Fantasy Football - The Fantasy MVP Episode! - Podcast for 9/4

4 Sep 2026 · 1 h 4 min · 28 chapters

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In short

Episode topic: Fantasy Footballers “Fantasy MVP” episode for 9/4, featuring industry guests’ fantasy MVP picks plus league news/notes and advice on not overreacting to Week 1 performances. It also promotes Megalobull drafts and draft prep resources (Ultimate Draft Kit / Oliment Draft Kit) and includes sponsor segments.

Guests (industry) and backgrounds

  • Rich Rebar (Lord Reebs) of Sharp Football Analysis: fantasy analyst.
  • Ian Harditz (RotoWire, @iheart): RotoWire writer/analyst and social media personality.
  • JJ (Fantasy Footballers segment host/analyst): fantasy analyst.
  • Austin Ekeler (former NFL RB): former fantasy superstar; current guest via his MVP pick.
  • Matthew Betts (Fantasy PT / injury expert; also on dynasty/DFS shows): certified PT and injury analyst.
  • Kyle Borginoni (Dynasty Pod / DFS Embedding Show host): analytics-heavy dynasty/DFS analyst.
  • Mina Kimes (ESPN; host of The Mina Kimes Show): award-winning journalist/NFL analyst.

Key claims + notable examples

  • Rich Rebar: Colston Loveland as MVP; cites target share/route metrics and Ben Johnson’s 12-13 personnel usage; compares usage to Trey McBride.
  • Ian Harditz: Chris Bell (Dolphins) sleeper MVP; argues path to high targets if Malik Willis is serviceable; notes preseason/off-pup readiness.
  • JJ: Luther Burden (Bears) MVP; claims scheme fit with Ben Johnson and elite YAC/avoided-tackles metrics; references his late-season rookie production and snap/route involvement.
  • Austin Ekeler: Christian McCaffrey MVP; “if healthy” volume/efficiency ceiling.
  • Matthew Betts: Jamison Williams (Lions) MVP; argues Lions offense pieces benefit from early secondary injuries and potential shootout script.
  • Kyle Borginoni: Jadarian Price (Seahawks) MVP; claims value due to draft position/opportunity concerns and practice/receiving/wheel-route praise.
  • Mina Kimes: Omarion Hampton (Dolphins) MVP; emphasizes Mike McDaniel run-game outside-tackle fit and Hampton’s outside-tackle EPA (5.5 YPC) when healthy.

Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.

Chapters

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Kickoff to Fantasy MVP Day

0:32 to 1:37

Discussion on the importance of MVP day and the upcoming Megalobull drafts.

“Some won't wash their lucky mustard-stained jersey until the season's over.”

Kickoff to Fantasy MVP Day

2:09 to 5:01

Discussion on the importance of MVP day and the upcoming Megalobull drafts.

“I realized I had to do a different intro because welcome into the fantasy footballers.”

Kickoff to Fantasy MVP Day

5:05 to 5:57

Discussion on the importance of MVP day and the upcoming Megalobull drafts.

Avoiding Overreactions After Week One

5:57 to 9:39

Tips on how to avoid overreacting to player performances after the first week.

“I just realized this is the last show that we are recording before our League of Record draft.”

News and Notes from the NFL

9:39 to 14:00

Updates on player injuries and team news affecting fantasy football.

“But yeah, we'll try to keep you grounded.”

Swift Injury Update

14:00 to 14:57

Discussion about Swift's injury and its implications for week one.

“And they weren't saying anything about Swift.”

Swift Injury Update

15:02 to 15:38

Discussion about Swift's injury and its implications for week one.

“And by the way, currently active GroinIndex.com.”

Hydration and Recovery Tips

15:38 to 15:49

The hosts share hydration tips and humorous solutions for cramps.

Hydration and Recovery Tips

16:46 to 17:55

The hosts share hydration tips and humorous solutions for cramps.

“All right, Foot Clan, whether you are on the go or at home, T-Mobile, well, they're built to keep you connected wherever you're scouting your fantasy team.”

Hydration and Recovery Tips

17:59 to 18:09

The hosts share hydration tips and humorous solutions for cramps.

“Fastest is based on analysis by Ookla of speed test intelligence data of national speed score results for the second half of 2025.”
Show all 28 chapters

Fantasy MVP Discussion Begins

18:09 to 21:46

The hosts introduce the Fantasy MVP topic and discuss various players.

“is based on analysis by Ookla of speed test intelligence data, second half of 2025.”

Ian Harditz's Fantasy MVP

21:46 to 22:28

Ian Harditz discusses Chris Bell as a sleeper pick for the fantasy MVP.

“Malik Washington, Caleb Douglas, Dajon Love, Jalen Tolbert.”

Debate on Dolphins' Offense

22:28 to 24:47

A lively debate about the Miami Dolphins' offense and its potential.

“pitch love you guys he uh he snuck deja on love yeah he did i said he's he's a jokester andy is Explodding.”

Analyzing Rookie Performance

24:47 to 27:03

The hosts analyze the potential of rookies Chris Bell and Caleb Douglas.

“When you have a head coaching change, when you have a regime change, when you have a quarterback change, it can get worse.”

JJ's Fantasy MVP Pick

27:03 to 28:01

JJ shares his thoughts on Luther Burden as a potential fantasy MVP.

“intense leagues you can get chris bell late and he was projected to be a first round pick before And funny enough, Jason, your case that you laid out, that's why I prefer Malik Washington.”

Introduction to Fantasy MVP Discussion

28:01 to 30:00

The hosts introduce the topic of fantasy football MVPs, with a playful banter about their opinions.

“You are a great man and a spectacular analyst.”

Luther Burden as Fantasy MVP

30:01 to 31:40

JJ discusses Luther Burden's potential as a fantasy MVP, highlighting his college performance and rookie season stats.

“Yeah, we didn't use the picture you thought we were going to use.”

Discussion on Austin Eckler and Christian McCaffrey

31:41 to 33:50

The hosts debate the potential of Austin Eckler and Christian McCaffrey as fantasy MVPs, weighing their health and performance.

“I think there's a chance he could become current soon.”

Discussion on Austin Eckler and Christian McCaffrey

33:51 to 37:21

The hosts debate the potential of Austin Eckler and Christian McCaffrey as fantasy MVPs, weighing their health and performance.

“We don't really need to say much about McCaffrey.”

Discussion on Austin Eckler and Christian McCaffrey

37:26 to 37:40

The hosts debate the potential of Austin Eckler and Christian McCaffrey as fantasy MVPs, weighing their health and performance.

“Miller Brewing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 96 calories and 3.2 carbs per 12 ounces.”

Matthew Betts' Fantasy MVP Pick

38:13 to 41:20

Matthew Betts shares his MVP pick, Jamison Williams, discussing the Lions offense and his potential in fantasy football.

“he helps host on the dynasty pod and our fantasy footballers DFS embedding show one of our head writers let's see who Betts he's got is his MVP all right foot clan it is time for my fantasy MVP.”

Kyle Borginoni's Fantasy MVP Prediction

41:21 to 42:00

Kyle Borginoni presents his fantasy MVP pick, Jadarian Price, and discusses the reasons why he may be overlooked in drafts.

“I mean, he's the wide receiver 25 on the Lions after finishing as the wide receiver 9.”

Jadarian Price: The Next Fantasy MVP?

42:00 to 43:50

Discussion on Jadarian Price's potential as a fantasy MVP and insights from Kyle.

“Well, we go from wide receiver 25 to currently the running back 25.”

Debate on Price's Future Role

43:50 to 46:10

Exploring the uncertainty around Jadarian Price's usage and competition in the Seahawks' offense.

“We have a process here in the show where if something goes wrong, the Horseboy comes up on the screen.”

Mina Kimes Joins the Discussion

46:10 to 47:40

Mina Kimes shares her thoughts on the fantasy MVP for 2026, focusing on a Marian Hampton.

“All right, one more of our friends before we get into our own, the three of us, our fantasy MVPs.”

A.J. Brown: The Case for a Fantasy MVP

47:40 to 53:10

Jason makes a compelling case for A.J. Brown as a fantasy MVP candidate this year.

“Friend of the show, Mina Kimes, we were lucky enough to jump on her show, and she was kind enough to reciprocate that with her fantasy MVP, Mina Kimes from ESPN.”

Fantasy MVP Candidates: A.J. Brown and Alec Pierce

56:00 to 1:03:35

The hosts debate their picks for Fantasy MVP, focusing on A.J. Brown's potential impact and Alec Pierce's undervaluation in drafts.

“He's going to a perfect environment with a quarterback that fits him so well.”

Bay Shaw Tootin: A Rising Star

1:03:35 to 1:07:20

Discussion centers around Bay Shaw Tootin's potential in the Jaguars' offense and why he might be a steal in drafts.

“And yet, even if you guys, you aren't where I am, We're still above market with where we are with Basial Tootin.”
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Transcript

Automatic transcript. May contain errors.

0:00Jason Moore:If you're an NFL fan, ESPN is where you need to be this season. It's the biggest lineup they've ever put together. Monday Night Football, every week, every game on NFL Network. Now also available with an ESPN Unlimited plan. And for the first time ever, Super Bowl 61. Marquee matchups, MVP quarterbacks, international games, the whole season start to finish. Football's on ESPN. This episode is brought to you by State Farm. Every football fan is different. Some won't wash their lucky mustard-stained jersey until the season's over. Some insist they can't sit down on third downs, and some pick their favorite team because, I don't know, just like football fandom, nobody's life is exactly the same, and that's why State Farm gets to know you, not as a policy number but as an actual person, so they can help personalize a coverage plan that's just for you.

0:59Jason Moore:Whether it's game day or just another Tuesday, State Farm has you covered.

1:08Jason Moore:Once, I lost so badly in my fantasy football league that I had to eat an entire can of dog food covered in wasabi.

1:17Andy Holloway:It was unpleasant. But now, I found the fantasy footballer's element draft kit. The days of dog food are gone as I dig into their breakouts, values, tiered rankings, and much more.

1:30Mike Wright:If you want to join me in the winner's circle, where you don't have to paint your butt cheeks like an elephant's face, head over to www.olimentdraftkit.com and prepare for your fancy draft.

1:51Jason Moore:Welcome to the Fantasy Footballers Podcast with your hosts, Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike Wright.

2:09Andy Holloway:Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, yo! Woo-hoo-hoo-hoo! I realized I had to do a different intro because welcome into the fantasy footballers. I'm the backup host for today, but Andy is here.

2:24Mike Wright:I'm just here so I don't get fined. So I couldn't do the normal intro.

2:28Jason Moore:It's not a nasty boy show. So I kind of panicked and I just said the word yo a lot. Now I know at least one person out there thinks that you're hosting because you want more airtime. Mike, we saw one of those comments. We did see that in the YouTube.

2:44Andy Holloway:So we did a mock draft yesterday.

2:46Mike Wright:YouTube was elite yesterday.

2:47Andy Holloway:We did a mock draft yesterday, and it was very clear from the first, I don't know, five seconds of Andy talking that the voice is struggling. The sickness is going around our building. I'm doing my best. And so Andy's like, someone help me. And I'm like, I'm the hero. I can do this. And then YouTube was like, why did Mike take over? He must be upset that he doesn't get to talk enough on the podcast.

3:15Mike Wright:The comment was spectacular. It was like, you know, the vibe is off today. Mike must have complained behind the scenes that he doesn't get enough talking time.

3:26Jason Moore:There were quite a few wild comments on yesterday's show.

3:30Mike Wright:Because if you have been around me. Do we have the, it's just weird that it goes from Andy to Mike leading the mock. Feels like Mike complained he doesn't get to talk as much as the other guys.

3:41Andy Holloway:Say, if you know anything about me. I know.

3:43Mike Wright:That's what's so great.

3:45Andy Holloway:You know that I complain that I don't get to talk enough. My favorite thing.

3:50Jason Moore:Yeah. You are a talker.

3:53Mike Wright:Especially like elevators, public spaces.

3:57Andy Holloway:But for the time being, I will be here as the, like I said, I will be the backup host. Welcome in. It's September 4th. It is Friday. It is MVP day. A very special episode. We go out to the industry. We get some of our buddies out there because, look, we're kind of isolated. We're our own thing. We're not out there. It's not a disrespect to what other people's work. We want to have our opinions, our projections, and that's what they also do as well.

4:28Jason Moore:Yeah, I always enjoy hearing them or when we get them in because we don't know who they're going to pick. And I'm always like, is it going to be someone I like or someone I hate? Because it's just a different perspective. It's nice to get other people's fantasy MVP. Obviously, our fantasy MVP is on the show as well. That is probably the most important. There is so much going on. Andy wouldn't miss this show because it's like this is a big show. It's a big day. The Megalobull drafts start today. Oh, baby. So there are people drafting today. This whole weekend all the way through the very beginning of next week, we have Megalobull drafts.

5:01Jason Moore:If you want to get in on it, go to Megalobull.com. It's free if you're a FootClan member. just go and pick a spot five days worth of drafts get in it's a fun format a fun league and if you win which is difficult you get in the listener league for next year and you get a free foot clan for life ultimate membership

5:23Andy Holloway:and the bragging rights of winning the largest fantasy football tournament which I plan to have at the end of the year that I know of at least also if you are if you just have your regular fantasy football drafts as well and you're like oh crap i jumped in late we have you covered ultimate draft kit.com that is our premium resource to get you ready for the draft our tiered rankings like if you're just you're trying to binge and get ready as i've talked to plenty of people there's casuals they realized uh-oh we got to get in there uh so ultimate draft kit.com it is still available it still will be updated uh throughout the weekend if there is breaking news.

6:03Jason Moore:I just realized this is the last show that we are recording before our League of Record draft. We won't be on air again until we have finished our draft. How exciting.

6:14Mike Wright:I've got a funny feeling my draft's going to end up okay. Like my final roster.

6:17Andy Holloway:Well, you already drafted. Yeah. You've already drafted. You've already got all the guys. Yeah. So that's cool. I'm pretty excited. Yeah, I'm very excited for you. Quick.

6:27Mike Wright:Do you like my deep voice? You sound

6:30Andy Holloway:like Adam Lefkoe.

6:32Mike Wright:Lefkoe.

6:34Andy Holloway:Quick question of the day from J. Key in Phoenix. Hey, ballers, do you guys have any tips so that I don't overreact after week one's performance? Trying to avoid another Sammy Watkins. Oh, man, the Lizard King. 42 points in week one, Sammy Watkins in 2019. It was delightful, and I can tell you Sammy Watkins in 2019 was on my roster. Oh, baby. Shout out to the Lizard King. Was he in your lineup for that week one matchup? I don't think so. Probably the next four weeks. That part I don't remember. Did I trade him? No. Because I had done it, guys. I had Patrick Mahomes wide receiver one.

7:21Jason Moore:Wow. I did it, guys. I didn't even remember which team that was for. Right? That was the Chiefs. Am I remembering this right? Oh, it was absolutely.

7:28Mike Wright:Well, he did it twice. he did it two different years yeah so i don't know which one that was yeah maybe i'm thinking

7:33Andy Holloway:wrong here here's my answer oh yeah chiefs versus the jaguars in week one impossible yeah oh yeah

7:40Mike Wright:that's i kept what i actually i actually think the answer to this question what are tips so you don't overreact don't be a human being yeah otherwise impossible if you can convert to robot

7:52Andy Holloway:you may be able to handle it and take your emotions out because

7:56Mike Wright:especially if you thought something about the player. If it's confirming your prior. If it confirms. Oh my gosh. If Blake Corum scores three times in week one. Just take your lap.

8:06Jason Moore:Take your lap. You are the champion. And you know what? I don't think. I mean the truth is bringing up a question like this is enough of just making sure. And after week one we'll talk about it again and again.

8:20Andy Holloway:Oh the 2024 Isaiah Likely Jason. Oh yeah. Oh yes. The beginning of the end of Mark Andrews was dead and gone,

8:27Jason Moore:and it had shifted to likely. Yeah, there's all sorts of examples like that. Last year, I was high on Justin Herbert. Justin Herbert comes out in week one and scores like a bajillion points. It was like, yes.

Read the full transcript

8:40Mike Wright:The only one that you can control is if it is a player that has done nothing ever, and they have a crazy week one like a Greg Ogletree.

8:51Andy Holloway:Oh, man.

8:52Mike Wright:then you might I mean he's still going to be the top waiver pickup yes yeah but you might be able to say to yourself let me have another week before I start them yeah I mean another week before you

9:03Jason Moore:start them but you but you also have to move on week one the data on week one is it it is not like guaranteed that that's going to continue happening but the players that do break out kind of out of the blue, like Apuka Nakua, they usually don't get started in week five. We talk about that in the waiver wire analytics. It's like the hits in week one are valuable. So pretty much just don't overreact. Don't make moves in trade based on that. With waiver wire, you have to make transactions. So go after those guys. But yeah, we'll try to keep you grounded.

9:42Andy Holloway:Yeah, just tune in. We will go over it. The guys who explode in week one will give you at least our opinions on it. And it's hard, man. It's really, really difficult to sift through that of what is going to end up being true and what is not.

9:59Andy Holloway:News and notes from around the league. The Athletics' Matt Barrows? I think it's Barrows. Oh. I don't know. Why are we talking about Barrows at a time like this? Pizza time. said he is sure 49ers tight end George Kittle quote won't be on the field for his usual 95 % of the offensive snaps in week one. Thank you for that Matt.

10:26Jason Moore:It's obvious that he's not going to be out there for every snap. You don't come back off of the Achilles barely get to week one and then just because it's a game say okay do what you can't do. The question is really if you draft George Kittle he made the flight So as of now, I presume he's going to be active. Yes. I don't know if you can start him.

10:46Andy Holloway:What the report that I want is, Mr. Barrows or Barrows, say, I'm hearing George Kittle. As soon as they're in the red zone, George Kittle will be on the field. Yeah. Because if that's the case, then you can still play George Kittle. A George Kittle week one line of three for 17 with two touchdowns, if he's playing in the red zone that's not impossible for george there's just a chance

11:13Mike Wright:for a little kettle yes there's a chance for an itty bitty little kettle there is there is some

11:18Andy Holloway:major risk uh so hopefully we'll this is what i'm bringing to the show today yeah some good work over there ravens wide receivers a flowers return to practice thursday that's good news that was uh starting to get a little sweaty with the undisclosed injury patriots running back Travion Henderson with his ankle injury not spotted at Thursday's practice he has not practiced

11:42Jason Moore:since August 24th this has been a long time sitting out obviously they are game planning for week one he's not practicing so this is a player that honestly if if he is active week one I don't know if you put him out here I love this news because it bails me out of everything you know what I mean like genuinely they're not from the teams you already drafted him bro well no I know I still do think I mean I do believe that by the second half of the year Travion Henderson is going to be the the primary running back and great for fantasy that's the the shot I'm trying to call obviously anyone who is on that side thinking it's going to happen from week one is wrong I mean this before the injury everything was Ramondre is the lead guy Ramondre is doing everything better Travion still hurting with with pass protection add in the injury there you know If I drafted Travion Henderson, obviously it depends on my roster, but I would be looking for someone else to start.

12:38Jason Moore:And there are other options that some of these backups – I mean, I don't know if you go to like Roshon Johnson. Oh. But, I mean, let's talk about the Bears news.

12:50Andy Holloway:But it's just a reminder, the Patriots-Seahawks is Wednesday, so there's not even like the extra, oh, Thursday or maybe even the weekend. and you're playing the Super Bowl champs,

13:06Andy Holloway:even if he's back, Henderson is going to be... He'll be low in our rankings. He'll be a terrifying week one start. Opening day when he's struggling with pass protection and you're against Seattle. There's no need to do it. Yeah. I'm probably finding a different option. And then late yesterday, this one popped through.

13:29Mike Wright:we do need really good for my fantasy mbp yeah good for my bold prediction we we don't have

13:34Andy Holloway:a ton of updates but here's what happened last night bears wide receiver roma dunze and running back deandre swift left practice early on thursday we did i saw a report that rome was expected to be fine yes i think we did get updates that were both very positive i didn't

13:50Mike Wright:see the swift one that was a cramp yeah i didn't see that okay i did i swift is fine i had looked

13:56Jason Moore:A little while after the news broke, it was basically the first update we got was that the Rome thing was minor. And they weren't saying anything about Swift. It wasn't a concern. But the Swift one, when he went down and practiced, was a lot of pain and it looked bad. But it was always midsection.

14:16Mike Wright:That was the encouraging thing about the Swift news. It was not his leg. It was like he's grabbing his midsection.

14:23Jason Moore:Well, that's great. I mean, obviously that means Swift should be fine for week one. My Roshan, I hadn't seen that it was a cramp yet, and I hadn't gotten the update. Brother, you've got to start hydrating the day before. I'm pretty sure they stay. I think Swift is hydrating all the time.

14:41Andy Holloway:Well, then you need the pickle juice.

14:44Jason Moore:There it is. That's the solution.

14:47Mike Wright:Butterfly stretch and pickle juice. I don't know why this is so hard. Seriously, it's really not that difficult. Why are NFL teams, they're not coming to us?

14:54Andy Holloway:We have the answers. We know you're listening. We know that.

14:57Mike Wright:If you just go to ButterflyStretch.com, you will understand. Oh, my gosh.

15:03Andy Holloway:I forgot we did that. And by the way,

15:06Mike Wright:currently active GroinIndex.com. Oh, it's beautiful. Oh, we're back. We're back. Oh, Groin Index lives. Well, that is. Which is very, you might notice similarities between GroinIndex.com and ButterflyStretch.com.

15:20Andy Holloway:You might. But that's the best news that I have heard all day.

15:25Mike Wright:Novelty domains are our expertise. Also, how does nobody own ButterflyStretch.com? Well, somebody does now. You can make offers. I am willing to sell.

15:37Andy Holloway:Before we jump into the fantasy MVP, we're going to take our first quick break.

15:48Mike Wright:What's up, Foot Clan? And you are confident and disciplined and focused on details, just like everyone here at the Fancy Footballers, right? Those are words you'd use 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 reigns with leather seating surfaces and 12-way power front seats with power lumbar you can learn more right now at gmc.com slash Sierra1500.

16:46Mike Wright:All right, Foot Clan, whether you are on the go or at home, T-Mobile, well, they're built to keep you connected wherever you're scouting your fantasy team. And that on-the-go part, that is important. With America's Best Network, you'll be connected to the latest news and player projections, so when you're on the clock, you can draft a winning team. I can think of so many situations where that element of being connected while you're on the go is fundamental to fantasy football success. I'm in the midst of multiple leagues right now where I am responding to trade offers. We are massaging the trade offer.

17:16Mike Wright:We want to make sure that I'm the one that gets the player, not another player manager in our league. So trade offers, when you're on the go, all the news that's breaking so you don't make a mistake. And my favorite thing, maybe I'll mention it. Look, you're sitting and you have a quiet moment somewhere out and about. You want to jump in the UDK. We got the player profiles. You can watch all of those in there with T-Mobile. You can jump in on the player projections and our stat projections and all the 130 ,000 words of content. Again, T-Mobile making that easy to do. Every bit of news. Things are changing all the time.

17:49Mike Wright:New player contracts, all that good stuff. So from off-season to game day, every play is better with T-Mobile. What you got to do is visit T-Mobile.com slash network. Fastest is based on analysis by Ookla of speed test intelligence data of national speed score results for the second half of 2025. The best mobile network in the U.S. is based on analysis by Ookla of speed test intelligence data, second half of 2025.

18:23Jason Moore:Who's your fantasy MVP?

18:28Andy Holloway:Andy has the buttons, but I am the host. That was incredible teamwork.

18:32Mike Wright:Yeah, I heard it. And then, you know. Then you thought about it.

18:36Andy Holloway:and you were like, oh yeah, that's me. Reminder, so Fantasy MVP, we reached out to our friends around the industry and we said basically like, you know, this is up to you. Is it your favorite value pick of the draft? Is it just your favorite pick? Is it you're calling your shot on a breakout? So we kind of leave it open to the fantasy expert and their insight, how they want to handle it. So we're going to start off here. great friend of the show rich rebar at lord reebs from over at sharp football analysis absolutely legendary mind in the space let's hear what he has to say all right footballers this year my fantasy mvp is colston loveland he ended the season with at least 15 of the team's targets in each of the final nine games was targeted on 24.7 of his routes for just under two yards per out run over that span and over the final five games he played on 81 of the team dropbacks receiving a target on 31 % of his routes with 2.34 yards per outrun.

19:39Even in a split season of work as a rookie, he showcased his weekly upside. He had four top three scoring weeks at the position. Only Trey McBride matched that and had more. And as Loveland came on to close the season, we saw Ben Johnson adopt more of that 12-13 personnel. They were sixth in 12 personnel, second in 13 personnel over that span. Chicago is elevating Luther Burden into DJ Moore's role. This allows Loveland to remain a featured target in the offense, and Cole Komet's presence lets Loveland move around the formation and arguably the de facto slot receiver, but as a rookie, he played everywhere.

20:1057 % snaps in line, 22 % from the slot, 17 % out wide, and he can win everywhere. Ben Johnson wants to score the most points in NFL history, and Colson Loveland's going to score the most points for any tight end this season. Whoa.

20:24Andy Holloway:That ended with a fire take. I love it. Lord Reeves, Lord of the nerds. Reeves and his dad I mean he always brings

20:34Jason Moore:incredible information obviously you agree with this Mike since that is yeah no notes that's one of your my guys so there is a lot of unanimous um opinion on Loveland here we are kind of all in

20:46Andy Holloway:on Loveland yeah that one I have uh I have no notes all right Ian Harditz of Roto Wire absolute domination on twitter at i heart it's you can find him and he i mean he's always cracking me up over there giving you good insights and good jokes let's see who his fantasy mvp is what's up fantasy footballers ian heart it's here from team rotowire with my 2026 fantasy football mvp give me dolphins wide receiver chris bell oh yeah yeah get your laughing no no no parker Washington or a Chase Brown like these other alleged fantasy football experts. A man of the people's guy, give the people a true sleeper they can get in the last round of your home league draft, and that is Mr.

21:29Chris Bell. I dare you to watch that game against Miami last season and tell me this dude doesn't look like the second coming of Mr. A.J. Brown. Without the knee injury, we were looking at a legit round one talent who's now recovered. We got out there in the preseason. We're off the pup list. We are ready to go for week one in an offense with nobody else to throw the football to. Look at this depth chart. Malik Washington, Caleb Douglas, Dajon Love, Jalen Tolbert. They told me Chris Bell is not going to rise to the top of that immediately. I know Ian, it's the Dolphins. They're going to run the ball.

22:01Are they going to run the ball? That's a great thing to say in August. Not when you're down 28 at halftime in every single game like we're expecting. What about Malik Willis? Could he be good or okay? you look at him over the last two years small sample be damned he ranks first in all um everything we can possibly measure about a quarterback chris bell is a young baller with a path to breeze past triple digit targets with a quarterback who might not suck that's my

22:30Jason Moore:pitch love you guys he uh he snuck deja on love yeah he did i said he's he's a jokester andy is

22:37Andy Holloway:Explodding. Andy loves this. Andy loves me.

22:40Jason Moore:Do you have any bets on dolphins to win the Super Bowl? Not yet. Because you're going to get some great numbers on that.

22:46Mike Wright:This would have been a perfect time to go to Deucer's Alley for a dolphin, but the dolphin's not there, so we'll have to go. Papa Josh, your best dolphin?

22:53Jason Moore:No, your best dolphin. That's not bad for a guy who literally used to be a dolphin trainer.

22:59Mike Wright:That's a dolphin being killed.

23:01Andy Holloway:Yeah, I think someone... With a machine gun. we have a we had a deucer who was like oh monday's labor day i know he's what did you think we don't

23:10Mike Wright:know what you're i called it vacation maxing yeah he knows he's got monday off for labor day so he's wrapping up yeah it's not a busy time of year i think it's just the biggest draft weekend

23:19Andy Holloway:i think the calendar is going to include some extras extra no-no days oh my gosh you ruined

23:25Mike Wright:it for everyone matt hope you're happy one half decent dolphin yeah impersonation and he can get

23:31Andy Holloway:out of town chucks up the deuces i'm out of here so chris bell uh we know andy's in on it i'm i'm concerned about the early season here of missing so much training camp and really being able to go

23:43Mike Wright:but that is my is my voice good enough to make a small compelling yeah sure you're gonna have to do

23:48Andy Holloway:it for your mvp anyways i know so let's see yeah do you want to save it or you want to no i just

23:53Mike Wright:ruin it on chris bell the point the funny thing is to me and i'm just i'm gonna try not to be like dogmatic about this because it's certainly not a guarantee the dolphins are any good whatsoever the the thing that i think is so funny is it's like they were a terrible football team with mike mcdaniel and to a tongue of iloa okay i know you can go back two years and say their offense was humming and functioning they were not last year and well i would just remind

24:25Andy Holloway:They were 7-10 last year. So to say they're an awful team is—

24:31Mike Wright:Let me put it in the category of whatever gets you fired.

24:34Andy Holloway:Yes.

24:35Mike Wright:Okay? That's fine. Sub-500 and the offense struggled. Mike McDaniel is fired. We bring in not Mike McDaniel, and we bring in not Tua Tunga-Vailoa, and the default place for all fantasy analysts is worse and worse. I just want the possibility here. When you have a head coaching change, when you have a regime change, when you have a quarterback change, it can get worse. It can get better. Some teams we have high expectations for, and they don't show up, and they're not the guy that we think they're going to be. It's like the Chargers every year. Or sometimes we're surprised, and maybe bringing in a bunch of new coaches and a bunch of new training staff and a bunch of new systems and the numbers that Hartett said about Malik Willis.

25:19Mike Wright:Maybe Malik Willis isn't the best at every single thing because of the small sample size. but what if he's pretty darn good because he was drafted with draft capital that was i mean we've done this now 10 times with the sam darnolds right with the geno smiths baker mayfields development is under appreciated at the level and we discount and throw players away malik willis was not a good quarterback in tennessee that was a long time ago i love matt lafleur and green bay in their system. I just want to leave the door cracked open for a middle tier offense, and that will change the landscape for Bell, for Willis, for Achan, and the team.

26:00Jason Moore:I think it's in reverse. I think it's they need Bell or Douglas, their two rookies, to step up to become a middle tier offense. So it's one and the same. If they are a middle tier, then one of those two guys really, really hit. For me in the draft, draft day this weekend, I'm taking my shot on Caleb Douglas, the rookie they drafted ahead of him who's been great at camp because my assumption is week one week two the first month of the season I think Caleb Douglas is going to be playing more than 75 percent of snaps and I think Chris Bell is going to be worked in slowly so the first opportunity to hit if I'm I don't want to hold on to Chris Bell for a month if he's playing 50 percent snaps while they while he's still working back from the injury I would be shocked if week one he's out there for 75 plus percent of the snaps after missing all of training camp i know he got into

26:49Mike Wright:a preseason game i think you're right about the snaps but i think that there's a chance that after week one you have a couple of massive plays it's not all going to be snap count it's going to be who makes the plays and i think chris bell could surprise people but i mean i'm obviously with

27:03Andy Holloway:harditz on this yeah i like to pick because it is this is a sleeper that that even in really intense leagues you can get chris bell late and he was projected to be a first round pick before And funny enough, Jason, your case that you laid out, that's why I prefer Malik Washington. Sure. I want the vet who will be a starter, and while the rookies are working their way in, I think that Malik could be a serviceable PPR guy catching five or six passes a week. You know what this sounds like?

27:35Mike Wright:It sounds like three different names that we're going with. Yeah. Malik gets to throw to all of these superstars.

27:44Jason Moore:All of these superstars. That's what I heard. Take your shots.

27:48Andy Holloway:All right. Next on the list, he's here every single year because he is truly one of our favorite people, one of our just a good man, good human, and a spectacular fantasy analyst. What?

28:01Jason Moore:This is a... I thought this is JJ. Wait, who is this?

28:04Andy Holloway:Me.

28:06Jason Moore:I'm talking about me, JJ. Oh, yeah. You are a great man and a spectacular analyst.

28:11Andy Holloway:No, it's JJ.

28:12Jason Moore:But you said nice things. I know. What's that all about?

28:16Andy Holloway:Guys, I'm thrown off here. I'm hosting a three-person show. I don't know what I'm supposed to do with my hands.

28:22Jason Moore:I mean, I don't think. We just love to talk. Look, JJ's a good guy, sure, and a good analyst, okay. I've seen his pick, and it's great. But his hair. Oh, yeah, yeah. I don't know if you can really listen to a guy like this. That's TBD. We'll leave that up to the YouTube. YouTube.com slash the fantasy footballers. All right, JJ, take it away. When I think about a fantasy football MVP, I think about outliers. I think about a player who just ends up being special and doing something special. And sometimes you have to take a chance on those players. And one guy I'm willing to take a chance on this year is Luther Burden.

28:54There's a real chance that Romadunze is just a better traditional wide receiver than Burden. But I'm a believer that Burden fits exactly what Ben Johnson wants to do. Scheme his guys open, give them a lot of space to work with, and let them do their thing with the ball in their hands. Burden excels at that. Back in college, among all wide receivers in my wide receiver zap model, Burden had a 98th percentile avoided tackles per reception rate and an 84th percentile yak per reception. And when he got his opportunity last year, he thrived. He finished with the third best rookie season yards per out run of any wide out since 2011 with 100 or more routes.

29:30And he ran a route on more than half of Chicago's dropbacks in each game from week 11 through the end of the fantasy season last year. In those contests, he was 10th in targets per outrun, 2nd in yards per outrun, and 5th in PPR points per outrun. I actually think Burden's floor is actually okay, given the environment in Chicago. But the ceiling case is definitely there. That's why I'm making him my fantasy MVP this year. And by the way, even though I know you guys are going to use that picture of me with a bowl cut in your video for this, I still love you.

30:01Jason Moore:We changed the picture. Yeah, we didn't use the picture you thought we were going to use. We didn't use the picture.

30:06Mike Wright:The boy grew up to be a man.

30:07Jason Moore:Yeah. That was the haircut he had as a boy placed on him as a man.

30:12Mike Wright:I assume that's what he still has.

30:14Jason Moore:We might have given him some work on the teeth.

30:17Andy Holloway:No notes. I love Luther Burden.

30:22Jason Moore:Man, what if the Bears disappoint? So you know how I do on the Bold Prediction Show. I always pick some hot, new, hot offense that I think is going to disappoint. they were like on the the short list i couldn't do it of course you i couldn't do it because i literally think ben johnson i think ben johnson's gonna get it done but everyone is in you know obviously we got a caleb uh my guy we've got a loveland my guy we have a bears big bold prediction now we've got a burden and loveland uh mvp we're come on don't let us down caleb historically bears bets are bad bets yes this this is really genuinely what's funny is like we're betting on all these people.

30:59Jason Moore:We're betting on the talent. We're betting on Ben Johnson and Burden and Loveland. None of it comes true if Caleb doesn't level up. Good thing he's my guy.

31:09Andy Holloway:Yeah, no, I know. Come on, Caleb. So Luther Burden, if you hadn't heard, he is back at practice. His, the groin injury is kind of like a... He's not on groinindex.com. It's a bit of a blessing because Luther Burden's ADP had reached a point where it was just what are we doing what are we doing here i love luther bird and i love the the potential the upside but we're we're drafting him around wide receivers where i'm confident in who they are as players where luther is we we still don't know but now i'm seeing a sleeper adp of wide receiver 26 going in at the 601 that is great that's so fine that's so amazing i mean i got to draft him in our our mock draft for like the first time of this off season

32:00Jason Moore:he was being drafted in inside the top 20 in the fourth round um just like a month ago so yeah i think the groin actually did make him a viable option this year all right groin makes me a viable

32:12Mike Wright:option as well this is my contribution to the show i love it on gonna keep this train moving

32:18Andy Holloway:Good friend of the show. Former NFL running back. Former NFL fantasy superstar. I think he wants to.

32:27Mike Wright:I mean, I think former is presumptive. I think there's a chance he could become current soon. Could be.

32:32Andy Holloway:I was a little hesitant, but I went with it anyways.

32:34Mike Wright:I think a couple injuries happen. I think you see this guy on a roster.

32:37Andy Holloway:It is Austin Eckler, champion of workouts. Like I said, an absolute fantasy superstar for a while. The fantasy community loves and adores Eckler. and he's just he's in it he's been on this he's a few times he is a fantasy guy so let's see who his mvp is austin eckler here in my fantasy mvp this year is christian mcafree no one gets the volume that christian mcafree does no one is dependent on a running back like the 49ers are the upside for christian to have another massive year like he did last year is right there in his hands. Yes, he has to stay healthy 100%. But guess what? In the years that he stayed somewhat healthy in the last four years, three out of those years, he's been a top three back.

33:25Come on. Yes, there's some other great options out there. But I think for the most potential point output, Christian McCaffrey is the go to. Also, I am running a free to play contest this year. It's a fantasy league. If you want to join my fantasy league this year, check it out at Fantasy Rail sports if you think i don't know what i'm talking about with my pick come try and beat me i'll see

33:45Andy Holloway:you over there appreciate you guys have a good one austin eckler doing his oh no he's going again i was like whoa he really psyched me out it was tough because i was in the chat and i was telling

33:58Mike Wright:al i go really nice presentation on this one you know throwing it on the back wall the picture and then and then he does and then you know the loop the loop was in there and kept him humble so

34:09Andy Holloway:Eckler doing his best fantasy hitman impression, going all in on Christian McCaffrey. We don't really need to say much about McCaffrey. If he's healthy. If he's healthy, he's good. If he's healthy, he will be a league-winning running back.

34:24Mike Wright:You know what's really tough is what? Okay, so there are guys like Ken Walker, Mike. You like Ken Walker.

34:31Andy Holloway:Yeah.

34:32Mike Wright:Omar and Hampton, Jason. Okay. if you had those guys walker and hampton you'd rather have cmc is that the answer yes because yeah i in your voice is exactly what i'm getting at because we i don't know what the compensation should be in a trade for that situation like if you have those guys there's part of me that's like i definitely want cmc more of course it could be number one and then there's part of me that goes would i really give up that much more than hampton or than walker or than you know name another james cook i mean i find myself in a weird place with cmc where it's like i know how good it can be but i don't like the san francisco vibes and i just i think part of it is in the back of my head cmc lost the like the volume's been there and that will it's going to get him through and he'll probably be there again but he did lose some of the explosiveness i don't know yeah it's tough i

35:30Jason Moore:mean you can take him anywhere from the third pick to the you know you could pass on him to the to the end of the first round and i think that that's all reasonable obviously austin eckler he's saying i'm i'm buying in i'm not afraid of the injury and you know as a former slash current potentially uh nfl running back he should know a thing or two which i did forget about this we got a blurb

35:54Andy Holloway:an Eckler blurb the other day of him talking potential I mean he lives in Vegas now and he's putting the bat signal up and he's like hey Raiders

36:03Mike Wright:you want some Eccles?

36:05Jason Moore:That was probably during the prayer circle injury fear for Gentry.

36:10Mike Wright:He's talked on his socials quite a bit about like waiting for the right situation and also at this stage of his career just being a great third down back and a pass catching.

36:19Andy Holloway:I bet he could still be great at that one. Oh for sure. Alright we're going to take our second quick break and come back with the rest of our fantasy MVPs.

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38:13Andy Holloway:next on the list it's our guy Matthew Betts at the fantasy PT he is our injury expert a certified PT he helps host on the dynasty pod and our fantasy footballers DFS embedding show one of our head writers let's see who Betts he's got is his MVP all right foot clan it is time for my fantasy MVP. And like most people out there, I love the Lions offense this year. Unfortunately, if you don't have the first pick, you're not getting Jameer Gibbs. If you don't have a pick somewhere in the middle part of the first round, you're probably not getting Amonara St. Brown. So if that's you and you can't get those guys, I think Jamison Williams is an awesome, awesome pick in the middle rounds of your draft, getting him as your wide receiver two or wide receiver three.

38:56I just want pieces of this offense. On paper, they project to be one of the best in football. They are third in average implied team total favored in 14 of 17 games. And that's all with the Lions defense, specifically the secondary, projected to struggle this year, especially early on as they deal with so many injuries in the secondary. They could be one of these shootout teams similar to the Cowboys, to the Bengals over the last couple of years. And if that happens, I think all pieces of the offense are going to eat this year. So give me Jamison Williams, who transformed into a completely different player in the back half of the year last year when Dan Campbell took over.

39:28Basically, with John Morton, he was just a deep ball type guy, high variance, low usage type of receiver. Guns Mahoney said, no, no, no. We need Jameis Williams for this offense to work. I think that this self-scouting from Dan Campbell and the staff, they just know how important he is to the offense. I am buying a player who, in my opinion, is still on the ascension as far as a talent in the NFL. Look, you know, Jameau has been a guy we've kind of heard about off and on for various reasons early in his career, usually not the best reasons. it's been radio silent out of Detroit for Jamison Williams, which is actually, in my opinion, a good thing.

40:02He's learning to become a pro, learning how to be an NFL wide receiver, and the area was still pointing out for a guy that has averaged two-plus yards per outrun in back-to-back seasons, over 11 yards per target two years in a row. So give me Jamison Williams in the middle round of your draft. Take him as your wide receiver two or your wide receiver three, and let's go win some Flipkland titles.

40:21Mike Wright:I had no idea this was his pick.

40:24Andy Holloway:I didn't either. I'm a little sad it wasn't Christian Watson.

40:27Mike Wright:Well, I mean, look, I can't go back to the well and my guy Jamo another year. I would never. But you want to. I would never double up on a lion back to back. Right. Lessons learned. But, I mean, I think we all acknowledge the drumbeat around Jamison, the end of the season, the comments from Goff, Dan Campbell being, you know, somebody that switched to the play calling. I don't know. Like, Jamo, Amon Ra, both top ten, not impossible. Yep.

40:58Andy Holloway:I mean, was Jamo top 10 last year? Yes.

41:01Mike Wright:He was close, right? 10 or 11?

41:04Jason Moore:Let me look that up. Yeah.

41:06Andy Holloway:I mean, it wasn't consistent, but that's the big question. I think it was probably 10, right? The question is, will we get consistent? Can I get an 8? Will we get consistent Jamison Williams this year for the Detroit Lions? Going in the middle rounds.

41:21Jason Moore:He's 58th pick off the board. I mean, he's the wide receiver 25 on the Lions after finishing as the wide receiver 9. I love this pick. I've completely turned around like early offseason. I don't like the style of player. But when you can have a real high variance player, I mean, this is the fifth round, back of the fifth. This is like your wide receiver 3. Let me make some notes here. That's how you win a league.

41:48Andy Holloway:Wide receiver 25 at the back of the fifth on sleeper.

41:50Mike Wright:Okay, back of fifth. All right, Jamison Williams. You like that in the back of the fifth. Just making some notes for later.

41:59Andy Holloway:Okay. Go on. Well, we go from wide receiver 25 to currently the running back 25. We switch over to Kyle Borginoni, host of the Dynasty Pod, the DFS Embedding Show. He is on there as well, and he is the king of unnecessary statistics. Let's see what he has to say. Foot Clan, for 2026 fantasy MVP, I'm going with Jadarian Price, rookie running back for the Seattle Seahawks. I looked at every single first round running back taken over the last decade. And the only ones who went later than Price's 69th overall draft price, nice, were Sonny Michel and Rashad Penny in redraft. He is being discarded and disrespected in drafts based on simply being behind Jeremiah Love in college and a lack of true pass catching opportunities.

42:49But much like Ken Bone Walker coming out of college, The issue is not, can he be a difference maker in the receiving game, but his opportunities. Head coach Mike McDonald raved this offseason about the fact that no one on his championship winning defense has been able to cover him yet in practice, and Beats have consistently talked about his receiving abilities and wheel routes out of camp. I felt like I was on an island on the Dynasty podcast, but I came away super impressed from his film, the contact balance, his initial burst, and his vision in the open field, especially as a kick returner.

43:23The George Helani hive, though a small but mighty bunch, can kindly shut the hell up. Zach Charbonne is on IR and he will be slow played when he returns. Are we really going to overthink a talented first round rookie running back on a top tier offense going in the late sixth round on ESPN? Give me that value in a player who can be a fantasy MVP in 2026. Oh man.

43:48Andy Holloway:Kyle! Kyle, he does not stand for those

43:51Jason Moore:Helani bros.

43:52Andy Holloway:You are a feisty man.

43:54Jason Moore:Those Helani bros can shove it.

43:56Mike Wright:Sorry to the audience. I guess... Why is Horseboy

43:59Andy Holloway:on the screen?

44:00Mike Wright:There's a red alarm

44:01Andy Holloway:and a Horseboy.

44:02Mike Wright:We are falling apart. That's on me. That's on me. We have a process here in the show where if something goes wrong, the Horseboy comes up on the screen. He's like the technical difficulties? It's the blue screen of death for our

44:17Jason Moore:studio that's give me a horse boy okay now let's come back to jadarian i also want to apologize to

44:23Mike Wright:our listening audience i set a precedent an effective one a few weeks ago and apparently it just opened the floodgates for kyle's okay lips now i will say i love everything he said it is always nice to get uh when when you're alone on a player to get um another validating

44:40Andy Holloway:opinion i love price i love the opportunity the i i still am not 100 sure how they are going to handle Price. Look, they should. Rational coaching says Jadarian Price should come in immediately as a first-round pick and be a bell cow running back. In my opinion, to spend that draft capital and not use that player like that immediately is just, it's malpractice and you should be removed from all decision-making ability. I don't know what exactly they're going to do. and look right now the competition is Holani it seems like he should that should be an easy no problem Charbonnet will be back at some point and I think that you will have an interesting there could be an interesting change like at that point his price been so good that they hold off and their love for Charbonnet they have to just eat it and let Jadarion Price keep out there cooking there's a lot of of things that could go wrong for Jadarian Price, but the, the ADP price point is at a point where like he's in the dead zone, but he's the type of dead zone running back that is still worth a bet with

45:58Jason Moore:your, with your draft pick. I will say this, his current average draft position. I am very, very in on Jadarian Price there. That is not where he is. like you can't look at his ADP and think I'm getting him later in every league now that real drafts are happening he is going much higher when we did our mock draft yesterday he went in the middle of the fourth round his ADP is like our almost sixth round our mock draft was crazy running back heavy yeah and I I think that's going to happen because when I look at the when I look where Price is it's just delightful I mean he's behind Travo he's behind um you know guys that just you know Judkins and um Bucky and David Montgomery and I think I think he's going to be

46:51Mike Wright:going ahead of a lot of them well I certainly was the one that took him yesterday that high so you guys know how I feel about him I think in a lot of leagues he'll still sneak further if you're drafting on a platform with the ADP printed he's going to sneak through if you're in a sharper league where people are looking for a starter running backs go soon you want to guarantee i mean you want to take remandre you want to take jadarian price price remandre is a tough one

47:15Andy Holloway:because i think that remandre is going to have just disgusting but really great production those other guys though it's like judkins bucky i i don't mind taking the the bet david montgomery

47:27Jason Moore:yeah oh montgomery for sure come on and you're you're saying your price over those guys yes yes

47:33Andy Holloway:Yes, yes, yes. Absolutely. All right, one more of our friends before we get into our own, the three of us, our fantasy MVPs. Friend of the show, Mina Kimes, we were lucky enough to jump on her show, and she was kind enough to reciprocate that with her fantasy MVP, Mina Kimes from ESPN.

47:52Mike Wright:All right, the MVP show marches on as we welcome in an award-winning journalist and NFL analyst and the host of the Mina Kimes show, appropriately. It is Mina Kimes joining us today. And Mina, we are excited to have you with us. And fantasy managers out there are trying to find the diamond in the rough, trying to find the player that's going to take them over the top. And who better to ask than the one, the only Mina Kimes? Who do you have as your fantasy football MVP for 2026? Yeah, so the way I interpreted this, and I just want to make sure I understand, is kind of obviously it's not B. John Robinson or Jameer Gibbs.

48:29That is correct. You got it. I was thinking back to my first year. ESPN has this thing called the War Room League, where it's like all the ESPN talent are in it. And my very first year that I got the invitation, which was quite an honor, I won because I had Amon Ross St. Brown. And it was, I believe, the 2022 season, where in the second half, he just went crazy. The rookie year, when he became the playoff king. Right, before he was Amon Ross St. Brown. And I think I got him in the third round or something. I really liked him. But I don't want to be too hipster and pick like a crazy sleeper. So I'm trying to thread the needle here of like a guy.

49:06Okay, good. I understand it. That I think is going to be on a lot of winning teams, a guy that I desperately want on my own teams. Hopefully no one in ESPN War Room Leagues listening to this. I want every piece of a Marian Hampton this year.

49:22Jason Moore:Yeah, you and Jason both. That is one of my three my guys this year. So we are in sync. Tell me your reasons why. Oh, man. First of all, the fantasy name Hampton Inn. I want it for a few weeks. Hampton Inn! You get it when he scores. Hampton Inn! Aside from that lovely free breakfast hotel chain, there's a lot I like about him. So first of all, I think he's really good. Just purely from a film-watching tape head, went last year, horrible circumstances, hit by a line of scrimmage constantly. But when he was healthy, he was not only kind of shockingly productive, I think he was really good in a way that's going to really translate in the Mike McDaniel offense.

49:59So we know from Miami, Mike McDaniel can basically gin up a run game out of nothing, right? The Dolphins were extremely good at it, despite the fact that nobody respected the passing game at the end. That run game is all about running outside the tackles. McDaniel uses all kinds of big bodies, some of which he brought with him. I call Alec Ingold his emotional support fullback to Los Angeles. But we know that he wants to get his backs outside the tackles in space, uses a lot of creative shenanigans to create those opportunities. Omron Hampton, even though last year he wasn't, you know, he was obviously injured, but it was in terrible circumstance.

50:34When he ran outside the tackles, I just pulled this up, 5.5 yards per carry. He actually tied DeAndre Swift first in the NFL league wide EPA per carry outside the tackle. So I just feel it's like a dream match between the running back and the play caller. And like, even if he's not Devon A. Chan, I still think he's going to be amazing.

50:56Mike Wright:Yeah, I mean, big fan of Hampton over here and Jason. We all have him pretty high in our ranks. And the other thing standing out right now is like, how healthy is Keaton Mitchell going into the season where you're going to see the pass catching downs and things like that? Right.

51:10Jason Moore:Yeah, you won't get any argument from me on that. I mean, it was basically the exact same argument, the matchup of the offensive coordinator and then the offensive line getting better. I'm all in on the Chargers, but that always feels like a, well, fool me again this year.

51:24Andy Holloway:Yeah, the Chargers are the ultimate, oh, what was your excuse this year? There's no excuses this year. It's going to work. I mean, well, they already lost alignment for the end. Yeah, we say that everywhere. We're like, this is it, Justin Herbert, no more Mr. If. And then they lose the center, and then the guard is some guy you've never heard of, and Trey Pipkins is suddenly back in the conversation. Yeah, I think McDaniel's really good at covering up for that, though. And the other thing, you mentioned Keaton Mitchell. I have him in Dynasty, God rest my soul, which was amazing. his I felt really smart like brilliant honestly his rookie season I know people are a little bit freaked out about that but I'm sure you guys have talked about this in depth Mike Mike Dino's kind of a liar right like I know yes he is okay okay so we are on the same page here he's gonna run the hell out of Hampton like Devon HN had 238 carries last year right like so I just don't think also Hampton himself is a very underrated pass catcher I feel like that's another thing where he could produce a lot but yeah I'm not too scared I'm not planning on starting Keaton Mitchell in my dynasty league and i think that is influencing my hampton love yeah absolutely yeah the uh the lying mike

52:28Mike Wright:mcdaniel we've seen the he'll get between zero and 30 carries or whatever comment he had last year for some of his players um you heard it here first yep fantasy football mvp for mina kimes is a marian hampton and jason's a happy man there you have it mina kimes is going with what a voice that uh

52:45Andy Holloway:the host had on that little clip yeah that third voice i don't even i barely even recognize it Jason, do you have any notes?

52:51Jason Moore:No notes. Great job. I am in on Hampton, and I love the pairing with McDaniel.

52:57Andy Holloway:All right. It's time for Hour 3. Jason, we are going to start with you. Who is your fantasy MVP?

53:05Jason Moore:My fantasy MVP this year is A.J. Brown. I truly believe the difference between my guy and a fantasy MVP to me and I think it might be different to all of us is someone that is a true just absolutely winner just could be Matt I I'd think in the range of outcomes AJ Brown could be the number one wide receiver in in fantasy football but also where he's going I find I just I love it because in the beginning of drafts when you get if you are near the end of the first round that is where usually over the course of this offseason you're drafting either Justin Jefferson or Drake London if you go wide receiver, but I really like the running backs that are available there.

53:54Jason Moore:Personally, I've got A.J. Brown ahead of those two wide receivers, and I can get him in the second round. So I feel like it's this really nice combination of where he's going is totally acceptable. And here's the case for why I think he's actually like a good player this year. The whole thing against A.J. Brown is just, did he lose it? You know, if it's gone, it's gone. He's an older player um you know his numbers weren't quite as great last year so maybe we saw the beginning of the end and if so then he's going to be a terrible pick but I don't think that that's the case at all we saw through camp he dominated he dominated the total targets through training camp in in targets and receptions there were certain matchups when they were playing against uh uh the the Seahawks in practices those inter-team practices where the the beat reporters are just saying he just dominated like they've never seen someone dominate, especially around the red zone.

54:49Jason Moore:He was the wide receiver 10 last year, and he missed two games. And also, he was on a team that threw for 3 ,400 yards. Now he goes to a team that last year threw for 4 ,400 yards, add another 1 ,000 yards in there. You also get a much better passing quarterback. I love Jalen hurts I think he's a good quarterback he is not the same passing quarterback that Drake May is Drake May and Brown is an elite stack May through 10 plus yards down the field at the fifth highest rate and on those throws he led the quarterbacks in completion rate success rate and passer rating you lose Stefan Diggs AJ Brown comes in he's going to get all the targets for a great quarterback and and if you go okay well he's old and he's switching teams and so I'm I'm out there are a tier of wide receivers a real special like these guys aren't just a good wide receiver these guys are one of the best in the league which AJ Brown over the last you know seven years has been one of the best wide receivers in the league you've got enough examples like Randy Moss when he went to the Patriots obviously he's first battle hall of famer but I mean he set the NFL touchdown record with 23 touchdowns 1500 yards Devontae Adams when he went to the Raiders at 29 1500 yards and 14 touchdowns Brandon Marshall at age 31 1500 yards and 14 touchdowns Terrell Owens

56:21Mike Wright:at 30 1214 in only 14 games did you mention that Moss was 30 as well uh I don't know if I gave his

56:29Jason Moore:He was 30 when he went to New England. Exactly. A.J. Brown is 29. He's going to a perfect environment with a quarterback that fits him so well. This was like the argument for George Pickens and Dak Prescott last year. What Drake May does great, A.J. Brown does great. They need him. They've got vacated targets. He's going to be loud. It all lines up to me where it's either he's lost it and he's not good anymore and he's a terrible pick. Or if he's still A.J. freaking Brown, he's going to go out there and have 1 ,400 yards and 14 touchdowns. That's very much in his range of outcomes. So he's my fantasy MVP.

57:10Jason Moore:I'm in on him. I am bullish on him not having lost it.

57:16Mike Wright:I mean, I like A.J. Brown. Yeah, I'm all in. I get it. I've been there. I know that there is – I think the offense altogether has some regression coming, potentially efficiency wise but you know the biggest argument of that extra thousand yards passing offense it's hard to i think it just does come down to is he the same guy that's it and um i you want me to go next mike sure so we talked about jameson williams earlier who i think is a discount in drafts wide receiver 25 in the back of the fifth round the way i view the fantasy mvp pick is somebody that you can always draft that is going to be a complete game changer for your team over the back half of the year.

58:03Mike Wright:This guy is the highest paid free agent receiver in the history of the National Football League when he signed. He is going in the eighth and ninth round. Both of them? Yeah, eight. Wow. I mean, yes. The answer is yes, based on the league. Sleeper and ESPN. it is Alec Pierce of the Indianapolis Colts um I have been in the Alec Pierce camp I don't really I have a hard time understanding why people are not on board with Alec Pierce this is a team that like he went out last year his games with basically he had a concussion in the beginning of the year when he came back from the concussion this was like 1250 yard pace despite the fact he lost Daniel Jones for part of the year then the team lets Michael Pittman depart then the team pays him 114 million dollars this is not a nine even though he's led the league in yards per reception you go look at his routes last year 55 of them i mean i watched so much alec pierce last year during the season he was on my teams he ran 55 digs ends crossings go routes i mean he does more than people understand that he can do and then you get rid of the intermediate guy and you say well josh downs is just going to step in and fix that keenan allen's going to step in and fix that no their number one wide receiver is alec pierce if you look at detroit detroit has amin rossst brown jameer gibbs in the passing game and sam laporta to go compete with jamison williams for those targets that's why you get more variability there i think alec pierce is going to wake people up to the type of player he is in a fantasy environment we looked at every 1 000 yard receiver and where they went the next year in drafts historically over the last five years the only 1 000 yard receiver drafted later than pierce we saw a 34 year old adam thielen and a 32 year old deandre hopkins adam i've been gone for so long and then we saw a 33 year old stefan diggs thank you for remembering me and a traded wandel robinson because one day i had a thousand last year and he's not going high this year Otherwise, Pierce is literally, statistically, the cheapest 1 ,000-yard receiver.

1:00:18Mike Wright:And he's not 33, 32, 34 years old. He's going into the prime of his career. And so I don't think, I mean, this is the wide receiver 23 being drafted in the ninth round right now. Who is practicing and going to play in week one? Does he have a fast start? I don't know. Is Daniel Jones an MVP? He was for the first seven weeks last year, and then he was injured. So there are questions, but there's margin for all error for this pick to still be a home run for your fantasy team. I think Alec Pierce belongs in the Jamison Williams category area of drafts, but he's being drafted in the eighth or ninth round.

1:00:56Mike Wright:And let me give you a little spoiler alert. That's where he'll go this weekend. Guaranteed. He's not going anywhere else. No. I've been wanting, you know, the injury slowed up my ability to really get behind him because we just didn't know how available he'd be. To me, this is just crazy. Last year with Michael Pittman, he was a B in consistency. So this whole talk of like, he only does one thing. No, he wasn't doing one thing. He exceeded 10.5 fantasy points 53 % of the time. That beat Devontae Smith. That beat Jefferson. That beat Jalen Waddle last year. There's a reason they paid him$114 million.

1:01:30Mike Wright:and if the Colts didn't do it, he was getting it somewhere else. He was going to be the best free agent on the market. So to me, this was a commitment to him, and I look at that depth chart and I say, well, who else is catching the ball in high-value, important plays? I mean, he's proven he can score touchdowns. Last year, he was paced 1 ,200 yards and nine touchdowns with Michael Pittman. I don't know. I'm all in.

1:01:53Jason Moore:I think the cost is wonderful. The ankle injury that's kept him off. I mean, this is buying the injury dip, which I don't usually like, but statistically when we talk about that, we're talking about the higher drafted players that drop a round or two. When you're this low and you're in the eighth or ninth round, I'm looking at ADP and some of the guys who's going around. Cortland Sutton? No, thank you. Like, what is the upside case, right? Because when you're drafting this late, that's the only thing you need to worry about. If it doesn't work out for Cortland Sutton or Alec Pierce or anyone in that range, it doesn't matter.

1:02:27Jason Moore:It didn't cost you that much. You're just drafting like, what if it does work out? And obviously the best case scenario for Alec Pierce would be that he, you know, really does become the possession guy, the number one for a good offense. And that's in his range of outcomes. So, you know, I was not having a lot of love for Alec Pierce most of the offseason. I assumed he would be back healthier earlier, be higher in ADP. You're right, Andy. This weekend he's going to stay right where he's at behind tons of other players. This episode isn't going to move him quick enough. And, yeah, he's definitely worth taking a shot there.

1:03:07Andy Holloway:Looking at mine and Andy's fantasy MVP, I think what we did was we took my guys that we just were like, there's just a little bit too much going on for me to go full my guy with this player, but I love them because we think they are difference makers. I'm going with the running back from Jacksonville, Bay Shaw Tootin going as the running back 26. And I've been the bull case for Bay Shaw Tootin on the show. And yet, even if you guys, you aren't where I am, We're still above market with where we are with Basial Tootin. I'm seeing a running back 26 ADP on sleeper. Our consensus has him as the running back 21.

1:03:53Andy Holloway:I love Liam Cohen. I love the Jaguars offense. I took him in there, our top 12 offenses draft. I think they're going to be extremely high-powered. We'll start it with the – I am accepting the risk. When you draft Tootin, it's an ambiguous backfield for a reason. you don't 100 % know how things are going to shake out. What I do know is that we have essentially two strong years of Liam Cohen data. When he was the OC for Tampa Bay, where Bucky Irving had over 200 carries and 52 targets. And I can say, you know what else happened on that team? Rashad White had 144 carries and 57 targets. Now, the Jags are not – it's a different offense than the Bucs.

1:04:42Andy Holloway:The Jags are just dripping with wide receiver depth. But my point is there's a lot to go around in a Liam Cohen offense. Like while Bucky, we looked at him, he was the clear leader. Rashad White was still getting plenty of opportunity, and I'm bringing that up of the Bashaw Tootin versus Krod. Who is going to be the guy? I don't know 100%, but I'm putting my bet on Tootin, the guy who was there last –

1:05:06Mike Wright:You're betting on the talent of the player.

1:05:08Andy Holloway:Absolutely. And the guy who was there last year, and I bring that up because, like, Bucky Irving, you know, two years ago, that's workhorse numbers. Travis H.N. Jr. was a true workhorse for Jacksonville last year. So if Tootin can get that, he's going to be incredible. Like, the early down roll, I think that's easy. That's for Tootin. It comes down to the goal line and the pass-catching opportunities, which we have LaQuint Allen reportedly going to work in on some third downs, but he has been banged up. In Bashaw Tootin's profile in Virginia Tech, 12 % of Virginia Tech's receptions and the threshold we want from our RB1s from college to pro is 11%.

1:05:49Andy Holloway:We saw that from Tootin. His athletic measuring is truly off the charts, and if he gets goal line, which you're like, that makes sense to think, okay, well, it's going to be Crod. God, Basial Tootin was awesome at it. Last year, 25 % of Tootin's carries were short yardage, where you needed three or fewer yards for a first down or you're trying to get a touchdown. That led to destroying his yards per carry down at 3.7. But I've brought this up before. He was fifth among all running backs in rush success rate, meaning whatever the yards that they need on that down, he was coming through. He was getting them.

1:06:29Andy Holloway:Even if it's not over four a carry, he's getting exactly what the team needs. Last year, seven five-zone carries turned into five-zone touchdowns, five of them. He was extremely good at it.

1:06:42Mike Wright:Him and Crott were both good at it, weren't they? Yes.

1:06:45Andy Holloway:Where H.N. Jr. last year, he was not good at the goal line. Tootin was. High-powered offense. It's ambiguous. I really don't mind people taking shots at Crott. I took him in the mock draft yesterday of just sometimes you got to hedge, but I really, really do think that it's going to end up being Bayshall Tootin as the main guy and the speed that I mentioned. Like this is a player who can, you can rip off 60-yard touchdowns when you are Bayshall Tootin fast. So I love him. I love Jacksonville. I love this offense, and I want to take some gambles on ending up with their starting running back. so what are we doing for the rest of the show guys are we we're wrapping things up

1:07:28Mike Wright:all right that is going to do it that was that was a very open discussion about the progress of

1:07:33Andy Holloway:the show there well i well i looked we had we had another segment i was hoping jason because i sound

1:07:37Mike Wright:like this i was hoping jason was going to jump in for a second and talk about bashal as was i

1:07:42Jason Moore:but then he just left you well look my bold prediction is that the jaguar picks are going

1:07:47Mike Wright:to that's true so you're just going to be you didn't want to poop on it yeah i don't look i

1:07:51Jason Moore:get the upside case everything you laid out right it's there if he hits he could be in that league winner type of category a lot of mouths to feed in Jacksonville so hopefully um Liam Cohen can consolidate and make it just Parker Washington and and Tootin do that for us so that's going to

1:08:10Andy Holloway:do it for today's episode hey if you're in the comments go ahead leave your fantasy MVP try and claim some glory for yourself. No show on Monday. It is Labor Day. But then next week, ladies and gentlemen, it's go time. We will see you then. Goodbye. To the Megalobole!

1:08:30Jason Moore:Thank you for listening to another episode of the Fantasy Footballers Podcast. Join our fantasy football community on jointhefoot.com and follow us on Twitter at the FFBallers.

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From the publisher

Fantasy Football show for Sep 4, 2026. Fantasy Football MVP Picks for 2026! Andy, Mike, Jason, and a number of special guests name players who can be true difference makers! Find out who has fantasy football league-winning potential this year! Manage your redraft, keeper, and dynasty fantasy football teams with the #1 fantasy football podcast.

2026 ULTIMATE DRAFT KIT is available now at UltimateDraftKit.com

Compete in the MEGALABOWL fantasy football league! Megalabowl.com

(00:00) Intro
(05:30) How to not overreact from Week 1
(08:50) NFL News
(14:50) Fantasy MVPs for 2026
(15:30) Rich Hribar
(17:30) Ian Hartitz
(24:20) JJ Zachariason
(28:40) Austin Ekeler
(33:05) Matthew Betz
(36:55) Kyle Borgognoni 
(42:45) Mina Kimes
(47:50) Jason Moore
(52:35) Andy Holloway
(58:15) Mike Wright

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