Fantasy Football - Top 10 WR Rankings + What Could Go Wrong? - Podcast for 8/10

12:22Andy Holloway:There are some guys. They traded for him, and they gave him, like, a little bit of boost in money, and he's probably starting on the outside.

12:28Jason Moore:Drops are not always a sticky thing. You know, you see some superstars, Jamar Chase or CeeDee Lamb or whatever. Or Evans. Yeah, they go through a little stretch, but there are a few guys, and I can think of three, Wicks. Quentin Johnson. Quentin Johnson and Marvin Harrison, where it's like it's become such a thing for them that it can't not be in their head every pass.

12:50Mike Wright:Yeah, the league leader in drops every year is always a superstar, but CeeDee Lamb or Almanra St. Brown, it's somebody that gets 150 targets. So you're going to have more of those. But I just think it's one of those obviously sneaky situations where you can have an undrafted guy. Wicks should go at the end of every draft. You could put him on your team and have like you have two injured guys. Like Devontae Smith, he does get hurt. We talk about when A.J. Brown or him miss a game, Goddard benefits. We know that because the data's there because they missed time.

13:18Andy Holloway:Wicks was like, you know, if you were around for fantasy football in the offseason, when Wicks got traded, I'll just speak for me personally, it was like, oh, this is actually sort of interesting because you already had it combined with the locked-in promise that A.J. Brown was going to be traded, and it got completely derailed because Makai Lemon was drafted in the first round, which that totally makes sense. But if Makai Lemon is not a factor, maybe have some more excitement for Wicks.

13:47Jason Moore:Have you guys heard one word about Hollywood Brown? No. He's there. No. I just remembered. I was like, who else is there? Oh, yeah, isn't Hollywood Brown there? But I've heard. No. If you told me he retired early this offseason, I would believe you. I'd be like, oh, I missed that news.

14:06Mike Wright:Josh Jacobs did not practice Thursday or Friday or Sunday with a groin injury. The groin is going around. Jaden Reed did not practice on Sunday, ankle injury, Matthew Golden, toe injury. So the Packers taking some time off there. A couple of bigger pieces of news. We got news this morning that the new center for the Lions is going to miss eight to ten weeks or longer, a midseason return. That sucks. That was an upgrade point for them. They went out, they spent the money, and then they're going to miss it. Laramie Tunzel will miss the majority of the season. Torn triceps, that would be the commander's left tackle.

14:42Mike Wright:And that's a big deal. It's a downgrade for that offensive line, which means Jaden, which means Bill. Bill. And then Hunter Henry agreed to a two-year contract extension for$14.5 million. I mean, he's the definition of a Dalton Schultz-esque solid tight end that could, if you start those guys on any given week, they could be fine. Absolutely. Hunter Henry's a good player.

15:06Jason Moore:Especially to start the year. He always gets off to the first two weeks of every season. It does feel like he owns the first couple weeks. He waited until weeks three and four this time. Oh, was it? Somewhere early in the season he goes off every year.

15:17Mike Wright:Is there any news that I – I mean, sprained MCL for Isaiah Pacheco. I missed that. They think he'll be ready in week one.

15:26Andy Holloway:That's all I know of right now.

15:28Mike Wright:Yeah, Malik Naver's trending towards being ready for week one. That was the other news coming out from ESPN's Jordan Renan. how do you feel about that oh yeah and the quad contusion for

15:38Jason Moore:yeah uh it seems as far as malik neighbors every video that you watch you go okay he seems ready whether he is fully cleared for you know every bit of contact and every route but i've also heard over the last couple weeks you know from boots on the ground that he's looking better like every week that goes on he's looking more and more like himself so i think come week one he will be on the field uh i i think come week six he'll be back to his normal you know pre-injury self also one other piece of news i do believe that the quad issue with mike evans is in the past now he was back

16:17Mike Wright:out there okay uh did you move luther burden in your rankings because i have i've not adjusted yet

16:24Andy Holloway:okay i mean are you going to uh right now i don't plan to i was already here let me go i can double check again but like because of his ADP we've just been lower on him than the ADP because it

16:40Jason Moore:took off like a rocket ship yeah it's ironic because we have not been drafting much Luther Burden even though we love the talent and the and the the situation because of his ADP but now with the injury he's probably going to drop quite a bit as people are worried about it and then maybe we end up with some burden I did up his risk rating in the I did as well yeah and I may I may be

17:02Mike Wright:He moved him just a touch. Because, I mean, there's a risk now. I mean, he could miss week one. That actually is in the realm of possibility. All right, we'll take a break and jump into the top 10 wide receivers.

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18:52Mike Wright:Wide receivers. All righty. We did a wide receiver episode on Friday, counting down the number 20 through number 11 in our consensus rankings. We're looking at the top 10 today. This should be fun discussions to be had. What makes a top 10 wide receiver in fantasy since 2015? Someone finishing in the top 10 for fantasy. 67 % of them averages nine or more targets per game. so you're talking cream of the crop 73 percent had eight or more receiving touchdowns so we should discuss these players in the context of can they reach that mark the average numbers for top 10 wide receivers 99 receptions on 148 targets 1300 plus yards in 9.5 touchdowns so you're

19:38Andy Holloway:talking big time year yeah i mean yeah top end is pulling that average yeah and and maybe if we

19:45Mike Wright:have time at the end i'd love to know a name i mean maybe it was discussed on the last show Maybe it's somebody else outside of the top 20, but somebody that you think can get up into that tier that isn't in that tier. We'll go ahead and we'll start it off here. Number 10. Nico Collins comes in at number 10. We finally found a guy that I am the highest on. Yeah, it turns out that Mike is the highest on Nico Collins. He's been the wide receiver 9, 20, and 8 the last three years. He has not played a complete season ever. I think that's something that might be not talked about much about Rico. 14 games, 10 games, 15, 12, 15.

20:28Mike Wright:So, you know, when you look at what he did last year, points per game, it was a little bit down. 12.7 versus he's been at 14.7. He's a machine. He's a great player. Three straight 1 ,000-yard seasons. Second in yards per route run over the last three seasons. We love that number. seventh in PPR points per game over the last three seasons. So if you just look at points per game, Puka, Jamar, Amon Ross, Seedy, Tyreek, and Malik Neighbors, and then Nico Collins. Ahead of Jefferson, ahead of A.J. Brown, ahead of Devontae Adams. We know he's the number one. We might not like C.J. Stroud a lot, but this is a team that's going to be very good, threatening for the division.

21:10Mike Wright:Where are you with the, you know, I'm looking their favorite in six of their first seven weeks the Buffalo matchup in week one should be fun why doesn't he necessarily feel like drafting Jamar Chase or Jefferson is it all related to Stroud I don't think it's all related

21:27Jason Moore:to Stroud a lot of it is also related to volume he is you know the the deep threat gets you know those bomb touchdowns that's great wins you a week but he's not a guy that's going to be up you know we just talked about pretty much the average top 10 wide receivers usually about 150 targets he's not going to get 150 targets i don't think i mean that's just not how he's been utilized this last

21:48Andy Holloway:year he had 120 targets yeah he averaged eight targets a game and we said the threshold was nine

21:54Mike Wright:so yeah so just slightly in the 130 range probably yeah i mean last year finished as the wide receiver

21:59Jason Moore:eight which is like oh that's great but it's ironic because we've talked a lot about how zay flowers finished as the wide receiver seven but it was like fake because this year with injuries to other guys and the points per game. He had his lowest points per game this past season, Nico Collins did, in the last couple of years. So what we saw most recently was not really exciting, really inspiring as we went into last year believing he could be a top three wide receiver and then regressed on a points per game basis. Now you get a couple other guys. The news around Jaden Higgins has been phenomenal recently.

22:37Jason Moore:I don't know if people are plugged into that, but Higgins has been talked up like crazy, not just by beat reporters, but also, I mean, CJ Stroud himself. How about by Nico Collins? Yeah, Nico.

22:47Mike Wright:That boy a dog, got all the tools in the world, going to be the face of the franchise one year.

22:51Jason Moore:Yeah, so I mean. That's pretty good. And then you get Tank Dell back. So, I mean, maybe this just helps open things up for Nico. But to me, when I look at Nico versus the other guys around him, my biggest hardship is just target volume. and I will say he's usually overcome it so it's not a big scare I don't I don't look at him like a like a bust pick he's just not my favorite archetype personally I wonder what Kyle if you

23:17Mike Wright:want to look up what CJ Stroud's yardage line is set at this year that's a concern for me 217 yards a game last year for CJ Stroud a defense a defense that is going to be built to minimize Stroud's mistakes allow David Montgomery and Woody Marks to run the football and then you'd think that nico collins would have been a player that has gotten to double digit touchdowns with that frame he's never done it uh eight seven six the last three years oh oh no these trends continue yeah i mean based on how numbers work but i i think those are all i think you guys brought up the main points there and i think he's a very solid you know top 12 type of guy but not going to be somebody that's going to can finish at number one i don't think that's possible it's really funny

24:00Jason Moore:because there's two types of options you want in the receiving game. You want a team that is just the Bengals, the Cowboys, teams that are going to be putting up 30 points seen as a top five NFL offense, or you want a team that's like they're going to be down all game. They've got to throw like crazy, and this is neither of those. This isn't going to be a top ten offense. At least it's not currently projected that way because this is such a good defense, but this is a really good team. They're going to be hopefully running the ball in the fourth quarter versus throwing the ball. So it's like this double whammy against the passing game for the Texans.

24:35Jason Moore:And it's at no fault of their own. It's a good strategy to win ballgames for the Texans. When you have Stroud. They're going to win.

24:41Andy Holloway:And, well, Nico is – the Jaden Higgins stuff, I think it's interesting. Higgins is a – he's a fun player. Like, we're going into year two, day two.

24:53Mike Wright:I wasn't impressed on film last year by Jaden Higgins. I wasn't. I watched the film, and I felt like he left a lot on the table, and I was surprised. Maybe it's Stroud that brings it down. Not enough opportunities, not enough good situations. The Stroud yardage line is$35.99.

25:08Andy Holloway:Yeah, so he's sitting right at$3 ,600. It's the same number as Baker Mayfield. Sorry, Nico's the number one. Easy work. That's the argument for Nico Collins is he's very good. The last three years has been solid for fantasy. this past year was more down than the other two. And Stroud, for all of his weaknesses or perceived, he can't get over the hump. He's not going to be able to do it. 3 ,600 yards, that's enough. I've talked about Ted Arola, McMillan, and Bryce Young. The reason that McMillan kind of freaks me out as the true number one on the team is Bryce Young, 3 ,000, 3 ,100 yards. That's a good season for Bryce.

25:59Andy Holloway:Stroud hit 4 ,000 as a rookie. He was 3 ,700 in a full year his sophomore season. Even if it didn't work out for us for fantasy football, that's 3 ,700 passing yards that he can easily return to. And Nico's the number one and is a good player.

26:14Jason Moore:His line is set at 3 ,600 yards right now. And usually, if you're unaware, lines are set a little lower than what a full healthy game is.

26:24Andy Holloway:Right, you got to bake in some risk. Number nine.

26:29Mike Wright:George Pickens comes in at number nine. I've got him at eight. Mike is, of course, the lowest. Of course. Jason at ten. Of course. So we're right across that. I mean, I really, really, I believe Dallas could be a very good team this year. I agree. It's not too dissimilar to Cincinnati. we've said it a million times but they're very similar teams two all-star all-pro wideouts um running games that'll be okay defenses that through caleb downs and dexter lawrence have both improved to the point where i think competitive you know being competitive and winning games with that kind of an offense should be there um you know the story with george pickens number five overall last year he was awesome um five weeks of 20 plus points Only Puka had more week-winning performances than George Pickens.

27:22Mike Wright:You just have to have two guys on the same team finish as wide receiver ones here. We've seen it before. We've averaged one pair per year since 2015.

27:34Jason Moore:If I had to pick which team does it this year, which obviously I think everyone would be like Bengals or Cowboys, it would be the Cowboys.

27:42Andy Holloway:The rankings and the ADP are pretty confident for the Cowboys.

27:46Mike Wright:What other teams are in contention there? Rams.

27:50Andy Holloway:Rams did it last year.

27:51Mike Wright:Yeah, Rams. Maybe Detroit. I mean, because Jamison's finished as a top 10 before.

27:59Andy Holloway:They'd be in there. I mean, that was 2025, so it was Amon Ra and Jamison. Yeah. Dark Horse Saints. Yeah, now we're talking. Now we're talking.

28:09Mike Wright:Yeah. Target competition with CD when CD was in the game. Pickens was at 21 % target share. So we don't like that number for a top 10 finish.

28:21Andy Holloway:Yeah, 21 on his routes, 26 % when Seedy was out. I think it's just the looking at last year, it's very noisy in terms of I don't think you can cleanly gather out of just doing like the box scores. Hey, you know, Seedy is for sure just by far the number one because you had early on in the season. It was George's first games with the Dallas Cowboys, and CeeDee Lamb was dominating. Then he gets hurt, and George completely takes over not only the Cowboys, but he takes over fantasy football. And then the end of the season, they're both doing well. There's a couple low games here and there. I think George Pickens is truly an elite, budding superstar for the NFL.

29:10Andy Holloway:So, you know, I have him at 12 because I'm just – it's a little bit hedged. His ADP is at 11, but I have no problem with him going at 11. I have no problem with you. Andy, you got him at 8? I think that's perfectly acceptable for what George could do with CeeDee on the field.

29:29Jason Moore:If you take out the first two games, the argument you're making is like, okay, that was the first time George played with CeeDee in real games. You know, CeeDee dominated those targets.

29:40Andy Holloway:Takes some time.

29:41Jason Moore:Then he got injured. George went off. Once CD came back, so week seven on, the 17-game target pace when both those guys were on the field taking out those first two games would have been 143 to 137 targets. So it was not that wide of a gap. However, tough end of the season.

29:59Mike Wright:Yes. Really tough end of the season for the last five weeks for Pickens. And you might, you know, last week I think they sat down starters.

30:06Andy Holloway:Yeah, I just want to say the final three weeks was tough just for the Cowboys. CeeDee Lamb was 8.1, 7.1, and then doesn't really play the game.

30:17Jason Moore:Number eight.

30:19Mike Wright:All right, A.J. Brown comes in as our number eight wide receiver. That's where his ADP is right now. There have been moments this offseason where I've wanted to be, like, super all in on A.J. Brown. Like, it should work. it should work it almost makes too much it almost makes i mean it's too quiet i mean he's he's been a dominator last year the much bemoaned offense he still got it done still finished at number 10 with two games he missed it should be a very good at least one more year i think for aj brown in new england now there's going to be acclimation to this offense to some degree building that rapport with drake may does that happen instantly we know aj brown is a particular kind of guy when it comes to the squeaky wheel baby squeaky wheel and and it should be you know you're moving from one of the worst passing offenses in football statistically in terms of pass rate and total passing offensive statistics to one of the best in football new england was unbelievable last year you can say what you want about the schedule but production is production and drake may went out there and like I mean they were they were just really really good and they passed the ball a ton

31:34Jason Moore:the case with AJ Brown is does he still have it like that's the entirety for me because there's some people last year old man river now that looked at the film and said he he looks like he lost a step and he's going to turn 30 this year so either he's not the same dude and he's lost a step and so you will be maybe disappointed with where you're drafting him and he's not and and he's not that guy. If that's your argument, fine. But if he's still good, and keep in mind last year he was the wide receiver 10 missing two games on a low-volume offense, how can he not almost project to be a top five wide receiver?

32:14Jason Moore:This is a dominator for fantasy for many, many years who is going from a low volume to a high volume to a team that just lost Stephon Diggs who had 1 ,000 yards and was basically their primary receiving option. the volume of opportunity for him should be 25 % more than it was last year.

32:36Mike Wright:I've got two things I want to discuss and get your thought on, Jay. One is you may see between building the report of Drake May and the schedule, I don't know if you can have a tougher first four weeks in the NFL. You go to Seattle. That's really tough. Then you play Pittsburgh at home. Okay. Then you go to Jacksonville. You go to Buffalo. You are underdogs in three of the first three weeks. You're on the road in three of the first three weeks, and you're trying to build a rapport with a quarterback against defenses that are going to be pretty good. It could be a slower start is all I'm saying.

33:08Mike Wright:It concerns me.

33:10Jason Moore:Week one concerns me, that first game out there, and then playing against a world-class defense in the Seahawks. But the Jags are a good team, and you might be the underdog. The Bills are a great team, and you're probably the underdog. But those are also good offenses where you're going to have to pass. So I don't mind that personally. I think that those two games, the Jags and the Bills, those games will be like I want those environments.

33:37Mike Wright:Those will be huge tests, though, for a team that had the schedule they had last year. I mean, Drake May, we saw him in the playoffs. He wasn't the same guy against these top-tier teams. One other thing. What were you going to say?

33:47Jason Moore:I was just going to say I'm in on A.J. Brown. I don't think that he's lost a step. No, I don't either. And if he hasn't, this should be a pretty easy and obvious successful pick.

34:00Mike Wright:There have been a handful of guys, seven in fact, that since 2017 that are wide receivers that just changed teams. And how did they perform? So like Brandon Cooks was the wide receiver nine, became the wide receiver 12 when he switched teams, also went to New England. Amari Cooper went from wide receiver 13 to 18. Beckham went from seven to 26. Antonio Brown, never played again. I don't know why they're in the sample. What is it? Oh, he just got.

34:28Andy Holloway:That was the year he peaced out, man. Copkin stayed the same.

34:32Mike Wright:Tyreek got better.

34:33Jason Moore:It was going well for Antonio Brown. He was very good. And then just took his shirt off and left football. It was a game? Is that what?

34:42Mike Wright:Yeah, one game.

34:43Andy Holloway:Oh, my gosh.

34:45Mike Wright:We'll move on.

34:47Jason Moore:Number seven.

34:48Mike Wright:Justin Jefferson comes in at number seven. I've got him at six. Mike's Mike at six. Jason is at seven. Justin Jefferson is 27 now, guys. Yeah. Not forever young. It happens. But still very young. This is the number one all time through the first six years of the NFL in receptions and receiving yards. We know the player. We just want to know that he has a stable situation offensively. And we now know, like we didn't know, how bad it can get. It can get pretty bad. I mean. Sub 10 points a game. We've had all-time. This is a really, really good thing to look at. We've had all-time players have down years.

35:32Mike Wright:This has happened for Larry Fitzgerald before. But, you know, A.J. Green, Hopkins, Devontae Adams, they've all had years where they slipped outside that top 20. But you know they're Hall of Fame-type talents. When A.J. Green finished at 24, the next year he was the wide receiver 7. When Hopkins finished at 30, the next year he was the wide receiver 1. same team when davante adams finished at 24 he was the wide receiver one the next year the best players end up coming back to form everything about jefferson and camp has been amazing it's just the jj kyler mess and maybe and it's still a mess maybe that's affordability though for a player that could be number one again it's not really in the sense that

36:11Jason Moore:most people are in on justin jefferson i guess if you're if you're taking him as you know the wide receiver you know six off the board he finishes at one then you did get a you know a discount but I could slip into the second round for a lot of leagues for a guy that finished as wide receiver 22 last year playing all every single game I mean it was atrociously bad um and now the all is forgiven no one is no one is off of Justin Jefferson but the quarterback competition right now this year has not looked great you know the most recent reports it goes back and forth the most recent reports I've seen are that JJ has had more Justin not Justin Jefferson but nine McCarthy has had more better practices than Kyler Murray so it's you know it's it's not it's not impossible that Justin Jefferson comes out this next year and is the wide receiver 15 because if he gets if he scores five touchdowns because these quarterbacks can't throw touchdowns

37:14Mike Wright:that's the issue he had 10 games with McCarthy last year five with Carson Wentz two with Max Brosmer I do think that that's borderline impossible for him to do in this offense I think it's going to be better I mean a second year J.J. McCarthy is better than a first year McCarthy and Kyler Murray could be the starter and that would be a much much better I think I think that's too low for me but you think he could be that would be full on that would be one

37:39Jason Moore:of the biggest Boston fantasy again that that would be it's I mean I get it the quarterback situation should should be better this year I mean I've got him as my wide receiver seven I'm not projecting him to be there but to say it's impossible I mean he literally just played every single game and was the wide receiver 22 because of quarterback play the quarterbacks are not guaranteed to have been solved and I really do probably wish they had Geno Smith I I wish it came down to touchdowns and you know that that's whether or not around the red zone

38:10Andy Holloway:So you bypassing, so like ADP-wise, what I'm seeing right now is after Jefferson is Drake London and A.J.

38:19Jason Moore:Brown. Yeah, I mean, every time that I've had that decision, I've gone A.J. Brown over Justin Jefferson because... How far does it go? Nico? I would not take Nico over him. George? George, so I'm looking at my rankings and I literally was like, I think I would rather have George. That's crazy.

38:38Mike Wright:it feels crazy in which case you know it just to me it just um like again a down year versus a downward trend i think are different things so you're not confident in kevin o 'connell to get it fixed because if you i mean to me it's a discount on justin jefferson if you have any confidence in kevin o 'connell as a head coach yeah i mean i can't let that happen two years in a row and there were again you had three quarterbacks to start and that's why they went

39:04Andy Holloway:and got Kyler because the hope was, okay, we can, if it doesn't work out for McCarthy, then we have this veteran who was at least not the worst. Kyler's not great. What do you think they should do strategically?

39:18Mike Wright:Strategically? Isn't the smarter thing for them to do to start JJ?

39:22Andy Holloway:If the camp battles are actually as close as we are hearing. I'm just thinking of the transition.

39:27Mike Wright:It's a lot easier to pull JJ for Kyler to me.

39:32Andy Holloway:I just like team wise if it's close you should be putting McCarthy out there because he's still young he can still get better where it's like Kyler Murray's not getting better no at football he is he's regressed a lot actually yeah if anything he's only getting worse from this this point moving forward but it's it's a mess man like they McCarthy has his supporters online it seems like the media prefers Kyler. Dunking on J.J. McCarthy is pretty easy. And based off of what he did last year with the memes and everything, it's pretty fun. So I don't... I think I'm more on Jason's side of just like...

40:18Andy Holloway:Jefferson's ranked high because I'm respecting the player, what he can do, but the risks are... It's very high. You need to know what you're getting yourself into. It's not blind everything is totally fixed things could be status quo from last year yeah right now he's

40:35Jason Moore:going right next to cd lamb like they're there oh give me cd lamb yeah i would take cd lamb there and ash and genti like those are the two players on on each side or if you prefer hampton or it's

40:46Mike Wright:more about cost is what you're saying because the risk is still there you don't see it removed i am comforted by the fact that the the comparisons that we have with other legendary wide receivers you are going to have odd years but to go from 30 to one to go from 24 to seven you know Adam same situation it's comforting to me I think the talent is too good and the target share is too large but yeah there's risk because we don't have I think people wanted to see this guy won the job today like if I if you if you knew today that one of these guys that dominated and was named the starter would you feel different about jefferson yes yes entirely this is

41:28Jason Moore:not a justin jefferson problem justin jefferson right is i mean he's probably the best wide receiver like i if i was drafting i mean chase is younger so if i was drafting as a gm but whatever but as a prototypical wide receiver i think justin jefferson's the best in football that's not an anti-justin jefferson take and so if you give the best wide receiver 160 targets he should be okay But it is just quarterback worry.

41:54Mike Wright:Number six. I'm sorry. I thought you started. I got to really just – you got to throw your hand up or something when you're done.

42:01Jason Moore:It's just a quarterback worry.

42:03Mike Wright:Okay, number six is a quarterback worry.

42:05Andy Holloway:I'm going to go move him down. I'm freaked out.

42:07Mike Wright:Well, it's a perfect next player to talk about, Drake London. Drake London is our – I have Jefferson ahead of London, as does Mike. Jason, you have him flip-flopped. this is where it's like I get a little bit confused about that storyline because you don't have a quarterback situation here in Atlanta that you should feel confident about some combination of Tua and Penix is not the most exciting situation in the world and so does London have a pass because he's thrived in bad situations once versus Jefferson, who doesn't get a pass because we saw him struggle in a tough situation once. I guess that's kind of my question.

42:57Mike Wright:Is it about target consolidation? Why is London higher here?

43:03Jason Moore:I think it is just target consolidation in the sense that you've got Jordan Addison and Hawkinson versus Kyle Pitts and Zachariah Branch or Jahan Dotson. It doesn't sound too different to me.

43:17Mike Wright:Pitts is much better than Hawkinson in the target pecking order

43:22Andy Holloway:yeah Addison's would be way better than the those two yeah so I mean I get what you're saying I

43:29Jason Moore:think it's a very fair and that's why Jefferson's usually going above London in drafts they both have a quarterback issue and you've got a better player in Justin Jefferson I mean I I would, you know, have to take a strong look in the mirror to actually select Drake London over Jefferson. This is where, when I'm really in that spot, I feel more confident in some of the running backs there as far as what they cost versus when it comes back around to the next round, the wide receivers that are there versus the running backs.

44:02Mike Wright:We've only ever had one, according to the data that Kyle's pulled here, because it's very rare to have a top 10 wide receiver in fantasy with a quarterback outside the top 30, like a late-round quarterback. The only one to do it, I mean, 2024 Devontae Adams it looks like, Drake London with Michael Pinnix. It's just difficult to pull off. Yes, we don't. And maybe two plays every week and we're happy with the offense.

44:36Andy Holloway:That's the question is we don't 100 % know what's going on with the quarterback situation. The tea leaves, at least for Atlanta, seem to be stronger for me of it's going to be Tua, at least to start the year. And I know Tua collapsed last year. And this is not a saying. Tua is a fantastic quarterback. But he's, you know, Kyler, I guess, has given us some fantasy hopes in the past. but it's like Tua's more recent of it's been able to get it done.

45:08Jason Moore:Kyler is a better fantasy option than Tua. So when we talk, you know, in the fantasy circles, it's like Kyler greater sign Tua. But in reality, Tua has led the league, the NFL, in passing yardage before. So, you know, Kyler is not a guy.

45:23Andy Holloway:How much is Tua and how much is Mike McDaniel is the question.

45:26Jason Moore:Absolutely. I would say, you know, 70 % McDaniel, 30 % Tua. But passing volume, that's never been Kyler's strength. Kyler is a good passer with legs that can get out of the pocket and be a dual threat guy.

45:42Mike Wright:He played 14 games last year. He was on pace for 3 ,200 passing games.

45:47Andy Holloway:Oh, yeah, I said last year was a collapse.

45:49Mike Wright:He threw 18 picks. So I find myself in a position where I trust the talent of Jefferson a little bit more than Drake London. And I don't think Drake London is ever brought up in any context to be a bust like Jefferson was last year. But to me, the quarterback situation says it's at least in the realm of possibility.

46:09Andy Holloway:No, I think it's very, very fair.

46:11Mike Wright:Let's take a break and we'll talk the top five.

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47:24Mike 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.

47:54Mike 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've 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.

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48:56Mike Wright:All right, we're going to get into the top five. And by the way, this is our top 10 wide receiver episode. So we are trying, like there's a built-in compliment when you announce each player already because they're ranked in our top 10. So we're trying to find pathways to differentiate between range of, find the range of outcome for these players so that you have perspective. Number five. CeeDee Lamb.

49:18Andy Holloway:CeeDee Lamb's coming off of a down year. We'll say once you get in the top five, things get a lot easier. Well, is it easier with Lamb?

49:26Mike Wright:I mean. It is for me. 11.7 fancy points per game last year. That was a huge deal. I mean, when he was number one overall, it was 19.7, then it was 14.2. Now it's 11.7. Some people think, maybe Mike is one of them, that Pickens is the better actual wide receiver.

49:41Jason Moore:The per-game numbers are wonky. You had his injury game where he played 9 % of the snaps, scored 0 points, and then week 18 where you didn't play the starters really and he scored 0.9 points. So the per-game is not really that low. So that's just the easy-to-grab number.

50:01Mike Wright:If you pull those out, I'm seeing around 13.

50:03Jason Moore:Yeah, so, I mean, he also dealt with drops, which was weird, and I don't think that we're going to say he's – I was frustrated, man. I had CD last year. I was like, oh, my gosh, he left so many fantasy points on the field with those drops. I don't think that's going to happen all the time. And he also – maybe it was George that was really siphoning the touchdowns away. I mean, I loved the George-Dak match made in heaven. That's why he was a My Guy last year is because he was perfect for that team. But the touchdowns really seemed like they were going George's way. I very much believe that CeeDee Lamb is the alpha for this team.

50:39Jason Moore:But I think both these guys are going to be wide receiver ones. And whoever is the better, which I definitely think is CeeDee personally, will be dominant for fantasy.

50:50Mike Wright:Mike, do you have thoughts on CeeDee? Or do you want me to move on?

50:53Andy Holloway:No, I think he's very easy top five type of player. Jason was right about you got to navigate his box score because it was, you know, the last three weeks was an absolute disaster. But it's like in real football games, his low was five for 66. Like, you know, he was over 100 yards, what, seven times? I'm trying to count real fast. Yes, CeeDee Lamb was still a dominant player. It was one of those years where the injuries and things just got in the way. But he's still in A in consistency. How old is he? He is 27. 27.

51:35Jason Moore:All these guys are 27. Nico's 27. Yeah, CeeDee should be fine. Jefferson's 27. CeeDee's 27.

51:39Mike Wright:All right. Disrespectfully coming in at number four. Of course. There's nothing better than a receiver that has been the wide receiver 3-3-3.

51:50Andy Holloway:We're doing you all a favor. Coming in at four. Isn't that just the biggest slap in the face? No, no. Amon Ra lives for doubt. He is fueled by hate and negative comments. So we're just, that's all we're doing here.

52:05Mike Wright:Here's a wild stat about Amon Ra. He had 11 touchdowns last year. And what, was he dragged down inside the five the most of anybody? So, like, Ian Harditz sent this out. Led the league in most receptions where he was tackled inside the five. He had eight times, and he still scored 11 touchdowns. That's how good this offense was. So, Amon Ra, is he the safest pick?

52:36Jason Moore:I don't – I mean, safest, I would still say Jamar, but you've got – He's pretty close. Yeah, I mean, he's –

52:44Mike Wright:To Jamar's point in safety, I mean, Burrow has been hurt a lot.

52:47Jason Moore:Yeah, well, and Jamar. I mean, that is one of the things that you have to love about Amon Ra. He was supposed to miss a game.

52:55Andy Holloway:Isaac Dislaut was supposed to have his moment in the sun, and Amon Ra was like, no.

53:00Jason Moore:In his career, 17 games played, 16, 16, 17, 17, and he plays through injury. And the thing is is he plays well through injury. Some guys hobble through injury, and they hurt themselves, and they should take time to rest. He is tough. He is used around the red zone so much. the thing is is he years ago it was like well I don't know that he's going to be a touchdown guy because you know he's he's a slot player they move him everywhere they have him as a first free target this is one of those offenses that you want to target the most and if you compare like when I think of the tip top offenses which I you could put the Rams there um for sure they scored you know we will they were there personally I I have the three of the Bengals the Cowboys and the um and the Lions but the wide receiver two option for those teams in T Higgins and CeeDee Lamb and Jamison Williams I feel like the the target share is so much more towards the one for Amon Ra.

54:05Jason Moore:They just, he is the possession receiver, kind of like a real version of Rashi Rice. Like Rashi Rice is like. Like a real boy? Yeah. Rashi Rice is just the Pinocchio. The system using him right and getting him the ball all the time, and it's kind of annoying because he's not good enough to deserve that. But then Amon Ra is, and they still do it.

54:31Mike Wright:It's just been a crazy run. He stays healthy. he plays 17 15 and 15 plus points per game that's just automatic and they're favored in fort remember they're favored in 14 of 17 games i think the only games they're not favored in is a road game against chicago i think a road game against buffalo and those are going to be fun games anyways i mean they're just they're set up for i believe like the best just one of the best schedules we've seen in

54:58Andy Holloway:long time there and target share the last three years 30 sorry i'll go four 28 30 27 31 this is this is what we're saying of he is extremely safe he's unbelievable and that is yeah he's been over

55:15Jason Moore:a hundred not targets receptions in four straight years over a thousand yards and all of them but up by 1500 yards oh trip double digit touchdowns in three years in a row like it feels we are

55:28Mike Wright:disrespectful yeah i do and i think it's a good discussion with this guy number three so jackson smith and jigba was unbelievable last year 17.7 fantasy points per game insane super bowl champ 1793 receiving yards led the league 35 target share that's insane but we have talked at length like everything went right for jsn last year he was not the same level of total volume as the other top tier type of guys. He was just exceptionally, exceptionally efficient with his work. I guess the question being is, you know, everybody, I mean, Seedy had a 17 plus point year, right? And it was a special year.

56:11Mike Wright:Amon Ra had one, right? Two years ago. He somehow finished at third still because of course, but he was at 17. So you do have special years, double digit touchdowns for JSN, 1 ,700 yards 15 a catch that was way higher than we'd seen before catch rate is 73 percent I think it's a very fair discussion the JSN versus Amon Ra question I do too and I wouldn't have

56:34Jason Moore:any issue with taking Amon Ra over JSN I think the the hope is that because JSN is so young he's 24 years old he's still getting better there's no one else really to throw the ball for this team. However, this is a team that wants to play great defense and they can. They want to run the ball, spend a first-round pick on a running back. So it's like, how does this team win? Does this team put up 30 points as often as the Lions? No. And so, I mean, we're splitting hairs, but I think that we've seen enough years in a row of 110 receptions and double-digit touchdowns from Amon Ra. JSN, we've got one, and it was better, but yeah, it's an interesting debate there.

57:24Mike Wright:They're the same as the Lions. They're favored in 14 of 17 weeks. Look at the red zone for JSN. Target-wise, he didn't dominate his compatriots on the offense. He had 15 targets in the red zone. Barner, 13. Cooper Cup, 12. Now Now Rashid Shahid gets an offseason to establish in this offense. You get back Torrey Horton. You didn't have him before. I wouldn't be just surprised to see JSN's target sure come down a little bit.

57:50Andy Holloway:Yeah. Arguing against JSN feels. Yeah, I mean, I don't want to. No, I know. Just draft him and be happy. I think that's where I'm at, but there's two other guys I would take in front of them. 36%. Yeah.

58:06Mike Wright:Taking the over or the under on that one?

58:08Andy Holloway:I will go under.

58:09Jason Moore:Yeah, you've got to take the under there.

58:11Mike Wright:56 % of the wide receiver targets on that offense. But he's great. Draft him. He's awesome. Number two. Jamar Chase comes in at two. Really? But Jason and Mike both have him at one. So figure that out.

58:25Jason Moore:This is a points versus ranking situation where you have Puka. The difference in points. Yes. The point total of the three of us combined has Puka higher because you have Puka higher than Jamar in a greater gap than Mike and I do.

58:42Mike Wright:Yeah, and we can talk about both of them. I'll hit the button. Number one. We'll talk about Jamar and Puka in the same conversation because both are awesome. I mean, statistically, last year both guys missed a game. Puka was at 19.4 fantasy points a game and Chase was at 15.7. Chase's season before was at 20. Both of these guys are going to be pushing those numbers every single year. I just like Puka more because I think I like the volume more. But how, I mean, to me Puka is going to be, like we were talking about breaking fantasy with Jameer Gibbs. It looks like Gibbs is just set up to have an incredible year.

59:22Mike Wright:That is Puka for me. I just think that I trust McVay to get him the ball a ton. I don't, I think Higgins is probably greater sign Adams right now in the career. but splitting hairs. You guys both have Jamar Chase ahead. I don't care.

59:40Jason Moore:Yeah, I mean, we don't care either. Both guys are awesome. We're not doing the debate show very good. Puka.

59:48Andy Holloway:You guys like him? Okay, that's cool. I don't care.

59:51Jason Moore:I mean, I don't understand. If I was on the clock and I had to choose, the reason I would choose Chase over Puka is simply because of the offensive and defensive environments. I think that the ceiling case for the Bengals and Burrow when he is healthy is higher than the ceiling case for the Rams, especially assuming Aaron Donald is added to this team. And their defense is one of the best in the league. And maybe they can win at the end of games where they don't need to throw the ball that much.

1:00:24Mike Wright:And I mean, you could argue maybe Puka does something dumb legally. Yeah. If you want to lose the risk. I mean, these guys are literally capable of pushing 200 targets. I think this year they're capable of pushing 200 targets. You have the MVP of football at quarterback for the Rams. And you have a quarterback. They were a good defense last year. And so my counterpoint to that is McVay just doesn't let up on other opposing teams. They like burning people to the ground.

1:00:50Andy Holloway:No, I'm with that. I think I am in agreement of Jason's case of the more likely ceiling outcome and projection for me is Jamar. But you want to take Puka? I would take both of them if you get the chance. Yeah. I can't even argue this.

1:01:10Mike Wright:No, I mean, they're both machines. I mean, all these guys are. I think if you end up with Puka, Jamar, Jason, or Gibbs, or sorry, or Amon Ra, I think that's the actual tear break to me. And no disrespect to CeeDee Lamb. I think CeeDee Lamb's awesome, but I think because CeeDee Lamb has been, I mean, he's been 8 and 18 for whatever you're missing games. I know, I know, I know. But those other guys have been at 15-plus fantasy points in the last three years, and the other guys haven't. Jefferson, London, those guys. So it's fun. I mean, I think we all have a few names in the wide receiver category that I think are really sneaky, maybe outside the top 20.

1:01:59Mike Wright:I know you and I were talking Carnell Tate this morning.

1:02:01Jason Moore:Yeah, that was the name I was going to bring up is if you want a guy that's going to surprise and come from much lower to be a top 10 wide receiver, you're talking about a rookie superstar, and that's what they drafted him to be. We'll see on the field if Cam Ward can support that.

1:02:19Mike Wright:It's been a good camp according to reports.

1:02:21Jason Moore:Yeah, I mean the connection there, he's been the clear number one, and I think he's mispriced. Christian Watson.

1:02:28Mike Wright:Yeah, I think Watson, Ladd McConkie, Abuka, and who else am I thinking about jumping up into that? A Burden. I think those are special players that are outside the top 10 that could get up in there for sure. You up for a little mailbag, Mike?

1:02:47Jason Moore:Sure.

1:02:50Jason Moore:Mailbag. Mailbag. Ooh.

1:02:54Mike Wright:If you have a question, go to the website, thefantasyfootballers.com. Click the Submit a Question button or dial our voicemail hotline, 302464-TFFB. We love helping you out. We'll answer a couple before we shut down today. Mack in Nashville has a good one here. My question is simple. How come there's not enough hype around Jadarian Price? First-round draft pick, Super Bowl winners, day one starter, going low in redrafts. Why is there such a difference between ADP of love and price?

1:03:19Jason Moore:It's a great question. I think that the biggest reason is the worry of passing role. He had no production profile in college of work in the receiving game. If he doesn't have that in the NFL, it would be very difficult to be great for fantasy. But everything you laid out is great. You're a first-round talent or at least a first-round draft pick on a team that lost both of their starting running backs from last year with a good offensive line and good offense.

1:03:48Andy Holloway:He's on his way up ADP-wise. So if you're drafting right now, enjoy your sixth-round running back pick. As once preseason games are going on, let's say preseason game week two, if Jadarian Price goes out and takes the first snap, he'll jump at least to the fifth, probably the back of the fourth.

1:04:09Mike Wright:I love the fact that almost every highlight I see is receiving work. I mean, his head coach came out and said he's like a wide receiver and that nobody can cover him. And the highlights are downfield catches for Jadarian Price.

1:04:22Jason Moore:He is someone that could get on the Abdullah Express this preseason. If he has one runaway touchdown run, he's going to skyrocket two rounds. If you like Jadarian Price, I would hope he does nothing in this preseason. Yeah, if you're a believer, hope he stays low.

1:04:43Mike Wright:Bella says, Dynasty win now, team. would you rather have Rashi Rice or Garrett Wilson and Tyson? Garrett Wilson and Tyson. I mean, if you said Rashi Rice or Garrett Wilson in a dynasty, I would take Wilson.

1:04:55Jason Moore:If you said Rashi Rice or Jordan Tyson in a dynasty, I would take Wilson. Well, it's win now.

1:05:00Mike Wright:Yeah. No, I get it. I'd rather win now with Garrett Wilson. I'd rather win now with – because it's close enough in a dynasty to where –

1:05:08Jason Moore:It's not only – it's never only win now. It's – I'm trying to win now. You can still win now with those other guys. Man, if you could pull that trade off.

1:05:18Andy Holloway:That seems wild to be able to bail out of Rice for those two guys.

1:05:23Mike Wright:All right, that is going to wrap it up for today's episode of the show. The giveaway is still going on, footclangiveaway.com. If you want a B. John Robinson signed jersey, head over there. And, of course, the draft kit, ultimatedraftkit.com. We will be back. We've got more rankings episodes, running backs, another mock draft this week 10 tips and tricks to win your league also catch you later goodbye

1:05:49Jason Moore:thank 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

1:06:06Jason Moore:in season for fantasy football is a marathon for us we are recording in the morning. We're getting school ready in the morning. We're then checking our rankings, doing everything. And then all of a sudden it's only noon with plenty of the day still ahead. You need a lunch that fuels what's next. The smart solution, Lando Frost premium lunch meat with over eight grams of protein, generous portions, and no artificial flavors or byproducts. Lando Frost premium is a delicious, smart, affordable option. Shop Lando Frost premium lunch meet at your favorite local retailer. If you're an NFL fan, ESPN is where you need to be this season.

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