Fantasy Football - Bold Predictions + Spicy Takes, BILL CROSKEY! - Podcast for 8/26

12:38Jason Moore:The name I'm going to bring up for undrafted gyms is a guy that I am starting to get a little bit hot and bothered by.

12:45Mike Wright:Yeah, you mentioned him early this morning right away. We talked about Greg Dulcich getting cut.

12:50Jason Moore:it's a player you might not know you might not have heard of it's theo johnson tight end good name tight end second year tight end for the giants this dude is an athletic monster we're not talking like i mean everybody's athletic but there has to be someone who is the most athletic

13:08Mike Wright:that is nearer where theo johnson is his r is true in this office go on his ras score is 9.99 out of

13:17Jason Moore:10. That's basically his overall athletic profile. He is a beast. And if you look at what he did last year as a rookie, rookie tight ends, okay, yeah, you got Sam Laporta who came through and you got Brock Bowers, but it is very normal and common with every other non, you know, other than those two names I mentioned, basically every other great tight end in history hasn't really come on his rookie season, but he actually, he did stuff. He was starting to make waves, like wasn't really involved the first month of the season, got better and better and better. In fact, his last eight games. He was on pace for like 650 yards as a rookie, which would have been a top 10 number last year already.

13:53Jason Moore:And then he had a season ending injury in week 13. But before that, he had the eighth most total routes and routes per game at the tight end position, 27 and a half. So he is on the field. He is being used. We just saw Greg Dulcich tear up preseason in this system and then they cut him. Why? Because they got Theo Johnson. They got the guy they want on the field who's going to be a monster. And then you look at the depth chart and you're like, okay, Malik Neighbors, 82 % market share. But that leaves 18 % for the rest of the team. And so I think that his opportunity to be the number two target in this offense is legit.

14:33Jason Moore:And he has the athletic profile, which is what you look for in tight ends, to actually have a breakout season. So this is, again, it's an undrafted gym. You're not even taking them with your last pick. but I'm telling you if you see something in week one if he's on the field making a play or two or if you're in deeper leagues where you know tight end premium deeper leagues where you are going to draft multiple tight ends he's certainly one I'm targeting there has been some uh concern

14:57Mike Wright:about Theo Johnson with uh undisclosed injury stuff at the end of camp I I take the Greg Dulcich cut situation as it as kind of like a way to rest easier on that because he had missed a little bit of time but heading into the season with how greg dolcich played in the preseason and them cutting him um i feel much more comfortable and maybe that makes him even sneakier all right that was undrafted gyms presented by walmart who knew you could get what you need in as fast as an hour get free delivery on your first express delivery order with the code express valid for first express delivery order 50 minimum subject to availability restrictions apply News and notes from around the league Presented by Progressive Insurance

15:46Alright

15:46Mike Wright:Boy do we Oh let's see archives Archives Let's go into Oh here we go He's back Mamari Cooper Not just back you know in general Back to a team he's played for The Raiders are signing Amari Cooper on a one-year deal worth$3.5 million. He didn't really look like he had a lot left last year in Buffalo. No, he did not. Never got into a groove there and was a league winner two years before.

16:19Jason Moore:He was a league winner last year when you got to trade him for Jamar Chase. Oh, just kidding. You didn't win. You lost to the championship.

16:27Mike Wright:Anyways, continue. Oh, I won. You won the trade. So, Kobe Myers has requested a trade. the depth chart there in las vegas with the trade request from jacoby myers mixed with omari cooper signing is interesting you know deontay thornton jr is a huge upside candidate this year the number one on that team you have trey tucker who's been playing 100 of snaps

16:50Andy Holloway:jack besh is there did you guys make substantial movements with this i would with the trade request with the combo of the cooper signing and the trade i did not so what i what i little bit

17:00Jason Moore:The approach that I personally took, I put Amari Cooper there where I expect him to be. I didn't actually adjust the other wide receivers because I do think there's a chance Jacoby Myers should go or could get traded. So right now, the stats don't all add up the way I usually prefer them to do for a team because I think there could be more movements coming.

17:19Mike Wright:Yeah, the team, at least for their part, said that they're not trading him and not considering trading him. But it's a money thing, just so you know. It's not performance. It's a money thing. he wants to be paid more money. It's just like John Jennings' situation, which is also very murky.

17:36Andy Holloway:He's looking around the league at all these guys getting their last-second deals. He's like, wait a minute. This is working? I need to get in on this.

17:43Mike Wright:Kenny Pickett's traded yet again the fourth time, I think. Kenny Pickett is now a member of the Raiders. So the Browns and their four quarterbacks, they're down to three. Aiden O 'Connell got hurt, so they traded for Kenny Pickett. and now Joe Flacco and Dylan Gabriel and Shador Sanders.

18:00Andy Holloway:I feel like Joe Flacco's job is a little safer now. Oh, yeah. I like this for everybody. Okay, I wasn't sure if you guys felt like that.

18:07Jason Moore:No, this is great. I think it does keep Joe Flacco's job safer. He's got a pretty good schedule, although that being said, the team is expected to lose a lot of games. You've got the rookies behind him. But I think that Jerry Judy, David Njoku, I was more scared of Kenny Pickett coming in than I was of them trying to throw these two rookies in the mix.

18:29Mike Wright:Tajay Spears, IR, high ankle sprain. He'll miss the first four weeks. Tony Pollard, don't forget him in your draft.

18:36Jason Moore:Yeah, I moved him up. He's actually at a spot now, Pollard is, where I expect to be drafting him. He's ahead of where his ADP will land in drafts this weekend.

18:47Mike Wright:We did have another report. We're going back and forth. Daniel Popper believing Najee Harris will begin on the NFI list. I'll say this.

18:57Jason Moore:If there's two different reports, one saying, oh, I believe he'll be ready week one, and one saying I believe he'll be on the non-football injury list, I'm going to put my dollar on the one that is not playing because he has not participated in any kind of full contact yet, but I have no inside information.

19:13Mike Wright:The Texans announced Joe Nixon will begin the season on the reserve NFI list, which is a four-week minimum. So DeMarco, uh, D 'Amico Ryans came out and had kind of a little bit of a, you know, a message that made me concerned about the season long availability of Mixon. He said they have a very deep running back room, lots of players that can provide a ton of depth and guys who can quote, get us through the season. Yeah.

19:40Jason Moore:So this list can be, uh, it's minimum four game maximum 18.

19:45Mike Wright:So, you know, you just, I, now my team was depleted. Picks-wise, in our league of record, we have three keepers. I was the lucky one with Joe Mixon as a keeper. Really thrilled with that decision right now. I let him go yesterday for a sixth-round pick pretty much right with the news.

20:06Jason Moore:To be fair, that is not just a sixth-round pick. We keep three keepers that are not draft costs. So basically it's a ninth-round pick. And I, in a super flex league yesterday, drafted him in the 11th round before this news. How do you feel about that? Pretty bad. okay really bad i don't uh you know i think i could have got him probably in the 14th the vibes

20:26Andy Holloway:of the offseason are terrible we have no true insight like what is wrong like if they're just like oh he's got a problem with his foot and the the fact that there are whispers and rumors which look there is rumors but it's like like he may not play this year he's had i believe and someone

20:48Mike Wright:out there can correct me, Kyle Betts, if you're listening, I believe in the past, he's had a Les Frank situation and that could be related to something going on. I believe I saw that. Again, I could be wrong. To his right foot.

21:03Andy Holloway:And at least this is Google AI, but 2020?

21:08Mike Wright:Yes. So I think there's been a foot injury before and it's a really complicated rehab right now. And we just don't know what's going on. So in my situation, I'd rather just have the pick and move on um jalen wright not expected for week one phil maffa on ir for the cowboys and some cuts

21:26Andy Holloway:deontay johnson was also a cut from the browns dude what uh he i knew he was he was looking that

21:33Mike Wright:way because he kept playing in these preseason games you know he was out there every single game he gone for good i think does he find another like no no he finds another practice squad

21:43Jason Moore:I'm desperate for what he can do. But if I'm a general manager, I've got to go, no way.

21:49Mike Wright:You indulge certain levels of crazy proportional to talent. Once the talent is not worth the crazy, you're gone. The Browns released him. You're out of the league. The Browns released him.

22:00Andy Holloway:We got tagged on a joke here, so this is a shout-out to Joshua Cho. And it says, last season I told you Deontay Johnson is an elite separator. He is now separated from the Steelers, the Panthers, the Texas, the Ravens, and the Browns. I forgot. That is a good joke.

22:17Mike Wright:Yeah, I forgot that he was on a couple of those teams. You're done. What else? Audra Gastamay is gone. He has been cut. We said Cam Akers. Malachi Corley. That one's kind of sad to me. First touchdown, fumbled it into the end zone. Third round last year. Yeah.

22:34Jason Moore:I mean, I estimated it was last year as well.

22:36Mike Wright:Oh, did the Seahawks cut Damian Martinez? They did.

22:38Jason Moore:Okay.

22:39Mike Wright:Well, that's great.

22:41Jason Moore:Make a little dynasty league adjustment. I was going to say, that sounds like you just picked him up. Going back to the Phil Moffa being placed on IR with a soldier injury. A soldier injury? A soldier. Yeah, with the shoulder injury. Jaden Blue, their other rookie. This is the Dallas Cowboys rookie tandem, is also injured. So I do think, I mean, I know it's gross, but the Javante Miles Sanders, it's cleared up a little bit for Javante to get a workload heading into the season. In double-digit rounds, I think I'm going to sadly pull the trigger.

23:11Andy Holloway:Also, Sleeper, Phil Moff was on the IR. If we could go ahead and make that adjustment.

23:16Mike Wright:Oh, is that related to anything you're doing right now?

23:18Andy Holloway:Yeah. Trying to make moves here. All right. This was announced yesterday.

23:25Mike Wright:Yeah, yeah. That's too late. What about me? Oh, what? Oh, wait. Did you want to mention that Adam Thielen and the Vikings are now talking? They're continuing to talk?

23:33Jason Moore:I'm going back to nap. What? Yeah. Just last piece of news. Okay.

23:39Mike Wright:Okay. Thanks. We got a lot going on. That was News & Notes sponsored by Progressive Insurance. Quote today at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and third-party insurers. Not available in all states or situations. Coverage subject to policy terms, limits, and conditions. Taking a break. Back with the Bold Predictions.

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26:04Mike Wright:All right, I'm really excited about this. It's a fun episode every year. It is time.

26:14Ridiculously Bold Predictions.

26:23Mike Wright:Oh, we just had a simultaneous sip from the mugs, Mike. A simul-sip? A simul-sip. That's why you watch on YouTube. Moments like that. All right, two bold predictions from each of us. Does somebody want to go first? Do you want me to go first? You tell me.

26:42Jason Moore:I'll hop in. All right. I'll hop in. my bold prediction number one for the 2025 season the Atlanta Falcons win the division on the back full stop we're already too hot on the back of number one running back Bajon Robinson top five wide receiver Drake London top ten tight end Kyle Pitts you didn't have to do that top 15 quarterback Michael Pennix balling out this is really

27:11Mike Wright:Number one, number five, number 10, number 15. Yeah, exactly.

27:14Jason Moore:Basically, all four players are going to be very good, and the Falcons are going to be good. And that is pretty bold considering this is a team that has not been over 500 since 2017. That's not great. They are not projected as a favorite in any of the weeks until week eight. Oh, boy. I'm looking at that. Underdog, underdog, underdog, underdog, bye. However, I mean, I know it sounds pretty bold. I think they could start the season 4-0. This all comes down to Michael Penix. Michael Penix is a year-two quarterback. I mean, this isn't a surprise, right? Like, NFL teams go as their quarterback goes.

27:57Jason Moore:And when Patrick Mahomes took over in year two, it was like, oh, we didn't know he was that. Michael Penix has a chance to go and be really, really special. That?

28:08Andy Holloway:Michael Penix could be Mahomes?

28:09Jason Moore:I mean, he has a chance, but no. If you look at what he did in his three games, I don't think people realize how good the Falcons' offense was. Well, I know he scored 32 points per game. The Falcons did in his three starts. That was more than the 24.6 points they scored per game when Kirk Cousins was not injured the first nine weeks. Obviously, the middle of the season was really bad with Kirk. That's why they made the transition. but this was a team that was six in total yards per game for a first-year play caller last year and a dying, injured veteran quarterback moving into a rookie quarterback.

28:48Jason Moore:If Michael Penix has it, if Michael Penix comes, this is a winnable division. This is a team with enough offensive firepower to be really, really special. And the way Michael Penix plays is actually very conducive to a high upside outcome. It's on both sides. That's why this is a bold prediction because he plays in a way where he gets the ball out quick but also throws it very deep, kind of boom-bust, and he has the opportunity here to really explode. In his three starts, 67 offensive plays per game. That was fifth in the NFL. 32 points per game. That was sixth in the NFL during those times. and the way he plays, I think they're going to let him rip the ball.

29:36Jason Moore:I think they're going to go out there, put the ball in his hands, and say this is your team. With this division, I know it sounds bad when you're not favored to win going into Week 8, but these aren't terribly hard matchups. Start at home against Tampa Bay. You're going to win the division. You've got to start there. You've got to get that win in Week 1, which it's a 2.5-point spread. Not a big deal, but their actual schedule coming up, according to Warren Sharp, is the fourth easiest schedule on the season. We try to look at teams who have the avenue to take a giant, massive leap forward because every year there are several teams that go from scoring 12 to 17 more touchdowns the next season.

30:18Jason Moore:And it's usually on the back of a quarterback. And here we are going not from a veteran to a rookie, but from a veteran to a second-year quarterback. And I love that situation when you've got an easy schedule, a lot of elite weapons, and I do think Kyle Pitts is going to be better than we think. Drake London is that dude, and Bajon will allow him to thrive in the passing game. They're going to have to stack the box. They're going to have to worry about Bajon and the dump-off. So I'm calling for Atlanta Falcons to be in the playoffs this year and help in fantasy way more than you think.

30:55Mike Wright:Okay, I like it. It's bold, but there are huge fantasy upside players on that roster. Is there a more bold prediction than this one? Matthew Stafford stays healthy for 17 games. Oh, Pisces. And Puka becomes the first player in NFL history with 12 or more 100-yard games in a single season. So it's a little different. This is not a stat that's very common, but it is very exciting when a player gets there. Calvin Johnson did it 11 times in 2012. Michael Irvin has done it 11 times. Cooper Cupp in 2021, he did it 11 times with? Matthew Stafford. With Matthew Stafford. And then we've seen Puka in his rookie year, he did it nine times.

31:42Andy Holloway:So three of the wide receivers you just listed are Matthew Stafford wide receivers.

31:47Mike Wright:That's it. You got it. And last year, he did not play a full season. He played in 10 total games. Five of them, 100-yard games. two of them 98 and 97 so he was right there and uh i you know it doesn't maybe it needs repeating because we've been spending like the last month really worried about matthew stafford and so maybe that's made people less and less excited about puka but his 17 game pace last year was 173 targets 128 receptions for 1623 yards he is coming into his prime every bit of hesitation comes from Matthew Stafford's health. But if you want to make a bold prediction and a bold bet, bet that the Rams managed it the way they needed to manage it this offseason and that Matthew Stafford wouldn't be playing unless he thought he could play.

32:36Mike Wright:And if he plays, Puka has every chance at being the number one overall wide receiver. So my bold prediction, 12 times this year he goes over 100 yards in a game.

32:46Jason Moore:That's not the bold prediction. The bold prediction is the beginning. Stafford plays 17. Fair enough. I mean, if Stafford plays 17, then that other part's easy.

32:54Mike Wright:Yeah, I know.

32:56Jason Moore:Based on the fact that those other three players,

32:58Mike Wright:three of the five that have gotten to nine or more are Stafford receivers, yeah. So there you go. Mike, what you got for us? I know we're all excited about.

33:13Andy Holloway:We're all excited for the seventh round rookie. It's fun. It's a great story. It's inspiring. I want to see what happens. However, for fantasy football purposes, I am going to go the other direction, and I am going to say Austin Eckler is a top 20 fantasy running back this year. Last year, before the injury, Austin Eckler was the RB 25.5 point scoring format. And it's what do we need here for Austin Eckler to hit this bold prediction and go into the top 20? Well, the stickiest stats for running backs, opportunities, targets, and especially first reads, and then first read targets, and then carries inside the five.

33:56Andy Holloway:Andy talked about it on our YouTube special, Just the Tips. Last year, when Bryan Robinson was out, 15 opportunities a game. And in those three games, week six, nine, and ten, he was running back 16 in one of them, and he was a running back six. He was electric. The season kind of gets washed out for Austin Eckler because we had already, as the fantasy community, we'd already moved on from him last year. And then he ends up missing a bunch of time because he ended up injured. But he averaged over three targets per game last year, 1.84 yards per route run. That's the fourth highest among all running backs.

34:35Andy Holloway:That's just behind where Jameer Gibbs was last year. in terms of first read targets. He was right there with Kamara, Achan, Brees Hall, Aaron Jones. Like, he's with the best of the best when it comes to that percentage.

34:50Mike Wright:So what's the ball prediction is?

34:52Andy Holloway:The line of 20? The line that Austin Eckler ends up in the top 20.

34:57Mike Wright:You want to make it Pisces? You could go 18.

35:02Jason Moore:It's Pisces here. Fine. It's higher. Fine. Where do you want me to stop? I don't. I would like you to stop at 15.

35:09Mike Wright:There's bold predictions and there's Pisces ones. That's all I'm saying.

35:14Andy Holloway:Fine. It's for me to drop the S and get to – Yeah, how do you drop the S? Yeah, right now it's spicy. Fine, 18. Oh, that's a little Pisces. There we go. Look, we have talked about Washington and the backfield all year long. I had accepted that Brian Robinson was a potential draft day value because you need to have a piece of this backfield. You don't know for sure who it's going to be, but you know they're going to score so many points, and they're a late round. I never loved Brian Robinson as a prospect or a player, but now he's gone. I saw he was a keeper in our league of record.

35:50Mike Wright:Somebody had Brian Robinson as a keeper. Brian Robinson in the offseason, it began, he was a value for us. Yes. Because he was productive in this offense, and we loved the offense. And then now that he's gone, he's been mostly deleted.

36:01Andy Holloway:And I get it. The excitement for Bill is, it's fun. But I think that Austin Eckler still has a lot to give to this team. He will be the pass catcher. How much does he get used near the goal line? That'll be the difference. Last year, Brian Robinson had 13 carries inside the five. And Eckler, last year, five carries inside the five turned into three rushing touchdowns compared to four on those 13 carries that Brian Robinson had. Eckler has always been very good at being a goal line running back. So I think that if he can sneak some of those out plus the targets, he's going to be a fantasy value.

36:38Mike Wright:Yeah, there's no one that works harder in the NFL than Austin Eckler. And it does seem like when he landed in Washington, it was like, okay, this is where you go to maybe. Yeah, it was over. You go to just be this bit part before you fade into nothingness, and then he's put in the work, was hyperproductive on the touches he got, and now has it right in front of him even when the world is all about. Bill Kroski.

37:02Andy Holloway:It's like the Jaden Daniels effect somehow has not – like when it was going to be Brian Robinson and Eckler, that didn't transfer over to them, even though it should. And now it's all on Bill. But I think that Austin Eckler is the guy that you want to draft for fantasy.

37:19Mike Wright:All right. Jason, why don't you give us your second bold prediction for 2025? All right. Y 'all not going to like it.

37:28Jason Moore:And when I'm saying y 'all, I'm saying it.

37:29Mike Wright:Why are you even saying it, man?

37:31Jason Moore:Everyone listening. Look. Sometimes things happen in fantasy we do not enjoy. And by sometimes, I mean every single year. The people hate it, Jason. Maybe I haven't seen your second one yet. Will Shipley, Sean Tucker, and Trey Benson all win championships for people in 2025. They will win championships for people in 2025. Insurance agents? Like those? Who are those guys? Will Shipley back up running back. Sean Tucker and backup running back Trey Benson.

38:04Mike Wright:Wait, you're saying all three of them are going to win titles?

38:06Jason Moore:All three of them are going to win titles for people. Wait, hold on a minute. Yes, that means what it means. Sorry, not sorry. Look, last year was an outlier year for running backs. League-wide, in terms of health, it was really an outrageously healthy year. Only three running backs in the top 24 ADP missed more than three games to injury. That just doesn't happen. In the last decade, only 2017 had a healthier season in terms of percentage of games played. This was a very healthy year for running backs. Now, we're not projecting injuries. Yes, you are. What we're doing is we're playing the odds.

38:43Jason Moore:No, you're playing specifics.

38:44Andy Holloway:You're literally projecting three. Don't gaslight me. Don't gaslight me. Specific injuries. I'm saying. I'm not projecting specifics, but Will Shipley. will ship Lee Benson and Sean Tucker specifically

38:57Jason Moore:will win your leagues. Let me make the case for why this could happen. I didn't hear Tyler Adier's name. No, because Bichon's indestructible this year. Bold prediction. I didn't hear Brian Robinson. I'll tell you a real spicy bold prediction. Bichon plays all 17. Okay, I'm never dropping that S. That's not even remotely surprising. but the the injury prone label is one that we we we obviously shy away from but we're playing a game and the odds say that we were very fortunate in 2025 if we're playing the averages we know that there's going to be injuries to some premier backs and if i'm looking at the situations that say where might those more realistically happen yep how about a an aged running back an elder statesman who's coming off 417 carries with a deep run into the playoffs.

39:55Jason Moore:Okay, I hope Saquon breaks the all-time record, but if I'm going to try to predict which ones might do it, okay, Saquon has some red flags that could say he misses some time this year. James Conner, another older running back who has pretty much never played a full season, okay, he could miss time. And then you've got Sean Tucker, who has two different running backs ahead of him. So this isn't like, oh, I see the case, but you've got an undersized Bucky, and you've got a currently hobbled and injured Rashad White. If either one of them, he's got twice as good of odds, because if either one go down, he can be relevant.

40:33Jason Moore:But here's why I picked Will Shipley, Sean Tucker, and Trey Benson. We could see the path of their presumed starters missing time this year. It's not as hard as like Tyler Algier and a young big-bodied back in Bijon. But the reason I picked those three is because they are talented. Not every backup will matter if the starter goes down. So these are three guys I'm targeting in fantasy drafts as my insurance backs. Will Shipley, get out of here with the A.J. Dillon stuff. Will Shipley's a good back. He was a premier pass-catching back. This offensive line can make DeAndre Swift matter. So this is a guy who, Will Shipley, he was just under 13 % of the reception chair at Clemson.

41:16Jason Moore:That is elite stuff. He was the number one high school recruit going into that year. Sean Tucker was supposed to be, you might not remember. Oh, I remember. I know we know. But if you're a casual fan coming in this time of year and you don't know who Sean Tucker was when he was drafted, he was supposed to be a... Well, he was not drafted. He was not drafted because of a congenital heart defect. Right. On his combine situation, they found a congenital heart defect that took him off the NFL team boards. He was supposed to be a highly drafted player. Well, you know what? He's playing football. And so he is a talented running back who has two different paths to relevance.

41:55Jason Moore:And then Trey Benson, last year was a down year for running backs. He wouldn't have been my favorite in most years. But he was my favorite running back coming out.

42:03Mike Wright:What kind of heart defect was it?

42:04Jason Moore:Congenital.

42:04Mike Wright:Okay.

42:05Jason Moore:What did I say? I never know what I say.

42:07Mike Wright:I was just really making sure. No, you're good. I'm good? You're good.

42:11Andy Holloway:The Deucers are being sophomoric in the back. Yeah, they just wanted to make – Ah, they were worried it was congenitals?

42:17Jason Moore:Yes. Okay. Something like that. Something like that. Something a little closer there. All right. Well, he had a problem with an organ. You know what I mean? So, anyways, his heart defect is the reason he fell. Is that Bill Crossley talking? Yeah. It started to slip. It does.

42:32Mike Wright:I was just teasing you really went on the nose, just like this prediction is on the nose of three guys that you're predicting. So the prediction is Saquon, Bucky, and Connor are injured.

42:42Jason Moore:What I am saying is that those are the three most talented backs that could win championships at the end of the year with pathways in front of them. It happens every year. That are easier to see coming.

42:53Mike Wright:Yes. No, it happens every year. You have players that nobody drafted, nobody thought about. They win you titles. They have opportunities. The teams are run heavy. It makes sense. I hope these guys, you know, the other guys stay healthy, but it makes sense. Jason doesn't. All right, we're going to take a break. Got two more bold predictions coming up.

43:19Mike Wright:What's up, Foot Clan? Listen, I have been in the tech space for more than 20 years. I have registered literally probably hundreds to maybe over a thousand domains in my life, including a ton of domains for like fantasy leagues and specialty things like our League of Record. And it always feels good to make it official. Wix domains, they make it ridiculously easy to purchase a domain today. And my favorite part is that you can grab a custom domain in minutes and not endure a 12-step funnel or all of the random add-ons making it hard to understand what you're even buying and what you actually wanted.

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44:30Mike Wright:Those are words you've used to describe us. In other words, you were made to drive the 2026 sierra 1500 denali a full-size pickup combining capability with elevated design and advanced technology you can seek out the exceptional with the denali their standard 5.3 liter v8 engine and 10-speed automatic transmission it's got a bold design we like bold designs they got the signature denali grill papa josh you know the signature grill the chrome header patterned aluminum trim inside you've got all that comfort uh you know jason's a comfort guy we like the comfort comfort reins with leather seating surfaces and 12-way power front seats with power lumbar you can learn more right now at gmc.com slash sierra 1500 all right my second bold prediction uh this one is it's spicy these three wide receivers outside the top 50.

45:34Mike Wright:50! In ADP will finish in the top 25 in fantasy. So three completely not paid attention to outside the top 50 by consensus players. Number one, Keon Coleman, wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. The second year breakout, it is coming. The opportunity is there. the quarterback, the offense, the testimony of his teammates. I don't mind this one. Keon Coleman is the number 50 wide receiver off the board. He is the first of the three names. Number two, Deontay Thornton Jr. This one is. He will be the very obvious number one wide receiver for the Raiders immediately. Amari Cooper's there, man. Immediately.

46:25Mike Wright:He is number 64 off the board. Rookie, wide receiver, physical freak, 6 '5", 205, 4 '3", 40, and done nothing. I mean, you talk about Isaac Tesla in the preseason. Yeah. Thornton continues to give you the same type of plays on a regular basis. Nobody's getting behind defenses.

46:43Andy Holloway:Yeah, but is he hitting the worm?

46:45Mike Wright:I don't know about the worm. It was a good worm. I don't know about the worm. It was a good worm. I looked it up. It was a good worm. I don't know.

46:50Jason Moore:And the worm into the landing? Yeah. Where he just ran after doing a worm? How can you do that?

46:55Mike Wright:It was a pretty powerful worm. Yeah. It's a strong move. But, yeah, you got Bowers, and you got Jacoby wants to trade. Tucker's Tucker, right? And Besh is not really making an impact.

47:05Andy Holloway:Cooper is elderly.

47:09Mike Wright:And so Deontay Thornton, I think within two or three weeks of the season, you'll be like, oh, that's his Metcalf. Wow. That's Geno Smith's Metcalf. And then the third name, number 54 on the ESPN ADP, Josh Downs of the Indianapolis Colts. I love me some Tyler Warren. I think Tyler Warren's going to be a dominator. But Josh Downs, it will be very obvious who their number one is going to be. All three of these players, they are going to be difference makers. They're going to be the number one in their wide receiver room. Okay? And you're going to see breakouts from all three of them. So that's my bold prediction.

47:45Mike Wright:Josh Downs, the usage already suggests he's their number one. 26 % target share. That's barely below Jamar Chase. Let's not forget about Josh Downs just because we're worried about the quarterbacks and who was going to start. You got the better quarterback starting. Doesn't mean he's a good quarterback. You got the better of the two. Keon Coleman, Deontay Thornton Jr., Josh Downs, all three of them outside the top 50 in ADP, all three, will slip inside the top 25.

48:11Andy Holloway:All right. Are we on to me? Do we need to take a break? Are we good? No, no. We just did that. We just need to take a breath. All right. Maybe drink some milk. Oh, because it's too – Yeah. Because it's too... Okay, okay, okay. What do you got? I am going to go with a quarterback who will be the youngest starting quarterback in week one. He has never taken a regular season snap. He will outscore Brock Purdy. He will outscore Caleb Williams. Okay. And he will finish as a top 12 fantasy quarterback. I am talking about J.J. McCarthy. Oh, boy. Of the Minnesota Vikings, who is just 22 and a half years old.

48:49Mike Wright:My new card collection will like that.

48:53Andy Holloway:yeah well we're all gonna enjoy it here's what happens at the minnesota vikings with kevin o 'connell at the helm in 2022 kirk cousins was the qb7 next year weeks one through eight kirk cousins was the qb4 he goes down to the achilles injury then what do we have oh nick mullins a player that people listening to this show, a lot of them are probably going, who? Well, in three of four starts, he was a top 12 fantasy quarterback. Josh Dobbs, when he got 80 % of the snaps, he was a top 12 in two of those five games. And then, of course, the masterpiece of last year, Sam Darnold, not brought in to be the starter.

49:37Andy Holloway:He was brought in to be the backup. Well, I guess he was brought in to be the starter. And then they drafted J.J. McCarthy. And then McCarthy goes down to a meniscus injury in the preseason and Sam Darnold is forced to be the guy there is panic in the streets how can Sam Darnold the Ghostbuster possibly be good for fantasy be good for the Minnesota Vikings and he was the QB8 in totality the quarterback position over the last three years from the Minnesota Vikings have the eighth most total fantasy points because through three seasons Kevin O 'Connell in pass rate over expectation, sixth, sixth, and third.

50:15Andy Holloway:Kevin O 'Connell likes to chuck the ball, and J.J. McCarthy, per my projection of scouting, is going to be a great quarterback. They improved the offensive line, got a lineman in round one, made some big free agent acquisitions. And on top of that, J.J. McCarthy runs just a little bit more than you actually realize. His last two years as a starter in Michigan, 300 yards on the ground and five touchdowns, 200 yards on the ground and three touchdowns. Like, this isn't, we're not talking he's going to go out and he's going to be, you know, rushing for 500, 600 yards, but he can give you 200 to 300.

50:49Andy Holloway:Like, this is part of his game. So I think that J.J. McCarthy is going to surprise and he is being, look, he's never played a snap, so people are a little bit concerned and they're not drafting him, but But I think he is going to shine and surprise and outscore a lot of quarterbacks drafted in front of him.

51:05Mike Wright:I heard Aaron Rodgers' level intelligence this week about J.J. McCarthy. Oh, no.

51:13Jason Moore:Does that change your opinion, Mike?

51:16Mike Wright:Not exactly the angle I was going.

51:18Jason Moore:Can we go, if we keep it in football?

51:21Mike Wright:Mahomes' level, you want to do that, Jason? Oh, that sounds pretty good. No, I mean, tactician, mentally ready to be a quarterback. will probably have some growing pains. Yes. But he's got a head coach that it puts you in the best position to avoid your weaknesses, and that is a bold and spicy take because it means that he should be played in fantasy often. That's what that means because we want to translate these into something relevant for what you're doing out there. With Eckler, it's obvious. For McCarthy, if you're a top-12 quarterback, if you're outscoring Brock Purdy, Caleb Williams, I mean, that means that there are probably a bunch of other names on that list, probably Justin Herbert on your list.

51:58Mike Wright:to a bunch of other players. That means you're starting him. That means he's showing up on our stream of the week episodes. That means that you're getting to the point where, like last year, you finally believed in Darnold after a certain point, and then Darnold became a streamer.

52:11Jason Moore:If Mike's right here, McCarthy will not be showing up on the streaming show in the second half of the year because it'll be like, Correct. Oh, yeah, you can't stream him.

52:20Andy Holloway:He's rostered. So what I'm saying about McCarthy is when you see it, if you look it's a bold prediction but if you see it early and you need quarterback help go get him

52:32Jason Moore:you're saying pay up yeah he comes out week one puts on you know scores 22 fantasy points are you saying like if you've got a quarterback you're going to add him to your roster most

52:43Mike Wright:likely yeah so so you you think that this is very positive for the you know the hawkinson the jefferson the addison sure all the sons all the sons yeah all right there you go there's our bold predictions episode did you guys uh do you want to jump in do a couple mailbag let's go

53:04mailbag it's spicy

53:08Mike Wright:if you've got a question you go to the website the fantasy footballers.com click the submit a question button or dial our voicemail hotline 302464 tffb this question comes from uh jackson in Atlanta, Georgia. Just making sure Jackson wasn't the location. Yeah, I hear you. Hey, ballers, big fan of the show. Post-draft, I realized I drafted JSN and Ken Walker. JSN is my wide receiver, too. I hope you realized it during the draft, if I'm honest with you. I did stand up.

53:37Andy Holloway:After the draft. I got to the end. I got a mystery. And two of my first four picks were.

53:42Mike Wright:He said, considering I have Jaden Daniels as my quarterback, is it worth trading JSN for McLaurin straight up? No. To complete that stack and then separate, obviously, the running back wide receiver stack.

53:52Jason Moore:I would not do that. No, I think that you don't want to overdo getting out of it. Like, would I have drafted those two guys together? Probably not. But then if you ship one off for 75 cents on the dollar, you're only compounding your mistakes. Two mistakes, you know, don't fix the problem. So if there is a worthy, I mean, honestly, Ken Walker is who you probably want to trade. Get the value. Wait a couple games into the season when he's been on the field and it's like, oh, wow, look how good he is. And then trade him.

54:24Andy Holloway:And then just live with your regrets as you lose the league. But that's okay.

54:31Jason Moore:Or, alternatively, get value for an awesome-looking running back who then doesn't play football as he doesn't.

54:40Mike Wright:Oh, okay. Teddy writes in on X. Full PPR, Malik or Nico?

54:44Andy Holloway:How is Charbonnet not in your bold predictions? You're going to throw Saquon Barkley under the bus. Charbonnet isn't bold.

54:51Mike Wright:It's not bold to say that Ken Walker's going to be out. Okay, that's fair. Yeah, that's fair. Mike's saying, yeah, it's dead on.

54:56Andy Holloway:It's bold to say that he's going to be good.

54:59Mike Wright:Yeah, you're bold, Mike. You're bold. Malik or Nico? Teddy wants to know which one would you go with in a full PPR. All right, wait. What were the – Malik or Nico? Maliko or Nico. Maliko.

55:11Jason Moore:Yeah, I'll go Maliko. you know it's it's tough in the full PPR Neighbors is going to have so many targets so many receptions it leans me a little bit towards that direction but the fact that Malik has been banged up so much this offseason with separate different injuries I know Nico's missed games but right now when I've been push comes to shove and I've been in drafts I am taking Nico ahead of Malik because of the current issues Malik's dealing with I would take Nico.

55:43Mike Wright:Okay. Where are you, Andy? I'd take Nico. I'd be on the Nico side. X question from Norbert. Norby. Wasn't there some video game called Norbert or something like that? There was an Eddie Murphy movie.

55:56Jason Moore:Oh, maybe that's what I'm thinking of. Norbit? No. No, there was a... Oh, Cubit. Oh, that is what I... That's Q-Bert. Norbit is the Eddie Murphy movie. All right, we got there. Good. That's what's in the back of our mind. You see, you're... Swine everywhere. your mind remembers the old things

56:14Andy Holloway:because that's all that's in there man it's just useless garbage pop culture

56:18Jason Moore:ours has slight whispers of those memories like there's something there

56:23Mike Wright:I knew there was a Qbert somewhere but you had it yeah you're right now I gotta find his question again what's your opinion on Kate Otten this year if Godwin's out which it seems like he will be for a bit uh egg buka will get work but that still leaves a lot of open targets for otten which is we proved itself true last year when god was out and you know if if you kind of substitute mcmillan and and egg buka right if you don't take the egg bukas the next the second coming and you just put them into a category of hey he produces like mcmillan did obviously that means i would have production

56:59Andy Holloway:the i think you would have to have evans or a buka missing time for kate on like kate on good player, very capable when they call upon him, but they just, we've seen at least I believe, long enough of his career that they want to use him in other ways. I've got the perfect example for you. Chris Godwin goes down in week seven.

57:23Jason Moore:Week eight, Auten comes out, ten targets, nine receptions, 81 yards, two touchdowns. Unbelievable. He was awesome. The next week, second week after Swish, don't look at me. The next week when Godwin was also missing, obviously he was missing the rest, 11 targets, eight receptions, a touchdown. Awesome. Awesome. But then he pretty much. How'd it feel? Then it was Jalen McMillan that they got more involved. They got the rookie more involved and other wide receiver options. And that was really, Oton didn't keep doing that the rest of the season.

57:57Andy Holloway:Right, after McMillan stepped up.

57:58Jason Moore:Right, exactly. And so then it was like five receptions, four, one, three, two. The rest of the way he wasn't that special. So I agree, if an injury happens, one more. But if Igbuka is stepping up into that role, Otten will be involved, but I don't think he'll be a sensational every week start.

58:13Mike Wright:I do think he's somebody that you can plug and play, though, while one of those receivers is missing. You definitely have an opportunity at a touchdown with a quarterback that threw as many as he did. I mean, to me, there's still an opportunity there. Consistency might not be there, but he showed that he was capable of upper echelon production, which I didn't know he was until last year.

58:34Andy Holloway:All right, coming up. He's also capable of getting exploded. Like, Kate Otten hits. Yeah. Oh, he would be hit really hard. All the time.

58:44Mike Wright:Yeah.

58:45Andy Holloway:All the time, man.

58:46Mike Wright:He has a lot of tape on his hands. Yeah, because he knows what's about to happen. Yeah, they've all been broken many times. Fantasy Time Machine episodes coming up. Fantasy MVP show this week. Our final mock draft episode, which should be a lot of fun, coming up as well. So get in the Megalobowl, Megalobowl.com, as we close things out today. If you need the draft kit, it's ultimate draft kit.com. We'd love to have you along for the ride this year. Head over to YouTube. You can watch the show. Subscribe over there. Just released a new clips channel as well. You can check that out. YouTube.com slash the fantasy footballers.

59:18Mike Wright:Goodbye.

59:21Thank you for listening to another episode of the fantasy footballers podcast. Join our fantasy football community on join the foot.com and follow us on Twitter at the FF ballers.

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