THE FANTASY FOOTBALLERS!!!

My guests today are the premier voices in fantasy football analysis the fantasy footballers Mike Wright Jason Moore Andy Holloway the number one fantasy football podcast catch them as I do on Sirius XM on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcast their ultimate draft kid which includes their tier base rankings, which I'm obsessed with hundred plus player profiles and Other resources to help you win your league. It's available now at the fantasy footballers calm fellas, welcome to shine time Thanks for having us. Yeah happy to be here All right Let's start with this because everyone wants to know how you decide a draft order I want you to look at this video of a Bills fan who gets DJ more to decide his league's draft order I'm obsessed with this. Is this the coolest way Mike? We'll start with you who've ever seen a draft order decided what's your favorite way to go about it? so that Probably is the coolest. I mean, I can't imagine if you're a Bills fan That I don't think you're ever going to top that. I like the you know, you can have I've seen people do like March Madness brackets or You know other wagering on other things. I like the if you're just from scratch I like kind of the obstacle course type of idea where you know Just we go old-school the first thing you got to put the head down on the bat and spin around ten times and then navigate through a Just a bunch of different physical obstacles while you're while you're either dizzy or perhaps you you've made people imbibe in certain libations and just just have a Have a good time about it because fantasy football at its core We can get lost in our nerd stuff sometimes it's supposed to be fun It's supposed to enhance your Sunday and make and make just the NFL Better you you care more about games you care about the random Thursday night game at the end of the season Between two absolute stinkers of teams, but you got fancy players out there. So it whatever Whatever is fun and in the obstacle course things fun to me Listen that guy was never gonna forget it, you know, my kid My son is in a league and he's done it since third grade and I always get an NFL player to pick the draft order I've had Bijan pick, you know who gets the top pick Pat Sertan do it Justin Jefferson The kids couldn't get enough. So that's pretty cool for them that that's about as great as it gets I don't know but the obstacle course, I mean, I have trouble, you know Put it walking and chewing gum at the same time, but I like where your brains at Jason Let me ask you this. I want you everyone to chime in here. What's your most? Irrational fantasy football take that you have that you know is out there But you you study it you have the numbers the facts the figures, but you just can't shake it Yeah, it's really stupid But I I think Gino Smith is gonna be really great for the jet Fantasy like he's going to be bad I'm sorry But for fantasy you're talking about a team last year that was like they didn't throw for 2,500 yards as a team Gino can get it done. So I'm like big on Garrett Garrett Wilson this year I I love I think that his floor is super high. He's not being drafted like a Superstar and he could be a superstar. I just think Gino's enough. He is enough for fantasy and it feels irrational But that's that's where I am I feel dumb, but there I am Yeah, I think it's actually a similar vein for me in the sense that I think Against my better judgment and my hometown team, but the Arizona Cardinals offense is gonna be great this year I don't think I think Jacoby Brissett Michael Wilson Marvin Harrison Trey McBride Jeremiah Love I think that for a team that's projected to win three and a half games for fantasy. We want a You know, you want the yards to pile up and I think Marv's gonna have a better year and redeem a little bit of that Draft stock and that excitement. I don't like it I don't we've said enough negative things about the Cardinals on the show for the last six months and probably most of our lives It's time for me to come out and publicly say I just Irrationally think it's gonna work out for fantasy for the Cardinals Andy My Mike Mike I'll jump in. Yeah, it's that Christian Watson is going to win Fantasy football leagues a player who has never played a full season a player who has never surpassed 620 receiving yards But out of the Green Bay Packers with the way that with Romeo Dobbs and Don Tevion wicks out the rotation of the wide receivers I think goes way down. I think the running game isn't as strong this year with Jacobs being The inefficiencies creeping up in the age getting up there and Christian Watson is the real deal He just hasn't been able to stay on the field. And I think that we're finally gonna get it All right. I'm with you on Gino. I'm with you on the Arizona Cardinals I'm not with you on Watson. I do think Marv is gonna end up being the guy I mean of all things that's the one that I disagree with but that's why it's an irrational take All right, which NFL coach do you liken yourself to as a fantasy manager? Let's go around the horn Yeah, I've got mine as well, I'll kick it off first I have to tell me Yeah, we might I'm gonna go with Sean Payton. I think Sean Payton is is my comp because He's really good is he is but he's not necessarily likable as he goes out of control You know where he he can win Without grace and I can't I can't you so that's where it's like I and you know He's such a talented coach and I'm such a talented You know, that's where I caught myself I will give you a recent quote from the coach I'm gonna count myself to uh, I want to have the highest scoring offense ever What which happens to be the 2013 Denver Broncos? I know how many points per game they scored and I want to surpass them. I want shutout. I want blowouts I'm talking about Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears offensive guru And as of just playing fantasy football a coach even Whispering that and not even like this was full. I mean, he's been chest out before it ripped the shirt off pop that top When you'd win a coach is like no, we don't want to just win. We want to embarrass people That's what we're talking about. I I love that I feel like that's the heart and soul of fantasy football to begin with I just want to be a coach that has general manager powers the amount of transactions. I make my fantasy team Yeah, I need to have control Maybe you go back to old-school Belichick and getting the moves made that need to happen But I want general manager powers as a coach. What is the dumbest thing you've ever convinced yourself? Was a great fantasy take Her mind's recent and real bad Here I said, I was a good analyst I'm about to undo that I will miss varying on on Caleb Johnson last year I mean he was he was a guy that I would seem to see on J. He is he is currently on the Steelers last year's rookie who I do not expect to make the roster He is he's been pretty much as as bad of an NFL draft pick as possible He fumbled away a Steelers game last year has never recovered from that moment obviously hasn't done enough in Camp behind the scenes. I don't know who he angered for, you know on in personal relationships The team went out and then signed Rico Dowdle They drafted the wrong back him. I love them I mean, I really genuinely put my you know flag on I really believe that Caleb Johnson was a great Collegiate running back who was gonna translate that's where it's gonna stop I will I will take the L on that one and that's a that's a capital L I I just remember we're about to do a live show out here in Phoenix No, I mean probably it's and we do we do I want the same guy do a bold prediction Every single time we do a live show and we were just looking back at some of our old ones And boy, I got up on a stage in front of a bunch of people and told them that the Jets were gonna win The Super Bowl a couple of years ago. Was that the Rodgers year? It was it was the Rodgers Listen I still stand by that take like sometimes something doesn't ever know Yeah, you never know plays in we'll never know. We weren't wrong. It was incomplete That's it. That's right. I think I mean it's recency bias and you guys seem to think it's gonna be okay But we told everyone that there is no possible way that Marvin Harrison jr. Is a bust in the NFL or for fantasy football Maybe he like maybe he's not as great as we think he could be but it has been It's getting closer. It's been a disaster based on what he was supposed to be so far I thought he was an absolute lock and the Cardinals did too. I mean ride my support of my Sirius XM radio show He basically said as much I mean, I'm every time he drops the ball. I'm still stunned I mean, that's where I'm at when it comes to mark. All right, give us a personal and tell us the reason why I'll never draft this guy again player and what he did to you to become that guy. I Had one That would really hurt me on a personal level level. We usually try to forgive Guys, so it's not often that we're like, hey, he's off my board no matter what but P Rivers Philip Rivers he oh my gosh, dude, I was on the way to Fantasy glory and all I needed the only thing I needed him to do was not throw like five Interceptions in a game that was it and he couldn't stop. He couldn't stop throwing interceptions I'm surprised my television made it through that day. I don't know how I didn't throw something at it I was so infuriated and I will I will Know I would never at that point ever draft Philip Rivers again, which turned out to be great for me Obviously that's that's a couple years old but he was nicknamed P Rivers from that point forward great nickname for our show No, really not He deserved that didn't make for a great episode of the show It did do you have somebody in that category Mike because I don't feel like I have a name that sticks out it's tougher because we do we we try to Be rational as much as we can and say like this is a different year. Whatever that player did to you last year Yeah We just talked about on today's show and I brought up my all the people who said I'll never try Christian McCaffrey again Yeah, what he did to me Whoever whoever drafted McCaffrey last year. I think there's a pretty strong Odds that that person at least made it to the championship Probably won the guy who's like closest to it It's DK Metcalf. I knew that was gonna be the Steelers because I just I've never been a Metcalf Guy like I I don't think he's bad by by any stretch I just I would I never bought into the hype the way that that people really did I'm more than and then he goes to the Steelers. He gets the bag He they back up the truck of gold bullion and you're thinking He's got to be sick. He's gonna he has to get so many targets which is you know, we just we search for four targets for that volume when we're drafting our fantasy wide receivers and I got him last year. I said, you know what? I'm gonna I'm gonna bite my tongue on this one I'm gonna admit maybe I'm wrong here, and I wasn't wrong He came back was a disaster last year. Yeah I think anytime you have a player that we've talked about on the show as Being like they show a tremendous amount of promise and this is the year it's gonna work out So for years, it was Terry McLaurin. Yes, DJ Moore and it was like, you know, the players great and then something goes wrong You know, I think without Kenneth Walker moving to Kansas City He would have been the answer to the question for me like something always goes wrong for Kenneth Walker So, you know, the careers are not long, but sometimes the burns they last a couple of seasons. I started playing fantasy baseball and football in the third grade I Have a father-son league with my son who's now 11 going into sixth grade and they're they're football obsessed, right? 12 kids with their dads Monday, you know Labor Day Monday. They have a draft. It's unbelievable What do you think is the right age to start playing fantasy? And are you ever too old to play fantasy? Oh, well, yeah, I can answer the too old. We have a writer who just shared with us one of our Writers just shared with us that her 92 year old grandmother Wow was listening to the show hazard Talking smack. So there is there's definitely not an end cap I think it's gonna it's gonna keep you young and all that emotion will be good on sharp. It's good for the mind I feel like Accessibility to it is like it's younger and younger I think is probably the right answer with with like You know the the tech and just being able to follow it on your your iPad or your phone or like Doing that like for my kids. I just let it happen and it seemed like for one of them It didn't that much and then the other one it was like Really into it at about probably that third fourth fifth grade level Where the numbers and being able to watch on Sunday and like I think all the tech integration for fantasy really helps Just make it more entertaining and fun And they've got stuff like that, but the Nickelodeon game and things that get people into the sport all together I think it's just when the when if your kids like really showing interest in Football. Yeah, he's my co-manager He's along for the ride. What you don't want to do is force the kid in and then you're just now I'm managing a team of my children Because either you win and you're supposed to or you lost to children Never tell anyone about it again. So it's just once the interest level is there in third grade That seems very reasonable. All right, what's your take on? Sunday when it comes to let's say an hour before a kickoff because I struggled with this especially and I'm DFS obsessed, right? Tinker don't tinker. What's the thought process? What's the strategy? When do you lock in and say I've got the guy I've got to take I'm not looking at weather Forecasts or that are you a tinker or non tinker? We've done it all we've done it all I think tinkering is usually a mistake You want to be up to date on the information you bring up whether sometimes that's gonna change something if it's Outrageously bad or or an injury make sure you're you know Absolutely waiting till kickoff and setting your lineup, but more often than not It's like oh I shouldn't have made that move the last second moves they've burned me. Yeah, if you're switching narrative Yeah that's what it is if you're like if you've told yourself story on a few guys then you convince yourself of the truth and then You get right before kickoff and you start going back over the stories Yeah, I'll do it. But it's oh, it's I would definitely say it's a mistake 70% of the time Definitely a mistake 70% of the time I could not agree with that more You guys are phenomenal when it comes to takes and predictions and analysis That's why everyone watches everyone listens why I'm obsessed I want to know your best fantasy football preseason call you've ever made. Oh, and one that you want back as well. Oh Well, that's another story. I always say my favorite all-time preseason call was Arian Foster of the Houston Texans Because he was buried when he was buried on a depth chart It's my it's like my greatest victory lap of all time and it also had like I took him You know what? I mean? It wasn't just a take. There's like this guy look I did it and then I benefited from it So it was like he's like my all-time favorite fantasy player simply because of how that worked out On the positive when you get to call your own shot on something that's rare and then you're right. Oh the glory Oh the glory for me, I would say and actually it's me and Andy we saw the same thing at the same time when backup quarterback Kurt Warner was He was Dominating in preseason and when that liner was supposed to win that liner was supposed to be the starter He was just so good that it was like I rushed to the waiver wire to pick up Kurt Warner and lo and behold I Saw that like minutes before Andy got him. He went on. Did you win a championship that year with Kurt Warner? It was really bad I But that one was fun to see to witness to rush to action Sadly, it worked out for you and not me, but that one was that was really I do I do have an answer on the terrible one It was Dante Pettis of the San Francisco 49ers who was absolutely on fire in the End the rookie to end the repair and then all of a sudden we're getting to the point We do these my guys every year on the show where we have to plan our flag And I finally say the name and then like the next two weeks couldn't have been worse press for Dante Pettis I have to with the only time in this show. We've withdrawn a Recommendation, but he is forever attached to my name and I regret it. I Mean, there's just so many. Okay One let me talk about how great I am I we got that you have to be last year That one that one felt good, but it's like we everyone just knew McCaffrey's good But I like my chips were all in one I am extremely proud of was we had our our bold predictions show which is where you're saying things that you like you think they can happen, but it's it's a spicy meatball and 2019 Melvin Gordon was the starting running back of the Los Angeles Chargers or where they might have been Sandy I don't know and there was the undrafted free agent Austin Echler who was Starting to make some noise and I went on bold predictions I said Austin Echler is gonna be a top 12 running back this year not drafted anywhere near that and Melvin Gordon like held out for four games and then Austin Echler ends up like Breaking out and breaking fantasy where he ends up being the the number six overall running back on the season That's a terrific call All right I want to get to take on this and I you know we've had pastor tan for my son's league pick who is gonna get the first pick this year and I argue with my son about this all the time and my opinion has changed through the years 12 person snake dress What's the best spot to pick? Number one it changes every year. Yeah every year. It's different some some years There's five like all in the same tier and then I want the fifth pick I want I want the the highest second round pick possible when I'm getting someone in the same tier. I Personally that it's different for everybody. I put Jameer Gibbs in his own world I think that he's going to score more fantasy points than any other running maybe of all time I think you could break, you know, LeDany and Tomlinson's record. So I want him and the nice thing about it Sometimes it's not worth it. But this year the guys at the 2-3 turn. I really like I don't I don't look at the guys That are a few spots before and be like man. I wish I was a couple spots higher I so if I can start with Gibbs and then have really quality players at 2-3. I I don't mind it at all Yeah, a lot of years. I feel like we say we want to be at the as far back as the final upper tier running back Yeah, or maybe wide receiver this year when we've done mock drafts being at eight nine ten eleven It feels like the teams are not coming out as as well as we'd like Maybe it's just because we're having to stare down the decision on Jefferson gonna be okay with Tyler Murray Questions like that, but I'm with you this year. I think it is the number one overall spot But it does it changes every single year and obviously you want to maximize value How early should you take a quarterback this year in a draft Give us your top five fantasy quarterbacks this year and a guy at quarterback that you have undervalued So the timing of this question is is funny, we just did a top ten tips and tricks for this year and one of my points was I was bringing up the Fantasy football is a game. It's a market like it is it's a stock exchange like you need to kind of understand how the game actually works and Right now the market the the upper tier elite quarterbacks that years ago would be going in the first round and then and then some in The second round they're going later. They're going in the middle rounds and we we have mentioned It's not the best to spend that high of a pick on on a quarterback does the opportunity cost for the rest of your team? Because the rest of the market but now you can get guys like Jane Daniels in the fifth round You get Jalen hurts at in the fifth. Sometimes even the sixth round guys who can be Real elite difference makers at the position. So we're We're staying open to those. There's later around guys that that are are Very fun. Like I think Trevor Lawrence is That's a good being massively undervalued right now. We're all so caught up in arguing. It's Parker, Washington No, it's Jacoby Myers. Oh, I think Brian Thomas resurges this year all those points go to Trevor Lawrence and the end at the end of the day and He ended the season on fire after the bye week Trevor Lawrence was like a top three fantasy quarterback But he's not being drafted that way. So he's an undervalued guy, but we're open to taking quarterback in the fifth round this year Yeah, I think you can take quarterback wherever the they're not overpriced this year throughout the draft But to give you my top five in a four-point passing touchdown league My fifth quarterback is definitely the one I think is undervalued and I would love to draft them later my top five in that format goes Josh Allen Lamar Jackson Jalen hurts Joe burrow and Jackson dart. Oh In a four-point per passing touchdown league There are only three guys in the league that can rush for 800 yards at the quarterback position Lamar could do it I don't think he does it at this point anymore He was he was far away from it last year Jaden Daniels can get back to it But he's costing a much higher pick and Jackson dart can do it and he is a ninth round option So to me, it's tough because if you play that game and you wait And you lose out then it's like oh man I should have just taken Josh Allen great But I think he's one of the best values in the draft because he can break fantasy with his legs Fascinated to get a take at the running back position. I'm high on Ashton Genthe I was very high on Ashton Genthe last year that obviously did not hit my son drafted him in the first round over McCaffrey But then he got he won the league got Jonathan Taylor round to Jackson Smith and jiggle around three He would draft him again. I would as well Give us your top five running backs in fantasy football for this year and a couple of sleepers at the running back Yeah, it's a great question. You always want to hit on I mean they can completely dominate and win your league We have gives it number one right now Bijan sitting at two Christian McCaffrey James Cook Jonathan Taylor. That's our consensus top five right now I think the guy that is exciting that could move into an upper echelon tier with the new home is Ken Walker in Kansas City He's somebody that you know, or you want to have 300 plus Opportunities pushing hopefully 350. That's one name I think Omarion Hampton in Los Angeles with the Chargers is another name We're paying close attention to because we like the play caller we like what we saw in the field last year, but he was banged up and hurt and is still a Tremendously young guy and I love Gente too. I think we're on team Gente. He is just expensive in fantasy compared to some of those other names where You do have to he has to perform right up to that draft call Yeah, if you compare him versus Hampton, I think Gente is a better player than Hampton The problem is the opportunity and the team around him But we look at you know of top three selected the first three rounds in fantasy football those running backs to go The ones that are on teams projected for fewer than seven and a half wins all you know They hit at like a 30% rate It's really scary To have a guy like Gente Taken ahead of a guy like Hampton when you're on a bad team that you're not sure is gonna win Six games versus a team that could be a Super Bowl contender has a good defense has an improved offensive line and has way more touchdown opportunities So it makes Devon HN really hard in Miami. The talent is amazing the team not projected to win a lot of games There's a handful of guys that we love but they're they're on team or a bad team there I mean Jeremy, I love in Arizona is a tough one. He's amazing and he'll probably work out. Will it be this year? Will it be the second half? It's you want to be around the goal line and that's the one advantage Hampton has yeah some later round running backs that are undervalued I think DeAndre Swift is probably being drafted behind where he should be drafted You've got some middle of the pack guys that you you know, Bill Kraski merit Yes, that's the name I was gonna you know, he might be able to break out and really late I like Jordan Mason to lead the Vikings and he's a very late draft pick over You know You guys referenced it before Justin Jefferson who I'm obsessed with and I'm not a Kyler guy in general But I think Kyler can be great for Justin Jefferson and with KOC in Minnesota and I'm high on the Vikings this year and I think Jefferson's gonna be back to doing Justin Jefferson things Give us your top five wide receivers. I do love Jefferson. I love CD lamb I wouldn't be surprised if Nico Collins pushed higher on list this year and give us some sleeper wide receivers Yeah, the Jefferson thing is so interesting because we've seen like when Hopkins was in his prime He had a year where he just disappeared from fantasy They figured the quarterback thing out Larry Fitzgerald in Arizona has done that our top five right now chase Fukunaga JSN I'm on Ross St. Brown and CD lamb. That's the top five guys that we have but Nico is right there Jaden Higgins injury Moving him up to that You know The target share is gonna be really high and then for our consensus ranks Jefferson's the next man up in that group in a half PPR league Some later round guys Christian Watson Mike brought him up earlier I am also a believer if healthy without Dobbs without Don TV and wicks with Tucker craft coming back slowly Could be a player to pay attention to and then Marvin Harrison is a really low traffic And I you you said you believed I said, I believed I I'm coming around on Marv this year Chris Godwin in Tampa Yeah, that's a great one. I mean, he's just forgotten. Yeah, right Emeka book is the exciting fun player So we don't know what's going might have turf to so it's one of those things where you got to pay attention to value and Fantasy players we get tired of certain names and they get discounted And then look for Alec Pierce to come back late in the season I'd throw that out there to you and one other name to throw out days on Stripling the rookie wide receiver Yeah San Francisco 49ers been getting a ton of buzz and all their wide receivers are just I mean Mike Evans is dealing with his 10th injury since getting to San Francisco Ricky Pierce all's out for the year. They lost you on Jennings They got to throw the ball somewhere. It's good offense and and he's been getting a lot of buzz He's so late in drafts right now Our last one for you guys How soon in a draft this year? Can I say the name Brock Bowers and give us some tight ends that are gonna make owners look smart? Honestly second round is perfectly fine for Brock. Absolutely It's totally fine, but I am personally willing to take him at the back of the first round I think when you get there There are there are guys that all of a sudden you switch from known perfect commodities to two questions You know you we bring up gentee and it's like, okay. I see how it could not work for him I don't see how it doesn't work for Brock Bowers And if he is the number one or number two tight end, you're not going to regret that pick So I know you're supposed to take him in the second. I'm okay at the end of the first as far as a Tight end. I'll give one name. The other guys can give a name Dalton Kincaid he is a super good tight end who has been very very injured He only played 38% of the snaps last year, but on a yards per route run basis. He was number one in the league So if he's actually healthy and he appears healthy, why not take a shot at the Bills offense? You know for a talented tight end Yeah, I was just saying my late round guy is gonna be It's Dallas garden Goddard in Philadelphia because McKay lemons hasn't had much time at training camp AJ Brown is obviously gone and whenever AJ Brown and Devante Smith missed games Goddard was obviously the beneficiary We haven't heard anything about Eli Stowers this offseason So I think that's a sneaky and I'm going with Juwan Johnson of the New Orleans Saints who? You know last year Nick Underhills He's an amazing beat reporter for for the Saints and he was telling us Juwan Johnson is gonna be involved involved more than people realize and He finishes as the tight end 10 and With Jordan Tyson coming in. I was kind of concerned. Can can Juwan really command more target share? Well now Jordan Tyson's missing at least two months And that's this isn't at least where his hamstring situation is now Into a scary red zone of do we end up losing an entire rookie season? I think Tyler shuck is the truth once he started once he took over as a starter He was he would have we called the 17 game pace of like the production he put up His 17 game pace was over 4,200 passing yards, and that was without Jordan Tyson That was with Chris Alaba and Juwan Johnson so he he is a player to me that is he's already had fantasy success and The the opportunity around him just got better and the aforementioned Nick Underhill Has he been banging the drum saying Juwan Johnson looks awesome yet again in this year's training camp So if you miss on everybody I think you can with your last pick take Juwan and and have a guy who's at least gonna get you through the first Few weeks of the season absolutely Mike Jason Andy you guys are absolutely the best That was so much fun and reminded to my shine squad the fantasy footballers the number one fantasy football podcast Make sure you catch them on Sirius XM YouTube wherever you listen to podcasts and their ultimate draft kit Which includes the tier base rankings 100 plus player profiles and other resources to help you win your league? It's available right now the fantasy footballers Calm you guys are the best we appreciate the time have a great season, and we'll talk again real soon Sounds good for having us