The Top 10 Fantasy Football Wide Receivers for 2026!
STACKED extracted the fantasy-relevant player signal from this podcast and kept the full transcript here for context.
38 min
Duration
Estimated from transcript
Aug 5, 2026
Published
Wed, August 5, 2026
25
Player insights
23
Players mentioned
Topics
Emeka EgbukaLuther BurdenA.J. BrownAmon-Ra St. BrownBijan RobinsonCarnell TateCeeDee LambChristian McCaffreyDeebo SamuelDeVonta SmithDrake LondonGeorge PickensGreg DulcichJa'Marr Chase
Player analysis
Player insights
A.J. Brown
PositiveProjection21:44
The source ranks A.J. Brown as their WR3, arguing he is being drafted too late. The move to Drake Maye—described as the best downfield thrower in the league—combined with Josh McDaniels' history of producing elite WR1s, suggests Brown could have the best season of his career.
Insight pageAmon-Ra St. Brown
NegativeProjection27:02
While the source acknowledges Amon-Ra St. Brown as the 'PPR king,' they anticipate some target dilution due to the emergence of Jameson Williams and the return of Sam LaPorta. Despite this, he remains a top-10 lock due to his extreme consistency.
Insight pageBijan Robinson
PositiveValue6:48
The source identifies Bijan Robinson as one of the top two fantasy players this year, noting his massive contract and the correlation between his real-life performance and fantasy success.
Insight pageCarnell Tate
PositiveBreakout19:17
The source projects Carnell Tate as a top-10 receiver, citing his talent, route running, and the lack of competition in the Titans' receiving corps. The main risks identified are quarterback Cam Ward's inconsistency and the poor offensive line.
Insight pageCeeDee Lamb
PositiveProjection25:45
The source expects CeeDee Lamb to bounce back and crack the top 10, noting he only played 14 games last year. The source views him as the primary beneficiary of the expected regression in the Cowboys' passing game hierarchy.
Insight pageChristian McCaffrey
PositiveProjection15:26
Despite the 49ers' injury woes, Christian McCaffrey remains the only healthy key player. The source notes that Deebo Samuel playing running back could potentially hoard touchdowns, which is a negative factor for McCaffrey's ceiling.
Insight pageDeebo Samuel
NegativeUsage16:36
Deebo Samuel is expected to see snaps at running back, which the source views as a negative for rookie Kalen Ballage and potentially for Christian McCaffrey's touchdown volume.
Insight pageDeVonta Smith
NegativeValue9:56
DeVonta Smith is considered overpriced by the source, who doubts he is a true WR1. He is currently dealing with a hamstring injury, though the source is less concerned about his long-term outlook than Lemon's.
Insight pageDrake London
NegativeProjection28:30
The source is conflicted on Drake London, citing immense talent but significant concerns regarding the quarterback situation in Atlanta. With injury risks surrounding the QB room, the source suggests London might be a better target for 2027, though he remains a top-tier talent who can produce despite poor QB play.
Insight pageEmeka Egbuka
NegativeInjury12:09
Emeka Egbuka missed practice on August 3rd due to soreness. The source is not concerned, viewing it as likely rest rather than a serious issue.
Insight pagePositiveBreakout30:33
The source is extremely high on Emeka Egbuka, projecting him as a top-5 WR. With Mike Evans gone and Chris Godwin aging, Egbuka is positioned as the clear WR1. The source highlights his 127 targets last year as evidence of his potential and prefers him over several higher-ranked receivers.
Insight pageGeorge Pickens
NegativeBust24:58
The source warns that George Pickens is a major bust candidate, labeling his previous season as an anomaly that is not duplicatable. Concerns include character issues, a lack of long-term contract security, and a high ADP that the source feels is unjustified for a WR2.
Insight pageGreg Dulcich
NegativeInjury12:16
Greg Dulcich did not participate in practice on Monday due to an undisclosed injury. The source does not view this as a major concern at this stage of the preseason.
Insight pageJa'Marr Chase
PositiveProjection35:57
The source ranks Ja'Marr Chase as the WR1, noting that while an improved Bengals defense might reduce the need for fourth-quarter passing volume, his talent and connection with a healthy Joe Burrow keep him at the top of the rankings.
Insight pageJahmyr Gibbs
PositiveBreakout8:30
The source suggests Jahmyr Gibbs is poised to reset the market, positioning him as a high-upside player following the recent running back contract trends.
Insight pageJordyn Tyson
PositiveSleeper25:05
The source prefers Jordan Tyson over Carnell Tate, describing him as big and explosive. He is viewed as a potential WR1 for his team by mid-October, especially given Chris Olave's injury history.
Insight pageJustin Jefferson
NegativeProjection0:29
The source highlights Justin Jefferson as a cautionary tale for relying on consensus rankings, noting he finished outside the top 20 (around 21st) last year despite being a consensus pick.
Insight pageKalen Ballage
NegativeRole16:40
Kalen Ballage's fantasy outlook is negatively impacted by Deebo Samuel's expected usage at running back and his own recent injury status.
Insight pageLadd McConkey
PositiveValue19:06
The source is back on the Ladd McConkey train, citing a much better situation than last year. Key factors include Mike McDaniel's offensive scheme, the departure of Keenan Allen, and a healthy offensive line featuring Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. The source views him as a PPR monster and a safety net for Herbert.
Insight pageLuther Burden
PositiveProjection18:23
The source projects Luther Burden has top-10 PPR potential, noting he could lead the league in receptions. The departure of DJ Moore creates a significant volume void, and the source expresses confidence in Caleb Williams' ability to deliver the ball effectively.
Insight pagePositiveBreakout28:08
Luther Burden is ranked as a top-10 PPR receiver by the source, who highlights his role in Ben Johnson's offense, his efficiency (leading rookies in yards per route run), and his potential to lead the league in receptions.
Insight pageMakai Lemon
NegativeInjury9:51
Makai Lemon is dealing with a hamstring injury as of August 4th. The source expresses concern regarding his development, as he needs reps with Jalen Hurts to get comfortable, and explicitly states they are not drafting him.
Insight pageMike Evans
NegativeBust13:20
The source labels Mike Evans a 'do not draft' candidate, citing his age, injury history (specifically a recent quad/calf strain), and skepticism regarding his signing with the 49ers.
Insight pagePuka Nacua
PositiveProjection35:02
The source views Puka Nacua as a mid-first-round pick with significant upside, especially if Davante Adams misses time. While acknowledging off-field concerns, the source emphasizes that Nacua's talent is undeniable and his touchdown equity increases when Adams is off the field.
Insight pageTre Harris
PositiveSleeper19:48
The source is a strong advocate for Trey Harris as a value stash. With Keenan Allen gone, the source believes the team trusts Harris over Quentin Johnston to step into a larger role, highlighting his great hands and status as a former top college prospect.
Insight pageFull transcript
Episode Transcript
0:00Welcome to the show, guys. Excited to talk Top 10 Wide Receivers.
0:03I've got the wild and wonderful Walter on. That's a new name for you.
0:07Wild and wonderful Walter, man. What do you think of that one?
0:11You know what? I was kind of tired this morning, feeling sluggish.
0:14Now I'm hearing I'm wild. I'm wired up, man.
0:16I'm ready to go. Let's talk Top 10 Receivers.
0:19We're talking 10 Receivers, Top 10, but this is non-consensus, okay?
0:22So we've left a couple big names out, factoring a regression.
0:25Now some people say, well, Joe, why aren't you doing the whole consensus thing?
0:29Well, last year, guess who was in the consensus that conceived this?
0:32Justin Jefferson. And guess where Justin Jefferson finished? Outside the top 20.
0:36I think it was 21st or something like that.
0:38So it's not how they finished last year. It's how they're going to finish this year.
0:43So it's projecting on who could crack the top 10.
0:45So we're going to have some fun here with this non-consensus list.
0:49Walter, I'm ready to dive in, man. I'm pumped up.
0:51Are you excited? August is here. This is it, man.
0:54Fantasy's back. Yeah, it's hard to believe it's August already.
0:57It just felt like the NFL draft was over.
1:00It's May. I'm like, oh, we got four more months until football.
1:03What do I do until then? But yeah, August is here.
1:06People are going to start drafting very soon. The first preseason game is tomorrow.
1:10How crazy is that? No, granted, it's a Hall of Fame game, but still, it's real football.
1:15We get to watch it. We get to see Haynes King run around.
1:18I'm excited for it. Wild, wild and ready. A couple announcements.
1:21We're going to get to the latest news and notes here with our friend, Breaking Brad, in a moment here.
1:27But I do want to tell you guys, right now, it is draft season.
1:31Enter the 16 rounds right now. I've linked it below.
1:34I've pinned the comment. Do not draft without 16 rounds.
1:36I'm telling you guys, you will be behind. Okay, so this is very important.
1:40Grab 16 rounds. I've linked it below. Pin comment or thefantasyfootballcounts.com.
1:43Sleepers, breakouts, optimal players, full mock drafts, everything you need.
1:46I literally hand you an optimal roster on a silver platter.
1:49So grab 16 rounds right now. You guys will not regret it.
1:52And turn on the bell here. We are going live.
1:55We're going to get Walter to join us at some point, but I'm live every single night.
2:00You can draft with me. All you got to do is sign up below, underdog, and just sign up, guys.
2:06Create an account. Use code Lion there as well.
2:08And sign up. And honestly, guys, we're going to draft every night at night.
2:12It's going to be a lot of fun because drafting is the best part of fantasy.
2:16And now you get to draft with the counselors.
2:19So turn on the bell here. Sign up to underdog.
2:22Use code Lion. That's it for announcements, Walter. I'm ready to dive in, man.
2:26I'm excited, man. Like, I'm pumped up. Fantasy football is here.
2:29Like, there's nothing else to say, right? Yeah, exactly.
2:31Yeah, we can. For months, we're like, oh, what's going to happen when the season starts?
2:36Whereas now we're a few weeks away. I saw Scott Hansen saying, like, oh, we're back in five weeks.
2:41I'm like, oh, my God. Like, that's it? So, yeah, we're right around the corner.
2:45And, yeah, in this list, we're going to talk about a guy.
2:48They're like, well, where is this? Well, if they've been watching you, they'll know.
2:52But people are tuning in. But, like, we're not going to go on consensus rankings.
2:56Like, if you want consensus rankings, just go to, like, other channels.
3:00Like, and you'll finish in seventh place or eighth place.
3:03So that's what you're into. You can go there.
3:05But, yeah, we're going to help you win with these rankings.
3:08You got to think outside the box in fantasy, and that's what we do.
3:12So without further ado, you know, people keep asking me, though, Walter.
3:15They're like, did Connor, the Kinsheepsis, and Brad make the trip down to Florida?
3:19Because for those who don't know, I'm in South Florida now, and I love it here.
3:24Just getting settled in. I still got box all around.
3:27I got to even, you know, get the studio set up here.
3:30It might be a little bit of an echo here because we just got in.
3:34So I've already got this set up. It's exciting.
3:37But, yes, yes, Breaking Brad is here. And guess what hasn't changed with Breaking Brad?
3:41His vocabulary. Like, there's nothing, nothing has changed. So without further ado, he's here.
3:45Breaking Brad, you've made it to Florida. It was a long trip.
3:48Mind you, he was a little hungover the whole trip because he kept drinking.
3:52Every time we had a rest area, he was out there drinking.
3:55I was driving, by the way. We don't do the Tony Romo here.
3:59You know, we just, we drink responsibly. So here's Breaking Brad.
4:02Where are you? We now have breaking news. Yeah, and the thing that's on top of the breaking news here is my
4:08friend Bijan, not really my friend, but my friend in fantasy.
4:11And this is what people say. This is the thing with fantasy, right?
4:15Right? Everybody says, well, like players say, well, I don't care about your fantasy.
4:19But he's like the top fantasy running back. That runs parallel with how they perform.
4:23So if they perform well in reality, that is parallel in line with fantasy.
4:27So fantasy players, NFL players should be excited to do well in fantasy because you do well in reality.
4:32Right? I don't think people realize that, Walter, do they?
4:35Yeah, some people don't. You know, I think a lot of people do.
4:38But you always have those negative Nancys, you know, like even in real life, you're like, oh, like they're like, how are you doing?
4:45Like, oh, I'm great. I got a promotion. They're like, eh, it could have been that great of a promotion.
4:51You know, like it feels like those are the sort of people who always say, like, I don't care about your fantasy.
4:57It's like, well, it does translate to real life, you know.
5:00So, yeah, he got this massive contract. He's been I mean, he's one of the top two fantasy players this year.
5:06So it's not a surprise that now he's the highest back of all time.
5:10But, you know, Jameer Gibbs right around the corner.
5:12I think he's been waiting for this. And, you know, he's got to be pretty happy today, too.
5:17Yeah, I think that Jameer Gibbs is going to reset the market.
5:20I mean, what Bayjan did was awesome. Three years, 75 million, 51 million dollars of that, I believe, is guaranteed.
5:26That's pretty phenomenal. He's a great talent. And like we talked about, I think before, the team isn't the greatest.
5:31Like, you know, I think they're a good team.
5:34I don't think they're going to be outstanding. He's the best player on the team.
5:38So he definitely deserves this. So congratulations to him.
5:41A couple of things to note here. This is this is crucial at the time of this recording.
5:46And again, we record this the day before. I'm going to release this the morning after we record it.
5:51But this was in the news yesterday. Makai Lemon hamstring is out of practice on Tuesday, August 4th.
5:56And so is Devontae Smith. Like, dude, this is good for their tight ends.
6:00This is good for maybe Barkley. But like Lemon, man, like I know you're not high on Mazayam.
6:05I think he's a great sleeper because with A.J.
6:07Brown being out there, there's a void. But both these guys out on hamstring.
6:11Thoughts on that? Well, luckily, it's the beginning of August.
6:14You know, they have time to recover. Unfortunately, you have when you have soft tissue injuries, they tend to linger, you know,
6:20especially when a player tries to come back. The good news is they don't need to try to come back like for maybe for Devontae Smith.
6:27It could just be like he just saw Mike Evans have the same thing.
6:31He's like, hey, you know what? Maybe I'll get an injury.
6:34So, you know, quote unquote injury. So I don't have to practice too much.
6:38Lemon, on the other hand, you know, he needs to develop reps with Jalen Hurts to get more comfortable.
6:44So if you're a Devontae Smith owner, I don't think you need to worry too much.
6:48If you're a Makai Lemon owner, then it is a bit of a worry.
6:52But like you said, I'm not in on Lemon at all.
6:55I've done like 110 or 120 drafts so far.
6:57I haven't drafted Lemon once. So I'm OK with this news.
7:01But yeah, I mean, well, this is a topic we'll talk about later for sure.
7:05I have a little stock in both Lemon and Smith.
7:08I think Smith is overpriced because I don't think he's a true one.
7:11I know maybe you're higher on him than I am.
7:14I'm just not. But I do have Jalen Hurts in my high stakes league.
7:18So I'm hoping, you know, maybe he rushes more with these guys out.
7:21I don't know. But it's going to be interesting to see how that plays out.
7:26A couple other things. There's some undisclosed injuries like or undisclosed non-participations.
7:29But Emeka Ibuka, my guy, did not practice Monday, August 3rd due to soreness.
7:33But there's also some other undisclosed stuff too. You know, like Dolphin's Titan Greg Dulcich undisclosed did not participate on Monday.
7:39Casey Concepcion suffered an apparent shoulder injury during practice on Monday.
7:42So this week has not been good. Kenny and Sadiq, a guy that I like, a sleeper, hernia, did not participate Monday because it's scheduled a day off.
7:50So a bunch of guys, I don't take some of this stuff too seriously.
7:53Like the fact that these guys are missing practice once they're in like early August.
7:58Not concerning. No, I'm not. I'm not concerned either.
8:00You know, when you have an older player like Mike Evans, like that, that I would be concerned about.
8:05But then again, I'm this another guy I'm not drafting either.
8:08But these undisclosed injuries, it could just be rest.
8:11And, you know, teams may not want to say, oh, this player is taking a rest day because it makes them sound lazy.
8:17You know, so it could just be that. I don't think it's too much of a concern.
8:22Now, if you have these players and like next week they're still not practicing, then you got to just be like, OK,
8:28maybe I need to add some on the waiver wire just to be sure.
8:32But if one or two days out this early in the month, I'm not worried.
8:36Yeah. And that was funny. Like it's not funny that he got hurt.
8:40But I mentioned I did a do not draft episode.
8:43Five players. Mike Evans was in there. I'm like, this guy's going to get hurt again.
8:47And then right after I released that episode, I think a day or so ago, a couple days ago, he got that
8:53calf or whatever, the quad strain or whatever it was.
8:56So, yeah, I don't trust like old players that should have retired on new teams.
9:00Like I think it's ridiculous. They even signed him for what they did.
9:04Like Mike Evans was done. I thought he was going to retire.
9:07Like I thought he was done. Like there's no chance that a team would be stupid enough to sign him.
9:13Sure enough, the 49ers, there they are. And they're injured all over.
9:16Like the crazy team. I don't like that organization anymore.
9:19Is any is anyone on a team healthy? I guess Debo is.
9:22He looks like a defensive tackle. So it's so hard to trust.
9:26Like somehow Christian McCaffrey is still the only guy who's not hurt.
9:29But like the odds that he's going to get hurt at some point, too.
9:33It makes me sad because I have some futures on the Niners to win the Super Bowl.
9:38Because I think they'd bounce back. Like given they had so many injuries last year, they still won 12 and 5.
9:43You know, so I think like, OK, maybe if they have a little bit more luck this year, then they can go win the whole thing.
9:51It's not looking good to maybe cash out of those.
9:53Yeah. And last thing I want to note a couple of days ago, they said that Debo Samuel is going to be playing running back.
10:00So that's not good news for the rookie Kalen Black.
10:03It's also not good news for CMC if that actually happens because he's going to come in there and hoard some touchdowns.
10:09We had that one year with Debo where he had like what, 10 touchdowns or something in the season.
10:15Like we don't want that if you're a CMC owner.
10:17Yeah. When James heard Kalen Ballage is dinged up, too.
10:20They have Debo. And like I said, he looks like a defensive tackle.
10:24Like he's really stocky right now. He's put on some weight.
10:27He can handle some carries, too. So another reason to take McCaffrey.
10:30We're talking running backs today. He would not be in the discussion.
10:33Yeah, for sure. All right. That's all I got for you guys.
10:37Let's get to these top 10 wide receivers, non-consensus style.
10:40If you guys are just joining, we're not doing consensus.
10:42We don't do that here because, again, it doesn't finish like that.
10:46I remember the year Michael Thomas had that good year.
10:49Everyone's like, yeah, we got to get Michael Thomas.
10:51You know, we got to draft him. I'm like, no, he's going to bust.
10:55And he busted. Never came back. Or Cooper Cup off his pinnacle year.
10:59Everyone drafted Cooper Cup. He fell off, got hurt.
11:01Things changed. So we're trying to adapt for that.
11:04All right. That's it for breaking news here. Breaking Brad.
11:06We now have breaking news. I love that. Like it's so cool because that anchor voice with that music, it just makes you feel very anchorman, doesn't it?
11:14I know. He didn't skip a beat coming down to America.
11:17You know, it's professionalism that is best. I think his voice would change with all the humidity in Florida.
11:22It would kind of affect his vocals a little bit like, you know.
11:26But no, not breaking Brad is still on point.
11:29That's what he gets paid for. All right. So make sure you guys join the All Access War Room.
11:34I've linked it below. If you want direct access to me, waiver wire starts and says, I've linked it below.
11:39All Access War Room, patreon.com forward slash FF counselor.
11:42All right. First one here. Again, you're going to shock people.
11:45I'm going to shock people. It wasn't on your list here.
11:48So we kind of took his five favorite players and my five wide receivers and kind of put this list together here
11:54and kind of it's a mashup of how it could finish.
11:57But I think Carnell Tate finishes as a top 10 receiver.
12:00The only caveat here is that it's Cam Ward.
12:03So we're kind of relying on Cam Ward. I've also been hearing Ileek Ayamanor, whatever his name is, was leading in targets
12:09a couple of days ago in practice. I still think Carnell Tate could be real special if given the volume.
12:15They've got no one else there. I don't think Ridley's going to do it.
12:18I don't think that Dyke guy is going to be doing it either.
12:22They call him Shimmery DK. Like where do you get DK?
12:25That DK is D-E-K-A-Y. It's Dike, D-I-K-E or Dike.
12:28One of the two, just like Mike. You don't call Michael Jordan Me-K Jordan.
12:31Like it's Mike. Or you don't call Nike. Hey, check out my new Nikes.
12:35No. So why would you call Shimmery Dyke DK?
12:38Like this is what I'm saying. Like it just annoys me with these names.
12:42I just pronounce them how they are. Don't you see Dyke when you look at that?
12:46I saw Dyke and I think that's why people were uncomfortable saying.
12:50I heard, honestly, I heard like three or four different fantasy podcasts.
12:53I don't know if I should say this word Dyke.
12:56These people are so weak. Like I don't know.
12:58I'll just say whatever I want, you know? Say what you want, man.
13:02That's why we don't have a filter over us or someone breathing down our neck.
13:06We're not going to. We don't like look at Ryan Clark, man.
13:09Like they were letting him get away with all the crappy talk and all that disgusting talk.
13:14And then they finally got rid of him. Good riddance.
13:17And that's why you got to have your own brand.
13:20It's way more powerful. So back to Carnell Tate, though.
13:22I like him. I think he's a smooth route runner.
13:25Great hands. Been doing well in camp so far.
13:28There's an opportunity for this guy to finish top 10.
13:31And I don't think he necessarily, there's a chance he might not, right?
13:34Just because there's so many other good receivers that could slide in there.
13:38And my only caveat is like the Cam Ward Titans offense.
13:41But first round draft capital. If the volume is there, which it should be.
13:45And the talent, which it is. There's no reason why this guy doesn't finish top 10.
13:49He could surpass so many other wide receivers that get to this.
13:52Any caveats with Carnell Tate talent wise? Again, because WalterFootball.com, if you have not bookmarked that page, head over there right now and do that.
13:59Because that's what they do best. They scout out these players.
14:03NFL draft is their forte. So Carnell Tate has a talent.
14:06How good is this guy? Well, I think he projects more as like a number two possession receiver.
14:11The problem is the Titans don't have a number one.
14:13So he kind of like fills into that role.
14:16They also have Wondell Robinson. I think that he could be a guy that Cam Ward just peppers and targets like over the middle of the field.
14:23So there's that. You know, Cam Ward is the issue.
14:26Well, there are two issues. One is Cam Ward.
14:29He did not play well last year. His first half of the year was awful.
14:33Second half of the year, he played a little bit better.
14:36But they played some soft opponents. So you kind of have to worry about, you know, his progression.
14:41Is he going to get better? I heard mixed reviews.
14:44Training camp, like some people said he struggled. Some people say better.
14:47We'll see. The second issue is the offensive line.
14:50I don't like Tennessee's offensive line at all. So if he doesn't have the protection, you know, it's going to be hard
14:56for him to go to Tate downfield. But, you know, Tate's a really good player.
15:00Obviously, he was drafted in the top ten. Personally, for me, if I'm drafting a rookie receiver, I actually have Jordan Tyson over Carnell Tate.
15:07I think Tyson, he's big and he's explosive. Like, he profiles more as the number one receiver.
15:12The problem is he has Chris Olave there. But Chris Olave is dealing with blood clots in his lungs.
15:17He has a concussion history that goes way back.
15:19If he gets another concussion, he's going to be out for at least a month.
15:24So I think Jordan Tyson could be a guy, you know, kind of like Emeka Ibuka last year.
15:29When I was saying that, like, Mike Evans gets hurt.
15:31Chris Godwin already hurt. Ibuka could be the receiver one there.
15:34I think there's a good chance Jordan Tyson's the receiver one at some point, maybe like mid-October or something.
15:40And then he just explodes. So I like Tyson a lot.
15:43That's another thing. I don't understand why they played Chris Olave.
15:46Like, there's so many receivers that shouldn't have got paid.
15:49Like, Christian Watson. I'm going to keep coming back to Alec Pierce.
15:52Alec Pierce should not have got paid. He's not even starting the season.
15:56Like, this is the type of stuff where I just hate to see money go out.
16:00Like, they could feed the homeless. They could help people.
16:03But they waste money on not even good talent.
16:05It blows my mind. And it reminds me of the first time I really picked up on this was probably around 2017-ish, give or take.
16:12And it was the year they paid Carson Wentz.
16:15I think it was like $127 million. I'm like, what are you doing?
16:18You know, we've seen Christian Kirk. Remember when they paid Christian Kirk that mega contract years ago?
16:23Like, what a waste of money. It just blows my mind, Walter, some of these guys getting paid.
16:28You know, what's crazy about the Wentz contract is that they gave him that huge deal.
16:33And then one month later, not exaggerating, one month later, they drafted Jalen Hurst in the second round.
16:38So, like, it's like they instantly regret it. They're like, what are we doing?
16:41We made a mistake. We have to get a new quarterback in, you know?
16:45Yeah, it's nuts, man. What a waste of money.
16:48All right, the next guy here, number nine here, is Luther Burden.
16:51And this is your guy here. I like him, too.
16:54I like the value. I think the talent is good.
16:57I'm already hearing reports that this guy is going to be the one.
17:00And I don't see any reason why. Why the fascination?
17:03Why are you so excited about Luther Byrd in the third?
17:06Yeah, a few reasons. First of all, on Ben Johnson's offense, always the slot receiver.
17:10He's even talked about that. Like, obviously, you had Amon Russ St.
17:14Brown with Detroit. But if you go beyond that, if you go before Ben Johnson was coaching the Lions, he's coaching the Dolphins.
17:20Jarvis Landry led the league in receptions. Like, Jarvis Landry.
17:23Like, Luther Byrd was drafted way before both these guys.
17:26He was taking early second round. I had him in the first round.
17:29He's a really good talent. He led all rookies last year in yards per route run.
17:34And so now he's going to be stepping into this full-time slot role.
17:37Remember, early last season, he wasn't doing that. I think he was slow to start in training camp.
17:42I think he was dinged up a little bit.
17:45And so that's why he didn't start right away.
17:47But then eventually he got on the field much more.
17:50And we saw what happened late in the season.
17:53Like, he was insane. Like, he won people the best ball tournaments.
17:56Like, his big week 17 was the reason why people won millions of dollars last year.
18:00And you're going to have this at a full-time role.
18:03And then also you have Roma Dunze saying that he's – he said it's the new normal for him being injured with his foot.
18:10Like, he said himself that he's not going to be 100% going forward.
18:14So, Luther Burden, for me, is the number one in Chicago.
18:17A very explosive offense with a decent offensive line.
18:19The quarterback in his third year. Cale Williams is going to keep you any better.
18:23So, I think there's so many positive things about Burden.
18:26It wouldn't shock me at all, given the history of Landry and St.
18:30Brown. If Burden led the league in receptions this year, I think he definitely belongs in the top 10 of these PPR rankings.
18:36Yeah, man. Tons to be excited about with Luther Burden, for sure.
18:39It's about situations sometimes. It's not just about, like, talents.
18:42It's about situations. And DJ Moore being gone, there's a huge void for him to fill.
18:47Tons of volume and opportunity. And Cale Williams, we know, has made some clutch throws.
18:51And he's capable. We saw that last year. Like, he's a capable quarterback.
18:54And that's a big question mark with guys like Luther Burden or second year or whatever players, younger players.
19:00It's like, can the quarterback get on the ball?
19:02And I think Cale's going to do it. So, it's going to be interesting.
19:06I think definitely top 10 potential. The next guy here, I'm getting a bounce back.
19:10And I remember I was the only one of the main guys on this guy just hammering it.
19:15Don't be a donkey, Draft Lad McConkie. People remember that.
19:18And then last year, I said, don't be a donkey and fade McConkie, right?
19:22Because I said, fade him, fade him, fade him.
19:25Because, again, we're talking about that recency bias. What they're going to do is they say, okay, he finished on top last year.
19:31Let's put him again on top this year. He's coming out late round two last year, give or take.
19:36I'm like, dude, that's expensive for Lad. Like, way too expensive because they had brought Keenan Allen back.
19:41I didn't like the situation. Now, I'm going to be back on the train.
19:45As long as he stays healthy, he's going to be solid.
19:48I do really believe in Trey Harris. I'm a Trey Harris advocate, especially for the value.
19:53I've got him on all my leagues. Just stash him because I missed out on Lad because I was going more Emeka,
19:59which we'll talk about in a second. So, I missed out on Lad in a bunch of leagues.
20:04I think I have him in one league. So, I just hedged my bet and I just went like Trey Harris because
20:10I saw a nice catch with him yesterday. Great hands.
20:13He was a top prospect out of college a year ago.
20:16Just never got the volume because I think they wasted time with Keenan Allen.
20:20But because they didn't sign Keenan Allen again, I think that they believe in Trey Harris.
20:24I don't think Quentin Johnson is the guy. I know a lot of people are high on him as a sleeper, which I talked about yesterday's show.
20:32I don't trust him. I think that Trey Harris could be the guy.
20:35If not, either way, Lad McConkie is going to be a safety net for Herbert anyway.
20:40So, I'm not really concerned. I got to put him in the top 10, assuming he's going to stay healthy.
20:45He's going to be a PPR monster. If everything goes well in McDaniel's offense.
20:49Thoughts on him? Yeah. No, I mean, it's kind of crazy that last year he was going mid-second round or around then.
20:55And now he's going. I'm sometimes getting him in the fourth round.
20:59And his situation this year is so much better than it was last year.
21:03First of all, you have Mike McDaniel coming in.
21:05Really a great offensive guru. He's going to be able to get the ball to McConkie a lot.
21:10Second, as you said, there's no Keenan Allen. So, the target's going to open up for him.
21:15That was the major downfall of McConkie last year was Keenan Allen.
21:18And then third, the offensive line is healthy now.
21:21Remember, heading into the year, they lost Rashawn Slater.
21:23And then by week four, they lost Joe Ault.
21:26Now both guys are healthy. Herbert's going to have so much more protection.
21:29The offense is going to be much more explosive.
21:32It's going to be more touchdowns. McConkie is looking great.
21:35If I'm not getting Ibuka or Luther Burden in that range, I'm trying to get McConkie.
21:39Yeah, man. Lad McConkie. Don't be a donkey and draft McConkie.
21:42Next guy here, which again, I got to adjust my ranking here.
21:45So, we got him at seven, right? But again, it could go.
21:49I know you're higher on him, but we have to curate this list here.
21:53I got A.J. Brown here in the seven because he's got potential to finish in the top seven.
21:58This is your guy here, top 10 potential. Now, I don't know if I was reading this correctly.
22:03A couple days ago, I heard that he did something to his thumb.
22:06I don't think I'm concerned. He's sitting as wide receiver eight.
22:09I don't know, man. Like, I think there's something here.
22:12I was also reading a report. Again, I get news bites constantly throughout the day.
22:16So, I was hearing something about his thumb. And then I was hearing something like he wasn't getting the ball enough from Drake May.
22:23Like, he was complaining about not, you know, in practice not being thrown enough to.
22:27Which is what you want out of a fan receiver.
22:30You want them to scream, give me the ball.
22:32Which kind of reminds me of Antonio Brown years ago.
22:35Which made him a good fantasy receiver. So, A.J.
22:38Brown. Thoughts on him? Any concerns? Older. He's not old, but, you know, older veteran receiver.
22:42New offense. Kind of concerning, isn't it? Not quite 30 yet.
22:45So, I'm not concerned about that. What I'm looking at, and for me, I have him as my number three receiver.
22:51Like, he, in his career, think about who his quarterback has been.
22:54It's been Ryan Tannehill. He's had Marcus Mariota for a little bit.
22:58Jalen Hurts, who's, you know, a good scrambler, but not a good thrower.
23:01And Tanner McKee for a couple games. Gardner Minshew for a couple games.
23:05These have been his quarterbacks. Now he gets Drake May, who was the best downfield thrower last year in the NFL.
23:11Despite being his second year. Now he's going to have a better offensive line in front of him.
23:16Will Campbell's healthy. They drafted a right tackle. He has more experience.
23:19If Josh McDaniels as his coordinator, they're going to find a way to get A.J.
23:23Brown the ball. You look at every number one receiver under Josh McDaniels.
23:27They've posted great stats. And this is not quite, look, I'm not saying this is Randy Moss and Tom Brady.
23:33But if you look at like what happened with Randy Moss beforehand in 2005, 2006, Randy Moss was at the Raiders.
23:38His quarterbacks were Kerry Collins and Andrew Walter. These guys were complete bums.
23:42And Randy Moss did not do that while there.
23:45And then he gets to New England. He gets a major upgrade of quarterback.
23:48And he has one of the best receiver career as seasons of any NFL receiver ever.
23:53A.J. Brown is going from the same thing. Like last year, he was disgruntled.
23:57They didn't want to be in Philly. He's a quarterback who couldn't get the ball downfield consistently.
24:01Now he has Drake May, who, like I said, is the best downfield thrower in the league last year.
24:07And, you know, MVP runner up. Like he's going to post some insane stats this year.
24:11I think this could be the best season of his career.
24:14And really just think about like, you know, Jamar Chase is number one, you know, like or maybe he's in the top three for most people.
24:22Like just think about like how he's had Joe Burrow like for his whole career.
24:26Just think about this way. Like if Jamar Chase had Tannehill and Jalen Hurts, like he wouldn't be posting the stats he is now.
24:32But what if A.J. Brown had Joe Burrow for his whole career?
24:36Like his stats would be insane. So just think about it that way.
24:39I think A.J. Brown is going way too late.
24:42I sometimes see him going late too, which is crazy.
24:45Like I'm scooping up every time. I prefer running back in the second round.
24:49But A.J. Brown is like the one receiver I'm taking instead of a running back sometimes.
24:53Yeah, definitely some value top 10 potential. The next guy here is around 180 P, right, is C.D.
24:58Lamb. Now a lot of people are high on George Pickens and I'm totally not one of them.
25:03I think George Pickens busts hard because he had this phenomenal year last year.
25:07Just not duplicatable, guys. I just don't see it being duplicatable.
25:10So if he's going down, which I'm almost certain that he's going to go down, someone else has to rise up and
25:16he's definitely going to be their wide receiver one, C.D.
25:19Lamb. I hear a lot of debates saying, well, now Pickens is the one.
25:23I don't believe that. I really don't. And what you've got to watch is a guy that's had years to wow us,
25:29we're not wowed or whatever, finally has an anomaly year, a pinnacle year to add to that.
25:34It's like there's no way but down. And I'm just not.
25:37I think he's fool's gold. I think Pickens is going to be one of those major, major regrets this year.
25:42He's gotten bust written all over him. But C.D.
25:45Lamb bounced back. I think he only played 14 games last year, did Lamb.
25:49This is your guy. You wanted him in here.
25:51Thoughts on Lamb? Yeah, I'm with you with the regression on Pickens.
25:54Last year, he was amazing. I love Pickens heading into last year because his ADP was round six.
25:59I got him in round six of my big money league, and he helped me win the championship.
26:05But now he's going late second, early third. That's way too early for a number two receiver.
26:09It's even earlier than T. Higgins. And you complain about T.
26:12Higgins all the time going too early, and I agree.
26:15But Pickens going even earlier. He's got this character issue, like you talked about with A.J.
26:20Brown. It seems like Pickens is even worse because last year, despite him having a great year, he quit in that Detroit game on Thursday night.
26:27Who's to say there's not going to be more of that now that he's in his second year?
26:32He's a little more comfortable there. I think he's still upset that he didn't get his long-term contract.
26:37So I'm not touching him. If he was going like he was last year, round six, I'd be all in.
26:42Round two, late round two, early round three is just way too early.
26:46I think the Cowboys are smart. They know. They're thinking like me.
26:49They know that he's going to decline this year.
26:52So they pay him in a mega contract up one year.
26:55That'd be crazy. So I believe C.D. Lamb cracks the top ten again.
26:58Number five, I think there's going to be a regression a little bit for Amon.
27:03He's just been so consistent for so long. I think Jameer gets more work.
27:07And we saw the emergence of Jameson Williams last year.
27:09I think Sam Laporta is a bit down. I think he steps up a bit.
27:14I think there's going to be more target dilution here.
27:16But when you got that consistency every single year, it's hard to deny, barring any injury, that Amon does not continue to stay healthy.
27:23So we got him in the top ten simply because of Mr.
27:26Good Old Reliable. But I do feel that Laporta and Williams do start really dipping into Amon or St.
27:32Brown. We start seeing a regression from this year moving forward.
27:35Yeah, I drafted Jameson Williams a lot more than Amon or St.
27:38Brown. Obviously, that has to do with ADP. Jameson Williams is going fifth round.
27:42Amon or Ra is going late first. And I'd rather have a running back there like James Cook or Marion Hampton, something like that.
27:49But, you know, I mean, we're talking PPR right now.
27:51And Amon or St. Brown is the PPR king.
27:54If this were standard, I could see the argument for not having him in the top ten.
27:59But if you're talking receptions, this guy's always at the top of the league in receptions.
28:03You know, it's like, yeah, there's no Ben Johnson anymore.
28:06They're still using him the same way. I do agree, though.
28:09Sam Laporta coming back from injury and Williams emerging.
28:11Don't forget about Isaac Tesla as well. I think he's worth a pick late.
28:15But, yeah, you can't have PPR rankings and not have St.
28:18Brown in the top ten. You know, as much as we want to go against consensus like this, he has to be there because he's Mr.
28:26PPR. Speaking of going against consensus, wait till you see the next couple picks.
28:30But Drake London here at four. Now, I don't like to wish injury, but I got a lot of Zachariah Branch stock.
28:36So, Drake London goes down. It could be good.
28:38But it's almost better actually if Drake London stays healthy because we don't want Zachariah Branch drawing the top corner on any type of defense.
28:45So, we hope Drake London stays healthy. But we hope that Zachariah Branch, one of my sleepers, gets some work.
28:51But how do you deny Drake London? I mean, he's the only option there.
28:55Ultimately, I think the biggest issue here is quarterback.
28:57Are we sold on the quarterback situation here in Atlanta?
29:00Because that's where my concern is. Now, I love Drake London.
29:03I think the talent is there. But he's also had his share of injuries over the past.
29:08So, I mean, Tua has already banged up, isn't he?
29:10Like, what's going on here with the quarterback situation?
29:13Like, I don't even trust. Like, I don't even have any stock in London because it's too – I'm going running back round two.
29:20Like, so I just avoided him. That's why I think the Zachariah Branch is such a deal.
29:24He's been doing well in camp. What are your thoughts on Drake London?
29:28Are you concerned at all? Yeah, you have to be a quarterback.
29:31I mean, if you look at Drake London in his past, he had Kirk Cousins before.
29:36You know, and so, like, at least that was a veteran presence, you know, like the past couple years.
29:41Now, you know, you have Tua Tungabailo who's banged up and has the concussion issues.
29:45So, like, he could go down at any point.
29:48If you – talk about Olave with concussions. Tua gets a concussion.
29:51He might be out for the year. It's sad, but it's true.
29:54And then you have Michael Penix who's also banged up because they're both injured.
29:58They signed Cooper Rush. Like, can you imagine being a Drake London owner and Cooper Rush is your week one quarterback because both quarterbacks are injured?
30:06Like, that's a disaster. No. No. No. I'm going to like Drake London a lot more next year.
30:11There's talk that, you know, the Falcons might go after Baker Mayfield.
30:14You know, after the season, Mayfield's probably going to leave Tampa.
30:17Maybe Atlanta drafts a quarterback. Like, London's going to look a lot better in 2027.
30:21This year, it's a concern. But he's so talented that, like, he can still get it done with bad quarterbacking.
30:27Like, he still produces huge numbers with Penix last year.
30:29And Penix was awful. Penix was the second least accurate quarterback on passes 10 yards downfield last year.
30:34And London was great. Imagine if, like, Tua comes back healthy, you know, isn't concussed and plays well.
30:39You know, like, that's the sort of upside you have with London.
30:43So, I feel like you have to include him just because of his talent.
30:47However, I do love Zachary Branch as well. He's my third highest drafted receiver.
30:51I think that he's a massive sleeper that people need to kind of understand who he is and what he can do.
30:57He kind of reminds me of Zay Flowers. Yeah, he's really good, man.
31:00He's really good. So, yeah, that's our thoughts on Drake London.
31:03Next guy, one of my favorites. I think this guy finishes as number one.
31:07But we've got to be realistic to some degree because if the other two guys are healthy, they could definitely beat him.
31:13But I've got to go with Mika here, round three.
31:16I'm just so high on him. And we see his ADP continue to climb because I remember when we were back in
31:22April, he was like wide receiver 25. And then I kept talking about him, talk about him, talk about him.
31:28And then the words out on him. And then, you know, he's doing well in camp.
31:32And we know that they didn't draft anybody else that's going to come in and take that volume.
31:37And he's designated as the one. He is wide receiver 18 on the sheep rankings.
31:42But here's what blows my mind, man. Like, I definitely see him beating everybody underneath him.
31:46Like, for example, like T. Higgins, wide receiver to max out 110 targets.
31:50Mika had 127 targets last year. And he wasn't even fully a go.
31:53They had Mike Evans there. Like, they had Godwin, you know, coming back.
31:57Like, he wasn't even like, he didn't even peak.
31:59Like, he hasn't even scratched the surface of what he could do.
32:03He had 127 targets. T. Higgins, 110. That's his max.
32:05You got Devontae Smith, who you're like, I'm not really crazy on.
32:09Like, we're saying he's wide receiver 13. Let me remind you.
32:12Mika was wide receiver 25 a month or two ago.
32:15He's wide receiver 18. We got Devontae Smith, wide receiver 13, who was always a two.
32:19I just don't see him taking that one spot.
32:22We got Rashi Rice, who just got fresh out of jail.
32:25Like, you don't know when he's going to cause trouble again.
32:28Like, I just do not trust this guy. Character issues, not a guy I like.
32:32You got George Pickens on the decline. You got so many other guys.
32:36You got Justin Jefferson, who there's a quarterback battle.
32:38Like, it's like, I don't even know. I don't trust Kyler Murray.
32:41There's so many other guys. Zay Flowers on Baltimore.
32:44Like, I don't trust any of these guys. I like Mika.
32:47I got him all the way up top. He's definitely going to be a top five wide receiver.
32:52I just don't know whether it's going to be one or five.
32:55I just, I'm all in. Round three ADP. Like, I just feel comfortable going to running.
33:00I'm just getting Mika as my wide receiver one.
33:02And I just don't have to draft a wide receiver round one.
33:06That's my thought process on Mika. I just love him.
33:08Sign me up. Ride or die. I'm in. I'm in.
33:11Yeah. I mean, he was my guy last year.
33:14I love the talent. I love the situation because we knew Evan's going to get hurt.
33:18And we knew Chris Godwin wasn't going to play until late October.
33:21And lo and behold, I mean, he was terrific in the first half of the year.
33:26He looked like he was going to an offensive rookie of the year.
33:30Now, the second half of the season, people might be wondering, oh, what happened?
33:33He didn't do much. Like, he only had, like, one good game down the stretch.
33:38Well, he got hurt. He hurt his hamstring. He fought through it.
33:41He played every week. You know, showed some toughness there.
33:44And then Baker Mayfield got hurt. He hurt his shoulder.
33:47And then Tampa had offensive line injuries. So they're going to hit by everything.
33:50Tampa down the stretch was losing to everyone. They lost to the Saints at home.
33:55They lost to the Falcons at home. This team was a complete disaster.
33:58Like, the only team they beat down the stretch was Arizona.
34:01And they barely beat Arizona. So, like, a lot of things are going wrong for Tampa.
34:06Now Mayfield's healthy. He's angry because he wants a new contract.
34:09In fact, Abuka is now the number one, like, by a mile because Evans is gone.
34:13Godwin is, you know, is an aging player. This is his time.
34:17And every single receiver you mentioned, I would take Abuka over them in a heartbeat.
34:21There are only, like, five or six receivers I would take comfortably over him.
34:25You know, you're talking about, like, the Jamar Chases, Bukinokua, et cetera.
34:28But, like, with Abuka, I think he belongs where London's going, which is, like, mid-round two.
34:32So, I'm thrilled to get a mid-round three. Like, I follow the same strategy usually.
34:37I go running back, running back, and then I take my ace receiver, and then I continue to take running backs after that.
34:43I think it's a good strategy to have this year.
34:46Yeah, man, I'm super excited. It's going to be a fun year, and I think it's going to be exciting with Amika.
34:52Just love that value. All right, the last two here.
34:55Before we get into it, make sure you guys do grab 16 rounds.
34:58I've linked it below. Sleepers, breakouts, auto players. Don't draft without it.
35:02All right, number two is Puka. Obviously, my concern is Devontae Adams is back.
35:06He's going to steal a lot of touchdowns. Is Puka going to stay healthy?
35:09And any off-field issues with Puka? We know he likes to party from what we've seen.
35:14We know about that bite, the alleged bite or whatever he did, and that was a deep bite on that girl or whatever.
35:20Probably made that go away with some money. Puka Nakua, man, I mean, you can't deny the talent, right?
35:26Like, he's just a character. I mean, he's an amazing player.
35:29And if Adams ever gets hurt, like, he's going to be 34 soon.
35:32When Adams was out last year, Nakua got so much more touchdown equity.
35:36So, like, that's even more upside. Yeah, downside is, yeah, I mean, he's, what, like, a cannibal now?
35:41Like, you have to worry about that. But, like, if he doesn't bite people or maybe waits until February to bite people,
35:47you're going to be okay drafting Nakua. Like, you know, I think he's a fine pick in the middle of the first round.
35:53All right, and the final one here goes without saying Jamar Chase.
35:57I mean, there's not much to say here. You could say that he could decline a little bit, but it could be an injury to Joe Burrow.
36:04We've seen that before. But barring any injury, this guy continues to thrive.
36:08I mean, there's really nothing else other than just you guys got to anticipate that other guys could emerge over him this
36:14year, which is very viable since he's always kind of the top guy.
36:18Yeah, here's the interesting thing with Jamar Chase. Like, a lot of the thing with him before was Cincinnati's defense was awful.
36:24And so they always had to throw so much in the fourth quarter.
36:27Now, Cincinnati's defense is going to be a little bit better this year.
36:31They got some real good players in free agency and via trade for the 10th pick.
36:35Like, I'm not saying this defense is going to be good, but this defense could go from 29th to, like, 18th.
36:41And if they do, then they're not going to have to throw as much in the fourth quarter.
36:46So that could hurt Chase. But then again, with Burrow healthy all year, if he stays healthy all year, Chase is going
36:52to have a lot of touchdown potential. He's so talented, and he has a great quarterback by his side.
36:58So he has to be the number one. Yeah, man.
37:01I got to put him at one. That's all we have for you.
37:04Breaking Brett, any comments on this list? We now have breaking news.
37:07Apparently not. That's all we got. So, Walter, man, thanks for coming on.
37:11I just, again, I want to keep the content rolling here.
37:14Subscribe, guys. We're going to do lives every night at night.
37:17Turn on notifications. We're going to keep rocking and chugging away.
37:20We still got five weekends, I think, until the season started, right?
37:24I did the math. Five weekends. So it's going to be huge.
37:27I know a lot of people are drafting those weekends.
37:30Don't draft for those 16 rounds. Head on over to WalterFootball.com for his rankings.
37:34And we're going to keep getting you on, Walter.
37:36We appreciate the insight. And the wild and wonderful Walter.
37:39Do you like that? Yeah. You said you had a new nickname for me.
37:43I like the alliterations. Great. But, Joe, thanks for having me on.
37:46And like you said, check out WalterFootball.com. And my YouTube channel, we're actually doing like strategy videos for like, if you have
37:52the ninth pick, what do you do? If you have the fourth pick, what do you do?
37:57That's what I've been doing recently. So check that out.
38:00I'll have one for each pick down the road.
38:02All right. Go follow the YouTube channel as well.
38:05The wild and wonderful Walter and the counselor are out.
38:08Have a great day. Bye.