Hey everybody, It's Monday, August twenty six, twenty twenty four. Welcome to the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. We're making this all up as we go along. It's me your man, MG, Marcus Grant, joined by Michael Floya and the star.
Of Good Morning Football, LaQuan Jones.
I think it's just say star of NFL network, you know, cause, like I wake up on Sunday morning. Actually I was awake for a while, but I'm watching, you know, some of the preseason games. I see Florio's face popping up alongside Omar Ruiz giving fantasy tips. Then this morning is I'm scrolling Twitter. I see Lakwan's face smiling talking about the you know, the NFC West. Uh. You guys are legit network stars. I'm just a guy who hosts a podcast.
But I'm glad. I'm glad I could be here alongside you, fellas I am.
You're the anchor man, You're the reason why this show is running this move as it does leave it to the degenerates.
He gets one of the episodes, me in Florida, did I am just a guy who talks about fake football for a living. That's what I do.
Speaking of which I guess we should talk about some fake football today.
Right we are we are officially through the preseason. There is a dead period now, it's sort of you know, it's sort of like dead week before finals, if you will, UH, and then the season starts in a little more than a week from now. So we'll talk about the things that we learned in the preseason. We'll talk about some guys and maybe we are staying away from UH. Just a heads up because later in the week we are we're all planning to talk to man tit Teo again
this week. We had a lot of fun with him last week, so we're gonna have him back on the show at some point this week. Also later in the week, Fels, I think we're gonna do you know, our guys right, like the guys that we are, we can't leave a draft of that will go position by position. But today we're just gonna talk about maybe some guys that we are not so much a fan of when it comes
to to drafting in fantasy. But I want to get started today with the holdouts because a thing that has been recurring all throughout this preseason are the guys who aren't there or at least aren't on the field. Three of them happen to be high level wide receivers. And so now we're at the point where the preseason games are over, training camps have broken, teams are starting to get ready for Week one, and these guys still aren't around,
And so how do we approach these in drafts? So let's start Florida with Brandon Ayuk, right, because we've been talking about Brandon Ayuk for how long now, maw weeks?
Now?
Right?
It?
You know, the story has been that the deal is at the one yard line. It seems like they've been at the one yard line for a while. I don't know how many shots they've gotten at this, but they still have not pushed it over the goal line.
We know what he means to the forty nine er offense.
We know that there's still potentially a trade to Pittsburgh maybe just hanging out there. There were rumors the Commanders might get involved at some point in this whole thing. At this point, What are you doing with Brandon Ayuk in drafts? Uh?
Well, first, my biggest question is what is this one
thing that is holding this up? Because like you would think they would have it, like I hope it's something weird like moneyball, like I don't want to pay for sodas anymore or something like that, like uh, but with Ayuk in particular, I I haven't moved him at all in my rankings because this is something that the three of us have spoke about since what June July that like we I don't want to speak for you guys, but at least like I from this whole time have
been like, the most likely outcome is Brandon Ayuk is a forty nine Er come Week one, And the closer we get to the season, the more and more I like to trade for a superstar wide receiver right now on both sides. If you're the forty nine Ers and you got to completely revamp your offense, and if you're the Steelers you gotta change a whole bunch on the fly a week before the season, it just seems kind of unrealistic to me.
I think this whole thing.
The Steelers I think were just used like I think Ayuk was like trade me, and the Niners were like, all right, Steelers are on the phone, and Ayuk was like, okay, I worked out or deal with them. And then the Steelers are like, yeah, the forty nineers, like, well, we have a deal in place with that. Like I think they were just calling each other's bluff the whole time and using the Steelers kind of how the Mets always get used in baseball. But I'm drafting Ayuk. I have
him still ranked as a wide receiver one. He falls a lot. I've gotten him as a wide receiver three in a lot of my drafts, so I continue to take him there. I will say, though, like to differentiate a bit, I took Cooper Cup over him in a draft because I was like Boom Brandon right now that I want to differentiate a bit, but I'm not shying away from drafting.
Why are you pulling that he took Cooper Cup in a draft? What is that about? Oh my bad?
I heard that the different way. I was just ready for the boo because we were talking forty nine ers. I had to get my hate out some type of way.
All right, I mean sorry, but I mean I have to ask you, like as objectively as you can, like I understand, I'll try.
I understand that you want you want brand.
Now you gone for like competitive purposes, Like I get that part, but just in terms of you know what this means for fantasy.
I mean, what are you doing with Brandon Aiyuk right now?
So with fantasy, like I want him to stay a forty nine er. I think it makes the most sense because, like Florio said, we're less than two weeks away, Like what type of Brandon and I you we're gonna get on a new offensive, new scheme, a new quarterback, like these are all things we need to account for. Like he has not been practicing. It's not like he's been off to the side running routes. He's literally been in jeans and the hoodie and chillin', like even in preseason.
You would like for him to get some type of deal done so he can at least get in the dress rehearsal, but that has not happened. So it's like one of these things where you kind of for fantasy, I'm still drafting him in that third round or wherever I'm getting him, because getting him as a wide receiver three you're literally stealing because he is such a productive players.
So like, I'm still attacking him in drafts. I have a draft coming up this weekend, and I'm not going to say which league, but I have a draft come up this weekend. I'm like looking to target him because I think a lot of people are going to be a little bit more scared because he's probably still not going to sign a deal until very last minute. So we'll see how it all pans out.
All of your league mates are like, hmmm, yeah, now I want to know, is which draft am I in with Laqwan this weekend and I can maybe snatch the Brandon Look I was. I was in a sixteen team draft on Sunday and he was there in the fourth round of a sixteen team draft.
I was I was going to get him.
The guy two picks ahead of me was on auto pick and he ended up getting the worst.
Kick him out of the league man.
But there, you know what, I will give them credit because there was a whole snaf foo and mix up with draft time, like there was a whole technical thing in time zones. Yeah, at times it was just weird, So like I'm willing to give this guy a pass on that. But it was like I'm sitting there, I'm like, wow, Brandon, you can still really there, Like I I will totally get him right here. And then I could see the auto pick and I'm like, yeah, it's not gonna make It's just.
Like an anime moment. You're thinking in my head like oh my god, I can get Brandon.
Atyuk And I'm like, oh no, yeah, yeah, It's like I just I saw it coming, like it was like in slow motion. I'm like, yeah, he's not gonna be going. He's not gonna be there. But that's the point though, like I saw. I mean, I'm watching other players, other people take other players because I think everybody's sort of like, yeah, I don't know what's gonna happen with Ayuk. I was really perfectly ready to grab it. I already had a couple of wide receivers. I'm like, look, I take him
as my third wide receiver. I'm golden, like you never you.
Know what, Like I remember back when Aaron Donald held out and like he wasn't there the first game, and like he returned back week two. I'm even okay with Brandon and you missing the first game just to get someone to rust off, get into practice, get the deal done, and then he comes in week two and kills it for the rest of the season.
I'm okay with that.
And drafting him where he's at in this price, Like, I think we were just completely missing on how efficient he was last year and how much of a crucial core he is to that forty.
It is a situation for me where both sides really do need each other because you know, look, I think Brandon Huk's a talented player, and I think he could have success in a lot of different places, but this offense really works for him.
For the forty nine ers, they they need him.
They need him as a guy who can beat man coverage consistently and get open. That was the thing we saw in the Super Bowl that the rest of the receivers really really had trouble with. So I floor down with you. I think the closer we get to Week one, the more likely it is he's going to be a forty nine er. I don't really know what is holding it up at this point. I think for most of us Niner fans and non Niner fans and like, I think we're just tired of hearing about it.
Like, let's just no, I'm not tired. I like it.
You guys are all you guys are all stressed out, like oh my god, we haven't or not, Like I sitting there smiling Yeah.
I was like, it's the thing that worries me as a Ninner fan. More is Trent Williams. Like nobody's talking about that.
Nobody talking about that?
Yeah, that's no one's talking about that right, Like at one point I thought he was the MVP of the league because when he was gone, the Niners lost three games in a row. It's like everybody's talking about you know what is Brock Purdy? Is Lamar Jackson, is Dak Prescott. I'm like, it's Trent Williams many lost was gone.
What am I doing?
Purdy didn't look good in that preseason game where deebo And and Kiddle played. If I'm Ayuk or Trent Williams, I am walking in showing that game tape and walking out like that's what I'm doing for sure.
No, he did not look good at all, Like five point nine yards per tenth in the two preseason games he's had.
Got you look at it.
Like, oh, important to that because it helps open up everything underneath when you have a guy that efficient down.
Quick stat before we go all other pass catchers last season fo to forty nine ers. He had a nine point six pass attempt I mean passing yards per attempt only to Ayuk thirteen point six. Yea, It's like, come on, mane, the numbers don't lie.
No, I mean, look, he's he's definitely better with Ayuk on the field. Look, I mean, look, he missed Ayuk and Christian McCaffrey for the entirety of the preseason. Those are two, really and Trent Williams. Those are three really big pieces to that offense.
On any other team, those are the three most important players.
Yeah, on an offense for sure.
The forty nine ers, they're just players.
I mean, you just just to fill it in whatever. Uh didn't mean to spend this much time on Ayuk, but this is kind of what he does to us.
I guess.
Last one is Jamar Chase, and Jamar Chase is a little bit of a different situation because he's not on the final year of his contract. He still has a couple of years left, but he has been holding in. I know he practiced, I believe yesterday or earlier in the weekend. I think he practiced with the team.
I mean Florida.
This one seems very cut and dry, like I can't imagine he doesn't show up and play. He still has a couple of years left. This feels like sort of trying to get out ahead of things. But this is one where I haven't really you know, I guess I haven't spent too much brain power on this one. It just feels like this was gonna get done.
See, I kind of feel a little like this is the one that worries me the most because to your point, he's he's not on that final year of a contract, so he has less power, but he it's just weird, like getting a deal done for him is harder than for Ceedee Lamb or Brandon Ayuk, who are eligible to be free agents at the end of the year. Plus, according to Tom palliserro Jamar Chase wants to not only break the wide receiver record, he wants to Jefferson got
thirty five a year. He wants forty eight years. So like maybe that's just like a wild ask and he's negotiating. It's also not like Jamar Chase has a history of holding out, Like we've never seen him sit out a season before for the betterment of his career. That never
happened at LSU or anything like that. So that and then on top of that, all the Bengals are weird when it comes to paying their players, Like they I don't think they've paid T Higgins because they know they have to pay Jamar Chase, but like they really like to take things down to the wire and stuff like that. So the thing with Chase is I've moved to Monro
Saint Brown ahead of him. I was in a draft this weekend with two co managers and they it was on Saturday before he practiced, and they refused to take Jamar Chase, so we took Justin Jefferson. I was pushing for AJ Brown. I think Chase is in that tier where if you just want to play it safe and not have this headache. They're like, it's not like he could be Cede Lamb, but he's not Cdee Lamb yet, so I think that's a bigger drop off, Whereas I have him in the same tier as AJ Brown, Justin
Jefferson to Monro. So if you just want to take one of those other guys, I'm okay with it. I still think that Chase and Lamb, though, are first round picks.
Is Chase still a first round pick for you, lakwan Uh?
Yeah, But I definitely moved him back in the first round, just being that, like what Florio said, or that the cautionary you have to take with him, and also a lot of his fantasy values tied to Joe Burrow's health, So that's always going to be on the back of
my mind when I'm drafting him. So being that I'm somebody who drafted a ton of Chase last year, I even had the Joe Burrow stack and the super flex, and like, the injuries kind of knocked your discourse of your your your team in a playoff run because of
certain things happening out of your power. So it's like one of those things where I definitely move him back, Like I'll take Tyreek Hill, I'll take him Monrod, like I'll take Bhan, I'll take See and See and Bristol all before I touch you know, Jamar Chase and in that first round.
Yeah, I still think people are still willing to take him in the first round.
I just think for all of us, we all sort of believe.
That, you know, the the holdouts will be figured out when it's all said done.
Pay the players, man, you got pay.
I mean Jamar tripping a little, it's a little early. It's kind of early. It's kind of early tripping.
There is a constant competition between him and Justin Jefferson, right, they were teammates at LSU. You know, I remember asking Justin a couple of years ago, like who gets to two thousand yards in a season first?
He's like, it's me for sure, I'm gonna go.
He's like, I'm gonna text Jamar soon as we're doing with this interview and let him know there's definitely.
A competition between those two guys for exactly.
We're gonna talk about the things we learned in the preseason. Now the preseason football is over for another year, we'll figure out our big takeaways from that. That's coming up next on the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast.
All right, so we have been through I guess four weeks of the preseason. You had a week zero and then weeks one, two, and three of the preseason zero. Yeah. Look, it's a I remember what week zero in high school.
I think there's one in college that this was week zero for college football. I even remember once doing high school football where was a week double zero And I'm like, what are we doing? Just just call it one and then we'll just move forward from there, like, why are we doing this?
I don't know. I don't I don't make the rules.
Man, this weekend they do play coming up on Sunday. They are in Las Vegas against LSU. You had a rough star. It's uh, you know, it's funny like the other parties, like I might not even be like I might have to like carve out some time away from the family to go and watch it. If it goes badly, then I'll just you know, I'll abandon ship and then go back and spend time with the family.
Games. How it goes, spirits a little down, you know that that might have to be.
But yeah, it is a Sunday game on Labor Day weekend in Vegas against LSU.
Yeah, we'll see how this goes.
I mean, time that we've gotten to the preseason, we watched you know, most, if not all, of the games, and we think we learned something. So lakwan for you, what was your big headline takeaway from the preseason?
Listen, this twenty twenty four running back class maybe better than we actually expected it. And I'm not even gonna hit on like some of the top prospects. I mean, you got guys like Frank or junior out there that looked really, really good with his opportunities with Buffalo, then all your estimate, like he was injured coming into preseason, but then he finally got some work in the preseason. You know, he looks to be the red zone goal line. I mean didn't get much work on third down, but
that may change. But other guys, like you're looking at Kamani Videll. I keep watching his highlights back to back when he played the Rams, and then even Jalen Wright sneakily he's just been going under the radar and the two games and the opportunities he's had as one of the most efficient rookie running backs of his class right now.
So you're looking at some of these guys where you're going into drafting and like you don't necessarily have to put them at the last pick, but put them on your watch list, Like these are guys you want a monitor because yes, they have a bunch of guys in front of him or one or two guys, but injuries happen every single day, and it's like you just want to be prepared, so you're not looking on the waiver wire for guys that aren't really going to be able to help you out in the time of need.
Yeah.
I think the other thing about this, this rookie running back class, and I think applies to I think running back classes going forward is because teams are using so many guys. That means there's opportunity for so many guys. It's why we're talking about Kamani Vidal and Ray Davis and you know, Tyrone Tracy. I mean, you just keep maybe that you mentioned Frank Gorgon, which I'm convinced is actually just Frank Gore.
He's just trying to recycled himself. He learned how to clone itself. You know.
He's just like, like, because we can't have an NFL without Frank Gore in it.
So like he looked really really good bouncing out the edge and going up field and running hard. Like as a father, you have to be like proud to see that man, like he's running your style.
I mean, I'm like looking, I'm looking at a picture. He looks like it it's Frank Gore with a wig dog Like, I'm just looking at this picture.
He was like, I was counted out coming out of college, and my son is counted out, and I was like being an undrafted free agent and and being you are two very different things.
Yeah, Frank Gore wasn't really counted out.
He had a major knee injury, like coming out of college, and people were like, man, I hope he can get healthy and play again. And obviously he had a really long successful career. But I don't know that anyone counted out Frank Gore senior like coming out of the you like, I don't. I don't think that was the case. Uh, Florida, What what did you learn from the preseason?
Unfortunately, I think we're gonna have to be very patient with a lot of the rookie wide receivers. Not your Marvin Harrison's and your your Molik neighbors. Even Romadoonsay has a clear cut role. But after that, a lot of the especially some of the ones that we viewed as like sleepers. Like I am still big on Jermaine Burton. I like him, but he looks right now like he's about to start the year as the wide receiver four.
Now. I think that's because he is a.
Better replacement in case anything happens to Chase or Higgins. But for fantasy, it's not ideal. Javon Baker is playing with the two's. Clearly he's buried on the depth chart right now, even like Lad McConkie. We got to see how that volume shakes out there with Josh Palmer, who does right now look like they're one. Malachai Corley is a wide receiver that I was high on coming out of the draft, but he was only playing in three
wide receiver sets. Ricky Piersoll is a name that's getting a little bit buried on the list of Xavier Leaguett. You're gonna have to be if you take a shot some of these rookies. Just understand that you either one have to be patient or two if you drop them early on, be ready to add them off the waiver wire because I think that a lot of these rookies are still going to hit. I just don't know if it'll be the teams drafting them that benefits the rewards
because it's gonna take a little bit of time. The veterans are clearly ahead of a lot of them, but as the year goes on they perform well. Injury stuff like that, a lot could change in a quick time in the NFL. But don't be drafting these guys thinking that you have like ready to contribute players right away.
I well, one important question here.
Do we know if Lad mcconkee was trapped in an elevator this weekend? And if so, how did he handle it? Did he perform like a leader? Was he calming?
Like?
These are the sort of things I want to know about Ladd McConkie. But I mean, on a more serious note, what I do like is that I think one, because of the things you mentioned, the things we've seen in the preseason and the reports were getting. But also I think now as we're getting more casual drafters involved, I think the price is starting to come down on some of these these rookie wide receivers. Again, that's same sixteen team draft. I was in on Sunday, very late. I
was able to one. I was a little bit upset cause I got sniped on McConkey by like a one one pick ahead of me, which which was frustrating, But you know, I was able to still get you know, a d Mitchell. I was able to take a shot at Jalen Millen. I took Mitchell. Yeah, No, I was able to get him. I took Jalen McMillan late. I
think there's one other. I think I was able to get Javon Baker also fairly late, so you know there's upside there, and having the ADP come down on them makes me really really excited, you know, because I'm willing to still take those shots and see what happens, especially in league where you can start. I mean this league, I can start up to four wide receivers. We have three wide receiver spots and a flex option. I'll take those shots and I'll load up and see what happens with some of those guys.
Late. I took Burton. That's Burton.
It was it was Mitchell, McMillan and Burton. Those are three guys that I took late in night draft. I guess we'll finish out with the rookies, right, because that's what this whole thing has been about, is learning learning about the first year players. The rookie quarterback class looks promising to me, And yeah, we knew about the guys at the top, right. We were excited for Caleb Williams and for Jaden Daniels and those guys absolutely showed out.
But I think the guys after them that we weren't one hundred percent sure on have at least opened some eyes, right Drake May. You know, the Patriots aren't going to be world beaters this year, but the offense has looked better with Drake May out there than it has with Jacoby Brissett. And I'm curious to see, you know, what Gerardmeo decides to do about who their starter is going
to be when those guys get an opportunity. We talked about bo Nicks on this show a couple of weeks ago and what he means and what he has shown for the Broncos and Sean Payton's offense. Michael Pennix, Yeah, he's not going to be the starter as long as Kirk Cousins is healthy. But when he got his opportunities, he went out and he played really well in those chances there. I mean, we didn't, unfortunately, get to see a lot of JJ McCarthy, so we don't really have
a full grade on him. But I mean, guys, I think there's there's really good hope here. You got two guys for sure that we feel like can have value during the season in Williams and Daniels, And for the rest of the folks, if you're playing Dynasty, may Nix Pinnix.
You know, again, we'll see with McCarthy.
Those guys look like they have a future ahead of them. I'm also still taking Williams ahead of Daniels by the way I was going to I got.
I didn't get to them. They didn't just didn't fall right.
I wasn't really I wasn't willing to reach on either one of those guys in a draft, but I did have them in my queue.
It just it just didn't fall quite right for me.
Yeah, man, I think I'm doing I think I think Caleb's going over four thousand yards. I think he gives you about you know, twenty twenty five, twenty five to thirty touchdowns. You know, it's about our him keeping the other interceptions down. But I think I think it's happening.
I think it's a man have fun throw twenty interceptions.
Who cares the only.
Yeah, I mean, but like I look, I mean, I look at at the Chicago offense versus the Washington offense.
There are more weapons in Chicago.
I mean, he's got three really good wide receivers there versus Washington. It's Terry McLaurin, and we're still trying to figure out who's the number two?
You know, you know we're trying.
You know, I don't know is it does ast Neegler get a bunch of targets. Zach Ertz is floating around there, like I have no idea where they go with the ball after after Lauren, you know, right.
The thing too with with bo Nicks and Drake May that I really like is both have underrated rushing abilities. Like we saw that on display with bo Nicks previously, but like Drake May yesterday, I saw people being like this guy looks when he runs like a faster version of Josh Allen, and it's it's kind of hard to do.
Like he's got the size. I don't think he's as athletic and like shifty as Allen, but he he's fast and like, yeah, it was a like third and thirteen or something like that deep in their own area and he picked it up with his legs, and I was like that that is what we care about for fantasy's.
Yeah, that's different from the Patriots like normal football. I mean, having a guy like that that can bolt up field to get you a first down, that's what keeps these drives alive. Like I definitely see that Josh Allen like plays out of him, which is, you know, good and comforting for guys like Polk and you know the Mario Douglas like they're gonna be able to have time on the field.
And this is where all the fantasy points come from.
Yeah, I mean, look, obviously, for twenty years it was Tom Brady. He was not a guy who was going to literally take off and run. In fact, I'm looking.
Tom Brady's career long run, it's like twelve yards twenty two.
Yards, all right, I was closed somewhat.
I mean, but that's your point, right, I mean, Floryo just talked about Drake May ripping off a thirteen yard run, like right now, it is.
It is weirded.
It is a dynamic that they just have not had in the New England offense.
Uh he ever pretty sure.
Brady had a year where he had negative rushing yards.
Oh god, yeah, yeah, Actually his last year in ten but he had minus one.
But isn't he like top five and like rushing yards a monk quarterbacks or something stupid like that, or it's a top ten.
I mean, I don't know, maybe he's he has a he has eleven hundred and twenty three yards rushing.
You know what his career high is, like, like that's eleven hundred sounds cool.
He played twenty sitting here, I'm sitting here looking at it. So like his his career high is one hundred and ten rushing yards.
Boom all.
Lamar Jackson has more in a year than this guy had in twenty years.
Mark get more in a game than he's like, you know, like Lamar Jackson could do more in a game than Tom Brady had an entire season. Obviously they're very different quarterbacks. Like before y'all start tweeting at as man, like we get it, like this is a.
Chillout, this is all for fun.
Dunk though I saw last week he could still get up, all right, that's fair because I don't think I he's never eating a strawberry though.
I'm still calling bs on that man, Like literally, he grew up in a town that's like an hour away from another town that has a very famous strawberry festival. Like I'm calling bs on that I am. You tell me he's never been to Watsonville for the strawberry Festival's right next to Santa Cruz. Like I'm not buying it, anyway. Stop you never eating a strawberry, Lukuan.
No, I'm never eating a strawberry like hole and bit it.
No, that's never happening. What never eating a strawberry? No, I've been an apples an orange guy. Man, I've been real simple.
You don't even have an apple slicer until like a couple of months ago. I never forgot about that.
You guys convince me to get the apple slicer because I was just like.
Come on, it must say with kids especially, that must have changed your life.
Your whole lunch has become easier.
All right, So now you're your next assignment is to go and eat a strawberry, just a strawberry.
Strawberries in my house, but like I don't eat them.
Wait wait wait wait wait, So you live with strawberries and yet you never want No, never once said I there were roommates you was living like I thought he was Like listen, I've never bought him. We don't have him in the house, like in his fridge.
Like my sister loves him, Laila loves him. They've been in my house in my childhood. I just never wanted them.
I'm like, you know, that's order to dessert where it comes on it, because they come on a lot of desserts.
Oh my goodness. All right, sorry, mind's blown. I'm shook. We gotta take a break. We have one more segment. I gotta I gotta take a break and regroup because I am shook. Right now.
We're gonna come back talk about guys that we are avoiding the way apparently the Quand's avoiding strawberries.
I had no idea stick around for more. We're gonna come back and figure.
This out on the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast. H Yeah, we took the break to try and and get our minds right again after this. Apparently this this ground own, earth shaking revelation.
That Lawan Jones has never had a strawberry. In the meantime, as we finish out the show.
Today, we're gonna talk about our guys later in the week, the guys that we absolutely have to have in as many drafts as we can possibly get them. But for now, let's talk about a guy that we just can't seem to wrap our heads around drafting. Uh Laquand for you, who's somebody you just cannot pull the trigger on unlets, you know, unless obviously they fall like crazy far in drafts, but just generally speaking, you just can't do it.
I don't even care if this dude falls to like the tenth round, But Zay Flowers is a guy I cannot draft confidently in those first four rounds. And like, I see a lot of people going out there again him and they're really excited about having him. Like I do want to say, he's very talented, he's very creative. I mean, we see the highlight from him, but when we actually look at the groundbreaking thing about it, it's like whide receivers that play for the Ravens aren't really
like the most fantasy relevant guys. I mean, we're looking at this offense and what it's going to be built around, and it's obviously going to be the run game. Like they will have their moments, they will have their spike highs, but when it comes to a week to week basis, are you really drafting Zay Flowers as your wide receiver too?
Like after you just came out of those first early rounds, it just feels really disgusting with me, you know, thinking about a Baltimore Ravens like wide receiver and even looking at the whole dynamic of the offense. If you're thinking about Rashad Bateman. I mean, we have never seen two Ravens wide receivers code exist having more than ten Fantasy points per game or fifty receptions in the same season. So there tells you that somebody's gonna be the odd man out.
I've gone with you, like, I mean, I'm drafting Mark Andrews in plenty of places because we know that he's gonna get that target share, like we don't really have to worry about that. But yeah, I don't think. I don't think I have any Zay Flowers because I guess I'm with you. I don't just see the.
It feels yuckie, Like it feels like the last year that Robert Woods was with the Rams, when you knew he was on his way out, and like you drafted and you're like, you're not that value of had years prior,
you know what I mean, Like his rookie season. You were drafting well until like the ninth tenth round of Jay Flowers, and like for him to do what he did his rookie season, it's kind of like comforting and like promising and thinking it will elevate but then you remember he plays for the Baltimore Ravens and this is the Lamar Err Yeah.
And I keep trying to tell us every year like we're gonna throw the ball more like until it actually happened, until I actually see it, Like I just can't, I can't really buy into it.
I've also not really drafted a ton of him. But the last week I've been like, am I gonna regret that?
Because I did.
See someone point out like year two wide receiver and nothing has changed, like same oc, same quarterback, thin wide receiver room, all of that. And that's the only thing I've seen all summer that has given me some paws.
On my my Jay Flowers. Yeah.
I also think it's funny too, because I think it was Dave Klugi, who does a lot of stuff at football Guys. He's like, I'm at the point of the off season now where I'm I'm drafting guys that I haven't drafted before.
Just in case you know, all fade team. That's good. Don't bring that.
Into your redraft teams.
Yeah, I mean, I mean, look, unless you do a zillion redraft teams, it's probably not the best way to go.
H Florida. Who's the guy that you are just staying away from this year?
I toyed with Nick Chubb, but he's he goes so late in the draft. So let's get a little bit spicier. Josh Jacobs. For me, I I look at what I get the appeal, Like, I understand everyone what people are saying. He could be the first guy in the La flor era to be like the three down back and not have split work. The offense is better, all of that. I get all of that. But last season he had the fewest amounts of runs go for ten or more yards. It was less than four percent. His metrics fell like
you pick one. It was probably his worst in the NFL. And I know people can be like, well, last year was a down year, like the Raiders had a bad offense, blah blah blah. Last year was exactly like two years ago or three years ago. Now at this point, the outlier season for Josh Jacobs is that RB one season
of twenty twenty two. And it's also about like where he's going in drafts, Like if I want a running back early, I'd rather go around earlier and get like Kyen Williams, Derrick Henry, Isaiah Pacheco, Travis Etn or I'd rather wait and get like Kenneth Walker, who is someone that I've really warmed up to this summer, or James
Connor around like two three rounds later. So it's just it's partly that I'm worried about him, and partly that like his price isn't quite with the elite guys, but it's before the values I think at the position, So like, I don't want to pay full price for him. I'd rather just wait and get like the other guys that I said.
Yeah, I mean I've I've been holding onto the idea that I think.
Marshawn Lloyd is going to have a much bigger role in this offense than I think we anticipate. And yeah, I just look so far that I know the numbers have been out there. A lot of people have talked about it that just the packers under Matt Lafleur have not leaned on one guy, you know, And I just I still think it was weird that they wouldn't. They didn't want to pay Aaron Jones, but somehow they paid Josh Jacobs, who I think I think Aaron Jones gives
you more all around ability. You know, he catches the football more than Josh Jacobs does. I guess Jacobs is on the verge of setting a record of like most receptions in a career to start a career without catching a touchdown, and Jordan Jordan Love has vowed that they're going to try and make sure he does not break the record, that they want to try to get him a receiving touchdown. So yeah, he's got the one hundred
and ninety seven catches in his career zero touchdowns. Nice, So so the Packers have vowed they're going to try and get him a score so he does not break that record.
If that means anything to you, I don't know. I like him less pity touchdown.
Come on, like just watch Jordan Love handed totally go ahead.
Well yeah, but it's like it's got to be a reception. So it's gonna be like a little quick like.
Short off, a little little shovel pass right shovel passes, Like all right, there you go, you got one. I'm staying running back. I'm staying veteran running back, and it's Alvin Kamara for me. I just I can't because my my fear with Alvin Kamara is that he's going to be just good enough that you can't take him out of your lineup, but not good enough that he's really going to put up any big weeks for you, Right, I mean, the the overall production and the efficiency has
dropped significantly from the start of his career. The only thing really keeping him afloat is the target share, because you know, Derek Carr was a check down champion last year and that helped. I mean, I'm sitting here looking at his game longs right, he had. He had that game that still disgusts me. It makes me queasy just to think about it. Fourteen targets, thirteen catches, thirty three yards like that. Love that that seems physic impossible, Like
how was that happening? I mean literally, I I have already sort of been radicalized against full point PPR. That one took me to the next level, just something like that, because here is he got you, right, I mean, he got what the other Actually the crazy part of it's just the whole thing just makes me so so disgusted. He had twenty one points that game. He had a grand total of like eighty four yards and no touchdowns.
But thirteen receptions, you know, So I think that's the thing that sort of keeps him afloat and keeps him relevant. There are also so many question marks about the Saints offense. You know, Chris Olave is the number one target, but I know you guys have said on the show, like I know, Lakwan, You're like, why are we big on Chris Olave at this point in this offense? At least he gets air yards, he gets downfield targets, Like if Camara that, what are we doing?
So I just you know, I can't do it with him. I just can't right now.
And on that point with Kamara, one thing I don't think it's enough talking points is the new OC Clint Kubiak. I know, like he was with the forty nine ers last year, but McCaffrey played sixteen games and had eighty three targets. Every other year of his career where he played sixteen games, he had at least one hundred and eight targets. And the one year that Kubiak was in OC,
Madison and Cook neither reached fifty targets. So I don't think Kamara's gonna be completely taken out of the passing game. But if he loses a decent chunk of that target share, it's gonna be real ugly.
I think.
Yeah, I just comes down to that, the Saints offense is going to be bad.
To not invest. I think that's sort of where we.
Go on unless Spencer Rattler becomes a starter at some point, I would be very exciting.
Is that gonna make it better?
He looked really good, man, I'm telling you now, I felt really really excited for him to actually get the opportunity to showcase his ability like he looked good in that game.
Yeah, I guess I don't know.
That makes me more excited about the Saints off.
I mean, they do have a potential out in the Derek Carr contract.
But look at Florio. He's ready to dunk.
He is getting I mean the dead cap next year is fifty millions, So I would be shocked if if if Car was healthy and they didn't start him all year.
Yeah, I think he's not getting pulled in injuries the only way he gets out of the lineup, I think at this point. So, uh, that was a downerweight in the show. I probably should have planned that better. Anyway, we're gonna we're gonna take We're gonna pause for the day. We'll be back with you later on in the week, hopefully by then Lakwan will have had a strawberry.
You have to record.
Yourself if you eat one.
I feel like now I have to one because we've put it out there and like everybody knows, I either absolutely love it or hate it.
Like if you're just like this is solid, that's disappointing, right.
The only thing that's gonna happen, And I'm sure we're gonna get like tweets from other people who are like I've also never had a strawberry, Like all the all the non strawberriers or something gonna come out of the woodwork because that's how Twitter operated. Strawberries assemble right, like there are dozens of us, dozens.
Like it's gonna be the whole thing like that. Uh. Anyway, we'll figure it out and we will update you on Lakwan's berry progress or something the next time we get together in the meantime.
That'll do it for this edition of the NFL Fantasy Football Podcast, The Happy, Safe and Healthy, Do Good, Live well, eat some produce everybody, and we'll talk to you again.
Real soon,