June 16, 2025 • 22 mins
It's FOX Sports Radio's official fantasy football podcast! On the most recent FOX Sports Sunday, Mike Harmon and Dan Beyer continue their divisional breakdowns for fantasy football ahead of the season... This week, they hone in on the NFC East and AFC West, taking a look at each team in both divisions from a fantasy point of view.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Ladies.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You want experience during your football season, well, buckle up,
sweet cheeks. We've got all the experience in the world.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
This is I want your flex.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
With Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon. Mike and Dan break
down everything you need to set your lineups, from position rankings.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
To starts and sits.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flexide. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hey, welcome in.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
It's Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Sunday by Garment.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Dan Bayer with you.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
We're pleased to be with you talking about the NFC
East for fantasy purposes. Last week we did the AFC East,
and you've got Josh Allen, you got eight Chan, you
got a couple of heavyweights, and then you've got a
bunch of question right well, even going down to Tyreek
Hill and guys that had been fantasy heroes in the past,
it's what's their role, what's the offense look like?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Is discord? Are they still with the team when we
actually break camp?
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Because you still have some of those little rumors floating
out there in the NFL world. But when we look
at the NFC East, you know, writing down based on
where Fantasy pros rankings are on average. Right now for
the early draft returns, we've got two quarterbacks in the
NFC East coming into the top five. Jaden Daniels coming
(01:26):
in at number three, with Jalen Hurts right behind him.
I might have them flipped. And there's something with Washington
that in terms of they're over under win total and successes,
while Daniels may be a better, more efficient quarterback to
the numbers, wins and everything else follow.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Not to mention the.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Terry McLaurin part of the equation right just sitting out there,
he's currently ADP wide receiver seventeen in PPR leagues and
he's very unhappy with his contract not showing up now
does that settle of that more likely than not, but
it does add a wrinkle to things. For a team
(02:05):
that greatly overachieved. They bring in Deebo Samuel as his
number two. So that just the curiosity up top when
you're looking at a guy like Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
I don't think I'm paying the tax.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
You're not. I am, and I am paying a lot
of it.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
And the reason being is I think that that Daniels
gets his points for Washington fantasy wise, whether they're winning
or not. And if you look at kind of how
last year transpired, it was a mostly successful year for Washington,
but early on they lost the season opening game to
the Buccaneers.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
They had their field goal.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Fest against the Giants that they ended up winning, but
you had Jaden Daniels doing some damage with his legs
at that point. That still continued, Mike, but he wasn't
getting into the end zone via touchdown runs. He was
doing so via touchdown passes later on in the season.
So that to me is whether Washington is up or down.
And they may be ten and seven this year, they
(03:05):
may be nine and eight, they may be fourteen and three.
I don't know how it doesn't change for Jaden Daniels.
And the additions that they made Laramie Tounsel now at
left tackle better for Daniels in that way. No real
addition at the running back position. So now you've got
Eckler and Robinson kind of doing the same thing. So
(03:26):
you're not giving the football to somebody who you just
gave a bunch of money to that you need to
force feed that would maybe take away from Daniels. And
you added Debo with where you can use him as
a Swiss army knife, but may help in just even
short little passes and screens that end up going for further.
So I'm higher. You're high on Jayden Daniels, don't get
me wrong, but I still would take him over Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, finish as QB five a year ago, about thirty
points higher than QB six, who is Jared Goff and
just behind Baker Mayfield with the Holing Trinity, keeping with
the sin Centers, tame of Jackson, Allen and Burrow.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
At the time, I think there's a real chance tougher schedule.
We know how many coin flips they won last year.
Look at how many times you look at Washington and said,
man that they escape right.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I don't know anything about that. And it all started
with a Giant play.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
I mentioned the Giants game where the Giants didn't have
a field goal kicker because they didn't plan for Lawrence
Time's getting hurt in the first quarter and so they
couldn't They couldn't kick throughout the game, and that's how
they won with seven field goals. They won a game
against New Orleans that was right at the buzz, like
they won crazy games last year, and at some point
those aren't going to go your way. And Mike in
the same breath with Philadelphia for as great as everything went,
(04:44):
and now you have a Super Bowl championship with you,
I think there's destined to be a bit of a pullback.
I just don't know where it comes. I don't know
if it comes from Jalen Hurts. I don't know if
it comes from Saquon Barkley, who was magnificent. But I
would expect some regression at that point.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
So let's go into them a bit.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
You know, with Hurts, obviously the tush push remains, so
you'll get your rushing touchdown as much as the sugar
in of the Saquon Barkley owners out there. Barkley coming
in at number three on the draft board right now,
the continued run of you know, hey, b Jon Robinson's
going to.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Be that guy. He condus to push that so that
that works.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
But he's third, and then you have Aj Brown at ten,
DeVante Smith coming into twenty three, so it's fantasy starters.
I was curious as and then we look at the
other two quarterbacks, dak at fifteen.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
I think it's I think it's way too low.
Speaker 5 (05:42):
I know the Deck's numbers went how they weren't magnificent
last year, But Mike, I also think in the same
way as we look at Washington, my take on Dallas
is there not going to be as good of a
football team. I don't know if they really addressed the
running back room. There's new face there.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Javontae Williams is not the answer.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Yeah, correct, Jayden Blewen actually may end up being the
answer for Dallas. But so now you've added George Pickens
via trade, so you're gonna want to cash that in.
I don't think they're better defensively, so they're probably gonna
have to score points. All of that, to me leads
to a better situation with Dak. And maybe the thing
that's keeping Saquon from the number one spot is the
(06:24):
possibility of injury or from his history. I'm wondering if
that's what's bringing Dak down so much down to fifteen,
because I actually think there's a lot of potential win
or lose for the Cowboys.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The only way that they're gonna win any games.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
Is if Dak's throwing the ball to Ceed Lamb and
George Pickens and Jake Ferguson, the only reason they're gonna
lose games is if they lose games, Dak's still gonna
be throwing the football.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
I know Brian Schottenneimer is gonna do things differently, but
I just don't know how you can with that running
back room.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Ferguson at twelve a mon tight ends. That was one
that I circled as potential value proposition with the two
heavyweight wide receivers, assuming Pickens gets along with everybody in
the room, we continue our fantasy previews, going division by division.
We look at the AFC West and the tea's was
(07:19):
a star losing twenty five pounds. Will it make him
a better fantasy player? For myself, I think my brain's
a little bit sharper. I'm being able to stay up
a little later, so yeah, it might. It might help
my twenty twenty five prognostication. When we get to the
I want your Flex podcast in earnest here coming up.
You can find all old episodes up wherever you get
(07:39):
your podcast. As Dan and I and our guy Ian
Roddy get back into the lab. But according to reports
from Jeremy Foller of ESPN, Travis Kelcey's down twenty five pounds. Now,
he was at the Stanley Cup final the other day,
great shot after shot, and I know either folks were
incensed at their arrival or we're happy to see an
extra storyline. When all of a sudden, the camera pans
(08:01):
to Travis kelce and Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
They did.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
She then went to the children's hospital Nextit like, there's
lots in Florida and there's a lot of stuff to it.
But and now that that series, you know, Florida taking
the stranglehold in theory on Saturday Night. But Kelsey reportedly
losing twenty five pounds this offseason. Now, Taylor Swift's eras
tour ended last year, so no longer on tour and
(08:27):
being plied with brats and beers at every turn. So
back in the lab as it were going into his
age thirty six campaign, they're saying he's at like two
twenty to two twenty five, so lean and mean last year.
It didn't look the same for fantasy purposes. Still ninety
seven yards or ninety seven catches, eight hundred and twenty
(08:48):
three yards, only three touchdowns, but that's still a pretty
pretty good year. Pretty serviceable year. Now, if you had
some help on the outside, it pushes it over and
the team gets over. But certainly from a fan point,
he had the regression ninety seven catches. That's a lot
of work between the hedges, and he had to block
a lot more last year.
Speaker 5 (09:07):
Yeah, I think there's I think there's a lot of
interesting stuff to look between the the weight that he
lost and his actual numbers. But the thing that I
actually love about this, and I don't think that this
happens with every athlete Mike, is just the dropping of
the optics, the dropping of the weight for the optics,
(09:29):
because the last time we saw Travis kelce was Travis
Kelcey maybe not giving it as one hundred percent in
Super Bowl fifty nine. So now when there's a question
of are you going to play next year? Are you
not going to play? And there was a decision that
he made weeks after that, Yeah he's going to come back.
I say good on Travis Kelcey. Whether he still has
(09:52):
it or not, we'll find out in twenty twenty five.
But I think just the optics of being like, I've
got to be better, because the takeaways from that Super Bowl,
the ones from the chief side. Travis Kelcey not playing
as hard as you thought that he should in a
Super Bowl was one of those people thought, just there.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Are a couple of yeah, step slow and really not
engaging in blocking efforts and route running.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Sure.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
So I have no idea if the weight loss will
help him during the season. I do know that it's
going to help him optically on the type of player
you are, and may then also reflect on maybe why
these last two seasons haven't been as great and maybe
we know he's on the there's he's played more years
than he's got left in his career, for sure, but
(10:44):
maybe this frees him up. Maybe he doesn't block now
as much anymore because he's taken the weight off. Maybe
they will use him more in situations in just red
zone spots. I mean just eight combined touchdowns the last
two seasons in times when we thought that he would
be the loan target.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
I am.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
I don't think that you can get any worse than
what he did last season numbers wise for touchdowns and yards.
So him losing that weight I am all aboard for,
but more so because of the optics than just him
bettering his stats from twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Yeah, I mean you look at what he was doing
the rounds and popping up at all the swift European
dates and global dates.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
It became a does he want to do this anymore?
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Right? We asked that about Aaron Rodgers ad nauseams. You know,
he finally shows up and gets his contract signed, and
you know, you bring out the noise makers from New
Year's for that because it's a story that is now
done and now we get to see whether he and
Arthur Smith get along and what this iteration of the
Steelers offense looks like. But it's always the when we're
(11:49):
off the field and it's like, all right, are you training?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Are you still committed? Now?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Did you earn some of it based on the Chiefs runs?
Because that's the other side you get have said, hey,
you know, be ready to go. Well he was kind
of right, still have some decent numbers and a couple
of games where he took over and showed you glimpses.
But if you're carrying that extra weight, you're being charged
to do other things because your offensive line is struggling
(12:16):
a bit, you're trying to jumpstart a run game that
frankly wasn't very good for most of the season. Rice
goes down to injury, takes a while for Xavi. You're
worthy to catch up. We'll get to him in a minute,
and the receivers, but it's just all of that becomes
a all right. By the end of the year, he's
got nothing left. He looks like every day of his
(12:38):
thirty five plus years on this earth. So now you can,
at least in theory, leaner, meaner, run him in the
slot wherever you're going to line him up, that maybe
you can coax an extra big year, because I think
Kansas City is one of those squads that people are
starting to dismiss and throw away. I was caution that
as much as you think the rest of the AI
(13:00):
see West may have caught up, you still got to
knock them off.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah. Good point.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
I feel like you're talking directly to me, because I
feel like I am one of those people who's kind
of not as bullish on the Chiefs. They are a
different team than they were earlier in his career. They
are a defensive team now as opposed to an offensive team.
If this is going to help them in red zone
situations and allow him to extend his career.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Kudos to him doing so.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
The real I guess shock to the system for me
when it came to Travis Kelcey, and I would assume
it's for you. Was it when a couple of years
ago in fantasy football we had Mark Andrews, you know,
replace him, supplant him a top the tight end rankings
and then there was so much love for Sam Laporta
last year, so you would see Laporta maybe top him
(13:47):
in rankings. And now Brock Bauers is in the NFL.
So and as Kelsey has continued his career, it's not
that he's been number two. So when he was replaced
by Andrews, maybe he was two. Then then he was
to three or four, and now he's not to that
point anymore. So maybe the value you get for Travis
Kelcey will be a lot better than what you expected
(14:09):
over these last couple of years, whether he's twenty five
pounds lighter or not. But I just love the optics
of it of being like, yeah, I didn't the super
Bowl did not look was not a good look for me.
I got to do something different.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
As we look at it currently, Fantasy Prosanaham dot Com,
I put my rankings up week to week there and
we'll make sure to evangelize on those better here in
the twenty twenty five season, and certainly wants the draft process.
And I get to ranking, which starts this week. Kelsey
sixth amongst tight ends. We've got three guys from the
(14:42):
AFC West in the top seven because obviously the aforementioned
Brock hours far and away number one. Evan Ingram coming
in at number seven.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Opportunity in Denver. I loved him in Jacksonville, and then
there were just I mean, a lot of things disappeared
in Jacksonville at times, but he.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Disappeared as well.
Speaker 5 (15:02):
I don't know this division, Mike, just as a whole
is to me, is screaming defense and in a way
ball control. And I feel that Denver is better defensively
than they are offensively. The Chiefs are better defensively than
they are offensively. I think the Chargers play a brand
of football where the offense and defense work together. And
(15:23):
then you have the Raiders.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
That's no diffist.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
But the Raiders with two guys in the top five
for their position. Sure, because genty is currently the ADP
fourth highest ranked running back. Wow, he comes in at forth.
And this is where it gets interesting. Right we talked
about defense normally complimented by a big running game. You
got gent coming in at fourth, and then you look
(15:48):
at the rest of the division. Omarion Hampton twenty first, okay, RJ.
Harvey coming in twenty sixth, and then just ahead of him,
Isaiah Checko at twenty fifth, and then we go to
the quarterback side. Okay, ready, they just then well, if
these guys are low, what's going on over here?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Patrick Mahomes still sixth?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Okay, I feel it's high, but ye.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Oo, Nicks at number eight, Wow, I.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Mean that's really high.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
And then justin Herbert at eleven, I head of Gino
all the way down at number twenty five. Jano represents
value for me down there. There are weeks you're gonna
end up playing him.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
I think.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
I don't I don't know where Caleb Williams is on
this list, but I just know that you've got Lamar,
You've got Josh Allen, You've got Jalen Hurts. All those
guys would be higher than Bo Nicks, and I just
I'm shocked in that scenario. And Mahomes as well, I
just wouldn't feel comfortable with them as my starting quarterbacks
if I'm playing Week one, unless I decided to completely
(16:49):
punt on the situation. And for as great of a
season as bo Nicks had as a rookie quarterback, I
think it's the Sean Payton factor, I'll say to that.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Sure, the Mahomes one is.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
That's the one that's sticking in my mind when you
bring that up, because it's not I think that they're
bad on offense anymore. I just think they do things
differently now and you can count on him to win games,
and that's what it's all about. We saw good they
were in close games last year, and how they've always
been good in close games. That to me is more
of the thing that trumps anything, because I look at
(17:27):
this division, Mike, and those numbers are flying in the
opposite of what I say, but again as a division
that is more controlled by defense than it is offense.
The Genti factor, And just to make that point, I
actually understand that because I think that there are three
running backs that you would say, all right, we just
(17:48):
they're freaks of nature. We like the situation, we love
their offenses. Let's go Bijon Saquan and Jimior Gibbs, but
you take everybody under Ashton jen I'm looking at your rankings.
We're still wondering if Derek Henry's gonna fall off a
cliff Devani chan Is.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I don't know what they're doing.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
In mind, I think, yeah, they're gonna have one of
the worst offensive lines in the league. He could be
the only thing that they have. But with that, there's
also been some injury history. Christian McCaffrey, same thing, Jonathan Taylor,
same thing. Josh Jacob's coming off of a great season.
Maybe that would be one where I'd be like, huh, okay, well,
maybe I'd rather have the Josh Jacobs factor. But they
(18:31):
also have Chip Kelly in Las Vegas, and you know
how much Chip Kelly loves to run the football, And
with really no other real competition, it makes sense that
gent is going to be the.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Guy rising up. Everywhere else, we're looking at guys like
Bucky Irving, Chase Brown and others that start to creep
into the back end of that top ten. So just
the curiosity there from a receiving standpoint, again, not guys
jumping to the top of the line. Outside of Bowers
and the under tight ends in division, you're looking at
Rashid Rice at seventeen and mconkey comes in at number
(19:02):
eleven talking about PPR leagues becoming the norm. So just
you know, the Ronco set it and forget it. I
got five and thirty before I blink. In terms of
its game to game production. Herbert at eleven is just
he's one of the more fascinating guys because everyone keeps
trying to trumpet the this is the year he breaks out.
It's like, that's not how they want to play. You
(19:24):
brought up the way Mahomes is now right, last two
years twenty six twenty seven touchdowns into double digit interceptions
QBR and all that stuff, fun stuff that folks go
down in the high nineties. With justin Herbert, you've built
an offense and a system with Jim Harbaugh that they
don't want him throwing for five thousand yards and thirty
(19:46):
five touchdowns if the defense lives up to what they're
supposed to be. And Hampton is the half the running
back that he's been trumpeted as right because as the
draft war on process war on, I should say, yeah,
genty was first, but you started to hear the buzz
of maybe possibly whatever, and then he finds a place
(20:06):
and a home with a guy who wants to run
the ball. In Harbaugh, you're gonna be working for balance,
so you might have a couple of blow up games,
and he did. Last year, he had a couple of
Herbert games like, oh, that's the outlier, and I think
that'll be the case again. Now in terms of ranking eleventh,
it becomes the cumulative effect or maybe the offensive line
is good enough. And this is where we parse out
(20:27):
the week to week starter versus best ball season when
we look at rankings, because Herbert might actually still be
standing unlike a lot of other quarterbacks based on those
behemos he's got working in front of him in all Slater,
et cetera.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Yeah, and they sign McKay Beckton this offseason, so like
of their signings on offense, it's Beckton and Najie Harris.
So how much does that help justin Herbert? Probably not
too much, but it helps the Chargers as a team.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Right, Jagie Harris will fall forward for three point eight,
three point nine, but they'll use them right. No, But
but that's what Pittsburgh did the great success. Correct, the
numbers weren't gaudy meme. Jalen Warren was the more explosive guy.
But three yards and a cloud of dust is winning football.
Whether it wins you fantasy or not becomes the other issue.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
And there's only so many stats per game, you know,
snaps per game, excuse me, and the stats that are
going to Harris then likely wouldn't be going to Herbert
unless they were obviously in passing situations. I did look
up one quick stat of the AFC West, and this
is why I'm so surprised. Yards per play. Last year,
the Chargers were tied for fifteenth in the NFL with
(21:33):
about five point four. The rest of the AFC was
in the bottom half of the league. So the Chargers
at fifteen were that was the high point for teams
in the AFC West and yards per play, so that
should tell you a little bit on the type of
offense that you're looking for in that division that I
just don't necessarily think is there. Raiders were twenty eighth,
(21:56):
Kansas City was twenty second, Denver was twentieth.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Inside the numbers, We'll be doing more of this. Did
I watch flex podcast? Get it downloaded? On your iHeartRadio app,
wherever you get your audio. We appreciate you evangelize, continuing
to do big things at nan Byron Fox. Find me
over at Swollendome. You hear Dan during the week on
The Gottlieb Show, as well as Cavino and Rich and
here with me on Sunday mornings as we traverse the
(22:23):
sporting universe.
Ladies.
Speaker 2 (00:01):
You want experience during your football season, well, buckle up,
sweet cheeks. We've got all the experience in the world.
Speaker 3 (00:12):
This is I want your flex.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
With Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon. Mike and Dan break
down everything you need to set your lineups, from position rankings.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
To starts and sits.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
The guys help you make those hard decisions. And now
let's get your flexide. Here's Dan Bayer and Mike Harmon.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Hey, welcome in.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
It's Fox Sports Radio, Fox Sports Sunday by Garment.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Dan Bayer with you.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
We're pleased to be with you talking about the NFC
East for fantasy purposes. Last week we did the AFC East,
and you've got Josh Allen, you got eight Chan, you
got a couple of heavyweights, and then you've got a
bunch of question right well, even going down to Tyreek
Hill and guys that had been fantasy heroes in the past,
it's what's their role, what's the offense look like?
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Is discord? Are they still with the team when we
actually break camp?
Speaker 4 (01:03):
Because you still have some of those little rumors floating
out there in the NFL world. But when we look
at the NFC East, you know, writing down based on
where Fantasy pros rankings are on average. Right now for
the early draft returns, we've got two quarterbacks in the
NFC East coming into the top five. Jaden Daniels coming
(01:26):
in at number three, with Jalen Hurts right behind him.
I might have them flipped. And there's something with Washington
that in terms of they're over under win total and successes,
while Daniels may be a better, more efficient quarterback to
the numbers, wins and everything else follow.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
Not to mention the.
Speaker 4 (01:45):
Terry McLaurin part of the equation right just sitting out there,
he's currently ADP wide receiver seventeen in PPR leagues and
he's very unhappy with his contract not showing up now
does that settle of that more likely than not, but
it does add a wrinkle to things. For a team
(02:05):
that greatly overachieved. They bring in Deebo Samuel as his
number two. So that just the curiosity up top when
you're looking at a guy like Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
I don't think I'm paying the tax.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
You're not. I am, and I am paying a lot
of it.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
And the reason being is I think that that Daniels
gets his points for Washington fantasy wise, whether they're winning
or not. And if you look at kind of how
last year transpired, it was a mostly successful year for Washington,
but early on they lost the season opening game to
the Buccaneers.
Speaker 1 (02:41):
They had their field goal.
Speaker 5 (02:42):
Fest against the Giants that they ended up winning, but
you had Jaden Daniels doing some damage with his legs
at that point. That still continued, Mike, but he wasn't
getting into the end zone via touchdown runs. He was
doing so via touchdown passes later on in the season.
So that to me is whether Washington is up or down.
And they may be ten and seven this year, they
(03:05):
may be nine and eight, they may be fourteen and three.
I don't know how it doesn't change for Jaden Daniels.
And the additions that they made Laramie Tounsel now at
left tackle better for Daniels in that way. No real
addition at the running back position. So now you've got
Eckler and Robinson kind of doing the same thing. So
(03:26):
you're not giving the football to somebody who you just
gave a bunch of money to that you need to
force feed that would maybe take away from Daniels. And
you added Debo with where you can use him as
a Swiss army knife, but may help in just even
short little passes and screens that end up going for further.
So I'm higher. You're high on Jayden Daniels, don't get
me wrong, but I still would take him over Jalen Hurts.
Speaker 4 (03:47):
Yeah, finish as QB five a year ago, about thirty
points higher than QB six, who is Jared Goff and
just behind Baker Mayfield with the Holing Trinity, keeping with
the sin Centers, tame of Jackson, Allen and Burrow.
Speaker 5 (04:04):
At the time, I think there's a real chance tougher schedule.
We know how many coin flips they won last year.
Look at how many times you look at Washington and said,
man that they escape right.
Speaker 3 (04:14):
I don't know anything about that. And it all started
with a Giant play.
Speaker 5 (04:19):
I mentioned the Giants game where the Giants didn't have
a field goal kicker because they didn't plan for Lawrence
Time's getting hurt in the first quarter and so they
couldn't They couldn't kick throughout the game, and that's how
they won with seven field goals. They won a game
against New Orleans that was right at the buzz, like
they won crazy games last year, and at some point
those aren't going to go your way. And Mike in
the same breath with Philadelphia for as great as everything went,
(04:44):
and now you have a Super Bowl championship with you,
I think there's destined to be a bit of a pullback.
I just don't know where it comes. I don't know
if it comes from Jalen Hurts. I don't know if
it comes from Saquon Barkley, who was magnificent. But I
would expect some regression at that point.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
So let's go into them a bit.
Speaker 4 (05:00):
You know, with Hurts, obviously the tush push remains, so
you'll get your rushing touchdown as much as the sugar
in of the Saquon Barkley owners out there. Barkley coming
in at number three on the draft board right now,
the continued run of you know, hey, b Jon Robinson's
going to.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
Be that guy. He condus to push that so that
that works.
Speaker 4 (05:23):
But he's third, and then you have Aj Brown at ten,
DeVante Smith coming into twenty three, so it's fantasy starters.
I was curious as and then we look at the
other two quarterbacks, dak at fifteen.
Speaker 1 (05:39):
I think it's I think it's way too low.
Speaker 5 (05:42):
I know the Deck's numbers went how they weren't magnificent
last year, But Mike, I also think in the same
way as we look at Washington, my take on Dallas
is there not going to be as good of a
football team. I don't know if they really addressed the
running back room. There's new face there.
Speaker 3 (06:00):
Javontae Williams is not the answer.
Speaker 5 (06:02):
Yeah, correct, Jayden Blewen actually may end up being the
answer for Dallas. But so now you've added George Pickens
via trade, so you're gonna want to cash that in.
I don't think they're better defensively, so they're probably gonna
have to score points. All of that, to me leads
to a better situation with Dak. And maybe the thing
that's keeping Saquon from the number one spot is the
(06:24):
possibility of injury or from his history. I'm wondering if
that's what's bringing Dak down so much down to fifteen,
because I actually think there's a lot of potential win
or lose for the Cowboys.
Speaker 1 (06:36):
The only way that they're gonna win any games.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
Is if Dak's throwing the ball to Ceed Lamb and
George Pickens and Jake Ferguson, the only reason they're gonna
lose games is if they lose games, Dak's still gonna
be throwing the football.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
So I don't know.
Speaker 5 (06:51):
I know Brian Schottenneimer is gonna do things differently, but
I just don't know how you can with that running
back room.
Speaker 4 (06:57):
Ferguson at twelve a mon tight ends. That was one
that I circled as potential value proposition with the two
heavyweight wide receivers, assuming Pickens gets along with everybody in
the room, we continue our fantasy previews, going division by division.
We look at the AFC West and the tea's was
(07:19):
a star losing twenty five pounds. Will it make him
a better fantasy player? For myself, I think my brain's
a little bit sharper. I'm being able to stay up
a little later, so yeah, it might. It might help
my twenty twenty five prognostication. When we get to the
I want your Flex podcast in earnest here coming up.
You can find all old episodes up wherever you get
(07:39):
your podcast. As Dan and I and our guy Ian
Roddy get back into the lab. But according to reports
from Jeremy Foller of ESPN, Travis Kelcey's down twenty five pounds. Now,
he was at the Stanley Cup final the other day,
great shot after shot, and I know either folks were
incensed at their arrival or we're happy to see an
extra storyline. When all of a sudden, the camera pans
(08:01):
to Travis kelce and Taylor Swift.
Speaker 1 (08:05):
They did.
Speaker 4 (08:06):
She then went to the children's hospital Nextit like, there's
lots in Florida and there's a lot of stuff to it.
But and now that that series, you know, Florida taking
the stranglehold in theory on Saturday Night. But Kelsey reportedly
losing twenty five pounds this offseason. Now, Taylor Swift's eras
tour ended last year, so no longer on tour and
(08:27):
being plied with brats and beers at every turn. So
back in the lab as it were going into his
age thirty six campaign, they're saying he's at like two
twenty to two twenty five, so lean and mean last year.
It didn't look the same for fantasy purposes. Still ninety
seven yards or ninety seven catches, eight hundred and twenty
(08:48):
three yards, only three touchdowns, but that's still a pretty
pretty good year. Pretty serviceable year. Now, if you had
some help on the outside, it pushes it over and
the team gets over. But certainly from a fan point,
he had the regression ninety seven catches. That's a lot
of work between the hedges, and he had to block
a lot more last year.
Speaker 5 (09:07):
Yeah, I think there's I think there's a lot of
interesting stuff to look between the the weight that he
lost and his actual numbers. But the thing that I
actually love about this, and I don't think that this
happens with every athlete Mike, is just the dropping of
the optics, the dropping of the weight for the optics,
(09:29):
because the last time we saw Travis kelce was Travis
Kelcey maybe not giving it as one hundred percent in
Super Bowl fifty nine. So now when there's a question
of are you going to play next year? Are you
not going to play? And there was a decision that
he made weeks after that, Yeah he's going to come back.
I say good on Travis Kelcey. Whether he still has
(09:52):
it or not, we'll find out in twenty twenty five.
But I think just the optics of being like, I've
got to be better, because the takeaways from that Super Bowl,
the ones from the chief side. Travis Kelcey not playing
as hard as you thought that he should in a
Super Bowl was one of those people thought, just there.
Speaker 4 (10:13):
Are a couple of yeah, step slow and really not
engaging in blocking efforts and route running.
Speaker 1 (10:21):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Sure.
Speaker 5 (10:21):
So I have no idea if the weight loss will
help him during the season. I do know that it's
going to help him optically on the type of player
you are, and may then also reflect on maybe why
these last two seasons haven't been as great and maybe
we know he's on the there's he's played more years
than he's got left in his career, for sure, but
(10:44):
maybe this frees him up. Maybe he doesn't block now
as much anymore because he's taken the weight off. Maybe
they will use him more in situations in just red
zone spots. I mean just eight combined touchdowns the last
two seasons in times when we thought that he would
be the loan target.
Speaker 1 (11:01):
I am.
Speaker 5 (11:01):
I don't think that you can get any worse than
what he did last season numbers wise for touchdowns and yards.
So him losing that weight I am all aboard for,
but more so because of the optics than just him
bettering his stats from twenty twenty four.
Speaker 4 (11:17):
Yeah, I mean you look at what he was doing
the rounds and popping up at all the swift European
dates and global dates.
Speaker 3 (11:27):
It became a does he want to do this anymore?
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Right? We asked that about Aaron Rodgers ad nauseams. You know,
he finally shows up and gets his contract signed, and
you know, you bring out the noise makers from New
Year's for that because it's a story that is now
done and now we get to see whether he and
Arthur Smith get along and what this iteration of the
Steelers offense looks like. But it's always the when we're
(11:49):
off the field and it's like, all right, are you training?
Speaker 3 (11:52):
Are you still committed? Now?
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Did you earn some of it based on the Chiefs runs?
Because that's the other side you get have said, hey,
you know, be ready to go. Well he was kind
of right, still have some decent numbers and a couple
of games where he took over and showed you glimpses.
But if you're carrying that extra weight, you're being charged
to do other things because your offensive line is struggling
(12:16):
a bit, you're trying to jumpstart a run game that
frankly wasn't very good for most of the season. Rice
goes down to injury, takes a while for Xavi. You're
worthy to catch up. We'll get to him in a minute,
and the receivers, but it's just all of that becomes
a all right. By the end of the year, he's
got nothing left. He looks like every day of his
(12:38):
thirty five plus years on this earth. So now you can,
at least in theory, leaner, meaner, run him in the
slot wherever you're going to line him up, that maybe
you can coax an extra big year, because I think
Kansas City is one of those squads that people are
starting to dismiss and throw away. I was caution that
as much as you think the rest of the AI
(13:00):
see West may have caught up, you still got to
knock them off.
Speaker 1 (13:04):
Yeah. Good point.
Speaker 5 (13:05):
I feel like you're talking directly to me, because I
feel like I am one of those people who's kind
of not as bullish on the Chiefs. They are a
different team than they were earlier in his career. They
are a defensive team now as opposed to an offensive team.
If this is going to help them in red zone
situations and allow him to extend his career.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Kudos to him doing so.
Speaker 5 (13:24):
The real I guess shock to the system for me
when it came to Travis Kelcey, and I would assume
it's for you. Was it when a couple of years
ago in fantasy football we had Mark Andrews, you know,
replace him, supplant him a top the tight end rankings
and then there was so much love for Sam Laporta
last year, so you would see Laporta maybe top him
(13:47):
in rankings. And now Brock Bauers is in the NFL.
So and as Kelsey has continued his career, it's not
that he's been number two. So when he was replaced
by Andrews, maybe he was two. Then then he was
to three or four, and now he's not to that
point anymore. So maybe the value you get for Travis
Kelcey will be a lot better than what you expected
(14:09):
over these last couple of years, whether he's twenty five
pounds lighter or not. But I just love the optics
of it of being like, yeah, I didn't the super
Bowl did not look was not a good look for me.
I got to do something different.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
As we look at it currently, Fantasy Prosanaham dot Com,
I put my rankings up week to week there and
we'll make sure to evangelize on those better here in
the twenty twenty five season, and certainly wants the draft process.
And I get to ranking, which starts this week. Kelsey
sixth amongst tight ends. We've got three guys from the
(14:42):
AFC West in the top seven because obviously the aforementioned
Brock hours far and away number one. Evan Ingram coming
in at number seven.
Speaker 5 (14:51):
Opportunity in Denver. I loved him in Jacksonville, and then
there were just I mean, a lot of things disappeared
in Jacksonville at times, but he.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Disappeared as well.
Speaker 5 (15:02):
I don't know this division, Mike, just as a whole
is to me, is screaming defense and in a way
ball control. And I feel that Denver is better defensively
than they are offensively. The Chiefs are better defensively than
they are offensively. I think the Chargers play a brand
of football where the offense and defense work together. And
(15:23):
then you have the Raiders.
Speaker 1 (15:25):
That's no diffist.
Speaker 4 (15:26):
But the Raiders with two guys in the top five
for their position. Sure, because genty is currently the ADP
fourth highest ranked running back. Wow, he comes in at forth.
And this is where it gets interesting. Right we talked
about defense normally complimented by a big running game. You
got gent coming in at fourth, and then you look
(15:48):
at the rest of the division. Omarion Hampton twenty first, okay, RJ.
Harvey coming in twenty sixth, and then just ahead of him,
Isaiah Checko at twenty fifth, and then we go to
the quarterback side. Okay, ready, they just then well, if
these guys are low, what's going on over here?
Speaker 3 (16:09):
Patrick Mahomes still sixth?
Speaker 1 (16:11):
Okay, I feel it's high, but ye.
Speaker 3 (16:13):
Oo, Nicks at number eight, Wow, I.
Speaker 1 (16:16):
Mean that's really high.
Speaker 4 (16:18):
And then justin Herbert at eleven, I head of Gino
all the way down at number twenty five. Jano represents
value for me down there. There are weeks you're gonna
end up playing him.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
I think.
Speaker 1 (16:28):
I don't know.
Speaker 5 (16:29):
I don't I don't know where Caleb Williams is on
this list, but I just know that you've got Lamar,
You've got Josh Allen, You've got Jalen Hurts. All those
guys would be higher than Bo Nicks, and I just
I'm shocked in that scenario. And Mahomes as well, I
just wouldn't feel comfortable with them as my starting quarterbacks
if I'm playing Week one, unless I decided to completely
(16:49):
punt on the situation. And for as great of a
season as bo Nicks had as a rookie quarterback, I
think it's the Sean Payton factor, I'll say to that.
Speaker 1 (17:03):
Sure, the Mahomes one is.
Speaker 5 (17:04):
That's the one that's sticking in my mind when you
bring that up, because it's not I think that they're
bad on offense anymore. I just think they do things
differently now and you can count on him to win games,
and that's what it's all about. We saw good they
were in close games last year, and how they've always
been good in close games. That to me is more
of the thing that trumps anything, because I look at
(17:27):
this division, Mike, and those numbers are flying in the
opposite of what I say, but again as a division
that is more controlled by defense than it is offense.
The Genti factor, And just to make that point, I
actually understand that because I think that there are three
running backs that you would say, all right, we just
(17:48):
they're freaks of nature. We like the situation, we love
their offenses. Let's go Bijon Saquan and Jimior Gibbs, but
you take everybody under Ashton jen I'm looking at your rankings.
We're still wondering if Derek Henry's gonna fall off a
cliff Devani chan Is.
Speaker 3 (18:08):
I don't know what they're doing.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
In mind, I think, yeah, they're gonna have one of
the worst offensive lines in the league. He could be
the only thing that they have. But with that, there's
also been some injury history. Christian McCaffrey, same thing, Jonathan Taylor,
same thing. Josh Jacob's coming off of a great season.
Maybe that would be one where I'd be like, huh, okay, well,
maybe I'd rather have the Josh Jacobs factor. But they
(18:31):
also have Chip Kelly in Las Vegas, and you know
how much Chip Kelly loves to run the football, And
with really no other real competition, it makes sense that
gent is going to be the.
Speaker 4 (18:41):
Guy rising up. Everywhere else, we're looking at guys like
Bucky Irving, Chase Brown and others that start to creep
into the back end of that top ten. So just
the curiosity there from a receiving standpoint, again, not guys
jumping to the top of the line. Outside of Bowers
and the under tight ends in division, you're looking at
Rashid Rice at seventeen and mconkey comes in at number
(19:02):
eleven talking about PPR leagues becoming the norm. So just
you know, the Ronco set it and forget it. I
got five and thirty before I blink. In terms of
its game to game production. Herbert at eleven is just
he's one of the more fascinating guys because everyone keeps
trying to trumpet the this is the year he breaks out.
It's like, that's not how they want to play. You
(19:24):
brought up the way Mahomes is now right, last two
years twenty six twenty seven touchdowns into double digit interceptions
QBR and all that stuff, fun stuff that folks go
down in the high nineties. With justin Herbert, you've built
an offense and a system with Jim Harbaugh that they
don't want him throwing for five thousand yards and thirty
(19:46):
five touchdowns if the defense lives up to what they're
supposed to be. And Hampton is the half the running
back that he's been trumpeted as right because as the
draft war on process war on, I should say, yeah,
genty was first, but you started to hear the buzz
of maybe possibly whatever, and then he finds a place
(20:06):
and a home with a guy who wants to run
the ball. In Harbaugh, you're gonna be working for balance,
so you might have a couple of blow up games,
and he did. Last year, he had a couple of
Herbert games like, oh, that's the outlier, and I think
that'll be the case again. Now in terms of ranking eleventh,
it becomes the cumulative effect or maybe the offensive line
is good enough. And this is where we parse out
(20:27):
the week to week starter versus best ball season when
we look at rankings, because Herbert might actually still be
standing unlike a lot of other quarterbacks based on those
behemos he's got working in front of him in all Slater,
et cetera.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
Yeah, and they sign McKay Beckton this offseason, so like
of their signings on offense, it's Beckton and Najie Harris.
So how much does that help justin Herbert? Probably not
too much, but it helps the Chargers as a team.
Speaker 4 (20:53):
Right, Jagie Harris will fall forward for three point eight,
three point nine, but they'll use them right. No, But
but that's what Pittsburgh did the great success. Correct, the
numbers weren't gaudy meme. Jalen Warren was the more explosive guy.
But three yards and a cloud of dust is winning football.
Whether it wins you fantasy or not becomes the other issue.
Speaker 5 (21:12):
And there's only so many stats per game, you know,
snaps per game, excuse me, and the stats that are
going to Harris then likely wouldn't be going to Herbert
unless they were obviously in passing situations. I did look
up one quick stat of the AFC West, and this
is why I'm so surprised. Yards per play. Last year,
the Chargers were tied for fifteenth in the NFL with
(21:33):
about five point four. The rest of the AFC was
in the bottom half of the league. So the Chargers
at fifteen were that was the high point for teams
in the AFC West and yards per play, so that
should tell you a little bit on the type of
offense that you're looking for in that division that I
just don't necessarily think is there. Raiders were twenty eighth,
(21:56):
Kansas City was twenty second, Denver was twentieth.
Speaker 4 (22:00):
Inside the numbers, We'll be doing more of this. Did
I watch flex podcast? Get it downloaded? On your iHeartRadio app,
wherever you get your audio. We appreciate you evangelize, continuing
to do big things at nan Byron Fox. Find me
over at Swollendome. You hear Dan during the week on
The Gottlieb Show, as well as Cavino and Rich and
here with me on Sunday mornings as we traverse the
(22:23):
sporting universe.
Host
Mike Harmon
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