last two decades has game planned around stopping him, and they said, if you stop him, you stop their team for the first time ever. You can't say that because he's playing with a two time MVP there so, and
he's playing in a heavy run system. Last year fifteen touchdowns from five yards or closer for Ravens running backs just running too. I think he could stumble into twelve touchdowns this year. I think fifteen is very realistic. I think if things break right, he could approach twenty. So I'm in on Derrick Henry.
But not only that.
I think when we get to now we're getting to redrafts time, I think he's firmly going to be a second round pick, maybe even middle to early second round pick. Obviously I like him a lot more in round three, but I think that's an appropriate value for Dereck Henry and probably where he should be going. So as long as we get him at that coll so cheaper, I will continue to.
Be in I love looking at that.
He gets tweeted out every so often of his stats from his senior year of high school, and like every game it's like two something and he's got like five or six touchdowns except one game, one game late in the season against East Gaston where he was held I air quotes, held to one hundred and eighty nine rushing yards and just one touchdown.
Beast.
No, they won that game sixteen thirteen. They just barely hung on and won that game. So I'm like, I'm wondering, like something happened that he maybe roll an ankle or something like.
You know, like he was felt bad everybody. Maybe maybe he just felt sorry for them so he just took it easy. Yeah.
That always cracks me up. I mean, Lakwan, what is the earliest you would be willing to take Derrick Henry?
Oh?
Me man, I'm look, he's sitting in that third round, But I will honestly be confident in taking him in that second round. If we're going to iron out all these details about the Ravens offense. I mean, they had the second most red zone drive. So we already know this is a high power offense that's going to create a lot of scoring opportunities. And they had a franchise record last year of twenty six rush touchdowns. I think
Henry and Lamar are going to clear that. And I say Lamar, I don't think he's going to be heavily used obviously in their goal line areas. But you don't really have to worry about that with Dereck Henry because honestly, Lamar only has eight rushing touchdowns, less than Tom Brady, who has ten since twenty eighteen on goal line carry. So I'm looking at this as a huge plus for Dereck Henry. So I agree fellas, like we're probably staring at twenty touchdowns by the time it's like week sixteen.
Once he touchdowns by week sixteens, that means he still has potentially one more game toasts to turn it up. That's spicy. I Look, I love Derreck Henry. I'm willing to take that second round shot on him for sure, for sure.
Man funny though that seems it seems crazy, but look, moster did twenty one total touchdowns last year. I mean, Derek Henry could do it. He's gonna throw for one. I guarantee he throws one.
Wow, all right, he's gonna throw one. It's going to be such vintage.
He's got to have at least five passing touchdowns.
In his career, right, Oh man, we got to see now.
It's a good thing, good thing for the Google that allows us to go and look for these sorts of things.
Ah.
He has four, no, four passing touchdowns in his career, including two last year. He's got five if you count the playoffs. Okay, there you go, and there's five. There's five passing touchdowns there, there is.
Lukwan. How much do we believe in Zay Flowers?
And are there any other receivers in Baltimore that you're willing to kind of take us swing at it?
He's always been like a good flex for me. I really haven't been like two on the Baltimore Ravens like wide receivers because we really only get one relevant one at least dating back to you know, to Lamar Era. I mean, we have never seen two wide receivers to have fifty plus receptions or average ten Fantasy points per game. Like it's either one or the other. Like I really feel as though the second option of wide receivers in
the Baltimore offensive really is almost non existent. So Zay Flowers is one of those guys that I don't see him having a huge bike weeks. He'll have a good service amount of numbers of like I guess, let's say twelve Fantasy points per game. I can see him finishing out. But this offense is gonna be such a run heavy offense to where like I can kind of see him getting sprinkled in with some rushing attents, maybe some jet sweeps, et cetera, et cetera, just trying to find more waste
to get him in the end zone. But the dude really didn't have, you know, this pace to even hit a thousand yards if we're going to be honest. So it's like, when it comes to Baltimore wide receivers, I'm kind of out.
Yeah, I like Artie wants to be excited about Zay Flowers, but I feel like there's just kind of a cap on production from Baltimore wide receivers generally. And I think now especially you know, we just spent how many minutes waxing poetic about Derrick Henry. You know that would seem to bode poorly. Also, the fact that Mark Andrews is back healthy again just doesn't seem to really bode well. I don't I don't know that I've drafted a lot
of z Flowers. I think I may have stacked him a couple of times with with Lamar Jackson, but I don't know. Just something about it just sort of leaves me wanting more. Anybody else there that you're interested in Florio, any other Baltimore receivers you have any interest in non.
Martin And we're talking real late in drafts. But Devon says Walker, I like him a good amount, like as the best ballflyer and stuff. Probably redraft, someone you leave on your waiver wire, but a name to write down to keep an eye on, because he is a he's a briner four three sixty. I believe he ran, He's excellent downfield. He was brought here to be this big play threat for Baltimore, which I think a lot of us wanted Rashad Bateman to become and it just hasn't
happened yet. And I think Bateman could potentially early on Seymour snaps. But if Walker hits, I would not be surprised at all if he steals that job and becomes the primary X for Lamar Jackson. We're talking about a guy you get in the seventeenth, eighteenth round. So yeah, he's the only other one I've been taking. I haven't really taken shots on Mark Andrews or Jay Flowers because
I really like the talent of Zay Flowers. I agree with everything that both of you guys said, but I do also think there's a chance that Jay Flowers can take over as the number one target here. Mark Andrews, about to be twenty nine years old, already wasn't earning targets at a super high rate last year, so and Flowers actually was out earning him and when they were out there on the field together in a target sense.
So I think it's possible that either one of them could be the top target for Lamar, and you have to pay a premium price to get him. So I typically don't draft either.
All right, Well, because since we're talking about Mark Andrews here, for either of you, is Isaiah likely?
Is he worth it? Late round? Okay, there you go. Yeah, yeah, I'll have to say the same thing.
Yeah, definitely, one of my most drafts the tight ends actually really oh okay, because outside the top twenty, and let's remember what this guy was when Mark Andrews went down. He was a top ten tight end that was consistent every single week. Now, it might take an injury to Mark Andrews to get that again. But we're talking about how bad these wide receivers are after his eight flowers, who what's to stop them from saying, hey, let's get
likely out there on the field. As much as we can run two tight end sets, put one of them in the slots something like that. So look, we're talking best ball outside the top twenty tight ends. I take a lot of shots on him.
Yeah, I mean, look, he averaged twelve fantasy points for a game and had five touchdowns in the last seven games when Andrews went out, and he actually had the second second highest target share on the team. So it's not like he's going in half in the work for to get the targets. Lamar is going to be looking for him, and most of the shots he was taken with him for those touchdowns were downfield. So I look at this as like a clear plug and play. If
Andrews was to miss time at any point. So, just like Lareo said, he's probably like my second or third most drafted tight end behind John new Smith because of John Newsmith season. But we're gonna leave that for another episode. But I really like Isaiah likely Man. I do like him as a player all around. I would love if.
The Ravens would use more too tight end sets in terms of percentage of plays.
Good they were. There are only three teams that that did it less by percentage.
Get Baitman off the fields and get likely.
Are you are you part of Wait? Are you part of the you were shot Bateman Hive? Absolutely not.
But I don't want our d N to be on.
Fire at this Oh.
I was like, wait, I thought, I thought what I was learning something? Did you go guys the dream? I thought I was just learning something about Lakwan right now? No, Nope, nope, other than he just doesn't want his dms to be on fire, which no, because a reasonable a reasonable statement.
It's one of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Last year, their top scorer Joe Burrow in an injury riddled year one hundred and forty seven point one points QB twenty five. Joe Mixon was your RB six two hundred and sixty seven points. Jamar Chase the top scoring wide receiver in Cincy. He was wide receiver eleven overall two hundred and sixty two point seven points.
Tanner Hudson, Tanner Hudson.
Your top scoring tight end, And I think if you had quizzed anyone, I would say ninety eight percent of people would not have been able to tell you that. I would have been one of those people. Tanner Hudson your top scoring tight end in Cincinnati. He was tied in twenty six eighty point two points. Off season, some of the big losses Joe Mixon, who is in Houston. We talked about earlier, Tyler Boyd. As they go out and make some moves back. One of those moves was
to draft Jermaine Burton. They also added Zach Moss in free agency, no surprise. First Bengal off the board is Jamar Chase ADP of four point two. So if he somehow falls to you at five, consider yourself lucky. First question, Floria, how much do you believe in Zach Moss? And associated question, are you a believer at all? In Chase Brown?
I think at where they're going, they're both fine shots. To take. I think Brown is obviously more explosive and potentially could be a little bit more utilized in the passing game. But Zach Moss is the one I like more because Zach Moss is also a good receiver. He is going to be the early down back. I think
I believe he'll be the goal line back there. And we saw last season when Jonathan Taylor got hurt, Zach Moss put up RB I know this late in the season he disappointed when Taylor was out, but early on he was putting up RB one numbers. So I think Brown is what he is at this point, which is like a change of pace. Come in, big play guy, but you can't run a whole backfield through him. I think Massel will see a lot of volume. But again, you get Zach Moss in the eighth round and what
Brown in like the ninth, tenth rounds. So both of them are are up side shots we're taking in their best ball adp. I do continue to believe that we're gonna see running backs heavily get pulled up the board once we shift to redraft. But for right now, where they're going, I love them.
I don't know how you feel like, are you a Chase Brown guy at all? The kwan uh?
It's an interesting backfield to be honest, Like, it's one of those things I haven't really ironed out to honestly, you know, have the right expectations for Zach masson Chase Brown, and like they're not heavily expensive and hopefully in drafts they don't get pulled up because of training camp noise. But it's more so, how is this workload gonna be split? Because we know Chase Brown can kind of be likely the past catching back and then you can see a
lot of goal line opportunities for Zach Moss. But my worry is that, you know, maybe the Bengals may throw a lot more in the red zone now with their new toy with Jermaine Burton. So I feel like they run a lot of three wide receiver sets, So there's gonna be opportunities in that red zone that you know, maybe Joe Burrow fades it out or finds another situation,
you know, dump it off to Zach Moss. But honestly, I think it's gonna be a little bit of like you need to have your expectations and make sure your roster build like You're not getting either one of these guys as your RB one, so you just have to have a nice little one to two punch and these guys can fill in as your RB three, RB four, So just have your expectations in order when drafting these guys.
I will say that I'm I'm a little bit part of the Chase Brown hive. I'm not like necessarily super carrying the banner for him, but I do think let's go. I think there's a bigger year coming. I mean, I think I do think that anybody who goes really heavy on Zach Moss is going to be frustrated.
Yeah, because I do think that because I also set the break out.
Yeah, I kind of think that Zach Moss is a product of like how the Colts O line was as well, like a lot of those you know, in between the tackles that he was able to have those breaks. But I feel like we've always known that the Bengals O line has kind of been beat up the last couple of years, but they've been investing, you know, since trying to keep Joe Burrow healthy. But ultimately this offense is going to come down to Burrow staying healthy at the end of the day as.
Well, Uh, Florida, what are expectations for for T Higgins this Year's like, you know, we haven't talked besides him in his contract situation.
I feel like we haven't talked about him a lot.
I think T Higgins is one of the more undervalued wide receivers right now.
His ADP, he's.
Going like barely in the top thirty wide receivers if I haven't correct, Yeah, wide receiver twenty nine right now. I know last year was bad. The year prior to that he was wide receiver twenty in points per game, nineteen and overall points. The year before that he was wide receiver thirteen in points per game, twenty four in total points. So I believe as long as Higgins and Burrows stay healthy, you are drafting Higgins probably below his floor. The floor is injury, and I get it. He's on
a one year deal, franchise tag. He wants to get paid, so maybe if he gets banged up, he doesn't play. But let's also remember, like I really like Jamaine Burton. He's one of my favorite sleepers this year. He is still a rookie wide receiver. They lost Tyler Boyd, who Joe Burrow greatly trusted they lost Joe Mixon. I think it's possible we see and a greater emphasis on getting these two stud wide receivers the ball as much as possible.
And T Higgins has proven to us he could be a high end wide receiver two, even opposite of Jamar Chase. Yet you're drafting him as a wide receiver three. So I'm actually this week gonna be working on the top ten values, an article that I'm gonna write for NFL dot com top ten values at the wide receiver position, and T Higgins, I'm almost positive is going to be in my top ten values.
I mean, you mentioned that it wasn't a good year for him, but you also you know, I think you pointed out rightly that I think a lot of that was connected to having a quarterback who wasn't healthy. Yeah, I just I think everybody has sort of been you know, we're either you're going big and you're paying up for Jamar Chase, or everybody sort of feels like, well, I'll just wait and I'll take that shot on Jermaine Burton. I'm curious as to how this changes when we get
to redraft season. Right now, now that we're in redraft season, if people sort of want the the more week to week consistency and what you know with T Higgins versus you know, the potential unknown of a Jermaine Burton and trying to figure out what's happening there.
So just yeah, I don't know, I like it. I just feel like we haven't talked about him enough.
Yeah, real quick, like T Higgins. So he played the first four games, That's when Joe Burrow was awful. Joe Burrow's breakout game last year came Week five. Higgins was inactive. The next game, he played just about half the snaps did game after that he got two thirds of the snaps.
Then Joe Burrow and T.
Higgins clicking on all cylinders. He went eight for one hundred and ten. Then he missed the next three games, and then Joe Burrow was gone for the season. I would argue we saw one game last year where Joe Burrow and T. Higgins were both fully healthy, and in that game to Higgins eight Yeah. No, I mean, I look, I think he's still a good receiver.
I think we've just sort of kind of been clouded by what happened this offseason.
Completely right now, Mike Gsicki is going as the tight end.
I mean he is basically free in drafts la Quan so at that ADP smash or pass pass.
No, I'm not going to ski man. He's not one of those late round guys that I want to have any interest in because back to back seasons he had less than four hundred receiving yards. I don't know if teams are not really understanding how to utilize him when
we did get on that high training. But I think more so like he's not a guy that I'm really interested in because the Bengals have not had a tight end surpassed five hundred receiving yards since twenty twenty and no more than nine fantasy fantasy points per game either since twenty twenty. So it's like there's no real like upside for me to go out there and be like, yeah, I got Mike Koseki in like the twentieth round, all.
Right, But but hear me out on this, right, because last year everything was a mess in New England, right, yeah, quarterback situation, everything was a complete mess in New England. Nobody was going to succeed there the year before that, those last couple of years in Miami, or at least the last year in Miami. You know, they tried a different thing with the offense. They were using him previously as a big slot receiver. Then Mike McDaniel's like, I'm
gonna make you an actual tight end. I remember the comments of like I have to learn how to play tight end and that you know that that sort of happened out on him all year. Then yes, yeah, right, and I'm like that sort of had me out on him although he had what he had five touchdowns last year, even despite all that, Now he's in an offense where they're going to use him to his pass catching potential, Like they're not gonna ask him, I think to block a whole lot sweens go out and run routes and
catch the football. And he's got a good quarterback, Like I'm not telling you he's gonna go out here and get you seven eight hundred yards. But for that price, I don't know, it feels I'm I'm willing to take the chance to take the risk on it.
With that, I'm with you because, like so I said earlier, isaa likely one of my most late round targets. I agree with leakwan On, John new Smith, and Mike Aseki's my other one. Those are the three because Kiseki set the moment they signed him and let Tyler Boyd walk, I was like, he could be the new time in this offense. Like, he is not a tight end, he
is a slot receiver. So it depends on how one If if all three of their top wide receivers stay healthy, that that will ding his value, and if they all are on the field consistently, that will ding his value. But I do think there's a good chance that we see Kaseki heavily utilized in the slot, and I think there's a shot he could be the best tight end that Joe Burrow has played with.
Yeah, that's probably not terrible. That's not a crazy thing to say, but also probably speaks to the tight ends that it's more that's been through there.
Yeah, yeah, exactly.
Hey.
By the way, the Top one hundred is back, so find out who the players voted as the best player in the NFL. Head the NFL Plus starting July twenty second for exclusive daily drops and to find out who took home the trophy. Go to PlusD NFL dot com to sign up today. We're halfway through the AFCORR. To comeback, we'll talk some Browns and Steelers towards picking to the moon. We'll find out coming up here on the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. The Cleveland Browns a riddle wrapped inside and
enigma stuffed inside. A mystery when it comes to actual football, but in fantasy we sort of knew what was going on last year. Top fantasy scorers, it was Joe Flacco who was your top scoring fantasy quarterback. Before you get too excited, he was the QB thirty four, one hundred and ten point eight points, but he been in a short amount of time, so we'll give him that.
To his credit.
Deshaun Watson in case you were curious, with the QB thirty seven eighty six point eight points. Jerome Ford ended up being your top scoring running back in Cleveland, of course, after the horrible knee injury to Nick Chubb. Two andred and eleven points for Ford, RB sixteen, Amari Cooper your top wide receiver to twenty seven for him. That was good for wide receiver twenty and David Joku. The Chief came to life late in the season, thanks in part to Joe Flacco tight end six two six point four
the fantasy points for him. Key losses well, Joe Flacco, who is now in Indianapolis as the back up to Anthony Richardson, because of course, you know you want a quarterback who does the same things as Anthony Richardson, So why not Joe Flacco and key additions. They did make a trade to bring in Jerry Judy to bolster the wide receiver corps. Amari Cooper your first Brown drafted of an ADP of forty. So Lakwan will start with you, what do you expect for Deshaun Watson in twenty twenty four,
Because let's be honest, it has not been great. It has been very ungod native for Deshaun Watson in Cleveland so far.
I'm hoping that the rust is off.
He could stay healthy, get into training camp and just have a breath of fresh air and kind of get this offense to be able to move downfield. They gave him a good separator in Jerry Judy, So my whole expectations of this offense to kind of look a lot better than it did last year. To start off, I mean, you look at the first three games, he had two interceptions. But in that last game against Tennessee, he actually kept a clean sheet with one hundred and twenty three passer rating,
So you're hoping to keep that momentum. And then the very next game that's when he suffered the injury. So it's like, if we can get a healthy Deshaun Watson the game momentum, I think this offense can actually go downfield and create some scoring opportunities. So I'm Marii Cooper, Jerry Judy, even David Nijok, who has a big tight end threat, he is in that red zone. Like I know, we all want the chief to be back in the
conversation of the top five tight end. So I think Deshaun Watson ultimately, it will just have to come down to health for this Browns offense to succeed.
You're willing to draft Watson at all, Florio, I haven't, but I've started to reconsider. I I was on a show like a week ago with Lawrence Jackson, and he pointed out that Watson's best game of the year was his final game, the one against the Ravens, where he completed every pass in the second half and led them to victory. Dropping over thirty points against what was the best defense in football last year, who made a bunch of really good quarterbacks look like mortals. So maybe that
was him starting to turn it together. But one thing I do think that gets overlooked with Deshaun Watson as bad as he was last year, and we were harping on that a lot, eighteen or more fantasy points in three of his full five games that he played, largely because of rushing touchdowns. But with Nick Chubb hurt, maybe we see him use near the goal line a little bit more. The fact that he's cheaper than ever and
you could get him at what something like QB twenty two. Uh, maybe I need to change my stance of it, because I do think there's still some up. I know we haven't seen it in years, and I don't think he's gonna get back to what he was with the Texans, but like somewhere in the middle would still be a lot better than what we've seen as of late.
Yeah, I just I don't know that I'm willing to take the swing on Watson.
I'm just sort of hoping that he's not a disaster for the sake of the pieces around him.
You know, you don't.
He doesn't need to be great for like guys like Amari Cooper and David and Joku to succeed.
He just needs to not be awful. Yeah, that's all. That's all.
I mean, that's kind of all I'm hoping for h right now. Okay, So I'm gonna ask you, Lakwan, because I know you are drafting Nick Chubb.
No.
I said it on this showing. Both Floor and I were like, hey, man, if we're wrong, then like, hey, that's great. Like if he comes out, he balls out, that's great. I'm not willing to do it, but no, I mean, like, explain to me, because obviously you feel like he's a value. I just I want you to make your case to the people out there about why they might want to consider drafting Nick Chubb.
I mean, look at this. I honestly know he's gonna start the season off on pup. But we're talking about a guy that can lift a bus over his head. I've told you this multiple times, and then the very next day he's lifting like four hundred pounds. And I understand that there was like some analyzing of the video where he had to put and shift different way on the different leg But I think more so, you're still gonna get Nick Chubb in those late rounds, so you're
not really gonna be facing any type of burn. He's gonna be like your RB four or five and on the back end of the season when it starts getting cold and he hits that Captain America super juice and he's back ready to go. You have a running back that when he comes back to that room, there is no question. If it's a Deontay Former, if it's a Jerome Ford, it is Nick Chubb's backfield. And I would love to have that type of attitude and have that built of a running back just going into the playoffs.
So that is my case.
Man, you're getting a freak athlete. You never bet against freak athletes.
Is Captain America super Juice on the NFL's list of banned substances? Yes, I mean like I feel like Steve Rodgers would have been getting in like a letter in his locker every single week for like a drug test.
Absolutely so, Floria.
Obviously everybody's drafting Amari Cooper. I don't think anybody has a problem with that. Are there any other Browns receivers after that? You would take a shot at No, I'm not really doing the Jerry Judy thing.
I'm not doing a more if the late Browns that I target are running backs. Actually, like like, I think Deantay Foreman is a really good value for where you get him. I got him in like the nineteenth round of the scot Nice Wow, something like that. I like jerrooam Ford, who goes around where Nick Chubb goes. So if I'm going for late round Browns, it's typically running backs.
I think that's fair because I'm sitting here looking at the depth chart and like, I'm with you. I'm not in Elijah Moore real nasty work, you know. I really I tried last year to get in on it, right because remember he was in New York with Flacco. You know, they seem to have a good connection there. Flacco was kind of talking him up early, so I really tried to hype him up and that that didn't work at all. You got nothing out of Flacco. I'm with you, I just you know, I don't know. I sort of like
go of the rope on Jerry Judy. I mean, looks Cedric Hillman, David Bell, Uh, you know, stop me when I stop me? When I say a name that you're gonna get excited about, Jamari Thrash, Jalen Darden.
Cedric Hillman is the one I would probably get most excited about. But I'm not drafting.
Yeah yeah, I mean David Bell and me have the same birthday, so that works out.
Oh well, that's cool.
I don't know, random thing.
I don't know where to go anywhere.
Alright, that's cool. That's cool, all right, So I guess where we go from there? It's Pittsburgh. We go to Pittsburgh Steelers. To round out our AFC North Preview Top twenty twenty three fantasy scorers. Kenny Pickett, who put up a grand total of one hundred and ten point two points that was good for QB thirty one, Jalen Warren and Najee Harris, who I think two years in a row now they have been back to backs. I feel like it was like this last year. Warren's your RB
twenty two one hundred ninety six point four points. Najie Harris was the RB twenty three one hundred and ninety five point five. So basically what point nine points less than one point separated the two of them.
George Pickens two hundred and eight point eight points.
He was wide receiver thirty Pat Fryarmouth your top tight end tight end twenty nine seventy six point eight points in a season where he was not completely healthy, So that had a.
Lot to do with it. There key losses.
They lose Deontay Johnson to the Carolina Panthers this offseason, but they do pick up Van Jefferson and Cordero Patterson.
I don't know if I can still be a van Stan when it comes to Jefferson. I did. I tried for years. I was a van Stan for you.
I was there with you, man, you already know. And it's sad it never quite happened.
By the way.
Shout out to Cordero Patterson. I just got married, I believe over the weekend. Okay, spillers saw the Steelers posting some some wedding photos. So congratulations to mister and missus Patterson. Shout out to you guys. First off the board, George Pickens an ADP of thirty eight point nine. All right, you gotta pick one whose backfield is it? Who is the RB one in Pittsburgh, Florio? Is it Najie Harris or is it Jalen Warren.
In volume, it'll probably be Nase Harris, but I think in production and in the one that I want to
target and draft, it's Jalen Warren. Warren last year was top six an explosive run rate, runs that win for ten or more yards, runs that win for fifteen or more yards, run that went for twenty or more yards, mistackles forced per tent yards after contact per a tenth rush yards over expectation, and target share, which is the huge thing because if he's seeing suppressed volume compared to Naji Harrison, I do think Nause will be the guy that on early downs and stuff like that they'll rely on.
Warren could make up for the decrease and carries by being a more explosive runner. And then you add in that he's a better pass catcher and everything, and the fact that maybe Arthur Smith surprises us and uses him near the goal line a little bit more than Pittsburgh did last year. And so at an RB three price, I think they're both appropriately priced, but I like Jalen Warren a lot more.
Who you got as the RB one look one, I'm gonna go Jaalen Warren.
Things can get weird with Arthur smith I mean, honestly, we've seen Tyler a jer last year getting utilized a lot more than we expected, so hopefully Warren can be used the same. And these last two seasons, nobody has a rush outside the tackles more than the Falcons, so that's where Jalen Warren was really explosive and able to get a lot of the production downfield. And also adding
that he's the better pass catcher as well. And you have a Russell Wilson back there who had a twenty six percent oh I'm sorry, a twenty nine percent running back target share as well, which was the highest. And we got to understand Arthur smith Man. He knows to get the ball to his wide receivers and to the
running backs that are explosive. I mean desmid Ritter was fourth last year and running back target percentage also, So there is a little perfect marriage here where Jalen Warren can be utilized at a high rate now and I think it might end up being his backfield when it's all said and done.
I think Najie Harris is the RB one, but that's pretty much a name only, like it's a title. Yeah, you know, I think they are both the lead running back if that makes sense, right, because they are going to be used in different ways. But we've seen the last two years that the workload has been split fairly
evenly between the two of them. I mean, I think, like I said, I think we're back to back years of them finishing one spot behind the other when it comes to fantasy totals at the end of the season. So I mean saying Najie Harris is the RB one is basically like, yeah, he's the guy who's gonna be on the field first when the offense comes out, you know, Like, but I think either way, uh, they're gonna see similar numbers.
I've taken Harris because at least early on, like his ADP was slightly better, but then when it has kind of flipped, then I've got I've gotten Najie Harris because you know, I guess it's gonna be right. Floyda, are we overlooking bad Firemouth? At tight end fourteen, he says he's healthy. All the reports out of camp have been pretty glowing. Should we be buying in on him at this point?
Yes?
Yeah, I target him as my tight end one, uh, or as like a high end tight end two drafts where I don't love my stuff, Like if I miss out on like Kincaid and Pits and I wait then on the position, prior Mouth is usually a name that I'm going after because you always hear like Russell Wilson loves throwing to the tight end, especially in the red zone,
and that has historically been true. Like it's not like a one or two year blip or whatever like this goes back to Jimmy Graham and Will Disley and stuff like that in Seattle. And then they don't have a clear cut number two guy, like it could be Van Jefferson, it could be Roman Wilson, it could be a couple other different options they're throwing out there. So friar Mouth easily could be the number two target in this offense,
behind only George Pickens. And I think he's getting disrespected a little bit because of one, how poor the quarterback play was last year. But also remember he was like in and out of the lineup, banged up a bit. So I just think it was a lost year for Pat Frye mouton that in the Steelers system.
I mean, I do think the biggest part of this is the fact that there isn't a clear cut second target in this offense. You know, we all know George Pickens is gonna be that guy. I have not heard anything that gets you fired up about Roman Wilson so far this offseason. I mean, you know there are Look, there was talks that maybe they'd be in on Brandon Ayuk if he was available.
I think that I get it. I yuks a guy that most teams are going to take a shot at.
But I think the fact that these Steelers were very heavily attached to him, I think says a lot. You know, they're they're trying to make Van Jefferson their wide receiver too right now. I just I think that that bodes well for Friar with being able to get open and get some some targets there. And I do like the point about Russell Wilson and the tide ends he could
just never keep one healthy. So I don't know if I don't know if that's just a coincidence thing, or if this is like Russell putting his dudes in harm with Harm's Way hospital balls.
Yeah, I don't know. I don't know if he's if he's you know, out there doing that. So I don't.
I have no idea, But speaking of Russell Wilson, he's the QB thirty, Justin Fields is the QB thirty two Lakwander, either or both of those guys worth drafting.
I think Russell Wilson's a good QB two. I feel like, more so have your expectations and be ready to pivot if he ends up getting benched. But I'm honestly going into this season confident that Russell Wilson will go in get the playbook down pack, and I do like the weapons that they're trying to put around him. If the Brandon Aiyuk rumor is true and he gets Brandon Ayuk, I think we honestly see that ADP come up a
little higher than QB thirty. And I feel as though he wasn't that bad last year, Like he wasn't terrible. It's not like he had a Zach Wilson season or Kenny Pickett season. This is a huge upgrade for this offensive round. George Picken's going to be a lot more attractive in drafts to go out and get. And we just talked about Pat Fyromf. I mean, he's such a great, big talent that never really had a chance to show
his full fantasy potential because of the QB plays. So we're all looking at these pieces, man, and the more I keep looking at their depth chart, the more I keep looking at their values and drafts. Like I'm kind of in on Steelers players at the price makes sense. So definitely Russell Wilson.
I feel like, didn't you say you drafted Justin Fields Floria at least in Best Ball a couple of times.
Oh oh yeah, I take him everywhere. It's like QP three in Best Ball because and then to be honest, like, I'm not gonna draft him in redraft because I do think Russell Wilson will start the year. But I'm much more interested in Justin Field started than Russell Wilson because I think Wilson is better for like George Pickens and
Pat Fryer mood. So I'm cool taking those guys. But remember last year, like Wilson, he was someone that I was putting like in the start sit a lot, and basically, if it was a good matchup, you were looking at somewhere like fifteen to maybe eighteen fantasy points, and if it was a bad matchup, you were getting something like thirteen to feel like most weeks he was sitting around fifteen fantasy points, and that is so low and it's a low floor. And one thing I've been thinking a
lot lately, and I could be wrong. I'm purely speculating here, but I truly think if you asked Mike Tomlin, who's better for a seventeen game season, it is Russell Wilson. But who can you win you needed to win one game, who would you choose? I think he would choose Justin Fields because of the running ability, the ability to control the clock and trust your defense. Then so I continue to think that we could see a quarterback change at some point, and Justin Fields is maybe the only quarterback
three ever. Uh and for fantasy purposes that we know if he starts hop fun I.
Mean, that's sort of it, right. I think everybody is. I think the general attitude is if he plays, then I'm willing to start him. It's just a question of, you know, will he play. I guess more of when he will play, because I do think at some point he's going to start this season. It's just a matter of how long they will with Russ before they turned things over to Fields.
Have them split man sixty forty every game that was coming off the bench.
That would be a disaster.
I mean it'd be great for us, but for the actual Steelers offense, that would be a complete disaster for sure.
Yeah, that's it.
That's all I got on that, all right there, you know, there's a look at the AFC North. Of course, we'll be back with you on Wednesday. We'll take a look at the NFC North as well, so stay tuned for that, and then on Thursday we'll have another edition of the cheat sheet.
Kung Fu Hustle. That is the movie.
I'll let you know early because I think last week I kind of reminded you late about Gladiator. Florio, and thank you for reminding me. Right now, it's only an hour and a half and a half. It's like it's like ninety minutes. Like you know, Gladiator is like a solid two and a half hours. It's an enjoyable two and a half hours. Yeah, I've got to say that
was worth it, but two and a half hours. Nonetheless, this will be a little bit easier, So check that out on Thursday as we get you another edition of the cheat sheet. In the meantime, that'll do it for this edition of the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. Stay happy, safe and healthy, do good and live well, and we'll talk to you on Wednesday. Woo