Hey everybody, It's Wednesday, August seventh, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, where we're checking the weather for Canton. To me your man, NAMG Marcus Grand joined by Michael F. Florio and Lakwan joneson do the Avengers have a symbol? Yes? All here, We're all here. It's crazy. I could see you, I know. I mean, LaQuan is always here because he's doing good morning football. But Florio and I have you know, tend to sit
around in basketball shorts and socks and stuff before. Yeah, you know, maybe do something to the hair. Maybe that's not even a guarantee. But we're all here today. It's all nice to be back in person. We got a lot to talk about. We're going to dive into our division preview with the NFC South today. Uh so we will talk about those four teams there. So I let's
start with Brandon Ayuk. And let me just preface this by saying, we are recording this on August seventh at ten am Pacific time, right, that is when we are recording this show. So who knows what's going to happen in the interim. By the time this thing is released. By the time it gets to your ears, we don't know, but as of this moment, it would appear that the forty nine Ers and Pittsburgh Steelers are very much engaged
in trade negotiations. For Brandon Ayuk to get to Pittsburgh, the Steelers would then have to sign him to a new contract or a contract extension rather, and then there's some compensation coming back the other way. There has been rumor, there has been innuendo for all of us, there's nothing really really concrete. For Lakwan, he is rejoicing at the idea of Brandon Ayuk being out of the division right now. Yes,
but I mean legitimately OQ. Just from a football and a fantasy standpoint, Let's talk on the idea of Brandon I being a Pittsburgh Steeler. I've he steps into the number one wide receiver spot. There will he be or can he be as productive with Russell Wilson or justin fields at quarterback as he was in Kyle Shanahan's offense with brock Perty.
I think so, man. I won't say he'll be a better situation, but it'll be a nice lateral situation where he could still be efficient he can still be productive. He'll be the number one there. And I think the Steelers honestly need this help at the wide receiver cord because you got a bunch of just guys there after George Pickens and George Pickens, we already have our questions with if he's going to be able to produce at the full potential that we know that this offense honestly
needs a star wide receiver. Losing Deontay Johnson, you're losing somebody that can separate you. Bringing somebody like Brandon Aiyuk that's one of the elite separators. This helps his team a ton. So I'm in on it for fantasy man. I'm really liking it for Russell.
I mean, how are you feeling about Ayuke before this Florio and does this changes go up or down for you?
I'm probably more bullish on Ayuke then I think others might be. I have him as a wide receiver one. I think I I'm pulling up right now. I believe I have him in my top ten. I know I have him ahead of Devant. Yeah, he's tenth for me. I have him ahead of London and Adams and Collins
and big names like that. So because of that, I have drafted a lot of him already, so so and my number one value wide receiver in my article, and one of the players I've drafted the most is George Pickens because I personally think like a huge breakout is coming with Russell Wilson. We know that, uh he could win downfield and everything, and I think Russ could take advantage of that. But it would depend if Pickens is in the trade or not.
Because we've heard rules.
If he's not in the trade and Auke goes there, I'm a little bit soured on both of them because I don't think I Uke no offense to Russ or the Steelers. I don't think he could be as efficient on any team as he's been on the forty nine Ers.
So now if he's not.
Getting that huge bump in volume, then I think I start to be a little concerned.
Yeah, I mean I think so that is the room. Right Again, none of this is is solidified as we are doing this show, but there is chowder that it could be George Pickens as part of the package coming back the other way to San Francisco, George Pickens as a forty nine Er. I mean.
How did does he fit that's like that, like that does the energy fit like Black Air Force energy going to San Francisco.
I don't know if that fits over there.
I don't know if Kyle wants that.
In the room. Yeah, I mean I think I think it becomes incumbent on you know, some of the veterans to sort of make sure he sort of fits in. Now. Look, maybe just the prospect of being on a team that has Super Bowl aspirations is enough. Look, I get it, Pittsburgh has a standard, right, the Steelers have been a long standing successful franchise. Mike Thomlins never had a losing season. I know all of that. But the Niners really are on the doorstep of trying to win a Super Bowl.
Maybe that's the thing that sort of gets George Pickens to be like, all right, we gotta lock in, we gotta go play. But he's not a one to one to Brandon Ayuk at all he can do.
He could play a similar role I think of like the field stretcher and the one that helps create space for everyone else.
But I don't.
So this is why I say, I don't think you could be as efficient anywhere else in the history are going back since targets have become a stat in nineteen ninety two, any player in that span that is what thirty something years, who has had one hundred and five targets or less. No one has ever had thirteen hundred yards besides Brandon Nyuk last year.
Wow, So like it was off the chart of fishing.
And that's the thing, Like even this year in San Franzi's gonna have a tough time repeating that. But if you put him now on another offense where he doesn't have all of the other playmakers, and specifically Kyle Shanahan, who I still think is underrated as a play caller, Like I think that there's question, there's concerns.
At least, whereas now we don't have those.
Yeah, I mean, it's just gonna be it's gonna be an interesting fit. And you know, chances are we're not going to see any of the forty nine or starters in preseason in any real way. So you know, now you've got Christian McCaffrey, who's also dealing with a little bit of an injury. They're going to keep him out for a couple of weeks.
I wanted to ask you about that is that.
How do you well?
One every forty nine er? It seems like it's heart right now.
The whole team just got hurt with the rams man. They all got hurt. Yeah, I can't say anything.
Oh, are you guys downgrading CMC at all?
I am? I am?
Are you I am? But not by much. I'm putting bijon at one. But okay, we'll get to that later.
But and You're not the only person I've seen say that, right, And so I guess for me, I guess because the downgrade is so minimal. It's like, who can why.
Someone asked me last night, like, are you downgrading him?
I was like, probably, I'll probably go like ceedee lamb or tyreek Hill over him the first day, But that's.
About moving it from like one to two. Yeah, exactly know at that point that's not really a down. So that's not really a down, you know what I'm saying. So, uh So the answer is no, I'm not. This feels like some you know, Kawhi Leonard James Harden load management sort of thing, right, Like, yeah, he's got a little bit of an injury.
He did have the quad last year.
He did he did I don't know if it's the same. I think it is, but I'm not sure. But yeah, like he wasn't gonna play preseason, and you know he's gonna miss like I think maybe a week or two of practice. But it's Christian McCaffrey. Man, he's gonna touch the ball three hundred plus times. He's gonna he's gonna have targets, he's gonna do all that.
It does make me feel good to go pick up Jordan Mason. I'm gonna be banging that drum for a long time because look, you stay ready so you don't have to get ready. And I love what I've seen from Jordan Mason. He's been my underdog guy. Like I love to see the guys that don't get mentioned much get the opportunity and take advantage of it.
It's all fun and games until Matt Brida has one hundred.
There's so many put that in the drafted and like no one is talking. That's what I'm saying at all, all right, So there he goes. That's our Brandon Ayuk chatter.
Hopefully it stays semi semi static until we get this podcast out, but knowing our look, it won't anyway. It is time now to drive your draft, presented by the all new hybrid Toyota Camry. We have officially hit the preseason. Last week was the Hall of Fame game. It played, you know, didn't even get through four quarters. But now we have a full slate of preseason games. Uh, the three of us will all be in. Can't you maybe trying to peek it somewhere?
Look, the Bills are on NFL networks Saturday afternoon. I hope you guys will and we're locked in. Join me for a day drink.
As we watch.
Possibly, I know I will be doing the King's Classic Draft drafting.
We'll be somewhere.
If you want to go buy Florio or Laquanta drink, I'm sure they're not going to say no to that, not tequila. So so let's talk about preseason week one, just sort of in general terms, I mean, Florida. When when you were sitting down to watch these games, how are they? Maybe? And plenty of them are gonna be on NFL network, all of them, they will all be on NFL network at some point. What sorts of things are you looking for at this point?
I care about opportunities like if the starting quarterback and o linemen and all that are out there for one drive, I care about what receivers and running backs are used on that drive. I don't care about results nearly as much as I care about targets and snaps played and stuff like that. In fact, the thing I always say is like, if you're really high on a player, you probably don't want that player going off in preseason because
then their price is just gonna go up. Or you know, this will always happen, like someone will have one big run and it'll go super viral on fantasy Twitter. And and I don't care, Like, yes, if I'm excited about a guy because they're very explosive and he shows that, I get excited. But more than anything, I think what we should be paying attention to is snaps and targets and how opportunities distributed with the starters.
Any anything else that you have your eye on for this.
So I'm just going to follow that. It's always about opportunities. Like you love your guys coming out of the draft. You want them to get on the field and see what they look like. And it's definitely impressive that they're doing it early in the in the quarter where it's with the ones on the field, So like, I'm looking for guys that are just going to be able to step up and have the opportunity to get on the field and perform at a NFL level.
I'm also looking for who's playing with what unit right, Like, granted, we know a lot of teams aren't going to play their starters or not play them for very long. But I want to see who's out there with the first team. I want to see who's out there with the second team. Just sort of where you're slotting right now.
How long are they out there?
How long are they going to be out there? Right? I mean we were joking about a couple of years ago, Josh Jacobs played pretty much all of the Hall of Fame game and we all panicked, like we just started setting fire to our Josh Jacobs shares. And then he went out and had like a career year that year.
Why they should start playing him? Maybe he needs that time to ramp up. I don't know, like they didn't play him year and there and then.
So here's my official preseason taken. I don't know if I've ever said this on the show. Preseason is good and preseason is necessary. I understand that the league is trying to pare down preseason games, maybe do away with them as we add more regular season games. But my argument is this, when you go to a show, right, if you go to a Broadway show or a play or a movie, you don't go to the dress rehearsals. They have dress rehearsals so that when Opening Night hits,
they are performing at their best. The problem with NFL preseason is that we have tried to make this into a regular season event. They sell tickets and concessions like it was a regular season game, and so we put that regular season sort of interest into it. That's not what they're for. It's a dress rehearsal. So every time we complain that the first three or four weeks of the regular season looks sloppy and awful, it's because nobody
played in the preseason. Preseason is good, preseason is necessary. We just have to stop treating like it's a regular season event because it's not supposed to be.
You're getting called to the higher up.
If you don't see me next week, you understand what happened. Just know what happened. If I'm not back, you're.
One hundred percent right, and it's why the first month of the season is so much figuring stuff out, and even more so the teams who are smart, like the Kansas City Chiefs, they don't care about September, Like they're just trying to get by the early month, early months so that they are hitting their stride and at full health and everything come later in the season.
Yeah. Anyway, that was my forty nine is another one they don't care about. They don't care well, no, I mean, because when you know, when you know you are good enough to be in the playoffs, you do use that time to sort of work out the kinks. But if you're a bad team and you're not playing.
Your what are you doing If you're like the Panthers or one of these teams that we know aren't going to compete being ready week one, whereas maybe some of these other teams aren't, Like that's a huge leg up potential if you ambush somebody in week Yeah, those games count just as much every count. Yeah.
So yeah, speaking of the Panthers and maybe teams that could play their starters, any anybody that you want to see in particular the quad, I mean, like guys who might reasonably play right like it's not like I don't want to see you know, whatever might seek.
But you know what, we were so down going into the draft about this running back class, Like I feel like I want to see like Camani Videl, Ray Davis, Jalen Wright, Trey Benson, maybe even Blake Korn, Like I really want to see what this running back.
Maybe maybe maybe I just I just want to see these guys, you know, suit it up and get get the ball in their first touch or get the target in open field, Like I want to see these guys have some bursts and actually like see like some type of opportunity this season.
Yeah, anybody you're looking forward.
To the rookies and young players and players that are people were interested in throwing like late round dart throws on because look, if you're the kind of drafter where like what Isaiah Pacheco, where Derek Henry does some preseason changes your viewpoint on them, You're you're doing this all wrong. But it's the players that we haven't seen yet and we don't have a large history of tape and stats on that. That That's what I'm always watching.
Yeah, again, that's the chance to see like where they're running, like what what units they're playing with, how many opportunities are gonna get and honestly, like how the coaches are using them. Are they moving them around? They will will somebody randomly line upotot and exactly. I'm not I'm not getting super hyped on that. If you get super hyped on that, like Floria said, you're probably doing it wrong
because it never really translates. But you know, I'm just seeing how creative they're gonna be with some of these guys. That's all exactly kickoffs. We need to see more than that.
Yeah, aren't gonna like they might keep it close to the chest.
I might like, I don't know. Yeah, that's gonna be interesting. Is going to be so very sort of how that goes for sure. All Right, there you go. That was Drive your Draft, presented by the all new hybrid Toyota Camera. Whatever your vibe, it's a Camri vibe. Learn more at Toyota dot com slash Camry. We will take a quick break, come back and start diving into our preview of the NFC South. It's coming up next on the NFL Fantasy
Football podcast NFC South Time. As we get send you our division previews and As always, they're in alphabetical order, so we will start with the Atlanta Falcons. Their top scorers from last season. Desmond Ritter was their top QB. He was a QB twenty two overall one hundred and eighty nine point one points. B. Jon Robinson was the RB nine two hundred and forty six point three. Drake London their top scoring wide receiver. He was the wide receiver thirty seven in fantasy terms at won seventy four
point four. Kyle Pitts tight end thirteen one thirty seven point three. In the off season, Falcons said goodbye to Desmond Ritter, Mac Hollins, Van Jefferson, Scottie Miller, Cuero Patterson, Michael Pruitt, and John new Smith. They pretty much just overhauled their past games, apparently what it is. The off season, they brought in Rondelle Moore, who actually the reports were today he was unfortunately carted off the field with an injury. We'll see how serious that is, but he was acquired
in a trade this offseason. And their free agent signings, obviously the big one was Kirk Cousins, but they also signed Ray Ray McLeod, Darnell Mooney, and a couple of former forty nine er tight ends, Ross Dwelly and Charlie Werner now in Atlanta. And then, to the surprise of literally everyone, they spent the number eight overall pick on Michael Pinnock's junior in the draft. Just completely blew everybody around.
Drama drama.
They also spent the sixth round picks on running back Jason McClellan and wide receiver Casey Washington. Your first Falcon off the board, no surprise is Bijon Right now in re draft league's going at about five, about the fifth pick in drafts. That could be changing depending on how people feel about the injury to Christian mccaffe So Flora, we've talked a lot about what Kirk Cousins means for Drake London, Kyle Pitts, et cetera, et cetera. Not as
much maybe about Kirk Cousins himself. This is the guy that you know, we always sort of draft in the middle of the late rounds. He always sort of finishes as a low end QB one. What is his ceiling now, knowing that he's thirty six years old, I believe, and coming off an achilles injury.
I think his ceiling is probably around that low end QB one, but I I'm much more excited about what he means for the other people here, Like I don't find myself drafting a ton of Kirk Cousins for the same reasons I don't find myself drafting a ton of Aaron Rodgers, Like I understand that these guys are, especially Aaron Rodgers, all time great, but Kirk Cousins is like he's first, He's coming off the best ball of his career.
Like what he was doing in the first half of last season before getting hurt was some.
Of the best.
I think it was the best football he's ever played. But that being said that he was on a team with great pass catchers with they were throwing at one of the highest rates in the NFL last year, and they were constantly trailing when he was there, so he was playing catchup ball a lot, and still even missing half the season, was one of the quarterbacks that threw
the most touchdowns while trailing. I just you've pointed this out in Paschal's Marcus dan Marino is the only one that we have that has come back from a torn achilles, And I know people are like medicine has advanced so much at thirty years, and I'm not saying it hasn't, but in recent the last since I've been alive and active in watching sports, Kevin Durant is like the lone success story from a torn achilles. So it's just an
injury that I tend to avoid. I'm fine taking London or Pits, but I just really don't like he's a Okay, there's no one I really love.
I'll take Kirk Cousins kind of kick. Have you? Have you made a case for yourself LaQuan about drafting Kirk Cousins.
No, I actually haven't been interested in drafting him, but if I did have to put a ceiling on him, probably outside the top ten if we get like this miracle story of him being able to pick up where he left off the half of the season. But like Florio's hey, and I'm excited for the other guys they're getting like Kirk Cousins, you know, he's more so have always been.
I'm gonna prove you wrong.
And I feel like there's still some type of beef with them taking panics at eight, you know, and I feel like there's some trust that's broken So where do you think do you like that came from? Like I feel like that's his personality. Like, Okay, you guys are doubting me for the future, you're doubting me in this season. I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna turn up.
Yeah, you know, I can't say that I've drafted a lot of Kirk Cousins, but I haven't completely avoided him either in the fastball situations because he still is He's still sort of that security blanket in like the tenth round. You know, if he's still hanging around there because you sort of know what you're gonna get. The ceiling might not be super high, but the floor is not really crazy low either. With Cousins, I think that's that's sort
of that he's a safe pick. He's a safe pick, and especially if you have taken maybe a more volatile swing elsewhere, right, if you're taking that shot on say a Jade and Daniels, Right, I like the upside, but there's volatility there you can get. Kirk Cousins is a more stable option that you can count on from week to week if you need to. That's kind of where it is. I agree, Look what obviously, we all like Kyle Pitts, we all like Drake London mentioned that Rondale
Moore was carted off with an injury today. Is there a third pass catcher in this offense that you want?
I mean, if we're going for straight vibes, I'm going Darnell Mooney and best draft picks. Like, I can't really put a case, but I know we had high hopes for him in Chicago but it just never really panned out for whatever reason. But I think he still has some type of you know, play in him where he can be relevant some weeks, but it will most likely be weeks where he's on your bench. But I feel like, you know, best ball drafts go ahead and he's a vibes pick for me?
How about you? There? Is it Mooney or Bust or is there somebody else there? It's Mooney and Mooney.
I agree with LQ like he's a best ball guy because they play a lot of indoor games and because he he has that downfield capability. But for redraft, I don't want any part of him because I think it's going to be inconsistent week to week. Although when they signed him, I thinking was like they're trying to recreate kind of like the discounted version of what Cousins had
in Minnesota. Like Drake London, is your discounted justin Jefferson, Kyle Pitts, is you're discounted Hockinson, and then Mooney is discount Jordan Addison probably with a lot less trouble.
Yeah, you know, that is probably probably fair. I don't think I have drafted a single third piece, at least pass catcher, you know. Yeah, Yeah, obviously we're drafting Bjean or drafting Pits.
Because Bejon might end up being that second or third option.
If we're going to be honest, I mean, you really might be the third, the third passion. Yeah, he should be. Yeah, which gives me to my next question, though, Florio, should we be concerned that Tyler Algier is lurking? I mean, look, I know it was one thing when it was Arthur Smith and he was doing weird things and giving algebra, But he's shown that he could be productive with opportunity. Who's to say that that doesn't that that's gonna change.
I mean, I feel like there's still a case for Tyler Algier to go and get some sort of work in this offense.
Yeah, no, there certainly is, and I don't think as excited as we all are for Bijon and stuff like that, and I do think we'll see more consistent usage out of Bijon. That doesn't mean that Algier is going to completely go away. The biggest fear is could he be utilized near the goal line? And if that is the case,
that is scary. And I still think Algier right now he gets completely overlooked in drafts, and I understand that most weeks he don't have standalone value, but he is one of the best handcuffs because if something happens to Bijon, we know that this guy can immediately be in RB two with even more upside. To me, where this comes in is I go back and forth a lot on Brice Hall versus Bijeon as RB two, and the fact that Bijon has Algier and Brice Hall doesn't often kind of leads me to put Haul second.
But I go back and forth. Yeah, I mean, there's no clear cut number two in New York behind Prince Hall, whereas we know Algiers there and we know what Algier can be. I mean in a good rookie season. Lakwana yeah, that was my guy. Was my guy rookie season's heart was broken. You know. Obviously, obviously if you're drafting Bjon, it's nice to sort of get Algier late as that
sort of insurance piece just in case. But I don't know, I can make a case that he will have some kind of standalone value at least in deeperly, I agree.
I mean, the talent is there. I mean, we watched the tav and the dude can ball. The dude can really play. I mean, his rookie year will definitely be remembered in going into these drafts. Like Florio said, he's one of the best handcuffs out there, because if anything happens to Beijon, you're looking at Tyler Aljier to have that same upside and usage in that offense with Zach Robinson,
who knows how to utilize the running backs. He's from the Sean McVay tree, so we obviously know that this is going to be a game plan to get that running back in the most creative ways to get them the ball. And Tyler a Jeer is one of those guys that can step up in every opportunity given it to him to show up and show out.
Yeah, I just I think, you know, I think we're all super excited about Bejeon to the point that maybe we're sort of forgetting that there's another guy back there that can go out and play well if given a chance. It's one the Carolina Panthers last year. Not great. Not great for the Panthers at all. Other top scorer Bryce Young at quarterback one hundred and sixty six and a half points. He was the QB twenty three. Cuba Hubbard surpassed Miles Sanders to become the RB one one eighty
two point five. Was this fantasy total that was RB twenty seven. Adam Feelin like a phoenix rising from the ashes, showed up out of nowhere to get you two hundred and thirty one fantasy points. The wide receiver seventeen, which I think is far above and beyond what anybody had predicted for him. And I had to dig a while to find who the top tight end was. It was always fun. Tommy Trimble sixty point four points. He was tied to be tight end thirty nine. It was bleak.
I think I think he had about one hundred and sixty three receiving yards.
Last year and that's more than me, So I can't hate.
I mean, yes, he outperformed any of us in this room, but compared to his tight end peers, it was not great. I actually short changed. It was one hundred and ninety four twenty three catches and three touchdowns for Tommy t three touchdowns all right. In the off season, key losses DJ Chark, Laviska Channel, and Hayden Hurst all left Carolina. They did acquire Deontay Johnson in a trade. They also
signed for Shad Penny, who has since retired. Like one day he had the quote of like when I'm healthy, I think I'm the best, one of the best backs in the league. And then like forty eight hours later he was retired.
He realized that I've been healthy like four days ago.
Right, So I was just not as a Rams fan, man.
I gotta say, like two Seahawks running back fortime, Chris Carson and Rashad Penny, and I was like huge fans of both. Like it's kind of sad seeing his career kind of paying out how it's had because he's always been that guy that you wanted to root for because the talent was there.
Yeah, Carson was the one that that heard that broke man was he was a great story.
Yeah yeah, so all reliable, pouring out forward Shot Penny best of Lucky in retirement for him. They also signed David Moore. They drafted Xavier Laguette with the thirty second pick in the first rounds, but the second round pick on Jonathan Brooks and a fourth round pick on tight end Jatavian Sanders, and the first Panther off the board, it is Jonathan Brooks coming off the acl tair right around pick eighty four or so. So it seems like a good place to start. Mkwana's put out to you
sooner or later. Jonathan Brooks is the RB one by week eight. Does it happened before or after?
I want to say after. I'm gonna say after because there's a lot of things that go into drafting Jonathan Brooks because we're hoping when he comes back, he's coming back to a winning Panthers offense, like an offense that's able to put something together, an offense that can drive down the field. This O line is protecting Bryce shown,
This O line is blocking well. I feel like it will have to be a slow wall because Tube Hubber is going to be already warmed up, and honestly, he's a guy that was doing the best he could behind that line last year, and I feel like he's still a guy that can have something to say in that backfield.
So I think more so how I've been drafting Jonathan Brooks, it's more so like his value has to be like great where he falls in these redrafts leagues, and he has to be like my RB three, RB four, and hopefully he can come down hitting the ground run and coming back to a playoff team and carries a team to the championship. But it's still gonna be a little bit wonky this season trying to figure out if he's going to be the RB one or not.
I'm on the exact opposite.
When I'm here.
He is my like I'm writing an article. I'm actually submitting it today. I submitted it yesterday. Top ten league winners. He is my number one league winning kay, I'm bullish on him. Let me and this is what I wrote. I said, let me take you back to the summer of twenty fifteen. You will remember this better than anyone. Todd Gurley came back from a twenty He tore his
ACL in college on November fifteen. Jonathan Brooks tore his on November eleventh, Todd Gurley missed the first two weeks of the season, got eased in the third game, and then ran for thirteen hundred and ten.
Touchdowns after that.
I'm not saying Brooks is gonna give you thirteen to ten, but I think that timeline can be very similar where he's maybe out the first couple of weeks, but if he's not got back by week eight, I'm gonna be struggling in fantasy because I'm drafting him in a whole bunch of leagues because I think I think like weeks three, four,
maybe on he could come in and take over. And he was the only running back taking in the first two rounds with them knowing that he was coming off of a torn acl And I think so much of what can get that Panthers offense to be what you want is Jonathan Brooks because if you have that dynamic, explosive running back who can be used as a pass catcher as well, now that's another weapon you have to worry about, and it just makes life easier on Bryce
Young and Dave canal Is. The last two years has gotten top twey running backs like Kenneth Walker had a good year two years ago under when he was he was the quarterback coach there, but he was involved in that offense. And then last year we saw Rashad White top five fantasy running back and they were peppering him with targets. So I'm hopeful that that could be Jonathan Brooks and I've taken him as my RB two or
three in drafts. Obviously where I wait, but I love that you could get his upside in rounds like eight nine of drafts, and because of that, I'm drafting him in a lot of leads.
I've drafted him in a ton of places. I'm gonna say he takes over slightly before Week eight, not a lot. I mean, I think he plays early and I think they sort of ease him in, but I think by the time we hit the midway point of the season, I think he will have pushed Chuba Hubbard to the RB two spot. And I think we're all sort of agreed the reason you're drafting him is because you're expecting
late in the season for him to take over. That's why he's been a great best ball pick, because that's why, that's when you want these guys to really start to up their game. So I think that's gonna happen. I think when healthy, he is by far the best back on this roster. It's just a matter of when he gets finally healthy and when they feel confident. To your point, though, the quad, I think there's some concern that, you know, if the Panthers are bad again, Yeah, how many opportunities he.
Gets to be important?
It will it be? Will it be targets, will it be carries? So that's that's some sort of a thing to watch. Yeah, I mean they'll be improved.
I'm hopeful for there's still still some building. I'm hopeful for next year for sure.
Uh Florida more or less five receiving touchdowns for Deontay Johnson and Carolina. I'm gonna say more. Maybe this is wishcast.
Look, Deontay Johnson one of my favorite values of any position this year, and I understand that scoring touchdowns has been something that hasn't always been in his wheelhouse. But I put this out on Twitter the other day. Uh, Bryce Young had the eighth highest completion rate last year when his receivers were deemed open.
It just barely happened.
Uh, Deontay Johnson gets open at one of the best rates in the NFL. He is still one of the best separators. And Dave canal is multiple times this summer when they've been asked him like what do we have to do to see Bryce Young get better? Feed Deontay Johnson, Like he even said, He's like, when we snapped the ball, the first thing in like going through his head should
be like who is open and where is Deonton? So to me, I'm like, this guy's gonna get one hundred and fifty targets easily, and I think he'll be look Sanders, the tight end there scares me a little bit. But outside of that, who's gonna like, even in the red zone, who's gonna be the guys stealing targets from him?
So I'll go with over there, all right.
I'm gonna go over to and be optimistic because, honestly, looking at the Panthers offense last year, as bad as it was, they actually executed in the red zone. Half of the time they in their drives. They were dead last in red zone drives, but in those opportunities they were able to score and execute. So I feel like now that you have somebody that can get open, create separation. And we know Deontay Johnson isn't a guy that's always
in the end zone. But once upon a time with a broken bad Big Ben, he had like seven eight touchdowns. So I feel like this is the bar that we could put Deontay Johnson in. And looking at Adam Thielon last year in the red zone had four touchdowns and all of them came in the red zone. So obviously Bryce Young is able to execute in areas and field where it matters most, and I think that's where Deontay Johnson will shine as well.
Yeah, I think I'm gonna make it. I'm gonna make it unanimous. I'm going more than five for cross the board. I just know, I just I think I think he's gonna be a target hog.
Yes, offense, Why is his ADP not reflecting like it?
Know what, let's just be goying. It makes no sense because Deontay is every fantasy analysts like favorite receiver. Right, we talk about how he's a target monster, he's a route runner, he gets open, blah blah blah. But then if you're not deep in this, right, if you're not up to your neck and as your casual you look at You're like, this dude never scores touchdowns. Yeah, right,
but you gotta look at why though, right. But I mean, like again, I think I think for a lot of people who are drafting, like they don't dig so much into the why is just it's just I'm looking at this number and I see what it is and the numbers on their face just kind of and tomorrow's my draft day.
So like the last two years have been disappointing for Deontay. But yeah, it's Kenny Pickett. And I know people might be like Bryce Young and everything, but it was also Matt Canada, Like Dave canal Is is otherworldly compared to Matt Canada when it comes to scheming and stuff like that.
Yeah, I mean, I just I just honestly, I think it's one of those things where you watch him and you study him and you're like, this guy's really really good, but you'll get the numbers and it's just a heap and helping of meh. So I think that's the reason. Like you don't see the ad he would kill for Alan Robinson's quarterbacks. Man, what man?
I mean, Kenny Pickett.
Mason Rudolph's like, oh, it's been rough man.
Let's talk about that. One thing we do have to talk about though, LaQuan. What's the ceiling for Bryce Young this year?
Top twenty, okay, because there's still some pieces they need to build around him, and you know, Exavier Laguette suffering an injury in camp recently, so hopefully he's good, he gets back. I mean, honestly, all all the cards on the table for Deontay Johnson to elevate, you know, Bryce Young's game. But I'll say top twenty because there's still some growing room that we need to see and be put on display.
I'll raise the top thirteen, as could he be Alowe in QB one. It's probably too much.
I'll say top fifteen.
But I was looking into this yesterday and I was like, if you would have told me two years ago that Gino Smith would be a QB one or that last year Baker Mayfield would have been a QB one, I would have laughed at you, and then they both finished just QB one's under Dave Canalis.
So I would say top fifteen.
But maybe if there's.
Like a bunch of injuries or something, like that he could creep in that high, but I feel a little bit more comfortable leaving that buffer outside of QB one.
Yeah, I don't think he's a QB one, but I'm I'm very curious about him because, like, I love that the Panthers have built around him after what they saw last year.
Should throw last year out for Bryce Yeng.
It was Trevor Lawrence. Trevor Larnce.
Just throw out the first year.
Yeah, yeah, I've been I think we treated in both this like they fired his head coach halfway through the year. He had the worst O line in the league, no weapons, Like what was he supposed to do?
Yeah?
No, it's uh had the B team wide receivers, no no offense to them. But I'm just saying, and didn't really have the best feeling.
Was a star there.
I mean he ate like he ate absolutely.
It says more about them than him.
I think that is probably true. All Right, we are halfway through our preview of the NFC South. Still two more teams to go. We'll hit those after the break on the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. Trying to take a look at the New Orleans Saints their top scorers from last year. Derek Carr was the QB sixteen, just shy of two hundred and fifty points. Alba Kamara had two hundred and thirty three points. He was the RB eleven. Chris o'lave wide receiver sixteen two thirty one point three.
Taysom Hill was the top scoring tight end in New Orleans one hundred and forty three and a half points. He was the tight end twelve. The offseason, they lost Jameis Winston, Keith Kirkwood, Michael Thomas, and Jimmy Graham. Three of those four are still free agent, so Winston I think the only one who has signed key additions in free agency. They signed Helen Mond. They signed Nathan Peterman. They signed the other Saint Brown brother, Equanimious. They also
signed Cedric Wilson. They drafted Spencer Rattler, the quarterback in the fifth round, and a fifth round pick on wide receiver. Bob means, which is just a fun name to say. Bob means first sad off the board, Chris o'lave right around pick twenty four or why are you bowing? I'm sorry that wait, I got another way, like you have? You have some beef with Chris Olave.
I don't know.
I have beef with his price, his ADP and fantasy streets are talking buzzing at and me, DM me, me, and I just don't see a case why his ADP is where it's at. I just I just have issues.
All right, No, No, that's fine. So it's not about him, it's not about ep Okay, I just didn't know if there was something I was missing with you and Chris.
And he took his drink last year.
Yeah, there insulted your family members drink all so cross stay with you? Is Alvin Kamara washed?
Uh? Doesn't matter? And this is why. Okay, it's a PPR game that we're in that most of the which is the standard now and the dude's gonna see targets and he honestly is still one of the core pass catchers there because outside of Chris o'lave, we're hoping that Rashid Shahid become this all around wide receiver. So there's still a question mark there. Then outside of that you have bub memes. I mean, that's about it. That's about
it when you're looking at the pass catcher. So Alam Kamara is still a guy that's gonna see a ton of ton of targets, and I mean he averaged seventeen Fantasy points for a game in thirteen games, and a lot of that is because of his involvement in a passing game. He did drop back in efficiency when it comes as a runner, But I don't think the focal point here should be him as a running back. He's more so a running back wide receiver. So it's a
PPR game. The receptions are there, the targets are there. Alan Kamara is my guy.
I mean, so last year Alan Kamara had seventy five catches four hundred and sixty six yards ill. But that's I mean, it was a career low yards perception number, but seventy five catches. There you go.
He was His seventeen game pace was one hundred and twelve targets and ninety eight catches.
But like that sounds amazing.
But also probably what less than six hundred yards.
Receiving, it would put him at just six on nine.
Okay, look, his efficiency is awful.
He's as a runner, it's getting worse and worse every year. But I agree, like I'm not super bullishly targeting him because all he has is volume. Like you were saying, and if that starts to dip, then he could be dust. But yeah, at his price where he's going, I think it's in appropriate cost for everything, LQ said.
And last year I was like, this dude is a league winner.
Because he's only going to miss a handful of games. And then when he came back, like, it wasn't always pretty, but I mean there was games where I think it was his first literally his first game back. Fourteen targets, thirteen catches, thirty three yards disgustingly gross, efficient wise, but it's thirteen free points right there, exactly.
Yeah, either of you concerned by or interested in Kendre Miller, even though he can't seem to stay healthy, people seem to.
Love this guy.
I just don't find myself in that camp.
I liked him last year right when I was you know, we didn't really know what he could do, and especially knowing that Kamara was going to miss time, just sort of feeling like, all right, it's worth a shot. But couldn't stay healthy at the start of the year. Yeah, has struggled to stay healthy so far in training camp. You know, look, you're injury prone till you're not right. But for now, his lack of availability makes it hard to get behind him. I because that's where I am on Chindre mill fact.
And it's if Alvin Kamara is healthy, he's I mean, they're paying him like twenty million dollars this year.
He's not going the way. Yeah.
Dennis Allen also said that he needs to stay healthy, like in a press conference. He has all these expectations for him, but if he can't stay healthy, there's not naked.
Dennis Alnd's been very up front about how he feels about Kendred.
I kind of feel bad familiar in that sense because it's not like he's choosing to go get hurt exactly.
Yeah. I mean, look, that's how you find guys who end up pushing themselves and maybe making it worse, abably putting the fire under his butt, stop getting hurt.
And he's probably sitting there like you think I'm softball captain will come up to me and be like get a base hit here, and I'm like, you think I'm.
Going up there?
I was gonna I was gonna pop up, but you know you said that, I'm completely changed my approach. Thanks, Oh my god. Lakwan mentioned Rashid sh he uh. I mean, look what, well, okay, what are your expectations for him this year?
I'm hoping that they can make him this all around wide receiver and kind of step into what Michael Thomas was not talent wise, but the role to where he could be utilized short, intermediate and the loan ball. Like we saw the long ball last season with Derek Carr where he had five touchdowns, zero interceptions when target and Rashisha heat twenty plus yards with a fifty five point six completion percentage, which led the team. Now you look at solve in that category, it did not pay that well.
Derek Carr had a twenty five passer rating when targeting him in twenty plus yards. So I feel as though rashishah Heed the bag is there for him for the long ball. So if he can keep these big plays and keep you know, making these plays all over the field, I really think that Rashis Shahid could be a solid wide receiver three slash flex for rosters this season.
Is he more than just a best ball guy Florio.
I want him to be.
I like the key we want him.
I like and shout out to Patrick Clayband. I feel like anytime we talk about Rashichi. Yep, he's loved him since he's like first game as a rookie, since he was born. Yeah, he's been on him. But it's not that I don't like Shaheed and the talent that he is. I'm a known Derek Carr hater. I just I don't trust Derek Carr. I don't trust Dennis Allen. I don't
trust this offense. Like I feel like we've been chasing this this not just Shahied like the Saints offense, like they're gonna right, someone's gonna have to and I just feel like it ever since, like late season, late career Drew Brees, I feel like we've been chasing this offense and it's like they're gonna have one good pass catcher and Alvin Kamara and that's it.
That's it.
Yeah, that's my BEEFOOTO lobbies praise, what are we doing well?
Because but he's the one good pass catcher.
But I'm not early second round not early second round. That makes no sense to me because nothing has really changed with this offense this team to make it like oh yes.
Push him up. True, but you're paying the wide receiver tax, right because right now, because so many people are going so wide receiver heavy early that everybody is getting and maybe look, maybe in a couple of weeks, maybe that changes a little bit more. I don't know, but right now,
that's just the price to pay. Look, we all love Marvin Harrison Junior, right, He's an early second round pick, right, That's what we're talking about, because one, we love the talent, the opportunity, but also because wide receivers are going so quickly, you just have to be prepared to just suck out and go early to get one.
Agreed, But of the names who go where all goes, he is my least favorite.
I would take DK in the third over Chris. I'll take Drake London.
I'll I'll take Cooper Cup.
And that's not being being in a homer and but I'm just saying.
I think I have Cup ranked ahead of Alva.
Poka's Anders sluggish starting to season, Cooper Cup and fed why not?
It's there.
I tweeted yesterday like Olave was second and most unrealized air yards as a rook and I.
Was like starting to buy in capa year.
Last year he had even more unrealized their yards than he did as a rookie, and I'm like, at some point, like, it's easy to be like, if those turn into yards, this guy's.
At some point.
Yeah, And and I don't think it's an O Lave problem.
I think it's a quarterback.
And and at least in the past, it was like, well, if something happens to Derek Carr, Jameis Winston and that yolo ball, we don't have that to fall back out anymore.
Either, you're not worried about You're not excited about the Kellen Mond or Nathan Peterman yolo ball.
Nathan Peterman is the worst rated player in Madden. I saw that yesterday and I was like that, it's fifty four overall.
You gotta claim it just love.
I still I still am bitter about that six interception game.
If you can't tell, Yeah, that's right. That was against the Chargers, wasn't it for the Bills?
They benched Tyrod in the middle of a playoff part like, after not making the playoffs for two decades, one guy almost gets you there, and his replacement through six interceptions and a half.
And a half, how does he get to four?
Because you're getting ripped out there, three of you immediately do it.
But he got to six, got six. I think at some point I think the coaches that was like, I just want to see what happen. Straight Vibes.
Show that was like McDermott's first year, I think, and I was like, this guy's gotta go.
How are you just watching this happen?
Aaron Rodgers had less interceptions in his MVP season, Yeah, than that guy did in a half.
Uh So my last question about the Saints that I think, why know Florio's answering. Someone asked you to kwan draft Derek Card.
Yeah, nah, nah man, No, no, No, this is his fourth offensive coordinator, by the way, going into the season, I feel like we kind of know what he is. He has the low touchdown percentage, which is below the league average. If we look him back to twenty twenty one, and I feel like the touchdowns aren't there.
He's not mobile.
This is another system he has to learn. They're not exciting, you know, offensive weapons outside of Kamara and Olave. We're getting the Derek Carr we have seen the last couple of years. So no, I will not be drafting him at any aspect or any point in any format.
And I think This is what.
You need to know about Derek Carr third highest checkdown rate last year despite being the least pressured quarterback in the NFL.
Jeez, that's no Boier. That's disgusting, all right. That let's get to the let's close this out to Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Baker Mayfield was the QB ten last year. Two hundred and eighty four points for Bake bak Rashad White was the RB four two hundred and sixty seven point nine Fantasy points for him. Mike Evans the wide receiver seven. I know Floria and I have to apologize to him puzzling multiple times on this show because we did not believe two hundred and eighty two and a half points
for him. Kate Otten was your top tight end one sixteen point five. He was a tight end twenty lost David Moore in the offseason. He went to Karenlina. Most of their offseason was spent re signing a lot of their guys. They didn't necessarily bring in a lot of new free agents. They did sign Sterling Shepard. They spent a third round pick on wide receiver Jalen McMillan, a fourth round pick on running back Bucky Irvin, so apparently they love Pac twelve football and a seventh round pick
on tight end Devin Culp first off the board. I thought this was interesting. Both Mike Evans and Rashad White have an ADP of a round thirty four, so they tend to be your first bucks drafted in most leagues. So big question. I mean, Florio, Rashad White was the RB four. We talked a lot about how it helped that they just started throwing him the ball because he wasn't running it efficiently. Changes there, right, new offensive coordinator. Can Rashad White do it again this year?
He can?
Will he do it? Yah?
To me? Of the like top I have him as a top fifteen ranked running back, but of those, he's the one that I think I'm like most concerned with potentially just bottoming out because he even last year RB four was the worst running running back in football, Like, least efficient, fewest rushing yards over expectation, all of that kind of stuff. But like we said, they started throwing him the ball a bunch more in his seventeen game pace from Week six on put him on pace for
almost seventy catches. Can he do that again, I yes, they'll probably throw him the ball a bunch, but if he loses some of those targets with the new OC, then the floor becomes much less sturdy, and then that's the kind of pick.
That coubought him out.
I mean, rbfour Lakwan seems like a really really high bar. I mean, more realistically, what RB ten twelve is that? Think I have him at fourteen? Am I rank?
I got him at thirteen where I'm at my rankings, and I think more so, I think we'll see a more efficient runner out of him this season with them adding to the old line in the offseason and in the draft, they're getting one of the top prospects and Graham Barton in the center. So I think we'll see a lot more efficient running from him. But it's the targets. If the targets aren't there, if he's not getting involved in the passing game as much as he was last season,
then he could be taking a dip. But I think more so we have to look with Baker Mayfield has done with starting running backs in his time in the league, and they've all averaged, you know, dating back even to adding Kareem Hunt into that mix. As is a mixture of that average. They've averaged sixteen and a half Fantasy points per game, and I really feel as though that running backs they eat under Baker Mayfield. So I don't
think the checkdown will go completely out. But if he's still running how he was running last season with three point seven yards per carry, I believe it was, and the old line is not doing their job, he could, you know, end up outside the top ten.
Any fear for either of you that Bucky Irvings steps in and takes some work.
He's more of a threat than anyone on the roster was last year.
I would say, yeah, I think he's a threat in the passing game.
I don't.
I don't think more so, like he was great in the red zone last year and his last year in college in Oregon. But I feel as though that still would be Rashad D. White's area where he will be utilized on the field. But I'm not worried that he'll take enough touches away from White to where you know, White won't be Fantasy relevant most weeks.
All Right, Yeah, I said I think he's a low end RB one at best. Yeah. The RB four thing was just bananas.
And humble changes coming, Yeah, too.
Much, Shange. But speaking of changes, Chris Godwin is back to playing in the slot again. I know that's gotten Fantasy Twitter very very excited. Yeah, but Lakwan, I'll say this, his big years out of the slot came with Tom Brady quarterback, and Brady was notorious for targeting his slot receivers. Baker Mayfield not so much. Are we a little bit too excited about this?
Yes?
And no.
You're excited that he's back to where you know, he's publicly saying this is where he makes his most comfortable. It's comfortable. So I feel as though having Baker Mayfield understanding Chris Godwin's role in the slot and his ability to get open and not just zoning in on Mike Evans, I think more so this will be a camp where they'll have to build that chemistry. I'm just excited that the price that he's at right now in drafts isn't terrible. I like that I'm able to get him later in drafts.
I like that it's a known fact that he's going to be one of the top two targets. I mean, well, top three, because obviously Mike Evans would be one but I feel like, you know, this is a good situation for him to get back to, at least being like a wide receiver. Two low en wide receiver won some weeks where I think that he could still be productive and be utilized a lot in lineups.
I mean, is is Mike Evans the number one target? Because last year Chris Godwin led that team in catches. If he led the targets and catches, they.
Were six targets apart, okay of them, so which blew my mind.
I thought like Mike Evans.
Ran away with it by how the narrative was year, And then I went back and I.
Was like, they were six targets apart.
Evans was just a big plague. Yeah he was a touchdown guy, but yeah, it was Chris Godwin that was kind of doing a lot of the dirty work for this team in the passing at a position too.
Yeah, and you guys were on this before I was. But I fully have come around on Chris Godwin. Like last year in the slot, he was like almost double as good as he was out wide, and yet they were just using him more out wide. So Lee and Cohen, the new OC not only has said they're going to use him in the slot. He said, we're gonna use him like Cooper Cup was used.
In the Rams, and that's a hot name. Yeah.
And the thing is six times.
I understand the touchdown was heavily in Mike evans favor, but six targets apart.
Instead, they're like three or four rounds apart. It's not more. In some drafts. I'm starting to be out on the general we're going to use blank like blank right, likes it's so overused. Right, It's like we're gonna every running back who catches the football, we're gonna use them like Christian McCaffrey. No, you're not.
No, why are you lying to me?
Right, Like, oh, this guy's gonna play in the slot. We're gonna use it like Cooper Cup. No, you're not, Like he's gonna play in the slot and you're gonna throw in the football, you know, Like I just that's becoming an overused trait. It is Stop it, coaches, stop like you're because you're also comparing these players to guys who are just like one of one's the elites. There will never be another Cooper Cup ever, Like, we're not. You're not gonna find a Christian McCaffrey, You're just not.
So let's let's stop doing that one now. I'm Baker Mayfield was QB ten last year. Can he be a top ten QB again this year?
I'm gonna say no. I think Dave Canalis had a lot to do with it. I think everything broke right, and then I think injuries. Like to me, quarterback is so much deeper now than it has been in years because the influx of young talent that we've gotten last season and now this season with like Kleb and Jayden Daniels.
So I'll say no, same question to you. I see you're shaking your head.
No, it's totally because we have quarterback come back from injuries. We have quarterbacks and new places. So like Deshaun Watson, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow, Anthony Richardson, Russell Wilson, Kirk Cousins, all these guys are new spots coming back from injuries, where I think that will kind of like humble him to where I can say comfortably top fifteen Maybee, you know, And that's like a really really good year for Baker Mayfield.
But I won't be drafting him. Expectations of him finishing top ten or inside the top ten this year.
Yeah, no, I'm with you.
I mean I think I think last year was sort of a special moment, and I do think losing Dave Canalis is going to be a big difference yea to him to that offense. So top ten seems.
Yeah, you have Liam Coe there. I don't want to knock him because he's from the McVeigh tree and he's actually he was part of that installation of getting Baker up to speed when he came in Thursday night, you know, two days.
Off of flight learning, which was still miraculous.
Yeah, it's crazy, but it helps when you have a good QB coach, you have a great offensive coordinator in a great mine in Sean McVay. So like I am part of the like you know, train of like loving every family tree that comes from McVeigh that they're going to find success some way.
So also I'll say this, if there's a quarterback who can just pick up a new playbook and find some success with it, it's probably Baker Mayfield because that's been his whole whole professional football life is just new playbooks and new offensive coordinators. So if anybody can do it, Baker is probably the one who can do it there. It is our uh. Look at the NFC South. We got one more set of divisions, so we'll do that next week with the West divisions for the AFC. No East,
we've done. We did, we started with I'm all turned around, y'all. We'll go with the East. So the we'll start with the AFC East. Floria can wax poetic about his buff with your four timesion champions, uh, and we'll finish it off with the NFC East next Wednesday. We'll back with you tomorrow Thursday for another episode of the cheat Sheet. I think just a couple more cheat sheets left until we got to put it down.
Feel like we have to get a bar on one of them.
Maybe look if to come on and talk about remembering being born and all sorts of weed that energyisms like. I'm totally on board with it. It'll be like an old Fantasy Live reunion from when he was back on Fantasy Live. Still. I for sure we will have the cheat sheet for you tomorrow. We are watching the Warriors.
Top five movie of all Time.
I watched it, so we will talk about that. It's another nonsense on the show, so'll be sure to be there for that as well. In the meantime, don'd do it for this edition of the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. They happy, safe and healthy, do good and live well. We will talk to you tomorrow