PodcastFrom Fantasy Focus Football

10 Fantasy Football League Winners Who Will Define the 2026 Season | Fantasy Focus

STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.

1 hr 8 min

Duration

Estimated from transcript

Aug 12, 2026

Published

Wed, August 12, 2026

Player insights

Players mentioned

Topics

De'Von AchaneJayden DanielsLuther BurdenA.J. BrownBrock BowersCaleb WilliamsChigoziem OkonkwoChris OlaveChristian McCaffreyColston LovelandJa'Marr ChaseJadarian PriceJeremiyah LoveJordyn Tyson

Player analysis

Player insights

A.J. Brown

PositiveBreakout63:17

The source is highly optimistic about AJ Brown's potential to finish as the WR1 in fantasy, citing his excitement to play in New England and his chemistry with Drake Maye's deep-ball skill set. The source compares his potential impact to Ja'Marr Chase's breakout, projecting a ceiling of 1,700 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.

Insight page

Brock Bowers

NegativeValue65:27

The source views Brock Bowers as a top-10 tight end worthy of first-round consideration, though they caution against drafting him alongside Trey McBride at the 1-2 turn to avoid limiting weekly roster flexibility. The source notes that McBride is slightly preferred, but the choice between the two is splitting hairs.

Insight page

Caleb Williams

PositiveProjection24:32

Caleb Williams is viewed as a potential top-10 fantasy quarterback if he maintains his second-half performance from last year (QB5 from Week 9-18). His success is expected to elevate the fantasy value of multiple Bears pass catchers, including Colston Loveland and Luther Burden.

Insight page

Chigoziem Okonkwo

PositiveProjection36:56

The source believes Okonkwo reached his ceiling last year due to high target volume in New England, and they are not heavily invested in him at his current 12th-13th round ADP.

Insight page

Chris Olave

NegativeUsage28:28

Chris Olave's fantasy outlook is tied to Tyler Shuck's performance; he commanded 41% of wide receiver targets from Shuck last year. If Shuck regresses, Olave could fall to the WR20 range.

Insight page

Christian McCaffrey

NegativeProjection59:29

The source debates McCaffrey's outlook, acknowledging his status as a 'unicorn' and the league's greatest receiving back, but notes significant red flags including an age-30 season and heavy career workload. While the source projects him for 100 fewer fantasy points than last year, they maintain he remains in the same tier as Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs, provided he stays healthy.

Insight page

Colston Loveland

PositiveBreakout28:20

Colston Loveland is highlighted as a potential superstar talent at tight end, supported by a historic target volume (48 targets over the final four games of last season). His fantasy success is contingent on Caleb Williams' distribution, but he is viewed as a game-changing talent.

Insight page

De'Von Achane

PositiveProjection55:45

Despite concerns about the Dolphins' offense and potential efficiency regression, the source highlights Achane as a league-winning candidate due to his elite efficiency; he is tied with Jahmyr Gibbs for the most PPR points per touch among 38 running backs with at least 350 carries over the last three seasons. The source projects over 250 carries and 65 catches, noting that even if efficiency dips, his volume and designed passing game usage will sustain his floor.

Insight page

PositiveProjection55:52

The source notes that Achane is a polarizing player but confirms they have him ranked as the RB5 for the upcoming season.

Insight page

Ja'Marr Chase

NegativeValue10:43

The source ranks Ja'Marr Chase ahead of Puka Nacua due to the suspension risk surrounding Nacua, noting that Chase provides a safer floor.

Insight page

Jadarian Price

PositiveValue19:34

Jadarian Price is a major breakout candidate in a Seattle offense that led the league in running back carries (439) and red-zone carries (85) last season. Despite being ranked around RB25, the source argues he is a mid-tier RB2 value who could solidify a lead role if Zach Charbonnet's return is delayed or if Price performs well early.

Insight page

Jayden Daniels

PositiveProjection34:10

Jaden Daniels is considered one of three quarterbacks (alongside Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson) with the realistic upside to throw for 30 touchdowns and run for 10 in a season. Despite health concerns and a weak supporting cast, his rushing floor makes him a potential QB3.

Insight page

NegativeValue38:18

The source ranks Daniels lower than his current market ADP because they prefer waiting on quarterbacks like Jalen Hurts or Joe Burrow, who offer comparable value and are available rounds later.

Insight page

Jeremiyah Love

PositiveBreakout45:25

The source compares Love to Bijan Robinson as a prospect, highlighting his elite pass-catching ability and efficiency. Despite concerns about the Cardinals' offense and offensive line, the source argues that top-12 drafted running backs historically pay off, and they project him as a top-10 fantasy back.

Insight page

Jordyn Tyson

NegativeUsage28:38

Jordan Tyson is expected to be involved in the Saints' passing attack alongside Chris Olave, with his production contingent on Tyler Shuck's development.

Insight page

Josh Jacobs

NegativeValue14:53

The source advises moving Josh Jacobs down in rankings due to potential league discipline and his age (28), noting he has significant wear from a heavy career workload. He is currently ranked at RB15.

Insight page

Justin Jefferson

PositiveBreakout39:06

The source identifies Jefferson as a league winner with top-three talent, noting he has more games with 25+ fantasy points than under 10 points in his career. While they doubt he reaches overall WR1 status due to Kyler Murray's rushing tendencies, they expect him to significantly outperform last year's WR30 finish.

Insight page

Luther Burden

NegativeValue2:22

The source expresses concern regarding Luther Burden's current ADP, noting that the take was poorly received by the fanbase.

Insight page

NegativeBust26:18

The source identifies Luther Burden as a 'fade' at his current fourth-round ADP. While he has an expanded role with Keenan Allen gone, the source cites red flags including his lack of consistent top-20 fantasy outings and poor performance in the playoffs, arguing his price assumes superstar status he hasn't yet earned.

Insight page

Malik Nabers

PositiveProjection51:27

Nabers is viewed as a clear-cut WR1 with massive upside, evidenced by his historic reception and yardage totals in his first 18 games. The source notes potential snap management due to injury history but remains bullish on his talent and role in the Giants' offense.

Insight page

MarShawn Lloyd

NegativeInjury19:16

The source notes that Marshawn Lloyd has been frequently unavailable due to injuries, which complicates the Packers' backfield depth behind Josh Jacobs.

Insight page

Matthew Stafford

NegativeProjection30:21

Matthew Stafford is ranked as a mid-tier QB (12-16) due to his lack of rushing upside and reliance on passing volume. While he has the potential for a top-5 finish if he repeats his 40+ touchdown performance, the source expresses concern about his dependency on his supporting cast and lack of 'fun' fantasy play style.

Insight page

Puka Nacua

NegativeValue10:43

Due to potential league discipline and a possible suspension, the source has moved Puka Nacua down to the sixth overall player in their rankings, placing him behind Ja'Marr Chase and Jackson Smith-Njigba.

Insight page

Terrance Ferguson

PositiveUsage20:28

The source suggests Terrence Ferguson could see a short-term boost in usage if Puka Nacua is suspended, as the Rams lack depth at wide receiver.

Insight page

Terry McLaurin

NegativeProjection36:33

Terry McLaurin is noted as the primary receiving option for Jaden Daniels, though the source suggests he may have already hit his ceiling and is not a high-priority draft target.

Insight page

Trey McBride

PositiveValue65:27

The source considers Trey McBride a top-10 tight end worthy of a first-round pick, though they advise against drafting both him and Brock Bowers at the 1-2 turn because it limits roster flexibility. The source prefers McBride slightly over Bowers but notes it is splitting hairs.

Insight page

Zach Charbonnet

NegativeRole20:35

The source expects Zach Charbonnet to have a role upon his return from injury, projecting him as a 10-15 touch player. However, there is skepticism regarding whether he will immediately regain his previous form, potentially allowing Jadarian Price to establish himself as the lead back.

Insight page

Full transcript

Episode Transcript

939

0:00Chronic Migraine is 15 or more headache days a month, each lasting 4 hours or more.

0:04Botox, onabotulinum toxin A, prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine before they start.

0:08It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month.

0:12It prevents on average 8 to 9 headache days a month versus 6 to 7 for placebo.

0:17Prescription Botox is injected by your doctor. Effects of Botox may spread hours to weeks after injection causing serious symptoms.

0:22Allerge your doctor right away as difficulty swallowing, speaking, breathing, eye problems or muscle weakness can be signs of a life-threatening condition.

0:28Patients with these conditions before injection are at highest risk.

0:31Side effects may include allergic reactions, neck and injection site pain, fatigue and headache.

0:35Allergic reactions can include rash, welts, asthma symptoms and dizziness.

0:38Don't receive Botox if there's a skin infection. Tell your doctor your medical history, muscle or nerve conditions including ALS Lou Gehrig's

0:44disease, myasthenia gravis or Lambert-Eaton syndrome and medications including botulinum toxins as these may increase the risk of serious side effects.

0:50Why wait? Ask your doctor, visit BotoxChronicMigraine.com or call 1-800-44-BOTOX to learn more.

0:54What's up friends? Welcome to Fantasy Focus Football alongside Field Yates and Mike Clay.

0:57My name is Daniel Dopp back here for a Wednesday show.

1:01Mike, this is your third show. We're very excited that you're here.

1:04How are you feeling? Well rested? Not great. Oh, okay.

1:07I think I'm just going to not talk today.

1:09I think I'm just going to hang out and listen to you guys.

1:13It's so weird. You went on vacation for five days.

1:16You came back for two days and then today you're like, I'm feeling a little under the weather, guys.

1:21I am a little bit. It's catching up to me, I think.

1:24What's catching up to you? The vacation that you took?

1:27A little sore throat probably from so many hot takes over the last two days.

1:31Oh, that's what it is. A little bit. Some very well-received perfect takes based on social media reactions to those takes.

1:37Sure, sure. So I think everyone agrees. You know, I had a well thought out reason.

1:42I'm a little concerned about Luther Burden's ADP. I saw that.

1:45Bears fans were just like agreed all around. Everyone, yes.

1:48They were just fully on board. No, they weren't.

1:50That was not it. The exact opposite of that.

1:53They were like, why? It wasn't great. Why is this guy back on the podcast?

1:57Couldn't we have stuck with the other person? Yeah.

1:59Well, the person that was here last week is actually a Bears fan.

2:03Liz actually. She would never say anything like that.

2:06So certainly I'm not in favor with the Bears crowd, which by the way, hurts me because one of my favorite players

2:12of all time, one of my favorite sleepers of all time and hits was Jordan Howard.

2:16That was my guy. I loved Jordan Howard. Fifth round pick back in the day.

2:20Yeah. That was my guy. I apologize for being on my phone at the beginning of the show.

2:25I was trying to not listen to Mike. That's fair.

2:28But also I was trying to get the link up.

2:31The link out. I assumed. I assumed. It just deletes the draft that you've been working on.

2:36Anyways, I digress. We are moving on. Yes, we are.

2:39We got a big show today. We're talking about the 10 players who will define the upcoming fantasy season.

2:44A lot of names we are bringing to the table.

2:47Going to dive into a bunch of conversation with that.

2:50But quickly, a few logistics first. Live show. August 20th in New York City.

2:53Head to FantasyFocusLive.com to grab your tickets. The entire crew is going to be there.

2:58It will be a blast. That is FantasyFocusLive.com. August 20th in New York City.

3:02Our buddy Eric Moody is in chat. Make sure you go hang out with him.

3:06We love Eric Moody. Follow him on social media at Eric and Moody.

3:09He does an unbelievable job hanging out with the crew and everybody for the entirety of the show.

3:14So jump in there and hang out with him.

3:17And by the way, we're going to be asking for a few things from chat over the next couple of weeks as

3:23we finish kind of rounding out what I would call our punishment wheel from last year.

3:28In case you didn't know what the punishment wheel was, here's a quick clip in case you weren't here for last season.

3:34I set my lineup. Stacked team ready to destroy.

3:36Lost again. I do wonder though, what do you guys think Mike Clay likes watching more?

3:41Is it actually the football game or is it just waiting until the game is over to update cell K38 with his wide receiver cornerback matchups?

3:48You know what I mean? Yeah. Like, ha ha, I got this one right.

3:52Awesome. That's, no, that's great. That was disgusting. That was good.

3:55They're disgusting. I start to the league, Gar. Yeah, I love this field.

3:59Number one Lamar Jackson. It's so sour. It's when you get the liquid.

4:02Yeah. How sour is that field? Very nasty. You want to go spit it out in the cup over there?

4:08Yeah, that's probably not a bad idea. Michael Pittman Jr.

4:11We got there. The Zachary. Yeah. I spit some out.

4:14It's okay. Don't worry. Nice pick on Zachary. I would like at the quarterback position, I would love some Jordan Love this week.

4:20Okay? I would love Jordan Love, who we talked about earlier in the program, gentlemen.

4:24Keep going. At the tight end, I will go with Travis Kelsey because his quarterback has a 6-7 completion percentage this season.

4:30Jordan Addison. What on earth is that? That's a good matchup.

4:33Oh, sorry. It's a frog. I know, but what is the practical use of it?

4:38Yes, why do you have that? To make noises?

4:40No. Only practical stuff. Oh, man. Starts of the week was a lot of fun last year.

4:45We had a lot of fun with those punishments, and we got a wheel.

4:49It's actually behind Mike. It doesn't work right now.

4:51We broke it during the off-season, unfortunately. We were messing around with it here in the studio doing...

4:56There's a fit of rage from Mike. That's exactly what happened.

5:00But we're going to fill those out every Friday.

5:02We're going to have a bunch of polls in the chat here in our YouTube chat as well.

5:07If you have some suggestions, just send them to us, either in the chat or at Fantasy Focus on Twitter or any

5:13of our personal handles, at MikeClayNFL, at FieldJates, at DanielDopp.

5:16We would love to have some punishments to fill out the wheel for this season.

5:20Yeah, two rules. I can't ever do accents again.

5:23Yes, that was bad. And the other rule is no more like shoving food in our mouth and talking.

5:28That's the worst. I didn't even have to do that.

5:31You guys did, but no one wants to watch that.

5:34All right. Let's talk about some football. We got a big show on tap.

5:38But first, we're going to give a little bit of love to our buddy Adam Schefter.

5:42This is from Schefter's podcast yesterday. We think this has some really good info that we'll dive off of after you watch this.

5:49The cases that I believe are now being reviewed include that of the Rams wide receiver, Puka Nakua, who could potentially face

5:55discipline for some of the offseason headlines that accompanied him and some of those incidents last year with another woman.

6:00What did and didn't occur. We'll leave that to the NFL to figure out what did and didn't happen.

6:06But it's possible that when the Niners and Rams play in Australia, it's within the realm of options that Puka doesn't play in that game.

6:13It's also possible your team, the Green Bay Packers, are going to lose Josh Jacobs.

6:17That also still is under review. Yeah, I was just guys.

6:20Yeah. All right. So I want to say this.

6:22I feel like I speak and understand Schefter language pretty well.

6:26I don't believe that Schefter would have floated the possibility of either or both of these players being suspended if he didn't

6:32believe there was a chance of these guys being suspended.

6:35Agreed. This is not. I think this ends up with these guys missing some level of time.

6:39How much time? We don't know. But I'll state this here right now.

6:43If for some reason you're doing a draft and you're debating between Puka Nakua and Jamar Chase and JSN at the very

6:49top amongst your wide receiver rankings, I believe the debate is over.

6:52I believe it needs to be Jamar Chase over Puka Nakua.

6:56I agree with that. I think it's still close.

6:58And if you look at our projections, Nakua is projected for 21 more points than the number two wide receiver.

7:04So I feel like Nakua is very clearly the top week-to-week option.

7:07Kind of like we talked about with Christian McCaffrey, where he just has that ceiling and floor and that volume that just

7:13gives him an edge over everyone else on an each-week basis.

7:16So I think it's a very close call. I have no issue with what you're saying, but I'm not going to move

7:22him much further than a spot or two. I still think he's...

7:26My expectation is if he is suspended, it's going to be short-term.

7:29And I can accept that with a player of that.

7:32Yeah, we don't know that, though. We don't know that.

7:35If it was two games based off your projections, then he would drop not just below Jamar Chase, but like a decent chunk below Jamar Chase.

7:4220 points over the course of the season. So what if it's four games?

7:46What if it's six games, right? I mean, we don't know the answer on the length right now.

7:51And I said this when you were talking about the tier one, when we were going through the wide receivers, if something

7:57else happens during the season after Puka's already faced discipline, he's just at a much greater risk of missing even more time.

8:03I don't feel that way about Jamar Chase or JSN.

8:06There's just a safety net that's involved with those two guys now rather than Puka.

8:10So for now, and we really would... I think we're going to get information one way or the other before the start

8:17of the regular season and before the start of like that peak draft week, which is usually call it seven to 10

8:23days prior to the start of the regular season.

8:25For now, Puka will drop below Jamar Chase and I'll drop him below Jackson Smith and Jigba as well in my personal rankings.

8:32He'll move down to the sixth overall player on my board.

8:35But we're going to continue to monitor this news very closely.

8:38And I do think that when Shefty speaks, I think it gives us some indication or inclination that maybe a decision is coming somewhat sooner than later.

8:45I would agree. I hope so. So it would be good for everybody involved to have some clarity.

8:50As for Josh Jacobs, like same deal here, right?

8:53You got to move him down a little bit.

8:55We've been talking about... Yeah. But different because you're getting him where?

8:59At the end of the second, beginning of the third round?

9:02You're not paying top of the first round price.

9:04It's a little less clear how much you can move Josh Jacobs down.

9:08Correct. Because it's not... We already know Puka is going usually at lowest sixth overall in drafts.

9:13And that seems like the floor for him at this moment was Josh Jacobs.

9:17We talked about this tier, this group of running backs, all kind of clusters together.

9:21Mike categorized it, I believe, as James Cook being the first.

9:24Six through 15 was the range that Mike had.

9:27Six through 15, yeah. I had it seven through 14 yesterday.

9:30If you feel comfortable or if you feel uncomfortable with Josh Jacobs at this moment, to me, no problem moving him down

9:36to the bottom of that tier, which would be behind the likes of Ashton Genthy and Amarian Hampton and Saquon Barkley and Jeremiah Love.

9:43And across the industry, that's where he's going. He's going at the end of that tier.

9:47And that's where I have him. I'm at 15.

9:50And that puts him just ahead of Javante Williams, Kyron Williams.

9:53I'm still going to give him a slight edge over those guys.

9:56But it's close. I mean, last night I was in a draft, this Apex League.

10:00I've been in a long time with a lot of people from the industry.

10:04And I was at the end of round one, but then coming around the next one.

10:09So the 3-4 turn. And I had a chance at Tedderall McMillan, who's my wide receiver, 15.

10:13Or Jacobs. Either one. It would have been McMillan, my wide receiver, three.

10:17Jacobs, my RB, two. I decided to play it safe and go McMillan.

10:21Okay. A receiver and just not. I think I'm going to have a decent option that's not much worse than Jacobs coming around.

10:27Next time we'll see. But I decided, you know, because also very injury plagued late last season as well.

10:32He's 28 years old. There's a lot of reasons.

10:35As well as he played when he was healthy last year.

10:38There's enough reason for pause when you add the suspension on that.

10:41I'd rather just not mess with it right now.

10:44He has as much. He has less tread on his tires than the standard 28-year-old running back with how much he was

10:50run to the ground in Las Vegas, Oakland, beforehand.

10:53Yeah. Less tread on your tires. I was trying to think of the way, yes.

10:57You worded that correctly, but it almost sounds like you're saying that he has less wear on him.

11:02No, less wear. But he has less tread on his tires because he has been a huge workload running back for the entirety of his career.

11:09Right now, coming off the board, it's running back 14, 28.5.

11:12So the end of the third round. Do you think that's going to change a whole lot?

11:17Like you mentioned the names. Right now, right after him, it's Brees Hall, Javante Williams, Kyron, Cam Scadaboo.

11:22That's right in the conversation that you guys were talking about.

11:25Yeah, I mean, again, I think it depends on how long we are talking for these potential punishments.

11:30To find out, too. I don't know. I just don't think these are going to be one gamers if they do happen.

11:36That's just my inclination, sort of studying what these guys have been accused of and also what players accused of something somewhat

11:42similar have faced punishment-wise in the past. So we will see here, but I think it's incredibly important to address it.

11:48If you're early drafting right now, I have accounted for Puka Nakua by moving him down to number six.

11:54And for Josh Jacobs, we talked about moving him down.

11:56Also, know the name Marshawn Lloyd. You probably already have by now.

12:00He's been more in the news for not being on the field because he's hurt all the time.

12:05Yeah. But this Packers backfield is not exactly loaded with depth beyond Josh Jacobs.

12:09The biggest investment by far in that backfield beyond Josh Jacobs was Marshawn Lloyd.

12:13Yeah. I'm curious to see if that's a landing spot perhaps for like a James Conner.

12:17Ooh. So keep an eye on it. I didn't even think about that.

12:21By the way, one quick thing too. Rams, same thing.

12:24If Nakua is out, they don't really have a wide receiver three we're excited about.

12:28So someone like Terrence Ferguson would get a short-term boost.

12:31And also, I'd be keeping an eye on it.

12:33Considering that they are widely regarded as the best team in the NFL and the heavy Super Bowl favorite, would not surprise

12:39me if they went out and looked for a veteran receiver.

12:42Maybe took a little bit of a discount. Maybe a Keenan Allen type, something like that.

12:47Sure. I'd just keep an eye on them to be in the business of finding more wide receiver.

12:52Matthew Stafford, Devontae Adams, and Keenan Allen. All 40 plus.

12:55I mean, I'm not reporting anything. I'm just saying.

12:57That would be so fun though. Especially if Nakua is suspended multiple games.

13:01I mean, you're going to go out there with Devontae Adams, who's 33, and Canna Mumfield or something like that.

13:07Three tight end sets. Every single play. They might.

13:09Yeah. They have five tight ends on their roster right now that are like decent, right?

13:14Make sure that you stay locked in both to Adam Schefter with all of this news.

13:18As soon as we find out more information, we will keep you up to date here.

13:23But also, if you have any more draft questions, Mike Clay's Playbook Part 2 came out today.

13:27Head on over to the .com and you can check it out.

13:31Mike, is this Part 2 of the two-part playbook or is there another one?

13:35Part 2 of three parts. Three parts. Two of three.

13:37The first one was kind of like the State of the Union and fantasy football for this year.

13:42That's up there. Part 2 is like all the different league formats you could possibly play in.

13:47Everything. Six touchdowns. Six passing touchdowns. Our new format.

13:50Our knockout format this year. Whatever. It goes on and on.

13:53I mean, it's every format. Best ball. You name it.

13:56IDP. They're all laid out. And then the third part closer to the season will be in season management.

14:01Waivers, trades, all that kind of stuff. Love that.

14:03Go check out the Mike Clay Playbook, which is available right now on ESPN.com.

14:07Now it's time for the 10 players who will define the fantasy season.

14:11Field. Define feels like it could have a wide meaning in this conversation.

14:15You could define in several different ways here, Dan.

14:17Yeah. Bear with me. I'm going to go 10 to 1.

14:20All right. The names at the top will be pretty obvious as to why they will define the upcoming fantasy season.

14:26But in the interest of creating some drama and building some suspense, we're going to start at number 10.

14:31A little bit off the beaten path here. Love it.

14:34My number 10 player who will define the 2026 fantasy football season is Saints quarterback, Tyler Shuck.

14:39Second year player out of Louisville. Played seven seasons in college, so he's more experienced than your typical.

14:44He's older, I should say, than your typical second year player.

14:47And he played really well to finish last season.

14:50So there are a couple of different ways in which I think Tyler Shuck could define the upcoming year.

14:55One, there's often several quarterbacks that make that leap, whether it's the year one to year two leap or just like the

15:01leap from being a fantasy backup to a fantasy starter.

15:04Tyler Shuck showed during the last five games of last season.

15:07He has starting level upside if he plays like he did down the stretch.

15:11He had 30 rushing yards or 300 passing yards in five straight games to end 2025.

15:15He was really good. He was started in fantasy playoff matchups in leagues that I was in last year.

15:21More pertinently, though, or more importantly, is I think he defines what could happen with this suddenly kind of intriguing group of pass catchers in New Orleans.

15:28This is a fun trivia. What percentage of wide receiver targets do you think Chris Olave saw amongst passes thrown by Tyler Shuck last year?

15:35When Shuck was the quarterback, what was his target share?

15:38Not his target share, but the percentage of wide receiver targets.

15:41So that does not include, obviously, running backs and tight ends.

15:44I would say grab a cotton candy five hour energy shot and get in on that sweet life.

15:49You get that classic throwback cotton candy flavor, but with zero sugar and a five hour energy boost, a tasty caffeine kick

15:55that satisfies the sweet tooth without any of the sugar guilt aftermath.

15:59Bring on the sweetness with cotton candy five hour energy shots available online at five hour energy dot com or Amazon.

16:05Getting out of high interest credit card debt is hard by yourself, which is why SoFi thinks it should be a team sport.

16:11Help yourself out with a SoFi personal loan and consolidate your high interest debt into one low monthly payment.

16:17Save even more with no fees required and do it with the speed you need with as soon as the same day funding.

16:23Put SoFi in, coach. Visit SoFi dot com slash team sport to learn more.

16:27Loans originated by SoFi Bank and a member FDIC.

16:29Terms and conditions apply and MLS six nine six eight nine one.

16:33Fast funds terms apply at SoFi dot com slash team sport.

16:36As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy.

16:39But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Granger has your back from professional grade products.

16:44You can count on to fast, dependable delivery. They're there to help you keep things running smoothly.

16:49Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions.

16:52And because Granger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner and protecting both your people and your facilities.

16:59Call 1-800-GRANGER. Click Granger dot com or just stop by.

17:0265%. Yeah, that's a huge number. Yeah, 52. 41% of all wide receiver targets from Tyler Shuck went to Chris Olavi.

17:08Olavi absolutely mashed last year. He was great. He kind of established himself as like a top 10-ish fantasy football wide receiver.

17:14If what we saw at the end of last season was real from Tyler Shuck, giddy up, even with the addition of Jordan Tyson.

17:20If what we saw from Tyler Shuck late last year was taking advantage of an average schedule and kind of, you know,

17:27hanging tight when teams had counted them out, then it could mean Chris Olavi kind of regressing back into that wide receiver 20 range.

17:33Yeah, no doubt. There's two layers to this. One is, can Shuck be a QB1 in fantasy, which is a possibility.

17:39Jared Point delivered as a rusher and a passer last year, but his, as consistent as he was, he had 17 plus

17:45fantasy points at seven of his nine full games.

17:48He never cleared 22. He never got that high ceiling, but his supporting cast was not very good.

17:53It's much better now. So maybe he does make that big leap forward.

17:57And the other part, of course, is what you just said.

18:00Chris Olavi, Jordan Tyson, the other, even Travis Etienne in the backfield, maybe Alvin Kamara.

18:04If he's involved in the pass, this will affect all.

18:07Yeah. Come on, Mike. I did it. Oh man.

18:09Do I have to leave? Yes. I think for the rest of the season.

18:13Travis Etienne. Travis Etienne, Alvin Etienne, all the Etchans.

18:16They, yeah, look, him being really poor or really good could affect those, or will affect those guys drastically.

18:21So no doubt. Good call on Tyler Schoen. I've got him as quarterback 13.

18:25I'm higher than everybody else here. I love what you mentioned, what he did at the end of this season from week 13 on.

18:32He did not have a single game under 17 fantasy points.

18:35We saw a little bit of his legs. He's not like a huge runner, but I don't know why if we don't

18:41see a little bit of match out of him.

18:43He couldn't be like a Bonix light, which to me is like a low end QB one.

18:48I think that's what, and if he's a low end QB one, by the way, if he's a top 10 quarterback, he's

18:54doing that by feeding Chris Olave and very likely Jordan Tyson is getting some love there too.

18:59So big, big guy for this fantasy season. I think the best argument against guys like Tyler Schoen or Daniel Jones or

19:05other quarterbacks that are intriguing, but don't crack our top 10 or 12 rankings is that there are so many quarterbacks.

19:11So many of them, right? Yeah. When you said you have Schoen at, what'd you say?

19:1613. I'm like, man, who do you have him ahead of?

19:19Like Stafford, Purdy, Caleb, Justin Herbert, Mahomes, Kyler Murray, all those guys.

19:22You've, you have him ahead of several of those guys, maybe Bo Nix.

19:26Like, yeah. You got to see it with your chest, Mike.

19:29That's why. It is crowded. It is very crowded.

19:31All right. Let's move on to player number nine.

19:34My number nine player that will define the 2026 fantasy football season is Seahawks running back Jadarium Price.

19:39The 32nd overall selection in the NFL draft this past year goes to Seattle, which on paper is a pretty darn good landing spot.

19:46How many teams you think had more carries from the running backs last year than the Seahawks?

19:50Good question. We will say, I'm going to go with zero.

19:53Two. The answer is zero. Nice job by you, Mike.

19:56The Falcons and the Seahawks had 439 running back carries last year.

20:00That was tied for the most in the NFL.

20:02On top of that, 85 of those 439 running back carries last year came in the red zone.

20:07So when they get down close to the goal line, they're not messing around.

20:11They're handing the football off to the running backs.

20:14That was the most in the league. It's a good spot.

20:17The thing that I think makes Jadarian Price such a swing player is it's not the rhetoric from Mike McDonald.

20:22They're going to play all three guys. I think they'll play a little bit of some of the other players that are currently healthy.

20:29Emmanuel Wilson might have a little bit of a role.

20:32We'll see. I'm not totally buying that, but maybe he will.

20:35And Zach Charbonnet could come back at some point during the middle or later portion of the season.

20:40It's that Jadarian Price last year, and I've used this stat before, and I'll use it again, had six catches.

20:46Now, he played alongside Jeremiah Love. He played alongside Eli Raritan, Malachi Fields, guys who both went in the third round.

20:51Love went third overall. They have a player, Jordan Faison, who's going to go, I think, as high as the first round this upcoming year.

20:58A lot of Mal's defeated that Notre Dame offense, so it's kind of a chicken versus egg argument.

21:03Is Jadarian Price not a great pass catcher, or is he a guy that didn't catch that many passes just because other people ate first?

21:10So, to me, he's a big swing player. He's ranked in most ESPN rankers top 25 for running backs.

21:16Way too low. Way too low. You're at 19, right?

21:19Yeah, I got him at 19. Yeah, I'm not that optimistic, obviously.

21:22I think in that tier of running backs, you have more guys who have a solidified role for the season.

21:28I would say based on... What does that mean?

21:30When you say that, what does that mean? Like, guys that are lead backs right now.

21:35Like, Jadarian Price very well could be to open the season, but all reports are positive on Zach Charbonnet.

21:40I would expect him to play this season, and I would expect him to not just be a backup.

21:45I don't think he's going to be chilling out.

21:48I think he's going to be a 10-15 touch guy at the minimum.

21:51And maybe, at some point, he's the lead back there.

21:54We don't know for sure if Jadarian Price is the real deal.

21:58He was the 32nd pick in the draft. It does fill a need for them.

22:02But to Field's point, as efficient as he was in a small sample behind Love, it was a small sample.

22:07And he was not involved in the passing game.

22:10So I definitely have some reservations there. I'm willing to take a shot at the right point, but I haven't found myself drafting him much.

22:17I only disagree because of the thought process that even when Zach Charbonnet comes back, I'm not buying into the idea that

22:23he's the Zach Charbonnet that he was last season.

22:26I still feel like there's going to take some time to be able to get there.

22:30So let's say he comes back, and I'm just throwing it out there.

22:34Six or eight games through the season. Okay, well, now it's going to take another three to four games for him to get back in plain shape.

22:41We're talking about week nine to week 14. Like, you're talking, I'm thinking almost the entirety of the regular season, Jadarian Price

22:47has been able to solidify himself in an offense that runs the ball like it's nobody's business.

22:52And if Zach Charbonnet comes back and isn't the guy that he was last season, do you really want to take the

22:58keys away from the kid you just spent a first-round pick on, or you just want to keep letting him cook?

23:04I think the good way. So that's where I'm just optimistic.

23:07I'm looking at it from an optimistic point of view.

23:10I'll say that. That's the question, Mark, is has the train left the station by the time that Zach Charbonnet is back?

23:16Right. Jadarian Price is busting 10-plus yard runs three times a game, and he's six in the NFL in rushing yards.

23:22Then his workload will decrease a little bit when Zach Charbonnet is back, but probably not a ton.

23:27But if he's playing solid ball, then Zach Charbonnet is going to have a role because we saw this with Kenneth Walker III.

23:34Clearly the more talented Seahawks running back, but there's something about Zach Charbonnet's skill set that the coaching staff in Seattle really, really...

23:40Yeah, exactly. If, and this is a hypothetical if, if you knew that Zach Charbonnet was going to miss the rest of

23:46the season, where would you have Jadarian Price with these other two running backs in this backfield?

23:51So no Charbonnet at all? No Charbonnet at all for the whole season.

23:55I would say borderline 20th amongst running backs. Yeah, that's right what I was going to say.

23:59I have a tier of Kyron Williams, Travis HN.

24:02Yeah, I like that. Right in that range. Spadaboo, Judkins.

24:05I think he would be right in that range.

24:07That's like the 15, 16 to 22 range is the way when you mention those guys is kind of where I think about it.

24:14So rather than being running back 25, you're talking about a mid-tier RB2.

24:18That's a guy I think that could define the fantasy season because if you get him as RB25 in your draft, you've

24:24got a really good value based on the unknown within that Seattle offense.

24:27All right. That's enough from Emo. My number eight player that will define the 2026 fantasy football season.

24:32Love this. Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. Massive way. This one's probably self-explanatory, but can we all agree that the best version of

24:39Caleb Williams is dynamic, game-changing, does some of the most unique things for any quarterback in the NFL?

24:44Yep. We can also agree that when you're 32nd in completion percentage last year, that means there was a lot of meat

24:50left on the bone for your pass catcher specifically.

24:52Yeah. If Caleb makes the leap, and by the way, you could argue he made the leap down the stretch last year.

24:59Weeks one through eight, he was quarterback 14. Weeks nine through 18, he was quarterback five.

25:03He was a better player in the second half of last season, even if he had some eggs laid in the middle there.

25:09The good version of Caleb Williams opens up the potential for a top 10 fantasy quarterback, and I believe multiple pass catchers that are weekly standouts.

25:17I said pass catchers, not wide receivers, because it might mean Colston Loveland and Roma Dundense, or Colston Loveland and Mike Sky Luther Byrd in the third.

25:24I don't know exactly which two of those three, but if Caleb plays great, I don't think that we're going to dismiss

25:30the possibility of two of those three guys being real fantasy difference makers.

25:34Just need to see it more consistently from Caleb.

25:37Can't believe you guys are sleeping on Xavier and Thomas like this.

25:40He's a good player, too. I thought you knew ball.

25:43I do know ball. Yeah. I don't. Based on Ben Johnson's track record, I don't know about a third receiver having much fantasy relevance.

25:50That's fair. And they treated their roster that way, right?

25:52Because their number three right now is Xavier and Thomas or Kalief Raymond, who he brought over from Detroit Lions.

25:58So, yeah, no doubt about it. When Caleb Williams, we could be starting for five bears, including Caleb throughout most of this season.

26:04It's just a matter of where kind of they fit in our rankings.

26:08Of course, Caleb Swift, the two receivers and Colson Loveland.

26:11So we'll be keeping an eye on that. I think actually based on and again, I mentioned him at the top of the show.

26:18I mentioned him earlier in the week, but I would add Luther Burden as one of those guys that are going to define this season.

26:25I would just pick up where you left off there because his the investment in him is rich.

26:30I mean, if you are investing in Luther Burden in, say, the fourth round of 12 team leagues this year, you need

26:36him to pay off at that at that price.

26:38So that's that's huge. And look, I've again, I've talked about this.

26:42He's a tricky one. He was a second round pick last year.

26:45Obviously, Keenan Allen's gone. He has an opportunity for a bigger role this season.

26:49His efficiency on a smallish sample last year was outstanding.

26:52But there are some red flags here. The guy is two career top 20 fantasy outings.

26:56In fact, he has four games with 10 plus fantasy points.

26:59Three of those were with Roma Dunze out last season.

27:02He disappeared in the playoffs when he played an expanded role.

27:05He had three catches for 42 yards and three for 24.

27:08And the thing I've seen a lot, a lot of the pushback is this guy is that Amon Ross St.

27:14Brown in this offense. That's what Ben Johnson's making Amon Ross St.

27:17Brown. So he's definitely going to pay off. Well, Amon Ross is a rookie, had 90 catches for 912 yards and five touchdowns.

27:24Burden 53 catches, 718 yards and two touchdowns. So I'm not going to crown him as Amon Ross St.

27:29Brown just yet. I don't I'm not going to be so bold as to say he's Amon Ross just yet.

27:35And I think that when you're drafting him in the fourth round, that's kind of what you're doing.

27:40You're kind of crowning him. This guy is a superstar already.

27:43I'm not saying I don't like him. I have him at 27 in my ranking.

27:47So I still think he's going to be a startable commodity.

27:50I just think the price you're paying right now is too rich for me.

27:54It's just not worth going that far. And that's why I made the Anthony Richardson comp where we are essentially crowning him

28:00as like equal to Lamar Jackson and drafting him as such that year.

28:04That's how I kind of feel with Burden. I'm not saying he's going to be as much of a bust.

28:09I just think the cost is too much. That's why he's the ultimate fade for me this year.

28:14By the way, do you guys know how many targets Colston Loveland had in the last four games of last season?

28:20Yeah, he said the playoffs. He said it was a record, I think, for...

28:24I don't know. He had like, what? 48 targets.

28:2748? Over the Bears' final four games. 10, 13, 10, and 15 targets during the Bears' final four games.

28:32And you guys may recall, the Bears played week 17 and 18 full throttle.

28:36Oh, yeah. They did, and people, it was, are we doing this again like Dan Campbell did a couple years prior when

28:42they were playing games that didn't mean anything full throttle?

28:45So Colston Loveland, again, just to buoy the idea that this guy could be one of the game-changing talents that we see in the NFL.

28:52Can I give you a quick nugget before you go here?

28:55Yeah. There have only been 12 instances of a tight end seeing at least 10 targets in four consecutive regular season games

29:01in NFL history, and only one of them was a rookie.

29:04And by the way, I don't have the list right in front of me, but the list of players is all superstars.

29:10I mean, it's a good omen for this guy.

29:13He screams superstar talent. Distribution's going to be what defines whether he gets to superstar in fantasy.

29:18I'm optimistic, obviously, but Caleb Williams will play a big part in this.

29:21He will. That's number eight. My number seven player that will define the 2026 fantasy football season is reigning NFL MVP, Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

29:29All right, so look at the rankings right now.

29:3116, 14, 14. 12. What was he last year?

29:34Quarterback two. Higher than that. He's quarterback two. Yeah.

29:36Yeah. So, I mean, he was unbelievably awesome. He was the best player in the world last year.

29:42NFL MVP. First team All-Pro. He had nine weeks.

29:44QB1 finish. He had 46 passing touchdowns. Led the NFL.

29:47Led the NFL in passing yards as well. It's a fantasy-friendly scheme.

29:50The Puka Nakua question does linger. But if Puka either isn't suspended or it's a short suspension, it's basically the same offense that he had last year.

29:58It almost feels like quarterback 14, 12, and 16 where we have him ranked is like the median outcome for Matthew Stafford.

30:04Right? It's like he either has another ballistic year in his quarterback 2 to 5, or he just really levels off and he's like quarterback 19.

30:11Yes. You know what I mean? I do know what you mean.

30:15And I, for me, being quarterback 16, I'm lower because I would rather have, I have a Tyler Shuck, more upside.

30:20I just want to have that upside, more rushing ability.

30:23There we'll get to a point, and you talked about this field, and we talked about it again during the wide receiver tiers.

30:30Like, Puka makes me a little bit more nervous, and Matthew Stafford without Puka Nakua, especially because you mentioned the wide receiving core behind Devontae Adams.

30:37It's a bunch of tight ends and running backs he's throwing the football to.

30:41So, a little bit of trepidation there. It's just the idea that I don't like, I don't want to say what's the

30:47difference, but like what's the difference between him and Jared Goff?

30:50Oh, I mean, there's a dramatic difference between him and Jared Goff.

30:54So, for me, it doesn't seem like it because he had one rushing yard last year.

30:58Sure. I want more rushing upside. You're saying play style.

31:01Correct, play style. Play style-wise, yeah. I'm saying production-wise.

31:03It's very different. Yes, understood. Yeah. I don't want to target that play style in a fantasy quarterback.

31:08I get that he has a path to get to QB2, but it also means he has to do everything with his arm.

31:15All his wide receivers need to stay healthy. He's got to be able to stay healthy himself.

31:20He's not doing any of it himself. He's relying on everybody else.

31:23That's different between Matthew and a lot of the other quarterbacks that we have hired.

31:27So, a couple things here. He did mash last year, even without Puka for a stretch, right?

31:32Puka was banged up briefly last year. The second thing is that Matthew Stafford doing this, like he's been with the Rams since 2021.

31:39So, that's five seasons. And two of those five seasons, he's thrown 40 or more passing touchdowns, right?

31:44So, 40% of the time he's reached that number.

31:46That's a decent enough rate. I think the thing about his ranking that is just so jarring is the other players that

31:52are ranked around him are guys where it's like, yeah, they could get there.

31:56Caleb Williams could get there. What does get there mean?

31:59Get there for Caleb Williams. To me, a successful season would be like quarterback seven.

32:03And we're talking about a guy who was quarterback two last year.

32:07He's just not sexy to fantasy managers. He might be too.

32:10It's just one of them things. He's not fun.

32:12He's got four kids, so he's sexy to his life.

32:15He's sexy to somebody, but he's not like when you think about fantasy quarterbacks, no one is like, Matthew Stafford is my dude.

32:22I cannot wait to have that guy. He's not fun to draft.

32:25The production is totally there. I'm just saying I think that's why, in part, he's also down there.

32:30The name value doesn't scream top 10 name value anymore.

32:33Yeah, look, he can light it up through the air again and have another terrific season.

32:37But the thing is, and I made this case a lot last year for kind of staying away from Joe Burrow, and

32:43especially Baker Mayfield, who, remember, was he top five years ago?

32:46And then he plummeted last year. When you don't add a lot of value with your legs, and again, Stafford adds arguably negative.

32:53How many yards did he have last year? What, did he have negative one or something?

32:57He had one rushing. He ended up positive. Hey!

33:00He's projected for 39 this year. Monster number. Wow.

33:02Oh, 39, yeah. But you have to put up elite passing numbers to offset that if you offer nothing with your legs.

33:09The reason I'm even keeping Stafford close to that QB1 conversation is because how many quarterbacks have had a path to enormous passing numbers like he does?

33:16I mean, in this offense with the supporting cast, I mean, he is set up for it.

33:21So I've been 35 passing touchdowns. That's a high projection for me.

33:24I think there's just enough to keep him in the QB1 conversation, but nothing can go wrong.

33:29He has to keep delivering through the air, whereas other quarterbacks in this tier, to your point, they can slip a little

33:35through the air and just keep running, and they're fine.

33:38We've actually seen that with Patrick Mahomes. What was that?

33:41Early last season that was, where the passing wasn't there necessarily, but he was running so much, he was able to carry his fantasy value.

33:48All right. So, again, these are why these players will define the season, because I think we're acknowledging with almost every one

33:54of them so far that, like, this could go one of two ways.

33:58And the good way could really impact not just the person who drafts that player, but all the players who play with that player.

34:04Yep. My number seven, six player that will define the 2026 fantasy football season is Commander's quarterback, Jaden Daniels.

34:10He's on my list, too. The delta between Jaden Daniels and Matthew Stafford is so huge from a play style.

34:15So, here's what we know about Jaden Daniels. He's awesome, right?

34:18Yes. He's an amazing player when he is available and healthy.

34:21Of course, missed 10 games last season. When you talk about quarterbacks that have pathways to fantasy success, right, you're looking for

34:28guys with legitimate rushing upside and legitimate passing upside.

34:30Yep. All right. Since he entered the NFL, he has six games with 225 or more passing yards.

34:35Not an unbelievable number, but definitely a solid number.

34:38And 10 or more rushes in those same games, right?

34:41So, the commanders have made it clear that they're going to tap into the skill set of Jaden Daniels in both phases, right?

34:47And two years ago, when he had this miraculous season, perhaps the greatest rookie season for a quarterback ever, the skill group

34:53was about where it is right now. It wasn't like it was a whole lot better.

34:58So, I think there are three quarterbacks in the NFL that have the upside, the realistic upside, year in and year out

35:04right now, to throw for 30 touchdowns and run for 10 touchdowns in the same season.

35:08Josh Allen, obviously. Yes. Lamar Jackson. Yep. And Jaden Daniels.

35:11Agreed. If you want to make the case for Jalen Hurts, I hear you.

35:15He's never had more than 26. And I don't think Drake May would get the rushing touchdowns, even though he could get the passing.

35:22Well, actually, Lamar won't get the rushing touchdowns. It's not where he delivers, but he'll get the yardage for sure.

35:27Yeah, that's fair. That's the offset. So, you could change 10 rushing touchdowns to 1,000 rushing yards, and I think that are maybe 850 rushing yards.

35:35So, yeah, the good version of Jaden Daniels is good enough to be my quarterback three.

35:39The good version of Jaden Daniels is the best quarterback in the NFL, in fantasy.

35:43For fantasy, yeah. I mean, right there. Josh Allen's such a high bar, but the questions now, and people now have questions

35:49about, is Jaden Daniels perhaps a health risk? He came into the NFL.

35:53I remember prior to the draft having someone tell me that LSU described Jaden Daniels like Gumby.

35:58He's this super slender guy, but he has this sort of elastic build-in that he can really withstand more contact than a guy who's like 206 pounds.

36:05And it caught up to him, though, last year.

36:08So, there's going to be, can he stay healthy for a full 17-game season?

36:12His number one offensive lineman by far, Larry Tunsell, is going to miss much, if not all, of the upcoming year.

36:18He's not a great group of skilled players. I think if Jaden Daniels stays healthy, though, the floor is probably still like quarterback eight.

36:24It's not quarterback 15. So, he's got to stay healthy.

36:27He's got a chance to be a game-changing QB.

36:30Yeah, I think this is a good one from Daniels' perspective.

36:33And I'll give you the other end of the battery, Terry McLaurin, because he obviously dropped off from two years ago to last year.

36:40But what's interesting about this is we're not really drafting a lot of other commanders, at least heavy draft investment, right?

36:45Like JCM and Rashad White are picked later. They're kind of dead zone running backs.

36:50And Stephon Diggs' ADP obviously is going to go up.

36:52But what's best-case scenario for him now? Maybe wide receiver three flex?

36:56I feel like he was sort of at a ceiling last year.

36:59He just got so much target volume at his age in the short range in New England.

37:04So, he's probably at a ceiling in Chigo Conquo.

37:07He's going in the 12th, 13th round. I mean, we're not super in.

37:10This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome.

37:13You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome?

37:15That's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50-page restoration block,

37:22or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks.

37:25Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense?

37:29There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up required.

37:32Compatibility and availability varies 18+. Get your tickets now for the Dog Stars.

37:35It's no surprise how fast civilization can disappear. Go!

37:38Out there. Kill or be killed. Jacob Elordi. There are people out there.

37:42They need our help. Josh Brolin. Shoot first and inquire afterwards.

37:45Margaret Qualley. Ow! Okay, tough guy. And guy peers.

37:47Arm up! The Dog Stars. Directed by Ridley Scott.

37:50In theaters August 28th. Get tickets now. Rated R.

37:52Under 17, not admitted without parents. You know when you're locked in.

37:56Focused and fearless. Welcome to the WNBA. Your vision narrows.

37:58You can't look away. Every assist. Every stop. Every logo three.

38:01From beyond. Every did you see that moment. You bet.

38:04What records are going to be broken this season?

38:07All of it. Right here. Lock in. It's the WNBA on ESPN.

38:10All season long. We're not super invested in this offense.

38:13So if Daniels doesn't pan out this year, it's not really going to burn a lot, I guess.

38:18A lot of our fantasy investment. McLaren would be the big one.

38:21Yeah, I think the case here for Daniels is that a lot of people that are going to spend on Jaden Daniels

38:27are going to spend top three quarterback. Correct. And while I understand that where Jaden ranks in my overall top 160 is

38:34lower than where he's going to go on average because A, people just draft quarterbacks sooner than I do.

38:39And B, a lot of times the quarterback run is a chain reaction.

38:43Josh Allen goes off the board and people are like, okay, Lamar Jackson and Jaden Daniels coming next up.

38:48But, you know, if you take Jaden Daniels, you could get Jalen Hurts two rounds later or Joe Burrow two and a half, three rounds later.

38:55There are just a lot of other quarterbacks that I think have comparable value to Jaden Daniels, just not as much upside

39:01that are going a little bit later than him.

39:04Big one here as we enter the top five.

39:06My number five player that will define the 2026 fantasy football season, and I'll tell you this, you can make the cage

39:13for this guy as high as number one, is Vikings wide receiver.

39:16Mm-hmm. Justin Jefferson. Wow. You know, we do this in fantasy, and it's hard to avoid.

39:20There's a human nature to ranking. Yeah. But if you told me that Justin Jefferson deserved to be the first wide receiver

39:27off the board this year, it's not the craziest thing that you've ever said.

39:31It's not even close to crazy. And yet there's no person that I've seen that is making that case, and I'm not making that case either.

39:38But Justin Jefferson finishing his wide receiver one overall, not a wide receiver one.

39:42Wide receiver one overall is within the realm of possibilities, and he's going to go back into the first, some point in the second round.

39:49It's never Justin Jefferson's fault, right? I mean, this guy is clearly a top three wide receiver in talent.

39:54Yep. It's just how much faith do you place into Kyler Murray?

39:57Who, by the way, shout out to Kevin O'Connell for being a loyal viewer.

40:01That's right. Or listener, a fantasy focus. That's right.

40:04Because we're moments after we went off the air yesterday when Daniel was asking for them to just name a starting quarterback.

40:10Yes. Adam Schefter breaks the news that Kyler Murray is the starting quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings.

40:15The ears were burning in Minnesota as Daniel was saying what he said.

40:18We had a spirited debate here. You guys were shocked, excuse me, not shocked that they hadn't named the quarterback.

40:24I'm assuming now you are shocked that Kevin O'Connell has named the quarterback.

40:28Because you can't go from unshocked to unshocked within one day.

40:31Well, what I would say is... You can just say you're shocked.

40:34Sure, I'm shocked. Yeah, I mean... All right, thank you.

40:37Yeah, I'm shocked. I'm not shocked. No, you can't say you're not shocked.

40:41No, my case was he needed... You weren't shocked yesterday.

40:43No, I think he just needed to wait a few more hours.

40:47Stop it. You're the worst. Then he hit that point where it was time.

40:51You know, my argument was as of the pod yesterday, he didn't need to decide yet.

40:55But as of an hour later, he needed to decide.

40:58I appreciate so many of our viewers reaching out to me on Twitter just to be able to say, you were on it, Daniel.

41:05You were on it. You were on it. I will say that this is a crazy stat.

41:09Shout out to our guy Kyle Soppy for this one.

41:12Love Kyle. If you remove the games that J.J.

41:15McCarthy started last year, and you go through the six seasons that Justin Jefferson has played in the NFL...

41:20What a sick exercise, Kyle, would obviously do. Maybe it's five games or five seasons without J.J.

41:25Anyway, Justin Jefferson has more games scoring at least 25 fantasy points than under 10 fantasy points in a game.

41:30That's unbelievable. The upside for Justin Jefferson is magnificent.

41:33I don't know. I'm probably butchering the pronunciation, but we have this book we read to our kids often.

41:38It's Fancy Nancy, and they have a lot. It's très magnifique.

41:41Apparently it means... Very magnificent. Probably. Yeah. Yeah. So Justin Jefferson is très magnifique.

41:45He is. Yeah, he is, and I will say this.

41:48If you went from, let's just say, after fantasy draft season, before week one you took a nap last year, and then

41:54you woke up after the season, and this is all I told you was he had a career-high 30% target share this

42:00past season and finished top six at receiver in targets and end zone targets.

42:04You're like, wow, McCarthy must have broken out. They had a heck of a year.

42:09Good job. I'm drafting Jefferson even earlier, but obviously the efficiency was just a killer for him.

42:13The only pause I will give you here is that I don't think this is Kirk Cousins in his prime.

42:19I don't think this is Sam Darnold necessarily, because Kyler Murray is going to run the ball more often.

42:24It's going to be less pass volume, so I don't know if he has the ceiling of some of these other guys

42:30with Kyler Murray, and to that point, if you look at Kyler Murray's full seasons in Arizona, there's only one instance of

42:37a wide receiver finishing top 25 in fantasy points.

42:39His whole run, that was DeAndre Hopkins that year, he was top five.

42:43So I think he can get Jefferson there into that vicinity and pay off where we have him ranked.

42:48I just don't know if he's going to get him to that top of the board.

42:53Some context around that season. If you remember, DeAndre Hopkins missed the beginning of that season, and it was Hollywood Brown that started out.

42:59He was actually wide receiver one after the first eight weeks of the season.

43:03I remember it well. Hollywood Brown. Kyler Murray had him as wide receiver one in fantasy football, and then it transitioned, obviously,

43:09as it should have, to DeAndre Hopkins. You put both of those guys together and just look at it as one season

43:16of Kyler's wide receiver one, that's what I'm expecting they're going to do here with Justin Jefferson because he has one piece of homework.

43:22Yeah. It is just throw the ball to Justin Jefferson.

43:25That's all Kyler has to do. But even if we give you Hollywood and just assume that was the full season, even

43:31though it wasn't, that's still, it's still a load.

43:34Okay. Like, it just doesn't happen very often. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

43:37Everything kind of has to come together for this to pay off for Jefferson.

43:41These running quarterbacks. When I look at this, last thing, if I just showed you blind resume, first five seasons of Justin

43:47Jefferson where he finished as wide receiver, like nine, wide receiver five, wide receiver one, every single season he was a top 10 wide receiver.

43:54And then you see last year he was wide receiver 30, and I tell you, oh, they have a different quarterback this year than last year.

44:01You'd be like, yeah, clearly it was the quarterback's fault.

44:04Yeah, no doubt. Because this guy is unbelievable. Yeah.

44:07So wide receiver seven, I think, is where he's coming off the board, hard to avoid drafting Justin Jefferson.

44:12I think my point is just he'll be a wide receiver one, I think.

44:16I don't think he's going to be the wide receiver one overall.

44:19I don't think he's getting to that level with Kyler Murray, but he will be better, way better than this last year.

44:25Last, last thing I'll say is drafting Justin Jefferson.

44:28I get it. Like, it could hurt. Like, there's a chance that it's like last year, and we're sitting here sick to

44:34our stomachs throughout the course of the fantasy football season.

44:37But getting Justin Jefferson, let's call it anywhere from wide receiver five to wide receiver seven, to me is like, what do

44:43we tell you about fantasy all the time? Like, there's no prize for finishing fifth in your league.

44:48Right? And like, Justin Jefferson is a league winner.

44:51I firmly believe that, because he could prove to be several spots ahead in terms of where, compared to where he is being drafted right now.

44:58Make sure, if you draft him, you better root for the Vikings every week, because the last thing you want is them

45:04to be eliminated come fantasy playoff time, and you're like, let's take a look at JJ for the final month of the season.

45:10Well, dang it. I don't want to root for the Vikings every single week, Mike.

45:15Come on, man. You're going to have to now.

45:17If you take him, if you draft him, you're going to have to.

45:21All right, field on your list. We are moving on to player number four.

45:25Number four. The number four player that will define the 2026 fantasy football season is Cardinals rookie running back Jeremiah Love.

45:31All right. Non-quarterback taken with a top three pick immediately should be put in this conversation, right?

45:35Because you're not taking a wide receiver or a running back.

45:38Nope. Or I guess a tight end, although I'm not sure a tight end has ever been taken as high as number

45:45three overall and not planning to utilize that player a ton.

45:48I don't think Winslow is that high. Jeremiah Love is a, I think people need, like this is a B.

45:53John Robinson caliber prospect coming out of college. He's got to get there to actually be B.

45:58John Robinson. But I think the grade for Jeremiah Love should be considered like the grade for B.

46:03John Robinson. The best pass catching running back by a mile in college football last year.

46:08That gives him crazy upside in fantasy football. Beyond that, they have, he's just an unbelievably efficient runner and dancer.

46:13He's making miss. Like there's all this talent here.

46:16It just comes down to whether or not this offense can block for him whatsoever.

46:20He is a better receiver than Ashton Gentry. He's more devastating in the open field than Ashton Gentry.

46:25Not as powerful or going to run through contact like Ashton Gentry will.

46:29Better quarterback than Ashton Gentry had last season? Sure.

46:31But I'm just like, there are ways in which he's better than Ashton Gentry.

46:35There are ways in which Ashton Gentry has a little bit of a leg up on Jeremiah Love.

46:40But as we saw last year with Ashton Gentry, no matter how talented you are, if you're getting hit behind the line

46:46of scrimmage, left, right, and center, that's a problem for your fantasy upside.

46:50Yeah. I hear you, but are we really concerned about the O-line?

46:53I think it's fine. I don't think it's great.

46:56I think it's fine too. But that's, I talked about this the other day.

47:00Like unless it's atrocious, I'm not super worried about it.

47:03In fact, I have them ranked in the middle of the pack in the NFL.

47:07I mean, I think it's so too high. Michael.

47:09No, I'm not. Yes. Let's talk about this. Let's talk about it.

47:13We'll talk about it every day. We'll talk about it tomorrow.

47:16We will. The Jeremiah Love is going to be a big conversation.

47:19Running back seven. And my thing is, I think that this offense, with how bad the Cardinals are going to be, their

47:25win total is three and a half, I think, this year.

47:28It's really bad. It's really low. As low as it is.

47:31I think it is going to be so much closer to what you saw with Ashton Gentry.

47:36The teams are just going to stack the box and stop the running back.

47:40I understand that they're better. I don't think so.

47:43Brissette can get the ball to Harrison and McBride and Wilson.

47:46We saw a high-volume passing attack last year. Okay.

47:48So you think better than Ashton Gentry last year?

47:51Because I see right now with year one, I think all of what Field laid out, it's not him.

47:56It's not his talent. It's not how good he is.

47:59The offense, I think, is just going to be atrocious.

48:02And when you looked at what Ashton Gentry was last year, was he a disappointment?

48:06Not necessarily. But he was closer to RB12, which is where Field and I have love, than he was RB7, which is where you have him.

48:13Yeah. And as I pointed out, guys that are drafted this high pay off.

48:17I mean, they do. I mean, the last nine running backs drafted in the top 12 were top 12 scorers as rookies.

48:23Not eight out of nine. That's all of them.

48:26Yes. Top 12, which is where I have him.

48:28But you're just saying he's not going to be top 12.

48:31You're saying he's going to be top seven. Well, I mean, Ashton Gentry last year was the worst of that group.

48:37He's the reason it's not the top 10. Like, he finished 12th.

48:41He actually ruined the stat. That was worst case scenario.

48:43He can pass block. He can be involved in the passing game.

48:47He can run the ball, which is, by the way, something Gentry didn't do the first month of the last season.

48:53So I'm buying into the talent. And also, we've seen, and I made this point yesterday, John Robinson, the last couple of

48:59years, had massive fantasy seasons with Tyler Algier doing a lot of damage.

49:02Algier had over 600 yards and eight touchdowns last year.

49:05I am not worried about Algier having a role.

49:08A lot of guys have, a lot of teams use multiple backs.

49:11All right. So I think you guys are setting yourselves up for a board bet, by the way.

49:16Yeah, I smell one. Please. That Bijan has been amazing over the past two seasons with Tyler Algier.

49:21But we all remember what it looked like for Bijan as a rookie, even if the end of season numbers were fine.

49:27And by the way, you've reminded us time and again about these high level draft prospects and how they've been relatively safe for fantasy upside.

49:34There's no two ways about it. Bijan was a disappointment as a rookie.

49:38Still finished top 10. He was a disappointment as a rookie.

49:41Based on where he was. Where were we drafting him, though?

49:44You got to put him into your brain of where you were drafting him.

49:48And Jeremiah Love's going to go in the first round in a lot of drafts right now.

49:53So I. Jeremiah Love's not going in the first round.

49:56He's going to go in the first round in a lot of drafts this year.

50:00It's just happening. He's going at the 2-3 turn.

50:02Shiny object syndrome. I disagree. I don't think he's going that early.

50:06He's going at the 2-3 turn right now. And I think there's been enough hype for Algier and what Daniel was saying about the offense.

50:13That's going to keep him down there. Maybe he'll get some of the back around too.

50:17I don't think he goes further than that. And I think that is why I'm so high on him.

50:23Like, I just. It's so easy to pick him at the 2-3 turn.

50:26We're very aware. I would like to say. And you don't have to do this if you don't want to.

50:32But I say that Jeremiah Love. This is for you guys.

50:35Will. You have him at 7. I'm at 12.

50:37Top 9. Top 10. What do you want to do?

50:40Sure. I mean, I'll take. If he's top 10.

50:43If it's top 10, field wins. If he's 9 or anything else, you win.

50:47If he's outside the top 10. I say Jeremiah Love finishes outside the top 10 as a rookie in fantasy football.

50:53I say Jeremiah Love finishes inside the top 10 running backs and fantasy points as a rookie.

50:57Put it on the board. I think it's going to be interesting.

51:01You can look at this a number of different ways.

51:03It certainly isn't about this kid or his skill set.

51:06Is this points per game? Is this like. Well, we talk about that.

51:10We did this with CMC versus Omar and Hampton.

51:12We said as long as they play within two games of each other.

51:16All right. Totally fair. You know, like if. Thoughts were used in common sense.

51:20Yeah. Okay. All right. Common sense will apply there.

51:23We got three more. Let's get to them. My number three player that will define the 2026 fantasy football season is Giants wide receiver Malik neighbors.

51:30We're talking about him a lot recently. And this is.

51:33There's a lot of what we talked about with Justin Jefferson that applies here with just even a more dramatic discount.

51:39Right. What is the upside for Malik neighbors wide receiver one over one, right?

51:42Wide receiver one overall. Just a reminder that in his first 18 games played, he got hurt in game 19 Malik neighbors

51:49second most receiving receptions and top six and receiving yards for any player ever.

51:53You know what his target share was in those games?

51:55Got to be close to 30, 35%. That is 35% over 11 per game.

51:59Yep. So there are just a lot of reasons to believe in the talent of Malik neighbors.

52:04It all comes down to this. Will he be available in week one, which it certainly seems like he's going to be available in week one.

52:11And if he is available in week one, presuming he is available in week one is what kind of plan do the Giants have for him?

52:19Is this going to be one where keep in mind, and this is not the same age, not nearly the same tier

52:25of player, but just a reminder that we do have examples of, for example, like Stefan Diggs last year came back fast from that ACL tear.

52:32He was onto the PUP list for the Patriots.

52:35He played every game last season. He played 55% of the snaps.

52:38And he was an older, he was not like a 23 year old with like he, they managed him all year.

52:44So Malik neighbors might have to be managed all year.

52:47And if that management results in him playing 80 or 75% of the snaps, as opposed to 95% of the snaps, then

52:53yeah, the upside is going to be tapped a little bit, but he is the clear cut wide receiver one.

52:58There's no competition in New York. Yep. So I believe in Jackson Diggs as a passer.

53:03There are a lot of good things that Malik neighbors brings to the table.

53:07I think that guy, I mean, Jackson Dart, this entire Giants offense, I think is going to define fantasy football, to be honest.

53:13Yes. Cause you and I sent a few names in as well to kind of supplement fields lists.

53:18And so we're going to kind of group them together.

53:21We did with Luther Burden earlier. We both have one for the Giants.

53:25Agreed. The only instance where this came up. So we were talking about Dart.

53:29So I'll start with him. Certainly Jackson Dart is going to have a major influence on how the season goes.

53:34First of all, he's being drafted as a mid to late round QB one by a lot of people.

53:40He is obvious, obviously has massive upside. Last year, he played the bulk of the snaps in only 12 games and was

53:46still fifth among quarterbacks with eight top 10 fantasy weeks, eight out of 12.

53:50And again, some of them were partial games. So the guy was outstanding as a rusher and obviously delivered the goods as a passer just well enough.

53:57The question mark here is how did things change with a new coaching staff?

54:01John Harbaugh's head coach, which I think should be an upgrade.

54:04Matt Nagy's calling the plays. The supporting cast should be better.

54:07Remember, we mentioned this yesterday. He's only thrown three passes in a regular season game to Malik Nabors.

54:12He'll have him hopefully at least a partial go in week one.

54:16Isaiah Likely's there now. Darnell Mooney's supporting cast is a lot better field.

54:19We saw him in person against the Eagles and they, I mean, it looked like a changing of the guard that night.

54:26I mean, they crushed the Eagles in that game and things changed after that.

54:29But we saw darts upside for sure. So I'm very positive.

54:33He's one of my favorite targets in drafts this year.

54:35He will be my QB one in many fantasy leagues.

54:38He was a QB one last year with three passes thrown to Malik Nabors and his legs and Wandel Robinson led him

54:44to be in a QB one across the board.

54:47He just has a better offense to be able to deal with.

54:50One of those things I'm hoping that he's going to have is Cam Scadaboo because he's a guy also that I think

54:56right now with where you're getting him, there is a lot more upside based on his game versus where he's being drafted at right now.

55:03Coming off the board is running back 19 right now in ESPN ADP.

55:07When you look at what he did last year as a rookie in his second game, this is his six games that he was that he played.

55:15He was healthy. Only had six healthy games. 13.9, 24.1, 13, 14.4, 31.0 and 18.4.

55:19So lowest game in that entire stretch was 13 fantasy points as a rookie in this.

55:23What was not a great Giants offense. That's actually really promising to me.

55:27Now, if he can just stay out there on the field coming off the board as a low end RB too, he could absolutely.

55:34If this offense takes the next step with both Jackson Dart and Malik Nabors, he could push for a lot more touchdowns,

55:40way more touchdown equity and upside because of that.

55:42I think he could outperform his current ADP. I dig it.

55:45Let's get to my final two. The number two player that will define the 2026 fantasy football season is Dolphins running back Devon ETN.

55:52Thank you for laughing, Daniel. Stop it. You're going to confuse my brain.

55:56I was going to say, I'm going to get it wrong now because of you.

56:00Devon HN. I know, exactly. That's why I'm mad about him.

56:03This is a polarizing guy. He sure is. Yeah.

56:06I think all of us have him as RB.

56:08I'm sorry. Mike and I have him as RB5.

56:11Daniel is RB7. The downside case is the offense is going to stink.

56:14They're not going to be able to block for him.

56:17And the efficiency that we've seen in prior years is going down the tubes.

56:21That's it. That's the downside. That's all the whole offense and the efficiency is bad.

56:25Yeah. Okay. I think the upside is that like, we're not talking about like a pretty efficient player.

56:30We are talking about as efficient as you will find at the running back spot.

56:34Over the past three seasons, there are 38 running backs that have at least 350 carries.

56:39No running back has averaged more PPR points per touch in that stretch amongst those 38 running backs than Devon HN.

56:45He's tied with Jameer Gibbs. That's incredible. He's a big play waiting to happen.

56:49He's incredibly explosive. He's dynamic. Jeff Halfley has been talking about how the offense will run through him.

56:54I get the reservations. I also just think that because of the passing game upside, he's going to have a higher floor than I think people realize.

57:01Let's talk about that passing game upside with a Russian quarterback in Malik Willis.

57:05That's fair. Yeah. It's a fair point. I think his target share probably drops a little bit, but I would feel, I

57:11would be more concerned about it if this was a normal offense that had like standout wide receivers.

57:16Right. They have no standout receivers right now. They have guys, a lot of guys that have a lot to prove.

57:22You know, to Caleb Douglas and at some point Chris Bell, both third round rookies.

57:27That was their biggest offseason investment. I think I bought a car from those guys this summer.

57:31Yeah. I think so. I mean, they might be running, they might lead that team in routes run at some point this season.

57:38Again, Bell coming off DECL. So we'll see when he gets out there.

57:41He's the guy with the highest ceiling, but otherwise it's Malik Washington and Tutu Atwell.

57:46I mean, those kinds of guys are going to be doing a lot of the damn Jalen Tolbert comes over from Dallas.

57:52All these guys should be depth guys. So I think that it makes perfect sense for the game plan to say, okay,

57:58we're actually designing the past place to Devon. Devon.

58:00See, you're thinking about it. You're thinking about it.

58:03You made me think about it. A chain. Remember when he was a chain?

58:07I do remember that. Now he's ETN. Yeah. It's going to be a design, not just dump offs when Willis would scramble instead of dumping it off.

58:14It's not that kind of thing. It's design play.

58:17So as you can see the projection on the screen, over 250 carries.

58:21He really picked up his game in the rushing category last year.

58:24Volume wise, he was top five in rushing yards.

58:26And of course, still 65 projected catches. I think he will be just fine.

58:30Again, even if the efficiency drops, the volume will be there.

58:33I think they hear you. I think he's, I want more than just fine out of the running back.

58:39I'm drafting as RB five. And I realized I only moved him down to RB seven, but I'm trying to have more,

58:45like I'm trying to put my chest into my rankings more this year.

58:49If I feel a thing about a guy, like I just, I'm nervous.

58:52It feels like peak Alvin Kamara. It's just going to keep, it's going to keep chugging out numbers.

58:57The volume is going to be there. I hope so.

59:00It's dipped at times because of the, they often struggled and he just kept delivering top running back seasons because of how he's utilized.

59:07The hardest part about this is the narrative is just so easy to him being bad.

59:11Right. Where it's just like, it's an, it's a layup of a narrative to talk about why you're out.

59:17If you can be in on Devaney Chan when everyone else is pivoting because they think the narrative is going to happen.

59:23It could absolutely define your fantasy season field. And I think the player that above all else will define the 2026 fantasy

59:29football season is 49ers running back, Christian McCaffrey. We're not talking about a good player.

59:33We're not talking about a player that was a little bit better than Jameer Gibbs and B.

59:38John Robinson, who are both going one and two and basically every draft.

59:42We're talking about a player who was 50 points better than them last year.

59:4550, five, zero, three points per game, basically better than Jameer Gibbs and B.

59:49John Robinson. And yet now there are people that are afraid of him in the first round entirely.

59:54Yes. There's somebody who wouldn't even take him in the first nine running backs.

59:58That being Daniel Dopp. Accurate. I don't know, man.

60:01I think we're looking at, sometimes we tend to not appreciate greatness while we're in the moment.

60:06I just think we're, we are talking about the single, I've said this several times.

60:10Greatest receiving running back the league has ever seen.

60:12And for our purposes, that's the ultimate cheat code.

60:15I'm going to let Mike go first. Yeah. I can't say much more than he did yesterday.

60:20I mean, the guy is just, he's a unicorn.

60:22The reason why I disagree is because you guys weren't saying he's a unicorn last year.

60:27So like the idea that you think he's a unicorn this year, you weren't.

60:31We just weren't. We reduced him from where he was the prior year in the rankings a little bit.

60:36And we're doing that here too. It's just not as much.

60:39Because he's RB3. But we have new information. So I think for me, the difference is this year is not last year.

60:45I was in on him last year. All in.

60:48I hear what you're saying. I feel like I've switched brains with Mike Clay.

60:52I know. It's weird. I am trusting the process.

60:54When you talk about historical context and data, running backs don't repeat like this, including Christian McCaffrey more often than not when

61:00he has had, by the way, three seasons over 400 touches, four seasons over 370 touches.

61:05Yeah. He has never, never been in a situation where I feel like because of an age 30 season and the most

61:11touches of his career, coming off of all of this, that is so many red flags for me.

61:16I was all in on last year. I love Christian McCaffrey.

61:19And I don't disagree with you. He is a unicorn.

61:22The difference is I feel like you guys are saying this because he is the player that he is.

61:27I totally understand it. I'm saying it because I said it last year on Saquon Barkley and it was right.

61:33And if I don't do the same thing this year, then why am I not?

61:37Well, like, why did I trust the process last year and not trust the process this year?

61:42We saw the fundamental difference between Saquon and CMC in that what Saquon needed to get to that elite status was less repeatable.

61:48McCaffrey is coming off piss poor rushing efficiency. Yes.

61:51And just Christian McCaffrey receiving volume. And that's how we got to running back one again.

61:55And also to your point, he was so far ahead of everyone else.

61:59I actually have him projected for over a hundred fewer fantasy points this year.

62:03And that still puts him right in the vicinity of these top running backs.

62:07So, I mean, if he stays healthy, he's going to beat my projection.

62:10He will. Like if he just holds up and I have his target share down a little bit this year, carries down a little bit.

62:17So I am reducing him a little bit. And he still files right in with Robinson and Gibbs.

62:22So near Taylor and all these guys. The reason why this year is different for you, and maybe it's not because you're

62:29not, I don't want to say that's different for you, but like Mike, in the past, I've heard you make arguments.

62:34If you take away the name Christian McCaffrey and you look at the numbers, you would be like, nope, I'm out on

62:41that guy this year based on everything that has told me.

62:44The only reason why you're... I don't think so.

62:46You don't think so? Not because of the volume.

62:49Everything. It's, yes, the yards per carry was problematic and he still overcame that.

62:53In theory, that could be better this year. Okay.

62:55I'm not sure I've heard you talk about a running back that had 450 touches and you still expect them to do

63:01the same thing following year at age 30. I'm projecting him much lower, but again, players don't have this skill set or utilization.

63:08His involvement in the passing game is not the same as other running backs who, and again, these guys have been involved

63:14in the passing game at times, but not like McCaffrey, Cook, Aaron Jones, Mixon, all these guys have names.

63:19They drop off. Once they lose the rushing efficiency and the volume goes down and they're missing games, that's what crushes them

63:25because they can't make up for it with seven catches in it.

63:29I thought he was a unicorn last year when he was coming back from injury and you guys did not because I was in on him coming back.

63:37So the idea that it's a unicorn this year is just part of what makes my brain feel like maybe I'm confused about the situation.

63:44Also, I'm just definitely going to be, I'm not going to have any CMC shares this season.

63:48I will take them away from you then. Yes.

63:51You guys had names you wanted to submit. It's just a bonus name.

63:55Daniel, yours is one player. Mike, you did a conglomerate.

63:57I can be quick on mine. Mine are all the Jags.

64:00I mean, I just think. Every Jag. I mean, I'll keep this tight because we're going to talk about them a lot,

64:07but two and then the receivers, which receivers going to merge Brian Thomas.

64:10I didn't even list Jacoby Myers, but obviously he'll be involved.

64:13But what's Travis Hunter's role? And of course, Parker Washington.

64:16So that group and how volume is distributed is going to be huge this season.

64:20I love AJ Brown this year, and I think he's a wide receiver that could finish as wide receiver one in fantasy.

64:27Never had more than 1,500 receiving yards. Has never topped 11 receiving touchdowns.

64:30And the skill set between Drake May's deep ball and everything that he brings.

64:34Also, he is pumped to be in New England.

64:37He is so excited. He has not been this excited to play football, it feels like, in years because we have talked about sideline AJ Brown looking different.

64:44Last year, my bold prediction was over 1,700 receiving yards.

64:47Unfortunately, on a new team, Mike, I think with Drake May and that deep ball skill set, there's a chance that he's

64:53looking like Jamar Chase did a couple years ago.

64:561,700 yards and 15 touchdowns. We could do a CMC AJ Brown board.

65:00We absolutely could. Yeah, another day. We absolutely could.

65:02He called my home state. He said something to the effect of, like, it may not be heaven, but it's the closest

65:08thing to it, talking about Gillette Stadium. Hey. As a Massachusetts guy, I appreciate it.

65:12Love that. All right. We got a couple of questions here that we're going to take from our chat before we get on out.

65:19This one comes from Matthew. I'm just going to say Matthew.

65:22From Matthew. Lerseth. Thank you. Thoughts on drafting McBride and Bowers at the 1-2 turn, 12 and 13.

65:27Drafting both of them. Interesting. Oh, it's both? Or one of the two?

65:31Yeah, one of the two all day, every day.

65:34It says 12-13. I'm thinking for both. So, like, do you take both top 10 tight ends and try to monopolize the market?

65:40No. I haven't. Tight end premium league, would you consider it?

65:43I mean, for sure. Okay. Yes, I haven't. But I'm totally great with either of them going in the first round.

65:49Yeah, it's tricky, too, because especially if you have one flex, you just locked in who your flex is every week.

65:55It kind of can limit your roster organization each week.

65:58So, no, I think you're going to get more points out of non-tight ends generally at that spot.

66:03So, one of them, sure, I'd consider, but not both.

66:05Not both. Which one would you consider? Which one do you have?

66:09I'd McBride hire. Honestly, I don't want to take them at that turn, though.

66:13I'd rather a hair later. I have Bowers, but it's splitting hairs.

66:16Yeah. Yep. All right. Next question we have from our chat.

66:19Oh, this is from Mama Dopp. ESPN. Having a leg waxed recorded.

66:23That's a punishment, huh, guys? Oh, God. Not a bad punishment suggestion from Mama Dopp.

66:27That's devious. Well done by Mama Dopp. You guys are a little hairier than I am.

66:31I mean, I have been... Yeah, I was going to say.

66:34...this is a weird thing to say. Yeah, I was going to say.

66:38You sure about that? Yeah. Oh, man. Fun show, guys.

66:41Fun show, yeah. Ten players that could define the fantasy season.

66:44We're going to have a lot more on all of these guys as we continue to move through it.

66:49Do it again tomorrow. We're going to come back tomorrow.

66:52That's right. Yeah. At least we will. Mike, you going to show up?

66:56I don't know. We'll see. We'll see if I can talk.

66:59We're doing headlines from the future. Yeah. Got some lozenges here.

67:02I'm going to keep at it. And we'll see if we're ready to go tomorrow.

67:06You got to be ready, you know? Got to be ready.

67:09I'm probable, I'd say. That's okay. I like that.

67:12I like that. Mike's probable. The rest of us, we are going to be good to go.

67:16Thank you so much for hanging out with us, guys.

67:19I dropped it. For Mike and Field, don't forget to love each other and be kind to yourself.

67:24You deserve it. We love you. We'll see you tomorrow.

67:27Yeah. Have I just fumbled that? I do believe it.

67:30You got bad hands. Try again. And I see you in the 0601.

67:33Oh, God.

More episodes from Fantasy Focus Football

10-Team PPR Mock Draft with FULL ESPN Fantasy Experts | Fantasy Focus

Aug 17, 2026

The Hardest Fantasy Football Players to Rank in 2026 | Fantasy Focus

Aug 14, 2026

The Biggest Fantasy Football Breakouts to Watch in 2026 | Fantasy Focus

Aug 13, 2026

🔥 How to DOMINATE the First 10 Rounds of your Fantasy Draft 🔥

Aug 13, 2026

12-Team PPR Mock Draft Lessons + Training Camp Buzz You Need to Know | Fantasy Focus

Aug 11, 2026

12-Team SUPERFLEX Mock Draft with the full ESPN Fantasy Football staff | Fantasy Focus

Aug 10, 2026