10 Biggest Fantasy RB Questions with Austin Ekeler
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 5, 2026
Published
Wed, August 5, 2026
22
Player insights
17
Players mentioned
Topics
Derrick HenryAustin EkelerKenneth GainwellSaquon BarkleyBijan RobinsonBlake CorumBrian RobinsonBucky IrvingChris RodriguezDavid MontgomeryDe'Von AchaneJahmyr GibbsJeremiyah LoveJeremy McNichols
Player analysis
Player insights
Austin Ekeler
NegativeRole1:56
Ekeler is currently a free agent coming off an Achilles tear and is fully healthy, but he is looking for the right situation to join as a support-role player rather than a workhorse. He is not rushing into a decision and is waiting for an advantageous opportunity, potentially even waiting for an injury to occur on a playoff-contending team.
Insight pagePositiveProjection30:04
Austin Ekeler projects for 15-16 points per game, noting that while he is still a key option in the passing game, his overall fantasy ceiling is capped by the team's offensive situation.
Insight pageBijan Robinson
PositiveProjection11:41
Ekeler views Bijan Robinson as an elite, stable playmaker who will carry his offense, noting that Robinson remained dominant even on a four-win team last year. While Ekeler prefers Gibbs for the number one spot, he acknowledges Robinson is a top-tier talent.
Insight pageBlake Corum
NegativeRole176:45
Austin Ekeler acknowledges Blake Corum's footwork and skill but maintains that the Rams' backfield currently belongs to Kyren Williams, who will receive the majority of the work if he plays well.
Insight pageBrian Robinson
NegativeRole97:02
Austin Ekeler expects Brian Robinson to serve as the starter on paper for the Commanders, but warns that the team's tendency to rotate backs under their current coaching staff makes it difficult to draft him highly.
Insight pageBucky Irving
PositiveValue52:48
Austin Ekeler believes Bucky Irving is worth drafting in the 5th-6th round because he has the upside to reclaim the starting role in Tampa Bay once fully healthy, despite the presence of Kenneth Gainwell.
Insight pageChris Rodriguez
PositiveSleeper91:45
Austin Ekeler identifies Chris Rodriguez as a sleeper back who possesses downhill running ability and earned a role in Jacksonville. Ekeler notes he did not see bad tape from Rodriguez and expects him to carve out a role in a tandem backfield, limiting the workload of other backs.
Insight pageDavid Montgomery
PositiveSleeper48:06
Austin Ekeler views David Montgomery as a potential workhorse in Houston who could have a career year and pop into the top 10, noting that he is an unsexy but reliable value pick who will likely go too low in drafts.
Insight pageDe'Von Achane
NegativeProjection42:53
Austin Ekeler and Matthew Berry both doubt Devon Achan will be a top-10 fantasy running back this year, primarily due to concerns about the Miami quarterback situation and the offense's reliance on a mobile quarterback who may not prioritize passing to running backs.
Insight pageDerrick Henry
PositiveRole35:59
Matthew Berry notes that the Ravens signed Henry specifically to handle goal-line duties, allowing them to reduce Lamar Jackson's usage in that area to keep him healthy.
Insight pagePositiveProjection55:49
Austin Ekeler and Matthew Berry remain high on Derrick Henry, dismissing age concerns for the 33-year-old. Ekeler calls him a 'werewolf' and an anomaly, expecting him to continue producing at a high level as the primary goal-line back for Baltimore.
Insight pagePositiveValue59:02
Matthew Berry ranks Derrick Henry as RB9 (15th overall), which is higher than his current ADP of RB12 (21st overall). Berry notes that Henry's value is bolstered in half-point PPR formats and by the Ravens' desire to keep Lamar Jackson healthy by using Henry in the red zone.
Insight pageJahmyr Gibbs
PositiveProjection11:50
Ekeler ranks Jahmyr Gibbs as his number one overall fantasy pick, citing the stability of the Lions' offense and the fact that David Montgomery is no longer on the team, which increases the reliance on Gibbs in the backfield.
Insight pageJeremiyah Love
NegativeRole44:46
Austin Ekeler and Matthew Berry expect Jeremiah Love to operate in a tandem backfield with Tyler Algier and James Conner, projecting him for 13-15 touches per game early in the season rather than a full-time workhorse role.
Insight pageJeremy McNichols
PositiveUsage97:20
Austin Ekeler highlights Jeremy McNichols as a player who was effective on third downs last year and will likely be part of the Commanders' backfield rotation.
Insight pageKenneth Gainwell
NegativeUsage52:34
Matthew Berry reports that a Tampa Bay source indicated the team plans to use Kenneth Gainwell between the tackles, suggesting he will not be limited to a pure third-down passing role.
Insight pageNegativeRole90:27
Matthew Berry notes that coaches have a specific affinity for Gainwell, suggesting his role is bolstered more by his name and coaching preference than pure production metrics.
Insight pageKimani Vidal
PositiveProjection174:10
Austin Ekeler picks Kimani Vidal as his choice for the regular season rushing yards leader, citing the Chargers' philosophy of running the ball heavily and Vidal's hard-running style.
Insight pageKyren Williams
PositiveProjection175:56
Matthew Berry selects Kyren Williams as his pick for the rushing yards leader, noting that despite concerns about Blake Corum, Williams is expected to command the lion's share of work in a high-powered Rams offense.
Insight pageSaquon Barkley
NegativeProjection45:05
Austin Ekeler views Saquon Barkley as a staple of the Eagles' offense but doubts he will replicate his 2024 peak. Ekeler projects Barkley for 1,100-1,300 yards, noting that the current offensive situation is different from his breakout year.
Insight pageNegativeUsage50:44
Matthew Berry notes that Saquon Barkley's fantasy value is hindered by Jalen Hurts' goal-line usage, specifically the 'tush push,' which limits Barkley's touchdown opportunities. Berry expects the Eagles to pass more under Sean Mannion, potentially reducing Barkley's run-heavy volume.
Insight pageTyrone Tracy
PositiveBreakout39:47
Matthew Berry expresses confidence in Tyrone Tracy's ability to contribute, questioning whether he and Jackson Dart might eat into Scadaboo's goal-line work.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00All right, it is 12.02 on YouTube, but it is 5 o'clock somewhere.
0:03We're still working out a few technical kinks, but we are live and we are live now.
0:08And more importantly, we are live with Fantasy Football Royalty with the legend himself, former Matthew Berry rider, Denny, Austin Ekeler, number
0:14one running back in Fantasy for multiple years, friend of Fantasy, friend to the Fantasy community, former podcast host, proud Fantasy Life investor.
0:20Austin Ekeler, number 30 on the field, number one in your hearts.
0:23Appreciate you, man. Thank you so much for coming by.
0:26Absolutely, man. Thanks for having me back on the show.
0:28It's always been a pleasure and looking forward to today.
0:31And I know you said it's 12 o'clock, but I see some red solo cups there on your desk.
0:36Yeah, well, it's 5 o'clock somewhere, man. It's the Happy Hour bar.
0:39We're open, brother. Grab a drink. Are you in Vegas right now?
0:43I know you live in Vegas these days. I'm out in the desert.
0:46Absolutely. Yeah, well, I mean, you know, it's always drinking time in Las Vegas.
0:50All right, we're going to get into the biggest running back questions.
0:53And I'm so excited to have you, Austin, because in addition to obviously being an elite running back in the NFL for
0:59so many years and being a fantasy football legend yourself, you're also somebody that actually plays, right?
1:03You know, you play fantasy football. You're in multiple leagues.
1:06You have your own fantasy company, Fantasy Royale, which we're going to talk about a little bit later.
1:11I know there's ways that people can play fantasy with you this year.
1:14I know you and I are doing something with Fantasy Royale, so we'll talk about that a little bit later in the show.
1:20But Austin Eckler's Fantasy Royale, we're excited about that as well.
1:23But you're somebody who understands not only the game from an X's and O's standpoint, obviously, because you played it at the
1:29highest level, but you understand what we, the fantasy degenerates, all need.
1:32So I'm excited to get your answers on all the biggest questions for fantasy football in the running back position of the year.
1:38But the first question I have to ask you is the obvious one, like, what's going on?
1:43Are we playing this year? Am I going to get to see you on the field?
1:47What's happening? You've got a lot going on. You've got businesses.
1:50I need to know what's going on with number 30.
1:53It's the mystery that's hovering over my head that everyone's wondering about.
1:56And, you know, for me, I got to look for the right situation.
1:59For me, I'm coming off an Achilles tear. I'm fully healthy, back in the weight room, pushing a ton of weight like usual.
2:05That's like my safe place. So I knew that wasn't going to be a problem.
2:09It was just a matter of time for me to get back on my feet, back on my feet.
2:14Now what's next, Austin? Where are you going to be?
2:17Am I going to draft you? I get it.
2:20All the DMs every day. Awesome. Should I take you?
2:22What's going on? Where are you going to be playing?
2:25So for me, it comes down to a few things because now I'm in year going into year 10.
2:30What's the situation as far as the running back as a committee?
2:33Is it going to be, hey, Austin, we want you to kind of be this kind of support role?
2:38I'm at that time in my career where I'm more of a support role guy.
2:42That's kind of where I see myself. And so for me, okay, what is the situation with the coaching?
2:47What's the timing of the team? And is it a right fit for Austin?
2:51So I'm playing it slow right now. I have no reason to rush into anything and looking for the best opportunity for me.
2:57Is that going to be week one? Is that going to be later on?
3:01Maybe there's an injury that pops up and presents an opportunity for me.
3:04That's kind of how I see it right now.
3:07Just kind of looking for the right opportunity. And if it doesn't present itself, am I okay with, hey, that was my career going a different direction.
3:14I'm a new dad. So I'm in the dog days right now of being a new father.
3:18You know, barely any sleep. As you know, I just barely jumped on this right in time.
3:23Because we push snooze one time and all of a sudden, wait a minute, it's been 30 minutes later.
3:28So that's where I'm at right now. Looking for the right situation.
3:31And if that doesn't present itself, we'll see, you know, if I jump into the next life, you know, just looking for the best fantasy players out there.
3:38Well, I appreciate it. You're at a point in your career where you can be picky.
3:43I'm sure a lot of teams have been talking to you and your agents.
3:46Hey, how's Austin feeling? Is he healthy? Is he interested?
3:49He's available. And for sure, you know, like at this stage of your career, why go to a situation that's not going to be right for you?
3:56You need a lot of things. You know, you want what's your role?
4:00What's the coaching? Is the team any good? And let me hit on that.
4:03Yeah, absolutely. Because, yeah, what is the situation? Is that, you know, am I going to a team?
4:08And here's the thing. Depending on how much you love football, you know, will depend on how broad you're willing to have the opportunity.
4:15For me, I would absolutely want to be on a team that's making a playoff run in this part of my career.
4:20If I'm jumping on to, you know, get on a team that's maybe just scraping by, putting my body through that, you
4:26know, the way I play and, you know, just how hard on my ankles, my lower extremities that I am, I'm like,
4:32ah, that's not as intriguing to me, just being honest.
4:35And then, you know, you said, you know, team's interested.
4:38It's always funny because as a player, this is like a little insight for us.
4:41Like you always get people that are hitting up your agent because there's a lot of scouts out there and they keep in touch.
4:48And so like, yeah, they're interested. They're asking about you, but it's all talk.
4:52Like it's all talk. Like until there's actual dollars being, you know, discussed, I don't want to hear, oh, they're talking about you.
4:58Like that doesn't, that doesn't intrigue me. You know, it's great for, that's why you have an agent to kind of take on those calls.
5:04But until that actually gets serious, for me, it's like, okay, the opportunity hasn't presented itself for me to actually want to
5:10go back to an actual opportunity that seems advantageous for me and where my mind is right now.
5:15So yeah, I want to give you a little lore from the athlete's side.
5:19We're like, you hear a lot of talk out there, but it's got to be, it's got to be real.
5:24You know? No, I appreciate that. Absolutely. Yeah. Show Austin the money.
5:27I will say that the chat is showing you the love.
5:30I don't know if you just saw that, but sweep the leg saying, thank you, Austin, for winning me multiple fantasy championships.
5:36I know I speak for everyone. Everyone sweep the leg says you single-handedly won my league in 2021.
5:41Thank you for your regular football and fantasy football contributions.
5:43I know I speak for fantasy football nation when I say thank you, Austin Eckler.
5:47We hope this is not the last time we have seen you play, but if it is, it is an awesome career
5:53that you can hang your hat on, both from an NFL and fantasy football perspective.
5:57You're a legend in our hearts. And so thank you.
6:00And hopefully, again, like we see the right situation develops and we get to see 30 on the field another time.
6:05Absolutely. I got one last story because I think it's important.
6:08I think it's cool for the fantasy community anyway.
6:11Like when I came into the NFL, I had no idea about any of this fantasy stuff.
6:15So really for me, I was just out there playing.
6:18I was like, hey, my fans of my team are going to be my fans.
6:22Like that was what I expected, right? So I came in with the Chargers.
6:26I think I'm just going to have a bunch of Chargers fans.
6:29And I think it was my rookie year. We were playing the Jaguars and I finally had gotten a chance to get
6:35a little bit more of a start. That was kind of my first time kind of coming into the scene in the fantasy space.
6:41No one really knew who I was because I was a special teams guy.
6:45And so I ended up having like I had two touchdowns, like 140 yards one game popped off.
6:50It was my first kind of like, oh, Austin can actually play offense moment.
6:53And there was a situation in four minute where I was in the game.
6:57Melvin was hurt. Melvin Gordon was on the team.
6:59He was a starter at the time. And it was four minute and I fumbled the ball.
7:04And we ended up losing the game in overtime.
7:06And this is the first time I ever realized how passionate the fantasy community was because I had tons of fans, Charger fans, pissed off.
7:13A rookie shouldn't be in the game. You should have never had that opportunity.
7:17You blew it. You fumbled. But at the same time, I had even more fans from fantasy being like, you're amazing.
7:22I love you. And I'm like, wait a minute.
7:25Like, I'm confused. But OK, I popped off for the fantasy community.
7:28But then, you know, for the Chargers, they were pissed off because obviously we lost the game.
7:32So that was my first introduction to the fantasy community.
7:35Like, oh, they don't really care how you do on your how your team does.
7:39They care how you perform for them. So shout out to the fantasy community for showing love.
7:44And nowadays, last thing I'll end with this, is pretty much 99% of people that come up to me are, hey, you have me on your fantasy.
7:51Like, barely any are like, hey, I loved you on the Commanders or I loved you on the Chargers.
7:56And so shout out to the fantasy community out there.
7:58I wanted to share that story with you guys because it's been all love for a long time.
8:03Yeah. Well, listen, I mean, I'm wearing your jersey right now.
8:06And I'm wearing it from, you know, when you were the number one running back in fantasy.
8:11This is this is your jersey. Like, you were my ride or die.
8:14Like, you made me look really smart, you know, in addition to that, because it was the it was the first year
8:20that you scored where you had like 18 touchdowns.
8:22You were a sleeper, but you were stuck behind Melvin Gordon.
8:25I was like, well, no, they're never going to, like, let Austin score a lot of touchdowns.
8:30He's smaller back. You know what I mean? And you were going like towards the end of the second round, maybe early third round.
8:36And I'm like, Austin Eckler is my ride or die.
8:39I'm telling you, they got a new offense coordinator.
8:41He's coming over from New Orleans. They want to use him as their Alvin Kamara.
8:45Like he's going to get he can get that work.
8:48He can convert touchdowns. And I think you had 18 touchdowns that year.
8:51Something insane like that off the top of my head.
8:54I think it was 20 that year. 20. Sorry.
8:56I didn't mean to cheat yet. It's all good.
8:59You know, those last two matter, though, you know.
9:01So, Megan, no. So Austin Eckler was not the first ride or die, but he was probably the most successful.
9:07And he was the one that sort of put ride or die on the map.
9:10He was the one that was by far the one that kind of popped the most because it was such a bold
9:16shake because I was just like the argument was the only way that Austin Eckler gets to be like the number one
9:22running back in fantasy is if he scores a bunch of touchdowns and no one thought that you could score 20 touchdowns
9:28or 18 touchdowns, which you did another year. So that was the story behind that.
9:32Yeah. So like this, I'm sorry, I'm going to a couple of story times here, but it was actually like I didn't
9:38actually think I'd be in that situation either. For me, when I had my deal with the Chargers, I was splitting carries with Melvin Gordon.
9:45So when I signed my deal, it was kind of on that premise that, hey, you're going to be kind of like a tandem back.
9:51We're going to bring in another guy because they didn't resign Melvin to be kind of that split carry guy.
9:56And you're going to be the third down guy, the check down guy.
10:00And then we'll have like a big back goal line guy.
10:03Well, they draft three guys and we never found that other tandem guy.
10:06So it ended up being me the whole time, which I was salty about because I got paid as a tandem back
10:12when I was being your workforce back, you know?
10:15So anyway, don't let me go down that route.
10:17But it made my production and meant my production was high enough where, hey, they trusted me to be on the field
10:23and they were trying to bring in guys that were drafting guys.
10:26And it just wasn't ending up working out because like, hey, we like having Austin on the field.
10:31And then, yeah, I had Joe Lombardi who was with the Saints with Alvin.
10:34And that ended up giving me an opportunity to kind of get that role of, hey, check downs, red zone touches from the backfield.
10:41And it ended up working out for Herbert, too, because I know I think the two years I was there is the
10:47first two years he had like 4,000 passing yards, you know?
10:50So I'm like, hey, this is the kind of a matchup made in heaven right now.
10:54I got a quarterback who's not a runner and he's going to keep throwing me check downs just like Phillip Rivers was.
11:00So that was kind of the reason I came into being able to have opportunity to score as much as we did.
11:06And then I ended up changing coordinators. And, you know, we'll get into that as we talk about some of these other
11:11running backs and how that affects you. Well, yeah, you talk about, you know, hey, you got paid like a committee back
11:17when you were really a workhorse back. Well, somebody that did just get paid like a workhorse back is Bijan Robinson.
11:23I'm sure you saw that deal. That's like the definition of workhorse back right there.
11:27Yes, sir. Sure. So let's move over to fantasy here, Austin.
11:30And we talked about this yesterday with Dan Graziano.
11:32But if you had the number one pick in one of your fantasy leagues, who's the number one pick?
11:37Is it Jameer Gibbs or Bijan Robinson? Ah, look, man, both these guys are elite.
11:41Like these are the guys that are going to carry their team.
11:44They're one of the most stable parts of their offense.
11:47Right. So I don't think you can go wrong with either one.
11:50But I just like the stability more with the Lions.
11:53And so I'm going to go with Jameer Gibbs.
11:55I know, look, I think what they win four games last year, the Falcons and Bijan still was dominant.
12:00Like, again, he's going to be that again. But I just think if you have an offense that's continuing to click, scoring
12:06more points, just like the Lions, I'm going to go with Jameer Gibbs.
12:10I don't think you can go either wrong, wrong with either one.
12:13I think Jameer Gibbs is going to have a headline here in the next couple of days, if he hasn't already.
12:18By the time we actually, you know, see this come out, that he's getting paid, too.
12:23Because I think there was like a tobacco a few years ago where it's like, hey, pay the running backs.
12:28It's like you pay your playmakers. Right. And both guys are the playmakers on these on these offenses.
12:33So I'm going with Jameer Gibbs. Number one overall, if I have that pick.
12:36Yeah. You know, I mean, again, listen, I could not agree with you more about how, like, you can't go wrong with either one.
12:43It literally is a coin flip. They are one and one A, right?
12:46I mean, they're so razor thin. They're both awesome running backs.
12:49They're both amazing talents. They're both going to have monster years.
12:52I have Bijan at one at the moment. And I'm thinking about, you know, listen, I go back and forth on a little bit.
12:59But right now I have Bijan at one. And the reason is, is just the pass catching.
13:03I just think that's more touchdowns, as you know, Austin, throughout your career.
13:07Touchdowns can sometimes be fluky. Right. You know, we've seen it.
13:09Right. Sometimes you get the rock in close. Sometimes they're doing shovel passes to a third string tight end.
13:14And you're like, what? Wait, we just called that?
13:17What the hell happened? You know, like, you know, you run one in from 40 yards out, but there was holding on
13:23the other side of the play that had nothing to do with the run.
13:26And anyway, so sometimes touchdowns are fluky. But pass catching role is is more consistent.
13:30I just think Tua, you know, Penix has said he's at least four weeks.
13:34You know, that I think Penix misses at least the first four weeks.
13:38And I think there's a chance that Tua keeps the job at least for a while.
13:42And so I just think Tua just all he does is dump down.
13:45I agree with you. Lions are going to be in scoring position a lot more often.
13:50But I do think the Falcons is more concentrated.
13:52Just him, Pitts and Drake London. That's my argument.
13:54Again, like you have to you have to you have to nitpick here.
13:58I 100 percent agree. You got a nitpick in these nitpicks.
14:01I think there's valid points on either side. I think, you know, David Montgomery's gone now for the Lions.
14:06And so I think there's more more of a reliance on, hey, you're the more stable opportunity that we have in our
14:12backfield with with Detroit, with with Gibbs. So, you know, and then it makes it a little uneasy about the quarterback situation over there.
14:18We know Tua's got history of, you know, the injuries, Panix coming off the ACL.
14:22So I'm like, ah, like, again, nitpicking. Like, yeah, those guys are going to be healthy when they come back and play.
14:28But you'd rather play in the NFC South than the NFC North, right?
14:31You know, I mean, you'd rather like when you think about that division that the Lions are in, that's the best division in football probably, right?
14:38There we go. I mean, look, what do you want to do?
14:41Where do you want to nitpick? Fair enough. But you've got Gibbs at number one.
14:45So let's talk about, listen, you're in Las Vegas right now.
14:48So I don't know if you've had a chance to go out to camp at all.
14:53Talk to any of the players around there. But there were a lot of expectations last year around Ashton Gentry.
14:58And it was a tough year for the Raiders overall.
15:01So my question for you is how much better do you think Ashton Gentry is and what we think will be a
15:06much better Raiders offense, the addition of Tyler Lindenbaum at center, Clint Kubiak calling the plays, you know, an improvement at quarterback,
15:12whether it's Kirk Cousins or Fernando Mendoza under center.
15:15What are your thoughts on Ashton Gentry this year?
15:17Well, first of all, I've got to address something you said.
15:20Go out and talk to the players. I don't know if I'd be the most welcome at the Raiders training camp.
15:26Yeah, that's fair. That's a good point. That's a good point.
15:28Sorry. I've been playing with the Chargers for seven years and beating up on the Raiders.
15:33Yeah, it's my third show this year. I'm still getting used to it, Austin.
15:36You're still getting into it. It's a fair show.
15:39It's something funny. That's funny. That was funny to me.
15:41No, I would be out there. I'd probably be booed out there, but actually not because I think I would be a lot of.
15:48But I assume you talk to a lot of players.
15:51What I really meant, what I was trying to get to is, and I saw Megan asked earlier, do players reach out for your advice?
15:57Obviously, you're still close with so many players in the league.
16:00So I'm sure you're hearing, hey, this is what's going on here.
16:03This is what's going on. You know, this is what's going on in this team.
16:07Like, I'm sure you're talking and your texts are blowing up with all your buddies.
16:11He's exhausted Texan fans wants to know, is Mike Washington eating the Gentiles workload?
16:15So just, I guess, talk to me from what you hear and what you saw on tape.
16:20Your thoughts about Ashton Gentile fantasy-wise in year two and a new offense.
16:23I appreciate the laugh, though. I appreciate that. That was good.
16:26That was good. Look, I don't think this is like really a revamp with the Raiders.
16:30I think they're still trying to just, hey, let's get something stable.
16:33Let's continue to maybe get some draft capital here.
16:36Make a move. Like, I don't think you can consider it like a revamp for these guys.
16:40And Gentile, I think kind of like Gibbs and Bijan is going to be a stable part in that offense.
16:46Even last year, you know, with him, I think they actually, I think they had the four-win offense, the Raiders last year,
16:51and he was still averaging like 14 fantasy points a game, right?
16:55So even with a struggling offense, you have an opportunity where this guy is still being at least consistent.
17:00They're giving him the ball. I think to save their quarterbacks in a situation, I think they're going to, hey, let's get this run game going.
17:07You know, you mentioned Kubiak. You know, he's got a nice wide zone scheme.
17:10So, hey, hopefully that helps a little bit better with, you know, Gentile getting some opportunities.
17:15I think regardless, I think he's going to be in that same area.
17:18Like, look, he's coming into his second year. As a running back, getting one year under your belt helps so much for you to understand the game.
17:25You get a little break from your rookie year going through the grind.
17:29He was a first-round pick. First-round picks, your first year is a marathon of just media, of continuing to, you know, train from college, going into the pros.
17:36And so I think having a year under his belt, I think he's going to still be in that.
17:41If you're looking for a floor guy, I think he's going to be a good floor guy.
17:46You know, the upside opportunity of a couple pop-offs here and there I think is limited just because of their offense still.
17:51I think they have a lot to prove in the quarterback position too.
17:55And so if they're playing from behind, they're going to be passing the ball a lot.
17:59But I think that might play into it. He might catch a lot of checkdowns though because of that.
18:04Because I remember, you know, even with the Chargers where, hey, we were struggling.
18:08Austin, we're checking the ball down a lot. We're throwing it, but you're our option.
18:12And we need to get you the ball. So I still have him seeing some upside there.
18:16I still see him being in that average at around 15, 16 points a game, which I don't think is a bad thing for him.
18:23So I do see some progress, but because of the situation that he's in, you know, you can't be a one-man show out there.
18:29This is football, and that's what makes it great.
18:32So I think he's still going to have a cap for him.
18:35Yeah, entirely possible. I'm more bullish on Gentry than I think you are.
18:39I'm at 12th overall. I'm running back six, which is about where he's going with ADP.
18:43I think the argument here is just with Kubiak and just in terms of volume.
18:47So I actually don't think Mike Washington will eat into his work, just giving the answer to a question that came up earlier.
18:53Think about this. Under Clint Kubiak last year, Seahawks 30th in pass rate over expected.
18:57And this was with Sam Darnold having an unbelievable year, and Jackson Smith and Jigba having an unbelievable year.
19:02And they were still bottom three in pass rate in the NFL.
19:05Like, they ran a lot last year, and obviously it worked out for Seattle.
19:09So, you know, over his final 13 games, Gentry, 17.5% target share, fourth among running backs.
19:13You know, so they're using him some in the passing game.
19:16And then you just, again, you sort of think about this offense.
19:19Like, if you're Clint Kubiak and you're, you know, I always think that sometimes, tell me if you think of this theory here, Austin.
19:26I feel like us in the world of fantasy community, the people that do what I do, right, that I think, generally
19:31speaking, a lot of times, sometimes we overcomplicate it.
19:34And that, what I mean is, is that we're all trying to, that too many people in our industry, and there's so
19:40many people in our industry that do great work.
19:42This is not me trying to throw shade. But sometimes just, we get very stat heavy, and we're getting really, really deep.
19:48And we forget that these are human beings. That human beings play football, and that human beings have emotions.
19:53They have ego, and jealousy, and pettiness, and anger, and happiness.
19:56And that, you know, all these emotions, and just like with any other job in the world, those emotions play into this.
20:02And so at a very basic level, I think if you're Clint Kubiak, and you get to the Raiders, and you're like,
20:08all right, what have I got to work with?
20:10All right, I got Brock Bowers. I got Ashton Gentry.
20:13And I got Brock Bowers and Ashton Gentry. Like, you know what?
20:16I'm looking around here, right? It's the Will Smith meme, right?
20:19You're looking around like, what the hell do I got here?
20:22And I just think if you're Clint Kubiak, and you're like, I'm trying to make something, I'm trying to make a go of it here in Las Vegas.
20:29All right, I got one guy that was considered a generational prospect.
20:32Let me try to just get the ball in his hands as much as possible.
20:36And even if he's not going to be super efficient, even if the offense is going to be great, does he just get there?
20:43Because he's a guy that touches the ball 25 times a game.
20:46Again, I don't know that for a fact. I'm just thinking, I'm just trying to think human being wise.
20:51If I'm Clint Kubiak, and I'm showing up here with a disaster of a situation, you know, just try to get the ball in your good person's hands.
20:58Am I crazy with that? I think you're, yes, I think you're putting a little too much value in it.
21:04Because what you just said, if I'm a defensive coordinator for a team that we're about to play the Raiders, I'm thinking exactly what you just said.
21:11And so who are we going to stop? Who's not going to beat us?
21:15Ashton Gentty. He is not going to beat us.
21:17He's supposed to be this talent generation. Well, not against us.
21:20Absolutely not. Someone else is going to have to pop off.
21:23Someone else is going to have to prove themselves.
21:25So guess what we're doing? We're stopping Gentty. I don't care if we got a spy or chipping him out of the backfield.
21:31Right? We're going to have a little double team, maybe on third downs, right?
21:35The pass situation. Whatever the thing is. We're going to load the box first and second down.
21:40Gentty's not beating us if I'm playing the Raiders.
21:42That period. And so I think because of that, he's going to have a hard time.
21:46Again, it's the situation he's in. Not because he's not a great player.
21:50I think he can be a great player. I think he can go, you know, be a top three type guy.
21:55But he needs more help to bring some of that load out of the box.
21:59Get him out of there. Right? Back him up.
22:02Put him in a too high opportunity. And he's got to have a quarterback who could threaten that down the field.
22:07And so with the quarterbacks, it's kind of a roll of the dice.
22:11Are they going to have a good year or are they not?
22:14Right? We have these guys that have proven themselves a couple times.
22:17They have a rookie that's going to come in.
22:19We'll see if he gets any start in time.
22:22Kind of see how that plays out. But there's too much uncertainty at that quarterback position for me to be as high
22:28on Gentie as you are at the moment. So that's what I would say.
22:31So I think there is a reason to go into it a little deeper than just who are the guys and, you
22:37know, are they going to be the guys throughout the year?
22:40Because other teams are thinking the same thing. Who are the guys and how do we stop them?
22:45So that's my take on it. Yeah. By the way, VED FFH regular says, did Matthew steal that jersey from the NBC jersey wall?
22:51You're damn right I did. Well, we had to take it down.
22:54When Austin signed with the Commanders, because we had you up there proudly, we had, we have, we, we, on the jersey
23:00wall at NBC, we had all the elite fantasy players.
23:03And then, and so we had, we had a Chargers jersey, but we didn't have a Commander's jersey.
23:08And so we had to take you down off the wall.
23:11That's hilarious. The prop guy just took it off and I'm just, well, I'm taking it home with me.
23:16Screw that. Someone's like, have I seen that before?
23:18Wait a minute. Yeah. Yeah. Good, good call, VED.
23:21Nice job there. Good call out. Get his hat.
23:23Yeah. Well, especially by the way, if you weren't welcome at Raiders camp before, you're definitely not now after, after all that.
23:29Hey, I'm just speaking to how I see it.
23:31I will. True. No shade. No shade. Like this is a business, right?
23:35This is, hey, this is what I've seen in the past.
23:38You are in the NFL, what you've done for me recently.
23:40So it's nothing personal. That's just what I've seen as a player that's watching the league, that's playing in the league.
23:46So nothing personal. Do you want to, before we get on our next question, this, I mean, again, like we talk about, you're waiting for the right situation.
23:54But in a world where the right situation doesn't come about, have you thought about, because, you know, you're right.
23:59Have you thought about broadcasting? Have you thought about a post-playing career?
24:02Like, you know, because whenever that happens, whether it's later this year, whether it's five years from now, like, I know you've
24:08got Fantasy Royale and we'll talk about this. I know you've got a number of investments, including Fantasy Life.
24:13We're thrilled to have you on the cap table.
24:15But have you thought about, like, broadcasting? Is Eckler's Edge coming back?
24:18Like, what are we doing, Austin? Have you thought about all that?
24:22It's a great question. And while I'm in football, like, I've been thinking about it a little bit.
24:26You know, I did the Christmas podcast last year with the Commanders Cowboys.
24:30So I've been in the booth. I can get up there.
24:33I can talk. I can bring energy. Like, that's my personality, 100%.
24:36The question is, am I passionate enough about it to stay up with every detail?
24:40Because as you know, as being a professional in this, it's a full-time, right, homework, full-time job, making sure that you have
24:46good takes, that you can actually know what the hell you're talking about.
24:49So do I want to mentally contribute into that space?
24:52Because I've been grinding this game for as long as I can remember.
24:55I think like 25 years now. I played football every fall, right, since I was a little guy.
25:00So am I still passionate about it like that?
25:03Because obviously, I love the Fantasy Spot. And what I love about Fantasy is the community that it brings together.
25:08Maybe not necessarily all the X's and O's and knowing every detail about every single team.
25:12So it depends on where I want to put my efforts.
25:15And, you know, that decision is going to be coming here pretty soon, either, you know, this year or maybe next year.
25:21It's kind of how I see it playing out.
25:23So stay tuned because I think while there's even a sliver of opportunity for me to go back and play, I still
25:29am not fully committed to, okay, what's the next thing?
25:32You know, so for now, I'm just running my own fantasy league, you know, just to stay involved in it.
25:37And we'll get an answer to that question probably, you know, after this season.
25:41Well, it just occurred to me, just hearing you talk about Gentry, you're so honest.
25:45And I just, you know, and you're good at it.
25:48You'd be very good at it if you wanted to do it.
25:51But SEC Man 01 says, another vote for Eck to be an FFHH regular.
25:54So listen, Austin knows. He's a multiple-time guest on the show.
25:57He is clearly a friend of the podcast. But open seat anytime Austin wants to grace us with his presence.
26:03I appreciate you, Chad. Absolutely. The chat loves you, my friend.
26:06Here's my question for you. Which version of Saquon Barkley are we going to see in 2026?
26:10Last year, he was running back 15. 2024, he was running back one.
26:14I'm just curious how you see Sean Mannion, new offensive coordinator, coming over from Green Bay for Saquon.
26:18Offensive line should be healthier. Which version of Saquon do we get this year?
26:22You know what I love before we get into this?
26:25I love that we're talking about some running backs that are like staples in these offenses.
26:29Like that gets me fired up, man. Because when we were having the whole tobacco about, oh, pay the running backs, not pay them.
26:35It's like, well, it's getting diminished. It's strong. We can't pay these guys.
26:39And it's like, these guys are staples in your offense.
26:41They are the reason that your offense is as stable as that is, right?
26:45Obviously, you have to have a passing game of the quarterback.
26:48But to have an opportunity to go win the tournament, you got to have some type of running game that can help you get through the season, right?
26:56I mean, it might not win Super Bowls, things like that all the time.
26:59But it definitely helps you have some consistency through the season.
27:02So love the conversations today. Shout out to the RBs out there.
27:05Where is Saquon going to be? Look, I think in 2024, when they beat us to go to the playoffs, go to
27:11the Super Bowl with the Commanders, I think that was his pinnacle year.
27:15I think that was the top of the top.
27:17Can he get back to that? I think the stars aligned for him.
27:21I think he had a new contract, new city, came into an opportunity where they were already rolling.
27:25But I don't think that necessarily that timing is still the same.
27:29That opportunity is still the same. I think it looks a little different for him over there.
27:33I still think he's going to be, again, a staple.
27:36Like that guy is an anomaly of a human being, like just an absolute unit out there.
27:40We see the videos, all that stuff. But you 100% are given the opportunity in the NFL based on what is the current situation of your offense.
27:47And so for me, I think over there, I think they're going to have a good season still.
27:52I still think they'll do well. I'm hoping my Commanders can beat up on him a little bit.
27:57But I still see him being in that. Our Commanders.
28:00Our Commanders. Let me bring that back 100%. I should know better.
28:03I should know better. Our Commanders can beat up on him.
28:06I'm hoping for that. But I still see Saquon being in that 1,100, 1,300-yard range where, hey, you're still having a great year.
28:12But being able to actually replicate what he did in 2024, I don't think is going to be suitable at this moment with their current offense.
28:19So for me, I still am high on him.
28:21But I'm higher on him than I am on Gentie.
28:24I'm curious if you are too. I know you have him at like Gentie at running back six.
28:29I have Gentie at six and I have Barkley at seven.
28:32So, I mean, I have them right there. My concern about Barkley, and I agree with you.
28:36I think he is going to be better than he was last year.
28:40I think he'll be closer to 2024 Barkley than he will be 2025.
28:43I do think their offensive line is going to be a lot higher.
28:46But only four runs of 20 or more yards last year.
28:492024, he had 17. He was just breaking off those crazy long runs.
28:53And last year, he just didn't. And as you know, Austin, better than anyone, like breaking off those long runs are really hard.
28:59It's really, you know, you've got defensive play. You can be the greatest running back ever, but just still, it's got to be the blocking.
29:06It's got to be the play call. It's got to be right.
29:09You got to outrun a bunch of DBs. Like you got to just have, you know, to have these long runs.
29:14You got to run everyone. And so it's just really tough.
29:17And I just think, you know, is he going to be involved in the passing game more?
29:22Jalen Hurts throughout his career has never been a guy that really dumps off to the running back that much.
29:27He's more likely to sort of tuck and run when he feels pressure.
29:31And so I also think they're going to be more pass heavy this year under Sean Mannion, former NFL quarterback, former passing game coordinator.
29:37I do think they're going to pass a little bit more this year.
29:40They'll still be run heavy-ish. But like, you know, last year they were like bottom three.
29:45You know, they were one of the most run heavy teams in the NFL.
29:48And now I think they'll probably be like bottom ten in passing rate as opposed to last in passing rate.
29:54And so that's my argument is that I'm with you.
29:56I think he's a special player. He's still elite.
29:59And by the way, also one of the – you know, I'm sure you know him.
30:03A great guy. Just a guy it's easy to – an easy guy to root for even though he's on the Eagles.
30:09Don't get me started. But as a person, I've interviewed him before.
30:12He's an awesome interview. He's an easy guy to root for from a fantasy perspective.
30:16Closer to 24 than 25, but I'm with you.
30:18I don't think we – he gets all the way back to 24.
30:22Yeah, no, I don't think so either. And I think, you know, the opportunity you mentioned, the coordinator.
30:27New coordinators always roll the dice. You don't know what you're going to get.
30:30But I think it also opens the opportunity for some of those touches out of the backfield.
30:35You know, Jalen Hurts runs. Absolutely. Same thing with Jaden Daniels.
30:38He's going to run. But guess what? I'm still catching, you know, checkdowns out there.
30:42And so the opportunities I think can even come.
30:44The thing that always bothers me from a fantasy perspective is Jalen Hurts and the damn tush push, eating up all the goal line touchdowns.
30:51You know, so that is for the past few years has hurt.
30:54Barkley, he would have had even higher season if they didn't have the dang one-yard automatic touchdown, you know, runner on the
31:00goal line and giving Jalen, you know, 10 touchdowns a year.
31:03But I think that's the one thing that always bugs me about that offense as well is that – for a running
31:09back, for Saquon in the fantasy perspective anyway. He's going to have to score from what I say, the three-point line because
31:14he's not getting it from the – he's not getting any layups.
31:18No layups. Matt Ford, Frankie Louvoo agrees with Austin, by the way.
31:21Oh, my goodness, man. Like, oh, like – how do you stop it?
31:24I love – I know people got nuts. I know people were going crazy during that championship game.
31:29I was actually there in Philadelphia wearing my commander's gear.
31:32It was a scary thing. But, like, I love the passion of Louvoo, just going nuts, like, you know, whatever, seven offsides in a row.
31:38Go for it, man. Trying to fire up the team.
31:41Just – Go for it. It was – look, we were in a bad situation.
31:45We were getting beat up on. They were – Saquon was absolutely popping off.
31:49They were just – they had a rhythm, man, that it was not stopping.
31:52So we had to get our own rhythm going.
31:55And, yeah, so for us it was trying to get them – stop us from bleeding and trying to get us going was – it was a desperation.
32:02And that was their year. I see why they won the championship that year because – Yeah.
32:07Wow. No, they were amazing. The defense was just so tough.
32:10You know, Marshawn Lattimore picked a bad day to have, I think, the worst game of his career.
32:15I fumbled the ball. I got to be accountable to myself.
32:17I can't fumble the ball. That was a tough fumble.
32:20But yours was the third turnover. Like it was the third turnover.
32:23I mean, like, you know – It don't matter.
32:26It don't matter. You got to be – see, this is me.
32:29I'm a straight shooter. Whether it was good or bad for myself can't happen.
32:33Especially in too big of a game cannot happen.
32:35And so, you know, the better team ended up winning that day because they were better on that day.
32:40You know, that was a situation. Were they a better team than us?
32:44On that day they were. They played better. So, anyway, don't bring – I don't want to, you know – All right.
32:49Let's move forward. Let's move forward. Let's move forward.
32:52Moving forward. I'm curious about this. Like, so how old are you, Austin?
32:55How are you right now? I'm 31. Okay. So you're 31.
32:58Derek Henry will turn 33 in January. Yes, he will.
33:01Right? Yes, he will. As I like to call him, genetic freak of nature, Derek Henry.
33:05But is this the year – by the way, fantasy managers have been asking this question for I think seven straight years.
33:11But is this the year that age finally catches up to the genetic freak of nature that is Derek Henry?
33:16He's the only running back in each of the past two years to have at least 1,500 yards rushing.
33:21He's done it five of the last seven seasons.
33:24You know, in 2023 he was running back 16.
33:26He's finished lower than running back eight in points per game only once since 2019.
33:30He plays with Lamar Jackson. He's got Jesse Minter, a defensive-minded head coach, new head coach.
33:34But, you know, I always feel like defensive-minded coaches, they want to run the ball.
33:38But, again, he's going to be 33 in January.
33:41And this is somebody that has taken a lot of hits over his career.
33:44Give me your thoughts on King Henry. I immediately think what I think of Derek Henry.
33:49Joel Lombardi had this saying, and he would talk about edge rushers this way.
33:52He'd say they have a werewolf on their team.
33:55We've got to stop that guy. You know, you're talking about the Miles Garrets of the world, you know, the Max Crosby.
34:01They call them werewolves. If there's any other werewolf at a position, it's Derek Henry at running back.
34:05That man is a werewolf. Like, he is big, he's strong, and he's durable, and he makes it work.
34:10And so, for me, look, I think he's got a chance to be the only 32-year-old to go for over 1,500 yards.
34:16So, I think he's got a record that he's going to go get.
34:20Look, I'm guaranteed he's not thinking about that. But, for whatever reason, when there's something on the line, the little things like
34:26that, little tidbits, I think there's an extra mile that comes from our guys.
34:29And so, for us, for me thinking about Derek, I don't think he's slowing down.
34:33He's an anomaly. I don't see any. What's the sign?
34:36There is no sign. Yeah, age, you can't look at the numbers with Derek because he's already outperformed everything.
34:41That you would have thought would have taken him down.
34:44Like, even last year with Baltimore, like, he's got, like, a kind of, like, a split tandem thing going on where they're
34:50giving guys, I think it was, what's his name, Hill over there?
34:53Is he over there? Yeah. So, it's, like, even with kind of, like, an opportunity where they're doing, like, a tandem, he's
34:59still putting out the production that he's always put out.
35:01And so, I don't see how you can say anything bad about Derek Henry at this moment because there's not been a
35:07sign that I've been able to see. And I know this doesn't, I mean, this doesn't really mean much.
35:12But watching this guy, like, on social media, him running, he's still on his hill.
35:16He's on his Walter Payton Hill out there. He's looking jacks, ready to go.
35:20So, for me, I think they're going to lean on him again.
35:23And why would you not? The man falls forward for an extra two yards every time just because he's so damn tall.
35:29And so, I think he's one of those guys that just is a generational running back that we're going to see some greatness from him.
35:36You got to put him in a different category.
35:38Yeah. I agree with him, by the way. I hire on him the consensus.
35:42I'm at 15 overall. He's going 21. I'm at running back 9.
35:45He's going as running back 12. Now, just to be clear, my ranks, when I reference my ranks, and my ranks are available for free on FantasyLife.com.
35:52Go check them out. But my ranks are half-point PPR.
35:55And so, obviously, Henry, if we were doing full PPR, Henry would be a little bit lower.
35:59You know, half-point PPR doesn't hurt Henry as much.
36:02But, again, they don't like to, again, when you think about Lamar, Lamar's 29.
36:05They need Lamar healthy. So, they do not want to use Lamar around the goal line nearly as much as they did very early in his career.
36:12And so, you know, but that's one of the ways, that's one of the reasons you go get somebody like Derrick Henry
36:18is you don't need to use Lamar around the goal line when you got 22 back there.
36:23This is a question from Brian Hickman. Who would win in an Oklahoma drill between Derrick Henry and the robot from the Fox intro?
36:29Yeah, let's bring some AI into this. See if we can stop him, you know.
36:33I'm going to go with Derrick Henry. I agree.
36:36I mean, if you're running back on a one-on-one Oklahoma drill, you're taking the biggest guy on?
36:40Come on, man. Like, you got to start somewhere lower for the – you're going to break the – you know when
36:46the defensive linemen do, like, the jam drill and sometimes you see, like, break and extend?
36:50It would be, like, one of those types of things, I feel like.
36:54There's not enough base in that thing, you know, in the Fox thing, you know?
36:58Yeah, and by the way, I think that – I think the Fox robot has been – he's been in a TV studio for years.
37:04He's soft. He's not out there. He's not pumping curls.
37:07He's just like, I'm a robot. I'm a show robot.
37:10It's not a real robot. Come on, Matt. What question is that?
37:13Matt, come on. Don't insult Derrick like that. Yeah, exactly.
37:15Something funny that you said, actually, that I always do, though, is you said half PPR.
37:20I'm like, what is that? What's a half PPR?
37:22Because I'm always full PPR, man. If you're playing in my league, full PPR.
37:26You're taking me at number one overall. There you go.
37:28Yeah, okay. Figures. Of course. Yeah, pass. Half PPR.
37:31What? Yeah, you're not doing that. That's fair. Any other weird scoring in your leagues?
37:35Like, you know, running backs get more points? Hey, okay.
37:38I'm catching shades on the show. That's crazy. Come on, man.
37:40Come on. Hey, Chad. You can't let that slide, man.
37:43That's fair. They'll bring it to me. That's hilarious.
37:45No. No other crazy scoring anyway. That's funny, though.
37:48All right. All right, brother. Hey. Yeah, actually, we can have one.
37:51Bald running backs actually get another half a point per catch.
37:54That's one that we should have. By the way, I'm down with that.
37:57I mean, you are bald. I am bald-ing. Give me my ing because you can see I still have a little bit of hair.
38:04You're holding on to it. I haven't fully committed to the bit the way you have.
38:08Yes. But you're a good-looking guy. You can get away with it.
38:11I'm just like, I'm desperately clinging on to my hair, you know.
38:14Absolutely. Absolutely. I don't know. Daddy says, who are some running backs you target in a point-per-carry league?
38:19I think my answer there, Austin, but it's like, I think it's still all the obvious guys, all the workhorse backs that
38:25we're talking about, the Genties of the world, the Barclays of the world, you know, guys like that, Gibbs and Bijon that we talked about.
38:32Just point-per-carry league is just like, who's going to get the most touches?
38:35You know what I mean? And it's those workhorse backs.
38:38Yeah. I think Hampton from the Chargers might be an interesting one.
38:41If he's healthy this year, the Chargers run the ball, man.
38:44That's what they're doing right now. So that's an interesting one for me on a point-per-carry.
38:48I know we'll see if they do like a tandem.
38:51I know he's coming off an injury too. So that would be a guy that I would look at for a point-per-carry.
38:57But yeah, all these other guys that are obvious that we're talking about, I just tried to give you someone else that maybe is not as obvious.
39:04Yeah. What about a Scadaboo-type opportunity? I'm curious what's going on with the Giants.
39:08Aren't we all? Aren't we all? Like, I mean, I don't have this on my list, but I'm curious if you have any.
39:14Like, to me, Scadaboo is one of the most fascinating guys here because you've got John Harbaugh coming over from Baltimore.
39:19He's not calling the plays, but, you know, he's going to have a philosophy that wants to be running the ball.
39:25They were rumored to be in on Ken Walker in free agency.
39:28They didn't get him. They were rumored to be in on Jeremiah Love.
39:32He didn't last to him on the draft. So they were kind of big-name hunting at running back.
39:36Scadaboo, of course, was awesome down the stretch. I think eight touchdowns over, like, the final eight games or something like that off the top of my head.
39:44But then coming off of a serious injury, I like Tyrone Tracy.
39:47You tell me if I'm crazy, but I think Tyrone Tracy can play, you know?
39:51And so does he, does Tyrone Tracy, does the combination of Tyrone Tracy and Jackson Dart take enough sort of goal-line work
39:57that's annoying to people that have Scadaboo? Can he be healthy?
40:00You're somebody that, I mean, you're coming back from a serious injury.
40:03I'm curious. You brought up Cam Scadaboo, so I'm curious what your thoughts are on him.
40:07I see all of the stuff on social media because the man is absolutely wild, right?
40:11Like, he's a personality that, you know, that's great for TV, for sure.
40:15Now, does that translate to football? Not always. You know, it's kind of a roll of the dice on that one.
40:20But for me, I think there's too much uncertainty over there.
40:23You know, I bring it up just because the man's a crash out, and I love seeing his energy out there.
40:29And I think it gives the Giants fans some hope of something that's fun to watch.
40:33You know, him and Jackson Dart last year, like, oh, I'm excited about something now.
40:37We might not win a bunch of games, but at least it's fun to watch, you know, watch these guys go out there and the way they play.
40:45You know, they actually won some games that were a surprise.
40:48I think they beat the Eagles last year. I think that was the one that was like, oh, wait a minute.
40:53They might have something going on. And now bringing in hardball.
40:56So, I think that's going to definitely help them out.
40:59As far as Scatterbill, like, yeah, what's that backfield going to be?
41:02Because I know he came in, was splitting, and then started getting some opportunities later on.
41:06Off the injury. I'm definitely not high on him at all.
41:09Like, I'm not saying go out and get him.
41:11I know we were talking about the point for touch.
41:14I'm not saying this is a good candidate for it.
41:17But I'm just more intrigued as a viewer than maybe in a fantasy.
41:20Fair enough. All right. So, my producers are telling me we need to go to the speed run because we have so many questions for you, Austin.
41:27Sorry. Sorry. I got too much. My bad. No, it's all good.
41:31But I want to get through them. Like, let's talk about Devon Achan in Miami now.
41:35Awesome running back, obviously. But, you know, we're not excited about the pieces around him.
41:39Do we think this Miami offense is going to be good enough for Achan to be a top-10 fantasy running back to deliver an RB1 season?
41:46One of my concerns about Malik Willis is that in his three starts, again, and we've got small sample size, but in
41:52his three starts with Green Bay, Malik Willis saw 20% of his team's rushing attempts, 42% of the red zone attempts.
41:57And, again, not a guy that throws to the running back a lot because he's much more likely to sort of duck and run.
42:04On the other hand, you know, you're looking around.
42:06What do they have? It feels like this offense is going to run through Devon Achan.
42:10Well, I had to look up who their quarterback was, not going to lie.
42:14I'm just saying, hey, look, I don't know every single X and O out there.
42:18So when I saw Willis, I was like, oh, no.
42:21Like, yeah, because when you get these runners, like kind of like a, oh, my goodness, what's his name?
42:26Like a Justin Fields type where it's like, I'm running before anything.
42:29Right? I'm taking off. I trust my legs. I can put it.
42:32I can keep the ball out of harm's way.
42:34I don't have to throw it. I can run.
42:37It just, I think, destroys the opportunity on the upside.
42:39And Achan, great player. But that quarterback position, everything runs through that.
42:43And so if you have a runner, and I really don't like the quarterback situation for a running back over there in Miami.
42:49So I'm going to say I don't think he's going to be in that top 10.
42:53I don't think the opportunity is there. Well, I agree with you.
42:56I'm at running back 12. I mean, I'm lower on consensus with him.
43:00I'm in my dynasty team. So I hope I'm wrong about this.
43:03But yeah, he's currently going as running back seven.
43:05I appreciate that. And I'm at running back 12.
43:08So I agree with you. I don't have him as a top 10 fantasy running back this year.
43:12Let's talk about Arizona and Jeremiah Love. You know, there's so many comparisons to Ashen Genty because here's a guy that, you
43:18know, considered generational talent, comes out, obviously, significant draft capital.
43:21We talk about running backs getting paid. You know, a running back going third overall in the NFL draft, kind of crazy.
43:27And it was obviously interesting given Arizona's commitment that they, you know, they already signed Tyler Algier.
43:31James Conner is still there. Trey Benson's still there.
43:34Like, they've got a robust running back room. What do you think the workload?
43:37So my specific question is for Jeremiah Love, his rookie year.
43:40What are your expectations for him this year as a rookie, especially around his workload?
43:44Is this a guy that we think is going to be like an every down back?
43:49Or, again, you look at that full running back room and you're like, I don't know if he's getting, you know, more than that.
43:55I don't think he needs to be. He doesn't need to be a full down back.
43:59He's got Tyler Algier. You don't need. Here's the thing.
44:02You can be, you can be a stud and still have an opportunity to have someone else that's taken some of that, the backfield snaps.
44:09And I know from a fantasy point, that sucks.
44:11But from a longevity point for your team, it's important.
44:14And I think good coaches that have that opportunity will take advantage of that.
44:17And I think Arizona does with Tyler Algier. They have Conner that's been doing it for a long time.
44:22Obviously, he's taking a little bit more of a backseat now with the new guys coming in.
44:27Jeremiah Love, though, you take him number three overall, he's got to play.
44:30Number three overall, you got to play. We're paying you to play.
44:33And look, these GMs, they are prideful in their draft picks.
44:36They want to see their draft picks play. And so especially number three overall, 100% going to be getting some snaps.
44:42I think it's going to be maybe a little tandem there for a while.
44:46And then maybe one of those guys kind of prevails as themselves as the true kind of, you know, 60% of the carry guy.
44:52And maybe the other guys are like 40 and a 10 type of opportunity.
44:56We'll see. But I think, yeah, there's opportunity for him to play.
44:59But I don't think he's going to be the number one guy.
45:02I don't think, like I said, I don't think he needs to be.
45:06Yeah, I think you're right. My theory on him is he's going to be similar to Jameer Gibbs' rookie year.
45:11Remember when the Lions took Gibbs, I think, 12th overall?
45:14And everyone was like, oh, Dave Montgomery's done. And then you're like, no, guys.
45:17They still want Montgomery between the tackles. Gibbs is a special player.
45:21But Gibbs is going to get like 13 to 15 touches a game.
45:24And that's what ended up happening that year until Montgomery got hurt.
45:27And then Gibbs proved he could handle a big workload.
45:30But I think that's what happens with Love early in the season, first half of the year, is that 13 to 15
45:36touches, which, by the way, to your point, he's an electric player.
45:39They'll use him in the passing game. They'll try to figure out ways to get him the ball in space.
45:44But like the idea that he's coming in and being a 20-touch, 25-touch guy, I don't think that's correct.
45:49But also to your point, he's special enough that he doesn't need to be.
45:53Well, it's not that he's special enough. It's that they have the situation in the running back room where he doesn't need to be.
45:59Because they have guys that have done it. They've got guys that have produced.
46:03So Tyler O'Geele's been a solid guy when he was out in Atlanta, right?
46:07So like, oh, hey, we have a guy that we know has proven.
46:10James Conner's been the workhorse for them. So they have guys they trust on that team.
46:15And so now we have a rookie coming in.
46:17You don't have to put the pressure of, you've got to be the man right now.
46:21Because that's the pressure on all rookies. Look, some can handle it.
46:24Some do better with it. But you're still a rookie.
46:27You're still trying to figure it out regardless of how well you can handle it.
46:31You've got to figure out the speed of the game.
46:34This guy hasn't touched the field in a game like Opportunity.
46:37And as rookies, you can get as prepared as you possibly can.
46:40But once you get into the real stuff, it's way different because it moves quicker.
46:44You're getting real reps. You're going to the ground now.
46:46You've got to get up. What's the play? What's the checks?
46:49All these things that play into your upside. And I think a rookie year is the hardest year in the NFL.
46:55So having these other compliments is great. Which I think you're correct in saying that Gibbs opportunity doesn't mean you can't have a great year still.
47:02It just means you might not see that early on because coaches are still trying to get you acclimated to the game.
47:08Yeah, by the way, this is why I'm at running back 13.
47:11You and I are on the same page as it relates to Jeremiah Love.
47:15Special player, but I think, again, more of a high-end RB2 than an RB1 this year.
47:19I just mentioned David Montgomery. Austin, we talk a lot about in fantasy football, or at least I do, that fantasy success comes from two things.
47:26Talent, but also opportunities. We talked about with you, you're looking for the right opportunity.
47:30You want to make sure that you're being used in a way that puts you in a best chance of success.
47:35Does Dave Montgomery, to me, Dave Montgomery, has an incredible opportunity in Houston.
47:39They struggled to run the ball last year. We love Nick Chubb, but just didn't seem like Nick looked like the Nick Chubb of old.
47:45Woody Marks didn't feel like he could be an every down back.
47:49And so they go out, they get David Montgomery, and now he's got an opportunity to be the lead back on a
47:54team that I think wants to run the ball and is going to be a pretty good offense.
47:59So I'm curious where you see David Montgomery this year.
48:02Yeah, I think he's got everything. It's his room to lose, in my opinion.
48:06Like, he could be the workhorse. He could be the three down back, first, second, third down, all backs.
48:11I think he's, or downs. I think he's going to be the guy unless he's hailing off.
48:15So I think it's in his hands. What is David going to do?
48:19I think he has an opportunity to be a guy that actually moves up because of his opportunity over there where it's
48:24like, okay, we have guys that, yeah, have played the game.
48:27Some young guys in the room as well. But this is for you, David.
48:31Like, we brought you in to be the workhorse guy.
48:34You know, and if you hold that reputation and stay with that, here's what I love.
48:38I love new contracts on a new team. Fresh energy coming in, still young, still kind of in that era of like,
48:44okay, still kind of on the back end of his prime.
48:47Perfect opportunity for you to have an upside and go have your career year.
48:51So I think there's an opportunity for him to really pop up this year and even pop into the top 10.
48:56I think there's an opportunity there. The offense, we'll see, you know, how quarterback.
49:00CJ Stroud, yeah. How CJ Stroud does this year because I, we'll see.
49:03But I think there's an opportunity for Dave Montgomery to actually pop into the top 10 this year.
49:08That's kind of like my sleeper if you want to have one out there.
49:12I like it. Regular Rudy says, Dave Montgomery saved my marriage, which is a story I'd like to hear more about.
49:17Regular Rudy for sure. Austin, I'm sure you've saved many marriages, just like you've saved fantasy teams.
49:22But to your point, Houston was eighth in running back rush attempts last season, but just 27th in running back fantasy points.
49:28So the opportunity was there. The production wasn't. So there's a real opportunity for Dave Montgomery to come in.
49:33Obviously, he's not going to get the passing down work.
49:35But you mentioned or you sort of hinted at CJ Stroud's struggles last year.
49:39They want to take pressure off of him. They want to run the ball.
49:43And so I think, again, is Montgomery going to be the most efficient running back?
49:47No, he's not. You see it there on your screen.
49:50He's my running back 21. But I do think he's a good sleeper at least 1,100 yards from scrimmage.
49:55Each of his past five seasons that he's had at least 220 attempts.
49:58He's just somebody that like no one in your draft is going to be like, oh, man.
50:03You know what I mean? Like he's not a sexy sleeper.
50:05He's not, you know, when somebody takes Jordan Tyson, they're going to be like, oh, good pick.
50:10No one's going to do that about Dave Montgomery.
50:12And yet you're going to look up. He's like James Conner was for years and years and years.
50:17He's going to go too low for what the value of the return.
50:21And I think he's kind of this unsexy player that's going to have a real opportunity and fantasy success in Houston.
50:26Speaking about a guy that had a bunch of fantasy success two years ago, tough year last year, and that's Bucky Irving.
50:32Do you think Bucky Irving can regain the role he had as a rookie?
50:36They signed Kenneth Gainwell to a nice deal, Austin, in Tampa Bay.
50:39We like that offense. I'm curious what you're hearing out of Tampa Bay and your thoughts on Bucky Irving going into the year.
50:45Well, you got Bucky on a rookie deal. So you have some money in the running back room that you still can throw around a little bit.
50:52So, look, he got hurt last year. Injuries are going to kill any fantasy season, unfortunately.
50:57I've been through that, no matter your expectations. But you can't judge on injuries.
51:00That's not how you – if you did that, well, that's a different conversation.
51:04Anyway, I think you got to look it upside.
51:06You can look at Christian and all that stuff.
51:09Yeah, yeah, yeah. But still, look what he does when he's healthy.
51:12Anyway, so I think for Bucky, I think it's still worth the risk of taking him a little bit earlier because I
51:18think he's going to be able to grab that spot back.
51:21Again, taking out the injuries, he's one of the better backs in the league if he can put the full season together.
51:27He showed that his rookie year. I think he's going to have an opportunity to bring – it's kind of almost like the David thing.
51:33It's his to lose. And you can lose it either by playing not well or by injury.
51:38And so I think for Bucky, I think he's going to be in a position where, yeah, he's going to be right
51:44there, have an opportunity to get back on the field, get back on his feet, get that roll back.
51:49And then I remember we were playing him in Tampa.
51:51Bucky, Bucky. They got the Bucky chance. I think we're going to hear the Bucky chance going back in Tampa Bay.
51:57Here's some cannons going off for him and getting in the end zone.
52:00So I think he's going to be back in that spot.
52:03Yeah. Berkson Flannels asks, how much does Gainwell eat into Irving's value?
52:06It is worth noting that, you know, basically in games in which – for his career, short, small sample size.
52:12But in games in which he sees a single-digit target share, Bucky Irving averages under 12 fantasy points per game.
52:17So not surprisingly, it's a stat that just tells you what you know instinctively.
52:21When he's more involved in the passing game, it's better for his fantasy value.
52:25We know Gainwell's a good pass catcher. But I will tell you this.
52:28It's interesting. I spoke to a very good Tampa Bay source last week who told me, like, they're using Gainwell between the tackles.
52:34Like, I don't think Gainwell's going to be just like a pure third down back, only passing downs.
52:39Like, I think they're going to mix and match a little bit.
52:42But Raise the Flags also says, like, what about Bucky or Gainwell at cost?
52:46So two questions. How much does Gainwell eat into Bucky's fantasy value, Austin?
52:49And who would you prefer at cost? And I'll give you the exact cost right here.
52:53I'll look up the most latest ADP while you answer the Gainwell question.
52:57Yeah, so here's how I see it. If you don't come out and show that you're one of these elite guys immediately,
53:03I think GMs are looking, okay, how can we, like I say, Quan, like a Derrick Henry, I think teams are looking
53:09for, okay, how can we kind of supplement our backfield?
53:11How can we get guys that can take on some of the role where maybe you're not the best at?
53:17Or just can add some more depth to our backfield.
53:19If you have a guy that can be a staple guy, 100% that you're going to see the low.
53:24Again, it doesn't mean you can't be that guy.
53:27Like, you can't be that guy for your team.
53:29It means you might not be in the top 10, in my opinion.
53:33But for cost, I don't know. I don't know what the cost is at, you know.
53:37Well, I'm going to tell you. So Bucky's going in like the fifth, sixth round, going in that area.
53:42Gainwell's going in the 10th, 11th round. I think the upside for Bucky Irvin to get back in that role and take
53:48on that starting job is worth the cost there in the fifth, sixth round.
53:51That's what I would say. I think there's an opportunity for him to get back.
53:55Again, last year we saw the regression because he missed like seven games.
53:59And he's playing through injury. It's not like you come back and you're all of a sudden 100% healthy.
54:04Like, you're probably like 70% and that's good enough.
54:06You're back on the field. So you're going to have a regression.
54:10I had that, I think, 2023 high ankle sprain, game one.
54:12And all of a sudden I come back in like three, four weeks.
54:16I'm still dealing with it, right? So just realize, hey, coming off of a fresh year, opportunity to go and actually be that role again, be that guy.
54:23So I would take him. Yeah, I like him there in the fifth, sixth round.
54:27100%. Stuntman Chuck says if his name wasn't Gainwell, coaches wouldn't love him so much.
54:31Like if his name was like no yards or more, you know, than, you know, right?
54:36Or run for less. No gain or run for less.
54:38They wouldn't love him as much. But because it's Gainwell, they like him.
54:42That's Stuntman Chuck. A couple last questions for you and then we'll get you out of here.
54:46I want to talk about former commander Chris Rodriguez, C-Rod, now in Jacksonville with Bashal Tootin.
54:50Is Bash, you know, reunited with Liam Cohen, right?
54:53You know, they were together in Kentucky, C-Rod and head coach Liam Cohen.
54:56But Bashal Tootin, we all love Bashal Tootin. So my question to you very simply, is Bashal Tootin more likely to be
55:02a breakout or a bust this year? Oh, oh, I think, yeah.
55:05Bringing C-Rod. Look, C-Rod is kind of like a sleeper back.
55:08Like he's one of these guys that you bring in and you put him on the field.
55:13I did not see bad tape at all from C-Rod when he was out there.
55:17Like he is a absolute downhill running through guys type back.
55:20Because of that, I think he's going to earn some keep over there.
55:23So I hate the word bust because it means like you're terrible, you know, so that's a little aggressive.
55:28But I'm going to say, yeah, it's definitely not a bust, but I'm not taking him highly.
55:33I'm not taking Bashal, you know. Yeah, I think people are sleeping on, you know, just Chris Rodriguez.
55:37Again, he's going to be a nothing in the past.
55:40Rightfully so, though. Let me say that, though. Let me jump in there.
55:44Rightfully so. He was a number three for us.
55:46Yeah. And so, look, we had some injuries, things like that.
55:49He started getting some reps. And so he kind of went under the radar.
55:53People would be like, who the heck is this C-Rod guy?
55:56Right? He has no like national, you know, recognition out there.
55:58So 100% going to be a sleeper. But as someone who's played with him, Duke can play.
56:03That's why he got signed for, I think it was like two for 10 or whatever it was.
56:08Yeah. And so I think, yeah, he's going to 100% have a role.
56:11And I think it's going to, again, like some of these tandem backfields that we see out there, it's going to be like that is what I see.
56:19Yeah, no, I think you're right. Listen, he was a number three for you guys, for the commanders, rightfully so.
56:24He's somebody that spent some time on practice squads.
56:26I know that you're, you're, you're, you know, vouching for his ability, which is great.
56:30I think the argument here is less about can Chris Rodriguez be a viable starter in fantasy, but is Chris Rodriguez good
56:36enough to get enough run that it limits what Bashaw Tootin gets to do?
56:40And I think that's, that's, I think what you're saying is, is like, listen, the ball, the guy can absolutely ball.
56:46There's a reason that Jacksonville went out, got him, paid him, you know, reunited him with Liam Cohen, because he clearly knows
56:51the offense and there's a comfort level there. And so, you know, he's not a guy that's going to sit around hoping
56:57that somebody gets hurt, that he's going to have enough of a role that we think.
57:01I do, I do think that, yes. Yeah. And I have, so I'm at running back 24 Tootin, you know, I'm as kind of a flex play.
57:09All right. Last question before we have last call.
57:11I want to talk to you about our, the commanders.
57:14Megan wants to know, have you ever considered changing the pronunciation of your name?
57:17Like Devon A-chain went to A-chan. And Etienne is like apparently A-chan now too, or something like that.
57:22Although the brother is still Etienne. I'm thinking about being Matthew Bure, instead of Barry.
57:26Wow. Wow. Well, if you don't change your last name, I still think you should try the mustache at least.
57:32Come on. Absolutely. Anytime I can get more hair on my, my head, I can, I need to do that.
57:37Because it's escaping at a fast rate. You know, people already changed my last name.
57:41People already changed it for me, right? I get the Ekeler.
57:44It's pronounced Ekeler. It's just one, one Ekeler, right?
57:46Ekeler is the one I hear a lot. So look, no.
57:49What would I change? I need a meme. How good are your producers?
57:53I need a meme. Let me get a meme up there on the screen.
57:56Come on. They'll figure it out. They'll figure it out.
57:59All right. So let's go to the commanders. Let's go to your former team.
58:03I want to see how you feel this backfield plays out this year.
58:06What do we expect for JCM? What did you see from Ja'Cory Krosky-Meritt last year when you guys were on the team together?
58:12Rashad White from the Buccaneers is now over there.
58:15Jeremy Nichols is still on the team. Like, talk to me about this commander's backfield.
58:19And what do you expect under David Blau, that new offense coordinator as well?
58:22You get in the committee, but I think, I think Bill, he goes by Bill, you know.
58:27Yeah, I know. Yep, Bill. I think he's going to be that kind of the, what Brian Robinson was when I was there.
58:33You know, like he's the guy, he's the guy, kind of like the starter, right, on paper.
58:37And then you're going to have guys that come and supplement.
58:40I think you have Jeremy McNichols. You mentioned him.
58:43He was great on third down last year. And, you know, with that backfield, they love to rotate guys.
58:48That's how it goes. They'll rotate guys on first, third, second down.
58:51Offense is different. So it could be different. It 100% could be different.
58:54I'm not in the room anymore over there, so I can't tell.
58:58But it's kind of how I see it. We had a quarterback coach, kind of like a specialty coach that came from
59:03the same offensive kind of tree from last year.
59:06So I think you want to keep Jaden Daniels in a similar philosophy.
59:09You can change up the plays and stuff like that, but I think the philosophy is going to be the same.
59:15So I think for the backfield, you're still going to see that committee.
59:18So with Bill, it's hard for me to take a running back high out of the commander just because of how many they rotate.
59:25That's just going to be honest. I still think Bill can have a good season, but Coach Lynn over there as a
59:31running back coach just loves to rotate guys. And so I think that's going to be tough when it comes to the
59:36fantasy output that comes from that room. Yeah. Rashad White is kind of a trendy sleeper that I think he could be
59:42sort of – some people say he could be this year's Rashad White, a guy that no one is super excited about.
59:48But then you look up and all of a sudden, next thing you know, the guy's got double-edged touchdowns and he's –
59:54I know he's like sort of a – kind of a pros pro solid guy.
59:58But we're all excited about the possibility of Bill.
60:00I agree with you. I think this is a committee where Bill is at the head of the committee.
60:05Yeah. Well said. Well said. All right. It is time for last call.
60:09I want to get your regular season rushing yards leader pick.
60:12But before we do that, Austin, I want to talk to you about Fantasy Royale.
60:16Tell me about this. So, I mean, you've been a fantasy player.
60:19You've been a fantasy stalwart. And now you're a fantasy game owner.
60:22Talk to me about Fantasy Royale and how people can get involved with it.
60:26Absolutely. So what I decided was everyone thinks they're good at fantasy or has like a group chat that they might be the best in.
60:33So I was like, you know what? Who's actually good?
60:35So how can we do this? So I'm starting my own league where everyone can play.
60:39And let me put this out there. It's not traditional fantasy football like we know it.
60:44This is what I call a fantasy sports league.
60:46Meaning you have a few different competitions that you play in that test different skills.
60:50Like knowing who's going to win games, being able to pick players, things like that.
60:54Some pick-ems and stuff like that. And what this is going to do is put us all in one big fantasy league.
61:00We all play. And it's going to give us a ranking of the nation.
61:04And where you stand in the nation. So it's Fantasy Royale Sports.
61:07You can check us out. We have an app and fantasyroyalsports.com if you want to play.
61:11I'll be playing. Matthew and I have what's called a squad.
61:14So there's also a thing where you can compete as a group of four.
61:18So we have squads. Because as Fantasy, we love to have our group.
61:21This is my group. And so now we can all get together and see who has the best squad out there as well.
61:27So we're going to be able to see who is good at fantasy and actually the group.
61:32Who else is on our squad? It's me and you and who else.
61:35Like you even told me who else is on our squad.
61:38Or do we not need anyone else? We have.
61:41No, you got to have four. You got to have four.
61:44That's how it works. So we have Matt Harmon.
61:46Do you know who Matt Harmon is? Of course.
61:48I know Matt. Yeah, that's great. Then we also have Benchwarmer Brandon.
61:51Yeah, we love Benchwarmer Brandon. He's amazing. Yeah, so look, that's our squad right there.
61:55We got the dream team. Yeah. We got the dream team.
61:58It's going to be hard to beat us. And so we have to set the standard of what it is to be good at fantasy.
62:05You know, we got some stuff on the line here.
62:08So really our pride anyway. Everyone else got some great prizes.
62:11And I believe it's free to play, right? All free to play.
62:14Look, here's the thing. You can't put a barrier on the talent.
62:17So you can't make people come in and pay.
62:19Then it weeds everybody out. Everybody get in here because it's all about who's actually good.
62:24And that will pay you out in dividends later on.
62:26So we definitely have some prizes though. And so don't get me wrong.
62:30We got signed memorabilia. If you're the number one person in the nation, I have like game jerseys going out.
62:35We have a memorabilia brand that's given a bunch of signed memorabilia as well.
62:39Fantasy Royale sports. Check us out if you want to try to be the number one person in the world.
62:44Or look, we got some other leaderboards too. We have prizes for you can pick a fan base.
62:49So you're wearing a Chargers jersey. Let's say you want to compete against the Chargers fan base.
62:53If you're number one in the Chargers fan base, we have some Chargers memorabilia that you can win as well.
62:59So a bunch of great, great prizes. One of my favorite contests that we have is what I call a touchdown challenge.
63:05You pick three players each week. If one of them scores a touchdown, you move on to the next week.
63:10If they don't, then you're out. Right? So we have survivors.
63:13We have some weekly challenges. So it's going to be a lot of fun.
63:17It's a switch up. It's a switch up from traditional fantasy.
63:19It's good to always, you know, have a little kink in there just to keep it interesting.
63:24So fantasy Royale sports. I love it. I'm excited to do it.
63:27It sounds like we've got a great squad. Fantasy Royale games, Austin.
63:30We've talked about it privately. I'm excited for you.
63:33It's a lot of fun. I'm a big believer in, in like, you know, expanding the fantasy sports and fantasy football universe.
63:39And so you guys are doing a lot of fun games.
63:42Obviously we're doing it at Fantasy Life with guillotineleagues.com.
63:44Try guillotineleagues.com. Also free to play. It's a really fun way, really fun way to play.
63:48We're going to get Austin in a league this year.
63:51So, oh, what, how about, they're saying, what about E.
63:53Claire? E. Claire for your last name. Not bad.
63:56Ah, that's, that's crazy. With the hat, with the toupee I got up on there.
64:00Austin E. Claire. Yeah. They gave you, yeah, that's, they did you wrong, to be honest with you.
64:05They did you wrong. Yeah. Hey, let's shout out to the producer, whoever that was.
64:09I asked that. I challenged them. So they, they trolled me a little bit.
64:12I get that. I get that. That's good. But that mustache is nice though.
64:16I could probably actually grow that to be honest.
64:18So. Yeah. I don't think I could. Yeah. I have some talents in this world growing hair.
64:23Clearly not one of them. All right. It is finally last call, my friend.
64:27Who leads the regular season in rushing yards? Which run?
64:29Oh my God. I forgot. I will tell you, I will tell you that the current, the current betting favorites are Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry.
64:36And you got James Cook, Jameer Gibbs, Bijan Robinson, Saquon Barkley, Devon A.
64:40Chan, Javante Williams. So Jonathan Taylor's, Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry both plus 600.
64:43Cook is plus 650. Gibbs is plus 700. Bijan's also plus 700.
64:47Seven to one. Saquon's 10 to one. Hmm. What's Omari and Hampton?
64:50Omari and Hampton is 25 to one. Look. I like that.
64:53The man loves running the ball. This man runs the ball so much.
64:56It kind of, it kind of makes me salty because I loved catching the ball over there in the charges.
65:02Yeah. It runs so much. I'm going with Omari and I'm going to throw, I'm going to throw the philosophy of hardball
65:07wanting to run the ball a ton. Omari and young guy runs the rock for them over there.
65:12Runs hard. Opportunity to actually have a great season this year.
65:15If he stays healthy, I'm going to go with Omari and shout out to the chargers.
65:19By the way, I absolutely love that call. Yeah.
65:22Omari and Hampton was my ride or die last year, Austin.
65:25So again, never wrong. Just early. Just early. I think Hampton has a monster year this year.
65:29He was really good last year when he was healthy.
65:32He just, it was, you know, the line got beat.
65:34I, you know, I had to announce it before.
65:37And anyway, what are you going to do? Um, you know what, um, uh, my, my pick I'm going with, I'm going
65:43to go with, uh, my pick for rushing leader this year.
65:46God, I hate going chalk with Jonathan Taylor, but I think there's a reason why he's the favorite.
65:50Um, but I'll, I'll get, you know what I'll give, um, I'll give one that is, uh, I'll go Kyron Williams.
65:56I'm going to go Kyron Williams. Hey, I like it.
65:5922 to one. Um, as well. I know everyone's all worried about Blake Corum, but you know, in a world where the
66:05Rams who are just so loaded, blow everyone out.
66:07I could just see him getting a ton of work, uh, down the stretch just, you know, as they're, they're up in games and everything like that.
66:14And, uh, so yeah, I'll just, I'll take Kyron Williams just to get it.
66:18My guess is Jonathan Taylor does it, but if I have to take one, it's, uh, you know, longer odds.
66:23Sure. Sure. I don't, I don't mind Kyron. Again, one of those things where, Hey, you're playing well, you're going to get, you're getting the lion's share, right?
66:31Blake's going to come in and sure, you know, he's got all these footwork videos and stuff like that, you know, he's out there doing his thing, but.
66:38Uh, you know, we'll see when it actually comes to actually playing.
66:41Cause if I think it's Kyron's room right now.
66:44And if, if he plays well, he's going to get all that lion's share of work.
66:48Fantastic. Well, Austin, this is so great. Thank you so much.
66:51Please welcome back. Good luck figuring out, uh, all the opportunities that are coming your way.
66:55I'm excited about our fantasy Royale squad. Um, thank you again for your continued support of fantasy life, fantasylife.com for everything I need.
67:01If you want to go to fantasylife.com and get our tools, fantasy life plus 37 different tools that are behind the wall
67:07that can help you win 10% off using the promo code Barry B E R R Y.
67:12But, uh, unbelievable tools award winning tools. Again, 37 different ones, uh, that'll help you win.
67:16Go sign up for a guillotine leagues.com. Um, and as the kids say, please like, and subscribe to, uh, this show, both as a podcast and as YouTube.
67:23So, uh, Austin, funny picture or something. Yeah, exactly.
67:26Um, and it's close. I appreciate you. I appreciate you, my brother.
67:29Uh, listen, it's close in time, which means you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.
67:34We are back tomorrow noon Eastern with Connor Rogers and NBC reunion and Trevor Sikama, the, the NFL stock exchange guys tomorrow.
67:40We're talking rookies all tomorrow noon Eastern on fantasy football happy hour for Austin Eckler.
67:44I'm Matthew Barry. Peace out.
