Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Fantasy Football Weekly, a production of iHeartRadio.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Time now for Fantasy Football Weekly from iHeartRadio, your weekly
source for the nation's best fantasy football advice, speculation, and
whatever stupid stuff they decide to drop into the show. Now,
here's your host, Paul.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
Jargon, speaking of stupid stuff. It's Fantasy Football Weekly.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Ah.
Speaker 1 (00:28):
Now you're gonna say, Matt's here, Mat, and Matt Harrison
is here. Yes, good to have you here, training camp going,
the season's here?
Speaker 3 (00:36):
Yeah? Oh man, we're the Fame game over. One week
away from the big full Fantasy Football weekly shows.
Speaker 1 (00:44):
Yes, one week from this week. I guess I I
was gonna say today, but depends on when you when
you hear it. But yeah, next week we start the
long form shows.
Speaker 3 (00:53):
And what year is it? This time? Around three zero
baby thirtieth anniversary xxxy.
Speaker 1 (01:00):
Some longtime listeners believe it's our thirty first, but honestly,
we can't remember if it started in ninety four ninety five,
so we're being conservative with it. It's because they all
start to blend together when you're that you've been doing
it that long and you've done it for every year,
but the first, right, No, I did them all?
Speaker 3 (01:17):
No, you did them all? Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:18):
Yeah, we had rotating We had rotating guests, and at
the time they didn't the Kaffe didn't trust me at
the time. Yeah, with the with the show in my
own hands. So the first year we had Dan Cole
as as our as our host. He would just basically
bring us in and out of segments and then I
would take it from there. Yeah, and with our old crew,
(01:42):
you know, the original crew, like John the commissioner Haber
Myers was on the show back then. I'm trying to
remember who else, going all the way back to the beginning.
I think a little Rick Hamla in the mix back then.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Yeah, didn't we do? We did a twenty on the
twenty fifth anniversary of the show. We brought ball John Yeah, yeah,
John Tuv, Christian Peterson. Yeah, that was fun. Tons, tons
of tons of great players on the show over the years.
Speaker 1 (02:06):
While we're while we're talking about some of this kind
of stuff, we should mention the live show we've got
coming up in two weeks August sixteenth, if you're anywhere
near the Twin Cities Treasure Island Casino, We're having a
live fantasy football weekly August sixteenth, seven o'clock.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
I wish I was gonna be there this year, but
I will not be near that city. Everybody but you all,
all of our other co hosts will be there.
Speaker 1 (02:29):
You will not be yes, but yeah, Thor and Brian, Scott, Fish,
myself and hopefully you. It's free Treasure Island again.
Speaker 3 (02:38):
They they have some pretty good giveaways there too. Usually
they give you some free slack play and stuff. So
I think there's kind of worth to get down there.
I should. Yeah, it's pretty fun. Go go throw some
dice or well, I suppose they don't have dice. You
could play some car. Yeah, you don't play some car.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
We got the weird rules here you ken and can't play,
and I don't even totally understand.
Speaker 3 (02:58):
Go play some blackjack with Brian afterwards. I got that's
that's my game. Yeah. Training camps are underway.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
They're already starting to get reports on various notable news items.
Speaker 3 (03:10):
I got ten of them for you. At this stage.
Speaker 1 (03:13):
I always think you have to be careful about not overreacting.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
That anything, So you know, I'm right, So that maybe
this is the lie Detector.
Speaker 1 (03:21):
Oh, I'd like it like that down Lie Detector episode
of Fantasy Football Weekly. I'm gonna give you ten different stories.
Speaker 3 (03:30):
Tell me whether or not you're sort.
Speaker 1 (03:32):
Of buying in, you moving any rankings, or you're just
playing it, playing it chill for right now.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
I want to begin here.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Chargers last year's first rounder Quentin Johnston still getting second
team reps and appears to have been already passed by
rookie Lad McConkey. And then Josh Palmer, who had been
with the team he's working with the first team. And
then dj Hark, the free agent nobody talking about going
off the border like wide receiver ninety also running with
(04:01):
the first team right now. So your thoughts on Quinton Johnston.
And you know, in one of my Empire leagues, I've
got Quinton Johnston that I drafted last year and I'm
basically ready. I'm in the same world too, you know,
like this is it looks bad right now. And there
were videos that circulated mid week of him just dropping
(04:22):
like a seven yard pass right the bread pasket come on.
Speaker 3 (04:26):
So everything that comes out of the Chargers on social
media or or like the hardcore Chargers fan sites, yeah,
they're saying that Quentin Johnston is on fire, but that
is a lie. Everyone else is saying that he can't
catch a ball. There was one reporter who said he's
the worst effing receiver I've ever seen in my life. Wow. Wow,
(04:50):
So I've seen, but I've seen multiple Twitter accounts that
are that are following it closer than I am, saying
that unless his body is completely turned back to face
the quarterback, he can't catch anything. He can't catch anything deep,
ye can't catch any shoulder. And so there's plenty of
video that backs that up. If you do a quick
Quenton Johnston video search on x there's more positive reports
(05:15):
and videos from camp about seventh round rookie wide receiver
Brendan Rice, who, by the way, is the son of
Jerry Rice.
Speaker 1 (05:23):
Oh, I guess I did not know that that was
the case, so I should have a little there's a
little pedigree there. But right now the way that things
like sound, it sounds like Brendan Rice is creeping above
Quenton Johnston on the depth chart too. So I have
Johnson in a few dynasty leagues. I'm hoping that he
turns it around, but I think he's undraftable in redraft
(05:45):
leagues and I'd probably be bailing in most of my
dynasty shares too. All right, so the lie detector here
is true.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
Yeah, it's true. It's true. Okay, it's true because the
Chargers aren't putting out this information.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
Right right, here's the ADP for the Chargers receivers. Yeah,
Palmer's going first wide receiver thirty one. That seems pretty
high for a guy who's never been able to really
put it all together. And I don't mind Palmer. A
couple of years ago, I was touting him in the
preseason as a sleeper and everyone came together. Lad McConkie
(06:20):
ADP wide receiver forty three. Yeah, couldn't he just vault
right to the top of this productive receiver at Georgia
so slippery I'm open.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
I'm gonna note this on some of the other ones.
Like an average wide receiver Room gets about two hundred
receptions per year. That's a lot of wide receiver receptions there.
There might be it might be a little bit lower
in Los Angeles, right, yes, just because yeah, but they
have justin air Bear there, and air Bear ain't scared,
(06:49):
no God. So I think that Lad McConkie, Josh Palmer,
even DJ Chark, they're going to catch some balls. This year.
They're not going to be in a lot of people's
lineups every week, but one one definitely could emerge.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
My money would be somebody's going to right, I mean,
you know, yeah, they're going to run a lot, maybe
the most in the league. Yeah, but still somebody's going
to come out of this is fantasy viable. That's the
week out. Let's go to Green Bay. Romeo Dobbs getting
praised from coaches and teammates. Offensive coordinator Adam Stenovich said
Monday that Dobbs has super strong hands and is tremendous
(07:26):
at running routes. A few days ago, you may have
seen this, Hackers cornerback jay Or Alexander said Dobbs is
a second favorite receiver in the league, after only Devonte Adams. Wow,
and you know, you don't often see teammates put a
pecking order on their other teammates, you know.
Speaker 3 (07:42):
Well, and a former teammate at that, Well.
Speaker 1 (07:44):
Sure, yes, I mean, so he knows Adams. That's fine,
you know, Okay, I understand why you go to Adams
going to the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 3 (07:49):
Sure, so no problem with that.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
But the fact that he identified Dobbs out of this
four man conundrum, that fantasy players have at wide receiver.
Does that carry a lot of weight for you or
any weight for you?
Speaker 3 (08:04):
And the envelope says that is a lie. That is
a lie, okay, because I think they're going to do
the same thing with Jaden Reid, with Dantavian Wicks and
with Christian Watson in subsequent weeks coming up. You like Dobbs.
I like Dobbs. I drafted him in the Scott Fish Bowl.
I like him a lot. The problem is everyone likes
(08:25):
Jayden Reid too, a lot of people like Dantavian Wicks,
and even quite a few people still like Christian Watson.
And all three of those names finished with more PPR
points per game in the last half of the season
for the Packers than Dobbs did. He was number four
in that pecking order in fact, from Week five on.
So that's thirteen games.
Speaker 1 (08:45):
Yeah, it's a healthy sample size and all the good games.
Yet all the good games Jordan Love had.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
Dobbs topped four receptions in a game only once, and
he had more than forty yards in a game only
three times. You're so dependent on him getting a touchdown
that it doesn't make any sense for me to get
any of these wide receivers on the Packers because Dobbs
led the team in PPR points in five games last season,
(09:12):
Read seven times, Watson three times, Wis twice, and I
think Wix is probably gonna pop up a little bit
more this year. If it's me, I'd like to draft
Jordan Love and just just look with it.
Speaker 1 (09:24):
That's kind of what That's what I've been saying too.
Although it's a little spineless, I like it. It's a
little spineless, but it is true.
Speaker 3 (09:31):
It can be spineless. It's because they have four good
wide receivers. It's not because Dobbs is worse than any
of them. It's because they have four really quality wide
receivers on roster. I like that.
Speaker 1 (09:41):
And I think the angle on these, on all of
these receivers for Green Bay is I.
Speaker 3 (09:45):
Want him in best ball right.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
You don't have to worry about identifying pre identifying the
games when one of them is gonna go off. So
that's that's the angle for me. Like Guillotine can't do Dobbs, Read, Wix,
Watson just way too much downside on a game to
game basis because there's just there's too many good receivers.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
So once you get three catches for thirty five yards,
you're sunk.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
Yeah, that's that's going to really hurt your chances.
Speaker 3 (10:11):
And that's very possible.
Speaker 1 (10:12):
All right, So we've got a truth, we've got a lie.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
Let's go to Baltimore.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Rashad Bateman getting tons of praise from John Harbaugh and
Baltimore Beat writers. Early in the week, he made an
acrobatic shoelace catch that wowed observers.
Speaker 3 (10:28):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
Harbaugh says that Bateman is expected to be a top
receiver in the league.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Quote, top receiver in the.
Speaker 1 (10:33):
League currently going off the board it wide receiver seventy nine.
Speaker 3 (10:38):
Is this just camp talk? Survey says, Yeah, that's just
can't talk. Okay, what does anybody really expect Rashad Bateman
to be on this team? Is he the top wide
receiver option on this team? No, say Flowers? Is he
the second receiving option on this team? No? Mark Andrews
is in there, right? He could be third in the
(11:00):
pecking order at best on a team that just signed
Derrick Henry and is about to run the ball down
the throat of everybody all year long. And by the way,
if you can't make acrobatic shoelace catches in practice without pads,
you probably shouldn't be in the NFL at all.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Well, apparently Bateman hadn't been doing that in the past.
Everybody thinks he looks better than at any previous time.
Speaker 3 (11:23):
Well, and also, if he's making acrobatic catches, doesn't that
say more about Lamar Jackson's accuracy.
Speaker 1 (11:31):
Well, some of those balls are probably not coming from
Lamar Jackson, but maybe and I here's the thing. Wide
receiver seventy nine.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Sure, sure, that's where he is expected to be a
top receiver in the league. That's that's insanity. Let's move
to New England.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
A thor Nystrom favorite, Javon Baker has been a standout
in camp with highlight reel plays. Nobody mentioning athletic shoelace catches.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
No just highlight just highlight reel.
Speaker 1 (12:00):
He could start, He could start early in the season,
needing only to beat out Jalen Rager, Taekwon Thornton, and
the undead remains of Juju Smith Schuster. The second rounder
Jalen Polk is garnered praise too, but not at the
same level as Baker and Thoris set up.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
Thoris said at least twice.
Speaker 1 (12:18):
In our offseason shows he thinks he thinks Baker is
going to be better than Polk. Sure, his ADP is
wide receiver eighty eight.
Speaker 3 (12:27):
That's slow.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
All right, what's the light detector say on this one
for Javon Baker?
Speaker 3 (12:31):
Well, you failed to mention Kendrick Bourne and de Mario Douglas,
who are well, I'm assuming their top two. So this
is receiver to three. That's right, Nott wide receiver one.
So I think this one's interesting and a little sneaky.
All those other names that you read are retreads of retreads.
I mean, these guys have been on their third fourth
team in the league. It's feasible that Baker could steal
(12:54):
a lot of snaps from those vets really quickly, or
you know, Juju could get cut. And I mean it's
not outlandish to think Jalen Rager will be cut from
another team. In the NFL, the Pats managed about ten
receptions per game to the wide receiver position last year.
It was one of the lowest marks in the league. Wow,
that's terrible, But that was Mac Jones and Bailey Zappi
(13:17):
and Bill Belichick's weird offense. Uh. Even if it's Jacoby
Brissett for most of the year, or we see some
Drake May or Joe Milton who ever evidently is outperforming
Drake May in camp right now.
Speaker 1 (13:28):
That's but then Drake May had a much better day
on Wednesday and give you know, yeah, you don't know.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
You think they have to pass a little bit more
than ten times two receivers receivers per game, so I
think that they're nine times, no more more more more
than nine times and more than ten times. Yeah, so
don't worry. I got it nine times for you. Okay,
I got one fire fantastic, But yeah, I think that
I think that there is some truth to this one
(13:55):
on a rookie popping up and maybe stealing some reps
on a third team scenario.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Thor loves Javon Baker's big play ability and the and
him with the ball in his hands young after catch
just sick.
Speaker 3 (14:09):
Now.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
He he transferred. He started at Alabama, then he moved
to Central Florida where he just dominated Slapp.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
He's there, so.
Speaker 1 (14:17):
It's it's gonna be, you know, I think there is
a nice opportunity. Why'd receive for eighty eight?
Speaker 3 (14:23):
Okay?
Speaker 1 (14:23):
Yeah, again at that stage sure, last.
Speaker 3 (14:26):
Pick in your draft, right, I'll these are the kind
I mean Thor uncovered Puka Nakula last year. Yes, he
did in this kind of realm. And I don't think
Thor was promising.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
He did not promise a historic rookie season.
Speaker 3 (14:41):
Yes, but but obviously, like opportunity was there for Puka,
the talent is there. I think we're in kind of
the same situation here, staying in New England.
Speaker 1 (14:51):
Ramandre Stevenson, I'm back on board, baby. Oh wait, sorry,
the truth the truth the light detector was true on
Javon Baby true. Okay, so we've got two truths and
two lives. Ramandre Stevenson says that his new offensive corner
alex Van Pelts outside zone blocking scheme is perfect for him.
Here's the quote from Stevenson. Outside zone you see everything
(15:15):
a lot better. The old line still has to work very,
very hard, and you have to be on your tracks.
But it's kind of you hit what you see, you
make your cut and when you think you're ready, it's
ultimately up to you. So Matt, it's up to you.
Is the does a light detector say this is true
or false? For this new zone blocking scheme that may
(15:35):
be a perfect fit for Remandre Stevenson.
Speaker 3 (15:37):
I mean, first off, it's exciting for both of us,
who are both big Remandre fans. Over the last few years,
we've been on the bandwagon to hear things may improving.
I've already invested in him the end of the fifth
round in scott Fish Bowl in that draft beautiful spot.
I like him there, and he could be an absolute
belcow this year with Antonio Gibson serving as the passing
down guy being the Antonio Gibson.
Speaker 1 (15:59):
Role, right, and Jamichael Hasty's no threat.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Yeah. The problem is for me, when an offensive line
is given a completely new scheme and completely new tactics,
it usually takes a little time to get that right. Yeah,
and the Patriots already have Pro Football focuses twenty eighth
ranked offensive line. So while it's great that Remandre Stevenson
is super positive about this, he's got to be lying
(16:23):
to us because he's got to know I don't have
this kind of offensive line and they're trying to change things.
And I'm trying to tow the company line here and
say I love it. It's great, but I'm a little
nervous here that things might not go as well as
he's he's kind of alluding to here, I want to believe.
I want to believe to current ADP is running back nineteen. Yeah,
(16:47):
I mean that's the greatest spot.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
Do the opposite this perfect, do the opposite territory. You've
gone first four rounds. You haven't done any running backs.
I love having Remondre as my top running back. There
you raise a great point. New blocking schemes take time
to gel, and it could be a rough first month
for Romandre and warning guillotine League people, that could be
(17:10):
something that gets you cut in the first month.
Speaker 3 (17:11):
But remember Ramondre's.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
One year removed from being a top ten fantasy runner,
and last year, early in the year he struggled. The
offensive was terrible, nobody respected the passing game. Somebody's just
playing to stop Ormandri. But he's still in weeks nine
through thirteen. There was this window of like a month
where he was really good and then he suffered a
heikel spring the season.
Speaker 3 (17:33):
Was over well, and Zeke didn't fare too badly in
that offense last year either, So there's promise here. But
new blocking scheme, yeah, weird offensive line already. If the
not sure, I'm feeling it.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
If the totality of this Patriots offense is going to
generate twelve rushing touchdowns, which is very low. This ranked
them like twenty eighth or something. Right, Romander's getting ten
to the twelve correct, So you know, I think he's
sitting on a double digit touchdown season.
Speaker 3 (18:06):
Yep. I'd like to have him for the home stretch
in most leagues. If if like we think it might
be a little bit of a slow start for him,
He's a perfect guy to try to acquire the end
of September. Let's take a break.
Speaker 1 (18:17):
When we come back, I've got five more discussion topics
from you from the start of training camp, and a
lie Detector edition of Fantasy Football Weekly. Welcome back Fantasy
Football Weekly, pul Charchie and Matt Harrison Shock Fantasy.
Speaker 3 (18:31):
What's happened to Shock Fantasy? Oh? Updates to uh? I mean, yeah,
the cheat sheets right now, but I have a big
draft this weekend. I got a dynasty startup, So I mean,
if any of the guys in my dynasty league are
listening to this podcast, you can subscribe too. Fantasy get
your get my cheat sheet that I'm going to use
for the draft and you you at least have that
(18:54):
in your back pocket. There's a there's a promo code
in the show notes, by the way, for shock Fantasy.
If anybody's interested in getting a little bit of a
discount on a subscription. Yeah, I think it's twenty five
percent off or something else. Somethinglong that line. That ballpark.
Speaker 1 (19:09):
Yeah, fantastic. All right, let's go to Chicago. DJ Moore
signed that massive, four year, one hundred and ten million
dollar extension. I just want to talk about the dynasty
and Empire implications for just a minute. Okay, so longer,
longer term and by the way, for those that don't know,
since we got a minute, Empire leagues so much fun.
I think it's the best way to play dynasty. The
premise goes like this, it's a dynasty league, so you
(19:31):
retain your entire retain your entire roster year to year,
and instead of paying out all the funds at the
end of one year, instead you only pay out half.
The other half goes into a rolling pot waiting for
somebody to win back to back years, and then the
league folds.
Speaker 3 (19:47):
It's over.
Speaker 1 (19:48):
That person collects all the money and the league's over.
I love this because fantasy leagues don't have a don't
ever have an end. Yeah, there's no true champion, there's
just the most recent champion. Empire leagues give you a
championship and man, you know when you win it, and
the whole.
Speaker 3 (20:03):
Rest of the league.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
When you win one year, the whole less rust legal
next year is on you. You know, you are the
villain and that's awesome. Yeah, and I love that. And
then when you even if you if you don't win,
everybody's got.
Speaker 3 (20:15):
Something gun for.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
We're all gunn into takedown Matt to make sure Matt
doesn't win two back to back years.
Speaker 3 (20:19):
One in our long running one. Christian Peterson is currently
the champion in that one. And uh, it's over ten
grand in the Empire Pot this year.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
And poor Christian who has won three times in the
last five years, but he's alternated it's every other year.
Speaker 3 (20:34):
Yep. Yeah, he's got he's got a tough roster this year.
So you kind of have to prop up some other
teams to beat that chime as well to help Tope. Oh,
we never do that though.
Speaker 1 (20:45):
Nobody's like, oh, you know, I got to prop up
some I gotta improve, I gotta make a bad trade,
I do you do You've made bad trade?
Speaker 3 (20:51):
No, I've made I've made trades that help teams eliminate
the current champ. It doesn't necessarily have to be a
bad trade, but you got it. You gotta send good,
good players out to and to the the current contenders
and get some good draft picks back.
Speaker 1 (21:05):
So if you think Caleb Williams is the quarterback of
the future for Chicago this you know, the re signing
of DJ Moore extension is great news. I mean that
puts him on the team. He's on the team, signed
through twenty twenty nine. Yeah, now, and I don't know,
you know, sometimes the final years of these things are,
you know, not real years. But still, I mean that's
(21:26):
as a long time.
Speaker 3 (21:27):
There was over eighty million dollars and guaranteed money too,
so it was It's a pretty big deal. Maybe it's
just me, but I've always kind of been a DJ
more doubter. I don't know why. He did score nine
times last year times nine and had Yeah, and it
was his quarterback justin fields in that sense, had ninety
(21:48):
six catches and over thirteen hundred yards. But he was
the only receiver in town last year. The Bears only
had one hundred and fifty eight wide receiver receptions last
year and DJ Moore got ninety six of them, So
more crowded.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Now, obviously you'rean and Allen Roma Dunsay exactly know that
how many targets are going to go to DJ Moore.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Well, and let's break that down. Let's say Caleb Williams
is much better, yeah, and as probable as a passer,
and we bump that Bears wide receiver catch total up
to two hundred and ten, which is a little bit
above average. That's so fifty two more receptions to wide receivers.
If you're going to believe that DJ Moore will get
ninety six receptions again, that would leave one hundred and
(22:29):
fourteen for the other ones. In the last seven seasons
where Keenan Allen has played thirteen or more games, he's
had at least ninety seven receptions in every game in
every season. Sorry, yep, So does that leave twenty one
receptions for Romo Odounza and the rest of the wide receivers.
It it's got to be more of a split. I
can't see a scenario where DJ Moore is far and
(22:52):
away the receptions leader on this team over Keenan Allen
and Romo Donsey. I think will be third in the
pecking order. But he's not getting twenty receptions this year.
Speaker 1 (23:02):
He's gonna get six seventy. Yeah, probably, So Dunes might
be great.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Keenan Allen could be.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
The odd man out. I mean, why what a huge,
very variance. Yeah, there is potentially coming for Keenan Allen.
It could be that in his whatever eleventh season, uh,
that Keenan Allen is basically cooked and that he's going
to drop Roman Dunesday's going to pass him in terms
of you know, in just in terms of the focal
(23:29):
point of the offense, and that Keenan Allen just doesn't
get the ball lot or he's just a vacuum who
brings in everything the rookie received. He's always gonna be
in the right spot, he's gonna catch everything that goes
to him.
Speaker 3 (23:40):
Usually plays from the slot often.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
And that he could end up vacuuming up ninety receptions
and I wouldn't be surprised.
Speaker 3 (23:48):
Yeah, so it it's a little tough for me. I know,
DJ Moore, where's he going in in ADP right now?
It's like twenty wide receiver twenty Okay, I thought it
was higher than that. But yeah, there's no truth or
lie here because it's just we're saying that he signed
an extension, correct, So that's the truth that he did sign. Okay, Well,
we'll take truth on this. That brings us to three
(24:10):
truths and three lives. So but I'm a little hesitant
to think that he can repeat the numbers that he
had from last year. Being the only showing down. Let's
go to Carolina.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Miles Sanders getting a ton of first team looks in
Carolina m H. Now, as you know, rookie Jonathan Brook's
fourth rounder is rehabbing from an ACL injury that goes
back to November of last year's He is not expected
to be ready at the start of the season, and
he's not going to be a factor here. Miles Sanders
potentially could be your opening day starter again.
Speaker 3 (24:42):
This year like he was last year. But last year
he was terrible.
Speaker 1 (24:45):
He averaged three point three yards per carry, granted running
behind a bad offensive line that did get better in
the offseason, and ultimately Sanders lost his job to the
very pedestrian Chewba Hubbard, who was much better than Miles he.
Speaker 3 (24:58):
Was better, at least somewhat better. Yeah, so if he's
if he's very pedestrian and much better than Miles Sanders,
what does that make Miles Sanders? He had one touchdown
last year? Oh, what a disaster one. And I think
that most people coming into that season thought, hey, rookie quarterback,
they're gonna just hand Miles Sanders the ball ton. He's
(25:18):
gonna have ye close to three fifty four hundred touches.
Maybe he could just be an absolute belkow.
Speaker 1 (25:23):
And they signed him to that big deal he's like
twenty four million or something, and then he was just horrible.
Speaker 3 (25:28):
Yeah, he was just bad.
Speaker 1 (25:30):
So and by the way, Shure mentioned one you removed
from thirteen hundred yards and eleven touchdowns with Philadelphia exactly.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
So doesn't it seem like maybe he's getting first team
looks to see if a he still has some value
when playing with the starters, because he'd probably look like
absolute trash behind the second or third stringers. It could
be or be to maybe feature him as some sort
of trade chips so they can get out of paying
him four million dollars.
Speaker 1 (25:56):
Maybe his deal is guaranteed for four million, So I
don't think anybody trade anything for him.
Speaker 3 (26:00):
There's got to be a couple of teams out there
that are running back needy in some way. Maybe it's
just a seventh round pick swap kind of a thing. Yeah,
and just to get out of the four million dollars.
But this has got to be a lie. There's no
way that they think that Miles Sanders is going to
be the answer running back for the Panthers.
Speaker 1 (26:18):
So we're taking a we're gonna lie. Yeah, lie, detector says,
lie in Miles Sanders next Minnesota. JJ McCarthy is look
good in early training camp. To me, the Reds are
a little slow, but the arm talent to me looks good.
Speaker 3 (26:32):
So am I saying if you're lying or telling the truth?
Speaker 1 (26:37):
Almost universally the repoorts you guys know me it's all lies.
Speaker 3 (26:43):
Is that he's looked good in training camp.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
Yeah, I think his reads are slow, but he's showing
arm talent. Sam Donald's continuing to get almost all the
first team reps, but Kevin O'Connell says that they'll get
they'll start working JJ into more first team reps later.
So true or false? Do you think that McCarthy's look
good enough? Here to change the overwhelming thinking, which is
(27:09):
that Sam Donald's gonna have a long runway and they
do not want to start JJ McCarthy.
Speaker 3 (27:15):
I guess that's a lie. I think Sam Donald's still
gonna start. I think Donald will almost certainly start the
year under center. But I think that he needs to
go at least two and three or three and two
in those first five games to keep the job after
the Week six by which means he'd need to beat
the Giants, Niners, Texans, Packers, and Jets. That Jets game
(27:38):
is in London. He'd have to win that Jets game.
So I think he needs to win the Giants and
the Jets games in order to hold the job. Then
they come back after a bye. If he survives through
the bye, he'll almost certainly get the next two games
because Week seven is against Detroit and then they play
immediately Thursday night in Week eight, so they won't install
quarterback in a short week.
Speaker 1 (28:01):
So it'll either happen at the bye or well after it.
Speaker 3 (28:05):
Yes, it'll I think it'll either happen after the bye
or after the Week eight game on Thursday night against.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Them, we'd have ten days to ramp up.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
YEP. So Kevin O'Connell has said they'll know when it's
time to start McCarthy. If they're one and four under Donald,
it will be time.
Speaker 1 (28:24):
I don't know the wins and losses are going to
be as important as you you think. I believe they're
really taking a long term view with a twenty one
year old that says we're not putting him in the
game until he's ready. Even if Donald's bad, I think
they could go to Nick Mullins. If JJ's not ready
and Sam's bad, it could be bombs away Nick Mullins,
(28:44):
just like it was in the second half of last year.
And you know, let Mullins throw for four hundred yards
one game and then four interceptions the next game.
Speaker 3 (28:50):
I think the thing is, and this is coming from
a Viking fan, and I know you're a Viking fan
as well, charged I think their defense is going to
be kind of sneaky good. And I think if the
defense is holding up their end of the bargain and
they're holding some of these high end opponents to seventeen
or twenty points a game, yeah, and Donald in the
offense is just floundering and they can't get JJ going,
(29:13):
and Aaron Jones, isn't isn't cutting it enough. I think
that they're going to try to make a change, especially
if the if Brian flores his defense looks like it's
holding up there end of the bargain and it looks
like it's an offensive problem, They're going to make a
switch at quarterback.
Speaker 1 (29:27):
All Right, You and I see it a little bit differently,
but I think we both The central premise of our
lie detector is JJ McCarthy's look good in training camp.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
I think that's mostly true. I think I think that
part's true. I think I think Donald starts.
Speaker 1 (29:39):
Let's go to Arizona. Rookie running back Trey Benton getting
third team reps behind James Connor and Amari Day Mercado charge.
Speaker 3 (29:49):
This is called hazing, and Arizona is one of the
forty four states where hazing is illegal. Illegal, Okay. Hazing
has three components.
Speaker 1 (29:59):
By the way, I didn't know it's an official yep.
Speaker 3 (30:01):
It's in a group. It involves humiliating, degrading, or endangering behavior,
and it happens regardless of consent. And Trey Benson is
on the team, he's not consenting to running the third teamers,
which is humiliating and dangerous. Yes, so this is hazing,
This is a lie. There's no way Imari de Marcado
(30:21):
is going to hold off Trey Benson here from at
least being the second option out of the backfield. I
do think James Connor probably still gets the bulk of
the running this year, but particularly early. I think Trey
Benson as as the year wears on and James Connor
has quite a bit of an injury history. He does
if if Trey Benson is available on your waiver wire
(30:44):
and James Connor goes down, that's gonna be one of
those situations where people are spending sixty seventy percent of
their fab to get.
Speaker 1 (30:52):
I love Trey Benson in college. I felt like he
had on a very weak rookie class, and we've talked
about this on our rookie shows in the past. This offseason,
I thought Trey Benson looks like he's the best built
for fantasy success inside runner, goal line guy. He's got
a lot of wiggle and some bursts, and there's a
lot to like about Trey Benson. But James Connor ran
(31:16):
well last year. Just the reality is he played well
and he's going to start the season. Coaches love to
go as sure things and guys that aren't going to
mess up pass protection and other things. So James Connor is.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
Going to be the guy. I hope you're right that
this is a lie.
Speaker 1 (31:28):
On We're not out there scrapping for a Mari de
Mercado after week one when he surprises us with twelve touches.
Speaker 3 (31:34):
No, I'll be disappointed. Yeah, all right, last one. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (31:39):
Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zach Robinson said Tuesday that Bejon
Robinson's backfield mate Tyler al Jeer, will have quote a
big role and be leaned on at certain points during
the season, certain points like if that's like one game, fine,
might worry is certain points of the season might be
like the second, third, and fourth quarters of games.
Speaker 3 (32:01):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (32:01):
I mean this is this thing may be much more
of a shared backfield than we want to think. Do
you believe this is a truth or a lie?
Speaker 3 (32:10):
Coach talk? Let's start with Tyler Algier is a good
running back. He's not bad. He's he's a good running back,
and I think he will have a pretty nice role
this year. I don't think Zach Robinson's lying. I think
that's the truth. It's going to paint a lot of
fantasy owners who are drafting Bijeon in the first round yep.
But there's also saying that is we use it in
(32:32):
sports all the time. Rest is a weapon. Putting Bijon
on four hundred carries or four hundred touches is not
a good way, and that's not to do anything four hundred.
If the Falcons want to be title contenders, and it
seemed like they might, they'll have to feature Algier some
of the time, and they're gonna have to pass more
than the nineteen times per game pass attempt average. On average,
(32:55):
I mean, Desmond Ritter was pretty bad, but I think Bijeon,
who is a better pass catcher, is born there specifically.
But Algier had two hundred four touches last year and
Bijon had two hundred and seventy two. That's painfully close
to painfully close, yes, And and really it was Bijon
taking the lead on receptions. It was like sixty five
(33:16):
to seventeen receptions. So I think people want to believe
that Bijon's numbers will jump significantly here, but Algier might
see more work running between the tackles than people want
to admit. And Bijon might be the second and third
down guy, but Algier might be the guy who's in
during first downs where they want to go five yards
(33:36):
in a cloud of dust up the middle.
Speaker 1 (33:38):
Yeah, I get the feeling it's going to be more
frustrating than we want it to be so far heading
into the season where I still have most of my
drafts to come. Yep, I have zero rosters with Bijon Robinson. Yeah,
it's for where he has to where you have to
go to take him, like pick five. That's to me,
that's just it's too early for as the settle his
(34:00):
offense is.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
And and and I thought about looking this up, but
I didn't. But I was trying to remember a great
receiving threat in a Kirk Cousins offense. Running back, running back. Yeah,
it doesn't seem like it's been overwhelming. And he's got
weapons out there. Drake London and Kyle Pitt's not bad options, right,
Darnel Mooney and uh oh, I'm spacing on the the
(34:23):
other guy road kill Moore, Ron del Moore. Yes, it'll
kill your Gullotem team. I can tell you that. Yeah,
I mean those guys aren't bad second and third options
at the wide receiver position. So I think I think
Cousins is putting the ball downfield a little more, which
should open space for both of the runners.
Speaker 1 (34:39):
Now, the other side of it is Desmon Riders horrible.
And you know, if Kirk Cousins plays anything like he
played last year when he went down, he was leading
the NFL in passing yards, this Atlanta offense could just
explode into a top five offense.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
Robinson might be, could be a juggernaut. It might be.
We'll find out.
Speaker 1 (34:58):
Thanks Matt, tons of fun we get to watch watching
real football guys and pads. Yeah got you know, well
quasi reel the preseason games. I mean they never meant
a lot before. No, now they're even Now they're even worse,
you know, all thanks to Sean McVeigh. McVeigh proved you
don't have to play your starters at all in the
preseason and they can just roll right into the regular
(35:20):
season and be just fine.
Speaker 3 (35:21):
Well. I think one of the things that has come
out of that, though, is you kind of get the
in depth look at the inner squad scrimmages, Like I
know the Vikings are going to Cleveland to play the
Browns and some scrimmages before their preseason matches.
Speaker 1 (35:35):
Every I think I think every team is now scrimmaging.
Speaker 3 (35:38):
Yeah, at least one for business, it is, And that
way you can control the reps a little bit more.
Your quarterback doesn't have to get hits on them, that
kind of thing. But I think we can learn a
lot from kind of seeing the video on Twitter slash
x about what people are doing in those in those
inner squad scrimmages. I think that those are probably more
(35:58):
important right now than any preseason action that we're gonna
find from baby.
Speaker 1 (36:02):
So maybe so all.
Speaker 3 (36:04):
Sounds sad, you know, it's just the preseas. I was
always preseason defender.
Speaker 1 (36:09):
Yeah, I was like, you know, okay, sure, I know
the elitists just you know, all tune into the regular season,
and you know, but I love football, and you would
get to see your starters would play in the first
preseason game would play like a quarter, and then the
second preseason game like two quarters, and then the dress
rehearsal the third preseason one was like three quarters, and
(36:31):
then they all took the fourth one off, and I'm like,
fine that you know that, I got long looks at
actual starters, and you could you could glean some things
from that.
Speaker 3 (36:38):
We can't glean anymore.
Speaker 1 (36:39):
It's very hard to glean. No, we're in a total,
a glean free zone. Now that's the season. And every
you know who loves to glean. Everybody, everybody, especially the NFL,
has they've taken our glean.
Speaker 3 (36:52):
It's it's weird that you've got a tattoo that just
says glean across your chest.
Speaker 1 (36:55):
Yes for just and now now I got to cross
it out.
Speaker 3 (36:58):
It's also also weird that you're not where a shirt
right now. Peculiar, but I got to show off my tattoo.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Yes, all right, thank you, Matt. This has been a
ton of fun. I appreciate listening everybody. Guillotine Leagues coming
online for this season really really soon, maybe by the
time you hear this. I don't have an exact date,
but it's coming real soon.
Speaker 3 (37:17):
Now. I'm excited. Thank you.
Speaker 1 (37:18):
And yeah, you're in Guillotine. You're playing Guillot.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
I sure do.
Speaker 1 (37:21):
I play in Keillotine Leagues. We can't wait to turn on,
turn it on for this year. Lots going on behind
the behind the scenes, behind the curtain, under the hood
and you'll get to see it all momentarily. Thanks for listening, everybody,
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